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September 2003 Status Report
It is my pleasure to submit for your information my monthly status report. If you have any questions about any of the items listed, or I fail to cover an item for which you would like information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
1. Centennial Garden
As you know, we held the dedication for the new Centennial Garden in Nelson Park. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Isabella Bank and Trust for funding this wonderful addition to our park system. Having driven past the park on a number of occasions within the last week, it is obvious that people are really attracted to the gardens and fountain. My compliments to the landscape architect and to the artists for the great job they did on the garden and the bear sculpture.
2. Commission Problem-Solving Training
I want to also take this opportunity to thank the City Commission for your participation in the training on Friday. I hope you found it productive and worth your time.
3. Master Plan Update
By the time you receive this status report we will have held our Vision Fair as part of the master plan update. As you know from the presentation on Tuesday night, this is only the first step in a months-long process of gathering public information and input along with all of the background information that the consultant is developing. There will be two additional meetings of the focus groups and then additional public forums in which the master plan information will be shared with the community. I want to thank you for your participation in the Vision Fair on Tuesday night.
4. Downtown Blueprint
This is a busy ten days for public input to help us guide future development and growth within the community. Tuesday night the 23rd will be a public forum on the Blueprint for the Central Business District. As you will recall the City received a $25,000 matching grant from MEDC to hire HyettPalma, a nationally-known consulting firm, to help us develop plans for the improvement of the Central Business District. We hope to have a good turn-out for the public forum to be held this Tuesday night. You are cordially invited to the forum.
5. Streetscape Project
You probably noticed that the new light poles were installed this past week. They are a great addition to the entire streetscape project, and it completes the project as planned.
6. Broadway Street Reconstruction
The second phase of the project has been underway for a couple of weeks now. The first phase is now complete. The project should be done within the next three weeks. Duane Ellis will provide more details as part of his monthly Capital Projects Status Report.
7. Family Recreation Center Committee Status Report
The Committee has received seven proposals from consultants to help them with their process. They have narrowed that list down to three firms to interview. The interviews are scheduled for the week of September 22nd. From those three they will select the consultant who is most qualified to assist the Committee. It is anticipated that the selection process will be completed by the first of October.
8. Student Neighborhood Block Party
Just a reminder that the block party will be held at the corner of May and Franklin on the 21st from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. You are all cordially invited to attend.
9. Park Trail Along High Street
You may have noticed that construction has begun on the last section of the bike path/pedestrian trail linking all of our parks from Pickens Field to Chipp A Waters. The bridge abutments are being poured the week of September 15th. The work should be completed by the middle of October.
10. Cemetery Records
As I indicated last month, we have started the process of computerizing our cemetery records. Data entry has begun and will continue over the next few weeks.
11. City-CMU Liaison Committee Meeting
We had our fall staff liaison meeting with the University a couple of weeks ago. A lot of information was exchanged at the meeting regarding some of our projects and plans and their upcoming master plan update. We have included minutes from the meeting in this week's packet for your information.
12. Bronze Art Gallery
We are out for construction bids, which we will open on September 18th. The plan is to have the project completed by the end of the year.
13. New Shuffleboard Courts
Construction is underway on the new shuffleboard courts funded through a two percent allocation. They are located further west along Island Park Drive South.
14. Corporate/Packard Road Project
The final layer of asphalt has been laid on both Corporate and Packard. The project is nearing completion. As you will recall, the project was funded by the DDA and special assessments.