4/3/24 Eastsider

State of the City address focuses on progress, future of Eastpointe

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

EASTPOINTE — Mayor Michael Klinefelt officiated his first State of the City address March 19 at the Lutheran Fraternities of America Hall Post No. 57.

The luncheon gave Klinefelt the opportunity to provide highlights of the city’s progress over the past year and a look at what’s in store for the future. Eastpointe Community Schools Superintendent Christina Gibson and 38th District Court Judge Kathleen Galen also shared information.

The event — open to local dignitaries, city employees and residents — was organized by the Eastpointe-Roseville Chamber of Commerce. There was a fee to attend.

City of Eastpointe

Klinefelt listed a number of projects that city officials are currently working on or have finished. The elected official said there are “preliminary plans” for a new courthouse, and the city is working to secure funding for the project.

ABOVE: With help from his Boy Scout troop, Julian Deschner made firefighter gear dryers for both Roseville fire stations. His dad, Mark Deschner, is a lieutenant with the Roseville Fire Department.

RIGHT: Deschner, 16, addresses the Roseville City Council during its March 26 meeting about his Eagle Scout project.

Eagle Scout’s project helps Roseville Fire Department dry its gear faster

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

ROSEVILLE — The Roseville Fire Department recently received new equipment that will make it more convenient for firefighters to dry their turnout gear after washing it.

Both of the city’s fire stations — the headquarters on Common Road and Station 2 on Frazho Road — now each have a firefighter gear dryer that was built by 16-year-old Julian Deschner.

Julian, whose dad, Mark Deschner, is a lieutenant with the department, made the dryers from scratch for his Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout project. His fellow scouts from Troop 1032, out of First United Methodist Church in Birmingham, helped him build the equipment, which was delivered

Photos

Patricia O’Blenes

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SECOND FRONT PAGE

Eastpointe council halts Nine Mile Road diet plan

BY NICK POWERS npowers@candgnews.com

ROSEVILLE — The wheels are in motion in Roseville to use the bond money that voters approved last November for a variety of municipal projects ranging from fire station upgrades to a splash pad.

At the Roseville City Council spe-

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

EASTPOINTE — The “road diet” plan to change Nine Mile Road from five lanes to three lanes between Pleasant and Tuscany avenues has been nixed.

At the Feb. 6 City Council meeting, the council had voted 3-2 in favor of the “road diet,” with Mayor Michael Klinefelt, Margaret Podsiadlik and Mayor Pro Tem Cardi DeMonaco Jr. voting in favor of the motion, and Rob Baker and Harvey Curley voting against it.

However, after learning from the Mich-

cial meeting March 19, Jason Arlow and Scott Lockwood, from the design firm Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick, gave a presentation outlining the proposed improvements. The board approved receiving and filing the presentation.

Roseville City Manager Ryan Monroe said that plans to renovate the library and some tile to do at City Hall, which

Photo by Nick Powers Scott Lockwood, left, and Jason Arlow, of Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick, present proposed changes to various city buildings at the Roseville City Council’s March 19 special meeting.

St. Clair Shores man dies in crash in Roseville

ROSEVILLE — A 40-year-old St. Clair Shores resident died in a single-vehicle crash at approximately 9 p.m. March 25 near the intersection of Frazho and Kelly roads.

Roseville Police Chief Mitchell Berlin said a pickup truck was traveling westbound on Frazho when its driver lost control, striking some ice machines at Kelly Corner Liquor and a light pole. No one else was in the truck and no other vehicles were involved.

Berlin said the Roseville Fire Depart-

ment responded and the driver was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Berlin said the driver was leaving his job, so alcohol or drugs were not suspected to be factors in the crash.

“I want to offer my condolences to that family and always remember to take care of one another,” Roseville Mayor Robert Taylor said at the March 26 City Council meeting.

— Nick Powers

Eastpointe secures funding, moves forward with Kennedy Park splash pad

BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com

EASTPOINTE — The city of Eastpointe is working to provide residents with another way to enjoy summer fun.

At the March 19 meeting of Eastpointe’s City Council, council members voted unanimously to accept additional funding from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to go toward the city’s new splash pad planned for Kennedy Park.

Ian McCain, Eastpointe’s economic development manager, said residents have been asking for something to replace the Kennedy Park pool and Eastpointe High School pool.

“Due to budget cuts and legacy maintenance costs, the city lost both Kennedy

Pool and the East Detroit/Eastpointe High School pool in the 2010s,” he said in an email. “Residents have shared their desire for reviving both the high school pool and installing a splash pad to replace Kennedy Pool.”

The splash pad will add to the quality of life in the community, he said.

“As a landlocked community, the Kennedy Park Splash Pad will bring renewed recreational and social opportunities, enhancing the overall quality of life for residents and visitors in our family town,” McCain added.

In August 2023, the Eastpointe Community Schools district passed a bond and made plans to update the pool and reopen it with money provided from the bond. The

See SPLASH PAD on page 17A

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Eastpointe hopes to break ground later this year as it plans to build a splash pad at Kennedy Park.

6A/

Still time to hunt for Easter eggs

ROSEVILLE/EASTPOINTE — Because Easter was early this year, the staff at the Recreation Authority of Roseville and Eastpointe decided to hold its annual Easter egg hunt after the holiday.

This year’s Easter egg hunt will be held at 10 a.m. April 6 at Huron Park, 18605 Frazho Road in Roseville. The event is for children ages 2-10, and participants will hunt for eggs in separate age divisions. There also will be an adaptive area for all ages. The event is free, and registration is not required.

There also will be a “doggie spring egg hunt” at 1 p.m. on the same day at MiDog Park, 24820 Flower Ave. in Eastpointe. Participants must have an active MiDog Park fob to participate. Eggs will be filled with treats for the poochies, and photo opportunities will be available. Visit rare-mi.org for more information on how to register for the MiDog Park.

