Southfield City Council Regular Meeting - October 27, 2026

On 2026-10-27 at 04:00 UTC, the Southfield City Council held its regular evening meeting. The transcript's roll call recites October 26, 2026, but this summary uses the supplied timestamp date. A quorum was present with Councilmembers Banks, Blaine, Brightwell, Haynes, Hope, Mandelbaum, and Council President Hicks. The meeting included proclamations, public comment on Ordinance 1835, consent agenda approvals, a traffic-calming change order, public hearings, zoning amendments, and administrative approvals.

Presentations and Proclamations

• Terry Brock accepted the city's proclamation of November as Family Court Awareness Month. She said abuse often continues after separation through family court, cited research that abusive parents seeking sole custody succeed 70% of the time, and cited a Project Justice USA survey showing 96% of children experience negative impacts from family court proceedings. She called for awareness of litigation and legal abuse against protective parents.
• The Mayor presented the Extra Mile Day proclamation for November 1, 2026 to Sharky Haddad and Priscilla Pfeiffer. Haddad was recognized for community liaison work and Chaldean Chamber of Commerce service; Pfeiffer was recognized for art curation and volunteer work with Southfield Public Arts and other organizations. Both thanked the city.
• Kyle Bryce of the planning department was named October Employee of the Month for exceptional customer service and unpaid volunteer work on a commission project.
• Planning staff announced the city received Michigan Green Communities Challenge gold recertification for the third consecutive year, earning 163 points, and said the city is working toward platinum designation.

Appointments and Reappointments

• Council approved reappointments to the City Center Advisory Board, including Matus Noakowski and Kevin Finn; the motion as read also included Hassan Jawat. Noakowski and Finn were not present.
• A planned appointment to the Commission on Senior Adults was postponed to next month because of a family emergency.

Public Comments & Testimony

• City staff gave a follow-up on Ordinance 1835, known as the point-of-sale ordinance. No changes have been approved, and the existing ordinance remains in effect. The legislative subcommittee reviewed a proposed amendment to exempt certain inheritance transfers from the certificate-of-occupancy requirement, and it will be presented at the November 9, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting.
• Vanessa B. asked for clearer communication about ordinance changes, easier website access, and options such as Zoom or email for public questions.
• Stacey Dick, a 33-year resident, said she flew home from Utah after learning about Ordinance 1835. She criticized the ordinance's purpose language, said residents were not informed until the September legal notice in the Southfield Sun, and noted Councilman Mandelbaum voted no originally because residents had not been informed and because the water/sewer opt-out clause was missing. She said surrounding cities, including Farmington Hills, Oak Park, Royal Oak, and Beverly Hills, did not adopt similar residential requirements.
• Louisa Sherwin, a 62-year resident, asked for review of Ordinance 1835 and said she did not like deed-transfer provisions or language about the city taking properties.
• Stacey Jackson, president of the Beachwood Acres Homeowners Association, opposed Ordinance 1835 and requested a moratorium. She said the city rushed the ordinance, that the loss of four lives did not justify it, that gun violence and tenant sewage complaints had not produced similar urgency, and that the ordinance could lead to reassessments and higher property taxes. She said the city should not confuse professional courtesy with public trust.
• Robin Boyer asked why residents were not notified about a development at the former Leonard Elementary school, what enforcement tools exist to ensure timely completion, what oversight and inspection checkpoints are in place, and who residents should contact about site maintenance and safety.
• Vince Galant, a 13-year taxpayer and resident, said communication needs to happen before projects are proposed. He asked whether the school district and local businesses were consulted about a shared-use aquatic facility, and he urged better outreach on data centers and other large projects.
• Jill Spadafora requested a moratorium on Ordinance 1835. She said the ordinance could burden children inheriting homes, criticized data centers as non-permanent-job developments, cited a West Virginia solar retraining project as a community-benefiting example, and questioned 64 flock cameras in Southfield versus 12 in Bloomfield Hills. She also said residents should not move to a city whose government supports ICE.
• Joan Webb said she wanted her son to inherit her home through a ladybird deed without inspection barriers. She called the ordinance a slippery slope and requested a moratorium.
• Diana Pegler, a nearly 40-year resident, said communication is a major issue, that homeowners want to pass on wealth as a legacy, and that the ordinance should be carefully reviewed and should not target specific communities.
• Fred Pinkston questioned whether inspections would increase property taxes, interfere with leaving homes to children, or allow the city to take houses. He asked why apartments were exempted despite the Le Chateau fire deaths and said the city should have done community outreach instead of adopting a heavy-handed measure. He said he would vote no on future millage increases until the city respects residents.
• Michelle Roberson opposed Ordinance 1835 and said surrounding communities have not adopted similar rules. She argued that commercial, rental, vacant, and newly developed properties should be the focus, not existing homeowners, and that the ordinance threatens generational wealth.
• Greg Keeler criticized the city for what he called disrespectful treatment of Farmington and Berkley neighbors regarding a data center, and said the city failed to enforce septic-tank rules for 20 years. He also said a 15-year-old speaker at a previous meeting was treated poorly and removed by police instead of being guided. He reminded council that residents vote them in.
• Pamela Gerald said homeowners should pull required permits and complete due diligence. She advised audience members to consult probate lawyers about quitclaim deeds and rights of survivorship, and said claims that the city wants to take homes or block generational transfers were lies.
• Council President Pro Tem Hope responded to the public comments on Ordinance 1835 by apologizing, saying the intent was not to stop home transfers, take homes, or raise taxes, and promising that the wording would be corrected soon. Councilwoman Banks echoed that no one is trying to take homes, encouraged residents to consider quitclaim deeds, shared her own experience buying a home with hidden issues, and asked for kindness and better communication between residents and the city.

