All right. Good morning, everyone. All right. Good morning. We will now call to order our formal session for Tuesday, May the 16th and Mr. Clerk Good morning if you can please call the roll.
Councilmember Scott Benson. Scott Benson I council member Fred Gerhold. The third present. Councilmember Leticia Johnson, Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero present councilmember Mary waters. Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway.
Councilmember Coleman Young, the second council president pro tem James Tate, Council President Mary Sheffield. Madam President, you have a quorum.
Thank you there being a quorum. We are now in session. We will go straight to our invocation for this morning and joining us is none other than Reverend Curtis grant from Zion Missionary Baptist Church, located on the east side of district five. Good morning, Pastor grants. Good morning. How
are you? Oh, great.
Thank you so much for joining us.
Yes, ma'am. Thank you for inviting me.
Right well, you are ready to proceed. You can go right ahead and lead us in prayer.
That is by his full word of prayer. Versus unkind. Father, we thank You, Lord for this privilege and the opportunity to be in your presence. Oh God. We pray now that every individuals that sit in this council meeting of God that you will allow your spirit to rest upon that as we open our mouths in forward motion that you would give us the vision for the city, that as we make decisions that we realize that we're not here to compete with one another but simply complete one another. I pray now that you would allow every person that sits in this council meeting to realize that they are a piece of the puzzle, and that you've given all of us a gift in the vision for the city, that we don't have to argue with one another but we can sit and reason with one another that the outcome would be that this city future would be in good hands with the people you have selected, covers with your blood now and have Buster move forward that you be glorified in everything we do. And God I pray that as this session ends that we would end as brothers and sisters in the Lord, that You be glorified in everything we do. It's in Jesus. Now we do ask all of these things. And everyone said, Amen.
Amen. Thank you so much, Pastor grant and as always happy to give you a shout out. I have been going to your church for quite some time and I would not be who I am today without your ministry. I enjoy every single Sunday when I come over and fellowship with Zion hope Missionary Baptist Church. God is truly using you to continue to be a vessel to pour it to so many different people in that community. I know you have a new church on the corner right there on Van Dyck and just again want the opportunity to let people know the great work that you are doing not just in the church but outside of the church. So I appreciate you deep down in my heart for everything that you have done for me for your ministry and that you continue to do for our community. So if you can refer grant just let people know again, where you're located. And what time your services are. So people who may be interested in joining.
Okay, well, um, we are located on Van Dyck 4867 Van Dyck between force and Warren and I would love to have any one of you to come out. Like I said, it's nothing but love for people love for God, to try to make sure that we you know, understand that we are all a piece of this puzzle so that we can come together and work together so that the enemy doesn't get in between us and start fighting over stuff that's not you know, the it's not even relevant, but, but I invite any one of you to come and to be a part of the service. It would be a blessing, desire and hope to have such prestigious individuals to come and share with us in the Word of God. And so anytime you'd like to come, we would love to have you.
Alright, thank you so much, Pastor grant. We appreciate you. Thank you for the invocation. I know you're busy. So if you have to jump off we do understand but again, thank you so much for my prayer.
God bless you. Thank you for the opportunity to
No problem. Thank you. All right. We have been joined also by member Callaway Member Santiago. You are already doing okay. All right. The Journal of the session of Tuesday May 2 will be approved and before we proceed we will go straight to our presentation for this morning. And I will turn it over now to Councilmember Benson for a special presentation.
Thank you Madam President. And so if we could have the family of Lee Newby Jr. Please come to
the the table
He's joined by his family as well.
Thank you. This is something that I know all of my colleagues get a chance to do is to recognize and celebrate the accomplishment of 100 trips around the Sun becoming yes, that being a centenarian within the city of Detroit, which means 100 years of wisdom 100 years of service productivity and support for the city of Detroit. And Mr. noobie Jr. is also a veteran, United States Marine Corps, World War Two, not many people you get to celebrate who are veterans of World War Two. And so yep. And so now we'll read the spirit of the trade award, the spirit of choice awards presented here with as an expression of the gratitude and esteem of the citizens of Detroit to lead NewBee Junior centenarian in recognition of exceptional achievement, outstanding leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life by the city council of Detroit, Michigan Councilman Scott bins and the choice City Council celebrate leading up Jr. on his 100th birthday celebration. We commend you for your life well lived. Thank you for your service during World War Two you courageously serve as one of the first African Americans and joined the Marine Corps in 1942 living history right here ladies and gentlemen, your bravery open doors for generations to come. Happy birthday. We wish your day is full of lasting memories may God continue to bless you. And so
just a couple of fun facts about Mr. Newbie. I know that his favorite breakfast cereal is Cheerios, and his favorite ice cream ice cream flavor is vanilla. And so 100 years of supporting and eating Cheerios, which obviously offer a long longevity and so hopefully the sales materials will go up as a direct result of this, as well as vanilla ice cream. Enjoyed in moderation. And so hopefully we can have a couple of words for Mr. Newbie in the family. And if you could just introduce who's here with the family today as well.
All right, so I am his youngest daughter,
Dr. Jan Newby and my my cousin, Brenda pray. And my cousin Birkdale King is also here and then I also have my cousin Edwina King and Dwayne Meyers
with us today. Okay. And Babbage when he says more?
I'd say for it became very good morning,
boy.
I'm thankful to be here this morning. I had no idea would come through for 30 or 40 years ago I used to walk through these hours yeah yeah.
Another World War Two veteran
and I went to Irish half in the city. And glad to be here. This one. Thank you all for giving me the chance. Have a few words. This one that Detroit is one of the greatest is in the USA. Detroit Okay, a long ways since I was working in these halls. All of this was up in the Wall Street to go to the mayor courtyard often go right in no glass. Good days, new glad things have changed. So that thank you all the Council this morning for giving me the opportunity to speak of have a few ways to say I think Detroit is the best. Give me the opportunity and made by living in Detroit. And I want to thank the council. But let me say a few words. I love the choice I think is a great city. This is my daughter Jenny is I have two boys and two girls. She had she had darker than my son live in me and he a doctor you know daughter she social worker and other ones a castle. So tag me my my friend
Yeah. Come on Detroit. come a long way. I appreciate your giving me the opportunity to this this morning to have a few words. Thank you. Thank you
Mr. knew before you leave, hopefully
we get a chance to take a photo with my colleagues. But just a few items of historical reference in the year 1923. You had the Cotton Club open in Harlem in New York. This is during the roaring 20s. And so you saw a lot of things happening in Harlem around black culture that still reverberates today. In addition, guarantee Morgan he hadn't the traffic light, which you now see still in effect every day. And so those are just a couple of things that happened and so 100 years ago, you can see what was happening and Mr. nupi is here today as an extension of that. And so just the opportunity to recognize your wisdom and how far you've come as well. And the fact that you probably should bottle some of that wisdom of how you were able to raise three children two which are doctors and so I'm sure a lot of people like to follow that that game plan of a child rearing so just it's an honor and privilege to be able to make that recognition today. And we also have a spirit Detroit pin as well as the framed award for you today as well. So hopefully we can take a photo Madam President
All right, we will join in the middle and do a photo so is amazing.
Right.
Now
okay,
right
it's a lot heavier honestly, I'm just kind of scoot in a little bit towards this way. I think I can make that work. Alright, everybody right here. Three, two, and one. And one more three. Two and. Perfect. Thank you
there's a long way
to Go.
Already littered.
You got to ask him that I didn't have
that question.
Hello
thank you so much. Remember Benson for that amazing presentation for Mr. noobie. Let's give him a round of applause again. All right, we're gonna move now to our presentation regarding the Jefferson Chalmers water project. I'm going to also cut off our public comment at this time. Public comment is now cut off Council potentate has joined us. Councilmember young also has joined us
so No, all right.
And okay.
Morning
Good morning Madam President.
Someone else? Yes, Mr. Director time. Good morning.
Thank you, Madam President. If you wouldn't mind, I would provide I can provide an introduction for our presentation. Okay. Yes. Thank you. Thank you again, good morning to you and the members of this honorable body on the 16th of March City Planning Commission received the presentation similar unto that which you will be getting this morning commission did recommend and with the support of councilmember Johnson, Mr. J. Jorgensen is now before you Jay is a son of the city. He's originally a resident of the Jefferson Chalmers community in the 90s. He was one of the individuals who served as a member of the zoning advisory group that led to the first revision of the master plan, I'm sorry of the zoning ordinance that took place at that particular point in time. He is a property owner here in the city. He left the city sometime thereafter and continue to work in the areas of government developing expertise and infrastructure, particularly that as it concerns stormwater management. He also does work in in the area of housing as well affordable housing. But he is before you this morning to speak specifically to the work that he has been doing Upon returning to the city in light of the stormwater issues that we have been having over the last few years he's been working closely with his former community and I will let him provide you with even more information about his past his expertise, and in particular, what they are doing in Jefferson Chalmers in order to promote greater awareness and understanding of the issue and the possible solutions that are available both in that community and of course, available city wide. So with that, Madam President, I will yield the floor to Mr. J. Jergens.
Good morning, Mr. Jorgensen.
Good morning.
Thank you, Director Todd, President, Chef Hill and members of the council. I'm excited to be before you today and proud to be joined by many of my neighbors as we discuss the important world of water and the matters confronting our community while you're familiar with my face and my voice, and maybe even tired of seeing me every Tuesday. Today is a special day as I'd like to quickly introduce those joining me. Che Dockery is online. John Myers, Moni Thompson, Greg Sawyer, Jennifer Gordon, Bobby Lawrence from Speaker Tate's office and Kwame Hampton. And even though our contemporary history has provided me the chance to breach each of you and have allows me to interface with each of your staffs, I've been in Detroit linked to this Council, as Director Todd said for over 30 years, and President Sheffield, you might recall and I'm glad to see you continue with tradition of female leadership and I see I think the women have the majority here that I became familiar with when Mary and Mahaffey occupied your chair as they look across the day, so I hope that my unique connections to each of you and to you, with our neighborhood continue to grow. But I'm equally confident that today the matters that we focus on in Jefferson Chalmers are not limited to our community, but cut across each and every neighborhood and each district. Before I begin, I wanted to announce a pop quiz. The crew exam is the first of the documents that you have in front of you. I hope each of you have been doing your homework. I'll be collecting them at the end of the presentation. We grade on the curve and seriously attached or the handout that was provided prior to my arrival. There were two links to a one Detroit PBS feature that ran on April 6, and as director Todd mentioned, there's a video on the City Planning Commission's Facebook page, where a more detailed presentation on which you'll see today, the one on the City Planning Commission website is more detailed. Much of what I'll be discussing today mimics that presentation. And throughout the conversation I'll be referencing both documents you've previously received and comments that I've made over the last several months here at public comment. So today we'll be talking about flooding in warm water and sewage. Oh my. What I'd like to do is to start off by reintroducing you to our community.
But those of you that haven't had a chance to visit us yet, our neighborhood is sent Avenue on the north Fox Creek and Alta road to the east Clearpoint and Conner Creek to the west and the Detroit River to the south. We truly have a unique community with mansions from 100 years ago and today, a amazing collection of craftsmen suburban development in Victoria Park. Modest bungalows English tutors in Dutch Colonials. homes from after World War Two. The homes of small homes start of any size and multifamily developments for both wealthy and affordable both for rich families and for seniors. And of course in our neighborhood we have this two doors down from this one of the things that I really love about our neighborhood is the availability of affordable housing. So let's start at the beginning, at least for this most recent engagement in 2019. In the summer when the Great Lakes began to encroach into the community, everybody was pushing the panic button. And yes, the Great Lakes are a threat to our community. And at the time, Lady Azar who was a district four representative for Neighborhood Services in the mayor's office, and I engaged in a conversation about the fact that the Great Lakes flooding is only one of a handful of challenges in our community. And so, in June of 2020, I began a white paper which you've all received, that I wrote with six recommendations that are inside I won't bore you with them that was ironically published just two days before the storm in 2021. was a labor of love but in the meantime, that opportunity and a synchronicity of that event, provided a chance for us to shine light on a variety of the challenges that our neighborhood and over the next year, I spent time talking to anybody who would listen and anybody who was interested to try to advance our cause and understand the challenge. So when we look at all of our council districts, and recognize the rain and the storm that day, and then interpolate the data every one of your districts has been touched by backup flooding in their homes. By any count something like 40 to 55% of all the residents in the city of Detroit were impacted by that storm. And I've spent some time talking to your constituents and in every one of your districts and unfortunately Pro Tem data hemp on somebody in your neighborhood yet, but as recently as April 30. I was in Home Depot when Harper Woods and there were three neighbors at seven and Van Dyke who were buying a sump pump to take water out of their basement. So it doesn't take heavy rains for us to experience these these infrastructure. Problem. You also have a copy of FEMA data that represents claim information in your handout that you got this morning, and you'll see that there was $78 million worth of damage, and only 50% of those claims were actually paid. renters are not eligible for damage. claims they're only eligible for temporary housing. And while there were claims paid to renters, this number does not mean the $78 million does not include private insurance. It doesn't include people who just gave up on their claims after appeals, and it doesn't include people who are obligated to get a loan from SBA. So when you do the math, and I've worked in disasters, it's about two and a half to three times what actually the damage is calculated by FEMA. So somewhere in the neighborhood of $230 million worth of damage was occurred on that single event. In our neighborhood, the tiger dams that were installed in 2019, failed and sewage blast out of the CSO at the corner of Ashlynn and Jefferson as such a rate that what circled there in red is a condom at eye level. Feces in our canals and dead creatures and this is a church basement at the corner of Essex in concert with a steel door and the pressure in the basement was so strong. It blew that steel door off its steel frame. This church experienced $100,000 worth of damage alone. Later that year, we were put in a new floodplain and new flood insurance rate maps are republished the map on the left represents the floodplain a flood map, the Insurance Rate Map that was published in 2012 and the one on the right and 2021. Does anyone anybody want to guess what the purple area is? Anybody? Rose point right. So all the gross playing part folks were taken out of the floodplain and our entire community was put in it. One of the reasons why we have flooding in a neighborhood Yes, The Great Lakes are a threat but the single largest threat to flooding in our neighborhood is the inability of the infrastructure to move the water in heavy rains in the middle of our community along Essex we have a topographical swale, also called a bathtub. So in heavy rains, that is where the worst of the flooding occurs. And if you look at the flood insurance rate maps, the dark blue represents that same area. Enjoying it last year, the core published a floodplain management study and two of the three choices included closing the canals in Fox Creek. The residents found that unacceptable and we organized we did door to door canvassing touched 2700 of the 2900 doors and this lawn sign goes in wherever the meeting is that we that month, we have monthly meetings and you'll see we started out a little upside down. But we got to organize, and we did some education. And we learned and people learn through that process. And so I prefer the analog approach. So you'll see my posters down here in front of me. You know, one of the things that I've learned through this process is trust requires intimacy. I'm up here with this fancy PowerPoint presentation. And when the institutional stakeholders come out to the community, and they whip through these PowerPoints, we're like what did they say? And so what we've learned through this process is that getting close to folks doing the hardcore community organizing and doing the education is critical to our success. So the Jefferson Chalmers water project I'll say it again is water access technology, education, and recreation. We have three goals, to keep sewage out of our basements and canals to keep stormwater out of the system and to keep the Great Lakes out of our neighborhood. We've done education around what a CSO is, most folks don't know how our system works. combined sewage overflow. Our sanitary and our stormwater run in the same pipe when the system can't handle it. We have discharges we have two discharges in our community Conner Creek CSO is the largest, CSO in the state and it dumps sewage into our neighborhood. Fox Creek is an is a discharge we spent years stopping gross point part from dumping raw sewage in the 90s into our community. And we just learned last year that Gleevec continues to have a permit to dump raw sewage in our community and that sewage comes from as far east as Grosse Pointe farms. It's not even from our neighborhood. We talk about flood insurance rate maps and what they are and the impact that they have and the actuarial rules that are used to determine what kind of flood insurance you have. And if you listen to NPR this morning, some people in some communities are their insurance. has increased 600 times because the National Flood Insurance Program run by FEMA is bankrupt. So in order to make up for that, they're starting to really stick it to folks and we're seeing that in our own community. If you own a home and have a mortgage based by an American mortgage based company bank, you are required to have flood insurance. We know that African Americans typically have difficulty accessing capital and credit. So many have land contracts and their homes are often bequeath to them. So they're not obligated to have flood insurance. That doesn't mean they shouldn't have it. We also talk about letters of map amendments Aloma Aloma is a private process where the individual member, a homeowner takes their home out of the floodplain and requires a civil engineer or licensed architect to review and sign the documents and they're quite expensive. But flood insurance rate maps were not published in the city of Detroit until 1981. So every house built before then can qualify easily for Aloma but they have to engage in the process to do what's called an elevation certificate on their own and it's costly. We know that here that the flushing your toilet and doing dishes in the sink runs into the same pipe when it rains. We also know that most of our homes were built in the teens in the teens up to the 30s and stairs are typically eight inches if we talk about actuarial risk associated with loss to life and property that happens on the first floor. So most of our homes quite frankly are not at risk. Now you might lose your furnace or your hot water heater if flooded with water gets into your basement. But when you talk about flood insurance and the risk associated with it, we're talking like no like flooding here, folks. And even though what we experienced in June was bad we're talking about six fetal or 64 inches of rain. Storm water would have to back up in order for it to get to the first floor of many of our homes. It's just not realistic yet we are all burdened by being in a new floodplain. We talked about the Great Lakes rising what happens along Fox Creek half of the property is owned by the city and half of it is owned by the private residents. The berm here on the left represents the seawall that was built in 1997 that protects the growth point folks and took them out of the floodplain yet we are in it. And if you look at the Great Lakes threat, it's a 30 to 2020 to 30 year cycle. Now the young gentleman that was here before me was 100 years old, and unless I get my blood pressure under control, I'm not going to see the next great lakes rise. I'm 60 this year. It's not going to rise again For 20 years. So we have the time to correct this and everybody's in crisis because we are stuck in a floodplain. And when we talk about the shoreline protection ordinance that you all passed last summer, there are no requirements and single family and two family residents are exempted
