BY PHIL CUSTODIO

Clarkston News Editor

Incumbent Steven Percival and former City Council member Eric Haven are running for Clarkston mayor in the Nov. 6 election. Running for a two-year seat on City Council are incumbents Sharron Catallo, Rick Detkowski, and Sue Wylie, and challengers Al Avery and Hampton Swayne. Mike Cascone and David Marsh are running for a one-year seat on City Council. All candidates were asked a series of questions about recent city events and issues.

The city’s revenue in relation to expenses has been declining for many years (revenue is not increasing as fast as expenses). Over the years, this has caused the city to eliminate the police department, DPW vehicles were only affordable because of a grant, pay for staff is much lower than other communities, there are almost no employee benefits, streets and sidewalks have not been repaired, there is no known economic development plan, and there is no money for the Village Hall expansion and other efforts that have been discussed for over 15 years. Paid parking has offset some of this, but it is unknown at what cost to the businesses and community. What do you see as the financial future of the Village, will taxes need to be raised, or do you have another plan?

Haven Every Michigan municipality since the recession has had the challenge of reduced budgets due to the Headlee amendment, Proposition A, and severe state revenue sharing cutbacks. This is not an indication of any city’s mismanagement, only our economic environment.

The Michigan Municipal League advised Clarkston a few years ago our “fund balance,” money in reserves, was significantly higher than most municipalities for our size and we could consider reducing it. We did, moving it from the 25% of budget range to about 16%, using those funds to catch up on some infrastructure needs not able to be addressed during the recession.

The City Council, by contracting the Oakland County Sheriff for our police services, realized a significant savings and tremendous value. Seeking grants for city equipment is good management, as is reduced staffing when needed. Sidewalks are being repaired, to be completed in 2019, and a five-year capital improvement plan is part of our draft master plan. Clarkston has had a balanced budget every year, as required by state law, documented by an outside municipal audit firm and delivered to the state treasury department annually.

Percival My opponent has called for a new tax on several occasions while he was on the city council. I set out two years ago to raise NON tax revenue to secure the cities financial status and the ability to fix our crumbling infrastructure.

We did this with the paid parking initiative that has seen great success. We can continue to seek out new NON tax revenue streams and federal grants for other needed projects. I am going to fight any new taxes and will push for continued lower levied mills on our tax payers. Actually, if the funds we have paid out already from the paid parking initiative had to come from the budget, it would have been a tax increase.

Essentially, although not yet reflected in levied mills, with the funding for studies, repairs to sidewalks and streets, striping and crosswalk enhancements all coming from the paid parking revenue, our citizens have had a tax break or reduction.

My opponent wants to re-assess our citizens .069mills for the library as he sees the opportunity to gain a meager $20,000 plus from this to add to the budget. He voted against this in years past however; states he didn’t quite understand it then. I say no new taxes for current needs of the city. With all new initiatives that will need funding, let’s utilize NON tax funds first and lower the need and amount assessed to our citizens.

Avery There is no question that a City our size has financial challenges. I feel we can deal with the challenges by becoming as efficient as possible in the way that we run our City. I am certainly not against exploring grants and other means of financing to improve our City. I do not support raising taxes.

Cascone You can’t spend money you don’t have. The Clarkston PD was a mission doomed for failure from the beginning. Under funded and mismanagement. Most residents wish Clarkston to continue to be our “Village”, so do I. Our small one half mile square 850 resident community does not need to expand City Hall. If you attend a Council meeting you will see there is rarely a standing room only crowd. And there are other buildings available for our use, for free. Recent reconfiguration of tables, desks and cabinets in City Hall has had a positive effect on functional room. And as electronic technology continues to be enhanced our need for “hard copy” space will be reduced. Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc submitted a comprehensive “Roadway Asset Management Plan” in September. Past band aides, or nothing at all, over years of neglect – we certainly have some catching up to do. There is grant money available, the paid parking revenue is helping significantly, and ultimately biting the budget bullet must come into play. As an advantage to participating in the Michigan Municipal League’s Risk Management and Risk Financing programs, there is a significant amount of help on a significant number of issues. And – it’s free!

