Monday night, Council will be asked to take action on the new Master Plan 2035. For those individuals that may not be familiar with that term or are a bit nervous as to its intent, the following is offered. Master Plans simply state the goals or policies of a local government for future land use, economic development elements, walkability, and transportation related questions, parks and recreation, and other typical issues. The master plan provides a “road map” for elected officials and city staff to follow when decisions must be made regarding growth and its potential impact.
 
It’s a delicate balance between maintaining the unique flavor and nuance of a community with managing the inevitable growth that simultaneously comes with that. In other words, the very elements that generated the attraction for residents and business owners to locate in Coopersville in the first place can be in jeopardy without a plan to manage the impact of that growth. And that’s exactly what the city’s new Master Plan 2035 was designed to accomplish and I believe that goal was achieved.
 
I want to thank the Planning Commission Chairman Ross Conran and Planning Commission members, Planning Director Jonathan Seyferth, the consultant, and the participation and involvement of our citizens in the creation of our new Master Plan. It was a long and laborious effort by all and it’s a testament to the resolve of our volunteers and city staff; well done. The document is on the website for those that have yet to review its contents.
 
Monday night, we have a few interesting agenda items to study and take action on if Council so desires. Have a great meeting and an even greater weekend. Be safe out! 
​

Downtown Pocket Park
It’s finally happening; the downtown Pocket Park project will begin in earnest Monday July 24th. This project has been in limbo for the past few years mainly of funding challenges. Those challenges have been resolved, the bids are in, and the project awarded by the DDA Board. In the next few weeks and months updates will be provided by this office and notifications on Facebook and the city’s website.  
 
 
Road Construction
​Crews will be resurfacing and re-striping roads around the city beginning August 1. The roads will be closed during resurfacing with posted detours; local traffic will be guided by flag crews. Here is the schedule for closures and construction:
 

• 64th Avenue (between Randall & Cleveland) – 8/1 - 8/4
• Randall Street (between Ironwood & Eastmanville) – 8/3 - 8/4
• Watson Street (between Main & Division) – 8/16 - 8/17
• O’Malley Drive (between 68th Avenue & River) – 9/5 - 9/8

Road patching will occur on the following streets on 8/23 - 8/24 with no road closures: First Street, Ann Street, East Street, East Randall, Spring Street, Roberts Court.
​
Further updates will be provided on the city’s Facebook page and website. Any questions, please call city hall at 616-997-9731 or email construction@cityofcoopersville.com. Thanks for your patience while we make the city shine!
 
 
2017-2018 Fiscal Year
Beginning July 1, 2017, the City of Coopersville began its new fiscal year. The city’s web site has the 2017-2018 Budget, the Annual Financial Report, and a simple dashboard of how the 2017-2018 tax dollars are being utilized for citizen and property owners to review. I encourage all citizens, business owners, and students to visit the website and learn more of the details of how our local government operates and how taxpayers’ dollars support that effort.
 
 
Water Project Phase I
Next week the city is meeting with relevant parties to finalize the details of the project which now includes constructing a new booster station building in Allendale as retrofitting the existing facility is impractical and will create additional challenges and new costs. Details will be provided in an upcoming council workshop once costs are recalculated. As always please contact me if you required further detail.
 
 
Muskegon Waste Water Treatment Plant Option
Again, nothing major to report at this time other than we had a meeting last week with Fairlife, CDF, Muskegon County, and of course Jonathan Seyferth and myself. Financial options were discussed and presented by representatives from Muskegon County that included bonding scenarios and possible grants. As new information becomes available, and is sharable, I will keep members of this council informed. Please contact me if you have comments or require answers to questions.
 

The new 2017-2018 Budget is scheduled for action by city council Monday night. We had fewer drafts than other years, four to be exact, with only three in real contention. Believe it or not, I find the budget process quite interesting over these many years, especially in the initial construction. What do I mean by initial construction? Every department head and appointed official creates a list of all needs and wants. This becomes the foundation of the budget, the construction of the budget. The list is essentially an inventory of the city from routine and projected maintenance tasks to major projects that includes all the periphery issues and requirements, that ultimately equals total expenditures.
 
