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Hay Bay City reports $55,000 balance, outlines transition to regional talent program
Summary
Hay Bay City staff told the Bay City City Commission that the Q3 program balance is about $55,000, highlighted job-board and marketing metrics, and said the program is planned to transition into a regional effort with the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance after ARPA funding is exhausted.
Hay Bay City staff presented the program's third-quarter report to the Bay City City Commission on Sept. 8, saying the initiative had a balance of "just over $55,000 remaining" and that those dollars have been spent on job-seeker support, employer outreach and marketing.
The presenter said the Hay Bay City job board lists about 228 employers, produced more than 28,000 job views in the quarter and yielded "nearly a thousand apply actions," leading to 109 submitted applications. She said the site recorded roughly 29,000 website views and 9,200 users in Q3, with about 18,000 pageviews of job listings.
"Every dollar that we've spent has gone directly toward impact," the presenter said, describing employer meetings, resume help and partnerships with local schools and workforce agencies. She highlighted recent outreach events including a tabling event at Saginaw Valley State University where staff connected with 49 students and made four employer connections.
Why it matters: Hay Bay City is a city-supported talent-attraction and marketing effort that city officials have funded with ARPA and local dollars. Commissioners asked whether the remaining balance will sustain the program and how work will continue once city ARPA funds are exhausted.
City staff told the commission the goal is to transition Hay Bay City into a regional effort run with the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance and its "Operation 40K" talent-attraction initiative. "We believe that we will exhaust the city funding through Hay Bay City through the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce before year end," a Hay Bay City staff member said, and the work would then be folded into the regional program.
The presentation outlined upcoming programming and outreach: a student-focused event called "Cardinals at Hell's Half Mile" on Sept. 26 in partnership with Saginaw Valley State University and Bay Metro Transit; and a "Coffee & Cleanup" volunteer event scheduled for Oct. 3 at Pinconning Park. The presenter said Bay City will continue to host digital content, photography and videos and is working with partners to ensure content and links carry forward to the regional site.
Commissioners asked specific questions about the Q3 analytics, what produced spikes in traffic and how housing listings are handled on the site. The presenter said the traffic spike corresponded with outreach tied to Major League Fishing and confirmed the site's housing pages link to live property listings from the Bay County Realtors Association for both rental and sale inventory.
City staff and the commission also discussed the technical details of transitioning the Hay Bay City website and preserving content. The presenter said they are coordinating with the regional alliance "to ensure a seamless transition" and that some photography and video content will continue to be hosted so it is not lost.
The city manager thanked Hay Bay City staff for sending monthly applicant lists to the city so hiring managers could review resumes and said the relationship has helped the city fill vacancies.
Looking ahead: Staff said they will continue working with regional partners on talent-attraction strategies and report back to the commission as the transition plan to the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance is finalized.
