Thank you.

Having a quorn present, we are now in session.

Good morning, Member Waters.

Is there a motion on the minutes?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to approve the minutes.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

And for my chair remarks, I actually want to call for a moment of silence in honor of Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, who passed away yesterday.

So if we can have a moment of silence, please.

Thank you all for that.

So we certainly want to give our prayers, thoughts to her family, her entire family, and all of those who appreciate, loved her for her commitment, dedication, and service to the city of Detroit.

We know she did an outstanding job and left large shoes to feel.

And so if we can uh just keep her and her family in our thoughts, uh we would greatly appreciate it and all that she did for the city of Detroit.

I thank you all so much.

We are now going to move to public comment.

If there is anyone joining us for public comment, please raise your hand.

Whether you are joining us in person or virtually, please raise your hand.

All right, I understand they cannot hear us on Zoom, so we are going to recess to the call of the chair.

It's been a real gangsters, drug dealers, citizens, elderly that can testify.

I'm I'm like that.

I'm cut like that, built like that.

I know you will believe me.

Without you to let you go.

Oh, man.

That's my problem.

I'd like to call the internal operations meeting back to order.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

Present.

Councilmember Mary Waters.

Present.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway.

Madam Chair, you have a quorum present.

Thank you.

Having a quorum present.

We are now back in session.

And I was just calling for public comment.

General public comment.

If you would like to make a comment, please raise your hand.

We have one person in the committee of the whole.

Please raise your hand virtually.

Going once.

Going twice.

Going three times.

The collection of public comment has now concluded.

Good morning, Ms.

Jackson.

How many hands do we have raised virtually?

Morning, Madam Chair.

We have nine hands raised for virtual public comments.

Okay, thank you.

If we can please set the clock for two minutes, we will get started with the person in the committee of the whole.

Good morning.

My name is Reuben James Crowley Jr.

Otherwise, also known as Motor City Rule, Black Bag Rule, Six Mile Route, Seven Mile Rule, Downtown Rule, East Side Rule, West Side Rule, and Joy Road.

And y'all cheated in.

You um Tisha Johnson, I'm over in District 4.

I'm a resident over there now.

I got a new residence, 1443 Spring Garden.

I invited you to come out and take a look at the progress on it.

You didn't do that.

I also invited well, Mary Sheffield was invited to come out and visit the veters.

And she told them a lie, sent her staff in there to say she had a family emergency, which is a lie.

And then Mary Waters, you got that guy.

You know who I'm talking about.

Sam Riddle, your dude.

He's a fraud in a fake.

And you got cheated in votes in 2020.

And according to Melissa Love, 2024 cheated in votes.

And um John Fitzgerald Kennedy the third, first confirmed, first confirmed, confirmed case of Argentine Ballot fraud.

Dennis and Gina have been cheating in elections for years and years and years.

Y'all know it.

Y'all complicit it.

And Angela Callaway, who sits over there in that seat that don't never come out in front of the citizens of the city.

Uh when she knows I'm about to blow her out the water and tell the truth about her, she won't even show up.

But didn't want to say something slick.

Come out your mouth one more time about Mr.

Rue.

Mini gave me that name, and y'all gonna find out why they call me real.

Thank you, Member Waters.

Thank you.

So Mr.

Crowley, um Riddle does not work here or with at this city.

So any issues that you have with him, you take it up with him.

I can assure it.

I I can assure you he's more than capable of handling himself.

You don't have to tell me about it.

All right.

Our first virtual caller.

The first caller is William M.

Davis.

William M.

Davis, you have two minutes for general public comment.

And before we allow the clock to start, Madam Clerk, if you will please know that I did receive a note indicating that member Callaway would be uh tardy this morning.

Clerk or so note.

Thank you.

William M.

Davis.

Good morning.

Good morning, young ladies.

Can I be heard?

Yes.

Okay, I like to start off by saying, you know, I think that when y'all make appointments to these boards, they should not exceed more than two years if there's an election or they're about to change uh who's going to be in charge of the city and who's going to be on city council.

Uh two, as it relates to uh board of uh ethics about them having an independent uh council.

I think that's needed.

I think there's a problem when you have the city of Detroit representing uh different groups, like right now at the Board of Police Commissioners.

For those who do not know, I was an elected board of police commissioner for four years.

Right now, they got the corporation council sitting there instead of having an independent uh council, which makes it more difficult, in my opinion, to have true transparency and make sure that everything is on the up and up.

You know, I think uh like the Board of Police Commissioners, they should have their independent council, the Board of Ethics should have the independent council and different other entities should have independent counsel because sometimes some people in the city of Detroit uh do not believe and trust what goes what happens with the corporation council.

Me myself, I submitted um a freedom of information request over three years ago, and nothing never happened.

You know, so something's gonna happen as relates to that as relates to the corporation council and the mayor about the lack of transparency and the lack of the fact that they do not like to uh answer to um freedom of information requests, and it's much too expensive when they do try to answer.

But I think this city needs to do better.

I think the city needs to be more supportive.

The city retirees.

We've been robbed every month of being robbed by taking uh they're taking almost a thousand dollars a month out of my uh pension check for uh carback.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Next caller is owner.

Caller, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Caller good morning.

Yes, good morning, and to the chair, may I be heard?

Yes.

Thank you.

Um 16.2 yesterday on your agenda that nobody questioned the one said anything about.

I want to know why you all think that our excess property taxes should go to fill holes for corporate.

Um, it's an atrocity, and it's also illegal to take my tax dollars and turn over to a fund to um embellish what you all have been doing for the last four years, giving our money away to corporations who aren't producing in a free society in a market and a free market society.

Um, this this would not go on.

We know now that we're we're um this is fascist and a communist uh board who doesn't mind taking the money from poor citizens and turning it over to cooperations.

You all told us that we couldn't use our excess funds for ourselves, and it went from 267 million dollars excess to now less than 100.

