A hearty and sincere thank you goes out to all council members, citizens, and business owners for your patience during the various road resurfacing projects we’ve recently experienced. As the old saying goes, “In Michigan we have two seasons, Winter and Construction.” Unfortunately, we are not done with resurfacing roads. Activity will begin again at the end of August on a number of side streets. The largest resurfacing project will be O’Malley which is scheduled for September 5, after Labor Day. Remember, this too shall pass and the result will be smoother roads for all!
 
This weekend is the celebration of Del Shannon in the form of the Del Shannon Days that also has Kids Fest, The Del Shannon Show, the Car Show, Beer Tent, Rotary Pancake Breakfast, Craft Show, and much more. The Rotary Club has promised once again to bring many activities to our fair city and if the past is a barometer of the future, it will be GREAT! See you all there.
 
Our council meeting has a couple of items for us to discuss with the new Fire Station being of the most interest. Remember we have a workshop Monday on various financial options for the city on the fire station. Ian Koffler, bonding attorney, will be present to offer additional information and support. Have an excellent weekend and as always, BE SAFE OUT THERE!

Water Project Phase I

As stated a couple of weeks ago a workshop will be scheduled to discuss the final design of the booster station upgrade and its costs. However, we’re still waiting on the results of a meeting to resolve a couple of issues with Allendale regarding possible partnering on the new building and another booster station. Still somewhat in flux but nearing closer to a conclusion. As always please contact me if you require further detail.
 
 
Muskegon Waste Water Treatment Plant Option

Engineers from Prein&Newhof met with city staff this week to review the proposed route of the sewer forcemain from Coopersville to the Muskegon County Wastewater Management System. The distance is slightly over 19 miles with a few segments of route needing to be finalized. The meeting was to discuss the route but other questions were discussed and will be revisited at the appropriate time. 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.
 
 
REPEAT - Master Plan Update: Jonathan Seyferth

The updated Final Master Plan was adopted by the City on July 24, 2017. Both the full Master Plan and the Executive Summary can be found here: http://www.cityofcoopersville.com/masterplan.html 
 
 
Downtown Pocket Park

As you may have noticed, the Pocket Park construction is well underway. We’ve had a bit of a delay due to Consumers Energy scheduling issues in some transformer work. That is my diplomatic explanation for now. However, our electrician and contractor have devised a way to continue work at the site, despite this situation. This week is Del Shannon Days so construction fencing has been erected to minimize the dirt and dust from settling on those beautiful autos on display August 12, 2017. Real work will commence on Monday.
 
 
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:

• 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 [email protected]. 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.
 
 
 
Inside Track: Brutus Unleashes Client Potential

Enclosed in your Council Info is an article from the Grand Rapids Business Journal on Renwick Brutus. I’ve included the story because of how positive Mr. Brutus is, and has been, regardless of what he had to overcome. It’s a lesson that I believe needs revisiting from time-to-time. It’s another reminder that life can be challenging, difficult, and sad at time. However, life can be something else as well and regardless of our personally perceived lives, other individuals may have far more intense trials to overcome. Hope you enjoy the articles.

VOLUNTEERISM: The principle of donating time and energy for the benefit of other people in the community as a social responsibility rather than for any financial reward. (Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 2014)
 
Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Rotary, Del Shannon Car Show, the Santa Parade, and many, many more events and organizations in this community and the immediate area function because of volunteers. Centers of worship function because of volunteers. The Outhouse 500, landscaping assistance around the city have been touched by volunteers. Various events at the school happen because of the efforts and investments by volunteers. It’s a very positive and bold statement about the character of a community and the affection that motivates people to volunteer and give back to the community.
 
