Battle Creek commission approves housing PILOTs, lead-abatement grants, contracts and settlement participation

The Battle Creek City Commission on March 17 adopted a package of ordinances and resolutions affecting housing development, public‑health programs and municipal operations.

Housing incentives: The commission adopted Resolution 329 (Ordinance 07‑2026) approving a payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑taxes (PILOT) pilot for the project described as Station Side Lofts, a proposed 43‑unit, three‑story elevator‑served building that will rent to households earning between 30% and 80% of area median income (AMI) with an average AMI target of about 55%. If the project receives funding in the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA/MSHTA) funding round on April 1, 2026, staff said construction would begin in fall 2027 with the project placed in service in winter 2029. The commission also adopted Resolution 330 (Ordinance 08‑2026) for Station Senior Lofts (53 units) and Resolution 331 (Ordinance 09‑2026) for Station Side Townhomes (multi‑building townhomes serving low‑ to moderate‑income households). Each proposed pilot was described as lasting 50 years so long as the sponsor meets statutory eligibility requirements in the proposed ordinances.

Personnel policy: The commission introduced Ordinance 10‑2026 to amend sections of the code that govern rehiring retirees so the city manager could rehire retirees administratively without every case coming before the commission. Vice Mayor Sophia successfully moved an amendment to limit rehired‑retiree administrative appointments to six months, after which commission approval would be required. Michelle Hall, the city’s HR director, told the commission that in the city’s recent practice most retiree rehires have not exceeded six months.

Public-health and grants: The commission approved Resolution 341 authorizing the city manager to sign a subrecipient agreement and memorandum of understanding with the Community Action Agency of South Central Michigan to use fiscal‑year 2025 Lead Hazard Grant funds to perform 28 lead‑hazard control projects for low‑ to moderate‑income units in Calhoun County occupied by children six and under. Commissioners also approved Resolution 342 to enter four advertising agreements for a HUD‑funded billboard lead‑prevention campaign; commissioners clarified that the billboard costs will be covered by the federal HUD lead‑hazard reduction grant.

Contracts, personnel and settlements: Resolution 343 authorized a contract with DCSE Incorporated; the transcript records a 'not‑to‑exceed' figure but the numerical amount as spoken in the record is unclear and is therefore recorded here as not specified. Resolution 344 authorized a firefighter to purchase up to 12 months of military service credit under Public Act 345 of 1937, with the actuarial cost to be paid by the firefighter. Resolution 345 accepted water‑infrastructure improvements constructed by the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAIDA) under a 2024 memorandum of understanding. Resolution 346 authorized the city to participate in remnant‑defendant and opioid settlement agreements, including execution of releases and participation paperwork. The commission also approved Resolution 347 recognizing Ted Deering’s long service to the city.

Commissioners voted to approve the consent agenda earlier in the meeting and then moved through the separate resolutions. Where monetary amounts or other numeric details were unclear or garbled in the transcript (for example the contract amount stated during discussion of Resolution 343), the record in this article marks the figure as not specified and relies on the city’s official posted minutes or contracts for final numbers.

Next steps: For the PILOTs and housing projects, staff will monitor program funding rounds (MSHTA/MSHDA) and proceed with developer agreements and scheduling if funding is secured. For the lead‑hazard work, staff will finalize the subrecipient agreement with Community Action Agency and proceed with the HUD‑funded outreach campaign. The contracts and settlement participation require standard execution of documents by the city manager.