Livonia City Council 2040th Regular Meeting - May 4, 2026

The City Council of Livonia held its 2040th Regular Meeting on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 7:00 PM. Councilmembers McDonnell, Persiconi, Ptashnik, Brockway, McCullough, and Reed were present; Budzinski was absent. The meeting included approvals for park improvements, a denied appeal for charity poker, and authorization to distribute the Master Plan's Housing Sustainability chapter (Book 5) for public review. The meeting adjourned at 8:07 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Item #1 (Block Party on Arden Street): Approved for June 12, 2026.
• Item #2 (Accessible Entrance at Newburg Schoolhouse): Awarded to KAB Enterprises ($55,075).
• Item #4 (HVAC Maintenance at Recreation/Senior Centers): Awarded to W.J. O'Neil Company ($1,042,664 over 3 years).
• Item #5 (Shelden Park Site Furnishings): Awarded to Kerr Albert Office Supply ($49,674).
• Item #3 (Greenmead Roof) and Item #6 (City-Owned Property Purchase): Removed from the consent agenda for separate handling.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Steve King: Criticized the meeting structure for placing important business late in the agenda and argued the consent agenda is too large, undermining transparency. Later spoke against wood shakes for the Greenmead roof, promoting synthetic alternatives.
• Denise Mika: Questioned the city's financial reporting, citing a $2.4 million budget adjustment in Department 265 and requesting more transparency on budget changes rather than simple 'receive and file' approvals.
• Christopher Martin: Raised concerns about 16th District Court work program employees idling in city vehicles and asked about the city's process for removing dead deer from roadways.
• John Schaefer: Asked about the status of city generators used to power traffic lights during outages and requested a summary of the Master Plan's Book 5.
• John Grzebik: Expressed strong support for the police/fire and senior/parks/cultural millage renewals, emphasizing they are renewals with no new taxes.
• Greg Ralko: Criticized the city for defending the ZBA's decision on a Sheetz development in court, questioning who in the city administration is pushing the defense. Later argued the Sheetz proposal conflicts with Greenmead's historic setting and the master plan.
• Betsy Calhoun: Defended the Historic Preservation Commission's process for the Greenmead roof, stating they follow Secretary of the Interior guidelines. Later stated Book 5 gives insufficient attention to environmental sustainability.
• Jerry Karasinski: Supported historical preservation for Greenmead and urged moving the master plan amendment forward to begin the public comment process.
• Jim Biga: Requested a long-term maintenance plan for Greenmead roofs. Later criticized the Book 5 review process for lacking sufficient public input before moving forward.
• Jim Baringhaus: Chair of the Greenleaf Commission, stated Book 5 does not fully address environmental sustainability and should include energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainable site planning.
• Naz Cimsit: Encouraged the city to address carbon emissions and the impact of mosquito spraying on native pollinators in the housing plan.
• John Pastor: Urged a 'no' vote on the Wayne County transit millage to protect Livonia's local transit authority from being overridden.

Discussion Items

• Council Announcements: Councilmember McDonnell passed a motion to review purchases between $15,000 and $19,999 at the Committee of the Whole for greater transparency. Vice President Brockway referred the topic of ultralight aircraft safety to the Law and Education Committee. Councilmember McCullough announced a charity hockey event raising nearly $10,000.
• Greenmead Roof Replacement (Item #3): Councilmember McCullough argued for traditional cedar shakes to preserve the historical character of the park, despite hearing comments about synthetic alternatives. The bid from Cedar Preservation Systems ($23,680) was unanimously approved 6-0.
• Waiver Petition - The Rack Charity Poker (Item #7): Council unanimously (6-0) denied the appeal of a Planning Commission denial for a pool hall to host charity poker games. The denial cited incompatibility with the commercial corridor, over-concentration of gaming, parking deficiencies, failure to meet waiver standards, and potential for an undesirable precedent.
• Master Plan Amendment - Book 5 Housing Sustainability (Item #8): Council clarified the vote authorized distribution for a public hearing, not final adoption. The motion to distribute passed 6-0. A subsequent motion to refer the item to the Law and Education Committee also passed 6-0.

Key Outcomes

• Greenmead Roof Bid (Item #3): Awarded to Cedar Preservation Systems ($23,680). Passed 6-0.
• Charity Poker Appeal (Item #7): Denial upheld, concurring with Planning Commission. Passed 6-0.
• Master Plan Amendment Distribution (Item #8): Authorized for public review and hearing. Passed 6-0. Referred to Law and Education Committee. Passed 6-0.
• Ralko Speaking Time: Extended by 90 seconds by a 5-1 vote (Ptashnik dissenting).
• Council Procedures: Purchases between $15,000 and $19,999 to be reviewed at the Committee of the Whole.
• Committee Referrals: Ultralight aircraft and Master Plan Book 5 referred to Law & Education Committee.
• Agenda Adjustments: Item #6 (Request to Purchase City-Owned Property) was removed from the agenda.