REGULAR MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NOVI

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2011 AT 7:00 P.M.

COUNCIL CHAMBERS – NOVI CIVIC CENTER – 45175 W. TEN MILE ROAD

Mayor Landry called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

ROLL CALL: Mayor Landry, Mayor Pro Tem Gatt, Council Members Fischer, Margolis, Mutch, Staudt, Wrobel

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

CM-11-06-075 Moved by Gatt, seconded by Wrobel; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To approve the Agenda as presented

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-075 Yeas: Gatt, Fischer, Margolis, Mutch, Staudt, Wrobel, Landry

Nays: None

PUBLIC HEARING - None

PRESENTATIONS - None

INTERVIEWS FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

1. Tony Anthony – Planning Commission

Tony Anthony said he had been a resident of Novi for 17 years. He had served on the Homeowner’s Association in Village Oaks and Willowbrook Farms. He coached youth soccer through Novi Parks and Recreation. He said as a resident and through raising his children in Novi he was familiar with the City. He looked forward to being able to volunteer in the City of Novi. His small business provided environmental services, brownfield redevelopment and energy efficiency for many municipalities in Michigan. He wanted to bring his experience from other communities to Novi. He said Novi’s transportation junction aided the City’s sustainability and with correct planning Novi would be able to move forward correctly.

Member Staudt asked what opportunities Mr. Anthony saw in Novi for Brownfield redevelopment.

Mr. Anthony said Novi had industrial sites and old abandoned landfills. He said there were abandoned landfills at Ten Mile and Meadowbrook and in the Haggerty Corridor. He said there was an old sludge lagoon near the bridge of Tans-X Drive. He said there was a drum burial near the old Sam’s Club on Haggerty; it had been cleaned up but some residual substance remained. He said there was a combination of agricultural, dealing with pesticides and herbicides, as well as some old industrial and abandoned landfills. He said there were tremendous opportunities on the Brownfield side, Oakland County had a program for it but they were not currently funded. He thought Novi could start their own program if they were interested.

Member Wrobel said Novi was roughly a 50/50 split of commercial and residential. He asked Mr. Anthony what his vision for Novi was.

Mr. Anthony said there was a shift in manufacturing in the mid-west. He said we needed to have more of a balance in today’s economy and put more weight on the residential side. He said the high density residential area near Main Street was what Novi needed. He noted that moving toward higher density residential lowered the cost of infrastructure and raised the square foot cost of the tax revenue, which ultimately made a City more sustainable. He said there had to be a balance of high density and low density residential while balancing that with commercial and industrial development. He said it was one thing to put the cost of infrastructure on the developer when it was built but the City had to think of the long term tax revenue being generated and affording to maintain and protect it. He noted that the east side of Livonia was starting to see urban sprawl and decay, which they were doing a good job of fighting. He said SEMCOG had really good forecasted data for Novi in terms of growth and decay but there were also things Novi could do today to prevent it.

Mayor Pro Tem Gatt asked Mr. Anthony, if he were appointed to the Planning Commission, what he envisioned City Council doing to help the Planning Commission.

Mr. Anthony said the City needed to rely on internal talent. In terms of the Master Plan, he thought they should consult the Police Chief on Police and Fire coverage to see where they could consolidate. He said there should be integration with feedback from different departments to assist in future planning, making the staff more efficient therefore lowering its cost.

Member Margolis asked what he thought the City did well and what he thought needed to be changed.

Mr. Anthony thought the City should have given incentives to the developers of Fountain Walk to move toward the area of Main Street. He said projects were started but not finished. He said the Town Center was really great when it was first built, but not finishing Ring Road was partly why they were not connected and made it more difficult to patrol. He said it was now difficult to tie Fountain Walk into it. He said what was planned today was not necessarily going to be implemented immediately but they would be setting the path for the children. He said one of the great things the City did recently was the Non-Motorized Master Plan. He said the City needed to look at how to repair certain things and document why so it would be understood in the future.

Member Mutch noted an earlier comment Mr. Anthony made about the struggle Livonia was going through in certain parts of the City as the City aged. He said Novi also had areas that were built in the late 50’s through the 70’s and those residential neighborhoods and surrounding commercial developments were facing the same types of challenges. He asked Mr. Anthony for examples of efforts or initiatives that the City could take that would allow us to maintain the neighborhoods as attractive places for families to continue to move into and maintain housing values and neighborhood stability.

