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.

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

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.

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

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

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor Bowden, for that wonderful prayer.

And you actually came out in person.

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

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.

All right.

The journal of the session of Tuesday, January 6, 2026, shall be approved.

There being no reconsiderations or unfinished business.

We will proceed to the budget finance and audit standing committee.

Uh for the budget finance and audit standing committee, madam clerk.

Four reports from various city departments.

Uh the floor reports will be referred to the budget audit and finance committee for the internal operations standing committee.

Eight reports from various city departments.

The eight reports will be referred to the internal operations standing committee for the neighborhood and community services standing committee.

Three reports from various city departments.

Three reports will be referred to the neighborhood and community services standing committee for the planning and economic development standing committee.

Three reports from various city departments.

Three reports will be referred to the planning and economic development standing committee.

And I will say that the collection of public comments uh now shall be concluded at this time.

Uh Madam Clerk for the public health and safety standing committee.

Nine reports from various city departments.

The nine reports will be referred to the public health and safety standing committee.

We will now move to the voting action matters.

Under other matters, there are no items, Mr.

President.

Under government under communications from the mayor and other governmental officials and agencies.

There are no items, Mr.

President.

We will now call for public comments.

And I have okay.

We're gonna give everyone two minutes uh for public comment this morning.

We're gonna start with Brother Cunningham, uh followed by Adam Barrett, followed by Betty Lyons.

Brother Cunningham.

Good morning, uh everyone in the sound of my voice.

Um there's a state of transit flyer that I uh just uh gave to you all council persons.

It's the biggest day in transit.

They're a big old transit riders united.

I'm glad to be a part.

Um if you can send an intern anybody to that gathering, it is the biggest day in transit, Q line people were smart bus, D dot, the the Wayne County uh ballot uh measure, everything transit, and it's a captive audience of just everybody who loves transit is weird as that might be.

The transportation advocates uh will be heavy uh that day.

Um 313, 444, 9114, 313, 444, 9114, and on Facebook, not enemy Detroit.

Again on Facebook, not Enemy Detroit.

Uh I like everyone.

Um, if you can, I need hand warmers, gloves, um, monies to buy bus tickets, the cash app is 313, 444, 9114.

I had a huge hand warmer donation yesterday.

And if anybody in the room would like one of these love packages, I got three.

A portable charger, hand warmers, and a seven-day bus pass.

The seven-day bus passes were donated by the mayor's office.

Uh, so I really really appreciate it.

It's cold out there, y'all.

We have we have the pleasure of driving gratefulness, everybody, gratefulness and mercy for those that have to get out there to get to where they need to go.

And the buses are not on time.

They're doing better, but you gotta think these are somebody's mama, somebody's sister, somebody's brother, not just a number.

Also, again, if anybody want one of these love packages, I have three to give away.

Um, stay uh uh awake and just care about each other.

Delive.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you.

Um morning, Adam Barrett, Southwest Detroit.

Um, I'm with Detroiters for Tax Justice Moratorium Now Coalition, etc.

Um, I want to ask council to take urgent action toward discontinuing Detroit's use of flock surveillance cameras on our roads.

Uh, they're an egregious violation of our constitutional rights and they're being covertly used by ICE to abduct people as documented by the ACL ACLU and other organizations.

Uh worse yet, they're also now tied into the ring doorbell cameras.

There's one right behind my house, in fact.

And in the last few weeks, I've no I've noticed a real proliferation of these things citywide, not just on freeways.

There's plenty of reading available online why there's you know why flock cameras are bad and we need to stop them.

Uh let you guys look into that.

Um, as of November, the following cities have already canceled or paused flock safety count contracts over civil rights concerns, including Austin, Oak Park, Eugene, Springfield, Evanston, Scarsdale, Gig Harbor, Harbor, Sedona.

Um, three states have blocked ice access to flock safety data, including Illinois, California, and Virginia.

So there's a road already being paved towards this.

Um, and this is something the council actually can take action on when people like me come in here and complain about like, why don't you ever do anything about ice?

This is something that you can do.

Um, I also want to uh on a separate matter, uh, ask council in the strongest voice possible to uh reject the reappointment of Conrad Mallet.

I wish I had time to go into the many reasons why.

Um, but I'll just leave it at that and say one more thing.

I oppose the local uh sales tax that's being thought about.

Um, there's a lot more common sense steps we can take to increase revenue before we do something like that.

Things that I've been in here talking about for years already, like unlock the DDA or stop handing out 30-year tax abatements to people that have money already for stock teams.

Thanks.

Our next speaker is Miss Betty Lyons, followed by Claude Norwood, uh, followed by Josh Mann.

Lyons, the floor is yours.

Yesterday, Martin Luther King's birthday.

I think of Thurgood Marshall, Jesse Owens, Johnny Cochran, Venus and Serena, Liam Team Price, the Black Panthers.

Yes, we were slaves.

We are not immigrants.

That preacher, uh, what's his name?

Simmons, Larry Simmons, he's wrong.

He needs to open a dictionary and find the difference between a slave and an immigrant.

I will not be known as something that was mistreated heinously by this country and still mistreated.

That Dugan has my money and refuses to give it, and he got away with it.

No one has investigated this criminal.

He and Dana Nessel are in cahoots.

All this crookedness, and the government is a shame.

Dan Gilbert, whose mentality is no better than Biden, gets tens of millions of free grants.

And you think that's right, and you let us black people stand out here every week, common as for justice.

The Justice Department is pitiful.

Council is pitiful, and I'm gonna come up here until I get the right results.

Black people are always the one that everyone say, oh no, they don't need it.

They don't, but they give the Mexicans, the Arabs, the fake Jews, all kinds of millions of dollars, and leave us to starve on our own.

And that word ARAP is not derogatory.

I looked at uh uh in the uh dictionary.

That's a regular word, ARAP.

So I'm expecting and I expect that coalition to come up here and support us and get that two 600 million dollars.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Ms.

Lyons, I'm gonna tell you that that word is a slur.

It's error.

I'm gonna let you know.

I I love you and I respect all my my elders, but but I will as we move forward, just like I do everyone else.

If there are slurs that are being used, I will ask for you to remove yourself from the microphone.

The proper term is error.

Eric, look it up.

I did.

Okay, it's eight.

Let me know.

Thank you so much.

Mr.

Claude Norwood, the floor is yours.

Morning, people of the city of Detroit and honorable city council.

My name is Claude Norwood.

I'm here representing the Grand River Community Block Club, as well as a member of the newly elected CAC community advisory council.

I'm here today because um of the issues that's going on throughout the city and the things that our um findings have come up with, and the city is the people of the city of Detroit, and they've spoken and they're asking for the city's council assistance, and numerous things that's going on.

And I like to read to you briefly from the city charter, and it states that the city shall provide for public peace, health, and safety of persons of property within its jurisdiction.

