City Council - January 12, 2004

PROPOSED MINUTES
FERNDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2004, 7:30 P.M. AT CITY HALL

A Regular Meeting of the Ferndale City Council was held Monday, January 12, 2004, at City Hall, 300 East Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. Mayor Porter called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m.

School children from Ferndale Public Schools led the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Brass Section of the Ferndale High School Marching Band played "The Star Spangled Banner".

XXX. 43rd District Court Judge Turner administered the Oath of Office to Councilman Lennon, Judge Longo administered the Oath of Office to Councilman Covey and Judge Hunt administered the Oath of Office to Mayor Porter.

XXX. Moved by Mayor Porter, supported unanimously, to adopt the Resolution congratulating the Ferndale High School Golden Eagles Marching Band for placing 3rd at the Michigan Competing Band Association 2003 Championships.

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

XXX. Stephanie Hall, Director of Public Relations for Ferndale Schools, representing Ferndale Schools Community Relations Committee, commented on the Committee and school activities. She invited the public to a Diversity Workshop on March 24, 2004, and Extravaganza on February 12, 2004.

Roll call showed the following members of Council present: Council Members Covey, Galloway, Lennon, Weber; Mayor Porter. Absent: None.

XXX. Peggy Snow, Chair of the Beautification Commission, and Mayor Porter presented Holiday Lights Beautification Awards for the following: Commercial: Western Market; 447 West Nine Mile Road (not present); Residential: Nelson Zajac, 435 Spencer (present); Greg Ovink and Lisa Frank, 1296 West Marshall (present); The Smith Family, 541 West Lewiston (not present) and Chuck and Jean Maxon, 3112 Grayson (present).

1. Ann Heller, President of F.A.N.S., provided the Annual Hate Crimes Report for 2003, which included only four incidents for the entire year.

2. Dawn Ptaszynski welcomed Councilman Lennon to Council.

3. Jean Davis, complimented Council on their work, and as Chair of the Arts and Cultural Commission, announced the results of the Commission’s Election of Officers. She also announced that the Silent Auction held in December, 2003, had raised $622.50. Ms. Davis also announced that April was National Poetry Month and that on April 18, 2004, the Commission would sponsor a poetry reading at Xhedos Cafe. She also announced that "Music in the Park" would be held on Fridays during June and July and that the Art Fair would be held at Geary Park and requested artists and food vendors for the fair.

4. Jeanne VanderHeide, announced that Energy Fit for Women at 22620 Woodward was now open and thanked Mayor Porter and Council Members Covey and Lennon for being at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

5. David Coulter, Oakland County Commissioner, congratulated newly elected

Council and updated Council on activities and issues addressed by the Oakland County Commissioners.

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

A. Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Meeting held December 22, 2003, as submitted by City Clerk.

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

AYES: C,G,L,W;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Covey, to adopt the Resolution supporting a Metropark at the State Fairgrounds with changes made at the table.

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

XXX. Moved by Councilman Lennon, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to appoint Councilman Covey as Mayor Pro Tem.

AYES: G,L,W,C;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Covey, to appoint Mayor Porter and Councilwoman Weber to the Agenda Committee.

AYES: L,W,C,G;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to appoint Councilman Lennon and Councilman Galloway to the Employees Pension Board.

AYES: W,C,G,L;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Lennon, to reappoint Councilman Covey to the Ferndale Community Foundation.

AYES: C,G,L,W;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Lennon, to reappoint Councilwoman Weber to the Ferndale Community Foundation.

AYES: G,L,W,C;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

4. Finance Committee

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to reappoint Mayor Porter and appoint Councilman Lennon to the Finance Committee.

AYES: L,W,C,G;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Covey, to appoint Councilman Lennon to the Highway Committee.

AYES: W,C,G,L;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Covey, to appoint Councilwoman Weber to the Highway Committee.

AYES: C,G,L,W;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to appoint Councilman Covey and reappoint Councilwoman Weber to the City Clerk’s Informal Review Committee.

AYES: G,L,W,C;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to appoint Council Members Weber and Lennon to the City Manager’s Informal Review Committee.

AYES: L,W,C,G;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Covey, to reappoint Mayor Porter and Councilman Covey to the Fire Chief’s Informal Review Committee.

