Thank you very much. When we want to the approval of the agenda, city council, you have the agenda. We have the city attorney he wants to make a recommendation to us.
Thank you, Mr. Council president would ask that you remove item eight see the resolution regarding the lot and 15 Grove that's on a direction from director Clyburn.
Thank you very much.
Chair is open entertain a motion on the agenda
agenda
eight C.
We have a motion on the floor from councilmember Manica for the approval of today's agenda with one modification that is a removal of item eight C a resolution to sell a vacant residential lot at 15. Groves, the adjacent property owner and 17 growth. Gerald offer support. Questions, comments dissent? Deputy Clerk Councilman
Shafie Yes. Councilwoman Monica? Yes Councillor Robinson? Yes. Council President Hammond
yes motion carries moving on to item for the approval of the proposed minutes in person and virtual workshop meeting minutes for June 3 2024 as well as the in person and virtual regular meeting minutes for June 3 2020. for city council, what's your pleasure?
minutes for him person and virtual workshop meeting. June 3 2020.
Chair offers a second we have questions concerns dissent. Deputy Clerk Would you please call the roll on the approval of the workshop minutes for June 3.
Councilmember Shafi? Yes. Councilwoman Monica Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson. Yes. Council President Thomas
yes, motion carries on to in person and virtual regular meeting minutes for June 3 2024.
I move to approve the in person and virtual regular meeting minutes for June 3 2024.
The chair for support. Questions, comments concerns? Seeing none Madam Deputy Clerk Would you please call the roll.
Councilmember Shafi. Councilwoman Monica.
Yes.
Council Pro Tem Robinson. Yes. Council President Thomas.
Yes, motion carries. Moving on to the section of our agenda that is set aside for us to communicate with the mayor. So forgive me, but a mayor to come and communicate with City Council and the rest of the public Madam Mayor, Are you online?
I'm here with counsel. Afternoon citizens of Highland Park. I don't want to be before you long. I wanted to take time out just to acknowledge wayne county executive who came and met with me today on a town hall panel and discuss we will discuss the collaborations for Community and Economic Development, which we have already started moving torch and he was in total agreement that that's what the city needs is to make sure that we are working together to get the Community Economic Development pieces put in place. So I want to thank him for that. I want to thank the citizen that came out and walk with me on Saturday morning and the South West District part of district three and discuss the MLK Park and they're putting together a MLK block club. So if you live in the southwest side of district three, which was from tuxedo down to we walked down to Highland and you're interested in becoming a part of the black club. They're going to be calling it MLK Park, black club yet with Shannon, a lot of you know him. He's also putting together a cleanup. Coming up, I believe this week, Friday. I want to make sure I want to make sure I have that. So if anybody's interested in helping with the cleanup and then they are here. Please let them know. I think that's all I have right now. But I appreciate your time and everyone stay cool. Please We have a cooling center located at the Highland Park Fire Department. From It's open from nine to 5pm. Please take advantage of it if you are don't have air units in your house and you need to get cool please should go up there. The fire department is willing to greet you and work with you. So don't hesitate to Highland Park Police Department is riding around passing out water to those who might be in need. So please take advantage of these things so that you can stay cool. Don't forget to hydrate don't forget to stay, keep with cool clothing cottons linens, and do not overdress because this heat is going to get hotter as the week goes on, and we want to make sure that you're safe. You guys have a blessed day. And I'll talk to you soon. Thank you ma'am.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this is the time where we open up the floor to citizens for citizens participation. Citizen may speak for no more than two minutes on any item which appears on the agenda. There's a citizen I would like to come up and talk to us about the first ordinance reading about an tabled item for the property sale. The approval of a fireworks license application. The section under community development where they list properties for sale is also the finance department resolution to amend the operating budget as presented by the finance department. Resolution to approve the proposed budget for July 120 24 to June 3 2025 is on there. And also the treasurer's office has a resolution to approve a three year assessment contract with WCA assessing our current assessor if there's anyone would like to come to the podium and speak on those items for two minutes. They can do so or we can move right into the agenda. Floor is always open
Okay Good evening Council employees. Yes. Citizens of Highland Park. I want to comment on Item eight be the lot that has to be sold to Matthew Lopez. I'm here at Brandon Lopez I live on Courtland Matthew Lopez is my brother we own the adjacent house jointly as individuals. I looked up the discrepancy and why it only says his name the city recorded about eight years ago with only his name, even though we both own it jointly the entire time. county records support this city. The title supports this the quitclaim deed supports this so I just wanted to clear that up. So you wouldn't be selling it to both me and my brother, who both owned that house jointly as individuals. And I just want to take the time to thank you guys for giving us the opportunity to participate in the offer to purchase program the last time we participated. We acquired a lot next to another house that we own. And we have started cleaning up on that we've eliminated brush and large trees. We've limited about 100 gallons worth of empty glass that has showed up in there from the nearby gas station and other facilities and so we're very happy to be able to participate and make the community better. We are in contact with the owner of the adjacent lot to that so we can get our fencing permit started. And we are happy to do that same thing for this lot. Where we have been finding large animals, possums, cats, and trash as well. So I'm I'm here on representation from my brother and myself. He couldn't make it he's coming back on a plane right now from a funeral over the weekend across the country. But I welcome any questions that you may have for me
in the agenda item itself.
Thank you. Thank you very much
all right. Let me get you started. All right. So my name is Brian Donovan. And you know, I want to thank everybody for their work. I know that it's just a lot of work and it is taxing work to do. And I really hope that we can overcome some of the conflicts and and really come together in HP. That said, I want to comment on the amendments to the budget. So the charter is very clear that the Department of Finance one of their jobs number four and Section seven, eight is to supervise the disbursement of all monies and assets by the city and exercise continuous budget control to ensure that appropriations are not exceeded. And we are basically amending the overspend of $1.8 million are being requested to do that today that there's only two weeks left in the year. So even if some of that money is not yet spent, most of that money has to be spent. And I want to also add, related to that, that it's a duty of the mayor in Section 7.3 to keep the city council fully advised at all times as to the financial conditions and needs of the city. So if that money needed to be spent, it should not wait until the last meeting of the year to authorize that expenditure which is what is happening today. Thank you. You
are online you're gonna have to raise your hand. If attendees are online if you want to be heard, you're gonna have to raise your hand digitally. So there are about nine of you on here. How you doing this right go ahead.
The ordinance Can you explain the number five there, the associated payment and more taxes the pilot can that be as clean as well as?
Yes, the oranges can that be explained and also the resolution to approve three year assessment contract with WC a. What is WC a and can that be explained? Thank you
Okay, seeing vacancy at the podium that lets me know that that way I don't. Individuals that are online, I have 10 of you. If there's anybody online that wanted to speak to the agenda items, this is an opportunity for you to do so. I got 11 now. Okay, so hearing I don't see any hands raised. So I'm gonna go ahead and move on into the agenda. We will be moving into item five. That is the ordinance first reading this is for the tax exempt ordinance for the city of Highland Park housing community limit dividend Housing Association, payment in lieu of taxes. I'm gonna need a member of council to make a motion to open the tap to begin the first reading or commence the first reading of the ordinance.
I wait and come out on the floor for discussion
so this is art so we have this darkness. I
heard that no,
no one raise your hand. No ma'am. Don't raise your hand at this time. I'm sorry for that. So now the floor is open for us to move in item five. I just need someone to make a motion for us to commence the first reading.
I want to start the crash reading of ordinance or tax exemption ordinance for the Highland Park housing community limited dividend Housing Association payment in lieu of taxes.
A true offer so the chair will offer support for commencing the reading of the first reading of the ordinance just Adam clerk would you please call the roll on beginning discussion on or beginning the first reading of this ordinance. passes
in the Shafi castle? Woman Monica? Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson. Council President Thomas yes this
item is on the floor before we get started here. I don't know if everyone has a copy of this resolution to approve the Highland Park Community limit dividend Housing Association LLC payment in lieu of taxes. This is a tax exemption ordinance this ordinance will be created to build a structure to allow a partner to come in to the city and help us manage our current inventory. Of Hello property. And I believe I don't want to forget your last name, sir. I'll see you back there. Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox trying to relate. Mr. Fox is also here to take a look at this document and I would just want it to before we get the discussion started. I'm going to make my brief comment and shut up under Section nine of this ordinance is a section that I'd like to read out loud to the citizens in the audience. This ordinance shall remain in effect and shall not terminate as long as the housing project shall remain subject to income and use restrictions under Section 42 of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. And a mortgage loan remains outstanding and unpaid provided however, that the duration of the exemption shall not exceed 50 years. The way that I interpreted that statement is that this property that these properties that they're talking about, are going to remain low income housing to qualify for this financial framework. And as I looked at this, I thought what would my neighbor down the street ask about us creating this partnership where we have our city owned property it used to be that is a part of Hood managed by an outside entity where my greatest fear be and I guess the greatest fear would be that this partnership would dissolve the low income housing status of those units. And so I wanted to read that under the ordinance section nine the duration basically for the full term of the loan Am I correct, Mr. Fox, it'll say it was a low income housing for around 50 years. And so that was when I come to this room. I asked what would 10 People do myself and nine of the people on my blog. And so when I talk about things, it's not necessarily what I would think is what all 10 of us would think and so when asking people about something like this, that was one of the concerns they had, if it's going to be a low income housing benefit for the developer, how long will it be low income housing? And the answer to that question, Mr. Fox concurred, drowned 50 years of the whole term of the loan, I don't have any other statements about it. I have looked at this document I read it the first time and I'm comfortable. I would love to turn the floor over to the other members of city council. So if there was something nagging at them about this ordinance, or if they wanted to have a modification may they could address that and we could start going through this thing and drawing some lines through some circles around. Otherwise, consider this a first reading hand but I would like to hear some dialogue on this item if those individuals have questions.