Mr. Anthony said it would be the Non-Motorized Master Plan. He said a young family would want to take their bikes up to the commercial and retail districts. He said if someone tried to walk from the Village Oaks subdivision to the Novi Town Center they would have to walk on the street at the intersection of Meadowbrook Road and Grand River. He said if the City wanted young families to continue to move into neighborhoods like Village Oaks the City needed to give them connection conduits so they didn’t always have to take a car to get to retail businesses.

Member Fischer asked for Mr. Anthony’s thoughts on the downtown area and if appointed to the Planning Commission what he would do to further the area.

Mr. Anthony said it wasn’t the City’s business to keep someone in business but our tax revenue came from the businesses being healthy. He said what they needed was traffic. He said better conduits could be created so people could walk from their subdivision to downtown. He said events could be created in the downtown area to bring people and help the businesses.

Mayor Landry asked Mr. Anthony how he planned for diversity.

Mr. Anthony said he didn’t think we needed to plan for diversity but instead make sure there weren’t obstacles or barriers to prevent it.

2. Debra Blashfield – HCD

Debra Blashfield was unable to interview due to an injury.

3. James Gerblick – ZBA; Planning Commission; HCD

James Gerblick had been a Novi resident for 20 years and grew up in the City. He said he was looking forward to challenging himself and learning new things. He watched the City grow from a small town with open fields to a City with about 60,000 residents. Based on his skills and experiences, he thought he would have the biggest impact on the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals or the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee. He said he was a CPA at a public accounting firm, he had seen a wide range of different entities, industries, and sectors. He said he had done financial statement audits and single audits for large city entities and was familiar with the accounting and regulations around the CDBG Federal Funding Grants. He said as a CPA he could provide unique insight to a committee and maintain a strong fiscally responsible policy as part of the City’s goals. He said he would be honored to serve in any capacity the Council saw fit.

Member Wrobel asked which of the 3 committees he would prefer to be on and why he would be the best fit for it.

Mr. Gerblick said he would prefer to be on the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee because he had experience working with those types of Federal Grants. He said the Zoning Board of Appeals would be his second choice.

Mayor Pro Tem Gatt asked what he liked most and least about Novi.

Mr. Gerblick said he grew up in the Royal Crown subdivision. He said the subdivision had a small town feel which he enjoyed growing up. He said he would like to see the entertainment industry expand in Fountain Walk and downtown Main Street.

Member Margolis asked Mr. Gerblick what convinced him to step forward to volunteer.

Mr. Gerblick said he chose to stay in Novi because he enjoyed his experience in Novi. He said Michigan was at a tough point with college graduates leaving the state and he felt Novi was one of the best communities in the Metro Area to settle down.

Member Mutch asked what other areas, besides entertainment, he would like to see changes in that would make him stay in Novi and attract other families and young people to Novi to make it their home.

Mr. Gerblick said the balance the City had between commercial and industrial to residential was about a 50/50 split. He thought that was a great split because becoming too business oriented pushed residents out. He said having the balance provided jobs for the residents which provided an opportunity for people living in the area to stay and spend their money in the area. He said it wasn’t a change but something that should be continued.

Member Fischer asked what the City Council could do to encourage more people to volunteer for Boards and Commissions, especially among the younger citizens and older citizens.

Mr. Gerblick said he felt it was hard for his age bracket and the older age bracket to plan for City events, City Council meetings in particular. He said 2 or 3 years ago he wouldn’t have known when City Council meetings were. He said there was a lot of information on the City’s website and promoting that website would assist the younger generation. He said mailing an informational packet would assist the older generation and would be a good way to keep people informed.

Member Staudt asked Mr. Gerblick to explain one of his larger governmental experiences that he felt would assist him on the Planning Commission or the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Mr. Gerblick said keeping citizens in Novi and wanting to spend money in Novi versus leaving to go to other cities was a large part of what Novi should focus on.

Mayor Landry thanked Mr. Gerblick for making the decision to want to give back at such an early age.

4. Tally Patel – Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Commission

Tally Patel said she had been a resident of Novi for 9 years, she moved here from England. She had always been interested in the City of Novi. She joined her Homeowner’s Association and had served on the board for 9 years. Ms. Patel and her husband just purchased a business in Novi. She said she wanted to be involved in Novi to assist the Indian population in being involved in the community and serve as their link. She said there was a cinema that showed Indian movies which was very popular but it was now gone. She said once the younger generation graduated they would leave Novi because there was nothing to keep them in the City.

