Hello!

…and thanks for your interest in the City of Dexter and its City Council. Since my election to office in November 2020, I have distributed annotated meeting agendas (see below) prior to each Council meeting. These newsletters are my personal effort to make it as quick and easy as possible for interested parties to know what Council will be discussing and considering at each meeting. For the most part, descriptions of agenda items come straight from the meeting packet. Following each meeting (and as soon as the video links are available), I share links to the video recordings of the discussion of each agenda item. Past meeting agendas, packets, minutes, and video links (when available) can be found here.

Hearing from residents is one of my favorite parts of being on Council! If you have questions, comments, or concerns about upcoming Council business or any other Council or City topic, please feel free to email me at my official City email: jgriffin@dextermi.gov.

If you would like to receive my personal meeting updates via email, please visit https://www.griffinfordexter.com/ and scroll to the bottom to enter your email address where directed

Sincerely,

Jamie

Dexter City Council
Work Session and Meeting

Monday, February 14, 2022

Work Session @ 6 p.m. / Regular Meeting @ 7 p.m.

3515 Broad Street, Dexter, MI 48130 and via Zoom

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https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88662219627

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Meeting ID: 886 6221 9627#

Work Session Agenda: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2022/Agendas/2022-02-14-CC-A-WS.pdf

Work Session Packet: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2022/Packets/2022-02-14-CC-WS.pdf

Meeting Agenda: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2022/Agendas/2022-02-14-CC-A.pdf

Meeting Packet: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2022/Packets/2022-02-14-CC-P.pdf

WORK SESSION @ 6 p.m.: Fire Station Problem Statement

(my words) Council will be meeting to discuss and develop a "problem statement" as it relates to the current fire station at 8140 Main Street. I brought up the idea of developing such a statement late last fall. In a memo to Council dated November 1, 2021, I specifically wrote the following:

Defining the problem. When first considering the possibility of action, we will begin by clearly defining the problem proposed to be solved by said action. The statement of the problem will be presented in such a way as to (1) accurately and specifically reflect the issue at hand and (2) be easily understandable by all stakeholders, including the public.

With this problem statement, I am hoping that Council will characterize the deficiencies of the existing structure at 8140 Main Street and the impact those deficiencies have on the City of Dexter's ability to meet the terms of the Interlocal Agreement, which states that the City of Dexter station will be "the center of operations and control of the Department.” Such a statement will, I hope, provide a fundamental justification for any future Council action regarding the fire station facilities.

No formal motions are made or voted on during work sessions.

Note that there is an opportunity for members of the public to make comments at the beginning of the work session.

REGULAR MEETING @ 7 p.m.

As always, there are two opportunities for non-arranged public participation: one near the beginning of the meeting and one near the end of the meeting. See the agenda for details.

Sheri Montoye of Faith In Action will address Council during pre-arranged participation. Pre-arranged participation will be limited to those who notify the City office before 5:00 p.m. Monday of the week preceding the meeting, stating name, intent and time requirements. (10-minute limit per participant)

Council will review (1) minutes of its most recent meetings and work sessions (1/24/2022 and 1/29/2022) and (2) the upcoming meeting list. We will also hear various updates from staff, including the City Manager and the Mayor (note that corresponding written reports are included in the meeting packet).

Following the presentation and any discussion of these reports, Council will consider the following items as part of the Consent Agenda. Unless Council votes to do otherwise, these items are voted on as a single bundle without Council discussion.

• Bills & Payroll in the amount of: $542,385.78
• Proposal from BS&A for Staff Training for an Amount not to Exceed $6,650
• FY 2021-22 Budget Amendments
• Proposal from Raymer to Perform Preventative Maintenance on High Service Pump #2 and Well #3 for an Amount not to Exceed $30,615
• Emergency Repair Services by Watertap for Hudson Street Water Main Break for an Amount not to Exceed $8,600

Council will discuss or consider (i.e., take action on) the following new business:

• 3515 Broad St. Recommendation (Justin Breyer, City Manager and City Clerk and Joshua Tanghe, Assistant to the City Manager)
  • City Council is asked to consider Bid Award of City Hall Improvements and Elevator Package to Axiom Construction Services Group for an Amount not to Exceed $980,000.
  • On June 2, 2021, the City of Dexter issued a $2,500,000 Capital Improvement Bond for "costs of acquiring, constructing and renovating all or a portion of a facility for use by the City for City offices, including site acquisition and related site improvements, and furnishing and equipping the facility, including all appurtenances and attachments thereto." Currently, $817,000 of bond proceeds remain.
  • In brief, the base bid work involves:
    • Addition to the building to accommodate a new code-compliant staircase, elevator, and reception seating for two people. The proposed new stair would utilize pieces of the current wood stair.
    • Addition to the building to create a new vestibule entrance into the lobby.
    • The formation of the lobby area with new reception counters (front desk) space and the conversion of an area near the entrance into a conference room.
    • New interior security access doors at specified points, and conversion of exterior door hardware to code-compliant security access door hardware.
    • Variety of exterior repairs, including repairs to the retaining wall and concrete steps, hand rails, wood siding and fascia, re-securing metal roof, and sealing cracks in the foundation.
    • In Council Chamber: removal of middle column, removal of a portion of the half-wall, and addition of a new half-wall to hide new storage area. New and modified lighting in Council Chamber.
    • New interior windows to offices on second floor.
    • New barrier free ramp from Council Chamber into Area C.
• Construction Engineering Proposal for Second Street Water Main and Sidewalk Project from OHM Advisors for an Amount not to Exceed $98,500 (Justin Breyer, City Manager and City Clerk and Joshua Tanghe, Assistant to the City Manager)
  • During the January 24, 2022 meeting, City Council approved the award of the Second Street water main and sidewalk work to Concord Excavating and Grading, including the project add alternate for the First Street Park sidewalk. This project involves the removal and replacement of water main and storm sewer along Second St., the installation of a new sidewalk along Second St., and an add alternate of new sidewalk connecting Second St. to First Street Park. The proposed project would remove and replace some of the oldest water main in the City.
  • The City's engineering firm, OHM Advisors, has provided a proposal to perform construction engineering for this project. Construction engineering involves staking, on-site construction observation, materials testing, construction administration, and oversight of the construction contractor.
  • City Council is asked to consider the proposal from OHM Advisors for construction engineering for the Second Street Water Main and Sidewalk Project in an amount not to exceed $98,500.
• Road Intersections – OHM Advisors Tasks 3 and 4 (Justin Breyer, City Manager and City Clerk and Joshua Tanghe, Assistant to the City Manager)
  • (my words) At its meeting on January 10, 2022, Council did not take action on the following nor did it discuss the possibility of alternative remedies. I asked for these items to be brought back in front of Council so we could discuss these resident concerns and the extent to which these concerns might be reflective of broader traffic control issues under Council’s purview.
  • 5th St. and Dover – a resident requested a review of the appropriateness of a four-way stop at the intersection of 5th St. and Dover.
    • Recommendation from 2015 study: OHM recommends that the intersection control continue to use STOP control on both legs of Dover Street and no STOP control on both legs of Fifth Street. This is based on the overall function of both streets where Fifth carries a significantly higher volume of vehicles. It is also recommended that tree growth within the southeastern quadrant of the intersection is trimmed to improve visibility for northeast bound vehicles on Dover Street.
  • Traffic signal at Ann Arbor St. and Meadowview – A resident expressed concern about long wait times to turn left from Ann Arbor St. into Mill Creek Middle School. Staff received another verbal complaint about the short time period for school traffic to turn left from Mill Creek Middle School onto Ann Arbor St.
    • Recommendation from 2016 study: Per OHM representatives, the review of the Meadowview/Dexter Ann Arbor intersection was based on field observations from the DPW and OHM's Traffic Engineering team. The data collected confirmed that the left turn movement would not meet warrants due to the lack of turning volume and no crash history at the time. This information ultimately led to the decision to not pursue a detailed study
• Community Survey (Justin Breyer, City Manager and City Clerk and Joshua Tanghe, Assistant to the City Manager)
  • During the January 29, 2022 Work Session, City Council asked that staff prepare a set of draft questions for a community survey. Staff has prepared 50 draft questions for Council's review.