Testing, testing, testing, okay, good, All right, good,
okay, good.
All right. All right. Good morning, everyone. The session of Tuesday, January 14, went out from the order. Madam clerk, please call the roll. Council
member Scott Benson. Scott Benson I, Council Member Fred der Hall, the third present. Council member Letitia Johnson, present council member Gabriella Santiago Romero. Council member Mary waters, present council member Angela Whitfield Callaway, present council member Coleman, a young a second here, council president pro tem James Tate,
President proto take indicated that he will not be present today, so his absence is excused circle so note, Madam President, and council president, Mary Sheffield President, Madam President, you have a quorum present. All right, there being a quorum. We are now in session, and we will start, as always, with our invocation. We have joining us. Pastor Maurice Flanagan of Trinity, Baptist Church,
let us pray eternal, everlasting God. We give you glory and honor because of who you are. We thank You for Your goodness and Your faithfulness you've shown towards us. We ask that you will be a blessing to us as we gather together on this day. Thank you, oh God, for those who stand in the gap through service. Thank you for the mighty mantle of leadership you have entrusted to serve your people. Father, we pray that you lift up the soul of this nation and its leadership. We pray for our leaders in our city government and beyond God, we ask that you would be our peace, our protector, our source of stability and strength, cure for our sickness, healing for our disease, comfort in our sorrows, regarding light in our darkest hours, Father, we ask that you keep us in your covering care, we ask that you would unite us on this day as we carry out the business before us these things, we pray in the mighty name of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.
Amen. Alright. Thank you so much. Pastor Flanagan for the invocation, and I will now turn the floor Over to council member waters for a special presentation. I
thank you, Madam President, good morning, everyone. Tamara Liberty Smith, can you join me here? Please? What my parents saying next to me for now, when you get ready to address the audience, you can Alright, it's okay. All right, all right. It's Tamara. Oh, I'm calling you tomorrow. Okay, I'm sorry. Everybody does it, okay? I stand corrected. You are it's Tamara. I said that wrong. All right, so we're here to honor you today for your lifelong dedication to the city of Detroit. That is why you're here today, Tamara, whereas Tamara Liberty Smith, a lifelong Detroiter, has been a long time fixture of a community working tirelessly as an activist and organizer to make our city better, from helping to recover stolen vehicles, to start in a block club in her Belmont neighborhood, to organize a community search parties to locate missing persons like 13 year old desire Harris and I do understand that both chief white and chief medicine praised you for all of your hard work with even with Messiah. But of course, there have been many others. And whereas cameras, activism and Service continues in her professional life, where she serves on the Detroit board of police commissioners from District One, which elected her vice chair and as a community engagement especially specialist with cease fire Detroit, enabling her to be a strong advocate and resource for People in our community victimized by guns and violence and whereas tomorrow has camera, I'm sorry, has never forgotten her deep roots in the community, graduating from Henry Ford High School and Wayne County Community College, raising six children in the same northwest Detroit neighborhood she grew up in, and finally be resolved that council member Mary waters at large and the entire Detroit City Council honor the many contributions of tomorrow. Camera Liberty Smith, to the great city of Detroit. We wish her all the best as she continues to be a beacon of light and inspiration to all, and let me just say this to you all. I know that you're really pretty big on social media, and so when things happen in the community, they reach out to you. They even track her down in an airport, saying, Here's what, here? Here, here's what's going on. Miss Smith, here, here's how you can help. And you've given back so often for a couple of decades, just giving of your time, asking nothing. And sometimes, when we have people who give of themselves like that, what they ought to be recognized, people should say, we thank you, and that's why you're here today. Because, on behalf of this entire city, we say thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for caring enough to help locate missing people, to help find missing vehicles, stolen vehicles, all of those things that you do, and there's no fanfare, you just do it. And so we thank you. We really appreciate it. So very, very much. So we wanted to honor you today, and I see that you have some of your your staff members there with you, and we appreciate having them here joining us. What any other police commissioners are here today? No, all right, okay. Well, we wanted to honor you because we know that you've been given of yourself and in very unselfish kind of way. And once again, thank you, everybody. Let's thank her, please.
If it's all right with you, Madam President,
that's the microphone.
Okay, this is kind of backwards. Got my back to you all. She
wants to come up here. Then you
i No problem. Thank you so much. Um, Madam President and my honorable board. Um, this has been a long time coming. I'm so excited to be here today, I thank God for the heart that I have and the commitment that I have to this city. I don't even know why I do what I do, I guess, and some don't like it and being a little nosy, but my life calling Amen, um, if I could just reach one to change the heart and to continue with the downward of crime that we have going on, that we're historically doing. All of that means everything to me, and I appreciate this board. I appreciate the city, and thank you so much.
A few words, all right, so if we could come down, all right, All right,
colleagues, we can go down Now For you,
all right. Thank you, Council Member waters for that presentation, and we will now proceed back to our agenda. At the clerk would know Council Member Santiago Romero, did submit a indication that she will not be present today, so her absence is excused as well purple. So note, Madam President, all right, the Journal of the session of Tuesday, November the 26th will be approved. There being no reconsiderations or unfinished business. We will proceed to the budget Finance and Audit Committee for the budget Finance and Audit standing committee,
one contract approved during the recess procedure Madam President. The one report will be received and placed on file
for the budget Finance and Audit standing committee,
two reports from various city departments.
The two reports will be referred to the budget Finance and Audit Committee for the internal operations, standing committee, 20 reports from various city departments. The 20 reports will be referred to the internal operations standing committee for the Neighborhood and Community Services. Standing Committee,
one report from the Office of contracting and procurement. The
one report will be referred to the Neighborhood and Community Services standing committee for the Planning and Economic Development, standing committee, five reports from various city departments. The five reports will be referred to the Planning and Economic Development standing committee for the public health and safety standing committee,
24 reports from various city departments.
The 24 reports will be referred to the public health and safety standing committee. We will now move to the voting action matters under other matters, there are no items. Madam President, under communications from the mayor and other governmental officials and agencies, there are no items. Madam President, all right, we will call now for general public comment. Everyone will have a minute and a half for public comment, and we will start with Miss Betty Lyons, and we're going to cut off public comment as well.
Miss Lyons, Betty. Miss Betty Lyons, just make sure your microphone is on. Press the bottom of the microphone.
We'll do it for you.
There we go. You're all set.
Okay, thank you. Over $600 million of overpaid property somebody's property taxes stolen and hidden COVID from the Detroit residents by satanic Dana Nessel and Dugan. No proof of no notification is present. This is a Satanic act of hate, even a tiny Whitaker does not let justice reign. NASA Dugan is his voice. It appears, week after week, justice is requested for the Detroit residents, but Whitaker and council sit as stone, like as those fake idols in the Bible, denying justice, yet freely giving millions of dollars to the carpet baggers, the tricksters and liars who laugh all the way to The Bank laughing at council regarding the let's see. I regarding
the Jews the Holocaust, as long as they keep talking about the Holocaust, I will talk about the Black Holocaust and how the black slave was treated by the whites over here, that is more detrimental than what Hitler did to the Jews. You can compare and there is no evil.
Thank you so much. Miss Ryan. Joe Pico, followed by Madison Westmoreland,
Hi there. I'm Joe. I'm a member of the Detroit anti war committee. I'm here today to continue to speak in support of our Detroit divest resolution, which we are hoping to see the city council vote upon in the coming weeks. For over 75 years, Palestinians have landed under constant slaughter and apartheid perpetuated by Israel to end apartheid in Palestine, the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Movement and Palestinians across the world have been asking the international community for almost 20 years to place economic and cultural pressure on Israel. Historically, this worked in South Africa. It is because of this that our Detroit divest resolution directly complies with the BDS movement. By passing this resolution, city council would make Detroit one of the first cities in the United States to meaningfully oppose the genocide and apartheid in Palestine. All members of city council, especially those who supported the ceasefire resolution in November 2023 should support this resolution. By doing so, you would guarantee we no longer fund or contribute to genocide in the Motor City. Thank you. Thank you.
Hello. My name is Madison, and I am also a member of the Detroit anti war committee. I'm here today to urge the city council to review and adopt the resolution that we presented. Our resolution calls for the city to end investments with companies that directly enable or facilitate human rights violations. We are asking that the tax money that Detroit citizens are obligated to pay is not turned into blood money to fund the recognized genocide that is happening in Palestine right now, condemning the violence in Casa is just lip service if we don't actually stop handing money to war profiteers under the table. Our resolution also calls for any prior cross training between DVD and Israel to be denounced and to prohibit future cross trainings, because the last thing that we need in Detroit is people with badges being taught tactics from soldiers stationed in an apartheid state. This does not support a peaceful and loving Detroit soldiers in that apartheid state that have willingly escalated state sponsored violence into full blown genocide. If we want citizens to be able to trust their officers, we cannot sanction this kind of training with Israeli soldiers. We will not stop coming to these meetings and stop calling for our voices to be heard, because the violence in Palestine is not stopping for us to deliberate, even now, as cease fire talks are being considered, it has been reported that the violence in CASA has actually ramped up in these last few days, so more time that is wasted, the more lives that are lost. Thank you.
Miss Williams, hi, hi. Can you guys hear me? Okay, you guys see how cold it is out there. And I'm speaking about the homeless people once again, in the 26 shelters in the city of Detroit. And I'm speaking about the police officers that's in these shelters. None of this can be going on if it's it's not acceptable. Period. Everybody have a job to do, a position to hold, and if you do not do your job, you guys are here for the people. It starts with the people that I'm speaking to headquarters and HR cam hands. It's no way possible that they're in there and then they can stay there rent free when they have the means to pay rent, and then they get in house and vouchers too. That's not acceptable. I've been down here five times speaking about this, and you guys have not done anything about it or investigated. I speak about it at the Board of commission. Me, Mister Brown here, everything that I speak about is on record when I speak and I tell the truth. Speaking the truth can be very dangerous, but I'm going to speak the truth because it's supposed to be for equality and justice for all, not because your education, your title. The homeless people need help to and it's not acceptable when they out here and not getting the legal help they should, and these police officers are taking up the bed space. The bottom line, what are you guys going to do about it?
Alright, thank you so much. Miss Williams, and we have to that inquiry, and we have not found any officers to date. I'll make sure we forward you the email over to you, Miss Williams, okay, thank you so much. All right, our next person would be Miss Moore.
Hello. How y'all doing? Well, I'm here because Okay, from the time I've been with the section eight program, done with rpcma and all of them. The first house I was supposed to been buying that was thrown off up under me. Okay. Then I was putting in them homeless shelters for years. Now I've been putting enough I would put in another Fauci home. I had to move net now they put me in another 40 home, and they keep doing this. It don't make no sense. I'm tired of constantly have to move because they won't do their job. It's $6,000 worth of work need to be done on the one. I mean, how did they put me in something that needed that kind of work? It don't make no sense that I keep getting house. Give me the house I supposed to have. Y'all should be giving me a house because I supposed to bought the first one I was in. So what is it, because I pay my bills and everything else, that they keep doing this stuff to me because they don't want me with one and the buying program, because that's the only thing I can figure is not right for the ones that's trying to do right by the system. And then they get messed up with the system. Inspectors come out and don't they come out earlier than what they supposed to when you got things to do. And then then you tell us, because they tell us to call them, and within two days, and then you call them, and they don't answer the phone, so they trying to jam me up again. It don't make no sense that I have to constantly keep going through this. They expected them been out there several times. Then they come out. Oh, they he did work. They did the work because they should. We have these people coming there that don't want to do the person don't want to pay the amount they supposed to pay.
Thank you so much. Miss Moore.
Charles. Charles miles,
oh, hello,
I'm here today to I talked last week and Miss waters spoke after I said something about pulling out a rabbit out or a hat, about my properties that you guys have been trying to take and currently still trying to take eight years later, instead of solving the problem that I paid my taxes, I've overpaid. I don't understand how Mr. Fred der Hall could spend two years investigating Mr. Coleman Young second could spend a few months Miss waters, been a few months investigating while nothing, they never came up with a solution. You know, they never said, Oh, you didn't pay. Or they see the receipts. I've given you the receipts. I got copies of the receipts. Here I fall foul lawsuits. All you can do is send a lawyer to the court to tell them that they don't have jurisdiction. So, I mean, what's going on here? I mean, we're what's really going on in the city of Detroit, I got taxes that's been paid eight years ago, and you still trying to collect and then you're trying to charge me penalties and interests while I wait on you guys to make a decision and figure out a solution for a simple problem. It only, is only like a total of about what 20 payments over you mean, maybe 30 payments over 15 years. So don't take that long, Mr. Sabri, even Mr. Sabri,
I talked to Mr. Sabri from the Treasury, and he clearly told me that it's you guys fault. Okay, whatever y'all gonna keep that's
your time. Hold on one second. Mister Maya, hold on the virus wants to respond to me, so hold on one second.
Yes, madam press, I'm really kind of tired of this issue, and I believe that somebody needs to respond right now. We need somebody from the law department to respond right now, I'm kind of tired of it. It makes no sense. He's right. He needs he needs an affirmative action. He needs something.
So remember once I thought you were working with him on What? What? Hey, yeah, I'm not a lawyer, no, but I thought you were working with him,
so I am being ignored. I just wanted, since he is here, in person, for somebody to address this issue, right
from the law department. Alright? So what we'll do is, Mr. Washington, if someone is here or online from the law department, if we can have them either come down or come online, as we're getting through public comment, we can come back to this issue. Mr. Washington, are you on
Morning? Madam Chair, committee, yes, I would have deferred to Graham Anderson if he's present in auditorium. I'm sorry, Madam Chair, I would have to defer to Graham Anderson if he's present in the office. Orient,
no,
I do not see him, but we can work on getting him here, and if you can also maybe make a call as well.
Welcome Madam Chair, okay? Member
Dorff, thank you,
Madam President. And so just for the record, Mr. Miles, we haven't been investigating for two years. When you brought the issue to us, you had no conversation with anybody at all. We have put you in the room with Mr. Don Well, we have put you in the room with the treasurer of the city of Detroit. We have made connections and facilitated a meeting with Mr. Sabri which you talked about and putting you in contact with them. We do not handle the taxes here specifically for that issue at city council. So I do understand your frustration. As we member waters as well as member young have continued to try to follow up we can talk offline, because we can't go back and forth here. And Yolanda. You talk to Yolanda from my office probably once a week, okay, but, but it's been I got the I got the receipts. So what I'm saying is, what I'm saying is Mister miles. I am saying is, we are
mister Myers, clearly stated, Mister Myers,
please. So Mister miles. Mister miles, you going to look mister mile? Mister miles, we are trying to get, I didn't say I talk to you every week. We are trying to get a resolution for you. But we do not control those texts. We sat down there even for two hours with you, going over your receipts. You never talk to me. Miss. Smile. That's fine. But what I will say is this, Mr. Miles, Mr. Miles, Mr. Miles, we will contact treasurer Sabri. Member waters and member young have said they will get that's fine. Mr. That's fine. Mr. Miles, that's fine. We will try to get a resolution from the from the law department for you, so they can let you know where you are
if he's going to be disrupting, though we can't keep him in here. Member waters, so
Alright, and to you, Madam President, this is a issue that dates past two years, and I think again, member waters myself, member young and our offices have talked to the Treasurer, and I think it would be appropriate if we can have all of those parties come down here publicly to state where it is, but the system, alright.
So alright, so we, we've already we're going to have the law department come down and and we'll talk about it once
they're here. Yes. And to you, Madam President, we can bring the treasurer down here as well. You know, we want to be careful, because that's his personal business. We don't want to put that out there specifically about the tax session to give a sense of what's going on. Yes.
