(Publisher’s note: This is the second story from the Sept. 2 Chelsea City Council meeting.)
The Chelsea City Council unanimously approved distribution to neighboring municipalities, public utilities, railroad companies and public transportation agencies within the city, a new Master Plan for the city that includes major changes from the previous one.
Included are land use changes, a new section on housing, as well as a transportation section, and there is a 42-day comment period.
Community Development Director Paul Montagno called the 137-page Master Plan a policies and strategies document. The lengthy document can be found on the city’s website here.
“The Master Plan is used in a variety of ways, but most importantly, the plan is a general statement of the city’s goals and policies and provides a single, comprehensive view of the community’s desires for the future,” according to the document.
Also unanimously adopted was council support for a connecting communities grant application for engineering work for an alternative Border to Border connection. The route will go through downtown, the Border-to-Border trail head in Timerbertown and the planned Lett’s Creek Linear Park that will connect to Sylvan Township.
The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission wants to help communities expand the non-motorized trail network in the county and has committed $600,00 per year through 2025 to assist in the construction of non-motorized trails and improvements that requires a local match. In this case, Chelsea has agreed to pay $10,000 for the $27,500 project.
The city’s water department received approval for the replacement of a well pump and motor for about $33,000 and the Department of Public Works request for budgeted new street sweeper to replace one from 2005 was also approved. The cost is about $300,000 and will be purchased on a 5-year financing plan, which is below the budgeted price.
Interim City Manager Marc Thompson attended his first city council meeting and had nothing but praise for both the city’s facilities and the city staff. Thompson said it’s evident that city staff is proud of the work they do and understand their service to the community,
Police Chief Kevin Kayzak gave a July police summary that included 414 calls for service, 11 traffic crashes, 110 traffic stops where officers wrote 21 citations and gave out 81 warnings.
He also put out a call for a full-time crossing guard that’s needed at AD Meyer and Freer for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. The department would also like to hire a few part-time cross guards as well. If you are interested, please contact the Chelsea PD at 475-1771.