Um, I think you all need to take responsibility and ownership of that.

There is no transparency in this government and this administration or even with um this body.

If you look at how departments are functioning, they're dysfunctional.

Uh, we don't have a functional health department.

B said is gone crazy, and the police department, we see um demifications and legal representations on a regular basis, but you don't call him down to the the chief down to answer to that.

We just keep paying uh legal representations and demifications for white, who is a uh now gone chief, and I don't know how many we'll have with Bettis, but but you all need to be investigated.

And I know giving my money to corporations is illegal.

Thank you.

Before we proceed to the next caller, I'd like to call to order the 1015 interview and recess it to the call of the chair.

And who's our next caller?

The next caller is caller ending in one six nine.

Caller ending in one six nine.

You have two minutes for general public comment caller ending in one six nine.

Good morning.

All right, Ms.

Jackson, let's come back to this caller.

The next caller is iPhone.

IPhone, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning to all within the sound of my voice.

This is Betty A.

Barner, president of the Soda Elsework Black Association, advocating for my community.

If you would like to donate to uh our missions and goals to improve our community, uh we have purchase uh additional land to expand our park.

There are um weeds that have grew up to look like miniature trees that need to be removed.

We need to clear the man up.

The goal is to have playscaped equipment and more additional uh benches and tables for the children in our neighborhood and the residents.

You can go to Zell to donate, and you would put in D as in dog, E, B as em boy, A, W E, B as Emboy, E L at Gmail.com.

Again, that is D as in dog, E, B S and Boy, A, W E, B as Emboy, E L at Gmail.com.

If you are a senior or know of a senior who is in need of help at their home so that they can stay at their home and not end up in a nursing home.

And if they are not eligible for Medicaid, this might be the program for them.

Please call 313 446, 4444.

Again, 313, 446, 444.

This program is through DAA.

It's the My MI Choice Waiver Program.

And it is set up to keep seniors and disabled people in their home and keep them out of a nursing home.

If you know my telephone number, you can also go to Zale to Thank you.

The next caller.

Next caller is Tyson Gersh.

Pysengersh, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yes.

Great, thanks.

Let's see.

First, on October 1st, a week ago at the prior meeting, uh, in response to a public comment I made at this body, uh Callaway motioned to line item the BZA transcripts, and all the members voted in favor.

I I don't see that line item on the agenda for today.

Um, I did file, I had a petition before council yesterday, petition 2025-249, um, regarding the location of the Board of Zoning Appeals record of proceedings.

Um, the law department, of course, intervened and instructed counsel to not allow it to proceed.

But um, you know, under the statute, MCL 125.3602, the zoning board of appeals must file its record of proceedings with the Detroit City Clerk.

That's where it's supposed to live.

And that is not where it's living.

Um, and it appears that the BZA adopted a agency rule that houses those records in the office of the board, um, which appears to be in direct conflict with the statute.

Um, you know, the zoning enabling act, the very statute that uh allows the zoning board to exist in the first place.

So I don't think they can do that, and I think it that's got to get corrected.

Um, and I think the lack of them doing that is a is a root cause of all of the BZA drama you've been hearing from citizens because they just can't get access to a record.

Um I really wish you guys would fix that.

All right, thank you for that.

And the discussion has been delayed from being put on the agenda because of the lawsuit.

The next caller.

The next caller is not that, Karen.

Not that Karen, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Hello.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Um, winter is coming.

Um Tuesday morning, three or four o'clock in the morning, my son got up to go to work.

It was like 82 degrees.

And by the time he got off work, it was it dropped like 50 degrees.

The temperature had dropped down.

So it's getting cold, and we got to get the people off the streets and these children off the streets and give them permanent housing.

We should repurpose those two rents and towers as opposed to demolishing them and make some housing.

Get these people off the streets and stop spending all our money on the demolition and spend some money on re rehabbing these properties.

Um, $600 million over taxation.

We need our money back from that.

Um, we need our money back, the retirees, we all need our money back.

A lady came to the retiree meeting this past uh Wednesday, last week, and she had been retired since 2013, but somehow they skipped over her and they weren't taking her money, but now they want to take it all.

And I think that's just terrible.

They made a 10, 10, 11-year mistake, and now they want to come back.

I think she said she got a letter.

Their letters are going out and they're gracefully not going to charge interest for those 10 years they missed, but you know, the rest of it is still gonna be, she's gonna be held liable for all the rest of that money.

Um, so yeah, we we don't want to fast track resolution um to a line to be forgotten or to be placed number 7800 in line.

We we want our money back, and it should come back to us.

The clawback needs to be stopped.

Um, the pension cuts that need to be restored.

Um hopefully what by the time you guys get ready to retire.

This won't, you know, because first they came for me, then they'll come for you.

So you need to do something now before we come for you because it's probably imminent.

Um, I think they ran a good game and they think they're gonna run, they probably wrote it again.

Bankruptcy.

I spent my whole life avoiding bankruptcy on to be thrown into a bankruptcy situation with the city of Detroit after serving 30 years.

That's that's preposterous.

Thanks.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Next caller is to Hera Ahmed.

Sahira Ahmed, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Sorry, sorry about the delay, counselor.

Good morning.

Excuse me.

Uh we've got the poverty numbers this week.

And uh and uh I look at how you all have been dealing with some of the outcries of the community.

We've been illegally over taxed 600 million dollars.

100,000 homes have been illegally foreclosed.

That's the poverty numbers.

That's why we have poverty.

And then little Mila and Darnell Curry die because of this.

This this has a real consequences, and and you're gonna give some extra tax money somewhere, give it back to the people you stole it from.

I don't understand uh what how you could even have an invocation before every meeting, and uh this the your behavior and the way that you conduct business with the the poor people in Detroit that you've made poor.

Uh it's unconscionable, it's evil, it's devilish.

Give us our money back, give these houses back to these families.

They're out here in the streets sleeping in cars.