You know, I go out throughout the community, I talk to people, I conduct interviews, and um the bus situation is a major concern.

The transportation of the buses being on time.

I personally went out there myself to observe what's going on.

I seen six buses going west on Grand River, and none return.

And so the people are saying that they think that the uh city services needs to be improved, and we agree.

Um also there's the issue with the transit center.

There's times during the day when it's closed, people are outside freezing, and again, according to the charter that falls up under public health and safety.

And throughout the interviews, they've said that there was a lady down there with a baby, and they refused to let her in.

That just doesn't make any sense.

And in honor of our great leaders and some who have failed, I like to say that in the name of peace, we could do better.

That's it.

Thank you.

And that's speaker, Josh Mann, followed by a final in-person public commenter, Ronald Foster.

Mr.

Bang.

Good morning, City Council.

I'm Josh Mann.

Uh, I'm concerned about the future with the AI technology that's being used against the citizens, such as the flock cameras that are citywide.

I feel it's your group's responsibility to protect us, and that's a major letdown that you're allowing surveillance systems like that in our communities, as well as the Palantir Gotham platform that the police database have access to now that can check completely unnecessary things, figure out where you've been all day, bank account withdrawals, any you know, anything that's available through you know, this digital reality that we're living in.

I feel that your group should remove these.

We should be one of the leading cities in the country.

The whole country is watching us and how we redevelop after our bankruptcy, and the fact that there's already 30 other major cities that have removed this, and we're not one of them.

Other states have completely removed this, and our city council is allowing this to be implemented into our city.

I don't feel protected by the group of elected officials that are here to keep us a safe community.

I wish you'd address this, look at it, and come to a conclusion on how to remove this.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Final in-person and public commenter, Mr.

Ronald Foster.

Good morning, um, the president.

A few things.

Uh, glad to see the community engagement is still going on consistently.

Job of house.

Um wanted to just speak real quick uh about separation of powers once again.

Um if you look up Michigan Bar Journal, August 2019, uh attorney by the name of Susan F.

Reed, P26897.

So she was permanent dispared by our Eastern District uh federal judge for taking bribes, amongst other things, misconduct and everything to our clients.

And so there's transparency has to occur historically and punitively that have shown to be a conflict within our communities.

So we have to find some common ground to separate um those powers.

Secondly, uh, for the same position, which is our chief um enforcement officer of the city for the city of Detroit's ordinances.

I want to just speak about ordinance.

Ummunity input over government surveillance.

Now I heard some people come down and speak about AI and a lot of other things.

Surveillance data means any electronic data collected, captured, recorded, retained, processed, interrupted, analyzed, or shared by surveillance technology.

Surveillance technology means electronic surveillance device, hardware, software that's capable of collecting collecting, capturing, recording, retaining, processing, intercepting, analyzing, monitoring, or sharing audio, visual, and a lot of other things, but you all made the ordinance.

And so to have anybody come before you, whether they're a corporate council or a or a uh vendor here and violate this ordinance isn't injustice here.

Whether I agree with it or don't agree with it, they have to come before the people.

Thank you so much.

We should now transition to our online public commenters.

Uh, Mr.

Whitfield, good morning.

How many public commenters do we have?

And who do we have first, sir?

Good morning, Council President.

We have 13 public commenters at this time.

Um, first caller is phone number ending in 169.

All right, caller ending in 169.

The floor is George.

You have two minutes, general public comment.

Are you there?

Caller, are you there?

All right, sir.

Let's put that caller at the end of the queue and go to the next one.

Okay, hello.

Can you guys hear me?

Hello, hello.

Yes, sir.

We can hear you now.

Good morning.

Okay, okay, great, great, great.

I just want to say uh thank you for praying for Brother Cunny Ham.

Um, better yet, thank you for helping Brother Cunny Ham.

Um, I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.

This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

I again, I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.

This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

And that quote was by Martin Luther King Jr.

Um, in the end, we will remember not the words of our inner, not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Again, in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

And that quote was by Martin Luther King Jr.

Um also I wanted to remind everyone, Cunningham's birthday is the 26th.

So don't forget, and thank you for my time.

Thank you.

Happy early birthday, Brother Cunningham.

Next caller, please.

Excuse me.

Next caller is Betty A.

Varner.

Ms.

Betty A.

Verner, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes, general public comment.

Uh good morning to all within the sound of my voice.

I'm Betty A.

Barner.

I'm president of the Soto Elsewhere Black Association, and I also uh advocate for seniors and for people who are disabled.

I'm here today.

I want to uh make a request or just put it in the universe.

The city of Detroit has a wonderful program that assists seniors.

When it snows, they uh send uh volunteers out to uh assist with cleaning off the property of uh seniors.

This happens when it's uh six inches or more of snow.

Now, former council uh person, uh council member Durhal also was a part of this program.

I'm hoping that, and I'm assuming that the other council members also supported the program.

I'm hoping that we will continue to have that service because the seniors need it.

And I'm asking that the administration and the council could work together and come up with a strategy or a way to help the seniors when there's two inches or more of snow.

We are still in need when it snows.

If you don't can't get out and shovel your snow at six inches, the majority of seniors can't get out and shovel it at two inches.

Uh there some of us have mobility challenges as I do.

And if you live alone, you don't have a neighbor to assist you, then you're on your own.

We want our properties to be in compliance.

We want to be safe.

We want our visitors to be saved.

So please consider this request.

Thank you for this time and God bless you all.

Thank you, Ms.

Barner.

That's more clarity on the uh we're gonna go with uh member McCampbell.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President.

Just to let folks know, so that snow removal program is continue to go on.

Um, if folks want to be added, they can call 313 224 4415.

Again, that's 313-224-4415.

And if folks are interested in volunteering, they can go on the city's website on the serve Detroit website and sign up to volunteer.

Thank you so much, Colleen.

Next caller, please.

Kamal Jawarra.

All right, caller.

The floor is yours.

You have two minutes, General.

Public comment.

Thank you so much.

And also you pronounced that right.

So thank you.

Um appreciate um you all, of course, coming out in the cold.

Um, and I'm a resident of the east side.

Letisha is my council member.

Um, uh, wanted to call with just a few things.

One, I wanted to express support for Gabby's memo in the past few weeks around um ICE and immigration.

I would really love to see um uh a really great response from not only just the community, but also to our city officials around um the safety of our immigrant population that includes people who are not just um Latino, it includes folks who are uh African natives, folks who are Arab and many other populations as well, uh, many of which are black people.

So um that's really important to me.

Um the other thing I wanted to express was just um curiosity about uh particular projects right now around health care and mental health, um, just as a result of everything happening in the White House right now, there's about 700,000 people in Michigan that stand to lose some level of health care access, be it like work requirements, be it um uh other requirements for like citizenship, all these different things.

