MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) — The Marquette City Commission held its regular meeting Monday evening. On the agenda were a wide variety of topics, chief among them was the approval of next year’s budget and amendments to the Founders Landing and Cliffs-Dow property brownfield development plans. We spoke to Marquette City Manager Karen Kovacs for a brief explanation of the budget, and the status of the Founders Landing and the former Cliffs-Dow properties, as they relate to the Brownfield Redevelopment plans.
“So, we’re looking at our expenditures exceeding our revenues with the services that we are providing right now. But the big focus is really trying to spend out or pay down that debt, get the debt service payments under control, and then look at funding with cash in future projects. So, the city will still be utilizing the fund balance. But the good part of that is at this point, we do have adequate fund balance to cover those costs as we go through and really reevaluate what our services are what we are providing.”
Kovacs went on to say, “So, if I’m just standing there, removing the one person that is that physical address 601, South Lake Shore Boulevard, but we’re looking at across from the Fairfield, and that’s just removing that parcel out of that plan, as it really does not have any impact or roll in there. So, the Cliffs-Dow plan amendment is really just expanding the expenditures that can be utilized or can be reimbursed. And again, that’s going to be similar to the same type of expenditure that we have right now. But it is expanding that and then also expanding it to utilize the state capture for those as well which could equate to possibly about $20,000 a year.”
Other issues on the agenda included a new police labor agreement and a continuation of the city’s agreement with the Downtown Development Authority. For further details about past city commission meetings, you can find meeting minutes on their website.
