CITY OF BUCHANAN COMMISSION UPDATE – CITY LOOKS TO EXPAND ITS DOWNTOWN SOCIAL DISTRICT

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
BUCHANAN – Buchanan City Commissioners approved the expansion of the city’s downtown social district this week with hopes that it will bring more investment and development.
Monday’s City Commission meeting also featured a presentation on the search for a new city manager, the approval of a new labor contract with Department of Public Works employees and the confirmation of the special assessment roll to partially pay the city’s share of costs for the Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service.
The city commission first approved a social district for the downtown area more than three years ago in May, 2021. A state law passed in 2020 at the height of the pandemic allowed for the creation of social districts as part of an effort to support restaurants by allowing people to consume alcohol off premises in shared common areas.
Community Development Director Rich Murphy said the expanded district approved by the commission Monday with Commissioner Patrick Swem abstaining now includes the former Moose Lodge at Red Bud Trail and Front Street and more properties on Days Avenue and Main Street. Swem abstained because he has a business interest in the Livery project which is now in the social district.
The expanded social district was welcomed by LiveBuchanan co-chair Randy Hendrixson and McCullom Livery partner Michael Reed. Hendrixson called the social district expansion “incredibly important” to entice new businesses to the city and offer more opportunities to existing businesses.
Reed and his partners are developing the former Livery property into a boutique hotel on Days Avenue set to open next summer. The property previously was outside of the social district boundaries. He said they are down to the last steps needed to get a liquor redevelopment license and being part of the expanded social district will help them move forward.
The commission earlier this summer approved a 12 year obsolete property rehabilitation tax break on the $3.5 million budget and developers are getting a $1.2 million state grant. The boutique hotel is expected to create 20 long term jobs as well as many as 50 short term construction jobs.
Murphy noted that expanding the social district will allow the city attract more development. “A lot has changed since 2021 when we first created it,” he said. “We haven’t used this tool as much as we could but now we have the energy from new businesses and investments. I look at this as an economic development tool to bring jobs and investments that will increase our tax base and hopefully lower people’s taxes.”
“It’s critical for us to grow the district and get liquor licenses in the hands of investors,” he added. “This is incentivizing and anticipating future investment. Our competitors are using tools like this and we have to put it in our tool box … We want to set developers up for success.”
Mayor Mark Weedon said that there are 150 social districts in cities across the state and five have expanded their districts in the years since 2020. He said most social districts he’s visited around the state have rules in place to proactively address potential problems and concerns.
Also Monday, commissioners got an update from consultant Frank Walsh about the search for a new city manager. Walsh also conducted the last search in early 2023 which resulted in the commission hiring Benjamin Eldridge who resigned after less than six months on the job.
Current City Manager Tim Lynch served as the interim manager before Eldridge’s hiring and came back last December after Eldridge resigned. He informed the commission in September that he plans to leave by the end of 2024.
Walsh’s agreement with the city back then stated that he would conduct another search free of charge if the person picked last year stayed less than six months. Weedon said Monday that the city is only paying for advertising, supplies and travel.
Walsh said the job was posted last Friday and applications will be due Friday, Nov. 8. He will meet with the commission on Nov. 12 in a closed session to review the candidates and pick who they want to interview. He is suggesting a first round of interviews be conducted Nov. 19-21 with the commission deciding then to either hold a second round of interviews or to make an offer to an applicant.
He said a contract and salary would be negotiated once an offer is made. He said the best case scenario would have a new city manager starting Jan. 6 but that starting date could be later in January if there is any delay in making a choice.
Walsh said the job has been posted with the Michigan Municipal League and will also be posted on other recruiting sites as well as the city website. He noted that they’ve already have received applications from two or three strong candidates already. He said he also plans to reach out personally to people he knows around the state to see if they are interested.
He urged commissioners to also recommend names and said that good local candidates often make strong candidates. He added that applicants don’t have to ben a city manager now to be a great city manager in the future.
Other commission action Monday included approving the SMCAS assessment roll. Commissioners voted two weeks ago to set the per parcel assessment rate at $25 annually for the next 5 years with the rest of the money the city owes to SMCAS coming out of the general fund. The $25 annual rate is less than the proposed $40 per parcel rate initially suggested.
Commissioners also approved a new three year contract with the union representing DPW workers. Lynch said the 14 DPW workers will get a 3.5 percent raise this year and three percent raises each of the next two years. The contract is retroactive to July 1. Newer employees will get the chance to move up the pay scale faster and the lowest level on the pay scale has been eliminated.