Development News for Berkley, Michigan

Alley Vacation Approved for Mug and Jug Expansion Project

The City Council held a public hearing and approved a resolution to vacate an alley. This alley, described as a 'paper alley' that appears as a parking lot to the naked eye, covers the northerly 18 feet of lots 39 through 49 in the Elwood Heights subdivision. The vacation is associated with the expansion of Mug and Jug to include a gas station and convenience store. The property technically belongs to the city but has not been used as an alley for many years. Public utilities near the alley will be relocated, and a new easement will be established. The resolution formalizes the vacation of the alley, making the property available for development and cleaning up a long-standing land use issue.

Berkeley Joins Health Consortium for Employee Healthcare Services

The City of Berkeley approved joining the My Life Health Clinic Planet Consortium, which involves a joint agreement with Marathon Health for primary healthcare services and an interlocal agreement with participating cities. This initiative aims to provide a financially prudent healthcare option for employees and their dependents, emphasizing accessible, preventable primary healthcare. The program, operated by Marathon Health, offers benefits such as no co-pays, paid time off for appointments, and free generic prescription drugs. The city plans to implement the program starting the week after the 4th of July, with communication and rollout efforts involving Manquin Vance and Marathon Health. The council discussed concerns regarding cost management, stop-loss insurance, utilization reports, and employee feedback mechanisms. The city has approximately 80 insured employees and 260 dependents.