Alright, alright. Thank you. Zeke Williams, followed by Yvonne, Winn.
What up though?
Happy new election year to all our council members up here. Um, I'm here for a matter that I've been dealing with personally when it comes to towing. Gotcha sons, has a contract up right now with city council approval. And I just want to make sure that city council understand that the people do not, under no circumstances, deal with gotcha and son towing. They are the most predatory towing company in the city of Detroit, and any city council member who sit up here and vote in that contract, and I know it's up under your committee, Coleman, young y'all sit up here and tell that and and pass that through, that's going to be political suicide. And I mean that. So when we talking about the people and going against the people, and you can put your hand on your head all you want to, but you understand who I am, and understand who my organization is, and understand we not playing when it come to our people, and y'all gonna give them 100% funding. Come on, bro. You know, I'm not gonna sit back and play that. So if y'all want to, if you want to start to hear off like that, we can do it. And then also, when it comes to these businesses that's harming and doing wrong with that gas station, y'all gotta come up with something better, man, when it come to these businesses that continue to put people in harm's way. So I'm leaving on the floor. Y'all know what it is.
Thank you. Thank you so
much. Let me respond to that. First of all, I just want to say, Brother, I appreciate your concerns, and I hear you out. I think we should sit down and talk about this, and I think that you have my number. I would rather we sat down and talked about this publicly before we did. I don't remember receiving it. I don't remember receiving it. And I think we had the relationship that even if I didn't, if you saw me, you could come to me and talk to me, and we could work this out, because I want to work this out with you. But I think, I think, I think, let me finish, but I think that the fact that we hadn't had that conversation prior to I think for me, it doesn't help me when I'm talking about policies that I want to pass, I want to make sure this is done the right way. And so that's first and foremost. Second of all, if you call my office at 313-224-4248, we can have that conversation. One. Secondly, you have my personal so you do No, no, there's no perspective. You do No, no, no. Like, really, you do No, but for real, for real, you do. And I would appreciate it if you would have reached out and so, and that's fine, but I definitely will be talking to you after this is over, to have this type of conversation, because I definitely don't want to do so. I've heard about the things that predatory, things going on. I definitely don't want to put you or anybody in that situation, but I would just appreciate it, sir, please, if you could just reach out and talk to me and have this discussion before it got to this. I really wouldn't appreciate that, and that didn't happen.
Madam Chair, all right, Madam Chair. I
thank you. I see a couple of other hands, member waters and followed by member Calloway.
Well, I, I'm happy to see Deacon newer here to talk about that. Yeah, I'm really kind of sick of some of these touring companies myself. Anyway, the way that they pre owned Detroiters all the time, all the time. And I want to know more about what they are doing so that we can shut them down just like we did another demolition company. We need to shut them down when they are praying on people in this city. So I want to thank you. Thank you, Madam President, thank
you. Member waters, hold on one second. Member Callaway, Yes,
Madam Chair, good morning, everyone. I'm going to bring a little clarification to the contract. It is not on our agenda today for those who are here and those who are watching and listening, it was in neighborhoods last Thursday, I had questions and concerns about the towing company, and what I personally knew about the towing company, ironically, they were in the news over the week, so I held it up for two weeks to give us an opportunity to get clarification and answers to some questions and concerns that I personally had about the contract being moved to formal session. So that's the status of the contract today. It is not on our agenda. I held it up for two weeks last Thursday. Thank you Madam Chair, and thank you Mr. Williams, thank you so much. Member Callaway,
Council Member young. I was going
to prefer that doesn't come up for two weeks. We held that up for two weeks, and then I definitely look forward to talking with you about that in the future and see how we get that done. Because I want a relationship where I'm talking to the constituency and not at the constituency.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Zeke, for being down here. And we will continue to look into the matter before that comes before Council. Alright, we will continue already here.
Praise the Lord. I come here and I think about all our missing kids being coming up, being abducted. I come, I come here about our missing kids, doing school hours and the attendance, having problems with the attendance with our kids. I'm a parent of myself. I'm a parent myself. Um, I came up with a solution by me being a parent. Take itself, take itself as a product that would take the attendance the closer, take the attendance itself. And it came up with a chart. It's a business. This is business planner. I came up with a chart where we'll be able to be on track, taking our kids, our kids going to school on time, and not only they will have a tracking device on our new school COVID line for DPS schools. Thank
you so much. And I'm not sure if you want to submit that we can make sure all of the colleagues get a copy of it for you. Okay, who do I submit it to Paris, bless me here. We'll make sure everyone gets a copy. All right. Thank you so much. Ma'am. Lori Parks,
hello. First of all, every when I come, I like to talk about the voter fraud that that's going on here. As you know, I have been an advocate, saying that Duggan never won in a writing and if anybody believes that is something wrong, if you had to shovel in the oval for Benny Napoleon or right in a Duggan is something wrong. And if any of you had done that, I feel sorry for this city, because we have been on the downfall since then the affordable housing that you guys are trying to get the contract to build some new home, some rental homes, with the money that was sent here for the people who were flooded out in the flood in 2021 that contract should not even be looked at. Nobody wants to rent when they own their own homes. So that that's, I think, Councilman Letitia for voting no on that, and Councilman Angela Callaway, I don't know who everybody else must have voted yes for that. And that was destructible. The over taxation That is horrible. We have been overtaxed $600 million plus, and we only assess the single family homes that wasn't including the apartment buildings, the four family flats, the duplexes. So how much money was we overtaxed in this city, also the police officers. I know you guys should know that Chief White has resigned. It's over back. Thank you. Ms Park,
good morning. Good
morning. My name is Teresa Williams. I'm under the district seven community advisory council. I just want to ditto some of the things my sister said, which is the voting issue, the voter fraud issue, that needs to be pursued, there needs to be a hearing, as it allows in the charter for the election commission to do that. Which Council President, Sheffield, you are on that committee with Comrade Mallard and also Janice Winfrey. Also want to thank Ramon Action Jackson, who's running for city council at large, for enlightening us and teaching us about this process, how the money works. Councilman duarha question, Mr. Clinton top asked you when we first got in these positions as CAC. So I read the black America report, and I have the answers. So I say that to say, I want to thank Ramon and I want to thank brother Malik Shelton for what they're doing and Pastor Zolt over at 180 church to enlighten the citizens of Detroit and to let us know how we can better get control of our main thing is When you're not looking citizens, people do all sorts of stuff, and that's why it's happening. You know, like, how you get your kids is telling, don't do that, don't touch that, or whatever. And they go with it's just about us watching and paying attention.
Thank you. Renee Hankins, yes. Just start Yes, good morning. Okay,
good morning. And I want to say first, I'm here as a egalitarian Christian. Okay, that's first and foremost why I'm here. And I'm also here to ask the City Council support, because what does a citizen do if Detroit Police Department, DPD befriends the person that assaulted you, delays prosecution and in response to you filing your right to file a formal complaint through OCI and internal affairs when the assault happened And the violation of my rights in terms of the Detroit Police Officers, that's all on video. It's all recorded. What's the investigation for Assistant Deputy hope told me she spent 90% of her time after I spoke in front of the board of commissioners, okay to ask them the officers disrespected me, is separate from moving forward with the prosecution of the person that assaulted me and my family. Okay? She told me that the prosecution will have to wait until after the investigation. They don't have a right to do that if you partner with the violent person, the same bravery that it takes to be a police officer, you want to stand up and say, we made a mistake and work with the prosecutor's office who has not had anything from DPD, including Assault, crime, etc, etc, if
you don't mind Miss Hankins, if I can get your information and I can see how we can work with you in DPD to see what more we can do to get involved in the situation. I was going to really say through the board of police commissioners, it sounds like you've already been there to express your concerns. So if you don't mind, I can get your information and have my my office follow up with you to see how we can assist. If
I may, I do mind, because all everything that I have said has been submitted in writing to all of you. Okay, only reason why I'm down here now speaking in public is because it's recorded. Okay, this is not a new thing. This is, you know, everything I've done, OCI Internal Affairs told me that it's not a crime. Police officers don't commit a crime unless OCI says they committed a crime. My thing is, what about MCL? What about the constitution? So to go to the police makes no sense at this point. Okay,
gotcha, we can't go back and forth here, but what I'll do is I will make sure we pull your email and make sure that we follow up with you, and also make sure whoever your council person is is assisting as well, too. Okay,
Mr. Dirk Hall, he knows about it too. Okay, I just want the person prosecuted okay for assaulting me. Unfortunately,
okay. Thank you. Equal time to everyone, but thank you, Miss Hank is okay. Appreciate it. Don't worry, Mr. Shelton, you
Good morning. Morning. The Detroit the Detroit city charter authorizes the Detroit council as well as the Detroit Election Commission
to subpoena witnesses, to supplement subpoena evidence to people, to put people witnesses under oath. We have an abundance of evidence that shows that there is election fraud going on in the city of Detroit. Yes, we have litigation in court, but this is a local body, and this is a local problem, a problem, and you have a local solution, and we are demanding that there be a public hearing, either either before Council of the whole or before the Detroit Election Commission. We want the evidence to be subpoenaed. We want the witnesses, and we have many of them. We're we're getting more and more every day to come forward. And we want this meeting, this hearing, to be public. We want the public, the residents and taxpayers of this city, to be able to observe it, to witness it, so that we can get to the department.
Thank you, Mr. Shelton, the hell get sent? By Ramon Jackson, followed by Miss Mayberry.
Hey, this just plain and simple we have as a resident as the whole we gotta realize when it's just people just don't like us, and it's clearly that our city council just don't like us. You got all these people down here complaining, y'all just look at them like they crazy, and y'all going with y'all married day. Um, you gotta realize to the officers on the side, we advocating for y'all here. Y'all is taking up for them. We advocating for y'all with this massive budget for y'all to get a $5 raise, and y'all taking up for I can't understand that for these ladies that sit down here, how can y'all work for these people? Y'all see these massive budgets every day, and y'all don't advocate for your own family members to get some of these contracts. What are we doing here? The lady said here that y'all doing the devilish act. I want this to be very, very clear. This is Black people doing this to black people. These are black Christians doing this to black Christian understand me. Last but not least, there's a re election coming up. Some of these people gonna be running again. Some are gonna be running from there. Won't y'all just come flat out and say, Look here, I need the majority of y'all black people to vote for me, but I'm gonna give majority of y'all moneys to the force, to the illness, to the giver, because that's what y'all do. That's what y'all do, tell the people the real so I'm like, I'm gonna give y'all a little to nothing, but I still need y'all vote, but I'm gonna give it to the four. You don't see a four, the illness, a given. No way in the building complain about nothing. Because you guess what? The guy over here said, Go lions, and we gotta pay back millions of dollars. Forget the lions. I would have voted no if I had to say so on it. Thank you.
Hello, everybody. Once again. My name is vanetta May Berry. I'm coming before the city council to talk again about the grocery stores. I worked on a project in the city of Detroit, and in 93 and 94 when the Chaldeans and and the rest of the humans decided to take over the supermarkets. And now here we I stand again in 2025 talking about the grocery stores, how the food is being died. We want to know what kind of diet, diet number red, diet number 19, or whatever, is being put on the meat, as well as the chicken is being bleached out in the stores, as well as the as well as the price of gouging. We understand the price of food is going up, but for seniors who need to, you know, have every penny you know, to get around. They have to pass somebody, take them shopping and so forth. That still costs money. They don't get food stamps. They have to, you know, so we have to work on quality food for our children as well as our seniors. The second thing that I'm bringing forth is, again, about the African American flag to be thrown over the city of Detroit to represent the people, the people that you say, that you honor and everything that we want our flag to be flown over the city, Detroit, for Black History Month. Also, I'm going to talk about also that gas station. That's how and having these issues, we don't want it just to be reopened. We want to have it torn down to the ground. And if something thank you for your time. Thank
you. Miss Mayberry,
hello. First off, elder, right here we we hear you, we listen to you. Come up here every week and present these issues. I know you know what you're talking about. When you identify Duggan as Dugan, it's evil. This is what I want to say to you, Mr. Graham, last week, you said that you found no evidence when James, they called you up there. So as a lawyer, because you're lost law, you're you have a law degree, so when you make a statement like that, are you willing to back that with facts? I'm a plaintiff on a case. My case number is 2411072, if anybody checked that case, they would see that with the judge response. They never once said nothing was debarked. They said that your injury, Ramon Jackson, is the same as all the electors in Detroit. That means that you suffered a general injury, just like everybody else, even if we do, if you can, Mr. Jackson show fraud in election. How is that redressable? That's what's going on in the court, but they know that most people don't read so when you make a statement like that young Graham with your young law degree, could you back that up? Would you be willing to come forth and say what evidence that you research in order to say that you found no evidence? Because I'm the evidence, it happened to me. Okay, Raymond Jackson, they registered me unlawfully to an address that I wasn't registered. Debunked that young man. All
right, thank you so much. Attorney grant wants to you want to come down? Okay, offline, okay, all right. Thank you so much, Attorney grant, Mr. Foster you,
good morning, ma'am. Through the council, I have a couple questions today, and I think after with a witness today, they're very relevant questions, is it violence that Capel has changed? Or response from Council. After witnessing with our witness today, it appears that normal people that come down here that speaks won't get at largest begging them to hear them out, won't get personal phone numbers to call them up about issues. Won't get these type of results to pause council to address individuals. Mr. Whitaker, per charter, will you express the City Council what it means to lobby? Lobbying is a crime. Anybody that lobbies in the city per charter has to register with the city clerk. They have to maintain records of what they are lobbying this body. Have just paid out a half a million dollars to an organization that come in here, before this government and have issues. I have issues too. We have to do better. It's ethical violations. Is morally wrong across the board, and we have to address it. This is an election year. I want to have a million dollars and come down and complain too. I want a big bus to ride around too. I want all of these things too, and then come down to government and have the audacity to complain about what I don't like. Hey, man, tighten up this government, this election. I don't
think they thank you, Mr. Foster. Edmund Lindsey,
morning, my name is Edmund Lindsey. I'm a employee of the city of Detroit, transport equipment operator. Reason I'm here, I had a court date Friday that the city of Detroit took a property of mine because they because they put solar panels there, so me and my attorney disagreed, and they put us in the break room, and I got dropped off the call, and I couldn't get law back into so my attorney called me and said I had to be out my property in two weeks now, the city's attorneys said that they met with me november 17, that I signed off my house. This my first time hearing about it. They gave me a green card, which they haven't she never showed no evidence that they signed me and I got proof that I was at work november 17, so and they was granted my property. I'm in the process of getting back in the courtroom. I'm going to high attorney soon as I get deep here, I just want to talk to the city council before, before I go.
Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mister. Are you finished? Yes. And
and your office very helpful to me. Yesterday, they reached back to me and okay, and they offered me 38,000 for my house. My granddad house was back across the street. I believe they gave them 90. So they want to give me 38,000 for the house. You don't want the house. You want my land. So if you want my land, I'm entitled to what everybody else get. Okay, so that's what I'm trying to get at. Okay, and I need some assistance.
Okay, we thank you for coming down and letting us know we're going to be taking up some of the solar items today on the agenda, and I will make sure that our attorney addresses specifically your issue. I know that corporation council was in contact with our office, and we kind of got some information back to you yesterday. Yes, ma'am, yeah, we will continue to work with you, and I'll personally make sure that they address this issue and where it stands today before we proceed with any of you. I got two weeks, believe me, okay, okay, so we'll make sure we follow you as we move forward with some of the solar items today. Okay, okay, thank you, Mr. Mr. Lindsey discussion, yes, which solar farm?
