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City of Muskegon
Work Session
Minutes
November 13, 2023, 5:30 pm
Muskegon City Hall
933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49440
Present: Mayor Ken Johnson
Commissioner Rachel Gorman
Commissioner Rebecca St.Clair
Commissioner Eric Hood
Commissioner Teresa Emory
Absent: Vice Mayor Willie German, Jr.
Commissioner Michael Ramsey
Staff Present: City Manager Jonathan Seyferth
City Clerk Ann Meisch
1. Call to Order
2. New Business
2.a Bebot Report - Manager's Office
Jamie Cross presented on the beach clean up efforts with GVSU’s Bebot. Grand
Valley State University’s R.B. Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) is
partnering with the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup (GLPC). AWRI is one of four
University partners in the region working on this project. As part of that
partnership, AWRI has been using an innovative pollution cleanup technology, a
remote-controlled beach cleaning robot, at Pere Marquette Park Beach. The
BeBot robot, run by AWRI staff, removes debris from the beach, which is taken
back to AWRI to be weighed and sorted. Wood and litter items are separated
from the debris. Litter items are cataloged and separated by item, size, plastic
and non-plastic material. This information is shared with the GLPC to create an
inventory for areas throughout the Great Lakes Basin. Goodwill Industries of
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West Michigan will be recycling the wood and plastic items removed from the
beach. This presentation provides an overview of the project and results to date.
2.b Regional Transit Authority Resolution - Manager's Office
The Deputy City Manager has been participating with other municipalities in an
effort to explore the establishment of a regional transit authority. Muskegon
County wishes to transition its control of public transportation services to a new
public transportation authority and are seeking confirmation and support from
the municipalities who want to continue transit service. The West Michigan
Shoreline Regional Development Commission and the Muskegon Area Transit
System will be presenting on the topic at the work session.
Staff is seeking approval of a resolution of intent to join other municipalities in
forming a regional transit authority which will establish articles of incorporation
to meet requirements in Act 196.
Discussion took place regarding this item. This will be on the agenda for the
November 14, 2023 for consideration.
2.c Local Street Reconstructions - DPW
Staff requests authorization for a change to the capital improvement plan and
FY24 budget to allow for the reconstruction of several local streets using street
fund reserves.
During discussions this past summer, the Commission expressed a desire to
begin investing street fund dollars into local streets without any assessment or
other cost implications to the homeowners. This is a shift from the current
(although long-dormant) policy of local street work being funded by special
assessments to the property owners (except the portions funded by underlying
utility work).
Staff has reviewed many local streets throughout town for street condition,
utility conditions, any related lead service line work and other factors. Staff
recommends the following locations:
• New Street, Calvin to Evanston
• 2nd Street, Muskegon to Houston
• Millard Street, Lake Dunes to the west end
• Edgewater Street, Lakeshore to Thompson
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Staff proposes to design Millard and Edgewater this winter and build in the
spring, and to design New and 2nd in the spring for late summer and fall
construction. This has the following impacts on FY24:
• $325,000 for engineering and construction of Millard from Lake Dunes to
the west end
• $225,000 for engineering and construction of Edgewater from Lakeshore
to Thompson
• $50,000 for engineering of New Street (construction dollars will fall in
FY25)
• $25,000 for engineering of 2nd Street (construction dollars will fall in
FY25)
• Total: $625,000
To fund the improvements, staff proposes to increase the transfer from the
Major Streets fund to the Local Streets fund by $625,000, which is allowable
under State of Michigan Act 51 rules. The Major Street fund is projected to have
approximately $5.5 million in reserves at the end of FY24, and will still have more
than six months of funds in reserve if the transfer is approved.
Discussion took place regarding this item after the information was presented by
Dan VanderHeide, Director of Public Works. This item will be on a future agenda
for further consideration.
2.d Buster Keaton Public Art - Manager's Office
Deputy City Manager, LeighAnn Mikesell, presented information to the City
Commission regarding options for a new public art piece honoring Buster
Keaton.
The Downtown Arts Committee would like to install a sculpture honoring Buster
Keaton in the artists’ colony area of the Beachwood/Bluffton Neighborhood.
This art work would be part of the ten pieces partially funded by the Muskegon
City Public Art Initiative.
Two locations are being considered: Lakeshore at Edgewater and Lakeshore at
Waterworks.
Ron Pesch also provided background and details, adding to the presentation, for
Commission consideration.
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2.e DPW Asset Management Software - DPW
Department of Public Works Director, Dan VanderHeide, presented information
to the City Commission regarding Asset Management Software he would like to
purchase for use at the Department of Public Works.
Staff has been investigating asset management software designed specifically for
public works departments. These kinds of system track assets condition and
maintenance practices and use department priorities and AI to recommend new
maintenance tasks, replacement schedules and other valuable information.
They also have the important benefit of including a work order management
system that allows for electronic work order management, improving efficiency,
providing better tools for tracking labor, equipment and materials, and
increasing the data available for reporting and decisions.
Staff will presented such a system called Cartegraph, detailed the benefits it will
provide to DPW’s operations, explained how this system would interface with
other City systems such as BS&A, and presented the short- and long-term costs
of the system.
Discussion took place, this item will appear on the November 14, 2023 Agenda
for Commission consideration.
2.f SafeBuilt Overview and Update on Short Term Rentals - Public Safety
Kathryne Leonard, from the City's Inspections Department (SafeBuilt) provided
an overview and update of the Short Term Rental program that is managed by
SafeBuilt.
Earlier this year, the city received questions and comments from residents and
business owners interested in learning more about short-term rentals and its
impact in our community. A STR Community Workshop was held on May 16th,
2023. The city has since created an online Short-Term Rentals link for residents
to remain engaged on this topic. It includes additional information and issue
updates, along with tools for the public to provide important feedback. At the
July 10th worksession meeting it was discussed for staff to provide the
commission with an overview of the functions of SafeBuilt and update in the fall
on STRs.
3. Public Comment
Public comment was received.
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4. Adjournment
The Work Session meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
Motion by: Commissioner Hood
Second by: Commissioner St.Clair
To adjourn.
MOTION PASSES
5. CRC Immediately Following
_________________________
Respectfully Submitted,
Ann Marie Meisch, MMC - City Clerk
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