And welcome to Internal Operations Standing Committee.

There's a quorum of the city council may be present.

And we're going to ask the um the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway.

Present.

Councilmember Scott Benson.

Councilmember Renata Miller.

Present.

Madam Chair, you have a quorum present.

Thank you so much, Madam Clerk.

We're going to have our invocation is Pastor Orville K.

Little John on Pastor of the Messiah Baptist Church on Seven Mile in District 2.

Are you on, sir?

Yes, I am.

Good morning, Councilman Callaway.

Good morning so much.

And I'm so happy that you had time to um to be with us this morning and to provide prayer.

But before we um hear from you, sir, I want to congratulate you on being elected the council of the Baptist pastors of Detroit and vicinity.

President, you were installed on Sunday, and it was my honor and privilege to be there with you to witness such a powerful occasion.

I had not um been a part of that before, and I didn't know what would happen, but it was an amazing um service and installation.

So congratulations.

And what I observed, I had always heard about um Pastor Tellis Chapman.

But that it was amazing.

I have been in church my entire life, and I have never ever seen a pastor go that long preaching without even looking at notes.

Oh, he does it.

He does it all the time.

He's uh pretty amazing colleague of mine.

I thank God for him.

And I thank God for you, Councilwoman Callaway.

I truly, truly appreciate your kind words, just your presence and pressing your way.

That wasn't the greatest day in terms of weather, but it was a great day in terms of just celebration of what God is doing and what God has done.

Well, listen, Pastor Little John, we're looking forward to partnering with you.

We know that our city is better because of you, and we know that Messiah Baptist Church is a beacon of hope and light, not just on the west side, but throughout this entire city.

So I'm looking forward to all the amazing things that will come out of that council for the coming years.

And again, thank you so much for finding time in your busy schedule to pray over this um committee meeting and over our city.

And the floor is yours, sir.

Councilwoman Callaway, I pray that you know that you can count on me anytime, any place, anywhere, as the Lord will allow.

And I want to greet all of our council persons and praise God.

Thank God for the work that you do, and it's our sincere desire to cover you today and invoke the presence of the most high God, a manifestation of his presence and power as you conduct business today.

Let us pray.

Gracious God, we honor you.

We thank you for the work that you assign.

We thank you for the appointment of law enforcement and legislation that allows us to have community and civility.

We thank you for uh the responsibility, the role that's on these elected officials for the governance of our city, and we recognize that even they are on your shoulders.

Allow them to lean on you as they deliberate on this day.

Allow them to know that you have undergirded them to relieve them of the pressure and pain that this level of civic responsibility can bring.

Give them the peace, give them the wisdom, grant them the continued ability, stamina to hold on, to hang in and to know that they have resources beyond themselves to look to, to lean on, to listen to for the betterment of our city.

God, we lift up our city, and we thank you for what we know that you are doing, providing us with the peace that we need and the prosperity.

Continue your wondrous work, blessings upon the city of Detroit and these officials as they do business on this day.

Manifest your presence in a way that allows them a productive and peaceful, profitable, efficient meeting.

And you get all the glory, you get all the honor, you get all the praise in Jesus' name.

We pray.

Amen.

Amen.

And thank you so much for that prayer.

Um, Pastor Little John, and again, congratulations on being installed as the new president of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and vicinity.

And enjoy the rest of your day, sir.

God bless you.

Thank you so much.

God bless you all.

Bless you all.

Look forward to working with you all.

Thank you again, Councilwoman Callaway.

My pleasure, sir.

Thank you.

We will um now turn off um public comment.

Public comment is now turned off.

Um, and um, is there a motion for the approval of the minutes?

Okay, any objections?

Hearing none, there's um the um minutes have been approved.

There are no chair remarks um public comment.

Do we have anyone in the audience for public comment?

Anyone in the audience for public comment?

Okay, seeing no one in the audience for public comment.

Do we have any callers for public comment?

If so, how many chair?

Madam Chair, you have 11 hands raised.

Okay, we'll start with the first one, and they'll have a minute and a half.

And the first caller is the first caller is Miss Ellis.

Your first caller is owner Papa.

Owner Popper, you have one and a half minutes.

You have one and a half minutes.

You can you can begin.

Good morning, and through the chair, may I be heard?

You can thank you.

Um, a minute 30.

Yes, the president does set the tone.

We were getting two, and now we're getting uh a minute and 30.

Um, let me let me call your attention to the fact that people keep telling you as the uh minister just prayed for you that you would do the right thing.

If you don't look at the Morant plant, um uh findings in the audit and act on them.

You are being um derelicting your duties.

We have a home project that is not within um the standards and within compliance, many of them, the Ryan White, which I spoke of about the HIV funding, which is a lack of effective um controls, like many of the things that are going on in the city, like the the home H O M E, that home project.

It is uh listed as um material um uh uh weakness and um non-compliance.

Um it it is people have keep telling you are an attorney, and so when you found out that the queue line was no longer public but private, and you you were shocked at that, and as most of us should be you are in charge of internal operations.

Thank you so much for your um your comments.

The next caller is next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

Davis, you have a minute and a half, and good morning, sir.

Good morning.

Can I be heard?

You can be heard, sir.

Okay, great.

I like to speak in opposition of 10.8, Comrade Mallard.

I know him quite well.

I knew his dad.

In fact, I was friendly with his dad when I was a young Democrat back in the 1970s.

Um, and I started with him on the board of the police commission.

In fact, first time I had a discussion with him is after I got elected, but before I I joined the board, he asked me not to do a protest at the Detroit Medical Center because of some of the questionable practices they was doing there.

And we did a protest and hadn't gotten nationwide attention too about them using uh codes, you know, like a B, you know, um three for uh for white people and uh and a four for black people, you know, on some applications.

It was a bunch of questionable stuff there.

There's still questionable stuff going on in uh corporation council office.

Uh they lose too many cases, they defer too many cases.

Uh there is too many indemnifications and uh lawsuits.

You know, I think we need a better person to be in charge of the you know to be the corporation council.

Uh hopefully, uh and also I think it's horrible that the corporation council is sitting at the board of police commission as their attorney.

They need their own separate attorney because some of the stuff be in conflict, like this recent incident where there was uh crucifying an elected um commissioner.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis, for your comments.

The next caller.

Next caller is Mr.

Cunningham.

Mr.

Cuttingham, you have a minute and a half, and good morning, sir.

Mr.

Cuttingham, are you with us?

313 4449114, 313, 444, 9114.

313.

That number was made so you can remember it.

You can plop that number into Facebook search and you'll find my page.

If you'd like to send a cash app, you can use that phone number and to reach me or text me with some positive messages, questions, prayer, uh, what have you.

That's the hotline number.

Uh, just want to say welcome to the council members.

Hello, good morning.

Uh, I thank um, I still thank God for councilwoman Callaway for thinking of me with that uh spirit of the war, which is a couple years ago.

I'll write in the coaching, and she has given the most money from her pocket, 200 from her pocket from her pocket to be a blessing to the community with bus tickets.

Everyone on the sound of my voice, if you'd like to do it vicariously to me or on your own, buy some bus tickets, buy some hand warmers and get them out of the stops.

It's very cold out.

And yes, uh yes, yes, yes.

I need hand warmers upon hand warmers, upon hand warmers.

I have given away about six cases, seven cases in the last four or five days.

There's a great need, and the bus service is not running on time, so we should thank you, Mr.

Cunningham.

The next caller is Ms.

Ellis.

The next caller is Charles Miles.

Mr.

Miles, you have a minute and a half, sir.

And good morning.

Mr.

Miles.

Can you hear me?

We can hear you, sir.

Okay.

I'm calling in today and with concerns.

I'm looking for some help with assistance with uh they're trying to evict me out of my property that I own that I prayed the property taxes on 2016 tax year.

Uh the city of Detroit misupply my property tax payment and will not fix the issue.

Conrad Mallet will not respond to me.

Where's 2000?

We're talking 10 years ago.

I've been coming down here trying to get some help and get some resolution, and it's just getting worse and worse.

And you guys are sitting back.

No one in no department in the city of Detroit is able to adjust the payment that was paid and incorrectly applied, and it's clear.

This is not like I'm just saying something.

It's a clear misapply payment on your side, the city of Detroit side.

I don't understand why no authority down there can fix this problem.

It's it's something that you guys did wrong.

Why won't you guys fix it?

And straighten this out.

It's crazy.

It's been 10 years.

I don't understand all these different people that came in and been working there.

Um, Mr.

Miles, thank you for your call.

Um if you're still on, we need your zip code.

We need to know exactly where you live, where the property is.

If you can call my office at 224535, that's 224-4535, and share that property address with my staff.

They are there waiting for your call.

Thank you, Mr.

Miles.

The next caller is the next caller is Javan Dodate Smith.

Mr.

Smith, you have a minute and a half, and good morning.

Good morning, uh through the chairman.

You can be her, sir.

Perfect.

I just want to say uh good morning, Councilman Benson.

It's good to see you at work outside of those uh elected efficient conversation committee meetings.

I also have an issue with agenda item 10.8 uh with Conrad Mallet, who uh decisively decided that it was a good idea to offer me a job, paying 35,000 for the city of Detroit, which I have very much so evidence of, which I believe to be a bribe to stop me from doing the work that I do to help innocent residents.

Also, I like to talk about the 1.5 billion dollars that the uh the black caucus foundation of Michigan said that is out there to be collected via the law department that has not been collected, and we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions of dollars to spend uh to pay an outside law firm for five years to collect this money.

They only collected 500,000 dollars, and these are notorious land speculators.

I also want to talk about the list of indemnifications that are on the agenda today, which there are six.

I also want to refer back to the the March 21st, 2024 law law budget budget hearing meeting from the law department and all the concerns that were raised.

It will be very irresponsible to re-appoint a corporation counsel who has usurped a lot of the power from the law department and spread it out.

Also, there was just uh a budget agenda item passed Monday through committee um to give a hundred and nine million dollar grant to do 150 green light cameras throughout the city of Detroit in all districts without the permission of the Board of Police Commissioners at the advisement of Conrad Mallet through the law department, which is evil.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

And if the um note can um if the clerk can note that we have been joined by member at large, Mary Waters.

Thank you, ma'am.

And the next caller is next caller is phone number ending in 039.

Phone number ending in 039.

You have a minute and a half phone number.

Angela Callaway.

Now I'm fed up with you, and y'all down here is the city council.

So I'm getting ready to turn it all the way up to 2026 on you.

You over there in District 2.

That's my stump in violence.

I told you that years ago.

Now when I stood up and said what I said about Robert Cavrack, you decided not to communicate with me anymore, and now I understand why.

You tick it in.

Along with all the other members of the city council.

That's uh Scott Besson down there in District Three.

And um I'm sick of it.

Now this city is corrupt.

You corrupt it, you're in a corrupt situation.

Um Michael Edward Duggan put Breton Whitmer in office.

I know that because Bob told me and gave me the what I needed to find out.

She was running for attorney general at first, and then Mike went to her and said, Don't you run let Dana run?

We're gonna make you governor.

Now we got Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nasser.

They are University of Miss.

Thank you, Mr.

Crowley.

The next caller is next caller is Betty A.

Varner.

Ms.

Varner, you have a minute and a half, ma'am.

Good morning to all within the sound of my voice.

I'm Betty A.

Varner, president of DeSoda Ellsworth Black Association.

Uh going and give out some information today for uh people.

If you don't have health insurance, you can still receive um health services and dental services.

There's a uh clinic, it's the Nolan Family Health Center, and they provide it's not a free clinic, but they provide services on a sliding fee scale, and they are located in Detroit on uh West Seven Mile.

The telephone number is 31369, 260, 313, 369, 260 for dental care.

You can call 313 366 5200, 313, 366, 5200.

They uh have a sliding fee scale.

You can get services for a flat 20 dollars.

There is a process, they provide uh casework or social worker services and counseling.

They will work with you to help you get insurance.

They have a pharmacy, they provide all types of health services and dental care and um mental health.

So reach out if you don't have insurance, you still can receive.

Thank you, Ms.

Varner.

I will recess to the call of the chair for the four um interviews for the appointments to the human rights commission.

We have four interviews that'll be coming up.

So we're recessing to the call of the chair for those of you who are here for those interviews.

We will go back to our regular agenda.

And the next caller is the next caller is Detroit Charter Section 7.5.

You have a minute and a half.

Good morning, Mayor Beheard.

You can be you can be heard, Miss Warwick.

Yes, thank you.

It said Detroit City Charter 7.5-209 matters.

That is the part of the Detroit City Charter that gives the duty to the Corporation Council, who's supposed to be independent.

The duty to uphold the charter.

Sometimes and sometimes it doesn't.

For instance, Charter Section 7-201, the health department.

We don't have a proper health department, and you want to have a mental health task for us.

There's no mental health services provided by our health department that I know of whatsoever.

And all this ARPA money was blown, like 100 million dollars was blown on commercial demolitions when we could have been beefing up our health department, what I think that money was for.

Also, as uh thank you, uh member waters for talking about her duty not to have duplicative services.

Well, that is exactly what Charter Section 9-405 says.

There's also supposed to be a report uh looking at the services.

That hasn't been done either.

So everybody call Mary Shaffield because this is not serving with integrity to pick a guy who hasn't even done his job properly in the past and knowing Schneider and knowing Alexa Burr.

Thank you, Miss Warwick.

Our next caller is the next caller is to hear Amad.

Ms.

Amad, good morning.

You have a minute and a half, ma'am.

Good morning.

Good morning, council.

Um, want to thank you for all your support with the coalition for property tax justice.

And uh we just piecemeal the uh memorandum that we sent to all of you regarding um the uh next hundred days, and I think I left off at uh clearly writing the date on which the assessor mail the uh notice rather than merely including a date on the mail stamp.

Clearly state a reason for any change in the properties, assess the value between the the current and preceding tax years.

The reason should be descriptive and specific beyond simply stating market value.

Examples uh would be neighborhoods, home values, increased in aggregate, etc.

home renovation, uh include the percentage of the poverty tax exemption.

Um what uh that the property owner is receiving as of February 1st, the current year and all the assessment notices.

Uh state any person considering themselves uh aggregate and uh assessment may appeal this assessment aggravated by the reason uh must appeal the assessment.

This assessment in the assessors review section and delete only the taxpayer and uh record or and uh record or authorized aging.

Thank you, Miss Amad.

Our next caller, Madam Chair.

The last caller before you cut off public comment is C Gina Brown.

Miss C.

Gina Brown, you have a minute and a half for public comment.

Good morning.

Um can we please know what happened with the lawsuit against Slum Lords?

Salama, J saw Michael Kelly, and Steve and Steven Hagerman.

Um, and we are also looking for an update on Mary Waters requests and audit investigation on Detroit Land Bank.

We really want to know um what that audit is um going to reveal about the properties exchange, sold and given away in District 3.

1.5 minutes for 11 people is just rude and demonstrates your lack of willingness to really hear the concerns of the people of Detroit.

I really do want to be don't want to be the resident that has to babysit our officials by monitoring you guys on the Zooms and phone calls or harassing you at any time, but you really do need to pay attention to what the people are asking and try to address it.

Please listen to the citizens on this um of this city about the appropriate changes that they're requested with the Detroit's legal council.

You are responsible for a hearing to the request of the people.

A roll call vote in this order in this manner for this council should be in order.

Um asking that a roll call vote for any of your appointments or reappointments be in order, not all in favor, I all opposed, no, and keep moving on.

No, we want a roll call vote from now on.

We want to know which representatives are voting which way.

Thank you and have a good day.

Thank you, Miss Brown.

Miss Ellis, was that the last caller?

Yes, madam chair, that was the last caller.

Okay, thank you so much.

And we thank all the callers for calling in and making public comment.

Um we will now go to our 1020 interview.

And I think that is Dr.

Jeffrey Robinson for the Human Rights Commission for District 2.