Okay, alright. Thank you.
Yeah, okay, great. Thank you. All right, that is all of our in person public comment. We will go to those who have joined us virtually. Good
morning, Madam President, we have 29 callers online. Our first caller is Karen.
Karen, good morning, you
I see Karen is unmuted. She just needs to speak.
Hello,
yes, good morning.
Can you hear me? Yes, good morning. Yeah, good morning.
Relative to everything. Mr. Foster said, relative to everything. Mr. Jackson and Mr. Malik Shelton, I agree with them all 100% I'm having the same problem with my taxes, my property taxes, you know, being told I'm having paid them. I have proof that I've paid them. And during the time when there was, you know, there was a during the the time during COVID and everybody, they were able to suspend, and they were not going to be penalized, you know, for, you know, for delaying the taxes. But you know this is what caused my taxes and to escalate and to be denied, you know, to have the escrow removed. So, you know, you have to get the evidence, not just what hearsay. I have all my documents, just like the gentleman said before me. So I need the same attention, only things happened to me since I last seen you guys. I'll talk to you guys. I filed three police reports, 12 precinct, and I still don't have any contact with the investigator. I had some changes of information. I went and turned that in, but still I haven't had any contact. And I said, Well, I asked them on the third complaint. Well, what am I supposed to do if I have a PPO report I need some protection? They said, Well, you got to call 911, so why are we escalating the payment and we can't get any service. We I don't have an NPO.
Thank you so much, Karen.
Our next caller is Stephen Holling, can I
be heard? Yes, you can. So
I want to first make the exciting announcement. I will be joining the tenants rights commission. I'm excited to go after these slum Lords that have been terrorizing the city terrorizing Detroit residents, and 99% of them don't even live in the city. Some don't even live in the country. So I'm looking forward to that next I'm going to talk once again, about the Renaissance Center. I want to thank Councilwoman Holloway for actually asking about historic designation, because we cannot, and I've seen in the strongest terms in capital letters here down the Renaissance Center. You know this city is no like you know less when I went to New Orleans, they have buildings from the 18th century. We tear down buildings. I don't think there's a building older than probably 100 years old here in the city, uh, maybe a few. But, you know, the tear down the Renaissance Center is just humiliating to this city. You know, it will look bad. It will make the Detroit comeback story look bad. You know, I feel like here in Detroit, we tear down our buildings if we're not needed, we don't restore them. Well, thankfully some. But you know, carrying out the GM cannot tear down
our next caller is Zenaida Flores,
Good morning. Hello, yes, good morning.
Good morning. My name is Zenaida Flores, and I serve as a Vice President with nonprofit rescue my nature now, and I'm calling in support of the solar projects, particularly the ones going at Greenfield Park and Houston Whittier. I was calling to support this because not only has our organization been a part of the conversations with Greenfield Park neighborhood, but we've really learned about what the community would like in these areas, especially because they are experiencing a lot of blight there. So talking with them, they did let us know that they're excited for it, and they're, you know, ready for a change. So I definitely ask you all to approve the Solar Initiative.
Thank you. Thank you. Our next caller is Betty a Varner,
good morning. Miss Varner,
good morning to all within the sound of my voice, I'm Betty a Varner, president of the soda Ellsworth black association here today, advocating for, a pink accord. We're working with the city to improve our pink quarter, from Finkel and liver noise to Pinkel in Wyoming is there's anybody within the sound of my voice that can support our project. We are in need of money. We met with the city. Had a good meeting in December. But the problem is we, they got these great ideas for, I think, a quarter, but we are in the need of money. My understanding, Mister Walker said something about he was going to be speaking with some of the different departments of the city of Detroit to see if they would be willing to include monies in their budget for some of the projects to improve the Finkle corridor. I don't know how that works, but if anyone comes before the council, I'm pleased asking for you to please support our Finkle corridor. I'm asking that the council, when budget time comes, please allocate moneys for to help organizations, black clubs that are 501, C, threes with monies to help improve their community. I thank you for this time, and God bless you. All
right, you as well. Thank you.
Our next caller is Frank Hammer,
good morning. Good morning
Council,
good morning. You have the floor. Yep.
Greetings to you all and to all in attendance. Next Monday, we'll celebrate Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. By an unfortunate coincidence, it's also the day that a white supremacist is returning to the White House. It's a good time to revisit Dr King's revolutionary thinking that isn't popularized in the mainstream media, and I quote, racial justice is still the black man's burden and America's shame. This problem exists today because many Americans would like to have a nation which is a democracy for white Americans, but simultaneously a dictatorship for black Americans. The segregationist goal is the total reversal of all reforms with a re establishment of naked oppression, and if need be a native form of fascism, a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death again we have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant Ethic of hard work and sacrifices. Capitalism was built on the exploitation of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor, both black and white, both here and abroad.
Our next caller is Ruben Crowley,
can everybody in there hear me clearly? Let's everybody in the auditorium, then the sound of my voice, and especially you. City Council President Mary Sheffield, also member of the Detroit Election Commission. Now you got two other people on that commission with you. That's Conrad mallet, Corporation Council for the city, and Janice Winfrey, what Gina Avery Walker over at the Department of Elections is, how shall I say, responsible for along with Janice Winfrey, is reprehensible, totally reprehensible. I'm sitting at my desk now I'm looking at all this information, I'm looking at all these numbers, and it's just sickening. Now we don't had election fraud here in the city of Detroit for years, years, number of years, we got a cheated in city council, a cheated in board of police commissioners, a cheated in school board and we also got a cheated in mayor and some judges cheated in absentee ballot voter Fraud, absentee ballot fraud, election fraud. Now, Mary Sheffield, you need to call the other members of the election commission have a meeting.
Our next caller is Tahira Ahmad, good morning.
Good morning. Yes, I agree with the comments Mike Duggan was not elected by black voters. It was fraud on the Solar Initiative. Initiative, hell no on the Solar Initiative. Detroit taxpayers were legally overtaxed, 600 million to a billion dollars, and 100,000 homes were illegally foreclosed, stolen, yet city council members are about to sign acres of land away for 30 years, ignoring the housing crisis Mike Duggan and you have caused today, Detroit city council will vote to put homes, To put acres and acres of solar panels on land and not homes, not to retain homes or return homes you stole. You caused the housing crisis by illegally over taxing citizens. Look at California right now, and I pray for the people in California right now look at them. If people are going to be scrambling for land to build houses, rebuild houses on. Imagine that same situation in Detroit. The land will be occupied by solar panels, looking ugly with a 30 year mandate, but we could have solar panels on homes freeing up from DTE corporate energy in slaver, every council member who votes for this deal is not interested in freeing homeowners from corporate energy.
Next. Our next caller is Todd Scott from Detroit greenways coalition.
Yes. Thank you. I just wanted to call and give an update on House Bill, 4491 which died in lame duck at the end of last year. And as you may recall, this count, this honorable body passed a resolution in support of it. This bill would have created a e bike purchase incentive program in the state of Michigan, and there was $2.95 million in the current budget to pay for it. It passed the house at the last at the last day, but unfortunately, it did not pass through the Senate. So we're working on alternative options. It's going to be a long shot to introduce a new bill and get it through the Republican House, but we're looking at other options, and we will keep you informed of where we go. Thank you. Thank you.
Our next caller is William M Davis,
good morning. Can I be heard? Yes, you can. Good morning. I like to start off by saying again that the that the fake Detroit bankruptcy was a grand theft. You know, most entities when they go into bankruptcy, they try to protect assets. The city, Detroit lost over $30 billion of assets control of, you know, the DIA the Detroit water and sewage bail out. You know, this only happens to the poor black people. You know, we have people coming in, stealing our assets, and then you have other people kind of say that this is a grand bargain, that this was a good thing. You know, in the last 11 years, over 3000 city Detroit general fund retirees have died, but yet, but yet, not one penny has been returned to to the city Detroit retirees, you know, a lot of other people have gotten lots of money. You know, a lot of other people have been doing quite well. But you can't say this. This bankruptcy was, you know, a success. You know, the city of Detroit has lost population. City Detroit has lost home ownership. The city Detroit has lost a whole lot of things so that some people, especially people lighter than me, could come in and say they did a great job. But that's not true. You know, that's not true. This we expect, as city Detroit retires, we expect the city of Detroit to start doing something to help us, or we're gonna have to do a complete clean sweep of everybody that's in office. Thank you.
Thank you. Our next our next caller is Nico a Williams, Hi.
Good morning. Can I be heard. Please. Yes, you can. Yes, I'm concerned about these black girls and children going missing, and I just want to put on the record that myself and the honorable Joanna Underwood tried to launch a guerrilla effort to find missing black women and children. We were co opted by the Detroit Police and the Detroit friends of family that are snitches, paid snitches, that have not found black women and children. And it hurts my heart, and it very much angers me that the city of Detroit failed Messiah Harris. It also makes me cry because we have these preconceived notions. We have to keep our eyes and our ears open there are missing black women and children in the city of Detroit that are gone rogue. We need to do whatever we can to find them and bring them back home and do whatever we can. But also, I'm just ashamed at the things that I'm hearing from people that are speculating and commenting. We don't need your comments and speculations. Just do what you can to fight them, keep your porch light on and look after your children and other people's children. We are one community. You know, if it's one black child missing, that's all of our black children missing, so we should be doing whatever we can to find them. The Detroit police doesn't care. All they would rather do is just continue to harass protesters and innocent people. It's a shame, and I want the city council, the mayor and others, to do right, do right by the people that elected you. Thank you for taking my comment. Alright. Thank you.
Our next caller is Starman Lincoln, good morning.
Oh, good, good morning. Council, can I be heard? Yes, you can awesome. I am calling. My name is diamond lega junior. I'm calling in support of the solar field projects at Greenfield as well as Houston. Whittier. Think this would be an awesome opportunity to remediate some of the challenges around the blight and illegal dumping that we witnesses in these spaces, especially at brush. Pardon me, especially at brush and Louisiana, we've monitored this site for the last several years, and the amount of trash that you find that could feel 17 to 20 dump trucks. It's just absolutely amazing where the trash where's this trash coming from, and why is it ended up here? So I feel is that this is a great solution for the city of Detroit, as well as the benefit that it offers to the residents in these spaces that feels that they've been forgotten. So I yield my time Council, and I appreciate all the work that you all are doing and looking forward to a prosperous 225 for the city of Detroit.
Thank you.
Our next caller is due solar. Nice.
All right, good morning.
Good morning can be heard. Yes, you can.
Okay, yeah, you know, hey, it's nice to go solar green, but at whose expense? The ways the city's doing this, this is what I call solar ugly, not solar nice as Mister here Ahmad said, Where's the rooftop solar for the neighbors? You won't even put rooftop solar around the city buildings, and you're pitting residents against one another dangling 15 to $25,000 for the people who won't lose their homes. And I have asked, and you, you've shown us the unequal treatment. Please answer my question, why do the rest of us not get 15 to $25,000 of housing upgrades if, allegedly, these solar farms don't cause any damage? Also, Mister Benson, I talked to one of your bosses in District Three, and she told me she's that people are getting basically bullied into signing a deal, and that they say, if you don't take the 90 grant, we'll file a lawsuit against you, and you only get 25 or 35 that is not solar nice, that is solar ugly. Also, why aren't you doing a bridging neighborhood program if you really care about the people like we're doing to get the people out the bridge area. We everybody are paying to fix up land bank homes for the people they want to move out of the bridge area. But why aren't we doing this to the people there? Again, you're pitting residents against one another. You're causing some people severe mental distress. One of your bosses, Mister Benson, told me he she cries every day. She's lived in that house for 59 years, and she may fear retaliation, and there is a spirit of retaliation around the city, most unfortunately. So please. You can do this another way. You don't need to use eminent domain. Put it on the rooftops. Use more.
Thank you. Our next caller is Jack. You
Good morning, Jack.
I'm seeing Jack I'm seeing they're unmuted and they just need to speak. Okay,
good morning, Jack.
Can you hear me now?
Yes, we can hear you.
Oh, okay, thank you. I was just recently in a grocery store in my neighborhood called public foods on East Warren in Detroit. My name is Jacqueline Miller, and the clerk in there was talking about her heating situation, that the building she lives in at 10235, Whittier in Detroit doesn't have heat, and it's managed by Gabriel management. So I told her, you know, I called and got the information once I got home, and I told her that I would call City Council just to see because she has a two year old baby. And from what I understand, this is a building I do believe, where, what, what she said is a lot of young women with babies in it, and as of now, it's only 17 degrees outside, and that that's just my comment to report that for her. Thank you.
Can you? Can you please repeat the name of the building member, Johnson. Okay,
it's 10235, Whittier, and it's Gabriel management, and from what she said, is that she didn't pay rent last month because they have been without heat for a month.
Okay? Thank you for reporting that to us, and we'll make sure that we reach out to try to see who we can get resolved. Thank you so much.
Our next caller is Jake.
Okay? Jake, Good morning.
Hi. This is Jake spotted Wolf. Work with Southwest Detroit environmental vision. I'm calling in support of phase two of the solar project. Just to it is not, maybe not perfect, but it is a step in the right direction in a city with the highest asthma rates, some of the highest asthma rates in nasal cancer and health factors that are impacting not only the youth, but everybody up unto their elder years, while improvements could still be made if we don't start making Like changes somewhere along the way, the entire city risks danger in that same way that we aren't taking care of each other in a community health based way. I'm hoping that the phase two goes through phase one had a lot of good collaboration. I see the value of continuing on in that work and definitely listening to the voices that are speaking to residents, not being heard addressing them, and seeing how we can do this better, and yet still moving forward with the phase two solar project on Greenfield and Houston Woody here. Thank you for your time. Thank you.
Our next caller is calling user one.
Call in, user one, good morning.
Can that be heard? Yes, you can. Happy, wonderful new year. Welcome back. I'd like to let you know council member Sheffield at the Rosa Parks Transit Center, those that are disabled and mentally challenged. I've been sleeping on the ground when you call for police to get them out, because some of them even passed out from being cold. They're laughed at inappropriate remarks on a racial level. Have sent videos to show this to all council members, and I'd like to know when is this going to get addressed. I hope that this year you all will make better stern plans to stop retaliation from slum landlords, when we reach out to you, as you have many within Building and Safety, that tells the landlord how often we call what days of the week, I'd like to know, why is This allowed? This is putting our lives in danger when you are having to sleep in cold, drug infested environments. I wanted you to know that this has been going on since you all were on leave.
Alright? Thank you so much. Miss Shay, and as always, we do make sure that we send that information over to the director of DDOT and the department to make sure that that issue was looked into. Um, so please continue to send any additional videos or information that you have for us to look into. Alright, thank you so much. MS, Shay, and
our next caller is phone number ending in 337,
good morning, Council. This is Pat Bucha, resident of District Three. Can I be heard? Yes, you can. Okay. Thank you very much for this opportunity. What I'm questioning is long range contracts. Before Christmas, there was a approval to allow state play center to have a 50 year contract to lease Lippe Park, a city owned Park, for $1 for 50 years. Originally that contract was to perpetuity now, but it was reduced to 50 years. Now we have a contract, not our agenda. Item 11.14, allowing a 30 year contract to the entity called my flight tours LLC, operating out of Coleman, a young international airport of so known as City Airport, to leave space and provide concession operations. That is not the problem. The problem is that my flight tours constantly hovers over residential areas on the northeast side every minute to two minutes the we feel like we are living in Vietnam during the Vietnam War with the hovering of the
Thank you, Miss Bo our next caller is Cindy Dara, Good morning.
