ESCANABA — How people enjoy Escanaba will be the major topics of discussion during Thursday’s Escanaba City Council meeting as the city weighs the possibility of a social district and plans for playground upgrades to the city’s playgrounds. Here’s what’s on the agenda:

NEW PLAYGROUNDS

First on the agenda, the council will vote whether to approve the purchase of new playground equipment for city parks. The equipment will cost $85,847.99, but $50,000 of that cost would come from grant funds from the DTE Foundation. The city would still be responsible for $35,847.99 for the project.

Then, the council will hear a request to hire installers from playground manufacturer GameTime to work alongside city public works crews and volunteers to install the playground and other playgrounds at Stephenson, Royce, Veterans and Sylvan Point parks.

The cost of hiring two GameTime employees to assist with the installations is $20,000. The council will also weigh sending an entire GameTime crew to complete the work for a cost of $65,000.

OLD ROYCE PARK PLAYGROUND

While the existing playgrounds are being removed from each park for a number of reasons — including cracked or rusted equipment and the playgrounds not being Americans with Disabilities Act compliant — the playground may have some value. Baldwin Township has offered to buy the old Royce Park playground for $2,000. The township would send its own crews to remove the equipment and use whatever pieces were still viable.

CRUSHING

The public works department is seeking the council’s approval to hire Havelka Construction to crush the city’s concrete pile for $24,600. The concrete pile is composed of concrete removed from projects. Crushing it allows the city to recycle the material by using it as fill.

WATER/WASTEWATER

The council will be asked to support hiring Range Telecommunications of Marquette for implementing a third-party call out system for an amount not to exceed $7,500 by the city’s water and wastewater departments.

The water and wastewater departments will also ask the council to retain the services of Keynecta of Green Bay, Wis. for safety training. The training will cost an amount not to exceed $4,800.

GRANT APPLICATION

The city’s administration is also asking the council to approve applying for a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant. The grant, if approved, would held support work between the city and the Michigan Department of Transportation in 2027 and 2028. That project is expected to include new pavement, curb gutter, signal upgrades, and the replacement of the Canadian National Railroad Bridge.

ELECTRIC

The council will also vote on the approval of the city’s latest renewable energy plan developed by the Michigan Public Power Association. Michigan’s renewable energy law requires all municipal electric utilities submit a renewable energy plan by Feb. 27.

SOCIAL DISTRICT

Near the end of the meeting, administration will vote on whether or not to approve a resolution establishing a social district within the downtown development authority (DDA) area. If approved, people would be able to buy alcohol at downtown bars and drink outside within the district.

The social district’s boundary would include Ludington Street from 14th Street on the west and Ludington Park on the east, 1st Avenue North on the north, and 1st Avenue South on the south, Municipal Dock to Escanaba Marina.