Sir, if you could come here to the center chair.

And if you hit that um button at the base of the microphone, it'll turn green.

Okay.

And we do have your resume, and thank you so much.

I'll start with my colleagues.

Um, if they have any questions for Dr.

Robinson.

Or we can just have him introduce himself and start there.

Introduce himself.

Okay.

Well, Mr.

Robinson, you have the floor, sir.

Um good morning um to everyone.

Um my name is Dr.

Jeff Robinson, um, lifelong Detroiter, um product of the Detroit Public School System.

Um Michigan State University grad, go gringo white.

Um, and um uh I am the um current principal of the Paul Roberts and Malcolm X Academy in the Detroit Public School uh Community District and also pastor of the Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church on the city's east side and work with various um uh various committees and uh think tanks at both Michigan State and uh Wayne State University.

All right, and um your interest in serving on the Human Rights Commission.

Um my academic training um doctoral studies were on African American African studies with an emphasis on public policy and um uh I guess it's uh Michigan public school policy.

And so to that end, I'm interested in um working with the uh human rights commission uh to further expound on and uh interrogate the ways in which um our citizens in many times suffer from systematic failure and um work on ways to improve not only the quality of education that's received, but also the quality of life in Detroit, which has for a long time been something hindered um through uh certain areas political and financial.

So I think there's a lot of work to do in explicating how um our citizens are treated and uh if they're receiving the full benefit of the city services that are uh guaranteed to them as residents of the city.

Thank you so much.

Do we have any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Member Benson.

All right, thank you, and thank you for your commitment to serve the residents of Detroit in this capacity.

Just a few items for me.

Um, as the human rights commission, what do you see your role as to helping our residents?

What is your personal role?

And then why do you see this as an important space for you?

I see this important space because I believe there is the need for more informed individuals to interpret and be able to um uh interpret and determine how they ever changing public policies at both the local and local government, mean um the local, state, and federal um levels are changing.

Um we are in some unique political and economic times, and so citizens need uh the ability or need a um human rights council to come to and and find out, you know, if um anything they're experiencing, um, any um thing that they're in need of, any representation that it deserves uh is being provided, and or uh their their rights and privileges as citizens and residents of Detroit are being met.

I think this um commission plays a key role in uh preventing discrimination and um uh ensures inclusion uh for everyone uh that is um uh uh again inclusion for residents of the city of Detroit.

Okay.

And then my current appointment will be coming up as well to speak today.

And my first conversation with him when we talked about who we would be appointing was as a man of God, oftentimes, and we see this on a regular basis now, people utilize religion to justify discrimination.

Where do you see yourself in that space?

Um, as a born-again and Christian, I have centered my life primarily on the um theology and/or principles of Jesus Christ.

Um, Jesus Christ was inclusionary.

Jesus Christ, um, his mission was in um uh specifically for uh fighting for the rights of the underprivileged left out.

Um, and so to that end, um, it's not about discriminating against um not against discriminating against any one individual, but finding ways to include.

Um he was not exclusionary to the extent that even those that did him wrong, um, he forgave them and found a way to um speak to the needs of everybody, regardless of whether they were believers or not, we're all God's children.

So anyone using religion uh to in any way demean or discriminate against anyone's human human rights.

Um I've learned every everybody that calls on the name of God is not talking about the same God that I am.

I appreciate that.

Thank you very much.

Anyone else?

Member Miller.

Dr.

Roberts, I don't have many questions.

I followed your uh career, and I have support your school 100%.

I know a lot of parents who are aesthetic about their children going there.

And um, I am uh just wanted to say uh thank you for signing up for the human rights.

I look forward to even working with you on that.

Um, my congregation looks forward.

We are in your district.

Yes, you're right.

Um, so we're looking forward to working with you.

I have not visited there yet, but um as far as the school goes, I would like to uh partner up with you.

And I will pay a pay visit there real soon.

Or you can send me an invite special if you consider it done.

All right, take care.

All right, we're gonna go through all of the interviews and then so anything else you want to say.

No, I love to look forward to getting to work and uh working on behalf of the citizens of the city of Detroit.

And we're looking forward to you continuing to serve.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

Our next interviewee is Mr.

Singh or Miss Singh, S-I-N-G-H.

I could be pronouncing that wrong.

If I am, I I I apologize.

Uh SUNY L Singh, District Six.

Is that individual in the in the room here or online?

If that individual's not online and they don't, it doesn't look they're here, we'll go to the next um interviewee, which is William Ross.

Is he in the room or is he online?

Mr.

Ross, if you can make your way to the chair that Dr.

Robinson just vacated.

Take your time, sir.

You got no choice, okay.

And good morning, sir.

Good morning to you and your colleagues.

Yes, if you could um at the base of that microphone, there's a button there.

If you press that, it'll turn green.

It's not real.

Don't care.

Okay.

If you want to introduce yourself and share a little bit about yourself and your interest in serving on the human rights commission, then I'll ask my um colleagues for questions.

Uh good morning, yeah.

Bill Ross is my name, and just to give you a brief overview uh of my summary of qualifications.

Um over 40 years uh management and business consultant background with strengths in business and program development, administration, business plan writing, professional fundraising, consistent record of enhancing public and private sector business operations through strong organizational and program solving skills, reputation for achieving goals using a professional and personal approach, being resourceful and innovative with ability to adapt quickly to challenges, extensive network of professional contacts in the areas of public and private sector business development, nonprofit operations and contracting, strong experience work as a small and diversity business advocate in the areas of finance, procurement, and business development opportunities educationally, uh University of Detroit Bitus Administration degree, Detroit Youth Foundation leadership and youth development program graduate, University of Georgia Institute of Organizational Development Program graduate, Amos Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, Minority Business Executive Program graduate, attended Wayne State University Law School, and the Solomon School of Business Certificate of Complete.

And as recent as December of 2024, December 10th, I received the highest award that from the Civil Rights Inclusion Opportunity to Program CRIO, the Choice Award, and I was informed that I was the only individual that was nominated as a number one person by every entity of the organization, and I received that award as the number one choice award for CREO on behalf of the City of Detroit.

Congratulations, Mr.

Ross, for all of your accomplishments and um all of the acknowledgment that you've been receiving in the course of your 40 years of service.

So thank you so much.

And um if I can turn it over to my colleagues, does anyone have any questions or comments for Mr.

Ross?

Member Benson?

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Ross, thank you for being here and willing to uh continue serving the uh residents of the city of Detroit.

And just similar questions to the last um candidate.

What do you see as your role on the human rights commission?

Why is this an important commission?

Well, it it's it's it's it's my life has been committed to to working with helping others and improving the situation of others and we're given an opportunity.

I feel it's imperative that we that we step up to the plate, and uh that has been my long-standing goal, as a matter of fact.

Uh, and my model has been driven by something that I received when I was a director of the word processing training program for the computer science department, which was a program designed to give unemployed Detroiters an opportunity to get a gain of skill.

Back then, the the technology was word processing, so you know how long ago it was, and there's these were people of color.

98% were mothers, divorcees with children, and receiving public assistance.

It was my goal was to move them off of the roles into a place where they could do uh role model, set an example, and take care and support their families.

And uh I was told that that was a very successful program.

And when I left that program to move on to another venture, uh they gave me a reception, and at that reception, this is four years ago.

There was a card that they gave me, and this card sits on my desk, and there's not a week go by that I don't read that because it keeps me focused.

And I'd just like to share the contents of that card with you.

I think that summarized my position.

It's entitled Success.

And it says to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics, and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patched, or a redeemed social condition, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is how to have succeeded, Ralph Walter Emerson, and that's my model.

Oh man.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Member Benson.

General Miller.

Any questions for Mr.

Ross?

Like we have any other questions for you, sir.

We do thank you for your interest in serving on the Human Rights Commission, and um, you'll be hearing from our office regarding next step, but we thank you for your willingness to serve.

Thank you, and I appreciate the opportunity.

Did you have anything else you'd like to add?

Or what's the no?

Let's keep it moving.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Endeavor to do that.

Thank you, Mr.

Ross, and enjoy your rest of your day.

Discussion, Madam Chair.

Yes, discussion.

Mr.

Ross.

Mr.

Ross, I and I just want to recognize you.

We I've never had a candidate, quote, Emerson in their interview.

I just want to recognize you for that today.

Thank you.

God bless.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And now we're going to go back to um SUNY L.

That individual is online.

SUNY L Singh.

I just got a notification that um the individual is online for their interview for the Human Rights Commission.

SUNY L Singh.

Madam Chair.

Yes.

Sunil has been promoted to panelists.

Okay.

All right.

We're waiting for you to come on screen.

Hello, can you hear me?

We can hear you, but we just can't see you.

Oh, my video's on.

Try it again.

Oh can you see me now?

We can see you now.

Great.

Good morning.

Morning.

All right.

Um, you want to introduce yourself for the record and um share a little bit about yourself and your interest in serving on the human rights commission?

Sure, sure.

My name is Sunil Singh.

Uh I am uh been largely for the last 20 years in the social services sector, uh, executive management and governance.

Uh been a part of the human rights commission slash CREO for about 12 years since it got reincepted again uh in 2014 alongside uh Bishop Harris.

Uh my strengths and goals and why I was recruited was because I've had prior international human rights uh experience uh and specifically have governance experience as well.

Uh and I've been uh one of the members for about 12 years now that has been the historical piece of CREO moving forward uh as a committee.

And you live in District District Six?

Yep, district six.

Okay.

Do my colleagues have any questions for Mr.

Um Singh?

Yes.

Member Benson.

Thank you.

Mr.

Singh, thank you for your willingness to continue serving the residents of Detroit.

And just as I've asked the other applicants, why is the human rights commission important?

And then why do you is this an important role for you?

Uh yeah, you know, I uh every time I come in front of City Council, I I kind of relay the same message in that um while it's been really great that the human rights commission has been uh you know reinstated for the last 12 years and is operating, uh it has largely been a commission that how do I say this?

This has worked on bylaws and not really focusing on governing or or producing a lot of uh human rights content for the city of Detroit.

That's just been uh the level of the commission for a long time.

Uh and it has been acerbated by COVID in the last four or five years.

Uh and you asked me why I'm actually coming back.

Uh you know, I've always come back because I feel that there needs to be a couple people here who are the historical pieces of the commission who can tell new members and existing ones that hey, we don't need to recreate the bylaws uh again every every year and a half because we've had these things that we've created.

Uh and so that that's partially why I'm here, but more than ever, these last six months uh have made me a little bit more engaged uh in the city from a civil rights standpoint, human rights particularly.

Uh I feel personally that the city of Detroit, while we aren't a sanctuary city, we are walking a very thin line, and um it's just a matter of time before federal presence will become a little bit more um harsher here.

And I would hope that I could be part of the commission and reinvigorate it in a light where we are actively at least stating our values nationally and uh cooperating with other entities that believe that some of the I don't know, child right violations, family separation issues, medical neglect issues that are happening, um, are reaffirmed by the commission.

And particularly EO uh 24 or 2024 2 and the CBO, all these things are uh whether you like it or not, need individuals who are gonna be on the commission that are willing to stand up and say, you know, well I mean Creole as it is, it has inclusion in and and in the definition of its uh stature, and that we do need individuals who are going to be there to kind of take a harder stance, particularly uh in retrospect of looking at other human rights commissions in the countries who have tried to uh take similar steps and have been pushed back by the federal government.

All right, thank you.

Um thank you, sir.

Um member Miller.

Good morning.

I just wanted to say I looked over your resume, and you have truly saved some amazing organizations.

Three that I have been a part of for a great part of my life.

You work with uh Franklin Rice Settlement Center.

I I remember going there as a child, and we needed those resources.

And every time I drive down Charlotte, where I see the building, I remember getting off at the bus stop as a child, going there.

Um you save the Girl Scouts.

You created that program.

I was a girl scout.

I was a cadet.

My children started Brownies at four years old, traveling even without a parent.

And you save some of the you create a program there that helped bring that um sector back.

You also, I would accredit to you also for the boys and girls club.

The boys and girls club over there off state fair, our family attendant.

It was torn down, unfortunately, but I do uh tend sometimes over in Russell Woods to that boys and girls club.

But I'm looking at the resume, and it seems like the service stopped in 2018.

Uh so from 2018, can you share some experiences where you've advocated for equity or address discrimination in a tangible way outside of the resume because the work actually doesn't show.

I know you're on the civil rights.

I mean, you're on the human rights committee, uh, but I don't see the work extending from 2018 to now.

Yeah, yeah.

Um I made a radical change uh in 2018 to step away from executive management.

It it was uh it had uh drained me in a way where I wanted to see what I wanted to do with the next you know five to ten years of my life, and uh as it turned out to be, uh I didn't think this would be my life, but I ended up fostering a child here in the city and then adopted her, and I'm a single uh solo father, so that has taken up a good chunk of 2019 to 2024, particularly.

Um so I'm not gonna lie to you that uh that I haven't been doing uh traditional uh work, but I I would state that uh the totality of my work uh and the human rights commission work that I've been doing for the last 12 years would would showcase my my effort and my work in the human rights department.

Well, I will say raising the child and setting time aside is considered a big deal.

It may not show up on a resume, but it does resonate with me today.

I will say thank you for that answer.

I appreciate it.

Okay, any other um questions from my colleagues, member Benson.

Discussion.

Thank you, Member Miller.

I just want to concur with uh my colleague regarding the importance of child rearing.

There are a number of us here who are parents, and they can uh they they will concur as well.

It is very important.

Glad that you're doing it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, any other questions or comments from my colleagues for Mr.

Seek?

Well, thank you, Mr.

C.

Did you want to leave us with anything else?

No, thank you for having time.

Thank you for your willingness to serve.

Okay, alrighty, thank you, sir.

All right, and our next interview is um interviewee will be Mr.

Darrell Harris.

Are you here?

You're here.

Okay.

Take that seat, and um there's a button at the base of the microphone.

You can press that and it should turn green.

If it's already green, that means it's already on.

Okay, Mr.

Harris, you want to introduce yourself?

Yes, my name is Bishop Darryl Harris.

Uh I have been a part of the commission.

I don't think we're gonna be able to hear you.

Oh, I'm sorry.

So that's okay.

You gotta I'll try to put my preacher voice on.

Put your preacher voice on, like Dr.

Robinson did.

Uh Bishop Darrell Harris, I've been a part of the Human Rights Commission uh since its reinception in 2014.

Uh I remember the days of uh Portia Roberts Roberson uh and starting out at the beginning of the uh mayor Mike Duggan, former mayor Mike Duggan uh administration.

Um I have worked um as a pastor for this ministry for 30 years.

I've been in the pastorate for over 30 years, closer to 40.

Um, and I've also done work in the city as it relates to communication uh victims and our police department, largely in our public safety uh area.

I've worked along uh in district three uh with committees such as the Osborne Um Neighborhood Alliance.

I chair the Osborne Business Association in the area.

We have been uh Premier Mount in the last few years of doing a housing project in the area that is so forthgoing.

Um also I have served uh in ceasefire Detroit, uh, which is one of our gang violence interruption um gun violence interruption groups here in the city long before the SHOS Stoppers.

Uh we started also back in 2014 uh doing that kind of work.

And my job there was started out as um the faith-based coordinator where I was largely responsible for victim services in terms of relocation and things of that nature, uh, and then became uh last year became actually the uh manager through the health department for a ceasefire Detroit.

And currently right now with the Detroit Health Department in the sense of serving in our schools as it relates to our youth learning de-escalation and restorative practices.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Harris.

Any questions or discussion?

Okay.

Member Benson.

All right, thank you.

And uh Bishop Harris is with my appointee to the or my recommendation for appointee to the human rights commission.

When I started this position back in 2014, and my concern was what I shared earlier when from another man of God, they utilize the Bible to support discrimination within our community.

And I said, Well, you know what, Bishop Harris, I would like for you to have this.

