Councilmember Renata Miller.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway.

Mr.

Chair, we have quorum.

Fantastic.

I'm sure the chair will be here shortly.

Let's go into public comments.

Who do we have today for public comment?

We have anybody for public comment today.

No.

Good morning, Member Vincent.

There are five hands raised.

Okay.

Let's uh do two minutes and we'll shut off public comment in two minutes.

Who's first our first caller is Owner Papa.

Papa, you have two minutes.

All right, Papa, can you hear us?

Let's go to our next person.

Our next caller is Betty A.

Varner.

All right, Miss Varner, you have two minutes.

Good morning to all within the sound of my voice.

I'm Betty A.

Varner, president of the Soda Ellsworth Block Association.

I'm here today.

Um I done started my routine talking about the budget.

So I'm humbly asking that the uh council will consider uh allocating monies to help uh associations and black clubs with the projects that's in there um that they're working on in their community.

Uh we are needing help for the land use hearing.

Um personally, our uh black club and I know there's other black clubs that could use the help.

We are in the process of uh, well, when the weather breaks, cleaning up additional land that we have purchased to uh expand the park, the diva community park that we have created, and we would like to uh have playground equipment on this new land, and we have to have a land use hearing to get the approval of the city of Detroit.

My understanding is uh it would be BC, the BC department, and the cost is fifteen hundred dollars.

Now we have been asked to uh buy up this these vacant lots that's in our community clean them up.

Miss Varner, can you hear my voice?

Yes, I can.

Good morning.

This is Councilmember Callaway.

I'm gonna pause you right there.

I'm gonna ask Miss Ellis.

Um, where's the time on the screen?

We just see the um we just see the audience here, but where's the time on the screen?

We just see the audience.

I don't see the I don't see the time okay, thank you.

Ms.

Member, can you see the timer?

We can see the timer now.

You can proceed, Ms.

Varner, and thank you.

And forgive us for the um interruption.

Okay, Miss Varner, you still have a minute and nine seconds.

I don't want to shut off all the time.

All right, thank you.

So I would I'm just asking for consideration to allocate monies to help us pay for the land use hearing.

That is a requirement.

And that uh cost, my understanding is uh $1,500.

That wreaks havoc on uh small black clubs and associations.

Uh we have been asked to uh clean up these uh vacant lots and make them useful, and that is what a lot of black clubs are trying to do.

So please consider allocating monies to help us pay for this land use hearing.

And also if you are a uh small business or church, DTE has a program for zero percent loan.

You can get up to two hundred thousand dollars.

The number is eight five five seven four eight two five two five eight five five seven four eight two five two five.

This loan is to help you renovate and repair your properties.

Hello, uh, my name is Sharon Elizabeth Sexton, and I will be talking to you in a few minutes.

But basically, my comment has to do with a petition I had.

Hold on, just give me one minute.

Um, Miss Ellis, can you start the clock, please?

It's still at two.

And if you all could please correct the issues that are going on.

Thank you.

Miss Sexton?

Yeah, I'm not going to take two minutes, so you don't have to worry about me going over the time.

But basically, I had made a petition um back, I think in October, dealing with talking to the council about the gateway to Freedom Monument.

And um, I I heard that it went through some of the um, you know, the the the path they had it need to go to, but I never heard anything, and I never did make my presentation.

So I needed to know do I need to reapply, or will that um petition be re-examined.

You are you done?

Because you know, I'm everything black history in Detroit, and I definitely would like to invite the council to come to Camp Ward on June the 6th.

And if if you remember, Camp Ward is where the black soldiers trained for the Civil War.

Well, for the last four or five years, we've been having an event there.

It's going to be bigger this year.

We're including Elmwood Cemetery and the Deaffield Elementary School, which is now the Bunch Elementary School.

We're gonna have an open open house.

That is now that school itself is like 104, 105 years old.

So um, I would like to have you all come out.

And we are looking for people to be on our board.

So if any of you are interested in black history, I invite you to be on our board.

And basically that's it.

I could talk forever, but that's basically it for public clear hearing.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much, Miss Sexton.

Thank you so much.

Okay, the next caller is the next caller.

The next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

Davis, you have two minutes, and good morning, sir.

Uh good morning.

Can I be heard?

You can.

Well, young people, I think it would be good if the city was moving towards doing more to make sure each department cut the number of lawsuits and cut the number of uh indemnifications.

You know, there's far too many.

Uh, you know, I'm older than all of y'all.

I remember during Coleman Young's time when he was mayor, that there was efforts to do that.

Also, I remember having dialogical, you know, slices where you have a cross-section of employees meet periodically and come up with recommendations to reduce costs and to make things more profitable for the city.

You know, I you know, and I know a lot of that stuff has not been going on for the past 15 years or more.

But you know, uh, there's a whole lot more we could do to help reduce costs, uh, reduce the number of losses, and you know, and and make more incentives.

You know, right now, I think, you know, as you may or may not know, I was a polected police commissioner four years ago.

But you know, I I think we we would do a whole lot better if we had more incentives for more of our police officers to actually live in the city.

You know, we got over 75 of the rank and file police officers don't live in the city, and over 85 of the command staff don't live in the city.

You know, so that's uh we're losing dollars, and people that don't live in the city may not be as understanding of what it is to live in the city of Detroit because right now we still have uh young people being bum rushed at gas stations and stores and stuff, you know, being searched illegally and patted down.

You know, we still have officers that are shooting unarmed black women.

You know, we there's a whole lot more we need and should be doing.

Uh that's why I was so much against uh Conrad Mallard being retained.

Anybody that suit, you know, like say to try to sue protesters and don't act on protesters being shot or uh or legal reserves being you know shot at and harassed, I don't think should be in the position of authority.

Hopefully, y'all will have a good day and do more for city to chart retirees.

Thank you.

Thank you, uh Mr.

Davis, and again, public comment is now closed.

Public comment is now closed.

The next caller is the next caller is on a owner papa.

Owner Popper, you have two minutes.

You have two minutes.

Oh my god.

Uh good morning, and through the chair, may I be heard?

You can be heard.

Thank you.

Um yes, Mr.

Um Williams uh Davis makes a um a good point about uh how you can attract people to the city of Detroit, police officers.

One of the things I think you can do, you're good at writing ordinances.

We should write an ordinance that if you don't live in the city of Detroit, then you don't get the training that the people who live in the city, the police officers who live in the city.

I think you'll find more people amenable to moving back to the city if they're not being uh trained for things that I'm paying for and they're going to another community.

I think that would help um a lot.

It would go a long way.

Um 12.4 is a million dollars for parking.

The first one is a solution to police officers living outside of the city.

Does this one is for the residents?

When we come down to the city council, uh there should be a validation process.

If we can pay a million dollars for employees parking, then you can you can spring for um validation of tickets when we have uh residents that come down to speak before you, and that would that would uh show that you at least care.

Um 12.11, and there's an there's an attorney like Conrad Mallet also needing endemication.

We would like a little bit of explanation why all of these uh legal people like Conrad Mallet and this person 12.11 needing uh indemnification.

That seems a little odd to me.

Uh 12.12.

12.12 is about a CPA.

I knew Rod Parker, and he was a CPA and he was a he was a good CPA.

If our charter requires or our code requires that we have a CPA, why do we keep writing ordinances and getting people change things the way we do things?

That position requires a CPA, and that's who we expect to hold that position, a CPA.

Um my clock's not running, so let me go ahead and finish.

Uh the Mr.

Um the other council member that's sitting there who's supposed to, who was supposed to be part of the green task force, um allowed all of these people to build buildings downtown without using lead.

Um certification.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um do you all I'm sorry, Miss Ellis.

Do you all need to need to take a minute or so to fix whatever is going on with the time because it was stuck at 40 seconds and then it jumped to one?

Yes, madam chair, if we could have one second.

Okay, we're gonna recess through the call of the chair.

We're having some technical difficulties with our um with our time clock.

And um, madam clerk, do we need to call roll call again?

Okay, so did they order your your orders it?

I'm sorry, Sergeant Knox here.

Can I see him for a second?

Thanks.

Morning, Councilmember Scott Benson.

Scott Benson.

Councilmember uh Bernada Miller.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway.

Um Madam Chair, we have quorum.

Thank you so much.

And we're going to um resume the internal operations standing committee meeting.

We were um dealing with a few technical difficulties with our time, our timekeepers.

So um we have next on the call.

Who's next?

The next caller is Sahira Amad.

Um, Miss Amad, you have two minutes and good morning.

Good morning, she roll.

You are she roll.

Thank you for all that you do, especially spearheading the uh children RX program.

Thank you.

In which uh our mayor, Mary Sheffield, Mayor Sheffield, uh adopted and uh is now enforced.

Thank you for saving lives, because that's what that did.

I want to uplift for Black History Month.

My hero shake out the geop, which this uh scholar who is um a physicist, was a physicist, anthropologist, and uh created the carbon dating, which proved that ancient Egyptians were black people, okay, not Caucasians.

Uh, I want to also um highlight the uh my uh um pet is uh the compensate over tax homeowners uh who were illegally over tax six over 600 million dollars in the 22 uh 2022 research report we um produced by the ACLU of Michigan National Lawyers Guild, Detroit and Michigan Chapter, Michigan Poverty Law Program, Detroit Justice Center, Street Democracy, and the Coalition for Property Tax Justice found that issuing financial compensation, such as property tax uh credits and cash payments, uh, is legal and does not violate Michigan's lead uh lending and credit clause.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Netsell uh subsequently agreed um uh to issue a legal opinion, but has failed as she has with so many things, such as uh convicting Rick Snyder, the poisoner, uh who poisoned Flint.

Thank you, Miss Amad.

And the next caller is next caller is resident guest resident guest.

You have two minutes resident guest, you have two minutes.

May I be heard?

You can be.

Yes, I'd like to thank my new uh council member Renata Miller for calling out the demolition fraud.

It's been long overdue, and I think some other people knew about it.

Uh, like, you know, there's a problem when the demo contractors don't have to fix the crack sidewalks, it's very difficult to shovel.

And now we had melting yesterday, now it's ice, and so uh instead of blowing money on commercial demolitions, or we'll go back and find the contractors, get them to fix the uh uh uh uh busted up sidewalks.

Hey, Miss Betty, Miss Resident Guest if you can stop the clock, Miss Ellis, Miss Resident Evil.

Okay, all right, hello, yeah.

We can hear you, Miss Resident Gas.

Under Detroit City Code 50-2-66, and now the BZA is attempting to change the rules in a way that violate in some parts violate due process.

Uh even a Wayne State Law professor went there and told them about it, but I don't think they seem to uh care.

Also, the BZA members need to be properly trained in doing their job.

They have to find make their findings when they state the motion instead of say, oh, we think everything was uh they they they met everything, and then one of the staff members listens to the Zoom meeting that they won't necessarily give everybody else to access to and writes up the minutes.

And I've asked this uh committee and uh the to look at the law department's misbehavior, and it's very disappointing.

Also, uh that nothing has been done yet, but hopefully, with member Miller on it, we'll do something differently.

I notice your meetings being recorded, but why doesn't the land bank have to record its meeting and put it up on the internet somewhere first transparency?

So the land bank people lie to you about that, their transparency.

Member Miller, I'd love to take you for a tour and show you all the shady things going on and how residents have been mistreated in district.

Thank you, Miss Resident Guest.

The next caller.

Next caller is Jim Brunell.

Mr.

Brunell, you have two minutes, sir.

Okay, Madam Chair, it looks like Jim Brunel dropped off.

The next caller is going to be caller in user one.

Okay, caller and user one.

You have two minutes.

Caller and user one, you have two minutes.

Can I be heard?

You can be heard.

Good morning.

I would like for you all to consider introducing a more stronger um package to stop retaliatory eviction.

You have landlords who will get angry when we complain the city council.

Um and show evidence.

Madam Um I have sent emails to all council members today.

My council members Miller.

I've never received no communication from that office.

I'm really sick and tired of it.

I'm tired of the excuses.

The newness is over with kids can't even walk down the street because of snow and ice and they're falling.

And um your building and safety will not have it shoveled.

I've gave clear pictures so that all members can see this.

Why isn't this being corrected?

And why is it when we bring issues um to council?

Why is it that a building and safety is telling what days of the week we call, what topics we talk about every day won't correct being a slum lord and allow you to be bullied and threatened when heroin and sentinel is sold in the building.

I'd like for you to do something other than ignoring.

Please give me an answer.

And I can show legally.

Thank you, Ms.

Shay.

Um, member Miller.

Good morning, Miss Shay.

This is Councilman Miller.

I know you're sick and tired of being sick and tired because I am sick and tired also.

I still am not in my office.

I still do not have furniture.

Um actually, we just received our phone lines approximately maybe a week and a half ago with uh approximately 77 messages um to respond to most belong to the mayor's office, but we're seeing through them.

I am anxiously looking forward to meeting you.

I've been in office approximately I think 26 working days.

So I'm gonna ask you to exercise some patience because I am also.

But feel free to come down if you can.

I will provide parking for you at uh the common A Young Center.

I am here most days, uh, but you can catch me definitely on Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Uh, we can set up an appointment if you would like to um do that.

