Committee for today, Wednesday, March 11th, 2026.

Madam Clerk, good afternoon.

Will you please call the roll?

Good afternoon.

Councilmember Scott Benson.

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

Councilmember Denzel Antama Campbell.

Councilmember Renata Miller.

Here.

Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero.

Present.

Council Member Mary Waters.

President.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Cathaway.

House President Pro Tem Call Me Young the Second.

Here.

Council President James Tate.

Mr.

President, you have a quorum present.

Thank you, ma'am.

We have a quorum, which means we're now in session.

And one of my favorite budget hearings is coming up next, and that is zoological society.

Come on down.

I've been a proud member of the board since uh being uh elected to city council, and it has been very rewarding.

I've got an opportunity to see some of the sneak peeks before the rest of the world, um, but also had an opportunity to work side by side with dedicated individuals, volunteers who have done a tremendous job and through the transition of directors as well.

Um, phenomenal, phenomenal, phenomenal job, uh Dr.

Peeley.

So thank you all for being here, and we will give you an opportunity to begin your budget presentation.

The floor is yours, ma'am.

Okay, well, thank you so much.

Um we really appreciate the opportunity to come before you and um for Mayor Sheffield and the city council's ongoing support.

It's just a pleasure to be here.

Um I wanted to start out by going through next slide, please.

Great.

Um a little review of what we did in 2025.

Our total attendance was 1.14 million people.

Um that's over 42,000 member households, and we had more than 167 million dollars in economic impact last year.

We saw guests from every county in Michigan and every state in the United States.

So we're really proud to be such an economic driver, but also a place where our community connects.

Um next slide, please.

In 2025, great.

Our revenues, we did a uh balanced budget, so our revenues came in at a little over 54 million dollars.

And you can see that pie chart there.

We broke it out for you.

Earned revenue continues to be very strong with 50% of our operating budget coming through earned revenue, and that's things like our gate events, um, rentals, things like that.

Our public support contributed 36% of our operating budget, and that's our tri county tax millage.

Um, 13% came from our fundraising in our development department through philanthropy and grants, and then other revenue was 2%.

That's things like interest earned.

If you can go to the next slide.

Our expenses um we're uh again a balanced budget at 54 million dollars.

80 percent of that um goes towards mission, uh, our operating budget.

So things like our life sciences, animal care, veterinary department, facilities, landscaping, our educational programming, and then our capital projects.

4% goes to support our fundraising efforts, so our development efforts and philanthropy, four percent for marketing and advertising.

Thank goodness for social media makes it affordable nowadays, and then 12% for all of our administrative costs, and that includes our information technology, which if you've been to the zoo lately, you see that we are heavily engaged in IT um for our guest experience.

Go ahead.

Our animals, of course.

I need to talk about that.

I hope that's your favorite part of the talk today.

Um, we have over 2,000 animals at the zoo representing 258 species.

We're heavily involved in species conservation and animal welfare.

Recent arrivals, if you've been following the news, you you probably saw that we um had the birth of three lion cubs, and the Detroit Lions have partnered with us on this actually voting stop today to name them, so I hope you all got your votes in on that.

Um we had one female chimpanzee born.

Um we we were welcoming Burmese um star tortoises, these are incredibly endangered tortoises.

Actually, we had one hatch out again uh just the other day.

Um two new Joeys and pouches for our kangaroos, and we welcomed a new male polar bear collie.

So we did a breeding exchange with the Toledo zoo.

So Nuka, our our male went down to Toledo, and they sent us collie for a breeding exchange.

So we're we're hoping that's successful.

The bears are heavily engaged in breeding right now, so if you come out, you're gonna see a lot of polar bear action right now.

I would encourage you to come because he's an amazing uh male polar bear.

Go ahead.

And this spring we're opening the Fred and Barber Herb Discovery Trails, really an exciting new addition for the community.

It's seven acres really dedicated to immersion in nature.

So we're gonna have areas like a goat petting yard, a stingray and bamboo shark encounter.

Um we're doing things with um we have chickens and you can feed chickens, we have burring owls and prairie dogs, bush dogs, alpacas for the first time.

Um, and I am happy to say these are award-winning alpacas.

They came with a whole case of trophies that they've won at different alpaca shows.

I was like, I didn't even know there was such a thing, but we have star alpacas.

Um, accessibility is critical to us.

Um, we're always looking at accessibility and inclusion.

All of the signs throughout this seven acre trail are in four languages.

That's Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, and English.

We've included lots of quiet spaces.

We have over 800 lineal feet of climber space in the treetop canopy trail.

So lots of new and really engaging experiences.

This will not be an additional fee to enter the Discovery Trails.

I really think it's gonna change the face and the experience of the zoo.

It's right by our membership gate, so members can come for either a short short trip and do the area.

We have toddlers also in there, or they can do the whole 125-acre experience, depending on their energy for the day.

I'm gonna turn it over to DeAndrea for the next section.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, DeAndrea Matthews, Vice President of Access and Community Engagement.

I want to just highlight some of our education programs at this time.

So we have had over 166,000 educational interactions with children, adults, and seniors in 2025.

A part of that collaboration is with all of the first graders and all of the sixth graders that are in Detroit Public Schools Community District.

This is a part of the Cultural Passport Program.

We also engage in after school programs, and these include schools in Detroit or partnerships in Detroit, Detroit Community Schools is one of those, Escuela Avanzmos.

I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly.

Detroit Leadership Academy and Mayberry Elementary.

Those are a few of the programs that we wanted to highlight.

So next for our senior program.

Before DeAndrea jumps in, I just wanted to take an extra minute to thank Mayor Sheffield for her vision as City Council President and the City Council President for supporting this program.

So we completed our second year of our seniors for the city districts, and it has been incredibly successful.

