Detroit City Council Meeting - January 6, 2026

On January 6, 2026, the Detroit City Council convened in a regular session to welcome the newly elected President James Tate and Pro Tempore Coleman Young Jr. The session featured a prayer by Bishop William Murphy Jr., the approval of the prior journal, and the processing of numerous contracts and reports under the standing committees. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to public testimony regarding tenant rights at the Leland Hotel, the deployment of the "Emily" AI call center pilot, requests for assistance with community development, and concerns over senior housing and city shelter management. The session also included a delegation from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and ended with technical audio difficulties preventing the completion of all online public commenters.

Consent Calendar

• The Journal of the session of Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, was approved.
• Internal Operations Standing Committee: Received and placed on file seven contracts approved during recess; referred five reports from various City departments.
• Neighborhood and Community Services Standing Committee: Received and placed on file 11 contracts approved during recess.
• Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee: Received and placed on file three contracts approved during recess; referred one report from the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.
• Public Health and Safety Standing Committee: Received and placed on file 55 contracts approved during recess; referred nine reports from various City departments.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Adam Barrett (Tax Justice/Moratorium Now Coalition): Expressed full support for the demands of Leland tenants, specifically including the right to return. He called for an independent investigation into the power cut and accused the previous administration of deliberate neglect and attempting to gentrify the building.
• Councilmember Santiago Romero: Stated priority in ensuring tenants access their belongings and clothing. Expressed concern that the current lack of power prevents elevator use for upper floors, which hampers retrieval efforts, and emphasized the need for a generator.
• Councilmember Young: Expressed willingness to collaborate with HRD and BC to determine the cause of the building issues. He supported utilizing regulatory processes, such as withholding housing credits, as a necessary "hammer" to address the situation.
• Dr. Sabrina McKenzie (Emerging Developer): Expressed concern regarding the difficulty in reaching city managers to finalize the Community Development Corporation (CDC) at 2900 Tyler Street. She highlighted a specific concern over the manner in which city staff are unresponsive despite reports of deaths of unhoused individuals in the city.
• Councilmember Renata Miller: Expressed full support for Dr. McKenzie's project at 2900 Tyler Street. She promised active assistance and collaboration to ensure the project's completion.
• Betty Lyons: Expressed strong opposition to the current administration and specific councilmembers. She characterized the actions of the former Mayor Duggan as "evil destruction" directed at Black residents. She expressed opposition to Councilmember Romero, referencing abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, and accused Attorney Whitaker and others of wrongful control over property owners. She characterized the current environment as allowing "treacherous evil destruction."
• Councilmember Santiago Romero: Expressed that Betty Lyons' comments cause pain to Black, brown, white, gay, queer, and immigrant populations. She stated she rejects the hateful rhetoric but continues to prayerfully serve the entire community.
• Jonathan Farley (Access Point Transport & Towing): Expressed plans to utilize his nonprofit, Access Point to Stability, to train young men not earning a livable wage. He requested assistance connecting with city officials to facilitate facility build-outs for his businesses.
• Tiffany Farley (Bewell Healing and Wellness Center): Expressed that access to quality mental health care remains out of reach for many. She stated that her center was created to close the gap in culturally responsive care and requested partnership with the city to expand access.
• Mario Kelly & Gabe Wilson (Believe in AI): Presented data from a 12-week pilot of "Emily," an AI call agent. They expressed that the system successfully handled over 1,750 calls with zero downtime and resolved 65-75% of calls without human escalation.
• Councilmember Linda Johnson: Expressed concern regarding the "Emily" pilot after hearing it was not officially disclosed or approved by the council. She sought clarification on how the system interacts with district managers' cell phones and how personal calls are handled. She requested detailed information to assure residents of the service.
• Councilmember Kelleway: Expressed concern that the "Emily" pilot documents bore the City logo, potentially misleading the public into believing it was an official City initiative rather than a vendor product. He noted the precedent of a Massachusetts water company illegally using the City logo.
• Councilmember Benson: Expressed strong support for the "Emily" technology as a solution to overwhelming call volumes. He acknowledged that the program was quietly rolled out and stated that while he supports the metrics, the administration should have brought this to the council formally.
• Gabe Wilson: Clarified that the "Emily" system is not a replacement for city jobs but a tool for efficiency. He emphasized that the system captured more actionable data in 12 weeks than the Department of Neighborhoods gathered over 12 months.
• Councilmember James Tate: Expressed empathy for staff trying to reach residents and supported the "Emily" system for bridging communication gaps. He advocated for more collective collaboration within the entrepreneurial community.
• Dr. Christelle Slaughter (Baton Rouge Delegation): Expressed gratitude for the City's hospitality and praised Detroit's turnaround in blight and affordable housing efforts. She requested continued dialogue and shared that her delegation visited with the Detroit Economic Growth Corp and housing staff.
• William M. Davis: Expressed support for the new leadership. He requested the addition of another member to the Retiree General Fund Pension Board and called for the continuation of the Retiree Task Force. He expressed concern regarding the lack of mental health response to police calls.
• Ruby Riley: Expressed that seniors who have lived in Detroit for decades deserve priority in home repair programs. She requested that Councilwoman Waters assist in securing access to the senior accessibility program for walk-in showers and bathtubs.
• Councilmember Mary Waters: Stated that the senior accessibility program currently has a long waiting list due to ARPA funding constraints and expressed hope to find additional dollars to continue the program.
• Betty A. Varner: Expressed that people still need walk-in showers despite previous advocacy. She shared information about Community Solutions, a program offering relief services to caregivers, citing a specific phone number.
• Dante Smith: Expressed opposition to a proposed affordable housing development at the Buster Family Center, stating it would be detrimental to the neighborhood due to parking issues. He requested that the council support the local opposition to this specific project location.
• Charles Miles: Expressed concern regarding the proper management of city shelters. He raised issues regarding expired food sales and the lack of enforcement against gas stations selling products outside regulations.
• Caller (Unidentified): Expressed that no one should freeze to death while contacting city offices. He specifically condemned the perceived disparity where migrants received hotel funding while a woman (Tatiana Williams) allegedly froze to death. He demanded President Tate explain what actions will be taken in 2026 regarding slum landlord retaliation and evictions.
• Reynard Munchunski (Detroit People's Platform): Expressed support for the new administration's ability to improve D-DOT but warned of future financial tightening due to federal funding cuts. He stated that infrastructure projects must be accessible to non-privileged individuals. He advocated for reliable, frequent bus service on all routes and an equitable fare program for veterans and homeless individuals.