according to the ordinance yet in the city of St. Clair Shores if you apply for a permit, you have to demonstrate that you will apply to Eagle and to the corps. There is no similar requirement for Detroit. It's simply like the rental registration program. If you're a commercial business and you own property or an industrial business, and you own property on a shoreline, you're required to register with the city and file an engineering report that says what you're going to do to fix it if it's at risk. None of those requirements are necessary for our residence. Because our wanting to family residents are exempted from the ordinance yet you go to St. Clair Shores and in order to pull a permit you have a straight that you've gotten your eagle and core permits and they dictate how tall the wall should be. We have people in our neighborhood right now that are building sea walls and are not bringing them up to the 580 standard suggested in the core. Why? Because there's no regulatory framework within which they have to comply. And I said this once before, Words matter. Red lines on a map were used to discriminate uh, folks when you call Fox Creek and Ashlyn sewer. What does it say about how you feel about our community when we live on a sewer and oh, by the way, if it's a spillway for a sewer, you fix the walls because you need that spillway to get your sewer out to the river. Why should we be obligated for both flood protection and maintenance of the sewer? When we start talking about what the Detroit building authority is doing currently, we have a ton of vacant land along Ashton, one of the things that makes our property or community wonderful is the Marina environment. We have this robust water based community. Let's take that vacant land and let's talk turn it into let's leverage the water and turn it into a marina opportunity the city could build the sea walls and then do a joint venture with a public private entity and manage the water and it's the marina. I've not seen a project this administration does it like why not unleash some of that excitement in our neighborhood? Okay, we also have this interesting thing that's happening right now. It was here in in early March and I said if you paid attention to what happened in the court, both glue and the water department were led out of a class action lawsuit because of governmental immunity. Yet, in 2002, there was a new law that was enacted by the state that says you could file a claim against a water utility if you were harmed. That's a statutory conflict. These two MCL is conflict against each other. And because the class action lawsuit let the water department and Liwa out of the requirements, there was no discovery to determine whether the 50% threshold that is required by MCL 1416. There's a requirement that says the agency that hurt you has to be 50% or more responsible, but because there was no discovery because the class action lawsuit was dismissed. We never got to see whether or not gleam in the water department were responsible. They just denied everybody's claims 24,000 claims by glial were denied every last one of them. Every last one of them. So we talk about basins. You're all familiar with stormwater management and how new development have to require basins, glue and the city because we're all connected together is using our basements as basins they fill up and they empty out right with no remuneration because the system can handle it. Let's talk about infrastructure investments. One of the big things that's happening is these big deep tunnels what's happening on i 94 When you are working on a deep tunnel you have to be pressurized anybody here scuba dived. If you scuba dive, you have to be certified to go underground. When you're working in a deep tunnel. You're going into the earth you have to be pressurized. I'm trying to find out with a union that runs the tunnel boring machines to find out how many Detroiters actually are qualified to work in this machine. Right. But you and I with a broomstick and a nail at the end of it can clean trash out of a rain garden. And I'm not saying Detroiters shouldn't have these jobs, but Philadelphia spends 70% of their infrastructure money on green stormwater infrastructure and we're spending the opposite. We're spending a ton of money on great infrastructure. And yes, we need plumbers and carpenters, and welders and all kinds of trades to build our infrastructure. But when we talk about green storm infrastructure, nearly anybody can manage it. I mean, here's the rain garden in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. And all you have to do is make sure you keep the trash out of it so it can work. So the crew exam, it's community residents that are experts in water. Come join our crew. Okay, we have meetings we've talked to folks from around the country and around town every every meeting you have a copy of our flyer with the meeting dates there, I'd invite you to come anytime you can always join us virtually. We have four committees. The members of those committees are here today, and they can ask some questions. But we've created a framework and organizational structure that will allow us to advance our cause. And actually this framework could work in any neighborhood. This is replicable to any neighborhood. The issues that are confronting us are confronting every district so you could take the water project and we could drop it into any one of your districts and I guarantee it would have the same kind of success we're having now. We've issued an engineering report which you've also seen earlier, and we're waiting around for the core and Glee were in the water department to identify projects for us. We don't have engines of engineers available to us. But I solicited all my friends and colleagues over the last 30 years and I said help. And we came up with a variety of solutions. That said these are the kinds of things that we want more marshland in our parks, the parks department wants to more or less grass let's move less grass. Let's turn these parks into Marsh marsh land actually provides for better flood protection as opposed to a hard surface seawall because they fill up and they empty out. Right. Well, let's interpret the Parkland the way the fox native peoples interpret us. Let's do honor to them. We're advocating for a national park, honoring them and let's interpret the park the way they experienced it as opposed to more and more grass. While they're making investments in infrastructure, they're leaving our neighborhood a mess. These are photos that I have shot over the last six months in Marlboro is a brick coverage street it says bricks right here in spray paint. They came in recently put the bricks in but they don't match color. You can see standing stormwater this was a yard that the water department contractors were using for supplies. Here's a sidewalk that was just recently done this set for more than nine months. You'll see the conditions this would not be allowed in the suburbs. Have you been up by 75 yet and see the beautiful brick walls and embossed overpasses? I asked you and I asked everybody is there a different standard for Detroiters? This would not be allowed in the neighborhoods that the workers who come into our community to work in which they wouldn't tolerate in their own neighborhood, but they leave us a list steel plates that are in place for months at a time and then when they come in and do the pavement the pavement doesn't match and it turns into a pothole. We're engaging with students call me Hampton, my colleague and neighbor here from freshwater future we've gotten a small grant and their flood Focus app on the back of the meeting flyer there's a QR code for flood Focus app you can go anywhere in the city and where you're standing, take a photo of the flooding loaded into that app and we will get a smart sheet that the back end will tell us where we're seeing consistent flooding. Jennifer is our number one poster we're offering stipends to neighborhood residents. I think she's going to get a check next month. We also use the money to do water testing. We have to go into the water to test it ourselves. We're using grant money to test water quality I've said before the standard for surface water quality is fishable and swimmable. And I invite any of you to cast a poll and take a dip and people are fishing and swimming in the water within days of a discharge. There's no notification and there's no public notice when that happens. To tell people not to do that. That That makes no sense. I was walking around with Senator Chang, and there was someone a woman with a pole in the water there and he said yeah, you know, when we open the fish up, they're a little darker up here than they are when we get closer to the water. We're partnering with anybody and everybody who's interested and will help advance our cause. Councilman Benson are Malik part from the Sierra Club who's the Chair of the Water Committee. She has been a strong proponent. I call her the founding member of my fan club, the storm. The water committee got an early preview they actually saw the white paper. Two weeks before the storm. I had a colleague say to me, Jay, who do you know that you were able to have a historic storm happened two days after your paper was published? And I said I'm not that well connected. I wish I was. But so here we are. Here's our community. Our entire neighborhood is in a floodplain. The blue represents the interlock canals. The green and gold stars represent the fruit pumping station and the Conner Creek CSL both of which failed the night of the storm. So infrastructure that fails, flood walls that blocked water and continual dumping of sewage into community can I tell you that there's no better way to potentially kill the neighborhood?
So when I spoke with many of you ask what the ask is, here it is. Okay. We've identified $40 million with a project's capital projects that collectively will take us out of the floodplain. That is the one that is the one issue that is affecting everybody. We're using our engineering report to determine what those costs would be. Expand the habitat and shoreline restoration along the river, put in Fox Creek canals and sea walls. Do a berm and change the topography along Clearpoint Avenue adjacent to Bayview Yacht Club, and we will come out of the floodplain. We already have $10 million in the CDBG action plan that was zeroed out when it was submitted to HUD. The other 58 million 10 million was identified. For Jefferson Chalmers flood protection, and within a week after shooting within a month after residents objecting to the closing of sea walls, that $10 million was zeroed out. When it was submitted to HUD, we want that back. There's nine and a half million dollars of an EPA investment to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to do a habitat and shoreline restoration and AB Ford Park is permanently on hold until we come out of the floodplain release those funds. I was just on the phone yesterday with Senator Stabenow his office and we're trying to figure out how to get that to happen. We're halfway there. We're halfway there. Bobby launches here from Speaker Tate's office I'm in regular communication on both his office and Senator Chang more so than some of you I suspect. They're probably tired of hearing from me as well. But we're asking the state to step up. They put $13 million into a ski jump and the up we didn't get one dime of IGA money or ARPA money why not? The Justice 40 initiative on the White House says that 40% of capital funds spend by all federal agencies has to be spent in underserved neighborhood 30% of our communities African American to me 80% of African American third are living in poverty. 20% are seniors and 17% are disabled. Is there no better definition for underserved? That is right building authority got a million dollars last June 2022. July to do a flood mitigation study. We understand that they're currently out there doing surveys. They promised us in September that we would be part of the scoping yet we haven't been contacted by them. Where are they? They're doing work in our community. And I said nobody's setting the standard for seawalls. what standard are they using? What are their design specs? Downtown Frankenmuth had a failed levy that surrounded it. This is a core sponsored project to slow the water down. Their entire community was in a floodplain and over 18 months, they got a letter of map revision and that community is no longer in the floodplain if Franken move can do it. Why can't we? Where is the leadership to help take our community out of the floodplain and solve the threat that's coming not only from the Great Lakes, but from the infrastructure that's in products.
Thank you thank you so much. Mr. Jorgensen. I know that was a lot to get through. And I'm going to allow I know this is in councilmember Johnson's district and she's very passionate about this issue. But just wanted to say thank you for the work that you continue to do. I know you probably have reached out to all council members and no you did not we don't bother me. I'm not anyone but we appreciate your thoroughness, your advocacy, and your passion for this topic because we need individuals like you that live in the community and have a wealth of knowledge and can continue to educate and put pressure on those who need to make those improvements. So we appreciate you and thank you so much for the presentation and I will kick it over to Councilmember Johnson and who I'm sure has comments or questions. Johnson.
Thank you, Madam President and J jurgenson. Thank you so very much. I know it was you were trying to cram everything so that we all got a thorough understanding of what's happening not only in Jefferson Chalmers but throughout the entire city because this impacts all of our neighborhoods. And this is something that we all need to as the pastor said, not compete with one another, but complete one another to address this issue. Thank you so much to the entire community. That I have seen on a continual basis, stepping up and working through this process so that this presentation could be before us today. I know that there are so many people in the community that are working hard on the ground, with your leadership and your technical expertise. Thank you, Director Todd for the presentation during the City Planning Commission's meeting that was extremely eye opening and very enlightening. And so and get to the point of how do we as a city address this. Jay indicated that there's an ask of $40 million. And I know because I've had conversations with Senator Chang and speaker tait as well, that there's some support coming from the state. What do we do as a body? What do we do as a city to make sure that this issue is addressed, and to make sure that we're addressing it in a way that gets this community out of a floodplain? And to address the backups that we continue to see in this neighborhood? We know that water infrastructure is a tremendous issue that needs to be addressed citywide. Director Brown did send over a map to me about some of the work that's happening in District Four. I'm appreciative of that. I would love to see more details so that we can ensure that we're moving in the right direction, collectively. And so I just want to ask Jay, talk to me about the $40 million where how do you come up with the $40 million because I know there's going to be the number one question, right. So the question is going to be or maybe said it's not $40 million is $200 million. So talk to me about where you've come up with that number. Sure.
So real quick, we've all got a copy of our engineering report that we issued in February and then attempt to be completely transparent about the work that we've done on that, as are all of our cost estimates. So I'm more than willing to sit down with any of the agencies, but all of my numbers are here. And I would anybody can pick apart any one number that they want. This report is also available on the website. But we did our due diligence, we allowed for labor inches we allowed for making sure that the executive order requirements for the city are accommodated. But one of the things that we did is we there's actually excuse me just a sec, I'm gonna
go back to here
get used to moving too fast. So as someone said, talk slower and I always try to say listen faster, so I promise. I had a professor that told me that in college. So there were 27 projects that were identified in our engineering engineering report that together equal $1.5 billion. There are two things that are really important to understand. This is a comprehensive solution. This talks about stormwater management and retention basins. It talks about potentially daylighting you know, when you dig in the soil and there's the soils wet, that's called base flows. There's water constantly running around underneath the soil. If you dig a trench, the water finds its way there because there's so much vacant land upstream from both Fox Creek and Conner Creek. We could dateline and provide an amenity of water flowing through that community that would then be an attraction for development. We separate storm and sewer we daylight some water, we now have a positive source of clean water for Fox Creek into the future. If we get Gleevec to stop dumping sewage in our canal, we never have a positive source of water ever. Because that that basin which I said extends all the way to the milk river has been covered it so we need to find a new source of water that's in there like prego. It's in there. Right? We looked at all we looked at the entire lineal foot of all the sea walls. There are people now that are Creek completely sea walls. So even if my numbers high, we don't need as much as I've allowed because there are some private individuals who have already raised their sea walls and others are under contract to do that, right? The nine and a half million dollars from the EPA. I'm saying let's do more of that. Let's do more shoreline restoration in one of the slides. If you'll allow me real quick and go back here. And talk about the conditions in our neighborhood. It I know it's on no it was there oh here we are.
We're on 400 lineal feet of the seawall and AB for Park is already failing. That's where the Great Lakes resource lease Restoration Initiative is plan. But we have seawall failures all over the place. You'll see the mess of Tiger dams that's been left behind. I remember a few weeks ago I was here talking about how some city employees got into an altercation behind a neighbor's residence when they were pulling out this tiger Damn, it's been sitting there since then. And city has nerve to come home give us blank tickets. You know when you look what's happening here this is Bayview Yacht Club. We need to we need to adjust their sea walls in order to a topographical change. But we have failing sea walls all around our parks and our islands. In some instances, we can let that go natural. I'm saying Let It Go Natural. Let's do shoreline restoration. That's in $40 million.
So let me let me ask you a question relative to the sea walls because the $10 million that you mentioned that has been zeroed out from the city CDBG Dr. Funds. There was some comment about utilizing those dollars to rebuild the sea walls of publicly owned properties. That the city owns the land bank owns. Will that address the situation if there are other individuals that are along the canal, whose sea wall is still in disrepair?
Yeah, the 17 properties that the city owns must certainly be it. It's hard for them. And there's threats of writing violations. And I'm saying based on what single family and two family residents are exempted from the ordinance. So how can you write me a violation? Right. There's no basis for that. But I would say that when we talk about what happens along Fox creeks one of the problems is an understanding of the standard. There are three things that affect the cost of a seawall. And I'm looking for that solution here in my just a moment,
we can't see the screen anyhow,
so you can't know. Oh, sorry. You just
need to have permission. You'd have to share your screen, which
I did. Did you see my screen? The whole time? We did. Okay, what happened?
Just recently too, recently until the end, okay. Weren't able to
go sorry.
Anyway, so here's the here's the 27 projects. And oh, by the way, it when we look at our three goals, each of the projects has to meet either one or more of the goals. So when you look at the 27 projects that were identified, each one of them had to meet one of our three goals. Here's our three goals. So here's a matrix that shows each of the three goals and the 27 projects listed. Here are the individual costs of each one and here are the cost backups to each one of those individual projects or cubic yard to move soil, assumptions around contaminated soil and so on. And oh, by the way, we use the six inch storm of June 2021 as their design standard. NOAA has been given a buttload of money from the Congress to go around and update rain data. If the employee will or the city is currently designing a project. They only have to use the current NOAA standard. So our numbers are high on purpose. No was rain data is obsolete. Our construction cost and our cost include climate change. So our costs are high by design on purpose. Okay, we go back to any decline so let's just flip
them liberty Johnson.
I know Thank you, Madam President. I appreciate the your patience and the time. Jay. I'm really just going to encourage my colleagues if they have not already had an offline conversation with you to understand where your expertise comes from, and the work that you've done in this area in other parts of the country. I would encourage everyone to do so. But thank you so much, again for being here and presenting this information. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you so much. Councilmember Young.
Thank you, Madam President. His Jersey has always good to see you sir. I just want to say just for everyone to know about your expertise, but you are the architect for stormwater management of the National Mall in Washington, DC lady there. So you're a person who knows what you're talking about. It's good to finally see that you're not as being recognized. And Job well done. I just wanted to ask you, and being such an outstanding citizen and Troy, I just wanted to ask you, where does the Army Corps of Engineers and you're playing I heard you talk about the Corps a little bit so forgive me if I missed it. Was the Army Corps of Engineers in your plan and where is the state's eagle on your plan?