AYES: W,C,G,L;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilman Galloway, to appoint Councilman Galloway and Mayor Porter to the Police Chief’s Informal Review Committee.

AYES: C,G,L,W;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilwoman Weber, seconded by Councilman Galloway, to appoint Councilman Covey and Councilman Galloway to the Ordinance Committee.

AYES: G,L,W,C;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to appoint Councilman Galloway to the Plan Commission.

AYES: L,W,C,G;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Covey, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to appoint Councilwoman Weber to the Police and Fire Pension Board.

AYES: W,C,G,L;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Lennon, seconded by Councilman Galloway, to appoint Councilman Covey to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

AYES: C,G,L,W;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

Councilman Covey left Council Chambers at 8:47 p.m.

Councilman Covey returned to Council Chambers at 8:49 p.m.

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to approve the request from Ferndale Public School Community Relations Committee to have a standing agenda item for monthly updates regarding the school district on the City of Ferndale’s second regularly scheduled meeting of the month.

AYES: G,L,W,C;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to approve the City entering into the Release for full settlement and payment by Lanzo Lining Services, Inc., attached to the correspondence submitted by the City Attorney to Council and authorize the Mayor to sign the Release on behalf of the City.

AYES: L,W,C,G;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Police Chief Kitchen congratulated Mayor Porter and Councilman Covey on their re-election and welcomed Councilman Lennon to Council.

XXX. Fire Chief LeGault congratulated Mayor Porter and Councilman Covey on their re-election and welcomed Councilman Lennon to Council.

XXX. City Manager Barwin congratulated Mayor Porter and Councilman Covey on their re-election and welcomed Councilman Lennon to Council. He also congratulated the Dream Cruise Committee for producing a new Hot Rod Calendar and County Commissioner Coulter who had written an editorial in the Oakland Press regarding urban sprawl. City Manager Barwin announced that the recently released draft environmental impact statement regarding the potential expansion of Interstate 75 in Oakland County was available for review at the Library. He also thanked the residents who brought newspaper articles to him regarding light rail.

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to adopt the corrected Resolution regarding the scheduling of a Public Hearing on Monday, January 26, 2004, at 7:30 p.m., for an alley vacation, with the corrected Resolution properly identifying the lots abutting the proposed alley vacation, which were listed in the Resolution adopted by Council at the December 22, 2003 Regular Council Meeting, for the lots commonly known as 1900 and 1930 Hilton and 927 Vester and 1024 Rosewood.

AYES: W,C,G,L;MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. City Clerk Pedro congratulated Mayor Porter and Councilman Covey on their re-election and welcomed Councilman Lennon to Council.

XXX. Councilman Galloway requested that the Appointee Reviews be scheduled to be held in January, 2004. Mayor Porter requested that the Appointees send a letter to the City Clerk indicating whether they were requesting an Open or Closed Session for their review. Councilman Galloway commented on the publication from the Woodland Park Improvement Association and the "Crows’ Nest", a publication from the Ferndale Historical Society.

XXX. Moved by Councilwoman Weber, supported unanimously, to adopt the Resolution of Thanks for Councilman Joseph Trice.

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

XXX. Councilman Covey announced that the Democratic Caucus would be held at the Ferndale Library on February 7, 2004. He commented about programs he was introduced to at the National League of Cities Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Councilman Covey requested an appointment to the Arts and Cultural Commission be on the next Agenda and updated residents on the Blues Festival to be held January 28-31, 2004.

XXX. Mayor Porter commented on his recent tour of Ferndale Laboratories. He announced that Ferndale Labs was now international with Ferndale Labs, Limited, operating in Leeds, England and the Mayor expressed that Council may want to consider Leeds as a "sister" city.

XXX. Moved by Mayor Porter, supported unanimously, to adopt the Condolence Resolution for Carole Ann Fathers.

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

XXX. Moved by Mayor Porter, supported unanimously, to adopt a Congratulation Resolution for Joshua Reiter on his achievements at the Mala Polska Folk Ensemble Dance School.

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

XXX. Mayor Porter wished everyone a Happy New Year.

Mayor Porter adjourned the meeting at 9:16 p.m.