City Council

CITY OF STERLING HEIGHTS MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2019 IN CITY HALL 1. Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. She explained Mayor Taylor will arrive shortly. 2. Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and Melanie D. Ryska, City Clerk, gave the Invocation. 3. Council Members present at roll call: Deanna Koski, Michael V. Radtke Jr., Maria G. Schmidt, Liz Sierawski, Michael Taylor (arrived at 7:21 p.m.), Henry Yanez, Barbara A. Ziarko. Also Present: Mark Vanderpool, City Manager; Marc D. Kaszubski, City Attorney; Melanie D. Ryska, City Clerk; Carol Sobosky, Recording Secretary. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Moved by Koski, seconded by Ziarko, RESOLVED, to approve the agenda as presented. Yes: All. Absent: Taylor. The motion carried. 5. REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER Mr. Vanderpool reminded everyone that the City offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 24, and Wednesday, December 25 for the Christmas holiday, and also on Tuesday, December 31, and Wednesday, January 1 for the New Year’s holiday. This will impact the refuse schedule by one day, noting there will be no refuse collection on December 25 and January 1. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 2 Mr. Vanderpool reminded everyone that for the twenty-seventh year, the City’s Christmas tree recycling program will be underway after the holidays, and trees can be left at the curb on normal trash day. Everything must be removed from the tree, and it cannot be wrapped in plastic or other material. The trees will be chipped, which is an environmentally friendly way to save some landfill space. Mr. Vanderpool provided an update on what their organization has done to help those in need over the past month during the holiday season. Close to 380 families in Sterling Heights and surrounding communities received assistance through the City’s Holiday Assistance program. He noted that twenty-four local organizations, as well as individuals, participated through sponsorships of local families. The City is still receiving calls from local businesses asking how they can help, which reflects the very generous business base they have in the community, for which the City is grateful. He commended the Community Relations staff in coordinating this program every year with the schools, churches, businesses and others involved. The 21st Annual Cops and Kids event was held on Saturday, December 7 at the 16 Mile / Dequindre Target, sponsored by the Sterling Heights Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge and Target. This year 30 officers volunteered their time to help each child spend $120 on toys, clothing and gifts for their families. He commended retired Sterling Heights Police Officer Sergeant Randy Depriest and Detective Margaret Wemple, who have been organizing this event for the past twenty years, helping over 1,000 children enjoy a special day. He stated the Department of Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 3 Public Works held their annual Ken Stempowski Memorial Food Drive, and this year donations included non-perishable food items, monetary donations and twenty frozen turkeys from Red Kraft in Sterling Heights. The food will be delivered to the Macomb Pantry, where it will be distributed to a number of other pantries throughout the area, serving almost 500 people per day. Numerous departments and offices throughout the organization participated by adopting kids and families, and he is proud of the entire City team for all the good work they have done throughout the holiday season. He also credited the City Council members who have contributed and helped fund equipment at the new Teen Center that will soon be opening, and he expressed appreciation for their generosity. Mr. Vanderpool provided information on Lean Six Sigma, a very helpful and interesting training program. He provided a brief PowerPoint presentation on this program, noting it started in the manufacturing industry decades ago but has now transcended across all sectors, including government. It is a method that professionals use to streamline processes by eliminating waste while efficiently solving problems. He provided details on the program, outlining the eight kinds of waste that are identified and eliminated. Sterling Heights is on the cutting edge of this training being deployed throughout the organization, and it is all about continuous improvement. There are various certifications and they have a number of employees going through some of these classifications. He informed that, to date, Sterling Heights staff has spent over 1,300 hours in Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 4 Lean Six Sigma training, and their names were included on the screen. Each group had to come up with a specific process in their office or department that they had to improve, so they would go back after the training and change that process in some way to make it more effective and efficient, and less wasteful. He outlined some of the specific processes that have been streamlined as a result. He appreciated the Mayor’s and City Council’s support of this training and is one small but important component of training offered under what is called the “Sterling U”, or Sterling University. Mr. Vanderpool introduced Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Langlois to provide an update on the new Community Center. Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Langlois stated they are two months away from receiving the keys to their new Community Center. He provided an update on the progress as well as to address some of the common questions that they continue to see on social media. The crews are working seven days a week, almost eighteen hours each day, to try to make sure they hit their timeline on this. He thanked Mr. Russo from Community Relations for the photos, and added that there are not good angles for which to take the pictures, and there is a lot of drywall and dust, but they anticipate they will see some of the finishing touches taking place in the next couple of weeks. He provided a PowerPoint presentation on the progress being made and clarified that this is a community center and not a recreation center. The difference between the two, noting that the building was designed to serve as a resource Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 5 for the community as a whole, to fill in the facility gap they had in relation to their service delivery. They needed a facility for not only one activity or type of activity, but rather a facility to properly deliver the services to the community. The Parks and Recreation Department provides high-quality programs to residents at a great value, and this building gives them the opportunity to house almost all of the programs they offer under one roof and that have been spread throughout the city in different locations. This is a great example of Lean Six Sigma by way of efficiency. Recreation centers are operating more like private health clubs and have the recreation amenities that are more like a health club, such as fitness facilities. Those recreation centers often come with a different revenue model than what they are looking at with this center. He explained this building will be an aesthetic and comfortable building, both inside and out, with places to sit, store items, gather, admire the architecture and art of the building. It also brings them back to a centrally located area of the City where their recreation team and administration will be conveniently located. The Community Center will house five dance and fitness studios, which will not only support their existing Sterling Stars dance program which has over 300 dancers in it, but it will also cover all fitness classes. These studios will allow them to expand their offerings, making their lineup more diverse than ever before. The same rooms will also house some of their largest- attended senior classes like Tai Chi, which has outgrown their space at the Senior Center. There will be an early childhood room to expose their youngest Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 6 participants and families to the benefits of Parks and Recreation, including a secure toddler-aged play structure for ages 2-5. Residents will see evening classes being offered as well, something that has not been done. There will be a teen room for that population to go and be themselves, and will encompass study areas, social areas and a variety of gaming areas, both new and retro, on a drop-in basis. There will be a seminar room to host community meetings, neighborhood association meetings, youth athletic league meetings, internal department trainings, including election training and summer camp orientation, and this will help take the strain off of other areas in the City, including City Hall, library and school district buildings currently being used. There will be a community room to host the City’s major indoor special events, including the Cultural Exchange, Healthy Living Expo, Coffee House concerts, Senior Center holiday parties and dances, and housing absentee ballot processing on Election days. This area can also be rented by Sterling Heights residents, businesses and community groups for low-key functions such as business meetings, wedding and baby showers, funeral wakes and the like. He explained the Community Center will have two high school-sized gyms to host existing programs which he cited. There is an indoor track that measures approximately one-tenth of a mile for anyone looking to achieve their personal fitness goals in a climate-controlled space to walk or run in inclement weather. He stressed they are excited to have a building that will meet the needs of their department and allow them to expand with even more programs and services. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 7 Mr. Langlois stated he is aware of the commentary on social media and the concern expressed regarding the lack of a pool and fitness center. He understands the disappointments to those omissions, but emphasized he is always happy to speak with people one-on-one with more detail as to why they made the decisions they made. Mr. Langlois explained one of the reasons for not including these amenities was available land space, which is the reason these two amenities were not in their plan from the start, and why they were able to work out a deal with the City of Warren so they could have the ability for their residents to enjoy a pool and fitness center at good resident rates. Including these features would have required them to renovate the current recreation center at Dodge Park, which would have made for a very different look and function of the park. Adding these features would have cost the residents a significant amount of additional money, both on their taxes and also to use the center forevermore. The buildout costs would have been approximately $15 million to $20 million more, and their operation costs would have doubled for additional staff and running the pool. It would have moved them from a program-based model, which costs the residents nothing extra over the fee for programs in which they participate, to a membership-based model, which would have required people to pay memberships of approximately $750 per year. He assured it would not have been free if there had been a pool or fitness center. He reminded about the trends in the community, looking at other communities and entities with pools, and Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 8 pointing out that Utica Community Schools closed two of their pools because it was not financially feasible to keep them open. Both the City of Warren and the Township of Macomb sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into their pool space as well. Mr. Langlois pointed out there are over a dozen fitness and health clubs in Sterling Heights and directly to the north and south, and that does not include other communities bordering to the east or west. Mr. Langlois concluded his update by stating the decisions they made and the alternate