City Council - Regular Meeting

Call please. Madam clerk. Mayor Beagle present. Deputy Mayor Goncho here. Council member Barman present. Council member Fox here. Council member Kennedy present. Council member OD here. Council member Simmons here. We have more. Perfect. Thank you. Changes or additions to the agenda as presented tonight. City manager. Uh thank you your honor. I do have a walk-on item uh that I'd like to add at the end of new business which is a submittal of the budget for 2020 or the proposed budget for 2026 2027. All right. That'll be uh new business number four and we'll move close session and number five can be put at the end of the end of it as well either way. Okay. Okay. So, we'll make it new business number six then.

Yeah, that'd be my preference for now. All right. You're welcome. Assistant city manager, any changes? I have no sir. Anything from the dies? Thank you. All right. Moves on to approval of minutes. We've got one set of minutes to approve tonight and that's from the regular city council meeting of March 24th, 2026. Do I have a motion? Move to approve. Support.

Any discussion? Seeing none, I got a motion and a second to approve the minutes of the regular city council meeting of March 24th, 2026. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I opposed. Motion carries. Correspondence. We have one item of correspondence tonight and that's the in regards to the Wixon public library millage renewal. Uh moves us to the call to the public. I'll read the rules to the call to the public. The call they are as follow. The public shall address the council during the call to the public. It 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 five minutes unless the time is extended by a majority vote of council present. Persons wishing to address the council shall identify themselves in a place of residence and shall state the reason for addressing the council and all comments by the public shall be made directly to the council. Do we have anybody for the first call to the public? Step on up. Please state your name and address for the record, please.

Tyler Mitchell, and I live uh the Hillside Apartments, so 3103 Lake View Boulevard. Uh good evening, mayor and council members. My name is Tyler Mitchell, and again, I live here in Wexum. I appreciate the time tonight. I'm here to speak about uh long-term community be behavioral health access in our community. Um as part of how how we think about our city's future, um Wixom has a strong reputation. It feels stable. Um, it feels safe for people like me. That's one of the reasons why I chose to move here. Is this an agenda item that we're talking about tonight?

Um, I thought it was part uh part of the one of the agenda items. I believe about uh community health access. Maybe that wasn't an agenda item. Maybe I'm mistaken. No. Okay. So, we'll have to wait till the second call to the public and then you can come up. Okay. Sounds good. I appreciate.

Thank you. Okay. City managers reports. We have two tonight. Fire report from February 2026. Any questions for the chief? Police report from February 2026. Any questions for the chief? All right. Seeing none, moves us on to the consent agenda. All items listed under the consent agenda will be considered routine by the city council and will be enacted by one motion. There'll be no separate discussion of these items unless a council member sole request 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 support. All right, I got a motion and a 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 it moves us on the new business. Uh, let me get the correct new business number one is a recommendation to approve the purchase and installation of replacement computers through the state of Michigan's master computer my deal program for a total cost of 30,99143 from city network account number 411-283-971 322 and authorize the city manager to execute the purchase. Just a motion. Support.

Okay. Thank you, city manager Brown.

Uh, thank you, your honor. So, we have regular routine purchases of computer equipment of this sort that we go through when uh when items are are um aged and need replacements, dated uh out of out of uh sync with the current realities of of the systems they need to work with, those sort of things. Uh we have a proposal in front of you to go out uh and go ahead and make a purchase on this. Um we received a communication from the president of Skynet um prior to this purchase uh having been discussed with me um that we provided with the package that speaks to the fact that there was going to be some volatility in the market and changes in prices were going to become uh a fact of life and uh prices could change on a daily basis. Uh on the basis of that, I decided to to talk with uh council and let them know that I was planning on going ahead with the purchase ahead of time, which is beyond my purchase authority, so that we can uh avoid a price increase uh as much as possible. And that's what I did. Uh we have a price in front of you that's actually listed in the report uh of $21,219.29 for a set of equipment that's listed here. Uh subsequent to the report being put together uh we received information that uh because of the realities of the marketplace that were kind of foreshadowed by the letter from the president of Skynet uh some of the equipment is not available and we're going to be shifting to different purchase that results in a change in um the think pads to think books uh and results in a change in per unit costs of $4 and change a total change in price of $52.14. So, the new dollar amount is going to be beyond that 21,219.29 by $52.14. Um, so that's just an example of what was facing us and why I decided to go ahead in the fashion that I did. I'm looking for you to make retroactive approval of that. Um, and assistant city manager Benson has some additional

things to to shed some light on what's happened since the preparation of the agenda item. Yeah, I just wanted to uh say that the the mayor did uh provide the updated number in the recommended motion. We provided the the updated third quote um for you all at the dis. We received this literally you know an hour or two before the meeting. That is how quickly uh prices on some of this some of this equipment appears to be changing. Um we do have um Ty Dolan with Skynet Innovations here as well. Um you know if you have any questions on our replacement schedule, the type of equipment that we're purchasing um or you know anything to that effect. Um, but if there are any questions otherwise, we are happy to try and answer them.

Council member Grillin Fox. So, my only question, and maybe I'm just confused about this, but I thought that's why you went ahead and and purchased it because I remember the the email or communication anyway, was to lock in that price.

Right. So, part of what they mentioned was uh not just price volatility, but availability. with you if you look at the rest of the agenda uh report talks about the fact that some of this equipment is readily available others are not. So the Lenovo equipment was readily available at the time that I had the new quote but those think pads that were included in that quote became unavailable and we shipped it to a different model slightly different model that has that $4 price difference. So that's why it's it was locked in but the product was not available. So now they've shipped it to a different product. It's a $52 price difference.

And I know it's not it's not a big price. I I understand that it's it's it to me it's just more the the um the principle, but um and they couldn't honor that price.

Good evening, Mayor Council. Um no, they're they're different models. Um the think I'm mixing them up. They went from ThinkPad to Think Books. The ThinkPads uh were black, matte black. The the Lenovo uh Think Books are a Arctic gray. Um and that's really the only difference between them. So, um just the unavailability of it. Uh I reached out cuz I received a quote at 511. Then I started the process of letting Drew know. I reached out to the CDWG rep who emailed us the quote today. Um, and I didn't get a response. So, um, from his email, the price difference changed. The price changed from this morning to this afternoon to where he sent me the quote. So, it was a different price this morning. When he finally sent us the quote this afternoon, it was the the 904 per device. So,

and the only difference is the color. Basically, the color. Yes. Um, it's a similar to the color of this one. And I think the bezel, like the top cover is a little thinner than the on the Think Book as opposed to ThinkPad. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else?

Thank you. Thank you. All right. I get a motion and a second to approve the recommendation to approve the purchase and installation of replacement computers through the state of Michigan's master computer computing my deal program for a total cost of $30,99143 from city network account number 411-283-971322 and authorize the city manager to execute the purchase. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you.

Thank you. New business number two is a recommendation to review the draft 2026 master plan dated April 14th, 2026, authorized the distribution of the plan and initiate the 63-day public comment period is recommended by the planning commission. Do motion? So move. Thank you. Assistant city manager Benson.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, good evening, members of city council. Um, I'll do a little bit of an introduction while Matteo gets gets himself set up here. Um, as most of you know, but some of you weren't on council at the time. Back in November of 2024, city council authorized uh scope of work with the city's planning consultants to uh review the city's master plan in conjunction with the planning commission. This is a uh statutoily required function that every 5 years city should review their master plan. oftentimes that's in different levels of detail of you know some communities their planning commission will look at it and say everything's great nothing's changed it's a it's a short process in our particular case after talking with the planning commission um they recommended uh you know and requested a little bit larger scope of work especially given all of the things that have changed since the city's current master plan was adopted in August of 2020 and the bulk of that work was done in u 2018 and 2019 um you know postco COVID and post some of the new developments that we've had uh the planning commission felt that a a larger review and update was worthwhile. So over the last uh uh year year plus uh planning commission staff uh we've had joint meetings you know a variety of public engagement um activities. A lot of work has gone into trying to inform an update to the master plan and that's uh at their at their last meeting planning commission was finally ready to recommend a draft for your review. Um the goal here is that you know if you all are are comfortable with some of the you know the recommendations and the the the plan um it would then be distributed um for other communities to comment on before final adoption. So before Matteo really gets into the nuts and bolts, I just want to clarify that tonight is not the adoption of of the master plan. There's still a few steps, but it's it's, you know, city council's first chance to see the full draft um and communicate any thoughts that you may have. I'll kick it over to Mr. Posalqua.

So, good evening, Council Mayor Matteo Pasqua, Carlile Wartman Associates. Um, I'm not talking talking deeper for effect. I'm working through a cold, so bear with me this evening. Um, so as Drew had mentioned, in late 2024, the city authorized Carl Wartman to assist the planning commission, council, and staff in updating the master plan. Um, as Drew had uh indicated, it wasn't a total rewrite, uh, but it was definitely a heavier lift update. Uh, the world's changed a lot since 2020, as we can all attest to, so there were a lot of worthy topics to kind of tackle and we'll kind of go what some of those bigger lifts were later in the presentation. Um, so as Drew had or as we discussed, um, the update was to kind of give a a heavy update on the plan, not a total rewrite. Um in this process, the planning commission undertakes kind of uh the the largest brunt of the work as far as um directing data collection, establishing priorities, receiving and kind of assessing public feedback, uh reviewing draft plans, you know, typically in sections. Um and then kind of getting the plan to the point where they're comfortable in recommending it for your review. Um, at this point, again, as Drew had said, council would kind of take the position to either either send the planning send the draft back to the planning commission with some feedback or distribute it uh to neighboring communities, uh, public public utilities, uh, railroads, um, for a 63-day review period in which we would kind of bring back any notes or feedback we got from those organizations. Um, and at that point, the plan commission would hold a public hearing and then it would come back to you guys for final uh, final adoption. So just as a timeline starting in November of 24 again we were brought on to assist December through February of 26 which should be 20 yes I'm sorry December through 24 through uh February 26 review of prior plans and studies we kind of try to review different types of information when it's pertinent to the section that we're working on. February of 25 there was a joint meeting between council commission the zoning board of

appeals. Uh, and that was really just kind of a broad a broad meeting to kind of collect the big items that each body kind of wanted to assess or thought that issues that should be addressed in the master plan. In May of 25, uh, we attended derby days and DDA meetings again to kind of start the public feedback and the the other commission process of of getting feedback from other entities. Uh, in June of 25, focus group workshops were conducted. Uh, we attended a Wixom family fund night. Uh, we reviewed the community. There was like a resident survey that we put out and reviewed the results of and there was a business survey that was put out where we did the same. Uh July 25 through November of 25 we worked on master plan chapter drafts of the planning commission. Uh in September of 25 some of you may recall we held another joint meeting with council the DDA plan commission and zoning board of appeals. Uh specifically to talk about the VCA obviously that's an area that's been a focal point for the city for the last 20 25 years. Um and then roads, again, transportation, um the challenges that the city deals with as far as transportation's concerned and some of the opportunities there might be to alleviate some of that. And then December of 25 through March of 26, uh we worked on the final draft and here we are this evening. So obviously there's a large data collection process as it relates to master plan. some of the some of the numbers that we kind of wanted to highlight um both in the slide and a few in my notes here uh is that 48% of housing units in Wixom are owner occupied which is an increase from 42% back in 2000. 90% of the jobs in Wixom are filled by residents in other communities. There's a lot of transportation implications there but also housing affordability and things of that nature. uh 20% of the residents live and work in Wixom and my apologies but some additional considerations is that Wixom's population is expected to steadily grow um over the next 15 to 20 years but at it's also as the region will steadily age um you know Wixom is

