[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,74,86],{"_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":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6486616,"mediaKeyId","5532466-7105b98b09e24b57a2dde3e8c05dffd4","parentId",5532466,"title","City manager: 52 lead-service-line tests completed; 14 exceeded state limit, 12 already replaced","audioSeconds",374,"startMs",3666000,"endMs",4040000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5532466-7105b98b09e24b57a2dde3e8c05dffd4&start=3666&end=4040","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5532466-7105b98b09e24b57a2dde3e8c05dffd4/thumbnail_3666000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6486616/Garden-City/Wayne-County/Michigan/City-manager-52-lead-service-line-tests-completed-14-exceeded-state-limit-12-already-replaced","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486616-2065447ed51d73d5c64281c57d22c116/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180742&Signature=m43hmNXWgc2OTMtTupr2qrh4fb3dJJ-r6MdIF1tGWgOD1ht3Nub7k7gAoBpyLkoI7FpLwrTa0kb5~wKt1eAcY33kgmkrWtDKvYzbQGZGJ-xpqzKvaWhK47EFA75EE14vvPdSI-UUKm56v0KgwXXh23SnkDKJCds6mVRgofrwCUezCguksOfPKrtcFBvRYCOkd73cIhBMsg3YQKuGi~xGfqx9tE9ZaWJpIB-Ixs4rEmBSHlOgrdTvPUM0D-2Pt0vJrQesERVXPkJ~HduJzEiQRa-Ml~kNIKZwlKnO4SM8svjyUq865BjeT5u9ppVsjC0jBc4KywQ-~VMlqgYPdYCg3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-08-05T17:09:42.187Z","article","Garden City — City Manager Gibbons reported at the Aug. 4 council meeting that water-system testing required by the state found elevated lead results at 14 of 52 tested homes with known lead service lines; crews have already replaced 12 of the 14 lines.

Gibbons said state rules require municipalities to test at actual residences with lead service lines and to notify the community when the results exceed the revised, lower state threshold. \"We tested 52 homes, all of whom have lead service lines,\" Gibbons said. \"Fourteen of them exceeded the state's new much lower amount for what's acceptable of lead in water...we are required by the state to notify the entire community that we have exceeded our lead limit.\"

Gibbons added that Garden City has identified roughly 280 confirmed lead service lines among about 12,000 service connections; another 352 service lines remain of unknown material and are under investigation. He said the city has an EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) grant and expected another 15 lead-service-line replacements within the next two weeks.

The manager sought to reassure residents that the exceedances reflect testing of individual private lead service lines — the connection on the private side between a home's plumbing and the city tap — rather than a systemic contamination of the city distribution system. \"We're talking about lead service lines, which are the private resident service lines from the city's tap to their home,\" Gibbons said. He noted that, in many cases, replacement work had already been completed by the time the test results were returned.

Gibbons also described the city's replacement rate compared with state targets. He said Michigan currently requires a 5% annual replacement rate of the city's known lead service lines; Garden City said it has been exceeding that rate.

