Government briefs: Rochester council wants details on police 'Rochester Resilient' plan; Waterford holds 2027 budget sessions

Rochester: Council wants more detail on police preparedness plan

Rochester Police Chief George Rouhib recently presented the City Council with an early-stage idea for a free, voluntary program called "Rochester Resilient," C&G Newspapers reported Tuesday. C&G did not give the meeting date.

The program would teach downtown businesses, and eventually anyone else interested, how to handle emergencies such as armed robberies, retail fraud, scams, severe weather and medical crises, according to Sgt. Jeff Firman, who is developing it with the chief. Rouhib also proposed:

• Assigning officers to specific blocks of Main Street so business owners have a regular contact
• Offering written security recommendations to businesses
• Placing AEDs and "Stop the Bleed" kits on downtown buildings, with funding offered by Henry Ford Health

Councilwoman Marilyn Trent, a business owner, said she liked the idea because one of her employees had been scammed, C&G reported.

The equipment idea drew pushback. Councilwoman Nancy Salvia said it was "just too much for our charming downtown," C&G reported. Councilman Christian Hauser raised the city's design standards and asked whether building owners would agree.

Council members supported the general idea but did not approve the program. Mayor Pro Tem Stuart Bikson said the council didn't yet know the cost or staffing needed, but he backed gathering more information, according to C&G. Rouhib said he wasn't seeking approval yet and that the details could change.

Waterford: Trustees start 2027 budget meetings

The Waterford Township Board of Trustees held the first of two all-day public budget meetings for fiscal 2027 on Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to a township notice. Tuesday's schedule included the general outlook, court, library, IT, police and clerk/elections. No minutes or figures from that session had been posted as of Thursday morning.

Trustees are meeting again today, Thursday, Oct. 22, from 8:30 a.m. to about 5 p.m., in the third-floor conference room at Township Hall, 5200 Civic Center Drive. Departments scheduled include water and sewer, development services, fire, and parks and recreation. Times are approximate, the notice says.

Waterford voters will decide 10-year renewals of a 1.3352-mill police tax and a 0.8822-mill fire tax on Nov. 3, at the current rolled-back rates, according to the county clerk's proposal list. Higher restoration requests failed in August, The Detroit News reported. Supervisor Anthony Bartolotta told The Detroit News that if they fail, "there will be cuts and possible layoffs." The township has scheduled a millage town hall for Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Auditorium; questions can be emailed to communications@waterfordmi.gov by 5 p.m. Oct. 27, according to the township.

Separately, the township's Election Commission held its public accuracy test of election equipment for the Nov. 3 election on Monday, Oct. 19, according to the meeting minutes. The commission tested a precinct scanner and a TouchWrite accessible voting device. No one spoke during public comment.

Sources: C&G Newspapers (Oct. 20, 2026); Waterford Township public budget meeting notice (posted Oct. 9, 2026) and Oct. 19, 2026, Election Commission agenda and minutes; Waterford Township millage town hall notice; Oakland County Clerk's official Nov. 3, 2026, proposal list; The Detroit News via Yahoo News (Oct. 18, 2026).