No.
Thank you.
Ready?
I'm now calling to order a regular meeting of City Council,
Tuesday, April 14th, 2026, at 7:00 PM.
Please stand for the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of
America, and to the republic for which it stands, one
nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all.
Roll call, Madam Secretary.
Councilwoman Roggensack.
Here.
Councilwoman McGee.
Here.
Councilman Dwyer.
Here.
Councilman Boyke.
Here.
Councilman Noonan.
Present.
Councilman Lafferty.
Here.
Councilwoman Moore. We have a quorum.
Next item.
Next item is four, adoption of the consent agenda. So moved.
Support Lafferty.
Any discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I will call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Ms. McGee?
Yes.
Roggensack is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is five, adoption of the agenda.
So moved with discussion.
Support Lafferty.
Okay.
Adding as item 12-C, resolution
authorizing proposed settlement of pending litigation in the matter
of Corey Williams-
I just want to--
Yeah, you're good ... versus City of Warren.
As 12-D, resolution authorizing proposed settlement of
pending litigation in the matter of Caprina
Johnson versus City of Warren. As item 12-E,
resolution to retain Kavanaugh and Casada
PLLC for contract legal services at the
Wastewater Treatment Plant. Also,
a resolution recognizing April as Sexual
Assault Awareness Month in the City of Warren.
And I believe that is it for me.
Madam Secretary.
Mr. Lafferty.
Is that resolution 9A?
Yes. Sorry.
Thank you.
Any other discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I will call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Ms. McGee.
Yes.
Roggensack is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 6A, calendar of pending matters.
Motion to receive and file.
Support Lafferty.
Any discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I will call the question.
All in favor say aye.
Aye.
Any opposed?
Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 7A, approval of the bills of the general
revenue funds. So moved.
Support Lafferty.
Any discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I will call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Ms. McGee?
Yes.
Roggensack is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 7B, approval of the bills of the water and sewer
systems. So moved.
Support Dwyer.
Any discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I will call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Ms. McGee?
Yes.
Roggensack is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is general fund revenue report for February
2026. Motion to receive and file.
Support Lafferty.
Any discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I'll call the question. All in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?
Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is
7D, general fund expenditure report for February
2026. Motion to receive and file.
Support Lafferty.
Any discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I will call the question. All in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?
Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is eight, audience participation for agenda items
only.
Members of the audience who would like to address City Council this
evening may do so by picking up an audience
form at the end of this stage.
It's 2C, CDBG.
Got it.
At the end of this stage. Everyone has three minutes.
This is for agenda items only. There is a second audience at the
end of the meeting for general topics.
First up is Laurie Harris.
Okay.
And CDBG is 10A.
Hi, Laurie Harris. I want to talk about 13C.
I'm glad to see that here on the agenda.
And I have been to the library meetings,
and I have said there, I don't believe that the library should be paying
for a guard. I believe that the city has a problem that
they need to fix, and that problem is how to deal with
homelessness. And for the mayor to
just blatantly promise to the
community that every library is a homeless shelter
is not right. The librarians, the library
staff were not instructed,
or talked to about it. The Library Commission did not vote on it,
to have all the libraries be warming shelters.
And the Library Commission runs the library,
not the mayorI also think that my tax
dollars need to go to the library and the services it can provide,
not to paying for a guard at a library.
And
I believe that it's the city's responsibility to pay for this.
So I would hope that this is denied. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Harris. I have a Kara and a Stacy who
are wanting to speak at the
public hearings. I'll call you back up during the public hearing, which is
10A, and you can have your time then.
Okay, end of audience. Next item.
Next item is announcements, 9A.
Madam Chair?
Ms. Moore.
This is a resolution declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in
the City of Warren. Whereas sexual assault, domestic violence, and human
trafficking remain serious public safety and public health issues affecting
residents of the City of Warren and the broader community.
And whereas the City of Warren has demonstrated its commitment to addressing
these issues through collaboration with community-based organizations,
including Turning Point Macomb, a nonprofit organization
providing comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence,
sexual assault, and human trafficking.
And whereas the city, through initiatives such as coordinated law
enforcement and victim advocacy efforts, has worked to
improve outcomes for survivors and increase accountability for
offenders. And whereas the month of April is nationally recognized as
Sexual Assault Awareness Month. And whereas the City Council
finds that promoting awareness, encouraging reporting, and strengthening
coordinated responses are essential to protecting the health, safety, and
welfare of the public. Now therefore, be it resolved, the Warren City Council
hereby declares the month of April of each year as Sexual Assault Awareness
Month in the City of Warren. The city recognizes the important role of
community partners, including Turning Point Macomb, in providing
critical services such as crisis intervention, advocacy,
counseling, and shelter. Any city official, employee, or
agent who becomes aware of conduct that may constitute sexual assault
occurring on city-owned or city-controlled property is
strongly encouraged to take prompt and appropriate action, including
notifying law enforcement and reporting through appropriate city
channels. Individuals shall be treated with dignity and respect, and
good faith reporting shall be protected from retaliation.
The city administration is encouraged to provide periodic training to city
employees and promote awareness of available community resources.
Adopted by the Warren City Council this 14th day of April
2026. Motion to approve.
Support Lafferty.
All in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?
Motion of resolution adopted.
Thank you. Madam Chair?
Mm-hmm.
I have an announcement to make. It's a Four
Cities Metro pipeline
project. The phase one construction, which will end in November
2026 in certain
areas. And in Warren, there will be lane closures
along 11 Mile Road and Dequindre Road.
The residential streets,
some will be closed to through traffic.
Natural gas will not be impacted during
construction.
And
if you have any questions about an employee or contractor
near your property, you can always ask to see their identification, and
they're asking people to please slow down and follow all posted signs
and go around crews in projected areas.
That's one thing. And next,
as I think everyone knows, we are
beginning the budget process. We received our big
budget
books yesterday, so we have a lot to go through.
Our first hearings with department heads will be this Saturday
at 8:30 in Conference Room A, which is just
around the corner here, and they will also be
available via Zoom. And there is a link on the city
council's Facebook page, and there's also a link
on the city's website.
So that's Saturday at 8:30, and they'll be going all day,
just about. There are additional hearings on Monday and Tuesday, the
20th and 21st.
The Monday starts at 6:00.
That, again, will be in Conference Room A, and Tuesday will
be beginning at 5:45, again, in Conference Room A.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
There will be an opportunity for audience participation at the
end of each session at the end of the day.
So we welcome anyone that would like to stop in
or
watch on Zoom, and there will be audience
participation via Zoom at the end of the day. Thank you.
Any other announcements?
Madam President, through the chair.
Mr. Dwyer.
Yeah, I would just like to make an announcement on behalf of the Animal Welfare
Commission. We are going to be having our annual spring low-cost
vaccination clinic that is scheduled for Saturday, April 25th,
from 9:00 to 3:00, and that will be at the DPW,
and that is located at 12801 Stevens.
And what we're going to be offering, among many things, is
$10 microchips.
The clerk's office will be there doing licensing of your dogs.
We will also be doing different vaccines, which includes rabies,
distemper, bordetella, all pricing out at $10
each. And if you wanted to get a rabies for three years, that's also
pricing out as $10 as well. And I mean, with the cost of everything
going up over the course of the last few years, this is one thing that has stayed
constant. So for $10 for a vaccination, for a poke for the
pets, you can't beat it. So I encourage anybody with pets that's in need of
these items to look us up, again, on Saturday, April 25th
from 9:00 to 3:00. Thank you.
Thank you. Any other announcements?
Okay, hearing and seeing none, we will move on.
The next item is 10-A, which is a public hearing to receive comments
on the proposed 2026, 2027 action
plan applications for CDBG home and HOPWA
funding.
Ms. Tarasenko, can you give us a quick summary of this item?
Good evening. We're here tonight just to receive comments from the public at
large regarding our proposed budget that's out for public comment.
We'll be recording comments tonight, and that'll be incorporated in our final
budget, which will be submitted to council for consideration.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
Okay, I will open the public hearing.
First up is Kara. I think it's Kara Black.
Good evening. I just want to make sure that I'm speaking at the right time.
I'm speaking in regard to the CDBG.
You are.
Is this the right time?
You are absolutely at the right time.
Okay. All right. Thank you.
Thank you. Good evening, members of council.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
I stand before you as an advocate working with the homeless community for
24 years at the Amelia Agnes Home. This is not just a
housing issue. It is a matter of dignity, stability, and opportunity.
Every day, individuals and families in our community face the
harsh reality of not having a safe place to call home.
Without stable housing, it
becomes nearly impossible to maintain employment, access
healthcare, or support children in school.
The cycle continues unless we intervene with well-funded solutions.
Community Development Block Grants are one of the most effective tools.
They allow service providers to invest directly in proven strategies
like supportive services, job readiness programs, and prevention
efforts that stop homelessness before it begins.
This is not just an expense. It is a strategic investment.
When we fund housing and supportive services, we reduce strain on
emergency systems and improve public safety and
strengthen the overall health of our community.
With the right resources, we can move people from crisis to
stability and from survival to self-sufficiency.
Our community is the strongest when everyone has a place to stay.
Thank you for your time and this opportunity.
Thank you. Next up is Stacy, I think it's
Conte.
And then after Stacy is Nicole.
I did have a few handouts if I could bring them up.
Sure. You can bring them to Ms. Camp over here.
Good evening. My name is Stacy Conte, and I am the community outreach coordinator
for Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers.
With the number of older adults in Macomb County rapidly increasing, the
need for support services due to frailties of age, chronic health
conditions or disabilities, as well as lack of assistance due
to changing family structures, is growing dramatically and will continue
to do so well into the future.
For over 30 years, our organization has been providing free basic
assistance to hundreds of frail, older, and physically challenged
adults, helping them remain safely in their homes with the help of
hundreds of volunteers.
Such assistance has been helping older and disabled adults with transportation,
chores, respite breaks, errands, and loneliness.
These opportunities provide fulfilling experiences for those who wish to
volunteer, as well as support for those in need.
