Ms.

Modani, I think you're leaving something in the chair.

Yes, ma'am.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for your patience.

As we move through our budget hearings, we're going to dive right in.

If you can please introduce yourselves, and the floor is yours.

You want me to start?

David Bowser, Chief of Staff for the Mayor's Office.

Brittany Brown, Director of Media Services.

Andre Blair, Agency CFO.

So just wanted to open up to acknowledge the sort of unique nature of this particular group, the Media Services Group.

It's a capacity that services both the City of Detroit and City Council.

And so it also has the potential through Channel 10 to touch so many different residents.

And so this mayor, you know, sort of vitally understands the importance of how we get our messaging out and wants to make sure that this capacity is framed in a way that meets people where they are and gets the messaging out in a way that you know increases access to services and awareness of the things that all of us are doing.

And so this presentation will go through how we're sort of reshaping that capacity to make sure that happens.

Executive branch, legislative branch.

I'm a communications guy.

I just want to make that clear.

All right.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Happy 313 to everyone.

Happy 313 today.

Um, as mentioned and introduced, my name is Brittany Brown, and as the newly appointed director of media services, I am honored to be here today to present the Media Services Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

Over the past 67 days, we have begun implementing a strategic review of the department's operations with a focus on strengthening internal processes, establishing clear workflows, and identifying opportunities to streamline how media services and the administration and departments across the city work.

This work is helping us bring greater structure on how requests are received, prioritized, and delivered across the department, ensuring that we continue to provide a consistent and effective service to the city leadership as well as residents.

As a part of this effort, we are placing and putting a stronger system currently to aid in the betterment of production communication requests and project timelines across our team, allowing us to operate in a more organized and streamlined way.

So of course, in recognition of Mayor Sheffield's RISE Hire platform, we want to ensure that media services aids in that bringing that vision to life to helping residents understanding what Rise Hire means as well as what it looks like.

Continuing our responsibility to ensure that residents have access to clear, timely, and transparent information about the work happening across city government.

This includes strengthening the city's communication platforms such as Cable Channel 10, while expanding ways residents can access information through digital platforms and cute, including YouTube and the City of Detroit's website.

Media Services, um, the general definition we know it is as the department that is responsible for ensuring that residents are informed and aware of the activities and initiatives that are taking place of not only cities, the city's elected officials, but across the whole spectrum of um our government as well as our um city.

We heavily rely and use um channel 10 as the city's primary public information platform as well as media services films and produces critical public awareness content that is also distributed throughout the city of Detroit's website and YouTube channel.

We know that the goal of media services is to deliver information to Detroiters when they need it, why they need it through a variety of platforms where we can meet residents where they are.

So to date, a breakdown of our budget, primarily between about 80 to 90 percent of our budget is designated for staffing, which also includes the support of personnel and operational infrastructure.

And that is aided in the need to carry out the department's daily work.

Currently, we have a team of 38 full-time team members supporting production, digital, and administrative operations.

These team members support a wide range of work, including public meetings, mayoral events, and ensuring that city programming is broadcasted to residents using governmental access on the Channel 10, Channel 22, Channel 21, and public access 68.

In addition to our internal team, Media Services also works with contracted partners when necessary to supporting larger productions such as state of the city or investiture.

I also like to add that in tandem and hand in hand, our internal team is also gaining hands-on training with these individuals in terms of these larger entities to help us giving that support to making sure that our internal team is gaining more access and education on how they can be equipped to supporting us as well.

In addition to that, it also allows the department to bring in additional technical experts and equipment when certain events require expanded production support outside of what we have.

For example, we have a vendor SR Audio, which is one of our newer vendors who is a minority or minority-owned and detract-based vendor that provides audio visual services, including lighting, sound, and technical production for some of your events, council, as well as major city events.

This approach allows the department to remain effective while still ensuring high quality production services for city initiatives.

So we are a melting pot of what we serve currently, and just of course we want to mention that we are expanding and looking into how we can better serve the city.

So across the board, we are offering the photography coverage, which is the steels photography as well as videography, as well as the broadcast and live stream, which we are functioning right now.

Our team is working hard currently, as well as graphic design.

So this is our one of our fame fame claim to fame of what has been an increased service lately, as we last year have over 1,500 requests, and we're gonna go into that in the next slide.

In addition to that, we have our copy team, which services supporting documentation production across city departments, as well as film permitting coordination for productions taking place in the city of Detroit, which also creates and going goes into our ecosystem of those who are coming into our city to film in our in Detroit, as well as digital content distribution through the city's website and YouTube platforms.

So to date, um our top requests within the past year, as well as I also have from the last 30 days graphics.

We have received over 1,578 requests last year.

In addition to that, for photo and video requests, 500, and then followed through the rest of the chain of how many requests that we've received, as well as that we have hoped to fulfill and satisfy all your needs.

In addition to that, currently, between January 1st and March 10th, we have covered and taken in requests of 35 city council requests, 29 mayoral press conferences, 19 external department requests, 10 formal requests, and nine Board of Police Commissioners requests.

So we are busy and we are still excited to serve everyone.

