Morning everyone. I like to call the meeting of the Wayne County Commission to order Madam Clerk roll call please.
The board is now open for roll call Commissioner Ken easic has requested an excuse
you have a quorum present.
All right, thank you Madam Clerk. Next item,
please Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of
thanks title, Madam Clerk,
invocation,
the missionary Anderson.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It's a it's a brief one, but it's, I think, hopefully some are good message there. Let us pray. Almighty God, you're our Creator and our Sustainer you're our light and our fortress. You are our wisdom and our strength. We asked for your guiding hand to lead us through this meeting. May we approach our task with wisdom? And may we approach those with different opinions and beliefs with respect? May our conduct create an environment of cooperation and kindness. Amen.
Thank you, Deacon Anderson. Thank you for those inspirational words today. Thank you. Next item, Madam Clerk,
reading correcting and approval of the journal
Vice Chair Pro Tem Baden for approval support moved and supported any discussion or the journal? Hearing none please vote.
Motion carries.
Thank you so much. Next item report from the chair. Okay, so as you all know for the last couple of years, we've had the Tri County summit and one of the issues that we've discussed is broadband. And as a result of the Tri County Summit, Oakland County, Macomb and Wayne County, we are going to embark upon a survey to just see where we are in our communities with broadband services. At this time, I would like to bring up David shrimps Ripper Stryver I'm sorry, Schreiber, to discuss what we're doing in Wayne County as far as our survey and we look forward to hearing what the new information that's going to benefit our communities but we do need each of your support as we go through this endeavor. So Mr. Schreiber, turn over to you.
Much better. Thank you Chair Bell. Good morning, commissioners. To give you an update on where we stand with the broadband survey. As she said this is a collaboration between Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. In addition, what makes us really special it's also a collaboration between the commission with my partner here, Tim Johnson and myself on the administrative side. So this breaks it really pretty cool activity. Why we're doing this study, is that there is a real gap between the perception of broadband internet high speed coverage in Wayne County and the other communities and the reality the mirrored network which is doing the study has done this in this survey in other communities. And every community they've done it in every community, they've done a down, they've discovered a huge gap, whereas the federal government thinks that there's 80% or more coverage in the communities. In reality, it's just the opposite. Oftentimes it's as little as 1%. Full coverage. Why is this important to us? Because the there's going to be a lot of federal and state grants available to communities, local communities, to build out their high speed internet broadband coverage, that in the next year state budget, they're looking to budget $25 million, but they're only going to give it out to communities that can demonstrate that there's a need. So this is why it's so important for us to demonstrate that in Wayne County. There is definitely a need to build out the broadband infrastructure. We're doing this in a variety of ways and this is where you can help us and working with your communities working with your constituents to get them to complete this five minute survey. They can do it by mail. They can do it online. Tim has been providing you with information on this marketing materials. And Tim, maybe you can talk a little bit about the postcard that you put together.
Yeah, but I've spoke to some of you about doing a mailing in your district to reach out to people either through your regular newsletter or making a half page full page advertisement or explanation of the survey for doing a postcard that we would send to your community. The postcard has a URL code. If you scan it, it takes you right to the survey. During the surveys kind of knee that kind of shows you what your high speed internet level is at your home or work or wherever you're accessing it. So I know I have to reach a couple of more commissioners this afternoon to talk about this. Is my point out that this is only for the Wayne County communities, the 42 suburbs. Detroit has been doing their own digital equity research and we don't want to conflict with what they were doing out in their neighborhoods. That's a quick call for you. So
common
that when Mises enact it won't be a part of it.
Oh, they definitely
will be a part of the bigger thing that with the federal dollars that are coming in, they're doing their own back finding and research and they're going to come out with their own challenge to the FCC data. As are
what you're saying that we don't have to serve a Detroit is that what you're saying?
They've been doing ourselves,
our constituents I mean, like I represent my district is all in Detroit. So those constituents won't be surveyed by the county.
They probably already have been through the city.
When this survey is done, every community every community in Wayne County will be covered with accurate information on the broadband coverage for that if you're interested. There's going to be an open a office hours that are going to be put on excuse me one second office hours going to be put on on June 27. It sets a Zoom meeting at 10am where you can get additional information meet directly with the Merit Network folks who are doing the survey. The survey will go on all summer. Until we get to a level of responses that give us significant statistical verification. What will come out of this survey will not only be report but maps that every local community will be able to use as well as the county to be able to see and where their broadband coverage is and is not an either together with the county together with the region or on their own, apply for any state or federal grants. So once again, our call to you and you'll be hearing from us onshore many times over the summer is to help us get the information out. Help us to get the residents to respond because it's it's the information it's only going to be the results are only going to be as good as the responses that we get. No one likes to do. Surveys. So we really have to push we will have things such as bookmarks that can be posted in local municipal offices, yard signs that can be put there and we'll be asking the communities directly to do this also. So thank you.
Thank you David. Thank you Tim Hoda for a few questions. But again, this is something that a tangible item that came out of the Tri County Summit, and as was mentioned, there are millions of dollars in federal grants available. So working together this is going to be so important. For our region. Commissioner Clemente.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Couple of questions. You said there's three ways they could do the survey, phone, mail or QR code
to two ways either either online on what you could do with your phone or your computer or my mail.
And are you so I have Detroit and out County? Are you contacting our locals so that they can get this kind of information about the Zoom meeting? Or is that our responsibility to do
absolutely by the end of the summer? They're going to be really annoyed with me because I'm going to be repeatedly sending out reminders to interact. I've recently placed went out to the conference of Western Wayne meetings and made sure that they were aware of this. We're sending out information. The American network is sending out information I provided them with contacts with all the communities in Wayne County. multiple contacts
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm understanding that each Commissioner those postcards or whatever will be mailed to about 15,000 houses in our district. How does that work? How are you picking? I mean, I'm hoping it's us. Batterien
Yeah, it's gonna be kind of a random draw. To try and get as broad of coverage across your district as possible.