Yes, sir. You want the whole thing read? I can read it. Okay. Resolution to approve the Highland Park housing community limited limited dividend Housing Association LLC payment in lieu of taxes, pilot taxes, tax exemption ordinance first reading whereas the city of Highland Park Housing Commission, otherwise known as hphc, in partnership with MHT housing has formed the Highland Park housing community limited dividend Housing Association LLC, to redevelop eight existing scattered site buildings which include 160 units in the city of Highland Park. The project will result in a substantial rehabilitation of 101 bedroom apartments maintain one bedroom townhomes and 41 two bedroom townhomes whereas a transaction is an important component of hphc is plan to convert public housing units under hoods streamline voluntary conservation program, I'm sorry, conversion program the conversion will allow the property's to receive over $70,000 per unit of needed repairs and ensure that residents receive deeply subsidized rents for years to come. And no existing residents will be permanently displaced because of rehabilitation and residents will not experience a rent increase or as a construction loan the amount of 18,380,014 $35 and a permanent loan in the amount of 7,000,004 to $93,009 will be provided by the state of Michigan State Housing Development Authority otherwise known as Mr. The Richmond Group Inc, will make capital contributions of $13,110,294 which includes the purchase of low income housing tax credits. Additionally, the hphc is providing a loan in the amount of 13,900,000 and a deferred developer fee in the amount of $448,153 whereas rents for all units have been set at or below 60% of the area median income adjustment for family size all 160 units will be subject to the pilot based on section 15 A of the State Housing Development Authority act of 1966. As amended, or as an order to make this endeavor economically viable, it's necessary for it to receive me to receive for it to revive the benefits of tax exemption under Section 15 A of the State Housing Development Authority act. Thanks I'm 1996 pa reforms six as amended MCL 120 5.1415 A. Whereas adoption of the Council of this pilot ordinance and establishment of a service charge of 5% of the net shelter rate received will satisfy the requirements of the above mentioned public act. Now therefore be it resolved that the city council through its first reading only approves the above reference ordinance. At this point, we will be approving the first. Reference ordinance by majority has to be certified by the city clerk and verified by law department. Additional City Council Highland Park housing community limited dividend Housing Association LLC payment in lieu of taxes. The Highland Park Housing Commission in partnership with mth has formed a Highland Park community. I'm sorry, this is a repeat that is a repeat of the ordinance. Council Council like me to read every line item here.
No, no. I just want the audit is ready. So page one
absolutely this is under the ordinance has not been numbered just tax exempt ordinance. It has a space for a blank day the ordinance to provide for the service charge in lieu of taxes for housing projects for low income persons and families to be financed with the federal aid or authority aided mortgage loan or an advance or grant from the authority pursuant to the provisions of the State Housing Development Authority act of 1966 1966 pa 346 As amended MCL 120 5.1401 No here as the act the city of Highland Park ordains under Section One that ordinance shall be known and cited as the city of Highland Park tax exemption ordinance. HP HC redevelopment under Section two is acknowledged that it is a proper public purpose of the state of Michigan is a political subdivision to provide housing for low income persons and families to encourage the development of sets housing by providing for service charge in lieu of property taxes in accordance with the Act. The city is authorized by this act to establish or charge or change the service charge to be paid in lieu of taxes by any or all classes of housing. exempt from taxation under this Act and any amount it chooses not to exceed the taxes will be paid. But for this act, it is further acknowledged that sets housing for persons or families with low income is a public necessity and acknowledge that sets housing and I'm sorry and as the city will be will be benefited and improved by such housing. The encouragement of the same by providing real estate tax exemption for such housing is a valid public purpose. It is further acknowledged that the continuance of the provisions of this ordinance for tax exemption and the service charge in lieu of all ad valorem property taxes during the period contemplated in this ordinance are essential to the determination of economic feasibility of the housing projects that are constructed or rehabilitate rehabilitated with financing extended in reliance of such tax exemptions more sir. That's efficient sufficient.
For those who are in the audience, the additional items here on the audience list the exact properties that they specify for our last meeting. It lists them as lot number. It lists them as they're recorded in the plat map. It's a long, thorough explanation of those parcels that are identified. In legal terms pretty assessment. Additional questions, comments, concerns from my members of council. As I said before, at the beginning, I read this from Section nine, which talked about the length Mr. Shafi go right ahead.
So last time I didn't get a chance to ask what are we going to live in the property taxes? What do we do the property tax? lien on top of that, I wanted to read, does that exemption extend over to the water? Does an exemption extend over into their income taxes after the city? How far does this does this particular exemption
I believe it pertains to property taxes specific Mr. Fox, can I call you up to offer some context please? Am I correct in assuming that this is only the investment that you're making? The capital investment that you're making and investing in the city? You're making that in Lua?
Taxes? Correct. Okay,
Councilman, the question, if I understood correctly, currently there is no tax. We have provided the binders to confirm that approximately without looking at there'll be no $90,000 here in tax. No Where are we admitted? omitted from paying the water sewer gas electric? No Where are we omitted from paying any other special assessments that may or may not come? This is strictly the payment in lieu of tax. There is no other. No other request nor will there be.
Once again
the information that has been provided the most conservative underwriting to the proposed projections, recognizing that the same has been shared with the Attorney General's Office mista and HUD the gosh I need my glasses here. The minimum amount will be approximately $88,000 a year. Starting at 88 and then escalating up from there. That was in tab eight of the binder and highlighted.
70,000 on one line per unit here's another another line. We got 30,000. developer team for 114,000 a month and I'm just what I'm concerned about is what's given up as a result. This particular extension is the first time I've ever heard one point. So to be honest, which is
the first time I've ever heard, Mr. Fox those numbers that Mr. Sharp just referenced those are burdens, financial burdens that your organization is going to take not exact correct so that the city is not on the hook for any of that. Oh, no,
I didn't make that assumption. I was just clarifying. I will just create additional ones. We have 8000 hours a year. Okay, if somebody could could answer that. That will help out. You know, understanding as to what they're using, whether to lieu of taxes that would aid so my question is what is the possibility of what we're losing in Texas? And does it balance itself out? Greater in Texas, just to get this developing, or is that development neck and neck with the property taxes that we want to be losing? To say want to be attacked? That's my million dollar question. Okay. Council president.
I can I can answer that question.
Go right ahead, ma'am.
The properties in question had were HUD properties and hurt as a government entity was not paying taxes at all. So we had we had no tax money coming in. So what we're gaining is $80,000 not losing any money because we do as net not receiving any from the hurt buildings. So now we're going to gain $80,000 more a year and tax money that we did not have
at all. Here I didn't know it would ever be paid property. Taxes are not you know, saying so right. The Germans were funny. I bring you appreciate
additional questions before I call for the vote. This man please. Yes, ma'am. So it says whereas the adoption of city council this pilot ordinance and the establishment of the service charter 5% of the net shelter rent received will satisfy the requirements of the above mentioned public act now therefore be it resolved that the city council through its first reading only approves the above reference ordinance. So this is only approval. At the first reading. Am I correct, Mr. Bush? Yes. So now between now and members have this document if something does not sit well with you between now and next time that this comes up to us. We can go through this with the legal department. We can do some line out and we can get back for Mr. Fox or which counsel I'm sorry with CD director Clyburn and have those those items addressed. But the second time we see this document we will be voting to make it an actual order. So right now we're just voting on the approval of what we've seen or heard right now. The next time if there are no additional questions, it could just be a simple cursory bring it up on the floor and approve it, depending on how counsel proceed. So I'm ready to call for the vote. No, maybe not. Okay, so then we're always
on the same page with Councilman Sharpie. Okay, so thank you, Mayor, for answering that question. In regards to what do we receive? So here's my issue. And it's just an issue altogether. Period. We have a lot of people in our city who are not paying your taxes, your property taxes and I'm talking about getting landowners etc. And it just seems the years to me seems a lot. And so I'm wondering how many other businesses or properties we are still holding exempt. And so if we're holding all these people exempt, really never they're giving us a one time isn't it? So that's not right, unless you've given us 80,000 every year.
Are you given 1000 every year? Yes, ma'am. Okay,
so unless we're getting in going to receive that money and we have not been getting those monies it makes it very difficult to say I want to give somebody else a tax exemption or a tax exemption for solo excuse me, I'm just trying to pull something. And so when I went back and read the act, the State Housing wealth warranty act 1966, correct. Correct. It says an act to create a state's Housing Development Authority. That authority in this case would be
the authority is referencing mista as the state agency
okay to define the powers and duties have the authority to establish a housing development revolving fund. We have a revolving. I'm not going to just keep going to establish a land acquisition and develop fund to establish a rehabilitation to establish a conversion condominium font to create serve other clients and provide provide for the expenditure to authorize the making and purchase of loans, defer payment loans, and grants to qualified developers sponsors individuals, mortgage lenders and municipalities to establish and provide acceleration and foreclosure procedures to provide tax exemption to authorize payments instead of taxes. By NonProfit Housing Corporation, consumer housing corporate, limited dividend housing corporations, mobile home park corporations and mobile home parks Association and to prescribe criminal Philistines for violation of this act. Before this act only for the purpose of tax exemption.
Yes, ma'am. That is part of public act 346 recognized by the state to set up a limited dividend Housing Association to recognize the proper guidance and underwriting requested by both HUD and Mr. To recognize section 42 of the IRS Code to help complement the affordable housing. In this situation. We're going to be recognized affordable for perpetuity, recognizing we're going to be able to maintain the incomes who are either at zero to 13,000 per household, and that public equities just read off there is appropriate and the only guidance.
