Afternoon, Mr.

Director.

Good to see you, sir.

Please introduce yourself for the record and your team, and the floor is yours.

Um my name is Keith Hutchings.

I'm the director of the municipal parking department, and I have to my right James George, agency CFO for MPD.

PowerPoint.

They should it should be out.

Okay.

We're gonna give it time to generate.

It's not up just yet.

I have through the chair, I have some remarks as they're working to get that up there.

I would just like to say uh I am really happy to be here again before this body.

Uh just want to give you uh compliment.

I don't know if you appreciate the unique relationship that we have, but over the several years I've been here in the city of Detroit as director.

Unlike my colleagues across the country, they um they they almost detest going before their their council bodies because those relationships are very antagonistic and they don't work well.

I have yet to experience that from this body.

You've all been very respectful every time I've come.

You've also um asked questions sometimes, they may be tough questions, but you allow me to answer and say yes, we can do that, but maybe not the way you're suggesting we could do it this way, or no, we can't do it.

And you give me the ability to tell you why we can't do it.

Um, and out of all my interactions, this is one of the few interactions that I really have no trepidation coming before you.

You've been fair and and I brag upon you guys all the time about the relationship we have, and I thank you for that.

Um that being said, um, I also wanted to express my sincere and deep appreciation for our new mayor, Mayor Sheffield, and part of her hot rise higher platform.

Monday she announced an initiative to provide raise the uh uh left the minimum level of pay, a standard of to a standard of living that allows people not to have to go and get multiple jobs.

And I can't tell you how uh encouraging that was for me on behalf of uh the majority of my department, it touched the majority of my department, different divisions in my department.

These are people who um park your cars in the garage, help you through do that.

They are collecting the meet money out of the meters, they are um uh fixing the meters that make sure they're having their uh checking to make sure your residentials um permit is is appropriate.

Um they are writing the parking violations that while you may not be happy, they're they're protecting the economic activity and the quality of life and the safety on the street, and for them I am super happy.

Um it's interesting as I was walking here.

Um one of the employees in the garage um told me that she was just overwhelmed because of this effort to move uh this base salary to 21 dollars and 45 cents as a minimum.

And I I can't tell you how happy I am.

And I just want to say this for the record so uh Mayor Sheffield can appreciate what she's done, the humanization of this, is that she said she was really concerned because and I won't get into her personal life, but she was like, I'm probably gonna get a second job.

I can't make it anymore.

And because of this, she's like, I'm probably not gonna have to get a second job.

And that really encouraged me.

And then uh, if Mayor Sheffield's listening, she said when you're campaigning, she was at your uh you came to her church and no one else said anything, but you said I got you.

So I think you can just be uh be uh um confident that at least one of the people that voted for you are really happy that you came through for them today.

So I just appreciate that.

And in recognition of Mayor Sheffield's Rise Higher Platform, the municipal parking department will expand the Park Detroit parking app to include mobility services that make lower cost parking options available.

We are also going to add merchant reward and discount programs to assist small businesses and cross-mark merchandising and attracting business through discounting.

And we're going to work with this body to expand the residential parking um program to add new zones, which I'll be bringing to you in the next few months that will help residents who are suffering with uh parking relief to have some type of uh some type of uh of relief.

So we appreciate um everything that's being done by this body by the mayor, and I hope uh you appreciate what we're trying to do here with uh with uh municipal parking.

I also want to just express to our new council members, council member Miller and Councilmember McCampbell.

I have not ignored you.

I wanted to give you time to get your feet under you.

I would love to come talk with you at your convenience to talk to you about what the municipal parking part department does.

It is much more complex than people realize parking.

And if you're if your schedules are available, I make myself available to answer any questions.

That being said, I will I will begin with my opening statement, followed by your questions.

The municipal parking department provides affordable on and off-street parking, enforces the city of Detroit parking ordinances, and coordinates parking support, promoting economic development within the city of Detroit.

Operations consist of the auto parking system and parking violations, two garages with approximately 1,254 spaces and on street parking comprise of three tariff zones, including 14 subzones are maintained by the department.

In addition, 21 residential parking zones have been established.

Scoff low tow operations are conducted through private tow contracts supported by the municipal parking department, and it's managed uh in this management of the CNIF vehicle redemption lot.

All revenues and expenses are 100% general fund activity.

On behalf of the municipal parking department, I respectfully submit the 2026-2027 budget request recommended by the mayor of Detroit in accordance with the terms consistent with anticipated revenues.

The summary of the budget is that is as follows.

The total appropriation of 11,308,032 with a total revenue of 15,485,720 or and a net tax savings of 4,177,688.

The budget documents submitted before you represent a net in expense increase of 139,745 compared to the current fiscal 2006 year.

The budget increase is primarily related to salaries and benefits related to new union contract rate increases.

The increase is partially set off by reduction in professional contract funding.

Capital funding in the amount of 172,000 dollars has been included in the budget support uh in the budget to support the Detroit Grand Prix activities that brought over 275 million dollars in economic activity during the three days of last year's event.

Total revenue of 15,485,720 in the FY27 budget reflects a decrease of 1,430,480 in comparison to the FY26 budget.

The decreases related to FY25 numbers that were historically low due to an initiative focusing on abandoned vehicles to reduce blight neighborhoods.

Normal enforcement has resumed in FY26, but the revenue projections remain conservative.

Parking revenue highlights are expected as increase of 442,720 in both meter and garage revenue.

These increases reflect the anticipated increase in meters coming back online after prolonged construction disruption and targeted event parking at city garages.

In summary, the FY27 municipal parking department maintains a level of activity consistent with the fiscal this fiscal year.

The intent is to remain fiscally cautious with spending as parking traffic and enforcement staffing continue to approach 2019 levels.

This year, in alignment with Mayor Sheffield's vision, the municipal parking department will expand the Park Detroit app services to include mobility services that encourage consumers to use lower cost parking options.

We will also develop merchant rewards capable capability to assist small businesses in attracting commerce through cross-marketing and discounting, and we will work with this body to expand the program to enhance uh residential parking and improving residential quality of life.

It is with great anticipation of positive change that I will attempt to answer the questions related to this budget, respectfully submitted.

Keith Hutchings, director of the municipal parking department.

All right, thank you.

We'll now go to questions from colleagues, and we'll start with Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Through you, good afternoon, good to see you.

I have very brief questions.

Um you mentioned you have a four million dollar savings.

Wondering, are there any thoughts about reinvesting that into parking solutions?

We have a lot of parking issues.

Um we've got the Ford underground building that needs to be invested in.

We need to be providing more opportunities for our city staff as well.

So just wondering um what you use with your savings, and do you reinvest it back into parking uh needs that we have?

Um, through the chair.

Uh when it's a general fund department, those decisions are not made at the department level.

Um we do submit um our our request for needs, and that is a decision that is made at uh the OCFO and budget level uh because it is general fund.

Through the chair, excellent.

So then we will look at that money and see if we can invest it in parking solutions that are needed.

Um we especially as we're developing Corktown, downtown, midtown, we have a lot of developments and lack of parking.

Um we have all major stadiums now in the city of Detroit, um, and we consistently hear of parking issues.

Uh so if there seems to be uh resources available, um that's good to know for us to look into that because we're always trying to figure out um parking solutions, and I think the city should get to a point where, like in Birmingham, they have smaller parking lots in Dearborn, they have smaller parking lots, sometimes they're free, they're accessible, they're walkable.

Um, so really hoping that we get to a place like that.

I guess that is a question.