not immune to what really the the nation is dealing with and metropolitan the state is dealing with with an aging population and this really has implications on how small pockets of developable resident residential land should be built out. Um we'll kind of talk about it a little bit later, but you're you're nearing buildout, so you've got a few more opportunities for where you might want to promote housing. Um but the style of housing um has become a a larger and larger topic even at the planning commission meetings. Um something to consider is that natur the the constraints that natur the natural environment has on future development. your zoning map and your future land use map make it kind of give the illusion that there's all this developable land available, but in reality those large tracks um are covered by some form of natural resource um either protected by habitat, you know, at the local level or protected by wetlands or eagle at the state level. So, we just kind of wanted to highlight that there there still is developable areas left, but um the easy ones have been built on. from this point forward there'll there'll kind of be some creativity needed in how the rest of the city is uh is developed. Um and kind of to that point as it relates to natural resources uh storm water management is becoming a bigger and bigger and bigger um challenge for communities as time goes on. It's important for master plans to kind of reference that and give the state the backing it needs to pursue improvements to either the way in which private sites are designed or the way in which public systems are designed. I have not been in planning for 30 years, but I've been following it for 30 years. And 30 years ago, the conversation for land use or at least the largest the largest consideration when doing site planning was a parking lot. Nowadays, it's where are you going to put your storm water? Parking is secondary. It's if you're going to cover so much of the lot, where are you going to put the storm water? Because the public systems are only designed to handle so much at a certain point in time. So again, we wanted to make sure that the master plan addressing kind of gave the city the backing it needed to pursue those solutions.

Some other key data findings that retail vacancy rates um are rising. However, residents are seeking more shops and restaurants. When the survey feedback we got, you know, um residents express an interest in more diversity in the retail. The reality is that the retail market is is stagnant if not mildly contracting. Uh residential industrial uses um are strong in the community and are expected to grow. Uh the majority of residents support housing although support decreases as proposed density increases. Um this is not a common uh feedback that or this is common feedback that we get when it comes to uh the opportunity for more housing in the community and that businesses cited zoning restrictions, signing signing zoning restrictions, signage restrictions, and traffic and train delays as primary as concerns. I'm only two of those three. So you can we can call in the railroads for the other one. Um, so the master plan is reviewed in whole, front to back, top to bottom, and appropriate changes are made where they're needed. But there's always uh for a heavy lift update, there's always kind of these primary areas that we want to focus on. So some of the primary changes um and major themes of what we were looking at was updating the BCA goals, priorities, and potential buildup and sub areas. Um, in your prior master plan, the VCA was kind of the the entire area was just kind of this one lump definition and goal when in reality we've seen the market kind of dictate that the VCA needs to be several different things, not just one. Um, modifying the future land use map. That's kind of always the fun stuff. Um, allowing flexibility, encouraging redevelopment of aging retail centers, allowing flexibility when it's saying redevelopment of large strategic commercial industrial sites. Um these are kind of clustered along your 96 frontage. Um and again kind of have the future land use map better delineate uh the VCA's three sub areas uh core,

transitional and uh low intensity. Uh there is also support for future roads and pedestrian pathways. Um you know again your the goal to kind of promote more walkability in the community and specifically the BCA but also to improve uh your vehicle circulation uh throughout the city. and then provide specific actionable imple implementation steps which is at kind of further to the end of my um my presentation. Um just providing a better step process for the things that you want to do, how you're going to do them, when you're going to do them, who who's going to do them. So these are the future land use future land use maps next to each other. I realize kind of the way they're both laid out, it's it's a little hard to compare, but the the big changes um are again the VCA has been broken out into three different future land use designations. And this will help this will help if we get resoning requests in the VCA, this will better guide um which way we want to go with those. Again, originally it was kind of this one one shoe fits all and it it made interpreting the flexibility of that area a little bit harder. Um, another thing that you'll notice is that we have um applied some residential commercial mixeduse overlays uh and some commercial industrial mixed use overlays which I'll explain a little bit further in the presentation as well. Um, and that's really just flexibility is everything nowadays. Um, especially in in the postcoid world as you know competition in any sector online is increasing. Um, and again, I'll kind of speak to in a minute, but but the world's changing quicker than it used to. And so, it's really important to have a certain amount of flexibility in these types of maps, um, when making decisions down the road. Um, as I had stated, again, this is a little bit of a zoom in of the differences and the way that we've now broken up the VCA. Um, and I'll speak about the total the total sports site here in a minute. So in updating the VCA um again we

applied better definitions to the sub areas with the core being dense mixeduse uh transit pedestrian oriented transitional you know scaling from that dense to a more compact uh design and focus on housing. Um, again, core still has a a requirement or a a a preference towards retail uses, whereas in transitional can allow for strictly residential but dense. And then low intensity is more of the, you know, traditional pre-war neighborhood grid style could be single family housing, but the lots are typically tight. Um, you have a lot of it built out in your community already. Uh so these updates really kind of align better with what you already have but guide what you might want uh a little better as well. Um better definition of goals and objectives to guide the future development. Um we did a lot of coordinating with the DDA as far as the resources that they have at their hands and kind of having the master plan support um coordination with the DDA and the city. Um, looking at the road safety audit, again, taking all the information we can get on how do you make your downtown more pedestrian friendly, um, you know, and how do people get around with the types of trail access and sidewalk access and crossing, um, intersections, things of that nature. And then the recreation economy, um, we know that the DDA and the public, um, you know, both spoke highly of the types of events that you hold. And events can be very important for getting bodies in your downtown or introducing people who've never been. Um, so really kind of um making sure that there's language in there to support the recreational economy uh for your downtown. This is a a VCA buildout um sample. It's it's very general um but it's it's really just meant to kind of orchestrate the types of uses as it be, you know, being either residential or commercial. Um maybe even as specific as discussing um hotels, uh parks, mixed use. Um,

obviously a strong preference towards orientation towards the street. Um, but this is really this is really just kind of a basic footprint to point to in the types of development and the type of orientation that you want in your downtown so that you know as it grows it grows in a very downtown fashion. If I may, I just want to add, you know, the nice thing about this and there there was a lot of effort and I know we talked about this in the the joint meetings in the past, but to have a visual representation to be able to show people of this is what the community, it doesn't have to specifically match this, but to be able to talk to developers and say, "Look, there's been time and effort put into what the vision for this downtown will be." Um, I I think is a big step and something that we haven't had to this extent before. or we've had variations related to east retail and the residential areas when Robertson came through 20 years ago, but um to my knowledge, this is really the first effort to look at all of the commercial areas of the district. Um so I I'm just wanted to add a little extra emphasis to what you know this kind of drawing and diagram can help um community communicate. So, as I mentioned earlier, we did uh introduce some mixeduse overlays to the future land use map. Um the first one we'll talk about is commercial residential mixeduse overlay. And so, there's where this was placed was over the existing retail centers at Pontiac Trail and Beck, Wixom Road and Charms, and Wixom Road and Lon Lake. And so, again, these are more these are more suburban style traditional retail centers that are along your major roads. Um, you know, an indicator for why flexibility might be needed on these sites is, uh, that one of the stats that we came across and is in the master plan is that, uh, the retail employment sector is anticipated to decrease by almost 20% over the next 25 years. Um,

and so these sites, you know, they create a challenge in that again there's regional trends stagnating or declining with retail. the lots are they're small in the context of big ideas and big plans. Um, and the city has kind of outlined that if the place in which they really want to try to prop up their retail is in their downtown. Um, so while not to say that we would shun more retail at these sites, um, they've been existing, they've been there for 30 years. um they are in they are in more challenging times than they have been in the past. So if we're going to focus on new trail new retail strictly we would want it in the downtown but here we would want to throw on some the potential for um other uses. Um again obviously considering residential office potentially expanded retail and services to allow existing sites to redevelop and increase their utilization. Um the uses could be mixed within single buildings um or uh they could be um they could be mixed use with single buildings or you know individual buildings dedicated to different uses. So right now the way it's zoned if it's if it's not retail it's not permitted. If it's not some form of retail it's not permitted on these sites. This map would allow us to entertain an idea where if half the site were to be rededicated to a residential use the master plan could support that step if it was the right project. just to to further flesh out what that means because there's a functional difference between overlay districts that that uh provide flexibility and purely changing the underlying future land use designation. And I do think that's important to note here. Um in some cases, communities will take a piece of property and say, you know what, this was owned commercial, but really now we want single family residential. And they'll change their future land use map and then that

supports a future reszoning application. This is not that extreme of a step, but really what it's indicating is that hey, if you're looking to redevelop this site, um this is a candidate for something like planned unit development that requires, you know, there's special consideration. They have to come through planning commission and city council. Um so it's it's not a blanket, hey, you can do whatever you want, but it also signals the flexibility and provides support in your master plan for those those kinds of considerations in the future. So following along with that, we also applied an industrial commercial mixeduse overlay. Um these are these areas are either large undeveloped or underdeveloped uh sites along I96 and in the GPU. Um again from the map here you can kind of see that it's the areas just north of 96 or south of 96 or kind of the the GPU as a whole. Um the challenge is that the evolution of largecale uses is difficult to keep up with as it relates to zoning ordinance pace. Um so and master plans are every 5 years. Um so here again we just wanted to identify large tracks of undeveloped or underdeveloped areas where we wanted to at least display a flexibility in some form of large scale commercial or industrial use um without you know pigeon holing us into like if you're not doing one of three things don't bother. Um we really feel as though it'll it'll open up some opportunities in these areas to consider some different types of uh some different type of projects in the future. Um, and then the last site that had an overlay applied to it was the total sports site. Um, so obviously this is a large piece of developed land just south of the VCA on the other side of the uh the train tracks. Um, the challenge with this is is more or less that the site is

big enough to where any new development could have a positive or negative impact on your VCA. And while not in the VCA, it it could play a very important important role in furthering the VCA's development. So, we kind of wanted to get ahead of that and call it out now. So, the potential in, you know, up closer to the road, we have it uh designated as um general corridor, which is kind of your general commercial designation. In the back, it has the light industrial, and then it has a commercial residential overlay on it. Um what we're trying to signify here is that the site's big enough to be used for several different things and again hopefully in a manner that is uh complimentary to the VCA. This site's uh specific explanation in the master plan does call out though that intense industrial uses would not be appropriate here. Big box retail would not be appropriate here. Um so while we can't necessarily envision everything the site could be, we've definitely highlighted a few things that the site should not be. Um but again with its proximity to the VCA uh allowing a lot of wiggle room here would be important. Um, so again, as part of the joint meeting that we'd had, uh, future road connections and pedestrian pathways is something that's been called out in the master plan again to support the city's pursuit of any kind of funding, um, either internal or external to help support both, uh, the construction of new roads. Um, you know, several of which we've discussed with city council and planning commission, but also your non-motorized pathways with the airline trail uh, and the expansion of safety path and sidewalks throughout the city. So I had indicated earlier that we kind of revamped your implementation section. Um and so what we did with this portion is again there are all these different action items that have a timeline associated with them either annual intermediate 1 to two years short-term 2 to four years. Uh the type of action it would be. Is it

regulatory? Is it programmatic? Is it capital? Is it a partnership? and then tried to identify the bodies um that would uh that would be responsible for pursuing it either be administration, planning commission, city council, DPW, police, RCOC, the list goes on. Um but this really added this table added a nice step process to your implementation. your former plan um your implementation uh description uh was a good start. Um but it it didn't apply a lot of timelines or responsibility to who should be leading these things. And sometimes that can help a lot when it comes to spearheading and deciding like what projects are we going to take on, when should we take them on, who should do them. Again, this is just a continuation again to to show the different types of projects. Um, and it even speaks to different types of ordinance amendments um that we might want to work on again short-term, intermediate, midterm, long-term. So, with that, again, I'm I'm I'd be happy to take any questions uh this evening. You can vote to send the plan back to the planning commission with feedback and comments. Um, or you can vote to distribute to the neighboring communities on third parties for the 63-day review period. Um, if you vote to do that, uh, after the 63 63-day period, plan commission would hold a public hearing, um, make one last, uh, vote to recommend it to council and then it would come back to council for, uh, final adoption. Thank you very much for your time. I do appreciate it.

