Council - Regular Meeting

Ashley. It's not funny.

There we go. I want to visit.

Welcome everybody to the special city council work session for April 13, 2026. Marie, would you call the role? Fritz here. Calio here. Lion here, Dora here, Manetsza here. This special work session was called to review the city economic and senate policy. So, we're going to see a presentation by assistant city manager Dana Colawir.

Well, good evening, council. Um, thank you for the quick introduction. Um, what I plan to do this evening is just kind of run through at least initially what our existing economic incentive policy is within the city. Um, just as a reminder over what was approved in November of 2024, um, before we get a little bit into some discussion around, um, possible changes that you all might be thinking about, um, which I posed questions that were really based on individual comments I've heard or sometimes multiple comments, um, as well as from the EDC and and Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. Um, so that was just a starting point. there may be other questions or other things that you want to bring up as a part of the discussion. Um, and that's fine too. Um, but I'm going to begin just by kind of going through um, the purpose of economic incentives as a whole. Um, because as much as this is a presentation to council, this is also a presentation to the public so that they're informed about why we have economic incentives and also why we have the policy that we do. Um so the purpose of economic incentives is really to maintain some competitiveness for investment. Um it also is um really necessary at times to encourage development um that is aligned with our community goals. Um our incentives are directly tied to our master plan and to various goals and objectives that we have outlined in our policy. We also are looking e at economic incentives as a way to support projects that we think and are borne out by some of the financial analysis that may not otherwise occur. Um ultimately our goal is to grow our long-term tax base um and be looking at the long-term horizon when we're viewing incentives. Um I just want to point out a couple notes and one is that these really might be considered as performance-based investments. So

there's really no benefit if the investment doesn't occur to the city. So the case is being made that the investment would not occur without the incentive and the benefit is not received without that investment. Um we often find that incentives are occurring in communities where the market rents aren't supporting the level of investment that is being asked for. Um we do see some communities that don't use incentives very heavily and part of that is they have much higher rents. Um they also have um higher sale price for condos or for the rental units that they are renting out. Um some projects that may qualify this list isn't exhaustive is commercial and industrial developments. Um we don't see too many uh incentives or embmentsments at this time around industrial improvements. Um but we have had in the past approve industrial tax abatements as well. Uh mixeduse and multi-residential projects uh brownfield redevelopments and redevelopment of previously commercial land. These are just some of the economic development tools that we have utilized in the city. There are other tools that may exist or may come up from time to time um as monies are received into different um programs or into different state organizations. Um, sometimes new opportunities come up as well, but these are the ones that we most frequently has have used. Um, I do want to note that commercial rehab act currently is expired. Um, there is a request out there to extend it to the legislature, but they haven't acted on it. Before diving a little more into the policy, I did want to provide some examples of existing incentives just to give you all a reminder of what those projects are and some befores and afters. So the first is our OPRA tool, the Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act abatement. Um you can see here at 1103

Washington Avenue, the corner of Ferry and Washington. Um that did receive an OPRA um and was an oops an underutilized property for a number of years. After receiving the Oprah, they did make a significant investment and filled that space um with different commercial tenants. Um, we can also see below some approved districts that you as council, whether you were in your seat or not, council itself has approved these. Um, and one that has an approved certificate but is currently not being utilized. So, those are the districts that have been created. We also have the commercial rehab abatement. We have not utilized this tool much. We have a larger district on Beach Tree that covers the entire corridor. Um so any property that is looking to invest would have been eligible to receive this abatement. Um but um with the certificate ask and so far we have um had two that we approved. One was the loose spokes building um which you can see at 1434 KFax um you can see a significant improvement in that building um through the use of that incentive tool. And then the one I think that most commonly gets talked about is tax increment financing. Um you can see below a list of approved brownfield tiffs and an example um above in the picture is the peerless or excuse me the tribune lofts project. Um the tribune building on the left and the newer building that was constructed with the help of tax increment financing. And you can see below a list of existing TIFF projects. Um I do have one more example specific to TIFF um related to Peerless Flats. And you can see the site before. It's easy to forget what that looked like. um ages ago before that project was redeveloped or that site was redeveloped rather um was very underutilized and a former industrial site um that was

mostly used for parking um but now has been rehabbed into a residential project and what I really wanted to highlight it's a little difficult to see but this is an example of what TIF actually does in the case of uh redevelopment. So what we have out there is the taxable value of that property with tiff and with no tiff. Um you can see what I have highlighted is the significant growth in the taxable value with the tiff being in place meaning the investment occurred on the site and without the tiff using real numbers in terms of what our property um increases were over the last handful of years last 5 years um and then projected out into the future. You can see that the growth is so much smaller. Um so this is just trying to illustrate what that intensity that investment um does to our taxable value and then ultimately the operating tax revenue. So below you can see that with TIFF and without TIFF there's a significant difference in terms of that level of investment. Of course that's all assuming that the project wouldn't happen without that incentive. So turning back to the key um excuse me to the incentive policy um there are some safeguards that were put in that policy to try to develop a way to ensure that we're getting really the best bang for our buck and we're incentivizing projects that we think u meet our goals and objectives in the city and that are intending to ensure that we're not incentivizing more than we need to. So the intent is to minim provide the minimum incentive necessary capping total incentives at 7 12% of the city's

taxable value and then ensuring that the development is also seeking state incentives if possible um or where possible with these tools and ultimately city council has the authority to say yes or no. So in our incentive policy, we do have evaluation criteria that we do take a look at and this is just kind of a highle overview of that list. However, we do have a more detailed list in the actual incentive policy that um must meet at least three development objectives, which is something that is spelled out more clearly in the policy itself. Um supports master plan and economic goals. um encourages mixed uses and walkability, promotes private investment, and requires that there's a demonstration of financial uh need through our third-party financial review. The approval process itself um really is is pretty simple overall and we tried to keep it streamlined and straightforward. Um the applicant submits a formal application to the city clerk. Um then we trigger the independent financial review with Plant Moran. Once they've conducted their analysis and review gets reviewed with staff before being presented to the EDC BRA where they discuss it and provide a recommendation ultimately to city council. Um we depending on the incentive tool it may be multiple meetings. We have a public hearing typically before city council and then a final council decision. And that process can take a handful of months. I mean it it probably takes at least three four months if it goes smoothly. Um, so there's a lot of time and cost involved to just consider the incentive piece of it. There is also some accountability piece within the actual incentive policy. So if for instance there's a closure or

relocation for like an industrial tax abatement, we can um resend that or at least stop um the rest of that abatement period. um if the development if we have a development agreement they fail to meet their commitments um we also have some required reporting for if for industrial properties so if they don't make those reports then we can resend uh the incentive and then non-payment of taxes violation of city ordinances or in the case of residential projects if they decide to short-term rent those units. So the intention of the policy itself really is meant to be clear and to be transparent to ensure some level of predictability and transparency with both city council with the EDCBR and with our development of community. Um because it's costly. We're trying to keep things as smooth as possible. There's no certainly no rubber stamp no one should expect to get an incentive, but we want to try to make sure that we're being clear with what our objectives are and how we're evaluating the requests. Um the idea is to protect taxpayers um and ensure accountability ultimately and again you guys are the ultimate authority and decision maker in the process. So now I wanted to jump over to some of the policy direction and the discussion. Um, I wanted to spend more time on this to see if there was some consensus around some of these topics. Um, so, mayor, I don't know if you want me to kind of go bullet point by bullet point of what I'm asking here in terms of topic um, to get some feedback about these individual bulleted items.

