Downtown Newsmagazine | Birmingham/Bloomfield by Downtown Publications Inc.

DOWNTOWN

16 FROM THE PUBLISHER

Election dread gripped most of the voters before November 5 and now it’s shock for half of the population that president-elect Donald Trump will occupy the White House, but this is not a time to shrink or withdraw from remaining involved in what goes on with the government.

25 CRIME MAP

A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format, plus a reminder about an online interactive map with story details on public safety incidents.

26 OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

DeVos millions for state House control; 2026 gubernatorial wannabes; Rogers seeks FBI top spot; Hoekstra possible replacements; Oakland GOP Chair in the limelight; local lowdown on presidential donations; plus more.

53 MUNICIPAL

Birmingham mayor resigns as new one named; Baldwin House agreement finalized; senior/recreation center inches forward; township wage/benefits study released; Bloomfield Village tax rate set; ethics board issue settled; plus more.

MAKING SURE IT’S SAFE TO EAT OUT IN OAKLAND

Oakland County is home to 4,700 restaurants, food trucks and institutions that serve food and the county Health Department, with a 2025 budget set at $7.353 million and a staff of 32 employees to license and make inspections, must make sure that it is safe to eat in these establishments.

Photo by Laurie Tennent

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This space in December of 2016 was used to offer some advice to readers, and in particular to my two sons, coming off Donald Trump’s first election victory to become the president of our country.

I said at the time that my sons grew up in a household where politics and the workings of government were common topics of discussion. My oldest, before he was even in his teens, spent time with me and a local township treasurer many years ago riding around evenings in Commerce Township, our home at the time, posting signs and flyers in support of an open space preservation millage on the ballot that I and others on a committee had initiated. They saw first hand what involvement on issues and the public agenda meant.

Both – one married with a daughter here in Birmingham and one in New York – have matured into young adults who are intellectually engaged with the world around them. They probably didn’t need my advice in 2016 following Trump’s win, but I dispensed it anyway. And I do so again eight years later, but now because both of them reached out following Trump’s second win this past November.

Hills, which clearly leans Republican, most of the local area leans Democrat. Birmingham is Blue. No debate. This year 57 percent of voters went for Harris. In fact, she took every precinct this year – all 10 of them. In the case of Bloomfield Township, Harris tallied 1,567 more votes than those backing Trump, continuing its gradual movement into the Blue column.

On the plus side, Birmingham appears to becoming more diverse, racially and culturally, something I noted as we passed out candy at my son’s house on Halloween as my granddaughter went trick-or-treating with her parents in the neighborhood.

The bottom line? This is not a time to shrink or withdraw from remaining involved in what goes on with the government. Yes, I know Trump likes to boast of an “overwhelming mandate” to do what he pleases when governing. It’s total BS. Trump only won 49.9 percent of the popular vote nation-wide. Harris took 48.3 percent. The last overwhelming mandate we have seen in this country was when Ronald Reagan was elected president in November of 1980 by nearly 8.5 million votes, or almost 10 points, over Jimmy Carter.

Like everyone else I know, they and the general population approached the November 5 vote in a state of anxiety, regardless of party affiliation, heightened even more no doubt by the billions of dollars, literally, of campaign literature tumbling out of our mail boxes, filling the airways on TV, and populating the screens of internet devices and overtaking email accounts.

For us, the choices on the ballot were a candidate that inspired hope and a candidate twice impeached, found guilty of sexual assault, with a dubious track record of misogyny, racism and, to put it mildly, a penchant for ignoring both laws and decorum.

Like half the population, there was a collective disappointment when Kamala Harris failed to win this year’s contest. My family suffered a couple days of what can only be called a dreadful funk. I did my best to help lift their spirits but it was tougher this time around with Trump on the ballot for the third time. There was even some talk of moving from Michigan because election returns suggested it may be a Red state (it’s not).

I considered not sharing my thoughts with followers of Downtown Newsmagazine until the publishing group received correspondence from a local Trump acolyte who sent us a no-holds barred, electionrelated email that can only be described as racist and sexist. Scary stuff that went far beyond some of the post election nonsense no doubt many have witnessed, like the clown car (actually a pick-up truck) of court jesters who for several days after the election drove around the local area with their Trump banners and flags.

The email, displaying world views that may be more widespread than we wish to admit, prompted me to write this column.

Michigan is probably best described as a Purple state when it comes to presidential races. Trump took it this year by 50.1 percent but Biden took it by a couple added points in 2020. It vacillates by a few points one way or another every four years depending on the candidate.

We live in an increasingly Blue county. Over 54 percent chose Kamala Harris this year as opposed to 43.66 percent for Trump. Joe Biden racked up 56.23 percent of the Oakland County vote in 2020 and Hillary Clinton took 51.29 percent in 2016. With the exception of Bloomfield

As it stands now, we remain a fairly evenly divided country. The levers of power, from the White House to Congress, may be controlled by Republicans but that doesn’t mean the general population has to throw up its collective hands and walk away from being involved, especially as we are already seeing the feared march to autocracy as evidenced by both those being named to the new administration and the proposed desire by Trump to skip the review of those appointed by members of the Senate.

This advice comes from someone who for the past 50 years has been involved in the debate over the public agenda, dating back to the Vietnam war era. I still remember getting called for the armed services physical at Fort Wayne and telling my mother that I would be making plans to leave for Canada due to my opposition to the war, only to be encouraged to stay for the battle on the home front. I did. I spent my college years, classified by the draft board as a Conscientious Objector, attending a full load of classes, holding a full time job, working at a draft information center advising others (including active members of the military) who did not support the war and lobbying lawmakers to end the military draft, which they did in January 1973.

I offer the same advice I was given at the time. We live in a Democracy that offers us the opportunity to be heard, both at the ballot box and through our representative government, by continuing to speak out on issues of concern. It is not just an opportunity but an obligation to remain involved to help shape the public agenda.

We may not always agree on issues but for the Democracy to remain healthy and survive, a healthy debate on the issues is important. Resistance to something we don’t support does not mean just tossing sand into the gears of the government but also offering an alternative vision and course of action.

You can’t change the direction of the government sitting on the sidelines or moving away. If ever there was a time for a renewed commitment to work for change, it is now.

David Hohendorf Publisher

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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political gossip/news, gathered both on and off-the-record by staff members at Downtown Newsmagazine. We welcome possible items for this column which can be emailed to: OaklandConfidential@DowntownPublications.com. All sources are kept strictly confidential. The gossip column can be viewed at OaklandConfidential.com where you can sign up to receive updates via email.

AUTOPSY RESULTS: As the media and politicos of all flavors ruminate on the November election results, one local name repeatedly mentioned to Oakland Confidential as a possibility of getting back into politics is likely on ice. The post mortem will show that former Congressman David Trott (R-Birmingham), who previously represented the 11th District, will likely not be going back to Capital Hill. Trott had mentioned to a few intimates he was considering a run for Congress once again – to represent a district in Naples, Florida, which is where he supposedly makes his primary residence now – but only if Vice President Kamala Harris won. Trott had called on fellow Republicans to support Harris, and was the co-chair of Republicans for Harris, actively endorsing her. There was even speculation he could have a role in her administration. Well, we know how that turned out. Trott, who grew up and has lived in Birmingham and Bloomfield his entire life, grew disenfranchised with his life in Congress as “one of 435,” after being a top bankruptcy and real estate attorney, along with his growing disdain for former President Donald Trump. Looks like Trott will get his chance to lower his golf handicap instead.

SECOND CHANCE?: As Donald Trump and his close advisors and associates work to assemble a cabinet to carry out his campaign promises, questions circulated as to whether former Education Secretary and Republican Michigan moneybags Betsy DeVos of Grand Rapids would return to a Trump administration. “Not a chance,” said one Republican insider. The insider said the Devos’ spent absolutely not one dime towards Trump this campaign cycle. On the contrary, the insider noted, “They were full-time about winning the Michigan House back –along with (former governors) Rick Snyder and John Engler It worked. They picked up six seats.” According to public records, the DeVos family poured in $12 million – making them top Republican contributors, along with Betsy and her husband Richard, Jr., who gave $2.44 million, along with Daniel and Pamela DeVos, $2.54 million; Douglas and Maria DeVos, $1.4 million; and Cheri DeVos, $1.24 million, amongst other donations. The political insider said the goal was; “The way they saw it was to moderate (Governor Gretchen) Whitmer, who they all feel has gone too far to the left.” Ironically, Betsy DeVos, the week after the recent election, spent time on Capitol Hill meeting with members of congress. In recent months she has expressed an interest in returning to the current administration if the goal was to eliminate the ed department. DeVos was skipped over by Trump, perhaps as payback for her resignation as Education Secretary during his first term, citing his encouragement of the January 6 mob attack on the Capitol. The new education chief? Linda McMahon, a transition team member and former CEO of the World Wrestling Entertainment.

OK, NEXT: Well Democrats, the fat lady sang. All that’s left in Michigan and around the country is to analyze the 2024 election and pick up the election signs. Next up: the 2026 election and with that, all of Michigan’s top elected administrative officials’ terms expire, allowing for opportunities for new faces and prognostications on both sides of the aisle. The big Kahuna is the gubernatorial race, as Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term limited. On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has unofficially let it be known to her loyalists and followers that she is definitely running for the state’s top spot, and while many Democratic insiders are whispering they would like Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II to consider running for mayor of Detroit – or some other top race. Word is he is determined to move up the

TROTT

DEVOS

BENSON

Feeling Overwhelmed?

ladder to the governor’s mansion but some say his chances of winning pale in comparison to others likely to jump into the race. As for the mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan is still leaving everyone guessing by recently announcing he would not be seeking a fourth term as the top dog in the city. No mention whatsoever about future plans. While there are questions if a Detroit politician can make the leap to a statewide office, a political strategist noted, “Any statewide race takes place in southeast Michigan – in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.” Michigan transplant and former South Bend, IN mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is the outgoing Secretary of Transportation, is rumored to be considering a primary run as well. One local political observer pooh-poohed Buttigieg, with the classic tropes of “carpetbagger,” among other issues, while acknowledging his political bona fides and ability to speak up for Democrats of all stripes on national media. One politico warned “he’d get his ass kicked unequivocally.” As for Republicans, after eight years in the political wilderness, speculation is rife that Congressman John James (R-Shelby Township, Macomb County), who won his second term decisively, is looking for a new challenge. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Romeo, northern Oakland and Macomb counties, Lapeer County, Michigan Thumb) is possibly considering testing the waters – but she was just elected the House GOP conference chair, replacing Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who may well join the new administration as UN Ambassador. That makes McClain number four in the House pecking order, behind House Leader MikeJohnson (R-LA).One sure candidate?

Perennial Republican politician Perry Johnson of Bloomfield Township, who told fellow partygoers at a recent Halloween party at Birmingham’s Bella Piatti that he’s definitely running for governor, will have President-elect Donald Trump’s endorsement, and is planning on putting in $25 million of his own money into the race. Of course, with the governor post as fair game in two years, the flood gates have opened on other possible GOP hopefuls who might file, among the names circulating in the speculation game: Kevin Rinke, auto and other industries millionaire; Tom Leonard, former state lawmaker and twice-failed AG contender; Mike Cox, former AG and past candidate for governor; Sandy Pensler, venture capitalist and onetime U.S. Senate contender; and TudorDixon, who tried in 2022 for governor. On the latter, MIRS news servicehas reported that in a recent poll of possible contenders, Dixon came out on top by a very (VERY) wide margin.

FLIGHT PATH: Former Republican Senate candidate (and ex-congressman) Mike Rogers was spotted in recent days on a Delta flight to West Palm Beach, where word is he immediately headed to Mar-a-Lago to interview for the position as director of the FBI in the new Trump administration. Rogers is well qualified for the position, as he served as a special agent in the FBI before winning his first election to Congress, where he was chair of the House Intelligence Committee. His competition for the post is believed to be Kash Patel, a former Trump aide and advisor.

VICTORY LAP: The November election for the most part cements the legacy of Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra who took over the reins of the state GOP after a disastrous term at the helm by Kristine Karamo which had left the party organization basically bankrupt and in a complete state of turmoil highlighted by physical fights at a couple of party gatherings. One Republican observer said the electIon results from November were a “huge feather in his cap” after flipping the state House to the Republicans, reportedly the only state House in the nation to change hands in the general election to Republican control. But the state GOP will now be searching for a replacement for Hoekstra who served in Congress from 1993-2011, and was appointed as ambassador to the Netherlands under Donald Trump Hoekstra’s curriculum vitae also includes unsuccessful runs for governor in which he was defeated in the 2010 primary and a loss to Democrat Debbie Stabenow in 2012 for the U.S. Senate. Hoekstra right after the general election this year headed to Florida to meet with Trump, hoping for an appointment which he got as U.S. Ambassador to Canada as a reward for his work. One party wag also credits Republican state Rep. Matt Hall, the new speaker of the House, and House member Bill G. Schuette, son of the former Michigan Attorney General by the same name. As the party insider

DUGGAN

it, they both “worked their asses off” along with Hoekstra. As the party starts the search for a new heir for the top spot, the names being floated at this early hour are Scott Greenlee of Lansing who ran for the party post in 2023; Terry Lynn Land, Michigan Secretary of State from 2003-2011, who lost to Gary Peters in 2014 for the U.S. Senate; state board of education member Nicki Snyder; and RockyRaczkowski, recent past party chair for the Oakland Republican Party who also served time in the Michigan House from 1997-2003.

SHARING THE LIMELIGHT: Speaking of Hoekstra, he took time in a Detroit News interview after the election to single out Oakland County Republican Party Chair Vance Patrick for special praise for the support given by local GOP county party organizations. Speaking with editorial page editor NolanFinley, Hoekstra talked about how he rehabbed the troubled state GOP by “putting together the core group of folks that would help make that happen. I got great support from a lot of the county chairs. In particular Vance Patrick in Oakland County.” Coincidentally, just a day before the newspaper interview, Patrick sent out an email newsletter to members of the Oakland County party, thanking everyone for their effort, listed as follows: 297,340 doors knocked; 184117 phone calls made; 1.8 million text messages sent; 19,000 yard signs distributed; and 4.25 million digital ad impressions. So if you are among those who felt under siege from the election ads onslaught, it was not your imagination.

HEAD DOWN & CARRY ON: Some people just don’t get the assignment. Notably, all elections are local and run by municipal clerks. However, they can’t just make up their own rules. There are state, county and local laws that govern how elections must be conducted – and we have to applaud all of our local and county clerks who worked hard and admirably to democratically conduct the recent election. However – one Upper Peninsula clerk and his deputy obviously didn’t read the memo, and were removed right before the November 5 election when they decided – on their own – that they were going to hand count all of the election results for Rock River Township, Michigan, population 1,200,and not properly store them prior to certification. Clerk Tom Schierkolk and deputy clerk David LaMere were notified by Michigan Bureau of Elections Direction Jonathan Brater that failing to comply with “a lawful order from the Secretary of State is a criminal misdemeanor offense.” Brater explained that an unsanctioned hand count interfered with the integrity of the election process. Schiefkolk, who is also a local pastor, had tried to issue a municipal resolution “disassociating” the community from the Alger County Election Commission, and had a document added to the Rock River Township Clerk’s website of an affidavit purporting to grant local officials “sovereign immunity for official acts.” Hopefully they left their muskets at home.