For more information, call (586) 445-5480.

Roseville High School senior’s essay wins award

ROSEVILLE — Roseville High School senior Alecia Dy was selected as a county winner in the 2023 Good Citizens contest, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Dy’s essay was selected out of all the Macomb County entries and has been entered in the state level competition. DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and education.

History presentation focuses on women working during WWII

EASTPOINTE — The presentation “We Didn’t Know We Were Making History: The United Automobile Workers’ Women’s Auxiliaries in World War II Era Detroit” will be presented at 2 p.m. April 7 at the Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society.

Historian Tiffany A. Baugh-Helton will give the presentation. Baugh-Helton’s areas of expertise include women’s history, modern American history and labor history. Baugh-Helton is an adjunct assistant professor at Madonna University in Livonia, and the thesis and dissertation coordinator at Oakland University.

Admission will be by donations. The Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society is located at 16600 Stephens Road.

UPCOMING SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

EASTPOINTE/ROSEVILLE — The next Eastpointe Community Schools Board of Education meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 8 at Eastpointe City Hall, 23200 Gratiot Ave. in Eastpointe.

The next Roseville Community Schools Board of Education meeting will be held at 7 p.m. April 15 at the district’s Administration Building, 18975 Church St. in Roseville. The meetings are open to the public.

RoseFest aims to provide family fun for the community

ROSEVILLE — RoseFest will be coming back Saturday, June 15, to Veterans Memorial Park in Roseville. The festival was approved by the Roseville City Council at its special meeting March 19.

This year, the festival will have a portable zip line.

“It’s a 200-foot-long zip line that’s a couple of stories high in Memorial Park,” Roseville City Manager Ryan Monroe said.

Monroe went on to say that the zip line could accommodate up to 100 participants an hour. The city has booked it for an eight-hour period.

The Roseville Optimist Club will be sponsoring the beer tent for this year’s festival.

The festival also will feature pedal cars; magicians; balloon twisting; face painting; sidewalk chalk; a family movie; family Nerf gun wars; a craft tent; dance and karate demonstrations; food trucks; a classic car show; music entertainment; and a photo booth.

RoseFest will start up at noon and run until 10 p.m. The annual event has been running since 2014, but it was canceled in 2020-21 due to the global pandemic.

Monroe said the city is excited to bring the festival back in 2024.

“This one-day city picnic style event featuring a large fireworks display will provide fun activities for all Roseville residents to enjoy,” Monroe said via email after the meeting.

Gleaners food distribution

EASTPOINTE — Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan will have food distribution from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 4 at the Eastpointe Middle School circle drive, 24701 Kelly Road. Gleaners provides meals to families in the community. For more information, visit the Gleaners website at gcfb.org.

LEARN BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS

EASTPOINTE —  The class “Basic Computer Skills with Mike Wilson” will be held at 2 p.m. April 16 at the Eastpointe Memorial Library, located at 15875 Oak Ave. For more information, call (586) 445-5096.

Coach receives athletic leadership award

ROSEVILLE — Roseville High School varsity football head coach Vernard Snowden, right, received the Athletic Leadership Award at Macomb County’s Celebration of Black Excellence Feb. 24. He is pictured with RHS Principal Jason Bettin, left, and Roseville Community Schools Board of Education President Theresa Genest, center.

The annual event honors Macomb County residents during Black History Month, held in February. Snowden was recognized as an innovator and motivator for the students in Roseville Community Schools.

“In his five years as the varsity head football coach, the program experienced major success. Under his leadership, the program was taken to heights never before seen,” the March 18 Roseville Community Schools Board of Education agenda states, including “four state playoff appearances, winning the school’s first-ever playoff game, two district championships and two regional finals. In addition, the program set a school record for the most wins in a season.”

Dy Military

Top dog: French bulldogs head up popular breeds in Detroit

METRO DETROIT — French bulldogs have secured the crown for the third straight year in the American Kennel Club’s annual rankings of popular dog breeds in Detroit.

Rottweilers came in second followed by German shepherds, golden retrievers and  Labrador retrievers. Make sure not to count beagles out in future years. The breed climbed the rankings from 27th in 2022 to 12 in the new rankings, which looked at 2023.

This is the second year that French bulldogs have taken the crown in the national rankings too.

“Since overtaking the loveable Labrador Retriever as the most popular breed, the French Bulldog’s popularity has continued to surge,” the AKC states in a press release. “The breed is playful, adaptable and has an even temperament. Frenchies are very popular among city dwellers, as they’re also portable and get along with almost anyone.”

French bulldogs also topped AKC lists in Denver and Miami.

“Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States,” the press release states.

— Nick Powers

CALENDAR

APRIL 7

Michigan Psychic Fair: Readings and guidance by psychics and mediums, energy healing, crystals, handmade jewelry, and metaphysical and spiritual products, noon-6 p.m., Roseville Holiday Inn Express, 30300 Gratiot Ave., mipsychicfair.com

APRIL 8

View solar eclipse: Also livestream from NASA and activities, 2-4 p.m., Roseville Public Library, 29777 Gratiot Ave., rsvlibraryservice@roseville-mi.gov, (586) 445-5407

APRIL 9

Golden Age of Television: Learn about sitcoms, westerns, cartoons, news, commercials and more from 1940s-60s, presented by Troy Historic Village, 2 p.m., Roseville Public Library, 29777 Gratiot Ave., (586) 445-5407, rsvlibraryservice@roseville-mi.gov

Founder of General Motors: Learn about Billy Durant, presented by Roseville Historical and Genealogical Society, 6 p.m., Roseville Public Library, 29777 Gratiot Ave., (313) 884-3067, rsvlibraryservice@ roseville-mi.gov

