Livonia City Council Study Meeting – November 5, 2025

The Livonia City Council held its study meeting on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, beginning at 10:04 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium. The meeting, originally scheduled for 8:00 p.m., was delayed by the prior regular meeting. All 18 new-business items received a council motion to be placed on the consent agenda for the November 17, 2025 Regular Meeting; no objections were stated. No formal votes were taken at this study meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No audience communication was offered at the beginning or end of the meeting.
• During discussion of Item 6 (vacation time increase), Jerry Karaszynski of 19488 Bainbridge commented that the affected employees are salaried.

Consent Calendar — Directions for the November 17, 2025 Regular Meeting

Each item below was moved to consent; the minutes record the motion maker.

1. Waive sidewalk requirement (18723 Laurel Drive, Ken and Lisa Hunt): City Engineer Todd Zilincik supported the waiver because there are no sidewalks in the area. (Moved by Morgan)
2. Reappoint Melissa Karolak to the Livonia Brownfield Redevelopment Authority for a term ending November 24, 2028: staff noted about six years of service and supported the reappointment. (Moved by Donovic)
3. Reappoint Nicholas Lomako to the Livonia Brownfield Redevelopment Authority for a term ending November 24, 2028: staff described him as a valued member. (Moved by Scheel)
4. Waive formal bidding for Microsoft Office LTSC 2024: the Police Department said Office Professional Plus 2019 is at end of life and the update is needed for state and federal compliance; state contract pricing was used. (Moved by Morgan)
5. PILOT for Villa St. Clare: see detailed discussion below. (Moved by Budzinski)
6. Vacation time increase for overtime-exempt classifications: Human Resources Director Jeannine Laible recommended extending the same vacation benefit as department heads, calling it cost-neutral and helpful for recruitment and retention. (Moved by Ptashnik)
7. Waive sealed-bid process and purchase furniture, not to exceed $99,000, for the Jack E. Kirksey Recreation Center: Parks Director Ted Davis said the furniture is original to the 23-year-old facility and will be bought through a cooperative with Interior Environments. (Moved by Morgan)
8. Emergency fire alarm speaker/strobe replacement at Jack E. Kirksey Recreation Center: 103 strobes were evaluated, 22 were non-operational, and the mixed-age system created a seizure-safety risk; funding comes from generator sale proceeds. (Moved by Morgan)
9. Purchase 12 pairs of soccer goal nets: Assistant Public Works Director Doug Moore reported a 17% discount, for a total of $43,020.06. Discussion included a request to add nets to both sides at Mies Park in the future. (Moved by Budzinski)
10. Purchase two Toro Field Pro 6040 baseball diamond groomers for $76,761.78: Moore said state pricing was about half the cost of previously purchased units. (Moved by Toy)
11. Purchase five Kohler Lazer S-Series 749 mowers for $65,915.00: replacements for seven-to-eight-year-old units, purchased from local dealer Weingart's. (Moved by Toy)
12. Award 2026 Parks Tree and Stump Removal bid: five bidders; the apparent low bidder was rejected for failing to supply a bid bond and references, so the contract was directed to second-low bidder Ashton Tree Service, a Livonia company, with $65,000 in funds. (Moved by Ptashnik)
13. Award 2026 Right-of-Way Tree and Stump Removal bid: seven bids were received; low bidder Wonzi Tree Service (Alma) was recommended; costs were $228,484 for 2026 and $229,634 for 2027; 314 trees are on the removal list. (Moved by Budzinski)
14. Approve 2026 Road Repair Program: fourth year of the ten-year paving millage approved by residents in 2022; 48 street segments at approximately $10.38 million; 48% reconstruction, 35% rehabilitation, and 17% maintenance. Staff noted they rate roads themselves every two years, covering 373 miles and saving about $25,000 per cycle. (Moved by Donovic)
15. Amend OHM Advisors contract for the 2026 Asphalt Road Program (Contract 26-A): $184,900 design cost, 22 street segments in a $4.3 million program; OHM's Mark Locke has been involved since 2002. (Moved by Donovic)
16. Amend Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick (AEW) contract for the 2026 Concrete Road Program (Contract 26-C): $193,500 design cost, 17 street segments in a $4.5 million program; staff added Richland and Dardanella Avenue work to save mobilization costs. (Moved by Toy)
17. Amend AEW contract for the 2026 Concrete Road Maintenance/Selective Slab Program (Contract 26-J): $84,500 design cost, six street segments, and 23–25 miscellaneous locations in a $1.5 million program. (Moved by Morgan)
18. Amend Council Resolution 017-24 to designate Director of Finance Benjamin Grier as the city's official and voting representative at the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority annual meeting. Note: the documents spell the name inconsistently as Grier, Greier, and Greer. (Moved by Ptashnik)

Detailed Discussion: Villa St. Clare PILOT (Item 5)

• The request was to approve a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for Villa St. Clare, an affordable senior housing development at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent, 36800 Schoolcraft Road, undertaken by Villa St. Clare Limited Dividend Housing Association, LLC.
• The development is a partnership among MHT Housing, the Felician Sisters, and the Livonia Housing Commission. The PILOT would reduce the public-services service charge to 3%, described as about $24,000 per year.
• Shawn Bannon, CFO for the Felician Sisters, said the sisters have a 150-year history in North America and nearly a century in Livonia; the convent's west wing is unused and will be redeveloped.
• A councilmember asked whether the $24,000 would change; MHT noted the PILOT is calculated from annual shelter rents minus utilities, so it can increase as rents rise.
• City Attorney Carter Fisher clarified the ordinance permits a PILOT term not exceeding 50 years, but the term may be extended if council determines a longer aggregate term is necessary to provide consistent and affordable housing.
• MHT said all units will have some level of affordability, ranging from 30% to 80% of area median income; 32 Livonia Housing Commission vouchers will cap resident rent at 30% of income. The project's total development cost was cited as $25 million.
• Renovations are expected to start next summer with about 16 months of construction. Discussion noted 86 senior units cited by a councilmember, while an MHT representative said the renovation would create 68 modern units. The exterior would be preserved, two elevators would be replaced, and individual heating and cooling control would be added.

Key Outcomes

• All 18 items received a motion to place them on the consent portion of the November 17, 2025 Regular Meeting agenda; no council member objected.
• There were no formal approvals or rejections at the study meeting.
• The meeting adjourned at 10:49 p.m.