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Dearborn Heights City Council holds closed session on legal opinion and POAM negotiations
Summary
At a special meeting Oct. 14, the Dearborn Heights City Council voted to meet in closed session to review a legal opinion from special counsel Gary Miyake and discuss POAM union negotiations; council later returned to open session and reported staff were given direction on labor talks.
Dearborn Heights City Council voted during a special meeting Oct. 14 to go into a closed session to consider a written opinion from special legal counsel Gary Miyake and to discuss ongoing POAM union negotiations.
Councilman Constance moved that the council “go into closed session to discuss the matters you just mentioned,” a motion seconded by Councilwoman Bridal. The council approved the motion by roll call at about 5:32 p.m.; all members present voted yes.
The closed session followed an agenda item listed as an opinion letter from special counsel Gary Miyake and a separate item described as POAM negotiations. The meeting record names city staff expected to participate in the negotiations discussion: Chief of Staff Hernandez, Human Resources Director Fisher, Interim Comptroller Madi Badoon, and Attorney Zachary Hallman.
When the council returned to open session at 6:21 p.m., the council chair said, “We were just in a closed session. We had an update on our contract negotiations and gave instruction to our labor negotiations, about the state of the city and going forward.” The chair’s remarks were the only public summary of the closed session’s substance recorded in the meeting transcript.
Procedural actions taken at the special meeting included approval of the meeting agenda at 5:30 p.m., the formal motion to enter closed session at 5:32 p.m., the roll call vote approving that motion, a return to open session at 6:21 p.m., and an adjournment shortly afterward. The transcript records the meeting as a special session for Oct. 14, 2025.
No legal statute, ordinance number, or specific contract language was cited on the public record during the open portions of the meeting, and the transcript does not include the content of the special counsel’s opinion or the details of the POAM proposals or concessions. The only substantive description available publicly in the transcript is the chair’s brief summary that staff provided an update and were given direction on labor negotiations.
Votes at a glance: Motion to go into closed session to consider special counsel opinion and POAM negotiations — moved by Councilman Constance; seconded by Councilwoman Bridal; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous among members present; outcome: approved.
The council proceeded to a regular meeting immediately after adjourning the special meeting.