Why don't you read through them and then we can go back through Sure.

whatever of interest. So, just to summarize uh these individual bullet points, um we do have the 7 and a half% cap within um the incentive policy. I I wanted to bring up for the group's consideration whether or not they want to keep it at the 7 and 12% or ask staff to take a look at that. Um whether or not we want to have any sort of area median income requirements for housing projects. Right now, we're using the attainable housing um AMI of 80 to 120% of area median income. So, wanted to bring that up for consideration. Um we've also had some feedback that for housing tiff projects that were that council is generally more interested in seeing reimbursement based on hard costs versus rent uh potential rent loss gap. also wanted to discuss if there's any um interest in limiting the type of incentives we're offering. Um I also have here at the bottom whether or not there needs to be any discussion around uh contributions to the local brownfield redevelopment fund. And then I have one more page um on policy direction uh whether or not we want to require any sort of equity contribution requirements as a percentage of the project total. uh limiting incentives in certain areas of the city and a more open-ended question about whether or not there are policy considerations you'd like to explore. Again, I just want to reiterate that it's really critical for transparency in being considered business developer friendly that if we do have a policy, a we need to have a policy, I think, and b that it is something that we're following um and is clear enough for others and everyone involved to to understand exactly uh what that process is. So, those are the items I wanted to bring to your attention for discussion.

All right. And I appreciate that. And these are all excellent things to talk about. I think the important most important thing for us to consider is that if we're going to entertain incentives, we have to have a clear policy that by the time property owner or developer comes to city council and gets to this point, they will have invested considerable time and money. And so they should know that we are following our policy that while we do have final decision here that we have not let somebody down a path that was going nowhere. So I think that's I think that's kind of the gist of why we should talk about the specifics here. We have new council members. We have um a variety of things going on. I think that's important for us to all talk about what's important to us. I think we all came into this job. I know I did. I think all of you did with a vision for what we wanted to see in our city. What kinds of investments we wanted to see for the future of our city that we want to see investments that we appreciate historical and character qualities of our town and to what extent do we want to participate to make those things reality or do we just simply want to sit back and let things happen? So, I would invite council members to address any or all of these items that have been brought up or anything else that's come to mind. Other than that, this should be a conversation rather than just me me talking.

Who would like to talk besides me? I mean, I've got all sorts of notes. Okay, go for it.

Hopefully, good things. Um, I mean, this is good. I'm excited to be talking about this. I hope this is just the first of these conversations and we'll be able to keep this as a living document and continue to change it um as we do these things. Um I think one of the biggest things as part of this process for me is Plantaran. I I I fail to see their benefit um so far in this process and so I think it's costing a lot of money. I'm I'm assuming it's costing a lot of time and so far I I haven't seen the benefit from them. So, I'm I'm just wondering in this process, how many times are things getting to the EDC and not getting to council? How often does something get there that doesn't come to us? Like, what's the percentage of things that actually get

I can't think of anything that hasn't gone to the EDC that hasn't ultimately made it. So, I'm just like, what is Plant Moran's benefit then? So it was ultimately um a solution we derived based on criticism at that time from the previous council and from the EDC about the validity of the previous financial reviews we were doing um internally and with our contracted economic development partner at that time. So, we were seeking a more uh comprehensive financial review from a third party ultimately to take that uh conflict out of staff's hands and that third party contract we had for economic development.

Okay. and Aaron to verify the numbers that were being provided and ultimately give some indication as to whether the request was justified or what kind of return to that there it was taking us kind of out of that review process. I'm just wondering have we ever seen one actually come from Plantaran that just says yeah they don't need this. It just feels like they're picking they're they're making it work.

Sure. I can understand that. I will say behind the scenes some we sometimes as staff see drafts documents and our finance director myself talk with them and we have had changes to the actual requests that are being made before the EDCBR receives it before a final report is issued. So, Plant Moran has gone back and asked for changes um that what's being asked isn't feasible before it even gets to the final report.

And if I could just interject to the the purpose of a third the third party review is that literally anybody will come and say I want some consideration because makes financial sense to do so. Oh, I understand. I'm a businessman as well. So, the EDC I've just yet to see the benefit of their report and I know it's costing people 10 12 plus thousand dollar and I'm just not sure that they're getting even the benefit.

So what we did previously was we had more of an internal approach and by making a third party approach we had at least an objective opinion as to whether or not it was a project that could be financed that could have any kind of return on investment and if it didn't need help then they shouldn't be asking. I don't think anything gets to the EDC, it gets that far that hasn't needed help or has gone through the process of paying for the plant marine study because we don't pay for it, right? No, I know. I say like I mean it's trying to make this I think you know Sarah and I have talked through our entire election process about this being cumbersome and us wanting to make this process more smooth for everybody coming before us. Um,

can I just interject really quick? I have my own notes and I don't want to interrupt but it makes it slightly less objective when the developer is paying for the report too. So I almost would feel more compelled to understand the accounting information if the city were paying for it and that's not something I

could just clarify and I'm not sure it'll fully address that concern. Um, so the city does pay for it upfront to be reimbursed by the development team and ultimately it is our staff that's in primary contact with plant manoran and submitting the information as provided by the development teams. So there is a I guess to be fair a limited interaction if any um necessarily between plantar and the development team directly. We are serving as an intermediary between the two. And can I also clarify um your point? Is it the process overall that you're finding cumbersome or is the report um lacking something that you would desire to see?

I mean, I feel like the report lacks a little bit, but I I think that I mean, in I feel like in the last one when we're looking at apartments downtown or like trying to find equivalent apartments, I I Google searched our town and found things pretty quickly that, you know, numbers that I could find that seemed that matched. I thought, you know, numbers that made things look a little bit better that were were in that document pretty quickly. Um, it just I think that I mean, we can cherrypick what we want things to look like, too. Um, so I just want to make I don't know. I mean, I know they're they're you know, obviously objective third parties, but can they also cherrypick to make a report not like fit fit the numbers to make it say, "Yeah, but without this it wouldn't work." Sure. Um I guess I you know I mean I don't know is I just wondered where you know why specifically them maybe or why you know a third party versus whatever we were possibly doing before um as part of that and honestly and just the process too. I think it's I think we do have a fairly cumbersome process with the many months of back and forth that we have people go through and trying to make this process smoother, which I'm hoping we can do through trying to make these incentives maybe a little clearer through all of us. Um it'll help people in that process. And I mean that's why for me I just wanted kind of wanted to know like how many things get to the EDC, how many tiffs are requested at the EDC level that are not brought to council. I don't think there are any that aren't brought to council. At least I'm not aware of.

I guess then why don't why don't we skip the EDC level? Like if if everything that goes through plant mering comes to us like I guess like why do we make them go through another board's approval? Well, it's just like I think some of our other um boards and commissions that it's another um set of eyes. They're asking additional or different questions at times. Sometimes they're actually asking for shifts in what is being requested before it gets to council. Um, for instance, the floss project did have some changes between what they presented to the EDC BRA board before it came to council. So although they're making a recommendation to say yes, move forward, it is different than what was initially asked. So they look at it with additional scrutiny and have different questions that they're asking um before it it gets to to you all. So there is this additional um level of review that's happening and I think there's probably difference of opinion sure on on the value of that but um certainly I think that the intention is to try to continue to refine the project to off ensure that they're putting forward what the EDC feels is the best project meeting the policies meeting our goals and objectives as a city before it gets to you.

Yeah. I'm just trying to combine things. Right. They've already gone through planning and done all that and the EDC and then us. It just feels like a I mean feels like a lot of process. I'm just trying to hope that we can somehow combine that. Well, and with brownfields they it does have to be reviewed by the bar, right? That is a requirement of the act. Yes, it is. And the obsolete property disappears at the end of this year anyway, right? Like that just disappears, doesn't it? 2026 is the last year the obsolete property will be available in Michigan. I don't know that it has a followup on it.

Was it the commercial rehabilitation that is expired? It is expired. There is, as I mentioned very briefly, there's consideration for continuing to extend it with no action yet at the state level. Take it away. I've got more. Go ahead. Okay. You want to go next? Uh, sure. Will. Um, this is a super complex issue and this is not anything that's easy and so I don't want to bring it to the table and acting like it is or that we have all the solutions at all. I think that with fresh eyes, we have fresh conversations. Mhm.

