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Milan council highlights downtown development, new business and park events
Summary
At the Feb. 7 meeting city staff and councilmembers reported on downtown growth, a new business coming to the former Chase Bank building, community events including a Tea Party with 91 attendees and ongoing sidewalk and beautification work.
City staff and councilmembers used the Feb. 7 Milan City Council meeting to report local development and community events, and to thank municipal crews for recent emergency response work.
City Administrator Jim Lancaster commended public works crews for their work responding to a water break and provided an update on the marijuana application process; he also reminded landlords and others about a landlord informational meeting scheduled for the following day in council chambers.
Parks and Recreation Director Ellen Bell said the recent Tea Party drew 91 participants and highlighted upcoming events that still have tickets available. Main Street Director Jill Tewsley announced a new business called "Play Station" planned for the former Chase Bank building and said Milan was recently featured in an MLive article. Tewsley also provided updates on other upcoming downtown events.
Councilmembers spoke in turn about community initiatives: Pro-Tem Kerkes thanked Bell and her family for organizing the Tea Party; Councilmember Nie said he looked forward to the first Parks and Recreation "Heartfelt Daddy Daughter Dance;" Councilmember Wayne summarized the Beautification Commission's plan to plant four "crooked trees" around the city and thanked volunteers and OHM Advisors for their work; Councilmember Baldwin highlighted milanevents.org metrics showing 96,000 event views and 514 posted events since the site's launch; Councilmember Kofflin thanked DPW, fire and police for their storm- and water-break-related work and shared an update from a SEMCOG meeting; and Mayor Ed Kolar noted ongoing downtown development and said local building projects signal recovery from the COVID downturn.
The council scheduled its next regular meeting for Feb. 21, 2023. The meeting moved into closed session later in the evening to consider the potential purchase or lease of real property.
Why this matters: Announcements on new businesses, event turnout and downtown projects provide residents and prospective business owners with a sense of economic activity and community engagement in Milan. The administrator's operational updates and the closed-session notice indicate ongoing property and regulatory matters that may affect future city planning and development.
What’s next: Administrative follow-up includes a landlord informational meeting the next day and routine implementation tasks tied to downtown development and the Beautification Commission’s tree project.
