Livonia council advances appointments, equipment purchases and contract extensions; animal shelter costs flagged

Livonia City Council on Jan. 15 moved a bundle of study‑agenda items — mostly to be placed on the consent agenda for the council’s Jan. 27 regular voting meeting — including two appointments, multiple Department of Public Works contracts and equipment purchases, pay adjustments for seasonal and student positions, and a three‑month extension of the city’s animal‑sheltering contract.

The study meeting is a nonvoting session that sets the agenda for the regular meeting; council members repeatedly placed items “on consent,” signaling they expect the items to be ratified together at the Jan. 27 vote.

Council placed two appointments on the consent calendar. Vice President Martha Tashnik nominated Brian Maher to the Zoning Board of Appeals to complete an unexpired term ending July 12, 2026; Maher, a longtime Livonia resident, told the council he was “happy, humbled” to serve. The council also approved on consent the mayor’s nomination of Yamana Uday to the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority for a term expiring Nov. 24, 2027; Uday said she has “tremendous experience with Brownfield.”

Public safety equipment and DPW fleet and service purchases were advanced on consent after short presentations. Fire department leadership described an upgrade to hydraulic rescue tools (commonly called the “Jaws of Life”), citing improved battery life, waterproofing and quicker operation; the item was approved for placement on the consent agenda. The Department of Public Works sought multiple bids and purchases using Michigan cooperative contracts: a $26,375 low bid from Ashton Tree Service for a 2025 parks tree removal contract plus $38,625 set aside as an emergency retainer; a one‑year tree‑trimming contract (with Boone Development/Saad Solutions) budgeted at about $250,000; software licensing and support from Azteca Systems (CityWorks) for $100,881.57 split between refuse and water/sewer accounts;…