Summary of Minutes of the Mt. Pleasant City Commission Meeting – June 27, 2022

Summary of Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday, June 27, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Commission Room, 320 W. Broadway St., Mt. Pleasant, Michigan with virtual options.

Approved the Agenda as presented.

Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

4) Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Commission held June 13, 2022.

5) Airport Joint Operations and Management Board Meeting Minutes.

6) Bid of Prolime Corporation of Washington, MI for 2022 Lime Residuals Removal and budget amendment.

7) Awarded contract for planning services to McKenna Associates and authorized the Mayor to sign same.

8) Adopted resolution approving the transfer of the adult-use marihuana retailer license currently located at 1005 Corporate Drive to 1207 E. Pickard St.

9) Adopted resolution approving the transfer of adult-use marihuana retailer license to H & G Ventures LLC.

10) Warrants and Payrolls.

Approved resolution approving charter amendment ballot language to change the term of office for City Commission members and hold elections on even years.

Conducted a work session discussion on Downtown parking.

Adjourned the meeting at 7:56 p.m.

Topics to Watch at the Hybrid Mt. Pleasant City Commission Meeting – June 27, 2022

Here are the topics to watch at the next in-person, as well as virtual Mt. Pleasant City Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, June 27, 2022 at 7 p.m.

Introduce and swear in Mt. Pleasant Police Officer Mason Nash.

Consider approval of contract with McKenna for planning services.

Consider resolution approving the transfer of adult-use marihuana retailer license location to 1207 E. Pickard.

Consider resolution approving the transfer of adult-use marihuana retailer license to H & G Ventures LLC.

Consider resolution approving charter amendment ballot language to change the term of office for City Commission members and hold elections in even years.

To view the entire meeting packet visit:

Click to access 6-27-22.pdf

How to follow public meetings:

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the City Commission Meeting will be held in person in the City Chambers/City Hall (320 W. Broadway Street) with virtual attendance options as well. Non-voting participants 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.

If a virtual option becomes unavailable due to technical difficulties, the meeting will continue as scheduled. Residents who would like to provide a comment during the appropriate time are welcome to come to the meeting at City Hall, or email their statement to comments@mt-pleasant.org.

To participate via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88962935714?pwd=pI6VEbcL2GfHnxrJPMBlH0wsypGfKR.1

Meeting ID: 889 6293 5714

Passcode: 262066

Phone dial-in: (312) 626-6799

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.

Virtual attendance to the meeting and participation during public comment periods will be conducted as follows:

Members of the public are asked to provide their name and address with any comments.
Comments/Questions may be sent ahead of the meeting, or during the meeting via email to comment@mt-pleasant.org. Comments sent via email will be read aloud to the Commission during the public comment period.

Individual commissioners can be contacted at the following email addresses:

Mary Alsager malsager@mt-pleasant.org

Brian Assmann bassmann@mt-pleasant.org

Elizabeth Busch ebusch@mt-pleasant.org

Olivia Cyman ocyman@mt-pleasant.org

Maureen Eke meke@mt-pleasant.org

Amy Perschbacher aperschbacher@mt-pleasant.org

George Ronan gronan@mt-pleasant.org

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.

Nominating Petitions for City Commissioner Seats Available

Nominating petitions for the office of City Commissioner are available at the Clerk’s office at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway Street, from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Completed nominating petitions may be filed with the City Clerk starting Monday, June 27, 2022. The deadline to file is 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

Two (2) City Commission positions are available for the term January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025. The terms of current Commissioners Mary Alsager and George Ronan are expiring December 31, 2022.

The city election will take place on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

Redistricting Prompts Changes in Voting Precincts/Voter ID Cards/Updating Voter Files (UPDATED 5/23/2022)

UPDATED (5/23/2022): VOTER ID CARDS will be mailed by precinct, to residents beginning 5/26/22.

If you receive any election related materials for someone who no longer lives at your residence, including the voter identification card, please mark “unknown” on the mailing and place it back in the mail. By federal law, this allows the City to legally start the cancellation process which takes four years to complete. Your assistance will help the City maintain an updated voter file. If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at 989-779-5361 or via email at clerk@mt-pleasant.org

Redistricting Information:

Every ten years, in conjunction with U.S. Census results, revisions to city voting precincts, congressional, legislative and county commissioner districts occur. A decrease in the City of Mt. Pleasant’s population count over the past ten years has prompted a reduction in voting precincts from seven to five. This action will significantly reduce the cost of elections, assist with election worker recruitment, and streamline precinct logistics.

City of Mt. Pleasant Voting Precincts (Effective August 2022):

Precinct 1: Ganiard Elementary School, 101 South Adams Street

Precinct 2: Kinney Elementary School, 720 North Kinney Street

Precinct 3: Pullen Elementary School, 251 South Brown Street

Precinct 4: Fancher Elementary School, 801 South Kinney Avenue

Precinct 5: Vowles Elementary School, 1560 South Watson Street

Absentee Voter Counting Board: Mt. Pleasant City Hall, 320 W. Broadway Street

Mt. Pleasant High School is no longer a voting precinct due to the high amount of scheduled extracurricular activities and limited convenient parking.

Voter ID Cards to be Mailed:

Every registered voter in the City will be receiving a new voter ID card in the mail in late May/early June. These cards will include the updated voting precinct, congressional, legislative and county district information. On Election Day, Tuesday, August 2, 2022 voters should go to the precinct noted on this updated ID card.

Voter Registration:

Individuals who are not currently registered to vote can register online at https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/ or mail in the voter registration application found online. This must be completed by July 18, 2022 to vote in the August 2, 2022 primary election.

