[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,74,86],{"_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":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6656473,"mediaKeyId","5329068-fa0e9f279f38e56865b840efa1b8bb41","parentId",5329068,"title","Commission adopts tax-abatement requests, replaces sign code; refers rental-housing and pollinator proposals for further work","audioSeconds",645,"startMs",2454000,"endMs",3099000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5329068-fa0e9f279f38e56865b840efa1b8bb41&start=2454&end=3099","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5329068-fa0e9f279f38e56865b840efa1b8bb41/thumbnail_2454000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6656473/Bay-City/Bay-County/Michigan/Commission-adopts-tax-abatement-requests-replaces-sign-code-refers-rental-housing-and-pollinator-proposals-for-further-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656473-77d00d96881b294ff646a7f7253ade39/orig.mp4?Expires=1775607160&Signature=lOhrLiOMR9DEg6Hp6Rnxd71gAXwQtvtQmriUoh7TNLM1096YwSM9ghtgnjDLVWdgYlnlkjMuOkBufyJEnSYfIPTOG3r-~kZjdkIIpRKtwWP74yOxE-RjbETCu0T2VdhdGaR6MRZS0FBfUWVJQs82~snYi51~8-1jvgXUVYeZhGigkaCfbzPMSIJ0jZjJUZZulPq1uViFvtZ3rra4212Dq8brDNlWqG2B9xnPQppeRdB7NNxDbJXzDCyIhSRFeLqxUUBPHqKSqs3g2l-Km0S9MDpBqkNLI4DBDLJocgT6VeD4jrkh2xK5PdtyDjC95HE2vRa2zDxfGVS4lqbmmdcE8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-08T13:24:04Z","article","The Bay City Commission voted on a package of development and administrative items on July 7, approving an industrial facilities tax-exemption application, two obsolete-property rehabilitation requests and a full replacement of the city sign code, and taking separate actions or referrals on other resolutions.

Special orders approved

The commission approved an industrial facilities tax-exemption certificate for Straits Wood Treating Inc., covering $300,000 in eligible investment at 4804 East Wilder Road. The motion to approve passed on a roll call vote. Commission discussion included a short presentation by a company representative who said the project is an additional warehouse and that the firm expects some of the new positions to become permanent; the representative described the application as a one-time filing for that expansion.

The commission also approved two related items for 201 South Lynn Street from Hawthorne Realty LLC: an amendment to the obsolete property rehabilitation district and a separate 12-year obsolete property rehabilitation exemption certificate. Commissioners praised the planned reuse of the Arlington Hotel and local historic preservation benefits during brief discussion.

The commission adopted a city-initiated ordinance to repeal and replace Chapter 85 (Signs) of the Bay City Code of Ordinances in its entirety. Commissioners noted digital billboard activity on recent weekends as part of the rationale for updating the sign rules.

Other regular-agenda actions and referrals

Commissioner Bernie Obershaw’s proposed resolution on equitable and safe rental housing (a multi-point request asking staff to study tenant-notification options, potential code changes, and fines) did not proceed to final adoption on July 7. A motion to refer the resolution back to Commissioner Obershaw for redrafting passed on a roll call vote 7–1; the commission asked that the rewritten proposal include clearer definitions and staff-legal review where necessary before returning.

A resolution reaffirming residency requirements for elected officials, which asks the city to clarify residency expectations and include the standard in orientation materials, passed on a roll call vote 7–1. Commissioners discussed that the underlying residency rules are set in the city charter and state law and said the measure is intended as a reaffirmation and administrative clarification rather than a change in law.

A proposed pollinator-positivity program moved by Commissioner DeWitt was withdrawn after commissioners and staff discussed enforcement burdens on code enforcement. City code enforcement staff told the commission that long-grass and similar complaints make up a large portion of seasonal workload, and the motion’s sponsor agreed to work with staff and community partners on a revised approach.

The commission also approved a one-time change to the September schedule, moving the Tuesday, Sept. 2 meeting to Monday, Sept. 8, and received first-reading approval to change the order of business so public input will occur before commissioner remarks; that ordinance will return for a second reading.

