Kalamazoo · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Kalamazoo public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
2025 Form 990 and endowment health
The foundation's annual filing shows a $384 million endowment and very low overhead — about 99 cents of every dollar goes to the mission of tax reduction, budget stabilization, and aspirational projects.
2026 Quarterly Operations Update
The committee reviewed a routine update on how the Foundation for Excellence is operating this year. It's informational — no money or policy decisions hinged on it.
DEGA/DDA office space downtown
The board wants staff offices back inside the district to boost its downtown presence. It referred the matter to the Executive Committee to build a formal RFP process, with conflict-of-interest rules in mind since some members own downtown property.
Grant opportunities for downtown operations and placemaking
The board discussed potential grant funding, with the Community Foundation identified as a possible source for operational and placemaking capital support.
DDA May 2026 finances
The DDA took in no delinquent property tax revenue in May and spent $1,699, mostly on utilities. Year-to-date expenses sit at $21,521 against $4,030 in revenue.
Committee subcommittee restructuring
The committee is consolidating its long list of liaisons and working groups so meetings spend less time on "no comment" and more on advising the city. A public working session will be scheduled.
Settlement in Armstrong v. City of Kalamazoo
The commission approved a settlement in the Armstrong lawsuit on outside counsel's advice, after a closed-session briefing. Terms weren't disclosed in open session.
Planning records database project
The city built a searchable database of 1,100+ planning decisions going back to 1954, with links to original minutes. It's not publicly viewable online yet, but you can request it as a public record.