We then assign a cost for each and that becomes DRAFT A of our budget revealing total expenditures of all the items that need to be addressed within the city. Even though total projected revenues (another discussion) rarely cover the total expenditures in DRAFT A, the value of the exercise comes in knowing the true cost of all present and future needs. You can’t plan current and future budgets without first knowing what needs attention, and without the list you can’t legitimately prioritize the projects.
 
Stay with me: once the above phase is complete, council and staff begin the difficult process of evaluating the priority of each item, which leads to removing those items that lack the element of “immediate need” or “immediate action.” This process goes through several evaluations until council and staff are satisfied that projected revenues will cover projected expenditures. If not, then council and staff can cover any deficits with the city’s fund balance (savings account) to address the highest priority needs and wants for the next fiscal year (2017-2018) if so desired.
 
The process may appear tedious and maybe boring, but the process provides a type of intimacy of the city’s needs you might not experience without embracing the exercise and having the collaboration between council and staff. To me, the budget is not just about the “dollars.” Dollars are merely a means to achieve defined goals and objectives that directly impact the quality of life for residents and business owners alike. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
 
Monday night we must fill the mayor’s position created by the resignation of Mayor Lloyd; please see the agenda. We have a few bills that need to be paid and of course to adopt the 2017-2018 Fiscal Year Budget. Have a fabulous weekend and with any cooperation from Mother Nature, we can postpone building another Noah’s Ark. Be safe out there.   

REPEAT - Master Plan Update: Jonathan Seyferth
We are nearing the end of feedback window on the draft master plan which has been ongoing since mid-February. The end of the feedback window back in March started a timeline that, if all goes according to plan, should allow the master plan to be considered for final adoption in June.
The timeline is as follows:

• June 19 – The 9-week feedback window will close on June 19 which is also the June Planning Commission meeting date. At that meeting, the Planning Commission would hold a Public Hearing on formal adoption of the master plan – step one in a two-step adoption process. If approved by the PC, it is sent to the City Council for final adoption.

 

• June 26 – At the second City Council meeting in June, the City Council will be asked to take the second step in the process with a final adoption of the master plan.

 
A draft and executive summary of the Master Plan can be found at  www.plancoopersville.com. Updates and comments on the final draft will also be accepted on the website.
 
 
 
REPEAT: Medical Marihuana (marijuana): Jonathan Seyferth
May 15, 2017 at the next Planning Commission, public presentation on this issue will continue. The public is always welcome.
 
Over the next few months we are going to engage in a long-term and slow education process on Michigan’s new medical marihuana law. That education process will include hearing from groups on both sides of the topic. At the conclusion of that education process (likely in June or July) the City Council and Planning Commission can then decide if it would like to tackle any changes to the city’s current medical marihuana ordinance.
 
This is being precipitated for two different reasons. First off, in December 2016 the state legislature passed a new law regarding commercial activities related to medical marihuana. This change authorizes five different type of commercial activities that can be engaged in when explicitly allowed by a municipality. Secondly, the city has received requests that the city consider allowing one or more of those five activities.
 
Our current ordinance regulating medical marihuana, which is found in Section 1280.21 – prohibits any commercial activity related to medical marihuana. This was put into place in July 2013. Several communities throughout the state enacted similar ordinances in the absents of clear state action on the topic. 
 
The state’s new law, the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (PA 281 of 2016) will come into effect in December 2017. The delay on implementation is to allow communities to determine what (if any) of the five activities they’ll allow and to allow the state to develop permitting for these activities.
 
The Michigan Municipal League (MML) has produced a few brief documents on the topic, I’ve included those for your reading pleasure. The MML memos outline the five activities and provides a FAQ sheet on the topic.
 
The good thing about the new state law is it gives municipalities a lot of flexibility. 1. Communities do not have to explicitly outlaw medical marihuana facilities – it’s an opt in law. 2. It’s not an all or nothing thing, a municipality can choose which of five activities to allow and how many of each it would allow (again, if any at all).
 