We mute I'm sorry, forgive me we get some feedback on
I saw I feel like for me, it's with the ants. No, ma'am. No, no, no. Yeah, I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just saying that's how I feel about it instead of just talking. And so when you mentioned hood and then somebody else say you don't have that drives a plan. I would you listen, you don't have any other parties. We did not have and if I'm wrong, please someone tell me. Do we have an actual house? However, however, housing commission, because my thing was we were still trying to get them if we partnered and that's my my only wasn't my only thing, too is if we're partnering, how can we partner? How can we partner and we don't have the people to talk to you. talk with you about this.
Thank you. How does reestablishing the partnership that the mayor and council would appoint to be back on both in advisory and to appoint them back as board members, much sooner than later to advise to put to back to put back together the Highland Park Housing Commission in partnership with our organization scuze
me for one second. I am getting additional conversation coming from somewhere
and I know I need that answer. I really need that that's it. I don't know anybody else is understanding like say it doesn't exist. How can I partner with you? If it doesn't exist who talk to you? It was the five pillars of the housing condition that talk to you know, so, again, how can we partner if I don't exist? That doesn't make sense to me. So that was one of the things the other one was answered about the tax exemption. I still have a thing about how long we want to give you a tax exemption. That's some tax exemption, though no I know. I won't be here in Sydney Hyde Park in this movie and I don't and I want to be here to you know, I want to be your past tears but no talk seriously. That's a long time to exempt a place it does not pay. The other thing is I don't drink and I don't usually reference children. But in the joint they are right now working for the same scenario again, they have so many people that are tax exempt. And then we're gonna pay. Do you know how much our citizens are already paying in taxes? We're already being locked into it. I'm not saying this is your fault or anything. I'm just bringing this out to illustration city to us. Our citizens are already pay and I want to say six weeks, something like that. I didn't bring I was looking for the paper I had. And we're one of the cities that our citizens pay for larger businesses. Same thing has happened in Detroit. So we are actually trying to consider how can they made those businesses pay no taxes and not so much tax exempt. We can only tax exempt so much. We already don't have a financial tax. That's it. I'm not saying I don't want you you're watching your loved one. You don't want to see them. I've seen some of the improvements that you already made. We talked about your partner, partner as a partner. I don't know if that was all true. I don't know them building code. I don't know any of that. And so sometimes that begins to be the problem. That we have City Council. Why are why City Council gives people such a hard time because everybody comes in here. Not only that, but everybody comes in here. They want some if we we didn't have anybody here looks it this point. I mean, real honest talk fear. So I'm saying don't get intense. It doesn't have to be that long, or doesn't have to be every single party or any other facilities. I think someone brought it to my attention maybe do in in in the city that has awareness is just saying I want to see those improvements. I want to see things happening in Highland Park, like I've seen around I O is for people will say this will be you know, you don't want to have that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is you can't give you I can't give you my whole bag. I just can't give you my whole thing. If you give me 1000 But your profits and taxes is what it is again get it we didn't get any so we aren't gonna get some so I take it I'm thinking I don't know so that's a question for like all the answers that I get but then you know we have to go repeaters no payment of anytime. I mean, can we just do some buildings or buildings? That's just the way I see it. That's it for you. Have any
additional workshop whether it's one on one to appropriately manage happily willing to bring in third party counsel with your counsel, happy? I wish we would have had this earlier to recognize your frustration, but it's simple straight talk. There's zero camouflage here and in the city for over 30 years. Been the owner of Gabriel Highland Manor, Glendale Buena Vista, Benjamin Manor, and I am continuing to invest back in Highland Park with the same best practices. I'm happy to meet with you still this week next week. Happy to draw on your council so therefore we can answer everything appropriately. They all have pilots as to all of the other multifamily developments in the city. So
forgive me for not being there in tune to what this means, what that means but now just listening to evaluation talking to me. They told me you already have X, Y and Z and all of them already exam. Oh, give you a whole bunch of other ones. They're gonna be exempt. We didn't exempt the same. I mean, we have all this other industrial stuff, but Is this reasonable?
At least a quarter.
So that's going to be made by kind of being part of being theologically I cannot exempt every single fact that you don't I can't tell you I don't know anybody. is going to exempt all of their profits.
All so So let me jump I appreciate before you start. Just before you start, Mr. Price. We're going to have an additional workshop on this. Thank you. Absolutely. We're gonna have an additional workshop because I realize now listen to my colleagues talk. The disconnect is in the information that they have available that makes it make sense because at the President doesn't make sense to them. And I know from your perspective, I only know just a little bit. I know from your perspective, you're doing low income housing and you know that you'll never be able to recoup what you invest as far as capital into low income housing and make it balance out without tax credits. And so that so what I find there is that I learned that information painfully and it took a long time. So I don't think it's fair, that we don't take time to get these questions. Answered. From my colleagues, it may take a lot of land data out to to allay their concerns and their fears and to mismanage this point. I think if you could attempt right now, to give a proper framework to why would a community why would it Why is it a good idea for a community to make an arrangement where you are tax exempt? And Lula, whatever investment that you're making, if you could just put it in plain English for us, and then we could go I would love to have you come back for a workshop before we get to the second reading of this. So if you could just explain it to us how how this has beneficial to our community. That's what we're all looking for. We I think we're all looking for the benefit because right now like to miss Maddox point is we we've been giving away so much. I don't know if they'll ever pay taxes on for field. Just being honest. It's I don't know if they'll ever pay taxes on it because it's been it's tax exempt as an incentive to bring them into the city. So if you could just explain it a normal language I think that will go a long way.
Great if I could get that meeting invite. I'm happy to refresh put it in reverse. I'm happy to talk about the annual median income of residents that we serve, the affordability, the duration. I'm happy to talk about the State Housing Tax Exempt loan I'm happy to talk about all of our sources and uses and I'm happy again to reiterate refocus on the pro forma and then all of the expected capital improvements.
Yes, sir.
Is it possible another another workshop that
I will look at my schedule, probably not the first probably not the first. Well, let me ask you a question, Mr. Potts, a building a capital stack. Do you have any hard dates in front of you that you need to get you're dealing with
Thursday of this week? I'm going in front of the state for the bonds knowing that we have the entire T managed but I again will be making full effort to one maybe offer the tour that's been offered to for you to see the existing conditions. Three to understand the public private partnership that HUD is going to be reinstating. Four is to recognize what those benefits are for the Highland Park Housing Commission. Five to recognize the disappearance of HUD and the reinstatement of mista. Six is to walk you through our existing portfolio that we own within the city to do a tour to refresh so you can see what else is going to be upcoming seventh is to further recognize how we've been here for over 30 years in the city of Highland Park and you can hear from our residents firsthand all the best practices
I'm not certain of that. Yes. Okay. Great
counsel, in the desire to control to make the most use of our time right now, I would like to call the roll on this item this first reading and I am confirming that we will have a workshop in the month of July to to additionally discuss this. But due to the sake of time and heat index, I want to go ahead and we have a motion on the floor from councilmember mannequin for the approval of the first reading was afforded by the chair sorry, we opened the first reading at the recommendation of Miss mannequin. That first reading was supported by the chair. After some discussion. We have an opportunity today and the final line of this now therefore be it resolved that the city of Highland Park through its first reading only approves the above reference ordinance. The chair is willing to entertain a motion of any kind from members of city council on Item five
we voted to bring it out for discussion. We're
gonna just be scrolling
through this first reading only that means only today we come back next time and send it don't worry we didn't only does it that doesn't mean we have to do it. Okay. Now therefore be resolved at the city of Highland Park through its first reading only. We have to have two readings. So that's approved
because you say only the essay approves the board and there's no need for second.
Mr. Bostic Could you
confirm with i Thank you, Mr. President, I think first reading only does provide clarification and that it does show that the ordinance is not being approved because it's not being approved. Only the first reading is being approved. There's an additional step that has to occur and that would be a second reading and then approval by council. So I think that having the only in there does provide clarification that is helpful based on the way I read it. First Reading only though it says approves the above reference coordinates. So first read through only the first reading not through a not to be misinterpreted as a final reading or a second reading or final appearance final Yes, yeah, after the second, if there's a second reading approved then at that point it would become effective.
Florida was counsel on that apply.
I was just the way I read it. If I read it. This is not to support correct exactly what you're saying precisely. Okay.
Okay, now we need a motion to approve the first reading only of the above reference ordinance.
Motion to approve.
Have a motion on the floor to approve the first reading of the first reading and review that we have the ordinance we have a second. Okay. Monica offers a second. Madam Deputy Clerk, would you please call the roll on item five. Councilman
a Shafi? Yes, well, first, Councilwoman Monica. Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson Council President Thomas Yes. For
first reading only motion carries the item will come back to us first in a workshop before we have a second reading. And then we'll proceed after that. Thank you.
Thank you. I look forward to be following up with everybody and will will be ready. Thank you.
Thank you Miss Foxx. Moving on. to item six. This is a table item resolution to approve the sale of a commercial lattice structure located at one zero. I'm sorry 12011 Hamilton to Bobby D. Lewis senior on behalf of his entity to be named later for the price of $750,000. This item is table City Council. What is your pleasure on item six.
Yeah, so I will make a motion.
So we have a motion on the floor to bring the table to item six. Back to the table. Do we have support?
Support councilmember Monica
is offered support this is about to bring tabled Item six a resolution to approve the sale of commercial structure located once you 011 Hamilton to Bobby D. Lewis senior Madam Deputy Clerk, would you please call the roll. Councilmember Shafi? Yes, the
breeze back from Councilwoman Monica Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson. No. Council President times.
Yes, item is on the floor City Council. This is item open for discussion after a motion.
