Taylor City Council Regular Meeting - August 6, 2025
Taylor City Council Regular Meeting - August 6, 2025
The Taylor City Council met at 6:30 p.m. on August 6, 2025, at the Taylor Municipal Building. Mayor Timothy Woolley and Councilmembers Tina Daniels, Lindsey Rose, Charley Johnson, Jill Brandana, and Angie Winton were present; Douglas Geiss and Michelle Tocco were excused, and Cynthia Bower was replaced by Sarah Alvariki. The council approved an amended agenda, approved the July 15, 2025 minutes, held a closed session, and then took action on police contracts, reappointments, grants, purchases, and several contested items.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the agenda with the addition of item 8.16A and with item 6.3 split into 6.3A and 6.3B.
- Approved the minutes of the July 15, 2025 meeting.
- Approved the consent agenda, which included: the City Clerk's application for the 2025 Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks ADA Infrastructure Grant (not to exceed $10,000); attendance of two Clerk's Office employees at the 2025 Summer MAMC Education Day (not to exceed $450 plus out-of-pocket expenses); receipt and filing of the 2023-2028 Capital Improvement Program; and receipt and filing of the National Rail Safety Week Proclamation.
Public Comments & Testimony
- During the towing ballot discussion, Dan Wallace opposed postponement and described towing as legislative stagnation that belonged on the ballot. Eric Hall said residents should decide and accused the council of playing political games. Tim Kaczynski asked whether a special meeting would be scheduled before the Aug. 12 ballot deadline and supported letting voters decide.
- During the special counsel discussion, a resident named Susan supported postponement until the full council was present. Caroline Patz supported council members having their own counsel but also supported postponement. Tim Kaczynski said the council should speak with one voice and argued Corporation Counsel Plato could represent all council positions professionally.
- In open business, Tim Kaczynski criticized the police chief's signing of the ICE 287G agreement without a council vote and called for a council vote on the matter.
- Correspondence read into the record included two questions from Chuck Cainz about improving employee working conditions and eliminating the primary election for local elections. A letter from Charles Blackwell alleged Ed Swanson pleaded guilty in 2024 to bid rigging and was approved for a $4 million contract, and called for investigations; the council member reading it characterized the accusation as false.
Discussion Items
- Police contracts and closed session: The council voted 5-0 to enter closed session at 6:36 p.m. to discuss the Taylor Police Command Officers Association Addendum and personal service contracts, and reconvened at 6:47 p.m. It then approved the TPCOA addendum. The Chief of Police personal services contract was approved 4-1, with Councilmember Winton voting no. The Deputy Chief of Police personal services contract was approved by voice vote.
- Reappointments and related approvals: Trish Bergeron was reappointed to the Library Board for a four-year term expiring Aug. 6, 2029. Michelle Alford was reappointed to the Housing Commission for a five-year term expiring Aug. 6, 2030. The council also approved authorizing the mayor to sign the Fiscal Year 2025 grant contract with the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission for Oct. 1, 2025-Sept. 30, 2026, and approved the magistrate position previously authorized in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
- MIDC grant: Judge Sheckleberg reported the indigent defense grant funding would increase by $61,500 for the coming year, while the city's contribution would remain $40,000, due in part to increased court caseloads.
- Regular agenda purchases and contracts: The council approved all regular agenda items 8.1 through 8.15, including: five Dell Pro Tower computers through CLEMIS/state contract (not to exceed $5,154); three EV emergency plugs from Conway Shield ($2,985 plus shipping, not to exceed $3,045); Bryx Emergency Response System annual service and maintenance for three fire stations (not to exceed $7,520); additional authority to MacQueen Equipment of $19,487; Taylor School District transportation services for city events (not to exceed $23,000); Certified Lights low bid for holiday decorations (not to exceed $46,638); engineering services agreements for approved city vendors for FY 2025/2026; Dows Equipment sole-source concrete pads at Taylor Meadows (not to exceed $3,300); Brady's Fence Co. low bid for fencing at the Pardee & Newcastle property (not to exceed $17,800); amendment of CCR #7.292-25 from Downriver Karaoke & DJ to Audial Entertainment; a 2025 F150 from Gorno Ford (not to exceed $53,665); three 2024 Ford F250s from Gorno Ford (not to exceed $166,985); transfer of water/sewer accounts delinquent six months as of June 30, 2025 to the next tax roll with notice by Sept. 5, 2025 and a 15% administrative fee for bills unpaid by Nov. 7, 2025; a DA Central blanket purchase agreement for security system maintenance (not to exceed $20,000); and 400 YubiKey multi-factor authentication fobs from CDWG for $31,664. During the YubiKey item, one speaker questioned the price, saying the same item was about $55 on Amazon versus roughly $79 under the contract, but the council was told the purchased key was different and FIPS certified, and the motion carried.