You're welcome, Council Member Gren Fox. Um, great process, love the product. Um, lots of common themes throughout and you you mentioned a little bit roads, traffic, the train, restaurants. A lot of these were at least that I found were residents and businesses. Um, the affordable housing, which we talk about a lot, drainage, the one from the business side was signage. So, I saw several comments about signage. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Yeah, without knowing specifically what you have different sign standards. So, the VCA has its own set of standards and then the rest of the city has its own. Um, I don't think I don't think there's too many businesses out there who would say that they don't want a lot of signage. Um, they still identify it as a primary way of of having of marketing their name and having people know where they are. And we wouldn't disagree with that. Um it's just that sign over signage can can create aesthetic issues. It can create confusion. Um and so I would tell you that that is not an uncommon level of feedback we get in any community that we work with. Um and I would say that there is a mechanism obviously through the ZBA for them to get more signage if if that's what they feel that they need or if there's a hardship kind of holding them back as to why additional signage is needed.

But basically it was the amount of signs that they that their issue was. It wasn't with so much with our with our ordinance on maybe size or what have you, but it was just they wanted more. Yeah, I the VCA sign ordinance is a little more in depth and creates um I I would say it creates challenges for a product that's that you would want in your downtown. So, it's kind of the give and the take, but I would say that the sign ordinance that you have for the rest of the city is not uncommon to the sign ordinances we have in our other communities. There isn't I wouldn't identify any one major issue with your other signage standards.

Okay, good to know. And then the rest the other comments that I mentioned, you know, some we can maybe do things about, some we can do nothing about like the train. Um, and then there's that in between, right? So when you when you had your input sessions and people were talking about the some of these things, was there also discussion about what as a as a community and and local government we can do and what we just we have no control over?

Yeah. So I would say that at any any kind of public forum we do try to make sure that I mean we'll take any comment that comes our way. We do try to preface, you know, if we get something that might be beyond the city's control to kind of make sure that the commenter understands it. Like it's important that we get that feedback. It might even be important that it goes in the master plan because while it's not the city, it might not be the city's authority to take care of it. The master plan might give you the opportunity to pursue the agencies that would take care of it. Um, so yeah, we do do our best to try to make sure that we get as candid feedback as possible, but also be um but also be professionally poignant about what the city can and cannot do. Okay.

It's a, you know, most people don't know, right? Correct. Most most residents have no idea and they like with the DTE and the various things that that we have control over these things. And I think it's an education. It's it's a great opportunity to educate while we want the comments. I I agree completely. At least it gives us that opportunity to say, you know, we understand and we all agree. There's just not a whole lot that we as a city can do. Sure. Not that that'll make it happy, but at least it's an education piece.

Yeah. We try to, again, we, you know, as professionally as possible, try to highlight, you know, if it's if it's not the city who might be responsible for it. Um but again taking the feedback regardless. Yeah. Great. Thank you. You want to say something?

Oh no. I was just gonna say one of the other things a master plan broadly does is it serves as a communication tool. It communicates the community's values. It gives us something in paper to reference on grant applications or you know if we're having an issue with with LSRC as an example you know we if we can site statistics and say hey you know we had a question about this or um you know pick pick your topic. But it's it's that's a key function. And that's part of why the appendices are as long as they are so that we can reference in the future, you know, hey, I' I've got some hard data that says this is a problem or this is a priority or those kind of things. Council member Gotchil,

thank you. Um, going back a few slides to the um sidewalks or pathways and whatnot. Um, is that typically included in the master plan like future plans or just looking the way it's labeled? I guess is future road connections and pedestrian pathways. It was very small in our packet to make sense of it. So the dark shaded areas on the map on the right, the non-motorized pathways are that's all proposed future because it looks like there's sidewalks in those.

Yeah. So the the dark blue on the pathways is existing and then the red is proposed. My apologies. It it doesn't display the greatest here, but blue is existing. Red is proposed. Okay. Thank you. I I think just like in the future on our packets or something, if we can get like the digital version instead of like the scanned and resent whether it's this or other things, it always messes with the ability to actually make sense of them. Sure. Thank you. Yeah.

Council member Simmons. Uh thank you mayor. Uh so I'm following everything. Um it seems uh thank you for the time that you spent on a great presentation. Uh my question or comments specifically are about the VCA um and trying to understand the feedback that I continue to get from residents is about night life um in the VCA and it was nice to see in the community input somewhere that that was also brought up. Uh, but I don't see any of that really in any of our descriptions as far as what's important. I understand as a city we can't necessarily control what happens with uh businesses that come in um and things like that, but I think it would be nice uh to consider adding some verbiage related to that, unless I missed it because there's a lot of words in here. um focusing on uh bringing some night life specifically to the VCA.

Yeah. And so one of the things that we did we did try to do with the language in the in the VCA portion of the master plan is justify taking another look at both your developmental regulations and your use standards. So what uses are allowed in what zone? Is it a permitted use? Is it a special land use? and how can we potentially tweak some of the language to make it easier for those types of businesses to come in. Um, so like a permitted, you know, as as long as you check the boxes, it's administratively reviewed and you start moving in. But like a special land use would require a public hearing plan commission and some uses should be special land uses. They should go through planning commission. It should be a public hearing process. Um, but again, we've we've kind of the next step from here for us should this be adopted is utilizing that language. Again, now take a look at your zoning. And actually, you bring up a good point and one that I should elaborate on. Master plans inform zoning. Zoning informs regulations. So, this is bird's eye view and your zoning regulation is feet on the ground. Those are the rules. And what we can use with this is to justify changing some of those rules um to make it easier for the city to get the types of uses and the types of development that they want.

So, thank you for that. So language-wise, I guess in understanding what we're trying to do to me, I would I would assume that the language is still important in the master plan from where we are as your city, I guess, as far as what's important. Um, so I'm on board with us making our adjustments from a zoning aspect. I guess I just when we talk about strategic plan and we have our verbiage under areas um like the VCA area, I do think it should be called out um about nightlife if possible. Okay. Or if I'm way out of line then I'm online. No, that is my thought. Thank you. Sure.

Council member Bman. Thank you. Um my first comment was uh just to agree uh with the digital format with it. It's very hard for us to zoom in and actually see these images. Um so maybe if it was exported to a PDF and not scan that that would be easier in the future. Um but I my copy I can't see the difference in color between the the sidewalks even if I wanted to. I'm zooming in as close as I can. It just gets blurry. Sure.

Um but specifically for the the VCA core buildout. Um this was a diagram that I know remember us looking we looked at extensively during our our joint session and I and I'm pretty sure the recollection from the joint session was we have too much commercial in this there. this much commercial would never actually be developed. And and I I seem to remember the directive from that was to have this revised as part of this master plan overview. And I'm kind of shocked to see that it's this exact same um diagram back per se

in the essence of the the the areas identified as strictly well I mean commercial being more explicitly for mixed use. I I mean we we have the the rented commercial which obviously we're hoping is going to come sooner than later, but I mean all this other proposed commercial is never going to be supported with the lack of residential around the downtown. And that's what we talked about pretty extensively at our joint meeting and it just seems like that entire discussion was lost on this master plan for the downtown area.

Yeah. Yeah. Um I mean I I guess it Yeah. So the commercial buildings are called out as one story. This would be again this isn't something that would be hard and fast that the city would have to hold to um but duly noted that um more residential uses in this uh

I mean our downtown area is our most important area and I I mean I would I'd be in favor of sending it back for this sheer reason of of this the VCA core buildout is is not what we talked about during our joint meeting. So to add to that, and this is good feedback and certainly a reason to be able to send back. One of the key things if if we're going to have that conversation with the planning commission, I do think it's relevant to um get a little bit more specific. So what you see does align with the future uh land use map that's proposed. And the key thing why that's relevant is VCA core does not permit single or does not permit any residential use on the first floor of VCA core zones properties. So that's and that's what's reflected here is that basically your option on VCA core is first floor has to be commercial of some kind. The question can be, it's a very, very important one, if there are specific areas that, you know what, we we don't think that that this part's ever going to, you know, be um be purely commercial or we're open to pure residential. Um, you know, changing the future land use designation to transitional probably would make more sense. Um,

I just don't see how I we're having such a hard time even getting rent and bill. We still can't get anything on the other retail site. Um, I don't see how we're going to get commercial on the entire uh grocery store site, let alone across the street from the grocery store site and then including the city hall for pieces of property that I just I feel like it's an unrealistic expectation that this is ever going to be possible. So, if we needed to define what areas can be residential, maybe that's what we need to do. Um, I I was I'm intrigued to see the total sports thing. I I I guess I have to see how that actually comes together for being more residential and maybe that would support one more commercial building, but it sure isn't going to support, you know, eight more commercial buildings that is proposed. And Drew brings up a good point um because I do I do recall part of the conversation uh that as he had stated the the VCA core designation requires first floor retail. But so then in order to go mixed use um if I recall there were there were conversations about height because allowing if you wanted that retail there as mixed use then the residential above would would have to be four or five stories, you know, kind of as we're seeing with some of the renting conversations. Not to say that that doesn't detract from your comment that this might need alteration in order to more realistically affect or uh reflect what could happen here. Um, but yes, Drew's comment about the difference between commercial and residential and mixed use and five stories um, definitely triggered a little bit of memory of those conversations.

So, I guess I'll defer to whatever you guys think is appropriate here. I just don't think this is ever realistic and I wouldn't want to necessarily turn down a proposal that included more residential on some of these properties if it was to come our way. Sure. Um, and then the only other feedback I had is I think a couple places throughout the packet there were some some old stock photos like one of the habitat, you know, we spent all this money on new signs. Maybe we'd replace the photo with a new habitat sign. It just it would just we're going to have this for the next 5 years. People are going to be looking at 5 years and thinking what was that sign from?

