Please call the roll.

Good morning.

Councilmember Latisha Johnson present.

Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero.

Member Santiago Romero is on her way.

Council President Pro Tim Poor Coleman Young.

Here.

Madam Chair, we have a quorum.

Thank you.

Having a quorum present, we are now in session.

Good morning, Pro Tim.

Is there a motion on the minutes?

Motion.

There's a motion to approve the minutes.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

And we are going to move into general public comment.

If you would like to make a general public comment, whether in person or online, please raise your hand.

Seeing no one in the committee of the whole, um, we will cut off public comment at 10.05.

It is currently 10.04.

If you'd like to make a general public comment, please be sure to raise your hand.

Good morning, Miss Grape.

How many hands do we currently have raised?

Good morning, madam chair.

We currently have eight hands raised for virtual public comment.

Okay.

We'll give everyone two minutes for general public comment.

And we will start with the first caller.

Who's our first caller?

Our first caller is Jadante Smith.

Jedi Smith, we are gonna give you two minutes and one moment.

Madam Clerk, if you would please know that Member Santiago Romero has joined us.

Clerk will know.

Good morning.

Good morning, Jadante Smith.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning.

Give me two seconds.

So I just can I may I be heard?

Yes.

Uh oh.

I'm wasting my time.

I just want to say, uh, can I be heard now?

Perfect.

Uh I want to start off by saying uh there was a a committee meeting yesterday, subcommittee meeting, and director Brown from the water department came out, and I lived experience says differently about what he spoke about versus the reality residents' face when it comes to water, unaffordability and water issues.

Also, you described a situation that I had technically been through, uh, Councilwoman Johnson, talking about a lady who cut her furnace off or cut her water off.

You know, I didn't do that, but long it's a very similar situation of having water supposed to be off outside of your home and having a leak inside of your home due to uh negligence by the water department and still being able still being forced to pay that.

I also want to say uh this is a new year.

We have a semi-new council.

I feel like everybody in every district should board up every get every house boarded up in their district.

There should be no house that is unboarded in the city of Detroit.

Any child has to walk past any child, anybody um has to be around this type of blight in their neighborhood in their communities, regardless of whose district it is or whose section of the city it is.

This is one Detroit.

Everybody likes to uh segregate the city of Detroit, and that's why the problem persists the way it does.

District 2 votes in everybody on the council, not everybody on the council, everybody in the major seats in the city of Detroit.

And barely anybody votes in these districts.

We have 13% in district three.

We have very low percentage in district five.

I feel like there needs to be oversight, not over time, there is a process in place to help get things boarded up with the land bank.

Also, Mr.

David Whitaker making 117 dollars per hour.

That needs to be looked at during budget season.

That salary is ridiculously high, and there could be jobs that can be created.

If that salary is broke down, Mr.

Whitaker is retired, forced to retire me because he is 70 years old.

He does not need to make that much money.

That could be several other salaries to different workers that are essential.

Police officers, uh, clerks, administrative assistants, things like that.

We need to cut the blight and cut the weights in the city of Detroit.

We need to do better for the residents.

We deserve better than what we have gotten.

We will vote you out.

All right.

Thank you.

The next caller.

No general public comment was cut off at 10.05.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Cunningham.

Cunningham, you have two minutes for general public comment.

31349114.

313 4449114.

3139114.

That number was made so you can remember it.

That's my cash app.

That's my Facebook.

You can Google that number and get articles about what to do in the community.

The bus service is terrible.

Especially during the weekdays.

Um after 6 p.m.

and on the weekends.

Please note I made statements and I and I stand by what I said.

The new buses are breaking down that they got.

And uh half of those new buses are not on the road.

And I'm not against drivers standing around in the terminals because we want to keep those drivers, but if we don't have the equipment, they cannot drive.

Yes, I'm not like got 30, 40 degrees or upper echelon.

I am a PR, but the Holy Spirit gives me boldness, creativity, ideas.

Um and um I'm asking everyone.

I have some major decisions that need to be made.

And I want to thank Madam Chair for her assistance.

Um she is everybody kind, uh respectfully as we treat her, and we appreciate Madam Chair.

If you can under the sound of my voice, just the rest of the day, periodically praying.

The Holy Spirit, if they scratch their head or laugh, that's what you want.

Keep on praying, because I will periodically throughout the day.

Drink a lot of water.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is William M.

Davis.

William M.

Davis, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Uh good morning, young people.

Can I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Okay, I would like to see more planning and economic development in all over the city.

You know, far too often, it seems like when most people tune in, they hear about stuff that's going on in district five and in district six.

But yet, I very rarely hear about anything in district seven.

District that I live in.

I think we need to make sure that the whole city is benefiting from this economic recovery, supposedly economic recovery, and this economic recovery has and continues to be on the back of the city retirees.

So I hope that y'all start doing more to help the city at large and do do more to help the city train retirees.

That's all I have to say for today.

Thank y'all.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Betty A.

Vernon, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Uh, good morning.

Uh to all within the sound of my voice.

I'm Betty A.

Verner, president of the Soda Ellsworth Black Association.

I want to say uh thank you.

Um and uh council member uh McCampbo for having someone come uh from the water department, Mr.

Brown, to speak on uh the lifeline program and gave a history or why it was created and this, that, and the other.

All of that was good, but what I did not hear was the subject matter in regards to the uh lifeline H2O program, and what people need to know who are in that program.

If you I was told and I wanted it confirmed yesterday, and I did not hear it, but uh my problem has been uh uh taken care of.

Okay, they were saying that I had a late charge and I didn't, and so anyway, there was something going on with the software, whatever, and someone called me and they explained and they got everything corrected and the bill that I got this morning.

I mean, this month, uh, due this month is correct.

But that program, if you go in with a balance, a pass due balance, and you are approved for that H2O uh lifeline H2O program, you are still going to be responsible for that balance when you are no longer in that program, and people need to know that because you know that's not the way it was when it was originally created, the other lifeline program.

Now, if you go in with the balance, you are responsible to still pay that balance that pass due balance, and this is what I wanted to have confirmed.

So it's a wonderful program, but if you have a balance, be working to pay.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is owner papa.

Owner Papa, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning.

And through the chair, may I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Thank you.

Yes, you're always very professional, and I thank you for that.

Um today.

The retirees.

Um, I from what I understand, uh, the OCFO, which I'm sorry, I really don't know who that is.

I think that guy retired and then came back and retired.

I don't know who's running what, but at any rate, he said that 75 million dollars would have taken the uh claw back away, and you all voted um that that was too much money to spend.

You didn't have it, is what I think you came out with.

Um, but we have 42 million dollars to give to the um rich people whose uh income is in the red because they didn't fulfill what they promised.

Um I would like to see more interaction with the neighbors.

Cindy Dara has a house and she needs help, and I think um Miss Romero should help her um get some assistance and keeping her home instead of trying to evict her the way they're trying to do the Leland residents because they want that property, and so they go about evicting people.

I think it's unfair and unjust the treatment that legacy detroiters are faced in this so-called comeback.

Um our houses went into foreclosure, not into foreclosure, but into bankruptcy.

And I still haven't received a letter saying that my house was out of bankruptcy.

I think that we can do something for Ms.

Dara.

I think we can address her issues, and I think it's enough funding to help people who need water.

I think the the water department is mismanaging its money, and I have very um proof of that in the aviation subdivision.

Thank you.

And we'll hold all uh responses till once we conclude general public comment.

The next caller.

Our next caller is caller ending in 534.

Caller ending in 534.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning, may I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Yeah, um, we're kind of backing on what uh owner Popula thing.

I don't find the city to be very helpful with the little people.

Like you all have allowed uh the land bank to go around and take people's private property, um, and they don't have the resources sources to fight back, so they're taking people's general generational wealth.

I've witnessed it over and over again.

Yet this council voted to give six point nine million dollars of American Rescue Plan Act money to the Fisher Body Development, which is being done by who at the top?

Richard Hosey, land bank board member.

So that's over a hundred thousand dollars subsidy for his so-called affordable units.

By the way, the firm building it is the one construction company out of Birmingham, but they just put two black black faces in high places.

So, you know, when it comes to the equitable development task force, where's the equitable development?

You know, especially when you all voted for North End Landing, which was secretly planned on the residence.

We suffer your uh uh betrayal.

I do every single day.

And um, it looks like member Young called to help them out because they had a boarding that was a book building that was unboarded, and I asked them about it.

You don't have to comment right now, but please have somebody from your staff tell me about that, Mr.

Young, or you don't love everybody and you do treat people differently.

And I have been on your do net help left.

So when are you gonna have more compassion and assistance for the people?

When are we all gonna get the Richard Ho Ho's the help of six point nine million dollars American Rescue Plan Act money to fix up our property?

