Here is the Agenda for the City Council meeting on Monday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall.

There will also be a public hearing about the proposed new Industrial Development District for Bay Logistics. Public hearings are one of the formal ways residents can share comments before Council takes action on an item.

Discussion/Action Items

8A. FY 2025-2026 Budget Amendment
Council will consider a budget amendment for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Budget amendments are a normal end-of-year housekeeping step to make sure the City’s budget matches actual revenues and expenses. This amendment includes increasing permit-related revenue and building inspection costs by $1.5 million each, along with increasing building and grounds repair and maintenance by $20,000.

8B. Michigan Municipal League Membership Renewal
Council will consider renewing the City’s membership in the Michigan Municipal League for $2,915. The League provides training, advocacy, legal resources, and other support for municipalities.

8C. Proposed New Industrial District from Bay Logistics
Council will consider whether to establish a new Industrial Development District for Bay Logistics at 275 North 68th Avenue. This does not approve a tax exemption. It would only create the district, which is the first step before the company could apply for a future Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption. Any future tax exemption request would come back to Council separately.

8D. Main Lift Station Transfer Switch
Council will consider a $32,871.46 change order to add a manual transfer switch at the Main Lift Station. This would allow the City to connect a portable generator more quickly during an emergency or power outage.

8E. Ottawa County Interlocal Agreement and Designated Assessor Contract
Council will consider an agreement with Ottawa County related to state assessing requirements. There is no annual cost to the City unless the designated assessor process ever had to be activated.

8F. Water Service Replacement at Heath Manufacturing
Council will consider a $13,000 water service replacement at Heath Manufacturing. The existing galvanized service was identified during related construction work and needs to be replaced under current EGLE requirements.

8G. 60th Avenue Effluent Force Main Repairs
Council will consider repairs to two failures along the 60th Avenue Effluent Force Main, which carries fully treated wastewater from the City’s wastewater treatment plant to its final discharge location at the Grand River. The proposed repair work is not to exceed $28,000.

As always, residents can speak during the citizen comment periods near the beginning and end of the meeting. Let me know if you have any questions.

Update 6.9.2026

Here is my personal summary from Monday night’s City Council meeting. This is NOT the official meeting minutes, but I wanted to share an update on what happened and give some additional context on a few items that have generated questions.

All action items passed.

5A. Public Hearing: Proposed Industrial Development District for Bay Logistics

The meeting included a public hearing on a proposed new Industrial Development District for Bay Logistics at 275 N. 68th Avenue.

A representative from Bay Logistics spoke during the hearing and said the company is looking at a possible building addition of about 235,000 square feet. The purpose would be to support Fairlife’s additional production lines. They estimated around 90 employees connected to the project, with wages discussed in the range of about $25 to $30 per hour. They also stated that the ownership is based in West Michigan.

A few important clarifications:

Creating an Industrial Development District is not rezoning. The property is already industrially zoned. This action does not change what uses are allowed there.

Creating an Industrial Development District is also not the same as approving a tax abatement. It is only the first step that would allow the company to apply for a future Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption (IFT). Any future IFT request would have to come back to Council separately.

If a future IFT were approved, the company would still pay the taxes it already owes on the property. The abatement would only apply to the new portion being built and the new taxable value created by that improvement. During the term of the IFT, the company would generally continue paying approximately half of the taxes on that new portion, while continuing to pay the full taxes on the existing property. Once the IFT term expires, the company would pay the full amount of taxes on the entire property, including the improvements. If an IFT is granted, residents will not be expected to make up the difference.

That said, I do think there are important questions that should be answered before any future IFT request. Those include the final site plan, traffic flow, truck staging, employee numbers, wages, benefits, and how the City can make sure promised job creation is actually followed through on.

I supported the Industrial Development District because this was not the tax abatement vote. It was the step that allows the project to be explored further. A future IFT request would be a separate decision.

6. Citizen Input and Suggestions

Several residents spoke during public comment.

Concerns included wastewater and water infrastructure, truck traffic near 68th Avenue and Randall, transparency and communication from the City, possible future data centers, sidewalk needs, and how tax abatements affect residents and businesses.

I appreciate residents showing up and speaking. Even when people disagree, public input helps Council understand what questions need to be answered more clearly.

8A. FY 2025-2026 Budget Amendment

Council approved a budget amendment for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

This is a normal end-of-year housekeeping step to make sure the City’s budget lines match actual revenues and expenses. The discussion included increased permit-related revenue and building inspection expenses, along with an increase related to building and grounds repair and maintenance. One example discussed was the City Hall brickwork project, which came in higher than originally budgeted.

