City Council

CITY OF STERLING HEIGHTS MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025 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: Robert Mijac, 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 Ziarko, seconded by Schmidt, RESOLVED, to approve the agenda as presented. Councilman Radtke requested that Consent Agenda Item 7-H be moved to Consideration Item 8-B. Mayor Taylor confirmed that Consent Agenda Item 7-H will be moved to Consideration Item 8-B. Yes: All. The motion carried (7/0). 5. REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER Mr. Vanderpool explained that he has a few items in his report this evening. He began by stating it is always an honor to have their State legislators here to present the good work taking place at the state level, and he noted the City of Sterling Heights fared quite well in the budget recently approved by the State, including millions of dollars more in road funding, a couple million dollars for a new ladder Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 2 truck already on order, and forthcoming legislation that will be beneficial to the Lakeside City Center project. He introduced State Senator Michael Webber to provide an update. State Senator Michael Webber congratulated everyone on their elections, adding that he is looking forward to working with all of them during their terms. He explained that he serves as the State Senator for the Ninth District, which includes Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, Utica, the Greater Rochester Area, and Troy. He informed that the state budget was approved by October 3rd, so there were no shutdowns similar to the federal government. He explained their state budget must live within its means, so he was happy to support the strong bipartisan state budget that rolls back spending for the first time in years, helps workers by eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and social security, and it makes needed investments in their roads. He emphasized that every penny paid in taxes at the pump is put back into their infrastructure. The budget is mainly positive for Sterling Heights, although it is a little mixed on the revenue-sharing. With regard to roads, Sterling Heights will be seeing an increase of approximately thirty-one percent in local road funding from the State, for a total of over $21 million annually. Macomb County will receive a thirty-six percent increase, or close to $31 million of additional money, for county and local roads. The bipartisan roads plan will invest close to $2 billion in long-term road funding, and that is expected to increase over time on an annual basis. The plan also dedicates funds to tackle their Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 3 backlog on bridge repair, so $100 million annually will be added to the Local Bridge Program. Senator Webber stated that Revenue Sharing decreased because of getting rid of the sales tax on gas, and also to try to make room for the $95 million for the Public Safety Trust Fund, of which they anticipate Sterling Heights will receive over $200,000. The Public Safety Trust Fund is for local public safety-focused programs, with additional resources for law enforcement, prosecution, and other public safety-related recruitment, retention, training, and firefighting needs. With regard to revenue sharing, they reintroduced the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund legislation in the Senate, so it has been in the House. They had bipartisan introduction on that with Senator Moss and himself, and they added Senator Cherry, so they are hoping to get it through. He referred to Mr. Vanderpool’s earlier comments about the $2.1 billion for the ladder truck, and they are proud to have put that project forward for the City of Sterling Heights. Senator Webber noted he co-chairs their Aerospace and Defense Caucus, and they were able to secure $26 million for Selfridge, which will keep their infrastructure improvements on track in preparation for the new fighter jet mission in 2028. It will also make sure that the Office of Defense and Aerospace is fully funded with the $5 million they have been allocating. This will help their aerospace and defense industry, helping them to attract the companies here. Senator Webber concluded his report by stating they are continuing to have discussions on mental health for kids and adults in state-run psychiatric hospitals. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 4 They asked for an independent audit of their Office of Recipient Rights, and the audit showed the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services failing to protect kids and adults receiving mental health treatment. The audit found eight total findings, with four being material findings, which are the most severe. They had a House Oversight Committee meeting, and he was allowed to attend to testify. There was strong bipartisan support to do something to rectify this situation, so he is working with his colleagues to fix their broken hospital system. He recommended that residents wanting more information can sign up for their monthly e-newsletter at www.senatormichaelwebber.com or call their office at (517) 373-0994. Mayor Taylor thanked Senator Webber for his transparency and providing updates to the City Council and all of the residents of Sterling Heights. Mr. Vanderpool reported that the City receiving an additional $8 million per year in state road funding—totaling $40 million over the next five years—is a significant increase. He pointed out that the City has already spent over $500 million on roads over the last ten years, so Sterling Heights is heavily vested in road improvements. He talked about upcoming needs, such as the spoke roads at Lakeside, which are not part of the Lakeside Center redevelopment, which will need to be done at a cost of about $10 million. The Conrail bridge on Metro Parkway, between Van Dyke and Mound, will cost close to $100 million, and although it is a County project, the local share could be millions of dollars, so this additional funding will provide the City with the opportunity to work with the Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 5 County and accelerate that bridge replacement that is desperately needed. They are on the cusp of a $20 million improvement for the first phase of reconstructing Ryan Road, from 14 Mile Road to Metro Parkway. This new road funding will allow them to leverage additional funding at the federal level and from other grants. He emphasized they appreciate their legislative team pushing for the needs in Sterling Heights, and he extended his appreciation to Senator Webber. Mr. Vanderpool stated the next topic on his report is parking as it relates to new development in the City. Many of the commercial centers are overparked as they were designed thirty to forty years ago, and they need to produce new standards. Many of those have been implemented already in their Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) over the last five years. He invited Dr. Jake Parcell, City Planner, to talk about a recently completed study to ramp up to the required parking/zoning ordinance changes. Dr. Jake Parcell, City Planner, stated since he started here three years ago, parking has been frequently brought up by City Council, and it has been a challenge to look at citywide. It is something that has needed reform on a broad scale, and with the comprehensive rewrite of the Zoning Ordinance, he, along with