Hello, I sent you an email if you can contact Biden and ask him to pardon Leonard partil and Abu Jamal, who both were probably wrongly convicted. And there is another story in the metro times about Doug and when he was prosecutory Let those files of people be destroyed prior to 1995 and then they could not. It's very hard to to get new trials if they're wrongly convicted. And I'm against. I read the solar contract and I didn't even finish it, but it was ridiculous to think that we're going to pay somebody else and lease the land, they're going to put it up on the grid, and then we got to buy it back from DTE. That's a should be a public utility like they have in my first in Kansas, where they have much more solar, because it's run by the public, and they run it for the interest of the public, not for the stock brokers. Okay? Anyway, I want you to look into how much it costs to move a new house, an old house that's and put it on a new foundation and hopefully a basement. Instead of tearing down more houses. I'm sick of it. We've been doing this to take land and get rid of people since I came to Detroit, and it's ever since 67
Thank you. Ms Dora,
our next caller is Karen hammer,
morning, can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Good morning.
GM Gilbert, with Mayor support, are holding the Renaissance Center hostage, threatening demons demolition make them pay the 350 million. Right now they fixed it to pay no taxes. Also City Council should vote to divest from city investments that use our tax dollars in human rights violations. You truly need to act on the resolution for a cease fire in Gaza that you passed last year to truly represent Detroit citizens, council has to reject the planning policy that subsidizes wealthy and one sided development projects and instead use the purse strings You control to benefit the majority of Detroiters solar power is an example. Don't subsidize the city's utility bill. A true model for common solar power that the community benefits from is the Highland Park's solidarity project, or the city can you can vote to subsidize solar for homeowners who want it on their roofs. Thank you.
Next caller is we see you.
Right. Good morning. We see you. Good morning.
Good morning. And through the chair, mabbie heard, yes, we can hear you. You've heard some, some very strong comments from the people in the city of Detroit, the actual people who live here using the Solar Initiative to defraud people out of their homes is tactics that white supremacists usually use. So when Mr. Hiring is talking about a white supremacist, you only need to look at this council and see how white supremacy has changed faces now we have a council that writes an ordinance that if black people lie to the police, they go to jail, but police can lie under oath and nothing is done. Do you ask the question, if the people cannot lie to the police, why is it that the police can lie to the people I am in agreeance with everything that Mr. Shelton said, and Mr. Ramon Jackson and Karen Winston, you all are not and Mikko Williams, you all are not performing in a way in which is conducive for the quality of life of the majority black residents in this city. It seems to me that you divide the city more than anyone else when you talk about what district you're in and what people you care about. This is one city, one group of people, and solar energy, if it if it does, ground water.
Thank you. Our next caller is Renard Manchin ski
right, good morning.
Good morning. Can I be heard? Yes, good morning, Madam President and members of council. And of course, happy New Year to everyone that's hearing my voice right now. I hope this new year brings you better fortune, and it's an election year too, so democracy always reigns. I want to actually speak to a measure that is still pending with the state, and it's the Wayne County opt in bill for public transit. And as you know, Wayne County still has cities that opt out of the smart bus system or have their own transit systems, which creates holes within our regional transit system. And this is done in part to control and restrict the movement of majority black and people of color that rely on jobs outside of the city and traverse back into the city, you know, to pay rent and live here and things of that sort. So the measure was passed by both the Michigan House and the Senate, and the status, I think, is pending with the governor if this body were to make an affirmative statement supporting this measure. Detroit is technically an opt out community, which is why do not re imagine is so important, and actually having a real capital budget for do not re imagine so it can expand its routes outside the city to better connect with smart as well too, because this is crucial for our region and for jobs and our livelihoods and being able to live in the city. What if we could support the measure? Thank you.
Thank you so much. Um. Renard machinski, I would love to look into that. If you have anything additional as well that you can send over via email that would help as well. But we would definitely look into possibly putting forth a resolution or something of that sort to support thank you for calling in.
Our next caller is Candace Jones.
Okay. Candace Jones, good morning.
Candace Jones, good morning.
And it's Jones Good morning.
It looks like she is still muted, if you'd like to move on. Okay, our next caller is Marguerite, Scarlet. Maddox,
all right, good morning. Ms.
Maddox, Happy New Year to everyone. Again. Is basically
he would find
a wrong place to be able to stay on. With everything that fires in California and We, we didn't.
It issues with deeper no her listening.
The interpreters.
To get the interpreters.
You wrong system.
Okay.
The recording system is not
that was about neighbors, neighbors
and again, thank you very much.
Thank you so much. Miss Maddox.
Our next caller is Alan Martin.
Alan Martin, Hello, can I can you hear me? Yes,
Hi, and welcome to the council. I'm calling in support of the phase two of the solar project looks like, say, phase one is is going according to plan. Speaking with several of the of the residents who get a chance to participate in the in the structure and the design of the new Solar Park, seems like a really strong blessing for the city of Detroit. This is clearly not a be all. That's just one step towards clean energy, but we want to make sure that that we move forward now without question. We definitely need affordable housing inside the city. We also need a Youth Commission inside the city, but I am calling specifically to be in support of this of phase two. I thank you for my time and have a nice day. Okay, thank you.
Our next caller is Michael musinski.
Good morning. Hello.
All
right, super quick as Michael musinski, not member of Detroit anti war, yeah. I also think that the solar panel project sounds like a short term response that's going to hurt in the long term. 30 years of locked in land doesn't make a lot of sense to me, especially if we're kicking out human beings to do it all right, moving on. In regards to Detroit anti war, I want to give a shout out to council president Sheffield for doing an excellent job of getting back to us. Thank you so much. And then another note, yeah. November 2023 you guys voted seven to two in favor of a resolution. I'm hoping to see even better results now. I hope that Tate and young have seen what's happened the genocide that has been going on in Palestine babies freezing to death and so on, and I hope that now they have enough information sure to respond more responsibly this time around. That being said, thank you to the previous seven who voted in favor of it. I hope to see similar numbers when our resolution crosses your desk. Yeah, and I believe that is it. Thank you all so much for your time. And yeah, thank you.
Thank you. Yes, Council Member young really
quick. I just want to say thank you so much for for that. And I just wanted to say to the short anti war. If you have any questions, please call my office at 31357, TV, 31322442483132244248,
there's some issues that I would like to discuss with you. There's things I'd like to talk about so because I want to make sure that my issues are clear, and as a city councilman, I pride myself on being open and being available to my constituents. I think I'm a pretty available and easily person that can be easily talked to and contacted. So there's some concerns that I have. I'd like to talk with you face to face about that before we take that vote up. So please call me again. 313-224-4248, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And President, thank you.
Our next caller is Chris Holmes from the Woodbridge neighborhood.
Hi. Good morning. My name is Chris Holmes, and I'm the director of property development and policy at Woodbridge neighborhood development. And I'm also Woodbridge resident. I'm speaking in support of approval for agenda item 20.72 which is an alley vacation under the name of DPS. Wilbur Wright Properties, this action is required to accommodate the construction of a 60 unit, 100% affordable apartment building at 4401 Rosa Parks in District Six, which our organization is CO developing with scenario Solutions, and I'm respectfully requesting the item to be approved with a waiver of reconsideration to allow us to meet our tight time frame for getting our building permit and closing our financial loans and grants that will be ready for the spring construction season. And I'd like to note that City Council approved two and a half million in HOME funds for the project late last year. We have support from our community and also our council members. Santiago Romero, thank you for your time.
Okay, thank you.
Our next caller is pastor. Robert Preston Harris,
hello. Good morning. Blessings to the council, the Honorable board, district five, Island View neighborhood representing certainly appreciate this time seeking to engage the process for the shelter home. The shelter and warming center represent a diocese of 80 churches across the state. 40 of the churches are resident in Detroit, and we have quite a few that are east side. I think the latest artifact that I saw for warming centers did not highlight east side, facing and supporting a warming center. So really curious and want to engage the department of the team that's in charge of onboarding new warming centers to ensure we have complete coverage across our fine city, tons of diocese are buildings at churches that are ready and able to offer that service today, but who should I speak with or follow up with?
Thank you so much. Pastor Harris, thank you. If you could possibly send an email to our office, we can make sure that we facilitate a meeting with you, along with our housing services department to see how best you can serve the city of Detroit, you can call the office or email. The number is 313-224-4505,
or email, perfect. Yeah, just give us a call and I'll give you our email as well. We would love to facilitate a meeting to see how you can best support
that's perfect. Thank you, President. And to my member, Councilman young, bless you both.
Thank you, sir. Have a blessed one.
Our final caller, who raised their hand before public comment was cut off, is Cunningham.
Cunningham, good morning.
31344491143134449, 491143134449114313449114,
that number was made so you can remember it and on Facebook, not enemy. Two words, not enemy. Again, you'll see a picture of my family in the profile photo in blue, representing lions, with my mom, who's currently in the nurse home as not enemy. I thank you for your prayers, your contacts, your donations, through communications, through the 313449114, number asking for cash, app information, those go to Facebook. I appreciate it. DDOT is only on time, about 7068 to 70% on time. They keep switching directors. This is just gentrification on steroids, making it uncomfortable for people they don't want in this city anymore. I've been doing this a long time. I'm asking you to drink a lot of water. This is the last day, and I would like you to pray in the Holy Spirit, if you can, with unknown tongues. And imma finish with about 15 seconds of that. If they're scratching their head, good, if they don't understand, good, because you're not talking to them, you're talking to God either. I'm not some people, my son, thank you so much, Mr. Cunningham, and that
will conclude all of our public comment. I do see Mr. Patel is here in attorney Graham, you are also here as well to provide a brief overview on the situation with Mr. Miles, if possible, without going into too much detail, if you want to come up briefly and kind of give a high level, kind of overview of where we are to date with addressing Mr. Miles situation.
Sure. Sure thing. Thank you Council. Thank you President. So Mr. Miles, case is something that the city Detroit has been working on for about 10 years. There's issues we've gone through exhaustively trying to communicate the steps Mr. Miles needs to take. There are issues from back in 2014 2015 before I started that have already been resolved. Those issues are no longer lingering. I'll give you a summary of what's outstanding, what we've communicated. I know other council members have been outreach by Mr. Miles, Mr. Don well, and the sester department also reached out. We've, multiple times over the past year and a half, reached out to Mr. Miles and given him this information on what steps to take. So here's a high level summary. He has three properties. One of them had a PR e in 2016 that was then removed because one of the other properties also had a p r e. So in the state of Michigan, you can only have one property with p r e. So that property in 2016 had its PR removed, and that increased the base tax on that property that was then appealed to at the Michigan State Tax Commission, and in 2019 we have a letter from the state of Michigan, which was sent to Mr. Miles at his address, indicating that that request for the PR E was denied. And so from 2016 on that property no longer had a PR E, he then proceeded to pay about 1000 let me just find my place here on April 18, 2018 he paid $1,249 on that property, leaving an outstanding balance of about $1,400 so what typically happens is, after the current tax year passes at the city of Detroit, it gets sent over to Wayne County For further collections on delinquent property tax bills. So frankly, all that's left there for us to do is direct Mr. Miles, as we have to the county team to figure out a payment plan if he cannot make a payment plan. Multiple times over the course of the past 10 years, he's raised issues where there's he claims that there's improper accounting, improper payments being applied, or payments not being applied to his property tax bills. We vetted it all. That's not the case. Sometimes he will say that he hasn't received his tax bill, but we have evidence that he has paid in some cases. Sometimes he pays the summer tax bill. Sometimes he pays part of the winter tax bill in and off years. So for example, nine on one of his properties, he's made payments in 20 tax year, 2016 1721, 2017 and another one in 21 at different points for different amounts. So frankly, there's nothing else that we can do there, besides, again, direct Mr. Miles to the county to set up payment terms. He also has two other properties that have delinquent amounts outstanding, no issue there, outside of setting up payment terms with the county this and so, you know, we've done everything we can. Unfortunately, this has gotten the point where we're repeating ourselves a lot, and so I've told Mr. Miles, and it's in the email threads that's on the council members have this is the last time we can give you the same information. I've directed my team downstairs on the first floor to direct any issues that come up with this to me, because they found him to be threatening over the years. So I don't know if there's anything else that we can do beyond what we've done so far. Okay,
all right. Thank you, Mr. Patel. Think that was pretty thorough. As far as an update, did you have anything else
chair? I have nothing additional to add. I would just like to say as confident as I am in my public speaking abilities, Mr. Patel always has a fantastic presentation. Thank you all.
Thank you so much, and we will continue to assist Mr. Miles as much as we can with the information that has been provided.
Okay, madam president, if I may, yes, through you question, Mr. Patel, so through you, Director Patel, so we can have this on the record. I know Mr. Miles is sitting here today, and he's had conversations with our office, had conversations with member waters office, and that is not something we handle as far as tax bills, because we're not that department, but we refer them to you just clarify one more time for the record this outstanding issue that exists is has to be handled at the treasurer's office.
So the outstanding issue that exists is there are set of payments for prior tax years that have not been paid. That's the that's the issue at hand. There's no other issue here. Those have to be addressed at the wayne county treasurer's office, because they're past tax years. If this was something related to tax year 24 our current tax year, which, by the way, the deadline for payment is tomorrow, then we would address that in house once that tax year ends, every year gets transferred over to the county, and then the county is responsible for delinquent collections. The county has been also extensively been involved. At least three or four people at the county know this case inside and out. They've gotten emails, they've gotten confusing information over the past 10 years on this issue, so they know this issue, and are well aware of what needs to be done, and they're happy to help set up payment terms for something that would work for Mr. Miles Through you,
madam president, to Director Patel, so is the city on the county on the same page regarding this issue, because Mr. Miles came and stated today that it seemed to be some discrepancy between the city and the county. And so, from your correspondence to the county, is the city and the county on the same are they on the same accord, noting what action needs to take place absolutely.
And I think part of the confusion here, just for your awareness, is there are some issues from 2014 or 2015 that, you know, I look through emails that my predecessors had that were still saved, and there was some discrepancy in which parcel got which payment, that's all been resolved. So none of these issues are from 2016 and prior. These are all 2016 and after. So for all those items, yes, we're on the same page, everything before is already resolved. There's nothing outstanding for 20 before 2016 Thank you,
Madam President. All right, thank you, Mr. Patel, thank you. All right. We will proceed now back to our agenda for today, understanding committee reports for the budget, Finance and Audit standing committee from the Office of contracting and procurement. Council member
durha a resolution line item 17.1, Contract Number 6006774, 100% city funding to provide promotional novelty and apparel items citywide. Contractors, corporate specialties, LLC, total contract amount 408,000 That's for citywide councilmember Durham Hall, one resolution.
Council member durkha Thank
you Madam President. Move for approval for line items, 17, or line item 17.1
object. The one resolution will
be approved request a waiver for line item 17.1
Hearing no objections. A waiver will be added to 17.1 from the office of the city clerk, City Planning Commission.