Catallo We do have excellent police services.  The Village purchased two DPW vehicles through a government grant, which was an economically sound decision. We try to benefit our staff with flexible hours. We had budgeted this year for sidewalk and street repairs. We will be doing sidewalks in the spring and the roadwork was put on hold until the engineering study was completed.  Now that the study is finished, we can proceed with road repairs efficiently. The Village Hall expansion has been discussed for more than the 15 years you suggest. Raising taxes is not the answer.

Detkowski I am committed to doing everything we can to avoid raising taxes in order to address our financial needs. One of the biggest reasons given over the last 10 years for not addressing our infrastructure needs is lack of funding. There was never enough money. That excuse has been around forever and has not been addressed until recently via paid parking. If we’re going to be a city, then we need to act like one by being fiscally responsible. This means finding ways to fund our crumbling roads, finding and keeping talent for the city administration with realistic wages, and no longer having to rob Peter to pay Paul when pressing needs arise. These are tough battles that may need to be fought in the very near future.

Marsh This is a doom and gloom view that plays directly into the hands of a certain minority in the city who have tried to use these arguments to negate the value of the city for years. There was even a petition to dissolve the city passed around the city in 2012. Every municipality takes advantage of grants and it is a complete lack of understanding of government to disparage city grants. Jonathan Smith is doing a great job saving the city money where he can, because he understands that we must be diligent with the funds we have. Prioritizing and sticking to our budget is crucial. I have spoken from City Council several times about the Headlee amendment and its effects on small towns. The court of Michigan Appeal is set to decide on The Taxpayers for Michigan Constitutional Government V. State of Michigan soon, which claims that the state is shorting local governments billions of dollars annually in state revenue required to be paid. As I have publicly stated for years, the recession was especially hard on small towns across Michigan, it will take us and other small towns a little while longer to get caught back up. Fortunately, we in Clarkston had great leadership under Steve Arkwright and Sharron Catallo, who prepared for the hard times ahead as Council members and members of the finance committee. Because of Eric and Sharron’s love for the village, our property values are on fire and Clarkston is a highly desirable place to live. We have always had a balanced budget and we have had great reviews on every single city audit. So “no”, I don’t see a reason to raise taxes. But I do see a reason to keep Eric and Sharron working hard for Clarkston.

Wylie The City of the Village of Clarkston’s revenue has declined over many years, although some of this decline occurred because of outside events, such as the economy and the actions of State government. The City’s revenue started a serious decline in the recession years of 2007 to 2009, when property values took a sharp decline. As property values declined, our City revenue declined as it collected less property tax. That was the main reason why the city police department was disbanded. At the same time, a decrease in state revenue sharing contributed to the decline in city revenue. Since this time, city property values have increased, but state tax regulations, such as Proposition A and the Headlee Amendment, limit how much revenue the city can collect in property taxes as the value increases. Clarkston should join in with other cities to urge the state to increase state revenue sharing to municipalities. As far as what we can control in the City, this year the city revenue was boosted by the paid parking revenue, which is earmarked for roads, sidewalks and parking. I would like the city to consider instituting more paid parking, and further increase our non-tax revenue to prevent a tax increase for our citizens. I am opposed to increasing taxes on our citizens.

The Circuit Court and Court of Appeals have ruled that the city attorney, and perhaps all administrative officials, can be paid with city funds to handle city related information, keep that information offsite, and not have to reveal it to the council or public. Do you believe city administrative officials should have city related information that the public and you as a council member cannot see or use?

Haven The question, as posed, misstates the basis for the Courts’ decisions under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Four judges in two courts have now ruled the city acted properly under the FOIA. The Plaintiff, however, has filed one last appeal and thus any comment on the FOIA issue would be premature until the litigation is finally decided.

Percival Absolutely not. This loophole that the City Attorney and the then City Manager utilized was an exercise in NON Transparency and egos. If the content of those 18 documents are damning to the city or individuals, we need to know. If they are not damning, then let’s get on with business and put it behind us. The first opportunity we have to call for a review of these documents (that does not jeopardize the current appeal or the city financially) I will call for them regardless of the political office I have. The win(s) that the city have in this case is immaterial to the need, that eventually, the public and city council have a right to see.