And I'm having my next community meeting, which is going to be on the 24th of February at the Butzel Family Center.

I had one, my first one was at Considine.

So please feel free to stop by any of our events.

I am also having a foreclosure meeting on the 21st, which will be at the Butzel Family Center, and I'm having a deed fraud with Councilman Mary Waters on the 27th.

So please, I am asking that you just give me a little more time.

I do not have business cards, I just received my telephone.

And believe it or not, some of the things that I have received have not been in working condition, but do it is really working hard to get me up and running.

So if everyone understand of my voice who's listening and watching today, I just wanted you to know that we are continuing to move individually as we receive the notifications.

And I am not and will not ever avoid anyone.

I look forward to meeting everyone face to face or even um on the phone.

That is not what I'm here to do.

I'm here to serve, and I'm if I'm not gonna make a difference, then I'll need to be here.

So have be blessed and have a wonderful day.

Thank you, Member Miller, and um my apologies as one of your colleagues.

Um you don't have your name tag.

You've been quite patient.

We are now in February.

You were um installed, sworn in, and um, I apologize um for the delay.

Um, I don't know all of the details of it, but please accept as your colleague, my sincerest of apologies that you don't have your phone, you're not in your office, and um we just got you just got your phone.

So um, on behalf of whoever I'm uh I'm apologizing on their behalf that you have not um had the opportunity to move into your office, have not had a phone, don't have your name tag.

Um, none of the things that you're supposed to have by now, I do believe.

So um, please accept um my sincerest apologies.

All righty.

Do we have any other callers?

Yes, madam chair.

The next caller is Cunningham.

Mr.

Cuttingham, you have two minutes.

Mr.

Cunningham, you have two minutes.

I'm on a hand warmer brother.

He got a good day.

All right, um, how's our house on the list?

And here's a house ring.

You take care, okay?

Hello.

Good morning, Mr.

Cunningham.

I'm down at the Rose Parks Trans Center, and my bullhorn is attracting the people to get the bus tickets and the hand warmers and things of that nature.

I'd like to shout out DDP, Miss Dessa, the CEO of them.

Uh, she she donated hand warmers mailed to me and also bus tickets.

She came down to the terminal.

Y'all pray.

There's give they're starting to give me a little bit of hard time since I buy so many bus tickets.

So no weapon point against me.

Show prosperity telling the rise up and judgment.

313 444 9114134 9114 313 444 9114.

That number was made so you can remember it.

That is my cash app.

That is my Facebook.

That is my voicemail.

That is my hotline number.

Listen to the message.

When people come down to council, their parking should be validated, and uh bus tickets uh should be given if they take the bus.

I want to thank councilman Benson.

Uh no that's a rare thing for me, but thank him for uh giving me validation uh for parking last week.

Bus fares should be free for pure transit and fixed line route.

The people mover is sponsored by Priority Waste, and the and the Q line is sponsored by the state of Michigan.

Thank you, Miss Dessa again, and y'all, I need bus tickets, bus tickets, and hand warmers upon hand warmers.

The big donations by councilman young.

I have hats, gloves, scarves, and things of that nature, but the hand warmers I ran through about four in the last few days when it was cold.

So thank you and stay.

Thank you, Mr.

Cunningham.

Any other callers?

The next caller is phone number ending in 039.

Phone number ending in 039.

You have two minutes.

Yeah.

Two minutes.

As you will feel calloway, your TV man public official.

Start his clock clock, Pete, please.

Start his clock.

Stop this.

My word.

Dennis Worfrey, the TV in Detroit.

Can you hear me clearly?

We can't just muted my microphones okay.

You start my time.

You're gonna have your time.

You have your time.

Keep speaking, Mr.

Um Mr.

Rue, Mr.

Crowley.

Angela with Phil Callaway.

This is two.

Yeah, Ms.

Winfrey did it.

Daniel Bachelor did it.

Well McAllister should be the true representative for district two, according to all the information.

I have and have received and know about the cheating in Detroit election.

They've been covering up murders at the Holly Side Unit.

Rebecca McKay was installed for one purpose to stop the truth being known about the death of Kenisha Coleman, the murder of Kinesha Coleman DPD K 20-112.

Rebecca McKay was installed for one purpose to stop the truth being known about the death of Kenisha Coleman, the murder of Kenisha Coleman, DPD K 20-112, and I ain't lying about sugar honey ice tea.

Now Robert Bob.

Yeah.

My MYA NYGA Carmack.

Bob Carmack.

As you will feel Callaway stopped communication when I spoke up because Bob was telling the truth.

Now it's time for me to turn the whole city inside out, upside down, and get me what she wants.

After y'all to stop saying her mother killed herself.

But she didn't.

My word again.

Charlie McLeod did it.

Angela with Phil Callaway, Scott Vincent.

Thank you, Mr.

Ruben Crowley.

Any other callers?

The next caller is Cindy Dara.

Good morning, Miss Darrell.

You have two minutes.

Ms.

Dara, are you there?

Yes, here I am.

Um well I I want to mention about the uh parking.

Because I got a ticket going to the post office, the main post office on Saturday afternoon at 4 35.

They said I was there for more than 30 minutes.

I didn't notice, but they put these 30 minute signs up before they just had a sign, I think.

The only one I ever noticed was parking.

Don't park too close to the stopwork.

You know, so somebody gets hit walking across the stockwalk.

But uh not that you had to um limit parking.

There's a parking lot right next to the to the left of that to the east that I could have gone into, but I saw this big space, and I went that's easier than going into that lot with this big truck.

So I parked there and I went in and started making phone calls.

Well then I did call the uh I tried to track down who put the signs up and when they put them up.

And the guy in the traffic and and safety called me back and said that he could only give me that information if I went through the law department and got them to give permission to get for him to give me information about when they put the signs up.

And I guess that's a foyer, so I'll have to pay for information that defend myself.

But when I went to uh 36th district court, was did you hear any of that?

Because I just saw unmute again.

Were you hearing any of that?

Yeah, we heard you we heard you, Mr.

Okay.

Okay.

Anyway, I went to 36th District Court, and uh they had changed, they used to paint across from the library, paint a blue line on the on the curb in front of the the handicap signal.

I got one of those handicapped uh uh tickets over there.

Thank you, Ms.

Darrell.

Are there any other callers?

Madam Chair, the last caller is Legacy Detroit property owners Jim versus Squatters raised.

You have two minutes, caller.

You want to introduce yourself for the record caller?

You have two minutes.

Is that caller still on the line?

Is the caller still on the line?

If not, we're going to move to the next caller.

Yes, madam chair, they are unmuted and able to speak.

Okay, tell them that you have two minutes to speak, caller.

Good morning.

Okay, we are going to.

Are there any other callers in the caller who's on the line now?

If you could send in your information or your concerns or your questions, I'm trying again.

Can you hear me now?

Yes, if you can introduce yourself for the record, we can hear you now, sir.

Sorry about that.

I was getting knocked off with the audio.

My name's Jim Brunel.

I live in North Corktown.

I've been here my entire life.

I just like to uh voice my opinion about the uh ideal that uh squatters seem to have more opportunities in the city of Detroit than property owners.

I own two pieces of property and have been fighting with an eviction for almost two years, and uh have received uh very little support from the ombudsman's office, the previous mayor and several city council.

Uh perhaps maybe if the uh rules uh favored legacy Detroiters instead of others, uh you'd have less lawsuits in front of you, and that's uh just my opinion.

I just wanted to go on record.

I'll follow it up with something writing to uh I add to the meeting minutes, and I appreciate your time, uh madam chair.

Thank you, Mr.

Brunell.

Thank you, sir.

Are there any other callers after Mr.

Jim Brunell?

There are no more callers.

Thank you so much, Miss Ellis.

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

All right.

Um guess that would be line item six for our 1020 interview, and that would be Miss Sharon Stexton.

And I don't know if um member Miller wanted to say anything before she makes her way up.

I know you said okay, Miss Sexton.

Oh, Mr.

King from LPD, madam chair.

Did you did you move for the approval of the minutes?

Um I thought that had been done since we were on public comments on the agenda.

Okay, okay.

Is there an approval of the minutes?

Motion.

Okay.

Are there any objections to the approval of the minutes?

Hearing none.

The minutes have been approved.

There are no chair remarks.

Public comment has been had, and now we are on line item six.

Miss Sexton, if you can make your way to that uh middle mic.

You can come up here.

And at the base of it, there should be a button.

It should turn green.

I'll let you know that it's on.

And you are here for reappointment to the historic designation advisory board.

You can introduce yourself and tell us why you want to be reappointed.

Yes, my name is Sharon Elizabeth Sexton, and I have been involved with all kinds of Detroit history for a very long time.

Yes, that was me on the news the other day talking about saving the African American mysteries, the men of oppression.

They have some um words that they wrote.

I need to get them published.

But um, I enjoy being on this particular um committee because it's just so interesting to hear about the different buildings and the different things going on in the city trying to save them.

And um, I really appreciate the staff.

The staff is fabulous, and they make us as a um advisory group look wonderful.

So I enjoy working with all these different people and learning more about the history of Detroit, especially about the buildings.

Okay.

Is that it, Miss Sexton?

Um, you know I can talk forever.

So if you ask me a question, I'll answer the question.

But um just basically um I enjoy being on this committee and I hope to serve the city of Detroit for another two years.

Okay, so um just one question, maybe two.

How long have you been serving?

Is this your second two-year term or your or this would be my second two-year term?

This is your second two-year term.

And how often do you all meet?

We meet once a month, right here in this room, or we go to public hearings in different communities, and if this room is being occupied, then we go down to the seventh floor.

Okay, okay.

Do my colleagues have any questions for Miss Sexton?

I just wanted to say Miss Saxon.

Member Miller, I have uh followed you, your career in the last eight years.

You do some amazing things in Detroit.

I just became I'm on the board for the Detroit Historic Society, and I look forward to working with you to compliment each um the uh African American history, your tours.

I look forward to being in some of those tours.

I have been invited, but I've been so busy in the last two years, I have not been able to attend, but you have an impeccable resume.

Your love for Detroit just jumps off the pages.

Well, thank you very much.

And I'm in your your district.

I live almost around the corner.

I could walk to your house.

Yes.

I think the last time I saw you was at Jefferson Ave, Presbyterian Church.

Right.

You were there, but to have a love for our historical districts, it means a lot to me.

So when it comes to preservation, we just had right around the corner from you uh a building on um uh what is it called dangerous buildings yesterday?

And we are constantly at work with your office uh with the Lisa and Janae to preserve our history in Detroit.

And it is imperative that we have legacy people here that value it and truly understand from whence we came and what we try to maintain going forward in Detroit in this decade.

Yeah, I love the old buildings.

I I live in a house that was built in 1909.

So I love the old buildings, they have so much character.

The only problem is the asbestos, depending on when they were built, but I just like the look of them.

I like the history of them.

I love to know the people who lived in them and and kept them, you know, um in shape till today.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um member Benson?

Thank you.

Uh Miss Sexton, thank you for your willingness to continue to serve uh the residents of the city of Detroit.

Just any suggestions that you may have as being a I believe a third-term uh member of this body on policy changes or any other changes that you may want to suggest to us to help improve efficiency or improve the process.

Well, definitely there is an interest in the city of Detroit from the from the citizens.

And now I think they are appreciating the the the ancestors.

So I wish that um for the um the the street signs that can be um named in the honor of um the ancestors, if we could increase the number because so many people um want their street to be remembered for a person, and I think only you know a very small number can actually be done every every year.

So it would be nice if we can increase that number.

Because you know, when I go to visit other communities, the smaller the community, the more they seem to appreciate the history.

Yeah, I went to uh Marshall, Michigan this summer, you know, doing an underground railroad tour up to Battle Creek.

And Marshall, you go down one street, you must have seven historic signs and about three buildings that are museums.

And that's in a very small place.

So I definitely think that we as a bigger city can more appreciate our history, and that the younger people will appreciate if they keep going by a house and it's it says the George D.

Baptiste house, that name sticks in their head.

They may not know what George D.

Baptist did, but the name sticks in their head, and when they're old enough to know what his significance is to the city, then you know it just all clicks.

So I wish we'd have more history stuff in Detroit.

That will require an ordinance change if you submit something in writing, maybe we can we can push that through the process.

Well, I go okay.

My staff back here, the always gonna give us another thing to do.

But thank you very much for letting me know the process.

Thank you.

I just want to say going forward, I would I would love to work with you on some of those because even our HDC has, in my opinion, began to water down what the historic districts look like and the things that we remain to keep fillet not fillethar to keep nostalgic in Detroit is weakening.

And as we progress, you know, you can go to Savannah, North Carolina, certain places that at no matter what will maintain their historical culture.

We need to have that same fight and that same that same um um camaraderie with our people in Detroit.

But you have to first know, you have to love it first before we try to change it.

So we need people like you to uh put come to HDC.

Uh come to uh planning and development because sometimes our stuff is being washed away.

Yeah, and then two getting it into the schools early enough.

Um we're working now, I was telling you earlier about um Camp Ward, and right on the grounds is the Bunch Elementary School, which used to be the Duffield Elementary School, and to get the children in that school to be excited about you live in the most historic place in the city of Detroit.

