Taylor City Council Meeting - March 19, 2024

The Taylor City Council met on March 19, 2024, to consider a broad range of items including budget amendments, vendor approvals, road resurfacing contracts, park improvements, and public comments. The meeting began with approval of the March 5, 2024 minutes and included a mayor's communication about a charity basketball game. All items were voted on individually, with one roll call vote.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the minutes of the March 5, 2024 meeting (Item 5.2).
• Cyber Force Q for Crowd Strike one-year renewal, $25,693 (Item 7.1).
• Data National for AS400 consulting, $25,000 (Item 7.2).
• Setting CDBG action plan public hearings for April 2 and May 7, 2024 (Item 7.3).
• Paycom for benefit enrollment services, $14,590 (Item 7.4) – discussed briefly due to HR absence; councilwoman read notes.
• Amendments to blanket purchase agreements for Federated Health Care (+$5,000), Med Tech Resource (+$4,000), Priority One Uniform (+$4,000), Halt Fire (+$5,000) (Items 7.5-7.7).
• Amendments for Courts Collision LLC (+$700) and Downriver Body Works (+$2,842) for police vehicle repair (Items 7.8-7.9).
• Coming Sales and Service for water tap truck generator repair, $5,566 (Item 7.10).
• Traffic Management Inc. for emergency road closure setup, $3,970 (Item 7.11) – noted already completed.
• Vermeer for tub grinder repair, $19,214 (Item 7.12) – discussion about age of equipment and internal labor savings.
• Holland Equipment Services for emergency cat loader bucket, $6,000 (Item 7.13).
• Payment to Oakland Police Academy for training, $2,025 (Item 7.14).
• Budget amendment 2024-009 (Item 7.15).
• Attendance of DPW employees at Michigan Public Service Institute, $4,150 plus expenses (Item 7.16).
• Proline Asphalt Paving for Beach Daily Road resurfacing, $3,623,698 (Item 7.18) – extensive discussion about intersection at Ecorse and jurisdiction.
• Hennessy Engineers for construction engineering and inspection, $298,000 (Item 7.19) – discussion about engineering vendor selection.
• Bidagar Contractors for water main improvements, $1,231,021 (Item 7.20).
• Wade Trim for construction administration services, $80,500 (Item 7.21).
• CNS Construction Management for fishing docks at Lang Park, $50,978 (Item 7.22) – discussion about pond size, catch and release, ARPA funding.
• KAB Enterprises for pedestrian bridge at Lang Park, $169,626 (Item 7.23).
• KAB Enterprises for restroom shelter at Lang Park, $107,197 (Item 7.24) – discussion about restroom type and utilities.
• Receive and file February 2024 budget performance report (Item 7.25).
• Receive and file February 2024 paid invoice report (Item 7.26).
• Receive and file police and fire pension performance review (Item 7.27).
• Attendance of clerks office employees at MAMC Education Day, $445 plus expenses (Item 7.28).
• Solicitation request from Taylor North Little League for canister drive April 13-14, 2024 (Item 7.29).
• Motion to nominate to fill vacant council seat (Item 7.30) – no nominations, motion not presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Caroline Pat (6860 Jackson) invited the community to the Bunny Trail at Coan Lake on March 23, 10:30-1:30 PM, and mentioned the log cabin.
• Nick Demetrichina (9618 Can Circle) invited everyone to the annual pancake breakfast benefiting the Taylor Veterans Museum on April 20, 8 AM-12 PM, $10 donation, at the Ford Senior Center.

Discussion Items

• Item 7.17 – Alves Asphalt Paving for emergency pavement repairs ($9,000): Discussion included questions about rate hold, contract extension, and an invoice delay from December 2023. Councilwoman Daniels expressed concern about the company's reputation, and Councilwoman Witten voted no. A roll call was requested: Councilwoman Rose (yes), Daniels (yes), Witten (no), Brandana (no), Johnson (yes), Geis (yes). Motion passed 4-2.
• Item 7.18 – Beach Daily Road resurfacing: Council discussed the Ecorse Road intersection, jurisdiction (county vs. city), and the need for concrete paving. The administration agreed to look into the intersection and possibly cover the cost. Councilwoman Witten, who lives on Beach Daily, noted prior poor repair work. The mayor reiterated that Van Born Road is a county road.
• Item 7.19 – Hennessy Engineers: Councilwoman Brandana questioned why engineering projects were not bid out among the three pre-approved firms (Hennessy, Wade Trim, WSP) to ensure competitive pricing. The administration explained that Hennessy was the low bid on the original bond. Councilwoman Brandana asked for future consideration of bidding among the three.
• Items 7.22-7.24 – Lang Park improvements: Discussion included pond size (3/4 acre), catch and release fishing, ARPA funding breakdown (city $2.3M, county $2.3M, total $4.6M), and the type of restroom shelter (six portable units plus two handicapped, with handwashing stations).
• Open Business – Audio Concrete Construction for concrete replacement ($221,877): Councilman Eulin explained the quote timing necessitated adding the item under open business to avoid a delay to July. The contract was approved unanimously.
• Councilwoman Witten's open business comment on towing rates: She urged the city to send a letter reminding towing companies of contracted rates, citing a court transcript where Area Towing considered rates unreasonable. She emphasized the city's duty to protect residents who have limited choice in towing services.

Key Outcomes

• All items except 7.17 passed unanimously by voice vote. Item 7.17 passed on a roll call vote of 4-2 (yes: Rose, Daniels, Johnson, Geis; no: Witten, Brandana).
• The meeting adjourned at 7:22 PM.

Mayor's Communication

• Mayor reported on a charity basketball game between Taylor High School and Taylor Police Department on Friday, March 15, raising funds for the food pantry. The police lost by about four points. Councilman Johnson and the mayor attempted half-court shots. The event had no injuries.