Minutes and Consent Agenda

• Council approved the Committee of the Whole meeting minutes of October 5, 2026.
• Council approved the consent agenda containing: A, authorization to purchase ammunition for the police department; B, water meter reading collector preventive maintenance agreement; C, authorization to purchase a water main break truck; D, receipt of a bid for a high-speed roll-up door; and E, authorization to submit the fiscal year 2027 Oakland County Access to Transit Grant application. Before the vote, Councilwoman Banks asked about item C, and staff explained it would replace a 2006 vehicle with about 112,000 miles and provide needed capacity for in-house water main work.

Discussion Items

• Council approved a change order for traffic calming on the Southampton pavement and water main improvement project. Staff said residents petitioned for traffic calming, reached 65% support against the required 60% threshold, and a traffic study found significant cut-through traffic. The plan includes asphalt speed humps on blocks west of Lathrop Boulevard, two on Silver Maple, and 14-foot diameter landscaped traffic circles at three Lathrop intersections south of Ten Mile. Estimated cost was about $160,000, with negotiations expected to bring it closer to $150,000, funded from local street funds. The motion carried.

Public Hearing: Commercial Rehabilitation District and PA 210 Exemption

• Staff presented a request from Suites Southfield LLC for a commercial rehabilitation exemption certificate for 15815 West 12 Mile Road. The first public hearing was to establish West 12 Mile Road Commercial Rehabilitation District No. 1; a second hearing was needed for the certificate.
• Petitioner Patrick Kingston said the company purchased the building for about $400,000 and committed $274,200 to rehabilitation. The building would become 21 private, appointment-based suites for accounting, insurance, real estate, counseling, education, wellness, beauty, and other professional services. Completion was expected by January 15, 2027. He said the five-year PA 210 exemption was necessary because the appraisal came in below the total project cost and the bank loan was capped by the appraisal.
• Public comments included support from Earl Crum and Rosemary Allen; Vanessa Burrell asked about the assessor's letter, tax burden, and security; and Myron Thomas asked what the city gains from the abatement and whether similar benefits could extend to community organizations.
• City staff responded that current taxes would continue to be paid, the assessment would be capped for five years, and the city would gain from the building being modernized and brought up to code. Staff also said the use would not be eligible for Airbnb. Council approved both the district establishment and the five-year PA 210 certificate on voice votes.

