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Westland council creates communications director post, approves apartment dog park and reviews election turnout
Summary
Council converted a contracted communications director to a city position, authorized a retroactive special land use for a Westwood Apartments dog park, and the city clerk reported 11,954 voters cast ballots in the November election (17.86% turnout).
The Westland City Council took several administrative and community actions, including formally adding a communications director position to the mayor's office payroll, approving a special land use for a retroactive dog park at Westwood Apartments, and hearing election turnout numbers from the city clerk.
Administration said the communications director had been contracted previously and that funding for the position was already included in the adopted budget. Dr. Adams told council the job will be added to the mayor’s office pay plan at 95% of grade 3; council voted to introduce the manpower amendment, waive the usual procedural waiting period, and adopt the amendment in the same meeting by unanimous voice votes.
The council also approved a petition to retroactively authorize a 4,400-square-foot dog park at Westwood Apartments, noting the facility was constructed before approvals were obtained. Planning staff told council the planning commission had unanimously recommended approval after discussing neighborhood concerns (noise and waste disposal). Westwood management said the dog park will be restricted to apartment residents, use fob-access control, operate from dawn to dusk and use screening and an acoustic/visual barrier to address a neighbor’s complaints.
Clerk Shannon Inman reported election statistics: 11,954 voters cast ballots (17.86% of registered voters), including 161 during three days of early voting, 3,343 on election day and 8,450 absentee ballots. The clerk thanked more than 200 staff and close to 300 election officials who supported the election.
During public comment residents raised neighborhood safety and pedestrian-lighting concerns, debated whether foreign national flags should be flown on city flagpoles, and asked the city to consider returning Martin Luther King Day observances to Black churches. The mayor congratulated re-elected and incoming council members and previewed holiday events and roadwork on Palmer Vannoy Road. Council members also promoted holiday toy and food drives.
