Introduction:
Links to the video recording and the council packet are at the bottom of this post. Please note any errors or omissions in the comments. Anything noted in brackets was inserted by Clarkston Sunshine.
Call to Order (Video time mark 0:00:00)
Sue Wylie said OK folks, it’s 7:00, she’s going to call the meeting to order, and they’ll all rise and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda Item #1, Pledge of Allegiance (Video time mark 0:00:06):
Pledge said.
Agenda Item #2, Roll Call (Video time mark 0:00:27):
Wylie said OK, the second item on their agenda is the roll call, and she asked Karen [DeLorge, city clerk] to please take care of the roll call.
Gary Casey, Sue Wylie, Amanda Forte, Laura Rodgers, Mark Lamphier, Peg Roth, and Ted Quisenberry were present.
DeLorge said full house.
Wylie said thank you. For the first time, full house with our new council.
Agenda Item #3, Approval of Agenda (Video time mark 0:00:54):
Wylie said Item #3 is approval of the agenda and she assumes there’s no corrections to the agenda.
Wylie said OK, then she needs a motion and a second to approve the agenda.
Motion by Rodgers; second Casey.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion.
No discussion.
Motion to approve the agenda passed by unanimous voice vote.
Agenda Item #4, Public Comments (Video time mark 0:01:12):
[If your public comments were submitted to the council but not read, or if you tried to make public comments but your comments were cut short for any reason, please email them to clarkstonsunshine@gmail.com and I will include them in my informal meeting summaries either under public comments or under the specific agenda item that you want to speak to.]
Wylie said public comments, Item #4. Wylie asked if anybody present had a public comment.
No comments.
Wylie said she does have a public comment that was sent to them from Chet Pardee. She’ll try to read it.
Chet Pardee:
Good evening and Happy New Year. General Motors’ November 14, 2023, webinar communicated its 2024 Main Street America Grant Program. The November 13th through December 13th application timeline will result in GM awarding in January 2024 a total of five grants of $50,000 each for the implementation of innovative placemaking initiatives. The recent city council changes adding Ted [Quisenberry] and Peg [Roth] as council persons and Sue [Wylie] will be beneficial. The experience of Quisenberry’s and Roth’s and Wylie’s facilitating skills will be helpful in dealing with unintended consequences.
The next question regarding the meeting agenda is point on. Did Jonathan [Smith, city manager] hijack the December 11th meeting by introducing the placemaking discussion? Thirty-six minutes of the meeting was used in discussing this non-agenda item.
Smith’s other projects listing from the November 27th council meeting seemed to be begging council for help in prioritizing the 35-item list, which omitted critical items. Pardee has listed those critical omitted items at the conclusion of these public comments since his November 27th public comments were not read in the meeting.
Regarding priorities, the city will have a challenge in the year 2024. Pardee is hopeful the new council makeup will be willing to ask questions of Smith and Greg [Coté, treasurer] to better understand Pardee’s concerns for the city’s financial situation. The budget for ’24-’25 will be the fifth consecutive budget when no sidewalk repairs are spent and the third consecutive budget with no plan to repair the seven paver aprons on Main Street.
The placemaking discussion in the last council meeting failed to acknowledge that repair and maintenance of the city streets and sidewalks play an integral role.
No one has disputed Pardee’s statement that essentially no funds for capital improvements will be available for the ’24-’25 budget. The current budgeted sidewalk repair funds will be unspent because they were less than half of the recent quoted cost. Those funds will be used elsewhere in the ’24-’25 budget due to inflation and efforts to retain city personnel.
Smith clearly communicated MDOT’s [Michigan Department of Transportation’s] rationale for their not approving the West Miller Road repair grant request in ‘22. Clarkston is too wealthy. The real estate tax mileage for the city has been reduced from 16 mills to 11 mills, as confirmed by the city auditor in November. Tom Ryan [city attorney] said that ship has sailed when Pardee suggested using the reducing mileage rate as an opportunity to provide funds from a November ballot initiative. When the finance committee on June 8, 2022, discussed a possible November 2022 millage item, it was decided that there was insufficient time to prepare the 100-word maximum ballot wording for Lansing approval. Ryan said that the submission should be submitted in August, only 60 days away. Is that fewer than two words per day? The November 2022 ballot re-elected the mayor, and no effort to provide additional tax revenue for the city has been undertaken.
