Highland Park City Council
Highland Park City Council
Politics
12050 Woodward Ave Highland Park, MI 48203 (Directions)
Join meeting on Zoom:
https://zoom.us/j/361243988
Agendas may be found at: https://highlandparkmi.gov/government/city-council/agendas-minutes/2024/
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team
Note-taking by
Eric Guzman
Following a lengthy review and contentious discussion, the council approved the amendment to the planning & zoning ordinance to allow for a solar energy system by a 5-2 vote. Councilmembers Khursheed Ash-Shafii and Sharmaine Robinson voted no.
Live reporting by
Perry Sylvester
Following a lengthy review and contentious discussion, the council approved the amendment to the planning & zoning ordinance to allow for a solar energy system by a 5-2 vote. Councilmembers Khursheed Ash-Shafii and Sharmaine Robinson voted no.
Hey, Detroit! Monday, 10/21 at 7 PM I live tweet Highland Park City Council Meeting for @DetDocumenters #DETdocumenters & media partners: @BridgeDet313 @chalkbeatDET @freep @metrotimes @michigan_public @media_outlier @PlanetDetroit @wdet @wxyzdetroit
08:46 PM Oct 20, 2024 CDT
Highland Park City Council meets in regular session in the established Council Chamber on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month...the public can attend via YouTube, Zoom or phone. Info available here ⬇️⬇️⬇️ highlandparkmi.gov/government/cit…
highlandparkmi.gov/government/cit…
City Council of Highland Park is comprised of 5 members; 2 at-large and one from each council district. Current body consists of the following 👇
In theory, we should have an agenda available online for the meeting...but at 10 PM on Sunday night, well...you know how it can go. 🤷♂️
Meeting starting at 7 PM…‘opening ceremonies’ with swearing in of new officer
Roll call for attendance, approval of agenda & minutes of previous meeting & workshop, both held Oct 7
The camera set up makes it difficult to see all the council members…appear to be 4 members of public present
Appears some issue with minutes from previous meeting Oct 7…Council President Pro Tem Sharmain Robinson votes ‘no’ twice on approval…this includes ‘no’ on the corrected minutes as well
The Mayor is now talking in detail about awarding of a special Vietnam veteran service lapel pin to a Highland Park resident…didn’t get name, about 7:10 in transcript
Now time for public comment on items on the agenda ‘you have in front of you’…or, at least some of us 😆😆😆
First person questions the request for information on demolition of Highland Towers
Next person, Gracie Wooten (sp?) comments on item 7 (I believe) which is support for the solar power initiative/ordinance…points out history of work by various groups to get to this point, plus need for ordinance to be eligible for more grants
Michelle Jones now speaks, also in support of the solar ordinance…says this is an opportunity to show Detroit & the world that residents & governing body are unified & seize opportunity to not be dependent on others for lighting their own streets
Another resident comes up, states she needs stop signs put up in neighborhood (Woodward & Puritan) …she has put up a home made sign, notified police (and finally got a sign)
Okey dokey—going on about something I am not really following. Item 5 in agenda, filling vacancies in a citizen district advisory councils—but I don’t recognize the names, nor am I familiar with districts. Sooo…you may want to check the transcript…about 7:26
There is discussion about some of the people nominated as well as procedures for handling the resolution
Now we are at agenda item for amending planning zoning to include solar energy system … lots of discussion about procedures … question as to if this is final reading (it is)
Motion made as presented…discussion on exact wording to make sure it is right. Now discussion, with a council member concerned about perceived lack of protections to the residents along with questions about how funding for this project came about
At 7:38 a timeline is given for when grant was applied for and rules governing the grant…believes it was applied for before approval properly given
Also questions about oversight for use of money from the grant…
I believe it is council member Manica asking the questions…and receiving grant contingent upon having the solar ordnance on the books
Thomas (I believe) is working on addressing the questions, followed by the mayor…difficult to follow without any of the specifics in front of me
Mayor notes it is a federal grant, not MSHDA…she says the information was presented in a workshop and was in the council member packet…the infamous Magic Packet™️🧙🏻♂️🐰🎩!
