City Council - Regular Meeting

under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. Roll call. Madam clerk. Mayor Vagel, present. Council member Barman, present. Council member Gota here. Council member Gland Fox here. Council member Kennedy here. Council member ODay here. Council member Simmons here. We have quorum. Perfect. Changes or additions to the agenda as presented tonight? City manager is not here tonight. Assistant city manager Benson. Do you have any? I have none, sir. Any from the DIS? Council member Barman.

Uh, your honor, can we add just a discussion on the U Metro U internet being installed throughout our community? Um, we can, but um, I just want to make a statement that, um, I was looking into this today as myself as well, and the city attorney is actively looking into this, and once we have more information to discuss, um, we'll have more discussion in probably in a future meeting to discuss this further. Do you still want to talk about it tonight or would you like to wait till we have all the information? I'd like to still discuss it this evening. Very good. We'll add it under new business number two.

Thank you. Anybody else? All right. Approval of minutes. We have one set of minutes to approve tonight and that's from the regular city council meeting of December 16th, 2025. Do I have a motion? Move to approve. Support. Any discussion? I got move approval and support to approve the minutes of the regular city council meeting of December 16th, 2025. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I.

I. Opposed. Motion carries. Uh correspondence. We have one piece of correspondence tonight. That's the 2025 police department review. Um does anybody have any questions for police chief about that? Okay. Council member uh Grenella Fox. I don't have a question. I just wanted to say thank you so much for providing that. A lot of great information. Thank you.

Anybody else? Very good. That brings us to the first call to the public. I'll read the rules to the call to the public. They are as follows. The public shall address the council during call to the public. What shall be included on the agenda immediately after correspondence and again immediately after new business. The first call to the public immediately after correspondence shall be limited to agenda items only. A person shall not address the council in excess of 5 minutes unless the time is extended by a majority vote of council present. Persons wishing to address the council shall identify themselves and their place of residence and shall state their reason for addressing the council and all comments by the public shall be made directly to the council. Do we have anybody of the first call to the public? Seeing none, I'll close the first call to the public. We'll move on. City managers report. We have the fire report from November 2025. Any questions? All right. And we have the police report from November 2025. Any questions? All right. Consent agenda. All items listed under the consent agenda are considered routine by the city council and will be enacted by one motion. There'll be no separate discussion of these items unless the council member sole requests in which event the items will be removed from the consent agenda and added to the regular agenda at the end of unfinished or new business. Do I have a motion?

So move. to support. I got motion of support to approve the consent agenda as presented tonight. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion carries. We have no unfinished business tonight. So, we move on to the first item of new business and that's a recommendation to adopt the charter uh city council rules of procedure in accordance with city car charter section 4.15H. Do I have a motion?

Very good. Um this is just a um clear and professional way to introduce this item to council out loud. It's written as a short script you can read or paraphrase and it's following a recent municipal election. The city council has been newly constituted with the seating of newly elected members. As part of a new council item, it is important for the council to formally adopt a city council rules and procedures that will govern how meetings are conducted and how city council conducts its business. Adopting the rules ensures that all members share a common understanding of meeting conduct, order of business, roles and responsibilities and procedural expectations in accordance with the applicable laws and best practices. For that reason is recommended that the city council approve consider approval of the city council rules and procedure at this first official meeting. Doing so establishes a clear and consistent framework for conducting meetings efficiently, transparently, and fairly throughout the new council term. And uh attached are the uh current city council rules of procedure which were last adopted on March 12th, 2024. Any questions, discussion, council member? Um gotcha.

Thank you. Um I did notice on page eight of the document there is an issue um where the subheading standing boards and commissions of council is. It wrote over other language relating to like the residency requirement for board members. So that should probably I mean I know what the rest of it said but that's not written in the document. Okay. Um so I don't know if we want to add that now or just have it adjusted. It's just a typo. Is that what you're saying?

It's not a typo. Like words are missing because they were deleted when the heading got put in. Okay. So yeah on page eight like the very top paragraph it says reading it the last sentence it says if the reason for appointment of a particular individual then it has co and then it jumps into standing boards of counsel. Um it should probably read based on what I recall appointment of a particular individual is considered oh what was the wording considered pertinent pertinent. Yeah, we're on a business level like something like that. I'll see that's fixed. Yeah. So, I think we can approve that with just that with that correction.

Yep. Very good. Any other discussion, questions? All right. I got a motion and a second to approve the uh recommendation to adopt the city council rules of procedure in accordance with city charter section 4.15H. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion carries. New business item number two is a discussion uh concerning the uh metro net connections. Um council member Barman, floor is yours.

