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Mount Clemens commission approves firefighters contract, permits and ARPA agreements in unanimous votes
Summary
At its meeting, the Mount Clemens City Commission unanimously approved a three-year firefighters labor contract, introduced a blight-ordinance amendment for first reading, authorized a telecom right-of-way permit and accepted ARPA funds routed through SMART, among other routine approvals.
The Mount Clemens City Commission unanimously approved a string of contracts, permits and funding agreements during its meeting, including a three-year labor contract with the city’s firefighters union and city authorization to accept American Rescue Plan Act funds routed through the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART).
City Manager Shipman told the commission the proposed agreement with International Association of Firefighters Local 838 covers July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025, and that union members ratified the contract. "Please be advised that this agreement has been reviewed by the City attorney and a copy of the agreement was provided under separate cover for your review," Shipman said. The motion to approve the contract passed by unanimous roll call (Campbell: yes; Dempsey: yes; Forier: yes; Hammond: yes; Crop: yes; Rick: yes; Vorhees: yes).
The commission also introduced — and set a second-reading date of April 3, 2023 — an amendment to the city's elimination of blight ordinance intended to allow use of the Administrative Hearings Bureau as an enforcement mechanism and to change enforcement and penalty provisions. The motion carried on first reading with a unanimous roll call.
On infrastructure and permitting matters, the commission authorized a unilateral Metro Act right-of-way permit for 123.net Inc. under Act 48 of 2002. Shipman explained the city issues five-year unilateral permits and does not grant the 15-year bilateral permits that some companies request, adding that the Act standardized permitting and establishes the statutory $500 permit fee per period. Commissioners asked whether the company’s work would provide additional service options to residents before voting to authorize the permit unanimously.
On transit funding, commissioners authorized a contractual agreement to accept ARPA-distributed funds from SMART totaling the amount discussed at the meeting ($339,800). Shipman said the award is reimbursement-based and that SMART, as a direct ARPA recipient, has been designated to distribute funds to subrecipients. The commission likewise approved the FY2023 SMART specialized services operating assistance third-party contract (an agreement to provide public transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities) by unanimous vote.
Other routine business approved included purchases and payment of invoices and the consent agenda; all motions were approved by roll call with the same unanimous tally.
What happens next: the blight-ordinance amendment will return for a second reading and possible adoption on April 3, 2023; executed contracts and permits will be processed by city staff per normal administrative procedures.
