Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The Livonia City Council met in study session on Monday, August 31, 2026, beginning at 8:26 p.m. and adjourning at 8:57 p.m. Councilmembers present were President Reid, Robin Persiconi, Martha Ptashnik, Vice President Brockway, Brandon McCullough, and Carrie Budzinski; Eileen McDonnell was absent. The study meeting set the agenda for the September 14, 2026 regular meeting, where the items will receive formal votes. The raw transcript contains an item-numbering skip for the Clarenceville parade item; the agenda and minutes list it as item 4, and this summary follows that numbering.
All 12 new-business items were directed to the consent agenda for September 14, 2026, by individual councilmember motions.
Good evening, everyone. Please rise for the Pledge Allegiance led by the Councilmember Martha Tashnick. I pledge allegiance to the fire of the United States of America. For which it stands one nation under God. Welcome to the August 31st, 2026 study session of the Lavonia City Council. This meeting sets the agenda for the 2048th regular meeting, which is a voting meeting that will take place on Monday, September 14th, 2026, where tonight's items will be officially voted on. We have six council members here tonight. We are just missing councilwoman McDonald. We will start off with audience communication. We've set aside 30 minutes for audience communication for items that are not on the agenda, and you have three minutes to speak. Good evening, sir. Name and address, please. You have three minutes. Good evening, Jerry Karsinski, 1948, Bainbridge Avenue. I want to talk about an observation I have about what's been going on of late in this city. It seems that expediency is more important than a lot of other values that we have in the city. We seem to look for ways to just uh get an idea item done, and then we just question other people that seem to have want to have uh a little bit higher uh perspective of accountability, and that's what I'm seeing going on, and it's very disheartening to me. And I would like that uh you would consider that as well as everybody that works for the city, whether they're the mayor or any of our fine employees that we have in the city, that we start looking for not the expedient simple quickest way to get this item off my list, but what's the exact right thing to do on this particular item and what precedent are we going to set for things going forward? Thank you. Thank you. Any other audience communication? Good evening, sir. Name and address, please, you have three minutes. Um, I think the city council, um, in fairness to all parties, needs to ask the legal department, do it formally, informally, but preferably formally, send them a letter and saying that we request that you withhold the defense that's been pursued on the matter with the uh the citizens in their appeal against the actions of the ZBA. Um, I think that would be fair. And the reason I'm and I'm not asking for a favor, we're asking for the favor of a of being of fairness. The petitioner is not harmed in that scenario. The petitioner would have an opportunity to file for another uh use variance with the ZBA. Um with the citizens and the residents, we would be harmed. Um, if we don't do this. And we got clarification from Mr. Hannah two weeks ago. That it's the property line. And the reason for that is that it provides safety, safety when it when speaking about gas stations. Carrie, you're very much about that. Um that's why you voted no to rezone that. Very clear. You did it twice. Three times, actually. So so the corner is is in violation of the it's in violation of the ordinance. And there's another ordinance, too. Under the restaurant provision of the uh ordinances, it says that you cannot have a drive-through restaurant in a C1.