President, you please call the role.

Councilmember Scott Benson.

I've been to nine.

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

Present.

Councilmember Daniel McCampbell.

Present.

Councilmember Renata Miller.

Member Miller did indicate that she will not be present due to a family issue.

The clerk will say no.

Councilmember Gabriel Santiago Romero.

Councilmember Mary Waters.

Present.

Councilmember Andrew Whitfield Calloway.

Council President Pro Tim Coleman Young's second.

Council President James Cate.

Yep.

Mr.

President, there is a quorum.

Thank you.

We have a quorum, which means we're now in session and our first hearing of the day is General Services Department.

Come on down.

So Clerk, if you can note that we've been joined by Member Callaway.

Clerk will as well as Pro Tim Yo.

Clerk will so no.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Feel free to uh introduce yourself and your team as well.

And when you're ready, the floor is yours to begin the presentation.

Good morning, thank you.

Um I'm Crystal Perkins.

I'm the director of the General Service Department, and with me today I have Deputy Director Jarell Harris and our agency CFO, Angela Taylor.

Good morning.

Good morning, and thank you for giving us this opportunity to present our budget to this.

Yes, it's one.

Okay.

Should I come a little closer?

That one gets kind of weird, so they may just have to adjust it in the back.

So more words.

Thank you, though.

At GSG, we view ourselves as the operational backbone of the city.

We maintain our parks, we clean our neighborhoods, we support our residents, and we create spaces where Detroit's can thrive.

Every day, our work shows up in the quality of life across the city.

In alignment with Mayor Sheffield's Rise Higher Platform and Vision to create safer neighborhoods and expand opportunity for Detroit residents, the General Services Department is prioritizing neighborhood activation through recreation and safe spaces in fiscal year 26-27.

Key priorities for the fiscal year include expanding after-school partnerships, enhancing evening and high need, enhancing programming in evening and high need areas, ensuring our recreation centers operate as hubs of stability, mentoring ship, and opportunity for all.

But we are committed to maintaining and in key areas improving our service delivery.

Our theme this year is lead with purpose, serve with excellence.

Our focus moving forward is clear, neighborhood activation through recreation and safe spaces.

We know that when young people have access to structured programming, when seniors have spaces to gather, and when communities feel safe and activated, we will see stronger and more stable neighborhoods.

Our division highlights.

It directly shapes how our residents experience their neighborhoods every day.

When we maintain our grounds, it sends a clear message that this city is cared for and every neighborhood matters.

Our urban forest is one of the most valuable assets.

It impacts safety, public health, and long-term stability of our neighborhoods.

These services, blight remediation, ground maintenance, forestry, foreculture, landscape design, are deeply connected.

Together, they define how our neighborhoods look, feel, and function.

Detroit Animal Care and Control plays a critical role in both public safety and animal welfare.

Our focus is providing humane care while responding effectively to the needs of our residents.

We recognize the importance of getting this right.

We are implementing stronger oversight, improving processes, and holding ourselves accountable to higher standards.

Our fleet management division is the operational backbone to ensure our teams have the vehicles and equipment they need to deliver services across the city safely, reliably, and efficiently.

Fleet is not just support, it is the essential infrastructure that enables every service we deliver throughout the city.

Our parks are one of the most visible and valued assets in our neighborhood.

They are spaces where residents gather, play, heal, and connect.

Parks are not amenities.

They're essential infrastructure for quality of life.

When our parks are clean, safe, and active, they strengthen neighborhoods, improve quality of life, and reflect the city that's invested in its people.

Recreation is the heart of how we activate neighborhoods.

We engage residents and we create safe structured environments across the city.

We're currently operating 15 centers.

We have two that will be coming online in the near future.

Under Mayor Sheffield's leadership, we are intentionally expanding recreation as a tool for neighborhood stability and youth engagement.

When recreation centers are active, neighborhoods are stronger.

These spaces provide safety, structure, and opportunity, and that has a lasting impact on our city.

Our security division is critical to ensuring that facilities, staff, and residents are safe, allowing every other service to operate efficiently.

We are strengthening our security operations to ensure consistency, visibility, and responsiveness across all locations.

A strong security presence not only protects the people and the asset, but it builds trust and ensures that our spaces remain safe, accessible, and welcoming for all.

We're gonna start looking at the time it takes to remediate.

We're gonna start looking at the conditions of our parks and our facilities.

We're gonna start looking at how we're engaging our youth during the peak hours.

We're gonna evaluate our fleet uptime and our cost efficiencies.

And of course, our animal care outlook outcomes and response times.

Our department wide strategy is simple but powerful.

We're gonna align our people, deploy our resources intentionally, and deliver consistent high-quality service that residents can see and feel in their neighborhoods every day.

In closing, our budget delivers cleaner, safer neighborhoods, more reliable city services, humane and responsive animal care, access to recreation and critical needs, financial, fiscal discipline, and transparency.

This budget is more than numbers, it's about impact.

It's about a safer neighborhood, a stronger community, a city that works for everyday residents.

Our work directly supports Mayor Sheffield's priorities from public safety to youth engagement to neighborhood revitalization.

We are committed to leading with purpose and serving with excellence.

And most importantly, we are committed to delivering for the people of Detroit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Very much appreciated.

I want to start off.

Uh thank you all for for the work that you do.

We stay in contact quite often, my team and I personally and your staff and you.

So again, thank you for your responsiveness.

Wanted to talk a little bit about you know, uh, one program that I'm very um proud of and concerned about.

Um, how do we get it across the threshold and complete the uh request?

And that's the triple D tree program.

Uh, if you can talk to us a bit about where uh the numbers stand now in terms of outstanding requests for service.

Uh and I know that the mayor in the proposed budget provided some additional funding, but how does that funding affect the uh outstanding requests that uh we have in our in the queue?

Um thank you through the chair.

Um so yes, the additional funding will help support our operations and continue to service those that are in need.

Um we do have quite a few um tree requests that we definitely need to uh make sure that we uh take care of because it will affect um the quality of the homeowner's life because some of them are safety issues, and so we are um excited that come July 1st we'll be able to address, especially um there's one area um that's in um district three where this tree has been um down and on this car in someone's backyard for almost a decade, maybe.

Um you can see it driving down eight miles, so we're real really excited that we'll be able to assist uh residents with issues like that come July 1st.

Give us a little bit more in terms of numbers, though, if you will.

What is the backlog look like and how does this dollar?

I mean, I know it will help, but how do we uh eliminate because we were talking about opening up another opening up the phones, phone lines for folks as we know it's been very, very, very popular.

Literally, when we uh open the phone lines the first time around, we have a thousand within like that first week.

Um, and I can only imagine that once we do it again, uh, word spreads, we're gonna get the same type of response.

So let's talk a little bit about about numbers.

So, numbers-wise, uh, through the chair, we are looking at with the dollar amount service an additional 350.

Well, let's but but first we can talk about how what is that backlog look like?

What does that number look like currently?

So the backlog is not as bad as we thought it was.

Once we cleaned up the backlog, we realized that there were some duplicates.

Okay, there were some um trees that were not um did not qualify because they were not dead, dangerous or diseased.

So we've surveyed all the trees.

We have surveyed all the trees.

Yes, all the trees have been surveyed.

Um, and so the backlog is not as um exhaustive as we thought, you know, we thought it was, and so we are looking within.

Keeping me in suspense, what's the number?

Um, I don't have the total number on the top of my head.

I can get that to you.

I believe we did get a memo from um you your team requesting the uh total amount, and we should have submitted that memo.

So if you've submitted the memo, somebody should be able to get you from your team that response.

Somebody can give me that response, and I can and I can get it to you.

Yeah, because I really want to know uh not if it's going to make a dent, but how do we clear the table?

And especially if we're talking about opening up phone lines again.

Um, how do we ensure that when we open up phone lines that we won't find ourselves right back in the same situation yet again?

Because that's the whole goal to really to extinguish as many as possible.

And if and if it gets to a point where we have to, you know, close the program down at some point to catch up, then we do that, but just want to have a plan on how we plan to do that, not just making a dent, small dent, large dent, but just need a better understanding of what what we're working with.

Yes, absolutely.

So we we learned a lot from the last time, and so what we want to do this time is be more strategic and have a plan in place and not just open the floodgates and have to shut the pro program down.

We are looking at course clearing the backlog, and then the rest we will spread across the seven districts, working with the department of neighborhoods, the um residents who have trees that are you know dangerous, those are our high priority, right?

We want to make sure our our residents and and the neighborhoods are safe.

So we will definitely work with the department of neighborhoods to try to identify those locations instead of just open up a floodgate for you know everybody who just wants this tree because it's a nuisance, or you know, I don't like the way it looked to flood those gates, right?

We want to take care of what we designed the program to take care for of, and that's the the dangerous dead and disease trees.

So we do have um a little bit more of a better strategy this time around so that we won't have that influx and overflow like we did before.

Okay.

Well, I'm gonna stand down with the rest of my questions until we get that information uh from your team, and I'll pass the uh mic over to member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh, through you, good morning.

Good to see you all, and yes, very grateful for the work that you do for all of us.

I have a number of questions.

Uh, what I'll do is focus my questions on our neighborhoods.

And we'll thank you again for helping us uh extend our park shelters in Kemani Park.

I believe we asked if we're able to do some more amenities.

I think there was mention of a water feature.

So just wondering how much would that cost?

Uh, would that be in our budget to be able to establish this time?

If not, would like to know the number to be able to find it in the budget either this time or next time to be able to add more amenities to Community Park.

Yes, thank you.

And through the chair.

So we um we did have a conversation with your team about a water feature in place of the shelter.

It's the same amount, it was just like the 250.

Um, we understand that the commitment was for the shelter, and that's what you guys heard from the community needs while we were hearing the water feature.

Um, so if that's something we can work together on in the future, I'm more than happy to do so.

Okay, yes, please.

And I think there's a lot of needs and a lot of thoughts on what people want.

Um, and just want to make sure that we're able to get them all the things, you know.

I think that just comes with planning.

Um, so so we can do that work.

Um to that end, uh there is uh we know of um I believe 28 million dollars is proposed for parks uh capital projects, and just wondering what this will be used for and if Cheryl Park in Midwest is included in this capital plan.

So the 28 million um, and I can have budget, correct me if I'm wrong.

The 28 million of capital, 20 million is for fleet and eight million is for parks.

Um I'll defer to uh my budget.

Okay, so the 8 million is for parks.

Um we do have a um parks plan that we work off of because you know we have over 300 parks in the city, and we want to make sure we're equally um invested in the parks throughout the city.

Um I do know Cheryl Park is on our list.

I can't say off the top of my head where exactly it would fall this budget season, but I can get that information and get that back to you.

Through the chair, okay, good to hear.

Um, because Midwest, I I believe definitely um is is a good candidate for investments.

Um, has not seen the kind of investment as other parks or other neighborhoods in district six.

Um, so we will work with you uh to hear what's coming down the pipeline.

Um and again, we have other questions that we will send over via memo.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Excuse me, thank you, Member Benson.

Thank you very much, and thank you all for being here.

Um I just want to thank you and your team as well.

Your GSD team is very responsive.

They are very supportive of the programs that we do in the third district when it comes to our senior task force, our bingo with Benson.

They are there helping to set up and tear down when we are doing our bicycle giveaways, they're there helping to set up and tear down, they're there helping us at our annual movie day for our senior task force.

