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In this edition:

1) Comment: Scott Moore for Commission
2) Comment: Tom McDaniel for Commission
3) Crunch Time Dept.: Candidates, PAC need your support
4) Comment: Join 94 calling for Lanzetta to retire
5) In interview, Moore calls commission 'broken,' proposes a vote on Orangeburg sewer solution
6) Open letters heat up police labor dispute
7) City responds to cops: Ad is misleading; arbitration is way to achieve everyone's goals
8) Cops plead in Eccentric ad: 'Stop wasting money and cutting services; give us a contract'
9) City OKs banquet hall, but dooms train station
10) City eyes banning pole signs
11) PSD appointees win swift approval
12) West side will get flood relief
13) Campaign briefs: Sept. 19, 2003 -- McDaniel's feet say, "Just buy the election!"


1) Comment: Scott Moore for Commission

Sept. 25, 2003

The Birmingham Buzz endorses Scott Moore for City Commission.

More than any other single candidate, Moore seems to understand the issues we face and the proper role of government. He is a proven leader (having served on the commission from 1995 to 1999, one year as mayor) with a good grasp of recent political history in Birmingham. He is clear-thinking, articulate, respectful of others and their ideas, and fair.

We like, for example, Moore's suggestion that we thoroughly research the Orangeburg sewer issue, and then take it to residents for a vote.

We also like his ability to see through the smokescreens sent up around the proposed tree ordinance, ethics ordinance and historical survey. All of these, he noted, sounded good in principal but were in fact nefariously motivated by the obsession of some commissioners with heavy-handed control.

Moore understands the interdependent relationship between our neighborhoods and downtown, and rejects attempts by candidate Dante Lanzetta and his followers to pit one against the other.

He would also advance our Downtown 2016 and Parks master plans, which commissioners have approved but have been slow to implement.

Most of all, Moore understands the economic realities of managing a city under the tax limitations imposed by the Headlee Amendment and Proposition A.

He astutely points out that our current City Commission is broken, with members failing to focus on what is truly important (economic issues, for example), and instead spending their time either micro-managing issues that are best left to staff (watch any five-hour commission meeting for abundant examples), or focusing on pet projects such as the aforementioned tree and ethics ordinances or historical survey.

Scott Moore would help set an agenda for the commission that would focus on what is important. He would help get the right things done.

We urge you to vote for Scott Moore for City Commission on Nov. 4.


2) Comment: Tom McDaniel for Commission

Sept. 24, 2003

The Birmingham Buzz endorses Tom McDaniel for City Commissioner.

McDaniel has the leadership skills and temperament we look for in a good commissioner. He retired from General Motors in 1995 after 29 years with the company, the last eight as vice-president in charge of Asian and Pacific Operations. He is an extremely qualified administrator.

Furthermore, he is balanced and fair. As Chairman of the Historical Board (on which he has served for four years) and as a seven-year member of the Historic District and Design Review Commission from 1995 to 2002 (two of which he served as chairman), he has been a champion for historic preservation in Birmingham. He spearheaded the creation of the Birmingham Historical Museum at the Allen House, and has been immersed for 15 years in his own historic preservation project -- the beautifully restored home on the southeast corner of Southfield and Lincoln that he shares with his wife, Susan, and their 12-year-old daughter, Christina.

While supporting historic preservation and the integrity of Birmingham's neighborhoods, McDaniel also understands the need for Birmingham to encourage sensible development. Without new investment and a solid tax base -- or an increase in taxes to its residents -- Birmingham can't sustain the services that are so valued here. To keep the town we want and need, he realizes we have to work with property owners and potential investors, not against them.

We like McDaniel's calm but firm demeanor when it comes to describing certain commissioners and their initiatives, and his practical approach to governance. He doesn't shrink from challenging Dante Lanzetta, for example, on Lanzetta's claim that unnamed developers are trying to "buy" the election. He called the proposed historical survey "a complete money-waster," and the $1 million sidewalk-to-nowhere over the Adams St. bridge "a classic example of the foolishness this commission has been engaged in." And he says commissioners "jumped the gun, bigtime" on the proposed tree and ethics ordinances, bringing them before the public, and unnecessarily stirring emotions, long before they were ready for formal introduction.