The CDBG Safe at Home project of IVC is part of our
larger chore and repair program for older and disabled
adults. The project was developed to provide additional
chore and repair services in communities that allocate funding for this
purpose.
This project allows us to assist low to moderate income seniors and
physically challenged adults with indoor and outdoor chores, minor
home repairs, and routine housekeeping.
We identify individuals who cannot do these tasks on their own and with limited
resources and prioritize those with the greatest need.
We are requesting the CDBG funds to increase the number of low-income
citizens we can reach to grow our program, as well as coordinate the
volunteers who do these services.
IVC provides over 20,000 hours of help over all of its services
to nearly 500 people in need each year.
We have more clients that we help living in Warren than any other city in Macomb,
and although we have never been granted CDBG funding for Warren the past years,
we are confident that the addition of the funding will allow us to help even more
Warren residents than we already have been with tasks that will allow them to
stay in their homes safely,
as we have seen the numerous other cities from which we receive the funding.
Even without these resources, we still try to do all we can to help the struggling
seniors and disabled adults in Warren,
and we know that there are many more Warren individuals in need we can reach out
with and help with the funding.
The appreciation for the assistance is heartwarming from seniors such as Dave,
whose porch was repaired so that he was able to safely take his
wheelchair-bound wife to the doctor.
Pam, who lost the ambition to organize and declutter her home until one of
our volunteers assisted her and helped her find her motivation again.
Twelve hours of volunteer assistance to a senior who had a tree fall
in her yard after a stormAnd Lorraine, whose wheelchair was
causing holes in the walls.
Not only did one of our volunteers fix the holes, but came up with a
solution to prevent them from occurring again.
Other examples of help may include replacing locks, washing
windows, raking leaves, routine housekeeping, and installing
smoke alarms.
With this funding, this project can continue to grow, and assistance can be granted
to a variety of lower incomes,
Warren senior residents, and disabled adults.
Thank you to the council and everyone here tonight for your consideration.
Any dollar amount granted is greatly appreciated.
I did provide some handouts, but our website is
www.ivcinfo.org. Our number is
586-757-5551, and we also
have a bowling fundraiser coming up on May 30th, and there's information
about that in your handouts as well. Thank you for your time.
Thank you. Next is Nicole King. After Nicole is
Mary Frontiro.
Good evening. My name is Nicole King, and I'm the executive director at Care House.
Care House is Macomb County's child advocacy center, with our main
office located in Mount Clemens and a secondary office
located in Warren.
Care House is the only agency in Macomb County who offers comprehensive
services to child victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, or
children who have witnessed a violent act,
as well as any non-offending family members.
So our goal really is to just minimize the trauma for child victims
and to provide coping skills, advocacy, and case management for the family.
We collaborate with all law enforcement jurisdictions here in Macomb
County, as well as Children Protective Services and the Macomb County
Prosecutor's Office, as well as medical and mental health
professionals. When law enforcement receives an allegation
involving a child, they can make an appointment at Care House so the child
receives a forensically sound, fact-gathering, developmentally
appropriate forensic interview while the investigative team
observes through a closed-circuit TV.
This helps reduce the trauma, so a child only has to tell their story one
time to a trained professional. Their family also receives
information, support, and guidance through every step of the way.
These services include crisis counseling, child safety and trauma
assessments, trauma-focused therapy and support
groups,
assistance with victim crime compensation, and ongoing case
management.
April is also Child Abuse Prevention Month, and as the designated council in
Macomb County for the Michigan Children's Trust
Fund, Care House also offers prevention services and
education to the children and families in our community.
Families are never charged for any service they received at Care House, and we
provide services to all the referred children and their
non-offending family members. And I'm proud to report in our most
recent financial audit,
89 cents of every dollar goes directly to the child and their family.
Care House has coordinated over 11,800 forensic interviews
since opening our doors in 1996. In 2000,
91 of them have resided in Warren.
Last year, in 2025, we conducted 595 forensic interviews, and
140 resided in Warren. And so far this year,
of 222 forensic interviews, 44 of those families reside
here in Warren.
Care House opened our Warren office almost nine years ago to bring these
critical services closer to families in the southern part of our
county. Since then, we've expanded services and
opened a family resource center in October of 2022.
This helps provide services to families in our community,
even if they are not dealing with allegations of abuse.
None of this would be possible without the support of the city of Warren, and
we are proud to be your partner by serving these families to help them thrive.
And we respectfully request your consideration for funding in this upcoming
year in the amount of $48,000 to support services to
approximately 80 qualifying children and their families here in Warren.
Of course, we would be grateful for any type of allocation you can provide to us.
Thank you for your time, and do you have any questions?
We can't have necessarily dialogue back and forth at
this particular point, but thank you.
Thank you so much.
If we do, we'll call you up.
Mary Frontiro is next, and then Jillian, I think,
Grabowski.
Good evening. My name is Mary Frontiro.
I am a program manager at Macomb Community Action,
and I am here tonight to talk to you about the Grass and Snow
program that Macomb County offers-
Thank you
... the residents of the city of Warren.
So we have been helping the severely
disabled and senior citizens for a long
time and been servicing Warren for a long time.
And we are excited to partner once again
to help those citizens stay independent.
And
what the program does is
weDo grass cutting in the
summertime, and that's from April until
October. And then from November until March,
we do snow pushes.
Typically, we do about four snow pushes a year.
This year was a little more snowy than usual, so we had to do a couple
more.
And as far as grass pushes, we are starting
that in about a week or so. So we're
excited to get that started for everyone.
The weather's been very cooperative for this part of the season.
Currently, we have
50 clients that we are servicing this year,
and we keep an interest list, and right now we have
almost double. We have 59 people on our interest
list.
So
the amount of funding that was requested by Macomb Community
Action will only be able to service that
50.
So if there is a possibility to ask for further funding,
we would like to ask for that so we don't have so many on
our interest list, but we understand
there are a lot of great nonprofits out here.
So
we can be reached
at
586-469-6329.
That is our phone number that you can reach us for any further
questions or
if you have residents that are interested in the program.
Thank you.
Next is Jillian Grabowski.
I do have a folder with our information in it.
Mm-hmm.
Good evening. My name is Jillian Grabowski.
I'm a case manager with Turning Point Shelter Program.
Turning Point has provided a safe place for families fleeing
violence since 1980. Between July 1st,
2024, and June 30th, 2025, the Emergency Shelter
Program provided 464 shelter bed
nights to 30 residents from the city of Warren.
Across other agency programs, Turning Point has served an additional
357 residents from the city of Warren.
Turning Point's Emergency Shelter Program is a safe haven for survivors of
domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking.
It provides immediate safety, crisis intervention, and resources to
families trying to establish basic safety.
The project is a multifaceted approach to end the cycle of violence in families.
Turning Point's shelter case managers meet with every
new resident in the shelter within 24 hours of their arrival
and invest in an individualized plan based on their
goals. They also work on a plan for safety, housing, and financial stability.
This plan can include literacy, immigration, credit
repair, and supportive counseling for domestic, sexual violence, and
human trafficking after leaving shelter.
The Emergency Shelter Case Management Program has developed collaborations
and linkages to multiple systems, organizations,
businesses, and churches that can help survivors
maintain their safety when leaving shelter.
Turning Point continues to provide comprehensive services to
children while in shelter and
after they leave. Children in our shelter receive crisis
support, tutorial and educational assistance, safety planning,
recreational activities seven days per week, a day camp that runs all
summer. Many children keep in contact with us for many months after leaving
shelter. The child crisis advocate works with children and teens in
shelter and is able to follow them after they leave shelter to continue
offering individual and group supportive services.
Turning Point shelter facility is ADA accessible, has
increased educational indoor and outdoor play areas for children and
teens, private sleeping and bathroom facilities,
multipurpose rooms that function as a dining and
family areas, private dedicated counseling spaces, and spaces
for other nonprofits to be on-site to deliver their services.
Turning Point is asking to be awarded $15,000 of
CDBG funds. Turning Point would be able to
provide hotel accommodations to survivors and their families when
shelter beds are not available, receive food, emergency items, and
other basic needs. Funds also provide to survivors and
their families to wash clothings and transportation costs.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank you. Is there anyone else in the audience who wants to speak during
this public hearing?
Okay.
I will close the public hearing and-
I have a what? I don't-
A motion to receive and file. But
you have-
Questions?
Yeah. And then Ms. McGee.
Okay.
I actually have a question for the... Can I ask questions?
Yeah.
Jonathan was saying support.
I don't think we do that, right?
Mm-hmm.
We can? Okay.
Well, it's a public hearing. We're not voting on anything.
Yeah, that's why we receive and file.
Okay.
But go ahead.
Okay. Support?
Go ahead.
Okay.
My question is the Macomb County Action
group
You mentioned that you had 50 spots,
right? If I were correct.
We currently have 50 people enrolled.
Is that 50 for Warren?
From the city of Warren.
Okay. That's what I wanted to clarify.
Mm-hmm.
Okay. Thank you very much.
A total for the... We service the entire county.
We have about 300 total.
And how do you base the number on? Is it based on population?
We're the biggest city in the county, so I would assume our number is
available slots would be bigger compared to other smaller
cities.
It is bigger. For
instance, Roseville is...
We service, I think, about 35 right
now in Roseville. Similarly, they have a higher
interest list as well.
But 50 right now are what are enrolled-
Enrolled
... and who we're helping currently.
Thank you very much.
Yep.
Okay. Ms. McGee.
Yes. I noticed on the list that
one particular shelter was not on there, and that
is Friend of the Father.
Friend of the Father has been around for at least two or three
years now. And as you know, most of city
council and some of the administrators from
the City of Warren has supported Friend of the Father.
I find them to be just such a benefit to us, and I understand that
they did put in their application,
and it was denied due to a few errors on the
application.
This is a nonprofit that is doing quite a
bit in the city of Warren. I have seen officers call upon
them, and they go pick up homeless individuals
from the libraries, from all locations,
and they also assist with helping other
shelters when they're full. Friend of the Father
make sure that they run around all day, all night to make sure
that they assist in any way possible.
