HomeMy WebLinkAboutSTUDY - 2018-09-17
CITY OF LIVONIA – CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF STUDY MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
Meeting was called to order at 8:00 p.m. by President Toy. Present:, Cathy White,
Kathleen McIntyre, Brian Meakin, Jim Jolly, Brandon Kritzman, Scott Bahr and Laura Toy.
Absent: None.
Elected and appointed officials present: Mark Taormina, Director of Planning and
Economic Development; Todd Zilincik, City Engineer; Paul Bernier, City Attorney; Susan
M. Nash, City Clerk; Doug Moore, Superintendent of Public Service; Brian Kahn, Director
of Emergency Preparedness; and Mayor Dennis Wright.
President Toy announced that there will be an X-item at the end of the Agenda and New
Data on Item No. 1.
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President Toy wished her father a happy 91 birthday.
AUDIENCE COMMUNICATION: None.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. REQUEST TO WAIVE THE SIDEWALK REQUIREMENT: Adrian Muresan, re: for
the newly constructed home located at 9114 Cardwell.
Adrian Muresan, 9114 Cardwell, presented this request to Council.
President Toy received and filed a letter from Treasurer Lynda Scheel, stating that
there are delinquent taxes and an outstanding water bill of $173.03 on this property
and addressed the issue with Mr. Muresan who indicated he was not aware of the
outstanding water bill but that he was aware of the taxes but stated he takes issue
with the assessment as he has been living in his home since March.
Vice President Jolly stated that it is upon the homeowner to fill out the Primary
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Residence Exemption before May 1 of every year, that is what State law dictates
and Muresan stated he was not aware of that.
Muresan then stated that he is requesting the sidewalk waiver because the entire
street has no sidewalks with the exception of a few properties towards the south
end of the street. He indicated the storm drain is in the location of where the
sidewalk would go and there are utility poles and he sees no benefit to having a
sidewalk and asked Council for the waiver.
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Kritzman stated he looked at the property earlier today and he doesn’t believe
there is a compelling case to require a sidewalk on his property and offered an
approving resolution on the Regular Agenda to give the Petitioner time to pay the
outstanding water bill.
DIRECTION: APPROVING REGULAR
Lynda Scheel, City Treasurer, came to the podium to remind citizens that taxes
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were due on Friday September 14 and there is now a 1% interest added to them
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until the end of September and then beginning October 1 there will be another
percent added to them and strongly encouraged anyone who has not paid their
taxes to come in and do so as soon as possible. She then asked that the approving
resolution include the payment of the taxes as well as the water bill.
Kritzman stated they had no paperwork indicating that and Scheel responded that
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due to the fact that taxes were due on the 14, it was not until late this afternoon
that she was made aware of the delinquent taxes.
Kritzman then amended his resolution to include the delinquent tax bill as well.
2. APPOINTMENT OF DAVID BONGERO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION:
Office of the Mayor, re: to fill the unexpired term of Kevin Priddy, which will expire
on June 9, 2019.
Mayor Dennis Wright presented this request to Council. He stated he is asking
Council to approve the appointment of David Bongero to the Planning
Commission. He indicated Dave is a lifelong Livonia resident, he’s a second
generation business owner of Bongero Construction, his father started it in 1972
and in 1997 Dave and his brother took over the business. He stated Dave has
also been an active and valued member of the Building Code Board of Appeals
since 2012. He and his wife Wendy have been married for 27 years and have
three children.
David Bongero, 34623 Sara Beth Lane, spoke at the podium and stated their
business is located on Glendale and that he has been around the City for a long
time and likes it here and with his extensive knowledge in the building and
renovation of both residential and commercial properties and felt he would be of
some value to the Planning Commission.
Kritzman spoke highly of Bongero and feels his background would be of great
value to the Planning Commission and offered the approving resolution on the
Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
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3. REQUEST TO ACCEPT PROPOSAL OF PLANTE MORAN, PLLC AND TO
WAIVE THE COMPETITIVE BID PROCESS: Office of the City Clerk, re: to
perform the City’s annual audits for the fiscal years ending November 30, 2018
through November 30, 2022.
Susan Nash, City Clerk, presented this request to Council and introduced Frank
Audia from Plante Moran who was present to answer any questions of Council.
Frank Audia, 27400 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, of Plante Moran, stated
they appreciate the Council’s consideration of their services and stated they have
worked very closely with the City over the last five years to implement a number of
new accounting standards and there is about a dozen more coming over the next
five years. He stated they’ve spent a lot of time with the City to make sure that
their fee is very much in alignment with the City ‘s expectations and in fact, they
are not proposing any change to their fee and it is actually at the same level that it
was in 2008. So despite all the new accounting and auditing changes, they have
worked very hard to drive efficiency through their business relationship with the
City.
