Pontiac: New Terms Begin for Council Members

By Neil Doyle

At the latest Pontiac city council meeting, the city formally launched new terms for 5 city council members.

On WJEZ’s Community Forum, Pontiac Mayor Bob Russell explained that council members are up for re-election on a rotating basis. The swearing in ceremony installed those elected in April.

“We swore in Bill Swanson (Ward 1), Kelly Eckhoff (Ward 2), Jayme Bradshaw (Ward 4), Brian Gabor (Ward 5), and Don Hicks (Ward 3) although he wasn’t able to make the meeting,” said Russell.

Other discussion included a recent ruling that’s brought the practice of chalking tires for parking enforcement into question. Legal action was pursued in other parts of the country, but Russell said that Pontiac Police Chief Jim Woolford said there will be no changes in enforcement procedures in Pontiac.

The council also got a progress update on upgrades at the sewage treatment plant. Federal regulations mandate changes to the existing plant, but Russell says progress is slow. He says the preliminary work started two years ago, and the paperwork is finally in place to allow the city to seek bids from contractors. The project is estimated to cost about 35-million dollars.

Russell said gathering and evaluating bids would take time, and work on the plant will not begin until at least November.

You can hear WJEZ’s complete conversation with Pontiac Mayor Bob Russell on the Podcasts page. The link is on the main menu bar.