City Council

CITY OF STERLING HEIGHTS MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 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, Maria G. Schmidt, Liz Sierawski, Michael C. Taylor, Henry Yanez, Barbara A. Ziarko. Absent: Michael V. Radtke Jr. 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 that City offices will be closed for business on Thursday, November 25, and Friday, November 26, 2021, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, and the closures include all facilities except for Public Safety. He added that the Senior Center will also be closed for business on Thursday through Saturday. He advised that refuse collection will be delayed one day, with the normal Thursday pickup delayed to Friday, and the normal Friday pickup delayed to Saturday. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Page 2 Mr. Vanderpool stressed that it is very important for residents to get leaves collected from their yards as soon as possible, adding that yard waste collection will end the week of December 6 through 10. He indicated the City enforces leaf collection because it is against the City ordinance to allow leaves to remain on yards throughout the winter season. He suggested that leaves can be composted, and more information on that is available on the City’s website. As the deadline draws near, doorhangers will be placed on doors where leaves have not been collected, serving as a reminder. During the last week, another notice will be issued to those who have not collected their leaves, and the City’s contractor will do it; however, he cautioned that is expensive, so he urged everyone to comply. Mr. Vanderpool noted this is the time of year when a snow emergency can occur, and when that occurs, parked vehicles need to be removed from the road. He recommended residents sign up for Listserv, where notification is then sent out automatically, either in the form of an email or text message, when there is a snow emergency. Those interested can go to the City’s website and sign up for that service. He reminded residents that there is an on-demand service for leaf collection or snow removal for those who cannot do it themselves, and he explained one in particular that is widely-used in the City is LawnGuru. He advised their app can be downloaded and it does not involve entering into a contract. When a time is scheduled by clicking on the app, they will come out and either remove leaves or snow, and the payment is transacted online. He indicated he has used the service and it works very well. Mr. Vanderpool stated that for residents Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Page 3 with a mobility limitation or financial hardship limitation, there is a volunteer group that can provide help, so he urged those residents to call (586) 446-CITY. Mr. Vanderpool announced that Sterling Christmas is scheduled for December 4 at 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Dodge Park. They will be looking forward to all of the normal activities, and they look forward to seeing everyone there. He reminded that the ice rink will open on December 1, and the holiday lighting will be on shortly, adding there was a preview this evening along Utica Road. He stated this concludes his report for this evening. 6. PRESENTATIONS A. Mayor Taylor stated this is a swearing-in ceremony for new Sterling Heights Firefighters. He invited Fire Chief Kevin Edmond to swear in the five (5) new firefighters. Fire Chief Kevin Edmond thanked the Mayor and City Council for the support they give to the Fire Department, which allows him to have the tools to attract the very best candidates, some of them from other cities. He introduced the five new firefighters and outlined their training and experience. He performed the swearing in of the five (5) new firefighters: Benjamin Vachon, Daniel Giles, Caleb Teachout, Joseph Slezak, and Dana Wehrman. Each of the five firefighters spoke briefly about their gratitude for the opportunity to work for the City, and they thanked those who have supported them along the way, as well as those who provided them with this opportunity. Mayor Taylor opened the floor for comments from the Council. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Page 4 Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski welcomed and thanked the new firefighters. She stated she is a nurse, and in working as a homecare nurse, she has called the firefighters and paramedics on occasion to take care of her patients. She expressed confidence that they will do great work, and she thanked their families for sharing them with the City. Mayor Taylor welcomed the new firefighters and thanked them for their service and the sacrifice they are making. He talked about the great city of which they are now a part. He addressed Firefighter Slezak who is a fourth-generation firefighter and the legacy he is joining, and he hoped he can impress that on his new colleagues. He stressed that Firefighter Slezak’s father literally gave his life to the Fire Department in the City of Sterling Heights, and he felt it is remarkable to now see his son joining the department. He stressed all five firefighters are joining a legacy of firefighters and public servants who would lay down their life to save someone else. He wished them well, thanked them for their service, and urged them to stay safe while keeping their residents safe. The meeting recessed at 7:15 p.m. and reconvened at 7:16 p.m. 