KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Legislation is being considered in Lansing to help businesses who take a hit because of road construction.
That could come in handy in Kalamazoo, where some firms have already lost income because of the city’s efforts to eliminate one-way streets downtown. That job will take several more years, and dozens more closed streets to complete.
State Senator Sean McCann started working on a bill to recompense firms for losses, when he learned such a bill had already been drafted by state Senator Sarah Anthony of Lansing, where construction is also causing headaches.
He says it’s not only bad for business but inconvenient for their customers.
The bill has just been introduced in the upper chamber.
McCann says reimbursement would be capped at $15,000, and involve an application process.
The funds could come from the construction companies who have to pay late fees when they don’t meet deadlines.
McCann is co-sponsoring the bill, which is headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. He is a member of that committee.
The late proposal means it may have to be considered during the lame duck session. McCann says its future may depend on the outcome of this week’s election.
McCann says the massive reconstruction of the I-94 overpass at Portage Road went past deadline and resulted in the kind of late fines they could use for this bill. All the orange cones disrupted businesses and traffic in that area for the past couple of years, closing some businesses permanently.
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