Good questions. So part of the challenge is that the when we talk about what happens in the waterways in the floodplain, that's the Corps responsibility. When we talk about stormwater infrastructure and CSOs, that's the water department and eagles responsibilities. And there are resources that flow like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative from the EPA, but all of these individual pots of money are siloed. You know, if I'm a bureaucrat working in a federal or state agency, I'm not rewarded on how well her program performs. So there's cubicles that he's talking about the over cubicle syndrome, right. I'm only worried about my program and the administration of the research resources. Nobody's running a string through the pearls but us. And so the Corps has money that they've made available and they're working with water department. They got a $3 million grant from Werder at the Water Resources Development Act at the end of last year. But we're not engaged yet. They're going to be doing all this scoping and all this other stuff. And then they're going to come to us and I say this is like Chicago politics under Mayor Daley. We want to vote early and often, we want to be in at the beginning of the scoping we want to identify the scope of services or so we asked projects are identified. We can expedite the process. They did what they did in Frankenmuth in 18 months, and they engaged all the businesses in downtown Frankenmuth on the solution. And when I started my work here in the 90s, I worked with a gentleman by the name of Frank Smith, who ran the chamber for 18 years and he said if you get them to write the plan, they will underwrite the plan. If we engage citizens early in the process, and we get buy in, then we don't get pushed back like we had with the Corps last year. The court had their meeting handed to them last year because they hadn't talked to us. In the three years they started their floodplain management study in the summer of 2019. When the great lakes were encroaching, we found out about their work in the community in March of 2022, three years after they've already been working. So yes, I'm talking to the corps. We're talking to the corps. Senator Stabenow was talking to the corps. I'm engaged our federal legislators as well. Mr. Lawrence here from Speaker Kate's office, he can tell you that we're talking to folks at glioma and ego where everybody's talking not a lot of folks are talking back and we're all talking to talk to them. So yes, we full body contact, it's like taking a dip in the water.
I just wanna, I just wanna make sure I got this point, if I'm wrong, you know, forgive me, but I just wanna make sure. So what you're saying is infrastructure. It started the building the seawall that will be absorbed completely by in terms of what the city would be doing. Or when the Army Corps of Engineers, it says Would they insist financially would that actually be on the ground building that how would that just kind of
go let me let me show you something really quick because it's also confused with
the roles you get the idea right.
If you want to pull a permit to do work in the water you go to Eagle site, yet they'll tell you they're not setting the standard for how tall the wall needs to be in St. Clair Shores the local jurisdiction is determining that level. So again, I tell you, there is no regulatory framework, so people are cutting their walls that far off at 576. The contractor just asking Where do you want the cut? Because there's no inspection process. The Corps the Eagles are the city nobody comes out to inspect the work that the contractor has done after the work is complete. So there's no standard to which we need to comply. And if one inch of seawall is missing, our entire community stays in the floodplain because if there's a breach in a single place, the from the Great Lakes encroachment, which if I live to adlc, if any one of those breaches happens, that's what puts our neighborhood with the threat from the Great Lakes flooding. Right.
Cool. Thanks. I'm done. Thank you.
Thank you member. Yeah. All right. Again, Mr. We have additional questions. Yes. Members, Santiago Ramiro. Thank you, Madam
President. No questions. Just Thank you, Jay. Thank you so much. Thank you and to member Johnson. This is a huge issue, not just in D four, D six as well. D three, we've seen the flooding intensely. So I know you're working with some folks in southwest thank you for doing so I'm going to follow along and continue to work with you just thank you so much. Thank you to Mr. Johnson. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. All right. Thank you so much again, Mr. Jorgensen. The discussions and the work continue. And looking forward to working with you the PowerPoint was given to all the council members and we will make sure that it's also available for the public as well. Yes, Mr. Jorgensen before before I while I'm paying your microphone is and just make sure your microphones
before I close what I'm thankful the support of this honorable body. I'd like to take a minute to pay special thanks to my representative district for Councilman Leticia Johnson. She and her staff have gone above and beyond the call of duty. She listened to intensely advises strategically laughs beautifully, and we're grateful for her engagement and her leadership. She's always punctual, she never double books. She doesn't attempt to steal the show. With political bombast. She quietly observes and avoids influencing community focused discussions and last two weeks ago when we had an event, she hid the electronic contribution with 100 bucks before she hit the door. And so I I just want to thank her for her support. And in thanking her I'd also like to give some special attention and shout out to miss Greco and Miss mccluer They seem to be constant presence in our community, helping with canvassing attending meetings, doing research. It's really great fun. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Member Johnson. Thank you so much, Mr. Jerison. And that will conclude our presentation for this morning. We appreciate you take your time Mr. Jorgensen. Great work all right.
So the journal of the session of Tuesday May the second will be approved there being no reconsiderations or unfinished business. We will proceed to the budget Finance and Audit standing committee for the budget Finance and Audit standing committee.
So reports from the Office of the Auditor General, the two reports
will be referred to the budget Finance and Audit standing committee for the internal operations standing committee
for reports from various city departments. The four
reports will be referred to the internal operations standing committee for the Planning and Economic Development standing committee,
six reports from various city departments.
The six reports will be referred to the Planning and Economic Development standing committee for the public health and safety Standing Committee and the President. Yes, Mr. Corton,
thank you Madam President. My item 25.7 represents a set of policy divisions report on the proposed executive organization and plan it could that please be referred to internal apps? So that's coming back into my office tomorrow?
Yes, thank you so much, Mr. Corley. Thank you that when we get to that one, Mr. Park will make sure it goes to iOS. Okay.
We will read this public health and safety 16 reports from various city departments.
All right, the 60 reports will be referred to the public health and safety standing committee. And we will now move to the voting action matters under other matters there are no idols. Madam President, under communications from the mayor and other governmental officials and agencies. There are no idols Madam President. All right. We will call for public comment at this time. Everybody everyone will have a minute and a half for public comment. And we will start with Dennis rice. Followed by Malik Shelton, followed by Kenny Callaway.
Madam President, thank you esteemed council members. I represent health management systems, a company who has had the pleasure of faithfully partnering with the city providing EAP program services for nearly 25 years. During this time we've seen periods of prosperity is when as well as some lean years where we had to sharpen our rates to be sensitive to the city's bankruptcy. In 2006, we purchased one of the premier office buildings across from the convention center, and we moved all of our staff in the suburbs. We did it to be closer to the clients in the community in which we serve the city of the county of Wayne Wayne County Community College District, UAW on the river, and Ford Motor Company. These are all companies that turned to us for EAP. We tried to be more than building owners, employers and taxpayers we tried to help contribute to the community itself. We volunteered to develop a human trafficking summit and partnered with Mr. Ike McKinnon. And similar they went to Jimmy Suttles was at the UAW and wanted something to be done about the opioid crisis. He turned to us. We volunteered our time and did a number of town hall meetings throughout the community. Myself I volunteered several years, every Thursday with open arms grieving children's program on the east side. We are a great Detroit success story. We were devastated to hear that our contract was being silently awarded to a Bloomfield Hills. company without any discussion.
Thank you. The name of your business again. I'm sorry, I misspoke
management systems of America. Okay, great.
Thank you. And we'll make sure we get whatever documents you have with Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right, Mr. Shelton,
the morning counsel and residents there needs to be an investigation pursuant to regarding the notices that are required or various types of municipal bonds that had been issued since 2014. This issue is still hovering around us. And in this is the reason why initially the city to its LPD as well as to its deputy CFO Jain neglect said on record that the notices were not issued because they were not required. To be issued. On May the third, Jeffrey, Jeffrey are on all foods a big gun for Miller Canfield, who's also been working with the city for 2014 in that capacity came forward and said that these very same bonds do require public notices. The public notices the city has already admitted that they didn't issue them, although they are lawfully required. There needs to be an investigation to find out why these notices were not issued and who's responsible. Not for Malik Shelton, not for Ramon Jackson. You know we never come down here for personal reasons. This is because this is for the residents and citizens of a majority black city whose rights to referendum who rights to be aware when when loans are taken out on them hasn't been violated. And this issue is not going away. Y'all can sit and stare at me and saying this and act like you're not going to address it if you want to. But this issue is not going away. Negation about in one way or another.
Thank you. Mr. Shelton. I just want to be very clear that we have addressed it we have been in closed sessions around it we have had a numerous opportunities I know a budget Finance and Audit has given you a platform to speak. And so to say that we have an address we may just disagree, but we have addressed it and we will continue to look into whatever documents you provide. But we have been advised that everything has been done appropriately. Remember Doha. Did you have anything else that you wanted to state?
Thank you, Madam President. I would just echo some of the same comments. You know, we try to be as respectful as we can. We honored your petition. I know in the past you had stated that you hadn't had an opportunity to come in front of the council. And we did that. We brought bond counsel down here, which by the way utilizes taxpayer dollars. We brought them down there to this committee to have that discussion. And so we want to be respectful again will still receive the documents. I don't know at this point what you want us to do. Not going back and forth. I'm just stating that we have given you the outlet to do that. Mr. Shelton, we are not a court of law. And for my understanding, you have taken this matter to court multiple times it has been appealed. And still but we are not a court of law. So I'm sorry for that. But that's where we stand with it. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you it's their Halloween Holloway.
Good morning through the console. My city council's the left I just wanted to give it thanks for responding to an issue that I brought to our deal last week. I just want to get thanks to her. I'm not here to beat up on none of the city councils. I know you guys doing what you have to do. My thing is one of the things I have a problem with we need inspectors to go out and go to these gas stations doors to remove these locks off of the doors. Because you we all know what happened last week. The guy like me and they all didn't know the guys got killed the one guy got killed and other ones got shot, you know, which was wrong. So we need that done as soon as possible. Someone to go out there to us back you know and make sure they don't have the Latson because it could have been any one of us hitting the gas station at that time and gonna get shot. Again, I have a house next door to me. That's not being taken care of and land bank keep telling us that day working on it, and the grass didn't grow taller than my knees coming up to my waist again. Last year. I had the news out there and they took care of the grass and everything but it's back again to that house just sitting and that has the rodents that's coming in. That's in that yard over there that I'll be seeing. And it's sad that that land bank is not taking care of that house. Like they say they should. That's that's one of the things that I've done. Appreciate it. Thank you all for listening to me.
Thank you so much Mr. Holloway. And just so you know, that is something that our office just submitted a memo regarding gas stations and their ability to be able to lock patrons in the store. And so we are looking at and I know President potentate actually both submitted at the same time requesting a legal opinion and possibly ordinance be drafted that prohibits these facilities or gas stations to be able to lock patrons inside the establishment. So we are actively looking into it. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Did you Zeke Williams?
Pizza I tried to let y'all do what y'all do. You know, I'm not big on coming down here to public comment, but I just wanted to second what the good brother just said the reason that we down here because I just wanted to be clear and be on record when it comes to the issue of businesses being able to lock patrons in their place of business. That could have been anybody anybody's family member who was going to a gas station and liquor store. And this is something that's been going on since I was little so it's not something that's new. Um, you know, they got this switch and I sit comfortably comfortably behind these glasses. And you know, that man wasn't in danger at all. But those people when you see the video, you see them asking and pleading for the guy to open the door and ultimately, that guy had a play and cause in the lives of those people. So, you know, I'm hoping somewhere down the line and prosecution under debt can be taken care of. But look, I'm just coming down here just because I want to put it on the record. And I want to talk to any business owner that's that's listening in the city of Detroit, that we find out that you're locking people in these businesses, you're gonna have a lot more than just the city of Detroit to answer to so I'm just going to put that out here so that we all clear and all record. I'm just making sure that and then also businesses with you know, that's not licensed or whatever the case may be. I know how well how the city of Detroit beyond black businesses, we need to keep that same energy. What are the rest of these businesses? That's my piece.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Williams, we appreciate you and we'll keep you posted as well when the ordinance and all the work that you do before you leave. potentate. Yep.
So I appreciate you bringing both of those issues that we are actually pushing on both identify what the department is going to be doing to identify which businesses that are supposed to be licensed that are not licensed. It is it is challenging, and I always got to make sure I keep my city council head on when I'm sitting at this table by what I say. But it's very challenging for us to find out that a business and it seems to happen over and over again. And we find out businesses that are not licensed when something tragic happens when something painful happens in our community. So we're going to we put forward the requests, the member requests identify how and what the process is what the timeline is for them to determine when the process will be completed. And make sure that it's an ongoing process not just do it now since we asked him questions, but what is the process to ensure that this these businesses are licensed ongoing, that does not of course, mean that there won't be any violence any issues, but that now creates a level of accountability not just for the business but also the city of Detroit because we should be checking on these businesses to ensure that happens and I agree with you since I was a kid we had these locking devices at the stores at these gas stations and didn't even think anything about it at the time. You know, just what what happened in the city almost like the bulletproof glass. We just know it just is here. We've evolved and it's time for these businesses to evolve as well. We're gonna force them to evolve and so working with consequences, I'm gonna make sure that happens. It happened in short order. So thank you again, I know you don't like coming down here. But when you do when you did, it makes a difference. So appreciate it. Thank you.
Remember Callaway,
thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you, young man for your statement. And I was going to save the statement until later but I'm going to go ahead and read it now. That incident occurred in the city but more specifically in my district. An individual inside a gas station shot three customers innocent customers over a $3 Some people are saying for dispute with the gas station clerk. One customer died as a result Mr. Kelly, I think he was 37 years old from his wounds. This tragic loss should never be repeated. We must act. B seed should mandate that all gas stations train their staff about customer safety. And the need to de escalate these types of situate social situations. BC should suspend or revoke the business license of any gas station further. I'll say any business not we're just not going to say gas stations but to any business when a clerk endangers the safety of innocent customers. beseech should ban the use of electric door locking devices that could trap innocent customers inside the gas station during a dangerous situation. Situation. I'm asking the Wayne County prosecutor's office to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against a gas station clerk involved in this month's incident due to his actions that contribute to the death of one customer and the injuries sustained by two other customers. And in my opinion, this was false imprisonment. Law enforcement and the appropriate court should take all necessary steps to ensure that the gas station clerk involved in this incident is present for possible criminal prosecution. reasonable steps may include a cash bomb, electronic tether and seizure of any passports that he may have or she may have in their possession. Nothing can justify the criminal acts of the shooter. The shooter is now in custody. I have confidence in the Detroit Police Department and the Wayne County prosecutor's office. I know that the shooter will be brought to justice. thoughts and prayers for the victims of horrific criminal acts are not enough are not enough. And I don't want to hold another vigil for something like this action is needed, and it's needed now. I ask that the legislative possible policy division draft the appropriate resolution concerning this matter. Thank you Madam Chair.
Thank you. All right. Thank you again for a right do you have a member? Probably Is that a motion resolution requesting? What was the actual resolution requesting?
The appropriate resolution would be listing all the things that I just said in the statement, but just asking them to draft an appropriate resolution concerning this matter. So I can provide. I will do everything that I listed, asking them to contact the prosecutor's office as a part of the resolution asking them to take action and bring criminal charges against them. Not the shooter but the clerk the clerk who actually held the the customers inside of their store so I can list it out.
Yeah, you'd have it in writing any I do. Okay, so we can just submit that to LPD they're shaking their head and LP woodrat that I haven't been writing.
Okay, so that is a motion Madam Chair.
All right, remember? Yeah.
Thank you, man. Great job on the speech in a very eloquent liberal candidate. I just want to ask you on the issue of training, in terms of training, in terms of staff at the gas station, is that something that you plan on making an ordinance afterwards? Or is this just something you want to keep as a resolution for now?
You know what it could possibly be turned into an ordinance, but the safety training is absolutely necessary, because what I'm finding this is not the first time this has happened in the city. It happened, I think, on Myers at Finkel, and they protested and shut down that gasoline station for similar act. So it could be training and I don't know necessarily be seed would be the trainer, but some training needs to absolutely occur and these types of matters. And what's interesting about this and all these types of situations, the clerk is safe. He's behind you know, bulletproof glass. He saved his his safety was never at issue or in jeopardy. And he to me falsely imprison the three who asked him to let them out. And that's false imprisonment. So I'll let the prosecutor do but charges will be will be launched against the clerk. But absolutely. Remember young training is necessary and whether this BC DPD or the state training needs to occur. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, I want to ask this question to LPD. You get an answer this or maybe law department if they're here, but I just wanted to ask, does the does the laws in this state involve a standard round? Does that kind of play into some of these incidents that happen? So no, Michigan has a standard round law for my understanding. And so do these type of incidents play into this? Do people feel a little bit more kind of like a little bit more like moral hazard if you will, but people feel a bit encouraged to be able to do this because of that law.
That 32 year mark LPD the standard ground up in the state of Michigan is basically it lessens the normal standard for self defense, in which if you feel that your life is in danger, and you can stand your ground and use the appropriate amount of force to secure yourself
it takes away the duty to retreat. Right, exactly. It was I noticed that I was doing this my plan I just saw so just want to ask do we have or do we track and I'll probably say something to you in writing a little bit later, but I gotta get the language right first, but do we track these eight based on that in terms of how many people who do these types of shootings in gas days or things of that nature? Actually use standard around either from a municipal level or from a county basis? Statistically,
I'm not sure
is it broken down by race, sex age,
or become a prosecutor does probably talk to us for a while. But he would charge maybe they do some tracking as to how many people have utilized it.
I'll talk to you about later offline. Thank you, Madam President.
All right. Thank you. So there's a motion for a resolution to be drafted. Hearing no objections that action will be taken. All right. And we will proceed. Bassett Josselin hears
Yes. Good afternoon.
