Livonia City Council Study Meeting – May 18, 2026

The Livonia City Council met for a study session on Monday, May 18, 2026. The agenda listed 8:00 p.m., but the minutes record the meeting was called to order at 8:17 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium by Council President Reid. Present were Robin Persiconi, Martha Ptashnik, Vice President Brockway, Eileen McDonnell, and President Reid; Carrie Budzinski and Brandon McCullough were absent. The meeting was an agenda-setting session for the June 1, 2026 regular meeting, described as the 2042nd regular meeting, where final votes are scheduled. It adjourned at 10:02 p.m. Officials present included Interim City Attorney Eric Goldstein, Planning Director Mark Taormina, and City Engineer Todd Zilincik.

Consent Calendar

Council directed the following items to the consent agenda for the June 1, 2026 regular meeting:

• Three block party requests: Nicholas Scott (Ohio Street, July 4), Brittany Matties (Ladywood Street, July 25), and Carol Dobos (Cranston Street, August 22), all with rain dates.
• Vacating petition 2026-03-03-01 for water main and scenic easements at 33500 Seven Mile Road.
• Reappointments of Sam Caramagno, Peter Ventura, and Glen Long to the Planning Commission for three-year terms expiring June 9, 2029.
• Bound Tree Medical contract extension for emergency medical supplies and equipment, not to exceed $130,000 annually.
• Waiver of sealed bidding for seven marked and five unmarked police vehicles through State of Michigan cooperative pricing.
• CLEMIS participation agreement and membership continuation.
• ESRI GIS software maintenance renewal for one year at $47,305.
• Greenmead Historical Village caretaking contract with Jeffrey Ronayne for December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2028, with two additional two-year renewal options.
• Two donations: $138 from Michiganense Natives and $7,500 from the Michigan Recycling Coalition.
• Ford Field Diamond #7 backstop and dugout bench replacement bid award of $14,140.
• Sole source authorization for stormwater, water main, and sanitary manhole items not to exceed $200,000 annually for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Public Comments & Testimony

General audience communication:

• Denise Mika requested that legal notices published in newspapers also be posted on the city website or in council minutes, and asked a procedural question about when bond notices become valid.
• Steve King expressed opposition to the wetlands police station plan, saying 18,000 people rejected the original plan and that the current station could be renovated for one-third of the cost. He supported funding police from the general fund and accused the city of pausing the wetlands plan until after the August safety millage vote.
• Jim Biga recommended the council assign resident concerns to individual council members and report back at the next meeting.
• Christopher Martin asked for agenda-item assignments and asked whether council members should endorse items from the dais or only from the podium as individuals.
• John Pastor gave a road project update and defended the police department and council, criticizing Steve King.
• In response, Reid said legal notices are included in approved minutes and noted that about 66% of the general fund, approximately $50 million, pays for public safety. McDonnell raised library accessibility issues and said the areas behind the courthouse and library are wetlands, though unregulated because they are under five acres.
• At the end of the meeting, James Crowley said a resident should not have been allowed to attack another resident and asked the council to address transparency when people doing contracts with the city speak as residents.

Item 4 (Fox Drive condition):

• Brandon Grysko, attorney for Mannik & Smith Group and Six Mile LLC, requested amendment of Council Resolution 402-25, arguing the petitioner does not control the right-of-way and needs the Fox Drive access condition removed or modified so the development and the traffic signal can proceed.
• Jeff Horka of Masco Corporation supported the request, calling the traffic signal critical to safety and noting Masco has about 200 employees in the area.
• John Wright of Schoolcraft College supported it, saying the $1.2 million signal would reduce angle crashes; he cited eight angle crashes from 2017 to 2021 that the signal could address.
• Jake Relette of Mannik & Smith Group said the trip-generation analysis was for the use change and would not materially differ with or without Fox Drive access.
• Residents Jim Biga, Jerry Karasinski, and Denise Mika voiced concerns or opposition. Biga said the proposed signal placement was unsafe and the public had been misled; Karasinski said he was not in favor of making the concession to the developer and suggested businesses buy out the landowner rather than rely on eminent domain; Mika said the earlier approval was rushed and the traffic study was not in the packet.
• Horka later suggested eminent domain may be necessary if the landowner continues not to respond.

Item 13 (Greenmead caretaker):

• Christopher Martin opposed the contract because it includes rent-free residence in the Greenmead parsonage, arguing the city should seek rent and still require the caretaking services.

Item 6 (reappointments):

• Christopher Martin opposed Sam Caramagno's reappointment, citing multiple committee roles and cronyism concerns. Jerry Karasinski supported Caramagno. Steve King asked the council to consider term limits and conflicts for long-serving commission members.

Item 19 (water and sewer rates):

• Jerry Karasinski asked about the $1.7 million billing cost and efficiency. Cindy Fleming encouraged residents to participate in the lead service line identification program.

Discussion Items

• Item 4: Councilmembers debated whether removing the Fox Drive condition would make the access optional. Planning Director Taormina confirmed that under the substitute language, the Fox Drive access would no longer be required. Councilmember McDonnell requested the current traffic study and wanted the item on the regular agenda. Councilmember Persiconi suggested language that would let the developer adjust driveways while keeping Fox Drive access as a continuing condition. Vice President Brockway cited planning commission minutes in which a traffic engineer said a second access was crucial, and offered a denial motion. The council ultimately directed both an approval motion and a denial motion to the June 1 regular agenda.
• Item 17 (rock salt): Doug Moore explained the cooperative bid through Farmington Hills had a low bidder become unresponsive, so Detroit Salt was recommended. Livonia would commit to 4,200 tons for the 2026-2027 season, with a second season and four one-year extensions at 5% increases. Councilmember McDonnell asked about the ability to opt out; Moore said the city would likely pay market rates if it left the consortium. Vice President Brockway moved the item to the regular agenda for review.
• Item 19 (water and sewer rates): Zach Haapala presented the FY 2026-27 rate proposal. Water and sewer are a self-funded enterprise fund. GLWA's water rate increase for Livonia is 5.62% and Wayne County's sewer increase is estimated at 6.58%, effective July 1, 2026. The proposal keeps fixed fees unchanged and increases variable rates; the average residential user at 20 units per quarter would see an increase of $4.60 per month, or $13.80 per quarter, a 6.16% increase. Projected expenditures are about $55.3 million, with projected cash of just under $16 million, covering about 135 days. Capital projects include replacing water main in Section 22, where there have been 96 breaks since 2016, lead service line work, and sewer lining. Councilmember Ptashnik voiced support and moved the item to the regular agenda.

Key Outcomes

• No binding votes were taken; this was a study meeting.
• Consent agenda recommendations were made for items 1-3, 5-16, and 18.
• Item 4 was directed to the June 1 regular agenda with both an approval motion and a denial motion.
• Item 17, the rock salt purchase authorization, was directed to the June 1 regular agenda.
• Item 19, the water and sewer rate adjustments, was directed to the June 1 regular agenda.
• The meeting adjourned at 10:02 p.m.; final votes are scheduled for the June 1, 2026 regular meeting.