Sherry Combs, employment specialist at MMI,  said Barlow was very serious about finding employment.

“He missed having a job and getting a paycheck,” Combs said.

Combs met with Jim Holton, owner of Mountain Town Station, 506 W. Broadway St., and explained to him their employer incentive program, “On the Job Evaluation.”

MMI provides jobs and training for individuals with barriers to employment in Clare, Gladwin, Arenac, Iosco, Isabella, Gratiot, Ogemaw, Ionia, Roscommon and Montcalm counties, according to its website.

“It’s a great local organization,” Holton said. “It provides a lot of services for the community and for a lot of its workers as well and it’s just a good community service all around.”

When Combs told Holton about Barlow, he said he saw potential in Barlow and decided to give him a chance.

Holton explained to Barlow the restaurant was a fast-paced environment. Barlow said he felt he could do the job if given the opportunity.

“He was a very courteous and professional young man when I met him and I wanted to give him the opportunity to continue in the employment field out in the workplace,” Holton said.

At the end of the three-week program, Holton officially hired Barlow as part of the staff on Oct. 5, 2010.

This month marks the one year anniversary since Barlow was hired into the company.

“He’s doing pretty well for us,” Holton said.

Combs said Barlow became successful with his determination and the support of the staff and co-workers.

Barlow said he likes everything about his job, but the people he works with have had the biggest positive influence on him.

“The people are nice here and Jim’s a nice boss,” Barlow said.

Casey said he feels he is good at running back and forth from the kitchen and putting things away.

Holton said he is very pleased with how reliable Barlow is and his overall performance as a Mountain Town employee.

“He’s still here,” Holton said. “He shows up, and if he can’t show up, he calls either me or the managers.”

Mountain Town has more than 100 employees in the operation, so Holton said it is nice to have stable employees.

“Casey’s one of those people,” he said. ”He’s reliable and he’s always there when asked to do something. He’s an overall good employee and a stable employee and that’s what we need in this field.”

The event took place at the company’s Tap Room, 614 W. Pickard St.

Jim Holton, owner of the brewing company, said that for a first year event, the turnout was outstanding.

“Oktoberfest is the best beer tradition ever and we wanted to bring it to Mount Pleasant,” said Manager Erik Bliss. “There’s no better way to support local then by drinking beer brewed right next door.”

About 150 showed up each day of the event, Holton said.

Four MPBC beers were on tap: Oktoberfest, Iron Horse IPA, Railyard Raspberry Wheat and Steam Engine Stout.

Traditional German food was served along with the beer. Smith & Sons Meat Processing, 5080 E. Broadway Road, soaked 300 bratwurst in the Oktoberfest beer and another 300 in the Steam Engine Stout.

Mugs filled with beer sit on a table during Oktoberfest.

Jessica Stroud of Lake Isabella and Dawn Tanner of Mount Pleasant said they attended the festival because it was something different to do on a Saturday night.

“We like having the option of drinking a microbrew,” Stroud said. “I like having the choice (of) drinking something different.”

Holton said the consumption of microbrews has grown because customers are looking for more variety.

Kim Kowalski, brewmaster for MPBC, said people are wanting to drink good beer consistently and local microbrews are the best way to go.

He began brewing professionally in 1998 and helped open the company in 2008.

“It’s a great way to be creative,” Kowalski said. “It’s art in a glass. When I make a new beer, (I) start with an empty glass, set it in front of me and picture the color and clarity, what it smells and tastes like.”

He said one reason microbrews have grown so fast in popularity is because many of the brewers work together instead of against each other.

Kowlaski said people that drink regular beer are uneducated about microbrews, so they keep resorting to what they are familiar with.

“If someone is in the business to make a quick buck, they won’t last,” he said. “You can’t just do it for fun, you have to put your heart into what you’re creating.”

The reservation-only restaurant is an expansion on Holton’s other restaurant, Mountain Town Station, 506 W. Broadway St.

Holton said Camille’s on The River is already at capacity for opening day.

“It’s been a dream of mine to provide something unique and different for the community,” Holton said. “It’s a different set-up, but I think it’s something the area has been missing.”

In order to fill a void for fine dining in Mount Pleasant, Jim Holton, owner of Mountain Town Station, 506 W. Broadway St., began an addition to the business for a new restaurant venture in May.

