City of Escanaba, MI

What City of Escanaba, MI does

The City of Escanaba is a municipal government entity located on Little Bay de Noc in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, serving approximately 12,616 residents (2014 Census) as the seat of Delta County and the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Founded in 1863 as a shipping port for iron ore, lumber, and copper, the city operates a full-stack municipal services portfolio that includes electric distribution, water and wastewater utilities, garbage and recycling collection, public safety (a unified fire-and-police Department of Public Safety established in 1975), public works (a 22-person crew maintaining 82 miles of streets), 424 acres of parks and recreation including a 165-slip municipal marina, planning and zoning, assessing, library services, and economic development programs. Governance is provided by an elected five-member City Council with a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, an appointed City Manager (currently interim), and a network of 15+ boards and commissions. The city holds the EPA's 1999 national first place award for wastewater operations and the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA designation.

The operating technology stack is modest and built primarily on third-party SaaS rather than proprietary infrastructure: a CivicPlus government CMS and content platform with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility, BS&A Online for utility billing and tax payments (supporting credit/debit at 2.8% and e-checks at $1.50), a City GIS platform for mapping and property information, a Public Power Outage Map for electric customers, a SolrenView dashboard for the municipal solar installation, Cloudflare for CDN and bot protection, Tipp411 for anonymous public safety tips, MISS DIG for utility locating, and Google Calendar export for meeting events. No public API, developer portal, or programmatic access is documented, and no AI/ML capabilities are deployed. The 2.2 MGD design-flow wastewater treatment plant (peak 5.0 MGD) and the electric distribution system are the largest engineered assets.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring property taxes (summer cycle July–September, winter cycle December–February), recurring monthly utility billing (electric, water, sewer, garbage), and transaction-based fees and permits (licenses, marina slips, parking, planning/zoning). Pricing is governed by a published Master Fee Schedule covering FY 2025-2026 and FY 2026-2027, with a $400 minimum utility deposit, $10–$25 account transfer fees, and a Revolving Loan Fund providing subordinate-debt economic development financing in partnership with local banks. Distribution runs through walk-in services at City Hall, online portals, field services (weekly garbage, bi-weekly recycling, snow plowing), and seven operational locations across the city. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

City of Escanaba, MI

Legal name

City of Escanaba

Website

https://escanaba.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1863

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The City of Escanaba, MI is a municipal government serving ~12,616 residents in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, providing electric, water, wastewater, public safety, public works, parks, marina, and planning services funded through property taxes, utility billing, and permit fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Executive and Legislative Offices, Combined (92114), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941), Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Municipal Electric Utilities (Munis) (EUADABAB), Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public utilities
• Parks and recreation
• Public safety services
• Wastewater treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Escanaba

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: The City collects property taxes including summer taxes (payable July through September) and winter taxes (payable December through February)
2. Utility Billing: City provides electric, water, sewer, and garbage services with monthly billing. Electric, water, sewer, and garbage bills are prepared and mailed by the Utility Office.
3. Fees and Permits: City collects fees for various services including licenses, permits, marina slips, parking tickets, and other city services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The City of Escanaba is a municipal government providing essential public services to residents and businesses within its jurisdiction. Core offerings include municipal utilities (electric, water, wastewater, garbage/recycling collection), public safety (combined fire and police), public works (street maintenance and snow plowing), parks and recreation (424 acres plus a 165-slip marina), and administrative services (planning, zoning, assessing, and utility billing).