Everything that has ever happened in Detroit happened in this little space now that is now a park.

So, you know, to get the kids excited about it, to have them know the names, to reenact the ancestors, you know.

Um so that's basically what I'm doing.

And you know, the older I get, the more desperate I get.

Oh, you gotta learn this now.

But um, I do appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Miss Sexton, I have a question.

I uh I've been asking since 2022.

There was a bronze bus at um Peck Park, right there at Kirby and um I think it's Brush, and the bust has been removed.

It was, I think dedicated in the 70s, right around 78, 79.

I read some articles.

Um, and a lot of people think who have moved into the community think it's named after Gregory Peck from Moby Dick.

And it is not named after Gregory Peck, the actor is named after um William Henry Peck, who was um the pastor, I think of Bethel AME, which is an historic black church in our community.

When can we get something back so people when they move into the neighborhood, they'll know what that park who that park was named after?

And I've been asking since 2022.

Well, I do agree that we need to have some kind of a directory for the city, maybe neighborhood directories as to what are the historic aspects of the um neighborhood, as well as what's what's gonna be the future.

So I do agree that every neighborhood has its own personality, and the people who move in need to know what the personality is because when people who've lived there for a long time, who went through the history and they pass away, then they take so much information and history with them.

So we definitely need to write it down.

Um hopefully we can get more neighborhood associations and block clubs interested in the history of their block.

We're in the process of getting the Helen Street Block Club going again.

So in case you hear about the Helen Street Block Club, we're right across from Bell Isle, Helen Street, and um just knowing what happened in your neighborhood, even if your neighborhood um in my neighborhood back in the 1960s, they used to talk about the young men used to get on the corners and harmonize.

You know, we hear about young men getting on the corners now and they're not harmonizing, but back in the 60s, they used to get out there and sing and it was so joyful.

So, you know, we need to get back to our roots of making Detroit a joyful place to live again.

Yeah, Miss Sexton.

So, when what can we do about getting the William Henry Peck Bronce?

I think it's like a placard, if I'm not mistaken, um, back at Palmer uh at Peck Park.

What would be the first step that the city that you recommend the city should take to restore that to Peck Park right there at Brush Brush and Kirby?

Well, we have to find out who actually um put the the monument there.

Was it the city, was it the state?

What's the city?

It was a city.

Um I guess we just have to research and figure out what it what it looked like.

Is it are there pictures of it?

Um how can it be um reproduced um if not totally you know fine found and restored because there's such a problem with our historic signs being stolen because of the the um the minerals that are in them.

Yeah, you know, so it's not necessarily being done out of meanness, it's just being done out of economics for some of these people.

So uh there's maybe I think it's meanness.

I think it's meanness if you come and remove something that was installed um because of its mineral content, that's mean for you to steal it.

Yeah, that is.

It's mean for you to go to Rouge Park and chop down that Tuskegee Airman statue to the feet.

That's meanness.

That's that's evil.

Yeah, that in the it's beyond economics.

It's it's it's it's evil for you to even do that.

But anyway, so if you could please note that that um I've been asking since 2022, and we've gotten nowhere with it, um, for the folks who are moving in.

And then also um, whenever I visit Philly and Chicago, they have like signs in front of their historic buildings like Idie B.

Wells.

It's no longer her house, but she lived there for a period of time, and they have a kiosk out there, so you can when you're facing the house, it's privately owned, but you can read about her living there, when she lived there, who she was, and then right across the street, there's a park named after her.

So I agree with you that we as a city we such have such a rich history.

Um we need to do a better job of um making sure people who visit and move in know what this house who lived here before.

There is um a house, it's a tri, it's a tri, uh I don't know what you call it.

Um it's not a condo, but there are three connectors.

So I guess you would call it a tri house.

A triplex is called a triplex right there on the corner of um and ferry, if I'm not mistaken, and Rosa L.

Greg, Rosa Lee Slade Grag, um, she was the first African-American woman to have a school, a practical arts, and um it's still there.

But the people who move in and out of that triplex don't know that that was a school and that she actually lived on Arden Park off of Woodward.

And then we also have Prophet Jones who lived on Arden Park.

They were all neighbors at one time.

So it would just be nice if we can do a better job of I identifying historic um locations in our city.

Right now, we don't do a good job of that.

Even with the Hudson's building, when you walk past, you see this new glass building, but you don't know what was there before.

If we can just put a sign there so when people face the building, they can just imagine what it looked like before it was imploded.

People like history, and they would probably enjoy having a walking tour and being able to read about what used to be there.

Now, most of our buildings look like Legos, either glass or brick Legos.

It's nothing um fancy about them at all.

So I'm hoping that um, and I'll stay in touch with you about how we do a better job of preserving our history.

Yeah, and then too, just going back to what you were saying about these houses, which um were the homes of some of these um past people.

Now the people who live in there now have to agree to have a historic sign put up in fact Viola Leozo.

We we you know both are on the same uh wavelength on that.

And the people who live there now don't want to have any sign put in front of their house.

Um and then also we've identified where like Stevie Wonder lived, but the people on that street don't want you know, like tour buses coming down there or people you know, gawking or taking pictures.

So it's a matter of working with the community to realize you know, so it's not intrusive that it's um it's loving.

Yeah, and we can and and then um if my colleagues don't have any other questions, I'm gonna I'm I'm going to um ask this last question or make a suggestion that we have a directory.

If they don't want people to know that this person lived there before, I get it, this is about privacy too.

Um, but just a directory, because people have um a desire to know um and a right to know that hey, this person lived in your city um and and and just be proud of it, right?

And even the people in the neighborhood, because I used to live um, you know, when the Motown was really strong, it was like, okay, there's where there's where Stevie Wonderl is, and there's where Marvin Gay lives, and there's where you know Tammy Terrell lived, you know.

So um we knew in the neighborhood where they live, but now that has all fleeted with the people as they moved out.

Yeah.

Okay, when that's history loss.

But anyway, thank you.

Do you have anything else you want to add?

No, I don't want to take up any more of your time.

Thank you very much for talking, because you know I can stand here and talk all day.

Okay, well, we thank you.

Before you leave, I'm going to ask LPD.

So there is a resolution for um for uh this line item six.

So should I wait until we do the other interviews?

Um, Mr.

King, before um, uh good morning, madam chair.

Uh-huh.

You can and thank you, Miss Sexton.

Oh, thank you.

You can actually move uh item 11.8, which is related to this item.

You can move that to the formal with the recommendation to approve if that's the will of the body.

Okay, thank you so much.

Is there a is there a motion to move line item six, which is the reappointment of Sharon Stexton, um, with the resolution attached, which is line item 11.8 uh motion.

Okay, thank you, Member Benson.

There's a motion to move line item six and 11.8, which is the resolution corresponding resolution.

Any discussion?

Hearing no discussion, any objections that action shall be taken.

Line item six and line item 11.8, which is a corresponding resolution for the reappointment of Sharon Sexton will be moved to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Thank you so much, Miss Dexton, and thank you to my colleagues.

Our next interview is line item seven, that will be for the reappointment of William Warden to the historic designation advisory board.

And good morning, sir.

And if you can um if it's not already activated, there's a button at the base of that microphone.

If you press that, it should turn green if it isn't already green.

Yep.

Okay.

And we do have your resume in front of us, but if you could introduce yourself and share um a little bit about yourself and your um reasons for wanting to continue to serve.

Okay.

Um, I'm Bill Gordon.

Uh I was born and raised in Detroit.

My first preservation activity was testifying in front of what was then the common council in opposition to the demolition of old City Hall, which gives you an idea how old I am.

Um after a period of time as an individual pipe organ builder, I became the administrative coordinator of the Detroit Urban Conservation Project, federally funded one-year project run out of the Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies to identify survey the entire city and identify historic properties.

Um I segued from that into being uh the director of historic designation for the city council, uh, a position which I held for 30 years.

So now I see the situation from the other side as a member of the advisory board.

Um I'm able to provide the current staff uh with a certain amount of expertise and corporate memory.

Um it's interesting that I hired Ms.

Chapman 45 years ago.

So my interest is to continue to serve the historic designation advisory board in a different capacity than I did for 30 years.

Anything else, Mr.

Ward?

No.

Well, I personally want to thank you for your service, and I'm going to turn it over to my colleagues.

Member Benson or Member Bill Miller?

Member Benson?

All right, thank you.

Uh, and thank you for your willingness to continue to serve the residents of Detroit.

Um, just as I asked the uh previous interviewee, any suggested changes, ordinance changes or policy procedure changes for HDAB.

Um, well, the the local uh historic district ordinance is modeled very carefully on the state statute, state enabling statute, and I'm not sure that there's much that we can change.

Um I do wish that the historic district commission uh got better membership than it does.

Uh that's a mayor or an appointment, but council does have review.

Um quick interjection.

What's the uh deficiency in that board membership or that board's membership?

Well uh I think that the problem is that many of the people who were appointed have been appointed to the historic district commission.

Um do not see their function as enforcing the ordinance so much as they see uh their function as doing what the uh development agencies want.

Okay.

Okay.

All righty.

Any other suggestions?

Any other suggestions?

Mr.

Ward.

Mr.

Warden?

Yeah.

Any other suggestions?

No.

Okay, no, thank you.

Okay, Member Miller.

Hi, Mr.

Warden.

How are you?

I'm fine.

I had seeked to have an interview with you personally because with most of our interviews, I've talked to everyone one-on-one in my office uh for a certain short time, but you were on vacation.

I believe you just got back yesterday.

Yep, Saturday.

So I'd like to postpone this uh here for him because I like to sit down with him one-on-one because I am not happy with the historic district um our HDC.

And you're absolutely correct, correct.

We do need a change of leadership at the top.

And I wish our council did have some say in that.

Because anytime you tell me that you've lived in Chicago and New York, and that you seek to bring the new with the old, and you're the director of HDC, then I have a it's problematic for me.

Because I feel that we're going against ourselves.

You wrote the ordinance, if I'm not mistaken, for like our neighborhood.

Big chunks of it.

Yeah, you did.

And to your credit, our own city do not abide by that ordinance.

It's unacceptable.

It's one reason why I'm sitting in this seat today.

Because there's a lot of people like me that support certain neighborhoods, but certain people adhere to developers.

Enough is enough.

So I like to sit down with you one-on-one.

Okay.

I know your health has been challenging.

Um, and sometimes you're not available.

But I would like to hear from you firsthand what we can do to strengthen our historic district.

Um, and I hope our mayor is listening.

Because um, and for me, I have a big a big problem when you don't live in a city, first of all.

If you do not live in the city, to me, you don't have the authority to tell me how I should live.

That goes with anybody in any developmental position.

It could be planning, it could be city planning, it could be developed, it could be whatever.

You can't do what you do in your city, but you're gonna tell me what I'm gonna do in my city.

But Detroit is always the whole pot where we just mix everything up, but we accept things, we we just swallow things, and it's just not right.

So it's just time that we do some things different, or even sit down and listen to our residents who pay those high taxes with our amazing raising high values and property and our property values.

So if you would like to sit with me, I would appreciate it to get some of your knowledge um regarding how we can move forward with that.

Um, because I am really concerned that we will know we will have signs in our neighborhood that say this once was BASA S and this once was Pidey Hill because we have a statue, but those houses, the land will not be reflective of a prominent historical district within the CB chart.

Would you like that?

Yep.

Thank you.

Okay.

Is there a motion?

I make a motion that uh we postpone the appointment.

Well, no, I I want to mercy, but uh I want to have this discussion.

If I don't know what's appropriate, I'm new.

Postpone for a week.

Um just to sit down and talk with him and maybe Alexa Bush also on this, if that's okay with you, sir.

Absolutely.

On this, if that's okay with you, sir.

Okay.

I'm I'm sorry.

I don't want to um hold up the process.

I want him to move forward, but yeah.

Okay, so I'm gonna um ask, I'm gonna defer to LPD.

Uh Madam Chair, the associated resolution is 11.9.

I would suggest that you bring this back in a week or two or whatever you decide.

Okay, so uh member uh miller, is there a a motion to bring it back in two weeks?

Line item, line item um seven and line item eleven point nine.

Will that appear to be questioning his point?

No, it's just delaying it.

No, no, ma'am.

Yes, if I may Dr.

Powers, yes, we hear you.

Yes, yes, ma'am.

Um, I was just going to say that you could proceed with your interview if you wished today, unless there's anticipated extra questions after council member Miller has had her private meeting, um, and then simply bring back the approval uh reso, which was line item 11.9 in two weeks.

You wouldn't have to re-interview in in two weeks.

We'll just go through.

But again, it's up to the body.

Um, is there a motion to bring so Dr.

Powers?

Are you saying just to have a motion just to bring it back in two weeks with the corresponding resolution, which is 11.9?

No, what I was suggesting, ma'am, is that perhaps you could finish the interview today.

Um, if the rest of the members are satisfied going ahead with the their questions and then bring back the approval resolution, which is all that would need to be sent to formal session um in two weeks after Miss Um Member Um Miller had her opportunity to um have her meeting with um the candidate.

Okay, but it again, but it's however you wish to proceed.

That's just my advice.