There's about 700,000 people in Michigan that stand to lose some level of health care access, be it like work requirements, be it uh uh other requirements for like citizenship, all these different things.

Um, and a lot of that's really starting to hit this year.

Um, so just really curious about some of the projects that uh may come out of city council or potentially what may come from um our city's budget to kind of supplement um some of the needs or find some some ways to kind of plug in some of those gaps.

I know for a lot of our seniors that's a big thing, but then also too for a lot of young people's things, such as like mental health is a really important thing.

Um, so yeah, just really curious about that.

Um, and really commend the work, of course, so far of this council.

Um, you know, starting off this year, right?

So um that's it.

I'll forego the rest of my time.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Next caller is William M.

Davis.

William M.

Davis.

The floor is yours.

We have two minutes.

General public comment.

Uh good morning.

Can I be heard?

Yes, sir.

Okay, I like to also start off by saying more needs to be done as it relates to overall mental health in this city.

Uh, as you may or may not know, I'm a former elected police commissioner over in District 7.

And far too many police runs are actually mental health runs.

We need to make sure that we have the proper services available to assist people and to help to divert some of those from being police runs.

Also, you know, I I think the last administration's overall policy as it relates to hopping to repay the city of Detroit retirees to us to let as many of us die as possible.

Um, you know, so I hope that's not uh a policy that continues.

I hope more could be done to help the city of Detroit retirees because this whole you know financial recovery is has been and continues to be on our backs, and we see it every single month.

You know, we see all these, you know, fantastic things that's going, but you know, more and more city retirees die every single month.

Also, the that's to change a little bit.

I think more needs to be done as it relates to children in school in the city of Detroit.

You know, I I listened in on your meeting recently, and then I think that we need to have like parades for you know for our kids going back to school.

I think we also need to be having stuff with each city council people recognize you know, students with you know perfect attendance, recognize outstanding you know, students that have great grades.

We need to be doing more encouraging our students and our other people.

Also, separately, I think the city of Detroit needs to be doing more to encourage more people to vote.

I'm older than everybody there.

And I remember when Coleman Young was mayor, he used to have things that help to encourage people to vote.

You know, the the need and the importance of voting is even more important now.

You know, you could have things to encourage people to vote.

You don't have to tell them who to vote for, they can just vote their interest, and the whole city of Detroit would be better.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So noted, Mr.

President.

Next caller, please.

Next caller is Zaronica Smith.

Paul, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes, general public comment.

Good morning.

May I be heard?

Yes.

Good morning again.

My name is Veronica Smith with a coalition for property tax justice.

And we have a five-tier first 100 days plan to end the property tax overassessments in Detroit.

Our first pillar is to enforce the property tax reform ordinance that was passed in 2023.

Now, there have been several things that have been implemented, and we appreciate the 12-point font that definitely makes it easier to read, and some explanations about how the um the um taxes are assessed, but we also need to have some other things implemented as well, such as a question and answer or Q frequently asked questions on the city's website.

Now, I tried to look at that, and it's so encompassing, it's kind of difficult to find exactly what you want to have an answer to.

Number two, we'd like to stop the overassessment of lower-valued homes.

When we finally got the report from 2024 that the former mayor finally released, we found that the lower value homes are still being over-assessed.

Homes that have 40,000 are still being over-assessed.

Three, we want to protect the owner-occupied exemption or the PRE.

Now, when we finally get our assessments, which should be coming soon, we need to look and make sure that our homes are still at 100%, because we found that some people's PREs have been reduced.

And when they challenge it, it's been a tedious process to get it replaced.

We want to return the money to over tax homeowners.

We all know about the 600 million dollars that would have been taken from Detroit homeowners, of which I am one, and we need to have that returned.

We don't need it coming from the city coffers.

We need to find some philanthropic or some other kind of a way to get that money back to the Detroiters who owned it or deserve it.

And we need to um replace the assessor with a qualified assessor.

And because of some of the things that have been done by the current assessors, this homes are still being open.

Thank you so much.

Thanks, Carl.

Is Frank Hammer.

Good morning, council.

Good morning, uh President Tate.

Congratulations.

Those of us who followed Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

know that he warned us that a country that spends more on the military than on human needs is approaching spiritual deaths.

That was 60 years ago.

I'm calling today to remind council of the resolution that was passed unanimously near a year ago, nearly a year ago, under the title of Move the Money.

The intention of that resolution was to demand that the U.S.

government withdraw 100 billion dollars from the military budget to be used for social services and human needs.

At that time, the military budget amounted to approximately 850 billion dollars just for 2025.

We now know with a new argument in the White House that the military spending was increased with the approval of both Democrats and Republicans to nearly one billion, sorry, one trillion.

And it's forecasted now that the president intends to increase that to one and a half trillion in military spending for one year.

In the meantime, the U.S.

government has slashed services for human needs, including eliminating the subsidies supporting Detroiters signed up for Obamacare.

It's high time to follow up on the city council resolution initiated by Mary Waters, which called for public hearings to be held by the city council.

And I'm requesting that you schedule a hearing as soon as possible to make good on the vote by the city council.

Thank you very much.

I yield the rest of my time.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Next caller is phone number ending in 039.

The floor is yours.

You have two minutes.

General public comment.

All right, Mr.

Whitfield, let's put this caller at the end of the queue and go to the next caller, please.

Yes, sir.

Next caller is Ruby Riley.

Ms.

Ruby Riley, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes.

General public comment.

Good morning, Matthew Heard.

Yes.

First of all, I want to say, uh, I'm wondering why is that.

Now I used to be able to see City Council when I'm on Zoom.

When the public gets up to speak, there sometimes I can't, not sometimes, a lot of times I can't see it.

I'm trying to find out why not.

Number two.

Um, on the 15th, I had to go take us a personal business.

About my car being down, I had to walk.

And so over here at Lask is recreation at district three.

There's only one sidewalk, and the snow covered the sidewalk and the other side.

The other side is grass, and I had to walk in the street, and the street was slippery.

So for those that don't have that, their cars need to be fixed, which I was approved and have the paperwork, but they say they ran out of money.

I would like to have everything that was supposed to have been done for me.

I keep paperwork.

That's one thing I do.

So the snow plasma was not out.

And this was around roughly about 2 30 because I had a dentist appointment.

So it was full of snow.

And I feel that the snow, and that they have their own snowpiles and stuff over there.

People need to get out there and clean them sidewalks.

And like I said, on the other side of last year's president, there's nothing but grass.

So they need to put a sidewalk on the other side where it hasn't been.

And I've been over here since 77.

I don't think it's never been a sidewalk, I'm not mistaken.

And uh so please get them people out to snow cloud on sidewalks by these recreation centers because sometimes some people don't have cars or their car is down, and I don't want to be falling out a fail five times on the city property within the last let's say I think it was 2016 due to negligence of the sidewalk.

