HomeMy WebLinkAboutS. MLK Corridor Improvement Minutes 08.25.26South Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Corridor Improvement Authority Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Tuesday, August 25, 2026 - 4:00 PM UA Local Plumbers and Pipefitters 5405 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Lansing, MI 48911
Members Present: Amanda Defrees, Kristina Schmidgall, Melissa White, Don “Moose” Sober,
Dustin Howard
Mayoral Designee: None present
Members Absent: Jeremy Matthews
Facilitator Present: Kahleea Washington, Lansing Economic Development Corporation
Guests Present: Harold A. Pope
Public Present:
Recorded by: Kahleea Washington
1. Call to Order/Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 4:02 PM. Washington took roll call. The board had a quorum toproceed.
2.Approval of June 18 and July 16, 2026, S. MLK Jr. CIA Meeting Minutes - Action
The board reviewed the S. MLK Jr. CIA meeting minutes from June and July, then moved to approve. Member Howard moved to approve both June and July meeting minutes.
MOTION: Howard SUPPORT: Schmidgall Motion carried unanimously.
3.Approval of the CIA Bank Account Transfer- Action
Washington explained that the City of Lansing is transferring some of their bank accounts from Comerica Bank to PNC. The S. MLK CIA bank account is included in the transfer. Board members inquired about being about to choose a local financial institution before moving to approve.
MOTION: Schmidgall SUPPORT: Howard Motion carried unanimously.
4.Update on SW Fest. (Sept. 20th)- Action
The board revisited the opportunity to sponsor SWAG’s Southwest Fest as the presenting sponsor. Board members discussed their previous concern and the benefits of the event. After a brief discussion, the board agreed to support the event.
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Board members proposed various swag and promotional items for the event and mentioned local businesses capable of producing them quickly.
•Pens and notebooks
•Tote bags/ string bags
•Cooling towels
•Clips
Member Howard made a motion to approve being the title sponsor of SWAG’s 2026 Southwest Festival, donating $10,000 to the event, and spending up to $5,000 on swag and promotional items.
MOTION: Howard SUPPORT: Sober Motion carried unanimously.
5.Review of Board Procedures- Action
a.Subscriptions and Annual Costs
b.Reimbursement Procedure
Washington explained the proposed procedures and opened it up for questions from the board members. The board supported the procedures as is and moved to approve.
MOTION: Howard SUPPORT: White
Motion carried unanimously.
6.Approval of Board Insurance- Action
The board reviewed the two insurance policies provided by Rathbun. Member Howard inquired about the volunteer coverage and the conflicting wording in the policy. Washington plans to ask for clarification from the broker.
MOTION: White SUPPORT: Schmidgall Motion carried unanimously.
7.Update on the Public Right-Of-Way Improvement Plan
Washington provided a recap of the board discussion with public service on how to improve the public right-of-way. She presented a Public Right-Of-Way Improvement Plan that the board can work
with the City and MDOT to implement.
The board expressed support for the plan.
8.Discussion on La Mulata.
The board continued its conversation on supporting La Mulata with noise reduction. After a lengthydiscussion the board decided to revisit this discussion after the Southwest Festival.
9. Other Business
To respect the guest present the board moved to go to item 10, public comment before other business.
The board briefly discussed their next fall cleanup and agreed to finalize the details next month.
Washington presented marketing updates from Inverve, including improvements to the website, business card design options, and name badge design options.
The board reviewed the design options before finalizing its decision for Inverve.
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10. Public Comment
Harold Pope, who is running for the House of Representatives, introduced himself to the group.
9. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 5:07 PM.
X ________________________________________ Amanda Defrees Chairperson, South Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Corridor Improvement Authority
Approved by the Board on: ______________________________