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 November 3, 2021. B. To approve payment of the bills as presented: General Fund - $593,199.25, Water & Sewer Fund - $632,596.15, Other Funds - $908,267.93, Total Checks - $2,134,063.33. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Page 5 C. RESOLVED, to purchase a Ditch Witch HX50 vacuum excavator, transport trailer, and accessories from Ditch Witch Sales of Michigan, 3401 W. Grand River Avenue, Howell, MI 48855, at pricing available through Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract #012418-CMW, at a cost of $113,264. D. RESOLVED, to purchase two (2) OpenSite Designer GeoPak SELECT software licenses and six (6) Microstation SELECT standard user software licenses from Carahsoft Technology Group, 11493 Sunset Hills Road, Reston, VA 20190, for a one-year period expiring on September 23, 2022, at a cost of $10,404. E. RESOLVED, to waive the competitive bidding requirement pursuant to City Code Section 2-217(A)(9)(b) and purchase street trees from Crimboli Nursery Inc., 50145 Ford Road, Canton, MI 48187, through December 31, 2022, at the unit prices established by the January 7, 2020 bid award and authorize the City Manager to sign all necessary documents. F. RESOLVED, to purchase: 1) One (1) 2023 Freightliner single axle chassis 108SD from Wolverine Freightliner Eastside Inc., 107 S. Groesbeck, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043, at pricing available through Rochester Hills cooperative request for proposals, RFP-RH-20-023, in the amount of $90,915 together with a Henderson Mark-E 10’ dump body and accessories from Knapheide Truck Equipment, 1200 S. Averill Avenue, Flint, MI 48053, at pricing available through a Sourcewell cooperative contract, #080114, in the amount of $114,211; and 2) One (1) Freightliner tandem axle chassis 114SD from Wolverine Freightliner Eastside, Inc., 107 S. Groesbeck, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043, at pricing available through Rochester Hills cooperative request for proposals, RFP-RH-20-023, in the amount of $123,316, together with a Henderson Mark-E 14’ dump body and accessories from Knapheide Truck Equipment, 1200 S. Averill Avenue, Flint, MI 48503, at pricing available through a Sourcewell cooperative contract, #080114, in the amount of $119,922. G. RESOLVED, to purchase VMware and Veeam annual licenses for software maintenance from Access Interactive, 46665 Magellan Drive, Novi, MI 48377, for a one (1) year period at a cumulative annual cost of $50,770 and authorize the City Manager to sign all required documentation on behalf of the City. H. RESOLVED, to purchase weights and fitness equipment from Life Fitness, Inc., 10601 Belmont Avenue, Franklin Park, IL 60131, at pricing available through General Services Administration purchasing contract #GS-03F- 120DA at a total cost of $72,903.93. I. RESOLVED, to: 1) Award the bid for the purchase and installation of the Case Cracker Onyx Lite Interview Recording and Management system to American Video Transfer, Inc., 9931 E. Grand River Ave., Brighton, MI 48116, at a Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Page 6 total cost of $39,350, and authorize the City Manager to sign all documents required in conjunction with this approval; and 2) Authorize a budget amendment in the amount of $39,350 from State Forfeiture Fund reserves. J. RESOLVED, to award the bid for installation of artificial turf around the perimeter of the Sterling Heights Skate Park to Warren Contractors & Development, Inc., 14979 Technology Dr., Shelby Twp., MI 48315, at unit pricing bid. K. RESOLVED, to direct the City Attorney to prepare the necessary agreement to vacate a portion of the watermain easement for the proposed development of Shake Shack at 13905 Lakeside Circle, in Section 1`, PSP21- 0007, and the Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the City; RESOLVED, that City Council indicates no objection to the issuance of a building permit for the proposed development of Shake Shack at 13905 Lakeside Circle, in Section 1, PSP21-0007, subject to the following: 1) That building plans be approved by City Administration prior to issuance of a building permit; 2) That Applicant pay all costs incurred by the City in preparation of the easement vacation document(s), including attorney fees; and 3) That Applicant agrees in writing to indemnify and hold the City, its officers, and employees harmless from all damages to persons or property arising from construction activities in the existing easement prior to completion of the vacation process. Yes: All. The motion carried. 8. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS Mayor Taylor opened the floor for comments from the audience. • Benjamin Orjada – referred to the ordinance requiring the leaf removal from property and whether it applies to both front and back yards. Mayor Taylor assured they will get an answer. • Brandy White – congratulated the Mayor and Council members on their reelection; announced Friends of Foster Kids annual Christmas drive starting November 27 to wrap Christmas presents; explained the group’s purpose and urged those everyone to help with time or donations. • Unidentified resident – expressed concern about feral cats in their neighborhood; stated she takes part in the TNR (Trap / Neuter / Release) Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Page 7 program but has a neighbor who is non-compliant; provided details of the nuisance of the feral cats. Mayor Taylor suggested the resident experiencing the problem with the feral cats leave her name, address, and phone number with City Clerk Ryska, and someone will contact her within the next couple of days to see what they can do. 9. REPORTS FROM CITY ADMINISTRATION AND CITY COUNCIL Mr. Vanderpool addressed the concern expressed by Mr. Orjada, and he assured there are extenuating circumstances, so they will work with residents in those cases. He assured they are willing to work with Mr. Orjada in this case, noting they are particularly concerned about the highly visible front and side yards. He requested Mr. Orjada call or email him, and they can take a look at it. He addressed the complaint about feral cats, adding that it is a problem in various areas of the City. It often stems from feeding cats, which unfortunately creates an inviting situation. He assured they will take another look at this case, and although they have been looking at it extensively, there may be more they can do through the County or other agency. He stated they will do their best. Mayor Taylor inquired as to whether there is a specific city ordinance that prohibits people from feeding or harboring feral cats. Mr. Vanderpool stated the City has an ordinance that prohibits ground feeding, which is often the case. When the food is left on a porch or deck, it creates a problem for not only feral cats but also rodents and other critters. It is a difficult ordinance to enforce, and he added that, while the Trap/Neuter/Release Program has worked fairly well across the country, it is cumbersome and requires Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Page 8 exhaustive effort. He felt since it is not working in this case, they may have to look at some other ideas. Councilwoman Ziarko stated that Friends of Foster Kids is a non-profit organization located in the City. She noted that Judge Joseph Toia and his wife, Theresa, started this organization several years ago, taking care of forty-five children through the program. They are now up into the thousands, so she urged residents to help out, either by wrapping gifts or adopting a child for the holiday, and they can get more information on this by talking with Theresa. She also noted they help with items like coffee pots and microwaves for children who are aging out of the system and are going into an apartment after graduation. Councilman Yanez commented that Schoenherr Road is now open. He congratulated Councilwoman Ziarko for being elected as President of the Michigan Municipal League (MML), and he explained that the MML is an organization that helps city officials help their residents, being the front line in Lansing and Washington DC on local issues. He stressed it is an important organization, and he is proud to have one of their own sit on the Board and be president is a great honor. Mayor Taylor talked briefly about the history of feral cats, noting it goes back eight to ten years. He did not feel TNR works, although other options they tried did not work either. He sympathized with how disruptive the problem is for some residents, and he is confident that he and his colleagues want to do everything Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Page 9 they can to prioritize their neighborhoods. He assured they will do everything in their power to make sure this situation is solved. Mayor Taylor recognized the recent sudden passing of Aaron Walker, owner of SW Excavating. He worked closely with the Sterling Heights DPW employees, and he mentored a lot of them, so his passing will be felt in this community. Mayor Taylor wished everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and hoped they can all celebrate safely with their families. He extended a happy birthday to his soon-to- be ten-year-old son. 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 are no items for closed session this evening. 13. ADJOURN Moved by Ziarko, seconded by Schmidt, RESOLVED, to adjourn the meeting. Yes: All. The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m. MELANIE D. RYSKA, City Clerk