We've learned a lot, I will say, um, on this journey.

But I think the seniors have had a wonderful time.

The staff have had a wonderful time engaging with the seniors.

Many of them have said it's the first time they've been there since they were kids.

Some have never been there, some have been with their grandkids, so it's been really fun.

Um, the ECV use, the electric vehicle use is something I always enjoy.

They do drag races.

It's amazing to get the seniors out there and what they um enjoy in that day.

Our staff provide such a great experience for them, and I'm so thankful to the mayor and to the city council for making that available in the last two years.

It's been really fun.

I want to just reiterate our thanks for that because it's been a wonderful collaboration.

My staff have the opportunity to connect with the district staff to go through the logistics and create those trips for the seniors.

So we are in year two of that program, and each district gets up to 50 seniors per trip.

Each district gets two trips, and then the city funds that have been graciously allocated provide the ADA bus transportation, so it is a charter bus that has accommodations for anyone who's in a wheelchair or has other mobility devices, as well as the food that's provided during those trips.

The zoo provides complimentary entry, the electronic conveyance vehicles that she mentioned, as well as uh complementary wheelchairs, and then of course our staff time.

That staff time does include our volunteers, and they receive a docent layout tour.

So it's again a very engaging trip for our seniors.

So far, as a part of this partnership, we've had 327 seniors from 35 different locations throughout the city of Detroit that have visited the Detroit Zoo.

And as she mentioned, some of them it's their first time, some haven't been in 30 years, but again, we get wonderful compliments as a part of this collaboration.

In addition to the City of Detroit senior visits, we also have our Tri-County Senior Days, and those Tri-County Senior Days have included over 7,000 seniors.

So over 7,000 seniors have attended our Tri-County Senior Days, and again, uh we are looking to continue to grow those numbers for 2026.

Uh moving on to the next slides.

There are some additional program highlights.

We want to talk about the annual Detroit Parks and Rec ticket program.

Um we also have the STEM fest that takes place at Palmer Park.

Nocturnal Adventures, those are opportunities again to work with our shelter programs, and we have had nocturnal adventures with first step, focus hope, as well as Covenant House.

And then we have a wonderful and engaging uh partnership with the DMC and Children's Hospital, and it's called Care Companions.

And again, our young people that are experiencing time in the hospital have a chance to work with our plushies to learn more about caring for plushies that may also be receiving some type of medical care.

And then finally, uh Dream Night.

Dream Night is probably my favorite event because my team gets to oversee that.

But Dream Night is a cost-free private evening for families who have children with chronic or terminal illnesses.

Everything that evening is complimentary, and we have had almost 3,000 participants in Dream Night.

Last year we had 969 that participated.

I will turn it over at this time to Amy Green, who is our Nature Center's director.

Thank you.

All right.

How about now?

All right, thank you.

I'm Amy Green.

I'm the director of the Belle Isle Nature Center.

And I wanted to give you a highlight of some of our impact in the city over the last year and few years and a little peek into what's next.

Since we reopened after the pandemic, we've had the opportunity to see more than 100,000 visitors per year.

They come from all over the country, the Midwest, and especially concentrated around the city of Detroit.

We are open almost as much as Bell Isle, 362 days a year.

We get to invite people in to the Bell Isle Nature Center for free.

And that's really important to us to be available and open to connect with folks.

And of those hundred plus thousand per year, more than 29,000 just last year signed up for programs.

So that lets us know how important it is not only for people passing through, but who want to come back and reconnect with us and dig a little deeper.

We take that very seriously.

It's hosted both at the Bell Isle Nature Center for our youngest learners and their caregivers.

And we also almost all of our programming that we do on site by design, we also do out in the neighborhoods.

So from Southwest to the West Side to the East Side, we work with children where they feel safe, connected, and valid to build up their agency, connecting with the natural world, reconnect at the nature center, and then carry that on with them.

They go on to become our nature campers who go on to become our teen interns who go on to work for the city of Detroit in the parks.

So you may know some of our some of our legacy folks.

And the only way we can do that best is through our community partners.

More than 90 each year community partners in the city that we work with to help us.

A couple highlights, a downtown boxing gym we do after school programming in their STEM lab.

Brilliant Detroit has a really robust program with us for their summer camps and with our nature tots program on site so that we can again help bring this idea of nature in the city, nature that we're sharing spaces with and our power in those spaces out into the communities.

And also one more Code Grow, which was part of the Detroit Library Foundation has a garden.

I hope you have seen it or come to see it at the Nature Center where children are learning coding and STEM through gardening.

It's really cool.

Next slide.

So coming up for some plans to expand the space where those gardens are where we're working on redesigning our space where the European fallow deer used to be.

And I think almost everybody remembers the fallow deer back in the day on the island to house two rescued non-releasable coyotes.

So these are coyotes who need the care of humans who cannot be released, and who could be really strong ambassadors for people's understanding of urban nature.

If you've been to the nature center, you will see familiar places, city spaces highlighted, and we want to reinforce that people can share spaces with other living things and thrive together.

Coyotes can be polarizing.

Coyotes bring out a lot of conversation.

And these two particular coyotes need a little bit of help and support.

So we want to help folks understand myths and misconceptions, understand how they can safely and comfortably share space with wildlife, support that wildlife.

Obviously, these would be very protected and safe, like all DZS animals.

And it provides a connection that can't be replicated through books, through computers.

That's what we're here for.

And it can increase again free access to these types of experiences on Bell Isle in the city.

And we're hoping to have that completed by the end of the summer or early fall this year.

All right.

Thank you, Amy.

Yeah, so we we wanted to do a quick review of what we're what we did last year and what we're asking for this year.

Last year we received $2.75 million for our security and insurance from the city.

So thank you all for that support.

We're internally grateful for that.