solutions they found were in the best financial interest of their residents and the City as a whole. There are great things going on in the City, and there are a lot of people who are jealous of what they have going on in the City. He added that their plan now does not mean the door is closed on future Parks and Recreation quality of life initiatives in the City. He thanked the Council for allowing him time to share this update and will be happy to tour each of them through the Community Center over the next couple of weeks as they get closer to completion. He mentioned that Saturday, February 29, 2020 is their grand opening for the Community Center, and he invited residents along with City Council and other dignitaries to enjoy that day. More information will be forthcoming through the City’s website and on social media. He offered to answer questions. Mayor Taylor arrived and apologized for being late, noting he was at his daughter’s Christmas concert this evening, which started at 6:30. He appreciated their indulgence in allowing him to be a few minutes late. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 9 Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski understood that residents can now rent some of the space in the Community Center. She questioned whether they will have in- house catering or whether food will have to be brought in. Mr. Langlois stated they are currently working on vetting some caterers for the facility. They want to make sure whomever is providing food is certified by the Health Department. He confirmed there are no facilities in the building for anyone to cater themselves or to have a caterer work out of the kitchen, so any caterer bringing in food will have to be self-sufficient to bring in everything, keep it warm, and provide the entire set-up from start to finish. Mr. Vanderpool stated one of the items on the Consent Agenda is a new technology being deployed by the Fire Department, and he introduced the Fire Chief to talk about this technology. Fire Chief Chris Martin explained that Item C on the Consent Agenda this evening is an example of how the City Council and residents support the Fire Department with the implementation of technologies and different tools for them to be successful in their job. They are proposing to purchase Stryker LUCAS 3 Chest Compression machines. They tested one of these several years ago and put it on their rescue truck which responds to all CPR’s. He stated it got glowing reviews from all firefighters, and they wanted them as quickly as they could get them. He noted it was at a hefty price, they looked into it and went through two different grants that were unsuccessful, as well as applying for a grant through the Firehouse Subs, which was unsuccessful. The purchase was Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 10 included in the capital budget and now the City will be purchasing these pieces of equipment for them. He assured they will continue to pursue grants to get them on all of the fire engines because these will be on the ambulances and one rescue truck. He showed a brief video which demonstrates the machine. These machines are good for patient outcome as well as good for first responders because they provide quality CPR with continual nonstop compressions. There are no interruptions to the patient on the way to the hospital, and he pointed out when carrying people downstairs, CPR stops because it cannot be continued in those situations. He felt they will see an increase in outcomes. He invited Assistant Chief Miller to bring out one of the machines to show how it works. Assistant Chief Miller demonstrated how the machine works and noted it can be paused when needed for medical care treatment, such as airway management or IV medication administration. It allows them to start back up, and it records everything, so they can use it for data analysis on their own patient care. He stated that it fits everyone. He offered to answer questions. Councilwoman Ziarko inquired as to whether this comes with batteries. Assistant Chief Miller replied to inquiry that it comes with two batteries, a wall outlet and another adaptor so they can plug it into their ambulances. Mr. Vanderpool stated that concludes his report this evening. 6. PRESENTATION Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 11 A. Mayor Taylor stated this is to present the Twentieth Sterling Heights Fire Department’s Survival Coin, and he invited Fire Chief Chris Martin to make the presentation. Fire Chief Martin stated tonight they are presenting their Twentieth Survival Coin, although they have had sixty-nine candidates for Survivor Coins who suffered cardiac arrest and walked out of the hospital without neurological deficit since July 1, 2013. Today is the twentieth that is a Survivor Coin recipient. He relayed the details of the incident, which occurred on September 19, 2018, when Mr. Darrel Morley was traveling southbound on Schoenherr, north of 15 Mile Road, and suffered a medical emergency, veered off the road and ran into a tree. He emphasized it was not running into the tree that caused the problem, but it was the medical emergency / cardiac arrest he suffered which caused him to go off the roadway. He stated there was an unidentified doctor in the CVS who witnessed it and jumped into action. He removed Mr. Morley from the car and began CPR. Chief Martin proceeded to relay the events that transpired, including two defibrillations, which restored the electrical impulses to the heart, but no pulse, so they had to continue with CPR and give cardiac medication. After the forth defibrillation and a lot of medical care, Mr. Morley’s heart was restored with pulse. He was placed into the ambulance and rushed to St. John Macomb, and on the way, he lost his heartbeat again so the paramedics had to start CPR and medications once more. When he arrived at the emergency room, his heart was beating. He added that this incident Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 12 occurred near Councilwoman Ziarko’s house, and she witnessed the incident and