Good morning, Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

Present.

Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero.

Present.

Council President Pro Dam Coming in Younger Second.

Here.

Madam Chair Derekorum.

Thank you.

Having a quorum present, we are now in session.

And we are going to go to the agenda.

And the first line item is in approval of the minutes.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to approve the minutes.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

And for my chair remarks, I would like to cue up the administration to share information about warming centers and what we are doing to provide shelter for individuals that are homeless.

So as we get to the end of the agenda, if we can have someone share that information with the general public, it would be greatly appreciated.

As I was watching the news, I know there is a frigid code front that's coming back to us.

So Mr.

Washington, I see you there, but if we can just have someone cued up as we get to member reports uh to share that information, we would greatly appreciate it.

Good morning.

It will do, madam chair.

Thank you so much.

All right.

We are going to move into public comment.

If there is anyone joining us in person or virtually who'd like to make a public comment, please raise your hand.

Please raise your hand.

Public comment will be cut off at 10.06.

Currently, my clock says it's 1004.

Seeing no hands raised in the committee of the whole.

Good morning, Miss Jackson.

Do we have any hands raised virtually?

Good morning, Madam Chair.

There are nine hands raised for virtual public comment.

All right, if we can set the clock for two minutes, and we can get started with the first caller.

The first caller is Jadante Smith.

Good morning.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning, may I be heard?

Yes.

Good morning.

I have a question for um, I was actually preface by saying most Detroiters are on the menu, not at the table when it comes to a lot of decisions that are being made in the city of Detroit.

I have a question for uh councilwoman uh Gabriela Santiago Mero.

I was gonna say I appreciate the work that you did over in Core City um a few years back with the concrete crusher with the I think Moon O's Realty, wherever the owners were.

I just want to know what the um because if you can answer now, it'd be great because I'm gonna call an email about it.

Well, what was the zoning?

What was the M4 laying down zone to?

Because the same thing we would love to have happen with Kronos with their non-operating land um over next six-mile opponent next to their facility at 3405 Gaylord.

We love to have the land down zone from N4 Um to whatever that the land that was downzoned in district six in the concrete crusher in Core City.

We'd like to have that same down zoning.

Um, and we also like to have if we do get a down zoning, um, conditional land use when they do resale if they resell because they're probably not gonna keep that land, even if they do other types of uh they do they use the land for other things if we don't put down zone it to R3 or whatever, that will be nice for the community because it can be houses rebuilt on the four acres worth of land that was torn down to possibly expand a very dangerous concrete crusher.

And so I'll I'll just also say this I'm gonna talk about Kronos the whole time.

We're going to flood a meeting of city council, just as this as we did as you did for ice with the issue that affects Detroiters day in, day out.

Not like a hot button issue like ISIS.

ICE is an important issue too, but the the danger that is being presented to the community members in district three uh around Kronos and other plenty of other issues in district three, but specifically with Kronos, we need this win for the community.

We'd love for you guys to um help us with this issue, and also the CPA building needs to be uh preserved.

We only have 17% as of 2020 of our historic districts.

We need to preserve as much as we can because the city is tearing down beautiful homes that are 100 years old.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Good morning, John T.

Uh, the folks that did that work were residents.

Um, the residents from Core City led those efforts.

Uh they were organized and really they came to us when they needed our help with letters of support um and advocacy at the table.

I'm an advocacy at the table.

But those were resident-led efforts that we supported.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

The next caller.

The next caller is Owner Papa.

Only Owner Papa, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning.

Through the chair, Baby Heard.

Good morning, yes.

Dante, that was a no from uh Miss Merrill.

She's not gonna help you.

She only wants um quality of life for district six, and the rest of us can kick rocks.

At any rate.

What about Munez?

Um, Councilwoman Romero.

I I didn't see that on the agenda, even at the end of the year.

And I think that was something that we had talked about over and over again about the to conditions and also the blight tickets.

Um, I would I would like to bring that back up.

I would like to know if those blight tickets were paid.

Because you really can't come to residence and ask residents to pay blight tickets when you constantly, you know, uh excuse billionaires and millionaires from um the cost of their fractions.

So uh we're not gonna play this um one side and this other side gets treated differently, although that's the way the districts are being treated.

Um, this is the planning committee, and I want to see plans for other than um where 40% of black people will run out according to the system, according to the census, out of Corktown, which has become white town with the same council member, Sheila Cockrow, who said we didn't need it, was racist to say that we needed uh you know a black town or an African town, and she actually voted against it.

But I see she's creating herself um, you know, a white town in Corktown.

And um I hope District 7 is not submitting proposals for her for NEZs and projects because we need to be submitting them for district seven, where we desperately need economic help.

Um, and we need also for someone to look at why we're moving people out of district seven only to move different people in.

That's a problem.

The next caller.

The next caller is Betty A.

Varner.

Betty A.

Verner, you have two minutes for general public comments.

Good morning to all within the sound of my voice.

I'm Betty A.

Varner, president of DeSoda Ellsworth Block Association.