So um, Member Miller, thank you, Dr.

Powers.

We can continue.

You're welcome.

We can complete the interview process here.

We can still move it to formal.

Is that correct, Mr.

King?

If I may, ma'am, there's no reason to move these interviews to formal.

Okay, the only thing that would need to get moved to formal are the actual resolutions of approval.

Okay, so Mr.

King, thank you, Dr.

Powers.

Can we just postpone the approval of the resolution 119 for two weeks?

And that'll give Member Miller an opportunity to continue her conversations with Mr.

Warden.

Yes, ma'am.

Um you would bring bring back 11.9 on the agenda in two weeks as a placeholder.

Okay, so is there a motion to bring back line item 11.9, which is the resolution um reappointing William Wharton to the historic designation advisory board in two weeks.

Discussion.

Discussion.

I don't want to prolong him, but I just wanted to make sure we were ahead of I want to get an understanding in council with him.

But I don't, I'm not gonna stop it.

Okay, I want him to move forward.

Okay, okay.

So um Mr.

King.

Madam Chair, um you can move this the resume when you get to 11.9, you can move it forward to the formal next week.

Okay.

And in the meantime, uh Councilmember Miller can have her discussion.

Okay, thank you so much.

That's what we'll do when we get to a line item 11.9.

Anything else from my colleagues for Mr.

Warden?

Discussion.

Discussion.

Mr.

Not for Mr.

Warden, but for my colleague, just to make sure if I'm hearing correctly, we're looking, we're going to put a motion forward to move this to formal session with a recommendation to approve.

In the meantime, you'll be looking for a meeting with Director Bush as well as Mr.

Warden just to talk through the process and historic districts.

Okay, that will be separate.

Is the expectation that you'll have that prior to next Tuesday?

Absolutely.

I just didn't have the opportunity because he was out of the country.

Okay.

But no, I do want him to move forward with the other um recommendations as well.

You want that with with director Bush?

Well, both.

Okay, yes, yes.

Before we move for the vote, can we have Director Bush come online to confirm the ability to meet prior to next Tuesday?

Okay.

Uh is the administration available to have Alexa Bush from planning and development to join us online for member Miller.

And through yourself, Madam Chair.

Yes, sir.

Is Mr.

Warden available to have a meeting with my colleague prior to next Tuesday?

I imagine.

I imagine.

I'm sure your two offices will be in.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

And then you'd be able to coordinate the meeting with both Alexa Bush and Mr.

Warden.

Just give us a minute, Mr.

Ward.

Hi, how are you?

How are you, Miss Sullivan?

Is Ms.

Bush available for a quick conversation with Member Miller?

Through the chair, we will reach out to Director Bush and follow up with you.

So we'll just move this to the end of the agenda, perhaps?

Is there a motion to move this to the end of the agenda?

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

I don't know if you need to stay though, Mr.

Warden.

Um I believe this is a conversation that Member Miller could possibly have with Miss Bush.

You're welcome to stay, just in case we need you to um answer a few questions.

I don't think that we will, but um yeah, okay.

So we'll bring line item.

Council member through the chair, we have Janice Chapman available to speak.

Okay.

All right, Janice Chapman.

Good morning, Miss Chapman.

Morning Chairwoman Kelly to um can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you.

Good morning.

Great.

Great.

Um, I just wanted to um come on and just let you know that um if you're meeting with um our prospective board member Warden with uh Alexa Bush, I would like to also be invited to that meeting.

Um, since we work um in tangent with the HDC, um, our ordinance which are um sh are regulated through the um HDC are written in our office.

So it I think it might be really helpful if um either myself uh or as director or um Lisa DeCare as the deputy director of both uh also attend that uh meeting if that's okay with Councilwoman Miller Councilmember Miller?

That's fine, Dr.

Chapman.

I appreciate it.

Okay, so I'm trying to is um don't leave Ms.

Chapman.

Is um Miss Sullivan, are you still on the line?

Are you still trying to get Miss Bush?

I mean, yeah, Alexa Bush through the chair, yes, I am.

Okay.

Do we know whether or not she is available?

She is following up with us.

She's in a meeting right now.

So I if we can move it to the end of the agenda, I will be able to provide an answer there.

Okay, we'll move this conversation to the end of the agenda, anticipating the arrival of um Alexa Bush.

And Miss Janice, if you can just um be available.

Stay on.

Yes, I will be available.

And we can have this conversation this morning.

Thank you so much.

Yeah, all right.

Thank you, Mr.

Warden.

Thank you.

If you can just maybe have a seat in the audience just for a few minutes, Mr.

Warden.

We appreciate you so much.

Our next interview is um, is it Maya Campbell to the Board of Zoning Appeals from District 3?

Is she here or is she online?

Okay, so the chair, we have Miss Campbell on Zoom.

Good morning, Miss Maria Campbell.

Is it Maria is or is it Maya or Maria?

Her name says Maya M-A-I-A Campbell.

She's joining us as a panelist shortly.

Okay, because the agenda says Maria and her resume says Maya.

So Maya Campbell.

So the agenda is incorrect.

Is M A I good morning?

Good morning, madam chair.

My name is uh Maya.

I'm sorry.

Good morning.

How are you, Miss Campbell?

I'm well, how are you?

Really good.

You are here for an appointment to the Board of Zoning Appeals representing District Three.

Yes.

Um, you want to um share your your um reason for wanting to serve on that um appeals board?

Definitely.

Um, I'm a very invested community member.

I also work in the city um as a sexual assault first responder, so I'm very rooted in community and invested in the change, not just in my district but in the city as well.

And why do you want to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals?

Um, I saw this as an opportunity to uh have a say so or have some understanding, a better understanding of the operations of the city as well as things that were would be presented to the board.

Okay, I have a quick question before I turn over to my colleague um member Benson.

What is your understanding of the um duties and responsibilities and charge for the Board of Zoning Appeals?

What is the Board of Zoning Appeals?

So the board is um a group that hears uh or hears discussions regarding variances.

So the the responsibility of the board is to hear those and approve or deny those variances.

Okay, all right, thank you.

Member Benson.

Thank you, Ms.

Campbell.

Campbell, thank you for being here today.

We've had the opportunity to interview you and have a conversation about the norms, more raised and expectations of the bosses in the third district.

Um, how a membership on the Board of Zoning Appeals can have a direct impact on the quality of life of our residents, and then our expectation for you to uphold and help to improve the quality of life.

Can you just quickly talk about a variance and what it is and why it's so important?

Yeah, so the variant of variance um just to my understanding is an exception outside of the normal ordinance ordinance.

Um it's important because we want businesses and developers to follow rules, um, because if we open it up that everyone is allowed to just do everything, then um it kind of leaves our district, um, our community that I'm again very invested in, open to um businesses or things that may not fall within the ordinance and not be conducive to growth in our neighborhoods.

In the third district, we value order, and we do not value chaos.

I'm strongly supporting your candidacy, and we'll be voting for you and advocating for my colleagues to support you as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um, anything else you want to add or leave us with, Ms.

Campbell?

Because I don't have any questions for you.

Um, no, thank you.

I do appreciate the time.

Okay, thank you so much.

Um, I'm going to ask LPD to um draft a resolution corresponding to this uh appointment of Maya Campbell to the Board of Zoning Appeals from District 3.

Mr.

King?

We'll do.

Okay, thank you so much.

Discussion, discussion, Miss Member Benson.

Can we move Ms.

Campbell forward with the recommendation to approve to formal with the expectation that a resolution will be available next Tuesday for approval by for a vote by my colleagues?

Absolutely, sir.

Okay.

Motion to send Ms.

Campbell's appointment to the Board of Zoning Appeals to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Okay.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

The line item um eight for the appointment of Maya Campbell to the Board of Zoning is going to be moved to formal session with a recommendation to approve.

Um anticipating the resolution being attached at that time from LPD.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

King, and thank you, Member Benson.

Now we have um Sherry Jackson, who is an appointment candidate for the Human Rights Commission.

Is she online?

Oh, she's in person.

Okay.

Hi.

Hi, Miss Jackson.

Good morning.

You've been so patient.

Don't worry.

Um, when you take your seat, there should be a button there.

Yep, it's green.

It's green.

Okay, so it's already activated.

All right, um, good morning, and then you can introduce yourself and um let us know why you are interested in serving on the human rights commission.

My name's Sherry Jackson.

Um, and my interest in serving on the human rights commission really stems from um just the work I've been doing.

Uh started my career as a registered nurse, and of course, that involves uh human protection rights uh for safety and health care um and involves civil rights too sometimes.

And I um was a registered nurse in pediatrics and with adults, so even helping children and making sure they have the right um advocacy for um their health care and their parents, you know, get everything together.

And uh after about eight years of that, I spent well, I'll just jump to the end.

I spent my last 13 years working for FDA, and in that process, I was an investigator in the clinical trials area, and so that basically involved you know, patients that were involved in clinical trials, phase one, two, and three, and making sure their consents and you know things were in the right order.

Um the procedures were being followed, and you know, people were getting the correct care, and if something was wrong, um, you know, things were looked into.

So nowadays, with uh just civil rights in general are important for every one of us um to have someone to advocate for us, um matter what age we are.

So I guess I'm kind of interested in helping out.

I recently uh took an early retirement, and so I'm you know looking to find things that will still keep me active and motivated and help the city.

It's beautiful.

And your Detroit resident?

Yes, I am that's beautiful.

Okay, I don't have any questions for Ms.

Jackson.

Do any of my either of my colleagues have questions for Ms.

Jackson?

I don't okay.

Now I'm from Member Miller.

Member Benson, you have any questions for Ms.

Jackson?

Uh Ms.

Jackson, any observations or suggested changes?

Well, I've not really um seen much or focused on it that much here in Grand Rapids.

Uh I mean Detroit.

I recently moved from Grand Rapids over a year and a half ago.

My um own parents passed away, so I was doing some things over that way to help them, but recently moved back here.

So I'm interested to see what you all are doing and how I can help.

Welcome back.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you so much.

Um, I don't have any questions.

And um, is there a motion?

And the resolution is attached and it is attached for my colleagues' um information.

It is line item 12.1.

So is there a motion to move line item nine along with line item 12.1, or is there a discussion?

Motion.

Okay, there's a motion to move line item 12.1 and line item nine to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Any discussion or objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you so much, uh, Miss Jackson, for your willingness to serve on the human rights commission and for um everyone's information.

This is a mayoral appointment.

Thank you so much.

Yes, ma'am.

I look forward to it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Discussion, madam chair.

A discussion, member Benson.

Point of information.

Did we move 11.9 to formal to the recommendation to approve it?

Or has that been held?

That's being held.

Mr.

Warden is still here, and we're waiting to hear from uh Miss Bush, and then we're gonna make hopefully we'll get that motion made.

Thank you, Miss Jackson.

Thank you.

Okay, so um member Miller.

Member Miller.

Can I just schedule my appointment with him and then he can leave?

Um, certainly.

Um, Mr.

King.

And we can, and then maybe Member Miller can get with uh Miss Bush and Miss Chapman um and Mr.

Warden on a there's miss Bush.

Is that Miss Bush?

No, no.

I don't have my glasses, I'm sorry.

We have Miss Edwina King with us member Miller, yes.

Uh good morning, uh honorable body.

Can you give us a minute?

Oh, sure.

Thank you.

Um, member Miller.

I just wanted to say that Mr.

Warden doesn't have to leave.

Our staff is here to get his information to schedule the one-on-one really quickly, and then we can also confer with him later once we talk to uh well, we have Ms.

King on the line here for Miss Bush, so we could just schedule something for with her.

So he can take it off.

Okay, okay.

All right, Mr.

King.

I see your hand is on the button.

Madam Chair, I just wanted to state that uh 11.9 for Mr.

Warden is the only action item that you have to take on the agenda regarding this.

Okay, thank you.

All right, thank you so much.

Is there a motion to uh move line item 11.9, which is the resolution for the reappointment of Mr.

Warden um to formal um recommendation to approve?

Any discussion?

None.

Any objections?

None that um action shall be taken.

Line item 11.9 shall be moved to formal with the recommendation to approve, and it is the resolution for the reappointment of William Warden to the historic designation eyes advisory board.

Thank you so much, Mr.

King, and thank you to my colleagues.

We do have Ms.

King online.

Um, I guess representing the planning division.

Um, Mr.

Warden, you are welcome to leave, sir.

Um, you're welcome to stay, is up to you.

Um, Miss King, do you have Member Miller?

We do have Miss King and Miss Chapman on the line.

Hi, Miss King.

How are you this morning?

Doing very well, thank you for asking Councilmember Miller.

Um Edwina King, the planning and development department.

I just want to state that um I will work on internally to set that meeting up with Mr.

Warden and uh Dr.

Chapman, understanding that this is um an appointment through HDAP versus uh planning department HDC.

Um, and so uh we will coordinate uh with our offices as well as with your office to get that meeting on the books before next Wednesday.

Thank you, Ms.

King.

I appreciate it.

You're welcome.

Thank you.

Dr.

Chapman, I look forward to seeing you in the meeting as well.

Thank you for coming on today.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Um, next, um, line item 10.

We have our interview of Dr.