Council member durha, two resolutions, line item 17.2 and 17.3
member durha, thank you, Madam President. Line item 17.2 is a resolution of authorization for a neighborhood enterprise zone certificate, application for the rehabilitation of a vacant industrial building into a mixed use building with 433 unit apartments at 6051, Hastings within the Fisher body. Hastings neighborhood enterprise zone and line item 17.3 is a neighborhood enterprise zone certificate application for the construction of two new single family houses at 8714, Saint Paul and 1743, Fisher in the East Village, admitted neighborhood enterprise zone area. Both of these have been recommended for approval by the CPC, as well as the committee Move for approval for line items, 17.1 or 17.2 and 17.3
any objections? Discussion, discussion. Council member Johnson, thank you,
Madam President. Um, so in my just very quick calculation for 17.2 it indicated that 20% of the units would be offered at an affordable rate. The percentage that I'm seeing that's being offered, based on the information that I have, is just shy of 15% of the units being offered at an affordable rate. And so I'd like to get some clarification on this particular item,
Mr. Washington, do we have someone on Good
Morning through the chair? I have to defer to Mr. Christopher Gulak if he's online.
Okay, we just promoted Mr. Gulak.
Thank you, Madam Chair, Chris Gulak, City Planning Commission staff, can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Yes. I did talk to Mr. Hosey today, and there was an error in our report. We said 20% of the units would be affordable, but he clarified this morning that actually 14.5% are affordable. They had proposed 20% but through the CBO negotiation, the community asked for two, three of the units to be 15, 50% Am I so the proposal now is to have 63 units affordable, and 60 of those are 80% AMI, and three are 50% AMI, so that's 14.5% of the total units. Hope that answers your question. Member Johnson,
thank you, Mr. Gulak, that does answer my question, and so I suppose that, because this isn't any easy, there's no requirement for 20% of the units to be offered at an affordable rate
through the chair. That's correct. Council member, yeah, this is separate from the CBO, but we make it, we communicate with the budget finance committee about the proposed affordability.
Okay, thank you. All
right. Any additional questions? Hearing? No additional questions. The two resolution, 17.2 and 17.3
will be approved request a waiver for line item 17.2. And 17.3
Hearing no objections, a waiver will be attached to both items for the internal operations, standing committee from the mayor's office, Council Member
Johnson, one resolution, line item 18.1, madam president through you, this item was noted as the student Mayor's office. However, it has been noted that this is a joint appointment, and there has been a resolution submitted at the table to correct the original resolution that that did not represent the joint appointment. Okay, and
do we need to walk on the updated resolution?
Yes, Madam President,
is there a motion to walk on the updated resolution for 18.1 motion, Hearing no objections, that action will be taken. And Madam Clerk, we can move the amended version.
Madam President, member Johnson, the amended version is to show that there this is a joint appointment, and not one appointment for Josefina Roman which is to the tennis rights commission with the term effective immediately and ending on November 26 of 2026
council member Johnson, thank you, Madam President, Move for approval. A motion has been made. Are there any objections? Hearing no objections. The one resolution will be approved from the Office of contracting and procurement.
Council member Johnson, to resolutions lie items, 18.2 and 18.3 contract number 6005617, dash a to 100% city funding. Amendment two to provide an extension of time for Real Estate Services and relocation assistance. Contractor at zusmer. PC, total contract amount, 5,200,000
that's for law, Madam Clerk, before you, before you continue. Yes, we want to take all of the solar items together. Okay, take 18.2 20 point 4720 point 48 and 20 point 59 as a group first, and then we can proceed with 18.3
Yes, Madam President,
that's why she didn't read that one. Okay, so we can move now to 20 point 47
Madam President, 20 point 47 is contract number 6006941 line item 20 point 48 Is contract number 6006943 in line item 20 point 59 is the resolution solar, the solar resolution of necessity for phase two.
So, Madam President, being that the items that are moving along with line item 18.2 20 point 47 and 48 would be for council member Benson as well as line item 20 point 59
Okay, thank you. We can start with 18.2 and we can move for discussion, um, and open these items up for discussion. Right council member Benson requested discussion. Yeah, I just open it up for discussion. Any discussion on these items, Mr. Washington, do we have someone here who can just provide mister share some update on Edmund Lindsay, the gentleman who came down earlier, I did promise that we will give an update on his situation regarding an offer that he claimed he did not accept.
Yes, Madam Chair, I do believe that Miss Stein and Miss Rushton, as well as the council. Yep,
they are here. Thank you, Mister Washington Congress. Microphone, microphone, Mr. Corporation,
I'm sorry.
I just want to again. Conrad Mal, a corporation Council city of Detroit, if I my council president, a couple of paragraphs that came in from our condemnation lawyer, Mr. Boardman, just so that on the record, all of the suggestions made by Mr. Lindsay can be directly discussed. Both the relocation company and sales more have had numerous conversations with Mr. Lindsay prior to filing the complaint, Mr. Lindsey had always maintained that he did not live in the home. He repeatedly told the relocation specialists that he used the home for storage and that he lived in an adjacent neighborhood. This house is not registered as a personal residence, and therefore is not a PR E, and instead, Mr. Lindsay owns another house in the city of Detroit that is listed as his PR and claims 100% Mr. Lindsay was personally served on october 24 2024 he did not respond to the complaint. And when you don't respond to the complaint, then by law, as a matter of law, there is a default. The court has entered an order for title and possession, and we are ready to proceed with demolition once he has vacated the property. We have been in conversation with Mr. Lindsay through his attorney, we have given Mr. Lindsay and extended time to remove the items in this house, which is not his personal residence, so that none of those items will be stolen, because at a certain point we come in and take down the doors and the windows in anticipation of demolition. We want to be sure that his items are preserved. Mr. Lindsey has indicated that he wants to be paid that which his family across the street received council president again, and for all members of this legislative body, as we promised that, oh, that is the personal residence of members of his family, they got $95,000 mister Lindsey wants the same amount of money, and that would be unfair to all of the other person that we have made good faith offers to Madam President. We've offered Mr. Lindsay $35,000 he's demanded $15,000 more, and in no one certain terms, I have indicated to the Zales team not to pay. We're going to go forward with the process. We appreciate the question we have bent over backwards to be sure that every citizen that we come in contact with is treated with respect and that they are given all of the economic support that they're entitled to, and that is precisely this case, question,
thank you. And so in the conversation, he's also indicated that he has been cursed at and told he needs to get his things and move out with more glowing language than that by somebody on a cell phone. What's the what's your response to that treatment?
So Council, excuse me through the through the chair council member Benson, I can guarantee you that that did not occur. These are people of a very, very high professional reputation. They are managed every single day by people associated with the Detroit building authority, they know the importance of this particular transaction and have been behaving consistently with professional integrity and great courtesy and with an eye toward excellent customer service. Okay?
And then those who are PR es have been negotiated with in very prescriptive way that we've set out those who have investment property, they're being negotiated or made offers. If a person does not accept the offer, what is their recourse? If
the person doesn't accept the offer, then we go to court, and they come to court, Council, person Vincent, and they make an argument that the offer that we have made, which we made in good faith, is not fair market value. That's what the law requires. And in the absence of them able to if they can demonstrate that somehow or another, the appraisal that we did was often did not take into account, you know, some item in the house that should have been more closely valued then, then the court is going to take note of that. But what the standard is fair market value, and that's what we pay.
Okay? And do you know if he's engaged in attorney to help him with these conversations? Yes, sir, he has engaged an attorney. So he is being represented. He is represented exactly settled in court with a attorney. That's exactly right. Thank you,
discussion. Thank you, Madam President. So in iOS, we had a conversation relative to this, not anything specific. How do we determine fair market value for owner occupied properties to have 100% pure we still
do an appraisal. Council person Johnson, so that as we are valuing the home, even though we have a $90,000 minimum, we do know the framework within which we are operating, there is still an appraisal done.
And so the amount that has been offered to the gentleman is
based on an appraisal
and consistent with the general area.
Oh, yes, ma'am, absolutely.
Thank you for that. Um, so you've identified that he has retained counsel now, but a default judgment was registered because he did not respond. Yes, ma'am, so this is a process that people don't go through every day. Mm, hmm, I'm assuming he had not retained counsel when the default judgment was registered in the city's favor.
I think that's fair. And so council person, the thing that makes the hiring of an attorney in this circumstance, in most cases, unnecessary, is that we are making a good faith offer based on the fair market value. If Mr. Lindsay believed that the offer that we made was not fair, then he would employ an attorney. In this instance, he didn't respond to the complaint. We assume that his estimation was, is that the offer that we made, even though he didn't accept it, was fair, or else he would have taken steps to protect his rights. He did not. But that doesn't mean that somehow or another, he is going to be zeroed out. He is going to be paying council person, Johnson, the fair market value for his property. He now has an attorney. We're not saying that because he's defaulted. We he cannot present evidence to the court that our estimation of the value is wrong. He's not done that. But we're not opposed to that happening. We are not trying to squeeze someone out of the property that. Again, I want to point out that he does not live in what we'd like to do is make this as smooth as possible. If he if mister Lindsey believed that his house is worth more than the $35,000 that we've offered he has an attorney. He should make that clear, as opposed to simply demanding that we pay him more.
Okay, thank you. And so I just want to be clear that I feel uneasy when it appears, when it looks like a person has no recourse, that they are being pushed out for this initiative. So tell me exactly how much time does he have time to present anything to the city in order for that amount to change. So
in a civil case, council person, you have 21 days to respond to the complaint. I guarantee you that, were he to call and ask for more time, my team would grant him more time. We are trying to manage this process as efficiently as possible, but we are not trying to win at any cost. If Mr. Is again, Mr. Lindsey believes or any other person that we have not fully considered information that they believe is relevant to the fair market value that we are representing to the court. They should contact us. They should contact me. I will make sure that their voice is heard. But that is we have only got, at this point, council person, two lawsuits. And I just want to point out that Mr. Lindsey has not fine. All he has done is had his attorney call the zauzma team with who has been in contact with me and say, I want more, but has been unwilling, so far, to provide evidence that he deserves more based on a fair market value calculation.
Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
The the our records don't show that he's accepted the good faith law
no man read upon on his behalf that came from,
right? Okay? The the, the, what, what, what, what is, again, what we're representing to the court is the offer that we're making is based on fair market value.
Okay? Member, member waters,
thank you. Um, so how much did his did his property appraised for 35,000 appraised for 35,000 Yes, ma'am, that can we, you know, exceed that, that appraisal amount in good faith? Can, I'm sorry, can we the city exceed that amount in good faith? Because we seem to have a situation here where this guy's believing that, that we're just kind of taking his property. I don't, I don't. I personally don't like to feel that. So what can we do to fix that? And I think that we can, you know, I think it's probably within our purview to say, okay, it appraised for this amount, we're able to go over and do an additional $15,000
we can do that. Well,
I don't understand why we won't.
So through the chair council person waters, Mike, I just want to point out again that his demand for more is based on the fact that his family, who lives across the street living in a PR, he doesn't understand all that stuff. I'm pretty sure of it. Okay, what I'm saying this is just,
you're just talking about a regular citizen who has a piece of property and who feels as though he's not being treated fairly, and that's, that's what you have. I don't think he understands all the rest of it, Mister court date, not understanding the the how critical that was. You know, folks just don't understand. And I think that I'd like to see us be just a little bit more empathetic, if you will, with our residents. He's still a resident of the city, right? Yes, ma'am. Oh, so for council, can you fix that? Can you? Can you, I mean, can you do something to ease. Eases my ease his pain.
It is it, is it? Is it is it is always difficult to come before this legislative body and say, No, can I say this council person waters that, I promise you, I will do my best. What I do want to emphasize, though, is that we are managing within a budget that has been but but has been approved by this body, and we have given to other persons who occupy the same space as Mr. Lindsay fair market value, and have been fairly firm about being unwilling to negotiate. I will. I will revisit this, and if you allow me to personally communicate with you, in fact, I personally communicate with each one of the council members as to the conclusion that we came to, just so that everyone is 100% clear, yeah, I don't want to make a public commitment and then turn upside down everything else that we've been trying to get done.
I know it's just, it is just so, so sensitive, you know, I I just, my heart goes out to to residents in particular when they come and because, you know, it's hard for them to acquire a little piece of land or whatever, you know, so we need to do all that we can to help them. So if there's a way that you can go back, take another look at it and offers a little more money for for his property, then let's just do it. That's That's what I'm asking you to do.
That, certainly as I indicated, communicate directly with you and the other members of the legislative body and let you know how it turned out.
You know, through you, Madam President, the some of the people who who took the offers, who offers, who were in PR ease, and I know some of them were excited, because why? Either they get upgrades so they get to to move to a new place free from that neighborhood, because they no longer want to be there and couldn't get out. So I'm thrilled about that part. But equally important are folks who own little pieces of land, especially when it comes to residents, people who look like me. Okay, it's very difficult for us to acquire land and so forth and to hold on to it. So I have to care about that. That's part of my job, to care about that, and I want all of us to care about that and find ways to to make sure that we go above and beyond for our residents. Yes, ma'am,
thank you. Council member waters, Council Member young
Corporation. Council Good to see you, sir. It's my understanding that the money that we're offering is not just fair market value. Is actually 125% over fair market value according to the according to the Constitution, because you talk about condemnation, that's Constitution required. So
right in this but in this particular instance, the the actually to offer, in most instances, 125% of the value of the property when it would not result in the $90,000 that would pay so the and in this particular instance, the those rules do not apply, which is why we are able To create really a very specialized program, and so fair market value for non PR ease is what we are paying. And the 125% that you're describing doesn't apply, okay,
so, so it doesn't apply for 125%
because it's non PR, that's right. Well, it doesn't that the the this, the state law that you're describing doesn't apply to this particular program, to
this particular program, because it's a non pre that are you indicating that even though it doesn't apply, you are doing over what for
the PR ease. There's no question, Mr. Chairman, that we are paying substantially more, and we are paying fair market value for that is non pre and for vacant lots, we are paying $2,500
Okay, okay. This is, let me make sure I get this straight. I'm pretty sure I got a handle on this, but I just want to say this, just want to say this, just to make sure we do this publicly. Is it also the fact too, that they are receiving, I think, about $25,000 in solar upgrades or energy efficiency upgrades as well. Are you just, I'm assuming that doesn't apply to people? No, it
doesn't apply to persons whose property that we're purchasing that does apply, Mr. Chairman, to people who live in the district surrounding
those people whose properties are being purchased. That does not apply. That's right. Okay, okay.
Thank you. Any additional questions? Discussion?
Yes, thank you. And one of the challenges I see is that if he's now engaged in attorney, that attorney was speculated here is most likely seeking 1/3 of any value brought to this deal, which means if he were to receive additional monies that would now be split into two, he will receive two thirds, leaving him in a worse position than If he had just come to the table and accepted the original offer, that's one of the challenges I see. Is that a good scenario. I
don't have any idea what his relationship is with his lawyer. I don't know that just on a contingency fee basis. I have no insight into that at all, and, and, and, let me just leave it
there. Okay, thank you.
All right. Thank you. Thank you. Corporation Council, yes. Member young, oh,
sorry, let me pop up on your game here. But I just want to ask, Has there been any sort of discussion at all, because I know a member, you know, kind of piggyback on member waters, and I know sometimes it's like grabbing a third realm of local politics here. But has there been any discussion at all in partnership with the land bank in terms of property that potentially could be purchased for people who are affected like this? Could that potentially? I'm not saying that you're going to do what I'm saying. Let me say, in the hypothetical, either here, could there be a possibility that that would be something, that would be that he would be able to allow that land as well as go through this process? Is that something fleshed out through the partnership at
all? So, Mr. Chairman for the reload, for those persons who are relocating out of their pre the relocation specialists have been offering a variety of alternatives, including land bank housing, if that's what you want, in this particular instance, for another period as well. So so in this particular so for Mr. For Mr. Lindsay, that's an interesting idea. That is to say, offer him the opportunity to buy another land bank, how he might be able to use for storage again, you know what? That's, that's, that's something that we certainly could consider, thanks
any additional questions or concerns. Thank you. Thank you. Corporation Council. And is there a motion to approve line items? 18.2,
member 20, yes. Before we go there, Matt asked the team if they can give a brief update on phase one. Yeah, I have had residents ask me about the status of phase one before moving on to phase two.