I have a question in regards to the uh the homeless or people who are in need of shelter.

How are they notified?

I know I receive information through email, but for people who don't have email and they're out living on the streets.

How do they get notified of the information regarding the shelters?

Please share that information with us.

I also want to talk about a wonderful program called Community Solutions.

The executive director is uh Mrs.

Deborah A.

Royal, and she has um uh uh uh umbrella of different programs under this community solutions.

Her telephone number is 313 484 3808.

She has an adult day care program where uh she provides services, house chores, food prep or light cooking, uh provides companions for uh people who need just someone to uh talk to.

Uh the hours are four to six per week, and if you have uh chores that are needed, uh you can get up to eight hours per week for this particular program.

You must uh be eligible for Medicaid, but she do have programs that you don't need Medicare for.

So please give her a call.

She also has a program that is unique that assists caregivers.

Uh caregivers that's uh uh a loving her job, okay, and she gives them a way to get uh some relief and the services that the caregiver provide, she will send in help to provide those.

Thank you, Ms.

Verner.

Um, at the end of the agenda this morning, the administration is going to provide information on outreach, the type of outreach that's being done for individuals that are homeless.

Uh so please I hope you are able to stay tuned for that information that'll be shared.

The next caller.

The next caller is William M.

Davis.

William M.

Davis, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Uh, good morning, can I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Okay, I like to start off by saying I I agree that more needs to be done in the districts.

Um, I also live in District 7, and um I I think it should be a greater effort to make sure there's more planning and economic development in each of the seven districts, and we should be updated reports on what's going on, not going on.

Um, of course, I'm older than all three of y'all, and I started with the city in 1978.

Um needs to be, you know, like at one time the city of Detroit had a whole lot of inspectors.

There was inspecting project, inspecting this and inspecting that.

I know uh a lot of that was done away with up under some of the previous administrations, but you know, you know, it we need to make sure that our communities are safer.

Also, I was a big advocate of the neighborhood city halls.

You know, we need resource centers.

We we need to have stuff available that we don't have to go downtown and pay uh a hundred dollars to park or what have you.

We need to make sure that city government is reaching out into the communities.

Far too often it appears as if the only people y'all really care about is the rich white people, you know.

So more needs to be done to make sure this is a truly welcoming city for all, you know, not just new white people moving into the city.

Uh we need to make sure that we can do more with what we have.

And of course, the city still has a debt to the city of Detroit retirees that they have not really started repaying because this whole recovery has been on our backs and continue to be on our backs every month when we see our pension checks.

And you know, so hopefully y'all can start moving towards making sure that every community, like district seven, we have more school age children than almost any other district, but yet we do not have a functioning recreational center.

You know, so there's a lot of disparity in the city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller.

The next caller is caller ending in 039.

Caller ending in 039.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Hey, Letitia.

You know this black bag rule.

Good morning.

Motor City Rule.

And y'all have been teething in.

Over a decade.

Now, 2020 can be proven and demonstrated.

2021 can be proven and demonstrated.

2022 can be proven and demonstrated.

2024 has already been proven and demonstrated.

Uh it's a court case, federal court case right now.

It calls into question the election of every elected official in the city of Detroit.

Now, the former mayor, Michael Edward Duggan shows the state budget, county budget, and the city of Detroit budget for over a decade.

12 years, I do believe.

More than that.

He put Gretchen Whitmer in office.

He went to our he was running for attorney general and said, Don't you run Dana Bon?

We're gonna make you governor.

And now we got Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Now, Nimi wants what she wants.

Y'all didn't want to give it to her, so that's why I took it.

Gave it to her myself.

Dame McLeod did it.

And y'all cheated in, and I'm Mr.

Rue.

And now it's turn up time.

And that's what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna turn it up to 2026 in Detroit.

Get ready.

Letitia call me.

Gabriella.

I'm not playing with none of y'all.

Mimi got to get what she won.

The next caller.

The next caller is caller ending in 482.

Caller ending in 482.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

I'm not allowed about Sigar Hurley IT.

Ms.

Jackson, was that the caller ending in 482?

The next caller.

The next caller is caller ending in 169.

Caller ending in 169.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning, yes.

Great, great.

I just want to say um thank you for praying for Brother Cunningham.

Um, I don't have no fear of death.

My only fear is coming back reincarnated.

And that quote was by Tupac.

Does that complete your comment?

No.

Um happy birthday.

Cool, you happy birthday.

Cool, you happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, cool you, happy birthday, Cunningham.

Everybody, um, you know, wish Cunningham a happy birthday.

His birthday is coming up.

Thank you for my time.

Thank you.

And happy early birthday to Mr.

Cunningham, whose birthday is on Monday.

All right, thank you so much.

The next caller.

The next caller is Cunningham.

Mr.

Cunningham.

Good morning.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Yes, good morning.

Everybody on the council is always human with me, always cordial and respectful.

And I hope you guys feel the same.

Facebook, not enemy, Detroit.

