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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Regular Session - January 20, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, January 20, 2026

BodyDetroit, Michigan

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, January 20, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:26:30

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

All right.

0:01

Good morning.

0:02

This is the rather regular session of Tuesday, January 30, 2026.

0:08

We'll now come to order.

0:10

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

0:12

Councilmember Scott Vincent.

0:14

Scott Vincent and I.

0:15

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

0:18

Member Johnson did indicate that she would be absent today, so our absence is excused.

0:23

Councilmember Denzel McCampbell.

0:26

Present.

0:27

Councilmember Renata Miller.

0:30

Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero.

0:34

Councilmember Mary Waters.

0:35

Present.

0:36

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Calloway.

0:40

Council President Pro Tem Coleman Young the second.

0:43

Here.

0:44

Council President James Tate.

0:46

Here.

0:47

Mr.

0:47

President, you have a quorum present.

0:49

Thank you, ma'am.

0:51

We have a quantum present, which means we're now in session.

0:53

We will now begin the collection of public comments cards for the public commenters who would like to speak before us today.

1:00

For those of you who are in person as well as online.

1:03

We'll begin the collection of that as of right now.

1:07

And next up, we have the introduction of clergy.

1:10

And we have none other than Pastor Robert Bolden.

1:13

Where is he at?

1:13

Oh, there he is.

1:14

Come on up, sir.

1:15

Pastor Robert Bolden.

1:16

Y'all give me a hand cloud, please, of Central Baptist Church.

1:20

Two campuses here in the city of Detroit, one in Redford, one located in District 2, one located in District 7.

1:28

Um, and he is here today to provide us the invocation.

1:31

Madam Clerk, if you can please note that we've been joined by Member Callaway as well.

1:36

All right, Pastor Bolden, the floor is yours, sir.

1:38

Thank you again for being here.

1:39

May we bow for a word of prayer.

1:42

Dear God, we thank you for this blessing that you have given us, the gift of life, the gift of health, and a reasonable portion of strength.

1:52

We thank you that our lives is a reminder that you're still using us, and we have a purpose that is still yet unfolding.

1:59

We thank you for our great city, this place that so many of us are called home.

2:05

We have been born and raised in this rich soil.

2:08

We thank you for this new generation of leaders that you have called to lead our city at this great time.

2:14

I pray that while they sit here today, they sit with both an awareness of both the honor and the weight of this assignment.

2:22

I pray today that they will lead with compassion, lead with care and competence.

2:27

We pray that they lead with a spirit of cooperation.

2:31

We pray that they remember those who have elected them to sit in these seats.

2:35

Let them remember the poor, let them remember the homeless, let them remember the children, the seniors, those who are in this city who can barely make ends meet, oh God.

2:46

And I pray that their time in this chamber today will be towards the greater cause of every citizen in this city.

2:54

Lord, I pray that while they sit here, they know they have been chosen by you, and they are worthy because you have made them worthy to be here.

3:02

Lord, I pray that on this day, great work is done for the benefit of your people and to your great glory.

3:09

We give you thanks, honor, and praise of your son Jesus' name.

3:12

Amen.

3:13

Amen.

3:14

Thank you, Pastor Bowden, for that wonderful prayer.

3:16

And you actually came out in person.

3:18

You had the option to be online, and it's cold today.

3:21

So I understand if you uh have other things you have to do, but we would love to have you join us if you if your schedule allows.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement████████████████████████24%

Forestry█████████████13%

Procedural████████████12%

Public Comment███████████11%

Homelessness███████7%

Surveillance Technology█████5%

Public Transit████4%

Property Taxes████4%

Public Health████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Regular Session - January 20, 2026

This regular session of the Detroit City Council was called to order by Council President James Tate. The meeting began with roll call, an invocation by Pastor Robert Bolden, and approval of the journal from January 6, 2026. Reports from city departments were referred to standing committees. The council then heard public comments from 13 in-person and online speakers, followed by votes on resolutions, contracts, and discussions on tree maintenance, and concluded with member reports and information on emergency warming centers.

