|
|
The Ionia City Council voted 8-0 to sell the highlighted parcel of city-owned land to the Ionia Free Fair Association for $1 on Nov. 5. The fair will work to repave and improve the back entrance to the fairgrounds before the M-66 corridor project begins in 2027. — Submitted graphic | City of Ionia
IONIA — The Ionia City Council voted last Wednesday to sell a small parcel of city-owned land to the Ionia Free Fair Association for $1 via quit claim deed.
The parcel is 0.14 acres in total area, is 170 feet long and 28 feet wide and is identified as “34-051-140-000-360-00” in city documents.
For decades, it has been informally used as the West Main rear entrance to the Free Fair fairgrounds, as it connects to two other parcels that lead directly into the fairgrounds. One of those two parcels was already owned by the Free Fair Association and the other is owned by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
An improved rear entrance will become necessary soon because of the M-66 corridor project that will essentially close that busy highway through downtown Ionia the entire summer of 2027, including limited access to the main fairgrounds entrance.
“The fair is concerned about that because it will make getting into the fairgrounds during that summer a little more challenging,” explained City Manager Precia Garland. “They would like a back door entrance that’s paved and more presentable than it is today. They asked if we would consider paving that or giving them permission to, but the easiest way, I think, to address this, since it directly aligns with a property that they own, is just to sell it to them for $1, and then that will allow them to proceed with paving that driveway.”
“That back entrance kind of bottlenecks in, so you can only get, like, one and a half cars through,” added Mayor John Milewski, who serves on the Free Fair Board of Directors. “Their intention is to try and widen it out by about 22 feet so they can have people coming and going through there. It will make it easier for them if they own the property.”
The sale terms include a city utilities easement for the sanitary sewer that is located there. The vote was 8-0 in favor, with Council Member Jeff Winters absent.
In other matters …
During its Nov. 5 meeting, the Ionia City Council also:
- Voted 8-0 to accept the low bid of $312,031.50 from Leavitt and Starck Excavating in Lansing. The company will repave the parking lot at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Four other bids were received. The next lowest bid was $315,735.75 from Michigan Paving and Materials in Grand Rapids and the highest bid was $467,000 from Granger Construction in Grand Rapids.
- Voted 8-0 to accept a $400,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The money will be used toward phase one of the redevelopment of Steele Park, which totals $966,786. The city must fund $532,300 of this, according to the terms of the grant.
- Voted 8-0 to pay the firm Prein & Newhoff $299,900 for design and construction engineering services related to the replacement of lead service lines within city limits. Funds to pay for these services will come from a $6 million loan the city received from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to complete this work.
- Voted 8-0 to renew for $184,325 the city’s property and liability insurance policies with the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA)
- Voted 8-0 to approve an agreement with Ionia County to manage the Constitutionally-required nine days of early voting that must take place before each election. This will once again occur in the future location of the Ionia Community Library, 302 W. Main St. The previous agreement would have expired at the end of this year. The new agreement will last through 2027. Ionia’s portion of this cost is $6,000.
- Voted 8-0 to adopt the latest version of the city’s master plan. The new master plan will expire in 2030.
- Held three public hearings then voted 8-0 to approve the new rules for short-term rentals within city limits, 7-1 (with Margot Cook opposed) in favor of an ordinance that amended the current rules for rentals to include a fee schedule for short-term rentals and 8-0 for an ordinance establishing a $100 fee for accessory dwelling unit applications.
- Voted 8-0 to officially recognize the Ionia Middle School Parent/Teacher Group as a non-profit organization.
- Presented Department of Public Works heavy equipment operator Richard Edwards with a special proclamation honoring him for 25 years of continuous employment with the city. Edwards did not attend the meeting in person.
- Held a closed session “to consider material exempt from discussion or disclosure by state or federal statute” and took no action (other than to adjourn the meeting) upon their return to open session.
