Summary of minutes of the City Commission meeting held April 8, 2019

Summary of Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday, April 8, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers.

Received petitions and communications.

Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

1) Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held March 25, 2019.

2) Minutes of the special meeting of the City Commission held March 30, 2019.

3) Bid of Central Asphalt Co., of Mt. Pleasant, MI for 2019 Street Overlay Project.

4) Bid of Lakeshore Construction of Mt. Pleasant, MI for the 2019 Sidewalk Replacement Project.

5) Bid of Asphalt Restoration, Inc. of Kalamazoo, MI for the 2019 Crack Sealing Project.

6) Receive 2020-2025 proposed Capital Improvement Plan and set a public hearing for Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. on same.

7) Receive requested information on sidewalk snow removal.

8) Warrants and Payrolls.

Held a public hearing and passed, ordained and ordered published Ordinance 1042, an

Ordinance to amend Chapter 113 of the City code regarding telecommunications companies within the public right-of-way.

Approved Outdoor Dining License for Brass Café.

Confirmed purchase of 500 tons of road salt under the 2018-2019 State of Michigan MiDeal Extended Purchasing Program; and authorized an advanced commitment to purchase 500 tons of road salt for early delivery and up to 800 tons as seasonal backup for the 2019-2020 season from State of Michigan MiDeal Extended Purchasing Program.

Authorized the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the contract with Coucke Property Services, LLC at the current rates with a consumer price index (CPI) increase factor effective 2020.

Approved continued appointment of Chris Coucke, through Coucke Property Services, LLC, as the Mt. Pleasant City Assessor.

Adjourned the meeting at 8:01 p.m.

Fun Egg Hunt and Scramble events planned for April 13-14

Kids of all ages will have the chance to celebrate Spring at the Egg Scramble and Egg Hunt events scheduled for April 13 and 14.   

The Great Egg Scramble

Hosted by the City of Mt. Pleasant Parks and Recreation Department, WCFX and the Soaring Eagle Waterpark & Hotel, The Great Egg Scramble is slated for 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Morey Courts.

Participants, ages 2-10 years old, will have the opportunity to scramble for eggs filled with toys, candy and other prizes. Crafts, games and a visit with Peter Cottontail will highlight the festivities.

Admission is FREE and canned good donations are being collected to support the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

Scramble times are scheduled by age group: Ages 2-3 at 1 p.m., ages 4-5 at 2 p.m., ages 6-7 at 2:35 p.m., and ages 8-10 at 3:05 p.m.

Other event sponsors include:  Morey Courts, Art Reach of Mid-Michigan, Duhadway Dance Dimensions, Celebration! Cinema, Sam’s Club, Black Tie Tuxedo and Costume Shop and Isabella Bank.

Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt

This event, sponsored by the Mt. Pleasant Parks and Recreation Department, is designed for teens, and takes place at Island Park on Sunday, April 14 at 8:30 p.m.  Participants are invited to bring their flashlights and be ready to scramble and hunt for eggs filled with prizes and gift cards for food, music and movie passes.  A grand prize will be awarded.  This event is free.

For more information, call (989) 779-5330 or visit www.mt-pleasant.org/recreation.

Topics to Watch at the Mt. Pleasant City Commission Meeting Scheduled for April 8, 2019

Here are the topics to watch at the next Mt. Pleasant City Commission meeting.

NOTE:  This meeting starts at 7:30 p.m., after the Master Plan Kick-Off Event which takes place from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

-Public hearing on an ordinance to amend Chapter 113 of the City Code regarding small cell companies within the public right-of-way and consider approval of the same.

-Consider application for outdoor dining license from Brass Café.

-Consider State of Michigan MiDeal Extended Purchasing Program for road salt.

-Receive 2020-2025 proposed Capital Improvement Plan and set a public hearing for May 28, 2019 on the same.

-Receive requested information on sidewalk snow removal.

