Hamtramck council approves two festival street closures and purchases weight-enforcement equipment; long debate on parking enforcement continues

The Hamtramck City Council on July 8 approved several street closures for upcoming festivals, accepted a quote to buy portable wheel-load scales for heavier trucks and discussed but did not adopt a new downtown parking-meter program or enforcement contract.

Council members voted to approve a Labor Day–period street closure for Joseph Campo (Aug. 8 at 8 a.m. through Aug. 11 at 7 a.m.), approved a separate closure for a Bangla/Desi festival with hours extending to 11 p.m., and accepted a vendor quote for portable wheel-load scales intended to enforce truck weight limits. The council did not vote on changes to parking-meter policy; members directed further outreach to business owners and said staff should return with implementation details.

The festival approvals clear event organizers to close streets while staff and the council continue to work on event logistics, including noise and cleanup timing, public-safety staffing and reimbursement for overtime.

Council member statements and public comments framed the meeting’s debate. An emailed comment from Mike Petrack urged approval of permits for the Labor Day festival, saying: “The festival brings substantial economic benefit to our community by bringing a large influx of peaceful people from surrounding areas.” A separate email from Michael Capado urged better traffic signage around one-way residential blocks during festival periods to protect children.

Why it matters: The street closures enable multi-day events that organizers say draw visitors and revenue to Hamtramck; council members…