And then the hotline number 313, 444, 9114, 313, 444, 9114.

3034, 9114.

That number was made to remember it.

Uh that's also my cash app, the 213449114, and the way to reach me.

I need ham warmers.

I went through six cases.

It's been so cold out here, east, west, north, and south, all our city.

I have been running through the hand warmers.

I'm talking to you at home or those sitting in that building.

Um, and also monies for bus tickets.

I've been vocalizing more so on the hand warmers because of the conditions out here.

The buses smart and DA are not running on time.

And my birthday is the 2626 coming up.

Uh, I will be doing a bus ride along with a high-ranking elected, high-ranking federal incumbent.

I'm not gonna say their name, and I'm not gonna tell you what time for security purposes, but you'll see it on Facebook.

I thank them for doing so.

We need warming buses to use the buses that are out of commission, but the heat works and everything else works.

They should tow those raggedy vehicles or good vehicles and fill it up with gas and take it around the city, these buses, so people can stay warm while they're waiting on their coaches not being on time.

And um at the sites like St.

John Hospital over there.

This I call St.

John anymore, but y'all know what I mean.

They need warming coaches for folks to wait in the warm while they're waiting on the untimely coaches.

I appreciate you and thanks for being.

Thank you.

The next caller.

The next caller is to Hera Ahmed.

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

Good morning, council.

Thank you for uh taking my call and thank you for the work that you're doing.

Uh Letitia Johnson, councilwoman.

Uh, I I have some ideas.

So we need to get our homeless uh families who are shelterless off the streets and into hotels, uh, not little shelters, not this uh in their cars, but in hotels and motels.

They have been doing the same thing uh for um uh immigrants who are here um illegally, uh, and they get um free hotel rooms, they get a visa card and in in Chicago, uh that was being done.

Well, I want to suggest our own program here in Detroit.

That would be uh there are vacant um apartments, uh uh hotel rooms uh in the Renaissance that they that Dan Gilbert wants to tear down and how to pay for it.

Let's pay for for the 600 with the 600 million dollars we gave him to fix the uh the to do the Hudson building that he reneged on.

He was supposed to uh have uh 2,000 new uh employees in Detroit, but he took those employees from the Renaissance building from GM and put them in the Hudson building.

He reneged on his contract, so we need a callback from that.

We can pay for hotel rooms for the homeless and shelterless families and people uh right now.

We we there are creative ways we can take care of this.

These we, you know, this is uh um ridiculous that we're putting people in these shelters and we have the means to give them a human existence uh out of this code.

And I think you all are creative enough to make that happen, especially you um uh councilwoman Letitia Johnson.

You are very creative, and I've seen that in your eyes.

I see the love in your eyes.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

The next caller.

The next caller is calling user one.

Calling user one, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Can I be heard?

Yes.

Happy wonderful new year, council member Johnson.

Thank you for being the only one that seems to care about black women and children.

I would like to see what are you all going to do for the right to counsel because the referrals they are given is proven to be a dud, which is Lakeshore, neighborhood legal, Wayne Metro, they're not helping people with evictions who may lose housing, not because they owe any money simply out of retaliation if a tenant complains to council and to build in the safety.

I like to know what can you do to have your staff to get with me to get this kind of help because within this uh 5th district, um, it's a lot going on.

You have managers that are giving uh bogus lease violations to those that are elderly um for their garbage if they're like dumping their garbage in the proper garbage container if they don't slide it one way, which is not required by federal law.

They're giving bogus violations.

And when you can prove it by video and audio, why don't you have proper uh right to counsel and why don't they have a number um that you can talk with someone long before it's time for you to go before court?

Can you answer that for me?

We don't want to be another Tatiana Williams to have to freeze to death.

Let's give memories for her.

She was not an illegal mom.

Thank you, Ms.

Shea.

I did see the email correspondence this morning from Ms.

Diamond Conley, who oversees the right to counsel for the city.

If you or anyone that you know of is having challenges with the legal representation that's provided, please, please, please reach out to Ms.

Di Diamond Conley.

I believe she shared her contact information with you, but I will ask for Attorney Anderson to make sure I have that so I can also share it via my member reports as we uh wrap up the session this morning.

Thank you so much.

The next caller.

Madam Chair, that was the last caller, noting there were two hands raised after you cut off public comment.

All right, thank you so much.

That now concludes our general public comment, and we will go back to the agenda beginning with unfinished business and line item 5.1.

Line item 5.1 is the status of council member Mary Waters submitting a memorandum request for a resolution to the Michigan Land Bank Authority to alter the intergovernmental agreement.

Colleagues, is there a motion to discuss very briefly?

Motion discussion.

Um so I did have a conversation with member waters.

We are asking to receive and file this memo as we have previously approved of the reopening of the intergovernmental agreement.

With that, my team is reaching out to all colleagues, policy staff members, to inquire about how we would individually like to amend the intergovernmental agreement upon receipt of I shouldn't say upon receipt.

