City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. This meeting of the Oak Park City Council will come to order. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance 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.

Uh, city clerk Norris, would you call the role? Yeah. Mayor Mlen here. Uh, Mayor Prom Edgar sick. Council member Radner I am here. Council member Whitehead here. And council member Crawford is also uh we have a quorum. Um, the two who are missing are ill with the flu. Please send your prayers. Uh, is there a motion to approve the agenda? Sean, what should we do with this one? Some move. I'll second it. Okay. All those in favor, please say I. I.

Any opposed? Motion carried. Consent agenda. The following items are routine and presented without discussion as a single item. Any member of council can ask an item be dropped from the blanket motion and considered separately. A regular city council meeting minutes for December 15, 2025. requests to approve payment application number six final and change uh order number one for the 2025 landscape maintenance contract to Capital Landscapes of Oak Park, Michigan in the amount of 15,793.90 and a credit of $6,867.96 respectively. C. Request to approve payment payment application number six final and change order number one for the 2025 lawn maintenance contract to Capital Landscapes of Oak Park, Michigan in the amounts of $3,998.92 and a credit of $27,473.75 respectively. D. Request authorization to bid the 2026 Capital Avenue Rehabilitation Project M786E. Payment of invoices from OM Advisors for Engineering Consulting Services for the total amount of $39,782.70. F request authorization to bid the 2026 joint and crack ceiling project um M788. G Arts and Cultural Diversity Commission meeting minutes for November 13th, 2025. H Traffic Safety Board meeting minutes

for November 19th, 2025. I, zoning board of of appeals meeting minutes for October 28th. J, approval of payment application number one for the 202526 miscellaneous concrete project M782 to Matti Cement Company of Fenton, Michigan in the amount of $253,34418. K. Approval of payment application number two final to Luigi Fernande and Sun Cement Company for the 2025 catch basin line replacement project M7779 in the amount of $10,000. L new and renewal of business licenses for January 5th, 2026. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda?

So moved. Second. All in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Um, next item is recognition of elected officials. Seeing none, we move on to item seven, which is bids. Request to award the bid for the 2025 sewer lining project M791 to DVM Utilities of Sterling Heights, Michigan for the total amount of $296,797. [clears throat] Is there a motion to reward award the bid? So moved. Second. Second. Um, can we have someone come up and talk about the project and talk about the bids?

Maybe somebody like Kim. [laughter] Speak of angels and hear the flutter of their wings. Good evening. Economic development director Kim Baron. Good evening, mayor and council members. So, uh, we bid recently the, uh, sewer lining project M791. We advertised it and 51 contractors viewed it and we received four bids at the end of the day. Um the low bidder was DVM utilities who we have used in the past and we are recommending city council to award the bid to DVM utilities of Sterling Heights.

Right. I wonder we we keep hearing about sewer lining projects and we know that it's an endless thing. Maybe for next meeting can someone give us like percentage done in the last 10 years only if it's good news though in the last 10 years. We'll we'll work on that. Okay. Just curious. Yep. Because some of these things keep coming up and you think, well, it must be all done now. But it's it's a continuous process that we go through different sections and it's massive and it's expensive. Thank you. Oh, wait. We have an answer. Look at this. Oh, Dave to the

We have 19 miles lined already and the percentage is 16.91% is done. So, we still have 83% to go. Good work. Huh. Wow. Yeah. Quick work. Good job, Dave. Thank you. Um, uh, ready to vote then? Yeah. Roll call, please. I thought we had a motion. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Got it. Um, roll call.

Mayor Mlen, yes. Council member Radner, yes. Council member Whitehead, yes. Motion carries. Thank you. Um, item eight. Also uh first reading of proposed zoning map amendments for the city of Oak Park to change the zoning of the property at 13630 Balffor Avenue which is just one house west of Coolage uh from R1 one family dwelling to R2 family dwelling district. Uh is there a motion to approve the first reading? So move second. Thank you. And then can we have a discussion of what uh is happening at this house?

Yes. So there is a house on Belffor that was purchased by the Wilmos and Lillian Schwarz education center which is located on Kulage. They are expanding their education facility and have purchased the house on Balffor in order to do the expansion. The two different lots one is zoned R1 single family residential. That's the lot on Belffor and the lot on Kulage is zone R2. So, it is a different zoning district. With the project, they will be combining the lot. So, we need to make sure that they are the same zoning district. And we are recommending that we reszone them both to be the same. Um, and that would be reszoning the Bell for property to be R2.