Mr. Keenan and Mr. Castor, were coming up with ideas they could try to implement throughout the City; however, with a city of this size, the land uses they have, and the existing developments made it challenging for a one-size-fits-all parking reform to be implemented. He extended thanks to their partners at Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and Michigan Economic Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 6 Development Corporation (MEDC) for the technical assistance funds to offset their Master Plan, they were able to use all of that funding from grants to get a parking study done with a team from Spalding DeDecker. The biggest request they see through Conditional Rezonings, and PUDs is parking reductions. He noted that forty-two percent of the City is built out, with hardscape and impervious surfaces, so it is something they want to chip away at by less maintenance, bringing in more greenspace and facilitating redevelopment. Their existing parking requirements, last updated in the early 2000s, are not aligned with where they are seeing the market going. They have oversized parking areas, some having thousands of spaces, which are not fully in line with the City’s Visioning 2040 sustainability and redevelopment goals. These have had to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. It is not easy for people who are trying to secure their developments, obtain approvals, and get funding in a reasonable time. They wanted to go out to bid and find a solution they can implement and give to their team for the zoning ordinance rewrite as a way forward. Dr. Parcell noted that when they adopted the Master Plan earlier this year, the word “parking” came up ninety-two times in one hundred ninety-four pages. He talked about some of their goals, including lowering parking standards and establishing maximums, incentivizing shared parking similar to the North Van Dyke Avenue area, adding bike parking, making sure they have safe sidewalk connections to parking lots from rights-of-way, and implementing EV charging readiness in all new developments in the City. They engaged a team from Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 7 Spalding DeDecker to bring forward the parking study that looks at the entire City, bringing in best practices, and the City can provide this report to the team at Giffels-Webster, along with the tool developed through this, to come up with a one-size-fits-all Sterling Heights specific parking recommendation. He invited the Spalding Decker team, including Planning Manager Cassi Meitl, and Senior Planner Kayla Mauldin, to continue with the presentation. Ms. Cassi Meitl, Planning Manager from Spalding DeDecker, explained their scope of work to conduct a citywide parking study that delivered the data needed in a usable tool in order to move forward and answering questions they had to justify off-street parking ordinance amendments in support of their Master Plan goals. They identified the important needs going into the study, including quantifying existing parking supply and utilization, looking at key nodes and corridors across the city, looking at pre-pandemic and post-pandemic data, and considering changes in use, population, and development patterns over time, as well as peak hours of operation at those businesses. She explained they looked at thirty-five private, off-street parking lots in mixed-use nodes ad corridors, they combined multiple sources in their toolbox in a usable format, pulled in the existing land use map, utilized aerial imagery every two years between 2018 and 2024, and counted cars parked in aerial images, saving it all as a tool to use moving forward. They also flew the City and collected their own imagery earlier this year, and they sent crews out into the field to conduct traditional counts. They included SEMCOG population projections and the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) Parking Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 8 Generation Manual, which is used across the nation when considering land use and peak hours for a variety of business types. They used the Zoning Ordinance and Google Maps to justify popular peak times when they visited the sites to conduct field count studies. They also referred to more traditional planning sources, guides, and other state-supported sources. She showed an example of that with the complete data set. She explained that Ms. Kayla Mauldin will present the findings from their study. Ms. Kayla Mauldin, Senior Planner for Spalding DeDecker, explained the parking study resulted in a report that can be used and it has the narrative form; however, she emphasized the GIS database that comes out of it is the valuable tool for the City. It includes land use information, as well as peak hours. They put together some high-level data to give the City an overall picture of where the parking utilization rates are. She explained the recommended percentage of utilization for parking lots, which is the number of cars parked compared to the number of spaces available, is in the range of seventy-five percent to eighty-five percent. In every parking lot they studied, occupancy never exceeded fifty-five percent, so the City is severely under-parked in all thirty-five parking lots in the study. They noticed that the ordinance requirements for the City exceeded even what the ITE Parking Generation tool recommended. The ITE Parking Generation Manual recommendations exceeded what they saw out in the field when they were conducting the counts. They looked at a few trends to see if there were any changes as a result of the pandemic, and they found there was no change in Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 9 parking utilization from pre-covid to present (2018 – 2025). General trends are that, for some uses, experiences are still occurring in person, so there is still parking generation, such as the grocery stores. Restaurants have deviated, so there is a lot of drive-through traffic as well as third-party delivery services. They ran some statistical analysis on this information, and there was a significant negative correlation, so the larger the parking lot from a total space perspective, the more likely it was to be underutilized. She cited the strip plazas or movie theaters as being the culprits for very low utilization rates. A slide was shown of one of the parking lots studied, which is a movie theater off of Van Dyke. The number of spaces required for this site by ordinance is almost 1,500 parking spaces. The number of spaces adjusted by the ITE Parking Generation Manual is much smaller, at 641 spaces. The actual number of spaces provided on site exceeds what the ordinance requires. The peak occupancy they observed was in 2023, at 348 cars on site, amounting to twenty-two percent utilization. They visited the site on a weekend evening and still did not get an occupancy higher than the peak 2023 rate. Ms. Maudlin explained that, in addition to the data, they did a thorough review of Sterling Heights’ existing zoning ordinances, looking at the off-street parking requirements. They also looked at their landscape ordinances and pedestrian mobility ordinances, drive-through requirements and other standards related to parking. There are some limitations with the existing ordinance, although there are some great things the City has started implementing, and with some slight Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 10 tweaks, it will make it easier to utilize