Wednesday June 11th 2014. Special City Commission meeting. First discussion in a Public forum, of an estimated $17 million Pension Obligation Bond.

Editors note: These are draft minutes, available 8 business days after public meetings for citizens who request them per the Freedom Information Act. Revisions in these minutes  may be made  by  Commissioners prior to or during the next meeting. If no revisions are required , the minutes are approved  as written during the consent agenda portion of the next meeting.

At  the regular  June City Commission meeting of the night prior, Tuesday, June 10th,  City Manager Jay Cravens, in a portion of the meeting  called  "City Manager comments",  mentioned the Pension Bond meeting on Wednesday and an up coming  meeting of the Sign Ordinance Committee.  Unfortunately  the City Manager's mentions came at the end of the meeting  after  three of the four residents in attendance had left.  It is believed by this publication that the City Manager's comments at the June 10th  meeting are the first public utterance of a proposed  Pension Bond by a City staff member or a City Commissioner .

The Special Wednesday night meeting was open to the public and  notice was provided a via  thumb tacked messages to bulletin boards inside and outside City Hall. While that is legally a notice, one wonders how many residents had the opportunity to see it by visiting City Hall and reading either one of two bulletin boards.

Salient points  from the draft minutes are noted below. 

• All five commissioners attended. and discussed pension bonds for one hour and forty minutes.
• Bobby Bendzinski , with Bendzinski  and Associates was present. It is believed the Mr. Bendzinski  previously assisted Bloomfield Township in their $80 million dollar Pension Bond.
• City Commission requested a brief Power point Presentation for the Tuesday July 8th  City Commission meeting  from the City Treasurer.
• City Manager Cravens stated in a conversation with this publication that he believed the June 11th meeting covered the points necessary for a vote to be taken at the  Tuesday July 8th meeting. He would later repeat that belief to another area publication as well .Agenda item 4 for  the Tuesday July 9th meeting agenda is The commission will consider approval of the resolution declaring official intent to sell and issue bonds.