Good morning.

The time is now 9 16, and we are gonna go ahead and start our um community development committee.

Commissioner Purdue is on her way.

Um Commissioner Robins also had some challenges.

So everyone be please be safe out there, okay?

Um, but we'll go ahead and start with myself and Commissioner Belchak.

So first is a resolution approving a fireworks discharge permit for um field entertainment doing business as Disney on Ice, Jurassic World Live, Ringling Bruce Circus for Indoor Special Effects at the Van Angel Arena in connection with Disney on Ice, Road Trip Adventures, February 5th through the 8th.

So moved.

Support.

Hello.

Sounded like quite a mouthful.

I know, I know, but this is important, you know.

Yeah.

Well, it is Disney on ice, so um mostly Disney on ice stuff.

So nothing to be too concerned about.

Okay.

All right.

I don't have any other questions.

Hearing none.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I think that's the only one today.

Um, next is a resolution awarding a contract with Ellis McLean Construction Inc.

or sorry, LLC for systematic sidewalk repairs at various locations, 2026 desk one in the amount of one million one hundred and ninety-five thousand seven hundred and eighty dollars with a total amount not to exceed of one million three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

So moved support serving.

This is part of our vital street systematic sidewalk repair program where we go through the city and we inspect sidewalks and replace all squares that aren't meeting standards.

Um, this is uh a return to our three-year cycle where we've shifted our bids to do larger contracts in each ward.

So this is our second trip back to the third ward with this larger um contract.

Great, thank you so much.

Um all those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed item carries.

Item number three is a resolution awarding a contract with Wheeland Corporation doing business as Wheeland for Eastern Railroad to and Grand River Trails East in the amount of three million six hundred and forty-nine thousand two hundred and seventy-one dollars with the total amount to amount not to exceed a five million nine hundred and thirty-five thousand seven hundred dollars.

So moved support.

So this is our Grand R uh Grand River Edges Trail.

We're very excited about this.

Um, so this has been a long time in the making, and we've been able to resolve our property issues.

Um really excited to get this bid and get a good bid and see this project move forward.

How uh Ms.

Irving, how long is that?

Is that open for?

How long is the for the bid process?

How long do individuals have?

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, this is to award the contract.

My apologies.

That's okay.

I I heard something else in my head, so that's okay.

All right.

Well, I guess I don't have a question.

So all those in favor, aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Thank you.

Uh item number four is a resolution approving an agreement with MDOT for the Lion Street and Fuller Avenue pedestrian hybrid beacon and authorizing 310,745 dollars for the local share of cost.

So moved.

Support.

So um this is an improvement for a crossing on Fuller Avenue near the intersection of Lion.

This um ties into uh access to the park.

Um so this is a pedestrian hybrid beacon to increase visibility and increase pedestrian safety as they cross in that area.

This was also supported by a HISIP grant, um, which was sought by mobile GR to help offset those costs.

Great.

I didn't know there was active engagement on this project as well.

Yeah, they went through community engagement process, yep.

Yep.

I've heard from neighbors and they were appreciative of those efforts.

So um all right.

Any questions, Commissioner?

I'm sorry, I haven't asked you that yet.

No, you're fine.

Okay.

Um, all those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Item number five is a resolution approving an agreement with the city of Wyoming and Steel Case Incorporated in conjunction with Storm Sewer for Eastern Avenue between 44th Street and 40th Street for not to exceed amount of 24,000 dollars.

So moved.

Support.

Um, so this was a storm sewer that's in a borderline street, so the streets shared between Grand Rapids and Wyoming.

Um, and there was uh also um Steel Case, who was our largest contributor to stormwater.

They have a large um parcel over there.

So it was a collective agreement to figure out ownership to repair the storm sewer and define who's going to be responsible in the future for to pay for any repairs, and it'll basically be a cost-sharing agreement between Wyoming and the city of Grand Rapids.

Okay, thank you.

Any questions?

All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Item number six is a resolution approving a construction agreement and accepting four public utility easements for high view.

So moved.

Support.

So this is a private development, so the streets are private and the utilities are public, so we we receive easements so that we have access to maintain and repair those utilities.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Item number seven is a resolution accepting a sidewalk and utility easement for 855 Godfrey Avenue Southwest in connection with Oxford from Norwick to Godfrey Reconstruction for 45,265.

So moved.

Support.

So in this area, um along Oxford Street, we have a bridge in this area.

Quite a bit of grade change.

So our storm sewer is actually on private property, so we are getting an easement from that property owner to allow that storm source to still be there and us to have access.

This also supports our Oxford Trail project where some utility relocation is necessary for the playground.

Okay.

I parked on that when we did the the um groundbreaking, and there I admittedly I had not been back there in some time.

And the grading is quite steep.

All right.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Item number eight is a resolution authorizing the assessor to spread nuisance charges for certain outstanding accounts receivable for roll number 88 uh 02, totaling uh 478,734 dollars and 38 cents.

So moved.

Support.

Mr.

Treasurer.

Good morning, commissioners.

Uh, with our results this item today, our nuisance roll for 8802.

This is kicks off a standard process.

And so we've actually given you a calendar of the different steps that take place.

This is the start of our process, or we'll notify property owners of these different items.

It's kind of one of our last call efforts to bring them forward to pay the bill, appeal the bill, they'll they'll have the right to do that appeal.

A lot of the charges are very similar to what we have every single year.

We we typically are around 450 to 500,000 consistently every six months.

So these are items that were billed out July 1st through December 31st of 2025 that have gone uncollected.

This is a design process to collect through the property tax system.

And so if as you look at a lot of these, some of them are going to be uh folks that own multiple parcels that have our landlords, and they just allow those to just roll through.