those tools and be able to grant parking reductions where warranted. They found the mixed-use overlay districts allow parking reductions, but those are in places where new developments are not often proposed. There is also a level of discretionary review that makes it difficult for the applicant to understand the level of parking reduction that would be allowed. Parallel parking and on-street parking configurations are currently prohibited unless it is through the PUD process. Ms. Maudlin explained that shared use parking is currently allowed, so if two businesses adjacent to each other but having different hours of operation can share their parking; however, there is a footnote that states if that shared parking calculation is utilized, anything reduced from what would normally be required by ordinance has to be reserved on the site as a “reserved parking field”. She pointed out a lot of applicants do not feel it is worth doing this because it is more costly over time to use this rather than to just pave it at the beginning. She added that shared parking reductions are only granted for uses that have zero overlap in hours. Ms. Maudlin stated this study provides some very clear recommendations for changing the ordinances to address some of these challenges, but the Parking Study does not write the ordinances, as that will come later through a much more comprehensive process with Dr. Parcell and his team, involving public input, public hearings, and the standard process. She advised that the study objectives were to lower parking minimums and establish maximums, incentivize shared parking, address bike parking and pedestrian pathways, incentivize shared Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 11 facilities and sidewalk connections, and create requirements for EV charging in parking lots. They looked at this from a demand perspective and made a more robust analysis with peer review of other community ordinances, and looking at redevelopment-ready communities and best practices for parking flexibility. They also looked at the Michigan Association of Planning’s Zoning Reform Toolkit, Parking Reform Network, and other resources that are available to planners and engineers when looking at policy changes. They produced ten recommendations that are specifically related to ordinances, but they did not draft the actual language. She indicated they provided very clear recommendations, along with case studies and next steps for implementation. She felt the Appendix of this Parking Study will be very interesting to this group, which includes a table of proposed parking minimums and maximums, and they tested those for each of the parking lots they studied to make sure what they found in the data was consistent what they were recommending for the ordinance to get to the seventy- five to eighty-five percent utilization range. They provided some examples of how to do the shared parking calculations, a parking shared-use agreement model, and other specific ordnance recommendations to address other factors that came up during the study. She turned the presentation over to Dr. Parcell to talk about the next steps. Dr. Parcell stated this is very exciting because, while nothing is codified yet through the Zoning Ordinance, the language has not been drafted, but they are already seeing the ability for the staff to use this in a practical application. There Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 12 is a plaza at 16-1/2 Mile and Van Dyke that has been approved, and it has 999 parking spaces there, only ever utilized from ninety to one-hundred parking spaces on an observed count. The plaza is one hundred percent full, with two anchor tenants, multiple restaurants, and a church, the parking lot is too big. They used this tool to review this parking lot, and through approval from Council, they reduced 150 parking spaces, they are getting fifty-four trees, almost two hundred shrubs, and a 4,500-square-foot plaza that provides safe access for pedestrians from the right-of-way up to the front of the building. This is the model they want to use as people look to right-size their parking, and they have the rationale now through their GIS tool that is proprietary to the City to encourage people to do this. To reduce maintenance, they can add green space, trees, and landscaping, and it will help to break up parking throughout the City. They have a Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update that will be coming before Council in 2026, and parking is most likely the most difficult part to get over for that, as the City has 36 square miles, thousands of parking lots all different and utilized in different ways, so all of their recommendations will be streamlined into their zoning reform. They will continue to utilize the tools they have and are using to help incentivize the redevelopment of sites, bring in vegetation, green space and pedestrian amenities that can be incorporated into existing lots to help with maintenance. This can be done in a way that makes it easier for the people in the community to enjoy, to maintain, and to redevelop with. He emphasized that the Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 13 Spalding DeDecker team did an amazing job on this study, and it will be shared with Council following this meeting. They look forward to using this in application. Mr. Vanderpool stated there will be much more to come on this. After Council has a chance to look at this, he anticipates they will have some thoughts and ideas as they move forward with the actual Zoning Ordinance changes, so they look forward to continued feedback. Mayor Taylor expressed his appreciation for the presentation, noting there was a lot of good information included. He opened the floor for comments and questions from the Council. Councilman Radtke stated he is excited to read this report. He questioned what they used as their “based on occupancy rate” when determining the parking. He cited that in reading information about parking, many times they shoot for eighty- to eighty-five percent occupancy rate. Ms. Maudlin replied that they were trying to be a little more realistic with the current conditions, so they were looking at seventy-five percent. She noted that seventy-five to eighty-five percent is generally seen as acceptable for parking utilization. She clarified that it is for non-residential parking because residential parking has a different rate. Councilman Radtke was hoping to get their occupancy rate a little higher, because the biggest drawback to creating a more vibrant, walkable, connected community are the massive areas of parking that inhibit walking and create unsafe situations. He cited the example of walking in Chicago, where people have to park a number Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 14 of blocks away from their destination and that is normal, but here, people are upset if they have to park at the back of a Meijer parking lot and walk a distance to the door. He questioned Ms. Maudlin’s thoughts on the ITE Manual and whether they are still overshooting the conditions on the ground, and whether this is the time to correct it. Ms. Maudlin stated that is a great question that she is not sure she is equipped to answer. The ITE Parking Generation Manual is crowd-sourced data, so it comes from multiple places throughout the nation. They try to break it down by context, and Sterling Heights is considered suburban. She referred back to the occupancy question, noting that the