City Council Meeting - 2020-07-06

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — July 6, 2020 • Council approved a $2,000 city sponsorship for Chamber Foundation street music, using the community-promotion fund. An organizer said the prior State Street closure created a wider pedestrian route, reported no social-distancing incidents around musicians, and said volunteers and police will be present weekly. • Council approved a $2,000 local match for a $1,500 ReLeaf Michigan tree-planting grant. The proposed work includes trees near M-119 and Zoll Street and in the Layton Park-area neighborhood. The grant includes a three-year tree-survival commitment; the city’s match is to come from funds earmarked for tree planting. • Council adopted bylaws for the Tree Advisory Board. Staff said the bylaws provide formal meeting structure, clarify members’ responsibilities, and help the public understand the board’s advisory role. • Residents asked council to reconsider or modify the citywide bluff-trimming moratorium, particularly for East Bluff areas where homeowners said they have cooperated on vegetation-management plans. Staff said potential edits to the policy are expected back before council July 20, and the Tree Board will consider the information. A separate speaker urged tree plans to account for tree height and view impacts, not just trunk diameter. • A Cottage Company representative described a proposed revised pedestrian-protection plan for its downtown construction project. He said an engineered and inspected sidewalk-shed plan may allow parking spaces to be returned to the city, but engineering drawings could delay implementation. The mayor apologized for earlier critical remarks and credited the company with addressing the concern. • Public commenters opposed removing hedges at City Beach, citing concerns about erosion, windblown sand, privacy, trash, and road protection. Council said the proposal had already been considered and that the arborist had reviewed the site. Worth watching: • Water demand was slightly above 1.9 million gallons per day, near the 2.1-million-gallon state threshold. The city will ask residents to voluntarily reduce water use, especially lawn watering, and may consider restrictions if conditions persist. • City staff will seek public input on submitted logo concepts and keep submitter identities anonymous during the process. • The city and its attorney will ask the Liquor Control Commission whether further action is needed for a social district/common area before restaurants or bars can allow open containers in the marina green-space area. Upcoming: Council expects to revisit bluff-trimming policy information July 20. Why it matters: The meeting combined immediate public-space and infrastructure concerns with decisions on community programming, tree investment, and city governance.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.