City Council - Regular Meeting

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. [clears throat] talking. Uh, city clerk Norris, would you call the role? Mayor Mlen, here. Uh, Mayor Prom Edgar here. Council member Rner here. Council member Whitehead here. Council member Crawford here.

We have a quorum. Um, is there a motion for the approval of the agenda? So moved. Stephanie Crawford. Second. Okay. Um Redner. All those in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carried. Motion to approve the consent agenda. Okay. Thank you. Um Whitehead. Do we have a second? Second. Thank you, Crawford. Um we need to remove 7 C by the way. I'm sorry. We move 7 C. the approval of the agenda. We can do the approval of the agenda.

Oh, the go back to the approval of the agenda. We are removing 7C. So, um a motion to approve the agenda as amended. Please remove 7C. So, um Crawford, would you make the motion again? Motion to approve the agenda. Removing 7C. Thank you. And Radner, would you second? Nope. Uh second. Thank you. All those in favor say I. I. I.

Any opposed? Motion carries. The consent agenda. Uh these are routine items presented without discussion. Any member can have uh an item removed from the blanket motion and considered separately. A regular city council meeting minutes for December 1st, 2025. special organizational city council meeting minutes for the same date for Septo. Um C, approval of payment application number four to Alba Masonry Stone and Tile Company of Waterford, Michigan for the EventHub Masonary Work in the amount of $63,000. D. Approval of payment application number five, the final one in the amount of 13,7346 to Taplan Group LLC of Kalamazoo, Michigan for the 2024 sewer and catchbas cleaning and TV inspection project M774. E. Payment of an MDOT invoice for the 2025 9mm construction project from Clover Lawn to Greenfield M771 the total amount of $125,6358 F payment to OM advisors for construction engineering services on the 2025 9mm construction project from Greenfield to Cloverline in the amount of 52,54 $14.90 G. Resolution naming David Doster, deputy city manager, director of public works as the city of Oak Park streets administrator. Traffic H. Traffic safety board meeting minutes for November 19th, 2025.

I payment to Stantech for professional design services for Tyler Park in the amount of $30,555. J, public safety activity summary report for May 2025. K, new and renewal of licenses for December 15th. So, we have a motion and a second. Um, all those in favor, please say I. Any Okay, any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Um what is Oak Park Streets administrator? Dave

um it's an official designation that we're required to do for um funding MDF funding and so forth, but I believe Dave had Yeah, let's go. I believe Dave has been the streets administrator for some time. Dave, I don't know if you want to add to that, but tell us about your duties, Dave, in detail from start to finish. We don't have that much. Good evening. Uh, city manager is correct. It's just a designation that the state requires for Act 51 funding. Uh, I've been it before. Our former city engineer has been it before, but we are required to designate a streets administrator similar to our water system and our utilities.

Very good. Thank you very much. Let's see. That puts us on There are no elected officials. That puts us on public hearings and we would like to invite uh Kim Moroni, our director of economic development up to the podium to give an introduction. Good evening, mayor, mayor prom, and city council members. Um we have a public hearing that we're going to open after we describe the project and that is for the adoption of a brownfield plan for Barton Mallow project. It encompasses four parcels along 8 Mile Road and Fern Street. Um they will be demolishing uh three current structures that are on the site that were industrial in nature prior and there has been contamination that has been found during the environmental studies. So in order to get the cleanup done on the property so that they can continue with their development, they are um hoping to get approved for a brownfield plan. They're going to be constructing a 55,943 square foot uh new structure along 8 Mile Road and this will allow them to be on a level playing field with a green field site for building. They'll continue to pay the CA taxes that are current on the property today and essentially they would be reimbursed for any eligible expenses to recapture um the additional tax increment that will be on the site after the development to reimburse them for the cost to clean up the environmental contamination on the site. And we have representatives from the environmental company and also Barton Mail if you have any questions for them or myself. We would love them to come up and say a few words.

Okay.

Good evening. Troy Halmick with um the Brownfield plan is important because Barton Mallow acquired the properties. They are not the liable party to clean up the contamination associated with the historical uses on the property but they are required to um prepare the properties for due care. So for the due care obligations that Bart Melo will uh take on they need to build a building safely based on the contamination on the site and make it safe for any third party [clears throat] workers people that coming to their to their building um will also be safe. So that is the purpose of the brownfield plan is to accommodate any contaminated soil groundwater on the property and to improve the infrastructure for what their plan development.

So um Barton Melo is going to be paying for that and we will be paying them back. Is that correct? Yes. Thank you. Welcome madam mayor. Yes. a question. Mayor Prom, Julie Edgar.

Um, so the city is essentially going to pay for the cleanup of this property and over the life of this brownfield authority, the designation, how much is Barton Mallo not going to pay? What kind of revenue is going to be taken from the city and put back into the brownfield development?

So, if I understand your question correctly, just make sure um they're going to continue to pay the current taxes at the level that the properties are assessed at today. So, we'll continue to receive that and none of that will be touched for reimbursement to Barton Mallo for the eligible expenses. So, similar to the way the quarter improvement authority works with the additional um tax revenue based on the new assessment of the property, those additional um dollars would be the only ones that would be captured in the brownfield plan. That also includes the um county taxes as well as a state. So, they would capture all of those back to reimburse for those costs until all of the eligible expenses are paid for. And once they're paid for, then the brownfield plan closes out. Also, part of it, the city is capturing 5% administration fees um to help run the brownfield um authority, and that will be continued to be captured over the life of the plan.

So, who has been on this property? Has it been vacant? They've been vacant for several years. Um, and the three properties need to be demolished in order for the new construction to happen. Um, but since as Troy had already mentioned, they are not the responsible party for the contamination, it was the former industrial uses on the site. So, did they have to do did they have to test the soil before embarking on this project?

Yes. So, anytime a commercial property is purchased, they typically hire somebody to do a phase one. Um, sometimes that then leads to a phase 2 environmental. Um, in order to protect themselves when purchasing the property, they have to file with Eagle a baseline environmental assessment so that they don't become the responsible part party um for environmental cleanups. And you said that this this property is for the green field the work that Barton Melo's doing on Greenfield.

