City Commission: Future recreation plans, assessment results
Outside of Mount Pleasant City Hall where City Commissions meetings are held.
The Mount Pleasant City Commission held a three-hour bi-weekly meeting in Mount Pleasant City Hall on Monday night. The commissioners discussed a large-scale city event, the recreation needs, assessment results and capital projects.
Parks and Recreation Director Phil Biscorner presented the goals for large-scale events in 2025. Biscorner mentioned these events could be either concerts or art events.
Key considerations were resource limitations with staff and external assistance. Biscorner said positive aspects would be economic and community impact, public relations, revenue generation and community building.
“This could encourage collaboration among residents, businesses and organizations,” Biscorner said. “It provides a platform for diverse groups to showcase talents and culture.”
Biscorner said this had negative possibilities: resource strain, financial risk, cost for artists, logistical challenges and impact on regular services.
“Potential neglect of routine maintenance and programming due to focus on the event,” Biscorner said. “We would pull people off of what they are currently doing to do that (the event), and that would be across the department.”
Biscorners recommendation was to consider a pilot event to evaluate the feasibility and then align the event’s scope with available resources. Then the city could regularly review staffing and resource needs for sustainability.
Commissioner Maureen Eke said she liked the plan but said they would have to coordinate with organizations in the community to designate time.
“As the survey (assessment results) revealed, people are interested in something like that,” Eke said. “Interested in events that would give the impression this town is alive.”
The commissioners also reviewed the Recreation Programs Assessment.
The goal of the assessment was to guide the city in the delivery of programs and services that contribute to the local community with the opportunity to enhance regional opportunities. Many stakeholders and participants highlighted the need to support individual users with self‐guided programs as well as potential programmed activities.
A few issues noted in the assessment were:
• The city does not offer anything for seniors
• Not enough Coaches for programs, lack of training for coaches
• Central Michigan University Students leave for the summer which creates a void in staffing and activity participation
• No evening gatherings for young adults
• No outdoor programming, especially on the river
• There is concern about the water quality of the river
Also presented were the 2024 bids, which included:
• Airport Taxi Way - $3 million
• Water Tower Coating - $130,000 (originally budgeted $165,000)
• Water Treatment Plant Reroof - $208,000 (originally budgeted $230,000)
• Water Treatment Plant Boiler Replacement - $137,500 (originally budgeted $156,000)
• Water Treatment Plant Lime Removal - $280,000 (originally budgeted $429,000)
The next City Commission meeting is at 7 p.m. on Dec 10.
