[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6462341,"mediaKeyId","5810522-7fc5d1a1b1e09486f607e7fac1b0aa0c","parentId",5810522,"title","Votes at a glance: commission confirms appointments, names treasurer, authorizes grant admin and other routine actions","audioSeconds",2391,"startMs",2431610,"endMs",4823105,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5810522-7fc5d1a1b1e09486f607e7fac1b0aa0c&start=2431&end=4823","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5810522-7fc5d1a1b1e09486f607e7fac1b0aa0c/thumbnail_2431610.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6462341/Big-Rapids/Mecosta-County/Michigan/Votes-at-a-glance-commission-confirms-appointments-names-treasurer-authorizes-grant-admin-and-other-routine-actions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462341-65a9cc1d2b24bcadf2d98d24f489a7c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1776605072&Signature=NH~cTea2rMNN2Jqxk4hSxtn7ExbVwBtZcnkI2PPnWawlvp1reqvwNWpn7r-~YpTY5~exViBehUInjg5rXRWbD5geNt5y~44OF5~Qsr1KVMrQ0GGpn~A0X5JlbOWAbM3AgNH3cvLVTnJjdQFZK~SJ8nd1uEk6yy5aHPi0~uq4TSjdqo05PkVXnmeOn4fmpmwEneA0I8vs4Z7-f1nj2brh2StRvTMYsEjs4tZU~rW~FOyDeE5QxuaD~SRsF4-K92rJMxUsx3MDbYUGxxGkXptiskb6it6rXGQ3LIfhiV0EhYk17MftL2~YeysFIa5Q9FzclYvwS7BLhqA6yrlBZKaXrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Big Rapids","date","2025-09-16T11:57:53Z","article","The Big Rapids City Commission took action on a series of resolutions and administrative items during its Sept. 17 meeting. The commission voted unanimously on multiple routine but consequential items, including appointments to boards, the appointment of a new city treasurer and several contract and grant-related approvals.

Appointments and treasurer
- The commission approved mayoral appointments to boards and commissions (Downtown Development Authority: Betty Locklear, Linda Miller, Bob Patterson; Planning Commission: Jeremiah Stokes; Zoning Board of Appeals: Wendy Nystrom). The motion carried on roll call.
- The commission approved a resolution to offer and appoint Michelle Ferguson to the position of city treasurer, effective Dec. 1. The resolution set a salary range of $104,808 to $113,448 and delegated authority to the city manager to negotiate within that range. The commission voted unanimously to approve the appointment; a roll call recorded \"yes\" votes from commissioners present.

Grants, programs and administrative items
- The commission authorized hiring a grant administrator for a $2,500,000 water-main replacement grant (tower-to-tower transmission). The meeting packet identified a proposed grant administrator and $25,000 administrative cost that will be included in the grant budget; MEDC reimbursement was discussed and staff said the grant will cover that portion.
- The commission approved the environmental review for the Big Rapids Housing Commission, which covers a five-year schedule of anticipated capital and operating activities necessary to receive HUD funds for public housing operations and capital improvements.

Public safety, traffic and utilities
- The commission approved temporary and permanent traffic-control measures on Rose Avenue, including installation of stop signs to create a four-way stop and associated signage and flags; staff said temporary warning signs and flags will be used when the stop signs are first installed.
- The commission authorized signature on the opioid settlement participation and associated forms to secure settlement funds for local use; staff noted restrictions on allowable uses and that prior allocations remain limited.

Contracts, procurement and property
- The commission awarded custodial services to West Michigan Janitorial under a one-year contract after reviewing eight bids; staff recommended the vendor based on prior experience and on-site familiarity though it was not the lowest bidder.
- The commission authorized listing surplus property at 114 North Warren (a 50-foot platted lot behind the old post office) for sale or disposition.
- The commission approved renewal of the cross-connection/backflow testing contract and continued contracting for required backflow inspections and testing.
- The commission authorized the purchase and installation of an insert valve for the downtown water main to avoid a widespread water shutdown and potential boil-water advisory during necessary repairs; staff said the insert valve allows live-tap installation and prevents a downtown-wide shutdown and boil-water notice.

