Valentine's Day Invitations Fly as the City Puts on The Ritz for the Big Occassion !

Valentines day is here and residents of the City of Bloomfield Hills residents are mulling over the many invitations to civic functions scheduled for this evening .
Click below  for the Agenda Packet for tonight's meetings.
   
4pm Planning Commission Meeting


7:30 pm City Commision Meeting 




 The Bloomfield Hills City Commission is ready to propose. It just has released a

“Citizen Engagement Assessment” nee “Residents Satisfaction Survey” in draft form.
To show you that their intentions are honorable the City has also released a draft of the also proposed code of ethics. Both Drafts are available on request at City Hall at 45 E. Long Lake.

The Engagement Assessment pops 24 questions in four pages. “Yes and No” are replaced by strongly agree, disagree, are neutral, agree, strongly, and don’t know. Topics include, Programs and Services, Transportation and Streets, Community Characteristics and Quality of Life, Planning and Budget and City Commission. Commissioners reading the draft recommended modifications about questions that implied the possibility of services or amenities the city financially can not provide.

The Code of Ethics is intended to be “preventive not punitive.” Ethical conduct is listed by items from “A” To “K”. Many of the items are matters to interpretation. Item “G” says “public officials shall prepare themselves for public issues, .... and listen politely,”. Nothing in the two page document is said about the ethics of deciding issues prior to a public meeting which is not only unethical it is a violation of the Michigan Open Meetings Act. The document says laws take precedent but provides no suggestions or requirements about how a city official of approached about possible pre-arranged decision should act or comport himself.

Both drafts will be fined tuned for Big Date which  is appropriately February 14th.


 The fun begins at exactly 4pm which is the absolute drop dead moment that nominating petitions can be accepted for candidates to run the City Commission Election on May 8th. Three challengers and two incumbents are expected but will a last minute suitor appear as the clock bongs four ?  


 At 4:01 the City Planning Commission will try to unravel the tangles of Tree Ordinance.


 At 7:30 City Commission will seek the hand of city residents with a finalized Engagement draft.

Remember that couple last seeing sitting a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G ? Good news ! You may see them this evening !



While maybe not the most romantic date, Valentine’s day at City Hall will quickly determine if either half of a love struck couple has the necessary interest in civic or municipal affairs to prolong the relationship. History and a lifetime of experience say it is better to learn such things early on.

A Draft of a Code of Ethics for Elected Officials and Members of Appointed Boards, Commissions, and Committees of the City of Bloomfield Hills.

Backround:  This draft is the work of City Commissioner Sarah McClure, City Manger Jay Craven, and City Clerk Amy Burton. Residents were not invited to participate nor was the provisions of the Michigan  Open Meetings Act applied because one city commissioner and two city employees does not constitute a quorum. When asked  why he didn't appoint more commission's to have enough for a quorum, Mayor Zambricki said said it was hard to find commissioners willing to attend addition meetings. The first the whole of the commission saw of this draft occurred on February 7th. The first public viewing  this. The draft may be  discussed or altered at the February 14th regular city commission meeting. We will critique it later in a future post

City Commission Releases Rough Draft V1 of Citizen Engagement Assesssment (Citizen Satisfaction Survey)

  The following is a draft of the Resident's survey that will be sent to all registered voters  in late February or early March. The $9500 cost of the survey was approved  at a Special Meeting/Work Session  of  City Commission held at 5  PM on December 6th. At the January 10th regular City Commission meeting it was announced that the questions for the Survey were to be determined in a conference phone call  involving City Commissioner Sarah McClure, City Manager Jay Cravens and people from Cobalt communications the survey providers.

City Commission ponders satisfaction survey

 The draft was first presented  at the City Commission work session meeting held on February 7th. It will be discussed further at the Tuesday February 14th City Commission Meeting. Proponents of the survey say it will gauge current satisfaction and provide a bench mark for future commissions. Opponents say the survey is political and meant to enhance the current commission. This publication will critique the survey in an upcoming post.

Baldwin Library Board Building Committee To Meet Monday Feb 13th. Expected To Discuss Draft of Charge For Proposed City/Library Modernization Sub Commitee.

  Notice of Meetings

A meeting of the Baldwin Public Library Board Building Committee will take place on Monday, February 13, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Library.

A meeting of the Baldwin Public Library Board Finance Committee will take place on Monday, February 13, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Library. 

A meeting of the Baldwin Public Library Board will take place on Monday, February 20, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tribute and Donor Rooms of the Library. 

Discussions for an expanded Baldwin Library, the first remodel considered in 32 years continue to move forward.

 Currently Library Director Doug Koschik, and Birmingham City Manager Robert J. Bruner Jr. are working on a Draft of Charge. 

The draft is to be ready for the Library Building Committee meeting of February 13^t.h meeting

 It will tell a special committee of selected Library Board members and City Commissioners how to proceed and what the overall goal of the  committee  be should be.

Koschik said that one of the charges of the special committee will be to determine, through benchmarking and public comment, what the Library really needs in terms of space and functionality.

Then based on the findings about the Library’s needs, the committee will then decide which of the following is needed: a renovation or an expansion.

Koschik said, “Only if an expansion is recommended will the issue of design need to be addressed.

The Director added “All plans will have to be tempered by financial reality. Money for any renovation or expansion would have to be covered by some combination of a higher millage rate, a bond issue and private contributions.”

He stressed, “We are at the start of the process. No decisions about the building have been made yet, other than we need to look at the issue.

There will be plenty of opportunities for the public to express their opinions.

The process will take a long time. Within a year I hope that we will decide which path to take. But to make the ultimate plan a reality will take several years beyond that.”

Revamping the library was a  topic of informal and internal discussion for over decade by the library staff A serious proposal offering two possible modernization solutions was  presented to the library board in December of 2011.

 The first solution, called the Fanning Howey proposal after the firm that designed it was an internal only remodel of the library’s first floor first floor.

  At 2.8 million dollars the proposal was intended to be the fiscally prudent solution.

It would trade shelf space for functionality, aesthetics, way finding, and the opportunity for modest expansion of computer stations and study rooms.

 It would also maintain the 1980’s external design of internationally acclaimed noted architect Gunnar Birkerts.

According Library Director Koschik E-books are decreasing the need for shelf space and the library of the 21^st century is assuming more of a community center role.

The second solution, proposed by local Birmingham architect Victor Saroki  is complete remodel of all three of the library’s floors and the building’s exterior.

The Basement would be enhanced to include a Friend of the Library Gift Shop, Café, and possible outdoor seating which could extend the cyber café concept.

The first floor would have two entrances one on Martin Street and the other on Merill.

The second floor would be expanded to include a roof garden and terrace overlooking Shain Park for Library or Civic functions. In total the Saroki plan would increase the library’s total space by 42% at an estimated cost of upwards of ten million dollars.

Both options were presented to the Long Range Planning Session of the Birmingham City Commission.

Many commissioners found the Saroki plan of particular interest.

That plan has its detractors and supporters.

Russ W. Dixon a member of the City’s Museum Board is a strong supporter of keeping the exterior design of internationally acclaimed architect Gunnar Birkerts which was the basis of the last remodel.  Other residents find the Birkerts design controversial.

Jeffery Van Dorn president of a Birmingham homeowner’s association, is a supporter of the Saroki design and believes that any enhancement to the popular library will increase property values for the city’s residents. Mr. Van Dorn was instrumental getting architect Victor Saroki to make a presentation.