What happens next: The city will continue testing, pursue state grants to replace private lead lines where eligible, and notify residents as required by the state. The manager asked residents to understand the state-mandated notification language; he said the wording can read alarmingly without the context that the issue is concentrated in private lead service lines that are being actively replaced.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 4, 2025 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","City Manager Gibbons told the council that Garden City tested 52 homes with known lead service lines; 14 exceeded the state’s new threshold, and staff have completed replacement on 12 of those 14. The city is pursuing state grant funding through EGLE and reports about 280 known lead service lines out of 12,000 total service connections.","taxTitle","Garden City, Wayne County, Michigan","taxId",70264,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6486621,"Garden City council opens review of food-truck ordinance, plans public workshop",1717,1404000,3121000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5532466-7105b98b09e24b57a2dde3e8c05dffd4&start=1404&end=3121","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5532466-7105b98b09e24b57a2dde3e8c05dffd4/thumbnail_1404000.jpg","/articles/6486621/Garden-City/Wayne-County/Michigan/Garden-City-council-opens-review-of-food-truck-ordinance-plans-public-workshop","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486621-ce6a0c924d1a701c0dfe59942a6caed9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180742&Signature=lsuJVDsuzTMUJyW-CCrJt1usyRaPXvN9w73BE1ROJQSvkFijUtw3wokh8g5f5cRX9~h0nwB01LZVK31tKLdQStpxn12GUyk7tENgodjrDdjrMUw7tCmNByQHaN17Dzngnt95~MgPNGF8AEb5gvjqyyVjDksmj2D5AMe-KsvKueZc7s3eLUzL0RwTPfvCVZ1DHpDsAwv4a6h8AAxtmoIcrmbjdmSlPqOdXsYuH8M~qqBQLBI4J~uez8X5TDsRuQpQmf1AD64S-w2wBaGDkqF2Z0IbTmvU7mVXWruDvy063mW20JsJmM9OH2RQCg93AXrDCZRdozEm~~xizVZdVD3Qlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Garden City — The Garden City City Council spent much of Monday’s meeting discussing changes to the city’s food-truck ordinance and asked staff to return with possible revisions and to hold a public workshop before any ordinance change.

Mayor Pro Tem Dole, who requested the discussion, said business owners and food-truck operators had asked for adjustments to the ordinance, particularly the 200-foot separation requirement from brick-and-mortar restaurants. \"Some of the issues they're having: one is with the 200 foot distance from a brick and mortar,\" Dole said, and suggested reducing that distance or clarifying how it is measured.

Council member Kara Fotis said the ordinance’s current measurement—business-to-business property lines—can create much greater effective separations and can make the rule feel like a thousand feet in practice. Fotis cited peer-city approaches: several neighboring communities use annual permits (she mentioned a $150 annual fee in other cities) rather than a $25-per-day permit, and she noted a 12-year study she found that showed food trucks do not reduce the number of restaurants and can increase foot traffic.

Other council members raised opposite concerns. Council member King warned about problems Dearborn has encountered, including illegal electrical hookups, grease-disposal issues and noise from generators; King said she did not want Garden City to import those problems. Council member Wood and others said they favor limiting the duration a food truck may occupy a single private site to avoid permanent de facto tenancy of parking spaces.

Multiple council members suggested a middle path: expand opportunities for curated events or designated food-truck gatherings (for example, at the Lucky Squirrel lot or a city-owned parcel) rather than open-ended, daily presence at retail or gas stations. Several members said allowing food trucks for special events or for a limited number of days per business year could support business incubators and spur foot traffic in the DDA while protecting brick-and-mortar operators and planning objectives.

City staff and the manager flagged planning and land-use considerations, telling the council that permitting vendors on private lots can affect required parking, traffic flow, ADA access and other lot-plan elements. \"When we put the vendors on top of that, we need to take into consideration those lot plans,\" the manager said, noting that some nearby cities have seen crowding and circulation problems when food trucks occupy parking spaces intended for customers.

Council consensus at the end of the discussion: staff will draft options (including fee structures, measurement clarifications, time limits and special-event provisions), consult planning/zoning where appropriate, and schedule a public workshop so residents and business owners can offer feedback before the council considers ordinance changes.