Um, can we get to a place like that?

What are what are the conversations that we're having in the city for parking solutions?

So through the chair, um everything that that you talked about in terms of funding solutions, we build into our budget every year.

Um, as you know, um our departments in the city of Detroit is uh probably one of the the leading uh cities in terms of parking management and and development of systems to deal with parking issues.

So we are typically way out ahead of most cities in terms of what we're developing.

What we find is we uh have our struggle for getting stuff done is getting uh vendors who can develop their technology at the level we need to have it develop.

So, in terms of funding, we always are baking that into our budget to address what our technology needs are in every budget year.

Um as it relates to this is a consistent um statement that's been made since I've come to the city working in the city as a in the capacity of director.

Um people consistently um reference Birmingham and Ferndale.

Well, the reality is they are actually adopting everything that we're doing.

I know that because I talk with the consultants who talk to them and they're adapting the stuff that we're doing.

And we even if they weren't, we have to be cautious about comparing uh Birmingham or Ferndale to the city of Detroit.

Those are very different cities in terms of their their their um complexion and and and how they are comprised and the volume of people entering it.

They don't have the same volume of people, so they're trying to do things to come here.

We have a very different reality where, and it's a blessing to have a city that's now repopulated at the level it's repopulated, where we then have limitations on parking availability.

So the way we manage that will always be different than the way you'll see Ferndale or Birmingham manage their parking.

Through the chair, yes, we should address the needs for Detroit's.

They are uniquely Detroit's.

I share that to share examples of solutions, and I don't see that here.

So I'm glad you mentioned that.

But I bring this up because if you were to go to many of our meetings in District 6 in Corktown in Southwest now, in Midtown, there's a lack of parking.

So I I hear you and I'm proud of the pride, but I I want to figure out the issues that we have in in in front of us to that end.

Um you mentioned that we're doing well in our solutions here.

Um, and we're rolling out, and this isn't a question, this is more of a comment.

Um, because I do have one, you might not actually have the answer to the my my my last question.

But we're rolling out residential parking permitting um in areas, and that's been um pretty frustrating.

And I know that other cities already have this program in place.

So I hear what you're saying, and I'm just wondering if we are getting best practices, lessons learned from other places, because when we rolled it out here, it was pretty cumbersome.

It was um it was frustrating for residents, and then our office having to work through that.

So just a note, I hear you, and let's make sure that we are because there's still problems, so we're still we still have things to work on.

Um that's going to be key as we continue to develop the city that we get those residential parking permits zones, right?

So that actually works.

Um that's a note we can have conversations offline, and we have limited time.

My last question really that I wanted to ask you, and you may not be the one to answer this question, but I asked this question, I think my first year, because in my neighborhood, I've got my residents getting tickets after tickets, after tickets, and this is a pretty polarizing conversation because sometimes it's the residents that are calling on their neighbors who are parked in front of their house or in the corner, things like that.

Um question that I had before is how much money would it cost for us to paint our streets, at least the corners, so that we don't park too close to the corners and you ticket it in our own neighborhoods.

I was told we couldn't do that, that cost too much money.

So that's not my question.

My question is can we just paint it ourselves anyways, and can we not get in trouble for doing so?

Do you know the answer to that question?

Um through the chair.

Uh that's not a question that I would want to answer.

Um, I know to have the authority to answer, but what I will tell you is that that request has been um made multiple times.

And I would ask you drive to any city, pick any city, any town you want.

You will not see any curves painted like that, sign like that.

It's just not done because it would just the logistics of doing that just doesn't work.

That's why the state code um teaches us when we when we have vehicles up that we have to do these things.

There's not a municipality in the in the United States you're gonna find that they're painting the curbs and putting signs up like that.

So what you'd be asking is something that um has been cumbersome for every municipality in this country to the point they wouldn't do that.

As it relates to the Corktown issues and and and uh that you talked about, there is a solution, but unfortunately the residents are fighting each other about that.

They haven't moved forward.

We have a couple that are moving forward, so we are going to be able to get a couple zones in.

What we're not gonna do as a department is force something on a group of residents who don't seem to be able to agree with themselves what they need to do, so it can be a little bit challenging there.

Um, and you know, as it relates to the challenges with the initial rollout, this is part of what we are challenged with.

We have very complex systems, and we were required to have a bid.

And so the vendor we had before, we spent two years creating this incredibly user-friendly residential parking module.

And in the process of changing over, the vendor just didn't have enough time, and they had a very cumbersome bad rollout.

And it was bad for us, we weren't happy it was bad for you.

We have corrected that, and that we that's why we don't have issues.

But yes, I acknowledge that that was an issue.

I had an issue with that.

Um, but that's part of the challenge when we have to move contracts based off of time, regardless of whether we have a good system in place.

Through the chair, thank you, Director.

I appreciate that.

Um, but it sounds like maybe I will go ahead and maybe paint my corners of my streets, and I'll check in with BC because they would ticket me if if I can or can't.

So I'll check in with them.

But I mean, unfortunately, you're right, the city is massive, we have limited options.

But when I have my seniors and my residents painting their corners and putting their addresses on their streets and you know, beautifying the neighborhood on their own.

I want to help them.

And if we can do that without getting tickets, without getting in trouble, uh, we will do that while we get the city to do our our jobs as as quickly as we can.

So thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Member Waters.

What's ma'am?

Oh, okay.

Well, I mean, you know, I always have fun with this department.

I'm gonna be good today, though.

Um it's probably the most efficient department in the city, and it does drive me nuts.

So, but I want I'm gonna get to this uh whole um my question is gonna be centered around residents, those who receive the parking tickets and so forth, you know.

Um and they they they get these tickets, they have to sign up, you say, uh, in advance in order to receive the discount.

That's correct.

Well, how are they supposed to know about that?

I mean, what are we doing to make sure uh that they know that they can do such a thing?

Um, so that they can receive how much is a discount?

Uh through the chair, that's a great question.

First part of that question is we have thought about what's the most effective way to make sure every citizen is aware of it.

So we're we have worked with the uh Detroit uh water department to now um uh put on their every water bill that goes out, every piece of information goes out about the discount so they can go to the website and register.

So now everyone, every resident who has water, which is every resident who's living there will have that uh communicated so they will know that there's a Detroit discount.

And it's a very simple thing.

You go to the park Detroit.us website, you click on Detroit discount, you put in you read what it says.

And if if you if your car is registered with the Secretary of State, you put in your license plate, and you're automatically registered.

So we've made it very simple.

Is so we are going to build awareness by using what we think is the most efficient way to touch everybody that has it.

And what's what's that?

The discount is is a 50%, so it's $22.50, and it's on meter violations and no parking.

It's not on every violation, it's on meter violations, which are the majority of violations and no parking violations.

Well, I can assure you, everybody's not looking at at their water bill, that kind of detail.

I'm just saying.

So why don't you create a flyer?

Maybe all of us will, so that people will know that they I believe that will help to increase your your numbers, you know, because I you know I have seen you sometimes call me and say, Well, you know, Ms.

Wadders, I got this parking ticket, and it's $45 or whatever it might be.

Um, so they know that they can sign up in advance on this app.

Perhaps that that will help.

You know, of course, I wish it were the other way that it used to be.

You know, if you pay the ticket within a certain number of days, you know, you pay $10 or something like that.

You know, that you know, but you don't want to go back to Rob because I think I asked you uh last time you were here about that route.

Um the uh the other thing I wanted to ask you about is the the parking app itself, and I don't know if this is happening to other people, but it throws me out all the time out of that parking app.