In response to his stating he doesn’t remember this, the mayor states they need to go to the clerk, who will have the records
And it was Council Member Ash-Shafii who was asking about the timeline
Now a person is trying to bring the discussion back in focus & get everyone on the same page…this process goes all the way back to 2022😲
The complexity and multi-stage process gone over and start of process, established engineering standards etc presented…look to 8:00 in transcript
It is brought up that they are now at a point with having enough grants that they need a spreadsheet tracker to better manage them
Motion for solar energy system ordinance passes…2 votes against
Next item is for an RFI on demolition of a building…I believe it is Highland Towers
City owns building…question is whether a developer has eyed property and looking to leverage City for demolition (response is ‘no’)
Building is large enough that demolition cost will be in millions…Ash-Shafii states that if demolished, the cost must go into purchase price for any potential buyer
Motion for the RFI carries—Ash-Shafii and Robinson again vote ‘no’
Discussion about another agenda item dealing with funding for architectural and engineering services…has to do with modifications to an existing RFP…passes and 2 minute recess at 8:27
They reconvene at 8:31…resolution to accept grant from Area Council on Aging…carries
Request for renaming a street to honor passing of Pastor Richard Smith of Prayer Temple of Love Cathedral…there is question of what authority City has to this…they will look into it for next meeting
Now it is time for citizen participation … representative from a voter education initiative inviting council to participate and distribute/make available their information/literature
Another person steps up to apologize to council for social media posts he put up following past meeting on solar power ordinance…he feels this meeting answered the questions he previously had and council & city moving in right direction
Person comes up with problem with next door property that she believes is owned by housing commission…lawn totally overgrown and filled with small animals
Next person up with discussion of a payment of city bills…this is an ongoing discussion, apparently dealing with utilities (?)
Now on to council affairs…Ash-Shafii invites internet/social media critics to speak to him to his face, provides is council number
Following that, other statements feel like an incomplete denouement
Perhaps I’m just tired, but the individual council reports seem a little disjointed…but, overall sense of trying to be positive/reasonable/responsive
So, that was my coverage of the Highland Park City Council Meeting for Monday, 10/21. Before I close, a few things...
First, here is link to minutes of 10/7 council meeting with language of Solar Energy Systems Ordinance, 2nd reading 🔗⬇️📃 highlandparkmi.gov/media/mypj5cvr…
highlandparkmi.gov/media/mypj5cvr…
You will remember there was some dispute about the language of the ordinance and the minutes, and a correction was made. Not sure what this was
...and there is no update to the website, so still missing the agenda for Monday's meeting and corrected minutes for previous meeting.
In addition to the solar power ordinance, there was discussion about the grant necessitating it. The grant program -- which is federal -- is Communities Sparking Investments in Transformative Energy (C-SITE). Website for it is here ⬇️⬇️⬇️ . energy.gov/scep/about-fun…
energy.gov/scep/about-fun…
There are links on the above page to 2 slide decks--one is an overview of the program, the other is application process with timeline. As you may have noticed, the timeline was *ahem* a 'matter of contention' in this meeting.
Through this grant, "Highland Park in Michigan will invest $2.5 million to install and maintain 30 solar-powered streetlights to enhance public safety and reduce energy costs" according to T&D World. tdworld.com/distributed-en…
tdworld.com/distributed-en…
Finally, at the close of the meeting, there was an animated exchange between a member of the public and a Highland Park staff person (I believe the Treasurer) over fees/bills following the debt restructuring deal between the city, GLWA & Michigan.
For background, check out this from GLWA ⬇️⬇️⬇️ glwater.org/highland-park-…
glwater.org/highland-park-…
And this from City of Highland Park ⬇️🔗📃 highlandparkmi.gov/media/j50j1xgs…
highlandparkmi.gov/media/j50j1xgs…
Lastly, Laura Herberg @HerbergRadio has great article showing impact for residents at media partner @media_outlier here ⬇️⬇️⬇️ outliermedia.org/highland-park-…
outliermedia.org/highland-park-…
@HerbergRadio @media_outlier That's all, folks. If anything in this reporting is incorrect, email documenters@media_outlier.org with 'Correction Request' in subject line.
@HerbergRadio @media_outlier As always, check for additional coverage, topics and news. documenters.org
documenters.org
Agency Information
Highland Park City Council
Pursuant to the Highland Park Charter, Chapters 5 and 6, the City Council of Highland Park is comprised of 5 members; 2 at-large and one from each council district. The council exercises all of the legislative powers of the city, except as otherwise stated by law, and provides for the public’s peace and health, and for the safety of persons and property.
The council meets in regular session in the established Council Chamber on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.