Votes at a glance (summary of formal actions taken on July 7, 2025)

- Straits Wood Treating Inc., industrial facilities tax exemption certificate ($300,000 eligible investment): Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved.
- Hawthorne Realty LLC, amendment to obsolete property rehabilitation district (201 South Lynn Street): Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved.
- Hawthorne Realty LLC / Yousef Harold, 12-year obsolete property rehabilitation exemption (201 South Lynn Street): Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved.
- City ordinance, Code of Ordinances Chapter 85 (Signs) — repeal and replace: Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved.
- Resolution — Equitable and safe rental housing (Commissioner Bernie Obershaw): Referred to commissioner for rewrite (motion to send back passed 7–1); outcome: referred for rewrite.
- Resolution — Reaffirm residency requirements for elected officials: Approved; tally: yes 7, no 1; outcome: approved.
- Resolution — Change Sept. 2 meeting to Sept. 8: Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved.
- Resolution — Pollinator positivity program (Commissioner DeWitt): Motion withdrawn for further revision; outcome: withdrawn/no action.
- Ordinance amendment — Rules of commission: public input placed before commissioner remarks (first reading received; second reading scheduled): Received for second reading.

What commissioners said

Commissioners who spoke cited property rehabilitation as a way to return vacant historic buildings to productive use, noted the operational burden that a broad pollinator exemption could place on code enforcement, and described the residency resolution as an administrative reaffirmation of existing charter and state standards. One commissioner said she would not abstain on a residency reaffirmation measure despite media attention around residency questions in other jurisdictions.

What’s next

Several items will return to the commission for further action: the rental-housing resolution will be revised and resubmitted by the sponsoring commissioner after staff and legal review; the public-input rule change will return for a second reading before final adoption; staff and the sponsoring commissioner will work on a revised pollinator proposal intended to reduce enforcement workload before any new rule is proposed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","7-7-25 Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Bay City Commission voted on a package of development and administrative items on July 7, approving an industrial facilities tax-exemption application, two obsolete-property rehabilitation requests and a full replacement of the city sign code, and taking separate actions or referrals on other resolutions.","taxTitle","Bay City, Bay County, Michigan","taxId",5009,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6656478,"Chamber: Hay Bay City platform posts jobs, expands outreach; city-held account at $118,693.95",603,138000,741000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5329068-fa0e9f279f38e56865b840efa1b8bb41&start=138&end=741","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5329068-fa0e9f279f38e56865b840efa1b8bb41/thumbnail_138000.jpg","/articles/6656478/Bay-City/Bay-County/Michigan/Chamber-Hay-Bay-City-platform-posts-jobs-expands-outreach-city-held-account-at-11869395","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656478-2253648c93be4b60d0cbc5aa25afbb7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775607160&Signature=WT6YvF2Isxt7Kko~mPs1G3ShkeYdPo5DQPlpoS9ycFfjBXkD89A1bMZ7P2j9UMTa8ACnuMX2UB31qi7AS7z9cKw2I-6GNRIgHIMDcAZR0MjoQKw1ypM6sq8LenS~t628KVRgcP3~vFVLwKQOFJZmzLmtN6TNwlzG4XmAnfcDWWcw~P0~m~WW0eGIU6DKSOawPPgXj4Vr36ltChMww1uZ~u0Z~U8LUgMxB2sI5PmNkns5kPug3NBKBHw9hRzn5yeC0U7iGumln8zSoM2cPEkAtDbLgZ4fg1ySRvqWlDDd53941EsFbwYmC~DwM556zUrTBIZauSs78IIi5BHE3aMkrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sarah Parker, a representative of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, told the Bay City Commission on July 7 that the Chamber’s Hay Bay City workforce platform posted 226 jobs and had 214 employers signed up through the first two quarters of 2025. \"We have a total currently of 214 employers that are signed up to post on Hay Bay City,\" Parker said.

Parker said employers and job seekers used the platform in multiple ways: 1,343 \"apply\" clicks, 41 formal applications submitted via the platform’s Typeform workflow, and 41 resumes submitted directly to Chamber staff. She said the Chamber’s workforce staff held 53 face-to-face meetings with employers, educators and partners in the period and that staff are providing one-on-one resume support to several job seekers.

Annabelle Schweiger, marketing communications manager for the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, summarized website and social metrics for the same period. \"For the first half of the year, our website received approximately 123,000 views and 40,000 users,\" Schweiger said, and she identified the job pages as a high-traffic area with about 87,000 job-page views during the two quarters. She said much of the traffic came from Bay City, Ashburn, Virginia, and Detroit.

