ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight for regularly scheduled Highland Park in person and virtual city council meeting scheduled for Monday,
March, 3 at 7pm
if you will be kind enough
to join me In a moment of silence,
I will be eternally grateful.
Madam Clerk, if you would call the roll.
Councilman ashapi, present Councilwoman Martin excuse Councilwoman, Manica here. Council, protein Robinson present
here. We can move on to the approval of the agenda. City council, what's your
pleasure? Minutes? Yeah,
we have a motion I'm sorry for this is for the approval of the proposed minutes for the virtual, in person, regular meeting held on February 18, 2025 city council. Wish a pleasure. I'm sorry.
Motion to approve the agenda for Item three,
we have a motion on the floor. Is that made by you? Council, pro tem. Mr. Shot, I'm sorry, I thought you were seconded, Mr. Sharpie, so the motion was made by Mr. El Shafi. Do we have a second for the approval of the agenda? Madam Pro Tem has seconded the agenda. Any questions, concerns or dissent?
No, no dissent. I have a question or I would like to make, can I make? No,
we have a motion on the court right? We have a motion to approve the agenda as is, that's okay, okay, um, Madam Clerk, would you be counting up to call the roll?
Councilman Shafi yes for approval of the agenda. Councilman
Manica, yes. Council pro Tim Robinson, yes. Council President Thomas
Yes. Motion carries, moving on to Item four a, that is the approval of proposed minutes for the virtual in person, regular meeting held on February 18, city council. What's your pleasure? Motion to approve motion. Motion on the floor from Councilman el Sharpie, seconded by Councilwoman Manica, to approve a minute. Councilwoman Manica made the second if we have any we don't have any questions, concerns for the sinner, go ahead and call for the role on item four. A council
member Shafi Yes. Council woman Manica, yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson, yes.
That's President Thomas, Yes. Motion carries. Moving on Item 4b approval of proposed minutes for the virtual in person workshop meeting held on February 18, city council What's your pleasure? Motion to approve a motion floor by Councilman ashapi, seconded by Councilwoman Manica questions, concerns or dissent. Madam Clerk, would you be counting up to call the roll?
Councilman ashaki, yes. Councilwoman Manica, yes. House Pro Temp Robinson, yes. Council President Thomas,
Yes. Motion carries. This is the portion of our regular meeting where we set time aside for Mayor McDonald. I need to see if she is on the line. Oh, is she in the building. Okay, so assuming that Miss McDonald would have reached out to me, let me know she was going to be here, we will move through that. She She gives me email. I'm sorry I haven't read
it. Haven't read it. Okay, she said that she would be alone. Okay, I don't
see her here,
and she has the ability to reach out to us at her leisure too. So we'll go ahead and move into citizens participation. Citizen may speak for no more than two minutes. I'm going to be very rigorous with my two minutes. Highland Park, two minutes, two minutes and 30 seconds. So, yep. So once I get this timer set, we'll allow anyone who has comments or questions related to the agenda only. That is the agenda only. You'd be kind enough to adhere to that the agenda items for tonight includes a section of the city administration for recreation, a section for the city clerk. We have community economic development, 12345, items. There's a city council item on that, Item eight, and then the Department of Water. So those are the comments that the chair will entertain right now. How are you doing, sir, once
you state your name, I'll go ahead and start your time.
Thank you, Mr. President, and again, you are my pleasure. And your families in my prayers. Thank you very much, sir. Greetings, everybody. My name is Mark Ashley price. I'm a citizen district advisory member, district memory and city council, district three. My question is Number A I just want to know who's on the Board of Review, who's up for renewal this evening. That was my only question. Thank you.
Do any additional citizens that want to come up and speak during this time? Okay, seeing none, I'm going to go ahead and stop this. Um, members of council, how you feel about us just sharing with Mr. Mr. Price The question that he asked, anybody have a problem? I do not. Okay. So Mr. Price on that item is Item eight.
Nathan Harvey and Mister Harvey Lucy
fry,
okay. If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Price, these are all renewals of their their current appointments. Alright? Thank you so much. So let's move on to I appreciate allowing me to do that. So let's go ahead and move right off into our agenda for Item four, we're under city administration, the recreation department. This is a resolution to issue the contract for Spark grant project, prime professional. I mean, do we have
Yes, miss, no. Miss, Noranda is in the back.
Okay, so city council, what's your pleasure on item five, I moved
to approve the resolution to issue contract for sparse grant project, prime professional.
We have support second with questions, mister shapi has offered support. The motion is open for discussion. Mister shapi, please go right ahead.
So if you can, you can give us a quick overview. I greatly appreciate it. Yes,
this contract is for the prime professional and this or this company, will take and they'll do the architectural designs, they'll follow the process, they'll assist us with the bid process for contractors, and they'll also do any follow up with any of the grant reporting that we'd have to do at the end of the project, we had six bids. We did our due diligence on the bids, we took it down to three, and then we created a panel to go through the three that we thought were the best. And then from there, we sent our top choice to the funder, and they also approved our top choice. So this is just for us to start proceeding with the architectural drawings and getting ready to go out to bid. So hopefully, hopefully, by the fall, we can start some of the projects. Okay,
okay, so prime did win this
the Smith group, right? Yes, okay, okay,
so hopefully, hopefully, by this summer, y'all be underway for work or Yes,
alright, I also brought the sheet that we did for the bidding, so if anybody wanted to see that, okay, alright, cool, perfect. Miss,
that is a very valuable tool that you brought here, if you don't mind making a copy and putting that in the mailboxes the city council, because that I've never come across that process before, and I think it would be really informative for us to understand
what that looks like. I have five copies here. So much. Yes. Thank you so much.
Any further questions or concerns before I call for the vote on this item? Hearing? None. Madam Clerk, I will ask the call for the vote on item five, the resolution to issue a contract for sparks,
grant project. Yes. Councilwoman Manica, yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson, no. Council President Thomas,
Yes. Motion carries, uh, Miss Miranda, please come back and share with us the progress when you have an opportunity. Okay, all right, thank you so much. Uh, moving to item six under the city clerk. This is a parade permit application for Michigan week parade to be held May 17, 2025 from the Parker pride foundation. Do we have the Parker pride foundation in the house tonight? Okay? Uh, city council. What's your pleasure on item six? Other application motion to approve from Madam Pro Tem seconded from Councilwoman Manica. Do we have questions? Concerns? You want to go right ahead and vote for it. Mr.
Sharp, if we have questions, Council President,
Mr. Spike, i
Is it me, or is the event getting bigger? Eight bands, 10 floats, 10 livestock, 50 cars and 400 people, both you're getting bigger and the parade is also getting better, okay, okay, um, how long have you been to doing this parade now? Missus fire, I think this is our sixth parade, okay? I think this is our be our sixth parade, six years. And the and the organization is for the 501, c3, certified, right? Yes, sir. What day was that that certification? Uh, that's in my records. I don't know exactly the date that we certify, 501, c3, but what do that have to do with putting on parade? And I'm just asking questions. Oh, we got that information. If you need that, we simply are 501, c3, you know, okay, okay, for when you send your donations, we can give you your tax write off. Okay, we got you. Okay, my man, alright. Council President, I yield back. I have a question for you. Mr. Spice, yes sir, where's the term I walked this parade last year? Where does it end up at? What is from tuxedo to picket, tuxedo to pick it. Okay, yeah. And then the bands we try this year, we're going to try something different, because we got with the police and the fire. We don't want no one to park on picket Street, because, okay, when the busses to pick up these kids need to turn down there to get these kids. They don't want to pick them up on Hamilton, because Hamilton on the other side of the barricades will be open. So they want to really pick them up on picket or SEC or third. What's that third? On third? So they really want that street to be vacant.
So okay, um, okay, that's all I really need to know. Let's go ahead and get this part. Miss Miss Manica, real
quick. Mister spike.
Um, because we have the it closed across where the Greenway, Mm, hmm. And then also, you're talking about parking. Have you thought about that? Because that's not what
we was going to do, like we did last year a car show. We canceled the car show because of the picket, I mean, because of what they're doing in the parking structures. So we're going to try to block that off so no one can go up in that parking lot and try to, you know, deter the traffic from being over there, and key them to the playground of the field.
And so just out of consideration, just something to think about, in case, during the time when this happens, they're doing something that will prohibit you, that you have a second direction, or where you going to go? Maybe you might have to go down a different street. Your pick his feet is cut off, yeah. Or them coming across Hamilton, working going across Hamilton. Well, if Mike Woodward that has, if
case B, and they cut that off, then they cutting off the traffic from Hamilton altogether, right, which we're going to get with their department and see what they're going to do, and let them know what we're going to do. Because last year they had some things going on. We talked to them, and they kind of moved all that stuff out the way so we can proceed with our parade. And then when it was over with that following weekend, they put it all back. Okay, so we're going to see we're going to follow that up again, and then the mayor, she's adamant about helping us, you know, derail a lot of this stuff. And I if you guys can please help us make this happen. Because mister lackey,
can you do office green sharing for me? Please excuse me for that interruption. I just need to
do as far as I know, we are the only city that's doing the Michigan we prayed now. So this is something really important that we keep going and get it bigger and bigger so Parker pride can give it back to the city when the city is ready to take it and it's ready to go. And we're going to do something, something else. Okay, we got, I
just wanted to make sure we just kind of keep a note about that sounds good.
So, where did you meet your livestock?