Wylie said that’s from Chet Pardee. Yeah, she’s not going to go ahead and she’s not going to read what his public comment were from November. That’s going back several months.
Wylie asked if there were any other public comments?
Smith said there was a public comment from Cory [Johnston]. Wylie said oh, that’s right, she forgot about that and thanked Smith. Wylie said let’s cover the comment from Johnston.
Casey said he didn’t know if they needed to read it. They can just make it part of the record. Wylie said Johnston did say they can consider this public comment or simply information for your consideration.
Cory Johnston:
Wylie said she will kind of summarize it a little bit. Johnston is concerned about a ZBA [Zoning Board of Appeals] hearing for a shed and another piece of property that the ZBA may want to look at, which has some similar, he believes, has a shed on a vacant lot and it’s on Clarkston Road.
Wylie said he’s also concerned about, or he writes about, some concerns about placemaking, and she believes ended with the Mill Street issue in placemaking.
Wylie said so, she thinks she’ll just let it go with that and let it be their consideration, unless anybody would really like it read. She thinks everybody on council got it. [Murmured affirmative comments.] Wylie said OK.
[If you’re not satisfied with Wylie’s brief summary and deferral to council’s receipt of the comments that weren’t also shared with you, I’ve linked to a copy of Mr. Johnston’s emailed public comments here.]
Wylie asked if anybody else had public comments.
No additional public comments.
Wylie said she was going to move on to Item #5, which is FYI.
Agenda Item #5, FYI (Video time mark 0:05:47):
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- Public Notice, Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting and Public Hearing on January 24, 2024, Variance Involving a Vacant Property on Pinehurst Court; page 3/34 of the council packet)
Wylie said she didn’t, oh yeah, they do have one item in FYI.
There’s a public notice.
[Wylie read and partially summarized the public notice.]
Wylie asked if there was anything else for FYI.
No additional comments.
Agenda Item #6, City Manager’s Report (Video time mark 0:07:32):
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- City Manager Report (page 4/34 of the council packet)
- Email from Peg Roth, Council Member, Dated January 4, 2024, Regarding a Request for an Agenda Item (page 5/34 of the council packet)
Wylie said Item #6 is the city manager’s report. She asked if Smith had anything to add to what he had written.
Smith said the content of the city manager’s report was responding to the request from Roth that on the agenda, would be talked about late additions to the agenda and how that works. And so, what Smith has said here is there’s two types of changes to, the addition of changes to the packet. The first one is when there’s something that doesn’t even exist in the packet, and they add that. They try to limit those. A brand-new item that hasn’t been in the packet or wasn’t in the existing packet. They try to limit those. They have to be in-house, in hand, here by noon on Thursday so that they can get that in the packet. The other type, and he thinks the more frequent type, is they have an existing item on the agenda, but they’re making changes to it (unintelligible). There’s something that’s already there. They just want to make sure council has all of the latest and greatest information so they can make an informed decision. So those types. If they’re just simple typos, they’ve left those in. If they’re a bigger item, that’s going to change the whole view, or the whole kind of aspect of the proposal, if a motion were added. Smith said it’s his responsibility to, at the outset of the meeting, during the approval of the agenda, to announce to council what has changed. If it’s strictly a typo, he doesn’t do that. But if it’s a significant change that they wouldn’t be aware of, and they’ve read the packet two days ago, so they’re not surprised, those he is responsible for letting them know what those changes are at the outset of meeting. So again, there are two types of changes. One is a brand-new item and the other one is a modification of an existing item.
