Mount Clemens commission approves specialty court fee allocation, budget amendments and Church Street repairs

The Mount Clemens City Commission approved a package of actions at its June 20 meeting that included a specialty court funding resolution, the introduction of a rezoning ordinance, the sale of two city-owned lots, a Michigan Department of Transportation contract for Church Street repairs and budget amendments that assign funds for retiree health care and a new phone system.

On the specialty court resolution (agenda item 9a), judges from the district court requested an allocation that would direct a portion of court fees to specialty courts, including the veterans treatment court and sobriety court. Staff explained the resolution would designate $5 of the existing $10 fee toward specialty courts; one commissioner raised concerns about ambiguous draft language that could be read as $5 per court or $5 total. The commission approved the resolution.

The commission introduced an ordinance for first reading to rezone parcels at 168 and 180 North Groesbeck and 193 North Rose from I-1 Light Industrial to GC General Commercial. Planning Commission recommended approval (8–0), and staff said the master plan designates the property as commercial and office; the applicant, Groesbeck Auto Sales, intends to convert 168 North Groesbeck to a financing office.

On property sales, the commission authorized selling two city parcels to Dan Kress for $1,500; staff explained one parcel is buildable and the other is not, and the sale will return the properties to the tax roll and relieve the city of maintenance obligations.

The commission approved an MDOT contract (no. 16‑5269) for section repairs to Church Street with an estimated total cost of $458,200. Federal surface transportation funds are expected to cover about 81.85% of applicable costs, leaving roughly $83,200 to be funded from the city's major streets fund. Staff described the work as sectional concrete replacement rather than a full resurfacing.

On budget amendments (agenda item 9e), staff said the general fund is projected to have about $387,000 available and recommended assigning $50,000 to start a retiree health care trust and $100,000 for capital outlay to replace an obsolete phone system and improve voice/data connections among city buildings. City auditors (Plante Moran) recommended addressing the city’s roughly $6.7 million net retiree obligation; the commission approved the amendments. Commissioners asked whether RFPs had been issued for the phone system; staff said no RFPs had been released but they expect $100,000 to be sufficient based on comparisons with other communities.

The commission also approved payment of invoices and consented to a request by the Worship Center Church to hold a 5K walk/run on July 17, 2016, contingent on a certificate of liability insurance naming the city.

Votes on these items were recorded by roll call; the meeting transcript shows affirmative roll-call responses for the motions described.