Southfield City Council Regular Meeting - June 16, 2026
Southfield City Council Regular Meeting - June 16, 2026
The Southfield City Council held a regular meeting on June 15, 2026 at 6 p.m. (official date assigned as June 16, 2026). The meeting included public comments, approval of minutes and consent agenda, enactment of ordinances, travel expense approvals, committee reports, and extended discussion on the Lathrop Village library service contract, particularly regarding a six-month exit clause and a potential rate adjustment to one mill. The meeting concluded with a closed session.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from several meetings (April 27, May 6, May 7, May 11, May 14, May 18, June 3) unanimously.
- Approved consent agenda items A through P, including renewal of lobbyist contract, telecommunications right-of-way membership, mutual aid agreement, appointments to Southeastern Oakland County Water Authority, cost participation for Greenfield Road resurfacing, on-call carpentry and painting services, replacement of ADA-compliant swings at Sims Park, emergency notification system contract, WebEx boards for legal department, property room inventory, bid award for nine line OCC streetscape, NeoGov contract renewal, Lathrop Village fire protection contract, schematic design for library improvements, and Plum Hollow fireworks permit. All motions carried unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Garland McWilliams: Urged the city to publicize a scam mailer from a Lansing address and encouraged residents to vote. Councilmember Banks added that such mailers are common during elections and advised residents to verify city addresses.
- Michael Humphrey (26-year resident): Expressed distress over a May 6, 2025 police visit where he felt threatened. He asked for clarification about the incident and alleged a false report related to an IRS dispute. He also referenced a legal case against a person named Tony Davis. He requested additional time to speak.
- Tamara Harman (neighbor): Supported Mr. Humphrey and attempted to yield her time to him, which was ruled not permitted.
- J.D. Jackson (next-door neighbor): Supported Mr. Humphrey and apologized for not being aware of protocol.
- Greg Keeler: Questioned the design of a new recreation center, suggesting a second floor above locker rooms instead of demolishing existing structures. He also criticized council for inconsistent enforcement of rules and disrespectful behavior toward residents, particularly toward female speakers.
- Pamela Gerald (45-year resident): Criticized inconsistent application of council policies on audience behavior (clapping) and speaker sign-up, alleging favoritism. She urged the council to establish clear, written, and consistently enforced rules.
Discussion Items
- Approval of Minutes: Unanimously approved minutes from multiple prior meetings.
- Enactment of Ordinances: Ordinances 1838, 1839, and 1840 were enacted unanimously.
- Travel Expense Reports: Approved travel expense reports for the Chelsea Mackinac Policy Conference (May 26–29, 2026) for multiple officials, and for Mayor Kenson Cypher's trip to DOCOMOMO International in Los Angeles (March 19–22, 2026). All carried unanimously.
- Councilmember Reports:
- Councilwoman Haynes highlighted Juneteenth celebration activities and urged education on cultural history.
- Councilman Mandelbaum announced summer Parks & Rec programming, including Park It Family Fun Night at Beechwoods Park, and deadlines for Community Pride Award nominations. He also congratulated recent graduates, including his two daughters.
- Councilwoman Bland thanked commissions for their cooperation on vacancies and reappointments; the committee will reconvene soon.
- Councilman Brightwell celebrated a success story: a former unpaid intern in the legal department, who later graduated from Yale Law School and is now barred in North Carolina. He credited the city's legal team for fostering her career.
- Councilwoman Banks reported on the Mackinac Policy Conference, where they explored ways Southfield can benefit from the 2027 NCAA Final Four in Detroit and discussed collaboration with Detroit's city council president.
- Mayor's Announcements: Promoted the State of the City address on June 17 at 7 p.m. and the "Southfield Celebrates America 250" event on June 24 from 5–8 p.m. on the municipal lawn.
- Administrator's Report: Thanked council for budget approval efforts and recognized staff. Noted a positive joint meeting with Lathrop Village on fire, dispatch, and library issues. Also acknowledged the passing of Dr. Carl Gregory, a former professor and community member.