So this we want to thank you all there.

Uh, the establishment of the Office of Sustainability, they come and they're very supportive, and they are integral to the success of our green task force.

Want to thank you all there.

Our recreation centers want to thank you, President Biden for the ability to put the capital improvement, those ARPA dollars into those.

We now have our brand new gym at Farwell, something the community have been asking for for decades.

We have a working pool at Heilman Recreation Center, which is very nice, and I'm glad to see that we have that.

I like to see more advertising, like to see those numbers get up as far as people using that.

That is a huge asset that so many people don't know that we have.

They also don't know how much it costs to maintain a pool.

So they often hear I walk and pool.

Pools are very expensive, but we do have one in the third district, so just really want to thank you all for that.

Then and I've made specific calls to you to say I wasn't aware that we had neighborhood water features in our community and some of our local neighborhood parks.

And that is a fantastic asset for a neighborhood and a community.

Then we have our EVs uh charging stations at our rec centers for free uh energy for people's vehicles.

And I see people there all times the day and night.

Our EB chargers are full, they're heavily used, and so just want to thank you all for making sure those stay maintained, and that's not an easy task.

I mean, when when something is public like that, it can get heavy use, but they stay working, and when they're not a uh simple call down to uh the appropriate staff here at the city, they get repaired as well.

And so just want to thank you all for that.

Some of my concerns, and so this also uh goes toward the president's issue regarding forestry.

So this past year, forestry came up as a very big issue in the third district, not private forestry, but the city's portfolio.

We had our presentation that you all did in uh neighborhoods.

Want to thank the uh pro Tim for that discussion.

But what comes up is that if we want to grow to move to the next level from where we are with our current forestry department, it's going to take a greater level of investment.

Uh the resources used for forestry come from our street fund.

I like to see a greater level come from our general fund.

And just looking at the numbers presented, uh, our current operations 33 FTEs, 5.8 million dollar annual cost, moderate level hybrid operation, 77 FTEs, 21.6 million dollars.

High level, completely in-house.

That will be 131 employees, and that will cost 30.5 million dollars.

I believe in incremental steps and gradual climb, but I would like to see us get to at least a moderate level of support.

I mean, we have hundreds of thousands of trees throughout the city of Detroit and not being maintained at the moderate level.

And so when we see branches falling, you see you all responding to uh storm damage.

Our portfolio of trees take a big hit.

And I want to say it's probably because they're not seeing the maintenance that they need to see on a regular basis.

So I'm gonna make a motion to add four million dollars recurring to uh forestry, and that's gonna be uh 26470 with the um fund code, I believe, of 47020, and that's for a reoccurring for four million dollars to the forestry department.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none, then action shall be taken.

And then my next motion will be to increase the FTEs from 33 to 57, which means an adding of 24 FTEs to forestry, which is below the moderate level of hybrid operations needed, which was 77, but once again, incremental steps.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none, then action shall be taken.

And then I want to say that our recreation centers, that is a place where we have a competitive advantage in the city of Detroit.

The new dome at Chandler Park is a fantastic space.

Uh taking basketball lessons with my son there.

Uh, we go there for soccer uh practice.

Uh just the number of youth and families that I see there practicing, uh, young men uh trying to get to uh college on a football scholarship or doing the tryouts there.

I see the track tryouts and workouts that are going on there with the different schools.

I see the number of families and parents hanging out, fantastic gathering space and this fantastic asset.

That as per one of our former professional football players who did his time at Michigan State, then went on to play for the Miami Dolphins.

Detroit has the most pro football players of any city in the country that enter the NFL.

And we are a cold weather state.

We don't have the ability to practice and play outdoors year-round like Florida or California or Texas, but with that type of asset and the ability to do that, that's a game changer for our youth right here in the city of Detroit.

And so I just want to call out the fact that we have this level of assets and the exposure and the ability to do this right here in the city of Detroit, but the environment sometimes is challenging.

And so as I've said to Chief Bettison, that having the serious behavior, lewd, um, reckless driving through our parks, open air drug use, open air alcohol use is not inviting for families.

And so when we go to Chandler Park during the spring and summer to play soccer, that type of behavior is not welcoming to young families.

And I have uh my former my fellow parents, and I got one in the room today.

Uh, when we take our kids and they're looking at me like councilman, what kind of behavior is this?

I mean, people want us to come to the park, but I don't feel safe, and my children are seeing this type of behavior.

So I am looking for a greater level of enforcement and just compliance and behavior change.

If those are the activities you want to do, then go home and do that.

That's fine.

But to come to the park and have an expectation that I'm gonna be able to ride my ATV recklessly through and then crash and hopefully I don't hurt somebody or myself, or that I'm gonna be able to open air drug use and alcohol use at the park where we have kids practicing.

That's just not appropriate.

We see what used to take place at Bell Isle, no longer takes place.

That type of behavior isn't tolerated.

But now you see an influx of families who utilize that.

I just think that we are going to see a greater level of use of our recreational facilities if families feel welcome bringing their children there, and the environment is one of welcoming.

So I'm also gonna make a motion to add one million dollars to the security line item for reoccurring, and that is uh 29470 with the I think the cost center is 47035, and may have that nomenclature incorrect motion.

All right, there's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

Discussion with discussion, Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Through you to Member Benson.

Can I join you on that?

You may.

Thank you.

LPD, there's a request for joining.

Any objection, colleagues?

See none, then action shall be taken.

And then Mr.

Chair, based on that, I'd like also add a motion to the closing resolution that GSD security team partner with DPD to re uh focus the park patrol.

That was one time an active item to provide security and safety, and just an ecosystem of welcoming young families uh to the closing resolution, urging them to work together to re-establish uh the park patrol.

All right, colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Discussion.

Um with discussion, Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Through you to member Benson.

Can we also add the sheriff's department because that is a county park as well or parts of it?

Um, and a county road.

Motion.

Um with the modification.

All right, there's an amended motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objection?

See none, then action shall be taken.

All right, and then Duncan, can you just talk about our rec centers and the environment that we're that we have started and how we can even better improve on our rec centers and our recreation within the city of Detroit?

To me, that that is our competitive edge.

When we talk about young families and people moving into the city, recreation is now a standout and a high point.

We're competitive with our neighbors.

If you go out to Western Wayne County, Decanton, if you're looking at what's going on in Oakland County or Washinaw County, our competitive uh municipalities, you're gonna see that we are stand on par even better than what they can offer their residents and young families.

Look at that.

Yes, through the chair to member Benson.

Um so our recreation centers have uh tr transformed over the last few years, right?

We've offer um programs that are um usually found in suburban centers or um private clubs.

We've been able to offer senior programs to infant programming.

We're very proud of the work that our men and women are doing in our rec centers.

What we need to do, and what we're working on is doing a better job of letting the community know what we offer.

I had a young mom call me yesterday.

She was at a rec center, and she had she said she feels like she's up there every day.

She has two young daughters.

Um one is swimming, one is doing cheer.

Um one day she's learning how to do hair braiding.

We offer nail tech classes.

Um there's a lot of the sports, right?

All of the sports, but we also have now um eSports lounges in our rec centers, which we are seeing is a big thing in in the sports industry now.

Um the Pistons actually have an esports team where they recruit people to come and sit in a room and play video games in in a competitive way against other teams.

Um we do have our esports lounges up and working.

We have, of course, all of our water aerobics and things that are done there, but our senior programming too is very um competitive to what we see in other uh communities.

Um we have a strong senior community here in the city of Detroit, especially at our rec centers like um Adams Butzel and Buttsel Family and even Farwell, where they um in competition with each other to see who has the best group of seniors at these rec centers.

And so we do offer a lot in recreation, and we're just working right now to make sure we're offering what the residents want to see, and by doing that, we just recently conducted a survey with our members to see what programs they may want that we're not offering, and of what we're offering, what's their favorite, right?

And so once we get the results back from that, we may be tailoring some of the programs, or we may find out what we're offering is just what they they want and need.

And I would like to add that um what people don't realize is that our rates are very affordable.

You can get a um adult membership for to go to any rec center for just $50 for the year versus uh LA fitness, which is $40, $50 a month.

We do have uh workout facilities, weights, machines, bikes, all of that in our rec centers.

And so our our our and for young children, we have annual memberships as low as seven dollars on for some ages, five and under, it's free.

Um, the um teenagers, we usually offer um summer free membership for the youth because we want to see them engaged in our programming and in our centers and giving them something positive and um productive to do.

And so, and just want to add that uh I am a member, and so when I charge my EV, I go to one of many of our different parks.

It's free, it's fantastic.

If I'm going after school, my son and I we can go and play video games or just hang out.

I have a family membership just to make sure that I'm gonna be using these facilities that we're also supporting.

Now the the collaboration with G with um DPSCD at High Omen and Um Fisher Lower, where the kids, instead of the parents having to pay for aftercare, which many schools charge for, they go right over to our rec center.

And so Mass Free, that's a fantastic collaboration, especially in the northeast side of Detroit, where disposable income is something sometimes hard to come by.

And so these families now know that they have a safe location for their children to go and be safe and productive on their tax dime.

And so that that's a fantastic use of those city recreation and a great collaboration that we're seeing between DPSCD and uh GSD on the recreation side.

So I just really wanted to um elevate that and call that out.

But if we and through the chair, I just would like to add that we've been in communication with DPSCD since the um uh Sheffield administration has been in office, and we are looking to strengthen our partnership, not just with um, we have a lot of schools that are in the backyard of our rec centers, but we're looking at where there may be um after-school programming deserts for DPS CD and how we as a city can step in in partnership to strengthen um where our children need us the most.

And this is my last question, Mr.

Chair.

Um we've focused on after-school programming.

There's a now there's been gonna be a focus on midnight basketball Saturday hours for our rec centers without a huge influx of new staff.

I see that there are provisions being made in this budget for additional staff, but what I often hear from the rec center employees is that we're being a stretch of bit thin councilman, and we also like to spend time with our families, and so I'm hoping that we're making provisions for our rec center employees when it comes to having enough, they don't have to work overtime, so they can spend time with their families and having the ability and what now seems to be a luxury of a 40 hour work week to know that I have the weekends off, or I can know that I can plan my week around a five-day work week versus a six-day work week.

What are we doing for that?

Yes, through the chair to member Benson.

We are um, if you would notice in the budget, there's an increase in positions for recreation.

And so we take all of that into the account when we looked into our um new Occupy the Summer initiative that the mayor is placed um on uh in put in place.

Um so we don't want to stretch our employees thin.

If we're gonna be staying open to 11, 12 o'clock at night, we need additional staff to help with that.

Our employees are the background backbone to our success, to our operations.

And if they're burnt out, if they're stressed, if they're running thin, we cannot be of any service to our residents.

And so we will be adding additional staff to take on that extra shift and those extra responsibilities that we want to provide for our residents.

All right, thank you.

I'm just saying what I've seen over at Farwell with the paths that are coming online, what we're seeing over at um Durayus Vellodrome Durayus Derby Hill with the new paths that are there from the uh 1.2 million dollars that we put in the budget last year.

Very excited to see that we're going to be programming activating that park.

You um graded the sled hill this year, which then just reinforced how much greater um Derby Hill's sled opportunities are than any other park in the city of Detroit.

And so we were very happy to see that, and the kids were really excited and use it heavily this winter.