Where do you where do you stand on this?

So Bishop Harris, can you just talk about where you stand as a man of God when it comes to supporting the Human Rights Commission and how you utilize religion to guide and direct you towards our communities in the city of Detroit?

I think uh Dr.

Robinson stated it best.

Uh Jesus Christ and religion are as far apart as Mars and Earth.

Uh I don't see that uh there is a contingency um that would support being anything else other than supportive.

Um and I believe that over the last few years I've attended uh when we had one of the uh gay rights parades, and there was altercation that was there, I was first on the scene because no one has a right whatsoever to be physically aggressive towards anybody for whatever their choices or beliefs are.

And I believe that that's something that Christ himself stood for.

And so standing in that same vein, um, yes, of course, take a lot of flag, but again, so did Jesus.

So I don't see myself as uh being anything else other than a representative of him when I am not practicing any type of discrimination.

The only discrimination that I practice is against those who discriminate against others.

I'm okay with that level of discrimination.

And so for me, it was really important when we had that conversation that your norms and mores met mine as well, and that's the type of representation I want coming out of the third district and out of the city of Detroit, and you do that.

In addition, your work with ceasefire, uh your work with anti-violence initiatives within the third district and throughout the city of Detroit has been huge for me and huge for our city as well.

Then you've been here 12 years now serving the residents of Detroit, unpaid position, volunteer position.

Why do you want to continue doing this work for us?

Because I think that it's important that persons have support that is unbiased, that people have the kind of support that doesn't necessarily lend itself to a person simply being paid to do it or paid to say it.

That the purest um defense that you can give to a person to support is when that defense is unbiased.

I would like to continue to see things move forward as uh Brother Sunil said earlier.

We spent the first 12 years kind of really solidifying the position of the of the uh commission.

I would like to now excuse me see things move forward, such as what is happening with the uh the reparation task force, what is taking place with uh some of the entities as it relates to the air pollution and that's coming out of you know the district uh to see what's going to take place as relates to education.

I'm very interested in the direction that um the mayor, uh Mayor Sheffield is concerned with mental health and how that's going to move forward, and particularly how crime uh is not so much going to be uh from a community standpoint depended upon uh public safety as the police department as the head of public safety, but making community the head of public safety because I believe that police and I've heard many of them say it, they have realized they can't arrest their way out of these problems.

We're going to have to strengthen our communities to be able to kind of provide that public safety for themselves, and then we'll build the back of police departments on that work that communities are doing themselves to keep themselves safe.

So I'm very interested in seeing those things move forward.

All right, thank you.

I just want to say also our district office.

I am the first council member to have a district office on the Detroit City Council, and we are co-located with uh your church, and so we've we've been together for a long time.

I'm glad to see that you're gonna stay with us even longer.

Thank you.

Sir.

Thank you.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Any other questions from my colleagues for Mr.

Harris?

No questions for Mr.

Harris.

Just wanted to comment.

I am uh follower of yours.

I haven't met you personally, but ceasefire is one of my um favorite things when it comes to policing this our residents.

And also I'm an I'm a resident from District 3 my entire life.

I went to Osborne High School for one year.

Um my family lives in that district.

I cannot begin to tell you all the went down that area, even where you are off of six mile.

Our family moved to school over there, our lady of good council, uh Catholic school there, my family, my cousins, um, and when the um 31 Flavors was there.

So you know how long I've been in that district, our family, a total of over 90 years.

But I'll say to the example that you gave regarding the gay rights parade and the the brawl that broke out.

People don't understand that human rights is for everyone, and in the country where we're being um segregated, even as we speak with uh religious views and just as a people, we represent everyone, and the more we speak about the representation, someone like you on this on this um civil uh human rights is is profound for me because some people feel they're disenfranchised that they're really not getting representation, or they figure because you're a certain color or because you have a certain religion that you don't understand or adhere to what their plight is.

But to hear you use some of the dialogue you used today was impressive for me, and I just want to say thank you, especially coming out of district three.

We hear a lot of district three comments all the time, and sometimes I sit here like is there anything good someone can say?

Because the negativity just continues to just and it's usually the same people, which is okay.

I probably get caught out on it my next time I'm at the mic.

But it's nice to hear people say some decent things because when you're volunteering this much time and you've away from your family, it deserves recognition, and everyone's not going to be happy.

We I I'm understanding that everyone's not gonna be happy, but when you do your best and you're right by your people, then someone should call in sometime and say, Hey, good job.

So I look forward to seeing you on the on this rights human rights committee out of district three.

I do.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Any other questions or comments for my colleagues for Mr.

Harris, representing District Three from the Human Rights Commission?

Okay, hearing none, Mr.

Harris.

We thank you.

Is there anything else you want to leave us with?

Just that I'm eager to serve, I'm ready to serve, uh, and hoping that we are able to take the human rights commission to further stance.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you so much for your service.

All right.

Okay, I'm going to um defer to LPD.

We have um four candidates here for the reappointments to the human rights commission, Dr.

Mr.

Ross, Dr.

Robinson, Mr.

Singh, and Mr.

Harris.

What are our next steps?

Resolutions.

Anyone from LPD?

Good morning, Edward King, LPD.

Mr.

King.

Uh Madam Chair.

Um the resolutions I think are attached.

And you can move these names forward.

Okay.

So is there a motion to move these four to formal with the recommendation to approve?

Motion.

Okay.

Any objections?

Hearing none.

The motion to move these forward to formal session this Tuesday with the recommendation to approve.

Um is approved.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you, Ms.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Thank you, Mr.

King.

All right.

Um, before we move on, if you all will allow me, I don't know if I need to talk to the parliamentary or the clerk, but we do have um special guests in the audience um from China, and um, these are Peter's uh um family members, and he's he has a grandson.

I think they've left, but okay.

We'll you okay, personal.

I just want everybody to know that we have um a new member on our staff.

I think he just turned a year old, and he has dual citizenship.

USA, the good old USA and China, and that is Peter's grandson, Louie, and we love Louie, and we're so excited about meeting him in person today.

And uh, we've heard of all about him since he was even born.

So, Peter, congratulations on your grandson turning a year old and um living in China, and your son is here with his lovely wife, and um we hope to take some pictures with them if they will allow us, but we're so happy that they're here in the United States, and I think he got a chance to go to the auto show, and so when they come back, I want my colleagues just to meet um this wonderful family.

All righty, so we'll move back to the agenda.

Unfinished business, line item 10, and then um line item 10.1 submitting a memorandum request and a resolution authorizing the domestic violence task force.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

Okay, there's a motion hearing any objections hearing none.

This is the domestic um violence task force that I started.

Um well, it's just getting started, and we know that there's been an uptick, especially in district 12.

We've been hearing about a lot of cases of domestic violence, and um we're looking forward to the members um getting involved with this body of work and uh addressing some of the issues that lead to this, and that's why we know that this task force being established is very, very important.

So we're gonna move this to um formal with a recommendation to approve Madam Chair, yes, Mr.

King from LBD.

I just like to note that the actual resolution is attached to line item 11.27.

Okay.

Line item 11 point 27.

Motion to discuss motion to discuss member Benson, line item 27, which is the resolution for the domestic violence task force.

Okay, there's been a motion to approve the domestic violence task force.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that motion is approved.

Okay, we're gonna move back to the agenda.

There's a Louis sighting in the gallery.

There's a Louis sighting.

Do we see oh he's waving?

Hey Louie.

Um, we'd like for Louie to come up.

Motion for a point of personal privilege.

Okay.

That's for you.

That's for me.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes.

Okay, so I should say what?

So you just now you can deviate from the agenda.

Okay, we're gonna deviate from the agenda because we have Louie, he's clapping his hands in favor.

We're just gonna deviate for a minute or so.

If we could have Louie come up and um okay, and the parliamentary said just recess, so we're gonna recess to the call of the chair and take and assume this special privilege to meet this wonderful family.

Um Peter's all giddy and uh we hear about Louie every single day.

So hi Louie.

Hi, Mrs.

Rhodes, please come and join your join your husband.

And we're going to ask you all to turn on your microphones, and thank you for that, member Benson, and thank you, Parliamentarian.

Um, you if you hit the base and we want some quick introductions, we'll start with you, Mrs.

Rhodes.

I'm Amy Rhodes.

I'm the grandmother of this beautiful little boy here, and the mother of this one, and the mother of that one.

Okay.

Oh, I'm uh Grace, so I'm from Chendu, China, and happy to see you guys.

Hi, Grace.

Louis Rhodes.

Louie Rhodes, and uh I'm David Rhodes, and this is my son Louie.

David, born and raised in Detroit.

Shall I move to China?

Yeah.

How long have you been in China, Dave?

Oh, just went for a real quick trip about 10 years ago.

And uh so what 2000 well, no, I have 2015.

So a little over 10 years now.

Yeah, sorry, I stole it.

Stole me away.

You stole him away, Grace?

Yes, I did.

And Peter, you want to say anything about your lovely family?

You've just been on cloud nine since about a year ago when Louie um made his interest to the world.

We all love Louie.

Peter.

Very proud of Dave and Grace and Louie, who is uh almost ready to walk, and he's learned how to go up the stairs.

Yeah, and are those stairs carpeted or hardwood?

Hardwood.

Gotta watch him.

Absolutely terrifying.

I know.

Oh my gosh.

Anything else anybody wants to share?

We're so grateful that he's here.

We hear about you every day.

We see all the pictures.

So Louie is such a pleasure to see you and meet you.

And I have a neighbor who's about your age, Andreas.

So maybe one of these days you can have a play date with my neighbor.

Oh, and you're smiling, so I'll let him know.

I think the motion passes that.

Thank you all so much.

Anything else anybody wants to share?

Oh, it's very lovely for you guys to have this special session for us.

Thank you.

You are so welcome.

Thank you.

And would can we take a picture?

Okay.

Would you like to take a picture?

You can make your way around.

Oh, and Louie, this is for you.

So if I could have um Tavon to come up and you can use my phone and you can use Peter's phone to take pictures.

And Mrs.

Rhodes, I see you all the time.

All right, Louis Grandfather.

Get in there.

Health remember.

This is your family.

So I'm not gonna stop.

Okay, good.

Look at the video.

That's okay too.

Thank you so much.

It's our pleasure.

Nice seeing you guys.

Grace has never seen snow.

Wait a minute.

Grace has never seen snow.

So Grace.

This is her first time seeing snow.

Oh, yeah.

Right.

We don't get much snowing too.

Well, just ordered it in the first side.

I'm sure everybody will be able to do that.

All right.

Bye-bye, Grace.

Bye bye.

Hi, Jay.

Oh man.

Okay, you got a water?

Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you all so much.

So I'm gonna I'm gonna ask the parliamentary.

Do I need to um have roll call again?

No.

Okay, we're just gonna go back to the agenda.

Thank you all so much for that.

We've been hearing about Louie for about a year now, and this is our first time meeting him in person.

And um, he's the newest addition to the team, and just brings joy to all of us when we see his videos and watching him learning how to walk, it's just been amazing.

And it brings joy to um to Peter every time Peter comes to the office.

He is so um excited about his grandson.

That's his um only grandchild so far, and so we're just excited.

So thank you, Dave and Grace and Amy and Louis.

God bless you.

Oh wow.

Okay, we are now on line item, and we don't have a quote.

Oh, we do.

All right, we um are back on line item 10.2, which is the memorandum requesting a resolution authorizing the human trafficking task force.

That resolution is attached, so we'll just make a motion to move it to formal with a recommendation.

Um is there a motion for line item 10.2?

Motion.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that motion will be approved, madam chair, yes, just for clarification.

We are receiving and following the memorandum and moving the resolution forward, correct?

That is correct.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, madam clerk.

Okay.

Line items to receive and file, the memo.

Motion motion to receive and file.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that motion will be approved.

In discussion, I didn't see it attached.

Is the resolution um I see um Mr.

King's hand raised, Mr.

King?

Uh the resolution is item 11.28.

You see it, member Benson.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

King.

All right, we are on line item 10.3, and this is a proposal.

This is from the mayor's office.

Proposed amendment to the executive organization plan, the EOP.

And I'm gonna defer to um LPD because this is also mentioned in line item 11.26.

So is this the same thing?

Because there's a report from the legislation legislative policy division at line item 11.26, and I think it um goes to line item 10.3.

Is that correct?

LPD.

Okay.

Anyone from LPD?

Good afternoon.

I mean, good morning.

Um that particular at 11.26 addresses um 10.3.

Okay, so what are we doing with this one for um line item 10.3?

So eventually, I mean, a public hearing needs to be scheduled for to um discuss the the executive or the ELP.

Um our office suggests that maybe you have a discussion prior to the public hearing just to discuss the contents of the EOP so that the public will be well aware of actually what's happening with these changes, but at this current time, you just need to schedule a public hearing.

Okay, discussion.

Um discussion, member Benson.

We have 60 days to act on this at the at the formal level.

Yes, you do.

You have 60 business days.

Okay, and this was submitted on what date.

I do not recall the date, but I know you still have some quite some time.

It was um in some do you have the date?

I know it was in January.

Um I'm looking, I'm looking on page um 15, line item 1126.

It said it was submitted on January 9th.

Okay.

So we have to March 9th and uh in the suggestion from LPD is to have a discussion in this committee and then have the uh public hearing.

It probably will be easy as if you move because this is um something that will be for the whole body with the whole body.

I think it just will make it an easier process.

Okay.

So is there a motion?

Uh what's the motion you're requesting?

The the motion I'm requesting is that it goes to formal session or to to the full body for a public hearing to be set at that time?

Yes, so for instead of doing a hearing committee.

That's correct.

Okay.

So motion.

Okay, there's a motion to move um line item.

Would we combine these line items, Ms.

Barcliff?

Will we combine 10.3 and 10 11.26?

11.26 is a report, so you can just receive and file that.

Okay.

Um the only action item would be 10.3.

Okay, so we are going to move um that the uh proposed amendment to the executive organization plan be moved to formal session to set a public hearing.

Is that to discuss it further?

Well, also for it to be to for it to be put uh I want to make sure that it's actually sent to the entire body rather than staying in this committee.

Uh-huh.

And that and and the public hearing be held with the um with the whole body.

So that it could be either a committee of the whole or it could be do done during formal session.

What do you recommend, Miss Barclay?

Um, I think it really just depends on I don't have our office, doesn't have a um a preference on which way it's done, just whatever um fits within the schedule of the entire body, because it might be a longer discussion.

Um so if you don't want to elongate the formal session, you just may want to make it a committee of the whole.

Okay, so should we be moving it to formal session next week?

No, you can make moving into two formal session this week, and then and at formal session.

Um they can make a motion to uh accept the public hearing and all of that.

Okay, discussion.

Okay, discussion member Benson.

Would it be prudent to have a conversation with the president's office first since they're the ones that set the agenda at formal to have a conversation about how you all want to so you all can basically coordinate how this moves forward?

So a motion to bring it back in a week then bring it back in a week.

It gives you a chance to uh coordinate and then we could set the dates and everything forward.

Okay, so there are motion to bring line item 10.3 back in a week.

Motion okay, there's um a motion to bring line item 10.3 back, which is to promote proposed amendment to the executive organization plan.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that motion is approved.

Motion to receive and file line and 11.26.

All right.

Motion to receive and file line item um 11.26, which is the report, the proposed executive organization plan, which was submitted on January 9th.

Are there any objections to um us receiving and filing this?

Hearing none, that motion is approved.

Thank you, Member Benson and Member Miller, and thank you, Miss Barkley.

Madam Chair.

Yes, yes, sir.

Um attorney Keller LPD, just for the record, uh council has until April 7th to vote on the ELP.

April 7th.

Is it six it's 60 business days?

Oh, you're not don't count the weekends.

Right.

Okay.

Member Benson, do you okay?

So April 7th.

All right, thank you, Attorney Keller.

And thank you, Attorney Bartley.