I don't have no livestock. I think is that? Well, the Meraki temple Shriners, they bring their livestock. Um, when they they going to tell us all what they can bring? We're going to tell them probably no, with the livestock, because that's a different type of insurance for us. We did it one year. We did it two years. Horse went nuts. We kicked them all out, and we didn't want to deal with it no more, because the horses was trained, but for some reason they started acting kind of different. We didn't want them around the kids, so we kicked him out. So we probably won't have livestock, really. Livestock could probably be the guy with the farm with chickens and stuff. He was in there one
year. So no 50 cars and no lifestyle. The 50 cars
probably be there. Oh yeah, because the car show, we probably just have to drive and set a park stand, lift the hood. We probably just put them in the parade. Just let everybody Google out some nice cars. I
applaud you for asking for these things, even though that you might not, because if you get some beautiful little ponies, a little short, docile ponies, it'd be great to have them. I also appreciate you asking for more than what you think you need, because it will, as opposed to coming to saying, yeah. So I pulled this map up here, and as I walked the parade route last year, I was struck by something. So this is a residential area. This is the Gabriel apartments, those town homes. And I saw a lot of people coming down to meet us on Manchester, if you needed to have an alternative, Rob and see, this is me playing devil's advocate with Miss manicas. Comment about the Greenway. If they could go down third, mind you, these are Highland Park Street. They could go down third past the old ice cream place. Let me put this into and end up at the field. This is to my in my opinion, it is potentially safer because they don't have to deal with the traffic on Hamilton and it's all our streets. Dirt is awfully small, though, to
corral bands and floats if I if we put those floats in there, that's you. I understand
you completely. I just wanted to offer an alternative for two reasons. One, if we increase the amount of the time that the parade spent near actual people. You know, I'm saying with the community that's there that might encourage more people to out. I saw those kids sweating their butts off, and they were not enough. A lot of people that were watching came with the kids. And so I would like to see I remember when I first moved here, and the noise brought me out of my house, and the smell of horses had me walking down the wood Avenue. I used to see people lining up on Oakland all the way down to the Service Drive. I remember I was jogging one day unaware, and I ran into the Tuskegee Airmen, the Buffalo Soldiers. I'm sorry we had them sitting up there. It was massive when we first moved here. And there were a lot of people that came out. People just came out of the house, and they and they sometime and they flip flops in the road and just came to look. So it's just a thought as a way to make it so that the people can actually see it. I don't want, let
me, let me say this. Now we have meetings with the mayor once a month to try to see what's her ideas, how we connect with the city, with the fire and the police department. You guys, you guys are, you know, y'all can come to that meeting, even though we need these ideas, because, see, this is the growth that we're trying to do. Now you're asking questions and showing maps. Next year you might say, we in the parade, right? You know, I'm saying steps is going where we needed to go, yeah. And then the next year, you say we're going to take the parade back and say, y'all can have it. We'll give you everything. Yeah,
cuz even if we went down second, you go past, you go between Manchester apartments and Gabriel apartments, all of those people, all of those kids that really can't they could imagine having all of those people, plus the rest of us.
What if it went down second and crossed over to the old high school, the new high school grounds, open that up to a carnival and everybody have fun. This means you guys gotta relinquish that that land and see what you're gonna do with it, because we got plans, and our plans can't move until we know what you guys gonna do. Big plans for that land. If you guys don't have any big plans for that land,
well, that's community economic development. So there you go. Imma stay in my wheelhouse. I
mean, I got a presentation the whole shot. So okay, so let's go ahead and let's go
ahead and we're looking forward to being in it again. Thank you so much for that. Let's go ahead for the vote and get this permit out. Um, we have a motion on the floor to approve the parade permit application from Council proton second by Councilwoman, Madam Clerk, would you call the roll?
Councilman Shafi Yes. Councilwoman Manica Yes. Council Robinson Yes. Council President Thomas Yes.
Motion carries Moving on to Community Development. We have 12345, items for community development. I have a motion. Please go right ahead,
I move to remove these items from the agenda for further discussion with the CD director.
So we have a motion on the floor from Councilwoman Manica to remove the items under community development. That is a resolution to sell to vacant residential lot at 144 Church, the resolution to sell to vacant residential lot at 98 tenants, and the resolution to sell the vacant residential lot at 1643, Oakland, the resolution to sell the vacant residential lot at 234, Pasadena and the resolution to sell the vacant commercial lot at 12535, Hamilton Avenue, is there support? We have a motion on the floor from Councilman Manica, to remove, you ask it to remove and do what with
they we'll bring it back later. But I said to have further discussion with the CD director, okay and
support proton. You got a
question? Council President, yes. Is there a reason why we're removing?
Because I would prefer to vote on it when we have all the information or the things that we ask for, first from CED.
Okay, so what's this? What I'm trying to understand, the floor
is open for discussion. We can, we can do them as a group, because you, because you made that motion and it's been supported. We can deal with all of these as a group. So the floor is open. Go ahead and debate it.
I tell you I would rather deal with each one of these individually. You know, but I'm curious as to what's missing. The applications they look for, they look in order. I don't see anything that's out of place. I don't understand why we're tabling these items
we're moving. So one, I think that I need a reason. I asked several times to give us more information on how the process is and because, for example, every lot is not the same, we do have some charter, I'm sorry, some ordinance and some charter items that are specific to us with the land. And according to some of the other meetings that we've had seem like we may be violating them. On top of that, we have a company that's rewriting our ordinance at the current time
in regards to
what goes along with getting these lots. So I've talked to several residents that felt like they didn't know that the responsibility that came along with their lots and the different things that they are required to do.
Okay, so I get that, but it's not the first time that the administration hasn't given us something that we've asked for. You know, it just it makes for a much more interesting a scavenger hunt when I get down to the bottom of it, or some of these people have been waiting a while, uh, like mister Jalen Smith here on Tennessee, uh, he's finally come back to us after a couple of months. So I've actually talked to them. Hold on a second, okay, um, I don't think, I don't think that healing Springs is is willing to wait until they're until they're eventually called back. And I'm pretty sure that the guy that the the young lady, Miss Moore on, on Pasadena is looking for her moment as well. Now, I don't know about the guy on Oakland, that's something new, but yeah, I can't see collectively removing all of them. Maybe if we take them one by one, I could get a better understanding, and maybe I can agree to it, but to take all of them out, it makes no sense to me,
if I may, okay, I am in alignment with mister Shafi, as you all know, when it comes to the disposition of these lots to local citizens, or at least property owners within the city of Highland Park, I think that time is of the essence. We have to make sure that the people who have been vested in the city, and let's call it what it is right now the city is broke, with their pockets turned inside out, and the people who are investing on a small scale have been doing a lot of the heavy lifting for many years. It's no secret that when we have situations like we have with item A and B, as well as Item D and E, I am in favor of moving sooner versus later. We're already in March. As a property developer, I can tell you, once these properties change hands, these people are going to have about a 60 to 90 day window before the grass is growing and the weeds are coming through, and I would and they're probably going to do again this year, what they've done last year, if they've been taking care of the property, and what I would like to see is for people in the early stages that are the transformation of the city, be able to take ownership, like mister Henderson, like Mister Smith, like Miss Moore and like healing springs, Missionary Baptist Church. I think we have done this. As mister ashapi has said a number of times, and it is especially if you got in line and you done everything the right way, it's very frustrating. And it can kind of, you know, it could take the fire out of what you're working on if you keep doing everything the right way and getting frustrated. So I, I will be inclined to agree with him. I will be I'm just making I'm turning my hand up and letting everybody know I will be in favor of the ones that I mentioned receiving their property today. And I still agree with you, Miss Manica, that there's things that need to be ironed out, but in the process of ironing them out, I think we should incentivize the people who have done all of the work by rewarding them with the property they've applied for. That's just my opinion. So
I am not against going I'm not against going one by one, okay, but here's the other option to that, yes, ma'am, when you say, What do you mean? You say they've done everything in order, or they've gotten everything in order. You were just referring to the paperwork. What are
we referring to? So I would to be more specific. So getting in line in Highland Park takes a special kind of person. Let's just agree to that. And so is there any so? So let me, let me outstand. Let me, let me finish. So get just getting in line. That's a special kind of person, especially to come back again and again and again and again, stick the same key in the door. He told it opens, but it doesn't. So you then you get your paperwork in order, and the process of scrutiny is much better than it was in the days before us. The scrutiny process is better. The presentation might not be all spitting policy, every I might not be doubted, every T might not be crossed, but we are light years ahead of where we were when we took over in January of 2022 or whatever year that was. And we also have people who have been in line, and they've gotten a new application, and they've come back again. They paid $125 again, and they've, they've, they've gone out and taken photographs and cut the grass and kept their water bills paid again. They've done all of those things. And so I think if, particularly with these people who are returning to us, we should, I will be willing to go one at a time on them at that I just, I just think it's fair.
I'm gonna let Miss Robinson go. I'm sorry. It is not
go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Miss Robinson. I'm sorry. The majority of these applications that's in this type today. I just want everybody to know and stay for the record that they were filed five days ago. Okay, we have a lot of people that have applications in already.
Are these refiles? Some of these people, some of these spaces look familiar. Well,
the Tennessee is,
yeah, Tennessee is a repeat.
Okay, I did. I actually had a conversation with them, and they were okay with it, because it was not a no, it, I would prefer it not be on here, so that it Imma be honest, so that it's not a no just by accident, even if it happened by accident that it ended up being a no, because once it's a no, but one, because Once it's a no, then it's gone. And so I just put them all together and say, Hey, we can all we can bring them back next meeting. I don't really care, but I wanted a discussion, because, just like CED and every other department, want things done, or they want their respect, city council wants their respect too. I've asked several times for the same several different things. I think Council Robinson Pro Tem Robertson also said this before about what happened to all the people prior to these people, because those same people are also saying, Hey, how did we get pushed behind or I asked for this and these. I don't think anybody else has asked for but the same scenario, we're not following complete protocol, or we ask for update. I
I agree with you, but I'll say this. Let's say there was another group of applicants who came, and at the time, things were not in alignment. We had, we got a new CD director. There's been a lot of changes with the with some of the things that have happened within the city, and the people before them were frustrated and they were denied because of it wasn't done in a level of completeness that you might have liked. But does that over? Does that extend to these people that are on this list tonight? Is it possible for us to go through tonight and find those that we feel are acceptable and move them on and then deal with the remainder, to allow us to dig down to get the things that we want? It is, I guess my point is that
you're asking, Can we, I can resend my motion. Okay, and then
we can go one at a time. Now, if we also have the option to, when we come to something that you know, you get a rock in your shoe, you stop and you table it, you sit down and get the rock out of your shoe. You shake it out. But if we, if we look, I've looked, I skimmed over this, particularly the Community Economic Development, those applications, those applications earlier today, and I didn't see anything glaring. It's an accomplishment. No back taxes, no water bills. Property has been maintained and set up in such a way they haven't moved on to the property. That's been a big sticking point for members of council. People occupying they're waiting. So they're waiting on the edge of this property. They're doing everything they're supposed to do, and I can promise you, if the grass starts growing, they're going to cut
it. I think some of these are not occupied, but I did. I recently my motion. Okay,
okay. So, Madam proton, Would you also like to rescind your support? I have a choice. Okay, so the motion has been rescinded. So ladies and gentlemen, moving on to item seven of the community development, we have Item a, a resolution to sell to vacant residential lot at 4144 church, to the adjacent property owner at 148 church. That is Mister church. That's mister Nathaniel Henderson. Mister Henderson, are you present? Yes, I am. Mister hender. Okay, that's you on the screen. Okay, sir. Okay. So yeah, motion item seven, a
motion to approve with questions.