I mean, every every time I try to use that parking app, it says then they want me to call the toll-free number.

Uh the number, you know, you need to call.

We've locked your account.

And it and it drives him nuts because it used to then be that way.

It just got like that recently, so I'm not sure what's going on.

And I'm not and and and there could be other people in the same situation, so they end up getting tickets because they're not able to use um their app.

Um, through the chair.

Um, I have seen uh uptick in cases like that.

Part of this is um the increase of security.

I'm sure you see all the time you're getting scam text of stuff.

There is a non-stop assault of people scamming, trying to figure stuff out and find a way to get access to it.

So part of what you're seeing is increased security.

Um, we will be bidding out the the app services, um, and we'll um you know, hope to get uh someone who can still provide the same service, but even give us the security stuff in a more stable platform.

Um I'm not denying I've seen it happen, so I know it's happening.

Um, and it started happening when they increased the security, but we'll we'll we're working to try to adjust that.

But one of the things we're going to do is, and this is why we um when you talk about solutions, we will be launching soon a pay-to-text um service.

So when you come to a meter, the way our system is you can pay for your parking at any meter anywhere in the city, just put the zone in.

The app you can pay anywhere in the city.

Yeah, when we put the pay-to-text number on the meter, there's absolutely no ability not to pay.

So we're gonna make it so we even if you can say the app's not working, go to this meter.

If the meter's not working, use the text number.

So we're gonna make it so it's absolutely impossible not to have a way to pay for, so you don't be in those situations.

That'll be coming in the next month to two months.

Well, let me just say I'm impressed with that because there's some people, I mean, you know, it takes a minute to go through that and download that app and create your account and all that kind of stuff.

A lot of people don't want to do that, but finding additional ways so that people can take care of those fees, that's a really good thing.

So I do thank you for that.

I'm looking forward to that myself.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you, Mr.

Waters.

Uh Director Hutchins, though you mentioned the um uh mailing inside of the uh water bill for the Detroit discount.

Uh, how much is that uh in terms of cost?

Because it has to be a cost of the cost to the municipal parking department.

I worked it out with the um DWSD.

They are going to include it as part of their printing on their bills, so it will be there for every citizen who who lives in a resident to be able to see that.

And are we talking about a one-time situation or are we talking about multiple?

Multiple uh when you say multiple, how long you know through the chair.

Um, we haven't discussed discontinue it, so my expectation it'll be there for some time.

Um obviously at some point I'm sure uh DWSD would like to discontinue and use the space for something else, but I anticipate it'll be there for a while.

And when does it start?

Um I don't have that answer.

I'll get you that answer.

Okay, please get us that information because I I mean if the if we're utilizing the water bills for other information, I think there's I see it as an opportunity to cycle things in, cycle things out as well.

Uh so thank you for that.

Look forward to that information.

Um we're gonna go to member Benson.

Right, thank you.

Um thank you for being here today.

I'm always very responsive when it comes to uh parking concerns and issues when there are major events, if there is a request for special treatment, you all have always come through in Roger Duff, and I really do appreciate that and ask the residents of Detroit.

Um looking at some of your metrics for success.

One that interests me, and one that I support and highlight whenever I get an opportunity, is the fact that we still have, if I'm not mistaken, the only uh municipal parking enforcement department that has a fleet of fully EV vehicles, and we charge on site as well.

And so to me, that's a huge feather in the city's cap, and we adopted that early.

Can we just talk about the efficiency of those vehicles?

Is it still working?

The cost of energy to move and repair those vehicles.

Have are we still seeing any cost efficiencies there?

Um through the chair, I appreciate that question.

I am a static that we made a decision to move to EV vehicles.

Um I want to go a hundred percent EV vehicles in our fleet.

Um now uh the the savings is exponential.

We don't take cars offline to go get serviced.

It just doesn't happen.

We don't spend a half an hour going to gas a car up.

We don't, it doesn't come off for a day for our oil change.

It just runs.

And they're efficient, they're roomy, every all of our people love them.

And not only on not only that, the typical issues that we we build in, we calculate on average our largest, our longest territories do 150 miles a day on our largest territories.

And when we looked at what um the manufacturer was saying in terms of of uh range, especially with reduction of the equipment we're putting in there and in the cold, we have not once come close to having an issue where we didn't get through the whole shift um with with any um EV.

So we're not seeing the issues you're hearing people talk about where they have these EVs crash.

And the first year when it was sub sub uh uh zero temperatures, we did have a car that got down to almost nothing, and you hear they well it can't charge it, charged no problem.

Uh, the partner that we had that have that put in our charging station, we work with DTE has been exceptional.

I would say if we can the only issue that we have is that right now there's not an American automaker that's providing an EV in the class we have.

So at some point, we're either going to have to go back to gas-powered vehicles, or we're gonna have to buy a non-US vehicle, or we're gonna have to spend substantially more money to bump into a whole nother category of EV vehicles.

But I really hope this body does not allow us to have to have to make that decision.

Excellent point, and thank you for that.

And so as an add-on to that question, this is not my second question.

What's the life expectancy of those vehicles?

So the life expectancy general, a general life expectancy, no manufacturer gives you an exact date, right?

So there it's it's a battery.

So they're going to tell you five, six, seven years.

But the truth, after five years, as you all know, any battery you have any rechargeable device stops keeping charge as much.

So, you know, in the next year to two years, we might start to see some reduction in in performance.

Um, but no manufacturer gives, if you look at what they say, they give you a wide range because they're not going to tell you exactly what their life expectancy of the battery is.

And and the question was posed to me do you want to buy the cars?

Well, they're not like gas vehicles.

Once the battery's done, the car's not worth anything.

So just to buy these cars and think we're gonna get another five years out of them, make it 10 years is probably not realistic.

Okay, then I have a number of questions that I'll submit via memo, but also one of your metrics is number of active on-street EV charging device uh requires OE OMI support, Office of Mobility and Innovation.

Five to ten new EV stations.

Talk about your on-street EV stations and then an increase of five to ten.

Yeah, so uh through the chair, I I want to um really clarify that we're not creating EV charging.

There's an issue with the way EV charging exists across the country, and what we're solving is is a solution that um improves consumer um experience, avoids issues with uh trying to charge, and allows the city of Detroit to provide EV charging experience that no other city can can provide.

So for instance, um right now, uh and I won't single out because I don't want to single out companies, but there was a pilot program years ago, about five, six years ago, um, where um EVs were put in, but they weren't tied to parking.

So what you have now is people who park and they're not charging, and you have people who charge but don't pay to park because this the systems would aren't connected, so they both they get tickets for either one because they're not supposed to be there if you're not charging, and if you're not electric vehicle, or if you're charging, you still have to pay if it's if it's in the right-of-way in a metered space.

So our solution creates an API integration with whichever vendor that's there and makes the mention API was that sample?

Yeah, API.

It's uh it's it's a it's basically um forgive me the acronym, I use it so much I don't remember what it means, but it's basically a a digital uh tube, if you will, that allows companies to send information back and forward, right?

So an AD so that whatever vendor that would come into the city to provide, we give them our vendor give them their API integration.

Uh all this all the services are tied to a to a license plate, right?

That then allows for if some the charging for uh the cost for charging and parking to be tied together, it allows for it to go into our system, it allows for us to now enforce as we go by because we know the cars either supposed to be there or not be there, it removes that um bad customer experience where you pay for one but you get a ticket you can do the other.

The charging goes to the EV vendor, the parking goes to the department, and what we also can do is merchandise that in our Park Detroit app.

