Livonia City Council 2032nd Regular Meeting - January 14, 2026

The Livonia City Council held its 2032nd Regular Meeting on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium, 33000 Civic Center Drive. All seven Councilmembers were present: President Kayleigh Reid, Vice President Patrick Brockway, Brandon McCullough, Eileen McDonnell, Carrie Budzinski, Robin Persiconi, and Martha Ptashnik. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m. The Council approved the prior meeting's minutes, the consent agenda, several waiver petitions, contract extensions, and numerous committee referrals.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the December 17, 2025 regular meeting minutes unanimously.
• Approved sidewalk waivers for new homes at 20610, 20630, and 20650 Meadowview (Livonia Builders G2, LLC) and 20129 Osmus (Infinity Homes & Co., LLC), reserving the right to require sidewalks in the future.
• Approved waiver use petition 2025-10-02-18 (Charara Property LLC) to add an oil change operation to a coin-operated car wash at 38400 Joy Road, subject to 13 conditions including operating hours, parking, dumpster enclosure, lighting, and a one-year validity period.
• Awarded the 2026 Connections magazine printing contract to Accuform Printing & Graphics, Inc., not to exceed $71,736.
• Authorized donation of outdated Livonia Television equipment to Clarenceville High School.
• Approved a five-year sublease and health services agreement with Trinity Health-Michigan d/b/a Trinity Livonia for physical and occupational rehabilitation services at the Jack E. Kirksey Recreation Center, April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031, at $60,000 annual rent plus 20 corporate passes.
• Waived formal bidding and extended Joe Rotondo Construction Corp.'s 24-G unit prices for repaving the Kirksey Recreation Center entrance, not to exceed $129,935.50.
• Authorized a $26,500 upgrade package for a leaf vacuum through the State of Michigan MiDEAL purchasing program.
• Authorized payment of the 2026 MISS DIG 811 subscription, not to exceed $26,450.48.
• Awarded a three-year fire protection system testing and maintenance contract to Midwest Alarm Services, total not to exceed $52,584; the Vanguard Fire & Security bid was rejected as incomplete, unsigned, and lacking year two/three pricing.
• Approved a one-year sole-source software licensing and maintenance renewal with Azteca Systems, LLC (Cityworks Online), March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027, not to exceed $105,925.20. All consent items were approved 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Nas Simpson, speaking for the Schoolcraft Environment Club, urged the City to test for pesticide/herbicide contaminants such as 2,4-D, Paraquat, and Rotenone.
• Mike Kelly, Neil Moras, and Matt Hansen, Quaker Town residents, criticized the previous Council's December 17, 2025 approval of a car wash at the former Buca di Beppo site on Six Mile Road and asked the current Council to reverse it.
• Denise Mica alleged an Open Meetings Act violation arising from four Councilmembers' email request to place the car wash item on the December agenda; she also raised traffic concerns about the car wash site.
• Greg Ralko (Golf Ridge Villa) said Council members stop listening after election and asked Councilmember Ptashnik to move to rescind the car wash vote.
• Patty Riggio, President of Willow Woods HOA, urged the Council to postpone permits for the Sheetz development at Eight Mile and Newburgh until pending Wayne County Circuit Court litigation is resolved.
• Ralph McNabb said the Law Department had not provided a requested summary, and asserted the Sheetz use variance was never approved by the Planning Commission or City Council, making further site work improper.
• Denny Barenson, Deer Creek HOA representative, cited City Charter Chapter 4, Section 31 as authorizing Council to limit the number and location of gas stations.
• Laura Shoemaker (Golf Ridge Villa) opposed the Sheetz development, citing zoning, the 100-foot park buffer, environmental risks, and lack of responses from Council.
• In later sessions, Steve King (Coventry Gardens) questioned sidewalk waivers, opposed the Outback liquor license, supported more scrutiny of the tree contract, and opposed outside fleet maintenance vendors; Jim Biga argued the tree contract was a new scope and raised Open Meetings Act concerns; Jerry Karasinski supported the 12-month car wash moratorium and other referrals; Denise Mica called for a new traffic study on the Symmetry restaurant and questioned contract documentation; Mirella Karahusick, petitioner for the Joy Road banquet center, thanked neighbors and Council for support.