So thank you for that.

Thank you for what you all are doing, and for making us a highly competitive uh city when it comes to people's choices of where to live and the assets that we offer our residents.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Um next up we have member McCampbell.

Colleagues, just keep in mind, please uh try to hear to the two question uh Max per member.

I know there's follow-ups, follow it for definitely uh this is not in anybody in particular, just saying for the body.

For the body.

Uh member McCampbell.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Good morning.

Uh thank you all for the work that you all do on GSD.

I know it's expensive and um touches many areas, and just want to send appreciations to you and the staff and the department for all the work that you all do.

Um, I know we had quite a I would agree with the points that touched on recreation centers and what they provide for communities.

Um, and I know even the council president has talked about mental health services as well as and also recreation centers are um that place the community can come together.

Um you probably know where I'm gonna go, but um district seven is without a rec center and has been for quite some time now.

So wanted to just jump right into it on if you could just um let us know any timeline around the the rec center with the pistons at um Brennan Recreation Center at Rouge Park and the funding, it's all the funding there.

Is there anything that we need to um add to that and just the overall plans for that?

Sure, through the chair um to member McCampbell.

The um plan is to do a groundbreaking for the Brendan uh recreation center that's um sponsored by the Detroit Pistons in April.

The challenge is that um, you know, the pistons will more than likely be in the playoffs.

Um, and so we we would need the um, you know, that administration would need to be there, and we don't want to conflict with any um playoff timing.

So right now we still have a to-be determined on that date, but we are targeting mid to late April.

Um, and so again, that depends on the the schedule for for the playoffs.

Um, and so we are um we're set on funding um from from our standpoint.

The um center itself is a 20 million dollar donation by the Detroit Pistons that we are very grateful for, and then we do have um in our budget the three million that will be um set aside as contingency if if it's so chooses because when we made the plans for this rec center, it was a few years ago, and as we know, um costs does change and has drastically changed.

Um so we don't want to uh slight or short the residents and what their expectations are for that center because we had the community meetings about two years ago to talk about what the amenities would look like.

So we want to make sure that we are able to provide all that we talked about and discussed in those meetings.

Thank you for that.

And you know, I am uh uh MV uh Pistons fan, so I want them to go far in the playoffs now.

So we meet that recenter in D7 as well.

So hopefully that uh hopefully those two can go together um as stay on track there, and and thank you for the um letting me know about the funding there.

Uh go ahead, through the chair, one quick question.

I mean, it would it would it hurt too bad if we're groundbreaking after the parade.

As long as we can get it built, so that's that's fine.

Uh maybe we could do the parade route on Plymouth at the end of the day.

That's what we can do there.

Um but the I I thank you for letting us know about the contingency as well.

Um I had a question, and maybe this is for budget as well.

I know was there additional funding needed for um renovations at the current building.

So I'm gonna defer to my colleagues at budget for that.

Um that's something that they can speak to.

Thank you.

Through the chair.

Uh, through the chair to council member McCampbell.

Um there is capital allocated to the General Services Department for parks and recreation purposes, and so I think what we would do is we would evaluate what specifically is needed.

We'd work with the construction and demolition department facilities group, uh capital improvement group, I should say, and um determine exactly what's needed, and we would probably allocate capital from the parks and recreation capital budget for it.

Um I think we would just need to get a sense of exactly what's needed there.

Um, because right now our focus is obviously the new the new center.

Not that the old center is not important, it absolutely is, um, but our attention has been focused really on on getting the new one going started.

Um so I would definitely say that I would work with um Director Perkins and her team to work to also in with the construction demolition department to find out exactly what's needed, and then we would you know make sure the capital that's currently allocated gets allocated to that specifically.

So we that frequently occurs.

We you know, we allocate the capital and then we determine, you know, oh, there is a uh a need, or oh, we need to really address this thing, and we can shift things around a little bit.

So I I think we're covered there.

Um I I wouldn't say we need any more funding in the Capitol.

Okay, thank you for that.

And uh, and just this is a follow-up, Mr.

Chair.

Um, you are you all in conversations with um friends of Rouge Park on any of those renovations that may be needed, or are they a part of that conversation with that?

So through the chair, we are um consistently communicating with the friends of Rooch.

Um you know, we we talk about what the needs are for the park and we try to prioritize that, but we're looking at the the you know the city as a whole too, right?

Um so yes, we do communicate with the um friends of Roach.

They're great partners for us.

Thank you.

Yes, no, it's a great and and thank for all the work that goes on at Rouge Park as well.

I will continue to lift that up as a gem of the city.

Uh, but thank you for the information on the recreation center.

Um really excited to see that come into fruition and um looking forward to that being completed.

I do have a motion um if we can just add to the closure resolution language around if there are additional funding that is needed for the new build that the um administration make works to make sure that that happens, uh, Mr.

Chair.

All right, colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

Thank you so much.

And director, if you could just talk on, I know there is uh as you um there is a new director with the Detroit Animal Care Uh Control and Care, but could you just talk on any initiative if that may be coming out of that um in regards to I know you talked about them or being responsible, but any other things that are coming out of the DACC?

Um through the chair, sure.

We have uh recently hired Rachel Williams.

Rachel is a native Detroiter, but she's coming to us by way of um Dallas, Texas.

Um, as we know, Detroit is special.

There's no place like Detroit.

However, the the Dallas Um Animal Care and Control Facility is the most closely aligned in the in the country with what we face here in Detroit.

Um, and it's still not a one-on-one match.

Um, and so the experience that she has with dealing with the the animal stray population down there, and also the um live release percentages increases that she's had down here made her a very very um valuable candidate for us.

Um she started with us um the second week of February.

In addition, we have recently hired a senior veterinarian.

Um, Dr.

Marcy has joined us.

She's a local native Detroiter, but she comes with extensive um background, and I'm very excited that we have these two on board with them too with the these two ladies on board.

Um, we expect to have um better service to our animal population, but not just to the population, but to the pet owners.

Um, and we're looking at um doing things in-house, getting more training on how our officers and our investigators are handling our residents, how they're um documenting the reports.

We have strengthened our partnership with DPD for those animal abuse or cruelty cases that come before us to make sure that they are being followed through.

And we are working um very closely with the Michigan Humane Society.

Um, as you know, we do have a high population of dogs in our city.

Um and the Michigan Humane Society is working with us to help not just with our dogs, but in instance, we have um cats.

We don't go out and get cats, we don't go out and pick cats up, but we will take in cats in our shelter when people bring them.

And so we've seen lately, not just in Detroit, but in our region and also in our country, um, where people have um taken on more than what they can handle with the animals.

And so being able to partner not just with Michigan Humane, but also our rescue agencies to take on some of those animals that we find in um in serious um sad conditions, um, especially for new puppies.

A shelter is really not a place for a puppy, and so our partners are there to help us take those animals to help find homes, and we're trying to increase our adoption rates.

We do have a foster program where someone can come and take a dog for a day.

Um we have one lovely couple, they always come and take a dog to do Motor City uh makeover with.

And you you can bring them back at the end of the day.

We give you everything you need for that dog.

So if there's someone um that's on the fence on if they want a dog, just come take a dog for a day.

It's called fostering a dog, and you can get to love the dog, get to know the dog, and determine if this is a fit for you.

Thank you.

And I might have to come foster a dog.

I feel like my dog needs a little buddy.

Uh but uh thank you for that.

And uh, you're right.

I I will say, just using this time, I agree that many folks are taking on dogs and pets that they do they should not have.

So if folks are listening, you know, someone thinking about getting a pet, and they might not be the best person urged them not to.

Um, in that way, but I thank you for that, and I'm looking forward to the improvements in um DACC.

I um I do have a um, and as you mentioned, as folks are getting those dogs.

I know we are seeing a lot of folks drop them off in Rouge Park.

Um, there are quite a few stray dogs in Rouge Park and and dogs that you could tell that came from a house um or came from a home and now have just been abandoned um in the park.

So definitely something to be mindful of.

I I do have uh uh a few motions here.

Um if we could uh I would make a motion for the closing resolution um to just uh if there can be just uh enforcement from DACC, maybe to take a look at Rouge Park and see if we can spot anyone who is dumping dog or um abandoning the dogs in that park.

So that's one resolution.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

And then another closer resolution around Rouge Park to uh the need to urge uh to solve the need around improvements around signage and wayfinding um to increase comfort and safety of users and access to the park, but also um improvements to the Brennan Pools building um that are not included in the Piston Recreation Center.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Seeing none that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and thank you so much, director again, and thank you to all the um hardworking folks at GST.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Director, you mentioned uh Dr.

Marcy is joining us at the mobile vet.

Dr.

Marcy McCarthy.

Yes.

She's awesome.

McKee, yes, yes, she is awesome.

Great job.

Great job.

Thank you.

Um Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Um, great to see everyone here.

Uh I just want to say in January I attended the changing of the guard meeting at Farwell Center with uh Councilmember Benson, and I recognize Mr.

Oliver Wilson, a number of families in the community that had worked to get Farwell Wreck Center renovated, uh, like uh Slappies and Mayfields, which came out in great numbers.

So I just want to say thank you so much for attending that.

That was fun.

I really appreciate that.

You always responded.

And also thank you for the wonderful presentation that you gave involving trees.

Because I was really getting hammered about, you know, when are we going to learn more about trees?

And it was an excellent presentation.

So thank you all.

I appreciate it.

I wanted to ask you a question.

First of all, for my understanding, freeway maintenance funding is split across multiple funds.

So blight, major streets, and grants.

And while revenues for that activity are declining, can you just kind of walk us through the true cost of this program and whether state reimbursements are keeping pace with expenditures?

Yes, through the chair.

Yes, we're doing more in the city to keep our freeways clean than what was happening when it was a responsibility of those outside the city.

And there has been legacy debris from dumping over the years and just not the attention just was not there.

And so when we took this program over, we did a hefty cleanup.

And as you know, I'm living in the city, our gloomy time is transitioning from uh winter to uh spring, and that's when all the snow is melting and we see all the debris and trash and um even driving.

Uh, I take the lodge a lot and driving, I see you know, the plastic bags um just floating in the tree branches, and it's just just such a bad look.

So, yes, we have our teams.

Um, we're doing more maintenance and cleaning on the freeways than was done by our counterparts at the state.

They do give us a reimbursement.

Okay.

Um, that reimbursement does not um compare to the level of service that we're providing.

Um, we did get a grant um this past year that has helped a lot.

Um, but the true costs I would defer to um our deputy Jarrell Harris that could identify those and if you can't kind of explain, give me a little bit of a history and a backstory of how that decision was made that that the city was gonna take on this responsibility from the state.

How did that come about?

Did we just because it kind of just seems to me like we just woke up one day and said we're gonna take that on?

Or did the state ask us to take it on?

Because I'm thinking it's more of an unfunded mandate, you know, from my perspective.

So through the chair, I can I can answer that.

Um it was it was the previous administration.

Um, you know, we were doing so much cleaning in the city, and our city is looking great.

But then when you're on the freeways, when you're on the service drive, um, I believe the state was only doing cleaning three times a year.

Okay.

Um, where we're doing at least five or six times of year.

So um, you know, you you're you're you're driving around the city and every the corridors are looking good, you know, the parks are looking good, but then when you're on the freeways, you're on the service drive, there's just this trash.