We have a motion on the floor from Councilman oshapi to approve with questions. Do we have support? Chair will offer support so that the item can come on the floor for discussion. Mr. Shock you the floor is yours. Okay?
Mr. Henderson, am
I to understand correctly that you are currently working on this house and you are just about done fixing it? Is that correct?
Yes, sir, that's correct.
Yes, sir, yeah, yeah,
I'm scared.
Speaker, you just speak. Okay. Miss Henderson, yes, sir, you take yourself off mute.
I am off mute.
He's not on mute. We can I can hear him. Council President, alright, sir,
yes, sir, that's correct.
He's a hello. Can you hear me? Nothing's coming out. Can you hear me? I can hear you in my I can hear you in my computer. Let me hold on. Turn this up.
Try again. Miss Anderson, yes, sir, can you hear me?
I can hear you on my computer. Go ahead.
Okay, yes, I've been working on the property, and I'm not really posted. I've
been maintained in the lock for the last
Okay, hold on a second. Mister Anderson, we're getting a little bit of feedback. Okay.
What type of audio? What type of audio Do you have?
I'm sorry, I'm just, I'm straight talking into the computer.
So what's happening when I take this mute office, it is coming through my actual computer screen. Normally it's muted, and he's able to come through the television.
Okay, so, so the council president, while we're while we're waiting on that. I see that he is listed as a non resident, but he is putting a great amount of work into the house. I was unable to reach his neighbor next door to see if they had an opportunity for right of refusal, because the lot is actually their first, right? But
imma unmute you, Mister Anderson, did you ask your neighbor about the property? Have you had any discussion
the people next door are the renters, so the actually the property that I bought, I purchased from the actual owner, and he actually had no interest in it, because he that's why he was getting these properties.
Okay, Imma pause you for a second, so if I if I heard you correctly, you can nod for us, because I don't want to kill these folks ears, the people that are living next door are renters. Yes. Okay, and you purchased your property from the owner of the property that the renters are living in currently. Okay, Imma unmute you again. I don't want to hurt your ears, but that's what we got. We have a technical difficulties tonight. Is there anything further that you wanted to add? No,
I've been taking care of the property since I bought the other property and been maintaining, and would like to keep maintaining and put some work into it, but it's been, like over a year, year and a half, and I've been trying to process, and I'm getting nowhere. Okay,
so the CD director handed me this document, and it shows that mister Henderson's original application for 144 church went in in November, 20 of 2023
over a year ago.
Any additional further information that you would need about this? Mister Sharpie?
No, no, I'm good at this point.
I have a question. Yes, Miss man. I just want to make sure I understand he bought the property from the person who owns that house on the other side. I
believe that's correct. Okay,
I'm confused. What property did
he buy? Are you saying the current property that you're working on? You brought this vacant property from the owner of the house where the renters live. Is that correct?
Oh, don't freeze. Come on. Come on,
it froze, bro.
You're having a wonderful time for technical difficulties. Okay, I'm going to unmute Yes, that's correct. Yes,
okay, yeah, okay. I heard that. Yes.
I heard Yeah. Did you get your answer, Miss Manica, I did. Okay. So, ladies and gentlemen, we have this motion on the floor to approve the sale of this house to mister Henderson. Mister Henderson applied, as I said, over a year ago. Council President a lot, yep. And so he is working on the property. He's trying to purchase. What we have any additional questions or concerns before I go ahead and call for the vote. Okay, item first, would you please call for the vote?
Council member Shafi Yes. Councilwoman Manica Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson No. Council President Thomas Yes. Motion carries.
Thank you. Mr. Henderson, you received a lot today, I would ask that you come back and see us. We need success stories. We need people who have purchased property from the city to show up and say, I bought this piece of property from the city of Highland Park. I feel like they did the right thing by me, and so let me do the right thing. By then as well, the more people come and show us what they've done and help to set a standard for us to be able to make sure that it's a level playing field that benefits you. We don't want anybody to have a easier, a rougher go than when you have so coming back and talking to us will be something we would greatly appreciate.
Thank you, sir. Today Have a wonderful day.
Okay, moving on to item 7b That's the resolution to sell the vacant residential lot in 98 Tennyson street to the adjacent property owner. 100 Tennyson, Mister Jalen Smith and shakari dancy, alright, it's Mister Smith
and I here. You're not we're here. But they, they left. Okay, oh,
had to go. Okay. Council President, I am willing.
Council President, yes, sir, if possible, I am willing to table this one before Miss manna, because they were here and she talked to them and they left. So, you know, okay, I'm willing to table this man. I mean, did you have a no, no, I'll wait until it comes back. I i will make a motion to table.
Okay, well, okay, well, yeah, I'll support that motion and but I have a question. Okay, I'm sorry.
I support it too. Go ahead, ask your question,
so I can't ask a question. On that one, ask a question. So once it's called for tabling, I can't ask any questions.
I can't hear
you. I withdraw my support because I want to talk about, oh, okay, we can change the motion. I just want to make sure we talk about, okay, so you made a motion to approve with no Today I made a motion to table.
I Okay? And the
reason I made that motion, they were here. Yes, Monica, she talked to him, and then they left, right. So they kind of like, you know, we don't get opportunity to speak with him, because they're going already Gotcha. Didn't want to have him down on the table. Yep, right. Just table. It to the next meeting. That'd be great. So I will keep my
support for mister shakis motion to table it
and no discussion, because it's table okay, fine, then let's call for the vote to table. Item 7b
Councilman ashaki, yes, the table. Councilwoman Manica, yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson, yes. Council President Tom,
yes. The table item 7b to be brought back at the next regular schedule. Okay. Council meeting. I'm moving on to item 7c the resolution to sell to vacant residential lot at 16143 open Avenue to the adjacent property owner at 16114 sorry, 16141 open avenue to peripheral industries LLC and Michigan Limited Liability Company. City council, what's your pleasure on item 7c? Nope.
Council, President,
I went by this I went I went by this property. And it's the, it's the old abandoned I mechanic shop on Oakland and and the lots are across the street, and it's at least about four of them. It covers the entire block across the street of what he's, he's, he's looking for. This is, obviously, this is not a sale of lots. This is actually a development. I would ask that CED relook at this and bring back to this council a development plan for something so extensive, I
would like to entertain a motion for item C, based on what you said, Sir, my ears are open. I'm ready.
Okay, um, I would like to have this item. I would like to make a motion to have this item referred back to CED Director for Development, because it's clearly, that's what it is. We have
a motion on the floor from Councilman shop. You should return this item to CD for further investigation. Do we have support? Second of a second from Councilwoman Manica, and that motion is again to return this item to CED until such time as the I'm sorry it was Miss Manica. I wrote Manica. I said, Miss Robinson, I'm trying to keep this together here. I got it so we have a motion report from Council.
We just go see you back this Sunday, directed and fixed
so questions, concerns, dissent, um, Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll on item 7c? Councilman
Shafi Yes,
to send back to CED. Councilwoman
Manica Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson Yes. Council president yes
to return to CED. So, sir, you would, I would follow up with the Director of Community Economic
Development. Could you make one statement? And the one statement that we're the lot that he we're talking about, is not the lot that Okay, so
I'm going to stop. I'm going to stop you right there. What I would encourage you to do before you go, and I see the frustration in your face. And so what I would encourage you to do is that we all have business cards before you leave. I would, I would ask that you get the business cards of the city council persons that had questions. I would also definitely encourage you to follow up with the CD director. Hey, ASAP,
I'm confused, and this is the part where I'm confused and
I understand and I understand your confusion. I understand your confusion. I will offer you a little bit of clarity for on the part of the members of city council, our job is to say yes or no and to take full accountability for the things that we say yes or no, sir, my colleagues here are very firm in their belief that when it comes to the disposition of property, they want to be on the right side of history in the past. We can't necessarily say that, and so it is. It is incumbent upon the body of people who are seated here right now to follow their conscience and their due diligence. I can assure you, I can assure you, over our time that we've been here, we've disagreed about a lot of things. The one thing that we have unanimously agreed on is that we want to make sure that our property sales go in good spirit and good faith. We don't want any of them tainted, so that if that means waiting to two weeks into the next meeting under the best case scenario, I would encourage you to do that, because I have seen people with good intentions have their dreams thwarted because they were in a hurry, not, not because it ain't anything wrong, because they they just wanted it now. No, I
get it. I just so how do we correct the specific lot that we're buying? Because that is not your lot.
So what I would, again, what I would do is, you have. My colleagues here have business cards. I would get their card and I'll have a conversation with them. Can you give me your name phone? I'm
sorry. My name is Sharif Dyer. It's S, H, A, R, R, I, F, F, D, y, E, R. My telephone number is 248-895-9348,
the light. So don't,
don't I 348,
and so now, so this, I want to make it clear as a guest here, this is our meeting. Everybody has some other side of that bar. Don't walk away yet, cuz I i understand real estate development. And for all I know, you have a impending deadline or a domino that needs to fall that you were expecting this to occur today so that you could do the next thing. That's what I look I think I see in your face,
nope, what I'm saying that's
not the right property. That is the building that I own. I own own 1916, 191 Oakland. I own 16, 190 16, 141 Oakland.
