Sterling Heights meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Sterling Heights boards weigh variances, retirements, and sustainability updates

This week, Sterling Heights boards met to agenda property variances, retirement payouts, and a sustainability report. No decisions have been recorded yet, as minutes from the meetings are pending. The most significant items on the dockets include a proposed service retirement for a city mechanic and several DROP disbursements for police and fire personnel.

Zoning and nuisance abatement

The Board of Ordinance Appeals I met Aug. 10 to hold public hearings on 23 variance requests and nuisance abatement matters. The board may order abatement, with costs becoming a lien on the property if conditions are found to constitute a nuisance. Properties listed include 4022 Dickson Drive (a 6-foot privacy fence front-yard setback on a corner lot), 39834 Karola Drive, 39857 Parklawn Drive, 8108 Plumbrook Road, 41528 Utica Road, 42530 Vandyke, 8386 Plumbrook, 34080 Brookshire, 33702 Elford, 34645 Fontana, 34508 Viceroy, 37132 Tericrest, 38614 Trafalgar Way, 4582 Eighteen Half Mile Road, 14197 Randall Drive, 42511 Silverwood, 2941 Belcher, 35846 Indigo, 2135 Jonathan, 6150 Catalpa, and 11360 Deno Court.

The Board of Ordinance Appeals II met Aug. 19 for a public hearing on 12 variance requests and nuisance abatement hearings, including 4454 Gardner Street, 8136 Independence, 15142 Pietra Drive, and 11124 Hall Road. The board may also order abatement with a property lien.

Retirement boards

The General Employees' Retirement Board met Aug. 20 to consider approving a service retirement for Jeff Salloum, a mechanic in the DPW Field division. The board also received a quarterly investment review from Morgan Stanley and the Brice Group, and received and filed the Benefit Register for August 2026 from Comerica Bank and the Cash and Assets Statement for July 2026 from Comerica Bank and Morgan Stanley.

The Police and Fire Retirement Board met the same day to approve bills and expenditures, including DROP disbursements to Chris Martin, Mark Johnson, Christopher Parmentier, and Jeffrey Valken. Annuity withdrawal disbursements were also considered for Jamie DuBay and Jassin Hakim. New business included a Natalie Abram EROP application. The board also reviewed benefit cases for retirements, EROP terminations, and survivor benefits for deceased members, and received a quarterly performance report from The Brice Group.

Sustainability Commission

The Sustainability Commission met Aug. 19 to hear reports from its six committees: Reduce/Reuse/Recycle, Electrification, Stormwater, Biodiversity, Trees, and Outreach. The agenda included a sustainability plan update under old business, MISCON registration under new business, and approval of the June 17, 2026 minutes. No major decisions or public hearings were listed.

Housing Commission

The Housing Commission's regular meeting scheduled for Aug. 11 was canceled. The agenda contained only the cancellation notice and no items for discussion.

Coming up

• **Board of Ordinance Appeals I** – Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, Sterling Heights Municipal Center, 40555 Utica Road. The board will hear 18 variance requests and nuisance abatement hearings, including properties at 4709 Benjamin Drive, 12454 Brougham Drive, 36424 Clifford Drive, 35775 Dodge Park Road, and 33250 Ryan Road. The board may order abatement with a property lien.
• **Planning Commission** – Aug. 26. The agenda is procedural, with only the agenda document and a supplemental packet listed; no specific items for decision or discussion are noted.

Sterling Heights boards hold procedural meetings; upcoming hearings on variances, pensions

Sterling Heights city boards held three meetings in the past two weeks, but none produced final decisions. The Historical Commission met Aug. 5 to review its 2026-27 calendar and budget, the Board of Ordinance Appeals I held hearings Aug. 10 on 23 variance and nuisance cases, and the Housing Commission canceled its Aug. 11 meeting. No minutes have been published for any of these meetings, so no actions have been confirmed.