MONEY TALKS: It’s an accepted fact of political life that money plays an increasingly influential role in elections and the source of campaign funding is often a point of interest. So when the folks at The New York Times developed a program that tracked campaign donations tied to the zip codes of individual donors, we took a look. The donation amounts represent total money donated to the campaign of President Joe Biden/Vice President Kamala Harris or former president Donald Trump during this election cycle from the start of 2023 through October 24 of this year. In the Birmingham zip code of 48009, 1,042 persons gave a total of $300K to the Biden/Harris camp while 326 persons kicked in $80K to the Trump effort.

From the Bloomfield Township zip code of 48301, 586 individuals donated $200K to the Biden/Harris campaign, and 223 people kicked in $50K for Trump. Among the donors in zip code 48302 (Bloomfield Township), the Biden/Harris election effort got $100K from 635 residents and the Trump camp received a total of $100K from 280 residents.

Individuals in zip code 48304, which includes Bloomfield Hills, 618 residents donated $200K to Biden/Harris while the Trump campaign got a total of $400K from 322 residents. Donations to the Bide/Harris camp outshined those to the Trump camp in most states, according to The New York Times.

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FACES

Hedy Blatt

Hedy Blatt may have come from a small town, but the recently retired fine arts consultant for Oakland Schools made a big impact in metro Detroit. In fact, the 2024 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award winner has also been nominated for the National Art Education Association’s 2025 Elliot Eisner Lifetime Achievement and Gilbert A. Clark and Enid Zimmerman Leadership Advocacy awards.

The Bloomfield Township resident grew up in Owosso. “My parents were always involved in the arts – not doing them per se – but sponsoring and supporting arts entities. While I didn’t necessarily appreciate it while I was young, I certainly did later,” said Blatt, who went to Interlochen at eight years old and played the piano and cello and later attempted the clarinet. “I had skinny fingers, so I squeaked and squawked a bit and the band director suggested the oboe, which I played all through college.”

Blatt earned her teaching degree from Michigan State University and would later continue her education. “Rather than instrumental music, I went into choral music, which I taught for 10 or 11 years starting in Florida,” she explained. “I returned to Michigan, where I was very fortunate to be hired in the Troy School District. I taught for nine years before I became the fine arts director for the district for 20 years, 12 of which I also did community relations.”

In her more recent consultant position, Blatt provided and facilitated staff development and as-needed services in fine arts education throughout the 28 school districts in Oakland County and beyond. She also administrated the Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner Financial Literacy Arts Contest in partnership with the treasurer’s office, which has donated over $40,000 in student scholarships since 2012. The annual Faculty-Staff Art Show during the summer featuring Oakland County school employees, from teachers and administrators to custodians and bus drivers, was among the highlights.

During her impactful career, Blatt taught music, theater and English. Under her leadership, the Troy School District earned many arts education grants from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, was selected a Governor’s Arts Education Award finalist and earned Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America designations among others. She has also taught on the university level, written for and performed in professional children’s theater, and is a published composer and writer.

These experiences have been rewarding. “I appreciate the opportunities to advocate for the arts and work with fabulous teachers in the 28 school districts,” said Blatt.

Challenges also come with the territory. “Education is not easy right now,” she said. “Often fine arts are basically dismissed. It’s an uphill battle that one has to continually fight and advocate for your program.”

Blatt feels grateful for her recent recognition. “The Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award was really quite humbling and it really meant a lot, especially because I just retired,” she said. “It’s nice to be acknowledged for what you worked so hard at for so many years, and it’s also wonderful that the arts are advocated for.”

In her acceptance speech, Blatt shared that teachers can’t do it alone. “They need support from parents and administration in order to have successful programs and successful kids,” she said. “Hopefully advocacy will continue for the arts.”

It seems like her passion and dedication paved the way for that to happen. “It’s been a wonderful career and I’ve had wonderful support from administrators and teachers,” said Blatt. “It’s just been great and it’s been appreciated so much.”

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Photo: Laurie Tennent

FOOD SAFETY OAKLAND COUNTY

HEALTH INSPECTIONS

BY MARK H. STOWERS

When the late Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson would eat out at Oakland County restaurants and other food institutions inspected by the Oakland County Health Department, he had no qualms according to former Oakland Health Director Kathy Forzley.

“Brooks told me if the food establishment was open, he figured we were doing our job and the place was safe to eat at,” Forzley recalled.

And when Brooks dined and met restaurant owners who had been inspected, he had his health department staff’s back.

“He told me one time that he went somewhere and the owner, a friend of his, said, ‘You need to see this report one of your sanitarians left me.’ And Brooks told him, ‘No, I think you should read the report, what was written is likely something you should be familiar with.’”

With three degrees from Oakland University – BA in biology, a BS in environmental health and a masters in public administration, Forzley was appointed by Patterson as the director of the Oakland County Department of Health and Human Services in 2017. She provided oversight of the health division, Children’s Village and homeland security divisions, as well as strategic direction and management expertise to these departments, ensuring an outcomedriven approach, increased collaboration, and a dedication to improving health and quality of life for anyone who lives, works and plays in Oakland County. Under her oversight, Forzley created and sustained numerous award-winning community initiatives such as Healthy Pontiac, We Can!, Homeless Healthcare Collaboration, and a county-wide health improvement initiative known as Energizing Connections for Healthier Oakland (ECHO). Forzley also assumed a lead role advocating for health initiatives on a regional and statewide level through participation on the Michigan Public Health Advisory Commission, Michigan Local Public Health Accreditation Commission, Southeastern Michigan Health Association, Michigan Association of Local Public Health, Oakland County Human Trafficking Task Force, and has recently been selected to serve on the Michigan Governor’s Public Health Advisory Council. She oversaw the inspection of Oakland County eating establishments and worked with the department for 28 years serving as Sanitarian, Senior Sanitarian, Supervising Sanitarian, Administrator of Environmental Health, Health Officer and Director of Oakland County Health and Human Services.

they have a certified manager, what violations they may have trouble with and then we’ll go to the facility. It’s not scheduled. Routine inspections do happen every six months,” she said. “The facility kind of has an idea about the general time that will be out there but they don’t know the exact date and time.”

laudia Terrell is the current Chief of Public Health for Oakland County. She has been with the department for the past 12years in the food program. With nearly 1.3 million residents, Oakland County is home to 4,700 restaurants, food trucks and institutions that serve food. Each one is under the inspection process overseen by the Oakland County Health Department. The health department and the entire state of Michigan are under the 2012 State of Michigan Modified Food Code Guidelines.

With her undergrad degree in microbiology and a master’s in epidemiology both from the University of Michigan, Terrell has 32 employees that license and inspect. Her department has a food program budget for fiscal year 2025 set at $7.353 million. Of that $1.595 million will come from fees and $2.18 will million come from cost sharing from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

“We inspect food service establishments, which includes food items that you’re going to eat right away. Anything that’s retail, like a grocery store, that you would take home and cook it yourself is licensed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD),” Terrell said.

For a restaurant to first become a reality in Oakland County, they visit Terrell’s’ office.

“We start with our plan review process,” she said. “They have to submit their plans. It doesn’t have to be an architectural layout. It can be hand-drawn, whatever they have access to. Their layout of how they’re going to build the restaurant, their standard operating procedures, how they plan on cooking and cooling items. They’ll go through that. They’ll also have to get all of their city approvals and we’ll make sure they have that before we sign off on their license.”

The inspection process also begins in her office.

“We’ll do a file review. I’m looking at their past history, seeing if

ach inspection begins with the staff introducing themselves, showing their credentials and finding who’s in charge.

“We’ll usually ask them if there’s been any changes since we were last there at the facility and what’s going on for the day. Then we’ll conduct a walkthrough where we observe the food safety processes that are happening at the facility. We’ll interact with the actual staff on site, ask them questions about food safety. Make sure that they’re knowledgeable. And after we’ve done the walkthrough, we’ll identify any violations or items that need to be corrected and items that can be corrected. At the time, we try to get those corrected on-site before we leave. And then we will type up a report, and we’ll go over that with the person in charge noting violations we observed, how they’re supposed to be corrected, method of correction, how they were corrected, when they need to be corrected, if they haven’t been corrected. And then we will leave a printed copy with the person in charge at the establishment.”

If any violations are found, they fall into the following categoriespriority, priority foundation and core. Terrell offered more detail of the violations.

“Priority in the food code are high-level hazards that are associated with foodborne illness. They’re more so quantifiable measures. Where you can take action to eliminate a hazard. And so those are the items that we for sure want to get corrected while we’re there on site,” she said. “And then priority foundation are items that could lead to issues and make a priority violation.”

A priority violation such as not having soap at the hand sink leads to a priority foundation violation because it leads to not handwashing. Other priority violations include not having a metal stem thermometer or not having sanitizer test strips.

Core violations have to do with physical facilities, according to Terrell.

“Your chipped tiles, your cleaning under your equipment, kind of related usually to your general good operating practices,” she said. “The priority and the priority foundation, if they’re not able to correct on-site, we give them 10 days to correct. The food law does have an allowance for if they only have a few minor priority foundations. It doesn’t need to be corrected right away. However, in Oakland County, we do have the resources available to follow up on those, so we will give all of those 10 days and follow up on those. The core items, they get 90 days to correct but we won’t reassess those until their next routine inspection six months later.”

The horror stories of restaurant inspections are few and far between.

“We will close restaurants for what’s known as an imminent health hazard. Something that is likely to cause immediate illness or concern. If there’s a sewer backing up. If the rain is coming down through the ceiling and leaking on foods, if it’s obvious that everyone within the restaurant has vomiting and diarrhea, those are the type of things that we will immediately close the restaurant so that they can correct those.”

The inspections are not posted physically at the restaurant as some other states and municipalities do.

“We don’t do scores in Michigan, so there’s not a pass-fail. They would only essentially fail if they had that imminent health hazard closure where they would be closed,” Terrell said. “Our inspection reports are available on our website through Sword Solutions (swordsolutions.com/inspections). That is our public-facing site where our inspections are located. But otherwise, we just work with the owner to close the facility until they’ve remedied whatever needs to be corrected.”

he further explained, “The Michigan Food Law does not require the scoring or posting of letter grades for restaurant inspections.In addition, a single inspection is just a snapshot in time and may not reflect the overall, on-going conditions in the facility.”

And following the late Oakland County leader’s direction, Terrell has no qualms about eating out across Oakland County.

“I’m really proud of the work that we do. If a restaurant’s open, I know that they’re doing the right things. And I will eat out. Usually for me, it’s more ‘do we have a good relationship with that owner?’”

With restaurants continually opening and closing, Terrell and her staff are constantly updating records and conducting inspections. But the biggest challenge is the “moving restaurants.”

“The biggest thing right now is our food trucks,” she said. “A decade ago, we were at a total of 4,400 licenses across the counting, about 300 of those were vending machined. But in 2017, the state took back vending machines but our numbers now are around 4,700 with about 500 of those being mobile food operations or food trucks or tents that you might see.”

Terrell also delved into the types of licenses for food establishments.

“In Michigan, we have two different license types. Our mobiles are associated with a fixed establishment or a fixed kitchen. They give us what’s known as a route list where they plan on going each day. And we can usually connect with them at their fixed location to see what’s going on at their commissary, we call it. The transitory food units, which are really the restaurants on wheels, they have to give us what’s known as a notice of intent. Anytime they plan on operating within our county, they have to let us know. Those trucks can be licensed from any county within the state and operate throughout the entire state. Just anytime they plan on operating in a certain jurisdiction, they have to give us that notice of intent. And then what they do is they actually get to request their inspection. They do get a pre-scheduled inspection, but they do have to be in operation.”

And festivals and events are licensed and inspected.

“The kind of pop-up events where you might just see a stand at Arts, Beats, and Eats. Those could have temporary licenses. And so those licenses are good for 14 days at one location. The mobile and the TFU are a year-long license and allow them to operate anywhere throughout that year. But the temporary is very specific, 14 days at that one location. We used to do a bunch of those, and those are kind of coming down a bit because we’re getting more of the licensed trucks operating at those special events and festivals. But we still do. We did over 1,100 temporary inspections last year.”

The pandemic was tough for the department and all of those working in health departments across the state. Restaurants were changing service to full carry-out and eventually offering more outdoor seating and spacing out indoor seating. Many restaurants changed hands as well.

“We did have to pause our inspections for about a year because all of our staff were reassigned to help with the COVID testing sites and the COVID immunization sites. But we did do phone calls and then we still followed up on any complaints. We were still out in the community. We had a handful of inspectors who would still follow up on complaints and

calling our facilities to make sure they understood the regulations and what was going on. But we did have to pause those for a little bit,” Terrell said.

Covid changed the restaurant landscape physically.

“What we saw was a lot of the facilities changed how they operated. They expanded to have more outdoor seating or they changed their concepts. Sometimes when restaurants do that, they need to go through what’s known as plan review, with the health division so we can make sure that any of the changes are done up to code. And so that was one of the things that was really challenging, was seeing what was different and saying, ‘Oh, you’re supposed to get approval from us to do that.’”

Across the United States, each one has their own model for restaurant inspections. There are federal guidelines.

“It’s actually interesting as the FDA puts out their food code but it’s just model guidance. It’s not required to be adopted by the individual states. It’s encouraged,” Teerrell said. “In Michigan, we have adopted the 2009 Michigan Food Law (that was codified in 2012). But just across the border in Ohio, they have their own food code. They don’t adopt the FDA’s food code. they have their own violation system, their own code numbers, so sometimes it can be difficult to compare a policy or a regulation across the states.”

Even as health departments across the state work to inspect restaurants and other eating establishments through their districts, the city of Detroit – Michigan’s largest with a population of more than 676,000 – has its own health department and started its own inspection program this past summer. With more than 1,900 restaurants, including full-service, fast-food chains, coffee shops, bars and more, this past June the Detroit City Council passed the ‘Dining with Confidence’ Ordinance to increase visibility and transparency regarding food safety inspections. With visible signs – a green “In Compliance” and a red “Enforcement” card displayed in restaurant windows for customers to see, the goal is to incentivize restaurants to achieve a lasting improvement in food safety.

he green “In Compliance” card equals no serious violations (Priority and priority foundation) or that they have been correctedand thatthe establishment is not in enforcement, does not require a follow-up inspection and has a valid food service license. The card also has a QR code that links to more information about the inspection.

The red card or “Enforcement” card is issued if a restaurant has to be ordered to close due to severe health hazard, due to not having a valid food service license or as a final step in progressive enforcement of violations. It also includes a QR code.

A white placard is a temporary status and means that the business needs corrections, and also provides visitors with details about how to look further into the results of the restaurant’s inspection results.

Denise Fair Razo, the city’s chief public health officer and Detroit City Council Member Scott Benson initiated the process by asking for further transparency in restaurant inspections.

Restaurant inspections are key in keeping the dining public safe and the placards are a step to physically show that to them. In Manhattan, New York, a city of nearly 1.7 million residents, has more than 17,219 eating establishments – nearly 45 percent of the total in New York City. The procedure in Manhattan includes being inspected at least once a year by the health department and inspectors can visit at any time when the restaurant is open to the public and they look for compliance in areas such as food handling, temperature, personal hygiene and pest control. Points are marked for violations and a letter grade is given based on the score. A for 0-13 points, B for 14-27 points and C for 28 points or more and

after the grade is given the restaurant must post a placard showing their letter grade in their front window.