I own 254 chat
between those two lots is a small lot, so my building sits on Oakland. It sits on the west side of Oakland. So if you're looking at directly across my from my lot. He is specifically referring to a gigantic piece of land. No,
the application said one of your properties,
that's my property. And the just, hold on. Just give me. Just be patient with me
for a second. We actually break your protocol. Okay, before you leave, we break your protocol. But you know, this happy, yeah. Okay, so this is what I would like for you to do. You're here. We're going to be moving through this agenda pretty quickly, very shortly, probably within the next 1520 minutes, we have to this participation. I'll give you an opportunity to address us. Nothing, just nothing frustrates me more than seeing people who want to do something in the city have an additional hurdle to go over, if not a long line of people really wanting to come to Highland Park and really get down in it right now. So everybody that shows up at our door with goodwill. It pains me to see their their dream story.
I said, I feel your pain. I can see it in your face. I
can see it in your face. Mister Clyburn, if I
need to call you so I can get a better understanding of what I will I will just call it up.
Okay, so, mister, yeah, there's nothing for us to have a motion on
the floor. It's already been sent back to see. So,
moving, moving on to Item 17, the resolution to celebrate the residential lot of 234, Pasadena Street, to the adjacent property owner at 234, Pasadena Street, ronisha Morrison, Council. What's your pleasure?
Motion to approve with questions.
Have a motion to approve with questions, support.
Chair wall for support. Mister, sharpen. The floor is yours, okay?
So, so on, on this one here, to, to my understanding, there are, there are three lots at play. Here. Is that correct?
This is the Pasadena. We're on Pasadena,
okay, well, I talked to the owner on Sunday, and she was telling me that she's looking to get all three lots, the two that's to the left of her and the one that's to the right of her. Which one are we doing? First, 234,
is that to the left at the right? I
east or west.
Okay, okay, so the
note she put in here,
she's talking about making
a custom driveway to Parker fleet of vehicles and to also to to bring In two inter mobile shipping containers for family, seasonal, personal use, with flashing and trees, lots, fence, absolutely private, right? So the the problem with that is, is we don't have a shipping container,
so that's why it's just the one lot. Okay, that's for if she was to get all three lots, okay, so this is just for the one lot. Okay,
I saw a lot of cars. Um, is she here today? How you doing? Can you, can you tell us which kind of cars you will be parking on this particular lot, man, um,
just like the vehicles that I drive every day to take my kids to
school. Okay, so,
like, like a regular sedan, okay, maybe a minivan, okay,
I saw an RV out there too. Is that? George? No, okay, so just regular minivan and
sedan, yes, because right now we don't have a driveway at all.
Okay, so why did you say flee the car?
Because
nomenclature, you just threw that out there.
You understand my concern. Okay, so when you drive through a Highland Park, people love to do as they see fit, and some of the bad ideas that people have is parking cars on their lawn and leaving them there, and it looks like a junkyard by the end of the year. Alright, you got multiple cars. Nobody's doing anything about it. The ISO of the city. People walk out their door. I need calls every day, people in the cars park on the lawn or park on the sidewalk, cars abandoned in the back of the house, cars abandoned in alley. I just want to make sure that this is for cars that you want to be personally driving, two or three cars you parking, so that you have a space to park.
Yes, because I actually want to, later down, I want to invest into like, like, because what I do now is, like, it's called Amazon flex, and you gotta have like, a big truck to do, like the big boxes and stuff. So when you know when funds get right, I plan to purchase a bigger vehicle.
So you'll know almost killed you tonight. I just want you to know that. Okay, alright, then do me a favor. No commercial vehicles, okay, no big trucks, okay, just your personal cars. Okay, okay, okay. And as always, the city will be paying attention. Okay, alright. Thank you. Thank you. Pretty
much, I have a couple
of questions. Sure, Does anyone live in the house at 230
No, we're actually just remodeling everything. I just put a a roof. I'm trying to I got three kids, so I'm just trying to get it together for for us. So I'm trying my best.
So did you think about just asking for a permit to put a driveway in?
I just don't know how to go about it, so I just wrote like a letter.
Okay, I understand so and so that is, that is my beginning issue here. No one talked to imma say this. Maybe someone did talk to her. Maybe she didn't give me clear but evidently she doesn't have all that information. She could have just asked for Can I have a permit to put a driveway in? She could've not put fleet. Not only that, in this packet, it is an ordinance, and I keep looking, maybe I'm looking at the wrong one. It's an ordinance, and it says an ordinance to amend the Highland Park administration code Chapter 208, by amending section A, the leading fencing requirements and amending section B by changing will to May. Why is that in there that happened in
2018 I was the ordinance that was passed in 2008 I
don't want to call it old news, but I would say that it it did occur,
that that already happened.
I'm representing so it's a resolution. It talks about the ordinance that I'm selling the property under right, and I gave a copy of the ordinance, highlighted where it came from. That's the 2018 ordinance that already been passed, that we already operating off of, yeah, so that that happened in 2018
and you put it in here for
for your so you can see it, alright,
maybe I didn't see it in Yes,
and I would encourage so thank you for that. Thank you for pointing that out. Mister Clyburn, um, the those changes. I remember some of these changes, not all of them, because I've been on Planning Commission since 13, zba, since 17, these things had not previously, prior to this, been included, although they should have. So that's a step up. This thing that Mr. Clyburn did and pointed it out to us is those reference points. It's like, anytime you cite your source that that's in there, it's no change, and it's been we are operating under those conditions as we spent
and I would like to make one more point at least. And they also had to sign an agreement that they understood those rules under that ordinance. So everything that's in the resolution is the same thing that's in the ordinance, the same thing in the purchase agreement for the property sale redundancy is in
there. I appreciate that. Thank you so much. Additional questions on this, or can we call for the vote for item 70? That wasn't quite done? Yes, ma'am, go ahead. That's why I wanted to make sure we had all we had all the questions answered, or mister
Ashanti pointed it out that she put in their fleet. I think.
Can I interrupt you just? Well, maybe it was just Yeah, I think that. So this is this.
That's why it wasn't all three lots in there before
point four, yes, ma'am, go right
ahead. Because I one, I was talking two,
he put it. Fleet was put in there. If it was looked back at, then it should have been taken out, because we're approving something that still says fleet. It does not take it out. So if she still put a fleet, can we actually go back and say you can't put a fleet there. What is in her contract? I'm not
in our contract, or it's not in our it's not on her application, if I
may, if I may, not on her application. But that's what she asked for. Where did you see that? Miss medical?
I'm not, I'm gonna, I'm gonna interject here. The chair's gonna interject. I'm trying to grab the, grab the mic for a second. I think this is an example where so we are. We are splitting hairs because the our applicant has told us she made a full disclosure, and when you asked her about the driveway, she said, I really don't know. This is my first rodeo. I don't have a lot of experience. So when I saw that fleet of cars and she explained herself, that seemed more like just her choice of words at the time. I don't necessarily see you like Mr. Penske with a fleet of trucks. Am I right? Am I Am I not reaching? So when you said fleet of cars, you're referring to the cars you own. Exactly. I got four cars on my property right now. So I'm just, I'm just making this. This is more so you and I going back and forth. I don't disagree with you. I'm not trying to deter you from your point. I'm saying this is one of those instances where we can, this is where we can, can, can defer and understand that, and
I'm trying to, but would
you like to strike that part through? No,
I would I like that. That'd be fine too. Yep, strike that part because, again, it's in there. Yes, ma'am, and I hear this all the time. Uh, we're going to be sued for this and sue for that, because this was in there. You didn't dot your iron cross your teeth. Well, if that's the case, then we need to make sure we dotting our and crossing our teeth. And the young lady get that information. Why have her stand here, and she doesn't have that information. Now, in our honesty, CED knows that she wants all the lots. So this is not going to be the first time, I'm sorry, the last time that we see her. So then we're going to be voting on her getting two more lots, or one more lot, and then another one more lot. So you disregarding, and this is not to you at this point, young lady, You're disregarding the fact that I say it, council said, what are we doing in regards to developing streets and having people live on streets is also to me, no one else have had to feel like that that is being disregarded, that when you sell property, how we supposed to sell it? Okay? This becomes a development. It also becomes a business. So you can spin it however you want, and do it in however many pieces you want. It's still the same thing, because you coming back later asking for this, you already know what the plan is, but we gonna put it in pieces. So I don't mind the young lady having a lot for her family and for herself, but why not also express to her that, hey, even if she parks her stuff, that she can't park it on the grass. So now we still have a ticket. Okay, before we put in, you still have to apply for a parking a driveway to put cement in so that you won't get a ticket for parking on your grass. Does that make sense? What I'm saying you want to park where you got the lot in, right? And
we want to park for for my kids, so Right? Because they say, like the little dogs and stuff be running around, still, that's why I wanted to fence it off. Okay, so let
me, let me just jump in here again. Nomenclature is important. You go, then you need legal term, shall, Will, May, can, should all those change the complete way that the conversation goes if you interchange them at any particular point, the term fleet is a number of vehicle or aircraft operating together under the same ownership. That's what that means. So I have, technically, I have a fleet of cars at my house right now, right? So, so, because it says right here, paving so at the bottom, it says, my foresight on adding both the sidelines promote by avoiding bad company, it is important for developing good moral habits and making wise decisions. By constructing a new garage, busting out the backyard for private space, paving a custom driveway to fleet all my vehicles. That's what it says. It doesn't says to have a fleet of vehicles. She used the term fleet, as in, to gather her vehicles together. So the nomenclature here, I don't know, Mr. Bock, if you go to court, does that mean? I mean the way that it reads here,
the way that it reads as fleet is being used as a descriptive term for her number of vehicles. Okay, so with
that being said, I think
thank you for writing this in your own words. Okay, thank you for writing this in your own words. And I say that because we very rarely do any of us write legal documents. None of us do we write legal documents. Okay, we don't. We don't. So we if for this, for this young lady to write this in her own script, in her own hand, her own words based on her description. I get what you're saying.
