CADILLAC — Upgrades and improvements, one of the main focal points of Monday night’s Cadillac City Council meeting.
City council members discussed a couple of grants that would help homeowners make improvements and enhance the downtown dock.
City Manager Marcus Peccia said the program to help homeowners would be a new program.
“This program is really special because it’ll help folks that they may have gotten behind, doing maintenance activities, roofing, making sure their electrical is up to, you know, up to code and some other really important, maintenance-type items,” Peccia said.
A public hearing was held, and a resolution was passed unanimously for a Community Development Block Grant worth $675,000 in federal funding to help support housing rehabilitation for low and moderate-income homeowners.
Peccia said this helps homeowners and the city.
“If we can help them improve their properties, that tune will improve their quality of life and improve the value of their properties. That helps the overall city, the overall community,” said Peccia.
The funds would help at least 40 homeowners.
“This is a significant amount of money. It’s a new program for the city of Cadillac to be able to offer,” Peccia said.
The council is also looking at making improvements to the downtown dock, a popular spot for locals and visitors to fish, boat, and take in the views of Lake Cadillac.
Peccia said a consultant was hired last year and performed an underwater inspection of the existing dock.
“I don’t know how long it’s been there, but it definitely needs some restoration activities. If not, you know, a complete new system,” he said.
Peccia said they are looking at their options for the types of renovations they want to do.
“Reimagining what it could look like, perhaps, as our concepts have shown, adding a larger area for people and, to congregate on it, maybe even have a pergola or two to provide some shade, areas for people to fish and sit,” Peccia said.
Another resolution passed unanimously, supporting applying to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant for these improvements.