R2. City Manager. Council members, if you look at page 51 of your packet, there are there's a current zoning district versus a proposed zoning district map. I found this to be very helpful. Yeah, I put up they're on the screen, too. There you go. So, it's the two those are two residential to the immediate west. Correct. Yes. So, parcel A is the current education facility, which is zone R2, and then parcel B is the one on Bellour, which is zone R1. Are they taking down the house and using it for parking?

Um, Benny, if you go to the next slide, please. Um, this shows you the site plan with Coolage on the bottom. So, the facility will be on Coolage with some parking to the north side and then the vacant lot or the single family home that's there will be demolished and that will provide additional parking for this project. And they're going to like um use landscaping to landscaping and a screen wall. Um it was approved by the planning commission already and they did require some variances which were also approved by the zoning board of appeals.

Okay. Uh any questions? Great. Thank you. Ready for for the roll call? Council member Rner? Yes. Council member Whitehead? Yes. Mayor Mlen? Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Uh item eight is ordinances. Oh, let's see. We did that. Item nine is city manager. Thank you, madame mayor, members of council. Oh, Kim, you again. Um 8 I'm sorry. 9A1. Director please. You make a good team.

Thank you, city manager Tungate. Um annually every year we enter into a contract with the Michigan Humane Society. Um, and that's an order for us to take animals that are found from animal control that have not been picked up or need uh medical attention. But they do require us to enter into an agreement. We had this uh agreement with them last year. This is for 2026 and our city attorneys have already reviewed this. So we are asking So we don't keep the dogs at um we keep we keep them in the city as long as they're not injured. Um but only up to a certain number of days and then they get transferred. Transferred. Yep.

Okay. Um is there a motion to approve this agreement? So moved. Second. You guys are busy. Oh yeah. Yes. Can I ask questions? Yes. Kim, um I want to could you elaborate? I know there and and I want to I'm doing this as a clarification for we've had a lot of questions in the past about um the way that animals are taken care of when they leave. We we know they're being taken care of when they're here on our premises. Um but in general, what are the um requirements for when an animal becomes housed at the Musk Humane Society? When you say the requirements? So, for example, if an animal an animal with

distemper or an animal that can't be adopted or an an aggressive animal. Yeah. Yeah. So, they are a no kill facility. However, if an animal were to be taken there and they deemed it to maybe be infectious, they would probably not admitted to that facility. Um, we do have a contract with Oakland County Animal Shelter who who does um do euthanization And so just just to further elaborate, when that is necessary, those guidelines are driven by Oakland County Oakland County's animal shelter policy. Correct. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Um, ready for a vote. Council member Whitehead,

yes. Mayor Mlullen, yes. Council member Rner, yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Uh, now we are on call to the audience. if you would read this. Each speaker's remarks are a matter of public record. The speaker alone is responsible for his or her comments, and the city of Oak Park does not, by permitting such remarks, support, endorse, or accept the content thereof as being true or accurate. Any person while being heard at a city council meeting may be called to order by the chair or any council member for failure to be gerine to the business of the city, vulgarity, or personal attacks on persons or institutions. There is a threeminut time limit per speaker. Very good. Thank you,

Madam Mayor. We have U Roosevelt Hollis who would like to speak. Welcome.

I don't usually talk this much in city council. Hi. Do you need my name and everything? Okay. I just make a couple of comments before I make it on. Yes. Do you have a Do you have a green light on that? Yes. Okay. Come a little bit closer to it.

Okay. My first one was about uh between Christmas and New Year. Somehow they managed to get the garbage up in the daylight. Usually it's at night time. So I compliment people for doing that. And then the second one I'll be bragging to everybody about how they come along with the vacuum cleaner, suck leaves up and all like that. And this the first year I don't know what happened. My neighbors leaves are left out there. So they blow back on my yard. I have no problem about it. I pick it up anyway. But my problem was on the last day, I guess they came through there. They came with a a tow truck, a plow, and a dump truck and came down the whole block, put the leaves all along the side at the end of the block. They pushed them all along the leaves all along the side. I got pictures of it. Somebody wanted to see it. So that's a that's I don't know why that happened, but it never happened before. And the the third question is So set leaves I picked up and vacuum. Now I got them in my yard. Would they be able to pick them up as I put them in the bag like I usually do or is that too late to put them out to next year?

Next season, brother. City manager tongue gate. Yep. Sir, the uh the gentleman right behind you would be Thank you. Thank you for coming. Anyone else?

