Catch Up On Our Reporting From This Week

We came back from the brief holiday break to a busy news week in East Lansing. Start your weekend by catching up on the latest developments in the city. 

Developers propose two massive apartments be added to downtown East Lansing. 

Earlier this week, ELi received site plans for two massive apartments that are proposed to be added to downtown East Lansing. One developer hopes to add a 12-story apartment where the Bailey Street parking lot currently sits and the other is a 15-story apartment proposed to be added at the current site of the Student Book Store on Grand River Avenue. Find out more about the proposals and the challenges they’ll face to be approved in Reporter Dustin DuFort Petty’s story. 

East Lansing Police Oversight Commissioners are growing increasingly frustrated with limits placed on their speech. 

At this week’s police oversight commission meeting, commissioners expressed frustration with new ordinance amendments that limits their speech. The commission’s chair called a new rule that keeps commissioners from saying ELPD employees’ names during meetings “utterly ridiculous,” while another commissioner wondered if the rule is constitutional. Read more about the meeting in reporting from Managing Editor Luke Day and City Government Reporter Ayah Imran. 

What’s next for East Lansing’s parks?

Last month, voters rejected a proposed millage that would have guaranteed East Lansing’s Parks and Recreation Department steady funding. The millage failing doesn’t automatically defund parks, but city officials could consider cuts to parks when working to address a budget deficit in the coming budget season. Find out where the situation currently stands and what could happen next in Dustin’s story.

East Lansing will soon assemble a team of volunteers to make recommendations on the city’s finances. 

The next step East Lansing will take to address its budget shortfall is appointing a team of community volunteers to conduct a thorough review of the city’s budget. The team will make recommendations about actions city leaders can take to cut costs or increase revenue during a six month review period. Read about who could serve on the committee and what happened the last time the city assembled a financial review team in Luke’s reporting. 

East Lansing to get a theme song? Host a puppet parade? Arts commission floats ideas to spark community engagement. 

Last year, City Council amended an ordinance to allow more flexibility in how the city’s art fund is spent. Now, commissioners are discussing using the fund to encourage local musicians to create a theme song for the city or to host a puppet parade that could involve MSU, East Lansing grade school students and more. Find out about the possibilities in Ayah’s reporting. 

East Lansing Insider Podcast: A conversation with East Lansing’s new mayor, Erik Altmann. 

Last month, the five-member City Council elected to make Erik Altmann the mayor of East Lansing. Dustin spoke with Altmann about how he’ll approach his role as mayor, his priorities for the coming years and his thoughts on topics like development and the city’s budget. The audio and a transcript for the podcast can be found here. 

Six city meetings are scheduled for next week. 

Business will pick up in city government next week. Monday (Dec. 8), the Human Rights Commission meets. Tuesday (Dec. 9), there is a special closed-session City Council meeting and a regular City Council meeting scheduled. Wednesday (Dec. 10), the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission gathers. Thursday (Dec. 11), the Community Development Advisory Committee and Historic District Commission each meet. Meeting agendas have been posted and can be found here. 

Submit nominations for ELi’s second annual Holiday Lights Competition!

Untangle your strings of lights and pray your decorative Rudolph didn’t lose a leg when you shoved it in the attic last year. It’s time for East Lansing Info’s Holiday Lights Contest! Between now and Friday, Dec. 12, residents can nominate themselves, a neighbor, or even a stranger for their holiday light displays. Nominees that consent will have their displays photographed and ELi readers will vote on their favorites. 

East Lansing’s Winter Fest to feature Winter Olympics style games, crafts, market and more. 

Today (Saturday), from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the city will host its annual Winter Fest celebration at the Hannah Community Center. The festivities will include Winter Olympics games for children to participate in, bounce houses, ice block carvings and s’mores stations and much more. Find out the full slate of activities in Arts and Culture Reporter Sarah Spohn’s story. 

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