Thank you. Um first and foremost, uh I'm I we took some pictures today and I distributed them to everyone just so they could see what I wanted to talk about. Thank you council um and Gil for taking these pictures. But um I I noticed this this uh installation a couple weeks before or going in before Christmas and I reached out to city manager's office then to try to get some more information on it. And then since then I've uh heard that they've also installed one on Pontiac Trail on back and then since then I've also u realized that it's the same company that's going up and down Lon Lake Road now. Um, and uh, I'm glad that the city manager's office has decided to get the city attorney involved in it. Um, but I want to, at least myself, uh, reiterate that I I mean, anything we can do to stop these installations from going in, especially in our downtown where we're, you know, spending so much money on beautifification and landscaping and bearing power line power lines. to have something like this installed um which with almost no notice to the city I find uh crazy. This piece of property that has been listed for sale since uh I moved to the city is probably on marketable now with this installation right out front. Um, and I guess where I that's where I wanted to have the discussion tonight is just to make sure that all of you are on the same page that I am that like to direct our admin administration to do anything possible to to stop these installations and particularly this one downtown to have it removed.

Yeah. I as far as uh removing it, I don't know. I'm not a you know it's it's unsightly and I do believe correct me if I'm wrong assistant city manager that the uh property owner was aware of this before they um put this in

uh no actually um in both cases both the Pontiac trail installation and the Wixom Road installation no they did to our knowledge they did not receive any prior notice um we have been in contact I've spec I've personally been in contact with the owner of the uh Pontiac Trail Plaza um and he's had conversations with the road commission for Oakland County. Both of these are in their right ofways. So, they take the the kind of primary place on permitting for um their right ofways as we do for city-owned road rightways. Um I've been uh I've been trying to get a better handle on a downtown property owner. I've talked to their real estate broker. They're aware of it. um we're bringing it to their um and you know trying to get in front of the property owner as well to uh you know add to kind of the the the push back against this installation. You know at a minimum can can it be located in a more appropriate location? Can it be screened better? Um under the the Metro Act that is a state law that preempts local uh jurisdiction over some aspects related to telecommunications. Um and this is what we need to work out city attorney. We may not be able to fully prevent telecommunications installations, but we believe that there are things that we can do to push them to approve them to screen them better for better location. So, that's what we're actively working on is uh, you know, being in contact with MetroNet, the city attorney's office, the road commission for Oakland County, and the company that's installing these to see what mitigation we can do. and most importantly, you know, helping these property owners understand, you know, how to uh, you know, lodge their complaints and and really have their their voices heard in this process, too. And I think one of my bigger concerns is just going up and down all of Wixom Road, basically from this installation down to Lunick Road is all flagged right now. So, how many more of these are going in? Um and I and and anything we can do. When talking to the

city manager this morning, he seemed to think that uh they did need his approval. Uh at least one of the requirements he saw was they needed city manager approval in which he's going to get confirmation from the attorney on. I just wanted to throw my support and hopefully all of council support behind giving him whatever authority he needs to attack this thing head on. Anybody else? Council member Gotcho.

Thank you. Um, I do want to thank Council Member Bman for pointing these out to me. I haven't been out a whole bunch and usually it seems like when I am driving through these areas, it's during night in winter, so they haven't caught my eye until um, Council Member Bman pointed them out, and I wholeheartedly agree. Um, not what our plans call for in the downtown area. Um, it definitely makes that parcel very difficult to market, if not impossible and worthless, which is a bigger issue between them and the property owner if they never gave notice. Um, you had mentioned RCOC and this being permitted are both of them, the Pontia Trail one and this one across from Reton, those would both be in within county rightway.

That is correct. Have we spoken directly with RCOC about whether permits were obtained for these and what that process looked like? I have personally had conversations with some members of their staff. That is my understanding. I haven't seen copies of these permits. Tim might be able to speak to that a little bit better, but yes, my understanding is that they've been granted permits through the road commission and they have to like submit what this will look like when they do it and the road commission still approves it. That that is my understanding.

All right. Yeah. We're going through a year-long process trying to get ballards to protect like pedestrians and cyclists. a very like we've had a few accidents there. We have the data behind it. This is a nuisance and they're just whatever. Do it. Put up. How many are there? Eight. Eight ballards that look like crap in the middle of a property. Not even level.

Yeah. So, I like I don't know what conversation we need to have with RCOC because it seems to be like one project after another that doesn't meet our standards or what we're hoping and they just keep passing it through. So, I don't like I feel like we need to have a meeting with them to really bring up a municipality's concerns about why they're permitting projects that are going to be a detriment to county municipalities because that's kind of where it's at. They put 5 in of asphalt over Pontet Trail and now every time you try to come to a meeting westbound on Pontia Trail, the manholes are a big seat area. it like there are giant issues that RCOC just continues to push down the road quite literally because they don't care apparently. Um I know they're a little distracted with other ethical issues but hopefully they can start caring about the cities that are in the county. Thank you.

