City of Lapeer Commission Meeting - September 16, 2024

The meeting commenced with the swearing-in of Officer Baron, a lateral hire from Genesee County, following a successful recruitment process 1:13. Following the ceremony, County Commissioner Brad Hagadone provided updates on local developments, including the loss of a federal grant for the historic courthouse, the allocation of opioid settlement funds for jail medication, and new state funding for road control 5:37.

The most significant portion of the meeting involved extensive public testimony and commission debate regarding a request by the Adam and Eve store to extend its operating hours and open on Sundays 35:28. Residents expressed deep concerns regarding human trafficking, community safety, and the potential for increased crime, while the store's owner defended the request based on customer demand and economic benefit 23:43. After multiple motions and a failed attempt to approve the full request, the commission ultimately voted to approve an extension for Friday and Saturday nights only 57:33.

The commission also addressed administrative matters, including the approval of engineering contracts for the McCormick Pump Station 32:05, the purchase of a new bucket truck via the "MI Deals" program 33:12, and the introduction of an ordinance amendment to change housing violations from criminal to civil infractions to streamline enforcement 58:40.

• Law Enforcement: Swearing-in of Officer Baron 1:13.
• County Updates: Grant status for the historic courthouse, opioid settlement funds, and road funding 5:37.
• Adam and Eve Store Hours: Debate over extending Friday/Saturday and Sunday operating hours 35:28.
• Ordinance Amendments: Transitioning housing violations from criminal to civil infractions 58:40.
• DDA Resignation: Acceptance of Tom LaMega's resignation from the Downtown Development Authority 1:10:33.

• Jeramy Hing: Mayor [Project Context].
• Joshua C. Atwood: Commissioner and newly elected Vice President of the Michigan Municipal League (MML) 5:37.
• _Mike Womack: City Manager [Project Context].
• Brad Hagadone: Lapeer County Commissioner 5:14.
• Officer Baron: Newly sworn-in Patrol Officer, formerly of Genesee County 1:13.
• Angela Goldman: Owner of the Adam and Eve store 23:43.
• Jane Beck: Resident of Marathon Township 19:40.
• Tom LaMega: Resigning member of the DDA 1:10:33.
• Various Commissioners: Including Commissioner Brady, Commissioner Glisman, Commissioner Petrie, and Commissioner Swendel/Sendell.

• Swearing-in Ceremony: Officer Baron was officially sworn into the police department 1:13.
• Grant/Funding Updates: Notification that the "Saving America's Treasures Grant" was not received 5:58; announcement of $183,000 in state road control funding 6:39.
• Adam and Eve Hours Decision: The commission rejected a request for full Sunday and late-night extensions but approved extending Friday and Saturday hours until 10:00 p.m. 57:33.
• Housing Ordinance Introduction: A motion was made to introduce an amendment to change the punishment for certain rental housing violations from criminal to civil infractions 58:40.
• DDA Resignation: The commission formally accepted the resignation of Tom LaMega 1:10:33.

• Meeting Date: September 16, 2024.
• National SET/Track/Think Train Week: September 23–29, 2024 28:43.
• Farmers Market Season: Continuing through October 23rd 1:44:48.

• Business Expansion: The Adam and Eve store requested extended hours to accommodate working families and customer feedback [50:0_4].
• Ordinance Enforcement: The proposed housing ordinance change was suggested to make it easier and less expensive for the city to ensure landlord compliance 58:40.
• Recruitment: The lateral hire of Officer Baron was made to fill a vacancy left by a sergeant's retirement 1:34.

• Mayor Jeramy Hing: Led the meeting, facilitated the swearing-in, and moderated the high-tension debate regarding store hours, ultimately proposing the compromise motion 36:32.
• Brad Hagadone (County Commissioner): Provided updates on county infrastructure, grants, and congratulated Commissioner Atwood 5:14.
• Angela Goldman (Business Owner): Defended her business's presence in the community, arguing that the store provides tax revenue and that the requested hours are comparable to other local retailers 23:43.
• Various Residents: Presented a wide range of views, from religious and moral objections to concerns regarding human trafficking and community safety 9:07.

• September 16 Agenda: Approved 4:45.
• Meeting Minutes: Approved 5:14.
• National SET/Track/Think Train Week Proclamation: Adopted 31:43.
• McCormick Pump Station Engineering Contract: Approved via roll call vote 32:46.
• Altech Industries Bucket Truck Purchase: Approved via roll call vote 34:37.
• Adam and Eve Hours (Full Request): FAILED 56:05.
• Adam and Eve Hours (Fri/Sat 10 p.m. extension only): CARRIED 57:33.
• Housing Ordinance Amendment Introduction: Approved 58:40.
• Acceptance of Tom LaMega's DDA Resignation: Approved 1:12:26.

• Adam and Eve Operating Hours: A debate between the economic interests of local retail and the community's concerns regarding crime, morality, and human trafficking 35:28.
• Criminal vs. Civil Infractions: A technical discussion regarding the burden of proof (beyond a reasonable doubt vs. preponderance of evidence) and the city's ability to seek injunctive relief for housing compliance 1:01:17.
• Public Meeting Transparency: Discussion regarding the quality of the YouTube broadcast and concerns about potential changes to how meetings are recorded 22:53.

• Housing Ordinance: City staff to continue reviewing the proposed changes to the housing ordinance 58:40.
• Publicity for Board Vacancies: The City Manager will make public announcements regarding upcoming vacancies on various city boards 1:09:32.
• Meeting Procedures: The City Manager will bring further updates on the rules of procedure for public comments to future meetings 1:05:54.

The community sentiment was highly polarized and emotionally charged. A significant portion of the public comment period was dedicated to expressing intense opposition to the expansion of the adult store, using themes of morality, safety, and the prevention of human trafficking. Conversely, some residents and the business owner themselves argued for the importance of supporting local commerce and the rights of business owners to operate within existing ordinances 51:54.

• On Community Responsibility: "I was elected Watchman on the wall for this community... I don't want to draw a clientele that is not advantageous to our community" 46:27.
• On Business/Economic Logic: "I don't understand how being open two hours later invites all this terrible immoral things... she's already there, she's open her customers want her" 51:54.
• On Ordinance Enforcement: "A criminal offense has to be proven Beyond A Reasonable Doubt... a civil infraction is more like a 51% standard... it does make it significantly easier to prosecute" 1:01:17.

• On Procurement: Why was a three-bid process not used for the Altech bucket truck purchase? 33:33.
• On Law Enforcement: If residents have knowledge of human trafficking occurring in the community, why haven't they reported it to the police? 1:42:18.
• On Ordinance Enforcement: Is it possible to maintain the criminal penalty while adding the civil infraction layer for enforcement? 1:04:28.

Overall Sentiment

The chat was extremely minimal, consisting of only a single reactive remark.

Notable Messages

22:16 "Lawd." — @Tim_Galbraith