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Dexter City Council Virtual Public Hearings and Meeting

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As always, there are two opportunities for non-arranged public participation: one near the beginning of the meeting and one near the end of the meeting.

Additionally, near the start of the meeting, we will hear an update about the Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express from Julia Roberts.

We will also hear a presentation by James and Lori Sprague about the possible installation of ping pong tables in Dexter Parks.

  • The presentation references a recent documentary (“The Tables”) about outdoor ping pong in New York City. Click here to watch the 15-minute short.

There are two public hearings (with clarifying excerpts from the packet):

  • Request for Industrial Facilities Exemption (IFE), submitted by Utilities Instrumentation Service (UIS) for Property Located at 2290 Bishop Circle East (Michelle Aniol, Community Development Manager)
    • City Council is scheduled to consider an Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption request, submitted by Utilities Instrumentation Service, Inc. (UIS). The request is for a 50% abatement of taxes, on $3,262,313 in real property improvements and $169,000 in personal property improvements, for a period of twelve (12) years. The requested abatement is associated with the construction of a new 20,000 square foot building with office, light industrial and warehousing uses on vacant property located at, 2290 Bishop Circle East (see attached map). The applicant indicates 62 existing jobs will be retained and 12 new jobs will be created within two years of completion of the project, as a result of the investment in real property improvements.
    • The goal of the City’s Industrial Facilities Tax Abatement Program is to encourage new companies to invest in our community and to assist our existing companies, as they continue to invest in their businesses. The amount of temporary tax relief that a business is eligible for is based on the value of their investment in the community, as determined by the City’s abatement evaluation criteria. In granting the abatement, the City helps relieve the tax burden created by the company’s financial investment. The City, as well as the other taxing jurisdictions benefits by receiving 50% of the tax revenue that it would not otherwise have received, if the company had not made the investment. The City also benefits from the jobs that are brought to and retained in the community.
  • Text Amendments to the General Code of Ordinances Chapter 30 - Parks and Recreation, and Chapter 62 - Trees (Justin Breyer, Interim City Manager and City Clerk)
    • The Tree Board works with the Community Development Manager to make recommendations regarding the City's tree programs. The Board’s primary responsibilities are the residential street tree planting program, street tree trimming, and the distribution of trees for Arbor Day. The first two responsibilities have become predominantly administratively managed.
    • The Parks & Recreation Commission is responsible for making recommendations to City Council regarding the planning and development of the City's parks.
    • During the November 30, 2020 and December 14, 2020 meetings, staff proposed, and City Council discussed, merging the responsibilities of these two boards into one board. To do so would require changes to the Parks and Recreation and Trees chapters of the General Code of Ordinances.

Council will consider and discuss the following (with clarifying excerpts from the packet):

  • Request to Vacate a Public Street & Portion of a Public Alley submitted by Mike Penn of 3389 Broad St. (Michelle Aniol, Community Development Manager)
    • City Council is scheduled to continue to consider a request, submitted by petitioner, Mike Penn, to vacate the remaining portion of Fourth Street (49.5 ft. wide), between Broad Street and the railroad ROW and to vacate a portion of the alley that runs between the two properties he owns, which are located at 3389 Broad (Lot 5) and Lot 1 (vacant) (see aerial photo below).
    • Image removed.
  • Park Use Permit Request from the Dexter Chamber of Commerce for the Friday Summer Concert Series (Justin Breyer, Interim City Manager and City Clerk)
    • Quaila Pant and Chuck Colby with the Dexter Chamber of Commerce have submitted a Park Use Permit request to hold the Friday Summer Concert Series in Monument Park. The proposal indicates that the Summer Concert Series would take place every Friday from June 18th – August 6th and would feature bands playing in the Monument Park Gazebo.
    • Per the application: “Chamber will have yard signs posted around park during concerts that will suggest ‘social distancing & face masks required.’ Masks will be provided to those who attend and are in need of any. Chamber will partner with boy scouts to help with enforcing safety guidelines put in place by Chamber & City. No more than 300 – 400 guests attend. Chamber will suggest guests to evenly space in seating arrangements with 2 – 4 per group.”
  • Proposals for Due Diligence Services for the Purchase of 3515 Broad Street, Totaling an Amount not to Exceed $32,850 (Justin Breyer, Interim City Manager)
    • City Council is asked to consider approval of the following proposals for services related to the purchase of 3515 Broad Street:
      • 1. Bond advisory services by Baker Tilly in an amount not to exceed $20,900;
      • 2. Surveyor services by OHM Advisors in an amount not to exceed $7,500;
      • 3. Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment Services by ASTI Environmental in an amount not to exceed $2,200; and
      • 4. Appraisal services by Gerald Alcock Company, LLC in an amount not to exceed $2,250.
  • 3515 Broad Street Excess Use of Space (Council Member Zach Michels)
    • The building(s), at roughly 14,000 square feet, are almost double the square footage determined necessary for City Offices/meeting space as part of facility needs assessment. While it is generally obvious that a large outbuilding could be used in the short-term for Department of Public Works storage, it is less obvious what could be done with the excess space (“300 unit”) within the main building.
    • Development and promulgation of a request for proposals, or some similar instrument, would provide a definitive answer to potential or likely uses for the excess space and would provide direction for funding and potential income to support the upkeep or help pay for the property.

*If you would like to receive my personal meeting reminders via email, please visit https://www.griffinfordexter.com/ and scroll to the bottom to enter your email address where directed. You can also email me directly at griffinfordexter@gmail.com.

Meeting Agenda: https://www.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2021/Agendas/2021-04-12-CC-A.pdf

Meeting Packet: https://www.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2021/Packets/2021-04-12-CC-P.pdf

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Dexter, MI
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