- City Attorney's Report: Introduced an amended garage sale ordinance (Ordinance 1842), which was introduced and approved unanimously. Also noted that a former intern is taking the bar exam in North Carolina.
- Clerk's Report: Announced Juneteenth events (luncheon and concert), and election preparations: 19,500 permanent absentee ballots and 6,000 applications will be mailed next Thursday. Still accepting applications for election inspectors.
- Treasurer's Report: Announced that summer tax bills will be mailed July 1. Reminded about senior/veteran tax deferments (income limit $40,000, which he is trying to increase to $60,000). Answered questions about the Lathrop Village library contract amendment: he believed the joint meeting discussion included adjusting the rate to one mill (to match the millage on Lathrop's November ballot), but some council members disputed whether that had been formally agreed upon. The city attorney confirmed she had sent a draft amendment only addressing the six-month exit clause. The council agreed that further discussion is needed before formalizing any rate adjustment.
Key Outcomes
- Approved minutes, consent agenda, ordinances, and travel reports unanimously.
- Introduced and approved an amended garage sale ordinance (Ordinance 1842) for final adoption at a later date.
- No formal action was taken on the Lathrop Village library contract amendment; the council directed the city attorney to continue discussions with Lathrop, clarifying that the six-month exit clause was agreed upon but the one-mill rate adjustment requires further council deliberation.
- The meeting moved into closed session to discuss collective bargaining strategies and attorney-client privileged matters.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. The City of Southfield a regular meeting for June 15th at 6 p.m. is now called to order. Mr. Clerk, if you can please do a roll call. Yes, sir. Feels like deja vu right here. Councilwoman Banks. Present. Councilwoman Bland here. Councilman Brightwell. Councilwoman Haynes. Present. Councilwoman Pro Tem Hogue. Here. Councilman Mandelbaum. Present. Council President Hicks. Here. Sir, you have a quorum. Thank you, sir. We can please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. The South City Council has established the following rules of procedures for all speakers. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the council. Each speaker is responsible for his or her comments, and the city of Southfield does not, by permitting such remarks, support endorse or accept the content thereof as being true or accurate. No person, sorry, no speaker may make personal or impertinent attacks upon any officer, employee, or city council member or other elected official that is unrelated to the manner in which they perform their duties. No person shall use abusive or threatening language toward any individual when addressing the city council. Any person who violates the section shall be directed by the presiding officer to be orderly. If a person addressing the council refuses when so directed, such person may be deemed by the presiding officer to have committed a breach of peace by disrupting and impeding the orderly conduct of the public meeting of the city council and may be ordered by the presiding officer to leave the meeting. If the person refuses to leave as directed, the presiding officer may direct any law enforcement officer who is present to escort the violator from the meeting. If you provided your contact information when you signed up for public communications, the city will provide a more formal response to you in the near future should it be needed. Mr. Garland McWilliams. So I just want to say possibly um since Channel 2 is in Southfield, maybe they could uh outline this program this that's been been coming in the mail and everything to say, hey, don't pay any attention, you know, throw it in the threw in the garbage. And I I Google this address where this was supposed to be coming from in Lansing, and it came up with some bogus uh you know, building or something. You know, it wasn't uh like an official uh uh site, but I you know I just want to make sure all our residents are clear that you know don't pay this any attention and get out and vote because you know we're under the biggest strain of our democracy I've ever seen. So uh I can give this to the clerk. Thank you, thank you, sir. Councilwoman Banks, Mr. McWilliams. I would just like to add that for approximately 40 years, every congressional and every presidential election. It seems like you get mail, or I've received mail like this from outside groups, and it is a Lansing address, presidential, it's Lansing and Washington DC. And these groups have a right to send out this information. So I know in Southfield we've always encouraged, you know, please look for the city of Southfield address, but this is nothing new. Again, every congression congressional, every presidential election, this happens. You're welcome. Thank you, Councilwoman Banks. Um next on the agenda, next on the list, Michael Humphrey. If you can please come to the podium, state whether you're you are a Southfield resident.
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