Poor little Amila and Darnell.

Darnell was about to go to school.

They woke him up, tried to wake him up, sleeping in that van to go to take him to school.

He's homeless, going to school.

Come on, people, what are you doing?

Where is the conviction that we saw in our great leaders like Malcolm X, uh, uh Ida B.

Wells and and uh other people, Dr.

King, where is it in you people?

What where's your conscience?

I I'm sorry.

I I can't I can't understand what you all are doing, what was driving you.

Why you won't even comment on on uh our issues like that, you won't even comment.

You won't set up any kind of way of paying us back.

You got me for 30,000.

I guess you get everybody.

All right, thank you.

And I know council president has been working with the coalition um to identify ways to provide support um to those that were over taxed.

Um so thank you so much for continually calling calling in.

And I will say that there are numbers of us who have relationships with our schools and the children who attend our schools and provide support to them.

So I have been asking for my principals to let me know if they have families that are homeless where we can step in and ensure that we provide shelter to them.

So I'm sure my colleagues do that as well.

And if there are any families that you know of that are homeless, uh, please let us know.

Please let us know before um things get to a dire situation, um, so that we can provide all of the assistance that we have access to.

Uh and before we proceed to the next caller, Madam Clerk, if you will please know that member Callaway has joined us.

Good morning.

So no, thank you.

And I'd like to call the 1025 interview to order and recess it to the call of the chair.

And Miss Jackson, who's our next caller?

Our next caller is Miko A.

Williams.

Miko A.

Williams, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Yes, hello, good morning.

Um, Demiko Williams, I'm a private citizen taxpayer.

Um, District 5, North Bend, Legacy Detroiter, born and raised, never left, only left for, you know, a few times, and I still remained here.

Um, just so we're clear.

I want to report on the results of last night's debate.

I know we're not supposed to talk political issues, but this is important for the community to know.

District five still is under threat of money, dark money, and misinformation.

There was a debate that took place at the people's platform um last night.

And Renata Miller was late.

Renata Miller was very combative.

She was very argumentative and aggressive with the um residents and the participants of the debate.

She also discussed her um allegations, uh, for which some of it was tawdry and not supposed to be spoken in a public space like this.

I guess what keeping it real means that you angry at your husband for cheating, or however this this is unacceptable.

That lady is unacceptable, and she cannot be our district five city councilwoman under any circumstances that she is not experienced, she is not qualified, she also has no standing, and she's backed by Scott Benson and the uh gatekeepers uh that are seeking to destroy us as a community and flush us out for whatever interest they can get out of it.

Mrs.

Miller is not to be considered, and Willie Burton, uh office incumbents usually win um uh precede the office.

So I need District 5 residents under the sound of my voice, Tyson Gersh and others to please consider the right choice, which is democracy, and that would be Willie Burton on November 4th.

Thank you so much for taking my comments.

Thank you.

The next call, the next caller.

The next caller is caller ending in one two four.

Caller ending in one two four.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning.

May I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Okay, thank you.

Um, well, speaking about candidates, uh, I do believe there's uh cheating going on in the elections.

Uh Mary Shaffield has been terrible to my neighbors and me.

I'm sure she was running around giving out food at senior citizen centers uh while she was ignoring my request for assistance and my neighbors' request for assistance.

Her chief of staff doesn't even have the courage to do his job and speak with me.

That's first amendment retaliation.

I've asked them for help about blight tickets that were not properly noticed.

Her staff didn't even know the rule when I sent it to her, and then they ghost me.

So and then yesterday two times in a row, I was not let into the meetings.

When I even texted her person, Paris, I said my hands up.

And then now at one point it did drop, and I called right back in and I texted Paris, but they let me go in yesterday after he dropped, but they wouldn't let me in.

So I'm really sick of that retaliation.

When you speak to Eric Directory, please like ask my question for once.

It would be nice.

Will he make sure that impacted people get noticed of the Brownfield meetings?

Because in my experience in the past, the people when they were voting on stuff did not know, or or some people knew, and then the really most impacted people got wind of it like literally minutes before the meeting, and that is completely unacceptable.

And I don't understand why you refuse to do your job to oversee the Department of Elections.

Once again, Mary Shatfield will not look into the false allegations made against me or the lies they told me, and that they won't hire me for the election.

And then you hired some firm that isn't even in Detroit for over what 250 million dollars, and I'm trilingual, and they won't hire me to work the elections, and then you expect me to thank you.

The next caller.

We are going back to caller ending in 169.

Caller ending in 169.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Caller ending in 169.

Are you there?

All right, caller 169 going once.

Going twice.

Going three times.

Caller ending in 169.

Are you there?

All right.

If you would like to provide a comment to the clerk's office to put it on record, please do so.

Ms.

Jackson, did that conclude?

Is that her number?

Public comment.

All right, that now concludes our general public comment.

And Cindy Darrell, I see you have your hand raised, but you you raised your hand virtually after public comment was cut off.

If you'd like to provide your comment to the clerk's office, they can put it on record.

I can't give you the opportunity to speak because I cut off public comment and I would have to reopen public comment for everyone else.

My apologies.

It's not me, it's it's the law.

Like to call the Internal Operations Standing Committee meeting back to order.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

Present.

Councilmember Mary Waters.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway.

You have a quorum present.

Thank you.

All right.

We are now going to proceed back to the agenda.

And before we get to our first interview, I'd like to call the 1035 interview to order and recess it to the call of the chair.

We are now back at our ten fifteen interview.

I'd like to call it back to order.

This is an interview of Eric DeWicke for the reappointment to the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors.

And I believe he is joining us virtually.

And I'm also on uh was appointed by planning and development to serve on the Master Plan uh Advisory Council.

So as my wife continually tells me, I'm not really retired.

I'm uh just doing community service full-time.

And that certainly can be a full-time um responsibility.

I know it will.

Can you talk about your experience on the board thus far?