Um, I also want to just say how much I appreciate how hard our staff works to bring development to our city. I mean, I really truly believe that our downtown is a jewel, our entire city is a jewel, and that the more that we can keep um finding ways to improve and develop areas, that's very important. I think there's different methods of getting there. Um I also believe very strongly in clear messaging and I think that's really difficult in this process too. So I think again another clarifying group um relooking at this is just a benefit to everyone streamlining the process for developers and also being able to have kind of more transparency um with what our needs are as a city. So, um I think one of my bigger issues is the subjectivity of some of our items on here and that is just again a difficult thing to be clear on. Um but when we leave a little open space, it feels like those are the opportunities for people to kind of maneuver within there. It's of course anyone that is developing in our city would like this. I mean, and again, I've said this every time. I don't blame anyone for asking because that is their job to be as profitable or make a business um work. And our job is to be the people that have to not only look at how do we develop the city the best we can, but also make sure we have a tax base that provides funding for the rest of what we need to be able to do ahead of time. Um, one of those areas of subjectivity um that I I I have notes on is um incentives must be awarded in proportion with the degree of public benefit. I

think that's a really really hard thing to define. Um I'm looking I I believe we should be able to do that with numbers and not just kind of with um kind of subjective benefits. But I I really would love to be able to take a look at that and make that um more clearer. And and if we feel like this is too open-ended, let's put some just caps on it. Um I think that's what you're kind of expressing. You know, maybe we bring down those AMI. I think that would be just a very clear um step in in first of all helping potentially with affordable housing in our area, but also just limiting kind of the exposure of of other um situations, I guess, to the city of having to feel like we have to give tax abatements away. Um the I have a real issue with the policy requires incentives to be the minimum amount necessary for project viability because I don't feel we have a great intention of project defined meaning I don't think we have a great ability to say needs versus wants to make a a project go. Um we built a house seven years ago. uh on an obsolete property and I had to make decisions on countertops and tile and things like that just like anyone would have to. So, um, if we're looking to fill a space that wouldn't be filled otherwise, but they're making uh the developer is asking for a um tax abatement based on very high level finishes. That's a

really hard hard balance I think to make because that doesn't necessarily change the taxable value of the the property um like one to one either. So it I don't I think we I think that we need to be a little clearer on that. Um yeah, the independent financial review is really hard for me too because it's hard to say what's independent. Um, and again, I'm not I'm not putting any kind of blame on Plant Marin, but when you are being paid for an activity at the end of the day, it behooves you to make it so that people get what they're looking for in it. And I think that that's just when we're not very clear with um with number specific and metrics that can be measured clearly. I think that's a really hard space for them to be able to present. So, when I've heard in the past that they've asked us to raise our rent costs or or things like that, I think yeah, they're they're probably saying you can get higher rent or lower rent in this area, but it gets tricky in that in that presentation for me. Um, because also I don't love the idea of this required financial need. I want developments to thrive. I don't want them to be like on the precipice to get approval to like do great things in our city. So, um I think another specific thing about where in our city does this make sense, um you know, like Rodeo Drive isn't giving tax abatements away at the in Beverly Hills. Like that's a that's a great street for them to just prosper in most cases. Um,

it's hard for any business to survive, but if we're really promoting development in the city, that feels like a harder cell for me than other areas. Um, sorry, I have a lot of notes, but um, the other the other part of it was on number seven in the abatement incentive guideline. I think that's an interesting um area because we're offering years of abatement based on just the AMI, but we're not necessarily basing that on how many properties would be available. So, uh, for instance, if a if a property is offering three apartments or a property is offering 40 apartments, they're getting the same uh years for incentive, if I'm reading that correctly. So, I think that's another opportunity to um be a little more clear on um I think that might be at least for now what I wanted to present. So, I I think I've been pretty clear since I joined the team that um I'm going to try to be really conservative on this because I I think the biggest part for me is like I don't think that established developers roll the dice. And so, I don't want to roll the dice for our city. I think that if given the opportunity, they'll take an incentive. it doesn't necessarily mean that they won't do the project if they don't get it. So, I think there are absolutely

projects that that would be the case with contamination with really low AMI um that would really help the affordable housing in our area. I think that would be the case. If they don't get incentives, they're not going to do the project. I don't think that that's always the case. And so, that's where I'm going to be definitely more conservative on things. So, thank you. What? Yeah, several of those points were the same ones that I had come up with. And I like the um the point that you had for the equity contribution requirement as a percentage of the total project

versus just everybody being able to apply for 20 or 25 years or 30 years um as just the overall amount because it's available. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the project has the same um economic or or public benefit that some other ones may have. And we struggled with that at the planning commission too with what actually defines what's a public benefit. Um because it's pretty open-ended. I mean there's what's a public benefit to me may not be to you know council member Lions. I mean we have different views. So it needs to be defined better for that. uh as far as as what I'm looking at in order to be able to come up with this and and treat treat it more equally, let's say, not just so everybody gets 20 or 25 years, just because they want to do a project. Um because the smaller projects are aren't going to have near of the um percentage of contribution as what the bigger projects are. They're going to have a lot more invested. So, they're going to want to make sure that it works. Um the other the other questions that I I've come up with I mean I we talk about this all the time and they talk about um you know we say the taxes are frozen at at today's rate. So as an example just a question maybe we can clarify some of this. If they're paying $10,000 in property taxes today and they qualify for a tiff does that mean for the next 25 years they pay $10,000?

Yeah.

Just that's it. There's no increase by a certain percentage of cost of living or anything that goes up. It's they pay that amount and that's fixed. I had asked Ashley this question before and I don't know if anything ever um actually became of it, but is there a vehicle that's available where we can allow the incentives, but there's still a yearly increase that goes along with it that kind of keeps us up to our rising costs and inflation and wages and health insurance and benefits, everything the city needs runs what, three, five, 7% a year. I I mean I'm just throwing out numbers. So, but let's just say 5%. If there was a vehicle that would allow us to increase their taxes by 5% a year,

standard increase, not on their Yeah. Like a standard increase, not their total amount, you know, that it would be based on their development. At least that makes it more more palatable for us because we're not looking at a loss as time goes on. I mean, our costs keep going up in in 20 years at 5% a year. I mean, our costs have gone up 100%. Well, they're still paying this lower amount. Um, so that was kind of one of the questions that I had in relationship to that. I don't know if anything exists for that or if it does not.

But Mike, it does appear that there may be a way to do that. We're looking further into it though. So, that is one of the things that we bring back. Um, we're just double and tripleeing and making sure that um, we're not applying the incorrect logic because I've seen it um, for districts. I haven't seen it for projects. So, we're just we're we're doing some more due diligence, but it is something that I have identified in my notes um, to look for at least makes it more palatable from our aspect because at least we're keeping up with our costs. I do want to make sure everyone on council is aware and I I know you are but ex that doing that will extend the reimbursement time period. I just want to make sure that's stated so that everyone understands.

Yep. That that's fine. And whatever you come up with, I'd be more than happy to sit down and and hear about it. Um let's see where else was I. Oh, the other one I had was um the local brownfield revolving fund. Can you kind of explain that and walk into that a little bit as to exactly what that covers? Um what are some of the things they it can be used for? Who oversees it? I mean there's we have it now. I don't know if we have any money in it. Um

yeah, we don't currently like we we haven't got to the point where we're collecting on that yet. So we don't have a program if you will developed around that locally. we would be responsible for administering that. Um staff with the assistance of um our brownfield board, they would be involved in that process as well. So, we haven't yet put guard rails around here's how we're going to loan out money with this pot of funding, but the idea would be that we're providing incentive to projects um through that local tool um that we don't know this for a fact, but it could offset some of the requests if we have some of those resources available. Um, that's the intention is that we would be able to provide some gap funding with that for other projects

and that would be overseen by like the the Brownfield board or whatever. They'd make decisions on, right, who would qualify or not qualify. Yeah.