Mayor Pro Tem Gatt asked how she would implement the ideas she talked about and bring the Indian community together to make Novi more attractive to them while serving on the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Commission.

Ms. Patel said she would have preferred to stand on other committees but because she only possessed a green card she wasn’t eligible to apply to the other committees. She said this was her way of getting her foot in the door. The first thing she would like to do was form a group to see what they would like to see happen in Novi. She said they had to try to bring the American and Indian communities together, at the moment they were completely separated. She said when she went to her friend’s parties only the Indian Community was represented. She thought maybe the City could hold a party where people from the community could get together. She said Indian people didn’t generally voice their opinions to the outside world. She said they were intelligent and needed to say exactly what they wanted. She said they would tell her what they wanted and she felt she would then be a voice to the City.

Member Margolis asked what her major goals for involvement in the City would be if there were no constraints.

Ms. Patel said she was an interior designer and worked closely with architects, she was in London when they began redeveloping central London. She said she worked with local governments to determine whether they should invest in certain areas and what they could bring into the areas to enhance them. She said she would have been interested in the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Planning Commission. She said she understood that the different boards would be a lot for her to learn but it was something she would be prepared to do.

Member Mutch asked what ways the City could reach out to the community at large for their perspective on Parks and Recreation or other City services that were provided to ensure that we were best meeting the needs of our residents.

Ms. Patel wanted to have an informal get together with people from other countries to listen to what they had to say. She said getting up in front of a City Board was very intimidating. She said they didn’t see Council in any other capacity than in a formal setting. She said it was difficult for anyone to get up in front of a Board but being from a different country with a different culture made it even more difficult. She said if Council was more approachable other cultures would feel more comfortable coming to them.

Member Fischer said he was intrigued by her reason for wanting to come forward and be a voice and encourage others to have a voice. He asked how Council could encourage the Indian population to come out and volunteer for Boards and Commissions, share their opinion and be involved in a formal setting.

Ms. Patel said they could tell the Indian culture that they were real people who would listen to their problems. She said they were afraid to take the first step. She said when they had India Day she knew the Mayor attended and people were excited but they felt he was untouchable. She said very few people stopped to talk to him, they didn’t know if they were going to say or do the right thing.

Member Staudt said Ms. Patel made an interesting comment in her opening remarks about children not seeing any opportunity or a reason to come back to Novi, yet the previous applicant grew up in Novi and chose to move back into Novi. He asked what the difference was.

Ms. Patel said the white community was different from the brown community. She said the Indians would go to where they found the highest paid jobs or where their parents wanted them to go. She said they had arranged marriages and would go to where their wife or the in-laws lived. She said they also went to where they knew there would be a lot of job opportunities. She said there weren’t a lot of job opportunities in Novi for young people. She spoke to other Indian parents and there were other states that children would like to go to be doctors, nurses, or accountants. She said they wanted to be able to show their children that Novi was a good place to live and stay.

Member Wrobel said he lived in a subdivision with a 50% Indian population and he served on the Board of Directors for the Association since its inception. He said their number one problem was how to get the Indian population involved; until recently they didn’t have any Indian representation but they have finally broken the barrier. He asked, given her skill set, what she would bring to the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Commission.

Ms. Patel said being able to listen to what people wanted and translate it for Council to consider. She said Indian people had good ideas and good visions but they couldn’t communicate it.

Mayor Landry said he didn’t think that diversity happened on its own. He said people worked for diversity, people move and open business because there was a reason to do so. He said he was heartened by her honesty, zeal and her willingness to say it how it was. He said he appreciated those aspects of diversity that she was honestly speaking and he thought role modeling was a large part of it all. He said at a past fundraiser he introduced himself to an older Indian gentleman who had only been in the country for a month and he couldn’t believe he got an invitation from the Mayor to have coffee.