We did discuss that. Council meeting is the main table to give us a problem appraisal of the value of this particular piece of property. Also the council members agreed that suddenly dollars is extremely low for property Sydney which is the caucus club. We've had we've had a few realtors actually look at the outside of the building and you're telling us that we need to get at least 30 to $40,000 for that shake down to do what we asked him to do with that his friends
I'm just getting called from a youth Mr. Shop and you are in fact correct. Yeah. But the clerk just informed me to the the ideas that continue to put him back off the table that we can't have an item table in perpetuity. We have to take some sort of action in the last seat Director Clapper has come to the podium Mr. Clapper Now mind you, we don't have a motion on the floor. So we don't have a motion on the floor. So the question among city council was but don't go away. We're definitely gonna need you. So the item so the item has been removed from the table I'm sorry, it has tabled item has been brought to the floor. We don't have an action on it. But Mr. Shoppies comment is correct. He did ask for an assessment on that. So
So council president motion tabled his findings to appraise at the next council. Roll back
we have a motion on the floor from Councilman a sharpie to take the table item and resolution to approve the sale of commercial line structure located at 12011. Hamlet's into Bobby Lewis to table this item until a appraisal can be provided at the next council meeting, or at a subsequent council meeting. I don't know if they can get an appraiser we got to get an appointment and they have to get out there so we can't guarantee that we'll be able to do so. We have support but I motion I'm sorry before. Thank you ma'am. The motion was made to read table this out item from Mr. Shafi has been supported by Councilwoman MONICA I don't see any hands no questions concerns dissent. Would you please call the roll on re tabling Item six
Councilman Shafie. Yes. Councilwoman Monica? Yes. Council President Robinson. Council President timeless Yes,
motion carries the item will be read table and direct Claiborne if you could. That was alone. Appreciate that. Moving on to item seven under the city clerk approval of the fireworks license application but yellow box fireworks LLC.
I will just call the yellow box firework LLC.
I would offer support with questions so we have this item on the floor and Sir
you are yellow box fireworks LLC. You are the proprietor? Yes, sir. Okay. My questions are as follows. I've lived here for 24 years. Every fourth of July a house burns in Highland Park that's at least 24 Just to on my blog. I must say that again. Every year house burns a Highland Park for fireworks somewhere between June 25 And July 15. house burns for fireworks. I mean like I said I've been here for 24 years and no less than 24 houses being that were burned for fires. Do you talk to the people that you sell fireworks to about how they use it. Are there any signs at your business that admonished like when you get on an airplane they show you how to do the gas mask and how to put your seatbelt on. When you charge your battery. There's a little thing it says don't do this. You jack your car up. There's a little insert that shows not to put your hands under the tire because an accident may happen. And so I'm wondering as a proprietor of fireworks. If you are proactively as you sell pyrotechnic explosive devices in our community, are you providing any type of safeguards to the people that you're providing it to or admonishing them in any way with any educational material? That would remind them that these things are dangerous and suggest that they represent a fire hazard?
Yes, sir. I would. I would. I guess to start with your last comment. They are dangerous. We tell people that they are dangerous as dangerous is the match that they'd like them but we're very cognizant of what happens. We issue a handout to all of the consumers at Bioworks. It's published by the American pyrotechnical Association, a Educational Association that we've been part of for well over a decade and we hand that out to all the consumers, the people who work at our stand. And we've been at this location, I believe 12 years. We explain how the devices are used. Also people can use their phones and the code to our code. And there's instruction there there's also instruction on the device itself. How to use the devices are all these devices have been approved by the consumer protection agency. In the first instance, just to get them imported from China, we buy from a company called Rados pyrotechnic and they are right one of the top providers of fireworks in the world. So I believe our longevity here on the same location demonstrates that we always have the same concern that you've raised and we go to extreme lengths to educate those who are buying fireworks. We don't sell to minors. We sell to adults. We ask for ID. So I believe that we take the necessary steps. We also carry a $10 million dollar liability policy. We also carry a million $2 million for property damage. If anything does happen, and it's related to anything that we've done wrong.
One more question for Mr. Orban so Mr. Horvath,
I want to
know I want to create an image for you. You have a successful season. You sell everything. No incidents, there's no fires nobody gets hurt. However, on July 6, curbside and Highland Park looks like a warzone. Because after those fireworks are used, they littered a community. You would think somebody had just put explosive shells all over there's not a corner of the city that is not littered with pyrotechnic cases, you can smell the cord out in the air. Okay. As a vendor in our community, selling a product that is disposable. I would ask that you should you have disapproved me aggressively proactive about how these things are disposed up. Meaning to the people that you would like to see if I can imagine a gigantic sign that says Do not litter with us fireworks please bag and trash Yes, please. Something to that effect because this country is founded on capitalism. People want fireworks they actually do what I like them or not. That's one of the problems with this product is that it really it is it's dangerous. Yeah, we have a lot of vets here who have a lot of pets here. It's it's challenging. So we are balancing those people who cannot take the sound those people those animals who don't like it, those people who don't want to clean it up rebalancing rebalancing our comfort versus the desire of the people who really enjoy fireworks. Now a lot of us really really enjoy fireworks. A lot of people let me say that but on the other side there are also people who the process have to bear witness our neighbors enjoyment of fireworks, we have to worry about fire hazard. We have to worry about the noise, the smell, and most importantly, the most probably the most egregious is the trash, because long after the event is over. Those things litter the street so those could be addressed. Well I think as a citizen who lives here I would greatly appreciate that because that's what makes it uncomfortable. Those things, the fire hazard, the waist, the smell, the trash, all of those things. So
that's why I will say this I will address it. We will put up signs at the stand this year. Regarding letter. We will also create a handout to give to pay consumers on every purchase, highlighting the fact that there is a concern of the city disposal. I would also say that it's a two day event. People aren't supposed to be letting off fireworks, other than as the state law says and I know what you're going to say they do it. But we emphasize that in our handout. I'd be more than glad to provide you with that handout before we start. Yeah,
I mean, I know what you're saying. I grew up in an era where you didn't have to wear a seatbelt. So it took about four years. And I have friends that accidents took about four years and I'm coming on television every day saying click it or ticket and then I finally started to wear a seatbelt because that was reinforcement. So I'm sure if you tell 100 people, hey, when you get finished with these, put them in the trash. You might get 15 people but if you don't tell anybody. If you don't tell anybody nobody is likely to do it. That will be a huge help because it leaves a scar.
It's a good suggestion. Yeah. And I'll take care of that. And I'll send you an example. And we will do our best to make sure that happens to the best of our Yeah, I mean, we're here we have the same concern. We don't want it to happen. I know that they litter in the parking lot, your supermarket, we pick up everything. We sweep it clean. So we've taken care of that over that day. Okay, so there's no issues there, but I hear you and I will address it.
Thank you very much. I mean the floor is open for other members of council on this. This item. My questions have been answered anyone. Okay, seeing none, hearing none. We'll go ahead and call for the roll on item seven the approval of the fireworks license application from yellow box fireworks, LLC. Madam Deputy Clerk, would you please call the roll councilmember Shafi
American holiday so yes.
Councilwoman Monica? Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson.
No.
Council President Thomas.
Yes, motion carries. Hopefully I was safe season sir.
Where would you like me to either fax or email the literature that we've just discussed?
Would you be kind enough to send it to the clerk's office? Yes, I will Kevin delivered and that way it can be disseminated out to all of us.
You're having before we settle. All right.
Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Okay, moving on to community development item eight. We have two items and be the first is a resolution to set a vacant residential lot and add to Avalon to the Avalon village Incorporated, Michigan nonprofit corporation for $500 City Council. What's your pleasure? Yes, ma'am.
Oh, you want Google Maps or land grid?
Is a second chance
coming up.
I'm also going to work on our regret for it.
Go ahead sorry, grid Apalagi. So this is the street view of it. It's near the corner there Second Avenue
is that the red.is the regular now I'm trying to get into read read because it was showed the regret of showing you the next door neighbor is I just can't log into it. Just give me a second. What was going on with their system?
Evening folks, technology is moving real slow. Today.
Monica. This is the regroup map showing Hu Avalon All right. This will also tell us.
Avalon village I believe owns this property here at 78. So let me try and I'm going to stop the share and see if I can log in. I cannot seem to get it to jump to my map. Yet additional questions the floor is open but we don't have any action on it. No one is made a motion or anything
so I was asking.
seems difficult right
now. So the second time I just like to make a motion to take the island to have a chat. This year is a village there are questions just to VBA in difficulty this be pass what happens think it should be? I think
so what we're doing item eight as you make someone wants to make a motion to table to
table this item. Second.
We have a motion on the floor from Councilman manacle for item eight A to table the resolution to sell a vacant lot residential lot at to Avalon Avalon village to we're going to have a workshop that was sent a workshop so it's looking I'm just wants to look at my calendar.
Workshop I'm saying a workshop actual workshop
so in the month of July, we have a meeting on July 1 And on July 15. So let us go ahead and schedule that. I cannot guarantee two workshops next month but I think we should go ahead and have a workshop on the first of July. So this item will be tabled until we Carbonite and work our workshop on the first of July and potentially bring this item back by the 15th. Yes, okay. So there's a motion on the floor for this item item eight a resolution to sell the vacant residential lot at Avalon Avalon village to be tabled for a workshop. The proposed workshop is going to be held on July 1 prior to city council meeting. Yes ma'am.
Works at
No, no. You have to have that as an agenda item on a special meeting to be able to do that. Okay, so you can workshop and bring it back. At the meeting you could put it on the agenda that for that evening. Okay, the regular course of business Yeah, so we can have a workshop and then we can go ahead and move into it. But you couldn't vote for it in the workshop. We have either a regular meeting or a special meeting.
