City Council

CITY OF STERLING HEIGHTS MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 IN CITY HALL 1. Mayor Taylor called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. Mayor Taylor 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 C. Taylor, 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. The motion carried. 5. REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER Mr. Vanderpool reminded everyone that Columbus Day is on Monday, October 11, so all city offices will be closed for an in-service training day for staff. There will be no interruption in refuse collection service. Although the offices will be closed to the public on that date, he reminded that many transactions can be done online, and residents are encouraged to use the at-home services available to them on the City’s website. Mr. Vanderpool reminded that it is against city ordinances to rake leaves into the street, adding they want to make sure they do all they can to keep the inlet basin drains clear, so if residents observe leaves on the drains, it is much appreciated if Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 2 they rake them off. Leaves must be disposed of in paper yard bags or a container with a sticker on it, noting the stickers can be obtained at any of their facilities. Mr. Vanderpool stated the City has been awarded a grant to fund their first-ever Electric Vehicle Charging Station Master Plan, which will tie into the City’s recently- developed Sustainability Plan. He stated the Office of City Development, and specifically Director Jason Castor, worked very hard to secure the grant, and the City was awarded $35,000 through SEMCOG’s Planning Assistance Program. The study will help to identify the best locations for charging stations across the city, and identify potential funding options as well as the actual build-out plan. Mr. Vanderpool commended a couple of police officers in Sterling Heights for going above and beyond their call of duty. He pointed out that the City was once again ranked as the Safest Big City in Michigan, and they continue to be ranked among the safest in the country, due in large part to their highly-trained hard- working police officers. They do their best in fighting crime but also in helping individuals in need, and he cited a specific instance involving Officer Kevin Coates, who pulled over a speeder earlier this week. The elderly resident explained to the officer that his wife was very ill and he was going back and forth to hardware stores trying to figure out which cables to purchase to hook up a new television he had purchased for her. Seeing that the distressed elderly resident was emotional and needed some help, Officer Coates offered to go to the resident’s house on his break that evening to hook up the television. He went to the elderly gentleman’s house about an hour later, joined by Officer Remie Verougstraete and Officer Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 3 Jeremy Jakushevich, and the gentleman’s television was hooked up in short order that evening. He stressed the officers’ actions illustrate the humanistic side of community-oriented policing and the need to help one another in times of trouble. He commended these officers, especially Officer Coates, who went above and beyond to help out a distressed resident. He advised his story is being posted on social media. Mr. Vanderpool informed that the City of Sterling Heights has partnered with Issue Media Group over the years to highlight many exciting projects in the City, many of those centered on Economic Development initiatives. He invited Ms. Veronica Johnson with Issue Media Group to provide a brief presentation. Ms. Veronica Johnson, Project Manager for Issue Media Group, a parent company for Metromode, explained they are an online publication venue for economic development and leadership. She explained they partnered with Senior Economic Development Advisor Luke Bonner and Community Relations Director Melanie Davis to imbed a community journalist into the community to cover the positive things going on in the community. She added they do this especially for communities that do not receive a lot of media attention, so they have enjoyed highlighting a lot of businesses and community leaders and the great things they are doing in Sterling Heights. She talked about the Impact Report, which is produced every year, showing how their stories are performing on social media. They started with Sterling Heights in 2018, so this report reflects their third year. They Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 4 have reached almost 900,000 people not only in this area but across Michigan and beyond. They are seeing steady growth, and she reviewed the numbers reflecting those who have “liked, commented, or shared” the stories coming across their Facebook page. She broke down their audience geography, with Detroit being the top city in their top ten locations, and Sterling Heights is number two. They have over 12,000 subscribers to their Metromode website, and their online publication comes out every Thursday. Every other quarter they produce a special newsletter dedicated to the content coming out about the City of Sterling Heights. In addition to Metromode, they have a number of other publications across the State of Michigan. Between July 2020 and June 2021 they produced over seventy stories about the City of Sterling Heights, and their readership overall, between Metromode and Second Wave Media, is over one million people. She noted they had a lot of stories about Covid-related issues, and she provided details on some of the stories they have covered. She explained they were recently contracted for branding, brand awareness, and promoting the Sterling Heights Innovation District, so they are working to capture what is going on in the community. She added that their project editor interviewed a number of stakeholders taking part in the Innovation District, and this will be a