Okay, and then it doesn't matter then we can just have additional people keep answering. But initially, it'll be about 15,000
and this is supplementing, what merit is already going to be doing okay. They're doing a couple of mailings themselves,
okay. To all the citizens or to smaller sample. Okay. All right. Thank you.
And this is really going to take a lot of our support here, commissioners to get this out because as you know, we have direct contact with our constituents, certainly talking about it at your meetings, going, having those mail outs and just really getting the word out to make sure that this gets out and get the most accurate data that we can get. Commissioner only Baker McCormick
Thank you Madam Chair. Can you send us a copy of what the postcard will look like? And Brentford is included in that?
Well, if you desire the mailings, we're asking commissioners to do what comes out of their budgets? I can get with you later to discuss further
Mr. Clark on if if Detroit is not being included in this and what what role will we play the commissioners in Detroit? If we don't know what the charges are, what what the mayor or the city administration said?
I would what I've done is talk to my mayor's person. Manali is my person and talk to her about what they're what they have already done. So we can just reiterate whatever messaging that the mayor's office our city council people are putting out there and then talk about it broadly that you know, the city has done theirs we're doing out to Wayne County will be one a totality of all the information that we can get an accurate picture of what Wayne County looks like with the broadband. So I would get with your neighborhood manager to see what messaging they're putting out. And just talk about it just reemphasize with them. You know, emphasize with them that this is something that the city Detroit is doing. We want to make sure that all the residences in Detroit do their part. And then if you have split communities like several of us will have you do then of course you would do the same thing. Go out to your out County communities but then talk to your city Detroit neighborhood manager about what city Detroit is doing.
Just to clarify. So the other 42 communities, are you doing all of them and it comes out of each of our budgets? Is that what you're saying?
That's what we're proposing.
Okay, and it would only be about 15,000 residents and do we have a cost that you kind of know the roundabout cost 6000 6000 Okay. Thank you
and those of us who are already doing newsletters scheduled, you can just put that in your newsletter if you don't mind if you ever have a newsletter that's scheduled to go out
that you want these out by
wire so they're accepting results all summer. So initially, we're thinking if we can maybe wrap it up by the end of July.
We wouldn't need that newsletter out and you're like as soon as possible. Okay.
Thank you and as often as possible, whatever way you communicate with your constituents. With every one of you can send include reminders. We've got the social media content, we've got newsletter content, literally anyway, if there's a way that we didn't think of to include, we'd be happy to put it together.
I mentioned murky, the Commissioner Clark Holmes,
thank you for recognizing me recognizing me again. So I take it then if we can all do this to anyone. It's the same scan, that same scan whatever they call it. So how are they identifying themselves through zip code when they go to that survey How do you know where they're at?
Information will remain confidential and then it's by census tract that they're actually literally by block and by census tract that they'll actually put the surveys together. The one thing that they're careful about is to maintain confidentiality of any individual resident. So they will not provide information that would allow for individual identification,
right, but so you're saying the address would kind of identify where they're at. I mean, because if you're looking at a map, you have to see where all these people are.
They've got a sophisticated GIS system, which they'll be using and they have used very successfully in the other communities, other counties in Michigan that they have done this. If you're interested, they'll probably give a demo at the office hours that are going to be coming up or we could arrange if anyone's interested, happy to show you I have access to the map as it stands now and can show you how all that works.
All right. Yeah, I'd like to see that because I'm kind of confused at how you will track all these people. Thank you,
Mr. Clark, Coleman.
Um, have all the information, our PR, our newsletter that lets you have the information that
Yeah, in fact, they did. sample template postcards, and he's got other material for newsletters. He's gonna be doing social media content, you can put on your own Facebook pages and
he has what we need in our newsletter, right? Yes,
if you do electronic newsletters, you can send that out as well have that contest stunning. Yep. Yep. So when we get that from Tim for over our E newsletter, if you send out electronic newsletters, you can get that information from Jim as well. All right. All right. Thank you gentlemen, so much. We look forward to this project.
We look forward to partnering with Tim on this and working together with the Commission.
Absolutely. Thank you, David. Thank you. I look forward to getting some good data so that we can make sure that all the Wayne County is wired for broadband. Thank you. Next item, Madam Clerk,
we're moving to page two of the agenda unfinished business there's one item listed in ordinance to amend chapter 29 of the Wayne County code of ordinances being in row ordinance number 89 951.
And chair Yes,
especially can like move to open public hearing.
Okay, last at our last meeting, we had the first reading which was on June 6. This is the second reading today as well as the public hearing has been moved by Commissioner Kinloch, supported by Commissioner Scott sorry, Commissioner, dab to open public hearing all in favor open and public hearing please vote.
Motion passes to open public hearing anyone wish to speak on this topic from the public? Anyone? The public and this has been put into publications. anyone wish to speak on this ordinance from the public Anyone wishing to speak on this from the public? And we've unmuted the lines
there a motion to close public hearing,
I'm sure move to close public hearing
their support for the commission murky to close public hearing or attend a motion on the vote to close the public hearing.
Right, public hearing is now closed. Is there a motion for approval of the item Commissioner Kinloch. The move by Commissioner Kinloch supported by Rebecca McCormick any discussion on this item from commissioners
discussion board is not ready for discussion. But if you raise your hand Commissioner Bashar
pushing a button but it's not working. Technology's great. I certainly appreciate the efforts of the administration and our commission Council and I think we've come a long ways in the short amount of time
that this one this is not the reorg plan.
I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself
Are you when we get to the reorg plan which will be coming up shortly. Every notice discussion. The board is not recognizing discussion. So if you do have a discussion, please raise your hand Hearing none please vote.