We are now on line item 10 point four.

And um we're gonna we can take these individually, or we can group them.

We're just moving them to formal um with action from this committee.

Um member Benson.

Uh discussion on line items 10.4 uh through 10 points.

See, um, discussion on line item 10.4 through um 10.10, and these are the reappointments of individuals um from the mayor's office, um, i.e.

human race resources director, the fire commissioner, and these interviews were held in committee on January the 7th.

They were held um for a special session that was scheduled for January 23rd, but because of a lack of um uh a quorum at that time last Friday, it's here on our agenda, and we're going to take action.

I hope.

And member Benson.

I know that uh Member Waters wanted to speak to this, and she just stepped away.

Okay.

Um just to alert her staff to let her know to come back, and we could just move these to the end to the end of general and or bring them back.

Okay, is there a motion to move line item 10.4 through 10.10 to the end of the agenda?

Motion.

Okay, any objections?

No.

Okay, we are going to move line items 10.4 through 10.10, which are various um reappointments, um, confirmations to the end of the agenda.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Now we are on line item uh let's see here 11.

New business, mayor's office submitting a resolution reappointment of William Ross to the Human Rights Commission, and we've interviewed him this morning, and we also have line item 1112, which is a resolution for the reappointment of um Jeffrey Robinson, 11.3 is the reappointment of uh Mr.

And we also have line item 1112, which is a resolution for the reappointment of um Jeffrey Robinson, 11.3 is the reappointment of uh Mr.

Singh, and then um lastly the reappointment of Darrell Harris to the Human Rights Commission.

Is there a motion to receive or do we move these two formal?

Motion to receive and file lines 11.1 through 11.4.

There's a motion to receive and file the reports, the resolutions rather 11.1 through 11.4.

Are there any objections?

Madam Chair.

Yes, Mr.

King.

Uh from um LPD.

I am aware that you did move the candidates to the formal.

However, these are the actual resolutions.

So these should be moved to the formal for the vote.

Okay.

So can we move them as a group or do you recommend we move them individually?

You can move them as a group.

Okay.

So um member Benson, can we have a um a motion?

We can discuss it, though.

I thought these were the actual the resolutions were later in the agenda.

They were two, they were on separate line items, if I'm not mistaken.

And that these were just basically the memo's supporting.

Mr.

King.

Maybe I missed the actual resolution on these line items.

I yeah, I believe these the resolutions come later in the agenda.

I'm not mistaken.

Attorney Keller.

Mr.

King, Miss Barclay, we're on line item 11.1 through 11.4.

Attorney Kelly.

I'll take these are the resolutions that that need to be moved forward for the appointments.

Okay, these are the four resolutions that need to be moved from the interviews that we had earlier.

Okay.

Okay.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to move line items 11.1 through 11.4.

And these are the um from the interviews that we held earlier this morning for the four candidates for the human rights commission.

Are there any objections?

No.

Hearing none, that um action will be taken.

Thank you, Member Miller and Member Benson.

And now we are on line item um 11.5, submission of candidates pursuant to MCL 123.1273, the public lighting authority, and I do understand we have Mr.

Taylor here.

Mr.

Taylor, did you want to speak to line item 11.5?

And that um if you could press the button at the base of the microphone, yeah, right here.

And if it's not green, that means it's not on.

Okay, is it green?

Um I'm just here to answer questions because there's some prudency requirements.

I'm sorry.

I'm Bo Taylor.

I'm the CEO of the public lighting authority of Detroit.

Um I'm here to answer any questions if there are any um if there are any questions regarding the prudency requirements around the legislation.

They're a little wonky if you read them, and uh you know, I didn't want it to get delayed because of any misunderstanding or um uh just questions you might have about how the process should work.

So essentially um the legislation was written so the appointments aren't term-based, is they're term-based, but they expire in sunset with the um with the person or entity that appointed them.

And it was written so the city council and the mayor had equal say in the appointments.

It was back during pre-bankcy times when there wasn't as much cohesion in the city.

So these were embedded in state legislation for that purpose.

Um they also wanted to make sure that all the board members were city residents, so all board members need to be city residents, and um they wanted to make sure that there was capacity within the board for a couple different um uh types of activities.

So they wanted to make sure that there was uh attorney for legal rep purposes, financial purposes.

There needs to be a financial uh professional because of the history of um the finances within the old public lighting department, and then an engineer to make sure it was engineered properly.

So those three prudency requirements are embedded in the legislation, but simultaneously they allow the mayor to have two appointments, the city council to have two appointments, and then for the fifth appointment, the mayor selects three people, and the city council gets to pick one of them.

But the prudency requirements for the attorney, the finance professional, and the engineer weren't there wasn't guidance given.

So the names submitted um can be any of those.

But if the mayor picks one, then you're forced to pick the other based on the legislation.

The good news is, and this is obviously a request, the public lighting authority has been running well.

I think it's an example of how government should work.

We engage with the city council, we engage with the mayor, and we ensure that the community's feedback is used.

We don't impose on anything.

And I would humbly request consideration for uh reappointment of our current board because they work really well, and there's no dissension amongst them.

We come to consensus.

We don't really have any requirements per se per the legislation until May because they have to approve a budget.

Um, but the previous board did authorize us the resolution to move forward on the schematics for updating the lighting plan, which hasn't been updated in 10 years and it should be.

Um what we would like to propose, and obviously this is a function of our board, but expanding the footprint of the lights into the neighborhoods.

A lot of lights were removed from the residential areas a long time ago to make room for financing.

We couldn't afford it back then, and there was no question, but now we have the ability, and I isolated the money to go out and add no lights to the residential areas, and that's what we fully intend to do if we have a board that's supportive of that, and our previous board did give us the authorization to move forward with those types of plans.

Um we need that board in place to approve the plans because there's further requirements in the legislation because your body has the ability to approve whatever plan the board sends to you, and it goes back and forth until an agreement is made.

But we don't want to waste too much time.

We want to get the board in place, a plan to you and a plan back to us and us getting out to the community and engaging the residents and really using that feedback as a basis for whatever we want to do.

But those things can't happen overnight, and we're gonna expedite it as quickly as possible without losing the ability to get the residents' feedback.

But the first step is getting the board appointed and ensuring that that board has cohesion with what we're trying to achieve.

And um, our previous board did um move forward under that uh paradigm.

One of the board members, unfortunately, that was a city council uh appointee, Rod Parker, uh, passed away last year.

So that is the one um the one appointment that would need to be made if we were viewing this from a reappointment uh lens, which I would hope we are.

Um so that appointment would be one that would be at the discretion of the city council with the caveat that it must be uh financial professional.

Initially, we thought it needed to be a CPA 12 years ago, 13 years ago when we appointed the first board, and that was a challenge finding a CPA that doesn't work for the city that lives in the city that lives in the city, it doesn't work for the city.

Um we reviewed the legislation and believe that an MBA with uh appropriate financial experience and background, or someone with uh CFA, I think is the acronym, a chief financial advisor, would um be sufficient.

Now, someone that doesn't have a degree that has worked their career in finance would would satisfy the legislation, but it wouldn't be as clean if they it is as if they had an actual degree in something.

So please feel free to pick up a phone and call my cell phone if there's any questions or any concerns.

Um I don't want to get this delayed because we're um a lack of understanding and I can bring clarity to almost any uh question you would have.

And um new council member Miller.

Uh we haven't met yet.

Um I hope I get the chance to meet.

So we're good.

Sorry.

I have give me a minute.

Um I have to say or chair.

I'm sorry.

Um member Miller, but before we go to member Miller, I have a question because I know um if we have Malik Washington on, and then we're gonna hear from uh member uh Miller is um Mr.

Washington on Mr.

Washington.

Mr.

Chair Brianna Sullivan from administration today.

Hi, Miss Sullivan, how are you?

Doing well, Ian?

Real good.

I just want to make sure someone from the administration was on okay.

Member Miller, you have questions for Mr.

Taylor from Public Lighting Authority.

Hi, Mr.

Taylor, how are you?

Very good, how are you?

Uh thank you for showing up today.

Actually, as we had this document before us with three names, it sounds like you may have a preference.

You know, uh I'm reluctant to say a preference.

I one of the names is on our board right now.

So my preference is to keep as much continuity as we have.

Um is only is the joint appointment, right?

So the other two appointments would be your discretion.

The at-large appointment for the city council right now is Rick Proce.

Um, and then the other appointment was uh Rod Parker, obviously.

So my preference to keep continuity uh would be the same board that we've had in the past.

So yes.

Anything else, Member Miller?

I just wanted to make sure I was hearing correctly what I thought I was hearing.

But thank you for your input.

Okay.

Okay.

Um so we're just looking to fill one vacancy or reappoint one person to the um to the board, and you have a quorum, or you don't have a quorum without this one um we have no board right now because all of the all of the board members because a new mayor was elected and a change in the city council.

Um I have I believe, regardless of whether there was any changes, those reappointments need to be made to fully satisfy the statute.

But you would need to select one of the three members from the list, and then you have two appointments that you can select on your own, regardless of of anything.

One would be an at large, and then one would be the finance.

Um I I have uh a great relationship with Mr.

Proce.

I think he is you know reflected the views of the city council uh as a board member appropriately.

So if that would be uh a consideration that you could make, I would much appreciate it and like to make that request.

We'll take that into consideration, I'm sure.

Member Benson, discussion.

Thank you.

And uh thank you, Mr.

Taylor, for coming out today and explaining what's going on with the board and how it's operated uh to date.

Um seeing three candidates, I am familiar with Mr.

Hollowell.

He was the corporation counsel for the city of Detroit at one time.

Not familiar with Mr.

Andre Brown, and I and I'm not sure if this is Mr.

Williams uh who is a former elected official, but in this situation, this would go to my colleagues.

Would interviews for these three candidates be prudent prior to making a recommendation to the full council of whom we should select.

I would think so.

Okay.

We can defer to uh Madam Chair, Madam Clerk, excuse me, through the chair to member Benson.

Um you should have received a correction letter for line item 11.5.

Andre Brown should read Robert Brown.

Robert Brown.

Look on top, it might be up there.

Member Benson's got it.

My colleague um Miller, member Miller does have the correction.

I don't have it, I think.

Okay, I think I got it now.

Yep, got it.

Thank you.

Well, I personally don't have it, but thank you very much.

Oh, here, just a physical copy, I see.

Okay.

Okay.

We should also be why it will be prudent, I believe, to hold interviews just based on the fact that we are getting new information.

I don't know who Robert Brown is either.

Not sure if that would sway an interview from a recommendation from the actual executive for that uh department, but I just think it'd be prudent to actually do interviews.

Okay, I think that is um a prudent step to take in terms of um having the interview schedule for these three individuals.

We have Butch Hollowell, Robert Brown, and Keith Williams.

So um is there a recommendation to bring this back?

Madam Chair for the discussion interviews?

Uh-huh.

And so it didn't sound as if there was a sense of urgency that something had to happen within the next 10 days.

Oh but it sounds like May is a date that things need to happen.

And so, what is the sense of urgency?

Mr.

Taylor through the chair.

This body having done any further due diligence on the names provided by the mayor's office.

Um Mr.

Taylor through the chair.

Um the public lighting authority, we have we can operate until May.

May is when they pass our budget, but we can't do anything with a new lighting plan until a new board is set because that's a function of the board.

Um, I do think that you know, an interview process wouldn't delay if we had the same sense of urgency for the the two appointments that you have to make yourselves as the three, because you have to you you're gonna want to interview to replace uh uh Mr.

Parker, obviously.

So as long as those interviews coincided with the interviews you are are making with the three choices, then it can all seamlessly go back to the mayor and have the appointments you know done without delay.

But if you choose to interview the three people that the mayor selected and then subsequently interview your two, that could get into a situation where we wouldn't be able to effectuate our plan.

And we'd like to get um you know new lights built construction done starting in the summer, and to get there, there's a number of planning.

We really want to go out and engage the residents of each one of your districts and engage your office and the department of neighborhoods and meaningfully use that feedback, not rush around and put a plan out there that we tell people they need.

So the sense of urgency is there.

Um we want to get it done as soon as possible.

So these appointments are critical.

Um, but I don't think that if you include interviews of Mr.

Hollowell and the other two candidates at the same time as the interview of the candidates that you'll be selecting on your own, that would be a consistent process that would get it done at the same speed.

Discussion?

Discussion, member Benson.

Through yourself to LPD, have we had any conversations about uh moving this process along for our city council appointees?

As of right now, I don't have a uh recommendation for a name, other than I would support a Rick Proof staying in that space.

But since we've lost a member um gone on to glory, it sounds like there will need to be an interview process for a new, and we need to have recommendations come from council members, unless there is a recommendation that would be supported that would come from the PLA.

But I would also just like to weigh in on who we support through yourself, madam chair to absolutely LPD.

Um I think it's put what your body typically does in this type of situation is that you put out fillers with your colleagues to determine if they have um any candidates that they wish to put forth for this position.

Um if none comes forth, then a recommendation from the board itself would um be advantageous.

Okay.

So just typically you would ask your colleagues and at least give them a week or two to um bring forward any names, particularly since I don't know that all of them are aware that uh this vacancy exists.

And then Mr.

Parker was the finance professional.

Then I'm gonna do yourself, madam chair, to the law department, maybe LPD can answer respond as well.

With the information from Mr.

Taylor, the finance professional, we are not limited to a CPA.

How or what qualifications are we limited to when it comes to finance professional?

I mean, that could be someone, a finance professional could be a person who does household finance um recommendations, it could be a stock broker.

I mean, those those are all finance professionals.

I think we would have to look back at the um at the public act that required this um required that set out the requirements um to determine what would be appropriate because it it falls within definition that's in that public ed.

So um we can look at that and get some information back to you.

Member Vince, is that an assignment to LPD?

Um, do you need that assignment?

Yes.

Motion.

Okay, there's a motion.

And then Madam Chair through yourself to Mr.

Taylor.

Would three weeks be sufficient if we were able to get you some names?

Well, through the chair, um, I think three weeks would be sufficient to have the process conclude.

Um of the reasons we want why we wanted to expand the finance professional is if we limited it to a CPA, we may get stuck with someone that doesn't have the institutional knowledge of the city that hasn't lived here long enough to understand what the importance of the mid block lighting in the residential areas.

So we really want a long-term Detroit around this board for that purpose.

And so I appreciate what people have said regarding mid block lighting, but I also appreciate data to support the need.

Having the financial ability to pay for an expansion is critical.

So I'm hoping to get from your body once you all go out to the community and hear what my bosses want is you coming back and say your bosses want a Cadillac.

We can afford a Ford Lightning instead, which is a little less expensive than the Cadillac, but still a good quality vehicle.

So I'm hoping that you would come back, or you can say, hey, we can't afford a Cadillac, let's go with it.

But I'm hoping to get that type of financial feedback from you all as well.

Absolutely through the chair.

Absolutely.

Anything we put together is going to have a sustainable financial model that includes both the upfront capital paid for as well as residual long-term maintenance increases that may take place as you expand the system.

So all of it's being looked at holistically in a lighting plan that we believe is going to be you know viable for a long time.

With that said, budgets come into play that are discretionary every couple of years or every year that you know the funding sources this body, so a lot of it comes into play.

Um we have uh um a great opportunity because everybody's willing to sit down at the table and work it out right now.

So um it's all there and we're ready to go.

And so then just back of napkin, your just informal.

How much of an expansion can we look to?

Can we look at a 10% expansion of our lighting uh footprint?

Can we look at a 30% based on finances?

Well, I wouldn't say it's a percentage as much as it you would measure it then.

Um certain places, right?

So if you concentrate it, it's a lot in a certain area.

But effectively, we f we refinanced our bonds last year, and we were able to capture an additional ten million dollars in refunding.

Uh we're also able to capture about an additional 1.4 million dollars in annual savings on the the um utility user tax.