Upon the expiration of the time that is allotted to do so, we will then reach out to LPD to work on the amended intergovernmental agreement, present that to the administration and proceed.

So please keep an eye on your emails so that we can do this expeditiously so that we can move forward with the Detroit Land Bank Authority and how we'd like to see it governed and moved in the years ahead of us.

Colleagues, any additional discussion.

Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Madame Chair.

Um this is to the administration.

I just wanted to ask.

From my understanding, we are waiting on direction from the state about whether or not we can amend this intergovernmental agreement.

Last time I checked, I don't know if that's still true or not.

I just want to know if it is.

Um, are we still in the process of waiting?

If not, I just want to know what kind of changes could or could not be made, you know, hypothetically here.

Mr.

Washington.

Good afternoon, madam chair.

Um, if we could bring this back at the end, I will reach out to see if the land bank is available or perhaps counsel to the mayor to join us to respond.

Okay.

All right.

Any additional discussion?

Is there a motion to postpone line item 5.1 to the end of the agenda?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 5.2, status of the economic growth corporations submitting memorandum relative to the December 2025 update on the status of business activity in the Grand River corridor.

Colleagues, there is a there are additional questions regarding line item 5.2.

Is there a motion to bring it back in two weeks?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item 5.2 back in two weeks.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

That brings us to new business.

Beginning with line item 6.1.

Line item 6.1 is submitting report and proposed ordinance.

Uh the report is in line item 6.2.

Uh line item 6.1 is to amend chapter 21 of the 2019 Detroit City Code History, Article 2, Historic Districts and Landmarks, Division 5, Designated Districts to add Section 21-2-253.

Conductors protective assurance building, CPA building, historic district, and to define the elements of design for the district.

Colleagues, is there a motion to discuss or a motion to send a formal for the introduction of an ordinance and the setting of a public hearing?

Motion Madam Chair to send to formal and for 6.2.

I know that Lisa is here.

We could probably go over some of the information in the reports.

But for 6.1 motion to send to formal.

So if Member Santiago Romero, if you'd like for the discussion with out objection, we will combine line items 6.1 and 6.2 and prior to sending 6.1 to formal.

If you is there a motion to discuss, I did say without objection, right?

You did, madam chair.

Okay, thank you.

Um Ms.

De Gierra.

Good morning.

Please introduce yourself for the record and share with us what we have in line item 6.2.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Lisa De Kierra, Deputy Director, Historic Designation Advisory Board.

Um the CPA building addressed at 2020 22 16 to 2200 Michigan Avenue at the corner of 14th Street, um, a very prominent building that um surely everyone has seen many times as it's directly across the street from Michigan's Central Rail Station.

Um we are uh at the very end of our process of the historic designation of this property uh which uh started via resolution from council member Santiago Romero at uh in October of 2024.

Um so it has gone through the entire process with the Historic Designation Advisory Board, and that's why we're now at the point of uh looking to City Council to help us finalize this process.

Um what you have received is the draft ordinance as well as the final report on the history of the building.

Um if you have any questions about it, happy to answer those questions.

Otherwise, we look forward to the public hearing back here at PED uh in February.

Thank you.

Colleagues, any additional discussion?

Pro Tim Young.

Okay, so let me just ask some questions I think are pretty obvious, but I just want to make sure.

So we're trying to make this into a historic building.

Correct.

Is that the purpose of why we're doing this here?

Is there any sort of economic projects or any sort of things that have been offered that this that if we designate this a historic building would stop no?

So as you all probably are aware, um the property is currently for sale uh along with vacant parcels adjacent to it to the west for the entire block.

By the by the city real estate, right?

No, by the owner, it is privately owned.

Okay.

Yes.

So the owner is an out of state owner, uh, lives in New Jersey.

Okay, um, has owned the property for uh at least over 10 years at this point.

Okay.

Um there has been correspondence with that owner throughout this entire process.

He is fully aware of the process.

Um the designation is only for the corner building itself as well as the immediate adjacent vacant parcel.

Um you all may recall there's also in that parcel a uh a drive-through canopy for when the uh uh bottom portion of the building was a bank.

Um and so uh that vacant parcel is part of the boundaries of the proposed historic district, but the remainder of the block is not affected at all.

Um what the designation will do is protect the building from future demolition.

Okay.

And the person who is the owner of this property is okay with this.

He is fully aware of it and has not objected.

And from what you're telling me, I just want to make sure I just get this clear on the record.

So for clarity, we're we're not talking about any other economic development opportunities that this would stop.

I'm not gonna get phone calls or you know get acostic when I'm at the store.

Why did you vote for this?

Because I wanted to build this tower or build these lofts or you know, build this high rise or whatever.

Um, you're saying that there's no plans that's gonna stop that.

I'm not saying that I have a problem with doing it anyway.

I just like to know what I'm getting involved in.

Sure.

So I can make my decisions accordingly and move in a certain way.

I you know, I don't like being caught flat food or surprises, as you already know.

So are you saying that this is just this is already this is all the parties involved know what this is, they agree with it, it's already established.

