Residents urge enforcement of animal ordinances and warn of parking impacts from road‑diet during Eastpointe council public comment
Summary
Public commenters at the Eastpointe council meeting warned that churches using live animals for nativity scenes may violate city animal ordinances and pose zoonotic risks, and separate residents urged stronger enforcement of parking rules amid Phase 3 road‑diet changes that have reduced on‑street spaces.
During two public‑comment periods, residents raised animal‑welfare and parking concerns and asked council for enforcement and mitigation steps.
Karen Morridge, an Eastpointe resident, said the city’s ordinances prohibit farm animals and dangerous or exotic animals in ways that make planned live nativity displays problematic. Morridge cited ordinance sections referenced in her remarks and told council churches should comply with the code and consider using artificial animals to avoid safety and zoonotic‑disease risks.
Another resident, Gary Sasek, told the council that a work truck belonging to AT&T repeatedly occupies space on Roxanna between 9 Mile and Norton; he said the vehicle is left with cones 24 hours a day after briefly moving when notified and asked code enforcement and street patrols to ticket repeat offenders. Sasek also reported a semi left parked on Stevens for several days and urged stricter enforcement.
Separately, Gary Myron—who spoke in both public comment periods—said removal of curbside parking as part of Phase 1 and proposed Phase 3 of the five‑lane plan has hurt nearby businesses and urged the city to work with AEW and MDOT on lane/parking standards to preserve short‑term business parking where possible.
Why it matters: these comments identify potential gaps between local ordinances, event plans and the city’s enforcement capacity and highlight tension between roadway redesigns and small businesses’ parking needs.
Council made no immediate enforcement commitments on the items raised during the meeting; several councilmembers thanked the speakers and the public for participation. The council had earlier discussed a proposed bylaws amendment to provide two public‑comment opportunities at meetings, which was introduced for first reading and set for a Dec. 16 second reading.
The city clerk will have the meeting minutes and the recorded motions available in the official record; residents were reminded of the tree lighting scheduled for the following evening.
