HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember 17, 2022 - 258th Regular Minutes signedMINUTES OF THE 258th REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLYMOUTH ROAD
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF LIVONIA
The 258th Regular Meeting of the Plymouth Road Development Authority of the
City of Livonia, Michigan, was called to order at 3:05 p.m., Thursday, November
17, 2022, in the 5th floor Gallery of City Hall.
Members Present: Maureen Miller Brosnan, Mayor
Omar Faris, Chair
Dan Laible
Patrick Mies
Stephanie Roehl Blatt (via phone)
John Hiltz
Members Absent: Jeremy Curtis, Vice Chair
Susan Harvey
Others Present: Mark Taormina, Economic Development & Planning Director
Mike Slater, Director of Finance
Stephanie Reece, Program Supervisor, Planning
Jacob Uhazie, Planning & Economic Development
Coordinator
Doug Moore, City of Livonia DPW, Assistant Director
Christopher Ozog, OHM
Rhett Gronevelt, OHM
Robert Bywalec, D & B Landscaping
1. Roll was called. A quorum was present.
2. Audience Communication. None
3. Adoption of the Minutes.
On a motion made by Liable, seconded by Hiltz, and unanimously adopted,
it was
#2022-04 RESOLVED, that the Plymouth Road Development Authority
does hereby approve the Minutes of the 257th Regular Meeting held on May
19, 2022.
Mr. Fairs, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
4. Financial Reports — April 2022 through September 2022. Mr. Slater went
through all months of financials. He specifically explained the disbursements
for each month. For April 2022 he stated the balance sheet shows total
assets of just over $887,000 and liabilities of just under $100,000, for a net
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fund balance of $790,000. There were no disbursements in the month of
April. He explained it's just the timing of processing payments. There may
be more in one month and less in some months, such as this. In May, the
balance sheet shows total assets of around $888,000 and liabilities around
$50,000 for a fund balance of $838,000. Disbursements for the month of
May, with a lot of recurring things such as street lighting costs with DTE.
Also included are payments to RAM Construction Services for the
streetscape repair program, reimbursement for city services related to the
administration of the PRDA, and to Tech Seven which is the irrigation
contractor. Mr. Hiltz asked Mr. Slater to explain about the metered
expenses. Mr. Slater explained a bit about what is entailed in the metered
expenses. Mr. Faris inquired about the Tech Seven bill and why it is as
large as it is. Mr. Slater explained that we encounter this nearly every year.
Doug Moore explained about how communication companies or DTE will
excavate which in turn cost a large amount of money for us to fix. Mr. Faris
asked if there was anything that could be done about this. Mr. Moore
explained that if it is on a weekend, we wouldn't know about it until the leak
happens. Mr. Slater stated that we have had this problem of not being
reimbursed for years. He said that it was brought to the Law Department
and there really isn't anything that can be done. Mr. Faris wanted to know if
the $65,000 is from other people causing the damage and Mr. Slater
informed him that probably half of the costs were related to annual start-up
of the system. Usually, it is at the beginning of the season when the issues
are detected and that is where the fees come from. The Mayor said that she
has had this frustration for many years and explained that it is contractors
operating in the right-of-way and not respecting it as they should. She
inquired as to whether or not there is a way that if we can't do this on a per
use basis, is there's just a flat rate service charge that we can put to
anybody to do work in the right-of-way. Mr. Slater said that they will not take
responsibility for the damage and the fact that the lines are not energized,
and Miss Dig comes out, they cannot see the lines and they say it is not
their fault because they weren't marked. This has been a frustration for a
long time. The Mayor made a suggestion that maybe if someone is doing
work in the right-of-way, they should be escorted by someone from the city
and there would be a fee for that. Mr. Slater said that because the
Engineering Department is responsible for permitting the underground work.