Motion carries
out a clerk Next item please
remove it to offering of our petitions, ordinances, resolutions and presentations. There is one item listed on the agenda a resolution by Commissioner Bell declaring June 2023 as national Gun Violence Awareness Month. Okay,
so as we unfortunately see, throughout the country, gun violence seems to be at an all time high. We want to make sure that we just continue to talk about what it means to families when someone is taken from them through gun violence. We've have countless amounts of mass shootings, just neighborhood shootings or domestic violence shootings. Gun violence has really taken a toll on this country. So we just want to make sure that we make it aware that's why young people the dangers, how they ruin someone's life and their own lives when they partake, partake in gun violence. So this is a resolution again declaring June as national Gun Violence Awareness Month. I think the color is orange. So if you have any activities planned in your districts for this month, that would be awesome. Does again to bring awareness to the devastation of gun violence and has on our community. Is there a motion? Well, I guess I'll move can I move it? Okay, I can move it I'm gonna move that and supportive by Commissioner Clemente went once to move this out. Let her be the second. Any discussion? I'm sorry. And discussion on the resolution open up the co sponsors after the vote. Please vote for the resolution. Motion carries. Hey, when the board is ready, we'll open it up for co sponsors. Let us know when the board is ready.
Board is now open for co sponsors.
bouncers Duly noted.
Thank you so much. Next item, please.
We're moving to reports from committees report as from the special committee on the criminal justice complex. There are two items listed
Commissioner Anderson
have the special committee on criminal justice do you have to receive a file items
sorry, my mic wasn't on. I would just move those two items for to be received by the full commission.
It's been moved and supported by lecture poets and beydoun a discussion on the to receive a five items. Hearing none please vote.
Motion carries. Next item we're moving to report be from the Committee on seniors and veterans affairs. There are two items listed on pages two and three of the agenda. Mr. Scott.
Thank you, madam. Thank you, Madam Chair. We have two items. One is with Sun Valley foods and the second one is with the senior Alliance
in moved by Commissioner Scott supported by Commissioner halos. Any discussion on the senior report any discussion on this report? Hearing none please vote
motion carries
next time we are moving to report see on page three of the agenda there's one item listed especially Basha.
Like to move the one item to receive and file manager
by Commissioner battle supported by Commissioner dobb. Any discussion on the receiving file letter from plant Moran on the audit committee?
Please vote.
Motion carries. Next time
we're on report deep and the Committee on Public Safety judiciary and homeland security. There are three items listed
Mr. Clark Coleman
Thank you Madam Chair.
Move by Commissioner Clark calm and supported by Commissioner Scott Adams. Receive a fire one approved two and three on public safety any discussion? On these items? Hearing none, please vote.
Motion carries.
Next item please.
We're on report E from the Committee on Government Operations. There are two items listed.
Mr. Dahle.
Thank you Madam Chair. I'd like to move items one and two for approval.
Moved by Commissioner Dobbs supported by Commissioner Basham. I almost wanted to the government operations report any discussion on the two items on this report? Session. Hearing none please vote.
Motion carries
so much. Next item we're moving
to report F from the Committee of the Whole there's one item listed.
This is the item of the reorganization plan that we had a committee of the whole it was forwarded without recommendation due to some conversation that needed to be had between the council and the administration and commissioners concerns. I am happy to report that the concerns the issues that commissioners had were addressed one with pertaining to ordinances to identify the department. We've done that and you'll see a whole slew of ordinances on the agenda. Number two was the budget implications on how some of these positions would affect our budget that was addressed as well. As well as approval of division directors. With that being stated, I want to thank our council thank Miss Allen for their hard work and diligence, and coming together on compromises it was given take on several items, but we want to thank everyone's hard work to get this to us today and addressing the concerns that commissioners had. With that out entertain a motion and I see we have a motion by Commissioner Kinloch, supported by Vice Chair Bay dune and discussion Commissioner Bastion.
Thank you Madam Chair. I appreciate all the hard work from today on administration. Our commission counsel and I think we've came a long ways. So I certainly appreciate that. For some reason, actually, I've got some reasons. I still don't think we're there yet. And I understand this probably passed but but quite frankly I'll be a no vote on this. Thank you.
Thank you, sir. Any additional discussion from commissioners on this item? And this is going to the motion will be as amended for the record will be reorg plan as amended. additional discussion on reorganization plan. Hearing none, please vote.
Motion carries much.
Alright, let's go to the agenda.
We are moving to the agenda offering about petitions ordinances, resolutions and presentations. There are eight items listed. Okay, these
are the eight items here for first reading again, these are the ordinances that correspond with the reorg plan. When we meet again, there'll be second reading and for adoption. Is there a motion to move all of these items one through nine for first reading move by Kinloch supported by pro Tim I'm sorry that the same Vice Chair pro tem beydoun. I'm sorry. That's it. I'm sorry, two, three, yes, two through nine. I say one through nine. And we're going to pass those for the day. And again, it's moved by Vice Chair Pro Tem Bay. Dune supported by Commissioner Baker McCormick. Commissioner Scott. Okay. All right. Move to pass for the day two through nine which are the corresponding ordinances to the reorg plan. A discussion hearing none please vote.
Motion carries. Next item. We will remain on the agenda to report G from the Committee on Economic Development there are five items listed. Commissioner haters
Thank you Madam Chair. Move to receive and file item one and two and for approval three, four and
five are both by Commissioner Heydo supported by Commissioner they don't receive and file two items and approve three through five a discussion of economic development report and discussion on Economic Development Report. Mr. Anderson,
thank you Madam Chair. If I could ask the economic development director to come forward to the mic. I just wanted to cover something that we discussed in in the Economic Development Committee. And I just wondered if for the record, if you just let us know that you're going to provide a report back what steps are being taken for those that are not paying their lease for the releases. And we've got a number for those other commissioners that might have looked at it closely. There's a pretty surprising number of of tenants that are in this building that are behind on their rent considerably. And just wondered if you would provide us a report back on that within a within a month.
That's your light please at the bottom? Yep, thanks.
And I should have said Madam Chair, excuse me. I should have said steps that are going to be taken.
