Commission votes to place up-to-$9 million bond millage on Nov. 3 ballot for parking deck and pedestrian safety measures

The East Grand Rapids City Commission voted to place a bond millage request on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot asking voters to authorize debt issuance for up to $9,000,000 to help finance a proposed parking deck on school property and related pedestrian-safety and micro-mobility improvements.

City Manager Charles told the commission the design under consideration envisions roughly 240 parking spaces and that construction estimates range from about $15 million on the low end to just over $18 million at the high end; the city’s resolution would authorize up to $9 million in city-backed bonding (staff had prepared versions for $8M–$10M). Charles also said the city had set a placeholder of roughly $500,000 for a traffic signal and estimated routine maintenance at about $160,000 a year for the finished facility. “The 18,000,000 is the all-in cost for the construction of the deck,” Charles said during the presentation.

The motion to put an up-to-$9,000,000 question on the ballot, with language (version B) specifying a public parking facility and stating the city’s intent that some proceeds support pedestrian and micro-mobility safety, was moved by Commissioner (speaker 13) and seconded by Commissioner (speaker 2). After a voice vote the motion passed by majority; one commissioner announced an abstention.

The decision followed more than an hour of resident public comment, with multiple neighbors raising concerns about traffic, student safety, the project’s cost and the timing of new ballot-language edits. Jerry Anderson, a Bagley-area resident, criticized the fiscal burden on households and urged caution: “So you're talking about $5,000 per household in East Grand Rapids to have this parking structure,” he said. Others asked for more time for joint discussion with the school board, and some commissioners urged a referendum so voters could decide.

Manager Charles and city staff said the ballot authorization would be an enabling step — actual borrowing, any required intergovernmental agreement with the school district, construction bids and later approvals would all come back to the commission. If voters approve, the city would still return to the commission to review final bids, enter agreements with the school district and set bond sale particulars. If voters reject the proposal, commissioners indicated they would interpret the result and work with the school district on alternative solutions.

The commission closed the meeting by approving the consent agenda and adjourning.