The Mayor said it ends up being a taxpayer burden when it really isn't a
taxpayer problem. Mr. Hiltz said that the right-of-way is not under the city's
jurisdiction, it is the states. He feels the state has said that we can put the
water system and streetscaping in but do it at your own risk. He brought up
the idea of franchisee permits and if that is something the city has, then
something may be addressed. Mr. Slater said that the city does get money
from the Metro Act that is based on the number of lines and does not
include any reimbursement fees. If there was one item or 100, the fee
received would be the same. Mr. Slater went on to explain that some of the
damage and fees are from normal wear and tear and if there weren't
companies causing the damages, there would still be items to be repaired
and in turn fees to be paid. Mr. Slater went on to June and spoke of the
assets and expenses for that month. The total assets were $839,000 and
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the liabilities were about $50,000. The total fund balance was $789,000.
The disbursements for the month of June, again, were typical, including
OHM for their assistance on the streetscape project and the irrigation costs
were much lower this month. On to July, the total assets jumped up to just
under 1.6 million. July is when we receive the property taxes. July 1 it is
credited as revenue to the PRDA and that is the two mills that are levied on
the properties within the district. The liabilities were $50,000 and the total
fund balance was a little over $1,500,000. There were no disbursements for
the month of July. In August, total assets $1,467,000 and liabilities were
down to $6,500. The total fund balance is $1,460,000 and disbursements
made in August totaled $125,000. The biggest one to Ram Construction for
the streetscape repair and then the typical street lighting and irrigation
costs. The month of September balance sheet shows total assets of
$1,438,000. The Liabilities again were $6,500 and the total fund balance
was $1,432,000. Disbursements for the month of September totaled around
$30,000. It was mentioned that the beginning of the year bills from Tech
Seven always seem to be the highest. Mr. Slater agreed because that is
when the breaks are found. Mr. Faris said that he is bothered by the extra
money that we have to spend due to other companies causing the problems
that the city has to get fixed. He said he is going to work on that issue
before the next meeting. Mr. Slater said we can bring in Tech Seven to go
into more details as to what they are finding and seeing and what is
involved. Mr. Faris thought that maybe Tech Seven could determine the one
or two contractors causing the issues. Mr. Laible thought that maybe a log
of all the damage might help. That way, over time, we could look at it and
maybe come up with conclusions. Mr. Moore said that they do have a log.
He also said that like from this point in the year, the system is winterized,
and any issues will not be noticed until spring. He explained that sometimes
the snowplows might veer off a bit and take out a head or people walk and
accidentally kick a head and there you have an expense. Mr. Hiltz
mentioned that he is concerned about the pricing. Mr. Moore said that the
pricing we have is old and doesn't remember the last time a bid for this
service was done. He said it has been several years. Mr. Faris agreed with
the statement. Mr. Moore said that we have just been extending it and he
hasn't really raised it. Mr. Slater said that discussions have been had about
doing a full competitive bid, but the board in the past knows that this
company is well aware of the ins and outs of this system and to have
someone new come in, it would take time to figure it all out. Since the prices
have not been raised, the city hasn't seen the need to do that.
On a motion made by Laible, seconded by Hiltz, and unanimously adopted,
it was
#2022-05 RESOLVED, that the Plymouth Road Development Authority
does hereby accept and approve the Financial Statements of
the Authority's Special Revenue Fund for the months ending
April 2022 through September 2022.
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4
Mr. Faris, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
5. Consideration of an agreement with OHM for an ongoing PRDA Asset
Management Program. Mr. Hiltz abstained from the discussion due to
conflict of interest. Mr. Taormina reminded the Board that at the last meeting
there was discussion regarding future projects and initiatives. It was felt that
maintaining the assets and the investment that has been made on Plymouth
Road was really the highest priority. Now that funding is available, OHM,
who was involved in the initial asset management plan for the Plymouth
Road corridor, was contacted to see what could be done in terms of
developing an ongoing asset management and repair program. OHM has
put together a proposal and Rhett Gronevelt and Chris Ozog from OHM are
here to discuss it. It involves three major components. The first is updating
the city's GIS datasets to reflect all of the work that was done this past year.