Bahr offered the approving resolution on the Consent and spoke highly on the
services and pricing of Plante Moran.
McIntyre thanked Plante Moran and Mr. Audia for their leadership and availability
in setting up seminars and the like in educating Council on municipal financing.
Vice President Jolly asked how long Plante Moran has served as auditor for the
City and Audia replied he is uncertain as to the official time but that it has been a
number of years.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
4. REQUEST TO APPROVE AN ANIMAL SHELTERING AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE CITY OF LIVONIA AND THE MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY AND WAIVE
THE CITY’S FORMAL BIDDING PROCESS: Public Service Division, re: for the
period December 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020, extending all terms and
conditions of the current agreement, with an increase in the holding fee to $55 per
day and boarding fee increase to $4,581.00 per month. (CR 18-17)
Doug Moore, Superintendent of Public Service, presented this request to Council.
He stated the Department is asking for a 25-month contract extension with the
Michigan Humane Society in Westland. The 25-month extension is to enable them
to get it to coincide to a calendar year, where in the past it coincided with the City’s
Fiscal Year. Fees are increasing with the extension, most of it has to do with
hoarding and boarding cases. A lot of the services are not used very often by them
and Westland Humane continues to be the best course of action for the City and
for the residents. They have looked into some of the other shelters but they were
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further distance and there would be additional staff costs associated with that. He
stated he is asking Council to approve this 25-month extension with the Michigan
Humane Society.
Vice President Jolly asked if the costs incurred by the hoarding and boarding cases
are given restitution through the court process.
City Attorney Bernier responded to the inquiry by stating they have been very
successful lately and aggressively working to make it a condition with any plea that
is given. He indicated there were a few cases where they have brought in $10,000
to $20,000 in restitution. He stated they’ve had a lot of cases recently where they
may have seized ten, fifteen dogs at a time and that is costly so as any condition
of any plea that they work out, restitution is always a part of it.
Vice President Jolly asked where the funds are deposited when collected as
restitution and Moore responded he believes it goes back to the general fund. He
indicated if it’s early enough in the year it’s aimed towards the animal control
accounts, but towards the end of the year, it’s going to be general fund.
McIntyre inquired if the Humane Center offers services for spaying and neutering
and Moore responded he believes they do, yes. She also commented on Tail
Waggers and the cessation of their low cost services.
President Toy asked if they picked up any kind of animals and Moore responded
only dogs and cats mostly, some ferrets, no wildlife, and sometimes the wildlife will
go to the rehab places, stating they had two baby squirrels today waiting to go to
a rehab.
President Toy then asked where people with reptiles would go and Moore
responded he is uncertain but that they could call the animal control officers to see
if they know that answer.
Vice President Jolly offered an approving resolution for the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
X1. AWARD OF BID: Division of Police, re: to replace the automatic transfer switch
(ATS) for the Police Department’s backup generator, from budgeted funds.
Brian Kahn, Director of Emergency Preparedness, presented this request to
Council.
He thanked Council for allowing this item to be heard on tonight’s agenda. He
stated they are asking Council’s authorization to accept the bid that was obtained
through a sealed bid process to replace the automatic transfer switch on the
generator at the Police Department. In 2013 the Police Department’s generator
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was replaced with an obviously newer model and the transfer switch which actually
transfers power back and forth between the generator and electrical service, was
from the original unit and was not replaced at that particular time in 2013.
The new switch itself will work more in conjunction with the new generator and
allow for better deliver of power services and be more apt to not interfere with the
sensitivity of a lot of the power systems that we have, especially the Police
Department.
The Police Department also hosts the Emergency Operations Center and the
Communications Center.
The sealed bid process itself, the bids were opened, there were two bids received,
one from Mas Electric, and the other from Clearwater Pool & Spa, they are
recommending awarding Mas Electric the contract as they were the low bidder and
have done prior electrical work for the City and they are currently the City’s
contracted supplemental electrical service supplier.
He indicated there are funds budgeted for this in building improvements and stated
he would be happy to answer any questions of Council.
Vice President Jolly stated that usually when there are time constraints the item
will be placed on a Regular Agenda as an X-item and asked Kahn if that is the
situation here and Kahn replied they need to order parts and that it was his error
in not specifying which meeting, Regular or Study.
Vice President Jolly offered an approving resolution on the Consent Agenda.
DIRECTION: APPROVING CONSENT
AUDIENCE COMMUNICATION: None.
As there were no further questions or comments, President Toy adjourned the Study
Session at 8:22 p.m. on Monday, September 17, 2018.
DATED: September 19, 2018 SUSAN M. NASH CITY CLERK