Staff Reports: City Manager, Treasurer, Clerk, Planning and Zoning, Department of Public Works, Police, Engineer

City Manager Report February 10, 2025

Lead Testing Report • The Kalamazoo Lake Sewer Water Authority provided the following, showing 0 sites were above action levels for lead or copper:

As a reminder, further location of lead services lines throughout the City will be completed this spring. We will provide Council and the community a full report once that work is done.

Sheriff’s Office Presentation • Each month the Sheriff’s Office provides a report of the number and types of calls they responded to. • During the strategic planning meeting, Council requested an annual summary presentation and further education on police services. • Sgt. Haas will be presenting the requested information at the February 24 regular meeting. Capital Improvement Planning • The Engineer and Department of Public Works have drafted updates to the five-year capital improvement plan. The draft plan will be presented at the February 24 workshop. Sneak preview. We have a lot of costly infrastructure work ahead. Milfoil (Invasive) • Last year, Aquatic Doctors presented to Council on their milfoil treatment in the harbor. I checked with them recently and they advised “there will be a need for

treatment this summer. Low water levels will promote growth and impact the river. I would plan on some management, hopefully there is less growth than in the past”. I hope to bring treatment plans and costs to a workshop soon.

AT&T Cellular • The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) recently sent AT&T a follow up letter regarding their September 24 submittal. The Federal Communications Commission has engaged in government-to-government coordination with the tribes. • Review of the SHPO letter is planned for the February 19 workshop. • AT&T’s decision on the City’s agreement request remains pending resolution of SHPO approval. Maple Street Project • The improvements currently under evaluation include: o Road resurfacing or reconstruction o Water main replacement (including replacement of services, some to inside the home/building) o Drainage and stormwater management improvements o Non-motorized improvements (widened shoulders, sidewalk, or similar) • A review of the options and costs occurred at the Council’s January 22 workshop. The details are available in the meeting packet: https://www.saugatuckcity.com/uploads/1/3/3/9/133977444/p_1-2225_redacted.pdf • Based on the Council’s feedback on the options, staff is preparing a proposed plan to pay for the project and discuss further at the February 24 workshop. Mt. Baldhead Bathroom Replacement • The project is now out for bid. • Further review of the project is planned for the February 19 workshop. Blue Star Trail • I previously reported that MDOT received concerns from a Tribal Nation and MDOT started coordination. The coordination and additional assessment process will be lengthy and construction in calendar year 2025 is now unlikely. • On site tribal evaluation is planned for this spring/early summer. • As more details are known, MDOT will move the allocated TAP grant funding to future years and evaluate additional funding. • I recently confirmed with the Department of Natural Resources that they are also willing to consider an extension of the trust fund grant. • Staff is following up on the items that were discussed in the recent closed session. Airport Property Project

The ODC is still targeting early spring to work on the parking lot, trails, and signage. If the weather cooperates, the overlook may be able to be constructed this winter. Based on the consensus feedback from Council, the Parks and Public Works Committee will gather community feedback and recommend a new name for the property. City Council will make the final decision on any name change.

Michigan Municipal Executives Conference • I recently attended the MME conference in Bay City. It was great to connect with colleagues from around the state. A lot of great educational sessions as well. I attended the following sessions: o First Time Attendees Breakfast Meetup o General Session: Legislative Update o Road Funding: Leading Your Community to Better Roads o General Session: 13 Ways to Kill Your Relationships – A Conversation with Peers o Employee Benefit Best Practices to Recruit and Retain Talent o Welcome Reception o General Session: Whole Reset for Whole Wellness Part Deux: Recharging Your Nervous System for Resilience and Performance o You Have to Be the Bigger Person: Emotional Resilience and Positive Outcomes in the Face of Incivility o General Session: Strategic Relationship Management – Harnessing Your Inner Leslie Knope o Into the Frying Pan on Your First Day? o Early Career Outreach Dinner o General Session: Communication for Influence – How to Improve Workplace Communication for Greater Collaboration o Closing General Session: Mentor-Mentee Relationships Know no Bounds Miscellaneous • Attended meeting with Douglas and Township managers and legal counsel to work on red line changes to water-sewer agreement draft. • Held one on one meetings with DPW Superintendent and Director of Planning/Zoning. • Met with Rotary representative to discuss current City priorities and how they may be able to help fund them, specifically Mt. Baldhead vegetation restoration. • Met with Wick’s restaurant owner to review St. Patrick’s Day event request. Blast from the Past • Below is an article that was in the paper on February 3, 1972. • As we work on an updated water-sewer agreement with KLWSA, its always interesting to learn about how it all got started. Do the names of the consultants look familiar to anyone?

