Virtual participation opinion considered
An opinion from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel regarding virtual participation in public meetings has prompted Warren City Council to explore how the opinion affects council meetings.
In the opinion, Nessel said the Americans With Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act require government boards and commissions to provide “reasonable accommodations” to those with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations could include virtual participation.
Although Nessel’s decision is binding only on state agencies, the Attorney General said she hopes other boards and commissions across the state will follow suit and consider how they can offer proper access to everyone.
“We would like to accommodate everyone under the ADA,” said Council Secretary Mindy Moore.
Moore said the city’s communications department has ordered equipment that would allow for virtual participation in meetings, but that COVID-related supply chain issues have delayed the delivery of it. Moore asked that the Council get a legal opinion to see how Nessel’s opinion impacts municipalities.
Councilwoman Rogensues said she has long been asking for implementation of a hybrid option for city council meetings.
Moore expressed concern that any hybrid option be video only and not just audio in order to prevent people using fake identities when speaking during meetings. A pre-registration option was discussed as a possible way to ensure the identity of participants.
The council supported Moore’s motion to seek a legal opinion on instituting hybrid meetings 6-1 with Councilman Eddie Kabacinski casting the only dissenting vote.
Watts calls for forensic audit of DDA
Warren City Council agreed to explore hiring a firm to conduct a forensic audit of the city’s Downtown Development Authority. Councilman Garry Watts called for the audit saying that he believes the DDA is spending money that is not in its budget.
“I think everyone knows there are a lot of issues going on with the DDA and the spending of money,” said Watts. “It is my thought process that it is time to order a forensic financial audit of the DDA for at least the past two years.”
Watts said whoever is hired to perform the audit should be someone who has not done work for the City of Warren in the past.
Council agreed to send the matter to its special legal council, Plunkett Cooney law, to gather information about the cost and procedure of conducting such an audit.
Council President Patrick Green said he is not sure what the cost of a forensic audit would be, but that the City Charter allows for the Council to call for such an audit. Councilman Ron Papandrea said the DDA was included in the Plante Moran audit of the city that was conducted last year.
“I asked Plante Moran if they found any signs of impropriety and they said ‘no’,” said Papandrea. “I’ve made some inquiries and a forensic audit could cost upwards of $50,000 and I think that money could be better spent.”
Moore said the audit performed by Plante Moran was not a forensic audit.
“There is a difference between a forensic audit and a regular audit,” said Moore. “The audit was not done compared to what the council had approved, it was just against what they were given and not what the council approved budget was and that is part of the problem.”
Responsible contracting proposal considered
Councilwoman Angela Rogensues asked for a responsible contracting ordinance to be drafted for consideration by the Warren City Council.
Several representatives of various unions spoke during audience participation during Tuesday night’s meeting voicing support for such an ordinance.
“A number of municipalities have instituted similar ordinances,” said Rogensues. “As many of our constituents work in the skilled trades, I care about good paying jobs and high quality work in the city. I have seen many times where folks have accepted work through a bid and we have been dissatisfied with the quality of the work. The lowest bidder is not always the best bidder.”
Rogensues was supported unanimously by the other council members. Council Secretary Mindy Moore scheduled a Committee of the Whole meeting for March 16 to discuss the responsible contractor ordinance and give council members time to look at similar ordinances in other cities that Warren could use as a template to create its own ordinance.
