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The Missing Minutes — City Staff left big money off the recap

The city recap covered honors, a federal housing report, a Lakeside park, and a school gym. It skipped a $2.8 million wharf vote that lacked agenda packet supporting documents, and two tax deals on the same Clay Avenue building.

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩

City Manager Jonathan Seyferth's purchasing flexibility at 3rd Street Wharf had no supporting documents in the agenda packet — and the city recap did not mention that it was pulled from consent, the discussion, or the outcome of the vote

City staff put out a short recap of the September 22 City Commission Meeting, claiming residents can "Stay informed on what’s happening at City Hall, without needing to watch the entire meeting." The staff-made recap covers four, relatively inconsequential items in a meeting that ran more than three hours. Check out The Missing Minutes below for

$2.8 MILLION for 3rd Street Wharf — Mgr. Seyferth wants to skip the usual bid votes

Government

Yes consent vote would let the city manager hire vendors with grant money without bringing each contract back for a Commission vote, so work can finish by December 31.

$2.8 MILLION for 3rd Street Wharf — Mgr. Seyferth wants to skip the usual bid votes — City of Muskegon Manager Seyferth

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩
Manager Seyferth's agenda item has no supporting documents in the agenda packet****

Consent item: give the city manager temporary power to spend state grant money on 3rd Street Wharf without a separate Commission award on every bid. No supporting documents attached.

Millions in state grant money has to be spent by December 31, 2026. Staff says that is about 14 weeks, holidays included. They asked the state to push into 2027 and are not confident they will get it, especially with a change in administrations coming. If grant money is

Froebel closing needs a paper fix — city keeps the schoolyard

Government

Consent vote would update the Samaritas purchase agreement to the new lot lines before a September 29 closing on the building and parking, 46 units.

Froebel closing needs a paper fix — city keeps the schoolyard — Dibs on that schoolyard

Consent item: fix the Froebel purchase paperwork so Tuesday’s deal matches the new lot lines.

The lot split is done. Closing with Samaritas is on the form for September 29. This closing is the school building and parking — 46 units. The buyer named in the packet is Samaritas Affordable Living Froebel LDHA LP. The amendment is Addendum 2 with the updated legal description for 417 Jackson.

The city is keeping the vacant schoolyard on purpose. Samaritas wants a later second phase. Staff say state scoring is better if the city still owns that ground when the next

City keeps the Nelson gym — $1 a year, plus the monthly bills

Government

Consent vote would lease about 12,000 square feet in the old Nelson School from the housing developer for 10 years so Parks can keep indoor rec there.

City keeps the Nelson gym — $1 a year, plus the monthly bills — Future housing

Consent item: keep the old Nelson gym as city rec space after the school becomes housing.

The landlord on the motion is GenCap Nelson Limited Dividend Housing Association. The housing reuse takes the building; the city wants the indoor rec instead of losing the gym. Space is about 11,990 square feet — gym and related rooms. Uses on the form: open gym, teen nights, Parks programs, events, community rentals.

Term is 10 years. Base rent is $1 a year. The city pays its share of common-area and operating costs. Staff estimate that share at $999

Empty Lakeshore lot wants ordinary house rules, not form-based ones

Government

Consent vote would rezone 1210 Lakeshore Drive back to neighborhood residential so a house can be designed without the form-based garage and width rules.

Empty Lakeshore lot wants ordinary house rules, not form-based ones — Ai with the assist

Consent item: put 1210 Lakeshore Drive on the same house zoning as most of the rest of that block.

The house came down in 2021. The lot sat next to Cole’s Quality Foods for years and was a leftover residential use under the old industrial map. In 2018 it went into form-based Urban Residential with the Nims expansion because it had been a house. Staff now say neighborhood residential would have been the better 2018 call.

Why it is back: the owner cannot get house plans through the form-based rules. Those rules want the garage

Pioneer Resources wants a dog daycare on Wesley — zoning has to move first

Government

Consent vote would rezone 1145 Wesley from neighborhood residential to form-based Neighborhood Edge so a public dog daycare can go in the rear garage.

Pioneer Resources wants a dog daycare on Wesley — zoning has to move first — East entrance

Consent item: change the zoning on Pioneer Resources’ campus so a dog daycare can open in the back garage.

Pioneer Resources is the nonprofit that works with seniors and people with disabilities. The Wesley campus already has office and therapy space. They want a public dog daycare in the rear garage — also used as vocational training — plus a small addition.

Today the lot is R, Neighborhood Residential. Office is already a legal leftover use there; dog daycare is not. Form-based Neighborhood Edge would make the existing campus match the map and allow the daycare. Staff

The Missing Minutes — City Staff left big money off the recap

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩

$2.8 MILLION for 3rd Street Wharf — Mgr. Seyferth wants to skip the usual bid votes

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩
Manager Seyferth's agenda item has no supporting documents in the agenda packet****

Froebel closing needs a paper fix — city keeps the schoolyard

City keeps the Nelson gym — $1 a year, plus the monthly bills

Empty Lakeshore lot wants ordinary house rules, not form-based ones

Pioneer Resources wants a dog daycare on Wesley — zoning has to move first

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🚩 RED FLAG 🚩

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩 **Manager Seyferth's agenda item has no supporting documents in the agenda packet**

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Popular Tags

Government

Housing

Parks

Zoning

Waterfront

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩
Manager Seyferth's agenda item has no supporting documents in the agenda packet****