Doug and Cathy Pumfrey invested their whole lives into a small Drayton Plains business, Toybox Video Games.

They’re waiting to see what Waterford Township has in store now that the trustees unanimously approved a new zoning ordinance to create the Drayton Plains Central Business District.

Rrok Gojcaj, president of Quality Restaurant Equipment, a salvage and restoration company, is also curious.

The two shops are in the same strip mall in the business district, a run-down area on Dixie Highway between Sashabaw Road and Signet Street. Part of the reason the area looks neglected now is that the existing ordinance made it difficult if not impossible for developers to renovate and reoccupy buildings, said Jeffrey Polkowski, the township’s community development director.

The old ordinance was so restrictive, he said, if an existing building burned to the ground, it couldn’t be rebuilt.

Doug Pumfrey supported the new ordinance. Gojcaj said he did, too.

“I think this area needs to be cleaned up,” Pumfrey said.

Pumfrey would like to see the empty shop next door filled with a new business, for the old sidewalks along Dixie Highway to be repaired or replaced and for the municipal parking lot behind his shop, which he said is falling apart, renovated.

Gojcaj has had various businesses in Waterford over the last 40 years and has owned the restaurant-equipment business since 2012.

“It’s exciting to see a downtown – if they slow down the traffic, that would be kind of neat,” he said, adding that he’s seen communities like Auburn Hills create a downtown area, but he wonders how successful it will be in the long term. He’s been attending township board meetings to follow Waterford’s plans.

“I think it’s great, if they do it,” he said. “Anytime you bring housing and new places and bring in a downtown and people aren’t barreling 50 mph past your building, it’s good.”

The changes won’t happen overnight, Polkowski said. The new ordinance goes into effect Aug. 5.

In June, Cathy Pumfrey asked the planning commission what the township will do to attract new businesses to the area without creating traffic problems.

Polkowski told her there’s a chamber of commerce that wants to move to the area. Small businesses that fit the mom-and-pop description would have fewer obstacles to opening, he said.

Lifelong resident Terry Ball told the planning commission in June he remembers when Drayton Plains was bustling. He grew up in a house that is a five-minute walk to the Toybox. Ball urged the commissioners and residents to think bigger.

“I’m 85 years old and I hope to see it before – well, I’d like to see it straight ahead and not look up or down at it,” he said, adding that slowing down traffic on Dixie Highway will be a major improvement. Build Drayton Plains up so people stay there. … Build something. There’s a parking lot behind some of those stores now that I have never seen full.”

The Pumfreys have been in business for 25 years but bought the former Sutton’s Costumes & Tuxedos shop in 2020, during the pandemic, to expand. They’ve lived in Waterford for 45 years.

“There’s only a few businesses here,” he said, listing a wedding shop, a hair salon, an electrician and a nearby shop that he described as “more of a man cave for storage” than a retail outlet.

“Luckily we’ve been in business for a long time and have enough regular customers, but I sure would like to see it be busier around here.”

Pumfrey said he’s replaced the roof and heating cooling system at his shop and replaced the ceiling and floors.

He’s not sure when the township will unveil its facade-improvement program but he’s eager to apply.

“I’m impatient,” he said. “I want to see things happen.”

Polkowski said he’s meeting with engineers and architects to talk about the best way to set up the facade-renovation program, which will be funded with part of a $750,000 federal grant the township received in 2023.

Polkowski said the new ordinance was crafted after talking to residents, business owners, potential investors and historical society members.

Investors have responded. Three Waterford natives in the development business bought the school Drayton Plains Elementary in 2023 and are using it to create the 21-unit Drayton Plains Lofts.

The gym had to be removed for structural reasons, Polkowski said. He’s excited that the school’s 1925 facade will be preserved, with a rooftop patio added. The school will include six stories of rented loft units and the rest of the four-acre property will be owner-occupied townhouses.

The townhouses are between the single-family homes behind the former school and represent a density transition, he said.

The loft developers were incentivized by the new ordinance which, in addition to setting development limits, offers points for going beyond a basic plan to benefit the community, Polkowski said.

A developer can earn up to six points for including such amenities as an outdoor public park, transit and pedestrian-friendly elements, historic preservation, for fresh food sales or for LEED-certified building plans.

The points can be exchanged for adding a second story, reducing the number of parking spaces or adding a dwelling on an acre of land, he said.

One example he gives people is a grocery store on a site that is two spaces short of the parking requirement. The shop earns development points to eliminate one parking space because it will sell fresh produce and meat. Adding a public art display would eliminate the second parking space from the requirement, he said.

At the Drayton Plains Lofts, a water run-off basin will also serve as a green space, with a sidewalk, benches and a dog run area.

“We don’t have a storm drain system here, so everything is green infrastructure, by and large,” Polkowski said. “But we’re asking developers to create something that better serves the people that in the end is better than an ugly ditch behind a building.”

Waterford also negotiated with HUD so the township can make up to $1.8 million in Section 108 business loans. These low-interest loans are a tool that allows a municipality to act as a bank, he said.

“We’re not here to make money. We’re here to improve the community,” Polkowski said, adding that for the first time, the township was setting architectural design standards. “We’re zoning for ‘pretty’.”

A building facade that uses three different materials, he said, is more visually appealing to pedestrians and doesn’t have to be expensive.

The township is also exploring ways to use future benches, trash cans and the municipal parking lot for some low-key advertising.

An Oakland County man went into shock when he realized he’d won a $2 million Michigan lottery prize

The 34-year-old chose to remain anonymous but told state lottery officials his “go-to” game is
Colossal Cashword. He bought his $30 ticket at USA 2 GO Quick Store, 8355 Grand River Road in Brighton.

He chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $1.3 million instead of annual payments for the full amount. He told lottery officials he plans to pay off student loans and buy a new car.

“I scratched the ticket right after I bought it and was excited when I got nine words,” he told lottery officials. “When I got the 10th word for a $2 million prize, I was in total shock. Winning is such a great feeling!”

Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli congratulated the player and said the scratch-and-win experience is the dream of many lottery players.

More than $21 million in prizes remain in the Colossal Cashword game, including five $10,000 prizes, and 37 $5,000 prizes.

People with gambling addictions and their loved ones can receive free confidential help via the National Problem Gambling Helpline, (800) GAMBLER or (800) 426-2537.

Learn more about the Michigan Lottery online: https://news.michiganlottery.com/media.

Rochester police will soon have new cameras for officers and road patrol vehicles.

The city council unanimously approved a five-year, $345,363 contract with Axon Enterprises based in Scottsdale, AZ, for 20 bodycams and 10 in-car cameras, all of which have livestreaming capabilities.

Police Chief George Rouhib said the department has been using Watchguard bodycams but Axon’s cameras had advanced features.

In addition to better-quality images, the cameras include license-plate readers, an AI assistant, and redaction software. The contract includes a supplemental language translator which helps with up to 50 languages, he said.

More than three dozen languages are spoken by Oakland County’s residents who speak English as a second language, according to the U.S. Census.

“When the individual speaks into the camera, the software will identify the language and translate it into English and vice versa,” he said. “The software will also store our department policies, allowing officers to access critical information easily while in the field, ensuring compliance and informed decision making.”

He said the current cameras are out of warranty and cannot be repaired. The new equipment, he said, will be good for an estimated five years.

The in-cruiser cameras can also read license plates and alert officers to stolen cars.

All road patrol vehicles will have cameras, he said.

