Commission weighs cuts and clarifications for boards and commissions, questions future of historic‑district body

At a work session the Mount Clemens City Commission began a comprehensive review of the city's boards and commissions, with members recommending clearer missions, smaller minimum membership where appropriate, and improved recruitment.

Staff reported there are currently 16 boards and committees (17 if the library board is included), 91 appointed positions and 78 filled seats, leaving 13 vacancies. Commissioners asked staff to provide year‑over‑year fill rates and to make online application forms easier to complete to reduce barriers to appointment.

The commission singled out the historic district commission for particular review. Unidentified Speaker 9 said the body was created in 2003 to establish local historic districts but that Mount Clemens currently has only one local historic district — the Grand Trunk Depot historic district at 200 Grand Avenue — and that the commission had not been active. "To date, there's only 1 historic district which is the city of Mount Clemens Grand Trunk Depot historic District located at 200 Grand Avenue," the speaker told the group.

Several commissioners urged staff to contact the organization that maintains the depot to determine whether the commission’s existence affects eligibility for grants; staff noted the train depot remains listed on the National Register of Historic Places and that federal listing would not be lost if the local commission were removed. The commission asked staff to research implications for grant access and report back before any formal action.

Members also discussed the traffic safety committee, with consistent comments about recruitment difficulties and the usefulness of reducing member counts or changing quorum rules so that advisory panels can operate when membership is low. Staff noted that while advisory committees typically have no regulatory power, their recommendations can bolster applications for state grants.

The commission directed staff to return with recommendations on membership minimums and quorum language, and to include a brief outreach plan to drive applications to open positions.