Business as usual: City Council divided on new library rebuilding issue
July 24, 2007 by Joseph Xu

Monday night’s Novi City Council meeting began a little shorthanded. While only lacking one out of seven, Mayor Pro-Tem Kim Capello’s absence proved to be crucial in a later issue in the night. 

While the council would be split later in the night, it was unanimous in its support and adulation for the recent 2007 MHSAA champion, the Novi High School girls varsity soccer team, which completed a three-peat.  

“Statistics don’t lie,” Mayor David Landry said. “Seventy-one and three [the team’s record over the past three seasons]; that’s amazing.” 

With that, Landry congratulated each girl and the coaches, giving each a certificate, followed by a standing ovation by the audience. 

Later in the night, Oakland County Commissioner Hugh Crawford visited city council, giving a quick highlight of the action on the board of commissioners: 

1)   The county is currently in the middle of budget sessions, which have proven to be difficult as the county is having a difficult year financially.

2)   The employees will be receiving a 1% salary increase, which is below normal standards.

3)   A resolution is currently working its way through that will establish a women’s commission. 

After audience participation, the council came upon the polemic issue of the establishment of a building authority board for the library expansion. 

With the onerous task of the expansion of the library came the proposal to shift the day-to-day decision making and activity power to the building authority, with a board made up of two members from the public that are current serving on building authority, the library director, city manager, city engineer, city community development director and city finance director. 

From that, the new board would allow council to continue with its other tasks while maintaining the ultimate power over decisions with regards to the expansion. 

While the Council was previously unanimous in most decisions with regards to the library expansion, they hit a bit of a snag with this piece of action. 

Council Members Toni Nagy, Andrew Mutch and Lynne Paul argued that since the money was coming from a city-backed bond, the city should have more representation on the building authority board.  

Mayor Landry and Council Members Bob Gatt and Terri Margolis were in support of the proposed plan, arguing that the city retained power by state law, and that the library board had in fact recommended this proposal. 

Ultimately, the council split the vote 3-3, with the aforementioned parties staying with their respective opinions. With a tie vote, the motion failed. 

Later in the agenda, City Council once again came upon the controversial topic of the gun range. While Council was generally split over the issue in past, most of the members realized that what was done was done, and seemed willing to move on. 

As such, Mutch, who had previously opposed the gun range, questioned the urgency of approving the first of two contracts, which would award a contract for general contractor services for the indoor construction to Garrison for $963,800. 

Mutch questioned whether or not council should move this quick, especially with the second contract yet to have a finalized bid. 

Though this seemed like a problem, City Manager Clay Pearson quickly reassured Mutch that the city staff had planned ahead, and that it was necessarily to move now, such that the city would not accrue further costs. 

Ultimately, the matter was passed 5-1, with Nagy dissenting without comment.

Matters for Council Action 

1)   Approval of Policy Resolution Regarding Maintenance of Current City Millage Rate (APPROVED 5-1; Nagy dissents). 

2)   Consideration of request from Benedetto’s Steakhouse, LLC to transfer ownership of 2006 B-Hotel licensed business with dance permit, entertainment permit, from Novi Hotel Fund Limited Partnership (an Oklahoma Limited Partnership), (Gary Kosten, receiver), located at 27000 Sheraton, Novi, Michigan, 48377, Oakland County. (APPROVED 6-0). 

3)   Consideration of Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment 18.218, to amend Appendix A of the City of Novi Code of Ordinances, Ordinance 97-18, as amended, known as the City of Novi Zoning Ordinance, at Article 10, EXPO, Exposition District, to clarify the intent and permitted uses within the District. Second Reading. (APPROVED 6-0). 

4)   Approval of Change Order Nos. 3 and 4 to Deangelis Contractors, Inc. for the Dunbarton Regional Stormwater Detention Basin project in the amounts of $62,800.00 and $34,127.55, respectively, to implement the drainage and restoration improvements approved by the project’s grant administrator (Rouge Project Office). (APPROVED 6-0).