Uh yeah, Ken Sherman. Uh, good evening, Ken Sherman, 2384 O Jerome and Oak Park. I originally had one point, but you brought up about the uh dog shelter. So, I have a question about if there's animals taken into custody and they stay at the O park shelter, is there 247 um personnel there to look after them at night? It's my first question. And then my second question, when you do approvals for low bids, I understand that you're giving the lowest bid the project. Um, but is the lowest bid always the correct bid? How do you know about the quality that you're giving to somebody? And do you automatically have to give whoever gives you the lowest bid, do you always have to grant them that project or can you give it to a higher bidder? Those are my two questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Always thoughtful. Uh, we appreciate your input. Um, and Jill Johnson.

Good evening. My name is Jill Johnson. I'm a resident of Oak Park for many years. I wanted to let you know what a wonderful job your police department has done. You know, you always get complaints, but we don't hear the positive side of what um goes on behind the scenes. I cared for my dad who was 98 years old and I was a primary caregiver and he fell multiple times upwards before his passing in last November 37 times and I was the only one in the home. He was a 6'2 man and I was able to call the Oak Park police. I'm not saying he came. They came all the times, but they were the reason why he was able to transition comfortably in his home. They came 2:00 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon. They were always polite, always courteous, and always respectful of him. And it was because they had this grace upon them that dad stayed in the house. I was able to support him with the support of our police department. I am asking that they be acknowledged as being exemplary. I have lived in West Bloomfield. I have lived in Gross Point. And I want to tell you our police department was second to none. And please acknowledge them. Thank you.

Thank you for coming and sharing. And you gave me goosebumps from your story. Thank you. That's the kind of police department we want in the city of Oak Park and I think ours is the best in the state. City Manager Tongate. Yeah.

Um, thank you so much for your comments. Um, I also want to share that on Saturday at 10:30 we had a house fire in Oak Park and our police department saved was it three people, Director Cooper? one of whom was a uh five-year-old child who they were able to locate in the building in the home and saved um his or her life and just another testament to the great work that they do. Thank you for your comments. Thank you. Um anyone else?

Thank you. Um call to the council. Uh in the the hour before this meeting, um staff and council were invited to come and take a tour of the new event hub that is coming along really really well. And we we got up on the stage of the um Bshell.

Bandshell. Thank you. And it was an amazing feeling to be up there uh and looking out and to see just designwise the the lines of the event hub and the lines of the concert shell mirror one another and the amount of planning and insight that it took. This um whole project has garage doors on both sides. So, if you can imagine a nice day in the summer and all the garage doors are open and people are going in and shopping at the farmers market or if it's um uh a concert and the garage doors are open facing the concert area. Um it's astounding and um I know he will blush if I say this but this was the whole idea of our city manager Eric Tongate and fine city management management makes a difference and you can turn a city around. In 2011 things were not looking so good and now we are um the plum of Oakland County. Thank you, Eric Tung.

Thank you. Um, Solomon Rner, you know, I just want to add on that there was there was an a story that happened several years ago and I may not remember all the details. I'm sure Director Cooper will. There was a house fire and um public safety arrived and they were getting ready to enter the home and the family was just absolutely beside themselves because there was a little child who still was not accounted for and officers had to enter the home and with all the fire and all the smoke and they actually found I think it was a 10-year-old boy hiding in the closet. Do I have that right?

And they were able to get him out. He wasn't breathing. He was completely non-responsive. They saved his life and as far as I know he was able to completely recover. So, we have just absolutely the best. There's no words for our thanks. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, Council Member Sean Whitehead. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Just going to think I'm good without it, Benny. He's gone.

New year. We're working out for um but yeah, new new year. We have a lot to be grateful for. And I'm going to echo my council and mayor and city manager about um our police department, our public safety department, just second to none, the best in Oakland County if not the whole state. And we are super blessed to have them here. Um they wear three hats. And I say this all the time. If we could replicate Oak Park's public safety department, we would we wouldn't have the issues that you see in the news. Amen. Um so with that, we really really You preach, I'll turn the page. [laughter]

Thank you, mayor. Um want to just wish everybody a happy new year. Um I don't do a lot of cross talk but um on this uh we don't always accept the last or the lowest bid. We don't always take the lowest bid. It happened actually where we had a great debate between council uh last month actually about the rec center development. Um we didn't go with the lowest bid because of quality of work and references and portfolios and all of that stacked up. So that does go into account. We are frugal. we're fiscally responsible with everyone's dollars. Uh, and that does include um, you know, finding the best uh, contractors to do our work. So hopefully that addresses that uh, without doing cross talk. Uh, super excited for 2026 and uh, have a great one everyone.

Happy new year everyone. There being no further business to come before this council, this meeting is adjourned.