The City of Coopersville also functions and relies on volunteers through its various boards from the Recreation Advisory Board to the Planning Commission. There is also the DDA Board (Downtown Development Authority), the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Cemetery Board, Construction Board of Appeals, Election Commission, Local Officers Commission, and the Board of Review. We also rely on individuals to give of their time for a minimum monetary payment to serve in the Emergency Services as first responders on medical emergencies. The Coopersville-Polkton Fire Department heavily relies on volunteers to serve as first responders for fire calls, significant accidents on I-96, and mutual aid to surrounding communities.
 
Without volunteers, the City of Coopersville and the community at large would cease to function properly. Sure, the city has the administrative staff which manages the mandates and requirements of the City Charter and the State of Michigan as well as the day-to-day responsibilities of answering questions of the public, managing the various financial funds required to provide services to the residents, and providing support for the city council. The Department of Public Works removes snow from our streets, maintains various landscaping tasks, empties trash containers, sweeps the streets, and many more tasks to make the city look attractive. The Water and Sewer Departments provide and maintains these utilities to the highest standards.  

However, to name but a few:

• Policy is determined by city council members, NOT city staff.
• The Planning Commission takes action on development within the community and makes recommendations to the city council on ordinance language and updates; NOT city staff.
• The DDA Board oversees the economic development of the DDA District to enhance the economic growth within the city; NOT city staff.
• The Zoning Board of Appeals acts on requests to make a variance on existing ordinances; NOT city staff.

 
I could go on and on, but the point is fairly simple and profound. Volunteers are the life blood of a city and its community, without them there is no functioning city or community. The reason for this memo is this; we are having difficulty filling vacancies in most of the boards, Emergency Services, and the Fire Department. It will be critical within a year especially for our medical first responders in the Emergency Rescue Department. We will have multiply vacancies at the end of this year on the DDA Board. 
 
All of our lives have become busy, complicated, and the societal distractions are endless. When I pause and evaluate what I have done in the “volunteering mode” I’m a little embarrassed as I probably could do more. It’s difficult to carve out a couple more hours a month for yet another item on our “To Do List”, and we all have that annoying list. I hope all of us can at least consider where we might be most effective in the areas mentioned above and at least contact city hall and ask a few questions. Until then, thank you for reviewing this memo and enjoy your summer.

Monday night we have a fairly “light” agenda, relatively speaking. There are a couple of resolutions which I will detail later in this memo. Enjoy your weekend, and be safe out there.


Water Project Phase I
​
The application to the EDA (Economic Development Administration) is still being processed by staff and Ken Rizzio at Lakeshore Advantage. Application is on schedule to be sent to the EDA before the end of June. As always if you have questions please contact me.
 
 
REPEAT - Muskegon Waste Water Treatment Plant Option 

Nothing new to report at this time. There have been some rumblings as to possible funding mechanisms, but nothing of any substance. 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.
 
 
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 July.
The timeline is as follows:

• Late June – The 9-week feedback window will close in late June which is also the June Planning Commission meeting date.
  
  
• July 17 – 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.

 

• July 24 – At the second City Council meeting in July, 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. ​

By Mark Horoszowski, Next Avenue Contributor 

(This article previously appeared on MovingWorlds.org.)

The power of volunteering has been documented for the last 2,500+ years, however a slew of recent research is shedding even more light onto its surprising benefits. Science now proves what great leaders and philosophers have known for years:

“One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.” - Gordon Hinckle

Here are five surprising benefits of volunteering:

1. Volunteering time makes you feel like you have more time. Wharton professor Cassie Mogilner wrote in the Harvard Business Review that her research found those who volunteer their time feel like they have more of it. This is similar to other research showing that people who donate to charity feel wealthier.

Said Mogliner: “The results show that giving your time to others can make you feel more ‘time affluent’ and less time-constrained than wasting your time, spending it on yourself, or even getting a windfall of free time.”

2. Volunteering your skills helps you develop new skills. In my experience, skills-based volunteering is an excellent opportunity to develop talents to help you get ahead in your career. In fact, an article in Stanford Social Innovation Review called skills-based volunteering overseas “the next executive training ground.”

