Community officials answer questions after an upbeat Chamber luncheon at Bay Valley on Wednesday. CHAMBER SOARS: Project Progress Excites Huge State of Community Crowd
February 20, 2014
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A crowd estimated at 350 swelled the annual State of the Community Luncheon of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.
Chamber Chair Laurie Bush of Century 21 Signature Realty gave a brief keynote, noting the excitement building as Uptown comes to life this year, with "the potential to change the face of the community."
Positive anticipation over several key projects was obvious in the throng, which was bolstered by several tables of contracting firms working on the Uptown at RiversEdge and Mill End Lofts projects.
A new development leader in the community, SSP Associates of the Shaheen brothers of Saginaw, Doctors Samuel and Peter, which is building a new neighborhood on the historic Industrial Brownhoist 48 acre site on the river and attracting new enterprises like the Real Seafood Company of Ann Arbor, also was well represented.
Chamber President Mike Seward noted after the meeting that the massive turnout was in the face of one of the worst winters in recent years. "It was really exciting," he exclaimed.
No less thrilling was the report from Bay City Mayor Chris Shannon that Senator Mike Green is close to deals with the state on turning over city bridge maintenance to the state highway department, thus freeing about $500,000 annually for street repairs.
Mike Stodolak, senior vice president of Independent Bank, brought the speakers to the platform and the individual reports added to the positive atmosphere filling the banquet room at the Bay Valley Resort.
The city's newly cross-trained public safety officers, with 64 trained professionals in police and fire work, "is the key piece to save the city budget," saving an estimated $1.8 million by 2017 while increasing the number of personnel for emergency services, said the mayor.
With a $23 million city bond issue and cooperation from Consumers Energy, unsightly electrical towers on the Uptown site crashed to earth and were removed recently, the mayor said.
Bay County Board Chairman Ernie Krygier had his own upbeat report that a long-sought Paraleon Pier public access to Saginaw Bay is nearing reality and that Sen. Green reportedly has secured funding from the DNR for a boardwalk in Saginaw Bay off the Bay City State Recreation Area.
Funding for a $57 million new county water plant is secured at favorable rates through $30 million in state funds and $27 million from the Michigan DEQ drinking water fund, Mr. Krygier said. The project will filter water from Whitestone Point through the Saginaw-Midland Water Supply System, fulfilling a 75-year-old dream.
Deb Kadish, new Bay-Arenac Intermediate School District superintendent, had a news break of her own: the ISD has unused fiber-optic strands that may be employed to provide 9-1-1 service in Midland. She also touted school district anti-bullying and technology collaborations and a pending Pinconning, Bay City and Career Center teacher exchange with China.
Great Start and home services for 0-3 year-olds are touching lots of kids early while 95 percent of the 1,200 Career Center students go to college, she said.
Frankenlust Township Supervisor Ron Campbell, president of the Bay County Township Officers Association, said his group is collaborating to address their main concern: roads, calling progress made on the new water service "one of the best things that has happened to the community in a long time."
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