We also received support for the senior trips, which um DeAndrea outlined, and we did have facilities condition assessment of the park.

And so this is really critical to set us up for success going into the future.

Um infrastructure, our roofs.

We jetted cleaned and CCTV to our combined storm and sewer network.

Um we are inputting all that into an ARCIS and CMMS system so we can track it all and plan for the future.

So look at immediate needs, things that are on the brink of failing.

Um I like to say we don't want to keep putting out fires.

We want to plan preventative medicine for our infrastructure as well as for our animals.

And so that um money last year allowed us to launch this program to get the software to do the camera work and to plot the infrastructure against a map of the 125 acres.

So we're so excited and thankful for that.

It really gives us a step up as we head into our next 100 years.

Next slide.

So this year um we're requesting from the city of Detroit that continued um reimbursement for our security insurance costs for that city-owned asset, which is a excuse me, Detroit Zoo.

Um we are looking at um excuse me.

Um an additional 500,000 again to support that coyote habitat at the Bell Isle Nature Center, as Amy said, we see a lot of um both positive and negative things about coyotes in the environment.

We know that they're moving more and more into city and urban environments, and we want to really help people and educate people about how to live and coexist with coyotes and not have human wildlife conflict.

And then um the additional request of 50,000 to support our senior programming, and that's really because we have learned a lot and we have learned that the cost of that programming um is pretty intense given the staffing it requires to um handle that amount of seniors coming in on those buses.

Um that's the end of the formal presentation, but I'd love to answer any questions from city council or I don't know if the public dials in.

All right, thank you so much, Dr.

Murphy.

Um if you can talk a little bit about um just to give a better example of how strong the zoo is and the the work that everyone uh at the zoo has um contributed.

Uh there was a freeway closure, you know, that challenged a lot of uh motorists within that area, but our numbers at the zoo still stood strong.

Can you talk a bit about that?

Well, we're down there's a little down, but again, yeah, we're down.

Um we are down um five percent to pre-year, seven percent to budget at the gate.

Um certainly weather affects us too, but that highway closure has not been friendly for us.

It goes, you know, you it's right our front gate basically.

Um and so yeah, we we continue to look at ways to bring people to the zoo and attract them to our events and our spectacular animals, but that has had an impact on us for sure.

Yeah, I just wanted to kind of highlight that because for for many that would be the death nail.

But for our zoo, which is a major attraction, regional attraction, certainly for those in the city of Detroit, um, the experience uh makes it such that um residents far and wide make make their way to the zoo.

So just wanted to put that out there.

I'm just gonna write off the top uh request uh colleagues if someone can please a motion for me of $50,000 in the senior program.

Motion put that in executive session.

There's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken with further discussion.

Uh member Benson would like to join me on that item.

All right.

And Member Waters as well.

Is there another?

Is there another?

In the name of the council.

In the name of the council for that one.

Uh this next one here of $500,000.

I also like to put that one in executive session.

Don't know exactly we're going to get to that $500,000 number, to be honest with you.

There's a lot of, you know, um we've got to be a lot gotta be a lot more mindful this year of where our dollars are going because there's a lot of uh human need that we have currently um in finding those dollars.

But uh request colleagues that we would place uh the request for the $500,000 uh towards the Bell Isle Coyote Habitat in executive session, please.

Oh discussion, Mr.

Chair.

Uh with discussion, everybody likes to join me on that one too.

I'll join you as well, Mr.

Chairman.

As well as Member McCampbell.

Is there another?

Is there another seeing none that action shall be taken?

I have no additional uh no questions.

Um but I will now pop over to our newest board member on the Detroit Zoological Board uh Society Board, and that is Member Benson.

Member Benson?

Mr.

Chair, thank you very much.

And I'm going to now scratch off my first uh motion for executive session.

And as a I believe a board member for 16 years now at the zoo, and so it just shows and we'll go back again.

Our asset, we own though that institution, and you all do a great job of managing it for us.

But when we have council members who sit in our engage, this is what you see, this type of leadership and this type of support for our institution.

So just thank you for that, uh, Mr.

President.

Um, then I'm gonna go to the millage.

I and I'm not sure I may have missed this part.

Where are we with the millage?

What are we thinking we need to raise, and then what is a polling show for us?

So um, as you may or may not know, because um, even some city or county authorities didn't realize this, the zoological authorities in the Tri-County region put our millage on the ballot.

So it's really up to them to decide when we go.

Um, up for our vote.

Um, the millage that we have presently does expire at the end of 2027.

And so we're having those discussions right now, but they're really the ones that determine that timing and when we go on the ballot.

Um we so we have been um waiting for those decisions to come through.

We have done some preliminary polling, and as um you can all imagine, the zoo is incredibly popular.

We are one of the largest zoos in the country, and we attract a huge amount of visitation from the Tri-County region, um, the city of Detroit, and every county in the state.

So we're very hopeful that we it's a it's a we're proposing um to the zoo authorities that it's a strict renewal.

We're not looking for an increase, but it is 30 percent, a little over 30 percent of our operating budget, so it is critical for us.

Um, I will say that with the support of organizations like the city council, the tri-county region, the zoo authorities, and the commissions, the county commissions.

Um, we feel very blessed to have such support um from our our partners in government.

Um, so we're looking forward to a successful campaign, but we can't launch it yet until we get the go-ahead from the zoo authorities in the Tri-County region.

So just knowing that March might as well be April, August and November are the opportunities, not knowing if it's a go yet.

Are do you want an August ballot, or do you want it to be November to give time to raise funds and prepare?

Uh we feel like we're in a position of pretty good strength for either, honestly.

Um, we want the county officials to decide what would make the most sense for their ballot.

Um, and so we've been working with all three county executives for that decision.

We're hoping to hear about that soon.

Um, but we've been preparing for either eventuality behind the scenes.