appendix table sets minimums and maximums. The minimum may be higher on the occupancy scale, but the maximum may be lower. It allows flexibility for the developer to come in and specify what they really need. She added they provided recommendations on parking reductions and what standards they may look at to add an additional reduction, so it provides a multi- level approach. There are times they will want to look at site conditions and determine best case scenario for that specific property. Their hope is to provide the City with the tools to be able to do that. Councilman Radtke questioned setting only parking minimums, noting that many developers feel they should go beyond the minimum. He questioned Ms. Maudlin’s thoughts on setting parking maximums. Ms. Maudlin stated that is why they set maximums. They want to make sure that developers are not building more parking than required because they do not want Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 15 to put in landscaping or meet the other requirements and standards that the City is trying to achieve through their sustainability goals. Councilman Radtke stressed that is a major concern because there are a number of businesses on the Zoning Board of Appeals agenda this month trying to get out of minimum landscaping and maximum parking because they would prefer to pave over their entire site. He pointed to the MJR site as an example of a property with excessive parking. He noted that if the city used the ITE parking standard as a maximum—and actual usage is well below that—it could free up roughly half of the existing parking lot for redevelopment. This could allow for a new building facing MJR, which he felt would be a tremendous improvement. He added that repurposing these over-parked sites would support community growth without disturbing the natural areas that many residents want to protect. He stated he is looking forward to reading the study. Ms. Maudlin noted that they have identified their Future Land Use vision for the corridors and nodes, if they are requiring the parking to remain, it will not be possible. Dr. Parcell commended Spalding DeDecker for the amazing job they did on this study. There will not be one solution for every parcel in the City, and they very well may end up proposing in a few months parking maximums in some locations, and different parking standards elsewhere, based on digging deeper into this. Their biggest goal is to increase landscaping, increase greenspace, and break up parking lots to make them more pedestrian-friendly. They have an upcoming $40 million Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 16 redevelopment at the former Gateway/Walmart parking lot that will include a pedestrian walkway from the ring road to the front of Walmart. Without this study and this tool, those types of redevelopments will not be possible in the City when they cannot show that the data is going to make it work. This is a proprietary tool that is the City’s to use, and recommendations that will fuel incredible zoning reform. They presented it at the Planning Conference, and he credited Ms. Maudlin for doing an amazing job presenting it. People across the state have been asking for the study and asking how they did it. Councilman Radtke stated this is very exciting. He understands this is all about commercial parking and commercial corridors. He supports shared-use parking, and noted that one thing they haven’t done is account for situations where a commercial site borders a residential street with parallel parking, or where an apartment building sits at the corner of a residential street with available parallel parking. In those cases, on-street spaces have been left out of the calculations. It seems that those spaces should be calculated as part of shared parking, because no one parks on the street other than residents. He is hoping that it will be reformed, and they will think about calculation for shared spaces, noting the parallel parking on the streets is paid for by the City and maintained by the City. Mayor Taylor appreciated the presentation, adding it is very eye-opening. It shows the decisions the City Council makes impact people for decades. Mr. Vanderpool continued his report, stating that back in April, City Council passed a very innovative collaborative initiative with the City of Warren called the Arsenal Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 17 Alliance. That initiative combined forces between the City of Sterling Heights and the City of Warren. It is the first time there was an agreement like that, whereby each city is contributing $250,000 per year, and over multiple years, that equates to millions of dollars to protect and grow defense and aerospace assets in the two cities. This is extremely important because thousands of jobs depend on this initiative, and it is because of the power of collaboration that this can be accomplished. They began looking at other ways they could partner with the City of Warren to combine forces and share resources, being Macomb County’s two largest cities. This is important, especially in times of emergencies and weather events, etc. He invited Department of Public Works Director Michael Moore to talk more about this new interlocal agreement with the City of Warren and how it will benefit both communities. Department of Public Works Director Michael Moore stated he is thrilled to present an exciting new interlocal agreement that strengthens the partnership between the City of Sterling Heights and the City of Warren through mutual aid for their Department of Public Works. This agreement enables either city to request assistance when extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather events, infrastructure failures, or waste management challenges exceed local resources. This agreement will enhance public safety and emergency preparedness, strengthen intercity cooperation and resource sharing, and ensure critical public works operations continue during times of crisis. This forward-thinking step enhances resiliency to both communities, and he is excited to bring it forward this Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 18 evening. This mutual aid agreement builds on the strong foundation of intercity cooperation that Mr. Vanderpool just expressed, noting that Sterling Heights and Warren already collaborate through several mutual aid programs, including the Macomb County Chiefs of Police Association, Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), Arsenal Alliance Parnership promoting regional growth, and cooperation in the use of Parks and Recreation amenities. This collaboration aligns with their Guiding Principles of Public Safety, Sustainability, and Collaboration, ensuring both communities are better prepared for shared challenges. He explained that emergency public works services covered by the agreement include but are not limited to sewer and water main repairs, catch basin and infrastructure maintenance, snow removal and salting, refuse, recycling, and yard waste removal, tree trimming and removal, and other essential public works functions. He emphasized these services reflect their commitment to sustainability and enriched living while maintaining a safe and resilient environment for residents. He outlined some of the operational details, assuring that both cities affirm that their DPW personnel are qualified to perform essential public works functions under this agreement. The agreement establishes the framework for