City Council - Regular Meeting

Council at 06:30. Roll call or call the order of pledge allegiance. Mister, Plato, would you Roll call, please.

Mister Patz? 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. And mister Dragoni? Here. You.

May I get a motion to approve the agenda?

Motion.

Support. Motion by mister Clark. Supported by Mr. Armstrong. Sometimes it's too quick. Don't Sorry. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes. Yes. All opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. 4.2, can I get a motion to accept the minutes of the meeting held 05/05/2026 and dispense with oral reading? Motion. Second. By Mr. Armstrong. Second. Supported by Mr. Thiede. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes. Yes. All opposed? Yeses have it.

Motion carried. Mayor's communication. Thank you,

mister chairman. Item 5.1 is a motion to approve the reappointments of Stephanie Krueger, Christopher Dunn, and Tom O'Lett to the Veterans Museum Commission for three year term to expire on 05/31/2029.

Motion to approve, mister chairman.

Second.

Motion by mister Thomas. Seconded by mister Thiede. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes. Yes. All opposed? Yeses have a motion carried.

Is your mic on at some are you on your mic on?

Mine is on. Might be the fans.

It's a little bit hard to hear you.

Might be the fans in the background.

At this time, it looks like our website link may have an error. It's not working on my screen, so I'm not sure if it's not working for everybody else's. I'll keep working on it, but it may not be operational at this time, Just so you know.

Mr. Chairman, real quick too, I'd also like to since we're talking about the Veterans Museum, I'd like to give, you and the entire veteran museum, kudos for hosting the armed force and Armed Forces, Remembrance Day, this past weekend. You guys did a tremendous job, and I wanna thank everybody that attended that ceremony. I thought you guys did a great job. It was great to see all the pictures.

I know the weather didn't work out, but everybody came in here, and it looked like everything turned out great. Just also wanna point out to everybody, as you can see, and I'm sorry, it's, I know it's pretty warm in here, but we're in the process of getting a new HVAC unit. So, I don't think anybody expected 80 or 90 degree weather in the month of May. So, hopefully, in the next two weeks, we should have that unit up and running. And I can tell you, on behalf of all the employees here in this building, it's been extremely warm. So we apologize, the heat in this room, and that's why a lot of us are dressed down today. Thank you, mister chairman.

Okay. Next we're gonna move on to six, consent agenda. All these items are, considered routine unless we wanna pull one out. So can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda?

Motion to approve, mister chairman.

Support.

Motion by mister Thomas. Supported by mister Wallace. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say yes.

Yes. All

opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. Is that better Caroline? And I gotta read my note. Do not read. It keeps me on on back here. We're going to the regular agenda. 7.1, motion to approve fiscal year twenty six twenty seven tax increment finance authority budget. I get a motion.

Support. Motion. Support.

Patz, supported by Tom. Mister Thomas. Any discussion? Mister Thomas, could you discuss anything that's happening that would be interesting to the the residents? What TIFF has got going?

Through the chair. Yeah. We're we're continuing the progress of the Eureka Way project. We have a number of things that we're have proposed for this year. The tax increments finance authority, a lot of people don't understand it.

It has done a a lot of great deal for the city as far as a lot of infrastructure projects. It built the, the Taylor animal shelter. It built the Taylor sportsplex. It built the R D P W Building, both golf courses, and has done major road reconstruction projects in the city of Taylor with no increase in taxes to the taxpayer. It's a funding mechanism that the city uses to supplement its general fund. And like I said, it has done a great deal of, of good for the city of Taylor.

One other thing, they, they put all the wires underground on telegraph and all new lighting Yeah. Until they came back with more reconstruction. Yeah.

And all of the street light replacements along Telegraph Road, because those street lights that were more than 20 years old started to fail and fall into into the roadway.

Okay. Can I, any other discussion?

Motion to approve. Motion by mister Thomas.

Supported by mister Clark. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say yes. Yes. Yeses have it. Motion carried. 7.4, motion to approve pardon me? 7.3. 7.3, motion to approve Stryker ProCare service sole source for the purchase of three heart monitor devices in the amount not to exceed $191,294 funded through the general fund fire department ALS account. Motion. Okay. Support. Motion by mister Thidi. Supported by everybody.