At MovingWorlds, we’ve found that skills development in technical and leadership-related areas is the primary reason corporations invest in international skills-based volunteering programs.

(MORE: Volunteering Pays for Job Hunters)

3. Volunteering your body helps you have a healthier body. A Corporation for National & Community Service report noted: “Research demonstrates that volunteering leads to better health… those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.”

The fact that volunteering has been proven to make you healthier is reason enough to engage in pro bono activities. For more information on this, read “Can Volunteering Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease?”

4. Volunteering your experience helps build your experience. We consistently see this with highly skilled professionals like investment bankers and business consultants. Also, volunteering in a new industry will give you knowledge to help you switch fields. And if you want to move from the corporate world to the nonprofit sector, volunteering first can help prove your commitment.

Beyond our own research, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Next Avenue have published articles about how volunteering can help you earn your next job.

As the Journal wrote: “According to the survey of 202 human-resource executives, skilled volunteer work — such as helping a nonprofit with its finances — makes job applicants look more appealing to hiring manager.”

5. Volunteering your love makes you feel more love. Admittedly, love is a hard thing to measure. But when researchers at the London School of Economics examined the relationship between volunteering and measures of happiness, they found the more people volunteered, the happier they were. Volunteering builds empathy, strengthens social bonds and makes you smile  — all factors that increase the feeling of love.
​

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.

Have a fantastic weekend, be safe and we’ll see each other Monday night.

WWTP Project Phase II

This week Jonathan Seyferth (ACM), John Barthels (WWTP), David Kuipers (OMM), and I met with the MDEQ (Lansing & Grand Rapids offices), Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at the State of Michigan building in Grand Rapids. The purpose of the meeting was to resolve remaining issues and answer questions regarding the permit the City of Coopersville is requesting for the upgrade to the WWTP to 2.5 MGD (million gallons a day). The MDEQ has communicated they will prioritize this permit application and will make some accommodations to the city such as having the permit cover three separate projects at the WWTP, which is great news. The current timeline is to have the draft permit (for review by the city) by the end of June and the final permit early September. As always, we will keep council updated as new information becomes available.
 
Today, June 9th, Jonathan and I are meeting with Mark Eisenbarth, who is the Muskegon County Administrator, along with CDF and fairlife representatives on the proposed pipeline to the Muskegon WWTP. My understanding of the meeting is to begin the process for this project to commence. Obviously, there are a number of issues to be resolved before a formal agreement is signed but every project has a first step. Please contact me if you have questions or if you have any concerns that I need to address sooner than later.
 
 
Water Project Phase I

This week Keri Rogers (Treasurer), Jonathan Seyferth, and I met with our bond attorney to discuss possible bonding options and to seek information on a financial advisor. Brief review: I am seeking information on bonding costs to construct the entire Water Project – Phase I at roughly $10.2 million. This a starting point and if the numbers are not attractive or workable for the city we can reduce the initial scope of the Water Project to the core essentials and work at a new baseline.
 
Prein&Newhof continues the process of designing the upgrade to the 60th Avenue Booster station. As always, please contact me if you have questions or would like to provide comments.
 
 
Downtown Pocket Park

Jan Richardson and I met with the landscape architect this week to review the initial engineering drawings and answer a few detail questions that still remain. Although this is a DDA project, the construction phase will begin in August and I’m sure many of you on council will receive phone calls and be asked questions regarding the specifics of the project. Like any project, such as the West Randall road reconstruction last year, there will be a few inconveniences. Obviously myself and others associated with the Pocket Park will try and minimize those inconveniences, but there will be inconveniences. I will keep council updated as we move closer to removing asphalt. 
 
