Detroit Internal Operations Committee Meeting – January 28, 2026
Detroit Internal Operations Committee Meeting – January 28, 2026
The Internal Operations Standing Committee met on January 28, 2026, with a quorum present. The meeting included an invocation, public comments from 11 callers, interviews for the Human Rights Commission, and action on numerous agenda items including reappointments, task force resolutions, settlements, and contract approvals.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of minutes from previous meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Miss Ellis: Called attention to audit findings on the Morant plant and HOME project, cited material weaknesses and non-compliance with Ryan White HIV funding, and criticized the Corporation Counsel’s handling of the queue line privatisation.
- William M. Davis: Spoke in opposition to the reappointment of Conrad Mallet (Corporation Counsel), citing questionable practices, losses in cases, and conflicts of interest at the Board of Police Commissioners.
- Mr. Cunningham: Thanked Councilwoman Callaway for past support, urged public to buy bus tickets and hand warmers for those in need during cold weather.
- Charles Miles: Reported a 10-year property tax misapplication issue that the city has not fixed, leading to potential eviction. Councilwoman Callaway provided her office number for follow-up.
- Javan Dodate Smith: Opposed reappointment of Conrad Mallet, alleging a job offer of $35,000 as a bribe, and referenced $1.5 billion in uncollected funds via the law department. Also criticized a $109 million grant for green light cameras without Police Commission approval.
- Phone number ending in 039 (Angela Callaway): Expressed frustration with city corruption and questioned the appointment processes.
- Betty A. Varner (President of DeSoda Ellsworth Black Association): Provided information on sliding-fee health and dental services at Nolan Family Health Center.
- Detroit Charter Section 7.5 (Miss Warwick): Criticised the lack of a proper health department and misallocation of ARPA funds, and urged council not to reappoint Corporation Counsel Mallet.
- To hear Amad (Coalition for Property Tax Justice): Detailed proposed improvements to property tax assessment notices, including date clarity, reason for value changes, and poverty tax exemption percentages.
- C. Gina Brown: Requested updates on a lawsuit against slumlords and an audit of the Detroit Land Bank. Called for roll call votes on all appointments.
Discussion Items
- Human Rights Commission Interviews (11.1–11.4): Four candidates were interviewed: Dr. Jeffrey Robinson (District 2), William Ross (District 6), Sunil Singh (District 6, reappointment), and Bishop Darryl Harris (District 3, reappointment). All expressed commitment to fighting discrimination and supporting inclusion. Motions to move their resolutions to formal session were approved.
- Domestic Violence Task Force (10.1) and Human Trafficking Task Force (10.2): Resolutions attached to later items were moved to formal session with approval recommendations.
- Executive Organization Plan Amendment (10.3): Scheduled for further discussion in one week; a public hearing will be set by the full council. Council has until April 7, 2026 to act.
- Reappointments (10.4–10.10): Several mayoral appointments (Human Resources Director, Fire Commissioner, etc.) were moved to formal session with a recommendation to approve.
- Public Lighting Authority (PLA) Board Appointments (11.5): CEO Bo Taylor presented the need for a board to approve a new lighting plan that would add 3,000–4,500 lights in residential neighborhoods with $10–13 million in capital and $1.4 million annual operating costs. Interviews for the three mayoral candidates (Butch Hollowell, Robert Brown, Keith Williams) were scheduled for February 4, 2026. Council will seek nominations for the two at-large and finance professional positions by February 6, 2026, with interviews on February 11.
- Clark Hill Contract (11.6): Brought back in one week at the request of the chair for further questions.
- Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turkle Contract (11.7): Authorization for legal representation in a reverse conviction matter; moved to formal with approval.
- University of Michigan Cannabis Social Equity Study (11.8): Brought back in two weeks after discussion about including health impact questions. Council requested the law department’s legal opinion on using cannabis excise tax funds.
- Direct TV Franchise Agreement (11.9): Brought back in one week for further information on revenue and subscriber numbers.
- Settlements and Indemnifications (11.10–11.25): Most were approved, including settlements for workers’ compensation and traffic accidents. Line item 11.16 (Jimmy Lamar Robbins) was brought back for amount clarification, and 11.20 (Donald Olson) was referred to a closed session for further discussion. 11.25 (Northland Radiology) was brought back for title correction.
- Risk Management Reports: Council member Benson requested quarterly risk management reports from the Law Department to track settlement costs. The request was agreed upon.
- Task Forces Established: Resolutions for a Domestic Violence Task Force (11.27), Human Trafficking Task Force (11.28), Home Preservation and Foreclosure Prevention Task Force (11.31), Children and Youth Task Force on Truancy and Curfew (11.32), Mental Health and Public Safety Task Force (11.34), and Equitable Development Task Force (11.37) were all moved to formal session with approval recommendations.
- Other Actions: Waiver of privilege on the Kronos opinion (11.29) approved. Appointment of Julie Castone to the Property Tax Board of Review (11.33) approved. Removal of Maria Mohammed from the same board (11.36) approved. Appointment of Todd Taylor to Entertainment Commission (11.35) approved. Removal of Scott Bowman from BZA due to elected official status was directed to draft a resolution.
Key Outcomes
- Human Rights Commission: Four candidates forwarded to full council for approval.
- Public Lighting Authority: Interview schedule set for February 4 and 11, with nominations due February 6.
- Contracts and Settlements: Multiple contracts and settlements approved (totaling over $100,000) with some deferred for further review.
- Task Forces: Seven new task forces authorized to address domestic violence, human trafficking, foreclosure, truancy, mental health, and equitable development.
- Risk Management: Quarterly reports will be brought to the committee.
- Scott Bowman Removal: Resolution to be drafted for removal from BZA due to elected official prohibition.
Meeting Transcript
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.
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