City Council - June 27, 2005

PROPOSED MINUTES
FERNDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2005, 7:30 P.M. AT CITY HALL

A Regular Meeting of the Ferndale City Council was held Monday, June 27, 2005, at City Hall, 300 East Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. Mayor Porter called the meeting to order at 7:37 p.m.

Mayor Porter led the Pledge of Allegiance.

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

XXX. Mayor Porter requested that the Regular Agenda be modified to add an emergency request for approval of a Special Event for New Ebenezer Baptist Church, as the event would be held prior to the next Regular Council Meeting. No Council Member indicated objection.

XXX. Bill Axtell, on behalf of the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce, provided information regarding the activities of the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce.

XXX. Peggy Snow, Chair of the Beautification Commission, and Mayor Porter presented Beautification Awards to the following: Commercial: E-Z Storage, 181 West Marshall (present); Residential: Marcus and Sonia Davis, 610 Pearson (present); Hildred L. Fleming and Eric Johnson, 382 West Oakridge (present); Kaiser Sudan, 524 West Marshall (not present); and Eric Keller and Laurie Brown, 541 West Oakridge (present).

1. Brian Batten, Fire Inspector, provided information on which fireworks were legal and not legal.

2. Brian Cooley, member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Beautification Commission, commented on fireworks, bike paths on Hilton and Pinecrest, Beautification Awards nominations, and also on the importance of safety gear being worn by Firefighters.

3. Monica Crawford commented on fireworks and inquired about the creation bike path on Hilton Road.

4. Todd Scott indicated support of the bike lanes on Hilton.

5. Kevin Fisher indicated support of the bike lanes.

6. Dante Lenzetta indicated support of the bike lanes.

7. Oneita Porter indicated support of the bike lanes.

8. John Hall indicated support of the bike lanes and commented on the potential savings of gas and energy by riding a bike.

Mayor Porter left Council Chambers at 8:22 p.m.

Mayor Pro Tem Covey assumed the Chair.

Mayor Porter returned to Council Chambers at 8:23 p.m.

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

A. Approval of the Minutes of the Special Meetings held September 27, October 18, October 25, and October 27, 2004, and the Regular Meetings held September 27, October 11, October 25, November 8, and November 22, 2004, as submitted by City Clerk.

B. Adoption of Resolution approving a new Small Wine Maker License for Gygabite, Inc., to be located at 22950 Woodward Avenue, as submitted by Police Chief.

C. Approval of Agreement with Daniel Bean d/b/a Homestead Construction Company regarding Reimbursement of Engineering Fees for the Clark School Project and authorization for the Mayor and City Clerk to sign Agreement, as submitted by City Attorney.

D. Adoption of Resolution authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute closing documents for the sale of Lots 11 to 20 of Bermore Subdivision and Lots 145 to 153 of Hugo Scherer’s Subdivision to the Terra Land Group, as submitted by City Attorney.

E. Approval of the Special Event Application from The Names Project Foundation, Michigan Chapter for Volunteer Picnic, on Saturday, July 23, 2005, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Martin Road Park, as submitted by City Clerk.

F. Approval of the Special Event Application from First United Methodist Church for Church In the Park, on Saturday, July 24, 2005, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Geary Park, as submitted by City Clerk.

G. Approval of the Special Event Application submitted by NPT Breast Cancer 3-Day, LLC, for Michigan Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk, being in Ferndale on City sidewalks on Sunday, July 17, 2005, from 12:00 Noon to 4:30 p.m., with a rest stop at Wilson Elementary School, as submitted by City Clerk.

H. Adoption of Resolution requesting Reimbursement of Eligible Mosquito Control Activity under Oakland County’s West Nile Virus Fund Program, as submitted by DPW Director.

I. Approval of the bills and payrolls (as certified by City Manager) 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 approve a Special Event by New Ebenezer Baptist Church for a church picnic at Geary Park on Saturday, July 9, 2005, subject to approval and classification of the event by the Special Event Committee and submittal by the church of any appropriate insurance and application for tent permit if requesting to erect tents or moonwalks.

AYES: G, L, W, C; MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Lennon, seconded by Councilman Covey, to confirm the Mayoral appointment of Susan Rowe, 159 East Cambourne, to the Beautification Commission for a term expiring on December 31, 2005.

AYES: L, W, C, G; MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilwoman Weber, to adopt Ordinance No. 992, which adopts and enacts a new Code of Ordinances.

AYES: W, C, G, L; MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Covey, to approve rezoning of the southernmost 40 feet of the vacant City-owned property, Lot 11 of Harrington Woods Subdivision, Sidwell No. 25-33-482-052, from MXD, Mixed Use District, to C-5, Non Manufacturing Business Servicing District.

AYES: C, G, L, W; MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Covey, to authorize any member of the Ferndale Fire Department at a level of Fire Sergeant or higher, should they wish to apply for the position of Fire Chief, to submit their application to the Civil Service Board for review; the Civil Service upon review will then forward those to Council and to appoint Councilman Galloway and Councilwoman Weber to serve on a Subcommittee to review the previous history and the City Charter to set up the procedure for the finalization once the applications come to Council.

AYES: G, L, W, C; MP

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

XXX. Councilman Covey requested information from the Police Department for the next Regular Council Meeting regarding any increase in car theft.

XXX. City Manager Barwin wished Cable employees, Arianne Faunt, and Del Schmidt "Happy Birthday" and thanked everyone who commented about the bike lanes on Hilton and Pinecrest.

XXX. City Attorney Christ announced that the closing for the City property that was on this Council Agenda would be completed on Wednesday, June 29, 2005.

XXX. Councilman Covey requested that the Police Department place a traffic monitoring device on West Maplehurst to address speeding and that the City Manager complete research on making two parcels of vacant land on West Oakridge into park land. He also requested that an ordinance regarding the Employees Pension Board be placed on the next Regular Council Agenda and that the Ordinance Committee research an Ordinance of banning the use of glass bottles for outdoor cafés. Councilman Covey inquired about the status of the proposed Zoning Ordinance.

XXX. Councilwoman Weber commented on the Fourth of July and its meaning.

XXX. Councilman Lennon commented on the bike path and the traffic flow around the bike path. He requested that adoption of a new fee schedule for the City Clerk’s Office be placed on the next Regular Council Agenda. Councilman Lennon indicated that he was pleased to see Minutes from the various City’s Boards and Commissions in his packet and encouraged residents to call any member of Council to discuss problems or questions that they have regarding the City.

XXX. Councilman Galloway complimented the Department of Public Works for their quick response to remove trees that had fallen or were weaken by the recent storms. He congratulated his mother on her retirement from the Ferndale Public Schools.

XXX. Mayor Porter commented on William Beaumont Hospital of being the second leading hospital in the country in the acceptance of Medicare patients and complimented the Department of Public Works on their quick response to remove trees. He indicated that Garden Fresh Salsa was expanding and staying in Ferndale. He also commented on State Senate Bill 522, which would prevent local governments from having any control regarding utilities in right-of-ways. Mayor Porter indicated that Dr. Ben Carson, who was originally from the Metro-Detroit area and now is the Head of Pediatric Neuro-Surgery at John Hopkins, was featured in a Crain’s Business article about encouraging the creation of a mass transit system.

XXX. Moved by Mayor Porter, supported unanimously, to adopt a Condolence Resolution for Lorraine Sowerby.

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

Mayor Porter adjourned the meeting at 9:06 p.m.