 
 
Strategic Planning – A Reminder

For the last few months, the below text was included in your packets. These words still remain as a reminder of future tasks we as a group will ultimately embrace. Some areas you may what to begin thinking about, but certainly not limited to, are:
 
a.Economic development
b.Future recreation facilities
c.Utilization of Deer Creek watershed that runs through the city
d.Future of utility expansion
e.Issues of aesthetics for new construction, parks, and gateways into the city
f.Regional planning
g.Long-term vision for sidewalk maintenance and new construction
h.Bike trails
i.Road Maintenance and Reconstruction Policy
j.Public safety
 
The arrival of our Assistant City Manager Jonathan Seyferth has allowed more attention and time to revise the City’s Master Plan (Comprehensive Plan). I would like to begin exercises in strategic planning from the City Council as to how we want to control the city’s future. Yes, the Planning Commission does extensive work and drafts the Master Plan, and will perform professionally in that task. But the City Council must take action on the approval/disapproval of that plan. According to the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) and Gerald L. Gordon PHD, strategic planning is:
 
“…a means of understanding change, forecasting change, and setting a course of action to manage the expected implications of change. Even in the most negative situations in the life of a community, strategic planning is a positive means of moving forward.”
 
City Council must begin a conversation of where you want the community to grow and what our future will look like in the next five, ten, and twenty-five years. More information will come to you in the next few months.

Congratulations and thank you all for the approval on the 2016-2017 Budget. The budget process can be a stressful challenge especially when difficult choices have to be made. Fortunately, previous councils and staff created a fund balance that allows more flexibility to run a deficit if the “needs” of the community requires such expenditures. The 2016-2017 fiscal year promises to be very productive in terms of road repair, IT upgrades, and more definition on the water and sewer projects; can’t wait until July 1, 2016.
 
Monday night’s agenda has a Public Hearing – CDBG Closeout for Dedicated Forcemain project. Ken Rizzio of Lakeshore Advantage will be in attendance, I believe. We have a Scheduled Guest Matt Fenske, Ottawa County Commissioner, to share the Ottawa County State of the County 2016 presentation. The weather forecast appears to predict warmer temperatures that hopefully resembles summer. Enjoy your weekend and be safe.


WWTP Project Phase II
Friday morning, May 13,  there was a meeting at city hall that included representatives from the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the MDEQ, the MEDC, Lakeshore Advantage, fairlife, CDF, Arlan Meekhof’s Office, two council members and three staff members. The meeting was overall a positive use of time in that all parties expressed an understanding of the waste water issues that fairlife, CDF, and Coopersville were challenged with and the possible remedies that exist. But as with most issues such as these, access to financial resources are the only true means to viable resolutions.
 
More information will be coming as we meet with OMM, and the WWTP staff today to review a possible permanent upgrade to the plant rather than an interim upgrade as was originally planned. There was general agreement at Friday’s meeting that an $850,000 interim upgrade, which would be required to be “turned off” once a permanent solution was found, was probably not the best option fiscally either short-term or long-term.
 
I have already met with Mark Eisenbarth, Muskegon County Administrator, on a possible partnership between Coopersville and Muskegon as instructed. We didn’t discuss specifics but rather more general items of interest and what needs to transpire before a formal agreement can be signed. Currently there is an interest for Muskegon, Coopersville, and CDF to meet before Memorial Day. As always, I will keep you updated as more progress is made.
 
 
 
Water Project Phase I
The waste water issue has consumed a great deal of time and energy as of late, but at least we have real momentum in resolving the varied challenges. My next goal is to bring to council in the next few weeks a viable option to finance the significant water project that has been in the planning stages for months.
 
I have spoken recently about the possibility of splitting the Water Project – Phase I into smaller, less costly projects and addressing each one over a series of years. That may still be the final option taken, but my intent is to find a financial model that encompasses the entire scope of Phase I. Every component of Phase I is required and if there is a means to accomplish 100% of the project, it would be in the best interest of all parties concerned both short and long-term.
 
Prein&Newhof continues the process of designing the upgrade to the 60th Avenue Booster station. 
 
