Detroit City Council Meeting - March 3, 2026: Brief Session with Public Comment and Adjournment
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Detroit City Council Meeting - March 3, 2026: Brief Session with Public Comment and Adjournment
A brief city council meeting was called to order with quorum present (Councilmembers Waters, Whitfield Callaway, Benson, Benton, and Miller). Chair explained that due to scheduling pressures, the meeting would be very short, taking only public comment before adjourning to reschedule a more in-depth session. No minutes or formal agenda items were considered.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Oren Papa (online caller): Expressed strong concerns about council rules not being followed. Alleged that the chair has served five years instead of the charter-mandated two-year term. Also criticized a resolution where a councilmember’s name appeared despite the item originating from that member's committee. Asserted that the Detroit Land Bank’s involvement in private land through the nuisance abatement program is illegal under state law, arguing the land bank should only handle surplus property. Called for equal enforcement of rules against large landowners.
- William Davis (online caller): Urged the council to make voting records more accessible to the public, comparing to the state legislature’s online system. Also advocated for stronger rules to maintain orderly conduct during meetings, while supporting the right to protest.
Key Outcomes
- The council voted (no recorded opposition) to adjourn the meeting. A future meeting will be rescheduled for more detailed discussion of agenda items.
- The Clerk clarified that voting records are publicly available through video archives and session transcripts.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Councilmember Mary Waters present. Councilmember Andrew Whitfield Callaway. Councilmember Scott Benson. Madam Chair, we have quorum. All right, then thank you so much, Madam Clerk. The chair remarks, I just want to explain to people because so much has been going on in terms of time and scheduling. This is why today this meeting will be extremely brief. We're gonna take uh public comment and then we will adjourn and reschedule another meeting so that we can have a more in-depth conversation. If the clerk will note, we've been joined by Member Benton. Clerk will know. All right, so do we have anyone? So we don't have any minutes because we this is our first meeting. Um we have anyone in the audience who wants to have public comment. All right, no, is there anyone online? How many do we have online chair? Okay, madam chair, we have nine online. Nine online. All right, then thank you. We'll we'll give each uh each caller two minutes. Uh who's the first caller? Madam Chair, the first caller is owner pop up. Owner Papa, you have two minutes. Thank you, and good afternoon. And through the chair, may I be heard? Yes, you may. Thank you. Um rules are important to create order. And when rules aren't followed, what you have is confusion or disorder. And that's what I find going on with this council. First of all, the charter mandates that the person sit as a chairperson two years in that position and then someone else sits there. You have a person that's this is their fifth year. And I know you do it to agitate the public and agitate them because you don't follow the charter and you want us to know you don't follow the charter. Um this morning, my council member told me that his name was on the resolution because it came out of his committee. And lo and behold, we look at 19.2 through 19.7, and they came out of the same committee that the other ones came out of, but then he had his name as the person who was the resolution person. Um I'm hoping that you all will follow the rules and make others follow the rules. I believe Leland is in the situation that it's in because you don't follow the rules. B said, we need to find out a reason why we're in this position that we're in, because if it had been a personal or private person, you would hold you would be owning their house by now. And I'm wondering why the same rules don't apply to um multi-domain landowners like Munes, who we brought to the table two years ago, and we still haven't found out how much money they've paid and um blight tickets, but you you want to include the Detroit land bank and the nuisance abasement abatement program, and it is illegal, not within the rules of the state law for the land bank to be involved in any private land. They are strictly surplus. If you're gonna make rules, follow them. Um thank you, Miss Hughes. Um arguments from me about that land bank. Um who is um the next caller? Oh, if the clerk can note also we've been joined by member Miller. The clerk will note. All right, thank you. Um who's the next caller? Councilmember, we have the next caller is William online. We have six, seven present, but only two speakers, and the next speaker is William Davis.
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