Yes.

Um I'm uh the fellow members of the um, even though I've only been on there um for a little less than four years, the fellow members appointed me as the treasurer of the board.

Uh it's important to note that um we don't get paid for uh being on the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

It's completely volunteer service.

Uh we have scheduled two meetings a month, um which are in person, and so we have to come downtown uh twice a month uh every month except December.

Umce in a while the meetings get canceled for lack of agenda, but I think uh in the past year, my attendance has been uh I'm pretty much uh near the top.

I I make it to almost every meeting.

Um it's been a great learning experience.

Um on the Brownfield board.

I think that there will be a big turnover with that board uh when the new mayor comes in, since the mayor appoints the majority of the members of the board.

Uh there are nine board members, and as I said, I'm the only council appointed person.

There are three other community people uh listed as community people, but those are appointed by the mayor, and then the mayor appoints um the other five members of the board who are mostly mayoral appointees, and that's why I'm saying I think there'll be a big turnover with the board, and I think it's important that those of us who have experience um kind of uh stay around.

All right, thank you.

I still um am interested in hearing a little bit more about the conversations you all have had for different development projects that have come before you since you've been on the board.

Well, the most um controversial and uh the most um got most of the media attention was the um approval of the district Detroit um Brownfield plan.

And I was one of the two uh Debra board members who voted against that plan.

I thought that the assumptions in there were kind of ridiculous, and the lack of progress actually, since we approved that plan last year, um kind of uh I think bear out some of the things that I was concerned with at the time.

There's been very little progress.

Um, you know, it's very difficult for uh those of us who are in the minority on that board to uh kind of stand up for uh community, uh if you will.

And of course, we all have to pick our battles on what is um what's worth fighting about, but that one was certainly one that I was um very, very opposed to and uh and remain opposed to the District Detroit uh tax break.

Thank you for that.

Um do you have any communication with council members once the uh Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has made a decision to make sure that council members understand what your concerns with any particular project are.

Um I I haven't really done that unless someone like yourself has reached out to me to ask a question or or staff person reaches out to me.

Um I'm happy to work with them.

But if there was some uh perhaps um mechanism that the council would want to set up where we could do that, uh I'm certainly happy to do that because as you know, um anything that the Debra board approves still has to be approved by council.

Um there also is a uh Debra uh community advisory council.

Uh uh Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Community Advisory Council that um approves things um before the board uh finally approves them.

But again, that body is kind of stacked with mayoral appointees.

So um you know, my I think it would be great if council would somehow be able to get more appointees on all of these authority boards so that their uh power would be equal or close to being equal to what the administration has.

All right, thank you.

The I and I asked that question because I'm I'm not certain how many of us um are able to follow uh the Brownfield discussions, as there are multiple discussions that happen in different um with different entities, the city planning commission, um, with B seed and you know, others where these conversations take place, sometimes it can be challenging to keep up with all of them to hear how the discussions go prior to them coming before council.

So that was the only reason I asked, but I appreciate I know that of course our office has a uh a great work in relationship with you from the work in the community, but with the work that you're doing here as well.

Um so we appreciate all of the questions that you raise uh and the concerns that you raise and hope that you know you'll be able to shift maybe some thinking of others that serve with you on the board so that we have things that to us.

I'm sure.

I'm sure.

Um so we have things coming to us that are well thought out.

Um, and we're able to push for more to happen in our neighborhoods by the developers that are coming before you.

Um, but we appreciate your advocacy and the work.

Uh colleagues, any questions, comments?

Member Callaway.

Yeah, thank you.

Um, and good morning, everyone.

Good morning, Mr.

DeWiki.

Good morning.

Um, thank you for your um independence on that board.

Um I have I I um operate from a very independent stance as well.

So you and I have a lot in common.

Sometimes you do stand alone, um, and it's it's okay when you know that you can sleep at night and you know that you've done the best by the people that you represent, um, and not for um you know um political purposes or political expediency.

Um so I appreciate you saying that.

Um I'd like to get to um know you better.

Um I'd like to get some reports from you since you do represent the city council.

Sometimes I don't always have time to watch the proceedings or the meetings, but if you could um um put a report together, a quarterly report of some sort, so we'll know exactly what's coming before the Brownfield authority um that would be helpful going into the new um the new year, January um 2026, if that's something that um you can do.

And secondly, uh through the chair to the law department, um, to Mr.

DeWicki's um point, how does the council have more presence on these boards?

Um, because equal branches of government, one is not more important than the other, checks and balances.

So to his point, how does the city council um have more representation on these boards and more um appointees?

Through the chair to council member Calloway, Graham Anderson Law Department.

That is uh a fantastic question, and one that I I understand off the top of my head, a lot of this is mandated by the charter, so it would be difficult to make uh major shifts and changes.

Um but uh further reading, we could definitely see what could be done.

But my understanding a lot of this is um put in place by the charter.

Okay, so we'll just have to take it look look at what the charter says.

The charter says a lot through the chair that we don't abide by.

We're supposed to have different commissions that we don't have.

Um so we abide by what we want to abide by and not abide by what we don't want to abide by.

So um, you know, that's that's that's that's the nature of this um game up here.

But um, I would like to um maybe discuss with the law department.

I don't know if you'd have to take it before the people, or it is would it be a change through the chair to yourself, Mr.

Anderson, just from the top of your head, would it be a change that the council can do, or would it have to go since it is a charter, it would have to go before the charter commission when they um assemble again?

Through through the chart uh through the chair um to council member Callaway, it would likely need to go through um the the commission, but um I I would have to fully research this topic to uh to give you a more flushed out answer.

Okay, so through the chair to Mr.

Anderson, that's a task.

I'm asking you to um do your research and maybe pull a report together in terms of what it would take to get more representation on the board.

I know I'm sitting next to a colleague who served on the commission, so she's waiting.

She can't wait to get to the microphone.

