Wendy Pate is newly elected city council member
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
TRENTON – City Clerk Debra Devitt swore in city officials at 6 p.m. Nov. 18, including Mayor Kyle Stack, John Dahlquist as city assessor and Michael McCullough as city treasurer.
Nelson Perugi and William LeFevre were re-elected to the City Council, with Wendy Pate joining the council as its newly elected member.
Pate said she ran for city council because there are several important issues for which she wishes to engage to move the city forward.
“We have a lot of issues that have to be solved in the next few years, and I have a vision that I would like to present, so that we can move forward and remain a sustainable community,” she said.
Pate said she is opposed to Riverview’s desired expansion of its nearby landfill.
“We are a residential community, and our residents are already experiencing difficulty with truck traffic, with dust and pollution, and that would include the smell,” she said. “The smell has affected residents, so I would not be in favor of expanding it.”
Pate said the problems with traffic tie-ups at the railroad crossings has become a federal issue. She said Stack has reached out to officials in the region, which hopefully will lead to dialogue which will let them understand the concerns of the city of Trenton.
“It constrains the residents, and potentially provides for scenarios that are not safe, for our residents to travel to and from hospitals,” she said.
Pate said state Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-23rd District) and state Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-1st District) are working on a proposal to build an overpass, which the city of Woodhaven residents did not want to fund.
“There is a lot of gridlock in the area, and all of us can benefit from it, so if we can get some federal and state dollars to help us out, that will definitely make our lifestyle better in the region,” she said.
Pate said she plans to be engaged as a city council member.
“I will probably ask a lot of questions, and I will probably have a lot to say,” she said. “I want to promote the city of Trenton, so I am interested in connecting and engaging with residents, and continuing to educate them on the things that council is working on to make Trenton better.”