Council also to consider approving chamber in DDA executive director role

Compiled by Arielle Breen, arielle.breen@pioneergroup.com

Published

5:56 pm EDT, Sunday, August 16, 2020

MANISTEE — On Tuesday, Manistee City Council is set to consider several extensions for local projects again for a second reading of two new ordinances.

At the last regular council meeting, council voted to extend permits and licenses that would expire on Oct. 24.

However, a second reading is required for an ordinance and if adopted at Tuesday’s meeting, the measure would take effect with a new expiration date of April 1, 2021 for current permit holders.

The measure was introduced on Aug. 5 after local marijuana businesses that have yet to open, ran into construction and permit/licensing issues due to the pandemic.

This extension gives the businesses more time to complete their projects and open.

Trevor Wisniewski, president of Great Lakes Natural Remedies, requested in a letter to the city, an extension on the 240 Arthur St. project.

In early March, Wisniewski told the News Advocate that he planned to open a medical and adult-use location that he hoped would open this summer.

“If everything goes according to plan, with no setbacks, we could have our project completed by Dec. 31 of this year. However, given the pandemic, there are outside forces that could continue to affect our timeline,” Wisniewski said in his letter to council.

He said Great Lakes Naturals “has had many setbacks due to COVID-19 this year” and that “The pandemic continues to interfere with our schedule.”

RELATED: Council OKs marijuana permit holders’ extension

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A similar situation was presented with the Hillcrest Apartments project earlier this month and council introduced an ordinance for an extension to the project’s requisite completion date.

The original completion date as required was Feb. 15, 2021, but a second reading of the ordinance would give an extension a new date of Aug. 17, 2022 to finish the work.

Hillcrest Apartments is proposed at the former Washington Elementary School property, located on Ford Street bordering Short Street and Third Avenue.

Joe Hollander of Hollander Development told council on Aug. 5 that part of the reason for the request stems from a backlog of construction jobs.

“We thought that we would be finished by the end of next year, 2021, and so we’re effectively asking for another six months to a year,” Hollander told council. “There are a limited number of contractors within the state and tradespeople within the state who can do multifamily construction and there’s a big backup in the jobs that was caused by the COVID virus.”

RELATED: Extension granted for Manistee apartment project

According to the meeting agenda, council will also consider the following at the Tuesday meeting at 7 p.m. at the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts:

• Council could take action to approve the service agreement between the Manistee Downtown Development Authority and Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce to make the chamber serve as the DDA executive director.

• Council could take action to authorize submission of a grant application to the Local Revenue Sharing Board for fire department helmets and structural firefighting boots in the amount of $8,320.

• Council could take action to extend a contract for fish waste removal from First Street Beach.

• Council could take action to approve the purchase of two pickup trucks from Gorno Ford for the total delivered price of $63,360.

• Council could take action to approve an extension of the Generator Maintenance Agreement with Graham Electric Motor Service for an additional three years.

• Council could take action to appoint a voting delegate and an alternate for the Michigan Municipal League Annual Convention.

The next council work session on Sept. 8, is expected to include discussions on:

• Banning retail pet sales in the city;

• A presentation of the Gateway Project; and

• Discussion on electric vehicle charging options.