Special Meeting of the Village Council

MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL Monday, April 13, 2026 5:30 PM Village Hall – 21 East Church Street, Lake Orion, MI 48362 (248) 693-8391 ext. 102 1. Call to Order The April 13, 2026 Village Council Special Meeting was called to order by President Rutt at 5:30 PM. 2. Roll Call and Determination of Quorum PRESENT President Teresa Rutt President Pro Tem Stan Ford Council Member Nancy Moshier Council Member Michael Lamb Council Member George Dandalides Council Member Alex Comparoni Jr Council Member Eric Papacek STAFF PRESENT Village Manager Darwin McClary Police Chief Mark Amundson Clerk/Treasurer Sonja Stout DPW Director Wes Sanchez 3. Call to the Public Frank Komendera shared his support for the Village of Lake Orion. 4. Other Items A. Finalize FY 2026-27 Village Council Goals and Objectives President Rutt stated that Council should review the items flagged by the Village Manager, which included the following objectives requiring additional clarity: Objectives 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 4.1 through 4.3, and 4.6. President Rutt noted that Council could review any other goals or objectives as desired but should prioritize the items identified. Objective 1.2 – Establish a revised process for budget development, including pre-set expenditure targets. Council decided to eliminate this objective. Objective 1.3 – Form a committee to investigate and report on Cityhood/Township consolidation. Council Member Comparoni, Jr. expressed concern that the topic could present an ethical issue. President Rutt and Council Member Dandalides clarified that the intent was to evaluate the potential benefits and drawbacks of consolidation for taxpayers. President Rutt suggested establishing a timeframe for the work, and Council Member Dandalides indicated that the review could be completed through a subcommittee. Chief Amundson emphasized the importance of addressing the matter promptly, noting concerns that ongoing rumors could negatively affect staffing and morale. Council Member Dandalides also requested obtaining a legal opinion. Council Member Lamb discussed the general process for consolidating the Village with the Township. Council modified the objective to read: Form a committee to investigate and report on Village/Township consolidation by June 30, 2026. Objective 1.4 – Water Usage and Sewer Discharge Analysis. Council modified the objective to read: Investigate the imbalance between purchased water usage and sewer discharge and determine and quantify sources of discrepancy by December 31, 2026. Objective 2.1 – Analyze 75/25 Infrastructure Funding by June 30, 2026. The Village Manager inquired whether the goal was to determine how the funds should be spent. President Rutt clarified that the intent was to identify potential projects and align them with the CIP Plan. Council Member Dandalides stated that revenues should be matched with the CIP Plan for the fiscal year. Council Member Dandalides also raised the question of timing relative to CIP planning meetings. The Village Manager explained that CIP discussions typically occur in May or June, and that discussions regarding 75/25 infrastructure funding should occur prior to those meetings. Objective 2.2 – Investigate Alternative Funding Strategies. Council discussed whether this objective should remain, noting that evaluating funding strategies is typically an annual process and could potentially fall under the mission, core values, or vision. Council ultimately determined to leave the objective as written. Objective 3.1 – Children’s Park Bridge and Bank Stabilization. Council determined that these should be separated into two objectives. Objective 3.1 was modified to Replace Children’s Park Bridge. Objective 3.2 was modified to Bank stabilization, prioritizing the most critical areas and identifying the most efficient method to address them. Objective 3.3 – Investigate and Plan for the Water Drawdown Structure Repair. Council discussed revising the wording. The modified objective will read: Investigate and plan for the Lake drawdown structure repair, including the development of a formal policy and implementation plan. Frank Komendera inquired whether sewage infrastructure was related to the drawdown structure. Council responded that sewage infrastructure is not related to this objective. Objective 3.4 – Promote and Support Increased Funding for Parks and Recreation Programs. Council discussed various funding opportunities, including pursuing grant funding. Council agreed to retain the objective and modify it to read: Promote and support increased funding for Parks and Recreation programs, consider Parks and Recreation funding requests during budget sessions, and explore grant funding opportunities Objective 4.1 – Positive Collaborative Relationships with the DDA and