5. Paul Policicchio – Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Commission

Paul Policicchio said he had been a resident of Novi for 35 years and raised 3 children in the City. He had served on the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Commission for a few years already; he also served on the Walkable Novi Committee. He watched Novi evolve and found it to be a City that provided programs, opportunities, recreation and a quality of life for every population segment. He said what was exemplary of the City and one reason he would like to continue to serve was because in these difficult economic times Novi had continued to prosper, grow, and build its quality of life instead of waiting and hoping for the good times to continue. He said there continued to be expanding park developments and programs. He said the City had found ways to maximize and utilize the tax revenues of the residents while continuing to have a good quality of life. He said there were many members on the Parks Commission who provided different perspectives from where they sat, from being a parent or a student representative. He said his view now, along with having good knowledge of what the City could do for everybody, was through the eyes of a baby boomer that was retired. He said the Non-Motorized Master Plan was a great idea that seniors would depend on as they aged.

Member Margolis asked how his goals for the Parks and Recreation Commission had evolved over his tenure and what he learned that he would like to apply going forward.

Mr. Policicchio said his primary goal had always been that the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Commission could be a catalyst for providing a very good quality of life for the City. He said quality of life, other than schools, was a reason anyone would choose to live here. He said he would like to see the City lean more on other entities, such as the Oakland County Road Commission, so they also added to the quality of life in Novi. He said there was no reason why there wasn’t a bike lane put on Novi Road while all the construction was occurring to connect it. He said I-96 connected the City from north to south and there had to be access to enjoy things such as Lakeshore Park.

Member Mutch said he didn’t have any questions for him, they had worked together on the Walkable Novi Committee and he appreciated the work he did. He said he appreciated that he was a big picture thinker and wasn’t stuck on one specific area. He also appreciated the discussions he brought from his experiences in his travels and being able to apply that to Novi. He said it was that willingness to push the envelope that moved a community forward.

Member Fischer asked what else Mr. Policicchio thought Novi could do to promote quality of life for the senior citizens that were very active, independent and wanted to be involved in the community.

Mr. Policicchio said the City was already doing that. He said the development of Fuerst Park was conducive to retirees; it was a passive park that could be used as a gathering place. He said the new park going up near Walled Lake would also be an ideal place for walking. He said the key was connecting the City pedestrian and bike traffic. He said as a retiree he liked to have social contact with other people in the community and he wouldn’t have that in a car, whereas while walking, biking, or sitting in a park was an opportunity to interact with others. He said that was the best thing to do for retirees because it allowed them to get out of the house, get air and activity, and have a quality of life.

Member Staudt said Mr. Policicchio was an advocate for the Walkable Novi Committee. He said he saw the Parks Commission as a body that brought a lot of information to the community.

Member Wrobel said he was also getting to the age to think of retirement. He asked Mr. Policicchio what his biggest disappointment was after spending time on the Parks Commission.

Mr. Policicchio said he wished more roads had bike paths like Taft Road did because it would provide more connectivity and a more communal environment. He said he would have liked to see the Signature Park go through. He said it would have been a great cornerstone for the City, in the middle of the City. There would have been a Community Center with the capacity to bring all the diverse parts of the community together. He said maybe in the future once the economy picked up the City would be able to develop that park.

Mayor Pro Tem Gatt thanked him for his service and concentration on the senior community. He said it was one of the largest growing demographics in the City.

Mayor Landry said he thought Mr. Policicchio was a big picture guy who wasn’t focused on one sport or activity which was appreciated. He said he knew the Commission was still trying to find a Cricket Pitch which would be great for the Indian Community. He thanked him for his volunteering, leadership, and continued willingness to work for the City.

5. Donna Skelcy – Planning Commission

Donna Skelcy said she currently served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for the City of Novi. She had been on the Zoning Board for the past 2 years and had seen quite a few packages come through that pertained to the Planning Commission. She said she would like to become more involved in the Planning Commission to have more of a ground level activity contribution. She said she lived on the north side of town and thought it would be great to have north side representation as well. She said she was an attorney and had a legal background which would be a plus on the commission.

Member Mutch said the first thing that jumped out to him while looking at the application was that she lived on the north end of Novi. He said over the years it had been a challenge to get people from the north end of town involved to ensure they were meeting the needs of those residents. He asked what key challenges or opportunities she saw in her area, that other residents from other parts of the City might not be able to fully appreciate.

Ms. Skelcy noticed that people kept to themselves. She said having the Landings Park might bring people out to socialize more. She said the sidewalks and the bike paths would also help connect north and south Novi. She said it would be a nice option to be able to ride a bike over I-96 to get to the south side and vice versa.

Member Fischer asked her to explain a case brought to her while on ZBA that she struggled with and what her logic was for arriving at her answer.

