By Charles Sercombe
The city council met on Dec. 17, and all councilmembers were in attendance.
During public comment, a Roosevelt St. resident complained that street lights have been not working for a few months, despite repeated calls to DTE for repairs.
The resident said that DTE says it’s not their responsibility, and it’s up to the city to make repairs.
City Manager Max Garbarino said that is untrue, and that it is indeed the responsibility of DTE to take care of the matter.
“Oftentimes they (DTE) tell people that,” Garbarino said.
He promised to follow-up with DTE.
Former City Councilmember Fadel Al-Marsoumi, who is now a Hamtramck Police Reserve Officer, praised city officials for the accomplishments made in the city.
“I applaud management, council and all departments for initiatives to strengthen our police department,” he said.
Bill Meyer said there are rumors that Mayor Amer Ghalib will be taking a job with the Trump administration.
“This scares me,” Meyer said, “because I’ve been so impressed with the work that has been done in the city and how it has turned around into such a great cooperative working community that I don’t know who can fill those shoes.”
Meyer continued: “It’s very difficult in this city to bring people together.”
If Ghalib does leave, Meyer said, “We have to find a solution.”
He also urged the city not to install parking meters on Caniff. (Editor’s note: There has not been a proposal to take that action.)
Meyer said that the city should install signs that tell motorists “We’ll pay you to park here.” He said that would be an incentive to get people to support businesses that had been financially hurt while Caniff was closed for a few months to be repaved.
A resident, speaking in Arabic and later translated by the mayor, complained of too many handicap parking signs, some of which, he said, are outdated.
Two emails were read accusing Councilmember Abu Musa of not actually residing in Hamtramck, but instead living in Warren. The emails also accused Musa of sleeping during council meetings.
“This is a moral issue,” said Omar Khan.
One email accused Councilmember Mohammed Hassan of actually not residing in Hamtramck, but instead living in Warren.
Another email writer accused councilmember Mahmood Muhith of actually living in Troy.
Charles Blackwell urged the city to investigate “rogue” councilmembers who are not residents, and also those who have allegedly participated in ballot harvesting in elections.
“This is the worst of third world shady government,” Blackwell said.
Blackwell also accused Hassan of using fake email addresses to unseat Councilmember Musa in his position of mayor pro tem. He said Hassan wants that title in order to take over as mayor if Ghalib takes a job with the Trump administration.
Moving on to new business, the council agreed to renew the city’s contract with the Michigan Humane Society to take in stray and lost animals that the city captures.
The Humane Society also investigates cases of animal abuse.
Councilmember Khalil Refai was the sole objector to approving the contract, saying the Society charges too much.
He said residents should start a business like this because “they can make money.”
The contract calls for the city to pay the Society $10,980 for the year 2025, and then gradually increase the payments to $19,980 in the year 2027.
The city said no other agency offered to provide the service.
In another purchase, the council OK’d buying a pumper fire truck for the fire department at a cost of almost $880,000. The city was awarded $800,000 by the state to make the purchase.
Fire Chief Matthew Wyszczelski said the department’s fleet is aging, with the newest truck being 14 years old, and the oldest 29 years old.
He noted that the cost of the truck doubled within one year, and it will take two years to have the vehicle built.
Councilmember Muhith said the department should look for a company to build one for $800,000 and then come back to the council.
Wyszczelski said that no company will build a fire truck for that price.
“If I were to say I only have $800,000 to spend, I wouldn’t have any bids back,” he said. “They would tell me flat out ‘no.’”
In another fire department matter, the council OK’d a statewide mutual aid agreement “that covers liability and authority to receive and provide mutual aid to other Fire Departments that have signed the MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) Agreement.”
The agreement provides the “capability to provide emergency response locally or statewide when lives, property or the environment is threatened by man-made, technological or natural disasters or emergencies by deploying fire resources, emergency medical services, technical rescue teams, hazardous materials teams and other special rescue operations needed and requested by the host/stricken community.”
In another contract, the city hired an Urban Forestry Program Coordinator for $180,000 for four years. The money is being provided by the U.S. Forestry Program.
The duties of the coordinator include:
• Developing the five-year public tree planting plan, called the Urban Forestry Plan, for 1,000 new trees in the City
• Implementing industry-standard urban forestry best practices
• Coordinating with the CAB, CED, residents, businesses, and property owners to select optimal planting locations that are responsive to community input wherever possible
• Overseeing a separately-contracted Tree Planting Company responsible for procuring, installing, and watering newly-planted trees according to the UFPC’s planting plan
• Advising regarding two repeated, hands-on tree planting workshops for residents, businesses, and property owners led and developed by the Community Partner;
• Facilitating training of City Department of Public Services (DPS) staff as it relates to tree maintenance
• Reporting regularly to the CED Manager regarding HUFP progress and goals
During the comment section for the council, Councilmember Musa thanked those who questioned his residency “for your time and concern.”
He said that anyone who doubts that he lives here is invited to visit him at home, located at 11441 Mitchell.
Musa added: “I try my best to make the city better,” and that he has lived here since 2012.
He also said that people trust him and “elect me again and again.”
As for what’s behind the emails, he questioned if it was based on jealousy, and wondered if the emails were sent by a colleague, enemy or even a friend.
Councilmember Refai objected to a plan to have new police reserve officers sworn-in at the council meeting (that plan was blocked by the council).
He said that this has never happened before at a council meeting, and that it was “disrespectful” to have it happen. He stressed that his objection was “nothing personal,” and that he’s a former police reservist.
Councilmember Hassan agreed, saying the police reserves must take their oath “on their own time.”
During public comment, a resident complained that he has been living in the city for a number of years, and was recently made aware that the city has an income tax.
“We are poor people, a poor city,” the resident said.
He noted that many other cities do not have an income tax.
(Editor’s note: Hamtramck is among 24 cities in the state that impose an income tax. Those cities include: Albion, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Big Rapids, Detroit, East Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Grayling, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Hudson, Ionia, Jackson, Lansing, Lapeer, Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, Pontiac, Port Huron, Portland, Saginaw, Springfield and Walker.)
Posted Jan. 177, 2025