Next is work procurement, which would involve identifying future projects as
well as the necessary scope of work, including cost estimates and preparing
work orders that can be used to then generate contracts. The proposal
includes a price for each of the three (3) components. The last part would
be to perform an overall assessment every five years. The total cost of all
three (3) would be $31,000. Mr. Ozog from OHM then explained the
proposal in more detail. He said the first step is to take all the field notes
and final repairs that were done and put them into the current system.
Second is identifying additional repairs needed and finding contractors that
could manage the work and identifying the type of work with a contractor. A
fencing contractor to do fencing, a mason to do brick work and a landscaper
to do landscaping. The procurement part is selecting contractors through an
RFP process. He thought a five-year contract with a contractor with unit
pricing. The second part is then taking the GIS data and creating a plan for
budgeting. If there's a set number of dollars every year, then the scope of
work would need to be determined and then the work order description
would need to be identified. He then showed a form from another
community that they worked with that was basically one page of where the
where the work was done, the type of work when it was assessed and the
recommended repairs. He said it could be customized. There could be a
packet of 10 or 15 work orders that is all masonry, and you work with the
contractor that you have to fulfill those. This could have an annual plan of
work that can have a set budget, have set areas of scope, and then be
documented back into the GIS system once completed. The last piece is the
overall assessment, recognizing that knowing the original assessment was
done three years ago, and in the construction, they did find some other
issues. Every five years a complete walkthrough of the whole project site
could be done to take a look at it and identify new deficiencies that weren't
known to figure what the current state is. Mr. Taormina stated that he feels it
is the third part that really serves the main purpose of preventing
deterioration of the streetscape assets. He feels it will go a long way to save
on resources by keeping on top of it. Mr. Slater asked who would identify,
on an annual basis, what the work orders would be put through or would it
be as it comes up. Mr. Ozog thought that if there was an agreed upon
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5
budget, they would work on the critical pieces or maybe pieces and parts.
He said there will need to be some decisions made by the Authority as to
where to focus. Mr. Laible wanted to know what sort of process should be
put in place. He wanted to know if there are certain things needing to be
done, that as long as it's within a budget, it's just automatic approval or is
there another piece that would require a vote. He said if it's more of an
option, and you can do the A or B, what's more of a priority? He felt it
probably needed a little bit more discussion. He did feel that OHM is the
perfect firm to work with due to their vested interest in Livonia and their local
ties, along with a good reputation. He saw no reason why the Board
wouldn't want to go with this proposal. He thought the next step would be
the process and to figure out the point where it may require some sort of
Board approval and what that would look like. Mr. Faris agreed that OHM is
a great fit. Mr. Taormina said the first phase could commence immediately.
He said that the Board may want to wait for a couple of years to do another
full assessment of the corridor which could then transition into the work
procurement phase. Mr. Gronevelt from OHM stated that he hopes that their
program would be something easy and efficient to answer any questions
that may come from the Board regarding specific items, such as bricks, or
fences and their status. He said documents would be able to be generated
and if there was a budget established, the project could commence. He did
mention the fact that it was difficult to find contractors in the previous
project, so with this system in place, the work could be given straight to
contractors that the PRDA has working relationships with or contractors that
the PRDA trusts. Mr. Faris wanted to know if everyone was happy with RAM
Construction and noted that he felt they were safe with their practices. Mr.
Slater said that RAM did subcontract a lot of the work, such as the fences,
and if the work wasn't as extensive, a relationship could be made directly
with the contractors and cut out the middleman, which would save money.
He went on to say that the hardest part of this is to identify the work that
actually needs to be done. It is a very time-consuming process involving
approximately 12 miles of right -of way, six miles each way. Mr. Laible
believes that the first phase could be approved, but the next two wouldn't
need to necessarily be on a timeline, per se. Also, because OHM is so
knowledgeable on this project, he wondered if they could come up with a
bullet point proposal and what the board might look at for a pre -approved
budget so those repairs would be able to commence immediately. He asked
OHM if they would feel comfortable putting a proposal together for the last
two pieces. Mr. Gronevelt said it is in the proposal and it would be a matter
of when the Board would like to commence the proposal. He mentioned that
if it is two years from now, the cost might change slightly, but does it need to
be done in two years or five years? Mr. Laible asked about how the
prioritizing would happen. Mr. Gronevelt said that it could be added. Mr.