Avery I believe the City administration should follow the laws of the State of Michigan. I believe they did so in this particular instance. Why do I believe this? Because both the Circuit Court and the Michigan Court of Appeals have said so. Frankly, I am tired of reading about this and having to have this discussion. It is taking valuable time and resources from the City to have to deal with this issue. There are more important issues facing this City. Let’s concentrate on those.

Cascone No. This question is probably driven by the now (in) famous “18 documents.” If one, public or private sector, pays for a product they are entitled to receive the product. A lengthy discussion of this issue at a recent City Council meeting Councilwoman Sharon Catallo reminded all that “we won the litigation” that this situation created. Yes we did, but at what cost? Three+ years of legal fees by both our City Attorney and the Michigan Municipal League’s team of attorneys, hours, days, weeks? – of Council’s time, of staff’s time, more negativity within our community and more divisiveness by once again being on defense of one more litigation. The year of litigation, 2015, will be discussed further in the following responses.

Catallo I think this question characterizes the court rulings out of context. Because this matter is still pending before the courts I think it’s premature to answer this question.

Detkowski No information should be kept from council or the public, unless it pertains to personnel issues or related decisions. If this happens it will give the appearance of shadiness, and right or wrong, that’s the impression that withholding the 18 documents gives. We need persistent transparency in order to heal the trust issues that exist. I am committed to maintaining momentum towards open and fair handling of information. We need to do this in order to put the non-transparency issues to bed because honestly, it keeps coming up an it prevents us from addressing other issues.

Marsh I believe you are misleading the public with this question. Discussions were being had by our city’s attorney. Those discussions were never given to City Council because, from my understanding, plans from the other party changed and the issue was moot. The documents that were a part of the discussion were never shown or discussed with the city. No decisions were made based on the documents or discussion because, once again, the topic of the discussions was no longer a topic of discussion. I am not an attorney, so I rely on attorneys to give me advise. I’ve spoken with 4 attorneys outside the city, 4 attorneys inside the village and heard the ruling of 4 judges in two separate courts. I have yet to hear any attorney (except for the Bisio’s, who are suing the city once again) come in front of City council and argue against the city’s stance, which is to follow the law.

Wylie City administrative officials should not withhold city related documents from the public, or elected officials. The recent Court of Appeals ruling stated that the city attorney is not a “public body,” and therefore not subject to releasing material according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). If the city paid for it produced by an administrative official, the public should see it. Also, if the city paid for it, no matter the location of the document, the public should have access. If the courts and the state legislature do not require the release of city owned material to the public, our contracts should require it. City officials past and present who cite the outcome of the court case as “proof” of their correct decision are not reassuring. At the time the city council decided to not release the FOIA’ed documents, according to those council members, they had no idea of the contents of the documents, or of the law, except as stated by the city attorney who produced the requested documents. There was absolutely no reason to not release the documents. Those on council at that time chose to vote on the side of hiding the work of the city, which is not how transparent municipal government should operate. I still strongly advocate for government transparency.

Speaking of the Village Hall and DPW Garage, the city has talked about expanding it for years, spent well over $60,000 in the last few years preparing plans, but nothing has been done including needed repairs to what currently exists. Since the size of the city has not changed and the population is about the same as it always has been, what do you think should be done?

Haven We must fix city offices to provide privacy and protection for staff and make a City Council meeting room spacious enough for citizens to come, participate and learn; once council meetings are conducted in a more orderly fashion. The city has been approved conditionally for a conventional mortgage, precluding the need for a bond issue. Renting facilities is needlessly wasting taxpayer dollars year after year. As with a private home, it’s much wiser to own, build equity, than rent; eventually paying off the mortgage and being debt-free.

Percival We have not spent $60,000 in the past few years on the city hall plans. We have only spent $2,000 for a plan that we are currently looking at. The monies you refer to were spent before this current city council took office two years ago. My opponent was on council when the exorbitant amount of money was wasted on plans that would have built a very large city hall and DPW expansion. The current facilities committee is working with a local builder, the Clarkston High School Skilled Trades classes and other community minded folks to design, secure financing (fundraising and low interest loans) and creating a truly “Community Effort” project that will meet the needs of today’s city as well as moving into the future.

Avery While I was on the City Council I voted against expansion of the City Hall because the scope was too large and the cost too high. I support making the needed repairs to the building immediately.