has been asking about Mr. Morley since that time. Chief Martin asked Lieutenant Jeff Vergouwen to present the Twentieth Survival Coin to Mr. Morley. Mr. Morley thanked everyone responsible for saving his life and stated, “you don’t appreciate the value of life until you have gone through the door.” He thanked them for not giving up on him, stating he, along with his wife and his family, appreciates it. He thanked them again for the great effort on their part. Chief Martin invited Mr. Dickerson from St. John Ascension Health Macomb. Mr. Dickerson congratulated the providers and responders who were part of this great care. He felt it is a great time of year to celebrate this, and he acknowledged that Mr. Morley had a lengthy hospital stay and post-care, but he told him he is truly a fighter and survivor. Chief Martin stated they are working on the Twenty-First Survival Coin and hope to be able to present it in January. He noted that event took place at Planet Fitness on 15 Mile and Schoenherr. Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski congratulated Mr. Morley, admitting it is unusual to be defibrillated four times, but it is great he is alive and a testament to the firefighters, the police and the team at St. John Ascension. Councilwoman Ziarko stated she witnessed the emergency vehicles on site when she was coming home, and then observed the pole on the ground. She could see everything from her house, and she was impressed with the Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 13 efficiency of the employees, who were in the right place at the right time. She added to see Mr. Morley walk in today is very joyful. She had been asking about Mr. Morley’s condition, and she is glad he survived. Mayor Taylor commended the entire team and all involved for their teamwork in saving a life. He is glad Mr. Morley is here tonight, and it is also great to have the tremendous Fire Department, Police Department, dispatchers and the local hospitals that they have in Sterling Heights who take over the care after the Fire Department starts it. B. Mayor Taylor stated this is a swearing-in ceremony for new Sterling Heights Firefighters, and he invited Fire Chief Chris Martin to introduce them and swear them in. Fire Chief Martin outlined the training and experience of each of the new firefighter/paramedics and performed the swearing-in of the following two new firefighters/paramedics: Joshua Daley and Michael Palmisano. The Mayor and Council members congratulated and welcomed them to the City of Sterling Heights. The newly sworn-in firefighter/paramedics made a couple of comments, indicating that they are happy to be here and make their careers in Sterling Heights, and they thanked the City for this opportunity. Mayor Taylor stated the City’s Fire Department has a great reputation, and noted the residents expect a lot because they have grown accustomed to it. He thanked them for their service, congratulated them and wished them well. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 14 7. ORDINANCE INTRODUCTIONS A. Mayor Taylor stated this to introduce the first amendment to the Appropriations Ordinance for the 2019/20 fiscal year. He invited Finance and Budget Director Jennifer L. Varney to make the presentation. Ms. Varney stated she is here tonight to introduce the first amendment to the Appropriations Ordinance, noting it is normally amended twice each year, once in December and once toward the end of the fiscal year. She explained this amendment primarily carries forward unspent funding for projects approved in the prior year but not completed until this year. It also recognizes new grants and items that have come before Council since the budget was adopted. She stated in the General Fund, the budget contributes $830,000 to Fund Balance Reserves, and this decreased by about $182,000 from the original budget due to carrying forward of the prior year’s unspent encumbrances, and also supplemental snow services and increases to the budget for the 2020 census campaign and the fire staffing study. She informed that in the other funds, the budget was adjusted by $20.8 million, primarily carrying forward funds from previously approved projects, and she reviewed those amounts, as detailed in the agenda packet. She stated this is the first reading of this ordinance, scheduled for adoption at the January 2, 2020 meeting. Mayor Taylor opened the floor for public comments, but no one from the audience spoke. Moved by Ziarko, seconded by Sierawski, RESOLVED, to introduce the first amendment to the Appropriations Ordinance for the 2019/20 fiscal year. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 15 Yes: All. The motion carried. 8. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Taylor stated this item is consideration of the Consent Agenda. He invited public comments from the audience. • Mr. Jerry Sieja – Regarding Item “C”; questioned how many the City wants to eventually purchase. • Unidentified resident – Regarding Item “G”, requested definition of “tank wagon;” regarding Items “N” and “O”, questioned what they are. Moved by Koski, seconded by Ziarko, RESOLVED, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented: A. To approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of December 3, 2019. B. To approve payment of the bills as presented: General Fund - $1,138,903.14, Water & Sewer Fund - $3,158,752.44, Other Funds - $5,771,213,18, Total Checks - $10,068,868.76. C. RESOLVED, to purchase five LUCAS 3 v3.1 Chest Compression Systems, including accessories, warranty and preventative maintenance services, from Physio-Control, Inc., 11811 Willows Road NE, PO Box 97006, Redmond, WA 98073-9706, at a total cost of $98,222.40. D. RESOLVED, to award the bid for medical and physical evaluations of Sterling Heights firefighters to Bio-Care, Inc., 1778 Holloway Drive, Suite A, Holt, MI 48842, at unit pricing bid and authorize a budget amendment in the amount of $55,935 from General Fund Reserves. E. RESOLVED, to award the bid for mulch removal within 19 Mile Road, Schoenherr Road, Van Dyke and 16 Mile Road right-of-way to Green Meadows Lawnscape, Inc., 2359 Avon Industrial Drive, Rochester, MI 48309, at a total cost of $29,595. F. RESOLVED, to award the bid for pruning of street trees to Wonsey Tree Service, Inc., Post Office Box 1142, Alma, MI 48801, for the period of December 17, 2019 to April 30, 2020, at unit prices bid. G. RESOLVED, to split the award of the bid for truck transport and tank wagon deliveries of unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel to the following vendors based on bid factors included in their respective bids for a two- year period, with the option to extend the terms and conditions an additional two years upon mutual consent: Truck Transport deliveries: 1. RKA Petroleum Companies, 28340 Wick Rd., Romulus, MI 48174; and 2. Petroleum Traders Corporation, 7120 Pointe Inverness Way, Fort Wayne, IN 46804. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 16 Tank Wagon deliveries: 1. RKA Petroleum Companies, 28340 Wick Rd., Romulus, MI 48174; and 2. Atlas Oil Company, 24501 Ecorse Rd., Taylor, MI 48180. H. RESOLVED, to approve the grant agreement between the City of Sterling Heights and the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) for the purpose of implementing and operating an indigent defense system at the 41A District Court for the period October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020, authorize the City Manager to sign the agreement on behalf of the City, and approve a budget amendment of $251,270 to increase the MIDC fund expenditures to $483,457. I. RESOLVED, to approve the Agreement for Macomb County Animal Control Services between the County of Macomb and City of Sterling Heights and authorize the City Manager to sign the Agreement on behalf of the City. J. RESOLVED, to adopt the resolutions accepting Sienna Drive, Summit Drive, Reserve Drive, Legacy Drive and Lake Forest Drive (extension) in the City Local Street System as a public street located within City right- of-way and operated for public street purposes. K. RESOLVED, to: (A) Approve the Agreement for Traffic Control Device between the City of Sterling Heights and the Road Commission for Oakland County for modernization and maintenance of the traffic signal located at Dequindre Road and Fifteen Mile Road intersection at a cost of $75,000, subject to approval by the Road Commission for Oakland County; and (B) Authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the Agreement on behalf of the City of Sterling Heights; and (C) Authorize a budget amendment in the amount of $75,000 from major road fund reserves. L. RESOLVED, to approve Change Order No. 1 in connection with cleaning and televising large diameter sanitary sewers in the municipal sanitary sewer system by DVM Utilities, Inc., 6045 Sims Drive, Suite 2, Sterling Heights, MI 48313, at a cumulative cost of $365,000 based on unit pricing bid under grant project #1377-01. M. RESOLVED, to receive the report of the Purchasing Manager pursuant to City Code §2-221(B) regarding the emergency purchase of security upgrades to off-site workspace at a cost of $71,284.97. N. RESOLVED, to receive the lawsuit, Jeremiah Fifield v Sterling Heights Police Department, 41A District Court Case No. S-19-4845-GZ. O. RESOLVED, to receive the lawsuit, Howard Smith v Sterling Heights PD, 41A District Court Case No. S-19-4879-GZ. Yes: All. The motion carried. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 17 9. CONSIDERATION A. Mayor Taylor stated this is to consider approval of memorandums of understanding between the City of Sterling Heights and Local #1557 of the International Association of Firefighters, MAPE Supervisory Employees Union, and MAPE Technical/Office Union. He invited City Manager Mark Vanderpool to give a presentation. Mr. Vanderpool summarized each of the three Memorandums of Understanding (MOU). The first MOU pertains to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the City and the Fire Union and provides that, in the absence of eligible and qualified Fire Captains, Lieutenants who meet the qualifications for promotion to Battalion Chief should be considered, and this MOU provides the language that would make that possible. Mr. Vanderpool stated the second MOU pertains to the City and the Supervisory Employee union group. He explained that effective July 1, 2018, the duties and responsibilities for managing the offices of Facilities Maintenance and Purchasing were combined under the job classification “Purchasing / Facilities Maintenance Manager.” He stated responsibilities have greatly increased with the upcoming construction of the DPW Building, the nearly completed Recreation Community Center and all of the other campus improvements. Within the last eighteen months, it has become apparent that the proper administration of the two offices is extremely taxing for one administrative officer so a decision has been made to divide the current Purchasing / Facilities Maintenance Manager position back to the prior two Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 18 positions, which include Facility Maintenance Director and Purchasing Manager. He added that the City has historically had these two positions separated, but in order to recognize these two positions in the current CBA, the negotiated MOU is before Council this evening. He noted that the current Purchasing/Facilities Maintenance Manager would assume the new classification of Facility Maintenance Director. Mr. Vanderpool stated the third MOU pertains to the City and MAPE Technical / Office Union and pertains to full-time employees hired after July 1, 2015. The current CBA provides a schedule of paid time off (PTO) based on a 37-1/2-hour regular week, but the union has three members who work a 40-hour week, and two of them have been hired since the CBA took effect. In order to provide an equitable allocation of PTO for the employees working a 40-hour week, and to provide proportionately more PTO based on a 40-hour work week, the negotiated MOU is before Council tonight for their consideration. Mayor Taylor opened the floor for public comments, but no one from the audience spoke. Moved by Schmidt, seconded by Ziarko, RESOLVED, to approve the memorandum of understanding between the City of Sterling Heights and Local #1557 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, a/k/a Sterling Heights Firefighters Association amending the 2018 - 2022 collective bargaining agreement to make qualified Lieutenants eligible for promotion to the rank of Captain. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 19 Yes: All. The motion carried. Moved by Sierawski, seconded by Schmidt, RESOLVED, to approve the memorandum of understanding between the City of Sterling Heights and MAPE Supervisory Employees Union amending the 2018 – 2022 collective bargaining agreement to reflect the newly created Facilities Maintenance Director and Purchasing Manager job classifications. Councilman Radtke questioned whether these were separate position prior to 2018. Mr. Vanderpool replied affirmatively. Councilman Radtke questioned whether they will be paid more in separate positions than they were being paid prior to 2018. Mr. Vanderpool replied the pay for the Facilities Maintenance Director will be at a higher level pay than the Purchasing Manager, and that is outlined in the MOU. He confirmed the pay for the Purchasing Manager does not change. Councilman Radtke noted they combined these positions to save money, found it was too big of a job for one person, and he wanted to make sure that since they are being separated again, they are not raising the pay of one significantly over what they were paying to have the two separate positions in 2017. Mr. Vanderpool responded that the pay differential between a manager and director in this case is approximately $11,000. Considering the scope of the facilities, with $20 million in various upgrades at the City’s center campus, $20 Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 20 million at the DPW facility, and approximately $50 million in total with all of the ReCreating Recreation facility enhancements and the need for enhanced maintenance, they feel the upgrade to a director level for that position is warranted. Councilman Radtke questioned how this affects next year’s budget. He recalled they are supposed to bring on more employees if they have the funds. He questioned whether they will be cutting a different employee or whether they will find money for this through other accounts. Mr. Vanderpool stated the forthcoming budget is under development. They fully expect to have the position funded without the need to compromise any other positions or those they may have been considering. He indicated all of that will be shown, explained and highlighted during the budget hearings. Councilwoman Ziarko questioned when the actual promotion will take place. Mr. Vanderpool replied it is effective immediately but they have to determine the payroll period, so it would be effective on the next payroll. He added that the Purchasing Manager will take months to get through that recruitment process. Councilwoman Ziarko stated once the economy started turning around, one of their goals was to fill positions that were combined at one time. She is glad they may have an additional employee on staff, so she felt this is a good move. Yes: All. The motion carried. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 21 Moved by Radtke, seconded by Sierawski, RESOLVED, to approve the memorandum of understanding between the City of Sterling Heights and MAPE Technical / Office Union amending the 2018 – 2022 collective bargaining agreement to allot Paid Time Off to employees working a 40-hour work week. Yes: All. The motion carried. B. Mayor Taylor stated this is to consider nominations to City of Sterling Heights Boards and Commissions. He opened the floor for public comments, but no one from the audience spoke. Mayor Taylor stated this is a Planning Commission opening with a mayoral power of appointment to a term ending June 30, 2021. He indicated he has a good idea on this appointment but added that this is a difficult time of year with the upcoming holidays. He requested this be postponed to the January 7, 2020 Council meeting, he was confident that will give him enough time to get a nomination to the Council. Moved by Radtke, seconded by Taylor, RESOLVED, to postpone nomination to the Planning Commission to the January 7, 2020 regular City Council meeting. Yes: All. The motion carried. 10. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS Mayor Taylor opened the floor for comments from citizens. • Unidentified resident – requested cable channel show more of what is going on in the City; questioned who pays for ambulance runs. • Mr. Jerry Sieja – commended City on improvements to City Hall entrance and overall campus; questioned cricket field; comments on Community Center. • Mr. Charles Jefferson – Community Center hours of operation; handrails on front steps of City Hall; collection at St. Blase Parish for the less Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 22 fortunate; Community Center uses regarding shelter for homeless; diversity in Police and Fire Departments. 11. REPORTS FROM CITY ADMINISTRATION AND CITY COUNCIL Mr. Vanderpool responded to a number of questions raised this evening. With respect to the equipment for chest compressions, he stated they are purchasing five of them so they will be in their five front line apparatus for their five stations. They do not have a plan at this point to expand it, but that may be reconsidered in the future. He explained that “tank wagon deliveries” is a nomenclature used in the fuel delivery industry, and they purchase their fuel either in a semi-truck or tank wagon. He stated the good news is the City’s net cost is approximately $1.62 per gallon because they do not have to pay taxes . Mr. Vanderpool stated he will talk to the Community Relations Director regarding cable channel programming and they will see what they can do to expand the lineup. He indicated a lot more programming is done on social media, which has become the preferred method of city