By Lisa Carolin
Chelsea City Council received the latest news about the Main Street Park Alliance (MSPA) as well as a presentation about WAVE-Western Washtenaw Area Value Express- during the council’s Jan. 22 meeting.
Joe Ziolkowski, MSPA board member, announced upcoming open houses for the public to be held on Feb. 13 at the Chelsea Depot from noon-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.
The MSPA hired Viridis Design Group in September and has been conducting public engagement sessions. Ziolkowski hopes to present the preferred concept for the park to City Council in March and says $5.1 million has been raised for the project so far with the goal to raise a few million dollars more and to start the project in 2025.
WAVE’s Marie Gress, the new executive director, offered some statistics compiled about Chelsea WAVE patrons from October 2022-September 2023. She said that 73 percent of WAVE riders in Chelsea are 60-years of age plus, 69 percent have a disability, and that the retirement communities and the downtown shuttle are a large percentage of the rides in Chelsea.
City Council approved the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce’s request for a reduced rate of $35 per day for the use of Palmer Commons for the Sounds & Sights food court and social tent on July 26 and 27 as well as for Sounds & Sights Thursday Nights beginning June 6-July 25.
Also approved was the appointment of Mary Keaton to the Human Rights Commission for the term ending Feb. 1, 2027, and the appointment of Howard Merkel to the Downtown Development Authority Board for the term ending Dec. 31, 2025.
Both the HRC and the DDA still each have one existing vacancy. More information is available at https://www.city-chelsea.org/government/boards___commissions/index.php
In other business, city council approved the 2024 Poverty & Hardship Application that includes updated maximum income rates and asset values to replace existing forms as well as budget amendments for the fiscal year 2023-2024 based on increased tax collections and increased interest earnings.
Also approved was the quote from Allen Trench Safety Corporation for a total of $6,719.00 to provide an additional safety measures required by OSHA when the utilities departments make water, sewer and storm line repairs.
The 2024 Chelsea City Visioning Session takes place on Jan. 31 from 5:30 p.m.- 8 p.m. at Silver Maples.