I think right now you want you trying to pick your case. No, no, I'm saying because you now, I don't disagree with you at all, telling me that she wrote it. I don't know if she voted somebody to help you. I have no,
I do not. Did you write?
No, I did write that. And like I said, this is my first time trying by myself. So when you try, you write what they ask you to write, right? So I'm telling you what I need. So I'm this is my request. So I I was at requesting for a driveway so I can get out the car safely without because I don't only have this kid. I have that one back there, and I have one at the Boys and Girls Club, yeah. So I just want my kids to be safe.
I read this now it's not like I looked at it. I'm being, I'm being very, giving you full disclosure, exactly I read it. Now, it wasn't until my colleagues brought it up that I thought, wait a minute. Let me go ahead and sit down and read this. But she says, Does it say to have to have a fleet? It says to flee, which means
exactly multiple. And what will be the difference between multiple and fleet? Yes, ma'am. So
I mean, Miss Manica, your your feelings about I feel it's
not going to change. It has nothing to do with the young lady, though we can call for the vote, because now we're trying to interpret what she means by fleet, what you interpret and fleet is what mister Shafi interpreting fleet is. I'm not trying to do that. I'm just trying to point out how we need to be more responsible to the resident or to the person on what they can and cannot do. She simply said, I really want a driveway to just be able to, you know, put my kids out. That's what she just said, and it should have been, and a
playground, yeah, like something for them to to be entertained, to be safe. It's no street lights already on the street, baby.
It's not personal to you. I'm just, I'm just saying, just stop talking about okay, okay, because it's not about to stop talking about it.
So so call for the vote. Yes, ma'am. So on Item 7d the resolution to sell the vacant residential lot of 234 Pasadena street to the adjacent property owner at 230 pass Pasadena, Miss rashina Moore. The motion was made by Councilman El shapi was supported by the Chairman, if you'll go ahead and call for the role ma'am.
Councilman Ashati Yes. Councilwoman Manica Yes. Council pro 10 Robinson No.
Council President Thomas Yes.
Motion carries before, before we have one more item here to Okay, so
the motion carries.
Let me stop. Let's just go ahead. Item 70, resolution to sell the vacant commercial lot at 12535, Hamilton Avenue to the commercial property owner, 12647, Hamilton Avenue, healing springs, missionary, Baptist Church, Michigan, nonprofit corporation. City council, what is
your pleasure? Council President, yes, this is another one that I would like to have sent back to the to the CD director. And the reason I say that is this is of no doubt development. This is a huge commercial property. There are two lots on Hamilton. I don't know who assessed them at 4008 1000 when they are next to each other on the same side of the street. I don't know why the two different prices, but when you have a commercial property on a main thoroughfare like Hamilton, that requires a development plan. I need this to go back. So Imma make a motion to have this one here. Go back to the CED director and they submit to this council a proposal for development and an option to purchase. This is a development we
have a motion on the floor by Councilman second to return to CD second by Councilwoman Manica. There are no questions concerned to dispense dissent. We'll go ahead and call for a vote
yes to return. Councilwoman Manica, yes. Council pro 10 Robinson, yes. Council President Thomas,
Yes. Motion carries members of council, I would ask for a two minute recess so that I can go to the men's room. All those in favor, aye, we're going to recess for two minutes, ladies and gentlemen.
I thank You.
Oh, Absolutely, Absolutely, I
I know, yeah,
Chair entertain a motion to reconvene. So moved second. We're reconvening at 8:06pm, now, back to session. Now we're on to Item eight under city council, that is the Board of Review. We are here to reappoint Board of Review members for a two year term of renewal. Um, on?
Are they being sworn in today as well? Council President,
I don't know. Are we prepared to do that today? Madam, once they're approved, then they can come and be sworn into you anytime after that correct? Okay, or if you swear to me tonight, it'll be after the meeting. Okay, so they will be sworn in after the meeting points. Okay, yes, this email, okay.
You have a resolution or something,
what? Okay, so,
oh, so what we're doing is we're approving the two year term renewal. Okay? This is from mister sharp.
Mister sharp, you would
okay. Good morning. I sent this text to the rest of the council. I'm asking get to be put on our agenda for Monday. Do we have anything that we don't have number this? Yeah, that's
all that was received. Yes, we also present
legal. Are we allowed to do this?
You can do it as long as there's a motion made and individuals are specifically named, okay, for when their term would begin and when their term would
end. Mr. Shaw the neck, these these renewals. Can you tell us from the beginning of that term, they're they're going to begin tomorrow, and they run for two years from
three, 420, 25
for a term of two years. Correct?
When did they expire?
They expired today. Okay,
okay. So if I'm not mistaken, after consulting the clerk and with an attorney, we could entertain a motion to renew the terms of these members of the Board of Review. That would be Miss. Lucy fry, who? Who was the other person? Ma'am.
Jameel, Edwards. Edwards,
yes, and Cassandra. Nathaniel. Nathan Hart.
Bucha, okay? Walker, so
that means they wouldn't come back to us until 2028
with that 22nd 27th
Okay, so members of council, as it relates to Item eight, under City Council board of reviews, we have the opportunity to make, I'm not in a position to make the motion. You would have to one of you would have to make the motion to go ahead and approve the two year term renewal and cite the individuals that motion.
Council President, I make a motion to renew the two year terms for for Lucy, fry, Cassandra Walker, Jamil Edwards and Nathan Harvey to the Board of Review.
We have a motion on the floor from Council. We have motion informed from Councilman ashaki, seconded by council proton Robinson, to renew the board terms for Miss Lucy fry for Mister Mayor Edwards, Mister Sandra Walker and Mister Nathan Harvey for a term of two years. Questions, concern or dissent, just
a question. Yes, ma'am, all of them have been taught to and they all want to return. Yeah,
yes, that is correct. They all want to return. Okay, um, Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll. Councilman
Ashanti Yes. Councilwoman Manica Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson Yes. Council President Thomas Yes. Motion
carries, moving on to Item, thank you. Nine under the Department of Water resolution to request public advertisement for the purpose of receiving construction bids for two storm water construction projects under the 2023 state high water infrastructure, S, H, W, I grant City Council. What's your pleasure motion to approve so y'all split hairs support. Okay, so we the motion was made by Councilwoman Manica. Support was offered by Councilman Shafi questions concerned the dissent, so we can just Yes, Ma'am, we're right ahead, and I'll speak to mister Ben Garrett. Mister Garrett, would you please come and address city council for members of the audience, this is a resolution to request advertisement for the purpose of receiving bids For
water main and the land service line placement.
Is this a continuance.
This the next one. We're talking about the storm, the storm water infrastructure grant, which is basically where the rec center is. So it's just that parking lot that's blown out right there at the Rec Center. That's phase two. And phase one is a little path that goes back to the the fitness area that's behind the rec center. So that's this one right here we can, I can answer that on the next one. Okay. Is that okay? Yes, okay,
Mister shapi, um, so this
was an interesting read. Most of this work is being done around 10 pickings. Is that correct? That's correct. Okay, um, where are you planting the trees? It says, it says trees will be planted and maintained. And the question is, do we have the budget for that? Yes,
it was in the All of that is included in the grant. Okay, okay,
so have we decided as to where we're going to plant them trees? I
don't know if the the final planting plan is complete. Drew is that, is that done? No, it's not. So we have, so we have the ability to place those trees in that area where we need to. Okay,
how critical is this storm? Storm water or drains.
It's, well, it's very critical. If you look at that area over by the Rec Center, that parking lot is in really, really bad shape, absolutely, you know that the runoff is
okay. So those drains are what's in the parking lot. Yes, that there's, yeah, okay. So that's what's being being redone. So we're basically, according to this, we're redoing the parking lot,
yep, like the half of the parking lot, okay, yeah, and then creating a path, okay, back to the fitness pad that we did a few years ago. Oh, nice. Okay,
alright, I review that council president.
Okay, so we have a motion on the floor for the approval, made by Councilman Manica, supported by Councilman shopping within with no further questions, I asked for a vote on item nine, a councilman
ashaki Yes. Councilwoman Manica, yes. Council Robinson Yes. Council President Thomas, yes. I
moving on to Item 9b the resolution to request public advertisement for the purpose of receiving receiving construction bids for fiscal year 2024, Ms American rescue plan, State Revolving from water main and lead service line replacement project. City Council. What's your
pledge? I move to approve support with questions.
Have a motion on the floor from Councilwoman Manica, support offered by Councilman el Shafi with questions, sir, the floor is yours,
okay? Um,
this is the second time I've seen this lead line thing, Mr. Gary. Um, what was our What was our success rate the last time we did this? Well,
the Well, right now we have a project that's under construction. About 108 lead service lines being replaced. Okay,
what side of town is that
on, in District Three area? Okay, yeah, okay, okay, that's where they're working right now. Okay,
okay, so, so the red lines is from the city shut off into the house,
correct?
Yes, yes. We have to do a complete so we used to be able to do parcels was just up to the curb, stop. But these have to be from the main all the way to the house. Gotcha.
Okay, okay, okay, um, when will you be starting this, this, this, this next round, and what side of town will it be on?
Okay, so the next round. So we're looking to get get this out to bid. And so you're talking about June construction. So it's eight miles of water main, and it's this, it's like south of Davidson or east of Woodward area and west of Woodward Okay, and it's 1053 lead service lines. So we have 100 under construction right now. And so that would mean that we have basically almost 1200 lead service lines under construction, along with the master meters that that that so you, you know, you're talking about a lot of construction in this summer, in this period, in this construction period, all good stuff.
Okay, okay, um,
what is the projected time that maybe all in the city might be dying? Ooh,
okay, so
2031
Yeah. 2031 Yeah, yeah. This is 19 million This is $19 million grant.
2031 Okay, all right,
it's a $19 million grant. Yeah, this, yep.