Recent meetings

Historical Commission (Aug. 5)

The Historical Commission met at the Upton House Museum to discuss unfinished business, including the Historical Marker Program and fundraisers, and to address new business such as 2026/2027 meeting dates and budget. Agenda items also included Upton House Tours (August–October) and fundraisers for flower sales, note cards, Sterlingfest candy sales, and a cookbook. The meeting was procedural, with no major decisions expected.

Board of Ordinance Appeals I (Aug. 10)

The Zoning Board of Appeals held public hearings on 23 variance requests and nuisance abatement matters. One specific request was for a 6-foot privacy fence at 4022 Dickson Drive (Bruce Levon) involving a front yard setback on a corner lot. The consent agenda listed properties including 39834 Karola Drive, 39857 Parklawn Drive, 8108 Plumbrook Road, 41528 Utica Road, 42530 Vandyke, 8386 Plumbrook, 34080 Brookshire, 33702 Elford, 34645 Fontana, 34508 Viceroy, 37132 Tericrest, 38614 Trafalgar Way, 4582 Eighteen Half Mile Road, 14197 Randall Drive, 42511 Silverwood, 2941 Belcher, 35846 Indigo, 2135 Jonathan, 6150 Catalpa, and 11360 Deno Court. The board may order nuisance abatement, with costs becoming a lien on the property if conditions are found to constitute a nuisance. Public testimony was allowed on all agenda items.

Housing Commission (Aug. 11)

The regular meeting of the Sterling Heights Housing Commission scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, was canceled. The agenda contained only the cancellation notice and no items for discussion or decision.

Upcoming meetings

Board of Ordinance Appeals II (Aug. 19, 3 p.m.)

The board will hold a public hearing to consider variance requests and conduct nuisance abatement hearings for 12 properties, including 4454 Gardner Street, 8136 Independence, 15142 Pietra Drive, and 11124 Hall Road. The board may order the city to abate nuisances, with costs becoming a lien on the owner's property. The hearing will be at the Sterling Heights Municipal Center.

Police & Fire Retirement Board (Aug. 20)

The Police and Fire Retirement System Board of Trustees will hold its regular and quarterly meeting. The board will approve bills and expenditures, including DROP disbursements to Chris Martin, Mark Johnson, Christopher Parmentier, and Jeffrey Valken, and annuity withdrawal disbursements for Jamie DuBay and Jassin Hakim. New business includes Natalie Abram's EROP application. Benefit cases cover retirements, EROP terminations, and survivor benefits for deceased members. The board will also review the Quarterly Performance Report from The Brice Group.

Board of Ordinance Appeals I (Aug. 24, 7 p.m.)

The board will hold a public hearing on variance requests and nuisance abatement hearings for 18 properties listed on the consent agenda, including 4709 Benjamin Drive, 12454 Brougham Drive, and 36424 Clifford Drive. Nuisance abatement hearings are scheduled for properties such as 35775 Dodge Park Road and 33250 Ryan Road. If abatement is ordered, costs may become a lien on the property. The hearing will be in Council Chambers at the Sterling Heights Municipal Center, 40555 Utica Road.

Coming up

• **Board of Ordinance Appeals II** – Aug. 19, 3 p.m., Sterling Heights Municipal Center
• **Police & Fire Retirement Board** – Aug. 20, regular and quarterly meeting
• **Board of Ordinance Appeals I** – Aug. 24, 7 p.m., Council Chambers, Sterling Heights Municipal Center

Sterling Heights boards weigh fence variances, retirements, and library policies

Sterling Heights boards and commissions met over the past two weeks to consider property variance requests, retirement approvals, and library policy revisions. All recent meetings were agenda-only — minutes have not yet been published — so outcomes are not yet confirmed in the public record. One meeting, the Police & Fire Retirement Board, was cancelled.

General Employees Retirement Board

The General Employees' Retirement System met July 16 to review retirement applications and financial agreements. The agenda listed service retirement approval for Don Barron, Facilities Maintenance Superintendent, and a service retirement application for Todd Macovis, Facilities Maintenance Manager. The board also was scheduled to review a retiree status change for Carolyn Latour, listed as deceased.

