18 Special Combined Meeting of the Mt. Pleasant City Commission and CMU’s Student Government Association

Topics to watch at the October 29 special combined meeting of the City Commission and CMU’s Student Government Association. This meeting will take place at CMU’s Bovee University Center’s Auditorium (third floor.)

To see the full City Commission agenda and packet for October 29, 2018 click here.

-Bids and quotations for:

*Municipal Refuse Collection

*Curbside Recycling Collection

-Consider approval of commercial ball field lighting installation at Pickens Field by Mt. Pleasant Little League and use agreement on the same.

-Public comment on agenda and non-agenda items.

*The City Commission is interested in obtaining comment from SGA members regarding any items related to the City.

This special combined meeting of the Mt. Pleasant City Commission and CMU Student Government Association will be available for viewing at a later date on the MACTV website.

Summary of Minutes from City Commission Meeting – October 22, 2018

Mayor read and presented proclamation recognizing Kris and Mike Roethlisberger’s service to the community.

Introduced new Water System Operators Jason DeFeyter and Tyler Heard.

Introduced new Assistant Public Works Director Jason Moore.

Carey Hammel, Director MAC TV Network, gave a presentation on what MAC TV does for the City of Mt. Pleasant and community.

Received petitions and communications.

Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held October 8, 2018.
Minutes of the closed session of the City Commission held October 8, 2018.
Authorized a contract with R & T Murphy of Mt. Pleasant, MI for 2018 leaf hauling and for 2018-2019 snow hauling.
Approved a five-year contract with Vredeveld Haefner LLC of Grand Rapids, MI for audit services with option for financial statement preparation if desired.
Authorized the Mayor and Clerk to sign any closing documents regarding the purchase of easement for Parcel E-17 from Frontier Communications.
MDOT Resolution authorizing the approval of a contract to receive funds for the acquisition of an easement for approach slope clearing.
Resolution supporting fees and charges for the Learn to Bowl program.
Warrants and Payrolls.

-Approved the amended Rear Yard Sanitary Sewer and Sewer Lead Serving Multiple Buildings Policy with amendment.

-Authorized the City Manager to sign a one-year agreement with EAA and also authorize the City Manager to sign subsequent leases if the terms remain unchanged and request the City Manager bring back a report to the Commission annually with the amount spent by EAA on maintenance and promotion before the renewal is signed.

-Authorized the Mayor and Clerk to sign an amendment to the June 2013 Real Estate Purchase Agreement with Mr. Joe Olivieri to waive the requirement of building a spec home in 2018.

-Authorized the fireworks display on Saturday, December 1, 2018 and approve a sole source contract with Wolverine Fireworks Display.

-Authorized staff to issue a refund for the six properties that were incorrectly classified in the Principal Shopping District assessment roll between 2008-2017 and the appropriate budget amendment from the Principal Shopping District assigned balance.

-Held a work session discussion on the 2019 Operating Budget.

Adjourned at 10:08 p.m.

Items to watch at the 10/22/18 City Commission Meeting

Here are the five things to watch at the October 22 City Commission meeting. To see the full City Commission agenda and packet for October 22, 2018 click here.

-Consider approval of previously postponed amended Sanitary Sewer House Lead Reconnection Policy.

-Consider Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) resolution authorizing the approval of a contract to receive funds for the acquisition of an easement for approach slope clearing.

-Consider lease renewal with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) for City-owned airport hangar and authorize the City Manager to execute future renewals.

-Consider contract amendment for the remaining sites in Eastpointe IV as recommended by the Property Committee.

-Consider approval of fireworks display as part of the 2018 Christmas Celebration and sole source contract for the fireworks.

Mt. Pleasant City Commission meetings take place at 7 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway Street.

Mt. Pleasant City Commission meetings are also streamed live at the City’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/MtPleasantMi/ and aired on Channel 188, or viewed online at a later date on the MACTV website.

Broadway Street Construction – October 15 and 22, 2018

On October 15, the Street Department will complete the final improvements and water main repair work at the intersection of Broadway and Franklin Streets. This is the area which was affected by the August 13 water main break. Both lanes will be closed for the day at this intersection.

On October 22, both lanes at the intersection of Broadway and Franklin Streets will be closed for the day due to paving.