Good afternoon,
Council, and community. I'm Jocelyn Harris. I'm serving as District Four chair for our community advisory council, a longtime resident of Jefferson Chalmers, a survivor of mini sewage backups and flooding in Geoff Chalmers and really concerned not only for my community, but for the people in the city of Detroit that are survivors of these continuous disasters. I want to thank Marcel Todd I want to thank Jay Dirksen, these are people who have been engaged long term in the struggle to right this wrong and I know that it was identified as a net natural disaster or climate change and all of that stuff. But that verbiage does not help my neighbors. I'm coming in on behalf of the people that have suffered through this and let you know that the damage from the start storm is on going not only to property, but more importantly to people. I'm going to visit as I leave my neighbor Malika in Cerrone who is at Beaumont Hospital lung cancer. And it has come as a result of the mode and her inability to operate as the city dictated to us and get everything out to the curb. She was unable to do that. And us seniors were unable to help her. And she had a son who was unable to help her because of his health condition. I hope we look at the people over property in all of these issues. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, Miss Harris. Yes.
Councilmember Young.
Thank you now if I may, I just like to make a motion. I would like to know I like the motion to LPD. I would just like it analysis would be the agencies in which the oversight for all the funds and their responsibilities in terms of building the seawall would be for the project that Jefferson Chalmers water project. And Mr. Jervis he was talking about who will be what agency or what or what coordinating body would coordinate how will that money be appropriated and whose role would be what in terms of building the wall?
That was a motion
for them to do a report. Yeah.
I would like to make a motion for analysis over what coordinating body or what department would be over oversight for the Jefferson Chalmers water project.
Right and that's to help you. So there's a motion if we can just make sure is also followed up in random writing to the LPD All right, Hearing no objections that motion is approved. All right, Monique Thompson. Very thank you for your patience.
Well, and thank you. Good morning as same Council citizens, especially House of Horrors, and Jonathan who's always active and District Four and council member Yeah, and Councilman waters, who I thought this weekend at a community event. Thank you. My name is Monique Thompson. I'm a native Detroiter, that bikes Creek resident a mother and organizer with freedom freedom growers. who actively supports the Jefferson Chalmers water project. Thank you, Jay, for your debt presentation. And as you can see, we are diligently organizing for our protection and our rights of quality of life. I trust that you all will thoroughly review the information presented today and with the power that you possess, and the interests and care that you have for our cities, communities, you will get beside us and advance this effort. This is not just a Fox Creek or Jefferson Chalmers issue this is a Detroit issue and Detroit is family. Pastor grant emphasize that this is not a competition. So please lift up our cooperation. This is a pivotal moment and human existence and Mr. noobie, who was honored today said that Detroit is the greatest city in the United States. I hope that my 11 year old son at his centenarian ceremony will say that Detroit is the greatest city in the world because of what we are doing today. Thank you. Ah,
thank you. See everyone likes Reverend grants. Quote, a couple times a day. John Myers on a pass, okay. Ronald Foster.
Morning. I too. Appreciate the pastors prayer this morning. I want to pass around a collection plate. But one of the things I wanted to bring up today is our Detroit model. It was named in 1967 after the riots as a result of ordinary citizens voices and grievances being ignored and raised for Ramas Melora resurgence in the Rebus which means we hope for better things, and shall and shall arise from the ashes. We appreciate this body being the ear to those better things that we hoped for and investment in our children. I think that it's important in neighborhoods everybody mind that business and communities. Everybody come together and work together for a common cause and common goals. So I don't want to beat a dead horse. I appreciate this body, being the ear to our community, working for our children and for everybody. here and this city shall rise from the ashes, and that it's important that none of these situations in our community, repeat their selves, that we find a way to listen to our citizens and address those issues and be more proactive and reactive. So I appreciate all the gentlemen that came here today to work they do in their community and actually speaking up for us all as a community. I appreciate your time. All right.
Thank you, Mr. bossman. Break so you're right Monique Thompson. See Muhammad Okay, the morning
and was like a minute but I was one day everyone everything but Mother's Day for everybody knows. I was I was on I used to make flowers when I was in so high. But I I got through dog with my purpose of coming. But this open position for bear out in in they said they needed a needed superintendent there. So I was putting down roots and things down for the inner city superintendent. Maybe the chief of police may have someone in mind but isn't it Do you remember last week there was I was here. So I I wrote a whole bunch of some of you job down and it'll take too long. Stone all said Get informed. Get busy. Get busy, where your sees early in life and then roll things out a bag of ideas, seeds, seeds of opportunity. That and I wrote down some very important. Do the duels I'm a I am a doer and you've got to get this book. say don't be a butterfly who don't know how to use his wings. You in the butter walk?
Thank you so much Mr. Muhammad.
Yeah. So thank you. I guess I gotta learn things like to inform you.
Okay, if you give that to us. We'll make sure all of the council members get it as well. Okay.
Thank you. Okay.
No problem. Thank you, sir. And Mr. Treece.
Hi, good morning. Council President, honorable council members. I would like to especially thank councilmember Coleman Young and Councilmember Sanchez Romero for the assistance that you've given St. Patrick's Senior Center recently and supporting this resolution. I just would like to advocate for approval of our 46th annual festival. Which will be held this Sunday. This has been a challenging year. Going through the process with especially events approval process. The changes that have happened has severely impacted our ability to hold this event. Due to the late approval process and fees. We're still trying to get everything approved for something that's going to take place in about five days. I'm also I would like to also advocate for approval of resolution 25.3. For the specialized services contract for St. Patrick's Senior Center. We were actually approved for $160,000. Um, the contract is actually 80,000 Because how the contract was written, you can only apply for one reimbursed method which means that at least $80,000 of the contract money cannot be spent and has to go back to the state analysis challenge and also the reimbursement rate has been cut in half compared to last year and we are given from the approval process until September authority to spend $80,000 $1.20 per mile. So it becomes a point where it becomes not physically possible to expend the money that is approved and we all know that specialized services and transportation for seniors is greatly needed. So I would just ask the council to just please look at the processes. I don't know what to do.
Yeah, sorry. Okay. Yeah, that is your time. We appreciate you though. I know the great work that you all do over there. So keep it up. We do. There are a lot of changes happening with special event events. Hopefully things will improve over time over the next couple of weeks as changes have been made. But with that being said we will make sure we work with your councilmember one the additional issue that you raised okay. I don't see any issues with the event not being approved as today but we wish you the best and other events this Saturday. So Okay, keep up the great work. All right. Thank you Mr. Crowley.
Yeah, I was online is black Jesus. Law man. much about to do this in person is Ruben Crowley. Now what we got going on here, Mary Sheffield is the fact that you cannot censor me. No way shape or form you don't have you're not the caliber the person is going to get me to censor me and tell me what I can say. Nobody is so I can say what I want to say I got to write. I'm not lying. You can't say I'm lying about nothing. So there is if I land and what am I doing? So you and James Tate up there with talk can't wait to do it. And Angela Callaway over here we're hurt. You see a second second in our list is you're gonna be us. Now what 741 Very pack is a structure that don't need to be demolished. It shouldn't be on a demolition list. Whether I got something to do with it or not. It's a structurally sound building and my years of construction is best informed me that that building is structurally sound it should not be used. Arbor dollars should not be used to touch it. So it needs to be immediately taken off the demolition list. You heard that Angela Galloway to join in on the festivities. Mary chef Do you not getting ready to do this is not gonna happen. Your involvement.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Crowley. All right, that will conclude our in person comments and we'll turn it over now to our virtual.
Good morning, Madam President. There are 17 callers with their hands raised the first caller is Cunningham.
Good morning Mr. Cunningham.
Call me is that a mistake? Yes. Good morning. Oh, good morning. Good morning. Honorable Council, president and the other city council persons this week. You all everybody lives on the Moyes. Please go to Detroit Department of Transportation spill the whole word out. There is a DDOT meeting input meeting this upcoming Thursday. Also acts that you at home continue to write the coaches after 6pm during the week and on the weekends. Don't be so video up with the ex the people around you what their experiences are. And text me call me as you all have done 313444914 And on Facebook on force subservience Cunningham. I am definitely in need of a van a vehicle I'm paying for. If you know a good one that we know or a good mechanic I do a lot of community work alongside supplementing my income is good ground. So let me know. I got love for y'all and I've seen the love from Detroit. To me if you know wrack your brain, be creative, be of assistance 313444914 and I'm very saddened by that shooting in the Gaston
alright thankfully Mr. Cunningham
the next caller is Miko a Williams. All right.
Good morning, Mr. Williams.
Hi, good morning City Council. Pico Williams as the resident you know BC is already supposed to be legislature going through some of these businesses and inspecting them. The Metro Detroit Petroleum Gas Association dealers are the ones that need to be summoned to this council about their practices regarding these gas stations all day or rainbow can be summoned to the council. I agree with the resolution that Angela Whitfield Callaway just made. However, I believe it needs to go far enough as to include all of the businesses that have locks and such to be investigated. Also, I want to know what are we doing about the track marks from drag racing and the donut burning? Can they be cleaned up please? It really makes our streets look filthy and dirty. Also to the police commissioners we still are encouraging them to resign and stepped down after last week in their license plate readers. It was very terrible that they only presented a one side biased presentation and did not include the ACLU or the National League legal Lawyers Guild. To weigh in about license plate readers. I'm tired of being surveilled. I'm tired of cameras in my face cameras in my face when I go get my food cameras everywhere. I'm sick and tired of it and do the cameras even work and also, I pray for our city that we can get things together.
Thank you. Next caller please.
The next caller is Steven hollering.
Steven how are we thank you for joining this floor is yours. Can I be heard? We can hear you yes sir.
Hey, um, I just want to say like many others, I'm still very disappointed about the on the iron uploaded meetings and videos, which I believe violates the Open Meetings Act. As I said before, whoever is running are supposed to upload these videos. They need to be summoned before Council. I don't get why in the first place. We just don't use YouTube like any other city in the US as a web developer for almost 10 years, I got to say the usability on cable past is pretty bad. It lags. It's slow what? And then I also want to say yesterday about a pretty ignorant comment made by Mr. Musk, strong ski about the gun free zones. Like everyone in this room, I believe in the Second Amendment, but in non residential areas, such as river walks parks where large crowds of people, mostly families, we need a gun free zone also councils should make the resolution esteem land seen and Washington to look into when to celebrate or ban that and and then additionally lastly I'm in complete support of the cash was business ordinance. So many Detroiters don't have debit or credit cards and I do believe that cashless businesses are discrimination and I also strongly support Councilwoman Powell aways resolution on businesses and BC
Thank you. Next caller please.
next caller is to hear a mod to hear him
out. Thank you for joining us the floor is yours. General public comment.
Good morning Council. I want to thank councilmember Angela hill we have Callaway for getting the dumping cleaned up it at my legacy home and in our neighborhood dumping their state for weeks. I want to thank her she's the most progressive council member we've had in years. Remember Callaway thank you for your proposal coordinates bad ordinance banning cashless businesses. They are a reintroduction of the segregation lunch counters. Thank you member Callaway for your support foot property tax reform ordinance. Thank you, Council President Mary Sheffield and all council members that are already on record and supporting it. I encourage members to or Hall waters and young to join other council members if you haven't done that and support justice for black homeowners unjustly overtaxed over three quarters of a billion dollars. Member Callaway is also working on the illegal store owners locking people in their stores. I support that and ask that more people more ordinances are done to regulate some of these Arab store owners because they're very racist, and they kill Black people. We shut down one gas station of Finkel and Myers because the man had stepped out from behind the bookcase whose glass and shot and killed the young man. Okay, we have to shut it down and we do it. We'll do it over there on six miles as well. Thank you 16
next caller please.
The next caller is William M. Davis.
William and Davis thank you for joining us the Florida
Good morning can't be heard. You can hear you. Okay, I'm going to start off by saying makeup oppose. I think that the mayor and city council has just shut up a task force to look at the Great Lakes Water Authority and its effect on how it's harming the city of Detroit. Also, we send Detroit pay the lion's share of the combined sewer overflow costs but yet you know we do not control anything and and we are being dumped on you know the the whole this whole process needs to be revisited. You know, especially how they do not necessarily have to have the combined sewer overflow facility staffed and manage. They don't have to have everything up to code. They don't have to have everything functioning. We should have a report on what's what's available, what's not available. You know, if we had a true partnership, you know, instead of whatever you call what they doing, you know we could do better and our citizens would be in better shape. I also like to remind everybody that Detroit NAMM is sponsoring none and digital equity tour next Tuesday from 12 to 330. At church, one ad that's it. 13 660 Stansbury Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48227 And I like to encourage everybody to come out if we work together better. I want us all to work together and make Detroit better. Thank you.
Thank you. Next caller please.
The next caller is Ruth Johnson.
With Johnson Thank you for joining us Laura shores general public comment. Good morning. Can you hear me? Yes ma'am.
My name is Ruth Johnson from Community Development advocates of Detroit I want to thank Council especially certain council members have been very good at asking questions about our contracts and our expenditures or providing the public with Arper information. I also want to thank legislative policy division for the three monthly Arper reports. But I still have some questions and concerns. First around decision making, who decides what which contracts which categories and interestingly, there are some things that are involving COVID. But they don't use ARPA funds and then there are things that doesn't seem like any relation to anything dealing with the pandemic or the virus. And although there have been improvements in information, there's a lot more information that I think should be provided very concerned about possibility of the city having to return or clawback with the US Treasury rule about obligating or incurring or expending funds, as well as the possibility of debt ceiling negotiations on the federal level. Requiring clawback? I would say, there just needs to be more public information and much more public participation, especially around housing, very concerned about the very slow, low amount of money that's been expended. And what are the plans to make sure that the city of Detroit continues to spend the money speedily timely to meet the needs of Detroiters and Detroit neighborhoods.
Thank you. Next caller please.
The next caller is Carol Hughes.
Good morning misuse the floor is yours.
Good morning. honorable body to the chair. May I speak? Yes. Carolyn Hughes. I don't know just what Miss Johnson I believe her name is just just say it our our pro funds are being misappropriated, misused. We're not getting what we deserve. But let me let me address 25.8 I believe a deeper dive needs to go into what is going on to the citizens. We are disrespected because I believe this body disrespects his people. The man Kenny has come down many times. And I'm not sure I heard this morning that Chrysler shut down yesterday. One of their shifts because of paint fumes. These people are complaining about their health and it's called environmental racism from your very first presenter. That's what it's called environmental racism. Let me address 24.6 with for the Bedford discriminatory house swap that you that you do it behind closed doors is discriminatory toward everybody. I don't see how we're going to and 17 that want to give the land make any more land when they miss appropriated by the audit. Because an audit was done to Mr. Hall, and you have to act on it. 25.7 This is just a way for the mayor to make things less transparent than they already are. It's everything is muddied and he wants to muddy it even more because he's not using the money where we need him to use our Arper dollars and we have 16 that to opera money. There are so many issues but the but Detroit police department needs to address. Thank you.
Next caller please.
next caller is calling user to
call in user to thank you for joining us you have a minute 30 general public comment.
Oh, good afternoon. Council members Sheffield and council member waters I'm still waiting to be able to speak with you both to get some problems resolved. And I'd also like to thank member commingle for introducing the bill to stop retaliatory evictions. I also would like to add that they need to make it when tenants complained to council or building a safety net. They don't have to be evicted when they don't owe any money especially when they can prove dilapidated conditions while still paying rent. And I sent videos of deplorable conditions with DDOT using profanity towards those that are disabled, my cousin sent as well. I'd like for you to follow up on it is his live videos. Current like to have an answer. When can something be done?
Thank you so much. I know members are present and will have heard your comments and we will go from there. Thank you so much. Remember young I got a hand raise.
Thank you President Pro Tem I just lost the water gear the lady I paid for the compliment first and foremost appreciate it. And I just wanted to give you my number because I want to talk to you but I want to kind of talk to you offline in the interest of time so please call me at 313-224-4248 That's 31322424083132244248 you can also email me at Coleman dot young at Detroit mi.gov. I look forward to your correspondence. Thank you President Pro Tem
All right. Thank you.
All right. Next caller
please. next caller is Betty a foreigner
that a foreigner thank you for joining us the floor is yours general public comment
is Ron, are you there? Hello.
Oh, hello.
Hi. Sorry about that. I could not mute myself. I just wanted to say good morning to all the honorable council members and just wish you all a good day and I am in support at something should be done about these businesses that are lacking innocent people in and causing and putting them in danger. Because it could have been anybody in that particular business at that time and I'm in support of also making sure that these businesses have the proper license. Y'all have a good day and God bless you. Thank you.
Thank you so much as well. Next caller please.
The next caller is Renard mon Schinsky
Norman Shan ski floors yours, general public comment.
Good morning or good afternoon, Mr. President, and council members. Thank you for allowing me to speak. I'm a resident of the city of Detroit District Six longtime resident and also organized with Detroit people's platform. I just wanted to tell the public that there is an opportunity every third Thursday of the month to talk to you out about the issues that many callers call this honorable body about the phone numbers Area code 312-626-6799 to dial in then they'll ask you for a meeting ID that is 96268082855 and you press pound or hash. And that's how you get into the deedat community and put meeting up use that number also, your zoom app. I also just wanted to show support again for the ordinates abandoned cashless businesses. We do know that discriminatory effects of that and we don't need to go further into it just let's get it done. As our governor says, I'm also want to thank the Michigan Legislature under our new government that did pass sensible gun legislation that will keep us safe. And I do support any efforts of the city of Detroit to take illegal guns off the street. And we need, you know, some really good old fashioned policing and tactics to be able to do that because that is a threat to all of us as well. What I was saying about the gun free zones and public health and safety is that this requires a change in city government and probably I'm sorry to state government.
