South Lyon reports: DDA visitor counts, farmers market plans; fire and police update; paving and boardwalk work ahead

Downtown Development Authority Director Nate Mack told the South Lyon City Council on Feb. 24 that the DDA’s data show about 188,807 projected visitors to downtown in 2024, down roughly 3% from a 2023 projection of 194,651. Mack said winter market attendance was lighter than expected but vendors who attended sold well. He said outdoor market applications have gone out and organizers expect a near-full market each week this season, about 65 to 70 vendors, and that a monthly food-truck rally will run on the second Saturday of each month.

Mack also said Main Street America provided GIS-based visitor counts and that the DDA will work this year with Wade Trim to update the district’s TIF and development plan; staff expect that update to come before council for approval before year-end.

Fire Chief Thornton told the council the department has responded to 205 incidents so far this month. He reported Engine 71 is back in service after repairs and said the department has submitted a FEMA reimbursement request for $9,459 related to a second-year smoke-alarm purchase; he described delays in FEMA processing but said the reimbursement was submitted. Thornton also said he participated in an Oakland County incident-management tabletop exercise and noted Oakland County conducts investigations on house fires; one recent hydrant-related fire remains under investigation.

Police Chief Bakke reported the department issued 30 snow-emergency citations over a recent weekend and said the department is arranging to replace its printed tickets to reflect higher fines. Bakke said the department hired a cadet with the last name Jacobs on Feb. 18 and is vetting two additional cadets with the aim of sending recruits through the department’s cadet program and later to the academy. He also said the department purchased nine LifeVax airway-obstruction devices and trained staff to use them; each patrol car will be equipped with one.

City Manager Paul Zeltnick briefed the council on upcoming capital work. He said the 2025 road-paving project for Eagle Heights Subdivision will go out for bid with an estimated cost around $3,000,000; staff have held at least one meeting with subdivision residents and expect a pre-construction meeting after bids are returned. Zeltnick said the city received a quote from the contractor currently working on the boardwalk span between two sections — a change order quote of $38,975, which Zeltnick said is well below a prior estimate close to $70,000; the work would be added as a change order to the existing contract.

Zeltnick also said staff are reviewing Public Act 233 as it relates to renewable energy sources and will forward summarized materials to council before scheduling related agenda items. He said annual police and fire reports will appear on next month’s agenda.

On recycling, council members were told South Lyon’s 2024 recycling rate was 31.1%, representing 1,868 tons of material recycled, repurposed or properly disposed at household hazardous-waste events or composted. The director noted that rate is an improvement over the city’s 2023 rate of 29% and exceeds a 23% state average cited in the meeting.

Why this matters: Visitor counts inform downtown planning and events; emergency-service updates reflect current staffing and equipment; and the paving and boardwalk items are near-term capital projects that will affect neighborhood construction, traffic and budgets.

Council members asked clarifying questions about visitor-count methodology, hydrant locations related to a recent house fire, and timing for the boardwalk work and paving bids. Staff said the Main Street visitor counts were produced with GIS boundary mapping, Oakland County handles fire investigations and the boardwalk repair will proceed as a contract change order if approved.