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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Saginaw City Council Meeting - March 10, 2026: Grant Applications, Ojibwe Island, and Infrastructure Plans

City Council — Tuesday, March 10, 2026

BodySaginaw, Michigan

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, March 10, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:25:25

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:13

And also our pledge will be by councilwoman and you would like to participate in these five heads.

0:23

We thank you, Father God, for today.

0:25

We thank you for our city that is prospering.

0:29

Lord help us to become one so that we can be better people, a better community, and to become a better all together.

0:37

In the name of Jesus, we pray everyone say Amen.

0:40

Amen.

0:42

I pledge all the United States of America for which it is one is Madam Claire Row.

1:11

Councilmember Young isn't with us this evening.

1:14

Councilmember Seals.

1:15

President.

1:16

Councilmember Balls.

1:17

Present.

1:18

Mayor Potem Garcia.

1:19

Present.

1:20

Councilmember Ostash isn't with us this evening.

1:22

Councilmember Braddock.

1:24

Present.

1:24

Councilmember Wiggins?

1:25

Present.

1:26

Councilmember Hammond.

1:27

Present.

1:27

And Mayor Moore.

1:28

Present.

1:29

You have seven present and two absent.

1:34

I'd like to welcome everybody to city council meeting tonight.

1:37

This meeting is being televised, but at a later date.

1:42

It will be on YouTube.

1:44

We ask that all council persons.

1:49

Please silence your phones and your computers.

1:52

Audience, if you could do the same, we sure would appreciate it.

1:55

This is not a bullying or a clapping section.

1:59

We want to be do it all decent and in order.

2:02

And with that being said, do we have any announcement?

2:05

Yes, Mayor, the city's convenience station will be open this Saturday, March 14th from 8 a.m.

2:11

until noon for city residents to drop off bulky or miscellaneous items for discussion.

2:16

The next regular city council meeting will be Monday, March 23rd, and we'll begin at noon due to start student government day.

2:24

And that takes us to public hearings.

2:27

The purpose of the public hearing is for the public to address council as a whole and for council to hear comments from the speaker regarding specific actions being requested.

2:38

Speaker must limit it very much to the subject of the public hearing.

2:42

Please state your name and say if you are in support of or opposition of the public hearing.

3:05

Our public hearing is regarding the proposed Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Development Grant Application for Improvements to the Saginaw Riverfront Park located along Southwater Street in downtown Saginaw.

3:20

Do we have any spokespersons who'd like to speak to this?

3:25

Yes.

3:33

Good evening, everyone.

3:35

My name is Jeff Cart.

3:37

I'm with Wade Trim, and we're working with the city on uh upcoming grant application to support Riverfront Park.

3:45

Now you've probably heard several presentations regarding the Riverfront Park project.

3:51

I'm focusing on a particular component, which is the trail.

3:55

And this is a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant.

3:59

We'll be submitting for the trail portion of Riverfront Park.

4:03

And the idea behind that is that will allow us to get the highest score.

4:08

And we plan to submit the grant by the end of this month, and we'll receive notice of the award near the end of the year, and then funding would become available in early 2027.

4:18

This is a competitive program.

4:20

The minimum match is 25%.

4:22

We're going to be proposing an overmatch, which gives us a 63% match, which gives us a higher score and a higher uh degree of hopeful success.

4:36

Riverfront Park Trail, a little bit about the project.

4:39

I understand everyone on council has this when I'm talking about these maps that I'm talking about.

4:46

Um so I have it before you is a map of the project area.

4:50

It's about point three miles of pathway.

4:52

Uh like I said, the focus of the grant application will be on the trail.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████████████34%

Parks and Recreation███████████████████19%

Community Engagement██████████████14%

Procedural█████████9%

Public Safety█████████9%

Public Engagement██████6%

Water And Wastewater Management████4%

Budget Equity Analysis██2%

Fiscal Sustainability██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Saginaw City Council Meeting - March 10, 2026

The Saginaw City Council convened on March 10, 2026, with seven members present and two absent. The meeting included a public hearing on a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant application for Riverfront Park trail improvements, public input on Ojibwe Island access and a condemned property, council remarks addressing community concerns, and a detailed engineering update on upcoming construction projects.

Consent Calendar

Approved unanimously, including routine items such as appointment of board members and commission members.

Public Comments & Testimony

Jose Barajas spoke regarding Ojibwe Island, stating that residents pay taxes for its maintenance but are unable to use it for events, forcing them to pay out-of-pocket for facilities outside the city. He urged the council to restore the island as a community gathering space.
Carolyn Bashins raised concerns about a condemned house at 2216 North Bond, describing repeated inaction by the inspections department and police. She asked why the issue remains unresolved and called on council and the mayor to address it.
William King (Michael Thompson) proposed changes to meeting procedures, including moving council remarks to the end of the meeting and starting meetings at 5:30 p.m. for focused discussions on major issues. He also urged council to support grassroots groups like CAP.