And it's more than just simply saying, here is where a set of charges are.

So we would let's say we create a zone, it'd be a numbers or certain number series of zone that's not like any other zone.

And let's say that zone had four chargers in it.

So we would be able to say there's four chargers in this zone if you're looking for it.

Charger number one is actually being paid to charge for another hour.

Charger number two is is charging, paid to charge for another four hours.

Charger number three is not working, charger number four is empty.

So now you don't just simply know that the system is there, you know if there's something available.

So you're now that is an enhancement that no city in the United States is able to provide.

So we're not providing EV charging.

That's all the office of mobility.

But what we have done is develop the the capability to tie technology to their technology and solve that consumer bad consumer experience and provide a greater um uh uh exposure to EV charging, which we can then spread off into our the private garages who have EV charging as well as the city garages.

Very helpful, thank you.

And you plan to introduce this or still the conversation?

Well, we we were we're gonna make the tech excuse me through the chair, forgive me, through the chair, we're gonna make the technology available.

We just we just have to have them tie in their vendors to tie into it.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Chair, good afternoon, everyone.

Um I'll send you uh my questions.

Um I'm gonna ask maybe two and I'll send you the um the remainder ones.

Given that the city of Detroit currently pays for parking for city employees, I do believe most employees.

I I I don't want to say all, but I think all, but I'll just say most employees, and that the city owns the land where the surface lots are located at the former Ford Auditorium site, isn't that correct?

Yes.

Okay.

What would be the estimated cost of developing parking at this location?

I asked that question because we have a contract coming from HR, and the director um is saying that we're having a lot of employees to come back and to the work um into the office, having um been at home on a hybrid schedule.

Now they're coming back kind of like full time.

Um so if we own that space, then why are we paying?

I think it's LAZ parking.

Yes.

That's almost a million dollars.

So I've been sitting on that contract for a minute because if we own this lot at the former Ford Auditorium site, you may not be able to answer it.

What would be the estimated cost of developing parking at this location to save us almost a million dollars?

Almost two million dollars, I do believe, because this I think this is a second contract, either through expansion of the existing Ford underground garage.

Don't know if that's possible because there's a lot of infrastructure issues there, or by constructing a new parking structure.

Trying to keep it at minimal cost to the city, and then I'll ask you my second question of that one through the chair.

Um through the chair.

Um I will say great minds think alike, had the same concept prior to 2019.

The problem with the concept is it's it's really irrelevant what the cost is, and let me explain to you why.

Um, before 2019, there were many, many people living and working in the city.

The whole riverfront, including the Renaissance Center, was pretty full of people.

There's uh now almost nobody in the in the Renaissance Center, and there's in this part of the the city uh in terms of parking, the demand is almost gone to nothing.

The only garage in the area that's that's full is the Ford Underground Garage because we put it put employees in there.

So regardless of the cost, it is not going to be financially make you cannot make a business case.

Let's say it's a $30 million structure to do the expansion.

It's not it's not really you you can't make it pay off.

If you get bonds to pay for it, there's no money coming in.

So if you're gonna take city employees and put them in there, you're just gonna move money from one bank account to another bank account.

It's not revenue.

And then you're gonna have to then pay those bonds or whatever the cost is out of general fund, which is already we're you know, we're we're challenged to try to manage that.

I would not want to expand a structure that we don't have um you know money to keep up it the way we want to keep up.

I will say for the record that we do we we make sure that that structure is incredibly sound in terms of safety and everything, but there's cosmetic things that we would love to do that we can't do, and uh in addition to part of the challenges with the structure, it's really a bridge whether people are aware of it.

So Jefferson runs over it and Bates run over it.

And those are uh Jefferson is a state roadway, and part of the problem with the the garage and the cosmetics is that road at what you see on top is not uh emblematic of the roadway that's but beneath that's degraded and needs to be addressed.

So until Jefferson can be properly addressed, we're still gonna see water and stuff affect the Fortnite around garage, which are not city projects.

So I thought the same thing too, but right now there is no financial case to support it because the market's just falling off.

Now, if the development occurs on a riverfront and people come back, that'll be a different reality.

The other thing is that land is there to support events that are occurring on Hart Plaza.

So the you know, most of the stuff you'll see happen in the in the summer, you'll see that that's where trucks are coming in, where they're staging stuff.

So if we if we take that away from them, then Hart Plaza has a hard time functioning.

Now, if we find a financial way to that it makes sense, we could possibly build something so the top of it can still be used for it.

But right now, there's just no financial case to do it.

I I had the same idea back around 2018, 2019, but it's just not there anymore the case for it.

Um thank you through the chair to yourself.

Um, are you talking talking about an actual structure?

Because I was just talking about paving the the concrete, I mean, you know, the the surface, striking it with the lines, um, and having people park there, just trying to be cost efficient since we own the land anyway.

Um we don't have a lot of activities going on at Hart Plaza all year long.

We don't.

Um I know that um sometimes when we have the Grand Prix or we have um other major events downtown, we give up our parking spaces.

Um I do believe they take up the underground, you can't park there.

And then sometimes um, I think over the summer when you you were putting the EV stations in, we couldn't park over here, so we kind of parked on the street.

Um but I'm not talking about an actual brick and mortar structure.

I'm just talking about additional parking, surface parking, um, make permeable so it doesn't flood, or I think there's a new tire type of um material that's they produced and um they invented at Michigan State, not in V, but using it at Michigan State.

Um, the tires, the shredded tires, there's a way for us to do it to help save the city money.

I just can't see us um you know paying almost two million dollars for parking when we own lots that we can just resurface with this permeable tire type product.

So through the chair, the second part of my answer um spoke to that.

That lot, if you if you take that lot away, yeah, then there's the the you render Heart Plaza and able to support um events.

So if they have an event on a Friday, they're there four or five days ahead of time staging stuff.

That's why it's not something that we could consider like that.

We'd have to build something and then have the availability to stage over top of it.

That that's the answer.

Okay.

Well, that was my one question.

The next one is the fund Ford Underground Garage.

Um lots of aging, crumbling, leaks.

I don't know if the L elevator or escalator is working, crumbling concrete, and a damaged entrance pylon sign or pillon sign, P Y L O N sign.

Um this is a resident worker uses that, and this is one of her questions.

What uh fiscal year 27 funds are allocated for repairs and maintenance of the Fort Underground Garage.

And this is from someone who parks there.

Um through through the chair, um, we have a hundred and seventy-two thousand dollars um allocated in this fiscal year budget.

That is to address support for the Detroit Grand Prix.

Um, I haven't been given what my um capital budget will be yet um to support any type of needs as it relates to the escalator.

It's gonna fail all the time.

So we didn't have a long period of it being out.

But we are generally having we have a great vendor now.

Before we didn't have good vendors, they're doing a good job in terms of servicing it.

If if at some point we have opportunities to make massive investments in the structure, we do have plans to do that.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and good afternoon.

I have a question relative to the residential permit program.

I know Mayor Sheffield talked about really working on bringing retail into our neighborhood corridors.

I know the SNF has helped to activate some corridors, and as the progress continues, I think our residential areas are going to see a fair amount of congestion with parking, whether on the Avenue or in the neighborhoods.

Can you talk about the requirements for the residential permit program?

Yes, through the chair.

The requirements are very simple.

But it's incredibly f flexible.

So it could be multiple blocks, it could be in front of one zone.

I'm actually getting ready to bring to you, it's for one house.

So we created it so it could be super flexible.

