Port Huron City Council Meeting – October 27, 2025

The Port Huron City Council convened on October 27, 2025, at 7:00 PM (based on typical start time). The meeting included approval of prior minutes, extensive public comments, city manager reports, consent agenda approval, and two major infrastructure contracts. Several recurring topics dominated discussion: the termination of Polly's Place community garden lease, the closure of Lion Street, and traffic calming in Pine Grove Park.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of October 13, 2025: Approved unanimously (6-0; Councilmember Conrad absent).
• Resolution 1: Confirming single‑lot special assessments for special trash pickup and right‑of‑way.
• Resolution 2: Confirming single‑lot special assessments for large brush/branch pickup.
• Resolution 3: Confirming single‑lot special assessments for blight removal and nuisance abatement. All three resolutions were approved as part of the consent agenda on a 6-0 vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Julian Rook (Polly's Place): Presented printed emails showing he had agreed to pay for water hydrant taps, contradicting the city manager’s claim that he demanded free water. He accused City Manager James Freed of a personal vendetta, stating the city manager told him to “slow down” because council dislikes fast progress. Rook asserted he paid $11,900 in legal fees to finalize the lease and that his disabled mother’s living conditions have suffered due to Freed’s actions.
• Randy Grosser: Referenced Michigan Public Act 24 of 2025 regarding federal tax income calculations and asked council to investigate the abrupt ending of the September 22, 2025 city council video recording. He also noted that meals served at the soup kitchen rose from 5,000–6,000 (2021–2022) to 10,000–12,000 recently, indicating employment concerns.
• Unnamed Speaker (historic comments): Praised an October 18, 2025 “celebration of freedom” event as peaceful. Raised concerns about the Viaduct, a water main break on 17th Street, pothole repairs, and the Lapier Avenue street project delay. Noted that alleys are blocked, hindering tree removal.
• Curtis Carl (Parkin Township): Noted lack of signage for the new bike/pedestrian bridge over the canal. Expressed support for Polly’s Place water needs and cited an email showing the city offered water but did not follow through. Asked about $300,000+ annual revenue from marijuana dispensaries and whether it would be dedicated to a specific fund or go to general fund.
• Florian Maxwell (1519 Oak Street): Opposed the rejection of community gardens, especially after SNAP repeal, emphasizing the need for low‑income food options.
• Brenna Bland (SC4 student): Described a class field trip to Polly’s Place and urged council to retain the garden, citing benefits to food access, mental health, property values, and community cohesion. Expressed concern that tourism focus is squeezing out local families.
• Kloham King (SC4 student): Echoed support for Polly’s Place and stated he saw no reason to withhold water from the garden.
• Brian Farquhar: Criticized council for not discussing the creation of a tree commission at the prior meeting, only to create one days later. Objected to SC4’s purchase of City Flats, which removes commercial property from the tax rolls, and asked when residents will see tax relief from SC4’s presence. Opined that Polly’s Place was “set up to fail” because the master plan already earmarked the parcels for housing.
• Brian Zaytuna (Ryan’s Party Store): Presented a rendering and 474 petition signatures asking for Lion Street to be reinstated. He claimed MDOT lied about vacating the street and that the closure has caused a 40% drop in business. Asked council to help bring MDOT back to the table.
• Michelle Denny (manager at Ryan’s): Described near‑miss accidents and a blind corner at Lion Street; noted emergency vehicles are delayed by gridlock. Stated “something needs to be done.”
• Mark Gardner (1529 Lion Street): Supported Ryan’s Party Store request, warned of pedestrian safety risks from cars speeding through the parking lot.

Discussion Items

• City Manager’s Reports
  • September 22 Video Interruption: James Freed explained the broadcast equipment overheated and was destroyed; a borrowed transmitter is now in use.
  • Marijuana Dispensary Revenue: Approximately $300,000/year from six dispensaries goes to the general fund for police and fire. Freed cautioned that the market may not sustain long‑term revenue, so the city is being conservative.
  • Tree Task Force: Corrected that a “comprehensive forestry management work group” has been formed with a narrow scope to develop an RFP for a forestry management plan, not a permanent commission.
  • Lapier Avenue Project: Concrete subcontractor bailed; a new subcontractor secured and the project is on track for November completion.
  • Polly’s Place Defense: Freed denied setting up the garden to fail, stating the lease included zoning compliance conditions. He said the city bought buildable lots above market value, gave one to Habitat for Humanity, and intends to build nine single‑family homes on the site (plus 14 townhomes on an adjacent street) to address the housing shortage. Freed alleged that Rook demanded $10,000 to leave and has sent “hundreds of profane emails.” He maintained that the city does not provide free water and that Rook refused to pay metered water costs.
• Councilmember Questions on Polly’s Place: Councilmember (likely Archibald) asked why a problematic tenant was offered another property and why the city cannot support a community garden during SNAP cuts. Freed reiterated that water infrastructure for the housing development cannot be moved, and that Rook’s behavior has been consistently untruthful.
• Lion Street Discussion: City Manager Freed clarified that street vacation procedures have changed; the Register of Deeds now requires a circuit court action, which complicates reopening Lion Street. He stated it is unlikely MDOT will redesign their project, but the city will work with MDOT and the business owner to explore options.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approved: 6-0.
• Consent Agenda Approved: 6-0.
• Bid #1 – Secondary Clarifier Rehabilitation: Approved (6-0) the bid from J.F. Kavanaugh Company for $8,875,615. The project will rehabilitate three 1‑million‑gallon clarifier tanks at the wastewater treatment plant, with completion by December 2027. The amount is budgeted in the multi‑year capital improvement plan; water rates will not increase.
• Bid #2 – Secondary Building Roof Rehabilitation: Approved (6-0) the bid from William Molnar Roofing Inc. for $1,269,000. The work was also budgeted and anticipated.
• Pine Grove Park Speed Bumps: City Manager Freed acknowledged he mistakenly ordered aggressive speed bumps instead of speed humps. The bumps will be removed; proper speed humps will be installed after April 15, 2026 (when installation is permitted). Councilmember (unidentified) supported the change to improve pedestrian safety.
• Lion Street: The city will work with MDOT and the business owner to understand the street vacation process; no commitment to reopen the street was made.