Um, and so when we took it over and we first started doing that cleaning, it was a it was a stark difference between our bordering cities.

And so that's just something we wanted to keep up for our residents because it does make a big difference and it increases the um the quality of life, and you feel better and prideful about your city.

Um it's it's funny now because when we weren't doing it, I felt like um people really didn't notice it.

And now that we do it, and it's noticeable when we don't do it, people are calling us.

So um, yes, that's something that we initiated and had the conversations with the state to say, hey, let us take this over.

Um, what you're spending provided to us so we can put that towards what we need to make sure that our city is a clean and safe city.

With everything that you do.

Yes.

Uh good morning through the chair to uh Pro Tim Young.

Uh so we're going into our fourth season of freeway maintenance.

Uh we have an in-house team that does freeway litter cleanup, and so they are cleaning the service drives and the slopes of the freeway, which we refer to as the bowl.

So if you hear us say we're cleaning the bowl, that's the slope of the freeway.

Um we also have two vendors who do the mowing.

Um, that is a contractor service on the freeways.

Um we service every freeway that transverses throughout the city.

Um, every freeway we do the service drives and the bowls.

Um, MDOT still does the sweeping of the freeways, and so they do the sweeping of the shoulders, the flat concrete area, um, the inside and outside shoulders.

And so uh we do not do that in-house, but MDOT does still do that service.

Um, it costs us about 5.5 million dollars annually to perform that service.

Um, that includes what we pay for our in-house staff that does the litter cleanup as well as what we pay for the mowing services.

Um, and we have a couple of vendors that help with litter collection as well.

Uh MDOT reimburses us uh roughly 650 ish thousand dollars.

Um, so again, it is not nearly as much as it costs us to do it.

Um, and that reimbursement.

Uh we're currently working to uh to increase that reimbursement.

It is based on uh some numbers from the uh mid 2016, 2017 time period, um, which is not kept up with inflation or the cost to perform the service, and so we are working with MDOT to see if we can get a larger uh reimbursement.

Um, we do uh mow the service yard uh the the freeways more often than MDOT did.

Um they did one to two cuts a season.

Um we do three to five, depending on how the weather, how the grass is growing.

There's some things that determine how much we cut on the freeways.

Um, and again, we do a lot more litter collection and cleanup than they did before.

So um we think the freeways are looking really good.

Again, this is our transition period.

The snow is melting, there's a lot of debris out there.

But once we get through this period, and if you all remember last season, the free rates were beautiful.

We'll get back to that point um um fairly soon.

Yeah, and my final question I wanted to ask you was about uh what are you doing involving the issue of implementing artificial intelligence?

Uh through the chair to Pro Tim Young, we're not using AI, but if you remember last season, one of our vendors uses autonomous mowers.

Uh, they're a lot safer.

Uh they are uh remote control operated by a uh uh a human is using remote control, um, but they're using the mowers on the slopes, um, which is a lot safer for them, and they've gotten a really good uh cut with using those mowers, and so they anticipate increasing that useless this year as well.

Okay, well, listen, I would just say that I would encourage you to be able to use artificial intelligence.

I think it'd be good, and I think you also could save a lot of money.

I'm just gonna go over it very quickly.

Uh, your annual GSD savings with autonomous vehicles will be 50 to 120 million dollars.

Your 10-year net impact would be 800 million to 1.5 billion.

Your 30-year net impact would be 3 billion to 5 billion.

Your uh tax revenue would be 200 million to 1 billion, you know, year over long term.

Um, and I also just wanted to say that the uh I was wanna say the housing stability would go up, public safety would go up.

So there's a lot of really good things here that you could do to be oh, sorry.

Your fleet time, your fleet downtime will go down by 40 percent, your maintenance costs will go down by 30 percent, your energy costs will go down by 25%, your procurement leakage would go down by 50%, your service delivery time will go down by 35%, and your return on investment on artificial intelligence systems will go up by 200%, and residence satisfaction is projected to go up by 20 to 30 percent.

So, as I encourage you to adopt all my ideas, I would also encourage you to look at artificial intelligence.

Thank you, Mr.

And I'll send you this information.

I don't expect you remember this on top, but yeah, yeah, this is not this is not a quiz.

So I'll send it to you.

Uh thank you, Ms.

President.

That's my time.

Thank you, Member Callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and um good morning still, everyone.

Thank you, Miss Perkins, you and your amazing team for um your outstanding work.

You wear many hats, and your team is all over the place.

Anything's happening in the city, GSD is there.

Um I have several questions I've already submitted.

I got you, but um, I do want you to know that my office has been excluded from conversations regarding the programming at Palmer Park.

We've been um going back and forth with emails, and I'm not really um feeling included.

And so I am going to make a motion um that the official advisory committee for the band shell be established by this honorable body, existing of one member from every district, because it is not a Palmer Park band shell, it's the people's band shell, and we want the folks on the east side to feel just as included as the people on the west side.

So that is one of that's my first motion, and I'll make it again.

And this is for LPD and this is Simon.

I'll follow it up with the memorandum and a written request that a official advisory committee be set up to assist with the programming and management of the band shell that is located at Palmer Park, but is not the Palmer Parks band shell.

And so that being said, that is my motion.

Um, and I guess um, are there any objections?

Oh sorry.

All right.

Motion's been made.

Are any objections?

Hearing the motion carries.

And thank you so much.

And that again, that committee will be comprised of nine members, seven district, and two at large.

So we'll all have a say so what happens at the band shell and not just one group of um folks.

Um and I would still request that I be included on conversations.

There have been meetings, conversations, and my office has not been included.

I understood um last year that the council, each council office has should have a say so and say and input in these types of conversations, and I have not been included in these conversations.

I have emails from Mr.

Ernest Jackson Ernest.

He's been meeting with the people for Palmer Park, but I've not been included.

And so that's not settling well with me.

Um that's why we're going to establish that advisory comm that advisory committee.

Um next, um, thank you so much for the improvements that are happening at Comstock Peterson Hyde Park and all across the city.

Um we're so grateful.

And member McCamba, we don't mind sharing Adams Butzel rec center with you.

Um your residents and the residents of district two and all the residents get along just fine.

So we don't mind sharing it with you.

We had didn't have a problem with Durrhall borrowing that um Adams But it's not district two, it's just located in our district, but you are always welcome to use.

I just needed to put that on the record.

It is in district two.

Um I want to put into closing session.

We need to take a look at the um uh solution for the geese management and um population expansion.

Um geese are everywhere, they're walking up and down my street now.

They're coming over from Palmer Park.

I guess the dogs are doing a great job.

They're not at Palmer Park now, they're in the community in our driveways and in our backyard.

So um I'd like to make a motion to put into closing session alternative solutions to the management of the geese population across the city, Mr.

Chair.

Motion's been made.

Are any objections?

Hearing none, motion carries.

Thank you so much.

Um, also um, we know that um before I joined the council that Johnson Rec Center was in the hands of the city and owned by the people, then um it was sold to a private um Catholic school, um, UAD Jesuit school, and now the folks over here, my children over there have nowhere to go.

They don't have it's all private, it's all been fenced off.

They have access to the rec center, but they don't have their own.

That's private now.

The pool has been closed, and it's now a little mini golf course where they're learning how to swing their golf clubs, but there's no pool over there anymore, and they don't have access to the Johnson Rec Center.

They have to sign up for access.

So I want us to look at um maybe a mini dome.

It doesn't have to be as large as the one in on the east side that I hear is wonderful, that is in district four, but we have nothing in that area for all those children because they no longer have access to the pool, which has been closed in, um, and that now is a private um space.

So just I'll put that in the closing resolution.

That's another motion, Mr.

Chair, putting to closing resolution an alternative for a rec center over there near the eight-mile, seven-mile area, um, Cherry Lawn, um, Chippewa, where the Johnson Rec Center is now privately owned.

We need something over there for those children.

Um, that I'd like to make a motion to put that in the closing resolution, just a discussion to see what we can do to provide a space for those children over there now that they've been um excluded from their rec center.

It's now private.

That is my motion, sir.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

None, then action shall be taken.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Chair.

Um, also the fleet.

We are giving out cars like is Skittles and Starbucks.

When we were here when I first joined the council, we were given out tax abatements in my opinion, like Skittles and Starbucks.

Now we're giving out cards in in a similar manner.

So I gave you a question since General Services Department has a um management reverted back to GSD because I know it had gone over to construction and demolition before.

Is it back in the um jurisdiction of GSD?

Through the chair, yes.

Um, in February of 2026, the management of fleet came back to GSD.

Okay.

Well, we have a lot of fleet.

We have a lot of cars out here, they're all over the place.

Everybody has a car, secretaries have cars, just a lot of people.

So I am asking you to provide a list of how many vehicles are currently assigned to each city department and how GSD evaluates whether those allocations align with operational needs and efficiencies.

Um, and I'm really concerned because we have a lot of vehicles that are kept outside of the city, um parked in private driveways.

Um, I know a couple folks who are required by um GSD to drive their own vehicle, park that vehicle, and take the GSD, do the GSD business, which is the business of the city, and then drive their vehicles home.

But you're doing a great job with managing your fleet, but they need to take um some notes out of your playbook on managing fleet.

You're doing a marvelous job.

People are not taking your vehicles home.

So that is that is a question for you.

And through the chair, if you can answer that to the best of your ability, is a heavy duty question, and I can wait if you want to start it now and finish it in writing.

Through the chair.

Yes, through the chair to member Callaway.

So we can definitely give you the list of vehicles that's assigned to each department.

We are through this administration through the Sheffield administration, we are working on updating our vehicle policy to include more specific guidelines on how departmental level staff operate vehicles.

Prior to this new change that we're looking at doing, once a department receives their fleet of vehicles, it's up to that department to manage the distribution.

So GSD has no involvement on who's assigned a vehicle, why they're assigned the vehicle, and is it related to the operational needs of that person's position?

And so that's something that we're looking at.

We're in discussions with the all of our departments to understand how they're using their vehicles and to look at the list of people that's assigned a take-home vehicle, not just a vehicle for city use, but a take home vehicle, and if that's necessary for their job functions.

Now I do hear you on people who live outside the city.

Um we do have some of our safety personnel who live outside the city.

They're called in the middle of the night to come to maybe fire scenes or crime scenes or um just emergencies within the city.

And so those will be some things we will look at too to see what those will be exceptions to the rules.

But I do hear you and I understand your points on city vehicles being outside of city limits, and also city vehicles being assigned as take-home vehicles because ultimately the city is responsible for the cost for the maintenance, the fuel and the um the wear and tear on those vehicles.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

Through the chair, I know of one individual who um you know will uh remain unnamed, driving it personally, gets into a crash, and we're responsible in Birmingham where the individual lives.

So I mean, it's just concerning for me when it's not a perk, it is a part of our job.

You know, this body here, we're 24-7.

So of course, and any other elected official in the city that works for the city, those vehicles there we we work um seven days a week and would work eight if there were eight days a week.

So, but there's some individuals that have access to cars that are using them personally, and um I'll leave that there.

But I thank you.

I look forward to getting that information.

And um I'd like to put um make a motion to add a million dollars to um recreation.

I'm looking at this chart, and you can barely see that measly one million dollars for recreation.

I can barely see it.

Um, and we I heard what you said.

I I know about our our um new mission on Detroit Rise and higher, and when Detroit rises higher, our children and families rise higher, but it's nothing here, it's no money for recreation on this chart.

