Author: mpcityblog

Mt. Pleasant High School Threat Investigated by Mt. Pleasant Police – UPDATED 12/10/2021

On December 9, 2021 at approximately 7:50 a.m. officers from the Mt. Pleasant Police Department (MPPD) responded to a written gun threat found at Mt. Pleasant High School. The school was already in enhanced secure mode when officers arrived. Police conducted a complete security check of the school, and as an extra precaution brought in bomb sniffing dogs. There were no weapons or bombs found during these searches.

While on site, police spoke with the student who initially discovered and reported the threat and found inconsistencies in their statement. That same student later admitted to writing the gun threats on Tuesday, December 7 and Thursday, December 9.

The investigation report was turned over to the Isabella County Prosecutors Office which led to the detention of the 15-year-old student, who is charged with two counts of Intentional Threat to Commit Act of Violence Against the School. One count is a felony, and the other is a misdemeanor.

The Mt. Pleasant Police Department was assisted by Central Dispatch and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department.

Mt. Pleasant Christmas Celebration – Downtown Road Closures and Parade Safety Information

In preparation for the Christmas Celebration, the following downtown streets will be closed at various times on December 3 and 4, 2021.

Friday, December 3, 2021

6 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Parking Lot #3 (Town Center): The front two rows on the east side of the lot will be closed. All cars must be removed by 6 a.m. to avoid towing.

3 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Parking Lot #3 (Town Center): The back two rows on the west side of the lot will be closed. All cars must be removed by 3 p.m. to avoid towing.

3 p.m. – 9 p.m.                                   6:00 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting and Community Sing

Main Street will be closed from the Broadway and Main Street intersection, north to parking lot #2 (Jockey Alley).

11 p.m.                                               Island Park

In preparation for the Saturday firework display, Island Park will be closed from 11 p.m. on Friday, December 3 through Sunday, December 5 at 12 noon. Please make sure all vehicles are removed.

Saturday, December 4, 2021

6:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.          7:50 a.m. Kids Fun Run, 8:25 a.m. 5 Mile Run, and 8:30 a.m. 5k

Broadway Street will be closed from Court Street to Main Street.

12 p.m. – 8 p.m.                                6 p.m. Lighted Parade

Main Street between Illinois and Mosher will be closed.

Broadway Street between Main and Lansing will be closed.

4 p.m. – 8 p.m.                       6 p.m. Lighted Parade

Main Street from Cherry to Illinois will be closed.

Cars left on the street on Saturday, December 4 will be subject to towing. Please seek alternate routes during these time frames.

The lighted parade, which begins at 6 p.m. on December 4 starts at the First United Methodist Church, travels north on Main Street, east on Broadway Street, south on Lansing Street, and west on Illinois Street as it returns to the First United Methodist Church. To celebrate and honor frontline/essential workers, Jeniffer Faydenko assistant produce manager at GreenTree Grocery, will serve as the parade Grand Marshal.

PARADE SAFETY NOTE:  For the safety of parade-goers and parade participants; please do not venture out into the street during the parade. Stay on the sidewalk during the entire duration of the parade.

Snow Emergencies

If a snow emergency is declared by City of Mt. Pleasant staff, on-street parking will NOT be permitted.

During a snow emergency, failure to remove vehicles from the street will result in a ticket. Towing may be utilized if ticketing has proven ineffective and/or the vehicles parked on the street cause a delay in snow removal.

Notice of when a snow emergency is declared, and later lifted, will be provided through the city’s social media channels, blog https://mpcityblog.com/, community information phone line (989-779-5320), local media notification, and an email alert.

To receive an email notification, sign up to receive the city’s monthly eConnections newsletter by visiting http://www.mt-pleasant.org/news/e-news.asp.

Other parking ordinance guidelines are as follows:

  • Overnight street parking is allowed throughout the City of Mt. Pleasant year-round, except for the Downtown area.
  • Downtown street parking is prohibited from 4 – 6 a.m. year-round.
  • When a snow emergency is declared, all cars must be removed from the street.

Materials Recovery Facility to Close for Repairs; Week of December 13, 2021

The Isabella County Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) will be closed for repairs during the week of December 13. No inbound material will be accepted, and there will be no curbside recycling collection during this time. Operations and curbside collection are slated to resume the week of December 20.

Once curbside recycling resumes, there will be an increased amount of materials due to the MRF closure and holiday celebrations. If you have extra recyclables, please place a small amount out for collection over the next several weeks, or consider dropping them off for free at the MRF. This will allow the collection crews to service each address on the route.

Thank you in advance for your assistance. Questions? Call (989) 779-5401.

Summary of Minutes of the Virtual Mt. Pleasant City Commission Meeting – 11/22/2021

Summary of Minutes of the electronically conducted regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday, November 22, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.

Mayor Joseph read and presented a Proclamation recognizing Elimination of Violence Against Women Day “November 25, 2021”.

MMDC President and CEO Jim McBryde gave a presentation of MMDC’s Third Quarter Report and 2022-2024 Strategic Plan.

Presentation by Isabella County Restoration House (ICRH) Director Dee Obrecht.

Introduction of Mike Kurbel as the City’s System Administrator.

Received petitions and communications.

Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

1) Minutes of the electronically conducted regular meeting of the City Commission held November 8, 2021.

2) Warrants and Payrolls.

-Approved the bid of Gateway Refrigeration, Inc. of Clare, MI for 2021 Make-Up Air Unit and Installation at the WRRF.

-Approved the resolution approving the final 2022 Operating Budget and set the millage rate for 2022.

-Approved Resolution to Set Fees and Charges for Certain City Services.

-Approved appointments as submitted by the Appointments Committee.

-Accepted the resignation of Mayor William Joseph.

-Adjourned the meeting at 8:07 p.m.

Isabella County Enhances 9-1-1 Services and Emergency Notification with Smart911; Replacing CodeRED

Isabella County public safety officials announced Smart911 is now available for free to all residents. Individuals who were previously signed up for CodeRED will need to sign up for Smart911 to receive timely and actionable emergency alerts via email, text or voice message. This should be completed before the CodeRED system is discontinued on December 6, 2021.

Smart911 not only informs citizens of emergencies, but allows individuals to create a Safety Profile for their household, if they wish. These profiles include detailed information citizens want 9-1-1 representatives and response teams to know in the event of an emergency. Profiles can be completed by visiting www.smart911.com or downloading the Smart911 App.

With this new system, when an individual makes an emergency call their Safety Profile is automatically displayed for the 9-1-1 representative, enabling the proper response team(s) to be dispatched to an exact location with detailed information. Examples include fire crews knowing how many people reside in a household, EMS staff being informed of allergies or specific medical conditions, or police having a photo of a missing child in seconds, rather than minutes or hours.

Sign up for free at www.isabellacounty.org/911, www.smart911.com, or by downloading the Smart911 App.  

Topics to Watch at the VIRTUAL Mt. Pleasant City Commission Meeting – November 22, 2021

Here are the topics to watch at the next virtual Mt. Pleasant City Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, November 22, 2021 at 7 p.m.

  • Consider resolution approving the final 2022 Operating Budget and set the millage rate for 2022.
  • Consider appointments to the various boards and commissions as recommended by the Appointments Committee.
  • Accept Mayor Will Joseph’s resignation from the City Commission.

To view the entire meeting packet visit: 

http://www.mt-pleasant.org/docs/board/city.commission/agendas/2021/11-22-21_Packet.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/86737883611?pwd=aE1uVEpNTUhSbERmcWk5b0N5MTZMQT09

Meeting ID: 867 3788 3611         

Passcode: 642002

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.

Mt. Pleasant City Commission Vacancy

The Mt. Pleasant City Commission has one vacancy due to Mayor Will Joseph recently accepting the Village Manager position in Paw Paw, Michigan. Applications for this open position are being accepted now through December 2, 2021. The Appointments Committee will consider applications and make a recommendation to the full City Commission at the December 13, 2021 meeting. This appointed term would expire on May 3, 2022. Application information is available at the City Manager’s Office as well as http://www.mt-pleasant.org/boards_and_commissions/.   

Nominating petitions to run for this open seat, which term runs from May 4, 2022 – December 31, 2023, are available at City Hall, office of the City Clerk, 320 W. Broadway Street, from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Completed nominating petitions which require a minimum of 50, and a maximum of 80 certified signatures may be filed with the City Clerk starting Friday, December 17, 2021. The deadline to file is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. For nominating petition information visit: https://bit.ly/2YLFvzs 

The City election will take place on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

Downtown Mt. Pleasant Christmas Celebration Scheduled for December 3 and 4

Downtown Mt. Pleasant will be filled with holiday spirit at the Christmas Celebration slated for December 3 – 4, 2021. A community tradition for almost three decades, this event offers a variety of activities for the whole family.

On Friday, December 3 at 5 p.m. the celebration kicks off at Town Center with a new Winter Market featuring specialty crafts and food vendors. Candy Cane Lane at Town Center will host a variety of children’s games and activities, and the Community Sing-Along and Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Christmas light tour hayrides will also be offered. Tours will begin at University and Broadway Street.

Celebration attendees are invited to help the Mt. Pleasant Police Department and Toys for Tots “Cram-A-Cruiser” with new, unopened, unwrapped toys. Stop by Town Center between 5 – 8 p.m. to get an up-close look at a police cruiser while helping the toy drive.

Saturday, December 4 highlights include the Jingle All-The-Way Kids Fun Run, 5K and 5 Mile Run starting at Max & Emily’s. Registration must be completed online. Races begin at 7:50, 8:25 and 8:30 a.m. Proceeds benefit Toys for Tots.

A pancake breakfast with Santa is scheduled from 9 a.m. – noon at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall, admission is $7 per person and children under four are $5. The festivities continue with the lighted parade winding through the streets of downtown starting at 6 p.m. To celebrate and honor frontline/essential workers, Jeniffer Faydenko assistant produce manager at GreenTree Grocery, will serve as the parade Grand Marshal. To complete the day, holiday fireworks viewed from downtown, will light up the sky after the parade.  

Registration forms for the Jingle All-The-Way Kids Fun Run, 5 Mile Run and 5K Walk/Run, Winter Market Vendor Application, volunteer opportunities, and parade entry applications (due December 1) can be found at https://bit.ly/3k4Jw9B.