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MOUNT CLEMENS — The Mount Clemens City Commission met Sept. 19th, spending much time responding to public comment and completing regular board items.
Two city residents shared their concerns about Esplanade Street during the public comment periods, asking commissioners to repair sections of the street and plant trees along the median. Commissioners and Mayor Laura Kropp did not respond to the comments until the commissioner comments period, at that point arguing that the handling of local road repair funding is the issue preventing the work from being done.
“I have been on this commission for almost 10 years; we have talked about Esplanade, Miller, Smith, Park, Grand and several other streets repeatedly,” Commissioner Denise Mentzer said. “And the unfortunate thing is that because they’re local roads, there is no grant money (for them).”
Commissioner Laura Fournier mentioned that one way to fund local road repairs is through special assessment districts but said she did not see those as a popular funding method — especially in light of increases to tax and water bills.
“It is a problem that we are acutely aware of, and we need to keep talking about it,” Fournier said. “There’s so much federal money floating around here and so much state money, it just seems like, if there was ever a time that we should be able to get some local funding, this should be it.”
Another public commenter asked the commission about introducing an ordinance to curb ground feeding of animals. Commissioner Ronald Campbell joined Fournier and Kropp to express support for such an ordinance.
163 Court Street
Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of the house at 163 Court Street from the Macomb County Treasurer’s office for just over $7,660.
Acquired off of the 2022 tax foreclosure list, the city plans to tear the vacant house down as a blight mitigation effort. Interim City Manager Gregg Shipman said Community Block Development Grant funds might be used to pay for the demolition.
“The thought is that, after the demolition, there are neighbors that are interested in (the lot), or it would be put up for sale on the open market for whatever the property value would bear,” Shipman said.
Demolition is expected to cost about $10,000.
Transfer-to-tax fee first readings
Commissioners also unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance that would add a 15% transfer-to-tax penalty to unpaid fines for various code violations.
If approved after a second reading, failure to pay fines for affected ordinance violations for six months will result in the fine being transferred to the property’s tax roll, along with an additional 15% penalty. Ordinances covering the elimination of blight, registration and inspection of rental dwellings, water and refuse collection would be affected.
The second reading will be held on Oct. 3.