Is you can barely see it.

We say that we're gonna activate our neighborhoods, stabilize our neighborhoods, engage our youth, but we need more money into recreations if we're really gonna do what we say we're gonna do for our children and those rec centers.

Um, so um I make a motion to move um to executive session a million dollars for um recreation.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Uh looks like there's a discussion from uh the director, madam director.

So um through the chair to member Callaway, I just want to clarify something, and we should have caught this when we were reviewing our slides.

This um appropriation of the the 2112 where it says recreation, that's actually for our food services program only.

Okay.

That's our food services program.

Recreations budget is housed in our general fund, which is the 87.2 million.

So part of that is recreation.

And I can get you the breakdown.

I don't know if Angela or if my colleague Donny in budget has that information up.

I can pull it up if you don't.

Thank you.

Um because I was just looking at the chart.

Okay.

Yes.

And I'm sorry, we should have caught that and and clarify that that's for our food services program that we do where we feed um in in the summer and throughout the school year after school programming.

We provide um meals after school, and then in the summertime, we increase the amount of number that we provide to our uh residents and our youth for the food services.

Okay, and and through the chair, so you'll get us the information in terms of how much is being allotted for recreation specifically.

Oh, yeah through the chair.

Through the chair to member uh Callaway.

So in the FY27 uh proposed for the recreation appropriation is 22.1 million dollars.

Okay, all right.

And and my last comment, I don't even know if it's gonna be a question.

I think this is more like a comment.

Oh, okay.

So I want you to take a look at this, just consider it, and I'll put this in the closing resolution too, and maybe um the executive session, but my question is a family entertainment center for seasons.

We um we have more cold seasons or cold um weather here in Detroit than we really do have warm.

So we need to have an opportunity to have a four season entertainment, family entertainment um complex.

Um we know that uh midway sports and entertainment is in Taylor, Slick Six City Action Park is in Troy, Jumps Adventures in Lincoln Park, Woodhaven, Utica, Dearborn, Zap Zone.

We need something like that for our children and our families.

We need puppet golf, bowling, indoor glow centers.

We need something where children can have fun.

I have one resident in Green Acres, and she admitted at a meeting um on Monday.

No, on over the weekend at on Saturday for the um bagley meeting that she opens up her home every summer.

15 children on average visit her home to have playtime because there's nowhere for them to go in Bagley.

So I'm just asking us to think, and I'm putting in my put it in executive in closing about a nice family fund entertainment center, like they have in Bavarian village, Frankenmouth, Kalahari.

They have them everywhere but Detroit.

And you know who's at those centers in Troy and Woodhaven and Utica is Detroiters.

It's Detroiters, it's us trying to have wonderful birthday parties for our children.

We have nowhere for them to have wonderful birthday parties except for at our rec centers, not putting down our rec centers, but we need a family entertainment center that adults can enjoy and with their children.

And right now we really don't have that.

Okay, so I'll put that.

I make a motion to put just the discussion of a family fund entertainment center um into closing session, not necessarily the executive set.

I'm sorry, in closing resolution, um, Mr.

Chair.

That's my motion.

So um for clarification, you wanted in closing resolution, not exactly.

Closing resolution, yeah.

Resolution would be more that's the direction you want us to go if you want us to have that discussion, probably more appropriate for uh executive session.

So maybe both again it's I'm just saying if it the declaration is for the resolution, but if you want to have that discussion is more appropriate for executive session, okay.

So let's lead us to closing resolution.

Okay, so let's put it in executive session because that's a serious conversation we can have.

We should be having um because right now we have nothing for our children.

Okay, okay, so that's for executive session.

There is a motion uh on the floor, colleagues, for executive session.

Any objections?

Hearing none, then action shall be taken.

And thank you so much, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Miss Um Perkins and your team.

All right, member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and good morning to all of you.

Good morning.

Thank you for the amazing work that you are doing throughout the city of Detroit.

I think our parks are looking amazing.

Um I'm ecstatic that we now have a rec center online in District 4.

Um, still cheering for my colleague in District 7 to advocate for that as well because I know how how many calls, how many conversations I had prior to the dome coming online, and so um it is just a service and expectation that residents have, and so it's extremely important that we have them throughout the city.

I will say, and I'm I'm glad that my colleagues are utilizing the field house.

Um I know I I reached out to you yesterday evening.

My husband and I um became members, and I've been utilizing it a lot lately, and so you know, when you when you spend time in places, you see a lot of different things.

Um, and so I asked to join member Benson in the closing resolution or in the um executive session item relative to safety uh and security because um I've had conversations about things that have happened, um, and because the field house is getting so much attention um from not only Detroiters from everyone.

Um, I just want to make sure that as we move into the summer that the staff that are there um have the safety and security that they need in order for them to be able to do their jobs effectively, and that anyone coming in to utilize the dome has a good sense of safety and security.

When I've been there, so I usually, I'm not gonna say when I go, but I have driven past and I've seen a GSD security vehicle in the area, um, probably when it's closing.

Um, and so I just want to be sure that we have GSD security in addition to the other entities that can provide support just in a general area, um, that they're not only outside, but that there's someone inside as well as we ramp up and we see more people utilizing the dome.

Um, in addition to that, I just want to we had the conversation before the the dome came online about residents being able to utilize the facility because it is still our only rec center that we have, and at any point in time it is taken offline for organized play for a specific event, that means our residents don't have a rec center that is within their vicinity for them to utilize.

Um, and so while I support organized play, and I was there la yesterday evening when Castech beat a team in St.

Clair Shures in La Crosse, and and I saw it on Channel 7.

Um, and so I want to ensure that our kids who may be part of a nonprofit organization can utilize the field, but they don't have an organized team necessarily.

So if there are days and times where there's open play for those types of things to happen, I strongly encourage it.

Um, and I lastly, before you respond to any of this, I want to be sure that as we have these unique facilities in the city of Detroit that we prioritize Detroiters.

I know there's a senior program, um, and I believe I witnessed a senior come and get a free membership because they are seniors, but they didn't live in Detroit.

And so what he said to me is he has a house in Detroit.

His son was playing lacrosse.

I can bet you uh any amount of money that his driver's license does not have the house that he owns in Detroit on it.

And so that's one thing I wanted to elevate just to make sure that folks outside of this city who want to utilize our facilities that we're charging them to utilize the facilities because it has been taxpayer dollars.

Sure, we know ARPA helped to build it, but there are taxpayer dollars that help to maintain and sustain all of our facilities.

So just want to be sure we are prioritizing Detroiters.

Yes, through the chair, um, we are prioritizing Detroiters.

I would say that this sounds like it must be a training issue with our staff because the membership for seniors is free for Detroit seniors, and they do have to provide valid ID to show that they are a residents of the city of Detroit.

And so that was new information to me.

So I'll make sure we follow up with all of our staff at all of our centers to ensure that they are trained and fully understand.

Um, as you may know, we do have new staff on hand because these um positions um sometimes have high turnover, and so sometimes we are just happy to have a body and put them the work that we may uh forget to give them all the details, but I will make sure that happens.

And um, from our conversation last night, as you know, on Thursday, we do have all employee training, and so we will make sure we reinforcing not just the level of customer service we expect them to provide, but also um following the rules and the guidelines as it relates to um how we are um processing our memberships and making sure that we are um taking care of our residents first and putting them first.

Um to address some of the your other concerns.

I believe at the very opening of the um field house, we had a conversation, and it was about your um wanting to make sure that the center was putting the residents first.

We do know that you know we do need the support of the um organized sports organizations to help keep it running, but they are not to monopolize that space.

And my team is well aware of that.

We also want to make sure that when there is um a rental that's happening on the field, that they the participants who are there to use the track are can do so in a safe manner as well.

Um so there may be times when there's like lacrosse or something like that where we may have to shut down the track for a little while, but not for the complete day.

But if there, as long as our center is open, as long as the field house is open, even if it's on a day outside of our normal hours, we're committed to making sure the residents can have access to the facility.

We are not in a position that we're going to allow someone to rent out the entire facility to block access to our residents in that area.

Okay, excellent.

Thank you for that.

You're welcome.

Um, I wonder if there has been any consideration or thought around netting the field.

I know there are nets in certain areas, so that if lacrosse is being played, I guess the net will have to be smaller though for that lacrosse for that the small ball, um, so it does not hit someone who's walking the track.

Um, but I have seen the nets in a few parts of the the dome.

Yes.

Um making the um the field um play safer for the people who are on the track so they can simultaneously use both um amenities.

Okay, thank you.

Do you need me to do anything on my end for that?

No, we can we can do it.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

We'll follow up on that.

Um the other thing I wanted to ask about.

So I know you spoke about the Joe Lewis Greenway, and I had some difficulties in supporting it because of the amount of funding, and because it doesn't touch District Four.

Um, and so there was conversation about a trail on the east side um and activating that trail.

Uh, can we talk about capital funding futuristically capital funding to reactivate the trail that's on the east side so that we are providing similar um amenities and assets for residents on the east side because the Joe Lewis Greenway, the areas that I've seen, beautiful.

How do we get that on the east side?

Um, yes, through the chair.

Um, so talking about a trailhead on the east side that will provide some of the amenities that we see at the trailheads along the Joe Lewis Greenway.

Yes, that's something that we can look into.

Um we can sit sit down and talk about more what area are you thinking about.

Um I know we had a conversation um a while ago, you and I with a community group that was looking to do some things in their neighborhood.

Um, not for sure if that's the area you're thinking about, or if you want us to sit down and we can look at some some other areas in in District Four.

Thank you for that through the chair.

There is um a trail on Connor.

Um, there's a trail on Connor that kind of you right, it it gets lost, um, especially when what's the name of the facility that came online on Connor and the Great Lakes Water Authority was doing some work there as well.

Um it's it's the job center.

Um it's in District 3, but it's right across the street from District 4.

Uh, Lear.

When Lear opened up, um, it gets lost, I think because you're kind of focused on the facility itself.

Um, but we have had residents in the district who do tours and explain to people all about Connor Creek and and what it used to be like and how it looked.

So I'd like to add that into the closing resolution to uh have conversations around and reactivating the Conor Creek Trail.

Okay.

Coach, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

And the last thing I will ask, um, because Mr.

Chair, we have until noon for this hearing.

Um, so we have 30 minutes for member Waters today.

Um the the last the last thing I just want to add is um this was actually on the local news the other day, and I know the administration did respond to it.

It was um an alley that um had I was about to say that had not been improved.

There was a private alley, but um there was some indication that there was outreach to the city.

We've scoured all of our information.

We have not seen um anything for that particular street um that came to us, and I'm not sure if it went to the Dons or anyone.

Um but can you all talk about the alley program?

I know we had some hiccups where the city would go and improve the alley, and then the residents didn't maintain it.

So it goes back to what it looked like before the city came out.

And it it feels like it's um we could have utilized resources better uh in a different way.

Um talk to me about what the plan is moving forward.

I believe there was some mention of SEAL being able to provide that support, but really looking for residents to step up to maintain the alleys, if not push their fence line back so that it incorporates that part of their backyard and the alley.

Through the chair um to Member Johnson.

Yes, um, I saw that on the news too, and that was my first time hearing of it as well.

Um I was actually walking into the office as I was watching the um video, and I asked my team.

We had not received any um outreach from the residents in that area to clean that alley.