So in closing, we want to continue to work and ensure that residents have access to clear and timely information about city programs, services, and resources through a variety of access public platforms.

Through Channel 10, the City of Detroit website, and our YouTube platform, Media Services works closely with city's elected officials and your honorable body, as well as the wide range of the full departments under the city of Detroit, as well as ensuring that key initiatives are photographed, recorded, and documented so that residents can stay connected to the work that's being done across their city government, as well as ensuring processes of how we can transfer that documentation and that those photographs and things of that nature into historical archives, which I know President Tay will be speaking about in terms of how can we build a relationship with those historic museum.

As we move forward, we are also continuing a thorough review of our equipment, internal processes, and team workflows to ensure that media services operates in a streamlined, modern and efficient way while continuing to meet the needs, the growing needs of communications in our city.

So on behalf of Media Services, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to present today, and we are open to welcoming your questions.

Thank you.

And uh congratulations on your first budget hearing, the beginning of it.

We ain't done yet.

I know.

So Director Brown, uh, I'm gonna say that we've had some uh great conversations uh up to this point, your team and I.

Uh I I would like for a motion, uh colleagues, because we're gonna, I'm sure dive into this uh in executive session, put the entire budget for media services into executive session.

Is there a motion?

Oh, yeah.

Seeing no objections, and action shall be taken.

Thank you.

Question I have I I know we talked about it offline, uh, or at least with someone from your team, and I'll talk about the overarching because I know colleagues are going to talk more about uh the collaboration uh aspect.

But when it comes to the um city council videos that are uh or the videos that are posted online post meeting, uh they don't have any closed caption.

Uh, we go through all the pain of getting interpreters, closed caption availability live, but once it goes into our our our website, uh we've often have gotten complaints, and again, you're new, so can't put this at your feet, but we've gotten no numerous complaints from uh our community saying that why isn't that same capability available once it's posted online.

We haven't gotten a great response thus far.

So we'd love to hear your direction in that uh aspect.

Uh but then I also again looking at the overarching um aspect of media services for this body.

Using uh our uh virtual system is very clunky, it's extremely difficult.

Um it takes a lot of different moving pieces, and we're looking to figure out how we can make the process a lot more efficient.

Uh and I and I say that given example when we are having one committee transition to another committee, it always takes some time to to do that.

We have one license, one person has a license, and it the grades is just so much when we start talking about the transition of committees.

Um, and we're just trying to identify how to uh improve that process while also ensuring that our translators are not jumping in and barging in on conversations that we're having, because we're not getting Zoom bombed anymore.

Thank you for that.

Um, but now we're having our our translators who are unfortunately sliding into uh our our our discussion.

So, you know, just drop the a few items on you.

I saw you writing them down.

If you can provide some responses, please.

Thank you for that question, um President Tate.

And I'll start with the first qu first question pertaining to closed captioning.

So thank you for bringing it to my feet, and I'm gonna stand in front of it because that is something that we have heard, and we do know that that is something that we want to thoroughly and still work through.

Um, we actually work with a um vendor known as ENCO, and that is the closed captioning service provider that we are working with, and we have had a conversation with them as of Monday to ensuring and understanding how we can better that process in terms of closed captioning and how fast it can be provided and we can share with those residents who need that closed caption, as well as if it doesn't work, what is that issue?

So we are trying to understand and get to the root of that issue so it no longer is an issue.

Okay, but it also ask about the Zoom and the clunkliness in between.

Yes, the transition.

So that is something that we will definitely be still working through and understanding what that looks like.

And if you would I would love to sit down and talk with you to get an example of when that has happened, but I know currently right now we are still working through understanding our processes and transition, so that can never happen again.

Okay, so how how will we know this like what's at the end of the rainbow prior to the budget being over with?

Because that's really the time frame that we have to have this discussion because there may be a budgetary fix or or budgetary remedy to this to both of those issues, and you know, seems like we're aligned in terms of policy.

Yes, but how do we get there?

And and it's the I don't know if you guys have talked about it thus far.

Yes, we have had a conversation with ENCO.

And in time time-wise, though.

So I will say within the next two weeks, in terms of NCO, because I'm not I'm not familiar with their process, as they were working with the former leadership.

And so this is my first time communicating with them and understanding what that process looks like.

So I would definitely make it a high and top priority for us to get that full clarity because we know closed captioning is something that is very serious, and we have to take that seriously as well, because that's a piece of what we do.

Absolutely.

Um in addition to that, the streamline of the transition of the committees, it is for us to understand and really really look through the equipment that we're using.

Um so I don't want to guarantee that something can shift now, but it's something that we are looking through with every piece of equipment and understanding what those transitions look like beginning today, and then how we can work towards that within the next not 30 days, but as soon as possible.

It's like a software uh software thing, yes.

The council president's office essentially has to stand and and assist each committee every time.

And I think that every uh commit every uh committee should be able to independently begin their own um uh online functions and not have to rely on the council presence.

I I just got here January 5th, so I I wasn't aware of that prior to this.

So we all are now learning all this at the same time.

