Port Huron City Council Meeting - September 22, 2025
Port Huron City Council Meeting - September 22, 2025
The Port Huron City Council met on September 22, 2025, to address a range of community issues, including public comments on zoning, infrastructure, and economic development, followed by staff reports and unanimous approvals of contracts, a funding report, and a partnership with St. Clair County Community College (SC4).
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of the September 8, 2025 regular council meeting were approved unanimously.
- Consent agenda items (not individually read) were approved as a block, including:
- Resolution confirming single lot assessments for brush/branch pickup (Resolution No. 5)
- Resolution confirming single lot assessments for blight removal and nuisance abatement (Resolution No. 6)
- Ordinance (first reading) to rezone properties at 218 Riverview Street and 2601 Omar Street from M1 (light industrial) to PUD (planned unit development), and 2530, 2520, 2500 vacant lots on Wright Street from R1 (residential) to PUD.
- Ordinance (first reading) to amend Chapter 16 for a service charge in lieu of taxes for the Robins Crest low-income housing project.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Julian Rutt (Polly's Place): Reported that the city terminated his 10-year lease for Polly's Place on the South End without warning, after a year and a half of delays (no water hookup). He expressed frustration and proposed pivoting to a virtual gardening app. He asked council for support beyond a proposed buyout of his shed.
- Claudia Smith (2625 Wright Street): Supported rezoning the former Dunn Paper property to PUD and opposed any heavy industrial use or gravel truck traffic. She questioned whether materials would arrive by ship and why demolition stopped.
- Ken Harris (1521 Wall Street): Raised concerns about road conditions (La Pierre Road, Grassford Avenue, Water Street), questioned CAFER fund spending (unused $30,000), alleged a contractor damaged a home and the owner received a ticket, and noted a suspicious water service line mailing.
- Bishop Kim Brown: Thanked the city manager and Cynthia for a presentation on the South Side reinvestment center and expressed support for community voices and youth programs through SCORE.
- Kirk Kramer (President, SC4): Reported fall enrollment up 20%, highlighted collaborative vision for campus-city connections (walkability, safety), and announced a joint project with the city to develop a parking lot.
- Brian Farquhar: Criticized the city's new AI feature on the website for inaccurate responses, noted poor bike lane signage and missing crosswalks (especially near Holland Woods Middle School), and urged enforcement and better pedestrian infrastructure.
- Pete Lacey (SC4): Shared positive community events (Wolverine Invitational wheelchair basketball, Thumb Coast Tip-Off, STEM Fest attendance growing to 7,000) and thanked council for making Port Huron welcoming.
- Betty Hall (2107 Stone Street): Asked about job creation and promoting Port Huron for new employers, noting empty industrial park parcels and a homeless population.
- Terry Baum (2704 Wright Street): Strongly opposed any industrial use of the Dunn Paper property, supported the PUD rezoning, and expressed faith in council despite a pending lawsuit.
- Curtis Carl (Port Huron Township): Complained about road damage (Water Street, 13th Street, Kearney Street), requested tree trimming at the Water Street boat ramp, noted missing sidewalks on Botsford Street, and complained about high chlorine levels in tap water.
- Alan Skinner (Stone Street): Suggested a full-line grocery store within a 15-minute walk of the new South Park community center, asked for speed/noise abatement on Stone Street, and criticized the city's five-year plan for not rezoning the Dunn Paper area sooner.
- Ignazio Balsamo (Oakwood Building Company): Stated he was the contractor on a project at 515 River Street that was halted, claimed he waited seven weeks for disposal site determination, was accused of ghosting, and then the job was awarded to another contractor without public bid. He requested an opportunity to complete the work.
- Trash Clown (resident): Urged proactive action on mental health services (crisis line, social workers with police), pedestrian safety (sidewalks, streetlights), and community service by city employees. Criticized council for focusing on pocket parks and entertainment over basic needs.
- James Freed (resident, not city manager): Asked about job creation and promoting the city.
Discussion Items
- City Manager's Report (James Freed):
- Water Street reconstruction from 13th to 10th (approved $800,000 project) will begin in spring 2026; also planning replacements from 10th Street Bridge past LaPierre.
- Water service line letters are part of state-mandated lead service line inventory following the Flint crisis; residents are asked to help identify material.
