[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6389416,"mediaKeyId","2113346-fb660e41a3cfa26a96c15eb334e6b100","parentId",2113346,"title","Commission adopts urban-agriculture and personnel ordinances, approves new victim services classification","audioSeconds",556,"startMs",1150000,"endMs",1706000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113346-fb660e41a3cfa26a96c15eb334e6b100&start=1150&end=1706","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113346-fb660e41a3cfa26a96c15eb334e6b100/thumbnail_1150000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6389416/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/Commission-adopts-urban-agriculture-and-personnel-ordinances-approves-new-victim-services-classification","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389416-89a2dd57666555f8869df0f88ddf9d87/orig.mp4?Expires=1771220075&Signature=UJjFunPKIXq9IwGEgR6kCkKGF2UmMjlKflg08njMGnZbS5plOPPSbo83hwE6geXs8npKLjh-G7kW62aWRD9H9QO6Vql2C0RyWBYJ9PGL5ckz2730QByoqZReWQm75nFlwGSImWRj8zZxEfBtyjdo0Fs28pV1YbMnH9UVOtj4HJD65jLNZcNDNc4NOu8B7q6FZYaNVSVjzdvloVrTYgTez8QK0IP4XFzTFw3eeRn8h8m5L0CqceilRZsdTARk1PxORM0yd2qUHPlkLSiOEcsRIFeSMZMmWsacLuAB5lZGKTSR95bkF3THmvfP0zWXk6vXJvMYsNeByd1dHXA9UwsqhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","The City of Grand Rapids","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Grand Rapids City Commission adopted several ordinances and personnel classifications during the meeting.

An ordinance amending Section 6.50 (Urban Agriculture) of Title 6 of the Grand Rapids City Code was adopted. Commissioner Robbins described the amendment as reducing the urban agriculture committee membership from 13 to 9, removing seats designated for representation from Blandford Nature Center and Grand Rapids Public Schools in Kent County, and reducing city staff appointments from two to one. The ordinance was approved by roll call; commissioners on the record voted \"yes\" during the roll call announced at the meeting.

A salary ordinance to create a new classification described in the meeting as \"leave an accommodation analyst\" (presented as an amendment to section 3.2 of ordinance 2022-40) was adopted; staff said the classification had been reviewed by the Civil Service Commission and was intended to improve LEHI (leave?) processes, ADA administration and compliance. That item was approved and given immediate effect by voice vote.

A second salary ordinance establishing a new classification titled victim services manager was adopted by separate roll-call vote. Commissioners and staff said the new position is needed to expand the Grand Rapids Police Department's victim services program after the department received a $500,000 federal grant to support the program. The new position will provide administration, compliance, community engagement, project management and support for a high-risk intervention team; the commission approved the ordinance and granted immediate effect at the meeting.

Separately, the commission approved an amendment to city commission policy 100-02 authorizing a $700 monthly vehicle allowance for the mayor (see separate article).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Meeting - January 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission adopted an ordinance revising the Urban Agriculture committee membership and approved several personnel-related ordinances creating new classifications for human resources and victim services; one resolution on the mayoral vehicle allowance was also approved (see separate article for details).","taxTitle","Grand Rapids City, Kent County, Michigan","taxId",3704,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6389421,"Commission holds public hearings on three West Fulton and Godfrey development projects using Brownfield and NEZ incentives",910,1813000,2723000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113346-fb660e41a3cfa26a96c15eb334e6b100&start=1813&end=2723","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113346-fb660e41a3cfa26a96c15eb334e6b100/thumbnail_1813000.jpg","/articles/6389421/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/Commission-holds-public-hearings-on-three-West-Fulton-and-Godfrey-development-projects-using-Brownfield-and-NEZ-incentives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389421-a12b831b24cdf9f42be3ca4a4247d35e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771220075&Signature=YPmhtLOdg6oF-By1e9IGWbTu1YjKCcTQ1Odl4vfZ1EyiEdXq0Je9sU2l1rUos5~WmKUqp9IOSrixq~okI9UIifiToWc5xN9rcjREBAZFtwZfXyxYciSAJEze0PDRnVW5odwT0JmTlC9OvU8zlDy2A-4a3LwFIM3aHiHAHrhMRjCR7AjAAk--hDWYFrQZ9DD~7gOsgh8eDwQcXeJHaUS93AMKXyvHzaIxH6V0fmQMlnmAXd71HF7VBQ1jKkXJCQBbygFZMhpvjG4D2vu0KsHhPVtXODaJXVyMtkSXQmo01dvGB1U94jmRXVIvqyAKXJ7ag8lpd0PvOBYxBMXucSRrSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff and development teams presented three separate development proposals and associated incentive requests during the commission's public hearings. The items were grouped for efficiency: items 1–2 (Fulton & Seward mixed-use project), items 3–4 (657 Fulton two-building project) and items 5–7 (Godfrey rehabilitation). Each project seeks combinations of Brownfield eligible activity reimbursement, neighborhood enterprise zone (NEZ) property tax abatements, and inclusion-plan contractor participation goals.

For the Fulton and Seward site, planning staff described demolition of two existing buildings and construction of a new four-story mixed-use structure with ground-floor commercial space and a parking structure behind the building. Planning staff said the proposal includes 106 apartments and \"20 +1000000 in construction costs\" (language as stated in the meeting record) and an inclusion-plan participation goal of about 17% for minority-, women- and locally-owned subcontractors. The item before the commission included a Brownfield plan and a 15-year NEZ exemption; planning staff said the total of Brownfield-eligible reimbursements over 14 years was represented in the packet as \"3 +1000000\" (verbatim as in the record).

