East Lansing City Council’s Tuesday meeting was the second conducted without Mayor Nathan Triplett, who is recovering at home after successful surgery to address his Crohn’s disease.
“He was very happy the surgery went well,” Mayor Pro Tem Diane Goddeeris said. “It’s hard to stop when you’re going full speed and just take care of yourself.”
Goddeeris described his demeanor after the surgery as “just quiet, and resting.”
Goddeeris also noted that residents who lost power for more than five days last month are eligible for a credit from the Lansing Board of Water and Light, and urged residents to take advantage of the opportunity.
The Community Relations Coalition, a non-profit organization that works to strengthen ties between East Lansing and the university made a presentation at the meeting. The MSU juniors and seniors interning with the coalition presented a general overview of the organization.
International relations junior Jesus Vega commented on the December upheaval in Cedar Village, and said the incident was a clear reason that “there is still a need for the CRC.”
He said the organization works to “change that kind of culture.”
A small Ethiopian restaurant on the border of East Lansing, Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine, asked for council approval to seek a liquor license. As council member Ruth Beier was in the process of motioning to approve the request, a congregant of the Korean New Hope Baptist Church interjected in the proceedings to express his concerns.
The church is less than a block from the restaurant and the congregant, Song Yu, said he wanted the council to address the church’s concerns with the restaurant’s Sunday operations.
After discussion, East Lansing gave up the city’s last Class C liquor license to the Ethiopian restaurant, which is located at 1312 Michigan Ave., on the condition that the restaurant closes at midnight.
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