(Courtesy of Midland County’s Newsletter)
The Midland Business Alliance (MBA) Advisory Committee on Infrastructure is holding a
community event on Monday, May 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Dow Diamond’s third-floor TriStar
Club. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. with general seating, and presentations will begin promptly at 1
p.m. The “High Water Mark” event is focused on efforts to reduce mid-Michigan flooding and to
build resiliency and water quality.
The event will feature a presentation from Nick Zager, chief of planning for the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers – Detroit District. In addition to a brief history of the Corps, the type of work they do,
and other projects in the Detroit District area, Zager will provide a progress update on the Corps’
hydraulic/hydrologic study that is currently underway with the County of Midland and the MBA
Advisory Committee on Infrastructure as community partners. He will also talk about a second type
of study on the horizon.
The Advisory Committee will also provide a progress report on its efforts and “return on investment” to the community since it was formed in 2021. An update on proposed flood reduction projects in the Snake Creek, Sturgeon Creek and Inman Drain area will be provided by the committee co-chairs, J.W. Fisher and Lee Ann Keller.
The afternoon includes a panel discussion on the watershed health and the importance
of eco-sensitive flood reduction solutions. The panel will include Elan Lipschitz from Little Forks Conservancy, Dennis Pilaske from the Chippewa Nature Center, Mike Kelly from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN), Kyle Rorah from Ducks Unlimited, Helen Taylor from The Nature Conservancy and, as moderator, Bre Sklar from Omni Tech International.
Other speakers include Mary Draves, chair of the MBA Board of Directors; Tony
Stamas, president and CEO of the MBA; Bill Schuette, member of the MBA Advisory
Committee on Infrastructure; Dave Kepler, president of Four Lakes Task Force; and Bridgette Gransden, administrator/controller for the County of Midland.
At the end of the presentations, there will be a Q&A session so the community has an opportunity to ask questions. Then the event will close with comments from Mayor Maureen Donker, Midland City Council.
Near the third anniversary of the May 2020 flood, the Advisory Committee wanted to create an
event that reviews progress and starts to frame what the future may look like,” said Fisher. “We
appreciate all of our speakers who will provide updates and further the discussion. We are very
lucky to have the Corps of Engineers, the nature organizations and other leaders so willing to be
involved in the event.”
“Because we know that not everyone who is interested will be able to attend, we thought it was
important to record the event,” said Keller. “The video will be available on MCTV and on the
MBAmi.org/FloodStudy webpage soon after the event. That way, the greater community will be
able to watch the informative presentations from the afternoon.”
This community event is free. Free parking is available in the stadium’s parking areas at State
Street and Buttles Street. Enter the stadium at the “home plate gate” along State Street. Any
questions about the event can be directed to the MBA at mba@MBAmi.org.
About the MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure
Formed in 2021 by the Midland Business Alliance Board of Directors, the advisory committee’s
structure is made up of MBA board members, members of the community at large, an MBA staff
representative, and ex officio (non-voting) representatives from the Four Lakes Task Force, the
County of Midland and the City of Midland. The committee was charged with determining how best to work with local, state and federal partners to address longstanding issues that impact citizens, the business community and economic development. The first task was to address legacy flooding challenges and related sanitary sewer issues. In addition to communicating with stakeholders and collaborators, the committee also reports back regularly to the MBA Board of Directors. Visit MBAmi.org/FloodStudy for more information.
About the Midland Business Alliance
The Midland Business Alliance (MBA) represents more than 3,000 businesses as Midland’s
business hub. The goal of the MBA is to support the attraction, development and growth of
businesses throughout Midland by providing an integrated portfolio of tools and resources.
Additionally, the MBA manages the Midland Area Farmers Market and Midland Blooms. Visit
MBAmi.org for more information.