 
WWTP Upgrade
Work continues with the design/engineering of the effluent pump upgrade that also included the addition of a UV treatment chamber. Updates will be provided as they are available.
 
 
Muskegon Waste Water Treatment Plant Option
Jonathan Seyferth and I have a meeting with various Muskegon officials, fairlife representatives, and CDF representatives Friday morning, May 5th to begin the discussions on the steps required to build a 20-25 miles of sewer forcemain from Coopersville to the Muskegon Waste Water Management System. There is much to be done before dirt can be moved including fairlife making a number of key decisions on what they ultimately want. As information becomes available, and is sharable, I will keep members of this council. Please contact me if you have comments or require answers to questions.

My ride back from the City of Flint on Tuesday provided a couple of hours of reflection on the Water Infrastructure Conference I attended. There are MANY lessons that can be learned from the Flint water crisis that every community with a water transmission system should take seriously. My biggest take away was the realization that in order to overcome the challenge of obtaining lead free water, the partnering between state, federal, and local agencies that needs to occur. Finger pointing, accusations, and second guessing wasn’t going to provide clean water to the residents of Flint. I have more comments below.
 
Well, Celebrate Coopersville is just hours away. I’m so proud of the cooperation, dedication and going the extra mile in organizing this event. There are many individuals that help make this celebration a reality and most of them are employees of the city. We also thank the West Michigan Plumbers, Fitters & Service Trades Union for allowing us to use their facility Thursday night as well. See you all there, and don’t forget to bring money for the silent auction.
 
Have a fantastic weekend and please be safe out there.


WWTP Upgrade

Work continues with the design/engineering of the effluent pump upgrade that also included the addition of a UV treatment chamber. Updates will be provided as they are available.
 
 
Muskegon Waste Water Treatment Plant Option

Tuesday morning, I had a conference call with Muskegon officials and other interested parties. As you know, the city has already submitted a letter of support for the Muskegon wastewater option for a long-term solution to wastewater treatment capacity. Representatives from Muskegon, Coopersville, and fairlife will be meeting in the next few weeks to continue discussions on the specifics. As always, I will report on the progress of this project.
 
 
Community Expo

March 18, 2017 is the scheduled date for the yearly Community Expo and Book Fair sponsored/organized by the Coopersville Area Chamber of Commerce. The city will have a booth with our elected officials attending along with available staff to answer questions and provide information concerning projects, recreation opportunities, rescue activities and other related topics.  Come to the South Elementary School from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM for this great annual event.
 
 
Water Project Phase I – No New Update to Report

I have spoken informally with Allendale on when we can set up a meeting to further define exactly where we can partner on the Water Project Phase I. Next week a meeting is scheduled for the Utility Advisory Committee to meet with me to discuss recommendations on the proposed scope of the Water Project Phase I. Yes, there has been much discussion already, but there have been many variables still in play that hindered a clear, concise, definable plan. My desire is to make a decision on the scope of the project yet this month. As always, please contact me if you have questions or comments.
 

Water Infrastructure Conference

​There are a number of lessons from the Flint experience that have relevancy for the City of Coopersville. Below are a few worth mentioning:

• Don’t build infrastructure that exceeds demand. Flint built infrastructure to meet the growth it was experiencing for decades because of the auto industry. When that industry closed, or relocated, including the suppliers, and residents began to relocate elsewhere, water consumption eventually fell by two-thirds, or 66%. Water did not circulate or move as once engineered and so it often times remained in one location for as many as six or seven days, thus allowing lead and other elements to intensify in terms of parts-per-million. The City of Coopersville must make every effort to not “over construct” in its capacity based on promises and incomplete data used to support projections of water usage. We must never forget the historical assumption that Delphi would never close in Coopersville.

 

• Accurate documentation on the infrastructure you have is critical. Flint’s outdated record keeping regarding location of curb boxes, type of material of laterals, and the exact location of those laterals, unintentionally added challenges and significantly increased delays in replacement and repair of existing infrastructure, and still does. Fortunately for Coopersville, the SAW grant has provided the tools and the means to accurately document existing infrastructure including material, type of mechanical fixtures, and the like. This will become MORE valuable as the city’s infrastructure ages.