Good afternoon. Tricia Stein, the mayor's Chief Strategy Officer, through you, Madam President, to member Johnson, can I just ask clarifying? Are you talking about the energy efficiency upgrades because, or you're talking about from a legal standpoint,
as we can, if you can just give us an update on where things stand relative to phase one, so if you have a sense of how many, where you are with acquisition of property or land, If the energy efficiency upgrades have been provided to the residents, as well as just giving an update relative to the entities that are installing the solar arrays. Because I know that light star in particular was going to bring in a I guess small farmers to do the agrivoltaics. Just give us a sure sure
again, through you, Madam President, remember Johnson, I'll give a update on the energy efficiency upgrade in the local partnerships, and then Corp Council will provide an update, as he did in iOS of the land acquisition. So energy efficiency upgrades will happen to 156 homes in phase 127, energy efficiency assessments have been done to date that step one. So that's taking a 360 degree view of home, taking a look at their energy use in in scoping out a project of how that 15 to $25,000 will be spent in those homes. So again, 27 of those have been done to date. We feel like we're we committed to doing 20 a month, so we're a little ahead, at least from the start where we need to focus, and we are now is getting the scope of works completed, and then the work will begin in February. And so we'll continue to do the pipeline of assessments, scope of work and the work, and feel that we are on track to complete those 156 by the end of this year, which is what we committed to. Also, light star is talking to partners. It was it made representations that they would do local farmers and urban farmers in Detroit, they are working with Russian and Patrice brown and the administration to guide those conversations and ensure that there is local participation and that there is arrangements both in Gratiot, Findlay and State Fair. Those are the two neighborhoods that have wanted Agarwal takes included so that there will be crops grown alongside of the solar arrays, and then there will also be partnerships. So those have not been confirmed yet, but when they are, we will make sure that you are aware and that we do a presentation on that and and in a public announcement, I will let Corporation Council talk through land acquisition, and then I'll close out and talk about demolition and the construction
timeline. Through the Chair of council person, Johnson, we've required to date 965 parcels, including 245 PR me, we are continuing to supervise the voluntary acquisition relocation process. We've done over 100 good faith offers, and we are defending, as I indicated, only two claims of absence of necessity lawsuits actually saying that the condemnation process is illegitimate and that the public purpose that we described is not valid. This is really a remarkable been a remarkably successful endeavor, and from a litigation standpoint, we've only got the two that I've described. The other condemnation proceedings that we are going through are either on person similar to Mr. Lindsay, who did not respond to the complaint, none of them are PR ease, and some people who are owners of vacant lots also have not responded. At the end of the day, we will use the condemnation process so that we can actually guarantee to the developers that we have clear title on the land that they are going to be leasing from the city.
All right. Thank you. Thank
you. Finally, my final report on Phase one is that demolition is happening. Thanks to city council for approving those contracts, our estimation is that we will be complete. There's 90 structures that needed to be demoed in phase one. Those be complete by the end of March, we will turn oversight control to the developers. In the springtime, all three areas, those neighborhood agreements have been negotiated with the developers signed for the design, and as we just talked about, what will be included not only on the exterior, but the interior. So that has been fully approved by the neighborhood neighbors and executed. So that will start in the spring. And the summer, we'll start seeing the land clear, fencing being up and panels being installed in the fall. Light star will be commissioned by the end of the year, and dt will be shortly after the beginning of 2026 and that includes that that concludes our phase one presentation.
Thank you so much. Thank you. Member Johnson, all right, if there are no additional questions or comments, is there a motion for motion 18.2 20 point 4720 point 48 and 20 point 59 motion, a motion has been made for approval. Any objection? Objection?
Madam Chair council member Calloway objects to line item 18.2 line item 20 point 47 line item 20 point 48 and line item, 20 point, 59 Thank you. Madam Chair, the clerk
will please no clerk will So note. Madam President, any further objection, hearing no further objections before resolutions will be approved. Buster
waiver. Madam President, on all items.
Madam Chair, objection for waivers on all four. Council member Callaway, okay,
so that motion does fail. All right, thank you guys. All right, we will proceed. Madam Clerk, I know you were moving now. Line item, 18 point 13.
18.3 madam, 18.3
coverage, member Johnson. Council member Johnson.
Thank you, Madam President, Move for approval on line item 18.3 this is a contract to provide an extension for time, for legal services as needed, for acquisition and title clearance issues associated with real estate involved in the Joe Louis Greenway project.
Right? Any objections to 18.3 Hearing no objections. The one resolution will be approved.
Madam Chair Yes. Member Connell request a waiver online item 18.3
any objections to a waiver hearing, none a waiver will be attached to 18.3 from the law department. Council
member Johnson, eight resolutions lie items 18.4 through 18 point 11.
Council member Johnson, thank you, Madam President, Move for approval online, and it's 18.4 through 18 point 11. These are various laws of settlement, requests.
Any objections?
Yes, discussion, Madam Chair, I'm still waiting for answers online, item 18.6 I post those during the committee last week, and I've yet to get those answers, so I'm going to ask that we postpone the vote. Online, item 18.6 Thank you, Madam Chair.
Is there any objections to postponing 18.6 hearing? None. That item will be postponed for one week. Thank you. Any objections on the remaining seven resolutions, hearing, none. The seven resolutions will be approved from the classification and compensation division
council member Johnson, two resolutions. Line items, 18 point 13. Excuse me, madam president, nine items, 18 point 12 and 18 point 13.
Council member Johnson, thank
you, Madam President, Move for approval. All
right, any objections to these two items? Hearing no objection. The two resolutions can be approved
under resolutions. Council member Johnson, two resolutions, line items, 18 point 14 and 18 point 15.
Council member Johnson, thank you, Madam
President, Move for approval on line items, 18 point 14 and 18 point 15. These resolutions are to appoint Christian Geary and Patrick Duffy, respectively to the industry standards board.
All right, any objections, hearing none the two resolutions will be approved.
Madam President, yes, I like to request a waiver online items, 18 point 12 and 18 point 13,
any objections, hearing, none that action will be taken. And if we can have a waiver on 18 point 14 and 18 point 15, motion, all right, carry no objection, so waiver will be attached to both 18 point 14 and 18 point 15 for the Planning and Economic Development standing committee from the Office of contracting and procurement council
member Doha on behalf of council president pro tem James Tate. One resolution, line item 19.1, Contract Number 6003686, dash, six. Dash a three, 100% city funding. Amendment three, to provide an extension of time for hazardous materials testing, slash surveying for houses being renovated by bridging neighborhoods for the Gordy, how International Bridge Project contractor is testing engineers and consultants incorporated total contract amount, 100,000 for housing and revitalization. Council member Durham,
Council Member derhoff. Thank you, Madam
President. Move for approval for line item 19.1,
any objections, hearing, no objections. The one resolution will be approved from the City Planning Commission.
Council member durhall, and introduction of an ordinance line item 19.2
council member durha, thank you, Madam
President, I move that the ordinance be read twice by title order printed and laid on her table.
Hearing no objections that action will be taken from the City Planning Commission.
Council Member durha, a resolution set in the public hearing nine, item 19.3, Council
Member durha, thank you, Madam President. I move that we set a public hearing at a date to be determined. Motion
has been made. Any objections to the scheduling of a public hearing. Hearing, none that action will be taken from the City Planning Commission.
Council member durha, introduction of an ordinance line item 19.4
member, durha, thank you, Madam President, I move that the ordinance be read twice by title order, printed and laid on the table.
All right, this is for the rezoning of several properties for the recreation facility at Merritt Park. Hearing no objections that action will be taken from the City Planning Commission.
Council Member durha, introduction of an ordinance, line item 19.4
member der Hall, thank you, Madam President, I move that we set a public hearing on a date to be determined,
Hearing no objections. The resolution will be approved. Madam
President, my apology. That was line item 19.5
correct for the scheduling of a public hearing. Yes, hearing, no objections that action will be taken from the City Planning Commission.
Council member durha, introduction of an ordinance line item 19.6
member durha, thank
you, Madam President, I move that the ordinance review twice read, be read twice by title order, printed and laid on the table,
Hearing no objections that action will be taken from the City Planning Commission.
Council Member durha, a resolution setting a public hearing. Line item 19.7,
Council Member durha, thank you, Madam President,
I move that we set a public hearing at a date to be determined,
Hearing no objections. The resolution will be approved from the City Planning Commission. Council
member durha, introduction of an ordinance line item 19.8
council member durha, thank you, Madam President, I move that the ordinance be read twice by title order, printed and laid on the table.
Hearing no objections that action will be taken from the City Planning Commission.
Council Member durha, a resolution setting the public hearing. Line item 19.9,
Council Member durha, thank you, Madam President,
I move that a public hearing be set at a date to be determined,
Hearing no objections, that action will be taken from the City Planning Commission. Council
Member durha, introduction of an ordinance line item 19, point 10. Council
member durha, thank you, Madam President, I move that the ordinance be read twice by title. Twice by title order, printed and laid on the
table. Okay, just a quick question. And did this come out as a recommendation to deny the introduction of a of this ordinance? From my understanding, to you, yeah, that's what mine is showing yes to
you, Madam President, I know that is what is states on the agenda. I do not recommend, let a recommendation for denial, but member Johnson could probably clarify.
Member Johnson, thank you, Madam President, and I do see Director Todd as well. There was a recommendation for denial that came from the City Planning Commission because there was a tie vote. This has been something that's been going on for at least a couple of years, and the petitioner had been before the City Planning Commission to address issues that were brought up, the community has been advocating for this to open. And so we did want to move forward to schedule a public hearing to allow all of that discussion to take place. Okay, okay. Thank you, Madam President, thank
you member Johnson, Council Member Young. Thank you,
Madam President, yeah. I just kind of just kind of want to piggyback off of what Johnson said a little bit to share what, what I have here. It was some concerns with the Master Plan, area traffic and it changes seats and the site plan, and doubts that the site could support the proposed before zoning. And the City Planning Commission recommended to not, because request of a certain individual to rezone one parcel, commonly known as 6181, casual road from p1, that's the open parking district as well as b2, the local business and a residential zoning classifications to be for the general business districts on a classification. So I just kind of want to provide some details as why that happened as well. Okay,
thank you, and I see you, Director Todd, as well. Not sure if you want to provide anything additional, but it sounds like the CPC staff denied. But moving forward, just at least, to have a public hearing to allow further discussion, is what we're doing today. So this is not approving or denying. Is scheduling the public hearing to allow more discussion to take place. Director Todd,
thank you, Madam President, good afternoon to you and this honorable body. You are correct generally and certainly both council members young and Johnson are correct in their statements. Just to clarify, this was a situation wherein the CPC staff did, in fact, recommend approval, but as member Johnson indicated there was a tie vote among the commission for some of the concerns that were still outstanding, that council member young enumerated, and this is that rare situation where commission and staff disagreed, and that council now having received the recommendation, is going against the recommendation of the commission, and it sets this somewhat awkward situation, but again, it has happened a couple times in the past, and it is, as always, council has the final word on these rezoning.
Thank you so much. Director Todd, all right, it has been moved. Are there any thank you so much. Are there any objections? Hearing none that action will be taken and from the City Planning Commission.
Council Member durha, a resolution set in a public hearing. Nine item, 19, point, 11. Council member durha, thank
you, Madam President, moved to set a public hearing at a date to be determined,
Hearing no objections. The resolution will be approved from the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.
Council Member durha, three resolutions, line items, 19 point 12 through 19 point 14.
Council Member durha, thank you,
Madam President. And all three of these resolutions are just the abolishment of the Brownfield redevelopment plans for properties located at 3169 Woodward, 8900 Gratiot and the abolishment of the burner Scott and brownfield redevelopment plan Move for approval for line item 19 point 12 through 19 point 14,
Hearing no objections. The three resolutions will be approved from the housing and revitalization department.
Council Member durha, one resolution, line item 19 point 15. Council
Member durha, thank you, Madam
President. Line item 19 point 15 is a resolution of authorization, approving a neighborhood enterprise zone as requested by north north court town neighborhood association and North court town equitable housing initiative in the area of various addresses on 16th Street, 17th, seventh and 17th Street, as Well as butternut Street. And this isn't in accordance to act public. Public act 147, to 1992 Move for approval for line item 19, point 15.
Any objections. Hearing, no objections. The one resolution will be approved. We will now move to the new business portion of the agenda from the mayor's office.
Council member young, nine resolutions, nine items, 20.1 through 20.9
council member Young,
thank you, Madam President, I move to approve line items, 20.1 through 20.9
All right, these are all various city events that have received departmental approves. Are there any objections? Hearing? No objections. The nine resolutions will be approved.
Madam Chair, yes, request of waiver. Online item, 20.1 and 20.2 Thank you.
Any objections to a waiver hearing, none that action will be taken from the Office of contracting and procurement
council member Benson 41 resolutions, line items, 20 point 10 through 20 point 50. Madam President, line items, 20 point 10 through 20 point 43. Are construction and demolition contracts with various demolitions and abatements services for those contracts. Discussion,
yes. Member Vincent, line item 20 point 10 should be removed. That's a duplicate of line item 20 point 55 motion to remove one item 20 point 10.
Okay, there's a motion to remove 20 point 10. Hearing no objections, that action will be taken. So, Madam Clerk, we can proceed starting at 2011
So Madam President, would you like for any amounts to be read? I group them all together, because they are all demolition. Okay? So we will go to line item 20 point, 44 which is contract number 3080267, 90% fire grant, 10% city funds to provide emergency care. Textbooks, contractors, layer books, total contract amount, $80,960 that's for fire. Line item, 20 point, 45 is contract number 6006856, 100% city funding to provide personal protective equipment, PPE, SRT, level three, ballistic vest helmets and accessories. Contractor is fast outdoors. That's total contract amount is $370,870 that's for police contract number 20 point, 46 is 6004698, dash, 831, 100% you DTO funding amendment three, to amend contract terms and conditions for tactical armor and ballistic vest contractor CMP distributors incorporated total contract, amount, $1,119,168 that's police line items, 20 point 47 and 20 point 48 has already been approved. Nine item, 20 point 49 is contract number 6005304, dash, a one 100% grant funding. Amendment One, to provide an increase of funds for traffic signal improvements and modifications at m, 53 Van Dyke in the I, 94 service drive contractor, raw horn, electric Incorporated. Total contract amount, $351,619.11 cent. That's what Public Works and last contract is contract number 6006868, 100% FTA funding to provide interactive voice response IVR software for residents to arrange for paratransit services. Contractor echo lane, USA incorporated total contract amount, 125,100 $125,193 and that's for transportation. Council member Benson, 41 resolutions,
right? Thank you. Council member Benson, Move for approval. They have been moved for approval. Any discussion, discussion questions on these items. Council member Calloway, yes,
thank you so much. That's a lot of contracts. If you can show me as a no, or do we wait
you have any discussion, or we can shoot before approval.
I'm just uncomfortable with moving all these contracts. Line item 20 2011 is a $6 million contract. Line item 2013, is another $6 million contract for the same thing. They're like four, $6 million contracts for various residential and commercial sites, for abatement, services, regulated materials. I don't even know what all that is. I did look at the teeters report, but this is a lot of money for no discussion whatsoever. Here, here at the table. So when the opportunity presents itself, I'll be a no, okay.