The city adopted bodycams in 2021 as a way to improve evidence collection and document police officers’ actions.

An Oakland County road commission worker was killed and two others seriously injured after a vehicle crashed into their worksite Wednesday morning.

The workers were near the median in the northbound lanes of Orchard Lake Road near Misty Pines Drive when a southbound driver in a silver Ford Escape crossed the median and hit them. One worker died at the scene and the others were hospitalized.

“They were out doing basin repair work on Orchard Lake Road between 10 and 11 Mile roads,” said Craig Bryson, road commission spokesman.

The names and ages of the workers are not being released, to give families time to inform relatives, according to Farmington Hills police.

Police said the driver of the Escape was also hospitalized.

The workers had proper safety equipment and signals north and south of their location, but the Escape came from the west side of the work site, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.

Bryson said the crash is devastating to the agency, which has just over 450 employees and is a tightly knit group.

“Our biggest concern is supporting the families of these three employees,” he said.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased,” said Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott. “We also extend our thoughts and prayers to the injured crew members and their families as they continue to receive medical attention, along with the entire Road Commission for Oakland County family affected by this tragic incident.”

Dennis Kolar, the road commission’s managing director said Wednesday was a heartbreaking day for the entire road commission family.

“We are extremely saddened by the loss of one of our family members, and the injury of two others,” he said.

Mental-health professionals will be at the road commission offices Thursday for any employees struggling with this situation.

“This devastating event is a stark reminder of the importance of work zone safety,” Kolar said, adding that despite road workers taking every safety precaution there are still risks daily on the job.

Kolar also thanked the Farmington Hills police for their quick response and professional assistance at the accident scene.

Police encouraged drivers to be extra careful when traveling around road crews.

Anyone with information related to this traffic crash is asked to contact the Farmington Hills Police command desk at (248) 871-2610.

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Big road repair lies ahead after deluge in northeast Oakland County

 

One cooling center has opened in Oakland County and there may be more as a heat wave sweeps into southeast Michigan.

The Robert Bowens Senior Center, 52 Bagley St. in Pontiac, is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. It is not near a bus line so people who can’t get there by car will need to arrange a ride.

The National Weather Service in White Lake issued a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. The heat index is expected to hit 101 degrees.

Wednesday temperatures are predicted to hit 86 degrees with sunny skies with possible wind gusts up to 18 mph. Temperatures will drop to 70 degrees overnight. Thursday’s temperatures will reach near 91 degrees but combined with humidity, it will feel warmer. There’s a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. The threat of storms continues into the evening and overnight.

The combination of high temperatures and humidity Thursday could lead to heat illnesses, according to the NWS. Oakland County’s health department offers these prevention tips:

•  Drink plenty of fluids

•  Stay in an air-conditioned room if possible

•  If you go outside, wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing. Limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening

•  Stay out of the sun

•  Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles as temperatures can become lethal in minutes

•  Check up on relatives and neighbors.

•  If you go outside, wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing. Limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening.

Symptoms of heat-related illnesses include heavy sweating, muscle pain or spasms in the stomach, arms, or legs, nausea, clammy skin and high body temperature.

Oakland County has an more health tips online at https://www.oakgov.com/community/health/health-a-z/information-a-z/heat-related-illness and an interactive map of cooling centers online at https://www.oakgov.com/community/emergency-management/need-to-know/safety/warming-and-cooling-centers.

A Pontiac woman charged with running an illegal animal shelter has another Oakland County court date.

Karmen Schooly’s pretrial hearing was before Sixth Circuit Court Judge Daniel P. O’Brien on June 30 and she is scheduled to return to his courtroom at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 9.

She’s been charged with failure to provide adequate care to 25 or more animals. It’s a felony and if convicted, Schooly would face up to seven years in prison, fines up to $10,000 and up to 500 hours of community service. She was also charged with operating an unregistered animal shelter, a misdemeanor with penalties of up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine up to $500.

Schooly is also facing separate changes in Macomb County of animal abandonment and cruelty related to foster care for seven puppies. Schooly’s Pontiac-based TriCounty Dog Rescue had a foster agreement with Alicia Coleman of Lenox Township in 2023.

Two of those puppies were sick with highly contagious canine parvovirus. Coleman paid for veterinary care for the sick dogs, which survived. Schooly refused to take any of the dogs back or pay for the veterinary care, according to Coleman’s court testimony. Coleman was able to find a home for one of the dogs that hadn’t been ill and brought the rest to Macomb County Animal Control.

Macomb County charged Schooly with one felony count of animal cruelty/abandonment, one felony count of unauthorized practice as a veterinarian/ health professional and a misdemeanor charge of operating an unlicensed animal shelter.

In January 2024, Judge William Hackel III ruled Schooly owed the county $70,255 for the dogs’ care which lasted a year. Unable to pay, Schooly forfeited the dogs to the county. Each dog was eventually adopted.

Schooly has so far rejected a Macomb plea deal that would include dropping the unauthorized practice charge. As part of that deal, she would not be allowed to own any animals unless they are licensed by Oakland County and her home would be subject to random inspections by Oakland County Animal Control.

Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Julie Gatti said if Schooly accepted the plea agreement, which Lozen said would be on the table until the trial, she would be willing to allow Schooly to make monthly payments toward the $70,255 during her probation as opposed to paying one lump sum. The plea deal remains on the table until Schooly’s Aug. 27 Macomb trial.

 

With help from a $2.5 million from Oakland County’s housing trust fund, a new 72-unit multifamily housing development has opened in Pontiac.

Westwood South Apartments, 837 Golf Drive in Pontiac, have two complete buildings already at capacity and a third under construction.

Frank Bell, a U.S. Navy veteran and Pontiac native, lived in Lincoln Park until he had the opportunity to rent a Westwood apartment with help from the federal Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program. He uses a wheelchair after losing his legs to disease. He praised the developers for their humanistic treatment.

Humane treatment, he said, “is about peace, quiet and tranquility that’s what I have here.”

At Monday’s ribbon cutting, County Executive Dave Coulter said good quality, safe housing is essential for Oakland County residents of all income brackets, adding “healthy communities start with good neighborhoods.”

The county commission created the county’s housing trust fund with $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Coulter said that sounds like a lot of money, but it has all been committed. County officials are now working on ways to keep the fund going.

Coulter said grants made to developers will be repaid over time. Deputy County Executive Madiha Tariq said the commission has committed $2 million annually but she is also looking for donations to create a robust revolving fund.

The trust fund helps existing developers by providing funding with a requirement to include affordable housing units.

Bill Chalmers, Westwood Apartment Communities’ managing partner, said the county’s $2.5 grant was essential to finishing the contract, because inflation has increased costs.

He said 60% of people renting Westwood units work for United Wholesale Mortgage, less than three miles away. Three residents are from India – in one case a man came to the U.S. to work at Trinity Health and was thrilled to find a home close to work, he said.

The one- and two-bedroom units range from 660 square feet to 1,025 square feet with one or two bathrooms. The units have washer-dryer hook-ups, air conditioning, a dishwasher and microwave. Rent ranges from $1,150 to $1,450 with federal housing vouchers for up to six units in each of the three buildings.

Chalmers described Westwood as diverse in every possible way: Income, age, race, gender and sexual orientation.

The apartments are just south of the Links at Crystal Lake, a golf course on the edge of the lake, and less than two miles from Bowens senior center and across a parking lot from a Montessori school.

It is across the parking lot from the office for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, a Medicare and Medicaid program that serves Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.

