City Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening and welcome to the city of Battle Creek, Michigan and the Battle Creek City Commission meeting for February 3rd, 2026. It is 7 p.m. We welcome you to our meeting and we're going to begin the meeting shortly. First of all, we'd like to have a moment of silence for our invocation and then we're going to have the pledge of allegiance led by Vice Mayor Sophia. So, if you are able to stand, please stand for a moment of silence and then our pledge by Vice Mayor Sophia.

Vice Mayor Sophia to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Vice Mayor, thank you very much. Next item on our agenda is our roll call. Madame clerk, Commissioner Katarski Smith here, Commissioner Lacass here, Commissioner Lance here, Commissioner Morris. Um, Mayor Banky here, Commissioner O'Donnell here, Commissioner Reynolds present, Commissioner Simmons here, and Vice Mayor Sophia here.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Madam Clerk. And thank you everyone for being here. Uh, chair notes any added or deleted resolutions. There were none. Thank you. Next item on our agenda is petitions, communications, and reports. There were none.

Thank you. Next item on our agenda is public comment regarding any remaining agenda items. If you'd like to make public comment regarding any remaining agenda item, please raise your hand and we will acknowledge you to come forward to the podium. You'll have four minutes to m to make your comments. Please state your name and address before beginning your comment and indicate which agenda item you are speaking to. Are there any public comments at this time? Are there any public comments? Seeing none, we'll move on to adoption of ordinances. Ordinance 312, Ordinance 03-2026, excuse me, 313.

Oh, I move to for the adoption of ordinance 3-2. Have to wait for city clerk. It's been a week. That's all right,

Chad. The screen's just not changing. There it goes. Sorry. Made you get up. This ordinance would repeal section 23 of chapter 882 real estate taxation of city ordinances which granted a payment in le of taxes to station side lofts. Low-income housing tax credits or LIHTC from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, MISTA, were not awarded for this development during the October 2025 funding round. MISTA has revised its rules such that for the developer to reapply, the city will need to issue an RFP to select a developer and eliminate pre-existing ties to developers for that property. Repeal of this pilot will thus clarify the city's code of ordinances and facilitate future development.

Now I move for the adoption of ordinance 03-2026. Second.

So moved and supported to adopt ordinance 03-2026. Are there any comments by the commission? Seeing none, would you please vote on resolution 313 adopting ordinance 03 2026? Commissioner Katarski Smith. Yes. Thank you. The resolution to adopting ordinance 032026 has been approved. Next item on our agenda is resolution 314 adopting ordinance 04-2026. Madame clerk, when you're ready. This ordinance would repeal section 25 of chapter 882 real estate taxation of city ordinances which granted a payment in lie of taxes to Bennett crossing lowincome house housing tax credits from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority were not awarded for this development during the October 2025 funding round. MISTA has revised its rule such that for the developer to reapply, the city will need to issue an RFP to select a developer and eliminate pre-existing existing ties to developers for that property. Repeal of this pilot will thus clarify the city's code of ordinances and facilitate future development.

I move to adopt uh ordinance 04-2026. Second. So moved and supported to adopt ordinance 04-2026. Are there any questions by the commission? Seeing none, would you please vote on the resolution to adopt ordinance 44 2026 ordinance 04 2026 has been adopted. Thank you very much. Next item on our agenda is our consent agenda. Madame Clerk, now I'll turn it over to our commissioner. Um uh move to approve consent agenda. Second.

Been moved and supported to approve the consent agenda. Is there any question com or comments by the commission? Commissioner Patrick Od. I just want to uh highlight the uh proclamations of the American Heart Month and the Black History Month on the consent agenda. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other questions, concerns? Seeing none, would you please vote on the consent agenda? The consent agenda has been approved. Next item on our agenda is resolution 315. Madame clerk, when you're ready. This resolution, if approved, would authorize the city manager to execute a commercial lease and use agreement between the city of Battle Creek and the board of trustees of Western Michigan University on behalf of its college of aviation or an agreement with substantially similar terms approved by the city attorney. The proposed 30-year lease includes an initial annual rent of $157,717 with a 2% yearly increase, generating an estimated $5.96 million in total revenue over the full term. Since establishing its presence at the airport in 1995, Western Michigan University's College of Aviation has grown into one of the nation's largest and most respected collegiate aviation programs, supported by a $24 million facility renovation, completed in 2021. The college now employs 70 full-time and 195 part-time staff, serves nearly 1,200 students, and operates a modern fleet of 45 aircraft, strengthening BTL's position as a pre premier aviation training hub with strong industry partnerships.

I move to approve resolution 315. Support move supported to approve resolution 315. Are there any comments by the commission? Phil, we just want to say thank you very much for all your leadership and everything you're doing out there. It's a real coup. Thank you.

