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Record of Proceedings

Sterling Heights City Council Meeting - October 8, 2025

City Council Meetings — Wednesday, October 8, 2025
BodySterling Heights, Michigan
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateWednesday, October 8, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:46:51

Original source
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0:56

Good evening, everyone.

0:58

Welcome to the Sterling Heights City Council meeting.

1:00

I'd like to call this meeting to order.

1:02

If you would please stand with me for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for the invocation.

1:08

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:22

Dear God, please bless our elected officials.

1:25

Grant them courage and wisdom to do what is right for all citizens.

1:28

Amen.

1:32

Mayor Taylor.

1:34

Mrs.

1:34

Sarowski here.

1:35

Mrs.

1:36

Koske.

1:36

Present.

1:37

Mr.

1:37

Radkey.

1:38

Present.

1:38

Mrs.

1:39

Schmidt.

1:39

Present.

1:40

Mr.

1:40

Yennes.

1:40

Here.

1:41

Mrs.

1:41

Yarko.

1:42

Present.

1:42

Council, we need approval of the agenda.

1:44

Mr.

1:44

Mayor.

1:45

Mrs.

1:45

Koski.

1:46

Move to approve the agenda as is support.

1:51

All in favor signify by saying aye.

1:53

Aye.

1:53

Opposed.

1:54

Motion carries.

1:55

First item on our agenda tonight is a report from our city manager, Mark Vanderpool.

1:58

Mr.

1:59

Vanderpool.

2:00

Thank you very much, Mayor.

2:01

I have a few items on my report this evening.

2:04

Let me begin by providing an overview of uh how the recently passed state budget impacts Sterling Heights.

2:13

We've all heard a lot about the state budget, the looming shutdown, and the 11th hour approval, if you will.

2:21

And it's important I highlight this because uh it's very impactful for Sterling Heights.

2:27

First, uh some some of you may know we get revenue sharing from the state of Michigan.

2:33

And uh while it's kind of a mixed bag on revenue sharing, we're gonna see a reduction of eight percent in constitutional revenue sharing that's passed on to Sterling Heights uh through the sales tax and and other uh funding sources at the state.

2:49

So an eight percent reduction equates to about a million dollars for us in round numbers uh that we'll see as a reduction.

2:57

Uh however, at this same time, the state approved a public safety revenue sharing uh formula that provides uh approximately uh two hundred thousand dollars of new revenue to Sterling Heights.

3:12

Now, this public safety revenue sharing is based on our crime stats.

3:18

This is for cities across the state.

3:21

Now, because of our very low crime and our safe city distinction, uh, we came out on the lower end of that public safety uh grant, if you will.

3:32

So we're a victim of our own success in in that regard.

3:35

Nonetheless, that offsets the million dollar reduction sum.

3:40

Uh so call it $800,000.

3:42

We'll see in a reduction of revenue.

3:45

Um however, we will see significant increases in road funding.

3:51

In fact, over a five-year period, we will see almost 40 million dollars in new road funding that will come specifically to Sterling Heights.

4:02

Uh so that's significant.

4:04

That means we're gonna be able to improve more neighborhood roads, additional major roads across the city.

4:10

We've already done a lot, you know it.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████33%
Education And Youth Programs█████████████13%
Parks and Recreation█████████████13%
Personnel Matters██████████10%
Procedural███████7%
Public Engagement████4%
Workforce Development███3%
Arts And Culture███3%
Zoning Regulation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Sterling Heights City Council Meeting - October 8, 2025

The City Council of Sterling Heights, Michigan, held a regular meeting on October 8, 2025. The agenda included reports from the City Manager, updates from Utica Community Schools and the Velocity Center, presentations on new fire department initiatives, swearing-in ceremonies for new police officers and firefighter EMTs, and the annual Beautification Awards. The council also approved the consent agenda and heard public comments.

Consent Calendar

  • The council approved the consent agenda as presented, which included funding for a new zoning ordinance update. A resident spoke in favor of the update, emphasizing sustainability and walkability.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Sarah Fisher (resident) expressed support for the zoning ordinance update and the bond for public parks, specifically mentioning progress on Red Run Park. She also opposed an outdoor storage facility on former landfill land, advocating for brownfield redevelopment funding. She invited the council and public to Macomb Defenders Rising meetings.
  • Elizabeth Capolo (Sterling Heights Drug Free Coalition) promoted upcoming events, including the Bear Cup Book Club fall series (October 22, November 19, December 17) and the coalition's October 23 meeting during Red Ribbon Week.

