Taylor City Council Regular Meeting - January 6, 2026

The Taylor City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the Taylor Municipal Building. The meeting included appointments to city boards, a presentation from Commissioner Alex Garza, a closed session for litigation discussion, approval of a budget amendment, several sole-source and low-bid contracts, and an open business discussion on snow removal operations. All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda and Minutes (Item 4): Approved the agenda and the minutes from December 16, 2025.
• Mayor Communications (Items 5.1–5.5): Reappointed Sheri Engelbrink, Jason Broniak, and Ed Warner to the Recreation Commission; newly appointed Blaine Honeycutt, Greg Bersano, Dylan DiCicco, Ken Hasty, Cynthia Fell, and Arya Rice to the Recreation Commission; appointed William Patts to the Library Board as Council Representative; appointed Chris Clark to the Downriver Development Authority as Council Representative; and appointed Christian Armstrong to Risk Management as Council Representative. All new members were sworn in.

Discussion Items & Key Outcomes

• Presentation by Commissioner Alex Garza (Item 6.1): Commissioner Garza presented two Wayne County Community Impact Initiative grants totaling $180,000 for District 14. Taylor North Little League received $50,000 to fund free registration for all registered children in 2026. The Taylor Conservatory Foundation received $100,000 for rehabilitation and expansion of its pavilion, coinciding with the botanical gardens' 20th anniversary.
• Closed Session (Item 6.2): A motion to enter closed session to discuss pending litigation (Risk Management Claim QL-0926) passed unanimously. The council reconvened and immediately approved the final settlement as recommended by Corporation Counsel (Item 6.3).
• Budget Amendment (Item 6.4): Approved City of Taylor Budget Amendment 2026-003, which transfers funds from IT Contractual Services to Purchasing Contractual Services to accommodate the upcoming OpenGov contract.
• Van Outfitting (Item 6.5): Approved the low quote from Abco Truck Equipment ($7,197) to outfit one Ford Transit van, funded through TBA Capital Outlay.
• Security Gate Repair (Item 6.6): Approved an amendment to CCR#4.127-25 for International Controls & Equipment (sole source) for repairs and preventive maintenance of the Pine and Birch Street security gates, not to exceed $10,000, funded through TBA Capital Outlay. The amendment was needed to raise the spending threshold; the company originally installed the gates eight to nine years ago. Council noted the safety function of the gates and the intent to include annual maintenance in future budgets.
• OpenGov Contract (Item 6.7): Approved a three-year contract with OpenGov, Inc. for a comprehensive electronic procurement and contract management system, not to exceed $176,754, funded through Purchasing Department Contractual Services. Purchasing Manager Ben Clayton explained the system would streamline workflows, reduce processing time by 50%, and yield an estimated annual savings of $95,000 with ROI under two years. The system replaces fragmented tools (e.g., BidNet) and includes contract lifecycle management, automated solicitations, evaluation scoring, and vendor performance tracking. Council noted that the city will retain access to BidNet for vendor reach.
• Google Workspace Licensing (Item 6.8): Approved payment to Onix (sole source) for three months of Google Workspace licenses ending October 2025, totaling $55,369, funded through General Fund IT Contractual Services.
• ESRI GIS Licensing Renewals (Items 6.9 & 6.10): Approved two sole-source renewals from ESRI: GIS licensing for $62,375 and GIS server licensing for $7,087, both for year three of three-year contracts, funded through the Water and Sewer Departments.
• Vehicle Repair (Item 6.11): Approved the low quote from BM Services LLC ($4,082) for repair of a Water Department vehicle, funded through the Water Fund. The bid tabulation showed quotes of $5,860.49 from Rony’s Body Shop and $6,400.43 from Taylor Ford.

Open Business

• Next Study Session: Chairman Johnson announced the January 20, 2026 study session will be held at 5:30 PM due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on January 19.
• Public Skate Event: Councilman Wallace promoted a DJ Open Skate at the Taylor Sportsplex on Saturday, January 10 from 7–10 PM ($5 skate rental, $10 fee).
• Snow Removal Discussion: At Mayor Woolley’s request, Director of Public Works Ralph explained a decision to not salt side streets on Friday, January 2, after a series of snow events. The city had three snow events in a 12-hour window and had exhausted 50% of its salt inventory only one-third through the winter season. The decision balanced safety with fiscal and salt conservation, relying on forecasted warm weather (which arrived on Monday). Council members defended the decision, noting that Taylor provides more snow removal than many other communities.