programming. He noted the 15 Mile Road railroad tracks get a lot of complaints, but it is under Conrail’s authority and the City cannot do anything. They have made a formal request to Conrail for funding, and he believed they will fully fund and improve that crossing in the next construction season based on preliminary information they have provided. Mr. Vanderpool recalled a question about who pays for ambulance runs in Sterling Heights, and the comment was made that the ambulance runs are free in Warren. Mr. Vanderpool pointed out that the City of Warren has a millage Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 23 rate specifically tied to their ambulances, although he is fairly certain they also bill their insurance companies. He explained the City of Sterling Heights bills insurance companies for ambulance runs, and that includes Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies, so the residents do not have to pay. If there is no insurance, they have a hardship case to consider for those who may not have the ability to pay in those very few cases. Mr. Vanderpool addressed the question of having a cricket field, and he stated it is a very popular sport now. He explained the City has been providing cricket programming for a number of years, and the fields they use are overbooked, so he anticipated this field by the dog park will be in high demand and a big success. With regard to the number of trees on the City campus, he assured that once all of the projects are complete, they will have planted hundreds of new trees compared to the number of trees on site before the project. He noted the handrails for the steps leading up to City Hall are on backorder so there is a temporary rail on one side to meet the code and provide safe traversing for visitors. The new rails will be installed quickly when they come in. Mr. Vanderpool stated the Senior Center hours are not changing, nor is the programming. He anticipated they may be able to expand some of the programming at the Senior Center because they are currently overbooked due to high demand. They participated as a community with various churches with the warming center. He explained MCREST rotates around the county, and he believed it will be at St. Blase either next week or the following week. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 24 Mr. Kaszubski stated he has nothing to report this evening. Councilman Yanez commented that he witnessed kids playing cricket on local fields about twenty years ago so he agreed it is something they have been playing here in Sterling Heights for a long time. He stated he received an email today from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and they are starting a grant program of $1.5 million, offering grants of up to $150,000 for communities that have both curbside and drop-off recycling, and he hoped the City will apply. He assured he will share the email with his colleagues and the City. Councilman Yanez stated it is unfortunate they are getting very few applicants for both Police and Fire, so it is not an issue of not selecting minorities or women. He indicated the City of Warren has about 12 to 15 positions currently open and are unable to fill them. He has had conversations with Mr. Vanderpool about hiring, specifically about the LGBTQ community, so they have talked about it. He requested an update on the Veteran’s Memorial. Mr. Vanderpool explained the area between City Hall and the Police Department has been completely reconstructed, and the construction is still ongoing. All of the monuments have been moved to a safe enclosure. They will be touched up and polished up and will be reinstalled in a new location in that vicinity. He felt it will be a much better display of the monuments, and something in which the community will take great pride. He added it will be done before the Memorial Day parade. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 25 Councilwoman Ziarko commended the City on Sterling Christmas, noting it was a great event and enjoyed by so many in the community. She noted with the kids skating, fire pits glowing, the large snow globe, and lights, it was a wonderful event, and she thanked the staff for what they did to make it possible. Councilwoman Ziarko addressed Mr. Jefferson’s comments, and noted that, although she did not know the specific dates, the warming center held at St. Blasé is scheduled for some time toward the end of January. She suggested for those who have something they want to donate to those less fortunate, they can pick up the phone and call a local church or donation center and drop off what they have. She indicated it is a matter of networking, and sometimes there is a need and through a few phone calls, a source can be found. She stated she volunteers at a center in Detroit, adjacent to the University of Detroit Law School, and they have a campaign where if you purchase a hat from Carhartt, they will donate a hat to someone who needs it. She cited several examples where companies were approached and able to help for a specific need. She knows that St. Blase will be looking for donations for food, socks, hand and foot warmers, and that is ongoing. Councilman Radtke wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. He agreed with Councilman Yanez on trying to create a diverse fire department and they have been talking about it internally. He assured they are working hard to recruit minority candidates and diversity candidates, but it is a Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 26 complicated process and lately they are not receiving the number of applications they would like in general. He felt public service may not appeal to people as much as it used to, because they are having difficulty recruiting candidates. He echoed Mr. Vanderpool’s comments regarding railroad crossings, indicating he has been contacted by several residents this year about trains that have blocked the 15 Mile train track, and he was unhappy to learn that the City cannot do anything to prevent it or make the trains move faster. He explained