Taylor City Council Meeting - October 21, 2025

The Taylor City Council met on October 21, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting was called to order with six members present (a quorum) and one excused. The council approved a consent agenda and several routine items, discussed major HVAC infrastructure, IT expenses, a golf simulator upgrade, and held extensive open business on election logistics, towing policy, neighborhood speed concerns, and facility issues. All votes were unanimous (7-0) unless noted.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval (Item 5.1): Approved with an amendment adding Item 7.10 (golf simulator equipment).
• Minutes Approval (Item 5.2): Approved the minutes of October 7, 2025, and dispensed with oral reading.
• Fire Training Equipment (Item 7.1): Approved purchase of training equipment for Station 1 from Amazon, not to exceed $2,466, funded through the general fund fire department operating account.
• Medical Supplies (Item 7.2): Approved purchase of medical supplies for Lucas and LP15 heart monitoring devices from Striker Pro Care Service, not to exceed $4,745, funded through the general fund fire department ALS account.
• Police Tahoe Repairs (Item 7.4): Approved repairs on a 2022 Taylor Police Tahoe from Down River Body Works Inc., amount $20,532, funded through insurance proceeds and police equipment repair/maintenance.
• Paid Invoice Report (Item 7.5): Received and filed the September 2025 paid invoice report.
• Budget Performance Report (Item 7.6): Received and filed the September 2025 budget performance report.
• Budget Amendment (Item 7.7): Approved City of Taylor budget amendment 2026-001, dated October 21, 2025.
• Council Vacancy (Item 7.9): No nominations were made to fill the vacant council position; no action taken.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mark Lemon (local resident): Spoke in support of Monroe Plumbing and Heating (Item 7.3), citing their excellent work on a sensitive historical project in Monroe. He described them as going "above and beyond the call of duty."
• Renee Stallions (Allen Park resident): Criticized the council for failing to resolve the long-standing towing issue. She noted she had worked on the matter since February 2024, expressed frustration that progress had stalled, and urged the next council to do better for residents.
• Wheelchair user (name not stated): Raised concerns about ADA accessibility at the new animal shelter (no push-button door opener) and the lack of a homeless shelter in Taylor. He stated that the city prioritizes animals over human beings and noted that homeless individuals are visible on street corners. The DPW director responded that he would follow up on the animal shelter door issue and obtain pricing for an ADA retrofit.

Discussion Items

• HVAC Equipment at Police Department and City Hall (Item 7.3): The council discussed a motion to approve Monroe Plumbing and Heating’s low qualified bid of $2,249,200 plus a 5% contingency ($2,361,660 total) for new HVAC equipment. Councilman Johnson asked about the scope (chiller replacement, supplemental unit for council chambers, boiler replacement at PD). The administration confirmed that ductwork is not included, that the old equipment will be removed and the roof amended, and that a structural beam will be installed. The item is fully budgeted. A public comment from Mark Lemon supported the contractor. The motion carried unanimously.
• IT Blanket Purchase Agreement (Item 7.8): Council discussed a blanket purchase agreement with RSM/CRM hosting for $121,500, funded through water admin and sewer contract services. Councilwoman Witten asked for an overall IT budget breakdown, noting frequent IT-related votes. The administration explained that IT costs are spread across multiple accounts and offered to compile a report. Councilman Johnson clarified that this specific item is for hosting the CRM software used by water and sewer for work orders, charged to the enterprise fund. Motion carried unanimously.
• Golf Simulator Equipment (Item 7.10): The council approved the purchase of new golf simulator equipment from Carl's Place for $52,610, funded through golf course capital outlay. The Parks and Recreation Director stated the current equipment is over five years old with worn mats. The simulators generate about $90,000–$100,000 annually in golf sales plus $20,000–$25,000 in food and beverage. The new equipment is expected to enhance the customer experience and pay for itself quickly. The old equipment will be sold. Motion carried unanimously.
• Election and Charter Compliance (Open Business): Clerk Bower announced early voting details (starting October 25) and noted that state law (military ballot acceptance up to six days post-election) conflicts with the city charter's requirement to swear in new council the Monday after the election. She stated she cannot certify the election in time, so the current council will likely serve until November 18 or later. She also raised concerns that the official newspaper (News Herald) may not be complying with state law by placing minutes behind a paywall and not posting on a statewide website, suggesting the next council review the designation. Councilman Geis noted he has requested a legal opinion from Corporation Counsel.
• Speed Humps (Open Business): Councilman Johnson raised resident complaints about speeding and mini-bikes and asked about installing speed humps (not bumps). DPW Director Ralph expressed opposition due to snow removal issues and likely demand from every street, but said he would look into it.
• Towing Contract (Open Business): Councilwoman Witten expressed strong frustration that the towing issue has not been resolved after 1.5 years. She stated three council members blocked progress by not attending meetings and not providing feedback on the RFQ. She made a motion to approve Telwick Towing, but after discussion about lack of contractual rates and qualifications, she withdrew the motion. A public comment from Renee Stallions reinforced the criticism.
• Animal Shelter Grand Opening (Open Business): Councilman Geis reported a successful grand opening of the new animal shelter, praising the facility's design and the positive impact on animals. Councilman Johnson noted that a recent animal dumping case led to citations and all animals were adopted.
• Taylor High School Property (Open Business): Councilman Johnson criticized conditions at Taylor High School (non-ADA sidewalk, rusted fencing, portable still present) and suggested the city issue ordinance violations if the school district does not maintain the property.
• Sidewalk Heights on Monroe (Open Business): Councilwoman Daniels asked about varying curb heights on recently replaced sidewalks. The DPW director explained that the curbs are ADA-required ramps, and heights vary due to the grade of adjacent yards.
• Council Chamber Plaques (Open Business): Councilman Geis updated that plaques honoring past council members are being produced for under $2,000, with names being compiled from historical records.

Key Outcomes

• All voting items (7.1 through 7.8, 7.10) passed unanimously (7-0).
• Item 7.9 (council vacancy) had no nominations and no action.
• The towing motion was withdrawn; no new contract was approved. The issue remains unresolved for the current council.
• The administration will follow up on ADA accessibility at the animal shelter and provide an overall IT cost breakdown.
• The next council will need to address the newspaper designation and the swearing-in date conflict.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m.