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The City of Flint administration is calling a special city council meeting tomorrow, Thursday, October 26 for the purpose of allocating ARPA funds to priority community projects as outlined in the City’s ARPA plan.

The agenda will include new resolutions, as well as resolutions that the council has not acted on at previous meetings. Many of these allocations are the administration’s recommendations for community grant programs.

One proposed allocation for the North Side City of Flint Customer Service Center would be implemented internally by the City of Flint.

The administration is also proposing an additional $1 million for home repair. The City of Flint is finalizing arrangements with service providers and expects applications to open for intake next week.

Berston Field House Renovation and Expansion

The first new resolution proposes a $1 million allocation to Friends of Berston for the renovation and expansion of Berston Field House. This would be allocated from the Contingency line item of the ARPA Allocation Plan adopted by the Flint City Council on October 24, 2022.

The Mott Foundation President Ridgway White announced today at a groundbreaking ceremony for Berston Field House that the foundation will provide matching funds for all donations to the project, turning Flint’s additional allocation of $1 million into $2 million.

“It’s very important to put these dollars to work for the people of Flint,” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “We have the opportunity double the impact of ARPA of dollars for the oldest recreational facility in the city of Flint, doubling our investment.”

In November 2022, the City kicked off a capital campaign for Berston Field House with an allocation of $1.5 million in ARPA funds to support the renovation and expansion of the City’s historic community center—a powerhouse of athletic achievement, community engagement for 100 years.

Alternative Uses of Vacant Lots

The City is also proposing $350,000 for alternative uses of vacant lots, as outlined in the City’s ARPA allocation plan. These funds would be granted to six community organizations to implement projects using vacant lots.

A grant of $100,000 to Active Boys in Christ would fund the development a vacant lot at 2701 Branch Rd. into the outdoor space of a youth training center for ages 7-17. The funds would be used to develop a portion of the property into a community garden, outdoor play area, and a full outdoor basketball court.

A grant of $125,000 to Friends of Berston would specifically fund site improvements and the demolition of abandoned buildings on vacant lots to build the new baseball diamond and soccer field as part of its larger project. Berston will expand its site from 6.85 acres to 14.60 acres by purchasing an abandoned church property to the northeast and vacant residential property to the south.

With this additional property, Berston will move the current softball field and outdoor basketball courts, add much needed on-site parking, add a Little League baseball field, a football/soccer/lacrosse field, pickleball courts, playgrounds, a splashpad, and add an outdoor amphitheater venue for summer concerts.

A $25,000 grant to Communities First would add an additional vacant lot to the third and final phase of its Foodie Commons @ the Flowershop. Envisioned as Flint’s first dedicated food truck park, Foodie Commons will offer supports for small businesses, flexible community gathering spaces for events like neighborhood meetings and amenities for all seasons.

Carriage Town Neighborhood Association would use a $25,000 grant to develop a playground at an informal pocket park. While numerous parks are near the neighborhood, none offer play equipment for children and families. During the covid-19 pandemic, residents created this pop-up space to support social gatherings with live music, games, and local vendors.

A $25,000 grant to Hispanic Technology Center would fund a pavilion and picnic table project at a neighborhood pocket park on two vacant lots that were adjacent to the center. This project was identified as a priority through a community engagement process—part of a long-term vision of transforming Lewis Street into Flint’s Latinx District.

Finally, Mott Community College would use a $50,000 grant for the Clark Commons Garden and Park Project. This will include a community garden with fruit trees and a small park with recreational space, seating, art, and an outdoor exercise area.

Gap Financing for Residential and Mixed-Use Projects

The administration also recommends funding Gap Financing contracts in the amount of $1,400,000 from the category of Neighborhood Improvement as proposed in the City’s ARPA Allocation Plan on October 24, 2022.

This includes eight separate allocations for community projects:

$100,000 for MADE Institute to renovate five transitional houses for returning citizens.

$125,000 for Communities First to develop affordable housing at 716 S. Grand Traverse.

$150,000 for Habitat for Humanity’s Sylvan Court Almost Home Project.

$200,000 for YMCA to develop 50 residential units.

$125,000 for McFarlan Village to expand quality and affordable housing at 800 E. Court St.

$125,000 for McFarlan Village to revitalize 700 E. Court St.

$400,000 for Catholic Charities for the Sacred Heart Village tiny home community at 719 E. Moore St.

$175,000 for Hispanic Technology Center’s Early Childhood Center.

