The Midland City Council is poised to handle a batch of business on Monday, with agenda items including a proposed facelift for the library and an agreement with The Dow Chemical Co. regarding remediation efforts across the city.
The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at City Hall.
A $440,000 project to restore Grace A. Dow Memorial Library’s exterior fascia will “preserve the architectural heritage of the library and its importance to the community,” Library Director Melissa Barnard stated in a letter dated Nov. 30 to City Manager Jon Lynch.
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Funding comes from a $250,000 grant from the Alden Vada Dow Family Foundations and a $190,000 grant from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. The library budgeted $274,000 toward the project, but Barnard said grants needed to be increased after receiving bids for the work.
The city council is set to vote on increasing the library’s revenue and expenses by $166,000 to reflect the change. In a separate motion, the council seeks to set a public hearing at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at City Hall to amend the library budget.
Another agenda item covers an agreement and vote on land use restrictions for parcels in the city contaminated with dioxin.
Dow Chemical and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have been cleaning properties tainted with dioxins, which are toxic byproducts from industrial processes that were emitted from Dow’s Michigan Operations site in Midland.
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The cleanup process started in 2012 and targeted nearly 1,500 properties. The affected area stretches from east Midland, including several properties on Washington Street, South Saginaw, Bay City and James Savage roads, along with side streets, to those near downtown and the Midland Plaza, on streets like Indian, Lyon and Patrick.
Dow reports it is nearing completion, having tested 1,600 soil samples, but tells the city it has been unable to access about a dozen properties, mostly due to landowners denying access or not responding to Dow’s request.
Dow, the city and the DEQ worked to develop an agreement and declaration of restrictive covenant, which would require the city to:
• Prohibit the keeping or raising of poultry or livestock on 19 city-owned parcels zoned for agriculture, which are associated with park land and the landfill (none will be used for this purpose, according to the city)
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• Provide notice to Dow of proposed land use change applications
• Biannually, provide to Dow a list of property transfer for any non-remediated property
• Provide notice to Dow of proposed changes to farm animal standards of the code of ordinances
The council will vote on the agreement and covenant on Monday.
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Also on the agenda is Chow Chow Holdings Inc.’s request for a liquor license for Basil Thai Bistro, which is working on a move to downtown from its 225 W. Wackerly St. location. Property owners at 416 E. Ellsworth St., where the restaurant plans to relocate, have told the Downtown Development Authority that they either are or will be investing more than $236,000 to put in new roofing, building improvements and signage. Basil Thai Bistro opened in 2013. The move would essentially triple the restaurant’s space.
See the city council agenda here: http://bit.ly/2gLoc9Y
Beforehand, a special meeting is set for 6 p.m. for the council to enter a closed session to discuss collective bargaining negotiations.