Treasurer Report February 10, 2025

Tax: • • • •

Per the norm inherent in the Winter tax process, there’s been a lot of foot traffic, increased tax bill payments, and requests for address changes, missing bills, etc. The State of Michigan asked to verify a number. Worked with Peter, the assessor, and BS&A to finish this project. Took a couple of early ACH payments Work with assessor on a veteran exemption / refund situation

Payables: • • •

Continue to convert the vendors from Peter’s account information to mine Processed a payables run Reactivated the Shell gas card and paid off an emergency bill (Dunesview was closed)

Miscellaneous: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Reconciled the July bank statement and well into August. Worked on updating the signature cards at the banks based on a new mayor / mayor pro-tem Rolled over two CD’s and put in reminders for all of the maturity dates – worked to get good documentation for backup Made a first draft of a budget amendment. Prep for the strategic meeting Worked with KLSWA to get notifications of EFT deposits ahead of time. Started the Oval Beach pass process by talking with Peter about where, how, and how much. Attended a Plante Moran training session (on budgeting) Took a variety of credit card payments (parking fines, permits, etc) Started tracking down ChatGPT’s governmental service Sent through notification on a technology patch to DPW Fielded a health department notification (for water supply regulations and updated our records with them (to go to Scott).

Payroll: • • • •

Working to develop processes and procedures to eliminate inefficiencies and potential errors Processed the 01/31/24 payroll Processed the W2’s, 1099’s, and most of the year end annual filings (Michigan is due end of February, so I wait until mid-February to do a final submission). Cleaning up old pay rate table codes

City Clerk Department Report February 10, 2025  Elections:

- We were randomly selected by the State for a procedural audit of the November Presidential election. On February 6th, the county audit team conducted a thorough review at City Hall to verify that every required step was properly completed. I am proud to announce that we achieved a perfect audit! - Attached to my report you will find the state audit results for our election. - For more information on the audit process, visit the state election site here. - We were commended by the County on our organization and preparedness for the audit along with our system for processing AV ballots in precinct. - County Clerk Genetski commended our team and Saugatuck Township for our successful partnership in implementing the 9-days early voting period. He shared this success with the Ottawa County Clerk, as Ottawa County has decided not to facilitate 9-day earlys voting for its jurisdictions going forward.

 Starting 2025 agreements.  Currently processing 2025 Business Licenses.  Assisting residents in-person, via email, and by phone with various questions

and concerns.  Continuing work re-designing city website.  Coordinated and prepared meeting packets and minutes.  Meetings: - City Council Meetings - One Special Event Meeting

Planning, Zoning and Project Report February 11, 2025

Planning and Zoning • Prepped for and attended Historic District Commission. • Presented proposed regulation changes to City Council at Workshop. • Attended scheduled internal meetings. • Had meeting regarding residential proposal for multi-phase build. • Created report to identify properties which have transferred ownership. • Scheduled and performed interviews for open HDC position. • Made recommendation memo for open ZBA position. • Made recommendation memo for open Alternate ZBA position. • Reached out to resident regarding removal of hardscaping. • Had meeting with residents to outline process to adjust lot lines. • Had discussions with legal regarding STR regulations. • Met with business owners regarding outdoor sale of food. • Had discussions about change of use requirements for multi-use site. • Had discussions with Building Official regarding residential and commercial code. • Created and provided Zoning Verification letter. • Met with multiple concerned residents regarding upcoming Special Land Use request. • Discussed Minor Site Plan approvals with Chair of PC. • Reached out to contractors in regards to unsatisfactory conditions of development site. • Discussed sign standards with developers. • Had discussion with Assessor regarding best practices when splitting lots. • Spoke with fire department regarding best practices and renovation recommendations. • Reviewed incoming property transfer affidavit’s. • Followed up on general code enforcement. • Issued permits and completed casework as outlined below.