So we feel pretty confident that um obviously November is gonna be um a little bit dice here at the polls, um but maybe a ray of sunshine will be the zoo, right?

On that ballot.

So um, so right now we we're in a holding pattern until um our county executives and our zoo authorities give us a go ahead.

Okay, yeah, knowing that it it would be unethical to bring an animal from the zoo to Kvaq and just to have it as a backdrop while you're here requesting support.

Yeah, it would be unethical.

We know it would go against what we're supposed to do.

I think it would be nice to have.

Just be nice to have.

We don't actually have a lot of animals that would be transportable into a building that you guys would feel safe with.

I'll just say that.

We have a very actually all joking aside, we have a really strict ambassador to animal policy that we don't we take people to our animals, but we don't take our animals out of their environment, and we know from the science of animal welfare that's critical for their welfare.

I know that would be wrong, but you could one day.

But I do want to make a motion to request LPD prepared resolution to support the millage for the Detroit Zoological Society for the November or the August ballot.

I appreciate that.

Strongly uh worded very strongly to support, similar to a very strongly worded resolution for the historical society as well as the Charles Detroit Museum Millage.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and good afternoon, everyone.

Um, the seniors from District 2 appreciate you.

We uh we had a wonderful time last year.

We're gonna be back on April the 10th, and we thank you for having all of those upgraded motor, whatever they were, um you see these, yeah.

It was a line of them, it looked like a hundred of them.

And all my seniors, as soon as they got off the bus, they went and grabbed one, they put their little hats on it and their bags, their tote bags, it was amazing.

Um, and they were speeding.

Um, and um it was an amazing experience, and those were really, really um upgraded, um, advanced motor vehicles or motor wheelchairs.

I don't I don't know what you call them, but they were very, very nice.

So thank you for the experience and um the coyotes.

We have um several of them and um the Palmer Park area.

I don't know if the two the two lovely ones that you have in this presentation are from um district two, but we're glad that they're gone.

Um but I don't know if I can support a half a million dollars building them a habitat.

What would be option B since we know as a body that we have to really be a bit more frugal in our um funding of different projects?

This one wouldn't be at the top of my list.

But what would be your option B if this is not funded at that capacity?

And uh uh sub question under that is can we spread that 500,000 across outside of Detroit to other folks who visit the zoo?

Can you do a fundraising and have pictures of the coyotes and name them Zeus and Zoe, and then have people just donate a dollar, um have something some type of fundraising campaign so it's not on the the backs of we Detroiters because we pay a lot.

We're paying a lot outside of Millage, we're paying a lot, and we're not the only ones who enjoy the zoo.

This is not the Detroit Zoo.

This is like a regional zoo, which is amazing, but a lot of it rests on we the taxpayers who actually live in the city, which I'm not comfortable with, um, because I'm you know we're not the only only ones enjoying it, and and that's a wonderful thing.

That's not negative, that's positive.

But we have to spread those expenses across as many um communities as we possibly can and not just let it rest and become the responsibility or expense of the of the city, and we can ill afford it at this point.

Uh uh for two coyotes, they might, I don't know if it's a male or a female, because you know, they might um um procreate procreate.

We're not gonna let them and so I don't know if they've been taken care of in that regard, but if we can have a fundraiser to spread that $500,000 and then the habitat can be built, but to ask us as a city to build a habitat for two wild coyotes that are nice, loving, um, and you've taken them in.

We we can't we probably can't afford it, at least I I know I can't support it, but I would like to hear an option B, and I gave you one a fundraiser.

People are so giving when they come to the zoo.

If you put out you know something attractive with a pictures of the um of the coyotes, people are just gonna dump money in there or have a way for them to um have a QR call and raise dollars instead of asking us to put the whole bill when you we can spread it across.

And you know you'll probably have it by the end of the summer because everybody loves that zoo.

Everybody loves the zoo, and even my seniors would be willing to throw in something in the bucket.

If we explained it to them, they could see some pictures and see what it where it could possibly be located, and this is some before renderings, how it looks now, and how it's going to look after we raise the 500,000 dollars.

If you can give that some consideration, um, I have um some other questions that I will make sure that you get.

Off do you offer scholarships or fellowships for Detroit students who are pursuing education in zoology and biology and conversation science and environmental science?

Are there opportunities for our students to work at that zoo and set up the jobs that I see them hosting, except for her, the ones that I see them in mostly you don't really need a degree for those, but those who actually have an interest in zoology and and these different sciences.

Okay, great.

So I'll I'll start with coyotes if that's okay.

Great.

Yeah, we are also running a fundraising campaign.

And so we we are trying to fund this to give the best habitat for the coyotes.

Um option B is we don't do coyotes there.

I really think that would be a miss for the citizens, especially of urban Detroiters because it is such a growing problem, as you said in Palmer Park.

We can't take coyotes from the wild, these are non-releasables.

Um they've been raised in human care, and so if you bring in counties from the wild, they don't do well in human care because they're used to roaming freely.

Um our animal welfare standards don't let us do that.

Um I think that was uh, you know, the the nature center also everything is free there.

The camps, the programs, everything is free at the nature center, and so um we are always looking for ways to help offset that cost, and that that's part of the reason we came to City Council to help us with the cost of this this habitat as well as the benefit to mainly the city of Detroit.

That most of a lot of our visitors come from the city of Detroit to the center.

Um, as far as scholarships, we do a lot of different scholarship types and internships.

We have one specifically, the CSI program, where we take we're in our fourth year, so we have 40 students, or we're entering our fourth year, so we'll have 40 students in this cohort where we pay them to come to the zoo, they get an incredible work experience.

We help them not only learn about life science careers in life science, but they also get help with how to write a resume, how to apply to college, how to apply to your first job, how to balance a checking account, how to um invest your money in savings and stocks.