Thank you. Next caller please. Go next caller is Robert.
Good morning. This is Robert I represent justice for bringing it to us day over here in the impact area on Bennett toe. And first thing I want to do is thank everybody, all the advocates and especially ones who are paying for all the research and all information that you bring into this council to help them move forward and doing their jobs and the due diligence that you put in an effort of your own to do this. The next thing I like to say is pretty obvious a lot of things that are happening here. And a couple of people have spoken on it but we got to stop this divide. The administration is giving you guys information and you're taking it like it came down out the Bible, whatever if you believe in God or whatever, or it came down out the sky, when they're giving you information on things that they're not even responsible for that they're trying to mitigate after they dropped the ball four years ago, you know, to for anybody to sit up and tell you that there's no areas you would air quality on, then a toe is fine now because the administration said it when they're still getting violations. You know, what does that say to the residents and for a member of the council to be willing to state that because the administration stated it is saying that our council was not really looking at what's happening here you guys need to people are giving you the information, the due diligence has been done. The the information is out there. So no matter what you choose to look at, now you're looking at models that they're going to try to fix this again, where we've been the guinea pigs over here the models are the humans that are complaining they're having issues. They're shutting down.
Thank you so much. next caller please.
next caller is Karen Winston.
Karen Watson, thank you for joining us. The floor is yours. Hello.
Hello.
Can you hear me? We can Okay great. Um first of all, I agree with the last caller. You're getting information that you that you really and no disrespect to anyone. But there's such a thing called innocent ignorance and ignorance. Think about that for a second. You're innocently ignorant because you have to believe what one is. Telling you know, as it relates to all of the conversation on the discussion earlier. I don't know where dude came from, but I tell you what, the elevation at eight mile and Woodward is starting to think higher than elevation at Woodward and the river. So this this fall so this water is coming in, though Yeah. And fruit they better be working. So you better make sure you got a backup power source. All the conversation dude gave you he never said a word about power. Well, the sump pumps don't work if you don't have power. So what does that mean? You need backup power. That backup power was DTE to public lighting departments. So you can spend all the million you can listen to all the crap you want. Detroit never took the time to perfect their watershed plan. River Rouge did it everyone else did. But Detroit didn't do it. So until we get a on an A to an uninterruptible power, you're always going to be on the verge of flooding. You're always going to be on the verge of having stinky back basements. And you're gonna have six feet of this sewage in your basement. Thanks if you listen, thanks, if you don't, thanks anyway.
All right, thank you so much.
The last caller, who raised their hand before public comment was cut off is Stephen Rimmer.
All right. Good afternoon, Mr. Rimmer.
Good afternoon Steven Rimmer.
Sorry, can you guys hear me?
Yes, we can.
Yes. Good morning Council. I just wanted to say thanks, President Showfield, for hearing our concerns regarding the right from the ordinance for the renter's of Detroit here. And thank you for requesting a legal opinion on the right to renew including on today's agenda. And we look forward to working on this together in this law passed in providing strong protection for renters all over Detroit. And also Oklahoma young. We appreciate all the work you've done. And we just want to continue to work together on this for the better the community.
All right. Thank you so much, Mr. Brimmer.
All right, that will conclude our public comments for this morning and we will now proceed back to our agenda. Understanding committee reports for the budget Finance and Audit standing committee from the Office of contracting and procurement.
Madam President, there is one contract up for vote today from the budget finance and all the Standing Committee. It is contract number 60052091 2%. City funding to provide media consulting and buying services eg billboards and other media contract is Emerald media LLC. So the contract amount is $6 million. And this is a city wide contract. Councilmember shareholder resolution line item 15.1 noting that this item was postponed from last week's formal session. Thank you, Councilmember Doha.
Thank you, Madam President. Move for discussion on line item 15.1.
All right, discussion.
Thank you, Madam President. I know this is a bring back or postponement from last session and wanted to know if there was someone from the administration through you to the administration online that would like to speak to this and where we are with this contract.
Thank you, Mr. Washington. Are you with us?
Good afternoon, Madam Chair. And Council. We do have Vicki Thomas online.
All right, we will move her over as well
as director star.
Right Good morning, Miss Thomas.
Good morning to this honorable,
honorable body. I'm here to address the Emerald media contract. It is a $6 million contract $2 million over three years. This is a nine grant contract for campaigns that will be utilized by various departments across the city and it deals with critical campaigns like recruiting are keep Detroit clean campaign and sister friends campaign. And we are here to address any questions that you may have about the contract.
Thank you member Doha.
Thank you, Madam President. I don't have any specific questions. I didn't have an opportunity to view session last week even though I was not here. And I know members had some questions. So I wanted to take that opportunity to open that up for discussion. All right.
Thank you, colleagues. Any additional questions for 15.1? All right, hearing no additional questions. Thank you, Ms. Thomas. And then we're doing well. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Madam President Move to approve line 15.1
motion has been made for approval. Hearing no objection, Madam Chair. Okay, objections from some member Calloway. Okay. Member Denville. No.
Objection member Johnson.
riposo. No.
Any additional objections? All right, hearing none. 15.1 will be approved. From the office of Congress gives me from the office of the city clerk City Planning Commission.
Councilmember Hall a resolution line item 15.2.
Councilmember DuBois.
Thank you Madam President. line item 15.2 is a resolution of authorization for a neighborhood enterprise zone certificate application for the construction of two new duplex buildings at 1539 and 1545 Sycamore Street in the north Corktown neighborhood enterprise zone has been sent from committee with a recommendation to approve and it's also been sent with a recommendation to approve by the City Planning Commission. Move for approval of line item 15.2
motion has been made. Are there any objections? Hearing no objections. The one resolution will be
approved request a waiver from line item 15.2. Madam President,
right a waiver has been requested. Hearing no objections that action will be taken on from the internal operations standing committee from the Office of contracting and procurement.
Madam President, there are two contracts up for vote today from the internal operations standing committee. First up we have contract number 60051661 2% city funding to provide employee assistance is substance abuse program allocation to support the health and well being of city employees. Contractors all One Health Resources Inc. total contract amount $356,400. And this contract is for human resources. The next contract is contract number 60050691 2%. ARPA funding to provide V MW our licenses for outdated and unsupported city services and infrastructure, contributors II C Services LLC, social contract mt $532,843.52. And this contract is for do with councilmember Johnson two resolutions, line items 16.1 and 16.2.
Thank you, Council Member Johnson.
Thank you Madam President. Move to discuss line item 16.1.
Right discussion.
Thank you. This particular line item is actually in reference to our first in Person public commenter. We had a lengthy discussion in iOS about this item and I believe some of the administration's relative to the lineup.
All right, Mr. Washington.
Yes, Madam Chair. We've actually request to postpone this for a week. Um, I believe director star would like to have some additional conversations with you before we move forward.
Right, is that director star there's only one I can't see. Director star. Did you have anything additional to add?
For the chair? No.
Okay, Madam Chair.
Yes, member Callaway, thank
you Madam Chair. Um I will not be in session next. Tuesday. So I'd like to voice my opposition today to this contract number 605 1662. All One Health Resources Incorporated, located at 10 West square Lake Road suite number 304. In Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and I absolutely support the legacy company from Mr. Rice, who was here earlier this morning. He made public comment. They've been with the city for 25 years. And we let the ball drop on a number of in a number of instances and we need to go back to the drawing board. Extend this contract with the company that we've been doing business with for 25 years. Under I guess an emergency situation because the contract does end at the end of this month, in a week and a half and we won't have any services in place. So I'm respectfully requesting that we vote this one down even after it being postponed until next week, and allow the contractor who've been with us for 25 years who stuck it out with us during the bankruptcy sometimes we didn't always pay our bills on time still times we don't today. So I'm asking that we give this legacy Detroit business extra special attention and deference because they hungered near with us and not be so quick to give this contract to a company that I don't know if they have any dealings with our city. But this company that has been doing business with the city and I can't remember the name, I've just no I see Mr. Rice out there. But they've been doing business with us and they've been faithful during the hard times and the difficult times and that deserves deference. So I'm hoping my colleagues will dig a little deeper into this. And just know that we've talked about this a great length in committee and I think that three of us know that the city did let the ball drop. They just didn't do their due diligence and then awarded a contract to another company and Bloomfield Hills. So Madam Chair, thank you for allowing me to say that and again, I will not be in session next Tuesday, but I wanted to at least let my colleagues know. And everyone who's listening why I will be a no today since I won't be here next week with respect to this contract. Thank you Madam Chair.
All right. Thank you member Callaway. Yes, member waters.
They Thank you, Madam President. We sent this to form with the recommendation to deny that's what we did in committee on Wednesday, and I don't understand the rationale now for wanting to postpone this. If you wanted to talk with some members, there was an opportunity between now from Wednesday until today to do such a thing. I don't think that anything that procurement has to say at this point regarding this contract to me that's gonna make me change my mind. Because I first and foremost, must consider folks who've been here in the city, number one, number two, there's no really good reason for not processing the paperwork, creo and so forth and so on, where the ball was dropped. I just believe that it's incumbent upon us to take a deeper look at this company has been here for a very, very long time. Instead of just denying them based on some technicality that could have been avoided. Have they done their due diligence, both procurement and Korea, and so, I'd like to just go ahead and vote on this today. Frankly, I'm in the mood to vote it right on down. Thank you, Madam President. Madam Chair,
thank you and direct to stall just from a process standpoint. One I just was curious to what exactly you were proposing to change from this week to next week. What is the reason for the the one week hold up that you're requesting? I think someone may have mentioned the socialize with council members. Is that what it is or is there any attempt to make any changes
through the chair? We were not able to get all the meeting scheduled that we had wanted to and I just Yes, I wanted to make some clarifications. I think there were some miscommunications or misunderstandings that could be cleared up. And if I could respond to Councilmember waters comments, I could do so now as well.
Want to go right ahead, directors.
Thank you through the Chair. I wanted to clarify that in the consensus evaluation on HMSA. The current vendor scored 40 points out of 65 and the technical portion and all one the awarded vendor scored 57.5 points. The maximum points that HMSA could have received had they been certified on time was 15 points and it would not have been enough to win when the competitive bid and so I just wanted to make sure that that was clear. And and from from the records and owl I should let Director Zander speak to it since it's his area. But um, the certification had lapsed for more than a year before the company applied and so I just wanted to make sure that those facts were clear.
Right Thank you and then just for me so I can understand that we voted down today. I have something here in my notes. I'm not sure the process for the second bitter being selected or the whole rebidding process that will take place if you can just explain that as well.
I'm the chair if it's voted down today, um, I could not recommend going to the second bitter without a rebid because their score was technically lower in it, it would it would not allow us to maintain the integrity of the procurement process by which we score. Um, and so if it's voted on today, then we will work to extend the contract and I would recommend either rebidding or bringing back the original contract for reconsideration. Okay, ma'am. All right.
Thank you. Yeah, I see your hands and I see Thank you. I'm going to go to member Johnson followed by member Conaway.
Thank you, Madam President. So a couple of items that were just shared with his body are different from what was shared on Wednesday. So the first is that the second place if you will respond or to the bid, it was noted that they would be able to add 35 A total a very bad points to their the points that they were given. If they had actually been recorded with Creo or certified with Creo as a Detroit headquarter business, which they had been prior to 2022. Our understanding is that HMSA had gone through the process or started the process to recertify with Creo in September of 2022. So I don't believe it was quite a year where they were not in compliance or not certified with Creo as a Detroit based business, but there were some concerns around the time that it was taking Creo to actually certify their business. And so there were opportunities to have offline discussions. I believe my team had a meeting scheduled yesterday. And I'm not sure why the conversation was not had but there was information that was shared last Wednesday that is completely different from what Director Stahl shared today and it was director so share the information with us on Wednesday. And so I just want to be clear on my understanding of where things stand right now, the HMSA, who currently holds the contract, did not receive and director of sell. I think it would be beneficial to share the point system because on Wednesday it was it was shared with us that they could receive an additional 35 points not 15 If they were Detroit headquartered and I'm not sure if the breakdown of certified points would be for headquarter business. headquarter Detroit based business Detroit based business small business, all of those things that would equate to 35 points. Thank you, Madam President.
Yes, through the chair. I will clarify that I did say that 35 points out of the 100 are reserved for certifications. And I apologize for not clarifying that 15 of those points are reserved for the prime and 20 of those points are reserved for any sub subcontractors that are certified and so the maximum that he could have received with no subs was 15 additional points
all right. All right. Thank you.
Remember Callaway Thank you Madam Chair. Um, the company name is and it escaped me earlier is health management systems of America. It is an actual brick and mortar business across from Huntington place here in the city of Detroit, and they actually do employ Detroiters. I've confirmed that and they moved here from outside of Detroit and they've been here for over 25 years. So I just want to make sure for the record it is called Health Management Systems of America located with more than one desk, and what more than one chair 601 Washington Boulevard Detroit, Michigan for a two to six. Thank you, Madam Chair.
All right. Thank you. All right, colleagues, if there's no additional questions or concerns, I know there was a request from director star to postpone this for one additional week. There was also a desire for from the committee members to move forward to vote this down. Is there. A motion on the table? Madam Chair? Yes,
I moved to vote this contract down. Motion to approve
any further discussion? All right, hearing none motion has been made for approval and we can do a roll call I guess because I know.
Madam President, this is one line item 16.1. Councilmember Jensen Yes. Councilmember Hall? Yes. Councilmember Johnson? No. Councilmember Santiago Romero? No. Council President Pro Tem Tate? No. Councilmember waters? No. Councilmember Whitfield Calloway? No. Council member Young. No. Council, President ship you know, two days, seven days.
All right, that resolution fails. And director star we will be in touch. As you mentioned that now the previous contract must be extended. And so we will be in touch with your office. All right. Thank you. Councilmember Johnson.
Thank you, Madam President Move for approval on line item 16 16.2.
motion has been made for approval. Are there any objections to 16.2? Hearing no objections that resolution will be approved.
Madam President. Yes, I'd like to request a waiver for line item 16.2.
waiver has been requested, Hearing no objections that action will be taken from the law department.
Councilmember Santiago mural and introduction of an ordinance line item 16.3.
Councilmember Santiago Ramiro. Thank you,
Madam President. brief discussion on 16.3 Okay, thank you, madam president just wanted to make sure to share that there has been a Scriveners error in the title of the correct section. The correct section is listed as section 35 dash two dash 35. And it currently reads as an excused time holidays and not holidays as titles in the as listed in the title. So what it should read is it currently reads as excuse time to excuse time holidays to the cities excuse time holidays, lists. So just wanted to mention that there needs to be a correction to the chair.
tardy Anderson
grim Anderson law department, through the chair to Councilmember Santiago Ramiro, you actually, you got it backwards. Oh, currently reads observed it's supposed to read excuse time, and if I can make actually earlier correction that I made in committee to Councilman Callaway, we were discussing this. I was reading the previous one that said observed holiday. That's why I thought it was just recognizing it. But now that it is properly titled as an excuse time holiday members would have city of Detroit have this time off it wouldn't be like a Thanksgiving holiday would be like the day after Thanksgiving. That's the category of holidays. It would be Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. With that Madam President. I move that the ordinance be read twice by title ordered printed and laid on the table.
Right Hearing no objections that action will be taken from the law department.
Councilmember Santiago Merrill resolution setting a public hearing line item 16.4
Councilmember Santiago Romero. Thank you, Madam
President. I move to approve 16.4 and ask that we set the hearing for Wednesday, May 24 at 10:15am.
All right motion has been made. Hearing no objections, the resolution for the scheduling of a public hearing will be approved. From the law department
councilmember Johnson six resolutions? Nine nm 16.5 To 16 point 10.
Councilmember Johnson
Thank you madam president Move for approval line items 16.5 through 16 point 10. These are various loss of settlement request.
All right. motion has been made. Are there any objections? Hearing none, the six resolutions will be approved for the Planning and Economic Development standing committee from the Office of contracting and procurements.
Madam President, there are three contracts of four but vote today from the Planning and Economic Development standing committee. First up we have contract number 60051171 2% grant funding to provide a housing market study that includes an analysis of housing production and housing affordability, contract is HR and a advisors total contract amount $350,000. And this contract is for housing and revitalization. The next contract is contract number 60052221 2%. Offer funding to provide rapid title search of current owner and date of ownership services contract is the title agency total contract amount $140,000. And this contract is for housing and revitalization. That is contract is contract number 6005246 79%. Grant 21% capital funding to rise project management and construction services to complete the construction of retail pop up spaces on Dexter Avenue. Contract is Detroit building authority total contract amount $191,979.25. And this contract is for Planning and Development Council President Pro Tem Tate three resolutions line out 17.1 to 17.3.
Thank you, President Pro Tem tape
President move approval of line items 17.1 through 17.3. Please.
All right motion has been made. Are there any objections?
Objection? Madam Chair, I on line item 17.1 Contract Number 605 117. Thank you Madam Chair. So no,
it's like one note. Any other objections? Right Hearing none, the three resolutions will be approved.
request a waiver for line item 17.3. Madam President.
All right, a waiver has been requested for 17.3. Hearing no objections that action will be taken from the office of the City Clerk's Office City Planning Commission.
Council President Pro Tem Tayto resolution line 17.4.
President Pro Tem Tate
President move approval of line item 17.4. Please
motion has been made for approval for 17.4. Are there any objections? Hearing no objections. The resolution will be approved. From the City Planning Commission,
council president potentate a resolution line item 17.5.