And we also in Brush Park, you have the reality where there are retail and commercial entities, and they're also residential entities.

A little bit for somebody else.

So for instance, we call that shared parking.

Like an example in on Seldon in Cass in Brush in Brush Park, Central Brush Park, where we have residential zones.

In Selden in Cass Park, where they have all these um meter, all these uh restaurants, anybody can pay to meter from 9 to 5 p.m.

But after 5 p.m., you can't pay to meter or the app because you can only park there if you have a permit.

If you have a permit, you can park at the meter anytime.

In Brush Park, for instance, from 7 a.m.

to 6 p.m., anybody can park there.

And so the reality is when I say we can't fix everything.

If you're a restaurant owner, you're not done at six, you need more parking later.

But at some point we have to protect it for residents.

So that's why we caution in how we go and build um developments to make sure you have adequate parking to be able to support those developments for people who are living in ways that um are different than what we're planning for them to live.

And what I mean is um people are coming into places like Brush Park thinking they can have two and three cars.

That doesn't that's really the reality is it's not designed for you to have that.

So we can't solve for that.

But what we can do is try to um be as reasonable as possible for everybody's needs and give everybody as much access.

So it's a very, very flexible program.

We don't just rubber stamp it, we do we we listen to what the the residents are saying they want.

We do a study, and technically you have to be at 85% usage to qualify.

But we're going to bring you the next one we're gonna bring to you is actually was an 85% when we studied, but it's needed and the volume picked up after the fact.

And I when I have the hearing, I'll explain that.

So hopefully I answered your question.

You did answer the question, and it just takes me back to the uh residential zoning uh text amendment that we had before us that reduced parking, um, the parking requirement, and it just sounds like we just we have to identify what the plan is for um various areas, especially areas that we know are making a lot of progress in reactivating uh buildings, especially where there is a a concentration of of residential properties.

So thank you for that.

The other question I wanted to ask you is um around the Park Detroit app.

So I know that was something that was near and dear to you.

Um I'm wondering if you can provide any updates on expanding the services for multi-mobility trip planning and real-time parking um options.

I think real-time parking options is already included within the app.

As I mentioned at the at the beginning of this, we're going to expand for multimodal services.

It will start out initially with just it was almost there, but it was a French firm, and um after the Olympics started and they dropped the project because they were behind on the Olympics and then they want it paid in full, and our vendors like, no, not until you deliver it.

So we're a little bit behind because of that.

But the the way um the way it works is it will start out initially, either your car or the people mover or the queue line.

You you'll put in a place you want to go to, and it'll give you a number of places that a ways you can get there.

You can drive, you can park here, take the people mover, park here, take the queue line, and it'll give you the number of minutes it's gonna take, the cost it's gonna take, and what you'll find out is, and it will list the closest events to the the closest places to the events first, and then the furthest way it'll come down.

So it won't be price driven because we don't want to we these are private partners, so we're not trying to siphon people's business, but if some because the truth is, and and I had I had a couple people say the pricing's too high, and the reality is the market is absolutely bearing it.

All those super expensive lots are full.

All the cheap lots are empty.

So the market is not saying that they don't want to pay it.

They're paying the most expensive lots.

They're filled every single day.

They have an event.

And the cheaper lots are empty because people wanna just park where they want to park and they'll pay the money.

But what we want to make it, this will make it easier to see it and recognize, like for instance, we've been opening Ford Underground Garage during these events on Sundays for football games, for instance, and we have a $10 rate.

You could walk to the to the uh millinder and take the people mover and walk two blocks and pay $10 and not be in the traffic, or take the queue line and walk three blocks and not be in the traffic and spend $10 instead of I won't say what it is.

Um, and yet we're lucky to have a handful of people do it.

So we're gonna continue to market to try to bull pull that in, and that's part of what that does.

The other thing that we talked about is a merchant rewards program, and what that does is it allows it um it will it'll go beyond just simply tying uh a service to parking, but we want to expand it to if you have a service you want to discount, you do that.

So, but it takes technology to make these things happen.

When I talk about it, I do purposely talk about it so it sounds simple, but these are very complex things, they're not simple.

And some of it is we pushing the technology to get to where we needed to get so it will work simply.

Um sometimes if we push too hard, we can launch it, but the technology is shoddy.

So that's that's hopefully that answers your question.

It it does, but I was just wondering, did you unintentionally forget to include DDOT or is DDOT not going to be a part of this app?

Great, thank you.

Great question through the chair.

Um D dot doesn't run routes, so so the biggest biggest benefit for that is around events.

So right now, all of our arenas and our major theaters are all in the same location.

So people don't like um, contrary to what people think, they don't want a parking ride things until it's painful.

It's really painful now to go in the C in the arena district.

So people will look for parking ride options.

And when we looked at the parking ride options, we can take um um the lodge and I-375 down to the riverfront to multiple um multiple uh garages and then empty you out.

You could park, you could take uh uh 96 and 94 um to park up into new center in midtown and take the queue line down.

The problem is the D dot does not have a line that runs like that.

That's why they weren't included.

It wasn't done on purpose.

They just don't really have a line that runs in that in that manner.

Um but going forward, um, so this was just the initial piece.

We did have the your vehicle, Uber, Lyft, a Q line, and um, and the people mover.

We will then expand to have smart D dot, MOGO, actually other uh lines like uh the Ann Arbor Transit, the uh D2 A2, the DAX, um the uh Michigan Flyer.

So now it's a regional uh uh source to not just pay for parking, not just find out because you can find out every event that's in the city, not even just use a your merchant services, but to for people who aren't um driving to be able to find a way to the city.

It becomes a tool that gives us a competitive advantage as a city.

All right, thank you.

I was just going to say, D dot, you can jump on a Jefferson bus and get to downtown, but maybe not to the venue specifically, which then you would jump on the people mover to get there directly.

But the D DOT can help um shuttle you from a point outside of uh the downtown area to the area to to catch a different type of transit.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Member McCampbell.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you for being here.

I have a question.

As you're talking about the expansion of the app and the merchants discount and such, could you just go into the data protection that's within the app?

And if we are having discounts with merchants, are we then getting data back to those folks on how folks are using it or who's on the app and where they are?

Um through the chair, it's a good question, but it's probably premature.

Um we have to develop it, and then we'd be in a better position to speak to that.

Um, how to use that data.

Um, in terms of the discount program, what we would what we would do is it wouldn't have the city wouldn't be involved in any of that.

We would just set up mechanism that this business and this business could either cross merchandise their stuff and decide what they're gonna discount it, or they're just gonna give a discount.

They would put a payment mechanism, it would be part of part of the app, and then they would pay into that that mechanism before they they put their offer out there.

So we're gonna protect the city so that we're not on the hook for some private entities um marketing pro um uh process, but it provides a way for them to then start to um um leverage the millions of people that are using the app and coming into the city.

Um I'm not being invasive, but until we get the design and we understand how a database works.

I can't honestly answer what we would have to give to people.

I mean, the the information is uh potential is enormous to allow us to make really phenomenally um uh educated decisions that go well beyond parking.

They go into economic development, to go into event management, all so it's it's uh a numerous amount of opportunity, but I can't say that until we actually develop it.

I appreciate I appreciate that honesty and and transparency there.

I think one thing I would say is that I think those conversations should be happening now with the development on how we are protecting data.

And I understand, like with the city use of that data, but if we if one, if this is being produced by a third party um and other folks have access to that data and you know their movement shopping behaviors if they're taking part in those discounts, that is a very lucrative market for folks.