APRIL 12

Disco Auction & Big Ticket Raffle: Fundraiser for

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, for ages 21 and older, 6 p.m., LFA #57 Hall, 16140 Aurora Ave. in Eastpointe, facebook.com/StPetersEastpointe

APRIL 12-14

Prom Closet Tour: Free dresses and accessories for juniors and seniors, hosted by Sparkle Network, 3-8 p.m. April 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 13 and noon-5 p.m. April 14, Macomb Mall, 32233 Gratiot Ave. in Roseville, sign up ASAP at www.sparklenetwork.org/ prom-closet-project-tour-application

APRIL 20

Walk Through History: See living history display, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society, 16600 Stephens Road in Eastpointe, mimths. org

APRIL 21

Euchre tournament: Also dinner and desserts, 1 p.m. (doors 12:15 p.m.), hosted by Eastpointe Lions but at Fraser Lions Club, 34540 Utica Road, call Randy at (586) 202-7858

APRIL 23

Financial Literacy Storytime: Also money-themed snack during crafts and activities, for ages 5-10, 6-7 p.m., Roseville Public Library, 29777 Gratiot Ave., free but registration required, rosevillelibrary.org, rsvlibraryservice@roseville-mi.gov, (586) 445-5407

Shutterstock image

Community invited to Eastpointe school district’s input session April 17

EASTPOINTE — Eastpointe Community Schools has partnered with the strategic consulting firm Woolpert to provide an assessment of the district’s needs and to develop a comprehensive, 50-year facilities plan.

Woolpert’s assessment of the district, combined with observations from ECS officials, has put an emphasis on addressing Eastpointe High School’s infrastructure within the next five years.

At the district’s March 25 Board of Education meeting, Woolpert presented five potential options for facilities master plans, and now it wants to hear from the public. Community members are invited to share their thoughts during an input session — facilitated by Woolpert — from 4 to 6 p.m. April 17 at Eastpointe Middle School, 24701 Kelly Road.

Along with discussing the future of the high school, representatives will look at a surplus capacity across all the buildings in the district and will focus on maximizing the district’s $36.4 million bond issue that passed in August 2023.

For those who cannot attend the April 17 meeting, a virtual meeting is scheduled for 1-2:30 p.m April 19. At press time, a link for the virtual meeting was yet not available, but once it is confirmed, it will be posted on the district’s website at eastpointeschools.org.

Woolpert, with offices located worldwide, works with educational, private and public sector clients to strategically plan for their facilities.

— Maria Allard

City Council votes 4-1 to bring surveillance cameras to Eastpointe

BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com

EASTPOINTE — The Eastpointe City Council recently passed a motion to purchase 18 surveillance cameras to install around the city.

At its March 19 meeting, the City Council voted 4-1 to pass the motion, which Police Chief Corey Haines said will help find vehicles that have been reported stolen or may have been involved in homicides, robberies or other violent crimes.

“(The cameras) help us solve crimes by capturing license plate data and holding it for about 30 days,” Haines said. “So if we know of a vehicle that was used in some type of crime, we can enter that information and hopefully find the matching vehicle. … There’s a lot of investigative use for it.”

Flock cameras are automated license plate-reading cameras designed to capture

license plate data from vehicles that are in public view. The data, which are kept on file for 30 days, are then shared with not only neighboring jurisdictions, but any police department in the country that has access to the system’s database.

Eastpointe has had access to the database for several years now, Haines said, though the department hasn’t been able to provide any of its own information. The city’s agreement with the company would end on April 1 if the camera system wasn’t approved, he said.

“If we do not install Flock cameras, we will lose our investigative tool of having that to operate with as of April 1, which would be a really difficult thing for our detective bureau, since they rely on this information quite heavily,” he said.

Haines said the city had previously been approved for a grant that he said would

See

File photo by Patricia O’Blenes The infrastructure of Eastpointe High School will be one of the topics discussed at the April 17 input session.

Three cities working on plan for Kelly Road

BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com

EASTPOINTE — The cities of Eastpointe, Harper Woods and Detroit are working together to come up with a plan to redesign a stretch of Kelly Road.

Since the fall of 2023, representatives from the three cities, along with members of the Kelly Road Corridor Improvement Steering Committee, have been creating designs for Kelly Road between Seven Mile and 10 Mile roads. The designs are aimed at improving public spaces, seating and lighting options; better multimodal transportation pathways and safer traffic circulation; and adding landscaping and green stormwater infrastructure.

“The goals of the project are multifaceted and earned the project a (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) Planning Grant in mid-2023,” Eastpointe Economic Development Manager Ian McCain said in an email. “Some of the broader goals are to support existing and to attract new

businesses to the corridor, implement equal access through Complete Streets design, market and brand the corridor as a regional destination and enhance and expand greenspace areas with new trees and green stormwater infrastructure.”

On March 21, the steering committee held a public engagement session to show proposed plans and receive feedback from the community. Brigitte Smith Wolf, an associate planner for McKenna Associates, said that between 40 and 50 people from all three cities attended the session.

“The project is rooted in feedback received before this Complete Streets Corridor Improvement project even began, such as feedback in Harper Woods’ 2022-2023 Master Planning process, feedback from the City of Eastpointe 2022-2023 Zoning Ordinance process, visions of creating a neighborhood downtown, and even from engagement during the 9 Mile Redesign project,” Smith Wolf said in an email. “Engaging the public in the development of the vision for Kelly Road is important to ensure the needs and

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interest of a diverse range of users is included in the redesign.”

McKenna is working with the three municipalities to facilitate the project as well as prepare the redesign concept, conduct public engagement sessions and draft reports.