Chalmers said construction included adding 12 overnight beds for PACE.

Chalmers praised Vern Gustafsson, Pontiac’s former planning manager and now the project director and planner at the Pontiac Housing Commission, for shepherding the project through the city’s planning and zoning process.

Deborah Younger, the city’s economic development manager, told Chalmers about the county’s grant program and Councilwoman Melanie Rutherford was “a big champion” of the project even before she was elected to the city council, Chalmers said.

“One apartment, one home at a time,” said Rutherford, who is on the housing commission’s board of directors. “I’m so proud to be a part of this.”

The apartments are on the abandoned site of a former Baptist College. The project included gutting and renovating what had been dorm rooms for the college students, Chalmers said.

The first two buildings have reached capacity, he said. He expects a third building will fill up quickly after it is finished in September.

An Oakland County district judge facing a misconduct complaint will have fewer cases on her docket at her own request and following action taken by a supervising judge.

A Michigan judicial tenure commission investigation found evidence of misconduct by 52-4 District Judge Kirsten Hartig, according to a complaint made public earlier this month. The report, signed on June 4, said Hartig dismissed at least four criminal cases “to punish the prosecution rather than on the merits of the cases” and created a “climate of fear” among court officials and employees. Hartig also took months to share with the commission an April 2024 state-ordered mental-health evaluation that found she was unsafe to practice.

Bruce Goldberg, president of River’s Bend and a social worker working with Hartig’s sobriety program team, wrote to the commission in June 2024 to defend Hartig. He wrote that he did not believe Hartig was unsafe to practice.

Since April, 52nd District Court Chief Judge Travis Reeds has twice asked the commission to remove Hartig from the bench before the complaint is resolved. Each request was denied.

Hartig had denied county prosecutor’s office attorneys’ requests for her to recuse herself from hearing their cases. But on Tuesday, she rescued herself.

The Oakland Press asked Judge Hartig’s spokesman for comment on Thursday morning, but courts and county offices are closed in observance of Juneteenth.

On Wednesday, Reeds responded to Hartig’s recusal with an administrative order moving certain cases to other 52nd District judges.

The 52nd District Court has four divisions: 52-1 in Novi, 52-2 in Clarkston, 52-3 in Rochester Hills and 52-4 in Troy. District court judges handle traffic violations such as driving under the influence, speeding and reckless driving; civil cases, such as evictions, land forfeitures, garnishments for up to $25,000; and civil cases with claims above $25,000 assigned by the Circuit Court. District judges also hear criminal cases with maximum penalties of up to a year in jail. They preside over preliminary and probable cause hearings for criminal cases that are sent for Circuit Court trial.

Reeds said the individual requests for recusals and appeals were creating unnecessary confusion and delays that were unfair to everyone, especially litigants and attorneys. Reed’s order created a temporary procedure to streamline the case-assignment process.

“I want to thank my fellow 52nd District Court judges and the outstanding staff in all four divisions for stepping up to handle the extra cases without complaint,” he said.

Reeds said the court’s priority is to serve the public to the best of its ability.

“We will continue to work together to make that happen,” he said.

All cases involving state-law violations and misdemeanor civil cases will be divided between 52-4 Presiding Judge Maureen McGinnis and Reeds.

McGinnis will hear all of Clawson’s criminal and civil cases normally heard by Hartig and all felony cases.

Reeds will be at the 52-4 District Court in Troy three Tuesdays a month to hear cases. The judge for the four Tuesday remains to be named.

Hartig will continue to hear general civil, landlord-tenant and small-claims cases filed in the 52-4 District Court.

The complaint against Hartig, filed on June 4, requires a response to the judicial tenure commission within 14 business days. Hartig’s response is due June 25.

The Oakland County road commission will decide on Monday whether to build a new $45 million administration building after months of delays and pressure from the county commission — or to renovate a 58-year-old building on the county’s campus for $55 million.

Last week, commissioners Eric McPherson and Jim Esshaki learned what it would take to renovate the county’s executive building and whether it could house Beverly Hills-based road commission employees close to those on the county campus in Waterford Township.

Architect Jane Graham of the engineering firm Hubbell Roth & Clark told commissioners that a renovation would neither accomplish goals of housing all staff in one place. She toured the building and was able to get some plans from previous renovations for her recommendations.

She said the 58-year-old executive building was last renovated in 2006 and was evaluated in 2022 by a county contractor.

While much of the executive building is in very nice condition, she said, its electrical and mechanical systems are old. Some wiring is nearly 60 years old while heating and cooling systems are close to 20 years old.

Contractors did “a heck of a job” replacing executive building equipment in 2006, she said, “but these things will wear out over time.”

The biggest obstacle to renovating the executive building are the elevators, which cannot be used to move large-format printers needed by the road commission.

Renovating the executive building at 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township also won’t accomplish the road commission’s goals for increased space or to bring employees together in one place, she said.

The cost to renovate would be close to $55 million, she said, more than the cost for a new building.

And dropping the existing plan for a new building would incur substantial costs as well, she said, adding to the price tag for renovating the executive building.

Graham’s report shows the road commission has already spent more than $3.5 million for engineering, site preparation and other work at 2420 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township. There is also nearly $4.3 million more in expenses that have not yet been billed, and $2 million for a four-month construction delay.

The road commission could also be on the hook for millions more, should the contractor, Frank Rewold & Sons, or subcontractors sue for breach of contract.

McPherson and Esshaki asked few questions before agreeing to schedule a special meeting to decide which option to pursue before the deadline for a second delay expires on the same day.

Construction for the new building was put on hold in February at the request of County Commission Chairman Dave Woodward. He asked road commissioners to consider renovating the executive building because it will be vacant in two years when county officials move to Pontiac.

Woodward suggested then that the executive building could also be used by county sheriff’s deputies, dispatchers and homeland security as an emergency response center.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard said past discussions fizzled about renovating an existing building or constructing a new one so dispatchers, deputies, the road commission’s traffic center and the county’s homeland security could share offices.

“Our current dispatch center and emergency operations center don’t meet any federal guidelines,” he said. “Quite frankly, they’re in a terrible building. It was built in the 1940s and has been retrofitted so many times you can’t count and literally has rats the size of small dogs.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency sets standards for emergency operations centers. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/frameworks/response

He said road commission officials were open to creating a shared space, but FEMA’s standards are very expensive to meet.

“It doesn’t make sense, in my opinion, for three different county entities to each build their own. So I offered to have (an emergency operations center) for all three together. The technology we have is state-of-the-art but the building it’s in is not and it doesn’t meet any standards for an emergency operations center,” Bouchard said, adding that the current location wouldn’t survive a major disaster, something that is essential for deputies, dispatchers and homeland security officials during a crisis.

EOB Assessment

A proper emergency center, Bouchard said, could withstand any extreme weather, including a tornado, so personnel can coordinate disaster response efforts throughout the county.

No part of the county’s executive building, including the basement meets disaster-resistant standards, Bouchard said,

Bouchard said he didn’t think plans for either the road commission’s proposed administration building or the water resources commission’s proposed $63 building met FEMA standards.

“I would love to talk to anyone about co-locating and sharing the costs and planning,” he said.

The road commission’s new building plan doesn’t include a FEMA-level emergency operations space, according to spokesman Craig Bryson.

The road commission’s special meeting is 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 23, at 31001 Lahser Road in Beverly Hills.