Please vote on resolution 315. Resolution 315 has been approved. Next item on our agenda is general public comment. If you'd like to make general public comment regarding matters over which the city commission has control, please raise your hand and wait for us to acknowledge you to come forward to the podium. You will have three minutes to make your comment. Please state your name and address prior to beginning your comment. Gloria Hi, my name is Gloria Zakis. Um, and I'm a nonprofit. I work and help people. And you guys were talking about how you wanted to help soldiers and how you wanted to help other people. Well, I've mentioned about the houses that needed you were tearing down to fix them, but I figure this way is a little bit better. You have a copy of the picture in front of you. Okay. What them are is in little squares that you're seeing around there. Them are the little Amish like the little houses or the little garages that they make in which it could have a heater, a bed, a stove, and a refrigerator. The other big unit has a showers in it. The kitchen, a meeting room, and an eating room. Okay. to where they could have classes where do a 90-day program where I help them get their ID, their social security cards, their medal, their military papers, a job, and a place to live and do it in a 90-day program in which I figured it'd be a nice name um and a nice help to Battle Creek to get

some of these soldiers out from underneath the bridge. And is there is these shed. These little houses are $2910 a month, okay? On a payment plan, okay? You put your soldiers in there, they'll pay up to 950 a month, okay? For each one, okay? So, you're paying out like under three grand and you're clearing over six to come back into the city or to put it back into the program. Now, I'd be willing to donate these plans to you, okay, for for some of the properties that you have where you could put this up. And I have it all. I've even got a a nurse from the VA that will check on them patients there and help them and get them off the street. They don't deserve to be there. If it wasn't for them, none of us would be sitting here. And they deserve a break. And I think that this right here will do it. I have all the information. Anything that you need to ask me, I have the answer. I've already checked into it. I have an architect that will draw this up for nothing. I just need you guys to step up and say, you know what, this is an idea. Let's do this. And this is what I ask. Is there any questions? Well, we're not we're not taking questions, but uh if they have any, they're going to get back to you.

All right. I'm willing. This I think this will work. I think this will help people and get the soldiers. This will show the soldiers that we care just as much about them that they did for us. Thank you, Gloria. Thank you, Mary.

Hi. Happy New Year. Um and it's good to see you guys. and I'm here to talk to you about a wonderful building you guys have called the Cherry Hill uh Cherry Cherry Hill Senior Housing. Um it's a well well-run building. I was really impressed with it. I'm in there a couple times a day taking care of my mother. So I see the realities. I've been in other places that my mom's been at and I'm really impressed. Um, my son was extremely impressed. He wishes he could manage a building as well as this woman. Uh, the maintenance, the economic boom that these buildings bring to you is huge for the BA city of Battle Creek. And so I thought it was just a wonderful idea that the mayor had that we build a second senior housing that every 25 to 40 years we build one of these buildings because we can't have the housing density that they had in 1904 whatever they put up a bunch of these houses on the 33 wide lots. But we can put in these buildings that provide a huge um you know housing uh option for people that aren't going to be homeowners anymore for whatever reason but need to live here in the city. And there's a lot of people that you see around downtown Battle Creek that live at that housing. I was surprised when I started going there. a lot of the people I saw at the library and just walking around actually live there and just walk around. It's it's housing. You don't need a car. You're right here in town. Over half the people um work. A lot of people have lived there for 30 years, 20 years. This is stable residents.

Okay. Um, being able to live in lowincome housing that's at 30% of your income is huge for seniors that are working into their 70s. So, um, when Mayor Binky mentioned to me that he thought it would just be wonderful if we could work on adding another one of these structures, I wholeheartedly agree. The economic benefit here is huge. um the the people benefit, the city benefit, and I had wonderful news from MDOT, my favorite MDOT engineer gave me a wonderful news. And when I talked to the city manager and the mayor again, I'm happy to share it with you, but I can't do it in 28 seconds. So,

thank you, Mary. You're welcome. Any other public comment at this time? Joe,

Joe Harris, Battle Creek. Uh I'm going around to different places like uh EMTT and I'm going to be contacting U Marshall Township and just just to reiterate um Senate Bill 248 through Senate Bill 256 that has to do with uh essentially they want to create an incomebased uh water billing system. And I I I really hoping that uh the commission will um research this on their own, take the time. I will be sending all of you just a basic thing of information on these Senate bills. Um, bottom line, essentially what it is going to do, it's going to essentially create a a new state tax is what it's going to do. You're going to have the state coming in and taxing water, and that's just that's that's what it is. Um, no longer is water going to be basically a local control. the state is wants a piece of the pie and this is their way of coming in and grabbing a piece of the pie for themselves all in the name of trying to help out other people. I understand the sentiment behind it. I do. But it's at the expense of a lot of other people including middle class and senior citizens who I think would suffer the most underneath these kind of t new taxes. um it's going to create a brand new um office of government, state government, so as to distribute these funds. And you're talking funds anywhere between 71 million and $91 million. Um it's it's a lot of money that this one um new office is going to be controlling. So um you have probably noticed that there's a group going around trying to get the city of Battle Creek to form a resolution in support. I would ask that you guys don't do that because there are things that the city can do right now to help people with their water. And I think one of the best things that can be

done is to cut the water readiness fee in half. That would be an automatic uh help to people. Um I've seen the water readiness fee anywhere between 50 and $75 on people's bills. And I think you cut that in half. Um it will help people out immediately for the city of Battle Creek. So on a personal note, uh American Heart Month, you're talking to a guy that is uh two um I've had two heart surgeries myself and I will tell you that um don't don't put off getting yourself checked out um because you never know. This is a guy that used to run a 4m minute 54 minute mile. So, um, you would never think that I would ever need it, but, uh, there are tests that can be done to check yourself out. So, encourage you guys to do that. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Any other public public comments? Yes, ma'am.

