Clerk was on notes.

Madam Chair, you have a corn present.

You're welcome.

All right, we will move past the invocation.

Is there a motion for the approval of the minutes?

Okay.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

There are zero cheer remarks.

Um public comment will be closed in two minutes.

Is there anyone here in the committee of the whole who would like to make public comment in person?

You can come take your seat right here.

Okay, not we don't see anyone.

Is there anyone on the call, Miss Ellison, who would like to make public comment?

Madam Chair, if you are speaking, we're unable to hear you.

Can you hear me now?

No, ma'am.

Okay.

Then my mic can hear me.

Pardon me.

It's been fixed.

Thank you.

How many callers do we have, Mrs.

Ellison?

There are four callers with their hands raised.

Okay, and the first caller is you have um two minutes.

The first caller is Owner Papa.

Owner Popper, you have two minutes, ma'am.

Ona Popper, you have two minutes.

Is Owner Popper there?

Uh yes, she just unmuted me.

Okay.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Good morning.

And through the chair, may I be heard?

You can be heard.

Thank you.

Um I'm I'm noticing a lot of um people getting illegal representation.

And I'm wondering who is um advocating for people, uh, the citizens, why would we legally represent all employees?

That doesn't seem like uh something that's sustainable.

Um and I know I'm not I'm not sure what the cost of this is costing the city, but it seems like we see a lot of this.

This is the internal operations committee.

And um I some of my history and work is working in um operations, data operations, where um I don't know if you remember the love bug that came across um systems, internet systems, but it was like our hair was on fire, and we urgently worked to get things operational.

And I believe that after we would after we had the incident, we would have something called lessons learned.

We we need to find out how we got here with the senior citizens living in squalor while we have a B said department that is supposed to monitor these things and give tickets to these people.

It seems that um you you always look to you know punish the citizen and not the people who are really causing the large amount of damage.

Uh Munes is a Leland house in the making.

And if we if we if we don't get a handle on how we get to these places, then how will we fix it?

Your internal operations and we need to find out why these institutions, these departments are failing the citizens, and we need to do it as if our hair were on fire.

People are hurting, and we need to try and fix the problem.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller is the next caller, Mrs.

Ellison is the next caller is William M.

David.

Mr.

Davis, good morning, sir.

You have two minutes uh good morning.

Can I be heard?

You can I like to start off by saying I totally agree with my neighbor what she just said.

You know, things are not the way they should be.

Um some of you know, I worked for the city for 34 years from 1978.

I know some of y'all was baby babies at that time, up to uh 2012.

And all during the time I worked for the water department there, you know, because I I was an Aspen Stewart and I organize the UAW group or UAW supervisor group, but I was that first chief student until I moved up into upper management.

But you know, we had a thing in the water department that if you falsify official documentation, you was terminated.

That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

It's almost as if you you know the city closes you know its eyes to people doing wrong.

And don't get me wrong, I believe many city you know, workers should be, you know, help to be represented.

But if people are doing stuff that's blatantly illegal, immoral, and violate policies.

Why are we spending our money?

You know, money that could be helping city of Detroit retirees, it could be helping seniors.

Also, I think a whole lot more needs to be done about uh the number of buildings in this city that are not up to code that they're not functioning properly.

You know, you talk about the legal house, but there are lots of legal houses all over the city.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I have a friend that's 77.

He lives over in Palmer Park over Coverland.

You know, he was kicked out of his building.

They didn't have no heat, you know.

That you know, there's problems all over the city, and the city used to be more proactive.

The city used to do more inspection, be it in buildings or restaurants or what have you.

The city is a pale reflection of what it used to be and what it can be.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

The next caller is next caller is Betty A.

Varner.

Miss Varner, good morning.

You have two minutes.

Good morning, madam chair and to all within the sound of my voice.

I'm Betty A.

Barner, president of DeSoda Else World Block Association.

Want to share the news that uh please save the date, April 18th.

Uh, we are sponsoring a health fair.

We are going to be bringing uh I greening screening uh services to our community again.

I screening uh services to our community.

We are going to have help services uh provided that day.

It's gonna be from 10 a.m.

until 1 p.m.

That's April 18th.

It's gonna be at the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 7151 Finco Avenue.

That's a couple of blocks from uh Livinois at the corner of Monica.

All services will be free for children and adults.

Um we would love for uh the residents of the city of Detroit to come and get these services.

We know there are some people who are having challenges with their health insurance.

It is a citywide um event, and anyone in the metro uh Detroit area is welcome.

If you live in the uh Ferndale suburbs, Inkstore, wherever, you can come and receive this the services free.

You don't have to have any type of uh health insurance.

Again, that is eye screening, it's services, they're bringing all of the equipment.

It's just gonna be just like you're going into a doctor's office, and so come and receive these free benefits.

Thank you, Miss Vernard.

Mrs.

Ellison, the next caller is next caller is phone number ending in 039.

Caller ending in 039, you have two minutes.

Yeah, now they're um unmuted Angela Whitfield.

You uh do a rewind back to the day I spoke up for Robert Bob Car, uh NYG G A NYG G A.

You took offense today, and then all that coolness that you displayed to me.

Tell me I was helping you with your job.

Oh, kind of nonsense.

You was coming out your mouth with you, capital, you aka.

Yeah, I'm gonna tell you who I am from Black Bad Group.

Call me real.

And you've been front.

So now I'm gonna put you in your place publicly in front of everybody, legally.

Legally.

I got the freedom of speech, and I ain't lying about sugar honey IT.

You little wet.

Goodness.

Yeah.

Go for your good.

The next caller is the last caller is phone number ending in 482.

Okay.

Caller ending in 482.

You have two minutes.

You heard what the FIRE you um cut his mic.

Yeah, cut my mic.

Cut his mic, uh, Mrs.

Ellis.

There are no more callers, madam chair.