Okay, all right. Council, President, I
yield back. I do have questions. I do have to answer. Yes, I'm sorry, my approach, okay, hit it. Go ahead. What did you want? Do you have a
little map to
catch this, yeah, so it's the nothing in blue, so it's the color, so you see the color. That's where you the green, the yellow, the brown and the pink.
So the rest of the city is done, or you just do a quadrant. No,
it's not known. The rest of cities,
well, oh yeah. Well, there's a lot of water main. We started up in a back in 18, so back, back up in here. We've been working over we've done some work over here, but we've only done about 16 miles. Okay, so this is going to be eight, and then to get us get, we're getting close to being about 50% done. Okay, so it's, I mean, what I can do is I can have, I can have our guys get you a map of what's, I know, we have a map of what's been complete. And then the future phase is out to 2031, to, you know, just so you so you can have everything. We have that map. It's a lot we can get. We have that map so we can bring that map to council, yeah.
Additional questions to kind of call for the vote. Madam Clerk to call for the roll on item 9b
Councilman Ashanti Yes. Councilwoman Manica Yes. Council pro 10 Robinson Yes. Council President Thomas,
Yes. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, I received a letter in the mail. We're going to start citizens participation. I had asked for citizens to write us use the zoom feature, come and speak in in public, and I received this letter from a citizen in my mailbox. So I'm going to start citizens participation with this citizen. This is Miss Janice. I'm sorry. This is Jenny Gatling at 76 Pasadena, city of Highland Park. She sent it to us here at the City Council building. This is Highland Park. Her name is Jenny Gatling. This is her the envelope. I don't know if she gave one of these to all of us. No, no, okay. It says, Dear Council, the city of Highland Park needs to start tearing down houses on grand in Pasadena. It looks like a war zone. Also by Wendy's the garage there is on Davidson, 25 years next to a good business. Tear it down. I was number one. Number two, find money for cutting trees in the city. Number three, remove debris
around the fire station.
It was behind the medical Arts Building. I'm struggling to read her handwriting. She has a beautiful script, but we need those of us who still write in cursive, know, it's all different. Uh, Number Four make people who own property, own property. In Highland Park cut the grass and the weeds. Um, on Victor, the old linen company and other places, the city of Highland Park, next to Family Dollar. She, I believe she's asking for a repair of the asphalt. And she says, here, and I quote, it's a damn shame, um, she's complaining about some of the workers that are doing work in the city, and also the way they're our trash is being picked up. Miss Gatling has some complaints about the contractors leaving a mess in the city. She said she had to curse one of them out because some of the concrete bricks on her street on Pasadena, after four months, were broke, doing some of the curb repairs. And lastly, she made a comment about the homeless people in the city need warming centers because they're sleeping at bus stops and sleeping on a Family Dollar and sleeping in the parking lot of the Kentucky Fried Chicken. I've taken more than my two minutes, but I just want to thank her for taking the time to write this letter. If you can't come to the meeting, if you can't get on Zoom, go ahead and write the letter. If I get more letters like this from citizens, I will be happy to read them. In fact, I'm going to take it upon myself. I'll talk about it more during Council affairs, but I think we're missing the boat. There are a lot of people who are historical Highland Park residents that we're not hearing from. So I would like to thank Miss Gatling at 76 Pasadena, for reaching out to me and sending me this letter. I greatly appreciate it. So I'm going to take I'm going to open it up for citizen participation. We will be doing a Highland Park two minutes, which is two minutes and 30 seconds. Typically can't get it all in, and that short period of time, and I'm going to open the floor up during citizens participation. You may discuss any issue that you would like. I see your in line, sir, come on up to the podium. I'll get my timer set. I will wait until the you give us your full name, and if you could start with your full name, and if you could be succinct and share with us what you would like to go right ahead.
Sir, good evening. President Thomas. My name is Sharif Dyer, and I like to one introduce myself to the city today. I've been a business owner in the city for the last four years. I own the property located at 1611 Oakland. And I also own the lot adjacent to it, 161441 Oakland. And in the middle of that lot, there is, by the legal description, a lot that is three feet by 10 feet, right? And that lot is 16143, which I put an offer in to purchase. And next to that lot 254, cattler is a lot that I own. And for the last four years, I've maintained that lot. We've been good tenants of the city of Highland Park. We paid our water bill, we paid our taxes. We have probably myself, I say we I'm talking about my entity that I own. I personally have invested in the city of Highland Park without any request from the city, over $200,000 right? The building that I own there, I clean, I maintain it. If you drive by that building during the during the screen time is will maintain clean. There's never any debris outside. And I personally have been there picking up trash whenever people kids are walking by, dropping debris. And so the confusion about the lot, where it is and where it's located, you could simply on on land, grid, com, I have a document here where it actually shows what I own, and that three by 10 lot, which is 16143, Oakley, which I've maintained, and we've been good tenants for the city in the city of Highland Park. And so I would hope, and it is my hope, that in the future, when this sale is brought back up, that you've seen that I've come here in good faith. I've been at meetings where there was developers there. I've offered information to the other developers free of charge. I'm a real estate broker. I have a law degree. I've done a number of things without, just on my own, being a good tenant. So I just wanted to introduce myself to you all, and I look forward in the future to you hearing a resolution about me purchasing this three by 10 lot. If you simply look at the legal description, you know exactly what I'm talking about. So I know there were some concerns earlier about another lot across the street. That is not the lot that we are interested by. It's simply a three by 10 lot, and we've been maintaining it for the last four years. And think about it as a heart I have a family I've taken my own cash and put into the city of Highland Park because I believe in the city when other people wouldn't even do it, so that I have no loans on the building. I paid my water bill, my taxes, and so theoretically, I think likely in water bill and taxes, my minutes are probably up. I likely, probably given the city of Highland Park, just in tax and water bill. And, you know, we get a monthly water building statement. We're not even connected to the water I've tried to figure out how, how we got disconnected. I'm sure I've spent $40,000 so is that, that red box right there that is it. That is it. Yes, okay, that red box, that's, that's, that's 16, 143, and it's actually
council person that is right on Oakland Avenue. That is one of those. That's it.
It's three. It's three by 10. You go catch one of these different boxes. Come I own that, that blue box, and I own Chandler, that's 254, Chandler. And go over to the next box. Right here, right in the front is where my building is. Go up. Go up here, Thomas, go you see the reds? Go back, nope. Go down, go down, go down. Other way, other direction. By the red box. Red Box, not that that's 1643, go to the next one. This is your bed. That's my building, okay? And if you go there, listen, that building looks clean. You've not had a a ticket. No one's come over. You dropped a bottle, you didn't do it. Listen, it is clean. It is not a nuisance, right? And I understand what a nuisance looks like. And in fact, I've owned in the city of Detroit, prior to law school, owned close to 1000 houses and all that meeting now, but I've never had not one ticket, no issue from the city of Detroit. And I'm here in good faith, saying, listen, so I'm gonna the name of that the name of that business that owns this bill is called peripheral industries. So I specifically titled, I mean, incorporated that building for the specific ownership of that property. And I own that property in a two other lots. So that lot that I'm looking to purchase is land lot. No one can do anything yet.
I'm going to pause you, Mr. Sharif, we're well over our two minutes. Okay, I'm sorry. Thank you. I wanted to, and I extended your time by going to just get an understanding of it. Yeah, I'm just returning to work. How much
quote for what I think it was $500
it's $500 Okay, thank you so much, sir. We look forward to seeing you again. Yeah, we have an additional citizen that would like to come up and speak. You're welcome. Thank you. Yes, sir, come on up, ma'am, and as soon as you give us your name, I'll go ahead and start the
time I get you my car. Yeah,
I got it. I got it.
Good evening, everyone. My name is Lisa. My name is Lisa solowski, and I'm the treasurer of Highland Park. I have a couple of things to share with you tonight and a couple of questions to ask. So a couple of weeks ago, I endeavored to collect the contracts for the various checks that were going out so that I could familiarize myself with, you know, all of the details of the various things that we're paying out on. And one check stuck out because it was so large, it was the water department check,
and it was for almost a million dollars.
And I hung on to it for a little while, and I I didn't hang on to it any longer because I had a family emergency that I had to go to, and I couldn't, in good conscience, continue to do that, but because I wanted it to, you know, be paid in a timely fashion. But I wanted to point out that a couple of things that stuck out for me in that contract was that there were activities. I'm sorry, there was an hourly invoice for the water department with no activities connected to the hourly rates that that people were being, you know, we were being charged for now, I did contract work myself for many years, and I would never have dreamed of putting that kind of an invoice in that doesn't have the actual work that I did for all of the hours. So, so that was one thing, and the other thing was that the contract that I actually was given was for 2016 and when I looked at the rates that we were being charged In in the invoice, I noticed that they were about double, more or less what the rates were in 2016 and I calculated them as being between 60% and 150% more, comparing as best I could, apples to apples. So the inflation rate since 2016 is 31% so I would like to know why the rates have gone up that much
from the water department
the other
the other thing that I wanted to mention, are
you speaking as a resident? Why are you speaking as a treasurer? I'm
speaking as the treasurer. Okay, so this is citizens participation. Okay, would
you like me to sit down? No, ma'am,
I want to give you another 30 seconds to finish. I'm giving you I've gone slightly over. I gave the gentleman a couple seconds. Thanks.
Okay, so the other topic that I have to talk about, and this has to do with the full accountability you guys were talking about recently, is that there's a thing called the tax distribution to other governments that the treasurer is supposed to do, and that job has been done by the administration, by the finance department, since the spring when I was not able to take my seat as treasurer because of the bonding issue that we're having, those distributions are supposed to go out once every 15 days, and the administration hung on to many, many of them, pardon That was the
extra 30. Ma'am, so we have three minutes now. So thank you so much. Okay, so no. Ma'am, no, no, that. Thank you so much. That's your time. Thank you. Alright, Would
would you No? Ma'am, like for the police to take me out of here? Would you like? No? Ma'am, no. Ma'am,
we're going to, we're going to, we're going to do you're finished. Because everybody gets to do their time. Now that I'm back sitting in this chair, I'm going to be good with this time. So thank you so much for your comments. I really appreciate your we have any additional citizen that would like to speak. You going to get your your Highland Park two minutes, okay? And at the end of that, I'm going to kindly ask you to allow us to finish and so we can go ahead and handle our business and go on. Yeah, hey, I got enough to state your name.