Good morning, everybody. Director Huston Schaffer Director of Economic Development. You think I'll get used to the button by now but still still working through that? No. Commissioner Anderson, I appreciate you asking the question and bringing me forth. As we've inherited the Economic Development Department and I'm coming in. One of the things we've been doing, as we've told you numerous times is turning over every stone going through every single item within within the department. One of those items within our purview is in is exactly as you said, within the management of the building, and our tenants and looking at the delinquencies and we've already started those conversations with our management team, Shannon hag from their team and I have been having numerous conversations on this. We will be looking forth at all the delinquencies and putting forth an action plan in regards to what the next steps next items will be. We'll definitely be having more than happy to bring that back to you all and discuss that with you once we once we line those items up. But those conversations have already begun. have started and we're on the same page with
Thank you Madam Chair. I know this is not on the agenda today. But is there going to be an update on the workforce development training program that we approved? What was it four or five months ago?
So you're talking about the program in which we were going to be working with them. And that was approved in batch one and we're more than happy to provide you an update as we are now going back into the conversations in regards to our batch three potentially, you know, we're more than happy to bring that back forth to you and bring you an update for batch one and batch two as well. Part of what we're doing is doing an audit in terms of reaching back out to the communities that we're with batch one batch to seeing what their progress has been so we can provide that to the Commission as well in regards to whether or not they're staying within their timelines. And any anything that you guys may have questions upon that you guys approved in batch one and batch two.
Yes, because I'm really interested in absolutely how that program is progressing and absolutely contractors that are involved in it is absolutely
thank you. That was the $50 million contract so that will probably be go to a committee of the whole I think all of us want to know what's how that's progressing. So we'll schedule that the next few weeks for the mayor the hall
we're working on on on on those numbers right now as we're doing audits all the way through so that will be provided to you all within our report. And we want to make sure that you guys get the most recent updates with everything. So as soon as we have everything worked out, we'll be making sure that we're in front of you as soon as possible. As I said numerous times one thing that I pride myself on is transparency and communication. So as soon as we get everything lined up, you guys will be in the know.
Thank you Commissioner murky.
Thank you Madam Chair, since you brought up the words batch three, when do you think we're going to see that?
So we as as you all know, there was a hiatus in our conversations internally in terms of moving forward and batch three due to the process in which we brought everything forth with the revenue replacement and all that we have just picked back up in terms of our internal conversations. We hope to work through this internal process and hope to have something in front of you as soon as possible. But we will be working through that and we've already picked back up in regards to our conversations and looking at the projects and how we're gonna go forth on that so
soon as possible as soon as possible.
Absolutely.
Thank you, Commissioner Basham.
Thank you, Madam Chair. You use the term doing an audit. Are you going by Gatsby are you just looking at stuff and using an audit term is a buzzword
for us? You know, we're still figuring out what that process will look like. But as of right now, for my from my perspective, when I say audit, it's going back and looking through each of the projects, making sure we're going back and having communication with each of the communities and from there deciphering. If there needs to be additional steps taken
on an ISO standard that you're doing. You're doing looking at stuff I couldn't
I follow this is not the national audit standards that we would do a professional audit by you're just looking at your documents in the past. Any additional questions on the economic development report?
Okay, please vote.
Motion carries.
Thank you Next item.
We're report age from the Committee on Public Services. There are 17 items listed the mission number Becky,
thank you Madam Chair. I'd like to move for approval. To receive and file items number one, and approve items two through 17. With Commissioner halos being the maker the motions for 612 13 and 15.
Moved by Commissioner rescue supported by Vice Chair Pro Tem Bay doom. I'll just say that on item number one, everyone, please make sure you get out to your constituents that 1888 road crew number is very important when we're when people have concerns about road issues that they received that so that we can document what those concerns are coming from. Commissioner doppia Thank you Madam
Chair. Could I be the maker of the motion for item number three? Sure. Thank you.
Discussion on the public services reporting.
Hearing none, please vote.
Motion carries. Now the commissioner had his as the maker of the motion on 612 13 and 15. Commissioner dog is the maker of the motion on item number three.
Thank you. Next time,
we're moving to report add from the Committee on ways and means there are five items listed,
which I cannot
miss Madam Chair, I
move to approve items one through five with number five being the resolution. Loving the operating millage upon the summer tax rolls.
Okay any discussion on the Ways and Means report? Yes question always means
please vote.
Motion carries. Item we're moving to report j from the Committee on Health and Human Services. There are 13 items listed.
I should make it McCormick.
Thank you Madam Chair I move to receive and file item number one and to move approval item two through 13.
Support supported by Commissioner they do and I have a question on item number two. And that was someone from the administration here thought Dr. El Sayed. sir good morning.
Morning, Dr. Abdul ElSayed, Director of Health Human veteran services.
At number two is the just air solutions 2.1 million professional service for the air quality Can you discuss that, please?
Yes. So, stepping all the way back one of the big commitments that CEO Evans had made given that we're coming out of this COVID pandemic is to make quite an investment in terms of resiliency and health at baseline, all of the things that unfortunately, we often take for granted that too many in our communities don't have whether it's clean air, or access to a health center or a respectful engaging clinician in the setting of pregnancy. These are the kinds of projects that we're hoping to kick off and the one up for discussion today is one that I think is extremely timely considering just last week, we were in the grips of some of the worst air quality in Michigan history, some of the worst air quality in the country. And for folks who have not been exposed to that kind of air quality, they recognized exactly what that can mean for a life the things that you take for granted the risk that you run simply to get outside your home to go take a run, ride a bike, play outside and for too many in our communities, that is the baseline under which they live. This project up for consideration today is about trying to understand exactly what air quality we do experience in different parts of our county and then providing that information in real time to families to enable them to do something about it. What we're proposing here is working with just air to put up 100 fixed point air monitors. These would be on things like streetlights, providing us information in real time. That then would be fed back to the public in in two forms. One would be an online dashboard, but the second would be an SMS enabled platform that could indicate to somebody if they're air quality was an issue. On top of those 100 fixed point air monitors, we're also proposing 500 mobile air monitors that would clip on to things like backpacks. And we're proposing to clip them onto the backpack specifically of children with asthma. They would also come with what's called a Bluetooth dots, a little device that you can put onto an inhaler so that every time a child uses their inhaler, it would send information out to the cloud that was collecting data about objective air quality from their monitors and the fixed point monitors that exist out in the community collectively, and this is what just their specializes in. It would allow us to learn the fingerprint of asthma exacerbations in our county and get information in real time to families with children with asthma ahead of when they started to wheeze and how to use that rescue inhaler. This is a project that builds on a lot of the work that just there has been doing in communities both in Michigan, in the city of Detroit, in Kalamazoo and in the city of Dearborn and also work that they're doing in other states, but also it builds on this in a way that is really quite innovative. This would be a leading edge use of the available technology and computational capacity that currently exists and we're really excited at the potential to roll this out to our families and our residents here in the county.
