Detroit City Council Regular Session - February 10, 2026

The Detroit City Council convened for a regular session on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 10:00 AM. The meeting opened with an invocation by Pastor David A. Johnson II, followed by roll call, approval of the journal, and referral of committee reports. The council heard public comments from 10 in-person speakers and 15 online participants, addressing a wide range of issues including transit, public safety, property taxes, housing, and demolitions. The council then considered numerous resolutions, including contracts, grants, and policy items, with significant discussion on lactation pods, firefighter uniforms, emergency demolitions, and the Leland House displacement. Several items were postponed, referred to committees, or approved with waivers.

Consent Calendar

• The journal of the session of January 27, 2026, was approved without objection.
• Committee reports from Budget, Finance, and Audit; Internal Operations; Planning and Economic Development; and Public Health and Safety were referred to their respective standing committees.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Brother Cunningham (in-person) requested council members to inspect bus stops for snow clearance and urged undercover bus ride-alongs. He thanked council members for hand warmers and highlighted transit unreliability.
• Fidel L (in-person) criticized the council for lack of attention to Black issues, citing water drain fees, crime, and the recent shooting of a woman. He accused the council of being corrupt and ineffective.
• Claude Norwood (Grand River Community Block Club) spoke about unsafe conditions at transit centers, lack of response from city officials, and the formation of a new CAC task force to address residents' concerns.
• Gloria McCowling (in-person) sought clarification on buying adjacent land bank lots and issues with her address not being recognized.
• Betty Lyons (in-person) raised concerns about over $600 million in overpaid property taxes, corruption by Duggan and Dana Nessel, and poor snow removal at bus stops. She also mentioned senior elevator issues and falling at a bus stop.
• Adam Barrett (Southwest Detroit, Moratorium Now Coalition) reflected on the one-year anniversary of two children freezing to death, criticized child poverty (51% spike), shelter conditions, and the city's $100 million surplus not spent on housing. He asked for updates on Flock surveillance cameras.
• Ronald Foster (in-person) urged council to use love and resources, not extortion, in community policing. He noted civil rights lawsuits are up despite crime numbers being down, and called for investigative powers.
• Denita Ramsey (Barbecue Central, lifelong Detroit resident) sought clarity on economic development for the West Side (Seven Mile corridor), stating she has never received support from the city despite seven years in business. She asked for a district business liaison and funding.
• Lamicia Lee (in-person) expressed support for the council and Mayor Sheffield, advocated for reparations, and suggested escalators instead of broken elevators in senior buildings.
• Online callers included:
  • William M. Davis: criticized police shootings, FOIA delays, and the lack of tax on Little Caesars Arena.
  • An unnamed caller prayed for Brother Cunningham.
  • Betty Warner (Soda Elsworth Block Association) shared a DTE zero-percent loan program for small businesses and churches, and asked for budget allocations for block clubs to purchase vacant lots.
  • Darren McCluskey: reported recovery of stolen furnace/hot water heater from MLK Homes via air tag tracking, thanks to police response.
  • A caller (Stop the Legal Nuisance Abatement) argued the nuisance abatement program violates the Takings Clause, and criticized the city's use of eminent domain for solar farms.
  • Casey Peller (Detroit Disability Power, District 4) advocated for improved paratransit, a transit ambassador team, and urged implementation of the paratransit improvement study from last year's budget.
  • Frank Hammer (Coalition for Property Tax Justice) recommended five pillars: replace tax assessor, enforce property tax reform ordinance, stop overassessing lower-value homes, protect owner-occupied exemptions, and return overpaid taxes.
  • Mappy Heard: questioned the disparity study (CREO) that was not done, and raised concerns about bond funds and city spending.
  • Sahira Ahmad: highlighted Black History Month and overassessment of low-value homes (84% overassessed), and thanked council for the Rx Kids program.
  • James Chandler: supported his petition (agenda item 20.2.09) for constitutional rights and transparency.
  • KT Moreno (Byrne Seneca Fisher Block Club, D4) advocated for increased funding for water/sewer sinkhole repairs and direct grants to block clubs.
  • Cina Brown Anderson: criticized the council's body language, asked about property value increases and the 2.7% cap, and questioned the purpose of neighborhood managers.
  • Stephen Rimmer (Detroit Tenants Union) called for the immediate public acquisition of the Leland House via eminent domain for permanently affordable housing, citing rent increases (46% vs 11% income) and displacement.
  • Cindy Darr: suggested neighborhood cooperatives to manage condemned houses, referencing a radio show on housing.