So for us as a city, I want to make sure that we're not allowing folks to get that data because that that puts our folks at risk.

So just want to lift that up.

Um and then the next question is um I know we you talked about the um app to increase that mobility and a focus on mobility.

Um I know a lot of the conversation has been around parking revenue and enforcement, but could you just go deeper into the balance on how you all are achieving the mission around increasing mobility, reducing congestion, and improving the quality of life of residents.

Um thank you for the question through the chair.

Um so when I talk about it, it's a little misleading.

Like we're not a mobility company, we're not a mobile that's not our agenda, mobility.

But what I understand is um we're in a position to uniquely create synergies with the various disciplines that exist in the city in a way that can allow us to do certain things.

So when we looked at the parking app, we realized that for limited additional money, we could invest and get something that was pretty significant to allow us to organize how mobility set their service.

So we're not telling them here's what you should do in their service.

We are looking at the the trends and the services that are out there, and we are creating the ability to organize their services so that you can easily access them to make a decision.

So that's from a mobility standpoint, that's what we're we're attempting to do to take all those various um mobility platforms we talked about and and do that.

We have decided that scooters are not gonna be a part of that because they're hard to merchandise because they're all over the place.

All the others are in a single place, whether it's uh bus or light rail or vehicle, they're in one place.

Um as it relates to, I'm trying to remember the second part of your question.

So the the second part was, and this is from the department's mission, so I just wanted to make sure that that was highlighted.

So the improving residential quality of life, um reducing congestion and such.

So just want to hear about efforts around that.

Yeah, so the whole concept with residential parking and the the parking app is to instead of having people circle around looking for parking, is to show them where parking is and then be able to quickly make a decision.

So you're not then circling around, that's causing congestion.

You're not going to a place where there's no parking spaces, you're also um reducing the pollution because you're not then idling trying to find places.

That's part of that.

In terms of quality of life, it's also about uh helping residents uh who can't find a parking space because they're close to an arena.

In terms of quality of life, it's also about uh helping residents uh who can't find a parking space because they're close to an arena, and they can or are residents in Corktown who are experiencing higher volumes that are coming into their neighborhoods, how we can legally on a public right away restrict parking for a certain period of time.

So those are all quality of life issues.

If you can't find a place to park and got to walk four or five blocks to your house, that's a quality of life issue.

Um so that's what we mean by there.

To your on your last question, as it relates to security, just understand every contract that the city has, including a municipal parking, any data is our data, and we strictly control that, no one can use it outside of our use.

So I just want to assure you, we have control of every bit of data that's part of the city infrastructure.

Absolutely.

I appreciate that.

And we've had many conversations so far around data here, but as you know, there are companies such as Flock that, although we have that data, um, we've seen that they have still used it.

So I just want to make sure as we're thinking about this, um, that we have we are being as protective as possible for the city residents.

Um, that's the end of my question.

I'll have more dials submit.

Uh we'll also bring up as you brought up the private lots.

Um, I appreciate how the city owned lots are affordable for folks.

I've always thought that the private less could be another source of revenue because we don't make money off of what they're charged, the exorbit amounts that they're charging, even income taxes because they're not having a lot of employees there.

So that might be a follow-up question, a conversation or a conversational LPD.

So thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Member Miller.

Hello, how are you?

I am glad that you showed up today, in spite of how your colleagues feel.

I think our body is actually kind of nice.

Excuse me.

Through the I want to correct that through the chair, I was complimenting you.

Yeah, you guys uh I love coming here.

You're respectful, you're kind.

My colleagues don't have that same treatment in their cities.

That's what I was saying.

So my question is regarding the residential permit parking zones.

In District 5, there is a large amount of spillage, spillover from commercial businesses.

So you said that it was really relatively easy to get those special permit parking.

So I have a whole block that needs one.

So I can walk into your office and all those residents can come and fill the form out, and it's just that simple.

Um through the chair, if you go to the park detroit.us website and you click on residential parking, everything about the program is there.

We so we've we try to make it extremely accessible.

So it walks you through the process.

Um you you don't just get a permit, you have to you have to um fill out a um a petition um that's submitted to the clerk's office.

And I can walk you this part of if we want to have a meeting, I can walk you through that in in in greater detail.

But everything that relates to the program is really easily accessible.

Go to parkdetroit.us, I'm saying this for anybody listening, residents listening.

Go to parkdetroit.us, go to the residential parking tab, click on the tab, and it will tell you everything that's in the program.

But I would look forward to talking with you more to helping you understand how we get your residence.

I would appreciate that because with our new attempt at zoning changes, our residents are some of them are being overlooked and they're not taking into consideration someone parking in front of their house every day, and it has disturbed some of their quality of life.

They've caught our office to the point where their grandchildren cannot ride their bikes up and down the street because there's always cars pulling the driveway, turning around on every single house.

And I'm sure everyone know where it is because it's in a historical district.

Also, the brush park community, they call all the time.

I'm meeting with them because they have a concern with LCA.

So I'm asking for your from your point of view, you said you can park, anyone can park from seven to six.

It depends, excuse me, through the chair, it depends on which zone you're in.

But I will tell you, I just had a meeting with members of uh council member um Santiago Romero's team, and she was telling they were telling me their concerns, and almost none of their concerns had anything do with residential parking.

Okay.

Well, this one does, because there's houses in Brush Park that is faced with when even when you have evening games, someone's to the point they're in front of their house every single day, all day.

And they can't, and so there's no driveways.

Let's keep in mind, there's no driveways.

So you can't even park your own car in front of your own house.

And this is the ongoing practice in Brush Park.

So when so after hours, is there some so you're saying seven to six, anyone can park there?

Through the chair, it depends on the zone.

You're giving me a very general thing.

I kind of have to know specifically where you're talking about to really answer the question.

Um, because each zone is different.

Um, and um does it matter the zone if you're from Woodward to that genre and you have a residential home there, that's where you live.

So I mean, I'm saying so by law, they can park there.

I mean, I don't have the zone of zones by heart, I would know that right now.

Through the chair, the zones where I where that where I told you the zone map is there too.

You can see all the maps and the zones.

Um, so the reason why we ask we the ordinance was written the way it is, is we we insist that residents sign a petition because what you first of all is public right-away, which means anybody, it's not their space, even if it's in front of their house, it's public right-of-way.

Sometimes residents feel this is my house.

I need to park.

That's not legal, that's not reality.

But what we have done is we recognize while this is a sub segment of the public, it's still the public, and there's undue burden from commercial or arena activity or whatever it is that's making it almost impossible for residential activity to support it.

So the ordinance then allows us to then make um changes and to to a zone that allows a certain group of people, which we define the in the in the ordinance whenever we bring you a zone saying these people will be able to park there at these times, the ability to park there.

You can't just park because you think it's your house, it has to be within the zone, and if you don't have a permit for that zone, you can't park there if it's restricting that time period.

So that's what I'm saying.

You have to give me a little bit more specific locations, and then I could better answer your question.

Because after six o'clock, they have problems also with people not having those parking permits after six for those evening games.

They're actually coming in before seven o'clock, setting up at five o'clock for tailgating in those same areas, parking in these non-parking areas before seven.

And they're concerned that the oversight lacks when it comes to, I mean, obviously they don't have any rights because every time it's because they're even though their house was there before LCA and before the commercial properties, they bought these houses long before that, and they have no rights, but they pay those high taxes.

So I'd like to set up a meeting with you if possible, and maybe we can go through those areas because I'm constantly with Brush Park CDC, I'm with Brush Park Association.

