OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Ferndale City Council Meeting - August 10, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Monday, August 10, 2026
BodyFerndale, Michigan
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateMonday, August 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:05:42

Transcript — Verbatim
14:52

I call this meeting to order at seven o'clock.

14:55

If you're able, please rise for the Please.

15:00

Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

15:06

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice as well.

15:14

Can we have a roll call, please?

15:16

Kelly.

15:17

Here.

15:18

McColsky.

15:19

Here.

15:19

Sabatini.

15:20

Leaks May.

15:21

Here.

15:22

And then also approval of the agenda.

15:31

Support.

15:32

All in favor?

15:34

Aye.

15:34

Aye.

15:35

Apose.

15:37

Okay.

15:38

All right.

15:39

We have a presentation tonight.

15:40

Only one.

15:42

That would be the Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission for the July 2026 yard presentory presentation awards.

15:53

Good evening, Council.

15:55

Good mayor and residents.

15:57

My name is Suzanne Janik.

15:58

I am the chair of the Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission.

16:01

I'm also joined with Marianne Williamson, who is a member of the Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission.

16:06

You always say the wrong.

16:07

I do, I'm sorry.

16:11

I have so much going on in my head.

16:13

We are here tonight to present the July Beautification Awards as well as our Cone Flower Award.

16:18

The cone flower is the official flower of Ferndale.

16:23

So our first winner tonight is for the Southwest section.

16:26

It is 652 Pearson.

16:28

This bricklooker is surrounded by all new plantings of perennials.

16:34

Very lush, and it has some stately sculptures of gargoyles sitting on the sitting on the stairs welcoming you.

16:40

Is anyone here from 652?

16:46

Our next winner is in the northwest section.

16:50

This house sits on the very edge of Ferndale.

16:53

Sitting on the corn sitting at the corner of um of 696 and almost Hilton Road.

16:59

It is a very brass, a very harsh, not harsh contrast.

17:02

It is a great contrast of lush perennials and lush plantings that is an oasis of that area.

17:37

Good evening, council, residents, fellow residents.

17:40

It's a pleasure to be here.

17:58

And it was very important to us to find a neighborhood that was walkable, and one that allowed us to have all the amenities, and we just absolutely fell in love with this house.

18:19

I wasn't there, but I think that's a good idea.

18:21

He's heard.

18:23

And the previous owners, uh, thank goodness, they did a quite a renovation on the house that we can't necessarily take credit for, but they put on a thousand square foot addition to the house.

18:35

So all the things that you would want and need in a modern home, they add it, such as uh large walk-in closets, second floor laundry, ensuite master uh bathroom, and just all the things that really made us fall in love with the house as soon as we saw it.

18:52

Um in terms of the outside, this really large, and this was uh Jeremy was still in New York when I was here in Michigan, and one of his requirements was if you can find a house with a big front porch, I would really love that.

19:05

And this one had uh fantastic front porch.

19:09

So what we are responsible for is what you see in the front yard in 21.

19:15

He's gonna keep me right on the dates.

19:17

In 21, we completely rehabbed all of the landscaping and we uh wiped it all clean, um, all the grass, everything, and reimagined what the yard would look like.

19:30

The tree you see to your left was planted by Jeremy.

19:35

Um it's a Japanese maple whose name is Key.

19:37

So if you're ever walking by, you can say hello to Key.

19:40

Um but it was really crowded out in the front of the house, and uh we really built around it by moving it to that island uh to the left of the walkway, and then that allowed us to really um create the vision of all the perennials and then the annuals.

20:00

Um I just added the lighting myself last uh memorial day, and uh we're very proud of how the garden looks, and uh we take a lot of pride in it.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████████████████████31%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Public Engagement████████████12%
Arts And Culture██████████10%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████9%
Parks and Recreation████████8%
Election Procedures████4%
Disability Rights███3%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Ferndale City Council Meeting - August 10, 2026

The Ferndale City Council met on Monday, August 10, 2026, at 7:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting included a yard awards presentation, public comments on water bills and election updates, unanimous approval of the consent agenda, and a discussion and vote to purchase a new leaf vacuum trailer. Department heads provided updates on the upcoming Woodward Dream Cruise, park events, and sidewalk construction.

Presentation: Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission July 2026 Yard Awards

  • Suzanne Janik (chair) and Marianne Williamson presented four awards:
    • 652 Pearson (Southwest section): A brick-look home with new perennial plantings and gargoyle sculptures.
    • Northwest section winner (corner of 696 and Hilton Road): Residents described their lush landscaping, a Japanese maple named Key, and a boxwood hedge that connects with a neighbor's award-winning yard.
    • 571 East Saratoga (Southeast section): A newer resident planted a rainbow garden in celebration of the queer community.
    • 1800 University (Cone Flower Award): A newer resident unable to attend; she plans to expand her cone flower gardens.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Candida Kohler (1719 Kenton Street): Complained about an excessively high water bill, requested an investigation and a meeting with city staff.
  • Kevin Roach (West Marshall): Thanked the council for the Disability Pride Ice Cream Social hosted by the Accessibility Inclusion Advisory Commission; invited residents to join the commission (meetings first Monday, except September meeting on Tuesday after Labor Day).
  • Tim Vick (Manatee Ferndale): Expressed anger over a traffic ticket from 18 years ago, submitted a written list to the city clerk.
  • Chris Gilmer Hill (Detroit, Democratic nominee for state house): Encouraged voters to prepare for the November election, promoted the Michigan Money Out of Politics ballot measure, and noted high turnout in the August primary.

