City Council Regular Meeting

City Council Regular Meeting Madison Heights, Michigan December 08, 2025 A City Council Regular Meeting was held on Monday, December 08, 2025 at 6:30 PM at City Hall - Council Chambers, 300 W. 13 Mile Rd. PRESENT Mayor Corey Haines Mayor Pro Tem William Mier Councilwoman Toya Aaron Councilman Sean Fleming Councilor Laurie Geralds Councilor Emily Rohrbach Councilor Quinn Wright ALSO PRESENT City Manager Melissa Marsh City Attorney Larry Sherman Deputy City Manager/City Clerk Cheryl Rottmann Councilwoman Aaron gave the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance followed. CM-25-198. Approval of the Agenda. Motion to approve the agenda as presented. Motion made by Councilor Wright, Seconded by Councilor Rohrbach. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. CM-25-199. Parks and Recreation Master Plan - Public Hearing and Adoption. Mayor Haines opened the public hearing to receive comments on the proposed Parks and Recreation Master Plan at 6:33 p.m. Seeing no one present wishing to speak, Mayor Haines closed the public hearing at 6:34 p.m. Motion to adopt the Master Plan Resolution as follows: The City of Madison Heights Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2026-2030 1 12-08-25  WHEREAS, the City of Madison Heights has undertaken a planning process to determine the recreation and natural resource conservation needs and desires of its residents during a five-year period covering the years 2026 through 2030, and WHEREAS, the City of Madison Heights began the process of developing a parks and recreation plan in accordance with the most recent guidelines developed by the Department of Natural Resources and made available to local communities, and WHEREAS, residents of the City of Madison Heights were provided with a well- advertised opportunity during the development of the draft plan to express opinions, ask questions, and discuss all aspects of the recreation and natural resource conservation plan, and WHEREAS, the public was given a well-advertised opportunity and reasonable accommodations to review the final draft plan for a period of at least 30 days, and WHEREAS, a public hearing was held in person at the Regular City Council Meeting on December 8, 2025, to provide an opportunity for all residents of the planning area to express opinions, ask questions, and discuss all aspects of the City of Madison Heights Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and WHEREAS, the City of Madison Heights has developed the plan as a guideline for improving recreation and enhancing natural resource conservation for the City of Madison Heights, and NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED after the public hearing, the City Council of the City of Madison Heights hereby adopts the City of Madison Heights Parks and Recreation Master Plan for 2026-2030. Motion made by Councilor Rohrbach, Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mier. Councilor Rohrbach noted that the City Manager and staff in the DPS and Parks and Recreation departments conducted the work on the plan in-house, deeming the work "impeccable". The plan is 116 pages long and incorporates a substantial volume of resident input and comments regarding desired changes and issues. She emphasized that the plan successfully clarifies and quantifies subjective resident ideas into a "doable action plan," which the City Manager works hard to ensure is in place. She observed that the previous master plan was highly successful, with almost every goal completed because the items were "reasonable and thoughtful and doable," and the current draft follows this standard. Councilor Rohrbach noted that the plan's contents were "phenomenal," with a focus on improvements, enhanced accessibility, and increasing the types of services and ways people can interact with the recreation department. She continued, having the comprehensive action plan makes the city ready to apply for state grants quickly, ensuring the city can capture outside funding to give the "biggest bang for the buck for our residents". She highlighted the planned "complete overhaul" of McGillivray Park scheduled for the next fiscal year as an anticipated improvement. Councilor Rohrbach expressed gratitude for the staff's dedication and competence in capturing outside funding and encouraged interested residents to review the adopted plan on the city website to see the developments planned for the next five years. 2 12-08-25 Council members concurred with Councilor Rohrbach’s comments and commended the staff for completing the detailed document internally, noting that this effort saved the city money and garnered more feedback from the public than in previous years. The document was described as so professional that it appeared to have been completed by an external professional firm. Councilor Wright specifically praised the staff for using multiple touch points, including QR codes and social media, to engage the community, resulting in the highest number of responses ever received. The plan was praised for establishing a clear path for the future of parks and recreation. Councilmembers also noted that they appreciated the focus on accessibility, which aims for a barrier-free park system, The plan also addresses programming for all ages and disabilities. The resident input helped guide the vision toward more activities, including requests for "more music in the parks". Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Kevin Wright, resident and member of the Historical Commission stated the city just celebrated the 70th anniversary of the passing of the City Charter. This Saturday, December 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Heritage Rooms will be open to celebrate the anniversary. The Historical Commission will also be selling t-shirts with the moments that made us at this event. All proceeds go to the Historical Commission digitization project. CM-25-120. Consent Agenda. Motion to approve the Consent Agenda, as read. Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Seconded by Councilwoman Aaron. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. CM-25-121. Madison Heights Downtown Development Authority Bylaws Amendment- Term Limits. Motion to approve the amendment to the Madison Heights Downtown Development Authority Bylaws deleting the following sentence from Article III, Section II of the MHDDA Bylaws: "Thereafter, each member shall serve for a term of four years, and no more than two full terms". Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Seconded by Councilwoman Aaron. 3 12-08-25  Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. CM-25-122. 2026 City Council Meeting Dates. Motion to adopt the 2026 City Council Meeting Calendar as presented. Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Seconded by Councilwoman Aaron. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. CM-25-123. Appointment to the Brownfield and Downtown Development Authorities - Mayor's Appointment. Motion to concur with the Mayor's appointment of Lourdes Osorio-Lorenzo to a regular term on the Brownfield and Downtown Development Authority Boards expiring 2/28/29. Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Seconded by Councilwoman Aaron. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. CM-25-124. Council Alternate Appointment to SEMCOG. Motion to appoint Mayor Pro Tem Mier as the Council Alternate to SEMCOG with a term to expire 11/08/27. Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Seconded by Councilwoman Aaron. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. CM-25-125. Appointment to Planning Commission - Mayor's Appointment. Motion to concur with the Mayor's appointment of Matthew Olson to the Planning Commission to a regular term to expire 8/31/28. Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Seconded by Councilwoman Aaron. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. 4 12-08-25 CM-25-126. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of November 19, 2025. Motion to adopt the City Council Regular Meeting minutes of November 19, 2025, as printed. Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Seconded by Councilwoman Aaron. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. CM-25-127. Elected Officials Compensation Commission - Salary Order Resolution. Motion to receive and file the Elected Officials Compensation Commission Salary Order Resolution, as follows: ORDER OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS COMPENSATION COMMISSION WHEREAS, the Elected Officials Compensation Commission met on Monday, November 24, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in the Madison Heights Municipal Building, pursuant to Ordinance 454 of 1972 consisting of six members. WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 454 of 1972, Section 2-214 provides as follows: “The Commission shall determine the salaries of elected officials in the City; which determination shall be the salaries unless the Mayor and Council by resolution adopted by 2/3rds of the members elected to and serving shall reject them. The determinations of the Commission shall be effective 30 days following the filing with the City Clerk of such determination unless rejected by the legislative body. In case of rejection, the existing salary shall prevail.” WHEREAS, after due consideration by the members of said Board, having been furnished with current salary statistics and after full and complete discussion of all pertinent matters, the recommended decision of the Commission is as follows: RESOLVED, IT IS ORDERED, that the salary of the Mayor shall be increased 3% from the current sum of $10,075 per annum to $10,377 per annum effective January 2026; and increased 3% from $10,377 per annum to $10,689 per annum effective January 2027; and, IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED, that the salary of the Mayor Pro Tem shall be increased 3% from the current sum of $7,766 per annum to $7,999 per annum effective January 2026; and increased 3% from $7,999 per annum to $8,239 per annum effective January 2027; and, IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED, that the salary of the City Council members shall be increased by 3% from the current sum of $7,057 per annum to $7,269 per annum effective 5 12-08-25  January 2026; and increased 3% from $7,269 per annum to $7,487 per annum effective January 2027. Motion made by Councilor Rohrbach, Seconded by Councilman Fleming. