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CITY OF MUSKEGON
CITY COMMISSION WORKSESSION
Monday, August 31, 2020
5:30 pm
City Commission Chambers
MINUTES
2020-59
Present: Mayor Gawron, Vice Mayor Hood, Commissioners Rinsema-Sybenga, Emory,
Johnson, Ramsey, and German.
Absent: None.
E25 Emergency Repairs
Emergency repairs needed for Fire Engine 25, located at Station 5 on Marquette. Engine 25 is
the second newest engine for the City of Muskegon Fire Department. Our reserve apparatus is
also in for repairs and we are currently using an engine from Egleston Township Fire Dept. to
cover station 5.
Motion by Commission Johnson, seconded by Vice Mayor Hood, to approve the
spending up to $31,229.10 to repair Fire Engine 25.
Ayes: Commissioners Emory, Johnson, Gawron, Hood, Ramsey, German, & Rinsema-
Sybenga.
Nays: None.
MOTION PASSES
CARES Act - CDBG COVID19 Funding
The Community & Neighborhood Services Department is submitting for review the described
allocations of $585,235 for CARES Act – CDBG COVID 19 funding to receive comments from
the City Commission.
Commissioner Ramsey - What about offering grants to small businesses? Can we give more
assistance to people to pay water bills that are unable to?
LeighAnn Mikesell, indicated the parks department was trying to put a splash pad down on the
east side of the city in Reese Park.
She indicated Sheldon Park has had a large uptick in usage and could use upgrades from
COVID Funds.
Also, Buikema Field - we are hoping to have non-COVID funds to provide handicap accessibility
to the playground equipment.
As well as AAMODT Park - Would like to use non-COVID funds to provide necessary upgrades.
Commissioner Johnson - Would like to see more funding to water bills and small business
grants.
Vice Mayor Hood - Improvements to the parks on the east side of town are overdue.
Commissioner Rinsema-Sybenga - We should take everyone’s input. One way to look at it is to
review what we have been talking about spending money on for the past year. Agrees with Vice
Mayor Hood, these parks are in need of repair. CDC will have the opportunity to speak to it.
Let’s take all the input and determine it after.
Commissioner Ramsey - would like to see the park upgrade allocation lowered and spread over
other funds.
Commissioner Rinsema-Sybenga - What is the process? Oneata - with COVID we are
experiencing expenses.
Oneata Bailey, CARES Act money is to be spent. We are getting input from CDC,
Commissioners, and the Public. It’s emergent, it’s to get the funds out as quickly as possible.
Commissioner Emory - What is the grant? Is it just for parks?
Leo - it is with the company that we purchased equipment at Pere Marquette. They are offering
½ off the equipment at the next park.
Commissioner Johnson - Would like to hear more about the splash pad.
Commissioner German - Getting feedback is very crucial. We would be remiss not to include
feedback from the public.
Jackson Hill Infill Housing Development - Economic Equity Presentation
The zoning in McLaughlin, Angell, and Jackson Hill doesn’t match reality.
While the zoning ordinance indicates only single-family homes are allowed, that is not the
reality. This makes all non-single-family homes as non-conforming. Non-conforming homes are
susceptible to finance, insurance, and rebuilding issues along with unusable spaces.
Staff is proposing to rezone the neighborhood to allow the types of homes that already exist.
More housing options equal more affordable housing.
Many examples were given of current non-conforming multi-family homes. Examples were given
of homes that were done and several examples were given of multi-family homes that were not
done well and provide no parking, placed on too small of a lot, do not have an alley for access,
etc.
Jackson Hill Infill Housing Development/Economic Equity Presentation
Now that the necessary lots have been added to the Brownfield Redevelopment Plan, local
developer/contractors Rudy and Greg Briggs are interested in utilizing a Brownfield TIF to
construct single family homes for the city in order to increase value and stabilize the primarily
residential Jackson Hill neighborhood.
Since mid-2019, Economic Development Department staff have been working with Rudy and
Greg Briggs on potentially utilizing our Brownfield TIF Program to develop and market single
family homes in the Jackson Hill Neighborhood. Most importantly, the focus of this program has
been to identify, empower, and retain developers of color to benefit from some of the same
incentive programs we have been utilizing to great effect. Rudy and Greg Briggs are in
attendance (via Zoom) to update the Commission on the program, talk about the type of
housing being proposed and where for the upcoming phase as well as our ambition for what this
development can look like moving forward.
Public comments were received.
The worksession meeting adjourned at 7:11 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ann Marie Meisch, MMC – City Clerk
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