Eric Carter to the Human Rights Commission.

Is Dr.

Eric Carter on Zoom?

And there he is.

Good morning, Mr.

Dr.

Carter.

Can you hear us, Dr.

Carter, or is Dr.

Carter muted?

Okay, I think we can hear you, Mr.

Dr.

Carter.

Yes.

Dr.

Carter.

Dr.

Carter is saying he can hear us.

We can hear you, but it's really faint, Dr.

Carter.

Hello.

It still sounds like you're underwater.

Okay.

There we go.

We can hear you now, Dr.

Carter.

Good morning.

Okay, Dr.

Carter, you may have to come off screen if you shut your screen off, and we'll just um just have your voice.

So if you come out, let's see if we can hear you now.

Dr.

Carter.

That's not by now.

Okay, you're better.

Dr.

Carter, um, thank you so much for your willingness to be reappointed to the human rights commission.

If you can introduce yourself and share with us um your interest in being reappointed, sir.

And you can stay off screen because I think that'll help the um the audio.

Dr.

Carter.

Thank you.

So for every year today is approached to be considered for a reappointment to the HRC for presenting district five, and I really appreciate your time.

Uh I've served on this commission for about five years.

I was appointed in 2020, and those five years have been in rule uh period for me as a commissioner, and I believe for the commission itself.

Uh we've navigated through disruptions pretty much like every public party case during COVID.

Uh, I think we came through that period uh strong of governance revives of bylaws and a clear sense of purpose.

And personally, I'm proud of what we did during that time, and I'm energized about what comes next.

I know that the charter gives to the commission, you know, primarily through specific responsibilities.

You know, we get appointment uh the creole director, we established the policy under which the department operates and we consent to the department's procedural rules.

So this oversight really provides us the authority, and I take that authority really seriously in this role as a HRC for district five.

Okay.

And what district?

I'm sorry, Dr.

Carter, what district did you say you lived in?

District five, okay.

Anything else you want to add before I ask my colleagues if they have any questions.

Again, just reaffirm my you know my position here uh as an HRC individual.

I've been active and kind of providing, you know, kind of structure and work in the commission.

Uh, I was part of the bylaws uh re-establishment when we re-look at the human rights missions bylaws.

We were really hard on kind of revising them to make sure that we had what we needed to be a functional commission and really support the work that Preo is doing in the city.

Okay, thank you so much for that, Dr.

Carter.

Member Benson, do you have any questions for Dr.

Eric Carter?

I do.

Uh thank you.

Member Benzi?

Thank you, madam chair.

Uh Dr.

Carter, thank you for your willingness to continue to serve uh the residents of the city of Detroit.

And just the same thing I've asked the other interviewees.

Any observations, suggestions for changes, how we can make it more efficient, improve the processes.

I think about uh what I think we as a council you know do as a uh functional unit.

I'm really interested, I think, in understanding uh just from the perspective of city council.

Uh, how do you see our function like surrounding health equity and social determinants of health?

And how can we support not only the vision and work of the council, but also that of CRIO in those uh in our capacity as HRCs.

That's a good question.

I had to give them that that thought in the health equities.

We have that we're gonna have that conversation um in a few minutes on one of our contracts.

Um good question.

Very good question.

That would deserve an email, the doctor, and then we could um give it the the thought that it it deserves.

If you wouldn't mind sending the email, we could we could answer that and work on some responses for you Dr.

Carter Dr.

Carter.

Please tell us that you heard uh member Benson.

Yes, I heard okay.

And you will be sending that email with those questions and suggestions yes.

Okay, all right, anything else, member Benson?

Nothing.

All right.

Um I'll entertain a motion for um this line item, member Benson, with the corresponding um resolution, which is at line item 12.2.

So that's line item 10 and 12.2, and that is the resolution.

Motion is in line item 12.2 to formal the recommendation to approve.

Any discussion or objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10 with the corresponding resolution.

Line item 12.2 will be moved to formal session with the recommendation to approve.

Thank you, Dr.

Carter.

We look forward to receiving those questions and suggestions.

Um thank you so much, sir.

Is there anything else you he's gone?

Okay.

All right, thank you.

All righty.

All right.

We can move to line item um under unfinished business, which is line item 11, 11.1 status of the law department, settlement and lawsuit of auto rehab LP.

Charmaine Steen versus the City of Detroit.

This was brought back as directed on February 4th.

Line item 11.1.

Let's see.

We did get a revised agenda.

Let's see here.

But I don't think there was any changes.

Yeah, it's the same.

Um this is in the lawsuit of auto rehab LP Charmaine Steam versus the City of Detroit in the amount of five thousand three hundred and twenty-five dollars and twelve cents.

Is there a motion?

Question to approve is in the formal.

Any discussion?

Any objections hearing on that action shall be taken.

Line item 11.1 settlement and lawsuit of auto rehab LPD will be moved to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Line item 11.2 is a memorandum requesting legal and procedural opinion regarding bond issuance.

This was brought back as directed on January 28th.

Um Mr.

Anderson from the law department, any updates on this one?

Oh, through the chair, I checked in with council member Benson's team.

They said they were ready to move forward unless um he has any uh corrections at this time.

Um I'll defer Mr.

Um Member Benson.

Discussion, this was just simply for seasoning, and we're bringing ordinance to be introduced.

Just want to give colleagues an opportunity to review and ask questions or making suggested changes prior to them being introduced and then receiving a level of being locked in.

Okay.

Motion to a motion to uh send to formal uh for introduction of an ordinance and setting up a public hearing.

Okay, hearing no further discussion or um objections, that action shall be taken.

Um submitting a memorandum requesting legal and procedural opinion regarding bond issuance will um go to formal session with the recommendation to approve that action is taken.

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

Anderson.

Line item 11.3 status of the law department.

Um this is for the introduction of an ordinance and setting of a public hearing for direct TV franchise telecommunications, and this is being brought back from January 28th.

Um Mr.

Anderson from the law department.

Any updates on this one?

Oh, through the chair, unless I'm incorrect.

I believe we just handled this item, council member.

We do.

Is it what we just do?

Which one?

This is direct TV.

Where's that one?

When do we handle it?

Through the chair.

I thought that was the last item.

Um legal and procedural regarding bond issuance, line item 11.2.

We're on line item 11.3, direct TV.

Not unless I'm reading something wrong.

Okay.

Because we did have a couple of uh amended 11.3 now agendas.

Okay, so 11.2.

11.2 and chair 11.2 is being the direct TV franchise.

Okay, according to my revised agenda.

Okay, which is what I thought we just entered on okay.

It is 11.2.

We have um a second revised agenda.

So it is to amend chapter 45 of the 2019 Detroit City Code Direct TV franchise telecommunications agreement.

And the clerk got to help us out.

We got this one at 9 32 this morning.

All right.

9 30.

So we got to do better because it gets a little confusing up here when we're um going between agenda.

So we do have a 9 30 re revised agenda.

So that's the one that we're on, Mr.

Anderson, and we are at line item 11.2.

Do you have that, Mr.

Anderson?

And if I may, ma'am.

Dr.

Powers.

Yes, and uh, I think some of the confusion came in because um because member uh Benson moved for the introduction and setting of a public hearing, but when you restated the motion, it was for the legal procedural uh line item.

So that might have been what caused the confusion, ma'am.

Okay, and I am looking at a different agenda, so let's make sure we all have the correct agenda.

Um member Benson, your line item um 11.2 is to amend chapter 45.

Yes.

Okay.

Through the chair, that is the same agenda I have as well.

Okay.

That that's the one that came in at 9 32 this morning.

All right.

Um Mr.

Anderson.

And through the chair to to your question, uh, Councilmember Callaway.

Uh I as I stated, I I believe everything has been addressed on this item, and we're comfortable to move forward.

Okay.

So this line item was being brought back from January 2028.

Is there a motion for line item 11.2?

Um, Member Benson?

Motion to send a formal for introduction and setting of a public hearing.

Any discussion or objection?

That action shall be taken.

Line item 11.2 to amend chapter 45 of the 2019 Detroit City Code Direct TV franchise telecommunic telecommunications will be moved to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

The next item of business is line item 11.3 status of the law department settlement in lawsuit of Northland Radiology.

Um Kevin Penn versus the City of Detroit.

Brought back from January 28th.

Is there a motion on this one?

Or discussion.

Motion is into formal the recommendation to approve.

Okay.

Any objections?

No.

That action shall be taken.

Line item 11.3 settlement in the lawsuit of Northland Radiology Inc.

Kevin Penn versus the City of Detroit will be sent to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Line item 11.4 is the status of the public lighting authority board.

Submission of candidates pursuant to MCL 123.1273, public lighting authority board.

Um we do we did interview Butch Hollowell, I think it was a week or so ago, and the um two other candidates, Mr.

Robert Brown and Mr.

Keith Williams has sent us a written uh notification that they are officially withdrawing their names.

Um that being said, I'm going to refer to or defer to Mr.

King.

We do have it in writing that they are officially withdrawing their names.

Um that is Robert Brown and Keith Williams.

We have already um interviewed Butch Hollowell.

Attorney Yes, uh Attorney Keller LPD.

Um so there will still need to be uh two additional candidates if if those candidates uh drop out, there's still a requirement for to do three uh interviews.

Okay.

Discussion.

Discussion, member Benson.

Is it a requirement to do three interviews or to have three candidates?

I believe the council rules require uh every candidate to be interviewed.

Can you yeah, can you can you tell us where that is in the in the rules?

Because I've been looking for that.

Member Benson, well I was gonna say, can you just verify that in the rules most up-to-date version that that is the requirement?

If so, then we can we can make those interviews happen.

But if not, I'd rather not prolong the process.

We don't have to interview them.

I will do that.

I don't know it off the top of my head, but I will find it very shortly.

Motion to bring this move this back to the end of the okay.

There's a motion to move line item 114 11.4 to the end of the agenda regarding the status of the public lighting authority board.

Any discussion or objection?

That action shall be taken.

Line item 11.4.

I'm sorry, ma'am chair.

I can tell you right now where that where it is in the rule.

Yes, we're ready.

Yes, it's section 4.7.1.

And it says um I I'm just reading um this candidate shall be interviewed.

Um if you look, you'll see the whole sentence.

I just pulled it up off of my phone uh to get it to you as quickly as possible.

Okay, so discussion.

Member Benson.

Just do yourself, madam chair, to Dr.

Powers.

You could briefly if you could read the entire um section there, please.

I don't have it in front of me.

Okay, I I'm sorry, I didn't hear my rules in front of me.

It'll take one second.

If you want to come back, I'll I'll pull out my rules and read the whole thing for you, sir.

Okay, is there a motion to bring line item 11.4 motion to the end of the agenda?

Okay, there's a motion to bring you line line item 11.4 to the end of the agenda.

Um and Peter, if you don't mind if you can go and get our rules or someone if we have a copy of the rules, that will be helpful.

We should always have a copy at this table.

Thank you so much.

Um, Member Benson.

We are now on line item 11.5.

Um, the status of a submitting a memorandum requesting legal.

Didn't we just do that one?

Yeah, this is crazy.

Discussion.

Discussion, member Benson.

11.5.

We haven't done this one yet.

This is the uh bond opinion.

Okay.

Is there um is there a motion?

Motion to discuss.

Motion to discuss line item 11.5, submitting the memorandum requesting legal and procedural opinion regarding bond issuance.

Member Benson.

Uh, through yourself, madam chair to the law department.

What's the status of that opinion?

Through the chair, I spoke with corporation counsel this morning.

He requested a one more week, and we'll have this opinion ready for you.

That enough time?

I believe so.

Motion bring back in one week, madam chair.

Okay, is any discussion or objection to bringing line item 11.5 back in a week?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

And discussion, madam chair.

Discussion.

Further discussion.

The purpose, I just want to make it clear to my colleagues the purpose of this opinion is that when budget is coming up and we have a library that has a $50 million uh budget surplus.

I'm encouraging, strongly encouraging them to leverage that budget surplus with debt and to build some state of the art facilities within the city of Detroit.

Okay, thank you, Member Benson.

What is spur thought?

Thank you, Member Benson.

Um, we do have the um the rules for the Detroit City Council um procedure to fill vacancies, which is section 4.7 point one.

Candidates shall be interviewed by the appropriate standing committee.

The names of potential appointees shall be forwarded to the formal session for consideration by the whole council.

The standing committee shall move all potential appointees to the formal session at the same time.

And the question, and if there are multiple, if there are more candidates in available positions, council shall use a paper ballot, etc.

So in this instance, we have two of the three who have withdrawn their names.

Can we to the law department and LPD?

Can we still go ahead and move um Butch Hollowell's name forward?

Pending no Dr.

Powers, I have I'm sorry.

Um I'll let law.

I'm I'm sorry.

Okay, Mr.

Anderson through the chair, I'm in agreement with Dr.

Powers.

I believe that's the correct reading.

Which is if I may add even though the names were withdrawn, that's still it's still this body's duty to interview three candidates.

Okay.

Um Dr.

If I may, I'm sorry for interrupting, but if I may, and I'm sure um Mr.

King can speak uh better on this, but it's my understanding that it's Michigan statute that requires um the three candidates.

