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City of Eaton Rapids

Michigan's Island City

Mayor's Corner

May Mayor’s Corner

By

Hello ER!

I want to start off this edition by giving a big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped on April 30th to spruce up our downtown trees! A large group of volunteers pitched in to dig out the old mulch around all the trees and beds, rake and install fresh mulch. The old saying “many hands make light work” really held true as this was done in just a few short hours. Special thanks to the Downtown Development Authority who organized this event and the City of Eaton Rapids DPW for assisting us with the equipment, mulch and giving us extra hands! We had past and present City Council members, business owners, residents and teens from the Teen Center participate. It was truly a great event!

River Clean Up

Mark your calendars for a RivER clean up on June 4th. Volunteers will meet at 11am at Mill Pointe Park to get instructions on how to safely clean the river, with plans of being in boats by Noon. Bring your own Kayak, Canoe, or other vessel. The group will paddle down to Bunker Rd to clean debris and other “treasures” along the Grand. Speaking of this, it reminds me that years ago (mid 90’s maybe?) we did the first river clean up and named it “Give the Grand a Hand”. We cleaned out just surrounding the Island, but it was fun and had a lot of volunteers who helped. Would be great to get a lot of folks to turn out for this event on June 4th. If you would like more information, please contact Paul Malewski at paulmalewski@gmail.com.

Sign Dedication – Public Safety Building

Another event was held on May 14th for a sign dedication at the Public Safety Building. The new digital sign was sponsored in part by former police Chief Mike Seely’s family who wanted to donate to the city in Mike’s honor and for other fallen public safety officials. Former Mayor and Police Chief Paul Malewski gave the dedication of the sign, and the event was attended by many former Eaton Rapids Police officers, current Police Chief Larry Weeks and officers, Fire Chief Roger McNutt, and several firefighters, as well as City Council. Mike was a great guy who loved Eaton Rapids and was especially proud to be a police officer in our community. We miss him but every time we see the sign, we will think of him and smile.

City Manager

City Council has had a busy couple of weeks, as well as some challenges, but it’s all good. We learn the most when faced with adversity and usually come out stronger. With the separation with the City Manager, we’ve implemented Interim-Managers with City Treasurer Marrie Jo Carr and Public Works Director Rob Pierce. We have no doubt that with their leadership and experience the city will continue to function in a professional and positive manner.

Memorial Day Parade

The annual Memorial Day parade is on Monday, May 30th at 11am. Line up starts on Marilin St. with the parade route going north on Main St. and ending at Knight St. If you would like to participate in the parade, please get in touch with me. Remember, this is a solemn event, no candy or political campaigning will be allowed. This is to honor our fallen heroes. There will also be a ceremony on newly renovated G.A.R Island Park immediately after the parade. G.A.R Museum & Memorial Hall Board President Keith Harrison will read the Memorial Day Order, along with guest speaker and Iraq War Veteran Jeremy Whittum will give a few words. The High School Choir will perform, and a gun salute and laying of wreaths will take place at the end of the ceremony.

Placing of Flags – Rosehill Cemetery

There will also be placing of flags at veterans’ graves on Saturday, May 28th at 9am at Rosehill Cemetery. Volunteers are welcome! Meet at the back of the cemetery where the maintenance building is located. Flags and flag holders will be provided.

Board Opportunities

We still have opportunities on several boards, such as our Zoning Board of Appeals, Local Development Finance Authority, and our Local Officers Compensation Commission. These boards function best when we have full membership. If you are interested in serving on any of these, or have questions, please contact me.

Questions?

As always, if you have any questions, comments, ideas or would like more information about serving our city, please reach out to me at pcolestock@cityofeatonrapids.com or call me at 517- 489-3064.

Have a great rest of May!

April Mayor’s Corner

By

Spring is Here in Eaton Rapids!

Even though I really don’t mind winter, I am always glad for the fresh start. I have been busy trying to attend as many of our advisory board meetings as possible as I feel it’s important to be engaged and know what our boards have coming before them. These boards work very hard to make the best decisions for our city. City Council cannot work alone; we rely heavily on the advice of these boards to guide us in our decision making as many times that is where the information and research starts. 

