Kalamazoo city manager removes $1.25M federal police hiring grant from agenda
The item, if approved, would have accepted a 2025 COPS Hiring Program award from the U.S. Department of Justice, authorized the city manager to sign grant documents, approved 10 new officer positions and amended the city’s general fund budget by $1.52 million. Of that amount, $1.25 million would have come from the federal grant, while $270,000 would have been covered by the city to pay a portion of salary and fringe benefits for the new officers, according to the agenda packet. The COPS Hiring Program is a federal initiative that provides funding to local law enforcement agencies to hire additional sworn officers, typically covering part of salary and benefits for a set period.
City Manager Malcolm Hankins did not provide an explanation for removing the item, and commissioners did not discuss it during the meeting.
Kalamazoo City Manager Malcolm Hankins removed an item to accept a $1.25 million federal police hiring grant from the March 2 City Commission agenda at the start of Monday’s meeting.
The item, if approved, would have accepted a 2025 COPS Hiring Program award from the U.S. Department of Justice, authorized the city manager to sign grant documents, approved 10 new officer positions and amended the city’s general fund budget by $1.52 million. Of that amount, $1.25 million would have come from the federal grant, while $270,000 would have been covered by the city to pay a portion of salary and fringe benefits for the new officers, according to the agenda packet. The COPS Hiring Program is a federal initiative that provides funding to local law enforcement agencies to hire additional sworn officers, typically covering part of salary and benefits for a set period.
Hankins did not provide an explanation for removing the item, and commissioners did not discuss it during the meeting.
Other business
Commissioners unanimously approved a $3 million contract with Wightman for the first phase of design work to convert West Michigan Avenue, South Street and Lovell Street — including the downtown “spaghetti bowl” intersection — from one-way to two-way traffic and support multimodal transportation improvements. City documents say the project is intended to improve safety, connectivity and ease of travel for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. The work is funded through a federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) planning grant awarded in 2023.
The commission also approved a resolution establishing a B-NEZ Neighborhood Enterprise Zone district at the southwest corner of South Burdick Street and Vine Street. The designation is intended to encourage residential development by allowing eligible projects within the district to apply for a temporary property tax abatement under Michigan’s Neighborhood Enterprise Zone program.
City planning documents tie the district to a proposed five-story mixed-use development known as “The B on Burdick,” which would include 85 residential units and ground-floor commercial space, including a grocery, gym and daycare. The NEZ designation would allow the developer to apply for a tax abatement that could reduce property taxes for between nine and 15 years, depending on project qualifications.
Commissioner Chris Praedel and Vice Mayor Drew Duncan abstained from the vote on the NEZ district resolution, citing personal and business conflicts of interest.
Public comment
During public comment, several residents again urged the commission to denounce what they described as cooperation between the city and federal immigration authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security. Similar concerns have been raised at recent City Commission meetings. No commissioners referenced those comments in relation to the removed police hiring grant.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
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