Votes were recorded on the public record where roll calls were taken and motions carried unanimously unless otherwise noted in the meeting transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Meeting 9/15/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission approved a group of administrative and operational resolutions, including appointments, the appointment of Michelle Ferguson as city treasurer, grant-administration authorization and several public-works and procurement items.","taxTitle","Big Rapids, Mecosta County, Michigan","taxId",71573,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6462345,"Commission studies proposed septage receiving facility in Big Rapids Township; ammonia cited as limiting factor",1274,682510,1957470,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5810522-7fc5d1a1b1e09486f607e7fac1b0aa0c&start=682&end=1957","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5810522-7fc5d1a1b1e09486f607e7fac1b0aa0c/thumbnail_682510.jpg","/articles/6462345/Big-Rapids/Mecosta-County/Michigan/Commission-studies-proposed-septage-receiving-facility-in-Big-Rapids-Township-ammonia-cited-as-limiting-factor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462345-27842920dc813087900d6377b837e33e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776605072&Signature=ka1iYxKNgZe-GDx6-qshoIDCkDPVGAcbMXvyV~vaJnfwFJUz57UhuTTKtdTxJyRkSED7q0HBsSuNCC1PQ7N8inb7h8MveYGXbQTf80T9u~hAC~1dS9Am~87-DihSMhexLzN30jXj2lv33eQxafO~hdj3R50izIV~lEsOmh9EubgYjlYILf9N9G7A3kQU1vUj~Mab2iwaQRBKLVnhvOjUpoOaEFGt4znI-SPNM8DLh3ZJ6RgKRd9wRZogSyO8nw49HCixxdVxAHC7qeqDfgHqNgngE9Uh1ymNItcORMKgsljsg2WBQsrMH3IRZjMALaRmT1u4bxi8N716dLa79398kA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Big Rapids City Commission and staff discussed a proposal from a local businessperson to build a septage receiving and dewatering facility in Big Rapids Township and to send treated liquid effluent to the city's wastewater plant for final treatment.

The discussion matters because the proposed facility would send concentrated septage liquids to the city's treatment plant, which could change the plant's pollutant loading and operating costs. City engineers said ammonia could be the limiting factor for permitting and long-term capacity.

Mayor Frederick Gunther and Commissioner Karen Simmons introduced the item and described the proposal as a private dewatering operation on 18 Mile Road that would screen and chemically treat septic tank waste, separate solids, and route liquid effluent to the township sewer that flows to the city treatment plant. The proposer, identified as Nick Rowley, described the planned process: \"essentially, the overall description of what the plant would be is a dewatering facility. So we it would kind of be screened twice...that liquid would be mixed with a polymer agent and then, essentially, finely filtered or pressed so that the liquid separates from the solids.\" Rowley said the solids would be landfilled or land-applied and the liquid would go to the municipal plant.

Scott, the city's wastewater engineer, described how the plant's capacity is calculated on a pounds-of-pollutant basis and said the staff analysis used projected domestic growth plus potential industrial loadings from the proposed facility. He said the city identified ammonia as \"the limiting factor,\" noting the plant currently does not have a permit limit for ammonia but EGLE has recommended keeping ammonia below about 30 milligrams per liter. \"Ammonia is kind of what we feel the limiting factor is,\" Scott said.

Staff said the city could issue a discharge permit under its industrial pretreatment program (IPP) to specify daily volumes, limits on pounds of ammonia, BOD and total suspended solids and requirements for equalization so large volumes do not arrive all at once. Scott said such a permit could be reviewed and revised annually.

Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about unknown haulers and the difficulty of assuring every load is only septage; one commissioner recalled a prior incident in which a paint-line discharge (described in the meeting as an acid-related event) required the plant to be temporarily shut down. The commission discussed controls that could be required in a septic receiving plan: manifests from each truck, daily pH monitoring of on-site storage, indoor odor control (carbon filtration) and on-site equalization/storage with alarms.

Several speakers noted layers of government and permitting: the state environmental agency (EGLE) provides permitting and guidance, the city would issue an IPP discharge permit if the township sewer connects to the city plant, and township site-plan and zoning review would also apply. Legal and site approvals would likely require a joint agreement between the city and Big Rapids Township to address sewer flows and liabilities.