Broadway Street will close between Franklin and University Streets starting at 7 a.m. on October 15 and 22. At this time water service is not expected to be interrupted.

City Commission Meeting Summary of Minutes – October 8, 2018

Summary of Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday,
October 8, 2018, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Commission Room.

Mayor Lents read and presented a proclamation to Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council
Members, recognizing “Indigenous People Day – October 8, 2018”.

Mayor Lents read and presented a proclamation to Jerry Fountain with the Bowlers Hall of Fame, recognizing “Bowlers Hall of Fame Day – October 14, 2018”.

Received petitions and communications.

Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

1) Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held September 24, 2018.

2) Set a special meeting for Monday, October 29, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the CMU Bovee University Center for the purpose of meeting with Central Michigan University Student Government Association.

3) Warrants and Payrolls

Held a public hearing and passed, ordained and ordered published Ordinance 1041, an
Ordinance to amend Chapter 30, Sections 30.04, 30.05, 30.06, 30.07, 30.08, 30.09, 30.10,
30.11, 30.13, 30.15 and 31.01 and add Section 30.16 of the Mt. Pleasant Code of Ordinances having been introduced and read, now be passed, ordained and ordered published.

Held a public hearing and postponed action on changes to Section 98.37 of the Mt. Pleasant City Code regarding snow and ice removal until a work session discussion can be held.

Approved and conducted a closed session pursuant to subsection 8(h) of the Open
Meetings Act for material exempt from discussion or disclosure by state or federal statue.

Conducted a work session discussion on 2019 Operating Budget.

Adjourned at 10:10 p.m.

Special event road closures; October 13-14, 2018

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – Race for a Reason 5K Run sponsored by Grace Church will take place on Saturday, October 13 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The race route is through Mill Pond, Nelson and Island Parks and a portion of the Downtown area, causing the closure of Main Street between Illinois and Michigan Streets.

McLaren Central Hospital will be closing the south side of Maple Street, between South Drive and Brown Street on Saturday, October 13 from 3 – 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 14 from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. for their Road of Ribbons project, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Please seek alternate routes during these time frames.

###

Municipal Water Supplies within Isabella County Scheduled for Michigan Department of Environmental Quality PFAS Water Test

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has begun a statewide initiative to test drinking water from all community water supplies. The test is looking for a group of manmade chemicals called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). MDEQ is taking this precautionary step of testing these drinking water sources to determine if public health actions are needed. Below is information provided by the MDEQ.

What is PFAS?
It is not uncommon to find low levels of PFAS in drinking water supplies, as PFAS can be found in firefightingfoams, stain repellants, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, food wrappers, and many other household products. They do not break down in the environment and move easily into water.

Who is paying for this initial testing?
Funding for initial testing is provided by legislation signed by Governor Rick Snyder as a supplemental appropriation for the current fiscal year.

Who is conducting the initial testing?
The MDEQ has contracted with AECOM, a private environmental firm to conduct the statewide sampling.

Municipal Samples
The City of Mt. Pleasant, Union Township and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe will be tested separately. These three entities are coordinating efforts in both the testing and communication processes. If you are unsure of who your water system/provider is, please refer to your water bill.

Testing Date and Results
Currently, Isabella County is scheduled for testing during the week of October 15, 2018. According to the MDEQ, it is anticipated sample results will be received four to six weeks following sample collection. Individual entity test results, when received, will be provided in parts per trillion (ppt) which is the equivalent of one drop of water in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools.

What if I have my own well?
If you have your own private well you should contact the MDEQ Environmental Assistance Center at 1-800-662-9278.

Can I drink the water?
With the information available at this time, there is no reason to believe the water is unsafe to drink. If you have individual concerns, bottled water may be an option for you prior to the receipt of test results.

Updated Water Information
Updated water information can be found on the Central Michigan Health Department website at https://www.cmdhd.org/ or by calling the MDEQ Environmental Assistance Center at 1-800-662-9278.

UPDATE: Suspect Identified in Credit Card Fraud Case

UPDATE: The suspect in this case has been identified. The Mt. Pleasant Police would like to thank the public and local media for their assistance. This is an ongoing investigation, so the name of the suspect is not being released at this time.