Yeah, so through the chair to your point, this could be an IT issue, and so I'll talk to Art uh to figure out our our IT director to figure out this is something that we can work out within the next couple weeks.

So I'll talk to him today um to see if we can remedy this.

It may just be a Zoom functionality issue or something like that.

So I'll talk to him today uh and get a response back to you.

Okay.

Got a got a host of other questions as well.

Again, I'll place those in writing, may come back again if we have any additional time right now.

We'll go to member Miller.

Good afternoon, how are you?

Nice, thank you for joining us.

I have a question.

Um, you said she had 38 full-time staff members, and you just added two in the last fiscal year.

You mean you just added two in the last fiscal year?

Yes.

So that was prior to our new Madam Mayor coming on.

Yes.

Okay.

So we know that she has increased her visibility across social media.

She has she's branding herself every day, and it is some amazing work that I see.

So I was wondering how on on your chart of your staff, how many do you have that strictly deals with graphics?

And then how many deals with video and photo requests?

How many staffers do you have for these?

Yes, for graphics.

Currently, we have a team of three.

And in addition to that, for photo and video, we have between two to six members, and then to answer your first question pertaining to when those additional two are added.

You might do you want to refer.

Yeah, through the chair.

Um, just looking at it, we're going from currently at 36 FTEs to 38 FTEs for FY27.

Um, they are losing one FTE that is a digital and social media specialists, and they're gaining um three positions, two project managers, and a position from the executive management team as a transfer.

So overall just taking their head count, FTE head count from 36 to 38.

The digital social media specialist that they're losing is a position that had been vacant for a while.

Um, and in the transition, I know uh director Brown is still looking at how her team is made up, but that's the the shift for 26 to 27.

Well, that explains why I'm asking the question as a new council person, I heavily rely on your department for my presence being exemplified in the neighborhoods, and I know that some things are coming two to three weeks out, if not four weeks out, and some people in our staff, they have social media people on their teams might have go off to those that have it.

Um, and it comes out of their own budget.

So I'm asking if three people in graphics and two in videography cover 11 council people and the mayor.

It's time it's like almost impossible that you're covering everyone's ground.

So I'm asking how much is needed to extend those numbers because if you have one crew that's at one event on a Saturday and you need another crew over here, you don't have anyone that can honor that person's request.

There should be at least a minimum, I'm thinking of three um videographers that team, at least three, and or five graphic people to to get the job done.

Uh so I didn't see the numbers.

Because and thank you for that question.

We are currently assessing our full team currently.

Um, and in addition to that to answer your question, yes.

Um, sometimes in terms of we want to ensure that we are covering events across the board, and we do have to cover mayoral events as well as city events, community events from top to bottom.

So what we will be continuing to do in is meeting with each of you to understand your full fiscal year so we can implement a process of better planning in terms of the scheduling piece to that, um, of us knowing ahead of time what you have going on, when you need us, um, how we can accommodate and what that order looks like in terms of we do a kind of swap shifting out um in terms of what the need is because sometimes you may have an event where you don't need a photo um videographer or photographer, you may just need just a graphic or flyer.

So it just varies on your needs and how we can assess that.

Um, and so we'll definitely still currently assessing our team's talents and our team's expertise to seeing how we can balance that out from top to bottom to ensuring that we are understanding your needs specifically before we can answer that direct question in terms of how many.

Okay, because I know the city has guidelines.

We try to create some of our own things, even myself, I'm an avid Canva person.

I try to create some things, but it did not meet the litmus test for the city, and it was rejected.

So I would just rather come through the city and utilize the services.

And I know we do have a new mayor.

She she's totally different than the previous mayor.

She's out and about, she's in the neighborhoods, and she is being featured all day, every day.

You guys are doing an amazing job uh getting her presence and everything that that they're doing out there.

So is it possible to make a motion?

Yes.

That we move this to the executive session with the additional services needed to run this department thoroughly.

So we did put the entire budget in there.

But the addition.

Add what?

For um the additional graphics and video and photographers.

Okay.

Uh specifically, uh, Member Miller would like to make she's making a motion to include uh an additional allotment of videographers and photographers and graphic artists for media services.

Any objections?

Place that in the executive session.

See none.

Then action shall be taken.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Good afternoon.

Um, we haven't had the pleasure of sitting down and meeting yet.

Um, I know our schedules were conflicting.

So just want to share what was happening last year uh with media services.

Uh, there were several, I think, council members who were pushing to ensure that council had its own media services team, if you will, just to ensure that we had um the the appropriate staffing to either film, take pictures, what have you, um, have the equipment and everything at our event um that are staffing our events as well.

So I think you should be aware of that.

Um because there's so much pressure, I will say, that's put on media services as a department, um, and recognizing what everyone is doing.

Uh, there was some pushback last year that essentially indicated there are nine council members and there's one mayor.

Media services does not only work with the mayor, media services works with the departments as well.

And so when that was said to me, I was thinking, well, wait a minute.

There's more than nine departments that media services works with, right?

Um, so I think I I would really love to see you all give that a lot of thought, and it may lean into what member Miller just put into executive session, um, just to ensure that we have adequate staffing for all of our events.