Smith Wolf also said they wanted the opportunity to inform the community about the benefits of different design elements being considered, such as how roadway designs can improve traffic safety and have the potential to create a more vibrant public space. See KELLY ROAD on page 19A

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Brigitte Smith Wolf, assistant planner with McKenna Associates, talks to a group gathered at Christian Trinity Church in Eastpointe to hear information and plans for Kelly Road through the Complete Streets Corridor Plan March 21.

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Roseville OKs new trucks for DPS Roseville hires a new grant writer

BY NICK POWERS npowers@candgnews.com

ROSEVILLE — Roseville is hoping to pull in more grant funds after the City Council approved a contract with a grant writer at its March 26 meeting.

Consulting firm Team Roe will have a six-month trial period to see if its grantwriting services meet the city’s needs. The grant-writing team will be paid a flat $3,000 monthly fee during the trial period. If the city sticks with Team Roe, it will pay the same rate for a 12-month contract. The firm could not be paid with money captured from grant funding, according to Team Roe’s Liz Roe. The work will be done off-site, but Team Roe will be available to attend meetings as needed.

Grant writers capture state and federal funding for municipal projects. This funding helps cities spend their revenues on other things.

Roe gave a presentation to the board at the meeting outlining her services. She said she’s captured approximately $3 million in government grants since 2022 and about $4 million in nonprofit grants.

“I am a one-person shop,” Roe said. “I have a part-time assistant who is my daughter.”

Roe currently is a grant writer for Macomb Township. Between 2022 and 2023, Team-Roe applied for 12 grants and was awarded four of them. Team Roe pulled in about $2 million of the $10 million it applied for, according to Roe. She said this included matching funds.

“We could probably do better, but Macomb Township is one of those townships where they’re somewhat limited in what they can apply for and what they’re eligible for,” Roe said.

According to Roe, the ability of the township to get grants is impacted by the wealth in the community.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for the council was Roe’s work with Macomb Township. Per her agreement, she would not be able to apply for the same grants as the township during a grant cycle.

“I don’t foresee that being a conflict with the city of Roseville, just because of the nature of what they’re requesting in grants is probably going to have a different portfolio than what the city of Roseville is requesting,” Roe said.

Later, City Manager Ryan Monroe agreed that there wouldn’t be many conflicts.

“Macomb Township and Roseville are very different communities,” Monroe said. “Cities and townships follow different rules

and qualify for different grants, too.”

Council member Jan Haggerty asked, if there was a conflict of interest with another community, would Team Roe come to the city to resolve it.

“I would definitely come to you if there was a conflict of interest,” Roe said. She said she already talked with Macomb Township about this possibility. She said the city could still apply for the grant on its own; it would just have to be done by someone else.

“There’s always that potential, so we have to be aware of it,” Haggerty said.

Roe said she would work with the city manager to make sure there isn’t a conflict. She said she doesn’t mind sharing the grant writing workload with those who already do it for the city.

“My job as a grant writer is supportive in nature,” she said. “I’m not the rock star — the people who work for the city are, honestly.”

Roe and her husband, Jamie, started Team Roe in 2014. She takes care of public policy and grant writing, while her husband focuses on public policy and political consulting. Jamie has worked in Republican politics, though Liz said this is separate from what she does.

“While he cares about blue and red, I just care about green,” Roe said at the meeting. “I’m nonpartisan, bipartisan in my work portfolio.”

Call Staff Writer Nick Powers at (586) 498-1059.

BY NICK POWERS npowers@candgnews.com

ROSEVILLE — The Roseville City Council unanimously approved the purchase of several trucks for the Department of Public Services at its March 26 meeting.

The money for these trucks will come from the city’s water fund, according to Roseville Public Services Director Robert DeBruyn. The purchases were budgeted for the water and sewer division.

The first one approved by the council was a 2024 single axle, 35,000 pounds gross vehicle weight chassis and upfitting 108SD from Wolverine Freightliner-Eastside Inc. and Truck & Trailer Specialties Inc. The total amount came to $229,222 for the truck. The municipal bid was done through the Rochester Hills Co-Op Award Agreement.

DeBruyn said the department is trying to maximize the usage of these trucks. For example, the mild winter caused the city to use fewer salt trucks. Trucks, like the one approved, could double as a salt truck or a dump truck for things like dirt.

“We’re reevaluating how we’re spending money and how we’re purchasing trucks, so we’re getting use out of it all year round instead of just during weather events,” DeBruyn said.

Two vehicles for the water department, a 2024 Ford Maverick Super Crew XLT and a 2024 Ford F-150 Regular Cab XL, were approved in a second vote. The trucks were purchased from Lunghamer Ford of Owosso for a total of $69,727. DeBruyn said that the vehicles are used for smaller things — for instance, the Maverick would be used for going out to check meters — and are not plow trucks.

The vehicles were purchased from Lunghamer Ford of Owosso through MiDeal. The program allows cities like Roseville the ability to buy goods from state contracts. According to the state’s website, municipalities “benefit directly from the reduced cost of goods and services and indirectly by eliminating the time needed to process bids.”

In a third vote, the purchase of a 2024 Ford F-550 dual rear wheel and upfitting from Lunghamer Ford of Owosso and Truck & Trailer Specialties Inc. totaling $115,821 was approved. The municipal bid was done through the Rochester Hills Co-Op Award Agreement.

“This is in addition to our fleet,” DeBruyn said. “This is to eliminate a full-size plow truck.”

He said this would reduce the wear and tear to the City Hall complex parking lot that the larger salt trucks can sometimes inflict. It would be used to spread salt on the center lane during snow emergencies.

Mayor Pro Tem Catherine Haugh asked if this would bring the department “up to snuff.”

“Just about,” DeBruyn said. “We have been working with antiquated equipment for decades. … It’s really bringing us up to speed.”

Call Staff Writer Nick Powers at (586) 498-1059.

Photo by Nick Powers Team Roe’s Liz Roe gives a presentation to the Roseville City Council at its March 26 meeting. The city approved Team Roe to assist the city with grant writing for a six-month trial.

