Politics & Government

City Council Hits: Fire Department Consolidation, the Special Event Policy and a 2-Year Budget

Highlights from Ferndale's City Council Meeting Monday night.

Two-year budgets! Special event policies! Fire department consolidation! Read all about it! (And watch the Council meeting here):

  • The Eight Mile Boulevard Association's Executive Director Tami Salisbury gave a presentation Monday about the nonprofit's efforts to revitalize, retain and attract businesses along the Eight Mile Road corridor. The organizations coverage spans three counties, 13 communities and 27 miles along Eight Mile Road from Interstate 94 to I-275.  Salisbury said 1,700 businesses encompass the corridor. The 8MBA also works to keep the 27-mile stretch maintained, which means mowing (there are a lot of mediums along this route) and removing illegal signage. "We've removed 11,000 illegal signs in 20 months," Salisbury said. Additionally, the 8MBA employ a "Corridor Keeper," which patrols the corridor and warns businesses about code violations. Salisbury said last year 53 percent of the business owners had one or more violations. This year, that number dropped to 25 percent. The 8MBA has also put together a pretty cool site (for you planners out there) called "Virtual Eight Mile," where business owners and community members can see each business, property for sale, bus stop and what the plot of land is zoned for. 
  • A merged fire department with Hazel Park just got a little closer as the City Council unanimously pass a resolution to contract Emergency Services Consulting International for a study on consolidation. Because Ferndale is looking to consolidate with Hazel Park and because the two cities are using the services of the Michigan Municipal League, the cost to Ferndale is only $12,000. The entire contract is about $43, 000. Half is paid by the MML and the remaining half is split by the two cities. This study will determine what the benefits would be for both Ferndale and Hazel Park. SEMCOG consultant Ray Riggs said the cost effects of the merger were unclear but that the main benefit could be the stabilization of a funding source. By creating an authority, it would take the cost of the fire department out of the general fund. "This will not result in a decrease of staff," he said. This would require a vote by both Ferndale and Hazel Park residents. But, as Riggs said, this is still a few years away. The study won't be completed until November, he said.
  • The Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission provided its Green Tip of the month, which was about snow melt and water quality. No. 1 is: Make sure ALL pet waste is picked up and discarded properly and in a timely manner. To see the rest, visit the FESC's Facebook page here.
  • Resident Sherry Wells reminded everyone that the Downtown Neighborhood Association's next meeting is at 7 p.m. at the on Pinecrest. Guest speaker will be Ferndale Director . Wells also announced the Rotary's annual spaghetti dinner to be held on April 14 at from 5-8 p.m. 60 and over and 10 and under pay $7, everyone else pay $10. Proceeds go toward scholarship awards.
  • Several residents then came up to talk about their support for the ballot proposal and said they will be voting "Yes" May 3. Resident Matt Nowaczok said he'd be voting "Yes" on May 3. "I moved here to be close to the bars but now I'm raising a family here," he said. Adding that to protect Ferndale's quality of life, residents should vote "Yes" in May.
  • A handful of residents also brought up the that was awarded to the city of Ferndale from FEMA about two months ago. Residents were asking the status of the SAFER and why the city hadn't accepted it yet. The grant would fund four firefighters for two years at no cost to the city. But there are strings attached in the sense that if the city has to lay off any firefighters; the fire department would lose the equivalent in the grant. During call to Council, Councilman Scott Galloway addressed the residents about the SAFER grant. "No one in the city wants to bring back those four firefighters more than the five people up here," he said. He said if the millage doesn't pass, he doesn't know how Ferndale will continue without drastically cutting more public safety. "There is no financial penalty for not (accepting) the grant right now," he said. The idea is to figure out what the city will be working with when it comes to the millage and public safety union negotiations before moving on the SAFER.
  • The special events committee examined the fee structure of the special events in the city and decided to propose a few changes. Those recommendations included cutting the 7 percent administration fee, removing the lost parking revenue fee, allowing event organizers to barricade parking lots (not streets) themselves to save on costs, among other things. The idea is to lower the cost for those who want to hold events in the city. Contention did come up when Galloway addressed a part of the ordinance that required protests of 100 or more to file an application to have a protest. "If 101 people started picketing on city hall, the city would be empowered to do what?" Galloway asked. City Attorney Daniel Christ said it would be a violation and the picketers could be cited. "We could issue all those people misdemeanors, I wouldn't suggest that, but that's what this (ordinance) suggests," Christ said. Galloway counter: "This is good for the city, I suppose. But this strikes me as offense." Galloway believes this infringed on freedom of speech and Council agreed to not pass this part of the ordinance until it can be made more clear.
  • A two-year budget process was passed unanimously. Currently, the city projects five years out for its revenues but only yearly on its expenditures. The idea of a two-year budget would now plan both revenue and expenditures on a two-year basis. "It doesn't give you any extra dollars, it doesn't save," Mayor Dave Coulter said. "But you won't have to start all over again, from scratch, each year. ... It'll provide for a smoother budgeting process."


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