Board Opportunities

We still have opportunities on several boards, such as our Zoning Board of Appeals, Local Development Finance Authority, and our Local Officers Compensation Commission. These boards function best when we have full membership. If you are interested in serving on any of these, or have questions, please contact me. 

City Council

Spring is a busy time for City Council. We must start reviewing the proposed budget so that it is ready for public hearing and adoption no later than end of June as our fiscal year starts July 1. We also have several projects in the works that will be coming to us to consider such as street repaving, sidewalk repairs, and upgrades to some of our parks. 

New Website!

We also have a new city website! Please check it out and let us know what you think. I think you will find it much easier to locate what you need, including information on our boards, our meeting dates, and you can even apply for certain permits. This is all intended to make things easier for YOU. 

School Resource Officer

I am very excited to announce, in collaboration with Eaton Rapids Public Schools and Eaton Rapids Police Department, we have entered into an agreement for a School Resource Officer. This will be an excellent opportunity for our police to engage with our youth with the goal of making a positive impact on their lives. I remember when I was in high school, we had an officer that walked the halls, talked with all of us, helped us when we needed it and was just there to provide support. It was a very positive experience and one that we desperately need again. I commend Chief Weeks and Superintendent DeFrance for working to bring to our community. 

Local Wildlife & G.A.R. Island Park

As we live on an Island, we are surrounded by nature. We have ducks and geese that are living amongst us. Please be cautious when driving that you stop when you see these “locals” trying to cross the street. They will appreciate it! As well, G.A.R. Island Park remains closed to the public until we can complete the spring repairs. We have both pedestrian entrances blocked off, but we know that people are getting anxious to check it out and walk across the bridges. Please refrain from doing this until we have it fully opened. This will be very soon! Mark your calendars, we are planning a Grand Re-Opening on Saturday, June 11th, but a soft opening will happen prior to that. Watch our website for more details!

Recycling Center 

Also, did you know that we have a Recycling Center in our City? This is located on Market Street, next to our DPW. This is for any Eaton County resident to use; HOWEVER, we strongly urge you to make sure you are placing the correct items in the proper bins. This is for recycling materials only, NO trash, garbage, or large unwanted items. We’ve had a lot of issues with people dumping their trash at this location. If we cannot get this corrected, we may have to close this center and we certainly don’t want to do that. This provides a great resource not just for our city but our entire community. Please use it correctly.

This drop-off center accepts:

  • Glass
  • Tin
  • Paper
  • Plastic

It does not currently accept cardboard.

If you are not sure what you can recycle, please check out Eaton County Resource Recovery’s Facebook page or website, through eatoncounty.org. 

Questions?

As always, if you have any questions, comments, ideas or would like more information about serving our city, please reach out to me at pcolestock@cityofeatonrapids.com. 

Have a great Spring!

State of the City Address

By

The pandemic created challenges in all aspects of our lives. Some greater than others. Many had major losses to endure, while others were able to find new ways to meet the challenges. For your city government, we faced obstacles as well, but I am proud to say that we achieved many more accomplishments. Below are some of the major accomplishments that I feel is important to recognize.

Public Safety:

While many areas of our government went “remote”, our public safety folks did not. They were there each day on the front lines, helping our citizens during some of the most challenging times of their lives. Just as they do every single day. Some of the accomplishments in 2021 were:

  • Replacement of a 30-year-old fire truck.
  • Continued monthly fire department training with Eaton Rapids Township.
  • We replaced interior and exterior lighting at the public safety building with LED lights-cutting down on the costs to operate the building.
  • Computers in the fire station were updated allowing our fire department to operate with more modern and up to date equipment.
  • Police Department welcomed Officer Malory Southward to the department.
  • Successful prosecution of guilty or no-contest pleas for the perpetrators involved in the shooting at one of our officers in 2020.
  • Our Police Department and Fire Department helped welcome back safely to the community the 4th of July celebration, which was sorely missed in 2020. This team works very hard to make this celebration safe for all who attend, and they did a great job.
  • Actions taken by our officers on December 15th to rescue the victim involved in a shooting incident and render first aid in a timely manner.