You did a great job, Mrs.

Um Ellis.

And I'm so sorry you have to um deal with um misbehaving callers, disrespectful callers.

Thank you so much, Mrs.

Ellis.

All right, we'll go back to our agenda.

We have a 920 interview, um, member Benson.

Um Carolyn Carter to the Board of Ethics.

Is she here?

Yes, ma'am.

You could take that seat right there in the center, and at the base of that microphone is a button.

If you can press that, it'll turn green, and you can begin speaking.

Introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Good morning.

My name is Dr.

Carolyn Carter.

I am a lifelong Detroiter, born and raised here, and I've spent my entire uh life as a servant, a community servant for public education, for community education, for citizens' education.

Um I have a master's in history, I have a doctorate in educational leadership.

Um, and I also have served on the historic designation advisory board for seven years.

Um, and so I'm excited about this opportunity to serve my city that I love.

Okay, and why do you want to serve on this particular committee?

That would be the Board of Ethics, and tell us what you know about the Board of Ethics and its responsibilities.

Okay, I want to serve on this committee because I think it's important to um ensure the public trust and integrity of this board.

Uh this board um ensures that voices are heard, that um public trust is which is very very important um to the citizens of Detroit.

So I think um, as a board member, I have the opportunity to ensure that the voices are heard that trust and transparency and accountability is heard.

All right, thank you for your willingness to serve.

Are there any other questions?

Member Benson?

Chair, thank you, and Miss Halliburton Carter, thank you for being here today, Doctor.

Uh, and your willingness to serve the residents of the city of Detroit.

Can you just talk a little bit more about how you make any changes, what you see as a future direction uh for this role?

I think education is important.

I think we have to educate the public on the role of the ethics committee and what they do so the people understand the role of that committee.

There's processes that have to be in place because the whole idea is to build public trust so that people understand who we are, what we do, and how we are here to serve the community and the people of Detroit.

Okay, and then how do you find your role?

Would you go out and do community community events?

Would you how would you help to educate people?

Uh, through community, through outreach, through networking, um, through um working with the community committee members, working with city council, working with whomever, um, so that we ensure that people understand.

Um, I think the more you talk to people, the more you're in front of people, the more you let people know who you are, the more comfortable they are with the process who you are, and letting them know and communication is so important and key in this process.

You have to communicate with people so that they you can build that trust.

Okay.

And so you shouldn't limit yourself to the fact that you all don't have a budget for communication.

But if you came up with a plan, your colleagues, if you were to be appointed in this position, maybe there would be some funds made available to help you educate.

And so think of it that way.

This is an opportunity for you to elevate the uh the profile and then just the residents' understanding of what this commission does.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Benson.

Anything else you want to um add?

No, just I I'm I'm excited, the opportunity to serve.

I love my city.

I love um being being out in the community, talking to people and helping them understand all of the the community, the committees and the organizations of the city, because I don't think people understand.

They they know the hierarchy, but they don't really understand the processes.

So I think the more you let people know the processes, and the more you help them understand, the better they are, and they are able to support your efforts.

Absolutely.

Thank you so much, Dr.

Carter.

Thank you for coming this morning.

Thank you.

Member Benson, um is there a motion?

Did you want to um motion to uh for no for um no motion to refer to formal the recommendation to approve?

Okay, and I do believe the um resolution is attached at line item.

Let's see, I think this line item line item nine one.

So can we combine um line item six, the interview with the resolution authorizing um this to go to formal with the recommendation to approve?

So is there a motion to combine line item six with line item nine point one, which is the resolution?

Okay, there's been a motion to approve line item six, combining it with line item 9.1 with which is the supporting resolution for this appointment to the board of ethics.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.1 and line line item 9.1 would be moved to formal with a recommendation for approval.

Thank you, Member Benson.

We are on our next interview, which is with um Donna Gibbons Davidson, and that's line item seven.

If you could please take the seat that Dr.

Carter just vacated, the microphone should be green.

And good morning, Ms.

Davidson.

Good morning.

Seeing you always always yes, ma'am.

If you could introduce yourself and then tell us why you want to serve on the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

Okay, uh well, my name is Donna Givens Davidson, and I'm interested in serving on the land bank authority.

I was um reflecting on this about 20 years ago.

I was in this very chamber um arguing along with the community development advocates of Detroit and Detroit Renaissance about the formation of the Detroit Land Bank Authority, about the need to create a mechanism to expedite sell of land to people like myself.

At that time, I was the executive director of Vanguard Community Development Corporation, and we were trying to develop how develop housing for people in our neighborhood in the North End.

And the housing that we developed as a result of our efforts, not the land bank authority wasn't developed then, it's still standing.

If you um look on East Grand Boulevard near Oakland, there's a um 24 um unit development uh Melrose Square, and that meant something, and it still means something for us to be able to reinvest in our neighborhoods.

Umce I am 20 years later, we find that the land bank authority still has much promise.

Um my organization was able to retrieve four homes out of the demolition pipeline and put um them back to productive use.

One is completed, the other one is about halfway completed, and it's interesting because the one that's completed um actually increased the home value of the home next door.

And so we built that house, so we renovated that house.

Unsure whether we'd be able to sell it for the you know required price of um 124,000 dollars.

And the month after that home was completed, the house next door sold for 124,000.

And so it works.

Um, I see the land bank as having the potential to help build wealth inside of our communities to help sustain wealth of people who have lived in these communities who've seen their housing values lowered, and um, when it's operating at its best.

However, I've also seen the Detroit Land Authority not operate at its best.

I've seen um secrecy and a lack of transparency, which makes it difficult for people who live in neighborhoods to understand how to access resources.