It's history. You know, we we can update photos certainly. Council member OD. Thank you. Uh first off, thanks for the presentation. Excellent. Um

and I guess my question is about uh and while I agree the VCA is obviously, you know, the heart of the community and should be a big focus. Can you just elaborate a little more though on uh the overlay and potential mixed uses for some of the uh strip mall areas? Uh because if I'm being 100% honest, um you know, again, we've got this great downtown. Um but these are like eyes sorts. You drive through these and they're vacant. The lots are unckempt, you know, things like that. So, um you know, I'm just curious what the vision is there.

I think the point is to allow for a vision, not to not answer your question. um because both through the future land use map and the zoning, it's those sites have been pretty held to some pretty tight use standards. Um and the master plan, the 2020 master plan, you know, that that future land use designation of uh neighborhood neighborhood commercial, I think it was basically just said you wanted nicer strip centers. Well, that that if if these aren't happening, that's not going to happen as well. So, I'm kind of looking at the current market, looking in their proximity to other uses. Um, the residential portion of that was really meant to kind of offer up the option again to do potentially some mixed us. As Drew indicated, maybe we have more support for a PUD, which is uh PUD is a is a reszoning tool that allows the developer to bring something a little bit outside of the box, but also allows the city and the planning commission to apply some additional standards or expectations in the pursuit of a better development than what could be done there under zoning. And this is really more or less to say that, you know, our we're opening up our purview a little bit on what could be done here. the way the market is right now, you know, the one the one sure thing we have right now is residential. There isn't enough of it. Um, and it does help in supporting and propping up existing retail or promoting promoting new retail. Um, that's not to say that someone would only be able to bring us a residential mixeduse idea. Um, there is also the the opportunity for their office or service uses to go there. Um, but really the intent there was to just say that, you know, we're we're open to something other than retail, but but not necessarily in the form of like light industrial or or research and development, things of those nature.

Okay. All right. Thank you. Sure. Oh, actually, one quick followup. Sorry. Sure. Do we have a a feel for how some other neighboring communities have been handling this type of situation with some of their vacant strip malls like this? It seems to be, you know, you might have some that are really vibrant. Um, you know, the one like that has the Planet Fitness, obviously, that's Kitty, you know, that's Novi,

uh, seems to do pretty well. So, you know, what what's the secret sauce there? I mean the the the secret sauce more or less is is getting is getting more creative with your uses and kind of trying to understand the the the bureaucracy associated with getting to a a building permit or getting to an occupancy permit. Again, is it permitted? Is it a special land use? You know, you might want to make more things permitted. You might not. And all those decisions will come through you at the planning commission's discretion. Um but really it's it's either opening up to a mixeduse type of design. Um some of them are calling for just the outright reszoning of those retail centers to more residential. Um but it really seems to be a combination of either going with mixed use or reviewing the zoning to see can we allow for more uses in these spaces which makes leasing you know that much easier. Yeah, if if I may, that was a very diplomatic answer, Matteo, and I'm I'm going to No,

what you pay me for.

Yeah, that's true. Um, no, but to get to get a little bit more granular, um, ultimately my opinion is, and this is supported by a lot of the data that we've seen, there is an overupp of the same type of of of product essentially. And what businesses will do is they will they flee equality. So, in our in that example you gave, and it's a good one, right? Quite frankly, that's a higher quality strip center, right? And it probably leases for similar rates to what um some of our owners are asking for. Um and if you're given choice between A and B, you know, one's nicer than the other. Um and it becomes this little bit of a downward spiral. It pushes, you know, if if the property owners aren't making enough to be able to maintain them, they decline. Um and and you can imagine how that goes. So really, and again, that's part of the key of this tool is the community has told us, you've told us, planning vision has told us, we we need more commercial downtown. Um, so one option is to literally reduce supply, which increases demand, which can, you know, in a roundabout way may help get the uh the lease rates that we need. You know, we're also uh Wixom in in the region, right? Wald Lake and, you know, all over the place. We're hurt by lower rent rates on existing strip centers that make new construction not viable. So that's where, you know, residential tends to be it's a high demand use. Um it it tends to be can be worthwhile for developers to invest the money to redevelop their property. Um and planning commission had a lot of conversations about, you know, you know, are are are they comfortable with this? Were they comfortable recommending this? And that's kind of how we've got to that point. But that's a it's it's just as much about the quality and capitalization of your property owners as it is about anything else cuz it's a very competitive market for tenants right now.

Thank you, Council Member Kennedy.

You answered several of my questions, so I only have one little one left. is uh the village center area and surrounding areas say that they can be a multitude of different things including residential. What's the actual likelihood of putting apartments on those second and third stories? like in the core, you know, uh well, here's I guess and again, you're you're working through this with uh some projects in the city, but the proformas that we've seen as it relates to mixeduse development is it's it's a more challenging type of development in the Midwest. Um financing can be difficult. Banks don't know how to evaluate them for comps, blah blah blah blah blah. But the the point more or less being is that because residential is so strong and retail is stagnant if not declining, the more residential you allow in that project, the more likelihood it has of happening without incentive. Um, so your VCA, your zoning currently allows for five stories in the core, which would mean one floor of retail on the road and then four stories of residential above. There are proformas out there that make sense. you start shaving off stories and like I would I recently went through developing a mixeduse ordinance for another client of ours and right out the gate I mean it was the first day we talked about it I told them if you're not comfortable with four stories we shouldn't do this because if you cap them at three or two it's not the market will not allow for it. So, the likelihood of residential being part of your new developments in your core is really more or less relates to the community's comfortability with, you know, I I guess I would say dense apartment style housing um and four to five stories in height.

Okay. And I saw comments I'm just saying this a lot of different comments about people wanting more house and people wanting less housing. I saw affordable housing all over the place. That seems to me like one of the more affordable housings people could have. We just have to have a conversation about getting people happy with the density of it cuz I saw people not wanting that as well. Yeah, it's master plans are really good for having your cake and eating it too. It's it's kind of a culmination of all the different things that you want to see. Uh, and it's not uncommon for those types of conflicts to exist either in the document or in the real world or in the feedback. Um, but yeah, I think you know, as we alluded to both in your downtown has some of your most prime developable land in the community as it relates to residential opportunities and as it relates to the style of housing that people are looking for. You know, I either be single single floor amenities, you know, stairs are becoming a hot topic in the housing industry right now. So to your point, yes, I mean there is a lot of opportunity depending on the community's uh desire for certain types of development to have housing in your downtown.

Thank you. Yeah, of course. Any further discussion? Council member Gotcho. Thank you. I guess just going back. I had a quick question relating to council member Barman's question. Um you mentioned like VCA there must be retail on the first floor. If a building was built out that was a residential building, but they had like their gym or some amenity service space on the first floor, does that qualify or not?

It there's, and my apologies, I'm not going to be able to quote it verbatim, but there is some language in the VCA core right now that does allow for it to not necessarily be strictly retail, but some form of nonresidential use. So, an amenity to an um to an apartment building or something of nature could qualify as that. Okay. All right. Thank you. As could um parking. That's an example that we've seen and likely one that you'll you'll talk about again soon. Um but parking is another example of of, you know, a potential way around that. Council member Bman,

how you did the overlays for the strip centers? Would would that be something we could do? An overlay in the village center area for the parcels that are really not developed or that need some potential to show that willingness to be a little bit more flexible.

I don't know that. I think I think you could. I think I think introducing flexibility into the VCA core probably comes more from ordinance updates after the fact um to kind of work through again the uses and things of that nature because you already your VCA core already I mean it requires I don't say requires mixed use but as we just talked about the different uses and what floors they can be on already exists in the language. It's really more or less speaking to just how how can we make it more projected out there that we're willing to have a conversation and we're willing to do something and not maybe a developer just looking to say there's no way this is going to work here. I'm not even going to look at that spot.

Maybe. Do you mean from the perspective of a you know a fourstory strictly residential building like maybe allowing for strictly residential in the core? I guess I I I'd have to see it before I I would want to know. I mean, I I would say that, you know, that what's it the East West retail buildings are buildings that we want to see retail like like we have now, right? But, you know, perhaps redeveloping the the food market would be something I could get behind being more residential and less retail if it's going to support the ad joining joining parcels being more retail.

Yeah. I mean, we Yeah. I mean, we could take the step to to put something in the master plan either either either as an overlay or as just an addition additional language indicating that openness to pursuing um strictly residential or or something of the more flexible nature that would support the retail.

I guess that I would feel more comfortable with that. Question for you, Matteo. for for something like that. Do you feel like a sending this back to the planning commission to come back with a recommendation would be appropriate? I is, you know, is that a significant enough step? Um yeah, I mean there so the process tonight's not approval on any level. Um, so we can, you know, we can take the step of distribute if you were to approve it tonight of D or uh to recommend approval or recommend that it be distributed, I'm sorry. Um, you know, we can take that 63-day period to work on a few items, take the feedback that we get from the communities, and then kind of bake all of these changes into what goes to the planning commission at the public hearing, and then it would be back in front of you again. At that point, it would be approval, uh, send back or denial. Um, so we could we we could proceed accordingly tonight if you were comfortable distributing it to the neighbors. Um, you know, I'm not going to discount other entities review. I think the focus of what I've heard a lot tonight is really your central. You know, we've seen clients that will look at a neighboring community's master plan to kind of see what are they putting on the ends, you know, is that where they're going to put their landfill, you know, and that's kind of the types of feedback that they then provide given that you're not really playing too much with your periphery. Um, I think you could take the step this evening of still distributing the plan, noting that these tweaks should be discussed with the planning commission, you know, in the interim and brought back to you or brought back through the planning commission at the public hearing and then again back to you ultimately for approval or denial.

Okay. Any further discussion? Seeing none, thank you. I got a motion and a second to approve the recommendation to review the draft 2026 master plan dated April 14, 2026. Authorize the distribution of the plan and initiate the 63-day public comment period as recommended by the planning commission. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you all again for your help and your feedback in the joint meetings like we really appreciate it. So, thank you.

You're welcome. Thank you. Moving on to new business number three is a recommendation to approve a resolution of support for the transfer of an existing Michigan liquor control license class C on premise retail liquor license and existing specialty designated merchant SDM off-remise retail liquor license and authorized issuance of a Sunday AM and PM sales permits and an additional bar permit an outdoor service area permit and a specific purpose food permit and a social district permit for NCM Wixom LLC at 48992 and 4900 Pontiac Trail, Wix, Michigan, and authorize the updated social uh social district map. Do I have a motion?

So moved. Okay. And before I introduce Drew, um representing uh NCM Wixom LLC tonight is Nevin Nushi. Yep. Ninoi. Ninoi. Sorry. I'm I'm horrible with names. Just ask audio. But um Drew, go ahead. Is he still here to hear that? No.

Oh, yeah. Um good evening, mayor, members of city council. Before you tonight is the as as the long motion recommends, request for a transfer. Nevin is uh in NCM Wixom LLC are purchasing Alex's Pizzeria and Valare. Uh historically those two businesses have essentially functioned as one thing and they share a liquor license. I believe they share a kitchen which is the uh they do not share the kitchens themselves. There is a bank area that they can kind of like utilize the prep area but not the kitchen.

