February 2005 Status Report

It is my pleasure to submit my monthly status report for your review and information. If you should have any questions about any items listed here, please do not hesitate to contact me. If I fail to mention an item for which you would like additional information, please let me know.

1. Budget Review Process

As you know from a previous work session, I indicated that staff was brainstorming various scenarios for dealing with our upcoming budget shortfalls in 2006 and 2007. The Division Directors and I have been meeting over the past couple of weeks to look at these ideas. Unfortunately, because of illness on the Senior Management Team we are a little behind schedule; however, we will be meeting quite often over the next couple of weeks and I should be able to provide you more detailed information within a couple of weeks.

2. Union Negotiations

We have begun negotiations with three of our bargaining units, IAFF, AFSCME and Part-Paid Firefighters. All three of these contracts come up for renewal this year.

3. Downtown Parking And Landscape Consultants

As you will recall, the Downtown Blueprint recommended that we hire parking and landscape consultants to study these areas in more detail. We hired M.C. Smith to do the landscape plan and Rowe Incorporated to do the parking study. Both of these firms have been working and we anticipate that the parking consultant will have its preliminary recommendations to us in approximately three weeks. The landscape architect has submitted a preliminary plan which is currently being reviewed by staff. Their final recommendation should be ready within the next 30 to 45 days.

4. Village Builders

As you may recall, Village Builders has purchased the land east of Sweeney and north of Broomfield. Their plans call for the construction of duplex and fourplex condominiums. The developer and City agreed that we would design and bid the road that will serve the development, with him reimbursing our costs and paying for the road construction. We took bids this past week, and staff is currently reviewing those bids. Before we can present it to the City Commission we need to provide copies of the bids to the developer for his review and approval.

5. Antlers Development

Last year we entered into an option agreement with the company to build a 12,000 square foot facility on the last vacant parcel in Industrial Park-South. We have since closed on the property and we would anticipate that they will begin construction of their new facility some time this spring.

6. Master Plan Update

Initial sections of the Master Plan have been prepared and sent to the Planning Commission for their review. In fact, they held a special meeting on the Plan on February 17th. They will continue their review process over the next few months and then submit it to you for your review and adoption.

7. River’s Bluff Project

I do not know if you have been down West Broadway recently, but Phil Seybert has begun construction of the project. In fact, they have finished the foundation and are now beginning to frame in the walls. I would anticipate that the project should be completed some time late this summer or early fall.

8. Tribal Two Percent Requests

Just to let you know that Tribal two percent requests are due in my office on March 4th. At the first meeting in March we will provide you copies of the applications and begin the prioritization process we have gone through in the past. This schedule will allow us at least two meetings where we can review the requests, and give us an opportunity to jointly prioritize with the County. The applications are due to the Tribe by the end of March.

9. Extension Of Isabella Road To 127

I mentioned previously that there is an effort to get the road extended in order to facilitate the development of two rather large projects in the Township. The first is a large company, and the second is for the big box retail development that is being proposed for Bluegrass. I am sure you have recently read articles about both of these projects in the newspaper. It is my understanding that the State has contracted with an engineer to look at the actual design of such a connection. It is also my understanding that MMDC, the County and the Road Commission are continuing to discuss ways to finance a project of this scope and size.

10. City Health Care Program

As you know, we recently hired a consultant to look at ways to help us develop programs that will control our ever-increasing health care costs. One of the programs we decided to look at in much more detail is called consumer-driven health care. Kushner & Associates had been working with the Division Directors and me to study the feasibility and possible structure of such a program. It is still too early to tell if this program will work for us, but we are confident enough in the possibilities to continue the study of the specifics of such a program.

11. Solid Waste Bag/Tag Sales

For a number of years local retailers have been selling our bags and tags at their stores as a service to their customers. Meijer continues to be our largest retailer of these bags and tags. A few weeks ago they decided to cease the sale of the commodities. When Duane Ellis checked into the reason for this they indicated they were having a difficult time tracking the bags and tags as part of their inventory control system. With more research Duane determined that we could address this problem by getting UPC codes. UPC codes are the bar codes you see on probably every item you purchase in the store. It not only contains the price of the item but is also an inventory tracking device for these retailers. We purchased a license and are now placing codes on our bags and tags for sale by Meijer. Hopefully this will address their problem and they will continue the sale of the items. We continue to work with them on this issue.

12. Public Works Week

The week of May 20th is Public Works Week nation-wide. We are in the process of planning activities at the Public Works Building for a day or two of that week. I do not have a specific date as yet. As we did with the tours of the Public Safety Building, we will use this as an opportunity for City Commissioners to meet with and greet residents of the community. Therefore, we will be providing you additional information about specific times and events you will want to put on your calendar.

13. Old Mission Bridge

Just as an update on the Old Mission bridge reconstruction project, Jim Miller, of the Isabella County Road Commission, indicated that the bridge will be bid out in May and construction on the project should then begin in either May or June. As you may recall, the project should take about a year to complete. It is my understanding that the Road Commission still intends to install a traffic signal at the corner of Crawford and Broomfield to deal not only with the current traffic, but also the increased traffic as that will be a major detour route during the period of construction.

14. Start of New Project Construction Season

As I have mentioned on a number of occasions, our Public Works Division uses the fall and winter to design and prepare bid specifications for many of our construction projects for the coming year. A lot of that work has now been completed for this year, and they are beginning to take bids for those projects. At the last Commission meeting you approved a contract for relining of the sewers, and as I mentioned earlier, bids will be taken for the construction of the new road in Project 2000. Duane provides you an updated report during his status report, so I would ask that you refer to that for more specific project details for the coming year.

15. Annual Audit

Our new auditors are on site and have begun the auditing process for this past fiscal year. It is my understanding that they will be on site for approximately two weeks, and will then finish up their work. We would not anticipate getting the audit though until some time in April.