City of Southfield Regular Meeting Summary - March 31, 2026
City of Southfield Regular Meeting Summary - March 31, 2026
This meeting, held on March 31, 2026, included recognition of Employee of the Month, public comments on the ICE lease at One Town Center and other topics, approval of several consent and public hearing items, and a major discussion on a proposed amendment to the Northland City Center Overlay Development District to allow a sports dome. The council voted on multiple items, with the sports dome amendment failing.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of minutes from Committee of the Whole meetings on March 9 and 16, and the Regular Meeting on March 23.
- Approval of consent agenda items: receipt of bids for asphalt repairs (Item A), receipt of bids for concrete repairs (Item B), reimbursement agreement with the Rural Commission for Oakland County for 2026 street sweeping (Item C), and 2026 summer maintenance agreement (Item D, added during meeting: Orchard's Children's Services Game License Raffle on April 30). All items were approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Bridget Mallory (Berkeley resident, Southfield business owner for 20 years): Expressed concern about the lease of space at One Town Center to OPLA, the lawyers for ICE, noting the agency is under federal investigation. Asked the council to continue engaging with Redico about the lease's impact on the community.
- Barbara Talley (Southfield resident, former council member): Stated support for the city's resolution affirming community safety and civil rights, and called on residents to remain committed to a welcoming and inclusive community.
- Patricia Talley (Southfield resident, Barbara Talley's daughter): Supported the resolution and announced upcoming International Day of Peace event on September 21.
- Lauren Fink (Southfield resident, Southfield Neighbors Action Committee): Expressed disappointment that the council had not taken more action on the ICE lease. Asked the council to send a letter or pass a resolution asking Redico to hold a town hall meeting to answer questions about the tenant.
- Greg Keeler (Southfield resident): Raised concerns about the sewer line on Circle Drive, stating that residents did not deny the sewer line installation. Requested that $3.1 million in federal funds be used to help residents with septic systems and code violations. Noted he is a senior and cannot sell his house without sewer connection.
- Robert Barrett: Deferred his comments to the dome discussion.
- Sue Egbert: Wanted to hear about the rezoning of Lincoln Drive before commenting.
- Chasad Johnson (Southfield resident, Southfield Neighbors Action Committee): Asked the council to be partners with residents on the ICE lease issue, noting they understand the council cannot overturn the lease but asking for support in engaging Redico.
- Jessica Merrick (Southfield resident): Expressed concern about the ICE lawyers' office at One Town Center, recalling previous work with the council on a gun shop issue. Asked for zoning changes to prevent such uses in the future.
- Keith Harris (Southfield resident): Demanded that awards given by the Black Caucus to certain individuals be returned and reissued to Barbara Talley, whom he considered more deserving. Called for recognition of Talley's contributions.
- Pamela Gerald (Southfield resident): Criticized council members for late campaign finance reports and suggested an ordinance barring swearing-in if reports are not filed on time. Also praised Barbara Talley.
- Public comments on the sports dome: Several speakers expressed support, including parents, youth sports coaches, and business representatives. Leo Pastor, Matthew Katz (hotel developer), Robert Barry (DCFC South Oakland), Matthew Williams (Detroit Tigers), Tim McAvoy (Detroit Tigers RBI), John Perry (athlete/architectural designer), Pamela Gerald (supporting but asked for unique sports), Iva Williams (resident, on the fence, concerned about lack of town hall and non-resident support), Chrissy (resident, supported), Lana LaFleur Jackson (resident, supported), Steve Cook (former coach, supported).
Discussion Items
- Employee of the Month Recognition: Rhonda Terry was recognized for 30 years of service as an outreach caseworker. Council members and staff praised her compassion, initiative in creating programs like Tone Up for Tune Up and Adopt a Family, and her role as a greeter. The recognition was approved unanimously.
- PSLU 26-0001 – Special Use Request for 248 Garage: Request to add a Class B used vehicle dealer to an existing vehicle storage facility at 2085 Telegraph Road. The business operates entirely online with no public on-site sales. Council approved the request after a public hearing and questions. Motion carried.
- PC ZR25-0004 – Conditional Rezoning for 24050 West Nine Mile Road: Request to rezone from I1 Industrial to B3 General Business to operate a 24-hour coin laundromat and medical office. The petitioner, Dr. Zwaleed Asta, presented plans for a modern facility with security cameras. Concerns about 24-hour operation and monitoring were addressed. Council approved the rezoning with conditions. Motion carried.