No, it what I'm saying when I mentioned the green field uh a green field site is if you had just let's say a vacant farmland that nothing's ever been constructed on it. It's easy to build. There's usually no contamination on site that you have to clean up prior. A brownfield site is one that does have contamination which leads to additional cost in order to do any development. So it kind of makes it on a level playing field for a green field site which we really don't have any left in Oak Park. How many brownfield um development authorities do we have right now? We have two currently and the other one is

the other one is Corso on 11 mile. Can you talk a little bit about what's happening with Corso? I haven't noticed any movement there. Yep. So, again, um, similar to the ADMK one that we had previously, um, we waited a year and a half for the EPA to approve the plan for cleanup of PCBs on the site. They recently got approval on that. So, now they're moving to actually do the cleanup on the site. Great. Thank you. Any further questions? statement. Yes, city manager Tongate.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. So, I I want to make a statement and then I have a couple of questions. So my statement is and I I have a little bit of of the inside track just being a planning commission member and seeing this project come before the planning commission and just I want to the statement I'm going to make is I want to thank Bart Malow for their huge I think around $28 million investment into our community which I I think and my question part of this is I think would not happen absent these

uh additional funds and unfortunately they didn't create the pollution but they have to deal with it per state laws. So, you know, I think that that was going to be one of my questions, too. Um, and maybe this is for ourme representative here. Why do we not have a clawback still in this state so that it's it maintains its designation as a polluter pay state? Why? I mean, why is it their responsibility? [clears throat] Um, just so I understand your question is why is it whose responsibility? Barton Mallows. Why is it Barton Mallow's responsibility to clean up for somebody else's mess? In other words,

that is a um we could probably go into a long conversation if we had an environmental attorney here, but I'm a geologist, but the the short answer is that in the state of Michigan, and this isn't like any other states, there's an obligation to comply with due care. And the due care is essentially to make it safe for people to be on the property. So although Bart Mill is not liable for it, um they do have an obligation to make the property safe. They don't have to clean it up to uh non-residential clean standards because that would not be financially feasible to do that for any property um just because the cost for remediation and cleanup.

Okay. So the be next best thing is to make it safe by engineering controls that that that type of uh means. Okay. And then I have another question for you Kim. Thank you. By the way, um the we have the two brownfield plans outstanding. Um we used to have another one and that was the Eat and Steel project. We had two other ones, Eaten Steel and Show Stack. Okay. And those are and the Showstack one is that that they're both closed out. They're both closed out. Yeah. They have How much additional revenue just Let's just take the Showstack property in general, maybe just the FedEx portion of that. How much additional revenue off the top of your head is that producing to the city now that it's completely redeveloped? I want to say that's a half a million a year. Yeah, it might be higher now. Yeah,

it's been a while since I've looked at it. So, in other words, once the brownfield tiff is utilized for the purposes of cleaning up someone else's mess, Barton Mallow is going to be assessed on this $28 million investment producing Lord knows how much new revenue to the city's coffers for police and fire and other things.

That's correct. And and the reason Brownfield is such a good um opportunity for the city to enter into with a a developer or business owner is so that the property does get redeveloped because many times these sites sit vacant with blighted buildings for many many years and nothing ever happens because of that additional cost. It makes development actually not feasible. So it puts them more on a level playing field and a lot of developers don't even want to deal with the contamination on a site. So they just let it sit and rot and we wouldn't see any increase in revenue. Is that half million dollars a year? Yes.

And madam mayor, just a quick question. What is the mayor generating now? Hold on one second. Thought I had written it down. I want to say it's around 125,000 a year is what they're currently paying, but I could be wrong, so don't quote me on that. We can get that information at the next Yeah, I can I can get that out to everybody. Okay. Yeah. When you had the four properties up, might be a little bit less than that. Right.

So, we don't have any clean land. This is the only way we're going to get development. Yeah. It's either that or let them sit there and rot. [laughter] Yeah. Right. I What I don't understand is the state doesn't like these tiffs, right? They don't love these authorities because it deprivives them of extra revenue and yet they make new property owners or prospective owners clean up after somebody else. So that it just doesn't make any sense. Yeah. No, it it does get confusing because you're hearing two different sides of the coin. So I agree. [clears throat] Can I can I just add to that just Mayor Prom? I think it also puts communities like ours into an extreme disadvantage,

you know, being that we're 100% developed. Um, if if we were competing, not that we are, but hypothetically if Bartmelo was considering a green field site, you know, somewhere that and land that has never been developed across this. It'd be a distinct disadvantage for us if we didn't have these programs to utilize to bring to keep them here, right, and make the investment here, right? Yeah. And similar with the show stack site, nothing would have happened on that property. That armory site of 100 acres would have sat vacant probably forever if nobody cleaned it up. Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you. Um so now we need to open the public hearing and then I'll come back and you can vote on the resolution.

Okay. Uh we're now opening the public hearing. Anybody who would like to come up and talk about this brownfield plan, uh, give us your name and address. Uh, good evening, Ken Sherman, 23840 Jerome Street, Oak Park. Um, thank you for changing the order of the uh, hearing after two requests.

On the third request, you got it right. So, thank you. Um, couple questions. Um, is the property that they're doing on 8 Mile is that the WWJ building or is that a different property? And if it's not, can you talk about cuz I thought that property was contaminated too and needed to go through the process and have never heard anything more. So, if it's not, can they identify or can the city identify what properties specifically were there? um you know the names of the property just so I kind of get a sense of what's there and also can the developers or the city identify what property like the names or types of properties are being built there. Thank you.

Yes. So um great questions. The the property being developed is in close proximity to the WWJ building but it is not that property. Um to answer your question, we would love for them to take the property and redevelop it. Absolut 100%. We'll work directly with them to do that and we've encouraged them to do that and I think there's an open ear to to listen to ideas for that. It is not under sight control for them though it is not part of this project but it is in close proximity adjacent to the rear and to the west of this of that property. Thank you. Um, anyone else here to speak for the public hearing?