Council member Regal Fox. I I agree as well. It's an eyesore. I mean it's it is it's an eyesore. I don't know that there's a whole lot we can do about it. Just um I mean I hope there is, but I I'm not real confident that there is, but I I look forward to any other information that you bring forward and advice we get from our council.

Absolutely. It is it's our full intent in talking to city manager Brown. He would have he would have preferred to have been here tonight. He is he's really not feeling well. Um, I I fully expect within, you know, the next meeting or two meetings, you know, we'll be giving you updates as we go. Um, to your point, we're not 100% sure what exactly we can require them to do, what they may agree to do, and and to council member Gotel's point. Um, you know, having a conversation with the road commission's permitting department and having a better line of communication, that is also a priority for us here. Um, you know, in general, we like to think we have decent line of communication, but clearly on right-of-way projects specifically, um, you know, there there's room for improvement there. So, that's on that's part of this conversation as well.

Yeah. And I and I know that um as assistant city manager Benson has has said um our city manager, assistant city manager Benson and our attorney are actively pursuing this and uh meeting with uh the road commission to see what we can do and to see if we can um have some type of alternative where we can put these somewhere where they're not so uh not so much of an eyesore. So, like I say, this is going to be an issue that's going on for a couple of weeks and hopefully at the next meeting we'll get some type of update on this. Very good.

I guess my only other followup would be is are given Lon Lake is our road, would they have to ask for a permit to put one of these on Lon Lake from us? If yes, they would. And have they? They have. They've asked to put these on Link Road. No, those are the only two large ones like that. The other ones will be little little irrigation boxes. That's all that will go in by. Okay. So, administration has a direction on how council feels this should move on and we'll go from there. I just had one thing back.

No, you've already you've already spoke. Council member Gotfield. I missed a few meetings. I have some talking to make up for. Um, Mr. Sigma, will the ones that are are going to be on like will those have any of the Ballards as well or they're just boxes? Okay. Thank you. All right. Any further discussion? Nope. Thank you.

You You're very welcome. All right. That concludes the new business portion of the meeting tonight. We move on to the second call to the public. I will not re read the rules to the call to public with the exception of you can come up and speak whatever is on your mind. Somebody would like to come up. Anybody from the audience? Second call to the public. Speak whatever's on your mind. All right, I'll close that. Move on uh to assistant city manager comments. Assistant city manager Benson. Thank you, mayor. Uh just a couple notes from uh city manager report. First and foremost, uh just a reminder that we have the upcoming MML on-site training session for new elected officials, board and commission members, and HOA board members, the uh everything's meeting uh this Thursday, January 15th, starting at 6:00 p.m. Credit to uh city clerk Palco for getting that all set up. Uh let us know if you're planning on attending. I believe we're up to nearly 40 anticipated uh participants. This is open to other communities, too. Uh so, Commerce, Wald Lake, and others. So, should be a nice event and we encourage you to attend. Uh, one other note is uh just giving an FYI to council about the retirement of Nancy F with HRC. Uh, some of you I think some of you have met her before. She's attended some meetings. She's been uh retiring as a vice president. She's been involved in a lot of infrastructure projects here and uh really been an influential member of how Wixon has grown. So, we just wanted to give you all that heads up and congratulate her for uh her time. Um, replacing her will be Karen Stickle. U, so you'll likely see her alongside Mike Darot at future meetings related to HRC. Um, and then the last thing is, as you may know, uh, the city of Wixom is sponsoring is a sponsoring community for the Lakes Area Youth Assistance and uh, or Leia or Lia and they recently met they recently sent a very nice thank you letter to our DPW for sponsoring a child under the adopted child uh, event for Christmas. So kudos to DBW for everything you guys are doing and uh uh

being a part of the community. The last thing I'll say is uh just an update. City council had previously made a motion to direct city administration to work with the planning commission on our regulations relating to data centers. I did want to give you an update that the planning commission uh discussed the topic at their December 16th 16th. Yeah, December 16th meeting. Um we anticipate having draft language in front of them at their meeting on the 21st. So, you all will likely see a recommendation coming from the planning commission on some proposed ordinance amendments in the coming months. Um, just given public hearing notices and those kinds of things. Um, it does take a little bit of time, but wanted to give you an update. They're active, they and we are actively working on it and um, we'll have updates as part of my monthly reports and if you have any questions, I'm happy to try and answer them.