Thank you, Miss Riley.

District managers and others, as well as colleagues are aware of the situation.

Next caller, please.

Next caller is Darren McCleskey.

Caller, the floor is yours.

We have two minutes.

General public comment.

Good morning, counsel.

Um, okay.

So I'd like to start off with um.

I saw Scott Benson last night at the DAC.

I neglected to say hi to you, sir.

But if any other members would like to meet or conduct any sort of business or social activities, uh, feel free to reach out.

I'd like to talk to you about some of the issues facing the city and my ideas.

Um, but talking about neighborhoods, which is a very different view from what you might see up on top of the DAC.

Uh, I'm sitting right now in the state fairgrounds.

Looks like a war zone.

Uh, trees are snapped off about four feet above ground.

Um, there's pits, there's piles, there's mattresses, there's tires, there's down power lines, streets don't get plowed.

Um, it just looks like a war zone, which is what it's looked like for the past few years, maybe two decades or so.

But it's about to become the solar neighborhood, one of the eight solar neighborhoods.

Um, you guys are voting today on giving Matitarian what is probably a fair amount, which is 11 to 12,000 per lot for a project called the French Road Mini Take.

That project used eminent domain as well for an airport expansion, a fixed point in time, a fixed place, an airport that must expand, a necessary expansion, not a plopped wherever we want solar project that decimates a neighborhood.

And that was announced in 2021.

Five years later, you guys are now settling with him five years later to take his land.

Meanwhile, he took 104 properties at least with eminent domain, a lot more with threats.

And if you guys had to pay out what you paid, but you're paying him, which is a reasonable fair price, you'd be into it for a few million dollars more for this botched solar project.

Go to Detroit Solar Scam.com to learn more.

Thank you.

If you can please make sure you uh go to the improved Detroit app and cite all those in issues that you mentioned, that would help us tremendously.

Next caller, please.

Next caller is owner Papa.

General public comment.

Yes, good morning, mate.

Through the chairman, I be heard.

Yes, yes.

A lot of what what you've heard today is very serious.

Um Mr.

Foster in the beginning told you about um conflicts of interest, and uh this this committee is full of conflicts of interest.

You heard the minister this morning ask you, plead with you to care about the people in the city of Detroit, especially the least and least fortunate.

Instead of you doing that, you spend all of your time figuring out how you can give away our tax dollars and um build housing that we don't need.

I see on your on your agenda, you have several housings, but but they're one bedroom and studio.

We have asked you and Mr.

Gulak and the planning department, we want to maintain families, which will require two, three bedrooms, some sometimes four, but we are giving away our surplus tax dollars to fulfill many many rich people's coffers because they don't have enough because they they they are falling short on on uh uh uh uh uh on how the how their income uh taxes came back for what they paid into income taxes, and now you want us to fill that hole.

The right retirees ask you for um uh 50,000 or 75 million dollars.

I mean, and and and you refused him, but you're going to give rich people to fill the tax hole for them 42 million dollars of our surplus money.

This is a travesty.

You have become a travesty.

Our health department is non-existent.

Uh, we have twice the number of liquor stores that are legally allowable, and the police department is getting a 500 half a million dollar settlement with someone, and I see endemications again up and down 18.2 to 18.6.

We need a rehaul of you and how you're doing things.

Thank you.

Let's call it please.

Next caller is here Amad.

Caller, the floor is yours.

We have two minutes, general public comment.

Caller here.

Good morning.

Yes, good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you for taking my comment.

I want to echo what Ms.

Zaronica has um said regarding um the first hundred days, what we were asking from the coalition for property tax justice.

We want you to take action to fully implement the property tax reform ordinance by improving Detroit's notice of assessment timely, producing an independent audit of the city's assessment data and disclosing assessment data.

Mandate that the assessment division not use only warranty deeds in their economic condition factor.

That's the ECF analysis and correctly depreciate homes.

Improved the principal resident exemption, that's the PRE by removing ineligible LLCs from PRE roles and making it easier for wrongly removed homeowners to reinstate the PRE.

Implement a software program like Turbo Turbo Tax has to streamline applications for the homeowner property exemption and known as Hope, and create a plan to provide property tax credit to compensate homeowners who previously overpaid their illegally overpaid their property taxes and ensure Detroit's chief assessor has passed the required Michigan master assessing officer examination and hence is qualified, fully qualified to serve in this important position, and we ask that you do this within the first hundred days.

Thank you and have a blessed day.

Thank you.

The name is Dakota Bruner.

Um I believe there was another caller that we had to return back to.

The floor is yours.

We have two minutes, general public comment.

Thank you, counsel.

May I be heard?

Yes.

Good morning, counsel.

My name is Dakota Bruner, and I am a district six resident.

I'm calling to address a critical communication gap regarding the 89% arsenic contamination rate found at our residential fill sites.

In November, my community liaison reached out to the health department on my behalf, yet I have not received any confirmation of action.

I'm asking this body directly: have you heard from the health department regarding this issue?

And have you formally mobilized the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness, the OPHEP?

If you have not already mobilized this department, I am formally requesting the mobilization of the OPHEP today as the body responsible for managing man-made public health risks.

They must oversee immediate resident screenings to check for arsenic exposure.

These screenings are a critical necessity to assess the risk of cancer and cognitive delays in our children, specifically caused by arsenic exposure.

We cannot wait for a contractor investigation to close before we check on the health of our residents and our land.

Under the Detroit City Charter, you are mandated to take aggressive action to protect our human and natural resources.

And that mandate is not legally tied to the timeline of any investigation.

While roughly 50 sites have been refilled, capping soil with clean fill is a containment strategy, but it is not a cure.

It does not prevent toxins from leaching into the groundwater or aerosolizing into the air that we breathe with 105 million surplus and over 540 million in reserves confirmed by Mayor Sheffield.

There is no financial barrier to providing the residents of Detroit with formal health screenings and a long-term plan for the livability of our land.

When will the residents be properly addressed?

Finally, I am resubmitting my request for legislation to restrict personal cell phone use and earbud use by council members during public hearings to ensure the professional standard of engagement that this city requires.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

All right.

Thank you so much.

That will take us to the end of our public comments.

Discussion uh with discussion, member Benson.

All right, uh, thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, just in light of yesterday's celebration of Dr.

Martin Luther King, I just want to call attention to something.

So at this table, we by law are required to provide time for everybody to speak to their elected officials at city councils called public comment.

That is your right.

It is at entitlement.

I'm hoping that we, as we move forward, can just think about a few things.

Coming here and saying that you love someone does not require that you hate others.

And I support everybody's right to come here and speak.

I'm going to issue a challenge.

If you truly love somebody, tell us about how you love them.

Tell us about how you support them.

Do not think that it's a zero sum game.

If you look at an ideology called pro-blackness, it is defined as an ideology rooted in self-affirming self-affirmation and community empowerment rather than the exclusion of others.

