New Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills commissioners talk development, Woodward and more

BIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD HILLS — In November, Eagle voters elected new members to local commissions.

Kevin Kozlowski and Bill Kolb were elected to the Birmingham City Commission, and Alan Ackerman was elected to the Bloomfield Hills City Commission.

 

Kevin Kozlowski
Kevin Kozlowski and his wife grew up in Rochester Hills, and after moving around a lot after college for work, they decided to settle down in Birmingham. He said they were drawn to Birmingham’s walkability, especially now that they have two kids.

“Because I have two young kids, I want to make sure that they can be as independent as possible when they go out while also being as safe as possible,” Kozlowski said.  “I really have a big focus on making sure that our streets are as safe as possible so the kids who are running around or biking around can have some degree of freedom.”

Prior to this position, Kozlowski was on the Advisory Parking Committee for three years. Professionally, Kozlowski is a software developer.

As someone who lives close to Woodward Avenue, he said he hopes to work with the Michigan Department of Transportation and the state to find solutions to its noise and safety issues. Infrastructure issues are also a topic that he holds to help the city address and come up with a long term plan.

When it comes to his values on the commission, he said he thinks municipal government is about being “open and listening, and also being honest and pragmatic.”

 

Bill Kolb
Bill Kolb moved to Birmingham in 2009. He was born and raised in Michigan, but lived in New York for some time before moving back to live in Birmingham.

He said he loves living in the city and appreciates its many parks. He also does not take its walkability for granted.

“It’s just an incredibly comfortable, approachable, safe environment, and it’s a lot of fun,” Kolb said.

Kolb notes that the people in Birmingham are a big part of what makes the city a great place to live. He said the conversations he has had with the community and the random acts of kindness he experiences make his days easier and more pleasant.

Kolb regularly utilizes the Baldwin Public Library and admires the programming and facilities they have.

About a year ago, he started engaging in City Commission meetings and eventually joined the Advisory Parking Committee.

He said one of the reasons he was motivated to run for the City Commission role was his support of development that preserves the uniqueness of Birmingham.

One of his major goals is to prioritize residents. He said that he is willing to talk with any resident who wants to talk about what they want for Birmingham.

“Tell me what’s on your mind. Tell me what bothers you. Tell me what concerns you. Tell me what you’d like to see. I can’t guarantee it’s going to get done, but I can guarantee I’ll listen and make it a priority,” Kolb said.

He said residents can email him at bkolb@bhamgov.org.

 

Alan Ackerman
Alan Ackerman, an eminent domain attorney for property owners, is the newest member of the Bloomfield Hills City Commission. In 2021, he was appointed to the city of Bloomfield Hills Zoning Board of Appeals. He’s lived in Bloomfield Hills since 2001.

When talking about what is ahead for the city, he said, “We have huge issues in front of us. We want to maintain our city to be as beautiful as it is right now and probably expand the beautification if we can afford it.”

Additionally, Ackerman said the city has to consider environmental concerns such as floods.

“We always have to worry about the environment and the changing weather conditions, meaning we have to worry about floods,” Ackerman said. “It’s going to be a key issue in the future for the city, because if the flooding occurs, it will affect everybody in the community.”

He also mentioned office vacancies and how the office rental market has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have plenty of vacancies, so we are going to have to figure out how do we maintain and increase our offices and how do we make it attractive for people to want to have offices in the community, if they’re already here,”  Ackerman said.