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Record of Proceedings

Taylor City Council Meeting - March 18, 2025: Grant Approval, Waste Contract Extension, and Public Discussion

City Council — Tuesday, March 18, 2025
BodyTaylor, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, March 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 47:13

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Item 6.1 is a motion to approve the appointment of Nettie Johnson to the aging commission for a two-year term to expire on March 18th, 2027.

0:10

Motion to approve.

0:12

Support motion by Councilwoman Brandana supported by Councilman Johnson.

0:19

Is that correct?

0:20

Okay.

0:20

We had up.

0:24

All right, you've got the minutes.

0:25

Sorry, I had a little bit of things getting out of order on the uh on the cheat sheet here.

0:30

Uh is there any discussion?

0:35

Hearing none, all is in favor say yes.

0:37

Yes.

0:38

All is opposed, say no.

0:39

Yes, have it.

0:40

Motion carried.

0:41

Is Nettie here?

0:43

Uh no, she cannot make it.

0:44

Okay.

0:45

All right.

0:46

Uh item 6.2 is a motion to approve the acceptance of the Michigan.

0:52

No.

0:55

Yeah, I'm going off.

0:58

Motion to approve the acceptance of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant in the amount of five million dollars.

1:05

Make a motion.

1:08

Support.

1:09

Motion by Councilman Johnson supported by Councilwoman Brandon.

1:12

Is there any discussion?

1:15

Hearing none.

1:16

All is the chair.

1:18

Could the mayor just uh go through it a little bit with audience?

1:23

Through the chair, absolutely.

1:25

So that was uh the check that was awarded here um by Senator Geiss.

1:29

Um it allows us to uh focus on lead line replacement.

1:34

Um and it also allows for like park and recall and uh infrastructure in our parks, but mostly infrastructure and DPW or yeah, DPW, but focusing mostly on lead line water replacement.

1:50

I just wanted to hear it again.

1:51

Yep, absolutely.

1:52

Thank you.

1:53

It was uh definitely well appreciated and uh that's a huge amount of money, and we're definitely gonna use it uh uh wisely and as quickly as possible to get those lead lines out of here as quick as possible.

2:05

We're going to um just to touch on something real quick, we're going to uh send out those mailers again, and probably we need the uh you know residents to help us out as best as we can to help identifying who has lead lines, and uh there's information out there um where your water um meter, meter, thank you.

2:27

Um you can tell what type of pipe is going in there that helps us identify, and that would save us a lot of time and money if uh the residents can help us do that, and it can really speed things along.

2:39

So we're gonna focus on that as well, getting uh the residents information that can maybe help us either sending us literally an email or even a picture that we can focus on getting out there and getting that replaced as quick.

2:52

Is that the flyer with the penny test?

2:54

If it's copper, a couple different ways.

2:56

A couple of different ways, but you know, if no, definitely uh that was helpful because uh yeah at some point in time if we get a projection kind of I know we we put in quite a bit of money in this year's budget that ends um coming up here soon, uh, but just kind of a projection where where we stand in terms of uh when we think I mean I don't know that you're ever done because you may still find some, but uh the chair that you know Ralph can probably speak to this much better than I can, but um that was the thing trying to figure out where you know and locate these once we locate them, we can address it kind of quick.

3:42

Um but just going with in with a game plan of knowing where um to focus on, you know, when these houses were built, that you know that kind of helps us, but you know, the much as much information we can have going in, it definitely benefits us.

3:58

And so um, you know, the mailers and stuff like that, and actually um we're gonna do uh like one of those little shorts on our cable channel as well, going into detail of what people can do at home that can help us greatly.

4:12

And Councilman Johnson, you may be able to answer this.

4:15

When a plumber poll a permit from the city of Taylor, is there somewhere in there where they could indicate on there?

4:25

Indicates it, but uh any basically any house built before 1960, you need to look at there's some in the 60s, but everything before that along e-course road, uh some of the other subdivisions.

4:41

Yeah, Van Born Column, yeah.