Public Comments & Testimony

Brother Cunningham (in-person): Distributed flyers about transit events, requested donations for bus tickets and hand warmers, and offered love packages (charger, hand warmers, bus pass).
Adam Barrett (in-person, Southwest Detroit, Detroiters for Tax Justice Moratorium Now Coalition): Urged council to discontinue Flock surveillance cameras, citing civil rights violations and ICE use. Also opposed reappointment of Conrad Mallet and a local sales tax.
Betty Lyons (in-person): Discussed Dr. Martin Luther King, criticized Larry Simmons’ comments on slaves vs. immigrants, alleged corruption involving Tom Dugan and Dana Nessel, and demanded return of $600 million in overpaid taxes. Used a term the President deemed a slur; she was asked to refrain.
Claude Norwood (in-person, Grand River Community Block Club, CAC): Raised concerns about bus service reliability, transit center closures, and violation of city charter for public health and safety.
Josh Mann (in-person): Opposed Flock cameras and Palantir Gotham platform, called for removal of surveillance systems, citing 30 cities that have canceled Flock contracts.
Ronald Foster (in-person): Stressed separation of powers, referenced Michigan Bar Journal, and called for enforcement of the city's surveillance ordinance requiring public input before technology deployment.
Caller 169 (online): Quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and wished Brother Cunningham a happy birthday.
Betty A. Varner (online, Soto Elsewhere Black Association): Requested expansion of snow removal assistance for seniors from 6 inches to 2 inches of snow. Councilmember McCampbell noted the program continues and provided contact numbers.
Kamal Jawarra (online, District 6 resident): Expressed support for Councilmember Santiago Romero's immigration memo, asked about health care and mental health projects given federal changes, and commended council's work.
William M. Davis (online, former police commissioner District 7): Called for more mental health services to divert police runs, urged better support for city retirees and greater recognition for students, and encouraged voter turnout.
Zaronica Smith (online, Coalition for Property Tax Justice): Presented a five-point plan for the first 100 days: enforce the 2023 tax reform ordinance, stop overassessment of lower-valued homes, protect the Principal Residence Exemption (PRE), return $600 million to over-taxed homeowners, and replace the assessor with a qualified one.
Frank Hammer (online): Reminded council of the unanimously passed “Move the Money” resolution nearly a year ago, calling for hearings to demand $100 billion shifted from military to social services, and urged scheduling a hearing soon.
Ruby Riley (online, District 3): Complained about lack of Zoom visibility for public commenters, poor sidewalk snow removal near Lasky Recreation Center, and absence of a sidewalk on one side of the street since 1977.
Darren McCleskey (online): Criticized the state of the State Fairgrounds area and the French Road solar project, alleging eminent domain abuse and lack of transparency. Referred to Detroit Solar Scam.com.
Caller Papa (online): Accused council of conflicts of interest, giving tax dollars to build housing that doesn't benefit families, and spending on rich developers while retirees are denied funding. Called for a rehaul of council priorities.
Her Amad (online): Echoed Zaronica Smith's property tax justice plan, demanding full implementation of reforms and a qualified assessor.
Dakota Bruner (online, District 6 resident): Raised alarm about 89% arsenic contamination at residential fill sites, requested mobilization of the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness (OPHEP) for health screenings, and resubmitted a request to restrict council members' cell phone/earbud use during public hearings.

