OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Ferndale City Council Meeting - May 27, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Wednesday, May 27, 2026
BodyFerndale, Michigan
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateWednesday, May 27, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:07:59

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

I'm calling this meeting to order at 724 p.m.

0:05

And I don't know.

0:06

I guess with the everything that's kind of happened, do we go through the process all over again?

0:10

Is it the new meeting is started?

0:12

Okay.

0:12

All right.

0:13

Then if you're able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:19

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:26

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice durable.

0:35

May we have a roll call, please.

0:38

Kelly.

0:39

Here.

0:40

McColsky.

0:41

Here.

0:41

Sabatini, present.

0:43

Leaks May.

0:44

Here.

0:45

And approval of the agenda, please.

0:48

Move to approve the agenda.

0:50

Support.

0:51

All in favor?

0:52

I'll oppose.

0:55

Okay.

0:56

We have no presentations tonight.

0:58

So now we will go to call to audience where you'll have three minutes to state anything on or of to speak on anything on or off the agenda.

1:06

Please state your name and address if you'd like, or you can fit sign up sign up in the back there.

1:12

But I'm opening call to audience at 725 p.m.

1:16

Three minutes.

1:18

Thank you.

1:28

Hello, I'm Kevin Smywski.

1:30

I live at 21 East Camborne, and I'm here about the sidewalks.

1:35

So I've got four out of my 10 that need to be replaced consecutively.

1:40

And I wasn't provided any documentation about what specifically was wrong with each slab.

1:46

I got a note saying four need to be replaced.

1:49

And the letters marked don't really have any reasoning.

1:53

So I'm wondering if you guys could provide the documentation on what specifically is violated for each sidewalk block, so that if I choose to do it myself, I can do it properly.

2:05

So that's all I want.

2:07

Yeah.

2:08

And Kevin, I believe we have our DPD DPW director who can probably speak to you on that.

2:13

Thank you.

2:22

Hi.

2:24

Hello, this is Courtney Woody.

2:25

Um at 603 West Hazelhurst.

2:27

And just kind of piggybacking off what he was inquiring about the sidewalks, just had a couple of questions.

2:33

Similar to him, there's one sidewalk, not really sure why it's being replaced.

2:37

It's level, there's no major damage.

2:40

So just trying to understand the methodology there.

2:43

And then furthermore, a couple years back, I just paid thousands of dollars to have my front lawn sold.

2:48

So I'd really love to understand what is the city going to do to ensure that grass doesn't die.

2:55

Because I don't like throwing grass seed and putting hay on it, I don't think is a viable solution.

3:01

So yeah, would just really love to understand that so I can kind of protect my investment of my personal property on the front lawn to maintain my curb appeal.

3:11

I will encourage you to get in that conversation that's happening right outside right now with the DPW director, Courtney.

3:18

But thank you.

3:18

I appreciate it.

3:28

Hi council.

3:29

Joan and Jason Smith at 445 East Cambourne Street.

3:44

Now with the the letter D says that there's a huge divot in our section, but we don't see where this huge divot is.

3:50

Uh one of the one of the solutions would be I'd say going forward, have like a piece of paint of where this divot is, also because um, I mean everything else on here makes sense A B C if it's too high, too low, understandable.

4:03

But when it comes to a divot, which we don't see it on our side, which it sounds like we're gonna have to talk to the gentleman behind us to go over it, but you know, this is taking, of course, people's time, you know, because if your your time, our time, we we all have things to do.

