Midland City Council Meeting - December 8, 2025

The Midland City Council met on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 7 p.m. in council chambers at Midland City Hall. No conflicts of interest were declared. The council unanimously approved all agenda items by 5-0 votes, including recognitions, a proclamation, service center renovation funding, an entranceway sign gift, and a rescheduled public hearing.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved 5-0 with no items removed at the request of council or the public.

Proclamations, Awards, and Recognitions

• Midland 100 Club proclamation: The council voted 5-0 to authorize a proclamation recognizing the Midland 100 Club's more than $2 million in contributions to Midland County. The club has grown from 11 founding members to more than 600 members, has partnered with 86 local charitable organizations, and will hold its 50th meeting on January 7, 2026. Chair Tina Van Damme accepted the proclamation and credited Bobby Arnold with starting the club in 2009 with 10 people; the proclamation text states it was founded with 11 members.
• Police Officer of the Year: The council voted 5-0 to recognize Officer Christopher Corbett as the 2025 Carl and Esther Gerstacker Police Officer of the Year. Corbett joined the Midland Police Department as a patrol officer on August 10, 2020, and was praised for his empathy, communication skills, coaching, and work on a nearly year-long homicide investigation.
• Firefighter of the Year: The council voted 5-0 to recognize Firefighter Nathaniel McCorrey as the 2025 Carl and Esther Gerstacker Firefighter of the Year. McCorrey is an eight-year veteran, Marine Corps veteran, and acting fire truck operator at Station Two; he led a training session on search tactics and later helped locate a trapped resident during a structure fire.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the public comment period.
• The public hearing on the municipal service center project was opened and closed with no public comments.

Public Hearing: Municipal Service Center Phase One Renovations

• City staff presented a facility study recap identifying four major facility needs: water plant security, water reclamation office expansion, municipal service center and cold storage space, and library space management. Water reclamation and library work are underway and expected to finish around February 2026.
• An earlier concept proposed an 8,700 square foot cold storage addition for $2.3 million, but after organizational changes created new office positions, a revised phased plan was developed at a projected total cost of $7.3 million. That plan would include a new fleet service building of about 20,000 square feet at $6.1 million, freeing more than 20,000 square feet of existing space for other departments, plus about $800,000 in remaining building renovations.
• Phase one, the only phase before council this evening, renovates DPW and Parks and Recreation front offices, adds ADA-compliant public windows and restrooms, and creates a public conference room.
• The council voted 5-0 to amend the fiscal year 2026 building fund by $360,000 for phase one, drawing from the $2.865 million building fund balance created by two prior council appropriations ($250,000 and $2.6 million).
• The council voted 5-0 to authorize a design and construction contract with Three Rivers Corporation in the amount of $338,689, with the city manager authorized to approve change orders up to $20,000 total.
• Council discussion noted that future staffing needs were considered in the design and that the new public window would be similar to City Hall's layout.

Entranceway Signage Gift from the Entranceway Initiative Task Force

• City staff presented a proposed gift from the Entranceway Initiative Task Force: replacing gateway signage at Isabella Street and Curry Parkway with landscaping upgrades, at a total cost of about $28,000 fully funded by the task force.
• The new sign is similar to the Patrick Road gateway sign but about 15% wider and 2% taller. The existing city-owned sign would remain in the city's inventory for potential reuse.
• The council voted 5-0 to accept the gift and thank the task force, noting that the task force was formed in 2000 and the city assumed maintenance responsibility for entranceway improvements in 2006.

Rescheduled Budget Amendment Public Hearing

• The council voted 5-0 to move the budget amendment public hearing for a grant to purchase self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the fire department from December 15, 2025, to January 12, 2026, because the advance notice publication requirement could not be met for the earlier date.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved 5-0.
• Midland 100 Club proclamation approved 5-0.
• Police Officer Christopher Corbett recognition approved 5-0.
• Firefighter Nathaniel McCorrey recognition approved 5-0.
• FY2026 building fund amended by $360,000 for Phase One service center renovations, approved 5-0.
• Three Rivers Corporation contract for $338,689, plus up to $20,000 in change orders, approved 5-0.
• Entranceway sign and landscaping gift accepted 5-0.
• SCBA budget amendment public hearing rescheduled to January 12, 2026, approved 5-0.
• Council noted the next regular meeting is December 15, 2025, and highlighted the recent grand opening of Founders Crossing.