Grosse Pointe Woods Council Approves $10K for Appreciation Dinner

The city council unanimously approved this week $10,000 for the annual volunteer recognition dinner to be held Feb. 3, 2012 at the . 

City Manager Al Fincham requested the approval as a matter of new business during Monday's council meeting. It was not listed on the agenda.

Fincham said afterward the approval is a routine process city administrators must seek from the council anytime an expense is more than $5,000. He made the request Monday because city employees tasked with planning and organizing the party are in need of the money now to begin securing and paying vendors.

Council unanimously approved the request without discussion. Monday's meeting was the council's first meeting of substance since the election.

The dinner is "the party" that has been at issue at least since last spring during on how to reach a balanced 2011/2012 fiscal year budget.

The when former councilwoman Lisa Pinkos Howle suggested the party be cut from the budget or at a minimum scaled back significantly by turning it into a potluck style dinner in which everyone could bring a dish to pass. 

It is also one of the reason's . She voted against it because she felt more cuts should have been made before an additional millage was cast upon residents. She voiced leading up the official vote.

The party was also , who repeatedly brought it up during the League of Women Voters of Grosse Pointe candidate forum. She ultimately lost.

The $10,000 is less than the previous amount of $12,000, Fincham said.

Mayor Robert Novitke vigourously fought for the party to be maintained, explaining it is the only form of recognition the commission volunteers receive and turning it into a lesser event or one they would have to contribute to defeats the idea behind it.

The party was noticed by at least one resident independently of council during the budgetary talks as well. after she spent some time reviewing the oversized budget book line by line.