Um I've seen what feels like unfairness, where sometimes developers get preference, and I think I'd like to see the land bank live up to the potential that we um initially saw, and that was to actually provide people who are in the community an opportunity to redevelop um an opportunity to help determine what happens where they live, and I think that um we have that possibility with rules changes and with people like myself who still represent a nonprofit community development sector, um, standing there alongside others to um just make decisions.

I'm sure that neighbor whose property value increased because of what you did with that house is very very grateful.

Yeah, um, I don't have any questions.

I'm looking at your resume, and I've been following you for a while, so I I'm happy that you you're willing to serve on this very, very important um board.

Member Benson.

Thank you.

Donna Gibbons, it's good to see you here.

Thank you for coming and your willingness to serve the residents of Detroit.

Thank you.

And I also remember when CDAD came to this body and advocated for the creation of a land bank and the pushback that was received at this table to make that happen.

I was also glad to know that Doug Diggs, who is also the former director of planning and development in the city of Detroit, became the first director and chairman of uh the land bank.

So you talk about wealth generation.

How would you change any of the rules within the land bank now to better help our residents achieve or have access to some to the vast majority?

I think we have well over $50,000, 50,000 vacant parcels left within the portfolio of the land bank.

How would you help to get residents more access?

All right.

Well, I mean, let me be clear.

I spoke of generational wealth, but I also look at generational well-being, right?

When you live next to a vacant lot, it impacts you psychologically, it impacts the quality of life, it can impact the environment, all of that.

And so one of the things that we've been able to do at um East Psych Community Network is um train residents, give them many grants and help equip them with the ability to um restore vacant lots to new productive uses, whether it's a community farm, a park, or something of that nature.

Not only does that help stabilize the neighborhood, but it also you know builds power with the residents and it improves um property value.

So that's one example.

Um I have friends, um, one in particular who lives in a neighborhood where she was trying to purchase a two-family flat for her daughter, and she was unable to do so.

Um she offered to purchase this property for 40,000, and instead it was sold a couple years later to a developer in a bulk cell for 20,000.

This is a resident who lived in that neighborhood for 30 years.

She's an attorney, she's a trusted member or chair of a board, has been recognized by cranes, and yet she could not purchase land in her neighborhood and for her family for her daughter.

We've got to stop that.

I know of residents who tried to purpose uh purchase property and uh they were unable to, and it burned.

And so now you have a vacant property next door to you when you could have turned it into perhaps a community center, which a lot of people do.

Um, but again, the house that we um are fixing up and the houses we're fixing up, we're calling our project Lake View Legacy Homes.

The reason we're doing it is because we're trying to protect the housing values of people on that block.

There's nine homeowners on that block.

And each of those homeowners stands to benefit if we can somehow stabilize home values there.

Um and so you're also talking about creating um opportunities for homeownership for people who are trying to purchase a home at a modest rate of 125,000, and you know you can't do that in Detroit.

Not for home that is um you know redeveloped as new.

So um I think from everything from improving land values to repurposing vacancy to um actually being intentional about investments in vacant homes and making those homes affordable to people is important.

I think that looking at community development organizations like mine is important as well.

We need to look at the capacity of them.

I have been an advocate for so long that we tried to um acquire and rehab as many homes as possible as opposed to demolishing homes.

And um, unfortunately, demolition was a priority when in some instances homes could have been saved, and that could have protected values in the neighborhood.

On this one block that we've purchased homes, we purchased four homes.

These homes, um, there's maybe two vacant lots on a corner, and the rest of the block is intact.

If you took four homes and demolish those homes on that block, you would have changed the whole um nature of the block.

You would have taken down trees.

There's a um, you know, tree that there's beautiful trees on that block.

They get destroyed.

So um I think that it's a holistic effort.

It's not one single bullet effort, but I just think that I've seen it work.

We've made we've made it work, and I want to see more people have that capacity to do it.

And I also want to say it's not just organizations like mine, but individuals.

There's so many individuals in um the Channel Park neighborhood, for example, who own homes inside the neighborhood and want to fix them up.

And I'd like to see more of that because wealth building can mean um some of the best landlords in the city of Detroit are people who live in the neighborhoods, they're also um being landlords and so I don't know, it's a comprehensive answer, but um just fairness and policy, intentionality, and making sure the rules are fair.

So, do you have any rules in mind that you would change to uh help achieve some of those goals?

Very laudable.

Um, transparency, fairness.

Um, if somebody comes forward with a reasonable proposal, um I would sell it to them.

I wouldn't hold out for a developer to be able to bundle this because of some project um that you know planning and development had in mind without really pushing back and saying to planning and development, let's look at these neighbors first.

They matter.

Um, you don't want to lose a resident because they feel like um they were disrespected by a city body, right?

And so that's one thing.

Um I think it's hard to look on the land bank authority website and understand what the inventory is.

Some of the inventory is there, some of it's not.

I think we should be more clear about what inventory is there.

And to the extent there is a reason, and sometimes the city does have reasons why it cannot or will not sell.

Let's be honest about it.

Let's not play games and just hold people up.

I think it's that the mantle of secrecy that causes mistrust in the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

So I don't have oh, I'm sorry, I have more.

And you give them six months to re reach certain metrics, and then you threaten to take it back.

I don't know that that makes sense.

I think what we want to do is we want to see people succeed.

We don't want to punish them because of delays.

Um we in the first house, which is now fixed up and beautiful, we had delays in closing on our funding and getting funding from Minster to support this house.

And I'm getting threatening emails from the Detroit Land Bank Authority people, and there's a whole lot of turnover, and they're saying, hey, listen, you're gonna lose this house.

Um, like, look, let me show you.

This is our conversation with Mishta, this is our conversation with our lender.

Um, we're almost there.

Oh, well, that doesn't matter.

Um, I was actually told I could take a picture of another house and send in pictures from another house to document compliance.

And it feels as though that's not protecting the citizens, it's creating, you know, it's encouraging fraud, it's encouraging um, you know, misunderstandings.