Okay. That's what I wanted to know for that. Um, and the last thing I I will comment on is um uh an outside review of this whole process versus us doing it internally. Um, I think with maybe some some proper guidelines and maybe some tweaking or adjustments, we can come up with something that kind of flows a little better maybe than what we have. Um, I I don't think it should be the city staff looking at it. I don't think it should actually be the developer who's presenting it to us. I'm I kind of think it should be an independent group that is looking at this uh and and coming up with the recommendation. Um, but I'm not quite sure how to get there for that.

A lot of good points I have to say. Um, I I kind of like the plant Miranda. There's just a little bit few twe uh tweaking on them, but we used to have in-house used to take over for our EDC board and that and it was I tell you what the ones that did it was really good, but they take in a lot of confidential information parting

by going through plant man and another another party like this even if we don't have plant man if we have somebody else if we want to go to somebody else. But the thing is they get a nice a different view at it than us looking at it. I know staff spend a lot of time on it before and we weren't hardly ever getting reimbursed for it. This time around now we have plant man and we actually the developers have to pay for it and as our staff helps out we add on to it also. So it works out really good. But the AMI requirements I agree with. Uh when it comes to only three or 40, they're still getting the same amount. It's not that's not right. They we need to do something totally different with that. But as far as uh tax increment financing and stuff on that order, I personally I've seen it happen over the years. We start out with Grand Landing and without that we'd never have no development. It's who's going to want to take over a big project like that? But smaller projects, we have to be a little bit more cautious on how we do it and where we're going with it. And we have to make sure that we spread it out because over a period of time, you see what Grand Landing, what's what the tax dollars be coming in for us now is bigger than what would have been if it just stayed blank. Um, also, um, that's about it. I I'm happy. I tell you what, I I don't have a problem with a lot of things except for we need to look at um, far as housing goes. You're right. When it comes down there for people that can't afford things, but then again, the market draws what we need to have for it. But without that, uh, it's difficult.

I don't have a whole lot to say about it. I I'm pretty happy. I tell you, I moved right along with it and listened to it. And the few comments you guys said tonight, I agree with a few things on it, but I'm moving right along. I had a hard time when I first got on council here about giving up tax increment financing. I thought it was maybe coming out of our taxpayers dollars, but what the thing it is is what happens is when um you don't have development, you don't get nothing out of it. It still stays the same. But as they're developing, we're not giving up the dollars because they're putting the money into it. We'll get that money back later. So, it's not dollars coming out of us. We're just not getting the tax dollars as they're investing in it right now. No,

I'm good.

All right. Good. Yeah. A lot of good ideas, a lot of good comments. I'm all for making things objective and measurable and applying good metrics and streamlining where that's possible. I think the system we have has kind of grown up over the years and we've attempted to make it better and more objective. uh going with plant Moran in a process managed by staff, paid for by the developer was not intended to put it in the hands of a developer to manipulate it, but rather to give us an objective outside opinion that um was the responsibility developer, but give us information as to whether this was a real needed incentive ask or just simply an opportune thing. Everybody will ask for a benefit if it's there. A good businessman would not leave the money on the table without asking for it. We need to know whether or not it's really needed in terms of um can it be financed? Is a pro project that's going to be completed. Um that's what planaran does for us. If um if there's a different party that would do it better, we can look for that. It took us a while to find planaran to do it for us, but there's others out there. There may be a different way of approaching it to ensure the objectivity and the impartiality so that it's not favoring one side or another. Sometimes I kind of scratch my head at the comparables that they find and wonder why' they choose those. So I think you have a good point that did they really research this market that well or did they just come across a few and say this will work. So I I could see a little more depth there. assume that you would pay more for that further research, but it'd be meaningful to us to know that we actually had true comparables. Um, whether there's photos, the jewelry store, or any number of these others, I think that sometimes we see things compared that aren't a perfect match. So, there's there's room for improvement there. The uh this abatement incentive guideline in our policy,

um, I've asked before to see, well, can we see the scoring? EDC doesn't always see the scoring on years. But regardless of the scoring on years, how how it's scored for the number of years for an incentive to be offered. You can't just pick a number out of the air. It's got to produce enough benefit to justify the costs that are being incurred. If you say let's just do it for six years or something like that, you will not collect enough money over that time to have made it worth doing. So, if you want it to be worth doing, you have to compare the actual estimated benefit to what it's paying for. Does that make sense? Um, I've tried before to um use this incentive guideline to estimate years and found it very confusing. So, I'm sure there's a better way to do this or at least make it more clear how it's being applied. There, I think other things in this policy that could be more clear. I'm all for that. I do want to go back to the idea though that the city doesn't typically loan out money. We don't have money to loan out. We don't have that kind of funding. Someday if this revolving fund gets you dump money in we can finance projects that are really meaningful and those would very likely be things that are heavily polluted, something like that. But we don't typically do that. We've we grant incentives which only produce benefits after the fact after the projects have invested in after the building or the property has been approved and then they get back a portion of their taxes that they paid in which match that investment. So in that sense the the city is only out money as Mr. Dora talks about that incremental increase whether or not you can have um the property doesn't go up with inflation it just becomes static. So whatever our millage rate is at the time, that's what we collect on that property based on base value. Downtown TIF is was estimated was evaluated about

$28 million in 2008. That's what they still get on that. The rest of goes into a tiff, pays for some of the improvements down there. Well, that was more of a public project, so it's a little easier to rationalize, but that's still the point is that for for years and years, you freeze that property value. That's what the city gets to use for the taxes we collect. The rest of it helps pay pay off the project and the debt. That's just how these things work. What I do like about the brownfield tiff or any any of the tax increment financing is that it's tied to eligible costs. So, it's not going to arbitrary high finishes or some project that is frivolous in any way. It's tied to eligible costs which are identified in the statute as eligible. and we can see what those are and agree with them or not agree with them, but they're part of the upfront project. So, it's tied to that. When those are paid off, you stop the tiff or when you run out of years, you stop the tiff. So, I like that fact. I also like the fact that the brownfield tiff doesn't capture taxes which are paid for um debt millages. You can continue to collect those and apply them to debt. So that's another piece why I like that better than something like u an opra where you just simply freeze the property value. There's so some benefit to the city, some benefit to the district, and some benefit to the developer. So I think that that's a better tool for us. That's why when we talked before about obsolete property, I said I wasn't I wasn't a big fan of that. It probably has a place. If it expires, then then it will go away anyway. But I think that we got to pick the right tools for the best uh purpose of the city and that's part of the that's part of this policy as well. Um I don't have a lot of really specific things here to talk about. Uh I have tal I have asked the question as some of you have before about can we apply an

inflationary multiplier to the base value. I don't know if that's lawful. I don't know if that's in the ordinance or not the ordinance but the statute. We'd have to explore that find out for sure whether that can be done or whether it's simply frozen. And if it is then you understand at least going in what it is that you've frozen. And someday yeah as Mr. as Mr. uh Prince says someday it comes back to you all of a sudden one day this process ends and you have this in full value in on the tax rules and it might not have ever been that way. My biggest fear here is that we choose if we choose to do nothing with incentives and not grant them or say that we set such a high bar that they're not going to be achievable that we will have underinvestment that we will have buildings that are tired that aren't being invested in or that we will get investment but it will be something contrary to our goals for the city. something that will be in congruous with the um character of our downtown neighborhoods or commercial districts or something which is um very commercial or um corporate in nature things that we would rather not have had we left it to the market to do this without trying to guide it with any policy of our own so I would hope that we never abandon the idea of granting incentives we can use them judiciously we don't have to grant everything we should keep in mind what our what our visions and our goals are for the city. But uh if we just step back and say we're not doing any of this, then I think we'll be very unhappy with with the outcomes. So we need if we can refine the policy, make it more efficient. If we can make it more objective, those are all good things. I'm an engineer by trade. I like that kind of stuff, too. So um we can look at those things. I just hope that we don't reach a point where we say that nothing is acceptable to us or that we won't participate or that it's just not fair