Open Casework 120 Mary

515 St Joseph

550 Dunegrass Circle

568 Mason

306 Mary St 129 Griffith Unit 2

Zoning App. Sent concerns to applicant. Responses sent back to Planner. Emailed builder with concerns. Emailed contractor with request for information. Spoke with the contractor on 12-2, still waiting on updates to the plans. Spoke with Building official concerned with use of property, advised that at this time use of property is unclear due to pending text amendments. Stop work order issued for 120 Mary by MTS due to questions of property use. STR Renewal of Accessory Structure. No SLU obtained, advised they need to go before the PC. Had meeting to discuss case. Received SLU App. Requested information on Gross Finished Floor Measurements. Postponed until later date. Received notice of violation from EGLE. Researched property to ensure process shall be followed, in talks with developer in regards to potential development, will address requirements in regards to egle violation when determined. Had discussion with contract planner to determine how to move forward with proposed development. Further research done on SLU and Site Plan approval for 500 and 550 Dunegrass. sent legal questions for appropriate next steps. Reached out to developer with information regarding potential future project and also with plans to resolve EGLE violations. Reps from site will be required to submit vegetation removal plan to the PC. Developer stated that they would be reaching out to an environmental consulting firm to put together information. had discussion with environmental consultants on what needs to be provided to the PC.

Zoning

Emailed Contractor about damaged water line. Sent application to engineer. Asked applicant for more information. Confirmed Drawings are being made. Spoke with developers about issue. Still awaiting complete application and drawings for work completed onsite to address waterline issue. Had further discussions about what happened on site and emailed engineer and KLWSA to determine appropriate action. Recommendations received from Kal Lake and City Engineer, passed on to Contractor. discussion on utility work continues. Invoice for Asphalt work sent to Contractor. Further confirmation still needed, discussion with contractor, engineer, and KLWSA continue. Spoke with contractor for update. discussions continue with Contractor and Kal-Lake Application for SLU for ADU STR. Scheduled for 12-19 PC. Postponed due to potential regulatory changes.

KLWSA

Received concerns from MTS that change of use is occurring without proper permits. Continued discussion with MTS, change of use application expected. Had discussion with applicant on processes. Provided resources. Discussions continue with applicant and fire department. Spoke with applicant about timelines for approval. Continued discussion with applicant and fire department.

Zoning

PC

Enforcement

PC

825 Bridge St

Application for STR ADU SLU received. Had discussion about minimum size not meeting requirements. Applicant explained structure had been rented since 2011. suggested waiting for the 12-19-2024 Meeting for discussion on regulations before submitting application. Spoke further about minimum size requirements and how to best relay concerns to the PC. Spoke to owner again about potential timeline for review. Owner picked up checks for application, still intends to apply for SLU at future time. Received application for addition of bathrooms and interior renovation. Sent to Contract planner for discussions. Administrative review deemed inappropriate due to location and scope of project, Formal site plan review scheduled for pc. Site plan review approved contingent upon applicable flood plain requirements being met. Waiting on owner to send additional documentation. Answered questions and provided resources for future repaving project for Saugatuck Public Schools. Discussion continues.

PC

991 Ridgeview Ln

Spoke to resident regarding SLU requirements for ADU STR. Application received, awaiting payment. Payment and application received, scheduled for Feb meeting, sent info to contract planner.

PC

202 Butler St

Began discussions for SLU requirement for outdoor seating at pumpernickels. Also discussed Expanded outdoor seating regulations. Provided resources. Application for STR renewal received. More information needed from applicant. Info provided, sent to Fire Department.

PC

842 Lake St Unit 7 807 Lake St 7

Str application with no required documentation provided, sent back to local agent. Incomplete STR application received. Sent back to local agent.

STR

249 Mason

Change of Use application received. Had discussion with fire department and sent request for more information to applicant.

304 Lucy St

Received STR renewal with new owners. Noted a different license holder on application from previous years. Transfer occurred Jan 2024, existing certificate never updated. Application denied due to unauthorized transfer of ownership. Email and letter sent to owner. Discussions with the owner and local agent in regards to appropriateness of denial was had. Owner to provide timeline of events for argument to be sent to legal. Explained to owner that their application is considered denied due to transfer.

STR

940 Pleasant

Received site plan review from fire department. Reached out to Ryan with questions. Sat down with owner to discuss plan. More information needed. STR application received. More information needed. Info received. Sent to fire department. HDC application for Fence received. Sent to Contract planner. HDC approved contingent upon material used being wood. Sent applicant Zoning permit application for next steps. STR application received. Sent to fire department

Zoning

STR application received. Sent to fire department. Reinspection needed, fee paid.

STR

405 Park St

401 Elizabeth St

150 Taylor St

117 Perryman St 40 Butler St 555 Griffith St 37 Park St

Zoning

Zoning

STR

STR

STR HDC STR

254 Francis St

Emailed contractor with concerns for visibility of construction structures, and provided him with date of permit expiration.