Ms. Skelcy said one case she struggled with was the huge billboard at the Suburban Collection Showplace. She said she was pro-business but didn’t think it created a community feel. She struggled with wanting to help a business and maintain the small town feel, to the extent that they could in Novi.

Member Staudt asked what planning issues she saw as most important in Novi.

Ms. Skelcy said the most important thing would be to have the delicate balance to encourage business because of its terrific tax base and also encourage residential because it was the residents that created the sense of community.

Member Wrobel asked what she envisioned for the southeast part of the City down the road.

Ms. Skelcy said she didn’t have a vision about the southeast quadrant at this time. She said she envisioned trying to attract business because Novi needed the tax base because homes had decreased in value, therefore the tax base had gone down. She said when trying to maintain a budget within a City you wanted to have a good business tax base.

Mayor Pro Tem Gatt asked what she would expect from the City Council if appointed to the Planning Commission.

Ms. Skelcy said she knew the Planning Commission made recommendations about things that came before them in terms of development for the City. She said if something were turned down by the City, having Council explain it to the Planning Commission members in a detailed way so they could understand the thinking of the Council would help.

Member Margolis asked what would assist her from her experience on ZBA if she were to move to the Planning Commission.

Ms. Skelcy said she had learned a lot about the philosophy of the City by serving on the ZBA, including the philosophy about signs, businesses, and where businesses should be located. She said they recently had a matter in front of them where a business wanted to build a Kroger at Ten Mile and Novi Road. She understood what the City’s position was on that and what the Ordinances were in regard to it. She said her familiarity with the Ordinances would be a plus in regard to the Planning Commission.

Mayor Landry said he always encouraged members of a committee to take a look at other committees and gain experience from one area of the City to another.

7. Hideki “Harry” Torimoto – Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Commission

Harry Torimoto said he was appointed to the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Commission at the end of February and had attended 2 meetings. He had lived in Novi for 12 years. He volunteered as a soccer coach for Novi Parks and Recreation. He said he looked for characteristics of entrepreneurship and champion in people. He was starting to understand how the Commission operated and the best of what he could do was still to come. He said he didn’t think it mattered what nationality a person represented, peoples interests should be represented fairly.

Member Fischer asked how his thoughts on the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Commission had changed after attending 2 meetings.

Mr. Torimoto said visualization and transparency were important to him. He was impressed with the information, transparency and being able to have input.

Member Staudt asked if there was anything he picked up that he wanted to champion during the next 3 years of his appointment.

Mr. Torimoto said he wanted to hold events that would bring people of different backgrounds with a common interest to Novi events.

Member Wrobel asked what programs he would like to see implemented in the City that they did not currently offer.

Mr. Torimoto said he wanted input from underrepresented groups for events they would like offered. He had been happy with what the City did provide.

Mayor Pro Tem Gatt thanked Mr. Torimoto for serving on the Commission and said he still supported him.

Member Margolis thanked Mr. Torimoto and didn’t have any additional questions.

Member Mutch thanked Mr. Torimoto and didn’t have any additional questions.

Mayor Landry thanked Mr. Torimoto for stepping forward to serve.

REPORTS:

1. MANAGER/STAFF – None

2. ATTORNEY – None

AUDIENCE COMMENT –

Ramesh Verma, 45725 Jaslyn Lane, thanked the Mayor and Council members for the work they had done in keeping the residents safe. He said Mayor Landry was a champion of diversity. He announced his candidacy for Novi City Council. He had been a resident of the City for 32 years and served on various boards and commissions.

CONSENT AGENDA REMOVALS AND APPROVALS (See items A-K)

CM-11-06-076 Moved by Gatt, seconded by Margolis; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To approve the Consent Agenda as presented

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-076 Yeas: Fischer, Margolis, Mutch, Staudt, Wrobel, Landry, Gatt

Nays: None

A. Approve Minutes of:
1. May 23, 2011 – Regular meeting

B. Approval of adoption of Ordinance No. 11-23.27, to amend Chapter 22, “Offenses,” Article II, “Offenses Against Public Administration,” Section 22-36, “Penalty for excessive false alarms,” to amend the standards for the regulation of alarm systems to clarify that residential burglar alarms are subject to excessive false alarm penalties. Second Reading

C. Approval to waive the Maintenance and Guarantee Bond requirement for the Country Cousin Mobile Home Park water main extension on Haggerty Road south of 12 Mile Road.