to everyone else. As I told my kids growing up, not everything in life is fair. Sometimes you do things that give you the outcome you want and if it's not fair, then sometimes that happens. I would say one thing about the AMI requirement. The 100% AMI, if you think about what that actually means, that's the midpoint of PE of household incomes. Everybody below that is in the bottom half. Everybody above that's in the top half. If you're saying we're going to help people up to the 100% AMI, we're targeting people in the lower half of our economic stratum here. And I think that that's still worth considering. It doesn't have to be for I mean our greatest need is at the lower end of our incomes but even people even as Paul Eley said earlier this year people up to 70% of um of income people are well above that 100% AMI are still struggling with pricing decisions and cost decisions and discretionary income decisions. So stopping at 100% AMI is really not capturing everybody or helping everybody who could use help. So those people don't need help as much as some if we could be as more attractive for lower levels of AMI. But I wouldn't turn my back on the 100%. Maybe they maybe they just don't need as much help. So maybe we can graduate that somehow. So I would hope that we could consider that as well. Um,

I'm hoping we get this to a point where it's actually less like it's less it's more foolproof, right? Like if somebody's actually going through this and reading it and they're checking all the boxes, they're going to know going before the EDC and the BR like they're going to know before they come to us that they've got this confidence that yeah, they got it right. And I would hope that's where we get to that goal for me and the goal for them. I don't want to see somebody go through all this prep work, spend all this upfront money, find out they weren't in the running in the first place. Correct. That's what I We need to not have that happen. Um I have a question on 224. Yes. What happens now?

Um so 224 um there were two incentives that were being asked for if you recall. Um and the Oprah district is created already. There's no certificate. Um so that they would have to start that process um from the beginning as far as the OPA certificate and then the brownfield um if they're presenting a different brownfield plan that would have to start over as well. They'd have to start over. Okay. Y So at this point though from what I read they assume that the Oprah is going with the building and that that tax incentive is still in place. Well there's no actual incentive just the district. Yeah, the the district is there, but we never executed a actual strategy. So, means very little. Yeah.

Uh just quickly, I did want to add that it's our intention then to make some draft revisions uh to the policy. Um I don't know an exact time frame on that uh based on your feedback or additional conversations that we have, but the idea would be to draft revisions to that, present that to the EDCBR board. um they may have further refinement before that gets u brought back to you all for consideration for adoption. Great. Thank you. Okay. Other thoughts, other comments? Where did you get that page right there? And certainly this is a active conversation between ourselves and and with staff so that um

there are other things that you want to bring forward at least share them with the group and hopefully I mean by way of the city manager's office so that uh we have a process where ideas are being captured, shared publicly so everybody knows what we're doing and talking about. But I just don't want to stop here with we said our piece and now we're done. So, this needs to go somewhere.

That was the That was the only item on our work session agenda. So, at this point, I will close this work session and we will reconvene in about six minutes with our regular meeting. That's the one I have. I just happened to open it. I wouldn't have seen it either.

Are you know I will tell Don't get yourself

Welcome everyone to those regular city council meeting of the Grand Haven City Council from Monday, April 13th, 2026. Marie, would you call the role? Fritz here, Lion here, Dora here, Calio here, Vanetsza here. Uh, this evening we have an invocation by Pastor Nate Burkholtz and I of the Lakeshore Baptist Church. I'm reading it in live time here. Thank Thank you. and and then please rise and stay standing for the pledge of allegiance.

Let's pray. Lord, we give you thanks for the kindnesses that you have shown to our city. Um we thank you for the way that you have put our government in place and the folks that are filling these spots. And so we pray for our city council members tonight. We ask that you give them good wisdom as they carry out the matters of the city on our behalf. And we pray for our city as the spring and summer comes and there will be uh the festivals and the parties in the park. Um we pray for your safety and protection to be upon our city. Please keep us free from harm and injury. Um we just pray for your blessing on the meeting tonight. We thank you again for the way in which you've provided for us in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. I pledge allegiance 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. Thank you. We have no appointments and reappoints this evening. So, it brings us to the approval of the consent and regular agendas. Can I get a motion, please? So moved. Second. Motion by Fred, second by Lion. Uh changes to the consent to regular agenda.

I would request that we um remove item 11D at this point time pending further review. Okay, that's one. Any any others? Can I get a motion to amend the agendas? So moved in second. Okay. Motion by Dora, second by Fritz to remove item item 11D from the agenda. Would you please call the role? Dora. Yes. Fritz. Yes. Calio. Yes. Lion. Yes. Vanetsza. Yes. Now, now let's have a vote to um adopt the amended agenda. Fritz? Yes. Lion? Yes. Dora? Yes. Calio? Yes. Manza?

Yes. All right. Well, that brings us to our first call to the audience. This is the first of two opportunities. At this time, members of the audience may address council on any item, whether on the agenda or not. Those addressing council are asked to provide their name and address will be limited to 3 minutes of speaking time. Council hear all comments for future consideration will not have a response at this time. Those not physically present who would like to call in may dial 616-935-3203. Who would like to address councel?

Good evening everyone. Josh Buger, 626 Sllayton Avenue. Uh, here is Commissioner Josh Buger this evening. Man, you get nervous coming up here. I still get nervous coming up here. It's amazing. Um, just wanted to give you guys a brief county update on a few things coming up this month and as we look ahead toward the summer. Um this month I think the two biggest things that we have on our agenda will be the um renewal or excuse me a vote on whether or not to put on the ballot a renewal for the CH millillage um and a renewal for the parks millillage. Uh those are each excuse me the CH is a.3 mil parks. We're looking at doing two separate millages. One is going to be a renew and restore which will be an override on the Headley Act which will get us.33 mills. you guys know what that's all about. And then we're also looking at the possibility of a 0.20 mills on more of an expansion and improvement uh focus for the parks. Uh parks 80 I think it's surveys that they have done show that 80 to 85% of Ottawa parks want to see them improved. So they're going to put before that put those two villages before the voters. Um and those will be on the ballot in August and probably November as far as those go. But the public hearing will be at the end of this month. Uh tomorrow we are anticipating an update from Consumers Power. Uh they've got the Consumers Power plant that has been is continuing to operate on a 90day basis based on executive orders from the president's office. Um at the moment, what I've heard from consumers is they don't plan on stopping that until most likely the next presidential election is done, but um they're doing their best to keep up with things. There are some added costs to doing that. We're looking forward to hearing more from them on that tomorrow at our planning and policy meeting. Also for consumers, they have applied through uh with the EPA to do two deep well discharges on the

property. Um right now the ash coal ash after it burns off is diluted uh to a state that it's considered non-hazardous and then it's actually jettisoned right into Lake Michigan. They are looking I know I like that look, Bob. I that was new for me. Sorry. Um they're looking at contain myself.

Yeah, they've uh they've received tenative approval from the EPA to be able to dilute it, not as much, but then to bury it in a deep well about a mile below ground. I think my mic went off, but um at any rate, we're hoping to hear a public get a public hearing on that from the EPA so we can learn more about that. But consumers will be giving us a little update tomorrow. Those will both be on TV, I think between 9 and 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. Um looking ahead, uh we're looking to expand our housing commission. You guys were talking about brownfield tiff a little bit. Uh at the county we have five members on our housing board. We're looking to expand that to possibly 11 to 12 members. We want to get a more diverse representation of developers and community members like yourselves um on that board so that we can really nudge housing in the right direction. Need about 16,000 units in Ottawa County. Uh last but not least, Groundwater. Um we sent a group of commissioners and staff down to Arizona. Oh, I'm out of time. Just trying to finish what you're saying.