That's what you're telling me, right?

Correct.

And the entire block is for sale, as I said, and it doesn't prevent new construction from the entire rest of the block.

Uh all of those vacant parcels are zoned in such a way that uh any type of development process uh project could be allowed.

Um if the current owner is successful in selling the entire block from this building all the way to the alley, um, then basically uh a future owner can do new construction along with rehabilitation of this building all together in one project.

Okay.

Thank you.

Welcome thank you, man.

Thank you.

And deputy director, just to confirm, so you said the one individual owns everything in that block, so including the adjacent parcel to the building.

Correct.

Thank you.

Member Santiago Romero, any additional thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, just that this is also something that we have or that we're pushing forward because this is something that community historic preservationists have wanted since uh Raquel was in office.

Um so really just trying to make sure that we are providing those protections.

Um it's a really beautiful building, and through you, um Madam Chair to Pro Tem uh Young.

Uh, that is not a part of any conversation, that is not a tactic here.

Uh we are simply trying to preserve uh the few beautiful historic properties that we have in the city, and this is one of them.

Um I know your interests in economic developments.

Um, you know, Michigan Central is right across the street, and wouldn't it be beautiful for them to take this, use it, build something uh beautiful next to it as well.

Um, but for that it needs to be sold.

So hoping that that the owner works, uh comes up with a reasonable amounts.

Um, because right now I think the unfortunate piece is that um we might just be waiting for uh a price that might be too much.

Uh so hoping that we can preserve this building, save it, use it, uh build around it, um, and continue to preserve what we have in Corktown downtown area.

Um, but with that, Madam Chair, um I have no other further discussion.

I believe I'm not sure if you do, but for 6.2, um, I believe this can be received and filed.

Um, so happy to make a motion to receive and file 6.2.

All right, thank you.

Um, Member Santiago Romero.

Before I take up both of the motions that you made, um Deputy Director, do you believe that going through this process to add the historic designation might increase the value of the property?

Um, through the chair, it is not the role of our office to give speculation on land values and property values.

Um, but what what I will say is that with the local city of Detroit historic designation, um, it does enable an additional tax incentive for rehabilitation of the building.

That is the state of Michigan's uh tax credit program um for historic pro for designated historic properties.

Um the building has also been uh deemed eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

That nomination is not um been prepared, it could be prepared by a future owner, uh, but that would also qualify the building to use the federal historic tax credits.

So by retaining the building, protecting the building, it's also enabling it to be um available to historic tax credits to a future developer.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

I just want to make sure that we're not um providing an opportunity for the current owner to increase the sale price of the property um as this moves forward, noting that those incentives are there, um, but also noting that it will be potentially more costly to rehabilitate uh because it is a historic building.

So you've not seen that yeah, through the chair.

Um my understanding is that any of the prices that have been publicly uh advertised for the marketing of this property uh was happening well before we even started this process of the designation, and I don't know it to have changed since.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

All right, colleagues, um pro Tim Young.

Um you do have somebody in your office though that is qualified to talk about value of real estate from a historical perspective, or is that something you had to partner with the uh assessor on?

Correct.

As the historic designation advisory board office, our staff, what we are educated in is historic preservation as it relates to architectural history and architecture and urban planning.

Um we certainly are uh educated enough for me to be able to tell you about those tax incentives and those opportunities that when a building is designated, what are the different types of um opportunities and subsidies and tax credits, as I mentioned, that are available to buildings with those designations, but we're not in the business of giving um uh assessments and and and actual market values on buildings.

So that's that's that's another field, but we certainly coordinate with those people.

Oh gosh.

Um, you know, we look to realtors like everyone else to be able to make those types of evaluations.

I was I was wondering, I'm like, you had to have somebody advising you.

I mean, I know you can't be operating just completely solo in terms of dealing with you know historic preservation, just just you um I mean just you just have to just common sense would dictate that this would increase the property value.

That's why you had to ask somebody, otherwise, I need to make a mut I need to make an amendment in the budget.

All right, thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thank you, Mayor Chair.

I'm done.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues, there was a motion to send line item 6.1 to formal for the introduction of an ordinance and the setting of a public hearing.

Any discussion?

Any objection?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 6.1 shall be sent to formal for the introduction of an ordinance and the setting of a public hearing.

And there was a motion on the floor to receive and file line item 6.2.

Any objection?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 6.3.

Councilmember Letitia Johnson submitting a memorandum relative to requesting a for legal research on property management agreements.

Colleagues, is there a motion to refer line item 6.3 to LPD and bring back in two weeks?

There's a motion to send line item 6.3 to the legislative and policy division and bring back in two weeks.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

That brings us back to line item 5.1.

Line item 5.1 again is the request to amend the Michigan land bank authorities intergovernmental agreement.

Is there a motion to discuss?

Motion.

Discussion.

Mr.

Washington.

Yes, through the chair.

Um, for this item, we do have Director Daniels online.

Thank you.

