City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. I'd like to call the meeting to order at 06:30. Pledge allegiance. Can I get mister Patz to lead this? Please.

Mister Paths? Here. Mister Clark?

Here.

Mister Armstrong?

Here.

Mister Wallace? Here. Mister Thede?

Here.

Mister Thomas?

Here.

Mister Johnson?

Here.

Mayor Woolley?

Here.

Missus Bauer? Here. Mister Dragoni?

Have a quorum. May I get a motion to approve the agenda?

Motion to approve, mister chairman. Support.

Motion by mister Thomas. Supported by mister Clark. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes.

All opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. Can I get a motion to approve and accept approve and accept the minutes of meeting held 03/03/2026 and dispense with over o o oral reading? Motion. Support. I didn't get the motion. Mister Wallace is supported by Any discussion? Anything from the audience? Hearing none. All in favor, say yes.

Yes.

All opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. There's communication.

Thank you, mister chairman. I have a, motion to approve the appointment of Dennis Herwig to the Taylor Veterans Museum's Commission for another four year term to expire on 03/17/2030. Motion to approve. Support.

Any discussion? I'd like to say one thing real quick. Mhmm. Dennis Denny came to us a little while ago, and he has put his heart and soul into making that Purple Heart wall a thing to to be impressed with.

I mean,

I think he's done it a lot

of his own money, which I told him he's not supposed to do, but he did it anyways. So just a great guy all the way around. Can I get him? All in favor?

Yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes. Motion carried. Line up.

Yeah. I see. I did. Okay.

Raise your right hand. Repeat after me. I, Dennis Herwig

I, Dennis Herwig.

Do solemnly swear

Do solemnly swear.

That I will support

I will support

the constitution of The United States.

Constitution of The United States.

Constitution of the state of Michigan. Yes. The charter of the city of Taylor.

Yes.

And that I will faithfully discharge Yes. The duties of the office

Yes. I

will. Of Taylor Museum commissioner Yep. According to the best of my ability. Yes, ma'am. Congratulations. Nice. One is yours.

Can I get a 6.1 through 6.6 as a consent agenda? May I get a motion?

Motion.

Support. Motion by mister Clark. Supported by mister Thomas. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes. Yes. All opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. I will move on to the regular agenda. I need a motion to go into closed door session to discuss pending litigation. Motion. Motion to Mister Wallace, supported by mister Thomas. Roll call, please.

Mister Armstrong?

Yes.

Mister Wallace? Yes. Mister Thidi? Yes. Mister Thomas? Yes. Mister Pat? Yes. Mister Clark? Yes. And mister Johnson?

Yes.

635.

We'll be back. Thank you for being patient. We're gonna call the meeting back to order at 07:14. Fourteen. Could I get a motion to approve the settlement of risk management claim QL twelve seventy eight as recommended by this the attorney in closed session.

Motion.

Support.

Motion by mister Wallace. Supported by mister Clark. Any discussion? Anything from the audience? Hearing none, all in favor say yes. Yes. Roll call. Yes.

Yes. Yes.

Motion Yes. Carries. 7.3, motion to receive and file first reading of case number 26Dash2ZC is southern proximate proximity, 881 feet of Parcel 60 Dash 48 Dash 99 Dash 0013 Dash 000 and 60 Dash 4899 Dash 0014 Dash 000 Of Southeast Quarter Section 18 T S S R 10 E, City Of Taylor, Wayne County, Michigan to be conditionally rezoned to r one from r one to r from r rezoned from o one in in r one c single family office residential to light industrial. The property is located on North Side Of Goddard Road between Beach Daily and Continental Drive. This is a conditional rezoning.

Motion to support. Motion by mister Pass. Supported by mister Thomas. Any discussion? Anything from you guys? Hearing none, all in favor say yes. Yes. Yes. All opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. Can I get a motion to approve Synergy Products sole source to install five docking stations, pedestal, and five three sixty lighting packages on five new building department vehicles for the Mountain Arctic Sea 21,300 funded through the building department vehicle account? Motion. Motion by Mr. Armstrong.

Supported by Mr. Wallace. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes.