So uh perhaps Mr.

King will speak on that issue, but it's it's not council rules that requires the three.

Okay.

Through the chair, I'm looking at that as well.

MCL 123 1273 to see gets into the details of that from a list of three names provided by the chief executive officer, um uh one member who is a resident of the local government appointed by the governing body.

That that yes, to to Dr.

Powers' point, she she is correct.

That this comes from state law as well, not just uh Detroit City rules.

Okay, okay.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Anderson and Dr.

Powers.

My question is um, we've read the rules and thank you so much.

Can we still move Butch Hollowell's name to formal with a recommendation to approve?

Understanding he's already been interviewed a week or so ago, and still um schedule the additional two candidate interviews, or they have to be moved all together, all three at the same time.

That's my question.

Um Attorney Keller, yeah.

Wait a minute, Dr.

Powers, attorney Keller and then Dr.

Powers.

Under under the same rule you just read, all candidates have to be moved to formal at the same time.

Okay, alrighty.

So we have two additional interviews that we have to um schedule.

Hopefully, we'll get that done um this week and time for next Wednesday, and then I guess the following Tuesday will they will all be on the agenda for approval.

Is that how is that's that's how it should work?

Dr.

Powers?

Um, yes, ma'am, that's how it should work.

And I was just going to say that it's not just state law, but also in your rules, it it states all candidates must be sent at the same time.

Yep, we we just read it, so thank you so much.

Um, we will get these the additional two names, excluding the two have who have officially withdrawn their names.

So hopefully the administration is um listening.

We need two additional names to interview.

We'd like to get those interviews done next Wednesday, have them on our agenda, and then we can make a decision or uh a motion to move into formal the following Tuesday for formal with the uh um with a recommendation.

Okay, anything else?

So um, what's the motion on line item 11.4?

Are we going to Mr.

King?

I suggest you bring that item back, madam chair.

Yeah, okay.

Is there a motion to bring line item 11.4 back um in a week?

Motion.

Okay, any discussion or objections?

Discussion, madam chair.

Further discussion, member Benson.

And then you'll be your office will be working with the administration to get the interview ease for next week.

Yes, and I think I just saw Miss Blessman.

Um yes, we will make sure we take care of that today.

Thank you.

Yeah, and those names will be on the agenda for next Wednesday.

Thank you so much, Member Benson.

Now we are on line item 11.6.

Is that correct?

Status of council member waters submitting a memorandum requested a formal legal opinion from LPD on the legality of paying stipends to the members of the tenants rights commission.

LPD to the chair.

Uh this was sent as a privilege and confidential opinion last week.

Okay, and um what would be the action on this attorney keller?

What are we doing with it?

This can be received and filed.

Okay, there's um is there a motion to receive and file line item 11.6 motion okay.

There's a motion.

Any discussion or objection?

None hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 11.6 submitting the memorandum requesting a formal legal opinion from LPD on the legality of paying stipend to members of tenants' rights commission shall be moved to formal session with a recommendation to receive and file.

I saw you, madam clerk.

Receive and file.

Thank you.

Line item 11.7.

Contract.

This is from contracting and procurement.

Contract 6007 214, 100% city funding to provide a research report for social equity in the Detroit cannabis industry.

This is a hundred and seventy thousand three hundred and forty-three um grant.

It's a two-year grant.

And the contractors, the regions of the University of Michigan out of Ann Arbor.

This was brought back January 28th.

We were supposed to have a discussion with um Miss James, I do believe, because Member Benson, you asked a couple questions about the health component, the public health component of this, and whether or not that could be a category or something included in this report.

I don't remember getting a response.

Member Benson, have you received the response from Ms.

James?

I have not.

Okay.

Um I would like to have someone from Creole on if possible.

We need to know we don't want to interfere with being in compliance with this grant because we know there are um dates that we have to remember in terms of the start and end date of grants, and we don't want to um be out of compliance.

So is Ms.

James on from CREO through the chair.

The Creole Department has requested a two-week bring back on this item.

Okay, so we will have um is there a motion to bring line item 11.7 back in two weeks?

Discussion.

Discussion, Mr.

Member Benson?

Motion in discussion.

If I'm not mistaken, uh Madam Chair, is this a grant funded or general fund?

Okay, Peter, please, you make me nervous.

Okay, member Benson.

I think this is general fund to support this.

It says city funding.

I thought it was a grant.

So motion to bring back in two weeks.

Just one clarification.

There's a motion to bring line item 11.7 back in two weeks.

That's contract 6007 214, 100% sitting funding.

Any discussion or objections?

Hearing none.

Line item 11.7.

Madam Clerk will be back be brought back in two weeks.

Discussion, Member Benson.

I just want to be clear that this was the administration that requested this come back in two weeks and not this body.

Oh, okay.

So the administration is requesting a two-week bring back.

Thank you, Member Benson, for that clarification.

Line item 11.8.

Um we've already covered that.

That was the resolution for the reappointment of shared sharing stex sexton.

Line item 11.9.

That was a resolution.

Um we already took action on that.

11.10 is status of the mayor's office proposed amendment to the executive organization plan.

And that is attached.

And this is being brought back from January 14th.

I'm going to refer to is it LPD or law regarding 11.10?

Yes, to the chair.

Um, attorney Keller from LPD.

So the the next um action that has to be taken for the EOP is the scheduling of a public hearing.

Um so there should be a resolution sent to formal uh setting a public hearing for the EOP.

And and that's the resolution from LPD.

And I think it has to be um LPD for the public hearing.

Yeah, we we will draft the the resolution.

Okay, so what action should we be taken on this?

This can be um brought back in whatever seems reasonable, two weeks um just for the scheduling of the public hearing.

Okay, so we will is there a motion to bring line item 11.10 back for the scheduling of a public hearing for EOP?

Discussion on the member Benson discussion.

So do we need to bring this back in two weeks, or can we simply move forward recommendation to set the public hearing to formal, or does the setting of the public hearing all occur in this committee without having to go to formal for the setting?

I guess that that really depends on what what the body wants to do, whether whether it happens in this committee or it happens at formal.

I'm not sure if those discussions have happened yet.

I I think we thank you, Attorney Keller.

Uh Mr.

King, because I think we can set the public hearing date here.

Mr.

King from LPD just to add on to what attorney keller was saying, um a public hearing should be set um by the entire body it can it can take place in this venue.

However, this committee should set a discussion directly prior to the public hearing that that would inform the public on what is occurring in the public hearing.

That's all that's all okay.

Member Benson, discussion, madam chair.

Motion to send to formal the recommendation to set a public hearing in this committee at least two weeks from now and then host a discussion a week prior so the administration can come in and discuss and outline what's going on with the EOP changes.

My suggestion.

Is that a suggestion or motion, Member Benson?

My suggestion for further discussion about my colleagues who may want to modify or change if they're okay with that that we I can make it.

I'm comfortable with that um with that suggestion.

Um member uh Miller.

I have a question.

I know this is IOS and I'm here.

Is it not customary for people to come to our committee to ask questions and interview?

Is it always like recommended to take it to the full body?

I mean, we have these meetings here, it's just us, and I mean, if you have a question, shouldn't you come here?

Is that not is that what you're suggesting?

Because I mean, what's the point?

Thank you, Member Miller.

Member Benson.

Member Benson.

So very good question, Member Miller.

So today you'll see you'll notice on the agenda that is a quorum of city council may be present.

So the chair has indicated that we're happy basically that the agenda that anybody can come and they can ask questions.

They cannot vote, and it does not prohibit them from asking questions or being part of this panel.

It does not allow them to vote.

And because there are interviews today, that means that people are welcome to come in and ask questions.

Now people want to do that, they can.

This is committee work, they don't have to come, they can take our guidance and our recommendations.

But on something like the EOP, my suggestion is that we rec rec send it to formal for the setting of a public hearing to occur here.

It is a public hearing, a notice of quorum may be present, and then that committee work would take place here, and it would give our colleagues the opportunity to ask questions.

My my other suggestion is that we do that two weeks from now after the setting of the public after formal, but a week after formal recommendation for a sitting of the public hearing, we have a discussion here where a quorum may be present would be noticed, and colleagues can come and ask questions there as well about the process and what the administration is planning to do and why they feel that this is important to modify the EOP.

That's my suggestion.

It gives everybody opportunity to come here and ask questions.

Now, will they?

I don't know what people's schedules are, but they have the opportunity and the freedom to come in and ask questions.

And other committees do the same thing.

Uh for budget committee, they do it, planning and development, they'll do it.

And typically what you do is you ask the chair, could you please notice a quorum?

And if you have the ordinance in another committee, you could do the same thing as well, or they sometimes will just say you're part of the panel because it's your ordinance, but this notice of quorum and people can come and ask questions.

So your motion is to keep it here.

Yes.

Okay.

By all means.

Okay.

That's the motion.

Um any further discussion on that motion?

And was the clerk um attorney keller?

Yes, to the chair.

I just realized that uh there is a resolution already drafted attached to 11.10 for the scheduling of a public hearing.

Okay.

So that could be um sent to formal.

Okay.

So we can just um do what with that resolution.

Attorney Keller just move it to formal session.

To formal for a setting of a public hearing.

Any further discussion or objections to that motion?

Yeah, hearing none.

Um member Benson, thank you.

That action shall be taken.

Thank you, Attorney Keller.

Attorney Keller, did you have anything else?

To the chair, no, ma'am.

Thank you.

Thank you, Member Benson.

And hopefully the clerk was able to capture all of that.

All right.

Or add to this conversation, the chair, nothing to add.

We were just saying the sensitive date for the public hearing had been scheduled with the resolution for February 25th.

I didn't see that.

February 26th.

Okay.

Thank you so much, Miss Sullivan.

Thank you, Mr.

Keller, and thank you, Member Benson.

February 25th.

Okay.

All right.

We are now on new business.

Line item 12.

And we've already um taken action on line item 12.1, 12.2.

Those were the um corresponding resolutions for the reappointments of those individuals.

Now we are on office of contracting and procurement.

Line item 12.3, contract number 600 seven six four six, a hundred percent city funding to provide legal services.

The contractors Miller Camp Miller Law Firm, um, located in Detroit for a total contract amount of five hundred thousand dollars pending um council approval through the 26th.

Um is there anyone on who um can talk to us about this half a million dollar contract for a year of work?

Um Mr.

Anderson from the law department.

Graham Anderson Law Department.

Yes, this is uh the contract which last year we had an emergency basis for bringing it in, but then you know, per um uh the ordinance, it then still must come before this body to officially be approved.

This is litigation being done on behalf of the historic district commission that Miller law firm was brought in for this has to do with not just um uh regular um in the the courts but also dealing with the state historic administration board on appeal as well.

So um it's two fronts that are dealt with dealing with this matter.

It was out of a change of equipment is uh why the litigation was originally brought, and to I was asking as well as like we know why why didn't we handle this in-house?

Apparently, our attorney that typically would have handled this type of matter had a conflict, so that's part of the reason why outside counsel was brought in on this matter.

So I uh I'm I'm I'm not understanding what the loss what the contract is for for five hundred thousand dollars for um representing twelve months of work for what again for what issue is for um they've been representing us in litigation on behalf of the historic district commission.

And why are we in lit if you can why are we in litigation with our historic um commission district I'm not understanding?

So I I saw I missed I said that poorly, council member.

Uh they're representing the historic district commission where the law department typically would have represented the historic district commission, but our attorneys uh who typically in a house would have handled this matter had a conflict that will then that's the reason why we brought in uh Miller law firm.

In what matter?

In uh uh I I don't have the case number in front of me, but it's uh I I'm not sure who the plaintiff was who sued us in this matter, but I can get that information.

Discussion discussion, uh chair, it's Nicolette Townhouses Cooperative Association et al V City of Detroit Historic District Commission.

Thank you, Councilmember Batson.

I have the same questions as well, member Madam Chair.

Well, thank you, Member Benson.

Without going into a lot of detail, not trying to you know um compromise our position or where we are in litigation, but um who owns Nicolette is you said Nicolette apartments?

Is you said Nicolette apartments?

No, and they were historic.

Yeah, it's the Nice Bandit.

Lafayette Park.

Lafayette Park.

Oh, gotcha.

It does that have to do with the gas line or wanting to convert from steam to I believe so.

Okay.

All right.

Is there a motion on line item um 12.3?

Motion is in the form recommendation to approve.

In this discussion, Member Miller.

I want to know why was our law department with how many how many attorneys we have, why they couldn't do it, and did the whole law department have a conflict?

No, through the chair to Councilmember Miller, that's a fantastic question.

It's like how the law department is broken down into various sections.

There is a litigation department, there's municipal, which I'm a part of.

There is our uh FOIA section, then there is our uh transactional section.

And the attorney um who specifically is specialized in dealing with this type of matter, she had a conflict, and because of that, we brought in uh Miller law firm.

Um member Miller that I you turned it off.

Is it possible to get a copy of the what'd you call it?

The lawsuit.

The lawsuit.

Of course, absolutely.

Okay, we have a lot of questions.

Um because I uh member Miller, were you done?

Yes.

Okay.

To member Miller's um point, uh, we only have one attorney.

How many attorneys are in the law department?