Um just a little bit of history about the alley program.

We um were able to go into the alleys that have been um vacated for decades and do a big overhaul.

Now that was in conjunction with the department of neighborhoods, and it was it also in conjunction with neighborhoods that had block clubs, established block clubs, because like you mentioned, there was a responsibility that was going to transfer to the neighbors, the block clubs, the residents, once we came in and did the heavy lifting, right?

For them to maintain their alleys.

Um we cleaned alleys whether they had a block club or not, once it got to us, right?

Um, and so I'm not I don't want people to feel like we excluded those without block clubs because we do know that there's areas in the city where it may not just be enough people or people aren't interested in block clubs.

We cleaned over 7,000 alleys in our um first two years of providing the service.

That uh program was only funded for a specific time.

And so when it was time to sunset that program, we did have to sunset the program, but we do still offer the services on an as needed basis.

So if someone was to reach out to us via through city council or through the mayor's office or through the dons, we still have the team, we still have the you know, the experience and the equipment that we need to clean an alley.

Just doing that big overhaul of the entire city like we did a few years back.

We had to sunset that.

That's not something we kept going on rotation, so we could not find any um evidence where these neighbors had reached out to us directly.

Um we don't know if it was a reach out to the dons or who they reached out, or maybe it just you know, unfortunately got lost in the shuffle of everyday business in the city, but we um did note the area and we will be sending a team out to make sure we get that alley clean for this residents.

Awesome, thank you.

Um, and I don't have any additional questions, but I would like to make another motion.

Um, I'd like to move to add um ensuring or moving towards having our rec centers be resilience hubs as we continue to make progress and and make improvements to rec centers.

I'd like to add that to the closing resolution.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you all so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Member Waters.

Okay, she said was district four.

Okay.

Good morning.

Um just to just to uh echo something that my colleague from District 4 said as it relates to block clubs.

I uh I do want us to continue to identify more ways to support our block clubs.

I am convinced as I was years ago when I published an article about the importance of us supporting our block clubs.

It is so critical because they are the ones that can help us uh keep our city clean, safe, and we ought to identify more ways to be supportive, make sure that we're they're provided, not just during the motor city match.

I mean, it's a huge crowd there yesterday.

Yeah, okay, yeah, that one makeover, not the match makeover.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um the motor city makeover where it the place was literally filled.

Um but I hope that we will and and maybe something like this.

I should put in closing resolution uh regarding um block clubs and provided some sort of financial support, even if it's just a little bit, you know, for them to patrol the neighborhoods and and so forth.

I know we have we have a great uh community organization in Green Acres, they do a fantastic job helping to keep their communities clean and safe.

I want us to identify more ways to uh assist other block clubs.

So I I wanted to say that Mr.

Mr.

President, could I put that in um close or resolution?

There's a motion.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

Hearing none.

Then action shall be taken.

So I just want to I sent you a list of questions, and so we will await your responses.

I won't go into all of that, plus we've talked about discuss some of the questions anyway.

My colleagues did.

Um I want to talk about some of the previous agreements that that we had with uh with the GSD.

Uh one of them, I'll I'll start with one of them.

I and if you could just provide an update, I would really appreciate it.

Um there was an agreement for senior programming and the various uh rec centers.

And the senior programming was going to take place, say between 8 30 and 3, where you have seniors who would be allowed to go in there during that time uh so that they can feel safe and do the things that they needed to do.

That was an agreement.

I don't know what happened uh to that programming, but um, but it certainly was.

I mean, we talked about the Dexter Amherst, uh, the Hellamore building.

We talked about Butzel, and we discussed a number of the places where our seniors um could go and have some time outside of the other mad traffic, if you will.

So I um I also wanted to ask about the uh senior center um that is down on um Lafayette.

Um the other one, I believe that the at the Northwest Activity Center that the smooth bar is almost complete.

And I believe you tell me the renovations that I put in the budget have been done to the sauna room and and um steam room.

Um I want you to talk about those, the types of uh renovations, and then if you could, if you could tell me, um I want seniors to have a free smoothie at least once a week, and if you could tell me what that would cost.

So through the chair, um, thank you, uh, member waters.

Um, yes, the renovations at Northwest Activity Center um for the sauna has been completed, and the um the community has been using them, right?

We've even had to go in and make some repairs because um some people had been thinking it was getting too hot for them and uh wanted to adjust it on their own.

Um but yes, it gets great use.

Um, the the residents in that community.

Um, we have people coming from District 4 to even to use it as well.

Um as it relates to the senior center, the um renovations of the building, it's at Mount Elliott in Lafayette.

It is almost complete.

Um, once our partners at construction and demo, you know, finish everything and turn it over to us.

It gets once we get it, it takes us about 30 days to get it all cleaned up and get our um employees in inside and our programming started for our seniors.

But this is a center that's strictly dedicated for seniors.

That's right.

Um, and so we do expect to see that opening, um, that ribbon cutting.

Um we'll be glad to have you there this spring.

Absolutely.

Um, right.

Yes, because you advocated for for this.

Well, uh, hello, somebody.

Okay.

Yes, and and as it relates to our senior programming, we have um increased our senior programming during the times that we agreed upon, the 8:30, sometimes starting at nine, because it depends on the center and the the location um of that center, but they are going to about 2:30, sometimes three.

We do know our seniors, especially our seniors at Adams But to be out before that after school traffic comes in.

Um and so we have increased our programming.

They're doing um chair aerobics, they're doing water aerobics, um, and and let us um miss something with our seniors.

They will be quick to call us out.

And so we are um we love our senior crowd.

Um we are gearing up right now, you know, we are big on our senior Olympics and our senior friendship day.

Um, and and our seniors love the programs that we do, and we love having them as well.

And and we're doing that at all the rec centers now programming for for our seniors on yes, ma'am.

Uh-huh.

Now you do also know that the agreement was to place a smoothie bar on Lafayette as well, right?

Do you know that?

Did they share that with you?

No, but we can look into that.

Oh, yeah, that was part of the whole deal.

You know, I I wanted to make sure that I pointed it out because sometimes things get lost around here for whatever reason.

I don't know.

But yes, it is definitely uh that one I um place those funds there.

That was all a part of that building.

Okay, but through the chair, I will check into that and follow up with you.

Okay.

Well, thank you so much.

And please let me know so I know how loud I should yell about it.

I tell you, I I know I have to stay on top of things around here, Mr.

President.

Yes, ma'am.

Things get lost.

All right.

So anyway, I'm done.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Talking trees, talking trees.

Talking trees.

Yes, thank you for giving us the opportunity to reach out to our team to get that information.

Um, and so you know, when we opened this program, we got over 7,000 requests, and those requests came very quickly.

Um, I want to say within 30 days, we had to close um the list.

Um through that though, we were able to complete over 5,000 um inspections, and that's because again, we noticed that there were some duplicates, and then unfortunately, making sure our residents come first.

We had some uh people calling that were outside the city um trying to get on our list.

And so um of the over 5,000, we determined that there were almost 4,000 that were eligible and that we had the fundings for.

So we have um serviced over 3,906 residents trees, residential trees, private trees in the residence areas.

Um we and for the record, that means the survey as well as whatever comes after that.

Absolutely.

If it's a just a trimming, if it's a removal, if it's half a cutting down the tree, you know, whatever was needed for that tree.

That's what we service.

Um there's still remaining just 73 trees on that list.

And again, that's because we noticed there were some duplicates or there was trees that were unfortunately outside the city that we just wasn't gonna touch, right?

Absolutely.

Um, and so um we are able to um we're looking to get that done, the 73 with what we have left and and and the as the funding sources.

So for the folks, so that's good news that's the breaking news because I hadn't heard that number before, so that's good to know.

So now as we move forward with the million dollars, um that million dollars will provide us the opportunity to service how many trees?

And looking at we have 73 in arrears right now already.

And if we're gonna open up the program again uh within the three-month period, we got within 30 days, we got 7,000 uh requests.

What talk to me about the math on there?

Yeah, so with the million dollars, we can only service about 350 trees.

And this is why um we want to be more strategic with how we um look at which trees we're gonna service and work with the the dons, the department of neighborhoods.

I mean, they're out, they're in the residence, they're talking with their neighbors, they're talking with the community groups, but they're also able to see the trees too, right?

Um they won't have the the same level of expertise that our inspectors have, but a naked eye can look at a tree to tell if it's dangerous, right?

And we want to prioritize those dangerous disease and dead trees.

And we'll still have to do some surveys, of course.

Um, but we'll work with the the department of neighborhoods because we want to make sure we're being equitable here across all districts when we're looking at um the 350 trees that we expect to service with this million dollars.

So I want to make sure it's the department of neighborhoods and council as well, right?

Absolutely.

I know we've all we've sent them, and you all have always been helpful, but I want the public who's watching as well to know that we work in town because a lot of times they want to put us uh against each other, the more that we just say department of neighborhoods and not and city council as well, it creates you know a little bit of uh more of the the fuel to that that fire.

My apologies, yes, city council and the department of neighborhoods we all work together, yes.

Thanks.

We always work with you, so I that's to me that's a given, but I want to make sure that the residents know um you guys are great partners and we appreciate the work that you're doing and the advocacy you have for your revenue residents.

Thank you.

So so with us sounds like we're going to be opening up the program again.

So when that happens, how how do we again temper expectations?

Um, and then for the my my second part of that is for those who have not received if you went out and re and and your team uh indicated that no, you know what, this is not a dangerous dead or disease tree, it's just ugly.

Um, or it just not where someone wants it to be.

Uh how is that resident who made that complaint notified?

I remember at one point there were X's on trees.

Uh sometimes they were moved, sometimes they were not.

That was a an issue for some folks.

How are folks notified when they their tree when they're when it's deemed that their tree is not a good candidate for this particular project program?

I'll defer to um Deputy Director Harris.

Um through the chair.

So we went out and did an inspection for every tree.

Um, if a residence tree did not qualify, and there are a number of reasons why a tree may not qualify.

It's not dead, it's not dangerous, it's not diseased, um, it's too small, um, or it just needed a cosmetic trim, which is not what this program was intended for.

Um, we either verbally told the resident at the time because often they are present when we do the inspection, um, or we've if we had their email, we sent them an email saying, hey, we came out, we inspected your tree.

This program is for dead, dangerous or diseased trees.

At this time, your tree does not qualify because of its condition.

Um, so they got an email, or if we didn't have an email address, we sent them a letter that said, Hey, we came out on this date, we inspected your tree, your tree did not qualify for this program.

Um, so we communicate communicated with every resident um about the status of their tree so they know either it didn't qualify or it did, and they are the 73 that are left to be serviced.

Okay.

So, colleagues, I would like to uh request a motion to put uh an additional million dollars into the dangerous dead disease tree program into the executive session, please.

Motion there's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objection?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you so much.

Um got one more regarding where's my one.

Oh, um, and this is one that you probably uh received as well, uh, but I did not see the response yet.

Uh we see capital funding allocated for park development, but um then there's funding that's available for Rogale Park.

Again, thank you for us walking along the way uh to get that done and completed.

But we don't see any funds for maintenance uh of Rogale once it's developed.

Uh can you talk to us about what that uh maintenance uh what the maintenance funding would look like moving forward once uh it's fully developed and uh and completed.

