The regular session of Tuesday, May 5th, uh 2026 will come to order.

Uh, Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Councilmember Scott Benson.

Scott Vincent I.

Councilmember Letitia Johnson present.

Councilmember Denzel and Tom McCampbell.

Councilmember Reneta Miller here.

Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero present.

Councilmember Mary Waters.

Councilmember Angela Whitfield Callaway.

Council President Pro Tim Coman Ayon II.

Here.

Council President James Tate.

Here.

Mr.

President, you have a quorum.

Thank you, ma'am.

We have a quorum, which means we're now in session officially.

Um, before we uh go into the rest of the meeting, we will now like to begin the collection of public comment cards for those who would like to speak for this body, both in person as well as online.

So if you're in person, please raise your hand if you have not received a public comment card.

And again, you would like to address this body if you're online.

Raise your hand and you will be placed in the queue.

We will have public comment coming up very shortly.

Um, but before we do that, as always, we start with the morning's invocation and providing the invocation for this morning.

Uh, we have none other than Dr.

Waverley Brumbury uh Senior, who is the proud pastor and founder of Refuge Temple Cathedral of His Glory Church of God in Christ, located in District 4 at 1227 Findlay Avenue.

Superintendent Brumber, the floor is yours, sir.

Good morning, everyone.

Let us pray.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we gathered in gratitude for the gift of this community and for all that serve within it, our mayor, our council members, our city staff, first responders, educators, faith leaders, and every resident of Detroit.

Father, we ask you now in your son Jesus' name that you will guide us safely in this moment of this rich tapestry of culture, belief, and traditions that we are a strong city.

Father, we ask you to fill this chamber with wisdom that our leaders may discern what truly deserves the good of your people.

Father, we ask you that you will grant us strength in this difficult decisions and courage to act in integrity.

Father, continue to bless us and make us whole.

And Father, be so careful to give your name praise and glory.

This is our prayer in Jesus' name.

Let's all say amen.

Amen.

Thank you so much for the prayer and opening uh invocation.

Uh Pastor, if you would like to stay, we certainly welcome you to do so.

But if you have a schedule, we understand and appreciate your presence this morning.

Uh Madam Clerk, the journal of the session of Tuesday, April 21st, 2026, will be approved.

And before we move forward, I do know that member Callaway has a presentation, a very, very special presentation that she would like to provide to a very, very special individual that has um joined us and been part of a new number of our events um within the city of Detroit and the city council.

So I will now turn the floor over to member Callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Um, Mr.

Chair, and good morning, everyone.

Um, it is my honor and privilege to present a spirit of Detroit award to the woman who we call the Queen of Composting of District 2.

She's probably known to be the queen of composting and recycling and green of Detroit, probably by the whole city, but I know for a fact in the district that we all live in, the three of us, we know we call you the queen of composting and recycling, um, protecting and making our environments much healthier.

Yeah, you want to give her an applause for that.

She's amazing.

She travels the country, um, teaching folks about the importance of composting.

So we are happy that you're here today, and this spirit of Detroit Award is presented here with as an expression of the gratitude and esteem of the citizens of Detroit to Renee B.

Wallace for pioneering community-driven composting systems that transform cities and empower climate resilience.

Renee Wallace, a district two resident, is a dynamic leader driving transformative environmental change as the founder and CEO of Doers Edge LLC and a key force behind food plus Detroit with deep roots in Detroit and a growing national and global impact.

She is advancing composting as a powerful tool for sustainability and urban resilience.

Through initiatives like the People's Compost Initiative, that she champions education, infrastructure development, and community engagement to build a thriving compost ecosystem.

Her work brings together policymakers, residents, and practitioners to create scalable soil-based solutions that address climate challenges and improve the quality of life for all of us.

Renee's visionary leadership is shaping a future where composting is not just a practice, but a culture of resourcefulness and resilience.

On behalf of myself, Councilmember Callaway and the entire city council, and on behalf of the city of Detroit, we celebrate you, Renee Wallace, for your outstanding accomplishments and impact in our community.

Let's give her a hand.

And Mr.

Chair, at this time, if we will allow her to maybe come to the podium and speak, you can that one is available or the one right here.

Ms.

Wallace, you want to stand there, or you can come inside, whatever, whatever your preference.

And then once you get to the microphone, you'll um push the button to activate the microphone.

It'll turn green.

We don't want to stop stuff.

You got all right.

Good morning.

Good day, everyone.

Um today is indeed a very special day.

First of all, thank you to uh Councilmember Callaway for this opportunity.

Um I know all of you.

I've worked with all of you before, and that has been an absolute privilege for me.

You know, so while I may live in District 2, I operate citywide, you know.

So because we are one beloved community.

Um, so while I stand here today uh in receipt of this this esteem, you know, recognition of our city, I stand here.

Uh you've all seen that Verizon commercial with all the people behind you.

I stand here representing a host of people uh who are very much committed to the quality of our life and doing the kinds of things that help sustain our lives, you know, in our communities.

Composting happens to be one of those ways of that we as individual citizens as well as stewards and leadership can take responsibility and take action.

Um, so I stand here today on behalf of a whole host of folks saying thank you for recognizing this, you know, kind of work with your leadership, you know, in our city, because it is critical to our very existence.

And so what I also want to share with you today is I'd like to present to you each in recognition of International Compost Awareness Week, a poster that you can put, you know, in your in your office.

So I hope that come to see you.

I'll see that hanging on the wall.

And then also there are those of us who do this work through the lens of love because we recognize that at the end of the day, all the loving actions that we take, the actions that we take are all about us caring for ourselves, caring for our neighbors, and caring for our planet.

So it also will share with you the statement that composting is love.

One thing makes another thing.

So life is sustained.

So thank you very much.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

And Mr.

Cheriff, I don't know if anyone of my colleagues want to say anything to Miss Wallace.

Um, if not, I guess we can take pictures, but this is the week of international composting awareness, and that's why we wanted to make sure that you were um presented with the Spirit of Detroit Award on the very first day of the week of the international composting awareness week, because you are the queen of composting.

So I don't know if my colleagues, I don't know if my colleagues have any um remarks that they'd like to share with you.

Discussion.

We'll first start off with uh Member Benson.

All right, thank you.

Uh Ms.

Wallace, and thank you, uh Member Callaway for doing this um acknowledgement.

So, Ms.

Wallace has been an active and very vocal member of the Trade Green Task Force since I took it over.

And so having her recognized for this type of work, uh, recognizing her for the work she's done with City Council as a moderator for a number of our retreats is huge.

And I just really want to say thank you and kudos to all the work that you've done and how you represent the community when it comes to getting composting.

Now we're having these conversations at the budget table.

So it lets you know how far we've come along and how far your influence has come along with the city of Detroit that we are now having these conversations.

We now have a composting pilot.

And this is all direct result of your advocacy.

And so we want to uh say thank you, thank you, Member Callaway, and then thank you for the community that you've helped foster as well around composting because not just you, it's a number of people, and we see composting locations throughout the city.

We have a major one in the third district that's been there for a number of years, and you have a hand in that as well.

Just want to say thank you and thank you for acknowledging uh the great work uh that you've done, Renee Wallace.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And then also, Mr.

Chair, my office has provided each of you a little packet of seeds to grow some vegetables or fruit, and it's a small token in recognition of international compost awareness week.

And um, so thank you so much, and thank you so much, Ms.

Wallace.

If we could take a picture now, uh Mr.

Chair, if no one help else has any comments or remarks.

No, just want to say thank you for all the work that you've done in the city of Detroit.

I mean, you do I see a uh a D on that jacket anyway?

Because you have D Troy through and through inside of you and all the work that you have done.

I've been blessed and honored to have an opportunity to work with you over the span of my career here at City Council, and um I'm a better person for it, and the processes and the systems that we have are better for it as well.

So thank you.

Thank you so much, Ms.

Wallace.

All right, and Mr.

Chair, my office, my staff did deliver those items to each of your offices this morning.

So you should have it on your desk.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Colleagues, if there are no further, uh, we can take a photo with Ms.

Wallace.

Let's take that photo.

All right.

So we're gonna write down into our agenda.

Y'all give one more round of applause for Ms.

Wallace, please.

Excellent representative of our city.

Um, there being no reconsiderations or unfinished business, we will proceed with the budget, finance, and audit standing committee.

Uh four reports from various city departments.

Uh, the four reports will be referred to the internal operator to the budget finance and audit standing committee.

We will now uh close off the collection of public comment cards.

We will now close off the collection of public comment cards uh for the internal operations standing committee, madam clerk.

Two reports from various city departments.

The two reports will be referred to the internal operations standing committee for the planning and economic development standing committee.

Five reports from various city departments.

The five reports will be referred to the planning and economic development standing committee for the public health and safety standing committee.

Fifteen reports from various city departments.

The 15 reports will be referred to the public health and safety standing committee.

We will now move to voting action matters under other matters, Madam Clark.

There are no items, Mr.