It is affirmation without antagonism.

Being pro-black focuses on the agency, resistance, everyday lives, and joy of black people.

It is a tool against racism.

And if you look historically at groups like the Black Panthers, you don't fight racism with racism.

Universal humanity.

Embracing one's own heritage while recognizing shared humanity, allows for deep community pride alongside respect for the dignity of all others.

Many proponents believe that when blackness is centered and supported, it benefits everyone.

If you look at example of civil rights era, the laws that came from that area were championed by black activists, and they have historically expanded the rights of many other marginalized groups within the United States.

That's leadership.

And then you can also educate yourself.

Learn the history and contributions of other cultures and other communities.

And it helps build a foundation for respect.

And then as a black community, there's intersectionality.

Acknowledge the diversity within our own community to foster a more inclusive and expansive form of love.

If you read some of the teachings and sermons from Dr.

Martin Luther King, he called himself a drum major.

When people think of a drum major, a drum major leads the parade.

It can often be seen as someone who wants all the attention.

He was a major leader, one of the greatest Americans to ever walk this planet.

The great, one of the greatest.

And he loved black people, yet he did not need to exclude or denigrate any others.

Call me a drum major for righteousness.

And all the shallow things will fall aside.

Love black people for 14 days.

That's two council meetings.

Come to council.

I love black people.

I'm doing these things.

This is what I want to do.

You don't have to hate others.

This is not a zero sum.

Okay.

You can love us and not hate others.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Very well said, Calvin.

Thank you.

So you think please refrain from any blues from the audience over a positive message.

It's unfortunate.

Sir, you may leave the auditorium if you interrupt again.

All right.

For the Madam Clerk, uh, under the standing committee report for the budget finance and audit standing committee for the office of the city clerk, city planning commission.

Councilmember McCampbell, a resolution, line item 17.1.

Member McCampbell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, this is a neighborhood enterprise zone certificate application for a um affordable uh units in the fifth district um on Oakland Avenue.

Um it's been put forward by a nonprofit organization of staff or house and um would move for approval on uh line item 17.1.

Thank you, sir.

There's a motion for approval on line item 17.1.

Any objections?

See none, and action shall be taken for the internal operations standing committee.

Mr.

President, we have one contract up for a vote.

That's contract number 6007597, 100% city funding to provide cybersecurity, Google Threat Intelligence Enterprise Package and Licensing Contractor, the Dastin Corporation, total contract amount 160,294.74 cent, and that's for do it.

Council member with field callaway, a resolution line item 18.1.

Thank you so much.

Member Callaway, line item 18.1.

Motion to approve, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

There's a motion to approve line item 18.1 colleagues.

Any objections or discussion?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken from the law department.

Clerk.

Council member Whitfield Callaway, 17 resolutions, line items 18.2 through 18.18.

You these are various law, uh various representation and emphasization requests as well as a settlements.

Uh member Callaway.

Um motion to approve Mr.

Chair line items 18.2 through 18.18.

Thank you, ma'am.

There is a motion to approve line items 18.2 through 18.18.

Alex, any objections or discussion?

Mr.

President with discussion, member McCamp.

Uh I just want to note um if you can mark me as a no on 18.2 and 18.5, 18.6.

Apologies.

One more time, sir.

I'm sorry.

Mike's like apologies.

Uh, if you can mark me as a no on 18.2 and 18.6.

Okay, we're gonna get to the call.

All right, thank you.

Any further discussion, colleagues?

See none.

All right, are there any objections?

Objection, member Santiago Romero.

Objection 18.2, 18.3, 18.5, and 18.6.

Member McCampbell, Mr.

Mr.

President, objection to 18.2 and 18.6.

Okay.

Um on 18.2 for McCampbell and Santiago Romero.

No on 18.3 for Santiago Romero, 18.5 is no.

Santiago Romero and 18.6 is no for McCampbell.

They all passed.

Thank you so much.

All right, for the neighborhood and community, uh, that action shall be taken.

Excuse me.

Uh, for the neighborhood and community services standing committee from the mayor's office.

We're under resolutions, Mr.

President.

I kind of want in between my apologies.

Uh, under resolutions.

Councilmember Santiago Romero, a resolution line item 18.19.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President's motion to approve.

This is to continue the city's immigration task force.

There's a motion to approve line item 18.19, colleagues.

Any objections or discussion?

See none, then action shall be taken.

Thank you.

Um from the neighborhood and community services standing committee, madam clerk from the mayor's office.

Council President Pro Tim Young to resolutions, line items 19.1 and 19.2.

Pro Tim Young, line items 19.1 and 19.2.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Move to approve line items 19.1 and 19.2.

This is a motion to approve line items 19.1 and 19.2.

Any objections or discussion?

Seeing none, this action shall be taken.

Uh from the Office of Contracting and Procurements.

Mr.

President, we have one contract up for a vote.

That's contract 6007 613, 100% major street funding to provide tree trimming and tree removal.

Contractor, tree man services, LLC total contract amount, $3 million, and that's for general services.

Thank you so much.

Excuse me, Pro Tim Young, a line item 19.3.

Thank you, Vic Rec.

Appreciate that.

Uh Ms.

President, uh, I'll move to approve line item 19.3.

There's a motion to approve line item 19.3.

Any objections?

Discussion with discussion.

Member Cal.

Thank you so much.

Um, this is a three million uh multi-year contract for um tree trimming and tree removal removal.

And this is a big um concern um of a lot of residents um across the city and in my um own district, district two.

Um, will this contract address um those residents who have been waiting for quite some time to get their trees removed and trimmed, or will this contract, multi-year contract, start a new list of residents and their complaints?

Mr.

Chair.

Thank you so much.

And I believe we have someone, we should have someone from the administration join us, unless uh Mr.

Chair, you have any information on this and you like I think we best administration error adding more like an administration question.

Thank you so much.

For the record, I believe these are for uh city uh owned trees, not for the private reason.

Correct me if I'm incorrect, sir.

Please introduce yourself for the record and please uh address member Callaway's question.

Good morning, Alex Weatherup.

Assistant director general services and through the chair to member Calloway.

I did hear your question.

Um these contracts are for tree removal in the the right of way along streets, boulevards and berms.

So these will not be addressing private tree concerns.

Okay, okay.

Through the chair, so yeah, through the chair to yourself, sir.

So if the trees are um on city owned property and residents have been calling about them over the year or so, is there a waiting list for those um requests, or are we starting a new waiting list?

Because I know that this is not for private um trees on private property.

I know that, but if they're on city owned property in the berms that the city um owns or is responsible for, are we starting with a new list of residents concerns and complaints about those particular trees with this multi-year three million dollar contract?

Or are we starting a new list?

That's that's my question.

So through the chair, uh we will not be starting a new list.