We can move. If you have discussion for any of those items, we can do so at this time. Yes, okay. So
Madam Chair, line item, 20 point, 11 with comrades, $6 million contract. Madam Chair, looks like this is going to be a two year contract. The same for line item 20 point 13 for a company, I think it's called M, W, D. Just kind of want to know a little bit more about what they're doing, also just uncomfortable moving them forward with the number of questions that I have. I don't want to postpone them. And also, line item 20 point 25 is the same contract, similar under 100% blight remediation for the same services, another $6 million and it's just, I'm just, I'm just concerned. I don't, I don't know what this is all about. And then another one line item, 20 point 42 another $6 million contract for the same services. That's six times four, so that that's, that's a lot of millions of dollars, and they're providing the same services, the same services, but Madam Chair, however you want to move, I will be a no when the opportunity presents itself on a number of them. Okay, all
right. Thank you so much. Mr. Washington, do you have someone on that can just briefly explain the differences between the contracts?
Yes, Madam Chair, we do have group. Is that director Council and I okay
if we can promote Director counts, please.
Good morning. Group, exec, lawn counts,
alright, good, good afternoon. Were you able to hear some of member calloways concerns regarding the contracts?
I was not able to hear all of the questions. Is it? Are you able to give a quick, a quick recap, and then I can definitely address those. Thank you. Thank
you. Madam Chair, $24 million and blight remediation for hazardous regulated materials at best, various residential and commercial sites. Have these, those for demolition? Have these properties already been demolished? Are we going back to remediate, or is in advance of properties being demolished? And it's $24 million is four contracts times 6 million each. I'm just trying to understand, have we already done the demolition, or is this prior to the demolition
for the chair? Yes. So thank you very much for for recap, that 24 million is is a total ask over the life of these contracts. And these are for, is for the potential need of abatement services at either a residential or commercial location. These are not for demolitions that have already been performed, and we do not have the actual properties identified. What we have learned in the course of all of our demolition efforts to this point is that we are able to realize some cost savings if we split the abatement services out from the actual demolition services. And so that's what these contracts would allow us to do. It would allow us to move forward on abatement services on properties that have been identified for demolition, and then to be able to bid out the demolition separately.
Madam Chair, yes, so you're saying the properties have not been identified. This is anticipation of properties, because $24 million is a lot of anticipation. It's a lot of spending or encumbering of dollars. And we don't even know how many commercial properties are at play here. We don't know how many residential properties may be at play here, but we're at anticipating a cost of $24 million
through the Chair.
Yes, through
the chair. The intent is not to spend 24 million. If we don't have to spend 24 million, we won't, but it allows us to have the contract authority to be able to expend that work so that we don't have to continuously come back for a change order in the course of the time period that the contracts are for.
Well, Madam Chair, I'm uncomfortable with how we're doing these, these multi million dollar contracts, without knowing the number of commercial properties or residential properties that may be at play here or involved here. We don't even have an estimate, but we can estimate how much it might cost, but might cost based on what number of actual properties. We don't know that. So I don't know if we I'm not saying you have but I don't know if we're pulling these numbers out of the spot. I don't know how we are basing $24 million on these types of services. And we don't even have an idea of the commercial properties and personal, privately owned properties involved. And I still don't see that we're making a whole lot of effort that I can see recouping any of the dollars that we are putting forth for privately owned commercial properties and privately owned commercial properties and residential properties. We're not recouping anything, but we're putting a lot out. So Madam Chair, when the opportunity presents us. Thank you for your response to the chair. Miss count, I cannot support these being voted up, so I will be a no when the opportunity presents itself. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank
you Miss counts. Thank you member. Callaway, was there any additional questions, comments or concerns for these items? Right? Hearing none. Member Benson has moved these items for approval. Are there any objections? Objection? Madam Chair, you just want to state your items? Yes. Ma'am.
Council member Angela Whitfield Callaway is objecting to line item 20 point 11, $6 million contract. 20 point 13, $6 million contract, line item 20 point 25 $6 million contract for the same service. Line item, 20 point 42 same service, $6 million contract. Line items, 20 point 47 and line solar and lot a 35 year contract and line item, 20 point, 48 another, 35 year solar contract. Thank you, Madam Chair,
do what you want me to repeat
them. We stopped at 20 point. Yep, 47 and 48 were already voted on.
Okay, so, Madam Chair, you're saying the two solar ones were already voted on, yep,
and you voted no on those already Okay, so if you can exclude those two from the items, Madam Clerk, I have. Madam President, thank you, Madam Chair. All right, any further objections? All
right, hearing no further objections. The resolutions will be approved from the Office of contracting and procurement
council member, young six resolutions, line items, 20 point 51 through 20 point 56 noting that all contracts are for the General Services Department. Contract number 6006540, 100% capital funding to provide lawn and landscape equipment contractor, wine guard supply company incorporated total contract amount $1,184,149.20 cent. Next contract is contract number 6006411, dash, a two, 100% capital funding to provide an increase of funds and 80 to the scope for lawn and landscape equipment contractor hurt rentals incorporated total contract amount $5,729,422.86 cent. Contract number 6006543, 100% capital funding to provide lawn and landscape equipment contractor, research way LLC, doing business as cars, equipment, parts, sales and service. Total contract amount, $2,544,743.28 cent contract number 6006854, 100% city funding to provide wildlife management services for the city of Detroit parks and public spaces. Contractor USDA. Total contract amount 425,000 contract number 6006816, 100% blight remediation funding to provide blight remediation maintenance and emergency services at various locations throughout the city of Detroit. Contractor, Motor City preservation LLC, total contract amount, 2,500,000 contract number 6006541, 100% capital funding to provide lawn and landscape equipment. Contractor, rebels turf and tractor LLC, total contract amount, $2,720,514.53 cent. Council member young, six resolutions.
Council member Young,
thank you, Mayor Bradley, I moved to approve line items 20 point 51 through 20 point 56
Right? Any discussion on these items? Any objections?
I would like to request waivers. Oh, I thought you're done. Okay,
any objections, hearing, no objections. The resolutions will be approved. Council member young,
sorry about that. I jumped ahead of gun there. Put mustard on that hot dog. Um, I would like to request waivers for lying items. 20 point 5220 point 54 and 20 point 55
any objections to a waiver, hearing, no objections a waiver will be attached to those items. Madam President
crystal waiver online items, 20 point 4420 point 4520 point 4620 point 49 and 20 point 50. These are public health and safety items, police equipment, fire textbooks, as well as the Voice recognized software for paratransit.
Right. Any objections hearing, none waiver will be attached to those items. Madam President,
I don't know if this has already been done, but I'd like to request a waiver for 20 point 16. I'm not sure if I heard that. Madam
Clerk, did you hear what's that 20
point 16? Member Durham, yes, yes. Madam, no, there was not a waiver request or not. I would like to request a waiver for line on the 20 point 16.
Any objections to a waiver on 20 point 16, hearing none that action will be taken from the law department
council member Benson, on behalf of Council Member Santiago Romero, an Introduction of an ordinance line item 20 point 57 I
council member Benson, Madam President, I move that the ordinance be read twice by titled order printed and laid on the table.
Hearing. No objections that action will be taken from the law department. Council
member Benson, a resolution set in a public hearing. Line item 20 point 58
council member Benson, motion
set a public hearing to be determined.
Hearing no objection. The resolution will be approved the scheduling of a public hearing. We've already done. 20 point 59 moving to the General Services Department.
Council member young, one resolution line item 20 point 60.
Council member Young,
thank you, Mayor president, moved to approve line item 20 point 60.
A motion has been made for approval. Are there any objections? I two Hearing no objections, the one resolution will be approved. Madam
Chair, yes. Question waiver online item 20 point 60. Council member Calloway,
Hearing no objections, a waiver will be attached to 20 point 60, the Department of City from the Department of Public Works, city engineering division.
Council member Vincent, 16 resolutions, nine items, 20 point 61, through 20 point 76
council member Benson, he's approved. Motion has been made for approval. And these are various petitions from DPW for encroachments and easements. Are there any objection discussion? Madam Chair, yes. Council member Callaway,
thank you. Line item, 20 point, 68 is there anyone available who can answer a few questions? I guess would be the city engineering division of DPW.
Mr. Washington, do we have someone on from DPW? Thank you. Yes,
Madam Chair, We do have director bundage. I
Right. Director, Good afternoon, Madam President. President,
good afternoon. I'll turn the floor back over to member Callaway, thank
you, Madam Chair, good afternoon. Mr. Brundage, good afternoon. Line item, 20 point, 68 petition of Motorola Solutions for a request for encroachment of 75 proposed locations for the installation of a new metal pole for the purpose of mounting cameras and solar panels. All locations are subject to a review by your department. Which where are these locations? The 75 locations?
These are locations adjacent to freeways. This is part of the program where we'll be installing cameras that can monitor the DPD can utilize to monitor the events that are occurring on the freeways within the city of Detroit limits. So these cameras will actually be located in the city's public right of way, but the cameras will be mounted such that they can see vehicles on the freeway
through the chair to Mr. Bondage. Where those locations have that 75 locations already been identified, and are any on the west side?
Yeah, they're, they're locations along. I think the 75 covers all of the locations along. I 94 as well as as well as the portion of the large freeway and I 75
okay, having through the chair. Do we know the height of these polls? How many polls at each of the 75 locations are there going to be eye stores? Do we know the width of them, and again, the height of them. How do they look? I haven't seen any pictures. Do we have a opportunity to look at selections, or has that already been done? Esthetically pleasing? Are they going to fit in with whatever's happening on the freeway? Are they going to look like the lights that are already on the freeway? I'm just trying to see. How are they looking? How tall are they? Are they invasive? Are they are they going to look like they don't belong there? Are we going to make them look esthetically pleasing? Are we going to plant anything around them? I just want to know. How do they look?
Google chair. Mm, hmm. Yes,
if I might, we also have Robert millander from public safety, it who has some additional information that he would like to share as well.
Okay, we will promote that individual
madam chair while we're waiting. I've seen some towers being installed in my district, and they're very intrusive, and they're in neighborhoods. They're off freeways, off like service drives. I don't know what they are. I don't know if they are like towers for internet. I have no idea what they are, but they're popping up around the city, and I don't know if anybody, I can't even describe them. They're very tall. They're like in a silver, white color, and I can't even describe so I don't know what. I don't want to call them a tower, but I don't know what they are. I don't know if it has anything to do with cyber I have no idea. But they're popping up all around the city, and I just maybe we can have a conversation about those. Maybe I'll take a picture of so I can show you mister but they are all in district two, and I just want to know what those are about as well. That's a whole nother conversation. But if mister mill under needs me to ask my questions again, I can, because I have written down, yeah,
if you could through the chair Robert the Director of Public Safety Act, if you please, can repeat those questions one more time. Appreciate it
absolutely. Mr. Millender, so my first question is, how tall are these polls? How many are going to be on the 75 locations? Will there be multiple polls on one location? Where are they going to be located? Also how wide they are, how do they look? Will and the solar panels? What are the purpose of the solar panels on these poles?
Through the Chair this I heard what Mr. Said, we have two projects going on these specific poles are related not to our freeway project, but the LPR project that was approved by this honorable body from mother water LPR camera, the actual solar panels actually power the LPR that are on these posts at the time, the license plate reader that went through sea OGS and all that we have the poles are 12 Feet 12 feet high, they look similar to light poles. And, um, they're not. I mean, I can understand that they're not exactly that light poles because of the solar panels that are on them, but those with the post will look like and the 12 feet high, and the thought that each pole covers one LPR
through the chair. You're saying these light poles will cover one license plate reader, right?
They're not actually light poles. They're dedicated to the license plate readers. They're just similar to light poles. They're similar in design, that of a light pole. Okay, one, one to two. In some situation that we're able to get two, but majority of the time there are only being one LPR per light bulb per pole. I'm sorry, I shouldn't say light bulb through the chair. Okay,
can you provide a list of those locations there will be through the chair? There will be 75 of these polls.
Well, yes, through the chair, yes. And I'll provide a list of the locations. I can't get that to you through the Chair, I can get you the locations and all that of where these 75 light posts will be located there throughout the city of Detroit, and district in different locations and districts around the city. Okay, they're not this, these specific light posts that we're speaking of right here aren't isn't the project that's specific to our freeway project, that's an entirely different one this are specific to our intersections around the inner city for these 75 posts.
Okay, thank you. And through the chair, what's the funding source? I don't see what's the funding source for this.
The funding source, specifically for this project right here, was through ARPA funding, and it wasn't, it's more than 75 posts that were installed, for the, I mean, LPRs that were installed. I believe it was 365 LPRs total that were installed for this project. It was just this, these specific 75 LPRs required post because we couldn't install them on existing light post. We actually added the extra post in order to get the coverage that was required for the DP for DPD,
okay, through the chair. My last question, so you're saying this entire project was funded with Harper dollars through the chair. That is correct. Do we know that dollar
amount, I believe, is $3.5 million through the chair? Okay? I
like I'm looking forward to getting information that requested mister mill under from you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you Mr. Bondage, thank you
member Calloway, Council Member Johnson, thank you, Madam President, just very quickly. Do we know if that was state ARPA funding or city arc of funding through the
chair? That was city ARPA funding,
and this project is it a part of the funding that came from the state for LPRs through
the chair? No, that was a different project that was specific to freeways, and that's an entirely different project. And the ones that these posts were covered today,
okay, it I thought it was indicated that these were along the along the I guess service drive, or,
excuse me, through the chair. I think it was just a misunderstanding between the two projects, but we had to do to get these polls installed was to ask for DPW and ask for permitting, permitting to actually install them, since they're in the city's right. Cities right away. So that's what I believe we're requesting today, is the actual permitting piece of the post.
Okay? Thank you. Thank you Madam President. Thank you
Madam Chair. One last Thank you Madam Chair. One last question for Mr. Millender, I requested some information regarding cameras and areas in district two to combat illegal dumping. And I think I sent you the email, I'll rescind it, but there are some areas in district two that really could use some cameras to address the illegal dumping that continues to go on these particular areas. So should I? Should I send it to mister or to you, Mr. Millender
chair, if you don't mind, can you send to both of us and we'll work together to take care of them?
Okay? Thank you so much. I will, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate that. Appreciate that through the Chair.
Thank you. Member Callaway, a motion has been made for approval for these items. Are there any objections? Hearing no objections. The 16 resolutions will be approved under resolutions, Council
Member waters a resolution line item 20 point 77
council member waters,
Madam President.
This is a resolution to commemorate the LGBTQ plus Detroit on their 30th anniversary. Are there any objections? Hearing no objections. The one resolution will be approved. Madam President,
Crystal waiver online on 20.76
Right? Any objections to a waiver. On 20 point 76 Hearing none that action will be taken. Member young, I just
want to know if it's too late. I apologize, but is it too late for me to join you? Member waters on 20.77
the clerk, no, it is
not okay. Clerk will so no. Madam President, thank
you. Member durha, thank
you, Madam President. Also I'd like to request waiver for line item 20 point 22 which was one of the emergency demos in district seven,
Hearing no objections. A waiver will be attached to that item for the president's report on standing committee referrals and other matters for the budget, Finance and Audit Committee.