Zoning

340 Water St

HDC application for door received. Sent to Contract planner. HDC approved plans, sent site plan review application for next steps.

HDC

618 Water St

Spoke to sign company in regards to requirements for monument sign in the historic District. Discussion continues on requirements of HDC.

HDC

547 St Joseph St

Application for natural gas line installation received. Payment and escrow received. Permit issued.

ROW

1020 Holland St

Addition to res structure received. Waiting on topo survey.

Zoning

419 Lake St

received STR application. Sent to fire department

STR

409 Lake St

STR

562 Weirich Dr

STR application received with no supporting documents. Request for more info. STR application received with no supporting documents. Request for more info. received STR application. Sent to the fire department.

212 N Maple

received STR application. More info needed.

STR

649 Lake St

received STR application. More info needed. Info received, sent to the fire department. HDC application received to residing building. Advised that payment is still needed. Applicants provided large range of options, emailed to request narrowing down their proposal. Application received for existing STR. Noted transfer from owner to LLC, notify owner that license is currently pending.

STR

Spoke to residents about STR regulations and applying for a license early.

STR

413 Lake St

31 Butler St 338 Park St 997 Singapore Dr

STR STR

HDC STR

Closed Casework

888 Holland St

Having discussion with Real Estate Agent in regards to potentially converting property into restaurant, advised that SLU is required for a restaurant in this district, also went over considerations for HDC and fire department due to change of use. Provided resources, no further action needed at this time. Answered residents’ question in regards to how caps work.

Zoning

Zoning

245 Spear St

Spoke to residents about concept for Storage containers in residential neighborhoods. Received application for new garage with livable space above, sent applicant request for further information. Additional information and payment provided. No consideration for storm water mitigation, sent request for information. I had discussion about above living/office space. Permit issued. Answered questions about STR renewal standards.

450 Culver St

Answered questions about STR renewal standards.

STR

STR

Discussed new Fire Department policies with STR's.

STR

132 Mason

STR App received, sent to the fire department. License Issued.

STR

128 Elizabeth st 10

STR renewal. Information needed, emailed local agent. Info received, sent to the fire department. License issued.

STR

549 Hoffman St

STR renewal. Information needed, emailed local agent. Info received, sent to the fire department. License Issued.

STR

954 Elizabeth St

STR renewal. Sent to the fire department. License Issued.

STR

133 Main St

STR Renewal of first floor apartment in C2. First floor apartment does not front public st and is allowable dwelling unit. Info received, sent to the fire department. License issued. Notified of demolition.

STR

Application received to construct small roof over existing doorway. Permit issued sent to MTS.

Zoning

STR 417 Spear St 450 Spear St

545 Spear St 306 Mary

STR

Zoning

STR

MTS

560 Mill

Written request to extend fence onto City property. Reviewed history. Sent to legal for review as no prior formal approval for landscaping or hardscaping on city property and fencing can’t be placed in right of way per zoning ordinance. Also received a call wondering what would be required for HDC application for a proposed addition. After review with City Manager, City Attorney, City Engineer, and insurance carrier, sent owner email requesting hardscaping items be removed. Met with owner and answered questions on 4/20. The owner planned to reach out to City Council. Not placed on Council agenda and items remain as of 6/20. Sent owner e-mail to remove within 30 days or City may remove and charge expense to them. No response to e-mail. Sent letter with copy of e-mail on 7/6. Received letter from homeowner’s attorney. Shared with the legal who responded to attorney. Seeking policy direction from the City Council. Update planned for August 23 workshop. Hardscaping ordinance in progress. Planned January Council review. City Council approved ordinance amendments and formal policy. As the wall is prohibited by the policy and was installed prior to the ordinance, the owner may apply to allow the wall to stay (see 96.34(K)) . It will ultimately be up to the City Council whether they approve it or not. Sent owner app, ordinance amendments and formal policy. ROW installation/encroachment app. Need description of features, site plan showing location and dimensional detail and photos. Also need fee. Received fee. I still need updated plans. Received. Sent to engineer and DPW to review. New owners, emailed to continue process. sent memo to City Manager. emailed the owner for further information. sent questions to legal. Emailed owner with timeline for City Council workshop dates that may hear his request. Drafted report for City Council workshop 01-222025. The City Council requested motion to deny for full meeting 01-27-2025. Application to allow hardscaping to remain denied. emailed owner to thank for response to disappointing news and ask for estimated timeline for removal of requested hardscaping, will monitor property and continue to work with owner moving forward. Had a discussion with resident over concerns for more rentals in his district. Confirmed that available rental licenses would not be applicable. Provided Zoning Verification Letter on both parcels.

