Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Canal Dredging topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Clair Shores council certifies petition, sets March hearing on Maple–Benjamin Canal dredging
Summary
After residents raised concerns about past spoil handling and limited navigability, the St. Clair Shores City Council voted 7–0 to create a special assessment district and set a March 16 hearing to review the assessment roll for the Maple–Benjamin Canal dredge project.
Mayor Walbee opened a public hearing on Feb. 17 about a proposed special assessment district to fund dredging of the Maple–Benjamin canal. Resident Judith Wallen, a 43‑year resident of Maple Street, said the last time this dredging method was used it “took 2 years to complete,” left spoilings that cost an additional $10,000 to remove and produced only a temporary benefit: “The dredge wasn't completed till August, and it only lasted 6 months,” she said.
James Estefano, who lives on Benjamin toward Jefferson, described the canal near his hoist as effectively dry at times, saying he had to “use my feet” to push a watercraft out last October and that even a successful trench “is never going to work” to restore full bay access. Matthew Rakuski, vice president of the Maple Benjamin Canal Association, said the association followed the city's special assessment process and secured support from more than two‑thirds of affected property owners, exceeding the threshold required by the city ordinance; he described the project as intended to “restore navigability, improve water circulation, and maintain the long term usability of the canal.”
Council members questioned procedural details, including whether spoil material could lawfully be staged at a private lot and whether association meeting minutes were required by ordinance (the city attorney said they are not). Several council members emphasized that the council’s role is to certify that the petition met the ordinance threshold rather than to adjudicate every technical complaint raised by residents.
Councilmember Chris Vitale said he had “heard good points” from residents about past problems with odors and storage of spoil material but that the appropriate forum for those substantive policy debates was before the neighborhood vote. After discussion, Councilmember Rubello moved to adopt a resolution creating the special assessment district and to set a public hearing on the assessment roll for March 16, 2026. The motion passed 7–0.
The council’s action only advances the procedural step required to review individual assessment objections on March 16; it does not authorize construction or final funding amounts. The association and opponents will have the opportunity to present objections and additional technical evidence at the forthcoming assessment‑roll hearing.