I'm not a person who always is asking for media services, um, but I'm also the person who because I don't ask for a lot, I expect a yes when I ask.

Um, but that's just who I am.

Um, and so just want to be sure that you all have that in mind.

I know maybe a year and a half ago, we approved of some new equipment, we approved of some contractors to provide assistance just to make sure the media services was able to provide all of the support for um everybody throughout the city.

So um would be interested in seeing what comes back as to how media services is stood up now, um, and how the the existing staff are deployed.

Um, and so I I do just want to kind of push you all heavily to consider having a a separate team.

Um and I do just want to ask about social media in particular.

So there is a city of Detroit social media page.

I'm not sure if whomever facilitates that page shares what the council members do on that page.

But I think that is certainly something that should be done.

And so would just like to see that happen.

I don't necessarily know.

I I have several questions that I believe have already been sent over.

Yes, yes.

And so just wanted to uplift those two things for you all to keep those in mind.

Just knowing that I'm sure it's not just myself, but my colleagues and I will look for media services to be present and ensuring that our events get the uh necessary support for them to be successful and shared with the residents in the community because that's the main thing.

That's the main focus is to get information out to the residents.

I think you know, we all have people who follow us.

Um, and I think it's just important just to make sure they're aware of what's happening, not only within our districts, uh, with the at-large council members and within the city as a whole.

Absolutely, dude.

All right.

Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Um, Member McCall.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Good afternoon.

Uh, thank you all for being here.

Uh as uh we have had a conversation around a few items.

Um I want to talk about um as you as you've outlined.

I was looking at the the goals and strategy um that was outlined in the budget.

Um around the digital public engagement strategy and the strategic storytelling and then also becoming a premier municipal production hub.

And uh I similar to what questions I've already been asked, um, I wanna take an uh, you know, we talked we had the Charles H.

Wright Museum here uh before us a couple of days ago, and folks have talked about their social media uh um strategy.

I also saw the video that media services are uh posted today around um the pop the balloon, which I thought was hilarious, um with that.

So, and of course we know those type of items drive engagement and folks to stick around to see what else is going on in the city.

And similar to what has been talked about here of uh that focus also on city council and other areas of government.

So just want to give you the opportunity to talk about how you are thinking about involving all areas of city government because you know as we are able folks to know what we're doing and be tuned in here, it also helps efforts of other functions of government.

So just want to ask that to you.

Absolutely, thank you for that question.

And I don't think I had the opportunity through the share to answer council member Johnson's questions.

Um, and I want to make sure that I do answer um those questions as well.

Um, in reference to our staffing, we are um adequately staffed currently.

We are.

Um, and in the past 67 days, we are thoroughly assessing every team member that is a part of our team as this is a new position that I am in, as well as deputy um director of understanding who do we have and how can we utilize them in terms of servicing everyone across the board.

So I did want to mention and say that for the record.

Um, in addition to that, I know you asked the question of who um manages the social media pages, so it's our team as well.

And I do know that when you uh the honorable body has any event, um we will be sharing them to our stories.

I think we also share um your community meeting you have upcoming literally this afternoon.

So we did share to your our stories this afternoon.

Um and in addition to that, we do ask if you have something that you or your team posts, we are doing a um strategy now that it's implemented to where any time that one of you are posting something that is on your direct page that we are resharing it, and that's when it'll go directly into our stories um to leverage what you're doing, how you're communicating with residents as well.

Um and through shares to Mr.

Councilmember Campbell Campbell to answer your question, we are in process of understanding that.

I know when we spoke earlier a few days ago, excuse me, we wanted to gain an understanding of the type of storytelling that we wanted to share and tell, and understanding that we want to plug in this administration's seven pillars is important, and that is us crafting and turning it into microeducts so residents can understand government, understand how government works, and those are new things that we're implementing literally this week with some of our budget introductions as people sometimes don't know or residents don't know what it even is a budget.

Um with some of our budget introductions as people sometimes don't know or residents don't know what it even is a budget.

So it's us understanding what's to come and what's upcoming and how we can craft those things into content, not only for social, but as well as for YouTube channels as well as channel 10.

So we are in process of understanding and implementing the storytelling on a strategic manner so we can ensure that the honorable body as well as residents across the board know what we're posting as well as what what we're capturing moving forward.

Appreciate that.

Yeah, I I definitely the education part um and in a way that's digestible for folks.

And I think um we here at the city council can pivot pivotal role because we get as you know, we get a lot of things around that maybe fall into administration, and I'm sure um vice versa with city council in that way as well.

Um I will look forward to diving deep into the budget on the executive session.

Um, but also just wanted to lift up.

I know we had conversation around accessibility and the captions.

Um also want to lift up language access and various ways that we can um and thinking about content that um originates with NATO speakers in our language as well, so folks can see themselves reflecting in that.

So um I will leave that I'll follow up with additional questions, but thank you all.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Yes, Chair.

Good to see everybody here.

How are you?

Congratulations on your new position.

Look forward to working with you.

Um I wanted to ask you a little bit about programming.

