Commissioners discuss evidence of Dixison case

By Craig Sudeikis
Western Herald

(Nick Karebian / Western Herald) Kalamazoo City Commissioner Bobby Hopewell addresses the public at the city commission meeting last Spring.

Kalamazoo city commissioners were faced with new challenges Monday night as they discussed procedures dealing with the Freedom of Information Act and how it pertains to Kalamazoo residents.

The appeal brought before the commission was that of Sam Dixison. He faces a lengthy jail term if found guilty of the charges brought against him.

He is charged with a “criminal sexual act in the first degree,” said City Attorney Clyde Robinson. Dixison is seeking DNA evidence that he believes would exonerate him through the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.

The agenda called for a “motion to authorize the mayor to sign the proposed letter denying the appeal,” which would deny Dixison the DNA information.

“This is new for us and this is a serious decision that is going to affect this man’s life,” said Commissioner Don Cooney. “This is such an important issue I couldn’t make a decision on this tonight.”

The majority of the commission agreed and Mayor Bobby Hopewell postponed the motion until Sept. 29.
A resolution communicating the city’s Vendor Outreach and Inclusion policy to replace the former Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) goal policy was passed unanimously.

This resolution would help women and minority business owners have a level playing field in their respective businesses while staying within the laws of proposition 2.

“We have to find a way to recognize inequality and find a way as a city to face this inequality,” said Cooney.
Commissioners Cooney and Stephanie Moore added they would participate in a special committee to further this cause.

“I definitely would volunteer on that board so that we, the city of Kalamazoo, would be a force to be reckoned with,” said Moore.

In other business, Gary Goscenski, Perspectives Consulting Group director, presented the results of a 2008 community survey.

Among the results was the top three things people liked about living in Kalamazoo: 31 percent liked the small size of the town, 29 percent said they liked it because they have lived here a long time and 29 percent said they had family here.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Sep 16 2008. Filed under Local, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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