New year. New faces.New attitude. Highlight 01/14/14 City Commission Meeting.

On the 14th day of the 14th year of the 21st Century, the City Commission elected last November, was for the first time all together.
Commissioner Sherr missed the inaugural meeting last November due to a family emergency. Mayor Hardy missed the December meeting due to a fractured hip.


 

Jeff Wren City's new Building Official

Karen Ruddy City Treasurer

On the eve of her first year anniversary. with the City(which happens to be on Valentine's day) City Treasurer Karen Ruddy drew praise from City Manager Jay Cravens. Her presentation on the advantages of a fund balance resolution also prompted the evening's first debate.The 3-2 vote in favor may be indicative of future splits. Coakley, Dul,and Mayor Hardy supported it. McClure and Sherr opposed.

     

Sherr felt the proposal too restrictive. McClure felt it could possibly impact adversely on the City's triple A bond rating.

Jamie Burton City Consultant for  Hubble, Roth and Clark

If it is January the topic must be roads. City Commission believes the residents like roads and believes that  their improvement is a visible indication that the City is doing something about something. Currently  the topic is which  roads when and how it will be paid for. A millage has it's proponents. Regardless of what the candidates said last year, 2014 has the advantage of being the first non election year in almost sixty years of City history. What better year to have a millage ?

             

More will be discussed at a Tuesday  February 18th  Special meeting which will be open to the public.The time is tentatively set at 5:30 pm. It would be wise to call City Hall in advance to confirm. Things can and often do change.

City Attorney Derk Beckerieg

City Attorney Beckerieg  explained the City's new Begging Ordinance. 

                  

In addition City Commission passed two Community Development Block Grants that allow the City's Meals on Wheels program to continue. This grant which City Manager

Cravens found for the City is based on need not income. Similar research and study by the City Manager resulted in resident participation in the  the Hazardous waste disposal program at Soccra, and a home improvement grant which because of income limits very few residents could qualify for. Cravens did say however that two residents living on small fixed incomes did qualify and benefited from the Home improvement grant.

That being said, one should consider what was not said at the meeting.

• No mention of Last September's Celebrate Bloomfield Hills future other than the "on hold for a few years" status assigned last October 2013 via the City's Goal's and Objective memo of the same month.
• No mention of the commission forming a committee or working through the City Manager to further develop the Baldwin Library contract renewal offer made at the first Commission meeting in November 2013.
• No mention of the City's single waste hauler study/initiative which was discussed at the December 2013 meeting. At that time it was reported that the waste haulers were not being cooperative in providing details of their services to our City Clerk. More discussion was promised at the January meeting but that did not happen.

On the whole however this publication is pleaded with the attitude and spirit shown by the commission at the January  meeting. The thoughts expressed were thoughtful as opposed to partisan. It was also  apparent the commissioners had read the agenda packet which has not always been the case in the past. Almost everyone spoke and was encouraged to do so.Slightly more than a quarter of a dozen residents also attended.