Charlene Van Luben, Presidential Drive, Battle Creek. Um, I was up here a couple weeks ago and advised that I had just purchased a home. I'm still trying to learn all the ins and outs about living in my home again. It's a lot different than where I used to live and from living in an apartment. But my when I moved in, the people across the street told me that when the snow plows come through, they will not block the driveway. Well, that is untrue. They blocked my driveway. Um I am on from Senate to the end of presidential. It's a culde-sac. I have utility trucks running up and down it all day long to the fire hydrant and they're coming in to do their thing and flush the water and they come back and forth all day long. Those are the only trucks that go past my house. So, I'm asking the city if you could help me because I cannot get there and with a shovel and lift those. There are some blocks of ice. It just blocked me in and I could not move the ice. I know the trucks. I have one little truck. It's not the big snow plows. I have one little truck that comes in with a plow and he comes down from Senate down to the fire hydrant and clears that for the trucks. I know. I've seen him. I sit in my office and I watch it. Sorry. I sit right there and watch. But I see the little blades. They move. And if he could just move them at my driveway and the other driveway in so they don't block my driveway, I would greatly appreciate it because I can't shovel it. I have no muscle strength to do it. So, I would like you to look into that and see if we can do anything. I It's probably too late right now, but maybe next year. Thank you.

You're welcome. Thank you for your comments. Any other comments at this time? Any other comments? See you none. Any commission comments, Commissioner Lacrosse?

I just wanted to bring up um we have an event coming up February festivist from BC MAMS that will be at Leila Arboritum. Um the theme for the event this year is Headover Heels. It's going to be um on February 14th. Registration starts at noon and the races begin at 1. That's the cardboard sled races. Um for anyone that's not familiar, it's a really great familyfriendly event. Um you can use cardboard, paper, tape, adhesive, and paint. Um and it's a really fun thing. So, and it's going to happen regardless of the snow conditions. So, hopefully we'll see everyone out there. Thank you, Commissioner Lass. Commissioner Patrick O'Donnell.

Oh, yes. Thanks, Mayor. Um, yes, Festivis is a really fun event and even if there's no snow, we're still going to have it. Come come out there and check out the uh chili, but I wanted to wish the mayor a happy birthday today. So, well, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That's all, Commissioner Chris Simmons.

So, there's been a lot of discussion. Thank Happy birthday, by the way. There's been a lot of discussion uh about housing lately, and I appreciate the the citizens who who commented on that. Um, a lot of the commissioners are having these conversations with uh the city and other, you know, entities. Um, in fact, I was at uh neighborhood planning council uh 11 uh Mingisburg Riverside Planning Council. Darcy Schmidt from the city was there. Talked about the housing plan uh and let us know about a a meeting that's coming up that that you all should be aware of and I'd like to see you there uh on February 19th at the Department of Public Works from 5:30 to 7:30. This is your opportunity to some of these ideas you have. Um it's February 19th at the Department of Public Works down on Kendall Street uh from 5:30 to 7:30. And uh you'll you'll see a lot of the work that's already been done. Uh but it's another opportunity to share your ideas and network with other folks that have some other great ideas. and uh Commissioner actually Commissioner Lacass and I are going to be going to Washington DC here in March for a housing conference and bring back do some networking with other folks housing officials from Michigan and around the country bring back some great ideas. I love to hear the innovative ideas like Gloria shared with us uh today. Um we need to do all the above and I've had the conversations with the city manager this is as well. We um don't want to put all our eggs in one basket as far as lowincome uh housing which is needed but we need all housing all levels and so um we're hoping that uh bring those those ideas to this uh as far as the uh Cherry Hill Manor that's actually falls under the jurisdiction of the Battle Creek Housing Commission which we do appoint the board members here but they're a kind of a separate entity from the city of Battle Creek. We don't actually build housing in the city of Battle Creek. Uh the housing commission has got some

great things happening. They are indeed talking about, you know, Cherry Hill 2.0. Uh and my my wife is actually the board chair of the housing commission. So I get a lot of little inside information that's that's super helpful. So um look forward to I'm I'm planning on being at that housing um uh meeting on February 19th. I hope to see you all out there and having continuing this discussion. This is like the if I had to say top two or three issues that face our city. This is right up there at the very top. So, um, thank you very much. Thank you, Commissioner. Any other commission comments? Commissioner Reynolds.

Yes. Thank you, Mayor. I just want to give condolences to the Wayne Thompson family. He was a retired Battle Creek uh firefighter. Um, the firefighters showed up and so did the city of Battle Creek. So, I appreciate your attendance in that. And also, I want to give condolences to Commissioner Janasia Moore's family as well. Yes. Any other commission comments? I'll adjourn the meeting. Thank you for attending tonight.