City Council - September 8, 2003

PROPOSED MINUTES

FERNDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2003, 7:30 P.M. AT CITY HALL

A Regular Meeting of the Ferndale City Council was held Monday, September 8, 2003, at City Hall, 300 East Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. Mayor Pro Tem Galloway called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

Mayor Pro Tem Galloway led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll call showed the following members of Council present: Council Members Covey, Trice, Weber; Mayor Pro Tem Galloway. Absent: Mayor Porter.

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to adopt the following Resolution:

Section 10 of Chapter III of the Charter of the City of Ferndale, Oakland County, Michigan provides that absence from five consecutive Regular meetings of the City Council shall automatically operate to vacate the seat of the member of the Council unless the absence is excused by Resolution setting forth such excuse and entered upon the journal; and

Mayor Robert Porter had cause for his absence from the Regular Meeting of September 8, 2003.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Mayor Robert Porter be excused from the Regular Council Meeting of September 8, 2003, for the reasons stated above, as provided by Section 10 of Chapter III of the City Charter.

AYES: C,T,W;MTG

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

1. Marsha Mellert, Recreation Director, announced that a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser would be held on Friday, September 19, 2003, at the Kulick Center from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; the Fall Newsletter would be mailed out and flyers would be distributed to schools describing the Recreation Department’s Fall programs and special events. She also announced that registration was now open and people could also register for Fall programs on the City’s website.

XXX. Moved by Councilman Trice, seconded by Councilman Covey, to approve the Consent Agenda as submitted:

A. Approved the Minutes of the Special Meetings held August 11 and

August 25, 2003, and the Regular Meetings held July 28, August 11 and August 25, 2003, as submitted by City Clerk.

B. Approved the bills, payrolls (as certified by City Manager) and City Attorney expense statements submitted by Howard Shifman, P.C., and Beier Howlett, P.C., to be paid subject to review by the Council Finance Committee.

AYES: T,W,C;MTG

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to appoint Mark Wells, 500 W. Drayton, to the Arts and Cultural Commission for the unexpired term expiring December 31, 2003.

AYES: W,C,T;MTG

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilman Trice, to approve the filling of the budgeted and vacant Code Enforcement Officer position in the CDS Department.

AYES: C,T,W;MTG

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, that the City of Ferndale recommends that the Woodward Corridor be selected by MDOT, SEMCOG and DARTA for mass transit demonstration project in Southeast Michigan and that the preferred mode of mass transit of Woodward be light rail, so preferred as a strategic initiative to diversity the region’s transit system, to lessen our region’s dependence on mid-east oil, to improve the region’s air quality, to stimulate the economy and create and stimulate the creation of new jobs in the areas of tourism and conferences, and to bolster the many educational, cultural, sports, recreational, employment, medical, commerce and residential districts and institutions which continue to grow on the Woodward Corridor and to decrease the traffic congestion on I-75 and improve the overall quality life in the region; in addition Ferndale requests that the Eight Mile Boulevard Association begin to study which transit mode they will recommend for the Eight Mile Corridor and that the City Manager forward this Resolution to all appropriate agencies and officials involved in the ongoing transportation decision making process in Southeast Michigan.

AYES: W,C,T;MTG

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to approve the Lease Agreement, submitted by T-Mobile, authorizing T-Mobile to lease City Property for the purpose of co-locating their cellular telephone equipment at the base of, and on, the flag pole cellular tower located just north of Withington, adjacent to Boogie Fever, and to authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign the Lease Agreement.

AYES: C,T,W;MTG

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Council took no action on this Agenda Item.

XXX. Police Chief Kitchen announced that the Ferndale Police Auxiliary Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser would be held on Saturday, October 18, 2003, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Ferndale Free Methodist Church and also announced that the Ferndale Police website address would be running soon at www.ferndalepolice.org. He also announced that a suspect was arrested for the recent shooting on West Troy.

XXX. Fire Chief LeGault reminded residents about the Fire Department’s Open House would be held on Saturday, September 13, 2003, from 12 Noon to 4:00 p.m., at Fire Station No. 2 located at 1070 East Nine Mile.

XXX. Moved by Councilwoman Weber, seconded by Councilman Covey, to request voter authorization at the November 4, 2003 Election to sell the listed non-park properties owned by the City of Ferndale, stated in the memo from the City Manager dated September 8, 2003, pursuant to Council approval and review of sealed development and sales price proposals from interested parties, solicited following voter authorization to sell said properties, said Ballot question(s) to be prepared by the City Attorney.

AYES: T,W,C;MTG

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. City Manager Barwin congratulated Blumz by Design, 853 East Eight Mile, which received a Beautification Award from the Eight Mile Boulevard Association and that Ferndale was identified by the Michigan Environmental Council as a "Land Use Hero". City Manager announced that the next meeting regarding the Intermodal Freight Expansion would be held at Edison Oakland School on Wednesday, September 10, 2003, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with a presentation at 7:00 p.m.

XXX. Moved by Councilwoman Weber, seconded by Councilman Covey, to authorize the City Attorney to move forward with preparation of complaint towards litigation against Lanzo for the damages the City incurred as the result of the pipelining project that failed.

AYES: C,T,W;MTG

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Councilman Trice announced that the reason for low water pressure during the weekend was due to new equipment at a Detroit Water pumping station not being completely calibrated and commented on an e-mail he received from U.S. Senator Stabenow regarding preventing trash from Canada being placed in Michigan’s landfills.

XXX. Councilwoman Weber congratulated Joyce Littlejohn, Housing Inspector, on her retirement from the City and commented on the grants the City of Ferndale has received over the years and an article on mass transportation.

XXX. Councilman Covey inquired about the last date to register to vote and announced that the Community Media Network was in need of a Ferndale Representative. He also announced that Cobalt has been sold and all past taxes paid. Councilman Covey announced that Mayor Porter attended an event sponsored by "ACCESS", an Arab Community organization, at "Q", which drew over 400 people.

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, supported unanimously, to adopt a Condolence Resolution for Lucille Ann Redden.

AYES: All

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, supported unanimously, to adopt a Resolution recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month.

AYES: All

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Galloway, supported unanimously, to adopt the Resolution congratulating Joyce Littlejohn on her retirement.

AYES: All

NAYS: None

ABSENT: MP

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Mayor Pro Tem Gallloway announced that Friends of the Library, with the help of local businesses, raised $900.00 for the Library; Ferndale Education Foundation would be hosting a Wine Tasting Fundraiser at Revolution Gallery on Thursday, September 18, 2003, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mayor Pro Tem Galloway commented on an upcoming meeting to discuss the demolition of the Eight Mile/Woodward Bridge. He also commented on the two year anniversary of September 11th and referenced an article which appeared in The Daily Tribune titled "Answer the Call to Civil Action" and the role of Community involvement.

Mayor Pro Tem Galloway adjourned the meeting at 8:56 p.m.