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Livonia councilroom debate over Zoning Board nomination turns tense; nomination moved to regular meeting
Summary
Councilwoman Carrie Budzinski nominated Lindsay Hakala to the Zoning Board of Appeals, drawing objections from several council members who urged reappointment of incumbent Chris Bolivin; council moved the nomination from consent to the regular June 16 meeting for a full vote.
Councilwoman Carrie Budzinski nominated Lindsay Hakala, a civil engineer and architect who works for OHM Advisors, to the Livonia Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday, touching off a dispute among council members about replacing a long‑serving incumbent.
The nomination prompted several council members to call for the appointment to be considered on the regular June 16 council meeting rather than the consent agenda so the full council could debate whether to reappoint the current member, Chris Bolivin. "He is the most experienced person on the ZBA," Councilman Donovic said of Bolivin, arguing that declining to reappoint him would be "unprecedented." Councilwoman Budzinski said she nominated Hakala because she "is experienced, we don't have a civil engineer on this ZBA," and cited a written recommendation from Jessica Caters at OHM.
The council also heard public comment both in favor of and opposed to the nomination. Tim Klis, a ZBA member being reappointed separately on the agenda, had a supporting letter read by the ZBA chairman. Residents raised conflict‑of‑interest concerns about an OHM employee serving on a board that hears development cases; Budzinski noted that OHM staff already participate on several local commissions and that recusals and the city's ethics processes apply.
After discussion, council members agreed to take the nomination off consent and place it on the regular June 16 agenda so members could vote after additional debate. No final appointment was made at the study session.
The dispute highlighted tensions in council appointment practice: a council resolution sets rules for how council members rotate nominations to boards and commissions, but members said practices varied and that the current moment felt "unprecedented" to some.
If the council votes on June 16, members will choose whether to confirm Hakala to the three‑year ZBA term that would expire July 12, 2028, or to retain or reappoint the incumbent.
