City Info
Everyday information for residents and visitors: who to call, trash and recycling, utilities, snow, permits and getting around.
Who to Call
City Hall is at 301 Washington Avenue, Bay City, MI 48708, open 8 am to 5 pm. Main line (989) 894-8200.
Numbers from the City of Bay City staff directory (checked October 2026). Full directory ↗
Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste
Trash
- Put the city's 96-gallon cart at the curb after 4 pm the day before pickup and before 7 am on pickup day.
- Bring empty carts in before 8 am the next day. Handles face the house, lids closed, three feet from other carts.
- One bulk item or two small bags may go beside the cart. Contractor debris, appliances, tires and hazardous items are not collected.
- No pickup on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Pickup slips one day after those holidays.
Recycling
- Curbside recycling is every other week in a 96-gallon recycling cart (small bins are no longer collected).
- Accepted: glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and containers, steel and aluminum cans, paper cartons, cardboard, newspaper, magazines and junk mail.
- The Bay City Recycles Drop-Off Center takes recyclables, general refuse, tires and more from anyone, by appointment.
Yard waste & brush
- Weekly yard waste pickup runs April 1 through November 30 on your regular trash day.
- Use paper yard-waste bags, labeled containers of 32 gallons or less, or bundles tied with natural twine, each under 40 pounds.
- Free curbside brush collection runs in April and November. May through October it is by appointment for a fee.
Summarized from the city's Sanitation pages. Trash & recycling ↗ · Find your collection day ↗ · Sanitation: (989) 894-8312
Utilities, Bills & Taxes
Start or stop service
Utility Customer Service handles new service, reconnections and deposits for city water, sewer and electric.
Phone (989) 894-8104, option 7.
Power outage
City electric dispatch and outage line: (989) 894-8350.
Water & sewer
Water distribution and metering: (989) 894-8321. Sewer maintenance: (989) 894-8316. Wastewater plant: (989) 891-1200.
Snow & Ice
From the third Monday of November through the first week of April, the city keeps a salt-and-plow crew on standby. Plowing follows a priority order: emergency routes, state highways and major streets and bridges first, then school routes, business districts, residential streets and parking lots, and alleys last. Priorities can change with the storm.
Street Division: (989) 894-8312, 1645 Marquette Avenue.
Permits & Contractors
Building permits
Many projects inside city limits need a city permit. Use the Building Department's "Do I need a permit" guide before you start, and ask any contractor to confirm who is pulling the permit.
Building Department: (989) 894-8162.
Code enforcement
Questions about long grass and weeds, rental registration, vacant buildings or nuisance complaints: (989) 894-8175.
Planning, zoning & historic districts
Zoning questions, site plans and work in a historic district: (989) 894-8180.
Licenses & special events
Business licenses and special event permits go through the City Clerk: (989) 894-8168. Liquor licenses are issued by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
Looking for a pro? See our contractor listings and verify state licenses with Michigan LARA.
Report a Problem
Potholes, outages and other concerns
Use the city's Report a Concern form or the free SeeClickFix app to flag potholes, broken streetlights and similar non-emergency issues.
Public Safety app
Bay City's Department of Public Safety, which combines police, fire and emergency medical service, has a free smartphone app with news, tips and contact options.
Alerts & news
Sign up for city notifications, or check the Alert Center for construction and road closures such as bridge projects.
Parks, Marina & Boat Launches
City parks
The city maintains about 238 acres in 25 park areas plus roughly 10 miles of Rail Trail and Riverwalk. Pavilions and shelters at some parks can be reserved. Parks office: (989) 894-8314, 1645 Marquette Avenue.
Liberty Harbor Marina
A 100-slip marina at the north end of Veterans Memorial Park near downtown, open May 1 through October 15. Amenities include water, electric, restrooms, showers, Wi-Fi and a pump-out. Marina: (989) 894-2800.
Boat launches
City launches include Cass Avenue (620 Harrison St) and Golson (N Johnson St). The state DNR launch is at 1 Shady Shore Rd. See Michigan Water Trails for the full list.
Weddings in the Arboretum
The 12-acre Kantzler Memorial Arboretum along the riverfront takes wedding requests. Submit the form at least 90 days ahead to ParkReservations@baycitymi.gov.
Getting Around & Nearby Airports
By road
I-75 serves the Great Lakes Bay region, and the state routes serving the city include US-10, M-84, M-13, M-25 and M-15. Flint is about 51 miles away, Lansing 87, Ann Arbor 98, Detroit 111 (about 2 hours), Grand Rapids 130, Chicago 310 and Toronto 300.
By bus
Bay Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Bay Metro) provides local bus service. Greyhound and Indian Trails serve intercity travel.
By air
MBS International Airport, about 15 miles away, has Delta and United service. James Clements Municipal Airport is within a mile of town for private aircraft: (989) 895-8991.
City Government
Mayor & City Commission
Meetings are held at City Hall and streamed online. Agendas, minutes and the meeting calendar are on the city website. Mayor's office: (989) 894-8189.
Elections & clerk
Voter information, polling places, passports and FOIA requests are handled by the City Clerk's office.
Jobs & more
City job openings, the master plan, property for sale and other resources are on the official site.
Bay City covers about 10.4 square miles on the Saginaw River, roughly five miles south of Saginaw Bay. This page is a community summary, not the official city website. Confirm details with the city before relying on them.