So we do a lot with those students.

That's just one example.

We offer many internships throughout the campus.

We also give students who have no housing or transportation availability, a stipend, a financial stipend.

We're one of the only zoos in the country that actually provides monetary stipends so that students have an opportunity that wouldn't normally have an opportunity to come.

Um, and we're super proud of that because I think it it starts to break down those those barriers to access that we want to break down to get into careers that historically haven't been that open and welcoming.

All right, thank you, Ms.

Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Member Waters.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I I do notice that you you have a decline in uh attendance and just wonder um if that's sort of you know the national trend, how you plan to to address that.

Um I'm also curious about uh Tri-County versus uh Detroiters who who attend um the zoo.

Yeah, so the attendance decline um is we think weather and highway driven.

Um there is meaning the highway shut down, so access to the zoo can be a little bit more complicated.

You know, if you drive to work every day down that highway, you don't necessarily want to come back for an event or for uh weekend you know trip.

Um, weather we are incredibly um susceptible to any changes in weather.

So polar vortex, heat in the summer, Canadian wildfires.

The minute people hear anything about bad weather, even if it doesn't occur, they don't want to go to the zoo, even though we have a lot of indoor space, they think it's an outdoor experience.

So we lose visitation, and if you remember last year we started out really with a really cold winter, then we got a really hot summer, then we went back into a really cold winter.

Um so unfortunately for us, and that is a national trend with weather changing that a lot of zoos are seeing decrease.

The economy certainly doesn't help that either.

Um, uncertainty around the economy with people um being a little bit more careful about their recreational dollars.

Um what was the second part of your question?

I'm sorry.

Oh, uh the decline in attendance, if that's kind of the well, I guess you kind of addressed it a little bit.

Tri-counties versus city of Detroit.

Yeah, yeah.

Um I can address that.

Yeah, I can't.

I'm just talking about all um visitation.

I don't know if I have those numbers off the top of my head.

Um I know that Detroit um or Wayne County visitation was um the millage dollars account for about 10% of that that tri-county millage, and about 20% of the visitors are from Wayne County, but I don't have it broken out by city versus county, but we'll get you those numbers later.

I'm sure we have them.

That would be good.

You know, I because I certainly uh want to echo make uh echo some of the concerns that my colleague from district two has um as it relates to folks who really um uh utilize that zoo a lot and and and I and I know we're not even at those numbers.

I don't believe when you give us those numbers, that's gonna be majority Detroiters.

And so we certainly have to have to take a look at that, although we're trying to encourage uh more of them to do that.

And by the way, Member Calloway, I you know, I have a picture of a coyote that was on my patio.

Yes, absolutely.

So I mean that they go sometime just rest wherever they feel like it.

Um the other thing I just want to ask you, and I mean, and I said the next time I saw you, I would.

Sure.

When I'm driving up and down Woodward, I can barely see Detroit on that zoo.

It the font is so small.

Now you I just kind of want you to speak to that.

On the water tower?

On the water tower.

Yes, yes, yes.

I that's the first time I've heard that.

So I look at the font every single day.

Time that I go by that.

I'm saying, oh, I can barely see that font.

Detroit is so small, you know.

So, yeah, I I need to get that off my chest.

Okay, thank you.

Well, has it on, but that water tower is was an adventure to try and get that 3D curl up there.

Yeah, I will tell you that I don't ever want to do that again.

Um, but yeah, that's great feedback.

So my colleagues had great suggestions for me, and I put it in closer resolution.

We're gonna try to find the money to increase that font size.

I'm not sure we're gonna get up on that water tower again anytime soon.

Well, somebody's gonna get up there, but you didn't get up there, did you?

Oh no.

So that's my motion, Mr.

President.

All right, there's a motion to place in the closing resolution.

Um mentioned recommended and moved by member waters.

Any objection?

Discussion with discussion, member Benson.

If you can just repeat the actual closing resolution reporting.

Oh, yeah.

They so all right.

So the closing resolution is will will address um dollars for to increase the font size on the water tower, the the one that says Detroit.

That one.

With further discussions, I was gonna wait until we get to that point.

Are you suggesting Detroit dollars?

Or are you just saying period?

Well, period.

Okay, all right.

I mean, the font size is small.

Are you guys ever seen the font size?

I've seen it done bother me.

It didn't bother you.

No, I supported it when it happened, but that's just me.

No, I'm not good question.

A lot bigger in person.

I I mean, maybe people think that I'm not sure.

There's a motion on the floor, y'all.

There's a motion on the floor.

Any objections.

I'd like to join on the motion.

All right, all right.

We got member Callaway would like to join on the motion.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

Oh, okay.

Floor is yours.

Member uh pro tem you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I just want to say first and foremost, if you do take up a member Benson's request about bringing animals up here, I do not want to be here.

Uh make sure that I am not here and I will have something else to do on that day.

Um I just wanted to say, has there been any discussion at all about using technology or artificial intelligence to be able to implement into the zoo?

I have looked at this, and I think there's a 4.8 million to 11.2 million estimate uh 0.2 million dollars of savings.

It's like roughly like uh 11 to 25 percent of the zoo's operating budget or your OPEX.

So this is involving energy utilities, staff operations, maintenance, animal care analytics security, ticketing and pricing, and visitor engagement.

Has there been any sort of thoughts about implementing this at all?

Have you had those conversations?

Where are you in those discussions?

Yes, we are heavily engaged with discussions around um both uses and um cautionary tales around AI right now.

As far as policies and security goes.

We do have a partner, SSA, which does our um concessions, events, retail, um, that kind of thing.

And they are heavily invested in in AI, and we're one of their beta testers for kind of guest experience, gate experience.

Um, we're also looking, I'm actually on the board of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and presenting to them in two weeks on as an industry.

