Internal Operations Committee Meeting (November 5, 2025)

The Internal Operations Committee convened with Councilmembers Mary Waters and Letitia Johnson (acting Chair) and Member Callaway absent. The meeting focused on post-election acknowledgments, extensive public testimony regarding governance, election integrity, and housing, the reappointment interview for the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), and the approval of several legal settlements. The committee also deferred discussion on two line items regarding delegated authority and contract reports to the following week.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes were approved without objection.
• Line items 6.1 through 6.4 (settlements) were moved to formal approval:
  • Anthony Collins vs. City of Detroit ($65,000).
  • Northland Radiology vs. City of Detroit ($16,500).
  • Santa Montgomery vs. City of Detroit ($50,000).
  • Carolyn Taylor vs. City of Detroit ($55,000).
• Line item 6.5 (Gabriela Santiago Romero memorandum on language access) was received and filed.

Public Comments & Testimony

Public speakers expressed a mix of congratulations to the newly elected body and strong criticisms regarding recent city operations:

• Support for Policy & Veterans: Mr. Foster expressed support for the city's recent policy changes and veteran initiatives, calling for integrity and openness to new ideas.
• Grievances on Voting Logistics & Administration:
  • William M. Davis expressed disappointment over low voter turnout and poor voter education, citing the need to reduce polling distances to under one mile. He stated he believes Janet Rentley is "doing a horrible job."
  • Miko A. Williams expressed strong opposition to the election process, calling the 20% turnout "dismal" and demanding Janice Winfrey be fired, while criticizing candidates for not prioritizing voting importance.
  • Darren McCleskey expressed concern over the high costs of the "phase two use restrictions" project, noting legal costs are escalating and urging a full accounting of funds.
  • Several callers (including "Not that Karen" and Rochella Stewart) expressed concern over homelessness, food security (SNAP benefits), and dissatisfaction with current political outcomes, urging better listening to residents.
• Constitutional & Charter Violations:
  • Owner Papa expressed opposition to the city's current internal operations, stating the lack of a true health department is a "serious charter violation." He argued that the recent fiscal income tax amendment was "illegal" due to a lack of public hearings and described garbage collection on freeways as "unconstitutional and illegal."
• Concerns on Zoning & Due Process:
  • Caller "Please slow down zoning rush job" expressed deep concern that current zoning speed bypasses resident rights and objected to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) limiting public testimony to one or two minutes, arguing it violates due process. They also criticized the Finance Office of Information and Accountability (FOIA) for a 120-day response time.
  • Tyson Gersh argued for charging escrow fees for BZA transcripts upfront to recoup costs and highlighted a missing memo from March 2022 regarding court reporters.
  • Caller Mr. Roo expressed extreme anger, stating that Mary Waters, Letitia Johnson, and Angela Callaway were "cheated in" to office and characterized the election results as fraudulent.

Discussion Items

• BZA Reappointment (Anthony Sherman):
  • Mr. Sherman, a lifelong resident and automotive engineer, was interviewed for reappointment to the BZA representing District 7.
  • Councilmember Waters questioned the public availability of meeting recordings. Mr. Sherman expressed support for making Zoom recordings publicly available on the BZA website or TV to assist residents who cannot afford transcript fees.
  • The Chair noted that BZA recordings should be made available similarly to Council sessions.
• Deferred Items:
  • Line Item 6.6 (Member Johnson's inquiry on revoking delegated contract authority) was deferred for one week as the Attorney General's office was still reviewing the ordinance.
  • Line Item 6.7 (Office of Contracting and Procurement report) was deferred to coincide with the review of Line Item 6.6.

Key Outcomes

• Approved:
  • Appointment of Anthony Sherman to the Board of Zoning Appeals for District 7 (with a directive to Legal Department to draft a resolution).
  • Settlements approved for Anthony Collins ($65,000), Northland Radiology ($16,500), Santa Montgomery ($50,000), and Carolyn Taylor ($55,000).
• Deferred:
  • Line item 6.6 and 6.7 moved to the next meeting agenda.
• Directives:
  • The committee agreed to investigate the feasibility of making BZA Zoom recordings and hearing transcripts publicly accessible on the city website or broadcast on Channel 10 to reduce resident costs and increase transparency.
• Adjournment: The meeting concluded with congratulations to the incoming administration and members.