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Resident urges Mount Clemens to accept new water-bill assistance program; city manager announces dog-park gift
Summary
A Mount Clemens resident asked the commission to accept a grant program to assist with residents’ water bills, outlining eligibility and benefit amounts; the city manager also announced a $10,000 donation for upgrades to the Banky dog park and $8,866.22 in COVID-19 reimbursements.
A Mount Clemens resident urged the city to accept a water-bill assistance grant that would directly cover residents’ past-due water charges and described eligibility details during the public-comment portion of the meeting.
Teresa McGar, identifying herself as a Mount Clemens resident and speaking on behalf of “Mome Community Action Center” as stated in her remarks, said the city is not eligible for a separate assistance program but that the grant she described would cost the city nothing and would be administered through the county program. "Why would we not allow our residents to get assistance for their water bill?" McGar asked. She described the grant as able to cover up to $4,980 in a water bill overall, generally providing up to $1,500 per household, noting a one-person income maximum shown in the materials as $2,430 and saying households receiving food assistance or SSI are automatically eligible.
Shipman acknowledged the information and commissioners asked staff to look into the program. A commissioner asked whether the funding had already been received; staff said the ARPA/SMART funds discussed elsewhere in the meeting are reimbursement-based and that the city has submitted reports to receive payments.
In the city manager’s report, Shipman announced the city received a $10,000 donation from Kelsey Dean on behalf of her late father, James Dean, to fund upgrades to the Banky dog park; Shipman said this is the second $10,000 donation from the Dean family for the park. He also reported the city will receive $8,866.22 to reimburse supplies purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The manager listed upcoming community events and resources and noted Community Development department staffing interviews are underway.
What happens next: Commissioners directed staff to review the water-assistance program details and report back; no formal vote on the water program was recorded.