Madam President, before the you get to the referrals,
yes, what's what's the request? Thank you, Madam President, and we have a walk on line item 22.1, as many of you know, we are getting ready to go into the capital agenda. The CPC today just made a recommendation for us to walk this on. We just found this out today, and this is because we would like to keep within the timeline established by the CPC, established by committee, through resolution, council members have been sent an email regarding submitting their recommendations for the capital agenda, and we want to have the ability to be able to keep on schedule, noting that This month must must be done by March the third. And Mr. Todd is online to further display explain, excuse me if necessary.
Thank you. Member durha, Director Todd, thank
you, Madam President. Good afternoon. Again, consistent with Mr. Der Hall's remarks, we do apologize for any confusion that may have come up with the number of communications, and of course, returning from the holidays on this matter very quickly again, to further elaborate upon his remarks, you do have the capital agenda before you. It is the practice of city council to when you make the required request for recommendations from the planning director that you have also submitted your questions, concerns, recommendations at the same time. To make it clear, you're not limited to this window, city council can submit questions, concerns recommendations at any time through the normal process, as you would with any other item to the administration as it concerns the capital agenda, whether you're sending comments directly to specific departments, or again to deputy budget director Donnie Johnson, or again to our planning director, who at This time is Deputy Director Dara O'Byrne, as the incoming director, has not yet come before you for confirmation, and I hope that that's the plants. If you have any questions required, require any further clarification, I'm happy to provide it.
Thank you. Director Todd, okay, is there a motion to walk this on to new business discussion. Yes. Council member Young, thank you,
Madam President, sir, good to see you. I've seen this about $100 million in spending that we're having here. One, did you just want to kind of go over, just for the public, what this money is? And then secondly, I would like to know, does this incorporate any new technology, air taxes, ebitals, anything of that nature at all?
Certainly very quickly. Thank you, Madam President, certainly very quickly through your chair to member Young as we did have the public hearing on this matter before the committee last week, the Deputy Director, deputy budget director Johnson, did provide an overview, and it is certainly before this armor body at this time in order for you to consider any and all edits, whether that would be to delete items from it, to add items or to alter any of the items that are currently in the plan as it concerns technology, one of the chief components that we do see is the introduction of an expansion of EV stations, of charging stations under this plan. Certainly, there is ongoing effort through do it for the city to continue to improve upon both its hardware and software capacities. Beyond that, I do not recall any other specific items, such as those that you raised at the time of the public hearing. But again, it is this. It is the council's opportunity to further discuss those over the course of the next month as you deliberate on this item. Yeah,
because I'm looking at some of this stuff. I'm looking at acquiring land. I'm looking at emergency arresting material systems. I'm looking at constructing taxi ways. I think that's a big deal, not just from the economic development of corporate plans coming in there. I know there's been the discussion of freight and how we're going to be able to move that as well. I'm assuming you're probably having a discussion with the state of Michigan in terms of the in terms of the drone corridor that they're having in terms of picking up freight and moving it to the airport. I think they call that a last mile type of delivery, which is the most important delivery. I just want to know, I know there's companies like Joby and other such, because I'm not advocating for any company specifically, but other such companies that have ebitals, that have flight that are, you know, electric vertical takeoff and landing, you know, that are there. I think that Detroit could potentially be a leader in that space, since we're not necessarily going to be having a commercial flights coming in out there, because the railroad anymore, because the runway is too small, excuse me. And I also think the fact that, you know, you're having aerospace that is there again, and we're teaching our young people about flight and how to be involved in flight in and, you know, I know my father, you know, he was a bombardier the Tuskegee Airmen, but he wanted to be a pilot, and they rejected him. He has a lot of very choice, you know, already works. I can't say here about why he did vehemently disagree with that, and because a lot of people out about it. So I remember that vehemently, and I think that that's a real good thing to talk about in terms of what this money is investing in. So it's not just that we're expanding the airport and take it and take it property, but then we're also giving back to the community and how this can be invested. And with the EBITDA, you can save money in terms of people either going to an airport or going to other such buildings. You know, you know, once it's done, it's going to take some time for their product to be hit critical mass, but once it does, it can be comparable to an Uber or Lyft in terms of the cost. And we've also integrate that with mobility as a service, having multiple transportation options on an app. So I think this real good thing, and that's kind of why I was asking, Did we plan that out at all? Or is that $100 million investing in that one because it's putting us, set us up in the future, but also it's investing in our residents and our citizens, and we can see viable benefits, because we're also invested in our kids to learn how to fly the next generation, which I'm really excited about. So just want to kind of get that off my chest. Thank you. Thank you for the President.
I'm done. Thank you so much. Member Young,
thank you and Madam President, as noted, there will be opportunity to submit memos and the original form to the administration have discussions with the administration regarding any changes that council members may want to see in the capital agenda, or discuss particular items that are contained there within and as noted by Mr. Todd, the entire body will have the opportunity to deliberate over the capital agenda before approval. So with that, Madam President, I move that we walk on line item 22.1
Are there any objections hearing? None the item will be walked on to new business. Thank
you, Madam President, move that move for approval for line item 22.1 or sorry. Move, Move for approval for the walk on
the substitute. Substitute, yep, okay, Hearing no objections, the resolution will be approved. Thank you so much. All right. Thank you, Director Todd, and moving along to the budget, Finance and Audit standing committee for referrals,
five reports from various city departments, Madam President, excluding the approval of line item 22.1,
the five reports will be referred the internal operations standing committee, seven reports from various city departments. The seven reports will be referred to that committee for the Neighborhood and Community Services, standing committee, four reports from various city departments. Before reports will be referred to the neighborhood and community services, standing committee for the Planning and Economic Development standing committee
four reports from various city departments
before reports will be referred to the Planning and Economic Development standing committee for the public health and safety standing committee
nine reports from various city departments.
The nine reports will be referred to the public health and safety Standing Committee under the consent agenda, there are no items. Madam president will now move to our member reports.
Madam President, yes, um, first, could I request a waiver on 2027? You
remember what that one is? Yeah, the LGBTQ, oh, the resolution, okay, there was a request for a waiver for the resolution. Any objections Hearing none that action will be taken, and moving to member reports, Council Member waters,
sure. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Just a couple of things. I want to certainly send prayers out to Ashley Elkins family. In fact, we we do know one of her family members, Attorney Maurice Morton, and I know that they're busy trying to locate her body, if they haven't during the time that we're in session somewhere in Macomb County, is what they're thinking. The other thing I wanted to ask, and we'll follow up with a memo, and that is because we continue to get all these deaf people going the wrong way on the freeway, I think we need to invest in something. I don't know what that something is, but perhaps DPW can take a look at that. Madam President, 3am 3:30am people going the wrong way on the freeway, and we're losing lives like that. So should we put something down where if they enter the wrong way, their tires automatically go out. They can't go any further. Should there be some sort of sign that just said wrong way and just extremely loud flash it? I don't know what that is, but I know that we need to take a look at it so that we can save lives. And so I'm asking that, that our department will take a look at that, that that in itself, will be a worthwhile investment from us. Also want to give send out prayers to those families out in Los Angeles, Altadena in particular. Um so many homes were lost here, and some lives as well. I do know a couple of families in the Altadena, and so I did reach out to them to ask them how they were doing. And it's so ironic, because you have these two same families who live on the same street, one down from the other. And both of those two families homes, they were spared, but other homes on the same street around them were not. And so I thought that was that was pretty interesting, but, but I certainly wanted to send prayers out to our sisters and brothers and and to Dina and the entire LA area. Madam President, I do know that we have a coffee hour coming up, and I don't have the details on it so. But anyway, thank you. Thank
you so much. Member waters, Council Member Johnson,
thank you, Madam President. Just want to share with everyone in the district that our first coffee hour of the year is taking place on Monday, I'm sorry, on Friday, January 24 at Detroit, finest Coney Island, located at 13, 337 East Jefferson at 8am again, that is Friday, January 24 at Detroit. Finest Coney Island, 13, 337 East Jefferson at 8am and then the following Monday, our monthly meeting will be a hybrid meeting taking place on January 27 at 5:30pm the in person location is at Trinity Memorial, Missionary Baptist Church located at 10870 Shoemaker. We will have at our monthly meeting someone from the housing and revitalization department to share information about the FCA stellantis Home Repair grant, and we are asking for HRD to also have someone available to share information in regards to the Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery funding that was recently announced because I've gotten numerous calls since that press conference and that announcement was made. Thank you, Madam President, thank
you, member Johnson, member Benson.
Thank you. I just want to thank bedrock and the Gilbert Family Foundation for their support to donate 300 coats to the children at Fisher upper, and we have the opportunity as a staff to distribute those coats to those children, and then to learn, as some of the children actually come to school with no coats at all, hoodies, and some even wearing blankets in the cold versus having proper, appropriate winter gear. So it's very fulfilling to be able to support them. Just want to give that thank thank you for the donation of those coach for the children. In addition, Monday, January 20, is the is Martin Luther King Day, and we will now be hosting, as a trustee of the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History. We will be hosting the annual Martin Luther King Jr Memorial ride, and as board member of tour Detroit, just really excited to move that annual ride to the Charles H Wright. And the Charles H Wright will be having a number of ticketed and free opportunities. So please come down to the museum on the 20th of January, Monday morning, and the ride starts. And hoping people will come out for the ride, it starts at 10am it will be a 10 mile ride. We'll have Jamal Jordan, the city historian, making a presentation about the history of the civil rights Martin Luther King, as well as the impact of bicycles on the civil rights in Montgomery, Alabama, the bus boycott, just how bicycles impacted the civil rights movement back in the 1950s and 60s. So we're looking forward to having people come out. It's a free bike ride. Please come out. Dress warm. Obviously, we'll be meeting outside in the walkout basement of the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History. In addition, we're looking at about 150 to 200 cyclists coming out that day to participate and celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday. Thank you. Thank
you. Member Benson, member durha. Thank you, Madam
President. And we are just inviting everyone to join us for our 20th policy session that will take place January the 27th from 6pm to 7:30pm our 20th policy session, which is pretty much a huge deal, meaning that we have done 20 months policy sessions here, but this one will be held at the Edison Public Library, located at 18400 Joy Road, again, that's 18400, Joy road. And our topic of discussion will be the Detroit city charter. We're going to provide a comprehensive view of the Detroit city charter and go in depth about the city charter. So I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there again at our 20th policy session, taking place January the 27th 27th from 6pm to 7:30pm at the Edison library. That concludes my member report. Thank you, Madam President,
thank you member duha, member Callaway.
Thank you Madam Chair. A couple things here. The first thing is, I have a memorandum asking for LPD to draft a report regarding recent articles that have indicated that the city of Detroit is exploring the means to accept crypto currency as a form of tax payment, making us the largest city in the United States to do so. I'm learning all about this in the news as we continue to transition into a 21st century economy, we must be diligent in educating the public and emerging technology and programs that affect them. Though cryptocurrency has been around for almost 15 years, there are still many outstanding questions and concerns regarding this novel technology. I'm requesting again that LPD draft a report on crypto currency, additionally, draft responses to the following questions, and I'll have more questions as time progresses. Can the mayor make the unilateral decision allowing for the Treasury to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment without council approval? What is the environmental risk associated with accepting crypto currency. Does the administration have plans to offset the environmental costs associated with accepting crypto currency? Do we have assurances that the designated third party will not pass on the transactional cost to the city of Detroit, aside from payment transactions. How do we plan on leveraging blockchain technology to improve city services? I'll have other questions for LPD, but this is just for starters. Madam Chair, so that is a request. I have it in writing, and I'll make sure the clerk gets it and LPD Next, we will be having our youth and Civic Engagement Task Force.
Okay, did you want to walk that on like a motion to assign LPD? Yes, ma'am, go right ahead. So that's a motion. Motion. You have any objections to assign that to LPD? Hearing none that action will be taken. Thank
you. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you. Dr powers, the Detroit youth and Civic Engagement Task Force invites individuals between the ages of 14 and 24 to a financial literacy summit on Monday, January 22 from four to 6pm at the University of Detroit Mercy, which is right there on the corner of West McNichols and Livernois. This event will offer a chance to build financial skills, network with like minded peers and form lifelong connections. To register, you can visit my social media or my event bright page, or you can simply call my office at two to 445. 35 everyone's invited to meet and greet me on Monday January 27 at the Detroit coffee lodge at 19 737, James cousins freeway, from eight to 9am again, that is Monday January 27 join me and my team at Focus HOPE on Thursday, january 30, where we will be having a day of volunteerism from nine to 12pm as we participate in the food for seniors hacking program. Again, join my team and myself at Focus HOPE, which is on Oakman Boulevard on Thursday, january 30, from 9am to 12pm as we participate in the food for seniors packing program.
Next
again, this is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. January 11, was Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Wear blue. Pleased to announce that the Michigan State Troopers are also getting involved in a more elevated level, and I'm very proud that was in the news yesterday. So I'm very proud of the work that they're doing. Lastly, lastly, but not least tomorrow, on January 15, 2025, Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority Incorporated will commemorate its 117th international founders. Day since its inception, Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority, Incorporated has grown in scale and established it herself as the premier service organization for African American women around the globe. Every day, the women of my beloved sorority make strides in bettering their communities through planting trees, feeding children and seniors, encouraging people to vote, advocating for social justice and empowering women of all creeds along the way. Tomorrow, my sisters and I will take the time to remember and honor the trailblazing vision of the founders and the impact their bold and courage courageous actions in 1908 have had on people and communities around the globe more than a century later, I, along with my fellow sisters, will reflect on the legacy of our founders and recommit ourselves To the values of sisterhood, service and excellence that divine our illustrious sorority, Alpha Kappa. Alpha Sorority, Incorporated has been home to some of the most distinguished women in history, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Kamala Harris, Vice President, Costas Baker, Motley, Mae Jemison, and the list goes on. These women embodied the enduring spirit and somebody just Michelle Obama, these women embodied the enduring spirit and impact of our sorority leaving indelible marks on history, science, politics and civil rights as we celebrate Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority Incorporated 117th international Founders Day, I reflect on the strength, the brilliance and commitment to service exemplified by its members. This historic sisterhood, grounded in scholarship, leadership and community uplift, continues to be a beacon of excellence and a catalyst for change. Happy 117th international Founders Day again to the illustrious women of Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority Incorporated, and a special congratulations and happy Founders Day to my chapter, new PI on the historic campus of the number one HBCU Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. That being said, we Media Services is inviting every member of Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority Incorporated to meet us tomorrow in front of kmac on the on the 13th floor on Wednesday tomorrow at 1:30pm and I will repeat that the media services department is asking every member of Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority Incorporated to meet on the 13th floor here tomorrow, Wednesday, January 15, on our 100 and 17th Founders Day At 130 Thank you Miss, bless him. Thank you, Madam Chair, that does complete my members report. All
right, thank you so much. Member Callaway, so just excuse me for our office. Join council president Sheffield and representatives from MHT housing for an update on the booster Wheeler development that will be taking place on Monday, January the 27th from four to 5pm that is our virtual conversation for an update on the booster Wheeler development again that will be held Monday January the 27th from four to 5pm for more information, please contact our office and our annual Organizing for Action, where we come together to set our Budget and Policy Priorities for the year. Will take place on Wednesday, January the 29th at 6pm at the Williams rec center. Please come out and join us and also meet all of your district five representation. And that is all that I have for today under adoption without committee reference. There are no items. Madam President, under communications from the clerk a report on approval of proceedings by the mayor, the report will be received and placed on file under testimonial resolutions and special privilege. There are no items. Madam President, all right, and there being nothing else to come before us this morning. Is there a motion to adjourn this meeting will now stand adjourned.