Department of Public Works:

These folks worked day and night during the pandemic to make sure the city services you rely on never miss a beat. Some extra accomplishments include:

  • Major street replacement on State Street, Greyhound Drive, Inverness and Brook Street. These also included many new utility lines.
  • Purchased a new Chipper
  • Purchased a new Vactor Truck
  • Assisted with the new Riverwalk construction & Island Repairs
  • Assisted in the repair and replacement of several areas of sidewalk
  • Assisted with the roof replacement at the Mausoleum at Rosehill Cemetery
  • Replaced the roof at the Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • Numerous water line replacements, and continuous streetlight replacements to LED

Building Department:

Our building officials are always looking for ways to help our residents, whether it’s helping with a permit for a new garage or fence, to finding ways to help local developers with larger projects. A few of their key accomplishments were:

  • Issued 410 permits, this includes building, zoning, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and ROW.
  • Rental inspections, 88 buildings – 438 apartments
  • Property maintenance, issued 195 violations
  • Annexation of 60 plus acres to the north boundary of the city
  • Assisted in creating 5 marijuana ordinances
  • Working with 4 developers on developments proposed in the city

Quality of Life:

The Quality of Life department worked on several different grants and initiatives that helped our community, including:

  • The city received an approximately 3-million-dollar Community Development Block Grant that was used to make major repairs and replacements to G.A.R Island Park. This included repairs to the island walls, a new pedestrian bridge on the east side of the park, and brand-new River Walk on the west side of the park, that extends from the Hamlin Park entrance north to Mill Pointe Park (Outdoor Recreation Center) and will soon have new playground equipment. Many city departments and staff were instrumental in making this happen.
  • Received $35,000 from MSHDA to assist 4 homeowners with much needed infrastructure repairs to their homes, making them safer for years to come.
  • Completed another round of successful Residential Curbside grants that assisted 11 homeowners with non-critical repairs to the exterior of their homes.
  • Implemented the first year of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge to bring awareness to the public regarding the conservation of the Monarch Butterflies, and the importance of creating a habitat that is conducive to their continued survival. This included creating awareness through education, and planting of Milkweed seeds in various locations, as well as encouraging the community to plant milkweed seeds at their own homes.
  • Hosted our first annual Grand River Color Tour Triathlon where 35 athletes competed in a kayak, cycle and run event and were blasted with Holi color at the finish line.
  • Brought back the popular movies and concerts in the park during the summer.

Administration: (City Hall)

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to Clerk Laura Boomer and Treasurer Marrie Jo Carr for the job they did as Interim-City Managers; they didn’t flinch when asked if this was something they could take on. They jumped in and did the job and for that we are all very grateful.

We have many employees who work behind the scenes every day. They don’t always get the recognition they deserve but I want to personally thank ALL City of Eaton Rapids employees who work for the PEOPLE of Eaton Rapids. It’s not always an easy task and sometimes we fail. But getting back up each day and trying again, is what makes the difference and if you can make the difference in people’s lives, then you should be proud of what you do every day.

As always, feel free to reach out to me at pcolestock@www.cityofeatonrapids.gov if you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or you’d like to learn more about getting involved in our wonderful city. Feel free to also join us at our Council Meetings. We meet the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, both at 5pm and 7pm. We’d love to see you!

January Mayor’s Corner

By

Mayor’s Corner-January 2022

Happy New Year Eaton Rapids!

Your City Council has already been busy in this new year. First, we welcome new Council Member At-Large, Stacee Robison, as well as returning Council Member William Steele, who represents Precinct 3 and is also our new Mayor-Pro Tempore.  Susie Politza is your representative for Precinct 1, and we approved the appointment of Ken Nicholas as your representative for Precinct 2. It feels great to start the new year with some fresh faces and ideas!

We are also making history in Eaton Rapids! First, you elected me as your first ever female Mayor, and on January 17th, we welcome Susan Montenegro, our first female City Manager. We are all excited to serve this great city and to represent YOU!

One of our priorities this new year is to bring you more information and transparency about our city government. We are working on a new website that will be easier to use, and we are working to broadcast our council meetings online, not just through Facebook.  This will make our council meetings more accessible to more people. The new website should be up and running by early spring and we hope to bring easier access to the information you need.