All opposed? Motion carried. 7.5, may I get a motion to approve compensating carry heating and cooling electrical and other contractual building and electrical plumbing and mechanical inspectors designated by the building official at a rate not to exceed $45 per inspection funded through the building department contractual services?

Motion. Support.

Motion by mister Thomas supported by Armstrong. Mister Armstrong. Any discussion? Anything from the audience? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes. Yes.

All opposed, yeses have it. Motion carried. Can I get a motion to approve payment to Michigan Law Enforcement Training Association LLC for providing CPE required constitutional police training for the Taylor police officers in an amount not to exceed $38,340 funded through the continuing professional education training fund?

I'll make that motion.

Support? Mister Thede and supported by mister Clark. Any discussion?

Chairman, I'd like the police chief to come up and explain this program.

Hey, mister chairman, council, mister mayor. Yes, sir. Appreciate the opportunity to talk to you about this training. As all of us know, we probably get lots of phone calls coming in about they want police officers to be much more professional. You see that throughout the country. Well, it doesn't happen overnight. And we've spent many years changing not only the police culture here in the city of Taylor but throughout the country. The train that's in front of you is a continuation of that. It's not only professional policing, but it's constitutional policing. So what you have in front of you proposed is an attorney who has spent the last twenty five years advising police departments throughout the entire state of Michigan and throughout the country.

He actually sits on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Board. So, any college here in the state of Michigan, he has taught at and instructed for. This training, required by the state of Michigan, we have this thing called MCOLS, which is the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, requires that all police officers have continuing education. It's twenty four hours each year in various different categories. This attorney will provide every officer in this department with sixteen hours out of that twenty four.

Use of force, de escalation, search and seizure, things that are really important to all of our citizens not only here but throughout the entire country. So we believe not only in policing legally, but also morally and ethically, and that leads us directly into this constitutional and holistic approach that we're bringing forward to you. So we appreciate any support you'd give us.

Chairman, we really appreciate the efforts of the Taylor Police Department. We want you guys to do your job and go home safely. And this training is essential part of that training, and we just really appreciate what you guys do.

Thank you. Any other discussion?

Chairman, I would just like to say, chief Blair, I think you're doing an incredible job leading this department. And I like the way that you approach it with morally and ethically, yet effective. So thank you.

Alright. I greatly appreciate that. And none of this stuff is possible without the support of not only this council, those in the past. The mayor, chief of staff, all the department heads are incredibly supportive of us. This doesn't happen just in our building. This is an entire city. So thank you.

I also thank you also and and the rest of the police force and our fire department also. Thank you.

Thank you. I've been very impressed with the you know, getting being able to go into your operations, see the transparency, use of technology to protect citizens and to protect the police. And this is a fantastic thing to especially with what's going on, to be really persevering toward having very professional police officers.

Appreciate that. Thank you.

Anything else? To the chair.

Keep up the good work.

Will do. Absolutely. My word.

Thank you, sir. All in favor say yes? Yes. Yeses have it. Motion carried. Can I get a motion to approve a member of the Taylor Fire Department to attend explosive handler and breaching course in June 2026?

Motion? Support.

Motion by mister Thomas. Supported by mister Clark. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes.

Yes. Yeses have it. Motion carried. Can I get a motion to approve payment to Westshore for annual inspection and preventative maintenance agreement on the warning system alert sirens in the amount of $6,000 funded through the general fund police repair and maintenance and fire repair and maintenance? Motion. Support. Motion by mister Armstrong. Supported by mister Wallace. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes.

Yeses have it. Motion carried. May I get a motion to approve sending one canine officer and canine to attend the explosive canine recertification training in Clare, Michigan for cost not to exceed $835 funded through the general fund police training. Motion by mister Patz, supported by mister Armstrong. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes.

All opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. 7.1, motion to approve payment to Lafontaine Chrysler state contract for MNET vehicle purchase in amount of $35,876 funded through the MNET portion of federal forfeiture funds. Motion. Supported by mister Wallace. Supported by mister Wallace. Or mister Thomas. Supported by mister Wallace. Any discussion? Can I ask what type of vehicle this is?

It's a Durango. All

in favor, say yes.

Yes. Yes.