Mister Wallace. Any discussion?

We have the fire department come up and explain these to us, please. We were explained last night about them, but I'd like to have you explain it to to the citizens again, please.

What could I answer?

I'd like to know the purchase of these. What are they replacing and why? Just because you're moving one thing to the engines and the other thing to your

That's correct. The models currently on the engines are outdated. So we're going to take the ones that are currently on the ambulances, which are still serviceable, and then we're gonna move those to the engines now and then replace the, the ones on the squads with the new purchase. And the reason for? It's just they're outdated and, software is not compatible anymore.

And everything's compatible to the the hospital?

Correct. We're able to communicate with the hospital, via email and, and and the technology that's in the in the current unit. So it it, it sends like the, the heart readings, everything right over to them. Smaller?

I don't know if they're smaller.

I haven't seen them per per se, but

they're yeah. They're they're not very big,

you know. Yeah.

With the battery packs

are about a a foot, maybe two feet wide.

We were informed last night about it, but I just wanted the citizens to know that we're moving one item.

Right. They're they're state of the art. You know, that's the most important piece of equipment we have.

Okay.

They're able to defibrillate and pace and whatnot. Thank you. It's basically the keeps the heart going.

Exactly. Exactly. Thank you so much.

Through the chair, I'm also it's my understanding that we're trading in the obsolete ones, getting a pretty good trade in value. Correct.

The ones we're pulling off the engines, we're just gonna trade back towards them.

And as I always like to tell people who are watching, we go through things quickly. The fire department did a good job on this because it was a single source bid. We checked it against people ordering like 75 of these and the pricing you got was still in the same ballpark as Georgia, Mount Prospect, Illinois, and several other places. Great.

Good job with that.

Any other discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes.

All opposed? Thank you. Yeses have it. Motion carried. 7.4, motion to approve Cabela's highest responsible bidder at the police department firearm auction in the amount of $38,060.

Motion. Support.

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

Yes. All

opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. 7.5, motion to approve two officers to attend Exxon CEO leadership summit in Scottsdale, Arizona at no cost to the city. Motion. Supported by mister Armstrong. Supported by mister Patz. Any discussion? There are none. All in favor say yes.

Yes.

Yes. Have a motion carried. 7.6, motion to approve First Gravity Personalized Wellness Agency program sole source for the amount not to exceed $7,200 funded through MCOL CPE training fund. Motion. Motion by mister Wallace. Support. Supported by mister Armstrong. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes.

All opposed, yeses have it. Motion carried. 7.7, motion to approve the City Of Taylor budget amendment twenty twenty six twenty seven dated 05/19/2026. Motion. Support. Motion by mister Thomas. Supported by mister Wallace. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say yes.

Yes. Yes.

All opposed? Yeses have a motion carried. 7.8, motion to approve Global Aerospace Inc. Paid through Nickle and Staff incorporated city agent for of record for unmanned aircraft insurance in amount not to exceed $5,832 funded through the general fund. Motion. Motion by mister Thede. Support. Supported by mister Patz. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say yes.

Yes. All

opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. Now we're moving to open business. We're gonna go to the audience first. I wanna remind the audience that you have three minutes and, you know, with a little bit of leeway, but three minutes to speak. And with that, come on up.

Good afternoon. I would like to address the city hall inspection people. I've got proof that they have one worker driving a city truck has garbage laying all over his yard. I get hit for different types of inspection because the neighbor that lives next to me is a relative of one of the workers here.

Okay. I think I think it would be a best better idea to discuss this with the mayor afterwards and because we can't throw accusations out and we don't want a name to slip. Right.

Right. Another problem is I say the pledge of allegiance to the flag, but it cost me a lot of money just to put up a flagpole, and that is not right. Yeah. I I I didn't know they charged for that. They told me they would charge me $50 to just lay out a plan to put up a flagpole and then a charge on top of that just to put the flagpole in. That's a travesty of justice.

Yeah. I'm not sure about that.

I know it is because they to

probably have to dig a hole and that hole has to

be inside. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's a easy thing to do.