The focus will be on the plate, including organic and fresh food. The menu will be seasonal, but the typical menu categories will stay the same, Holton said.

“We are using locally grown food,” Holton said. “We know where our ingredients are coming from.”

The concept for the new restaurant is a high-end experience and will be reservation only. The atmosphere will be much quieter than the current restaurant, decorated with an elegant and modern feel.  People who want to make reservations for one of the 48 seats can do so online or over the phone.

“Construction is about 70 percent finished,” he said. “It should be done at the end of September (or) early October.”

Susan Paton and Emma Currie, owners of The Brass Cafe, 128 S. Main St., plan to open a market and take-out deli in the vacant space that was previously The Mole Hole, 120 South Main St.

Paton said they will stock their shelves with creative carry-out options including Brass Cafe favorites like meats, cheeses, breads and olives.

“We also are planning a small demonstration kitchen,” she said. “A place where we can showcase interesting items — customers can sample them as they shop. They can then see one of our chefs demonstrate different uses for hard to find products.”

Only take-out items will be available in the market and it will hopefully open sometime in the fall, Paton said.

A Mount Pleasant branch of Members First Credit Union, 2290 E. Bluegrass Rd. will also be opening in the fall.

The look of the building will be very different with a lot of glass on the front, said Carrie Iafrate, vice president of development.

“We broke ground later than we had hoped,” Iafrate said. “It was delayed to take a new building approach, (and) it will be finished sometime in January or February.”

Another unique aspect of the credit union is the elimination of traditional teller lines, instead having dialogue stations where members can walk up to the counter and an employee will help them with whatever they need.

It will be less formal and more personable, Iafrate said.

The business pays $1 for each lot and owns 23.

The only commissioner to vote against the plan was Vice Mayor Kathy Ling, who said she had too many questions about the contract and thought it was too ambiguous.

“The property committee made a serious effort to be creative,” Ling said. “I’m just not comfortable with all of the provisions of the new contract.”

Commissioner Jim Holton said each tract of land was worth $20,000, but the city sold them to Oliveri Builders to spur home development in a housing lull.

The developed lots will pay for themselves with tax dollars, Holton said.

“They can make a bigger home, a better home, and make it more affordable,” he said.

While the lots are undeveloped, Oliveri Builders maintain the land in lieu of taxes.

City Manager Kathie Grinzinger said, since 2008, only two of the built houses have sold.

There are 11 lots to be built on and one “spec” model home property, Holton said. Eleven of the lots are occupied with homes.

“Joe (Oliveri)’s a smart businessman,” Holton said. “He wouldn’t (enter into this contract) unless he could sell these houses.”

The licenses are available for businesses on Mission Street north of High Street to Pickard Road and in the downtown area for restaurants.

The state legislature put created redevelopment liquor licenses to promote development and growth, said Commissioner Jon Joslin.

“Business spurs business,” he said.

The redevelopment law was implemented by the state in 2006, and municipalities that have exhausted their liquor license quotas are eligible for the redevelopment licenses, said Director of Community Services Rich Morrison.

Joslin said the licenses are not available for establishments that would operate strictly as bars — only restaurants that serve 50 percent or more food would be allowed to have the license.

He said there has been significant demand for more restaurants in the area, and the redevelopment liquor license will help meet that need.

“It helps with success of businesses,” Joslin said. “(It’s made for) a bistro, where you can go have a glass of wine, not a bar.”

The city exhausted its quota of liquor licenses in 2010, Morrison said, and planning for the redevelopment liquor licenses started in August 2010.

“Each community is capped (at a certain number),” Joslin said. “The redevelopment liquor license is for communities that have exhausted (that number).”

The redevelopment licenses encourage growth, said Commissioner Jim Holton.

“(People) can take an old building and put a lot of money into it,” he said. “It will be great for the downtown district and great for our area.”

City commissioners voted Monday to authorize an expenditure of $12,557 from the Economic Development Fund to be awarded to the restaurant, located at 506 W. Broadway St. The money would be used over a period of five years to reimburse the interest paid on the loan.

Jim Holton, city commissioner and owner of Mountain Town Station, recused himself prior to the vote.

Commissioner Sharon Tilmann expressed concern about the commission being put in an awkward spot by voting on something directly involving a fellow member.