Do you want to have come up? Um, you need to come up because we can't hear you. You want Kim to just asking what properties do you have a name of the properties or um, if you're familiar with Fern Street, there was the old recycling facility and there was a rental place. I can't think of the name of it. Sunb Belt. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else speaking for the public hearing? Seeing none, uh we will close the public hearing and invite Director Kim back um before we uh vote to approve the agreement.

Yes. If you have any questions further on the project, I'm happy to answer them. Um, does Bart and Malo want to come up and just explain what they're doing? Sure, Kevin.

Uh, good evening everyone. [clears throat] Sorry. Uh, Kevin Zale with Bart Malow. Uh, appreciate you guys um opening the the the building up for time today to talk about the development. So, we're excited about the development. Um, Bart Malow is a 100-year-old general contractor based out of Southfield as our headquarters. Oak Park serves as our big um, support operation for all the construction that we do in and around Detroit. Um, as well as nationally and and now internationally through Canada as well. Um, all of the tools, equipment, um, consumables, some of the pre-fabrication, pre-building, um, materials, mockups, things like that, we all um, run out of Oak Park. Um we do steel fabrication, we run our fleet of vehicles, basically all the support services for the for the major construction operation is here. Um it's it's been a great partnership. Uh we look forward to uh developing the land right on 8 Mile. Um it's going to be um more of a phase one to our approach to to the space we need to to support the things that we do. Um 50,000 square feet. Um we'll be able to add some people, add some resources, um expand a lot of the operations that we do now. um to support the things we uh uh build. Um we're focusing on on a lot of um just space for storage, space for moving some logistics uh and training and taking care of some of the individuals on the team too. Um and yeah, looking forward to just kind of beautifying 8 mile um for the city as part of the 8 mile boulevard association we we've recently um got more involved with and um looking forward to uh uh what this could bring for us, for the city, for the neighbors and and everything around.

That's amazing. You you said the magic words is beautifying 8 mile. Oh, yeah. Adam mayor. Um mayor prom Julie Edgar. So, it sounds like this is going to be sort of a not really a staging area, but a place from which construction materials go out to different projects. So, lots of trucks.

Um, not as many as you think. Not as much of the semi-tra, more individual trucks, things like that. We're going to have the semi-traffic. We already have the base of operation behind this property with some of the other properties we own. Um, this development that we're we're looking to build is sits on, I think, just under 10 acres. um right on 8 mile. Um we own and and operate out of another 10 to 20 acres behind that. Um and we're looking to expand with the space we have build new buildings potentially then focus on redeveloping some of the other spaces too. Uh so the trucks already kind of come and go. We kind of um use go in and out of Cloverdale right now onto Koolage to get to the main roads. Um but yeah, this should give us bigger bigger nicer newer space to do a lot of the things we need to do. And I think that when you think about the operation we have and the culture of our company, it's not going to look like a construction warehouse. It's going to look a whole lot nicer just based on um you know the environment and stuff that we want our people to be able to work out of.

So it's I I read that you'll have about 50 jobs. This will create 50 jobs. So are they permanent jobs? Yes. And what will these employees be doing primarily? Yep. It'll be a combination of um mechanics, warehouse laborers, you know, people stocking shelves, filling orders, things like that. It'll open up some space for us to add one or two fabricators. Um and then uh just kind of office personnel in and around that. So, the bigger the operation, the more accounting personnel, office, you know, management, project managers, estimators, things like that will be a part of the team. Yes. City manager

Kevin, I know at at the planning commission meeting, we were able to see some renderings of what this could look like. We don't have those on hand where we could maybe put those up at all, do we're not ready for that. Okay. Oh, but we'll be ready to release those publicly at some point in the near future, I believe. So, okay. Yes. To to give you background, yeah, we were looking at, you know, uh some conceptual design and what it would look like. So, are you members of the 8 mile boulevard association? Uh, we are. Men, thank you. We're very happy to have you expanding for your second hundred years. Yeah. In Oak Park. I have one more question.

One more question. Mayor Pro. Um the the Brownfield site, is that the 10 acres that you're going to redevelop? Correct. Okay. Thank you. Thank you all for coming in. Thank you. Let's see. I think we close the public hearing though. I thought we did. Yes, we closed it. Public hearing is closed. Thank you. Um we are um approving the agreement. Correct. Okay. Motion to approve the Barton Mallow Brownfield plan and reimbursement agreement resolution.

Second. Thank you, Crawford. Right. Um, any discussion or questions? Roll call vote, please. Council member Crawford, yes. Mayor Prom Edgar, yes. Mayor Mlullen, yes. Council member Rner, yes. Council member Whitehead, yes.

Motion carried unanimously. Thank you. Uh next um we have uh number eight on the agenda, accounting reports. Need approval for payment of invoice 656512 submitted by Garen Lucco Miller PC for legal services in the amount of $15,166. Do we have a motion to approve? So moved. Thank you Solomon. A second. Second. Thank you.

His line is you always have to pay your attorneys because he's an attorney. You have to inside joke. Yes. Um they're almost as important as geologists. [laughter] Yes. And I finally met one tonight. Yes. Thank you. Um roll call, please. Mayor Prom Edgar. Yes. Mayor Mlen. Yes. Council member Rner. Yes. Council member Whitehead. Yes. Council member Crawford. Yes. Motion carried unanimously. Thank you.

Item 8 B, approval for payment of invoice 6900 submitted by Shiffman Fornier for legal services retainer for January 1st, 2026 to March 31st, 2026. In the total amount of $20,000, we pay a quarter ahead. Is there a motion to approve? So moved. [clears throat] See Crawford and Whitehead. Any discussion? Roll call vote, please. Mayor Mlen, yes. Council member Radner, yes. Council member Whitehead, yes. Council member Crawford, yes. Motion carried. Mayor Mayor Prom Edgar, yes.

