Fwd: Council and Community Updates and More

[drwho721]

fyi

-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Hussain <huss...@gmail.com>
To: Adam Hussain <huss...@gmail.com>
Sent: Mon, May 3, 2021 12:14 pm
Subject: Council and Community Updates and More

Hi all, 

I hope this email finds you well. There is a ton going on in the city and as always, I think it is imperative to communicate with each of you regarding these developments. Please skim the information below and take a deeper dive into those items that are of special interest to you. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. 

Thanks so much,

Adam Hussain

E-mail to Constituents- 5/3

S. Waverly and Miller Road Community Cleanup: On May 15th, starting at 10 a.m., the Lansing Eaton Neighborhood Organization, Averill Woods Neighborhood Association, Coachlight Commons, and Churchills Down Community Association are teaming up to cleanup and beautify the S. Waverly/Miller Rd. Corridor. The group will meet at 3700 S. Waverly (Waverly/Holmes Community Plaza) for a covid-conscious launch and light refreshments. The goal is to pick up trash on S. Waverly from Jolly to the river and on Miller from Wise to S. Waverly. In addition, the group is working now to put other projects together such as flower planting and other corridor improvement efforts (more info to come in the next email). If you would like to join this effort, please email me so that I can convey your support to the effort’s organizers. 

LOVE SW Lansing SWAG Day of Service: The Southwest Action Group (SWAG) is hosting a LOVE SW SWAG Day of Service on May 22nd, beginning at 9 a.m. The hyperfocus will be the PG and Holmes business district. However, if SWAG is able to attract enough volunteers, SWAG would like to complete a few projects in the Pleasant View neighborhood just SE of the intersection. Projects are still being discussed but will most likely include at least some of the following: 1910 flower bed rejuvenation; Townsquare beautification; traffic circle flower planting; mulching; trash pick-up; Beacon Field maintenance; etc. Final project lists will be completed at the next SWAG meeting and will be based on projected number of volunteers. If you are interested, please respond to this email and I will make sure to convey your support to Rachelle White, president of SWAG. 

City Agenda Center Changes: Many have noticed that agendas and minutes are no longer being posted in the city’s agenda center. The City is currently updating its website and our office has implemented a new document management system. It will take some getting used to but I do believe that once you get accustomed to the new format, you will find it user-friendly and easier to navigate. Please visit https://www.lansingmi.gov/129/Agendas-Minutes to view the meeting agendas and minutes from here on. 

Week of 5/3 City Council Meetings : There are lots of great opportunities this week to engage with your City Council and involve yourself in the important issues being vetted at this time. Below, please find the link to the weekly meeting schedule. To check out meeting agendas and get meeting links, please check out the agendas and minutes link provided above. 

 

City Council Weekly Meeting Schedule: https://www.lansingmi.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=38

RESOLUTION for Consideration on Tonight’s Agenda- Ballot Language; Charter Amendment; Installment of Rank Choice (Automatic Runoff) Voting: The Lansing City Charter determines the electoral process for all City of Lansing offices. Currently, we use a plurality system with primary elections for those races where the number of candidates exceeds twice the number of positions to be filled in the office. Tonight, we will be asked to place ranked-choice voting as a potential charter amendment before the electorate on Nov. 2nd. If you are not familiar, ranked-choice voting (RCV) requires voters to rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, he/she is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. First-preference votes cast for the failed candidate are eliminated, lifting the second-preference choices indicated on those ballots. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won a majority of the adjusted votes. The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority. Arguments for ranked-choice voting center on majority support, efficiencies, and voter choice. Those against ranked-choice voting typically cite voter confusion and issues with candidate vetting as disadvantages. In any event, if you would like to provide input before tonight’s vote to put this proposal before the electorate, please email the council at city.c...@lansingmi.gov.

RESOLUTION for Consideration on Tonight’s Agenda - Ballot Proposal; Essential Services Millage Restoration Proposal: The Lansing City Charter caps our millage rate at 20 mills ($20 for every 1k of a property’s taxable value). However, the Headlee Amendment to the state’s Constitution limits that cap to a lower rate which is subject to an override by the city’s voters. Lansing held votes in November of 2011 and 2016 in which voters of Lansing approved the Headlee Cap overrides in order to restore the authorized millage to the maximum 20 mills authorized under the Charter for 5-year periods, respectively. The current Headlee Cap override permits the City to levy the current 19.44 mills but is set to expire December 31, 2021 unless the voters approve a new Headlee override; if the Headlee Cap override is not voter approved, the City’s millage rate in 2022 will be reduced and limited to 18.86 mills. The city’s intention is to continue to levy the current 19.44 mills tax rate in the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget to ensure essential services, including current police protection, fire protection, road and sidewalk needs and maintenance (specifically, 1.5 mills dedicated to Police, 1.5 to Fire, and 1 to road and sidewalk repair). Again, because a property tax rate of 19.44 mills would exceed the City’s 2022 Headlee Cap, it requires approval by the voters to override the Headlee Cap, as provided by the State Constitution; taxes at the 19.44 mills rate will result in property tax revenues at a similar level to those projected for fiscal year 2021/2022. If approved, the millage would generate $2,770,894 to be used for fire, police, and infrastructure. Tonight, Council will consider whether to put this ballot initiative before the voters on Nov. 2nd. If you are unable to attend but want to provide input, please email city.c...@lansingmi.gov. 

