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Four applicants interview for Clawson council seat; infrastructure, schools and downtown among top priorities
Summary
At a May 4 special session, four candidates — Adam Duberstein, Jennifer Birney, Glenn Shepherd and Ethan Hahn (remote) — answered council questions about infrastructure, economic development, schools and ethics; the council deferred appointment to May 5.
Clawson — Four applicants for a vacant Clawson City Council seat outlined priorities ranging from infrastructure and parks to downtown development during interviews at a May 4 special meeting.
Adam Duberstein, a clinical psychologist and professor, said he moved to Clawson recently and wants to protect the community’s neighborhood character while addressing aging infrastructure and the budget. He described prior public-service experience as president of a library board and said he would pursue greater attention to mental-health programming and start a wellness commission if appointed. “This is my permanent home,” Duberstein said.
Jennifer Birney, a 16-year Clawson resident with a background in finance and insurance, said listening and constituent engagement guide her approach. She listed infrastructure, communication and construction as top issues and urged the council to revisit local enforcement practices that affect small businesses and residents.
Glenn Shepherd, a 23-year resident and long-serving planning-commission member, emphasized retaining families and supporting local schools. Shepherd raised concerns about the use of planned-unit developments (PUDs) in single-family areas and recommended tightening PUD standards to protect neighborhood character; he also recommended reviewing parks and athletic facility orientations to meet long-term community needs.
Ethan Hahn, joining remotely, is the finance director for Grosse Pointe Park and cited municipal-finance experience as his principal qualification. He said downtown development and empowering the DDA, implementing a recently passed $65 million bond for roads and sewers, and improving council-administration communication would be his priorities. “When we have a strong DDA and strong businesses, everybody wins,” Hahn said.
The council completed the interviews and scheduled the appointment vote for its regular meeting on May 5. Council members described tonight as an opportunity to assess candidate fit and promised to consider both professional qualifications and how a candidate would contribute to council deliberations.