Motion carried. C. Approval for payment of an invoice 1821 submitted by Dick Faber Kaplan for legal services in the total amount of $6,500. Mr. Kaplan is our prosecutor. Make a motion. Thank you. Rner and Whitehead. Um any discussion? Roll call, please. Council member Radner, yes. Council member Whitehead, yes. Council member Crawford, yes. Mayor Prom Edgar, yes. Mayor Mlullen. Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. We are now in the city manager section of our agenda. City manager Eric Tongate.

Thank you, Madame Mayor, members of council. So 101, I would like to call deputy city manager of community services, Adam Ozarzac, please.

Good evening everyone. Um, just one moment.

What you got?

There we go. All right, he's got the whole Yeah, the whole setup. Quite a setup here. Thank you.

Okay, so before council makes any action on um any items, just give you a little background of how we got to our point here. So um before you council, just uh give you a Teller Park uh project update. Um, so as you can kind of see, this uh picture was taken from our parks and recck master plan. Uh, Tyler Park, the city's portion of the park is about a 3.7 uh acre parcel. This picture you're seeing here is kind of on its side. Um, from the uh north section, we um let me go back here for a second. Sorry. Back in 2023, we went into uh parks and wreck master plan. And part of that parks and wreck master plan um and the uh elevate oak park millillage. Um one of the few things that we want to do is put uh walking paths and enhancements uh through park systemwide. And that's kind of how we got here today with that. Um kind of just a little recap of that outreach summary for that parks and rec master plan. um was two-year process uh 20 town hall meetings uh seven stakeholder meetings and six city council meetings. Um kind of come to where we're at with that. Um on uh July 21st, 2025, we entered into an interlocal agreement with Berkeley Schools uh because Berkeley Schools owns the uh property. Um you'll see the line up there to the south. Uh so um we are both working together to um make enhancements to that park. At one point um on October 20th, 2025 council meeting um we brought before you request the bid um for uh park improvements at this um park. Um the city's portion to the north um were for two um path paving as well as uh earth and sight work. So, um,

part of that interlocal agreement, we piggybacked off the Berkeley school's, uh, bid for construction manager services as well as architectural services. Uh, with me today, I have Dave Melville from McCarthy and Smith, uh, Inc. Um, who will be awarding the construction manager um, contract later on today. Um, but Dave, if you just wanted to explain to us real quick about the uh, bid process um, how many bids we received um, for that. So we did a uh uh good evening everyone. Uh thank you. Um we did a um bid uh little bit unique where we took uh with the ownership of the north side and then the work uh with the south side who broke uh subdivided the work categories and we realized that there's there would be two contractors that would be working on both sides. Um if you look kind of on the southern side uh there's there's some bleachers. There's a small um uh restroom facility that's being installed there. That's all on the school property. Uh so we the to to continue the um uh concrete to paved band around the north side to complete that loop. Uh that's one of the contracts that we are uh looking to award from the city side. Um and then the other to to to get the earthwork completed, get it shaped, get some underground drainage in place. Uh there's some utilities that needs to uh happen. uh in order to facilitate that. So it's the two scopes of work that we are looking to uh award um those contractors and so we the way we did the bid process uh we put both projects together and had different categories uh to to to delineate the scope. Um in the paving category we received two bids and for the utilities category we received four. Um and then uh we had a little bit of uh um uh noise in the bidding world just with the different categories uh

that uh where the where some of the numbers were placed and there was a mistake uh that was made on one of the biders on the utilities. So we had to go to the second uh low um and we did that through the uh post bid process. Um feel comfortable with with what we've put together and uh uh wanted to present it here tonight. Wonder City Manager Tongate,

thank you for being here and Adam, thank you for your hard work on this. I want just for clarification. So, I want to just give a little reminder. Um, you know, part of the reason that because I I don't want to confuse people with this. This is a lot of moving parts. There's two different government entities working on this, but part of the reason for that was Berkeley schools, their portion of it. So everything south the dotted line there um they issued bonds to to pay for and build their portion of it. It had to be delineated according to them um because the bond was issued for specific their purposes. So that's one reason. The other reason that is that we wanted to identify as much economies of scale with this project as we possibly could. And so specifically 10A1 is for the trail part of this which Right.

Correct. Which will be asphalt paved. Correct. And so what we didn't want to do from the city's perspective is if you look at the trailway going around the the park area here is we didn't want to wait to do this when we have contractors out here um already working on the Berkeley side. So that is specifically what 101 is asking permission for is to do the ashvault uh paved um walkway part of it just on the city side which is north of the dotted line to the south is the school districts um which they'll be paying for that portion and how much is that splitting the path the schools portion

uh the schools portion of the paving uh is uh I want to say Uh, let me pull that up here. The school's portion of the paving is 176,000 and it is a 8 foot um multi-use path. How long is it going to be all the way around? Oh gosh. I don't know the answer off the top of my head. I apologize.

Well, the school the the Berkeley school district side is about roughly the same acreage as Tyler Park. I would say it is a couple acres larger than our parcel. We I would say we'd have the smaller of the two parcels. Correct. [snorts] I'm excited about this. I have this great

Can Madame Mayor, can I also just add I think it's also council members, it's also important to remember that this is just the phase one aspects of us of our portion of it. It's the trail and is there other stuff as part of our phase one? trail and earth work to address the uh drainage issues at the field as well as the um path. So um and so the rest of it the the pavilion and other you know play equipment possible other amenities that's all part of phase two that we will then revisit on our side of the property completely separate from all of this at a later point and the sledding hill is the later point and the sledding hill would be part of the later point. Correct. Yep. Hopefully that will happen sooner than later. Um,

yeah. So, we don't have a representative from the Berkeley School District here. Uh, I'm here on behalf of Berkeley schools. Just wondering since the practice diamond is on Oak Park property, whether maybe Berkeley schools would consider knocking in a little more money to this project. Well, the uh Can you pull that back up? I can't speak to that.

