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MOUNT CLEMENS — On Jan. 5, the Mount Clemens City Commission approved the creation of an ad-hoc committee to address homelessness and housing instability within the city.
Approved unanimously, the committee aims to expand the city’s knowledge of the state of homelessness in Mount Clemens and its causes, along with developing a better understanding of the available resources in the city for homeless residents and identifying ways to reduce local housing instability. The committee is expected to meet monthly and aims to produce a report for the city on its findings by the end of 2026.
Core to the committee’s formation is Commissioner Spencer Calhoun, who was homeless as a teen. While homelessness has been an ever-present subject in the city, complaints regarding homeless residents have become an occasional but recurring feature at City Commission meetings in light of the city’s expressed desire for more downtown enforcement and its renegotiated its contract with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in 2024.
“(The committee) affects not just the people you might see driving to work or going to businesses downtown, but it also affects people who are very close to losing their home, people who might be at risk of being evicted,” Calhoun said. “What can be done to prevent our neighbors from ending up in worse situations?
“I think this will be a really great discussion that our city will have. I hope to learn more about the work that folks in our community are doing. I’m thankful that everyone was very happy to contribute to this,” Calhoun said.
With the committee’s desired membership being made up of “City Commissioners, staff, individuals with lived experience, service providers, housing professionals and community stakeholders” according to the founding resolution’s cover letter, two people have already volunteered to participate. City Attorney Robert Huth expressed an interest in joining — though he had some reservations about meeting times, since Huth serves as the sit-in counsel for the meetings of several client governments — along with City Commissioner Roxanne Brown.
“I think it’s an issue that requires all of us to put our heads together and try to come up with viable solutions,” Brown said. “I just look forward to working with you — if you’ll have me — on that ad-hoc committee.”
Calhoun expects the committee to meet monthly and would like initial applications for members to be turned in by the end of January, though he is open to letting people join as the year goes on.
Mobility amendment
City commissioners also approved the first reading of an amendment to the city’s skateboarding ordinance, expanding its scope and increasing the violation fee.
Should its second reading be approved on Jan. 20, the ordinance — which currently prohibits the use of skateboards, roller skates and roller blades on sidewalks within the central business district defined as the area bounded by Cass Avenue, Market Street and the two directions of Gratiot Avenue — would be expanded to prohibit electric skateboards, electric bicycles and mopeds. Electric personal mobility devices would remain permitted in the area. Fees would also be increased from $50 to $100 for the first violation and from $100 to $150 for every additional violation.
City Manager Gregg Shipman said the push to prohibit these vehicles came from businesses in the area.
“A few commission meetings ago we had a business owner come in, and they were worried, actually, (about) electric bicycles,” Shipman said. “They had some issues with them going by and not pedaling, going by under electric power right in front of the doorways to the businesses. Their concern was (that) somebody walking out at the wrong time would be a serious incident, so we took that to heart.”
Commissioner Brown raised some concerns about electric scooters not being mentioned, though discussion among commissioners revealed scooters can be regulated under the “electric skateboards” definition.
Fire union agreement
City commissioners also approved a collective bargaining agreement between the city and International Association of Firefighters Local 838, laying out the terms that the city’s firefighters will work under until June 30, 2028.