We also like McDaniel's positions on sewer improvements (he thinks the city can and should do more to assist residents) and the business community (he thinks the commission needs to mend fences).

Finally, McDaniel would give a boost to at least two ratified city plans that get plenty of lip service but little real support in the form of implementation by the current commission: the Downtown 2016 Plan and the Recreation Master Plan.

We urge you to vote for Tom McDaniel for City Commission on Nov. 4.


3) Crunch Time Dept.: Candidates, PAC need your support

Sept. 24, 2003

Candidates for the Birmingham City Commission, and Neighbors for a Better Birmingham, the political action committee formed by editors of the Buzz to influence the election, need your support.

Donations of up to $500 per person (personal checks only, please; no cash) can be sent to the following:

Neighbors for a Better Birmingham
124 Peabody
Birmingham, MI 48009

Committee to Elect Julie Plotnik City Commissioner
592 Henrietta
Birmingham, MI 48009
(248) 647-4319
jap1103@aol.com

Citizens to Elect Thomas S. McDaniel
1119 Southfield Rd.
Birmingham, MI 48009
(248) 540-2677
mcdaniel_tom@hotmail.com

Committee to Elect Scott Moore
984 Rivenoak
Birmingham, MI 48009
(248) 644-2875
sdm984@ameritech.net

The Buzz will announce an additional endorsement soon. You can also support candidates by agreeing to distribute literature or by holding an informal gathering at your home. Contact the candidates directly.


4) Comment: Join 94 calling for Lanzetta to retire

Sept. 29, 2003

Ninety-four concerned citizens have signed an open letter calling for the retirement or ouster of Dante Lanzetta from the Birmingham City Commission. It's not too late to add your name to the list.

Visit http://www.bhambuzz.org/dumpdante.html to see the letter and its signatories. It states simply: "We, the undersigned, believe it is time for Dante Lanzetta to retire from the Birmingham City Commission. If he chooses not to retire, we believe he should be voted out of office on Nov. 4."

More than 50 signers were added to the list in the first 24 hours after an initial call for support a week ago, said Buzz Editor Clinton Baller. "These people are really courageous, and my hope is that with publication of the list today, more people will come forward and publicly and fearlessly urge Lanzetta to step aside. He's been in office for 18 years now, and whether you agree with him or not, many people think that's long enough, and it's time to let others govern," Baller said.

To add your name to the list, simply send an email to info@bhambuzz.org
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5) In interview, Moore calls commission 'broken,' proposes a vote on Orangeburg sewer solution

Sept. 24, 2003

The Birmingham City Commission is "broken," with some commissioners creating an "us vs. them mentality," ignoring important budgetary issues, focusing on pet projects, and micromanaging city staff so much that creativity and morale at City Hall have been destroyed, says commission candidate Scott Moore.

Moore, an attorney, teacher and lifelong Birmingham resident, served on the commission from 1995 to 1999, and as mayor in 1999. He is seeking re-election.

"We have commissioners who profess to be 'for the neighborhoods' --- but what exactly is their record?" asks Moore. "Over the past few years, they have spent an inordinate amount of commission time, staff time and taxpayer money on things that hardly seem neighborly --- like new fees, higher taxes, fewer city services, and tighter restrictions on individual property rights. Tax dollars have been wasted on expensive pet projects, and on investigating city staff. Some seem to have gone out of their way to create an 'us vs. them' mentality between our neighborhoods and our downtown. They even refused state money to help make safe a white-knuckle intersection (Lincoln and Woodward) that many of us drive frequently. How is any of this pro-neighborhood?"

Moore's comments came in a wide-ranging interview about issues facing the city. He said the Orangeburg sewer issue should be thoroughly researched and then brought to voters for a decision.

"The Orangeburg Pipe controversy demands accurate information and community input for its resolution," Moore said.

"Who among us doesn't worry if we have a 'time bomb' lateral connected to our house? Unfortunately, too many of our fellow residents have already discovered the answer to this expensive question. Forget the hide-n-seek approach to problem solving that focuses on finger-pointing and defensive posturing; let's get all the facts out there, develop sound alternatives which will help achieve a just result, and then take it to all of us for a vote. A commission with sound leadership can make this happen. The city must plan and budget for infrastructure renewal, just as businesses and homeowners do," Moore said.