We can please promote Director Daniels.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Please introduce yourself for the record.

Good morning through the chair, Tammy Daniels, um, chief executive officer for the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

Thank you.

And Memphis Pro Tim Young had a question on the floor.

Um, I just wanted to ask you one, are we waiting for advice from the state in terms of how we would proceed in terms of amending uh this agreement?

I mean, that was the discussion I had earlier with uh member waters and also I just want to know are we waiting for advice on how we would go about doing that?

And if not, you know, it is there's it, you know.

I just kind of want to know the do's and don'ts here of what we can change and what we could change, if anything, in this agreement at all.

Um so through the chair, um pro Tim Young.

Um I have not been actively involved with the conversations between members of council and the state.

I do know that council member waters has reached out.

I think um back in October, council member council president Tate's office reached out um to speak with the state about amendments to the intergovernmental agreement, but um I'm not sure where those conversations have um landed.

I would defer um amendments to that agreement, you know.

Obviously, between council and the mayor's office to make those those amendments.

That's pro Tim, if if I may, um, and thank you, CEO Daniels.

Um, my understanding is that the state is looking for the city to amend the agreement um and provide that share that information with them.

Uh, and so I've had conversations with member waters.

I didn't realize that's where you were going um to just let her know that um the state is looking to us okay to um determine how we'd like to proceed.

And so that's why we are asking all colleagues to identify amendments.

Um, we will then work with the mayor's office um prior to submitting um an actual amended agreement to the state.

Okay, excellent.

Well, no, thank you very much for that for that clarification.

That's why you get paid to big bucks, madam chair.

I appreciate you.

Um, I I just wanted to ask you, uh, Director Daniels, really quick thing, since we clarified that.

I would like from you just a basic, you know.

I mean, I know you you're I'm kind of asked you to speak before you see the actual changes, but I would like at some point once they've been proposed, what you think is reasonable, what you think is it, what the impact would be on the land bank.

I know I have some things I would like to do.

I would just like to the what we need to make changes to improve the land bank, but I'm not trying to do something where it's death by a thousand cuts either, or death by a thousand changes either.

I don't want to do something unintentionally that can just completely hamper the purpose of having a land bank.

And there's some things that I want to talk about.

There's some things that I want to change.

There's some issues that I have.

I mean, obviously being the largest land bank in the country, you know, you're gonna have certain issues that you're gonna run into, and you're not gonna run into anywhere else across the country because the number of properties that you're dealing with, because of the number of issues that you're that that you're dealing with and Detroit and its unique history and things that nature for as long as these properties have been available.

I understand that.

So I think we need something from the land bank that kind of takes all that to account, what you've done, what you're doing, what you've improved, you know, what you've changed, you know, the number of properties at one point in time.

I think it was a hundred thousand.

Now I think it's a thousand.

How did you get there?

You know, what the you know, what you're bringing in terms of revenue into the city, but it's also in terms of a very critical analysis of what we could do to improve it.

You know, I don't want to talk about it right now.

I'm gonna talk to you, you know.

I want to talk to you private before I talk about private public, but there's some issues I have with certain people that are going through things that I don't think should be going through things in terms of their property with the land bank.

Um, and so I think you know, and there's also some things in terms of notifications, you know, that I would think like to be better in terms of street teams and things that nature, let people know what's going on and the efficiency of the of the process that needs to be approved.

So I think I would like to just get long story short here.

I like to just get an analysis.

I know you preside these before, and I've read through the reports, but if I could just get another one in terms of just after we should present the changes, what you think is good, what you think is it, what you think is legal, what you think isn't, and why?

I would really appreciate that going forward just so I can understand what changes are available and how I can act and respond as this debate moves forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

I'm done.

Thank you, Pro Tim, and I appreciate CEO Daniels availing herself to have that conversation with you.

I would encourage you to have that conversation as it relates to your amendments directly with her.

Okay.

Um, I'm not so certain that all of the amendments will um will have that conversation with CEO Daniels.

Um, but we will certainly ensure that LPD is working with us to make sure that everything that we are advocating and requesting to have done be done legally.

All right.

Thank you all so much for the conversation.

We appreciate you.

Uh have a good day.

You as well.

Thank you.

Colleagues, is there a motion to receive and file line item 5.1?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

And that now brings us to memory ports.

Uh Vice Chair Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, just want to share with D6 residents that this Saturday from 11 to 1 p.m.

at St.

Stephen AME, we are going to be holding our annual budget process training, and we're we're going to be seeking feedback from residents on what folks want us to prioritize for the budget season coming up.

Also, our office hours will continue on Monday, January 26th, from 4 to 6 p.m.

are going to be at Kemini Rec Center.

Um, also would like to share uh the zoning that was requested for Core City.

Um, Mr.

Smith, that went from M4 to S2.

Uh so from M4 to Special Developments uh District 2.

Um, and as I mentioned, uh, this really was led by residents, and we did our parts in the advocacy of that work.

Um, that is my job to do in this in this process, but really um the process is held within the planning departments.