Sure. Okay. Um so they they these two units operate together. Um, I'll leave it to the applicant to talk about any, you know, major changes that they they might be planning as a part of this, um, acquisition, but, you know, our understanding is they're essentially aiming to to operate the business as it was um, and are seeking transfer of of um, Alessandro uh, Incorporated licenses to them as a part of that transaction. Um, per city council resolution 2005-32, the city suspended consideration of new quota on premise liquor license applications for all establishments outside of the village center area zoning districts. Um, a this is a transfer, but b this is also within the village center area. Um, so there are no, you know, specific policy uh imple implications on um, you know, their request. uh this their application was reviewed by the police department, construction and development services and broadly speaking we we found uh you know nothing a miss and and didn't have any reasons to recommend denial of the application. The one thing I will note is that the city has historically required uh agreements to be signed with applicants for new quota class licenses that they would not basically agreeing to not transfer those licenses outside of the city. Um, quota licenses can be transferred within the county that they're located in. So, as an example, Wixom, uh, a license issued in Wixom could theoretically be transferred to Oxford or Ferndale and vice versa. Um, communities and Wixoms included have, um, started being more restrictive when issuing new quota licenses. Um, and, uh, in the case of transfers, we have required and received those in past cases. Um in this particular circumstance, we did uh you know offer that that uh agreement to the applicants. Um and they did decline. Um I'll leave it to the applicants, but basically based on the the nuance of

their transaction, it is our understanding they're not comfortable with that agreement. Um so that's you know that's pretty much the the big picture things. The other thing is um their application they would be requesting to join the city social district. So, we are requesting that the social district map be updated to reflect um this new ownership group as well. Um with that, uh we have the applicant here and if there are any additional questions, we're happy to try and answer those. Council member Barman,

thank you. Um I had a couple questions. Um one, um the attorney letter from their attorney says two licenses. So, I was just asking wanted to see why their attorney thinks that we're transferring two licenses when we're only transferring one. Right. So, um the license would be the class C on premise and the SDM would be the second license. They're two separate licenses. It's for the same entity. So, they're they function differently. Class C is on premise drinking and SDM is for beer and wine off- premise drinking. Understood.

Yep. Um, second, um, you know, just my own personal feeling. Uh, I wish you guys nothing but success. I've been there since you bought it. Dinner's still really good.

Thank you. Um, I'm comfortable with uh approving the transfer subject to you signing the restriction that you're not going to take a license outside the city because as you've heard earlier, we've been focusing really hard on developing downtown and the last thing we do want to do is to see one of our licenses walk away. So, um, any approval vote for me will be come with a contingent that, you know, you you sign that you want to take the license outside of the city. And I understand exactly what you guys are trying to do down here. And um the difference the I guess my my thoughts for that is when you purchase an Oakland County liquor license, it comes at a at a significant premium than a license that cannot move outside of the city. For example, if I were to tell you you could buy a, you know, Porsche, you could drive this car and you think you could drive it everywhere. And then after you bought it, I said, "Hey, well actually you can only drive it in the parking lot." That car is going to have a much different value to you in the purchase price. um which would be exactly kind of what happened to me is I purchased this knowing that I have a non-restricted liquor license within the county of Oak within Oakland County and now I'd be giving I would be receiving and at the end of this a license that is only for downtown Wixon.

Had you reached out to the city before you bought it, we would have told you what our practice is. So well the practice for and he was very specific was for new licenses. Well, I'm just telling you my vote will be contingent on you agreeing to keep the license. Yeah. I I understand. Yeah. Council member Simmons, I would uh also uh somewhat agree with Councilwoman uh Burman. My focus obviously I I had some conversations earlier. I I'm a business owner. I'm team business. So uh I get it. Uh but I'm also a council member here and I'm team Wixom. So um hopefully you get that too. Uh

so what would be the plan? Um, are you are there plans for you to take this license outside of Wixom? Can we get some contact for

Absolutely not. Yeah, my plans aren't, but yeah. Um, so Valari is staying the same much like you've experienced. Um, the plans are to open Alex's Pizzeria. It will be under a new name. Um, but it will have a open dining room. So the plans are to stay here, right? But I don't know what can happen tomorrow. What can happen? We end up with another CO 19, CO 20, CO I don't know what can happen. So, for me to make that decision here now in front of you guys would be poor decision-m on me as a business owner with the value of that license that I paid for, right? I didn't pay a licensing fee for a new license. I paid for an existing license in Oakland County. So, that would be a poor decision on me as a business owner. My goal is to have an thriving business here right in downtown Wixom, right? I don't know what will happen. I don't expect bad things to happen. And that's not why I wouldn't have done this otherwise, but I would be pigeon holing myself into a very different scenario than what I entered into by making that decision today. So the plans for it are Valar stays very similar to what it is. Um it's mostly process improvement. Um Alex's will, like I said, will get a new name. is going to get a completely new um menu for um dining in as well as you'll continue some of the Alex's specials that they've had in the past, but it's going to be a very nice dining experience for more or less like an Italian restaurant that's going to have like a slightly sports bar feel. So, we're we're almost done with that to be honest with you. Like we're cleaning floors, redoing paint, um menu's been redesigned, you know, new kitchen equipment's been put in. So, I would hate to stop that at this point. Um, but you know, for for us, we're ready to be here. I'm very excited. The uh response from, you know, all of you guys as well as the customers in the area has been open that place, open that place, open that place. So, we've been doing everything we can to get there, right? So, that's our goal. I sign I signed a very long-term lease with the um with

the landlord, giving myself lots of options to be here for a very long time. So, my intention is not to leave, but I said from a business and financial decision and standpoint, I did purchase that license based off a certain valuation, which would be the license is movable within Oakland County, right? So, but that's not my goal. I would spend it would be very silly for me to spend all this money to get this place going and then move it around. So, good. Yes. Thank you.

Okay, council day. Thank you. Um, since we uh I was actually interested by your com comment, council member Spearman. So, can I get some clarification on the terms by which because you're right, you know, if the uh if you hadn't done your due diligence or your attorney hadn't done their due diligence in knowing all the parameters of the license upfront, um, transferable versus new, you know, then there's a point. So, can I uh have an explanation as to how the license was purchased, the terms? Uh

the the city is not privy to those conversations. Basically, we get notified, hey, there's a transaction coming. Um we're submitting an application to transfer. I don't know the details of what they paid for it or how any of that worked. So no, no, not necessarily those details, but what is the process then uh historically for a transferred license? I'm sorry, I should have

no understood. Uh so one of the key things to to remember in liquor licensing in the state of Michigan is is more complicated than it should be in my personal opinion. They are regulated by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and they take recommendations and input from local units of government. So what your action tonight is is to approve a recommendation of approval or denial to the MLCC. Then they based on the criteria they have and including you know the feedback from local communities make the decisions that they make. Um our understanding is that the the with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission um they essentially have different uh you know they view they treat transactions differently um in in the context of what they are. So as an example, we have more I would say we have more leverage in a situation with a new quota license because it's not subject to, you know, existing financial conditions. Um there, you know, as an example, there's no agreement. Somebody didn't pay X amount. They just pay when a new license is issued. You only pay the fee that the MLCC requires for a a quota license, that license to go out into the world. once it's out into the world, it takes on a whole different, you know, market-based valuation because of the limited supply in demand there. Um, so that's kind of the the context. I hope that helped answer. I can help clarify if I didn't quite get to what you were looking for.

Uh, no, that that got me a little closer. Um I guess the my only other point of clarification would be then so for instance when you say quota license so the city of Wixom is only allowed for lack of a better word x amount of liquor licenses within the community. So if this one is issued in Wix or currently in Wixom but can go to somewhere else in Oakland County then we would be down a license. that a fair assessment

kind of and this is where it gets even harder. So the MLCC has both quota licenses and non-quota licenses. You may remember a month or two ago when Authentico was here they were requesting a resort license which is a nonquota I'll call it for lack of a better term somewhat discretionary license type that the MLCC offers. They've increasingly offered these non-transferable uh nonquota licenses for special circumstances. Um, but at its core, there is a series of of these these quota licenses. So, there's the the on-remise ones and then there's two types of off- premise, SDDD and SDM. In this context, they're already issued licenses. So, once they're out into the world, they're they're they're out there no matter kind of where where they go. Um, so really the the main point of control we have is is where you send them in the first place or where you allow them to go. Um, so in this in this context, if you know if if this transfer is approved, it doesn't change your your quota circumstance at all. If it were denied by the city and the MLCC, it also wouldn't change. It just stays in the hands of the current owners who uh are not currently under under this type of restriction. Um, fairly we were not in this practice back in 2008 when Al Alessandro was issued their license. Um, I was able to find agenda items on it, but the context is is, you know, a little thin there. Um, so I guess that's the other component to this is is we don't control that license. We don't have the agreement to control that either way. If I can clarify something as far as I'm concerned, I I asked Drew to uh step on me if I'm incorrect. Um, your general question is we have X number of quota licenses, right? um there's a number that we're allowed. If it's four and this license gets taken out of the city, we don't get another fourth.

That's the that's the downside to allowing the license to be transferred outside of the city. It doesn't get made up to you um when when a when a license gets taken outside of the city. And that's why the city has an agreement requiring you uh to not take it outside of the city because if you allow that to be taken outside of the city, you've lost the benefit of that liquor license. Poof. It's gone. You never get it back until the next next time that it's readjusted on a census basis. I think it's on a census basis. I would just be sorry. I just clarify. It's not that you can never get it back because you could also let one into Wixom. Yes. You could bring one in. They're transferable within Oakland County. Okay.

Yep. So they're not just for Wixom, they're within Oakland County. We benefit from that situation when when if we have a situation where somebody needs a liquor license, we don't have a quota license or we're not going to issue a quota license to that particular business for some reason. Um they can bring one into the city and that does effectively increase the number of liquor license that we have the benefit of unless it gets transferred out again. Right. But that's it's we can lose by that process and we can gain by that process, I think, is what his point is and that's accurate. Okay. All right. Thank you. You're welcome. Yeah. As example, Longhorn Steakhouse brought their liquor license in. They didn't get it from us, but Right.

Um would you be interested in uh RI Ryder or whatever you want to call it that um you wouldn't transfer the liquor license for X period of time that it stays on Wixom for X period of time? Yeah, I I don't know. um potentially, but I I wouldn't want to say that now and I want to discuss like the details of that like it would be something I would be more hesitant to do to be honest with you. I feel almost like it would be doing it under duress a little bit to be honest with you, but um you know to appease you guys, but that's not something I would probably want to do generally on my own free will. I would rather just keep it unrestricted like it is now. I'd like to be in Wixom and if everything goes well, like I said, I'm joining the social district. I'm doing everything that I can to make this business thrive. If it does, I have zero reason to leave, you know. So, it would only be in the case that I'm not making money and I have and there the doors are going to be closed anyway. So, that would be the only situ situation.

Yeah. I'm just trying to throw an option out. No, I appreciate. Yeah, it's thought it's a good thought, but yeah. Council member McGllin Fox. Um, so what what happens if um if we do not if we don't approve this? So what will probably happen is their application they they you've already filed it with the state. I believe it's you additional license from the state of Michigan. Yeah.