All opposed, yeses have it. Motion carried. Motion seven eleven approve sending two officers to attend cellular analysis survey team training in Traverse City plus you for cost not to exceed $1,092 funded through the general fund police training. Motion to support. Motion by mister Armstrong supported by mister Patz.

Any discussion? Hearing none all in favor say yes. All opposed, yeses have it. Motion carries. 7.12, may I get a motion to approve authorizing the mayor to sign a purchase agreement on behalf of the city of taylor for the sale of partial ID as stated for the total amount not to exceed $11,000 plus close closing costs proceeds to go to the general fund. Motion. Motion by mister Armstrong. Supported. Supported by mister Clark. Any discussion? Mayor, could we get an idea where this is these two are located?

Yeah. Mister chairman, this is actually, I'm sorry. This is Hampton off of, I believe, Eureka, and they're going to build some houses over there. And this gets them back on the tax rolls, and it's grass that we don't have to cut or maintain anymore. And so hopefully, you guys will give me the opportunity to sign these purchase agreements. And we'll have some new houses built, and we won't have to cut the grass anymore. And we'll have some new taxes coming in.

Alright. All in favor?

Yes. Yes.

All opposed? Yes. Have it. Motion carried. Seven thirteen. Motion to approve authorizing the mayors to sign purchase agreement on behalf of the city of Taylor for sale of partial ID as stated, the total amount of $10,000 plus closing costs proceeds to go to general fund.

Motion.

Supported by mister Thomas. Supported.

Supported by mister Armstrong. Any discussion? Same general area?

Yeah. No. Lincoln is

This one's on Lincoln?

Yeah. Okay. Yep.

Any discussion? I'd like to

thank Kimber and Paula for helping me out to find these properties. So, yeah, they're nice properties. Nice chunk of property.

Through the chair. It's on Lincoln between Wick and Hague. Okay. It's surrounded on both sides by

both properties. Any other discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes. Yes. Yeses have it. Motion carried. Seven four 14, motion to approve the mayor to sign and enter into sub into a subrecipient agreement to approve twenty twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six community development block grant action plan budget in the amount of $12,000 for each for Fish and Loews, the Guidance Center, Senior Alliance funded through the CDBG. Motion. Support. Motion by mister Clark.

Supported by mister Patz. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes. Yes. All opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. We go on to open business. Seven one five. Okay. Oh, motion to receive a file. The ethics board resolution for attached document.

Motion to receive Motion the

by mister Thomas. Supported by mister Wallace. Any discussion?

Good evening, mister chairman, mister mayor, madam clerk, and all the elected officials. I just wanted to come in front of you and let you know this originally received in November 2024. We held our hearing in December 2024, and you could ask, well, where have you been? Okay? Unfortunately, we had to hold our proceedings for sixteen months until the state of Michigan completed their investigation to the same claims.

So we, by law, could not proceed. They finally exhausted all their appeals and everything like that. A final decision was made. Then we met, and we came up with the resolution, which we gave a copy to you, and we'd like you to receive and file it.

Thank you. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mike.

Any other discussion? All in favor say yes. Yes. Yeses have a motion carried. Now open business. Go to audience first. Anybody out there? Okay. Anything from electeds?

I I visited the library last week, Monday and Tuesday. They installed their library pods for the residents, and they're they're really sweet. They're really nice. And, also, I wanna reach out to the water department also. They had a kind of a damaged water main the other day, and it affected the library. And also on party, and I wanna thank them for their fast work to get things going again. And also the parks and rec because they went to the library and got them up and going. So I wanna thank both of them departments. Thank you.

Anything else? Through the chair. March is reading month, as everybody knows. So I would like to thank everybody who participated in this month's reading month. It's really, really crucial that we promote literacy, especially for the youth. Reading opens the door to so, so much more. So, I want to thank everybody who participated in it. Thank you.

Just real quick, we are closed, just notice to the public, we are closed for Good Friday on Friday, April 3. And then also just put a mention out there, the Taylor Bunny Trail, is being held at Heritage Park on Saturday, March 28. And I would go on the city website to look into more information for that, but there is a fee, $5 for Taylor residents, 10 for non residents. Preregistration is required. Outdoor event, rain or shine, there's a QR code to scan and register if you go on the city of Taylor website and look up Bunny Trail.