Residents may also visit www.mi.gov/vote to confirm voting precincts.

Election Day – May 3,2022

On May 3, 2022 an election will be held to elect one individual to the Mt. Pleasant City Commission as well as a proposal for Gratiot Isabella RESD.

The two candidates running for the one City Commission seat are:

Brian Assmann

Michael Kostrzewa

Precinct Consolidation:

Please note precinct locations for this May 3, 2022 election.

Precinct 2 (City Hall): Voters from Precinct 1 (Ganiard) and Precinct 2 will vote at City Hall.
Precinct 3 (Pullen): Voters from Precinct 4 (High School) and Precinct 3 will vote at Pullen.
Precinct 6 (Vowles): Voters from Precinct 5 (Kinney) and Precinct 6 and Precinct 7 (Fancher) will vote at Vowles.

Permanent Absentee Voters:

Permanent absentee voters have been mailed an application for a ballot. If you wish to vote in this election you must return the application by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2022. A ballot will then be mailed to you. Ballots can be mailed to the City Clerk’s office (320 W. Broadway Street) or placed in the ballot drop box located in the City Hall parking lot.

Absentee Voting:

For those not on the Permanent Absentee Voter list, you can submit a request for an absentee ballot to the City Clerk’s office by mail, or email (clerk@mt-pleasant.org). This must be completed by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2022.

Absentee voting at the Clerk’s Office is available beginning Thursday, March 24, 2022 during regular business hours with additional hours on Saturday, April 30, 2022 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Monday, May 2, 2022 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Voter Registration:

If you are currently not registered to vote, you can register online at https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/ or mail in the voter registration application found online. This must be completed by April 18, 2022.

After April 18, 2022 voter registration will be available at the City Clerk’s office. Please bring a proof of residency and a photo ID. This can be done until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

Election Day Information

Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. Need a ride to and from the polls? I-Ride is offering free rides. Call (989) 772-9441 to schedule.

Visit www.mi.gov/vote to confirm where you are registered to vote.

City Commission Nominating Petitions Available

There is one open seat on the Mt. Pleasant City Commission, which term runs from May 4, 2022 – December 31, 2023.

Nominating petitions 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 between Friday, December 17, 2021 and 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.

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.

Nominating Petitions for City Commission

Nominating petitions for the office of City Commissioner 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 may be filed with the City Clerk starting Monday, June 21, 2021. The deadline to file is 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.

Three (3) City Commission positions are available for the term January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024.

The terms of current Commissioners Lori Gillis, Amy Perschbacher, and Petro Tolas are expiring December 31, 2021.

The city election will take place on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

Election Day Access to Precinct 3 – Pullen Elementary School

Election Day is Tuesday, August 4, 2020 and for those individuals not voting absentee, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Voters of Precinct 3, which is located at Pullen Elementary School, will still have access to their polling location despite the construction taking place on Brown Street.

Voters driving to the polling location have two parking options:

Voters can drive across Brown Street from Michigan Street and park in the north parking lot of the school.
Voters may also park on Illinois Court, located off of Crapo Street, and walk the trail to the east side of Pullen School.

If you need a ride to and from the polls I-Ride is offering free rides. Call (989) 772-9441 to schedule.

To confirm your polling location, visit www.michigan.gov/vote. If you have questions regarding absentee voting, or being added to the permanent absentee voter list, call (989) 779-5361.

Absentee voting option now available to all registered voters

Due to the November 2018 passage of a statewide ballot proposal, all registered voters in Michigan are now eligible to vote via absentee ballot without a specific reason. A written request to have an absent voter ballot mailed to you can be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office in any of the following ways:

Drop box in parking lot – 320 W. Broadway Street
Postal mail – City Clerk, 320 W. Broadway Street
Email (scan or photo of application) – clerk@mt-pleasant.org
Fax – Attention: City Clerk – (989) 773-4691
In person in the Clerk’s office – Upstairs at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway Street

Absentee Voter Application Forms are available at the City Clerk’s office or can be found online at http://www.michigan.gov/sos. You can also visit www.mi.gov/vote to see what contests and questions are on your ballot, as well as track your application and ballot.

If you have concerns related to COVID-19 and voting, many of the options available still allow you to fully participate in the voting process, but in a contactless manner.

By mail: Absentee voter ballots may be mailed to you at your home address or any temporary address outside of your city of residence until 5 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2020. Ballots must be returned via postal mail (it is recommended to mail a week before the election to allow adequate time for delivery), drop box located in the City Hall parking lot, or in person to the Clerk’s office by8 p.m. on election day.

In-person absentee voting: This option is available at the City Clerk’s office from now until Monday, August 3, 2020 at 4 p.m. For your convenience, the City Clerk’s office will also be open for in-person absentee voting on Saturday, August 1, 2020 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

All registered voters can now also request to be added to the permanent absentee voter list maintained by the City. Once an individual is on the permanent absentee voter list, they will receive an application to vote absentee for every election. After the completed application to vote absentee is received by the Clerk’s office, a ballot will be mailed directly to the voter, eliminating a trip to the voting precinct on election day.

Election Day is Tuesday, August 4, 2020 and polls will be open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Even though safety protocols will be in place at all polling locations, absentee voting is the safest option during this COVID-19 pandemic. Need a ride to and from the polls? I-Ride is offering free rides. Call (989) 772-9441 to schedule.

Visit www.michigan.gov/vote to confirm where you are registered to vote. If you have questions regarding absentee voting, or being added to the permanent absentee voter list, call (989) 779-5361.