Lansing · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lansing public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Michigan Avenue Corridor 2026 activities update
The raingardens along Michigan Avenue aren't being maintained at all. The committee may organize county, city, Peckham and MSU partners — or volunteers — to fix that, and might make it a budget priority.
Saginaw Street Corridor 2026 Activities
Several art projects are moving: a traffic cabinet vinyl-wrap plan headed to MDOT, a mural planned by Amy's Catering, and finished Durant Park mural installations. Public art aims to brighten and brand the corridor.
Stop sign and turn restrictions at five intersections
The committee is scheduled to act on five intersection traffic changes: stop signs at Ellen/Brookland, State/Daleford, and Lincoln/Forest, and a yield sign at Pico/Moores River Drive.
Renaming E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue
The committee continues its quarterly review of the street renaming, including a resident survey of affected parties and a budget priority to reimburse street name change costs.
Darby Drive parking near Cumberland Elementary
Residents near Cumberland Elementary report school drop-off and pick-up vehicles staging on both sides of Darby Drive, blocking travel and driveways. The proposed rule would bar parking on school days from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the west side between Cumberland Road and Tecumseh River Drive.
Support for State Homeless and Tenant Bills of Rights
Council discussed supporting Michigan HB 4197 (homeless bill of rights) and HBs 6086-6089 (tenant right to purchase, relocation assistance, tenants' unions, 90-day rent increase notice), with action expected December 7.
Make Safe or Demolish order at 1606 Reo Rd.
The committee was scheduled to consider a resolution ordering a property at 4507 Devonshire Avenue to be made safe or demolished. These orders typically address dangerous or blighted structures and affect the neighborhood's safety and appearance.
Rewrite of the city noise ordinance
The city rewrote its noise rules to cover all properties, drop decibel meters in favor of a 'plainly audible' standard, and make enforcement more practical for police.
District Court treatment grants
The 54A District Court's Sobriety Court and Adult Drug Court grants would fund treatment, testing, and supplies.
Bike lane and non-motorized plan concerns
A downtown resident says Lansing's bike lanes are too narrow, misplaced, and that the non-motorized plan has no downtown lanes and big gaps — and is falling behind other Michigan cities.
Brownfield Plan #87 (New Vision) agreements
The New Vision project's reimbursement agreement and interlocal agreement determine how and when the developer gets repaid using tax increment dollars captured on the brownfield site. The board got a status update scheduled on where those agreements stand.
South Lansing Roadmap and Neighborhoods of Focus redevelopment
The LEDC board was scheduled to receive presentations on targeted redevelopment work in South Lansing, including the South Lansing Roadmap and the Neighborhoods of Focus initiative. These efforts shape which neighborhoods see new investment and development opportunities.
City Tax and Debt Dashboard
The TIFA district's tax increment capture is currently being used to pay off existing debt rather than fund new projects. The scheduled financial update matters for anyone watching how downtown and district redevelopment gets funded.
Art for City Hall artist selection
The commission is weighing artist names for public art at City Hall. The choices made here shape what artwork residents and visitors see in one of the city's most prominent civic buildings.
Commission priority setting
The board is continuing to set its priorities — deciding which arts and culture efforts get attention and resources in the coming year. This shapes what arts programming and support Lansing residents can expect.
Mural sponsorship at 221 West Saginaw Street
M3 Group gave a detailed update on the launch of the mural district marketing campaign, promoting the corridor as an arts destination.
New City Hall opening and sale of old building
Spadafore gave a history sendoff: 300 people have served since 1859, and the new building puts the council chamber on the ground floor — 'democracy is coming back down to the ground floor.'
Water/utility affordability
Mike Smalligan asked council to get real data on the roughly 25,000 BWL customers struggling to pay bills, and to look at Rep. Devendorf's bill capping water bills at 2-3% of income for low-income households.
Gobble Wobble Thanksgiving Basket Drive funding
Remnant International Ministries runs an annual drive delivering Thanksgiving meal baskets; it fed about 550 people in 2025 and hopes to reach 600. The committee bumped its community funding grant to $1,000.
César Chávez Avenue renaming
The long-running street renaming debate continues. The committee heard from community members, plans more outreach including possible surveys and door-to-door contact, and will revisit quarterly — with holiday season off the table for timing.
Office of the Independent Internal Auditor
A new ordinance creates an independent internal auditor office for the city — a watchdog function to review how the city spends money. A drafting error briefly suggested the City Market was being repealed; that was clarified as a mistake.
LPD Officer Hiring and Staffing
The department started 19 recruits in August, some former cadets or interns, and made 3 lateral officer offers (1 accepted, 1 pending, 1 declined). Hiring activity could affect response times and neighborhood policing capacity.
Freestanding sign size limits
The city is tightening its rules on freestanding signs — bigger setbacks, shorter and smaller signs — and cleaning up references to zoning districts that no longer exist. This shapes what commercial corridors look and feel like, and affects businesses that want visible signage.
Census 2030 proposed rule opposition
The council formally opposed a federal rule that could leave noncitizens out of the census count and drop race/ethnicity questions — which would cost Lansing federal dollars and distort redistricting.
South Washington Avenue and West Washtenaw Street Intersection Safety
Since the traffic signal was removed and Washtenaw became a two-way stop, residents have flagged pedestrian crossing safety and traffic backups at this intersection. The board raised these concerns as an information item.