In Illinois, restaurants are inspected by local health departments to ensure they comply with food safety regulations and scored on a 100-point scale. The inspector will assign a risk level to the restaurant based on the types of food and how they are prepared and served. The risk level determines how often the restaurant will be inspected. The frequency of inspections is based on the risk level assigned to the establishment. Risk 1 establishments are inspected twice per year, Risk 2 establishments once per year and Risk 3 establishments every other year. Once inspected and scored, the restaurants are given a color-coded placard. A green placard indicates the restaurant is in compliance with Illinois Food Code rules and regulations. A yellow placard means the restaurant is non-compliant and needs to improve its food safety practices. A red placard marks the restaurant as out of compliance and poses an immediate threat to public health. Each placard is posted in a visible location, such as on the outside door or window and be easily readable.

In addition to the placards, Illinois restaurants must also make the most recent inspection report available to customers upon request by providing a hard copy, QR code or web link. They must also post compliance posters, such as the Illinois Consumer Advisory/Allergen Poster, Pregnancy/Alcohol Poster, and Illinois Hand Washing Poster. And make sure that all employees follow Illinois Food Code rules and regulations.

master of public administration, and REHS (Registered Environmental Health Sanitarian,) is director of Macomb County’s Environmental Health Services and has been on the job since 2015 and director since 2021. His department oversees the 2,600 restaurants and eating establishments. A decade ago, there were 2,400.

“That includes everything with a food license that we would be required to inspect and regulate. It could be a lot of food trucks involved in that, school kitchens, church kitchens, VFW halls,” Barnes said.

cross Michigan, Terrell from Oakland County is part of the Michigan Association of Local Environmental HealthAdministrators thatmeet monthly and talk about issues in environmental health throughout the state.

“We are hoping to get a new food code adopted into the Michigan Food Law here soon that will have some updates and some new regulations,” Terrell said. There was a big push before COVID to get a newer code, and then COVID kind of stopped that. So, we’re working on getting that back into place. It hasn’t been updated since 2012 when we adopted the 2009 version.”

Washtenaw County has more than 1,285 eating establishments for the Washtenaw Health Department to oversee. Kristen Schweighoefer serves as the Washtenaw County Environmental Health Director and has been with the agency for 24 years.

“There’s eight sanitarians that do the day-to-day inspections and then we have two more that are involved in standardized training for those staff, as well as plan review for new or remodeled restaurants,” she said. “We’ve seen a steady increase of restaurants.”

And with the University of Michigan in the middle of her health department territory, there is a unique agreement in place.

“We have an agreement with the University of Michigan that’s been in place for probably 40 years or so, most recently updated in 2019. Our agency delegates the authority to their staff to perform inspections. They have an Occupational Safety and Environmental Health Division at U of M that oversees the inspections of things like the dorms or the different food kiosks that the students can access such as the stadium. They know how to navigate those systems better than you and I would because they’re internal to some of those systems. They would do the same sort of unannounced inspection. I think they actually go above and beyond. For things like the stadium, they actually go out and do inspections every week that the stadium is in operation.”

Tom Barnes, Oakland University educated with both a bachelor’s degree in environmental health with a specialization in publichealth and

arnes noted that health department inspections for restaurants include, “looking at everything in the facility from the menu, the dining room, asking questions of the staff, of the person in charge. We’re looking at physical facility things, everything from light fixtures down to the cleanness of the floors, but then also obviously we’re looking at how people are preparing and serving food, how their cook line looks. Are they following all the standards there? Are their food temperatures being held at the right temperatures? Are they cooking things to the right temperature? Is their equipment cooling things or holding cold or holding hot? Do they have the right procedures in place? If they have any specialized processes? Are they monitoring time? Are they monitoring temperature? Do they have proper labeling, proper date marking? If we see them doing any type of cooling, are they knowledgeable on proper cooling techniques? In some cases, we can ask them for logs. If they have paperwork to back up their cooling process, do they have temperature logs? Do they get their shellfish from an approved supplier? It’s a very indepth process, and it can range anywhere. For a simple bar that doesn’t do much of any food prep, it could take maybe an hour, but it could take, if you look at a large banquet hall or a golf club that has multiple kitchens and licenses, that could be an all-day or a multi-day inspection. It’s an indepth process.”

He also explained the process is more than just inspecting but finding ways to continually work together across the board.

“As much as it is us being in that regulatory position, we are trying to build a relationship with them. We’re educating staff. In the food industry, staff come and go just like anywhere else. So, we’re also providing education. We’re not trying to be too punitive or penalize people. We’re trying to get compliance. Part of that is building good relationships and working with them. It’s definitely a process.”

Part of the process is also making sure he has enough well-trained employees to get the inspections done.

“It’s a process to get more staff. But we actually did get one additional food staff this year which is great. For the food program, I have 21 staff –two managers over the program and then we have 16 staff that do the actual food inspections and then three staff that do plan review for new restaurants or modifications to existing restaurants. But they’re all capable, even the plan review staff, can go out and perform restaurant inspections. Everyone is trained the same.”

With confidence he states, “You can eat anywhere. If you’re open for business in Macomb County, then they’re good to eat at. Are they all perfect? No. There’s always problems. With an extensive food code, there’s always going to be violations.”

A helpful source for the restaurant industry is the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA) based in Washtenaw County. Their goal as stated on their website includes, leading “the hospitality industry through advocacy, education and innovation. Whether it’s navigating the complex waters of ever-changing regulations, providing cutting-edge training and certification products, or empowering members to help increase their bottom line with

practical, relevant business solutions, the MRLA is an indispensable, one-stop resource for the hospitality industry. Our diverse network of membership ranges from industry owners, operators, staff and suppliers, to educators and students. The MRLA provides its members with value, vision and voice through its daily work.”

Amanda Smith serves as the MRLA’s Executive Vice President of Education and explained more of how they serve the restaurant industry.

“I make sure that we have ServSafe training available to all of our members and we manage our grant in partnership with the department of ag,” Smith said. “We have a number of resources through MichiganFoodSafety.com. Resources for industry, regulatory agencies and consumers alike on food safety. We help promote food safety.”

Smith also runs the MRLA foundation where they teach food safety to students who are studying careers in related pathways. MRLA offers in-person food safety training and online.

“We find pass rates are a little bit better when people come in person and have a little bit of live instruction with it,” she said. “We teach classes around the state and have eight locations every month, including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and then some regional ones that rotate, Marquette, Traverse City, Flint, Kalamazoo, Holland. We try to do a regional approach as well.”

With their grant resources, the MRLA works to continually educate. An example would be their food allergen poster that shows the now nine allergens – up from eight – from the federal level.

“That’s something Michigan’s food law hasn’t completely caught up to but something that consumers, especially those that have a soy allergy, are going to want to know. That the person has a sesame allergy, they’re going to want to know that the person serving them can handle their sesame allergy.”

The posters were disseminated at the Michigan Environmental Health Association’s annual conference.

“We also hand them out at the Cisco show and the Gordon show. We try to share information, pretty collaborative in our ability to share information amongst, like having the health departments help us get word out to all of the industry, and vice versa. When there’s something happening in a certain area, we have a great communication mechanism to reach industry quickly through our membership base at the association.”

The MRLA is a 6,000-member trade association for the state of Michigan and survives on membership fees and grants.

“We make sure members have what they need. And foodborne illness outbreaks, whether it’s your establishment or not. Whenever you read about those in the paper, or you’re hearing it on the radio and you’re driving, it leads to people question things. Nobody wants a foodborne illness, especially not one in their establishment.”

our employee count, a lot of it’s been training and making sure they have the skills that they need to go forward.”

he MRLA was active during the pandemic “trying to figure out how to serve people safely, making sure everyone understands the differences between disinfecting and sanitizing. They are not interchangeable. But disinfecting, sanitizing, making sure that we’re killing things. We also wrote the guide to reopening the restaurants, bringing all the different federal regulations together to getting restaurants in Michigan back up and operational.”

Since COVID, the MRLA has added the Hospitality Training Institute of Michigan.

“This is a manager training mechanism to help the new members working in industry come up to speed. We had a lot of people leave industry during COVID. And so now that we’ve started to recover in

orm Hess is the Executive Director of MALPH – the Michigan Association for Local Public Health. A member since 1985, Hess has been executive director the past four years. The association is a non-profit and supported by dues paying members which are the public health departments across Michigan. He explains that inspections have morphed from simple to a more complex method taking in more and more safety factors.

“Restaurant inspections many, many years ago were, ‘do you have the right equipment? Do you have the right building?’ And now it’s moved to a more risk-based approach. ‘Is food being kept at the right temperature to prevent and help break the foodborne illness? Do you have raw chicken drippings falling into clean dishes?’ Those kinds of things,” Hess explained.

The association members are the 44 health departments covering all Michigan counties and the one city health department in Detroit.

“We have 30 health departments that cover a single county. And we have 14 that cover between two and 10 counties. As you might imagine, some of the larger geographic areas are more northern in Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Most of our health departments report to a county commission in one way or another, either through the administrator or directly to the commission. If there are more than one county, they have commissioners from each of the affected counties that serve on what’s called the board of health which is the actual governing body and then those individuals report back their individual commissions,” Hess said.

MALPH continually works to increase communication between the health departments.

“We elevate issues that are common to all health departments or most, and then we do lobbying advocacy with the state legislature, and we do a lot of training as well. But we are not affiliated in any way with any state agency,” he said.

He noted that as the restaurant inspection process has increased its effectiveness over the years, there are fewer major outbreaks but “I don’t think that people realize that folks still die in this country from foodborne illness. It’s not always just a matter of getting some gastrointestinal symptoms. It is still something that is very important. And I think that because we don’t have, by and large, very many foodborne illness outbreaks, people don’t really think about it. But it’s because health departments are out there inspecting and consulting and educating people who prepare food on how to keep it safe that it’s just one of those sorts of invisible things to people until something happens. But I think the bigger news is that we haven’t had very many because people are on the job and they’re doing their job.”

He also noted that restaurant inspections are to keep the eating public safe, not punish restaurants

“It’s a collaborative type of a thing. Health departments are not here to ruin your business. We’re here to help you in ways you might not have thought about. Maybe you didn’t think about storing this underneath that and that’s a risk. I would say that by and large, it’s pretty collaborative. This is the standard. How in your restaurant does it make sense to meet this standard? You need to put the knife on the left and you need to hang the ladle here it’s really thought through scenarios to see which one makes sense in the space that they have to operate,” Hess said.

If a restaurant is open in Michigan, it’s been inspected with the same process from the UP down to Detroit.

(Contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) for food safety complaints about grocery stores, convenience stores, and other non-restaurant food establishments. You can call MDARD at (800) 292-3939 or email them at MDA-Complaints@michigan.gov.)

FACES

Jeff Sloan

Birmingham entrepreneur and innovator Jeff Sloan was born in Ann Arbor while his father was attending medical school at the University of Michigan. The family moved when his father joined a medical practice in Flint – the relocation would turn out to be consequential to Sloan’s future success.

“Flint was one of America’s great towns and I was able to experience the best of it while growing up – but then things started changing. I was keenly aware of the unrest between labor and corporate entities, and I decided early on that I didn’t want to be a part of either...I wanted to be the master of my own destiny, steer my own ship, and do things my own way. I knew then that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and business owner,” Sloan explained.

As a teenager sitting in Flint Public Library, Sloan mapped out his vision of a business that creates businesses. “I wasn’t influenced by anyone I knew, I just imagined it,” he said.

Sloan attended The Lawrenceville School, a prep school in New Jersey, then graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor of arts degree.

Putting his vision into practice started early for Sloan. His first venture as a teen was buying and selling HUD houses in Flint with the help of his parents, who signed documents and provided loans. He recalled, “My first house sold for five times the amount I paid after six months.”

The lifelong entrepreneur has been involved in a remarkable range of business pursuits over the years.

While in college, he formed a company that assembled and promoted rock bands – he had four bands on his payroll and earned profits from their bookings. Later, he and his brother, Rich, patented, licensed, and received notable royalties for Battery Buddy, a device that prevents dead batteries in autos and boats.

In his early 20s, Sloan developed a passion for Arabian horses after watching the movie, “The Black Stallion,” based on the 1940s classic children’s novel. He now operates a significant international Arabian horse operation in Scottsdale, Arizona. “The movie was a watershed moment for me...I got into this business not to make money but because of my love for these extremely beautiful and intelligent horses.”

Sloan has founded many other business ventures, including StartupNation and Aria Venture Group as well as his latest, SportsCaster.com – an innovative platform that empowers sports enthusiasts to create and share podcasts, video content and live play-by-play broadcasts. StartupNation was created to help other entrepreneurs bring their inventive business ideas to life while Aria Ventures develops, funds, and strategically guides early-stage companies. He also hosts Business Beat on WJR 760 AM.

“In most industries, it’s easy for non-celebrities to become influencers but in the sports world it’s hard to break in. Sportscaster.com is about breaking down barriers and giving people opportunities to produce content.”

The busy enterpriser has been married for 15 years to his wife, Dr. Andrea Sloan, and has four children who he encourages to follow their own entrepreneurial interests. He enjoys classical guitar, sailing, boating and the outdoors. He is also writing a book due to be released next year.

“I married later in life and have four kids which shifted my entire focus. When I was younger it was all about ambition and achieving success. Now, I don’t just do it for me, I do it for them.”

Sloan offered this counsel to aspiring entrepreneurs: “To avoid failure really do your research and give the planning phase real attention. Be disciplined. Vet your idea carefully before investing. Address a problem in the market...In the beginning, focus and do one thing really well – then deliver on it. Look for creative ways to fund it.”

He added, “Success is defined by getting through inherent challenges. Be tenacious, creative and believe in yourself and that what you are doing has merit.”

Story: Tracy Donohue

Photo: Laurie Tennent

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Baldwin House SLUP, PILOT approved

By Grace Lovins

Discussions on a special land use permit (SLUP) amendment and PILOT (Payment-in-lieu-of-Taxes) program for Birmingham’s affordable living Baldwin House, located at 200 S Chester Street, came to a close during the Monday, November 18, city commission meeting with both agreements unanimously approved by commissioners.

Talks about amending Baldwin House’s SLUP and the PILOT program have been ongoing since August with the first public hearing on the SLUP amendment. After the initial hearing, the topic has been the subject of a workshop and presented at multiple meetings.

Going over changes to the agreement’s since the commission’s last discussion, city planner Brooks Cowan explained that there are now 14 units at a 30 percent of the surrounding area median income (AMI), 39 units at a 50 percent AMI, and 25 units at 60 percent AMI. There are 53 units considered by-right, meaning they will be market rate and could have an uncapped rent charge. With the changes, the number of affordable units has increased from 53 units to 78 units, which Cowan said is now reflected in the drafted parking agreement and PILOT agreement.

During the last meeting, Cowan also explained that Baldwin House was in the process of trying to pursue a loan with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. He said that MSDHA and Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Company, want the SLUP agreement to be approved before finalizing the loan.

Cowan also explained that the drafted parking agreement reflects the commission’s comment about waiving half of the parking space requirement for each affordable unit provided. A resident living in one of the affordable units would go straight to the city for a free parking pass.