Ozog understands that everyone is trying to understand how this program is
giving the Board a better understanding of how to stay on top of the repairs.
He said it would be customized and at the next meeting they would be able
to see what a plan, out five years, might look like after the GIS is updated
and then maybe the third part is identifying the contractors to see if there is
interest. That way, the Board would know the overall status of the entire
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corridor. Mr. Taormina said that shortly after items with defects are
identified, there will be more right behind those and asked whether it was
better to wait five years to catalog the defects and then correct them using
the same process that was used for the initial program, or are there steps
we can do in the interim to identify and correct the defects as they arise? He
believes that is the intent of step two to address just that. Mr. Faris indicated
that he is fine going with OHM for the Asset Management Program, but he
believes if you go through a large section, and don't take care of the critical
things, the small things become critical things and the small things never,
never get any attention. He believes in taking a section and doing it
completely. and then moving on to the next section. Mr. Laible stated that
he felt it can't be such a bureaucratic process that nothing gets done and
what level of discretion does the Authority want to keep, relative to the
allocation of the money for specific projects at certain decision points, and
what does that process look like? Mr. Faris believes that the Board should
keep all of the decision making. Mr. Slater said that the Board would
approve the unit pricing for future work. He doesn't want the Board having to
wait until the next meeting to approve the contract. He also restated how
difficult it was to find a contractor for the streetscape project. The Mayor
inquired as to whether there would be levels of criticality. Mr. Ozog stated
there are three. Mr. Slater explained that there was a matrix with three
levels of criticality on the original project. Mr. Hiltz said that the Board knew
what the plan was on the last project and how things change when you
actually engage the project. He said with this proposal, at the end of the first
step, OHM could come back to the Board and report on what the investment
completed and then look at the original assessment to see what might be
remaining. At that point, the Board could look at the data provided to
determine what the next phase of investment would be targeted at. He said
with the initial assessment, they could see where the biggest concerns
were. He believes they can make recommendations on the next steps and
when the next assessment might be needed. Mr. Taormina agreed with Mr.
Hiltz. Using the GIS, he showed the Board an area along Plymouth Road
and explained how the various assets are identified, displayed and
catalogued as well as the condition and criticality ranking. He also explained
that there would be photographs of all of the streetscape assets, before and
after the repairs. He said what Mr. Hiltz was referring to was giving the
PRDA a sense of how much work might be involved in step number two. He
said he felt it was important to keep RAM active. He doesn't want to sit idle
for very long and lose momentum working with them. Mr. Faris asked if
there were any more questions about entering into an agreement with OHM.
Mr. Laible suggested that only the first part of the contract be on the table
for approval and before the second part is approved, a process should be
put into place relative to decision of allocation dollars. Mr. Slater said that
the agreement could be approved and steps two and three would not go
forth without reconvening with the Board and getting direction.
On a motion by Laible, seconded by Mies, and adopted, it was
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#2022-06 RESOLVED, That the Plymouth Road Development Authority does
hereby approve the proposed agreement with OHM regarding an ongoing
Asset Management Program with the understanding that the Authority will
reconvene to approve the funds and process regarding the allocation for the
second and third phase of the agreement.
A roll call vote on the foregoing resolution resulted in the following:
AYES:
Laible, Mies, Brosnan, Faris
NAYS:
None
ABSENT:
None
ABSTAIN:
Hiltz
6. Consideration of a proposal by D & B Landscaping, Inc. for landscape
services to include fertilization and weed control along Plymouth Road
and for maintenance of Plymouth/Middlebelt corner plazas. Mr.