President.

Under communications from the mayor and other governmental officials and agencies.

There are no items, Mr.

President.

There are no items.

So we will now go into public.

Oh, under this is a new one here.

Under communications from committee reports.

There are no items, Mr.

President.

All right, thank you.

Seeing that there's no items, we'll now call for public comment.

We do have a number of young folks that are here today.

That is very, very, very rare.

You all raise your hand for public comment at all?

Okay, we want to make sure we recognize you because it was always a blessing to have young folks in the in the place today.

Um, but we're gonna give you an opportunity to introduce yourself and say who you are and why you come down here today and do our best to address your concern.

All right, we have 12 in-person public comment cards with our first public commenter being Betty Lyons.

Wanted to let everyone know we're gonna have two minutes on the clock.

When you see the two minutes expire, please leave the microphone, allow the next speaker to come up because we do have to be fair to everyone who participates in public comment.

Lyons, the floor is yours.

You and your bicycle riding pals ride on over to that concrete company spewing out toxic cancer causing dust into the lungs of pregnant women, babies, children, families, and inhale as much as you can.

I'm glad you think it's funny that they're inhaling that shows the satanic spirit that you have.

The sanctuary series city go to Bloomfield Hill, Birmingham, Dearborn, Ham Tramic, and Gross Point.

Take that sanctuary mess out there.

Yes, Ice, come and get these illegal immigrants.

Waters, I saw you on TV calling out Trump and the war, please.

You sat under an evil Dugan who hid over 600 million dollars in overpaid property taxes, and you said not a word.

You didn't go on TV for that, did you?

No, you didn't, because you you want people to think that you're such a nice person, but you are another satanic spirited person.

Um I take issue with Miss Callaway.

A lot of talk, but no action.

And I take issue with anyone who only takes up for women.

I'm a man and woman person, not one sex.

Also, injustice of the Leland tenants.

Why didn't you speak up for that?

You won't do that.

Yes, millions of dollars to the Mexicans, but to us, you still hide that 600 million dollars.

Well, I got some more time.

Yes.

Uh, that property tax, I want my money and I want cash.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Miss Vanita Tompkins.

Ms.

Vanita Tompkins, good morning.

Hi, greetings.

Vanita Tomkins from the Virginia Pride community, bringing young voices and auditorium so they can learn how uh the process goes to be able to do public comment and to speak their um have their civic education happen today.

Two comments on the behalf of a nine-year-old named Fatama Fatama Fatama Fatima.

She lost her life on Southfield Freeway.

I spoke to council member McCampbell to see how we can bring additional safety to our children, even though they have street lights that's dark in that area of Southfield retirement, maybe the blinking lights, the solar lights, some type of initiative along with driver education, starting with our young ones, um, to save additional lives.

And the second question was our children are present, and we came to the Komenayun um municipal center, and the question is what's the status of the Coleman Young Bust?

We see the picture.

Well, where is Coming Young bus?

And I I yield my time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And just so uh those who have not participated in uh city council public comment before, what we typically do, what we have done as a rule that we've said is that we are uh responding to um the constituent concerns after everyone has an opportunity to speak to make sure that we don't uh take up any other uh residents' time uh with the response.

So we definitely want to hear Miss Askia.

Saskia.

Thank you for joining us this morning.

Takes a lot of courage to come before all these folks.

And we thank you for being here this morning.

I am Saskia, and I want to thank the mayor of Detroit for allowing students to get in the buses for free with our ID bodges.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Oscar.

And again, I want to thank all the students who came out this morning as well.

Thank you so much for being here.

Believe Ms.

Saskia was the only representative of the school.

Uh but again, you all are very important, and we appreciate your presence here this morning.

All right, our next speaker is Brother Cunningham.

Let's see, Brother Cunningham here, not here.

All right, Mr.

James Harris.

Good morning, council members.

Um, my name is Mr.

James Harris.

I'm a resident in District 7.

Um, I just was approved for a home loan.

Um, which is a big deal for me and my family.

Um, the home that I'm looking at acquiring is in District 7.

I'm basically here today.

I need to try to find out how can I grab a piece of this 25,000 to help cover the closing costs and the expenses.

So that's that was my main concern.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

And I'm sure someone from Member McCampbell's team will assist you as you step aside.

Here they come right now.

All right.

Next speaker, Miss Char Williams.

Can you guys hear me through the chair?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Um I like to say this.

At the end of the day, you all are here to serve the community, the citizens of the city.

And if you do not lead by example and comply to the laws, the constitution, it's an issue because the Leland House shouldn't have never happened like it did.

Building inspectors, they all connect together because when you in a shelter, the navigators come here, housing department, all this is located in the comedy gun building.

The building inspectors, how can they even pass inspector inspections when they not even properly operated?

Period.

Illegal names for these housing vouchers with ex-offenders, non-American citizens.

This is how they vote illegally.

I'm sick of this.

Every time I come down here, if you all been sitting on this board for over 12 years, you part of it.

Because that's when the FBI gave it back.

It's not acceptable when we have non-American citizens on the Detroit police department with fake names that can vote in our election.

They in here too.

They work in this building.

And I can recall back in the 90s when you can have your devices out, accountability, a fear of losing your job.

You need to implement this.

When you come to work, your devices shouldn't be visible, your earbuds shouldn't be on.

Like I said, you're here to work.

If you're not here to work, you shouldn't be here.

It's not acceptable.

So when you allow stuff to happen, it it you you just continue to let it happen.

It's like it's no consequences, but it is legal consequences at the end of the day.

And I'll continue to say this true bill, true bill, true bill.

Because a common everybody should be held accountable for illegal activities, and when you conspire to cover up illegal activities, why is the two line running after after four o'clock in the morning?

I mean, all this is convenient because of what's going on.

All 12 priests, the LPI.

Check it out.

Thank you.

Stepped out for a second.

Thank you for coming back.

Floor's yours, sir.

One three, four four four, nine one one four, three one three, four, four, four, nine one one four.

313, 444, 9114.

That number was made so you can remember it.

Churches have invited me to speak, um, donated folks have uh used it for the cash app.

So there's a reason and a purpose behind everything.

That's why I give out my number to be supportive and and and to pray with our community.

Um as you see in front of you, uh, is a uh laminated copy uh of the pair trans.

We broke it down.

That's a cosmo of DDP.

We we worked together.

Um, I had an error at the bottom.

D dot paratransit is 250, but smart paratrans is three dollars, and I didn't know there was a difference.

So I went to the smart board meeting and I did the same thing and gave them these, and they noticed that the price is different.

So the uh so DDOP Pair Transit is 250, and uh smart bus pair transit is three hours.

And so um actually smart peer transit even comes in the city because of the fast bus.

Uh, anywhere there's a fixed line route or regular buses, they have to have pure transit.

So um it really is like a robust system.

We're hoping that one day it'd be borderless pure transit, where smart and DOT work together, and you don't have to get let out and then wait on smart services.

Um it just be fluid, and that's what the prairie is on that.

Um, I want to thank each and every one of you for this time.

It's bus tickets, bus tickets, bus tickets.

That's what I need.

Uh go through about maybe $800 worth because of uh donations every month.

Uh, and the people need it.

And if you are driving and you're under the sound of my voice, um, use Pair Transit.

They send cabs, it's cheaper.

$2.50 is better than gas.

And I'm hurting, so pray for me.

The gas prices are hitting me hard.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Renita Moore.

Renita Moore.

Good morning.

My name is Benita Moore.

And I'm talking about the Section Eight.

Okay, the first house I ever got in Section Eight was 5285, my graph.

It was nothing wrong with me.

CMA DIO FOMO told me they were selling.

But CMA did not let me um do what I needed to do.

They stopped paying the man.

After that, I've been in three Section Eight houses, and every last one been screwed up.

I'm in another one that's screwed up and it don't make no sense.

The basement walls need the roof rain in the room.

It's ridiculous.

They got parts of the house that boarded up that you I can't even get with God.

I don't want to open it up, but it's just ridiculous.

How you gonna cut off something that I'm I'm y'all some pay for me to use?

It's ridiculous.

How did they sip in the door?

All kinds of things that's wrong with this house, and they're gonna be section eight, and these inspectors are passing them and putting us in them.

It's not right.

I want something decent to live in, not some garbage.

I might be out I see why people out there don't want to ship and get in a house because they're out there on the street sleeping, because they're gonna get tired of the same bull crap.

And I'm tired, it don't make no sense that I have to go through this this many times dealing with assistant supposed to be helping me.

Thank you, Miss Moore.

Someone from my team will come down and provide assistance, get her contact information, please.

Um, next speaker, Charles Cousin.

Hello, can you guys hear me?

Yes, sir.

So we have citizens who have fought and died so that we have constitutional rights and civil rights, but we have judges in the city of Detroit, and not only in the city of Detroit, but Michigan, who are not practicing people's right to do process.

Um you have judges giving the land bank houses without affording people's rights to do process, not allowing them to go to court.

