OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Midland City Council Meeting on September 22, 2025: Proclamations, Subdivision, Flood Funds, and Water Main Repairs

City Council — Monday, September 22, 2025
BodyMidland, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, September 22, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:18:10

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

The following presentation of the Midland City Council will begin in a moment.

0:05

The Midland City Council is the city's legislative body.

0:08

It sets policies, approves budgets, determines tax rates, and adopts ordinances and resolutions to govern the city.

0:16

It is made up of five elected officials that represent the wards in which they reside.

0:20

And councilmen are elected to two year terms.

0:23

The mayor is elected from among the council members by vote of the city council.

0:28

City Council meetings are held at 7 p.m.

0:30

two Mondays per month in council chambers at City Hall.

0:34

This presentation is provided by the MCTV Network, a service of the City of Midland.

0:38

Replays of this meeting can be found on MGTV Channel 188 on Charter Spectrum through Channel 99 on ATTUverse or on demand at WWW.city of MidlandMI.gov.

0:51

Select meetings are available on MCTV Network's Government Affairs Podcast channel.

1:02

Good evening and welcome to our September 22nd, 2025 meeting of City Council.

1:06

Please stand and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:11

I've had to reach the super flag of the United States of America.

1:16

Thank you to the Republic for us.

1:30

And it's really nice to have some young people here too this evening.

1:34

So we'll all have to be on our best behavior, I think.

1:37

But I promise you we will.

1:39

So all right, that takes us down to roll call Shawnee.

1:41

Please call roll.

1:42

Honorable Mayor Donker.

1:45

Councilman Brown Wilhelm.

1:46

Here.

1:47

Councilman Wazbinski.

1:49

Here.

1:49

Councilman Solar.

1:51

Here.

1:51

Councilman Passig.

1:54

Okay, very good.

1:55

Does anyone council have a conflict of interest with anything on this evening's agenda?

2:00

Okay, seeing none, we'll move on to the consent agenda.

2:02

All resolutions marked with an Asterique are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion.

2:07

There'll be no separate consideration of these items unless a council member or citizen so request during the discussion stage of the motion to adopt the consent agenda is indicated.

2:16

If there's even a single request, the item will be removed from the consent agenda without further motion and considered in its listed sequence in regular fashion.

2:23

Anyone on council want an item removed from the consent agenda?

2:26

No, madam mayor.

2:28

Anyone from the public want an item removed from the consent agenda?

2:31

All right, seeing none, then can we have a motion to approve the consent agenda?

2:35

So move.

2:36

Second.

2:36

All in favor, please say aye.

2:38

Aye.

2:39

Opposed?

2:40

Okay, that passes 4-0.

2:42

All right, that takes us down to item number three.

2:45

And this evening, we have some proclamations and regulate recognitions and presentations.

2:50

So we we have a lot to talk about this evening.

2:53

The first one has to do with MCTV, and I'm going to turn it over to Matt Richardson who's going to tell us about that.

3:01

Good evening, everyone.

3:03

At this point, I think I don't want to sound prideful, but you can tell that MCTV Network has been doing some great work.

3:10

And this is an example of it.

3:12

So for those of you who don't know, the MCTV Network creates a lot of video content for the City of Midland.

3:18

I'm proud to say too that a lot of that content is created in partnership with other members of the city staff, which is an awesome collaboration.

3:26

We're really proud of.

3:27

That being said, in 2024, we created two videos that we entered into the gotta make sure I say this right.

3:35

Uh National Alliance for Community Media's hometown video awards.

3:41

So what that is, it's a national video competition that is made up of people from across the country that submit programs on all sorts, whether it's anything like a government meeting coverage to sports coverage to political, you name it, they create it, they submit it.

3:57

Um every year, thousands of entries are received, and then those entries are judged by peers in the industry to determine who had the best content for that particular year.

4:08

So for the first time in MC TV's history, we actually won not one of these hometown awards, but two hometown awards, uh, which is awesome recognition.

4:18

Um, first thing I want to do is I just want to say there are people in this room that helped collaborate on both of these videos.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████17%
Water And Wastewater Management████████████████16%
Zoning And Land Use███████████████15%
Procedural██████████████14%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%
Community Engagement████████8%
Flood Management████████8%
Public Engagement██████6%
Technology and Innovation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Midland City Council Meeting - September 22, 2025

The Midland City Council met on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting featured multiple proclamations, approval of a 20-lot preliminary plat for a subdivision, allocation of $3.5 million in state flood response funds, and authorization of emergency repairs to a critical raw water main. All votes passed 4-0, with one council member absent.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the consent agenda unanimously (4-0), which included routine resolutions not individually discussed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the designated period.