Taormina briefly explained what the proposed contract with D&B
Landscaping would entail. It includes fertilizing and herbicide treatments of
the right-of-way areas between Inkster and Newburgh Roads comprising of
approximately 16 acres of grass, as well as clean-up work to the plazas at
the intersection of Middle Belt and Plymouth Roads. Mr. Moore indicated
that at the last meeting, the Board brought up the condition of the plazas at
Middle Belt and Plymouth Roads. As a result of that discussion, he met with
Robert Bywalec of D&B. The southeast corner is particularly bad. It is
mostly poison ivy. He said that fertilizing and weed spraying in the corridor
hasn't been done in the 10 or 15 years. In the past, the Probation
Department would go there about three times a year to weed the beds,
clean it up, and add mulch. However, when COVID hit, they became very
limited in what they could do and that option hasn't been happening much
anymore. Mr. Moore introduced Robert Bywalec of D&B Landscaping. Mr.
Bywalec emphasized how much poison ivy and other weeds are growing in
the PRDA landscape beds. He described what D&B would do to improve it
beginning with removing all the bad plant material and then getting the
areas prepped and ready with soil for future planting. Then they would apply
mulch on top to have a clean look. They would also apply an herbicide to
keep the weeds from coming back including the brick paver areas which
have weed growth. Mr. Moore told how D&B has been a great partner with
the City and went on to tell the Authority some of the work they have done.
Mr. Bywalec explained that his business does a lot for the Livonia Police
Department and especially Nehasil Park out of their own pocket. He
explained that it has nothing to do with trying to get more work from the City.
They only do it because they want to out of respect for the police. Regarding
the corner, he said the PRDA should .think. about plants and trees that are
more salt tolerant and require less maintenance. He spoke a bit about lawn
fertilization and spraying and the process they would take. He mentioned
that some business owners already spray and take care of their part of the
right-of-way which is noticeable. He thought that if they could apply the first
application, they could then determine how many acres are actually being
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maintained by owners and then the number of acres could be reduced. He
explained that the cost would be about $2,300 per application. Mr. Hiltz
thought the poison ivy needs to be addressed because it is a liability for
public space. Next, he mentioned the inconsistencies between the
properties that it should be consistent throughout. For the businesses that
have been doing it already, it could be a gift back to them for maintaining it
in the past. Mr. Laible asked if the proposal was for only the corners and Mr.
Hiltz explained it would be for three of four corners and there is another
figure for the weed control and fertilizing. Mr. Bywalec said that when they
take on a project, they are responsible for the irrigation. He knows if they
pull out the shrubs there is a great chance of some irrigation line damage.
He said that the proposal includes repairing any damage to the irrigation
system that is caused by D&B. Mr. Laible feels that the plazas at Middle Belt
and Plymouth are critical with a lot of traffic and being an entrance point to
the City. Mr. Bywalec went on to explain a bit more as to what they would be
removing and spoke of the conditions at each of the corners. Mr. Laible
explained that there has been a significant investment in that area and to
keep it spruced up, he would be supportive of that. He also liked the idea of
fertilizing the whole thing and making it look uniform. He feels it is an easy
optic thing to do given the price tag. He inquired as to the budget for PRDA
and asked if it fits within it. Mr. Slater said it is very manageable for easy
curb appeal. The Mayor thanked Mr. Bywalec and also said that it is
manageable financially. She appreciates him working with us and the work
he does for the police department and Nehasil Park. She also mentioned
Livonia Vision 21 and how part of that is the focus on the Plymouth and
Inkster Road area. She feels it is an important piece of cosmetics to get it
back in focus. She said this is exciting for the business owners along the
corridor and hopes that the Authority can get back to the point where the
City is putting the annuals back in and advance the look of the corridor. Mr.
Hiltz inquired about the time frame of the proposal. He wanted to know if
this is a one-year or five-year proposal. Mr. Bywalec said that it is for one
season. He said that fertilizing is increasing in price, so he wouldn't be able
to tell us about the pricing for the next year. Mr. Faris asked Mr. Bywalec if
he was looking for us to adopt a one-year proposal. Mr. Bywalec said he
would be comfortable with one year. He didn't feel comfortable committing
to more than that. Mr. Hiltz wondered how we would communicate with the
business owners to let them know to take this part out of their contracts, for
the businesses that already do this to their properties. Mr. Slater did ask the
Mayor if the Communications department could be utilized for this task. She
agreed and thought this would be good news for the business owners. Mr.
