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Council postpones $114,016.94 downtown snow-melt billing to revisit cost-sharing
Summary
Council postponed action on issuing $114,016.94 in snow-melt invoices to downtown property owners and asked staff to return with options to change the city’s 25% cost-share or cap property-owner assessments; council cited increased operating costs since the Sims power plant closure and a possible $1.5 million boiler replacement in the capital plan.
The Grand Haven City Council voted on May 18 to postpone issuing downtown snow-melt invoices totaling $114,016.94 so staff can return with alternatives for how the city and property owners share operating costs.
Finance Director Emily Green explained the billing method: annual operational costs from April 1 to March 31 are allocated across the linear footage of the snow-melt system, and the ordinance currently sets the city’s share at 25%. Green said this year’s operational costs were ‘‘quite high’’ after a brutal winter.
Council members and members of the public said the economics changed materially after the Sims power plant closed and the system shifted to gas-fired boilers. Mayor Robert Manazzo argued the city’s share as applied today ‘‘has not been appropriately assessed’’ and proposed raising the city’s contribution or capping property-owner charges; he described the current bill as ‘‘really high.’’ Several council members urged further study of more efficient boilers or different system locations and asked staff to model alternative cost splits. A placeholder of $1,500,000 for a boiler replacement in FY28-29 was mentioned in the capital plan discussion.
A motion to postpone and revisit the distribution of costs was made by Dora and seconded by Lyon; staff will report back so council can consider a different assessment formula or other relief. The postponement passed on roll call.