I am with three different groups constantly because even with the the vacant parking, people have come in and taken down barriers, hear me, barriers, and had a temp head a permit from BC in this building that said they could park there.

Come to find out it was miraculously issued an error.

They figured it was fake anyway, and then they just started parking there because there was an event.

This goes on irregularly.

So I was wondering as far as your parking restrictions, uh, would that arrest so the residential parking permit would not be effective in Brush Park?

So through the chair, um, I um don't agree with your statement and the assessment that it doesn't work.

Um, and it's and I can tell you as we talk and you start to have um dissect what you're being told.

But you and and council member Santiago Romero's office has done this multiple times.

What you're told often is not accurate of what actually is occurring, and I don't have time to break it down here, but that's why I would love to do that.

And if you give me specific instances, what can happen?

I can't really I I've tried to encourage residents to not distort realities when you distort realities, it makes it hard to solve stuff.

And I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's that's just not you have both DPD and municipal parking over there, and we just don't see that.

You can't even if it's in the zones that you can't pay for meters after six, they can't even pay for meter.

So they're getting ticketed, and we've given the number at uh uh multiple times for if you have an enforcement need, call that number, and we come out.

People will say, Well, you're not answering the call.

We have uh a manager or enforcement manager who has the phone in their hand the whole time during the shift, and when they say they didn't call, I say what number you call and get your number.

We see they called, but we were talking to somebody when we got done, they called them back.

What I'm saying is many things you're you're told if if you let us walk you through this and we get details, you find that it's not quite what people are telling you.

The reality is they have a living situation, it's not what they're that doesn't meet their expectations, and they are are wanting it to change.

We can't make something if you need a hundred spaces on the street, there's only 50, we can't fix that.

But we can try to make it easier for you.

And we are I'm transparent, the department's transparent.

We have no problem going through each issue, but I would just ask before you make us the assumption that what they're telling you is accurate, let's walk through it.

Um, and if it's accurate, we can and we can fix it, we'll address it.

We can agree to disagree because I've been there before 7 a.m.

I've sat outside of churches for six months to prove that they were not even operational.

Trust me, when I tell you we have even those that sits in an in our that collects that nonprofit status, and they're not even operational.

So, yes, I have pictures that I do my personally for residents prior to even this position here.

So I'm saying when they park before seven to set up, they are ticketed, they don't care about being ticketed.

So the residents are asking when will they start towing them?

So that is a question for us to come back to.

My second question was in regards to what you just stated.

And it says, what input mechanism does the department have in place for district five residents to report ongoing parking issues relative to commercial activity.

If you can give me the number, the app myself, I would love to disperse it to those people and who are calling and emailing and that I am meeting with on a regular basis because we want them to have the correct contact information, and then they can call you and express their concerns and you can determine the accuracy.

I'm just only reporting it.

I'm I'm ready.

I'm ready.

Is Area Code 313 221 2558?

Thank you.

That's 313, 221, 2558.

Okay.

Thank you.

My pleasure.

Thank you.

Um Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I just wanted to say good to see you, as always, always a pleasure, sir.

I just wanted to ask you, um, where are you in terms of implementing artificial intelligence within the municipal parking department?

Um, through the chair, um, much of what we do is artificial intelligence.

Um so some of it got pulled back, like being able to uh determine the occupancy on the street by the by we don't do it by um meter or we do it by street.

Um the vendor um just it's a lot of these companies are um what we call startups, so they are having some problems, but we're gonna be reintroducing that technology again.

That's part of AI.

The other things that we're gonna be doing with predictive analysis um to determine what usage rate is, what compliance rate is on the street, um, what um what actual um availability is on the street, that's also part of AI that will be introduced.

There's some other AI initiatives that we're working towards um that have to do with routing for enforcement um that will change based off of um events, whether the number of people we have working to create um um virtual routes that also then will tell them where you need to go so we can have the most efficient coverage um for enforcement.

All of those are AI, um AI initiatives.

We also then at some point hope to have an AI initiative that will take uh help to provide real-time data for curb side usage so that um all the various departments who uh affect the curb site have real-time real data so we can make informed decisions versus having to just kind of guess.

Well, I appreciate you understand the assignment, sir.

I appreciate it.

I appreciate what you're saying.

But I just wanted to ask you as far as terms of your event-based parking optimization, artificial intelligence can also do that by adjusting enforcement hours, guide drivers to open spaces, optimizing event parking zones.

I would assume that would be a part of that, is also uh chatbots.

Are that also part of what you're talking about?

And and what I'm talking about is like you know, digital assistance that can uh mimic your conversations either via voice or text.

Is that part of that to save those man hours and this caseload that your workers have?

And what I was saying is again, let's remember artificial intelligence, they perform tasks, they do not automate jobs.

So I'm not talking about getting rid of people's jobs, they're talking about automate tasks for the purpose of efficiency and effectiveness.

We're also talking about in terms of that you're that the the enforced people could go out there and enforce more routes, you know, if you had certain technology to enforce those routes better than we have currently.

That's what I'm trying to say.

Efficiency through that.

Has that been a discussion at all as well?

Through the chair, I am at this point not a fan of chat bots.

Um why not?

Because they have they don't effectively work well, and I get really frustrated when I'm trying to get information and I can't get a good answer.

And then I can't get to a human being to get a good answer.

Okay, so when the technology advances to the point where it's not frustrating, absolutely we would use it.

So you know I'm a early adopter of technology, but we're doing all these, there's a lot of stuff happening with this app, so we have to be very careful how we do it so it's not overwhelming and a bad user experience because if it is, you just won't use the app.

So that's the answer.

When the technology gets improved, we would definitely welcome it.

Now, have you done an analysis of how much this will save?

And then because this is my final question, because if you let's let's let's just say, for instance, you implemented you know everything from the violation detection improvements, the meter utilization improvement, the event parking optimization, the permanent enforcement, the administrative automation, and the maintenance savings.

That's now this is kind of a swing, but you can the benefit is 18.5 to 31 million dollars per year that you could benefit from that.

Have you done an analysis of what the cost savings and gains for collections would be by implementing this technology?

And also, you could talk about reducing or have you thought about reducing the price of tickets from these savings.

I think the average ticket to see Detroit is like 45 dollars.

It's not the highest.

There's higher cities, but have you thought about that at all?

Before you answer that question, would like to now open up for public comments.

If there's anyone who would like to provide public comment, please raise your hand now.

You may proceed to.

Um you gave me two Yeah, I gave you a lot.

You want to repeat it or I can.

What was the first part?

The the first part look the basics.

I don't know what it I think I know.

The savings.

Yeah.

So through the chair.

Um I am trying to communicate.

I know we're thinking about the opportunity is not dollar to dollar savings.

What we spend for meters, we get back in meters.

That's not the real opportunity here.

Okay.

What we're building is something that that moves the overall economy in the city of Detroit.

So if we can make it easier for people to come to an event, easier for you to access a business downtown, easier for you to avoid, you know, the hassle of knowing where to go.

That means people come more often and we can lift the overall economy, which is much bigger than a dollar to dollar benefit for the municipal parking department.

That's what we're focusing on.

Um, and we're trying to also to be able to measure that, be able to try to work with the state of Michigan to be able to get sales tax information on a real granular area so we can see adjustments we make and how that affects it.

But I want to encourage the body to understand the bigger pieces, not what I save dollar to dollar, it's what we can move the overall economy of the city of Detroit.

That's a much bigger number.

