KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Opponents of a proposal to spend $1.65-million of the city of Kalamazoo’s remaining COVID-19 dollars to remodel Arcadia Creek Festival Place plan to protest at City Hall this evening.
Final approval of the dollar expenditure is on tonight’s agenda. As we reported earlier, opponents want it spent that money to help the homeless.
But commissioners Qianna Decker and Chris Preadel argue that with other grant funding already leveraged and the park needing improvements, it means do it now, or spend more later.
Both commissioners Don Cooney and Stephanie Hoffman think the homeless is should be their priority.
City Manager Jim Ritsema assured commissioners at a weekend retreat that a full discussion on ways to help the homeless has been scheduled for their March 4th Committee of the Whole Session.
About 20% of the COVID-19 funding already allocated has been targeted at affordable housing, the largest single recipient of the city’s one time federal funding.
Comments