"Our downtown and residential areas are interrelated and interdependent," said Moore. "Most people understand that for the city to be financially sound we need both commercial and residential taxpayers to share the cost of city services. The failure of some on the commission to recognize this, to in fact go out of their way to polarize relationships with the Principal Shopping District (PSD), is not good for this city or its long-term health."

Differences of opinion are normal, inevitable, and even healthy, Moore said. "I believe that any differences can be worked through with open and skillful dialogue."

"I am determined that our city center will continue to be safe, friendly to pedestrians, and 'people-sized.' By utilizing our 2016 master plan and through sound fiscal management, I am determined to once again fully fund our fine Police Department, which helps make this happen."

One obvious goal of the City Commission should be the wise stewardship of the city's budget, Moore noted. Yet, he says, "this present Commission has seemingly been oblivious to the emerging budget crisis created by our "Prop A" world. Our taxes are high --- too high --- and we are right to demand that our tax money be used wisely and for the greatest common benefit. We all want quality services, a sound infrastructure and a safe environment, but Proposition A will make this increasingly difficult to achieve, unless there is solid financial oversight. When 75% of our tax revenue is capped at inflation (a good thing), but when the costs of running a city exceed inflation (a bad thing), there will ultimately be a gap."

"This year our city taxes went up and city services were reduced. We need a commission that understands that pet projects, high priced consultants, and money wasted on witch-hunt investigations is not good stewardship. We need a commission that understands that broadening the tax base by encouraging investment will maintain quality services without raising taxes. We need a commission that understands that seriously discussing city finances is an absolute necessity and an essential part of good government. When was the last time that the current commission did just that?" Moore asked.

On parks acquisition and improvements, Moore said the Parks & Recreation master plan is a good one and "will allow us access to state and federal tax money. Our Parks and Recreation Board has done a good job prioritizing and attempting to move important projects forward. I wish that I could say the same for the current Commission. I am concerned at the slow pace of the Booth Park improvements. Booth Park is an important piece of green space for the Mill Pond area, as well as for the city as a whole. I also feel the purchase of the Barnum property was a good decision for us and for future generations. The citizens committee has a difficult job of exploring ways to best utilize this property. Any viable plan for this space must to be self-supporting and not cost the taxpayer."

Commenting on the recent debate over an ethics ordinance, Moore said, "a big concern for the current Commission has been ethics. But ethics are about more than filing detailed lists of what you and your relatives own. Ethics have to do with the direct and honest expression of motives, being clear in your intentions and open in your goals, and providing government that is transparent to the stakeholders of this city."

"Let's talk about the ethics of proposing ordinances that sound so warm and fuzzy but are really intended to accomplish a hidden agenda --- one that is only found in the fine print. For example, ordinances that seem to focus on preserving trees and capturing the town's history."

"I mean, who can be against trees or in preserving one's history? I certainly am not! However, the gap between the stated intent of the proposed ordinances and the actual details powerfully suggests a different, darker agenda that could not stand the scrutiny of the public spotlight: the deliberate elimination of your ability to redevelop your property by the imposition of high fees, additional restrictions, and heavy-handed regulation by city government. That is simply lacking in honesty. We all deserve better. If it is worth doing, it can stand the rigors of fair and open debate."

"As I listen to friends, neighbors, and merchants, I have heard varied accounts of problems with city staff. I do not question the truthfulness of what I have heard, although sometimes it is the policy that is disliked, and the employee is merely performing as required," Moore said.

"It has been four years since I last was a commissioner, but I can tell you that our city staffers are committed to doing their jobs and performing their assigned responsibilities. Unfortunately, morale among staffers is the lowest that I have ever observed -- due to the micromanaging of the commission and its appointed board members. When every action is subject to mistrustful second-guessing, when an adversarial relationship with staff is created, then the public is hurt, and talented individuals are difficult to attract and retain. This is wrong. The proper roles of the City Commission, its appointed Boards, and city administration need to be re-established --- and when they are, balance and solid progress will follow."

Moore said the commission and appointed boards must respect their roles as public servants. "Our city, despite its relatively small size, is extremely complex in its issues and its niche within our immediate communities and region. Being an elected or appointed board member in our community is both an honor and a service. It is volunteer work and takes an inordinate amount of time and commitment, often at a personal sacrifice. However, our public servants must remember that when governance is driven by private agendas it does a disservice to those they serve. Those who come in front of the commission, those who live and work and do business in this city, deserve better service and more responsive government from our elected and appointed leaders."