I'd say roughly 7580.

Okay.

So out of 7580 attorneys, only one could handle this.

We have to go out to pay a law firm $500,000 for a year of work because one attorney has been assigned to this case.

She may possibly have a conflict of interest.

We have to go outside of our law department to hire Miller Law firm for $500,000.

There is no other counsel that we that works for the city who was working alongside alongside this particular attorney.

Just one, she had no other attorney working with her in this matter.

This is a huge case.

Through the chair, part of the problem, too, is she's the supervisor of that section.

So it would be hard to really remove her specifically from uh completely from that matter.

And to your point, due to the magnitude of this case, that that is part of the reason is while is why we brought in the Miller law firm is because we do know this is something that they are specialized in and fantastic in in this uh specialized area of law.

So do you are right to the magnitude that's uh part of the reason as well that they were brought in as well with the conflict member Miller?

Did you have any other questions?

To your point to further expand on that of the different sections, the TED team, even though we have 80 attorneys, I think the TED team is maybe in the TED team being the transactional team, they're I think maybe eight attorneys.

Uh but so you you hear these large numbers, but like for example, my team, the municipal team, we have seven attorneys, six attorneys, so even though it's you know, matters like litigation have a very large group of attorneys, but some of our more specialized sections, we we really don't have a lot of attorneys, and obviously we we uh uh have a fantastic, brilliant group of attorneys who are hardworking and um are fantastic public servants who I'm thrilled to work with every day, but that it is a smaller team of more specialized attorneys when we get into matters outside of something more than no fault, where we obviously have a large group of attorneys dedicated to that section.

Um, does the corporation counsel ever take on cases?

He is a former Supreme Court Justin was justice serving at the highest level in our judicial system.

He can't take this case on, and I know that's probably not a question that you can answer, but I'm gonna ask for a motion to bring this back in a week because I have a lot of questions about this for us to have to go to Miller Law.

We got 80 something attorneys in our own law department, only one could handle this particular case.

Uh so my question is why would we just have one attorney handling such a huge, very important case with no one working with her, and when she has a which is she started the case, she had the conflict when she first started.

Yes, but now that it's getting it's progressing, now she has a conflict, she has to withdraw.

I don't believe there's no one else in our law department who cannot assume this case if they've been working with her.

I don't believe, sir, and you you know, I I don't work in the law department that we should have to go to Miller Law using taxpayer dollars, five hundred thousand dollars for a year of work on this case.

If she's been doing all the work, she's already laid the groundwork.

I'm I would like to maybe um have a motion to bring this back in a week and maybe corporation counsel can um explain to us why he is asking the city of Detroit, we the taxpayers for half a million dollars for a year of work for this litigation when this attorney in his in your in our law department has done the work.

She just can't take it beyond this point because of uh a now conflict, which to me she had it when she first started the case.

Let me just say if she lives in the area or in the complex, which might be or know somebody who lives in the complex or or has uh uh um an investment in one of those condos, I get it.

But she had it when she first started the case.

Through through the chair, um uh if if I may have no objection to the one we bring back, but just to clarify a few points, um, to begin with corporation counsel, he does handle matters.

Um I I'm sure um he could handle this matter, but I I don't know what yeah no, for example, real token, he's doing a lot of work with that.

And Tamara Cook.

Exactly, who is a brilliant attorney herself.

Uh, but I I can't speak to c of corporation counsel's caseload at the moment that that's definitely above my pay grade.

Okay, um, in addition, it's by understanding that it's not that um attorney um was began this work.

We we brought in Miller law firm from the beginning.

Oh we we did uh but so it it's not that she began this work.

I'm saying that our attorney that would have typically handled this work would have had a conflict, and you're right, she would have not handled it on her own by herself, but she is the supervisor of the TED team of the transactional team, so it would be very hard to divorce her completely from this matter and have the other attorneys on her team work on it without her being there to supervise on this item.

And I'm I'm happy to have this item brought back, but I just I wanted to clarify a few of those points for this body.

And because thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Before I turn over to Member Miller, so I I'm just trying to understand what you're saying.

So are you saying Miller law is already involved with this particular litigation?

Correct, because this was an emergency contract that we brought in last year, which um uh per se of city ordinance 1759.

Um law department is allowed to bring in uh legal contracts for emergency matters right away.

They then will come to this body for um further approval, and this is the one thing that the law department is allowed to have because we want to obviously be able to act swiftly in matters such as if we discussed the magnitude of this matter.

So it so they they were on this from the beginning, they've have been on this, and it is now coming to this body for uh approval.

So they've been working on this matter without a contract or the contract from something else they were working on.

It was an emergency contract.

Emergency, so there's no limit to the amount of an emergency contract coming from the law department.

It could be in the millions, and we it just they enter it on their own without city council approval.

What's the cap on it?

Through the chair, I do not believe.

Remember, um, Mr.

Anderson?

Sorry, sorry, Consulmember Callaway.

Through through the chair, I do not believe there is a financial cap on it.

I I believe it's just a reasonableness standard.

If you give me a minute, I can pull up that section of Muni code very quickly here, because it's it's it's something that we we have done quite frequently in the past.

Um, but one of the the key parts is being able to act swiftly.

And and that's the the the the key part of why this is able to happen, and I have it right here when my computer loads, which is now uh but the per section 1759 city council approval required for certain contracts D, the law department without prior city council approval may make an emergency procurement of legal service when public exit um public um requires immediate delivery of legal services where prior approval of the city council would be impossible or impractical under circumstances okay.

So, Mr.

Anderson, is the $500,000?

You said the emergency was last year in 2025?

Yes.

So is this an invoice?

Yes.

For services already rendered, even though so there's $500,000 is for services in this particular litigation.

Miller law has already provided $500,000.

Correct.

$500,000.

Correct.

Okay.

Now why are we extending it if this is just payment of an invoice for services already provided?

Why does it go for a whole nother year?

Through the chair, it's my understanding litigation is still ongoing.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Member Miller.

How much do they charge per hour?

Through the chair.

It's in there.

It is I think it, of course, it depends whether it is a partner or an associate.

But I do have a few.

If you just give me just a moment here.

But this is an historical district that sued the Detroit Historic Commission.

Is that correct?

Correct.

In Lafayette Park.

Yep.

Discussion.

Discussion only it is charged at 450 dollars an hour.

Discussion.

Were you done, Member Miller?

Yes, I will.

Um further discussion.

Member Benson.

That would be uh 11,100 hours if they were to bill the entire contract.

So is this a not to exceed contract?

Through the chair, that is correct.

Okay.

And then how many hours do we anticipate being billed?

A full-time employees about 2,020 hours annually.

So it would take approximately six years to go through the entire allocation.

Do we anticipate that this and is not authorized for that long?

Through the chair, a balance that I am looking at currently, and I'm not sure if this is the most up-to-date balance, is for $200,000.

It sounds to me as if we need to bring this back.

I think there's a lot of questions that need to be answered here.

My colleagues have concerns.

Member Benson, before I entertain that motion, Mr.

Anderson.

Can we take this into closed session?

Because we have a lot of questions.

Through the chairman.

The litigation, but we have quite a few questions about this litigation.

Member Miller still has questions.

I have questions, and I'm sure our colleagues may have questions, but we don't want to jeopardize it.

We don't want to interrupt it.

We want it to continue, but we do have questions, and we and you're doing an amazing job.

You always do.

You represent all the law firms that have to do business with the city.

So sure we need a closed session, but we definitely don't want to compromise it.

Um through the chair, if I mean in any way.

Member Benson still has a motion.

Mr.

Mr.

Anderson.

I believe this entire discussion has been appropriate and has not been jeopardizing towards the litigation in any way.

So there's no problem with this conversation of where we're at.

I appreciate, and you know I've I've reminded you more than once in the past committee.

Uh so no, I I appreciate your uh touch of delicacy to make sure we we don't jeopardize anything, Councilmember Calloway.

I I truly appreciate that.

Um and you're right, you know that this this is something that is absolutely worth conversation.

I will there's a few things I'll mention to you offline um uh that that I think are are are worth addressing because there are a few things that I think could be done a little bit cleaner.

Um and I'm not sure where the chain broke, and and I'll I'll have that discussion with you.

Thank you, Ms.

Um Attorney Anderson.

Thank you.

So I had a previous motion on the floor, which I will withdraw that was to send this to a form of recognition to approve I'll withdraw the previous motion, and I will make a new motion which will bring this line item back in one week, madam chair.

That be enough time to have the conversations needed to be had.

Um I think so.

Yes, yes, through the chair, I believe so.

There's a motion to bring line item 12.3 back regarding the Miller Law Firm $500,000 um contract back in a week.

Any further discussion or objection to that action hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 12.3 regarding the contract 67646, 100% city funding, $500,000 for Miller Law Firm will be back, be brought back in a week.

Thank you, Member.

Member Benson.

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

Anderson.

We are now on line item 12.4.

Moving our way to the end of the agenda.

This is contract number 6007184-A1, 100% city funding amendment one to increase funds and extension of time for parking spaces for city employees.

Is there a motion to discuss this?

This is um yeah.

Um this is an increase of 791,000 from July 1st, 2025 through January 2029.

And it looks like we do have someone here from um from HR and sir, if you could please take the seat, hit the button at the base of the microphone if it's not already green.

It's already green.

Okay, if you can introduce yourself and tell us about this um this increase of $791,000 for last parking Midwest Midwest LLC.

I think it's a privately owned parking lot.

Um can you give us as much details as possible?

Because I know my colleagues and I have quite a few questions for um this very very expensive contract.

Good afternoon.

Please forgive my voice.

I'm a little under the weather.

Marcus Holmes, HR operations general manager, policy planning and operations division.

The amendment that's before you will increase the number of spots in the contract as well as the contract value.

So it'll run through if you approve through 2029.

Currently we have a hundred and a hundred spots, and so when we go over that hundred spots, then they charge an overage.

What we've been able to do with them is have flexibility because we have hybrid employees, so not everyone is parking there every day.

So up to 350 employees have been able to park.

None of the other garages will give us that flexibility, and this new contract gives us 175 spots to do that same 350 or more.

What we've noticed is an increase in the number of employees that are coming in the office daily.

So this is to accommodate that.

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Holmes, and thank you so much.

How many employees were working a hybrid schedule are now finding their way back to the office?

Do we have that number?

I do not have that number.

I can get that number for you.

Absolutely.

I know my staff is going to be recording these questions so we can follow up with you.

We'll send them to you.

Um right now, with this particular parking lot, last LAZ on West Jefferson, West 5 150 West Jefferson.

We now currently have 100 spots on that lot.

How many additional spots are we looking to um to have?

75.

75.

So we already have a hundred spots, full-time spots for our employees.

This contract will cover an additional 75 spots, which increases the total amount of the contract, almost $800,000 for 75 spots.

So it's 75 spots that we can rotate.

It includes the overages, madam chair.

So for instance, if we had 350 people to park every day.

That would create an overridge amount over the 175.

What we've been doing is rotating it.

So this includes those overages charges that we have been paying $31 per employee.

That brings it down to about $12 per employee.

None of the other garages will give us that flexibility to be able to do that.

Okay.

And I know my colleagues have questions.

Does the city own any vacant lots?

Because I remember last week, we are leasing for $500 a month, $21,000 square feet of vacant land for staging for a developer.

So if we're doing that and we own that lot, why don't we just have that developer?

No, he couldn't because he's using that as a staging for his development.

But we're only charging him $500 a month for $21,000 square feet of a lot I do believe the city owns.

So perhaps maybe after the lot, after I don't know what they're going to do with the lot.

I don't know if that's if he's expanding his development, because right now he's just paying that amount $500 $500.

Are we paying $31 for folks who don't live in the city to park?

Because that's a perk.

Um let me just let me just explain to you.

Let me just um share my question.

$31 per person to park in the lot, whether they have a hybrid schedule or not, correct?

Madam Chair, the 31 is the overage amount over that 100 spots.

Yep.

Or the 175.

So that's the overage.

$31 a spot.

Monthly the spot is $140, which is $10 less than Ford Underground, who only has 20 available spots.

Is almost twice as less as the parking garage.

So we looked at the other garages around, which is 285 dollars a month.

So the parking is expensive, as you know.

Um parking for employees is a perk.

It is a benefit.

We use it to attract and retain employees.

So we're trying to compete in that landscape.

Um to your earlier question.

I'm not so sure about the owning of lots or what we would have to do to stand them up to be parking spaces.

Yeah.

Okay, I'm just um I don't know what we can do about those who don't choose to live in the city and still we're paying for their parking.

That should be the perk, one of the perks for you to live in the city as a city employee.

I remember not so long ago, um, see living in the city to work for the city was a requirement.

And you couldn't owe the city any money to get a job with the city.

So I remember all of the clearances, uh, and that's been a while ago.

So I'm gonna uh turn it over to my colleagues.

I do I'm really concerned about the amount of money we're paying for parking.

Um that is a perk.

Um, and it should be an incentive if you live in the city that we're gonna pay for your parking because we appreciate because you're paying taxes.

You know, you're you're paying taxes, but anyway, um, member Miller.

I have a question where's this parking located?