Full list of resolutions to be considered:

• Amended Resolution/ ARP A Fund Utilization/Pandemic Impact on Health Disparities of Pregnant-New Mothers and Their Infants in Flint/Michigan State/University/Flint RX Kids Program (Resolution #230281.1)
• ARPA Fund Award/LatinXTechnogy Center/Impacts of the Pandemic on Blight (Resolution #230304)
• ARPA Funding Award/Neighborhood Engagement Hub/Impacts on the Pandemic on Blight (Resolution #230310)
• ARPA Funds Award/James E. Kennedy Family Life Center/Impacs of the Pandemic on Blight/Ward 1 (Resolution #230319)
• ARPA Funds Award/Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village [SBEV]/Impacts of the Pandemic on Blight/Ward 3 (Resolution #230320)
• Approval/Lease for 4813 Clio Road/Pilot Project/North Side City of Flint/Customer Service Center (Resolution #230334)
• Resolution for 2nd ARPA Grant in Support ofBerston Field House Capital Improvements (Resolution #TBD)
• Resolution to Proceed with ARPA Funds Grants for Alternative Uses of Vacant Lots (Resolution #TBD)
• Resolution to Proceed with ARP A GAP Financing for Residential and Mixed-Use Projects (Resolution #TBD)
• Resolution to Revise Prior Adopted ARPA Home Repair Resolutions to Increase Spending Authority and Increase Number of Households Served (Resolution #TBD)

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced on Sept. 6, 2023 that Phillip Moore will join the City of Flint team as the new Chief Financial Officer.

Moore brings a wealth of experience in municipal finance, administration, and pension system management.

“I am excited to welcome Phil Moore to Flint as we close out the successful transition period following Robert Widigan’s departure,” Mayor Neeley said. “Mr. Moore’s deep experience in local government finance and pension system management will keep the City of Flint on a path of fiscal stability and sound decision-making.”

Moore comes to the City of Flint from the Pontiac General Employees Retirement System, where he served as Finance Officer, managing over $500 million in assets. Prior to that, he served the City of Alma for 26 years as Finance Director and Assistant City Manager, and then as City Manager.

At the City of Alma, Moore supervised all financial reporting, accounting, purchasing, payroll, investments, budgeting, debt management and tax collection activities of the City. He created cross-governmental partnerships to address infrastructure challenges and support economic development.

“I grew up in Owosso and I spent a lot of my youth coming to Flint,” Moore said. “Flint was always a very exciting place to visit, and I have many fond memories of Flint. Now, I hope to contribute to Flint’s rebirth. I’ve spent much of my career working to make Alma a better place to live, and I bring the same goal and passion for Flint.”

Moore will serve as interim CFO and his appointment will go before the Flint City Council for its consent as outlined in the Flint City Charter.

The Flint City Council passed Mayor Sheldon Neeley’s fourth consecutive balanced budget last night with no amendments and without any “no” votes.

“This balanced budget represents an increase in pay for all city workers as established through collective bargaining agreements, as well as increases in staffing levels and enhanced city services for residents,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “We are very proud to see this administration’s fourth consecutive balanced budget brought to life for the benefit of the Flint community.”

Mayor Neeley initially introduced the budget to the Flint City Council on March 8, 2023. The budget invests in retiree pensions as required by state law and enhances public safety and city services, with no increase in property tax rates, fees, or utility costs for residents. The budget also includes an additional $1 million for blight elimination.

Information about the State of Michigan’s “Protecting Michigan Pensions” grant program was included in Mayor Neeley’s budget message to residents and the Flint City Council. The State of Michigan has allocated $170 million to stabilize the City of Flint’s pension fund through this program in the coming fiscal year, and the City continues to pursue an additional $50 million in funding.

“We are excited that our partners in the state legislature and Governor Whitmer have committed to supporting Flint residents and retirees by passing the Protecting Michigan Pensions program,” Flint City Administrator Clyde Edwards said. “By passing this legislation, they are sending a message that they have confidence in Flint’s continued growth and development as a strong economic driver in our region. As we’ve engaged in the process of securing these funds, we have been continually reassured by our State of Michigan partners that we are on track to receive these dollars to stabilize Flint’s pension fund. We are planning cautiously to ensure that the pension funding will have the greatest possible impact.”

In addition to Mayor Neeley’s budget presentation on March 8, the Flint City Council held four budget hearings on April 12, April 26, May 10, and May 15, where council members had the opportunity to dialogue with City of Flint department heads and other staff.

“I want to underscore the level of transparency provided in this budget process,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “In addition to my annual presentation of the budget and the documentation made available to the public, City of Flint staff participated in four budget hearings with city council members and did an outstanding job sharing information and demonstrating the impact of their work on quality of life in the city of Flint. The administration came to the table in the spirit of collaboration, and we are pleased with the outcome.”