Roth said so, she guesses her question then is the packet that was changed, that she was referring to, one of the two was something that was included on a Monday, the day of the meeting. The letter from Smith’s wife. Smith said so, that was in addition to an existing topic that was on the agenda, right? That was – (interrupting Smith), Roth said right, but the way she normally acts, and she guesses she thinks of this more as a courtesy for other people who want to come because a lot of people don’t come unless there’s something on the agenda that they have an interest in. So, if something comes in on a Sunday, or she thinks it should have been announced, or letting everybody know that it had been included in the packet. And so, she guesses what she was trying to find out is, is there a definitive end to when Smith adds to the agenda. She reads, she looks, at the packet on Thursday, and then on the weekend, and then Monday morning, she’s up at 5:00 a.m. and she has another, you know, the parade meetings are on Monday at 6:00, so does she need to be reading again? She noticed Ryan, he reads the day of the meeting, when he reads his. So, she guesses she’s just, if there is a definitive time that that’s cut off. Smith said well, no, there isn’t. If this, if there’s important information that council needs to be aware of – Roth said right – (continuing), Smith said even if it comes in at 5:00 in the evening of the meeting – Roth said but Smith let – (interrupting Roth), Smith said but if it’s other than a typo, that’s what he said earlier, then it’s his responsibility to let them know. Roth said OK. Smith said now, in this case, the letter. He didn’t think that was a significant change, but it probably should have been something he announced.
Roth said and then when Smith got the information, or as she recalls, she asked Smith during the meeting, when did he get that information about the grant and this idea, and Smith said he had been working on it Wednesday prior to, so she is just wondering why that wouldn’t have gone on the agenda when he had it, which she thinks is a pretty important thing for people to know was going to be discussed. It seems like Smith had a timeline. He could have put it on there. Smtih said well, there was uncertainly whether that should have been on there, and Smith was holding off, he was really trying to gauge council’s acceptance of this. He thought, in the end, he thought this is important enough, it’s a $50,000 grant, if it’s something he can get, he thinks it needs to go in for our council at least just to get their feedback. It wasn’t a motion or resolution. Roth said she understands. Smith said he just put it in his city manager report as a discussion item. Yes, it took a portion of time to go through it all, but he thought it was important that council be aware of this and get their feedback. If they say, if their thought was no, we shouldn’t be applying for this, we don’t wanna do this right now, Smith just thought, let’s, it’s a short, very short window. They have to jump on this right away. So, all he did from Wednesday and that last half of that week prior to the council meeting was just reach out to, before he even brought it to council, he wanted to make sure the two business owners that are on either side of it would be in support of it. If they were going to fight this, it wasn’t going to be worth the time or effort. So, Smith was waiting on that. He really didn’t even get, until Saturday, he didn’t get a response from one of the business owners. So, they ultimately did both support the initiative. And that’s why it really became, on Monday, a gametime decision, do we put this on the agenda? So, Smith did, and he put it on there, he’s not, he doesn’t regret that he did. He thought it was an important initiative.
Roth said yeah, she just, just to be considerate is her only, if she’s thinking, oh my gosh, now did she miss something, and other people maybe wouldn’t think to read it again Monday morning if it’s going to be changed again. So, she was just curious procedure-wise if there’s a time in which Smith doesn’t add in anymore, but then he announces it at the meeting. Smith said well, it should be anything significant should be announced in the approval of the agenda. Smith will make an effort to make sure that there’s nothing other than a typo. Anything beyond that, he will make sure that when they ask for approval of the agenda that they’re made aware of it. Roth said OK, thank you, and she appreciates the clarification.
Wylie said along that same line, she’d like to ask DeLorge or Smith, one of them, there is, they do have Meeting Rules of Procedure which does include the rules about how they handle the meeting agenda and Wylie and Roth – Roth said she looked up Roberts Rules today. Wylie thinks that perhaps if everybody on council could get a copy of it. She found it in – Roth said it was in the meeting minutes. Wylie said it was in the meeting minutes. Roth said of June 13, 2022. Wylie said OK. Roth said but it outlines first, second and third, how things are submitted for the agenda and when cutoff should be, because at some point you just have to move it over to the next meeting. Smith said right. Roth said you can’t keep cramming stuff on. Smith said right. Roth said so, she just was interested how – Smith said unless it’s really a timely issue, they try to do that, kick it to the next meeting if at all possible.
