The Planning Commission and Downtown Development Authority have new board members – Paul DeBono and AnnaMaryLee Vollick (PC) and Mike Jaafar (DDA) – who were appointed Jan. 3 by Mayor Brian Turnbull with the support of all City Council members.
Ten people in total applied for either one of both of these volunteer roles and were interviewed by the Selection Team, consisting of the mayor and Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Moroski-Browne.
It was a tough choice as the applicants are well qualified and committed to helping the City of Northville move forward during a period of major growth and challenging times due to the pandemic and other factors.
Mike Jaafar was appointed to the DDA as a member with a vested interest as the owner of Northville City Car Wash at 470 E. Main. He is the undersheriff for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. He is married to Angela Jaafar, a real estate agent and VP, Board of Northville Public Schools. Among the skills he brings to the position are business operations and development, law enforcement, community outreach and real estate. His term ends Sept. 30, 2023.
He fills a vacancy left by Carolann Ayers, who resigned as a member at large. The position could be filled either by a member at large (city resident and qualified voter) or by someone with a vested interest in the DDA (e.g. property owner, business owner, or employee of a business located in the DDA district) as long as the board majority has a vested interest, which it does.
On the PC side, Paul DeBono will serve through June 30, 2022. He is the VP and Director of Corporate Servicing for Farbman. An avid community volunteer, he is the past president of the Greater Corktown Development Corp. and was instrumental in the development of the Slow’s block, streetscape improvements on Michigan Ave., and the preservation of the former Tiger Stadium site.
He has a background in commercial real estate and development, including large-scale projects, with experience in community development and master planning in Corktown and redevelopment projects in Wayne County.
“As a resident (of Northville), I have an interest in maintaining our historic and family-driven charm while cultivating the right mix of new development,” he stated in his application.
AnnaMaryLee Vollick will serve the PC through June 30, 2023. Interviewers were impressed by her analytical background and knowledge of PC roles and responsibilities, documents and procedures. She is a member of several city task forces and the sustainability team.
A strategic planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vollick lives in the historic district with her fiancé and school-aged children. She previously worked at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR), where she had to balance the public good with private rights and interests. She was involved in daylighting the Monguagon Creek on gateway property that was a former brownfield.
“The tough role of a planning commissioner is to balance the public good with private rights and interests. I feel my experience with and passion for the city would be a valuable addition to an already impressive team,” she stated in her application. She considers her greatest strength to be building bridges between people and groups.
DeBono and Vollick fill roles that were vacant due to the resignations of Marc Russell, who served for 25 years, and Andrew Krenz, who was elected to City Council.
Photos supplied by new members. From top: Mike Jaafar, Paul De Bono, and AnnaMaryLee Vollick.