President Pro Tem Tate
president I move approval of line item 17.5 Please.
motion has been made. Are there any objections? Hearing none, the resolution will be approved. From the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority
how's it resident potentate to resolutions 17.6 and 17.7
President potentate if you can move this over discussion,
madam president move line items 17.6 and 17.7 for discussion, please.
All right. Thank you. Did you have anything? No. Okay, so for 17.6 This is regarding 450 Amsterdam. If we have anyone from the development team, one if they completed with them on some of the pricing for the units for this particular development, understanding that their studio square footage ranges from 300 to 350, which are pretty small. And so I think there was some improvements made and I would like them to come on record. And please state with those changes. Were.
Good afternoon.
As to know
All right, if you could just give us an update on some of our conversations and if any changes were able to be made. Yes,
I can get update through the chair. From our discussions we what we talked about was the size of the studios and a question around the value that we are getting at the studios and so what an understanding those concerns what we are looking to do is provide $100 discount, additional discount to the rental rates for the studios. We find that in our portfolio. Our other studios that are rent restricted for affordable housing. Those studios are always the most popular they go or the units are the most popular. They go first before the one Bedouin vesicular market group and so we don't we want to make sure that we're still providing gender concerns around the sunbird a historic building into into residential you have columns that you can't move, we have to we have limitations, or units or we could go large one bedroom could go smaller for studios. And so when we writing studios, we look to create married studios. Most nearly all trades are just one large open room and so what ends up happening is your bed is either in ditch or it's in your living room. So we created a notebook, a bed nut, where the tenant the resident can put their bed out of the their living space and there's a curtain to close and there's a loft space over the bed as well where they can actually put their bed up there. If they chose to. Or it's additional storage space. So the unit is a highly efficient and well laid out unit you're not going to feel like you're living in your bedroom. And so, we we see these as units that will be highly in demand. We like to continue to offer them and we're offering them at $100 discount.
All right, thank you and I know you have some time constraints because I really wanted to postpone this for another week. I just I have a tough time approving affordable units that are 350 square feet and it's just instilled listening to you and just thinking it through I still have a lot of hesitancy approving this I just 350 square feet and defining that and using that as affordable. It's just a challenge for me. And so as we move forward, I know one of the things our office we're looking at now is amending the inclusionary housing ordinance that requires a specific amount of square footage to kick in the affordability because you know, having a 350 square foot unit qualify as affordable. I just don't think really addresses the needs of Detroiters. So I appreciate you all working with me. I'm still not quite there to be honest with you and I'm not going to push myself to vote yes, and I'm not there. So I'm not sure if you guys again are open to bringing this back. And I think I also asked you to look at comparable air. Do you know the market in the area? I know you mentioned there were other units that were of comparable size and I still have not seen what units in that area are going are being sold or rented out I should say that are 350 square feet. So I would like to see that data. Even though if I saw it I don't really support it but I would still like to know that you know it is happening.
Sure. I apologize. I misunderstood we sent you I thought it was regarding the rental rates so we sent comps regarding units in this in the general area regarding with the existing rental rates were higher than what we were currently projecting. We have the it's it can be difficult to pull units off because we're going off of information that's available online. But we have a number of buildings that we own in the Midtown area. And I was looking at those studio sizes and the studio sizes range from 375 to 425. And one thing that I mentioned that one thing that I didn't mention is that the unit is the footprint of the unit is 350 square feet, but with a lot of space that's an additional 50 square feet so they're your total square footage, counting the loft spaces 400 square feet. Gotcha.
All right. So again, I think I've been very clear even in our meeting where I stand with these smaller micro units and that's just my preference that I don't necessarily really prefer using affordable units. For these micro small units and so I will accept colleagues supported to postpone it. If not, I probably won't support this today. I just think that there could be more thought into this to see if there's an aim to improve. I know I'll also recommend it that we just use the one and two bedroom as affordable and just take out the studio but I'm not sure if that was something that you all were able to do. But I would love more time to walk through this with you or to see what adjustments could be made to get me to a place where I feel more comfortable. And I see a couple of hands potentate and follow by member Callaway
Thank you, Madam President. So we've been in committee working to increase the number one of bedrooms, but now we're starting to see the small micro studios Well, the project that is coming or this right behind it actually has units that are has one that is 347 square feet and I had some issues with some of the sizes of the square footage of what I was provided was the fact that this is the original floor plan. They just continue their original floor plan. So I'm not as it allowed me to remove my hesitation on that one in particular, but this is more of a procedural concern. And if anybody has the ability to have that conversation with the developers, it's the council member whose district is located in but shortly thereafter, if there's some adjustments to the proposal, the chair should be reached out to and the members of the committee should be reached out to and that didn't happen in this situation. So Miss Pavelka was not a stranger to this committee. We've seen each other for many years as the I serve as the chair and she's been on that side of the screen. So not pleased with that. I would have liked to have known that we were coming to the table with an amended proposal. Again, if there's any council member that has in my opinion, the authority and the deference that I provide for sure. Is that council member whose district it's located and but to not know about and find out about it. At the moment where we were looking to vote is not the position that I want to find myself in as the chair and
I just say is Well, literally I'm looking at my email. We were going back and forth with them via email in session this morning. Putting things board asks would you be willing to adjust this, this, this and that. And I think they were going back and forth with us as well trying to accommodate my request. And so I kind of just put them on the spot here at the table that they were open you're willing to do that. But I do understand you know that you would like to be informed as well too. But again, this was something that we were emailing each other during session, trying to figure out a way for them to get me to support this particular project.
My staff also takes emails and we get emails during meetings as well. So again, that's not and I'm not putting that on you Madam President. It's not the way that the chair would like to find out about it any possible alterations to the proposal that's coming before the lottery. That's not what we agreed to pushing out.
All right. Did you have any other response? Yes.
Oh, if it makes it the chair, I apologize. Councilmember Tate you are correct. And as the President stated, we were working at on on it this morning, but it was a we should have included your staff in it. We were we were working to finalize it before distributing it but we could have easily looped out then on the that this was an ongoing point of discussion. If I if I can just step back and and describe the financial situation that the project is in. So as I mentioned the project is has had construction costs increases of 28. We actually continued briefly came in that have further increased both costs. And the issue with the Brownfield TIF is that because of how the meetings lined up if we don't have it approved before Monday, a different taxable value takes effect and so it extends the schedule of the reimbursement schedule. What that means is we have to go back to our lender and have our cash flow rate underwritten and then the loan is lowered and so that further hurts the project and now we have a gap in financing because we have a lower loan for the project. But I also understand I'm not I don't want to put that out there to make Council feel like they're forced to vote on something. What I would ask is that rainwater is a we are a known entity we're going to have other requests before you and we are we have active requests for the city and I'd like to ask that on the fact that you have our ongoing working relationship with the city that we work out a solution that is reasonable and the city, the city and actually retract our brownfield plan if we cannot come to an agreement on between the PDD council members and President Sheffield's office on the what the project composition looks like.
All right, thank you. I think I spoke to him and
just again for the record, the committee when we receive these items, we execute them, we don't hold them. We don't sit on them. I don't want anyone and you know, I heard somewhat within your comments, Miss Pavelka, where that you did absolve us from that. But what I heard in my outer ear was this potentially will be counsels fault if we don't approve it if you are not able to get across the finish line within this this week. So I just want to make it very clear. Again as the chair we make sure that we execute these items as soon as possible to get them out. And we did not delay on this particular item. I just want to make it very clear. Thank you.
If I made to the chair, I apologize. I did not mean to communicate that there. It's a it's a defined process. We follow the process things were processed in a timely manner. It just the way the timing worked out. It happened to be that that that way there was I did not mean to imply that there was a any delay on anyone's part.
All right, thank you. Member Callaway.
Thank you Madam Chair. I have a question for you. I don't support this $1.97 million brownfield TIF that you're requesting for this project. I absolutely don't support these tiny micro studios. And how will you accommodate the disabled or the handicap? If you have lofts? So are you going to have handicap accessible units because if you're saying to add space to these units that you're going to have to build up you're going to have to make some of the space lifestyle. So how how will you accommodate handicap residents potential prospective residents?
Manager through the chair so I it's a great question. So our our building has 90 units the all of the units are B which means that their visitor access accessible up for accessibility purposes two two of them are Type A which is fully accessible. Those do not have lofts in them and they are fully accessible with the proper clearance. The proper height of the countertops and proper height of the of the things
through the chair. So you're saying out of 90 units to will be handicap accessible.
Correct and if we are and the other thing I didn't mention is that our type B units so type B units means that they're convertible to type A. So the placement of the the there all the clearances and proper spacing is there. We would have to make minor changes to the units in order to create accessible unit so those minor changes would be getting grabbed bars changing out the sink the entity so that you have a higher seat vanity and a wheelchair can slide under it and changing the sink as well in the kitchen.
Okay, my last question through the chair. I don't know if you know this answer to this question but how much are these studios going to be going for?
So if I may through the chair, so what we are the students are sorry, the studios
know you're watching. You're right. All right. That's what these are for students.
So our typical tenant is not a student. It's fair typically single folks who are who live or who are working in or who are working in the city, but the end oftentimes their service providers we have a lot of hospitality minutes. So we the studios, market rate rent is 1208 and the what we're putting forward today for the rent is 1108 for the affordability unit, so it's $100 discount from the the HUD rate and on top of that there is we also provide utility allowance and so that brings the total cost to 100% at $1,017.
The chair my last question so you're saying these are going to be for folks who work in the hospitality arena downtown? Well,
we don't limit who we thought we market to
just based on what you just said. Yeah, so
what we've what we've from when we compile information on our our tenants and where where they work, we find a lot of I don't know the exact percentages, but I'm happy to share that information if it's of interest, but we find a lot of folks are working in work in the hospitality business. They like to be close and accessible to their job or their young folks, teachers medical or working in the medical field and we expect here at 450 because of the expansion with Henry Ford that we will have a substantial amount of medical residents they bought into the medical field. Thank you Madam Chair.
Right. Thank you. Councilmember Jensen.
Thank you, Madam President. So I know during PUD, one of my questions was to break down the market rate and the affordable rate for the various unit types. Can you all please remind me of that and I did receive your response relative to how you came up with the numbers. But what I was looking for was more along the lines. For AMI, how what area are you looking at? That defines AMI by size of the unit? I think as well by the number of individuals in the unit to determine the rates that were provided. And if you can please share those rates
to the chair to customers and are you asking me for the affordable rents that we're charging for for the different types of UNICEF?
450 Yes, market rate and the affordable rate.
Okay, so the affordable the affordable rates are based on Well, let me do the market rates. The market rates are too heavily for studio $1,662 for a one bedroom and then a two bedroom is $2,367. The affordable units are as we stayed at $1,208 for studio. A one bedroom is $1,343 and then the two bedroom is 1612. If I'm understanding the question you you're asking where are the where does the the affordable rents? How are they calculated?
That's correct because we were provided 80% Ami right.
So the Mitch, the income limits are the HUD rate, the set the 80% Ami, they set that rate and so for studio that is what the HUD rate is. So 1250 baht so 1254 is the HUD rate. Our market rate is projected at 12 Always so we just go with a 1208. The one bedroom was 1343. This is the HUD rate for 80% ami. So that's what our rate is. And then a two bedroom is 1612 And
that's what our rate is.
Thank you and I believe Mr. balco indicated that the studio rate that was negotiated for the affordable units is going to be 1108.
Yes, so yes, that will be we're offering a $100 discount to bring that down a little bit more. To meet the call from
council president.
Thank you and I still believe that that is excessively high. Especially considering the size of the units. I understand that we identify them as studio then one bedroom and two bedroom units, but I do think that is quite pricey for the affordable units. But thank you all for the response. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. All right. So I have already made my statement as to my position as to why I'm not prepared to support this today. Understanding of various sensitivity with the time colleagues member potentate, you move this forward already. Just no different discussion of what is the wheel of being what sounds I don't want to move it. All right. Yes. Remember young
to make a motion to post this bottle back for one week.
As long as item
or is there objection?
Hey, if member Callaway would note member Callaway has an objection. All right. Any other objections? Hearing none one more. Time say and I guess I'll object to because I don't think anything is going to change from now and next week. So remember young Can we maybe reconsider that?
Oh no. I will just try and
fix it better or internal options may long suck or they could change all the time. I want to get on the
put on member Yeah. And they actually wanted us to move forward today. Not postpone. Okay. But yes, Dr. Powers, we were in the middle of a vote.
I'm sorry to interrupt you but you were in the middle of a vote and to ask him to withdraw that was okay.
All right. So we were supposed to postpone and we're Callaway objected Pro Tem take myself member waters. Objection Member Santiago. Remember mural and member Johnson motion so that motion does fail. Alright, Bolton,
President move approval of line items 17.6 and 17.7.
motion has been made for beauchene line items and there's discussion for both Yes, member Benson.
I see that the developers has has her hand. This blessing.
Oh, I did have a question. So when
we might maybe move our volume up a little bit. Okay. We can barely hear you. I'm sorry.
I'll talk louder. It's better.
Yes, there we go.
If I may, through the chair to the in our communications you had raised the question around a one bedroom. And so as I mentioned this, we find that studios are our most popular product for this particular segment of our residents, it tenants who are interested in renting from us and so what we're looking to do is provide a solution that didn't reduce the amount of stock on hand that is most in demand. But an alternative that you had mentioned was just moving all of our market rate units to our one to one beds, and I understand that that council has concerns about making these decisions. That last minute, but we would like to understand counsels feedback if we were to move the studio to all market rate and then those additional units would be offered through one bet to the one beds.
So sounds like you're willing to make changes again and move the affordability to the one and two bedroom not spread through the studios.
So to the chair I think that what we're communicating this that we're willing to work with the council we understand that the small spaces don't you know that they're you don't like them. We're willing to work with you guys.
So we're not going to do it right now at the table doing it back and forth at the second so that's probably going to require an additional week. Are you all comfortable with bringing this back then in a week to continue those conversations? Just because we can't negotiate and nail this out right here at dawn formal session. That's just not what we're going to do today. Yes, so are we are you okay? Hello? Yes, yes, sorry. Yes. Okay. All right. Thank you,
Madam Chair. But it's my understanding that you can't bring up a motion that just failed, its failed at the same session. We consider them. You can reconsider it and do it that way. But okay,
so we'll have him reconsider his motion. Councilmember young, would you like to reconsider?
reconsider my motion, Madam President.
All right. Any objections or reconsidering? Hearing none, the motion is approved to reconsider and member young if you can restate your motion for 17.6.
Thank you, Madam President. I move to postpone this line item for one week.
motion has been made to postpone for one week. Are there any objections objection, the clerk would note purple. So no. Hearing no additional objections that will be postponed 17.6 for one week. Pro Tem pain Thank you. Oh, 20
No president Move approval. Excuse me, madam president Move approval mine item 17.7.
motion has been made for approval. Are there any objections? Hearing no objections, the one resolution will be approved. Madam Chair. Yes. Member Calloway
I'd like to request a waiver on line item 17.7.
To action on that woman, the president. All right.
So that motion fails. And the housing and revitalization department
council president potentate a resolution line and 17.8
potentate
President Move approval in line item 17.8. Please.
motion has been made for approval. Are there any objections? Hearing none, the one resolution will be approved. potentate excuse me from the planning and development department.
Council President Pro Tem take seven resolutions nine and 17.9 to 17 point 15.
Question about that one. All right. Pro Tem tight. If you can move for discussion,
madam president move for discussion line item 17.9 To 17 point 15. Please
all right
discussion, Councilmember. Yeah,
thank you, Madam President. I would like to just ask the question on 17 point 15 My computer when I click on it, it didn't bring up any information about it for me to get more information on what this is. So I would like a primer on mr. Washington. Do you have anybody could just kind of tell me a little bit about what this item actually is because I could not do my own due diligence to figure it out on my own.
I can't do
it. Yeah,
I can give you good No. Appreciate it. So essentially, this was a proposal that was presented to the body previously with I believe it was 42 properties that are the land bank was looking to sell to this particular
development bed for development. Right? Correct.
So Correct. Essentially, member waters in our team went out and knocked on some doors and identified I believe it was 26 of those properties being occupied. The land bank did have some that they felt were occupied as well. But that number of 26 we were as a committee as well as the land bank. And member waters office are working out what to do with those 26 occupied properties, which were in question on what the land bank did or did not do to try to communicate ownership opportunities to those who are occupying those properties. So what was decided and it was agreed upon by all parties, up to this point was to bifurcate the original proposal and take out those occupied properties and what you see before you, what we see before us today, are the remainder of those 42 units 42 Land Bank properties minus the 26th that are occupied.
Just for clarification, thank you, that explains a lot. So basically, like you do, certainly this is a bifurcation and reduction of the original plan. So we're still transferring these properties over to Bedford development, but the properties they had originally had people that were occupying them. So we're getting those properties off the ledger. And we're just this is still a transfer is just a reduced and Mindy amount, right?
Correct. And we're still just for the record working out where his party's on how to address those 26 that are occupied. We have a disk coming up. Believe it actually maybe next week. Or what we're going to have a conversation about what comes next with those properties.
And if I could just maybe impress you this. This is involving the Bedford development I'm assuming this is involving housing development, right? Is this what they're doing? They're building new housing with these properties correct after
you know, I did not manage President Move approval line items 17.9 through 17 point 50.
All right. motion has been made for approval. Any objections? Objection. Councilmember waters
17 point. 15. Thank you. The Kirkwood
no
so no. Objection. 17 point 15. Purple so No, Madam Chair.
