The Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole met in an abbreviated session on the morning of March 12, 2026, to address pending legislation and hear public comment. The meeting was shortened due to budget hearings scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Following roll call and approval of the minutes, the committee heard public comment from residents on topics including housing, zoning, community benefits, and community events. The committee then acted on a series of unfinished and new business items, including housing choice vouchers, downzoning of a commercial corridor, proposed ordinance for the Fruit Pumping Station, and property sales.
March 12th, 2026. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll? Morning. Councilmember Letitia Johnson present. Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero. Present. Council President Pro Tem Kulman Young. Pro Tim Young is on his way. Madam Chair, we have quorum. Thank you. Having a quorum present, we are now in session. Good morning, Member Santiago Romero. Is there a motion on the minutes? Motion to approve. Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken. And I just want to remind everyone that we do have an abbreviated session this morning. Our budget hearings start at 10 a.m. Uh, and so we may need to abbreviate our public comment time. I am now calling for general public comment. If there's anyone who would like to make a public comment, whether in person or joining us virtually, please raise your hand. Seeing one hand in the committee of the whole, please raise your hand. Public comment will be cut off momentarily. And madam clerk, if you will please note that council president pro Tim Young has joined us. Well note. Good morning. Thank you. Good morning. Public comment has now been cut off. Good morning. Ms. Great, how many hands do we have raised virtually? Good morning, madam chair. We have six hands raised for virtual public comment. All right, we're going to give everyone a minute and a half for general public comment, and we will get started with Mr. Foster, who's here in the committee of the whole. If we can please set the clock for one minute and a half. Thank you. Um good morning through the um chair. Just very briefly, I wanted to um speak on a few things. I think it's important that you guys hear it and be aware for yourself, do good self-reflection to make sure that you don't deviate from any morals or ethics yourself. Self-policing. But um the last four years have been the first four years that the city have not had an indictment for city council at all. I think that speaks volumes. Prior to that, there have been a lot of indictments down here. And take in the information that we get, listening to our community and um things of those sort. I missed some of those meetings yesterday, but I did want to speak about a comment that I heard in reference to seven mayors down the line. Just a different perspective. Seven mayors down the line is your grandchildren. And if we talk about a council here that inherited bad situations, then it's incumbent upon this council to be proactive and preserve things to make sure that future bodies and future organizations are in the best position to um take care of their residents. And so I'm not gonna keep coming down and speaking.