All right. Any questions? All right. Seeing none. Thank you. Uh, city council comments. Council member Kennedy. Um, I'm honored to be sitting up here and I look forward to serving the community as best I can. Thank you. Okay, Council Member Simmons.

Yay. Well, uh, I am excited to be here. Um, I did want with this being uh, uh, my first meeting as I've been to several, but being on this side of the table would like to just I think it'd be nice to share some fun facts about myself. Um, so my husband and I have lived uh in Wixom for a little bit over nine years. We have two kids. Uh, one is a senior at Walt Lake Western uh who just got his acceptance letter to University of Michigan. So, go blue. And uh we have a a uh seventh grader at Sarah Banks Middle School who just made the basketball team. So, good for her, too. Um, I uh have owned and run a business, a small business in uh Commerce Township now for the last 18 years. Started in Wixom. uh moved to Walt Lake and now in Commerce Township and I've served on the library board for the last six years. So, I'm excited to be here. Um I'm looking forward to serving with uh everybody here. Mayor, thank you for all of your support. And lastly, just want to uh from this side of the table say thank you to uh our previous council uh for uh Tom Resnik and Peter Sharp. So, thank you, Mayor. You're welcome. Little bit different view from that side to this side, right?

Different. Council member OD. Um, welcome to our two new members. I look forward to serving with you now and I'm so happy to no longer be the rookie. So, um, and just wishing everyone a very happy new year. Good. Council member Barman. Uh, just welcome to, uh, House Member Kennedy and Simmons. Nice to have some some new people up here. and I I I too am looking forward to serving with both of you. Okay, Council Member Gotcha.

Thank you. I um first wanted to also thank Chief Langmire for the annual report. It's always nice to kind of get a year in review and looking ahead. Um it's nice um that we're kind of promoting with it and a able to maintain like educational opportunities for our officers and our staff. um adding cadetses and putting them through the academy and hopefully but I know we've had a lot of turnover the last few years and those were folks who were with the city a very very long time almost their entire careers if not their entire career and I think by providing those opportunities that we are hopefully it'll turn the current batch of officers into the same sort of people who are around and I think that helps the city they get familiar with our neighborhoods and our neighbors and residents and build that rapport and I think it helps keep us safer and hopefully that's a part of the uh statistics that you're seeing as well that were alluded to crime being down in the city which is um phenomenal news. I know um Nancy isn't here from HRC but I hopefully we can share our thanks as well. I know she we've had a lot of growth with HRC over the last few years. Um wastewater treatment plant, roads, all sorts of projects and um they've always been very helpful um with us and I know Karen has been um a part of their team with Wixom as well for a long time. So um congratulations to her on her increased responsibilities. So, um I also wanted to thank our um newly retired members even though they left from photos already. Um I was sad I wasn't at the the last meeting and also welcome our new council members. I look forward to working with you. Thank you, Council Member Marin Fox.

Thank you. I too would like to welcome our newest members, um Kennedy and Simmons. I look forward to working with you and if you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to any of us because we'll help you in any way we can. And then uh under the consent agenda, the senior commission meeting minutes, I just wanted to just say they were talking about one of the issues was space for donations and it would be great if we could find some space somewhere for those donations because I think it's a good program. I'm hoping we can find I don't maybe even if I don't know I don't want DPW I don't know if they have space but we can just find a little bit of space and then um regarding the Lakes area adopt a family adopt a child. I didn't know that we did that here and I know we do it in my day job. Um, so it'd be great if we could get maybe some families if council wanted to do that or just get more information as we get closer to the holidays. And then lastly, just happy new year to everyone.

Thank you.

Very good. All right. And I, uh, want to welcome our two new members to city council as well, and I'm really looking forward to, uh, working with them throughout the next two years. Um, and uh I want to congratulate Nancy F too uh uh on her uh congratulations and wish her the best of luck on her retirement. Uh I've been up here for 15 years now and I've worked with her for that long and she's always professional. She's done a lot of good for the uh city of Wixom and I appreciate that. And um just a couple of housekeeping issues uh in the next couple of weeks. Look, uh, we're going to be doing the evaluation for the city manager. So, look for that in your, um, email or I may just distribute it at the next council meeting. And then um if you guys could get with me uh fairly soon for the the last two weeks of February, the first week of March um days that you're available so we can have a goal setting meeting and that way we can uh do the goal settings which will be one or two to three items of that you would like to see um in the city enacted and that'll give us time to go over those in a meeting and then forward those to the appropriate uh department managers. and they'll be able to um look at that, try to implement it in the u in their budget before we start the budget session on in April. And so with that, do I have a motion to adjurnn?

So support. All those in favor, please signify by saying I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you everybody. Happy New Year.