So then to that point, Mr. Mr. Boss thinks point Mathematica. If we would have that item in the workshop for July 1, it will be plausible to have it brought back in the following meeting for a vote. Okay. I'll make sure to talk to the clerk and to see the Clyburn so we have a motion on the floor to table this item made by Councilman Shafi was that made by email made by Councilman America supported by Councilman a shocking to table item eight A and so we have a workshop which is scheduled for July 1, and that item could be would also be included on the July 1 agenda. Did you go ahead and call the roll on tabling item at
Councilman Shafi? Yes. Councilwoman Monica Yes, council protein Robinson. Council President Thomas
yes, Satyam is going to be tabled to July 1 For our next workshop and meeting again under item eight. This is a B resolution to set a vacant residential lot at 22 doors to Matthew Lopez for $500 City Council What's your pleasure?
floor is open for Item AB.
Emotional floor to approve the sale of 22 doors to Matthew Lopez we have a second.
We only have a motion sir. We don't have support.
If not support for lack of support.
I got this thing with this time it did I do.
Ladies and gentlemen, Item A B dies for lack of support. We'll be going to Item nine under finances the resolution to amend the operating budget as presented by the finance department by Mayor Linda McDonald for the fiscal year of 2023 2020 for the council What's your pleasure on item eight A.
Budget as presented by finance department, the mayor. Fiscal Year Three
for support. We have a motion on the floor from councilmember manacle for the approval of the resolution to amend the operating budget presented by the finance department and the city's mayor for the fiscal year 2023 24 Manika offer a motion for support. I'll make my first comment. We are at the end of a fiscal year for a municipal nonprofit. Like every other business that has a budget or family that has a budget when you get to the end of the year. A budget is often amended to either deal with shortfalls or to find out what to do with the surplus. That's what this EMI interpretation. That is what this resolution for the amended operating budget as has been presented by the finance department means but Carl, if you would mind giving a more clear definition for those people who are online. I would greatly appreciate it
could even evening Council. You hit it right on the head. So the state budget act requires us to adopt an annual budget and before the end of the fiscal year and during the fiscal year to the extent facts and circumstances change. They require you to amend the budget. The budget act says that you cannot spend $1 Unless it's appropriate. So the biggest reason that this is before you the biggest reason we wait till the very last meeting of every single year is to ensure that no department is $1 over budget because if so it's got to be disclosed in the audit report as a violation of the Budget Act. We're allowed to be over the budget during the year but at June 30, the reporting date in our audit report that goes to the state. If you're $1 over in any department, then the auditors will say finance department is over budget this is over budget and it wasn't properly appropriated by the governing body. So what you have before you and again it's not a whole lot to amend this year the dollars are big but the the good news is that it nets to zero is that the proposed amended budget has an increase in revenues of $1.8 million. So we're gonna get the specs out getting to $1.881 million, and I increased the expense a corresponding amount. So again, the good news is on the income tax side, we're amending the budget up by $869,000. So last year, there was some thought of I think there was a large business that might be discontinuing. How are we going to continue with the high level we had last year at cetera. The good news is we have and this budget has a significantly exceeded not only our current budget but last year's actuals as well. Our wider right of way permits so the activity the building here within the city continues to happen. Federal grants, we have our last installment of the ARPA grant. Our court revenues are down about 300,000. That's primarily a result of we don't have officers to write tickets. So I know our staffing level is increasing. So hopefully that will rebound as well. So we're down about 300,000 there. And again, insurance. on the expenditure side as well as this reimbursement side we've had significant number of lawsuits. So our lawsuits unbudgeted totaled more than $800,000 this year lawsuit settlements so we had to pay out more than 800,000 of which insurance reimbursed this for 575 of that so you'll see the 100,000 down in expense and then 575 coming back as well. On the expenditure side, one of the significant things obviously is that lawsuit and then the attorney costs related to fighting those cases. Our general property and liability insurance again, with all the lawsuits, it's gone up more than 40 or 50%, from last year. So we went from about 270 for property to like 373 80 and then to stuff out the same for general property. So it's six significant increase during last year. So that is, you see, they're at 90,000 80,000 respectively. So it's $170,000 increase, though, that wasn't planned for that. So those are the biggest ones. And again, there's 13 days left in the city's fiscal year. So this isn't a budget to increase spending or anything else. This is more of a housekeeping thing just to make sure that when our audit report comes out that we fall within the guidelines of the state budget. And then the only other one you see down there is the grant fund. Again, we are spending we got a new grant, the F our annual f c fiscal distress communities, villages grant for two for 150,000. So that's a revenue and expense related to that. So that's all that one relates to as well, but it's primarily the general fund and again, that one grant fund outside of that there's no other funds we're amending. And again, this literally just revenues equal expenses, and it just ensures that when our audit report comes out, we stay compliant. With the Budget Act. So happy to answer any questions.
Laura is open please and liberty
miniature
the top section there. You see the first eight lines there says revenues. So I'm increasing revenues by 1.8 million
while it's already been spent, we're just allocating it between the departments to show that it's offset. So again, these aren't new expenses. This is what's already been incurred,
Surely
all justified because in these instances, we've spent more than we our original budget was we haven't amended the budget during the year at all. So
you spent this money for council approved. Basically, yes.
Some of it again, the lawsuit judgments 300,000 of it. We didn't have a choice and the attorneys costs related to fighting it. So that's a million. It's one of the million other.
Yep. GMR will do 230,000. Yep.
And then our general property liability insurance is 170,000. Yep.
Those fees were for people. They were fighting the people that were suing. Yes, yes. So Right. These are all these are frivolous lawsuits. They came in and we were forced to fight those and it costs us all this extra money. Yes, this is over and
above what was budget I
see. I see. So that is one way to explain it.
Okay. So that's one thing. 30,000 hours, we take those two days. You have 100 over 100,000 hours you spent
don't say yes. Yes. Okay. Everything else afterwards. There's $100,000 That was appropriated US state without you first coming to this council or permission. That's correct. explanation. authorized.
It's just that's the general operating costs of the city. So when some of it is budgeting, so I have a conservative budget, you know, so if, if it costs go up 10% We have to incur that. And usually, so it's on me to bring them to you more frequently as they're occurring. Historically, what I've done the last three years is just come at this meeting for housekeeping. But I think it would be more beneficial if I came to you quarterly because at that point, you could say, No, this has to stop or we need to cut somewhere else that kind of stuff. But at this point, like I said this is all been incurred. If it's past we stay compliant with the Budget Act, we still have a balanced budget. And I believe we're gonna come in a little better than breakeven, again this year, which is outstanding. Again, despite you know, the lawsuits and the property tax, the property liability insurance increases those kinds of things, which are beyond our control, but like I say this, the purpose of this is to recognize what has happened and to adjust our budget accordingly. So if this is not passed, then what happens is we you know, in our audit report, it'll show that you know, we'll have these half dozen or more departments that are over budget.
All tech support we're not going to bounce bounce, stabilization 25,000 hours, consulting service without
consulting service inspections, without consulting service and Metro consulting, you guys were not 100,000 studies
actual increase in their this is just what was before they budgeted out X amount of dollars for the year. And this is just a bow, call Utah asking the question where these these were increases. So this was over the budget that was proposed. This
is over the budget that is currently in place. Thank you very much for the clarification.
All right. These are all
SLT. Yes, ma'am is medical
knowledge. Salaries are up by $5,000. Insurance property has gone up by $90,000. Insurance general liability is $80,000. repairs and maintenance are going up by $9,000. So lien oil has went up to $1,000 repair maintenance vehicles and gone about $40,000 DTE street lights have gone up by $30,000.
That's not that's not accurate. They haven't gone up. These things were budgeted for for the entire year. All of those costs are actually higher as
an example the Edison one I anticipated. A 4% increase. Okay, they went up 50 They went up 15%
Okay, cool. I want to clarify, these are all increases I'm looking at Yes, yes, they are. So this is over budget from last year that we approved. Yes. That's what I've done. Okay. So that is the listing. Okay, so back to DTE streetlights. $30,000 contractual services dumpster that went up by about about four feet. more expensive. They own about $30,000. I don't know what Lauren's expense that's
that's the insurance claim for the recreation center. Okay, that's okay.
active employees have gone up by 60. Down. Compensation, absences has gone up by $10,000. And that's when we have to administer
that's 2000 to
2000. Sorry about this. President. Beauty said he believes storm water has gone up by 10,000 down. Transfer out FIA building fund has gone up by 40,000 So that brings us to $851,000 over the original budget that we approved last year. Correct? That is a big jump.
So actually miss mismanagement, mismanagement that I'm gonna acknowledge hispanica but what I just did is I took that entire amount and I divided it by 12 for an entire city for an entire city that is 2.9 square miles and about 10,000 people that need to manage this entire city. We were only over budget about $156,000 a month and the city that spends about $3 million a month. We were up about 156,000 For those of you who ran a business, this is that small hairline fracture between three and 7% increase. We didn't just go up by 30. I had you have to divide that out by the entire year. This is for a calendar year. 12 months. That means for a city that is managing $12 million a year and ins and outs. We were only up by about $150,000 a month. I think that's fantastic. Carl hats off to you to manage all of that and only be up $150,000 a month to be managing all of those funds. Congratulations. You did a fantastic job. When you look at it like that. Forgive me Miss Manik. I just wanted to make sure that we didn't skew the picture so far to think that we're just over budget that is a budget amendment for 12 months. So mathematically please
use it that way. So I was just gonna say it this way. And that is it says for you, you're saying the budget, but if I'm interpreting. So I started out and I say I'm only going to spend $2,000 on my vacations. But lo and behold, by time I went to take the vacation, the price of the car went up the price of the hotel when I'm told that they have to spend more money on that particular vacation that I had already planned. That same kind of scenario. Yes. So if we get new employees, our health insurance went up.