So uh our recommendation will go to the MLCC as well and we will see what the MLCC does and really one of two things will happen. either the transfer gets processed regardless or uh it gets denied for one reason, you know, and Alisandro holds onto their license and then we'll see what happens to a this transaction, but b what Alessandro does with it after that. Yeah. So, I'm glad you're here. I look forward to um to all of the the new things that you're going to offer. You got to approve my license first. I'm sorry. So, you got to approve my license first.

Right. I'm just I'm I'm really not inclined to approve it without signing that agreement. Yeah. So, outside of this, that's a sticking point for me.

Yeah. So, outside of this, you know, in other counties, cities, etc., it's not common practice for this to be a restriction, right? It's becoming, like you said, a new thing where cities are wanting to try to have some control over it. this license is transferable at this point. If it doesn't come to me, it's still transferable. So, if you guys have licenses that you have a quot of licenses and you guys are going to do that, I think it makes sense to limit them at that point. But, it's kind of like having someone have a sign and saying, "Oh, well, you were grandfathered in, but you're not anymore because we decided that." So, you are dramatically changing the value of this liquor license to me and it makes it a very different decision. So, I won't be able to open this place with that kind of with that. I mean, I could, but with that kind of restriction, it dramatically changes the deal that I made, and I'm probably going to have to go back to um and try to potentially unwind that deal, and then you're going to end up with realistically Alex's in Aari, which is going to be a carry out place and probably not D in that wasn't their intention to open that as Din. It's been closed for a long time. And

so, so help me understand, I guess, if you don't have any intention of leaving. Yep. and you and you want of course your business to be successful because you've invested money in it, then I I don't understand the um

like like I said with the example earlier, right? Like if you just had no intention of driving your car outside of that parking lot that you purchased it from, but you decide one day that you do want to, you would pay a different amount of money if you knew you couldn't, right? So for me, I paid I paid what he said, a market price. I did not pay a license fee. So if I paid $500 or whatever your license fee is for it, that's a different story to me. But if I pay market price, which is well over $100,000 for that license, it changes the value dramatically. Right now, I cannot sell this license for $500. It really would just it would crush the business. So, the value of what I purchased Allesandro and, you know, Valare and everything for was based off of the value of this license because in in good business practice, you assess your risk. So, my background before this is I'm actually a CPA um and an attorney, but I I didn't practice as an attorney in Michigan, but when I when I purchased a business, I look at the risk and what that is is you're going to take your assets and how much you have in terms of, you know, available risk. And the liquor license is part of the value of what I purchased. So, it changes dramatically the conversation of what I bought to be honest with you. And my intentions aren't to leave. I haven't left any of my other businesses. My family's been in business for 40 years in the same place, but it would still change the value of that license for me. Whether it's sitting, it's like changing your stock portfolio value, saying you change from common stock to some type of other type of stock where you have lesser value and lesser ability to to sell that.

Um through the mayor, a question for um city manager or assistant city manager. Um, has this come up since the 2008 with with anyone else when any with any other business as far as a license?

Yeah, in in the context of a transfer, I'm familiar with one um Wixom station. However, uh you all approved a transfer for that back in 2022. I believe they had a pre-existing when that license was issued, it had the restriction in the first place. Um, so generally that's not an issue when they've already signed it in the first place. It's again I'm under the impression we're not always privy to it, but you know that's kind of factored into the transaction price is the person selling it knows that it was restricted when they got it. Um, so I'm going to assume that's the context here. I will also say uh one of the only other transfers we've done since I've been here was a transfer in for uh Mexican Fiesta 4 and we did not have an agreement tied to that because it was not a city quota license to begin with. So again they bringing they brought in an asset um you know as opposed to having something new. So the policy um you know and there's probably some room for improvement on the specificity of our application and our policy statement to that effect. Um but my understanding is historically it's it's really tied to new quota licenses and then transfers of those quota licenses that are subject to that agreement.

So something that you just said. So if I heard you correctly, if if the business, for instance, Alex's had signed this agreement when they sell that license or transfer that license, you're saying they would communicate that to who's ever buying it. They should. Yes. Okay.

I can't verify that they do. So like for example, resort licenses, you know, when you're buying a resort license that it's non-transferable. So this is not a resort license. This is a a class C license. It's not a resort license that it has a restriction already put on it. So for example, Mexican Fiesta, that's a business you guys wouldn't have gotten if there was a restriction because they couldn't have come here with it. So, this license wasn't purchased or under any type of restriction when it was issued and when it was sold. You're asking to put the restriction on now after the fact. But you're saying the restriction was already there. No.

No. In this context, it was not. In some context it is. So, Wixom Station is an example. I believe that it was or with resort licenses, it's inherently there based on the type of the license. Exactly. It's a nuance thing, but yeah, it's it's like those resort licenses are basically worthless. They're worth the value of a of an application to you because you can't move them. So, if you're not going to be in that spot, then you're not there's no value to anybody else but the person that's going to take that one specific spot. So, go ahead.

If I may, thank you, your honor. Uh just a point of clarification that I think has come out in this conversation, but I just wanted to drive it home a little bit more clearly. So a hypothetical circumstance is if you don't recommend approval to the liquor control commission and they don't receive the license transfer as a result, Alessandro then could the their transfer is null and void. It's not happening. It's not been purchased. they could start marketing the license and they could sell it to somebody outside of the city and you would never touch it, never see it, never have any kind of chance to stop that from happening. You're which is I think something that uh Mr. Nucci had mentioned and I just wanted to

point that out more explicitly for you that that's a potential risk. Council member Macho, thank you. Um if the to kind of play out different scenarios if Alex's Valari was not um sold and they just close up shop, what would happen for that license? It would they would hold on to it for a period of time and then eventually they go into escrow. Um at some point or another you have to do something with them. You can't just sit on a license indefinitely. I don't know the exact time frame right off hand. Uh I think one example that's come before you all is the uh Lena's Kitchen down on on Beck Road. They the suite.

Yeah. And and they they they brought you know this transfer and they did and they've acted a a very very limited bar but it's to keep the license active. So, one of two things happens and I'm apologize I don't know the time frame but um it either gets transferred or they they they can lose it and most often the time somebody will transfer it before they lose it and in regardless of that right if they that's an asset that has value to that person or that entity that owns it so sitting on it unless you're going to open up another operation doesn't make any sense so likely that would go up for sale

and so Alex is like being the current state of things. They could have sold it independently at like those could be vacant instead of occupied right now. We could not be getting a new dining facility like residents want and ask for and comment on the Facebook page for and they could have just sold it out without any of us having a say in it. Um, in terms of Sorry, reading through my notes here. Yeah. So I not as a shock to anybody. I'll be contrarian to everyone else's opinion here. Um working in real estate having a grandfather feature or aspect is of value. Um working within real estate I don't like I understand hey we would love to do this. I don't understand the philosophy of let's hold up everything for that. Um the status right now is that it can be transferred out. That will remain the status. I don't know why we would want to play um hard ball with a new business owner looking to continue successful businesses in the city. Um if it leaves that would suck. We can always attract someone in. That's our ability. Um, but I I do agree that trying to force this upon them and say, "Oh, you weren't like you should have been aware of this." That's not the case. Like, nobody knows. Like, there's no chance that they came in and we would have volunteered. We're going to force you to sign this when you take over. So, I I don't agree with any of that. I think we just approve it. Nothing changes on our end at all. We've always run the same risk. And I I mean we wish them and we work with them to be successful so they never want to leave.

I appreciate that. Um but I yeah I think this is kind of if I were on the receiving end of this I'd be questioning moving into the city. So that's not what I think is appropriate or the avenue we should be taking to attract business. We just got done talking M. What do we do to attract business and then we get a business owner in front of us and we say screw you. So that's not how I want to behave.

I really appreciate that and I would say that you nailed every single point dead on for me. You know there this license could move if it, you know, this license could walk walk away from the city. I'm not planning on walking away. So I'm across the street. I walked here. I love it. I think it's awesome. Um I've been a part of every community that I've been in. My like I said, my family's been in their communities for 40 years um in our other places and the goal is to stay here. So, but like he said, it's it changes dramatically the conversation that we're having. So, I hope you guys understand why I'm coming to you guys and asking for a transfer without any type of restriction. So, hopefully it makes sense and if not, I'm happy to answer any other questions. But seriously, thank you because you do understand exactly where I'm coming from.

Council member Simmons,

thank you. Um, I I guess from a city staff perspective, I'm more so trying to I think there's some clarification that we have to get here moving forward. Uh, and I guess that's where I'm a little bit blurry as far as um where we are today with trying to make a decision on this because while I agree with Deputy Mayor um I think I'm solution-minded and trying to figure out a way to make it work and not trying to figure out a way to deny it. I'm trying to figure out what we're doing as a city to be clear about this and what we can do moving forward to not find oursel in a situation that is unclear cuz it feels murky. Um, and it seems unnecessary if there's a way for us to figure out if this is what we're going to do to be clear with the businesses that have it in uh that already have their quota licenses in the city that this is what our plan is or this is what we're going to do. I think there has to be some sort of clarity to that because it sounds like the transaction happened without that clarity. Am I correct or?

Yeah, I mean I would broadly say that that's true. Um and in in my opinion the really the best way to do it is you address these um as you go, right? You get these agreements in place when you issue the new quota licenses and that seems to be what the city started to do. We at some point prior to my time and city manager Brown's time um you know the city started implementing these and it is listed dur you know on the on the second page of our application packet that the city will not issue new quota licenses to applicants unless the applicant is willing to agree in writing that it will not there's a whole bunch of words but that that that so it's made clear upfront specifically for new quota licenses. The murkiness is essentially the the the change in policy

from from one time to another. Um, and you know, I I do think you guys are are faced with a an interesting question um of, you know, how do you address these licenses that were issued prior to it being required that you had to sign them on the um on the front side. Um, and I think that's a question that a lot of communities um the ones who do do this grapple with and the ones who don't will grapple with, you know, sooner rather than later as they deal with, you know, this same type of concern. So if I can add just a little bit to that your honor. Go ahead. So um just to clarify um and to speak plainly uh the the report before you states that administration recommends approval of the transfer and that that is absent the agreement because we recognize the murkiness of this and the fact that there's a bit of uh what I what I designate as shaky ground uh in this particular circumstance because the existing initial license was not subject to the agreement. Um, so just for the record, administration recommends approval just to make that clear. Uh, and we've received information that perhaps we can require approval and perhaps requiring approval uh and then as a result not approving the transfer without the uh agreement. Um if if that occurs, uh we would potentially have a situation where we're going to find out what what that results in at the liquor control commission. Is that going to have an impact? I don't know. So that's that's the only clarification I could give you is that we're recommending approval absent the agreement because the murkiness is in play.