So we can apply that funding if required to the additional maintenance to support the 10 million dollars invested in the neighborhoods.

We could actually take two years of that residual funding and add it to the 10 million, making it about 13 million.

I still feel we could sustain the interjection.

So 13 million in additional dollars per year?

No, no, no.

Upfront capital to spend between 10 and 13 million, and we believe that the additional operating costs are gonna be less than 1.4 million after the build-out.

So the the refinancing has the operating cost built into the model.

We designed that intentionally based on backing into a certain number of lights for na for the residential areas.

And we peg that right between you know three and three thousand and forty, five hundred lights, depending on the cost.

Those are the amounts of lights that we could add to.

Taylor, you are a very smart man, obviously, and far too quick for me.

Just slowing down a bit.

I'm a slow swimmer.

Member Pensons.

So if you wouldn't mind, when you're saying 3,000 lights, as in we could look to add 3,000 additional lights to our current portfolio of lights.

Yes.

Less up to maybe maybe more, depending on the unit cost.

But what we want to do is make sure we're not commit overcommitting.

So we wanted to have a basement of what we could afford, and then if we needed more, we could apply future revenue from that residual to increase the footprint if the feedback from the community necessitated it.

Okay.

So then just for a quick synopsis, an executive summary for me, we are looking at about $13 million in capital expenditure on new lights, hard poles and lights, correct?

Yes.

And about $1.4 million annually to actually operate and keep those lights on.

So the energy cost.

We have between $10 and $13 million in discretionary capital, and we have up to $1.4 million in additional annual income to support that investment.

So we've looked at all of the operating costs and the capital costs, and it came to about $3,000 to $4,000 lights.

All new uh wood poles, um, LEDs repositioned in the neighborhoods so there is not as many dark spots on the residential areas, um, equally dispersed throughout the city, um, apportioned by district.

Uh we can figure that out later, but that's the thematic way I'm looking at it now.

And we'd engage each district through the department of neighborhoods as well as your offices to find feedback of where lights are needed and ensure that their their voices are heard.

That's fantastic.

And we're looking to do this to swing hammers move Earth in 2027.

I want to move it by the I want to move this year.

I want shovels in the ground by mid summer, and that's why there's such a sense of urgency on getting this first uh um leg of the journey out there.

Umce we get a board pass, it'll be easier for us to get the approvals from them to move forward.

Um but I I I think the people have waited a long time in the city for the residential areas to have more light, and I don't want to get it delayed unnecessarily.

I think we have all the things in place to make it happen and engage your offices so you're so your residents are uh feeling like their voices are heard, and I want to get busy doing it.

Thank you.

Member Miller, I'm excited to see your project move forward where I live.

We pay for our lights, our alley lights, and I think it's is unfair to have alley lights where people access their garages in the alley because there's no driveways, and we physically have to raise money, pay dues in Detroit for our lights.

Um I look forward to seeing how that will cease, especially as our residents age out.

I'm excited to hear about this moving quickly.

I'd love to sit down individually and talk to you because there's a lot of issues around the alley lights as well that I think we have some innovative uh ideas to address.

Um, and I love the fact that you know I'm being given the freedom to to go ahead and address these issues in a way that I think is most appropriate, and uh I want to get it done.

Uh hopefully next week I can get on your schedule and look forward to it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Are we in the light business or are we out of the light business?

That's my question as a as a lifelong resident of the city of Detroit.

First, we're out of the light business, and it sounds like we're getting back into the light business.

So, what are we gonna do?

Three to three thousand or four thousand new lights with new poles, then you took them down some years ago.

Now we're gonna put them back up 10 million to 13 million dollar discretionary capital.

What are we doing here?

Are we in the business of lighting or are we trying to get out of the business of lighting?

So I'm just not understanding.

So I think the nomenclature around the whole lighting issue is uh really confusing to be honest.

We've never been out of the lighting business.

We were out of the electricity business, and people use light and electricity interchangeably, unfortunately.

Um it's kind of like PLA and PLD, they're too close of a um a name.

So when the city exited the electricity business in 2013, it turned over all of its electric customers to the city of Detroit from the city of Detroit to DTE.

So the city used to provide power to Wayne State, uh uh federal building, the uh office government buildings, churches, schools.

So if you remember back, we had a series of blackouts.

There was a you know just a mess at the public lighting department in terms of delivering power to customers, and that was really preventing the city from moving forward because of the number of power outages.

So I don't recommend any municipality turning over their customers to an investor-owned utility, but when you drive it into the ground like that, you have no choice left.

Um so that's what happened, and the city got out of the power resale business.

Um, you know, and and it gave up an asset to do so.

But the the trade-off was the public lighting authority was created and it fixed the street lights and allowed people to drive safely and you know live a little safer in their neighborhoods, will be when we get the new lights in.

But um the lighting was always been there, and DTE was never able to take over the street lights.

There were some regulatory issues that prevented that from happening, and you know, quite frankly, I think it was a good decision because it leaves those decisions in the hands of the local people, and at least even though you're buying all the power for the city from DTE, at least we have the ability to decide where the lights are going, and we're not leaving it up to them to figure out what the best uh safety protocol is around lighting in the city.

So I understand the sentiment.

All right, thank you, uh, Mr.

Taylor.

Um, are there any other um questions from my colleagues?

If not, we need a motion to move the three out.

We have three candidates.

Um we have Mr.

Brown, we have Mr.

Um Mr.

Hollowell, and we have a third candidate, um Mr.

Williams.

So since we do have those candidates in in front of us, we still need two more according to what Mr.

Taylor is saying.

But since we have three here, um, and we're gonna choose three from the mayoral selection, only one.

Is there a motion to have these interviews set up for next Wednesday?

Or how does how how does that work?

Maybe LPD can give me some guidance because we do have three names of candidates.

Discussion.

Discussion.

Go ahead.

Well, LPD and then discussion.

Ms.

Barclay.

Yes, you can um schedule the interviews for next week.

Umless Mr.

Taylor said that there were going to be additional you you're not saying there will be additional um candidates being brought forth for it.

I think he's giving that up to us.

Yep, that would be yeah.

Okay.

With some recommendations from you, because I think after we choose the one from the mayor, then we have two more that we have to choose.

Is that correct?

Yes, yes, you would have the finance and uh at large.

But you're saying with the finance, they can also, if they're not a CPA, they can have an MBA or CFA.

Is that correct?

Yes, that is the uh opinion of our law, uh, our legal counsel.

Okay.

Discussion?

Yeah, discussion, and then to Miss Barclay.

Member Benson.

Uh madam chair, and so LPD is gonna work on just verifying that um opinion so that we'll have one of our own, not one just from um the PLA.

In addition, my recommendation would be that we hold the interviews on the 11th of February, and that that will give us time to garner the names from Detroit City Council.

There is a recommendation that we maintain the current at large, but we also there is nobody in our finance professional, which is our selection, so we have to have that interview, although I don't think I think it would be prudent to interview the existing uh person as well.

And then if people wanted to bring in additional names, they could.

And I'm I I know Mr.

Proud, so I'm good there, but I would believe that having interviews on the 11th with the ability to move them to formal with a recommendation on the 17th will give us a date of approval by the 17th of February for that board to be reconstituted, and that would be my recommendation.

Discussion member Benson.

Um, I do know from the mayor's office before we hear from Ms.

Barclay, but we'd like to move with the um with the interviews of the three that we have for next Wednesday and choose from one of um one of the three candidates, and then we can do those additional two on February the 11th.

But I'd like for us if we can have a motion just to move these forward for interviews for next Wednesday, not to prolong this process because we even have a resolution attached.

So um I would hope that we could have a motion to move the three candidates' names that we already have in front of us today, because we don't have those other two candidates, but if we can move these forward to have an interview for next Wednesday, and then the following um Tuesday, move it to formal session.

Motion okay, there's a motion to move the three candidates that we have in front of us to um for an interview on Wednesday, and I think that is February 4th, if I'm not mistaken.

Next Wednesday is February 4th, man.

February 4th.

Um, any objections?

No.

Okay.

Um that action will be taken.

Um thank you so much, Member Benson.

Ms.

Barclay.

I don't have any further things to add after your comments.

Okay, so we will um we will work toward getting those other two candidates' names.

We will reach out to our colleagues to see if they have any recommendations, and Mr.

Taylor, if you could reach out to me and let me know, or this entire body if you have any recommendations in terms of the two the two vacancies that we do have.

Yeah, um member member miller and any requirements this position may require.

I would like to see it in writing.

Okay, so you um member millers requesting anything in writing in terms of qualifications or requirements to fill those uh candidates, those um vacant vacancies rather.

Uh through the chair, just so I'm clear, would the those requirements be the official requirements or any additional knowledge you would want uh because a lot of the stuff is embedded in statute.

I can send you the exact statute or I can send you something different.

What would exactly you'd like me to send?

It doesn't matter, you can do both.

It doesn't matter.

I just wanted to I know you gave some things that you thought would help move forward.

Um I didn't know if it was personal or not.

I know you did recite some from charter, but whatever would be helpful in making a selection.

Okay, sounds good because I wasn't sure if the three names fell into that criteria.

It seemed like there was a discrepancy.

That's why I asked personally were you um did you have someone in mind?

So through through the chair, um we didn't have a there, I don't believe there was a rhyme or reason for um the other candidates aside from Mr.

Hollowell.

Um we could have picked three lawyers, could have picked, you know, there wasn't really direction in the statute about what three people needed to be selected.

So you just did.

It's okay though.

Good.

Okay.

Anything else for my colleagues from Mr.

Bolt Taylor from um public lighting authority?

Thank you.

LPD for that Mr.

Benson?

Member Benson.

So then I would make a recommendation that today being the 28th, that we give until the 6th of February to get nominations for the other two positions, which would allow for colleagues to review resumes prior to interviews on the 11th, which would then allow us to make a recommendation on the 11th of whom to send to formal session for final approval.

Okay, it's it's a relatively quick timeline, but I I believe a motivated group of individuals can get it done within that date timeline.

Thank you, Member Benson.

So my office can work with LPD in terms of sending out an email to the entire body um to get their recommendations.

Umy anything else um for Mr.

Bold Taylor?

And then Madam Chair, just so for my own edification, we are looking to have interviews on the fourth of February for these three individuals.

Absolutely.

So for February 11th, we will be interviewing Mr.

Brown, uh Mr.

Williams, and Mr.

Hollowell.

Because their names have already been presented to us.

And then on February 6th, we look to have I'm sorry, Member Waters.

You can speak I was just asking, Madam Chair.

Is it for one position?

It's for one.

This for one position for next week.

And then we have two additional that we're asking our colleagues to present names.

Okay.

Candidates' names.

All right, guys.

Is that correct?

Yes.

Okay.

All right.

All right.

Member Miller, did you have anything you want to add?

No.

Okay, yes, ma'am.

All right.

Um, anything else for Mr.

Taylor?

No.

Well, yes.

Yes, Member Benson.

So one last item, and this is really for LPD as well.

Well, Mr.

Taylor has proven in his team to be very good and very astute at making sure that our lighting system works properly.

I trust, but I also verify.

So I'm hoping to get supporting information regarding requirements as per the law from LPD to support our needs to make qualified decisions for these potential candidates as well as the request of names and the professions required by the law.

Thank you.

To that point, thank you, Member Benson.

That um point if we can also know when they meet, when does the board meet?

So because sometimes I can say when do they meet?

Is there a stipend involved?

Do we get paid for every meeting that we attend?

If we can just have details about what's expected of them, do they meet quarterly?

Do they meet weekly, monthly?

So if I can have those, if we can have those types of details, we can um make sure we get the best candidate.

Okay, is that possible, Mr.

Taylor?

And um attorney Barcliff, is that possible?

Just some details about the expectations or requirements.

I will get with attorney Barclayff and uh we her and I will meet and we will make sure that all the information that uh we need for um council member miller as well as uh yourself regarding this request is taken care of.

Thank you so much.

All right, thank you so much, Mr.

Taylor, for your time.

Thank you.

All right, we're gonna move back chair member Benson.

Just one last item.

Yes, who else is on the lighting authority board now?

Oh um Patrick Padgett, he is the engineer.

Uh Lorna Thomas, she is the chair as an at-large uh appointment from the mayor.

Um Butch Holloway, obviously.

Um Rick Proce and um Mr.

Parker, who is uh is deceased.

So is that five?

No, reality is four.

No longer there, but they're not they're not currently board members because their appointments sunseted with the election cycle.

Okay, so just for our edification through the chair, the goal is to we have four one needs to be refilled, they all need to be filled again, but one there needs to be a new member because that person has gone on to glory.

So we just need to be cognizant of that as well.

Yes, amongst everything else, but thank you for that information.

Thank you.

And we'll work close closely with you, Mr.

Taylor Taylor, and attorney Barclay.

All right, thank you so much, sir.

All right, now we're going to go back to the agenda, and um are we um gonna go over to line item 10 point I think it was 10 point um four through no I'm sorry 10 point three through 10 point because um member waters has joined us 10 point 10.

So that's 10.3 to 10 point 10, and these are the individuals um that we interviewed in committee on I think it was January 7th, and it stayed in committee until today.

Um, and um any discussion or can we just take them um one line item at a time?

What is the the pleasure?

Member Miller, member waters discussion discussion.

I I know that member waters indicated she wanted to have a conversation about these members.

So okay.

Well, I yeah, yeah, member waters, yes, ma'am.

I may I just kind of wanted to um uh to sit here.

I mean if something comes up I'll ask.

If not, I'm good.

I I think I know all of these names that are less in fact.

All righty.

Well, um, is there a motion to move them all forward um to formal session?

That is line item 10.4 through 10 point 10.

Motion okay, there's a motion to move line item 10.4 through 10 point 10 to formal with the recommendation to member Benson to die, approve.

Oh well, motion to send to formal recommendation to approve.

Okay, all candidates.

All candidates.

Are there any objections?

Okay, hearing no objections, line item 10.4 through 10 point 10 will be moved to formal with a recommendation to approve that action will be taken.

Thank you so much.

And thank you, Member Waters, for joining us.

We are now on line item.

We're on the new business.

Line item 11.1 from the mayor's office submitting a resolution for the We've done that already.

Okay.

Oh, this is great.

We've done line item 11 point two, three, four.

That's wonderful.

Five.

Now we're on the um 11.6.

Office of contracting and procurement submitting a resolution authorization for contract number 600 3874-A4 dash R.

100% city funded.

This is amendment number four.

And I'm going to ask, I have quite a few questions on this one.

This is for about 11 H B1 visa holders.

Um I don't know if we'll be able to get through all my questions today.

We are still um putting them together, but I'm hoping that my colleagues will make a motion to bring this back.

Um this is for Clark Hill.

I'm going to ask the clerk to send a um invitation.

Well, I'll talk to um I'll get to you in a minute, um, Attorney Anderson.

But I would like for Clark Hill to appear before the um standing committee internal operations.

I have questions, and then also if we can have um Denise Starr to be here as well.

But I will um ask um attorney Anderson to chime in before I turn over to my colleagues.

This is on um line item 11.6, the H B1 visa holder contract with Clark Hill.

Through the Chair Graham Anderson Law Department, I will uh work with your team, Councilmember Calloway to make sure we have a proper team ready to address all your questions next week.

Thank you.

Okay, anything else from my colleagues?

Motion to bring back in one week.

Okay, there's a motion to bring back line item 11.6.

Um are there any objections?

No.

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Thank you, Member Benson, and thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Now we're on line item 11.7.

Oh, before we go to line item 11.7, Mr.

Anderson, when we bring Clark Hill before us, are they charging us?

Are they going to charge us by the hour to come before us to talk about their contract?

Through the chair, that's a good question.

I'm confident we can work out a deal, so that's not charged.

Okay, thank you so much.

Thank you.

All right, line item 11.7, contract number 6007 four five three-a-one, 100% city funding amendment number one.