Mayor McLain resigns, new mayor picked

so nice job all around,” said mayor Therese Longe.

Since there will be 78 affordable units, the city agreed to payment in lieu of parking for 39 spaces. Baldwin House will still need to lease 16 parking spaces from the Chester Street Parking Garage, which Cowan said was approximately $31,000.

Adding on to Cowan’s explanation, city attorney Mary Kucharek informed the commission of an agreement made between the city and owners of Baldwin House to ensure that their

By Grace Lovins

Afamiliar face returned to the seat of Birmingham mayor during the Monday, November 18, city commission meeting as commissioners selected former mayor Therese Longe to take on the position once again and commissioner Clinton Baller to serve as mayor pro tem.

Current mayor pro tem Katie Schafer declined possible appointment as mayor due to time constraints involving her medical practice and family.

Longe previously held the title of mayor beginning in November 2021. She was reselected by the commission to serve another term in November 2022 before passing the torch to McLain at the end of her term in 2023. This will be Baller’s first time holding the title of mayor pro tem.

After thanking the commission for their support, Longe remarked that she hopes the commission will continue its momentum of this past year and work collaboratively to move forward on important issues.

Following Monday night’s meeting, Birmingham Communications Director Marianne Gamboa issued a press release announcing commissioner and previous mayor Elaine McLain’s resignation from the board. McLain has been absent from city commission meetings since August but no reason has been given for the extended absences.

“On Monday, November 18, 2024, McLain resigned from her position on the City Commission following a leave of absence for undisclosed personal reasons,” Gamboa wrote. The city will be accepting applications to fill the vacancy in December.

Commissioners recognized McLain’s legacy in public service, having been involved in the city’s government for nearly two decades. She began as a board member and chairperson on the Birmingham Area Cable Board, serving 15 years, before being elected as a city commissioner in November 2021.

McLain served as mayor pro tem under Longe from November 2022 to November 2023 and was then selected to serve as mayor. Outside of the commission, she served as a board member for Next senior services and volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels.

“Mayor McLain’s service on the commission was distinguished by her commitment to professionalism, civility and inclusion,” Longe said. “She championed transparent processes, communication and teamwork. At each meeting, she worked to make sure that everyone was heard and respected.”

management team will carry out everything in the SLUP and PILOT.

“We have it baked in the SLUP that there will be an annual review of this agreement and how things are working out at Baldwin House, not differently than we do SLUPs with liquor licenses,” Kucharek said.

A number of other clauses were included in the agreement to help the residents of Baldwin House. One ensures that some residents currently receiving free parking without living in affordable units will keep that parking. Another adds that outdoor seating will be maintained at Baldwin House within 60 days of the SLUP execution and that affordable units will not have an increase in rent over five percent per year. Further, a church advisory board is now being replaced by an advisory board comprising community

Commissioners voted 6-0 to permit special purpose housing and independent senior living, approve the parking agreement between Baldwin House and the city and to approve the PILOT agreement.

The Baldwin House has been at the center of controversy since it was first proposed in the 1970s. As an affordable housing unit, it was made possible through government financing. When it was first proposed, a faction in the city opposed the concept out of concern that it would draw non-white residents to Birmingham and opponents organized a recall of then-mayor Dorothy Conrad who helped develop the idea of subsidized housing. The city was eventually sued in federal court under the Fair Housing Act and was ordered by the court to establish the affordable housing development.

Bloomfield Village public safety tax set

By Dana Casadei

Bloomfield Township trustees approved millage rates for Bloomfield Village’s police and volunteer fire services at their meeting on Monday, November 11.

The millage rates for the fiscal year of April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, would be 1.087 mills for police, totaling a revenue of $527,000; and .322 mills for fire is expected to produce a revenue of $156,000.

members and residents of the Baldwin House.

Owners of the Baldwin House, sons of Gregory Schwartz who owns the investment advisory firm of Gregory J. Schwartz & Company in Bloomfield Township, have also agreed to restore some amenities for residents such as a meal plan, in-house activities and a van with a wheelchair lift, a complaint registered in city commission meetings during this past summer.

Following the presentation of the drafted agreements, the commission commended those who were involved in developing the agreements over the course of months and said they were pleased with the outcome that was before them.

“I think that it is commendable where we are from where we started,

For the fiscal year of April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, the millage rates for Bloomfield Village were slightly higher, coming in at 1.195 mills for police and .360 mills for volunteer fire services.

Michael Schostak, township treasurer, noted how unique of an area Bloomfield Village is given they choose to self-assess to provide for some extra police protection and volunteer fire services. Their board sends a letter to Bloomfield Township stating the millage rate that they’re asking to collect.

This practice has been going on for quite some time, and goes on Bloomfield Township winter taxes, which are currently being calculated.

An association of approximately 1,000 homes, Bloomfield Village is completely contained within Bloomfield Township. It covers an area of approximately one square mile from Quarton Road on the north to Maple Road on the south and from Lahser Road on the west to the city of

Senior center renovations approved

By Dana Casadei

Multiple renovation and replacement projects for the Bloomfield Township Senior Center were unanimously approved by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees at their meeting on Monday, October28.

First up was the resurfacing of the pool at the senior center, something that hasn’t been done in over 15 years, according to Christine Tvaroha, director of Senior Services.

“It’s a great pool. I’m glad to see it getting resurfaced,” said trustee Valerie Murray.

Although there have been two prior patching projects, a full replacement is now needed after a regular inspection noted chipping, cracking, and areas of delimitation. Repairs are essential for the senior center to not only be able to continue providing the 25 aquatic classes each week that they do, but to do so safely with no serious problems.

This project will also help the senior center maintain its public swimming pool license.

The board voted 7-0 to go with Tvaroha’s recommendation of awarding the resurfacing project to Advanced Pool Services for $40,250, which was the lowest of the five bids they received.

Tvaroha also noted that Advanced Pool Services has worked on large projects with Huron/Clinton Metro Parks and Oakland County, leading to full confidence that they’ll do an excellent job with the pool resurface. They do have availability in December too, which is the time period the senior center was hoping to complete this project during because their attendance tends to slow down during the holidays.

The pool resurfacing is the first project for the senior center that will be funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funding awarded to the township. The funds from ARPA for this project have already been approved.

The ARPA fund will also be used for the second project that Tvaroha brought before the board at the meeting: obtaining new fitness equipment for the senior center, and out of the 20 machines they currently have, replacing nine pieces of gym equipment that are 24 years old.

One hundred and fifty thousand dollars will be used from the ARPA fund for this replacement.

The gym equipment they are planning to buy is HUR pneumatic strength training equipment, and is designed to target less impact on joints and comes with straightforward use for people of all abilities.

The senior center plans to purchase a variety of strength training machines, such as leg extension/curl rehab analog and chest press rehab analog. Within the proposal is also the purchase of a pulldown grip-wide pulldown bar.

Because the senior center is a current HUR member, they will be providing free installation, which will save them nearly $1,800; a 10 percent discount on all machines; and the $500 haul away fee for the current machines being used has been waived.

“I’ll be sure to invite you all to the ribbon cuttings when the machines come,” Tvaroha said.

The third renovation for the senior center – which also passed unanimously – will be the largest project that was proposed, a complete replacement of the senior center parking lot, with the work to start in the spring of 2025.

Proposed as a two-month-long project, the parking lot is in a desperate need of a replacement, something that was emphasized while Noah Mehalski, director of public works, spoke to the board. Mehalski’s team thus far has worked diligently with the senior center to figure out the best time to make this project happen.

Mehalski mentioned that they’ve received calls from those who work at the senior center about parking lot concerns, and said that they can no longer just patch the parking lot considering there’s not only groundwater release and pavement failing in multiple stops that causes two to three inches of pavement being lost, but the parking lot is no longer up to date with the new stormwater standards.

The bid was awarded to T&M Asphalt Paving for the replacement of the parking lot, which was built in 2009. T&M Asphalt Paving was one of six bidders on the project and have worked with many communities that neighbor Bloomfield Township prior to this.

While the project is only projected to cost $939,980 the amount being allocated from ARPA funding is $1 million. This adjustment to the higher allocation was made due to the construction engineering oversight for the project that will be $104,700.

Birmingham on the east. Judson Bradway established Bloomfield Village in 1924 as a nonpolitical entity within Bloomfield Township, and follows all of the ordinances of Bloomfield Township and pays taxes to the township, in addition to maintaining its own police force and volunteer fire department.

The board of trustees voted unanimously to authorize Schostak to collect and levy the special assessments on the winter taxes.

Township's 2025-2029 strategic plan passed

By Dana Casadei

After months of work for all involved – from consulting firm BerryDunn to Bloomfield Township staff and residents – a motion was passed 7-0 to approve the 2025-2029 strategic plan presented to the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, October 28.

“I’m proud of this plan and I’m proud to put my name on it. I think what we have here is an actionable plan that we can have ready to go so whoever is sitting in our seats in three weeks will have a roadmap to go,” said treasurer Michael Schostak.

This strategic plan comes with an established mission statement, value statement, values and five different strategic priorities laid out. The five strategic priorities the leadership board came up with were vibrant quality of life, welcoming community, preserve community character, reliable infrastructure and best-in-class government, which were adjusted slightly after the board’s earlier October meeting. Changes were made to two of the priorities, with their final version being vibrant lifestyle and enhance community character.

Each strategic priority also has multiple objectives, outcomes and performance measures to keep the board of trustees and township staff accountable for the work being done. The objectives were determined by Bloomfield Township department heads and two deputies who represented the board of trustees on the leadership board.

“We guided the process but there were 3,000 community members who had a role in this plan… the township and the community should be proud of that,” said Michelle Kennedy, Berry Dunn manager who presented the plan.

Data was collected through an environmental scan, community forums, social media, and a Strategic Plan ETC Community Survey.

The environmental scan allowed for BerryDunn to identify potential

opportunities and allowed everyone to get involved in the strategic plan, from residents to trustees. It also utilized data from sources such as AARP and the census bureau to figure out the township’s livability index, which is currently at 44. BerryDunn said part of the reason their score is so low was because of all the large lots in Bloomfield Township. The township did quite well in some areas, including clean air and water, which scored a 66.

Then there was the data provided directly by community members, who had a lot to say about Bloomfield Township, especially on the social pinpoint site.

That site alone had over 2,000 visits, over 1,400 unique users, 92 hard comments and 572 survey responses. Residents were able to comment on different aspects of the township, with quality of life, environment and public safety some of the most frequently cited.

Within those surveys, BerryDunn found that many had confidence that the township would be a better place to live in the next five years, and for those who questioned a low star rating, their comments about why they did so centered on Bloomfield Township’s lack of parks, a need for more familyfriendly activities, high taxes and utility rates, and worry that they won’t be able to keep the high standard of living or keep its crime rate low.

As far as what should be prioritized in the next five-year strategic plan, maintaining public safety was number one, something that residents consider that the government already does well. When it came to things that could be improved, there was a focus around the quality of infrastructure and facilities, maintaining bike areas and a need for more recreation programs and facilities, the latter of which was also a big concern.

Despite some of the challenges and weaknesses addressed by residents, only 18 percent thought that Bloomfield Township wasn’t welcoming to diverse identifies, backgrounds and experiences.

During the three community forums BerryDunn held with residents in the township, over 100 people showed up, a much higher number than anyone was anticipating. The community came out to let their thoughts be known online too, through the Strategic Plan ETC Community Survey and social media.

Kennedy said that this type of engagement from a community of Bloomfield Township’s size was incredibly impressive, and far exceeded populations of municipalities that are far larger than those that BerryDunn has worked with before.

While the trustees all did agree that the strategic plan in front of them was excellent, a few did have some follow up comments, including clerk Martin Brook, who wondered if they should give the community one more chance to look at this strategic plan before finalizing it.

Kennedy noted that while they could do that it was a rather uncommon practice for their clients who completed the Strategic Plan ETC Community Survey. She didn’t believe they would get much out of it as far as input was concerned, and after some discussion, the board agreed with Kennedy about not moving forward with that part of the plan.

Instead, the board agreed to host town hall meetings and/or study sessions moving forward where those in the community can come discuss the strategic plan.

“It’s a wonderful thing when your community knows what you’re going to do and they’re eager to tell you how the progress is going,” Kennedy said.

Something else that was brought up was the design of the strategic plan, which will go live on the Bloomfield Township website.

Trustee Valerie Murray was the first to speak up about the design, noting

that while she got what they were going for, many of the pictures didn’t feel as crisp as they could be because of the effect used on them and in some cases, the size. Once pointed out, other trustees agreed with Murray, especially trustee Stephanie Fakih, who thought the color is too faded and some photos are too pixelated.

Kennedy said that even though the photos they had used were from the township, she would look into having their team’s designer update with those changes.

Adjusting these photos was also a part of the motion the board passed to approve this plan.

BerryDunn will now work on an implementation plan for the township’s strategic plan.

Residential generator ordinance considered

By Grace Lovins

Following some close calls with carbon monoxide (CO) entering homes, Birmingham’s Planning Board took up discussions on a new generator ordinance for residential areas during the Wednesday, November 13, meeting in conjunction with the city’s fire

department and building department.

The press for regulations around whole-house generators came from the Birmingham fire department and building department, said planning director Nick Dupuis, as a result of several incidents of CO detection in homes.

Birmingham fire marshal Jeff Scaife wrote in a memorandum included in the meeting packet that the fire department has responded to more than a dozen CO incidents involving whole-house generators over the last three years. Back in June, the department responded to three emergency calls in which the homes had deadly levels of CO from these generators following a strong storm.

Scaife told the board that the goal of the ordinance is to get residents to move their generators to the rear yards of their home, away from any areas where CO can seep in to a home. Per Scaife, a lot of residents with generators place them in the side yards which can cause CO to make its way through openings in the home, including soffit vents and laundry ducts.

The language proposed would require generators to be placed a minimum of five feet away from a

residential structure. On top of the health and safety issues, requiring generators to be placed five feet from a residential dwelling would have the added benefit of reducing noise for neighbors.

While all the board members were supportive of the concept, board member Janelle Whipple-Boyce had concerns over the proposed setback of the generator.

The manufacturer’s recommendation, according to Boyce, is 18 inches from a residential structure, and five feet away from any windows or doors. She explained that, with the way some residences are laid out and given the size of lots in certain districts, requiring five feet from a structure could create difficulty for some residential zones, specifically the R3 zone.

Other board members explained that the difference between the manufacturer’s recommendation of 18 inches versus Scaife’s suggested five feet isn’t concerning, saying that they trust Scaife’s expertise on the matter.

Board members did not take any formal action and suggested the item be brought back in December for further review after their suggestions were incorporated.

Senior/recreation project moves ahead

By Grace Lovins

Progress on Birmingham’s new senior/recreaton center inched forward at Monday, October 28, after the city commission voted to release a RFP (request for proposals) for a new building design at 400 E. Lincoln, and directed staff to negotiate lease agreements with both the YMCA and Next senior services.

In the works for the last year and a half, city staff and commissioners have been slowly making progress toward establishing Next’s new home that will incorporate programming from the Birmingham YMCA. Monday night’s discussion included a review of the RFP draft language, a further look at the space analysis and funding options, and a public hearing for the rezoning of the property to PP (public property).