Through the chair, that whole if that flag put ball balls and hits a car or somebody that needs Right.

Yeah. I can see where it has to be 42 inches.

Alright. 42 inches. Everybody knows the rules that's put in a Well,

through the chair, not everybody follows the rules. That's why it has to be inspected.

But I know people as well that have put it in that did it without a permit, did it without anything, and there was no complaints.

Through the chair, if we don't touch them, then, you know, some people follow the rules, some people don't. It's just like a speeder. Some people speed, they get caught, some people don't.

Right. But I just think that it gets looked over too often. And I get to pay because of a relative in the department there that just ruins my life. They throw trash in my yard. I got them on that. They do everything wrong, and I'm the one that's the bad guy. He grew weeds six feet tall behind his garage. I got ticks on my arm. I've never had a tick before.

Mister chair, I can talk to you after the meeting

about it. Okay. Thank you.

He get get as much detail as you can. Come on up, sir.

Hello. Thank you JC. I'm on the street. There's been a lot of misconceptions about the two eight seven g agreement at the last meeting. What it is, what it isn't. So I wanted to clear up some of that from the law on the same page factually. Does the agreement allow ICE into the city? No. ICE has its own jurisdiction, and that doesn't require any approval to be here. That's not when the agreement does.

Does the agreement enable the pointing of sex offenders and drunk trafficking to ICE? No. If the agreement was torn up today, Taylor and Penny can still do that tomorrow. It does, however, complicate discretionary action when it comes to witnesses and victims because information sharing is mandatory on the new agreement, whereas without the agreement, it is discretionary. Do the terms of the agreement prohibit Taylor officers from going on joint lanes with ICE?

No. Like the opposite, the agreement makes cooperation mandatory. Agreement agreements in the terms of voluntary, but the agreement itself is binding. Can we expect Taylor to need to do it right when working with ICE and suggesting by the chief? No.

Section 11 on the agreement titled ICE Supervision clearly places any Taylor officers participating in ICE operations under ICE command and under ICE policies and procedures. They wouldn't have the lien in any joint venture. So anyone hoping for the locals to be able to do it more gently? No. In fact, the locals wouldn't be concerned federal for all accounting purposes, and we wouldn't be able to hold them accountable anymore than ICE.

Is the terrorist need legally obligated to appoint immigrants with ICE's detainers against them like the chief said? No. This is a basic principle of federalism going back in the founding of the country. No state or locality is required to enforce federal law. And this is obvious in the case of marijuana, for instance, which remains illegal federally, but our police do not enforce it.

The DEA can come here to enforce it if they wish, but it is legal admission and cannot report marijuana usements or shops in the federal government. Indeed, the chief himself said that in the case of victims and witnesses in the past, department has not reported them to ICE. If it was a legal obligation to report them and to keep saying that discretion would not be legal. So just to clear up those facts, I didn't bring printouts of the two eight seven g agreement for the council. And with the permission of the council, I'm going to give them to you.

You can set it right over there on that end and they'll pass them out.

Absolutely. Thank you.

Thank you.

And anyone else who's looking to get a copy, you can go to ice.gov/287g. Go to participating agencies, find Taylor, and there's a PDF available there. Thank you.

Through the chair. Yeah. I just wanna make a comment, that, yes, if we could trust Taylor Police Department to uphold their end and I can surely say that they 100% will. They've done really well with what they've done so far.

Thank you. To the chair, I I concur.

Yes, sir.

14400 Gully Street, fifth Hole of the new and improved golf course. However, it's not new and improved in the city's property from the sidewalk to the curb. And I take care of it and I mow it, and it's just a bunch of ruts and tall grass and garbage that I can't mow, plus the streets tore up with all the heavy equipment. I have photographs of

That that's the dead end?

Yep.

Okay. I know what you always took care of that.

Yep.

Okay. Are they done with the construction yet?

No. Through the chair, I I I don't think so.

No. So

Yeah. So Through the chair, it'll be it'll be addressed once they're all done.

I'd like it to be kinda sooner than later because it's an eyesore looking at grass that's almost two feet tall now.