You know, there is like a program, I'm sure you're all familiar with it, called like Schoolhouse Rock.

Kind of tells you like how government works.

Do we have anything that's like that for city government at all?

Has there been any thoughts about you know, in terms of certain departments or in terms of certain areas about teaching people how this department works and what's the process to go here, or if you're going for your business license or whatever, you know what I'm saying?

How's the prior or even people talking about wanting to testify in front of the city council?

You know, do you do we have like a process at all in terms of showing how that would work?

As of today, we do not, and that is something that we will definitely take in consideration as we build our our strategic storytelling plan for moving forward, and we can definitely share that with you.

Yeah, I I I would really appreciate that because I think it can help a lot of people because navigating because some people just throw their hands in here because it's very intimidating process, particularly with starting uh small businesses.

I think that would really help a lot of people.

And then secondly, I just want to ask you finally, what um what is your plan or what have you done in order to implement artificial intelligence within your department?

Of course, I know you're gonna ask that.

Yes.

Well, I'll thank you for understanding the assignment because some people don't.

Yes, I understand, and and AI is here.

And as a team that relies heavily on media, that is something that sometimes can go hand in hand.

Um, I will say that we are looking into different moderat modernized equipment and or tools that we can use um in reference to how can we work quicker or faster in terms of editing or um scheduling.

There are different resources that we use, such as Sprout Social, which is a tool that we may not have fully utilized to its fullest potential that may have an AI component embedded in it, and that is one of those things that is on my list to really understand what tools that we are invested in or th through your honorable variety that has enabled us to um invest in of do they have I components to it and how we can plug it into the work that we do on a day-to-day basis.

So that is something that I am excited about as well, and I can definitely share with you in terms of how we're utilizing AI.

Well, look, I I would have really appreciated that because I think there's a lot of opportunities.

I mean, I'm just looking at you know whether it was a uh artificial intelligence digital archive or crisis communication or social oh there it goes, social analytics or media production.

Um you're talking about 920,000 potentially in savings.

And so I mean I think that's a real good thing.

And I also think just determines of you know your operational efficiency increased to 50 to 80 percent, your workload would decrease by 35 to 40 percent, and your productivity will go up to 40 to 70 percent.

So I think that's a real good thing for what you're doing.

I think it's important.

You know what I mean?

Because people watch these programs, they learn from these programs.

I know I watch these programs, I look to see myself when I'm on there from time to time, you know, all the things that come on, and when I come up with my stuff, so I'm I I really appreciate it.

And this is gonna be my final question.

I just want to ask you because of the climate that we are in uh politically, has there been any thoughts about what kind of programming that you would have into the history where of this city, whether it's from the immigrant perspective, whether it's from the great migration perspective, in terms of people coming to the city of Detroit here, whether it's uh in terms of the um this being the last stop before the underground railroad.

Um I would assume that you would probably want to do something about Thornton, Lucy Blackburn, you know, the people that cross Detroit River, and then because CAD refused to extradite them, that became basically made Canada uh the last stop of freedom and underground railroad.

Has there been any discussions about that historically?

It's hard to have those type of programs or about the Latino community or even Corktown, you know, I'm really interested in terms of Greek town and how that got started and where that came from and all that.

So I mean I know I I think I was like the I participate like the Irish Cork something for you know one of the over there, so that was a lot of fun.

So um, yeah, even the fact that you know I didn't know that like Madonna and Tim, you know, and uh Tim Allen, you know, was from here.

And so I mean I think it's a lot of you know mixed or things here.

So has there ever been any discussion about that?

You know, it also I I know that the mayor uh has uh uh as a love for uh you know the hip hop community and uh and music.

I know we're also the birthplace of techno.

You know, I know we've kind of had those conversations a little bit, but I think also you know the the rich you know hip hop culture we have here.

Has there been thoughts about having those type of things be on television at all?

So that's a great question, and those are some things that we definitely will consider in terms of how we're building out our storytelling and how we can plug in different ways to tell about our history outside of our norm.

So absolutely welcome that idea and we'll implement that into our um strategy as we move forward.

All right, thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Member Waters.

Thank you.

Um please don't have AI at there mimicking me all over the place.

We don't even like using AI images, we won't.

But um, but speaking of history, uh since um Pro Tim had had mentioned it, you know, I I really want the story to be told too uh regarding what happened on the Bell Air Bridge in 1943, put all those black soldiers who came back home after fighting and protect our country protecting our country, a bunch of them were killed.

And nobody talks about that.

So I'd like to have that uplifted uh somewhere along the way.

Um so I I want to ask you to I want to better understand where um what happens uh in the future because in the past, whenever you know, we might have had events scheduled, and if something comes up with the mayor's office, because you fall under the mayor's office, when something comes up, you know, it gets canceled for us as council members, at least it has for me.

So sometimes I can't get the coverage because all of a sudden the mayor's office is having something, right?

And they get the coverage instead.

I mean, I don't know if because you have a shortage during that time or whatever, but but I kind of like to lift that up and find out if in fact you have a remedy for it, or do we need to hire our old people or something?