- Jobs update: 850 million in new investment over 10 years, 3,750 jobs created, but 300 jobs currently unfilled in the industrial park due to worker shortage. A mental health social worker is now embedded with police (crisis hotline 988).
- Explained why the city did not buy the Dunn Paper property: rezoning takes time; the plant never submitted a formal plan until the city initiated zoning change.
- Resolution No. 1 – CAPER Report: Jasmine (staff) presented the Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report for 2024 to HUD, highlighting two neighborhood cleanups, 29 housing rehab projects, and plans to partner with nonprofits for credit repair and other services. Council discussed outreach via RFP and nonprofit partnerships. Funding is secure for 2025.
- Resolution No. 2 – SC4 Parking Lot MOU: City Manager Freed explained the MOU with SC4 to transfer a city-owned parking lot (corner of Michigan and Bard Street). SC4 will rehabilitate the lot at no cost to the city and keep it free public parking as long as all city lots remain free. This supports SC4 student housing and downtown vitality. Unanimously approved.
- Bid Acceptance – Water Filtration Plant: Accepted Ainsworth Electric's bid of $967,730 for control panel upgrades, about $217,000 over budget but necessary. Only one bid received; Freed noted challenges in soliciting bids.
Key Outcomes
- All consent agenda items and resolutions were approved unanimously (7-0).
- Bid for water filtration plant upgrades awarded to Ainsworth Electric.
- CAPER report authorized for submission to HUD.
- MOU with SC4 for parking lot transfer approved, with SC4 funding rehabilitation and maintaining public parking.
- Ordinances (rezoning and housing tax abatement) advanced to second reading; final enactment will occur at a future meeting.
- City Manager committed to addressing road issues (Water Street, Kearney Street) and noted that the lead service line survey is ongoing.
Meeting Transcript
Pledge allegiance, please. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands under God with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Before we get started, I just wanted to uh take this uh opportunity to thank the citizens of Port Huron for your outpouring of prayers and love uh on the in the recent uh tragedy that we had in our city with the uh you know the father and the young man and everything. You guys just showed out and those listening, we want to thank you. You gave from the heart your prayers and your monies, and you didn't think where there was a penny to to a hundred, whatever it was, it all came together, and I was so happy to see that take place in a community such as ours where we came together and we made a difference in the lives of the people that were you know got caught up in that whole scene. So thank you so much uh for all that. And then I also would like to um to thank uh B Rock uh and uh and a lot of other people. I I think it's 9-11 that weekend of 9-11. Um so much was happening here in our city. You know how we always complain about there's nothing to do, but yes, there was something to do. I mean, we were at Pine Grove Park, we were at the soup kitchen, B Rock was at uh doing their thing at Pine Grove Park, and we had the international people were really I mean Port Hair has been alive all this summer, you know, not just the heat. We we've been out there taking advantage of of all the good things that have happened. I know we hear a lot of things, bad things when we come in here, but you know, life is good. You just have to be out there and become a part of it and get engaged, you know, with one another and making sure our city is what we we make it because it's the people that makes the difference. So I just wanted to thank everybody. Now we will proceed uh with the roll call, please. Councilmember Archibald here, Councilmember Haremza? Here, Councilmember Lamb here, Councilmember Mojrat? Here, Councilmember Peyton, here councilmember Pemberton here, Mayor Ashford, present members. You have before you minutes of the regular council meeting of September the 8th. Uh, is there a motion? So moved moved by council uh Mayor Pro Tim Archibald and supported by Councilmember Pemberton. Any discussion? Okay, hearing none. Uh vote. Councilmember Archibald, yes. Councilmember Haremza? Yes. Councilmember Lamb? Yes. Councilmember Mojrac? Yes. Councilmember Peyton? Yes. Councilmember Pemberton. Yes. Mayor Ashford. Yes. Next we have on our agenda. This is a time for public comment. Uh if anyone in the audience wishes to address the city council on any agenda item or any matter under this city's jurisdiction, now is the time to do so. You are allotted one four-minute opportunity to make your comments. Please begin uh by citing your name and address so we can have that for the record. Welcome, Mr. Upp. Julian Rutt Polly's place. On September 11th, I got an email from the city telling me that the city was terminating the lease for my location at Polly's Place on the South End. No discussion, no warning, no vote with the community, no public conversation, just it's being terminated. So I got on social media, like can you believe this nonsense?
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