Finish the thing. Okay. All right. Uh, we sent a group of staff and a couple commissioners down to Arizona to a Fairlife milk plant where Fairlife uses water. Uh, in Arizona, you can think about it being drought and dry down there. The water that they use, they clean it enough that they can actually discharge it back into the water table and so it ends up being a recycling system. So, we're in conversations with Fairlife Milk here in Ottawa County and also um uh Congresswoman Hillary Sculton about getting a grant potentially to try to do that in the state of Michigan. It has not been done yet. So, that's one of the groundwater things because the Marshall aquifer is actually drying up, believe it or not. I think that's it. Okay. Thanks you guys. Thank you.

And Josh, if you want to give us official county updates. Yeah, you can always we can always put you on as a presentation or as something other than three minutes of then I don't have to wait for the budget. Love it. All right, but you're pretty good on time. We'll do that. I'm trying. All right. Thank you very much. Thank Thank you. Who else would like to address council?

Good evening. Jim Hagen 400 Lake. I'd like to thank the administration and the council for taking on the incentive issue. I think it's very important and as a taxpayer I'd like to see a lot more visibility of it. Uh when I want, you know, I got the uh information and I wanted to look up things and you can't hardly find any information. You see, oh, a project got this incentive. And what I'd like to see is I'd like to see a living summary posted. I think we need to be proud as a city of what we're doing. We need to know how much is out there. Is it 7.5%? Is it 1.5%. when are these uh incentives going to expire? How much are they for? And I I would like to see some number as far as what's the bang for the buck?

Uh what's the projected return on each of these? As I said, you know, we need to be proud of these things. And I I don't think they've had visibility and I I personally question why they haven't. Thanks very much. Thank you, Jim.

Who else would like to address council? There will be a second opportunity to address council at the end of the meeting. We don't have any public hearings this evening and so uh the floor won't be open for any of other agenda items. But um if anyone else would like to address council before we take action on our business items, now would be the time and if not then we will move on. So we'll close the call to the audience. And tonight we have a presentation from our um I believe this comes from our human relations commission, the child abuse prevention month proclamation. And I believe we have Cara Mazour making the doing the reading.

Yes. Good evening. My name is Cara Mazour. I'm a member of the human relations commission. I also work at the Children's Advocacy Center. Okay. Um whereas children are among the most val valuable and vulnerable members of our community and their safety, well-being and healthy development are essential to the future of the city of Grand and whereas child abuse and neglect can have long lasting and devastating effects on a child's physical, emotional and mental health, often continuing into adulthood. And whereas preventing child abuse is a shared responsibility that requires the involvement of families, educators, healthc care providers, faith-based organizations, law enforcement, and community members working together to create safe nurturing environments for all children and strengthening families through education, support services, early intervention, and access to community resources. Is it back? Okay. Plays a critical role in reducing the risk of child abuse and neglect and child abuse prevention month provides an opportunity to raise awareness, promote protective factors, encourage reporting of suspected abuse, and reaffirm our collective commitment to ensuring that every child grows up free from harm. Now therefore, be it resolved that the city council of the city of Grand Haven hereby proclaims the month of April as child abuse prevention month and calls upon all residents to recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect, to support prevention efforts, and to take action to protect the safety and dignity of every child in our in our community. Be it further resolved that the city of

Grand Haven recognizes and thanks the professionals volunteer volunteers and organizations who work tirelessly to prevent child abuse, support families, and advocate for the well-being of children. Thanks for your time. Well, thank you. Very well written. And this will be on our consent agenda for adoption. Speaking of which, that brings us to our consent agenda. Marie, would you please read that?

Item A, approve the special work session and regular council meeting minutes for March 16, 2026. Item B, approve the bill's memo in the amount of 1,631,68261. Item C, approve a tea hanger license agreement with Eric Rice for hanger G11. Item D was removed. And item E, approve a proclamation recognizing April as child abuse prevention month in the city of Grand Haven. Can I get a motion? So moved. Support. Okay. Motion by Dora, second by Fritz. Comments or questions on the agenda as consent agenda. Please call the role. Dora, yes. Fritz, yes.

Calio, yes. Lion, yes. Vanessa, yes. So that brings us to our first item of new business. Item A, consideration by city council of a resolution to approve a contract with life EMS for the delivery of emergency medical services within the city of Grand Haven and authorize the mayor and city clerk to execute the necessary documents. Administration recommends approval. Can I get a motion on this item? So moved. Second. Motion by Calio, second by Lion. We have Chief Hudson here to talk about this.

Good evening. Nicole Hudson, director of public safety. Uh, tonight before you, finally, after about four months of negotiations and going back and forth uh, between the area fire chiefs and life EMS, we finally have gotten to a contract that we are all in agreeance and very comfortable presenting to you tonight. Um, I will say back in December, um, as soon as life was awarded that RFP, they were, uh, having essentially a lot of challenges due to being awarded that RFP. And I will tell you that the level of professionalism and the service they provided when they weren't even at capacity or being prepared to enter our city to provide services, they've done a great job. So with that tonight, um just to show you as an example, those response times are set until December 31st, 2026. The hope is that through AI and their data collection, they will go through a season within the city of Grand Haven in different urban urban and rural areas to determine whether or not those response times lower.

Ideally, those response times will be lower. They've done a great job. They've showed us they can be lower. Um they are working at full capacity as well, and we've had no complaints between the level of professionalism and the service they provided. And so as of right now, um these standards will be set until December 31st of 2026 when we will re-evaluate the data to try to bring those response times even lower for our community. And then January 1st of next year, then we'll start to have the um incentives whether they can maintain these standards as well as any breaches. There will be a monetary um incentive for them as well. So, those won't take effect. Starting January of 2027 through that first quarter will be the first time that we're going to be able to either provide them a monetary gain with the just credits or be able to um have some monetary punishment for their lack of service. So,

okay. And just so we're all clear, this is the this is the same contract with all the area municipalities and life EMS. Correct. So far, Robinson Township, um, Spring Lake Township, Spring Lake Village meeting is tonight, and then Granny Haven Township, and everybody is on board for approval with this. Okay. Questions, comments? When does it go into effect? When will they start? Have they started?

They have started because the prior uh service was pulled um without life realizing and knowing that. Um, and like I said, they have done a fantastic job since December trying to get the resources we need as quick as possible. So, it's been great to see the level of service um that they've had even before this contract and we are confident that um they're going to maintain if not improve the level of service that we have and our city deserves. Great.

Thank you so much for all the work that you've done on this and coordinating with the other communities. Um just out of curiosity and I apologize if you've already said this. So in that time have they been um have we been able to measure that they've uh been with these response times within the budget or is there a ramp up?

So their response times are um actually below a lot of these response times and they're still training um and still trying to get all the ambulances in service um as quick as possible. So they're looking at actually extending to Moskegan County as well. Um they're also trying to find property because they want to have a brick and mortar here within the city if not in the township to also provide uh better services. So um they definitely have come in below what they're providing now. And it sounds like because I I was a little confused when this was on the um agenda because I've seen the ambulances and so um I think that speaks to their service that they were able to step in without a contract at this point is and they've been doing like a monthtomonth or

Yeah. So the way the EMS um services go is uh our previous provider if they weren't able to handle one they would transfer it over to R. Okay. So, life has been in our service district for over a year now because um our previous provider was able to provide the level of service we needed um due to our calls going back to back. And so, we have had life um in our area for the last year and we just have had them more often these last couple months because they've been our main service provider even without a contract. Okay. So, we didn't scare them away. So, they still want to stay. I thought I had seen them around town. I was sure. Yes. Thank you. Yes. You're welcome.