So I'm gonna end what I have to say right now, because I know she's gonna chime in through the chair.

But if you that is um uh so I make a motion to have law department and L with the support of LPD to report out in terms of what um it takes to have more representation on some of these committees that authorities and boards.

Um, and that is the um that's the motion, madam chair.

All right, there's a motion to request that the law department and LPD draft a report um on what it takes for council to have more representation reflected on various commissions and boards by the city and authorities and authorities.

Through the chair understood, I'll uh speak with uh uh Mr.

Rhodes to uh get that in writing.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Hearing no objection, that action shall be taken.

Member Waters.

Okay, well thank you.

Um I just wanted to say that there are a few different ways that that you can take this before the people.

Either we wait until new charter has reconvened, or a two-thirds um majority of city council can put it on the ballot themselves.

That'll take about six votes.

So those are the those are the ways that we can place it on the ballot.

If in fact it's defined that way in the city charter.

I I don't recall what what it says with this last charter commission that was convened.

Um I'm not sure how they how they laid things out.

Is that somebody's charter there?

No, that is another report.

Thank you, madam chair.

I thought it was, but it's not.

All right, thank you.

Any additional questions for Mr.

DeWicki.

Seeing none, uh Mr.

DeWicki, is there anything you'd like to uh share with us as we conclude the interview?

Uh no, just uh though to um member Callaway's um point about um we don't we on the board don't know in advance what things are coming before us until um one week before the meeting.

So for example, we have a board meeting this afternoon at 4 p.m.

And um one of the things on the agenda is a proposed new development in district six.

And I know for a fact that um member uh Santiago Romero is um has been involved in the um community outreach for that.

Um but we as the rest of the board uh didn't we didn't know about that till a week ago.

So uh essentially uh I'm certainly happy to provide reports on what happened, but I don't get very much the board doesn't get a huge amount of advanced notice on what is going to happen.

So I just want to clarify that.

Thank you.

And um Member Callaway, we do have Brian Vasberg, who uh I believe is available via Zoom as well.

Perhaps that request can be made to him.

Member Callaway.

Yeah, too.

Thank you, Madam Chair, to Mr.

DeWiki.

Um, since you've been serving on the board for four years and um seeking a second term of four years, um maybe we can talk about um notification.

So how do you function or how are how do you carry out your responsibilities responsibly if you're not getting information in a timely fashion?

I'm a stickler about that, so I don't know how you can um in a comprehensive um way um carry out your duties if you're not getting information in a timely fashion because the decisions and um um I don't want to say cases, but the matters and projects that come before your board are very very important.

We're talking about millions and millions and millions of dollars.

We're talking about locking the city sometimes in for 35 years, and for you not to have advanced information on these very, very, very, very critical decisions that you have to make.

To me, it's just um incomprehensible from my level.

It's just incomprehensible.

But um, we'll work together and um I'm going to pick your brain.

So thank you so much, Mr.

DeWicki, and thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

I do see Brian Vosberg on the screen.

I'm not sure if you heard the conversation.

If you can please introduce yourself and if you did hear the conversation, if you have a response.

I'm uh Brian Vosberg, uh senior director of Brownfield Redevelopment at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and also with the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

Um I just want to make sure that I'm understanding the question being discussed right now because there was a couple uh couple discussion points uh during the this interview here.

Is this asking about um the notification period or um the uh items going to the Brownfield Authority?

Is that the question?

Member Callaway.

Well, I asked a couple questions, so I can't remember all of them verbatim, but that's that's the gist of it.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Okay.

Uh thank you, uh Madam Chair.

Yeah, the uh Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Board, we do um when it's possible, try to send out the agendas um a week in advance before the board meeting.

Uh again, the meeting, the board does meet on Wednesdays.

Um sometimes the board packets aren't um complete until you know the Friday, now that we've done the final review of all the um all the projects and all the edits to um the memos and and resolutions to make sure that they're accurate.

So uh we can certainly explore that uh with the board and uh talk about how to uh extend you know the notice uh the well the notice period for the actual board packet materials uh to the board um and see how that could be accomplished.

All right, thank you.

I believe Member Callaway's point though was more around the packet of information and the board members having an opportunity to review it, recognizing the the significance of the work that the board is doing.

Um I know we get information with short time periods to review information as well, and it's it's extremely important to give them the opportunity to review the information to be able to make really good decisions on the development projects, and you know, it's something that happens to us as well.

So getting 200 page uh 200-page document to review, and I'm not sure how frequently the board delays things and brings them back to give them the opportunity to thoroughly review the information, or if you get it a week before the um the hearing, and then you're expected to make a decision that day when you hear the development project um and have had some level of discussion.

Is there a way for them to get the information prior to the week's notice?

Um, I will say for Brownfield TIFF plans, um the the Brownfield Authority gets uh looks at Brownfield plans twice uh for each project.

So there would be at least a two-week period um uh from the first meeting to the second meeting, uh sometimes due to um in scheduling uh holidays and and board quorums that can even be a longer period in between the first and second meetings, sometimes a full month in between the first and second meetings.

Uh so for Brownfield plans, there's a two-meeting uh, you know, at least two-week process, uh, another you know, several days before that meeting uh to consider the project.

Um there are board or items that go to the board that are not you know, brownfield plans, different contracts for uh development agreements and those sorts of things uh that don't always have the um you know that two-week process, but it's always uh you know the board is always welcome uh to ask questions and ask for an item to come back.

Um that's always the board's discretion uh to do that if they choose to do so.

Sure, thank you for that, but you you need a quorum of the board in order to make that happen.

Um Mr.

Vosberg, is it the same way for transformational Brownfields?

Yes, the transformational brownfield plans follow the same approval process as uh at the city level, they follow the same approval process that traditional brownfield plans do.

Okay, and I can imagine that would be um a considerable amount to review um given a week or even two weeks to make a determination on how to move move forward with those, but I will encourage Mr.