Thank you. Anything else? I got one thing to bring up. We all got a bunch of letters in our water bill concerning lead in the in the system. And I get a lot of calls because being a plumber, they're naturally calling me, and they're worried that they got lead in their system. Well, this was just a sample of 60 houses. They had to go to the areas that might have lead services. So that's why it was higher, according to that, than normal. 99% of the city is fine. The water mains don't have it.

It's the service line going from the house from the street to the house, which installed by builders years ago. So it's not widespread lead throughout the whole system. Just just to give you guys a heads up.

Mister chairman, I've got quite a few inquiries about it. I've read the letter. I understand it's a message. But what was expected of the people who they they they they don't quite know what to do. And I told them that probably nothing unless they wanted to call the number to get tested. Right?

Through through the chair. Yeah. We have to be very cautious how we say this. So Yes. We did put out notifications in the in the water bills based on the study, you know, like, the levels that was with the tested houses, like you had said. But, yeah, they can reach out to our DPW to see if they have a lead line coming into their home. The easiest way to check is where your water meter is, is to see if that lead or if that line coming into that meter is copper, then you're good. I went down to my basement and checked, and I have a hopper line coming into mine. You know, we have pictures on our our website. We've had it in the Taylor today.

One of the things we're trying to do is get people to help us with that because the city will cover that. We have money there to do that for free, and we're trying to do it as much as possible. We're trying to build that database up. And the biggest thing is is just getting people to respond to the mailers we've sent out, the the things we've put in the Taylor Today magazine, on our web page and everything. Some people are going as far as saying they don't want their front yard torn up and stuff like that.

And just because you have a lead line going into your house does not mean you're necessarily drinking water with lead in it. You know, it's it's a precautionary thing, but there are some that have tested above the levels, and that's why we had to put those out there. But Eagle has levels of that you have to do when certain parameters are met and stuff like that. So we can't downplay anything. We can't we have to follow their list of rules. And so I have to be careful what I say and So

doing what I do, the lead lines that are coming in usually are coated on the inside. Mhmm. And it protects it. Now, if you have if you're gone on vacation for a month, it's a good idea to flush your water out of your house. Mhmm. Don't just open it up and take a drink of water. Right. Because it can leach into there. 99% of the time, you're good. Mhmm. You know? And what people don't realize is even faucets, the brass has lead in it so that it can leach into it. But if you're using your water every day, normally, it's usually not a concern.

Chairman? Just wanna let everybody know that I had an opportunity to see our water department replace a residential lead line this morning. It was just absolutely fascinating. The crews were professional and worked hand in hand, dug up the yard, hooked on to the lead line from inside the house, pulled it from underneath the house, and and and brought in a plastic line through there and and hooked up their curds curb stop again. And then as they were hooking up the curb stop, our service crews came and we hooked up the meter and everything.

It was just so efficient. So it's just so important that you check your lines. If you have questions, reach out to the water department. We'll send someone out to inspect your line, to determine whether it is a lead line, and it will be replaced at no cost to the homeowner. And we and through the chair, we

do this for free.

The the the thing people need to realize, though, that we're only gonna do it for free for so long.

That's right. Make so many attempts.

And then After we make so many attempts to get a hold of people, so it's it's worth it. They don't mind coming out. And the inconvenience of having a little hole in the front yard, because like mister Thomas said, they pull that line. You're not tearing up the whole yard normally.

And and through the chair to add on to that, after we've made our attempts and all that stuff, eventually, the state is gonna dictate whether it's you or not to sell a house, to buy a house. They're gonna make sure that that is gonna be done. And if the city's met its obligation, then that's gonna fall on either the seller or the buyer. And it's probably going to be anywhere from 10,000 to $20,000 in the future. So I would take advantage of this.

Yep. It's a deal.

Okay. Anything else from the council? Hearing none, may I get a motion?

Motion to adjourn.

Supported by Mr. Wallace. Supported by Mr. Clark. All in favor?

Aye. Yes.

Yes. Motion carried. That seven thirty four?

I said seven thirty six. Seven thirty six. I

am so damn cold out here. Don't know why. I feel like I'm shaking when I'm talking.