Can I, Madam Mayor, can I ask um Director Stacy, could you come to the microphone, please? I want to just have you speak to this a minute. The the the practice diamond on this, not the full scale one on the Berkeley property fully, but the practice diamond one. Do you intend on having programming at this diamond? Yes, for the city's purposes. Okay. Correct. Yes. Yes. And that's our understanding with Berkeley schools. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. The south park is unl is off limits. The north one we can use. Correct. Okay. Yeah. The south is the is going to be the girls uh varsity softball.

You got to come to the mic. I'm sorry. the the south uh field, the main field is going to be the um girls varsity uh Berkeley schools girls varsity softball. And could I just ask one more question? Um the the other thing I just want to clarify for the community is that the trailways will go into the neighborhoods as well. Correct. They won't just stop at the field. Okay. Yep. They will go into the neighborhoods at both uh north and south uh sides of the property. Say that again. So both north and south sides of the property are going to have access to the neighborhood walking trail or a sidewalk is going to connect the both north and side neighborhoods to the park. Okay.

Well, actually, could you elaborate on the south end? Where is the walkway going to go? Because there's a parking lot on the west side. So, how is this going to be engineered? You mean the back south back portion of the south connect? Yes. We'll get from Lincoln to Yes. So go down. Um

so just shrink it. Sorry. Sorry. Technical diff. There we go. Okay, there we go. So, from my current um understanding is they would um that would go into the parking lot which would then would connect with the um sidewalk that is near I believe that is Lincoln. Lincoln. Yeah. Whatever street to the south is there. Two areas where that sidewalk will kind of go in um uh on either side of uh that uh school to the south. Yeah. And there's there's an existing sidewalk on the eastern portion of it. There will be new sidewalk built as part of this on the western southwestern part of it behind the school connecting into the sidewalk existing on Lincoln. Correct.

Because as it is, you have to walk through the parking lot to get to the field. Right. I believe on the bottom right side near that first circle, um I think that sidewalk connects down and then there's it's kind of gray grayish area, but I believe there's a walking path to that as well. And just just in case residents who are listening don't know where Tyler Park is, it's north of Lincoln between Greenfield and Coolage. That's all new, but that'll just drive right into the existing. So, it's not in the parking lot. It's hard to see next to the park, right? I'm wondering how they're going to do that because there's Yeah, woods right there.

It'll be adjacent to the parking lot, but it is supposed to be a separate chunk. We did ask about that. I've been playing out of that that field my entire life because I grew up there and I still live there. I only wanted a sidewalk there once. We always go through the parking lot. Yeah. So, we So, it'll be good that there's a I know there's a sidewalk, but there's going to be an additional sidewalk next to the parking lot on the west side. Quite heading down to Lincoln that wasn't there when you were growing up. Yes.

Because we are improving things. So, kind of going back to the uh first agenda item 10 A1. Um following the public bid opening which was held on November 13th, 2025, um it is recommended that council award the low ashalt and sight concrete bid to Ashvault Specialtist of Pontiac, Michigan and an amount not to exceed $71,000. Funding is available in the Tyler Park enhancement uh budget. Is there a motion? So, okay. Second. Radner and Edgar. Um, any further discussion or questions? I'm excited about this project.

Yeah, I'm I live nearby as well and um be really exciting. And Adam, you did a great history of how we got to this day. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, roll call, please. Council member Whitehead. Yes. Council member Crawford. Yes. Mayor Prom Edgar. Yes. Mayor Mlen. Yes. And Council Member Radner. Yes. Thank you. Okay. So, Adam, we're going to pivot over to 102. And now this is the earthwork portion of this project.

Uh correct. Before uh we go to vote to council, we'll kind of just give a little background of what that necessarily entails. Uh so again the earthwork um for the site is that uh field kind of the grassy area there um is kind of uh prone flooded um so they'll be doing some under drainage as well as our uh portion of the walking path is going to be slightly elevated uh so the uh sidewalks will not um flood and um typical wet conditions. Um Dave, is there any other thing regarding to the the only other component of that is the restoration uh seating and and and and getting it back to back to the mic.

Oh, I'm sorry. The other part uh of the utilities portion is the site restoration, the grass seed after the work is complete. So you kind of dig holes in the under the park and put in uh drainage. We'll come through and we'll scrape the a layer of top soil off. We'll do the under drainage. There's a small amount of underground storage uh utility. Um and then that ties into the existing storm system and then uh we'll fill everything back and uh place the uh the pavement and then we'll see we'll we'll lay down grass and uh get it restored so it won't flood. That is that is the plan. Mayor, I just have one question. Probably

mayor prom should have asked. This is regarding the walkways. Is the city going to redo the existing path that goes through the park that goes through Tyler and the uh Berkeley school district property? Existing path. Yeah, sorry. The existing path is You mean from the north end of the Yeah, I think she means from the north end of the property. There's there's an existing walk walking path there. I It's right there on the the east side. So the the connection on the north end of it there um it's my you're saying p past the colored portion towards uh that street to the north you're saying

no there's a there's a path there now there's an existing path that goes through east side or west side it's on the it's on the east side the northeast side you're saying that so is that going to be redone I know some of it was repaved probably I don't know five years ago I would say so yeah I I I I believe so um I can get Adam a sketch uh first thing tomorrow morning that outlines that um where the that you're talking about that all the way in the northeast corner that kind of L-shaped uh uh walkway. Okay. No, no, no. It's a walkway that goes it goes through the park from Talbet Street to Lincoln or to the parking lot. Well, can I maybe maybe you're going to take that maybe that's going to go as

well. It's my Can I Can I just ask Dave? So, the and Adam the all of the trail that we see in that diagram is going to be eight feet. Correct. Correct. So, okay. So, if that's the case, then it has to be that's all new path. What you see is what you're seeing is gray on that uh that path is all new. Now, I understand your question. This path instead will be replaced. That will not be in there. No, so they're taking that one away. Yes, they are taking that away, right? And then again, even that connection piece that I was referring to will be replaced with an 8 foot wide ashalt trailway. Nice. Um allowing people to walk around the park or Yeah. bike around the park. Sure.

