Taco Bell, Police Funding and New RARA Home on Rochester Hills Council Agenda

The Rochester Hills City Council has a full agenda tonight. Here's a look at what's up for discussion; for a full agenda, visit the city's online Legislative Center. Tonight's meeting will be livestreamed at www.rochesterhills.org.

Police funding

A committee of on what to do when two dedicated police millages expire in 2013.

Rochester Hills contracts with the for police services, which cost $8.7 million in 2011. The city's general fund supports about 47 percent of police services. Property tax millages fund 43 percent; 10 percent of the funding comes from other, smaller sources. The expiring millages are a seven-year 0.4260 millage and a 20-year 0.7823 millage.

Tonight a public hearing is planned for feedback on possible solutions, which have been proposed by the city's Police and Road Funding Technical Review Committee. Both proposed solutions would dedicate the same amount of funding for police services; there would be no tax increases for keeping the same level of funding.

One solution would be asking voters to approve 3.7 mills for police funding (the renewal of the 1.208 mills along with the 2.5 mills from the general fund; the general fund would then be reduced by these mills).

Another solution would be asking voters to approve a permanent charter amendment that would fund police services from the general fund for up to 3.7 mills.

In addition, voters would likely be asked to approve an additional .4 mills to add an additional eight officers (there are currently 57 officers). These officers would work with the school liaison program or with neighborhood watch programs.

Taco Bell

Taco Bell is looking to build a second Rochester Hills location, near the Mobil gas station on the corner of Walton Boulevard and Livernois Road. The site is an empty parking lot that's less than a five-minute walk from , near .

The fast food restaurant needs a Conditional Land Use permit from City Council; drive-thru restaurants require this type of permit in the city. City Planning Commissioners approved a site plan for the restaurant last month after their concerns about parking and traffic congestion were addressed by the restaurant applicants. The plans now call for a sidewalk and crosswalk through the shopping center parking lot; in addition, the plans call for a one-way parking lot.

New RARA facility

The is looking to grow its programs through the purchase of a new headquarters at 500 E. Second St. in Rochester.

RARA representatives are expected to present the proposed purchase to City Council; RARA is operated through an Interlocal Agreement between Rochester and Rochester Hills.

"RARA's new headquarters would give its program staff an opportunity the RARA Board has been planning for over 10 years, a place to grow," said RARA Director Ron Jewell in a letter to councilmembers.

The purchase cost for the property is $1.4 million; it would be paid through a 10-year land contract with a $500,000 down payment.

RARA currently rents its downtown Rochester facility.

Also on the agenda:

• The presentation of the 2012 Earl Borden Award by the Historic Districts Commission to Deborah Remer for her ongoing dedication to historic preservation in the community. The Stoney Creek Schoolhouse, managed by Pat McKay and the , will also receive an award.
• Receipt of the 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
• Possible changes to the Interlocal Agreement for the
• Request for a watermain easement for the Thomas Thewes Conquest Worship Center.
• The purchase of three lawnmowers and a tractor, loader and backhoe.
• Changes to the fireworks ordinance.