We have a problem with homelessness in the city of
Warren, and we need to accept that.
And Friend of the Father has always been there.
So what I'm asking is that we
should come up with some type of resource or
training program where we can assist shelters like
this. He is having a difficult time paying the
rent at Friend of the Father. He just informed me that they're putting
on fundraisers to try to raise funds.
And to me, they should definitely be a part of the
CDBG Block Grant. That's all I
have to say. Thank you.
Any other
comments or discussion?
Madam Chair.
Mr. Lafferty.
Through the chair to Ms. Tereschenko.
Good evening, ma'am.
Good evening.
There's a
child center, it's a children's intensive crisis center
called HAUS-
Mm-hmm
... H-A-U-S,
that is located in the southern portion of my district.
I was curious if they fall under the auspices of
CDBG, maybe as a subcontractor or if you have
any knowledge or awareness of their program.
I'm not aware of the organization.
But without knowing more information about the organization, I wouldn't know if
they're eligible. Are they a nonprofit?
Okay. I'll forward it to you. I was curious.
They're in the neighborhood. They have several homes
that are part of their conglomerate,
and so I was curious if
they've ever approached the city.
Not to my knowledge, no. They've never turned in an application to my
knowledge, and we haven't-
Okay
... had any discussions, no.
Okay. Fair enough. Thank you.
Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Noonan.
Yes. So with regards to Friends of the Father,
do you have anything to say about what happened with their application?
Do you think that they might be eligible,
or was not only their form
wrong, but also they just wouldn't have been?
So there was a couple things that happened with the application for Friend of the
Father, and
we have two public meetings prior to applications being
put out there. We have information meetings where we can assist in
structuring an application. So we do have
opportunities, and if you're unable to attend those meetings, we're always willing
to work with nonprofits and folks to hunt the best way to structure an
application. I just want to preface that first.
In regards to the application for Friend of the Father, the application
was not submitted by the deadline.
So that was the first issue, and then if the application isn't
submitted by the deadline and it's incomplete, there's not much that our
office can do with regards to helping someone if it's
already-
Okay
... submitted past the deadline. Like I said, we do offer
informational meetings to the nonprofits and several
nonprofits. Even those that have submitted applications and have been funded, they
still attend those meetings to get additional information,
and see if there's something that is new.
But like I said, if an application is submitted after the deadline
and is incomplete-
Sure
... then there's not much that our office can do at that point.
If it was submitted timely or before the deadline, and there was
questions or concerns, then we could definitely address those at that time.
But we're happy to move forward and help structure an
application for next year that could possibly be funded.
That's great. So they have a chance of getting it.
It's not like they were really
disqualified for any reason that you know of.
Well, like I said, at this time we're not-
It's too late.
At this time-
Yeah
... we can't.
Okay.
To be fair to all the organizations-
Yeah
... that apply, we have to adhere to deadlines.
Sure.
And we have to-
I wouldn't say anything else.
Yes.
But I'm glad that they can get with you-
Yeah
... right away and start preparing for next time.
Yeah. Every year-
Yeah
... our office puts out, it's usually in early January-
Uh-huh
... that we have those informational meetings, and typically,
they're held-- There's two meetings at least that folks can
attend and get assistance. And if those aren't convenient,
you're welcome to call us and we can sit and find a time that's
convenient for them to structure an application or answer any
questions. We're also available, I'm always available via
email to help folks if they have questions or concerns.
Thank you for your incredible work.
Yes. Thank you.
I owe-
Ms. McGee.
So if the application is turned in late, would they be
notified on why their application was denied?
Do we send out any notice regarding that?
Well, the correspondence, it was sent in via email.
And so the deadline was 5:00 PM, and if your application is submitted
at 6:30 PM, then it's late. Like I said,
we don't go through most of the applications until after the
deadline. We try to, if someone has questions or
concerns and they turn in their application, we just don't really
have the time to go through every single application until the
deadline. But like I said, to be fair, we have to adhere to
those deadlines. And, unfortunately, like I said, this application
was submitted after that.
Okay. And if they turned the application in on time and
they were denied, how would they be notified?
Right. So once we make-- The application process, we go
through them, we make recommendations,
and then we ultimately meet with the mayor.
And
we incorporate our recommendations, and those are addressed with the mayor.
Not until we go through that entire process is our
proposed plan put out. I wouldn't say that anyone is denied.
We do, like I said, receive more applications than we're
able to fund. So we have to make priorities based on that.
So it wouldn't always be that an organization is denied.
We just have to make funding priorities based on that.
Okay. According to the need.
Right.
Okay. Thank you.
Any other discussion or comments?
Mm-mm.
Okay. Thank you, Ms. Terracinho.
Thank you.
I will
call the question. All in favor? Aye.
Aye.
Any opposed? Okay. Next item. Next item is 12A,
legal update, Mr. Schroeder.
Nothing at this time other than the next item.
Okay.
Next item is 12B, consideration and adoption of a resolution
approving an ordinance to amend Chapter 25 of the Warren Code of Ordinances
relating to personnel and civil service.
Second reading so moved with discussion.
Support Lafferty.
Discussion- Madam Chair. Ms. Moore.
Do you want to cover these edits, Mr. Schroeder, or do you want me to read them in?
I can cover them if you want.
Okay.
I think it's in order. Okay.
So just briefly,
this was adopted on the first reading at the last meeting, so there were
three weeks between the meetings.
So we've had 21 days since the first reading.
Just a little bit of background. This started in June of
2025, the June 10th meeting of 2025.
The city council considered a one-time amendment to the
civil service ordinance. It was the Transparency of Civil
Service List Act,
where there was some trouble of some union civil
service members getting a hold of these eligibility lists and
the council declared these are public records that are available.
And that amendment was made on June 10th.
At the next council meeting on June 24th of 2025,
council directed a full rewrite of the civil service ordinance
after we had spent some time looking at some of these provisions and
realizing that it's out of date. We went over this at the last meeting.
And at the first reading,
and before the first reading, this was brought up at the council meetings
on August 12th of 2025, January 13th of
2026, and several of the legal updates I give.
So we've been talking about this. We have received some input from
third parties who've reached out to the council office or reached out to me, and
certainly at the last meeting, we had some input.
So we have five proposed minor edits here,
and I can go through those. Council members should have that in front of you.
So the first one is the current ordinance
has two definitions of veterans. So what we're going to do is
delete the definition of veterans that is in the
lengthy paragraph at the beginning, and we're going to keep the definition at
25146, which uses the state law
definition of veteran.
Mm-hmm.
So, that's just streamlining the ordinance and having one usable
definition of what is a veteran.
Number two,
we are removing the word Vietnam from
this, not because we had a recent council member in the area, but- ...
there's actually a provision where it talked about
protecting Vietnam veteran status.
And that ordinance was from the, I think, the '60s or '70s, where our Vietnam
veterans were being poorly treated and the
council at that time wanted to protect Vietnam veteran status.
We're going to continue to do that, but we're going to protect all veterans,
regardless of which war, stage, or theater you
fought in. So this removes the specific Vietnam modifier, broadening
protection to all veterans. So that's the second change.
The third is as to part-time employee benefits in Section
2521The ordinance says that part-time employees
aren't entitled to benefits. We're going to add, "Unless otherwise required by
law." There are some situations where part-time employees may be entitled to
benefits under federal law, and I think we're saying,
"Unless otherwise required by law" there.
Number four, civil service board compensation.
The ordinance says $50 per meeting for the civil service board members.
We don't intend to change that right now, but what we're going to say is, "As
determined by council in the city approved budget." So when the council approves
the budget, the council can approve the line item for paying the civil
service commissioners and the amount.
So if council wants to raise that amount or keep it the same, they will do that in
the budget process. The reason for that is that it says
$50 per meeting. If you wanted to increase it to 60 or 70 or $75
per meeting, we would have to do a whole ordinance, a first reading, a second
reading, and then we would have to pay the newspaper to publish that.
And that's a lot of expense and hassle for something that you may be trying to make
an inflationary adjustment for. And we've been
trending in that direction with a lot of things that can be done by resolution that
aren't actually policy decisions by themselves, but setting an amount such
as a fee, or in this case, an amount
paid to a commissioner for attending a meeting.
And finally, this was brought up at the last meeting.
We're going to add risk management.
This doesn't change anything. Risk management is currently under the
umbrella of what is our human resources department.
And this would add a new subsection 15, "Establishes by
ordinance a risk management section." It's already there, "With duties
including exposure identification, risk evaluation, and control and
management administration, evaluating claims from residents, employees, or the city
itself, and monitoring outside litigation matters in coordination with the city
attorney and city insurance carriers." Again, this reflects what's happening now.
This is not a change, but we wanted to at least have the ordinance recognize
there's a risk management section in HR,
and these are their duties. And also,
if you read your proposed budget, if you go to the HR section,
this is
the description of what goes on with our risk management folks who are very good.
So those are minor changes. So this is why we have a first and a second
reading. We receive all kinds of input also.
I forwarded to council this morning, we received an email
from
the
attorney who represents most of the unions in the city, who gave a very positive
review of this in that we're protecting the unions and protecting the collective
bargaining agreements, and that there's no conflict he saw
between the language in this ordinance and any of the current collective bargaining
agreements. But if they found anything in the future, they vowed to work with the
city collaboratively to work through those issues.
So,
that's the update.
Thank you. And, I will add, I did talk to
union members today that expressed
their
feeling that this was a good thing and that it was very
pro-union. This has always been a pro-union town we live in,
and they felt that it was very fair to the labor unions, and they're
very happy to see this done. I've mentioned this before.
I was on the Civil Service Commission,
I think, '07 to '13 or '08 to
'13, and I was well aware back then how out of
date the ordinance was. So I'm really glad it's been done.
But like everything, it takes a long time. I want to thank Mr.
Schroeder and everybody else that had input into this ordinance.
I know it takes a long time, a lot of research, and I'm very appreciating
that. Thank you.
Mr. Noonan.
Thank you. So
I had a good talk with Terry Wisnewski, who's the current chair
of the Civil Service Commission. And he was suggesting to me
that
it provides a forum for appeals,
which might go away if it was just all handled under HR.