Commissioners previously saw the draft RFP during the Monday, October 7, commission meeting during which they provided feedback they wished to see added into the RFP before releasing it for bids. These updates were explained to the commission during a workshop session before the start of Monday’s regular meeting.

Brian Deming, vice president of Kramer Management Group, who is serving as the city’s owner’s representative, said the new draft of the RFP was updated to reflect the commission’s suggestions. The RFP includes parameters for a new building at a maximum cost of $32 million, with a $24 million construction cost, that ranges from 44,500 square feet to 53,000 square feet, including a pool, and has space for Next, the YMCA and the city of Birmingham.

The discussion bounced around, starting off with commissioner Brad Host having concerns over having a special election in May 2025 for a bond related to the development. Much of the discussion, though, focused on the details of the building itself when it comes to space designated to Next and the YMCA.

Bistro license for Marrow Birmingham

By Grace Lovins

Abistro application for Marrow, proposed during the Monday, November 18, Birmingham City Commission meeting, got the green light from commissioners to move forward, opening the door for the owner to pursue a liquor license.

Soon to be open at 283 Hamilton Row, Marrow Birmingham will be a butcher shop and full-service deli-style restaurant, incorporating a variation of the existing Marrow restaurant in Detroit’s West Village.

Founder and CEO of Backbone Hospitality Ping Ho said that since opening in 2018, Marrow Detroit has been nominated four times for the James Beard Award. Ho is also the owner of the highly regarded Detroit wine bar, The Royce, and co-owner of Detroit seafood restaurant\ Mink.

While owning several businesses in Detroit, this would be Ho’s first venture into Birmingham. She said the restaurant will focus on breakfast and lunch and will sell wine retail and sundries to go. Obtaining a bistro license with Birmingham will allow the restaurant to pursue a liquor license with the state to serve alcohol inside the restaurant.

With the bistro license also comes the city’s requirement for outdoor dining. Ho noted that the restaurant plans to have a patio, if approved, in the street. The commission’s approval for Marrow to move forward with their bistro application means it will head to the city’s planning board for review, during which the patio and other items will be reviewed and discussed.

Construction of the restaurant is nearly complete, according to Ho who said it is undergoing inspections this week. The target is to open by December before the holidays, she said.

Commissioners expressed their support for the concept and bringing the restaurant to the city. Briefly broadening the discussion, commissioner Andrew Haig and mayor pro tem Clinton Baller both recommended seeing a map of bistros currently in operation now that the bistro scene has ‘matured.’

Baller also recommended city staff communicate the kind of applications the city would like to see and that they would encourage, saying there’s agreement that more family-friendly places that appeal to residents are wanted.

Before diving into Marrow’s application, planning director Nick Dupuis acknowledged that Amalfi Coast representatives were not informed of Monday’s meeting to review their application for a bistro license. Mayor Therese Longe noted that the establishment did not have a permanent location yet, so the city would not move forward with their application anyways.

Commissioners voted 6-0 to move forward with Marrow’s bistro application and took no action on Amalfi Coast’s application due to noncompliance with the city’s current code.

International, Inc. (MAG) presented the company’s compensation and benefits study results about Bloomfield Township.

Overall, the employees who took part in the benefits and compensation survey indicated a moderate level of dissatisfaction with current pay and benefits. Campbell said he does about 50-60 of these types of studies each year so this wasn’t the worst case scenario, but there was still room for improvement.

“One of the things I kept hearing was that Bloomfield Township is a very affluent community,” he said. “But it has lost ground in respect to competitive pay; this is the process to bring you back to the top of the pact.”

MAG evaluated full-time and parttime positions, and elected officials for this study. Positions that were currently vacant were also evaluated.

This project was designed to not only capture current job data from job descriptions for Bloomfield Township employees, but also ensure internal equity through a job analysis and evaluation for each position, establish external equity based on labor market data, provide an affordable implementation plan, and a process for the future evaluation of positions.

The first step in this study was to grade each position on MAG’s criteria, then MAG came up with peer organizations who are similar to the Bloomfield Township in a variety of ways, such as their level of income, organizational structure, and population. A compensation study was sent to those peer organizations, such as Clinton Township, Oakland County, the cities of Troy, Novi, Dearborn Heights, and a private sector company, O Net, to collect information on their pay structures for the jobs they had that exist within Bloomfield Township.

Individual salaries were not collected with this survey.

Cris Braun, director of Next, and Parrish Underwood, president and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, told the commission that they are comfortable with the size of the building being between 40,000 and 45,000 square feet. Underwood also said in regards to the pool that they are looking to maintain the size that is in the building currently, which is a 25-meter, five-lane pool at approximately 4,500 square feet. Throughout the discussion, commissioners emphasized the concern over the financial impact of the

development. Commissioners Clinton Baller and Andrew Haig reiterated that the commission should be given the information on Next’s and the YMCA’s operating costs so they will have an idea of what the cost estimates will be for rental and maintenance of a new facility. Baller and Haig asked Kramer Management to provide the information at the next discussion.

While several commissioners agreed that there is still more discussion to be had about the details of the building and its operation, the RFP needs to advance for the project to stay on course.

“I understand the impulse for some to delay, but we are still looking at … a deadline. It’s 11 months later than it was, thank goodness, but it’s still a deadline, and we still need to dosomething about Next, and there is the opportunity cost from waiting,” said

commissioner Therese Longe. Commissioners ultimately voted 5-1 to adopt a resolution directing city staff to issue the RFP for a final design for a new building and for staff to negotiate leader agreements with Next and the YMCA. Host voted against the motion citing his disapproval of holding a special election for a bond. Mayor Elaine McLain was absent from the meeting, and mayor pro tem Schafer served as interim mayor.

Township pay/benefits study results offered

By Dana Casadei

At the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, November 12, Dr. Russell Campbell, Senior VP of Management Advisory Group

Campbell’s team found overall that there was some improvement in compensation that needed to be made in Bloomfield Township, especially comparing to other communities which have been quite aggressive with employee compensation and benefits. He then went on to list the suggestions for both compensation and benefits for Bloomfield Township employees.

The new pay structure that MAG –who specialize doing this study and studies with state and local government agencies across the country –recommended was based on data from a linear regression analysis. This type of analysis used both the market data from peer organizations and the quantitative point score, and predicts what the competitive pay structures could look like. MAG then made adjustments so they were within the 85 percentile,

which they argue is where communities in this part of the state need to be.

There’s four pay structures that they’ve created: fire, police, elected officials, and unified. The last would consist of anyone not found in those first three categories, making it the largest part of the plan.

Within those four structures MAG gave each job an annual salary, and a grade with a salary range associated with it, which was broken down into three components, a minimum entry level salary, a mid point that is considered a reflection of the market average, and the top in value, which is the maximum. It’s then broken down again into an hourly basis for that position.

Within the pay structure, MAG wanted to make sure jobs with a step structure kept theirs and wanted to create a step structure for those positions that did not. For police and fire the pay plan has seven steps associated with it, with three percent between each step; then for the unified plan, because there’s a greater number of jobs, there’s nine steps, with that same three percent increment between each.

After conducting this analysis MAG came back with the goal of creating a pay structure that represents the 85th percentile of the market peers that they compared Bloomfield Township to. Campbell did clarify that with this 85th percentile they are not saying that every employee should be paid at the 85th percentile for their job, they’re saying that with these pay structures, the value of the jobs would reflect the 85th percentile.

With compensation, when an organization has good benefits and their compensation structure is at at least the 75th percentile they’re considered an employer of choice. Campbell said he thinks with their suggestions Bloomfield Township could earn that title and noted that while the 85 they’re suggesting is higher, that’s due to the pattern they’ve discovered when one community does a compensation study, nearby communities will soon follow.

“This should be an attractive place for anyone looking to get into public service,” Campbell said.

Regarding salary, Campbell’s also suggested giving all staff – fire, police, unified, and elected – a four percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).

Without benefits the total annualized cost of this plan, including that four percent COLA, would be almost $2.3 million.

Additional findings in the study found that employees did not believe Bloomfield Township was competitive with their benefits, something that

Community Development Block Grant set

By Dana Casadei

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program application for 2025 was unanimously approved by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees at their meeting on Monday, November 11.

This yearly application process benefits low- and moderate-income persons and senior citizens in the township through Meals on Wheels and the township’s minor home repairs program.

The estimated planning allocation for both programs in 2025 is $50,000, with plans for $42,500 to go to the minor home repair program, and $7,500 to Meals on Wheels.

With the minor home repairs program, projects that can be completed for those who qualify include repairs to porches, driveways, or electrical.; replacing toilets, gutters, and sidewalks; removing large items or debris from around someone’s home and dangerous tree or limb removal; and correcting single code violations.

Christine Tvaroha, township director of senior services, said that applications require proof of income and residency, something her team is happy to walk people through if assistance is needed. The resident must also be at least 60 and the limit per project is $5,000.

In total, they’ve completed 147 projects through this program; seven projects are on track to be completed in 2024, with six currently in the works. The average homeowner who used the minor home repairs program is 81, has lived in their home for 18 years, and makes an annual income of $41,600.

The Meals on Wheels program offers frozen, hot, and liquid meals, to those who are township residents, at least 62, and have limited ability to leave their homes or have difficulty driving, grocery shopping and/or preparing meals.

Caregivers are also cared for with this program.

Within this past year they were able to deliver 4,921 meals to 78 unduplicated clients, 59 who were new to the program. Meals on Wheels also had 347 on-the-go meals purchased, nearly tripling last year’s amount.

This is a familiar application for the board to approve, something they’ve been doing so since 2009 when the township’s participation in the program began. It was initiated to create the minor home repair service, and in 2014, expanded to support Meals on Wheels as well.

Since its inception, Bloomfield Township Senior Services has invested over $800,000 in Bloomfield Township.

Even though the township has participated in the CDBG program for just over 15 years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires each county to review its cooperation agreement with participating communities every three years. Participation in this allows for access to the highest level of federal funding for those who participate.

As the agenda item closed, Tvaroha also mentioned that they’ve recently started a home chore program for older adults that kicked off in October. It’s used for things like lawn mowing, gutter clearing and snow removal, and is free to residents who are income-eligible.

They’ve already served a dozen people, she said.

The new program was paid for through Oakland County American Rescue Plan Act funds.

MAG’s results found to not be true.

Campbell said the package the township offers is almost the same as the others it was compared to.

There were a few things Bloomfield Township could improve upon though.

The MAG results suggested the township consider adding a parental leave policy and pay for certifications/licensure attainment, as well as an increase to shift differential pay. It was noted that sick time, paid time off, and holiday leave are slightly lower for Bloomfield Township employees than market totals.

Kolinski. “You can see a full picture of what the expert is saying… now the new board can take it and run with it.”

The one concern with the presentation wasn’t mentioned until the end, from trustee Neal Barnett, who made the argument that this shouldn’t have been on the agenda for Monday evening.

“The board is here to have information…we didn’t have any. No packet, no data,” Barnett said. “It’s not acceptable to me.”

The information Campbell presented wasn’t in the packet for the trustees meeting; and the board was only given this information the Monday of their meeting.

Supervisor Dani Walsh said it was on the agenda that evening because she needed employees to have this in their hands as soon as possible, she wasn’t about to let employees start negotiating for contracts without this data like last time.

Many departments received it on Tuesday.

Clerk Martin Brook recommended there be a study session on these results, and have a further discussion added to the agenda for Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, November 25.

Liquor license rule changes approved

By Dana Casadei

Amendments to zoning ordinances regarding retail package outlets and liquor license requirements for automobile service stations both passed by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, November 11.

Campbell also asked the board to consider revisiting the defined benefit pension once they're out from under state financial oversight, and said this could impact recruitment and retention for public safety employees.

“This process – no matter what kind of company – is about trying to determine the value of jobs, not people. It doesn’t matter who holds the position, it holds a value,” Campbell said. “You can’t make everyone happy but you hope to treat everyone equally.”

“I really appreciate all the employees engaging in this,” said trustee Chris

The amendment made to zoning ordinance 692 for retail package outlets passed quickly, with few questions and zero hesitation from the board. The changes will amend the use standards for retail package outlets by eliminating the current provision for Specially Designated Distributor (SDD) licenses not exceeding one for every 3,000 population as it is criteria regulated by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) and not the municipality. That same state SDD criteria now allows for licenses to be transferred from one municipality to another as long as it’s in the same county, and this can at times impact the original SDD quota.

Patti Voelker, director of building, planning and ordinance, spoke about how the proposed amendment would help make that ordinance more relevant and correct the use standards. While getting zoning ordinance 692

amended was quick and easy, doing the same for zoning ordinance 690 –which will adjust the liquor license requirements for gas stations in the township – brought about much more discussion, from those who spoke at the evening’s public hearing and among the board as well.

Those who spoke during the public hearing ranged from to Edward Toma, hearing commissioner for the MLCC, to a now familiar face at Bloomfield Township meetings, Chris Barbat, a member of the Barbat Organization and owner of several local gas stations, including in Bloomfield Township.

Both spoke about how much they hoped this would go through and the good it would bring to the community, although Barbat did argue that these proposed amendments were too restrictive.

Barbat wasn’t the only one who thought so.

“This is a highly regulated industry… I think we are over-regulating it based on its proposed ordinances and restrictive to our businesses. We are unnecessarily restricting commerce and it bothers me,” said treasurer Michael Schostak, one of the most outspoken members ofnthe amendments. “I’m all for protecting the community but I think we’re being a tad restrictive unnecessarily.”

The list of proposed amendments to the current zoning ordinance that did pass include revising the distance from the point of sale and fuel dispenser from 50 feet to five feet, therefore aligning with the requirements from the state; changing the minimum building size requirement from 4,000 square feet to half that at 2,000-square-feet; no drive-through operation is conducted within the same building as the sale of alcohol; adjusting the parking standard from one space for every 200 square feet to one space every 300; completely eliminating the minimum lot size of one acre and maintain the current land area of .51 acres, which is required for all gas stations; frontage on a major thoroughfare exists for ingress and egress; no commercial vehicle service operations can take place at the gas station where customers could wait on the premises for service or repair to take place; the property is not adjacent to residential zoned property; the sale of single serve beverages containing alcohol is prohibited, including 50 ml (1.67 oz.) mini alcohol bottles; adding the minimum of 750 feet distance to any school to stay consistent with the retail package outlets requirements; and lastly, eliminating the provision for SDD licenses to not exceed one for every 3,000 reisents.

Township scanning project contract

By Dana Casadei

Come 2025 AmeriScan Imaging will begin the hefty task of digitizing all of Bloomfield Township’s legacy records, as part of phase two for the township’s scanning project, following unanimous approval by the board of trustees on Monday, November 11.

The upcoming project, set to start in 2025 and be completed by the end of 2026, will only digitize those records that need permanent retention, and also any incoming documents that do as well.

Due to there being no one in the township who is a document manager professional, clerk Martin Brook was happy to let Taylor Lydon, president and owner of Security Archives Data Management lead during the presentation. The township used his company to help them pick the best fit for this specific project.

Lydon said they were seeking quotes from qualified imaging service companies to provide digital imaging services; produce digital images from collections of documents and drawings; provide metadata for all digital images and delivery suitable for uploading into Laserfiche Cloud; all work must comply with requirements specified in the Michigan Records Reproduction Act; and all work must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026 in line with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) rules and requirements. This particular project is primarily being paid for through ARPA.