Wylie said she thinks these procedures would be good if they were in everybody’s hands, so they know how things, it goes over the authority, they have our general procedures about how meetings are run, how the boards and commissions, they have rules. Smith said all those documents Wylie is referring to were sent out to all of council, not primarily the two new council members – Wylie said OK – (continuing), Smith said after the last election. Wylie said OK, good. Smith said and he does read the (unintelligible). He copied all of council, so it’s just as a refresher to all of them. All those documents with links were made available. Wylie said thank you.
Ryan said they’re their rules of procedure, so if they want to tweak them or something, they can do that. Wylie agreed and said these are rules that were written by and approved by council, so if they want to change anything, or something, this is inappropriate, or doesn’t work at this time, that’s something that they can vote on as council to change. Roth said right. Roth said OK and thanked Smith.
Wylie asked if there is anything else on the city manager’s report from anybody else or from Smith.
Quisenberry asked for an update on this placemaking. What has happened since? Smith said so, he did get the application submitted by the due date, noon on Wednesday, after the last council meeting. It was kind of a hairy effort just to get everything done, and it was a couple very long days for Smith to get that done and submitted. He was happy with the result. He submitted that. He did get confirmation back from General Motors that they did receive the application, and they said we’ll be hearing from them in mid-January. So, he hasn’t heard yet, but hopefully, they’ll hear something mid-January.
Wylie said OK.
Agenda Item #7 – Motion: Acceptance of the Consent Agenda as Presented (Video time mark 0:16:45):
All right, moving on, they are on Item #6. Wylie said she was sorry, that was Item #7, motion for acceptance of the consent agenda as presented on January 8th, 2024. That includes the final minutes from November 27th, 2023, the draft minutes from December 11th and 23rd, and the treasurers report from January 8, 2024. They’ve tried to put these all together and approve of them as a group unless something needs to be hand-pulled out and handled separately.
Wylie said she’d like a motion for acceptance of the consent agenda.
Motion by Quisenberry; second Rodgers.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion.
No discussion.
Motion to accept the consent agenda passed by unanimous voice vote.
Wylie said that’s approved.
[The public was not provided with any of the referenced backup materials for the consent agenda. This material contains important information, such as a listing of all the checks issued for the previous month and copies of the previous month’s invoices submitted for approval. These invoices should have included taxpayer-funded legal and engineering costs expended in connection with the December “placemaking” grant application Smith submitted to General Motors.]
Agenda Item #8, Old Business (Video time mark 0:17:38)
Wylie said they would move on to Item #8, which is old business, and there’s no old business.
Agenda Item #9, New Business (Video time mark 0:17:39):
Item 9a – Motion: Updates to the City’s Policy & Procedure Manual (Video time mark 0:17:42):
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- Motion – Policies and Procedures Manual Revisions (page 6/34 of the council packet)
- Policies and Procedures Manual (page 7/34 of the council packet)
Wylie said Item #9. They’ve got a motion, updates to the city’s policy and procedures manual. And Smith, she assumes, they’re going to, it looks like there’s only, she only saw page corrections on two pages.
Smith said that’s correct. This is something that they try to update every two or three years tops. So, this update, they just had to put in all the current council members, so that’s what’s highlighted there in the middle. The only other change is down here at the bottom, and this is relative to funds available for our DPW [Detroit of Public Works] to buy boots and coats. So, they have historically been allowed $125 a year to purchase work boots and a coat. A Carhartt heavy duty coat for snow plowing. They found that that wasn’t nearly enough to cover the cost. $125 will not buy a pair of boots and a Carhartt jacket. So, Smith is including in this update an increase of $200. They have the budget, so it’s not a budgetary issue. It’s just another policy. So, if council has concerns with that, they can table this. But Smith thought while he’s updating the council member names, he would include this change as well.
Wylie said OK. So, she’ll take a motion in a second, and if there’s any discussion, that will have to take place after that. Wylie asked if anybody would like to make a motion to, she guesses they’re updating the policies and procedures manual, making a revision.
Motion by Lamphier; second Casey.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion.
Roth said Smith could take it out from the money saved from salt. (Laughter.)
Wylie said it’s only January.