If you want to get If you skateboarder rollerblade. All right. Play hockey. Hockey. Speedwalk. Sprint. All right. Uh let's see. So, um, we have a request to award the Tyler Park earth work and site utility bill bid bid to Jaclyn Contracting of Dryden, Michigan in the amount of 329,000. Do we have a motion? Second,

Rner and Whitehead, are there further questions about the park or the drainage or the flooding or anything? I wish we had a geologist to explain it, but [laughter] all right. I think they are doing something similar in Huntington Woods to the school lot that always floods and they put laid pipe under underground and covered it up. Is that correct? If I that you're talking about the one on 11 Mile? Nope. This one is the one right next to the school. Well, the one they did do one on Huntington Woods that I know of, and it was the one right next to City Hall on 11 Mile. They did exactly what we're talking about.

Yeah, it's right next to Burton Elementary on on the back side of city hall. It's very similar very similar project. Okay, got it. Because I saw them dig the trenches and put the pipes in and all of that. Got that all in before it started snowing. So, yeah. Yeah. Uh, further questions? Roll call, please. Council member Crawford. Yes. Mayor Prom Edgar, yes. Mayor Mlen, yes. Council member Radner, yes. Council member Whitehead, motion carried unanimously. [clears throat] Thank you.

Okay. And we have Adam back for 10 A3. Yes. Star of the show here tonight. The third So the third and final piece of this um kind of project here is um getting into uh construction management services similar to uh what we're doing with the event hub and um Frank Rewald. Uh so before you uh we are requesting council to approve a construction management uh services agreement with McCarthy and Smith Inc. in the amount of $93,000 and to allow the city manager to sign the agreement on behalf of the city. This agreement is um mirrors the one with uh Berkeley School District to ensure consistency in scope, terms, and expectations for the Tyler Park project.

Okay. Is there a motion for this request? So moved. Second. Okay. Edgar and Radner. Madame Mayor. Um city manager. Um Adam, just for clarification, so I I'm I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this. the the contract recommendation for them for McCarthy and Smith. Yes. So, if anyone is wondering why we're doing it the way we're doing it, if I'm not mistaken, this was laid out in the interlocal agreement that we have with Berkeley Schools as part of that agreement that they have, correct? That we laid out um that council was brought to them back in uh July.

Okay. So, is it safe to say here that here again we've got another, you know, um, potential savings, economies of scale savings because they're already working on the project for Berkeley schools. Correct. Yes. Yep. Thank you. Two birds, one stone. All right. Uh, further questions? Roll call, please. Mayor Prom Edgar, yes. Mayor Mlen, yes. Council member Rner, yes. Council member Whitehead. Yes. And Council Member Crawford. Yes. Thank you, Carrie. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you all for coming.

And not to be outdone, I'm going to ask Director to come back up to the podium for 10B1, please. Does this require the approval of the grant?

Good evening. Uh we are requesting that city council uh approve an application on behalf of Barton Malow for a brownfield grant with Eagle in the amount of $1 million. This will help offset the cost that um they are going to endeavor in tearing down those buildings and to begin the cleanup on the site. This is a grant through Eagle. We've received these uh three times in the past for other projects and we are going to apply again on behalf of Barton Mow for uh an Eagle ramp for that same site we discussed earlier. So the cost is a million dollar correct.

Okay. Um we need approval of the grant application. A motion. [snorts] Thank you. That's Rner. Second. Second. Was that Crawford? Crawford. Okay. Um, do you want to speak to that? I'm sorry, Mayor Pro. This is these the properties that you were asking about. Oh, 18 mile. Yeah. Let's see. Yeah. Um, any discussion on the Barton Malo Brownfield grant application? I do have one question. Yes, Mayor Prom.

What if we don't get the grant? then there's no additional money to go to them for that portion of the project. They can roll it into their brownfield plan and then then the money would come from that. So that doesn't have to come out of the increase. Yes. And we've already spoken with Eagle and they're in support of the project. So it's a matter of moving it forward to them. Good. Any further questions? Uh, roll call, please. Mayor Mlen, yes. Council member Radner, yes. Council member Whitehead, yes. Council member Crawford, yes. Mayor Prom Edgar, yes.

Motion carried. Thank you. Yeah, I was looking at those. Yeah, they'll be taken down and redone. Wait till you see the new buildings are amazing. Are you okay? Thank you very much, Kim. 10B2, we have our manager of authorities. I always get your title messed up. Michelle Bishop is here. Michelle, go by many things. Yeah, go by many.

Good evening, mayor. Mayor Prom, city council, Eric Tongate, city manager. Um tonight we have a facade grant request um from a brand new business that's moving in on um basically the NMI in Scotia area um Lifestyle Athletics Health Fitness. Their address is 108020 West 9M. Um the business owner um is using the grant to purchase a backlit sign for her new personal training business. And I'd like to say that her mom is actually also a business owner on NMI um with Elite Nail Supply. You know them, right? Um so she is requesting the grant um to put a new sign um above the uh window. I think Benny has a picture. So that's kind of the overall this. So, they're just east of Scotia on 9M and that spot's been vacant for a little while and they're just putting a backlit sign above it. Um, they are um we're asking city council to approve the matching grant in the amount not to exceed um $1,89182. And this is budget in the CIA facade grant funds.

Okay. Um, first we need a motion to approve the facade grant. So moved. Second. We've got Edgar and Rner. Any questions? Um, are they making any other improvements to the facade or they're doing some work inside? They had to bring kind of the the building up to code. So, right now she's focusing on getting a sign that people can see from 9 mile and um fixing inside. Wonderful. Any questions? Uh roll caller, please. Council member Radner, yes. Council member Whitehead, yes. Council member Crawford,

yes. Mayor Prom Edgar, yes. Mayor Mcclullen, yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Thank you, Michelle. Thank you. Happy holidays to all of you. Yeah. Happy holidays. And Kim, um, you're getting your steps in tonight. 10B3, please.