Another important decision City Council will be making soon is the allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). You have probably heard of this in the news, and from other local governments. The city received approximately $560,000. While that is a lot of money, it’s not a lot when you can only use it for specific tasks. We can use the funds to replenish loss public sector revenue. We can use it to give a one-time payment to essential workers, (Police, Fire, DPW). This is because these folks could not work from home during the pandemic; they had to keep our city safe and operational. We can also use the funds to invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure. I think it’s important for our residents to know about this and rest assured, your City Council will work diligently and responsibly to make sure these funds are used correctly, and that we can get the most value for the funds. We also only have 2 years to obligate these funds.

We have several board positions coming up this year, so if you have been looking to get involved, let me know! I’d love to speak with you and see where you could help our community. There is always something to do, and even if it’s not a board position, please let me know where you’d like to help. Don’t forget, our service clubs are always looking for new members. These clubs, such as The Lions Club, Rotary, Business & Professional Women, Women Working Wonders and several more, were also greatly impacted by the pandemic and are working hard to keep going. These clubs do so many great things for our community that without them, many services would not happen. If you are looking to get involved, please also consider joining one of these very important and necessary clubs.

As always, feel free to reach out to me at pcolestock@www.cityofeatonrapids.gov if you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or you’d like to learn more about getting involved in our wonderful city. Feel free to also join us at our Council Meetings. We meet the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, both at 5pm and 7pm. We’d love to see you!

We wish you a very Happy & Safe New Year!

Mayor Pam Colestock

December Mayor’s Corner

By

Dear Eaton Rapids,

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and splendid New Year.

You have all weathered the tumult. Whether it be the remnants of the Pandemic, an election wrought with accusations and counter accusations, uncertainty over the economy, school upheaval, mask mandates, vaccines etc. The list goes on and on and every news cycle brings something more. What it often doesn’t bring is the “Flip side.”

 

Let’s concentrate on the “Flip side” in our own back yard. The mini food banks are being kept stocked to give a “ hand up and not a hand out.” The community coat tree is back. I hear about it. “ Oh, we look like ‘hobo ville.” Well, that doesn’t hold true to the grateful person that obtains a gently used coat for their child so they can stay warm when they go to school. The attendance at our Christmas parade and making George our Grand Marshall. Not a person of means but a person that is pure of heart and spends his days giving back to all that pass. A welcoming smile and wave. How our Community came together when the Magnesium Products of America plant exploded and fund raisers were held to keep the families impacted on their feet. How citizens, City officials, Fire Fighters and Police Officers worked side by side to fill sand bags during significant high water events in 2018 and 2019.

 

I recall coming to Eaton Rapids as a member of the newly formed Eaton Rapids Police department. It was December 14th of 1981. The original department was housed in the Eaton Rapids Fire department downtown. The “new crew” consisted of 10 members. We built the department from scratch. I mean we built it. We hung cabinets, built counter tops, designed the patch, re-cycled old equipment and learned the town. All this in 17 days. It was a difficult first year but gradually we became acclimated and assimilated into the town.

 

When I took office in January of 2018 I had a pretty firm agenda. I wanted to see upgrades, changes, measured development and a restored sense of pride in our community. I think we did pretty well. We upgraded much neglected equipment for our DPW. We gave our employees the tools with which to serve you better. That came with an understanding. We are making an investment in you, our employees, so that you can pass that on to those that you work for. We lit and built 2 bridges, both of which had been in disrepair for several years. We wrote and enacted a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan and a Master Plan for our city. Kudos to our Parks and Rec department and our Planning Commission. We became a Michigan Main St and Rising Tides Community to spur development and put forth several new programs to aid the downtown. Nice work DDA. We created a Property Maintenance Code upgrade and a Residential Rental Inspection Ordinance. This was done to make the community more attractive and hold land lords to rigorous standards to make sure that they maintained their properties. One of the intended results was that several of our “absentee land lords” that had allowed their properties to fall into states of disrepair sold these properties and they were converted into owner

occupied dwellings. People take more pride in something that they own as opposed to something that is owned by someone else. I asked a lot from our Building Inspection department and they delivered. We have rehabilitated our river front with a new Riverwalk and re-do of our G.A.R. park. Needed upgrades at the Howe Memorial Field and the creation of several grant funded projects to aid our residents in upgrading their own homes (Curb side grants, Façade grants and MSHDA housing grants).

 

Paved several streets and completed much needed upgrades to both the State St and Brook St corridors in the form of new water and sewer lines and a smooth surface on which to drive.

