announcements

Weekly Summary – October 26-November 2

Bob Yager , , , ,

Posts on Oakland Township Sentinel in the past week

Rochester Hills Public Library – Per Resident Contribution (via property taxes) by Community (2005-2023)

Getting Voting Representation on Rochester Hills Public Library Board
Proposed 2025 Oakland Township Budget Available, Comments from you are invited at Board 11/12/24 Meeting or before.
Anonymous Comments on Oakland Township Sentinel Posts
A Possible Vision for a Drastically Improved Township Government
New 2024 Draft Master Plan Seems to be OK (except missing Safety Paths and Trails Plan)
Some Library Board Candidates Provide Information

Articles in other news sources this week:

The Record – October 30 issue on-line – https://www.myrecordnewspaper.com/

  • Article on Board deliberations on what type of LED bulbs to use now that DTE has phased out mercury bulbs (considering dark skys, traffic safety and health). See also October 22, 2024 Board of trustee minutes and video.
  • One legal notice

Rochester Post – October 31

  • Article on current library negotiations

New draft minutes and/or videos of Government meetings posted during this past week.

October 22, Board of Trustees, Special Meeting, Mostly Closed

Excerpt from minutes; no video, of course

October 22, Board of Trustees, Regular Meeting

Link to draft minutes

Click to access 753100308.pdf

Link to video (2 hours)

https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/KGL-y_dHhCluQTy7c6YoVBzzQ5eHj7Lr/media/908666

Election Commission, October 8, 2024, (4 minutes duration)

Minutes link below; no video.

Click to access 753093445.pdf

Historic District Commission, October 16, 2024, (2 hours)

Many topics discussed.

Link to video: https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/KGL-y_dHhCluQTy7c6YoVBzzQ5eHj7Lr/media/907385

Link to draft minutes – https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/753096294.pdf

Library Board, October 10, 2024 (36 minutes)

Link to draft minutes- https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/753098622.pdf

Link to video – https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/KGL-y_dHhCluQTy7c6YoVBzzQ5eHj7Lr/media/906051

  • Selected Kelly firm as new legal counsel for help in future negotiations with RHPL
  • Revised budget to accommodate survey and legal fees
  • Heard public comment
  • Board member Dr. Henry Carels and Board President Mark Gerhard commented

Library Board, October 7, 2024 (2 hours)

  • selected firm for survey
  • 23 citizen comments
  • comments by library board about current contract situation

Link to draft minutes – https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/753098622.pdf

Link to video – https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/KGL-y_dHhCluQTy7c6YoVBzzQ5eHj7Lr/media/905043

Meetings coming up next week

Safety Paths and Trails Committee – Wednesday, November 6, Township Hall, 4393 Collins Rd., 1st Floor Board room, Collins Road – agenda https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/753098823.pdf

Call for Improved / More Comprehensive Board of Trustee Minutes

Bob Yager , , , ,

I would like to see our new Clerk (Mabry or Mangiapane, whoever is elected) recommend returning to more comprehensive minutes of Board meetings. Abbreviated minutes that meet only the legal minimum requirements were implemented by the Board at their March 13, 2013 meeting. See page 1 bottom at this link for very terse description of this major change.

https://ecode360.com/OA3183/document/54051437.pdf

Their reasons were not clear, except, as I recall from faulty memory, a reference to meeting videos being available. However no video is available for this meeting or any meeting before 2017. So we cannot research the discussion around this decision like we can decisions before 3/12/2013.

Past minutes before 2014 had summaries of Board discussions and citizen comments. Current minutes show only motions and votes and list your name if you comment, but nothing about what you said. The Board is alone among township boards or committees in their approach to minutes. Parks, Planning Commission, Zoning Board Appeals and Library Board, for example, provide comprehensive minutes.

The importance of going back to the old-style minutes was driven home to me today. I went to Township Hall and looked at 1980 minutes to research formation about our library board formation. What wonderfully complete but not too wordy descriptions of the Board discussions on this issue were in these minutes.