Enforcement

STR

111 Park St

Applicants questioned increasing occupancy limit. Emailed the fire department for discussion. Invoiced local agent for reinspection. Sent to the Fire Department. License Issued. Discussed STR Regulations

731 Water St

Had discussions on lot line adjustment.

Zoning

135 Mason St

Spoke to resident about concept idea for outdoor grilling.

Zoning

991 Ridgeview Dr

Spoke with concerned resident about ADU application for the

Zoning

STR 868 844 Holland St 720 Butler St

STR Zoning

STR

PC meeting 02-13-2025 344 Maple St

Spoke with resident about requirements of district and use variances.

Zoning

70 Park St

Application for Hot Tub received. Advised applicant that hot tubs and pools are not permitted within the front yard. Had meeting with developer in regards to potential resolutions to this issue. Discussed with legal as hot tub was approved as part of original site plan and significant investment has been made to plumbing infrastructure for location of hot tub. Advised MTS that Hot tub has been approved as part of original building site plan. Spoke to resident to confirm expiration dates and other STR information. Spoke with advisors in regards to clients STR status and explained that a transfer of ownership would void a license.

Zoning

STR application received. More information needed. Information received, sent to fire department. License Issued. HDC application for window received. Sent to Contract planner. HDC approved, permit sent to applicant and MTS for any further permits. Spoke with applicant in regard to replacing door at commercial establishment. Advised that property is within historic district and provided resources. HDC application for door received. Sent to Contract planner. Had discussion about direction of the door with the fire department. Issued HDC permit and sent to MTS for further permits. Lot Line Adjustment. Email sent to applicant for additional info. Info provided. Asked for legal description. Emailed for updated. Spoke to owner in regards to new proposal, asked engineer for input. Proposal has changed from lot line adjustment to lot split, discussion continues. Spoke to property owner in regards to buildability of the lots. Discussion continues, emailed contract planner with questions after reading land division act in regards to depth to width ratio. Discussion had with property owner, lines will need to be adjusted to meet depth to width ratio. Nederveld provided new information for split, discussions continued. Legal descriptions asked for. Received legal descriptions, sent to assessor for final review. Lot split for 110 park st approved, legal description and approval sent to Allegan county. Application for natural gas line installation received. Payment and escrow received. Permit issued. Emailed applicant to confirm that they contact staff for onsite monitoring when street cut begins.

STR

842 Lake St 120 Elizabeth C

433 Mary St 115 Butler St 234 Butler St

110 120 Park

547 St Joseph St

STR STR

HDC HDC

Zoning

ROW

Department of Public Works Below is a summary of notable activities carried out by the Department of Public Works since the last council meeting on 1/27/2025: Snow & Ice Control: The Public Works department has been responsive to winter weather events as expected. During the early morning of February 6th, ice rain created a severe safety hazard in the area. To combat this, the crew had pre-salted the streets the night before which had instrumental benefits in the effort of keeping the streets safe for motorists and pedestrians. All sidewalks and steps along City properties were salted as well.

Christmas Tree Collection Service: Each year after Christmas, residents may set their Christmas tree curbside where DPW will collect and dispose of them. This collection service has begun, and several residents have utilized the service. DPW will continue to pick up trees until Thursday February 20th.

Equipment Maintenance: While not snowplowing, significant time has been spent performing maintenance on equipment which includes the front-end loader, backhoe, snowplows, salting equipment, skid steer, and dump trucks.

Meetings: • 1/27/2025 – DPW Weekly Goals Meeting • 1/27/2025 – Temporary Art Installation Site Visit with CVB • 1/31/2025 – DPW Weekly Goals Follow Up Meeting • 1/31/2025 – Tree Care Planning with Arborist • 2/03/2025 – DPW Weekly Goals Meeting • 2/03/2025 – Holiday Lighting with Chips Groundcover • 2/04/2025 – One-on-One Meeting – City Manager & DPW Superintendent • 2/05/2025 – Council Workshop Meeting • 2/05/2025 – Project Discussion Meeting with Rotary Club • 2/07/2025 – DPW Weekly Goals Follow Up Meeting

Front-End Loader Demo: As we continue researching front-end loaders, Caterpillar of Grand Rapids has allowed us to demo a 2024 Caterpillar 938 model. This would potentially be a direct replacement of our current 1999 Caterpillar 938G model that has served the City very well for over 26 years. Staff were instantly impressed with the significant noise reduction of the new tractor along with its quick attach capabilities. This is the second machine that we’ve demoed, and we plan to demo one more unit from Holland Equipment Services who is a local Hyundai dealer.