And um, it's just ridiculous.

Like I said before, you know, this city has been through a lot of trauma and is healing from a lot of trauma.

And you know, uh though, you know, I don't I don't like to dwell on the negative, but the city needs to be more nurturing and it needs to get back to more kindness, and and you know, about a month ago, I let you guys know that my house was set on fire.

And I'm not from New York.

I'm I mean, I'm not from here.

I'm from New York.

You know, I moved here by myself, and uh, you know, so I have to pick up the pieces by myself.

Now, one person approached me and asked me how they can help me after I let it be known that my house was set on fire.

And just like Miss Lyon said, you know, like I get it, you know.

I'm a straight black man, nobody really cares about us.

Well, we we need to care about all of us, not just women, not just men, not just white people, not just black people.

We need to get back to turning the city into a family, and and that's all I gotta say about that.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Jeff Pegg, followed by Josh Mann, followed by Terry Jones.

Good morning.

My name is Jeffrey Pegg.

I'm currently the vice president of Detroit Firefighters Association, local 344, representing roughly 1,200 men and women of the Detroit Fire Department.

With me also today is our president Tom Gayhart, Secretary Jerry Stewart, and Treasurer Drew Schwedler.

I stand before this body today and oppose to the extension of the contract of three years for private ambulances.

We understand that the city of Detroit needs more ambulances in the city, but we believe that our members that get hired in the city, provide the best service to the citizens that live here, the members that come to play here, and the people that come to visit.

We would accept a one-year extension of the contract if possible, if this body sees fit.

If an amendment is not possible, we would ask that you turn down this contract, go back to administration and ask for a one-year extension of the contract.

We believe that this holds this current administration accountable for hiring more firefighters and buying more ambulances in the city of Detroit.

Please do not be alarmed that you will not have coverage.

You will 100% have coverage in the city, and it'll be our members that respond to all emergencies in the city, including medical runs.

You have 47 companies in service on a 24-7 basis that respond to every emergency run in the city of Detroit, including medical emergencies.

We are sometimes the first ones on the scene to provide that medical service with proud and dignified members.

We understand we also have 26 current transport units available that are in service 24-7, staffed by our members that would be able to provide that service of transport.

We believe a one-year extension of this contract will hold this current administration accountable, who has not as if this day offered any more ambulances in this budget for the last three years.

I hired any more additional firefighters or EMS people to staff more ambulances.

Thank you for your support.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Josh Mann, followed by Terry Jones.

And our last speaker will be Mr.

Foster in person.

Mr.

Mann.

Good morning, everybody.

So back to the flock cameras.

Now they're releasing this Raven technology that they have in it.

Closer.

So the Raven technology and these flock cameras.

Now it's uh a shot spotter, basically.

It also can sense a human in distress.

So it started out as an LPR.

Now they're telling us it's got facial recognition technology.

Data centers are cataloging every picture of us going past it 10 times a day, 15 times a day.

Now it's got the ability to audio listen to us, differentiate between people talking versus somebody having fun versus a human in distress.

No citizen of our country wants this in place.

Our government is putting it into place.

Be the heroes of the future and of today and stop this.

Cities and people nationwide, if you we want to see Detroit rebuilt, just opt out of this flock palantier system because people will move to cities that they feel are safe away from this overreach of surveillance.

The AI technology ghost murmur, it's like what's happening with these AI implements, it can sense a heartbeat from 40 miles away.

It's going to be able to listen to a human in distress.

Suppose a gunshots versus fireworks, facial recognition of anyone from a toddler to a senior.

There's no reason to track the entire human society based on to try to apprehend criminals.

It's a violation of our fourth amendment.

And you, as our local government, should be the heroes of us and of the kids and protect our future so we have privacy.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, Terry Jones, followed by Mr.

Foster.

Hi, Mr.

Letitia Jonathan.

Mr.

Jones, Mr.

Jones, we can't hear you.

We get close to that microphone.

That would help.

I got doing.

I've been dealing with this house situation on Rollsbury for two years.

Would y'all stop telling me people you better have a D to a house because I do demolition.

We got to tear a house down.

Y'all don't have no D.

Y'all just tear it down because people paying the taxes on the prop on the land.

I've been doing a lot of research on my house.

I have people paid them.

Ums and paid a lot of people, but nobody wants to talk about it.

Now I'm getting ready to send this to the feds because now I want them to probe and tell you what's going on with the city.

I've been dealing with this for two years.

I ain't getting no help.

I've been through everybody.

Um late Lake Shore.

All of them.

I'm tired.

I'm not paying for no longer you get my house back.

I'm just gonna have the feds come in, do a pro and see what's going on.

Who's getting paid?

Because I gotta let ND house go through, and my house sold for 616,000 to who I ain't getting money.

I wasn't back behind my taxes.

I want to know what's going on.

Everybody sitting around here.

I don't miss Jonathan.

Help me out, Miss Waterfall.

Yeah, I'm tired.

I'm getting ready to go to the feds.

I don't get no help soon.

Because these people are moving into Oakland County.

And I've been telling y'all this for two years.

These people are stealing money from the taxpayer, and they ain't gonna pay no taxes on the property.

My problem is all the way in California to a post box.

You cannot have an LLC with a post box in Michigan, Ohio, or California.

I don't know, that's for fact.

We got quit telling these people they gotta have these to the property because they don't have no D.

All they doing is paying taxes on the land.

Because I do demolition.

Y'all can't come now, it's over with.

Thank you.

Final in-person speaker is Mr.

Foster.

Uh good morning through city council.

Um just wanted to speak today on two words in particular justice through charity.

Okay.

Justice is defined as the ethical, legal, and philosophical concept of fairness, equality, and treating individuals with dignity.

Yeah, distributive, procedural, retributable, and restorative.

It essentially is making one whole.

That's what justice is all about.

And so when our citizens come down here, we have to find ways to use our resources that are available, not to fix their problems, but to make them whole so that they can fix their own problems.

Our communities become too dependent on government.

You have to use our resources to promote independence here so they can stand our own.

And just for example, no one is prescribed crutches for life, right?

And so crutches are just there temporarily so that you can get the strength on your own to carry on.

So we have to find ways to use our charity.

Charity, you guys are oversight.

You have to be more oversight of our charity, where our funds are going, hold them accountable to having love for our community.

If they don't know what charity is, they could look at St.

John 316.

It was manifested there, but God so loved the world that he gave, and the world gave nothing in return that he got nothing there.

So we have to hold our chair charities and 501c3s accountable to be loving to our community, not to fix their problems, but to promote independence to put them in a position where they can fix their own problems, put them in a position where they could take care of their own family, put them in a position where they can find self-worth and contribute to the benefit of our lives.

And so um, just we just have to do better with our resources.

Thank you all for listening.

Thank you.

We shall now transition to our online public commenters.

Uh good morning, team.

How many callers do we have?

And who do we have first?

Morning, Council President.

Our first caller is caller in 169.

I'll be up 13 online.

All right, caller ending in one six nine.

The floor is yours.

Two minutes, general public comment.

Hello, can you guys hear me?

Yes, sir.

Great.

I want to say thank you for praying for Brother Cunningham.

Do more banking, brother Cunningham than thanking Brother Cunningham.

Yes, B-A-N-K.

Thank you for praying for Brother Cunningham.

Do more banking, Brother Cunningham than thanking Brother Cunningham.

Yes, B-A-N-K-I-N-G and Detroit basketball.

Thank you for my time.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

All right, caller is going to be Darren McCluske.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

We have two minutes, general public comment.

Caller, are you there?

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

Mr.

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

Our next caller is going to be owner paper.

The floor is yours.

You have two minutes.

General public comment.

Caller, are you there?

Caller, are you there?

Let's put the caller at the end of the queue and go to the next caller, please.

Okay.

Our next caller is going to be William M.

Davis.

William M.

Davis, the floor is yours.

We have two minutes, general public comment.

Good morning.

Can I be heard?

Yes, sir.

Okay, you know, I'm not generally in favor of AI, but I think it's a possibility that AI could be used as a perhaps could help to review out of body cam video.

Because this is only a small portion is actually being reviewed.

I think ultimately, if we was able to review all of it or most of it, we could possibly reduce the number of lawsuits and the number of questionable practices some of our officers engage in.

I think most of our officers are decent people to do a good job.

But you know, we could strive to improve what's happening in the city because far too often, you know, you have especially young people feel like they're being uh victimized by the police department by the officers.

Uh but I think more needs to be done as it relates to uh making sure that we know what they're doing, especially since we're paying them and most of them don't live in our city, which is tragic.

Because when I started with the city of Detroit as an employee, you had to technically all live inside the city.

That's not the case now.

And I think that's one of the problems of what's going on in our city.

Also, I think a greater effort should be made to make our city cleaner.

You know, far too many people.

I live near Dearborn.

You know, I'm in aviation subdivision.