Discussion Items

• Lactation Pods (Line Item 19.12): The council discussed a contract for six lactation pods to be placed in recreation centers, hospitals, and community partners. Questions arose about location selection, maintenance, policing of usage, and oversight. The council postponed the item for one week to allow the administration to provide more details on locations and grant requirements.
• Firefighter Uniforms (Line Item 19.13): Councilmember Young inquired about incorporating smart clothing technology (biometric sensors, GPS) into uniforms. The fire department deputy commissioner confirmed the current contract is for standard station wear and dress uniforms, but noted he is exploring smart clothing at an upcoming conference. The item was approved.
• Emergency Demolitions (Line Items 19.1-19.11): Councilmembers Johnson, Miller, and others expressed concerns about properties being demolished that could be rehabilitated, citing instances of demolition fraud and lack of council engagement. A motion was passed to request a memo from the Buildings, Safety, Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) on the emergency demolition process.
• Leland House and Real Token Properties (Sturtevant and Lawton): The council heard from the Law Department and Housing and Revitalization Department (HRD) about the Leland House bankruptcy and displacement of tenants. HRD is providing relocation assistance. Councilmember Santiago Romero made a motion to assign reports to the Law Department (LPD) regarding housing solutions, including tenant ownership and cooperative models. The motion passed.
• Gordie Howe International Bridge (Line Item 18.1): A contract for rehabbing a property near the bridge was approved. Councilmembers questioned whether the project is affected by potential delays or federal commentary. The administration agreed to follow up.
• CDBG NOF Schedule: The schedule was pulled from committee and placed on new business for discussion. Director Todd noted an email regarding conflict of interest processes.
• Artificial Intelligence, Smart Cities, and Internet of Things (Motion by Councilmember Young): Councilmember Young moved to have LPD produce a report on AI, smart cities, and IoT, and their impact on governance. The motion passed.

Key Outcomes

• Approved items (with waivers):
  • Line items 16.2-16.5 (resolutions from Budget, Finance, and Audit)
  • Line items 17.1 (mayoral resolution), 17.2-17.4 (contracts for law, IT, housing), 17.7-17.18 (lawsuits and indemnifications, with objections to 17.14, 17.16, 17.18 noted), 17.19-17.20 (HRD classification), 17.22-17.24 (resolutions), 18.1 (bridge rehab), 18.2 (zoning map correction), 18.3 (NEZ exemption), 18.4 (property sale), 19.1-19.11 (emergency demolitions), 19.13-19.14 (fire uniforms and vehicle repair), 19.15 (postponed from last week), 21.1-21.4 (mayoral resolutions), 21.5-21.6 (DDOT payment terms and emergency shelter beds), 21.7 (Joe Louis Greenway), 21.8-21.9 (grant applications), 31.1 (testimonial resolution).
• Postponed items:
  • Line item 18.5 (property sale at 7001 Finkel) postponed one week for councilmember review.
  • Line item 19.12 (lactation pods) postponed one week for additional location and grant details.
• Referred items:
  • Line item 20.1 (James Chandler petition) referred to Budget, Finance, and Audit.
  • A walk-on resolution for a plant rehabilitation certificate (BD Ventures Studio LLC) referred to Planning and Economic Development.
  • A report from Internal Operations (line item 23.11) referred to Public Health and Safety.
• Removed items:
  • Line item 17.21 (duplicate of 17.1) removed.
  • Line item 26.2 (contract removed due to tax clearance issues).
• Motions for reports:
  • Memo requested on emergency demolition process.
  • Memo to LPD regarding housing solutions (tenant ownership, cooperatives).
  • Report assigned to LPD on artificial intelligence, smart cities, and internet of things.
• Directives:
  • HRD will notify city council members when multi-unit buildings are vacated for relocation.
  • The administration will provide written responses on Gordie Howe Bridge concerns and Leland House updates.
• Public hearings:
  • A public hearing date for line item 17.6 (ordinance) to be determined.
• Waivers:
  • Waivers granted for items 17.1, 17.23, 17.24, 18.2, 18.4, 21.5, 21.6, 21.8, 21.9.

Member Reports

• Councilmembers announced upcoming district meetings, community events, and programs including Rx Kids (baby cash support), skilled trade meeting, town halls on deed fraud, and count day for schools.
• Councilmember Miller reported a community meeting on February 24 and a town hall on February 28.
• Councilmember Santiago Romero reported District 6 office hours, monthly meeting, and skate night.
• Councilmember Waters reported town halls, skilled trade meeting, and thanked media.
• Councilmember Johnson reported monthly community meeting on February 16 with discussion on home repair and property tax prevention.
• Councilmember McCampbell announced a city council evening community meeting on February 17 and senior garbage fee discount applications.
• Council President Tate wished his mother a happy birthday and acknowledged Councilmember Santiago Romero's upcoming birthday.