Yes. Um, the next item is an approval for pay application number four and change order number two for the 11mi alleyway and parking lot project. It is approximately 90% complete. Um, the change order is in the amount of $64,542.66 66 cents and that is some additional costs that um we incurred with some design changes throughout the project. So second okay Solomon um is is there a second? Second.

Thank you. Whitehead um what were the design changes? Um, one was the additional ballards that we had in place um, in the area that we'll be seating. Additional what? Additional ballards, the safety protection for vehicles to not run into people. [laughter]

Okay. Um, then we also had to add another course of block on the dumpster enclosure so you couldn't see the dumpster within the enclosure. Another item was the string light poles. They had to be um we had to go with a different one that was in the original quote in order to handle the wind load of the string lights. Window. Okay, got it. I'm all about lights. Yeah. And then just some minor items um with asphalt and amounts and quantities.

Now, this is not for all of the um cutesy stuff, the tables and the that's coming in. That's spring. Yeah, those those are those are on order. Um but it's a pretty long lead time for those to come in. So, we expect them early spring. Yeah, early spring. Any questions? Thank you. Uh, roll call, please. Council member Whitehead, yes. Council member Crawford, yes. Mayor Prom Edgar, yes. Mayor Mlen, yes. Council member Rner, yes. I must say that the economic development department has been busy as a longtailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Thank you.

Thank you, Kim. Um 10 C1. Uh we have our deputy city manager Doster. Um Dave, could you stay up there when you're done with this one as well for the elevate update? Sure. Thank you.

Good evening again, mayor, city council, city manager Tongate. Uh before you tonight is pay application six, and change order four for the event hub project. The construction manager, architect, and city administration have all approved this payment. The change orders for con construction and field related uh work on the project. and our construction manager, Frank Rud Walden Sons, will disperse these funds to various contracts on our behalf. The masonry and carpentry contracts are continuing their work and have enclosed the event hub for the winter. The project is about 50% complete. So before you tonight, it's recommended that pay application number six and change order number four for the event hub project in the amounts of $820 $820,39826 and0 respectively be approved. Funding is available in the event hub fund. Happy to answer any questions.

First, do we have a motion? Thank you, Rner. Second. Thank you, Whitehead. Um, the change order. Yeah. Why do we need a nothing change order? So, as we go out throughout the project, we've we've added things and taken away things from the project. we've changed paint on a couple of items and things and we still track it as a change order even though we may have a uh an allowance for it or have a contingency. We still track it in order to have all the accounting straight. So, it's a good thing to see a a zero change order. Yes, they won't all be zero. Um but we're batting pretty good. We're betting 750 right now, Dave. Yes, they will all be zero.

It's it's mainly for accounting and tracking purposes. Thank you. Thank you. Makes sense. Any further questions? So, um, when can we have our first event? We're looking at summer of 2026. Summer. I don't want to commit to a date. Yeah, we're not committing. He's doing the Texas twostep on us. Uh, vote, please. Roll call. Council member Crawford, yes. Mayor Prom Edgar, yes. Mayor Mlen, yes. Council member Radner, yes. Council member Whitehead, yes. Motion carried. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you, Dave. And stay right there for D1 event hub progress report. Before I get to that, council members, I do want to take this opportunity to point out that we have a brand new city calendar. Not supposed to hold things up to the camera, but [clears throat] here I am doing it. Looks great.

And this will be coming into households next week for all of our residents council members. There's a new one at each of your places tonight. Um, I have to say this is my 14th and my time here at least. This is my all-time favorite. So, great job um to our communications director Brittney Todd and her great team for doing a wonderful job and being so inclusive of all of our residents and our council members and some of our staff. I think this is fantastic. So, thank you very much.

Um, I do want to have can we pull up the slides for the event hub? Um Dave spoke to it pretty pretty good at least from a budgetary standpoint. If you could go to the next page. Okay. Next page.

This is also the summary is also in your packet. Council members. Oh, go back one if you could to the schedule for December stuff. Dave, could you speak to this and then I want to go to the summary page next? So currently, like I said, the building isn't closed. It's being heated. So we have crews inside working rough uh mechanical, electrical, and plumbing. They are building out, while they're building out the exterior masonry walls, they're also building out the interior masonry walls. Um they're completing the outside masonry veneer. They're scheduled to receive the overhead doors late this month. We'll see what the holidays and delivery garage doors.

Yeah, the garage doors. We will install those as soon as they get them in. Uh you can probably see right now they're kind of justed over and things. So we will install those garage doors as soon as we get that in. And just for the people, why are we putting garage doors into our Well, it's a four seasons event space. So we can roll up those garage doors and essentially have indooroutdoor events. Um it's fully HBAC controlled. So when it's hot outside, we can close them. When it's cold outside, we can heat heat the area up. So it'll be a four-season space. So, yeah, we're looking to see a lot of progress here in December, even though the majority of is on the inside of the building.

Dave, the the window um part, the above window part, not the garage door part. When will that be put in? So, they're still manufacturing a lot of that. The east and west uh clear store at the very top, some of that has been installed already. It's kind of covered with viscine, so you can't always see it. But the north and south sides, we're hoping uh late winter for that installation. The storefront and the garage doors and things like that, the storefront windows um will be in the next month or so. Aluminum glazing is the part that goes around the window.

Yeah. So, you'll see there's there's four garage doors, but on the east side or the west side, what you see in there, there's some windows and there's a storefront um like a door, glass doors to get in and out. That's all arriving here. Once the masonry finishes up, we'll have those installed as well. Can we go to the next slide, Benny? Um, some some of this council members we just saw in the change order request. If we can go to the next one. There's some photos I think in there. I don't know if you uploaded all of that. Yeah, maybe not. November. Going back milestones. Keep going. Keep going. summary concrete floor.

Okay, maybe they're not. Council members, in your packet though, you will see some um photographs and I I just wanted to point out I thought it was so fascinating because none of us except for I think Dave and maybe a few others on our staff have been inside the the event hub while it's been under construction. We've seen the outside, of course, but I just wanted to point out how large it looks when you when you see these interior photos. And I thought maybe we should start a football team. And there you go. We could practice in there. And then there's another photo of the commercial kitchen area as well.