And that part of the purpose of it is to
provide merit-based promotions
and to help assure that the most qualified people get promoted
and help to guard against cronyism, which all
seem like very good things to me. I'm not any expert.
I admire the work that you've been doing-
Jeff
... Jeff Schroeder.
And I don't want any of that to be wasted.
But,
I believe that this needs to be tabled for further discussion so that
we can understand this better and make sure that we're not throwing out
any babies with the bathwater. So I move that we table
this.
I support that.
Speak up.
Support.
Okay, so there is a tabling motion by Mr.
Noonan, support by Ms. McGee. I will
call the question for tabling. Mr.
Noonan.
Yes.
Ms. McGee.
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
No.
Mr. Dwyer?
No.
Mr. Boyke?
No.
Ms. Moore.
No.
Rogancy is a no.
So the item is back on the table.
Do I need a new motion for that now?
The motion still stands.
Stands.
Okay.
I guess I have a clarifying question, Mr.
Schroeder or
Mr. Fox or Ms. Michaels or Mr. Gallegos, whoever can
respond to it.
Based on what Mr. Noonan shared,
just clarification,
most of the positions are under the collective bargaining agreement and
dictate how promotions are established.
And so it's not
My understanding is it's not removing
the civil service's authority to
have a merit-based system. Rather, it's deferring when there is a
CBA, for the CBA to
establish how people are promoted. Is that accurate?
This is a very lengthy way of asking my question.
That is accurate. Also,
law has developed since the '60s on this.
A collective bargaining agreement can supersede the charter.
Mm-hmm.
Okay? So you can collectively bargain for things,
rights, responsibilities, duties, that can contradict the charter.
That's state law in Michigan. We've seen it happen before.
Our charter says no nepotism in your department.
We had some collective bargaining agreements that allowed for
that to be accepted, and there was reasons for it at the
time.
Perhaps siblings serving in the fire or police department together, or something
along those lines. But if you were to go strictly by the charter, it says you can't
do that. But the bottom line is that the collective bargaining
agreement would govern, and they have their appeal procedures there.
I'm not quite sure I understand what the objection is at all.
I did say we've had this on the table for months.
Certainly,
we're willing to take a look at any concern anybody had.
I would, but this is the first I heard of it tonight.
Okay.
So the folks that don't fall under a CBA,
their job positions then go to civil service.
Correct.
Under this new-
Unless they're exempt from civil service.
So a political appointee, or who else is exempt from civil
service?
The examples of exempt from civil service would be what we call the political
appointees.
Mm-hmm.
And that is determined by council in this.
Under
this ordinance, the ones that are created by charter that are exempt would be the
city attorney, the public service director, the planning director,
and then council would exempt the rest of the employees.
You have a number of employees in the mayor's office, who the mayor appoints.
The mayor decides their titles, their duties, they're exempt.
But council would do that by resolution instead of changing these titles
over and over in the ordinance. So,
appointees do not have the right to any of these civil service procedures because
they're at-will employees. But if you were civil service and not in a union, you
absolutely would have the right to take advantage of all of the
civil service rules and regulations and rights therein.
Okay. Thank you.
Madam Chair?
Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Schroeder, just to expound on that, there is a
process, too, with the collective bargaining unit.
So save the civil service for the moment.
The collective bargaining unit, if there's a dispute, if there's some sort of
issue with employment,
that union member goes to their union steward, collective
bargaining unit, and there's a process that is followed there.
Is that correct? And then if there's something that happens
where the dispute continues,
that union member can go to arbitration, or they can
escalate from there. What's the next step?
I don't have the union contracts in front of me, but there's certainly multiple
steps. Arbitration is usually something that the
union employee would have the right to almost in every circumstance.
But step one, step two grievance, that whole process is in all these agreements.
And what I'm trying to get to, all of those
procedures are preserved.
Yes.
These changes are not preventing that.
We are protecting those. And
so we're
simply updating and bringing up to standard based on current state law.
Correct.
Thank you.
Any other discussion?
Okay, hearing and seeing none, I will call the question.
Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
No.
Ms. McGee?
No.
Rogan, C is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 12.C,
which is
get the resolution out here,
is resolution authorizing proposed settlement of pending litigation in
the matter of Corey Williams et al.
versus City of Warren et al., United States District Court, case number
225CV10725MAGAPP.
So moved.
Support Lafferty.
Discussion?
Actually, this is no discussion. I will call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Ms. McGee?
Yes.
Rogan, C is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 12.D, resolution authorizing proposed settlement of
pending litigation in the matter of
Kreprenna
Johnson versus City of Warren et al., Macomb County Circuit Court, case number
24-004553-NI.
And this, again, is based on discussions in closed session, so moved.
Support Lafferty.
I will call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Ms.
McGee?
Yes.
Rogan, C is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 12.E, resolution to retain Cavanagh & Cassada,
PLLC for contract legal services at the Wastewater Treatment
Plant.
Motion to approve.
Support Lafferty.
I will call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Ms. McGee?
Yes.
Rogan, C is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 13A, request of the police
department. Before we do that, can I make a amendment to
the
agenda and add an item that we forgot to add?
Motion to suspend the rules.
Support.
A motion to suspend the rules. All in favor?
Aye.
The item is to appoint a
representative for a PUD issue.
I would make a motion to appoint Mr.
Lafferty, since that is in his district.
Support Dwyer.
So motion by Moore, support by Dwyer?
Yeah.
Okay.
All in favor?
And that will be item
12F.
Oh, for the nomination. Got it. Okay.
So we're nominating Mr. Lafferty.
Yes.
Okay.
We're back on.
Yeah.
So I made the motion, supported by Dwyer, so we have to do a vote, right?
Is it currently 12F? Are we on 12F?
Yeah, I named as 12F.
Okay.
So we are on 12F.
That's the PUD.
Motion by Ms. Moore, support by Dwyer, to nominate Mr.
Lafferty for the PUD.
Any discussion?
Anyone want to fight Mr. Lafferty for it? No?
Okay. We'll call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Ms. McGee?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Rogan, C is a yes.
Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 13A, request of the police department for an additional appropriation
of funds in the amount of $190,000 to cover the cost of
several projects, including roof repairs, generator repairs,
exterior door repairs, and the east parking lot's brick column
repairs. Consideration and adoption of a resolution so moved.
Support Dwyer.
Any discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I'll call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Ms. McGee?
Yes.
Rogan, C is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is 13B, request of the police department to award
TRIW 1832 to Shayna Roofing and Sheet Metal for
roof repairs at the Christopher M.
Wooders Police Headquarters in the amount of
$145,869. Consideration and
adoption of a resolution so moved.
Support Dwyer.
Any discussion?
Hearing and seeing none, I will call the question. Ms. Moore?
Yes.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes.
Mr. Boyke?
Yes.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Ms. McGee?
Yes.
Rogan, C is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
13C, request of the library director to increase the award of bid
ITBW 1388 to furnish security
services at the Burnett Branch Library
from an annual amount not to exceed $40,000
to an
annual amount not to exceed $60,000.
Consideration and adoption of a resolution.
So moved
with discussion.
Discussion, Mr. Lafferty.
Support Dwyer.
Discussion-
Oh.
Nope. Sorry. We already got the support.
Oh, you had the support?
Yeah.
Who made the motion?
Mr. Lafferty.
And Dwyer made the support.
Oh, thank you. Okay. I thought it was you.
I'd already-
Oh, no.
Okay. Mr. Lafferty-
But we'll have discussion after Lafferty
... motion for discussion, and then Mr. Dwyer. Okay, Mr. Lafferty, discussion.
Thank you. Through the chair to Ms. Michaels.
Good evening, ma'am.
Good evening, Council.
A brief contractual question dating back to the original
February agreement,
February of 2025.
Was this security services firm, do
they have to provide metrics and report back
to the Library Commission as to the number of
incidents that they've handled, how many
escalations to Warren Police,
how many issues that they've addressed? I'm curious.
We're going on over a year now, and
the Library Commission is saying they need to
renew,
and that may
well be true. I would just like to know, are we trending
up on the number of issues at that particular site?
Do we have other sites that may need similar
services? If so, how are we measuring that?
And I'm curious if those metrics were put into the
agreement
with Spartan 6.
Now, if you're referring to the construction contract?
No. No, ma'am.
No. I'm sorry.
I'm talking about the Spartan 6 security for Burnett.
Okay. That I'd have to look into, and I can report back.
All right. If you would, please.
Yes. I'm not aware.
All right. Thank you.
Yes.
Madam President.
Madam Chair? Mr. Noonan, and then Ms. Moore.
Yes, Ms. Michaels?
Yes.
Go sit down.
Do you know,
is this to be paid out of the Library Commission,
out of the library money or out of the city money?
It's library. It is library. The count is in the...
Oh, it's in the cover letter.
Okay.
Yes.
It seems it supports library services, so
it'd be nice to wave your
magic wand and just have the unhoused just suddenly be housed and
taken care of, but that doesn't seem to be happening.
I yield.
Thank you.
Madam Chair?
Ms. Moore.
Okay.
So do you have... Go ahead, Mary.
I'm sorry. Our library director could possibly address Councilman Lafferty's
question about the matrix for the incidents.
Madam Chair, I'll-
Yeah, and then I'll come back to Ms.
Moore, if that's okay,
Ms. Moore?
Yeah.
Go ahead.
There's nothing specific in the contract to my knowledge,
but we have noticed a decrease in incidents,
a decrease in the number of calls that we have to make to the police
department, and we do have
incident reports
that when there is an incident, that we do keep track
of.
All right.
Ma'am, I appreciate the additional color.
I think it would be
very responsible for us to amend the
contract,
conditionally renewing this for the
additional period, but amending the contract,
asking for
what I would call routine metrics based on the
services that they're providing.
Otherwise, there's no way to know anecdotally,
do we need to retain their services?
Do we only need them during certain hours?
There's a particular time of day when it's absolutely necessary
and look on these days or at these times, we
have no issues.
And so that would help us make a better business decision to understand
does the need still exist.
