Catch up on Reporting from ELi
The first city meetings of 2025 were held.
We’re back! After a holiday break, the ELi team is back to work and catching you up on what is going on in the city.
City Manager Robert Belleman reflects on the start of his tenure, optimism for the future.
With about 15 months under his belt as city manager, Robert Belleman spoke with ELi Reporter Dustin DuFort Petty about important developments in the city and why he is optimistic about the future. In the interview, Belleman touched on the city’s progress in filling key staff positions, the city’s flooding problem and more. Read Dustin’s full story here.
City Council hosts a public hearing for Grove Street rezoning.
A Hagan Realty request to rezone properties on Grove Street was once again discussed by council. The Hagans’ are requesting rezoning so they can add a housing complex with up to 48 bedrooms to the area. However, some residents living in the area have pushed back against the project. Read Managing Editor Luke Day’s recap of the meeting here.
A look back at 2024 and what to expect in 2025.
Over our break, Luke wrote a pair of columns that reviewed some of our most important coverage from 2024 and some important developments to expect in 2025.
Looking back at last year, ELi covered the new City Council and city manager leading the city, East Lansing’s flooding problem, four different elections and much more.
Entering 2025, there are several storylines in motion that we’re awaiting outcomes to. Among them, there will be a new police chief, two seats on City Council will be up for election and the city’s charter review committee is set to make recommendations.
There are seven city meetings next week.
City government is back in the swing of things in 2025. Next week, the Human Rights Commission and Commission on the Environment will each meet Monday (Jan. 13). City Council will hold a discussion-only meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 14). The Zoning Board of Appeals and Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission each gather on Wednesday (Jan. 15). Then Thursday (Jan. 16), Age Friendly Communities and the Arts Commission both have meetings. When meeting agendas are posted, they can be found here.
Additionally, the East Lansing Board of Education will hold an organizational meeting on Monday (Jan. 13). The agenda for that meeting can be found here.
Peace Education Center to Host “Write for Rights” event tomorrow.
Sunday (Jan. 12), the Lansing Area Peace Education Center will host “Write for Rights,” an event where participants sign letters and cards of support for people imprisoned for their work against political injustice in their countries.
There will be fact sheets about each individual being supported at the event. A couple examples mentioned in a press release for the event include a TikToker in Angola and a defender of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.
The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at United Edgewood Church at 469 North Hagadorn Road in East Lansing.
Applications close soon for Citizens’ Police Academy.
Want to learn more about policing in our community? Sign up for the Citizens’ Police Academy! But make sure to act quick, applications close Friday, Jan. 17.
The 11 week course will see participants learn about a different aspect of policing on Wednesdays from Jan. 29 through April 18. Topics covered will include response to resistance, patrol procedures, criminal investigations, Neighborhood Watch, emergency management and disaster preparedness, active shooter, the history of civil disturbances and alcohol in East Lansing.
Additionally, East Lansing police will talk with participants about issues in the community to increase the department’s awareness about concerns. To find out more about the citizens’ academy, read the city’s full press release here.
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