September 11, 2023
City of Dexter City Council
Work Session and Meeting
Monday, September 11, 2023 at 6 p.m. (work session) and 7 p.m. (meeting)
3515 Broad Street, Dexter, MI 48130 and via Zoom
Join Zoom Work Session and/or Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88141381694
Dial In 877 853 5247 OR 888 788 0099 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 881 4138 1694#
Work Session Agenda: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2023/Agendas/2023-09-11-CC-A-WS.pdf
Work Session Packet: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2023/Packets/2023-09-11-CC-P-WS.pdf
Meeting Agenda: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2023/Agendas/2023-09-11-CC-A.pdf
Meeting Packet: https://files.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2023/Packets/2023-09-11-CC-P.pdf
WORK SESSION (6 p.m.)
SCIO TOWNSHIP INTERACTION COMMITTEE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES / BAKER HOLDINGS, LLC ANNEXATION REQUEST
The purpose of this work session is to discuss goals and objectives for the Scio Township Interaction Committee. Members of the public are welcome to share their thoughts at the beginning and end of the work session.
At Council’s last meeting (August 28, 2023) the Council’s Scio Township Interaction Committee (STIC) provided its summary of the two meetings that had taken place, between the City and the Township regarding the annexation request submitted by Baker Road Holdings LLC. In that summary, the STIC included a review of the City’s land use goals and objectives. The conclusion of STIC was the requested annexation, along with the proposed open space and the proposed agrarian development envisioned by Many Hands LLC, as presented does not provide sufficient information to evaluated compliance with Master Plan goals and objectives.
While not all of Council agreed with the STIC, there was agreement that a work session was needed to allow all of Council to discuss the proposed annexation and consider if the requested annexation of 45 acres into the City, in combination with the proposed open space and agrarian development envisioned by Many Hands LLC, located in Scio Township, has the potential to:
Provide additional housing options and tax revenue (City);
Provide a location for an additional municipal well (City);
Provide Baker Road access for/to the Dexter Business and Research Park (City).
Limit density (Township);
Preserve open space and maintain the rural character (Township); and
Facilitate the connection of existing pathway systems (County, City and Township)
REGULAR MEETING (7 p.m.)
NON-ARRANGED PARTICIPATION
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. Just state your name and address and then share your thoughts–it’s that easy!
VARIOUS UPDATES
Council will review (1) minutes of its most recent meeting(s) 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).
Updates that might be of interest:
Superior Storage. Joss Construction has submitted a Preliminary Site Plan and Special Land Use Application for a four (4) phased development consisting of two (2) multi-tenant buildings and ten (10) self-storage buildings in the Dexter Business and Research Park. Staff anticipates the plan will be considered by the Planning Commission at its October 2, 2023 meeting. The application and plans will be uploaded to the City’s development/redevelopment webpage as soon as the applicant submits digital copies.
Public Safety Facilities. Staff participated in a Public Safety Facilities User Group meeting on Tuesday, September 5th. The group discussed ideas and concepts aimed at maximizing space on site within the available budget. The group discussed building stacking options, parking needs/wants, and the possible menu list of “adds.” A check-in meeting was set for Tuesday, September 12th, with the next regularly scheduled meeting planned for Tuesday, September 19th.
Bicentennial Celebration. On Friday, August 25th, City staff and Mayor Keough met with Steve Feinman of the Rotary Club to talk over some logistics on the Bicentennial Parade. The parade will take place on the Saturday of the celebration in June 2024, with the idea of the parade being a “march through history”. The Arts, Culture & Heritage Committee will also be meeting September 6th to continue exploring the idea of a Bicentennial Carnival that will take place during the June Celebration. Staff will provide notable updates as a part of the Monday supplement, as well as an updated Bicentennial snapshot.
From Mayor Keough’s Report: Mayor Keough is assisting our Community Development Manager to help find residents that live within our Downtown Development Authority (DDA) boundary to serve on a Citizen Advisory Board to the DDA. The Citizen Advisory Board will be provided an opportunity to comment on the DDA’s next Strategic Plan. If anyone is interested in serving on this citizen board, or knows of someone that might be interested, please let Mayor Keough know.
CONSENT AGENDA
Following the presentation and any discussion of these reports, Council will consider (i.e., take formal action on) 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: $618,124.40
Setting a Public Hearing to Consider the Updated Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Development and Tax Increment Financing Plan for October 9, 2023
On August 17, 2023 the DDA Board reviewed a draft Update to the DDA Development and Tax Increment Financing Plan. The Plan is being amended to reflect legal requirements per Public Act 57 of 2018 and to include updates to the Development Authority Proposed Improvements including, Project Implementation Strategies and updates to the Tax Increment Financing Plans. The DDA Plan provides guidance to the DDA board and City Council in making future decisions related to district area improvement projects. A copy of the Plan is in the packet, beginning on page 46. The DDA continues to work through the update to its Strategic Plan, which is a more involved process.
