Taylor City Council Meeting – September 16, 2025

The Taylor City Council met on September 16, 2025. It approved the agenda and the September 2, 2025 meeting minutes, honored two recently deceased members of the Taylor community, entered a closed session on risk-management claims, and considered a lengthy regular agenda of contracts, purchases, zoning matters, grants, and public comments. Most items were approved by voice vote; roll-call votes were taken for the closed session, a North Line Road rezoning first reading, and the Tesla Cybertruck purchase.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda, containing routine items, was approved by voice vote as one motion.

Mayor’s Communications & Recognitions

• Proclamation honoring former Mayor S. Richard 'Dick' Marshall, who passed away September 1, 2025, at age 88. He was elected Taylor’s first city council chairman in 1968 and served as the city’s second mayor beginning in 1973. Council members shared personal recollections, and the proclamation was approved.
• Mayor and Councilwoman Winton paid tribute to Ryan Moore, a city IT team member who died unexpectedly; he was 40 years old. The council observed a moment of silence in his memory.

Presentation: Third Judicial Circuit Court

• Judge Don Knapp, presiding judge of the Third Circuit Court’s criminal division, presented on Wayne County Circuit Court operations and jury service. He noted the court has 59 judges and reported 2024 caseload statistics: 570 appeals, more than 18,000 civil cases, more than 7,000 criminal cases, more than 33,000 family cases, and an increase of almost 13% over 2023. He also highlighted the new Criminal Justice Center, free parking for jurors, and the importance of jury service. The council received and filed the presentation.

Closed Session and Settlements

• The council approved, by roll call vote (6–0), a motion to enter closed session to discuss risk-management claims 0 AB 255 656, 2025-10A, and 2025-10B. The open meeting reconvened at 7:37 p.m.
• After returning, the council approved final settlements for claims 2025-0910 A and 2025-0910 B as recommended by risk management.
• The council also approved a building agreement between the City of Taylor and EMS MC Management Consultants Building Service for medical billing for the Taylor Fire Department.

Discussion Items and Votes

• Fire alarm system (8.6): Approved Nightwatch as sole-source provider/installer for the fire alarm system, $780,764 plus a 1% contingency, for a total not to exceed $788,572, funded through TBA capital outlay. Discussion noted the existing system is about 25–30 years old and at end of life, and the new system will integrate with the city’s existing security camera command platform.
• Fire reporting maintenance (8.7): Approved ESO Solutions, current vendor, for annual medical and fire service reporting maintenance, not to exceed $30,455 from Fire Department contractual services accounts.
• Property sale (8.8): Approved authorizing the mayor to sign a purchase agreement for city-owned parcels for $6,500 plus closing costs, with proceeds to the general fund. Council discussion noted possible coffee shop or strip-mall use, B3 zoning, and that a bar would require a special land-use approval and public hearing.
• Heart monitor maintenance (8.9): Approved Striker Pro Care service for annual preventive maintenance of Lucas and LP15 heart-monitoring devices, not to exceed $9,891.
• Rezoning first reading (8.10): Received and filed the first reading to rezone 26655 North Line from O1 Office to I1 Light Industrial, described as a zoning-map correction for property at North Line and Lang. Councilwoman Brandana raised concerns about rack/dunnage storage, parking on grass, and site compliance, and requested a full review before the second reading. The vote was 5–1, with Councilman Geis opposed.
• Engineering services amendment (8.11): Approved an amendment to City Council Resolution 8.352-25 for approved engineering vendors covering 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, funded through TBA capital outlay.
• Penning Farm painting (8.12): Approved JLR Group’s low qualified bid of $52,920 plus a $2,000 contingency, for a total not to exceed $54,920, funded through TBA capital outlay.
• Park millage/pickleball courts (8.13): Approved reallocating $75,334 from 2021–2023 park millage allocations for Heritage Park pickleball court installation. The banked millage amounts were $36,620, $38,714, and $40,240, and the reallocated funds cover roughly 41% of the court build-out.
• Tesla Cybertruck (8.14): Approved purchase, not to exceed $84,750, funded through the Community Energy Management Grant. Staff cited ballistic protection, drone deployment capability, payload, and charging capacity. Councilman Geis expressed preference for a Ford Lightning and raised repair and dealership concerns; a public comment noted the closest dealer is in Ann Arbor or Southfield and transport requires a flatbed. The roll-call vote was 4–2, with Councilwoman Brandana and Councilman Geis opposed.
• Tactical drones (8.15): Approved sole-source purchase of Brink Indoor Tactical Drone and Brink Ball Tactical Phone from Brink Drones, Inc., not to exceed $26,100, funded through the 2023 JAG grant.
• CDBG public hearing/CAPER (8.16): Opened and closed the public hearing for the Program Year 2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report. The director reported draft expenditures of $297,131, with the final draw expected to add roughly $80,000–$100,000; 100% of expenditures were for low/moderate-income benefit. Public services spending was 11.20% against a 15% cap and administration was 15.7% against a 20% cap, with final draws expected to reach the caps. Discussion addressed CDBG-eligible roadwork areas and a road that had to be postponed because it was not CDBG-eligible.
• Planning conference (8.18): Approved three Planning Department employees to attend the Planning Mission 2025 conference in Kalamazoo, $3,109 plus out-of-pocket expenses, funded through department training and transportation.
• Election programming (8.19): Approved Dominion Voting as sole source to program the 2025 local primary and general elections, not to exceed $6,000, from the Clerk’s election supplies fund.
• Carnival license (8.20): Approved a carnival license for St. Alfred’s for September 19–21, 2025.
• HR conference (8.21): Approved one Human Resources employee to attend the MPELRA conference at a cost of $1,936 from HR training funds.
• Accessible playground resolution (8.22): Approved a resolution supporting development of an accessible playground at Heritage Park. Councilwoman Winton said the resolution would help with future grant applications; Mayor Woolley voiced strong support and said Lang Park is planned to be 100% wheelchair accessible.
• Vacancy appointment (8.23): The item to fill the vacant council position under City Charter Section 4.5 was not moved; the council proceeded to open business.