longer-featured piece talking about their overall vision and how it will affect the city. They will be working with their graphic designer at Metromode to come up with a number of different logos to Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 5 further highlight the Innovation District, and they will be doing six more in- depth pieces that come out on Metromode. This is in the beginning stages, but it reflects the growth they have had with the City in their partnership over the years. Mr. Vanderpool thanked Ms. Johnson and Issue Media Group for the good work they do. He stressed they want to make sure their businesses are well-promoted in not only the city but across the state, Midwest, and the country. They want to use every resource they can to ensure others are aware of the good products of these companies, and that is the synergy generated from stories such as this. In terms of transparency and outreach, this type of service is invaluable, not only to keep residents here but also to attract new residents. Mr. Vanderpool introduced a short video on the upcoming Oktoberfest to be held on October 8 and October 9, featuring Plain White T’s on Oct. 8, and Lou Gramm The Original Voice of Foreigner / Asia Featuring John Payne on Oct. 9. Mr. Vanderpool apologized in advance that Utica Road will be closed at the circle for crowd-control purposes, but he added they look forward to seeing everyone in attendance. Mr. Vanderpool concluded his report this evening by requesting that City Council convene a Closed Session pursuant to Section 8(E) of the Open Meetings Act for Council to consult with the City Attorney regarding trial or settlement strategy in connection with Macomb County Circuit Case No. 2019-1606-NI. 6. PRESENTATION Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 6 A. Mayor Taylor stated this item is a presentation of the 2021 Beautification Awards. He invited Mr. Gary Isom, Chairperson of the Beautification Commission, to make the presentation. Mr. Gary Isom, Chairperson for the Beautification Commission, stated it gives him great pleasure to present the 2021 Beautification Awards. He explained their Commission’s mission is to encourage all city residents and property owners to preserve and enhance the beauty of public and private properties, and their annual awards ceremony is one way in which they honor those who go above and beyond in beautifying their Sterling Heights properties. He thanked City Council for welcoming this presentation as they showcase the dedication of their residents and business leaders. He explained that the Commission reviewed photographs taken of more than sixty nominated homes, businesses, and places of worship, and the Commissioners judged nominations and selected the “Best of the Best” from each category that had a “wow” factor when seen from the curb, also being selected based on overall beauty and aesthetics, as well as artistic use of color. Mr. Isom thanked the Beautification Commissioners present tonight for their dedication in this program, and he introduced Henrietta Baczewski, Nancy Kijek, Matthew Smith, and Susan Hobig. The nominees were announced as follows: Commercial Properties: Leo’s Coney Island at 33577 Van Dyke Avenue and McDonald’s Restaurant at 8280 15 Mile Road Multi-Family Properties: Fieldstone Apartments, Sterling Knolls Apartments, and Nottingham Cove Places of Worship Properties: St. Matthias Catholic Church and St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 7 Residential Properties: 11540 Francis Drive; 11541 Francis Drive; 8811 Clinton River Road; 8459 Leslie Drive; 8736 Strom Drive; 8915 San Marco Boulevard; 14983 Westpoint Drive; 33433 Cornelissen Drive; 11154 Jacqueline Drive; 39415 Millington Drive; 39433 Farmhill Drive; 5700 19 Mile Road; 13906 Deepwood Court; 11243 Regal Drive; 11735 Seaton Drive D- 21; 42239 Fulton Court; 11336 Village Drive; 12520 Raleigh Drive; 4466 18 ½ Mile Road; 41215 Fieldview Street; 35606 Deville Drive; 37516 Fieldcrest Lane; 3521 Leason Road; 11242 18 Mile Road; 13730 Heritage Road; 14250 Hillsdale Drive; 11538 Anna Lisa Drive; 34895 Carbon Drive; 14332 Brookings Drive; 42247 Sycamore Drive; 13748 Imperial Court, 43153 Hillcrest Drive; 35661 Ashford Drive, 14327 Peterboro Drive, 37730 Fieldcrest Lane; 43466 Interlaken Drive; 43429 Interlaken Drive; 34401 Amsterdam Drive; 13933 Renfrew Court; 37281 Belcrest Drive; 43243 Chardonnay Drive; 11125 Grenada Drive; 36239 Melbourne Drive; 5004 Fox Hill Drive; 5074 Caraway Drive; and 40278 Diane Drive.. The “Best of the Best” were announced as follows, and those recipients came up to accept their awards and have a photo taken with Council: Commercial: Sterling Town Center Multi-Family: Arden Courts Memory Care Community Place of Worship: St. Blasé Catholic Church Residential: Rick & Gail Straughen, 14267 Lakeshore Drive Mr. Isom thanked everyone for attending tonight’s Beautification Award presentations and extended a special thanks to Eckert’s Greenhouse for their generous donation of providing each of the nominees and the winners of the Best of the Best with a $25 gift certificate. Moved by Ziarko, seconded by Sierawski, RESOLVED, to individually and collectively recognize the 2021 Beautification Award winners and thank them for the dedication and effort in making their properties, neighborhoods, and the City of Sterling Heights a more beautiful place to live, work and play. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 8 Councilwoman Ziarko thanked these individuals for taking care of their homes, and they certainly make the city more beautiful. She encouraged residents to nominate their neighbors. Councilman Yanez echoed the sentiments expressed by Councilwoman Ziarko, commenting that so many people keep up their homes, and it can really be appreciated when walking through the city. He felt this is actually a small list of homes that could have been nominated, and he thanked all involved for the time and effort they put into making their property attractive. He also thanked the Beautification Commission for the effort they put into making the city look great. On behalf of the entire City Council, Mayor Taylor thanked Mr. Isom and the Beautification Commission members for their hard work and congratulated all of the recipients for keeping their properties beautiful. He added they have all gone above and beyond to improve the quality of life for all of the City’s residents. He thanked Eckert’s Green House for providing gift cards for all of the nominees and winners. Yes: All. The motion carried. 7. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Taylor stated this item is consideration of the Consent Agenda. He opened the floor for public comments, but no one spoke. Moved by Koski, seconded by Ziarko, RESOLVED, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented: A. To approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of September 20, 2021. B. To approve payment of the bills as presented: General Fund - $1,125,276.46, Water & Sewer Fund - $1,802,873.08, Other Funds - $3,038,693.14, Total Checks - $5,966,842.68. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 9 C. RESOLVED, to purchase managed internet services from AT&T Corporation for a thirty-six (36) month period and authorize the City manager to sign all documents required in conjunction with this approval. D. RESOLVED, to: 1) Award the bid to 21st Century Media Newspaper, LLC, 6250 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights, MI 48312, publisher of the Macomb Daily, as the official city newspaper for publication of legal notices and advertisements for a one-year period based on the following unit prices: • One full page at $1,587.60 • Column inch at $13.23 • Classified help wanted per line: $1.85 – 3-day minimum • On-line and Print – add $20.00 to print edition fee • Fee for Affidavit of Publication $11.00 2) Designate C&G Newspapers, 13650 11 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48089, publisher of the Sterling Heights Sentry, as a secondary official city newspaper for publication of advertisements, and when eligible per Michigan statute, legal notices, for a one-year period based on the following unit prices: • One full page at $400.00 • Column inch at $8.00 • Classified help wanted per line at $1.45 • On-line only at $50.00 per advertisement • Fee for Affidavit of Publication $15.00 E. RESOLVED, to receive the report of the Purchasing Manager pursuant to City Code §2-221(B) regarding the emergency purchase of the alarm and security camera systems installed at the Lakeside Mall Vaccination Center by Weber Security Group, Inc., 95 South Rose Street, Suite A, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043-2187, in the amount of $38,839.40. F. RESOLVED, to approve final payment to Superior Excavating, Inc., 2420 Auburn Road, Auburn Hills, MI 48326, in the amount of $15,317.20, plus interest on retainage, for Medville Water Main Replacement, City Project #19-334. G. RESOLVED, to approve final payment to DiLisio Contracting Inc., 23525 Lakepointe Drive, Clinton Township, MI 48036, in the amount of $213,544.03, plus interest on retainage, for the 2020 Local Road Concrete Reconstruction Program, City Project #20-362, and Pondview Drive Improvements, City Project #20-365. H. RESOLVED, to approve the Consent Special Assessment Agreements for the 2019 Sidewalk Replacement Program, City Project #19-350, Special Assessment District SW-19-01, and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign the Agreements on behalf of the City. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 10 I. RESOLVED, to waive the competitive bidding requirement in accordance with City Code §2-217(A)(9)(a) and approve the purchase of a 1,000-gallon diesel fuel tank, including delivery and installation services from Gen Oil Company, 1217 Combermere Dr., Troy, MI 48083, at a cost of $15,000.00, and authorize a budget amendment in this amount using Capital Project Fund reserves. J. RESOLVED, to adopt the resolution designating October 2021 as Michigan Library Appreciation Month in the City of Sterling Heights and encourage all residents to visit the Sterling Heights Public Library and take advantage of its wonderful collections and programming. K. RESOLVED, to designate October 2021 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the City of Sterling Heights and invite all employers and workplaces to celebrate the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities to the workplace. L. RESOLVED, to schedule a special City Council Meeting for Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. and direct the City Clerk to provide public notice in conformity with Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. Yes: All. The motion carried. 8. CONSIDERATION A. Mayor Taylor stated this is to consider approval of Memorandums of Understanding between the City of Sterling Heights and Michigan Association of Police / Sterling Heights Police Officers Association and Local 1557 of the International Association of Firefighters. He invited Mr. Vanderpool to give a presentation. Mr. Vanderpool explained these items have been before Council for other collective bargaining units. With respect to recruitment of Police and Firefighter / Paramedic personnel, they are facing unprecedented challenges, and municipalities are struggling to fill mounting vacancies. He added that the City is thankfully not looking at twenty to thirty unfilled budgeted positions that are occurring in other communities. He felt this action in front of them tonight will Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 11 also help to ensure they do not have to face that shortage. He advised the City will be recruiting to fill ten positions later this year, and there will be multiple vacancies in the foreseeable future. The most recent police officer recruitment only yielded twenty applicants, whereas years ago they would have hundreds of applicants to test. He cautioned