I think that's a very innovative program. Question. Once we get that data, are we going to do something proactively with it such as being the polluters or what the end result of getting the data?
Yeah, I really appreciate your question Commissioner Bell and it demonstrates an insight into how we can leverage this data in the shortest term. We want to get real time information to families who can do something let's say you have a child with asthma I call him Tommy and Tommy has bad enough asthma that you know if Tommy were to spend too much time outside on a particularly bad air day that risk exacerbation which could wind up leading Tommy to an emergency room or worse. We'd love to be able to text Tommy's mom or dad in real time to say today not might not be the day that Tommy should go out and play ball with his friends. Right today is the day that Tommy should stay indoors. So that's one real time intervention that really can get ahead of exacerbation and do something imminently. But the bigger picture here is what we can do also in the Mizo in the long term. And in the midterm we know we have unfortunately the air quality in our communities is affected by the density of pollution from particularly large emitters and while the state of Michigan does collect that data, they are bound to collect very particular data. And and what we would like to do is to be able to collect data in broader in a shorter time span and in broader density. Such that when these emitters will will apply for new permits and new licenses that we can leverage the power of our county the power of of this commission of the CEO of the health officer to hold them accountable as they start making claims about the safety and security of their operation. And then the longest term, I really hope that this data can be used by bodies like this one or the state legislature to start passing policy that would hold those polluters accountable, given what we're understanding and the delta between how they say they're operating and how they're actually operate.
Right. Thank you for that. I'll have a few questions. Commissioner Basham.
Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, I appreciate your efforts except this is a comparable source contract and apply this book. When I see comparable source. Why wouldn't you bid it out?
For a couple of reasons. My understanding for reading of the ordinance Is that comparable and sole source contracts are specific for purposes when you have a vendor that can uniquely provide a resource in a community and can take advantage of already existing services that are provided that would allow the sum to be greater than the parts. So in this case, in this case, you're talking about a vendor who uniquely as far as my understanding of the space uniquely offers this service and who's already operating in Wayne County such that the data that we collect can piggyback off of what's already being collected. In two of our communities to make the sound greater than the parts.
So, in my opinion, that's wrong cause comparable source. If you want certain criteria, which I can appreciate, you let a contract out and only one company responded to it with all those qualifications. I personally am okay with it. But when you make the decision, instead of this body making the decision regardless of who you are in department, then I have a problem with it. That's number one. And then number two, is like we I don't know if we're aware of that defense already have those monitors out in Wayne County. And what are we doing about it? The feds had the monitors out they've been on for many, many years. If you look at heavy industry, and look at one of the worst polluters that we have in Wayne County is semi trucks. If you look at when they take off with them old diesel engines, black smoke for a half a block before they shift gears and nobody's even talking about that. That's your big polluters. And quite frankly, when you register your little car, you got to do it every year. They read through those trucks once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime. Wrong. We have the heaviest truck weight limits of any state in the country wrong. And we have a state legislature with one party now controlling all three branches. We should be addressing that one party now that's talking about change then let them do something about it. And so quite frankly, it's not you don't need monitors, when you can see it with your own eyes and the worst areas of pollution. I can tell you right now before you put the monitors up, you know, Delray community close to the Ambassador Bridge where all these trucking companies are, where the freeways are, the poorest part of Detroit. And also our county is where most of the pollution is and where the industry is, and what have we done about it? I don't need somebody to tell me that the speed limit is 55 and and we've been going past the speed limit for many, many years. You know, you know, it's nice to have the data, but once you get the data, this is a federal issue and a state issue and the county needs to be pushing and pulling with our lobbyists to straighten the state out and to straighten the Feds out.
I will I will never disagree with you. That we need to write that down.
He never disagreed with me. Okay, I'm
done about
the question about whether or not we ought to be holding holding polluters accountable. What I will say is that there are many limitations to both the federal and the state efforts and enforcement that do start with limited collection of data and where data tends to be collected. The responsibility of Eagle and or the EPA is to collect baseline data. They do not necessarily concentrate their monitoring efforts in communities that are hardest hit and most effective. Second, they are relatively limited in terms of the kind of specificity in terms of geographic specificity that they can collect because they just don't have as many monitors as as we will produce. And then third, there is no capacity for the federal government of the state government to in real time communicate to the public about the risks that folks face. So I think that this project offers the capacity to intervene above and beyond what the state and the federal government do because you very accurately describe the baseline and you're right nothing gets done. So the question becomes, should we then ascend to the status quo where nothing gets done? Or should we invest in our own capacity to create our own source of data, where we can concentrate those data resources in communities that are hardest hit with the capacity to intervene in real time among families, so I would argue that we should probably do the latter.
Thank you, doctor. I have a list of speakers. Just like to do a follow up. Question, then I'll go to Commissioner dobb.
Hey, my follow up is to our commission. Council. Is it right for any director of any department to to render a $2 million comparable source contract without going through the the county legislative body which would be this commission?
Through the Chair to this animal body, there is a provision in the procurement ordinance that was adopted by this body that allows for comparable source procurements of a certain value those contracts require commission approval. This contract is before the commission for approval based on this bodies ordinance is my understanding they have not begun work. And so it is up to this body whether or not to actually enter into this contract. And that will be based on your vote today.
