The City of Eaton Rapids is leading a regional effort to strengthen animal control services after county budget cuts reduced staffing to one officer. We recently met with Eaton County to discuss restoring services. Local police departments are increasingly handling aggressive dogs, strays, and bite reports, straining limited resources. We will share updates as discussions continue and remain hopeful about developing a plan that serves Eaton Rapids and neighboring communities.
As reported in the September newsletter, City Council approved ERM’s professional services for the Horner Mill demolition. Environmental testing, planning, and demolition preparation began the week of September 21st. If preparations remain on schedule, the Eaton County Land Bank plans to begin demolition in the spring. The $1 million in federal funding covers only part of the project, so the City and Land Bank will continue seeking additional revenue.
The City has also received three Community Development Block Grants totaling $723,500, with NO City match required. The grants will support capital improvement and asset management planning (which includes physical inspections of all city utilities, streets, and buildings), downtown flood mitigation, and a zoning ordinance rewrite. Together, these projects will help future councils, boards, and administrators maintain infrastructure, anticipate costs, reduce pressure on taxpayers, and plan proactively rather than reactively.
The Downtown Development Authority held a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, September 23rd to unveil the city’s new Social District. This was a business-driven initiative that started a few years ago, and a lot of research and planning went into the implementation. You can get all the details at Darb’s Patio, Craft Co, and the city’s website.
We will be celebrating Eaton Rapids Area District Library’s 150th anniversary on Saturday, September 26th starting at 10am. Be sure to stop in to help them celebrate a huge milestone!
As always, let me know if you have any questions regarding the city. I can be reached at
pcolestock@cityofeatonrapids.gov or my cell (517) 410-9472.
Enjoy the rest of September!
Mayor Pam Colestock
