The Battle Creek City Commission on Aug. 19 approved an ordinance to rezone 26 Harvard Street from R-2 two-family residential to T-3 neighborhood commercial and passed multiple resolutions authorizing city agreements and recognitions, including support for a Share Center charitable gaming license.

The rezoning affects a property on the east side of Harvard Street between Calhoun Street and Frelinghuysen Street. The commission opened and closed a public hearing on the application without public comment and then adopted ordinance O7-2025. The clerk read the ordinance description and the commission voted to adopt the ordinance; the clerk announced the ordinance "has been approved." (See provenance.)

The commission also approved a one-year agreement with the Leila Arboretum Society to provide educational programming, park stewardship, urban forestry consultation, and installation and maintenance of downtown seasonal plantings and a winter water display for fiscal year 2025–26. The motion passed and the clerk said the vote was unanimous.

Commissioners approved a personnel-related resolution affirming that the city attorney "exceeds expectations" and increasing his base salary by $6,180 (4%) effective Aug. 1, 2025, and awarding a lump-sum bonus of $6,180. The commission also authorized the city to participate in the Purdue Sackler National Opioid Settlement.

The commission voted to recognize the Drop-In Self Help Center, doing business as the Share Center, as a qualified nonprofit operating in Battle Creek and to support the Share Center's application for a charitable gaming license from the State of Michigan. That resolution drew public comment at the meeting from both supporters and people expressing concern that a charitable gaming license could be confused with gambling.

Kathy Anthea, who identified herself as living in Parkridge and said she approached the commission to request the resolution, told the commission, "there's no gambling going on there ... This is, specifically for a fundraising opportunity that we plan on creating this November." Anthea said the fundraising event will include a raffle and that Michigan requires a charitable gaming license for that activity. Resident Reese Atkins spoke earlier in the meeting opposing the idea, saying he was "a little bit concerned" and that allowing raffles could be seen as "giving people the ability to start thinking they can start gambling." Commissioner Lacoste said the Share Center was "short about a $160,000 out of their $7.60 k budget," and urged support; Commissioner Patrick O'Donnell said he understood the need for licensing for charitable fundraising.

Public comment elsewhere on the agenda raised concerns about other city spending. Resident John Kennebec criticized a line item he identified as "resolution 217 for the transit office furniture to spend $88,000," saying, "That money could have been applied to [the fire department]." The commission had previously approved the consent agenda earlier in the meeting; the clerk announced that the consent agenda "has been approved." The transcript does not show a separate roll-call vote count for every item.

Votes at a glance: 1) Ordinance O7-2025 — Rezoning of 26 Harvard Street (R-2 to T-3): Adopted. 2) Resolution 221 — Agreement with Leila Arboretum Society for FY2025–26 programming and downtown planting installation/maintenance: Approved (unanimous). 3) Resolution 222 — City attorney performance rating and salary increase/bonus: Approved. 4) Resolution 223 — Authorize participation in the Purdue Sackler National Opioid Settlement: Approved. 5) Resolution 224 — Recognize Share Center as a qualified nonprofit and support charitable gaming license application: Approved. 6) Consent agenda: Approved.

What the actions mean: The rezoning changes the parcel's zoning classification to allow neighborhood commercial uses under the T-3 zoning designation; the ordinance text and map were read into the record. The arboretum agreement identifies the Leila Arboretum Society as the city's partner for downtown seasonal plantings and related programming for the 2025–26 fiscal year. Participation in the Purdue settlement gives the city the option to receive settlement funds tied to the national opioid agreements. The Share Center recognition is a city acknowledgment intended to support the nonprofit's state application for a charitable gaming license to permit a raffle at a planned November fundraiser.

The commission concluded the meeting after additional public comments on city-owned parcels, the Kellogg Arena’s finances, and farmer's market parking. Multiple speakers thanked staff for quickly processing the Share Center proclamation and urged continued support for the downtown market.