Hamtramck Star

Jankowski was absent.

Stackpoole thanked Miah for sending volunteers to help with the recycling program. Participation is up. Anyone else interested should contact Stackpoole.

Gordon pulled the fund warrant list from the consent agenda. Hassan tried to pull the ballot proposal from the agenda, but Cooper explained that items can't be removed from the agenda without a vote of the council or permission from the person who requested it.

Gary Gillette, editor for the ESPN baseball encyclopedia and Co-chair of the SABR Ballparks Committee, talked about the historical significance of the grand stands located in Veterans' Memorial Park. It was built for the Detroit Stars of the Negro National League. Many of the greatest players in baseball played at this unknown park. The last game was played in 1933. The site was later used to race midget cars. A standard reference has the location of the park wrong. Others say that the park was demolished to build Keyworth Stadium.

Follow up:

Hamtramck Stadium is one of only 5 Negro League parks left. Rookwood field in Alabama is used for movies. One of the others is listed as endangered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is in worse shape. Three of the last five are to be torn down within the next 5 years. Renovation of Hamtramck Stadium will bring national publicity and some tourism. There are less than 10 Negro League players living. Twelve players in the baseball Hall of Fame played on the field, including Satchel Page, Cool Papa Bell, and Turkey Stearns. Ty Cobb threw out the first pitch. Three teams played on the field, including the 1932 Detroit Wolves. Hamtramck was a good location for a park because it was easily accessible on the Baker streetcar line, and Polish people had a fraternal feeling with blacks at the time.

The field could be used to play baseball and soccer, and possibly cricket. If left open, in the old-fashioned style, kids from the neighborhood could play pick-up games. A friend looked at the structural integrity, and he thinks that the renovation would cost relatively little at $250,000. The right developer could receive tax credits or a grant from Major League Baseball. Gillette and others fought to save Tiger Stadium, which was demolished for no real reason. The original grandstands at the Hamtramck stadium were larger. He measured the field, and the dimensions are the same as period descriptions. The site could be run by a for-profit entity that has a lease with the city.

Gordon and Majewski agreed that this is a worthwhile project. Gillette said that is is a unique opportunity because the city controls the land. One of the other sites has been turned into a police impound lot. The stands in Hamtramck were renovated in 1941 by the WPA. What exactly was renovated is not known.

All voted for the consent agenda.

New business

MERS: Nazarko explained that when the housing commission employees were split from the city by MERS, they left out 5 current employees who divide their time between the housing commission and the city. All voted in favor of the funds transfer.

Ballot: No one would move the resolution to put a Public Safety Millage on the coming ballot.

Fund warrant: Hassan asked why CPI had billed the same amount for two different repairs. Cooper explained for the second time that the city has a contract with CPI that sets the prices for each type of repair. He said the city is only ordering emergency repairs right now, no maintenance, and CPI doesn't do work without a work order and pictures. The work was said to be inspected by the plumbing inspector.

Gordon said that the council resolution for income tax software was for $85,000 with the software company. The contract did not include paying ADR, the city IT contractor, to manage the project. She complained that the work study that the software company was responsible for was never done. Nazarko said the problems with implementation was caused by the finance department and treasurer being separate in Hamtramck, and both offices receiving cash payments. He also discounted the importance of the work study, adding that the software is great and is the only software available. He said they didn't know that the software didn't meet the specifications until they started using it, and that the software company had lowered their price from $79,000 in the contract to $67,000 because the city really couldn't afford it. Cooper agreed that other costs were incurred, but said the total paid was less than the original estimate.

Gordon wanted to send the bills from ADR to the software company. Cooper said he would send bills, but that the software company doesn't have to pay them. Nazarko asked Gordon not to fight with the software company because they reduced their yearly support fee by $3000. Gordon wanted to know where the price changes were reflected. Nazarko said that a page was inserted into the contract after council approved it. Gordon said that the documents she received were quotes, not what was actually agreed to.

Gordon asked if the software included electronic filing. Nazarko replied that it doesn't because he didn't want it, and all returns will have to be manually filed. Gordon thought the city would have saved money on personnel with electronic filing.

Hassan read in the contract that the city will pay $9200/year for support, which he didn't want to pay for. Nazarko explained that technical support can't be avoided.

Stackpoole asked what deck had been power-washed. Cooper said that a new deck was built to replace an existing deck that had become dangerous. The deck was installed, aged, washed, and then sealed.