We are constantly evaluating and surveying and creating a priority list, and that list does not change.

We will just be handing off uh assignments to to new vendors from these new contracts.

Okay, thank you.

Through yourself, um, through the chair to yourself.

Is there a list that you can provide to um any council person who is requesting to see the list for their particular district?

Because I like to see that list for my very own district, district two.

So I'm putting that request into you through the chair for a list of those trees in district two that are city owned and have been an issue and have um requested by residents who live around those trees for those trees to be either trimmed or removed, particularly on the avenue of fashion.

We have trees that are overgrown on the sidewalks, and uh they block signs, they block our stop signs, they um block our signs that allow people to walk and and guide our pedestrians.

So those are the kind of trees that I'm referring, I'm referring to through the chair heard.

I will find out um what list we have and distribute it to the council members as soon as possible.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, sir.

Great question, Member Cowley.

And and and I guess to further piggyback on that, um if you're starting a new list, how often are you communicating with the resident who's made that request?

Because I think that's important as well.

Now, as we as we know, we've got to first do the inspection of the tree, which is a whole separate issue than the actual tree trimming.

How are we communicating with the residents so that they understand very clearly what the status is of their request?

So to the chair, um, again, there we're not starting the list over, but I can look into how we are communicating uh to folks where they are on the list.

Okay, please add that I think it's very clear you're not starting a new list, but uh please include that information into the report that you provide all council members, and it'll be best if you provide them by district.

That way uh we will be able to identify the complaints that have come into our office versus the issues that you still have uh left to address.

And as I again I indicate I understand that you have the inspection that has to happen first, and then the tree removal.

Thank you for your cooperation.

We look forward to that information, Mr.

President.

Discussion with further discussion, member McCampbell.

I have one question, uh a couple of questions here.

Is there does the department have a ideal timeline on which folks are you all are doing tree triming throughout on the on the city property that you mentioned?

And also, is this contract added to the capacity that you have for tree treatment, or is this contract the sole source of um that tree treatment?

You may proceed through the chair.

Um so these are not sole source, these are results of a competitive bid, and they are replacing our our current um group of vendors, just like we kind of we roll through all of our different um contract groups, and as some near the end, we do an RFP uh to replace them.

So we are hopeful to have a total of nine awarded contractors by the end of this.

So that would be one per district dedicated, plus two roving to surge support where needed.

Um just wanted to make that clear.

And then I apologize.

I missed uh I've forgotten the first question you asked.

Oh, nope, uh, through the chair uh through Mr.

President.

Um yeah, I used the wrong term and knowledge of soul source, but thank you for that process.

The first question was um does the department have a timing on what you try to do tree trimming throughout the city for this.

And I bring that question up because we've had, as mentioned, a lot of residents have let us know that they have trees that are on the burns that have overgraws.

So just thinking about is there a uh ideal timing that you try to get through uh neighborhoods and as such through the chair.

I don't have uh uh a go-to time offhand, but I will include it um in our response, our written response to council.

Thank you.

And and the last question there um through the chair is if you could just let folks know, as it was mentioned of a list.

If you can for the folks who are listening, if you could let them know the process in which they can reach out to let the um let you all know that there are trees that are need of trimming.

Through the chair, absolutely the the best way to do it is through our C click fix app.

Um that is uh ports right into our workflow with GSD.

Um, but they can also reach out to any of our um, and there's numbers posted at parks for general services, kind of front desk.

Anyone calls that number, they'll be routed to the to the right place to make uh request for removal or trim.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I appreciate that.

Ms.

President, I just wanted to ask you, Mr.

Weatherup, the three million dollars is to address the total of the 1,500 uh trees that are according to the agenda.

The three million dollars you need to address the total of 1500 trees that are gonna be trimmed according to the agenda item.

Is that correct?

Through the chair, that is correct.

That's the the estimated number of trees um over the life of the or the over the term of the contract.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

And do we and let me just ask you do we have like is the average of how long that would take?

You know, just average, I'm not saying that that's something that you can nail down now, but do we have like an average estimate of how long it usually takes a city to be able to accomplish a task like that just so we can have a measure, but just like a I'm not trying to nail you to a specific time, I would just say just in general, you know, just in the in the abstract.

Uh through the chair, I I don't have a good time to give you offhand, but uh I will include it um in our written response.

I I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

I'm done.

Thank you so much.

Discussion.

Uh with further discussion, member Benson.

All right, thank you very much.

Uh Mr.

Weatherweb, good morning.

Thank you for being here today.

Um, larger question: do we have a maintenance plan for our entire tree portfolio within the city of Detroit?

Uh, through the chair to member Benson, yes, our forestry team has um, you know, I saw effectively called a capital plan for all of the trees in the city.

Um, I don't have the specifics for you, but that the department does um look forward and forecast that's how we were able to put together the the figures for these contracts.

Um, so there is a plan for continual uh maintenance, and I can give you some more nuts and bolts on that and in the response as well.

Right, thank you.

And then just looking at that number, so 1500 trees, three million dollars of $2,000 per tree.

And so I'm not sure what our total portfolio of city trees are ownership, that asset is, but I'm interested in finding out what our plan is, how we plan to finance that, and when we plan to get to that.

It is a often very sore point uh for residents when they don't believe that their trees are healthy, they often say they need to be cut down, they're not foresters.

Sometimes that could or could not be true, but I think that a concerted effort, and I know that this has been championed at this table to actually maintain and proactively maintain trim and manage our trees can also be very helpful.

There's a cost to that.

I'm interested to what that cost is and how we plan to fund that cost and over what time period we plan to implement that plan.

And so I'm hoping that we can have this, and I'm going to encourage the chair of neighborhoods to have a discussion with GSD and the forestry department about the plans for our tree portfolio, our management of that portfolio and how we plan to keep our tree canopy healthy and how we plan to develop that canopy in neighborhoods where there's is non-existent.

So that's also very, very important as value to our neighborhoods.

I'm hoping that the chair, pro Tim, will line item this for discussion in the future within his committee.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Weather, uh, two weeks, does that sound good?

Uh to provide that information that we were requesting to this body.

Yes, sir.

All right, if the two weeks has not happened, if you can please let us know uh in advance, that would be very helpful.

All right, colleagues, we have a motion.

We had a motion for approval for line item 19.3.

Any further discussion?

Any objections?

Say none that action shall be taken.

From the general services department, Madam Clerk.

Council President Pro Tim Young, a resolution line item 19.4.

Pro Tim Young, 19.4.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

I move to approve line item 19.4.

That's a motion to approve line item 19.4.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

For the planning and economic development standing committee from the housing and revitalization department.

Councilmember Santiago Romero, a resolution line item 20.1.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to approve line item 20.1 colleagues.

Any objection?

Say none, then action shall be taken.

Under consent agreement, excuse me, a consent agenda.

There are no items, Mr.

President.