 

The Farmers market has become a “come to” event and draws folks from other communities.

We have experienced an expansion at our much coveted Eaton Rapids Medical Center, truly a jewel that the entire community can be proud of.

 

All in all, a pretty good 4 years.

As I write to you I bid you Peace. I hope that the projects that were started and the vision for our Community that has been worked towards continues to travel a good path. I hope that the City Council continues to keep in mind that they serve the citizens and not vice versa. I ask all of you that you offer to volunteer to help and not sit on the side lines watching the parade pass by. After all, it can’t be done alone and if you aren’t part of the solution you shouldn’t be part of the problem.

Take the opportunity and be part of the “Flip side.”

 

Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving as your Mayor.

Keep making Eaton Rapids a great place to live, work and raise your family.

Best Always,

Paul

June Mayor’s Corner

By

MAYORS CORNER

     JUNE 15TH

    2021

 

As I look out my office window I see “life” in abundance, a far cry from last year at this time. People are sitting in front of Moo-ville eating ice cream. There is a couple having lunch on the front patio at Darb’s. There is a line at the walk up window at Las Flores.  People are walking down the street and kids are riding their bikes.  There is actually traffic backed up, just a little, on Main St.  We have persevered and adapted to a new way of doing things.  You may ask yourself “Will it ever be the same?”  Short answer “No it won’t.” Our Country, over the last 15 or so months, has gone through some profound changes.

A pandemic swept our nation. It caused both human and economic devastation on several fronts. Loved ones were lost. Many without having the comfort of family at their sides. Businesses and livelihoods were dealt a crushing blow because of safety concerns. Travel was banned between houses.  It was as if we were in prison, viewing our tiny corner of the world via a computer or television screen or the windows in our homes. But slowly and surely, as Americans often do, we are re-capturing what was briefly lost. It may not look exactly the same but that doesn’t mean it is better or worse, just different than what we are used to.

We survived a tempestuous election.  It was almost like the Civil War. Neighbor against neighbor and brother against brother.  The only difference was the reason for the upheaval. A lack of tolerance, understanding and a refusal to accept other points of view.  In the end, I hope that the PRIDE that we have in our country over shadows the desperation and we unite to share our sameness and celebrate our uniqueness and differences.

Speaking of PRIDE. I hope you took the time to attend the first, of what I hope will be an annual event, on Saturday June 12th at Howe Field.  This event, hosted by Lee Carmody, featured food, music, facepainting, a bean bag toss tournament, good conversation and plenty of information about and for Eaton Rapids.  It was the opportunity to celebrate diversity in its many forms.  While we may be diverse we are, after all, all human beings.  That is the one thing that truly is shared.

I wish to take this opportunity to say Thank you to Pastor Marty Debow.  Marty has served his community for several years as the Pastor at the Eaton Rapids Methodist Church.  For those of you that don’t know, his wife Cindy, is a Counselor at the VFW Home.  For several years Marty has been a fixture at our City Council meetings where he would deliver his invocation. Marty is also a long time member of the Eaton Rapids Rotary Club and also serves on the Eaton Rapids Medical Center Hospital board.  One of the tenets of Rotary is “Service above self.” Both he and Cindy have filled that role a million times over.  I bid him well in his retirement, of which I’m sure will be short lived.

 

The Eaton Rapids River Recreation sub-committee is planning on hosting a kayak/canoe water event on July 24th at 11:00 am.  It will be open to all ages and equipment may be available for use.  Keep an eye open for additional information.

The Independence Day celebration is quickly approaching. There will be activities on both Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the 4th.  Arrive early and stay late.  Most of the activities will be taking place at either Howe Memorial Field or Martin Hansen Amphitheater on W. Knight St. Watch the City Facebook page, website and this publication for more information.

This Sunday, June 20th, is Father’s Day. Talk about diversity. Fathers are as diverse as the species.  No two alike but all have something in common, the love that they have for their children. Even in our darkest hours we, as fathers, can be cheered by those cherubic gazes or an impish grin. A homemade card or that special sea shell emblazoned with the words “I love you daddy.”  Fathers, this Sunday, celebrate your children for who and what they have given you. The chance to be called a father.

As always I bid you Peace and hope you continue to call Eaton Rapids home and make it a great place to live, raise your family and recreate.

Paul