I know of people, there's a young man who used to work for me who owns a home that was his grandmother's home, his grandmother passed away and it was his family home.

She was the last of his family members.

And he's trying to hold on to his home, but he's not quite there.

And we're trying to fight with them to hold on to this family home while he acquires the resources to fix it up.

Um, I just think that we want to see residents succeed.

We want to see the people in Detroit succeed, and I actually think instead of us punishing them, maybe we should work with other parties to provide support for people who are trying to um fix up homes, whether it's through partnerships, there's um a revolve fund that's been set up for you know to help small entrepreneurs, maybe we connect people with resources, whatever it is, the punitive nature of um of taking back property under the guise of protecting residents isn't fair.

And then the double standard where we say, okay, we're going to do this to individual residents while we know that there's some large developers who get away and get extensions after extension after extension while not doing the right thing.

And these are people who have more economic means than some of the people who are losing these homes, it's just not fair.

And again, fairness and transparency are um two things I would bring to all of my um decision making.

Well, it sounds like you prepare to hold people accountable.

Absolutely.

Okay.

And then this is my last question, Madam Chair.

Yes.

So as a board member, and you alluded to this, the mayor has a priority for one thousand new homes to be built in the city of Detroit.

The land bank is going to have to play a role.

Yeah.

How would you prioritize and how would you balance your people priority voice and support versus the need to bundle and quickly dispose of property for large residential development in areas of the city where that's appropriate?

Yeah, I mean, I'm nobody could be more excited than me about a thousand new homes and neighborhoods.

Let me say that.

Um I love it.

Um I actually, as you probably know, I'm co-chaired the housing development and planning committee for the transition team, and um I've talked to a lot of developers, and I understand the perspective from both private developers and nonprofit developers, that sometimes the decisions have to be made.

Um when we have developers wanting to go into communities and do good things, I think we want to support them to the extent that what we're talking about is a fair process, to the extent that what we're talking about is a transparent process.

I think that um we need to also try to, and this is not really um I'm part of the land bank authority, but I'm part of the city, and I'm certain it's going to happen.

Make sure that nonprofit developers who um don't have profit as a motive can be involved in some of that building of 1,000 homes because I think it's important that we ensure diversity in the type of housing and the price of housing.

We can't only build low-income homes.

And that was one of the you know pushbacks when you just say we can't only build low-income homes.

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah.

I think we have to understand that price diversity matters.

We're trying to support a middle class.

We want to help people who might decide I'm gonna flee for the suburbs, have a place to stay in the city.

Um we also want to make sure that there's affordability, and when you have a balanced plan, you can do both.

And so, you know, I uh if we if if there's a developer with a good plan, we should look at that plan.

We should try to make sure that the plan is meeting the needs.

The one thing I would also do though is if we're going to sell to a community, I would want to make sure that people in the community have the opportunity to to know what's happening and to also give input.

Um, if what is being planned is not something that the people in the community want, I think they should have a voice.

And I'm not certain that's always the case right now.

I do know that anything over nine properties, you know, has to come before city council anyway.

Um, but you know, using our advocacy, I would just try to make sure that we support that um spirit, even if we don't have the power to change that.

Okay.

And then how would you help to uh lend transparency as i.e.

communications with the community to ensure because oftentimes if transparency is there, but it's not being communicated, then it's really not there.

Yeah, exactly.

You know, we know how to communicate with people when we want something, right?

So in election year, we know how to communicate.

Um we need to use those same rules when we're trying to communicate public policy.

Um, when things are happening, sending people a letter they may or may not understand is not effective.

Um there are so many organizations across the city that function like ours do as community development organizations, maybe host meetings and invite people to those meetings and places where people can actually hear what the plans are, or encourage developers to um reach out and give letters of support.

I've done it on many occasions over the past ten years since I've been at Eastide Community Network.

I give letters of support when the developer comes to me and says this is my plan.

I think we need to encourage that as a practice.

Um make sure that you're talking to your neighbors and that they are coming in and you've explained things to them thoroughly.

So I just it's a matter of intentionality.

We know how to talk, communicate with people, and um let's use best practices when it comes to selling land that is in close proximity to where homeowners and other residents live.

Okay, and then Miss Gibbons Davidson uh in the third district, we currently have a development that's being worked on as community prioritized development.

They've done the charred and provided the housing typology they like to see there.

And the land bank is by far the largest landowner and will become a partner in that process, and it is for mixed income development as well, single family, multifamily.

So we're looking forward to that.

So if you were to become a board member, there would be strong support for my office to support that.

So I'm hoping that we would see that level of support as you indicated for mixed income development within our neighborhoods, and this most definitely is in the neighborhood.

But also hoping to see some partnership when it comes to coming back, being willing to come back to this body and report out what you're seeing.

There are challenges if there are changes that need to be made.

And so we would welcome that type of communication with this body as well, because we've not successfully sent anybody to the land bank who's come back with information and report back to us.

So just FYI.

I mean, you know me.

You know, I'm always willing to come forward.

Um my grandmother and my aunt had property on East Outer Drive in District Three, and um when I look around there now, you know, and see some of the devastation.

I'd love to see it rebuilt.

Um, I grew up, you know, visiting both of them.

They were on the same strip um near DeQinder in East Outer Drive.

And um, so I don't know exactly where this property is, but I know that district three could use a lot of investment, and I would support that, you know, as long as it made sense.

Of course, I haven't seen it and certainly would be willing to be very open and communicative with this body.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Um I I have one question for you, and thank you for um all that you shared regarding your experience with the land bank 20 years ago.

That's wonderful.

Um, and also talking about generational wealth and well-being.

So a lot of people just say generational wealth, but they don't add the well-being um piece to it.

So thank you for that.

And I know we were talking about building a thousand homes.

Um, that's great.

That's great.

Yeah.

But how about rehabbing a thousand homes?