What any other objections? Hearing none those resolutions will be approved. Yes, member Callaway,
you just have a quick question. I'm just reading on 17 point 15. And it says in bold print pursuant to the second amended and restated memorandum of understanding between the city of Detroit and the Detroit Land Bank Authority. approved by your honorable body on May the 15th and 2015. The dlba may not transfer 10 or more parcels of property received from the city to the same transferee within any rolling 12 month period without the prior approval of the mayor and the city council. So is that what we're doing now? Because this is 16 properties in this one. So we're okay. All right. I just wanted to make sure I was reading right. Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes,
no problem. Thank you member Calloway for the public health and safety standing committee from the Office of contracting and procurement.
Madam president there are 11 contracts up for vote today from the public health and safety standing committee. First up we have contract number 6004603. A one one 2% opera funding a min moment number one to provide an increase of funds for basement discovered during the abatement and alteration of commercial structures at property 8100 Schoolcraft contract is a demo demolition company total contract amount $1,775,690.40. And this contract is for city demolition. The next contract is contract number 600450. To a One, one 2%. ARPA funding amendment number one to write a min the scope to add water related services and fee schedule for the demolition department to support the city's blight remediation efforts. Contractors ATC group services original contract amount $270,000 In this contract is pushed to the demolition. The next contract is contract number 60051401 2% bond funding to provide proposal in demolition for P one set aside contract is Guyana accompany total contract amount $2,800,760.55 And this contract is for city demolition. The next contract is kind of number 30647621 2%. City funding to buy firehouse kit air cart and accessories. Entrepreneurs 1005 LLC. total contract amount 49,009 $70.74 And this contract is for the fire department. The next contract is contract number 60051181 2%. City funding to rise staffing services for the public lighting department is Vm x total contract amount 80,009 contracts for public lighting. The next contract number 30651861 2%. City funding to provide an emergency demolition for the residential property at five two to seven South Clarendon natural this guideline accompany total contract amount $7,400 And this contract is for city demolition. The next contract is contract number 30651811 2%. City funding to provide an emergency demolition for the residential property at 301 Western contract is company total contract amount $30,750. And this contract is for city demolition. The next contract is contract number 30650531 2%. City funding to provide an emergency demolition for the residential property at 268. For Columbus contract is going to accompany total contract amount $24,750 And this contract is for city demolition. The next contract is contract number 30630201 2%. City funding to provide services to cover backfill for basement discovered at the mercy commercial demolition property located at 2927 West McNichols contract has gotten a company total contract amount $119,125 And this contract is for city demolition. The next contracts contract number 60030731 2% city funding to provide high pressure breathing air compressor quarterly testing and preventive maintenance and air purity services for air compressors. Contracts are in our fire truck repair Inc total contract amount $65,000 And this contract is for the fire department the last contract is contract number 30618481 2%. City funding to provide an emergency alteration demolition for the commercial property at 3230. Doris Hanford is in a city contracting LLC total contract amount $18,110 And this contract is for city demolition. Councilmember Santiago mural 11 resolutions, line items 18.1 To 18 point 11.
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Councilmember Santiago Ramiro.
Thank you Madam President, I motion to approve line items 18.1 through 18 point 11 with discussion. All right, discussion. Thank you, Madam President. I just want to briefly make a notes for 18.3 and I also mentioned this during committee, but our contracts are set aside contracts. War were set aside to ensure that we are supporting our smaller businesses. And while I appreciate and support Guyana, we work with them often. I want to make sure that we're using the set asides to continue to diversify the businesses, the small businesses that we're working with, to ensure that we're providing more opportunity. Just wanted to make that note that moving forward, I do hope that we're able to see new smaller businesses that are totally capable of doing this work in the city. But with that, Madam President, that was my only note and a motion to approve 18.1 through 18 point 11.
All right, thank you. motion has been made. Or I'm sorry, discussion. Steel member Johnson.
Thank you, Madam President. I do have a question relative to 18.2. I'm actually trying to understand what the request is. It says amendment number one, there is no increase in amount. There were no locations identified for the scope of services and where they were being provided. Is there someone that may be able to answer those questions? Through you to the administration?
Mr. Washington? Yes, Madam Chair.
We do have director counsel my
right we will move her over.
Good afternoon lawan counts director of the Detroit demolition department.
Right. Thank you, member Johnson.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon. Just want to have a clearer understanding of what the request is for line item 18.2. And to identify if there are specific locations where the work is taking place.
There the chair
Yes, you go right ahead direct accounts.
These services that are being requested there are no current ident Well, there are some current identify locations but they're not specific to this particular vendor. Um, this will be used on an as needed basis, and is strictly for the purposes of being able to test the water that we encounter in some of our commercial basements that we are able to identify and then they are flooded on because you can't just displace that water from the basement out into the storm sewer. It has to be tested to um, so that's the need for this particular extension in scope of services for this particular vendor.
Thank you. And through you, Madam President, two direct accounts. Just to be clear the funding, the source of funding is already provided for the contractor. We're just expanding the scope of
services through the chair. That's correct. Okay.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
All right. Thank you. Any additional questions, comments? All right. Hearing none, Councilmember Santiago Ramiro has movies for approval. Any objections? Hearing none, the 11 resolutions will be approved.
request a waiver, madam president for line items 18.1 18 point 10.
motion has been made for a waiver for 18.1 and 18 point 10 I'm sure. Any objections to the waiver? Okay. Hearing none that motion is approved and member Callaway
requesting a waiver for line item 18.5.
waiver has been requested for 18.5. Hearing no objections that action will be taken. From the Office of the Chief Financial Officer Office of Development and grants
Council Member Santiago mele two resolutions, nine items 18 point 12 and 18 point 13.
Council Member Santiago Ramiro Thank you madam
president motion to approve 18 point 12 and 18 point 13
motion has been made for approval. Are there any objections? Hearing none, the two resolutions will be approved. We will now move to the new business portion of the agenda from the mayor's office.
Council member Yun seven resolutions line items 19.1 through 19.7. Noting that line item 19.1 was postponed from last week's formal session and also noting that line items 19.2 to 19.7 are reported out of committee with recommendation to deny.
Okay, number you.
Thank you, Madam President. I move to approve line items 19.1 through 19.7.
All right move for discussion. Just clear. 19.2 was a recommendation to deny 92.2 mounting points and what was the reason for 19.2 and then also the Campus Martius event 19.3 Can you just give me some explanation.
Basically what happened was it was the amount of time that they had we had to walk on the wild gone. We had to we had to walk on seven items in committee. And a lot of these dates are either at danger close or by the time we voted on it would be past the event taking place. So there was a lot of miscommunication laid back up. So basically what happened is right now they have a new person that is running their special events. In the interim Ms. Gil Fulton is the one that's charging now because they had a new person. And because of that there was some confusion in terms of a lot of these items being brought up and my colleagues and I felt that it was disrespectful. To the process that they didn't really reach out to us enough time that there wasn't a real engaged desire for us to know about how, and just in terms of us knowing when this is happening. We put a lot of this on our plate. At one point in time my colleagues really felt some type of way about this. I personally understand that, you know, part of my job as chair is to pass laws in order to providing services in order to making sure that we protect the general welfare, the public health and safety, morality of the community. They improve in prosperity, the state but another part of that role is to pass these events and so as I've said as I was at the process and how this is done, I also understand my role as chair of the past events, and I thought it'd be best to pass these events and I think my colleagues believe in that too. It was just more of the way it was done. There's more procedural issue than it was the actual events themselves.
So just to be clear, 19.2 and I'll just take them separately 19.2 They submitted their application or not in enough time, the normal 60 day process and that's why we're denying it
but what did the people do? It wasn't that the process? The best raishin Okay, brought it to it. Later. They
were supposed to Okay, was it so they did every sort of did everything right? All petitioners so then why are we denying their event because I think we can't pick and choose which events we move through the process. I
think that is is better. My colleagues.
I think we haven't opened it up for discussion. I thought what if we had it open for discussion? I just want to make sure I'm clear. Yeah. Okay, so 19.2, again, is being recommended for denial based on the administration's recommendation because we internally did not process it in enough time. Right. But the petitioner submitted everything appropriately. I think it'd be better if we have someone from the administration Come on, and remember, it's valuable to you as well.
Yes. Can we please promote the unfortunate
Thank you Miss Walton?
And as Miss Fulton comes on member Benson did you have anything additional you wanted to add?
Oh, yeah, I wanted to make the actual conversation. And so that was the motion was made by myself and supported by one of my colleagues, which is why it moved out. The motion was to recommend denial for the seven initially petitions that were brought to our attention of which only six actually needed to be brought to this body one was removed because it didn't need to be there. So we received these walk ons the day of session, although they said they were emailed the night before, although I don't check my emails in anticipation of a late email from the administration about walk on. I do actually have a family and go to bed at a reasonable time. But I could also receive a text or phone call indicating that we have a emergency here we need to bring these forward. If you could please just take a look at these. So what we did was to ensure that these can be voted on in a timely fashion, because without a phone call without any type of a notification. We did receive these and once we received them in committee, we still had to postpone because we didn't have the information that we needed. And so this this recommendation or the motion out of committee was a message back to the administration, you need to do a better job. And so if you lose staff, that doesn't mean that the process is to change. The process doesn't have to go forward. You have to make the adjustments as an administration. Our job is to approve, which we approve moved out of committee with a recommendation to deny with the understanding that it may pass here today with the understanding that I may vote in support, and I call each and every applicant to ensure they knew why that recommendation was made and what the expectation could be, what their expectation could be that they should be approved. But a message had to be sent. You have to do this in a different way. You have to provide us as information in timely fashion. And we should not be forced to make a decision on any events that could have some great consequence. The day of the minute have at that time. Things have to be done better and just because you lose staff doesn't mean that you get to foist upon us the requirement that we do not do any due diligence on these events. And that is the reason for the recommendation to deny which I plan to support today. I know each and every one of these applicants and made a personal phone call to them to ensure they understood why that recommendation was done. This is about the administration and counsel not about those applicants. So I'm hoping that my colleagues will support because those events are very good events and some are long term some historic, but the process has to be done differently, and this body has to be respected as well.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Benson, that brings a lot of clarity to what is before us and I wholeheartedly support, giving counsel the time to do our due diligence as it relates to events. I know that there's various layers that the petitioner has to go through as relates to various departmental approvals, but still when it comes to counsel, we shouldn't be forced to make decisions the day of on the Tuesday session, or even given just a week we should have our time to thoroughly go over these events and the impact that it has on our various community. So I do respect member Benson's position, that we should be afforded the appropriate time but I also respect that the petitioner has done everything right when they're eating. And I know that that process is not easy. We just heard from someone today who talked about how hard it was to go through the process. So Miss Walton, I know that there's been some changes made. If you want to just speak to us really quick about what changes are being made and how that's going to impact both the city's councils process in the end user, the resident or the petitioner who's going to be going through this process.
Thank you through you madam chair to the honorable Council. We have made some staffing arrangements within the mayor's office to allow for us to present these items to you in a timely fashion. We do have several events that will come before your body with relatively quickly approaching deadlines and begin dates. And so the petitioners that we are bringing forth have submitted their paperwork 60 days in advance of their event day in or have moderately low impact events in which we can support and the instance in which these items were brought to neighborhoods was a technical error. They were submitted to the clerk's office and also emailed the afternoon prior to the committee date. However, we understand that still gives you the opportunity to review these and we want to make sure that we give you an ample amount of time to look over each event specifics. You'll receive continuous packets of event applications all require departmental sign offs per usual and also the special events team within the mayor's office is doing their due diligence to notify petitioners of these changes so that we can keep this ball rolling. We do apologize for this technical error that's before you today but can assure you moving forward, you'll be able to review these event packages well in advance of committee start dates.
Thank you misfortune, and I'm sorry if I missed roughly how many backlogged applications or petitions you have currently, were petitioners have actually submitted within that 60 day timeframe. And we have to be forthcoming.
Yes, ma'am. We have several so primarily for the month of June in July, which typically are the busier season dates, or months I should say. You will see quite a number of them as we roll into the fall and offseason we'll be able to get you events in well and enough time indefinitely prior to your recess. So we're very mindful and cognizant of those dates and trying to work through these as swiftly as possible. Noting that all departments are signing off. We are reviewing events weekly and making sure that we are checking these boxes ASAP and expeditiously for these petitioners who have submitted their events in a timely fashion.
All right, thank you. Member Durga did you have your hair race?
Thank you, Madam President. Oh, my concern has already been addressed. But you know, just just for clarity, and I can understand the committee. That's happened to us as well. But wanted to get that clarity because oftentimes when we hear that recommendation for denial, it seems as if there is an issue relative to that and which becomes a concern for the petitioner. Even if the process is flawed, or or, you know, or messed up, and I'm glad that you provided that clarity. Robinson on that, but we just wanted to make sure that, you know, there was nothing with the petitioner that went wrong particularly for those events and that they were not unnecessarily being punished, based off of some some other happenstance. Thank you, Madam President.
All right. Thank you. And councilmember young for 19.7 just want to verify that the correct resolution was submitted for the carry the load event that was passed out of committee.
They don't want to pass it over to us. All right,
Miss Fulton.
Thank you, Madam Chair due to the specifications of that event. It was determined that they would not need to go through this process. And so because of the expected number of attendees and the nature as they will not be impeding right of ways, et cetera, that was determined that they could peacefully carry on the event, no pun intended, as as outlined in their application. Remember,
yeah, thank you, Madam President. I just wanted to say that I can take my role as chair very seriously. And I want to let all the citizens out there know that we take your request variances seriously. This is a no means or in no way were no place a message or a act aggressively towards you at all. This was something that was taking place within internally. And I understand I respect my colleagues, I did not support the recommendation to deny I want to make that very clear. But I also just want to make sure that we respect your requests with the utmost and we will move with all deliberate speed on them as much as we possibly can. So I think this was just more you guys remember, Benson said just something about wanting to make sure that the committee the body is treated with respect in terms of being informed in terms of being updated, especially when you had seven walk ons the day before? Committee, so I just want to make that clear, as well.
Especially. Great, thank you,
Councilman Robinson. As well make it very clear that upon conclusion of the committee, each of these applicants was personally called by myself, to let them know what the process was and why the recommendation out of committee was made. There was also a very strong recommendation to the administration, to reach out to my colleagues to make sure that they understood what was going on and to convey their commitment to improving the process moving forward. I'd be interested to find out if that outreach was made to me by colleagues. Good, good. So the messages have been received, and hopefully processes have been modified and just want to make sure that this was a this was an issue between the council and the administration. And I wanted to make it very clear to those applicants that this was not about them, that they should feel at ease. That city council would make sure that these would be I can't tell who's going to go for what but I can say that the table the recommendation would be made That we should support these. This is all about the administration and council and our communications and how they engage with us not about hurting anybody. But as a way the process and message had to be sent and it was sitting and sounds like it was received. Thank you. All right.
So member young, if you did you move these for approval?
I don't think I did. We had discussions I don't
want to make a motion was to approve with discussion.
All right. motion has been made for approval for the seventh resolutions. Are there any objections? Hearing none, the seven resolutions will be approved. And if we can request waivers some of these events are happening next couple of days. So is there a waiver?
Yes, that men are pregnant. All of them make a waiver by those nine through 19.7.
motion has been made for a waiver for all of those items. Hearing no objections, be that motion is approved from the Office of contracting and procurement.
Madam president there's one contract up for vote today from the public health and safety standing committee. On today's new business portion of the agenda. It is contract number 30656721 2%. City funding to provide emergency action continuation of air quality monitoring and testing services contract is in th consultants Ltd. total contract amount is $48,000. And this contract is for Building and Safety Council Member Santiago Romero a resolution line item 19.8.
Councilmember Saburo
Thank you, Madam President. Motion to approve 19.8
Motion has been made. Are there any objections session? Discussion? Yes, member Johnson.
Thank you, Madam President. I believe this is for still Lantus. And just want to point out that I don't believe that these are as effective as we had hoped they would be as they should be. Because when you think about it, the necessary measures to be put in place should be something a digit in addition to the canister monitors. Residents within this community do not have the ability to reach out to the administration and say we're smelling paint fumes. Can someone please come out to investigate as they can with ego? The reason I say these are not effective is because last week, ego issued another odor violation to steal answers in spite of the presentation that was provided to this body. In spite of the information that was shared with me where we are looking at odors coming from so Lantus once a week. So if residents are smelling paint fumes on a day when we are not monitoring or that we don't report out, these aren't effective, we would never know that there are still violations that they are still odor violations. And so I am asking for this contract to be denied because I do not believe they are effective as to Lantus. If the administration is interested in using these in another area, perhaps that's something that can be entertained, but I do not believe that they are effective in the still Lantis area. Thank you, Madam President. All right. Thank you.
Remember Santiago rimuru.
Thank you, Madam President. And I will wholeheartedly support member Johnson in whatever she thinks is best for her district and just want to also make a note that during committee, I did ask that the administration work with silly ANSYS for coverage or reimbursements if the city is going to be paying for the services, I believe still ANSYS should be reimbursing us for they are the ones creating the issue in the first place. Just wanted to make that note as well that I've asked that we no longer see contracts like these unless we will also be reimbursed for the services. That is it. Madam President. Thank you.
All right. Thank you. Additional discussion. Councilmember Benson.
