Council approves board appointments and consent agenda; public commenters raise library polling, HOA costs, backflow testing and Oakland Mall plans

Troy City Council handled several routine and public‑comment matters during the July 14 meeting.

Appointments and consent votes: The council approved a slate of board and commission appointments: Sandy Friesen to the Historic District Commission (term expiring 03/01/2028); Matt Jansen to Parks and Recreation (term expiring 07/31/2026) as the school district representative; and David Eisenbacher and Aaron Green to the Zoning Board of Appeals (terms expiring 04/30/2028). Mayor Pro Tem Gunn moved the nominations and Council Member Chanda seconded; the motion passed unanimously by roll call.

Council also approved the consent agenda in a single vote after no items were pulled for separate discussion. Council Member Hamilton moved approval of the consent agenda and Council Member Chamberlain seconded; the roll call vote was unanimous.

Public comments summarized: Several residents offered remarks during the public‐comment period.

- Carl Schmidt, representing MS City Market Research and speaking for the Friends of the Troy Public Library, told council the Friends had commissioned a 400‑respondent survey of likely voters. Schmidt said the poll—received the morning of the meeting—showed preliminary results that the 0.9‑mill option polled higher (about 47% likely yes, ±5%) than a 1.1‑mill option (about 35% likely yes) in his early analysis. Schmidt described the data as “fresh” and urged council to consider it as they decide on a final structure.

- Dave Niffin, president of the Gulf Trail homeowners association and a long‑time Troy resident, spoke about fiscal responsibility in homeowner association decisions and cautioned council about treating small tax increases dismissively; he described how modest sums are meaningful to fixed‑income and working households.

- Matt Capshaw, a former cross‑connection inspector who said he monitored backflow testing for more than two decades, alleged some contractors were submitting false pass reports and said he believed that practice could amount to criminal activity and expose residents to drinking‑water risk. City staff told council that licensing and enforcement for backflow testers are managed by the State of Michigan (LARA) and encouraged residents to report suspected violations to that licensing authority. Staff also said the city maintains a local list of contractors for convenience but does not license or recommend contractors.

- Mario Kesey, addressing Oakland Mall redevelopment, urged the council to support momentum on redevelopment opportunities and described private outreach he has done to potential investors and resort operators interested in the site.

Council and staff response: Council members acknowledged the Friends’ survey and said they wanted to engage more with residents before the election. On the backflow allegations, Public Works staff told council that the state regulator (LARA) is the entity that can revoke plumbing licenses and that residents who believe they were harmed can pursue remedies through that agency or civil legal channels. Staff also noted they track contractor performance and have instituted software and an inspector to monitor reports more closely since earlier concerns were raised.

Provenance: Public comment items and the appointments vote are recorded in the meeting transcript under the public comment and nominations agenda items.