That's easier to do than build.

I have quite a few.

Um, not that this is land bank um information or not, but I have quite a few vacant homes in my community.

Just vacant.

Yeah, vacant.

And all they all they need is a little tender loving care, and we can put a family in there.

We we shouldn't even have a homeless problem because we have more than enough empty houses in every neighborhood across this city.

Instead of building, we need to rehab, renovate, and put families in those homes instead of, like you said, demolishing them.

And and and I'm not asking for a response, I'm just making a state.

So I have a response.

Uh-huh.

Um, if a house is not being is not functioning as a home, then the acquisitions we have of that home should constitute building, right?

I don't think that we should separate starting building from scrap to rebuilding a home that exists in the neighborhood.

I don't exactly understand what that means, but I strongly believe that um putting homes back to productive use is important.

We can't build a new home next to a vacant home and call that progress.

We've got to make sure that we are stabilizing homes in the communities.

And anybody who has ever listened to me or talked to me knows I am so strongly in favor of requiring a rehabbing vacant homes because it vacant homes are the living remnants of policies and practices that rid people of their wealth in our communities and restoring that by um putting that money back in is um super important.

Um so I I'm I have no disagreement with you, and I think that we probably need to just clarify what is meant by a thousand new homes.

Um I look at the homes that we have built or are acquiring or fixing up as new.

We are rehabbing them as new condition, and the only final thing I'll say about that is you'd be surprised at how expensive it is.

It's still less expensive than um than building from scratch, but it was way more expensive than I anticipated um to you know rehab this home.

And so I think that we also have to be aware of the cost.

Yeah, and when I say build, I'm talking about from the ground up, right?

Putting the first layer or digging the basement.

When I say rehab, the structure is there.

We just need to renovate it, rehab it, and put the family in it.

To me, that's easier to do versus building, because we're we're talking about um delay in the delivery of materials.

That's always an issue, it's always pro problematic.

Where you a lot of developments around the city are saying that they can't get the product, they can't get the materials, the tariffs, whatever the reason is, but we do have um can we speak about my own community where we have thousands of empty houses?

Um, and then we have Palmer Park District.

We have 54 buildings over there, historic buildings.

27 of them need repair.

Seven are occupied of 14, owned by one company from Arizona.

That was a deal that um took place before I joined the council.

I went to one of those buildings.

Let me finish.

I'm sorry.

I would never have approved of a company from Arizona purchasing 14 buildings, not having visited the buildings, no connection to the city, and in one year or two years or less, they're filing bankruptcy.

Now the buildings are in receivership, right?

And we're having to deal with that right now as I speak.

So, and then we have real token, real token properties being purchased with cryptocurrency with a hundred and fifty-four, maybe LLCs.

That should never have happened either.

So I I mean, I know we I'm not talking about you.

I know around here we say we're concerned about where people are living and housing dignity, but if we really cared, that would never have happened, and that purchase over there in um Parmer Parmer Park would not have happened because now we have a lot of dilapidated buildings and historic buildings, and um, you know, it's gonna take a lot of money to bring those buildings um up to code.

So I appreciate all that you've said.

Um and I don't know if member miller had any questions, but if the um clerk can note member miller is here.

I don't know if you have any questions for um Donna Givens Davidson.

She is here, she is um um a candidate to be appointed to the Detroit Land Bank Authority and her resume.

You have it.

Okay.

Um Member Miller does not have any questions at this time.

Is there a motion?

Uh motion is in the formal with the recommendation to approve.

Okay, and we're also going to attach um line item 9.2 to line item seven because line item 9.2 is the corresponding um resolution.

The objection, madam chair, discussion, discussion through yourself to LPD.

I just want to verify this is a mayor oral appointee, correct?

This is not a joint appointee.

Uh Edward King on legislative policy division.

Yes, this is a mayor or appointee.

Okay, thank you.

Um, I just wanted to add yes.

Um council, there's no joint appointment to the land bank authority.

Council has an individual appointment that was granted by the mayor.

So then question that was granted by the mayor, can it also be taken away by this mayor?

I would think so, yes.

Do we need to put that in to do that?

That need to be codified that council appointment.

Yes.

Okay.

Uh so before we do that motion, can we move on this?

Yep, there was a motion on the table.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, so hearing no objections about moving line item seven combined with line item 9.2 to formal session with the recommendation to approve.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action tell shall be taken.

Member Benson.

Thank you, Donna.

Good job.

Uh, madam chair, to yourself uh to LPD.

What would be your suggestion on how to facilitate that?

Because that would have to be agreed upon by the mayor as well.

I would suggest we um we draft a communication to the mayor's office just to confirm that this uh process is still the same.

That's fantastic.

Also I like that codified so seven mayors from now, if there's still a land bank, that does not become a problem.

Okay.

So I'd like to have an is that a separate process then that we identify how to how to uh codify that or your communication um request that uh through the chair.

I would think the process will come out with our communications with the mayor, and we'll we'll let this council know exactly how that's going.

Okay.

Motion.

Okay.

Do you need a memo for that?

Yes, please.

All right, to my team, let that happen.

Thank you.

Okay, there's a motion hearing any objections hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Benson.

All right.

Now we are on line item.

Let's see.

I think it would be eight point one unfinished business.

State status of border ethics request to lift privilege on legislative policy division memo into separate legal counsel.

We brought this back a week.

Um brought this back from last week because we had questions for Mr.

Whitaker.

You've addressed my questions.

Um are there any other questions?

If not, is there a recommendation or is there a motion on line item 8.1?

Discussion member discussion.

Madam Chair, I I do not support removing the privilege on this one.

I like I think that I read the memo that think that should stay privileged.

I don't believe that it'll be any benefit by removing privilege on this one.

So that'll my vote is going to be no.

Okay.

All right.