Yeah, through the chair uh to councilwoman waters.

Um so I think what's probably been happening is that there's kind of a lack of pre-planning here to where we are looking to allocate resources at the last minute, and then we have to make a decision.

Uh what we're looking to do is make sure that we're having sort of two weeks out, three weeks out, a couple months out conversations because we have the ability to internally flex and bring on additional folks as needed for particular events.

And so um right now we're kind of changing processes within the media services space to make sure everyone's covered because it's a resource that we all use.

Um so that will be you know more adequately um sort of managed moving forward, and we have to have you know regular meetings with you all to understand your calendar of what things are coming up because residents do need to know what you're what every single one of you are doing, and this is the resource to allow them to do that.

So it'll be a stronger connection moving forward.

Oh well, I believe you, Mr.

Bowser.

And we do want residents to know what we're doing.

Absolutely.

Um the other thing I just want to lift up.

I think uh Director Brown was gonna ask you.

Oh, directly.

Okay, that's the recordable history.

So I do want to add that we do have a bi-weekly meeting um um with some of your honorable body and your team members as well as our production team, so where we do access a second question of what are what is your fiscal year programming?

And so to just mere um what Chief about Chief of Staff Bowser mentioned, it's um the planning piece of it.

So it aids in us being able to do the scheduling.

Um, and that is one thing that I do want to just mention that we do have a bi weekly meeting that we do do and understanding everyone's programming to lay out the fiscal year as well.

Well, I want to thank you.

You guys did do some really good coverage for us on deed fraud.

Yes, uh, that was really good.

Um there um I do have my annual signature event each year, so I'm gonna make sure that you receive the information like right away.

Um, because those are the ones that you can really plan for uh much much earlier.

So I would appreciate that.

Um local contractors, um, I think we need to improve there.

You know, that there are some folks right here in this city who has certain capabilities.

Um, and there are times I you know I have to try to find ways.

I call up different little radio stations as I said, can you help me, you know, at least highlight this event that's gonna be coming up?

And they've been very gracious about it.

Um, but I think we have to do um uh a little bit better when it comes to to our local folks and making sure that they have uh they are able to participate, have a seat at the table and opportunity to bid on the contracts and hopefully be selected some of them.

So do you have any plans that to to you know to do some of those kinds of things?

I mean, those are very important um uh to me, and I know when we were in IOS, madam chair.

Now, madam chair, we used to push that a lot, did we not?

So I I hope that we will we will see some changes there.

I I know it goes through procurement and all that kind of stuff.

I I get it.

And as a former business owner and myself, I do understand we want to ensure that our business our local business owners do have a seat at the table as well.

So that is a top priority of um and and if there's some things that they need to to do to improve their their opportunities, then I hope that you will sit down with them and tell them what it is that they need to do so they're in a better position to win such bids through the chair, um our department on the finance side, and you know, obviously OCP falls under finance.

Um will also just work with the media team one to kind of streamline and and really figure out the needs in terms of when we're putting uh out the bid and you know things that we need and what we want, but then also uh you know, focusing and working with OCP to ensure that we are getting the word out to Detroiters right first to um and I know they do a fantastic job of looking for local businesses and local entrepreneurs to you know service the city.

I'm not so sure if they do a fantastic job, frankly.

I think we're gonna disagree on that one.

I don't think they work hard enough to make it happen.

But go ahead.

Okay.

Um, but yeah, through you know, the scope of what media services is looking for, and just working with OCP to try to ensure you know, if there's some hey, we can reach these people through social media, putting a media campaign together to announce that we're looking for X, Y, and Z.

Maybe an approach, right?

Um, I think we just have to look at how we want to target that audience and what's the best effective method for reaching that audience.

Uh, our normal, you know, RFPs and that they may not see that process.

So just working with her team, working with OCP and kind of you know, my my team being the intermediary to help get that done, is what we'll we'll work on as she's learning and we're you know working together.

All right.

Well, I gotta tell you, I'll be watching.

I look forward to it, and uh thank you so very much.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you.

Calloway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and um good afternoon, everyone, and welcome.

Um, Director Brown and congratulations on your um appointment to this new position, and we all know that you're gonna do a great job because you're already doing a great job.

So thank you for everything.

Um this is not a question, this is just a um request or recommendation.

Don't know if it could be um granted or not, but it would be nice instead of hearing that funeral music when you turn on channel 10.

It's very depressing, so I turn it off.

If you could use a little bit of Motown music, we have a lot, you don't have to put the lyrics, but you can do instrumental.

Um, the music that's played, I don't know if it's just standard or if you could work with IT to um use our own music.

Um Motown sound kind of sort of every now and then um behind at least behind my story.

My my council corner, if you could just use a little bit of um the music I grew up with listening to.

Thank you so much.

So that wasn't a question, that was a request.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, if you can give that some consideration, please explain the process for city council to have announcements displayed on channel 10, including where the required assets assets should be submitted for dissemination, the typical time frame for review, and I have all these.

I've already submitted these questions.

I see Mr.