You know, when when are you gonna consider about treating everybody equally?

Thank you.

And before we proceed to the next caller, I'd like to call the 1015 public hearing to order and recess it to the call of the chair.

We are now back at virtual public comment.

And who do we have next?

Our next caller is caller ending in 039.

Caller ending in 039.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

What up, Joe?

John.

Uh I think the left of you should be uh the liar, Gabriella Santiago Romera, and um to the right of you.

Uh Coleman Young.

Uh y'all TV D.

All y'all cheat in.

And I stumbled across the election fraud when I was doing an investigation into the death of Kenisha Coleman.

Because Mimi act her daughter.

He didn't believe her mother has shot herself because of the promises her mother made, and her mother did not lie to her.

Never was always truthful with the young lady.

Now, y'all cheated me, and Janet's been cheating.

She busted.

Busted, busted.

Fallot fraud.

It's real here in Detroit, Michigan.

Y'all is busted.

It's up.

And now I'm Mr.

Rue.

Mimi gave me that name.

And uh I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do.

And y'all just gotta deal with it now.

Angela Whitfield Callaway TV in James V.

Tate, city council president, teaching in multiple multiple times.

You keep it in.

You're cheating in too.

And Gabriella Tantiago Romero, you're a liar.

And Ms.

Gray, you can proceed with his general public comment.

We've we've attempted to address his um his language, but he's not going to change.

I'm not gonna you right.

I'm not gonna stop.

You need gotta get what you want.

And I'm serious about it.

So if you uh know me.

And we'll be sure we reach out to your family members to address your language.

The next caller.

Madam Chair, our last caller before you cut off public comment is Luis Orozco, noting that there was one hand raised after you cut off public comment.

And before we go to the last public commenter, I would like to call the 1020 discussion to order and recess it to the call of the chair.

And good morning, caller.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Caller, are you there?

Yes, am I am I be?

Can I be heard?

Yes.

Yes.

Okay, perfect.

Well, good morning.

Uh, my name is Luis.

I'll just call to uh express my support for the proposed hotel project at 206 East Grand River in downtown Detroit for Method Rivers LLC.

Um developments like this really brings hope help bring more visitors, more activity, and more opportunities for surrounding local businesses.

Um I think a hotel will actually be perfect right in the uh center of downtown Detroit.

So I'm a little restaurant in downtown.

Uh it's called Jose's Tacos.

And uh I think something like that, a project like that creates growth, not just for the hotel itself, but for the restaurants and uh shops and small businesses nearby, especially uh, you know, I've been seeing new development, new buildings popping up every every uh almost every year.

Um I believe projects like this are very important to continue the momentum that Detroit has been building.

You know, we've we've been uh you know, our fully support moving it forward.

Um there's a lot more people now staying in downtown Detroit, which means there's more spending in the area, there's more opportunities for local businesses to grow, and I just love seeing the progress that Detroit has made.

It's definitely came a long long way.

And uh less um I can say, you know, it it that it's not as late, less uh I want to say it's it's more welcoming now.

You know, like I I feel I I feel like I'm able to take my kids downtown now.

But yeah, I definitely support the project.

Uh I wish to see it uh you know move forward and uh thank you for your time.

Thank you.

All right, that concludes general public comment and colleagues, is are there any responses to general public comment?

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you.

Um, Madam Chair, I just want to share when it comes to Cindy Darr.

We work very closely with Cindy.

Um we love her dearly, and we have asked her if she wants to uh receive support from HRD or the city um money services to help with home repairs, and she has told us no.

Um, I do believe though that that is what she needs, and we are happy to make sure um that we are there to help her apply, get the resources she needs when she's ready.

Um, but yes, we are working with her, and um we are trying to find a good fits for the services that she's looking for.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

Pro Tim, yeah.

Yeah, I wanted to respond um to uh Ms.

Varner's question.

She was talking about I I believe it was about the um water affordability plan, and basically they were saying that if you still have debt that was not paid off or paid down that transfers back to the person who was indebted.

I would like, I don't know if somebody available from the water department now.

If if if they if they are in the future, just to be able to explain that a little bit more.

I think that's important, especially right before we're entering into budget, just so people understand if that program still works, is that program gonna be around, how much money would it cost to put that program buck back online if it if we can't afford to provide anymore?

I just think there's a question I like to ask.

I feel they're kind of good preliminary for us dealing with the budget.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you, Pro Tim.

And we have my team has reached out to the administration to um have someone from DWSD queued up uh to respond.

There is no one currently available, but um, hopefully we can get someone on on the line prior to us concluding this meeting.

Um, and we did have a discussion about the program in general.

There was one thing that Ms.

Varner um indicated that was not addressed that we want to ensure we get addressed.

But Director Brown did speak to the uh questions that you just mentioned, like the cost um to continue the program and to make sure that all of the residents that are in need of assistance um can receive that.

So he did indicate how much um is needed and did also note that we can use our tax um general fund dollars to support such a program.

Pro Tim.

Good.

And this would be the last question.

Thank you for your patience and leadership, ma'am chair.

I just also want to add, I think Miss Bork was talking about some sort of her property.

I don't remember which one, and I would just wonder, I don't know if this goes to demolition and construction, or if this goes to um BC in terms of how that property is supposed to be handled, but I would just like to get a little bit of an update, you know, in terms of or to whomever department that issue may concern the cleanup process, not just for that lot, but for lots in general that look like that.

Is that on the private owner to be able to deal with once the property is torn down, or do we have uh remediation um policies to be able to deal with that and how does that work?

Thank you, ma'am.

Chair I'm done.

All right, thank you.

If we can have someone from the administration to address that question as we get to the end of the agenda, that would be appreciated.

Now I'd like to call the 1025 public hearing to order and recess it to the call of the chair.

I'd like to call back to order the 1015 public hearing.

The 1015 public hearing is the establishment of a neighborhood enterprise zone as requested by Corktown Development Properties LLC in the area of 1728 Michigan Avenue, in accordance with public act 147 of 1992.

Colleagues, there has been um additional information that was recently shared with us in regards to not only line item five, but line item five, six, and seven.

Uh, but we will address them separately.

Um there is a request to postpone the public hearing for a date to be determined, noting that next week we are going into our budget hearings, and our um the time that is allotted for our committees is one hour.

As a result, we do not hold public hearings during budget hearings because we just don't have the time to be able to do so.

Uh colleagues, is there a motion?

And Madam Parliamentarian, please interject if need be to adjourn.

Do I need to take public comment?

I hope not because we didn't discuss it.

Um that would be entirely up to you whether or not you would take public comment, but what you're going to do is adjourn this public hearing um to a date to be determined.

Um, at which time you could do your public comment.

There's only one session of public comment required, and since it's the same meeting today, and at the date to be determined, it could be done then.

Thank you.

And that is what I think the community would like to um have us do as well so they can hear the um the actual public hearing and then for them to be able to weigh in with public comment.

So, colleagues, is there a motion to adjourn the public hearing line item number five for a date to be determined?

Motion there is a motion, any objection.

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

The 1015 public hearing is adjourned.

And Madam Parliamentarian, I'm not certain that I need to do the same with the discussion.

I believe we can just bring the discussion back with the line item.

Yes, you can.

Um the discussion can be brought back because they they go together.

Okay, thank you.

So it you'll be you'll bring the discussion back um at a date to be determined.

That's all.

Okay, thank you.

Um so without objection.

Well, I'll do this.

I'd like to call the 1025 public hearing back to order.

The 1025 public hearing is the approval of the Brownfield of the City of Detroit, Brownfield Redevelopment Authority for 1728 Michigan Avenue.

This is the same property.

Colleagues, without objection, I'd I don't know if I can combine line item six and seven.

Um, so I will just indicate that when we make the motion that we will also bring the discussion back for a date to be determined and request a motion.

Madam Parliamentarian.

Um I'm sorry, I wasn't quite following that.

I are you intending to bring back the 1025 at a date to be determined also?

Yes.

Okay, then whatever one the discussion is attached to, it should come back at the same time then.

Okay, thank you.

They are all the same.

Okay.

Yes, so um, but do I need a motion to bring the discussion back?

You don't since it's a line item, it certainly doesn't hurt to say without objection, we'll bring the discussion back.

Um at the day uh when the other when the public hearings are coming back or uh with the public hearings.

Okay, along those lines.

Thank you.

We appreciate it.

All right, colleagues, along with line item five as well as six.

Um, there is a request to postpone or to adjourn the 1025 public hearing for a date to be determined.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

Any objection?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

This closes out the 1025 public hearing.

And without objection, I'd like to without objection, we are bringing line item six, the 1020 discussion back for a date to be determined associated with line items five and seven.

Motion.

Thank you, colleagues.

That now brings us to the 1030 public hearing.