Member Miller, we're on line item 8.1, lifting the privilege on the legislative policy division memo regarding whether or not the board of ethics um under the leadership of executive director Crystal Phyllis should be able to hire their own independent legal council.

Member Miller, you have any questions?

No.

Okay.

Mr.

Whittaker.

I just for clarity, I just wanted to indicate there are two separate memos, one from the law department and one from LPD.

And if you direct the uh us to draft a resolution so that the full body can consider it, we'll draft resolutions separate resolutions for both memos, and then the council can make a determination as to whether or not it chooses to lift one or both of the memos or none of them.

Okay, neither of them.

All right, so is there a motion?

Motion to direct LPD to draft resolutions to I think it would be four separate resolutions.

Resolution to remove privilege on both, resolution to remove privilege on legal, revolution to um law department resolution to um remove privilege on LPD and a resolution to uh to remove privilege on none.

Um Mr.

Whitaker, uh I don't know if you need so many different resolutions because that's what I said typically the resolutions are put in a in an affirmative voice, and so a denial would be to deny the the lifting of the privilege.

So I I think I think if you just had two stated in the affirmative by voting down one or both, it would accomplish what you're trying to to do with four.

However, it gets accomplished.

Pardon?

However, it gets accomplished.

Okay.

Well, so we'll prepare two resolutions uh relative to each of the communications to council, both both privileged.

Okay, thank you, Mr.

Whitaker.

Are there um any further discussion or objections?

I make a motion to bring it back on one week.

Okay, um, is making a motion to bring it back um in a week.

So any objections?

Uh I'm gonna go to the parliamentarian.

We had a motion on the table to have two resolutions written um regarding lifting the privilege from the law department and from legislative policy division.

Member member millet would like to bring it back in a week.

Your advice according to the rules you can bring.

Okay, so discussion member Benson.

I think those are two separate issues though.

I think we need to divide the question on that one.

They can still, unless you don't want them to write their resolutions, they can write the resolutions and still bring those back in a week.

Yeah, we don't have to make a decision today, and that I think we separately bringing this line item back in a week is a separate situation because those resolutions follow this line item.

So I think those will still be two separate.

I think it should be divide the question.

Okay, so why don't yes parliamentarian?

What did the uh councilwoman want to do?

Let's let's ask the advice double motion here.

Double is two different things.

I just wanted to get clarity.

One acts resolutions back.

Yes.

And then what was your second request?

Oh well, I didn't have a second.

Okay, you asked for the resolution.

That's considered what that is what you consider a main motion.

Then there was a motion made to bring it back in one week, which takes precedence over the main motion.

So you can bring it back in one week.

But you haven't voted on it yet.

Okay, so my question to Member Miller is do you want to bring line item back?

Um for further discussion, because that wouldn't interfere with the requ with the motion that Member Benson has just made, just asking for two resolutions to be drafted.

So we're talking about two different things.

So discussion.

I withdraw my motion.

Now what madam parliamentary?

Since it had not been stated by the chair.

Yes, ma'am.

The maker of the motion is entitled to withdraw his motion.

Okay.

Your motion has been withdrawn.

Member Miller, um, is there any objection to um bringing line item 8.1 back in a week?

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Okay, line item 8.1, lifting the privilege on the LPD memo back in one week.

Thank you both.

And thank you, Madam Parliamentarian.

All right, line item 8.2 status of council member Denzel McCampbell submitting a memorandum relative to rules for community advisory councils.

This was brought back from February 20, February 25, 2026.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to move line item 8.2 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Um I have a question before we move on that motion.

Is this a file?

Is this a receive and file for line item 8.2?

Because it's a memorandum.

This is a memorandum.

Um if any action would be taken on the memorandum, we would be to receive and file.

However, we would like three more weeks on this uh this item.

Okay.

So is there a motion to bring line item 8.2 back in three weeks per LPD?

Motion.

Okay.

Line item 8.2 will be brought brought back in three weeks.

Thank you, Mr.

King.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Line item status of council member Denzel McCampbell submitting a memorandum relative to follow-up questions on report on city of Detroit contracts involving data sharing with third parties.

I'm going to defer to um Mr.

King.

Madam Chair, can we have two additional weeks on this item, please?

Okay, we'll bring this back in three weeks along with the other one.

I know I'm saying three.

I'm saying three.

Um to give you enough time.

So we're gonna give um LPD three weeks on line item eight point three.

Three weeks bring back.

Is there a motion?

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Just give you three weeks.

Um line item eight point four status of council member Denzel McCampbell submitting a memorandum questions relative to relative to the 2026 executive organization plan.

Member Mr.

King.

Well, I madam president.

This is line item 8.4.

Mr.

Whitaker.

Yes, um in light of uh council's needing to approve the executive organization plan on April 7th or by April 7th.

I don't know whether or not the council has any suggested changes, but if they do, um, we are suggesting that you send your request to us so that we can put it in a resolution form and forward that to the administration if the council has any changes it would like to see uh reflected on the executive organization plan.

There was some discussion about more detail to several sections changing some of the sections to add in uh for instance the health department in certain specific ways.

Um but if if you want to have that manifested in a uh in the executive organization plan, you cannot do that unilaterally, it has to go to the administration.

So we're suggesting that you send your uh request that the whole council sends their request to LPD.

We'll prepare uh an appropriate resolution reflecting all those um changes and have that forwarded to the administration so they can take action after that's done.

It needs to be a determination by the law department whether any change is material and would require a second uh public hearing before you vote on the seventh or the EOP.

So um we will send a communication at your direction to the entire council reflecting what I just stated.

Um can that communication go out sooner than later?

We will send it out today.

Okay, thank you so much.

That is the assignment.

Thank you.

Because I was gonna ask you to do that if you could send that communication out to the council.

So um, what action should we be taking on line item 8.4 today?

I think if you bring it back in a week, that would be appropriate.