reciprocal service support, including provisions for reimbursement, insurance coverage, liability protection, and mutual indemnification. Each city’s residents receive priority service before aid is provided to the other city. Each city typically bears its own personnel cost except for waste removal services, which would be a time and materials charge from Warren to Sterling Heights. Key Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 19 benefits of the mutual aid agreement include the following: strengthens regional cooperation, enhances emergency response capabilities, promotes efficient resource sharing and cost control, builds on the existing mutual aid partnerships, and supports community resilience. Mr. Moore explained that through this agreement, they advance their vision of a connected sustainable city, and their values of collaboration and innovation create a stronger and safer city for all residents. He thanked everyone who worked collaboratively to bring this agreement together, including the entire Warren team, City Manager Mark Vanderpool, City Attorney Marc Kaszubski, and Assistant City Manager Dale Dwojakowski. He stressed that this partnership reflects the spirit of their Guiding Principles and Core Values: excellence, proactive, responsive, and collaboration that benefits both communities. Mr. Vanderpool stated that this item was on the Warren City Council agenda this evening and was approved. It is on the City’s Consent Agenda this evening. It is unique and creative, and he is not aware of another group of cities doing this across the state, so he believes they are leading the way, with the beneficiaries being the businesses and residents in both cities, minimizing tax expenditures in both communities. Mr. Vanderpool stated he has a couple of housekeeping issues to cover in his report, informing that the ice rink opens in less than two weeks. It will be open on Monday, December 1st, 2025, and it has become a destination for residents of all ages and is widely utilized. He reminded that the City facilities will be closed on Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 20 November 27th and 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no refuse collection on Thursday, so there will be a one-day delay, with Thursday’s collection taking place on Friday, and Friday’s collection taking place on Saturday. Mr. Vanderpool concluded his report by requesting that City Council convene a Closed Session at the close of tonight’s agenda, pursuant to Section 8-H of the Open Meetings Act for Council to consult with the City Attorney regarding a confidential written legal opinion. 6. PRESENTATIONS A. Mayor Taylor stated this is to acknowledge and accept a donation by Ford Motor Company, to sponsor an Inspiring Green Project as an Inspire Partner. He invited Marketing & Communications Manager Marissa Russo to give the presentation. Marketing & Communications Manager Marissa Russo provided an update on the City’s Inspiring Green Initiative and recognized a new community partner, whose support will have a lasting impact on their City. She explained that Inspiring Green is the City’s long-term commitment to enhancing and sustaining the tree canopy, improving air quality, and strengthening the overall environmental resilience of Sterling Heights. Since the program was launched, they have worked closely with residents, businesses, and community organizations to plant trees, restore green spaces, and build a healthier future. This initiative was inspired from a conversation about how they could bring more light into their “Adopt-A-Road” project and to get more people to help beautify their roadways. The Inspiring Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 21 Green project allows people to participate at all levels, although three additional levels were created that people or organizations could sponsor to make a bigger impact. Ms. Russo stated she is proud to announce today that Ford Motor Company’s Van Dyke Electric Power Train Center, located on Van Dyke, between 18 Mile and 18-1/2 Mile Road, has joined the City as an Inspired Partner with a generous $30,000 contribution. This investment directly supports tree-plantings throughout the City’s medians, parks, and neighborhoods, or helps them move closer to their Vision 2040 goals for sustainability and livability. She explained that, in return for their generous donation, they are given some items to provide them with some recognition and bring light to this program, including a 36-inch by 36- inch round sign on the designated roadway, and they will plant up to 75 to 80 trees or eco-friendly landscaping and plantings. There will be social media posts, along with something in the City magazine and e-Newsletter, on the website, a ribbon- cutting upon conclusion of that project, and presentation this evening. She talked about the tree species they will see in this project, all native to Michigan, including the Tulip Tree, Kentucky Coffee Tree, Princeton Elm Tree, and Black Gum Tree. She invited the representatives from Ford Motor Company to the podium to speak. Audrey Joslyn, In-Plant Environmental Control Engineer at Ford Motor Company’s Van Dyke Electric Power Train Center, thanked everyone for the opportunity to be present this evening, and she introduced Carey Holt, from the Corporate Environmental Team. They are here tonight on behalf of Ford Motor Company to Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 22 present a check to help with the Inspiring Green Project and to plant trees in front of their property to make the City beautiful. Ms. Russo stressed the City is deeply grateful for Ford’s leadership and commitment to advancing the greener, more sustainable community in Sterling Heights. Their partnership reflects the strong relationship they continue to build in Sterling Heights, where businesses do not just operate but care about contributing to the quality of life for community members. Moved by Radtke, seconded by Sierawski, RESOLVED, to acknowledge and accept the donation by Ford Motor Company of $30,000 to sponsor an Inspiring Green Project as an Inspire Partner. Councilman Radtke thanked Ford Motor Company for this generous donation, noting it is the second corporate sponsorship they have had in a couple of months. He stated it is inspiring and will activate that area. This area, which just got sidewalks a couple of years ago, thanks to Ford’s generous support, is much easier for pedestrians to walk, and this is one more step in improving this area, and it will add a lot of curb appeal to their property. He considers this a great gift that will be appreciated, and he is confident the residents are already seeing the difference in the tree-plantings taking place. Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski thanked Ford for this sponsorship, both as a Councilwoman and also as a resident, noting she lives at 18 Mile and Utica Road. It is a very busy area, and it has been shown that trees being planted can calm traffic, so with the crazy off-ramp from M-53 at that location, she is hoping this will help that, as well as beautify the City. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 23 Mayor Taylor stated $30,000 is a lot of money, regardless of who is donating it, and it definitely shows they are committed to this community, and they want to improve it. He is confident they will feel the benefits as well, and the City is very excited about it. He thanked them once again for their leadership. Yes: All. The motion carried (7/0). A group photo was taken with the Mayor, City Council, and the representatives from Ford Motor Company. 7. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Taylor stated this item is consideration of the Consent Agenda as amended, with the elimination of Item 7-H, which has been moved to Consideration Item 8- B. He opened the floor for comments from the public, but no one spoke. Moved by Ziarko, seconded by Schmidt, RESOLVED, to approve the Consent Agenda as amended: A. To approve the minutes of the November 5th, 2025 Regular Meeting. B. To approve payment of the bills as presented: General Fund - $726,149.29, Water & Sewer Fund - $3,789,716.87, Other Funds - $3,642,474.71, Total Checks - $8,158,340.87. C. RESOLVED, to: 1. Approve a professional services agreement between the City and Cervenak Law, PLLC, 24518 Harper Avenue, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080 for Managed Assigned Council Coordinator Services, for a forty-five (45) month period from January 1, 2026 through September 30, 2029; 2. Authorize the City Manager to extend this agreement for two (2) additional two(2)-year periods upon mutual consent of all parties; and, 3. Authorize the City Manager to sign the professional services agreement on behalf of the City. D. RESOLVED, to approve the resolution adopting the Macomb County Hazard Mitigation Plan for the period of 2025 to 2030. E. RESOLVED, to approve a Master Subscription & Services Agreement between the City of Sterling Heights and VelocityEHS, Inc., 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1750, Chicago, IL 60654, for the purchase of SDS Management Software, at annual pricing provided subject to 5% Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 24 annual increases, and authorize the City Manager to sign the agreement and the customer order form on behalf of the City. F. RESOLVED, to approve the Interlocal Service Agreement for Emergency Department of Public Works (DPW) Services between the City of Sterling Heights and the City of Warren, and to authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign all necessary documents on behalf of the City. G. RESOLVED, to award a bid for interior and exterior window cleaning to Elevate Window Cleaning, LLC., 25245 Send Street, Roseville, MI 48066, for a one (1) year period at unit pricing bid and authorize the City Manager to extend this award for one (1) additional year at unit pricing bid upon mutual consent. H. This item was moved to Consideration Item 8-B on tonight’s agenda. I. RESOLVED, to accept a quote for a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 4WD PPV from Berger Chevrolet, Inc., 2525 28th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI 49512, at pricing and terms available through MiDeal cooperative contract no. 240000001191, for a total cost of $45,989. J. RESOLVED, to: 1. Accept a proposal from People Driven Technology, 6300 Venture Hills Boulevard SW, Byron Center, MI 49315, for annual licensing agreements for Veeam Backup & Replication software, at unit pricing available through OMNIA contract no. 01-169, through January 16, 2027, and authorize the City Manager to sign the enclosed quote on the city's behalf, and; 2. Authorize the City Manager to renew this agreement for one (1) additional one (1) year term under the same terms and conditions through January 16, 2028. K. RESOLVED, to: 1. Purchase one (1) Flygt submersible sewage pump with associated accessories from Kennedy Industries, 4925 Holtz Drive, Wixom, MI 48393; and 2. To approve a budget amendment in the amount of $14,957.00 to cover the cost of this purchase utilizing unspent funds budgeted from the 2024/2025 fiscal year. L. RESOLVED, to: 1. Approve the renewal of the following software packages with UKG Kronos Systems, LLC, 3040 Route 22 West, Suite 200, Branchburg, NJ 08876, for one year, utilizing competitive unit pricing available through OMNIA Contract no. 24-6833; a a. UKG Ready Time, UKG Ready Leave, and UKG Ready Accruals for a first-year total of $37,229.58 b. UKG Ready HR and UKG Ready Recruiting for a first-year total of $30,070.04 c. UKG Telestaff Cloud for a first-year total of $35,217.21 Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 25 2. Authorize the City Manager to sign the quotes to facilitate this renewal, and; 3. Authorize the City Manager to renew this agreement for three (3) additional one (1) year periods through November 30, 2029, under the terms outlined in OMNIA Contract no. 24-6833, with annual cost increases not to exceed 4%. M. RESOLVED, to receive the lawsuit, Ariel Robinson v. City of Sterling Heights; Macomb County Circuit Court Case No. 25-000987-NI. Yes: All. The motion carried (7/0). 8. CONSIDERATION A. Mayor Taylor stated this is to consider a request to transfer ownership of an escrowed 2024 Class C liquor license, with Dance-Entertainment Permit, from Wise Properties, Inc. to One York Inc. and transfer location from 42305 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, Michigan to 13937 Lakeside Circle, Sterling Heights, Michigan. He opened the floor for public comment. Mr. Min Kyn Kim, applicant, stated he would like to purchase a liquor license in order to offer the full dining experience in his restaurant. They are currently a fast casual restaurant called Kimchi Box, and although he now has eight locations in Michigan, this location in Sterling Heights was his first location. He started in 2021 here in Sterling Heights. He will be investing in revamping the space to accommodate alcohol, and he will train all of his servers to be a full-service restaurant. It will be an Asian street food experience, and he would appreciate if he could be approved this evening. Moved by Sierawski, seconded by Radtke, RESOLVED, that the request to transfer ownership of an escrowed 2024 Class C liquor license, with Sunday Sales Permit (PM), and Dance/Entertainment Permit, from Wise Properties, Inc. to One York Inc., and transfer location from 42305 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, Michigan to 13937 Lakeside Circle, Sterling Heights, Michigan, be considered for approval. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 26 Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski stated she has not yet eaten at his restaurant, and she inquired as to what is on his menu. Mr. Kim explained his menu currently consists of Korean fried chicken, as well as Bibimbap, which is a rice bowl with a variety of vegetables, Korean barbeque items, Bulgogi, and Spicy Pork and Chicken. He explained that, with the addition of alcohol, they will most likely add more items as well as soups and ramen. Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski questioned whether the Korean barbeque offered at the restaurant is similar to the K-Pot experience, where customers self-grill their food. Mr. Kim replied he would not have a self-serve grill, but rather they serve the cooked barbeque food to the table. Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski stated she would prefer to have her food prepared for her, so she likes that better. She stated it sounds like he knows what he is doing since he was able to grow to eight locations and during a pandemic. Mr. Kim pointed out that the Sterling Heights location is very big, and it is on Hall Road, which is heavily traveled, so he believes it makes sense to be able to offer alcohol, especially during the dinner hours. He replied to inquiry that he has already applied to the State for the license transfer, and he believes it has already been approved. Councilman Radtke stated he is happy Mr. Kim is investing in this location, and he inquired as to whether he intends to make this a full-service restaurant, or whether Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 27 it will still be casual fast-food with more of a street food experience. He added that he has eaten at this location and it is very good. Mr. Kim stated he will be transitioning to more of a full-service restaurant. The space is big, and with selling alcohol, it will make sense to have waiters and waitresses. Councilman Radtke questioned whether he is planning to change the name of the restaurant. Mr. Kim replied to inquiry that he has no plans to change the restaurant name at this time. He replied to further inquiry that he is already operating two full-service alcohol establishments, with one in Ann Arbor and one in Northville. Councilman Radtke does not see any problem with this request, and he felt he has shown he can do business in the City, and this will just be an addition to his current business. Councilwoman Schmidt stated that all of her questions have been answered. She noticed that the liquor licenses come with a dance permit. Although she is fairly certain of the answer, she questioned whether Mr. Kim is intending to have dancing and entertainment at his facility. Mr. Kim assured he will be having no dancing or entertainment. Councilwoman Schmidt expressed excitement for Mr. Kim, congratulating him on doing a phenomenal job expanding his business the way he has, especially through the pandemic. She wished him well. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 28 Mr. Kim thanked the City Council, noting he started five years ago, and he had just renewed his lease for another five years. He indicated he plans on being there for many more years. Councilwoman Schmidt noted there will be a lot of building that will be taking place at the Lakeside Center, so he may want to renew it for even longer. Mayor Taylor commented that he is glad Kimchi Box is there, because his kid’s favorite restaurant was Pei Wei, and they shed some tears when it closed; however, his kids now love Kimchi Box. He is looking forward to seeing how Mr. Kim transitions from fast casual to a more traditional dining experience will be interesting. He complimented him on the great food, and he is happy to have him here in Sterling Heights. Yes: All. The motion carried (7/0). B. (formerly Consent Agenda Item 7-H) Mayor Taylor stated this was formerly Consent Agenda Item 7-H, which is to award a bid for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the East Hampton Storm Pump Station (total cost of $263,083). He opened the floor for public comment, but no one spoke. Moved by Radtke, seconded by Sierawski, RESOLVED, to: 1. Award a bid for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the East Hampton Storm Pump Station to L. D’Agostini & Sons, Inc., 15801 23 Mile Road, Macomb Township, MI 48042, at unit pricing bid, and; 2. Approve a budget amendment in the amount of $263,083 to cover the cost of this purchase utilizing unspent funds budgeted from the 2024/2025 fiscal year. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 29 Councilman Radtke explained he pulled this item to show the residents some of the costs involved in storm water in Sterling Heights. They talked about the possibility of establishing a storm water utility and are currently doing a study on it. He pointed out this is an example of how the General Fund essentially funds the storm water utility. He questioned whether this pump station being rehabilitated is about fifty years old. Department of Public Works Director Michael Moore replied to inquiry that is correct, and it is a complete restoration from its original condition. He replied to further inquiry that they have about twenty similar stations throughout the City, and none of them have been rehabilitated to date. Councilman Radtke calculated that they could have about twenty of these stations at an estimated cost of $250,000 or more for each. Mr. Moore replied that is correct, although every restoration will be a little different. Just before Covid, they had a very comprehensive evaluation of storm water and sanitary assets throughout the City. At that time, they hired Anderson, Eckstein, & Westrick (AEW), a consultant firm, and they went through and evaluated all storm and sanitary assets. This particular station is one of five that are on their docket to be updated, and this is the first. Councilman Radtke pointed out that they are looking at about $1 million in storm water repairs just for the pumping stations. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 30 Mr. Moore stated that is very possible, although each site will have different things that need to be replaced, so the cost could vary, although Councilman Radtke’s calculation is a fair estimate. Councilman Radtke reiterated that is only for the pumping stations, but there are other storm water assets throughout the community. He emphasized they have a lot of underground infrastructure that goes unnoticed and that residents do not see, but when it is updated, it involves a tremendous expense. He questioned if this pump station were to fail, residents would be flooded. Mr. Moore replied to inquiry that is correct, and the streets would flood. Everything from the streets would start to back up over the roads. Councilman Radtke stated he will be voting in favor of this today, but he emphasized it is an example of why a storm water utility is necessary for the community. It is currently coming out of General Fund, but if they charge large consumers for their runoff, this would bring in the revenue to support these repairs and it would not be a hindrance on the backs of the residents when certain property owners are using the system a lot more than others. Yes: All. The motion carried (7/0). 9. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS Mayor Taylor opened the floor for communications from citizens for any item not on tonight’s agenda, but no one spoke. 10. REPORTS FROM CITY ADMINISTRATION AND CITY COUNCIL Mr. Vanderpool stated he had nothing further to add this evening. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 31 Councilman Yanez noticed in his travels a significant number of road drains that are plugged with leaves and debris. He understands they generally do street cleaning in the spring, but he questioned whether DPW will be cleaning these drains before they start having heavy snowfalls. Mr. Vanderpool replied affirmatively, noting that Mr. Moore could provide a more detailed response. He explained they do it every year, although it is better to wait until the majority of the leaves have fallen. Mr. Moore explained that they typically monitor leaf buildup and check for debris on the catch basins. He acknowledged that Mr. Vanderpool is correct, noting that they try to schedule their cleaning once the majority of leaves have fallen. This work is part of their fall maintenance, they begin clearing those areas and ask residents, when possible, to help keep them clear, which is appreciated. When temperatures are above freezing, street sweepers also run along the curb lines to remove leaves. Councilman Yanez questioned whether this is done strictly with the street sweepers, or whether they have crews that go out with shovels. Mr. Moore replied to inquiry that they do both. They have routes for streets, and they generally do five rotations throughout the City as long as it is not freezing. If it is too cold, those areas are identified, and crews will be sent out to get the leaves out of the catch basins. He assured they will all be cleaned up. Councilwoman Schmidt questioned whether Mr. Vanderpool has a tentative date for the reopening of Utica Road between Metro Parkway and Hayes. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 32 Mr. Vanderpool replied to inquiry that it is a county road project, but it is on schedule and the latest assessment he has heard is that it will be completed by the end of December. Councilwoman Schmidt questioned the status of 14 Mile Road, between Van Dyke and Maple Lane. She noted there are two lanes completed, but there are still two lanes that have the manhole covers set two inches above the asphalt. Mr. Vanderpool explained that is also scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The asphalt plants stay open until the end of the year, although they can sometimes stay open a little longer. The goal is to get all of these projects done by the end of the year, although a few may extend a few weeks into January. Councilwoman Schmidt stated she and her family want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and a safe and blessed holiday with family and friends. Mayor Pro-Tem Sierawski cautioned everyone to be careful of black ice as the weather changes, to walk carefully, and she advised women to avoid high heels and wear something safer with a lower heel. On behalf of herself and her family, she wished everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. Councilman Radtke wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving. He spoke to Mr. Vanderpool about this, but they are enacting Project Zero in Sterling Heights to prevent pedestrian and car fatalities. Without objection, he would like to change how these accidents are reports to Council. He would like to see an “after accident” report, including why these accidents occurred, and what changes they could make to prevent it. He used a fictional example of a location at 18-1/2 Mile Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 33 and Van Dyke, noting that if vehicles are turning into the crosswalk and striking pedestrians, it may be possible to prohibit right turns on red. They hear about these accidents, but they are not close to Project Zero, and if Council could hear more about these accidents and the causes, they may be able to look at better situations for pedestrians. He would like this information to be included in the Council packets when these accidents occur. Mayor Taylor questioned whether Council members have any objections, but no one spoke. Councilman Radtke pointed out that they do not have a traffic engineer in the City, yet they are looking at engineering streets to be safer for both pedestrians and cars. It would be helpful to have some staff support to make streets and pathways even safer. When they are looking at Strategic Planning and next year’s budget, he felt they should look at ways they could get more help for them. He explained they have placed Mr. Bashaw in charge of Project Zero, but he felt they should also give him some support, possibly someone whose engineering training is on making streets safer. He is not making a specific suggestion at this point, but he suggested they start thinking about this in the budget process. He felt Mr. Bashaw would appreciate it. Mayor Taylor welcomed Mr. Mijac to City Council and is excited to have his leadership here, noting he has had a long history of serving the residents of Sterling Heights. He wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 34 Mayor Taylor stated, without objection from City Council, he would like to get a better understanding of the City’s Police Department and how they partner with the federal government. He is aware they have a Task Force, they work with the DEA and the FBI, and they have official partnerships where they have officers on loan, but he would like a list of all of the programs, task forces, etc. that the City of Sterling Heights Police Department is involved in that are in partnership with the FBI, Department of Justice, or any other federal agency. He would like to understand how these partnerships came about, how long they have been in place, and he would like some analysis of the costs and the benefits, both from the City’s standpoint and the federal government’s standpoint. Mayor Taylor stated it seems these have come about over a period of many years, but he does not have a firm understanding of what they are now, the long-term outlook, how effective they have been, and what tangible results they have seen. He does not think this needs to be done by the next Council meeting, but he would like to see a report within the next sixty to ninety days. He questioned whether Council has any objections. Councilman Yanez stated he has no objection, and he is also curious about this information, but he questioned what prompted Mayor Taylor to mention this, and whether it is strictly curiosity or whether he feels there is a problem. Mayor Taylor replied to inquiry he is not bringing it up simply out of curiosity, and he assured he does not want to step into something he cannot get out of, but he stated he is very troubled by what he sees out of the federal government now. He Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 35 considers it very distressing, particularly in regard to law enforcement. He knows they have partnerships with the DEA and the FBI, and he is aware they have dedicated officers working hard and placing themselves in harms way to interdict drugs, yet they have federal partners who are literally murdering people with complete impunity. They are blasting drug boats in the Caribbean without providing evidence. He emphasized that people cannot be killed because the government thinks they are doing something wrong. He stated they are not at war, and if it is felt that they are doing something wrong, they should be arrested and placed on trial, so they have their day in court. He added that what he is seeing coming out of ICE is one of the most troubling things he has seen in his entire lifetime. He does not understand in what way the City is partnering with the federal government, particularly policing agencies, and the Department of Justice. He does not know whether the priorities and values the City Council has set to be a welcoming community that is inclusive of people align with the federal administration’s assault on traditional American values. He does not believe they are aligned, but he is interested to see if the benefits the City’s residents are receiving by being a part of these federal partnerships are worthwhile continuing. Councilwoman Ziarko stated Mayor Taylor’s concerns were well-stated. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was no unfinished business. 12. NEW BUSINESS There was no new business. 13. CLOSED SESSION PERMITTED UNDER ACT 267 OF 1976 Regular City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Page 36 Mr. Kaszubski stated there is one item for closed session this evening. Moved by Ziarko, seconded by Schmidt, RESOLVED, to recess into Closed Session. Roll Call Vote: Yes: Mijac, Radtke, Schmidt, Sierawski, Taylor, Yanez, Ziarko No: None. Absent: None. The motion carried (7/0). The meeting recessed into Closed Session at 8:26 p.m. 14. ADJOURN Council adjourned from Closed Session at 9:21 p.m. MELANIE D. RYSKA, City Clerk