February 10, 2025 Sheriff Report

66 total dispatched calls and/or self-initiated calls Accidents – Alarms – 2 Assault - 2 Assist other agencies – 4 (assist to fire/ems on medicals) Breaking & Entering – 1 Check Welfare – 3 Criminal sexual conduct – 1 Fire Alarm – 2 Fraud – 1 General assist – 27 (These are typically calls that the deputies use for doing the nightly lock ups in town) Property inspections – 4 Malicious Destruction of Property – 1 Neighbor dispute – 2 BOL (be on the look out) – 2 Ordinance violation - 3 Parking – 6 Personal injury accident – 1 Road Hazard - 1 Warrant arrest – 1 Below are traffic stops by the 4 Deputies contracted by the city and amount of times they are at the school. Traffic stops - 12 School contacts – 21

City of Saugatuck Status Report of Engineering Activities February 5, 2025 General Consultation •

2024 Asphalt Repairs: The project is complete with the exception of confirming grass restoration was effective in the spring.

Village Square Court Renovation: Prepared a cost estimate for court resurfacing and other improvements in the park to assist with finalizing the project scope and method of delivery. Conversations with the donor’s representative are ongoing.

Developing a proposal for inspection of larger culvert crossings and storm sewer outfalls.

Prepared a draft CIP update for staff review. It will be presented at the February 19 council workshop.

Prepared a bid package for a 3-year pavement marking contract. The bid opening is scheduled for February 13 and bids will be presented at the February 19 council workshop. Work is anticipated to be completed prior to Memorial Day weekend each year.

EGLE Technical, Managerial and Financial (TMF) Project • • •

The City was awarded $221,600 in funding from EGLE’s Community Technical, Managerial, and Financial (TMF) support for lead service line identification (100% grant). Prepared the City’s Complete Distribution System Materials Inventory and submitted it to EGLE to meet the October 16 deadline. An updated version will be provided when potholing work is complete. Potholing work will be finished in the spring. A number of addresses have been added to fully utilize the grant dollars available.

Mt. Baldhead Projects • •

AT&T Project Assistance o Providing assistance on an as-needed basis. Restroom Building Replacement o Plans were presented at the January 22 council workshop. o The bid opening is scheduled for February 13. Bids will be presented at the February 19 council workshop. o Construction is planned for spring/summer 2025. Observation Platform Replacement o Design work is progressing. Additional survey work is complete. o The Allegan Conservation District has provided the Vegetation Removal Assurance, which is a report required for the EGLE/USACE Critical Dunes Permitting. The report evaluates impacts on vegetation, native, non-native and invasives, and provides guidance for the design and construction. The report includes guidance for several of the unhealthy, dead or undesirable species to be removed as part of the project and replaced with native/desirable ones.

Sea Wall and Concrete Repairs •

Working on scheduling a kickoff meeting with City staff before proceeding with design work.

Maple Street Improvements – Study Phase • • •

Planning efforts to date were presented to council at the January 22, 2025 workshop. The City’s MDOT Category B grant was selected for funding this year. This grant will fund $250,000 of the road restoration costs on the project. We are currently anticipating design starting in early 2025 and construction starting in spring 2026 following the Allegan County Drain Commissioner’s Blue Star Highway Drain project, which will require closure of Blue Star Highway for a time. MDOT has approved extending the Category B funding to 2026. We will develop a proposal for design phase services when the project scope has been determined.

Park Street Improvements – Study Phase •

Park Street between Campbell Road and Mt. Baldhead has no specific non-motorized facility and a number of unique challenges and right-of-way encroachments. The asphalt pavement is deteriorating. A number of development projects have recently been completed or are ongoing along the corridor. A planning phase proposal has been developed to build on prior study work and develop a scope, concept and cost estimate for improvement of the corridor. We are awaiting results of our application to EGLE’s Michigan Coastal Management Program, which was submitted on December 20 followed by a council resolution on December 23. If funded, the grant would cover up to 50% of the planning cost and an updated proposal will be prepared to align with the funding.