It's 159 Randall, so it's right near uh the Renaissance center on the opposite end of that.

And so that's the best we can negotiate with them.

I mean, to do business in the city with the city, that's the best that we could get from them.

Um through the chair to you, uh Councilmember Miller.

It's the lowest rate among all of the places that we looked at.

So it's even lower than under Ford Underground.

So is that the best negotiated rate?

We need to have a meeting with them one-on-one and discuss how it is important to do business in the city and give a fair appropriate price because on the weekends and for events, they're doubling tripling those prices.

Everybody's making money, or the city's paying out money.

Um, when was the last time we negotiated?

Um, can I attend some of those meetings where we negotiate some of those prices?

Because I think they could do a better job by our city if you're doing business in the city.

That is like one of our requirements.

I mean, because they are making money like hand over fists.

If I may, madam chair, through you to the person.

Mr.

Holmes.

Um, we did negotiate this agreement before bringing it to you.

Um what I think we're trying to convey is that the price that we negotiated and landed at is far better than the market rate for all of the garages around there.

So I think we did a decent job in that member Miller.

Thank you, thank you, Member Miller.

Um, member Benson.

Yes, Mr.

Member Benson, I do have an additional question.

Member Benson.

I would just like to say that there is a book titled The High Cost of Free Parking.

This is a perfect example of the high cost of free parking.

I would also say that I believe that this would be about a thousand dollars, a little over a thousand dollars a year if we were to offer an incentive that we would not pay for you to park downtown.

We buy we would rather buy you an electric bicycle, and that way we would be able to withdraw our support for the parking structures and support your health and other non-motorized transit into the city center and back home again.

Just a suggestion from myself.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Um, I um have an additional question.

Are you aware of any of um vacant lots um that the city owns?

Because and I mentioned the one earlier, it's being used as a staging lot for a development, which I think they're going to build onto that lot.

I'm not sure.

I also know that there is um a nonprofit that leases space from the city on a city-owned lot.

So I'm just trying to understand if we own vacant land, why can't we just um make it um appropriate and safe for us to have it use it for our employees for us?

And I don't know if you can answer that question.

I don't know if that's a DPD DPW question, GSD.

I don't know.

But um that's something we should really think about because I know that the city owns vacant lots, um, and there's um quite a few vacant spaces um in and around this city, probably being planned for future uses, but in the meantime, I really I'm gonna ask you to have Director Starr, and when I talked to her about this a year ago, and she comes back with the same thing.

I don't think she gave it any consideration, and I hope you're listening, Director Starr, because we talked about this very contract, something similar to this, where we're paying all this money for parking when the city owns vacant lots that we can very well use to accommodate um some of this over the overage in the parking.

Um so far we have a hundred spots, and I think you're saying that we some folks who were working a hybrid schedule are now returning back to work, so you're looking to lease 175 additional, or did I hear you say 75?

Madam Chair, it's 75.

75, okay.

Well, that's expensive to me.

Um, and these are um the city funded.

This is amendment number one, um, and this is a multi-year contract going um the contract period is going from 25 to 27, and then they want an amended contract from 25 to 29.

So which one is it?

Because here it says contract period, July 2025 through June 30th, 2027.

We not we're just getting a 2026, and we are already amending at almost a million dollars for parking for another two years to 2029.

We just got into 2026.

I don't think we should lock ourselves into this until we've done a full survey of the land that the city owns.

We could use our own land for parking instead of leasing it to a company that's staging it, using it for $500 a month.

Does that make sense to you, Mr.

Holmes?

Not that this is a decision that you can make, but I know I'm making some kind of sense.

If we own vacant lots, whoever is listening from the administration, why would we want to use our own lots?

Why are we paying almost a million dollars to use someone else's lot?

And then we're charging someone else to use our lot for $500 a month for 20,000 21,000 square feet.

So I I'm not gonna hold this up because people are coming back to work, so that's a good thing.

But I know this is very expensive for the city.

Um, and I'm not gonna hold it up.

Um, is there a motion on this?

Because Mr.

Holmes, you do an amazing job every time you come before um internal operations when I was a member now.

I'm the chair, so I appreciate you.

And um, and you and you get some tough questions, but I hope that you will ask Director Starr if she's not listening.

And then I don't know if this would be a planning question if someone from the planning committee is listening.

What is in the city's portfolio and vacant lots that we can help we the taxpayers not pay almost a million dollars in parking?

That's a lot of money, and it's city funding, it's 100%, and this is amendment number one, and they're wanting to take this all the way to 2029, locking us in.

So um member Miller, is there a motion to bring it back in a week or to move it to formal session with the recommendation to approve?

I'll make a motion to bring it back in one week.

Uh any further discussion on that or objection?

Mr.

Holmes, we're making um we're gonna um bring this back in a week.

That's our motion because we still have a lot of questions.

I'm just concerned about us taking it to 2029.

I've asked this question over the years.

Where is all of the city's vacant lots that we can put to use for our employees?

So we're gonna bring this back in a week.

Um, hearing no objections, um, line item 12.4 contract 600 um 7184-81 city funding, 100% will be brought back in a week, sir.

And you've done amazing, but we still have a lot of questions.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Holmes.

And thank you, Member Miller.

All right, now we're on the law department line item 12.5 settlement in the lawsuit of Eaton Rivers, J.

Schwan versus City of Detroit, police officer Lamont Gibson, case number 25-10061, 20,000.

Is there a motion?

Motion any discussion or objection?

No.

There's a line, there's a motion to move line item 12.5 in the lawsuit of um settlement lawsuit at Eton Rivers, Yeshuan versus the City of Detroit police officer Lamont Gibson.

Hearing no objections that action shall be taken.

It'll be moved to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Line item 12.6 settlement in the lawsuit of Laquitia Newman versus the city of Detroit.

For any and all claims she may have against the city of Detroit and any of Detroit's employees by reason of alleged injuries sustained.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to um any further discussion or objection?

No.

Hearing none, there is a motion to um move line item 12.6 to formal with a recommendation to approve that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Line item 12.7 in the settlement and lawsuit of M1 Transportation LLC, Michelle Barnett versus the City of Detroit case number 24 250-n is in Nancy Effes and Frank and the amount of 10,000 dollars.

Is there a motion for discussion or objection?

Motion move line item 12.7 to formal with a recommendation to approve and full payment of 10,000 settlement and lawsuit of M1 transportation.

Michelle Barnett hearing no objections and action shall be taken.

Line item 12.8 submitting a resolution authorizing the settlement in the lawsuit of Michigan First Rehab.

Ayesha Jones versus the City of Detroit.

Case number 24-009955-in's and Nancy Effes and Frank against the Department of Transportation in the amount of 29,000.

Is there a motion for discussion?

Motion any objections?

Hearing none.

That's a motion to move it to formal with the recommendation to approve.

That action shall be taken.

Line item 12.7 will move to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Line item 12.9, submitting a resolution authorizing the settlement and lawsuit of Michigan first rehab.

For not tree or natury Jones versus the City of Detroit, case number 25-146155-G as and girls, C as in CAT against the Department of Transportation in the amount of $2,895.

Is there a motion or discussion?

Motion to move the formal.

There's a motion to move this line item 12.9 to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Line item 12.10.

Submitting a resolution authorizing the settlement in the lawsuit of Pay Singh Coon.

And I apologize if I'm mispronouncing that, but I'll spell it.

P as in Paul E-T S E the last name K E U N G versus City Detroit, case number 24-01 1567-C, C as in Cat Z as in Zebra.

In the amount of 45,000 dollars.

This is involving the police department.

Is there a motion for discussion?

Motion to bring back in two weeks.

That's line item 1210.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Again, line item 12.10 will be brought back in two weeks.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Line item 1211, 12.11, submitting a resolution authorizing legal representation and demnification for attorney Letitia Jones in the lawsuit of Dawn Wartham versus the City of Detroit.

And this was referred to us today.

What action should we be taking on this?

Do I guess we can just have this madam chair?

Yeah, because I don't see anything else about the case.

12.11.

Yes.

That will be referred to the law department.

Okay.

Member um Mr.

Anderson, thank you, Mr.

King.

Mr.

Um Anderson.

What are we doing with this one?

Through the chair, the recommendation from uh the law department is to approve this representation and demnification.

Okay, there's been a um a recommendation from the law department that we approve the legal representation and indemnification for attorney Letitia Jones in the lawsuit of Don Wortham.

Um any discussion or objection?

Is there a motion to move this to um formal with the recommendation to approve?

Motion okay.

Um we will move line item 12.11 legal representation and indemnification for attorney Letitia Jones in the lawsuit of Don Wartham to formal with a recommendation to approve that representation.

Thank you so much, Member Miller.

And we're moving to the end of our agenda.

We are now under legislative policy division, line item 12.12, submitting a report relative to public lighting authority, fiscal expert requirements.

Um Mr.

King, anything on this?

Oh I'm sorry, Attorney Keller.

If there are no questions, it can be received and filed.

Okay.

I don't have any questions regarding this.

Member Miller, do you have any questions?

Okay, hearing no questions or objections, we will receive and file line item 12.12.

Thank you, Attorney Keller.

Under miscellaneous line item 12.13, Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero submitting a resolution relative to resolution in support of local democracy.

Um PD, any um updates on this particular resolution?

Uh Madam Chair, the resolution is attached to this item.

And if it's the wish of the body, it can be moved to the formal.

Okay.

Um any discussion or objection on moving line item 12.13, which is a resolution relative to support of local democracy democracy being offered by Gabriela, our councilmember Gabriela Santiago Ramiro.

Okay.

Line item 12.13 shall be moved to formal with a recommendation to approve and hearing objection.

That action shall be taken.

Line item 12.14, Council President James Tate submitting a memorandum relative to nominating nomination and resolution request for Rick Proust to the public lighting authority.

Um LPD.

Motion.

Okay.

Okay, we're gonna set an interview just for the and we'll follow up with our um, I'll follow with my staff, but we can set this interview for next Wednesday, which is what date.

Madam Clerk, do we have the date for next Wednesday?

Um that will be the 18th.

No, that would be the 18th of February.

Okay, so we'll set the interview for February 18th for Mr.

Rick Proust.

His nomination to return to the public lighting authority board.

Any discussion or objections to that?

No.

Okay, hearing none.

We will set the um interview for Mr.

Rick Proust for next Wednesday here in internal operations, February 18th.

Thank you, Member Miller, and thank you, Madam Clerk, and thank you, Mr.

King.

Last item on the agenda is 12.15.

Council President Pro Tim Coleman A.

Young submitting a memorandum relative to appointment to property assessment board of review.

And I think this can be removed because I think that action has already been taken, if I'm not mistaken.

Thank you, Mr.

King.

So we can remove.

Is there a motion to remove line item 12.15 because this action has already been taken?

Member Miller.

Hearing um any discussion?

No.

Hearing no discussion or objection, line item 12.15 will be removed.

Members' reports.

Member Miller.

Good afternoon again.

We will have in District 5 having our our second community meeting at Butsoe Family Center on the 24th of February at 6 o'clock.

That's the 24th of February at 6 o'clock at the Butzel Family Center.

That can end my report.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Um, we're inviting everyone to come out this evening.

Join Tech Town and Comerica at next chapter books for the Hatch Detroit contest information session.

You can call our office for more information at 224 4535.

And this is attention Detroit Entrepreneurs and Business Owners.

That is this evening at next chapter books for the Hatch Detroit contest.

And for more information, call 224 4535.

Then the hybrid Detroit Revenue Estimating Conference will be this Friday, February 13th at 1 p.m.

Resident residents may attend in person at the Colmina Young Municipal Center or virtually via Zoom.

For meeting details, you can also call my office at 224535.

If you have any questions about the Detroit's revenue, our city's revenue, you are encouraged to attend this meeting in person or via Zoom.

The number to call for more information is 224 4535, and that meeting is this Friday, February 13th at 1 p.m.

Join us for our district two community webinar virtual meeting Monday, February 16th at 5 30.

Our featured guest will be City Assessor Alvin Horn and our City Planning Commission Chair, Donathan Smith.

To get more information, you can call our office again at 224 4535.

That virtual meeting is this Monday, February 16th at 5 30.

And then in celebration of Heart Health Month, my team and I will be hosting a community walk as we did last year at the University of Detroit Mercy McNichol campus, which is at Livernoy and McNichols, Thursday, February 26th at 5 p.m.

I think we'll be walking like three to five miles, so it won't be too um, it won't be too uh intense or extreme.

And we have a lot of fun.

We walk indoors, it's not outdoors.

They have a beautiful track in the gymnasium, and it's absolutely beautiful.

So on the upper level, and it's uh very nice view while you're walking, and we'll have light refreshments um afterwards.

So again, that is Thursday, February 26th at 5 p.m.

Should take us about an hour or less.

We have a lot of fun.

I'm inviting everyone to come out.

It's not a district two thing, it's for the entire city to come out.

Um the track is huge and everything is so up to date.

Um, it's a beautiful, beautiful space.

So that is in recognition of Heart Health Month, February 26th at 5 p.m.

at the University of Detroit Mercy campus.

That concludes my members' report.

Is there anything else to come before this body?

Nothing else to come before this body.

This meeting will stand adjourned.