Yeah. So a couple of these were new employee came in the other one was opt out and the new one that came in got insurance. So we have adjusted that. So of
course we got to pay for those. We have projects that are being done by MCA. So that's of course, what we have done is balance that out. You have the money to make this happen. Yeah,
so part of again, the issue of not coming before you as frequent as you should be right but but we I monitor the income tax collection. So on a quarterly basis, like oh, hey, we're running ahead. So like when the police contract came before you and those raises were given there was no budget amendment at that time that's incorporated here as well. But so I when I monitor the revenues and say, here's where we're at or whatever, and then again, we finance informs the mayor as far as, hey, you know, if it was negative, we'd be screaming, hey, we can't do this. We can't do this. And remember the budget when I put it together, it's not 100% of what we need. It's really based on the estimated revenue that we have. And so some of the things are very conservative, and I was like, we budgeted zero for lawsuits settlements, we budgeted low for attorneys because I if you look at last year's budget, that's all the revenues we have. You know, some of this was very conservative, like the repairs and maintenance on vehicles. we've incurred a lot. You see two or three of those are there were probably $100,000 and repair costs but again, our DPW our public safety department, they have to have their vehicles repaired, and the budgets were there were not you know, they didn't go off from last year where all of the costs went up, you know, those kinds of things. So that's part of this adjustment there. It's a conservative budget based on revenues, just like the budget you'll have the next item we have here. Again, it's these are the revenues we think we're going to get and every dime of it is going to be reinvested back. And so what
I want to say is I agree, we should have quarterly, so maybe we'll talk about
that I will ensure you
know, this conversation, knowing exactly more if I say, hey, let's not spend that much and that sometime when we try to explain
what but I get it, I just wanted to put it in a different term, different understanding. Because we didn't know how much we learn to pay losses. So we finished so you can't can't
Yeah, and at the end of last year, there was no money to budget.
So that's I just wanted to kind of make that one thing that some of it didn't. So I wouldn't sit next to my council that this is past that people board was putting those new things in place. By hand on a quarterly report. That's mine.
Again, the purpose of this is just to get us compliant because like I said, it's you know this this has been incurred if I'm before you quarterly, at least you have the opportunity to react to you know, I could tell you got 100 grand more and you could opt not to amend the budget to spend it other places or at that point, I tell you, hey, looks like repair maintenance or run a little high or we hired this new person who now gets insurance and doesn't blah, blah, blah, and we can have a more thorough discussion as far as how you want to. Yeah, how you guys want to do that. Again, the mayor runs the city dictates that stuff, but again, it's all pending your approval. Yeah. So so that's what we'll bring it for you of this is what we're proposing and again, you'll have quarterly input on if you approve or don't like say the last three years we unfortunately we've just come at this time to clean it up to make sure that in our audit report looks good.
Okay prepared to call for the vote. That we started which please for item nine, eight a resolution to amend the operating budget as presented by the finance department in Maryland and McDonald for fiscal year 2324. It was motion was made by Councilman Romantika supported by the chair would you please call the roll
councilmember Shafi Castle lemon Monica. Yes. Caster Pro Tem Robinson no Council President Thomas.
Yes. So that means So Carl, what I need to find out from you is now that we don't have this amendment approved, what does that mean for us? What Jeopardy do we face now with the state of Michigan? Well,
it'll be disclosed in the audit report that we have violated the Budget Act and each department that's over it will be listed department by department in the
Honor. Okay, thank you very much. Moving on to Item nine be the resolution to approve the proposed budget for the period of July 120 24 to June 30 2025 Extra period by Mayor Linda McDonald City Council What is your pleasure?
Also proposed budget for the period 2024 I'm sorry, July 1 2024 to June 30 2020.
That's the second we have a motion on the floor the resolution to approve the proposed budget for July 120 24 to June 30 2025 is presented by Mayor Linda McDonough questions concerns.
So again, the same budget act that we're referring to the state of Michigan requires that all municipalities adopted budget by July 1 Or you need to shut down because if you've don't appropriate money for spending you can't legally spend.
So ACO
yes because the Clio deal says that you will pass an annual budget and adjust the rates accordingly in that budget.
It is so much
easier. I was running for steel, steel at a paper from 99 Right. Okay. So I apologize for not being here, but really that is legit. But at the same time, I can't afford to allow the ACO illegal deal to fall short. And I can't allow the residents to be without service. So you,
commissioner to again it's passing it and then we can meet anything as much as we need to afterwards. It's just a matter of having one in place. And then you know, it doesn't mean the discussion is over. We can have we can have lots of calls.
I continue that discussion on this question is far from
I'm here. I'm ready. It's far from Absolutely.
I'm going to call for the vote on item go right here, ma'am. Mr. Carlos.
Automatic if what? No, my only experience with an audit not or a budget not being passed was that Hamtramck when I was there? The state said you have 30 days to pass one otherwise we're taking you over and that's why they got taken over by the emergency manager. And so we are currently still under under the thumb of the state. So I don't think it would take that long. I think if we didn't pass something by June 30 It's in Lansing. Oh,
so I'm ready to call you have any anything else is call for the vote on item nine be the resolution to approve the proposed budget for a period of July 120. Coming forward to June 30 2025. Please.
Councilman a Shafi for now on say yes, Councilwoman. Anika? Yes, Casper Robinson. Past President Thomas.
Yes, motion carries. Thank you very much, Carl. Thank you. Yes. On item 10. This is the treasurer's office the resolution to approve the three year assessment contract with WCA assessing City Council What is your one just before we get started? Can someone please provide me a thorough explanation if you wouldn't mind Mr. McDonald, just to let the people know what WCA stands for.
WCA stands for Wayne County Assessors.
Thank you very much. Okay, so City Council What is your pleasure? On item 10 resolution to approve the three year assessment contract with the Wayne County Assessors
assessment contract with the CEA
chair offers a second questions concern concerns I believe this is just to approve the contract. Mr. Shaw is not here.
Okay. Here we are. He was here for the previous meeting. Okay. Okay.
So he's this kind of trade, specifically, but he doesn't show his shop he is the owner
so it I think you said she here. You're gonna ask this question What happens if we don't improve?
You must have an assessor on record per the state. Otherwise again, or drum?
So we approve it. Does that mean the state's gonna send us somebody else?
No, I don't I haven't been through the ramifications of this. But we are you're required to have a level four assessor at all times on your role to assign the roles and assign the assessment, especially now with the tax. You know, the tax bill is going onto line one.
Nobody can tell you what the possible liability
is if you don't have an assessment if you don't have an assessor
you can't make you can't send our taxes.
I would imagine it would be significant. But I can't really tell you particularly I wouldn't imagine a scenario where you wouldn't have an assessor is required by law. You can't you can't
match the president. I can I can address that Mr. Scharping. If we do not have a county as if we do not have assessor that means that we could the tax roll cannot be assessed and we cannot send out tax bills to the citizens because we have to have a correct assessment from the city. And if that doesn't happen, then there's no tax bills. No tax bills means no revenue. No revenue means no operations. No operations mean again we don't have funds to
do yes, Councilman
I think this is a serious issue. I've had a lot of concern about the ways Texas back here it wouldn't be nice if he was here to speak on his bed
there was no way we could prepay with this item and Commissioner Shaw gets back to him personal if you reconsider that we could we can table this item and leave everything as it is to the next town for me. And hopefully we can talk to him in person.
Okay, so just a second. I mean, look, I'm looking at the previous council meeting agenda here. And WCA was on a previous council.
He was brought up as a walk on but it was voted down right okay,
so he came in as a walker. And then so July 1, begins tax season. Yes. So that means we will be out of compliance as of July 1. So we will be
Yeah, that was my recommendation. 30th of June we had a 30 day pass a 30 day contract. Yes. Okay. All right, because again, you want to have an assessor on record as of July one or so the mayor's point, okay.
It's good. It's good. We got we got people from the state and other places watching what we do here. So it's good. Let it go.
So so I don't mean to be rude. Guys, do this timeline is coming up. I hit the run. Oh, okay.
I just tried to walk it on the last week. I actually did you know how we feel about last minute it doesn't give us 10 sets. It doesn't give us anything. It doesn't give us the information as before. That's why most council members hate waffle because it's the last minute he we knew dog shops contract was coming up. I knew his contract was coming out at the start of the year. In January. I knew it was coming. So why did we wait into this particular month? This last month? The last two weeks. He spent the last four weeks okay. We go back as far as to the last Council meeting. We tried to walk it on, which was unacceptable. Okay. And I hear the public's rumbling. I hear the public's grumbling. I hear it. I hear it but nothing should be waiting until the last minute of the deadline. A you want to say if we don't improve is that sorry. I got a problem with those threads. Those are idle threats. Those are mild little threats that everybody loves. To make. Everybody loves me and we don't have this. This is going to happen. We don't have that we can't do this. We we can't do this. This seems 100 years. So how many years? What are we waiting to the last minute for crucial contracts
like this.
This is a proof of contract.
And I agree with you I don't know the details behind why you didn't get
on top of that. Mr. Shaw is on vacation at Yellowstone when no one had really answered to this because you don't know much about this yourself. But I'm just every once in a while we wait to the last minute and he wants to tell me damned if we do and damned if we don't.