Through the chair, I'll definitely make sure

that the grass is adjusted, but I'm

not gonna have them go in

there and

fix it while they're driving in and out of there. So but the the grass definitely needs

opened the gate up in the middle of the street now where they were going through on the sidewalk Mhmm. When they were tearing the bridges down. Mhmm. They were driving in and out there. I told them, I said, the doggone gate down instead of tearing this up and worried about hitting my fence and all that. Mhmm. So now it's supposedly on the people that did the bridge to fix the lawn at the end of the dead end. And also, too, all them nice beautiful trees. Yeah. I don't have to deal with leaves anymore, but last year I was here, the year before I was here, the end of the season, those mowers come through at seven, 06:30 in the morning.

Windows are open when it's cool, so I'm just wondering if I'm gonna have to deal with that. Again, this year, something was supposed to have been done about it last year, it didn't didn't happen because I was here twice last year complaining about the mowers. Now I'm here with this problem with this the grass. The streets also tore up with all this heavy equipment coming in, thousands of pounds of equipment coming in, tearing up the street. I got big holes.

I see them patching everywhere else, but in my neighborhood, in front of my driveway, there's a big pothole like this over in front of my neighbors. It's deteriorating. The the sewer is all falling apart. Thousands of pounds of heavy equipment coming through, and the street's just a mess. So if you guys can address those two issues for me, I'll be good for now. But the For now? Golf course is tore up. I got weeds coming in my yard. They say they're gonna plant seed back there. That remains to be seen, so I'll just have to hold on and wait and see. But if I can get those two issues addressed, I'd appreciate it.

Thank you. Okay. Thank thank you.

Thank you.

Any other open business?

Evening, mayor, and council. My name is Marcy Griswak. I am the mayor pro tem in the city of Rockwood. I'm an ICU nurse of fifteen years, a mother of three, homeschooling mother of three, and I am here with excitement to announce my candidacy for Michigan State Senate.

We we we don't wanna do that here at the council meeting.

It's on city time.

I'm sorry? Yeah.

You can't you can't you can't announce your candidacy during the city Business. City council time and using city council equipment.

Oh, okay. I apologize. Yeah. Sorry.

I under it's Mike, I'm correct.

Yes.

Yes. Thank you. Any other open business? Through

can can council make open business now or we

As long as the audience is done. Let's go to the council. Yep.

Through the chair, I have a a motion. It would be a resolution. Over the past, week, week and a half, it was law enforcement week in DC, and congress met, to pass a resolution. And it's in regards to house resolution, twelve fifty two, in regards to honoring our fallen soldiers. I have some documentations from the FOP, from the fraternal order, speaking in regards to the resolution.

And then I'd like to submit a the resolution here as follows. So, the first bit of information is, the fraternal order of the police board and their opinion on, the resolution and on the legislation. For It went down 418 to two. There were only two house members that, voted against it. And this resolution is to, condemn condemn one of the the members who voted who voted no.

You know, I I I understand that this is, this is something that has been brought up, you know, last second, but I know that a vote like this doesn't happen often. And with it being, with it being police week, I think it's important that we, that we vote to show that our body is stands behind our officers, all the way through.

Mister Armstrong, this is last minute. Very last minute. I would have liked to had an email on this. Our officers know that I'm behind them a 100% and I don't think this is something we should just put out there because it was just last minute.

I think

we read it. We read it next week or so and then we we go next meeting.

Through the chair. I I totally agree. I I fully support doing a resolution recognizing, police week, but not the way that this is written.

Well, it's not it's not, it's not recognizing police week. This is this is condemning, the no vote on house bill fifth, twelve fifty two acknowledging our fallen officers. I mean, this is a bipartisan package that was supported by 418 members, and it was voted no on by

I'm sure they had more than a day.

Through the chair? Through the chair?

Through the chair? Yes. I'd like to make a second amendment.

He hasn't made a motion yet.

He made a motion, didn't he?

No. He has not made a motion. Yeah. I'd gotta read the language first thing.

Okay. I have to read the language.

Yes,

Okay. A proposed council resolution whereas house resolution Sorry.