that a limited candidate pool increases the likelihood that the City will not fill its police position vacancies without the action being considered this evening. The City has identified lateral pay as a key component in the recruitment of experienced police officers from other law enforcement agencies, and this lateral pay is already being offered by many local law enforcement agencies. This allows the recruited officer to not suffer a loss of income by starting at the lower rate, and he pointed out the City is already offering lateral pay benefits for experienced firefighters. Representatives of the City and police bargaining unit have met to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding before City Council this evening, and the lateral range where someone can transfer into the department with lateral pay would be from $50,333 up to $61,038. Mr. Vanderpool explained the second Memorandum of Understanding in front of Council this evening, which is to allow bargaining unit members in the Fire Department to reside within the geographic boundaries of five Michigan counties within twenty miles of the City’s municipal boundaries, including Macomb County, St. Clair County, Lapeer County, Oakland County, and Wayne County. This expanded geographic footprint is attractive to firefighter paramedics because of their work schedule, and he felt it will bolster recruitment efforts of both Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 12 experienced and new recruits. He pointed out this new residency requirement has already been approved for members in the Sterling Heights Police Officers Association, DPW Supervisory Employees, and DPW Field Employees. He respectfully requested that Mayor and City Council approve the Memorandums of Understanding that are before them this evening. Moved by Schmidt, seconded by Ziarko, RESOLVED, to approve the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Sterling Heights and Michigan Association of Police / Sterling Heights Police Officers Association to implement lateral pay for new officers with prior law enforcement experience and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign it on behalf of the City. Councilwoman Schmidt felt this is something that needs to be done to level the playing field as far as recruitment efforts to continue to get “the best of the best.” She felt this will be to the City’s advantage. Mayor Taylor agreed and added that it was explained very well. Yes: All. The motion carried. 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 Firefighters to implement the new residency requirement and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign it on behalf of the City. Yes: All. The motion carried. B. Mayor Taylor stated this is to consider an appointment to the City of Sterling Heights Sustainability Commission. He opened the floor for public comments, but no one spoke. Sustainability Commission Moved by Sierawski, seconded by Radtke, RESOLVED, to postpone the appointment to the Sustainability Commission to the October 19, 2021 regular City Council meeting. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 13 Yes: All. The motion carried. 9. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS Mayor Taylor opened the floor for comments from the audience. • Brandy Wright – suggested the City opening a “Free Community Refrigerator”; noted this is being done in the City of Rochester in conjunction with their police department; suggested partnering with businesses, churches, and other organizations at no cost to the City. 10. REPORTS FROM CITY ADMINISTRATION AND CITY COUNCIL Mr. Vanderpool stated he has nothing further to report this evening. Councilwoman Ziarko stated she had the opportunity to go to the Chaldean Community Foundation’s groundbreaking for the affordable housing development going on North Van Dyke. She stated it was an exciting day that has been nine years in the making, and she felt it will be the catalyst to help with the development of that entire area. Councilman Radtke stated he is looking forward to Oktoberfest and encouraged everyone to come out to Dodge Park to attend. He mentioned an item on the Consent Agenda this evening where assessments for sidewalks were passed. He pointed out the lowest sidewalk assessment was $385, and the highest assessment was $4,000. He talked about a plan outlined on his website where everyone would be taxed about $20 per year, which he claimed would replace the $1 million each year that they spend on sidewalks, and according to this plan, the highest assessment would be $400 rather than $4,000. Councilwoman Koski noted that approximately $19.8 million in American Act Rescue Funds will be coming to the City, with a portion of that already received. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Page 14 She noted they have two town meetings, one scheduled at the Velocity Center on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and another meeting at Filmore Elementary School on Saturday, October 16, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. She encouraged residents to attend to provide input on how they feel the money should be spent to benefit the Sterling Heights community. Mayor Taylor encouraged everyone to attend Oktoberfest, adding he is looking forward to Sterlingfest coming back next year, but felt Oktoberfest is a great way to cap off this summer with two more great concerts, along with food, drinks, and fun. 10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was no unfinished business. 11. NEW BUSINESS There was no new business. 12. CLOSED SESSION PERMITTED UNDER ACT 267 OF 1976 Mr. Kaszubski stated there is one item for closed session this evening. 13. ADJOURN Moved by Ziarko, seconded by Sierawski, RESOLVED, to adjourn the meeting and go into Closed Session. Roll Call: Yes: Ziarko, Koski, Radtke, Schmidt, Sierawski, Taylor, Yanez. No: None. The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 7:48 p.m. MELANIE D. RYSKA, City Clerk