Topics to Watch at the Virtual Mt. Pleasant City Commission Meeting – November 8, 2021

Here are the topics to watch at the next virtual Mt. Pleasant City Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, November 8, 2021 at 7 p.m.

Public hearing on proposed 2022 Annual Operating Budget.

Public hearing on special assessment roll for Special Assessment District #2-21 and consider approval of resolution #5 for approval of the roll and setting of payment terms for Special Assessment District #2-21 for Principal District Shopping special assessment.

Consider contract with Recovery, Independence Safety & Empowerment (RISE) Advocacy, Inc. for mental health services assistance.

To view the entire meeting packet visit:

http://www.mt-pleasant.org/docs/board/city.commission/agendas/2021/11-8-21.pdf

How to follow public meetings during social distancing:

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, as allowed under the Open Meetings Act and consistent with the Isabella County Declaration of a State of Emergency (Resolution No. 20-12-03 effective 12-15-20), the City Commission Meeting will be held virtually. The public may view the meeting live on the City’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/MtPleasantMi/, on Spectrum Charter channel 188 or via Zoom.

Zoom Meeting instructions via computer, phone, or dial-in number are as follows:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85117429936?pwd=VTZ5Rk5BZmtqeFFtQ1NuRmJ3M1lFQT09

Meeting ID: 851 1742 9936

Passcode: 968314

Phone dial-in: (929) 205-6099

Audio and video will be muted for members of the public and then unmuted by the host during public comment periods.

For participants accessing via computer or smartphone please use the “Raise Your Hand” icon to indicate you would like to speak. First, click on the “Participants” icon at the bottom of your screen. Next, click on the “Raise Your Hand” icon near the bottom right corner of the screen.
To raise your hand for telephone dial-in participants, press *9.
Members of the public may be muted or removed if using abusive language or if they become disruptive to the meeting. Any citizen desiring to make a public comment on an agenda item may email their comments.

• Attendance to the meeting and participation during public comment periods will be conducted as follows:

• Members of the public must provide their name and address with their comments.

• Comments/Questions may be sent ahead of the meeting in writing or emailed to comment@mt-pleasant.org.

• Individual commissioners can be contacted at the following email addresses:

Mary Alsager malsager@mt-pleasant.org

Olivia Cyman ocyman@mt-pleasant.org

Lori Gillis lgillis@mt-pleasant.org

William Joseph wjoseph@mt-pleasant.org

Amy Perschbacher aperschbacher@mt-pleasant.org

George Ronan gronan@mt-pleasant.org

Pete Tolas ptolas@mt-pleasant.org

• Comments/Questions can be emailed to comment@mt-pleasant.org during the meeting and during normal public comment sections of the agenda.

• Comments sent via email will be read aloud to the Commission during the public comment periods.

Persons with disabilities needing assistance to participate may call the Human Resources office at (989) 779-5314. Persons requiring speech or hearing assistance may contact the City through the Michigan Relay Center at 711. A 48-hour advance notice is necessary for accommodation.

Ladies Day Out – Scheduled for November 13, 2021

Ladies Day Out is scheduled for Saturday, November 13, 2021 and is poised to be another great event in downtown Mt. Pleasant. And, a wonderful opportunity to conquer that holiday shopping list.

New name and updated logo. After 17 years, some alterations have been made to this popular event, prompting an updated logo and name. Since the event has transitioned from an evening event to an all-day shopping experience, what was once Ladies Night Out is now coined, Ladies Day Out. An updated logo also reflects this change.

Big prizes. Rather than smaller raffle prizes being distributed at the Broadway Theatre, attendees will have the opportunity to win $250, $500 or $1,000 in downtown gift certificates. Individuals can stop by the Downtown Development kiosk at Main and Broadway from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. to register to win these notable prizes.

Questions: Contact Downtown Development Director Michelle Sponseller at msponseller@mt-pleasant.org or (989) 779-5348.

A Message from Mt. Pleasant City Manager Aaron Desentz

Since I joined the City of Mt. Pleasant as City Manager on October 18, I am blown away by the support and outreach of this extremely welcoming community. Each day I am more impressed with the City, and happy I made the decision to call Mt. Pleasant home.

A little bit about me, I graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2013, with a Master’s in Public Administration. Shortly thereafter, I was appointed as the Village Manager of Shelby, Michigan. Since then I have worked in local government for a number of other Michigan communities, with the most recent being Eaton Rapids. My wife Samantha and I have two dogs, Zander and Fenrir, and are excited to be moving into our new home in Mt. Pleasant.

As you can imagine, the past two weeks have been filled with meetings and I have met a number of great people in the community. I look forward to continuing the quality services our City of Mt. Pleasant organization provides, and welcome the opportunity to talk with residents. Please feel free to contact me, email: adesentz@mt-pleasant.org, phone: (989) 779-5321.

Accessory Dwelling Units Offer Unique Housing Options

Accessory dwelling units (ADU’s) are small, secondary dwelling units located on the same lot as a larger, principal dwelling unit. They can be a detached structure in the backyard, an over-the-garage unit, or a space attached to the primary residence. The main home and ADU, also referred to as granny flats or in-law units, cannot be sold separately. The owner of the principal home is also the owner of the ADU.

ADU’s are built and have become an increasingly popular housing option because:

-They create additional housing supply and variety within existing residential neighborhoods.

-They increase housing affordability.

-They provide opportunities for multi-generational housing and/or aging-in-place.

-They generate supplementary income for homeowners.

There are currently 54 existing ADU’s in the City. This distinctive housing option can be created in the CD-4 zoning district by right, or created in the CD-3L or CD-3 zoning district with Planning Commission approval.

To make the ADU design process easy, and to assure these units meet all zoning guidelines, City staff has prepared example building plans for both stand-alone and over-the-garage ADU’s. These plans can also be adjusted by City staff to reflect the architectural details of primary dwellings.

To find out more about these units and view the building plans, call (989) 779-5347.