There's an aviation subdivision right across time, and there's a marked difference because you have people driving in from Dearborn, you know, dropping paper and doing this and doing that and doing uh dumping stuff on our area.

You know, I I think we need to make sure that we have enforceable uh laws, and I think it should be consequences for people to come over and illegally dump in our communities.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is going to be one two four four.

Good morning.

I was um wanted to speak about the reparations again, Vanilla May Berry here.

I would um because of your getting ready to build this dome that's going to be on the grounds of the 375 where you're getting getting ready to tear that down and build this dome over in that area that we should be able people citizens of Detroit who are are going to get to reparations.

We still need to hear from the reparations committee about the meetings.

What is the uh outcome of uh other reparations?

Uh we uh would like to know where we stand with the reparations.

We'd like to have also some residuals from the black bottom because we found out also that Greek town casino is sitting on black on paradise valley land, as well as call America Park is sitting on Black Bottom Land and we did get some residuals from that also.

So um like I say my name is Vanetta Mayberry.

Email address is May Any M-A-Y N E A T at Gmail.com that you can get in contact with me so that we uh who sit on that committee of the reparations can get some kind of answers about the reparations and that I yelled my time.

Thank you.

Caller, please.

Our next caller is going to be Samsung S M991U.

Caller, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes.

General public comment.

Caller, are you there?

Caller, are you there?

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

Okay, Council President.

Our next caller is going to be Miss Betty A.

Varner.

Miss Betty A.

Varner, the floor is yours.

We have two minutes, general public comment.

Uh good morning to all within the sound of my voice.

I'm Betty A.

Varner, president of DeSoda Ellsworth Black Association.

Here today, I'm going to give some information that can help caregivers and the person who needs the care.

And if you are not in a situation where you need this services, please share.

There's a wonderful lady named Mrs.

Deborah A.

Royal.

R-O-Y-A-L.

Her telephone number is 313 484808.

Again, 313 484808.

She has an organization where she provides services for people, and she has programs where you need to have Medicaid, and she has programs for those who don't eligible for Medicaid.

I am in a program that's called Helping Hands.

And it is a very unique program because it assists the caregivers.

It comes into the home and gives the caregivers a break.

You don't need Medicaid for this program.

And the caregivers, they get a chance once a month, go for massages, get their nails done, and there's different activities that she provide for the caregivers to give them the break.

Myself, I need the services.

Again, the number is 313 484808.

And she has programs that you get more services if you thank you.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is going to be Jai Singletary.

You have two minutes, general public comment.

Welcome.

Yes, sir.

Excellent.

Thank you.

And good morning again, City Council.

My name is Jai Singletary.

I am a Springwells Village resident in District 6.

And I'm giving public comment today to commend the city of Detroit, the Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit, and all of the parade participants on Sunday for a fun, safe, and culturally culturally enriching parade.

Since moving from Washington, D.C.

by way of Ann Arbor to Detroit in 2019, I can say that the Cinquita Mayo celebration is my favorite event weekend of the year in the city.

And I'd like to give a special shout out to Councilmember Santiago Romero and Waters and their respective teams for their participation in the parade as well.

And I do apologize if I missed any other council members who are in attendance.

I apologize.

It's no secret that immigrants in Detroit are battling unwarranted attacks from those in our own community and quite often at City Council's public comment.

And they face fears that I would never have to consider for myself.

And for those who harbor such hate towards our undocumented community, I respectfully ask you to consider this.

What lengths would you go to provide for your own family?

And these are the same questions that undocumented communities have to consider, whether they're in Detroit or beyond.

And to come back to uh Sundays and Saturdays festivities, uh, their reminder of the color and rich history that our immigrant community contributes to Detroit.

And regard regardless of one's documentation status.

We're all fortunate to call them our neighbors.

And events like Sunday should remind all of Detroit that more binds us than separates us.

Thank you, City Council.

Thank you, Council President.

Have a safe remainder of your day.

Thank you.

You as well, sir.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is going to be Zoom user.

Zoom user.

The floor is yours.

You have two minutes, general public comment.

Caller, are you there?

Let's put the caller at the end of the queue and go to the next, please.

Our next caller is going to be please listen to member waters.

Right.

Caller, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes, general public comment.

Good morning, may I be heard?

Yes.

Yeah, I signed in as please listen to member waters about the illegal NAMP program.

So whoever you got running the board, it'd be nice if he would say the appropriate fault name.

Um the gentleman from New York who had his house burned down is totally right.

This city needs to act more like a family instead of a corrupt organization that favors some people over other people, like the favored developers that get to have boards on their went, their buildings, peeling paint, debris in the yard, open to trespass, no vacant building certificate, but the land bank doesn't go after their property.

And I I even brought an image of one of these buildings to the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

They're contracting with this developer, and they didn't do a diddly do about it.

Now I've asked Mr.

Dylan Patel, why is it that I've already been given a vacant building certificate with uh plywood boards on the window?

The most important thing is to secure the building, which I have done.

The city secures buildings with plywood.

I watched the vacant building or the dangerous buildings thing yesterday.

Uh they're allowing people to board up with plywood, and then Mr.

Dylan Patel tried to tell me.

Well, if you're if it's under the land bank, it's different jurisdiction.

Uh well, newsflash, I didn't buy the house from the land bank.

News flash member waters has been telling you for a long time, and I've been telling you since before that the new abatement program is illegal.

And now most of you are letting that going on.

There's a lawsuit in federal court, Eastern District of Federal Court about the illegality of this program, how they take people's property, sit on it, don't abate the nuisance in many cases, and then later sell the pro sell it for a profit and don't pay the person back.

You have got to stop this abominable behavior and illegal behavior that is so much.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is legendary Detroiter.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes.

General public comment.

Yep.

Right here.

Oh yeah.

James Z Tate Jr.

Gig is up.

Now I'm black bag, Mr.

Rue.

And now I gotta be me.

So you Solomon Kenlock, Warren Evans, and Comrade Mallet Jr.

Been playing games.

Well, I got game, game, game, game, game, game.

Now it's true.

I used to live at 1905 on more drive over in Palmer Woods.

I got the apartment when I was 15 years old, but a four-car, four-door garage.

And uh I'm also black bag room, east side route, west side room, downtown, six-mile rule, seven mile room, and joy road route.

I turned up.

It's been a hell of a ride here in Detroit.

Now I gotta step out and announce that I'm running for a senator in a new Michigan third district.

That's over in Scott Benson's district.

Scott Benson, you heard that.

I'm running for Michigan Senator.

Um announcing my intent to run for Michigan Senator, because I gotta take Detroit back.

Can't rely on nobody else.

Gotta do it myself.

Now, the 11th precinct police officers.

This uh Paul Pesmark, Lieutenant, and his sergeant Greg Torville need to find out just how I'm cut for real for real and how I'm built.

Michael Edward Duggan ran into a roadblock.

Monkey rent through.

That's me, James.

Did you hear that clearly?

Did all y'all hear that clearly?

All right, telling them but the truth.

Thank you much.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is Jacqueline.

Jacqueline, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes.

General public comment.

Caller, are you there?

I am here.

I have a question for Mr.

McCampbell.

Why do we need a resolution for um post-prison disorder when it's not even recognized by the APA DSMR?

And we already have pro TSD, which that would fall up under.

I just understand why we would need to, you know, have another resolution for that.

Also, Mr.

Benson, I did call your office.

I'm the one that wants the bicycle with you down Tacoma Avenue.

However, who your chief of staff or person wanted to explain to me how great you are, but I didn't want to hear that.

I just want to make an appointment with you to take a bike ride, which I would have thought she would have heard the meeting and understood, but I guess she doesn't listen because she thought that I was being indignant with her by just focusing back on when can I get an appointment to ride with you?

So if you can let me know, hey, I'm free pretty much every day, all day.

I have nothing else to do.

Just let me know when we can meet and ride together.

And that is my comment.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Our next caller is going to be Crane Stannah Gina Brown Anderson.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes.

General public comment.

The sound like that may have been a hurry.

Good morning.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Um, I want to know if you guys know what money laundering is.

Money laundering is an illegal process of making large amounts of money generated by criminal activity such as drug trafficking, terrorism, and fraud appear to have come from a legitimate source.

It involves disguising the origins of the dirty money through complex financial transactions and allowing criminals to use the funds without revealing their illegal source.

This right here is an example of the money that's been taken through campaign finance.

And if you all will go and I'm telling all the residents to go, learn how to look where the money is coming from, because we have people sitting on our council that are supposed to represent us, but this money that's coming in is from the people who are exploiting us and tearing us down.

Secondly, I have an election voter absentee list that demonstrates that we have voters outside of state of Michigan, out of the state of Michigan, out of the city of Detroit voting, received legitimately from the election department, giving me an a number, a total of 15 voters who were given ballots and voted and received them ballots back.

I know you like to make people look crazy when they come down in there and talking about election fraud.

I know we don't want to discuss it as Democratic Party because we don't want the Republicans to sue in and floor fly in and disrupt our election process.