The Mt. Pleasant Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a credit card fraud suspect.

A credit card was lost on 09/23/18 and the card owner was alerted to fraudulent charges being made. The owner of the card contacted Mt. Pleasant City Police and a criminal complaint was filed.

Purchases totaling $1500 were made with the credit card at the BP Shell Gas Station, Marathon Gas Station, Menards, and Walmart in and around the City of Mt. Pleasant.

The Mt. Pleasant Police have obtained photographic and video evidence of an unknown male making these purchases. The suspect is a white male between 25 and 35 years old, approximately 6’ tall, light facial hair, glasses, several tattoos on both the right and left forearms, and a tattoo on the left side of the neck.

If you have any information in regards to the identification of this subject, please contact the Mt. Pleasant Police Tip Line at 989-779-9111.

UPDATE: Empty Keg Party Store armed robbery

10/12/18 UPDATE:

On October 6, 2018 at approximately 10:44 p.m. Mt. Pleasant Police received a call of an armed robbery that had just occurred at 122 E. Pickard Street in the City of Mt. Pleasant.

On October 7, 2018 a description and photo of the suspect, along with video surveillance footage was released to the media. The public responded with several tips of the suspect’s identity and the suspect was identified.

Mt. Pleasant Police Detectives quickly determined the suspect was no longer in the Mt. Pleasant area and have reached out for assistance from other law enforcement agencies throughout the state. On October 8, 2018 an arrest warrant was issued for Rickery Donnell Cole Jr. a 29-year old black male. In addition to the warrant for armed robbery, Cole has eight other outstanding warrants.

Rickery Donnell Cole Jr. is described as 6’1”, 190 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Cole has a tattoo of a “Lion Head” on his upper back, and “AHLISIANNA” tattooed on the left side of his chest.

The Mt. Pleasant Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Rickery Donnell Cole Jr. who resides in the Lansing area and should be considered armed and dangerous. If you know the whereabouts of Rickery Donnell Cole Jr. please DO NOT approach him, contact your local police department and Isabella County Central Dispatch at 989-773-1000.

Video of the robbery and a current photograph of Rickery Cole Jr. can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/mtppublicsafety/.

October 7, 2018 MEDIA RELEASE:

Armed Robbery 122 E. Pickard St. (Empty Keg Party Store)

MT PLEASANT, MI – On October 6, 2018 at approximately 10:44 p.m., Mt. Pleasant Police received a call of an armed robbery that had just occurred at 122 E. Pickard Street in the City of Mt. Pleasant.

Mt. Pleasant Police officers responded to the Empty Keg Party Store and secured the scene. Additional officers began a canvass of the area in an attempt to locate the suspect.

The suspect was described as a 5’8″ to 6′ male with dark complexion, wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt, black basketball shorts, and tan shoes.

The suspect entered the store to inform the clerk of a disturbance outside. The clerk exited the store with the suspect. The suspect then displayed a hand gun and ordered the clerk back into the store to retrieve money from the cash register.

Mt. Pleasant Police were unable to locate anyone in the area that matched the description of the suspect. Additional businesses in the area were contacted and made aware of the situation and were advised to contact Isabella County Central Dispatch if anyone matching the description came into their business.

Mt. Pleasant Police were assisted by a Michigan State Police K-9 unit. The investigation remains ongoing by Mt. Pleasant Police detectives. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Mt. Pleasant Police Department TIP line at (989)779-9111.

Visit City of Mt Pleasant Public Safety on Facebook to view a full HD video of the incident.

Five things to watch at October 8, 2018 City Commission meeting

Here are the five things to watch at the October 8 City Commission meeting. To see the full City Commission agenda and packet for October 8, 2018 click here.

-Proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day (October 8, 2018).

-Native American Drum Ceremony

-Public hearing on an ordinance to amend Chapter 30 and 31.01 of the Mt. Pleasant City Code and consider approval of the same.

-Public hearing on an ordinance to amend Section 98.37 of the Mt. Pleasant City Code regarding snow and ice removal and consider approval of the same.

-Consider setting a special meeting for October 29, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.in the CMU Bovee University Center Auditorium for the purpose of meeting with the Central Michigan University Student Government Association.

Mt. Pleasant City Commission meetings take place at 7 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway Street.