6) Open letters heat up police labor dispute

Sept. 28, 2003

>From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

The labor dispute is growing ugly at Birmingham City Hall.

Birmingham police officers and firefighters have worked for more than a year without a new contact and decided to go to binding arbitration - a plan management was waiting for when they saw an advertisement in the Eccentric that turned up the heat on the previously civil talks.

"There is always conflict in contact negotiations," Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus said. "But this is unfortunate. That ad was nothing but an inflammatory bargaining tactic. I guess they are trying to build up sympathy."

In the ad, the Birmingham Police Officers Association claims the city is spending hundreds of thousand of dollars to do such things as paint the backs of stop signs green, plant flowers and install sprinkler systems that "serve egos, but not the citizens."

Police claim city managers got hefty raises - as much as 13 percent - while they can't get a fair offer that competes with surrounding communities.

Markus said the ad is rife with misleading bits of information. The improvements mentioned are paid for with taxes collected by the city's principal shopping district. That money can only go to improvements downtown, not to pay police. And the talk of pay raises were largely attributed to staffers who attained new job classifications, Markus said.

David Greenwood, president of Local 911 of the Michigan Professional Firefighters Union, said previously that health care is the major issue and that both unions were "basically trying to keep what we have now."

A date has not been set for arbitration and some 70 officers and firefighters are without a contract. All personnel are obligated to work under the old contract until a new agreement is reached so service to residents won't be disrupted.

Dan Schulte, assistant city manager, agreed that health care is a difficult nut to crack because costs are rising and the city has to find a way to deal with it.

"I don't have a crystal ball, but health care costs are rising fast," Schulte said. "It would be hard to believe that the type of coverage they have now will last."

In the mid-1990s, the city switched from Blue Cross medical coverage to Professional Providers of Michigan. At the time, the switch stalled contract negotiations so police and firefighters went to arbitration. A deal was struck two days into arbitration and the process was called off.

Union members pay $5 for generic prescriptions, $10 for brand-name drugs and $15 for office visits. Discussion centers on increasing employee contributions to the health care costs up to 20 percent to a certain level. The total amount an employee could pay would be capped and the city would also offer a reimbursement account that would allow employees to stash untaxed cash for future medical costs.

Workers are also seeking a salary hike, but officials from both sides of the bargaining table wouldn't provide specifics

Both sides went to mediation months ago, but the sessions ended in a stalemate with consensus far off on a few issues.

Published with permission from the Birmingham Eccentric.


7) City responds to cops: Ad is misleading; arbitration is way to achieve everyone's goals

Sept. 26, 2003

The City of Birmingham published the following letter in response to the Birmingham Police Officers Association letter.

An Open Letter to the General Public

Re: Birmingham Police Officers Association

Dear Citizens:

During the course of negotiations over the past two years the City has attempted to meet the economic concerns of the City's police officers in a fair and equitable manner. During this time, the City has consistently offered a wage package with increases identical to that of other City employees-including management employees and the City Manager. With regard to health care, the union leadership knows very well that the identical health care provisions recently approved for management employees would also be made available to police officers in a contract settlement. Such a wage and benefit settlement would assure the Birmingham police officers a highly competitive compensation package.

Unlike the private sector, unresolved differences between Michigan cities and their police officers unions are settled in binding arbitration. The Birmingham police officers union has filed their demand for arbitration with the State, and arbitration proceedings will be scheduled in late 2003 or early 2004. This is an expensive and time consuming process which the City has always sought to avoid by being fair and equitable with all employees. In the meantime, the current wages and benefits remain in place until an arbitration award is issued. Arbitration awards invariably establish wage increases as retroactive to the last day of the old labor contract.

In the meantime, the police officers union leadership is attempting to create public sympathy for their economic demands by placing misleading and inflammatory advertisements in the local press. We deeply regret any inconvenience that you may experience as a result of this, or any other activities designed to attract City residents to support their economic demands.

We hope that you will not be inconvenienced by employees who choose to exercise their constitutional rights of free speech. At the same time, we believe that the City's offers would have achieved both competitive compensation for police officers and fiscal responsibility on your behalf. We will continue to maintain a course during good faith negotiations and the arbitration process which will achieve these goals.