They received eight responses, who were all very qualified candidates, according to Lydon. Their estimates were based off of an estimated 3,000,000 pages and 250,000 drawings that will need to be scanned.

AmeriScan Imaging came in at the lowest bid of $445,638.55. Of that estimated cost, $442,037.15 will be allocated from ARPA funding. Originally, $500,000 from the township’s ARPA funds were budgeted for this project. With AmeriScan Imaging completing this leg of the project, they will actually be under the original budget.

AmeriScan Imaging isn’t new to the township either. They have also already worked with the township through their Documents on Demand, the portion on the township website that allows people to download everything from meeting minutes to packets for the board of trustees meetings.

If the township wants to destroy the documents that are digitized, they’ll have to ensure they follow the state of Michigan’s quality assurance standards. Within those standards there will have to be an independent quality check that a certain percentage of the digital images that require permanent retention are legible.

Brook said that after the documents are digitized that they plan to destroy the rest unless there is a historical significance to the record. He will return before the board for a recommendation for an outside consultant who will check the quality control is present so they can confidently destroy the records. This won’t be needed until they start the work next year.

This last point is a criteria regulated by the MLCC, and the current state SDD provisions now allow for licenses to be transferred from another municipality.

On top of that list the stations also need a license issued by the MLCC and must either be located in a neighborhood shopping center that’s composed of one or more commercial establishments, and/or have a minimum inventory of $250,000 on the premise, which does not include alcoholic beverages or motor vehicle fuel. These points are the same as the zoning ordinance is currently written.

adjustment be considered for the amendment that does not allow for drive-through operations to be conducted within the same facility. This would have allowed for them to sell alcohol just not through the drive through.

Schostak was quickly met with opposition from almost every other board member with the majority of his suggestions. Many of his fellow board members wanted these restrictions to stay stringent, and a few who said they would not vote for it if Schostak’s suggestions had been made to the amendments.

“I think it’s a great proposal, but I oppose all the changes that Michael is suggesting,” said trustee Neal Barnett, who has been a part of this process through his time on the board and the planning commission.

If the board had decided to get rid of some of the amendments, this would have brought about procedural concerns for the zoning ordnance too, considering the amendments had already gone in front of and been approved by the planning commission, and presented publicly. They would have needed to republish the amendments for another public hearing if they were to have been removed.

For those thinking the proposed amendments that passed are restrictive, they’re less so than the current zoning ordnance for gas stations looking to obtain a license to sell alcohol.

As of last spring, Bloomfield Township had never had one of its gas stations submit a site plan application for a liquor license, causing the board of trustees to wonder why. They asked Voelker and her team to see why that was.

With the current standards only three of the township’s 12 gas stations even qualify to be able to apply.

Schostak suggested they get rid of multiple amendments that were being proposed, including not allowing the sale of mini alcohol bottles, and the amendment that does not allow for auto repair shops with gas stations to apply for the SDD or SDM license, the latter amendment came up during the public hearing from a resident who owns a gas station with an auto repair shop. His hopes for having the language changed so all gas station owners could be on the same playing field to get an alcohol license did not come to fruition.

It was also later suggested that an

The new amendments will allow for a few more of Bloomfield Township gas stations to obtain either a SDD or SDM license to sell alcohol.

“As we try to expand our network, this is a great start,” said trustee Chris Kolinski.

Kolinski then suggested that when the time is right they could take baby steps with this zoning ordinance to make adjustments, and tread into this slowly. Both he and multiple board members said they would be happy to support the zoning ordnance changes as presented.

The zoning ordinance amendments for gas stations obtaining a liquor license passed unanimously as written.

BUSINESS MATTERS

Daxton joins Hilton group Birmingham’s Daxton Hotel has officially become part of Curio Collection by Hilton, a prestigious global portfolio of 175 hotels through which visitors can use Hilton points for booking rooms. Opened in 2021 and owned by Mark Mitchell, the DaxtonHotel is home to 151 artfully appointed rooms and suites, designed for ultimate comfort. The bold look of Daxton Hotel features black marble and dark wood, and sets an authentically elegant tone. What pulls it back from excessive seriousness is its art collection, which includes more than 400 distinctive playful and colorful paintings and sculptures prominently displayed in the lobby and other public spaces. Owner Mark Mitchell said that the hotel was visited by Curio Collection officials who invited the Daxton to join the Curio Collection based on both the service and physical offerings of the hotel, as well as its dominance in the market. “With its bold design, elevated amenities, and vibrant energy, Daxton Hotel Birmingham is a welcomed addition to our portfolio,” said Brooke Thomas, senior director, Curio Collection by Hilton. “The hotel offers an elevated, immersive experience, and it will continue to inspire travelers with its artistry and personalized service, now with the added benefits of Hilton’s renowned hospitality and our award-winning guest loyalty program, Hilton Honors.” Mitchell said “the Mitchell family welcomes the addition of the Hilton benefits being offered” through the Curio Collection. The transition to join Curio Collection by Hilton marks a significant milestone for Daxton Hotel, which recently earned a rare Michelin Key. The Michelin Key is a new rating system for the most exceptional hotels worldwide. It evaluates Michelin Guide hotels for providing guests with an experience beyond accommodation, dining and a booking and review process.

Victors Care opening

Victors Care has one location in Ann Arbor with plans to open in Bloomfield Township at 4190

Telegraph Road in July of 2025. Victors Care offers “concierge medicine” which is available to a limited number of patients for an affordable annual membership fee, resulting in a more convenient approach to primary care. The practice is designed to build a relationship between patient and physician with the goals to optimize health, manage chronic conditions and stay one step ahead of illness or injury. Patients receive 24/7 telephone access to their Victors Care primary care physician – maintaining a dialog and building a relationship for the long term. Office visits are not rushed and last as long as necessary. Patients enjoy same or next day appointments that accommodate their schedule or telephone consults for problems that may not require an office visit. Victors Care also offers full range of care including wellness, prevention, chronic disease management and complex care. The doctors at Victors Care are all University of Michigan physicians.

Planthropie closes

Birmingham’s Planthropie, a unique dessert and cheese shop famous for vegan, raw, dairy-free, gluten-free and organic creations, has closed. The shop was opened in 2020 by Rua Francis Oshana who wasmotivated to make vegan desserts and cheese after she learned her son was severely allergic to dairy. With appreciation to her customers, Oshana left a heartfelt note to customers noting that her time at Planthropie had been a dream. “Thank you to everyone that I met, thank you for all the love, memories, connections and friendships along the way, this journey has been a wild one. Thank you for believing in Planthropie and our mission to create food as art and medicine,” she wrote.

A change of hands

Tiffany Florist, located at 784 S. Old Woodward Avenue, has been a landmark in Birmingham Michigan since 1973. Robert Kupfer owned the business for 40 years andrecently sold the flower shop to Michael Fraley and Brent Grant. Patrons of the

Birmingham Farmer’s Market may already be familiar with Fraley and Grant as they also own The Flower Project, a small flower farm in Ferndale, and a regular vendor at the Birmingham Farmer’s Market. Outside of freshening up the interior of the space, their plan for the Tiffany Florist is to continue to provide the community with full service floral needs, offering personalized service, design expertise, and a variety of products and delivery options. They also plan to source more flowers locally from The Flower Project.

Milestones

Several local Birmingham businesses are celebrating milestone anniversaries including: Douglas Cleaners, Uniprop, Departure Travel Management, Virtuoso Salon Collective and My House of Style.

The Underdown family started Douglas Cleaners in Birmingham in 1949, naming the cleaners after a family member. The Underwoods ran the cleaners until five years ago when it was sold to Andre and Many Douville. Importantly, Douglas Cleaners has always been a family owned and operated establishment, providing professional and high-quality dry cleaning services to the Birmingham community for 75 years. In addition to dry cleaning services, Douglas Cleaners offers laundry service, pick-up and delivery, alterations and custom tailoring, leather cleaning, winter/summer clothes storage, drapery cleaning, fur cleaning and storage and more. Douglas Cleaners has two Birmingham locations: 900 N. Old Woodward Avenue and 1794 W. Maple Road.

Uniprop, located at 280 Daines Street, Suite 300 in Birmingham, is marking its fiftieth year of business. From its inception, Uniprop has been an active investor and manager of real estate and private equity investments. Leveraging years of experience and discipline, combined with flexibility, Uniprop partners with management teams to acquire majority equity

interests in stable, easy to understand businesses and income producing real estate properties.

Established in 1999, Departure Travel Management streamlines the process of travel for all levels of employees and vacationers alike. Departure Travel Management is a woman-owned business which is co-owned and operated by Bonnie Newcomer and Andra Rush. The travel company prides itself with its excellent vacation counselors specializing in virtually every corner of the globe and every mode of travel. Departure Travel Management is located at 344 N. Old Woodward Ave #100, Birmingham.

Virtuoso SalonCollective opened at 1050 South Old Woodward Birmingham back in 1999. It is owned by Barsoum Bouchar. For the last 25 years, Virtuoso has been providing unmatched salon services. The stylists at Virtuoso work with clients to analyze their lifestyles to determine their needs for the best options and services. The salon offers a wide range of services, from haircuts, color treatments, styling and revitalizing treatments. Other services include manicures, pedicures and brow waxing The Salon also offers highquality products to ensure their client’s hair remains healthy and beautiful.

My House of Style owner Diane Harris is celebrating 20 years in business, the last 15 years at 574 N. Old Woodward Avenue in downtown Birmingham. The store is known for its jewelry offerings, along with fashion, gift and home décor items. To celebrate the anniversary, the store is offering special discounts through the end of November.

Business Matters for the BirminghamBloomfield area are reported by Gigi Nichols. Send items for consideration to GigiNichols@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.

LOCAL ISSUES CAN'T BE TACKLED WITHOUT LOCAL JOURNALISM

Thanks to the generosity of those listed on this page and the support from our partners in the local business community, Downtown Newsmagazine has been able to withstand a number of challenges in recent years to remain the dominant news source for the BirminghamBloomfield area.

We are an independent, multi-platform news operation. Aside from our monthly newsmagazine, we post regularly to our website (downtownpublications.com) and we send out a Weekly News Update newsletter every Friday along with special email alerts when there is breaking news of interest. During the month we also send out our political gossip newsletter (Oakland Confidential) and each month we also email our restaurant newsletter (Metro Intelligencer). On a bi-weekly schedule we send out our Threatened Planet newsletter with aggregated environment stories from publications around the world.

We remain strong, but to continue offering our products at no charge, and continue to grow in terms of what we offer to readers, we ask local residents for community support in the form of donations.

Our thanks to those listed below who donated to support local journalism, and to donors who asked to remain anonymous.

Alan T. Ackerman

Michael Alberts

Linda Aviv

Nolen Barnes

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Michael Beauregard

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FACES

Sajan Doshi

The journey of Bloomfield Hills High School student Sajan Doshi and the Lil Aces Tennis Academy began not just as a dream of its co-founders but as a heartfelt commitment to nurturing young talent in tennis. The tale is one of passion, perseverance, and the drive to make a meaningful impact.

At the center of this initiative is a young tennis enthusiast, Doshi, who has loved the game since the tender age of four. “My journey in tennis started when I was four-years old playing tennis with my siblings and my dad,” they shared. This passion grew as they honed their skills and sought to share their love for the sport with others. The inspiration to establish the Lil Aces Tennis Academy came from their own experiences at Wessen Indoor Tennis Club in Pontiac, where encouraging coaches played pivotal roles in their development. “The coaches and people there have been so influential throughout the past few years,” they explained, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and community support. Alongside their friend Matra Kaushal, they embarked on a mission to create a youth tennis program that could ignite a similar passion in younger generations. However, co-founding the academy was not without its challenges.

“Some immediate challenges we faced when starting the program was equipment and funding,” they recalled. The duo quickly realized that to run a successful program, they needed tennis balls, rackets, and conditioning equipment. Fortunately, Wessen stepped in to offer vital support, supplying the necessary gear. Finding the right logistics for class schedules also proved daunting, but with guidance from parents and coaches, they navigated these challenges effectively.

A further testament to the commitment to the community comes from their fundraising efforts. The young founders of Lil Aces Tennis Academy have successfully raised over $3,000 to support Variety Children’s Charities, a cause close to their hearts. “

Engagement in sports like tennis offers young people more than just physical activity; it helps shape their character and skills. The ability to collaborate and communicate effectively is a lifelong skill, one that is essential as these young athletes grow and navigate their future paths.

Our mission for Lil Aces is to inspire youth in our community,” they said, highlighting their desire to empower disadvantaged children in metro Detroit.

The rewards of offering free tennis lessons to students in Oakland County have been plentiful. “The most rewarding part of our program is the joy that the kids feel when they are constantly learning and gaining confidence,” they reflected. The sense of community fostered among the young players has been remarkable. They observed that the kids not only develop tennis skills but also learn valuable life lessons in teamwork and communication. “We take joy knowing that we might have had a little influence on the future of those kids.”

Running the academy has equipped them with invaluable skills that extend beyond tennis. “Some important skills are communication, leadership, and problem-solving.” The experience has transformed them into a strong leader who can engage with diverse audiences and tackle challenges head-on. “I had to become a strong leader who took action when a problem arose,” they concluded.

Story: Raven Mial

Among the myriad of experiences from the academy, one moment stands out vividly. “One of my favorite stories from Lil Aces was the first day of the academy,” they recounted. The anxiety of launching a new venture melted away when they saw the kids excited to participate. “The feeling of accomplishment after all the work we put in will be a memory I will never forget,” they said.

Photo: Matthew Cromwell

DOLLARS– LET US HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT.

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NEXT NOTEBOOK

Next takes pride in offering programming that is unique, educational and inspiring while ensuring accessibility for all that want to participate.

In the next year, we will continue our Making Connections -- Cultural Series by exploring different countries and regions around the world through speaker presentations, religious studies, music, cuisine, art and travel. These opportunities are not just for those able to attend in person, but also for our numerous Support Service clients, who for a variety of reasons, may not be able to come to Next.

Next will work with community members that participate in the Meals on Wheels program, the Next transportation Program or residents that are already a Support Service client. Many of these residents have challenges that make venturing from home very difficult. This is a vulnerable community group that can easily feel isolated leading to loneliness and depression.

In collaboration with our support service providers, program coordinators and volunteers, Next will provide several alternative ways to participate in the Cultural Series. Through outreach, home visits, easy to follow art projects, readings and materials brought directly to each resident, we hope to engage and connect with members of our Birmingham community that are susceptible to feelings of isolation.

Through our Cultural Series, Next aims to connect our community to lesser known regions of the world, highlighting cultural heritage, historical resources and the study of the human experience.

For example, first in the New Year we will look at the complexities of the African continent. Africa is home to over 200 languages and cultures and has one of the fastest growing populations by continent with some regions still governed by France, Spain and Portugal as dependent states. Fifty-four countries each with their own economies, exports and governments — there is much to learn and understand about this vast continent.

With a layered approach, we will take advantage of the many valuable resources throughout the area. Building on Black History Month in February, Next will work closely with the Charles Wright Museum of African American History for educational programming, with The Detroit Institute of Arts as we take a behind the scenes look at “In Our Own Voice” that examines the creative contributions of African Americans from the 19th century to the present day and explore issues of race, gender, politics and culture. We will work with Oakland University’s Humanities Department to present comprehensive lectures on the current multiplicities of Africa and gain a better understanding of the significant impact The African Diaspora has had on the world.