Reports and Committee Assignments

• The Department of Finance's financial statements for September 2025 were received and placed on file.
• City Attorney Carter Fisher answered Council questions, including that Council does not approve variances and generally cannot withhold permits from applicants who meet statutory or ordinance requirements; he also noted projects over $30,000 must go out to bid unless an exception applies.
• Councilmembers announced local events: MLK breakfast, artist meetup, pizza event, and charity hockey game.
• Councilmember Ptashnik responded to criticism of her car wash vote, citing traffic improvements and clarifying her comments; she recognized Livonia Fire Department for responding to 13,264 calls in 2025, averaging about 36 calls per day.
• Committee organization was completed under CR 498-05: committee assignments were received and filed, and Councilmembers were designated as delegate/representative to SEMCOG, SPREE, MMRMA, Retirement Board, Tree Committee, Hearts of Livonia, St. Mary Hospital Healthy Livonia, Bike-Walk Livonia, and Michigan Municipal Services Authority; Ptashnik was named Parliamentarian. All designations were approved 7-0.

Unfinished Business

• Item 13 (Symmetry Management): Approved 7-0 an amendment to eliminate the Chippewa Drive access requirement for a proposed 2,515-square-foot drive-thru restaurant at 39200 Seven Mile Road, with conditions including signage for exiting east onto Seven Mile. A resident requested a new traffic study.
• Item 14 (Outback Steakhouse): Approved 6-1, with Vice President Brockway dissenting, the waiver use to allow an SDM liquor license (off-premises beer, wine, and mixed drinks) at 13010 Middle Belt Road, and also approved 6-1 the waiver of the 500-foot separation requirement between SDM-licensed establishments.
• Item 15 (Detroit Light Action LLC): Approved 6-1, with Councilmember McCullough dissenting, a waiver use for a banquet center with more than 50-person occupancy at 28370 Joy Road; conditions include a 100-guest maximum, events ending by 10:00 p.m., no outside alcohol, and no signage without further approval. A related 300-foot separation waiver was also approved 6-1.
• Item 16 (Boon Development tree trimming): A substitute motion to limit the extension to January 1-March 31, 2026, at not to exceed $93,000, failed 3-4. The original motion extending the 2026 tree trimming contract with current pricing, not to exceed $375,000, passed 4-3 (AYES: Budzinski, Persiconi, Ptashnik, Reid; NAYS: McCullough, McDonnell, Brockway).
• Item 17 (ERG Environmental Services): Approved 7-0 amending the household hazardous waste contract to provide year-round drop-off service for 2026 and 2027, with an annual budget of $195,000 from the Municipal Refuse Fund.
• Item 18 (Fleet maintenance vendors): Approved 6-1, with McCullough dissenting, a waiver of formal bidding to allow designated outside vendors for City fleet repairs and maintenance, not to exceed $300,000 for fiscal year 2026.
• Item 19 (Car wash ordinance): Councilmember Ptashnik proposed referring a one-mile separation ordinance to the Law Department. Councilmember McCullough offered a substitute to impose a 12-month moratorium on approvals of all new car washes citywide. The substitute was allowed and adopted unanimously as Resolution 35-26, 7-0.

New Business and Referrals

• Referred data centers and zoning issues to the Economic Development, Strategic Planning and Technology Committee, 7-0.
• Referred potential ordinance language on minimum distance between gas/oil stations and bodies of water to the Department of Law, 7-0.
• Referred studying potential limitations on the number of new gas stations and car washes to the Economic Development, Strategic Planning and Technology Committee, 7-0.
• Referred the 100-foot buffer requirement for gas stations to the Department of Law, 7-0.
• Referred a charter process improvement to the Law and Education Committee, 7-0.
• Referred residential property maintenance enforcement to the Law and Education Committee, 7-0.
• Referred construction of a new police station to the Capital Outlay and Infrastructure Committee, 7-0.
• A proposed referral on vacant commercial properties and fines was withdrawn after Councilmember Budzinski noted the topic was already being addressed in the Economic Development, Strategic Planning and Technology Committee.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted minutes, 11 consent agenda items, committee organization, and all board/committee designations unanimously.
• Approved three Planning Commission waiver petitions with conditions: oil change, Outback SDM liquor license, and Joy Road banquet center.
• Approved the 2026 tree trimming contract at $375,000 by a 4-3 vote after a substitute limiting funding to $93,000 failed.
• Approved the ERG year-round hazardous waste contract amendment at $195,000 annually.
• Approved outside fleet maintenance vendor authority at $300,000 by 6-1.
• Approved a 12-month citywide moratorium on new car wash approvals, 7-0, while referring the underlying ordinance question to the Law Department.
• Adopted six committee referrals on data centers, gas station/water distances, gas station/car wash limits, 100-foot buffer, charter process, residential property enforcement, and a new police station.
• The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.