Open Business and Public Comments

• Councilwoman Winton asked about Flock license-plate readers. Police staff explained the system checks plates, is not used for real-time monitoring of all traffic, has a public dashboard, and is used to find vehicles linked to crimes or missing people.
• Councilwoman Winton also criticized inaction on predatory towing, saying Michigan saw a 31% increase and is in the top 10 states, and both Detroit and Taylor are ranked in the top 15 cities nationally for predatory towing claims. She called it embarrassing and said three council members refuse to fix the issue. She referenced House Bill 4411 and said she would send the supporting documents.
• The City Clerk reported absentee ballots for the November 4 election will be mailed around September 25, early voting will run October 25–November 4 with weekend hours of 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and weekday hours of 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and the city will receive a wage reimbursement for the local election.
• The Clerk also received a petition with 191 signatures, 177 verified, opposing rezoning or special-use permits beyond B1 zoning at 25275 Eureka Road. The petition was received and filed, and the clerk noted there is not currently a rezoning request before the planning department.
• Caroline Patz announced the Taylor Historical Society’s West Mound Cemetery Walk on October 18, 4–7:30 p.m., with tickets $20 online or $25 at the gate.
• A resident at 2263 Woofile criticized the council for failing to follow through on promises and said members should be ashamed.
• Mary Susa complained about an overgrown property near Meyer, saying it has been uncleaned for months. The mayor said the city has written multiple tickets and needs a court order before it can enter the property and clean it.
• Tim Long asked whether the city would sponsor a memorial for Charlie Kirk; council members declined, indicating it was not something the city would be involved in.
• A resident asked about the status of the Taylor school bond/new high school and was directed to the Taylor School Board; the council previously passed a resolution expressing dismay that a new high school would not be built.
• A Brookwood/Timbers Edge resident expressed concerns about rental properties and asked whether Timbers Edge would be finished as owner-occupied housing. Officials said the original development went into foreclosure, the city cannot force construction, but they would work to prevent rental development in that area; they also noted other owner-occupied developments are planned.
• Sparrow Macintosh questioned the need for a police Tesla Cybertruck and warned against militarization. After profanity, the chair ruled the speaker out of order and noted that one officer and one auxiliary officer have been killed in the line of duty.
• A resident asked about sycamore tree removal on Bladey Street; staff said removals are being done by neighborhood, with some work planned for fall or winter because of dust.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the consent agenda, meeting minutes, and routine contracts.
• Honored former Mayor Richard Marshall and IT teammate Ryan Moore.
• Entered closed session and later approved two risk-management claim settlements.
• Received and filed the Third Circuit Court presentation.
• Received the first reading of the North Line Road rezoning (5–1) and requested a compliance review before the second reading.
• Approved the Tesla Cybertruck purchase (4–2) and all other contract and purchase items.
• Approved the accessible-playground support resolution and the park-millage reallocation for pickleball courts.
• Received and filed the Eureka Road B1 zoning petition after the clerk verified 177 of 191 signatures.