City Manager's Report – Mark Vanderpool

  • State Budget Impact: The recently passed state budget results in an 8% reduction in constitutional revenue sharing (approximately $1 million loss for Sterling Heights), offset by $200,000 in new public safety revenue sharing and $40 million in additional road funding over five years. The city will no longer need to contribute about $1 million from its general fund to roads. The budget also includes $2.1 million for a new ladder truck and $1 million to renovate the former jail facility into training space.
  • Utica Community Schools Update: John Graham, Assistant Superintendent for Auxiliary Services, presented an overview of capital projects funded by the 2018 and 2023 bonds. Highlights include: new athletic complex at 16 Mile and Dodge Park (scheduled to open spring 2026), major renovations to Runkel Stadium, new elementary school reconstructions at DeKaiser (completed), Grebner (opening August 2026), and Havel (opening fall 2027), and safety improvements such as dedicated bus loops and rapid-flash crosswalks.
  • Velocity Center Update: Director Paula McPherson announced that Velocity is hosting two international fellows from Morocco and Algeria through Global Ties Detroit and Legacy International, working on an international landing zone program. Velocity is also pursuing an International Soft Landings designation. Additionally, accelerator client Fundraiser Blankets will appear on Shark Tank.
  • Fire Department Initiatives: Chief Kevin Edmonds and Captain Ryan Kirchhofer presented the new Medical Priority Dispatch system (implemented October 1, 2025) and the Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program. The dispatch system uses five response levels (blue, red, orange, yellow, green) to allocate resources based on call severity. The MIH program has connected residents with mental health services, rehab facilities, veteran benefits, and other resources, reducing reliance on 911. The Peak Staff Ambulance program (started September 23, 2025) has already handled 8% of call volume.

Swearing-In Ceremonies

  • Police Officers: Four new officers were sworn in: Tyler Sacluna (8 years experience), Miranda Daoud (5 years, bilingual in Chaldean), Adam Mays (8 years), and Andy Kafrites (9 years, bilingual in Greek). Council members welcomed them and emphasized community support.
  • Firefighter EMTs: Four new Peak Staff Ambulance EMTs were sworn in: Aiden (from MedStar), Nick Prantera, Nick Wilson, and Christopher Bex. They will work 10-hour shifts, four days a week, as part of a new initiative to reduce stress on the fire department.

Beautification Awards

  • The Beautification Commission, chaired by Gary Isom, presented awards to residential, business, and place-of-worship winners for outstanding landscaping. The council unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the 2025 winners and encouraging participation in upcoming Halloween and Christmas decoration contests.

Key Outcomes

  • The consent agenda was approved unanimously.
  • The council passed a resolution recognizing the 2025 Beautification Award winners.
  • No other votes were taken; the meeting adjourned without further business.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Sterling Heights City Council meeting. I'd like to call this meeting to order. If you would please stand with me for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for the invocation. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Dear God, please bless our elected officials. Grant them courage and wisdom to do what is right for all citizens. Amen. Mayor Taylor. Mrs. Sarowski here. Mrs. Koske. Present. Mr. Radkey. Present. Mrs. Schmidt. Present. Mr. Yennes. Here. Mrs. Yarko. Present. Council, we need approval of the agenda. Mr. Mayor. Mrs. Koski. Move to approve the agenda as is support. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed. Motion carries. First item on our agenda tonight is a report from our city manager, Mark Vanderpool. Mr. Vanderpool. Thank you very much, Mayor. I have a few items on my report this evening. Let me begin by providing an overview of uh how the recently passed state budget impacts Sterling Heights. We've all heard a lot about the state budget, the looming shutdown, and the 11th hour approval, if you will. And it's important I highlight this because uh it's very impactful for Sterling Heights. First, uh some some of you may know we get revenue sharing from the state of Michigan. And uh while it's kind of a mixed bag on revenue sharing, we're gonna see a reduction of eight percent in constitutional revenue sharing that's passed on to Sterling Heights uh through the sales tax and and other uh funding sources at the state. So an eight percent reduction equates to about a million dollars for us in round numbers uh that we'll see as a reduction. Uh however, at this same time, the state approved a public safety revenue sharing uh formula that provides uh approximately uh two hundred thousand dollars of new revenue to Sterling Heights. Now, this public safety revenue sharing is based on our crime stats. This is for cities across the state.

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