Yeah, so maintenance for our parks falls under our ground maintenance, so that wouldn't show as a separate line item for each and individual park.

Um we've actually started maintaining um Rogale, um especially that area um abiberg that's just west of the park, west of the roadway there.

We sent a team out um fall of last year because during the community meetings, as you know, we heard that that area was um heavily overgrown.

Um that is an area where the the it's slope and it could get a little tricky because the rouge is right there, but our teams were able to go out.

Um I ran into one of your residents.

It's funny because we found out we go to the same marathon, and she told me she saw the team out there.

Um, and I can't think of her name, but you would know her because she's one of the vocal residents um in your area.

Um and she was very pleased with the work that our team has been doing.

Um Rogale, because it's going to be a natural nature park, there um the team is trained and and on how to handle that area, and there was some um information that we did provide at one of the community meetings on what they should expect and see when they see our team out there.

Um, and we'll continue to make sure we're um updating that because I know you guys requested another community meeting in person, in person, and we'll make sure that happens.

Um, and we'll make sure that we're there to answer any questions and to talk about the maintenance, but it's going to be on the um fall in with our other parks, and because it's a larger park, it will be on a uh shorter rotation schedule because we do expect uh more use of that park than we would um some of our other parks.

Okay.

So I'm going to uh again looking for we sent the the question um looking for that dollar amount response in terms of what that maintenance would look like specifically for Rogale so we'll have a better understanding of how to communicate that to uh constituents.

Okay, but with that being said, I will relinquish the floor, colleagues.

Are there any additional motions that I would like to provide?

Uh we'll start on this end and make our way down.

Um we'll start with Member Johnson, followed by Member Santiago Mero, followed by Member Waters, followed by Member Callaway.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

The ladies have it.

So um I would like to make a motion to add to the closing resolution to continue the conversation um and partnership with DPSCD and the use of community schools, the community use of schools, um, where the schools have swimming pools.

Um that's my motion.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

All right, member Sanjay Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh, would like to add to executive session um for further conversation as well around the water feature for company.

Uh, want to add 500,000 as a placeholder for now.

Um, that is my motion.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Would also like to add additional 500,000 to executive session for the DAC.

Um, and was not able to ask my questions around animal care.

I stuck to my two.

Thank you.

Um, and would like for us to further discuss the needs and solutions um for animal control.

All right, colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Waters.

Thank you.

Um I did not receive a response from through you, Mr.

President, regarding the amount of monies for the smoothie by the seniors to have a smoothie once once a week.

So through the chair, um, we have the RFP out right now, so we don't know what the smoothie's gonna cost just yet.

Um, so once we can get those bids back and we can get an understanding of the cost around that because that's going to be provided by a third party.

And um, I'm I'm not for sure um who would have the bid, but if they're willing to you know um absorb that cost of a free smoothie for the seniors, or is that something that you know we may have to look at internally, but at this point I don't know the cost because we don't have the bids back to know what that cost structure is going to look like.

Oh, okay.

Um I thought those bids were back in by now.

So I'm anyway.

My motion is to put um uh costs for smoothies, senior smoothies and um executive session.

All right, colleagues, there's a motion on the floor.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

So I have a motion regarding a couple other departments.

Is that good or I should wait?

Let's let's wait until we release it.

Okay, all right, thank you.

Thank you, member Callaway.

Thank you so much, um, Mr.

Chair.

Um, I make a motion to move to closing resolution.

Next steps for the mural fountain.

Um we approve, I think a little over two million dollars um to get that fountain um at least um restored and running, and I don't know what's happening with it.

So for the closing resolution, just some conversation about what the next steps are for the mural fountain that this honorable body funded to at least get it going.

I think it was a little over two point million dollars now.

It's been two years and nothing's happened.

That's my first motion.

All right, there's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

And my next motion is to put into executive session um $50,000 for the repair of the roof, um, the gazebo roof at Hyde Park.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

And that is it for me right now.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Approach him young.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

And uh, through you to um to the director and everyone here at GSD, always good to see you, Ms.

Perkins.

I just wanted to say I like to make a motion to put into closing resolution pocket parks.

So that is my motion.

I want to put parking, I want to put pocket parks and how they can be deployed on our empty land space in the city of Detroit.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh Director Perkins, any closing remarks.

Oh, um, yes, sir.

Floyd.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Floyd Stanley, LPD.

Uh, we have a couple of questions.

Uh, and they all center around uh the fuel contracts.

Are fuel contracts subject to price increases due to uh the conflict in Iran and what are the current uh providers of fuel and what are the the terms of the length of their contracts.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Uh do you have the response at this moment?

So through the chair, I can speak to the price um fluctuation.

Um it's not necessarily I know the war in Iran affects it, but it's not just because it's the war in right Iran, right?

It's the cruel oil prices that fluctuate with the market.

So I do get an email every day on what the those prices are and how that fluctuates and how that impacts.

Yes, the war in Iran is impact that in that a lot more.

Um if I can uh just thinking off the top of my head, um, because when when before fleet was transferred over um responsibilities to construction and demo, we were in the middle of wrapping up the fleet um fuel contracts, and there were um off the top of my head three vendors.

Um I know that Ace Petroleum is one, Corrigan Oil is another, and then Gin Oil Company is the the third.

Um those contracts I believe are for five years.

Um I need to double check that because it's a lot getting those contracts, and I know we wouldn't have done just a year or two, but um that's something I could um I believe those questions were submitted to us in writing.

Um, and so we'll make sure we answer that along with all the budget questions as well.

Okay.

Before we go forward, would like to uh note that we will now open up the collection of public comments cards.

If there's anyone from the public who would like to speak, please raise your hand now, both in person as well as online.

Uh Director Perkins, you have now keep your hands up, uh everyone, someone will be coming by.

Um closing remarks.

So I just want to thank you guys for the opportunity.

Um we do we enjoy what we do in GSD.

We enjoy providing the services that we provide, not just for our residents, but also for you, council members, to make sure you're um providing because you you hear from your residents more than we do, and so we do um appreciate the partnership that we have with you, and so we just want to continue to make sure that we're providing the top-notch service that we do.

Um, again, we view ourselves as the backbone of the city's operations.

Um, like council member um Callaway, like you said, everywhere you go, everywhere you look, GSD is there, and we want to make sure that going forward we are um leading with purpose and serving with excellence.

And so that again that's our theme for this year.

That's what we are training our staff on because we're taking the services that we provide the city up a notch so that we can elevate the city and rise higher.

All right, thank you so much, man.

Appreciate you and your team and all the work that you do.

All right, we are going to transition to public comments.

Oh, I'm sorry.

The collection of public comments have now concluded for those who are in person as well.

Those two motions are yes, ma'am.

Uh, we will now go to any additional motions uh outside of the GSD budget.

Thank you.

Uh member waters.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I'd like to motion to put um veterans affairs in um executive session.

All right, Mr.

Whitaker, Mr.

Mr.

Uh King, just letting you know there's a motion that's uh member waters.

Can you repeat that motion, please?

Uh motion to put veteran veteran affairs um in um executive session on the creole.

All right, there's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

Member Waters.

Yeah, no, a motion to put next up 313.

Um in executive session follows on the DEGC.

All right, there's a motion on the floor, colleagues.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

If we can get one minute on the clock, we'll let everyone know that as I mentioned during for the duration of uh budget hearings, we will have abbreviate abbreviated uh public comment.

Thank you, sir.

Public comment sections.

Uming that there will be a public hearing that will allow for full public comment on March 30th at 5 p.m.

All right.

We've got three cards here, three cards.

Oh, and Jackie has more, so she's writing them down now.

So our first three speakers, um Jadante Smith, followed by James Bichek, followed by Ross Kennedy.

Floor's yours.

Good afternoon.

Uh, well, maybe still morning.

I was wanna say, so James Ted, you told me that you hadn't taken money from the Maroon family in 12 years.

You took money on 10 October 13th, 2021 from Matthew Maroon, 2100 to be exact from your campaign finance.

12 years versus five years is a very long time.

So you're very much so a liar, and you're shaking your head because you agree because I have the facts every time I say it.

I just wanna know are we gonna vote against uh the people's interest or are we gonna vote for billionaires' interest?

Because it seems like we're voting for billionaires' interest.

Also, Avanash Rossmail has bribed three people who were on city council.

One is now in a different position, still elected.

Also, I just seen the department director of the department of health who is downstairs getting sworn in.

He only managed a team of five people, and now he's about to manage a team of 190 plus.

Also, have the copy of the charter right here.

Also, I want you guys to ask, ask the Detroit Police Department how many open homicides we have because we don't feel safer.

So David Whitaker has a copy of the charter, so I went and got one as well.

My first amendment right will not be violated in this body.

Open meetings act governs is the state level governs these meetings.

Also, James, tell your team is doing a horrible job at taking public comments online.

Also, we want Chronos down zone.

35,000 can't shut me up.

Thank you.

Looking for our next speakers, Mr.

BDAC.

B check, James B check.

Take that seat and then Ross Kennedy.

Now you all are not forced to speak if you don't want to.

All right, well, come on down, come on down.

We wanna make space for you, wanna make space for you.

All right, hit that button on that mic until the red turns green.

And the floor is yours, sir.

See, this department's the problem I got.

So my pops, my my pots, we've having a problem.

So the city keep on trying to shut down my possibility.

My pops don't do nothing, nothing but help people.

His building address is 14943 West Chicago.

He came and got me, I see four years ago uh for uh from uh I got came from the covenant house.

Uh ever since I got there, he didn't change my life.

He didn't transition me in the house, helped me get a job all day.

So I'm trying to figure out what y'all trying to shut his building down for.

You don't do nothing but help people.

All right, thank you.

Just so everyone knows.

So during public comment, we don't go back and forth.

We there is an opportunity for response afterwards if colleagues would like to do so.

But we often provide assistance even without having um speaking from the mic, we have someone from the team address those particular issues.

All right, next speaker, Mr.

Ross Kennedy, followed by Ronald Foster, followed by John Kittleza.

I do apologize if I have not pronounced your name correctly.

Please, for those individuals, if I call your name, please take one of those three seats uh so we can keep this going and keep it moving, please.

Can you hear me?

Yes, sir.

The floor is your good afternoon.

My name is Ross Kennedy, and I'm representing the Detroit Powers, Detroit Community Research Activity Center.

It's for veterans and those who are needing help.

And we have a member who is not here at the time, but um he's doing tremendous work.

Our our reason for coming is to be supportive of the veterans in some of the circumstances that they need.

And we have activity in the community, which is somewhat unstable uh because we're veterans there, so we get a lot of flick.

But my certain certainty and my support is to help not just veterans but all those who are supportive here in the city of Detroit with that situation, and we're asking for excuse me for the city's support to help us develop a good connection and help out the situation that we're having with veterans.

And I thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, Ronald Foster, followed by John Kidosa, followed by Sven Taronta.

Toronto.

Good afternoon.

I just wanted to speak very briefly.

Well, I think these people are good people.

I don't think that you know that just qualifies you to just progress in city government.

Last year we had the highest rate of youth violence in the city in a long time.

Gang violence.

And so we talk about services and recreation centers.

We have to do better and engaging our children and our youth.

Fairwell been asking for a swimming pool for some time.

District 4 been asking for issues with the balloon thing for a long time.

It comes down to more than just building.

You have to organize.

