Sekar Bawa

The 2014 Master Plan Update for the City of Pontiac presents a future land use map, outlining various designations across the city. These categories include civic/public use, downtown, industrial/manufacturing, mixed use, neighborhood commercial, parks, regional commercial, research & development, suburban residential, traditional neighborhood residential, urban multiple family, office/hospital/health care, entrepreneurial industrial/commercial & green, and entrepreneurial residential/commercial & green. This document provides a foundational framework for urban planning and development within the city.

This master plan provides a vision for the future allocation of resources to create a vibrant and sustainable park system for the City of Pontiac, Michigan. The plan aims to ensure the park system is well maintained and operated, promotes inclusive programs and facilities, and provides equitable access to all residents. Building upon previous plans and guided by Michigan Department of Natural Resources guidelines, it seeks to enable the City to secure grants and implement documented recommendations, providing five years of grant eligibility.

The Special Meeting, which marked the first session of the Twelfth Council, included organizational items where Adrian Austin was selected as Council President and William Carrington as President Pro Tem. The Council formally adopted the City Council Rules and Procedures for 2026 and adopted the Pontiac City Council Code of Ethics. The 2026 Council Regular Meeting Calendar was approved, and several mayoral appointments were confirmed, including the Deputy Mayor and Director of Information Technology, Director of Communications, Director of Community Development, Director of Finance, Director of Law, Director of Neighborhood Services, and Director of Parks and Recreation. The Council also approved appointments to the Planning Commission and the newly established Parks and Recreation Commission, and passed a resolution supporting the City's application for Curbside Recycling Grant Funding. Additionally, the consent agenda included resolutions honoring the lives and service of Shirley Mason-Cooper and Malkia Maisha Newman, authorizing an expenditure for the Northern Sign District Project, and scheduling two subsequent Special Council Meetings for January 13 and January 20, 2026.

The Special Meeting involved the approval of the agenda. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to entering into a Closed Session. The resolution authorizing the closed session permitted discussion regarding an attorney-client privileged legal opinion and the consideration of the purchase or lease of real property, pursuant to Michigan Open Meetings Act Sections 8(1)(h) and 8(1)(d). Following the closed session, the Council voted to adjourn the meeting.

The meeting agenda for the 10th Session of the 12th Council included several key items. The consent agenda involved approving minutes from a previous meeting, as well as resolutions concerning a long-term stormwater maintenance agreement with Lighthouse MI, renewing Microsoft 365 licenses, and affirming safe access to sensitive community locations. Special presentations celebrated a resident turning 100 and a boxer's championship success. Major agenda items focused on approving concurrence with Oakland County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority regarding the 28 North Saginaw Redevelopment, approving the Community Benefits Agreement for the same project, and resolutions related to IT infrastructure (moving BS&A Software to the Cloud) and Parks and Recreation (MOU with the School District of the City of Pontiac, and revised contracts for Galloway Lake Park Court Improvements and Crystal Lake Park Pavilion Installation). Further resolutions addressed executing an MOU with South Oakland Shelter (Lighthouse) for the Auburn Place Apartments Project. A discussion item focused on an update regarding Carriage Circle Apartments.