No final permit or formal approval was granted at the meeting. Staff was asked to continue technical review and provide recommendations on how much loading the plant could accept and what permit conditions would be necessary to protect plant operations and receiving streams.","A local businessperson proposed a dewatering and septage-receiving facility in Big Rapids Township. City staff told the commission the wastewater plant could potentially accept up to about 40,000 gallons per day under an industrial pretreatment permit but identified ammonia and unknown haulers as key concerns.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6462352,"Big Rapids commission reviews city manager—Mark's 2024 performance; asks commissioners to propose 5-year goals",297,257485,555450,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5810522-7fc5d1a1b1e09486f607e7fac1b0aa0c&start=257&end=555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5810522-7fc5d1a1b1e09486f607e7fac1b0aa0c/thumbnail_257485.jpg","/articles/6462352/Big-Rapids/Mecosta-County/Michigan/Big-Rapids-commission-reviews-city-managerMarks-2024-performance-asks-commissioners-to-propose-5-year-goals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462352-2d2a84ee2957fd3eafaf28111fe77c99/orig.mp4?Expires=1776605072&Signature=VHcP6JrOSHmYFKM7YGTuXnfe9OXMogQdX0Wg8DbVFeHSo0S7sFiknRpMIeBhnIm8Fv2gzXoMs5iAHnRMBzgJzEjEu0tFNtkgzFKYRmSdHy~bt0svz3RObQvdTMntiT2ak45NU6hUa-Q1GoH4Nvx6tEYxhr3h5ssayr~VZCfzFdu~n8luuK5DHuzJ2y1qtHrtyHNmm73t6wzrLxktZTwp01Kw9xluyKY5UVXoAlZexFxTEDar8UToP9Du~mYBV~TRHHzLNOiU5~EqZwSbhn6V1kTYGsPU4KvQhk4x6vOdR0nKITU5AQbMQ0znMxSWRWu9OIfH4wZd3Ovs046v~oIOjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Karen Simmons presented the city commission's summary of the 2024 performance evaluation of the city manager, saying the manager \"consistently either met or exceeded expectations in all areas.\" The presentation covered finance, operations, personnel, community planning, public relations and professional development.

The evaluation matter matters because it sets expectations and goals for the city manager and guides the commission's oversight of long-term planning and budgeting. Simmons asked each commissioner to submit at least two goals by the end of the week for consolidation into a formal evaluation report.

Simmons said the commission distributed questionnaires to all commissioners and summarized the returned responses. \"He has demonstrated strong leadership and strategic foresight in 2024,\" she said, and listed accomplishments the commission highlighted: street rebuilds (Bailey, Dexter and Ridgeview drives), completion of three parks (Sweet Hills Skate Park, Depot Park and a splash pad), completion of paving projects and completion of contract negotiations with the firefighters union. The presentation also credited the manager with increased public engagement and improvements to staff communications.

Simmons told the commission the evaluation also identified areas for improved transparency: commissioners asked for a clearer articulation of the manager's five- and 10-year goals, more detail about long-term budgeting decisions and more visible staff-development planning. \"These opportunities fall more in the category of questions that the commissioners had about what Mark was doing,\" Simmons said, adding the feedback was a request for additional information, not negative findings.

Commissioners and outside speakers who addressed the evaluation praised the city manager's responsiveness and outreach. One speaker who identified himself as a contractor said it is \"very easy to work with him in the city because of his efforts and approachability.\" County and contract partners echoed similar comments about the manager's intergovernmental relationships.

Simmons said she met with the manager to review proposed goals and that the manager would provide his own goals as part of the consolidated evaluation. She asked commissioners to submit their goal items so she could incorporate them into a formal evaluation report.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the evaluation presentation; Simmons characterized the item as informational and requested written goal suggestions from commissioners.","Commissioner Karen Simmons presented a summary of the commission's 2024 evaluation of the city manager, reporting that the manager \"consistently either met or exceeded expectations\" while commissioners asked for clearer multi-year goals and budgeting rationale.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: commission confirms appointments, names treasurer, authorizes grant admin and other routine actions

Commission studies proposed septage receiving facility in Big Rapids Township; ammonia cited as limiting factor

Big Rapids commission reviews city manager—Mark's 2024 performance; asks commissioners to propose 5-year goals