Bowser just typing away, but I've already submitted them where the required assets should be submitted for dissemination, the typical time frame for review and approval and the applicable branding formatting and content guidelines.

And I know that was a mouthful full, but it's all interrelated.

It is.

It is.

Thank you for that question, Member.

Yes, ma'am.

Memory Callaway, and thank you.

So right now, once, and I'm specifically, I believe you're referring to I'll start with the branding piece.

And so with that, there is a standardized branding in terms of the end graphic or the lower cut that is on all programming.

Um and that is something that is in process of potentially get having a refresh to be um redesigned, as well as in addition to that the process right now, I believe it's after a meeting, council corner community event is recorded.

We give ourselves seven to ten business days to edit, record, and then post to cable channel 10 as well as on YouTube.

Of course, we know that that process is something that is being refined and reviewed currently, as well as sometimes if there is another event that takes place after an event, we may have to go to that, but we are working to understand the workload of our team and how we can make that more streamlined for um everyone across the board.

Um I believe the other question to answer that respectfully is I want to still have that time to review the full process from top to bottom with our external team to ensure and see if there are any loopholes, any ways that we can be more hands-on, touch to base in terms of you know what is happening at what time after uh event has been recorded.

Um, one thing that we do want to really implement and consider is a white glove service in terms of a high level and attention to excellence, and we want to make sure that you're never in the dark and that we are always in communication with you, whether it's an issue, a praise, whatever that looks like, or emergency to where you know what's going on when it's going on after an event takes place and how long it will be on those channels.

I hope I answered those questions.

And I'll thank you for sharing those um in advance, and we're working to getting those responses to you as well.

Thank you so much um for your thoroughness in your response.

Um, I was at Bates last week for um Literacy Month and reading to two um kindergarten classes, and I haven't seen that posted yet in my council corner.

Um, you have a great photography team, videographers, they're wonderful, but it's always a delay and seeing it, and then it comes maybe the next month, and then it's like after the fact, but it would be good if we could stick to that time if it's possible seven to ten days after the fact.

But I was at Bates, and I still haven't seen um that uploaded or posted or announced anywhere.

And um, the children were amazing, and um we got permission to put that out there um with the um and I would definitely look into that today.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

And then my next, and thank you so much, ma'am.

The next question is um recently the city of Detroit social media managers collab collaborated with Charles H.

Wright Museum.

Please explain the resulting increase in engagement.

That's all I've been hearing about is this increased engagement.

We all like um thumbs up and we like um percentages increase.

I want to see that.

And how the teams plans, how does the team plan to partner with other city institutions like our historical museum, which has a little like little lackluster, and they were complaining about they just don't have uh I don't even know if they've seen um Charles H.

Wright museums um engagement in terms of social media?

I don't think the historical museum is at that level, but how do we bring that to that level the way that Charles H.

Wright Museum's um social media platform is it's just been elevated.

Yes, um, and then also the zoo and also the people mover to make it kind of consistent and uniform, so when we roll out one of our institutions on one of our assets, they all can get rolled out at the same quality level at the same um capacity.

You does that make sense?

Yes, instead of just doing like a haphazard, sporadic, fragmented type of rollout.

If we can just be a bit more consistent while we're rolling those institutions out, can we also consider working with those council persons who would like that same social media support and engagement?

Um I'm asking for myself.

I don't know if anybody else wants, but uh it would be great because um the um what we the the increase in in terms of um engagement um interactiveness and response from the Charles H.

Wright Museum's social media um the collaboration with your team has been amazing.

I keep hearing about it, and um it would be wonderful if it could just be spread, if the love could be spread across all of our jewels and institutions, and you know, I'll speak for myself for me as well.

Thank you.

Thank you for that question.

I love the idea, and I'll let you say that.

Through the chair to council uh member uh Callaway.

So one thing that the mayor has encouraged us to do is get away from the idea of posts and go towards an idea of campaigns.

So what is it that we want the public to know?

What are we trying to accomplish here?

And what is the sort of two-week or three-week um launch pad to get to that point through a series of interactions with the public?

It could be channel 10, social media, a bunch of different things, but they have to be tied together into a campaign.

And so that's part of the increased communication that we have to have with all of our stakeholders, which is what are we want trying to accomplish this year or or this month or uh this week, and how do we kind of tie our um capacities together to do so?

And so uh we will have more sort of holistic conversations about how to get that done, and then the the great thing about that is we need to attach metrics to kind of a before and after from your campaign to understand how effective it was.

So that's kind of the reframe that we've been encouraged to start thinking about and and looping you all into.

Okay, and then just to give you um you know some advanced information, like for um National Women's History Month.

If we can put something, I know um the mayor has had like a just a quick little, I don't want to say commercial, but announcement about recognizing women's history month.

If we can do that in a more um expansive um way, instead of just with the mayor, just across the city.

You know, we acknowledge some women who've done some great things, um, like the first woman um council member, the first woman state legislator, just something like that to enhance what's happening in Detroit and in Michigan, but particularly in Detroit.

Um, and that would be amazing.

Just to put this on your radar, um, composting month is in May, and we'll be doing some amazing things in District 2.