Where are we with AI?

So we are have we are one of the leaders in the space right now at the Detroit Zoo.

Um, and we're also looking at how do we mitigate the environmental impacts of AI.

Um, we are an environmental conservation organization, so how do we um you know what how do we do this?

So we're heavily invested in research right now.

We do use it quite a bit for our guest experience and efficiencies at our gate.

Um, but how do we integrate that into species sustainability, conservation initiatives, things that are mission critical, we're looking at that right now.

No, because I was thinking you know, you have lead standards.

I mean, I know that I know there's also hydrogen alternative energy that you can use to be able to do savings, but no, that's that's a good point, not just that, but data centers as well.

So that's a real good point.

I and I also just wanted to um just I wanted to say this really quickly.

Uh it would cost you about 3.5 million dollars over the one to period over a one to two year period in terms of paying it back, so you're getting more savings than you would invest in.

I'll I'll send something to you.

But um the the finally I just want to say thank you so much for all that you do because I have a partnership with our seniors, and they love going up there to the zoo all the time.

And so I really you know I I'm not necessarily a zoo person or an animal guy per se.

Um, but you know, there but my constituents love it and they like going up there all the time, and we have partnerships, and I like to make them happy, so we go up there and they've been more than accommodating uh to what we want to do.

And so I just want to say thank you.

I think it's an asset, and I appreciate you know what you guys do and the work that you're doing, you know, in this, and so I'm really excited about working with you in the future.

Thank you.

That's all I have, Mr.

President.

And that is DeAndrea's team.

So yes, well, thank you, DeAndre.

I appreciate you've been so kind to my senior citizens.

And you know, so because sometimes when you ask people for stuff, you know, they give you hard time, especially in my experience.

So I've had a lot of horror stories with that.

So to have somebody that understands it and it's open and it's professional and kind that you've been, I really appreciate it.

So thank you.

Look forward to working with you and be very grateful.

Thank you.

We're gonna get you out to the zoo approach.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, you know, probably want to run any time.

Um go to uh member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and good afternoon to all of you.

Um I would like to first say thank you for the amazing trip to the zoo that our seniors had.

Um I echo what member Callaway said.

I had seniors who shared with me they had not had that much fun in decades, and it made me a little concerned about what there was happening in their lives, but they were really excited to be out and about, and so we're looking forward to um hosting seniors again at the zoo.

Um I do want to ask about first I'll start with the coyotes.

It's not really about the coyotes, but what about deer?

I think we're seeing more deer in the city of Detroit, and I've always had a fear of hitting a deer.

Um I would think that if it's in the city, I'll be driving a little slower.

Uh so it's easier to um stop before you actually hit them, but I think that might be something to consider, just making sure that Detroit's understanding deer life.

I actually had a resident post on the ring doorbell app.

I don't know what time it was.

It was, of course, dark.

There was a family of deer in the district.

There were five or six deer, and had I encountered that, I probably would have been really, really nervous.

Um, and so I would certainly um consider, even if it's not trying to, you know, really create a habitat for them or anything like that, but even if there are public service announcements or something that can be shared with the community on how we should be responding to them.

Um someone also shared with me that during the pandemic, because we were all indoors, they came out.

And it was like, you know, this was their land, which we commandeered and and developed all this housing, right?

Um, but is that something that you all might be able to do?

And and perhaps even a public service announcement about coyotes, because I think I have one in my backyard.

And I didn't realize it until I looked at my app and saw something run into the backyard.

I didn't see it run out, which I was a little nervous about.

But your thoughts.

Yeah, thank you for that.

Deer are certainly another urban wildlife problem right now, and we can certainly talk to DNR about messaging around that.

I will say that part of the reason we wanted coyotes is to talk about that carnivore predator prey interface and how when we lose our our uh predators or our carnivores in an environment, we see herbivores like deer overpopulate.

And so there is a delicate balance here that is out of skew right now.

And so part of our our um PSA, if you if you want to say that will be around that ecological balance that's out of whack because of urban development, and how we can start to look at coyotes as not the enemy but the helper to get things back in balance.

Are you to that point?

Are you saying they will eat rodents?

They will eat anything they can get.

I mean, they will eat rodents, they will eat small cats and dogs.

Yeah, but they will also, if they're packed up, they will take down deer.

Wow.

Okay.

Um I'm not suggesting we bring back mountain lions, but next year I might come in on joking.

Okay, that that's something to note.

Um because I know that with construction, like someone was sharing with me that there was some construction not far from my house, and they asked me if I started to see more rodents running around, which thankfully I haven't, but that doesn't mean that they're not out there.

Um I wonder if people might be more interested in that.

Um very common problem with construction.

Interesting.

Can you also share information about green print, I believe?

Um one of my team members was sharing that they had learned there was there were tours that you all had around GSI projects at the zoo.

Yeah, we're actually redoing the next version of green pen right now.

Green print is our um master plan around sustainability sustainability and environmental um action.

And so um we we do occasionally do tours, especially if there's a special subject matter that like a university wants or a high school wants.

Um right now we're looking at how we integrate our green print or our sustainability um strategic plan and master plan in with our conservation plan, because we have a new conservation plan also to look at how we take care of our own backyard as well as all of the work we do nationally and internationally around conservation.

So they're being melded right now.

We have two amazing um managers of those two different areas, and um look for the next green print plan coming out shortly.

Yeah, we do a ton.

Solar power, we recycle water, we have a digester and aerobic digester on grounds, which is down right now because it's got some mechanical issues, but um we're always looking at ways we can decrease our footprint.

All right, thank you.

I have some additional questions.

I know we've sent some over, but I'm gonna ask a little bit more about green print because I'm really interested in that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Member McCampbell.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and good afternoon to everyone.

Um, still remember my trips to the zoo as a kid.