Um, so really encourage uh Jadante to continue to work with um work with community, um, reach out to council for us to advocate um and help you however we can from this table.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, ma'am chair.

On Tuesday, my staff and I visited Farwell Recreation Advisory Council for their changing of the guard meeting.

Mr.

Oliver Wilson, who has served the fellow the Farwell Center community for 36 years with their MORS.

Mound, Outer Drive, Ryan, Seven Mile Radio Patrol, as well as the president of Farwell Advisory Council, as they fought for upgrades for Farwell Recreation Center for over two decades.

I had the prestigious honor of meeting the families of the community honorees.

Mr.

Wilson is the outgoing president.

Mr.

Chris LaFleur was welcomed as the new president who has a long professional resume being assisted to the president of the Kreske Foundation.

We also honor Mr.

Eugene Slappy, whose wife Mary Ann, no Mary Lee Slappy came with 18 members of her family to accept Mr.

Slappy Spirit of Detroit Award in Memorial.

Another group of family members came to accept Mr.

Alan D and Mrs.

Nora C.

Mayfield Spirit of Detroit award.

We were joined by Council Member Scott Benson, who presented a testimonial resolution honoring the new life of new president, honoring the life of new president Chris LaFleur's grandfather, a longtime resident.

This was an evening filled with family, friendship, love, and joy.

And of course, like all Detroit events, we were blessed with great food and company.

I was even given the very special honor of being requested to the to swear in the newly elected officers.

A very special thanks to Councilmember Benson, whose district was whose district this was located in, and for Mr.

Benson and GSD director director Crystal Perkins for their gracious attendance.

Thank you.

It was a wonderful event.

And yesterday, I had the special honor of serving as a panelist at the meeting of the National Association of Women in Construction.

Director Lawan Counts is the Detroit Chapter 183 President.

She has also recently been named the Intro Director of Public Services by our historic new mayor, Mary Sheffield.

The meeting featured a dynamic question and answer session regarding women in construction.

In addition to their members, the panel also included Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero and Ombudsman Sherry Gay Danogo.

At one time, Intro Director Counts was the only black female in the country that led demolition projects.

She said, I realized I have become the dream of my ancestors, Count says.

For me, it is a sense of pride.

She is a lifelong Detroiter.

That's my report.

Thank you, colleagues.

Thank you.

And I want to say congratulations to Director Counts and Mr.

Washington.

If you can share with Director Counts, my intention was to be there.

I saw the email.

It slipped my mind.

So please, please, please share calendar invitations to my council member Johnson at Detroit MI.gov email address.

Because I'm I'm sorry that I missed it.

Do we did we have someone cued up for outreach for homeless individuals?

Yes, we do.

Through the chair, we have Tara Lisner who's joined us.

Thank you.

We will promote Miss Linsner.

Good morning.

Good morning.

And I'm not sure if you heard the request from earlier, but it was asking if we can share information about our homeless outreach as well as share information about warming centers for our homeless residents to be aware of, or for any of us who see or know of someone who may be homeless, and we can share that information with them.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you for having me come on to the chair.

So we currently due to the severe weather.

We currently have what we call our standby shelters.

And so this is shelter beds that we bring online during severe weather, such as what we have currently, what we're currently experiencing right now.

And it provides additional emergency shelter beds for all populations.

And so right now we have two sites that are active.

The first site is the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministry site at 13130 Woodward AV.

Um folks can walk into that site directly.

They can call 86613 2520 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They can go to their closest police precinct and ask for help that way and get connected.

Um and then finally, for folks that don't know about any of this, are not going to be watching the news, not going to be seeing this information.

We have our street outreach teams that are operating 24 hours a day that are going to locations that we call our targeted service areas where unsheltered individuals may be residing, um, where you may end up if you get kicked out of the where you're currently staying and don't know where to go, such as our transit centers, um, bus shelters, uh, gas stations, kind of the you know, 24 hour Coney Islands, they're kind of stopping in and seeing um and engaging with folks to see if they are experiencing homelessness and getting them connected to these sites.

Um and so those are um those are the ways that we are um out in the community, our nonprofit providers are out in the community boots on the ground, um, trying to make sure that everybody can have a safe place to stay during the severe weather.

Um we have a second site that the Pope Francis Center opened up.

Um that's for single adults only, um, and male or female, um, and that is at 2915 West Hancock Street.

And so that is currently operational.

Um, and so again, you can go to that site, you can call that 866-313-2520 number, um, go to the closest police precinct or outreach teams.

If we engage with you, they'll take you there as well.

And then on Friday night, because of the really negative temperatures and because of how long the severe weather has been going on.

Um, we're um partnered with the neighborhood service organization, NSO, and they'll be opening up a third site on Friday night starting at 6 p.m.

Um at 882 Oakman Boulevard.

And so um that site um will um be for uh single adults.

We'll also have a foresight through NSO that will be for families.

It's a smaller site, so we'll be just basically um outreach teams will be transporting the families to that site.