4:17

Second thing is um this wasn't brought up, I was kind of curious, but um, our taxes do they go towards the sidewalks, and if they don't, like is there a certain percentage that goes to them because as you all know, we paid a pretty substantial amount of tax each year, and besides just you know the please fire department, what do I what does our our money actually go towards?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████████30%
Technology and Innovation████████████████████20%
Procedural██████████████14%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Community Engagement██████6%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Public Safety█████5%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Ferndale City Council Meeting - May 27, 2026

The Ferndale City Council met on May 27, 2026, beginning at 7:24 PM and adjourning at 9:31 PM. The meeting included a public hearing on the sidewalk special assessment district, approval of a consent agenda with 23 items, two major regular agenda items (managed IT services contract and sidewalk replacement program bid award), and the swearing-in of a new council member.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the May 7, 2026 and May 11, 2026 meeting minutes.
  • Adopted resolutions recognizing June 2026 as Gay Pride Month, participating in the 3M/DuPont National PFAS Settlement, supporting a State Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, and recognizing the 95th Anniversary of the Ferndale Garden Club.
  • Approved amendments to Council Rules of Procedures (removing profanity, personal, and non-germane comments from prohibited items, but retaining restrictions on slander, obscene comments, and disruptive behavior).
  • Approved summer 2026 special assessments, extension of the Citizens Police Advisory and Review Board sunset provision, a special event permit for the Harvest Festival on Livernois (October 3, 2026), and performance agreements for Rock’n Live Entertainment (August 14-15, 2026).
  • Approved numerous purchases and contracts including: a 911 telephone system replacement from Carbyne ($290,730.59 over five years), a FOIA workflow platform contract with CivicPlus ($10,195.67), a 2026 Dodge Durango for DEA Task Force ($38,490.25), property and liability insurance renewal from MMRMA ($850,668), glass cleaning services ($20,000), Michigan Municipal League membership ($11,097), a self-propelled road saw ($6,272), trash compactor repairs ($9,942.02), fire command vehicle outfitting ($18,500), tree maintenance services ($109,606.14), an NVR replacement project ($15,165), and bills and payroll.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Residents on Sidewalk Assessments: Multiple residents (Kevin Smywski, Courtney Woody, Joan and Jason Smith, Bernadette Raban, Dave Kotchell) expressed concerns about the sidewalk replacement program, including lack of clarity on which slabs need replacement, insufficient documentation of defects, potential damage to trees from root grinding, and questions about payment options and the hardship process. They requested better communication and an opportunity to fix sidewalks themselves.
  • Speaker on Free Speech (name not given): Criticized the proposed amendment to Council Rules of Procedures, calling the content-based restrictions unconstitutional and threatening a federal lawsuit. The speaker directed profane and slanderous comments at council members to test the rules.
  • Stephanie Pinkwitz (143 East Cambourne): Raised concerns about trash from open dumpsters in alleys, especially behind New Way Bar and Jersey Mike’s, leading to litter and rodent issues. Requested better enforcement.
  • Chris Gilmer Hill (candidate for State House District 8): Announced the completion of signature collection for the Michigan Money Out of Politics ballot measure and invited residents to a campaign meet-and-greet.
  • Unnamed resident: Questioned the role of code enforcement in addressing trash and landscaping debris, citing a previous issue with a fallen tree near Webster Elementary.