Before we go to member reports, we will have two walk-ons that are before us today.

College should have a copy of them.

Both were submitted by the administration.

Uh appointment.

Two the human rights commission.

One is Ms.

Lauren Stovald.

And the other is uh Rhonda Paul.

As we know it's uh critical for us to fill that position as uh a number of uh items cascade from just having that board uh in place.

Any further discussion, college, before we place this on to new business?

Say none.

Is there a motion to place these two walk-ons onto new business?

Oh, sir.

See none, no objections, then action shall be taken.

Madam Clerk, can we take these up for a vote, please?

Mr.

Person, are they on for referrals or for vote?

Oh, for referral.

Uh okay, gotcha.

I thought we were on that.

We want to vote to send it to referral.

That's what I'm saying.

How is there a motion to refer these items to committee?

Oh shit, that's the vote.

My apologies.

See no objections, both of these items shall be referred to committee.

Thank you for your patience.

All right.

Uh question.

Member Callum, do you have a question?

Yes, thank you.

My apologies.

Didn't hear you?

Yeah, thank you, sir.

For these two referrals, um, through yourself to the chair.

Will these be on the uh internal operations standing committee scheduled for tomorrow?

The agenda.

Okay, thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues, we now move to member reports.

We're gonna start in the middle here.

Member Miller.

No report, negative report.

Thank you.

Uh Pro Chair.

Uh, I just want to say, is it too late for me to ask for a waiver line item 19.4?

Colleagues, there's a request for a waiver on line item 19.4, which is the grant.

That's the authorization to submit the grant for the United Way for Southeastern Michigan fiscal year 26 summer discovery grant.

Any objections?

Seeing none, a waiver should be attached.

Member Young.

Negative report, excuse me, pro Tim Young.

Thank you.

Uh, Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Just want to share for district's residents that our next our first monthly meeting for the year is going to be this Saturday, January 24th from 11 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

We're going to be at St.

Stephen AME.

We're going to be joined by our colleagues at LPD to learn about our annual budget process and to also hear from you what you would like for us to prioritize this year during the budget process that is right around the corner.

Want to also encourage folks to come to our office hours.

Our next office hours are going to be located at Community Rec Center.

We're going to be there on Monday, January 26th from 4 to 6 p.m.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Member Waters.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

President.

I just want to remind folks that they um the date.

Can you come back to me?

Sure.

We'll come back to you.

Uh member Benson.

All right, thank you.

Um, I just want to say thank you to the Charles H.

Rights for hosting our 15th annual Mark King Day bike ride.

This is something that we've been doing as an organization for the past two years hosting the MLK Day Bike Ride as an organization for Detroit has been doing this for over 15 years.

But we had 313 Cyclones, Major Taylor to come out.

We have the Detroit Greenways Coalition as a supporter and a stakeholder.

We have Black Leaders Detroit who came out and rode with us as well as provided the refreshments from the uh one of their portfolio of black owned businesses, uh the black coffee shop.

They have fantastic cookies that they bake as well.

In addition, we had GSD to help getting the word out.

We have the Detroit Police Department who provided our safety escort, didn't have to stop any lights.

Um we had Ride Detroit, which is the slow roll, Jason Hallm and his team are out there.

Wheelhouse Detroit provided uh a SAG vehicle for safety purposes.

In addition, we had to Detroit to provide a vehicle.

And so just really wanted to thank those who came out, the cyclists that came.

This is an opportunity that we take every year to ride through uh areas of the city that are historical to Martin Luther King and his activities in the city of Detroit.

If you have the chance to go to the Charles H.

Right on MLK Day, it is a hot bed of activities all day long.

Opening doors at 7 a.m.

I had the chance to see Mr.

Whitaker at the breakfast and Mrs.

Whitaker were there as well, taking in the uh the information.

My pastor uh gave the uh opening prayer.

It's a fantastic day.

It's something that we proudly uh provide at the Charles H.

Right, and as a trustee there, just really glad to see how ingrained and integral these activities are to our community.

And once again, just want to give thank my thanks out to those who helped support uh our annual MLK day bike ride.

It is a cold day, it is a slow ride, but if you think about it, during the civil rights era, very um challenging environment.

Great deal of difficult and uncomfortable days.

We as residents can take a few minutes and a few moments to be uncomfortable to think about the challenges that that community and our forefathers faced to bring us the basic rights and human dignity that we share today.

So just a day to do that, and it's gonna thank everybody who came out.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Member McCampbell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, just one, I just want to remind folks that we are having our um uh ceremonial learning and visioning session for district seven uh for the community on January 28th, which is a Wednesday at 5:30 at St.

Suzanne's on West Chicago.

Um, we'll have refreshments and invite the community to come out so we can also together create a uh united and unified vision for district seven moving forward.

So again, that's January 28th at 5:30 at St.

Suzanne's um on West Chicago.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Member Callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um join me on Monday, January 26th at 5 p.m.

at Youth Meek Startup Center, located at 1945 Livernoy for the launch of the mental health is wealth podcast.

This initiative is dedicated to reshaping the narrative around holistic support for local entrepreneurs.

Again, that's January 26th, Monday at 5 p.m.

at 1945 6 Livernoi.

It will be a mental health is wealth podcast.

And on that same date, I don't know if member waters would like for me to announce it, but she and I are co-hosting a town hall meeting at the Northwest Activity Center.

Would you like to announce it?

Yeah, go right ahead.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

So member um member at large number one, Mary Waters and I will be hosting a town hall meeting, a deed fraud protection, January 31st from 4 p.m.

to 6 p.m.

at the Northwest Activity Center.

It is open to the public.

And the Northwest Activity Center is located at 18100 Myers.

And for more information, you can call 313 628 2363.

We cannot express the importance of people taking advantage of this.

We know a lot of deed fraud is going on in our city.

Um and everything is relative to property.

We seem to um there seem to be a lot of predators out there.

So please join us on January 31st.

And then also on January 26th, we will be having our budget priorities forum.

And this is hosted by the budget department.

It'll be in district two.

Um it'll be virtual, and um, it'll be at six o'clock.

And you can call our office for the um the call-in information at 224535.

But this is um an outreach uh initiative sponsored by the office office of budget, and they are holding a series of budget priority forums across the city.

And the one that will be held in district two again will be on January 26th at 6 p.m.

And it's virtual.

You can call my office at 224535, and we will give you the um calling information.

Lastly, we'll be having our first coughing conversation.

We've been hosting these since um 2022, every second Monday of the month, February 9th at the Northwest Activities Center at 8 a.m.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

That completes my report.

Thank you.

Member Waters.

Okay.

Negative report and negative report for me as well, colleagues.

All right.

So under adoption.

Oh no, you know, I take that back.

So uh just FYI.

We do have for the public who's watching.

I know our colleagues we've already made it known.

