Port Huron meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Port Huron City Council approves $2M sale of Municipal Office Center, $1M Military Street purchase

Port Huron City Council members approved the $2,000,000.00 sale of the Municipal Office Center to Paul Veldman and a $1,000,000.00 purchase of 1338 Military Street and Chestnut Street parking, according to minutes of the council's Oct. 13 regular meeting. Both votes were unanimous. The same meeting produced a unanimous vote on a Brownfield Plan for The Residences of 256, a 12-unit housing project.

City Council: property, housing and grants

All items below were decided at the Oct. 13 meeting, per the official minutes:

• Sale of the Municipal Office Center to Paul Veldman for $2,000,000.00 (Unanimous)
• Purchase of 1338 Military Street and Chestnut Street parking for $1,000,000.00 (Unanimous)
• Brownfield Plan for The Residences of 256 housing project (Unanimous)
• $243,560.16 FEMA grant for fire department rescue training (Unanimous)
• $62,000.00 in Opioid Settlement funds for BWROC and Crossroads Recovery Services (Unanimous)
• Rezoning of 929 Division Street from R1 to C1 (Unanimous)
• Engineering agreement with Tetra Tech of Michigan for Water Treatment Plant switchgear (Unanimous)
• Sidewalk requirements for electric bikes, scooters and mopeds, enacted 5-2

Zoning Board of Appeals

The board denied a variance for a proposed gas station and convenience store layout at 1912 Pine Grove Ave. on Oct. 9, by unanimous vote. It approved a variance allowing garage walls higher than 10 feet at 4150 Gratiot Avenue, and two variances for an industrial site at 2356 Beard St — one for truck docks in the front and side yard setback, one to remove the dumpster screening requirement. All were unanimous, as was approval of the Sept. 9, 2026 meeting minutes.

Planning Commission

The commission unanimously approved a special use permit for Matt Brooks allowing residential use on the first floor of a property at 525 Court Street in the Central Business District on Oct. 14. It also unanimously approved its Sept. 1, 2026 minutes. The commission discussed the future need for ordinance language regarding data centers; no action on that subject is recorded in the minutes.

McMorran Place Commission

The commission approved minutes from its Aug. 20, 2026 special meeting on a 4-0 vote on Oct. 15. Members received updates on the $450,000 jumbotron project, new event booking strategies and current seasonal financial operations. A separate Oct. 14 meeting listing included a jumbotron update and an upcoming events report by General Manager Ashly Filipiak; minutes for that meeting have not been published.

Items still pending

Several bodies met or were scheduled to meet with agendas only; minutes have not yet been published, so outcomes are not established in the records reviewed.

• **Oct. 12 City Council:** listed for consideration were nine Motorola N70 radios and accessories for $66,935.25, a Kubota utility vehicle with plow kit for $32,670.00, an interlocal agreement to open a library branch at the Eleger Harvey Community Center, ORD #26-013 on demolition standards and permit requirements, and ORD #26-012 amending non-owner-occupied certification periods.
• **Oct. 5 Southside Neighborhood Improvement Authority:** officer election, a tax capture financing agreement, an update on a finalized NIA ARPA project, and the Harvey Center Marquee Sign.
• **Oct. 15 Tax Increment Finance Authority:** final budget for Fiscal Years 2021-2027 (TIFA #26-002), annual report for June 30, 2019 through June 30, 2026 (TIFA #26-001), and election of a Vice Chair.
• **Oct. 15 Local Development Finance Authority:** final budget for Fiscal Years 2021-2027, two J.B. Donaldson Co. invoices for detention pond work at the US Farathane site, use of remaining funds for 24th Street Road Reconstruction and Utility Replacement from Nern Street to Dove Street, and transmittal of the annual report.
• **Oct. 15 Downtown Development Authority:** facade grant payment for Mama Vicki's at 408 Huron Ave, a proposed facade grant and payment at 1219 Military St, financials as of June 30 and Sept. 30, 2026, the 2027 quarterly meeting schedule, and discussion of a Downtown Furniture Grant.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the records provided for the next 14 days. Residents should check the city's official meeting calendar and posted agendas for scheduling and any additions.

All outcomes above are drawn from published minutes; items described as pending come from agendas only and may change.

Port Huron council approves $2.9M wastewater contract and $326,879 Jumbotron

Port Huron City Council approved a $2,904,290.00 bid from Lee Contracting, Inc. for thickener tank equipment replacement and improvements at the wastewater treatment plant, one of several spending items decided at its Sept. 29 regular meeting, according to official minutes. The council also approved a $326,879.00 Jumbotron purchase from Watchfire Signs for McMorran Place, plus installation quotes.