4:43

Oh but there's no indication.

4:45

I mean, they don't it would be nice if the plumbers come in and they say, Yeah, there is a lead line there to give everybody heads up.

4:51

Might be something we want to add to that.

4:54

And through the chair, sometimes just work we've done, we've been able to, so like we kind of include that.

5:00

We might like when we did the work on Wick Road, we discovered that some more of those houses had lead lines than we anticipated.

5:06

So you know, knowledge is key, but the more info we can get prior to really going in, but we know there's gonna be ones that we're literally gonna have to knock on the door.

5:16

You know, well, maybe just a thought.

5:18

You know, any time there's a plumber pulling a permit have on there, you know, that they have to, you know, as part of the you know their inspection, they certify that it's either led or not lead.

5:31

That's a good idea.

5:32

I mean that extra five or ten minutes.

5:34

Uh or at least only take much.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████37%
Water And Wastewater Management████████████████████20%
Municipal Zoning████████████████████20%
Procurement Policy████████8%
Transportation Safety██████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Grant Funding███3%
Facilities Management██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Taylor City Council Meeting - March 18, 2025

The Taylor City Council met on March 18, 2025, at 7:19 PM to consider routine approvals, a $5 million grant for lead line replacement, and a 10-year waste collection contract extension with Priority Waste. Public comments addressed concerns about the contract length and property development issues.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 6.1: Motion to approve the appointment of Nettie Johnson to the Aging Commission for a two-year term expiring March 18, 2027. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 6.2: Motion to accept a $5 million Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant for lead line replacement, with funds also supporting park and infrastructure improvements. The mayor noted mailers and a cable channel segment will help residents identify lead pipes. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 7.1: Motion to receive and file the consent agenda (routine items). Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Caroline Pat (6860 Jackson): Expressed support for Priority Waste’s service but voiced concern about the 10-year contract term. Asked about termination options; council confirmed a six-month, no-penalty termination clause exists for any reason.
  • Martin Juliard (6708 B Staley Road): Asked whether the waste contract had been put out for bid. The mayor responded that it was an extension of an existing contract, not a new bid.
  • Roger Ingalls (northeast corner of Inkster and Goddard): Raised a complaint about planning department staff (referenced “Laura”) allegedly blocking his plans to split a 32-acre farm property into lots for a retirement home and six lots for sale. He cited issues with floodplain restrictions, driveway spacing requirements, and lack of response. He noted a separate development opportunity was also rejected. The chairman advised against naming employees directly and offered to follow up.

Discussion Items

  • Item 8.8 – Priority Waste Contract Extension (10 years):
    • Administration explained the extension from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2035 locks in annual rate increases of approximately 3% (from $13.50/month per household in year one to $17.62 in year ten), saving an estimated 20-22% annual increase originally proposed. The contract includes a six-month termination clause for any reason with no penalty to the city.
    • Council members and the mayor highlighted Priority’s good service record (few complaints, quick responses) and the need for long-term commitment to justify equipment investments. Council clarified the termination clause and lack of penalty.
    • Outcome: Motion carried.
  • Item 8.10 – Purchase of 61 Toughbooks (ruggedized laptops):
    • Account Manager Ty Dolan (Skynet Innovations) confirmed the devices have a five-year warranty and a five-year lifespan. They will be distributed to fire, building, DPW, water, ordinance, and animal shelter departments. Councilman Johnson noted these replace existing mobile units.
    • Outcome: Motion carried.
  • Open Business – Council Comments:
    • Councilman Johnson apologized for missing the prior meeting due to a family death, thanking Councilwoman Brandana for delaying votes.
    • Councilwoman Brandana inquired about non-homesteaded property inspections and rental definitions. Building official Jesse explained that each case is handled individually; driver’s licenses may be checked, and ownership should be transferred if a child inherits a home. The mayor added that tax bills often increase significantly when a home is sold after long ownership due to uncapping.
    • Mayor announced an MDOT public hearing on the I-94 project (Wayne Road to Dearborn) on March 27, 2025, from 4-6 PM at Romulus Public Library. The project aims to improve the Ecorse/Inkster interchange, allowing southbound access off I-94. A separate City of Taylor meeting may also be scheduled.