They'll take care of them when the property tax bill hits.

And so we do have uh uh extremely good process, community development.

I uh I marvel at the way that they've taken the time to purposely engage with our residents, place notices, start a 45-day conversation before they even get to a bill.

And so this is an outstanding process, but this is where these are leanable charges that we're able to do the final collection work through the property tax system.

And more than likely the 478,000 typically drops to about 350 to 400,000 because they'll come forward and pay the bills as they get their notices.

Thank you, Mr.

Treasurer, for highlighting the process and all those communication steps.

Commissioner, do you have any questions on this item?

Uh I just would ask that um in the process after at the end of all that, what do we end up if we're left holding that?

Do the properties go into some sort of receive receivership or something?

So that's a whole different process.

So let's say, for example, it does go to the property tax role.

They then have another full eight months to pay the city, right?

Up to that point in time, and eventually it would then transfer to the county.

The county then has a three-year process.

So there's there's plenty of time that's available for that person to come forward, even if the property sells, we'll collect the funds based at during closing because the title companies will ask for those outstanding bills, they'll ask for the property tax bills, and so when a property sells, then we would be made whole.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner, I'm gonna call the question unless you'd like me to review number eight.

I know it's I know it's bad out here there.

You're not the only commissioner who's had some challenges today.

Yeah, I've heard yeah, thank you.

Uh no, I'm good.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Item number uh nine, and we uh ten is a companion item, but item number nine is a resolution scheduling a public hearing for February 10th, 2026 to consider establishing an industrial development district for long road distillers at 1750 Elizabeth Avenue Northwest.

So moved.

Moved and supported, Miss Renero.

Yes, this first item is establishing the district for an industrial facilities abatement, which ultimately would be supporting uh long road in their expansion.

So they're uh leasing space over on uh Elizabeth just south of Ann, and this would be basically to add uh dedicated space of 20,000 square feet uh to invest almost 680,000 in real property improvements uh and equipment.

Um and that's really to expand a distillation uh dis I'm not saying that right for distilling.

Thank you capacity and installation of a canning line for their ready to ready to drink project products.

Thank you.

Um colleagues question on this public hearing setting the date.

Hearing none, all those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Item number 10 is uh resolution scheduling a public hearing for February 10th, 2026 to consider an application for an industrial facilities exemption uh certificate filed for long road distillers for six hundred and eighty thousand dollar project located at 1750 Elizabeth Avenue Northwest.

So moved support moved and supported.

Um that was just the last item and so this is for the real property investment that you discussed in the first item.

Chair?

Yes.

Um, I would just like to say it's always great when we see our businesses expand.

So it's nice to see these things come before us.

Thank you.

All those in favor?

Aye, aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries.

Our last item today is a resolution authorizing an amendment to the professional services agreement with housing next contracting through the Greater Grand Rapids Chamber Foundation for housing practice services to increase to increase the authorized contract amount by $35,000 for a total not to exceed of $135,000.

So moved.

Support Miss Bearens.

Yes, thank you.

Uh so there was a related item on the fiscal committee agenda today to uh find the source of funds for the $35,000 with the general fund.

Um so not a lot more detail to provide, just um get a lot of support from Housing Next through a variety of initiatives.

Uh their staff help support the Affordable Housing Fund board meetings, uh they're helping with the zoning update now that the community master plan has been adopted.

Uh they do help support our private development partners who may be looking particularly for LITEC funding support um and are supporting uh us with the pre pre a pre-reviewed plan set.

Uh we get we've gotten some feedback on the cost of those plans and trying to find ways to simplify that construction.

Um so that is kind of the normal course of business that I sized this contract to cover, and then uh after the contract was approved for these two fiscal years, uh we also added the ADU task force, so that was a significant lift that we did lean on housing next quite heavily to help us get that um put into our work plans uh that otherwise wasn't anticipated.

So uh just need to cover cover some of that that we were not expecting.

Lots of activity ADU task force.

I think I mentioned a meeting last week that was a uh from when we kicked it off to getting presented was was very fast and was not something that you know again with shifting um roles on commission was not something I think that we thought was gonna kind of be in this year, so even that alone, but certainly noting those other valuable value ads.

Um colleagues, any questions?

Yes, Chair.

Um I just want if you could just review quickly because um housing next has its own, you know, website, its own functionality.

This this contract is going through the chamber to fund it.

So is can you just describe how that relationship exists and the you know how how is it its own nonprofit?

How does the chamber support it?

Things like that.

Oh boy.

Uh so housing next, we would kind of uh consider them a consultant, right?

So they're set up.

I I can't speak to the form of entity that they are.

Um, but they have asked the Greater Chamber Foundation to provide this contractual function for them because they aren't set up with a lot of back of house type, you know, accounting functions and um those kinds of support things.

They're very focused on the the think tank part of their what they're actually set up to do.

So uh they rely on the Greater Chamber Foundation to provide that sort of back of house uh infrastructure support for them.

So it's sort of a fiduciary relationship.

Yes, and I know that like the work that the chamber has done to help housing next and the hundred by hundred and other things.

There are there is dollars coming from the the fund the chamber foundation to support that.

So it it sounds like this is a fiduciary relationship to to funnel the money to the right place.

Yes, uh fair fair point to for transparency also.

So both housing next and the uh greater Grand Rapids Chamber Foundation independently do their own things in the housing realm uh that are not happening through this contract, uh not under our direction, and we try to work closely with housing next to ensure that that is clear to folks when there are different conversations happening in in the community, but we're always happy to clarify if that creates confusion as well.

Thank you.

I need to call the question though, Mr.

Clerk, right?

Thank you.

Um all those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Item carries, and with that, we are adjourned at 9 30.