The motion to approve the resolution.

This one? Okay. Sorry. Sorry. To to council to council chairman, for council agenda date 05/1926, subject condemning the councilwoman, in its a motion by by myself.

Motion to approve.

A motion to approve. Motion to approve resolution condemning congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for her vote on house resolution twelve fifty two.

Most of I by mister Armstrong supported by mister Thiede. Discussion.

Through the chair.

Like I said, this is totally inappropriate. I agree. I don't I don't think that we should be making resolutions against house members in the United States Congress, which we have absolutely no control over what she does or what she says. I think that we can honor police officers, fallen police officers without throwing mud at at someone. And, this is last minute. We could have discussed this last night in study session.

Through the chair, I agree with mister Thomas. The concept of a city council condemning another elected official who was elected by the citizens of this country, it's offensive and I absolutely think it's a terrible idea to do this without any preparation. And again, to go against the citizens who voted for somebody and condemning another elected official publicly is ludicrous in my opinion.

Through the chair, I mean, there are countless police organizations including the Fraternal Order of the Police who, can who have also condemned her. And I think that it's important that we back up our law enforcement and our other law enforcement organizations. This is this is a bipartisan bill that only two members of the entire house didn't vote for. This is 418 to two.

Mister Armstrong, I'm sure those members had more than five minutes to go through it and to read everything and comprehend it. More than five minutes. We didn't even have that. You could have told us this last night. You could have emailed us last week. And as far as I'm concerned, I mean, I'm going no.

So That's fine.

And and through the chair, one further statement. I totally disagree with what she did and how she did it. And like I said, we can honor Police Week and fallen police officers and do it in a way that doesn't grandstand and and throw mud at a member of congress regardless of how we feel or what our politics are.

Well, this has to to the chair, this has nothing to do with this is a bipartisan this is a bipartisan bill. She's one

of I only understand that. But again, five minutes. So any other discussion?

Through the chair. The key issue here is timing, Through the chair, is it appropriate to postpone this?

Oh, we have a we have a motion. We have it seconded. I think we vote on it.

Very good.

So any other discussion?

I would just like to say, through the chair for the record, I do very much support our police department and I am not one to condemn people in this fashion, especially unprepared. So it's kinda where

I stand.

Any other discussion? Anything from the audience?

Yes. It sounds like it was a great resolution in congress. I'm not sure why do we know why congresswoman to leave. Will know if there's some little thing they slip into it that maybe she was actually objecting to. Now I know this council has voting to house bills before in the Michigan House, but this is a resolution from getting any particular individual. So I am curious, like, is there any actual or legitimate reasons? And it doesn't seem like the sort of thing that somebody would just normally vote no on. So I just wanna make sure that we're not condemning them for the wrong thing.

Yeah. I'm I'm I'm not condemning The purpose isn't to condemn the person, it's to condemn the vote the no vote. Right? The the the reason behind the no. We're condemn we're condemning the no. The no vote.

Yes. Let me know why she voted no.

Through through the chair. She she she mentioned, in a She she voted with another house member. It was a bipartisan legislation. Mhmm. Going based off of, what the fraternal order of police and other law enforcement organizations have put out Mhmm. Against this bill. I trust those organizations. I I believe that the right thing to do is to get behind this legislation. This legislation supports fallen police officers who have given their lives on the line. And I think that it's important as a community that we stand behind this legislation and that we show that we're we're here for our officers. Oh, I absolutely agree

with that. My father was a police officer in Southgate and he passed away since. And I absolutely agree that we should honor the fallen officers. But I was just wondering if we hadn't gotten her side of it because that seems like such a universal thing that everyone would lack that if she's really no, she's she's probably got some reason that it's probably not just malice and opposition's in motion. Like, I'm wondering if they

Through the chair. I Oh. You're not talking to him. I'm talking through the chair.

Okay. Through the chair. But, yeah, I was just leaving it at that and since I'm wondering if there was something else, some reason that she gave for money now before meeting them her from getting her assignment sent. Okay.

Any other discussion?

Eric Hall. 955 Holland. I guess my only question is, is it past 04:18 to two? Correct? Is this person that we're worried about, does she represent the city of Taylor?

