Ypsilanti City Council held a brief council meeting on March 17, lasting just under nine and half minutes.
Due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 the meeting agenda was modified to only include timely items. Five resolutions were removed from the agenda, leaving only three to be discussed by the council. All three resolutions were passed unanimously by the city council.
The first resolution passed, No. 2020-064, requested the authorization of the city council to submit a development application to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund for the Huron Pathway Project.
The council then approved resolution No. 2020-069, awarding the Rutherford Pool roof construction bid to Duke Roofing. Duke Roofing, a business based in Ypsilanti Charter Township, made the lowest bid for the renovation of the roof of the poolhouse, according to City Council member Steve Wilcoxen. Duke Roofing agreed to a sum of $42,500 for the project, of which the City of Ypsilanti will pay $25,000. According to the summary of the resolution the Friends of the Rutherford Pool have raised the remaining funds for the renovation. The summary states that the renovation of the bathhouse will allow the inclusion of family changing rooms and unisex restrooms.
To read more about the Rutherford Pool Bathhouse renovations click: here.
The last resolution, No. 2020-070, authorized the City Manager to adjust the city’s budget to “support the operational management of the Historic Ypsilanti Freighthouse.”
No public comment was given, and no members of the public were in attendance at the meeting.
Before adjournment the City of Ypsilanti mayor, Beth Bashert, addressed the city regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We are holding this meeting during a very stressful time in our history. This is unprecedented and we don’t know what the next stage is going to bring, and we don’t know what our meetings [will consist of], or what businesses are going to open, or what level of the city is going to be open from week-to-week-to-week. I just want to encourage the city, and council, and staff, to all be patient and supportive of each other as we make our decisions based on a quickly changing situation. Whatever decisions we make, and whatever choices we make are all going to be with the health and the safety of our community at the heart of it all."
