[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6063313,"mediaKeyId","3269750-0eb14098beddea968db7c2f4287fb8d0","parentId",3269750,"title","Council reverts summer festival name to Spirit Festival","audioSeconds",608,"startMs",6063000,"endMs",6671000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3269750-0eb14098beddea968db7c2f4287fb8d0&start=6063&end=6671","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3269750-0eb14098beddea968db7c2f4287fb8d0/thumbnail_6063000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063313/Dearborn-Heights/Wayne-County/Michigan/Council-reverts-summer-festival-name-to-Spirit-Festival","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063313-b8c47a81bc781d34de477ae5781ba09b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194560&Signature=eOS~vkNVq2WpibZI4p6qfR7b1SOx1N0zxqczzDpIETLOftbJs3kLSy4vWAvoYuDMQSwh0Qfe~nuxgVhFxb-cgRnDvcycN3hPBDJiOSdfQa58GGKS~Qu0w0SRvzHrarEg4fD6vs90H~6XOsquYa9j4iKQYlf1eJtE7Pl9Q3xf1VpQxqIAqJrVlHqF9SZ0MWdogOo23hHIRQ-zbWa5leVBi52EVEPQVJlVeHXXZ8KktXjHr1fYiKkJRtMD9SUrVT-JYMTI2eUJsV7Cc8CKgWEm5w8ELMKp9QxNgiAPgDTG-ztptHtvUzO3--WD4emvjLYXqc6buptsRVCdAwjPM-WS5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Dearborn Heights, MI","date","2025-05-08T17:00:13Z","article","The Dearborn Heights City Council voted to revert the city’s annual summer event to the name Spirit Festival.

A resolution moved and read into the record instructed staff to update signage, promotional materials and communications to reflect the change and said any future renaming should require a majority vote of council. The motion was offered by a council member and seconded by another; council discussion referenced community preference and the desire to allow the parks and recreation staff to proceed with event planning under the traditional name.

Council members noted logistical reasons for the temporary change earlier in the calendar year but agreed the Spirit Festival is the name residents commonly use. The resolution takes effect immediately upon adoption.

Administrative next steps include updating the city’s event materials, banners and outreach and confirming vendor and ride-company dates for the festival schedule.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/6/25 - Dearborn Heights Special City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Dearborn Heights City Council adopted a resolution restoring the city's annual event name to Spirit Festival and directed staff to update promotional materials.","taxTitle","Dearborn Heights, Wayne County, Michigan","taxId",4162,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6063319,"Dearborn Heights council opens budget hearing; personnel changes, ordinance staffing, grants and water projects draw questions",6436,327000,6763000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3269750-0eb14098beddea968db7c2f4287fb8d0&start=327&end=6763","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3269750-0eb14098beddea968db7c2f4287fb8d0/thumbnail_327000.jpg","/articles/6063319/Dearborn-Heights/Wayne-County/Michigan/Dearborn-Heights-council-opens-budget-hearing-personnel-changes-ordinance-staffing-grants-and-water-projects-draw-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063319-0308e90d2c0499af04e8b6a0922e7e9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194560&Signature=KS33GKwSeWziMMLKdFeXLS~fANIpEcuM6qVk71-X7AdyYbsHtHcHkO~3uMHvuywmea3h9JNxbE9n7H93CTRQFnkMc803U~nELW~TKR-mea0VDMSRt0hd9xGKlsaW6VRYosMcMrheDJThMLH7m16knqdHcMqUAN6cDxxSrIO9yvMiFYrV0WieaI-Z2jw2b1EbC3XLBj7uTKEmEUq18uMVgH8FwUQsoUiqRW8okAICaP3g75K8MzKPoqU7MainWCw4SSHeGMr7xhkDEiFqzzc5CRU2MQ~3dICYTOPDG6326lH7zBHsKzWRNO1aKoAUwmn41RGsLRuy9OF821VyY5YBLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dearborn Heights City Council opened a public hearing on the proposed corporate fund budget for fiscal year 2025–26 and reviewed a set of personnel and revenue changes that city staff had prepared.

Budget staff presented page-by-page changes that included director salary increases, reassignments between departments, and several grant revenues that had previously not been included. Council members questioned staffing levels, enforcement workflows in the ordinance department, and the city’s remaining fund balance as the hearing progressed.

Key items discussed

Personnel pages and salaries: Staff said several department director salaries were increased (several director positions were noted at $85,000 in the draft) and that changes to court clerk and HR positions were included. Council members asked for clarification on which positions shifted between departments and how costs were allocated.

Ordinance officers and law‑enforcement access: Council and the ordinance director discussed that ordinance officers currently lack full access to the LEIN-style law‑enforcement databases used by police. The director said only personnel formally part of the police department are certified for that access; staff agreed to explore options including equipment for vehicles and potential organizational or training steps to streamline ticketing and reduce time spent returning to the office to process citations.