Sincerely,

Thomas M. Markus
City Manager


8) Cops plead in Eccentric ad: 'Stop wasting money and cutting services; give us a contract'

Sept. 25, 2003

The following open letter appeared on Page 2A of today's Birmingham Eccentric. Visit http://www.bhambuzz.org/images/Birmingham Police Ad.jpg to see a copy of the original ad.

Letter from the Birmingham Police Officers Association

To: The fine citizens and business owners of Birmingham

There comes a time when your Police Officers Association, which inherently practices patience and tolerance, feels the need to advise the public of issues within the city that affect our community.

We have been working without a contract for well over a year. We have been told by the city that they are under-funded and that personnel costs are unmanageable. As a result we continue to lose vital services.

Our Police Paraprofessional was laid off. The Paraprofessional handled routine police service calls, which allowed police officers more time on patrol. We lost our horse program, a vital community relations program, which resulted in less police presence in the Uptown. Our traffic enforcement unit was eliminated. We have lost these vital services, yet the city approved wage increases for City Administrators and Managers from 3% to 13.5% for the next one-year period. Meanwhile, our association cannot even negotiate a reasonable wage to keep up with neighboring communities.

Moreover, we sit back and watch hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars spent on costly endeavors. For example: We have painted backs of stop signs green, planted flowers and installed a sprinkler system on Woodward Avenue and approved sidewalks that serve egos, but not citizens. The list goes on and on. Millions of dollars are spent creating a visual sense of community while the Police Department infrastructure continues to erode away.

We have lost good police officers to other departments and the private sector because the city will not act. Nearly 25% of the patrol officers have left the city's employ within the last 5 years. We have pleaded for more officers to handle the changing demeanor of our uptown only to be forced to work mandatory overtime, draining the officers' ability to do a quality job. At the same time the city is demanding major reductions in health care.

Our concerns have been met with deaf ears and indifference. Never before has your Police Officers Association felt compelled to express ourselves in this way. We are professionals committed to the citizens and business owners of this fine community. We are concerned that if the city continues on this course of indifference, the level of service and protection will continue to deteriorate.

If you are concerned as much as we are, please e-mail your comments or questions to BirminghamPOA@aol.com
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We thank you in advance for your continued support of the men and women of the Birmingham Police Officers Association.


9) City OKs banquet hall, but dooms train station

Sept. 25, 2003

>From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

Brides will have another place to hold wedding receptions, but riders of the Amtrak train may be left out in the rain.

"This is exactly what our area needs," said Frank Carnovale, president of Birmingham's Rail District - an emerging shopping area on Eton Road. "The commission must consider a lot of rules, but Big Rock is something you can trust."

Carnovale was talking about a proposal to bring a 250-seat banquet hall called The Reserve to the Eton Road Corridor. After more than three years of trying, local restaurateur Norman LePage got approvals from the city Monday to build a 6,840-square-foot hall in the parking lot of his Big Rock Chop and Brew House restaurant at 325 S. Eton.

That the nod came after nearly two hours of debate came as no surprise to attendees of the meeting, who cheered when the final vote was cast.

"I'm very excited about getting the banquet facility," resident Pat McKenna said. "It's the best thing we could get for that site."

There were concerns over traffic, the width of a sidewalk and the hours of operation, but the most contentious issue was the fate of the Birmingham train station. Officials call it a train station, but it is actually a small, glass shelter in which riders of the rail can huddle to stay out of the rain. The shelter, which is in LePage's parking lot, will be leveled to make way for the banquet center.

"I don't want the Birmingham train station to move to Troy," Birmingham City Commissioner Dante Lanzetta Jr. said. "And I'm more concerned that it will be called the Troy train station."

Many Birmingham residents recall the days when LePage's chop house was a bustling train station. But that was long ago. Ridership is down all across the country and particularly so in Birmingham. The city used to lease 24 parking spaces from LePage, but recently reduced that number to four because so few people ride the train.

Some commissioners, however, were concerned that removing the shelter would all but kill the tradition of having a train station in Birmingham. They asked LePage if he would pay for a ramp to a new location for people to get on and off the train. LePage has been leasing parking spaces to the city for years, and he balked at the notion of paying for the ramp. His construction foreman estimated it would cost $60,000 to build the ramp.