What happens next: Staff will return with draft options and proposed language; council members asked that business owners and community members be invited to a public workshop to weigh in before the council advances any formal ordinance amendment.","Councilmembers debated the city’s 200-foot rule, permit fees and time limits for food trucks and asked staff to return with options and to schedule a public workshop for business and resident input.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6486625,"Garden City council adopts fund-balance policy, sets 25% minimum reserve",630,775000,1405000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5532466-7105b98b09e24b57a2dde3e8c05dffd4&start=775&end=1405","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5532466-7105b98b09e24b57a2dde3e8c05dffd4/thumbnail_775000.jpg","/articles/6486625/Garden-City/Wayne-County/Michigan/Garden-City-council-adopts-fund-balance-policy-sets-25-minimum-reserve","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486625-97b3dd73c527440afd5ac257ee7f502b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180742&Signature=Nwxpzeo~STy7Jlg0wKwLtY1n~F0Uaf7c5x7LExAZJVRxRdbHJ7uN03XvwqE9e1TnbTpr1qPHtrEh8S78Od7hTXrIDy3n0pglNyHYRwLdb-~gKJWXpNOhAZ5oEWaOa6xrtPVvvU95K8pC84VdFd-yZlzBSjuY~s9Hzjeq3NL0B44RfPt2vZki65xOaI-u60IJm2W9JTVzs2~563-hhj0dDZ7aA~gonQ7OEpRncNgyQpCKNGWGkygfJ2cDZP6gA74Fq6SEVGvWGOKyAWyFLkZnsryTn6o6Ql9MKpU3Uq~fVu7GkDRoAC-dht8SpNW35TbpaQA52XkA4cB31QbZDq594w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Garden City — The Garden City City Council voted 7-0 Monday to adopt a fund-balance policy that sets a minimum target of 25% of operating expenditures (roughly three months of operations) and a recommended upper guidance of 35% for surplus funds.

City Treasurer Shepherd told the council the policy is intended to \"ensure that we're being fiscally responsible\" and described it as \"basically...a framework\" that classifies fund balances and sets monitoring and reporting requirements. Shepherd said the policy applies to the general fund and to enterprise funds such as water and sewer, and can be applied to other funds as the council desires.

The policy directs staff to provide more detailed budget-to-actual financial reporting so the council can identify overspending earlier. \"If we're overspending by month 3, then we know that our fund balance is...we're either gonna need to use it or we're gonna need to curb the spending,\" Shepherd said.

Council members asked how the policy would prevent past problems in the water fund. Council member Kara Fotis asked whether the policy was intended to prevent a repeat of the city’s prior water-fund shortfall; Shepherd and other staff said earlier and improved monitoring would provide earlier warning that reserves were approaching policy thresholds. The council noted one concrete figure discussed during the meeting: the council heard an example that 25% of the water fund equates to about $3,000,000.

Mayor Pro Tem Dole, who moved adoption of the policy, and other members discussed what to do with surplus above the 35% guidance, including options such as pension contributions, capital improvements or reducing legacy liabilities. Council member Hughes asked who would decide how to spend amounts above the guidance; Treasurer Shepherd replied that the city manager and treasurer would typically propose uses, with council oversight for significant allocations.

The council adopted the policy by motion. Votes earlier in the meeting also included routine procedural approvals; the council approved the meeting agenda and the consent agenda by the same 7-0 margin.

Votes at a glance
- Motion to approve agenda (Aug. 4 meeting): Moved by Council member Witt; support from Mayor Pro Tem Dole; outcome: passed 7-0.
- Motion to approve consent agenda items A1–A3: Moved by Council member Witt; support from Council member Hughes; outcome: passed 7-0.
- Motion to adopt attached fund-balance policy for the City General Fund: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Dole; support recorded as \"Support from council member Dold\"; outcome: passed 7-0.

Why this matters: The policy formalizes reserve targets and a reporting cadence the city says will surface budget trends earlier, which the council and staff said should reduce the risk of unplanned reserve draws. The council discussed how the policy could be adjusted by fund type and reaffirmed that any significant use of surplus would remain subject to council oversight and existing legal constraints on tax rates.

What happens next: Staff will implement the policy’s monitoring and reporting changes, including a budget-to-actual report described in the meeting; council members expressed interest in receiving the enhanced reports at least monthly and in bringing surplus discussions back to the council when thresholds are approached.","The Garden City Council on Aug. 4 adopted a formal fund balance policy that establishes a 25% minimum reserve target (about three months of operating expenditures) and recommends a 35% guidance level for surplus use; the motion passed 7-0.","actionData","errors"]

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City manager: 52 lead-service-line tests completed; 14 exceeded state limit, 12 already replaced

Garden City council opens review of food-truck ordinance, plans public workshop

Garden City council adopts fund-balance policy, sets 25% minimum reserve