If we could roll out something to let everybody know in Detroit that composting works and that it is composting awareness month in May, just to give you some advanced notification and see what kind of campaign we can do around that and get um our youth involved, our communities involved.

We have time to do it.

It's just the importance of it and the benefits of composting.

So just putting that on your radar to maybe roll something out in May.

And thank you so much, and congratulations again.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

And I also like to add um member um Callaway that we do actually have a women's history month campaign that is in process right now, and we are highlighting um different women who have made waves in um different sectors from entertainment, government across the board.

So it's um we do have it, it's a seal graphic that is on our city of Detroit social media page, and I like to give kudos to deputy director China Cochrane as this is her campaign that she's very very passionate about.

So we do and we are implementing that as well, but we definitely take everything that you've suggested for us.

And I hope that you will include Dawn Isam.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I know Member Miller had a um a motion that she wanted to move.

Well, it was the motion, but first I had a quick question.

I know we're pressed for time.

This is for Mr.

Bowser because he seems to have a a different um explanation for our staffing.

Um I was happy to help increase the number, but then I heard afterwards that we had adequate staffing.

I find it highly likely because there is 11 of us and nine of us and the mayor, and we have 47 departments.

You may not do work for all of them, but it's at least 10 or 12 that you do do.

You said it's a calendar situation.

It's hard to have that many clients.

So if you're not interested in adding the additional bodies, let me ask you, you had a previous act of 1.57 million, but now we're at 4 million point 27.

So, what is it encompassing if it's not bodies to do extra work or to make sure we move smoothly and aggressively and get our stuff out on time?

Because we're water says she wants somebody at hers, and some of those they do uh they do bump head, so that's a gigantic axe from four years ago.

So I'm thinking it's for bodies salaries for um effectiveness.

So please help me understand this gigantic act, considering it's not trying to increase.

I mean, even with what what five graphic designers was it three?

I mean, if we haven't campaigns also, we're doing campaigning, Valentine's come up, we're gonna have Black History Month.

We're doing these campaigns, we're trying to get fires made.

We're campaigning all year round.

And then we have other stuff that we're doing also with um the fires for right to council for the embundsment.

I just want so I just need to understand, and I can put it in writing so it can get a breakdown because considering the axe is big, I'm I'm I'm concerned that it's not still gonna provide the proper staffing if it's not going into the into the uh mount where we're gonna get help.

I'm I am new, my budget is limited.

I don't feel like I should have to hire anyone when we have it right here in house.

We're gonna allow them to answer, uh, and then we're gonna move over unless there's any other motions from colleagues into our next um a budget hearing.

So feel free to respond.

Okay.

Through the and I'll say for the record, we did place the entire budget into executive session, which will allow us to discuss all of this at that time.

So through the chair, I'll speak to the uh the budgetary piece, and um I'll let Chief of Staff Bowser speak to the um the actual operations process piece.

So what you're seeing for 26 versus 27, there were a number of staff.

Um there's a couple of components that make up media services.

There's the general fund that we all see and know, and then there's the uh peg side, the cable side.

As we are going into this new administration, what we're doing is moving the bodies from uh the peg side over to the general fund and just consolidating the media services operations um just as a you know preference of the new administration, and then what we're seeing in the PIG fund is um budget based on the revenue from cable fees and is there for equipment, additional capital expenditures that they may have.

So it's uh increase in the general fund because it's a shift of their 19 positions over to uh the general fund.

That's a total of about two million dollars, and then there's three additional positions that were uh right now budgeted in the mayor's office that's coming over to the media service side.

Um, and that's another roughly half a million, which is you know, your roughly 2.6 million dollars.

Then there's some operating services, uh things, contracting and professional uh contractual services that have also increased, but we can give you guys a thorough breakdown in writing um because I think that was on one of the uh LPD questions that we received uh earlier this week.

Yes.

All right, thank you.

Any final words?

Yeah, through the chair.

Um so I think one thing that we have been talking about doing a better job of internally is having for especially for flyers a single entry point for all your requests.

So whether it's to design a flyer or to redesign a flyer that you've submitted, you should have one single entry point and then an expectation in terms of timelines when that will be back to you.

Um so we're reconfiguring some things in terms of um, you know, certain departments have their own folks, but they can also support some other things as well.

We can build capacity internally, but we also need to know from each uh council member what the actual needs are so that we can reframe accordingly.

Um I don't know if we have enough information um in terms of what you have uh been experiencing and uh when you ask for certain services, how many no's are you hearing and for what service?

We want to know that information so that we can reframe um and make sure that you have the services you need, and importantly, a timeline when you make a request.

So those conversations have to happen now, but internally again because of um past budgets, we have the ability to flex as needed and add more staff as needed to meet those requests.

But right now it's really about understanding what the requests are going to be over the next month or so.

Thank you.

Thank you all for your your presence and your your hard work up to this point.

Looking forward to working with you as we move forward and the responses to our questions.

Thank you again.

Thank you.

I'll have a great day.

You will we'll now transition to the Detroit Water and Sewage Department budget hearing.

The members who are participating, please step forward.