Government

Without much warning, East Lansing’s City Council voted unanimously last night to open up bidding on the position of City Attorney, a job currently held by Tom Yeadon. ELi's Alice Dreger reports.

A newly-obtained financial analysis shows that consolidation of the District Courts of East Lansing, Lansing, and Ingham County wouldn't save as much money as had originally been hoped. What's at stake for East Lansing, and what is negotiable?

Will East Lansing’s DDA vote to keep working with developers Royal Vlahakis? Or will they decide to move on now, and let other developers propose projects for the area just north of Peoples Church? ELi's Alice Dreger explains the big decision coming this week.

New revisions to East Lansing's Center City District project's design mean that the public spaces won’t be constructed as they had been designed and advertised during the approval process. ELi's Alice Dreger explains with illustrations plus a report of what was said at Council this week.

The Meals on Wheels program that serves East Lansing's seniors is still hoping to obtain $3,200 from the City in next year's round of HUD-related funding. City Council and staff are looking instead to focus entirely on infrastructure improvements with the federal funding. ELi's Noa Kuszai reports.

In a recent Council debate, Shanna Draheim challenged Erik Altmann's idea that taller buildings are the only way to achieve the goal of a more diverse downtown. ELi's Chris Root explains the debate as well as the decision processes.

The City of East Lansing's new income tax could net $1-2 million less annually than pre-vote estimates. But as budget talks continue, what is certain to help the City's bottom line?

Why would any sane person want to own a house restricted by East Lansing's historic district regulations? ELi's Alice Dreger, who lives in the Oakwood Historic District, explains some of the common reasons given.

Historic District Commission leaders past and present and homeowners in the Oakwood Historic District asked for preservation of the district this week. What were their reasons?

Developers Royal Vlahakis are hoping to change their proposal to satisfy decision-makers. But will the DDA now open up bidding on the publicly-owned properties to see what other developers might offer? ELi's Alice Dreger takes a look at what we know.

Parking in the Bailey neighborhood will be reduced to one-side-only on more streets this summer, reports ELi's Jessy Gregg. What will be allowed, and what's the rationale?

Changes to site plans of both the Graduate Hotel and Center City. Talk of the demise of the Royal Vlahakis proposal. Questions dodged (again) about that million-dollar eBay land sale. ELi's Alice Dreger brings you news from Tuesday night's Council meeting.

The City of East Lansing is being hit with a wrongful termination suit by whistleblower Troy Williams, who says he was fired in retaliation for calling outside agencies about violations at the plant.

East Lansing's City Council is set to use a new method tomorrow night to decide what to ask for in terms of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. ELi's Alice Dreger explains what might be requested, and why it matters. 

The City of East Lansing has contracted to use “Priority Based Budgeting” software including a “community facing dashboard” that allows viewers to see how city revenue is being spent.  ELi's Jessy Gregg reports on the City's recent contract authorization.