Surveillance

from page 9A

cover all but approximately $4,600 of the initial cost of the cameras. Any recurring fees would be presented to the city in its 2025 budget.

In response to Councilman Harvey Curley’s question about using the cameras in intersections to catch drivers speeding, Haines said Michigan has a law that prohibits using license plate readers to gather information that can be used to enforce speed limits and other traffic laws.

Mayor Michael Klinefelt supported the motion to purchase the cameras. He likened the cameras to Project Green Light in Detroit, which is a partnership between local businesses, the city of Detroit and community groups that uses surveillance cameras to attempt to prevent crime and promote neighborhood safety.

“I know in my personal work experience it goes a long way in criminal activity,” he said. “I will note that, during the State of the City, (District Court Judge Kathleen Galen) commented on violent crimes that we’ve had over the past year. For me, I think this is a useful tool.”

Project Green Light began in 2016. A report published by the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice in November 2022, available at crimesolutions. ojp.gov/ratedprograms/771, stated there was no significant difference in violent crime between businesses that joined the partnership and those that didn’t. The report stated that Project Green Light “did result in a statistically significant decrease in property crime reports.”

The City Council member to oppose

the motion was Cardi DeMonaco Jr., who questioned the increase in surveillance and stored data.

“It’s too much surveillance. … Basically, anytime you come to the city, (it keeps) track of that for 30 days. I think from a personal standpoint, I’m not a huge fan of that.”

DeMonaco also brought up some of the controversy Flock has been involved in. According to a report published by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2023, while license plate readers aren’t new, Flock is the first to create a nationwide “mass-surveillance system out of its customers’ cameras.”

While the report states that the ACLU doesn’t object to the use of license plate readers, specifically citing their benefits for retrieving stolen cars, assisting with AMBER alerts and toll collections, the organization opposes the data-retention used by Flock.

“Unlike a targeted (automated license plate recognition) camera system that is designed to take pictures of license plates, check the plates against local hot lists, and then flush the data if there’s no hit, Flock is building a giant camera network that records people’s comings and goings across the nation, and then makes that data available for search by any of its law enforcement customers,” the report states. “Such a system provides even small-town sheriffs access to a sweeping and powerful mass-surveillance tool, and allows big actors like federal agencies and large urban police departments to access the comings and goings of vehicles in even the smallest of towns.”

Holly Beilin, director of communications for Flock, said the company is allowed to legally install and operate cameras in every state, though in South Carolina they aren’t permitted on state-owned rights of way.

“Flock is allowed to legally install and

operate cameras in every state — the City Councilman might be referring to South Carolina (Department of Transportation’s) decision to suspend the permitting of (license plate readers) on state rights of way.

We continue to operate in South Carolina on non-state (city, county, and private property) rights of way,” she said in an email.

Beilin said in 2023 the company successfully submitted over 25,000 permits. In Michigan, she said they work with over 100 law enforcement agencies.

Besides DeMonaco’s concerns, Haines said there hasn’t been much controversy surrounding the cameras either in Eastpointe or in other agencies where he’s worked.

“The agency is not looking to conduct surveillance on people, just to solve crimes and hold those persons accountable,” he said in an email.

The next step in installing the cameras is pulling necessary permits with the Michigan Department of Transportation and the city of Eastpointe, Haines said. Tentatively, he expects the cameras to be installed around July.

While the department has locations for the cameras planned, the locations still have to be reviewed as part of the permit process, Haines said.

Call Staff Writer Brian Wells at (248) 291-7637.

In 2023, officials formed a steering committee to work on modernizing the zoning ordinances to be more business friendly and to create an active use of commercial corridors. The mayor also touched on the $10 million Eastpointe received from the state in 2023 to replace lead water service lines. The goal is for the city to replace all lead service lines.

“We replaced 513 homes in 2023,” Klinefelt said.

A water service line runs from the water main in the street, usually under the front yard, and then into the home. The line is made of specific material such as lead or copper. Homes with lead water service lines are being tested based on the ability of the material to get into the drinking water.

Klinefelt also mentioned the work Eastpointe’s community development fellow, John Kraus, has been doing since he began working for the city in May. The community development fellow position is for 15 months, and during his time Kraus’ role is to support business and economic development; sustainable spaces and solutions; and marketing, branding and promotion activities in the city.

There were several infrastructure investments, including street resurfacing, on various residential streets.

This past year, the city hired one new police officer and filled seven vacant positions in the Fire Department.

“It’s extremely hard to find firefighters,” Klinefelt said, not only referring to Eastpointe, but other cities as well. “It’s a major success we’ve been able to fill seven positions.”

He also had good news regarding Kennedy Park. According to Klinefelt, the city acquired $1.5 million from the state to bring a splash pad to the park. He added that the Recreation Authority of Roseville & Eastpointe also will provide $300,000 for the project, bringing the funding up to $1.8 million.

“People really wanted a splash pad,” Klinefelt said. “It will be moving forward, so keep an eye out.”

He added that there used to be a pool at Kennedy, but it was shut down in 2008 because the city “could not afford to operate” it.

Eastpointe Community Schools

Gibson highlighted several topics during her speech. She said that there are more than 2,250 students in the district and nearly 300 full-time employees, making Eastpointe Community Schools the largest employer in the city.

According to the 2020 census, “There

are 39,762 people in Eastpointe and over 7,000 school-age children,” Gibson said. “Is anyone noticing a gap? Our kids attend 42 different schools. This community let go of public education. This is what School of Choice has done.”

The superintendent also said that only 30% of Eastpointe High School is being utilized. EHS will turn 100 years old in 2029, and there will be discussions in the future regarding the school.

“We have to think about how we restructure and how we reinvest,” Gibson said.