People who can’t attend in person but want to listen to the discussion can call (810) 337-8118 and use the meeting ID: 618 693 917#. People with hearing or speech disabilities who want to join the meeting should call 711. Road commission officials as attendees who wish to speak during public comment to fill out an online form at http://rcocweb.org/AgendaCenter.

On the same day thousands of marching soldiers, rows of tanks, parachute jumps and flyovers were set to take center stage in the nation’s capital, millions of Americans made their views about those occupying the White House clear.

Ferndale police estimated 4,000 people turned out for Ferndale’s “No Kings” demonstration, hours before the 6:30 p.m. parade in Washington, D.C. Trump sought a parade for his June 14 birthday during his first term in office, but he didn’t get it. Saturday’s event, which is estimated to cost anywhere from $25-$40 million or more, has been recharacterized as part of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Ferndale police spokesman Evan Ahlin said organizers worked with police to ensure a peaceful event. Police responded to one medical issue involving an elderly woman that was quickly resolved, he said.

Jenny Pascal of Berkley carried a sign appealing for justice for all people. The mom and special needs teacher said she’s worried sick about how Medicaid changes will affect her vulnerable students.

“But it’s hard to pick one topic,” she said. “There’s so much at stake.”

Signs took aim at ICE deportations, Elon Musk’s influence on federal policy and spending, including plans to lay off 80,000 Veterans Administration employees, the erosion of civil rights policies and more. The crowd filled sidewalks on either side of Woodward Avenue at Nine Mile Road and the median. The sidewalks were filled for a half mile north and south of Nine Mile.

One sign read: “Democracy doesn’t fear protest. Dictators do.”

Another said, “If a senator can be handcuffed for asking a question, imagine what they will do to you?”

Some signs were professionally printed while others were handmade with cutouts. Some were pieces of ripped cardboard with statements scrawled using markers.

Demonstrators were peaceful but cheered loudly in response to drivers in passing cars who tooted or blared horns.

Debbie Rosenman of Bloomfield Township helped organize the event for Indivisible Fighting 9.

“I’m the daughter of a Holocaust survivor,” she said. “My dad taught me how bad dictators are, so when I see what is happening now in this country with taking away rights, the disappearing of people – even grabbing citizens off the street, – ignoring the judicial decisions, disrupting our public agencies. This makes me remember my dad and his words.”

Herman Bohm often told his daughter to fight for a healthy democracy, she added.

Rosenman said Ferndale police were very supportive of the group and she was glad threats of a counter-demonstration by Trump supporters never materialized.

“We saw one man with a Trump flag — but it said ‘Veterans against Trump” so that means he was with us,” she said.

About 2,000 No Kings demonstrations were organized across the U.S. and in 17 other countries, she said.

“We’ll keep coming to the streets,” she said. “We have to let our government know we’re not going to stand for this.”

Indivisible is organizing a July 5 “Elbows Up” rally at Hart Plaza with people in Windsor, she said, adding details will be announced soon. “We’re not gonna stop until we see change.”

Many people carried double-sided signs with slogans about different issues. Amelia Nowicki, 21, of Grosse Pointe Woods is one of the Michigan State University students on campus during the Feb. 13, 2023, mass shooting. She said fighting gun violence is one of her core issues. But she’s always been interested in politics and how government policy affects the environment.

“If you don’t have a planet to inhabit, we don’t have any of this. We don’t have each other,” she said.

Her double-sided sign said “Melt ICE, not icecaps.” and “No one is free until we’re ALL free.”

She said she and her dad have different political views.

“My mom is just nervous. She doesn’t want to get overly involved because she worries about repercussions and safety,” she said.

Greg Sumner teaches American history at University of Detroit-Mercy. On Saturday, he carried a sign stating “Washington would be appalled.”

“I wanted to make a historical reference that what’s happening today is unprecedented. The founders would be appalled,” he said. “We live with limited government. Our country was created by rebelling against a mad king, so that’s where we are today.”

The traffic death of a man crossing Baldwin Avenue in Pontiac may lead to some traffic-safety changes, if two concerned women have their way.

Charles Arnold O’Connor, 37, of Flint, died just before 9 p.m. Friday, March 7 near Virginia Avenue after being hit by a truck.

He’d just left Hope Shelters with a supply of toilet paper, said Karen Plants, the shelter’s operations manager. Police did not cite the 16-year-old driver because O’Connor had not used a crosswalk about 350 feet north of the shelter.

“We’ve asked for a crosswalk before and that was my problem with this dear young man struck and killed,” Plants said.

Since O’Connor’s death, Plants and her boss, Hope Shelters interim CEO Elizabeth Kelly, have campaigned for safety measures.

Kelly said she asked Pontiac officials nearly a decade ago to add a crosswalk and a sign reminding drivers to watch for pedestrians.

“They told us ‘yes’ and then ignored our requests,” she said,

There are bus stops on either side of Baldwin near the shelter. Most people walk to the shelter and many residents walk or use bicycles to get around, Plants said.

O’Connor is one of four pedestrians killed on Oakland County roads this year.

The latest occurred on May 20 when a Burton man stepped out of his disabled vehicle on I-75 near Grange Hall Road in Groveland Township and was hit by a car. He was

On May 14, less than a mile from where O’Connor died, Popular Pontiac musician Justin Roettger, 51, was killed in a hit-and-run crash.

He’d been walking two women home after a concert at The Crofoot ballroom in Pontiac. They were hit near the intersection of Saginaw Street and Woodward Avenue. Both women were hospitalized with injuries.

No suspect or vehicle have been identified so far, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Steven Huber.

1 dead, 2 hospitalized after hit-and-run crash in downtown Pontiac

Ferndale police are investigating the death of a pedestrian on May 2, according to spokesman Evan Ahlin.

Ferndale police have declined to release details on the victim who was hit by a car on Eight Mile Road near Lindsay Lane.

Pedestrian hit by vehicle in Ferndale dies

Jim Santilli has worked for years on traffic safety as CEO of the Troy-based National Transportation Safety Organization.

Oakland County has one of the lowest traffic-death rates in the nation, Santilli said: 0.44 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, compared to 0.83 for Macomb County and 1.38 in Wayne County. Michigan is 1.11 and the U.S. is 1.35.

“But people still get killed – and our goal is zero deaths,” he said, adding that the county road commission prioritizes safety with every project.

NTSO statistics on Oakland County’s pedestrian crashes show 12 died in 2024, 12 died in 2023 and 14 were killed in 2022. Santilli said during the COVID-19 pandemic, more pedestrians were killed because more people were walking and drivers were more likely to speed on empty roads.

“We all have a personal responsibility to protect our life and the lives around us,” Santilli said. “We need to lose the ‘it’s all about me mentality’ and start caring about one another.”

SEMCOG studies traffic safety and commuting, which influences the region’s economic health. Data from 2023, the most-recent available, shows 37,652 people walk to work, more than 5,800 commute on bicycles while more than 1.5 million drivers commute to work southeast Michigan.

In 2023, pedestrians were involved in fewer than 1% of Michigan’s traffic accidents but accounted for more than 25% of the fatalities, including 97 people in southeast Michigan, said Trevor Layton, SEMCOG spokesman.

Plants and Kelly from Hope Shelter are asking for a new crosswalk, but Santilli said that is just one safety measure to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe.

“It comes down to: A pedestrian should wear bright or reflective clothing at night,” he said. “Don’t cross the street while texting or looking at the phone and don’t step out into traffic assuming the driver will stop.”

