City Council - November 27, 2006

A Regular Meeting of the Ferndale City Council was held Monday, November 27, 2006, at City Hall, 300 East Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. Mayor Porter called the meeting to order at 7:31 p.m.

Mayor Porter led the Pledge of Allegiance.

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

544. Mayor Porter requested that an Agenda Item be added to the Council Agenda, which was a Presentation by the Police Auxiliary to Councilman Covey for the Pub Crawl’s continuous monetary support of the Ferndale Police Auxiliary. No Council Member indicated objection.

PRESENTATION Ferndale Goodfellows

545. Fire Chief Schmidt provided information regarding the activities of the Ferndale Goodfellows.

A. Consideration of Annual Monetary Donation to the Ferndale Goodfellows

Moved by Councilman Lennon, seconded by Councilman Covey, to approve the annual donation of $300.00 to the Goodfellows that is included in the FYE-2007 Budget, Account# 101-172-885.

AYES: Council Members Covey, Galloway, Lennon, Gumbleton; Mayor Porter

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

Councilman Lennon announced on behalf of the David Lennon Foundation that the Goodfellows would be receiving the Foundation’s annual donation.

PRESENTATION Ferndale Chamber of Commerce

546. No Presentation was made

PRESENTATION Parking Study by the Downtown Development Authority

547. A Presentation was made by Annaka Norris and John Reven of Rich & Associates providing information and recommendations on the Parking Study core area consisting of the Woodward and Nine Mile Business Corridors and reported on their examination for parking supply opportunities and potential impacts in areas outside the core area. Cristina Sheppard-Decius, Ferndale DDA Executive Director, indicated the DDA would like to pursue this further with Council in terms of how to progress in transitioning and in accomplishing some of the goals and anticipated she would have some feedback from the DDA Board within the next month.

548. Call to Audience

1. Michael Rea and Greg Schaedel commented on a bill that each of them received regarding grass cutting. City Council requested Interim City Manager Renando to research the matter.

2. Brian Cooley, member of the Beautification Commission, announced that nominations were needed for the Annual Holiday Light Displays and inquired if there was going to be any discussion regarding the Tree and Green Space Advisory Committee and Interim City Manager Renando indicated that it would be on the next Regular Council Meeting Agenda.

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

A. Approved the Minutes of the Regular Meeting held November 13, 2006, and the Special Meeting held November 20, 2006, as submitted by City Clerk.

B. Approved to refer Chapter 6, Sections 258-288 of the Code of Ordinances regarding signs; Section 5.12 of Zoning Ordinance No. 1004; and changes to permitted uses in Zoning Ordinance No. 1004, to the Ordinance Committee, as recommended by the Plan Commission, as submitted by CDS Director.

C. Approved to host the Holiday Ice Festival event in Downtown Ferndale on December 7-9, 2006; approved unenforced (free) parking in public parking lots and parking bays for the Holiday Ice Festival; directed the Police Department and Parking Enforcement Officer not to enforce parking on the specified dates; to allow the DDA to bag on-street parking meters for these dates, and post signs in the public parking lots for the month of December regarding the unenforced parking dates; approved DDA and downtown businesses to host the Holiday Ice Festival event on the sidewalks in Downtown Ferndale on December 7-9, 2006, and approved closing of Planavon from Nine Mile to the edge of the alleys on December 8, at 4:30 p.m., to 11:00 p.m., December 9, 2006, as submitted by DDA Manager

D. Approved the bills, payrolls (as certified by Interim City Manager), to be paid subject to review by the Council Finance Committee.

AYES: Council Members Galloway, Gumbleton, Lennon, Covey; Mayor Porter

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

Regular Agenda

A. Consideration to fill two vacant Police Officer positions

550. Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilwoman Gumbleton, to fill one of the two vacant Police Officer positions at this time.

AYES: Council Members Gumbleton, Covey, Galloway; Mayor Porter

NAYS: Councilman Lennon

MOTION CARRIED

Mayor Porter commented that if a study was being done on manpower staffing that the Committee, as soon as possible, contact the Police Department to do an evaluation of the needs of those officers and to report to Council for subsequent appropriate steps. He noted there was a serious lag time in the hiring process.

Councilman Lennon explained he voted "no’ because he was in favor of hiring two officers and reiterated that if the Finance Committee was doing a study on a department or if it impacts a department, then a member of the department should be there, otherwise the study would be only one-sided.

Councilman Galloway commented that all Department Heads should be made aware of all the Fiscal Advisory Meetings because they may be interested in the general discussion and may want to send a representative.

B. Consideration to continue Citywide Sidewalk Replacement Program

Moved by Councilman Galloway, seconded by Councilman Covey, that the Citywide Sidewalk Replacement Program be continued through 2016, beginning in December with District 2007, whose boundaries are Nine Mile Road to Oakridge Street, Woodward Avenue to the City’s westerly limit.

AYES: Council Members Lennon, Covey, Galloway, Gumbleton; Mayor Porter

NAYS: None

MOTION CARRIED

Call to Council

551. Interim City Manager Renando announced that the Holiday Decorations were in place and one person inquired about decorating other parts of the City. He also announced that he was working on his Exit Report.

552. Councilman Lennon requested that the Interim City Manager research streamlining the Assessing Department through Oakland County and to check the feasibility of moving the Code Enforcement through the Police Department. He requested that an appointment to the Arts and Cultural Commission be placed on the next Regular Council Meeting Agenda.

553. Councilwoman Gumbleton announced that County Commissioner Coulter would send the Interim City Manager the forms for the Wireless Oakland Program. She requested that the establishment of the Art and Design Planning Commission be referred to the Ordinance Committee for review and requested the referral be placed on the next Regular Council Meeting Agenda. She commented on having a City-Wide Employee Recognition Day and thanked everyone that attended the successful Youth Assistance Safe Night.

554. Councilman Covey commented on Code Enforcement. He announced that the Tree Board would be mainly an Advisory Board; that on Wednesday, November 29, 2006, at the Ferndale High School Media Center, at 7:00 p.m., there would be a Town Hall Meeting/Information Seminar regarding Methamphetamine sponsored by MAPP and other local and State agencies. He announced that Friday, December 1, 2006 was World Aids Day and there would be a 5:00 p.m. dinner at the First United Methodist Church followed by a candlelight vigil walk and an Ecumenical Service at Zion Lutheran Church. He announced that the Blues Festival would be January 26-February 3, 2007 and that there would be a vendor meeting at Dino’s on Tuesday, December 5, 2006, at 7:00 p.m., and a Blues Festival Volunteer Meeting on Wednesday, December 6, 2006, at MAPP.

555. Mayor Porter commented on Safe Night, encouraged Seniors to attend the Movies on Thursdays at 1:00 p.m., at the Kulick Center and he hoped everyone had a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Mayor Porter adjourned the meeting at 9:23 p.m.

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Robert G. Porter, Mayor

ATTEST:

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Sharon Szalma, Deputy City Clerk

Acting Secretary