 
Strategic Planning – A Reminder
Two weeks ago the below text was included in your packets. These words still remain as a reminder of future tasks we as a group will ultimately embrace. Some areas you may what to begin thinking about, but certainly not limited to, are:
 

1. Economic development
2. Future recreation facilities
3. Utilization of Deer Creek watershed that runs through the city
4. Future of utility expansion
5. Issues of aesthetics for new construction, parks, and gateways into the city
6. Regional planning
7. Long-term vision for sidewalk maintenance and new construction
8. Bike trails
9. Road Maintenance and Reconstruction Policy
10. Public safety

 
The arrival of our Assistant City Manager Jonathan Seyferth has allowed more attention and time to revise the City’s Master Plan (Comprehensive Plan). I would like to begin exercises in strategic planning from the City Council as to how we want to control the city’s future. Yes, the Planning Commission does extensive work and drafts the Master Plan, and will perform professionally in that task. But the City Council must take action on the approval/disapproval of that plan. According to the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) and Gerald L. Gordon PHD, strategic planning is:
 
“…a means of understanding change, forecasting change, and setting a course of action to manage the expected implications of change. Even in the most negative situations in the life of a community, strategic planning is a positive means of moving forward.”
 
City Council must begin a conversation of where you want the community to grow and what our future will look like in the next five, ten, and twenty-five years.  More information will come to you in the next few months.

This memo will be relatively short as time is limited due to a very busy week to this point. Work has continued on the budget, more specifically on defining more of the details and examining the merits of those expenditures. Much of the staff has participating in helping shape and define the projects that encompass the budget and the results has been clarity and consensus on what REALLY needs to be done.
 
Again, we will have a Budget Workshop prior to the council meeting but this workshop will start at 5:30 PM. Our discussion will focus on Information Technology (IT) and its larger impact on the operation and management of the city. You should have been sent a PowerPoint by Anisa Williams that reviews where the city is and where it needs to be in terms of a secure and functional IT program for years to come. Although the PowerPoint is intentionally done in a format that is fun and informative, it defines a few critical elements of Monday night’s discussion.
 
 We will provide DRAFT C Monday night at the budget workshop which reduces the deficit to slightly over $161,000 from the original DRAFT A of over $500,000 in the red. We have a fund balance to support it but our job as policy makers and budget engineers is to make decisions on the needs of today in context of the financial future of the city. There will also be a Public Hearing on the 2016-2017 Budget.
 
As always, I wish all of you an enjoyable and safe weekend. Have some fun and don’t forget to contact me if you have any questions regarding this memo and the enclosed agenda.


2016-2017 Budget
Monday night at 5:30 pm we have a budget workshop. We are starting thirty-minutes early as the subject matter is information technology. This subject is a bit in depth as we are proposing a number of significant changes to accommodate the city’s ever increasing reliance on technology. 
 
 
Water Project Phase I
Staff met with Prein&Newhof this week to review the design perimeters of the 60th Avenue Booster Station upgrade. The timeline on when the engineering will be completed is forthcoming. I suggested a rather aggressive timeline for the reconstruction of the booster station that may or may not be practical. As always I will keep you updated on the progress of this project.
 
 
WWTP Project Phase II
Grand Rapids has provided the city with more details on their proposal to take Fairlife waste from Coopersville. Jonathan Seyferth and I have just started studying what those numbers mean and whether their option is viable under the time restraints that are ever looming. As always, I will keep Council and the Utility Advisory Committee (UAC) updated as more information becomes available.
 
 
Ottawa County Central Dispatch (911)
Central Dispatch is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year. Saturday May 21, 2016 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM there is an open house at Central Dispatch, 12101 Stanton Street, West Olive (Fillmore Campus). As this date becomes closer we will provide updated information as received.
 