This is for contractor Brooks Wilkins, Sharkey and Turkle, PLLC.

Located in Birmingham.

Mr.

Anderson, can what is this contract about?

Through the chair, Graham Anderson Law Department.

Again, this is regarding uh consultation and um assisting in representation on one of the reverse conviction matters.

Are there any questions from my colleagues um regarding line item 11.7?

Discussion?

Discussion.

We go where are we going with these?

I know that these are a huge concern.

We've had I've had offline conversations.

Um, and there's some a great level of risk and exposure to our general fund.

What it can you just elaborate through the chair to council member Benson.

You you're you're absolutely right.

These are massively high risk exposure cases.

One of the things that makes these matters so difficult as well, is um, you know, as we look at uh potential nominations for candidates, uh corporation counsel and uh police chief Todd Bettison.

These are matters that are not recent.

Most of these took place at least a decade ago, if not multiple decades ago.

So it it's it's very difficult to resolve issues and matters and policies and um philosophies on criminal justice that took place in that time and we're now dealing with the repercussions.

In addition, sometimes the city of Detroit is left just holding the bag, sometimes it is nothing that we did at fault, but it is the prosecutor or the judge who have immunity, and uh juries will see that there's still this individual that suffered wrongfully behind bars for potentially decades, and they want this person to be properly compensated, and the city is sometimes left holding the bag, which puts us in an incredibly difficult opportunity or not opportunity in a really in a rock and a hard place in defending these matters.

As such, we work best to try to resolve these in settlement, and these will sometimes be seven-figure settlements, which are very tough pills to swallow.

However, if you look at reverse conviction matters across the country and cities like Chicago, they've been hit by juries 20 million dollars, 25 million dollars.

So it's something that there is uh I wish I did have an easy solution for you.

And uh I I know uh corporation counsel, Conrad Mallet wishes there was a silver bullet that we had for these.

Um we are using all the resources we can to navigate these very difficult choppy waters as best possible.

But but there is some uh tough pills that will have to be swallowed uh as we uh chart the waters.

Okay, have we taken one to a jury trial yet?

Or have we settled all these settled these cases?

Through the chair, I do not believe we've taken anything recently to trial on any of these reverse conviction matters that there may have been some a few years ago before I was here, but um while I've been um legislative liaison, I do not believe we've had any jury trials on these matters, which is why we see them as settlement with the numbers you indicated from Chicago.

Okay.

Uh colleagues, any questions?

Okay.

Waters, do you want to ask anything on this one?

No.

All right.

Um this time the chair entertained a motion to move line 11.7 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Okay.

Yes, I'm sorry.

Approve.

Motion.

Motion, I'm sorry.

Right.

Thank you.

All right.

This takes 11.8.

Submiting resolution authorizing contract number 6007 214, 100% city funding to provide a research report for social equity in Detroit cannabis industry, contractor regents of the University of Michigan out of Ann Arbor.

This is a two-year contract for 170,000 dollars.

Motion to discuss all right, thank you.

Uh member Miller, do you have any uh questions?

None.

Right, through to our to the administration.

Who who is shepherding this contract through?

Is this uh the chair?

We have Kim James available online.

All right.

Okay, Miss James, please promoted.

Madam Chair.

Miss James is being promoted as a panelist.

She's rejoining.

One line item.

And Madam Chair's point of information, I've opened it up for discussion on this contract.

There's been no motion um to move it forward, just motion for discussion.

Okay.

That's line item 11.8.

11.8.

Okay.

I have several questions as well.

Thank you.

Who's joining us?

Uh Miss James.

Good afternoon.

Okay.

Member Benson.

All right, thank you, Ms.

James.

Thank you for being here today.

Uh my question is on the definition of social equity.

And so looking to support our residents, and social equity often includes health, but looking at the TEDA report, it doesn't talk about any health impacts of legalizing adult use marijuana, despite the fact that the report talks about recreational marijuana and our ordinance talks about adult use.

Where are we with ensuring that health outcomes are part of this report when it comes to social equity?

Well, good afternoon.

Um, Madam Chair, Vice Chair Member Miller.

Um, so that's a very interesting question.

Uh actually, there's been some discussion right now with the law department about what the term social equity actually means in cut in this context.

So if you you would remember when we passed this ordinance, the definition of uh an equity status individual is somebody who is from a disproportionately impacted community, meaning disproportionately impacted by um enforcement and and convictions during the war on drugs.

So the city of Detroit was in individuals in Detroit were 30 times more likely to be convicted of a crime.

And so as we all know, that can create all sorts of outcomes, you know, educational, um, no parents in the home.

If your parents have gone to prison, um, economic, you know, and unemployment, uh, also health outcomes.

Um, and so, you know, from addiction as well and other um in other types of drugs.

So uh so the that that is probably that's not part of this study.

This study is basically on the business aspects of our ordinance and how successful um has been.

And so that's that's you know, where this so it's not really included in a study, if that makes sense.

It does make sense.

And I'm looking at the TIDA report, and two of the items identified are aim one and aim two.

Policy and discourse analysis, analyzing choice legal policy and community discourse regarding recreational cannabis and social equity.

And so they gotta go back to the recreational, it should be adult use as per ordinance and social equity, which then to me is about the health implications.

And and I sort of I don't have an issue, although not been a big supporter of the uh the industry, but I do have an issue if we're only going to look at the business impacts of this industry as it's been legalized, and we have the social equity piece, but we're not looking at the health impacts of what this is doing to our community.

Maybe it's helping.

When we started the conversation around legalizing cannabis, it was all about dispensaries and the health improvements.

Have we seen that?

Has there been any evidence?

Can we provide any evidence?

I'm not sure people care about that any longer.

There's a lot of money in this space now.

It often seems that when there's money in the space, the health um implications often go by the wayside, but maybe people are still doing that, and there are still people who believe in cannabis as a medicinal um use.

And so I just really be interested to find out and if we can include this type of study or this even looking at this health impacts in social equity when it comes to how is this impacting our students health wise, how is it impacting those who use it health-wise, moderate use, light use, or heavy use?

Um, what are we seeing as far as the medicinal use?

Is that still even a component that people really care about or they're going to business for?

So I would just really like to see how we can get health um impacts here.

Business is fantastic, but we need to know how this is impacting our community because we the fight was about ensuring that Detroit is participated.

And I know that there's a challenge there as well in the in the marketplace, but what has the legalization done health-wise?

And I'm not sure if the health department should weigh in on that, or you guys have had those conversations, but that's just from me.

When we have a contract before us asking about the business side, I'd like to see the conversation about the health impacts as well.

So, through the chair, member Benson, I completely agree with you and understand what you're asking.

So, this contract itself is is from the business standpoint, and it is going to look at what factors you guys may not be aware, but our program Detroit, we probably have the highest proportion of locally owned business cannabis businesses.

And so the study will look at the factors and barriers that that increased or you know were obstacles to success, and which can probably be generally applied to other types of business development for Detroit residents.

Um, and so that's one of the reasons that this study is important.

Um, but uh aside from that, our office, the Office of Cannabis Affairs, um, we have been working with the health department um and the I've we've met with uh Detroit public schools to talk about uh the issues that are facing students um and also just you know general addiction uh in general.

We have uh something called a safe storage campaign called Store Your Stash, where we are giving out um basically safe storage boxes for people to put things that kids and pets shouldn't get their hands on in.

Um, and so that's part of the campaign, and we're you know, been handing them out.

Um, and so that's kind of part of all of the the thing is educational materials to go out to the public because you know it's it's legal just like alcohol, but you have to be moderate about everything that you do, and so you know, there are there is a lot of evidence out there, you know, from especially from DPS and the number of um vape cartridges and things like that they've collected at school um that may not be coming from the legal stores, they're coming from like illegal sales at gas stations and things like that.

Uh, and so that's a significant issue as well.

I don't know if the health department has done any studies on there's probably studies nationwide, but I don't know if the R particular health department has done any specific studies on the impact health-wise of uh cannabis use, and then the end of your question about medical marijuana.

Um, I completely agree with you, and unfortunately, uh that there should be uh a more of a an application of medical benefits, um, but it's very hard to quantify that.

And so it's not just something you can just like our office can just say, hey, this is what this does for you, because it's not an exact science, and because it's still federally illegal, so there's no research really on this, there's no funding for research.

Um, so we don't really know those answers, and so we're not qualified to say that.

Um, but uh, but I wish there was more of a focus.

Unfortunately, it seems like the industry itself or higher end or high price products that usually mean they're very, you know, uh potent.

Um, and so that's kind of it looks like where the market is going and less towards health outcomes, which is unfortunate.

And then just wanted to add, and you you brought this up as well.

Um we also have there are other vices, I consider this to be a vice.

And you talked about liquor stores.

Um, I'm not sure what the ownership level is in the city of Detroit in that area, just off the top of my head, I gotta imagine it's also it's probably pretty low.

I'm not sure the percentages um match with um cannabis, but uh I think we ought if we're gonna start prioritizing one vice over another um in our communities, we should talk about who owns those as well.

And so I'm I'm hoping that that would become part of the conversation if this contract were to move forward as well.

And I have others, but I'll wait for my colleague who I I know has some questions here also.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, Member Vincent.

Um, member Miller.

Well, I don't have any questions.

Thank you for joining us, Ms.

James.

I do want to say for those who don't know, um, there's a 24% tax that hit um the cannabis industry in January.

And it's especially damning for Detroiters, especially the legacy people that were uh supposed to take part in it.

And you know, I'm sure the ones that was able to and got the opportunity appreciate it.

But when you're a small business, it's between uh it makes you put you in a position for a failing and struggling business.

So we have to understand that with this study that they're trying to do, it is basically to examine how it affects detroiters and make people aware that the small businesses they are in jeopardy of closing.

A lot of people have invested into the marijuana industry or cannabis, whatever you want to call it, for profit, and we have to support our small businesses.

That is the backbone of our of our city.

So with that report, I look forward to seeing it because it makes it harder for small businesses to compete, even just as an African-American.

There's always risk of closure.

Um, and you just don't have the finances to compete with the larger uh structures.

You you see them all over the place, and you have the small ones and the little ones, and they're often swept away or gobbled up by the big industry.

So when we're looking at Detroit, who was one of the last people to actually get approved to come into the business, the profits are tight.

You're you're looking at losing workers, not having uh uh a product you can actually um compete in pricing with the big company.

So I look forward to it on a business level regarding the report.

Thank you.

Thank you, um, member Miller.

Um, Miss James, um, I have a couple questions for you.

Um regarding the three million dollar excise tax for marijuana.

Why not take it out that pot of money instead of using city funding?

Um well, thank you, madam chair.

Thank you for that question.

Um so where do I begin with this?

So that $3 million, uh, we can take it from the allocation that was sent to my department.

I don't choose the allocation where it comes from.

It can be it can come from that.

Um, it would just have to be changed in the um OCP procedures, whatever cost string it was.

Um, I don't I don't enter those requisitions myself.

So I we can actually do that if you would like.

Um the but the actual three million dollars did not come to our office, and there has not been it, it's been a lot of confusion about those funds and what they can be used for.

Um and the city is expecting another installment of probably around $3 million at the end of February.

And so I would urge this uh your body to get some clarity from the law department and finance department about exactly what these funds are going to be used for or what they can be used for, because I've been getting differing answers for the last year.

Um thank you so much.

Um we know that there's three million, and you said another three million will be coming in February, so that's gonna be six million.

We're not here to um sit on money, and if we have that pool of money or pot of money specifically for this, then I just would not want us to use city funding because we we gotta um zip it up a little bit around this around the city in terms of um you know becoming leaner um and and not um shortchange our services.

But if we have three million dollars, expecting to get an additional three million dollars, um, then I would think that um we wouldn't have to use city funding, because that's what that money is there for, uh I believe.

So I'm gonna ask that we bring this back in a week if my colleagues don't have any other questions, giving the law department an opportunity to answer Ms.

James's questions, because she's asking some very important questions.

Um, how are we gonna use this money and where is the money?

How do we access the money?

Ms.

James, and maybe you can get your questions um to the law department because you asked some very, very good questions.

And now I'm asking those same questions.

Um Thank you, madam chair.

There's already been a legal opinion to me, and I've asked some clarifying questions, and so we do expect those responses in the next week.

So hopefully.

Can you share your questions and the legal opinion that you've received with the with this body?

So we can all be on the same page, operating from the same um information.

Uh well, it has been shared with council president.

I have to check with I'm a lawyer too, but I have to check about what the with my department, how we would do that, sharing it with, I guess if it was shared in confidence.

Um, but if you don't mind, we'll we'll figure that out offline.

Yeah.

Okay, so I would like to be able to do that, yes, and I will attempt to do it.

Oh, I respect that.

So, yes, Ms.

James, if you can find out whether or not that report that was sent to President Tate can be shared with this body since we have to make a decision on this contract, means meaning that we don't have all the information that we need to make um an informed decision.

So that being said, is there a motion to bring this back in a week or two?

Is there is is it urgent, Ms.

James, before we make this motion to bring it back?

Is this contract urgent?

I mean, is there debt lines that we have to meet?

Through the chair, well, I would say actually, you know, and the vendor U of M, the Professor Heny from U of M is on the call if you would like to speak to her about this.

Um, but you know, I'm actually happy.

This has taken a long time to get to you for approval, almost three years.

And so I'm actually happy because now we kind of have data to discuss and look at.

So it's instead of studying it in process, it's kind of reviewing what has occurred.

Okay.

So it's not urgent.

Okay, well, um, thank you so much, Miss James.

I don't have any questions for um for um the individual that you just referred to.

I don't know if my colleagues do.

I just want a copy of the report um that you know that we can read so we can make a more informed decision with respect to what's before us today.

And then my other question was whether or not we could use um the 170,000 doll out of three million dollars, knowing that we're gonna get an additional three million dollars in just a few days.

So um that would be my question.

That being said, I know we're gonna bring it back, but Member Benson, then Member Miller, if you have any other questions, sir.

Discussion, if we do have the professor on on board, I'm just interested to uh find out what they see as their charge here and which school are they coming out of at the University of Michigan.

Is this a raw school of business doing this?

The school of public health.

Ah, public health, but that would also call the question why there's no health um as part of the project.

That's just my own as just my own naivete.

And so I would just be interested in in hearing from the professor uh on this.

If you could make her a panelist, Madam Chair.

Okay, bring them if we can bring the uh the professor on.

Handy Handy Hendy, H E N D Y Handy, okay.

Hindi Professor Hindi.

If we can make her a panelist, Miss Ellis Madam Chair, she has been promoted as a panelist.

Hi, Professor Hindi.

Uh, have you been following along?

Have you been hearing any of the discord that we've been having here this morning?

Yes, I have.

Okay.

So um, yes, so two of the introduce yourself for the record, ma'am.

Sure.

Uh my name is Catherine Hindi.

I'm a research investigator in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Okay, thank you.

You may proceed.

So two of the investigators on this project, myself and Professor Curry are both faculty within the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan.

The third um uh investigator is Dr.

Amanda Mari, who is a professor now at the University of Maryland.

She was a graduate student when we began this project and has now moved on to a faculty position.

So we are attentive to the questions around health.

Uh the scope of this project is really narrow because it is looking at the question of how we create social equity in the business industry around cannabis.

Um we because we are people who are versed in public health, we are thinking about these larger questions.

They come into play, I think, in two ways.

First is through the very questions of how concerns about health have possibly shaped the kinds of policies like zoning ordinances about where cannabis businesses can exist and how that's impacting um what business owners can do.

Um we also are hoping to be doing interviews with the business owners and thinking with them about where they see their mission in terms of health.

Um, but it is not an evaluative study in terms of really looking at the public health impact of cannabis, which is a really huge question uh that would require a very different type of study design.

Thank you, Professor Hindi.

Any other questions?

Member Benson?

Discussion uh Doctor, thank you for that.

