Detroit Public Health and Safety Standing Committee Meeting Summary - March 2, 2026

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 AM on Monday, March 2, 2026. Councilmembers Gabriela Santiago-Romero (Chair), Mary Waters, and Denzel Anton McCampbell (arriving late) were present. The agenda centered on a proposal to create a dedicated Motor Carrier (Truck Enforcement) Unit and included extensive public comment on truck traffic, air quality, transit services, and police-community trust.

Consent Calendar

The following items were approved or received and filed without objection:

• Meeting Minutes from the prior session were approved.
• 7.5, 7.6, 7.7: Dangerous Buildings Findings and Orders were received and filed.
• 7.9: Petition to vacate public alleys was approved.
• 7.10: Wayne State University pedestrian bridge encroachment petition was sent to New Business.
• 7.11: Resolution celebrating Black History Month was approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

Several residents provided two-minute comments:

• Truck Traffic & Air Quality: Simone Sagovac (Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition) stated air quality is a critical public health and economic crisis, citing Detroit's worst-in-the-nation rankings for asthma hospitalizations and urging dedicated citywide truck enforcement resources. Jeff Jones (Hope Village Revitalization, District 2), Joshua Medina, Patricia Bosch, and Mr. Davis echoed the need for comprehensive enforcement, noting the issue affects all districts.
• Transit Services: Brother Cunningham and Artelia West raised serious concerns about DDOT bus reliability, excessive delays, and reckless driving. Councilmember Waters advised reporting specific routes and bus numbers for follow-up.
• Police Trust & Immigration: Rachel Marquez and Joshua Medina requested strict agreements preventing collaboration between any enforcement unit and ICE, as well as a ban on facial recognition technology, citing fractured trust in immigrant communities.
• Rental Fees: Dr. Denise Starnell expressed support for Councilmember Waters' proposed ordinance to cap rental application fees at $50.
• Blight and Housing: A resident contested a blight ticket issued without proper legal service. Jadante Smith raised issues of landlord non-compliance and Detroit Water Department billing problems.
• Environmental Justice: A caller from District 7 criticized inequitable resource distribution, including a lack of recreation centers, and raised concerns about contaminated soil and pollution from speed humps.

Discussion Items

1. Motor Carrier (Truck Enforcement) Unit Proposal Officer Battersby (DPD) and Augusta Gudeman (DPW) presented a plan for a dedicated Motor Carrier Unit.

• Background: The city currently sees ~18,000 trucks daily, expected to rise to 20,000 with the Gordie Howe Bridge. 11% of motor carrier accidents occur in Detroit. Citizen complaints have increased 90% in five years. Current enforcement by state and county authorities cannot address city ordinances or residential streets.
• Proposal: Six sworn officers (3 East, 3 West) in clearly marked vehicles will focus solely on enforcing truck routes, weight limits, and equipment inspections.
• Funding: The two-year startup cost is $1.9 million. The unit is projected to become self-sustaining, generating a conservative estimate of $5.4 million and a moderate estimate of $13.5 million annually in fines and fees.
• Council Feedback: Chair Santiago-Romero strongly supported the unit but emphasized the need to build community trust and ensure the unit operates distinctly from other police functions. Vice Chair McCampbell stressed the need for comprehensive citywide truck route studies, noting that formal routes are currently only fully established in Southwest Detroit. Ms. Gudeman noted that further studies, estimated at $250,000 per area, could be funded by generated revenue.

Key Outcomes

• Motor Carrier Unit: The committee expressed unanimous support. The administration was asked to identify funding in the upcoming budget cycle. The unit will be clearly demarcated as "motor carrier" to distinguish its function. Council committed to advancing the comprehensive truck route ordinance.
• Rental Application Fee Ordinance (6.1): Held over and ordered to return in one week for a legal draft.
• Contracts:
  • 7.1 (Window Cleaning): Approved for formal session despite an objection from Councilmember McCampbell, who advocated for developing in-house city capacity.
  • 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.8: Approved and sent to the full Council as New Business.
• Recess: The committee recessed at approximately 11:00 AM to reconvene at 1:30 PM for a scheduled Dangerous Buildings hearings session.