City Commission Meeting - Special & Regular Meeting

The meeting consisted of a special session to review a legal opinion followed by a regular session. The proceedings were marked by significant tension between Mayor Jeramy Hing and several Commissioners, particularly Commissioner Brady and Commissioner Atwood. The session featured a heavy volume of public testimony, where residents expressed concerns ranging from the influence of Christian nationalism in "America 250" celebrations to the economic impact of rental saturation and the lack of transparency regarding legal expenditures.

The Commission addressed several high-stakes items, including resolutions opposing state-level housing preemption and a proposal to ban Kratom. Much of the legislative business, such as special event permits for Bike Night and the Farmers Market, was subject to intense debate regarding the balance between commercial interests and community impact. The meeting concluded with a lengthy period of closing comments where the Mayor addressed allegations regarding his past and his leadership of the city.

• State Preemption of Housing Laws: Opposition to Michigan House Bills that would limit local control over housing developments.
• Kratom Regulation: A resolution urging the state to ban the sale of Kratom.
• Legal Transparency: Heated debate regarding the authorization and transparency of Bodman PLC attorney billing.
• Local Governance & Decorum: Intense disputes over parliamentary procedures, the Mayor's leadership, and the potential for "political maneuvering."
• Special Events Management: Scheduling and approval for Bike Night, Food Truckfest, and the Farmers Market.
• Economic Development: Discussions on rental saturation, brownfield/TIF impacts, and potential moratoriums on data centers.

• Jeramy Hing: Mayor
• Joshua C. Atwood: Commissioner
• Stefan Brady: Commissioner
• Linda Glistman: Commissioner
• Melissa Petrie: Mayor Pro-Tem / Commissioner
• Lynne McCarthy: Commissioner
• Mike Womack: City Manager
• Mr. Francis: City Attorney
• Wes Weber Jr.: Appointee to the Zoning Board of Appeals
• Karen Burko: Resident (Public Commenter)
• Art Seing: Resident (Public Comment/Former DDA member)
• Brian Clutier: Resident (Public Commenter)
• Wes Weber: Resident (Public Commenter)

• Executive Session: The Commission entered an executive session to review a written legal opinion from the city attorney under Section 8 of the Open Meetings Act.
• Agenda Modification: Commissioner Brady moved to remove items C2 (Food Truckfest) and C3 (Bike Night) from the consent agenda for individual discussion.
• Resolutions:
  • Adopted resolutions opposing Michigan House Bills 5529, 5530, 5531, 5532, 5581, 5582, 5583, 5584, and 5585.
  • Adopted a resolution urging the Michigan Senate and Governor to approve HB 5537 to ban Kratom.
• Ordinance Actions:
  • Signage Ordinance (2026-02): Referred back to the Planning Commission for further consideration regarding content requirements and "lewd signage" clauses.
  • Zoning Amendment (2026-03): Approved the first reading of text amendments regarding multi-family residential units.
• Financial Approvals:
  • Approved the bill listing for April 6, 2026, totaling $1,322,190.36.
  • Approved a $3,000 grant opportunity for the Highway Safety Improvement Program.
• License/Permit Decisions:
  • SDRK Group: Decision postponed to allow the City Attorney to seek a resolution.
  • Farmers Market: Approved for Wednesdays and Saturdays, with a specific condition to coordinate alternative locations for June 20 and July 4.
  • Steel Patriots Bike Night: The original eight-date request failed; the Commission approved one event per month from May through August (excluding June 19).

• Meeting Date: April 7, 2026.
• Next Meeting: April 20, 2026.
• Budget Meeting: April 13, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.
• Spring Cleanup: May 4, 2026.

• Lapeer, Michigan: Primary jurisdiction.
• Historic Courthouse Square: Location for the Farmers Market.
• Downtown Lapeer: Context for Bike Night and Food Truckfest.

• Legal Preemption: The Commission opposed state bills because they believe the state is attempting to strip local municipalities of their ability to regulate housing and ordinances.
• Fiscal Oversight: Commissioners Brady and Atwood sought more information on attorney billing to ensure transparency and accountability for city funds.
• Public Safety: The Highway Safety grant and the Kratom ban were presented as measures to protect citizens.

• Mayor Jeramy Hing: Defended his leadership and the legitimacy of the Mayor's authority. He addressed personal allegations regarding his past and asserted that his administration is following the law and the charter.
• Commissioner Stefan Brady: Acted as a primary challenger to the Mayor and the City Attorney's billing. He focused on parliamentary procedure, transparency, and the potential conflict of interest regarding appointees.
• Commissioner Lynne McCarthy: Provided context on signage and the Farmers Market. She advocated for a compromise regarding special event scheduling.
• Commissioner Linda Glistman: Supported the "America 250" initiatives and the Farmers Market, while also addressing concerns regarding the influence of religion in public office.
• Commissioner Melissa Petrie: Provided technical expertise on the importance of the Planning Commission and supported the attorney's legal explanations.
• City Manager Mike Womack: Reported on city operations, including the need for direction on residential rental saturation and the potential for energy-intensive infrastructure projects.

