Removal of Jerome Balcerzak from the Housing Commission: Klein moved to discuss removal. Ahmed seconded. Klein was not at the School Board meeting, but heard the accounts. He said a “culture of change” was needed, and he “hopes the message will be received”. In November, Klein heard complaints that minutes were not kept at Housing Commission meetings. He filed a FOIA for the minutes and a HUD report. An anonymous person in the Detroit HUD Field Office told Klein the report was unfavorable. Both FOIAs were declined. Before the minutes were received, someone was told by the Assistant Deputy Director they were waiting for a special stamp from HUD, which was not true. Two kinds of minutes were received. One copy was faxed from a hotel in Lakeside three days prior to receipt. A lawyer “was going to revise the minutes”, but anything stricken would have to be included. Klein said if anyone wants to see anything but personnel files at City Hall, they should bring their request to him and it will be honored within a day.
Klein said children watch how adults behave, and he “is not perfect”, but heard Balcerzak challenged someone to a fist fight. People in the audience said Klein’s statement was not true. Majewski threatened to have them removed and tried to call a recess. Klein said they should play the tape of the School Board meeting. A woman said they would.
Algazali motioned to table, so they may discuss it further and look at the tape before making an “emotional decision”. Zwolak seconded. Nowakowski said it is up to the School Board to maintain decorum, and removal shouldn’t be based on a comment Balcerzak may or may not have made at the School Board meeting. Nowakowski talked to tenants who had positive things to say about Balcerzak.
Cedar said no reason was needed for removal, and Balcerzak “knows what he said and did” and “knows right from wrong”. Cedar claimed he was “sitting quietly and didn’t provoke” Balcerzak.
Majewski called for removal of a member of the gallery. The man said he didn’t say anything. A police officer escorted the man out while he protested.
Zwolak said it was Majewski’s motion, but it seemed like others were speaking for her, and Zwolak regretted the situation because the City Council, School Board appointees, and the Housing Commission need to cooperate. He has known most of those involved for years, and didn’t want the community to be divided unnecessarily. He was “sorry cooler heads couldn’t prevail”.
Ahmed said Majewski didn’t need a reason, and he was not going to block her wishes. A man from the audience walked past the desk and called Cedar a liar before leaving. Nowakowski argued that is Council’s job to balance the powers of the Mayor. He believed there should be a good reason for removal, and asked how improving the rating from an F to an A was not progress.
Ahmed said he was going to “go with the Mayor”. Klein said he hadn’t heard a compelling argument to retain Balcerzak. Majewski said she has the power to remove commissioners without cause. She added that FOIAs were not filled, people at Senior Plaza have complained, Balcerzak showed disrespect to a person with a disability, and “created an atmosphere that encouraged laughter”. Ahmed, Cedar, and Klein voted for; Nowakowski, Algazali, and Zwolak voted against. Majewski broke the tied and voted for removal. Zwolak questioned her vote. Allen said the Charter is clear that the Mayor shall vote to break ties.
The consent agenda passed unanimously.
Hamtramck Star
Run out of Ypsilanti since 2005
Just thought that I would clarify that I did not state “a special stamp was needed from HUD” I told Mr. Cedar that HUD stated that all of our minutes needed to be sealed with a stamp of the Housing Commission and that one was on order and as soon as the minutes could be officially sealed the FOIA requests would be honored and gave him a time frame for this. Sorry there was any confusion with this.
Donna Evans
Deputy Director
Hamtramck Housing Commission
Hmm, all speculation, I heard and then that one heard, and that’s good enough to fire someone from the Housing Commission. No investigation was done and it couldn’t wait two weeks to review the tape and get a real in depth inquiry in to it. It doesn’t just seem politically motiviated, it apparently is. Case in point, Klein said he heard. Ahmed just says whatever you want mayor, yes, yes I give it to you, is that what a bobble head is that I’ve heard of?
On a side note for the webmasters. Didn’t you file a Freedom of Information request a while back and it wansn’t honored. Since Klein has promised us all that those requests would be fulfilled within a day, he will do so for you now? Worth a try and see if he’s true to his word. I wouldn’t hold my breath.
“Majewski said…Balcerzak…’created an atmosphere that encouraged laughter’”.
I’m told that the man who was removed by the police, on Majewski’s orders, had simply laughed briefly. He apparently didn’t even say anything; certainly nothing that I could hear on TV. How about you, Hillary?
That’s what prompted me to go to the meeting. I asked the mayor why he was removed. She gave no reason. The people I spoke with (including a couple of councilmen who were facing him, as well as audience members) seemed dumbfounded, because he didn’t do anything to deserve being taken out by police. I saw him in the hall. He was intimidated and appeared shocked and sullen.
Perhaps she should resign for one of the same reasons she gave for removing Balcerzak from the housing commission: creating an atmosphere that encouraged laughter. Misusing our limited police personnel to eject pillars of our community like that is an outrageous abuse of power! It’s got to be a violation of his civil rights, let alone the Open Meetings Act.
Sec. 3(6) of the OMA states that:
“A person shall not be excluded from a meeting otherwise open to the public except for a breach of the peace actually committed at the meeting.”
The man committed no “breach of the peace”. If he did laugh at their shenanigans, it’s certainly understandable.
This “solidarity” team is exhibiting outright chicanery, in their attempt to regain control of the public housing funds, which amount to millions each year.
Those types of abusive actions have a chilling effect, and discourage participation in the democratic process. It’s a disgusting disgrace.
Donna: Thanks for the clarification :)
Tom: We considered it, but the FOIA Steve previously filed was in regards to our butcher claiming to have been beaten up by the police, and he has since closed his shop, as did the restaurant he was supplying. We haven’t seen him since November.
Julie: I didn’t hear anything before that man was removed, and he did seem very upset.
I just read the section of the statute that addresses the removal of housing commissioners. Sure the council can remove a commissioner on the recommendation of the appointing authority, but currently, that is not the mayor.
Per statute, the appointing authority is the “chief administrative officer”, which is defined as “The city manager of a city or, if a city does not employ a city manager, the mayor of the city”.
Well, while the mayor used to be the CAO, under the old charter, Ms. Majewski is not, and has never been the CAO. She is not the current appointing authority for the housing commission, although Mayor Jankowski had been, under the old charter.
The CAO, Mr. Crawford, did not recommend Balcerzak’s removal, and the council violated the statute by removing him. Furthermore, currently, the mayor has no authority to make housing commission appointments.