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Thursday, October 16, 2014

The Waste Hauler Public Hearing of January 12th 2010.Where are the participants now ? And the demise of the Public Hearing.

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS OAKLAND COUNTY MICHIGAN
City Commission 1 January 12, 2010

January 12, 2010 The regular meeting of the City Commission was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Kellett, in the City Commission Room, 45 E. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Commission Present: Mayor L. David Kellett
Mayor Pro Tem Michael McCready
Commissioner Patricia Hardy
Commissioner John Utley
Commissioner Michael Zambricki
Staff Present: City Manager Jay Cravens
City Clerk Amy Burton
Finance Director / Treasurer Carolyn Lorenz
Building Official Larry Rospierski
Lt. Detective Terry McDonnell 
City Attorney Derk Beckerleg


005-2010 PUBLIC HEARING: Single Municipal Waste Hauler 
Mayor Kellett opened the public hearing at 8:15 p.m. 
Speaking in favor of Multi   Waste Haulers
 Brady Lane
 Cranbrook
 Dunston
 Eton Cross
 Kennebec
 Kingsley Trail
 Lahser
 Martell
 Whitehall
Woodberry
Chesterfield
Cranbrook
Eastways
Representing Condo Association
Hammond
Hickory Glen
Kensington Rd.
Lakewood
Lowell Ct.
Trowbridge Subdivision
Vaughan Crossing
Speaking against    Multi  Waste Haulers
 Haverhill
Haverhill
Randall  lane

Editors note : The Minutes of the January 12th 2010 meeting, were  by resident demand, quite  detailed in terms of resident participation on a number of 2010 issues. Those residents wishing to speak  provided their name and street address.This publication, to give the  readers of today  of a feeling of numbers and  where they came from has only publishes the street name. 
Later in  2010 City Commission  meetings began to be televised  and the need for detailed  minutes atrophied into it's present sparse form. Today residential attendance at City Commission meeting is almost non existent.
 The Public Hearing of January 12th 2010 concluded with..

Where are they now ? Mayor Kellet owns a local business and is still active  community affairs applying for vacancy  on Commission  in 2012. He is also a historian of our area  and gives slide presentations on the subject to  civic groups.

Michael  Mc Cready the Mayor Pro tem of  the January 2010 Commission, followed Mayor Kellet as Mayor. In 2012  McCready  ran successfully for State Legislature. This year he is up for election to another two year term

Commisioner Hardy is the Current Mayor of the City.

John Utley retired from City Commission  in the Spring of 2010.

Michale Zambricki retired  from City Commission after  25 years of  service including many terms  as Mayor in 2013. The retirement was prompted by increased involvement with his employer and a promotion to Vice President. Zambricki has been featured in Crain's  Detroit Business and most recently be elected as a delegate for the Republican Party.

All City officials  are as they were then except for the  Treasurer and  the Building Inspector who have retired.

The City year of 2009-2010 was not without controversy, but the public was heard on numerous occasions usually at  public hearing. Public Hearings  are conducted by many forms if government nationwide, On the municipal level The  hearings may take many forms but  the point as the name implies is always to hear the public, 

In 2012  Under Mayor Sarah McClure. City Commission public hearings took  a different form. An advocacy speaker for the City's position would speak first for about 15 minutes.  In many Municipalities  the advocacy speaker is usually followed by a speaker presenting a  contrary point of view thus allowing the public to hear  both sides of the issue. In the Public hearings of 2012 this was not done. After the advocacy speaker (often hired  by the City) the Mayor sought the opinion of the City Commissioners.

 In all fairness how can the commissioners express a opinion before they listen to their constituents who's viewpoint they supposedly seeking  at Public Hearing ?

It took City Attorney Bill Hampton  a couple of meetings  to pick up on the last point but  when he did  he suggested that  Commission listen to the Public before stating any opinions they may have in regards to rendering a decision.

The last  City Commission  Public Hearing held in the City of Bloomfield Hills occurred in December  of  2012. It seems City Manager Cravens had found a Meals on Wheels grant  needy residents could qualify for . Unfortunately passage required a public hearing and one had not been scheduled.  City Commission  then declared an Impromptu  Public Hearing and was able to hear from  one member of the public who was in attendance and familiar with program. Mayor McClure did however consult with City Attorney Hampton as to whether a member of the Public could speak on such occasions. If  recalled correctly we believer her exact were, "can he speak ?" Apparently so. That is why it is called a Public hearing.

Since then  City Commission has considered  all sorts of things including a letter writing campaign (in 2013 regarding the proposed out sourcing Public Safety Dispatch) and an Advisory Vote on the City's selection of a  Single Waste Hauler. The State of Michigan which does not do "advisory votes"  rejected the last one.

City Commission then rightly decided, since they has promised  residents an election (advisory or otherwise)  to conduct a state sanctioned binding election on the Waste Hauler matter.

Residents should take advantage of the opportunity. because it may not come again.  In the City of Bloomfield Hills Public Hearings are gone, have been for quite awhile, and are not  expected to make a comeback any time soon. That is why you may not have heard of them.







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