Um, thank you, Chief Hudson. I appreciate it. All the work that you've put in as well as all the other chiefs. I supported this a couple months ago when it came around for the first time. And as I said, I I think a change is desperately needed from what we had before. So, I'm glad to see that everyone was able to come to an agreement and come up with this. I'm by no means a lawyer. It looks like a very, very thorough contract to me. Um, I'll leave that to the lawyers up here, but I I appreciate it and thank you. And I certainly see them next door to my house plenty of times already, so I know they're getting their feet wet. So, thank you.

Yes, sir. And I will tell you, um, it's been very refreshing because a lot of the same paramedics and EMTs that were on our previous provider actually jump ship um, and got a job at life and they uh, treat their employees really well and compensate them very well. So, it's actually been nice to see a lot of familiar faces because they know what this community needs and deserves and so it's nice to have them back.

Thank you. I'm just going to echo everybody else says thank you for all your hard work and everybody else that was involved on this. Um, I was on the first committee for the ambulance services around here and it was quite a task to do then. So, I know what you guys had to go through. So, thank you very much. And I'm you're right, we have seen them around here a lot. I'm especially where I my business is. I see them go by all the time up and down Taylor Street. Mhm. Going to the hospital. So definitely it's they're here. They're vocal. They're really you can see them. It's all out there very nice. So that's good to see and it's a good contract. I think we're doing good. So thank you very much. Yeah. Thank you.

Yeah. This is an absolutely critical service. Our citizens deserve this level of service. So it's great that the communities came together, worked together with a common goal. We're able to sort out the priorities, come to an agreement on contract language, priorities, and all that. There was a lot of give and take between the communities, but we worked together. I think that's excellent. We have a great provider, so this could not have been a whole lot better outcome. So, thank you very much. Yeah, thank you. Anything else? Oh, it's a great contract. Thank you. Please call the RO. Yes. Lion, yes. Fritz, yes. Dora, yes. Manza, yes.

Next item, please. Item B, consideration by city council of a resolution to approve a professional services agreement with Abby Marsh in the budgeted amount of $32,000 for construction administration for the drinking water service line investigation project. Administration recommends approval. Okay, I get a motion. So move. Second. Motion by Fritz, second by Calio. Um, see is Mr. England explaining this one. Yes.

Yes, sir. Uh Michael Engingland, DPW director. Um what this contract um involves is we have over a thousand services that still need to be verified for lead, even galvanized, so that way we can get a better number of what we know is out there and need to get replaced. A lot of the funding that is out there and available for it will not pay for verification anymore. So, we're trying to get ahead of the game, get all the prior verification, so that way we're more eligible for funding out there. Um, next council meeting, I'll be able to bring the the final part of this to you of which uh company will be awarded the hydro excavating contract.

Questions, comments? Only is part of the like we've got a camera, right? Is that part of that? That's for sewer. Um what what what this does, it goes back to the curb stop, which is in the right of way, checks to see on both sides of the curb stop what type of material is, if it's copper or galvanized, and then some of them that we're doing in this contract is going back to actual the main to verify that there is lead coming off of the main so that way we have a better idea. Gotcha. Bummer. So we have roughly 1,200 of them that have not been identified yet as to what they are. How many are we looking at right now

of doing that? This is this would this contract would finish that off so we have we know what's out in our system. That way we don't have to send out unknown letters to residents anymore. And we have a schedule for those ones as well. Yep. We are budgeting this budget. You'll see it that we're doing $1.5 million this year to start a replacement. So this fiscal year. All I needed to know. Anything else? So the uh so how many how many years remain before we have to have this completely wrapped up 2035 is what the EPA has changed it to it was 2045 before this an EPA thing or is the state of Michigan uh this it's both

okay I know they started with the state's lead and copper rule and u the EPA came out last year or two years ago with more strict rules than what Michigan had a lot of what Michigan was doing came and said you have 10 less years now. So Oh, great. Did it uh did did their more stringent requirements pull in any other services other than what we originally anticipated? Not that I can see. I mean, we're looking at where there's a lead pigtail on the line. Mhm. Where there's potential contamination. Yes. And just so everybody's comfortable with this that we've not had a lead problem in our drinking water. The nature of the chemistry of our drinking water passes the line. So, we just don't get that.

Yep. But everybody's getting rid of their copper or their u lead service lines. We do routine sampling and our sampling has come back very very well. So like the mayor is saying, we have a high calcium in our water and that helps coat the pipes and we don't have a the lead risk that everybody else has. So until we start pumping acidic river water through our pipes, we're okay. Mhm.

So, no, that's I think that's important for people to understand is that it wasn't a problem we had locally, but it's a broad problem that everyone has some exposure and we're getting rid of ours and we're required to and we're glad to do it. It's just going to take time and money. So, after this $32,000 administration and the people come in do the verification, they're not changing the lines, they're just verifying them. Just verifying so that way when we July we find out if we get the DWSRF funding for this we can go ahead and get those services replaced underneath that funding. Okay, sounds good. Thank you. Anything else? Please call the role. Fritz, yes. Calio, yes. Lion, yes. Dora, yes.

Manza, yes. Next item, please. Item C, consideration by city council of a resolution to approve task orders 26 and 31, task 41.1 and 41.2 for development of the remediation alternative analysis report for Harbor Island Remediation with HDR of Ann Arbor, Michigan in the not to exceed amount of $150,544 contingent upon board of light and power approval for task order 26 and authorize the mayor and city clerk to execute the necessary documents. administration recommends approval. Can I get a motion? So moved. Second.

Motion by Fred, second by Calio. I see Mr. Derek Gel approaching the podium.

Good evening, your honor. Uh, councel. Yeah, this is the moment we've been waiting for um is to get to the remediation alternatives. So, this uh this contract uh is split 50/50 um with the board light and power. So, we'll pay uh 75,000 some change as well with the BLP. um they're supposed to be authorizing theirs this Thursday at the board meeting. Um and by August, we should be uh having some type of draft remediation alternative in our hands for review and then very shortly after that into your hands and the BLP. Uh hoping that that process will take us through this fall, September, October, and November. Um and current schedule is to hopefully have you guys um consider what those alternative is and select one uh by by your November meeting. Um and so uh here we come. We got a lot of data. We got a little bit more to get. Um they're working HR is working very hard, but um the alternatives are coming. If you have any questions

questions, just keeping us on track. Yes. Yep. We're uh it's a long process, a lot of data, but um but now we start getting to the nitty-gritty. So exciting. So the outcome of this will be a menu of alternatives or will be a recommended alternative.

There will be probably a recommended alternative since there there will be one. A preferred alternative is the term we'll probably use. Um it'll come with 10% kind of design uh for each alternative or ruling out an alternative that doesn't um meet uh you know state or federal regulations. So, uh, for an example, a lot of environmental, um, sites might have, well, we just leave it and see how mother nature cures itself. Well, that's that's not going to be one of ours. Um, but it's one of those that's on, you know, they have to consider. So, those ones that actually do have potential um or have the potential of meeting all the regulations um and a cost associated with that, we'll be we'll be having in our hand here shortly.

So, we'll have something better than a wild guess as to what the cost is going to be. That is true. That is true. Uh at our budget meeting tomorrow, you'll see a number that's just a dart at a dart board. By the end of this uh the end of the summer, uh we should have a way better idea of what that what the number should be. Okay. Well, progress. Yes. And it is a slow process. Anything else?

I will just just if I can give Derek kudos here. Um all of basically what we've expended to this point besides some ARPA allocations have been um covered by grant funding on the city side due to Derek's diligence and securing state and federal funding. So just want to make sure I point that out as we continue to rack up some of these HDR bills. Um and ideally all of this time and investigation will result in a lower cost outcome for us. Do we have a running total as to what we spent on all this so far? We do. We do. Everybody turns white. I I'm not going to say it offhand. I'm definitely going to refer to my uh my spreadsheet that has all that. Yeah, we can bring it back. Yeah, we can bring it back. I do get asked this question from time to time.

