Mayor's Corner

Spring is almost here at Eaton Rapids! With that you will start seeing several projects happening within the City. Our Drinking Water project that we talked extensively about last year, has started so you will see a lot of activity with that project on-going throughout the year. We have some major street resurfacing projects as well as patching and repairs starting soon (weather permitting). Our DDA (Downtown Development Authority) is planning a Downtown Beautification sometime in late April and would love volunteers. If you are interested in helping, please contact me.

The City of Eaton Rapids will hold its’ annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28^th at 11am at Martin Hansen Amphitheater/Park. This is typically a well-attended event, and we invite kids of all ages to attend and get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny!

I want to apologize for incorrectly stating the name of the new Deli & Bakery in the last newsletter. Simply Stacy’s Bakery & Deli, located at 115 S. Main Street, officially opened on February 23^rd and hope you all stop by and give them a try.

The annual State of the City address will be given at the March 9^th City Council meeting, instead of in February. Residents are invited to attend in person or watch online. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at pcolestock@cityofeatonrapids.gov or by phone at 517-410-9472.

Have a great March ER!

Mayor Pam Colestock

As we continue to navigate the challenges of winter weather, I want to remind residents of the proper process for reporting utility issues. If you experience a problem with water, sewer or electrical services, please contact City Hall directly. Although many turn to Facebook for quick updates, reporting issues on social media can delay response times. Our DPW team does not monitor Facebook, so notifying City Hall promptly, even outside normal business hours, is essential.

• Business Hours (Monday-Friday) 517-663-8118.
• After Hours/Weekend Utility Emergency- 517-231-6514

We have updated information regarding Urban Air. This year’s event will take place May 7-10, rather than early October. While the event will be slightly smaller, it promises to remain an enjoyable experience. Additionally, we are planning a Fall Festival for early October. This year is especially significant as we mark America’s 250^th birthday, and we are planning an expanded celebration for July 4th. More details will be shared as planning continues, and volunteers are welcome to assist for any of our events. Please reach out to me if you are interested.

As many of you have noticed, the former SSB Bank Building has been demolished to make way for the highly anticipated Taco Bell. While a completion date has not been announced,  updates will be provided as they become available.

We are excited to welcome several new businesses to our downtown. Stacy’s Deli and Bakery will open at 115 S. Main Street in February, followed by Gold Thimble Quilt Shop at 217 S. Main Street in March. Wildest Dreams Designs opened in early December. These additions represent positive growth for our downtown and I encourage you to support and welcome them.

Our Community Market will return in early June. Those interested in participating as vendors are encouraged to contact Jake Forquer at jforquer@cityofeatonrapids.gov or you can call (517) 237-3790.

Finally, I will deliver the annual State of the City address at the February 23^rd City Council meeting. Residents are invited to attend in person or watch online. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at pcolestock@cityofeatonrapids.gov or by phone at 517-410-9472.

Mayor Pam Colestock

As we closed out another remarkable year, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated city staff, police and fire departments, board members, volunteers, and city council. Your hard work and commitment made 2025 a year of progress and success for Eaton Rapids.

One of the highlights was the return of Urban Air—a community favorite—and we are already planning an even better event for this year. While progress on the Horner property was slower than hoped, the change in ownership marks a significant step forward, and we anticipate more positive developments in 2026.

We also led the way to expanding housing opportunities and welcomed new businesses to our city, with more openings on the horizon. Yes, Taco Bell is still on track this year! And don’t forget—the Sledding Hill officially reopened for winter fun. In addition, City Council approved several infrastructure projects, including street improvements, that will begin this year.

Even though the holidays are behind us, I would encourage you to remember those in need year-round. Many local organizations accept donations all year long, and you can find a list on the city’s website. These nonprofits—including the G.A.R. Memorial Hall & Museum, The Miller Farm, Eaton Rapids Senior Center, Good Shepard’s Love, and service clubs like Rotary and Lions—do incredible work to strengthen our community. If you are able, please consider supporting them so they can continue their mission.

As are start a new year, we are always looking for people who want to get involved. Whether it’s on a board, or volunteering for an event, we welcome you! If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please let me know. 

Thank you for being part of what makes Eaton Rapids such a special place. Wishing you all a joyful, and prosperous New Year!

Mayor Pam Colestock

Happy Summer Eaton Rapids! I hope you are enjoying everything Eaton Rapids has to offer. Our parks, river, Wednesday night Cruise-In, Outdoor Recreation Center, and movies/music in the park. There is something for everyone!

We are gearing up for a fantastic Independence Day celebration, starting on Thursday,July3^rdwith Chalk Fest in the downtown, then Family Fun Night at Martin Hansen Amphitheater on W. Knight Street from 6pm-9pm with a movie playing at dark. Friday,July4^thkicks off with our parade at 11am, followed by activities immediately following throughout the day, with the grand finale fireworks. You can find more information on the City’s website and Facebook page.