But not all commissioners said the last-minute negotiation tactic was fair.

"The train station is not Mr. LePage's problem, it's the city's problem," Birmingham City Commissioner Rackeline Hoff said. "If we want something for the future of that train station, then shame on us. We knew about this project years ago. We could have done something ourselves. For us to hold up this project ... I think is very unfair."

In the end, the commission unanimously approved the special land use permit for the banquet hall. The agreement allows the facility to stay open until 2 a.m. LePage said he hopes to have it open a year from now.

Meanwhile, Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus has a meeting planned with Troy officials to determine if a joint project for a train station is feasible.

Published with permission from the Birmingham Eccentric.


10) City eyes banning pole signs

Sept. 25, 2003

>From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

Area business owners may have to dish out thousands of dollars to replace their building signs.

The signs at issue are mounted on poles, and the Birmingham City Commission is considering banning them by 2010. Pole signs are already against the city's sign ordinance, but some 50 pole signs were grandfathered in as non-conforming when the city revised the ordinance in 1999.

"The idea is to do this without any legal expense along the way and get rid of them," Birmingham City Attorney Tim Currier said.

Keith Deyer, chairman of the historic district and design review commission, suggested the ordinance amendment.

"We assumed since we haven't approved any other pole signs that they would go away, but they haven't," Deyer said. "If you let non-conforming signs stay up, why do you have an ordinance at all?"

Under the recommended amendment, a handful of signs, including the one for Alban's restaurant, 35064 Woodward Ave., may be preserved as historic, but all others would have to go by 2010. Barring historic designation, the only recourse a business owner would have is to appeal a demolition order to the zoning board of appeals.

The commission could have voted on the matter Monday, but chose to have a public hearing instead.

"I see two or three situations where this is particularly troublesome," Birmingham City Commissioner Dianne McKeon said. "Some of these people are small business owners who would have trouble paying to have a sign replaced."

Currier said the amendment would likely hold up in court because other cities have done it. He said cities have a right to their aesthetics and seven years gives owners enough time to pay for new signs.

The way the city rules currently work, non-conforming pole signs don't have to come down even if the business changes hands. A new owner can change the name by ordering a new panel for the pole sign and stay within the law by installing it within 30 days.

The new rules would protect that right for seven years, but by 2010 all non-conforming signs would have to be replaced.

Commissioner Dante Lanzetta said the commission could have a public hearing, but most people who attend would likely oppose the ordinance because it would cost them money to comply with it. And after the complaints are heard, the commission would still face a tough decision.

"Sooner or later we are going to face the hard vote of whether we really meant it when we passed the sign ordinance," Lanzetta said. "If not, we might as well let everyone have the same right to a pole sign. We can't duck it."

Birmingham Mayor Seth Chafetz said the city's image suffers because signs south of Lincoln on Woodward are unsightly.

In addition to calling for a public hearing, the commission referred the amendment to the city's principal shopping district for comment. No business owners spoke on the sign topic.

Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus said business owners weren't notified because the city didn't have to by law. He said the city would place a legal ad and do what it could to get the word out on the public hearing, which will most likely take place in October.

Published with permission from the Birmingham Eccentric.


11) PSD appointees win swift approval

Sept. 25, 2003

>From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

A year of acrimony gave way to reconciliation Monday as three volunteers were reappointed to the city's principal shopping district board.

"I recognize that there is a time and place for debate and a time and place to pass, and this is a time and place to pass," said Birmingham City Commission Donald Carney. "I wish the nominees well."

Carney made a resolution to reappoint the same three people who were denied last year and the resolution was unanimously approved with little comment.

Appointed to four-year terms were Jayme Leib Kirschner, Cheryl Daskas and Geoffrey Hockman. All three own area businesses and have been active in the PSD for years. Until Monday, they were serving in limbo due to a dispute with some on the commission.

Carney previously led a charge to revamp the PSD. He wanted to rid the board of founding members and replace them with new people.

Members of the PSD claimed Carney was motivated by political revenge - a charge Carney consistently denied.

