Due to the impending departure of Fiscal and Human Resources Director Robert Seeterlin and the retirement of former GIS Manager Lisa Poisson, the Waterford Township Board of Trustees recently voted to divvy up their duties among current staff members and save dollars in the process. “Everybody will be getting a little bit in compensation for taking over extra duties,” said Waterford Supervisor Carl Solden. “We’ll be farming out more to other people, but eliminating positions [...]

The Milford Township Board of Trustees didn’t introduce an amendment to the township’s home occupation ordinance, but instead sent it back to the township Planning Commission for further review after discussing the proposed changes during a Wednesday, Aug. 17 meeting. “The Planning Commission has to come up with some enforcement revisions,” said Township Supervisor Don Green. “How do you enforce the number of trips per day or the number of employees in a business?” The [...]

The West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted at its Monday, Aug. 15 meeting to approve the introduction of an amendment to the township’s noise ordinance. The amendment was put together by Senior Planner Sara Roediger, along with Township Attorney Gary Dovre and the West Bloomfield Police Department. The amendment would apply to Sec. 15-141, which is listed as “Disturbing the peace and noise regulations” in the township ordinance book. Under the ordinance amendment, sounds [...]

A business owner has been denied a conditional rezoning request after an influx of residents voiced opposition to the proposal during a Wolverine Lake Village Council meeting held Aug. 10. The office and lot located at 2355 South Commerce, at the the corner of Decker and South Commerce, have been owned for several years by Isay Yususo, who is using the space for a dental supply company that he plans to relocate in the near [...]

The White Lake Township Board of Trustees voted Tuesday, Aug. 16 to adopt a resolution setting up a special assessment district (SAD) for the repair of Lake Neva’s standpipe. Earlier this month, the board had called a special meeting to approve the repair of a standpipe — which is a vertical pipe extending from a water supply and, in this case, is near the lake’s dam — in Lake Neva, which is located near Bogie [...]

The West Bloomfield School District has announced an increase in the pay-to-play fee for high school and middle school athletes for the 2011-12 school year. This year, a fee of $100 for a third sport will be in place for a high school athlete, while the third-sport fee will be $50 for a middle school athlete. Middle school athletes will also be charged a $50 fee if they wish to play a fourth sport. The [...]

Eliya (Louie) Boji is an amazing example of an immigrant who came to America and fulfilled his potential. After growing up in Iraq and graduating with a law degree from the University of Baghdad in 1968, Boji came to the U.S. in 1968 before becoming a citizen in 1974. After early partnerships and developments in the 1970s and 1980s, he then formed the Boji Group in 1998 to acquire the Michigan National Tower in Lansing. [...]

From Denise “Chip” Black, Milford: Many people believe that the free market can solve our problems. This is a dangerous myth. The reality is that the free market is not free and it cannot possibly solve all our problems. The bottom line of this myth is profit. People and companies are putting profits over humanity, decency, honor and country. This is happening because the free market perpetuates poverty, unemployment, ecological degradation and income disparity. Gerard [...]

From John Stilley, Auburn Hills: I believe giant corporations have too much power in America. Too much power over elections after the Citizen’s United decision (by the U.S. Supreme Court), over our representatives through lobbyists, and through concentration of media ownership. I believe many giant corporations are working against the interests of America’s middle class.

With the release of the biennial 2011 Judicial Resources Recommendations by the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) on Wednesday, Aug. 17, lawmakers are again thrusted in the position to weigh whether judgeships across the state — including at the Circuit, Probate, and District court levels in Oakland County — should be eliminated or added. As state and local financial resources continue to be put at a premium in a dour economic climate, legislators not only [...]