Thank you, counsel Commission.
Thank you Madam Chair. I'm actually I think my main question has been answered. But can you expand a little bit more on the what this will do indifference to our houses, this will be different than the data that we already have. And I think you pretty much covered it, it'll be more you'll drill down a little bit more and you will deliver that information in real time. So you mentioned the online dashboard and SMS platform is that like text alerts to people so people can sign up for that, will that be through an app?
They would literally text okay. And they would be registered similar to you know, any any opt in opt out list. I'm sure everybody here has had stopped to text or stopped to quit. They can opt in by texting right a their information, basically their zip code to a platform, and then they'll get real time data when air quality is a certain level in real time. So when we see that data will have real time mapping, and folks who let's say you're talking about four eight to one, seven, given that it is the most polluted zip code in the entire state, folks, and for eight to one seven, we'll get real time alerts when air quality is poor. And then beyond that, what we're hoping to build out is is to understand what is the most effective means of intervention, what is it that you actually can tell somebody that's going to get them to take action? And that's work that we're hoping to develop and then hoping to get out to folks?
Okay, so currently with the data that we do we have, we would not be able to tell people in real time what went on alert needs to go out.
In theory, in theory, you could you would have to scrape data from the state and the federal government. The other problem with that is that the density of the density of air monitoring that currently exists doesn't give you the fine calibers that you'd like to have to really pinpoint places with the worst air quality. You know, our experience last week was not the common experience where you have just a massive air shed that hits us from another place. It's that you have some communities that tend to have or live downstream of an air shed that's polluted by some polluter, and that you have, you know, within a half an hour or an hour, right, a situation where there's a release, and now folks are living under substantially poor air quality. So it's that microtargeting that that this project enables us.
I do think that this is really important and I know that we've had conversations about the intersections with public health and the sustainability issues that we're facing now, you know, with polluters and the climate issues, wildfires and and such, and also the economic development impacts that these issues will have upon our population. So I think that's all I had Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Oh, Chair, just to that point, I wanted to mention that we drill down in all of these questions that the commissioners are asking today in our committee, but one of the things that came out that I think most of us agreed upon is that the companies that pollute, know that we are watching, we are testing and I think that's a key to ensuring that they and we have monitored the levels and and we can then get those levels to them to reduce the pollution and you know, in Wayne County, so that was one of the things we really that that really came out of committee.
So thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner murky.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. And to Monique's point, we talked, I think we talked about this for an hour. Yes. So and there were a lot of questions and we talked about the comparable source and this company works in six different six different states, five different states based out of Wayne County. So we're in and nobody else is doing this that you're aware of. So we were comfortable with that. I had a lot of questions in my mind going into this. I'm still on the fence with a few of few of the goals in this but I'm in a vote for it. But my question to the chair to commission council committee asked for an ongoing report of the results with this. Would this be something to put into the budget instructions for this year's budget for this kind of report or
through the chair? That is an option or it could be placed in the resolution for the actual item that's been approved today?
Okay. I would like to add that if that's all right, that we get reports so we can see how effective this is and what's going on for the future.
So we'll add to the resolution. Resolve that the department that the administration will provide the my annual semi annual reports regarding the results from this contract. This project I'm sorry. Thank you.
Thank you. Commissioner Kinloch.
Thank you so have you all identify preliminarily where these monitors will occur or be placed? We know that we have state federal monitors I believe you said Will they be in similar? They may be it would make sense to be in similar locations, but also access to the data. I know we just mentioned about having reports brought to the commission. But you also stated the access to this information in real time. Will there be a dashboard that the commission the commission and would have access to along with the administration because this is information they impact our constituents as well. So access to this information as quickly and readily as possible to us would be important. So you know, those are my questions. As relates to where those monitors will be located. I know I have a lot of distress, environmental parts of my district and Commissioner Clemente and all of us do. And so just it's important to have this information and I do this is absolutely necessary. For us to get this information. Yeah, I
really I really appreciate the question and the need that's animating the question. The dashboards that we would put out would be for not just the administration, not just commissioned, but for the public. Thank you and we want them to have at their fingertips real time information. And we also know that not all of Republic can just access a website. And that's why the SMS platform is so critical, because not enough to have a quandary about whether or not their quality is good and then go to a website. We want you to be able to do that. But we'd also like you to be able to get that real time information delivered to you before you ever have to ask the question, right. So that's, that's that's that the answer to the first question. The other question is, in terms of where we put these monitors, there are three features that are going to drive our process. The first is where's the objective air quality? The worst? The second is where is the subject of consequence of poor air quality, the worst? And then the third is where is community asking us to be measuring air quality. And so we're going to put together right take those those two big pieces of data which we can analyze right look at where do you have bad air quality driving bad air quality outcomes, and really concentrate there? And then going deeper and asking community groups Alright, so where are the Where do you see this coming from subjectively? Right, and can we then target to be collecting data there?
So these monitors could potentially move around? Where you the placement of them, you could
you wouldn't want to necessarily move them around simply because you it changes the inference about what you're finding, right because now you're superior. Yeah, exactly.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you. Commissioner hatest.
Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, my question and concern in from past experience 15 years ago, we have in Romulus explosion in chemical plant it was like 1213 chemical burning together a disappointment was there was no prepare system by the state or the local or the federal to deal with issue like this. The fire department they have certain sniffer the air but there's not detect the Heidi poison. And the sad story was is the only airplane who had that capacity. It's in Texas. To get to Michigan by then if the air is poisonous half of the city would be that. So my question here today is that those manator have a certain capacity, about the air pollution or they detect any level of poisons err. Or the second question is, if we have those monitor, or we have the ability to deal if we have a massive poisons essence is the federal in the state and hence their preparation to the system and have more equipment centrally located to respond to those issues. You know, there are many questions on my mind but I like to know in the worst case scenario by the state or federal or the local, how we deal with pollution that may be killer.