Drivers, he said, must be especially cautious at night or on busy roads. Observing the speed limit and avoiding distractions like a phone or food and not trying to beat red lights are among his most-important tips.

Santilli joined the recent state police Operation Ghost Rider patrols as a spotter in unmarked vehicles. He and others alerted troopers to distracted drivers and nearby marked police units made traffic stops to warn drivers to change their habits.

“Everyone knows we do this, but the drivers’ behavior doesn’t change,” he said. “Some people think they drive so well that nothing bad can happen.”

Santilli would like to see tougher penalties for distracted driving, especially if people are hurt or killed as a result.

Hope Shelters’ Kelly said she won’t stop asking for a crosswalk because it would give meaning to O’Conner’s death and save others from the same fate.

“This is beyond the HOPE guests who use the crosswalk,” she said. “I believe that lives in areas where people with economic challenges live are often not valued as highly as more prosperous areas. That needs to change.”

The city issued a statement that said residents’ health and safety are a high priority. Pontiac recently completed a pedestrian-safety study funded by a Safe Streets grant to review lighting, crosswalks, sightlines, and speed limits for the city’s road-safety action plan. The results are not yet available online.

No changes will happen until the Department of Public Works finds the money for projects, according to the city’s statement, which concluded with an appeal that people cross busy roads at intersections with traffic lights and pedestrian signals.

Oakland County Road Commissioner Nancy Quarles has resigned her position with the board to take a position with the state.

The commission’s chairman, Eric McPherson, told The Oakland Press that she emailed her resignation after Thursday’s board meeting, but he did not see it until Friday.

“I believe she got an opportunity in another part of government,” he said.

On Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she had appointed Quarles, a Novi Democrat, to the state’s three-person tax commission.

McPherson said he had no idea who would replace Quales on the three-person road commission.

“Road commissioners are appointed by the county commissioners and I have no idea who they will choose,” he said, adding that he is not making suggestions. “That’s not my place.”

The state tax commission oversees the administration of the property tax laws, assists and advises assessors and, since 2009, is responsible for the education and certification of assessing officers.

Quarles succeeds Mark Davidoff, whose term expired in December.

She is a former state representative, during which time she was vice chair of the tax policy committee, a former Oakland County commissioner and the immediate past chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party.

She did not respond to an Oakland Press request for comment on Friday.

The county road commission is in the midst of deciding whether to move forward with a $43 million administration building or renovate the county’s executive building, which will be empty in 2027 when employees there move to the Ottawa Towers buildings in downtown Pontiac.

The Oakland County commissioners approved a $174.5 million budget Friday morning to renovate the Ottawa Towers. The board also approved using $25 million from the county’s strategic investment fund to help pay for the project.

Minutes after the commission’s vote, County Executive Dave Coulter said the project will help Pontiac become vibrant and connected.

“This is more than a construction project, it’s a commitment to revitalizing Pontiac’s future,” Coulter said.

The money will support renovating the Ottawa Towers, at 31 E. Judson St. and 51111 Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, expanding green space downtown to support a walkable area and bringing nearly 700 county employees into the heart of the city.

The budget depends upon the commission approving a bond sale for the money. In 2023, the county secured $60 million, which includes a Michigan Economic Development grant from the state for $50 million and $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act money to get the project started.

Coulter, a Ferndale Democrat, said the bond sale will benefit from the county’s AAA bond rating because it will result in a lower interest rate and ultimately less cost for taxpayers..

County Commission Chairman Dave Woodward, a Royal Oak Democrat, fought opposition from two fellow Democrats, Commissioners Kristen Nelson of Waterford and Charlie Cavell of Ferndale, and Republican commissioners Mike Spisz of Oxford, Christine Long of Commerce Township, Karen Joliat of Waterford Township, Bob Hoffman of Highland Township and Philip Weipert of South Lyon.

The budget was approved on a 10-7 vote with Cavell and Nelson joining the Republicans to vote no..

The disagreement led Woodward to end Thursday’s meeting abruptly as people in the audience loudly objected to losing their right to public comment. Woodward ordered the meeting to resume Friday morning.

On Friday, Woodward apologized to those who returned – some with messages from people who could not make Friday’s meeting – and said he would ensure that didn’t happen in the future.

Supporters say the price tag for the county’s move to Pontiac will save $80 million in scattered improvements to existing buildings.

And none of the calculations include potential income from selling existing county buildings.

Both Coulter and Woodward believe the Ottawa Towers project will revitalize Pontiac by sparking other private developments and benefit the county overall by improving commerce and property values.

The county is working with the City of Pontiac to reopen Saginaw Street through the downtown area, after being blocked by the Phoenix Center for decades. Orchard Lake and Auburn roads will be enhanced, including more parking options.

At the same time, Michigan Department of Transportation will reconfigure the Woodward Loop, which currently circles the downtown area, to create two-way boulevards and add grassy islands for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Ottawa Towers project is expected to support hundreds of jobs in construction, skilled trades, architecture, engineering and real estate development. The county also has plans to work with residents to support the city’s commerce, housing, workforce development and livability.

Private developers are already adding residential units and shops to the downtown area. But the work hasn’t happened fast enough to save two restaurants: Biscuits and Bourbon inside the Strand Theatre closed earlier this year, and The Alley Cat Cafe closed on May 22 with a promise that new owners have plans for a different eatery.

Commissioner Angela Powell, a Pontiac Democrat, asked for an amendment to ensure that local businesses, especially those owned by veterans, minorities and women, had an equal opportunity to bid on the work. That passed 13-4, with Commissioner Bob Hoffman, a Highland Township Republican, voting with the board’s Democrat majority.

Several of the board’s Republicans objected to the Ottawa Towers plan for different reasons. Commissioner Chris Long of Commerce Township has long opposed it. She pays Pontiac taxes as a commissioner and said moving hundreds of county employees from the county’s campus on the city’s west side to downtown would leave empty county buildings subject to blight.

“We might not be where everyone wants us to be, in the center of Pontiac,” she said. “But we are in Pontiac.”

Most of the employees will be moved from the county’s executive building in Waterford Township, across Telegraph Road from the commissioners auditorium and conference rooms in Pontiac.

Spisz, the minority caucus chairman, said demolishing the Phoenix Center was needed. said demolishing the Phoenix Center was needed.

“But I’m stuck in the position of a want versus a need,” he said, adding that the Ottawa Towers investment was more of a want.

He said the $175 million was a minimum cost for the project and urged his fellow commissioners to rethink the plan.

He also said he is not confident the move would help Pontiac.

Cavell compared taking $25 million from the county’s strategic investment fund and pursuing a $174.5 million bond to taking a payday loan.

“I’m a union member and I’m a budget nerd. I cannot vote for this,” he said, asking for spending specifics.

Commissioner Brendan Johnson said it’s impossible to define the exact costs because of tariffs and inflation, adding that it cost less to consolidate hundreds of employees into a single location than to make the improvements recommended in a 2022 Plante Moran study.

That study found that the cost of renovating multiple campus buildings was higher than the cost of consolidating staff in a single location. Johnson said he is thinking about the county’s future for 2100, not 2035.

Commissioner Yolanda Smith Charles, a Southfield Democrat said she has supported the Pontiac project for more than two years. She said recent improvements to county parks received the board’s full support, though not everyone uses the parks.

The Ottawa Towers project, she said, represents moving toward progress from stagnation.

The county has contracts with companies for demolition, engineering, architecture and construction as well as a representative overseeing the county’s interest in the project.

