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May 2001 Status Report
It is my pleasure to once again submit my monthly status report for your review and information. If you should have any questions or if I fail to discuss an item in this report on which you would like additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
1. Change 2000 Grant
As you will recall, the Mt. Pleasant Public School District was awarded a 2000 Change grant in the amount of $5.1 million. The grant is to fund a cooperative project between ourselves and the Schools. The program specifically calls for an after-school and summer program to include both educational and recreational components. Chris Bundy has been working with the Schools to develop the appropriate program, and because of all of the issues involved, they were not able to develop a summer program in time for this year. The City has therefore decided to proceed with its usual summer program and will be working with the Schools to develop an after-school program. We will use the time during the year to develop the appropriate summer program beginning in 2002. The delay in implementing the summer program does not impact the grant. Even though it is a three-year grant you can extend the period as long as there are funds available in the original grant.
2. Fire Funding
Considerable activity has taken place on this issue since the last time I reported to you. A few of us went to Lansing about a month ago to lobby for additional funding. At that time we met with different legislators who indicated their support for additional funding, but were concerned about being able to keep the additional two million dollars in the budget because of budget difficulties at the state. As you may recall, the Senate had put two million dollars in additional funding in the budget, but the House had not yet decided how much to put in the budget. Our hope was that they would also place two million dollars in the budget so there would be no need to take the issue to a conference committee if the Senate and House numbers were different. We learned last week that the House put two million, one hundred dollars in the budget, which meant that it would then be forced into a conference committee.
It is my understanding that the Governor was threatening to veto the entire line item if the full two million dollars was placed in the budget. This would have meant that communities would have received no fire reimbursement. On Monday, May 21st, I spoke to the City Manager from East Lansing, who indicated he had spoken to a legislator who thought it was possible through compromise to get an additional one million dollars in the budget, and that we would be better off than trying to take a chance on insisting on the two million dollars and possibly losing all of the funding. In discussion with other communities, we were of the opinion that would probably be the best way to go. I learned Wednesday morning that the House Appropriations Committee placed two million dollars in the budget, so we will have to see what the full House and then the Governor do.3. SmartZone
We continue to proceed with developing the procedures and policies for the implementation of the SmartZone and the incubator facility in University Park. We are still waiting for the loan agreement from the state for the $2 million they will be providing us for the project. When we receive the loan agreement we will present it to the City Commission for your review and approval. In the meantime the University has acquired the shell building for use as the incubator facility, and they are working with an architect who specializes in these kinds of projects to design the completion of the building and then go out for bids. It is my understanding that they have already worked with a contractor to install the fiberoptics from CMU to the building.
4. Wastewater Treatment Plant
As you know, construction has begun on the plant and assuming a good construction season, the project should proceed on schedule. Duane Ellis will report more about the project in his capital improvements status report.
5. Park Improvements
Island Park road has been paved, including the new parking lots. The road and parking lot in Nelson Park are nearing completion. The first phase of the bike/trail path is also under construction in Nelson Park.
6. Public Safety Building
As you know, the project came in over budget. Bill Yeagley has been working with the architect to bring down the cost. It is my understanding that they will have the final cost some time within the next two weeks, at which time we will determine the final scope of the project.
7. City-CMU Student Liaison Committee
As you may recall from my last status report, I indicated that I would be preparing a report on the work and the final recommendations of the Committee. I have completed that report and it is now being reviewed by members of the Committee. I would anticipate receiving final remarks some time in the next week or so, and will include the report with my next status report.
8. School Violence Task Force
As you may recall, this task force was created shortly after the incident in Columbine, Colorado. The committee has been working very hard and has now finished the report. They should begin making presentations to the community some time within the next month or so.
9. Tribal 2 Percent Money
The Tribe will announce the allocations for this six-month period at a press conference scheduled for Tuesday, May 29, at 10:00 a.m. The Tribe has extended an invitation to all City Commission members to attend the event. Please let me know Friday whether or not you plan to attend so we can respond to the invitation as requested by the Tribe.
10. Act 51 Road Funds
With our recent increase in population we have been informed that our Act 51 funds will increase by approximately $100,000. However, we were also informed that because our population now exceeds 25,000 we will be required to contribute 8.9 percent of the cost of State trunkline projects. This means if there was a $1 million project along Mission Street, the City would be expected to contribute $90,000.
11. Capital Improvement Projects
We are in the midst of our heavy construction season and the projects are proceeding well. As you know, Duane prepares his own monthly status report, so I will let him bring you up to date on the various projects we have underway.
12. Deer Control
As you know, there have been some problems with the destruction of plant material by deer on the west side of the community. In February of this year I met with representatives of the SWAN organization as well as the DNR. The DNR representative suggested a number of steps we should take before we determine whether or not harvesting would be an appropriate solution to the problem of deer damage. Her first suggestion was that people in the neighborhood keep a diary of deer sightings and deer damage to their property. Once that information was gathered, the DNR would then come over and try to do some kind of a head count of the deer to get an idea of the total deer population. Once that was done, then a decision could be made as to whether or not to proceed with a harvesting program.
I attended the SWAN neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, May 22nd, at which time the issue was again discussed. They indicated that with the start of spring the deer sightings were down, but they were still experiencing damage to their plant material. It was decided I would submit to the DNR the diaries they have been keeping on deer movements and then determine if more diaries were to be kept, or if the DNR could come over and do some sort of a population study now.
When we met with the DNR representative it was clear that we probably should wait until the normal hunting season if we decide to harvest some deer. This means it would not occur until the latter half of November. If we decide to proceed with the harvest, there are still a number of steps that would need to be taken, including amending the City ordinance to permit bow hunting in certain areas of the City, as well as developing the selection process for the hunters to be chosen for the hunt. I am sure you will hear more about this as we get closer to the fall.
13. State Shared Revenue
As you know, we have been saying for a long time that because we were undercounted ten years ago we have been receiving less state shared revenue than we were entitled to. Over that period of ten years it was a considerable amount of money. With the new census figures now in, we find that we will be receiving an additional $400,000 in state shared revenue beginning this year. Obviously this is good news for the City. It also gives me an opportunity once again to thank Tony Kulick for his efforts in ensuring a more accurate count for the City.