Residents used the public-comment period Oct. 28 to press council on Ecorse (sometimes transcribed as “Echorse”) Creek cleanup and planned work at Heather Lane Park and to raise concerns about ordinance-enforcement confidentiality.

Several residents questioned the scope and visible effect of the Ecorse Creek clearing — one public speaker said the corridor they saw was already overgrown again and that no long-term maintenance plan and funding appear in evidence. Council members and the mayor responded that much of the initial clearing has been done by Wayne County under a multi-jurisdiction program and that the county recently received approximately $70 million for retention and conveyance work; the mayor said the city is assembling a $7–$10 million proposal on drainage and conveyance repairs as part of those county/federal efforts.

On Heather Lane Park, a resident said the draft concept appeared to redirect the creek through the park in a way that would reduce park facilities; the resident urged caution. The mayor and city engineer explained county-led access work and a separate drainage plan that will evaluate outfalls, pipe sizes and catch basins; the report will guide future work and funding requests.

Separately, residents complained that ordinance callers who expected anonymity said they were identified by municipal staff. Angela Verdeus described a case where a caller’s name was disclosed to a neighbor; the mayor and new owners director, Hussein Farhat (sworn in at the meeting), said the owners/ordinance staff had been instructed that complaints and resident contacts must remain anonymous and that the department would enforce that policy going forward. Farhat said his team began active enforcement work immediately and that the city would pursue a zero-tolerance policy for chronic blight violations.

The mayor also described a coordinated DPW push to install more flashing stop signs and solar LED enhanced signage to improve street safety; he said the city was seeking bids and planned greater in-house installation by DPW to reduce costs, and estimated totals ranging up to several hundred signs depending on procurement choices.

Why it matters: The Ecorse Creek work connects to major drainage and flood mitigation projects that affect large parts of the city; ordinance enforcement and anonymity concerns affect residents’ willingness to report blight and code violations. Coordination between the city, Wayne County and federal funding sources will determine the scope and timing of repairs.

Details & next steps: Staff said they will continue to pursue county and federal funding for conveyance and outfall repairs, refine community engagement for park design and share specifics once project scopes are developed. The owners department will review complaint-handling procedures and the clerk’s office will confirm processes for recording and maintaining anonymized complaints. Council members urged residents to report concerns through the official channels so staff can track and act on them.