With grant funds from the Michigan State Housing Authority (MSHDA) Vibrant Small Cities Initiative (VSCI), Rogers City is finaly ready to contract to install new Light Emitting Diode (LED) street light on Third Street (our Main Street) from Ontario Street to Huron Avenue. Cordes Excavating appears to be the low qualifying bidder, based on bids recieved and publiclly opened today. The Cordes bid was $256,679.99. Beacon Procusts is manufacturing the state-of-the-art lamps and poles we Cordes will install. Fleis and VandenBrink Engineering Inc. performed the design and detailed engineering for the project. Weather permitting, the work will be done before winter.

Your comments on this project are always welcome.

Labels: Cordes, MSHDA, Street Lights, VSCI Grant Award

The new street lights for Rogers City are coming to our main street--Third Street--this year. Unfortunately, we don't have enough funding to do the entire street. The current plan is to put the new lights from Ontario Street to Huron Avenue. This covers the heart of the traditional downtown.

There will be approximately 37 new light fixtures. Check a previous post on this blog for a diagram of this fixture and pole. The lights and poles are manufactured by Beacon Products, LLC. The lights will provide approximately the same amount of light to the sidewalk and street as the existing "cobra" lights, but the new lights will use only about half of the electricity, will shine only down not up into the sky, and have a "nautical" appearance. The cost of the project is estimated to be $380,000 for parts and installation.

Previously, the City hired Fleis and VandenBrink Engineering, Inc. to design and engineer the project. They are being paid $60,000 for their work, for a total project cost of $440,000. The City and Community Development Authority (CDA) had planned on a maximum of $450,000 for the project. The funding is from the CDA budget and Vibrant Small Cities Initiative (VSCI) grant funding. No City General Fund money will be used for this project.

If you have questions or comments about the project, please send them to me.

Labels: Beacon, Street Lights, VSCI Grant Award

As part of the Vibrant Small Cities Intiative, Rogers City won grant funding to help pay for an economic study of the downtown. The purpose of the study is to: "provide a comprehensive examination, analysis, vision, goals, and implementation plan for a public/private initiative to revitalize the Rogers City downtown district."

This "study" is really a process to help our community to move forward. To understand how the process works and your important role in it, please review the request for qualifications (RFQ) linked below. The RFQ is for professional consultants and provides them a fair means to compete for this important work; however, it is also for you as citizens to understand what is being done, why, and how you can participate.

Downtown%20Economic%20Study%20RFQ.doc

The City has sent this RFQ out to about a dozen companies, and statements of qualifications (SOQ) are due back to the City at 2 pm on July 8, 2009. The Community Development Authority (CDA) and the City Council are looking for the best consultant to accomplish the project as described in the RFQ.

There will be several opportunities for you, as citizens of our community, to become involved in the process of making our community a vibrant small city.

Mr. Bill Valentine wrote the initial draft RFQ, and I want to publically express my thanks for his work. Many other people and groups in the community from the Chamber of Commerce, the Promotions Committee, the Design Committee, the CDA, the City Council, City Staff, and individual citizens like Rachel Goodstein, Cheryl Peters, Judy McFalda, and Mary Ann Heidemann helped to craft this RFQ.

Please, review this RFQ and begin to think about the process. It is fair to say that we all want to make Rogers City a vibrant place once again.

Labels: Downtown Economic Study, VSCI Grant Award

Rogers City Receives Vibrant Small Cities Initiative (VSCI) Grant Agreement

On June 4, 2008, the City of Rogers City received a VSCI grant agreement from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to provide $517,500 in grant funding to accomplish downtown improvements. The projects include an economic study with implementation funds, wayfinding improvements, streetlight improvements, watermain improvements, Senior Center improvements, and downtown facade improvements. Previously, the City received a grant agreement for $152,000 in additional facade improvement projects. The projects are scheduled to begin in July 2008 and be completed by December 2009. There will be public participation sessions for many of these projects. Check here for details as the projects progress.

Labels: VSCI Grant Award