I'd like to call the 1030 public hearing to order.

The 1030 public hearing is to amend chapter 50 of the 2019 Detroit City Code zoning by amending Article 17, zoning district maps, section 50-17-9, district map number eight to revise the zoning classifications for certain properties generally bound by Melbourne Street to the north, Oakland Avenue to the east, Mount Vernon Street to the south, and Kingsley Street to the west.

Commonly known as 656 and 662 Melbourne Street from the existing R3 low density residential district zoning classification to the B4 General Business District Zoning Classification.

I believe we have Mr.

Kimani Jeffrey who is joining us for a line item eight.

If we can please promote him as a panelist.

Please introduce yourself for the record and you may proceed.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Kimani Jeffrey of the City Planning Commission LPD staff.

And I'm joined by the petitioners.

I believe they've been brought in.

And if we can ask for them to raise their hand so that the team can promote them.

Team, do we see them on Zoom?

Madam Chair, I promoted Ms.

Lynch, but I don't see the other name.

If they could please raise their hand.

And Miss Lynch, if you can turn your camera on and introduce yourself for the record.

Mr.

Jeffrey, it looks like Miss Patty Lynch is declining to be promoted as a panelist.

Okay, I do see uh Mr.

Gron Bradley.

I think he just needs to turn his camera on.

There we go.

So we can through you, Madam Chair, we can go ahead and get started if that's okay.

Let me uh share my screen very quickly.

Thank you, Madam Chair and committee members.

I believe you can see my screen.

Yes.

Okay.

Um I'll allow Mr.

Grant to introduce himself when we get to his point in the presentation.

But what you have before you, madam chair, is the request of Patty Lynch to show a B4 zoning classification.

Currently, we're an R3 zoning class classification exists at the property commonly known as 656 and 662 Melbourne Street.

Um is generally bounded by Melbourne, Oakland Avenue, Mount Vernon, and Kingsley Street.

The uh subject property, just a little bit of background.

Patrick Lynch presently operates the Switch Health Club at the southwest corner of Melbourne Street and Oakland Avenue in the North End neighborhood.

The ownership of the subject building has labeled the site as the only historic bathhouse in the city of Detroit.

Um it has also been known as a place of cleansing restoration throughout its history for the Russian Jewish community.

And the current ownership team is bringing this historic building back to its origins as a place of restoration as a sign and bath house.

So the subject parcels that are being petitioned for the rezoning request uh is for two vacant parcels, and they are located just west of the Schwitz building.

These parcels are proposed to be rezoned.

Um there currently are three, and the petition is to rezone them to B4 the general business district.

And that's in order to allow the Schwitz to install install an outdoor lounge area and HVAC system.

That's their immediate plans.

And then additionally, in the future, they've also made it known that they potentially want to expand an outdoor lounge area as well.

Um that would be a future plan.

Uh the rezoning of these parcels would essentially expand into the B4 that currently exists on Oakland Avenue along that corridor into parcels into uh the residential street, and I'll be showing some areas of what that looks like.

And then I also want to note I think this is very important that uh Mr.

Lynch has also indicated that his team recently purchased the single family house next door, and that was advised by CPC staff to do in order to create a buffer between the residential neighborhood and their um existing uh establishment just because of the proposed nature of the outdoor lounge area.

Um but it's also been made known to us that you know currently they exist as a health club, so they wouldn't be expecting um parties, but this would be to serve uh uh serene health club nature type events and atmosphere.

And so um, but additionally, the house would serve as a buffer between uh their establishment and other homes on that block.

Uh just very quickly, I also want to note um the uh petitioner has been working with the surrounding community to garner support.

They've spoken to neighbors of Melbourne Street to solicit feedback.

We do have two letters of support that I'll show.

And then also there was one person, uh nobody when the CPC held a public hearing for this, nobody opposed at the public hearing, but we did receive uh some emails uh subsequently uh from a neighbor on the block to the south.

Um, and they were opposing, I think you have the letter uh for the reasons that they oppose.

One of those reasons was about the historic nature of some of you know, maybe not everyone being allowed historically.

Um, but I do want to note that the current ownership is very open to anyone from the neighborhood, anyone from surrounding community being able to participate um in the activities of this established uh establishment.

And then also um there were some other concerns about noise and acoustics.

So those have been addressed by the uh developer in the letter that they responded to that neighbor with.

Uh, we tried to coordinate meetings with that particular neighbor.

They denied any meeting requests, either with staff or even with the developer.

They deny um they didn't want to take a tour or have any conversations.

So there wasn't much we could do to um, you know, establish any sort of uh discussion because that was rejected, but we did do our best to respond to to their concerns and put those in writing with the developer.

Uh lastly, I'll just go through these slides real quick and then pass the floor to the developer through you, madam chair.

But the this is just showing where the location is again, just off of Oakland Ave in the North Ann neighborhood, north of Grand Boulevard.

Um, you'll see everything in yellow is indicating residential, and then the red is indicating commercial, uh commercially zoned parcels.

And then this is the actual site.

So you can see uh where the pen is.

Uh those are the two parcels proposed to be rezoned to B4.

Um again, B4 currently exists along Oakland Ave.

So the Schwitz is zone B4.

So this would just be an extension of that B4.

And as I mentioned uh previously, they did purchase the home that's adjacent to these parcels to create a buffer between their activities and the other residents.

And lastly, this is just some uh just gives uh a sense of what that neighborhood looks like um in the surrounding area.

To the top left is the actual Schwitz Vit building as it exists today.

And you can see those uh lots that are proposed to be rezoned just just behind the Schitz building.

And then to the right, you'll see Melbourne Street, what that looks like, and then on the bottom picture, you'll see what it looks like across the street.

They've worked out an agreement with the uh church um across the street to share some of their parking to help um with with their parking needs as well.

As obviously um the church isn't uh utilizing that parking um uh a majority of the time.

So they've they're sharing that parking.

And then um, as it relates to the master plan, this is in the middle, what we're neighborhood, cluster four area, and uh the planning and development department has submitted a letter saying that this proposal is generally consistent with the master plan.

If you look at where the pen is, the future land the future land use map did indicate that those two parcels in question were right to transition to um commercial activity, neighborhood commercial.

And so this is generally consistent with what the master plan was indicating at the time it was adopted.

And with that being said, madam chair, I can give the floor through you to Mr.

Grant.

Good morning, Mr.

Garan.

Good morning, madam chair.

Good morning, council members and committee members.

Um, thank you very much.

Um Kamani basically hit all the main points.

And um, before we get to that, I think uh Patty was having some um technical difficulties, so I believe he's made it back into the meeting.

And if you could elevate him as well, so he um gets a chance to speak on this if his device is not working correctly.

But as you may or may not know, the Schwitz Health Club has existed since um 1930 in the city of Detroit.

Patty Lynch took over the property about eight years ago.

I've been a part of the process that entire time in rehabbing the property and building strong relationships with the neighborhood.

At this point, we want to expand into the side yard to um increase our offerings for the city of Detroit as well as the neighborhood.

And this would include, you know, outside gathering spaces as well as you know, an expansion of our basic bathhouse facilities that would also, you know, kind of create a campus and connect with the house that we had purchased at 650 Melbourne as well.

Um we've got a, you know, as far as I know, and I've been working for the Schwitz for a long time now.

We've got great relations with all of the neighbors, um, especially with our neighboring church across the street.

And um, you know, I feel really positive about these changes and you know, the growth and the you know, prosperity that we're gonna be able to provide for the North End neighborhood in the city of Detroit at large.

So if anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Thank you.

Um I'm not sure if Mr.

Lynch has anything additional he'd like to add.

We can hear you.

Oh, awesome.

Thanks, everybody.

My app rose, and so I joined via the browser.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to say, you know, how grateful we are for all of the community support around the Schwitz.

It's been a landmark for almost a hundred years.

We have a wonderful relationship with um Nazarene across the street, as was mentioned.

We employ, you know, probably 30 or 40 uh people, most of whom live um right around the the Schwitz in the north end.

Some have worked there their entire lives.

Um we have a good relationship with our neighbors with Oakland Avenue Urban Farm.

And um, we're excited to uh get the ballroom um activated above the bathhouse uh to host community events, and that's the main reason for this initial uh rezoning is to um be able to get some HVAC equipment um so we can properly heat and cool the space.

And so um grateful for um everyone's uh willingness to um consider this um rezoning.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Madam Chair, uh just the last few slides.

This just shows um the current plan for the build out um with the HVAC units and potential uh future plans for the uh lounge area on the outside.

And with that being said, these are the uh letters of support the staff received.

And again, the city planning commission did a vote to recommend approval of this matter.

Um, and that was back in um June 26th of 2025.

So uh with that being said, that completes our presentation.