Cascone City Hall has been addressed in response #2, it does not need much. My main concern here is facility security. Bad things happen to good people in good places. The facility needs a complete security analysis including identification of possible security breaches – both physical and electronic, evaluate the loss potential from both a frequency and severity perspective, develop control measures and then see how much we can afford in relation to how much we potentially have to lose. Question. On an average daily basis who do our Citizens look to for functional help? Not City Council members. Not our various boards and committees. With the help of our Administrative staff the answer is the Department of Public Works! In my 45+ years as a corporate/municipal Risk Manager I have always questioned any Management that developed policy/procedure, evaluated facility needs, made building and/or equipment maintenance or purchase decisions without direct input by those that our Citizens rely on, depend on, for daily functional needs. Does our DPW need (not want) more than they have? I don’t know. But by talking, literally working getting boots muddy with them for a few days I will be in a position to reach conclusions. Without spending anything other than my time.

Catallo We certainly don’t need any more studies on this matter.  What we do need is all of our information and records in one well-functioning building.  I understand the limitations of a small community and that there are no magic solutions that allow us to live beyond our current means.

Detkowski It should be clarified that the $60k was spent before I was elected. Now that I’ve learned more about it, let’s just say that for a city on a Smurf’s shoestring budget, someone got carried away with their vision for the new DPW building and was not kept in check with their spending. It’s a shame. We have to address the Village Hall because as I’ve learned, the roof is older than I am. In this day and age, our employees’ safety is also a huge concern – improved security is a must. With that, the City Manager should at least have an office for meetings and the ability to address resident and business owner issues in private. The spending of $60k with no results understandably has residents feeling skeptical about improving the facility. We have to come up with a viable plan that eases overspending fears and addresses the needs of our staff. We cannot ignore yet another crumbling asset and just hope for the best.

Marsh The city offices need to be updated and repaired. I am opposed to spending $450,000.00 on a new building. We should move council meetings to another location of which there are several options with ample space for our resident. It is unfortunate that many of our residents would like to come to council meetings but the cramped space that often only allows standing room will not allow them to come.

Wylie The Artemus Pappas City Hall needs repairs and improvements, including the east wall and the roof. The space is too small for the needs of the city. For example, there is no separate small meeting space, no private working space for the city staff, little security for the employees, and the current large meeting space is often too small to accommodate our residents. The city is leasing space for storage, but the city needs a long-term solution for its storage needs. The building repairs should take place as soon as possible, before the damage gets worse, and the repair costs increase. Some interior walls need to be constructed in the city hall to provide private working and small meeting space. Security of the building needs to be increased. While the recent computer ransom attack is unrelated to building security, this event highlights the need for additional physical security for city property and our city employees. The Facilities Committee continues to investigate low cost alternatives to repairs, improvements to the building interior and expansion of the building. As of the last report, the City is investigating several options, including the possibility of working with the building program in Clarkston Community Schools for construction work.

The city has some additional revenue due to parking and some new construction is planned that will add tax revenue, but there is no long-term budget plan, or a capital improvement plan as required by law. How do you plan on prioritizing the city’s expenses?

Haven A capital improvement plan (five-year budget) is part of the master plan. Retiring the city’s water bond issue will occur in the next few years. Also, I will be seeking investments in city projects from people who want to leave a financial legacy in their home town.

Percival The city’s Budget Committee has developed a preliminary capital improvement plan. With the increase in NON tax revenue we created funding to accomplish roads, parking lots, and sidewalk repairs. The monies that use to go to these items are now freed up to utilize elsewhere within the city’s needs. Priority comes with the planning. Our committee along with the Planning Commission and the city manager’s office will review (as we have been doing all along) the projects, cost, needs and abilities to pay for or finance. These will be presented to the city council for approval.

Avery I believe we need to have a long-term plan in place to address repairs to City Streets and City Hall.

Cascone Yes the City does have some additional revenue. But our, or any other municipal entity, will never have enough revenue to fix everything right now. So what to do to help protect citizens, visitors and staff. And reduce liability risk, spelled “$” to our community? Implement sound Risk Management programs and practices to identify, evaluate, eliminate or at least reduce risk, prioritize and DOCUMENT. Michigan municipalities have, by law, a layer of Governmental immunity helping to protect claims against them. This level of liability protection has proven to hold up against court claims – but can be eroded by “gross negligence.”