8B. Michigan Municipal League Membership Renewal

Council approved renewing the City’s Michigan Municipal League membership for $2,915, without the optional legal defense fund.

The MML provides training, advocacy, and municipal resources. Since the City uses its own legal counsel, Council continued the practice of not adding the optional legal defense fund amount.

8C. Proposal to Form a New Industrial District from Bay Logistics

After the public hearing, Council approved establishing the Industrial Development District for Bay Logistics.

Again, this does not approve a tax abatement. It only creates the district that would allow Bay Logistics to apply for one in the future. If that happens, Council would have another discussion and vote.

During this discussion, I raised several points that I think are important:

First, this is not rezoning. The property is already industrial.

Second, an IFT does not mean residents’ taxes automatically go up to replace what is abated.

Third, if Bay Logistics comes back for an IFT, I want more information about the site plan, traffic, truck movement, jobs, wages, and the impact on surrounding roads.

Fourth, I want future IFT agreements to have stronger accountability for job creation.

Right now, job creation is something Council considers when deciding whether to approve an IFT. There is already a reporting requirement for companies that receive an IFT, but as I understand it, there are not meaningful consequences if projected job numbers are not met. I would like to see job creation become a clearer part of the ongoing agreement. If a company says it will create a certain number of jobs, I think there should be reporting and follow-up to make sure that commitment is being met. I also think we should look at what happens if a company falls well short of its projected employment numbers.

8D. Main Lift Station Transfer Switch

Council approved adding a manual transfer switch at the Main Lift Station.

This is a wastewater infrastructure item. The Main Lift Station has backup power, but this improvement would allow the City to connect a portable generator more quickly if there is a power outage or a generator problem. This gives the City an added layer of emergency protection for one of the most important parts of the sewer system.

8E. Ottawa County Interlocal Agreement and Designated Assessor Contract

Council approved the Ottawa County Interlocal Agreement and Designated Assessor Contract.

This is related to state assessing requirements. It is basically a backup arrangement if a local unit of government were ever found to be substantially out of compliance with state assessing standards. There is no annual cost to the City unless that process ever had to be activated.

8F. Water Service Replacement at Heath Manufacturing

Council approved replacing the water service line at Heath Manufacturing.

During construction work on Mill Street, a galvanized water service line was discovered. Under current EGLE requirements, galvanized service lines need to be replaced. Since the area was already opened up for other work, this was the right time to complete the replacement.

8G. 60th Avenue Effluent Force Main Repairs

Council approved repairs to the 60th Avenue effluent force main.

This line carries treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant to the Grand River. Two breaks were identified between Garfield and Leonard. The repairs were approved so the City can address the problem before it becomes larger.

8H. Consumers Energy Easement Agreement

Council added and approved an easement agreement with Consumers Energy.

This is connected to the Grove Street bridge replacement project. The easement allows Consumers Energy to relocate electric lines along Grove Street as part of the bridge work. This is similar to the Frontier agreement Council approved previously for utility relocation connected to the same project.

9. Citizen Input and Suggestions

Residents also spoke during the second public comment period.

Topics included sidewalk needs near 64th Street, questions and concerns about tax abatements, communication on social media, and the importance of sharing clear information with residents before assumptions or misinformation spread.

10-14. Reports and Council Comments

During reports and council comments, a few additional updates and comments came up.

Music on Main Street continues, with the next event planned for Thursday.

There was discussion about getting clearer updates on current road and bridge-related construction timelines so residents have a better idea of when projects may be completed.

I also brought up IFT accountability. If companies are going to ask for tax abatements based partly on investment and job creation, I want future agreements to include clearer employment expectations and reporting. I do not think job numbers should just be something discussed before approval and then forgotten afterward.

I also mentioned sidewalks and future infrastructure. As the City grows and more industrial development occurs, I think we should continue looking at where sidewalk connections are missing and how future tax revenue can help support public improvements.

Finally, communication. Social media can be useful, but it can also spread incomplete or incorrect information quickly. Emailing Council is still one of the best ways to make sure your comments or questions are seen. Also, Council members have to be careful about too many of us discussing city business in the same online thread because of Open Meetings Act concerns.

Overall

The biggest clarification from the meeting is that the Bay Logistics vote was not a tax abatement vote and not a rezoning vote. It was approval of an Industrial Development District, which is an early step in a longer process.

There are still important questions to ask if the project moves forward, especially around traffic, site design, job creation, wages, and accountability. I plan to keep asking those questions.

Please let me know your thoughts, concerns, and what questions you have, or what questions you think I should be asking.