(Casey made an unintelligible comment.)
Wylie asked if there was any other discussion.
No discussion.
Motion to revise the manual to increase the DPW clothing budget and modify council member names passed by unanimous voice vote.
Wylie said OK, it’s approved.
Wylie said she’s moving fast. Trying, because some people want to get home to watch a football band. (Laughter.)
Quisenberry said this is far more important. (Laughter.) Rodgers agreed.
Item 9b – Resolution: Sewer Billing Price Increase (Video time mark 0:19:49):
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- Resolution – Sewer Rate Increase (page 25/34 of the council packet)
- City of Clarkston Sewer Billing Rate History (page 26/34 of the council packet)
Wylie said OK, this is under new business, b. they have a resolution, sewer billing price increase.
(Wylie read from the motion.)
Wylie said so, before, this is resolution, so let’s make a first and a second on the resolution and then they’ll do any discussion.
Motion by Rodgers; second Roth.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion.
Wylie said she has a question. There was a, this, small increases in the second paragraph, it mentions small increases charged to the city. Is that from Independence Township? Smith said correct. Wylie said OK. Smith said Independence Township bills us, and they get billed by the water authority. And so, it’s a pass through. Wylie said OK. Smith said but there have been some minor increases that have come along, and actually, right now, if we do nothing, we’re losing money every quarter. We’re paying the Township more than we’re receiving in. So, we’re actually in a bad situation right now. They wanted to watch the last quarterly billing just to confirm all the numbers, Coté and Smith did that, and they’re very confident in the need to, to increase it 9% up to $128. They really don’t have any choice in the matter, and this is, they don’t have another supplier they can go to. This is it. For sewage disposal, they are the only game in town.
Wylie said this is kind of a side question. There was discussion, she thinks, maybe back in this August meeting or previously, about Independence Township taking over the billing. Is that still in discussion? Smith said that’s still in discussion. It’s still something they want to pursue. David [McKee, Independence Township DPW Director] has just been very busy lately. Wylie said OK. Smith said he hasn’t had a chance. He’s always been very supportive on this, but he’s been very busy. Wylie said OK.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion from anybody else on council.
No discussion.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion from the audience.
No discussion.
Wylie said OK, they’ve got a first and second. Rodgers and then Roth.
Wylie told DeLorge they needed to do a roll call.
Casey, Forte, Lamphier, Quisenberry, Rodgers, Roth, and Wylie voted yes.
Wylie said so, the resolution is adopted. Thank you.
Item 9c – Motion: Updated City Logo (Video time mark 0:24:14):
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- Motion – Update of the City Logo (page 27/34 of the council packet)
- Logo photos (page 28/34 of the council packet)
Wylie said they are on Item 9c, a motion for an updated city logo.
(Wylie read the motion.)
Wylie said once again, she’ll take a motion and second before they have a discussion.
Motion by Forte.
(Casey asked an unintelligible question.) Wylie said Forte did first. She made the motion. Forte said she didn’t say which one. (Unintelligible crosstalk.) Wylie said they have to make a choice. Forte said she thought they would do that in the discussion. Wylie said yes, that’s true, they do have to make a choice. She guesses they have to discuss it before they start doing a motion on it. Forte said OK.
Wylie asked if anyone had any preferences.
Roth said she actually likes the third one. Forte agreed. (Unintelligible comments.) Roth thought “A” was sort of cute, but it’s hard to read. Wylie said yes, she didn’t like it. Roth said this just looks very clean with the circle around it where this one sort of looks like, she doesn’t know, it just looks like it’s finished. Casey agreed.
Wylie asked if anyone wanted to make a motion on “C.”
Forte said she would make a motion on “C.” Wylie said so Forte is making a motion on “C.” Second Roth.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion on those. (Unintelligible comment.)
Wylie asked if anybody in the audience had anything to say.
Forte said good choice.
Lamphier asked if there was a cost attached to it.
Smtih said it’s $100, but they’ve already paid it.