And so is there any way to incorporate any health outcomes, any health impacts into the study as a professor in the public health?

I would really hope that we could get something in here.

As I appreciate the business uh question, the business model for me, just after legalization, I'm just wondering, and legalization was prompted by medical marijuana, but we seem to have moved away from that.

What is, I mean, what is the the health impact?

Are we still looking at seeing are we seeing any um health improvements?

Are we seeing any reductions in any um negative health impacts in the community?

Are we seeing negative health impacts in the community as direct relate as a direct result of this?

How are youth faring uh with the legalization?

It is such a huge question of what is happening with cannabis right now, and it's so intertwined with so many other dynamics.

It the scope of this project is so much more narrow than that that it's really difficult.

Again, I would say for us, the questions about how concerns about health impacts, right?

About how the city of Detroit is trying to ban manage making sure that residents have access to that cannabis is not um playing a negative role in people's health within this like city of Michigan, how those concerns have shaped the policies, right?

So we we have the first aim of this project is to do a policy analysis.

Um look at how the cannabis policy has come to be in light of lawsuits that have happened around it, um, zoning ordinances, the debates about even allowing uh adult use, and see how those things sort of those concerns shape the kind of policy that takes place.

And then looking at the points of view of various stakeholders about what is come to be.

So um it is I think it's one maybe reframe is this is really a policy project, looking at how the policies have worked and not necessarily a health outcome study.

Is there a way since health, as we've determined, social equity does include health?

Is there a way to at least include in the report the questions we should be asking about health outcomes and health implications?

And say just although this report is focused here on the business um case and the policies around that, these are questions that a municipality should be looking at from a public health standpoint.

Yes, and that is part um of the project design.

So the third aim of the study is a stakeholder meeting where we would bring together various stakeholders around this project to both share what we find and then also gather their feedback on it.

And so there would be room for concerns around health impacts to be a part of the conversation and to be a part of the report.

Okay.

It's very helpful.

Thank you.

Madam Chair.

Yes, um, thank you, Member Benson.

Any other questions?

Is there a motion to bring this back in a week or two?

Um, pending the motion to bring back in two weeks, manager.

Okay, there's a motion to bring line item 11.8 back in two weeks.

Um are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

And Ms.

James, discussion.

And through yourself to um Creo to Attorney James, we'll be reaching out to uh have conversations regarding your uh feedback from your health implication conversation that you've had.

I'm interested in how those have gone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Thank you, um Professor Hindi and uh Miss James.

Thank you so much.

May I ask a question?

Yes, yes, Ms.

James.

Thank you.

So uh thank you.

I'm I'm on a meeting.

I can't.

Um sorry about that.

Um chair and through uh through the chair to the vice chair.

I just wanted to say that um I believe adding these public health questions to the scope of their contract is it would have to be rebid or you know, because it's was like a competitive bid situation, and so it's really expanding the scope.

Um, however, I would be happy to work with you to develop a scope of service for another study regarding public health as you have uh presented it.

And so I just wanted to make that you know make that known.

Discussion.

Member Benson?

And and thank you for that, attorney James.

I'm hoping that that wouldn't expand the scope because what I'm asking for is just questions that we should be asking, which I would hope would be something innocuous enough that that could be handled within the current scope.

I'm not asking for answers, but I'm what I am asking for is that as you go through your your information seeking as you do your research.

We're not asking these questions that you all, as part of this report and as part of the current scope, include questions that we should ask.

That could become part of a future scope of another report on the health impacts.

And so I'm hoping that that will be low-hanging fruit for the School of Public Health at the esteemed university of Michigan, that you all could easily add questions into a one-pager or two-page part of this report.

So I'm hoping that that does not change the scope and that there do that you don't have to um provide as much effort, or it's not a heavy lift just to give us the questions that you think we should be asking here that may become part of a future report if we were so inclined to bid out um a report of that nature.

And so then that question would be through yourself, Miss James, and then to uh the good doctor as well.

Is that uh you agree to that?

Or do we need to ask?

That makes sense to me.

I understand, I understand more clearly now what you're asking.

Okay, so I appreciate that.

And then I have one more question, madam chair.

Yes, Ms.

Um, what exactly are you looking for from my office before the next meeting?

I just want to make sure I know.

I know you said you had a report.

Um you said legal opinion, a legal opinion from the law department, and I'd like for my colleagues and um myself to have a copy of that so we can be informed because we're bringing this back in two weeks, and if we can get it prior to the two weeks, then we'll be um that much more knowledgeable and informed.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

Anything else from my colleagues?

All right, thank you, Miss James and um Professor Hindi.

Thank you so much.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you.

Now we are on um law department line item 11.9, submitting a report and proposed ordinance uh to amend chapter 45 of the 2019 Detroit City Code, direct TV franchise telecommunications.

Um I'm gonna ask um attorney Anderson to shed some light on this line item.

Through the chair Graham Anderson Law Department.

This is for the intro and setting of a public hearing for uh this direct TV franchise agreement ordinance.

We did something similar last year, I think it was about February, for Comcast.

This is essentially the exact same thing except for a different internet provider.

A lot of and I'll get more into this when we have the full scope of the public hearing due to lack of time, but a lot of this is because of state law.

We're we're kind of locked in it.

We can only charge this percentage here and this percentage there, and I'll get more into those details during the full public hearing.

But this is uh a very short ordinance, straightforward.

A lot of this is just required by state statute.

Thank you.

Discussion.

Uh member Benson.

All right, thank you.

And I appreciate that.

But for me, the the important conversation should happen before we introduce, just because once you introduce you pretty much lock yourself in to language.

So I like to the these conversations I like to have before we send it for introduction because what that's the time to make changes is before you introduce.

So then are are we prepared to have at least a brief um update on why we're doing this, why this is important?

Yes.

I mean, it's a very short ordinance.

I mean, so I think it's maybe five paragraphs.

Exactly.

Through through through the chair to council member Benson, this is um in need because the recent ten it's done in tenure blocks per state statute, and that tenure block recently expired.

So this is for uh the next tenure period.

That is why it is before this body now.

Um and I'm I'm happy to provide any other uh additional uh answers at this time.

Discussion, discussion, member Benson.

And then so is direct CV the only um operation that we do business with.

So we're giving them an exclusive contract for 10 years via ordinance.

Is that what's happening here?

Through the chair, no, this is just for that loan provider.

That is as I stated, we uh we had previously done almost uh word for word, very similar contract and very similar uh ordinance done with Comcast last year, um, but now the time for ex uh the it is expired recently for direct TV and now we need to renew it again.

So that's why it's before this body now.

How many of these do we have?

How many uniform video service local franchise agreements do we have?

Through the chair, I do not have that answer offhand, but I can absolutely have it uh for you shortly.

Okay, and then how many?

I mean, do we need a certain number?

Are we required by the federal government to have more?

If anybody wanted to come in, can they come in and say, hey, I want one as well?

Through the chair, I think the bigger issue would be maybe like a larger antitrust question that there's only so many providers that realistically could uh have the resources to be able to provide these type of services.

So I think it is just kind of the short number of the you know, the the the Comcast, the ATT, the direct TVs, the the kind of the big names that we know.

Um so for that reason, if you know somebody was ambitious and wanted to try to put something together, I think they could, but I think just realistically the uh the there's a lack of resources that it is essentially just kind of the big names that we know okay.

Okay, a question.

Um so do the having direct TV does it um does it benefit the residents?

Does it open for com you're shaking your head?

Yes, yes, correct.

This does.

This gives access to direct TV to the city residents for the city of Detroit.

And this is something that we know we're actually making money off.

The in we being the city of Detroit.

Yes.

Do we know how much money we're making?

Can we get a report on that as well?

Through the chair, I don't know what we made in the previous 10-year term, but the the we are locked in at how much we can charge, which is I believe five percent, and that's governed by uh state statue.

Um, to my colleagues' point, I hope we'll get a more thorough report.

Um so are we ready to move this out with a rec recommendation just to move it to um to formal to set a I guess a public hearing?

Is that correct?

Correct.

Discussion.

Discussion, remember?

I'd like to let the season for a week and then move it to formal.

That way we can get our information, and we're not moving in haste.

Not that we are, but I just believe that we should allow ordinances at least season for one week prior to moving for introduction.

That way we have an opportunity to ask questions and make changes prior to that introduction.

Through the chair, understood, council member Benson.

There's no uh tight timeline that this needs to move along, so that that's not a problem at all.

Happy to uh please uh re work with your teams to make sure all questions are addressed in the next week.

Okay, so before we act on that motion, um Mr.

Um Attorney Anderson, this is already expired two months ago, three months ago.

Correct.

So are they still providing services even though it's so they're still providing services even though this expired almost three 90 days ago?

Correct.

Okay.

Discussion.

Discussion.

Is there a holdover provision in the current correctness?

So there is a holdover provision.

I think that would go to my colleagues' concerns.

If you could just explain what that is, exactly.

There's because of that they know that um uh that this will be approved essentially, so it's not like you know, lights out.

We we shut people off that don't have access in the short term while this is being worked on.

Direct TV uh citizens of Detroit still have access to the internet and cable provider in the meantime.

Okay, and I know we still have the motion on floor to bring this back, but do we know between um Comcast and um Direct TV, how many residents are signed up with uh direct and how many are signed up with um Comcast?

Do we have any of that kind of information?

Any of that data?

Through the chair, I would have to reach out to media services.

I believe they may be able to uh get that information or or some other department, but uh I can start to begin to figure out what those uh statistics are.

Okay, um, member Benson, you had a uh motion on the floor to bring this back in a week.

I do just one last discussion.

Discussion?

And I know the ATT and Direct TV have a relationship.

Right.

We expecting ATT to come separately through the chair, I believe this is uh a package deal.

Okay, all right, thank you.

So motion to bring back.

Okay, motion to bring it back in a week.

Yes.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, um, line item 11.9 will be brought back in a week.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Thank you, Member Benson.

We are line item um 11.10, a settlement in the lawsuit allison patient transport for 7500 dollars.

There are motion there's been a motion to move line item 11.10 to um formal with a recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

11.11 settlement and the lawsuit of Charles Howard versus the City of Detroit Police Department Workers Compensation Claim.

This is a claim for 20 24,000.

24,500.

Is there a motion?

There's a motion to move line item 11.11 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

11.12 settlement in the lawsuit of Calvin Robbins versus the City of Detroit General Services Department.

Another workers' compensation claim for 24 for 24,500.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to move line item 11.12 to formal.

Is this the same as line item 11.16?

I have that in my notes.

Through the chair, no, I think that was just the magic number.

Okay.

All righty.

So are we do we have any objections on line item um 11.10?

Hearing none, that item um that action will be taken.

We are now on, I think.

Are we on line item 11.11?

13.

On 13.

Thank you, Madam Clerk and Member Miller.

Line item 11.13.

Settlement of lawsuit in Sayabon Flynn versus City of Detroit's fire fire department workers compensation.

Settlement is $20,000.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve line item 11.13.

Settlement 20,000.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Line item 114 1114.

Um Helen McFarland versus the City of Detroit.

Um Department of Transportation in the amount of $18,000.

Is there a motion for discussion or approval?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to approve line item 11.14.

Are there any objections?

No.

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Line item 11.15.

Settlement for Jalen Gresham versus the City of Detroit against the fire department in the amount of $7,500.

Is there a motion?

Motion is in the formal recommendation to approve.

Motion's been made to move line item 11.15 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Line item 11.16 settlement lawsuit of Jimmy Lamar Robbins the third against the City of Detroit's Department of Transportation.

Um the amount okay.

I'm looking at two different amounts.

I'm looking at uh it says 32,500 in parentheses, and then I'm looking at another amount for 24,500.

Um is there someone who can tell us which is the correct amount before we move this item?

Um member, I'm sorry, Mr.

Anderson.

Through the chair, I would ask for a one-week bring back just to confirm there's no rush on this lawsuit.

Okay, so um we don't know whether or not it is 32,000 or 24,000.

So there's a motion.

Well, there's a request to bring this back.

Is there a motion to bring it back in a week for clarification on the mounts?

Discussion.

This is 1116.

Yes.

Motion okay.

There's a motion to bring back line item 11 um point sixteen.

We've done get some clarification from um Mr.

Anderson and the law department.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Line item 11.17.

This is Landy Ak Akbar versus Joseph Buhold or Boujold and the City of Detroit.

Um this is um $35,000 in full payment for any and all claims that Landy Akbar may have against the city.

Uh traffic accident at 8 Mile and James Cousins in District 2.

Are there um is there a motion?

Motion to approve recommend approvals in the formal.

Okay, there's a motion to move line items 11.17 to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

That action will be taken.

Um line item 11.18.

This is a request for legal representation and indemnification for Corporal Jonathan Williams in the lawsuit of Claude Barnes versus the City of Detroit.

Greek town arrest of a motorcycle rider, etc.

Is there a motion?

Motion to send the formal recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Yeah, okay.

Hearing none, line item 11.18 will be moved to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Line item 11 point.

And that is legal represent representation and indemnification for detective Shabaka Dejarra in lawsuit of Rebecca Henzel versus the City of Detroit.

Is there a motion for approval or discussion?

Motion to approve recommend approval line item 1119.

Okay.

There's a motion to approve the representation and indemnification on line item 11.19.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Line item 11.20, legal representation and indemnification for retired investigator Donald Olson in a lawsuit of Dwayne Lamar.

Um and um both DPD and law recommend that the request for legal representation and demtification be denied.

Can we hear from the law department on this one?

Discussion.

Discussion.

Member Benson.

And then the law department.

Through the chair, Graham Anderson Law Department.

You are correct, Councilmember Chairwoman Callaway.

This is no recommendation from both law and DPD as such.

We would request a closed session to uh further dive into this matter.

Okay.

Closed session is being requested for line item 1120.

I'm gonna refer um defer to the um LPD.

Do we um leave the date open or do we um call for closed session in a matter of weeks?

Uh attorney by Barcliffe date to be determined or for closed session.

You can work with the president's office to um get a date that works for your the entire body.

Okay, thank you so much, ma'am.

There is um a request or recommendation that we um bring this back in a closed session date to be determined.

Motion motion any objections hearing none, line item 1120 will be back, will be brought back, and the close the date of the closed session will be determined.

Discussion, discussion member Benson for the edification of our residents and those who may be watching the reason for the closed session versus having a conversation because there's a recommendation of no as per the report.

I'm gonna believe that that report is public, but if we're looking for a closed session, that means we want to have a conversation about and why can we have a closed session?

Why are we doing in this situation?

If this please explain, yes, through the chair to Council Motor Budson.

That's a great question, Tadrick at the public on.

We're we're not allowed to go into closed session about just any topic.

There are we we can't just decide, oh, we don't want to talk about that.

This is a bad contract, the public doesn't like it.

Yeah, I know exactly.

Very frustrating.

Um so there are certain things that we are allowed to go into closed session and to discuss pending litigation is one of those matters.

In addition, um with the the Detroit police department, there is something in their union contract that if we are planning on polling indemnification and representation from them, they have the opportunity to advocate for their case, and that's where the closed session comes in.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

And thank you, Member Benson.

Um attorney Anderson, um, I'm I'm requesting that the law department provide an explanation for the denial recommendation.

I didn't see that.

Um so if you could provide the reasoning behind the denial for the representation, that will that would help me because it's a 222-page report um filled with information, but no memo explaining why this denial is being requested.

Absolutely.

I'll um I'll make that happen.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Thank you.

Um line item um so there's been a uh a motion to bring this back, date to be determined and set the closed session.

Line item 1121 submitting a resolution authorization for legal representation and demnification for retired police officer Joanne Miller in the lawsuit of Jimmy Baugh versus the City of Detroit and the law department and DPD is requesting um legal representation and indemnification.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to move line item 11.21 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Line item 1122, legal representation and demnification for retired Sergeant Randall Craig in lawsuit of Kia Stevens versus the city.