DeWicki if you are reappointed to continue having these conversations because some of the other people that sit on the brown field, because they work in City Hall, they may have access to more information than you do because you do not, and perhaps it's easier for them to make the decision.

Um, but I would certainly encourage you to maybe push to hold things a little longer to allow things to resonate with you before decisions are actually made uh and they move forward through the process.

All right, yeah, I'm I'm happy to commit to that.

Um right, thank you.

And and perhaps as we have this conversation today, as we move forward, knowing that there are some reappointments or maybe new appointments that will be made in the future, uh, we can advocate for that for the the individuals that are appointed by the administration as well.

All right, thank you.

Member Calloway.

Yeah, thank you, madam chair.

I do have the charter, so I'm looking so um Mr.

Graham and through the chair, I'd like to talk to you about what I'm seeing.

Um, but to um to the panel um that's on screen.

Um we know about these projects well in advance.

They're not happening overnight and they're not happening in a vacuum.

We know sometimes um two, three years in advance that these projects are going to happen.

They're being discussed, um, they're being planned, the land is being uh uh acquired, so it's not that it's it's happening in a vacuum.

We know exactly um, I don't know if it's a part of the master's plan or I think it's probably like a strategic plan with developments in the city.

So these things are not happening overnight, they're happening years in advance, and we know that.

So it would just be great if the people who are serving on these boards have um more advanced notification, like my colleagues said, and also Mr.

DeWiki, because how do we make sound decisions?

But they've been decisions have been been made with very little um advanced notification, but I hope that's not intentional.

But um these boards, especially this one is very very important to the city, and they need as much advanced notification.

Hopefully, with the new administration, it'll happen.

Um, but um these these projects are not planned in a vacuum, and they're planned sometimes years out.

Um thank you, madam chair.

All right, thank you.

All right, Mr.

DeWicki, thank you so much for joining us and for um even being interested in um you a reappointment to the Brownfield Redevelopment Authorities Board of Directors.

Uh colleagues, if there are no additional questions or comments, is there a motion?

There um member Callaway before we go, LPD.

Oh, never mind.

There is no resolution, so um, if we can request LPD to draft the resolution for Mr.

DeWicki's reappointment as well.

So move, madam chair.

Thank you.

There's a motion to send line item five to formal with a request to have LPD draft the resolution for the reappointment of Eric DeWicke to the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors.

Any objection?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

All right, thank you, gentlemen.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you.

All right, that now closes out our 1015 interview.

And I'd like to call back to order the 1025 interview.

This is for Eric Erica Heel.

Uh a mayor mayoral appointment to the elected officials compensation commission.

Ms.

Hill is here in person.

If you can join us at the table, and once you get situated, if you will hear it, yep.

If you will touch the base of the microphone, the light will turn green.

And if you would please introduce yourself for the record.

Good morning.

Uh good morning.

My name is Erica Hill, and I am a candidate for appointment for the election elected official compensation committee commission.

If you will please uh share with us your background.

Um, I know you have some relationships with elected officials and and all of that.

But share share with the general public, please.

Sure.

Umce again, my name is Erica Hill.

I am a lifelong resident of the city of Detroit.

Um I have served under four mayoral appointee uh mayoral administrations as an appointee.

Uh my most recent position here was the deputy director of the civil rights department before leaving to serve as an appointee for uh Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington.

Um I have served in uh various capacities uh over the many years that I've served the city of Detroit, um, most notably uh in the general services department.

I helped to secure the permanence of the Spirit Plaza Um as a permanent park.

And um I also worked um as part of the team to assist with the COVID-19 testing at the state fairgrounds.

Um and also uh was on loan to the election department to assist with the to stand up the vote in person vote in person presence for the 2020 election.

Uh my love for the city is you know deeply rooted uh in my professional career and my personal career.

Um I'm a uh I live in District Four on the east side.

I'm a fairly new district, uh East Side resident.

Uh was born and raised on the west side of Detroit.

Um and uh so in my current capacity, I stepped out into some entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ventures, and uh I am um leading the Air Heel Experience, which is a consulting company that consults uh governmental consulting as well as um electoral consulting work in addition to having a uh new cleaning company that I've started.

So I um am busy always doing the work of the of the city of the people, and I'm excited and uh appreciative of the opportunity to serve on this commission to assist in um the compensation for the elected officials.

All right, excellent.

Thank you so much for that.

And um, I did learn what was it last year that uh Miss Hill was a resident of District 4.

Uh so we welcome you.

We're always trying to grow our population, so any friends you have.

Everyone is the everyone wants to live.

I live in Jeff Chalmer, so you know it's hot.

Everybody wants to live over there, but I I'm a little biased.

We have to be very careful about who you select to live in Jeff Trauma.

Okay, all right.

I love that.

Um I do have to ask you a question.

Do you or any immediate family members work for any position within the legislative executive or judicial branch of government?

No, no.

All right, thank you.

Colleagues, questions, comments.

No, all right.

Seeing none, Ms.

Hill, is there anything else you'd like to uh share with us?

No, I just again I would appreciate your support.

Um, as an appointee, uh appreciative to Councilman Biss Benson for submitting my name for um to serve.

Um I know how important it is and the important work that elected officials do, and um I know um the also the importance of the scrutiny to ensure that they are compensated properly in line with um other municipalities that are that mirror our city.

So I think that's very important, and I would love to serve on and be a part of that um decision-making body.

All right, well, thank you.

We appreciate your interest and willingness to serve considering all of your experience as well.

So thank you so much.

Welcome.

Colleagues, there is a resolution uh in line item 9.1.

So without objection, um, I'd like to combine line item six and nine point one.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line items six and nine point one to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you again.

Thank you.

Have a great one.

That now concludes our 1025 interview.

I'd now like to call back to order the 1035 interview.

The 1035 interview is for Nicholas Waller.

This is also consideration for the elected officials compensation commission.

Morning.

Good morning.

Please introduce yourself for the record.

Yes, my name is Nicholas Waller, um, a candidate for the elected officials compensation commission.

Thank you.

Can you share with us your background?

Yes, um, again, my name is Nicholas Waller, lifelong Detroiter, uh District 5.

Uh, although I was raised in District 4.

Um I uh formerly was CEO of Fresh Corner, a company that was focused on increasing access to healthy foods and underserved communities.

Uh so I did that for a while, not in that position, but in different capacities, mainly on the sales and marketing side, um, strategic partnerships with uh different corporations and foundations and grant dollars to to address the fact that Detroit's been a food desert and transportation is a concern.

Uh from there I transitioned into healthcare.

I work for Stryker as a territory manager in orthopedics, trying to uh help improve patient outcomes.

That's what I currently do from a volunteer standpoint and a board standpoint.

Um I'm a reserve deputy with Wayne County Sheriff's Office, um working in various capacities, anything from special events, special escorts to reading the children, working with recruiting team in the schools, um trying to offer opportunities for some of our youth that are in high school trying to figure out their next steps and stages in life.

Um mentorship's been a big part of me in my my past.

I'm a lifelong member of St.

Augustine St.

Monica Church over in District Five.

Um just wrapping off a four-year term as vice chair of the uh board, got a chance to help spearhead the transition and leadership as after we lost our pastor, which was huge, um especially working with the Arch Diocese of Detroit to maintain all of our community outreach programs that kind of faltered during that during that tough um time.

Um from that standpoint, I've been a youth minister, youth uh choir director, I'm choir member.

Um you name it, I do it, I can do it.

It just doesn't really matter.

I I just raised my hand.

Um served uh as a board member of Minority Freedom Community Fund, which is a fund that was dedicated towards uh giving resources to African American or minority-led uh organizations, uh transitioned to it more of an advisory role there.

Um served uh everything from advisory role with Blue Cross Complete on down, and so uh that's uh that's pretty much my background.

I'm excited to be here.

Awesome.

We're excited to have you.

It's always nice to have a fresh face, somebody that I don't know.

Uh I don't know exactly.

Good, good.

And we appreciate everything that you just shared.

Um the church will be in district four starting next year.

Uh and I'm I'm I'm not sure if where you live will be, yes.

And um, it's on Seminole.

Seminole and Sylvester.

Yes.

Yeah, I'm still in I'm in Harbor Town, so I I assume you were okay.

We're we're on touch.

What about Indian Village?

I stopped right at Indian Village.

My parents are in Indian Village.

Fisher, Fisher Street going east.

Okay.

Um, we'll be District 4.

Um, but just appreciate everything that you you've just shared and uh your experience sounds like a deep commitment for the community as well.

Um certainly do appreciate Fresh Corner and recognizing the challenges we have with uh fresh groceries and and groceries in general, getting them to our residents and working towards addressing that.

I do want to ask you um the one question that I am responsible for asking do you or an immediate family member work for any position within the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of government?

No.

All right, thank you.

Colleagues, questions.

Member Waters.

Thank you.

I'm not sure if I have a question.

I just I just want to say uh thank you for signing for signing up to do this, and I certainly appreciate what you're doing with the young people.

Um then I want to know the next time you're gonna sing, and I want to come to the church.

I don't dictate when I do solos, but uh my whole family's in the choir.

We're real passionate a bunch.

I was you know, uh actually Erica Hill and I were we have a lot of that in common.

We were speaking about the different choirs, and everyone's kind of like sung together for years.

Yeah, I was born into it, and uh looks like I have my daughter's three, and it looks like she's gonna be signing up soon too.

So we're practicing every night.

Oh, that's wonderful.

Definitely.

But most Sundays, you're always welcome.

All right, love to have you.

Thanks for all that you do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for having having me.

Member Callaway.

Yeah, good morning.

Um, thank you, Ms.

Um, Madam Chair, thank you, Mr.

Waller, for um expressing your interest in um serving on the elected officials compensation commission.

Um I've not seen you either, and that's that's that's that's that's not a bad thing around here.

Um and we um we're excited about you expressing that interest, and thank you for putting God first, family second, and career and everything else third.

And you've ex um expressed that today, and you're showing your daughter that same lifestyle.

It is always if you believe God first, family second, and career third.

That's how I live my life as well.

So thank you.

And uh I might um come with um member waters when she comes to the church.

So let me know when you're going.

You're all welcome.

But anyway, thank you so much, and you have my full support, sir.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

All right, thank you.

Well, I will certainly be there because a good friend of mine sings at the church.

Really?

Alex Harvey.

Of course.

Absolutely, right?

Yes, his sister is my godmother.

Okay, very good.

She's my mother's best friend.

So you called him by his nickname, so I know you know who he is.

Awesome.

Awesome.

Uh, very good.

Well, thank you again for um stepping up and being willing to serve in this capacity, and and hopefully there are other capacities that you are willing to serve in as well.

Open to it all.

Thank you so much.

Um, is there anything else you'd like to leave with us as we conclude the interview?

No, I'm uh I I just would like to say thank you again for for supporting me.

Um, this is an awesome opportunity, and I'm definitely interested in serving in any other capacity, especially at the stage of my life.

Um, and so thank you all.

I I hope I can uh make you all proud and continue to serve the uh the community.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Real quick, member Calloway, if I might.

Where'd you go to high school?

I went to Liggett, my freshman year and then Gross Point North.

I graduated there, and then um uh I graduated from Wayne State after that.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues.

The resolution for line item seven is attached to line item nine point two.

Is there a motion for the two items?

Time motion for approval.

All right, there's a motion to send line item seven and nine point two to forma with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Waller.

Thank you all.

Hope to see you on a Sunday.

Okay.

All right.

All right, colleagues.

That now brings us to oh, I'm sorry, that concludes our 1035 interview, and that brings us to unfinished business, and line item eight point one.