Discussion Items

Public Hearing – MDNR Trust Fund Grant Application (Riverfront Park Trail): Jeff Cart of Wade Trim presented plans for a 0.3-mile trail segment (part of the Iron Bell Trail) with amenities such as bike racks, benches, and a parking lot conversion. The total project cost is approximately $1.09 million, with a requested grant of $400,000 and a city match of $689,900 (63% overmatch, exceeding the 25% minimum). The match uses previously committed funds. Other funding sources include a $1 million MEDC grant, a pending federal grant, and a congressional request. The public hearing was closed by motion.
Council Remarks: Several council members addressed Ojibwe Island. Councilman Braddock stated that no one on the council wants to keep the island closed, but it must be opened safely. Councilwoman Wiggins expressed support for vehicular access as soon as possible and offered condolences for Naisha Clark Young. Councilwoman Hammond agreed with moving council remarks to the end of the meeting and announced a civic engagement session on March 11. Mayor Pro Tem Garcia clarified the city's intent to open the island and highlighted community events. Mayor Moore urged patience, noting the city is making progress.
City Manager Reports: Announcements included the Saginaw Police Department Memorial (May 13), a citywide meeting on March 11, and an Ojibwe Island survey that received over 700 responses in less than a week. MBS International Airport received two awards. Student Government Day is scheduled for March 23.
City Engineer Presentation (Travis Hagar): Hagar reviewed 2025 projects (e.g., Cass Street brick road, Hess Avenue conversion, Court Street Bridge repairs) and outlined 2026 projects: local road millage work on Arthur/Maple streets, Weiss Street water main replacement (starting soon), Hancock and Niames street reconstruction, Perkins Avenue bike lane project, Federal Avenue in-house design, Lee Street boat launch improvements, and Medical Diamond infrastructure. For Ojibwe Island, the drive will be narrowed to 20 feet with gravel shoulders, and a new parking lot will be added; completion is targeted by July 4. The city's overall road budget is increasing 33% this fiscal year and 50% next year due to a state gas tax increase. Approximately 86% of 2026 projects are funded by non-city sources.

Key Outcomes

Public Hearing Closed: Motion carried unanimously to close the hearing on the MDNR grant application.
Consent Agenda Approved: Unanimous approval.
Ordinance Introduced: Rezoning of properties on South Remington's edition from R1 to B1 (neighborhood business) to allow a convenience store. Introduction passed; ordinance laid over per state law.
Resolution Adopted: Authorized submission of the MDNR Trust Fund grant application for Riverfront Park improvements. The resolution passed with discussion confirming that matching funds (from a previous LEO grant) would still be used for the park even if the grant is not awarded. Unanimous vote.
Ojibwe Island: Council expressed a unified position to open the island as soon as construction is complete, with safety as a priority. No formal vote was taken, but the engineer's goal is July 4, 2026, for completion of the drive and parking improvements.

Meeting Transcript

And also our pledge will be by councilwoman and you would like to participate in these five heads. We thank you, Father God, for today. We thank you for our city that is prospering. Lord help us to become one so that we can be better people, a better community, and to become a better all together. In the name of Jesus, we pray everyone say Amen. Amen. I pledge all the United States of America for which it is one is Madam Claire Row. Councilmember Young isn't with us this evening. Councilmember Seals. President. Councilmember Balls. Present. Mayor Potem Garcia. Present. Councilmember Ostash isn't with us this evening. Councilmember Braddock. Present. Councilmember Wiggins? Present. Councilmember Hammond. Present. And Mayor Moore. Present. You have seven present and two absent. I'd like to welcome everybody to city council meeting tonight. This meeting is being televised, but at a later date. It will be on YouTube. We ask that all council persons. Please silence your phones and your computers. Audience, if you could do the same, we sure would appreciate it. This is not a bullying or a clapping section. We want to be do it all decent and in order. And with that being said, do we have any announcement? Yes, Mayor, the city's convenience station will be open this Saturday, March 14th from 8 a.m. until noon for city residents to drop off bulky or miscellaneous items for discussion. The next regular city council meeting will be Monday, March 23rd, and we'll begin at noon due to start student government day. And that takes us to public hearings. The purpose of the public hearing is for the public to address council as a whole and for council to hear comments from the speaker regarding specific actions being requested. Speaker must limit it very much to the subject of the public hearing. Please state your name and say if you are in support of or opposition of the public hearing. Our public hearing is regarding the proposed Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Development Grant Application for Improvements to the Saginaw Riverfront Park located along Southwater Street in downtown Saginaw. Do we have any spokespersons who'd like to speak to this? Yes. Good evening, everyone. My name is Jeff Cart. I'm with Wade Trim, and we're working with the city on uh upcoming grant application to support Riverfront Park. Now you've probably heard several presentations regarding the Riverfront Park project. I'm focusing on a particular component, which is the trail. And this is a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant. We'll be submitting for the trail portion of Riverfront Park.

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