‘I don’t think that there was ever a time that everybody worked together like we did.’
— Mayor James DeSana
By BROOKE STEVENSON
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — Gratitude was shown to three council members during their last meeting on Monday.
Councilmen Jason Ptak, Johnny Kolakowski and Patrick Sutka are not running for re-election Wednesday. Term limits prevented Kolakowski and Sutka from running again, and Ptak chose not to run again at this time.
Mayor James DeSana, who is running for council, said that the three would be sincerely missed.
“I’ve really enjoyed this. It’s been a trip,” said Kolakowski who has served the city in some capacity for the last 28 years.
Sutka said the best part of his entire council experience was the people he has met along the way.
“I’ve learned from the whole process and it has been very rewarding,” he said.
Ptak also said he has made many friends in his four years on the council — many more than he believed he would.
“My four years pales in comparison to (Sutka’s and Kolakowski’s) time on the council, but it’s been a rewarding four years,” he said. “It has been challenging at times, and that was part of the attraction to it.”
He added that while he is not running again now, it may be a real possibility sometime in the future.
“The residents are lucky to have the three of (them) and I appreciate the opportunity I had to work with them,” Councilman Todd Browning said.
Councilwoman Sheri Sutherby-Fricke agreed that the three councilmen would be missed, but acknowledged the fact that they may not be the only members not coming back after Monday’s meeting.
Councilman Joe Peterson is running unopposed for mayor, and Browning and Fricke are running for their second terms, along with DeSana, who also is vying for a seat on council.
“This could be a lot of our last meetings tonight,” she said. “I hope it’s not, but if it is, I thank the city of Wyandotte, the employees and the other elected officials.”
Along with thanking Ptak, Kolakowski and Sutka for their service, Peterson also thanks DeSana for serving his last term as mayor.
“I’ve learned a lot from him,” he said. “He taught us how to make tough decisions.
“The city should be very proud of these seven people that sit here, and everyone else up here.”
DeSana said it had been a good four years, the council worked together to achieve what it has and that he is confident that those eligible will be re-elected.
“I have been mayor before, but I don’t think that there was ever a time that everybody worked together like we did,” DeSana said.