“I wanted to put it out there how uncomfortable it feels to walk this tightrope,” Tilmann said, “but I will be supporting this.”

Tilmann said regardless of whether they serve on the commission, all business owners should be able to access funds and tools the city provides.

Commissioner Nancy English said she was not uncomfortable because she knew no matter whose name was on the proposal, she would have supported it. It met all the criteria, she said.

In 2008, the City Commission set aside funds from the unrestricted, unreserved surplus savings account in order to create an Economic Development Fund of $1.8 million.

Currently, that fund has about $1 million remaining to be used to provide direct assistance and encourage business growth, recruitment, development and redevelopment in order to expand the city’s tax base and create jobs for residents.

The expansion of Mountain Town Station is expected to create at least nine new full-time and 15 part-time jobs.

Other business

The commission also voted to allow the Central Business District Tax Increment Finance Authority to amend their budget.

“In TIFA’s 2011 budget there were no funds set aside for marketing,” said City Manager Kathie Grinzinger.

Funds are available for signs to be put on the side of buses to advertise the free route from campus to downtown. Before the $6,900 could be spent on the signs, the budget had to be amended, which required approval from the City Commission.

A month-to-month contract with the security firm patrolling the Mount Pleasant Center property was also extended.

The security firm was originally contracted by the state to watch the large piece of land located on West Pickard Street.
The amount paid per month cannot exceed $7,000, Grinzinger said.

“We only plan on running these patrols until we see what we can do to decrease the need for them,” she said.

Kilmer took over as mayor at the beginning of this year, succeeding Jim Holton, who served in the position for two years.

Bruce Kilmer

With his experience as vice mayor, Kilmer thought he had a good idea of the way things would work. What he did not anticipate was the numerous meetings he would have to attend.

“I do enjoy the meetings with different heads of government like the county, the university, mid-Michigan and such,” Kilmer said. “It fosters communication with all the different entities so we can all be working together.”

It is a very time-consuming job, he said.

When Holton announced his decision not to seek reappointment, he immediately endorsed Kilmer to take the job.

“When it was time for me to move on, I knew there was no better person for the job,” Holton said. “So far he is doing a fantastic job.”

The majority of Kilmer’s work for this term has been focused on the Mount Pleasant Center decision, in which the City Commission decided in March to purchase more than 300 acres of land which may need clean-up efforts before it is usable.

He spent the first weeks of his term working to ensure a decision was made in time to meet the deadline set by the state.

“It’s good to have a decision made, but there is still lots of work to be done,” Kilmer said. “I think it’s an excellent addition to the city.”

Holton said he was also overwhelmed in his first year as mayor. The mayor can end up spending a lot of time visiting other cities for things such as mayor-to-mayor dialogue days.

“It’s a volunteer position basically,” he said. “I mean, it’s about 1,250 bucks a year, but it’s a lot of work.”

Vice Mayor Kathy Ling said Kilmer has done a good job so far, and that the Mount Pleasant Center purchase was a solid group effort on the commission’s part.

“(The mayor’s) job basically is to preside over our meetings and make sure everything goes smoothly,” Ling said, “… but we function as a whole and most of the decisions are done as a group.”

A financial focus

Commissioners will now start working on what effect Gov. Rick Snyder’s revenue sharing plan will have on the city budget.

Last year the city had to come up with $1 million worth of cuts. Mount Pleasant could come close to that again with the new governor’s plan, Kilmer said.

Discussion is important for the city to keep moving forward amidst budget difficulties, Kilmer said.

“What I like most about my job is being able to do things that help our city,” Kilmer said. “It’s fun to be involved with all the different people in the community.”

For the local businessman and city official, it was a no-brainer who should replace him at the turn of the calendar. Bruce Kilmer, the second-year vice mayor, had stepped in multiple times for Holton at events in and out of town.

The commission agreed, voting unanimously to approve Holton’s nomination of Kilmer at the new year’s first meeting.

Bruce Kilmer, newly appointed mayor of Mount Pleasant, poses for a portrait on Jan. 4 in his office at the Borden Building. Kilmer, formerly the vice mayor, steps in after Jim Holton made the decision to step down to focus on his business efforts. "I was humbled and thankful for the confidence the other commissioners placed in me, and I'm excited to work for this great city." (Photo by Sean Proctor/Staff Photographer)

“It was the best preparation, because I got to be in all the meetings,” Kilmer said. “I was able to watch Jim (Holton), and in the two years he was mayor, he did a wonderful job.”

