Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Delhi Township approves up to $200,000 to close Farmers Market annex funding gap
Summary
The Delhi Charter Township Board voted May 19 to contribute up to $200,000 to the Downtown Development Authority to help complete a Farmers Market annex after the DDA reported a $200,000 funding gap driven largely by stormwater requirements; the adoption included a budget amendment.
The Delhi Charter Township Board of Trustees voted May 19 to approve a contribution of up to $200,000 to the Downtown Development Authority to help complete an annex building at the Holt Farmers Market, contingent on final project approvals and documentation.
Township Manager Tracy L.C. Miller’s memorandum said the DDA had secured a $175,000 Revitalization and Placemaking grant from the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and realized approximately $335,000 in proceeds from the sale of the DDA’s office building. The DDA estimates total construction costs will be about $900,000; after grant and sale proceeds the DDA projects it can provide about $525,000, leaving a funding gap of roughly $200,000 that the DDA asked the Township to cover so construction could start this season and retain the LEAP grant.
The motion to contribute the funds was approved by roll call. The minutes record the Board’s vote as Ayes: Lenard, Hope, King, Lincoln, Montemayor, Warfield, Ford; Nays: None; the motion passed as presented.
Several residents spoke during public comment about the potential Township contribution. Amanda Miller played a prerecorded statement and, along with Nancy Romig, Wyn Wilson and Elayne Lennox, expressed concerns about using Township funds for the project during the meeting’s public comment period.
Manager Miller’s memo cited usage figures the DDA supplied showing strong market attendance, saying last year approximately 26,775 attendees visited the market and about 8,000 attended related food-frenzy events — figures used by staff and the DDA to argue for expanded vendor capacity. DDA Executive Director C. Howard Haas provided background at the meeting and summarized the timeline and grant conditions.
The funding motion was tied to a bookkeeping step: the Board also adopted Amendment No. 2 to the General Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026 to reflect the proposed contribution and related transfers and adjustments to the Parks and DDA budgets.
The Board’s approval is contingent on final project approvals and required documentation from the DDA. The motion as recorded in the minutes directed staff to proceed with the contribution up to the stated amount; the budget amendment to accommodate the contribution was adopted at the same meeting.