So, through the chair again to Ms. Michaels,
based on your review of the contract, if you could please
look at an amendment to this and bring that back at a future meeting.
Absolutely. Reporting is standard boilerplate.
I don't have the contract here. It's not a part of the packet.
Mm-hmm.
But I'll obtain a copy and make sure it's included.
All right. If that's acceptable to council as an amendment
to direct the city attorney's office to provide the
necessary metrics
and reporting by Spartan 6.
Just to clarify, Mr. Lafferty, who's doing the metrics, the library system or
the contractor?
The contractor would be responsible for adhering to
the terms and conditions of the contract
under which they would be amended to include metrics and
reporting to the City of Warren.
Okay, thank you.
Madam Chair?
Ms. Moore was next, and then Mr. Boyke.
Thank you. I think I've been pretty clear how I feel about this whole situation,
that we need to get to the bottom of the problem, and we're just kicking the
can down the road. I understand that other cities have actually called our
libraries and saying, "Is this where we drop off our homeless?
At our libraries." I have gotten no less than 10 calls just in the last
couple of weeks-
Me too
... of people that are having problems-
Me too
... at the library at City Hall.
Mm-hmm.
They said, "There's homeless people in the atrium.
They bring little kids there, and they don't feel comfortable." They said there is
an odor, and I got a report of Burnett,
of people, the kids went to school with my kids, and they
bought a home near Burnett, and they can't go to the library because they don't
feel safe with their kids.
That's it.
And I am not in favor of security guards at all.
I think we should have off-duty police officers there because the security
guards, anything that happens, it's going to escalate and they're going to have to
call in real police officers. Look what
happened at Temple Israel.
That catastrophe was averted because of
the level of
security there that were police officers, two or three that were retired
from Warren, as I
think
Captain Hotis will know, and that was brought up, and that
disaster was averted because they had real police officers there.
So I
fail to see the need for security guards.
You know what? If people aren't going to want to come
in there with security guards because what are the security guards going to do?
They're not throwing out people that are homeless,
and that's what people, they don't want.
They're afraid because often the people that are living on the
streets are ill.
They're not cleansed. They're worried about having their kids in there,
and we know the problems have happened in the bathrooms at the library.
Other hazardous, I don't want to get into too many
details, but there have been incidents where HAZMAT has to be
employed, and we have got to solve this problem. And Ms.
McGee talked about Friends of the Father.
We have to solve this whole problem for our city, and we seem to be the dumping
grounds for the whole county, and we need to have a meeting with every city in
this county and the county people and figure out an answer to
this. Because having homeless people hanging out in our libraries
is not an answer to anything.
And spending this money, to me, is just ridiculous, especially when it's
security guards and not real police officers.
So my vote will reflect my opinion on that.
But I think we need to do a way better job because we're not addressing
this. What, this is three years now?
Almost. Well, it's two years that we've been dealing with this, and we had a
problem in
the winter of '24-
Mm-hmm
With Fitzgerald
... with Fitzgerald with all kinds of problems, and nothing was done.
And then we roll around to the next year, and we have a crisis because we
have extremely cold weather. None of us want anyone
exposed and walking the streets and
being in the extreme cold and dangerous situations.
We don't want that. But we don't seem to have an answer, and
nobody's working on that. We have a warming center that
people come in, but we don't have anybody that reaches out.
We have two outreach people in the mayor's office.
Why aren't they reaching out to these homeless people that we put in the
warming centers, finding maybe some opportunities
out there or some services they can be... Why aren't we doing that?
We have people that could be doing that.
And we're not. And we're not reaching out to any agencies.
"Oh, we have 25 people at our library.
Can you send somebody down to work with them?" There are agencies that do that.
We're just ignoring the situation and putting the people that don't
have homes to hang out in the libraries or to go to the
businesses and things like that.
And there has to be an answer, but this is not the answer.
This is just putting a Band-Aid on for a couple of hours a
day, and I really think we need to address this
seriously and not keep doing what we're doing, because it is definitely
not working, and we get complaint after complaint
about this.
So, thank you.
Mr. Boyke.
Madam Chair. Who's the speaker, along with Ms. Michaels?
I'm making an assumption, but I don't know her.
The library director, if you could introduce yourself for the record.
My name's Maria McCarville, and I'm
the new library director. I've been here since January
26th.
Okay. Welcome aboard.
Thank you.
I see you're going to have a lot of work to do. I yield back.
Thank you. Ms. McGee.
I want to say that I agree with you, Secretary
Mendy, on the fact that we have a problem with homelessness
that's out of control.
I've been to every type of library, and I'm telling you, they
all have the same problem when it comes to
homeless individuals. And they do have security.
That's the only thing that I disagree with.
Security is going to be needed. I just announced that there's
a probability that Friends of the Father is going to be closed.
Friends of the Father help out at Barnett Library.
They're the people that pick up the homeless individuals in order for them
to not be at the library. And we had
discussed this. As Ms. Harris said, we haven't discussed other
things, but one thing they did discuss while I was at the library
commission meeting is the number of homeless and how
it affects everyone that's around them.
Their children, they're all up in the
restrooms, messing up the restrooms and everything.
If you don't bring security,
if you do not bring security, it's going to be out of
control. It's out of control now.
It's out of control in other cities where they had to
bring on security.
We have to face reality here. Something has to be done,
and we're not addressing the issue.
We have a problem with homelessness.
And we're going to lose already one shelter that helps take
care of this.
Thank you.
Mr. Noonan.
Yeah.
Maria, thank you so much for coming in tonight.
As I recall, when we initially
authorized security for the libraries,
it was largely because we wanted to protect the
safety of the library workers. They are definitely
not trained or equipped in any way
to-
Yeah
... deal with
people getting really out of order.
Especially not unhoused people. So,
it seems like whereas I agree that we need to solve the problem,
it seems like an intractable problem that we're not likely to solve right
away. This might be a Band-Aid, but it's one that I'm
willing to
let go forward for protecting our
librarians. And also, our citizens who go to the libraries.
So
if you come up with any good solutions, please tell us quick.
Mm-hmm.
Well, part of it, we have an in-staff day scheduled
in June, and safety is going to be the theme
of it. And not just how to
interact with unhoused people, people maybe
going through a mental-
Crisis
... mental health first aid, and to
cover that, and because it is at
all four branches. Predominantly,
at those two. But to address it in a staff training
way as well.
Thank you for that.
I yield.
Any other discussion?
Madam Chair?
Ms. Moore, and then Mr. Boyke.
I don't mean that I don't think that we need security.
I think we need police officers.
Because they have to call the police anyway.
So they've got to get involved. So I would be in favor
of having off-duty police officers
working and doing that. I would feel much more comfortable, but it's going to
cost more money, but I think the library system's got the money.
It's going to cost more money.
Mr. Boyke.
Madam Chair.
I just want to say I concur with Councilwoman Moore.
We do need security there. But without a comprehensive plan
going forward,
there's problems at the other branches.
This one,
the amount of money that's being asked for is
because we covered nine months of service and
not 12, and there was a change in the work hours.
I'd like to see
a plan for all the libraries in what you're going to do
and how we're going to handle
the homelessness that's in there.
What Woman McGee was talking about,
that's one of the biggest problems right there.
Without shelters to put them in,
I'm reluctant to go for this.
But I'll let it go for my vote
I'll yield back.
Thank you.
Madam Chair?
Mr. Lafferty.
Just to round this out, and I think this
will tie into Ms. Moore's point.
Obviously, right now we can't solve the problem with hiring police
officers for the libraries. I agree with Ms. Moore.
We do need security. We need qualified, competent
security for all of our facilities, including our
libraries.
Ms. McCarville, pleasure to meet you.
Thank you.
Your staff, that is not
part of their performance objectives
to have to deal with this problem. That is not in their job
description.
I thought when the
advertisement came out from the mayor's office that we were
turning your facilities into warming shelters
was probably the single worst idea I've seen come from
this administration. To put that burden on your staff was
absolutely wrong.
That is absolutely not what our libraries are intended for.
So, with that said, back to Ms. Michaels.
I
do remember we have the ability to
terminate this contract at any time,
or at least with cause,
should we have, as Ms. Moore suggested,
decide to leverage Warren police, off-duty
officers, some other contract, some other means
of services for security. We can terminate this contract at any
time.
I'm asking for
you to confirm that.
Not having the contract,
would have to confirm that individually-
All right
... at a later time. We always have termination language.
Yes. This is one of these reasons
why I always look at the terms and conditions to ensure that we have an
out should we need it. So what I'm going to do, Madam Chair, is
under our rules of reconsideration,
I'm going to vote for this,
but under the
amendment that I made earlier for the metrics and reporting for the amendment,
and to understand that we have the ability to terminate the contract if
that's not part of the original agreement, that it is
also made part of the amendment, and if that can be done within the next
72 hours. Otherwise, I'll exercise my reconsideration.
Very good. Thank you.
Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. I am going to call the question.
Mr. Lafferty?
Yes, as amended.
Mr. Dwyer?
Yes, as amended.
Mr. Boyke?
No.
Okay.
Ms. Moore?
Nope. Should go to the experts.
Ms. McGee?
Ms... Oh.
It's just that, yes, I agree that we need it, but
I also agree that the police officers can do it.
Got it. Yes or no?
Yes.
Okay.
Mr. Noonan?
Yes.
Roggensee is a yes. Motion carries. Next item.
Next item is
audience participation on general topics.
Members of the audience who would like to address City Council may do so this
evening by submitting a form on the left side of the
stage. Everyone has three minutes.
There's a monitor up front for those of you that are new.
I see a few unfamiliar names.
First up is Caitlin Donley, and then after
Caitlin is Lori Harris.
Good evening, and thank you for this opportunity.
My name is Caitlin Donley, and I am an Urban Seed volunteer,
and I have some remarks about the South Warren Community Garden.
Full disclosure, I don't live in Warren.
I live across the border in Eastpointe, just a couple blocks away from the South
Warren Community Garden. But I've been an Urban Seed volunteer for
over five years now, and I have personally helped the Eastpointe
Community Garden harvest and donate over
1,500 pounds of fresh food every year to our
community for free. And we were really hoping to meet
and exceed that goal at the South Warren Community Garden.
