HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.17.25 S. MLK CIA Meeting Minutes
South Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Corridor Improvement Authority
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
July 17th, 2025
UA Local 333 Plumbers and Pipefitters
5405 S Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Lansing, MI 48911
Members Present: Amanda Defrees, Kristina Schmidgall, Don
“Moose” Sober,
Members Absent: Mike Owsley, Dustin Howard
Facilitator Present: Kahleea Washington (Lansing EDC)
Guests Present: Paul Anderson (SWAG), Breina Pugh (BWL)
Public: Yanelis Lopez-Rey (La Mulata), Adam Hussan (City of
Lansing Councilman)
Recorded by: Kahleea Washington (Lansing EDC)
1. Call to Order/ Roll Call
Chair Defrees called the meeting to order at 1:06 p.m. followed
by roll call.
2. Approval of S. MLK Jr. CIA Meeting Minutes (6.12.25)- Action
Motion by Schmidgall and seconded by Defrees
Passed unanimously.
3. Updates on Corridor Projects- K. Washington
a. Marketing Efforts
Washington presented the branding and website materials provided
by Inverve, the S. MLK CIA’s marketing firm. The materials included
brand elements and website templates to choose from. Washington
will communicate the board’s website template choice to Inverve.
b. Bus Shelter Art
Washington updated the board that she is working with the artist and
the printers to complete the project. The estimated completion date
is early August.
c. Community Cleanup
The board discussed dates to reschedule the community clean up
and decided to host it on September 13th from 10 am-12 pm.
The plan is to meet at Logan Square, provide refreshments before
and after the cleanup.
4. Discussion on the BWL project- B. Pugh
Breina Pugh from the Board of Water and Light (BWL) presented on
the new power infrastructure being installed along the corridor. The
board expressed their concern about the size of the poles and the
final look. Ms. Pugh took note of the board's concerns and will bring
them to her team.
5. Other Business
Member Moose mentioned finding ways to fundraise for business
along the corridor. The conversation led to the board exploring
what a business grant program could look like. Washington plans
to present a draft grant program for the board to activate at the
next meeting.
Another way the board plans to support local businesses is by
hosting the board meetings at different locations on the corridor.
The August meeting will be held at the La Mulata restaurant, to
support that business.
6. Public Comment
Councilman Hussan introduced himself to the group and
provided some suggestions to the board based on his interactions
with constituents.
7. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 1:42
X
Amanda Defrees
Chairperson, South Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Corridor Improvement Authority