Meeting in regular session April 19, the Downtown Management Board:

• Concurred that the City Manager present the Board with a draft of options of local controls concerning the establishment of its Downtown Development Authority District as a Project Area under Public Act 501 of 2006 for purposes of making liquor permits available to downtown restaurants who make qualifying capital investments to their business;
• Approved Beckett and Raeder, Ann Arbor and Petoskey, as the Downtown Gateway Project consultant for $14,500;
• Heard a presentation by Design Committee Chair, Rick Neumann, and approved to send Downtown Design Guidelines to the Planning Commission and recommended that the Planning Commission take steps toward putting the guidelines into code for new construction or redevelopment construction;
• Authorized $1,468 to support the purchase of sidewalk recycling containers requested by the Design Committee; and
• Reviewed and accepted the 2011 Winter Blues Festival final reports.

At 7:00 P.M., Thursday, February 16, 2012, at its regular meeting, the Planning Commission will be reviewing the construction plans for the Howard Street project from Sheridan Street to the North Central Michigan College limits.  The project was included in the 2012-2016 Capital Improvement Plan and 2012 Annual Budget.  The purpose of this project is to replace deteriorating pavement and install new water and sewer utilities, along with compliant sidewalks and ramps.  Along with the street construction, there will also be electric upgrades in the surrounding area.  Affected property owners were notified of the meeting regarding the construction project.

Click here to view Howard Street Improvement Project

Tuesday  the  City's Downtown Development  Authority Board conducted  its annual meeting, and elected Larry Rochon as its Chairperson and James Reid, II as  its Vice Chairperson and set its 2011 regular-meeting schedule for 7:00 P.M., the third Tuesday of each month, as sessions are necessary.

Immediately following the annual meeting of the Downtown Development Authority Board, the same membership then convened the annual meeting of the City's Downtown Management Board and selected Mr. Rochon and Mr. Reid as the Management Board's officers and approved the same third-Tuesday meeting schedule for 2011; and heard the Downtown Director report concerning 2010 annual statistics for the downtown and further considered and tabled until its February 15 meeting, the establishment of its Downtown Development Authority District as a Project Area under Public Act 501 of 2006 for purposes of making liquor permits available to downtown restaurants who make qualifying capital investments in their businesses.

Due to inclement weather Skating Lessons have been postponed until Monday, February 6, 2012.