Wastewater, trucks and fire station spending

The following were each approved unanimously on Sept. 29:

• $2,904,290.00 to Lee Contracting, Inc. for thickener tanks at the WWTP
• $326,879.00 to Watchfire Signs for a Jumbotron at McMorran Place, plus installation quotes
• $111,599.00 for a chassis purchase and $164,230.00 for an upfit for a Streets Division dump truck
• $41,702.00 for a diesel exhaust removal system at Fire Station No. 4

Water Street items and Conner Street bond

Council adopted a resolution to issue municipal securities for Conner Street reconstruction from Military to Electric (unanimous). It adopted a grant application of up to $770,000 for 2.6 acres at 1227 Water Street for a riverfront park (unanimous), and enacted a rezoning of 1222 Water Street from R1 to C1 (unanimous).

A first reading of an ordinance covering bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters and mopeds on sidewalks passed 5-1, with Payton voting no. A first reading is not a final decision; the ordinance is set for consideration at the next meeting. Several other ordinances, including rezoning 929 Division Street, also received first reading.

Zoning board denies gas station variance

At its Oct. 9 meeting, the Zoning Board of Appeals denied a variance for a proposed gas station and convenience store layout at 1912 Pine Grove Ave. (unanimous). It approved a variance for garage walls higher than 10 feet at 4150 Gratiot Avenue (unanimous) and two variances for 2356 Beard St — truck docks in the front/side yard setback and removal of the dumpster screening requirement (both unanimous). The board also approved its Sept. 9, 2026 meeting minutes (unanimous).

An earlier ZBA agenda for Sept. 30 listed four variance requests, including the Pine Grove gas station, and noted communications opposing that variance and a concern from a 1211 Lyons St resident about 24-hour operation and lighting.

On the agenda, not yet decided

The City Council's Oct. 12 agenda lists items that have not been decided; minutes were not yet published. They include the purchase of 9 Motorola N70 radios and accessories for $66,935.25, a Kubota utility vehicle with plow kit for $32,670.00, an interlocal agreement to open a library branch at the Eleger Harvey Community Center, and two proposed ordinances: ORD #26-013 establishing demolition standards and permit requirements, and ORD #26-012 amending non-owner-occupied certification periods.

Other agendas: the Planning Commission lists public hearings and resolutions on two special use permits — one for Matt Brooks for residential use on the first floor in a Central Business District at 525 Court Street, and one for Bluewater Energy Holdings LLC to operate a gas station with a c-store in a C-1 district at 1912 Pine Grove Avenue. The Southside Neighborhood Improvement Authority agenda lists election of officers, a tax capture financing agreement, an update on a finalized ARPA project, and the Harvey Center marquee sign. The McMorran Place Commission agenda lists a Jumbotron update, an upcoming events report by General Manager Ashly Filipiak, and approval of Aug. 20, 2026 special meeting minutes.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings for the next 14 days were listed in the data provided. Readers should check the city's official meeting calendar and posted agendas for the next scheduled sessions.

Port Huron Council approves $328,498 Connor Street bid, Master Plan

The Port Huron City Council approved a $328,498 bid for the Connor Street conversion project at its Aug. 10 meeting, along with a $301,235 cloud upgrade and adoption of the 2026-2030 Master Plan. Other city boards also acted on facade grants, a marquee, and a rezoning recommendation.

City Council

At its Aug. 10 regular meeting, the council unanimously approved a $328,498 bid from Raymond Excavating Co. for the Connor Street conversion project. It also unanimously approved a $301,235 proposal from BS&A Software for cloud upgrades. The council adopted a resolution authorizing 22 payments, approved a MDOT contract for Water Street reconstruction, and accepted an investigative report on alleged hacking of the mayor's email. The Master Plan 2026-2030 was adopted by a 6-1 vote, with Payton dissenting. The council held a first reading to rezone 1011 Pearl Street from C1 to R1 (unanimous) and amended the city manager's annual evaluation (unanimous, Ashford absent).

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended that City Council approve rezoning 1222 Water Street from R-1 (residential) to C-1 (general business). Applicants Ben and Todd Goldman said the property would serve as a headquarters for a mobile boat repair business. The commission noted surrounding properties are already zoned C-1 and no public comments were received. The recommendation now goes to City Council for a final decision.

Downtown Development Authority

The Downtown Development Authority unanimously approved a $5,900 match payment for a facade grant at 906 Military St., with a total project cost of $11,800. The board also discussed a potential future proposal to use Main Street TIF funds for facade grants on the backside of properties on Huron Ave. ahead of the 2028 MDOT road project. Updates on the 2026 Blue Water Festival noted financial performance close to breaking even despite wildfire smoke disruptions.

Southside Neighborhood Improvement Authority

The Southside NIA approved up to $50,000 for a new Harvey Center marquee, with installation hoped for this fall. The board also heard updates on the DTE Lighting Project and Conner Street Reconstruction, both pending future approvals. Minutes from three prior meetings were adopted unanimously.

Other meetings

Several boards met on agenda-only items with no decisions reported yet. The Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing on a request to continue a steel siding project at 1333 Arch St. The Historic District Commission considered a wall sign at 515 Wall Street and a demolition at 718 Court Street. The McMorran Place Commission met to discuss a fountain update, the Prowlers 26-27 season, and financials. The Southside NIA also met on Aug. 13 with no substantive decisions listed.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the next 14 days.