City of Lapeer City Commission Meeting - December 1, 2025 - Part 2

The meeting centered heavily on a dispute regarding whether the Mayor has the authority to dictate the seating arrangement of officials on the dais 0:04. This debate was triggered by an email from the Mayor expressing a directive for the seating to change, which Commissioner Brady challenged as an unauthorized overstep of mayoral power and a potential violation of the city charter 2:31, 7:33. The discussion involved various commissioners arguing over the distinction between established "custom" and formal "rules," as well as the proper use of the City Manager's role in executing meeting directives 5:20, 6:46.

The atmosphere was highly contentious, leading to a significant breakdown in parliamentary order. The debate eventually escalated from seating arrangements to a motion to censure Commissioner Brady 47:40, which was passed to prevent him from speaking for the remainder of the meeting 56:36. The meeting also touched on the reappointments of members to the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the Board of Review, though these discussions were overshadowed by the ongoing procedural disputes and the palpable tension between commission members 1:00:15, 1:12:19.

• Authority of the Mayor regarding dais seating arrangements 0:04.
• Adherence to the City Charter and Robert's Rules of Order 7:33, 13:50.
• The role and authority of the City Manager in executing directives 3:15, 27:40.
• Censure of Commissioner Stefan Brady for dilatory behavior 47:40, 56:36.
• Reappointments to the DDA and Board of Review 59:03, 1:12:19.
• The impact of procedural breakdowns on public trust and transparency 1:47:16, 1:51:13.

• Jeramy Hing: Mayor, presiding officer who asserted his authority to organize meeting structure 0:04, 7:07.
• Stefan Brady: City Commissioner, who challenged the Mayor's authority and was ultimately censured for dilatory behavior 2:31, 56:36.
• Lynne McCarthy: City Commissioner, who moved the motion regarding seating assignments and the motion to censure 0:04, 47:40.
• Melissa Petrie: City Commissioner (Mayor Pro-Tem), who supported the seating motion and defended the Mayor's role 1:48, 2:09.
• Joshua Atwood: City Commissioner, who opposed the seating motion and criticized the lack of transparency in the process 1:06, 32:38.
• Linda Glisman: City Commissioner, who provided context on other cities' customs and urged the commission to move past personal biases 1:06, 11:03.
• Mike Womack: City Manager, whose role in executing meeting directives and handling staff memos was a central point of debate 2:54, 27:40.
• City Attorney: Referenced regarding legal interpretations of the charter and Robert's Rules 4:19, 36:11.

• Seating Arrangement Motion: A motion was passed to place dais seating under the authority of the Mayor, with assignments announced at least 24 hours prior to meetings 0:04, 47:19.
• Censure of Commissioner Brady: The commission voted to censure Commissioner Brady for dilatory behavior, effectively preventing him from speaking for the remainder of the meeting 47:40, 56:36.
• DDA Reappointments: The commission discussed the reappointments of several individuals to the DDA, with some commissioners expressing a desire for a more thorough interview process 1:00:15, 1:08:27.
• Board of Review Appointment: A motion was passed to reappoint Kathy Melrose to the Board of Review 1:16:09, 1:20:25.

• November 17, 2025: Date of a previous meeting where seating directive issues arose 3:15.
• November 19, 2025: Date of an email from the City Manager regarding procedural clarifications 2:54.
• December 1, 2025: The date of the current meeting [Title].
• December 15, 2025: The next scheduled City Commission meeting 0:44.
• January 1, 2026: Expiration date for certain board terms 1:07:21.

• City of Lapeer: The jurisdiction for the meeting and the subject of the commission's governance [Title].
• Rochester: Referenced by Commissioner Glisman to provide a comparison for seating customs 1:04:20.