On the financial side, the agenda included the GRS Annual Fee Agreement and GASB 67/68 Fee Letter, along with the Benefit Register and Cash and Assets Statements from Comerica Bank and Morgan Stanley. Minutes have not yet been published, so final actions on these items are not confirmed.

Board of Ordinance Appeals II

On July 8, the Board of Ordinance Appeals II held a public hearing on a variance request from Joshua & Roseann Brophy to install a 6-foot privacy fence in the front yard setback at 35250 Hatherly Place. The consent agenda included 14 other property variance or nuisance items, including cases at 8535 Eighteen Mile Road, 11645 Fury Court, 41255 Technology Drive, and 13150 Hall Road. Outcomes are not yet available.

Board of Ordinance Appeals I

The Board of Ordinance Appeals I met July 13 to consider two privacy fence variance requests: an 8-foot fence at 42301 Mayhew Drive (no pool) and an 8-foot fence at 2614 South Avis Drive (with pool). The consent agenda listed nuisance abatement hearings for 16 additional properties. Minutes have not been published.

Library Board of Trustees

The Library Board of Trustees met July 13 to review policy revisions covering program registration and the use of study and teen rooms. The agenda also included FY 2024/25 and FY 2025/26 building-wide statistics and unfinished strategic planning business. No outcomes are confirmed in the record.

Police & Fire Retirement Board

The Police and Fire Retirement Board meeting scheduled for July 16 was cancelled. No agenda items were considered.

Coming up

Board of Ordinance Appeals I — July 27: The board will consider variance requests for 6-foot privacy fences at 4022 Dickson Drive (G26-0107) and 4017 Bieber Drive (G26-0140), plus nuisance abatement hearings for 21 consent-agenda properties. The board will also review variance requests for Industry Consulting Group, Inc. at 33051 Schoenherr Road and A & S Sterling Plaza, LLC at 42700 and 42850 Schoenherr Road. If the board determines a condition is a nuisance, the city may abate it and place a lien against the property.

Solid Waste Commission Approves Minutes, Reviews Landfill Expansion; Board to Hear Fence Variances

The Sterling Heights Solid Waste Management Commission approved meeting minutes and discussed updates from refuse contractor Priority Waste, including potential expansion of the Pine Tree Acres Landfill, at its June 23 meeting. Meanwhile, the Board of Ordinance Appeals has several pending fence variance requests and nuisance abatement hearings scheduled.

Solid Waste Management Commission (June 23)

At its June 23 meeting, the commission approved the minutes from June 13, 2025, and the agenda for the June 23, 2026 meeting. Members also reviewed upcoming spring collection dates and received an update from Priority Waste on its new online portal, truck acquisitions, and a possible expansion of the Pine Tree Acres Landfill. No further details on the expansion were provided in the official minutes.

Board of Ordinance Appeals I (June 22 – Agenda Only)

The Board of Ordinance Appeals I met June 22 to consider zoning variance requests and nuisance abatement hearings. The board heard a request for a 6-foot privacy fence at 4619 Bloomfield Drive and another at 37304 Gregory Drive. It also held nuisance abatement hearings for 18 properties, including 15032 Rohan Drive and 42530 Vandyke, and considered front yard setback exceptions for corner lots. Minutes from this meeting have not yet been published, so no decisions are available.

Coming Up

Board of Ordinance Appeals II – July 8: The board will hold a public hearing on a request from Joshua & Roseann Brophy for a variance to install a 6-foot privacy fence in the front yard setback at 35250 Hatherly Place. The consent agenda includes 14 other property variance or nuisance items, including addresses on Eighteen Mile Road, Fury Court, Technology Drive, and Hall Road.

Board of Ordinance Appeals I – July 13: The board will consider two fence variance requests: an 8-foot fence at 42301 Mayhew Drive (no pool) and an 8-foot fence at 2614 South Avis Drive (with pool). Nuisance abatement hearings for 16 additional properties are also on the consent agenda.