Line item eight point one is a request for legal representation and indemnification for housing inspector Mohammed Salah in lawsuit of Christopher Gray versus the Detroit Land Bank Authority at all.

Case number two five-zero zero five eight one three-c.

Is there a motion to approve or discuss?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line item 8.1 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 8.2 is a request for legal representation and indemnification for John Grover data analysts analysis for the fire department in lawsuit of Abraham Shoday versus City of Detroit et al.

Colleagues, there is a request for a two-week bringback.

There's a motion to bring line item 8.2 back in two weeks.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 8.3 is a settlement request in lawsuit of Antoine Johnson versus City of Detroit.

Case number 24-CV-12125.

This is for the police department in the amount of $4,500.

I was able to get my questions answered.

Is there a motion?

There's a motion to send line item 8.3 to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 8.4, status status of council member Angela Whitfield Callaway, submitted memorandum relative to a request for a report and a resolution establishing a domestic violence task force.

And I believe we voted on this yesterday.

Is there a motion to remove line item 8.4?

Motion.

No, it's not the madam chair, discussion.

Discussion.

Yesterday was the resolution just acknowledging domestic violence month and awareness date.

This is for the actual task force.

So I'm requesting make a motion to bring it back in a week.

This is for the actual task force.

Okay.

All right.

All right.

There's a motion to bring line item 8.4 back in one week.

Hearing hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Moving on to new business.

Line item 9.1.

Line item.

Oh, we've addressed line items 9.1 and 9.2.

So we are now on to line item 9.3.

Line item 9.3 is a settlement request in lawsuit of Darrell Bates versus City of Detroit.

The Department of Transportation in the amount of 24,500.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line item 9.3 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.4 is a settlement request in lawsuit of Deanna Smith as personal representative of the estate of Deontay Marshall versus City of Detroit.

Case number 23-011615.

This is for DOT in the amount of $22,500.

There are questions that have yet to receive a response.

There's a request for a one-week bring back.

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.5 is a settlement request and lawsuit of Donovan Courtney versus City of Detroit.

Case number 24-009610 in the amount of $99,500.

Is there a motion to bring line item 9.5 back in two weeks?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item 9.5 back in two weeks for a response to the questions that have been submitted.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.6 is a settlement request in lawsuit of Chanita Yarbo versus City of Detroit.

The Department of Public Works.

File number 14377 in the amount of 118,535 and 61 cent.

There is a request for a two-week bring back.

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.8 is submitting report relative to the legislative policy division's response to inquiries related to the Board of Ethics.

Ability to retain independent counsel.

There's a motion to receive and file.

Line item 9.8 hearing no objections.

That action shall be taken.

Line item 9.9.

Is the submitting report relative to the Office of the Ombudsman's final report dated October 7th, 2025?

Motion to receive and file.

There's motion to receive and file.

Line item 9.9.

Hearing no objections.

That action shall be taken.

And line item 9.10.

Council President Mary Sheffield submitting memorandum relative to request for clarification on voting rights of individuals in county jail.

There is a request for a two-week bring back.

Motion.

That action shall be taken.

That brings us to member reports.

Member Vice Chair Waters.

Thank you.

Um thank you, madam, madam chair.

Um I too just want to express condolences to the Kilpatrick family.

Um I did know um Congresswoman um Carolyn Chicks Kilpatrick.

And um I certainly uh did admire uh some of the work that she did during the time that she was in Congress and in the state legislature.

So I condolences to the family.

Um just a reminder October 15th is the um skill trade task force, which is gonna be at Crowwell, which is on located on Lancer, and that is from 4 to 6 p.m.

And then October 24th at Wayne County Community College is sheltered by faith from um 10 to 2 Wayne County Community College on uh West Saddle Drive, sheltered by faith, and this is where we're inviting um uh faith uh people um faith community along with uh nonprofits uh to come out so that's sheltered by faith, October 24th, 10 to 2, uh Wayne County Community College on West Side of Drive.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, member Callaway.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, today at um 3 p.m.

we'll be hosting a virtual talk town hall discussion with Airbnb regulators and operators and um those folks who um have them in the city and those folks who acts actually um manage them at the state level as well, and another name for Airbnb because people are getting confused.

It is short-term rentals, so it's the same thing.

It's they're just used um synonymously, but it's the same thing.

So I'm hoping everybody will get on the call.

Um, we're working with the law department to have that um ordinance um approved as to form, but we want everybody's input, especially in district six and district two, since we um understand those are the areas where most of the Airbnbs are being operated or um run.

You can call my office at 224 4535 to get the um to get the information, or you can visit Detroit Mi.gov's district two webpage, and it'll give you the link to the virtual call today.

But please, we want everybody on the call if you're thinking about operating one, if you are operating one, um, if you know somebody who's operating on one, this is your opportunity to get your questions and concerns addressed.

And then tomorrow, uh, here on the 13th floor, the Detroit City Council Historic Designation Advisory Board will hold a public meeting um regarding the um proposed Hope Oak Grove AME Church Historic District designation.

So I'm hoping everybody will come out for that.

I certainly support it, and um, they're doing some amazing things over there.

The church has been in existence for a hundred years, and the church where it is now on Pembroke and Cherry Lawn was designed by a black architect, Nathan Johnson, and it's still there, still beautiful, still operating, still touching live.

So that's tomorrow at four o'clock here on the 13th floor.

Um the historic designation advisory board um discussing the historic designation of Oak Road, and then uh Monday, um, our monthly coughing conversation will be held at Tindal Rec Center, which is on Seven Mile right up at Wyoming.

That's for everyone from 8 a.m.

to 9 a.m.

this Monday, and then the following Monday we do our virtual webinar call.

You can call 224535 to get more information.

Thank you, madam chair.

That completes my report.

Thank you.

And I do not have any member reports.

And so if there is nothing further to come before us, we shall stand adjourned.

All right,