Moving forward, Gibson would like to see more people get off social media and have in-person conversations instead. Gibson’s presentation also focused on the district’s strategic plan, which was adopted in early 2023.

The strategic plan focuses on five areas: student growth and achievement, learning environments and support, a working environment and high-quality staff, family and community partnerships, and resources for finances, facilities and technology.

Through the strategic plan, educators are working to improve student achievement, attendance, well-being and have behavioral interventions in place. Gibson said the district also is working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in instructional programs and practices, and wants to enhance employee morale, satisfaction and performance.

The district is working to offer more opportunities for community engagement by having different family nights at the schools along with the occasional field trip for students during the daytime.

To celebrate March is Reading Month, the district welcomed several guest readers, including members of the Eastpointe Fire and Police departments, state Rep. Kimberly Edwards, and Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham.

During her presentation, Gibson did a quick survey via QR Code on what those in attendance would like to see in the district’s future. Skilled trades training, coming together as a community, persistence, a close-knit community and using untapped resources were among the responses.

38th District Court

Galen was elected to the bench in November 2020 to serve a six-year term that began in early 2021. She is the chief judge and presides over civil suits involving up to $25,000, adult criminal misdemeanor offenses, felony preliminary examinations, setting bail in felony and misdemeanor cases, civil infractions, landlord/tenant disputes, small claims, and more.

“Since I took office in 2021, we have had an increase in violent crimes,” she said. Address from

Galen echoed the mayor’s comments about getting a new court building.

“A new court building is in the works,” Galen said. “We’re trying to find financing and funding for a new court.”

During the luncheon, the judge talked about the various grants the court received including a virtual backlog response docket grant to help the court address the backlog of criminal cases due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This grant got six employees to provide a virtual courtroom we do every Friday,” said Galen, who added, “We run two courtrooms, plus the virtual courtroom.”

The court also received other grants, including the Clean Slate grant, which “helps people who have a bad record.” An individual may use the Clean Slate package to have prior convictions set aside.

Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.

ABOVE: Michael Klinefelt addresses the crowd March 19 during his first State of the City as Eastpointe mayor.

LEFT: Christina Gibson talks to the crowd during Eastpointe’s State of the City address March 19.

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

Splash pad

from page 4A

pool has been closed since 2020 due to failed mechanical pump equipment, school officials previously told The Eastsider.

Also in August 2023, the city had applied for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Community Center Grant Funding in the amount of $2.5 million for the project, but was awarded only $1.5 million. However, in addition to the amount received from the grant, the Recreational Authority of Roseville and Eastpointe had previously committed $300,000 toward the project.

Anthony Lipinski, executive director for RARE, said he feels the splash pad will be a positive thing for the area.

“The installation of a splash pad at Kennedy Park will fulfill an item often indicated as a need in our area, such as a water-featured play area,” he said. “The addition of a splash

Scout

from page 1A

March 4. The parts to assemble the dryers were purchased at Home Depot.

“I decided to do this project as a way to give back to the firefighters of Roseville, as they are always busy with calls and fires,” said Julian, who resides in Bloomfield Township. “When a firefighter goes to a fire, there are many cancer-causing materials, also called carcinogens, that get on their gear, which results in washing their clothes after every fire.”

The dryers consist of PVC pipes connected to a blower with hooks and holes for the firefighters to hang their coats, pants, gloves and boots. Because the gear is so thick, it can take up to 12 hours to dry. With the dryers Julian manufactured, the gear dries in four hours. The equipment does not alter the gear in any way, Mark said.

“We have no practical way to dry our gear after it is washed. If bought from a manufacturer, these dryers can cost up to $10,000 each,” Fire Chief Keith Jacobs said via email. “These gear dryers will be donated to the Fire Department at no cost to the city.”

It cost a total of $2,000 for Julian to construct the dryers. To make his Eagle Scout project possible, Julian received monetary contributions from several donors, family and friends, and from the Roseville Firefighters Union Local No. 1614.

“I’m absolutely proud of him. He took

pad to Kennedy Park will provide new outdoor recreation for families to enjoy during the summer. … Overall, it will be a positive feature for the residents.”

Earlier this month, engineering firm Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick Inc. submitted an estimate for $2,348,730 to complete the project, which included the installation of the splash pad itself, a restroom facility that would also house the control room for the splash pad, water service, sanitary sewer and electrical connections, the concrete base for the splash pad and a walkway around it, fencing, picnic tables and benches, and several other small structures.

According to Council member Cardi DeMonaco Jr., who was the only one to speak on the matter at the meeting, after the grant, funding from RARE and the amount the city has budgeted toward the project, the city is still almost $49,000 under budget for the project.

McCain said the city will also be pursuing a grant through the Department of Natural Resources to provide the rest of the funding for the project.

charge of this,” Mark said. “Obviously, I assisted with this. Another department built something similar to this. We were able to copy their dimensions, brought it back to Julian, and he was all about it. Him and I worked together. With his whole troop, we were able to build this in just a few days.

“The reason we wash and dry the bunker gear so quickly is the carcinogens on there,” Mark said. “There has been a humongous increase in firefighter cancer because of stuff that is building these houses. There’s so many carcinogens, and there is a push to get your gear washed after every fire.”

Julian, who attends Lutheran Northwest High School in Rochester Hills, was recognized at the March 26 Roseville City Council meeting, where firefighter/paramedic Eric Pocket presented him with a plaque. Mark was with him, as was mom, Marci, and sister, Violet.

The Eagle Scout project is the final requirement to obtain the highest rank within the Boy Scouts of America organization. The project gives the Scouts lessons in community service, leadership, teamwork and project management. There are many steps to earning the rank of Eagle Scout, including making a presentation before the Eagle Board of Review.