 

• A well-funded and robust maintenance program for infrastructure must be valued and practiced. As property taxes and water consumption decreased, there was far less revenue to support a robust maintenance program for Flint. Thus, maintenance turned into just fixing what became “broken” and the spiral downward continued for years. Once again, the SAW Grant has been a blessing for Coopersville to inventory what assets and infrastructure we have, but also to quantify the condition of that asset so we can actively prioritize capital expenditures and have the information necessary to act on those capital expenditures in a timely fashion.

 
I understand that we are not Flint, either in our economic history or the size and magnitude of our infrastructure. We are also not experiencing the tangential consequences such as health issues, loss of jobs, and the serious loss of quality of life that defines a community. But, we do have infrastructure that each year becomes older and less sound. Only through wise guidance by Coopersville’s elected officials and a highly-qualified staff will Coopersville’s infrastructure future be secure. More detail to come at our budget workshops.

First, I’d like to express what a gorgeous Labor Day weekend we just experienced. I don’t know what your thoughts are, but even though summer can be short, it’s all worth it when we can experience such outstanding weather in such a beautiful state.
 
Monday night, September 12, we start off with a workshop at 6:00 P.M. to bring everyone up to speed on the WWTP upgrades and the Water Project Phase I projects. This meeting is important as I will be seeking guidance and approval on new project configurations later at the council meeting. At our council meeting, we also have a number of significant items to discuss from the bids we received for the 64th Avenue Sidewalk project to formalizing the status of the DPW Supervisor. Until then, continue to enjoy the remaining days of summer. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding this memo and the council agenda.
​

WWTP Upgrade

The MEDC offered a proposal to relevant parties, which in turn was turned down for substantive reasons. It is difficult to discuss the WWTP upgrades without delving into the macro view of economic development incentives by the State of Michigan and how it prioritizes economic opportunities, so I won’t. Instead I will reiterate from what our workshop will reveal, is that Coopersville at this time is on its own to provide an economic development and a financial plan to continue to serve the businesses and residents alike in Coopersville…and that is what we will do.
 
 
Water Project Phase I

Again, as with the WWTP upgrade, the scope of the project will have to be revised due to financial considerations in context of limited financial assistance from state agencies. The only item of certainty from where I stand is that action must be taken relatively soon, and that action will have to come from us.
 
 
Road Projects

I thank you council members for approving the various road projects that were recently competed. I thank you Bryan Buist for coordinating the contractors, and I thank you residents and business owners for your patience as we improved several roads in our city. Randall, Center, Ottawa and 48th Avenue look great! A little here, a little there and suddenly the city begins to sparkle. Obviously we have a couple of more streets to complete before winter but we’re making progress.
 
 
Grove Street Park

If you haven’t already done so, please visit Grove Street Park. The field has been regraded and seeded. It looks great and once again it’s one more step to making the community as a whole look better. Of course, the overall condition of the field will make for safer play but it also makes for better aesthetics. Nicely done!
 
​

WWTP Project Phase II

Since our last council meeting, city staff has been actively working with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to update our discharge permit application. As has been noted in past council meetings, this update will become three permits in one, giving the City flexibility in determining which way to move forward with our upgrade capacity. This is a unique situation for a West Michigan community and the MDEQ, so both parties are learning as we go. City staff and the MDEQ are taking things step-by-step to ensure things are done correctly.
 
The three permits will include: COW Water diversion (for which the new pump station was designed), a dual treatment track taking advantage of both the mechanical plant and the former activated sludge system, and/or expansion of the mechanical plant with the addition of an additional clarifier.
 

 
Water Project Phase I

I stated in the last memo that we would have something for council in terms of information on bonding. That information is more likely to be available at our July 25 meeting. Other than that update, there is not much to report in terms of new information except we’re still moving forward.
 