- PZR 26-0001 – Conditional Rezoning for Yeshiva ORA: Request to rezone 16500 Lincoln Drive from R2 Single Family to ERO Education Research Office to operate a private school with dormitories. The school currently has 12 students, with plans to grow. Traffic concerns were raised, but the petitioner noted the dormitory may reduce traffic. Council approved the rezoning with conditions. Motion carried.
- PZR OD 25-0003 – Northland City Center Overlay Development District Amendment: Request to amend the ODD to allow a sports dome (120,000 sq ft) at the Northland City Center, update the prohibited uses list, and adjust the development timeline. The petitioner, Detroit Rising Development, argued the dome is a catalyst for the district, bringing 200,000 annual visitors and economic impact. The DDA board changed its position to full support. Planning staff and the city administrator raised concerns about design standards (mid-century modern), brownfield financing, infrastructure, and soil stabilization. Council debated extensively. Council President Hicks suggested tabling for further discussion, but the motion to approve was made and seconded. The roll call vote resulted in 3 in favor (Brightwell, Hogue, Mandelbaum) and 4 against (Banks, Bland, Haynes, Hicks), so the motion failed.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous approvals: Employee of the Month recognition, minutes, consent agenda items, special use for 248 Garage, conditional rezoning for 24050 W Nine Mile, and conditional rezoning for Yeshiva ORA.
- Ordinances: Introduced and enacted ordinances 1830, 1831, 1832, and 1833 (related to the approved rezoning items).
- Sports dome amendment: Denied (3-4). The applicant may return with substantial changes after a one-year period.
- Future actions: The city administrator indicated that further discussions on Northland infrastructure, brownfield plan, and design standards are needed. Council members noted the need for better communication with neighborhood associations and traffic improvements at Stevenson School.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. The City of Southfield regular meeting meeting for March 30th, 2026 is now called to order. Mr. Clerk, if you don't mind taking the roll call, please. Yes, sir. Good evening. Thank you. Councilwoman Binks. Present. Councilwoman Bland. Councilman Brightwell. Yeah. Councilwoman Haynes. Present. Councilwoman Pro Tem Hogue. Councilman Mandelbaum. Present. Councilman. Council President Hicks. Here. Sir, you have a quorum. Thank you, sir. If we can please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. And to the Republic. One nation. Indivisible liberty and justice for our we will now have a presentation recognizing an employee of the month. Good evening, Honorable Mayor and City Council. I'm here today to present our employee of the month for the month of March, Miss Rhonda Terry, nominated by Sherry Veal and Mr. Zorn. As the city uh Southfield's employee of the month for March, uh, Rhonda has dedicated 30 years of outstanding service to our community, consistently demonstrating professionalism, compassion, and a strong commitment to public service. Throughout her career, she has grown within the organization and currently serves as an outreach to caseworker, while also welcoming guests as the City Council's first meeting center. Greeter. She played a vital role in supporting residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to lead and support programs that provide essential services to our community. Beyond her role, Rhonda has taken initiative to create impactful programs such as Tone Up for Tune Up and Adopt a Family, helping residents maintain employment and supporting families during the holiday season. Rhonda is trusted and dedicated resource whose work has made a lasting impact on the City of Southfield. And I must say, in my work with Rhonda, she has really been the best tri cheerleader on the spirit committee team, and I'm gonna miss Rhonda because if you don't know, Rhonda will be retiring soon. And so I want to congratulate her on that also. But again, extend words to Mr. Zorn if he'd like to say something. Thank you, Kim. Rhonda has been the face of Southfield for our human services department, what she has done with our faith-based community, the nonprofit community bringing those resources to the City of Southfield. I've watched her as unique cases come together. Um how she has reached out and cobbled resources to help someone who's maybe going through an eviction, what she's done with the legal aid program and her documentation of the programs that she has run. She has put together basically the operating procedures for every one of the programs that she's run, and she's done an outstanding job. She will be some big shoes to fill, and um I thank her for her service, but she's definitely been that face of Southfield in our human services department. And we're gonna hold her to joining us for hula hoops during our employee activity. So you'll see her again. All right, thank you. Please give Rhonda applause. Council President, Council President, if I may add, yes, sir.
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