Commission adopts tax-abatement requests, replaces sign code; refers rental-housing and pollinator proposals for further work

The Bay City Commission voted on a package of development and administrative items on July 7, approving an industrial facilities tax-exemption application, two obsolete-property rehabilitation requests and a full replacement of the city sign code, and taking separate actions or referrals on other resolutions.

Special orders approved

The commission approved an industrial facilities tax-exemption certificate for Straits Wood Treating Inc., covering $300,000 in eligible investment at 4804 East Wilder Road. The motion to approve passed on a roll call vote. Commission discussion included a short presentation by a company representative who said the project is an additional warehouse and that the firm expects some of the new positions to become permanent; the representative described the application as a one-time filing for that expansion.

The commission also approved two related items for 201 South Lynn Street from Hawthorne Realty LLC: an amendment to the obsolete property rehabilitation district and a separate 12-year obsolete property rehabilitation exemption certificate. Commissioners praised the planned reuse of the Arlington Hotel and local historic preservation benefits during brief discussion.

The commission adopted a city-initiated ordinance to repeal and replace Chapter 85 (Signs) of the Bay City Code of Ordinances in its entirety. Commissioners noted digital billboard activity on recent weekends as part of the rationale for updating the sign rules.

Other regular-agenda actions and referrals

Commissioner Bernie Obershaw’s proposed resolution on equitable and safe rental housing (a multi-point request asking staff to study tenant-notification options, potential code changes, and fines) did not proceed to final adoption on July 7. A motion to refer the resolution back to Commissioner Obershaw for redrafting passed on a roll call vote 7–1; the commission asked that the rewritten proposal include clearer definitions and staff-legal review where necessary before returning.

A resolution reaffirming residency requirements for elected officials, which asks the city to clarify residency expectations and include the standard in orientation materials, passed on a roll call vote 7–1. Commissioners discussed that the underlying residency rules are set in the city charter and state law and said the measure is intended as a reaffirmation and administrative clarification rather than a change in law.

A proposed pollinator-positivity program moved by Commissioner DeWitt was withdrawn after commissioners and staff discussed enforcement burdens on code enforcement. City code enforcement staff told the commission that long-grass and similar complaints make up a large portion of seasonal workload, and the motion’s sponsor agreed to work with staff and community partners on a revised approach.

The commission also approved a one-time change to the September schedule, moving the Tuesday, Sept. 2 meeting to Monday, Sept. 8, and received first-reading approval to change the order of business so public input will occur before commissioner remarks; that ordinance will return for a second reading.

Votes at a glance (summary of formal actions taken on July 7, 2025)

- Straits Wood Treating Inc., industrial facilities tax exemption certificate ($300,000 eligible investment): Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved. - Hawthorne Realty LLC, amendment to obsolete property rehabilitation district (201 South Lynn Street): Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved. - Hawthorne Realty LLC / Yousef Harold, 12-year obsolete property rehabilitation exemption (201 South Lynn Street): Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved. - City ordinance, Code of Ordinances Chapter 85 (Signs) — repeal and replace: Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved. - Resolution — Equitable and safe rental housing (Commissioner Bernie Obershaw): Referred to commissioner for rewrite (motion to send back passed 7–1); outcome: referred for rewrite. - Resolution — Reaffirm residency requirements for elected officials: Approved; tally: yes 7, no 1; outcome: approved. - Resolution — Change Sept. 2 meeting to Sept. 8: Approved; tally: yes 9, no 0; outcome: approved. - Resolution — Pollinator positivity program (Commissioner DeWitt): Motion withdrawn for further revision; outcome: withdrawn/no action. - Ordinance amendment — Rules of commission: public input placed before commissioner remarks (first reading received; second reading scheduled): Received for second reading.

What commissioners said

Commissioners who spoke cited property rehabilitation as a way to return vacant historic buildings to productive use, noted the operational burden that a broad pollinator exemption could place on code enforcement, and described the residency resolution as an administrative reaffirmation of existing charter and state standards. One commissioner said she would not abstain on a residency reaffirmation measure despite media attention around residency questions in other jurisdictions.

What’s next

Several items will return to the commission for further action: the rental-housing resolution will be revised and resubmitted by the sponsoring commissioner after staff and legal review; the public-input rule change will return for a second reading before final adoption; staff and the sponsoring commissioner will work on a revised pollinator proposal intended to reduce enforcement workload before any new rule is proposed.