City Council Meeting - 2024-02-19

Detailed briefing

CITY COUNCIL — February 19, 2024 ATTENDEES: Debbie Melky, Nancy Rondell, Michael Bearman, Kathy Motchel and Matt Foguera were marked present during roll call. • Council moved forward with a March 18 public hearing on whether to vacate the dead-end Washington Street right-of-way below the bluff. The request came from George Peete and Dilly Kirby, who use the area as driveway access to their West Fourth Street homes and want to pave, grade and improve it. The motion carried and expressly excluded the adjoining alley. • Council members raised concerns about permanently giving up public right-of-way, preserving access to the alley, possible future pedestrian or utility uses, changes to setbacks and building potential, and the value of the approximately 67-foot-wide property. Possible conditions discussed included retaining a city easement and prohibiting structures, but no conditions were adopted at this stage. Staff said an actual survey would be needed because county GIS lines are not fully accurate. • Council approved Verkada for a two-camera security system under a 10-year agreement. The system is intended to satisfy election-law camera requirements for the ballot drop box and City Hall door while also covering the police department frontage and parking spaces used for child-custody exchanges. Staff said Verkada was the least expensive proposal and could cover the area with two cameras rather than three. No contract price was stated in the transcript. • Jervis B. Webb requested a 40-year extension or replacement of its lease on city-owned land associated with the Daifuku facility. Its representative said the company hopes eventually to transfer the lease, with city approval, to an operator that could continue a similar use, potentially light manufacturing. No specific buyer or operator was identified. • Council moved toward a closed session under the Michigan Open Meetings Act to consider the city attorney’s written opinion about the Jervis B. Webb lease. The transcript ends as the closed session begins, so no final lease decision is documented. • Staff reported a major water leak near Third and State streets. Staff also reported an illegal discharge into the storm sewer that reached the bay; DPW handled cleanup, while police and EGLE are involved in an open investigation. Staff said there was no known ongoing harm or threat. Worth watching: 1. Terms proposed after the Washington Street hearing, including easements, building restrictions and any compensation question. 2. Any public decision following legal review of the requested 40-year Jervis B. Webb lease. 3. Results of the storm-sewer discharge investigation. Upcoming: Washington Street public hearing March 18; Planning Commission special zoning-code meeting Thursday at 5:30 PM; early voting was announced for the week from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM at BMW, followed by the regular Tuesday election. Why it matters: Council is weighing private property access and security needs against long-term protection of public land, infrastructure and future community options.

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