Thank you so much.

And I do have one question I'd like to ask.

Um, can you all share how you plan to ensure that there's no noise pollution coming from the HVAC system just for the general public?

Can I be heard?

Yes.

Thank you so much.

So um in our updated um plans, we have um some really nice screening, which we can cover with foliage uh year-round, like Boston Ivy.

Um these new equipment, this these new units are way quieter than the older ones.

And again, the closest residence is you know, almost a hundred feet away, and we own that home.

Um, I really don't think that these are going to be heard in any capacity from any any neighbors, including the house that we own.

Um I'm expecting very, very little impact from a noise standpoint um based on this new machinery, uh, which is you know brand new and quite advanced.

Thank you.

And in addition to that, um, we're also going to be you know, providing sound dampening panels that you know, to the best of our ability as far as code provides that we are allowed to, you know, block off large portions of the HVAC unit.

And just to be clear as well, according to our previous plans, which you know the slides show there were going to be two units, but from talking to our HVAC contractors, where we are only going to need one unit.

So that'll even more significantly reduce the potential for noise, which you know I agree with Patty on this one, and I don't think it's gonna be much of an issue at all.

All right, thank you.

Colleagues, any additional questions?

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, not a question, just a notes, and I and I'm going to assume this may have been discussed by the developers.

Uh good after good morning.

Um just want to say I'm a huge fan.

I I I know the Schwitz well.

I think it's a really wonderful place for self-care.

Um, but last time this came up before this committee, um, our chair mentions uh the price, and I know what the price is.

I believe it's 40 dollars, and you get to be there for the time that you're there, um, if it's either all day or the period of time.

Um, and going to other bathhouses that are much more expensive.

I think this is affordable.

I think it's beautiful.

I think it's here in the neighborhood.

But just wondering, have you ever considered a five dollar off or a a Detroit resident a discount day?

Because um at one point I would say the Schwitz was a really well known or uh or an unwell known secret or just a secret in general.

You guys are growing.

You you and I think this is why you're at this place where you're expanding, which is exciting.

But have you considered have there been conversations around?

Um giving a discount or deeper affordability for Detroiters to experience the Schwitz.

I can speak to that.

Thank you very much, Councilmember.

And thank you for um saying how much you appreciate the space.

Um yeah, I think compared to some of the other places we're seeing around the city.

Um, Basque and Brush Park charges $60 for two hours.

Island View Sauna Club charges $25 an hour.

So we charge $40, and people can stay for literally 10 hours if they wanted to and work from there.

So we find that it is quite accessible and affordable, but more to your point.

Yes, we have considered that.

We have done that.

We've had, you know, Mondays where it's $10 off.

Um, we've had things where if you come fairly regularly, we give you some extra free passes.

Um we've considered as we move forward and expand that we could have daytime um sessions that are um a little bit less than the evening, which gets quite busy and can and can justify a higher price point.

Um with these expansions, we believe that um we're gonna be able to allow more people to enjoy the space, which will allow us to drive the price points down.

Um right now we're in a uh an issue we don't want to raise prices, but we sometimes hit capacity because the place is so popular.

So these are good problems to have, and we're grateful for them.

But this extra space will allow us to keep it affordable and accessible as time goes on.

Thank you so much for your support.

Of course, and thank you for that.

That's I think really important as the city is growing and expanding, and it's exciting.

Um I do I do want to make sure that it's accessible for Detroiters, and I and I do believe the Schitz is.

Um, and I will say um you you mentioned uh Kamani, the history of the Schwitz being all male, all white at one point.

Um, if you go today, you will see that it's black, brown, white, young, old, queer, it's beautiful.

Um, so really grateful for your work and thank you for keeping that in mind, uh, making sure that it's accessible, a welcoming place, um, and that we are meeting the needs of Detroiters because we really do need to enjoy um the the gems that we have here in Detroit.

So thank you.

All right, we are going to now move into public comment regarding the public hearing.

If there is anyone who'd like to make a public comment, please raise your hand, whether in person or virtually.

Please raise your hand.

Public comment will be cut off in three seconds.

The collection of public comment regarding the public hearing has concluded.

We're going to give everyone a minute and 30 seconds for public comment during the public hearing.

Seeing no hands raised in the committee of the whole, how many hands do we have raised virtually?

Madam Chair, we have five hands raised for virtual public comment.

And who's our first caller?

Our first caller is iPhone.

iPhone, you have a minute 30 for public comment regarding the public hearing.

iPhone, are you there?

All right, we're gonna come back to iPhone.

Who's the next caller?

Our next caller is caller ending in 905.

Caller ending in 905.

You have a minute and 30 seconds for public comment regarding the public hearing.

Caller, are you there?

Okay.

I was checking to see how general public comment been made.

General public comment has concluded.

If there's anything you'd like to share with us, you can always reach out to the office.

Um you can also share it with the clerk's office and it will be put on public record.

Our office number is 313 2244841.

Thank you.

Thank you, Kaime.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Owner Papa.

Owner Papa, you have one minute 30 seconds for public comment.

Owner Papa.

Oh good morning.

And through the chair, uh, may I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Uh Carolyn Hughes.

Uh it it they may not be uh discriminatory, but um how are they?

I know Miss Romero wants to give this rainbow kind of thing, but during the time that this existed, they were discriminatory toward um black ADOS Americans.

And I'm wondering how are they what are they doing to reach out?

They've kept the same name.

And I I I'd like to know if they don't find that kind of offensive seeing their history uh here in the city of Detroit.

Um and what are they doing to reach out to the people who were actually um harmed with their discriminatory practices?

Um and um uh I'm wondering why they need rezoning.

I'm not really sure why they need rezoning.

And if they wanna know what kind of noise level, you know, there are ways to measure decibels of noise level so that you would be able to, you know, give some type of um response to what would the noise level be.

Um whatever you're doing in the neighborhood.

Um I I think if you can curtail it or if you only if you know what that noise level uh might be.

And so I think you can go into um an area and figure out if you're gonna be uh a disruption to the neighbors uh by using a method of measuring uh the decibel level.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Jim Brunel of North Corktown.

Caller, you have one minute 30 seconds for public comment regarding the public hearing.

Mr.

Jim Brunell.

Are you there?

We're gonna come back to this caller.

The next caller.

Our next caller is caller ending in 534.

Caller ending in 534.

You have one minute 30 seconds for a public comment regarding the public hearing.

Good morning, may I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Well, I have uh similar concerns like owner papa.

To really test the noise levels, because if somebody's working going in and out of the building, they may not think that's disruptive to somebody.

We already got problems in the lower north end with uh people blasting loud music at Dolores Bennett Playground and people have asked repeatedly that something be done about it.

I'm not saying that the Schwitz is gonna be that way.

Uh but um just putting shrubs up.

Maybe with the house in the middle, I don't know, but uh I I certainly hope that could be addressed if if all of a sudden it's noise that uh disrupts the neighbors, and you should probably figure that out uh first if there's a way to measure it.

That's my comment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is going back to iPhone.

iPhone.

You have one minute 30 seconds for public comment regarding the public hearing.

Uh yeah.

Okay, this is Sunny.

And uh I don't I I uh go to the Northwest Activity Center, which used to be the Jewish community center.

They have the best steam bath.

Now you guys uh that's one of our recreation centers.

So you can go over there and get the steam bath and the sauna.

They both work.

It's not hot enough, you know, tell the 10.

Yeah, no.

So uh I like that idea.

Uh I don't know, uh I know my uh neighbor complains about she's playing about the the noise next door.

Uh so that is something to be concerned about.

I uh I hope they're not asking us for any financial and they can pay for this.

But I seem less I know I I if it's cheap enough.

Maybe I go there, but I go to Northwest Activity Center, not pay anything.

So I probably go there.

But yeah, all right.

Uh Gabriella, yeah.

I didn't want those people that help me, they're the ones who are trying to throw me out.

Mr.

Board up my house and myself.

So I can't trust Dora.

Do it in a different way.

Thank you.

Team, please be sure that the comments regarding the public hearing are pertinent to relevant to the public hearing.

The next caller.

Our last caller is going back to Jim Brunel.

Jim Brunel, you have one minute, 30 seconds for a public comment regarding the public hearing.

I'll uh submit my uh comments in writing to the clerk's office.

Thank you.

All right, that concludes our public comment.

And to the petitioners or to Mr.

Jeffrey, I did hear a couple of questions.

If we can get a response to um, I don't see the petitioners on the screen any longer.

Um, one of the questions was what are they doing to connect with Detroiters, Detroit residents?

And why the need for the rezoning?

Yes, Madam Chair.

I'll answer the second question and then allow um Mr.

Lynch, I believe he's still I see him still here.

