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Residents raise questions about petition rules and ask council to fund lighting on 16 Mile/Metro Parkway
Summary
Two residents used the communications portion of the meeting to question the city's internal 'express activities' policy on soliciting in city buildings and to ask that the council consider funding street lighting for a dark stretch of 16 Mile/Metro Parkway; administration and council responded on procedure and budget planning.
Two residents addressed council during the communications-from-citizens segment: one questioned an administrative policy governing "expressive activities on city grounds," and another requested the council add lighting on 16 Mile/Metro Parkway (Van Dyke to Utica) to the upcoming budget.
Ken Nelson raised concerns about an administrative order titled "express activities on city grounds," describing restrictions on where petitioners may table or solicit signatures in city facilities and questioning whether the rules unduly restricted First Amendment activity. Nelson said the order specifies interior locations, limits tabletop signage and instructs that petitioners cannot approach patrons. "This whole order is filled with, I believe, Amendment 1 violations all over it," Nelson said, asking whether the council had voted to adopt the order in 2016.
City Manager Mark Vanderpool responded that the city administration has authority under the charter to issue administrative rules and procedures and that such standard operating guidelines are common in municipal practice. "Administrative rules and procedures go through a very comprehensive legal reviews and they're issued very thoughtfully," Vanderpool said, adding that the city's APPOs (administrative policies and procedures orders) are in legal compliance.
In a separate comment, resident Ronnie McCabe requested that the council consider budgeting for street lighting on 16 Mile between Van Dyke and Utica, calling the corridor "a major thoroughfare for our city" and saying he had pressed the issue previously. Vanderpool acknowledged the stretch is darker than others, said staff provided cost estimates and said lighting is on the administration's radar but that the county does not contribute to lighting costs for that county road; funding would need to be identified in the city's budget process or via grants.
Council members encouraged public participation in the upcoming budget hearings and noted staff follow-up on both topics will occur as part of administrative and budget processes.