Product overview

The City of Escanaba operates as a municipal government providing a comprehensive portfolio of public services to its residents. The city's service offering includes core utilities (electric, water, wastewater), public safety (combined fire and police), public works (street maintenance, garbage/recycling), parks and recreation (424 acres of parks, marina, recreation programs), planning and zoning, assessing, and utility billing. Additional services include a revolving loan fund for economic development, solar energy programs, and online payment portals. The city also maintains various boards and commissions including Planning Commission, Harbor Advisory, Historic Preservation, and Recreation Advisory for citizen participation in governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Safety Services Combined fire and law enforcement department providing protection, emergency response, code compliance, and community safety programs to city residents and businesses.
• Public Works Services Public works services including 82 miles of street maintenance, snow plowing, road construction, garbage/recycling collection, leaf collection, and city park maintenance delivered by a 22-member crew.
• Parks and Recreation Services 424 acres of park and recreation facilities including Ludington Park on Little Bay de Noc waterfront, eight neighborhood parks, Civic Center, and recreation programs (soccer, swim lessons, basketball, pickleball, volleyball).
• Municipal Marina 165-boat-slip marina within Ludington Park complex on Green Bay's Little Bay de Noc, offering seasonal and transient berths with fuel, electric, water, pump-out, and free WiFi services to boaters.
• Electric Utility Service Municipal electric department providing power distribution, line maintenance, street lighting, meter reading, and solar energy programs including solar panel purchase options to residents and businesses.
• Water and Wastewater Utility Services Municipal water utility serving Escanaba and Wells Township; Class B wastewater treatment plant with design flow of 2.2 MGD and peak flow of 5.0 MGD, winner of EPA's 1999 national first place award.
• Planning and Zoning Services Oversees land use policies, administers zoning ordinance, reviews permits (zoning, fence, sign), manages Master Plan development, and coordinates with Planning Commission for property owners and developers.
• Assessing Services Maintains property records including land and buildings, processes property tax exemptions, poverty exemptions, and assessment appeals through the Board of Equalization and Review.
• Utility Billing Prepares and mails electric, water, sewer, and garbage bills; handles billing inquiries, new customer setup, payment plans, and shut-offs for utility customers.
• Public Library Services Public library providing extensive services including reading programs, digital resources, and community education programs to residents.
• Revolving Loan Fund Economic development loan program providing low-interest financing for new businesses, expansions, equipment purchases, and building improvements, partnering with local banks.
• Online Payments Portal Web-based payment system for utility bills, taxes, and fees via BS&A Online with credit card and e-check options.
• Solar Energy Program Solar panel purchase and installation program with solar land license management agreements for city residents.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82 miles of streets maintained by 22-person Public Works crew
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Downtown Development Authority (DDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDA is a separate entity established to promote economic development and manage the downtown district. The city works with DDA on development projects, social district permits, and downtown improvement initiatives.
• Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency providing guidance on brownfield redevelopment and economic development programs. The city's Brownfield Redevelopment Authority operates under Act 381 of 1996 with MEDC support.
• Local BankscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe city's Revolving Loan Fund partners with local banks to provide total financing packages for businesses. RLF does not compete with banks and often subordinates its security interest to improve borrowers' risk profiles.
• Delta County LandfillminorOthersDelta County Landfill accepts waste from the city and provides recycling information and disposal services.
• Recycle 906minorOthersRegional recycling program providing materials wizard and recycling guidance for residents.
• Michigan State University (MSU) ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSU Extension provides educational fact sheets to help citizens understand zoning and planning processes.
• Delta CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEscanaba is the seat of Delta County. Joint Governmental Round Table allows collaboration between local units of government and schools on community-wide projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• City of Iron Mountain, MI: UP Michigan city with comparable population, municipal electric and water utilities, and shared legacy of iron ore and lumber industries. Closely analogous service portfolio.
• City of Traverse City, MI: Northern Lower Peninsula Michigan municipal with municipal utilities, marina, and downtown development authority. Similar service portfolio at a larger scale, providing a forward-looking benchmark.
• City of Marquette, MI: Largest city in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with similar municipal utilities (electric, water, wastewater), public works, and recreation portfolio. Most directly comparable by geography, population scale, and service mix.
• City of Sault Ste. Marie, MI: Eastern UP Michigan municipal with municipal electric utility, water/wastewater services, and similar legacy industrial heritage. Comparable governance structure and service breadth.
• City of Menominee, MI: Neighboring small Michigan city on the Wisconsin border with municipal utilities, marina, and similar service delivery model. Comparable population scale and Upper Great Lakes geography.
• City of Houghton, MI: Small Upper Peninsula city of similar size operating municipal utilities, public works, and recreation services. Comparable demographic and economic profile.
• City of Marinette, WI: Small Wisconsin city on Green Bay across from Escanaba with municipal utilities, paper/forestry industry heritage, and waterfront recreation. Closely comparable regional Great Lakes municipal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmgG2AvTxFkM9V9-7I2ChmA/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/cityofescanaba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-escanaba-mi

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Escanaba, MI