To earn the Eagle Scout rank, Scouts must progress through the ranks from Tenderfoot to Eagle, earn 22 merit badges, serve in a leadership position, and participate in a scoutmaster conference.

Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.

State Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, who has been working to help the city secure funding, said bringing the splash pad to Kennedy Park is important for kids in the community.

“This is so important for kids in Eastpointe because they have lost so much over the years,” she said in an email. “They lost a pool and several playgrounds where schools used to be. A lot of homes in Eastpointe don’t have air conditioners, so a water feature would be perfect.”

A schedule created by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity for the grant states that the project needs to be bid on and awarded to a contractor no later than Dec. 31, 2024, and construction must be completed by Oct. 31, 2026.

Given the schedule, McCain said they hope to break ground later this year. Roseville is also in the process of adding a splash pad, and McCain said the two cities have been working together to coordinate features of each park through RARE.

Call Staff Writer Brian Wells at (248) 291-7637.

Renovations

from page 3A

are part of the bond funding, have approximately $1.5 million earmarked for them.

Following the meeting, Roseville City Controller John Walters said that June 1 is the target date to get the bonds sold. There is a total of $20 million in two separate series, Walters said. The first one, with the June target date, is for $12 million, and the city has two years to spend it. The second is for $8 million at a later date.

The $12 million in the first series will pay for renovations to the library, City Hall, both fire stations, the South East Regional Emergency Services Authority building and the Department of Public Services building. It also will pay for the construction of a splash pad at Rotary Park.

“Once we get the money, we can hit the ground running,” said Walters about the first series of funding. “The clock is ticking on that.”

Walters said a resolution authorizing the bonds will be up for a vote at the council’s April 23 meeting.

“We should get the proceeds in early June, and then they’re going,” Walters said. He said there’s a good chance that everything with the bonds should fall in line for the funding of the projects.

“Since rates are so high right now and the bond market is pretty strong, all indications are it should move pretty smoothly,” Walters said. “It’s exciting, we’re updating buildings that were built in the 1960s and even before that.”

Fire stations

The Roseville Fire Department headquarters, located at 18750 Common Road, is set to get an interior renovation. This will mainly consist of creating separate dorms for the department’s men and women, expanding the locker rooms, updating the plumbing, and moving the administrative offices to the South East Regional Emergency Services Authority building.

Roseville Fire Department Station 2, located at 17644 Frazho Road, will get both an interior and exterior renovation. The changes will include updating the plumbing; creating separate dorms for men and women; expanding the locker rooms; updating heating, ventilating and air conditioning; and creating a barrier-free entry. About 1,400 square feet of the south side of the building is set to be demolished and reconstructed with an additional 850 square feet.

Mayor Pro Tem Cathrine Haugh asked if the Fire Department was in on the plan-

ning. Arlow, AEW’s director of architecture, said the firm worked with the department.

“We gave them 99.9% of the things they asked for,” Arlow said.

“Yes, we were fully involved in this process,” Roseville Fire Chief Keith Jacobs said, adding that the improvements will allow for the potential growth of the department.

“You don’t want to be at a number and then five years from now go to another number,” Council member Kurmmell Knox said, agreeing with council member Steve Wietecha.

City Manager Ryan Monroe said that while the stations will accommodate more staff, these additional hirings would have to go through the traditional budgeting process next year.

SERESA building

The SERESA building, located at 18961 Common Road, will get an interior makeover. SERESA is a regional 911 dispatch center that serves St. Clair Shores, Eastpointe, Roseville and Fraser. The building is also utilized by the Roseville Police and Fire departments for different functions.

The Roseville Fire Department administrative offices will be moved to the SERESA building. The building will get a meeting room that will be used for training for different city departments, and police storage will be made more secure. The bathrooms and kitchenettes will also get a makeover.

The building is also getting some exterior tweaks. The parking lot is set to get an expansion, and a three-car garage will be added to the building. One of the bays in the garage will be heated for secure storage.

Roseville Mayor Robert Taylor asked who will be funding the project.

“The SERESA building is owned by the city of Roseville,” Monroe said. “It’s ours. To keep things clean and neat, using the bond money, all this investment would stay with the city of Roseville if and when SERESA ever went away.”

Wietecha asked why the garage was needed. Monroe said the garage is needed to store Fire Department evidence.

“My understanding is we can’t let it freeze,” Monroe said. “All of our evidence is going to be waterlogged, so if it freezes, it will be worthless in court.”

Knox asked how the leasing arrangement with SERESA works.

“They pay monthly,” Monroe said. He added that SERESA sometimes uses other spaces in the building outside of the lease, but the city allows for it.

Council member Colleen M. McCartney asked how many Fire Department employees would be in the building.

“You have the fire chief, fire chief secretary, fire marshal, fire prevention officer and inspector, training officer and two part-time employees who assist the secretary,” Jacobs said.

Monroe said the Police Department has two office spaces and an evidence/storage room in the building as well.

Department of Public Services building

The building, 29411 Calahan Road, will get new garage bays that will better accommodate service vehicles, replace lifts, update vehicle ventilation to code, provide a women’s locker room, replace the sewer line to the men’s locker room and redo the restrooms.

To make those changes possible, there will be a 1,750-square-foot, one-story addition that will contain a new director’s office, a barrier-free lobby with reception area, a conference room, file storage and a mechanic’s garage.

“I met with AEW and gave them all of our requests and all of our needs, and they put out this design that kind of surprised me,” Public Services Director Robert DeBruyn said. “But it meets all of our needs and then some.”

DeBruyn, when asked by Wietecha,

confirmed that the department should be able to work while the one-story addition is constructed.

Splash pad

The splash pad is set to go at Rotary Park on Utica Road. The splash pad will be fenced in and concrete, according to Lockwood. The area would get a separate walkway so patrons wouldn’t have to cut through other areas like the basketball court and pavilion. Lockwood said the plan that AEW presented was a design given to other cities. Roseville would have to give a proposed theme to the splash pad for it to really take shape.