 
Strategic Planning
Two weeks ago the below text was included. These words still remain as a reminder of future tasks we as a group will ultimately embrace. Some areas you may what to begin thinking about, but certainly not limited to, are:

• Economic development
• Future recreation facilities
• Utilization of Deer Creek watershed that runs through the city
• Future of utility expansion
• Issues of aesthetics for new construction, parks, and gateways into the city
• Regional planning
• Long-term vision for sidewalk maintenance and new construction
• Bike trails
• Road Maintenance and Reconstruction Policy
• Public safety

 
The arrival of our Assistant City Manager Jonathan Seyferth has allowed more attention and time to revise the City’s Master Plan (Comprehensive Plan). I would like to begin exercises in strategic planning from the City Council as to how we want to control the city’s future. Yes, the Planning Commission does extensive work and drafts the Master Plan, and will perform professionally in that task. But the City Council must take action on the approval/disapproval of that plan. According to the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) and Gerald L. Gordon PHD, strategic planning is:
 
“…a means of understanding change, forecasting change, and setting a course of action to manage the expected implications of change. Even in the most negative situations in the life of a community, strategic planning is a positive means of moving forward.”
 
City Council must begin a conversation of where you want the community to grow and what our future will look like in the next five, ten, and twenty-five years. More information will come to you in the next few months.
 

Recently the City of Coopersville, the Coopersville Rotary Club, and the NEO Forum organized and hosted an annual event known as “Celebrate Coopersville.” Everyone is, and was welcomed in the community to attend and many did, including Rotary members, city employees, Coopersville Area Public School staff and facility, elected officials from Ottawa County, City Council, the Board of Education, and even elected officials from Lansing. It is a special night where individuals who have demonstrated something unique or have shown a higher level of performance are recognized and awarded in front of the community that has benefited from their involvement. There is a silent auction where money is raised to support the NEO Forum program that has received much praise for its success with our youth and their families as well.
 
For some undefined reason after the event, I began to contemplate seriously about what “Celebrate Coopersville” really stands for and why. It’s obvious that many of us who work for the City of Coopersville have a rather unique view of the city. Yes, we’re responsible for roads, we’re responsible for water and sewer, we’re responsible for community policing, we’re responsible for recreation programs, and we’re responsible for economic development, planning, and many, many more services. We see it from a perspective that involves citizens and business owners but at the end of the day, the city staff is responsible for infrastructure that allows the rest of the community to function. As an example, roads with two feet of snow covering them can serious hinder transportation requirements.

But our unique perspective allows us to witness many other elements that truly is the “glue” which binds everything together into one cohesive community. We have many volunteers that maintain our beautiful landscapes from the Roundabout to Perennial Park. We have volunteers that spread mulch downtown in the spring, saving the DDA significant costs. Rotary picks up trash along the roadways at certain times of the year for beautification. The many, many coaches and other volunteers who are critical to the success of our recreation department’s varied programs. The volunteers who ultimately determine the aesthetics and feel of our community, such as the Planning Commission, the Downtown Development Authority Board, the Recreation Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the countless other volunteers that assist with Del Shannon Days, the Outhouse 500, the Chili Cook-off, Miss Coopersville, the Historical Museum Board, Christmas Parade, etc. The list can literally go on and on.

Thus back to the second paragraph. What does Celebrate Coopersville really mean? For me, it’s something I haven’t really experienced in my earlier life. My family moved often when I was young from California to Michigan, back to California and finally back to the lakeshore near North Muskegon. My sense of community was limited (and even foreign to me) to a certain degree of definition. But Coopersville demonstrates year after year that “community” is much more than a word: it is a way of life; it’s the human glue that binds the community and brings a unique lifestyle that is different from other cities. Not better, for that would be presumptuous and alienating, but it is still unique nevertheless. The blending of individuals with diverse backgrounds and skills creates a special sense of place that anyone who spends enough time here affectionately calls it home.

