Council approves contracts to clean out foreclosed properties after debate over redacted addresses and bidding

The Dearborn Heights City Council voted May 26 to approve two agreements for cleaning out city-owned foreclosed properties and directed the administration to provide the actual street addresses of those properties to council members.

The motion, moved by Councilman Robert Conston and amended on the floor to require written communication of the street addresses to council members, passed after debate about procurement and transparency. Councilwoman Denise Malinowski Maxwell said she could not vote yes because the process did not follow the charter’s competitive-bidding expectations. At roll call the motion carried with Malinowski Maxwell voting No and other named members voting Yes.

Residents objected to the contract language that redacted property addresses. One longtime resident told the council vacant properties listed in the contract had been empty for years and urged the city to make addresses public so the community could see conditions on the ground. The administration said addresses had been withheld from the public over concerns about trespassing, squatters and theft at vacant homes, and that the contracts were structured as a professional service rather than a public works bid because the companies chosen had capacity to handle large, difficult cleanouts.

Council discussion also covered how cleanout contractors would be paid. A council member clarified that payment for some properties would be made from the proceeds of future sales, not from the city’s general fund. The administration said the properties must be brought into a condition that allows financing; otherwise, only investors could buy them. Council members debated whether the program could be restructured to include deed restrictions or explicit prioritization for veterans; the administration said such changes would require a different procurement and program structure and might delay sales.

The amended motion directed the mayor and clerk to sign the agreements and required the administration to provide street addresses to council members in writing after the vote. The council carried the measure with a single recorded No vote by Denise Malinowski Maxwell.

The council also discussed program history, noting differences from earlier CAP-style programs that used a developer model rather than direct sales. The administration said some properties will need more than debris cleanout to be brought up to code and financing standards.

Next steps: the administration will provide the requested addresses to the council in writing and proceed with the contracts as authorized.