I do have a question before I start my two minutes. No, ma'am, we go to so, no, the citizen says two minutes on any subject. Technically, she's on subject number two. So let
me stop you, right? That's question. Let me stop you right there. Let me stop you right there. So this is on this side of the room. This is City Council. That's a question. Ma'am, Imma. Have you sit down? I'm asking you a question. Yeah, you want? You want to take this part of your two minutes and 30 seconds? So let me, let
me go ahead. Go ahead. Mister Thomas, right.
Do you mind if I mind if I run my meeting? Go ahead. Okay, so ask you a question. Miss Oliver, I'm one second from saying thank you and have a good night. I'm one second from that. As I said to you, before we post our meetings, we put the paperwork. It says a citizen may speak for two minutes on any topic of their choosing. When you come up to the podium, please talk to me about the thing that you want to talk to me about. Don't, please don't please don't tell me how to do my meeting. You. Are you ready?
Hold on, wait. Let me say this first. I No, ma'am. Okay, you can. So your is your question. No, no, no, just a question. So this is what I want to say on my two minutes. My name is two minutes because you've already taken so technically, I want to say that we always talk about culture and mindset. Culture and mindset starts with us, and that was my concern with this young lady coming I miss, and I just had a a distant relative with the same situation. Um, we have to stop comparing apples to oranges. The City of Detroit is 139 square feet support square miles, the city of Highland Park is only three out of one district that we consume. Only 3% of that out of one of the 11 districts in the city of Highland Park, compared to the city of Detroit, and with that same we have about 12 blocks on the north side of Davidson and maybe 16 on the south side of Davidson. Is no way, because everybody keeps talking about about we meet criteria as far as as far as resources, as far as manpower, or lack of maybe two or three people. We technically have enough people to patrol every day, all day long, in any other any other district or any other city. They're on the beat. They're not hanging out. So we need more people patrolling. This is the mindset that I'm talking about based on, we can't continue to roll off of the lack of resources. Comparing to Detroit, we're more on a on a terms of size. We're firm there were low, low. We should be treating our city the exact same way people go in that city, knowing they can't violate it because of the patrolling, we need to do the same thing. So at the end of the day, we need to stop hearing, oh, we don't have the manpower or the resources. It all comes down to strategy. That's it. If you have skill, experienced people in place. These things can happen effectively. That's already been shown with DPW within the past summer and fall. So it's possible we need people in place to do so. Alright? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Any other citizens,
good evening. You state your name for the record,
sir, Joshua Lemire, and can I get a North Minneapolis three minutes. Hold on a second, Josh, let me give you 230 Okay, go for it. So. So one of the things that I love about actually living in the city is I get to see what's happening. So I was at the the grand liquor store. That's where I do all my shopping, getting a pack of cools, and there were these ugly white guys outside of fair and Park Apartments.
Please don't make a derogatory statements about a person's racer. You said ugly and white guy.
I believe Caucasian is the preferred nomenclature. And the things that you've said about me at a woman shelter, we can discuss that off the record, but what are you talking about? I'm talking about Miss Diane pairs, sir. But again, we can take that outside. But anyways, okay, go ahead. Anyways. So I got my pack of cools lit, went up, and I said, Good afternoon, fellas. What are you doing? And they said, We're trying to figure out how to milk Uncle Sam to tear down the fair and Park Apartments. And I said, interesting. I went to the CEO of Albert Kahn and Associates two, three years ago, and they said they'd put the bill to turn the fair and Park Apartments into 99 residential units and eight storefront units. Now, I'm not an economist, or, you know, I don't have my funny hat on, so I really don't know how to do math, but that's a lot of tax dollars, and I'm pretty sure that if we could get the fair and park done, that we could get the Highland towers done. But they these lovely gentlemen and model American citizens, they wanted to tear them both down. And I have been working on preserving those buildings personally for the last decade. So I took, I took great offense to that. So I just like to say to the M EDC, if you're tuned in, can we look at 18 million so we can provide suitable, safe, clean, affordable housing to the people who actually live in Highland Park, Michigan. Mr. Me, DC, are you on the line? So with that, that's my thought for the day, and I just like to say that I was at the Great Lakes Water Authority Board meeting the other day, and I gave a riveting testimony. If anybody had the opportunity to watch it on Zoom, please give me notes I'm working on my public speaking. They haven't released it yet, so we're going to have to fo i A them. So that's my North Minneapolis three. Thank you so much. Thank you, sir.
Good evening, everyone.
Lucy fry. Thank you so
much. Um sorry about your loss. I knew that baby when she was in that little stroller when I first came to Highland Park, yeah, so um, anyway, now just hearing Mr. Damon got $1 million almost, I know my water bill can go down. God damn, I swear. I know my water bill can go down. I know because it was only promised for six months. Now we into over a year. Well, we promised six months. Y'all y'all supposed to be like, yeah, y'all know, y'all see, it was problem six months, not a water bill is just outrageous, and not agree was going up. That's going to be very effective on us, I'm sure. So I don't know what's all that's working on. And so at the last at the last Council meeting, I heard the mayor say that she had a discussion with about something I don't really remember, but this is what I want to ask about with her Compensation Board. I don't recall she having a Compensation Board, but maybe she does, and I do want to know when was it for him and who's on it? Can We Do y'all council people know she
didn't say she had one. She said, You have to go to it. She She didn't say we. She
said, My Compensation Board, me and the Compensation Board. She included herself, me and the cop. Go back and listen. Go back and listen, me and the Compensation Board, you know, and doing the charter, I know she should have had one with in a month of being the mayor. So that would be good to know of a Compensation Board. That's perfect. You know, that's why you have, you know, she's in that position. Okay, so the master meters, the mister Damon, what you were talking about, doesn't include the master meters. When the master meters going to go in construction right now, we're in, they're working now, come one, take pictures. Y'all gotta see that. I gotta see that. And so. And another question that was mentioned at the last meeting that didn't seem to get completed. Now, if she can't get a bond, Lisa store, galoski, whatever the name is, um, who is bonded? They say, No one. So who is handling the money? Can I get an answer? I just want to answer, like, who's handling the money? I like, I want you. I really want to answer because it's our money, it's the people's money. That's why I come here, because it's the people's money. It's our money. We you know who's handling the money. Miss Gray, you might can answer it. You you're handling the money. You're sending the checks. She's not having the money. She's not signing the check. She say, Excuse me, Miss Brock, okay, then, well, three minutes. I just wanted to kind of get answer.
I gave you three minutes because I know I
went on three minutes. Yes, ma'am. Okay. So anyway, if y'all want to come after here and have a good time at $90 Cafe, and thank y'all for sending someone out to finish my inspection, it went well. It passed, and I'm excited about that. They did Donald Born's previews today. They made the film, part of it at the store. If I want to come and check it out, it's so fun. Thank you, ma'am,
Hey, Miss Grayson, Hi, uh, my name is Gracie Wooten. I live on Easton street, and I just want to talk to you. I know a lot of you are having the same kind of frustrations that I am about how our government is going. You know, with this mass coup, and I've been really concerned about, Well, personally, about Social Security, about Medicare, about Medicaid, and also most of the departments that are being gutted. One of the departments that is that's really key to my or just It preys on my heart, is the way that they're planning to handle the Department of Education. I taught for a number of years. I'm an old school teacher, so, you know, I'm still affiliated with American Federation of Teachers retiree chapter, and we're very concerned about the cuts that are planning or that could happen to our children. You know, we have to protect our children. So what I did was bring a copy of some facts for you about the cuts that Trump and his co president must are planning to make to the Department of Education. So I wanted to pass it out here. And you know, people really have to be concerned about the least of us. You know, diversity, equity and inclusion are what we should be about. You know, when you say people are woke, we all should be woke, you know, and so I want to, and you can't have education without talking about diversity, equity and inclusion. When you think about the children are not widgets, you know, they're not parts, so you have to individually reach children and protect them. So, you know, cuts to, you know, for our special ed, cuts to the the kind of programs that we need to assist children are very important and we want to and all of us should be telling parents that we need to fight back against any cuts to education. So I want to just leave this with you. I have about 25 copies, so I'm going to just leave them for everybody. Okay, thank you.
On citizen, I would like to be heard.
No, I don't mind. Miss Ford, come on up. Come on. How you doing? Miss Ford,
good evening. My name is Renee Ford. I live on West Buena Vista a couple of questions, and this is, I don't know if I can address the lawyer. He could answer later. I've been complaining, and now she's a code Enforcer. Has been telling me they're giving tickets out to my next door neighbor because of the over overhang of the trees. DTE cannot, and I've been discussing it. I'm putting it back on record if I have to say it every month until somebody answers me. He's saying it's in court or waiting on judge or whoever. Only thing he could do is write tickets. But we're steady selling property to this young man, and most of his houses are the blue houses. If you come on Buena Vista, you'll see two of them that are blue. If you go on Avalon across Hamilton, they're blue. But he's getting all these tickets. So if my wires go down, or my mom's wires go down, which we were fortunate, we didn't have any ice storms or anything. Plus, I have a playscape that I paid over a little bit of money for, and his limbs are hanging over my yard. Everyone is telling me I'm responsible for getting out. DTE won't touch it because they're in our yards. So I want to know what's taking so long for you to do something to this guy. How many ticket and I've been there five years, back five year. So how long do we keep writing tickets? But we steady selling him property? My next question is, we come to city council, and I know I'm cutting show. We come to City Council as citizen as to discuss what's going on in our city, I had a question. I heard our treasure say she held on to a check. Why is she holding on to a check if it was supposed to be paid to a vendor or a contractor or whatever? Because if they don't get paid, we're going to lose these vendors. We're going to lose these contractor so again, I asked the question, Is she bonded and why is she holding on to, imma say, a $5,000 check? But regardless to the fact, why is she holding on to the check? Because if I bring a check here, I expect you to cash it out so I can know what my bank account look like? So that's a couple of questions I need answered. And I'm going to bring these same questions every month if I have to, because after five years, them limbs in my mama's yard,
I can't deal with question.