But until you restore some dignity and pride back to the election process, we are doomed for disaster.

You are constantly dividing us by not creating an administration that is diligent in doing their job and making sure all departments function properly.

So can you please look into everything that I mentioned as leadership and get back to me?

Thanks.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Michelle Jackson, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes, general public comment.

I'm sorry, can you hear me?

Good morning, yes.

Good morning.

Thank you so much.

Um, I would just like to say thank you to the whole body for recognizing International Compost Awareness Week.

Thank you, Member Callaway, for recognizing May.

And I would just like to say I would a shout out and uh support a city of Detroit support award to council member Johnson and Council Member Vincent, because we have been in this fight for compost for many years, and you too have supported council member um Johnson as since you've taken office.

You've been involved with our site all over your district and council member Benson.

You might not have seen it, but you supported it.

So thank you too.

And that's all I have to say.

This is Michelle Jackson, sustainable community farm and chair for Detroit Green Task Force, Organic Reduction and Urban Ad Committee.

Thank you guys so much.

Keep up the good work.

Thank you.

Hi.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

In the queue.

Our first caller is going to be Darren McCleskey.

All right, caller, the floor is yours.

You have two minutes, general public comment.

Good morning, council.

I'm here.

Can you hear me?

Yes, sir.

Floor is yours.

Okay.

Good morning.

Um again, I know I've said this in the past.

It would be mighty helpful to be able to announce the future callers like you do within person.

I don't know if there's a technical issue there.

I think it would prevent about half of the callers being moved to the end of the line, and it would save a lot of time.

Um beyond that, Grixdale Farms.

I own a lot with use restrictions.

I was just served two weekends ago.

Um, I still have a week to respond to that lawsuit.

You guys are already demolishing the neighborhood.

So I'm trying to figure out why, without you know, the full ownership and right to do so.

You guys have jumped the gun.

It's almost like you guys know that the judges are gonna side with you on this eminent domain taking.

Um, the neighborhoods just being demolished.

It should have been cleaned up years and years ago like this on your own properties, but instead, you guys let the neighborhoods go to complete crap and then take people's land um for pennies on the dollar.

Um, speaking of that, I have presented a solution to Mary Sheffield over a year ago regarding mowing in the city.

You guys mow lots indiscriminately, whether they're privately owned or publicly owned, yet you don't charge for it.

So when you guys mow, you should actually in the springtime have some sort of online form in which property owners, vacant lot owners can actually fill in their contact information and get bulk pricing and be preventive and mow have their grass mowed, and then the city could collect funds rather than have to chase people down with blight tickets and whatnot when you guys are mowing anyway.

So just a suggestion of of how to uh bring some order to that chaos.

Thank you.

Next caller, please.

Council president, one of our callers from the queue dropped off, making owner Papa our final caller for all our public comment.

Thank you so much, sir.

Caller, the floor is yours.

We have two minutes.

General public comment.

Good morning, Andrew.

The chair, may I be heard?

Yes.

Uh young people, this is what democracy looks like when you live in a city like the city of Detroit.

We have to fight for everything.

We we have a council that seems to be um tone deaf.

They don't hear the people complaining in the city, they don't address the problems in the city.

So this is what you're faced with as young uh people in the city of Detroit.

And a shame on you, uh, Councilman Benson.

The um air quality in this city is horrible.

I don't know why you think that uh you're doing a good job with the green task force because you are not.

You've allowed buildings to be built in the city that aren't LEED certified.

Um now uh we have B SIT who has done a horrible job asking for 400,000 for consulting services.

It's a bit late for consulting services.

You also have on your agenda to go to committee blight funding for fill removal and replacement of dirt.

So now we're going to pay for the dirty dirt uh as you see fit, not not I hope some of the children who see the holes in the city know that the holes in the city and the dirty dirt was put there by their their public officials.

Um what you have to look forward to in your neighborhood is concrete crushers, solar farms, uh street humps, dirty dirt, actually contaminated with horrible things, um, high unemployment, um uh liquor stores, over policing, poverty, and unequal treatment.

These are things that we fought against a long time ago, and now you see what happened.

Black bottom was taken away the same way they're using eminent domain taking away the houses today.

They built stadiums on that land, and we are asking for reparations and you should it takes us to the end of our public commenters.

Colleagues, are there any responses, any comments that you would like to provide?

And I see discussion.

We do have a hand uh with member McCampbell, then we'll uh take up next uh member Benson.

Member McCampbell.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, I believe the speaker here since left, but brought up a comment about um actions of judges.

I just want to remind folks there is the um judicial tenure commission in Michigan.

So if you have any complaints or anything that you want to bring up, that is the body that will handle that here in the state, um, including with magistrates, state judges, and such.

Um the a caller asked about the um post-traumatic uh prison resolution.

Um, yes, I understand that PTSD is recognized um as a disorder, but we also know that millions of folks are currently incarcerated and even more have been formally incarcerated.

And um, we know there are traumatic experiences that happened during incarceration, even here in the state of Michigan with uh um the Michigan Department of Corrections.

We've seen many um um instances and horrific things happening there.

So just want to recognize the experience that folks still carry with them when they are um out of incarceration.

So we'll discuss this more at PHS, but just want to uh give more information on that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh member Benson.

All right, thank you.

Uh I just want to respond to the bicycle challenge.

I am more than happy to schedule a bicycle ride with any of my boss's constituents.

Um, but I would offer an alternative on 19 June, the Charles H.

Wright Museum of African American History in sponsorship and coordination with other stakeholders like myself in my office, we'll be hosting our second Juneteenth ride at 10 a.m.

And so that is a welcoming ride for everybody to come and participate.

But if you would like me to ride exclusively with you, um, I just have a few rules.

Number one, you have to have his helmet.

There needs to be a safe bicycle for you to ride, and you have to be able to hold 15 miles an hour for one hour.

And so we'll make sure that we get that one scheduled and we can go take a look at the holes on Tacoma, which are also being addressed by the demolition department.

We've had that conversation.

There were unfortunately dirty dirt in those holes.

And as per the rules and in coordination with the residents in the area, they're making sure that those are going to be filled and they're going to be filled properly and in accordance with the law in a manner that has become accustomed to my bosses within the third district.

But please call my office and we can schedule that bike ride with those rules and stipulations.

Thank you.

All right, thank you so much, colleagues.

Any further member Santiago Romero?

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Just want to uh add for the record a gratitude uh note to Jai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Colleagues, any further seeing none, we shall proceed with the rest remainder of the agenda.

Uh understanding committee reports, madam clerk from the budget finance and audit standing committee from the office of the chief financial and officer office of budget.

Council member McCampbell, two resolutions, line items 16.1 and 16.2.

Member McCampbell.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, these are two 16.1 is related to the budget transfers for fiscal year 2026 in relation to the um uh executive organizational plan and 16.2 is the related to our request to write off uncollectible account receivables um and non-real property tax receivable.

So with that, a motion to approve 16.1 and 16.2.

There's a motion to approve line items 16.1 and 16.2 colleagues, any objections?

Discussion with discussion, member calloway.

Um thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, through yourself to uh member McCampbell, is there a report attached regarding the amount of uncollectible accounts, a monetary figure?

Member McCampbell.

Uh which I believe there is a report on those items that um, but if we can if there's someone from the admins to go through it, that would be great.

All right, Mr.

Washington, do you have anyone available who can share light on that question?

And member Callaway just provided.

Yes, I think through the chair.

Morning.

Who do we have?

Sorry, we have your bar.

All right, we will promote her.

All right.

Uh good morning.

Please introduce yourself for the record.

Mr.

Byrne.

Good good morning, uh, Mr.

President and members of the city council.

I'm Norvire, deputy treasurer for the city of Detroit.

Good morning.

Member Callaway.

Um thank thank you so much, Mr.

Chair.

Um, Mr.

Did you say Mr.

Barray?

Yes.

Uh to the chair, uh, to member Callaway, yes.

Barray.

Bahra, okay.

I didn't see the report.

Um, so if I if you can make sure I get a copy of it, I don't see it attached, and I don't remember getting it beforehand.

But I'd like to know the total amount per department or per division that we're writing off these uncollectible accounts.

And then I also like to know what a special acts personal property tax balance is.

I've never heard of that before.

What is a special acts personal property tax um balance?

Can you tell me what that is?

What is a special act for property?

Through the chair, uh to member Callaway.

There is a memo that is attached to the resolution that breaks out the amount we're writing off in three different categories.

We'll definitely consent you uh one of those three items.

We can give you the breakdown of what the different departments that are uh involved uh with the write-off.

That's all that's a total of 554,000 on the on the memo attached to the uh to the write off.

Uh with respect to special acts, these are uh after we complete the the tax year, as you know, uh we send our real property tact at the Laurum delinquencies to Wayne County.

What does not go to Wayne County is uh personal property tax and any um uh items that relate to and those are what we're writing off after we already received uh approval from the Wayne County District Court to write off the old balances that relate to the personnel property tax.