Catallo The parking revenue is new and has not yet stabilized, so it’s too early to plan based on it.  We have had a capital improvement plan also known as “reserve funds” and these could be updated once any new source of revenue is certain.  The Council has already voted to dedicate parking revenues to infrastructure improvement and repair.

Detkowski The Budget Committee has done a lot of work to get things sorted out, as well as coming up with a potential CIP. We installed paid parking which is allowing us to pay for improvements to roads, sidewalks, and parking lots. As I see it, our roads and sidewalks are of utmost priority. But, we need proper planning via the Planning Commission and Budget Committee to lock in our financial priorities. Others may not agree with the that roads and sidewalks are a priority, so that’s why we need proper planning via the good folks that have stepped up to help.

Marsh A capital improvement plan is a part of our Master plan. We need to budget wisely and save. I would like to see our fund balance moved up to 20% and I would like to see us concentrate on conservative budgeting in the city.

Wylie The city Finance Committee is working with the increased revenue to the city, and they are working on a long-term budget and a Capital Improvement Plan. Our parking revenues are earmarked by the City Council for street, sidewalk and parking.

There are numerous city ordinances that are not enforced such as screening of mechanical equipment and dumpsters, signage, sidewalk maintenance, etc. What do you plan to do to either enforce the city’s ordinances or change them if they are either unenforceable or incompatible with what the can actually do?

Haven I will propose an ordinance review committee.

Percival Our city manager is aware of some of the outdated ordinances and the fairness in moving forward with enforcement. He was handed an inherited lack of past enforcement that has created a difficult process to go back and enforce past violations. He will be bringing forward those ordinances that need to be reviewed and submitted to city council for consideration in changing them or keeping them. Our Planning Commission is also taking up reviewing certain ordinances and bringing recommendations to our city council.

Avery I would hope that the City ordinances are being followed. If not, they should be reported to the City so violations can be addressed. If there are ordinances that are outdated or need to be changed then they should be brought to the City Council to be addressed.

Cascone Enforce equally and consistently existing – or change them. Our recently appointed part time “parking cop” is doing a great job with this implemented piece of the overall parking study being done. Enforcement with a smile, and bringing cash to the table we never had before without influencing our tax paying citizen’s pocketbooks. Many, most, City ordinances were implemented over years and years, influenced by conditions at a point in time, and will take years and years to evaluate and take corrective action if required. Like most Management responsibilities with a mountain of issues facing them work together, prioritize, get things done. Working together means “together”. Only one side matters, and that’s you. Possibly in the mountains of signs on lawns recently you may have seen mine, they read: RESTAURANTS HAVE “SIDES” CITY COUNCIL SHOULD NOT

Catallo This is not the significant problem the question suggests.  We are always reviewing and encouraging compliance.  We are fortunate to have a business community that is responsive to such concerns and who do voluntary projects to enhance the look of the Village, for example the Clarkston News parking planters.

Detkowski Recently a non-resident friend pointed out how silly it looks having this many campaign signs within one-half square mile. And they’re not wrong. So, I asked that the sign ordinance be enforced. Come to find out, we can’t enforce it because it’s potentially unconstitutional and might lead to lawsuits. Live and learn. My point? We absolutely need to update our charter and ordinances. We are in the process of forming a committee to address these very issues. This is a huge job, and I often wonder why no one addressed it the past. Why have rules if they aren’t enforced, or we kind-of-can’t-because-maybe-they-might-be unenforceable? Sheesh. It’s also an issue that after so many years of not doing it, some suddenly want to change ordinances because they don’t like that they’re now being enforced. Or, that actually enforcing them apparently doesn’t benefit who they’d like them to. Yet another big job on our laps because no one did anything about it before.

Marsh I believe in following the city ordinances. I also believe we need ordinances that are enforceable. Looking at and updating the city ordinances should be a high priority over the next year.

Wylie Enforcing city ordinances is part of the administration’s responsibilities. The city manager and his staff are always encouraged to equitably enforce the city’s ordinances.

Many things in the city have poor or no maintenance. The clock on Main Street has not been working for months, burned out lights, unlit flags, leaking water fountains and more. What would you do about this and do you think the city should be taking on more projects and obligations when there are problems maintaining what already exists?