Kiosk removal and downtown streetscape art
The old kiosk spots are a tripping hazard and the first art proposals came in over budget and off-theme. The board is spending up to $60,000 to get a redesign from a local artist that fits streetscape standards, and wants the Lugnuts' spare concrete baseballs considered for Michigan Avenue.
Big Red Ball and Legendary Women of Lansing fundraising
The Big Red Ball needs a ticket-sales push, with four ads running and marketing kicking in this month. Board members were asked to promote tickets, including on the MSU parent page, and frame the event as an MSU community ambassador moment.
Michigan Walk of Fame revival
The Walk of Fame project timeline is being stretched to about a year, with committees forming statewide. Existing plaques will be redone and new honorees will get updated plaque designs with Michigan elements.
Pleasant Grove Road construction delay
Residents asked the city to move the West Miller Road reconstruction up a year because the road is deteriorating. Staff said acceleration may not be feasible, but patching will keep the road maintained in the meantime.
Election inspector staffing for November 3
Precinct staffing for the general election is now set, with flexibility for the Clerk's Office to fill gaps if inspectors drop out.
Election Monitoring
The Republican National Committee sent a letter raising parity concerns about election inspectors, and the commission voted to respond formally.
Traffic Signal Easement at East Miller and Aurelius Roads
The city needs a 10' x 30' easement to install or upgrade a traffic signal at a busy corner. The land is vacant, and the new owner of the sports complex nearby hasn't objected.
School Crossing Guard Program Vendor
The police department notified the city that All City Management Services will staff, train, and manage the school crossing guard program. The service is state-mandated and no other vendor is available.
Sidewalk repair funding consolidation
Michael Mercer showed photos of buckled sidewalks, a blocked sidewalk from an untrimmed city tree, and called for a volunteer cleanup across all four wards.
Citywide trash collection study
Lansing has debated switching from a hybrid trash hauling system to a coordinated citywide system every year. Council Member Hussain wants independent, objective data and four-ward public meetings before any recommendation.
Moores River Drive culvert and sewer easements
The Country Club of Lansing easement resolution was tabled again while the city finalizes language — the easement would run behind two homes instead of through the street. Construction isn't expected until 2027.
Citizen Complaint Process
A board member's storm report about a blocked road went unrecorded despite calling the city's line, and a citizen complaint alleges a rude representative misdirected a caller. Residents may worry the city isn't logging or routing their requests properly.
Grantee Training and FY 27-28 Grant Application Process
The board's mini grant application is being updated so applicants must give more detail about the funding they're seeking. A pre-grant celebration on Sept. 17 will help neighborhoods get ready to apply.
Community Health, Wellness and Opioid Awareness Fair
A free community fair on Friday, September 25th at the State Capitol will offer sixteen resource vendors, the McLaren Mobile Unit, food trucks, and a Memorial Wall of Hope for those affected by substance abuse.
Vacant & Blighted Property Replacement fund
A proposed $300,000 fund would tackle vacant, abandoned and blighted residential and commercial properties through stabilization, demolition, site prep and environmental assessment, getting tough parcels ready for redevelopment.
Home Repair & Aging in Place Program funding
Lansing seniors can get daily meals and fitness programs at Alfreda Schmidt, free vaccination clinics through Kroger, and a summer property tax deferment if they're 62+ and earn under $40,000. The committee wants to keep tracking what services seniors actually use.
Community Reinvestment Act rule changes
Proposed 2026 changes to federal CRA rules could affect downtown Lansing investment; DLI will join letters asking regulators and Congress to reconsider.
Garden Street Neighborhood Nuisance
Commissioner Cotton said the Cedar Street car wash was cleared out but activity has returned, and complaints shouldn't take two years to resolve. Ongoing code/complaint-response concerns for that corridor.
New pension administration software (Foster & Foster)
The board is replacing Tegrit as pension administrator at the end of 2026, with Foster & Foster taking over. A nonrenewal letter was approved with a month-to-month fallback if the switch isn't done on time.
Employee contribution transfer
The city transferred $530,439.35 to the retirement system for net employee contributions covering October-December 2025. The board accepted the memo but asked staff to confirm the reporting period because of a date discrepancy.
Digitizing retirement records ahead of office relocation
The retirement office is drowning in paper records going back to the 1970s. The board authorized staff to keep researching scanning equipment and services, with options coming to the August meeting.
Dangerous building enforcement — four properties
Six blighted properties — on Maloney, E. Kalamazoo, Sawyer, Norman, N. High and Cady — are headed to February 23 show-cause hearings where owners must explain why their buildings shouldn't be demolished or made safe.
Barbed-wire security fence at 570 American Road
A vehicle repair shop wanted barbed wire on top of a 6-foot fence to protect customers' vehicles from theft — barbed wire is normally banned to protect aesthetics and safety. The board approved it because the fence sits 200 feet from the road, hidden behind other properties.
Citywide park capital improvements
Lots of good news for park-goers: Marshall Park courts are poured, Marscott courts resurfaced, Moores Park Pool work continues, River Trail repairs are done, and the Reutter Park fountain landed a MEDC grant.
Children's Savings Program Grant (CEDAM)
A state grant through CEDAM will support a children's savings program aimed at helping Lansing kids plan and save for education after high school.