Schweiger reported cross-platform social reach and audience counts the Chamber compiles: about 1,280,000 views across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, more than 17,000 followers, roughly 3,730 email subscribers and about 1,300 SMS subscribers. She said average session duration on the Hay Bay City site is about two minutes and 11 seconds.

Parker described a mix of activities the Chamber calls workforce development: employer outreach (53 meetings in the period), targeted messages to job seekers (17 opportunities sent directly), and collaborations with Bay City Public Schools, Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works and Bay Future. She said the Chamber presented at the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference on bridging the skills gap.

On the program’s finances, Parker said marketing spending in quarters 1 and 2 included roughly $13,000 for advertising and about $3,000 for community outreach; she gave an end-of-quarter-two balance that the Chamber holds with the city as $118,693.95.

Commissioners asked about local procurement for Chamber-branded merchandise and the drop in site traffic the Chamber attributed to a deliberate reduction in Google ad spend. \"At the beginning of the year we made the intentional decision to reevaluate our Google Ad spend and have decreased that since, which will therefore cause a decrease in traffic,\" Schweiger said.

The Chamber asked commissioners, residents and employers to share posts, refer job seekers and employers to the platform and otherwise support the program’s outreach. \"If you have an employer that needs job seekers, reach out to me,\" Parker said.","Representatives of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce reported workforce development and marketing metrics for the first half of 2025, citing growth in employer sign-ups, site traffic and community partnerships; the Hay Bay City program’s city-held balance at the end of second quarter was $118,693.95.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6656469,"Resident demands transparency on $30,000 legal bill tied to 'Bay City Bridal Partners'",268,1589000,1857000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5329068-fa0e9f279f38e56865b840efa1b8bb41&start=1589&end=1857","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5329068-fa0e9f279f38e56865b840efa1b8bb41/thumbnail_1589000.jpg","/articles/6656469/Bay-City/Bay-County/Michigan/Resident-demands-transparency-on-30000-legal-bill-tied-to-Bay-City-Bridal-Partners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656469-053ec726ae70a58595213dced85b30ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1775607160&Signature=BaaEUky091PSRA2FAmu8I1yHGLLHKzYkreNUTlgR9nCrM6f-nhpBOoTkLcj-BbNE5UTWaXhJnatY2IYqCkLtPCEgb0DQ6Qqv-PY67~bmzui-QVZ9p-o02411SqWngdZO5wsg0dOlxxv~7KjnEfEwYaipuahwYI1iJhm7dPBOgyGM0C5VEq5NeWE4sqwARET5D8IiJPmPxNiP50PZgXiJP41jtxzptCZnVHuifnMYYbTuf9Vtw5oEcgS~tjaSb-YKpx1FJkTxwAXiQB8EuvOpz4zNA7g1k-jr6aek7B~CM24ipvmyO0rYvhOcRO0xH3U71mo7gvvVeJbVFevTNUgLCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jeffrey, a resident who identified himself as living at 409 Fillmore, used the public-input portion of the July 7 meeting to press the commission for information on legal fees the city spent related to the entity he repeatedly called \"Bay City Bridal Partners.\" He asked, \"what did we get for our $30,000 that we spent on those attorneys?\" and called for greater transparency.

Jeffrey urged residents to resist paying bills received from the entity, telling the commission that he believed the group lacked state enforcement powers: \"They can't suspend your driver's license or withhold your tabs for not paying their toll,\" he said repeatedly. He described an ongoing citizen-led effort to boycott the company and said he wanted the city to disclose details about the legal work and any confidentiality agreements the city signed.

The comments were delivered during the scheduled public-input period and did not result in any motion or staff direction during the meeting. Commissioners did not take immediate action in response to the speaker’s remarks.","A resident urged the commission for a public accounting of roughly $30,000 the city spent on attorneys related to the entity the speaker repeatedly called \"Bay City Bridal Partners,\" and urged residents not to pay toll notices from that entity; the comment was delivered during public input and did not prompt commission action.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission adopts tax-abatement requests, replaces sign code; refers rental-housing and pollinator proposals for further work

Chamber: Hay Bay City platform posts jobs, expands outreach; city-held account at $118,693.95

Resident demands transparency on $30,000 legal bill tied to 'Bay City Bridal Partners'