And then one other photo of the office. That's the band shell. And then the office area below here. And this is in your packet, council members. Dave, the sides of the the band shell are being installed currently, too. Correct. They're working on the main street veneer over there. Yes. I don't know when the actual sides will be in. Uh I could check on the delivery of those materials. Uh but they are out there working currently. And I think to the city manager's point, we've seen a lot of progress on the inside. I've talked to the city spoken to the city manager and we're looking um for this if the city council would like a tour of the building. We can set that up. We can make it safe. It is an active construction site, but we can make it safe. We are thinking possibly before the next city council meeting. Wow.

Uh to get in there. It is amazing what has been done since these pictures. I mean, these pictures look ancient compared to what's in there now. So, um, if you're willing to go through, I think we can get that set up for you before the next city council meeting. Can they do outdoor work when it's 17? Uh, some, yeah, some they can. Like I said, the the masonry work that they're doing, it's heated. They have heaters inside and they have it uh, you know, client control or climate controlled. So, yes, they can work. But, uh, the band shell is what I was Yeah. You'll see all the the the viscine around it and they're heating it up. So it's it's okay low 60s probably in there. Wow. Wow. Exciting times.

I mean and just think council members we have our community center project yet to come. So very excited about that working with our partners. Um council members unless there are other questions that completes the city manager report for this evening. Thank you and thank you Dave. Thank you. Yeah. Item 11, call to the audience. Madame Mayor, we have Dana Braxton like to speak.

It's great. It's what was missing. I know.

Hi everyone. Dana Braxton. Um so uh to the mayor mayor pro Tim city council and to the city county city city manager tongate. So just wanted to bring something to you all's attention and maybe um you have discussed it already. I'm assuming you know city Southfield city council tonight is having a meeting regarding the data center that they are putting in Southfield. And since this is our the city that's right next to us, the push back that they're getting from the city is that the environmental concerns that they're worried about, the increase in water usage, the increase in electrical usage and some of the runoff, is there possible runoff, will that I guess we I just want to know will that affect Oak Park and have we even discussed it? Will that be an issue with for the city of Oak Park at all? because I feel like if they're going to affect especially when electrical water if their electrical water goes up supply and demand I would assume that's going to affect us too. Is that something that we've even looked at thought about?

I mean I can speak to that just um really you know I'm I'm I'm thinking yes there will be an effect to what degree we don't know of course. Okay um we need to be given more details too. um you know these data centers are are happening all over the state, all over the country really. Of course, there are implications that come with that. Um power usage, as you said, water runoff, water usage, etc. Um what does that really mean for us? We don't know yet. Okay. Will they give you information like that or is that something they have to as a city,

you know, as a courtesy? Do they say, "Hey, Oak Park, this is what's going to happen to you all." The reason I asked is that as a city, if this is something that's going to damage us, maybe we can as a city pull together and say, "Hey, let's get because there's a quite a few people in Southfield who are opposing it." You know, I didn't know if that was something we as a city should say, "Hey, yeah, we oppose it, too, because it's going to affect us." Just food for thought. just so you know and maybe that's something you could tell the city that you know once we do know what's going to happen so we can make some decisions maybe sign a petition something get out and you know do our part just just something we because I know a lot of my neighbors wanted to know I didn't know either because some of the Southfield people were talking to us about and we just didn't know so just wanted to let you all know that so

we appreciate that you're proactive and out there y rah rah where is the proposed data sorry going to be where is the center going to be it's supposed to Um, it's uh on 11 mile Inkingster 11 mile 696 area old Blue Cross. Yes, I think that's where it's at. Yes, it's supposed to be I think 106,000 square feet they're building a a data center.

Wow. And again for the AI again all this that's going on and they're even saying that for every AI block I guess if I'm saying that correct again this is not my area so I've done very cursory uh information gathering so forgive me if I'm saying anything that's incorrect but for every one AI model it's going to produce something like what seven cars would produce as far as pollution. I just read that today. So again, if I'm wrong, just it may be something we just want to look at as a as a city council and as a team. Okay. Thank you for coming. Happy holidays. Happy holidays. Thanks for doing the homework. Don Jones.

Good evening. My name is Donald Jones, 24660 West Hampton Street. And um God, an event hub. Let's activate it. Labor Day. It'll be awesome. Be there. It'll be epic. We already have a website. We have an LLC. We have uh some funding. So, we're counting on you. That's all. Thank you. Any further um comments? Hearing none, we can uh move to call to the council. Um it's um dark outside. These are the darkest days. Every time we listen to the news, we hear um dark issues happening around the world. That is why that regardless of of what religion you celebrate, we're all lighting lights, putting putting lights on trees, lighting candles, bringing light into the darkness. And some of the light is our community and caring. Um, so just wishing all of you the very best holiday season. joys and blessings of the holiday season. We will uh light up the world. Mayor Prom amend to that. Um I just want to mention that tomorrow from 6:00 to 7 in the community center, uh there is the there's a Zumba class that's open to everyone and it's a lot of fun. It's an hour of

pretty good aerobic exercise. So, it's open, no cost. So, if anyone wants to come out, please do. Wear something comfortable. And it does get awfully hot in there. Thank you and good night. Good way to work off the calories that we're all packing on. Council member Rner, happy holidays, everybody. Have a great night. Council member Whitehead. Thank you, Madame Mayor. Just want to say happy holidays to everyone. Be safe. Have a happy blessed new year. And uh I'm getting word from my mom's staff that uh she's up and watching the meeting tonight. So I just wanted to say love you mom. Hi mom. Hi to mom.

Council member Crawford. And to all our residents whether you celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas or Quanza, happy holidays. Stay warm. And as I always say, be kind to one another. Amen. Thank you. There being no further business to come before this council, this meeting is adjourned. Thanks for staying for the whole