Just wanted to make sure maybe someone from the administration can get online and discuss this but these were actually request of the NAC to have these monitors an extra layer above and beyond and I'm just not sure that these are meant to be actual monitoring. These are meant to to gather data so we have that and we're not accepting data from Atlantis or from Eagle that we have the ability to get this data for ourselves, but really think the enforcement side of these light plays with Eagle, but this is just so that we can get the data this was something that was requested by the NAC to have this type of information. And we've also suggested bad PHS have a discussion to discuss what the findings are from BC because if these were to be for about a forcement I believe the Detroit Health Department would be the ones who own these and monitor versus BC which is really just gathering data. So we have our for sale. Right Mr. Washington?
Yes, Madam Chair. We do have crystal Rogers from BC who's joined us
at Crystal Rogers Rogers Okay. We will promote her now.
All right, good afternoon, Miss Rogers. Good afternoon. All right. Member Benson has the floor. Did you hear me every business concerns questions?
I did not I'm sorry. Okay.
So through yourself, madam president to BC you just explain the use of these why they are there. And then the hierarchy as far as enforcement is useful enforcement or data gathering for ourselves who may be actual ask. There's a bit of history and clarification on the purpose of these I think will be very helpful.
Of course of the monitoring.
Yes, ma'am. Okay,
I'm sorry, came in a little late. So we received numerous complaints about the air quality around the distal answers plant and the noxious and motion nuisance odors. And while the regulatory enforcement belongs to Eagle, their sampling was intermittent and they would come out and inspect upon complaints received. So what have what happened was we kept receiving multiple complaints. And after the the court order was entered. Ego kind of took a slight step back and say, Well, we're going to give them a lot allow them time to come into compliance with this consent order. In the meantime, we're still receiving complaints. And the sampling was, in our minds not frequent enough. So we went ahead and in conjunction with the neck, we did additional sampling around just to Lance's plant to see if we could detect any volatile organic compounds. And that was the first set of sampling that was done earlier in the year. At this point, we're requesting some additional sampling to be able to see what is look like now what the the air is looking like now that we are in a warmer season, where we receive most of the complaints tends to be the warmer months. And then additionally we want to do sampling after after the after the regenerative thermal oxidizer is installed. Which was the result of the consent agreement.
Right, madam president thank you and thank you, BC in so I just in while I support the council woman's concerns. I just want to make sure that if we're going above and beyond as a city, and we're finding gaps in the protection at the state level, I support the city coming in and trying to fill those gaps and make sure that we're getting enough data so we can also make an educated assessment of the situation. And so for me, this is above and beyond. It's in conjunction with that. So I'm going to support this although we did have a conversation in committee that if we're having to go above and beyond because of the Lance's air quality that issues that they're creating. They should be the ones reimbursing us for this but I also do not want to lower the bar when we've taken it to the next level for sampling and getting information regarding air quality which obviously has not been up to par and has been the process at the state level have identified as problematic and so but they're still not clipping at a level that we would like to see at the city level, which means we're above and beyond and so I just wanted to throw that those items were clear and why I am going to support this contract.
Thank you. Mr. Benson.
Thank you, Madam President. Through you to miss Gilbert Rogers, can you share with us how often the city is actually capturing data?
Sure, so this contract is going to allow for eight additional sampling events excuse me, I want to make sure I'm having my numbers right here. So what happens is we have three locations, and these locations can be changed based on current weather conditions. So we go out to the specified location and put some a canister or some air monitoring device and you put it down at people level so to speak, not on the ground, but up a little bit where we are where we breathe, and it sits at that location for 24 hours collecting samples for the entire time. Then it's taken back to the laboratory and analyzed. So what we're going to do is drop those three canisters at the three different locations for different weeks. So I believe I said the wrong number because three times four is 12. So three canisters, four weeks in a well, so we get you know, like a timeline of what's happening over this month. And then we're able to say okay, this is what the air looks like. at ground level where people are breathing as opposed to what's coming out of the staff that's, you know, elevated.
Thank you and are you able to respond to constituent complaints or residents complaints relative to high paid odors that they're smelling in the community to then be able to get a sample within that 24 hour period when you're collecting data?
Through the Chair enforcement does reside with Eagle. When people make complaints, we do encourage them to contact eagle and make sure that their complaint is heard through Eagle because that is where the air quality enforcement lies. We are taking these additional supplemental samples to add just additional weight to their concerns. But we are not directly responding to complaints. If we have a complaint from residents. You know, if we're getting numerous complaints from residents in a certain area, we're going to adjust our sampling to it to a test you know to a tune for that area. But if somebody calls in on Monday, we are not going out on you know, Wednesday to put a summa canister at that location No.
Okay, thank you and I think that was my point. So that if we are collecting data within a 24 hour period, when we choose to collect data, are we capturing the necessary and appropriate data in order to identify or justify odors that residents are smelling? So ego has the ability to send someone out and I'm not talking about enforcement, but I'm talking about when we collect the data, being able to identify whether or not there are noxious odors, if we're collecting data every Sunday for 24 hour period but a resident on Wednesday at three o'clock in the afternoon says that they smell odors. If we're not collecting data within that 24 hour period, then how are we able to affirm that the information is effective that we are truly getting the data that is necessary to be able to respond to constituent complaints about the odors emanating from still Lantis.
Okay, through the chair. odor is a very complicated thing. You know, we can smell a variety of compounds to run those and the way that they interact with our odor receptacle is very complicated. So when we are going out to test we are testing for the volatile organic compounds that are generally associated with painting operations. Again, when Eagle goes out to to do an investigation based on an odor complaints, they're not sampling at all. They have they do investigations that do not include any chemical sampling, they're smelling, which is what they should be doing because the residents are complaining of a noxious odor and their ordinance allowed to rights violations based on nuisance odors. So there that's what they are checking for is the nuisance and they're using their nuisance tests or their nose variable smell test to see if in fact they are you know, nuisance odors in the area.
Thank you. And my last question is so wouldn't it be more effective to partner with Eagle when Eagle receives a complaint for the city to be able to provide data on monitoring the air? At that point. If an eagle inspector can go out and smell it with their nose, wouldn't it then be more effective for us to say okay, our canister monitor has captured air quality data during the same time and this is what the unit has provided to us
through the chair that that that's a very astute observation. We have the technology at this point to mobilize our air monitoring put our air monitoring equipment that quickly. These monitoring devices, the Summa canisters have to be prepared before we can deploy them and the preparation kit can sometimes take a couple of days to get them ready to go.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
All right. Thank you member Johnson. Any additional comments?
All right,
hearing none. Councilmember Santiago Miro has more this for approval. line item 19.8. Are there any objections? Objection? All right, the clerk will no
member Johnson.
So no. Member Santiago Romero.
Member Callaway
cool. So no. Waters vertical so no.
Hearing no further objections that resolution will be approved from the Office of contracting and procurement.
Madam President, there are three contracts up for vote today from the neighborhood and community services. Standing Committee. All of our General Services Department on the new business portion of the agenda. First of all, we have contract number 60052301 To present city funding to provide Keaton park improvements contract is Michigan recreational construction. So the contract amount $100,000. The next contract is contract number 6003474. A one one 2%. City funding amendment number one to provide an extension of time to service all Detroit recreation pools contract is Baruch Barzun Zaini contracting LLC. original contract amount $400,543.40. The last contract was contract number 60052681 2%. City funding to provide repair services for City of Detroit's small engine equipment and generators. Patrick Weingartz Supply Company Inc. total contract amount $120,281.55 Councilmember young three resolutions line items 19.9 through 19 point 11.
Councilmember Yeah.
Thank you, Madam President marginal for a lot of 19.9 19 point 11.
All right, motion has been made any discussion on these contracts? Objection. All right. We've got a motion to approve any objections? Councilmember Callaway?
Um, yes, thank you Madam Chair. Objection. To line line item 19 point 11.
No, and I'm actually a no 119 point 11 as well. There we go. So no, any additional objections? Hearing none, the three resolutions will be approved.
request a waiver for line items nine point 19.9 and 19 point 10. Madam President.
motion has been made for a waiver 19.9 and 19 point 10 Hearing no objections. That action will be taken. From the Office of the Chief Financial Officer Office of Development in grants
was Aleutian line of 19. Point 12.
Councilmember young
Thank you Madam President. I move to approve line item 19 point 12
A motion has been made for approval. Any objections? Discussion manager? Discussion? Yes, member Callaway.
Thank you Madam Chair. I did ask a question during Committee last week regarding line line item 19 point 12 And whether or not the Wi Fi installation would require sales cell towers to be installed at these parks. And I was assured that cell towers would not be installed at these five right parks. Thank you Madam Chair.
Right. Thank you member Callaway. Any additional discussion? All right Hearing none, motion has been made to approve this resolution. Hearing no objections that action will be taken. Under resolutions.
Councilmember waters two resolutions, line items 19 point 13 and 19 point 14.
Councilmember waters.
Thank you, Madam President Move approval on 19 point 13 First,
okay. motion has been made for approval. This is porting Michigan Senate Bill 208 of 2023. Discussion on this one. Okay, remember Yang?
Thank you, man. I was I just wanna make sure I get this correct, because from my understanding this would be supporting Senate Bill two, eight and 2023. This would be actually repealing the preemption involving local units. of government regulating firearms. So this would be repealing the firearms and ammunition act of 1990 the public act in 1990 90 Correct.
That is correct memory. Yeah. Okay.
Then the other one, and then the other resolutions about the actual gun free zones and that's gonna that's gonna be for the entire city of Detroit, right?
Yes, it will give Well, both of these will. First of all 1913 If Senate Bill 2208 should pass right there. Municipale municipalities will have the option of creating gun free zones or however we should determine it to be as municipality and member young. I further want to point out that Senate Bill 208 is sponsored by Senator Jeff Irwin out of Ann Arbor of Ann Arbor and co sponsored by to Detroit senators, Senators as well, and that Senator Chang and Senator cabina.
Thank you, Madam President. Yeah, yeah, I just wanted to share it. That's an excellent point that you say that this would be permissive. So they're repealing the preemption so the government can have that option, not what that requirement or mandate but the option to be able to regulate firearms in their respective municipalities. They would be involving local US government schools, because schools are not subject to the preemption.
Absolutely. Thank you.
There's your Okay. Okay.
So where was it? Me? Yeah, no, I was
honestly honestly, reading it. I liked the way you had it. I'm gonna vote for these. I like the way you had it originally. Because I thought that it was a way for us to really kind of dig down deeper to the analysis of how this is gonna work and how you're going to do this and how you're going to apply it and I would like it to apply, you'll be applied first downtown, there's a lot of kinks you're going to have to work out with law. Enforcement, how they relate to local units of government. And I also liked the fact he was gun zones and also repealing the freeing law, so I'm gonna vote for both of these, but I just, I just liked the way you had it originally, but I'm still gonna vote for Thank you. Thank you.
19 point 13 potentate Thank you.
Do we move both? Okay.
Now, let's see if you only move 19 point 13 Or do you want to discuss something? Yes.
Discussion on both 13 point 13 and 14.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank my colleague member waters as well for her push. We all are trying to figure out what to do with this issue of gun violence in the city. The concerns that I had, I must say have not been addressed in this particular version. I don't believe that we as a body and if we do we would have to approve 19 point 14 before 19 point 13 I believe because it says that we as a body if I'm looking at the correct version and 13 have agree that these particular areas are should be considered gun free zones and we we have not had that discussion as a body yet. I truly believe that. And we've had the conversation already. That we are understanding of what these gun free zones will actually look like how they will be executed before we put that language and I am very much in support of removing the preemption take out all the other language and just giving us the ability as the city to you know, self determined. I'm with that's not to say that I'll be with exactly the locations of where we were determined to be a gun zone or even how it would be enforced again, that to me is a conversation that we should, in my opinion be having parallel but we're not and minus that I am in a position where I cannot support either of these two resolutions again, appreciate members as well as everyone's desire and wish and you know push to try to address from our position, the best of our ability, this issue of gun violence in the city. But I just think that when we start talking gun violence, and I'm saying this as a member of and I know you're at large number three, Madam President, I know you're at large but as a district council member. Some of the some of the conversation I've heard from residents in the district is well, why are we focusing so much on downtown when we have the violence is happening in my neighborhood it happened. You know, again, we talked about 14 year olds being shot 13 year olds in the community. So for that, I just wanted to put on the record. Again appreciate the effort but because we are drilling down so to the point where we are identifying downtown and areas in downtown, I will not be able to support this particular these particular resolutions.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yes,
Madam President, and so I certainly appreciate President Pro tems comment. I would further state that we did change some language that would include neighborhoods number one, what we said 500 or more or less. For example, if we had jazz and Jefferson that might be an option that folks could consider and other very large block parties and so forth. That language is included. When you have events that are 500 More now I want to remind my colleagues that the purpose of a resolution is to encourage it does it if in fact Senate Bill tool extra pass and Lansing that is when this body truly becomes engaged in terms of drafting the ordinance and that kind of thing. And we get to work with both the administration and the police department to make those things happen. But I believe that it's very important that we let people know throughout the city in Lansing and so forth, that we want to make some sort of changes as it relates to gun violence in the city. And I will further state that you know, I'm just not doing this I'm I've had people to approach me on both sides of the issue. Of course, you know, you have the Second Amendment people you know, the NRA group has been trying to intimidate me and I'm not going to be intimidated. I'm a strong breast cancer survivor. Yes, yes. So, um, but I've also had some senior citizens who say to me, thank you, thank you Miss waters for standing up for us. There are times I'm just afraid to go various places and stuff and downtown, you know, because of the violence. They they've said that to me. I've had some businesses to say, thank you. And then we've got to do something. We need some sort of amnesty up especially on Fridays through through Sundays, and April through October, those months where the crowds are extremely large, madam president in the downtown area. So that's that's where I'm coming from. I'm not ignoring my neighborhoods. Absolutely not. And I don't think this resin even suggest that but it does has to focus on those very, very large crowds. And so with that, you know, I'm I want to leave it at that I didn't plan to say a whole lot. It just you and I get here to note about it. So thank you, Madam President. Thank you,
member Doha.
Thank you, Madam President. And first, I would like to just thank the sponsor, a tremendous amount of respect for her as well as her pushing for this issue. I will be supportive of item 19.3. I do believe to have the ability to to control our fate, and develop ordinances regarding firearms and other things is important, being having served on both levels. But now here would like to have the ability to change some things that are guarded by the state per se. However, I will not be in supportive 19.4 14 relative to the original language being there. I think I stated and prior in the prior session with this, I did not support the downtown Detroit and the naming of specific communities obviously in there for various reasons. One of the reasons is as I co chair the gun violence task force with council president and council president pro tem, I've had discussions with members of the task force who are not necessarily particularly comfortable with that language being just downtown Detroit for some of the same reasons that President Pro Tem Tate has already stated. I do think that all of us recognize this as an issue. Even again, in the task force, we tear the tech we co chair of the task force, we are working on solutions to stop gun violence as well. So we are I think everyone at this table takes it very seriously. But I just want to be respectful of those recommendations of members of the task force for one and two. I think the message is sending strong that we all are serious, but I I'm just not comfortable having that say downtown Detroit and are outlined in those specific communities at this time if it's not applicable to you know, areas just like in district seven, you know, where we we've got, you know, this phone that we have and all these emails that all of us have we get the DPD updates all the time. Most of them don't come from downtown Detroit, they come from in our neighborhoods. And so that is you know, that is where I am with it, but I do respect you and willing to want to support line item 19 point 13 But because the language has changed again for 19 for 19 point 14 I cannot support so All right, thank you Madam President.
Madam President, I'm just gonna say finally, that where in the world on the large events of a really large events on a regular basis, especially during this summer, other than downtown, if this were the I don't know what up. I don't know how to personally make that any plainer. Then I went back to ever let the language that one of my colleagues requested, so that would include other parts of the city if necessary. I think that our first focus has to be on the larger crowd. That's the starting point for addressing this violence. Is this the starting point? Now if we're talking about the violence that say happened overnight in the in the grocery stores, and that's different, I'm talking about large crowded events, and that has been the focus and I want to be able to work with the task force, you know, but I've got to tell you that some people, colleagues who do appreciate the fact that that we are trying to do this, folks want to be able to come downtown and enjoy their families and, and that guy, there is a lot of fun. There's a lot of excitement, the fireworks and all those things that are coming up. I think that it's incumbent upon us to assist the police department every way that we can, and it's just a resolution right now. It's not even an ordinance. And and we can have that debate, I think at the time, if and when Senate Bill 208 should pass. There's also another bill out there House Bill 4198. We've been working very closely both with folks in the House and in the Senate, so that municipalities can have an option and I want to remind you guys, there are unresolved all over this city, schools and churches and over at Comerica Park, just LCA just everywhere. This is not a foreign to us. It's already happening. We're just simply asking for an expansion. If, in fact, Senate Bill 208 should pass so thank you, Madam President. I said I was gonna leave it there and I am Thank you.
Respond I respond to and so I'll go back to you Robin member Benson
Thank you. Remember waters. Again. I am not insinuating in no way that these these issues don't exist, but do your point. Where do these events happen? They happen next to the Dexter Elmhurst center in the summertime where there's a basketball game and 200 residents who are there and in an area next to a recreation center that could possibly be a gun free zone. And so I they happen other places and other incidents and neighborhoods with neighborhood events, which is one of the reasons that we push strongly to get those metal detectors that we can take the DIS districts and put them for events that are in districts right. And so I'm not saying that I'm not saying that there will not be a need for that. But I am not comfortable particularly to test my name when it just states