I as I mentioned, I have not been lately, so maybe I need to go with the seniors when I go from District 7.

Uh so uh so and again, thank you for that as well.

Um I know animals have been brought up, uh, groundhogs is also a thing.

I feel like maybe we should just reestablish a zoo at Belal.

Uh but I wanted to talk about um if you all have no you talked about green print, but how are you all thinking, and you did the study on your um buildings, but how you all are thinking about the vulnerability to infrastructure damage and like things such as potential sinkholes and and what strategies are in place right now to mitigate that at the zoo.

Yeah, um, as council may remember, we had a sinkhole open up um a while like a year and a half ago that we had to address.

Um the zoo will be a hundred years old in 2028, and so as we've built um new projects like the Polk Penguin Conservation Center and the Art of Ring of Life, we've addressed the infrastructure.

We just are finishing that seven-acre discovery trails or discovery trails, and we've addressed the infrastructure there.

But right now, with the the 500,000 we got from city council last year, which was invaluable, we've been able to scope the infrastructure and do the building assessments, put it into ArcGIS and kind of look at what's what's about to fail imminently, which we do have some things that we need to address right away, and what do we need to address in the next five years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years.

We're in the process right now of planning that out, pricing it out.

We don't have prices for all of that yet.

And then how do we address that while keeping the gate open and people engaged in the experience because we can't have too much going on at one time and our animals safe.

And so you can imagine doing construction around breeding polar bears, for example, is not an easy feat.

And so you know, like I said earlier, my goal is that we don't keep putting out fires.

My goal is that we know what's coming, we plan for it in a financially um responsible way, and we maintain our property in the way that the city deserves.

It's a city-owned asset into the future so the next hundred years are even stronger.

Um, and that's what we're doing right now.

We're developing that plan um software work order system, we have a new system for that.

Um we have a phenomenal facilities team.

It was just a matter of knowing what's underground and how we're gonna tackle it.

Thank you.

It's a big project.

We're 125 acres of 100-year-old infrastructure.

Absolutely, and and I know as other members, especially member Benson's point out this being an asset of the city.

Um, definitely looking at as looking at it as so as needed to make sure that it is as uh up kept as possible.

Um, I there has also been a thing today, and there's been talked about of like how the community outreach, and you went over some of the things that the zoo is doing.

I I just think about understanding removing animals from their habitat is not the best.

I'm just um you know, we talked about with the historical museum of taking going to schools and thinking about the history there.

I also think about as we're talking about how to interact with animals and in the urban uh context that may be a program to what schools to talk to kids about how to interact with animals and such and live and coexist with folks.

So I just wanted to offer that up as well.

But thank you.

Yeah, we we actually do a lot of that programming out in the community and at different schools.

Um, and we're always trying to grow those programs because we we firmly believe that we have to educate the next generation of conservationists, and that starts with with kids.

Yeah, I think that also goes into that it feeds into taking care of the place that you're living in as well, uh, so we can take care of animals.

Thank you so much.

Um Douglas and for me, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Member McCampbell.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

Presidents.

Good afternoon.

Hello.

I have questions regarding um, I'm just gonna keep on the coyote conversation since we're here.

Um, and just you know, as a reminder, before this was a city, this was native land, marsh, wetlands, and we need to coexist with animals that are our neighbors.

Wondering, have you in the past, and if you haven't, can you work with our city planning departments as they revamp our master plan uh to create a city that we can coexist with nature?

Um we have so much space here in the city of Detroit, it is massive.

We already have green space, we already have vacant space.

Detroiters love parks.

Well, was it on Monday?

It was 60 degrees and sunny.

I ran along um our our riverfront and the new park, it was full of families, of dogs, of Detroit's.

Um, so we want more spaces.

We want to be outside, we want to be stewards of our city and of our lands.

And I forget, I believe it's a it's a state park that we have there now in the new um Ralph Sea Park as well.

So I'm just wondering is that something that you could do as a city is revamping our master plan right now?

Because I know that there are many places at least in district six, like around core city, where they have a lot of space, they want to use that space for parks.

Um, and we also have wildlife going around.

So just wondering if we create the spaces for us to coexist, um, maybe we won't have to be worried about our puppies or our cats because the communities will have a space to be in.

Um so just wondering if that's even possible to have to form that partnership with the city as we revamp our master plan and as we plan uh for the future.

Yeah, we would love we love partnerships because we believe that partnerships just amplify our impact.

Um we do have a lot of partnerships throughout the park systems throughout the Tri-County region to do educational programming.

Um I find a lot of times what we're asked is can you bring your expertise in to do this wildlife management plan, or can you bring your sustainability manager in to look at our water management plan?

We're always happy to do that.

So yeah, if if you have connections you could send to us, we'd be happy to get our conservation and sustainability managers in touch and see what we can do.

It just benefits us all, quite frankly.

I agree.

Thank you.

Okay, I can continue this conversation then because you are you are the experts, and I want to make sure that we're learning and that we're building a coexistence.

Thank you for mentioning your language access uh accessibility.

Just real quickly.

Uh, do you also provide tours in different languages, or is it only um way wayfinding?

Excellent question.

That is something that is definitely on our agenda for the next couple of years that we're looking to provide.

We do offer ASL interpretation right now, and we do have again partner organizations that we work with for that, but it's definitely something that we're working on as a part of the language um accessibility.

Uh, that's a part of our plan currently.

Okay, thank you.

Um Division.

Gotcha.

Okay, so I do want to just highlight one of the programs that we did institute in the last year.

So in 2025, we uh became the first zoo in the United States to partner with Roboca Vision Technologies, and that is a program or that is uh an application that is used for those with low vision.

It also has applications that can be used for those with colorblindness and other things.

