I ,
Highland Park Focus
D PARK RE I REAT RESOLVES 'LEGAL QUEST 0 S
HIGHLAND PARK - Last
week this newspaper asked As-
. ant Attorney General Mark
Matus to speak with the City
Attorney's office regarding
questions qf whether $4,000
retreat held at the Weber Inn at
Ann Arbor violated the state's
Open Meetings Act.
A similar "retre t· meeting
had been struck down by the
Berrien County Circuit Court a
few years ago as a violation of the
Open Meetings Act. The judge
, ruled that the distance made it
inaccessible to voters.
Matus stated that an attorney
general's opinion said it was
contrary for a public � to
hold a closed . on to listen to
presentanon of department
heads and administrators of a
public body, and there con­
cern that because of the distance
away from the public that this
"retreat" represented a closed
meeting. ,
MATUS I DICATED last
�k that The Michigan Citizen
complaints could have validity,
but he refused to enjoin the
retreat, since it had not been
held yet
Matus did explain the situa­
tion to a representative in the
City Attorney's office and
warned them that certain ac-
tivities could not be performed
at the retreat
He added tha� the Open
10
1
RED APPLE
�eetings Act would apply only DOWNES STATED he was
if there were a quorum or public very moved by the fact that she
business was discussed, said she was lacking in some
In an interview held after the areas and wanted him to help
meeting, Councilman Downes and desaibed her as "very sin- ·
said only he and Councilman cere" and "very positive."
Comer Heath III had attended He described her statements I
. as "the most positive thing I ever
COU CIL PRESIDENT heard"
Linsey Porter, Councilman He quoted her as saying to -
Frank Ross and Councilwoman her employees, who initially· .
Olristine Franklin did not show lived outside Highland Park that
u�. Councilwoman Franklin if they did n move into the city,
said last wee that she' would they 1IIOuid not have a job. She
b�rcott the retreat because told all the employees she'd
citizens who were appointed '1lack them 900%; but if you
commissioners were not invited don't perform, you're gone," he
to come as the council had re- stated Councilman Dwight Do
quested. He also quoted the mayor as I .
.Porter and Ross were n�t saying she's committed to public I H� also" claimed �he
available for comment as to their safety, that crime had been promised an open door policy"
reasons for not attending. reduced and she expected it to ' between department heads. �d
Their absence prevented the continue to be reduced the . b�dget. The council m
retreat from having a quorum deciding the budget had ex-
and ended possible questions
about the open meeiliags act.
From Downe's desaiption of
the gathering. public issues were
not dealt with at the retreat, but i A TTE
that the retreat was valuable in
aeatinggreater personal under- by R
standing and a better atmos- HIGHLAND' PARK- service employment oppor- viously complained, "you don't
p re between the administra- Sometimes persistence seems to .tunities for young people. see a policeman for an entire
tion and council members as payoff. week, ..
persons. For several council meetings, WE HAD A nice mini town Turner stated "No parking"
Downes stated that the Adion Turner, President of the hall meeting," Turner recaUed signs were ignored, and ban­
mayor used the retreat to get . Waverly Block Club 2lne. h d with a laugh. 'We found they don d car were parked on tb
department heads explaining to been going to Highland Park (the department heads) had a sidewalk.
each other wh their funcfioas City Council oomplaining that growing interest," she added, Cars were also parked on the
were, deliberating what their city ,officials had not been '''Nowwehavetoseewhatthey'�e Davison Service Drive behind
functions were and working responding to her going to do." their houses, forcing residents,
together on a team plan. He had neighborhood's problems. Turner believes that High- to walk in the street in order to
a chance to discuss with her ad- Last week, Turner noted that land Park will not be able to at- get by, where they could get
ministration staff the functioDs three representatives . ited her tr ct businesses and jobs unless kiled by speeding traffic there.
of the council block club: Ti Mc Cleary, an It ooks more attractive. The Davison Service Drive is
He praised Mayor Scott for officer of the Public Safety "0 matter what you say o�e of the busiest streets in
saying she wanted the council to . Department, Marion Hayes, about a city: she states, "if a Highland P rk from regular
work with her. Director of the Parks and developer sees something dif- I traffic alone. Turner states
� quoted her as saying Recreation. Dep rtm.e�� and ferent, it attracts their atten-· police, fire, and E.�.S. ve�icles
to him, "I mow there's some Wanda Bostic of the DIVlSlOD of tion." seem to use the service drive as
proble we have, b I need Personnel for the Department She believes this, she notes, their main route.
your help.. of �blic Service <?-eers as.a because "Twenty flYe years ago, S�e added people walk do�
special speaker to discuss public conditions in the city attracted DaVISOn 0 get nearby Thud
___________ � me here." and H milton buses and
DAVI D POI TS I Today, she dds, conditions children walk there to go to
ir Highland Park, "either make school
me want to leave or stay here and However, after the meeting
fight " ere citizens aired their rom-
"Our block club members plaints, the police came to the
don't want to leave," she states, block eve day and the aban­
-We've decided to stay here and doned cars h ve been taken care
fight crack, robbery and blight" of, a situation Turner hope
will continue. _
However, she adds, one
problem re - the failure
of the city cut the grass of the
vacant abandoned houses it
owns - creating blight
pressedlfrustration at no being
able to talk with department
heads about their problems .
According to Downes, she
�tated that she "wanted people
m place, before she discussed
everything," but would have an
open door policy no .
He added he was unsure
about how this would be imp -
mented,
Mayor Scott was' not avail­
able for comment
He also praised what he COD­
sidered an "excellent" presenta­
tion on su stance abuse by Greg
Harden, contracted with the
University of Mich�.
There were also lectures on
stress management and
management by objectives.
Public Information office
Karen Marie Dumas said, "I
think the retreat was successful"
BLOCK CLUB L� E SlEEK CITY
1
,10 FOR EIGHBORHOOD
, f
I
campaign Kick-Qff Reception
su
DAY,J
ES-
4-7P.
o EO THE conditions had
been corrected after th meet­
ing, the ortage of police.
"Sometimes " she had pre-
•
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RESIDE USED to ct on .
their own initiAtive and cut grass
in both the front 'and the back,
but because the city f. . ed to do
anything, they "go tired" and
ooly cut the front, she stated.
. Haye of the Par and
Reaeation Department stated
it was necessary to see if the city
, really did own the buil .
Turner also tated that there
C d I