Lansing City Council holds budget public hearing, discusses need for clarification of veterans memorial policies and June motorcycle rally
by Joshua Sharpe
The Lansing City Council met in regular session Monday, April 20, addressing a variety of matters on a full agenda. The council conducted a public hearing for the Fiscal Year 2027 City Budget and scheduled another public hearing for an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 City Budget, in addition to holding a discussion regarding memorials and accepting the retirement resignation of Street Superintendent Ken Ripp.
CITIZEN CONCERN
The council discussed a request for designated parking stalls in the city lot near the baseball diamond after concerns were raised about workers on the new bridge project utilizing the space. Councilman Steve Murray noted, “Knowing it’s a city parking lot, we can’t do a favor for one business because it just starts a snowball effect that everybody’s going to want a designated spot, and that’s not right.”
Councilman Mike Manning asked whether firefighters had been having any trouble finding space there when responding to fire calls, but Councilman and Lansing Fire Department firefighter Ben Ghelf said there had been “no issues” with parking during recent calls. No action was taken, and the discussion ended with the council favoring direct communication between business entities involved rather than reserved parking in a public lot.
NORTH STREET DISCUSSION
The council reviewed concerns about the portion of North Street between 7th Street and Shaw Street, including washout, access, and long-term maintenance. Mayor Mike Verdon said the section had not been actively maintained for several decades. Councilman Murray said, “My opinion is clean it up, but we usually have a five-year plan on what we’re doing for certain roads. I don’t think any decision can be made tonight.”
Mayor Verdon said staff could “take a long, hard look at it and come up with some possible scenarios,” and asked whether the street department could review the area and gather photos. The matter was left for further review with no action taken at the meeting.
FY27 BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING
The council held a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget prior to approving the budget. City Clerk Teresa Severson noted that the budget documents and public hearing notice have all been made available according to required measures, with no public comment being received. The public hearing was closed and the council then moved forward with the budget approval.
PUBLIC HEARING FOR BUDGET AMENDMENT
The council next reviewed Resolution 1081 to set a public hearing for an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget. Most of the discussion centered on dates and wording in the resolution. According to amendment documents, the amendment has been deemed necessary due to such developments as a new public works vehicle having to be purchased, payout of compensation and sick time for an employee that is retiring, library supplies and utilities, and the demolition of the former city hall building. The public hearing on the amendment was scheduled for Monday, May 4 at 7 p.m. during the council’s next regular meeting.
To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, April 29, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.