Like all our Cultural Series, our academic studies will be enhanced through day trips, cuisine, musical presentations and local theatre.

All this, along with our regular programming, in just the first quarter of 2025!

Next is proud to offer special programming that encourages different points of view and challenges our thinking — while including our entire community, even those who are unable to come to Next.

We recognize that a society is only whole when all its members have the opportunity to contribute, to be seen, and to be valued.

To learn more about Next, a 501(c3) providing essential senior services to Birmingham residents, please visit Birminghamnext.org.

Cris Braun is Executive Director of Birmingham Next

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Cris Braun

PLACES TO EAT

The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown.

Birmingham/Bloomfield

220: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.2220. 220restaurant.com

5th Tavern: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9607. 5thtavern.com

Adachi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. Liquor. Reservations. 325 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.540.5900. adachirestaurant.com

Andiamo: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.865.9300. andiamoitalia.com

Beau’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630. beausbloomfield.com

Bella Piatti: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110. bellapiattirestaurant.com

Bell Bistro: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Liquor. Reservations. 185 N. Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.829.7900. bellbirmingham.com

Beverly Hills Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3147 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48205. 248.642.2355. beverlyhillsgrill.com

Beyond Juicery + Eatery: Contemporary. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 270 W. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009; 221 Cole Street, Birmingham, 48009; 3645 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301; 4065 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301; 1987 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. beyondjuiceryeatery.com

Bill’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000. billsbloomfieldhills.com

Birmingham Pub: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.885.8108. thebirminghampub.com

Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.8880. birminghamsushi.com

Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Liquor. Reservations. 34244 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. bistrojoeskitchen.com

Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.645.6879. bloomfielddeli.com

Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690. thebrooklynpizza.com

Café Dax: American. Breakfast, daily, Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 298 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.283.4200. daxtonhotel.com

Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000. cafeml.com

Café Origins: Global. Breakfast and Lunch, daily, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 163 W Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.742.4040. originsbirmingham.com

Casa Pernoi: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.940.0000. casapernoi.com

Churchill’s Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555. churchillscigarbar.com

Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Beer. 877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.540.7220. cityscapedeli.com

Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9766. gocommonwealth.com

Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.1135. dickodowspub.com

Eddie Merlot’s: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095. eddiemerlots.com

Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.258.9939. einsteinbros.com

Elie’s Mediterranean Grill/Bar: Mediterranean. Lunch, Thursday-Saturday, Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. eliesgrill.com

EM: Mexican. Lunch, Friday-Sunday, Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 470 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 947.234.0819.

Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday. Dinner, TuesdayFriday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033. embersdeli1.com

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. flemingssteakhouse.com

Forest: European. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400. forestbirmingham.com

Greek Islands Coney Restaurant: Greek. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222. greekislandsconey.com

Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American. Lunch, Thursday-Sunday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. griffinclawbrewingcompany.com

Hazel’s: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1 Peabody Street, Birmingham. 248.671.1714. eatathazels.com

Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111. honeytreegrille.com

Hudson’s Place: Pizza/Coffee/Takeout. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. 1087 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.540.2266. hudsonsplacepizzeria.com.

Hunter House Hamburgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.7121. hunterhousehamburgers.com

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4369. hydeparkrestaurants.com

IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. 248.333.7522. Ihop.com

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.792.9609. joemuer.com

Kaku Sushi and Poke’: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday & Dinner daily. No reservations. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.480.4785, and 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.885.8631. kakusushipoke.com

Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166. kerbyskoneyisland.com

La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations. 43259 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.5800. lamarsacuisine.com

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 243

E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0492. lastradaitaliankitchen.com

Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568. leosconeyisland.com

Lincoln Yard and Little Yard: American. Little Yard take-out hours: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Lincoln Yard hours: Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2159 E. Lincoln Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.653.5353. eatlincolnyard.com

Little Daddy’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400. littledaddys.com

Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6051. luxebarandgrill.com

Madam: American. Brunch, weekends. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 298 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.283.4200. daxtonhotel.com

Mare Mediterranean: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willets Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.940.5525. maremediterranean.com

Market North End: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.712.4953. marketnorthend.com

MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.723.0800. mexbloomfield.com

Middle Eats: Mediterranean. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield, 48093. 248.274.328. middleeats.com

Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2079 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581. nipponsushibar.com

Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.451.0500. olgas.com

Original Pancake House: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5775. oph-mi.com

Phoenicia: Lebanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 588 S. Old Woodward Birmingham, 48009. phoeniciabirmingham.com

Roadside B & G: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1727 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48302. 248.858.7270. roadsidebandg.com

Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977. salsbirmingham.com

Shift Kitchen & Cocktails: Small plates. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380. shiftbirmingham.com

Sidecar: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380. sidecarsliderbar.com

Slice Pizza Kitchen: Pizza. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.3475. slicepizzakitchen.com

Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200. socialkitchenandbar.com

Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Breakfast and Lunch, Sunday. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301. 248.932.0800. stevesdeli.com

Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Thursday & Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123. streetsideseafood.com

Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 42656 Woodward

Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.3887. sushihanabloomfield.com

Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830. sythaibirmingham.com

Sylvan Table: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1819 Inverness Street, Sylvan Lake, 48320. 248.369.3360. sylvantable.com

Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. tallulahwine.com

Thai Street Kitchen: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.499.6867 thaistreetkitchen.com

The French Lady: French. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. 768 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0571. zefrenchlady.com

The Gallery Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.851.0313. galleryrestaurant2.com

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688. moosepreserve.com

The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999. rugbygrille.com

Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Reservations. Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278. eatattoast.com

Tomatoes Apizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner daily. Carryout. 34200 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.0500. tomatoesapizza.com

Touch of India: Lunch, Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday & Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7881. thetouchofindia.com

Townhouse: American. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241. eatattownhouse.com

Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Liquor. No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.566.3566. whistlestopdiners.com

ZANA: Modern American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.800.6568. zanabham.com

Zao Jun: Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.949.9999. zaojunnewasian.com

Royal Oak/Ferndale

Ale Mary’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 316 South Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917. alemarysbeer.com

Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 22651 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680. anitaskitchen.com

Bandit Tavern & Hideaway: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 419 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.6250. bandittavern.com

Beppé: New American. Lunch, Saturday and Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 703 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.607.7030. eatbeppe.com

Bigalora: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.2442 bigalora.com

Café de Olla: Mexican. Breakfast, Tuesday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.633.5311. cafedeollami.com

Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749.

cafemuseroyaloak.com

Coeur: New American Small Plates. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.466.3010. coeurferndale.com

Como’s: Pizza. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 22812 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.677.4439. comosrestaurant.com

Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria: Italian. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 28939 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.591.3300. crispellis.com

The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale 48220. 248.399.5150. theflytrapferndale.com

Grand River Brewery: American. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1 E. 14 Mile Road, Clawson, 48017. 248.607-3631. grandriverbrewer

Gus’ Snug: Irish. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 38 S. Main Street, Clawson, 48017. 248.607.3631. gussnug.com

HopCat: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 430 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.744.2544. HopCat.com

Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 22949 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. howesbayouferndale.net

Imperial: Mexican. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22848 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. imperialferndale.com

Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500. inyorestaurant.com

Kacha Thai Market: Thai. Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. 205 S Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.942-4246.

KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500. gokouzina.com

Kruse & Muer on Woodward: American. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 28028 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.965.2101. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459. lilysseafood.com

Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Brunch, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.422. lockhartsbbq.com

Masala: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 106 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.850.8284. food.orders.co/royaloakmasala

Mezcal: Mexican. Bruch, Sunday. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 201 E. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 248.268.3915. mezcalferndale.com

Pastaio: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 208 W 5th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.565.8722. eatpastaio.com/royal-oak

Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947. oakcitygrille.com

Oak Parker: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 13621 W Eleven Mile Road, Oak Park, 48327 oakparkerbar.com.

One-Eyed Betty’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 175 W. Troy Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633. oneeyedbettys.com

Pop’s for Italian: Italian. Brunch and Lunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 280 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale,48220. 248.268.4806. popsforitalian.com

Public House: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.850.7420. publichouseferndale.com

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300. redcoat-tavern.com

Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 326 W. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888. roninsushi.com

Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.1141. royaloakbrewery.com

Sozai: Japanese. Dinner, WednesdaySaturday. Reservations. 449 West 14 Mile Road, Clawson,48017. 248.677-3232. sozairestaurant.com

Stumblebum Beer Co.: American. Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Beer. 1965 West Maple Road, Troy 48084 248.307.7204. stumblebumbeer.com

The Modern Vegan: Vegan. Brunch, Saturday and Sunday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. 304 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067 248.206.7041. tmvrestaurants.com

Three Cats Café: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 116 W. 14 Mile Road, Clawson. threecatscafe.com

Tigerlily: Japanese. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 231 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.733-4905. tigerlilyferndale.com

Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444. eatattoast.com

Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.541.1186. tomsoysterbar.com

Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444. trattoriadaluigi.business.site.com

Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7799 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.548.7711. vinsettagarage.com

Voyager: Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 600 Vester Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.658.4999. voyagerferndale.com

Troy/Rochester

Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Road, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831. cafesushimi.com

Capital Grill: Steak & Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2800 W. Big Beaver Road, Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300.

CK Diggs: American & Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2010 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.6600. ckdiggs.com

The Dime Store: American. Breakfast and Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6920 N Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306.248.963.0941. eatdimestore.com

Firebird Tavern: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4845 Rochester Road, Troy, 48085. 248.289.9650. firebirdtaverntroy.com

Grand Castor: Latin American. Lunch, Thursday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2950 Rochester Road, Troy, 48083. 248.278.7777. grancastor.com

Kona Grille: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060. konagrill.com

Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

Loccino Italian Grill and Bar: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 5600 Crooks Road, Troy, 48098. 248.813.0700. loccino.com

The Meeting House: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. themeetinghouserochester.com

Mon Jin Lau: Nu Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Road, Troy, 48083. 248.689.2332. monjinlau.com

Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 888 W.

METRO INTELLIGENCER

Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro Intelligencer is reported/created each month by Gigi Nichols who can be reached at GigiNichols@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.

More Marrow, in Birmingham

Marrow debuted in Detroit in the fall of 2018 with rave reviews. It took claim to a four-time James Beard Foundation nominee, including the Best Chef finalist nomination in the Great Lakes region for Chef Sarah Welch, who was also a finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef” Season 19. The company will open its first location outside of Detroit in December at 283 Hamilton Row, Birmingham. The store/restaurant will carry a full range of fresh meats, aged steaks, trademark sausages, handcrafted deli offerings, and a selection of wine and gourmet sundries. The location will also serve an elevated casual menu of sandwiches, savory snacks, and coffee for breakfast and lunch, available for dine-in or “on the go” take-out. “We’ve been saying hello to everyone at the Birmingham Farmer’s Market on Sundays all summer. It will be great to finally have a shop here in time for the holidays,” said Ping Ho, CEO and founder. “We aim to be a neighborhood staple where people can enjoy a delicious meal and conveniently shop for high-quality, locally sourced meats, with the same quality of our flagship Detroit location.” The new 1,400 sq. foot butcher shop and eatery will feature café seating with Marrow’s legendary bacon burger, breakfast sandwiches, hot and cold deli sandwiches and various salads, including vegetarian options. The menu will be spearheaded by the culinary team led by Marrow’s Executive Chef and partner Sarah Welch. 283 Hamilton Row, Birmingham. marrowdetroit.com

The evolution of Townhouse Detroit

Jeremy Sasson’s Townhouse Detroit opened in July of 2015. The hip interior was a nod to the industrial history of Motor City with dark wood accents and polished concrete floors. In 2021, Townhouse Detroit was completely remodeled, adding washed oak hardwood floors, plush curved seating, natural accents, greenery as well as a redesigned atrium with a retractable roof. At that time, the original menu, which before had focused on comfort food, was also revamped. Last month, there were more changes on the way for Townhouse Detroit as it launched a new menu which Sasson deemed “a melting pot of international flavor.” A sampling of the new dishes include: tempura maitake mushrooms with yakitori, spicy mayo and nori; seared tuna with avocado, golden beet, tomato, goat cheese, lemon and herbs; wontons with dry-aged beef, foie gras, miso, mustard and scallion; Nashville hot bao buns with chicken, pickles, jalapeño and red cabbage; and chicken schnitzel with pita, zhug, tzatziki, pickled mushroom and cauliflower. In his address to the media at a private gathering, Sasson defined the recipe for what is Townhouse Detroit. “It is international flavor. It is international culture. It is the energy of Detroit — its people, its style, its personality. And on top of that, playing the ultimate host,” he said. 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. townhousedetroit.com

The lady is back!

It’s major news in the Detroit restaurant world. After over a year of hinting and teasing on social media, Chef Kate Williams has finally reopened Lady of the House. The restaurant’s original location in Corktown opened in 2017 and closed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new location is situated in Detroit’s Core City. Williams has earned many national accolades over the years including: James Beard Award finalist, 2019; Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, 2018; Food & Wine Best New Chefs, 2018; and GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America, 2018. The new Lady of the House is much cozier version than its original—offering up seating for 58. The interior, designed by Williams’ business partner Jason Honigman-Singer, provides a whimsical atmosphere with a white and black checkerboard tiled flooring throughout and a ceiling that is adorned with hanging dried flowers adding color and texture. The table is set with an array of vintage china. As part of the restaurant training, the staff ventured out to local thrift stores in Hamtramck to pull together a vintage collection of cream and sugars— adding another personal touch to the table. The farm to table menu rotates with availability and is sourced by local suppliers including Brother Nature and Motor City Seafood. Fans of the original Lady of the House will be delighted to learn that many of the original selections have remained on the menu such as: carrot steak with hollandaise and pistachio; shrimp butter

Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845. mortons.com

NM Café: American. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.816.3424. neimanmarcus.com/restaurants

Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. oceaniainnrochesterhills.com

Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Highway, Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500. ocean-prime.com

O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. oconnorsrochester.com

Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Road., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. orchid-cafe.com

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. pfchangs.com

Recipes: American/Brunch. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 134 W. University Drive, Rochester, 48037. 248.659.8267. Also 2919 Crooks Road, Troy, 48084. 248.614.5390. recipesinc.com

RH House: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. No reservations. Liquor. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.586.1000. rh.house.com

RH Social: Pizza/Sports Bar. Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6870 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306.248.759.4858. rochesterhillssocial.com

Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424. ruthschris.com

Saltwater Eatery: Seafood. Brunch, Sunday, Lunch, daily, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3672 Rochester Road, Troy, 48083. 248.422.6151. saltwatereatery.info

Sedona Taphouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 198 Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.422.6167. sedonataphouse.co

Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.652.4500. silverspoonristorante.com

Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291. tooraloorochester.com

West Bloomfield/Southfield

Aurora Italiana: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6199 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Twp., 48322. 248.782.3000. auroraitaliana.com

Cornbread Restaurant & Bar: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Tuesday. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. cornbreadsoulfood.com

Bigalora: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034. 248.544.2442. bigalora.com

The Fiddler: Russian. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.851.8782. fiddlerrestaurant.com

Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. menesususi.com

Nonna Maria’s: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248.851.2500. nonamariasbistro.com

Pickles & Rye: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.737.3890. picklesandryedeli.com

Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463. prime29steakhouse.com

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. redcoattavern.com

Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.626.8585. dineshangrila.com

Stage Deli: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622. stagedeli.com

Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.8282. yotsuba-restaurant.com

West Oakland

Volare Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.7771. ristorantevolare.com

North Oakland

Clarkston Union: American. Breakfast, Sunday, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346 248.620.6100. clarkstonunion.com

Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.795.2077. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

The Fed: American. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 15 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.297.5833. thefedcommunity.com Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.8500. joebologna.com

Union Woodshop: BBQ. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660. unionwoodshop.com

Detroit

Adelina: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1040 Woodward Ave, Detroit,48226. 313.246.8811. adelinadetroit.com

Alpino: Alpine cuisine. Brunch, Sunday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1426 Bagley Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.524.0888 alpinodetroit.com

Ash-Bar: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1509 Broadway Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.277.4736. ash.world/hotels/the-siren.com

Bar Pigalle: French. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 John R Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.497.9200. barpigalle.com

Barda: Argentinian. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4842 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, 48208. 313.952.5182. bardadetroit.com

Basan: Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2703 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.481.2703. basandetroit.com

Black Ginger: Asian Fusion. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1331 Trumbull Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.887.9477. blackgingerdetroit.com

Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2684 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, 48207. 313.965.3111. bucharestgrill.com

Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails: Seasonal American. Lunch, Thursday & Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 5 E. Kirby Street, Detroit, 48202. 313.818.3915. chartreusekc.com

Cliff Bell’s: American. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.961.2543. cliffbells.com

Coriander Kitchen and Farm: Farm to table.

Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 14601 Riverside Boulevard, Detroit, 48215. 313.338.9466. corianderkitchenandfarm.com

Corktown Taphouse: American and Mexican. No reservations. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. 1611 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.362.8184. corktowntaphouse.com

Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Road, Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110. cuisinerestaurantdetroit.com

The Eagle: The Eagle: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 3461 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.334.4530. eaglerestaurant.com

El Barzon: Mexican. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3710 Junction Street, Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070. elbarzonrestaurant.com

Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600. fishbonesusa.com

Freya: Price fixed. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations, Liquor. 2929 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.351.5544. freyadetroit.com

Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Boulevard, Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122. giovannisrestaurante.com

Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. greendotstables.com

HIROKI-SAN: Japanese. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, 48226. 313.597.8344. hirokisandetroit.com

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837. joemuer.com

Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2601 W. Fort Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.309.7946. johnnynoodleking.com

Leila: Lebanese. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1245 Griswold Street, Detroit, 48226. 313. 816.8100. leiladetroit.com

Lena: Spanish. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2720 Brush Street, Detroit, 48201.313.262.6082. lenadetroit.com

Le Supreme: French. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, 48226. 313.597.7734. lesupremedetroit.com

Lone Goat: British Pub. Lunch, MondaySaturday, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 33 John R Street, Detroit, 48226. thelonegoat.com

Mad Nice: Coastal Italian/American. Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4120 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201.313.558.8000. madnicedetroit.com

Mario’s: Italian. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4222 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.1616. mariosdetroit.com

Mezcal: Mexican. Brunch, Weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 51 W Forest Avenue, Detroit, 48202. 313.974.7441. mezcaldetroit.com

Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.974.7669. midtownshangril-la.com

Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700. motorcitybeer.com

Oak & Reel: Italian Seafood. Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 2921 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.270.9600. oakandreel.com

PAO Detroit: Asian Fusion/Pan Asian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 114 W Adams Avenue, Suite 200, Detroit, 48226. 313.816.0000. paodetroit.com

Parc: New American. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 800 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48226.

313.922.7272. parcdetroit.com

Prime + Proper: Steak House. Brunch, Weekends. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1145 Griswold St, Detroit, 48226. 313.636.3100. primeandproperdetroit.com

Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.309.2499. hollywoodgreektown.com

Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.2100. Selden Standard: American. Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 3921 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055. seldenstandard.com

Sexy Steak: Steakhouse. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1942 Grand River Avenue, Detroit,48226. 313.403.1000. sexysteakdetroit.com

SheWolf Pastifico & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 438 Selden Street, Detroit 48201. 313.315.3992. shewolfdetroit.com

Sinbad’s: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St. Clair Street, Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000. sindbads.com

Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.9828. slowsbarbq.com/locations/corktown

Sullivan’s Steakhouse: Steakhouse. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1128 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48226. 313.591.2495. sullivanssteakhouse.com

Supergeil: Berlin Doner. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 2442 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.462.4133. supergeildetroit.com

Symposia: Mediterranean. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor.1000 Brush Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366. atheneumsuites.com/symposia

Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234. mgmgranddetroit.com

The Apparatus Room: New American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 250 W. Larned Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.800.5600 detroitfoundationhotel.com

The Block: American. Brunch, Weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3919 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892. theblockdet.com

The Dime Store: American. Breakfast & Lunch, Thursday-Tuesday. No reservations. Liquor. 719 Griswold Street #180, Detroit, 48226.313. 962.9106. eatdimestore.com

The Peterboro: Chinese American. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 420 Peterboro Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.462.8106. thepeterboro.com

The Statler: French. Brunch, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 313 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.463.7111. statlerdetroit.com

Townhouse Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 48226. 313.723.1000. townhousedetroit.com

Vecino: Mexican. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4100 3rd Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.500.1615. vecinodetroit.com

Vertical Detroit: Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1538 Center Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.732.WINE. verticaldetroit.com

Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market Street, Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711. viviosdetroit.net

The Whitney: American. Brunch, Sunday. Lunch, Wednesday-Friday, Tea Service, Friday & Saturday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4421 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700. thewhitney.com

Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Avenue, Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711. wrightdetroit.com

Zuzu: Asian Fusion. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 511 Woodward Ave suite 100, Detroit, 48226. 313.464.7777. experiencezuzu.com

toast; and potato donuts with chamomile, dried yogurt and sugared thyme. Michael Gapa leads the beverage program which features beer, wine and a host of craft cocktails. Mocktails are named Blanche, Doroty, Betty and Sofia after the “Golden Girls.” Lady of the House is open for dinner WednesdaySunday with plans to bring back Brunch soon. 4884 Grand River, Unit 1C, Detroit. ladyofthehousedetroit.com

Café Origins opens

A new café has opened in the heart of Birmingham that boasts a James Beard Award winning chef. Café Origins is owned by Joseph Labib along with business partner and Executive Chef Alexander Young. Young was named James Beard Foundation award winner for Best Chef: Great Lakes for Zingerman’s Roadhouse where he was chef and managing partner. He was nominated for the award four times prior to winning. The café is open seven days a week serving food that, according to general manager Tricia Troyan, “pays homage to different origins of people and culture.” There is seating for 18 guests, with plans to open an outdoor patio in the warmer months. Diners can choose from a diverse selection of soups, salads, rollos, hand pies, sandwiches and quiches. Current favorites on the menu include: chili-lime shrimp rollo with Hounduran slaw, avocado and chipotle; hearts of palm salad with baby greens, chili, lime and coconut oil; Biryani chicken roll with tomato, pickle, radish and raita. The coffee at Café Origins is roasted fresh. Gelato is made in-house as well as pastries, cookies and biscuits by Pastry Chef Meishia Rainer. For those craving a decadent treat, the gelato brioche sandwich is served with your choice of gelato on brioche bread that has been dipped in Belgian chocolate. 163 W. Maple Road, Birmingham. originsbirmingham.com

Another feather in Clawson’s cap

As reported back in July, Chef Hajime Sato, chef/owner of Sozai in Clawson, won the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes Region. Now Clawson’s Noori Pocha, a restaurant known for its variety of authentic Korean dishes, has put Clawson in the national spotlight once again. Noori Pocha, made the cut for the New York Times’ annual list of “The 50 best places in American right now.” It was the only Michigan restaurant to earn a spot on the prestigious list. Over the past 12 months, TheNew York Times sent reporters and editors to travel the U.S. in search of the best of the best. New YorkTimes reporter Sara Bonisteel wrote: “Walk through the door of Noori Pocha, and you’ll wonder if you’ve found a portal to South Korea without the jet lag. It’s rare for a restaurant to be this transporting, and rarer still to have a meal that’s this much fun.” The restaurant is located on Main Street and is owned by the Kwon family. “Pocha,” is short for pojangmacha, and is a Korean term for a street vendor, bar, or market stall that serves Korean comfort food, snacks, and drinks. A few of the dishes include: Jaeyookbokeum- spicy marinated pork, marinated in sweet, spicy paste, stir-fried with hot peppers, onions and carrots; Cheese Booldak-spicy marinated chicken in sweet, spicy paste, stir-fried with hot peppers, onions and carrots, with mozzarella on top; and Bulgogi marinated strips of beef stir-fried with onions and carrots. S. Main Street, Clawson. nooripocha.com

Welcome Back

Kara and Gavin McMillian, the founders of the Ferndale diner The Fly Trap, have recently taken back ownership of their restaurant. In early 2022, The McMillians sold their diner to Matt Buskard, owner of local chain Bobcat Bonnie’s. In a heartfelt post on social media regarding the sale, Buskard wrote: “Over the last few years the dining world has changed and as we venture into this new territory, my focus has to be smaller and less divided. I am spreading myself so incredibly thin and it’s letting everyone around me — friends, family, customers, community and investors, down. I’m not able to be as connected as I would like to be in any of those relationships. You always think of yourself as that entrepreneur that has the capacity to take on an incredible amount- until you realize that you too are human and can only handle so much. With that being said, I could not think of a better set of folks to take over the Fly Trap- probably the ONLY people I think who could do it justice. So help me in welcoming back Kara and Gavin to their amazing creation — The Fly Trap.” 22950 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale. theflytrapferndale.com

ENDNOTE

Attention needed – now – to employee study

In his successful 2024 election campaign, newly-installed Bloomfield Township Supervisor Mike McCready emphasized that the township was falling behind in hiring the best police officers, firemen and other employees to staff the numerous departments with over 400 positions and make Bloomfield Township a desirable community to live and work in. On November 11, a long-overdue compensation and benefits study was presented to the board of trustees, and the results confirmed McCready's beliefs – according to Management Advisory Group International, Bloomfield Township has lost ground to other communities in respect to competitive pay.

In addition, the study shows that sick time, paid time off and holiday leave are slightly lower for Bloomfield Township employees than market totals.

And that is unacceptable.

Until the last few years, Bloomfield Township, a charter township which is located approximately 20 miles north of the city of Detroit in Oakland County, with a population of over 44,000 residents, had been considered a top local municipality in terms of salary and benefits. There are four pay structures that currently exist in the township: fire, police, elected officials and unified – meaning anyone not in the other categories. Recently, there have been significant vacancies at several departments, with notable difficulties reported in hiring qualified police officers, as well as certain other departments. We have heard that the police department has lost candidates to

fellow local departments like Birmingham and West Bloomfield, and former Supervisor Dani Walsh had floated the idea of dropping certain standards for recruits rather than increasing pay and benefits.

Walsh's idea of lowering the quality of employees hired to justify a decline in compensation is antithetical to the values of Bloomfield Township, which has historically paid top dollar for qualified top personnel. Without a question, those living in Bloomfield Township have long expected as much – it is an affluent community whose residents may pay high property taxes and other millages, such as for public safety, but expect a return on their investments in the form of excellent local municipal services.

Dr. Russell Campbell, senior vice president of Management Advisory Group International, Inc. (MAGI) said when presenting the compensation study, when an organization has good benefits and their compensation structure is at least the 75th percentile, they’re considered an employer of choice. Ideally, every employee should be paid at the 85th percentile for their job.

McCready said that Bloomfield Township has to figure out ways to keep their people, and improving compensation and certain suggested benefits, such as possibly parental leave policy and pay for certifications/licensure attainment, “is one way to do it.” He said he intends to have conversations with employees to hear what they want in order to stay in their positions, and to reach out to former employees, especially

department heads, to determine what would entice them to return to Bloomfield Township.

While in a perfect world, pensions would once again be provided for the valued employees, that ship has sailed for everyone employed by municipalities and school districts. If nothing else, the massive bankruptcy of the city of Detroit in 2013-2014 provided glaring evidence of why municipal pensions are absolutely unsustainable.

Another area of concern was the way the compensation study was disbursed, as well as its timing. In a municipality where a leader and its board have a mutually respectful relationship, a document such as the compensation study would have been provided to the board of trustees with the trustees packet, at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. In this instance, trustees received it as it was being presented at the board meeting, without being able to see it in advance. However, township employees had been sent it earlier in the day. That seems to us, in a hierarchical scheme, purposely backwards.

It was also presented at Walsh's final board of trustees meeting of her four-year term, although it was prepared, and revised numerous times by people in the township, prior to presentation. What was in the original document – and why was it repeatedly altered? We expect the new board of trustees, along with McCready, clerk Martin Brook and treasurer Michael Schostak, to examine all previous incarnations of this document and take them to heart, working together to improve the employment situation in Bloomfield Township for the benefit of everyone.

Ongoing state fight involving local control

They say all politics are local. That is especially true when decisions are being made to dig gravel mines essentially in someone's backyard.

In our October 2022 longform, “Local control threat: The implications of mining fight,” Downtown looked at how aquifers throughout Michigan were becoming contaminated by aggregate mining, which can strip the land away of clay and other materials that serve as a natural filter and that slows the spread of the toxic plume of gravel mines. Lapeer County, for example, is already home to 30 aggregate mines, and while local municipalities have approved mining plans and operations, companies which mine the aggregates – large, very affluent companies –have repeatedly sought to wrest local mining permitting control away from Michigan’s local governing bodies and place it in the hands of the state.

In the current lame duck legislative session, as in previous lame duck sessions of the state's lawmakers, bipartisan bills have been introduced to give the state's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) authority over

issuing permits for any aggregate mining operation with more than 1 million tons of material, rather than the local municipality. Of particular note is a gravel mining operation in Metamora Township, where The Edward C. Levy Co. said aggregate materials are essential to everyday life and more is needed beyond what existing mining operations can supply. Those in favor of transferring control to EGLE state that more aggregate is needed to reduce the cost of fixing Michigan's roads as Governor Whitmer's road bonds will expire in 2026. Sorry, we are not buying into this argument.

Local municipalities repeatedly state: hands off local control.

There are also concerns over the details in the proposed legislation, which include equipment must not be located within 200 feet of a roadway, 300 feet of a property line or 500 feet from a residential building. The business must set aside between $3,000 and $8,000 per acre for reclaiming the land after the sand and gravel has been extracted. Inadequate, to say the least.

Opponents note the toxicity to air and water of gravel mining. Environmentalists, officials and

grassroots organizations are concerned that the EGLE is not up to the task. They say the agency is chronically underfunded and understaffed and cannot take on the complexities and nuances of permitting mines down to the municipal level.

We’ve seen this battle before in which lobbyists are able to whittle away local control on important issues. It happened during the term of former Governor Rick Snyder, involving legislation preventing communities from banning plastic bags. We have also seen loss of local control in the current administration when it comes to alternative energy placement decisions.

Although gravel mining may not be an immediate concern in the Birmingham-Bloomfield area, the move to wrest away local control should be a concern for all officials and residents, as should the disproportionate influence wielded by deep-pocket industries and their lobbyists in Lansing.

Critical decisions which affect local municipalities and the quality of life of residents must stay with the local officials who know and understand local concerns the best.