D. Approval to award an amendment to the engineering services contract for construction engineering services related to the Civic Center and Ella Mae Power Park Detention Basin Rehabilitation project to Spalding DeDecker Associates, Inc., in the amount of $11,945.

E. Approval to award a construction contract for the Civic Center and Ella Mae Power Park Detention Basin Rehabilitation project to D&M Contracting, Inc., the low bidder, in the amount of $82,780.

F. Approval to award an amendment to the engineering services contract for construction engineering services related to the Beck Road Rehabilitation – Nine Mile to Cheltenham project to Spalding DeDecker Associates, Inc., in the amount of $36,766.

G. Approval of resolution amending the number of students appointed to serve on the Novi Youth Council to 21, including 19 regular members and two alternates.

H. Approval of resolution to set fees at a cost of $3.00 for a session per charging station for the use of the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at the Police Training Center and Novi Public Library.

I. Approval of water and sewer monitoring agreement for Waltonwood of Novi.

J. Approval for purchase and implementation of BS&A Building Department.Net and Field Inspection.Net software modules from BS&A Software in the amount of $45,000.

K. Approval of Claims and Accounts – Warrant No. 845

MATTERS FOR COUNCIL ACTION – Part I

1. Approve adoption of Ordinance No. 11-177, to amend Chapter 27, “Planning,” of the City of Novi Code of Ordinances, Article II, “Planning Commission,” in order to conform to P.A. 33 of 2008, as amended, being the Michigan Planning Enabling Act, MCL 125.3801 et. seq. for the purpose of having planning and zoning in the City of Novi; to confirm membership of said commission in accordance with the statute; to enumerate its powers and duties; to provide for the regulation of land and the coordinated and harmonious development of the City of Novi; and to function in cooperation with other constituted authorities. Second Reading

CM-11-06-077 Moved by Gatt, seconded by Staudt; MOTION CARRIED: 6 – 1

To approve the adoption of Ordinance No. 11-177, to amend Chapter 27, “Planning,” of the City of Novi Code of Ordinances, Article II, “Planning Commission,” in order to conform to P.A. 33 of 2008, as amended, being the Michigan Planning Enabling Act, MCL 125.3801 et. seq. for the purpose of having planning and zoning in the City of Novi; to confirm membership of said commission in accordance with the statute; to enumerate its powers and duties; to provide for the regulation of land and the coordinated and harmonious development of the City of Novi; and to function in cooperation with other constituted authorities. Second Reading

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-077 Yeas: Margolis, Staudt, Wrobel, Landry, Gatt, Fischer

Nays: Mutch

2. Approval of a two-year contract with three one-year renewal options with KMG Prestige for the management of Meadowbrook Commons, commencing on July 1, 2011.

Mr. Pearson said they received proposals that recommended retaining KMG Prestige; they had done a nice job in all aspects.

CM-11-06-078 Moved by Margolis, seconded by Gatt; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To approve a two-year contract with three one-year renewal options with KMG Prestige for the management of Meadowbrook Commons, commencing on July 1, 2011

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-078 Yeas: Mutch, Staudt, Wrobel, Landry, Gatt, Fischer, Margolis

Nays: None

3. Approval of three (3) year contract with one (1) year renewal option with Suburban Arena Management, LLC for the management of the Novi Ice Arena, commencing on July 1, 2011.

Mr. Pearson said they received 2 proposals and after evaluating both they felt it was important to maintain Suburban Arena Management.

CM-11-06-079 Moved by Gatt, seconded by Staudt; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To approve a three (3) year contract with one (1) year renewal option with Suburban Arena Management, LLC for the management of the Novi Ice Arena, commencing on July 1, 2011

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-079 Yeas: Staudt, Wrobel, Landry, Gatt, Fischer, Margolis, Mutch

Nays: None

4. Approval to award a construction contract for the Beck Road Rehabilitation – Nine Mile to Cheltenham project to Florence Cement Co., the low bidder, in the amount of $314,365.

CM-11-06-080 Moved by Margolis, seconded by Wrobel; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To approve the award of a construction contract for the Beck Road Rehabilitation – Nine Mile to Cheltenham project to Florence Cement Co., the low bidder, in the amount of $314,365

Member Mutch thanked the City Staff for incorporating the future potential for bike lanes along Beck Road which was recommended by the Non-Motorized Master Plan. He said it was good to see that the City staff was building in the infrastructure that would help provide connections across the community for pedestrian traffic.