Is there a motion to bring line item 8.4 back in a week?

Motion.

Okay.

Any objections?

That action shall be taken.

Line item 8.4 shall be brought back in one week.

Thank you, Mr.

Whitaker.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Line item 8.5.

I'm gonna have to go a little faster because we have 10 o'clock budget and some of the department heads are already here.

Um contract number 60074-A1, 100% city funding for parking spaces.

Um we brought this back um from a week ago.

I don't know if this is urgent.

Um so I'm going to, if it is urgent, I guess someone from HR can um call me, but I'm going to um ask that we bring this back in a week.

Motion.

Line item eight.

Any objections?

Line item 8.5 will be brought back in a week.

And I'm hoping uh Ms.

Starr will have the answers to my questions related to whether or not um the city owns land where our employees can park instead of us spending almost a million dollars to pay this parking um company to rent spaces for our employees.

I'm just trying to help the city save um save some dollars.

So this would be brought back in a week hearing no objections that action shall be taken.

Line item 8.6, contract number 6007646, 100 percent city funding to provide legal services to Miller Law Firm.

I know Mr.

Butch Hollowell is here.

If you could um come to the um middle microphone, it should be on.

We brought this back um, I think a second time we had some questions regarding it.

I have gotten my questions answered.

Um I don't know if my colleagues have any questions from Mr.

Butch Hollowell, but this is regarding line item 8.6 contract again 600 7646, 100 percent city funding.

It was 500,000.

Now it's been reduced to 375,000 dollars.

It's regarding um legal services, and I will before I go to my colleagues.

I want to hear from Mr.

Um Hollowell regarding this particular contract, as much as you can share.

Well, uh thank you, um Madam Chair.

Is it appropriate then for us to go into closed session to discuss it?

I'm going to defer to our um law department, Mr.

Attorney Anderson.

Through the chair, I would not get into the specifics of litigation, um, but I think you can speak generally about uh your approach and uh the necessary need for your work.

Um thank you, um counsel.

This is an important case for the city for a number of reasons.

Uh the underlying facts are that 1300 Lafayette, um, which is really, I guess, for lack of a better description, is a vertical neighborhood.

It's a neighborhood.

Uh and uh they need heat.

And um, like a lot of buildings in this city and in other cities, they've been adversely impacted by COVID.

COVID has changed the world as it relates to the way that people live in in some of these larger buildings.

A lot of these buildings weren't built to operate with the amount of uh elevator usage or heating usage or other it wasn't built that way.

More people are kind of living and working out of these buildings today than before 2020.

And uh so there have been a number of attempted fixes as it relates to being able to get heat into that building over many years, but they've run out of options, and so that a building entered into a contract with Detroit Thermal to provide that heat.

Is that the steam the steam?

Okay, got it.

I know the case.

There's a neighborhood across the street that didn't like that and um objected uh through a lawsuit against both the city of Detroit as well as the historic district commission.

Umdate as of yesterday.

We we settled uh we we got the city dismissed from the lawsuit yesterday, by the way.

Uh so city is now out of the lawsuit.

We're down to just uh historic district commission.

But the reason we're fighting so hard on this is that there was a ruling indicating that there was a question as to whether the city could be in a public or private right-of-way to provide um any conduit for um that steam passage.

And uh again, the legal objections in court.

I won't go into that, but I I'll say this.

It's important more than anything else.

The health safety and welfare of the people of the city of Detroit must be protected and cannot be infringed.

We had a ruling from the court uh which again we got reversed.

There was a temporary restraining order that got um put in place, and the way that the court ruled, it would have been indefinite.

We had to run into the court of appeals and get the court reversed, which we did.

In fact, uh our uh our research indicates that this is unfortunately more happening more often than not in this court getting reversed time and time and time again, but it's important for us to be able to continue to say um that the historic district commission also has to have flexibility in dealing with these kinds of issues, very important.

Otherwise, it shuts down the ability that that August body has to be able to provide um some flexibility to to preserve our historic treasures.

Yeah, I have a question.

Does that board serve at the will of the the city?

Who who appoints the members to the board?

And I'm gonna have to wrap this up because we have our budget deliberations that are about to start in three weeks, and I have about 15 more contracts to get through.

So we're gonna have to wrap up this conversation.

But who appoints the members to the board that you're referring to?

Historic district commission?

Yeah, I think it's uh I think it they're all mayoral appointments.

I'll have to check.

Yeah, but I think so.

Last time I checked the chair.

My staff is gonna check right now too as well.

Um, but before do any questions, because I know this is in your district.

I'm sure we're gonna have to probably postpone this or go into closed session, like you requested from the beginning.

My only comment was that it wasn't so much going to litigation is it that the people in the historical area did not get the opportunity to have their say.

I am a part of that neighborhood.

I I'm gonna be honest, there were other options that they were not aware of, and I'm just gonna be totally honest.

I'm I'm glad that you have circumvented so the city would be free from free from the suit, but in on it and honestly, there was a failure in communication.

Through the chair.

I wouldn't want to get into any more details.

Okay, so is there a motion to bring this back?

And I'm here um because I don't know if there's urgency to this or not.

Um I know people want to get paid, but the services have already been provided without it even coming before the council.

So we already know that.

We already know that.

So um I if if if the council person who represents the district is asking that this be brought back, let's allow her.

She's new, she's concerned, and she lives there.

So one week is not one week or so.

Please tell your partners, and I'm telling you, we are going to allow this member who represents that district to bring this back in how many weeks?

In one week.

Oh motion.

So there's a motion to bring this back in one week.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

We'll see you next week.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

I don't even even know.

I don't even know if you need to come back, but we will defer to our member miller, because that is her district.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Member Benson.

I hope that uh Mr.

Hollowell and Member Miller will get together and communicate.

Oh, great.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Hollowell.