This is just the what remains of that.

Okay, all righty.

I look forward to getting um a complete report with respect to the uncollectible accounts and the total amount.

Um my next question through the chair to you to you, uh Mr.

Bear.

Do we have and I've been asking for this?

I think we did hire the Allen Law Group to um go after um some uncollectible debts through the law department.

Do you have a collection agency that you work with through the treasury's office to collect these debts before they become uncollectible?

Before they become through the chair, to a member of Callaway.

We currently do not have a third party uh outside of the city collect collection agency, but we do work with the law department with respect to the law firm you referred to earlier.

Okay, all right.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any further colleagues?

See no, there's a motion on the floor for approval on line items 16.1 and 16.2.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Mr.

Chair.

Um member McCampell.

Um request away about 16.1 and 16.2.

Colleagues, is a request for waiver on both items.

Any objections?

Objection.

Um, member calloway, is it on both items?

Is it on both items?

So there's a um objection for a waiver on line item 16.2.

Uh seeing that, uh, no waiver will be attached to that item, but a waiver shall be attached on 16.1.

And action shall be taken.

Uh, from the city clerk, city planning commission, ma'am clerk.

Councilmember McCampbell, a resolution line item 16.3.

Uh member McCampbell.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh move to approve 16.3.

There's a motion to approve line item 16.3.

Colleagues, any objections?

See none.

That action shall be taken.

From the Department of Public Works Administration.

Councilmember McCampbell, a resolution line item 16.4.

All right, member McCampbell, line item 16.4, sir.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

16.4 is related to a fee schedule of the share mobility permits for e-scooters.

Uh motion to approve.

There's a motion to approve line item 16.4.

Any objection?

Discussion.

With discussion, member callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

This is an ordinance um that myself and um member um Sheffield president at the time of the city council in 2023.

Um, when I joined the council, the e-scooters were not regulated.

They are now, and there are about eight companies.

Um, now we're down to two.

I think we're down to Lime and spin.

But when I joined the council in 2022, there were about eight companies.

So can we have someone on from DPW to tell me a little bit more about the fee schedule?

Because I didn't see anything attached.

And how's it um being altered or changed?

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Okay, Mr.

Washington, do you have anyone available who can provide member Callaway with that information?

Yes, through the chair, if we can promote Sam Krasenstein as well as Ryan Michael.

We will promote the individuals.

Uh, through the chair, Sam Krasenstein, Deputy Director, Department of Public Works.

Okay.

Through the chair, Ryan Michael, the deputy chief of business innovation and emerging industries, as well as acting chief of mobility and innovation.

Thank you.

Member Callaway, the floor remain.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Just um to you both or either of you through the chair.

What is the fee schedule now for the um for the e-scooters?

What's the pay schedule?

And are we um just talking about two companies?

Because some years ago there were about eight.

Now I'm looking, there's two Lime and Lyme.

So what is the fee schedule?

And how was it um determined?

Uh, through the chair, member Callaway.

Um, thank you for the question.

Uh, this fee schedule is an updated version of the previously approved three-tier uh uh fee schedule that was approved during the 2024-2025 permit cycle, and it's actually a simplification of that.

Um, instead of having a 25 cent, 10 set, and five set charge that's being simplified just to a 25 cent charge for any trip originating or ending within the high frequency area and a five cent um fee for any trip that occurs fully outside of the area.

Okay, through the chair to yourself, Mr.

Michael, how much revenue is that generating for the city?

The anticipated revenue for this upcoming budget cycle is based off 650 trips, which is a conservative estimate to be approximately 117,000 for the upcoming permit.

The uh uh that's a conservative estimate um with ridership from the previous permit cycle exceeding that you through the chair, Mr.

Michael.

You said 117,000 is being generated from these two companies based on the new fee schedule?

Is the estimated, yes, based on the new fee schedule?

That's the estimated revenue into the city from these two operators.

Yes.

Okay, through yourself, um, through the chair to you, Mr.

Michael.

Is that for one calendar year or one fiscal year?

650 trips, excuse me, through the chair.

Um, the 650 trips is the conservative estimate across both years under the permit.

Okay.

All right, and through the chair to yourself, Mr.

Michael.

Um, where does that money go?

Does it go back to the office of mobility or does it go back into the general fund?

Uh I'll defer, excuse me, through the chair.

I'll defer to my colleague Sam to answer that.

Uh through the chair, thanks for the question, Member Callaway.

Uh, so this this these funds do enter DPW's general inspection budget.

Uh so they're captured within our general inspection cost center.

Okay, thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you both.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor for approval.

Line item 16.4.

Any objections?

Say none that action shall be taken.

Mr.

Chair.

Uh member McCamp.

All right, can I request a waiver of 16.4, please?

There is a request for a waiver on line item 16.4, colleagues.

Any objections?

Seeing none, a waiver should be attached.

For the internal operations standing committee from the Office of Contracting and Procurement, Madam Clerk.

Council member with Phil Callaway for resolutions.

Line items 17.1 through 17.4.

Contract number 6007656, 100% city funding to provide a cloud-based software solution for secure file sharing box, contractor staples contract and commercial LLC, total contract amount, 924,000 95.08 cents.

That's for do it.

Contract number 6007271-A1, 100% grant funding.

Amendment one to provide a renewal for legal case management system for the Detroit Indigent Defense Services, DIDS office, contractor, codify LLC, total contract amount 80,000.

That's for law.

Contract number 6003597-A3.

So revenue agreement, amendment three to provide an extension of time only for collections for Department of Appeals and Hearings, DAH Contractor, Lion Barger, Dogane, Blair, and Samson LLP.

The revenue rate 70% to 90% of collections.

That's for law.

Contract number 6003176-82.

100% city funding amendment two to provide extension of time only for flexible spending accounts services for employees.

Contractor Nevia Benefit Solutions Incorporated total contract amount 380,000.

That's for human resources.

Councilmember Whitfield Callaway for resolutions.

Member Callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um motion um for approval for all four with discussion.

As a motion to approve line items 17.1 through 17.4 with the special colleagues.

Member Callaway.

Um thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, just a quick comment.

We these came through internal operations, and um I've always expressed this concern.

This is line I this is pertaining to line item 17.4.

Um HR is notorious for um sending us contracts that have already expired.

They've been doing it since I've been on the council since 2022, and I continue to um raise these concerns every single time this happens.

This is a very important contract, as they all are, but this has to do with um providing an extension of time only for flexible spending for our employees.

But it expired, it expired March the 31st.

Now we're in May, and I just don't understand um the explanations that are continued to be provided why we continue to allow HR to allow their contracts as important as this one to expire.

Um, with you know, very um weak explanation.

So I just wanted to make that comment, but this contract already expired.

Our backs up against the wall.

We don't have a choice but to approve it.

But um, I wish we could do better with our HR department and not have these contracts continue to be sent to us.

Um my fifth year be on the council um on a quarterly basis.

We get expired contracts from HR.

So that was my only comment, but motion to approve, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

There's a motion to approve line item 17.1 through 17.4, colleagues.

Any objections?

See none, then action shall be taken.

Mr.

Chair, uh member calloway.

The administration has requested a waiver on line item 17.1 and 17.4.

There's a request for a waiver, colleagues, for line item 17.1 and 17.4.

Any objections?

See none, then action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Uh, from the law department, madam clerk.

Council member withfield Callaway for resolutions.

Line item 17.5 through 17.8.

Uh member Callaway.

Motion to approve, Mr.

Chair.

As a motion to approve line item 17.5 through 17.8, colleagues.

Any objection?

Discussion.

With discussion, member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Just uh through you to the administration.

I do have um two outstanding questions for line items 17.6 and 17.7.

Not looking to hold this up, but would like to get a response from the department.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Mr.

Washington or uh Graham, Mr.

Anderson, anybody have uh for the police department.

Sorry about that.

Um Mr.

Washington, are you clear on the request?

You're gonna pass that on to the chair.

My apologies.

Could you please repeat the request?

Um member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, Mr.

Washington, line items 17.6 and 17.7.

We have submitted um questions to Patrick Emory.

Um, we're still looking to get a response.

Okay, through the chair.

Um, if you could postpone this a week and I'll work with Mr.

Emery to get those responses back to you.

Mr.

Chair, uh member Johnson.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Washington, not looking to postpone it because it is relative to a settlement, but would like to have an understanding of um the officers involved in the situation.

So if you can just ensure uh there's a response to the question, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Well done.

All right, thank you.

Uh there is again a motion to approve line items 17.5 through 17.8, colleagues.

Any objections seeing none, that action shall be taken.

From the office of the chief financial officer, office of development and grants, madam clerk.

Council member Whitfield Callaway, a resolution, line item 17.9.9, member Callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um motion to approve.

There's a motion to approve line item 17.9, colleagues.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Request a waiver, Mr.

Chair.

As a waiver requested on line item 17.9.