My experience at the South Warren Community Garden was completely
unlike any other experience I have had, either in my own
community or in any other. My first day there, I
saw all of the neighborhood out and about at the garden.
They were planting, they were weeding, they were exchanging food and
recipes at the free produce stand.
Everyone was there, everyone understood the mission, and everyone
was 100% behind us.
I've worked for nonprofits and governments my entire life,
and that is just
so rare to have a whole community, just a
couple weeks after your inception, completely understand
your mission and get behind you 100%.
That never happens. I have colleagues who would kill for that to
happen at one of their programs or organizations.
So that, by itself, is just so special, and
it doesn't happen by accident. When you see a community
coalescing around something like that, it means that the program or
organization is not just administering to a want in a
community, but a deep need.This
community has taken ownership of the garden and
again, local governments and nonprofits would kill for
this, to have this much community ownership in their
projects just a couple weeks, a couple months after getting
it off the ground. The neighborhood takes great pride in the
garden. I'll use only one example of this, but I could talk for
hours instead of just three minutes about it.
The biggest example, I have never seen a piece of
trash on the lot of the community garden.
Even after a windstorm, I've not seen anything, but
sometimes you get fast food wrappers that fly into your
lot, and you have to clean it up. On our Sunday workdays, I don't see
anything. When I'm driving by during the week, I don't even see an
empty chip bag getting stuck on the branches of the bushes on the edge of
the lot. And again, that's not an accident.
That is the neighborhood taking ownership and maintaining
a treasured community asset-
You're at time. I'm sorry
... 24/7.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Ms. Harris is next. After Ms. Harris is Annie St. Clair.
You're good, Ms. Harris?
Okay.
Annie St. Clair, and then after Annie is Sarah
Spurgin.
Apologies if I'm not saying that correctly.
Good evening. My name is Annie St. Clair, and I am a homeowner
right across the street from the new South Warren Community Garden.
And I want to thank you all for your time and consideration.
I am speaking tonight on behalf of Urban Seed and the truly
outstanding community garden they established across the street from my
home in 2025.
Seeing a group of people so inspired to help really made an impression on
me, and when I saw the garden being constructed, it made so
much sense. We struggle here. South Warren is not
exactly the bastion of fine living.
It's a somewhat transit neighborhood, but we look out for each other nonetheless.
The two lots in question have sat vacant for over 12 years.
If there was a developer on the planet that was interested, I believe they would
have expressed an interest by now.
I came home as an infant to the house I live in now, and I've seen this
neighborhood go through some pretty horrendous changes.
The homes on the lots in question sat vacant for a long time before they were torn
down, and I worried for my parents.
I considered buying those lots
specifically because I did not want them to be built up.
It's a perfect place for the neighborhood kids to run around and play, much like
the lot I had growing up. Then Urban Seed showed up last
year, and the excitement in the neighborhood was everywhere.
Free food for struggling families, a place to volunteer and give back,
a place to teach kids about growing, a place for the community to
come together. Only good stuff.
I would have preferred to have a mayor who cared enough about South Warren
to give these wonderful people at Urban Seed the opportunity to do
something totally beyond themselves.
Instead, it appears that Mayor Stone is the only major roadblock to this
garden, and she is determined to have it removed.
I don't care much for a city official who, number one,
takes food out of one child's mouth to give to another.
You find a way to feed them both. Number two,
is not transparent in her dealings with Urban Seed by giving them the go
ahead and then yanking that approval for undisclosed reasons.
And number three, seems to be hiding the selling price of these lots.
If they are truly for sale to a developer or anyone else, there should be an
asking price that's disclosed upon request.
With all due respect, Mayor Stone, you picked the wrong fight in the wrong
neighborhood with the wrong old lady.
We're good people. We deserve this garden.
You had nothing to say to us about these lots until Urban Seed came in
and did something really good. It literally cost you nothing,
Mayor, and it's a really cool place.
I invite you to take the time to stop by and see for yourself.
Thank you kindly.
Thank you.
While I appreciate the clapping,
actually it's not allowed in the chamber. Sorry.
Next is Sarah Spurgin, and then Cathy
Poore is after that.
Hello. I'm at Hal at Urban Seed,
South Warren, and I know we have something here in
that space.
And a lot of people ask you for CDBG grants and grant
money today. I'm a social scientist and a social servant and a
passionate advocate about community activism and agriculture that
works. I'm a state expert. I'm one of 6 or 700 people who can take you
out into your area and show you what is
toxic and what is edible as far as
our biomes. There's some inky caps growing in your
side yard, and I got me a handful of chives.
They're as an essential part of your communities that are missing, and it's people
like me. My great-granddad farmed here, and my granddad farmed here.
I went way far into school in politics, and then I said, "You know what?
One thing we do together is eat, and one thing that we're missing in a city
with so much poverty, so few good access,
is passionate people literally willing to come together and in one day,
bam, a garden." If you want to see what it's going to look like
if you don't disturb it, please, please go to Nine
MileAnd please look right across the street from the fire
department, and there you'll see the East Point Community Garden, which started
back in 2012. And it is so well-funded and so many
businesses there. And the magic happens when moms and dads and
kids just happen by. I'm one of the people hustling free vegetables to
everybody. I want you to eat good. I want you to feel good.
We have the best farmland in the state.
I'm a master gardener, and we put houses on that.
But what we have is a lot of lots and a lot of potential.
And if they're going to take this garden away from Urban Seed, please gift
them with lots of opportunities and lots more money and the supplies that they
need, where passionate people like myself in 90 minutes can
come and feed your neighborhoods.
It is independent of any NGO work, and it's well-funded, and it
does work. So I really want you guys to join Hale
when we're out there sweating. It was the hottest summer ever, and we
were still productive. And all you guys did was maintain that lot
for years, and in one year, we made it rock.
And so this is what the future looks like.
It's going to be people with college education who are also very into urban
agriculture, and we're going to have to rebuild our communities
somehow, and it's just like that. I love you guys.
I'll see you. I got all my gear in the car.
Thank you.
We got to feed each other.
Thank you.
This is what community looks like.
Next is Kathy Poor, and after Kathy is
Terry Gibb.
Good evening. My name is Kathy Poor.
I am the president of the Macomb County chapter of the League of Women
Voters,
and I'm here tonight speaking on behalf of the League on the
issue of the documentary proof of citizenship
petitions.
Since 1920, the League of Women Voters has been an
activist grassroots organization,
and we believe that people should play a role in their
democracy.
Our organization was founded six months before the
19th Amendment was ratified,
giving women the right to vote.
Our mission back then was, and still
is, to empower voters and to defend
democracy.
We work to ensure that every person has the desire,
the right, the knowledge, and the
confidence to participate in their government.
Now, here in Michigan, petitions are circulating
that would walk back the incredible strides our
state has made in making election
participation accessible.
The documentary proof of citizenship mandates go
against the League's founding purpose
and are a growing threat to voting rights across the
US.
My understanding is that these policies make voting harder
for everyone,
and particularly impact young voters,
low-income voters people of color, voters
with disabilities,
rural voters, and many married women like
me.
I was born in the United States. My parents were born in the United
States. Their parents were born here.
I have voted all my adult life.
But if I move to another city in Michigan, under the
documentary proof of citizenship proposals, I would not
be allowed to vote because I don't have a US passport,
excuse me, and the name on my birth certificate certainly
does not match the name on my driver's
license. If the Americans For Citizen
Voting petition passes and amends the Michigan
Constitution, everyone will be affected, and
taxpayers will have to fund millions of dollars to rewrite
manuals, retrain election staff, and educate
voters. The workload for our clerks will
increase. Elections will be harder and more expensive to
run. Clerks and election workers could be held
criminally liable for mistakenly
registering someone to vote without documentary proof
of citizenship.
You're at time. Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is Terry Gibb. After Terry is Jeffrey
Matthews.
Good evening, everyone. My name is Terry Gibb, and I live at 14814
Peck Drive in Warren, and I've been a Warren resident for 50
years. I actually live one block south of Sterling Heights and
one block west of Fraser, and that's important in a minute.
Documentary proof of citizenship laws, such as the current petition initiatives
being circulated for adoption to the November election,
impose additional requirements on voters to prove citizenship
before voting.
The current initiatives require voters to provide a birth
certificate or a passport to register to vote, and then to
present additional documents when actually casting their
ballot. If passed, these show your
papers laws could disenfranchise nearly
700,000 Michigan voters.
I mentioned earlier exactly where I live because if I were to
move one block north of where I live right now
or one block east,
I would need to show proof of citizenship in order to
continue to vote. That's one block.
However, since my birth certificateAnd my driver's license,
they have different last names, I could be excluded from voting, or at the
very least, have to go through a number of additional steps
to be able to regain my right to vote.
Michigan has a long history of protecting the freedom to vote and
ensuring that voting is safe and accessible for all
active voters, including through the passage of
pro-voter ballot initiatives in 2018 and
2022.
Documentary proof of citizenship laws threaten to roll back that
progress and disenfranchise
voters who may not have easy access to the required documents,
or, like me,
and probably some of you, who took my husband's name when I got
married.
As a longtime Warren resident, I urge you to join the
growing number of Michigan communities who are adopting
resolutions to protect the freedom to vote for all Warren
residents, as well as all of Michigan residents.
I actually brought a resolution template if you'd be interested
in seeing it as a possible starting point to adopting this, along with
a number of other communities. So if you would like to see it, I'll be here till
the end. Thank you.
Thank you. Next is Jeffrey Matthews,
and then after Jeff is Samantha Singer.
I'm Jeff Matthews, current head of the South Warren Garden, board member of Urban
Seed.
The mayor's office claims it's trying to be mindful about abandoned gardens in
writing its lease rules and ordinance
while creating the conditions to smother their only functioning community garden
out of existence.
Their delays have cost this project $10,000 in grant support and
resulted in a garden that can't expand for fear of the bulldozer.