Oh, there's a motion to move line item 11.22 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Line item 1123, legal representation and demification for Sergeant Marcus Ways in lawsuit of Claude Barnes versus the City of Detroit.

Um is there a motion?

Motion to send a formal recommendation to approve.

There's been a motion to move line item 1123 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Line item 1124.

11.24 settlement in the lawsuit of MAC Avenue HCLC versus the City of Detroit.

This is a real interesting one.

Is there a motion?

And it's in the formal recommendation to approve.

There's a motion to look move line item 11.24 to formal with a recommendation for approval.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

All right.

Line item 11.25.

Um I think there needs to be a correction to the title.

This should say Northland radiology, but in the line it says lawsuit of Mac Avenue H C L L C.

Is that correct?

Should there be a um correction made with the title of the company?

Through the chair, you're correct, Councilmember Cow, I'd ask for a one-week bring back just to make sure all the T's are uh crossed and I started before we move that forward.

Okay, is there a motion to bring back line item 2020 1125?

Motion Okay, there's a motion to discussion.

Member Benson.

And you know what?

You know, we can make let this go through.

I'll ask my question afterwards.

No discussion on this line item.

Okay, no discussion.

Okay, so we're going to bring this back in a week.

Um, so we can fix the the title.

It's not MAC, it should be Northland.

Correct.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

We are now at legislative policy division.

Discussion discussion.

Member Benson.

Madam Chair, through yourself to the law department andor LPD.

Who is keeping score on these?

We see well over a million dollars of settlements, maybe half a million dollars of settlements every session.

And I know that we have a budget line item that funds these line items.

Do we get a quarterly biannual annual report indicating this is where we ended up, this is where we are right now, danger.

Um we're doing better than usual.

Are we keeping score on these amounts?

Through the chair to uh council member Benson.

That that is a fantastic question.

The answer is yes.

There is a risk management report that is uh comes out quarterly.

If anything, I can make sure that it's uh directed.

Um I'll highlight it to make sure uh you have it.

Um but but you you you are correct that the this is something that is you know, this is a lot of money we're talking about here, and if anything, this was one of the smaller days, even though there was a lot of lawsuits, most of them were smaller ticket items, um, so to speak, even though it does sound like a lot of money in in terms of litigation, we know these can get a lot higher, unfortunately.

So there absolutely is a risk management report where this is broken down, and I'll I'll make sure that's directed to you, and that's also something that um I would not be opposed to uh myself or I don't know if corporation council would want to present uh to this body at some point in the near future as well.

Thank you.

Discussion member Benson report privilege at all.

I believe so, but let me confirm.

Okay, and if it's not privileged, I'd like to make this a regular part of this body once that report is submitted or released that it come to this body so that we can keep an eye on where we are on these numbers.

And I know that we do this annually, but I also want to make sure that we're keeping account here because it becomes so easy just to say, oh recommend approval, ten thousand dollars, million dollars.

But we should at least respect the the the taxpayer dollars enough to keep account of where we are, and there should be a recommendation that we need to look at.

We we are beyond our runway, we are burning faster than we should.

We just need to keep track of what these numbers look like.

We've made the request that HR in negotiations look at how they can incentivize a more thoughtful operation of our employees daily who come into contact with these O D dot um fire department, police department.

Uh how are we doing with that?

I would like us to measure this.

We need a metric to show how we can try to have a positive impact and reduce this number.

Through through the chair, absolutely.

I I couldn't agree more, Councilmember Benson.

And a lot of this, I know I've had this discussion with uh chair uh person uh Callaway as well.

That uh a lot of this is not just City of Detroit problem, but a uh a statewide problem when it comes to the no fault statue, for example.

If you go to the other side of the building, the probably 80 percent of all lawsuits are no fault matters.

So this is something that's not just a city of Detroit problem, it's a state of Michigan problem.

But but that said, um, but one thing that we don't highlight enough to, and I would like to highlight for this body and the city residents is we don't see when we want a motion to dismiss a case.

And you know, there's zero dollars we end up paying.

We we only see you know the settlements and and and things like that.

And sometimes the settlements are very good news, too.

You know, maybe we settled for $10,000, but they were asking for $500,000.

So that's something I like to point out uh to the public as well, too.

But but I I would absolutely welcome a further discussion with more details.

Thank you, council member.

Do you madam chairs?

That's my recommendation.

I'm hoping that you would take that up and set that for your committee moving forward so we can at least keep track of this.

I think every three months is a is a good timeline.

Well, Member Benson, if I may say this, um you are um singing to the choir, um, and we um have a uh checkbook around here that I don't believe we balance all the time.

I think we just write checks in terms of settling cases in the millions.

And um, welcome to the wonderful world of the internal operations standing committee, sir.

And um, I have just found out from you about a week or so ago.

This is your first time serving on this um on this um committee.

So so welcome, sir.

Welcome, sir.

It's a pleasure to be here.

I'm gonna go upstairs on the roof and see if the the money tree is growing this year.

Yeah, we're gonna need you to do that.

We're gonna need you to do that.

But I'm going to be I'm gonna make it official.

Um, so I don't know if this is a motion for a task, I don't know, assignment, but regular, maybe quarterly risk management reports.

I've not received one.

Um, and I think that's wonderful idea, so we can see where we are in terms of all of these lawsuits because they pretty much come from DPD and D DOT on a regular and the millions, and um and now with all these reverse conviction cases and those multiple multiple millions on top of millions, we kind of need to know where we are.

So um a regular risk management report um is being requested, maybe on our quarterly basis or monthly basis, quarterly basis.

Um, and um I do three months, four months, whatever that is.

Some people say every three months that's a quarter.

So however you want to do that, but that would be January 1st, maybe March, maybe right after the um budget.

Through the chair, I look forward to working with your staff to make sure um uh a good presentation and coordination date that works for everyone is acceptable.

Thank you.

We know you're gonna do your best.

Thank you.

Okay, uh for the discussion, member further discussion, member Benson.

And this would be an opportunity for the law department and HR to shine.

So there can be accolades provided um this quarterly operation, or there can be some chastising at this and and some incentives to improve performance.

Maybe I'll say it that way.

Improved performance.

That's that's great.

I look forward to the opportunity.

We're we're looking forward to you shining shining like a star, um, uh, Mr.

Anderson with these wonderful quarterly regular risk management reports.

Um now where we we we were at 1126.

I'm getting all over the Madam Chair.

Yes, Madam has already received and filed.

Yes.

And line items 11.27 and 28 will move to formal.

Thank you.

Thank you for keeping us on track.

11.27 is the creation of the Detroit City Council domestic violence task force.

I think we've already addressed that.

Did we not, Mr.

King, through LPD?

Yes, you have.

Okay, so we've already addressed that one.

Um line item 1128.

Um, this is the re-establishment of the Detroit City Council Human and Sex Trafficking Task Force.

Um, member um Mr.

King The resolution is also attached to this item.

So is that a receive and file?

Uh this is uh you would move this to the formal for approval.

Is there a motion for to move 11.28 to formal with a recommendation for approval?

Motion.

Motion are any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Thank you very much.

Now we are on um line item 11.29.

Member Benson.

All right, thank uh discussion.

Discussion.

Thank you.

Uh and this is a resolution written by my office to waive privilege.

I thought we did this last year, but we neglected to do this.

And so we're looking at waive privilege on the Kronos opinion, and this is something that was requested uh back in November of last year.

And so this is just to uh finalize this process.

And so this is a um motion.

So the motion is to send a formal recommendation to approve the a resolution to waive attorney client privilege for the 25 October Kronos concrete opinion and just further discussion.

And so I my office, we've done a number of these, but we always talk to the law department to make sure if they have an issue, then why do you have an issue?

Um Member Benson, we don't support this.

Too bad.

Why do you have an issue?

Well, too bad.

Or Member Benson, we don't support because of this reason.

Okay, that makes a lot of sense.

We're not going to move forward with that.

Or Member Benson, we don't care.

This is fine.

We want the public to understand that opinion.

And so this is a situation where the law department has said no problem.

We don't have an issue with you releasing this, and so we're all on the same page.

That doesn't always happen.

And this time it did just wanted to give that to my colleagues.

So my motion is to uh uh move to form with the recommendation to approve.

There's been a motion to move line item 11.29 to formal with a recommendation for approval.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Now we are on the miscellaneous session.

Discussion again.

Opinions, once they're submitted, they belong to the body.

And so it's no longer an individual's opinion.

They go to the body, which is why these go to formal versus coming to me personally and saying, Hey, councilman, you want to remove privilege?

Sure.

No, it's no longer mine.

This belongs to the body, and so which is why it needs to go through this process.

Just want to clarify that for the for the for the public.

That these don't belong to us, they belong to our body, and so my recommendation is that the body um remove privilege here.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um, Member Benson.

We are now um almost heading to the end of the agenda.

Hopefully, we can do it in maybe one minute.

Line item 11.30.

Councilmember Benson.

Uh motion to bring back in two weeks.

This is a discussion.

Motion bring back in two weeks.

This is a memo that I've submitted regarding the ability of the Detroit Public Library to issue bonds.

What is the what is the rules of the road?

Is it have to come through the city of Detroit or can they do that themselves?

And so I'm just looking for information on the process to legal process to get that done.

Okay, there's a motion to bring back in two weeks.

Line item 11.30.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Line item 1131, submitting a resolution to establish the home preservation and foreclosure prevention task force.

Member Miller motion motion to approve or motion to approve, moving to formal.

Okay.

There's been a motion to I'm gonna uh defer to um LPD.

We can just move this to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Okay.

There's been a motion to uh move line item 1131, which is the establishment of the home preservation and foreclosure prevention task force by the honorable Renata Miller.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

And the same with the line item 11.32, the establishment of the children and youth task force on truancy and curve violations.

Is there a motion for approval?

Motion.

There's been a motion to approve the establishment of the children and youth task force on truancy and curfew violations.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 1133, reappointment of Julie Castone to the property tax border review to represent City Council District 5.

Discussion discussion.

Um before um discussion.

Miss Barclay, Madam Chair, you really need to take up 11.36 first before you take up 11.33.

Before 33.

Okay, so before we take up member Benson.

You can either do it yourself or we see the chair is here to recess and allow them to gavel in, take a recess, and then we need to uh call this committee back to order.

Okay, member um Denzel um McCampbell.

Want to recess to the call of the chair, or do I?

You recess to the call the chair.

Okay, recess to the call of the chair for um member Denzel McCampbell to come in.

For budget.

Good afternoon, sir.

Member McCamp, you'll re you'll call it order, recess the call as chair, and then we'll come back to order.

All right.

Okay.

Okay, okay.

All right.

All right.

Uh we'll call the 1 p.m.

budget financial audit um committee meeting to order, and then we'll recess the budget finance and audit committee meeting to the call of the chair.

Yes, and will the clerk please call the role.

Council member Dizel Anton McCampbell.

Present.

House member Letitia Johnson.

Council member Mary Waters.

Mr.

Chair, you do not have a quorum present.

I still call it.

Since I don't have a present.

So we will recess the call of the chair.

So if we don't have a quorum present, we'll recess at the call of the chair.

Thank you.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Excellent.

Okay.

We will call back to order the internal operations standing committee meeting.

Clerk called roll.

And the clerk shall call the roll.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway.

Is that House Member Scott Benson?

Benson and I.

Councilmember Renata Miller.

I'm sure you have a quorum.

Thank you so much, madam chair.

We are back at line item 11.36, the removal of Maria Mohammed from the property tax board of review representing city council district five.

Do I defer to LPD?

Or do we do that?

Just take action on this now.

Just take action on that item.

Okay.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion.

Discussion.

I've never seen us remove somebody.

Is this I didn't know this is an option?

We can remove people.

Yes, you can remove people.

Um each board though has a different set of circumstances on which you can remove some um of your appointees may only be removed for cause.

This is not one of those times.

Oh so that they can be removed.

I think typically we do not do that, but I mean it is a possibility under certain circumstances.

I appreciate the option.

Thank you.

Okay, so we're moving line item 1136 to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

We will move back to line item 11.33.

Submitting a resolution for the re we've done castone.

Oh, we're doing it now.

Okay, reappointment of Julie Castone to the property tax board of review to represent district five.

Miss Barcliff.

It should be it should re actually appointment of Julie Jess um Castone instead of reappointment.

Okay.

Um but otherwise you can go for it.

Okay.

So I'll repeat that.

Line item 11.33.

This is for the appointment of Julie Castone to the property tax board of review to represent District 5.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to um send line item 11.33 for the re for the appointment of Julie Castone to the property tax board of review.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 1134 to establish a mental health and public safety task force.

Is there a motion?

There's been a motion to uh move to formal with a recommendation for approval, the establishment of the mental health and public safety task force.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

And then also 1135, the appointment of Todd Taylor to the entertainment commission submitted by member Renata Miller.

Is there a motion?

There's a motion to move the appointment of Todd Taylor to the entertainment commission to formal with the recommendation to approval.

Are there any objections?

No.

Hearing none that action shall be taken.

Line item 1136 through we've done that.

Line item 1137, Councilmember Letitia Johnson submitting a memorandum requesting a draft uh resolution to establish the equitable development task force.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to move line item 1137 to the um formal with the recommendation for approval.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none that action shall be taken.

Line item 11.38, Councilmember Waters submitting a memorandum requesting a formal legal opinion from LPD on the legality of paying stipends to members of the tenants rights commission.

Is there a motion or should we hear from LPD?

To the chair.

Um we request one week for this assignment.

Is there a motion to bring this line item back in a week?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring this line item back in a week, which is line item 1138.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Is there a motion to suspend members' reports?

Uh madam chair.

Yes.

Just one thing.

I know we're trying to wrap up.

Yes, attorney Keller.

There was a to the chair.

There was a line item from last week from member waters.

It was a memo regarding the removal of Scott Bowman from the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Um it's come to our attention in the last week that the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act.

Uh MCL 125.3301, section eight.

States that uh BZA member cannot be an elected officer.

And so uh Mr.

Bowman will not be able to sit on the BZA.

Uh if it's the will of the body, we can we can draft a resolution for removal.

Is there a motion?

There's a motion to draft the resolution reming Mr.

Scott Bowman that he is unable to serve on the BZA because he's an elected official.

Are there any objections?

No.

Anything else, Attorney Keller?

To the chair, no, that's it.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

So is there a uh motion to suspend members' reports?

Motion motion.

There's a motion to suspend members' reports.

Okay.

Sorry.

Okay, that's okay.

Um slow.

I'm sorry.

I would rescind my motion.

Okay, the motion has been rescinded to um suspend members' report.

Member Miller.

Yeah, uh district five is having their thank you.

District five is having their first community kickoff today at the Considine.

That's 8901 Woodward, the first district five community kickoff.

Please come meet the new staff that's representing district five.

Ask questions.

Uh we're gonna be um taking everyone's information down, and we would like to see you today at six o'clock.

It's between six to eight, district five first community kickoff.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Anything else?

Okay, I you know what I'm gonna have one as well.

So just our free workshops, please come out for our free life and legacy planning workshops.

That's estate planning.

And so we have upcoming workshop dates.

That's February twelfth at four PM.

This is in person at Central Detroit Christian, which is on Taylor Street in Detroit.

We also have two virtual um workshops coming up at 5 30 p.m.

on March 19th.

This will be hosted by human uh Matrix Human Services, and we have an April twelfth, excuse me, April 2nd at 10 a.m.

virtual workshop hosted by Wayne Metro.

Please come out February twelfth, March 19th, and April 2nd for your free life and legacy planning workshops.

We can lead to actual free estate planning services, which are worth about four thousand dollars on the economy.

Thank you.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Is there any other um information to come before this committee?

If not, is there a motion to adjourn?

Okay, there's been a motion to adjourn, and this meeting stands adjourned.

Thank you all so much.