Prein&Newhof continues the process of designing the upgrade to the 60th Avenue Booster station, as you already know because you approve this expenditure on a regular basis. Please contact me if you have questions or would like to provide comments.
 
 
Signs

Briefly, progress continues on adding and upgrading signage around the city and around city owned property. The DPW crew has installed the new sign at the Randall Street Lift Station. It looks great! On Garfield heading west from 48th Avenue to the WWTP, there is a new solar powered LED lighted sign (Hidden Drive) to alert drivers that there is a drive-way that could have vehicles exiting as they speed over the hill. Our goal was to attempt to make that stretch of road safer for city employees as they exit the WWTP as well as drivers on Garfield.
 
 
Downtown Pocket Park

Jan Richardson informed me that she had a question from a business owner in Coopersville who was questioning the wisdom of the Pocket Park and more importantly, the cost. He said that there were a number of people that didn’t think the park was necessary. My reply to her is provided below. The reason I’m including the information is to assist others in understanding the reasoning and the logic for this investment, and it is an investment. Please contact me if you wish to discuss further.
 
The DDA has already spent millions of dollars in the downtown area to improve the north parking lot area. The DDA extended Main Street to 64th Avenue. The DDA replaced and extended water and sewer to improve infrastructure so future development/investment in the downtown could occur. Monetary grants in the amount of thousands of dollars were paid to property owners on Main Street to improve their facades in the hope more customers would want to enter their businesses. Many people objected to these expenditures because other projects needed funding. But what happened? More people visit downtown than ever, so something is working. Visitors to Coopersville routinely comment on how quaint and beautiful our downtown is and they wish they had one. Allendale, Hudsonville, Rockford and others are have commented positively on what we have.
 
The goal of the DDA is to revitalize the downtown so that it becomes a destination for residents and visitors alike. The Pocket Park will be another element to bring people downtown. Its uniqueness will draw future customers to Main Street. The Pocket Park will bring life, shade, and character to a bald asphalt car lot that currently is an eyesore to the downtown. Is the Pocket Park going to cost some money? Yes. Is it a significant amount? Yes. But what amount is too much? What amount is not enough for a project that helps bring more awareness to our historic downtown and provides a “sense of place” and a place where individuals and families can meet and share another experience in Coopersville?
 
With the train bringing in tens of thousands of riders a year, the Pocket Park will become a focal point for them as they wait for a train ride. Without a doubt, they will share with others their experience on the train and how cute and unique Coopersville’s Pocket Park is and how they wish their own city, village, or township could have one.
 
Change and growth is difficult, it simply is. But without change and growth a community will eventually die or become less than desirable. Less than desirable leads to store vacancies and the economic dominos will fall, leaving downtown dusty and unattractive.

Summer is over, Daylight Savings Time is over, the bulk of the construction season is over, and now the elections are over as well. Now is the time for the “new.” On Monday night, we will swear in new council members, the beginning glimpse of winter is present, and a new year will quickly follow in its path. This is an exciting time of the year for the City of Coopersville and its citizens.  The city staff and I congratulate the re-election of James Ward and Brian Mooney. However at the time of this writing, the entire election hasn’t been certified by the County Board of Canvassers (BOC). The election results have to be certified BEFORE the oath of office takes place for all those that have been elected, including write-ins. Kim Borgman, City Clerk, is relatively confident that the election will be certified before Monday night’s council meeting per the BOC. If there are any specific questions regarding the status of the elections please contact Ms. Borgman.
 
Regardless of when the election is officially certified, we look forward to working with our new council in the continuing journey of making Coopersville a prosperous, safe, and desirable place for or residents to live and business owners to thrive.
 
I would also like to wish Charlie Vander Kolk and Larry Crandle well as they depart the city council. Both have provided a valuable service to the citizens and businesses of this city and the staff and I thank them for their many years of service. 
 
Enjoy your weekend and as I have said countless of times, and I sincerely meant it and still do, be safe out there. 