Mr. Pearson said there would be a 5 foot sidewalk on both sides of Novi Road; it was as much as they were able to get from the Oakland County Road Commission.

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-080 Yeas: Wrobel, Landry, Gatt, Fischer, Margolis, Mutch, Staudt

Nays: None

5. Approval of Proposed Water & Sewer Rate Resolutions for 2011-2012.

Mr. Pearson said the conservation efforts of water users had paid off, the water rate increase was minimal, but there were increases on the sewer rate so it evened out to be along the same lines they had seen the past couple years.

CM-11-06-081 Moved by Margolis, seconded by Fischer; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To approve the Proposed Water & Sewer Rate Resolutions for 2011-2012

Member Staudt said anyone who didn’t think the City of Detroit had a significant influence on suburban communities had to look at the annual increases. They were necessary even though they didn’t like to vote for increases in the water rate. He said hopefully with the new group overseeing the Water Department they would see decreases as opposed to increases in the rate in the future.

Member Mutch said on the water side, the Detroit Water and Sewer, showed a slight decrease. He said it was directly the responsibility of Novi’s staff enforcing the changes in the watering program and the business community stepping up and following that routine to see a reduction in peak usage, resulting in the lower rates. He said it proved the Detroit Water and Sewer Rate could be influenced if everyone worked together.

Member Fischer noted that he asked for more information on fire suppression systems and the metered lines. He said there were about 370 fire suppression lines in the City and the City of Novi’s design and construction standards required that all commercial structures had separately metered fire suppression lines. He said the issue he had was the minimum rate of $35 per quarter the City charged for metered lines. He said they might want to look at that rate in the future to bring fees down for businesses that didn’t use the water but had to have the lines.

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-081 Yeas: Landry, Gatt, Fischer, Margolis, Mutch, Staudt, Wrobel

Nays: None

6. Approval to renew the City’s Property and Liability Insurance coverage to the Stevenson Company/Municipal Insurance Alliance in the amount of $289,444.

Mayor Landry stated he needed to recuse himself because he did legal work for the Municipal Insurance Alliance. To avoid any appearance of impropriety he asked for a motion to allow him to recuse himself from participating in the vote.

CM-11-06-082 Moved by Gatt, seconded by Fischer; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To allow Mayor Landry to recuse himself from the vote on Item #6 to avoid the appearance of impropriety as he did legal work for the Municipal Insurance Alliance.

Voice vote on CM-11-06-082; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

CM-11-06-083 Moved by Staudt, seconded by Wrobel; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To approve the renewal of the City’s Property and Liability Insurance coverage to the Stevenson Company/Municipal Insurance Alliance in the amount of $289,444

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-083 Yeas: Fischer, Margolis, Mutch, Staudt, Wrobel, Gatt

Nays: None

Abstained: Landry

AUDIENCE COMMENT – None

MATTERS FOR COUNCIL ACTION – Part II

7. Approval of an intergovernmental agreement with the City of South Lyon for the City of Novi to provide Building Department review and inspection services for a period of up to two (2) years.

Mr. Person thanked Andy Gerecke and Charles Boulard for taking on the assignment. The City received great feedback from the South Lyon staff.

CM-11-06-084 Moved by Gatt, seconded by Fischer; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY:

To approve an intergovernmental agreement with the City of South Lyon for the City of Novi to provide Building Department review and inspection services for a period of up to two (2) years

Roll call vote on CM-11-06-084 Yeas: Margolis, Mutch, Staudt, Wrobel, Landry, Gatt, Fischer

Nays: None

8. Appointment of Student Representatives to Historical Commission and Housing & Community Development Advisory Committee

The following students were elected to the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee:

Nirali Kadakia and Ramya Pinreddy

Adithya Balasubramanian was elected to the Historical Commission.

COMMITTEE REPORTS - None

MAYOR AND COUNCIL ISSUES - None

AUDIENCE COMMENT – None

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before Council, the meeting was adjourned at 8:34 P.M.

________________________________ ________________________________

David Landry, Mayor Maryanne Cornelius, City Clerk

________________________________ Date approved: June 20, 2011

Transcribed by Natalie Laitinen