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. CM-25-128. Networking Equipment Update - Phase II. Motion to approve the purchase of 10 Cisco Catalyst 9300L, power supplies, stacking cables and transceivers in the amount of $68,068.26, along with a five (5) year hardware licensing renewal of all Meraki equipment in the amount of $54,639.00, and $14,600 for labor to complete Phase II of the Network Equipment Update for a total cost of $137,307.26. Motion made by Councilman Fleming, Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mier. Voting Yea: Mayor Haines, Mayor Pro Tem Mier, Councilwoman Aaron, Councilman Fleming, Councilor Geralds, Councilor Rohrbach, Councilor Wright Motion carried. COUNCIL COMMENTS: Councilman Fleming announced that nominations for holiday displays is going on right now; there is a link on website, and the nomination period ends December 14th. Due to Oakland County moving to a new licensing system, dog licenses that are due on Dec 31st are extended to March 31st. The Oakland County system is being updated and is not ready yet. With all the city’s great events including Trail Tunes, Revin in the Heights, and Arts and Pride, he suggested that the city could use an event planner in the future to take off the work off boards. He believes this could really enhance our events. Councilor Geralds expressed thanks to Kevin Wright for the valuable information that he is providing the community through the Historical Commission’s social media posts. She noted that the Madison Heights Food Pantry has received a lot of donations and many volunteers and the pantry is doing an amazing job. Thank you to all for your support. She acknowledged staff for their leadership and for going easy on her for the first two meetings. Councilor Rohrbach noted that the ECC gave out garden grants this past year and she reported back on their efforts. She stated that she is excited to see these native gardens come to life and announced that garden grants will be available this coming year as well. She expressed thanks to the Parks and Recreation Department along with DPS and city staff for their work on the Master Plan. Thank you for the Tree Lighting work as well, it was a lovely event. Happy Holidays. Deputy City Manager/City Clerk Rottmann wished all Happy Holidays. City Manager Marsh stated that the holiday lighting contest is on the city’s website, so nominate someone. She expressed kudos to staff on Master Plan, especially recognized the work of Harley Mordarski. She also noted that Harley wrote a grant to revitalize recycling in city apartments and 6 12-08-25 we were awarded an intern paid by the University of Michigan to assist with this task. The city has a Sustainability Master Plan which discourages the use of single use plastic bottles, so Council is moving to reusable tumblers. These are also available for $15 in the City Manager’s office. Larry Sherman echoed the comments on the Master Plan. We need to adopt the Master Plan to be eligible for grants. He stated that when he congratulated the incoming Councilmembers at the last meeting, he neglected to congratulate Mayor Pro Tem Mier on his election to Mayor Pro Tem position. This position is now selected as a function of our new Charter provision. Happy Holidays, may it be a peaceful one. Councilor Wright asked that this holiday season, please remember to be kind. It is a difficult time for those with mental health issues, so please include them and check in on them. Mayor Pro Tem Mier asked residents to keep an eye out for the new city newsletter with lots of great events. Thank you to Kevin Wright for mentioning the Heritage Rooms that will be open this weekend to the public. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukahh, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year and please remember to check on your neighbors. Councilwoman Aaron noted that Christmas on Dulong has been occurring since COVID, and any donations collected are given to the Madison Heights Food Pantry. To anyone that wants to go visit Santa, this is the last weekend and the time is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mayor Haines echoed Councilor Geralds comments on the staff taking it easy on us for the first two meetings. He wished all Happy Holidays have a safe holiday season. He thanked Kevin Wright for all the historical updates on social media, noting it has been fascinating information. ADJOURNMENT Having no further business, Mayor Haines adjourned the meeting at 7:11 p.m. Corey K. Haines, Mayor Cheryl E. Rottmann, City Clerk 7 12-08-25