By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — The City Council was unable to hold its Sept. 28 meeting at Riverside Middle School due to a lack of quorum.
Council Chairwoman Denise Malinowski-Maxwell, and Councilmen Robert Constan and Mo Baydoun were the only members in attendance. Councilmen Dave Abdallah, Zouher Abdel-Hak, Ray Muscat and Tom Wencel were absent. Four members are needed for a quorum.
Corporation Counsel Gary Miotke said the only motion that the council members were able to make was was to adjourn the meeting. Baydoun asked if public comment or public announcements could still take place which Miotke said could but would not be an official act of business.
Mayor Bill Bazzi, City Clerk Lynne Senia and several department heads were in attendance at the meeting. Prior to the start of the meeting, council members were seen having a conversation in the parking lot before leaving.
“It’s disappointing to hear that two council members — I won’t name names — were here and left,” Constan said. “That’s all I have to say.”
Abdel-Hak said he had an emergency and had to take his granddaughter to the emergency room, Muscat had surgery and was not able to attend, and Abdallah tested positive for COVID-19.
Wencel took to his Facebook page Sept. 29 to explain why he did not attend the meeting, citing his main reason was his concern for residents, especially those not able to attend an in-person meeting or those who have objections for health reasons to attend a meeting.
“I have asked time and time again to return to Zoom or at the very least hybrid meetings,” he wrote. “My requests have fallen on deaf ears. Not even a ‘thanks Tom, we’re working on it’ leaving me no other option to defend our residents by boycotting the meeting Tuesday…Zoom or hybrid meetings allows hundreds of residence to be part of a city council meeting by making statements and asking questions during the actual meeting and becoming part of the process.”
He also said the meetings he’s missed in the past have all been related to family situations.
“My faith in God, my wife and my family are the most important things in the world to me,” the post read. “The measly four or five hours a month spent at city council meetings pale in comparison to the literally hundreds of hours I spend behind the scenes serving our community and the residents of Dearborn Heights. Anybody who knows me knows I don’t have a mean bone in my body. I never talk bad about anyone. My past speaks for itself. The fact that I did something so drastic shows how important I think this matter is to the people of Dearborn Heights. My decision was made for every resident of Dearborn Heights not just a choice few.”
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)