We didn't we didn't include it in the press release because we didn't want to overwhelm that site, so we'll be managing and coordinating um that for families, and then of course we have our drop-in centers at CAS Community Social Services that accept our families um uh families as well.

Um so those are all of the different ways that um we are preparing for uh this really cold weekend that we um that we have uh coming up and uh in the beginning of the week as well.

All right, thank you so much for sharing that information.

And as you know, um anytime we talk about resources that we provide in the city of Detroit and we don't list an east side address, I get a little um I I get a little um hesitant to not to share it, but my my goal is just to push us to make sure that we think about those things.

So um can you confirm that the police precincts if someone walks into a police precinct and they are in need of shelter, will the someone from the precinct will they provide transportation to a shelter for them?

Absolutely to the chair, absolutely.

So we actually have a contract with Checker Cab so that we don't have to take um a patrol car off the streets um so that we don't have to take officers um you know out outside of their main scope of duty so that they can call that checker cab contract and transport that family safely from the police precinct to the to the shelter location.

All right, thank you.

Um and just to be mindful and to elevate the fact that if there is a homeless family that has children that attend a school, them being in a shelter far away from the school presents an even greater challenge for that family.

Um so I think it is vastly important for us to ensure that we are providing shelters throughout this city so that we don't disrupt the regular flow for those families.

So just keep that in mind.

I know we've had this conversation directly in meetings, and I will continue to push to advocate for shelters throughout the city so that we can provide the support and not disrupt our families.

But we appreciate everything that you are doing.

Thank you for sharing the information.

Again, the phone number is 866-313-2520-866-313-2520.

All right, colleagues, any questions?

Pro Tim Young.

Yes, I just want to say again, Liz, good to see you.

Thank you.

That includes all recreation centers.

And can you just give us the number again?

Absolutely.

86613 2520.

And that includes all recreation centers, right?

So recreation centers do provide that daytime respite.

So they um provide respite during their normal business hours.

We are working to ensure that the Rust the Rec Center staff, if they are closing up, they have somebody that they know maybe experiencing homelessness has disclosed that, don't have anywhere to go, that they can get connected, they can connect with an outreach team so that person can then go to an overnight location.

And it also includes all public libraries, right?

Yes.

Yes, through the chair, yes, sir.

All right.

Thank you, manager.

Thank you.

And Miss Linzner, thank you so much for coming on to share that information.

We appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues.

One additional item.

Um I was due to share Diamond Conley's information for anyone who is in need of right to counsel.

Um so Diamond Conley has an email address that I will share.

Her email address is Diamond D I A M-O-N-D.Connley, C-O-N-L-E-Y at Detroit MI.gov.

Again, that is Diamond.conley at Detroit Mi.gov.

And regrettably, we do not have a hotline number for people to be able to call for a right to counsel.

So that is something that we'll be advocating for as we enter into our budget hearings in the coming months, um, just to ensure that people have the ability to call a number because we know not everyone has access to email.

So we'll be advocating for that as we um proceed.

Again, Diamond.conley at Detroit Mi.gov.

And now for my member reports, I just want to share with District 4 residents on Monday.

We have two events that are coming up.

First is the Detroit Land Bank Authorities Community Office Hours in District 4.

That is Monday, January 26th from 10 a.m.

until 2 p.m.

at the Morningside Cafe located at 16369 East Warren Avenue.

Again, that's Monday, January 26, 10 a.m.

until 2 p.m.

If you have any questions, concerns about the Detroit Land Bank Authority, they will be at the Morningside Cafe again, 16369 East Warren.

And our monthly community meeting is taking place Monday evening at 5 30 p.m.

at Hope Community Church.

That is 14456 East Jefferson.

We do have two presenters that will join us.

So that everyone fully knows and understands what complete streets is all about.

It is providing safe streets for everyone, no matter what mode of transportation you use, whether it is a wheelchair, your two feet, a bicycle, a vehicle.

So the Department of Public Works will be there to share that information, and we have also requested that the assessor's office attends the meeting to talk about anyone who may have had challenges with their principal residence exemption.

Um, whether it was removed, if you do not have one, if you own and occupy your house, you should have a principal residence exemption.

Um and if there are any challenges with one being removed from your property, the assessor's office will share how we put it back on your property and to make sure that you are taxed appropriately.

Again, that is Monday at 5 30 p.m.

principal residence exemption um whether it was removed if you do not have one if you own and occupy your house you should have a principal residence exemption um and if there are any challenges with one being removed from your property the assessor's office will share how we put it back on your property and to make sure that you are taxed appropriately again that is Monday at 5 30 p.m at Hope Community Church 14456 East Jefferson and then on Tuesday January 27th at 5 p.m the District 4 department of neighborhoods is hosting the District 4 budget priorities forum it is a virtual session so if you have not received the information and you'd like to obtain the virtual link please reach out to our office phone number is area code 3132841 again 313 224841.

Alright that concludes my member reports and if there is nothing further to come before us without objection we shall stand adjourned