All right, we are gonna go uh very very fast through new business line item nine.

Um we've already done line item 9.1 um and 9.2.

Now we're under and procurement submitting a resolution 9.3 city funding for proof point subscription renew for email cybersecurity.

Um is there a motion to bring this back in a week?

Motion.

Any objections hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.3 will be brought back in a week.

Line item 9.4 contract 600 7636, 100% grant funding to provide community outreach for eligible residents experiencing housing um instability, etc.

Is there a motion?

Motion to um motion to formal recommendation to approve.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.4 will be moved to former with a recommendation to approve.

Line item 9.5 submitting a memorand memorandum regarding November and December 2025 monthly report of contracts approved administratively, those contracts that are from 25,000 to 50,000 and the list of attached contracts.

Is there a motion?

Motion to send the formal memorandum.

It's a receive and file, Mr.

King.

Motion to receive and file.

There's a motion to receive and file line item 9.5.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.6, a memorandum regarding January and February 2026 monthly report of contracts.

Is there a motion to receive and file?

Okay.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 9.7, settlement in the lawsuit of advanced sports and spine management in the amount of 7,000 150 dollars.

Um case number 24-008 8224 dash NI.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve is in the formal recommendation to approve.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that act Mr.

King, before we move on that Madam Chair, um I have noticed there are resolutions attached to 9.5 and 9.6.

So they should be moved uh to formal with the um recommendation to approve.

Okay, and those line items with those um corresponding resolutions are what?

9.59.6.

Okay.

All right.

Motion.

Okay.

There's a motion to move those two line items to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Madam Chair.

Parliamentary.

You need to reconsider reconsider the vote.

Okay.

And then there's been a motion to reconsider the vote.

Do we need to go back through the votes?

No.

Okay.

There's a motion to reconsider the votes.

Any in objections?

Recommend to formal recommendation to approve.

Okay.

Both 95 and 9.6.

Okay.

Any objections?

That action shall be taken.

Line item 9.5 and 9.6 will be moved to formal with a recommendation to approve after we had reconsidered our vote.

We are now on line item 9.8 in the lawsuit of Kimberly Roblesky.

Um is there a motion to bring this back?

Because I really would like to see this go go into a closed session.

I have quite a few questions about this particular lawsuit.

And I know we I know we can't discuss it right now.

So I'm going to ask you, Mr.

Anderson, is this right for a closed session or not?

With the chair for the sake of time, I would uh request this uh body to move 9.8 through 9.16 all for a one-week bring back, and we can have at least next week for the sake of time.

Is there I don't think there's a quick need for any of them.

Okay.

Is there a motion to bring line item 9.8 through 9.16 back in a week?

Motion.

Okay.

Any objections?

That action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

All right.

That move to us.

Okay.

Legislative policy division.

Line item 9.17, urging the majors to implement a two-year moratorium on data centers development.

Um member Benson.

Um motion to send a formal recommendation to approve discussion.

Discussion.

Uh so this is a moratorium uh requesting the mayor to implement a two-year moratorium.

I'm sure we can go to that length, but we do need to have rules in place, i.e., text amendment to our zoning ordins to accommodate uh data centers.

And what we want to do is make sure that we're protecting ourselves and we're getting out ahead of the need before a data center comes and says we want to do this, this, and this, and we don't have the language in the zoning ordinance to accommodate that.

And I know that a number of our municipalities in southeastern Michigan have also implemented moratoriums, and there is a bill in the state that does the same.

Yeah, may I join you on it?

Yes, you may.

Okay, so I'm joining you on line item nine um point seventeen.

So we're gonna move this to formal session with a recommendation to approve.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Member Benson, for getting ahead of this.

Um miscellaneous line item nine um point eighteen.

Member Benson submitting a memorandum requesting resolution on moratorium on data center.

Motion to receive and file.

Okay.

Any objections?

That action shall be taken.

Line item 9.19.

Member Benson submitting a memorandum requesting the law department to weigh the attorney client privilege on the Detroit Public Library bond issuance authority.

Motion to uh approve and send to formal recommendation to approve discussion.

This is the opinion that has been received from the law department regarding the library's ability to independently go out and seek a bond, i.e.

debt to build more libraries and rehab their current portfolio, and I want to be able to send this off to libraries taking out a conversation, and then we can discuss this at the budget hearing once they come before us.

Hearing a motion to um send line item 9.19 to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Any objections, madam chair.

Oh attorney, attorney Keller.

Yes, uh attorney Keller LPD.

Um the memo uh requesting the waiver can be received and file.

We've already uh drafted the resolution to waive that should appear at formal session for referral.

So is there a motion to receive and file line item 9.19, the memorandum?

Uh motion.

Is it possible to call that memo to this body right now and then vote it out?

So we handle this today.

The the resolution, yes, the chair.

Uh we submitted it to East Gribe uh yesterday.

I can I can I would have to quickly get copies for everyone.

I don't need to see it.

I'm okay with a unseen resolution that says uh waive uh privilege, and I want it I would like to vote on this next week.

There's a motion to move line item nine point nineteen to formal session with a recommendation for approval.

With the attached resolution.

With the attached resolution that I'm sure you're going to get to Member Benson before the end of the day.

And my colleagues.

And your and his colleagues.

All right.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

And we are at the end of our um agenda.

Line item nine point twenty.

Council President James Tate submitting a rem memorandum regarding request for an update report on boards and commissions.

Vacancy and term expiration.

Is this a receiving file or do you need three weeks?

Uh three weeks, please.

Is there a motion to bring line item nine point twenty back in three weeks?

Motion.

Okay.

Any objections?

Yeah.

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item nine point twenty will be bought brought back in three weeks.

Is there a motion to suspend members' reports?

Motion.

Any objections?

That action shall be taken.

I didn't know.

Internal operations will now is without any objections, internal operations will now stand adjourned.