Um as as as it relates to the rezoning, um, you know, in terms of the the uh HVAC system and the the uh health club, the health club is allowed in the um or the expansion of the health club, only allowed in the in business districts, and so that's why the need for um the rezoning because currently those two parcels are zoned or three, so this would allow for that expansion um of those commercial activities into current current um residential zone land and uh Mr.

Lynch if you want to answer the question regarding what you're doing to reach out to uh surrounding residents.

Yes, thank you, Kamani.

Um I I take a lot of pride in what we've done over the last uh 10 years.

I'll just share a quick personal story because I think it's important right after I bought the building.

I was visiting with Pastor uh Kevin Harris at Nazarene.

I'm a funeral director by trade, so I get along and know a lot of pastors, and I was visiting with him, and a woman, an elderly woman from the church approached me and said, Are you the man that just bought the bathhouse?

And I said, Yes, I am.

And she said, you know, I've lived in this uh and you know, worshipped here for 50 plus years.

I've never been in there because when I was a little girl, I was told to stay away from that building because there's it's full of mean white men, and I said, Well, that's a real shame.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I said, Would you like to see the inside?

And she said, I really would.

And then about 50 parishioners joined her the following weekend and got a full tour of the space.

Some of them now use the space, come over and eat because we have a great kitchen.

Um King Street, um, you know, artistic group uh supports us greatly, and a lot of them frequent uh the Schwitz.

We have a wonderful relationship with um Oakland Avenue and Jerry Hebron.

Um so I really um want to take this opportunity to say that the Schwitz 10 years ago maybe had uh a hundred visitors a week.

Now we have about a thousand, and it's extremely diverse.

And anyone who hasn't been there, if they now visit, they'll see that for themselves.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Can you just share?

Are you indicating that you purchased the building 10 years ago?

It was about nine years ago, 2017.

Okay, all right, thank you.

Colleagues, any additional questions?

Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Mayor Chair.

Um, I I just wanted to get this correct.

I don't I think this go to Mr.

Kamani, good to see you, sir.

Uh I I I just want to get this.

So this is just basically about allowing this HVAC to be on the outside patio for noise issues, right?

That's why that's that's what we're doing this year.

This is gonna be outside.

People have issues about the noise and things of that nature.

Is that why is that what we're here?

Because usually you you wouldn't need a zoning change to implement an HVAC system, right?

Yeah.

I I will uh through the chair to uh member young.

I would more so characterize it as uh an expansion.

So um so currently they're trying to expand and open up the the existing ballroom that is has been inactive for a long time.

Currently, it doesn't have any uh you know air ventilation circulation and um air conditioning, so they are trying to expand that, and so that's what the HVAC system is being used for, and then also the actual um proposed expansion of the lounge area.

So they currently have a lounge area that exists outside.

So, you know, as it relates to the the noise concerns.

There's a lounge area that's been existing for some years, probably maybe uh I can't speak to exactly how many years, but that that's currently in operation, and they're having been they you know, according to my knowledge, they haven't been receiving any complaints about that activity.

So this will be an expansion of um the outdoor activities that currently exist, and so that will go into the residential zone land, and so that's what triggers the need for the rezoning.

Okay, uh no, so I get what you're saying.

So basically what you're saying is they already have an outside patio, and they had a place where they were meeting before, but that place has been vacant, and they're expanding that the existing outside patio to a larger outside patio, and they're also implementing HVAC in that because that's not what the attention of the larger expansion was for.

That was intended for a ballroom and other purposes, and so they're changing that to an outside pattern, not the outside page that exists, but the ballroom.

That's why we're here, right?

Because you're because you're you're because you say expansion, we're changing that ballroom into the patio, right?

Well, the HVAC will serve the ballroom, and then additional patio or an additional patio would be built to act as a lounge area for for the patrons.

Okay, so ultimately it's an expansion.

So you give current residential land.

So a patio is this, they're gonna build expansion of the patio on top of that, and they're gonna add the HVAC in the ballroom.

Is the HVAC gonna be outside?

The HVAC is gonna be outside, not inside, right?

Outside, Mr.

Lynch, would you want to uh more to that?

Yes, that that is correct.

I'm just trying to understand.

I mean, uh it's not that I don't like to see you guys, I'm just trying to understand why we're here because usually this is something that you don't need a zoning change for.

Um look, I'm a supporter.

I mean, I'm not I'm not hating on the Schwitz or bathhouses, I'm just don't understand you know, I don't you know whatever floats your boat, I just don't understand why.

Maybe if I can I speak to this yes, is that Mr.

Lynch?

Thank you.

Yes, thank you so much.

Uh through the chairwoman.

Um, so I I think I can clear up the confusion here.

If it weren't for the age and the shape of the roof, this is an HVAC unit that would normally go on a roof, but because we have a historic hundred-year-old building with an oddly shaped roof, the engineers have advised that it go behind the building.

Currently, behind the building are two residential lots.

We are trying to rezone because in order to put a commercial HVAC unit behind the building, those lots need to be zoned commercial.

Okay.

To yeah, and to Kamani's point, we have had an outdoor lounge space for decades that has never received one complaint.

So if we're going to rezone these lots for the HVAC anyway, we're gonna take the opportunity to expand our lounge, which has never been a problem for anyone because we need the space, and so people can lounge in um the larger outdoor space, and we can add the HVAC.

Thank you so much.

No, actually, I I no I appreciate that that explanation that breaks it down because I've heard so many great things about the Schwitz and about what it does and the people that it serves.

And so I was you this this kind of seems like a layup or a no-brainer to me, and so I just kind of wonder why are we here about it.

So all right, uh thank you very much.

I was good to see Mr.

Mr.

Jeffries, and uh that is off my questions, madam chair.

All right, thank you.

Anything further?

All right, seeing nothing, colleagues.

Is there a motion on line item eight?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line item eight to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, committee members.

Thank you.

That now closes out the 1030 public hearing, and that brings us to unfinished business.

Line item 9.1 is the status of council member Letitia Johnson submitting memorandum requesting report on the community outreach ordinance.

There is a request for a three-week bring back.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item 9.1 back in three weeks.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.2 status of civil rights inclusion and opportunity department.

This is the community benefits ordinance by and biannual report for future of health.

There's a request for a one-week bring back.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item 9.2 back in one week.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.1 is contract number 6007355-A1.

100% city funding.

Amendment number one to provide an increase of funds to include right to counsel in Cam Hotline.

Contractor Wayne Metro Community Action Agency.

Colleagues, is there a motion to approve or discuss?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line item 10.1 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Discussion.

With discussion.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Not sure if there's anyone that can answer this contract is through August of this year.

Um wondering what the plans are to continue the service.

The question we have Chelsea Neblet, Michelle Robinson, Diamond Conley, and Ashley Franklin.

The council Cam.

And it looks like none of them are on currently.

No, I would just ask you, did she mean no?

I didn't say the contract.

You're right.

I just want to make sure that she mean like was it for just it's just for the right to counsel piece, or did you also mean for Cam as well?

Oh, through the chair through for this whole process.

Did you just so for both of them or yes?

Okay, I just I don't know.

I I just want to make sure I got it clear with the question we were.

That's all.

Yeah.

Attorney Anderson.

I would ask to bring this back at the end of the agenda.

Let me give a quick phone call to make sure all everyone's available to speak on this matter.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there a motion to bring line item 10.1 back at the end of the agenda?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.2.

Submitting report relative to reprogramming funds for repairs to private homes.

Is there a motion to refer line item?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Pro Tim Young.

No, I was gonna just get ready to say motion.

When you are when you were done.

Did I was um did you receive the response?

This was in your res in response to uh the use of federal philanthropic or general fund dollars for home repair and heating appliances.

Just want to make sure you are okay with uh the response and prepared to receive and file.

Oh motion received and file line of 10.2 hearing no objections that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.3 is the termination of the global code storage brownfield plan.

Is there a motion to discuss?

Motion.

Discussion.

I believe we have Mr.

Brian Vosberg to speak to line item 10.3.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Council.

Please introduce yourself for the record, and if you wouldn't mind sharing why uh the Brownfield plan is being terminated for this particular project.

Certainly, Madam Chair.

Uh Brian Bosberg, uh Senior Director of Brownfield Redevelopment at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

So before you today is um the termination, uh recommendation for termination of the Global uh cold storage brownfield plan.

This was a uh proposed uh new construction project by Grobel uh to build a new facility, uh an additional facility to their current historic facility in Eastern Market.

Um and this project uh unfortunately didn't um you know end up uh reaching a starting point.

Um and so the developer has uh never did uh complete the development process of this and uh have uh indicated to the city that they're uh won't be pursuing this anymore.

Thank you for that.

And did the developer receive any benefit for this particular project?

The chair, uh to my knowledge, they've not.

