Friends & Neighbors:
2021 was my second year in office, and the end of my first term (short 2-year term). I want to thank you all for re-electing me in 2021 to a 4-year term. Although I ran unopposed, I was very happy to see that 2,469 people believed in me enough to cast a vote. That’s far more than I received in 2019, and I’d like to believe that the increase is because I’ve further earned your trust and proved my commitment to the promises I made.
I made a commitment when I ran to increase transparency, communication, and
accountability. As part of that effort, this letter includes a link to my voting record on regular agenda items:
Additionally, I’d like to update you on some of the issues I committed to:
✓ Proactive & enthusiastic communication: In 2021 we resurrected the paper newsletter! This was a huge step toward improving communication outside of online sources.
✓ Improved downtown sanitation and a citywide effort to reduce rodent issues safely & effectively: We contracted with Rose Pest Control to begin a municipal rodent control program that does not use anticoagulant rodenticide; I have requested a presentation on progress and next steps from them.
Other things you should know about:
We enacted an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals in a similar way that we do with regular rentals. This is a big step toward safety and community harmony, and sought to resolve issues that were major pain points for residents. STR's must now be licensed and inspected.
The Kulick Community Center is still closed. It suffered major damage, and that coupled with other issues that worsened over time has left it in a state that isn’t safe. We allocated a chunk of money to repairs, and we’re waiting to hear recommendations from the facilities task force as to next steps we should take. We have a very limited budget, and with a budget deficit projected in 2026 after the Headlee override expires we need to be mindful of how we spend our funds.
The splash pad is under construction; money was allocated to this from a park bond passed in 2015. We found a savvy way to save money by buying the components independent of installation!
We started lead service line replacement. This is an unfunded state mandate, and it’s going to eat up a big chunk of water funds. As a result, earlier this year we accepted raises in water rates on the recommendation of our financial auditors to keep enough funding for operational expenses. We are aggressively pursuing any state and federal funding we can get to mitigate the cost burden.
Budget is an ongoing issue. At our budget meeting in March 2022 we discussed this in detail, you can see our city manager present that here: https://bit.ly/2022budgetferndale The 2026 budget deficit was originally projected to be 4.3M; we have amended that based on data from the county around property tax, and we're now projecting a budget deficit of 2.6M. This is because the Headlee override is expiring; as a refresher, the override was voted in in 2011 to increase our tax rate from the voted 14.5 mills up to 20 mills, the maximum allowable amount. These budgetary limitations will need to continue being front and center in our discussions on expenses brought to council.
We're still working to create a Citizens Police Review Board, and we're hoping to have an ordinance establishing it this year!
Here's hoping that 2022 will bring further opportunity for Ferndale to grow & thrive.
Thank you for providing me the opportunity to serve an additional 4 years!
Laura Mikulski – City Council Member
Phone: 313-920-6133 |Email: lmikulski@ferndalemi.gov
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