​
Utility Advisory Committee

I am recommending that council form a committee who can work with me on the various utility projects which are being planned and discussed. There are numerous options being studied to upgrade the water and sewer systems for the City of Coopersville and it would be best if we had a committee who could review options and have solid discussions before proposals come before council for final action. It’s also important that council have a few members that could act as advisers for other council members, in order to provide a more robust exchange of ideas and shorten the learning curve on more complex areas of these projects. 
 

Dedicated Sewer Main – Lift Station

Our new lift-station and dedicated sewer main is now working. As with any major project of this type, there were a few things to work out but by and large the system is working. This expansion to our waste water system will provide more flexibility and by default more capacity in the city’s domestic portion of sewer system.

 
WWTP Project Phase II

I have again included a previous statement on the WWTP Phase II project below for new council members. Last week I met with individuals representing the Muskegon Waste Water Plant. They once again indicted they would like to contract with City of Coopersville rather than an individual business such as CDF (Continental Dairy Facilities). They will have their formal proposal November 13th rather than November 1st. Once CDF and the city have had time to review their proposal, I will then inform council of what additional options are available to us. 
 
We are studying options for long-term plans that would include constructing Phase II of the City’s WWTP to process 3.3 gallons per day (GPD). Estimated price, depending on the extent of pre-treatment by Continental Dairy (CDF), ranges from $12 Million to $19 Million. The City has already met with our bonding attorney to explore feasibility of financing through an existing bond to construct Phase II. The conclusion is that the City will be able to access additional funds if we so choose. Estimated timeline dependent on financing approval would see construction commencing the summer of 2016 and in operation late spring to early summer of 2017.
 
A secondary long-term plan is an option currently in discussion with CDF, Coopersville, and Muskegon. It is a concept to divert future incremental flow increases from CDF to the Muskegon WWTP. There are a number of parameters that will need to be finalized if this option were to become a viable choice for all parties. The City of Coopersville will continue to update council as more information becomes available.
 
 
West Randall Street Reconstruction Project

Hopefully this will be my last comment on the West Randall Street re-construction project. All lanes are open, the trees are planted, the electrical posts are installed, and even the new lift-station is operational.
 
Just a quick clarification, as I’ve heard there are a few questions on the electrical posts/outlets. They were installed to provide power for decorative lighting as a means to highlight the corridor from the roundabout to the historic downtown. There is obviously more work to do to make this a complete decorative corridor to Eastmanville and the north to Main Street, but we’re closer than we‘ve been in years. This is truly an exciting project and we thank the DDA Board for their financial contribution to this project.
 

As always, any questions or concerns about the above projects or other undertakings of the city, please feel free to contact City Hall. 

Enjoy your weekend and as I have said countless of times, and I sincerely meant it and still do, be safe out there. 

2015 ICMA Conference
During last week’s conference, I attempted to keep a log of the various breakout sessions, keynote speakers, and thoughts that came forth on relevancy for Coopersville. Believe it or not there was quite a bit of information that was applicable for what’s happening in Coopersville both organizationally, with staff, council, and the community at large. Over the next couple of months, I will be sharing some of those thoughts with you in the NON-AGENDA ITEMS section of future memos.
 
Dedicated Sewer Main – Lift Station
Nothing to report other than the project continues to move forward with relatively few misfortunes. The goal is to still to be functional by the end of October. Site clean-up, landscaping and such, will continue after if weather conditions are favorable. If for some reason that’s not the case, final landscaping would be next year spring.
 
Second River Crossing - Water Project Phase I
I met with Prein & Newhof this week as they have completed the Engineering Evaluation for the Phase I -  Water Supply and Transmission Improvements. On October 26, I am suggesting another special council meeting to review the contents of this study and to bring council up to date on the particulars including the updates on funding options. So, please keep October 26 at 5:45 PM open for this special meeting.
 
WWTP Project Phase II
Since the last memo there have been a number of events that have required staff’s immediate attention as stated earlier in this memo for the WWTP. The special meeting prior to council meeting will also touch on the following as also stated in last month’s memo.
 