Bywalec said the program would probably start in March or April of next
year, weather depending.
On a motion made by Hiltz, seconded by Mies, and unanimously adopted, it
was
#2022-07 RESOLVED, that the Plymouth Road Development Authority
does hereby approve a one-year contract with D&B Landscaping, Inc. for
landscape services involving fertilization and weed control along the
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Plymouth Road corridor right-of-way areas and maintenance of the three (3)
corner plazas at the intersection of Plymouth and Middlebelt Roads, as
specified in the proposal/contract submitted by Robert Bywalec, Vice
President Sales, dated August 30, 2022.
Mr. Faris, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
7. Request for PRDA funding towards the demolition of the Alfred Noble
Library at 32901 Plymouth Road. Mr. Taormina started by mentioning that
at the last meeting there was a discussion about the Alfred Noble Library
and Shelden Park. He said that the City is getting closer to a decision to
demolish the building and explained that what is being requested of the
PRDA is essentially a buffer in the costs of demolishing the structure. He
explained that the Livonia Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (LBRA) has
already approved a majority, and possibly all, of the demolition costs. The
LBRA is in a unique position to do so with the monies available in its Local
Site Remediation Revolving Fund (LSRRF). He explained how the funds are
collected via tax increment financing and that because the building has
been deemed functionally obsolete by the City Assessor, the LSRRF can be
used to pay the costs of demolition since it is a brownfield related project.
He said the LBRA has authorized up to $350,000.00 toward the costs of
demolishing the building and that the Administration is requesting that the
PRDA allocate an additional 10%, or $35,000, in case additional dollars are
needed to cover the project costs. He explained that the building has been
closed since October of 2019 and that the Library Commission is in support
of the demolition. At the request of the City, OHM prepared an Opinion of
Costs. Additionally, Plante Moran Cresa provided a cost estimate as part of
a Facility Assessment and Space Needs study. He explained that there
have been other studies done regarding the extensive mold in the building
and the problems that it has created. The City is looking to have the building
demolished in the first quarter of next year. Mr. Faris inquired whether
$350,000.00 would be enough for the demolition and removal. Mr. Slater
said yes based on the estimates, but with the caveat that since it involves
construction -related work, the costs could vary. Mr. Faris does not believe
that it will cover the costs. Mr. Mies said he feels the same way, that it
wouldn't cover the costs. Mr. Faris mentioned that there was a resident at
the last City Council meeting that said a somewhat famous architect
designed the building. Mr. Faris said that if that is the case, then there is a
possibility that because some architects liked to use the same brick, there
may be some money in reclaiming the brick, especially if the architect
designed another building with that same brick. The brick is usually not
made any longer and it then becomes worth some money. Mr. Hiltz thought
that perhaps in the demolition contract there should be something regarding
the reclaiming of the brick. Mr. Faris explained that reclaimed brick is
extremely expensive, especially when you get into historical societies such
as Northville, Detroit, and Birmingham where they require the same brick.
When the brick plant has to fire up their old tooling to make the required
brick, it can get very expense. Ms. Roehl-Blatt was on the phone and asked
November 17, 2022
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if this is a normal expense for the PRDA to approve or if it is out of the
Authority's scope. Mr. Hiltz explained a bit about the history of the PRDA
and improvements and plans it has approved. He said that their role is to try
to establish improvements that enhance the value of the corridor. He feels
that because this is a City property that is deteriorating, it doesn't bode well
for the corridor. He feels it is in the interest of the PRDA to help the corridor
move forward. Mr. Slater explained that it is an allowable expense because
the Library is located within the PRDA District. The Mayor said that the
demolition was one of the first things the Authority wanted to do with some
of its money. The Mayor explained the PRDA originally wanted to assist
private businesses with enticement to help demolish some the buildings on
Plymouth Road that were not going to survive. She mentioned the carpet
sale store that transitioned into other businesses and is now boarded up.