Key Outcomes

  • Appointment: Nettie Johnson to Aging Commission.
  • Grant Acceptance: $5 million MEDC grant for lead line replacement.
  • Purchases Approved: Foam trailer ($61,829), ice makers ($20,583), produce vendor agreement ($8,000), truck repairs ($13,103), Toughbooks ($33,716), and salt purchase amendment ($155,000).
  • Contract Extension: 10-year waste collection contract with Priority Waste approved.
  • Public Hearings Set: CDBG action plan public hearings scheduled for April 1 and May 6, 2025.
  • Vacant Council Seat: Nominations were opened but no appointment was made at this meeting.
  • Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 7:19 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Item 6.1 is a motion to approve the appointment of Nettie Johnson to the aging commission for a two-year term to expire on March 18th, 2027. Motion to approve. Support motion by Councilwoman Brandana supported by Councilman Johnson. Is that correct? Okay. We had up. All right, you've got the minutes. Sorry, I had a little bit of things getting out of order on the uh on the cheat sheet here. Uh is there any discussion? Hearing none, all is in favor say yes. Yes. All is opposed, say no. Yes, have it. Motion carried. Is Nettie here? Uh no, she cannot make it. Okay. All right. Uh item 6.2 is a motion to approve the acceptance of the Michigan. No. Yeah, I'm going off. Motion to approve the acceptance of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant in the amount of five million dollars. Make a motion. Support. Motion by Councilman Johnson supported by Councilwoman Brandon. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All is the chair. Could the mayor just uh go through it a little bit with audience? Through the chair, absolutely. So that was uh the check that was awarded here um by Senator Geiss. Um it allows us to uh focus on lead line replacement. Um and it also allows for like park and recall and uh infrastructure in our parks, but mostly infrastructure and DPW or yeah, DPW, but focusing mostly on lead line water replacement. I just wanted to hear it again. Yep, absolutely. Thank you. It was uh definitely well appreciated and uh that's a huge amount of money, and we're definitely gonna use it uh uh wisely and as quickly as possible to get those lead lines out of here as quick as possible. We're going to um just to touch on something real quick, we're going to uh send out those mailers again, and probably we need the uh you know residents to help us out as best as we can to help identifying who has lead lines, and uh there's information out there um where your water um meter, meter, thank you. Um you can tell what type of pipe is going in there that helps us identify, and that would save us a lot of time and money if uh the residents can help us do that, and it can really speed things along. So we're gonna focus on that as well, getting uh the residents information that can maybe help us either sending us literally an email or even a picture that we can focus on getting out there and getting that replaced as quick. Is that the flyer with the penny test? If it's copper, a couple different ways. A couple of different ways, but you know, if no, definitely uh that was helpful because uh yeah at some point in time if we get a projection kind of I know we we put in quite a bit of money in this year's budget that ends um coming up here soon, uh, but just kind of a projection where where we stand in terms of uh when we think I mean I don't know that you're ever done because you may still find some, but uh the chair that you know Ralph can probably speak to this much better than I can, but um that was the thing trying to figure out where you know and locate these once we locate them, we can address it kind of quick. Um but just going with in with a game plan of knowing where um to focus on, you know, when these houses were built, that you know that kind of helps us, but you know, the much as much information we can have going in, it definitely benefits us. And so um, you know, the mailers and stuff like that, and actually um we're gonna do uh like one of those little shorts on our cable channel as well, going into detail of what people can do at home that can help us greatly. And Councilman Johnson, you may be able to answer this. When a plumber poll a permit from the city of Taylor, is there somewhere in there where they could indicate on there? Indicates it, but uh any basically any house built before 1960, you need to look at there's some in the 60s, but everything before that along e-course road, uh some of the other subdivisions. Yeah, Van Born Column, yeah. Oh but there's no indication.

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