It's not a small amount, but yeah, between our expenses and the BLP, um we've spent a considerable amount to get to this point. Oh, at the budget meeting, we should do like a price is right over under situation. Keep it entertaining, but no one should underestimate what we're what we're up against. Mhm. the u the amount of pollution, the complexity of the site, the regulations that we're trying to satisfy, the potential costs. This is enormous. So, yeah. And the regular just the regulations just changed Thursday. So, great. Okay. We're dealing with those, which is one of the reasons why we pulled the other one off. Um but, uh it'll probably come back at a later date when we have

some of the things to consider. All right. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Yeah. Thank you for the uh the funds that you have uh gotten on our behalf and I will give you permission to continue to do that. It's top of the list, please. Okay, please call the role. Fritz, yes. Calio, yes. Lion, yes. Dora, yes. Manza, yes. All right, that brings us down to the report by city council. Who would like to begin? It's been a really long time since we've been here. Did you miss us? Yeah, it's been a long time. It's been a month and it's warmer.

I guess the snow is gone. It almost felt like summer out there today. Um, no, just happy to be back into the groove of things. Good to be back here.

Thank you. It is nice. It's nice to have warmer weather. It's great to be back. Um, attended several meetings. Uh, one of which was the East End Association. Um they had a meeting and they have uh quite a few things coming up for the much of Mar um gez month of May. Uh several events that they'll be getting out on the radio and stuff. One of them is a bicycle ride coming up on Memorial Day weekend for uh those who want to go a long distance and just a family short ride for those who want to bring their kids and participate. Keep a lookout for that. That's coming up. Um, I did have the uh pleasure of assisting Commissioner Buger at Mrs. Huntington's fourth grade class at Rosie Mound. Uh, learning a little bit about civics. Uh, great group of kids out there and it was a fun time. So, that was that was great as well.

Thank you. Uh, I would just like to thank um the uh our constituents that have been emailing me lately and sending me um some of their thoughts. And I don't know if that is a recent development because we kind of got our email system straightened out. I hope um I hope I didn't miss anyone and if I did, I apologize. But um I very much appreciate the feedback and I think it's super helpful to um have have what uh have an email about what people are thinking and how it is affecting um things are affecting them. So I appreciate that very much and yes thank you to all of that went on spring break and brought back this weather.

Very much appreciate it. I want to say thank you for the sun today. It was really good. Glad to see the warmth coming back again. I think oh man, winter is probably maybe going to hopefully slide away. We can move into the summer mode. And I just want to say um pray for peace in this world. Um right now it's very trying times for us and uh there's we need to have some peace. I have to stand with the pope. I'm sorry but I want to say it but I love him. I tell you what, we need to have peace and that's what we got to go for. So pray for peace.

Thank you, Mike. Good comments all the way around. It's been a long time. It's been a month since we met. Feel a little disengaged after a month off, but there's always plenty to do in this town. Plenty to be involved in and hope that the community also embraces all the opportunities to be involved in this community. And beyond that, I have nothing else to say. So, I'll turn it over to the city manager.

Okay. Okay. Well, I think your month off was to give you the rest you needed for our budget work session this Wednesday at 6 p.m. um at Central Park Place. That is open to the public if anyone would like to attend. Um we review our draft budget at that point uh make any changes between now and then bring it back for adoption in May. So, it's nearing the end of its process. So, if you have time uh to look into it to to ask any questions at that point, that is the time. Um, so that is Wednesday 6 PM Ballroom Central Park Place. Um, and then after that, uh, our crews are out and about getting ready doing their spring cleanups. Uh, we'll start resurfacing yet at the end of this month. So, temporary, uh, pain for a greater benefit.

Somebody asked me today where they could find the budget to review themselves. So, it is currently posted on our website under agendas for the budget work session and it'll move to the um, finance tab. finance tab. Okay. Yep. Anything else? Nope. That's all. Okay. Then that brings us to our second call to the audience. Uh members of the audience may address council on any item whether in the agenda or not. Please limit yourselves to three minutes of speaking time. Give us your name and address. Who would like to address council? You're all tuckered out. Oh, here's one. Come up again. Back.

I I'll use the last three minutes this time. So Josh Berger 626 Leightton I'm actually piggybacking on your guys' discussion about brownfields uh at during the work session. Um I just want to say I am a huge fan of brownfields and we have done a lot of work at the county level to get these done especially when it comes to the housing component with how much housing we need in Ottawa County. It's phenomenal. Um, so whenever there is a housing component to a brownfield, I we look at them very very closely and try to find a way to approve them. Um, for the most part, oddly, I don't know if it's odd or what it is, but at the county level, the um the the Ottawa impact commissioners tend to be the ones that are most opposed to them. The rest of us are all on board. I I don't want to put not everybody to varying degrees, everybody else is on board. So, whatever we can do locally to nudge that, I think it's huge. Um, give you just a couple things. 80 to 120% AMI. We've been shooting for around 90% AMI. Um, as far as the payback time period goes, 15 to 20 years. There have been some proposals that have been longer, but I personally have been trying to push for 20 years or last 15 if we can get it. Um, and then we use I heard you mention Plantaran. I don't know them personally. Um, we use Fishbck at the county level. They do a phenomenal job. You'd probably have to put out an RFP um to get a hold of them. Uh and then Becky Huttinga, who's maybe listening, she, you know, gave me a little text a minute ago waving, but she's available as a resource from the county level as far as brownfields, and I'm sure that the county would probably love to help out uh more with the brownfields if you guys need assistance, if the city needs assistance. Um but they are they're huge. And then one of the thoughts I had um going back to Peerless Flats and and Mayor Manetsa mentioned that. I remember that one was coming on board u at the tail end of me being on city council and I was very much I don't want to say opposed but I

really wanted to squeeze and turn the screws on them and I and I think there's room for that. But what I realize now as well is that we still needed they needed to help to get that done. From a housing perspective, that is huge over there. And it's not just the delayed taxes that are coming in on that property, but look at the increased property values around that. From Robins Road, excuse me, from Jackson to Second and Third and Fourth Street. Those properties have been it's phenomenal night and day difference. So, there's some tangential benefit um that comes along with it. So, anyway, those are huge. Lastly, just to um uh uh I don't know if you're the prom mayor right now, uh Commission Councilman Fritz, but appreciate the comment on the Pope and it is so hard to stay focused on local issues when it comes to all that's going on at the above us, but um you guys are doing a great job. We're trying to do the same thing at the county level. I Googled uh Ottawa County and news and we didn't even make the headlines in the last two months.

All right, awesome. So, keep doing that here in Grand Haven, too. I'm I'm just you guys are doing an awesome job. So, thank you for all you do and I'm done. And I want to and I want to thank you for I want to thank you for championing boring government.

Hi, my name is Heather Higers. I live at 9738 Haywa. I am a school board trustee. I've been on the school board for just over a year and my term ends in November. I just want to thank you for your local leadership because it does matter because the things that we provide the people around us make a big difference and balancing budgets is not an easy task in 2026. So keep working hard. Um we are having a working workshop next Friday. Uh we have not released the agenda yet for the school board for Grand Haven Area Public Schools. Um but we have uh we're going to go over our goals as the school board. We've also had on the agenda previously that we um removed from the agenda how we decide to name parts of our building and our building. So if there's any community feedback um we would love to hear it. Uh please reach out through the website. You can email us directly. Um I know it doesn't put the email address in um but my email is herersh which is h e r y ge raps.org. So, we would love to hear from people. Um, most of the time we hear when everybody's overly frustrated and it's better to hear when things are just simmering instead of bubbling. Tea kettles can be loud and it's easier to get a hold of things sooner than later. So, I welcome feedback and I thank you again for your service and I thank everyone involved in the education of our students in the area. So, thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else? If no one else would like to address council and if there is no further business then um we are we will adjourn. Thank you.