- Water/sewer delinquency transfer: A city official answered that the average amount transferred to taxes is approximately $1.3 million to $1.5 million.
- Big League Brews: The chair announced at the start that agenda items 8.16, 8.17, and 8.18 would not be discussed. Instead, the council approved new item 8.16A, postponing the public hearing regarding the appeal of the suspension of Big League Brews' business license to Aug. 19, 2025. No vote was taken on affirming or reversing the mayor's suspension.
- Towing ballot proposal: Councilmember Winton moved to place on the Nov. 2025 ballot a proposed ordinance repealing Resolution No. 10.625-16, which had extended Area Towing's contract on a month-to-month basis. Supporters said voters should decide; opponents said the item was submitted late, needed review, and would leave the city without a towing vendor. A motion to postpone the proposal to Aug. 19 passed 3-2, with Rose, Daniels, and Brandana voting yes and Winton and Johnson voting no. The Aug. 19 date is after the Aug. 12 deadline to get the proposal on the November ballot. No special meeting was scheduled.
- Special counsel resolution: Councilmember Daniels moved a resolution authorizing any council defendant in the Area Towing/JT Towing litigation to retain Randall Pentioc as separate legal representation at the same hourly rate as corporation counsel. Corporation Counsel Plato said he did not object but asked to wait until all council members were present. A motion to postpone the resolution to Aug. 19 passed 3-2, with Rose, Winton, and Johnson voting yes and Daniels and Brandana voting no. The underlying resolution was not voted on.
- Open business: The council approved the Taylor High School Music Program solicitation request for Aug. 9, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Goddard and Pardee Road.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the amended agenda, July 15, 2025 minutes, consent agenda, TPCOA addendum, Deputy Chief contract, reappointments, MIDC grant authorization, magistrate position, and all regular agenda items 8.1 through 8.15.
- Approved the Chief of Police personal services contract 4-1.
- Postponed the Big League Brews public hearing to Aug. 19, 2025.
- Postponed the towing ballot proposal to Aug. 19, 2025 by a 3-2 vote, after the Aug. 12 ballot submission deadline.
- Postponed the special counsel resolution to Aug. 19, 2025 by a 3-2 vote.
- Approved the Taylor High School Music Program solicitation.
Meeting Transcript
Open business and then something I have to read. Welcome to the city council meeting. Um, I'd like everyone to turn off your phones or silence them so it doesn't interrupt the proceedings if you would. Um, also I wanted to make an announcement before the meeting. There is a few agenda items on here for tonight. Items 16, 17, and 18 will not be discussed tonight. So I see some interested parties in the audience. You are you're welcome to stay, but those things are not going to be presented tonight. Um if the motion goes forward. So okay. So I call the meeting to order at 6 30 p.m. Roll call. Oh, I'm sorry, is there someone here for the invocation? Yes, if I could have. Can you introduce yourself, please? Sure. I'm Pastor Ryan Bettinger from North Line Church. And uh, on behalf of the Taylor Ministers Fellowship, we just thank you for the opportunity to pray uh before the meeting tonight. And uh if there's anything we can do as churches, let us know. We're here to help any way that we can. Thank you very much that's praying. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for all that you do for us. We thank you for uh all of the blessings that you have given to us life and uh just the ability to uh build relationships with one another and Father and build the sense of community. God, we just thank you for your son Jesus who died on the cross to pay the price for our sins and allow us to have a relationship with you. God, I ask now that you just bless the meeting tonight, Father, that you would uh allow just your uh will to happen in your uh just the the business of the city to be done well, and Father, we just ask that you will allow just wisdom to prevail, and Father, as these public servants do what they've been called to do, father, than serve the city. I pray that you'll just give them the wisdom to know how to best do that. Father, we just thank you also for their willingness to serve in this role, and God the uh the toll that that can take on their families, the toll that that can take in relationships, Father. We just thank you for all that they do give up to serve in this role. And if we Father, we just ask that you would allow them to do so with integrity, Father, that you would allow them to to do what's honest and right and best for this city, and we thank you and praise you for all that you do. It's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Pastor. Next on the agenda is a pledge of allegiance. We'll have Miss Daniels start. Thank you, Ms. Daniels. Next is roll call. Miss Daniels here, Miss Rose, here Mr. Johnson. Mrs. Brandana here, Miss Winton. Here Mr. Geis is excused, Mayor Woolley. Here uh Mrs. Bauer is being replaced by Sarah Alvariki. And Mrs. Toko is excused. Thank you. We have a quorum.
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