So far, the county has spent nearly $24 million of the initial $60 million, including nearly $19.4 million to buy the properties.

The county paid the Farbman Group just over $471,000 for services as the county’s representative and nearly $2.6 million for repairs, cleaning, parking expenses, maintenance and administration. Other bills include just under $30,000 for legal fees; nearly $240,000 for the Phoenix Center demolition; just over $95,000 to Granger, a construction management firm; and nearly $970,000 to the HED Group, a consultant for community engagement, urban planning, facility assessment, design evaluation, master planning and programming, among other tasks. Two other companies working together, the infrastructure consulting firm AECOM and Sidewalk Detroit, which specializes in community engagement, event production and public art projects, were paid just over $83,000.

The county received $25 million from MEDC and expects $25 million more, but the payment is based on documented costs. The $10 million in ARPA funds came from the county’s health department. The state pays just over $3.1 million to lease offices at 51111 Woodward Ave. The county has so far earned nearly $683,000 in interest on funds in the bank.

Nearly two dozen people wearing red shirts carried informational signs outside a downtown Pontiac building on Tuesday.

The demonstrators, members of UAW Local 6000, were representing more than 250 state workers at 51111 Woodward Ave., and concerns related to the Phoenix Center demolition.

The work is part of a two-year renovation process for Oakland County, which plans to move between 600 and 700 employees to Pontiac in 2027. Work on the Phoenix Center started in April.

Rachael Dickinson, UAW Local 6000 vice president, said state employees in the building have had some troubling experiences since demolition started.

“One of our top priorities as a union is keeping our members safe and a workplace free of recognizable hazards,” she said, adding that the demolition of the Phoenix Center next door, “We don’t know if this building is structurally sound. There are chemical smells coming into the building causing headaches for our workers right now.”

With the Phoenix Center coming down, state workers were directed to use a large parking lot known as Lot Nine, on the north side of the building. State-owned cars were also parked there, until one was stolen. Now, the state-owned cars are parked next to the Sheriff’s substation a half mile away, at 110 E. Pike St., and workers either walk or get a ride back to their offices.

Personal vehicles are parked in Lot 9, but workers are concerned about future thefts because the lot has no apparent security. The door to the north side of the building is locked for security reasons, so they have to walk to the south-side entrance.

Dickinson said she’d like to see immediate corrections by state managers or demonstrations will continue. Employees walked the picket line during their lunch hour, joined by retirees, including Wanda Withers, a former caseworker.

“If they’re not safe, they can’t provide the services the people in our state need,” she said.

The Farbman Group, which represents Oakland County during construction, issued two statements Tuesday about the demonstration.

“(Safety) has been the number one priority of our client, Oakland County, since they became owners of the building in 2023. We work closely to keep our respective tenants informed and to be responsive to all concerns brought to our attention,” the company said.

The company’s statement added that people working at the Woodward offices “will experience some inconveniences” during construction.

“We will strive to address these inconveniences as quickly as possible. Some of the work required to make this redevelopment vision a reality include the demolition of the Phoenix Center and we’re doing so while upholding the highest air quality standards,” the company’s statement said.

The company is also working with state officials to minimize parking concerns and monitoring the demolition contractor, Adamo Group. Farbman Group’s statement said the goal is for a seamless experience.

Some state employees have been allowed to work remotely, said Carnetta Elder, a UAW Local 6000 representative, but most continue to report to the Woodward offices.

She added that there are other sites where state workers can do their jobs – which is the goal, because construction will continue for at least two years.

Ray Hesser, a child-protective services worker, has worked at the Pontiac building for three years. He said it appears to have an air purification machine, but he’s not sure if it’s helping.

“We’re talking about dust, chemicals, the air we breathe – a health and safety issue. It’s not just employees and supervisors coming here, it’s clients, citizens. Little kids. Adults. Elderly people,” he said.

His department is on a hybrid schedule, so employees don’t have to be in the building five days a week, he said, adding that there are other state sites that would be accessible to clients.

Retiree Laura Wade demonstrated in support of her former colleagues.

“All the state buildings I visited during my career were old buildings, some with black mold. The state workers never get good buildings,” she said.

The Farbman Group, asked how contractors were mitigating any air quality concerns, issued a second statement to say there are none associated with the demolition work because it is ”being carried out in accordance with a comprehensive dust mitigation strategy. This includes the use of controlled watering methods to suppress dust generated from concrete, masonry and other non-hazardous building materials.”

As a result, people will see mist in the air, which the company explained as a standard and safe part of the dust-control process – adding that no foul or unusual odors are anticipated.

The seven candidates for Pontiac mayor will meet on Thursday for a moderated two-hour forum.

Ten different community organizations have sponsored the event, said Christine Allen, a member of the League of Women Voters Oakland Area, adding that she’s thrilled so many are cohosting the forum.

She said all seven candidates have agreed to attend. It’s their first appearance as a group, she said.

“It’s not a debate – it’s a forum and follows all the League of Women Voters’ rules,” she said. Rules include no endorsements by the league or any event co-sponsors. If the event is recorded, it must be broadcast or posted online without edits. The format includes equal time for candidates’ answers and the use of a moderator.

Among the topics to be discussed: public safety, housing, water affordability, jobs, education, and community investment. The audience can submit written questions, Allen said.

“We’ll screen the questions,” she said. “That means we’ll read them for clarity and legibility, because the moderator has to read them. We’ll also look for duplication, so if we get three or four similar questions on housing, we’ll combine them and ask one housing question.”

The seven candidates on the Aug. 5 primary ballot are:

•  Gill Garrett, Oakland County sheriff’s deputy and former Pontiac school board president.

•  Mark E. Holland, Sr., former city councilman and former deputy mayor.

•  Mike McGuinness, current city councilman and council president.

•  Alexandria T. Riley, sales director at the Genesee County Land Bank Authority and Pontiac’s former chief development officer and former mayoral candidate. Riley lost to Tim Greimel in 2021.

•  Deirdre Waterman, former two-term Pontiac mayor.

•  Kermit Williams, former city council president and current executive director for the nonprofit Oakland Forward.

•  Wendell Woods, former Detroit public school teacher.

The nine sponsors besides LWV include The Change Up, NAACP, Mothering Justice, Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, Voters Not Politicians, Jews for a Secular Democracy, When You Vote I Win, Michigan League of Conservation Voters and Voting Access for All Coalition.

Doors open at 5:30 and the forum starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the Bowens Senior Center, 52 Bagley St. in Pontiac. The forum is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Sheriff’s Deputy Bradley Reckling, killed June 22 while pursuing a stolen vehicle, was among those honored Wednesday during Oakland County’s National Peace Officers Day ceremony.

“We thank you for stepping forward when it is much easier to stand still,” Undersheriff Timothy Willis told the standing-room only crowd in the county commissioners auditorium.
.
Three suspects were ultimately arrested and charged in the homicide.

Reckling is remembered as a dedicated public servant, respected colleague, and a loving husband and father of four.

The valor award cited his courage, professionalism, and selfless devotion to duty represent the highest ideals of law enforcement.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard was in Washington D.C. for another ceremony honoring Deputy Reckling. Bouchard sent a message that he’s proud of the men and women of the sheriff’s office who are willing to risk their lives daily to serve and protect our community.

The Pontiac ceremony included a 21-gun salute from the Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, the playing of Taps, and Amazing Grace by a bagpiper to honor the many of the fallen law enforcement heroes from the past year. The list of honorees was more than two dozen pages long.

