We all experienced the recent floods in August 2023 and April 2025 and recognize that this is a very complicated regional issue. The City Administration has been working with a group called Floodwise over the past year and is close to having a final report to share with the City Commission and the community.
My intent with this post is to share information about a grant the City Administration is pursuing, which the City Commission approved at the April 6 meeting.
In brief, the grant application:
- Is requesting funding from the State of Michigan in the amount of $350,000
- If obtained, the City will be required to provide a local match of $70,000
- Will be used to evaluate the causes of flooding and develop options to mitigate or reduce the effects of high water on critical infrastructure
- Could start as early as June 2026
- The grant period is anticipated to be two years
- Will include coordination with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) on mitigation options
The April 6 City Commission agenda included a thorough review of this effort. It provides background on the history of flooding in the City, summarizes past efforts, and outlines a detailed scope of services. I found the Administrative Recommendation and the letter from the City Engineer to be especially informative.
If you are interested in the details, here is a link to those pages from the agenda. LINK
Let’s all keep our fingers crossed this grant gets approved.
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