• Seating Dispute: The Mayor sought to establish a predictable structure for the dais to avoid ad hoc changes and confusion 5:43.
• Opposition to Seating Change: Commissioner Brady argued the change was an unauthorized usurpation of legislative power by the executive branch 18:04, 28:21.
• Censure Motivation: Commissioner McCarthy moved for censure to address what she perceived as "dilatory behavior" and the undermining of the presiding officer 49:27, 52:22.
• Appointment Hesitation: Some commissioners expressed hesitation regarding reappointments because they lacked direct personal knowledge or interview experience with the candidates 1:00:55, 1:03:46.

• Mayor Jeramy Hing: Defended his right to organize the meeting and claimed his actions were corrective rather than punitive 6:46, 7:07.
• Commissioner Stefan Brady: Argued that the Mayor was exceeding his chartered authority and that the commission's legislative power was being undermined 18:04, 20:34.
• Commissioner Lynne McCarthy: Advocated for the Mayor's authority to prevent future procedural disputes and moved for the censure of Commissioner Brady 0:04, 47:40.
• Commissioner Melissa Petrie: Supported the Mayor's leadership and emphasized the importance of the commission working as a team with staff 1:34:12, 1:35:15.
• Commissioner Joshua Atwood: Focused on the lack of transparency in making motions via email and the potential for the commission to lose its legislative autonomy 32:38, 33:20.
• Commissioner Linda Glisman: Provided context on other cities' customs and urged the commission to move past personal biases 1:06, 11:03.
• City Manager Mike Womack: Maintained a stance of neutrality regarding the seating arrangement but asserted his duty to follow commission-approved directives 27:18, 28:21.

• Seating Authority: The motion to place dais seating under the authority of the Mayor was passed 47:19.
• Censure of Commissioner Brady: The motion to censure Commissioner Brady for dilatory behavior was passed 56:36.
• Board of Review Reappointment: The motion to reappoint Kathy Melrose to the Board of Review was passed 1:20:25.

• Executive vs. Legislative Power: Debate over whether the Mayor's ability to assign seats constitutes an unauthorized expansion of executive power 18:04, 28:21.
• Custom vs. Rule: Whether seating arrangements are governed by unwritten municipal custom or formal rules requiring a two-thirds vote to amend 5:20, 13:50.
• Appointment Vetting: Debate over whether commissioners should "blindly" approve reappointments or if a more rigorous interview-based process is necessary 1:00:55, 1:08:27.

• Rule Updates: The seating arrangement rule is to be added to the rules and procedures manual 0:44.
• Future Appointments: Further discussion/decisions on DDA reappointments were deferred to the next meeting 1:11:38.

Overall Sentiment

The overall sentiment is highly negative and frustrated. Viewers expressed significant anger toward Mayor Hing's leadership style, characterizing the meeting as a display of "tyranny" and a "power trip" that serves as a perfect example of a broken local government.

Recurring Themes

• Accusations of authoritarian behavior and "power trips" by the Mayor
• Lack of decorum and professional conduct during the meeting
• Distrust in the effectiveness and integrity of the City Commission
• Concerns regarding violations of the Open Meetings Act and improper procedures

Notable Comments

"Get the major out of here! Stat! I cannot believe he would talk to these people lile that." — @stacyspring5502, 6 likes

"This is what tyranny looks like." — @austinwilbanks9582, 5 likes

"Wow the power went straight to that mayors head! He will make a mess of the city!" — @helenkinert2321, 2 likes

Questions Raised

• Is the new indoor sports arena where Polar Palace used to be still opening?
• Is the dispute regarding seating arrangements or the discussion of the agenda?

Overall Sentiment

The audience sentiment is critical and cynical, characterized by expressions of frustration regarding the commission's conduct and political leadership.

Chat Timeline

[11:26 – 30:50] Viewers react with mockery toward ongoing discussions regarding seating arrangements. [30:50 – 50:42] The tone shifts toward more intense political rhetoric and criticism regarding the commitment and competence of those running for office.

Notable Messages

11:26 "Still on seating....a bunch of children." — @TheIsaiahPLG

30:50 "ladies and gents this is what tyranny looks like." — @austinwilbanks9582

50:32 "if you dont want to stay up late to do your role stop running ladies" — @austinwilbanks9582