And again, that was just trying you ask the question of what of what if again, I Yeah, again, the simplest thing I told I understand that I totally agree with all your points. It's not fair to you guys. Because because you didn't have so again, the administration is going to have to do a better job of getting it to you timelier. Again understand your frustration. He was here again for that walk on meeting but obviously it wasn't. It wasn't allowed to be walked on and then he had a pre scheduled vacation is when he told us
say that he brought it to us last month. And we didn't we didn't entertain it. We had a month in advance. So now because we didn't there it was brought to us in a tie. It was brought to us as it was made available. I know my birthday. I never go renew my license before my birthday. I know what day my gun permit expires. I go on that day. I know what date my car insurance expires. I renew my car insurance on that day.
You wanted us to approve it with 30 seconds of looking at once to
discuss it. That's when he was broke. He was brought to us to put on the agenda to discuss we were not asked to approve anything we're asked to put it on the agenda discuss. We will not mature enough as adults who get things sent to us at our home border. We will not mature enough to either right or at this point of order recognize I'm ready to call for the vote. Madam Clerk. You wouldn't want us to vote on the back. It wouldn't be voted. We could have got some answers Madam Madam Pro Tem The floor is yours Mr. Sharp and you have exhausted your time. Oh I have not exhausted my you have you have to you have two instances to speak. You have two instances to speak and you have exhausted your tone. Madam Pro Tem I just want to say that our financials are not contracted out every
last us
Okay, on item 10 Please resolution to approve the three year assessment contract with WCA assessing Madam Deputy Clerk please call the roll. Councilmember
Shafie on behalf of the council woman Monica. Yes. Council Pro Tem Robinson. Yes. Council President Thomas yes
motion carries. We are at the end of our business tonight. We're gonna move on to citizens participation. I had this. You had your hand on this man.
I just wanted to find out. This is a question for you. On the winner we did not pass
so many not ready, but what is
what is the you have until June 30 to pass an amendment if you like that. That's the date after June 30. You can amend this year's budget.
We don't we've already already. Well, what is that?
Get the violation goes to the state of Michigan then it's up to them at that point. So it'll be disclosed the outbreak. If you look at our audit report like that for last year, it says all the departments were compliant and so this year, it'll say we're in noncompliance for all of those departments that are
said that it needs to come in. So we have too much more than in the state requirements. The state assistance in everything that we have done we we do not need to estimate what can happen by that by the environment because this just like shutting down the wedges, we can't pay we
if we don't I mean this budget,
income coming in finance. My role. We can't pay we don't have it.
Well, yeah, this is this is did we properly appropriate? What's going to be in our budget? And if that amendments passed, then it shows that everything was properly appropriated and came before you and you approved it. If not, then it shows that expenditures were incurred and we're over we violated the budget. Thanks. Yeah,
okay. So so let me let me let me just squeeze right here because we're about to go into citizen participation. No, that was a she pulled a coattail to ask the question. We're gonna go into citizens participation. And then during Council affairs, you can address whatever you want to that's why I don't like to shoehorn things on at the end because it gets we'll be we'll be here for another 35 minutes. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. We're gonna move into citizens participation. I have my watch set before minutes, because I figured a room was small. I'm not doing that. I've been up since 430. Okay, I value your time and I value my time. And it's in it's 98 degrees outside. So I thought we could get this thing done. And if you can move in, I'm sorry. 89 degrees, but citizens participation, so I'm open up for two minutes. Spreading always good to see you. I'm gonna let you state your name and I'm hit the book.
Demand petty with the Juneteenth Detroit outreach. I'm here for our final heads up the 5k and the parade will be happening Wednesday, June 19. Starting on Manchester register. Yes, we finalize. Our route with the fire department but we have not been able to get in touch with the police chief. So I'll be walking that in tomorrow and leaving it for him. But everything else is a goal. We have about 65 runners and walkers for the open route and the parade is going to be a considerable size. So we appreciate all the help that you have given us and it's going to be a great day. Hope you all can see it. Thank you, sir. It will end at Hamilton and Hamilton. Yes,
you have the same scenario.
No, is it the parade in there? Is it Thank you. All right.
I have citizens online. Let me do this. I have people that are online. And one of the issues that we've had in the past is that there were people online who wanted to get their hand raised and so I am going through the list of people that are online. I see one hand from a citizen that lives over on and the quiet Miss McDonald, you are coming on as a citizen after USC Mr. Christian, or miss Byrd. I'll recognize you next Okay. I'll let you know when it's time to unmute. Go ahead, Miss McDonald.
I just wanted to address the amendments to the budget. Again, when you receive a budget and we have not had to come to amend that budget this year, at all, because we were within compliance. When you present a budget, you're presenting a proposed budget budget. Proposed means what you think we're going to take in that's what proposed means we're proposing it we're believing that this is what we're gonna get. But sometimes that does not happen. Sometimes we have an overage of what we thought was going to happen happen. So at this time, the budget was proposed. And once we got to the point we had a new director coming in for example, we had a new DPW director come in okay, we did not use any funds over that because those but that was that money was from a someone who retired. So we use the money from the person that retired to hire. The DPW director didn't go over. Same thing in other departments. When we hired DPW workers. We hired DPW workers who left from who some left and we replaced them with the exact exact exact amount that they were receiving with no benefits. So there are people who came in there's people who that was full time decided they want benefits now, instead of exactly being what is it opt out. So if they're full time, they're entitled to benefits. They're entitled, just like you are received benefits you're entitled, or you can opt out, it's up to you. So those things happen and interchangeable. Some people decide, oh, I don't want them and then later on and come back and say I do so that's $10,000 roughly and about per person, who now we have to include. So yes, when a budget is amended, it's because we have either had to have some extra expenditures, and let's talk about it. Materials. How many of you had I know my time is up council president? How many how many of you have tried to do your repair your house if you've tried to do repairs this year since 2020. It has doubled gas has doubled everything the price of stuff has doubled or tripled since then. So that's inflation so we have to adjust for inflation and if you can't understand that, then I'm sorry. I apologize that you feel that this is something that is occurred. But this is how a budget runs at the end at the end of the year or in the year. You have to amend there's amendments to be made. Thank God we didn't have to make any amendments during the year. Because we were on top of the budget. We were in compliance and every one of my administration administrators will tell you, I told them, we are not going over budget and talking about lawsuits. The lawsuits the frivolous lawsuits that we have to pay out continuously. We have a few that just came in. Those lawsuits cost us money if we have to get a specialist to learn from somebody and they have to they have to contract it out to somebody else to make sure that it's done for a conflict of interest is something those lawsuits cost us money. So every time we receive a lawsuit, the city has to pay for that. And they're going to continue to add up so we can keep sending in these allowing people to do the frivolous lawsuits. And we have to keep paying for that's all I have to say council president thank you for your time.
Thank you ma'am. It's hard. You can't you can't you can't pull the timecard on the mayor. Yeah, I'm sorry. Have you want to go? Go ahead, Miss fry.
Okay. I wanted to piggyback off a little bit of what she said about the lawsuit. And because I kind of wrote down he said like 800,000 hours but the insurance paid back 575,000 So it must be some kind of clause there. And also I was thinking when these budget items happen, don't they come to council? Do any of this information has to come to council to be approved or they just do it on their own their own? And so that seems like that's a problem right there. Also, back to Mr. Damon in that water bill June able to cut off time in this June. So we want to end the Doom so what we're gonna do
No, sir, well, why not? This the end? Yeah, um, so what when having an opportunity to miss prime will stop the clock on us. So listen go to other cities City Council might not want to hear that I there's no, I'm saying I'm saying you to me. So and if that's the city and with all due respect, ma'am. I'm just about to say no to other city council. meetings. I go to other city council meetings. Ms. Fry, please know you please. Go have a private conversation. Thank you Cindy information, I hear you. But this is you get two minutes and the person after you gets two minutes any one of us can answer that question. So thank you very much. Mr. Garr. Mr. Gear during Council during Council affairs if one of these individuals want to ask you to answer a question, we can we can when I used to go to your establishment always follow the rules your establishment man, should they?
Good evening Council. My name is Jamil Edwards.
I wanted to add I live on Grant.
I wanted to ask one question. If if people are coming into the city and I'm going to use June 18 And they use Manchester which is a private light. How does the city tax the vendors on a private lie? Because he had initially was going to start at glory market. He was going to continue to stay at Goring market. The city is charging each vendor that's on private property $150 And when he came up here, he said some of them one is a little girl that's just some eliminate, but you're gonna charge her $150 to be on private property. So my question to you or to the mayor, how does the city charge a binder on private property
and where is it in the charter? Thank you ma'am. I'm gonna pose that question up to you, Madam Mayor. I have one question to support that. Do you let me hold on hold on. Second, I want to ask the question. Do you buy a vendor license to vend in the city in general, or do you buy a vending license for a location?