To view the entire meeting agenda packet visit:  http://www.mt-pleasant.org/docs/board/agenda/city/2019/E-Packet%20for%20April%208,%202019.pdf

Mt. PLeasANt 2050 – City of Mt. Pleasant begins work on a new Master Plan

Mt. Pleasant, MI – The City of Mt. Pleasant is preparing a new Master Plan, a document which will chart the direction of the City’s development for the next 30 years.

Master plans are critical policy documents. They are the primary way for the community to answer the following questions:

  • What do we want our community to look like in 2050?
  • How do we get there?
  • How can we ensure our community is resilient by avoiding or mitigating risks or threats that we may face?

The new City Master Plan will also include an updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan as well as a subarea plan focused on Mission Street and Pickard Avenue (east of Mission). The plan will specifically address land use, transportation, housing, downtown, economic development, and public safety.

Public Input Needed
Public input is imperative during this planning process and will determine the community’s vision as well as help set specific goals, objectives and policies. The public is invited to participate in a series of events scheduled from April 8-11, 2019.  All events will be held at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway Street, unless otherwise noted.

April 8
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.  Kick-Off Event

April 9
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.  Open Charrette Studio Hours
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Downtown Pub Crawl (Starting at the Bird Bar & Grill, 223 S. Main Street.)

April 10
1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Open Charrette Studio Hours
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Charrette Open House & Work-In-Progress Presentation

April 11
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Open Charrette Studio Hours
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Charrette Final Presentation Event

Online Survey 

Your input is vital to our Master Plan development process. Please take a few minutes to share your ideas and complete the online surveys, which are available until April 28, 2019. Visit: https://www.mtpleasant2050.com/surveys

City of Mt. Pleasant Master Planning History
Major projects and policy changes often result from a master planning process. For instance, the 1965 Master Plan led to the extension of Mosher Street; the development of “Town Center”; and the creation of a new 1971 zoning ordinance. The 1987 Master Plan led to significant investments in park accessibility for individuals with disabilities; facility investments to improve the quality of drinking water; and extensions of Bellows and Preston Streets.

The City adopted its first Master Plan in 1946 with subsequent plans being adopted in 1965, 1987 and 2006. The City’s current Master Plan was an update adopted in 2014. Click here to view our past and current Master Plans. All Michigan cities are required to adopt master plans in accordance with Public Act 33 of 2008.

For more details regarding the Master Plan development process visit www.mtpleasant2050.com.

Summary of Minutes from City Commission Meeting – March 25, 2019

Summary of Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday, March 25, 2019, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Commission Room.

–Public Relations Director Orlik gave a departmental presentation including new promotional videos.

-Received petitions and communications.

-Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

1) Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held March 11, 2019.

2) Bid of Garber Contracting of Mt. Pleasant, MI for the Island Park Arts Pavilion Site Work.

3) Bid of McGuirk Sand and Gravel of Mt. Pleasant, MI for the 2019 Broadway Street Reconstruction Project.

4) Authorized a contract with Fleis and Vandenbrink of Grand Rapids, MI for Professional Engineering Services for Industrial Pretreatment Program.

5) Authorized the Friends of the Dog Park to fundraise and install lighting for Hannah’s Bark Park and authorized staff to establish a Use Agreement on same.

6) Set Special Meetings for March 30, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. and May 11, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. for goal setting discussion.

7) Received proposed ordinance to amend Chapter 113 of the City Code regarding telecommunications companies within the public right-of-way and set a public hearing for Monday, April 8, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. on same.

8) Warrants and Payrolls.

-Approved submission of City requests for Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe two percent allocations with a summary of the Commission’s top priorities.

-Authorized the Mt. Pleasant Little League and the Mt. Pleasant Girls Youth Softball to construct a 16’ x 40’ addition to the storage building at Pickens Field and authorized staff to establish a Use Agreement on same.

-Approved Resolution Supporting Amended Rates, Fees and Charges at the Airport as recommended by the Airport Advisory Board.