FY 2022 Budget Information and Attachments: The recommended executive budget was presented to Council on March 22nd. We have had budget presentations and will have a series of additional meetings over the next several weeks to vet and consider the budget and any potential amendments to the budget. Further, we will have a public hearing tonight, May 3rd, at 7 p.m. via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85940036219) to receive public input on the budget as presented. Per charter, Council must approve the budget by the 3rd Monday in May. This includes affiliated agency budgets, the capitol improvement plan, and city fee changes.

The FY 2022 Executive Budget Recommendation does include a number of key investments in public safety (e.g. additional social worker), infrastructure and equipment (e.g. $2.750 million for major street and bridge work, $1.845 million for local street repairs, and $225,000 for new sidewalks), neighborhoods and economic development (e.g. $175,000 for small business facade grants), and racial justice and equity: (e.g. $240,000 for the ADVANCE PEACE program, $135,000 toward addressing racism and promoting racial equity pursuant to recent changes to the Basic Human Services, and $300,000 toward racial justice training, equity assessments, and facilitating a citywide Equity Committee).

If you would like to learn more about the budget, please find the following attached to this email:

1. FY 2021/2022 Budget Book
2. General Fund Revenue Accounting Detail
3. General Fund Expenditure Accounting Detail
4. Other Funds Accounting Detail
5. FY 2021/2022 Federal Stimulus 

 

Budget Input Session: The City Council has decided to host an additional budget input session on Saturday, May 8, at 10:00 AM. As part of this session, the budget director will present the budget and citizen participants will have an opportunity to provide input through public comment. We are hoping that by providing a weekend option for those that work throughout the week and have other evening commitments, that many find the Saturday-morning time more convenient. The session will be conducted via Zoom. If you are interested, please use the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85940036219

 

City Council Extends State of Emergency:  The City Council has extended the Declaration of Emergency Mayor Schor originally issued on March 16th of last year through July 12th. We have now extended the state of emergency 14 times as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The declaration of a state of emergency authorizes the mayor to continue to take actions and exercise certain emergency powers as granted via ordinance and state statute to mitigate the potential negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also allows for public meetings to continue to be hosted via Zoom. That said, we are following guidance from the state and our health department regarding the potential of rescinding the emergency order should the positivity rate, number of hospitalizations, and percentage of the population vaccinated support such a move. 

 

Road Projects: I have received many inquiries into road projects for the 2021 construction season. Public Services uses the PACER map and other data to make decisions on how to spend our very limited funds in the repair and reconstruction of our roads. Public Services does maintain a construction map showing all past, current and planned construction projects in Lansing between 2015 and 2021. This map also shows pedestrian/non-motorized projects between the same respective years. Please check out the following link to view the map: https://www.lansingmi.gov/2051/Construction-Map 

 

Potholes and Road Complaints: One of the things Public Services looks at when deciding which roads to prioritize is calls for service and other road complaints. I highly encourage each of you to report potholes and worsening road conditions using either Lansing Connect https://www.lansingmi.gov//lansingconnect) or by calling Operations and Maintenance at 517-483-4161. Most potholes are repaired within 24-48 hours. Please check out the following link for more information and to see the pothole repair map: https://www.lansingmi.gov/1530/Potholes 

 

Governor Introduces “Mi Vacc to Normal” Reopening Metrics: Governor Gretchen Whitmer unveiled the ‘MI Vacc to Normal’ plan as the state continues to push toward its goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders ages 16 years or older. The ‘MI Vacc to Normal’ plan will use four vaccination-based milestones — using data for Michiganders 16 years or older who’ve received their first dose — to guide future steps outlined below:

 

- 55% of Michiganders (4,453,304 residents), plus two weeks:

a.) Allows in-person work for all sectors of business.

 

- 60% of Michiganders (4,858,150 residents), plus two weeks:

a.) Increases indoor capacity at sports stadiums to 25%.

b.) Increases indoor capacity at conference centers/banquet halls/funeral homes to 25%.

c.) Increases capacity at exercise facilities and gyms to 50%.

d.) Lifts the curfew on restaurants and bars.

 

- 65% of Michiganders (5,262,996 residents), plus two weeks:

a.) Lifts all indoor % capacity limits, requiring only social distancing between parties.

b.) Further relaxes limits on residential social gatherings.

 

- 70% of Michiganders (5,667,842 residents), plus two weeks:

a.) Lifts the Gatherings and Face Masks Order such that MDHHS will no longer employ broad mitigation measures unless unanticipated circumstances arise, such as the spread of vaccine-resistant variants