Sterling Heights budgets economic development manager and launches SizeUp business‑analytics tool

The Sterling Heights City Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the MAPE Supervisory Employees Union to create an economic development manager classification, and city staff highlighted a new online business analytics tool, SizeUp, intended to help local small businesses.

City Manager Mark Vanderpool described the new classification as budgeted in the fiscal‑year 2026 budget and said the role will coordinate business retention and recruitment, work with local and state partners, and manage economic development programs tied to long‑running projects including the Lakeside Mall redevelopment and North Van Dyke area improvements.

“To create the economic development manager classification…this position will be involved in that as well,” City Manager Mark Vanderpool said, summarizing the duties and the city’s reliance on sustained outreach to existing businesses.

The council approved the MOU on a motion by Councilmember Missus Roski; the motion was supported and recorded as carried. The MOU creates the job classification; the position is budgeted in the city’s forthcoming budget, according to the city manager.

Nut graf: Council framed the action as restoring a city staff role to handle sustained, day‑to‑day business outreach and recruitment after years of relying on consultant-led efforts; the city also unveiled SizeUp, a tool city staff said will give small businesses benchmarking, market research, and shop‑local features.

Economic development advisor Luke Bonner demonstrated SizeUp and said the city partnered with the firm to make the tool available on the Sterling Heights website and through the Velocity program. Bonner said SizeUp offers four main features: local business benchmarking, a small business advisor for planning and market research, a “shop local” directory, and a SizeUp Pulse dashboard with real‑time intelligence and mapping.

Bonner invited users to a launch event and webinar at the community center; staff said about 60 people had registered for the demonstration. The city will provide assistance through Velocity, the city clerk’s office, the library and planning staff to help businesses use the tool.

City Manager Vanderpool also reviewed the city’s 10‑year use of consultant Luke Bonner and the Bonner Advisory Group LLC for large projects and said the in‑house position will handle day‑to‑day and small‑business outreach that a consultant’s bandwidth cannot sustain.

Ending: Council approved the MOU to create the economic development manager classification; SizeUp was announced as a new, publicly available resource and a launch event was scheduled for the next day. Specific hire date, job description details beyond the duties described, and salary data were not provided in the meeting transcript.