Discussion Items

  • Public Hearing – Sidewalk Special Assessment District No. 2025-2026: DPW Director Jameson presented the biennial sidewalk replacement program covering two districts (22% of city parcels). 2,176 properties inspected, 780 (36%) had deficiencies. Estimated total cost: $339,615, with average cost per assessed property of $435. A typical 5x5 flag replacement costs $208.25. The program includes 104 trees affected by roots, with plans to use permeable pavers for 20-30 city trees. Mayor Pro Tem Mikulski and Councilmember Kelly asked about preserving trees, patching pitted surfaces, and the process for residents to do their own work. The public hearing was closed and a resolution to proceed was approved 4-0.
  • Bid Award for Managed IT Services (Item 8A): City Manager and IT staff recommended a three-year contract with Macro Connect for $478,524 annually (total $1.47 million over three years). The contract includes two embedded technicians, a virtual chief innovation officer, and cybersecurity monitoring. The RFP received 20 responses; five finalists were evaluated on cost and government experience. Macro Connect was the lowest cost among finalists. Council debated vendor lock-in, lack of independent cybersecurity audit, and the need for a software audit that has been repeatedly discussed. Councilmember Mukulski expressed discomfort with the incumbent's role in defining scope. The contract was approved 4-0.
  • Bid Award for Sidewalk Improvement Program (Item 8B): DPW Director recommended awarding the contract to Luigi Ferdinandi & Sons Cement, Inc. for $339,615 (low bid $237,976; engineer’s estimate $281,004). The increase from low bid to authorized amount (42.7% difference) was due to additional inspections after the bid was submitted. 75.5% of properties have bills under $500. The hardship program uses a $500 assessment threshold and household income of $20,000 or less; council discussed updating these criteria. Approved 4-0.
  • Council Board and Commission Appointments: Postponed to the next meeting. Council members will indicate interest in reassignments, especially to fill positions previously held by Councilmember Sabatini.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: All 23 items approved unanimously.
  • Sidewalk Special Assessment District: Resolution approved 4-0, establishing the assessment district and authorizing the clerk to sign.
  • Managed IT Services Contract: Approved 4-0 to award to Macro Connect for a first-year annual amount of $478,524, with a three-year contract.
  • Sidewalk Replacement Program Contract: Approved 4-0 to award to Luigi Ferdinandi & Sons Cement, Inc., with a not-to-exceed amount of $339,615.
  • Swearing-In of New Council Member: Nina LaSalle was sworn in as the newest council member, filling the vacancy. She briefly thanked the council.

Staff Updates

  • DPW: Reminded residents that trash/recycling pickup is delayed one day due to the holiday; new water use software platform (Neptune) launches tomorrow.
  • Parks and Recreation: Announced record attendance at Safety Town, splash pad open at Martin Road Park, upcoming events (Skate Jam, flag football camp, water aerobics, tennis, senior trips, summer camp), and a fundraising campaign for Harding Park skate rink renovations ($62,500 goal with matching).
  • Communications: Redesigning sidewalk map, creating a dedicated sidewalk webpage, and sharing updates on the Neptune portal and Patronicity campaign.

Meeting Transcript

I'm calling this meeting to order at 724 p.m. And I don't know. I guess with the everything that's kind of happened, do we go through the process all over again? Is it the new meeting is started? Okay. All right. Then 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, indivisible with liberty and justice durable. May we have a roll call, please. Kelly. Here. McColsky. Here. Sabatini, present. Leaks May. Here. And approval of the agenda, please. Move to approve the agenda. Support. All in favor? I'll oppose. Okay. We have no presentations tonight. So now we will go to call to audience where you'll have three minutes to state anything on or of to speak on anything on or off the agenda. Please state your name and address if you'd like, or you can fit sign up sign up in the back there. But I'm opening call to audience at 725 p.m. Three minutes. Thank you. Hello, I'm Kevin Smywski. I live at 21 East Camborne, and I'm here about the sidewalks. So I've got four out of my 10 that need to be replaced consecutively. And I wasn't provided any documentation about what specifically was wrong with each slab. I got a note saying four need to be replaced. And the letters marked don't really have any reasoning. So I'm wondering if you guys could provide the documentation on what specifically is violated for each sidewalk block, so that if I choose to do it myself, I can do it properly. So that's all I want. Yeah. And Kevin, I believe we have our DPD DPW director who can probably speak to you on that. Thank you. Hi. Hello, this is Courtney Woody. Um at 603 West Hazelhurst. And just kind of piggybacking off what he was inquiring about the sidewalks, just had a couple of questions. Similar to him, there's one sidewalk, not really sure why it's being replaced. It's level, there's no major damage. So just trying to understand the methodology there. And then furthermore, a couple years back, I just paid thousands of dollars to have my front lawn sold. So I'd really love to understand what is the city going to do to ensure that grass doesn't die. Because I don't like throwing grass seed and putting hay on it, I don't think is a viable solution.

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