2025 awards ceremony final

Highlights:

Command Officer of the Year
• Sergeant Joseph Ashley, for responding to the splash pad shooting by taking charge of the scene, administered lifesaving tourniquets to victims, and seamlessly switching to SWAT commander once the suspect was located.

Investigator of the Year
• Detective Kyle Standifer, a narcotics enforcement team, member, led NET in both search warrants and arrests in 2024 and participated in major cases where firearms and significant quantities of drugs were seized.

Corrections Deputy of the Year
• Deputy Ryan Lotan, a trainer and member of the cell extraction Team and SWAT, for being a role model for new deputies and highly respected by his peers.

Patrol Deputy of the Year
• Deputy Jeremy Berquist from the Pontiac substation, wrote 450 reports in 2024, the most out of any patrol deputy, personifying all the virtues required of law enforcement.

Communications Employee of the Year
• Dispatch Specialist Shauna Bentley, for the August 2024 call she handled, saving the life of a deputy’s family member. The citation called her “an exemplary asset to the organization.”

Employee of the Year

• Sheriff Administrative Specialist Adam Blankenship, Freedom of Information Act coordinator, for expertly handling thousands of requests annually, including videos, subpoenas, and digital media.

Part-Time Deputy of the Year
• Deputy Thom Seling, a retired lieutenant who works with the training unit, for being organized and hardworking keep the new-hire training programs the best in the state.

Reserve of the Year
• Reserve Sergeant Jason Kajy, who volunteers for ride-alongs, Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, SWAT support and many community events, including Sheriff PAL and Dream Cruise, for being a reserve-unit role model.

Support Services Deputy of the Year
• Deputy Stephanie Alston, a forensic lab investigator with her own caseload and top-notch trainer for individuals. She was called caring, empathic and willing to stay late or be available during off-duty hours for priority cases.

Other awards were presented sheriff’s office employees for: Bravery, distinguished service, lifesaving, meritorious service, special commendations and several individual unit awards.

Several outside agencies that responded to the splash pad shooting were also honored: Rochester Hills Fire, Shelby Police dispatchers, the ATF, Rochester police, Troy police, the FBI and Auburn Hills police.

Civilians honored included:

Citizen Citation for their extraordinary actions in responding to the June 15 Brooklands Splash Pad shooting: Raymond Shaw II, Garland Whitney Jr., Stefanie Slate, Derek Slate, Nicole Boyd, Roseanna Martin, Eugene Bass, Antonio Bass, Haylee Koss, Kristopher Lockard, Thomas Schmidt, Melissa Natzke and Ashley Smith.

Each stepped in while police were en route to provide lifesaving first aid, including applying tourniquets and dressings. Some even drove victims in their personal vehicles to safety and called loved ones on their personal phones.

• Orion Township resident Naveyah Lemmon, 17, was honored for finding a missing K-9 and sharing an alert on social media. Lemmon took the dog to a vet and kept it safe until a sheriff’s detective saw the alert and was able to get the K-9 back to its handler, an Orion Township resident who works for Novi Police.

• Jamison Maynard, who worked with his cousin, Sgt. Melissa Nations to save a family member’s life after the relative collapsed during a family Christmas party. Maynard and Nations performed chest
compressions and rescue breathing until emergency services arrived.

• Brandon Shaya, owner of C.J. Mahoney’s in Rochester, provided food and beverages to sheriff’s deputies as they grieved the loss of Deputy Reckling; during the aftermath of the splash pad shooting; and to motorcade officers traveling with the various candidates during the presidential campaigns.

• Sean Stockman, who provides free lawn care for people in
Need to make a positive difference in their lives.

• Larry McKenzie: McKenzie, of McKenzie Moving & Storage, for supporting the sheriff’s annual Coats for the Cold drive, bottle and can drives for PAL during the pandemic and transporting bikes for the sheriff’s Re-Cycle program. He’s volunteered to help since 2015.

• Brooke Blomberg, an off-duty registered nurse, who stopped her car to assist a man who collapsed while jogging. She called 911 and performed CPR until help arrived.

• Allyson Dale, who raised over $20,000 since August to help the Thomas Richards Foundation buy six K9 ballistic vests for sheriff’s K9s.

• Berkley American Legion Post #374, for the Sept. 14, barbecue fundraiser to support Deputy Reckling’s family, which raised close to $45,000.

• Natalie Nellett and Kara Obrecht, for cataloging the vast evidence in the Oxford High School shooting case. Their efforts were called meticulous, precise and crucial in convicting the shooter and his parents, according to the sheriff’s office.

Pontiac’s former building official, Bruce Eck, has sued the city for wrongful discharge. He was fired in March after a dispute with his supervisor. The lawsuit asks for a jury trial and seeks a minimum award of $25,000.

“Due to our policy, we don’t comment on pending litigation,” said Pontiac spokeswoman Paula Bridges.

Eck’s attorneys, Deborah Gordon and Morry Hutton, said Eck was scapegoated by the city in the wake of three abandoned children’s rescue from an unregistered rental home on Lydia Lane in Pontiac’s Stonegate Pointe neighborhood.

“It’s unfortunate that the city of Pontiac has now lost an invaluable public servant and extremely experienced building officials with excellent credentials,” Gordon said. “He was fired because he refused to go along with what he believed to be an illegal directive.”

City records show an April 2020 blight ticket for Lydia Lane and an unregistered rental complaint. Inspectors visited the home four times in 2020 without resolving the rental complaint. Inspectors returned in February 2022 and April 2022. The owner had not registered the rental. No progress check was scheduled or made, which could have saved the children earlier, Eck told The Oakland Press in March.

The children were rescued in February after a maintenance worker went to see if the occupants had moved after not paying rent for several months. The children’s mother is in Oakland County Jail, facing multiple charges.

Eck was hired in November 2023 and had been archiving old and expired records in the city database that tracks taxes, assessments, code enforcement visits and tickets as well as construction permits. He and his deputy, Dennis Szymanski, deleted 7,000 long-expired permits from the city’s database.

Eck wanted to create reports on active issues so they could be tracked and addressed.

But his boss, Community Development Director Rachel Loughrin, told him to reactivate the old permits and require inspections. Eck asked a city attorney for a legal opinion on the order.

On March 3, Loughrin claimed in a disciplinary action form that Eck pursued personal legal advice from the city attorney. Eck said he made the request in his official capacity. He refused to sign the document and was fired.

Eck, a certified building official, building plan reviewer, and building inspector, worked as West Bloomfield Township’s building director for 19 years and Dearborn’s safety official for a decade. He is a board member for the Southeast Michigan Building Officials and Inspectors Association, which sets professional standards for and trains building officials and code inspectors. He told The Oakland Press he has never been fired or disciplined in his career.

Gordon and Hutton said they don’t believe Loughrin knew the proper way to address the invalid permits.

Defendants in the lawsuit include the city and Loughrin, in her personal and official capacities. They have 28 days to respond to the lawsuit, which was assigned to Sixth Circuit Court Judge Nanci Grant.

Ferndale voters delivered two victories on Tuesday. Proposals before Clawson and Lamphere Schools’ voters failed.

Ferndale voters’ ballot included a city millage and school bond proposal. The city asked for a 10-year, 5.4 millage to restore money lost through the Headlee Act rollbacks. Of the 4,230 voters who cast ballots, 2,455 voted yes and 1,775 voted no. The city will receive an estimated $5.4 million starting in 2026.

