Houghton residents can submit ideas for new amenities at Garnet Street and two other neighborhood parks at an upcoming open house, as well as by mail.

HOUGHTON — Houghton residents who have amenities they want added to neighborhood parks in the city will have the chance to make their voices heard.

The city will hold a neighborhood parks open house from 4 to 6 p.m. July 17 in the council chambers at the Houghton City Center. Houghton is looking to use the rest of its American Rescue Plan Act funds — about $120,000 — to improve the Garnet Street, West Houghton and Woodhaven parks.

“There are signs in each of these parks so that the people that use them can come in and or let us know ahead of time what kind of things they would like to see for improvements there,” Clerk Ann Vollrath said at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

People can also send their ideas to city Community & Business Development Director Amy Zawada at amy@cityofhoughton.com, or mail them to PO Box 606, Houghton, MI 49931.

In other action, the council:

• Heard from Police Chief John Donnelly. The department received its second shipment of body cameras, allowing it to equip up to six officers on duty.

The high-quality cameras will make sure everything from a response gets recorded, Donnelly said.

“They’re very expensive, but certainly it helps everybody involved,” Donnelly said. “…Not that we get a lot of complaints, but if we do, we can say ‘Here, that’s what happened.'”

• Approved 2023-24 quarterly budget adjustments. Changes included upgrading the city’s recreational marijuana revenue payment from the state from $190,000 to $211,000, and Dee Stadium rental revenue from $150,000 to $175,000. Under the first year of the new refuse collection system, expenses were increased by $64,000 to reflect additional pickup and hauling costs.

Some adjustments reflected the mild winter. Winter maintenance expenses were $132,000 under budget, following a similar $35,000 adjustment in the third quarter. However, as public works employees redirected their efforts, spending went up in civic betterment ($35,000) and routine maintenance ($50,000), among other areas.

• Approved a correction warranty deed to be executed to Michael Sayen and Daniel Sayen, owners of about 1.7 acres of property near M-26. The legal description of the property had been corrected in 1995, but a deed was never recorded.