• Executive Session: Unanimous (Atwood, Brady, Glistman, McCarthy, Petrie, Hing - Yes).
• Approval of Agenda (with modifications): Unanimous (Brady, McCarthy - Yes).
• Approval of March 16, 2026, Minutes: Unanimous (Glistman, McCarthy - Yes).
• Resolution Opposing House Bills: Unanimous (Glistman, McCarthy - Yes).
• Resolution to Ban Kratom: Unanimous (Petri, Glistman - Yes).
• SDRK License Renewal: Postponed (McCarthy, Atwood - Yes).
• Zoning Amendment (Signs) to Planning Commission: Unanimous (Petri, Brady - Yes).
• Zoning Amendment (Multi-family) First Reading: Unanimous (Brady, Atwood - Yes).
• Approval of Downtown Right-of-Way Licenses: Unanimous (Petri, Glistman - Yes).
• Bodman PLC Billing ($776.26): Passed, though Commissioner Brady abstained (Petri, Glistman - Yes).
• Highway Safety Grant ($3,000): Unanimous (Glistman, Atwood - Yes).
• Farmers Market Approval (with coordination condition): Unanimous (McCarthy, Glistman - Yes).
• Food Truckfest Approval: Unanimous (Petri, Glistman - Yes).
• Steel Patriots Bike Night (One event per month): Unanimous (Brady, McCarthy - Yes).
• Reappointment of Robin Chestnut (Housing Board): Unanimous (Mayor - Yes).
• Reappointment of Carrie Roberts (Housing Board): Unanimous (Petri, Glistman - Yes).
• Reappointment of Miss Lie (Housing Board): Unanimous (Glistman, Petrie - Yes).
• Appointment of Wes Weber Jr. (ZBA): Unanimous (McCarthy, Weber - Yes).

• Attorney Billing Dispute: A major debate occurred over whether the Commission was being properly informed about the scope and authorization of work performed by Bodman PLC.
• Political Decorum: Intense arguments occurred regarding the use of "personal comments" and whether the Mayor was acting as a "strong mayor" versus a "weak mayor."
• Rental Saturation: Discussion on the high percentage of rental properties in Lapeer and whether the city should implement restrictions to favor homeownership.
• Data Centers: Concerns about the infrastructure costs and utility rate increases associated with energy-intensive data centers.

• City Attorney: Review legal opinions and continue discussions with SDRK regarding a possible resolution for their license renewal.
• City Manager/Staff: Coordinate with the Farmers Market organizers to find alternative locations for the June 20 and July 4 dates.
• City Staff: Provide a full accounting of the work performed by Bodman PLC at the next meeting.
• City Manager: Investigate the legality and potential for restrictions on residential rental saturation.

The community sentiment, as reflected in public comments and the atmosphere of the meeting, was largely critical and frustrated. Residents expressed embarrassment over the "dysfunctional" nature of the meeting and the "bickering" among elected officials. There was also significant concern regarding the transparency of the city's legal and financial processes.

• Karen Burko: "I have good reason to fear Lapeer's America 250 celebrations could be used to promote Christian nationalism."
• Brian Clutier: "I've never seen anything as dysfunctional as this city is. It's an embarrassment."
• Ken Capnet: "I hope you two [Atwood and Brady] do not cave in to intimidation."
• Gigi Griffith: "I'm honestly too tired right now... I'm appalled at what I' witnessed tonight."

• Commissioner Atwood: "How is it that we pay for the bill listing... and I don't know what is on the bill here?"
• Commissioner Brady: "Is there any question of conflict of interest if [the appointee] comes with multiple times sharing lots of information?"
• Commissioner Petri: "Do we have a clause within our signage for lewd signage?"
• Public Commenter (Wes Weber): "Why is it that we are in the high percentile of accommodating this downward pressure [on rentals]?"

Overall Sentiment

The audience sentiment was largely critical and skeptical, particularly toward Mayor Hing's leadership style. While some viewers provided disconnected or unrelated commentary, the engaged participants expressed frustration with the Mayor's conduct and the perceived tension between the Mayor and other commissioners.

Chat Timeline

[00:00 – 34:00] Initial confusion regarding whether the meeting was officially listed on the city website, interspersed with unrelated, stream-of-consciousness messages.

[34:00 – 95:00] Discussion turned toward speculation about Commissioner Brady's behavior and predictions regarding how the Mayor and other commissioners would vote.

[95:00 – 140:00] A period of high tension where viewers reacted strongly to Mayor Hing's dismissive attitude toward Commissioner Brady and commented on the lack of LCC representation on the board.

[140:00 – End] The conversation shifted to specific observations about commissioners and late-stream expressions of frustration regarding the proceedings.

Notable Messages

[96:04] "how dare Brady want to know what the bill is for that's asking to be approved" — @mundanethings8515

[120:58] "REMAIN GERMAINE!!!" — @mundanethings8515

[137:17] "Man. It’s so much better in person…" — @Tim_Galbraith

[139:11] "he's gonna drive all the city staff away" — @mundanethings8515

Community Sentiment on Key Moments

• Mayor Hing's Conduct: There was significant backlash regarding the Mayor's interactions with the commission, with users accusing him of being dismissive and potentially damaging to city staff morale.
• Commissioner Glisman: One viewer noted a specific recurring mention of Rochester during Commissioner Glisman's remarks.