WHITEHALL — The Whitehall city council approved Resolution 24-35, regarding the industrial facilities tax abatement request of Acutex, at Tuesday’s meeting. Acutex is in the midst of a large expansion of its facilities on Colby Street in Whitehall. The 12-year agreement says the expansion will create 32 jobs and have a goal of maintaining 323 other employees.
The abatement was approved 5-2, with councilmen Scott Brown and Tom Ziemer dissenting.
“The letter of agreement does allow council to consider a revocation if they fall below 15 employees or the taxable value drops below $1 million,” city manager Scott Huebler said. “This is a standard agreement we have with all tax abatements.”
The abatement will begin once the project is complete, and Acutex will pay 50% of the taxable value of the expanded property for 12 years.
Huebler said if the council felt unhappy with Acutex, or should they fail to comply with the agreements, it would have to have a public hearing with Acutex present to plead its case as to why the tax abatement shouldn’t be revoked. At that point, it would go to the state of Michigan.
The City of Whitehall will have leaf pickup starting Oct. 28 through Nov. 22. Leaves cannot be bagged and should be raked to the edge of pavement, with all sticks removed. If residents have a curb or gutter, the city requests they rake leaves over the curb onto the street.
Also at the meeting, councilman Steve Sikkenga noted city manager Scott Huebler’s letter of support for a Muskegon Conservation District grant application, stating it’s an “awesome idea.”
The application is for a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant that would enable MCD to conduct a feasibility study regarding the restoration of the White Lake Celery Flats. The grant, Huebler said, would be for $170,000 if approved.
Under the application, Ducks Unlimited would collaborate with MCD, as well as the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, to study how best to proceed as the city continues to rehabilitate the Celery Flats to a functional wetland. In the letter, Huebler stated that the area has become “a habitat for migratory birds and a spawning ground for fish” since the city acquired the 164 acres in two separate transactions in 2012 and 2021.
Ducks Unlimited, a nationwide nonprofit focused on waterfowl habitats, has committed $5,000 to the project if the grant is approved and previously reached out to the city about having it contribute the remaining $12,000 needed; the grant requires a 10% funding match by its recipient. Huebler said given the scope of the proposed project, a $12,000 investment seemed like a good value proposition. Sikkenga agreed and said the study could be a big help to the Celery Flats area. The grant application is due Friday, hence the timing of the letter.
The city council will also soon approve a bid to repair Zellar Road, which is temporarily closed due to pipe damage underneath the road that was sustained during recent heavy rainfall. Huebler said bids are due Oct. 31, and it’s possible a special city council meeting will be called to allow a bid to be approved sooner so the project can be completed. Huebler reiterated his belief from the Oct. 8 council meeting that repairs should only take about a week. Backfilled asphalt will be used to repair the road, and the city is confident the repairs should be a solid long-term solution to prevent the situation from repeating itself.