Uh there, you know, this brownfield plan never provided any uh tax incentive to the developer.

You know, brownfield plans are performance-based, they're only provide uh the incentive if the project happens.

And in this case, uh nothing happened with the project.

Uh there were uh purchase agreements that were being negotiated, but those were never uh completed either, so no property was transferred uh to Groble uh through the city's uh project that the city was working with them on.

Thank you.

Any additional questions, comments?

CNN.

Without objection, I'd like to combine line item 10.4 with line item 10.3.

This is also a termination of a brownfield redevelopment plan for the riverbend three.

Mr.

Vosberg, can you just speak to that?

I believe that is in District 4.

Um yes, uh Madam Chair, yes.

This project uh was proposed um uh back uh in the early 2000s uh for the uh riverbend uh uh project as a third phase of that.

Uh there were two residential um portions of that project that were built near the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood.

Um this project uh I believe was you know a victim of the uh the 2008 uh real estate crash uh that happened uh and it never got off the ground.

So in this case, uh this is a credit only program.

There's a there's an old Michigan business tax or single business tax uh credit program that existed.

That program is since uh expired.

Uh and so this um the value you know that did exist for this brownfield plan is no longer there.

Uh the credit has expired you know many years ago, uh and so we're cleaning up the books uh to make sure that there's no no um reporting or administrative work required by any city entities on this project.

Okay, thank you.

All right, colleagues, is uh pro Tim Young.

I know this is uh completely outside the scope of what this is, but because of what happened with uh the 100-year flood, particularly in that area.

Has there been an examination for the need of brownfields to be issued for the purposes of economic development because of just the damage it turns people's basements and turns people's houses?

I know it's completely outside the scope of this, but I just think I just don't think just optically for me.

I'm looking at this is a termination of a riverbend three brownfield redevelopment plan as if it kind of sends a signal, even though that's not what you're saying, kind of signal that this is no longer needed, and it's very much needed, particularly in this area.

And so I just want to know is there a subsequent report?

Usually I wouldn't ask this, but because of that 100-year flood, what's happened in this area?

Is there a subsequent report or something coming out talking about the need for this?

It's just economic development around remediation environmentally, period.

Through the chair, this um particular project, the River Bend 3 was a very specific parcel of land on or uh may have been a few parcels of land um on East Jefferson, uh fronting East Jefferson um with had a very specific set of requirements.

You know, this is for commercial um retail development uh for that, and it can only be used in that those parcels that front Jefferson.

Um again, the credit that existed has long since expired, and that program no longer exists uh with the state.

Um Brownfield TIFF, uh, you know, the the termination of this plan would in no way um you know uh harm you know anyone else from applying in the future that you know this developer or any other developer could apply in the future um for TIFF or this project or to include you know this uh these parcels in a broader uh application.

No, I I I remember that about the single business tax.

Um I was there now when they repealed it, but I was there when they actually replaced it with the corporate income tax and state level.

So I remember those debates clearly, and I understand why you want to repeal it.

And normally I wouldn't say anything.

I just think because of what has happened in this area and the sensitivity of it and the concentration of what happened.

I think it would just behoove the DEGC or really anybody talking about economic development, you know what we're doing about rebuilding this and issuing task grants for people who want to live here and want to redevelop in this area and rebuild in that area.

Now I understand that's not the scope of what this is, but I just wanted to put that upon people because for me and for people on the outside looking in when you're talking about a termination of a brownfield redevelopment plan, and there's no other context or comment, it looks as if we're saying indirectly that that's not needed when brownfields clearly are needed in this community.

So I just wanted to say that.

Thank you, uh, ma'am chair, and thank you, sir.

I appreciate your work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Pro Tim, I appreciate the support for in that area.

Um, we did have um a project recently come before PED uh in this particular area.

So there are still developers that are interested in developing in the area, in spite of uh being in a floodplain, but and you know, we're always encouraging people to go through the process to recognize that there are steel uh uh abatements or incentives that they can't apply for to do development in that area, and just look forward to your continued support to help get that community out of the floodplain so they can have access to additional resources.

So thank you.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Viceburg.

Colleagues, is there a motion on line items 10.3 and 10.4?

There's a motion to approve motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line items 10.3 and 10.4 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, those actions shall be taken.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Line item 10.5.

Submit a report relative to the presentation of the historic designation advisory board and the Latin X History Project.

Colleagues, is there a motion to discuss?

Motion to discuss discussion.

We have Kelsey Moss and Tamashik, who are here from HDAB to give a brief presentation.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um, I'm Kelsey Moss with the historic designation advisory board as a preservation planner.

And my name is Ian Tomashek, also a pres uh historic planner with the historic designation advisory board.

And through your honorable body, if we could uh share our screen, we have a very brief presentation for you all.

Absolutely.

Excellent.

All right, great.

So good morning.

Um, as I mentioned, we were both with the historic designation advisory board, and we wanted to give you a quick update on uh the Detroit Latinx history project, which has been an ongoing project since uh 2021.

Um this project is grant funded through the National Park Service as an underrepresented community grant, which your honorable body approved and encouraged us to apply for.

And so the goal of underrepresented community grants are to survey inventory and designate historic properties.

And the overall mission is to ensure that a complete American narrative is being told.

So we're looking at properties that are underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places.

So through this project, we have created a historic context report, which is essentially a large report with a lot of history about Latinx communities within the city.

This has big themes, identifies important sites and has great photos.

But this is a starting point.

It's meant to be used by the community, by researchers, to dig further and take that information where they where they're interested.

We also have listed a national historic district, which Ian is going to discuss briefly in a moment.

We strengthened community partners.

We were out in the neighborhood and worked very, very often with so many folks, and especially in the Southwest community.

And we created a public story map.

And so this is a much more approachable public platform.

It's on our website, and at the end, we'll have a QR code that you can scan to access.

But it has photos, important sites, fun maps, but it tries to consolidate a you know a hundred and fifty page document into a little bit more of a fun website.

Next page.

And so I just wanted to stress too that throughout this process, we've been working with communities.

They've been uh a true um partner in this uh in this work.

And so one of our advisory board members said at the end when they found out we had finally gotten uh a national register nomination, they said, quote, this historic designation is profoundly personal.

This is a recognition that honors not only just buildings and streets, but the generations of families, labor, and love that have shaped this place and continue to define its future.

So Ian is going to talk about this area that we designated.

Thank you.

And again through the chair.

Um, one of the reasons we are here today is that our uh the final results of this project, the Bagley West Werner National Register Historic District, was officially approved by the National Register or by the National Park Service on January 22nd of this past year.

Um so this district is now, and in fact, you can see in the very bottom right corner of the screen a uh kind of plain map that shows the district boundaries and in heavy black lines there.

Um when we were speaking with the Southwest Detroit community about you know what places were important to them uh and what places both best excuse me best reflect the area's uh Latin American history.

They were consistently naming places that were located along either Bagley Street or West Werner Highway in Southwest Detroit.

Um our district encompasses all of the areas shown again within those heavy black lines.

It extends from uh the corner of Bagley Street and 16th Street, that is uh right by La Comina or Honey Bee Market, all the way down West Werner to Ferdinand Street, um, almost to Holy Redeemer, which has already been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and our district intersects that existing listing.

So this uh designation does three things.

It's it's a bit different than our local historic districts, which you know uh kind of regulate what property owners can and can't do with properties in the district.

It does overlap with an existing local historic district.

The Hubbard Farms is shown there kind of in light blue, um, so you can see the overlap there.

Um National Register designation does not restrict what property owners can and can't do with their buildings, um, but it does do three things.

One, it bolsters community pride and provides kind of a written record of what Southwest Detroit residents already knew that this was a center for Latin American culture in the city of Detroit and has important historic places worth recognizing.

Um, it helps bolster tourism and attention to the area.

Um the district encompasses the area commonly known as Mexican town, right at Bagley and I-75.

Um, and so it it kind of stands again as a written record of why people may want to invest and visit and uh enjoy this area of our city.

And three, it does uh the national register designation, makes commercial property owners within the district eligible to receive federal historic preservation tax credits, um, which can be used to help rehab buildings that's a 20% credit that qualify uh toward qualifying expenditures related to rehab on historic buildings within the district.

The district includes 116 buildings, um, and I can tell you the history of every single one if you're interested.

Um, but for the sake of time, we will not be doing that today.

Um we have a QR code here up on the screen.

If you scan this QR code, it will take you directly to our Latinx story map.

So the story map is is kind of a uh a public-friendly visual walkthrough of all everything we learned about Detroit's Latin American history throughout the terms of our project.

Um, the story map uh uh, along with featuring some of the sites in the district, also links you to the full Latinx context report that's well over a hundred pages.

Um, and uh will as soon as we get the final uh document from the National Park Service link to the full designation report as well.

