Residents press Hamtramck council on water bills and last-minute agenda items

Hamtramck — Multiple residents raised utilities and transparency concerns during public comment at the Feb. 10 council meeting, including a request for relief from a water bill after a house fire and repeated calls to avoid last-minute personnel resolutions.

James Hines (1951 Belmont St.) told the council his home burned on Dec. 8, is unlivable and winterized, and that his meter is not running. He said his household was nevertheless charged a $106 water bill in January; he described being told by billing staff there was no record of the fire and that he had to pay either an $81 monthly charge or a $200 fee for a 180-day exemption. “The meter’s not running… What am I paying for? Can I get an exemption?” Hines asked.

Council members and the mayor asked Hines to provide documentation and promised staff follow-up. Councilman Chaudhry and others reiterated the need for acting city manager Alex to coordinate any administrative response. Several speakers also criticized the practice of adding significant agenda items at the last minute; Matt Pizziali and other residents explicitly asked that major personnel actions be posted in advance so the public can attend and comment.

Other commenters urged patience and unity on council but warned against creating new paid positions during tight budgets. The meeting record shows the council approved the appointments and instructed staff to follow up on individual resident billing questions.

The mayor and council said they would direct staff to look into billing disputes and to better publicize large personnel items in advance of future meetings.