Haven These are property management issues. Our city manager is aware of them all and working daily to remedy them. For example, He recently reported his plans to repair the antique clock downtown by using an electronic movement versus obsolete mechanical movement. Also, I am proposing a “volunteer brigade” in Clarkston to assist with city needs and serve the residents. I have watched the synergy between our DPW worker’s and community volunteers in Depot Park. That is a winning combination. The landscaping of the raised flower beds in Depot Park and new playground equipment l are great examples of what volunteers can do for the city, if supported and appreciated.

Percival As you know, the clock is a tough subject as we have had difficulties getting the required skill set to work on this type of clock. There are plans to change the clock to an electric inner guts vs a winding system. Many of the other items you pose in this question are city manager related and he is aware of the issues.

Avery Maintenance is the responsibility of the DPW. If there are specific items that need to be addressed then they should be brought to the attention of the City Manager and DPW. If there are additional obligations that are being contemplated, then I would suggest that the City Manager and the DPW approve any additional responsibilities that would be cast upon them. I believe the street lighting issue was a direct result of the failure of DTE and has been resolved.

Cascone This question reminds me of my Management experience when an employee or client would say “there are many things I disagree with or don’t like”. Well let’s break down the “many” to what you really disagree with or don’t like. Once again we are back to the identification, evaluation, control and establishing priorities by Council with input from you who live, work or visit the Village. Specifically with our beautiful clock, the expertise of wheels and gears, if it still exists, would be costly. Leave the outside of this landmark as is, and just plug it in electrically. Done.

Catallo The bleak picture you paint isn’t true. We haven’t been able to find another repairman capable of fixing an antique clock and the City Manager is considering replacing its works with a modern electronic mechanism.  I believe the burned-out lights downtown were due to an DTE problem.  The water fountain in the park is less than two years old and an easy fix by calling the manufacturer.  I don’t believe these minor problems will impact any future projects or obligations.

Detkowski Let’ be honest, there are so many issues that need addressing in town that it’s hard for our staff to address them all. That’s not an excuse, it’s just that some of these things have been festering for years. As I’ve learned, things that seem like an easy fix sometimes are anything but. For example, the street lights that kept going out on Main St. a while back – that was a DTE issue that the city took a lot of flak for. I get it, but things are not always simple. Regardless, I know that City Manager Jonathan Smith is a huge part of why our culture is changing and I have full confidence in him. He has way more on his plate than he should, or that people realize, but I know he’ll address things as funding and/or time allows. But in the meantime, perhaps we need to create a comprehensive action list of issues in town, categorize them by ease of solving or urgency, and assign actions to Council members to help with. We can do more than show up every other Monday and give the City Manager more work. We can roll up our sleeves and get to work, and some of us have no issue doing so.

Marsh It is a bleak and unfortunate outlook on the city when you claim that many things have poor or no maintenance. Many more things are well maintained. Maintenance is a responsibility of the city manager and the DPW. Jonathan has already been working on the issues you bring up. The street light was a result of DTE and has since been corrected. Johnathan handled a lot in his professional life and can easily handle the “projects” we have in the city. If he ever gets to the point when he cannot, I trust our city manager to let us know.

Wylie I do agree that taking on more projects and obligations is difficult for a small city that operates on a small budget. Each new project should be carefully considered, not just for the short term, but in terms of maintenance and other long-term obligations.

Parking and vehicle traffic have been an issue in the city for many years. This is coupled with pedestrian safety and accessibility which have been discussed but little done. What is your priority on these related issues and what would you do as a council member to resolve them?

Haven It’s interesting you ask about priorities. The research done while writing the master plan showed respondents prioritized, #1 keeping the “small town vibe”, #2 addressing mobility, parking and walk-ability issues, [Re: the Carlisle Wortman parking study will be the topic of the 10/22/18 joint Planning Commission & City Council meeting] and #3 increasing retail variety. These are nonnegotiable’s for the Planning Commission, next mayor, city council and in city manager, (a) Protect our zoning and historic structures. (b) Direct professionals to plan future mobility in the Clarkston region, and (c) Engage businesses to support residents, equally as well as out-of-town customers.