Uh there will be confirmation hearings for the seven appointees that the mayor will be bringing before us that require city council confirmation uh this Friday.

What time?

10 a.m.

Uh this Friday, 10 a.m.

More than likely have it in the committee of the whole.

Uh, but it will be this Friday at 10 a.m.

on the 23rd confirmation hearings.

Discussion.

Uh with further discussion, uh, member Benson.

Uh Mr.

President, this is FYI.

I will not be in attendance.

I have a previously scheduled meeting, but we have had the interviews in uh internal operations, and so I'm satisfied.

I've had my questions asking about the opportunity to engage with the reappointments who were coming back before this body.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I'm gonna steal some of your questions as well.

All right.

Now that now can oh, further.

Uh member Santiago.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Just since we're sharing attendance, I too have a previous commitment.

I won't be able to be here.

Just wanted to, you know.

Thank you so much, ma'am.

Thank you.

Mr.

President.

Um, Mr.

Member McCamp.

No, that my absence on Friday as well, but I have been what uh appointees.

So thank you.

All right, thank you so much.

All right.

Under adoption without committee reference.

There are no items, Mr.

President.

Um, before we go further, um, approach him young.

Oh, I just wanted to ask a little bit.

This is a little bit different, but I wanted to add the administration or anybody that's here.

Do we have any information involved warming centers at all?

I think that's something that's important.

It's really cold out.

You know, I think a lot of people are you know risking, you know, a lot to come out here.

And uh there have been some incidents, unfortunately, people who have frozen to death in the city of Detroit.

So do we have any warming place or any place where people could get warm?

If anybody knows about that, I don't I don't know if there's anybody available to speak to that now.

If they can't speak to that now, uh, please make sure that you send some emails out to the public just so they can know to reinforce that as well.

I just think that's very important.

Thank you.

Well, what I'll do is we'll continue the rest of the procedural information and we'll allow whoever from the administration to listen.

I believe Mr.

Washington to provide that information to close us out.

Thank you.

Uh under communications from the clerk.

A report on approval of proceedings by the mayor.

The report should be received and placed on file under testimonial resolutions and special privilege.

There are no items, Mr.

President.

All right, Mr.

Washington.

I think I saw you pop up on the screen.

Maybe you got some information for us.

Morning, sir.

Yes, good morning.

Uh, through the chair and to the body.

Um, I'm reaching out to Chelsea Neplit to see if she can join us to provide that information.

Um, if you can give me just a few moments, you should be able to log in.

All right, we that's really all we have is a few moments.

We are literally at the end of the agenda.

Going once, going twice.

Going three times.

And through the chair, I can also uh provide the information to the body as well so that it can be distributed.

That's helpful.

Okay, how just talk to us about how the information is being distributed to the community at this point.

I know that I've seen some information online, but as we all know, those who may need it the most may not have access to uh online communications.

How are we getting that information out to the general public, sir?

So uh through the chair, um, anyone in need of shelter can reach out to the Detroit Housing Resource Helpline.

And that number is 866.

So slow down form, slow down form.

And they're writing down now.

CPN's coming out.

Okay.

And again, that is you may proceed, sir.

And that is 866.

313.

252.

Um, and that is operated 247.

Um, and then as well, individuals can go to the uh police precinct any day after six o'clock or on the weekends and be connected with the outreach team for help.

Um, and I also just received a message that Tara Lizener has joined us if she can be promoted.

Let's promote Ms.

Lindsner.

Thank you for that information, sir.

Oh we don't see around.

We're looking for she can raise her hand, that'll be helpful.

She says she's she's trying to get in.

Mr.

Washington.

Yes.

We don't see her.

Yes, so the chair, I'm messaging her now.

My apologies.

Okay, she's now being promoted.

Good morning.

Uh, thank you for joining us.

Please introduce yourself for the record, Ms.

Lensner, and you may proceed with the information you have to provide the body and provide the public actually.

Good morning, Tara Linsner, Housing Stability and Innovations Division Director and the Housing Revitalization Department.

I believe um I uh just came in, so I didn't hear everyone's questions, but I believe uh the body wanted information on the emergency resources available available for folks seeking emergency shelter.

Well, specifically for those who are you know seeking shelter from the cold uh specifically.

So talk to us about that.

How are they getting the information?

What's um access and resources are available.

Uh, we just got a phone number, can help to reiterate that phone number as well.

But the floor is yours.

Absolutely.

Uh uh to the chair.

So households who need emergency shelter should call 866-313-2520.

That number is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

It has been activated.

Um, it's activated um around the clock.

Uh, it was that number has been uh street outreach has been answering those phone calls all weekend, um, 24 hours uh yesterday on the holiday, and we'll continue to do so.

Uh so households can give that number a call at any time.

So if you find yourself sleeping in your car, unsure of where to go, and you need emergency shelter, that is the number to call.

If you were to call right now, it's normal business hours.

You're gonna go through the regular prompts for the Detroit Housing Resource helpline.

If you're saying that you're unsheltered right now, they're gonna get you connected to a street outreach team.

Who, if they can't figure out someplace safe for you to go, is gonna connect you to a street outreach team, and then we'll connect you to um either the drop-in center or what we have right now, because of the severe weather is a standby shelter.

The standby shelter.

If you don't want to go through all of that, if you want to go directly to the standby shelter, you can absolutely do that.

The standby shelter is there's two options for you.

So for single adults um and for families, you can go to the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

It's their cornerstone building.

It's at 13130 Woodward Woodward Avenue.

That's in Highland Park.

Um, the second location, Pope Francis Center has opened up a second location that is for single adults only.

So no households with minors.

Um that location is um off of Hancock.

I need to grab that address.

I don't want to state it incorrectly.

Um, I apologize for not having it um right now.

But that um it is off of the Hancock Street, Pope Francis Center um location that is for single adults only.

And both of those locations right now are open until Wednesday at 11 a.m.

And so you can go to those locations directly to get access to emergency shelter.

We have staff uh who are at both of those sites right now, who will then help you figure out what your next step is going to be, whether that's connection to traditional emergency shelter or reconnection with family or friends.

Thank you so much, colleagues.

Any further?

Thank you so much.

Um Pro Tim Young.

Yes, um, I forgot to say this, and I apologize.

I just wanted to say uh also uh CPPT members, uh changing of the guard meeting is happening at 5 p.m.

tonight at Farwell Recreation Center out of drive at High Street.

Uh dinner is served and special awards will be presented in Iowa honored and privileged.

Thankful to Councilmember Benson because he will be there and I'm in his area as well.

So I just want to say again, CPPC members changing of the guard meeting at 5 p.m.

tonight at Farwell Recreation Center out of drive in high street.

Special awards are being presented.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Listener.

We appreciate the information.

Thank you, Pro Team as well.

All right, colleagues.

There being no further business to come before this body, this meeting still shall stand adjourned.