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WUVS 103.7 The Beat The Community Station
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Beat Breakdown Mia Johnson
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Former Muskegon Resident shares her story of being sexually abused by her father. admin
Running for three Council seats, four candidates spoke about economic development, neighborhood involvement, transit in the city and the community’s connection to city hall. Their answers, as well as paraphrased versions of the questions (or groups of similar questions) can be found below.
Before Monday's full council meeting, City Manager Natasha revisited the four focus areas the council defined in a planning workshop at the start of their 2011 fiscal year in January: fiscal responsibility, infrastructure, blight elimination and marketing. Tying into the marketing goal, Henderson spoke about economic development of the city and recommended the council assess their visions of the future of the city from an economic development perspective.
Budget-to-actual expense documents obtained this week from the city indicate that three quarters of the way through the city's fiscal year, the city’s expenses are only at approximately 66.3% of the year’s budget, below the expected 75% benchmark.
The wetland area in question begins behind the former Chi Chi’s/Red Dragon BBQ site and nearby mobile home park and stretches westward to near Peninsula Drive, where the City of Norton Shores begins.
While the city bills its residents for sewer services, it must pay that money forward to the countywide wastewater system. When the county elected to increase rates for use of its wastewater system, cities and townships across the county must now consider finding a way to pay for it.
Next Tuesday’s deadline to file to run for Mayor or City Council of Muskegon Heights is fast approaching. At 4 p.m. on August 16, no more candidacies will be accepted for the three city council positions plus mayor, all of which will be voted on this November.
Jager said good prior performance, the need for competing water systems to keep prices down, and even questionable financial strength of any one city or the county as reasons for keeping the Heights plant under Heights control.
As a component of the plan, Muskegon Heights’ plant would give up control of the operation of the plant. In return, Muskegon would pay the Muskegon Heights $1.2 million per year for 5 years, paying a total of $6 million to take full operational control of the plant. Muskegon Heights, however, would retain ownership of the plant itself and the waterfront land it sits on.
Council members unanimously approved the use of $500,000 from a grant awarded by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for the park. To get that money for the park, the city needs to put up a $200,000 match. The city has chosen to use $200,000 they got from a grant from another state government organization, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
