Lansing City Council holds FY2025 budget hearing, approves Parks and Rec hires

by Julie Berg-Raymond

After a public hearing during its regular meeting Monday, May 20, the Lansing City Council approved Resolution No. 1006 regarding the budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025). No written or verbal comments were made to City Hall.

PARKS AND REC
The council approved the following Department of Parks and Recreation hires: Robert Ekern at $12/hour as assistant softball coach and $15/hour as head T-ball coach; and lifeguards Lilly Kolsrud at $11.25/hour, Sawyer Gramlich at $11.25/hour, Zoey Timmerman at $11.50/hour, and Mallory Mohn at $11.75/hour. The council also approved hiring Craig Wood to rebuild the roof over the dugout in the sports complex. The bid is for $1000 for materials and $1200 for labor; it was the only bid received.

UPDATE: URBAN REVITALIZATION PLAN/TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE
The public hearing for an Urban Revitalization Plan/Tax Abatement Ordinance in Lansing will likely be held July 1, according to Mayor Mike Verdon. In an email interview with Mayor Verdon May 24, the mayor said the letters that must be sent out to all property owners in the Urban Revitalization Plan District 30 days prior to the public hearing were being sent out the week of May 27.

The city council’s unanimous approval December 18, 2023, to adopt Resolution No. 999 (“it is the intention of the City Council to finally adopt a resolution approving the Proposed Plan for the Lansing Urban Revitalization Area and an ordinance designating the Lansing Urban Revitalization Area on January 15, 2024”) was rendered invalid because the letters that were supposed to have been sent out to all property owners in the Urban Revitalization Plan District were not sent.

A second effort to schedule a public hearing on the matter had to be postponed because the letters mailed to property owners went out with incorrect information.

To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, May 29, 2024 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.