What this actually amounts to is that the mayor's office is attempting to rule by
decree,
telling us how we can help each other and attempting to insert itself into areas
it has no desire to understand. The mayor's office sees
itself as a blob or a membrane that must stand between every
resident and regulate community.
The mayor's office says, "Oh, you want a vegetable cart?
We decided you can't have one. Why?
Because we already said so in our new proposed lease." You want to leave a
tomato out for a day or two so that people can help themselves as they drive
by? "No, that could attract pests," they say.
This isn't a place with pallets of food that are left out.
Food grows on the ground here, and leaving it out lets people know it's
okay to take. If the mayor's office wants people coming into gardens to
pick unripe produce, they can go build one behind City Hall for
that purpose.
These are two examples of rules created to just be rules.
They serve no purpose other than to weigh our program down.
There are dozens of these. Two weeks ago, it was revealed that the mayor's
office has drafted a ordinance for all urban gardens filled with
additional rules. So even if you own the land you build the
garden on, Mayor Lori-Come-Give-Me-Rules will tell you how you can
run it for them. We were informed of this in a closed meeting and have been
repeatedly refused access to read the draft ordinance.
Writing ordinance for a place and never even consulting the only functioning
example of it is both bizarre and
unsurprising. When we discussed this with officials inside
other city governments, they said, "This is extremely weird and highly
irregular," which is probably the best way to sum up this entire
experience.
What we ask is that council exerts its power through resolution to
sell us the land that the garden is on.
Use your leverage of the pending budget approval to
correct this fiasco and secure the future of this project.
Mr. Boyke, this garden is in your district.
We knocked 30 doors, and every single one wants this garden. Mr.
Lafferty, as a fellow gardener, you know time is short to ensure a
successful harvest. Ms. Moore, I know you promised us a
lease, but the one they offered us is a poison pill.
Please use your power, the land bank, and the leverage of the upcoming budget
to save this project. If council doesn't act now, this garden
dies. Thank you.
Thank you. Next is Samantha Singer, and after
Samantha is Gary Watts.
Good evening. My name is Samantha Singer, and I'm a resident and
educator in Warren.
In my neighborhood, the South Warren Community Garden provides nutrition and
recreation to residents. I want to share with you tonight some
of the experiences of residents in South Warren who benefit
directly from the South Warren Community Garden's existence.
Residents like the two young brothers who stop by the garden every
Sunday just to pick up as many cucumbers as possible
to pickle. The garden provides nutrition in a food desert.
The closest food options are gas stations and liquor
stores. Many people in the neighborhood do not possess a
car, and taking the bus to the grocery would take much
longer.
On my drive here, I saw a family walking down Shanor with a shopping
cart full of groceries. They looked tired.
The garden provides fresh food for free, which is especially important as South
Warren families deal with incredible inflation on top of a
lack of access. There are lines around buildings at local food
pantries, and often they do not even have enough fresh fruits
or vegetables.
The garden provides a recreation activity for the neighborhood, as all generations
can come to the garden and interact in a way that positively
represents and serves our community.My neighbor, who has
lived in her home for 50 years, shared with me she's never
interacted with her neighbors before the garden started on
Toepfer. She said she didn't know that anyone cared like her
for her neighborhood.
The garden provides a way in which adults can provide mentorship, role modeling,
and practical guidance to youth.
Youth, many of who lack spaces to gather and especially to
interact with their community positively without having to drop money on
an athletic uniform, can learn skills like gardening that foster
independence and support their community.
This is a way for the neighborhood to interact positively regardless of age,
religion, cultural background. We do not have many
spaces like that in South Warren. By letting go of the lease,
we are taking recreation from those boys and other residents of our
neighborhood off of Toepfer, and more importantly, nutritious food
out of their mouths.
At the end of last year's season, I gathered cucamelons to take to
my second grade students in a Warren school.
The students had never had a cucamelon before, so we used them as a
taste test for them to practice writing adjectives to
describe the taste, texture, and smell of the fruit.
The students loved it,
and students who were before reluctant to write were excited to eat and
describe the crunchy, slimy, fragrant melons.
The students could not believe these small melons came from a local
garden in Warren, where they live.
A fruit that before to them was strange and foreign became
accessible, describable-
Your time
... and relatable.
I'm sorry. Thank you.
Next is Gary Watts and then Gloria Sanker.
Yeah, Gloria, you can't... Ms. Sanker, you can't clap.
No, Ms. Sanker, not you.
Well, I don't know where to start tonight.
I guess I'll start with the important part.
We busted our rears last year to pass our police and fire millage renewal.
We're still 25 police officers short, roughly.
When I left council at the end of '23,
we had an $82 million fund balance.
As of the last audit that was reported, we had a $117 million fund balance.
Think about how many police officers we're not hiring and how much money is being
saved. We're paying for those officers, and we downright
deserve to have them on the streets now, not tomorrow.
We also have, by my study, 10 police officers assigned to public schools.
While it's good to have those officers in school, they're not reimbursing us
100% of the legacy cost for that. And
those officers probably should be on the street as well and let the schools hire
their own. But that's just my thought.
But we need to get those police officers hired.
Next is the library. They're not homeless shelters.
We're paying taxes for them to be libraries.
My wife frequents the library, and she came out the other day.
She was so disgusted she made me go back in and look at it. It was disgusting.
And that was at City Hall. City Hall, seriously.
And then we want to hire a security guard
to babysit? No way. Maybe we need some strong
leadership in this city, and it needs to start at the mayor's office and
at the library director's office. This hasn't showed me anything.
This is really crazy. Get those people out.
Get these other cities to stop dumping on us.
It's not our responsibility to house those people. Ridiculous.
And lastly, I thought I'd throw this in. I have mixed emotions.
I don't have anything against the garden.
I think it's a great thing. There's probably a lot of places, if they couldn't have
the lot,
there's probably many other places, like 32 parks that most of them don't
get all the property used. It's a thought.
But I think it's kind of funny that the mayor doesn't want to have this
garden to help these people along.
But take a ride over to Hausner
and Julius and take a look at the urban forest over there, for God's sakes.
She had to have that...
It's just disgusting. I pulled up the Google Map of it before they made it, the
urban forest, and it was beautiful.
Today, it looks like a garbage dump and a
desert.
Disgusting. And then she wants to tell these people that they can't have this
and put all kinds of rules on it. It's ridiculous.
She should resign today. Thank you.
Thank you. Next is Gloria Sanker.
We, the residents, have a problem with potholes.
The city used to fix them correctly,
but now they only drop asphalt
and let the next passing car pick it up, and it gets
packed under their car.
This is so basic to street repair. Why isn't it
done correctly?
People are stopped for reckless driving
because they are swerving to avoid potholes.
You can say the streets belong to the county, but the potholes are
everywhere.
The main streets, the side streets,
it doesn't matter.
They have become stagecoach roads.
Turn off the main street to turn into a huge pothole
while turning onto a side street. They can't be
ignored. There's just too many of them.
They can't be avoided. They are situated in the middle of
the road
where cars must drive.
When we travel to other states, it seemsIt's
noticeable that their streets are not full of unavoidable
potholes like here in Warren. Warren could be
known as Pothole City.
So the governor who said, "Let's fix the darn roads,"
didn't get it done, and neither has our city been
focused on fixing potholes that last.
It used to be when the city repaired potholes, they put
down the asphalt and patted it down with a roller.
These rollers that really fix potholes
are probably somewhere on our property.
Why not get them out and get serious about fixing
potholes? We are the third-largest city in the state.
We have the most amount of potholes that don't get
fixed. They are just filled up with asphalt until the
next car drives over them and the asphalt
quickly attaches to their car.
It doesn't have to be that way. We have quality workers
who can fix a pothole if given the right equipment.
Google says to fix potholes, you have to thoroughly
compact the material to be level with the surface.
Proper compaction is
crucial for durability of fixing potholes.
It's horrible. You turn off of the main street to bounce off of a
pothole on the turn. It's very unsettling and
costly to the repair of our cars.
If it's a matter of money, take some from the pothouses
that are here in Warren on practically every other street.
We can send people to the moon, but we can't fix a pothole.
There are potholes in every district of our city.
You're out of time, Ms. Sanker.
Why don't all of you-
Thank you
... who are a member of the district get proactive.
You're out of time, Ms. Sanker.
Next item.
Next item is council response to audience, Madam Chair.
Ms. Moore.
I want to address the Urban Seed
folks first.
I think I speak for everybody here.
We're all in favor of community gardens.
That's something we want to see and are supportive of it.
I don't know where the disconnect is.
Last year, we sort of got bogged down a little bit, and I know Mr.
Schroeder got involved and got things rolling again.
I didn't realize that we wouldn't just be continuing things this year,
that we were going to deal with the whole thing.
Now,
just to add a little piece to this, I am also the chairperson of the
land bank and the acting director.
I was at a land bank meeting last week, and one of the things I've
learned over the year I've been involved is
that community gardens are a very
common thing that land banks do
because they want to fill the space.
And
I will tell you, that property you were on, that's not a dollar
lot. That's about an $80,000 lot. That's what it'll
cost because it's a double with the L on it.
That's a buildable lot, and that's probably got a value of at least
70,000, 80,000. So this is not a property that you could buy.
I don't think you have that kind of money.
But what I would offer, I don't know that I can come up with an answer for this
year because I don't know where we're at.
Is it too late?
I don't know. And I feel for you that you lost the 10,000.
The mayor lost us almost a million in the land bank,
and if that hadn't happened, the land bank might have
the wherewithal to help you in a much greater way right now, and
that's certainly what we want to do.
We understand that there's a problem with
people that are hungry in this city, and I see people at the food banks all
day long, and if we can have fresh
vegetables for people, that is a wonderful
thing. I don't know, maybe Mr. Schroeder has an idea.
In the future, we have
almost 300 vacant properties in the city.
The land bank could find a property, put it in the
land bank, and we could negotiate it.
We can negotiate things a little bit differently than the city does,
and
so that's one option
that we could talk about. Maybe Mr.
Schroeder can, if it's okay with the chair-
Sure
... to bring Mr. Schroeder in.