Any objections?

Saying none, a waiver shall be attached.

Under resolutions, Madam Clerk.

Council member with Phil Callaway, two resolutions.

Noting that line item 17.10 is on behalf of Council President James Tate.

Thank you.

Member Callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Before I make a motion to approve these, I wanted to defer through yourself, Mr.

Chair, to Member Benson for line item 17.10 to make sure that the um information that you asked to be included in the resolution was included.

Member Benson.

Discussion with discussion, uh Member Benson.

I have additional language as well.

All right, thank you.

So during the uh discussion in committee, uh, made a recommendation and it was approved by my committee members to amend the proposed resolution in the second, whereas in the first sentence in the second line that would indicate the preliminary legislature shall be completed by the end of the third quarter.

So the first year, and that in quote, city council shall vote to approve and then outside of quotes with consensus, the final legislative agenda by 31 January of this next year.

And that was the amendment to that resolution, which would ensure that all voices are heard and that we as a body come to a consensus when it comes to a uh legislative agenda.

Thank you, uh member Benson.

Uh, with further discussion, it was implied that that would be the case, but it's good to see that uh listed here in the resolution.

The challenge that we have with adding that language is that it was ripped directly from the rules.

So it would be more appropriate if we're looking to change it in the rules as opposed to the resolution, because again, this language is ripped directly from the rules, the language that we have in the rules.

So that's why it was not added back in there because of that and that language.

Uh again, if we want to go down that pathway to the rules, no objection here whatsoever.

Do your system chair to LPD.

So to do that, that would be an additional process.

I'm far more adminable.

I suggest that we do if we can do it in one fell swoop today versus going back to the rules, which would be the understanding that any agenda would be done by consensus.

Although, if it has to go back to the rules, we can do that process as well.

Mr.

President, Mr.

Widow.

I don't see any problem with you making the adjustment in this resolution.

We could do that in a separate action of changing the rules permanently, but you're moving this resolution forward, and I don't see any problem with that.

And we've amended it accordingly.

Okay.

Yeah, I was just looking again from the concern of the actual language we have.

So are we hopefully going to move to amend the language in the rules?

Because I would be again supportive of that to make sure that everything is in line.

Mr.

Chair, we can make that happen.

All right.

Colleagues, there's a motion to approve line item 17.10 as amended.

Any objections?

See none, then action shall be taken.

Oh, I'm sorry, and 17.11.

We move to any objections.

Seeing none, both line item 17.10 and as amended, as well as 17.11 shall be approved.

For the planning and economic development standing committee under unfinished business, madam clerk.

Council member Johnson and ordinance noting a roll call, line item 18.1.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I move to take from the table an ordinance to amend chapter 50 of the 2019 Detroit City Code zoning by amending Article 17, zoning district maps, section 50-17-6, district map number five to revise the zoning classification for four parcels commonly identified as 4814 4830, 4838 Trumbull, as well as 4827 Lincoln, generally bound by West Warren Avenue to the north, Lincoln Street to the east, West Forest Avenue to the south, and Trumbull Street to the west from the PD Plant Development District zoning classification to a combination of the R5 medium density residential district and SD1 Special Development District, small scale, mixed use, zoning classifications and to repeal any existing regulations for development for the portion of the existing PD zoning district subject to such rezoning laid on the table February 17th, 2026.

Thank you, Member Johnson.

Hearing no objections, then action will be taken.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I move the ordinance be placed on the order of third reading and considered read.

Hearing no objections that action shall be taken.

Councilmember Johnson.

I move the ordinance be passed as submitted.

There being a roll call required.

Discussion.

With discussion.

Okay member Waters.

All right, then thank you.

I just have a few questions.

I also like to know if anyone spoke with the archdiocese.

And uh when it comes to the parcels, um, how were they divided?

So hopefully before we go forward further, let's uh see if we can have someone present, we can respond to your questions.

Mr.

Washington, anyone available who can provide inside?

Um member Johnson.

Mr.

Chair, this is the city planning commission.

To the city planning commission.

Anyone available who can provide information on this particular item for member waters.

See them checking now.

Okay.

We're trying to work through a computer issue as we speak right now.

Looks like it's about to clear up good morning, Mr.

Ty.

Thank you for joining us, Director Ty, rather.

My apologies.

Thank you for joining us this morning.

Certainly.

My apologies, Mr.

Chair, Council.

I am in transit to the building.

I believe Dolores Paralis Lara should be on in order to provide a detailed response to those questions if she could be brought over.

Uh, but in short, and I do believe that I heard all of the questions raised by member waters.

The church at present is owned by the current uh occupants.

I'm apologize that the name of the congregation escapes me at the moment.

Uh, we have been dealing with them since day one.

And uh as far as the Archdiocese is concerned, they no longer have any interest uh in this property.

Uh that was dissolved decades ago.

And um uh and uh in terms of the um other property ownership, um the questions have been raised back and forth between uh the church and the interest that they have expressed in the property uh at question, as well as uh what the proposed plans are from the um combination really of the land bank and the housing and revitalization department again.

The with the rezoning that is before you is to remove the PD regulations that restrict any development, whether it would be from the church or uh again, uh the city as the uh owner of the property, no development can take place without the removal of the PD and the restrictions that are tied to it at present.

Uh, and we're rezoning it now in order that the property can be legally uh set up for use uh alternatively uh for housing, as is the proposal of HRD uh and the land bank, and then the uh one parcel in question that the church is using for parking to them for them to then be able to legally use that uh parcel for parking, and then for the church, if it would like to actually participate in an RFP process to uh bid on the redevelopment of the site along with other qualified bidders.

Okay, and waters, uh satisfy your questions, or do you have any further?

Well, he said he doesn't know who owns it right now.

You said there's another church that owns it, it's not the archdiocese.

Then then who is it?

We also have Ms.

Perales Laura, who's available as well.

If you can please introduce yourself for the record, and if you have any further to add, the floor is yours.

Morning, Dolores Crow's Lara CPC staff.

Uh thank you, Member Waters, uh, for your question.

The church itself is owned by Citadel of Faith.

Um, they are the active uh parish at this organization and are currently still active at the at that parish.

And and so of course they they've approved all of this.

Is that correct?

Um to member waters, in regards to the rezoning of their property, which is 4838 Trumbull, that is correct.

They are in approval of that rezoning of the PD land to R5 to match the remainder of their facility.

Okay.

All right, so I just have another question though.

Um developer, are we going to be selling these parcels to a developer?

And and if so, who is that?

Um to member waters.

The the vote the parcels themselves uh regarding 4838 Trumbull, that one is owned particularly by Citadel of Faith.

Uh that is their parking lot, and it it was left over from the original um PD that was on place with these parcels that would still be owned by the church and it would allow for them to re continue to use their park uh lot for church-related parking.

4830 Trumbull is also a part of the church parking lot.

However, it has split ownership due to them being two separate parcels.

That 4830 Trumbull is owned by the land bank.

However, the land bank has a portal open for the church to acquire that property so that they are able to have both lots for their church-related parking since that is what the current use is, and under the current PD, they are not allowed to uh park for um they are not allowed to park on those lots.

The other lots in question um for 4827 Lincoln and 4814 Trumbull.

4827 Lincoln is not a part is not um combined as 4814 Trumbull is 4827 Lincoln is available for purchase, where 4830 Trumbull and 4827 Lincoln are available for Citadel Faith to acquire.

However, 4814 Trumbull is expected to have undergo an RFP process um with the um with HRD with the land bank.

The land bank currently owns 4814 Trumbull, 48 uh 27 Lincoln, and 4830 Trumbull.

However, again, 4830 Trumbull and 4827 Lincoln are up for purchase by the church them itself.

4814 uh Trumble is not up for purchase, however, it will undergo an RFP process.

There's no developer in question yet.

None of these lots are in process of being developed.

It is up um it is pending this rezoning for an RFP to occur to then move forward with those development steps for 4814 Trumbull in particular.

All right, then finally, mr.

Mr.

President, I would I would ask that you come back to this body and provide a six-month report.

We need a status of what's really happening uh with this.

Um that would that would be great.

Uh any reflections on that request, Mr.

President.

We'll be happy to do so through you to member waters.

Thank you.

All right, then thank you.

Thank you, colleagues.

Any further?

Seeing none, Madam Clerk, there'd be a roll call required.

Please call the roll.

Councilmember Waters.

Yes.

Councilmember Whitfield Calloway.

Council President Pro Tim Young.

Yes.

Council President Tate.

Yes.

Councilmember Benson.

Yes.

Councilmember Johnson?

Yes.

Councilmember McCampbell?

Yes.

Councilmember Miller.

Yeah.

Councilmember Santiago Romero.

Yes.

Nine yes.

That motion passes, Mr.

President.

Thank you so much.

The ordinance was approved.

Councilmember Johnson.

I moved the title to the ordinance to be confirmed.

Hearing no objections, that action will be taken.

