Ferndale City Council Meeting – February 23, 2026
Ferndale City Council Meeting – February 23, 2026
The Ferndale City Council met on Monday, February 23, 2026, at 7:00 PM at City Hall. Mayor Melanie Piana called the meeting to order, and it adjourned at 8:49 PM. The agenda included a presentation, a public hearing, consent items, two ballot proposals, and a discussion on the RxKids program.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved (7–0):
- February 9, 2026 meeting minutes
- Charitable gaming license for Ferndale Robotics Boosters Corporation
- Appointments and reappointments to city boards and commissions
- Sustention of FOIA redaction for request 26‑43 and denial of appeal
- Amended resolution for the 2025–2026 deficit elimination plan for the Auto Parking Fund
- Purchase of a 2026 Dodge Durango ($54,480.32)
- MLS GO and Jr. NBA League operator agreements with RCX Sports, LLC
- Technology equipment and installation services for Martin Road Park Outdoor Recreation Support Facility ($53,522.23)
- Bills and payrolls as submitted
Public Comments & Testimony
- Summer Reely (Downtown Development Authority) promoted Art March Ferndale, a month‑long celebration of local art, including events at Affirmations, Poodle & Company, and a community exhibit sponsored by First Merchants Bank.
- Jesse Shah (1938 Symes) proposed a free community clothing swap in April/May and asked about permit requirements; a resident offered a warehouse space.
- Prasad Beningopal (1425 West Troy) honored W.E.B. Du Bois on his birthday, linking his legacy of resistance to current threats to civil liberties, particularly passport restrictions.
- Chris Gilmer Hill (Detroit resident, state rep candidate) promoted two ballot initiatives: "Invest in Michigan Kids" (5% surcharge on income over $1M for education) and "Michigan Money Out of Politics" (ban contributions from regulated utilities and large state contractors).
- Unnamed speaker (multiple comments):
- Asked for updates on the DOT apartment project, 1120 E 9 Mile, Livernois project, and Comerica Bank property.
- Opposed the RxKids program as an unnecessary expense ($92,700/year) given recent cuts and a headlee override request; suggested funds go to the Kulick Center or Martin Park.
- Requested progress on senior spaces and a senior commission.
- Criticized lack of enforcement on vacant property at 1963 Symes, reporting ongoing code violations and abandoned cars.
- Urged council to push Lansing for solutions on vacant properties.
- Disruptive speaker (unnamed): Accused the Ferndale Police of mishandling evidence and colluding with businesses; was ruled out of order after using profanity, but continued to allege misconduct by Officer Andrew Roth and the city attorney.
Presentation – Recognition of Creatives Collective
- The DDA recognized Creatives Collective (22963 Woodward) as a Main Street Connected Grant recipient, receiving $1,295 from MSU Federal Credit Union for a point‑of‑sale system and digital marketing. Owner Chris Rivard said the co‑op now hosts 24 artisans and will offer classes starting March 21. The DDA noted this is the third consecutive MSUFCU grant for a Ferndale business.
Public Hearing – PUD Amendment for 3178 Hilton Road
- The applicant, Life Lab Kids, requested a PUD amendment to convert a greenhouse into a two‑story classroom for therapy and independent living skills for clients ages six weeks to 26. No changes to parking, setbacks, or circulation. The Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions (block material, roofing, parking confirmation), which were met. No public comment. Council unanimously approved the amendment.
Regular Agenda – Ballot Proposals
8A – Remove Civil Service Board
- City Manager Joseph Gacioch explained the board is redundant because of the HR department, collective bargaining agreements (covering 83% of staff), and a labor attorney. The board had been meeting monthly with little work (record meeting of 45 seconds). Council unanimously approved placing a charter amendment on the August 2026 ballot to eliminate the board.
8B – Police and Fire Retirement System Governance
- The proposal would allow the city to govern the police and fire pension system by ordinance (similar to the general employee system), without reducing vested benefits. Currently the police/fire system is funded at 78% (actuarial liability ~10× larger than the general employee system, which is overfunded – the transcript states 402%, though this appears to be a transcription error; the city aims to maintain a 150% floor for the combined fund). Combining the funds could raise the police/fire funded ratio to 96% and reduce the city’s required contribution by 60–70% (saving $800,000–$1,000,000 annually). The police and fire pension board unanimously supported the change. Council unanimously approved placing the proposal on the August 2026 ballot.
