The Detroit City Council met on September 30, 2025, for a formal session. The meeting began with an invocation by Chief Chaplain Demetrius Davenport, followed by a presentation honoring two Detroit Department of Transportation employees for saving a passenger's life. The majority of the session was devoted to public testimony and the appointment of a new City Ombudsman. After two rounds of voting, Sherry Gay-Dagnogo was appointed to the position. Several resolutions and contracts were approved, including a resolution expressing support for additional recreational opportunities on the waterfront.
Present. Councilmember Mary Walters present. Hounce Member Angela Winfield Callaway. Councilman McComayoun the second. Here. And Council President Mary Sheffield. Present. We have a corn president, Madam President. Thank you so much. There being a corn, we are now in session, and we will start off with our invitation. We have a joining us Chief Chaplain Demetrius Davenport, who is joining us virtually for our invitation this morning. All right, Chaplain Davenport, are you with us? There we go. Good morning. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Good morning. Okay, I got no sound. Uh Madam President, Council. Thank you for the opportunity to share with you this morning. Uh, can we pray? Father God, thank you for another day. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us. Uh, to see this bright day in this great city. We ask, oh God, that as our council deliberates and debate on what's best for our city that you continue to crown them with wisdom, understanding, and power. Lord, not let not the fear of public uh intercession uh invalidate their thought process and grace that you've given them. Guide us by guiding them, bless us by blessing them, and we ask holy for our city, oh God, that you continue to abound your grace and mercy toward us all. We thank you for things being as well as they are. We have faith, oh God, you would take the higher heights in you. Bless our city, bless our officers, bless our council, bless our citizens as a whole. In the name of Jesus the Christ, I pray, Amen. Amen. All right, thank you so much, Chief Uh Davenport for the invitation, and we will uh see you soon. Have a blessed day. Uh, we will start off with our uh presentation by council member at large, member Young, and I will turn the floor over to Member Young. I'm sorry, I'm gonna turn it off. And we are going to cut off the uh public comment for this morning as well. Uh thank you, madam president. Hello, everyone. Um, let me just start by saying that a hero is a person that is willing to give the ultimate sacrifice of their life, not just for those they know, but for those they don't, and who is willing to sacrifice and be a part of something that's greater than themselves. And I can't think of two gentlemen who more exemplify those principles and those values than the people who I'm getting ready to talk about, who have earned a much deserved spirit of trait awards on the afternoon of Monday, July 21st, 2025, at 230 p.m. These two Detroit Department of Transportation employees heroically saved the life of a Detroit passenger of a Detroit Department of Transportation Bus. Mr. Jerome Dillard, a D Dot transportation equipment operator, TEO, and Mr. Mitchell Green, a student operator, were providing service to the Jefferson Avenue bus route when they arrived at the end of the route. They both noticed a passenger was still on the coach at the end of the route, and when attempting to alert him that the bus was at the end of the route, they discovered the passenger was unresponsive. Mr. Diller, a 25-year D dot veteran, instructed student operator Green to notify D DOT's control center, which dispatched fire and EMS services to the coach. First responders perform successful life-saving measures to resuscitate the passenger because of the heroic efforts of Mr. Dillard, a 25-year veteran, and Mr.