Cooper said that the fund warrant included payments of $200,000 and $21,330 to Detroit for water and sewage. Detroit owes $3 million, and after talking to the city attorney, they think they can pressure Detroit by stopping the payments. Detroit can't cut us off because the fire hydrants must be supplied. The money will be put into an escrow account. Detroit says that they are waiting for the results of an audit that they claim is proprietary. Despite what has been said, they do have to share under the FOIA statute, but they are as far as 15 months behind in honoring requests. Gordon moved to pull the water bills from the fund warrants, seconded by Stackpoole. All voted to remove water and sewage payments from the fund warrant list.

Gordon want to withhold payments on software. Cooper asked her not to. Allen said that he only approved standard terms and didn't review the actual contract. Gordon said no signed contract was provided. There was no second on her motion.

Gordon voted against it, but the remainder of the fund warrants passed.

City manager report

Cooper said they met with the Detroit council on June 29, and attended a meeting of their finance committee on June 30. They say they are waiting for an audit. A state audit of 2001-2005 conducted in July of 2007 claims that Detroit over-collected $22 million in school taxes. It is unclear why Detroit has stopped paying now without giving any notice or proof that they overpaid. Cooper has explained that the financial outlook is not good, and he is getting guidance from friends at the state. The city may go into receivership, but will have a plan with the council and Cooper working together. Non-union layoffs would take place on June 25, and this would not be the end of the layoffs.

A grant for $300,000 for residential rehabs on Joseph Cmpau has to be spent by May 2012. Staff will be hired to manage NSP II funds, and the R-31 is to close soon with 30-35 rehabs or new construction.

There were 10 responses to and RFP for legal services. Finalists will be interviewed in the coming weeks.

Majewski said that there is a paradox in Detroit's position because they are contesting the state's claim that they overpaid, while citing the state report in non-payment to Hamtramck. Cooper agreed, and even if Detroit did over-collect from the schools, it is his position that they did not overpay Hamtramck. He said the funds would be put in escrow, and he will come to the council for permission to tap the fund in January 2011.

Gordon said that the city still needs to function as if it is going into receivership. Appropriations were set for the next two years and needed to be amended. She suggested meeting every first Tuesday.

Stackpoole asked for an update on the ACTS 29 grass cutting investigation. Cooper said the State Police had decided not to pursue an investigation. Gordon asked how they were going to recoup the money that was spent in violation of the purchasing ordinance. Cooper said he had already been disciplined. Gordon asked Allen to look into getting the money back. Allen said he would do what the council directs him to do. No resolution to that effect was considered.

Cooper said that the treasurer had been laid off, even though he had said he would work for free, and a decision about re-hiring him would be made in a day or two. Cooper is working to resolve the charter violation of not having a treasurer in the meantime. His previous plan to replace the treasurer was not viable. Gordon said that Wilk is well known, stable, and an asset, and only made $12,000 per year. She wanted to know if the council could direct the city manager to bring him back. Allen said that the city manager reports to the council, but that he would have to look at the charter to give a formal opinion.

Majewski asked why they were not hiring Wilk back if the charter was being violated and Wilk had offered to do the job for free. Allen argued that temporary vacancies are not violations. Miah also wanted to know why Wilk was not brought back. Cooper didn't want them to talk about it in public.

Public comment

John Hypnarowicz of Hippo's Bar said that there was a festival in front of his bar. He was not given any notice, and the street was not cleaned. He lost two days of business and wanted to know who authorized it.

Majewski said it was approved by the council, and the festival committee was supposed to complete a checklist.

Hypnarowicz said that the bands outside played well after midnight, and that his customers had been harassed by the police, so he had to close the bar.

Hassan claimed that the street was clean and that notices had been distributed door to door. Majewski said the City Manager authorized the event by a list of criteria.

Steve Shaya was disappointed that the council has accepted going into receivership. After all the hard work, we're right back where we were when Schimmel left. The council, manager, and DPW director will be out again. There must be some way to to avoid it.

Stackpoole joked that Shaya could write them a $3 million check.

Olivia Boykins said that Jason Friedmann had helped her with St. Joseph's fencing issues. St Augustine is interested in space in Hamtramck. American Axle won't sell. They are meeting to look at a property in Ducktown. She suggested hiring a grant writer to get grants to improve the business district with lighting and sidewalks and awnings. A BBQ for Haiti relief was also to be held by St Augustine.