City Council

AD HOC BLIGHT COMMITTEE MINUTES OF THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2021 A meeting of the Ad Hoc Blight Committee was held on May 20, 2021. The meeting was held remotely via video conferencing with real-time messaging available. The meeting commenced at 11:00 a.m. PRESENT: Kathy Grabowski, Kelly Greve, Dennis Otto, Mary Russell, Chief Glass (Committee Facilitator), ABSENT: Andy Lee, Robert Hornkohl, Mitch Deisch OTHERS ATTENDING: None DISCUSSION Discussion centered on language revisions to the resolution to be presented to the City Manager. Presented to the City Manager will be seven (7) recommendations regarding blight, to include, consideration of a standing citizen’s blight committee, development of a new blight ordinance, prioritization of addressing blight in the Downtown District, addressing public owned infrastructure, buildings or property that have deteriorated or been damaged, budgeting annually to allow for removal of condemned blighted structures, possible collaboration with Manistee County reference tax foreclosed properties in the City of Manistee, and requesting City Council to pass the aforementioned recommendations. A standing blight committee could change the focus from addressing blight to providing solutions to blight. The Manistee City Police Department would continue with its enforcement measures but a standing blight committee could be effective in identifying items the police department cannot do to help prevent and eliminate blight. Economic development and resources to provide those solutions would need to be identified by a standing blight committee to possibly include pursuing grant monies. Upcoming blight efforts will be the teardown in June 2021 of a blighted structure with continued efforts being put towards properties and structures that are blighted. Manistee Proud (volunteer community group) indicated contact with many River Street businesses and those owners are committed to cleaning up the rear of their properties. Chief Glass thanked the members of the committee for their time, dedication and efforts in serving on the Ad Hoc Blight Committee. The Ad Hoc Blight Committee will be dissolving shortly as the objectives of an ad hoc committee have been met. Meeting adjourned at 11:28 a.m. Submitted by: Bridget Guillen Police Secretary