She she does not represent the

city Okay. Then I don't know if we should really get our hands dirty in something that don't represent our city. Trust me, I know who you're talking about, and I would never vote for her in my life. Being a military person, it's not just police she's after. She's after everybody. But, if it has nothing to do with our city

This has through the chair, this has to do with this has to do with the the legislation package itself. In support of the legislation package and I think we as a you know, we

I I understand that. And, as I said, she has no future in the city of Taylor. None. There's no future for her in the city of Taylor. Okay? I think the last election spoke real loud on what we want in the city of Taylor. So I hate to say it, but she means nothing to the city of Taylor. And hopefully, she's not gonna mean nothing to the state of Michigan here soon. Okay? But I think us putting our hands in in a mess and pulling it out and we got a little poo poo on there, it's not worth it.

But I do understand what you're doing, and I understand why you're doing it, and I agree with you a 100%. And I would I would definitely definitely like to see it pass. I just don't know if it's the right time yet.

Any other discussion?

To the chair, if I could. Just to answer councilman's Wallace's question about a motion to postpone. This council has the option tonight to either vote on it tonight or if one of the members wants to bring a motion to postpone, you can do that in the course of it's voted on by a majority of the council, it would be postponed. That's that's entirely up to this council.

Mister chair, thank you, council.

Any other discussion? Any other motions? Hearing none, all in favor of of this say aye. Yes. Yes. Yes. All opposed? No. No. Roll call, please.

Mister Katz? No. Mister Clark? No. Mister Armstrong? Yes. Mister Wallace? No. Mister Thede? Yes. Mister Thomas? No. Mister Johnson?

No.

Five to two. Bail. Okay.

Any other open business from the council?

Through the chair, yeah. So here's an opportunity to support, well, the police or the firefighters. Team

Blue. Veterans.

Team Red. And veterans. Oh, and veterans. Yeah. Because all proceeds go to the veterans museum. A week from this coming Friday, that's May 29, there will be battle of the badges. It'll be the police against the firefighters. It it's gonna be at Heritage Park, and I'm pretty sure that any of these guys could probably hit it into my house. But I think they're gonna have to use plastic bats or something. I'm teasing. Some rules have been made up. It should be a wonderful community event where we all can get together, and you can decide who you want to support. Hope to see everybody there. So that's May 29, which is Friday, and it's at Heritage Park at 7PM, the Battle of the Badges.

And just to add to that, I kinda did a little online thing and everybody's calling for the fire department to win. So I think the the police have got got their work cut out for them. I don't know if that's so much true, but I've seen these guys golf. If they golf like and they play baseball like they golf. Think the police might be a go to

our tailored police plays the state police over at Rotary Park and we usually win that every year. So

So it's gonna be a good one. I think

it's and it it is at the World Series field too. So everybody

Well knows that

We got mister Clark that wants to be put in the game. So Okay.

Put me in

No.

And and thank you guys for doing this.

Yeah. Thank you very much.

Nobody get hurt.

Any other any other open Madam Clerk?

Couple of announcements. My office recently sent out early voting notices. You guys approved them a few meetings ago, and we've been getting a lot of calls and questions. It's nothing has changed other than we added the Monday for early voting before the general elections only and major elections, state and federal only, not local elections. We've been getting a lot of calls. People were concerned that they were removed from lists or what have you, but nothing has changed. But feel free to call and check your voter registration. That's no problem on our end. And then they're going to be doing, as the mayor mentioned mentioned earlier, the heating and cooling is being worked on. This room will be worked on.

We will have the June 16 and the July 7 council meetings at the Lakes Of Taylor. June 2, we'll be in here. So, we will still be in here one more meeting. And then also, just a side note, Monday, May 25, we are closed for Memorial Day at City Hall city offices. That's it. Thank you.

Anything else from the council? May I get a motion?

Motion to adjourn.

Motion by Mr. Wallace. Support. Supported by Mr. Armstrong. All in favor?

Yes.

All opposed? Yeses have it. Motion carried. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Adjourned at seven eight. Should I do this? Seven zero