I guess one idea, a couple ideas, would be,
first of all, yes, the land bank could do something, but the council would have to
vote to transfer that property to the land bank, and then the land bank would have
to take over. That might be more of a long-term solution.
In the short term,
if someone could just get this draft lease over to
the council office, the council can put it on the next
agenda, and the representatives of the community
garden can explain what provisions offend them in
this or what seems to be an overregulation.
We can meet with the legal affairs committee and try to hammer through this thing.
We can pass it with the changes that are acceptable to the
council members. If the mayor doesn't like it, she would have the option to veto
that, and the council could override that veto.
So I would suggest in order to get the ball rolling, we need something.
Council office needs something to look at, even if it's a draft
that can be put forward at the next meeting,
and then we need to know what these offending... It's just an option.
So those are the two things I can think of right off the top of my head.
So maybe we could, if I'm understanding correctly
that the mayor's office is writing an ordinance?
No, we've been working on it. I've worked with Dave and-
Well, that's something council does, and our legal counsel should be doing an
ordinance if that's something we're going to do.
But then if you've been working on it, where is it at?
And where
is it being held up? What is the problem?
Ms. Michaels, go ahead. This is the Community Garden Ordinance.
Right, that's what I'm talking about. What is the holdup?
Go ahead, Ms. Michaels. Ms. Michaels, go ahead.
I mean...
Yeah, we've called.
Yeah.
The ordinance is done. In fact, I showed Council
President Roggensie a copy. There are a
few very minor changes that were requested from the
administration.
Next meeting, it is coming back.
It was forwarded to the mayor, administration wanted some more changes.
So at least it'll come to council, and from there,
council can review and-
Okay.
Thank you.
I didn't know anything about this.
Yes.
I am really sorry that I didn't, because you people have been emailing
me, and
if I had that information that somebody was actually working on something,
I might have had a different response to you.
And you did send an invitation, but you had to sign in with Google,
and I can't do that. So,
I know you were, because I would've liked to come that day.
It was kind of a last-minute thing.
But anyway, I wasn't being rude and didn't want to respond, but
I think we all want the same thing and maybe if
now that I understand something's actually being done, maybe at the next meeting.
I don't know if it's too late for you this season.
By me. One of the
things is we understand the hurdle of the lot, but to Annie's point, this is
where the city put us. And they said that we could lease to own.
They said that there was a pathway here.
We've been offered, through conference with other people, different
lots and different places, and people were at and out within
10 months. They know that it
would be such a horrible thing to just move it because...
But it's sad that we for so long.
But that may have to happen. It's only been a year.
You haven't been there 25 years. And
if we see that that property is valuable,
we may not have a choice. We can't sell it to you for a dollar.
I don't know how long we can carry on with
renting it. I don't know why that property was picked.
We weren't consulted on that.
But let's see what we can work out. Yeah, Ms.
Michaels?
I'm sorry, Madam Chair.
Laura Sullivan did work out the lease.
It's the exact same as last year, but I understand that there's
some contractual negotiations that are not
complete, and that's why it hasn't been brought to council.
But the same lease from last year was offered. That's my understanding.
It is not the same lease. It was significantly different.
They're saying it was very different.
Okay.
What I will advocate is that-
I don't know that
... the lease be brought to council.
Yeah. That would be great. Thank you, Ms. Michaels.
Madam Chair, I'd like to address.
Mr. Boykin.
I'll go along with what Mr. Schroeder said.
The council has to take action, and I appreciate Ms.
Michaels with the ordinance and everything,
but if you're sending it to your administration, we'll get it
maybe two years from now.
All right? Like everything else, or five minutes before a meeting.
These people have been doing this, and there's no
reason.
We're hearing conflicted statements right now.
We got to get this done for this year.
Mm-hmm.
Not next year or the year after, because the longer you
delay it,
it's easier to prolong it even longer.
Mm-hmm.
And whatever we could do as a council, Mr.
Schroeder, if you need a draft or something, I'll prepare some kind
of draft. Mr. Lafferty would probably help me or other members of
council, but we need to do something possibly this year.
And as far as the land bank, we could always work on that
going forward. But let's get these people operational, these
residents.
And
I got texts up here. I got one from my wife. Better pass it.
I'm all for gardens.
And
got to listen to the boss.
I'm getting those, too, from other people.
But we got to at least look at that.
And whatever has to be done, let me know,
and I'll yield back.
Thank you. Mr. Lafferty.
Yeah. Thank you.
I'm hearing two different things, though, here.
I'm hearing an ordinance,
which, as we all know, takes two readings, so that's two meetings at least, if it
shows up at the next meeting even. But the most
important item is the lease agreement,
which we need to have addressed immediately.
She's absolutely right, the audience member stated.
Planting season is upon us,
and they need to be able to
ensure they're going to secure their parcel and be able to prep
that lot
yesterday for the season. So
I want to make sure that we're looking at this
correctly. The ordinance is needed,
but that's the long-term plan. Perhaps
we do need to do that. Let's look at Eastpointe.
It sounds like they know what they're doing in the municipality of Eastpointe.
Hopefully, Ms. Roggensie, that's what we've modeled,
and
we've got a great template to follow.
I don't know yet, but I'll look at that after we get the lease
agreement sent to council office.
Mr. Schroeder is absolutely correct.
Let's get the lease agreement
here. Let's hammer out the details.
Perhaps we need a committee of the whole to do that, and
then we bring it back in time for the next meeting.
I will absolutely support that.
Just wanted to clarify, the origination of the creation of the
ordinance followed the last
lease, whenever that was last year, when we pushed to have that.
We
discussed a long-term ordinance.
Mm-hmm.
I've worked on that with Laura, Christina,
Dave Mazzarelli. It has been incredibly slow
process to move that forward. And
while Jeff and Mr. Schroeder works on a lot of council
ordinances, there's no reason why
I can't work with Ms. Michaels or originate an ordinance somewhere else.
That's not an inappropriate thing.
No, but I think that since it's getting bogged down, I don't think
we need a committee meeting as a whole on this.
Maybe you work on it and bring Jonathan in, and maybe-
The challenge has been in a number of the zoning things, which has
required Mr. Mazzarelli and the administration and
Everett to comment on things that
Mr. Schroeder probably can't resolve immediately, because it's
required their participation around setbacks and-
More zoning
... conflicting-
Mm-hmm
... conflicting information within the
zoning ordinance and also then the community garden.
One of the issues that the current lease point of
contention is that you cannot have a shed, according to the zoning ordinance, on
a non-housing dwelling, right? And so that is a
conflict, and if you're going to actually write an ordinance to legislate
community gardens, then everything should be aligned.
You shouldn't have, obviously, contradictions between that ordinance.
So I just wanted to clarify, that is where the community gardens ordinance
has been. It's been an ongoing process because there has been a lot
of things that have to be brought in from zoning and Mr. Mazzarelli specifically.
Ms. Roggensack, I just wish that our city had a zoning board of appeals
where- ... they could ask for a variance-
How novel. Yeah
... to existing ordinances-
Yeah
... or zoning requirements for something as simple as this.
And I spoke to Mr. Matthews afterwards at the last meeting,
saying, "Of all of the things that we deal with,
a garden should not be the most
convoluted process."
Yeah.
We're talking about tomatoes and cucumbers here.
This should be a very simple process.
Which is why we had to bring it last year-
Mm-hmm
... and I asked you all to support moving it along as quickly as possible.
And we did.
Yeah.
So-
Because it shouldn't be a complicated process.
So, Ms. Roggensack, we're here at this point just like we were a year ago,
and we've done one-year renewals
of present conditions.
Perhaps that's where we need to be.
Yeah.
But perhaps that's where we need to go with the current
agreement. We extend it for an additional year while the
city and Urban Seed works through the growing season
and the off-season on hammering out all the details
so that we don't prevent them from following through on their
mission.
Yeah.
Yeah. You have no objection from me.
Madam President.
Yeah. Mr. Noonan.
Sorry.
I very much like that idea.
I think that it should probably be extending it for two years, given the rate at
which things are moving,
unless it comes back with more favorable terms for our
community garden. Because I think that's a fabulous
project that helps to elevate
Warren in the perception of the world.
We want to have warm, welcoming communities,
and they're doing it. And they're not charging us
for it.
Also, they've put a lot of money into it.
I put a little bit of money, and so much sweat labor.
Mm-hmm.
Mm.
You should have seen them getting that
composted
lawn materials, throwing that in the containers that they
hand-built.
Each one cost in materials $300,
something like that. A lot of money, but they hand-constructed it.
Mm-hmm.
They didn't go out and buy... The same thing if they had to buy it
manufactured by somebody, would've been a lot more.
It's brilliant.
Mm-hmm.
Anyway, so if we could make it for two years, I'd appreciate
amending
the lease agreement for two years rather than just
one.
Yeah.
If that's acceptable.
And Madam Chair,
I think part of the problem is there's been a very poor
communication with the city council, because we had no idea what was going on.
We're getting these emails, and these people are very
frustrated. And then we are all having to get involved-
Right
... because we didn't know anything that was going on and why everything was-
Right
...
stalled. So I think I should
have met with you a long time ago, and I apologize.
I'll have to learn how to use that Google thing that you...
I know how to use regular Google, but I don't know. I don't have that thing.
If no one's asking, you don't even need to sign in.
Okay. Well, I didn't know that.
No worries.
Okay.
I hate Google as well, after all.
Madam President, when this is over, I have another response.
Yeah. Any more response to audience?
I do.
Mr. Noonan. Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
I want to thank the two ladies who came to speak up
for what I consider the topic to be as democracy is
nonpartisan in America.
Every qualified citizen should support every other
citizen's right to vote,
and I'm
ashamed to see something against that happening in America.
All these extra documents seem to be poll taxes,
and that's unconstitutional. This shouldn't be
a debatable point, but I guess it is.
Anyway, thank you so much for coming out tonight.
I yield.
Any other council response?
Okay.
Next item.
Motion to adjourn.
Thank you.
Support to adjourn.
All in favor?
Aye.
We are adjourned. Thank you.