Staffing counts: Council reviewed the count of ordinance officers (discussion referenced 6 current, 7 budgeted, with prior discussions of 9 total officers) and the role of TIFA funds in paying for 1 position. Council directed staff to reconcile personnel pages with prior resolutions and to confirm the funded headcount.

Grants and revenues: Staff added several grants and reimbursements to the draft budget that staff said were approved but had not previously been budgeted, including MDHHS/state grants, Safe Streets for All and Safe Routes to School (with a local match), CDBG‑DR and FEMA awards for flood recovery work, and American Rescue Plan/DRWSRF allocations planned for water‑main replacement projects. Staff reported that some reimbursements already have been drawn down.

Golf-course parking and fund balance concerns: Council members debated a projected resurfacing and parking-lot cost for the municipal golf course that staff described as previously estimated and now higher; council members noted the capital project currently lacks an appropriation in the proposed budget. Multiple speakers warned the city’s unrestricted fund balance was low with limited margin for large new capital outlays.

Plant Moran and outsourced finance work: Council members questioned the level of contractual services paid to outside consultants (Plante Moran) and discussed options to bring more accounting and recurring functions in-house. Staff said recruiting municipal accounting candidates has been difficult and that interim consultant support had been used while the comptroller position and related roles are being filled.

Decisions and directions recorded during the hearing included selected line-item adjustments and requests to staff for additional detail. The council opened and closed the public hearing during the May 6 meeting; no final budget adoption vote was taken at that session.

Public comment: Residents urged the council to explore sustainable revenue options, stronger enforcement of existing ordinances, and more proactive grant-seeking. Residents also raised concerns about police staffing and neighborhood blight.

What happens next: Staff will reconcile personnel pages, provide requested backup documents (grant award motions and contract line-item breakdowns), and return with clarified budget documents for subsequent council consideration and eventual adoption.","At a May 6 special meeting the city opened a public hearing on the FY2025‑26 corporate fund budget. Council and staff discussed personnel-page changes, adding grant revenues, ordinance officer staffing and LEIN access, Safe Streets grants, water‑main grants and a large, unfunded golf-course parking project; no formal budget adoption occurred.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6063324,"Dearborn Heights council awards $711,998.60 police-vehicle purchase to Bruno Ford",122,183000,305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3269750-0eb14098beddea968db7c2f4287fb8d0&start=183&end=305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3269750-0eb14098beddea968db7c2f4287fb8d0/thumbnail_183000.jpg","/articles/6063324/Dearborn-Heights/Wayne-County/Michigan/Dearborn-Heights-council-awards-71199860-police-vehicle-purchase-to-Bruno-Ford","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063324-aa9afdfe080c4e0a6a6ac75b26bec3df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194560&Signature=ABKfnTM4Q3QAAwEROhACe9so9TntBMeaDEN7L4aOzuNxjzN5h2~ALTswAI3eUxj6t3HrrOWJkb72qjG-a3LexmXYQGLFkuFjG4hd5kOn2QYoXIjUwDYsLBXBy0gSqXWpISITuFe8ck2NjNufEV5GxQaOnbL15B67Xntt-3Q9SX8J6VuNm1bttrN~bIFSAaaJXfm4x5dxwb5O0kSoaAr61lLoeGvMqeCbMv6Gwl7fuVa6A6amlRCDTD~6SFdFQ3FWi8AY2SOgc1JNXyAYTbOt9x4IW9vneISIezizba5-iSWLx30kQOq~ejoOKlSHtP2Rg5IIrGYMPGfckiNR8Ctnzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dearborn Heights City Council voted to award a bid for 10 police vehicles to Bruno Ford for $711,998.60 and authorized the mayor and clerk to sign the contract on behalf of the city.

The contract award was moved by Councilman Juan Saab and seconded by Councilwoman Breyer during the special meeting on May 6. The motion also directed the comptroller to process a budget amendment to increase the specified forfeiture general ledger account and authorized the treasurer to issue payment from that account.

Budget staff and council members said the purchase will be paid from the city’s forfeiture fund rather than the general fund. During the meeting council members noted the forfeiture fund balance and stated the city was using approximately $711,998.60 for the purchase.

Council members emphasized fleet needs. A council member described recent ride-alongs and degraded vehicle condition as reasons to replace aging patrol units. The police chief did not make an extended statement on the record before the vote; the motion passed without opposition as the meeting recorded “ayes have it.”

The action authorizes contract execution and a budget amendment; no additional conditions or amendments to the contract were recorded in the meeting minutes. The item was taken from agenda item 9a and approved at the special meeting.

What’s next: the city will finalize the contract paperwork and the comptroller’s office will process the budget amendment so payment can be made from the forfeiture account.","The City Council voted nearly unanimously to award a bid for 10 police vehicles to Bruno Ford for $711,998.60, authorizing contract signatures and a budget amendment to pay from the forfeiture fund.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council reverts summer festival name to Spirit Festival

Dearborn Heights council opens budget hearing; personnel changes, ordinance staffing, grants and water projects draw questions

Dearborn Heights council awards $711,998.60 police-vehicle purchase to Bruno Ford