Grand Rapids City Council Meeting Summary - December 16, 2025

The City of Grand Rapids City Council convened to approve a series of resolutions regarding housing plans, zoning exemptions, brownfield redevelopment, noise ordinances, and utility rates. The council also received public updates on the Art Prize partnership, Parks and Recreation millage investments, and the Forestry division's operational plans before launching a comprehensive zoning ordinance update. The meeting concluded with the council moving into closed session to discuss a legal opinion from the city attorney.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution Approving FY 2026-2030 HCD Plan: Approved unanimously. Commissioner Behlke expressed full support for the plan, citing positive feedback from the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan, though he noted ongoing concerns regarding housing for households at 30-40% AMI. Commissioner Kilver expressed full support, highlighting the plan's alignment with frontline community needs.
• Resolution for 127 Ottawa (125 Ottawa): Approved unanimously. This resolution finalizes the zone conversion of floors two through four for 36 apartments to secure a tax abatement exemption.
• Resolution for Brownfield Plan (Seeds of Promise): Approved unanimously. This finalizes the plan for 14 individual houses to be developed under the Brownfield Plan Authority.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Art Prize Recap and 2026 Planning: Catelyn Whittington, Executive Director of Art Prize, presented a recap of 2025, reporting under 1 million visitors (967,000), $82.6 million in regional economic impact, and 629 jobs created. She expressed strong commitment to expanding program reach outside downtown areas.
  • Commissioner Kilgore: Expressed support for the event but voiced specific concern and a request for a detailed plan to increase venues in the Third Ward (Southtown) for 2026, stating he needs to see this for the constituents he represents.
  • Commissioner Usaus: Expressed appreciation for the report and specifically noted the value of residual neighborhood engagement and local artist participation not always captured in official statistics.
  • Mayor LeGrand: Expressed strong support for the event, emphasizing that art's primary purpose is to celebrate humanity and define the city's unique character, rather than solely for economic gain.
• Parks and Forestry Updates:
  • Commissioner Robbins: Inquired about a cemetery master plan for the West Side, expressing support for activating cemeteries as green spaces. The Parks Superintendent confirmed plans to engage community organizations in a future master planning process.
  • Commissioner Cobar: Expressed strong support for investments in the Third Ward but noted the district is lacking green space, specifically requesting more direct capital investment to address this equity gap.
  • Commissioner Purdue: Expressed concern regarding the accessibility of parks, specifically citing limited bus routes to some parks, questioning the structure of rental fees for community entities like Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, and requesting greater diversity in park design to serve users beyond young children. She also inquired about cost projections for severe weather and the status of urban agriculture integration.
  • Commissioner Belchuk: Expressed support for the zoning launch and offered assistance with identifying community connectors, specifically asking for strategies to engage neighborhoods resistant to change.
  • Commissioner Kilver: Raised an ethical concern regarding the zoning process, expressing the position that the city must actively include voices of future residents and new entrants to the community, warning against bias that favors only existing residents.
  • Commissioner Cobar (Data Centers): Expressed a position that the city should proactively regulate data centers to ensure environmental stewardship and neighborhood compatibility, requesting that the current assessment explicitly include data center specificities.

Discussion Items

• Noise Ordinance Amendment: The council authorized the publication of amendments to prohibit amplified sound within 100 feet of a hospital or clinic. Commissioner Strom noted the initiative was community-led and planned to return in January for final adoption.
• Water and Sewer Rates (City of Grand Rapids): Approved with a 6.8% water rate increase and a 2.67% sewer rate decrease, resulting in a combined bill increase of approximately 2% (just under $5 quarterly). Commissioner Kilgore expressed support for the rates to maintain system continuity but stated he would not be willing to vote for a similar mechanism in future years without a robust conversation on the equitable application of late fees.
• Water and Sewer Rates (Suburban Communities): Approved for communities outside the city, with average water rates up 6.38% and sewer rates down 3.09%. Commissioner Kilgore reiterated his caution regarding the use of late fee revenues to subsidize other communities, noting a specific instance where Caledonia Township and Cascade Township (later clarified as Cascade Township and Grand Rapids Township) received softened increases due to late fee application.
• Art Prize MOU: A resolution was introduced to update the Memorandum of Understanding between the City, DGRI, and Big Rapids State University (Ferris State) for a three-year term to provide strategic guidance. The motion carried.
• Parks and Recreation Millage Update: The Parks Department reported an 80% rating of A/B parks, the issuance of 7,000 youth pool passes, and the upcoming ribbon-cutting for the new MLK Community Center. The Forestry Division presented an operations plan, discussing the need for proactive management to address aging Norway maples and a goal to reach 40% canopy cover by 2030.
• Zoning Ordinance Update Launch: Staff and consultants (Codometrics, All Together, Clarion Associates) introduced a five-phase process to implement the Community Master Plan.
  • Commissioner Sausy: Expressed hope for high-quality engagement to avoid resident burnout and asked for clarity on youth engagement strategies.
  • Commissioner Cobar: Reiterated the need to include data center regulation in the scope of the new code, noting that the current code lacks specific definitions for these uses.
  • Mayor LeGrand: Reiterated the ethical necessity of framing the process to include future residents and those outside the current jurisdiction to ensure the city remains welcoming.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous Approval of the FY 2026-2030 Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan.
• Unanimous Approval of the zoning exemption/abatement for 127 Ottawa (125 Ottawa) for the conversion to 36 apartments.
• Unanimous Approval of the Brownfield Plan for the Seeds of Promise redevelopment (14 houses).
• Unanimous Approval of the resolution authorizing publication of the noise ordinance amendment regarding hospitals and clinics.
• Unanimous Approval to remove criminal misdemeanor possibilities for noise ordinance violations; the violation will remain a civil infraction.
• Unanimous Approval of water and sewer rate adjustments for the City of Grand Rapids.
• Unanimous Approval of water and sewer rate adjustments for communities outside Grand Rapids.
• Unanimous Approval of the updated MOU for the Art Prize partnership for the next three years.
• Motion Carried to move into closed session in Room 601 to discuss a legal opinion from the city attorney.
• Directive: The zoning ordinance update will proceed through a five-phase process starting with orientation, discovery, and internal drafting, with a public review period expected to follow later in 2026. The process will include data center analysis and regional engagement as components of the assessment.
• Referral: The city clerk to record the roll call vote for the closed session motion.
• Next Steps: Staff to recruit community connectors and map engagement timelines; Forestry to address the request for a specific update on the operations and management plan; Engineering to manage ARPA spending deadlines in 2026.