Discussion Items

Tree Trimming and Removal Contract (Line Item 19.3): A $3 million multi-year contract with Tree Man Services LLC for tree trimming/removal on city rights-of-way (boulevards, berms) using major street funding. Assistant Director Alex Weatherup (General Services Department) answered questions: the contract replaces existing vendors, aims to have nine contractors (one per district plus two roving), and will not start a new waiting list but will continue current priority lists. Councilmembers sought details on timeline, communication with residents, and a district-by-district list. Councilmember Benson requested a comprehensive tree portfolio maintenance plan. The item was approved after discussion.
Resolutions and Settlements (Line Items 18.2–18.18): Multiple resolutions for legal representation and settlements. Councilmembers McCampbell and Santiago Romero voted no on some: McCampbell no on 18.2 and 18.6; Santiago Romero no on 18.2, 18.3, 18.5, and 18.6. All passed.
Immigration Task Force Resolution (Line Item 18.19): Councilmember Santiago Romero's resolution to continue the city's immigration task force was approved.
Walk-On Appointments: Two appointments to the Human Rights Commission (Lauren Stovall and Rhonda Paul) were referred to the Internal Operations Standing Committee.
Member Benson's Remarks: In response to public comments, Councilmember Benson encouraged love for black people without hate for others, referencing pro-blackness and Dr. King's legacy.

Key Outcomes

Line Item 17.1 (Neighborhood Enterprise Zone certificate for affordable housing on Oakland Ave, District 5): Approved.
Contract 6007597 (cybersecurity, Google Threat Intelligence, Dastin Corp, $160,294.74): Approved.
Line Items 18.2–18.18 (legal settlements): Passed with noted no votes.
Line Item 18.19 (immigration task force continuation): Approved.
Line Items 19.1–19.2 (from Mayor's office): Approved.
Contract 6007613 ($3 million tree trimming, Tree Man Services): Approved after discussion.
Line Item 19.4 (United Way Summer Discovery grant): Approved with waiver.
Line Item 20.1 (from Housing and Revitalization Dept): Approved.
Walk-On Appointments referred to committee.
Confirmation hearings set for Friday, January 23, 2026, at 10 a.m. for seven mayoral appointees.
Emergency warming center information provided: call 866-313-2520 (24/7) or go to Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (13130 Woodward Ave) or Pope Francis Center (Hancock St location) for single adults, open until Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Good morning. This is the rather regular session of Tuesday, January 30, 2026. We'll now come to order. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll? Councilmember Scott Vincent. Scott Vincent and I. Councilmember Letitia Johnson. Member Johnson did indicate that she would be absent today, so our absence is excused. Councilmember Denzel McCampbell. Present. Councilmember Renata Miller. Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero. Councilmember Mary Waters. Present. Councilmember Angela Whitfield Calloway. Council President Pro Tem Coleman Young the second. Here. Council President James Tate. Here. Mr. President, you have a quorum present. Thank you, ma'am. We have a quantum present, which means we're now in session. We will now begin the collection of public comments cards for the public commenters who would like to speak before us today. For those of you who are in person as well as online. We'll begin the collection of that as of right now. And next up, we have the introduction of clergy. And we have none other than Pastor Robert Bolden. Where is he at? Oh, there he is. Come on up, sir. Pastor Robert Bolden. Y'all give me a hand cloud, please, of Central Baptist Church. Two campuses here in the city of Detroit, one in Redford, one located in District 2, one located in District 7. Um, and he is here today to provide us the invocation. Madam Clerk, if you can please note that we've been joined by Member Callaway as well. All right, Pastor Bolden, the floor is yours, sir. Thank you again for being here. May we bow for a word of prayer. Dear God, we thank you for this blessing that you have given us, the gift of life, the gift of health, and a reasonable portion of strength. We thank you that our lives is a reminder that you're still using us, and we have a purpose that is still yet unfolding. We thank you for our great city, this place that so many of us are called home. We have been born and raised in this rich soil. We thank you for this new generation of leaders that you have called to lead our city at this great time. I pray that while they sit here today, they sit with both an awareness of both the honor and the weight of this assignment. I pray today that they will lead with compassion, lead with care and competence. We pray that they lead with a spirit of cooperation. We pray that they remember those who have elected them to sit in these seats. Let them remember the poor, let them remember the homeless, let them remember the children, the seniors, those who are in this city who can barely make ends meet, oh God.

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