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Mount Pleasant finance director outlines $27M water plant ask and major 2027 CIP projects
Summary
Finance Director Lauren Paplowski presented the draft 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Plan, highlighting a $27.27 million drinking-water SRF phase, a $2.7 million grant-funded farmers market pavilion, downtown alley/streetscape requests and $5 million in new state transportation funds for local streets.
The City of Mount Pleasant's Finance Director, Lauren Paplowski, presented the draft 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Plan to the Planning Commission, identifying large projects that would shape the city's near-term capital priorities.
Paplowski said the water department's 2027 request is approximately $27.6 million, and described a "phase 2 drinking water state revolving fund project" with a $27,270,000 ask that reflects the second part of a multi-year facility improvement effort. She also said a phase 2 bonding project of about $227 million is expected to complete substantial upgrades to the water plant, with a likely completion in 2028.
Other notable 2027 requests Paplowski highlighted included a $2,700,000 Island Park Farmers Market pavilion (100% grant funded), a downtown alleyway/related program request totaling roughly $22,890,000, a $2,600,000 Mission Street shared-use pathway connection and a suite of parks projects (total parks requests listed at $33,222,000). Paplowski said the city expects an inflow of about $5,000,000 from a new Michigan transportation fund for local streets.
On elections, she said the clerk's office faces a $165,000 election equipment replacement because eight machines will no longer meet state and federal standards in 2028. Paplowski also described smaller projects such as municipal roofing, sidewalk replacements and a runway rehabilitation project ($3.2M) at the airport.
Paplowski framed CIP priorities around affordability, reserve requirements and timing of grant opportunities and said the schedule includes a May 11 joint work session, a public hearing May 26 and required CIP adoption on June 8; the adopted CIP will inform the 2027 operating budget submission in September.
Commissioners asked how prioritization will be set if funding is constrained; Paplowski replied that priorities are informed by city commission goals, master-plan objectives and department heads' assessments, and that some projects await external approvals (MDOT) before construction can move forward.
The commission voted to recommend the CIP to the city commission at the end of the regular session.
