Farmington Hills

Farmington Hills stays with SMART

By David Wallace
C & G Staff Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Photo by Deb Jacques Janice Tuck of Farmington waits for the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation bus at Grand River and Orchard Lake last week. Farmington Hills decided Jan. 23 to keep SMART service, and Farmington was scheduled to talk about the service again at a special meeting Jan. 30. Photo by Deb Jacques Janice Tuck of Farmington waits for the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation bus at Grand River and Orchard Lake last week. Farmington Hills decided Jan. 23 to keep SMART service, and Farmington was scheduled to talk about the service again at a special meeting Jan. 30.

FARMINGTON HILLS — A majority of Farmington Hills City Council members decided Jan. 23 that SMART’s buses still provided their community its best transit option.

The 4-3 decision against opting out means that Farmington Hills voters, along with all other Oakland County communities within SMART, will vote on a millage renewal later this year, probably in August.

Discussion on SMART lasted approximately 3 1/2 hours. Dave Boyer, the city’s Special Services Department director, was tasked with giving the council an overview of the type of transportation the city might be able to provide if the city opted out of SMART. The possible system consisted of a dial-a-ride service within the city and a park-and-ride service to Detroit on weekday mornings and evenings. Boyer said the estimated yearly operating costs total slightly more than $1 million.

According to the figures, the city would need more than $800,000 in capital investment to buy additional buses and cover other needs. The numbers estimate the system would bring in about $262,000 in revenue. The city would need some sort of millage to run it.

The current 0.59 mill levied for SMART raises approximately $1.9 million in Farmington Hills.

Many speakers voiced their support for SMART at the meeting.

Mary Ann Barkach, the president of the League of Women Voters Oakland Area, said her concern is for all those who need transportation.

“I realize the SMART system is increasingly troubled, but should we not be allowed the privilege of voting on this issue again?” said Barkach.

“It’s run as best as they can, and it offers the people in this room and the people of our city … a valid way of getting around. And if we pull the rug out from under them, under the assumption that we’re going to have a system that works, we might not,” said County Commissioner Jim Nash, a Democrat who represents roughly the city’s eastern half.

“I don’t live in Farmington Hills, but it is important, because I do travel to Farmington Hills to shop and to visit family and friends, and people I know from Farmington Hills come to visit me, as well,” said Michele Jackson of Southfield.

Former Mayor Jerry Ellis was the only speaker to advocate leaving SMART.

“These people are afraid of change, and I don’t blame them for that. I don’t blame them for that at all, but I have confidence in our staff and your ability to put together a system that will more than adequately take care of all of their needs,” Ellis told the council.

SMART’s representatives, including Oakland County ombudsman Steven M. Brown, spoke about the system’s capabilities and challenges.

“The funding level is inadequate. It’s not a truly regional system from the standpoint it allows individual communities to opt in and opt out, which creates holes in our service area, but we do an excellent job with the monies that we’re given to provide the highest level of service that we can, given the realities that we’re faced with,” Brown said.

As it did for Farmington, SMART pledged to put three 14-passenger buses into service that residents could call an hour before to take them to an appointment or to a fixed bus route to help offset route cuts in December.

Councilman Kenneth Massey said that those for opting out are not without compassion, and that SMART previously did not offer the additional buses.

“And the reason they were not offered is because there was no opt-out on the table. If we don’t look at this and we don’t try to improve the system, then shame on us,” said Massey.

“They got (union) concessions this month. They have money that’s been freed up this month, and they can turn around and offer us these three buses … that are not just meant for the seniors or the disabled. They’re meant for everybody in this community, and that will fill the gaps in our system that we lost because of the large buses being taken out of the system,” said Mayor Barry Brickner.

Councilman Richard Lerner joined Massey and Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Bates in voting for the opt-out.

“We were quite surprised to see a proposal from our Special Services (Department) that could save us as much as $800,000 a year,” said Lerner. “It’s not that we’re against public transportation or regional transportation. We’re not getting it. Our job is to spend your money wisely. So I wish it were different, but I just don’t see the service that we ought to be getting coming out of SMART.”

“We have a responsibility to our taxpayers, too. Is it right to charge them money to pay for … a service that could be so much better?” said Bates. She wanted more time for the city attorney and Boyer to answer technical questions, but her motion to table failed 4-3.

“I’m sorry, I would like to support SMART, but without this extra information, I’m not going to be able to,” said Bates.

“We’re not trying to remove, we’re trying to improve, and there’s only one way to do that, and sometimes it’s to change the mix up a little bit, and that’s consequently my position,” said Massey.

“I think that the residents should decide this issue,” said Councilman Michael Bridges. He said the city’s plan wouldn’t meet the needs in the community.

“The problem is that both sides in this argument are right,” said Councilman Randy Bruce. “Both sides have very good arguments about why we should keep SMART or why we should get rid of SMART.”

“Both options are scary to me, but the one to stay in is a little bit less scary,” said Bruce.

“As good of a proposal as Mr. Boyer worked out, and staff, I still don’t believe it would be better,” said Councilwoman Cheryl Oliverio.

“The one thing that is overriding to me, over all other things that I might have said, is that I look at how people vote,” said Brickner.

Approximately 76 percent of Farmington Hills voters approved the SMART millage in 2010.

“I’m not going to disenfranchise my voters and say that they can’t vote on the system,” said Brickner. No council vote was necessary to stay with SMART.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer David Wallace at dwallace@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1053.