Still no agreement to fill commission vacancy
Following a contentious debate on Monday, May 4, over who should fill the vacancy on the Birmingham City Commission, the six remaining commissioners ultimately could not come to a consensus, opting to leave the seat open until the next regular election in November 2027 unless the commission agrees that they’re ready to vote on the matter again in the future.
Short-term rentals facing tougher enforcement
Birmingham City Commissioners have outlined a new enforcement approach for short-term rentals during the Monday, May 4, meeting, one week after placing a moratorium on issuing new rental licenses for rentals of 30 days or less following a recent shooting incident at a rental property on E. Lincoln where a party took place.
Next building renovation designs approved
Birmingham continues inching toward relocating Birmingham Next Senior Services from its current Birmingham Public Schools location to the building at 400 E. Lincoln in the city, with the city commission approving architectural design plans for renovations to the Next building during the Monday, May 4, meeting at which city staff was directed to issue a request for proposals for a contractor to develop construction plans.
City looks at current use of Flock cameras
Amid growing concerns over the use of Flock cameras county-wide, Birmingham City Commissioners took a look at the topic during the Monday, April 27, meeting, with city police chief Scott Grewe advocating for the department’s use of Flock cameras and addressing general concerns about privacy and surveillance.
Start of police department renovation okayed
Changes are coming to the historic Birmingham City Hall building, located at 151 Martin Street, as the city commission approved phase one of renovations to the police department during the Monday, April 27, meeting.
Snap Taco approved for city bistro license
Snap Taco, one of downtown Birmingham’s newest Mexican restaurants located at 126 S. Old Woodward, is moving forward as one of the city’s newest bistros after city commissioners approved the special land use permit and final site plan and design review during the Monday, May 4, meeting.
Recall petitions approval appealed to court
Oakland County Commission Chair Dave Woodward (D), whose district includes portions of Birmingham, Royal Oak and Troy, has filed a lawsuit in Oakland County Circuit Court in an attempt to overturn two recall petitions approved in April over his support for a public safety drone program for the county sheriff’s department.
Man allegedly punched while sitting on bench
After leaving a bar in downtown Birmingham around 1 a.m. the morning of Sunday, April 26, a man was allegedly punched in the nose while sitting on a city bench.
Fight between landscapers ends with arrest
A Bloomfield Township fight between two landscape workers end up with an arrest for assault and battery.
Drunk man caught urinating at Barnum Park
A 23-year-old Bloomfield Hills man was arrested in Birmingham the night of Sunday, April 26, after getting caught urinating outside at Barnum Park.
Target theft suspect arrested, arraigned in court
Bloomfield Township police on Saturday, May 2, at approximately 9 a.m. were called to Target at 2400 S. Telegraph Road where they made an arrest for theft of store merchandise valued at $1,437.
Several car break-ins over the weekend
Birmingham police report that several thefts from cars took place over the weekend of Sunday, April 26, at various spots throughout the city.
Microplastics invading the inland lakes
Leo Hendrick Baekeland innocently invented plastic in 1907. The easily shaped, durable, and inexpensive material became a staple in homes and businesses, with thousands of beneficial uses. Other scientists would come along and build upon the invention, but few probably foresaw the global problems they were creating in their labs.
Running for office is an expensive endeavor and candidates are forced to seek funding from all sorts of backers. But some fundraising is just plain wrong in today’s climate, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have rounded up, deported and even killed immigrants and protesters. According to The Detroit News, three of the four candidates for the open U.S. Senate seat – Republican Mike Rogers and Democrats Mallory McMorrow and Haley Stevens –received campaign contributions from federal contractors arming or equipping ICE agents.