Consent Calendar

  • Items 7A–7K approved unanimously:
    • 7A: Approval of July 27, 2026 meeting minutes.
    • 7B: Special event permit for the 2026 DIY Street Fair.
    • 7C: Special alcohol license for the 2026 Ferndale Fall Festival.
    • 7D: Municipal and community credit contract for FY27 with SMART.
    • 7E: Purchase of snow removal equipment (not to exceed $125,000).
    • 7F: Fees for as-needed planning services to OHM ($9,400).
    • 7G: Rules for pickleball courts at Martin Road Park.
    • 7H: DPW network equipment replacement by Macro Connect ($17,132.52).
    • 7I: Bulk road salt purchase from Detroit Salt Company (not to exceed $123,609).
    • 7J: FYE26 fourth quarter budget amendment.
    • 7K: Bills and payrolls as submitted.

Regular Agenda: Leaf Vacuum Trailer Purchase

  • DPW Director presented a request to purchase one replacement Titan Pro Plus Leaf Vacuum Trailer from MacQueen for $112,221.95 through the SourceWell Cooperative Purchasing Program.
  • Context: The curbside leaf collection program runs mid-October through Thanksgiving, collecting ~10,000 cubic yards annually. The city has four aging vacuum trailers dating back to 1957. Newer models feature hydraulic controls that reduce manual raking and improve safety. The purchase is the third of four planned replacements; the next is budgeted for 2028. The city recently switched from bi-weekly to weekly collection, increasing service frequency.
  • Discussion: Council members asked about staging purchases (one per year for budget smoothing), diesel fuel use, and potential parking restrictions on collection days. Director noted parking restrictions could improve efficiency but require a longer policy discussion. The new unit includes an overhead operator roof hood for weather protection.
  • Outcome: Motion to approve purchase and authorize DPW director to sign documents passed 5-0.

Department Updates

  • City Clerk: Thanked voters and election workers for a smooth primary; turnout was approximately 48%.
  • Police Chief: Announced Woodward Dream Cruise (31st annual) on Friday and Saturday; rules: no tents or barbecues on medians, vehicles over 10,000 lbs prohibited Saturday, street closures at 10 PM Friday and 9 PM Saturday. Citizens Police Academy applications opening for October.
  • Parks & Recreation: Movie on the Hill (Mandalorian/Grogu) at Martin Road Park on Thursday, August 13; activities from 7:30 PM, movie at 8:45 PM. Flag football registration opens Tuesday, August 11, for ages 4–17; season Oct 4–25.
  • Economic Development Authority (EDA): Patio zone in effect for Dream Cruise. Sidewalk construction on north side of downtown to resume after Dream Cruise; work will focus on accessible crosswalks. Nine on Nine concert series continues Sundays through Labor Day.
  • Special Events: Dream Cruise features kids play zone, live entertainment, Mustang Alley, Bronco Corral, emergency vehicle show, and a ribbon cutting with Mayor and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

Councilmember Comments

  • Councilmember Sabatini praised the passage of Charter Amendment 1, which allows general fund savings for projects like a community center.
  • Councilmember Kelly thanked the Inclusion and Accessibility Commission for the ice cream social, and the clerk’s office for the election. She addressed resident water bill concerns: 600–800 properties receive estimated reads annually, 175 have legacy meters, and no formal policy caps estimated billing. Staff are developing an FAQ and a new standard operating procedure, and exploring payment plan and fee waiver options. She encouraged residents to use Neptune 360 to monitor water usage.
  • Mayor thanked the community for passing charter amendments and for the high primary turnout (48%).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved unanimously.
  • Purchase of one Titan Pro Plus Leaf Vacuum Trailer approved (5-0).
  • Staff to develop water bill FAQ and improved estimated billing policies.
  • Citizen Police Academy applications to be promoted.
  • Meeting adjourned at 7:51 PM.

Meeting Transcript

I call this meeting to order at seven o'clock. If you're able, please rise for the Please. 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 as well. Can we have a roll call, please? Kelly. Here. McColsky. Here. Sabatini. Leaks May. Here. And then also approval of the agenda. Support. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Apose. Okay. All right. We have a presentation tonight. Only one. That would be the Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission for the July 2026 yard presentory presentation awards. Good evening, Council. Good mayor and residents. My name is Suzanne Janik. I am the chair of the Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission. I'm also joined with Marianne Williamson, who is a member of the Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission. You always say the wrong. I do, I'm sorry. I have so much going on in my head. We are here tonight to present the July Beautification Awards as well as our Cone Flower Award. The cone flower is the official flower of Ferndale. So our first winner tonight is for the Southwest section. It is 652 Pearson. This bricklooker is surrounded by all new plantings of perennials. Very lush, and it has some stately sculptures of gargoyles sitting on the sitting on the stairs welcoming you. Is anyone here from 652? Our next winner is in the northwest section. This house sits on the very edge of Ferndale. Sitting on the corn sitting at the corner of um of 696 and almost Hilton Road. It is a very brass, a very harsh, not harsh contrast. It is a great contrast of lush perennials and lush plantings that is an oasis of that area. Good evening, council, residents, fellow residents. It's a pleasure to be here. And it was very important to us to find a neighborhood that was walkable, and one that allowed us to have all the amenities, and we just absolutely fell in love with this house. I wasn't there, but I think that's a good idea. He's heard. And the previous owners, uh, thank goodness, they did a quite a renovation on the house that we can't necessarily take credit for, but they put on a thousand square foot addition to the house. So all the things that you would want and need in a modern home, they add it, such as uh large walk-in closets, second floor laundry, ensuite master uh bathroom, and just all the things that really made us fall in love with the house as soon as we saw it.

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