We are studying options for long-term plans that would include constructing Phase II of the City’s WWTP to process 3.3 gallons per day (GPD). Estimated price, depending on the extent of pre-treatment by Continental Dairy (CDF), ranges from $12 Million to $19 Million. The City has already met with our bonding attorney to explore feasibility of financing through an existing bond to construct Phase II. The conclusion is that the City will be able to access additional funds if we so choose. Estimated timeline dependent on financing approval would see construction commencing the summer of 2016 and in operation late spring to early summer of 2017.
 
A secondary long-term plan is an option currently in discussion with CDF, Coopersville, and Muskegon. It is a concept to divert future incremental flow increases from CDF to the Muskegon WWTP. There are a number of parameters that will need to be finalized if this option were to become a viable choice for all parties. The City of Coopersville will continue to update council as more information becomes available. Obviously we will discuss this at our October 12 special meeting.
 
West Randall Street Reconstruction Project
I was informed this afternoon that the tentative schedule for traffic to move both east and west on West Randall Street is Monday, October 12. The two center lanes will be open with the far south lane and the far north remaining closed. These lanes will remain closed until the landscaping, tree planting, and any water and electrical that needs finishing. I do not have a specific date at this time when all four lanes will be open to traffic, but it is estimated to be another couple weeks. 

I hope you can take advantage of these excellent fall days before temperatures start to seriously fall for real. Be safe out there!

Assistant City Manager Search
The search for a new Assistant City Manager (ACM) is complete. We interviewed six qualified candidates out of 34 applicants. We decided to have two candidates return for a second interview, both with strong credentials and experience. After having a second interview with the two finalists, which took over three hours for each, we made a decision. This morning I offered a gentleman the position and he accepted. After a contract is agreed upon in principal I will make the announcement. The reason for this delay is that if for some reason either party decides not to follow through with a contract there is no embarrassment to either. My desire is to make the appointment public no later than October 9 if all goes as planned.   
 
Dedicated Sewer Main – Lift Station
Nothing to report other than the project continues to move forward with relatively few misfortunes. The goal is to still to be functional by the end of October. Site clean-up, landscaping and such, will continue after if weather conditions are favorable. If for some reason that’s not the case, final landscaping would be next year spring.
 
Second River Crossing - Water Project Phase I
Prein & Newhof has completed the first draft of an Executive Briefing for the Water Supply and Transmission Improvement, or Phase I of the Water Project. The city will schedule a meeting with Prein & Newhof, Polkton Township, Allendale, and Ottawa County to make seek comments and eventual agreement with the proposal. After this meeting I will review with council.
 
WWTP Project Phase II
We are planning on a workshop on October 12 prior to the council meeting to discuss this topic. In the meantime we are studying options for long-term plans that would include constructing Phase II of the City’s WWTP to process 3.3 gallons per day (GPD). Estimated price, depending on the extent of pre-treatment by CDF, ranges from $12 Million to $19 Million. The City has already met with our bonding attorney to explore feasibility of financing through an existing bond to construct Phase II. The conclusion is that the City will be able to access additional funds if we so choose. Estimated timeline dependent on financing approval would see construction commencing the summer of 2016 and in operation late spring to early summer of 2017.
 
A secondary long-term plan is an option currently in discussion with CDF, Coopersville, and Muskegon. It is a concept to divert future incremental flow increases from CDF to the Muskegon WWTP. There are a number of parameters that will need to be finalized if this option were to become a viable choice for all parties. The City of Coopersville will continue to update council as more information becomes available. Obviously we will discuss this at an October 12, 5:45 p.m. workshop, prior to Council meeting.
 
West Randall Street Reconstruction Project
We are rapidly approaching the pour of concrete for the two north lanes, or the west bound lanes. Not much to report other than the project is progressing in large part to the decent weather. As with any project of this size there have been a few glitches that are dealt with in a timely manner. Thanks again to EVERYONE for their patience during this seemingly long time of reconstruction. We’re almost there.
 
City Hall Roof Work
Work is being done this week to the city hall roof, soffits, and other related areas in an attempt to significantly reduce the enormous ice damning that occurs during winter and to reduce the size of icicles that often will be the height of city hall.  We’ll soon see if our efforts were successful.