DISCUSSION AND/OR CONSIDERATION ITEMS
In addition to any items described under Consent Agenda (above), Council will consider (i.e., take formal action on; “C”) or discuss (i.e., take no formal action on; “D”) the following business:
Mill Creek Flats Planned Unit Development Preliminary Site Plan (C)
The Planning Commission is scheduled to conduct a public hearing to consider a Planned Unit Development Application for a Preliminary Site Plan Review. The applicant,Grand Development Group, LLC is proposing a multiple-family residential housing development, at 7965 and 7997 Grand Street, Dexter, MI. The proposed development project consists of two (2) three story buildings, with seventy-six (76) apartments and eighty-five (85) on-site parking spaces and six (6) on-street parking spaces are also proposed, along with a stormwater management system, dumpster enclosures, landscaping, and other site improvements.
The intent of the Village Commercial future land use designation is to “maintain the well-established character, scale and density of the traditional pattern of the neighborhoods in the original plat of the Village, while allowing uses other than single-family residential for adaptive re-use of public and institutional buildings.”
Scio Township Interaction Committee Goals and Objectives (C)
Potential action resulting from discussion during aforementioned work session (at 6 p.m.; details included above).
Providing for the Public Peace and Health, and for the Safety of Persons and Property (D)
I requested this agenda item and submitted a corresponding memo to begin a conversation about the City of Dexter City Council’s past, current, and future efforts to provide for the public peace and health, and for the safety of persons and property, as required by the City of Dexter City Charter.
Per the City of Dexter City Charter Section 6.07: “The City Council shall see that provision is made for the public peace and health, and for the safety of persons and property.” The primary mechanism to achieve that aim is the City’s contracts/agreements with regional authorities for the provision of police, fire, and EMS services. Specifically, the City of Dexter contracts with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office for police services and participates in the regional Dexter Area Fire Department for fire and EMS services.
The memo details the geographic distribution of fire runs (DAFD) and calls for police services (WCSO) since January 2023 and further elaborates on those call types and call times among the top three geographic concentrations of those calls. I also provide background on the City of Madison (WI)’s efforts to abate chronic nuisance premises.
At our August 14 Council meeting, a resident from Walkabout Creek addressed Council, sharing his experience living near Hilltop View Apartments, detailing incidents of harassment and increased theft. I reached out to Ms. Shugart (Faith in Action) late that night, August 14, and again on August 24, and have yet to receive a response. After Ms. Shugart’s initial nonresponse, on August 16, I reached out to City Manager Justin Breyer, Mayor Keough, and Lt. Alan Hunt expressing my desire to have an internal meeting before meeting with representatives from Faith in Action and Avalon Housing. Mayor Keough assured me a meeting with Ms. Shugart was in the works, and, as noted at our Council meeting on August 14, Mayor Keough, along with Councilmember Joe Semifero, met with Ms. Shugart and Ms. Patino (Avalon Housing) on August 25.
In late December 2022, a resident emailed all of Council and representatives from Faith in Action and Avalon Housing, including Sarah Shugart and Aubrey Patino, to express her concerns with activities at Hilltop View Apartments, asking, “What is being done about this situation before it gets further out of hand?” Notably, although Ms. Patino’s response references “terms of [resident] leases” and “lease violations” in her email, she did not respond to my emails on January 3, 2023 or August 24, 2023 in which I asked for clarification as to what would constitute a lease violation.
Following our City Council meeting on July 24, 2023, I briefly mentioned to Mayor Keough that the situation at Hilltop View Apartments warranted further investigation and mentioned I was working to gather primary source data. I met with Lt. Hunt on September 1 to review the WCSO data. My memo details the result of those efforts.
Everybody wins when criminal and nuisance activities are abated. As we consider an ordinance to protect residents from aggressive door-to-door salespeople (“hawkers/peddlers”) and as we consider an ordinance to protect residents in rental properties via a rental inspection ordinance, I hope Council will consider ways to abate criminal and nuisance activities, particularly those that are both disproportionately originating form a single source and disproportionately affecting certain city residents and business owners.
Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Funding Policy (D)
The City has been contributing more than our actuarially determined contribution to the MERS Retire Health Care Funding Vehicle (RHFV). The RHFV is currently funded at 120.17% with an overfunded amount of $413,851. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recommends that a cushion should exist, but stops short of recommending a percentage or dollar amount. Pittsfield Township has a policy recommending that their RHFV be funded at 120%. Included with this memo is a proposed resolution establishing the RHFV’s required actuarial valuation funding percentage to be 120% (Dexter’s current condition) moving forward. This will allow Staff to adequately recommend annual budget amounts for this purpose. If City Council would prefer an amount other than 120%, this resolution can be modified.