I have met many people that live in the surrounding townships that call Coopersville their home. They shop, they bank they visit their doctor, lawyer, and insurance agent all in Coopersville. There are many business owners that live elsewhere but ALWAYS attend Coopersville events. Why? Because Coopersville is special, just ask them. I have. They tell me that there is a “can do” attitude here and people come together to make the improbable happen. Think about this next time you travel through the roundabout. When you’re downtown on Main Street, look up at the clock tower. Slow down on Ironwood and visually savor the flowers under the Coopersville sign; count the number of businesses that sponsor recreation next time you’re visiting Vets Park during a softball game.

Celebrate Coopersville? Absolutely! Everyday!

Monday night at 6:00 PM we will have a Budget Workshop prior to the council meeting. Our discussion will focus on more of the details, especially the larger capital equipment expenditures and many of the road maintenance projects. Draft A has us spending in the red over $500,000. We have a fund balance to support it but our job as policy makers and budget engineers is to make decisions on the needs of today in context of the financial future of the city.
 
As always, I wish all of you an enjoyable and safe weekend. Life is short, as they say, and our obligation as beings of awareness is to live it each day, drinking in the beauty as well as the bitterness, if it so happens to get in the way. You got to admit that life can be a lot of fun. 


Water Project Phase I

City Treasurer Keri Rogers and I have met with our bond attorney and have given him a series of tasks as his homework assignment. One of the series of tasks is to analyze what the city’s obligation for a $9.6 million bond and a scaled down version of the Water Project – Phase I, which is closer to $5 million would be for 30 and 40 years. The “how” in which we would pay for the bond is still under discussion and, fortunately for the city, we have a couple of options available for us to consider. Once those numbers are in, I will schedule a workshop to study those options open to us and how best to proceed. 
 
 
WWTP Project Phase II

I believe we are close to making a recommendation to council as to what is the best route, in terms of policy and practice, to accommodate the growth that CDF and Fairlife are experiencing. There are still interested parties coming to the “party” wanting to participate in this project. Staff and I will evaluate as necessitated. As always, I will keep Council and the Utility Advisory Committee (UAC) updated as more information becomes available.
 
 
Strategic Planning

The arrival of our Assistant City Manager Jonathan Seyferth has allowed more attention and time to revise the City’s Master Plan (Comprehensive Plan). I would like to begin exercises in strategic planning from the City Council as to how we want to control the city’s future. Yes, the Planning Commission does extensive work and drafts the Master Plan, and will perform professionally in that task. But the City Council must take action on the approval/disapproval of that plan. According to the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) and Gerald L. Gordon PHD, strategic planning is:
 
“…a means of understanding change, forecasting change, and setting a course of action to manage the expected implications of change. Even in the most negative situations in the life of a community, strategic planning is a positive means of moving forward.”
 
City Council must begin a conversation of where you want the community to grow and what our future will look like in the next five, ten, and twenty-five years. More information will come to you in the next few months.

Real work has begun on the Coopersville 2016-2017 Budget. The many projects and their costs are coming in, ranging from a new basketball court at Vets Park to a more integrated IT design in order to better serve the city and its citizens. Of course, there is the ever lurking Water Project – Phase I and the WWTP upgrade options that require assiduous study and evaluation. The list continues to grow as do the needs and wants of the community. Many of the proposed expenditures will have to be weighed in terms of priority all the while knowing that many will be intentionally delayed due to limited resources. Meaning, there will have to be choices made.
 
Meanwhile, many of us awoke this morning hearing about the bombings in Brussels which have claimed 38 lives and more than 230 wounded at the time of this writing (New York Times). Two bombs exploded at the Brussels’ Airport with a third bomb ripping apart a car of a subway train at the Maelbeek station. The human carnage is reprehensible and is, and should be, the center of attention and the center of our prayers for those victims and their families. There are too many layers of this tragedy to examine especially the human toll, and obviously the global political ramifications that will grow in the forthcoming days, months, and years.  But there are a few observations worth noting and commenting on that provides a bit of perspective in our own lives and the state of this fine city.
 
