Here is your agenda packet for the City Commission meeting of October 11th. Very little of note is in the packet.
This meeting however is the BIG ONE covering the hottest topics in town like...
Agenda Item 4. The commission will hear a presentation
from the Baldwin Public Library Officials.
from the Baldwin Public Library Officials.
In thirty one day days on November 8th you be asked to vote on a millage that will fund the city's participation in Birmingham Baldwin Library. On September 29th we published the an exact copy of ballotl where you will fill the circle on November 8th. We believe the the Baldwin Library presentation will state their case verbally . Currently hiding in obscurity on the city's web site is the Baldwin Library Fact Sheet and Overview of Benefits.
Many of the benefits offered have not be available to residents in the last eight years,or in some cases ever. Citizen and former City Commissioner Bob Toohey has written a letter to all residents urging a no vote and asks that voters read the Agreement for Services between the City and the Library. Both Mr. Toohey's letter and the Baldwin Library fact sheet will be published in their entirety in a future post.
Agenda Items 5 and 6. The hour between 8 pm and 9 pm is blocked off (most unusual) to allow for two half hour presentation from Colbalt Community Research and Mitchell Research and Communications. Neither company has been mentioned in City commission minute meetings before. We believe These companies contacted or were contracted by City Manager Jay Cravens about conducting resident surveys. The time allotted is unusual and if you want your opinions counted the presentations might be very interesting.
Agenda Item 8.The commission will consider the request of American Tower for a wireless facility at the DPW property on Kensington Rd.
This a strange one, It first appeared on the Agenda on Tuesday July 26th City Commission meeting which started at 5:30 PM which no City residents and only four commissioners attended.The proposal as submitted to City Manager Jay Cravens appeared in the July 26th Agenda Package and was printed in this publication's post pf the same date. It can be found archived in the bottom left hand corner under "July."
The meeting agenda of July 26 said Agenda Item 3: The Commission will discuss a proposed communications tower on the Department of Public Works property. Now two and a half months later
American Tower is back with a request for a wireless facility. Is a wireless facility different than a communications tower and are either different than your garden variety a plug ugly cell phone tower ? Do you get the idea somebody is trying to hide something ? In fact at the July 26th one commissioner spent most of the talking time wondering about how the 140 foot tower (as tall as 14 story building ) might blend in with the foliage on a golf course. At the July 26th meeting American Tower did not make a full presentation. City Manager Cravens told them the agenda for that night was too crowded. A presentation was made by the a Representative from the Public Safety Department which indicated radio and cell phone reception communication problems through the city. A lady from the county which came with American Tower on July 26th thought a new the tower would solve everything.
Betcha it won't. Cell Phone Towers usually can be found in clusters. Worst of all the Cell Phone Towers or the Communications Tower doesn't cost it pays the kind of rent one would give up the backyard for. Does a wireless facility pay as well ? Neither the public or City Commissioner Connie Salloum got to hear the mini presentation of July 26th. Hopefully all concerned will be able to hear the full presentation on Tuesday Evening and the public will have a chance to comment. If not on Tuesday then at the next City Commission meeting before a commitment is made. There seems to be no special urgency. July 26 and October 11 are separated by 77 days. The proposal sent to City Manager Cravens was dated June 25th. Commissioner Hardy, at the July 26th meeting asked the presenter from the Public Safety Department, why if there was a communications problem did the PSD wait until "now " to bring it up ? The answer was that the lady from the county told them that American Tower would be pitching the City on a Tower and the PSD decided to piggy back in on it. The Residents of The City of Bloomfield Hills need the facts, the opportunity to comment on them and to be assured that due diligence is being preformed. Whether all that is possible Tuesday night remains to be seen.
10. The commission will consider a millage resolution to commit .35 mills for road expenditures.
The Library wants .39 mills.If the resolution is approved will the road mills just get figured into winter summer tax schedule ?
17. The commission will discuss a reception for the donors of the Tree Initiative Program.
Great idea ! We do see the fine hand of Commissioner McClure here. Invite the press.Make it a photo op to maintain interest and to get future donations. Invite all donors big and small. The $5 donor may give double the next time.Hold it at City Hall. Wine,Cheese, and gold fish crackers. Ask Commissioner Pat Hardy about tree give away at City's75th Anniversary. Actually it was more of a "sprig with pine needles" giveaway but everyone went home with a spruce for the backyard. One wonders if any are now 140 feet tall.
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