I appreciate the question. Let me handle the second part for us. And I'll hand it over to Darren to talk specifically about the sensitivity of the monitors. The incident that you're highlighting is is like the perfect test case. It's that state and federal air monitors are so few and far between that you sometimes miss these very local situations now, in theory, right. You could have as many monitors as as you wanted and you might miss something, but the chances of catching that get a lot higher when we've dispersed 100 fixed point monitors and 500 Mobile monitors that we're going to catch something like that. And it's exactly that data that we can use in real time to start coordinating response to start taking that information out to the state and federal government in petitioning. Bigger Picture I think to yours and the excellent point brought up by Commissioner Bastion. We don't do a good enough job enforcing against poor air quality in in this state and in this country. And part of creating that change is at least identifying that there's a problem. Now, it may be the case that you know, if you have an alarm going off long enough people stop paying attention to it. But our job is not just to start collecting this data but to start telling the story of this data is what we found this is how it's changed. This is what happened here. This is how it maps to the consequences for kids in our local community. When you do that, right. It gives bodies like this one. It gives folks in the administration it gives the state legislature gives federal authorities the ability to step up and pay attention. And we think that that's really critical. Now are these air monitors going to all of a sudden take all the bad air out of there? No, they won't. But is this the right step in drawing attention to the issue and in addressing what we can do in real time to protect folks while at the same time giving folks like you the resources that you need to be able to go out there and pound the pavement on this issue? I think it does. And I think that's a great place for us to start considering that at the end of the day. A lot of folks will tell us well as local government, you don't have a stake in this except for there are 1.8 million people who live in this county who deserve a lot better than they've gotten. And so the question we're asking is, as public servants of this county, what is the right step for us to take to start doing some of that you want to talk specifically to sensitivity of air monitors?
Yeah, absolutely. Hello, everybody. I'm Dan Riley, founder and CEO of just air I'm speaking to the sensitivity of the monitors. monitors do track VOCs VOCs. Some of the gases that you are referencing cancer as gases, methane, etc under that category. These models get to detect that in real time. And so what's really important about this project I think, to your point, you see what happened in East Palestine in Ohio. We're talking about Time is of the essence so the closer you are to a set event, a unusual event but a very dangerous event. The quicker you have information know what you have to do. To protect yourself, the more time and opportunity you have to save your life or add two years to your life. So I think with the sensitivity of the monitors, the granularity of the data and what we are measuring, we will be able to address the concerns you have, like
Thank you. I'm thankful for you being here. Sir, founder of the organization is great to get the information directly from the source. So thank you for joining us today and thank you for your innovative devices to help with air quality. We appreciate you being here. But you also Commissioner
my final question is in the worst scenario scenario, as we see prepare for the worst and hope for the best. The worse. If we have certain situation, large area we know we can handle it by ourselves. We need the state and the federal guardians DNS in the past the state and the federal fail us from that experience. So there any thing and your effort now to put those monitor is can see where the federal and the state be if we need them as doesn't take a week to respond would be too late. Because it's happened in the past, and I'm worried about that. So I'd like to know from you, if there any working together with the state and the federal in the system. It's better than what it used to be.
Yeah, Commissioner, I appreciate the question one of the biggest challenges to the government work that is intended to respond to emergencies. Especially uncommon emergencies, like we see in public health, if you're a firefighter, there are fires all the time, right? You know that there gonna be a certain number of fires, you respond to them, and you build a system around that in public health. You can go months, you know, years with no big issue and then all of a sudden there is a massive challenge that you have to deal with as we just experienced with the pandemic but even before that, that that this department before I was ever here had to deal with flat rock, for example, the most important thing you can do in inter governmental engagement, to command a response is to offer objective evidence that there's a problem because sometimes you'll step up and say as a local health officer as a health department, we think there's a problem here. And then someone at the state or the federal government will say, Oh yeah, prove it to us. With these kinds of air monitors, we can put numbers on the level of pollutants in the air in a pretty micro targeted way, in the exact kind of circumstance like you talked about in Romulus, and that is really, really powerful. Because the other part of it is also is that this is an objective system that is truly 100% transparent. We're setting up a dashboard that's out there. So you can also imagine that anybody who is interested in understanding what happened can go to that dashboard and say, Oh, at this time, this is what the level of VOCs looked like an air in this particular place in Wayne County, and that triggers outside engagement, the press paying attention, etc. So the situation that you're talking about right in the in the situation you raised in Romulus is actually a perfect example of exactly how something like this can take and facilitate the kind of intergovernmental engagement on an issue that can deliver resources. And then the final question, I think that that really just comes down to is, are we better without a system like this, in Wayne County are better with a system like this? And I think categorically better with a system like this, because even if right, we put up 100 And we might miss something, the chances that we catch it go up substantially because we're monitoring. Thank you minute.
Thank you. Last question. We have is phone Vice Chair pro tem beydoun.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me just say this I wholeheartedly agree with my colleague Commissioner Basham, on the damage that the trucks are causing throughout Wayne County in terms of pollution and pounding on the pavements and the roads. But that's another issue that we have to tackle Commissioner Basham and I agree with you 100% But on this issue of installing these monitors to improve the quality of life for so many people in Wayne County, I totally agree with this doctor. I have to say it. I represent the city of Dearborn where the south end of Dearborn is the most probably polluted area in the state of Michigan with the highest asthma rate and many people die of cancer and we have a lot of industries that are causing this pollution. Yeah, do I want to see the kids and Salinas cool, walking in with their backpacks and having the monitor on their backpacks, the mobile ones? It's a sad scene, to say the least but at least they will have a little bit of security their family can make a decision whether these children should be playing outside or not. And I Doctor other side, one of the questions that I have and I hope you guys can implement this, if we're going to inform the residents for example, like Southwest Detroit, in the south end of Dearborn, I hope we can add the sending the messages in both Arabic and Spanish to communicate with the residents. But again, I think Wayne County for installing this monitoring system. I know the city of Dearborn has a similar system in place. And it's really a sad reality that we have to go through this to improve the quality of life for residents in Wayne County. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Glass quarter seven Commissioner clean.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Do we know how many and where they're located of the states air quality monitoring here in the county. We know where all of those are. There was a time in Wayne County that we had a Department of the Environment. It went away in a reorg plan maybe a 10 years ago. But we also had an agreement with the state of Michigan that Wayne County would do the water quality monitoring on behalf of the state. And just like in committee, I'm going to say we should look at that, especially with the deployment of these and have more to me a one single system that's more integrated but what would you say this proposal is for 100 fixed locations, and 500 Mobile Can you just say a couple of more words about how those mobile monitors are going to be spread out through the county.