Lower on the list, and often times under reported, is the loss of property both personal and real. After the human loss and wounded are removed, the aftermath of physical destruction of property has to be addressed.  The transportation aspects of the targets are obvious as is the importance of reconstruction of those targets in terms of their operation and the significant symbolic value of that restoration. There is no choice between repairing the departure terminal at the airport or “something else.” There is no choice between repairing the damage at Maelbeak Station or “something else.” Resources MUST be found to restore the tools that provide a lifestyle and a quality of life for the citizens of Brussels. Reconstruction must take place not only for the continued operation of the respective transportation centers, but for the reconstruction or the attempt to make life in Brussels “normal” again, if that is even possible.
 
Approximately 4,020 miles from Brussels is a place called Coopersville, Michigan. Later the same morning of the bombings in Brussels, people throughout Coopersville were going to work, dropping their children off at school, and business owners were preparing for a full day. City staff was busy answering phones and questions preparing a budget for the city council to review and eventually take action. Will the basketball court be constructed or how much IT upgrades will be approved for next year? Which sidewalks get repaired or built? How much salt and sand should be ordered for next year’s winter? There will be choices made. Many projects will be approved, many will not. But more the question, I wonder if we can consciously appreciate that we don’t have to shift scarce resources to resurrect the wreckage from the barbaric acts of terrorism or bury the dead of family and friends.
 
This morning before I left for city hall, I discovered water in my basement that shouldn’t be there and that the headlight in my truck has a short. Blessed are we…
 
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Wayne Pickler will be presenting the 2016 Report of Assessment Roll Changes. These numbers are in review at the County so if there are changes, which are unlikely, the updated numbers will be shared with Council on Monday evening. Remember we have a Budget Workshop prior to council meeting at 6:00 PM in the training room. This first meeting will be mainly a review of capital projects, preliminary revenues, and the process for eventual approval. 


Moody’s Annual Comments
Keri Rogers and I have received Moody’s Investor Service annual comment on Coopersville. It is included in the Council Info portion of this packet for you reading enjoyment. What is significant to me is that Moody’s rating for General Obligation matches Fitch’s rating. There are many in our business that place more value on Moody’s evaluation and because of that I’m very pleased at this point. If you have any questions on this evaluation and/or is there anything we can do to improve the rating please don’t hesitate to contact me.
 
 
Celebrate Coopersville
A friendly reminder that Thursday, March 24 at 6:00 PM our annual Celebrate Coopersville event will take place at Plumbers Hall; hopefully all of you have made your reservations for a great evening of fun, food, and celebration.
 
http://tinyurl.com/CelebrateCoops2016
 
 
Water Project Phase I
I’m meeting with the Utility Advisory Committee (UAC) this evening to review some information from Prein&Newhof regarding the Water Project – Phase I. I’m also gathering information on the maximum amount the city could bond for if we chose to construct the bulk of the water project. Included in this discussion will be the practicality of also considering the inclusion of a reconstruction of a bridge within the city limits (more on that later). As always please contact me if you have any questions regarding this or any other issue of concern.
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WWTP Project Phase II
As stated above the UAC.  Tonight after our discussion on water projects, we will discuss the current status of the WWTP upgrade. I have been receiving a bit of pressure from parties interested in the WWTP to make a decision on a particular option. My response then and always is whatever decision we make it will be in the best interest of Coopersville, its residents, and business owners. As always, I will keep council and the Utility Advisory Committee updated as more information becomes available.
 
 
2016-2017 Budget
City staff and supervisors have their individual budget requests, including capital expenditures. We’re going to have our first council/staff budget workshop this Monday, March 28 at 6:00 PM in the training room. This workshop will be more of a review of Draft A and where our total projected revenues and expenditures will likely fall. There will be brief discussions on certain capital expenditures and what needs to be done and what project or purchases could wait. I know your schedules are very “tight” but please make every effort to attend.