Public Hearing: Conditional Rezoning at 1990 West Nine Mile Road

• Staff presented PCZR 26-0005, a request to rezone the former Specs Howard building from OS office service to a combination of B3 general business and RMM multifamily medium rise. The proposal conditionally excluded gas stations, auto-related uses, car washes, hotels, motels, drive-through restaurants, outdoor sales, adult-use marijuana facilities, and similar intensive uses.
• Petitioner Brian Giles said the project would create 56 rental apartments: six one-bedroom, eight three-bedroom, and the balance two-bedroom. He said the site would be gated, include 13 guest parking spaces under the current layout, one-to-one bike parking, EV charging, and no short-term rentals. He also described comparable experience, including a Grosse Pointe project with 18 apartments and eight townhomes and a prior Chicago project with 317 units.
• Public comment included concerns about density, a proposed dog park, public art, dumpster locations, unit finishes, rents, and the building's visual appearance. Some council members voiced concern that the site was doing too much, while others supported adding housing. Staff reminded everyone that site plan issues would be considered later.
• The conditional rezoning motion carried 5-2. Council then introduced Ordinance 1840, the accompanying zoning map amendment.

Public Hearing: Accessory Dwelling Unit Text Amendment

• Staff presented the ADU zoning text amendment, PZTA 26-0003. The proposal would allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential districts, with a maximum gross floor area of 800 square feet or 35% of the principal dwelling, whichever is less. Detached units would require a 3-foot side and rear setback, a 25-foot setback from a secondary street on corner lots, a maximum height of 15 feet, and no short-term rentals.
• Public comments included general support with concerns about construction costs, sewer and street infrastructure, enforcement of the short-term rental ban, and setbacks. Some speakers asked whether less expensive self-contained units could be allowed, and one resident described an illegal Airbnb next door.
• Council discussion included concerns about infrastructure, taxes, lot sizes, and a desire for expert testimony. Councilwoman Banks said she was not comfortable approving the item. Council postponed the amendment to the January 11, 2027 regular meeting so it could return with additional information without requiring a second public hearing.

Public Hearing: Career and Technical Education and Public Parks Amendments

• Council approved PZTA 26-0004, a zoning text amendment updating vocational school language to career and technical education and adding universities as permitted uses. Council then introduced Ordinance 1850.
• Council approved PZTA 26-0005, a zoning text amendment making public parks, recreation areas, and public facilities permitted by right in single-family residential districts, while private recreation facilities remain special land uses. Council then introduced Ordinance 1851.

Additional Ordinances and Approvals

• Council approved Ordinance 1847, amending Chapter 17 regarding garbage and rubbish.
• Council approved Ordinance 1848, prohibiting the sale of Kratom to persons under 21.
• Council approved travel expenses for Councilwoman Haynes for the Detroit Regional Chamber lunch on March 5 and the Michigan Municipal League Elected Officials Academy in Bay City on May 15-16.
• Council approved a special meeting on December 3, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Council Comments and Announcements

• Councilwoman Banks reported ribbon cuttings for the International Academy on October 20, Tunnel to Towers veterans housing with 84 units on October 21, and a mural at the public services building. She also said trunk-or-treat served about 6,000 children and individuals.
• Councilwoman Blaine reminded everyone about the Aquatic Center ribbon cutting on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
• Councilwoman Haynes announced a Friends of the Library book donation partnership with Tunnel to Towers, a new veterans clinic with mental health and women's health services, and improvements to an Oakland County park.
• The City Administrator reminded residents about water main work on the municipal campus and Halloween safety. The Clerk reported that early voting had reached 1,830 ballots cast in the first three days, and encouraged voting by mail, drop box, early voting, or precinct voting on November 3. A veterans memorial celebration was announced for November 6 at 11 a.m. in the council chamber.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance 1835 remains unchanged for now; the proposed inheritance-transfer exemption goes to the November 9, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting.
• Consent agenda items A-E were approved.
• The Southampton traffic-calming change order was approved.
• West 12 Mile Road Commercial Rehabilitation District No. 1 was established, and the five-year PA 210 exemption for Suites Southfield LLC was approved.
• The conditional rezoning of 1990 West Nine Mile Road was approved 5-2, and Ordinance 1840 was introduced.
• The ADU zoning text amendment was postponed to the January 11, 2027 regular meeting.
• PZTA 26-0004 and PZTA 26-0005 were approved, and Ordinances 1850 and 1851 were introduced.
• Ordinances 1847 and 1848 were approved.
• A special meeting was scheduled for December 3, 2026, at 5 p.m.