-Authorized the City Manager to sign the sub-recipient agreement with Northern Initiatives and the MEDC allowing the use of loan funds through June 30, 2021.

-Conducted a work session discussion on priority topics.

Adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

Topics to watch at the Mt. Pleasant City Commission meeting scheduled for March 25, 2019

Here are the topics to watch at the Mt. Pleasant City Commission meeting scheduled for  7 p.m. on March 25, 2019 at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway Street.

-Consider bids for Island Park Arts Pavilion, Broadway Street reconstruction, and engineering services for industrial pre-treatment program.

-Consider approval of area lighting installation at Hannah’s Bark Park by Friends of the Dog Park and a use agreement on the same.

-Consider approval of construction of an addition to Lions Club building at Pickens Field by Mt. Pleasant Area Girls Youth Softball and Mt. Pleasant Little League and a use agreement on the same.

-Consider resolution supporting amended rates, fees and charges at the airport as recommended by the Airport Advisory Board.

-Introduce an ordinance to amend Chapter 113 of the City Code regarding telecommunications companies within the public right-of-way and set a public hearing for April 8, 2019.

To view the entire meeting agenda packet visit http://www.mt-pleasant.org/docs/board/agenda/city/2019/E-Packet%20for%20March%2025,%202019-reduced.pdf

Summary of Minutes from City Commission Meeting – March 11, 2019

Presentation recognizing the City of Mt. Pleasant’s certification as a Redevelopment Ready Community.

Presentation of 2018 Community Improvement Awards to the selected property owners.

Received petitions and communications.

Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

1) Minutes of the special joint meeting of the City Commission held February 25, 2019.

2) Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held February 25, 2019.

3) Bid of Isabella Corporation of Mt. Pleasant, MI for the Fisher Lift Station project and approved a budget amendment from the Wastewater Collection Reserve.

4) Received City requests for Spring 2019 Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe 2% allocations.

5) Resolution authorizing an amendment to the Standard Lighting Contract between the City and Consumers Energy for new LED street lighting on Maple Street and budget amendment for same.

6) Changed April 8, 2019 City Commission regular meeting start time to 7:30 p.m.

7) Warrants and Payrolls.

Approved the addition of a part-time position at the airport and an airport expenditure budget amendment for the same.

Authorized the City Manager and Airport Manager to send the drafted comments to the FAA regarding wind turbine project as presented.

Conducted a Work Session on Work Sessions and Priority Setting.

Adjourned at 10:20 p.m.

 

Topics to Watch at the Mt. Pleasant City Commission Meeting Scheduled for March 11, 2019

Here are the topics to watch at the Mt. Pleasant City Commission meeting scheduled for  7 p.m. on March 11, 2019 at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway Street.

-Presentation by Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) recognizing the City of Mt. Pleasant’s Redevelopment Ready Community certification.

-2018 Community Improvement Awards presentation.

-Consider recommendation for a part-time airport position and budget amendment on the same.

-Consider endorsement of comments to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding wind turbine project.

 

 

City of Mt. Pleasant receives certification as Redevelopment Ready Community

Designation facilitates private investment, improves economic development opportunities

For their efforts in establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, the city of Mt. Pleasant has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced.

The MEDC will formally present the award on Monday, March 11. A reception will be held at the Middle Michigan Development Corporation from 4:30 – 5:30. Attendees will hear remarks from city, state and legislative attendees. MEDC representatives will also be on hand at the 7:00 p.m. City Commission meeting for a brief presentation and formal awarding of certification.

Mt. Pleasant joins 30 other Michigan communities which have qualified as “thoroughly prepared” when it comes to planning and zoning to remove traditional barriers and promote opportunities for prospective investors.