It is an app that we provide complementary premium access to for everyone who visits the Detroit Zoo as well as the Bell Al Dature Center.

So we launched that in February of 2025 during Low Vision Awareness Month, and we just renewed our premium access with Revokevision Technology.

So that's one a part of again the launch of what that will look like as far as providing additional access to the people that we serve.

It seems like there's more opportunities for more partnerships there as well.

So connecting to maybe schools, organizations.

Um we have a lot of organizations that work with, you know, um folks that might just only speak Arabic or Mandarin or Spanish.

Um, so we can work on those with you as well so that we are able to uh share these opportunities with them.

I have more questions that I will send um uh over via memo, one of them being your uh legal agreement coming up with the city.

Uh Sylvie will be asking about that as well.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Member Miller.

Good afternoon.

Uh I just wanted to say hello and thanks for joining us today.

I wanted you to truly understand that Member Waters, her sentiment is just not here, but our residents.

Me personally, I have even today gotten several emails and text messages regarding the name on the zoo.

As a person who've lived at Square Lake before and to drive back and forth, a lot of times Detroit gets a bad rap for even residents coming into our city.

They have over many decades.

But to for people to know that we are actually spending money out of our budget and taxpayers' funds, that we own the zoo.

It is it it is an imperative that they recognize that Detroiters are actually doing this.

So I would encourage you to get a ladders or whatever you can do, and just it should be bigger.

It should represent ownership.

It should represent that the people in Detroit are making a sacrifice to provide this experience for generations.

And I would hope that you would take it seriously.

Um I would actually probably would vote to have some money go into your fund for the coyotes, if that means removing them from District Five.

There's coyotes all the time.

I have pictures in my phone of coyotes.

Maybe we could add to your exhibit because they are locally here in the city.

And if you have a haven for hawks, we have hawks and deer all on the east side of Detroit.

That is, I mean, we probably need to expand that to our forestry department because that is what our residents are fear the most.

The hawks, I've seen them come down and just snatch up.

So if you need hawks, let us know.

But on a on an amazing note, I missed in your presentation the things that you offer for adults.

Everyone don't have children.

My children are in their 30s.

I have one grandson, and we've utilized the zoo in his age record forever.

But you have so many programs at night.

I mean, even your your fundraiser, sunset at the zoo.

One of the most amazing events.

But your packet and I would say maybe that you should advertise.

I mean, really, I look forward to our board members pushing your summer.

Now, I don't really drink at all, but for those that love to drink and need an amazing date night or someone just to go with your home girl or whoever you're whoever you're dating, the summer sips, the zoo brew, the spooky spirits, and for me, the polar beers and the wild lights.

I'm a Christmas ad advocate.

I love Christmas lights.

The more you have, the better the experience.

But these are things that bring adults to the zoo, which is never really like magnified because everybody thinks it's about children.

But there's a place for adults to come to your zoo to really have an excellent night there because they provide the spirits for those that indulge in amazing food.

So I look forward to seeing those advertisements for people that indulge in Halloween, spooky spirits.

Can you imagine dressing up or whatever?

And then you're at the zoo, or even just the summer, I think it's called summer sips.

I've been to that before, and the zoo brew.

My husband loves beer, so um it's just a time that we can indulge as adults as we grow older to utilize the zoo that is the city of Detroit's property, and we as residents should really take full advantage of it.

And sometimes that'll ease the burden because we support the zoo.

We know exactly the purpose that it brings to one's life.

But when we have residents like the person that contacted me, she's the president of an association.

Her neighborhood needs so many resources that they cannot understand why we'd invest so much in the zoo.

And so I can only explain my experiences and why this has been a staple in our community, and because we're um the owners and we're partnering, although it's a tri-county effort.

People never see that part as a tri-county effort.

And they ask for numbers like, well, what is our population?

How many seniors actually got to participate in the senior activities?

I know because I'm in the senior buildings, and they look forward to those once a year events because you actually pick them up, you bring them back.

The transportation in itself requires an additional funds to even let's do it twice a year, maybe in the winter, not for the snow but the ice for the seniors, but maybe going into fall or something.

But the transportation requires that we provide that funding.

So I look forward to supporting the zoo, and I would like you to give us more information, more advertisements, send those flyers, those leaflets in that we can post on our website and say that hey, they're having these events for adults because they're in the evening time if you'd like to go in the evening and just walk around, and actually you get to see the animals because most of the time in the day they're asleep.

My grandson used to play grandma, they're sleep with the sun and it's hot, but I know that our winter weather destroys the attendance at the zoo, and that is one of the biggest problems when you're in Michigan.

We have a lot of cold weather, so we have to expound on those spring and summer and fall months.

So I would encourage you to get those flowers out, maybe invest in some more of your advertising to promote the zoo.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, those 21 and over events are really fun.

And actually, last year we sold out.

Um, so we um continue to look at ways to engage that age group also.

Um so I appreciate that.

Sunset, I appreciate that too.

It's a really fun event.

Thank you.

Seeing that we uh have exhausted the questions, we thank you for being here today.

Uh we want to move on to our next um a budget hearing.

But any last words you want to provide, Dr.

Um, I would just say, you know, thank you again.

Um, Mayor Sheffield, the council, the senior days have been incredibly impactful for us and the seniors.

Um, and it we we didn't ever ask for that.

That was something Mayor Sheffield came up with and put in the budget, and we're so eternally grateful because it's turned into one of the best programs we have.

And so um, the foresight to to think through that and to open that opportunity for seniors in the city districts has been just a game changer for us as a staff, and also for those seniors that might not otherwise have that specialized transportation and experience at the zoo.

Um, so we're we're so grateful for that.

It's been a really fun experience.

Yeah.

Thank you.

So thank you all.

Thank you.

Thank you all for all the great work you do.

We will now head into our budget hearing for municipal parking department.