Miss Ford. Miss Ford. Oh, Miss Ford, what's the address of the property that you're asking about. I'd like to discuss was Miss with Mr. Malone, um,
193 195 is my mom, so it's going to
the left of her, so it's 199 and 197,
Buena Vista, West buna Vista. It's the Blue House. Okay, thank you. And it's been five years, and he has had tickets, and I've seen the tickets written to him,
Okay, thank you for that follow up. Thank you. Thank you.
No, ma'am, you already had your time. Have a seat. I know I'm I'm here as the treasurer. Answer question. Remove her. She's not. This is not the treasurer's meeting. It's the city council meeting. You're not going to do that. You're not going to do that. Just go ahead. Thank you. You're not going to do that. No, no, no, no, no. Go ahead and go away. Oh, go ahead. Sit down. Yes, ma'am, please. Um, okay, Excuse me, ma'am, this is a city council meeting. If you're in the city of Detroit, you'd be in handcuffs right now. Please have a seat. Thank you very much, Treasurer, and I'm the so when she'll come to your office, she'll come to the office. This is not your meeting.
Yeah, come on. This is not your meeting.
Good. This is not your meeting. Yeah, she could. You can address her out in the hallway. There's a person that wants to talk to the treasurer. You're the treasurer. Talk to her there. Do we have any additional citizens that would like to speak? If not, we'll move into Council affairs, starting with, go right ahead, ma'am. Please state your name. I'll start the timer for you.
Sandra Walker and I live on growth Street here in Highland Park. Long time resident. What I observed recently when we had the snow, and I've noticed the businesses are not shoveling their sidewalk, and I watch a Senior with a with a walker try to get through that, and I will. I'm asking the city, Would they please make the businesses please shovel the snow for the seniors? Yes,
yes. Ma'am, thank you. Okay, I don't see any more people moving there, so I'm going to move into Council affairs, starting with you. Mr. Sharpe, please The floor is yours.
Good evening, everyone. Good evening. Um,
quickly to mister Lemire, is he still here? He's gone, okay? Um, the arbicon building on fan park is protected by the Historical Preservation Society. They can offer all that they want. They'll never turn their building down. They have to restore it. Okay? It's protected by the state, so they have to restore it. Um, I don't know if anybody had an opportunity to see the water rate hike from the Great Lakes Water Authority.
Okay? So
I'm calling on every single Highland Parker, do what you did the last time for us. Let's go back to the state. Let's get back to our representatives. I think the Great Lakes Water Authority needs a reality check, and that reality check is the assets need to be regulated, just like DTE is regulated. Yeah, they need to be regulated, and we need to fight for that regulation. Everybody needs to pitch in and make sure that we hit up every politician that is in our district that is representing us and let them know that we want the Great Lakes Water Authority regulated. They need to be regulated. They have a lot of nerves after they gave us a deal that we can barely pay for now. Now they want to raise the heights, which is going to make now they want to hike the rates, which is going to make it harder for us to pay the agreed upon amount that we're already paying in addition to what they want more. Okay? We have a contract with them. We have an agreement with them. We fall like hell for that agreement. All of you fall like hell for that agreement. Okay, you were up in Lansing every week over that agreement. Okay, now we had a deal, and that deal was contingent on them holding up their end of the bargain. They're not holding up the end of the bargain if they're raising the water rates on the city that's barely getting by as it is, it's unacceptable. Okay? And I'm not the only one in whom they're sticking it to. They're sticking it to the entire state of Michigan. Everybody on the lower half of the state gets their water from the Great Lakes Water Authority, all the way to Flint and on beyond. They get they water from the Great Lakes Water Authority. Okay, so they're making more than enough money. Why they trying to bleed everybody. Why? Every time we turn around, they want to have a yearly rate hike, as if they suffer it okay if they stop pocketing the money and do they damn jobs, they wouldn't have them big ass water main breaks like they had on the west side of Detroit. They're froze six feet of water and left people's cars trapped in that water, homes and basements flooded. They had to be evacuated by boat. Okay? So if they were doing a job, they wouldn't have to worry about breaks like that. But there's no reason we should have to pay and suffer as a result of that. So we need to stand up and fight. HP, I'm telling you that this fight is not over, by far, especially until we get the meters in the ground. This fight is ongoing. And even after those meters is in the ground, and they agreed to put the meters in the ground, they're going to try to deny the results of that and say, Well, that could be construed as anything. No, the fight continues, ladies and gentlemen. And you know how water is in the city, okay? Talking about our water is like talking about our Mama, don't make me hurt you. Alright? I'll tell you, don't make me hurt you now. So ladies and gentlemen, I'm telling you that we need to stand up and fight. We need to get back out there this summer and make them feel our presence just like we made them feel it last summer. I'm counting on all of you, and I thank you. HP. Love you.
Thank you, sir. Miss Manning.
I actually don't have anything this evening other than thank you for coming. I actually agree, though, with Mr. Shafi guys didn't need to speak up. You need to go to those meetings, because it has to be regulated at some point. So you need to write your your congress people, your representatives, your senators, everybody who has a say to create a bill or to create some type of regulation, whoever that may be. And so we gotta start there. So writing real good letters to them, saying, hey, we need some regulations. What? What is this doing to us? Regards to water? I said it before. Water is very, very important to communities as a whole. If I want to get rid of you, I get rid of the water. Yeah. Okay. So until we speak up on those matters, a lot of other things are not going to matter. So again, I totally agree with Councilman on writing to the respected people and saying, Look, this is what happened, if you have to look it up first, so that you write a good, a real good letter stating the case of why water is so important, but I guarantee you, they actually already know, and if we could regulate our own water, that would be a different story. But we have to move forward on some other things first before we can get there. I thank you guys for coming out. I do. Thank you for listening and understanding those people that I said I would speak to after the meeting, I will come out there and speak to you in regards to those things. The other thing is, I'm still requesting from administration and CD an update, so I will put it in writing an update on all projects, all development, we cannot move forward with those mistakes. We cannot, I don't know how much, how many times I can say this, you can spin around it, you can go around it, but we have got to create or I'm sorry, correct the mistakes or create, create new ordinance. Correct old ordinance. Bring us up to speed. Rushing is not going to fix the problem. It's not and we need to sell property or get development from more I don't want to say lucrative, but we need to think bigger than we're thinking, because we have got to generate the revenue. I don't care how much you we're saying, okay, because we sell you a lot, or we sell this small little piece, how much revenue does that actually really bring into the city to help move the city along? So indeed, that is more my plea on that second half to administration, and I've already actually talked to him, we have to think bigger when we talk about our development. We can give all the property way, little pieces here and there that is not exactly going to bring the revenue in that the city actually needs. There was a couple, I think they were already answered. Miss Ford, the lawyer actually, kind of, I was going to say, you need to talk to the probably go to the police meeting or but the lawyer seems like he's going to handle that for you. I don't see her. I probably just can't see her. Mention about the education piece, um, please also go to the school board meetings. Miss Gracie. She's the right, yes, here. Okay, make sure you go to that meeting too. So you could pass it out to maybe they parents, because that is the education piece, or maybe even ask if you can, you know, go to a parent conference meeting, or get parent contract conference meeting that either school in our city is having, and then pass out that information. And maybe you could even speak at it to express how you feel about education, because those are the great place that you're going to get, the parents, the people that are here, not that they're not parents. They are here for some other issues and other things, and they may pass it on, may not, but definitely, if you're in one of those educational settings, I think that would be a great place for you to pass out that that information as well. I think that is it for me this evening again. Thank you. If you have any questions, same thing, please email us or email the president, and if it's to me, he'll get it to me. Thank you.
Thank you, ma'am. Pro Tem,
good evening, everyone.
I did request a workshop for today to speak to the treasurer. The Treasurer asked her questions and to bring the Sunday people back, which is McKenna, so we can see how much in advance we've done with the ordinances to make some of this stuff make sense to us. But the workshop was Council, and I'll keep asking for workshops, because that's what Mayor said, that the only way that she's going to allow us to speak to her department heads if you call a workshop. And with that said, if anybody have any questions for me and the way that I vote, I will explain everything to you and show you why I vote, where I vote, and God bless you guys. My love.
Thank you, ma'am. It's
so this is my first city council meeting
for 2025 okay,
on January, 18 of this year, I Lost my youngest daughter.
She was 16 years old,
Senior High School
and beautiful. She
and the people this community
reached out to my wife and I
as best they could,
and they showered us with messages of love and condolence. I
I am unable to describe to you what it feels like,
but I can tell you that it is so scraping
my daughter did not want me on city council,
and when I sat in this chair and took my oath of office, I had a sick child at home,
I tried To convince my daughter and my family that I was doing this job because somewhere in this town as a single mother, somewhere in this town as kids whose daddy cannot be on city council, and that I was doing, not just for my own child, but for all the 16 year old kids in the city of Highland Park, and when I woke up on January 19, I realized that I had become a member of a club in this city,
dozens
of Mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers who buried a child. I
there's no way for me to honor my daughter other than to come and do my job here to the best of my ability. And I want to remind my colleagues, very rarely do we talk about children in this room.
We're a bunch of old people,
and thank you for bringing those babies here tonight. Thank you.
I didn't know how much I needed to hear that.
And they inspire me.
My daughter is gone,
and I can't do anything for her.
None of us can't,
but we can do something for them.
We can sit in these chairs and make decisions that will affect their future, and we can stop this curse, because everybody that I know with high school aged children in the city of Highland Park is suffering, because they tell you, as soon as they turn 18, they cannot wait to get out of here, like generation after generation after Children who have run away from this city because they didn't see no hope and they didn't see a future
that can't be.
We can't let that be.
So the honor my daughter, I
I'm going to do whatever I can
for all the children that are left.
Highland Park was her only home for her entire life. Wherever she went, she said she was going home to Highland Park