they are governed under federal train rules. He recommended if people are experiencing this problem, they can contact their local representative or senator. He stated with regard to the comments about the cricket field, he is often surprised to see how their Parks and Recreation Department goes out of its way to serve the citizens of the City. He had originally complained about the plans for a skate park and felt it would be a big waste of concrete and no one would use it. He is amazed by how wrong he was, commenting that there are kids and adults alike having a great time at the skate park, adding that the City even won an award for it. When he talks to people, they have relayed to him their feelings that it is an amazing skate park and they are happy to have it. He explained they instituted some younger children’s hours in an effort to make sure everyone has a chance to use the facility in a safe manner. He commended Parks and Recreation for the excellent Sterling Christmas event, and it was an amazing time for all who attended. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 27 Councilwoman Schmidt stated she is thrilled with the entrance to City Hall. She felt the steps are so much safer and well-lit. She questioned when the watermain project on 15 Mile at Dodge Park is anticipated to be completed. Mr. Vanderpool stated he does not have the answer but he assured he will get it for her first thing tomorrow morning. Councilwoman Schmidt stated it appears as though there have been some improvements to the Moravian / Schoenherr intersection, although she did not think the City did the construction. She commented that there is no striping, so people still do not know there is a left-turn lane, and she felt the intersection improvement does nothing without striping and instruction to the drivers She understood the traffic signal will not be installed until spring, but she questioned whether striping will be added. Mr. Vanderpool understood this is high on Councilwoman Schmidt’s list, but he stated they are told by the owner that the lanes will be installed this year. He felt they will need to give them a deadline, and if necessary, the City will have to complete the lane markings and charge them accordingly. He noted the pile of concrete sitting on the corner will be removed within a matter of days; otherwise, the City will remove it and charge the owner. He added the good news is they are dealing directly with the owner now and no longer his contractor. It has been a very difficult project and has moved very slowly. Councilwoman Schmidt hoped the asphalt they put down is not the final product. She wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 28 Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski questioned whether there will be a ceremony one the Veteran’s memorials are restored and installed, or whether they are going to wait for the Memorial Day weekend. Mr. Vanderpool stated they will wait until the Memorial Day weekend, adding that they will need all of that time to complete landscaping and lighting. The big debut, including the mural, will be at the Memorial Day parade. Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski addressed Mr. Jefferson’s comment, noting that many churches have collections, but if someone walked in as a person of need, they will find ways to help that person with finances, clothing and food. She knows that her church takes special collections. She urged anyone in need to call her or another member of Council and they can direct them to where they can receive what they need. She agreed with Councilman Radtke that the concrete skate park is packed every day. She is happy to see how well their amenities are being used. She commended Mr. Langlois for the statewide Parks and Recreation Management award he is receiving. She informed the City received an award two years ago for their parks, but this is an additional award for Mr. Langlois. She wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and urged everyone to say a prayer for the troops. Councilwoman Koski noted the new Community Center is scheduled to open on February 29, and she questioned whether there will be any hiring for the new center, and if so, will it be posted within the next few months. She questioned where someone would look if they are interested in a position. She Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 29 requested an update regarding the status of the two remaining recycling centers and whether they have thought any more about staffing those, or whether they will be closed. She inquired as to whether that is something that will be addressed during their strategic planning session. She questioned when they have a closing of a road due to work being done by a private property owner, whether they could post the closing of a road on the cable channel so people are aware of the closing. She cited the example of Red Run, where it is closed at Schoenherr; however, if they come in off of 14 Mile onto Red Run, which turns into Moravian at the curve, the road is closed near Schoenherr. Anyone driving through it could get ticketed. She felt residents should be warned so they know the road is closed and do not try to enter. She wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Mayor Taylor thanked Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski for taking care of the beginning of the meeting for him so he could spend a few moments watching his daughter sing in her program. He wished everyone a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah, whatever they celebrate, and a healthy and Happy New Year. 12. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was no unfinished business. 13. NEW BUSINESS There was no new business. 14. CLOSED SESSION PERMITTED UNDER ACT 267 OF 1976 There was no closed session this evening. 15. ADJOURN Moved by Schmidt, seconded by Ziarko, to adjourn the meeting. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2019 Page 30 Yes: All. The motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:31 p.m. MELANIE D. RYSKA, City Clerk