The ER Lions Club will be selling popcorn at the movie on July 3^rd from 7pm-9pm and the Rotary is selling tickets now for their annual Chicken BBQ!

By the time you read this, we should have the new crosswalk signal installed at Main/Hamlin Streets. MDOT was able to bump us up in their schedule which we are very grateful! This crosswalk signal is on both sides of Main Street, in front of Las Flores restaurant and City Hall. When pedestrians need to cross, they will push the button on the pole to start the signal flashing, so vehicles are alerted to STOP and let pedestrians cross.

TacoBell has completed their first site plan review with our Planning Commission and will bring back more information at their July 7^th meeting. O’Reily’s Auto Parts is working hard on the former Rite Aid building and we are excited to welcome both new businesses to Eaton Rapids!

City Manager Ridge, Building Official Hummel and I had some fun the other day when the Michigan MunicipalLeaguepaid a visit to Eaton Rapids and filmed a video about what we are doing in Eaton Rapids for attracting new housing development. We toured Eaton Village (Tiny Homes), Bridgewater Senior Apartments and some vacant land that is slated for development. We were really excited to help them make this video and show off our beautiful city.

Have a safe and Happy Independence Day!

Mayor Pam Colestock

We’ve been blessed with the hint of Spring in Eaton Rapids! It certainly has lifted the spirits for many, including myself.

With spring comes a lot of outside projects, and I want to take this time to remind city residents that leaves and brush can be taken to the brush yard located at 300 Market Street. This is for CITY of Eaton Rapids residents only. Times of operation is Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm. Saturday/Sunday, 8am-7pm.

Please be sure to take advantage of the additional pet waste stations that were installed around the downtown when you are out walking your dogs. We know that dog owners sometimes forget to bring waste bags with them, so we have provided them for you, and we appreciate you helping to keep our parks and downtown clean.

It’s also a great time to start planning for projects around your home. The City is working to provide a grant opportunity for home improvements so stay tuned for more information.

The G.A.R Memorial Hall and Museum are busy planning the next Memorial Day parade, which will be held on Monday, May 26^th at 11am. Line up is at 10am next to Family Fare. Anyone wishing to participate can reach out to me at pcolestock@cityofeatonrapids.gov. This parade is to honor our fallen veterans so it’s a somber ceremony more than a celebration. There is also the flag placement at Rosehill Cemetery on Saturday, May 24^th at 9am.

The Community Market will be starting June 7^th on both sides of Hamlin Streets. If you are a vendor and are interested in joining the fun, please contact Corey Cagle at ccagle@cityofeatonrapids.gov.

We have wrapped up our last week of Citizens Academy and it’s been fantastic! I want to thank all of our students and staff that attended each week and made the classes a lot of fun. You were very engaged and enthusiastic! There will be a graduation ceremony at our March 24^th Council Meeting where students will receive their certificate of completion. We hope to offer this again in the future.

Happy Spring!

Mayor Pam

I hope you’ve all had a great winter, but I know many are ready for it to be over and get into warmer weather!

The City Council and staff have had a productive start to the new year. We kicked things off with a Goals and Objectives session. This is where the departments all get to share their goals and ideas with Council and Council gets to weigh in on those goals, offering ideas and suggestions. We do this as we enter into budget time. I have to say since being Mayor, this process feels more organized and thoughtful, and I feel really good about the projects we are planning for the City. Most of those projects involve improvements to our infrastructure; streets, utilities, and buildings. As you can imagine, those are not small projects but are extremely important to our overall functions. Our goals are always to find ways to improve our overall safety, health and wellbeing of our city and citizens.

I had hoped that the Horner Mill property would be officially transferred to the Eaton County Land Bank but looks as if that will now happen this month. There were a few odds and ends that needed to be addressed first, but things are still moving forward. City Manager Ridge, Eaton County Treasurer Reynett and I are working with State officials to help find funding so that we can get going on demolition and environmental clean-up of this site. I will continue to keep you all informed as this progresses.

We held our first full committee meeting regarding Urban Air. There are a lot of moving parts to planning an event of this nature and it takes many hands to make it all come together. If you are interested in participating, please reach out to me, we’d love to have you!

This past month we had the honor of presenting a proclamation to Officer Jason Ferguson who is our School Resource Officer (SRO) in honor of SRO Day! Officer Ferguson has been instrumental in working with our students and bringing safety to our school district. We appreciate all the work that he does for our students and for our community.

Lastly, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is ready to kick off this years’ Farmer’s Market. There will be more details to come, but if you are a vendor and have not been a part of this in the past, please reach out to Director Corey Cagle at ccagle@cityofeatonrapids.gov, for information.

20 days to Spring!!

Mayor Pam