“When do you plan on starting work on that, and when do you think it’ll be available to the community?” Roseville Mayor Robert Taylor asked.

“With the bond rules we can start construction 60 days prior to when the bonds are actually issued, which would be July 1,” Monroe said. “I don’t know if that’s reasonable, but those are the rules.”

Lockwood and Arlow agreed that the splash pad probably wouldn’t be ready for this summer.

Call Staff Writer Nick Powers at (586) 498-1059.

Road diet

from page 3A

igan Department of Transportation that the city would lose federal dollars if the road diet went through, some council members changed their minds on the project.

At the March 19 City Council meeting, the council voted 4-1 to rescind the Feb. 6 vote, which will keep the area at five lanes instead of three. Klinefelt, Podsiadlik, Baker and Curley voted in favor of rescinding the motion. DeMonaco Jr. cast the dissenting vote.

A “road diet” is basically the shrinking of the road. Eastpointe road diet proponents say that going from five to three lanes would create a more walkable area and attract more businesses and pedestrians who will shop locally. Supporters also say it will make the road safer.

At the March 19 meeting, Assistant City Manager Kim Homan informed the council that MDOT would not use the current funding for the three-lane road diet. The council had to vote by March 20 or risk losing the funding.

“MDOT said that due to the change of scope, which was changing basically the

Kelly Road

from page 11A

“Once the Steering Committee created the framework for the Kelly Road redesign project and assembled feasible redesign to accomplish these goals, it was imperative to gauge public interest in the direction of the project,” she added.

In addition to the public engagement session, the committee has been gathering feedback from an online survey, which Smith Wolf said has received more than 110 responses.

Smith Wolf said that most of the feedback has been “overwhelmingly supportive” and constructive. Much of the feedback creates a consensus that while there are many great, long-standing and new businesses along Kelly Road, on-street parking and additional infrastructure elements need to be upgraded, she said. Many of the responses indicate that residents feel it is not pedestrian friendly and there are too many parking lots, and those lots are in poor condition, she said.

“Overall, people were supportive of the elements included in the redesign and our efforts to make Kelly Road more user-friendly and aesthetically-pleasing,” she said.

Smith Wolf said additional ideas were brought forward at the public engagement session, including roundabouts being added

intent of the project (so) that it’s no longer a reconstruction, that the current funds cannot be used,” Homan said. “They said the traffic studies from 2021 were not acceptable. They were not comfortable with the data from 2021, as it was taken during the COVID pandemic, so they would want that to be redone or new studies to be done.

“Tabling or taking no action, according to MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration, would be the same as declining the funds,” Homan said. “If phase two is not done, we may lose the federal funding for phase three. MDOT made it very clear that it was coming from the Federal Highway Administration. It’s not being for or against. The current funding cannot be used for a proposed three-lane. There’s not enough information put together yet for that to move forward.”

Nine Mile Road currently has five lanes of traffic: two going eastbound, two going westbound and a center turning lane. The current construction on Nine Mile Road is part of the Modern Nine Main Street Project that began last year in the city. The project, to be completed in three phases, will include a new road, the installation of a new water main system and a new main gas line. Construction between Pleasant and Tuscany av-

at several intersections and that the median on Kelly Road south of Eight Mile Road be widened to make way for a linear park. It has also been recommended that the bicycle lane be shifted to the residential side of Kelly Road rather than between the sidewalk and on-street parking.

Further action on engaging with the public for input, as well as action on designing and implementing different ideas, will depend on public and grant funding being pursued, Smith Wolf said.

While the city of Eastpointe saw strong opposition regarding the city’s Nine Mile Road diet that eventually was retracted, McCain said much of the feedback regarding this project has been positive. He said residents “seem much more excited” about this project because they believe it is the better place to reimagine elements of the road.

“Even through pushback in-person and on social media, residents have sounded off that they would prefer and be more open to road changes on Kelly verses Nine Mile,” he said. “While there will always be folks that are critical or opposed to the project, the response in-person and via the survey has been overwhelmingly positive.”

McCain said the steering committee will continue to engage the communities going forward.

Call Staff Writer Brian Wells at (248) 291-7637.

enues is phase two of the project.

If city officials held off on submitting new traffic studies for a road diet, they would lose the funding due to deadlines for the road construction project. The city also might lose contractors.

The cost of phase two is approximately $5.2 million, but the bids could come in higher or lower, and 81.85% of the construction is being paid for with federal funding. The 18.15% match is being covered by the Act 51 funds that the city receives from the state through the gas tax.

DeMonaco Jr., in favor of the road diet, wanted to “put together some meetings to figure this out” with MDOT, the Federal Highway Administration and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

“We can work together and make this happen,” he said. “We can show how this can be beneficial to the community.”

While the phase two portion of the project will stay five lanes, council still has the option of creating a road diet for phase three of the project, which is the area of Tuscany to Interstate 94.

A large number of residents and business owners gathered at Eastpointe City Hall for the council meeting Feb. 6 to voice their concerns about the road diet. Many were against the idea, while a few were in favor of it.

Steve Gunn, whose son owns Wash Pointe Car Wash on Nine Mile Road, spoke about the project at the hearing of the public March 19. Gunn said that he surveyed customers about the possibility of a road diet on Nine Mile Road. Out of 376 people, 16 people liked the idea of a three-lane road, 20 people weren’t sure and 340 customers wanted the road to remain five lanes.

“It’s an unscientific poll, but these are people that drive Nine Mile,” he said. “They’re regular people coming down the road. I didn’t solicit them, just asked a simple question. That’s just a little bit of information. I don’t know if it helps, I don’t think it hurts. Every little bit of information will help you.”

Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.

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