Percival Pedestrian safety is always going to be an item that takes constant vigilance. We have little to do with the traffic volume within the city; I suppose it is better than not having a thriving business district. Parking will be handled as the parking study is completed and we start to engage some of the recommendations that will come from it.

Avery I believe we need to do more to slow the traffic in town. I live on Holcomb Road so I see the speeding vehicles every day. I also walk through town on a regular basis so I see people running red lights on Main Street. I also see people not using crosswalks to get across the street. These problems come with a busy downtown. I would push for more visibility of the Sheriff patrols through the City.

Cascone We have built it and they are coming! That’s a good thing for our local businesses and generated tax revenue.

My biggest concern is the safety of pedestrians, influenced by the driver of the vehicle. The crossing signage at Depot and Main is mostly working to control speed/safety. Main and Washington blinking cross/don’t cross lights also are mostly working. “No turn on red” signage could be a bit bolder. On Main Street/Route 15 we are not in control of our own destiny, but we can continue to lobby the State. Holcomb Road at the intersections of Washington and Miller is downright dangerous. There have been several reported vehicle/pedestrian contacts there, me one of them while walking with a cane post knee replacement surgery. There has been much dialog at Council meetings regarding Holcomb – but all dealing with ideas to reduce speeding.

The very real and potentially significant danger is at the intersections mentioned above. With traffic backed up at the two intersection’s STOP signs, a “speed bump”, one of the speed control approaches Council is exploring has little use.

The Main and Depot signage will have a bigger impact – STOP sign violations are the issue. The City pays the Oakland County Sheriff for law enforcement services within our community.

My question to the OCS would be if we could set up a “sting” operation – yes I said it! – on Holcomb with emphasis on speeding and STOP sign violators at Washington and Miller. Daily commuters traveling that route will very quickly get the message. Our citizens don’t have to worry because we know better. And don’t you think neighbors will be more excited to talk about the number of flashing lights cop-stops vs. simply continue to talk about how fast people drive.

Catallo I don’t agree that little has been done, we have aggressively explored both pedestrian and parking safety and continue to look for even better solutions.  A growing community is a great problem to have.  We are awaiting the Carlisle Wortman Study to see what the professionals have to suggest.  A meeting is scheduled for October 22nd. We have put a priority on listening to the concerns and proposed solutions of our citizens and business operators.

Detkowski Once we get the results of the parking study being conducted by Carlisle Wortman, we’ll have a better understanding of what our needs and options are related to parking. Note that this study was made possible through paid parking, which some currently on Council voted against. Pedestrian safety is a huge concern because our accident near-misses are climbing. My neighbor was almost hit by a car over the summer crossing at a crosswalk. How long until something awful happens?

It would be a shame for a bad accident be the catalyst for doing something. We live in a different world now regarding traffic in town. Not only do we have the increase of patron but Holcomb, Miller, W. Washington, and Main St. are cut-throughs from Dixie to I-75 and M-15. Drivers are taxing our roads that have no business doing so. Living on N. Holcomb, I can tell you that it’s like the wild west with speeding. Some people absolutely do not care that the speed limit is 25 mph. We must address the speeding with speed humps or “Your Speed Is” radar points. Or both. My kids cross Holcomb every day to visit friends or go to the bus stop. I’m terrified every time because it’s not a matter of if, but when. We have become a destination and a cut-through. That’s a bad combination. Didn’t anyone see this coming?

Marsh We need to slow down the traffic in town and do a better job of asking citizens to use crosswalks. Safety is a never-ending concern and will always be a topic of discussion in a vibrant community like Clarkston.

Wylie Pedestrian safety is a core responsibility and priority of the city. The city, under the direction of the City Manager, did install a Pedestrian Caution sign at the intersection of Main St and Depot. Unfortunately, other options to improve pedestrian safety on Main St are made more difficult since this road is controlled by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

The City Manager also added a pedestrian crosswalk on Depot St at the alley. The parking consultants will present the City Council and the Planning Commission their recommendations for parking at the October 22 joint meeting. I hope that some or all of their recommendations will help improve some of the parking issues that the city faces. The Planning Commission will investigate methods to slow down the traffic on Holcomb.

In next week’s edition, candidates’ views on the draft Master Plan, Charter, and ordinances, and whether they need to be updated..