City Council Minutes

Mayor Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Northville City Hall Council Chambers, 215 West Main Street, Northville, Michigan.

Present: Mayor Christopher Johnson, Councilmembers Kevin Hartshorne, Jerome Mittman, and Thomas Swigart.

Absent: Mayor ProTem Carolann Ayers (excused)

Also Present: City Manager Gary Word, Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Nicolette Bateson, DPW Director James Gallogly, Deputy City Clerk Carol Kasprowicz, Fire Chief James Allen, Assistant Finance Director Sandi Wiktorowski, DDA Director Lori Ward, and one citizen.

A. Citizen Comments None

Motion Mittman, seconded by Hartshorne to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Downtown Development Authority (page 370 of the Budget Manual) FY 2006 capital improvement projects for the DDA focuses on repair and maintenance of the City’s parking structures and surface parking lots, and the ongoing landscaping and acquisition of street furnishings. Council Discussion: Questions were asked regarding the schedule of maintenance for the parking structures, and specific items under Programming and Promotion expenditures and the Capital Improvement Program expenditures. It was also noted that Planning and Design Studies expenditure was earmarked for either follow up design work generated by the Downtown Steering Committee report or streetscape improvement design work. Discussion ensued regarding the DDA website.

Downtown Development Authority Debt Service Fund (page 371) This fund was created to facilitate the debt service of $3.8M in bonds over a 15 year period. Debt service requirements for FY 2006 are $390,295. The final payment on the 1994 general obligation parking deck bonds is due October 1, 2008.

Refuse & Recycling Fund (page 226) No rate changes are proposed for FY 2006 for the commercial or residential refuse customers. Council Discussion: Discussion ensued regarding the manner of handling a 6% rate increase projected for FY 2008 for the residential refuse program. Questions centered on the Household Hazardous Waste program.

Water & Sewer Fund (page 592) As of July 1, 2005, the City of Detroit will increase their water rates by 43.14% which, if not changed, will result in a 16.71% increase to the City residents. Two significant water system improvement projects proposed for FY 2006 is the painting of the elevated storage tank, at an estimated cost of $220,000; and the replacement of the watermain on Grace Street from Baseline Road to Rayson Street, at an estimated cost of $161,800. No adjustment is proposed for the sewer rate for FY 2006. An aggressive sewer cleaning, videoing, and repair program will continue for FY 2006, which will result in having half of the sewers in the City cleaned by the end of the fiscal year. Council Discussion: Discussion centered on modifying the pump/valve action of the water storage facilities, encouraging citizen cooperation in water conservation methods, and questions regarding the sewer project proposed in FY 2007 and the ongoing water leak program.

Equipment Fund (page 641) This fund provides for the maintenance, repair and replacement of City-owned equipment. Equipment purchases proposed for FY 2006 include a water utility truck, a zero-turn radius mower, a landscape trailer, and a bucket truck attachment.

As part of the proposed budget, several items had been "cut" from departmental budget requests. The items were listed in a separate document with the amount and millage quotient needed to include the item in the budget. Council briefly reviewed the items and concurred that the items would not be included in the current proposed budget.

Compliments were extended to Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Nicolette Bateson for a financially sound budget and an exemplary budget document made complete and easy to read and understand. She, in turn, extended appreciation to Assistant Finance Director Sandi Wiktorowski and City Staff for their help and cooperation.

Hartshorne relayed information he received in a pre-construction meeting he attended with regards to the upcoming road construction to take place on Griswold.

B. Staff Communications None

There being no further business before Council, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol T. Kasprowicz
Deputy City Clerk