What's Been Going on in East Lansing?
Catch up on what has been happening in the schools and local government.
We officially cross into the fall season tomorrow, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from the recent warm weather in East Lansing.
Start your weekend by catching up on what’s been going on locally in the schools, city and more!
ELi and Lansing Area League of Women Voters to Hold Program on Charter Amendment.
At the Nov. 5 General Election, East Lansing voters will decide whether or not to approve Proposal 1, which impacts the city’s housing and rental regulations. To help residents better understand what is being decided, we’re teaming up with the Lansing Area League of Women Voters to hold a program where a person for and a person against the amendment explain their position. Have questions? We want to hear them. Submit your questions about the proposal here, and we will use the feedback to draft our questions for the program. Read more about the upcoming event here.
Questions about BWL rate increases, stormwater management and more emerge from City Council meeting.
This week’s City Council meeting was uncharacteristically short, but some important questions came to the surface. Notably, council talked about putting more stringent stormwater management requirements on developers temporarily, while the city works to update its building standards. The topic will be revisited at council’s next meeting. Read Managing Editor Luke Day’s full recap of the meeting here.
New nonprofit organization donates tons of food that may have otherwise gone bad.
Over the first eight months of 2024, the new Lansing Area chapter of Food Rescue saved more than 78,000 pounds of food to give to those in need. Local businesses like Trader Joe’s allow Food Rescue volunteers to pick up food that may go bad, and then volunteers bring the food to local nonprofit organizations to feed the people they serve. Read Reporter Dustin DuFort Petty’s story about Food Rescue’s impact.
Housing Commission takes a look at proposed new housing and rental ordinances.
To address resident concerns about its housing and rental code, the city revealed a draft of ordinance changes last month. At the Sept. 5 Housing Commission meeting, the body reviewed the proposed changes to give feedback. Read Luke's recap of the meeting here.
ELHS hosts annual homecoming football game.
Last Friday, the East Lansing Trojans football team defeated Grand Ledge in its annual homecoming football game. Reporter Mark Pontoni tapped into his artistic side to capture the night’s festivities through photos. View Mark’s gallery here.
September closes with a busy week for city meetings.
There’s no break for city government next week, as six meetings are scheduled throughout the week. Monday (Sept. 23), the Youth Commission meets. On Tuesday (Sept. 24), the University Student Commission gathers. Then on Thursday (Sept. 26), the Downtown Development Authority, Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Charter Review Committee and Building Board of Appeals all have meetings. When agendas are posted, they can be found here.
Notably, next week’s Charter Review Committee meeting will be the body’s first dedicated to collecting public feedback. Those interested in sharing their thoughts on what the committee should look into can attend the meeting at the Hannah Community Center on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m.
Outside of the city government, the East Lansing Board of Education meets Monday (Sept. 23). That meeting will be downstairs in the high school, starting at 7 p.m.
City to host a pair of housing workshops.
As part of its comprehensive plan update, the city is hosting a pair of housing workshops to share information and get feedback from residents.
The first event will be held Tuesday, Sept. 24 from 6-8 p.m. at the Hannah Community Center. The goal of the first event will be to spread information about what housing types and tools are available to cities, and how policies impact housing prices. Pre-registration for the event is encouraged.
The second event is scheduled Monday, Sept. 30 from 5-6:30 p.m. in downtown East Lansing. This will be an interactive workshop, where residents can share their thoughts about housing in East Lansing. This workshop will be a fun event that includes ice cream, live music and more! No registration is required for this event.
Read more about the comprehensive plan update and upcoming events here.
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