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Council hears first reading on shifting code enforcement and building into Community and Economic Development
Summary
Council held a first reading of Resolution 2026-33 to move building and code enforcement under the Community and Economic Development department to consolidate staff and strengthen grant capacity; the measure prompted questions about workload, charter alignment, and oversight and was set for further consideration.
At first reading the Hamtramck City Council considered Resolution 2026-33, a proposed ordinance amendment to reorganize administrative departments by moving code enforcement and the building division under the Community and Economic Development (CED) department rather than the Department of Public Services (DPS).
Proponents, including the city manager, argued the consolidation would create a stronger single department able to coordinate downtown revitalization, pursue grants (including a cited potential $6 million CDBG award), and support economic development work in the DDA. The city manager outlined staffing and budget considerations, saying code enforcement and building are largely administrative and could be managed as divisions under a larger CED umbrella to centralize grant-seeking and business-facing services.
Opponents and some council members cautioned about workload and the risk of distracting CED leadership from existing grant and downtown programs. Public commenters earlier in the meeting, including Lynn Alazi and Ahmed Shalabi, urged strict adherence to the charter and raised concerns about prior ordinance changes and whether the reassignments had been implemented before public hearings.
Council members discussed the difference between ordinance changes (which the council can adopt) and charter changes (which require voter approval), and one council member explained that previous ordinance edits in 2021 had removed certain chapter references from the online code in a way that obscured the effect. The City Manager and staff responded that the proposed reorganization would not eliminate positions and that current division staff would remain in place while reporting to a consolidated director.
Council conducted the first reading and scheduled further consideration; a subsequent meeting will determine whether to adopt the ordinance change after additional review and possible refinement to ensure compliance with charter requirements and to address capacity concerns.
