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Resident complaints of marijuana use and loud music spur council talk about beach enforcement
Summary
A resident urged the council to address marijuana smoking and loud, vulgar music at the city beach; councilors acknowledged the problem and asked staff and police to consider steps such as clearer communications and enforcement options.
Walled Lake — During audience participation a resident described persistent problems at the city beach — public marijuana smoking and loud music that he said is driving away families — and urged the council to take action.
Giovanni Johnson, who identified himself as a Walled Lake resident, told the council he has walked parks and the beach and repeatedly observed people smoking marijuana openly and playing music at high volume, sometimes late into the night. Johnson said the behavior is “brazen” and that some visitors feel unsafe or unable to enjoy public spaces because of it.
Council members acknowledged the complaint and discussed existing signage and enforcement options. Officials urged residents to call police when incidents are happening and discussed possible improvements to signage, patrols and resident outreach. One councilor suggested studying technologies used at other public venues to shape the atmosphere (for example, curated speaker systems) and staff said they would explore those options.
What’s next: Council asked staff and the police to review enforcement options and public-communication tools for beach issues and to report back to council. No new ordinance or formal enforcement change was adopted at the meeting.
