Residents press commission for balanced housing and stronger parking/snow enforcement; housing commission appointment questioned

During public participation several residents raised housing and neighborhood concerns, pressing the commission for action on appointments, enforcement and neighborhood quality.

Joyce Stro, who identified herself as a Mount Clemens resident at 160 South Highland and a member of a grassroots group called SOAN (Save Our City and Neighborhoods), said she supports the Parkplace Towers rehabilitation because it preserves affordable housing but urged the city to seek a balanced mix of housing options so older residents have other places to move. Stro said developers can install gated entrances and other features that separate properties, and she asked commissioners to consider the city’s middle‑income and senior housing needs as they review projects.

Josh Eller, who said he had served five years as chairman of the Mount Clemens Public Housing Commission, said he was not reappointed and questioned the city’s appointment and reappointment process. Eller alleged the city manager contacted a trustee directly and did not follow the commission’s communications hierarchy (he said the chair should be the point of contact); he also asserted a trustee with a 42% absence rate had been reappointed while he, with a much lower absence rate, was not. Eller said he would provide attendance records to the commission.

Multiple residents complained about snow removal and street cleaning: one speaker said neighbors regularly park for days during street cleaning, making plowing and leaf pickup difficult, and urged the city to post signs, put notices on bills or use more prominent outreach and enforcement. Ruthie Stevenson said a recent code enforcement referral resulted in photos that she believes misrepresented the conditions and said commercial trucks routinely park on residential streets without enforcement; she pressed the commission to address parking and code enforcement practices.

Commissioners acknowledged the comments, noted they had heard similar complaints in coffee talks and suggested staff investigate options such as registration for text alerts, better signage, and targeted enforcement. No formal action was recorded in the transcript during public comment, though commissioners asked staff to look into communication and enforcement improvements.