They have to be have some insight into the community and people in which they're serving.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, John Kittlesaw, followed by Sven Toronto, followed by Jennifer Van Papa.

Yes, hi.

John Kittleson, U.S.

Navy.

I'm also here representing Detroit Community Outreach.

I've been there for about uh six months there now.

And it's a great place.

Uh it's changed my life.

Um I came off off the streets and they took me in.

I had no benefits at the time.

Um since I've been there, I was assaulted coming home from the store at one night, and uh I had uh got mugged, I got robbed, I got pistol whipped.

And uh, if it wasn't for this place being having my back, I don't know what I would do because we're the only ones that took any action.

Um I never heard anything about the assault again, so I'm also bringing that up as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, Sven Toronto.

My name is Sven Toronto.

Let's hit that uh red until it turns green.

There you go.

My name is Fven Toronto.

Um I'm with Detroit Power.

Uh I filed for um green card renewal uh uh October of 2024.

And uh submitted my $600, and uh they told me that the process takes approximately uh uh 10 months to a year.

And um I'm hearing nothing from them uh with an expired green card.

Uh thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Jennifer Van Papa, followed by Aaliy, Aaliyah Harris, followed by Douglas Adams.

Hi, I'm Jennifer Van Pablo with Detroit Power Detroit Community Outreach.

I am uh also a veteran.

I am a resident of the city of Detroit as well.

And I also want to say thank you, Mary Waters, for supporting the veterans.

You have been at the men's veterans stand down by Eric Sabree and also um the women's stand down, where I got to talk to your team a few times.

So as you can see, a lot of the residents as well as some of the other people that's in our programs at Detroit Poverty Trait Community Outreach.

They are here because they're trying to keep the organization open.

We're constantly attacked, they're not doing no wrong in the community.

We have established many programs, we get them work, transportation, housing, um, Detroit Rescue Mission.

We just took in a couple of their women and children to house them.

Also, back in, I think it was either 2024 or 2025.

The city tried to eat the building on West Chicago, the residents.

Thank you, thank you and promised to rehouse and never rehoused anybody.

They did.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I just want to say to all of our vets, uh, thank you for your service as well.

Thank you.

Uh Aliyah Harris, followed by Douglas Adams, followed by Lawrence White.

Hey, how are you doing?

I'm Aaliy Harris.

I'm 23 years old.

I am also here regarding the West Chicago building.

Um, I received uh Marvin Walker received a lot of backlash for what he does to help the community.

I've been homeless since I was 13 years old.

And like I said, I'm 23 now, so I've been homeless for about 10 years.

And it took for them to pick me up, the state did not help me, the shelters did not help me, nobody helped me until I ran into Marvin Walker and he gave me somewhere to stay.

So for him to receive backlash and any type of problems regarding that building when it comes out of his own pocket is just ridiculous.

That would be it.

Thank you.

Next speaker, Douglas Adams, followed by Lawrence Wright.

White, followed by Reuben James Crowley Jr.

Uh, Douglas Adams, U.S.

Army.

I'm here on behalf of Detroit Power Detroit.

Uh firstly, I want to say um I don't appreciate the attack on the building.

Um, people trying to shut it down, or the organization, um, the attack on uh Marvin's character, seeing as how we do have gaps um in the system, and he's providing uh resources for those gaps as far as housing, uh supporting veterans, uh, getting their benefits, um, you know, programs to get themselves back together back in um in the workforce, getting back in the field, getting back to you know, some normalcy in their life.

Um, as far as the cleaning up and security, um, I feel as though we we offer that uh we help clean up the community and we we make sure that community is safe.

Um, as far as you know, we want to look further into what are we doing for the veteran benefits, and we want to make sure we keep Detroit Power uh Detroit open because they do right by us, and uh we appreciate them, you know what I'm saying?

So it's only right, you know.

And that's it.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker, Lawrence White.

My name is Lawrence White.

I spoke to you, Jill, you ladies and gentlemen last night, and I run into some more information.

That was February 25.

Jennifer was talking about where you evicted 16 people, and they did not ever get uh rehoused from uh the uh Chicago 19327 cargo, Chicago.

It never was rehoused, and on March 11th, one of those individuals died homeless.

Again, as you come after Detroit Power, if you're gonna come after, and I'm not saying any individual you all are.

We we're going because of what your uh attorney, Conrad Malik got on television and said in and publicly that there was something wrong with us.

Put it in writing and send it to us or stop that, stop those particular public attacks.

It was uh a couple of days ago.

You can see it, but please stop coach.

That's why you see these veterans here now.

Thank you so much.

And the final speaker in person would be Ruben James Crowley Jr.

Nobody else wants to speak.

Okay.

And listen, Joker.

Now, a couple weeks ago in St.

Suzanne, that's the facility right across from Detroit Power, Detroit, 1932 7 West Chicago, kids out there fighting.

I met Marvin Walker, January 1st, 2024, officially.

Somebody was gonna introduce me to him years before, Angela Callaway, but we didn't meet.

I was doing an investigation into the city of Detroit.

Now he himself on the first occasion went out and stopped the fight between the kids.

Hisself by itself.

Second time, him and the veterans went over there to stop the kids in St.

Suzanne for fighting.

And y'all on some BS.

So I'm gonna tell y'all officially, smoke D.

1932 7 is open.

It's gonna stay open.

Thank you.

All right, that's how y'all want to be represented.

Uh we'll now go to the callers online.

Excuse me.

Y'all said.

Good afternoon, Council President.

We have six online callers with our first caller being Galaxy Tab A.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

You have one minute.

General public comment.

Good morning.

Um, I wanted to speak on the uh recreation centers and the trees.

On the trees, I had I had two trees tore down because they were terrible.

I had one done in 2019, and I had one done last year.

Now the one that was that I put on Facebook about the other day, I they didn't even look like it was a danger tree.

But there is another one, Council President Tate, that's on Conley and um Desner.

Can assess them know about it?

Deputy Mayor Bedison know about it.

Former Deputy Mayor, because I took him around.

That's what I do over here in my neighborhood.

I took them around, I showed him as other tree.

It's worse than the one that came down.

The one that came down didn't even look like it was defective.

But this one here on Conley and Desner, please get it down because the lady crossed the street.

She had kids in there, and she's a senior.

Please get that tree down on Desner and Collin.

Connolly, I appreciate it.

It's District Three.

Like I said, I took people around.

They know about the tree.

The tree is terrible.

It's terrible.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Good afternoon, Council President.

Our next caller is Betty A.

Verner.

Ms.

Betty A.

Verner, the floor is yours.

You have one minute general public comment.

Good afternoon.

I'm Daddy A.

Byrne, the president of the Soda Elsewhere Black Association, asking the council to please allocate monies to help black clubs and associations pay the land use hearing fee when they are trying to do projects in their neighborhood to improve the neighborhood.

They must go in front of BC.

Their application costs $1,500.

So please allocate money to help these black clubs and associations pay these fees.

Our association, we are uh have purchased land.

We want to expand our park, and we must pay a $1,500 fee for application before we can be considered to go uh speak with DC.

Also allocate monies, a program for neighborhood corridors to help these corridors who have not been blessed to be.

Thank you so much.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is iPhone.

IPhone, the floor is yours.

You have a minute.

General public comment.

Yeah, uh, I just want to mention about recreation.

I was work from 1969 to part-time and full time until 2000 uh two.

And uh I helped organize motor city uh seasonal workers' union.

I talked to one of the lifeguards the other day and asked them if they're gonna get 21 dollars and sixty-five cents to be have a living wage, and she said no.

That's only for full-time people, and the way their union contract, which is still not being finalized, they used and they still have it.

They give them so just if you would have to work overtime, plus the few hours they give you in the summer and the winter because I cut back and you to even get any benefits.

So you don't get pension, you don't get health care.

And what how no wonder you don't have lifeguards opening and full?

You made basements out of the pool.

You've been limited.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is owner Papa.

Caller, the floor is yours.

You have one minute.

General public comment.

Uh yes, through the chair.

Good afternoon.

May I be heard?

Yes.

May I be heard?

Hello?

Yes.

Hello.

Hello.

Are you there?

We can hear you.

I'm I'm here.

Can you hear me?

We can.

Yes.

The floor is yours.

Okay, can I can you start my clock back again, please?

Yes, ma'am.

Please start back over at one minute.

Floor is yours.

Thank you.

Um when you talk about the cost of the freeway cleaning, uh, something that is illegal and unconstitutional for us to pay $5.5 million and get $650,000 back when you could have had them do their three times a year and you could have added some if you wanted to.

But if you need to go up and down the corridors and clean those, the things that the people actually, which you're actually responsible for.

You aren't responsible for freeways.

So why would we take on that responsibility?

Uh uh, Mr.

McDuhnald McDougall.

Who what funding was used for the um to pay for the Johnson Recreation Center that was sold?

I'm not sure if that was a legal transaction.

And can we find out um how many uh curfew violations that are that are being uh given to district seven at least by zip code, all of them.

And could you have a bus?

Could you could could maybe we could bust the children to the centers from seven?

We could bust them to six, we could bust them to four, but you need to find out something to do before the summer gets here.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Our next our next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

William M.

Davis, the floor is yours.

You have one minute general public comment.

Uh good afternoon.

Can I be heard?

Yes, sir.

Hello?

Yes, sir.

Okay, I like to say that uh one second.

Let's start your time back over again.

All right, you may proceed.

Okay, I like to say that uh general services should be reimbursed by the land bank for taking care of their properties and their lives.

Uh the land bank should be reimbursing the city about 25% or more of the monies that they receive for uh for selling these properties.

Uh also in in District 7, we're the third largest district, had the second largest number of uh school aid children, but we have no recreational centers.

We have, you know, most districts, if if you don't count uh seven and four, you know, got at least three recreational centers.

This is crazy.

You know, it's like we are not even getting our what we pay in our property tax for, which we pay a lot more than some other districts to have multiple centers and have multiple libraries.

I think we need to be more treated, more equity.

And uh also as it relates to uh recreational centers.

Uh the water is very cold when you go swimming.

Maybe we need to do something about having tempered water.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Council President, this will be our last caller, noting that one caller raised their hand after the cutoff.

Our next caller is Kendall Kuhnman.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

We have one minute general public comment.

Caller, are you there?

Caller there going once.

Caller you there going twice.

Caller, are you there going three times?

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, good morning.

Good afternoon, rather.

Good afternoon.

Okay, sorry about that.

Kendall Kuhneman, uh resident of District 7, also executive director of the Detroit 2030 district and committee chair of the Detroit City Council Green Task Force.

Um, I wanted to mention that the Office of Sustainability Budget is listed under the GSD budget, but is under the purview of the mayor's office on the um org chart.

Um and I just wanted to uh ask what the Office of Sustainability Budget is and how it compares to the previous year.

Also wanted to mention that Mayor Sheffield responded to the Detroit Environmental Agenda questionnaire during her campaign to support doubling the budget of the Office of Sustainability.

And um as someone who was previously part of the team at the City of Detroit that supported the creation of the office, which launched in 2017, um, and despite our best our best practice recommendations that the office be under the mayor's office, it was placed in GSD and then was later moved beneath thank you.

All right, colleagues, that takes us to our end of our morning uh budget hearing session.

Um, Mr.

Whitaker, anything you want to add before we recess?

No, sir.

All right, thank you.

Are there no additional?

We shall recess until 2 p.m.