Holton stepped down from the position to focus on family and business matters, including the expansion of his Mountain Town Station restaurant, 506 W. Broadway St., set to begin in the spring.

In addition to a new budget that includes some cuts to spending, Kilmer is faced with several looming decisions the city must make, including the future of the Mount Pleasant Center. The city has until April 25 to complete an assessment of the property.

“In the midst of all that, I want to keep attracting businesses and families to Mount Pleasant,” Kilmer said. “I’m excited. I think we’re going to come out of this economy well –— Mount Pleasant has weathered it a lot better than other cities.”

That feeling is shared by Kathleen Ling, who was appointed vice mayor by the commission upon Kilmer’s nomination. Ling said she hopes to further address continuing concerns in the community of making Mount Pleasant more pedestrian-friendly.

“I’m happy to have the opportunity to serve in the position,” Ling said. “I would like to see us continue to work close to CMU, especially to create the walkable, bikeable route between CMU and downtown. There are lots of advantages.”

Law and Politics

Although he has served on the City Commission for five years, Kilmer never thought of joining local government until his wife, Cynthia, urged him. Cynthia was on the commission for nine years and also served as mayor in 2006.

“I knew that some day he would become mayor,” Cynthia Kilmer said. “He’s smart and will handle it well.”

Before his tenure with the city, Bruce Kilmer was an attorney for a private practice firm.

Kilmer currently serves as a regional administrator for the Michigan Supreme Court. The new mayor spent his first week in Lansing instructing newly elected judges, but is now back in Mount Pleasant for his first full week in the position.

“I’m really looking forward to my interaction with the residents and the other officials,” Kilmer said.

Union Township Supervisor John Barker said he has always enjoyed working with the City Commission and sees that relationship continuing.

“I hope that Bruce and the new vice mayor will be as cooperative as the former mayor and vice mayor,” Barker said.

Holton will remain on board as a commissioner through 2011. He said the long hours eventually became somewhat cumbersome for him.

He said although he believes Kilmer can handle the position well given his past experience, he looks forward to offering the new mayor advice if he needs it.

“He’s a perfect fit for the job,” Holton said. “He stepped into several occasions where I just couldn’t.”

The former vice mayor was appointed by the Mount Pleasant City Commission Monday night. He will replace Jim Holton, who announced his departure from the position in December.

Bruce Kilmer

Holton nominated Kilmer for the mayor’s position, which was met with unanimous approval by the commission.

“I’m looking forward to the interaction with the residents and the other officials,” Kilmer said. “I want to thank (Holton) for a wonderful job as mayor the past two years. He’s represented our city, he’s worked hard, he’s worked long hours.”

On behalf of the City Commission, Kilmer presented Holton with a plaque recognizing his service to Mount Pleasant. Kilmer nominated Kathleen Ling for vice mayor, a motion that was also approved by commissioners.

“This is her second time on the City Commission. She’s a very detailed person.” Kilmer said. “I thought she would be a great asset because of her knowledge and also her ability to study things in detail and understand it.”

He said his experience as vice mayor for two years has prepared him well for the mayor’s chair.

Kilmer pointed to lingering budget issues as a key challenge the city faces this year. The city cut nearly $1 million from its budget in December.

He also serves as a liason for the Michigan Supreme Court and works with 27 county court systems.

Ling is a retired teacher and has been a commissioner since January 2008. She said she learned how to effectively reach out to the community and gather input as a commissioner, which helped prepare her for the position of vice mayor.

“I have learned that people are responsive if you ask them directly for their opinion,” she said. “When we asked people for their input on the budget, we got very, very valuable input.”

Holton said business matters and family were key factors that influenced his decision not to seek reappointment. He will remain on board as a commissioner for the rest of his term, which expires at the end of 2011.

He said Kilmer demonstrated a superior ability to make solid mayoral decisions during his temporary absences.

“There’s a lot of character involved with being the mayor,” Holton said. “Bruce has exemplified that … he’s stepped into several occasions that I couldn’t. It just shows that he’s well-prepared.”

In addition to the new appointments, Ling and Commissioner Nancy English were sworn in at Monday’s special session meeting after being re-elected to their seats.