Commission accepts DNR trust fund grant for John Street project despite park-perpetuity concerns

The Mount Clemens City Commission voted to accept a Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) trust fund grant to support reconstruction of John Street and authorized the associated local commitment language.

Commissioners debated a standard DNR contract clause that can designate a property as a public park in perpetuity. One commissioner said the park has been a site of encampments and worried the designation could limit future uses such as YMCA expansion; city staff and advisers said the DNR contract contains a process to request release of the property if the city can identify adequate replacement property.

“That's what the contract… calls for,” Murray said, explaining that a DNR release can be requested with acceptable replacement property. Earlier, staff noted the commission had voted on the matter at its Oct. 19 meeting and that the prior recommendation from city administration had been to decline the grant; that recommendation failed at that time.

Commissioner Laura Fournier said she had earlier been opposed because she did not like the in-perpetuity language but would work with the commission if the majority supported acceptance. The motion to accept the grant passed; one commissioner recorded opposition (Menser). The contract includes standard DNR terms and a mechanism to ask the DNR to release the property under defined conditions.

Next steps: staff will execute the project agreement and work to clarify any long-term restrictions with the DNR as needed.