Other certified RRC communities include:

  • Allegan
  • Alpena
  • Battle Creek
  • Bessemer
  • Boyne City
  • Dearborn
  • Eastpointe
  • Escanaba
  • Ferndale
  • Grand Haven
  • Grand Rapids
  • Grayling
  • Howell
  • Hudsonville
  • Jackson
  • Kalamazoo
  • Lansing
  • Lathrup Village
  • Manistee
  • Marshall
  • Meridian Charter Township
  • Middleville
  • Muskegon
  • Oak Park
  • Petoskey
  • Pinckney
  • Roseville
  • Southfield
  • Traverse City
  • Ypsilanti

“Our mission at MEDC is to empower communities so they can proactively shape their future; a future built on a solid foundation of retaining and attracting business investment and talent,” said MEDC Senior Vice President Katharine Czarnecki. “Mt. Pleasant’s commitment to continuous improvement and community-focused development will pay dividends for many years to come. We look forward to further strengthening our relationship with the city and its other economic development partners.”

As an RRC participant, the city of Mt. Pleasant received a comprehensive assessment that measured current community and economic development practices compared to RRC best practice standards. The program evaluates and certifies communities which integrate transparency, predictability and efficiency into economic development practices. Certification status is a compelling indicator that a community has removed development barriers and streamlined processes to be more competitive and attractive to investors.

“The city of Mt. Pleasant prides itself on being a welcoming community,” said Mayor Will Joseph. “To be the first community in Region 5 to receive this designation, highlighting efficiency and transparency, is truly an honor and speaks volumes to the commitment of our city staff and Commissioners.”

To reach certification, the city of Mt. Pleasant undertook several notable projects: a new city-wide, character-based zoning ordinance; an update to the city’s economic development strategy; improvements to the development review process and production of a new brand and marketing strategy to guide the efforts of the city and its partners.

“We have developed and implemented new initiatives in the planning and economic development arena to keep our city attractive to not only current and prospective businesses, but residents as well,” said City Manager Nancy Ridley. “We are happy that the effort, innovative thinking and dedication of our team has been acknowledged, enabling our community to achieve this honored designation.”

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

 

Summary of minutes of the February 25, 2019 City Commission meeting and the joint City and Planning Commission meeting

A joint meeting of the City Commission and the Planning Commission was held Monday, February 25, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Commission Room.

The Commissioners reviewed the Planning Commission’s 2018 Annual Report and discussed the Planning Commission’s 2019 priorities.

The meeting adjourned at 6:34 p.m.

Summary of Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday, February 25, 2019, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Commission Room.

Received petitions and communications.

Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

1) Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held February 11, 2019.

2) Minutes of the closed session of the City Commission held February 11, 2019.

3) Contract with Prein & Newhof of Grand Rapids, MI for the design and construction engineering for the 2020 Brown Street Reconstruction Project.

4) Bid of American Athletix of Muskegon, MI for the steel structure of the amphitheater project.

5) Authorize amendment to the airport snow removal contract with Pat McGuirk and authorize a budget amendment for same.

6) Authorize amendment to the contract with R & T Murphy Trucking, LLC for the 2018-2019 snow season and authorize a budget amendment for same.

7) Resolution to Adopt Collins Drive between Mission Street and East Campus Drive as a City street.

8) Approved appointment of Cory Friedrich as the representative of the Planning Commission to the Zoning Board of Appeal for a one-year term as recommended by the Planning Commission.

9) Warrants and Payrolls

Held a public hearing on Special Assessment Roll for Special Assessment District 1-19 and approved Resolution #5 as presented.

Approved the bid of C & R Electric LLC of Shepherd, MI for the 2019 Pedestrian Street Lighting Project.

Directed staff to redesign reconstruction of Maple Street at the existing width of 41 feet.

Postponed action on resolution authorizing an amendment to the Standard Lighting Contract between the City and Consumers Energy for new LED street lighting on Maple Street and budget amendment for the same until completion of redesign of the reconstruction of Maple Street at the existing width of 41 feet.

Approved a budget amendment for the Parks and Public Spaces Department for a nine-month seasonal skilled position for 2019 only, and provide for the evaluation of this staffing for effectiveness in the parks and public spaces operations.

Adjourned at 8:24 p.m.