Brent Gibson of Construction Simplified, the developer, told commissioners the project would provide mainly studio units for the growing west-side population, include a covered two-story parking deck to avoid neighborhood street parking impacts and establish three retail suites on the ground floor. Joe Gasanelli of Michigan Growth Advisors, the incentive consultant, said the project also seeks state assistance through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and that the team expected a decision from the state \"this week\" (as stated in the meeting).

For the second Fulton site (items 3–4), the team described two- to three-story buildings with a connected walkway, proposing 23 one- to two-bedroom apartments and 21 studios. Planning staff and the developer said the project has roughly $4,400,000 in construction cost (discussed as \"4 and almost 4 and a half 1000000\" in the meeting record) and a Brownfield request tied to housing-eligible activities with identified financing gaps of around $959,000 (as described by planning staff).

The Godfrey project (items 5–7) proposes rehabilitating more than 500,000 square feet of former industrial buildings into a walkable employment center for creative, arts and nonprofit uses. Planning staff said the rehabilitation is expected to create about 190 new jobs and entail roughly $14,200,000 in rehabilitation costs with a 15% aspirational inclusion-plan goal (about $2.1 million). Developer Dennis Griffin described the area as a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood with a high youth population and asked the commission to support reuse that keeps rents and operating costs affordable for current tenants.

Public comment included supporters who praised the planning department and the corridor revitalization, neighborhood residents requesting more green space and tree plantings, and local commercial brokers noting interest from small and medium enterprises that could lease space in rehabilitated buildings. Several commissioners asked clarifying questions about retail vs. accessory dwelling units on ground floors and how NEZ requirements (including mixed-use ground-floor retail) apply; staff said NEZ statute requires mixed-use with ground-floor retail but the statute does not prescribe a fixed retail square footage, and that a project could retain some retail even if it altered the ground-floor program.

All three projects were referred to the Committee of the Whole for further review and final action; no final approvals or incentive grant decisions were made at this meeting.","Developers presented three projects on Fulton, Seward and Godfrey corridors — including a 106-unit mixed-use building and a large rehabilitation of former industrial buildings — seeking Brownfield reimbursements and neighborhood enterprise-zone tax incentives; commissioners referred the items to Committee of the Whole after public comment.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6389425,"City commission approves $700 monthly vehicle allowance option for mayor",371,734000,1105000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113346-fb660e41a3cfa26a96c15eb334e6b100&start=734&end=1105","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113346-fb660e41a3cfa26a96c15eb334e6b100/thumbnail_734000.jpg","/articles/6389425/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/City-commission-approves-700-monthly-vehicle-allowance-option-for-mayor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389425-98dfe8d0680692c4c9b7be891b0f5466/orig.mp4?Expires=1771220075&Signature=cDEV25K84H9nYMCQn6t1~MMADJRhKM2jpUS1bWNG2yNfH1O7tVZWzuN9v0moQPf-TwpZMVt0B6xEtren3BPtmbF~5EiDWYYnG4xxGDUGakxpTBw2FfkZA8uXeHWpOsFYoVWD2VllcylhO3pwhd96w1glD~5xoHrqCaC046EK6MxeSO475LOzaTwD8qnYx7FyMpFuzwYV6p-6bFRQGbCctl-MNHaozEd0JEy47Y5p6086LUBWsiXoNtjRttJJrNarDKmuP9Zcu-cD-a~TjAMEDDT8OUh8DVv1MskCQTCjLiRXF6bkuHTmYqjBBLa6uAocras8itSK8W6-jDFCgwnckw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Grand Rapids City Commission voted to amend its policy on elected-official travel and expenses to allow a $700 monthly vehicle allowance for the mayor as an alternative to a city-owned assigned vehicle. The amendment was removed from the consent agenda for discussion and then approved by voice vote.

Commissioner Patrick Perdue, who presented the amendment, told the commission that the policy change \"introduces a $700 monthly vehicle allowance as an option for the mayor.\" Perdue said the allowance would give the mayor flexibility to choose a personal vehicle, would reduce city costs compared with maintaining a permanently assigned city-owned vehicle, and would make the mayor responsible for fuel, insurance and maintenance and therefore not eligible for mileage reimbursement.

Some commissioners voiced concerns about providing public funds that effectively subsidize a personal asset. \"My concern is with the difference of, leasing a car, having the use of a car, which it calls for, and dollar amount that would go to an elected official for an asset that they would then retain,\" Commissioner Sasse said, adding she voted against the proposal in committee and would vote no again at the meeting.

Other commissioners pressed that the allowance represents a cost-saving alternative and noted that other city-issued equipment (such as laptops and phones) is returned when a commissioner leaves office. One supporter noted the allowance aligns with recent practice of allowing mayors to have a leased vehicle instead of a permanently assigned city car.

After discussion, Mayor LeGrand called the question. The commission approved the policy amendment by voice vote; the mayor announced \"the motion carries.\" The record shows the item was discussed in committee earlier and was removed from consent for public discussion at the request of several commissioners.

The amended policy will allow the mayor to choose either a permanently assigned city-owned vehicle or to receive the monthly $700 vehicle allowance; it also clarifies that the mayor choosing the allowance will be responsible for vehicle operating costs and will not be eligible for mileage reimbursement. The resolution was referred to and approved as an amendment to city commission policy 100-02 (Use of public funds by elected officials for travel and other expenses).","The Grand Rapids City Commission approved an amendment to its policy to allow the mayor to receive a $700-per-month vehicle allowance instead of a permanently assigned city-owned vehicle after a divided public discussion and a voice vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission adopts urban-agriculture and personnel ordinances, approves new victim services classification

Commission holds public hearings on three West Fulton and Godfrey development projects using Brownfield and NEZ incentives

City commission approves $700 monthly vehicle allowance option for mayor