City Manager reports
Crawford said the attorneys have exchanged dates to have a meeting for negotiations with the fire department about a paramedic program.
The bill for snow removal in January was high. Snow removal and salt costs $4025 for major streets, $750 for parking lanes on Joseph Campau, and $623 for plowing of parking lots each time. They are over budget and had not planned to remove snow from the parking lanes on Joseph Campau because they thought it was that was a DDA responsibility. For the month of January, the bill was $36,600 for plowing streets, $6000 for the parking lanes on Joseph Campau, $5083 for parking lots.

Zwolak heard that they were salting in the rain. Crawford asked if the temperature was supposed to drop. The police called for salt a few times that Crawford would not have sent the trucks out. Crawford cut salting way back in February. Some people complained that not enough snow removal was done during the paczki rush. Zwolak said more should have been done on Joseph Campau and asked if the bump-outs should be used to hold snow. Crawford said they were not built for that.
Majewski asked who decides to use salt. Crawford saids the DPW director does that now. The police made the call prior. Salt needed to melt ice caused by a water main break was paid for by the water department. Zwolak voted against it, but paying the bill passed.
Algazali heard complaints that the stop sign between Lehman at Holbrook at the alley was laying in the alley. Crawford noted it.
Nowakowski said a citizen had complained that he is having trouble with the drivers at Jet’s Pizza. Crawford said the problem is complex because pizza delivery vehicles are not the greatest. The drivers park in the alley under his window and block the alley. Zwolak said the delivery people are agents of the pizza shop owner. Allen suggested ticket for disturbing the peace or civil infractions for equipment violations. The homeowner could also bring an action against the owner in court. A good neighbor should have appropriate equipment.
The citizen explained that he has been having these troubles for 8 months between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m.. The drivers play radios loud and drive poorly. He has asked them to stop and complained to Jet’s. Cedar asked about police enforcement. Crawford said the resident had given descriptions of the vehicles to the police. Majewski said the solutions hadn’t worked.
Allen suggested the police could write tickets. The neighbor explained that Jet’s has very high turnover. One of the drivers has left, but three more have been hired. Babij said she could send a letter to the business warning them to rectify the problems in 20 days. Businesses are required to follow all laws in order to maintain their business licenses.
Zwolak asked if the building codes had been updated since building codes changed at the state level. Crawford said a new ordinance is not needed because the previous ordinance is enforceable. The state will enforce building codes when the city doesn’t and charge the community for enforcement. Zwolak asked if they could add to it. Crawford replied that there may be a few things they could add. Zwolak said Birmingham requires fences for building sites. He heard there had been thefts. Crawford asked where Zwolak had heard that. Zwolak’s neighbor told him there had been break-ins at three houses being constructed on St. Aubin. A builder and developer had remarked to Crawford that there had been no thefts or vandalism.
Klein congratulated the Mayor and Historical Commission on a $20,000 grant from MSHDA awarded on Friday by the Cities of Promise program. The governor has announced a new home initiative for first time home buyers in Hamtramck who have completed a college degree. Zwolak thanked Bert Johnson who was in the audience. Klein said the Governor and cabinet were to thank and not the legislators. Klein said again that Zwolak doesn’t attend the meetings. Zwolak said he attends more meeting than Klein.
Public comment
Mark Swider, President of Local 750, heard the city was going to buy a website. There is no access to the internet at the fire house. He offered to buy the equipment needed.
Swider said Allen had advised the Fire Chief to deny him union release time to meet with their attorney. On the day of a scheduled meeting, he was denied permission to attend. Swider resurfaced 4 or 5 issues from abeyance and filed two more for arbitration. Allen suggested bargaining when all 5 members of the executive board are off duty. The members of the bargaining team are on different shifts and will never be off on the same day. He told Allen to figure out how they would meet. The only meeting about a paramedic program was with the Chief, 3 members of the bargaining team, Hillary Cherry, and Dave Puls. Swider will be working the day that he had agreed to for a meeting. Allen said he would give Swider every dollar in his wallet if he could produce a letter from him. Swider said the letter was from Allen’s firm and he misspoke. The aerial tower is not in service. They painted it silver to hide the rust that day. The department is not allowed to use it.
Bert Johnson, State Representative of the 5th District, offered assistance and a partnership with the council. His phone number is (888)DETREP5 and his door is open. He is not all knowing and wants to help the community. He serves on committees for insurance, commerce, intergovernmental, regional, and Urban affairs, and is also vice-president of the Banking and Finance committee. Algazali thanked Johnson for coming.
Allen First suggested that the EDD could meet with the business owner to help him find a lot to use as an alternative to parking on the sidewalk. He was disappointed that a local firm had not been found to do the city website. He could have suggested 2 people. Local hiring is a quality of life issue.
He went through the rehiring process and was told at the last minute that there is a hiring freeze. Code enforcement is important. Graffiti is not being cleaned up as it should be. The person doing code enforcement now is stretched. First pays over $8000 per year in property taxes. He was brought up here and would like the council to spend the resources in ways that will benefit the community.
John Justewicz heard the discussion about salting. He asked the State Rep just then if Act 51 had been rescinded. The city should be reimbursed 80% for work done on county roads. The county is supposed to remove snow on Joseph Campau and Conant. Before the recent snow storm, he saw a salt truck driving around when several inches of snow were already on the ground. Justewicz asked what he was doing, and he said he hadn’t been called yet.
The city council adopted a building code eliminating BOCA in 2000 or 2001. Dearborn has a rule that if you tear down a house, the ground has to be replaced with the same substance that was there. He criticized the amount of salt the trucks put out on their first passes, and said salt doesn’t work in more than 2 inches of snow. It is supposed to be put down first to prevent an ice barrier from forming. Snow was piled at the handicap ramps on Paczki Day and cars were slipping through intersections. Then there was 3 to 4 inches of water at the crosswalks. The bump-outs are useless and take parking from businesses. The police have always called the DPW for salt when needed because they respond to the car accidents.
Justewicz asked why they were replacing gate valves on Joseph Campau that are not broken. People doing the work didn’t know why. He would swear that they were installing road boxes instead of gate valves. Work is not supervised properly.
Justewicz heard that there would be another lawsuit by the retirees. He was told by the attorney that the new charter has something to do with it. The situation has nothing to do with the charter and is a result of a lawsuit. The council and Mayor at the time chose not to give the retirees back wages of $5 a day for a total of $1100 to $1200 per person, resulting in a $25,000 payment per person later. The lawsuit was based on one against the City of Detroit, which was totally different than Hamtramck’s. The City wasn’t properly represented at the time.
The Charter didn’t wipe out ordinances. There are homes now in violation of code with 2 apartments in the attic. There was a fire on Caniff, and 30 people came out of the building. The aerial tower was purchased used 15 years ago from a more affluent city and is worth 10 firemen. They need to find a way to replace it. Senior Plaza is the only high rise. Federal housing funds were used to get the last truck, and the Housing Commission has a responsibility to their residents. Other communities have received money.
Klein said Allen told him that they had mailed a $250,000 check to the retirees. Allen said it was delivered last week. The remaining balance has not been collected because it is still being collected. Zwolak asked if MERS would handle it in the future. Allen said the city will have to contribute annually based on the overtime of current employees until the last of the class members are deceased.