So I encourage you to scan that, and uh we are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Awesome, thank you.

Thank you for that um review for that report.

I wasn't aware of uh even the work that you all were doing behind the scenes on this project.

So I'll be scanning the QR code and and going back into uh an area that I actually grew up in when I was young before moving to the east side.

So I'm really interested in this.

Thank you.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, madam chair.

Just want to say thank you so much for this work.

It's really necessary, especially right now with Southwest Detroit, um, not just being impacted by ice and literally being terrorized every day, but the fact that we are being gentrified and our history is changing very rapidly.

Um it is very scary for many of us who could once afford apartments that we grew up in to no longer be able to afford a house in our own neighborhoods.

Um so while we continue to fight and deal with those very real structural issues, um, we need to ensure that our stories, our histories are embedded.

So thank you.

Um, because we have done so much work for the city, and we love the city deeply.

I have one question.

This is very place-based, but I actually, though, when I came to this country at one um two to Detroit, um Junction Street was the first street that I lived on.

But then I grew up in 4820, which still Southwest Detroit, and um very Caribbean.

So it's not Mexican, it's Puerto Rican, um, it's Dominican.

Um is a city looking at history, not just being place-based, but around movement as well, and where we have other Latinx communities in our city.

Yeah, through the chair.

Um there's two elements I would say of this project.

The um the National Register element is more restricted, right, to this boundary.

The context report is much more comprehensive, and it's a document that's meant to be built upon and us to like continue to add stories if it's like, oh, we captured some of it, but not all of it.

Um, we're really hoping that it can be used by um you know, researchers within the city, but also beyond to ensure that we are telling the complete story, right?

Um, so the the context report is built on different themes and and it looks and movement is a huge part of it, actually, of like where um you know these communities originally started and how they grew and they changed.

Um, so it's yes, and we hope to continue to add to it.

Okay, thank you through the chair.

Thank you.

That's very cool.

I I do know that voices, other historians, researchers here in the city um are very grateful for this work, and as you mentioned, we're part of this, um, and I do believe we'll be helpful for their research and work as well.

So thank you.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues.

Um Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, madam chair.

I'll read you through the QR code.

This is amazing.

This is really good stuff.

I I I my my only question is is this also going to include or highlight um the Latino community from the individual standpoint as well?

So, like, for example, I'll I don't mean it butchered my man's name, but Armando Delicato, I believe.

You know, he's a Latino community builder.

Uh, you also have Ruben Martinez, who's a cultural media uh pioneer.

Um, Marina Salinas, who's a Latino economic development leader.

So you have a lot of people that are here that I didn't know about.

And I'm reading this the um the um QR code, and I didn't know that uh Cedar Chavez made trips to Detroit on the regular.

And so I think that's really good in terms of labor, and so I'm looking at the um the uh uprisings and organizing that took place.

I know they had tortilla making you know facilities here.

I think that's great.

You know, where they're coming from up is what I think we need to be uh more inclusive, like uh member uh Santiago um Gary Santiago Romero says we need to work on our inclusivity here.

The biggest room in the world is a room for improvement.

But I think this is phenomenal.

I think this is really good stuff.

I just hope we just have individual profiles as well, so we can understand their contributions, not just to their communities, but also to the city of Detroit in terms of labor rights as a whole and what they did to advance labor rights, where ChaVazmith, the labor movement, and the reason why we have the weekend and pensions is because of their sacrifice and health care for your employment.

So this is really good stuff.

I got now, I gotta read through it before I can, you know, give the proper grades and judgment and everything.

But what I've seen so far, this is really good.

I think you understood the assignment.

I could definitely I hope we we can see this on television as well.

So when they have the discussion, they have a little historical events, we can talk about the accomplishments that they had as well.

I think this is um very needed, you know, as uh I remember Romero so eloquently put because of the time that we're in right now.

Um you gotta be a little bit careful because I would probably try to take it a little bit more politically here to talk about I think I I I think too often we focus on the individual coming into the country and we don't focus on the corporations that exploited their labor and made these laws for the purpose of their exploitation.

I don't expect you to take that on through a historical event.

You know, that's a little bit more of a political bit.

But I just think that that aspect for me is something that we don't talk about enough, the historical aspect of that of the you know, the receiving amnesty of the Latino community received amnesty in the 1980s of you know the marijuana laws being used specifically to target that group of people coming into the country in the 20s, um the impact of the Mexican American war.

And so I think so.

I think all of that needs to be you know, kind of put out there in the uh Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, what they received, the Latino uh Meski country, but also what was taken from them.

And so I think that that stuff needs to be highlighted.

But so far, I think this is good.

I really like it.

I think it's a lot of great work.

So congratulations, hats off, and look forward to work with you in the future.

Uh thank you.

Uh sure that is it.

All right, thank you.

Anything further?

And I would just like to say, you know, we know this, there's a lot of history out there, and we're always trying to share it.

So we appreciate your feedback.

And you know, if there's ever if you're reading through this, you're like, wow, this is a really cool person or individual, give us a shout-out and we can put them on our social media.

Uh yeah, exactly.

And we um the story map we worked with a Wayne State intern, and we've worked with many Wayne State interns um for other story maps.

So if you go on our website, we have a plethora.

Um, we use them because we find that they're very um public friendly and accessible.

Um, so uh to um pro Tem Young's point of you know, there's so much out there.

It it's hard to choose sometimes.

Um, but um, you know, we try and tell these different stories in interesting ways to make sure um anyone who lives in the city or is interested in the city can get excited about our history.

Um, and we have other grant programs going on.

We have a women's history project currently, and we're working on an Arab and Chaldean project.

We did one on um Eight Mile in Wyoming.

So um we're we're busy.

Um, and we would always love um to provide updates if there's ever questions.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

I understand Dr.

Chapman is joining us virtually, and she'd like to add something.

Yes, um, good morning.

Um Janice Chapman, uh director of historic designation advisory board.

I just first of all like to thank thank um R.

King for the hard work and and um everything they've done for this particular um not only survey but context report.

I also wanted to just point out that this um the contact report will be both in English and in Spanish, and copies of it will be available throughout the community so that the people who were responsible for us um giving us and and and and sharing with us their stories will be able to have um to to go and and read about the history and extended history of of the larger community.

So I did want to point that out.

The other thing is that the um council member Young asked us to ask about um certain individuals.

Part of that context report does do a deeper dive into um organizations, individuals.

Um, so you will get that, you know, it's like um Ian pointed out.

The report itself is over a hundred pages, but you know, it's a great read for the you know, I I like to say, and even if you read parts of it, um, it's looking with political history, religious, you know, religious history, social history.

So it does encompass all of those areas.

And if you just want to read about, you know, um social history, a political history, you can pull that part of the report out of the um the larger report and just get that information.

So just wanted again say thank you.

Thank your honorable body for um allowing us to do these kinds of reports because without your approval, we would not be able to uh apply for these grants through the National Park Service.

So thank you very much.

Excellent.

Thank you.

We we certainly do appreciate it and and always like to know about the history in the city of Detroit throughout the city.

Um, and it's always enlightening to hear information that probably most of our citizens don't know anything about um as relates to history in the city.

So thank you all.

We appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues.

Is there a motion to receive and file line item 10.5?

Motion hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.6.

Submit a report relative to an amend amended and restated obsolete property rehabilitation exemption exemption certificate agreement for method river LLC.

Colleagues, is there a motion to approve or discuss motion to approve?

There's a motion to send line item 10.6 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Madam Chair, is there a result with that?

The report.

Uh to the administration.

Okay.

Do we have anyone joining us?

Miss Sullivan, Mr.

Washington.

Got an agreement.

Good afternoon, madam chair.

Um, my apologies.

Is this for item 10.6?

This is item 10.6.

There should be a resolution attached.

Give me just a moment.

I believe it may have been submitted to the clerk this morning.

Mr.

Cook.

Justice Cook, Housing and Revitalization Department.

The resolution was submitted to the clerk's office, Cindy.

Um, and she has that document on hand.

Cindy go again.

Okay.

Great.

I'll make sure that it gets detached.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, did I conclude that line item?

I didn't call the vote.

Okay.

There was a motion to send line item 10.6.

Oh.

Dr.

Powers?

I I was just going to tell you, yes, you did call it.

And then the clerk asked if there was a resolution, but it that's fine.

Okay.

We're clear.

All right, thank you.

So line item 10.6 shall be sent to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Line item 10.7 is submitting resolution authorization.

This is a resolution to revoke obsolety rehabilitation exemption certificate number three-15-0001 held by quality pheasant LLC in accordance with section one section 12-2 of the obsolete property rehabilitation act.

Colleagues, is there a motion to discuss?

Motion.

Discussion.

Can you just share with us why this is being requested to be revoked?