Discussion Items

• Leland Hotel Situation: Councilmember Romero and Young discussed the immediate need to secure tenant belongings despite the lack of power. Romero emphasized the urgency of contacting the judge for an order. Young suggested using regulatory leverage (housing credits) if other avenues failed.
• "Emily" AI Pilot: Council members Johnson and Kelleway raised questions about the procedural transparency of the "Emily" pilot, noting it appeared to bypass standard council notification protocols. Benson supported the technology but noted the administration's failure to bring the matter to the floor. Wilson and Kelly emphasized the program's operational success and clarified it was not a City-run initiative.
• Community Development & Mental Health: Dr. McKenzie sought administrative help for a CDC project. Councilmember Miller offered direct support. Tiffany Farley highlighted the gap in mental health services and proposed a partnership.
• Baton Rouge Delegation: The delegation from Baton Rouge shared their observations of Detroit's revitalization efforts and expressed interest in replicating certain strategies in Louisiana.

Key Outcomes

• Leland Hotel: HRD staff confirmed that all matters regarding the Leland Hotel are being referred to the City's Law Department. It was suggested that further action will require a court ruling or direct intervention with the judge.
• Emily AI Pilot: The pilot is confirmed to have been conducted in Districts 3 and 4. Council members were informed that it is an administrative/vendor initiative, not a direct Council-approved project, though its success metrics (1,750+ calls, 0 downtime, 65-75% resolution) were shared.
• Senior Access: Councilwoman Waters acknowledged the demand for the senior accessibility program (walk-in showers) and indicated efforts to secure additional funding despite ARPA limitations.
• D-DOT: The Council was reminded by the Detroit People's Platform to prioritize core services (reliable bus routes) and equitable fare programs over "superfluous mobility projects" pending potential budget constraints.
• Online Comment: The session concluded with unresolved online comments due to persistent audio technical difficulties, preventing a full roster of callers from being heard.