Voters approved Ferndale Public Schools’ request for a 30-year, $114.8 million bond with 3,665 voting yes and 1,563 voting no.
The district will move ahead with renovations and additions to the middle/high school buildings, upgrading fine art spaces and athletic fields and purchasing new equipment, furniture, and technology.

Clawson residents affirmed a commitment to the city charter approved in 2023 by a nearly 70% majority. Proposal 1 would have kept the city council at four members, while the new charter allows six members. cast 888 yes to limit the board and 1,573 voting no on Proposal 1. as stated in the city charter approved in 2023.Proposal 2, would have set council terms to four years with elections every  two years. Only 907 voted yes while 1,549 voted no. Now, the three candidates with the most votes win 4-year terms and the candidate with the fourth-highest vote wins a 2-year term of office.

Lamphere Schools’ 30-year, $85 million bond request didn’t fare well. While 1,066 voted yes, 1,449 voted no.

The district had planned a new gym for the high school, new equipment for the middle-school robotics program, along with remodeling facilities, upgrading playgrounds and athletic fields. Some of the money would have been used to buy new technology, equipment, furniture and for new secure entrances at the school buildings.

The next election, the Aug. 5 primary, includes mayoral, council and library races in Pontiac and Southfield‘s mayoral race. Voters in Novi will decide a $120 million public-safety bond question.

Oakland Township voters will be asked to renew the 4-year, 0.1134 millage that expires this year and add a 5-year, 0.14 millage. The township’s library millage supports the Rochester Hills Public Library. If the existing millage is renewed, it would provide an estimated $235,000 and the new millage would add an estimated $289,000.

Northville Public Schools will ask voters to renew a 10-year, 0.9357 millage for its building and site sinking fund. The district serves communities in Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. If approved the district would receive an estimated $4.1 million starting in 2026. The money is meant for building construction or repair, security improvements, buying or upgrading technology and other items as allowed by law.

Learn more at https://www.oakgov.com/government/clerk-register-of-deeds/elections-voting.

In July, 32 communities will begin paying more for county assessments, which are used to calculate property taxes.

The rates will rise each year on July 1 over three years. By 2028, those cities and townships could be paying more than double the current rate for county assessment services.

The county commission approved the increase during an unusually contentious meeting last week.

The county has provided assessment services for more than 50 years at varying rates. The commission vote standardizes rates for contracts.

Nearly half of the county’s 62 cities, villages and townships have their own assessing departments. The 19 cities and 13 townships with county contracts pay a per-parcel rate, which ranges from $15.88 in Royal Oak Township to $28.64 in the City of Orchard Lake Village. By 2028 all 32 communities with assessment contracts will pay $41.55 per parcel.

For Royal Oak Township, that’s a 260% increase. Orchard Lake’s costs will rise by nearly 150%. And Pontiac, which paid $474,171 this year, and will see a 230% increase to more than $1.1 million.

Pleasant Ridge Mayor Bret Scott said cities like his are almost done with their annual budget planning and said the county didn’t follow a responsible process. Pleasant Ridge’s costs will rise by more than 250%, from $22,243 this year to 32,586 starting July 1 and$ $56,963 by July 1, 2028.

“This is like you’re lobbing a grenade at us and asking us not to throw it back at you,” he said, asking the board to slow the annual increases. He praised county assessors and said concerns about the contract costs are no reflection on their work.

Pleasant Ridge City Manager James Breuckman called the timing and the manner in which Oakland County made the change disappointing. He said the city is looking at other assessment options.

A bipartisan group of county commissioners voted to delay a decision until June 11 to give communities more time to negotiate rates. But Commission Chairman Dave Woodward recessed the meeting to lobby for more support.

Commissioner Mike Spisz, an Oxford Republican and the minority caucus chair, said reviving the measure for a second vote during the meeting was an egregious violation of board policies. He and other Republicans said the county risks losing assessment contracts.

Woodward, a Royal Oak Democrat, said the county subsidizes the contracts. The 2025 subsidy was $2.5 million, he said.

Communities are allowed by state law to collect 1% of property taxes to pay for assessment costs, but not all do.

Oxford Township’s treasurer, Joseph Ferrari, was among local officials who asked the commission for a slower transition to higher rates. The township paid $17.97 to assess each of its 8,903 parcels this year, more than $160,000. By 2028, the cost rises by 230% to $369,905.

“Five months of our (fiscal year has) already been burned,” Ferrari said. “It’s gonna be hard for us to come up with that money.”

He later told The Oakland Press the township board hasn’t met to discuss the issue. He said the board will likely use from the general fund or from savings, to cover the cost of the first year.

Ferrari wants to negotiate the next two years’ costs. He objects to the way the county compiled the full cost of the contract, because in addition to a county assessor’s salary and benefits, the contract price includes depreciation for the assessors’ county building.

“Their building will depreciate whether we have a contract or not,” he said. “You don’t eat at a restaurant and get a bill that charges you for using your fork.”

Oxford Township doesn’t charge residents the 1% allowed by the state for assessment costs.

“I’ve never recommended that because it’s a tax to collect a tax,” Ferrari said. But that may be an option for the township, he said, because it could raise an estimated $494,000.

Meanwhile, the township is checking to see what private companies charge for the same services. Ferrari said the county’s assessment work is specialized and the service is excellent.

No one disputed the need for communities to pay the full assessing cost. But many commissioners supported helping the communities adapt to the full prices.

Commissioner Michael Gingell, a Lake Orion Republican, said the unintended consequences of a triple-digit increase would force communities to look for alternative services. County contracts would have to be increased significantly after that for fewer communities or county assessing employees would lose their jobs, he said.

He represents Orion Township, which paid $298,626 for this year’s assessment services and will see increases totaling more than $387,000 over the next three years, from $160,016 this year to $690,325 in 2028.

Gingell’s amendment to slow the increases failed. He said last year’s controversy over sheriff’s contract increases led to an understanding that the county would provide advance notice of rate increases for the sake of timing, communication and fairness.

Democrats Charlie Cavell of Ferndale and Kristen Nelson of Waterford added their support for a slower timeline.

Contracts for law enforcement services from the sheriff’s office are paid by local millages, Cavell said. Assessment costs are paid from a community’s general fund, which is money from property taxes, state revenue sharing and a community’s service fees.

“Your budget is how you state values in a community. It’s spent on potholes and schools, maintaining parks … clean water and making sure sewage doesn’t back up into your basement,” Cavell said.

He said communities may be faced with cutting essential services or jobs to meet the new assessment costs.

“For Huntington Woods to go from paying $40,000 to $82,000 in 60 days is not a small increase. That $40,000 is someone’s annual salary,” he said.

Communities were notified on March 3 about impending increases, Woodward said.

“The county has made the costs as manageable as possible to maintain the highest-quality staff and deliver the highest-quality product and most-accurate rate for communities,” Woodward said, adding that he’s confident communities will not look for services that cost less.

The commission agreed to create an assessment study group, to include representatives from the commission, administration, assessment office and cities, villages and townships with county contracts. The proposal initially failed with three Democrats voting no with Republicans. Woodward asked for the board to reconsider the vote. Smith Charles said she would, adding that the group should have been formed last year to give communities a greater say in the contract rates.

Nelson asked that the group be formed as an ad hoc committee so members would be required to meet open meetings standards. Woodward rejected her suggestion.

The commission’s next scheduled meeting is 6 p.m. Thursday, May 22, in the commission auditorium at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac.