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Southfield council approves appointments, grants and ordinances amid public outcry over ICE office
Summary
After hearing extensive public comment about an ICE lease in One Town Square, Southfield council appointed Jerry Ayers as city constable, authorized a $7,500 grant application for a food‑scrap pilot, approved technology purchases for public safety, and enacted two ordinances on cross‑connection and zoning text amendments.
The Southfield City Council on Feb. 23 approved a set of routine and contested items following a lengthy public‑comment session about an ICE administrative office.
Appointments and personnel: Council authorized a resolution appointing Jerry Ayers (introduced at the meeting as the public works manager for the compliance unit) as a city constable, giving him authority to enforce ordinances related to the city’s water and sewer systems, roads, and other Department of Public Works functions. The appointment was moved and seconded and carried without recorded opposition.
Grants and presentations: Suzanne Yousef, the city’s sustainability planner, described a newly launched food‑scrap collection pilot (10 drop‑off bins at seven locations, 515 residents signed up and 288 starter kits distributed) and requested authorization to apply for a $7,500 Michigan Recycling Coalition grant for public education. Council authorized the application; staff said no local match is required and the application deadline is March 9.
Public‑safety technology: The council approved items in the consent agenda to modernize emergency dispatch and incident awareness. The police department described a forthcoming county transition to the Carbyne (Carbine) Apex call‑handling system that will provide cloud‑based redundancy, AI‑assisted transcription and translation to support 37 languages, and live video sharing for 911 calls. The council also authorized purchase of a tethered “photo kite” drone and pole camera for the city’s mobile command center to enhance on‑scene awareness.
Ordinances and minutes: Council enacted Ordinance No. 18‑28 (Cross Connection Ordinance Amendment, Chapter 18) and Ordinance No. 18‑29 (zoning text amendment adding a definition and permitted uses for adult day services across multiple zoning districts). The council approved minutes from earlier meetings and accepted various consent items (locksmith/plumbing bids, official newspaper designation, and a wages/benefits package for the Southfield Police Command Officers Association).
Votes and movers: Multiple consent agenda items, the grant‑application authorization, the constable appointment and the two ordinances were moved, seconded, and approved in roll call votes. The meeting record shows motions were presented by council leadership and the mayor confirmed votes as “Aye” with motions carried.
What’s next: Staff will proceed with the Michigan Recycling Coalition grant application (deadline March 9) and the police will continue technology transition work tied to Oakland County’s public‑safety systems; the appointment will enable focused enforcement by the DPW compliance unit as specified in the resolution.