Proclamations and Recognitions

  • MCTV Awards Recognition: City staff were recognized for winning two National Hometown Media Awards (first in MCTV history):
    • Matthew Richardson won for professional PSA (City of Midland Fire Department Free Smoke Alarm PSA).
    • Chris Ferguson won for professional instructional video (Non-Motorized Safety Part Two: Safe Interactions).
    • City Council approved the recognition resolution 4-0.
  • City of Peace Week (Sept 21-27, 2025): Gail Hoffman (Rotary Club of Midland and Nonviolent Peace Force Midland) accepted the proclamation. A peace pole with “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight languages was planted at Creative 360. Council approved 4-0.
  • Global Diversity Month (October 2025): Kelsey Hackaday (Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition) accepted the proclamation. Month-long events include celebrations, poetry, film series, and Faces of Midland storytelling. Council approved 4-0.
  • Fire Prevention Week (Oct 5-11, 2025): Fire Marshal John Jurik accepted the proclamation. Theme: “Charge into Fire Safety – Lithium Ion Batteries in Your Home.” Tips: buy listed products, charge properly on hard surfaces, recycle damaged batteries. The annual open house will be October 11. Council approved 4-0.
  • Midland Neighboring Week (Sept 28 – Oct 4, 2025): Kelsey Hackaday accepted on behalf of the Cultural Awareness Coalition. Over 100 events planned to build connections and belonging. Council approved 4-0.

Discussion Items

  • Countryside Subdivision Tentative Preliminary Plat:
    • Applicant: MLR Engineering for proprietor Tim Lyons. Property is 10.7 acres at 5900 Countryside Drive.
    • Proposal: 20 single-family lots on a new street (Harrier Street) with one access point off Countryside Drive and stub streets for future connections.
    • Wetland impact of approximately 1/3 acre required a Part 301/303 permit from EGLE; mitigation credits purchased.
    • A 275-foot cell tower east of the site has a 135-foot fall zone; nearest lot is 65 feet away.
    • Staff and Planning Commission (8-0) recommended approval. Council debated single-access concerns, future connections, and wetland impacts. Approved 4-0.
  • Allocation of $3.5 Million in MEDC Flood Response Funds:
    • City Manager Mr. Kaye explained the $15M total from MEDC (HUD funds) and $25M from EGLE (ARPA funds) for flood resiliency. $3.5M remained unallocated from MEDC.
    • Proposal: Use $3.5M to cover design and engineering costs of approved storm sewer and culvert projects, preserving the $25M for construction.
    • Key difference: MEDC funds allow spending even if projects are not completed; EGLE funds require completion by end of 2026.
    • Council discussed claw-back risks and reimbursement timing. Approved 4-0.
  • Emergency Repair of 36-Inch Raw Water Main:
    • Public Works Director Peter Schwartz reported three breaks in August 2025 on a line installed in 1946. Cause: pressure surge from Saginaw maintenance work, exacerbated by corrosion.
    • Repair costs: $136,547.67 for excavation, pipe replacement, road rebuilding; additional ~$263,000 for parts and materials (total ~$400,000).
    • Staff requested waiver of sealed bids as impractical, and use of surplus encumbered funds (~$1M from prior water projects) to cover costs and future inspections.
    • Council discussed need for condition assessment of the entire 13-mile line. Approved 4-0.

New Business and Announcements

  • A special City Council meeting will be held Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. in Council Chambers.
  • Upcoming community events: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood resiliency presentation (Sept 24, 5:30 p.m. at Northwood University), “Floats with Goats” at Emerson Park (Sept 25, 5:30 p.m.), and final Commons Music Series concert with Stephen Court Band (Sept 27).

Meeting Transcript

The following presentation of the Midland City Council will begin in a moment. The Midland City Council is the city's legislative body. It sets policies, approves budgets, determines tax rates, and adopts ordinances and resolutions to govern the city. It is made up of five elected officials that represent the wards in which they reside. And councilmen are elected to two year terms. The mayor is elected from among the council members by vote of the city council. City Council meetings are held at 7 p.m. two Mondays per month in council chambers at City Hall. This presentation is provided by the MCTV Network, a service of the City of Midland. Replays of this meeting can be found on MGTV Channel 188 on Charter Spectrum through Channel 99 on ATTUverse or on demand at WWW.city of MidlandMI.gov. Select meetings are available on MCTV Network's Government Affairs Podcast channel. Good evening and welcome to our September 22nd, 2025 meeting of City Council. Please stand and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. I've had to reach the super flag of the United States of America. Thank you to the Republic for us. And it's really nice to have some young people here too this evening. So we'll all have to be on our best behavior, I think. But I promise you we will. So all right, that takes us down to roll call Shawnee. Please call roll. Honorable Mayor Donker. Councilman Brown Wilhelm. Here. Councilman Wazbinski. Here. Councilman Solar. Here. Councilman Passig. Okay, very good. Does anyone council have a conflict of interest with anything on this evening's agenda? Okay, seeing none, we'll move on to the consent agenda. All resolutions marked with an Asterique are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion. There'll be no separate consideration of these items unless a council member or citizen so request during the discussion stage of the motion to adopt the consent agenda is indicated. If there's even a single request, the item will be removed from the consent agenda without further motion and considered in its listed sequence in regular fashion. Anyone on council want an item removed from the consent agenda? No, madam mayor. Anyone from the public want an item removed from the consent agenda? All right, seeing none, then can we have a motion to approve the consent agenda? So move. Second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay, that passes 4-0. All right, that takes us down to item number three. And this evening, we have some proclamations and regulate recognitions and presentations. So we we have a lot to talk about this evening. The first one has to do with MCTV, and I'm going to turn it over to Matt Richardson who's going to tell us about that. Good evening, everyone. At this point, I think I don't want to sound prideful, but you can tell that MCTV Network has been doing some great work.

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