Rodgers said they really do need it, like just from, she was trying to do the banner for the [Christmas] Market and like the person that was doing the banner said, “I can’t use,” and it’s not just our logo, like generally in business, the businesses, some of them weren’t clear enough to enlarge them enough to put them on a banner blah blah blah. So, they really do need something and she thinks that she agrees, that she thinks that font is, is there a significance to the tree? She’s just curious.
Quisenberry said you know what, it’s very similar to Oakland County’s logo. Roth agreed. Quisenberry said that’s like the tree that they have in theirs, so. (Unintelligible crosstalk.) Rodgers said yeah, it’s not too different from what they already have. (Unintelligible cross talk.) Roth said that was just too hard to read. Wylie said yeah, that’s hard to read.
Wylie asked if the artist, is she the one whose daughter did the – (Smith made an unintelligible comment). Wylie said that’s right. OK, so their family’s very, been very involved with Clarkston. (Unintelligible comment.) Wylie said yeah, nice family, yeah, OK, good.
Wylie asked if there was any other discussion.
Wylie said she should bring up, she forgot, there was a letter to the, under public comments, Cory Johnston did mention the logo, and he thought we should have a contest or put it out to the public for designing a new logo, so.
Roth asked who was the person that did this. Wylie said it was Jen, she always calls her Jennifer, Jennifer Hermann. They live in Independence Township. Her kids, her son did the bat houses for an Eagle Scout project, and their daughter, for her Girl Scout Project, did the first of the musical instruments over in Depot Park. Roth said oh yeah, very nice. Wylie said it’s a real involved family.
Wylie asked if there was any other discussion.
No further discussion.
The motion to accept the new logo passed by unanimous voice vote.
Wylie said they’re done, OK, on that. That is approved.
Roth said we are slamming through this. Wylie said they are getting through this ahead of her own schedule.
Item 9d – Resolution: City Conference Room Communication Equipment (Video time mark 0:27:56):
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- Resolution – City Conference Room Communication Equipment (page 29/34 of the council packet)
- Quote from VC3 (page 30/34 of the council packet)
- Description of Owl 3 Device (page 31/34 of the council packet)
Wylie said Item #9d is a resolution for city conference room communications equipment.
(Wylie read the resolution.)
Wylie said this is resolution, so, first she’ll take a first and a second and then do any discussion as needed. Wylie asked if anybody wanted to make a motion to this resolution.
Motion by Casey; second Forte.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion and asked Smith if perhaps he wanted to add anything.
Smith said just that this microphone system out here, they’ve been using it for about two years now, and it does get, actually at times, and he’s had numerous complaints, it’s usually after the meeting on Monday morning. Somebody will call (unintelligible) and say, “I couldn’t hear a damned thing. I could see you on the video, but I couldn’t hear a damned thing.” And they’re very frustrated, and vice versa, they couldn’t hear them. They were trying to speak up and they couldn’t hear them. So, they have the video from Independence Television, and they’re excited to continue that process with them for a full video recording of the meetings, but the Owl will just give them better communication. It will pick up voices from the back of the room. They know the size of a room, and they said this Owl will more than accommodate that. The really cool thing with the Owl is that it has video too. It’s not just audio and microphone and speaker. It’s got a video camera in it, and it senses where the sound is coming from and it spins around on, actually, like an owl’s head. (Laughter.) Smith said it will aim at that person. So, the audience can see (unintelligible). (Laughter.) Wylie said maybe we don’t want that. (Laughter.) Rodgers asked how close does it get.
Smith said, or, if there’s somebody in the audience speaking, it would spin around and pick them up. So, it’s for the, in terms of the person watching the meeting on Teams, or trying to participate on Teams, it would be really beneficial for that person to be able to see who’s speaking. And it will be so much clearer, both microphone and speaker system. So, it is a significant step up from what they have. Smith thinks it’s the way to go. He didn’t get three quotes on this, but because VC3 is our internet provider, this is the device that they are recommending. Smith did ask them if there are some lower cost alternatives out there, and they came back and said no. Wylie said OK, thank you.
Wylie asked if anybody on council had any questions or comments on this motion, on this item.
Roth said she guesses only that if it’s going to be offered, it should be effective. This one clearly isn’t. Smith agreed.