Township. Council Member Lamb stated that this matter was primarily an administrative concern rather than a Village Council responsibility, though it also reflects a political relationship. President Rutt explained that, in the past, the Village President, Village Manager, DDA Chairperson, and DDA Executive Director met monthly to maintain communication and coordination. She acknowledged past concerns regarding Council members not being included but stated that participation by the President and DDA Chairperson allowed both organizations to remain aligned. She indicated that she wanted to ensure Council supported continuing that practice. Council Member Dandalides stated that the relationship requires improvement and suggested designating a Village Council representative to attend Township meetings to strengthen collaboration. He volunteered to serve in that capacity. Council Member Comparoni, Jr., and Pro Tem Ford expressed support for the idea. Frank Komendera also commented on the importance of collaboration between the Village and Township. Council agreed to leave the objective unchanged. Objective 4.2 – Approachability and Transparency. Council Member Lamb suggested establishing clearer rules during Council meetings regarding requests from the public for responses during public comment, noting that other municipalities handle this differently. President Rutt stated that procedures already exist and that she attempts to explain them during public comment periods. Council Member Dandalides described how the Township handles public comment. Council noted that the Village Manager often addresses questions during Village Manager comments, and Council Members may respond during Council comments. Council Member Dandalides further suggested establishing a policy requiring all meetings to be held in Council Chambers, recorded, and live streamed, or alternatively outfitting the conference room with similar capabilities. He also suggested that the Village create a Facebook page similar to the Police Department’s page. President Rutt noted potential legal and administrative concerns, including the resources required to monitor social media. Police Chief Amundson added that maintaining the Police Department’s page is time-consuming. MOTION was made by Council Member Dandalides, Seconded by Council Member Lamb, to adopt a policy requiring all Village Council meetings, both regular and special, to be held in a venue capable of being live streamed, recorded, and documented on the Village website.  President Rutt expressed concern about voting on the motion without first consulting with ONTV regarding feasibility. Council Member Dandalides stated that he had previously spoken with ONTV but requested that the item be placed on the next agenda, indicating that he would make the motion again at that time. Council Member Lamb also requested that an agenda item be added to allow Village Council comments directed to the public. Frank Komendera suggested adjusting meeting times and expressed support for live streaming special meetings. The motion was withdrawn with the intent to place the matter on a future agenda. Objective 4.3 – Enhance and Support DPW, Police, and DDA. Council eliminated this objective. Objective 4.4 – Complete Ordinance Codification. Council retained this item and renumbered it as Objective 4.3 – Complete Ordinance Codification. Objective 4.5 – Finalize Engineering Standards, Ordinance Revisions, and Operations Protocol by June 30, 2026. Council Member Lamb inquired about the timeline. The Village Manager stated that he is awaiting two additional ordinances from the attorney and believes the timeframe is attainable. The objective was renumbered to Objective 4.4. Objective 4.6 – Continue to Enhance Code Enforcement Efforts. Council eliminated this objective. Objective 4.7 – Finish Identifying, Classifying, and Determining Use of All Village-Owned Properties. Council renumbered this objective to Objective 4.6 and discussed establishing a completion date. Council suggested completing the task by the first meeting in May 2026. The Village Manager noted that the final report from the planners is required before completion. President Rutt asked whether the planners could provide the report by the second meeting in May. The Village Manager responded that he would attempt to obtain the report by that time. 5. Call to the Public 6. Adjournment MOTION made by Council Member Comparoni Jr, Seconded by President Rutt to adjourn the April 13, 2026, Village Council Special Meeting. VOTING YEA: Rutt, Ford, Moshier, Lamb, Dandalides, Comparoni Jr, Papacek VOTING NAY: None ABSENT: None MOTION: Carried  The April 13, 2026, Village Council Special Meeting adjourned at 6:28 PM. ________________________ _________________________ Teresa Rutt Sonja Stout President Clerk/Treasurer Date Approved: as presented April 27, 2026