There's a couple words.
We'd like to put them on the most vulnerable use. And we'll be working with a network of providers to identify who those are and make sure that they are population representative live in all parts of the county, but also on on particularly sensitive, vulnerable kids.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for this good discussion. I think again, it's an innovative, visionary tactic that we're doing to combat pollution, especially for the health of our children. So thank you both for coming. And speaking to this. There was a motion and a second any additional discussion on the Health Human Services report? Hearing none, please vote.
Motion carries.
Thank you so much. Next item we're going to stay here on the agenda. Okay.
We're moving to page 15 of the agenda new business. There are four items listed
by Sher Pella Mara
move approval of the four items report,
moved and supported the four items on a new business the first one is a zoo appointment reappointment of Mario Morrow to the zoo. The second one is the retroactive appointment to Scott Vandenberg of Moodle, to the director of assessment equalization the third is priority one is to purchase uniforms, the sheriff's office and the fourth is accepting a $40,000 grant for the survey that we spoke about at the beginning of the meeting. It's been moved and supported any discussion or any of those four items airing none please vote.
Motion carries.
Madam Clerk we have a two part for the testimony and resolutions on page six of the agenda page 16 of the agenda.
So you want to go to do
you want to do that?
So we are moving to testimonio resolutions as certificates of appreciation. There are three items listed. I'm sorry, six items listed on your agenda and three on your agenda.
Their Motion moved by Commissioner Kinloch, appointed by commission miracIe. Celebrating all of the wonderful new businesses and the graduations of our young people. A discussion on the test one resolutions and certificates of appreciations. Hearing none please.
Motion carries. Thank you.
So that exhausts our agenda. So we're back on the agenda to upcoming meetings.
We're on page six of the agenda upcoming meetings.
Please note the upcoming meetings are there any changes to the meeting scheduled Madam Clerk?
Madam Chair, yes, Ways and Means will not be meeting on on Tuesday will be postponed.
Thank you. Are there any other changes Commissioner murky?
Thank you Madam Chair caps next week we'll move from Tuesday the 25th to Wednesday the 21st at 9:30am.
On it to measure hails from the
chair of the Economic Development Committee meeting for next week two will be possible. Thank you Commissioner Scott.
Thank you so much. For your my services that will be postponed as well.
Okay and the new schedule will come out from the clerk so please note that when you see that make sure that you are at the appropriate meeting at the appropriate time. Next time.
We are on page seven of the agenda memorials there are five names listed.
are in there any discussion or comments? On the list of memorials are any names to be added to that list?
Hearing none, please stand for a moment of silence.
Thank you so much. Then again. Let's keep the families of all that have lost someone especially to gun violence in our prayers. Next item. Public comments. Hey, is there anyone on Zoom? Who would like to provide public comment? Anyone on Zoom if you get unmute zoom? Anyone on Zoom who would like to provide public comments? Anyone on the telephone who would like to provide public comments? Telephone you want to telephone resume for public comments, anyone in chambers for public comments. To speak, in the chambers and any emails for public
comment. No emails were received.
All right. Next item, please.
reconsiderations,
there are none retitle remarks by members. Are there any remarks by members? Commission or Reki?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just like to wish everyone a Happy Father's Day this weekend.
Commissioner Murphy I'm a mother father but thank you for watching the father's father's day. Greetings. Commissioner.
Yes, Yes Madam Chair. Just want to wish everyone a happy Juneteenth. We'll be celebrating at the county on Monday I believe
Thank you. There are so many wonderful Juneteenth activities this week in weekend starting pretty much yesterday. So if you have an opportunity to participate in those festivities in your communities, please do so they are all over. I want to thank Commissioner Scott for her efforts at the state level to bring this to a statewide holiday. And President Biden for signed into law as a federal holiday as well. I had an opportunity to see Miss Opal Lee. Look, I'm sure Commissioner Scott's aware of who pounded the pavement to make it a national holiday for many years. She's 96 years old. I'm not sure what's so much from Texas. I was so I was actually from Texas, and she's 96 and she spoke at the White House yesterday and the first Ang Lee annual Juneteenth event at the White House and she said to all you young uns, and everyone was a young infant, she's 96 So that butterflies everybody. She was just so happy to be there and to see her heart work come to fruition. During her years dear here on Earth. That was an awesome celebration. So when thank everyone here locally who was possible for making this reality Commissioner Scott,
thank you so much. And yes, wishing everybody a great June 10 day I'm just grateful that my colleagues in the Senate worked with me to make that happen early on, and now it's national. Yes. Amen. That is just great. We have to start somewhere and when we do that, then we can get the attention of all of them. So thank you and Hamtramck. On Monday we're having an all day the community has pulled together a Juneteenth Celebration. Yeah,
very good. There's so many my calendar is full. All day, Saturday, Sunday and Monday with awesome celebration. So I can't wait to partake in many of those. So thank you for Mr. Scott for watching. Happy Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all of our fathers who are here. Absolutely. Any additional remarks by members? Hearing that their motion to adjourn will move alright and before we go, I'm sorry. We do have a 1230 benefits and staffing meeting. Please come if you can because Mr. Nell Allen has some exciting news to share at that meeting. Thank you Meeting adjourned. Okay,