The second one now I forgot was Well, you you have you have you have to do that.

We we I I'll I'll email it to you.

You know, you know, we're not playing gotcha here, you know what I'm saying?

You're fine.

No, I don't think.

It's not a game show.

So listen, I I just want to ask you, I understand exactly what you're saying, and you're right.

I'll just say do both end.

Yeah, it's not either or I you're absolutely right.

I would prefer you do it because the economic benefit, which will be greater to the citizens, but I'm also saying the costs versus the benefit if you were to implement this properly is greater because if you were to implement the cost systems, the smarting part, the smart parking sensors, the AI analytics uh platform, the integration infrastructure, and the training and development, the total the total startup cost be five to ten million dollars, but the benefit would be 18.5 to 31 million dollars.

So you're doing it on both ends.

You're benefiting not just in terms of cost and savings, but also in terms of economic development.

So we can you can come back, you can talk about all of it.

You know what I'm saying?

Look at all I'm doing from the parking department, which is usually hated, you know, throughout the country, but I'm not because of all the great savings and things that I've done for the community.

You see it, you see this?

It's a win-win for everybody across the board, is what I was saying.

You know, I'm lowering prices, I'm putting people to work, you know what I'm saying?

You know, you get your trash picked up because of what I did.

You know, you're doing all the you just all the above.

Everybody goes home happy.

That's rare, but it could.

If you do it right, that's all I'm saying.

I'm done.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

All right, thank you.

Any closing uh words, any final words?

Uh Director Hutchins.

Um, through the chair to the uh the council.

Any additional questions you have um when you send them to us, we'll quickly try to um answer those as quick as possible.

Look forward to meeting with you guys to talk through any issues.

Um, you'll find that um uh we have made tremendous progress as a department from from um the pre-um uh post-bankrupcy.

Um our officers, and I'm very proud of our enforcement officers.

You know, at one point our conduct maybe wasn't great, but they're very professional now.

When we do see their instances that occur, we address those.

Um, I would tell you that um that everybody in the department is working really hard to be as efficient as professional and as good as they they can possibly be.

And we're gonna continue to grow in those areas.

Um, I will always, in terms of my involvement and leadership, will always be very transparent and try to do the best thing possible um in a way that's uh that's a that's ethical in a way it's efficient.

And also, I also always have a focus on making sure that we have equity access um as it relates to parking in the city.

There's a lot of things that are occurring with parking that are going to affect equity access to the city.

And um as you seek uh uh information, I'm willing to tell you about how parking decisions can be made um to either limit equity access or support equity access.

All right, thank you so much, and we appreciate all the hard work that you and your team do on a daily basis for the citizens of the city of Detroit.

Safe you will.

All right, and the collection of public comments have now uh concluded.

And I don't see any hands, any individual.

You may you may leave.

Thank you.

You may do part.

So we will transition to our online callers.

Uh consistent with what we did this morning.

We're going to give everyone one minute for public comment.

As mentioned, March 30th.

You will have an opportunity to provide public comment on all the departments uh in whole.

But today we're doing one minute public comments.

Who's our first caller, please?

Good afternoon, Council President.

Our first caller is Owner Papa.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

You have one minute, general public comment.

Caller, are you there?

Caller, are you there?

All right, let's put that caller at the end of the queue and go to the next, please.

Our next caller is caller ending in 039.

Caller ending in 039.

The floor is yours.

General public comment.

Yeah, hey James, hey.

It's up.

Now I'm coming on.

You gave us one minute.

So this one minute is directed towards you.

You called Kenita's mother and told that lot that I wasn't the right representative.

Then I went out and found the murderer.

Now Rebecca McKay said that she got it.

He told me at the Board of Police Commissioners, and she's lying like an MF.

Ain't no evidence.

Kenny didn't shoot itself.

My word.

Sucker.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is William M.

Davis.

William M.

Davis, the floor is yours.

Good afternoon.

Can I be heard?

Yes, sir.

You know, I like to say I like our zoo and I visit our zoo.

I think more needs to be done to market our zoo better.

Uh, because like when you go to the Toronto Zoo or the uh Toledo Zoo or the San Diego Zoo, they actually market it, they regionally do a marketing campaign for their zoos.

Uh we need to do better.

We need to make sure our our zoo is a place that people from all throughout the Midwest want to come to and you know spend some dollars in Detroit.

Uh also as it relates to municipal parking, I think a greater effort needs to be made to make it easier for people who occasionally go downtown and end up getting a ticket that may not normally go downtown that much.

So it should be an easier way that once you have a ticket that you could call in and get a a discount if you pay it, you know, relatively soon, or if you had to process something relatively soon.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Next caller is Betty A.

Varner.

Ms.

Betty A.

Verner, the floor is yours.

We have one minute.

General public comment.

Good afternoon.

This is Betty A.

Vern, the president of the Soda Ellsworth Black Association.

Want to say uh thank you, uh, honorable uh council member Mary Waters for the information regarding the uh walk-in showers.

I'm asking that the council will consider allocate monies to help black clubs pay for that uh land use hearing fee for the projects that they have and want in their um neighborhood to beautify their neighborhoods, and also I'm asking the council to allocate monies, work with the uh administration for um uh corridors to help beautify the corridors and to help the black clubs and to bring new development and businesses to the corridors that have not been blessed.

Uh also we're asking for uh monies to help with any projects that 501c3s are doing to help uh thank you so much.

Uh next caller, please.

Returning to our last caller for this afternoon, owner Papa.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

You have one minute, general public comment.

Uh thank you.

And through the chair, may I be heard?

Yes.

Uh yes, I I was I had a question for the for the parking municipal parking person.

I remember when they had the um the conversation around this, and one of my questions was some of the people who have these zone parking permits also have garages and driveways.

And my question was why do they also get parking permits to park on the street?

And he said maybe they have visitors or things of that nature.

So I was wondering if if it was if it if it is uh the parking is equitable because if you have a driveway or a garage, I I think you you should leave the on par on the street parking to um to the other residents.

the um the conversation around this and one of my questions was some of the people who have these zone parking permits also have garages and driveways and my question was why do they also get parking permits to park on the street and he said maybe they have visitors or things of that nature so I was wondering if if it was if it if it is uh the parking is equitable because if you have a driveway or a garage I I think you you should leave the on par on the street parking to um to the other residents um I had a question for the zoological society people but they have gone so um uh the the AI would take jobs away from people uh Mr Young um that that would take jobs away from the young people who work at the zoo in the summertime I know many young people who look forward to those jobs thank you and that takes us to our last public commenter uh mr corley anything you want to add before we wrap up our first day of budget hearings great Mr.

President well thank you no I'm just saying keep it going yes sir just want to let the public know that uh tomorrow we have the Detroit Building Authority Eastern Market uh the Wright Museum as well as the Detroit Land Bank Authority uh for our budget hearings tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m colleagues is there a motion to adjourn motion uh before we do that mr would hit your mic so we can hear you I just want to indicate we passed a little memo around reminding you that the uh executive organization plan has to be voted on by April seventh and if you have a desire to to send um modifications or suggested modification to the administration we would ask that you send your request to LPD so that we can put it in a resolution and it can get to the mayor to make a decision uh whether or not she wants to make modifications to it.

If you don't have uh any suggestions we're just reminding you that you need to do it by you need to vote on the the EOP if you desire to by April seventh otherwise it's going to take um effect um automatically pursuant to the charter.

Thank you so much.

Colleagues is there a motion to adjourn see no objections that action shall be taken thank you Mr Wither's adjourned