The Ferndale 115 News

Divide and Conquer: County Republicans Draw Community Breaking Districts

May 15th 2012

The new law has given the majority, the Republicans, the opportunity to draw districts that ensure Republican control of Oakland County.

Oakland County Auction Has Awesome Items, Public Invited May 12

May 7th 2012

Some of the more interesting finds on the list include a pallet jack, Nobles floor scrubber/cleaner, 25 autographed baseballs, a generator, a Seal-A-Meal system, Cartier glasses, a riding lawnmower, a brown bag containing misc. tools, a red bag containing misc. tools, a Barry Sanders framed autographed jersey and a pallet of 29 misc. VCRs.

Jill Manchik Hired as Recreation Director

May 2nd 2012

“We are excited and confident in the skills and abilities that Jill brings to the table, and we look forward to her representing our community as the new Recreation Director,” said April McGrath, City Manager.

Parking Permit Pilot Program Public Meeting Wednesday

April 24th 2012

An informational meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 25 from 6pm-7pm at City Hall. Residents are welcome to come and ask questions and sign up for their permits.

Voters Left Out in County Politics

April 3rd 2012

Oakland County residents are losing representation as a coordinated Republican effort to gain control of the redistricting process has succeeded. The Commission will be cut from 25 Commissioners to 21, and control over drawing the districts has been taken from the apportionment committee and handed to the representatives themselves.

Ferndale State of the City Address

April 1st 2012

You know, to me Ferndale isn’t just a city, it’s a community in the truest sense of the word, a place where strangers feel welcome and neighbors feel like family. When I moved here 21 years ago, I lived on West Cambourne near Woodward and I remember …

Three Thursday Night Choices in Ferndale

March 27th 2012

Thursdays are exciting in Ferndale. This week there are three big events to choose from:

TIF Extension Fuels 20 More Years of Development Downtown

March 15th 2012

“The City is making an investment in our Downtown…and the results have spoken for themselves,” said Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter when he and members of City Council voted 4-0 to lengthen the term of the TIF [Tax Increment Financing] District which allocates tax revenue to the DDA [Downtown Development Authority] for another 20 years.

Dates Set for Budget Discussions

March 15th 2012

Creating a balanced budget for the year is an essential responsibility of City Council. Each year they meet in a series of special sessions to go over the specifics of the budget, which includes revenues and expenditures from each department. The meetings are public, but they are not recorded or broadcast.

Appeals Court Sides with Democrats in Redistricting Case

March 8th 2012

Bill Mullins, press liaison for County Executive Patterson, said “We completely expected it to go 2-1. Two of the judges were [former Governor Jennifer] Granholm’s appointees and we fully expected them to sway that way. We have already filed in the Michigan Supreme Court and we hope to have a ruling in the next 2-3 weeks.”

Green Party Presidential Candidate to Speak

March 3rd 2012

On Monday, March 5, 7:30 pm- 10 pm Green Party Presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein will be at AJs Café at 240 W. 9 Mile for a meet-n-greet.

City Unhappy with Fliers, Revokes Handbill License

March 1st 2012

Ferndale City Council has voted to revoke the license of a handbill distribution company that has repeatedly given fliers to homes with No Solicitation signs. Petros Distribution of Sterling Heights, owned by Wisam Petros, was approved to distribute fliers for Glory Markets and Happy’s Pizza in the City…

Election Information for Primaries and School Bond Vote Feb. 28

February 27th 2012

Michigan’s lawmakers have amended the State’s Election Law to require a statewide presidential primary election on February 28, 2012. The law calls for separate ballots to be printed for Republican candidates and for Democratic candidates, just as was done in January 2008.

Below are examples of ballot options for Ferndale Residents who also live in the Ferndale School District. Those in the Hazel Park District will face only the primaries.

Democrats Win Redistricting Case, Appeal Expected

February 16th 2012

According to a Press Release by L. Brooks Patterson, the Ingham County Circuit Court has ruled against Public Act 280 of 2011 which reduces the number of Oakland County commissioners to 21 from 25 and allows the elected commissioners to draw the new county commission districts. The Act was signed by Governor Snyder, but Oakland County Democrats quickly sued to stop it’s implementation.

School Bond Debated at CFF Forum

February 15th 2012

For the Feb. 12, 2012 forum on the school bond, Citizens for Quality Education Treasurer Bob Borkram discussed why he thinks people should vote for the school bond. Resident and occasional political candidate Tom Gagne spoke against the bond.

Party Politics Sours State of the County Address

February 15th 2012

The Democrat’s rouge address and Patterson’s official one give wildly different views of Oakland County and the quality of life residents experience.

Patterson’s speech painted a positive picture of a thriving Oakland County.

Important Voting Information

February 2nd 2012

Michigan’s lawmakers have amended the State’s Election Law to require a statewide presidential primary election on February 28, 2012. The law calls for separate ballots to be printed for Republican candidates and for Democratic candidates, just as was done in January 2008.

Below are examples of ballot options

Council Gets Sworn In, Appointments Get Made

February 1st 2012

The Jan. 9, 2012 Ferndale City Council meeting was packed with those wanting to see their elected officials get sworn in from their victories in November. Mayor Dave Coulter, who had been appointed by City Council for a partial first term when former Mayor Craig Covey was elected to County Commissioner, had his second swearing in by The Honorable Judge Joseph Longo.

New Rules Allow for Backyard Chickens

January 15th 2012

Last summer’s chicken coop discussions finally came to a vote at Monday night’s City Council meeting, with council voting unanimously to change the regulations and give potential chicken owners a framework to legally keep and house fowl on their property

Chicken Coop Ordinance to be Considered by Council Monday

January 7th 2012

Last summer’s chicken coop discussions are finally coming to a vote at Monday night’s City Council meeting. A proposed regulation change would allow residents to keep up to three chickens if they follow basic rules of care. Currently chickens are not expressly prohibited, but rules about the placement of coops mean that very few residents would qualify to build a coop on their property.