The vendor and license
is for an event? We have an event ordinates so those vendors are under that event ordinance any any event in this city whether it's on private property, or and Sydney property is subject to that ordinance. Just like in all the other cities Detroit everywhere else, they have a vendoring or, and that ordinance, which was created in between 2016 up to I think it was I wasn't on our council when they finished it, but I want to say 2020 Something like that. The ordinance was amended to have vendoring in it and those vendors in order to vendor in the city of Highland Park there's two different kinds. There's a Yvette vendoring and then there's the permanent vendors like food trucks, carts. We have those also in the city because locations in the city where those vendors are. So this order is there is an ordinance that can be looked at Miss Edwards if you would like to see the ordinance, please let me know. And I will make I'm sorry, I can't. Did she say she will? Yes, ma'am. She says she'll follow up with you so that she could see it. Yes. Thank you. Okay. All right. Thank you very much. I don't see any other citizens at the podium. So I'm going to move into city to council affair starting with the counselor from the third district. But he didn't everybody. Keep it short and sweet. If you recall the budget from last year when we went over the budget last year. You didn't have to make any amendments. When we first got in office 2023. We came in the budget season a couple of months afterwards. Correct. Did you see any amendments for that year? No. Okay, we didn't make anybody budget amendments last year. So while we make it while we script it over money, in which we did not have approval to spend in the first place I understand that stuff happens. I get I get expenses happen. But council should be notified of those changes. It should be notified of those expenses. And it shouldn't just be new doing as you see fit with our money. We don't get to do as we see fit with your money. Nobody should have that right. And then they need to let you know what they're spending your money on before they sit and they had ample time to notify us of these changes. They admitted in sales. These are changes that happen throughout the year. So why was the council notified? This all existence. I'm not holding anybody's feet over the flame. I'm just asking the simple question that that the administration notifies this body in a timely fashion so that we can be properly informed to make a fair and just decision. I'm not asking any more than that. And you have a lovely evening resident sometime. Thank you. It's my duty to know that council. Councilman. We duly know that we will make sure that that happens. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Miss America. I have an announcement from I'm sorry, evening, everyone how you guys doing? I have an announcement from Highland Park in the ACP. They have reactivated in the city of Highland Park. And so they are celebrating that Wednesday, June 26 2024. And Tim pickups. There'll be celebrating that and I did not give you a time. Let me see what time that's it. I apologize. At 5:30pm. So again, they are celebrating it earnestly for rec center. They're celebrating the reactivation of NAACP. They're encouraging of course for you to come out. If you see the flyer and I will have it posted on my Hey, there's a scan for it on there's also numbers that you can contact them. You want to be a member and you as well. This will so come out and support them and then I'll remember again that this can be very high. This week, get out a lot. Think of a senior so I'm asking also if there's anyone in the audience today. That is in district one. Please see me right after the meeting. Well actually see me after me. The other thing I want to say and this is to everyone and to definitely myself and my council members. We have been given out a year on whatever we can not right or wrong, that have happened and at some point, we gotta move on and move in the way that we are correcting without going back. We just got to make sure we're doing what we need to do upfront. So that it doesn't happen again, and also learn what we don't know. Because a lot of things earlier you've seen I said I didn't know so I don't know what I don't know. So I mean, what if there's ways that we can correct them going forward? I'm hurting ourselves without putting ourselves in a deeper hole. We need to figure out a way to do that. And to rectify situations before they come all out in the pub. I am at the point that this is just beyond me that we can't handle things unless we just put it in front of everybody on TV or whatever, you know, internet social media, I should sit down with certain entities and say these are things that need to be corrected. And then if you don't correct them before then I guess it should be out here but we have displayed enough discord and ignorance. And now just this vine I go a number of places uploading and how they work. And we don't have to like each other but we have to do the work and at some point we got to sit down at work and not worry about our dislikes, as long as we can service the entire home. But sometimes I feel like in order to get back at the other person or something that has happened, we're hurting ourselves. Cutting off our nose to spite our face because I need to show you that I know. I need to show you that you was wrong. Well, I can show that he was wrong by creating a way for us to do it right? By learning how to do it the correct bank or at least if we don't make a mistake, let's make a mistake together and say oh, you should have did it that way. Let's do it again Coronavirus. An excellent example today. He said I'm willing to come before you for it. That is the first step for us to create those situations where we don't have a budget situation. It's always going to be a minute and so I'm not positive. So I'm not going to dispute why my council member Sharpie or that we didn't have been a bit faster because I'm thinking I'm pretty sure we always in a minute because there's so you just might not be I don't want to dismiss because I don't have the date, time etc. economy but if I'm in most businesses and most places period and have a budget, there is some amendments made because you can't support expensive costs. That happens you may have to move some money around to take care of it. So what would that again be and see if that goes back to us learning. And so I guess this is my tweet at this point halfway through you that we have got to do that. We have got to put all animosity aside when it comes down to go work for the city. It gives me no I agree. They should not come to us. So you already know I agree with that in the spiritual but site time is the time. The other thing that I'm asking is that we're not allowed to catch up and I feel like in our efforts to for no disrespect to administration, may or seedy want to counsel in our effort to move forward. We are moving sometimes too fast and I think we're not getting we're not doing the right research or we're not listening to the right. So at some point we have to stop it's we're halfway through the second year. I don't have much more other than again remember the initial ACP oh that did it. That's what I'm trying to think about. The Dennis is also going to be at the Rec Center so far when he needs some people need to go into the genre. It's free from Detroit Mercy. And it will be at the Rec Center trying to give you the dates. I'm actually going to be going in and I'll just choose to just autonomously get back people say brilliant. I pray a lot is really good. My parents Wednesday. Or Thursday for as you call them
Okay, so thank you very much, Miss Bannock piggyback on this mannequin before I even get into my own. It's on June 17 to the 21st at the Highland Park Community Center at Tim Pickett. Please have your young people come out and adults as well. Your oral hygiene can be an indicator of other illnesses. So it's a good idea to get checked out every year. So let me just jump in here and start by saying I did not anticipate being city council president I had no intention at all. I wanted to participate. I watched people that live in our community, be involved in government and I thought how can I sit there with capacity and not participate? A lot of people talk a lot of stuff that they don't put their name on a piece of paper and so I thought, you know, put up a shut up let me put my name on a piece of paper and I ended up being city council president. I still do not know how that actually occurred. I have hypotheses. I had a little investigation done but I still cannot tell you honestly how to happen. As a result. I am here because I assume the Creator wanted me here because I didn't make plans to do this. I did not make plans to do this. To miss manacles point about us working together. Here's the issue that I have with that notion. I am committed to doing things correctly. I'm committed to being honest and committed to not being duplicitous. I can say for a great deal of certainty that when I have a conversation with Miss Monica about things related to city council, she is acting from her own personal experience and motivation. She is not going to a committee and have people tell her what to do. I know that what she's doing is she's doing it for the benefit of the people who live in the city because she's lived here for a long time. Nobody is paying her or incentivizing her. Nobody told her I'm gonna hook you up if you do something that's counterproductive. As a result, that thing that she talked about and the thing that she does in that chair as my council person reflect the fact that she's acting in good faith. And so I will not at any time after opening both my palms up on the first day in this job I deal with people who do not act in good faith who are puppets to other people. In fact, I will attack and persecute those people for being dishonest to the fullest of my capability and that is why I have taken the stance to share with you all of the activities that happened in the background as city council, or else you would have no idea what's going on here. This this meeting that happens twice a month is so contentious because there are a lot of duplicitous nefarious activities going on behind closed doors. Every single month. And emails that happen on the city website will be shared with the public things that happen that are outside of the guidelines of the law will be shared with the public. This is your money. And remind you I want to make it clear those members of city council, we are not compensated for our work. Okay, we were provided a stipend to young people that work at Popeyes make more than we do. I'm just being honest with you. Okay. The men and women are the highest paid people here. Okay, we get about $700 a month and that's for a part time work. That's 20 hours a week. There's 80 hours a month. Okay, so you can make more money. If I was collecting bottles and bail out they would put the same amount of time so I don't want you to think that we're being paid. So people are here being paid by their conscious or they're being incentivized for somebody else. But the people that are here working, are doing it for whatever for various reasons. I'm doing it because I live here my family here I raised all of my children here. My children, I pulled the bears HP for life. They all know no other city. When they leave, they come home on the airport. Where are you going? I'm going out of the park. This is their home. Okay? I'm not a fraud. I am authentic. I raised my babies here. That is why I conduct myself the way that I do. I wish Miss fry had not left because during Council affairs, I was gonna allow Mr. Garrett to answer her question about the bill. But Mr. Garrett can do that at another time. So we had no experience last year, approving a budget and the budget was amended and the budget that we were amending came out of the previous administration out of the Yap administration, and they didn't know until the very end of that term. What the amendments were going to be. So we had to what the expenditures were going to be and so we had to make an amendment. Everybody renews their cell phone contract, not three months in advance when it comes to do you renew your driver's license, not three months in advance, but when it comes to your car insurance, your house insurance, you get a notice within 30 days of the end of that term. And they say madam Sir, please renew. Very rarely ever at all, under any circumstances in this country, the United States of America do you find people that go in six months in advance? To amend a contract, it almost never happens. In fact, in the automotive world and in the school system, the contracts expire before the teachers union and the UAW go back to make an additional contract. That is at salutely. Not the norm at all, anywhere ever in the country that I live in. So you typically do that. In the 11th hour, when a basketball players contract ends, what do they do? They go into free agency, they parade around and then they get a new contract. That is normal sort of try to make it seem as if something nefarious is happening here, after three or four budget meetings to make it seem as if something untoward here that is changing the narrative that is pathological and it is flat out lying and I will not sit by and allow the narrative to be twisted. It's a big fat lie. So that's part of the reason why unfortunately to my colleagues distress we have not been able to move for we have not been able to have those type of meetings because I am not playing cards with somebody who got a deck under the table will happen. So with that all business related to the city. Oh, wait a minute, hold on a second. Miss Christina Berg, I'm going to allow you to talk because you are on here. You raised your hand and we moved up Miss Burke. Can you hear me? Yes. Can you hear me? Yes, ma'am. You get the last word on tonight's city council meeting. And my council affairs if you go ahead I'm gonna give you your two minutes to thank
you. I just wanted to address my concerns with Councilman Sharpie. The level of disrespect that you give citizens when they asked you simple questions city related council meeting related you you're very disrespectful. Um, it's just it's embarrassing, you know, the way you act. So that's just what I wanted to address.
That's it.
Okay, and so thank you very much. I'm a mutual so a lot of people online if you're still listening, please raise your hand early in the meeting. When it's time for citizens comments. It'll make it easier for me to recognize you we managing a digital platform, having concluded our business related to the city of Highland Park at 9:21pm. The chair would declare the Meeting adjourned. Thank you have a great night.