Wylie asked if the council had any other comments.
No comments.
Wylie asked if anybody in the audience had comments.
No comments.
Smith said he has a warranty. If for some reason, it’s not effective, it’ll go back. Wylie said OK.
Wylie said OK, so this is a resolution, and they have a first and a second. Wylie asked DeLorge to take a roll call vote.
Casey, Forte, Lamphier, Quisenberry, Rodgers, Roth, and Wylie voted yes.
Wylie said OK, the resolution is adopted.
Wylie said she just also wanted to say they do have a new, is it videographer, Jeannie, is that what you’re called? Wylie said she doesn’t know. Wylie said they have a new videographer, and her name is Jeannie, so if they want to say hi to her.
Agenda Item #10, Adjourn (Video time mark 0:32:57):
Wylie said they have one item left on the agenda, adjournment.
Wylie asked if anybody wanted to make a motion.
Motion by Rodgers; second Roth.
Wylie asked if there was any discussion.
No discussion.
Motion to adjourn passed by unanimous voice vote.
Wylie said the motion is adopted and they are out at 7:33. She was going for 8:00.
Wylie said, “Go Michigan.”
Resources:
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- Link to video recording here
- 01-08-2024 – City Council packet
Smith spews so much BS that council members have become immune to recognizing it. Smith claimed he only updates the policy and procedures manual every two or three years, and he thinks we won’t notice he uses policy manual changes as a vehicle to slide in extra costs to the taxpayers. The last time he did it was for the purpose of asking the council to give him (and the other city staff) Juneteenth as an extra paid holiday, rather than trading an existing holiday for it as many other government entities have done (if they recognized it at all at the time Smith made his request). This change brought the number of paid holidays for city employees to an unprecedented 14 days per year.
The January 8, 2024, change concerned increasing the DPW clothing allowance from $125/year to $200/year. While I don’t have any objection to this modest increase in the DPW clothing allowance, I do have an objection to Smith’s claim that “while he’s updating the council member names, he would include this change [to the manual] as well,” suggesting that the primary reason for the update was to ensure city council member names were up to date. If updating council member names was important, Smith would modify the manual every time there is a change in council membership.
Smith told the council the city has the budget for the increase to the DPW clothing allowance, so it’s just policy change, not a budgetary issue. But having enough budget money isn’t the problem. The DPW clothing allowance increase needed to be approved by resolution because it concerns spending tax dollars. If council-approved spending affects a city policy, the policy approval must come after the resolution approval.
Smith and the city council know whenever the city spends money, it needs to be approved by a council resolution with a recorded vote. The city attorney knows this too, yet he sat silently while this transpired.
Tell me again why taxpayers are paying the city attorney to sit through every meeting?
The information is still missing for the Consent Agenda on the city website. It seems they are no going to bother to update that.
As for the sewer rate increase, neither the discussion or the meeting information tell anyone exactly how the City Manager and Treasurer came up with the new amount, what is included and what is not. Per this write-up, “They wanted to watch the last quarterly billing just to confirm all the numbers, Coté and Smith did that, and they’re very confident in the need to, to increase it 9% up to $128. They really don’t have any choice in the matter,…”
How did they arrive at that? Does it include only the cost of pass through billings from the Township or something more? What about costs of maintenance on the system that only get more expensive as it ages?
As for “They really don’t have a choice in the matter…” that is not true. They could supplement the cost from other funds. They could look at why costs are increasing and what could be done to reduce the amount used. The cost is based on an assumed use amount, not an actual, so whether you use it a lot or a little, you pay the same based on how you are classified.
As usual, the city manager gives minimal information, the council never asks for more, and cost increases just get passed along to the taxpayers with almost no effort to control them.
As an aside to this particular meeting information, I have noticed that the City Manager likes to spend money without prior council approval by supposedly keeping the amount below the $500 limit of ordinance section 30.15. However, he should not be hiding these expenses from the council and public, which he likes to do. Yes, if asked, he will admit to it with the excuse that he can do so without prior approval, but if he doesn’t reveal it, how does anyone know how much he spent, for what purpose, and who received the money?