I I understand that. I guess I'm making asking that we make a note that it seems like it's a good discussion for us to have and clarify moving forward. Maybe not in front of a candidate that's sitting here asking for one, but something that needs to be clarified so that we don't have this situation. Again, it's it's uh Deputy Mayor is not the only one that empathizes with you. I think there's situations where we're trying to figure out

for clarity what it is that we need to do moving forward. At least that's that's my position. And I think there's more to discuss here. I would say we would we should talk about it more, but I feel like um with a solution in mind, but that's my personal opinion. I I doubt I'll have the support for that. But um yeah,

I I think what Drew was talking about personally is, you know, if you guys care about my opinion is on all the new licenses, having that restriction I think is fine to do. You know, you guys will control what comes in and out of the city, but to do it to an existing license um seems a little bit like to me at least. an overreach of like private enter private um business versus you know um public domain kind of in that scenario because we're now you've now entered into a private agreement between a license that was transferable. So I guess for me it changes like I said you guys have now entered into the conversation of my the agreement that I made with that party for an existing license that didn't have any type of restriction and then putting it on after the fact. But I think for new licenses I think it's you know not an issue. Everybody understands what they're getting into. whatever the particular action is from council tonight is going to be the policy that I'm going to go forward with. Right? If you say we're going to prove it uh that we're not going to get into the situation when it's it's a transfer of existing license that didn't have the restriction on it in the beginning, that's going to be basically the policy that I'm going to follow going forward. This was the first time this came up. Uh and I mentioned it's a murky situation. So that's why it was presented to you in the fashion that it was. Um but that would be basically the policy direction from council this decision as far as I'm concerned. Council member Simmons still has the floor.

So, it it um it seems like if that's the case, then then this seems like a decent decision to make. It seems like something that I I feel like needs to be further analyzed to understand what that is in support of you. Thank you. Uh like in support of you to be able to further analyze what this looks like to understand what our actual vote is going to be. If you're saying you're going to take this as policy moving forward, it seems like we should have a real understanding of what this is.

Yeah. I just to and just to kind of add on to to where Mr. Brown's going, this doesn't preclude a future policy discussion if that's the direction of city council. If you direct us to schedule a conversation, we absolutely can and we will. um the the murkiness of this doesn't change. Um again, without without having the agreement in place in the first place, it is it will be very difficult to, you know, um essentially what we'd need to do is go around and find, you know, every existing quota license that's been issued. Um find the ones that are still in the city and then try to get these agreements in place because again, the structure of how the MLCC does liquor licensing is it it's different. There are so many different types, the majority of which aren't related to quotas that make this wildly complicated. So, and I'll use you and I spoke earlier about the drafting table.

Um, they have they have a brewer's license, they have a a tasting room license. I mean, they have all of these different there there's tons of them, right? So, it just gets complicated. Um and unfortunately it absent you know individual negotiations with existing license holders who got quotas prior to the city practice of requiring the agreements. Um there is an inherent murkiness. It will be difficult to set a specific policy that isn't paced case by case and that's because of requiring the agreements. We need and we do we evaluate them all on a case-by case basis when we bring a recommendation to you. Just to clarify, um it goes without saying it's it's policy until council changes the policy, right? So if you want to have a discussion on it and come up with a different direction, that would be fine. Uh but absent that additional action, that would be our stance going forward.

Thank you, Council Member Barman. administration has nothing to do with you. Sure,

I understand what you're looking to do. I understand that you're looking to your your best financial interests and I I really hope that your restaurants are successful. I think uh even listening to the city manager switch his opinion on is it going to be policy or maybe it's not going to be policy and the the packet coming out recommending approval but then us getting an email that maybe said we shouldn't approve it like this is this is we need to be I agree we need a policy and I feel bad that you're put in the middle of this. Um, you said you signed signed a long-term lease. Are are you going to be here at least 5 years?

I've got up to 20 years. And that and that's signed with a personal guarantee. So, if you guys do this, if if this license doesn't get approved, I'm on the hook for that without a liquor license and without with a with a much diminished liquor license. So, I could be out dramatically for a long time. So, you're not going anywhere. No. I specifically asked they had three-year term. I asked for um up to 20 years so that I could be here for a long time. I I think um I think your situation you you've already established being here and discussing with us this evening. You're not leaving us. We're in a better position to have you. I'm fine approving this as this evening. Thank you very much, Council Member Odane.

Thank you. Um excuse me. I am 100% in support of approving this transfer. Thank you. Um because I again just you know I'm playing the tape through in my head if the business isn't successful and you go you're not going to be able to sell it it's going to sit there but you know we've got to wait for someone else to have a transfer license to come in. Am I understanding that? Yes. The gist of that? Yes. Okay. And the agreement was between you and the seller. We were not privy to it. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Council member Kennedy.

Thank you. I just want to run through my thought process on this. At first, I wanted to say no to this until I started seeing that there was no actual agreement put in place that it had to stay in that location. And then in my mind, it's something that you bought. Yes. And then I run two situations. Is if I say no to it, two things can happen. The MLCC can come back and say you're getting it anyway. And then come back and say, "No, you're not getting it." And in both situations, you're already upset at the city. Yep. Why would we cut off our nose despite our face when it's his license? And if we say no, trying to get retail in here, you know, that's the goal. Say yes, then he can still run a successful business and we're in the same position as before.

So, I would I would I would vote to approve this. Thank you. This is nothing personal. Sure.

I mean, we're trying to develop a downtown and a and a big tool in the toolbox for us is having a liquor license, of course. Okay. Um, and I'm not a lawyer, but this is how I interpret this. It says the city will not issue a new quota license. This is an existing license. So, for us to throw demands on top of this. We're making policies that we don't have council approval or anything else on. I wish you the best of luck. Thank you. I want to see you succeed over there. I know from the people I talked to, they're excited that the restaurant's going to reopen. You're going to find out on Thursdays that that restaurant's going to be open. Everything's going to be great. I wish you nothing but success and I can support this. Thank you. Any further discussion? All right. With that, I got a motion and a second to approve the recommendation to approve a resolution of support for the transfer of an existing Michigan Liquor License Control Commission class C on merchant SDM offremise retail liquor license and authorized the issuance of a Sunday AM and PM sales permit, an additional bar permit, an outdoor service area permit, a specific purpose food permit, and a social district permit for NCM M Wixom LLC at 48992 and 490000 Pine Trail, Wixom, Michigan authorized the updated social district map. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Opposed.

Motion carries. Thank you guys. Appreciate it. Thank you. We wish you the best. Piaza Bar and Grill will be opening soon. Meeting. Yep. It's going to be Piaza. actually named it after what would be in Italian the city center the heart of the city that like that is what like the the market the area of like where everybody gathers the neighborhood gathering space is what the restaurant's going to be so perfect thank you guys but then it's pronounced patza piaza yeah I was going to keep it layman but yes it's piaza but yes thank you let us know and if you want a ribbon cutting or anything let us know

we will so we're going to do we're going to do some little bit of soft opening and then we just right now we're just getting everything situated and making sure our staff and execute the dishes the way we want to. We'll do a couple of stress tests and make sure we're ready for you guys. But we're very excited and thank you guys for understanding. I appreciate it. Good. Thank you. Thank you for understanding. Uh new business number four is a recommendation to approve the facilities locate agreement with MetroNet Metro Fibernet providing the re for reimbursement of the city costs associated with the installation of telecommunications infrastructure and authorized the city manager to sign the agreement. Do I have a motion? Mr. Sigma, good evening.

Good evening. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And uh yeah, we have been working with Metro Fiber Net for a number of months now and they've been installing uh a lot of fiber in the city. U with that comes uh additional work and um we've been uh trying to stay on top of it as best as we can. We've asked for additional help with uh engineering for locating and um with FNV operations, water and sewer locations. That's been uh for the most part successful, but it uh changes the amount of work that otherwise would have gotten done such as meter eating or I'm sorry meter replacements uh for this winter that uh uh we will be working on later. So what um we were we were looking for some compensation from Metro Fiberet and uh we came up with an agreement that I think is is of value to us and uh we recommend uh having this signed.

Any discussion? I know this isn't part of it, but can you have them in between Brentwood and Winding Way? There's some spots there and they came close and they're dug underneath the sidewalk. So, the sidewalk is going to collapse. So, can you get them to get out there and fix up? One of one of my restrictions over the winter months was not to uh destroy any concrete. And uh yeah, now that now that that's passed, um they will be replacing some concrete.

All right. Very good. Uh, seeing no further discussion, I got a motion in a second to approve the recommendation to approve the facilities locate agreement with Metro Fiberet providing the for the reimbursement of city costs allocated with the installation of telecommunications infrastructure and authorize the city manager to sign the agreement. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you, Tim. New business number five is a recommendation and request to convene a closed session of the city council in accordance with Michigan Open Meetings Act to consider the purchase or lease of real property pursuant to and authorized by MCL15.268D. Do I have a motion?

So move forward. Roll call, please. Council member Simmons. Wait a minute. Yeah. How do you want to Sorry. Um, the way that's written is typically how we would do this. We do it now, right? It doesn't say in there after council comments like it does sometimes. So, it doesn't make sense to do these out of order. That's why I like the mayor wanting to put the budget earlier. Can we amend that to say after council comments or something? That way, you know, just leave now and then have to remember to vote on do that. Okay. Go ahead. Council member Simmons,

we're voting to go into close We're We're voting to go into close session after council comments. Right. Yes. Mayor Vagel, yes. Deputy Mayor Gota, yes. Council member Barman, yes. Council member Fox, yes. Council member Kennedy, yes. Council member OD, yes. Seven, yes.

All right. So we have a motion to go into close session afterwards with the amendment. Uh moves us on to new business number six. There's a submitt of the city manager proposed fiscal year 2026 2027 budget and setting May 26, 2026 is the date of the public hearing regarding the budget. Do I have a motion? Manager Brown.

Thank you your honor. Uh so as required by chapter 8 of the city charter uh I am presenting to you uh submitting to you uh the city council at this council meeting uh the proposed fiscal year 2026 2027 budget and setting uh the date of um May 26, 2026 is the date for the public hearing regarding the budget. Uh as you know we are also scheduled for a budget work session on April 21st. Uh that's happening next week Tuesday. Uh this uh budget uh was provided to you electronically. It's been emailed to you individually as it stands right now. Uh it's a it's been a bit of an ownorous process uh this time around. Uh and it takes about 3 hours worth of time to produce uh physical packets. So those are not yet produced. They'll be available tomorrow and be provided to you tomorrow. Uh and to a council member that I had a discussion about this that would be provided in a timely fashion tomorrow. Um so that's something that you will see. Uh we will also provide a written uh cover memo type document that's going to provide some of the highlights that go along with that. Um that's something that often times we can cover here verbally, but in this case I'm going to provide a memo along with the hard copy of the budget that you will receive tomorrow that will cover some of the highlights, maybe the low lightss um that that go along with our proposed 2026 2027 budget. Other than that, the dates are reflected in the in the report. As I mentioned, April 14th for the submitt, the 21st for the budget study session, and the 26th for a public hearing and adoption. Um, so if you don't have any other questions, that's what uh what is we're asking for is just uh accept uh and and receive the proposed fiscal year 2026 2027 budget.

Any discussion? And a public hearing date. I'm sorry I left that out. All right. Seeing none, I got a motion and a second to approve the submittal of the city manager's proposed fiscal year 2026 2027 budget and setting May 26, 2026 is the date of the public hearing regarding the budget. All those in favor, please signify by saying I.

I opposed. Motion carries. And that concludes the new business portion of the meeting tonight. We'll move on to the second call to the public. I'll read those rules again. The public shall address the council during the call to the public. 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 majority vote of the 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 for the second call to the public? come on up. Thank you for your patience.