She said it was ripe for redevelopment, but the cost of demolition was high,
and the Authority could then incentivize it. Mr. Hiltz stated that he was late
for another meeting but if the city had determined that this building would be
demolished, he would be in favor of the $35,000.00 and would support it.
Mr. Laible said he would like to add that if it is possible for the contractor to
look and see if there is anything of salvage value or of historical value, put
the prospect forward to see if there is anything we could do without
increasing the cost of the bid. Mr. Hiltz asked Mr. Faris if he could see two
contract options: one that would include salvaging the brick and the other
that would not. Mr. Faris said yes and there has to be a way. He said to
remove the brick carefully would be a greater cost versus taking a wrecking
ball to it. Mr. Laible said he is in agreement with Mr. Hiltz's motion, but he
would like to see the brick issue explored. He said his second was not
contingent on that. The Mayor said that her office has met with City Council
members to explain the process and where it is all headed in terms of
demolition and putting a plan together. As part of the long-range future of
the library system, she is looking to do a micro -Livonia Vision 21 public
engagement effort focused on that property. This would be the next step
taken after the demolition. She said that the Councilmembers didn't indicate
any opposition and that the timeline being considered is the first quarter of
next year. Again, she stated there is no verbalized opposition. She has also
met with the Old Rosedale Gardens Homeowner's Association and
explained to them where it is headed with the future of library services and
City services in their area. She explained they are concerned about this and
is aware that there is a small group of people who are trying to put forward
an effort to save the building because they believe it has some historic
significance. She said the city does not believe that there is historic
significance that would override the mold issue and the health hazard it
causes. She mentioned that the Historic Preservation Commission has
brought up the historic concern also and that ultimately, City Council will
determine whether the Library should come down once the contract for the
demolition is in front of them. She said it is important for Council to support
this action and to know that the funding is there and would not have to come
from the general fund. Mr. Laible wanted to clarify that ultimately, the
approval of this motion is contingent upon City Council approving the
demolition, which they will do only after consulting with and having
November 17, 2022
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conversations with the historical preservation? The Mayor said yes and that
they will be able to take everything into account.
On a motion made by Hiltz, seconded by Laible, and unanimously adopted,
it was
#2022-08 RESOLVED, that the Plymouth Road Development Authority
does hereby approve an amount equal to 10% of the estimated cost, or
$35,000, on a contingency basis should the total cost of demolishing the
Alfred Noble Library exceed $350,000.
Mr. Fairs, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing
resolution adopted.
8. Update on Plymouth Road Development Projects. Mr. Taormina
mentioned the old AT&T building just east of Merriman Road is now a
charter school and that a large portion of the parking lot has been removed
and fenced -in as a playground area. He also said that a new signal will be
installed on Middle Belt Road adjacent to the Chick-Fil-A and that Amazon
Fresh will be occupying the main building as well as another large tenant.
Mr. Faris asked about the buildings next to Jimmy Johns and it was noted
that it will be a Dairy Queen and Lee's Chicken. Mr. Taormina said too that
the Wonderland Flats apartment project was denied and that a lawsuit has
been filed against the City.
9. Comments from Board Members. Regarding elections, the Mayor asked
that they be pushed off. She will be appointing someone and that will give
one more person to possibly fill the positions. The Mayor mentioned how
Betsy McCue was a long-time member of the Authority but has moved out
of state and is no longer on the Board. Mr. Taormina said that he will check
the bylaws and statute but thinks that the next member must be a business
representative in the District. An employee of RAM Construction was
brought up as a possible Board member but is was uncertain if this would
meet the requirements.
10. Adjournment: On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously
adopted, the 258th Regular Meeting held by the Plymouth Road
Development Authority on November 17, 2022, was adjourned at 4:41 p.m.
6L _71,
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Patrick Mies, Secretary fj��/a