City Council Study Session

City Council Study Session Monday, June 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM 27400 Southfield Road, Lathrup Village, Michigan 48076 1. Call to Order by Mayor Garrett at 6:01 pm 2. Discussion Items A. Sign Ordinance Amendment Mayor Garrett, Councilmembers, Attorney Baker, and CA Greene discussed:  The current definition of an electric or illuminated sign  Wording to incorporate current, digital, LED, and future sign technological advances  The number and size of signs in windows and per business  The number of signs for Office buildings  The brightness of the lights above the ambient light at dusk  How the sign ordinance would be enforced, especially regarding the signs being shut off at the close of business hours, and how to regulate that, since it is not during City Hall business hours  Businesses are being contacted now to remind them to shut off their Open signs when they close  Asked CA Greene if we have reached out to businesses about signage  Addressing TVs used as signs or to promote a business that are seen through the window B. Temporary Sign Ordinance Mayor Garrett, Councilmembers, Attorney Baker, and CA Greene discussed:  How to help businesses during the road construction by temporarily allowing different signage to let customers know that the businesses are open  Sign styles were discussed, including: Monument, A-Frame, Flutter, and Feather  Limiting the number of signs that can be put up during construction for each business, office, and/or strip mall  The amount of time that the signs would be displayed, and how they will be monitored, to make sure they are removed after construction ends  Colors of the signs  Safety concerns based on the placement and type of signs  Moving forward with this and allowing Feather and Flutter signs 27400 Southfield Rd | Lathrup Village, MI 48076 | 248.557.2600 | www.lathrupvillage.org  C. Charter Amendment Ballot Proposal Language Attorney Baker recommended that the City consider placing an additional proposal on the November 2025 ballot. This proposal would be to amend the charter to be consistent with the changes in voting laws. The Charter amendment would: 1) modify the commencement date of an elected official’s term until after certification of the election results; 2) extend the time for elected officials to take the oath of office to allow for certification of the election results; and 3) delay the organizational meeting of the City Council until after certification of the election results. D. Precinct Consolidation Ordinance CA Greene explained that this would save the City money, and it requires an ordinance change. City Clerk Emanuel responded to questions from Mayor Garrett and Councilmembers, sharing statistics that several Lathrup Village voters vote with Absentee Ballots, or in person Early Voting, and how this will save the City money on new election equipment that is required per precinct and on paying for Election Inspectors (workers). E. FY 25 Budget Amendments CA Greene explained that these are the amendments based on the previous discussions. F. Flag Flying Policy Mayor Garrett, Councilmembers, Attorney Baker, and City Administrator Greene discussed:  Flag flying policies in different communities  How to protect the City from lawsuits over flags that are and are not flying at City Hall  The need for an additional pole, due to the protocol of the type and amount of flags that can be flown on one pole  Mayor Garrett reached out to 15 Cities that are our size or bigger to find out their flag policies, and also found that only 3 were flying the Pride flag in Ypsilanti, Ferndale, and Pleasant Ridge  Some have Pride flags on separate poles or displayed on banners at City Halls or down the street near City Halls  A policy could allow requests to be taken to the Council for approval, and state how many days the flag will fly  Flags that align with what LV stands for, and how to handle flag requests that could be offensive to residents  The San Jose, California, and Madison Heights, Michigan, policies were discussed  City Attorney Baker will reach out to Madison Heights about their flag ordinance 3. Public Comments 27400 Southfield Rd | Lathrup Village, MI 48076 | 248.557.2600 | www.lathrupvillage.org Timothy Hillman, spoke on behalf of a group of residents about the City’s lack of recognition for Pride Month, and shared that we would hear from several people in person and through letters at the regular meeting, he mentioned Pride flags at the Oakland County Campus in Pontiac, the State Capital in Lansing, and in Madison Heights. Mayor Garrett expressed that she didn’t want anyone to think that we are anti Pride; there just needs to be a different pole to fly other flags than on the pole that the U.S. flag is on, and she will donate funds for another pole to be purchased. Mayor Pro Tem Kantor stated he was not reluctant to fly a Pride flag; he was reluctant to fly any flag unless there is an ordinance in the City, to be fair to all groups. Damita Massey, Chase Bank Branch, expressed eagerness to get involved with this Community and welcomes opportunities to become involved. Annette Washington the Community Manager of Chase Bank, likes to bring people together, and believes that Seniors are national treasures, and she is hosting an event in Detroit at Corktown, on June 17, 2025 to educate the community about scams and financial abuse, stating that there has been $2.6 million reported, and they would like to host an educational seminar in Lathrup Village. Lauren Beras spoke in support of Pride Month and Juneteenth Awareness Day flags at City Hall, and offered to raise money for the costs. Diane Anderson spoke on the Separation of Church and State, the 14th Amendment, and thought another flagpole was a great idea. Karen Harris spoke in support of the Pride flag at City Hall. Chuck Snelling, on Meadowbrook expressed that he felt like a decision about the flag was already made, and he appreciated Councilmember Mannarino Thompson being willing to go down the slippery slope, and thought he was not getting that from others. 4. Mayor and Council Comments Mayor Garrett expressed that this was a difficult conversation, and in a way felt as a black woman and what she has had to go through, that she doesn’t feel like she has gotten support, and for those to insinuate that she has an issue, she feels like she is being accused. 5. Adjourn 7:31 pm 27400 Southfield Rd | Lathrup Village, MI 48076 | 248.557.2600 | www.lathrupvillage.org