The dispute started during the 2001 Birmingham City Commission election. Several retailers in the PSD supported a slate of candidates that opposed Carney and displayed the political signs of his opponents in their store windows. The PSD didn't officially endorse anyone in the election, but some city commissioners said the PSD shouldn't take positions on local politics at all.

When PSD members subsequently came up for reappointment, Carney said the entire department needed to be overhauled. He suggested sweeping changes including reducing the number of board members and putting the mayor in charge of appointments. A series of combative public meetings between the PSD and the commission followed.

The last time Kirschner, Daskas and Hockman were denied reappointment, merchants stormed out of the commission chambers, with several saying the majority of the commission was trying to wrest control of the PSD by stacking it with their friends and associates.

Carney denied the allegations but continued to question the $100,000 the PSD gets from the Woodward Dream Cruise. At one point, he openly asked current board members to resign in the hopes that a transfusion of new blood would revitalize downtown's retail scene.

Members of the PSD board didn't resign and the commission eventually approved its ability to collect taxes from businesses within the PSD - thus ensuring funding for years to come.

It was City Commissioner Dianne McKeon who asked for the reappointments to be put to another vote Monday. She said it was "just time to appoint them and move on."

Published with permission from the Birmingham Eccentric.


12) West side will get flood relief

Sept. 25, 2003

>From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

The long-awaited project to alleviate basement flooding on Birmingham's west side was approved Monday.

"This should bring the relief that residents have been waiting for," Birmingham City Commissioner Rackeline Hoff said.

The commission approved a contract award for a joint $4.4 million project with neighboring Beverly Hills. The contract was awarded to Anderzack-Pitzen Construction, an Ohio company that hasn't done work in this area before.

Birmingham officials once pressured the village to expedite the project and even tried to find a legal way to loan the village money. The Beverly Hills Village Council said no thanks - the village intended to stick to its pay-as-you-go approach.

That approach took longer than Birmingham wanted, but Hoff said she was glad to see the project move forward.

The Acacia Park Drain was built in 1926 to serve 816 acres in Beverly Hills and Birmingham. Back then, the area was rural and had comparatively little concrete and few residents. Now it has 6,400 residents and a relative sea of concrete - factors that added shed water to an already stressed drainage system.

To combat the problem, a retention and treatment facility was built in 1994 to stop sewage overflows into the Rouge River. The facility didn't address the capacity problem, and in 1998 a major rain storm hit the area, flooding scores of basements.

Nature has spared both communities since then, but residents are still wary that the next flood is a major storm away.

The new project will avert such basement floods, said Renzo Spallasso, Beverly Hills director of public services, with 8,000 feet of new pipe. It will be installed along Beverly, Waltham, Warwick, Kinross and Southfield roads during the next year. The pipes will range in size from 24 inches to 96 inches in diameter.

Most of the work will be open-cut construction, which basically means digging trenches along the side of the roads. Preconstruction meetings will get under way soon and the shovel should hit the ground by the end of October, with completion in October 2004, Spallasso said.

The entire project is expected to cost $8.5 million, with Beverly paying $5.95 million and Birmingham paying $2.55 million.

Logistics dictate that the work must begin in Beverly Hills and proceed east to Birmingham, but the first phase will bring relief to Birmingham's Stanley Street neighborhood at 14 Mile and Southfield Road. Residents in that area have complained about flooded basements for years.

Once the first phase is done, the village will concentrate on designing the second phase while collecting tax dollars to fund the second phase. The second phase will add capacity to the Kinross_Bates area of the village, and it will begin in late 2005 and end in 2007.

For a basement to flood with the current system in place, the area would have to get more than 1.75 inches of rain in an hour.

Published with permission from the Birmingham Eccentric.


13) Campaign briefs: Sept. 19, 2003 -- McDaniel's feet say, "Just buy the election!"

Commission candidate Tom McDaniel writes:

"After nine hours of door-to-door campaigning the last two days in Precinct 7, my feet are asking me, 'Why don't we forget all this and just buy the election, like Dante says. Forget the message and the 64% of the people who said they never heard of Tom McDaniel. Just liquidate some assets and get some of that PAC money, like Dante says, and we'll be all set'.

"My response is: 'I don't know who to give the money to. Noone at City Hall is on the take (thanks to the Ethics Ordinance), and we aren't running any media spots, so how do I buy this thing? Any ideas, anyone?' "


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