Thank you.

Justice Cook Housing and Revitalization Department to the Chair, the development has sold the property to a daycare.

It is currently a daycare facility, and that is a um nonprofit entity.

So they don't pay any property tax, but in order to receive that exemption, they need to revoke the current tax abatement on the property.

And we must send that out to the state tax commission and assess us to update the new um assessment tax role.

Okay, thank you.

Anything further, attorney co.

I think that's clear.

Uh greetings to the chair Brian Coordinate Detroit Law Department.

Uh I have nothing to add.

Um, just as to the great job explaining it, you know, the a property can only be on one special tax rule.

So in order for it to be exempt as a nonprofit, we must uh revoke the existing certificate.

Um happy to answer any questions the body may have.

I think that's pretty clear.

Thank you so much.

Colleagues, is there a motion on line item 10.7?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line item 10.7 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.8 is a property sale at 8605 West Werner to building the planning and development department received an offer from 8547 Wes Verner LLC to purchase 8605 West Werner for the amount of 150,000.

Is there a motion to approve or discuss?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line item 10.8 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.9.

Council President James Tate.

Submitting.

I'm assuming this is a memo.

Um requesting public notice distance requirements 300 feet rule, legislative, fiscal, and ordinance interaction review.

Colleagues, is there a motion to bring this item back in three weeks?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

That's going to take us back to line item 10.

Again, line item 10.1 is contract number 6007 three five five dash A1.

This is in regards to the increase of funds to include right to counsel in CAM hotline.

Is there a motion to discuss?

Motion.

Discussion.

Uh and I believe members Santiago Romero asked a question.

Attorney Anderson.

Through the chair, we are joined by attorney Diamond Conley.

Good morning.

Please introduce yourself for the record.

Good afternoon or morning, honorable council members.

This is Diamond Conley.

I am the executive director of Right to Council.

Thank you.

And I will turn the floor over to Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Good morning.

Just have more so clarifying questions.

Um, so we're adding funds to Right to Council services through the CAM hotline.

Are these services already being provided to the hotline?

Um no, this would be a so the um helpline has already been doing a small pilot with the right to counsel legal services organizations for subsidized housing cases only.

So the helpline has already been getting um call right to counsel callers.

Um they need assistance and want to be able to reach attorneys, and so at least for our subsidized tenants, we've been trying to, when they call the helpline, direct them to our right to counsel uh legal partners so that those tenants can at least um reach our attorneys a lot earlier.

What we want to do though is expand what has already been happening under the helpline, and so um our mayor, mayor Sheffield last year, she allocated um general fund dollars to expand the right to counsel hotline.

This is needed because our residents cannot reach attorneys until they show up for their first court date.

And so working with Chelsea Neblet over in HRD.

I don't want to recreate recreate the will.

We want to quickly establish um a foam tree option under the helpline.

And so what we're trying to do here is um, you know, when callers call the helpline that we already have established, they would be have get screening for any housing assistance that they may need through the helpline.

They would then be able to complete a right to counsel intake so to make sure that they're eligible for right to counsel, and then they want to get to a right to counsel attorney, and they'll purchase, for example, number three um under the helpline, and they would be connected to a right to counsel attorney who can hear their case and give them legal advice right then and there.

So I'm not I'm trying to merge with what the city already has through HRD and Wayne Metro by expanding what the right to counsel hotline um can do.

So that is that is what we're trying to do with this contract amendment here.

I do understand some confusion with the timeline as well, because looking at the amendment, it does not clearly state um when we are trying to do this by or or when the contract should end.

And so there is enough funding um to do this through June 30th, 2027.

And so I will have to go back and amend that contract, hopefully just by working with OCP.

But that part of it I recognize was confusing as well.

Through the chair, thank you.

I assume that was happening that we were streamlining our services, and I believe that it's smart, and we should do that.

So thank you for doing so.

And thank you for bringing up yes, the flag for us of the timeline, making sure that we are still providing these services and noting that we might see this again amended with that extended time.

Um we we see contracts over and over and they're amended, and it just gets confusing sometimes, so it's just good to make sure that we're on the same page.

I'm here.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

And Miss Connolly, do you anticipate being able to address this before Tuesday so that we don't have to see another an additional contract just to amend the um time through the chair?

My apologies for not saying that the first time.

Um I am going to reach out to OCP um immediately to see if we can address this because it is just a simple fix.

It should have been at the on the first page of the contract, and it was not.

So I'm going to do my very best um to try to get this done by Tuesday.

Okay, excellent.

Thank you.

We'll look forward to that.

Um, and I do just want to say this is great.

This is amazing for the folks that are in need of right to counsel.

I know you've always been there and availing yourself when I've sent people directly to you, but you are only one person.

Um, and we certainly want to ensure that residents are not um missing the opportunity because you may be talking with someone else and unable to receive a call or um address a person almost immediately.

So the hotline is certainly appreciated.

Um, I think more people will be able to get the support that is needed um to address any um any housing challenges that that they may have as they may be facing eviction or or dealing with um a landlord.

So we certainly do appreciate um the ability to tap in to a system that already exists um just to make sure that people are able to connect and get these services.

So thank you again for your advocacy and thank you for everything that you are doing related to right to council.

We appreciate it.

Thank you, Councilwoman Johnson.

Thank you, honorable council members.

Thank you.

Um is there a motion to send line item 10.1 to formal with a recommendation to approve, noting that we are anticipating an amended version.

I'm not sure if we have to send it as amended because we don't have the amendment yet, but we'll do we'll deal with that perhaps on Tuesday.

But is there a motion to send line item 10.1 to formal with a recommendation to approve motion here?

No objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you so much, Miss Conley.

Thank you.

Have a good rest of the day.

Thank you.

You as well.

All right, colleagues and madam clerk, I believe that brings us to member reports.

Member Vice Chair, Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, just want to share that today.

I will be at a ride-along.

Um, we I'm not sure, madam, if you already went through the right-along.

Um, we have outreach services to the city.

So looking forward to learning more about those.

Uh, so we'll be doing that to four hour uh shifts.

So we'll be out in the streets um seeing what services our residents need, um, that may be housing insecure um that may uh be in need, whatever that case may be.

So looking forward to learning more.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

And um, yes, my team and I have done a ride along.

I think we did it last fall.

Yeah, so it would it'll be very enlightening for you.

Pro Tim Young.

Uh before I say uh negative report, who are you right along with?

You just ride along or you ride along with the agency or we which would the police department was speech us.

Um I'm trying to recall the name, but the contract came through uh council.

I must have missed the minimum.

All right.

All right, thank you, Pro Tim.

And I just want to remind everyone of our March monthly community meeting taking place on March 16th.

Uh, it is taking place at the Shepherd at 1265 Park View Street on Monday, March 16th at 5:30 p.m.

The topic is know your rights as a renter, tenant protections and landlord responsibilities.

So we will have a representative from the Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department making sure that we're sharing information with landlords on what their responsibilities are, just helping us to ensure we have quality housing for residents in the city of Detroit.

We always look forward to quality affordable housing.

And we know a lot of our landlords provide that, at least the affordability aspect of it.

We want to make sure that they are good quality housing units for our residents.

We will also have probably Miss Conley from the Office of Eviction Defense sharing information about right to counsel.

So certainly looking forward to that again on Monday, March 16th at 5 30 p.m.

at the Shepherd 1265 Park View.

And also just want to remind Jefferson Chalmers residents that the residential Seawall program intake process is open.

If you would like to provide an complete an interest form, please call 313 682 2232.

Again, 313 68232.

If you would like the link to the interest form, please reach out to the office.

The office number is 313 224 4841.

And to Pro Tim Young and to Vice Chair Santiago Romero, the name of the organization with that you do the ride along with is Motor City Mitten Mission.

Yes.

Thank you, team, for sending that information over.

That concludes my member report.

I see Vice Chair Santiago Romero's hand.

Thank you, Madam Church.

Briefly want to also uh remind folks that PHS on Monday will be at 2 o'clock because we will hear the buzz the budget presentation from our Madam Mayor at 10 a.m.

on Monday.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And that is a good note and reminder for me to share with everyone next Thursday.

We will begin our session at 9 a.m.

And the session will last for one hour.

So we will have abbreviated public comment.

We will move as quickly as we can just to ensure that we have time or or can move swiftly into our budget hearings.

So again, budget hearings begin next week on Monday at 10 a.m.

Madam Mayor will present her budget to council.

We encourage everyone to join in, listen in, join us here in person if you're available.

But you can certainly join us via Zoom.

And then beginning on Wednesdays on Wednesday, the uh budget hearings begin with all of the departments.

So we're looking forward to that.

And uh appreciate you all for joining us.

If there is nothing further to come before us without objection, we shall stand adjourned.