All right. So, my name is Tyler Mitchell. Uh, and I live over at the lake uh the Lake View Apartment Hillside apartment complex. So, just quick walk for me. Um, good evening, mayor and council members. Uh, again, I live here in Wixom. I appreciate the time tonight. I'm here as a community health professional and a graduate student. So, I was kind of asked to come here for my class. Um, here I wanted to talk about a long-term community health access and uh how we think about that in our community. So, um you know, Wixom has a a strong reputation as a safe and stable community. That was one of the reasons I moved here from West Texas two years ago, get back here. Um, and that was, you know, just thinking about that, uh, the stability on the surface that we have here in the community doesn't always mean, uh, that we that we don't have pressures underneath. Uh, I feel as as if we're in a moment right now in our economy, uh, that we, you know, need to continue to have these conversations at the state and federal level and also the communities. One such issue that I'm, you know, I'm passionate about is behavioral health systems across Michigan. I feel that they're stretched at the moment. Um costs are are pretty high and while we have a, you know, there's a lot of flow uh through our county and state, it still hits our our communities locally. Uh working in a in a shelter unhoused community uh in Ann Arbor, you know, I see a lot of uh unhoused veterans right now that are going through a lot of issues. Uh being a veteran myself, I can relate to uh seeing those struggles with them and it is something that I feel like needs to be continue to be addressed within our community. You know, whether it's Wixom or uh just just, you know, in the state. I I feel like that's a growing issue. We've seen a significant increase uh in just housing instability, mental health issues that are going on. Uh behavioral health systems, you know, continue to be stretched. You know, I'm not talking about emergencies, talking about like

slower challenges. So, like older adults, uh, feeling isolated, veterans going unhoused, uh, families continue to have act have have, uh, trouble getting community health, mental health access, appointments, running into longer weight lines, caregivers getting uh, stressed in. I see that on a daily basis. Um, in my past my past work in in public health and now on the House Committee, I've seen what happens uh when these behavioral health issues aren't addressed early. Most of these crisises I wish I I've witnessed don't start as as such. They start, you know, just as an un untreated stress, depression, burnout, lack of access to resources, and over time they grow into something much more complicated and much more expensive to manage. uh prevention I believe cost more costs a lot less than reactionary uh re services. So I understand that behavioral health funding isn't necessarily a p a city you know responsibility um I'm not suggesting the city take on something outside of its scope but uh as cities you know continue to share priorities and and funding I feel like cities influence partnerships so you know cities be able to keep these issues visible instead of invisible when they're planning funding. So, as you continue to to plan budgets and long-term initiatives, I would just strongly encourage that, you know, continue to keep these uh behavioral access and senior and wellness, you know, programs in the conversation, especially as outside funding becomes less predict predictable this year. Um, so, you know, stronger communities, I feel like, you know, we need we we need to respond to these issues, not just anticipate them. uh you know, our community has the opportunity to stay ahead of these pressures instead of waiting for it to show up in the in the emergency emergency situations. Um and so that's kind of where I want to where my focus is at. So I appreciate your time today.

Thank you. Do you mind sharing what organization you work with right now? Yeah, the shelter association of counties.

Okay. So I mean we've seen I mean it used to be probably daily night maybe 60 70 people on mats on the floors you know that we get which we've seen but it's gone upwards to like 120 a night. uh ambulatory issues or just continue to be skyhigh. People that are not fit uh for for shelters, you know, 70-y old women um just not not not safe, very vulnerable. We get human trafficking people all the time. And so these are just very unsafe situations that don't have any more access to uh to services because they're not mature and don't have healthcare access. And so just a continued climb of these issues in our in our uh in our shelter system where we're becoming overwhelmed. I'm seeing that even escalate to outside counties because we get outside counties like Livingston, Oakland County that continue to ask for our resources and our resources become continue to be like recently we just had one that uh was primarily for emergency situations for families that closed down. and having more funding for it. And so we now we're coming uh seeing more and more families that we we can't service for children under the age of 18 that we don't have access to provide emergency shelter services uh like in Washington County like it's becoming more and more obsolete. And so I I think that's going to continue to impact outside counties like Livingston, Oakland County, especially here um you know could continue to impact this. So that's just something I see day in and day out that I I feel like just gets overlooked. Thank you for what you do.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. Uh, my name is Dan Pelch. I live at 13261 Sumac Lane in Green Oak Township. I'm here to introduce myself tonight as a candidate for the Michigan House District number 49 uh which includes the city of Wixom, W Lake, Northern Lion Township, a piece of Novi and a piece of Commerce Township. Um it also expands into Livingston County and covers Green Oak, Brighton Township, and the entire city bright as well. Um, I'm a lifelong resident of the district. My wife and my two kids are current residents of Reno Township. Um, I've worked at Southline Community Schools technology department for over 25 years. Um, I was elected mayor in the city of South Line in 2017 and held that position for three terms through the November 2023. That's something I'm very proud of. Being a lifelong resident of this area, I do not take the responsibility of serving these communities lightly. Over the next seven months, you will be seeing me, you will be seeing my family, and when we finally get a team together, you will see them as well. I hope to hear what the city of Wixom and nearby communities are working on in the near future, what some of the long-term goals are that we heard about this evening. um what are your concerns in in Lancing? Uh I only know one way to do this job and that's boots on the ground. And so listening to voters, listening to local effect elected officials, I really thank you guys for your time tonight. I've sat on the other side of that desk. We've had a strong meeting already tonight. Um I have a set of cards if anyone would like one, but thank you very much for your time this evening.

Thank you. Did you say state house or state senate? State house. House. Thank you. All right. Anybody else with a second call of the public? Seeing none, I'll close the second call of the public. City manager comment. City manager Brownley.

Uh thank you, your honor. Um just wanted to uh follow up on the city manager update and congratulate Drew Benson on receiving his economic development finance professional certification from Grow America. Um, I can attest that uh I've seen the time that he spent on that and it was a very intensive process uh that he went through to uh follow through on that training and and complete it successfively and uh basically just it provides him with better base of knowledge on how to deal with questions that come up in in economic development with businesses that might want to locate in the city. Uh and uh congratulations to Drew for uh for achieving that certification uh and just adding to the capability of the city and its important function. So congratulations to him. Uh and trust me, he put in a lot of time on this. It was very very effort inensive. Uh the other thing is exciting news that the MDNR has named the Michigan Airline Trail A Pure Michigan Trail. Uh one of three trails that were able to achieve that designation this year. Uh there's an attached article that I provided uh that uh was sent to us by a DNR writer um talking about how that that process goes and how this the Michigan Airlines Trail was able to obtain a pure Michigan Trail designation. So we're very proud of that. Uh should help us in our efforts to uh market the trail and to capitalize on the trail as a community, which we continue to try to do to the best of our abilities. a very popular resource and I think uh the designation reflects uh the outstanding work uh that was done in planning it and the outstanding work that was done in assembling the property and the outstanding work that was done in hurting the cats and getting it developed in the first place because uh that's a lot what was process was was like with multiple communities involved. Um it's gone very well. uh our trail manager John Hensler is to be commended for that uh because he was key to to putting this forward and making sure we could achieve this designation with the work that he does dayto-day as well as just putting in for the recognition and staying on top of it. So congratulations to John. Congratulations to the Michigan Airlines Trail and to us for our involvement with it uh for achieving that Pure Michigan Trail designation.

And that's all I had other than the usual uh collection of dates that are happening, things that are happening uh in the city. Assistant city manager Benson. I have no additional comments tonight. You sure? I'm I am sure. Council comments. Council member Bman.

Thank you. Um first, uh I saw that the looks like the city was out putting a lot of top soil down and grass seed down along the some of the sidewalks they poured on on Wixom Road and in the cemetery. Can we please just do Mac Park? Like just let's let's make it look nice. That's our downtown. I I don't know how many times I got to ask. It looks horrible. Let's just clean it up. Um and then uh I did want to address the email we got regarding the data center ordinance that still being uh discussed at the planning commission level. Um I just wanted to give my personal feedback on the map that was attached to the last email. any data center around Pontiac Trail or north of Pontiac Trail allowed is going to be a no vote on my side. Um that is too close to existing residential and whatever we need to do to tweak that ordinance. It if if it comes back to council with asking for data centers to be on Pontia Trail or north of Pontiac Trail, I'm going to be a no vote. Good.

Yes. Council member Kennedy.

Uh, I want to say that I had a tour of our downtown development area from from the DDA and it was very nice. I can see the vision coming together, especially with this big plan we got. Um, congrats, Drew. I also want to touch on one thing with data centers. I looked into things a little bit and while they can pass decel levels at what we can normally hear at, uh, they are wildly loud with infrasound. And I would like to see the planning commission look into that because they can apparently vibrate houses near a mile away when they're running at full speed, but you can't hear it. And it's known to induce anxiety and nausea in people. Just something to look in. I thought it was very interesting.

Good. Council member Simmons.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh just a couple of notes. Thank you to the planning uh committee or commission on uh all the work on the master plan. It was nice to be able to read and um get some more knowledge on some things that you know I already knew. Um, I'd like to um come back, I guess, from a city staff perspective about this conversation tonight with this liquor license. I think we have to do something about this. Um, this to me was an uncomfortable conversation to have to have in front of an actual applicant when I think there's some policy stuff for us to figure out. So, I'm wondering, and I can talk to council about this. I wonder I'm wondering if there are ways to um have this conversation as us developing policy before we actually meet with an actual applicant to discuss this. So, it would be nice, and I could be way off base, but to be able to have this conversation as a council and have his application on the docket for our next meeting.

U you can you can request a new business item. Sure, I will. this. You can you can do that. I'm just putting it out there today. Um, congrats to Drew. Way to go. Um, and then obviously uh congratulations to our uh national champions, the Michigan Wolverines on uh an amazing uh basketball season uh as an alum and now as a Michigan mom. I am always pleased to be a Wolverine. Thank you. It's not pleased. It's great. It was great to be a Michigan Wolverine. Council member OD.

Thank you. Um, in the interest of time, I'm so tired. Um, so just congratulations to Drew and I don't know who has certain states and meeting. Oh, no, none tonight. Don't worry. Council member McGrein Fox, I um I agree with your your sentiments, Council Gro. Um for the sake of time, I just really want to say congratulations, Drew. That's all I have. Deputy Mayor Gota.

Thank you. I wanted to um thank Mr. Mitchell first for sitting through everything. Um picked one of the longest meetings to come to and then have to sit through it. Um but also in uh in terms of what he was advocating for kind of spoke to one of my goals from our goal setting trying to find partnerships when we're doing events and hopefully um we can find hopefully that's being taken seriously and we are working toward that and hopefully um maybe we can contact him or Oakland County resources and find an organization to partner with for one of our events. Um I would appreciate that. Thank you.

You're welcome. Uh, I just want to uh thank all our department heads and our finance director, Rav, uh, for putting together this budget. Anxious to see what it has in there. Uh, congratulations to Drew on his uh, certification. And I just want everyone to be careful tonight. It looks like we've got some storms coming in. My phone's going off that we got tornado watches and stuff like that. So, everyone be safe. And if PD and fire department have to go out to do anything, guys, please be safe. And with that, do I have a motion to enter into a close session? So move support.

All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Opposed? Motion carries. We'll enter into close session.