Discussion Items
10A – RxKids Program
- Councilmember Johnson introduced RxKids, a prenatal and infant cash prescription program administered by MSU’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative. The state provides 95% of funding; Ferndale’s share would be $92,070/year for three years ($276,210 total), covering an estimated 186 births per year. Participants receive $1,500 prenatal and $500/month for six months postpartum. The program is place‑based, not income‑based. Johnson noted that neighboring communities (Hazel Park, Pontiac, Royal Oak Township) have enrolled with positive feedback. Discussion included funding from the city’s unassigned fund balance (~$8 million), the state’s $250 million appropriation, and the program’s non‑administrative burden on the city. No vote was taken; the item was a discussion for further consideration at the upcoming strategic planning session.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda – Approved unanimously.
- PUD Amendment (3178 Hilton) – Approved unanimously.
- Ballot Proposal to Remove Civil Service Board – Resolution passed unanimously; will appear on August 2026 ballot.
- Ballot Proposal for Police/Fire Pension Governance – Resolution passed unanimously; will appear on August 2026 ballot.
- RxKids – No decision; discussion to continue at the strategic planning session on Saturday, February 28.
- Call to Council Updates:
- CED: Additional $43,000 for senior chore services (round four); seeking a member for the Brownfield Authority.
- Police Chief: Outlined a policy of not initiating immigration enforcement, monitoring ICE operations if they occur, and maintaining communication with ICE regional director.
- Fire Department: Promoted free home fire safety inspections and smoke detector installation.
- Parks & Rec: Seniors visited Charles Wright Museum; raffle for free admissions.
- Councilmembers: Noted the robotics team’s success (Ferndale Giggle Pickles), reminded residents to clear sidewalks, reported on tree trimming on Woodward Heights, mentioned ongoing work on an immigration ordinance and a potential charter amendment to allow council members to run for mayor without resigning, and encouraged attendance at Art March and the strategic planning session.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I call this meeting to order at seven o'clock. If you're able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, and invisible, with liberty and justice for us. May we have a roll call, please? Johnson. Here. Kelly. Here. McColsky. Here. Sabatini. Here. Leaks May. Here. Approval of the agenda. Madam Mayor, I move we approve the agenda as presented. Support. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? All right. It looks like tonight we have a presentation. Looks like it's coming from the DDA. All right. You were up. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Main Street Oakland County previously partnered with Michigan State University Federal Credit Union to create the Main Street Connected Grant Program with the aim of supporting the attraction, retention, and growth of small businesses and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial corridors. This program is designed to provide technology and digitally based support to complement economic vitality efforts and bolster entrepreneurship at the local community level. Business owner Chris Rivard, who is here tonight, has a long-standing history with Ferndale. She previously operated her business, Blooms and Baubles, from the Rust Belt Market, and then later on continued through a partnership with Not Sorry Goods in Ferndale. In 2025, she renovated the space at 22963 Woodward Avenue to and opened the Creatives Collective as a one-stop artist-owned co-op. Just prior to her opening this past November, she applied for the Main Street Connected Grant Program and was awarded 1,295. And those matching funds are being put to good use towards a point of sale system to support more than 20 artisans who operate out of the Creatives Collective and also digital marketing campaigns to attract new customers to this amazing retail destination. So on behalf of Ferndale DDA, I'd like to thank Main Street Oakland County and MSU FCU for their support of our downtown and programs like this making it possible for us to support our businesses. We are uh able to have these grants for our businesses because we are a select level accredited community. Uh and Creatives Collective is actually the third business and all three. We've had the third business in a row, one in each cycle of the last three MSU FCU grants. So we're very proud of that. So I'll invite uh Chris and uh Ian as well as uh Annika to speak about this program. Good evening, everyone. Uh on behalf of myself and all of the artisans that I have within the Creatives Collective. I wanted to thank uh the Main Street program, uh MSU Federal Credit Union and the Ferndale DDA for this amazing, amazing windfall for all of these artists. Uh we have been uh recently opened in December 10th. We've already gotten to the point where we have 24 artists, we'll be rounding up to 30, and we have just scheduled our first classes, which will be happening on March 21st. We are beyond excited and so thrilled to be able to offer the city of Ferndale not only handcrafted artisan goods that keep the monies for these artisans and other businesses local, um, but to create a bigger community than just ourselves. We are so thankful. Hi, um, my name's Ian Duncanson and I work for MSU Federal Credit Union. This is my third time coming to Ferndale for this very purpose.
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