Under unfinished business, Madam Clerk.

Council Member Johnson and ordinance noting a roll call line item 18.2.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I move to take from the table an ordinance to amend chapter 50 of the 2019 Detroit City Code zoning by amending Article 17, zoning district maps, Section 50-17-48, district map number 46 to revise the zoning classification for certain properties generally bound by an alley to the east, residential homes to the north, 15th Street to the west, and Marquette Street to the south, commonly known as 6106 15th Street, 6116 15th Street, 6122 15th Street, 6128 15th Street, 6134 15th Street, 6140 15th Street, and 6146 15th Street from the existing R2 to family residential zoning classification to the R3 low density residential district zoning classification laid on the table February 3rd, 2026.

Thank you.

Hear no objections, that action will be taken.

Councilmember Johnson.

I move the ordinance be placed on the order of third reading and considered read.

Hearing no objections, that action will be taken.

Member Johnson.

I move the ordinance be passed as submitted.

There being a roll call required.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Councilmember with Bill Callaway.

Council President Pro Tim Young.

Yes.

Council President Tate.

Yes.

Councilmember Benson.

Yes.

Councilmember Johnson.

Yes.

Councilmember McCampbell.

Yes.

Councilmember Miller.

Yes.

Councilmember Santiago Romero.

Yes.

Councilmember Waters.

Yes.

Oh, sorry.

Yes.

Nine years.

That motion passes, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

I the ordinance is approved.

Councilmember Johnson.

I move the title to the ordinance be confirmed.

Hearing no objections, then action shall be taken.

All right, Madam Clerk.

Uh from the Office of Contracting and Procurement.

Council Member Johnson, six resolutions, line items 18.3 through 18.8.

Mr.

President, I would like to just note that line item 18.7 did not have the contract number listed, and that number is 600755.

Okay.

Contract number six line item 18.3, contract number 600717, 100% city funding to provide housing accessibility assessments, a recommendation report.

Contractor KMA L C total contract amount 207,800.

That's for housing and revitalization.

Contract number 6007393, 100% CDBGDR funding to provide drop-in shelter emergency bed expansion for those experiencing homelessness, contract or cast community social services incorporated.

Total contract amount 750,000.

That's for housing and revitalization.

Contract number 6007521, 100% CDBG funding.

Sub-recipient agreement to provide an additional 40 drop-in emergency shelter beds, contract or cast community social services incorporated.

Total contract amount 500,000.

That's for housing and revitalization.

Contract number 6007841 is to provide temporal coordination of temporary restoration of electrical and elevator service at Leland House.

Contractor Detroit Building Authority.

Total contract amount, 225,000.

That's for housing and revitalization.

Contract number 309-2407 is to provide temporary restoration of electrical power at Leland House Contractor Bayview Electric Company LLC.

Total contract amount 75,000.

That's for housing and revitalization.

Pointing out in both of these contracts are part of a um emergency procurement.

Services to support the comprehensive zoning ordinance update.

Contractor Progressive AE Incorporated is doing business as Progressive Companies.

Total contract amount 290,000, 537,000.

So housing and revitalization.

And last contract is contract number 600762, 100% grant funding to provide inspired inspections for federally funded projects to meet hood requirements.

Contractor, all American Housing Inspections, total contract amount, 150,000.

That's for housing and revitalization.

Councilmember Johnson, six resolutions.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Move for approval for line items 18.3 through 18.8.

There's a motion for approval for line items 18.3 through 18.8 with discussion, please.

Thank you.

Uh line item 18.6.

I think it's appropriate for us to at least have that discussion here.

Well, before formal, seeing that it has come before us a number of times.

And it seems like we are getting very close to the end of this episodic.

Please introduce yourself for the record and kind of go into what we have in line item 18.6 regarding the lead in the house.

Good afternoon to this honorable body, Chelsea Nevlett, Chief of Housing Solutions and Support of Services and the new Human Homeless and Family Services Department.

Good morning, Conrad Mallet, Corporation Council City Trade with me, uh Supervisor Jason Harrison, who is in charge of Blight for the law department.

Well, we have an aside for the public who may not have this in front of them.

Um yeah, absolutely.

Uh to the chair, uh, council president Tate.

So we have two emergency contracts.

Um, one is with the Detroit Building Authority that is contract 6007 eight four one.

Um, that is to coordinate all of the temporary restoration related to electrical and elevator as well as contracting with the elevator company, City Elevator directly.

So they are managing all of the on-site trades.

Um the elevator is operational, it is up and running.

Um, and that was really important to um the agreed upon tenant retrieval, the personal belongings plan.

And then we also have an emergency PO, which is 309-2707, and that was um for Bayviect for the electrical work.

So today was the first day that the Leland tenants, um, after much longer wait, uh, were able to access the building to retrieve their belongings.

So the HHFS team as well as emergency management, the fire department, and DPD are on site to support the residents.

Um they have signed up for up to three slots of four hours each with two additional um helper residents, you know, friends or family to help them move move.

And so tenants will be packing up their small personal items.

Um, after that fact, we have professional packers that will come in to pack up the remainder of the belongings, the large items, and then general services will move those belongings either to a storage unit facility or to their new home if that tenant has relocated.

So we are very eager and excited that the work is beginning today, and so we can get this wrapped up and residents can access their belongings.

Thank you so much.

Colleagues, any further questions?

Member McCampbell, followed by approach and young.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Good morning.

Um, glad to see that this is moving along.

I have a question.

I know it was discussed on um PED last week or on the bid that has come in for um Leland and it might be for law.

Um thinking about I know in previous discussions we talked about where the city would be placed as in terms of creditors.

So want to know if there's an update on our ranking and that for creditors for bankruptcy.

And I know it was discussed during PED that we don't know how much we would get back yet, but wondering if you know the total amount of claims of creditors under this bankruptcy claim.

So through the chair, uh councilperson McCampbell, actually, the good news is is that we are listed as an administrative expense.

So for once the city of Detroit is ahead of the secured creditors as opposed to behind.

The administrative cost will be paid for first.

Uh, we believe that this week uh this the bankruptcy court judge Oxhome, in fact, will approve the sale uh of the Leland House for three million dollars.

Uh, we don't know that all of the other administrative costs that will be submitted.

Uh, I can say to this honorable body, however, that some portion of the dollars that you approve today we will get back.

Uh I don't know how much at this point we will know that number on Thursday.

Thank you.

Um, Corporation Council.

And uh just to the total would if this contract will be approved, what is the what would be the total amount that the city has spent on this housing cost?

So um thank you.

Uh through the chair to uh council member McCampbell.

So we are those costs are accruing um in terms of hotel, first month rent, and security deposit.

So I can um get this honorable body the the totals um um shortly after.

The the estimates for the the DBA is an up to 225,000.

So the DBA has a flat administrative fee of 5% to not exceed $7,500.

And that will just depend on the amount of work that the elevator company took to do the restoration.

Um, and so we do know that the cost of the professional packers is just under $300,000.

And then we have the cost for the hotel, the first month rent and security deposit.

Thank you.

And yeah, as soon as the information is available, it'll be good to receive.

Thank you.

Um, a question on the DVA uh and their involvement.

It's hearing that there is administrative fee.

Was there not capacity for a uh another department within the city to handle um the restoration and contracting services there?

Now through the chair, uh councilperson McCampbell.

This was an emergency contract.

In order for us to manage it appropriately, we needed to have pre-existing relationships.

uh in their involvement hearing that there is administrative fee was was there not capacity for a uh another department within the city to handle um the restoration and contracting services there now through the chair uh council person mcampbell this was an emergency contract in order for us to manage it appropriately we needed to have pre-existing relationships they view uh uh electrical company uh is a contractor to the Detroit building uh authority uh they were there they had the capability they were the certified electrical uh contractor that we thought could do this work and so we use the DBA uh because they had pre-existing relationships that would not require us to then go out to bed I think I'll have further questions on administrative fees that like authorities charge the city but I know that's a different conversation on that um but thank you so much appreciate it thank you Mr.

Chair thank you pro Tim Young thank you um everyone good to see you uh director Nasley excuse me can I consider not direct I'm sorry I forgot what your title is I'm I'm blanking out but um can you help me out and tell me how many people we have relocated into housing and how many more people do we anticipate and are we going to eventually relocate everyone to housing or do they have their own plans of where they're gonna go house yeah thank you for the question um through the chair to um council president pro tem young so we have successfully relocated 19 households there are 12 that are currently remaining in hotel there is a case management team that is assigned to work with every single household so those households are applying for housing options both regulated affordable market rate depending on their individual situation so 19 households in total have been relocated um and we have 32 households that have signed up as a part of the tenant belonging retrieval process um 32 out of the 38.

So we are actively case managing 31 households and 32 folks um have signed up the difference between how who we are case managing and who is signed up is we did receive um names of households from um the building representatives and so we're not case managing every household but we are still assisting all households in getting access to the Leland to retrieve their personal belongings okay so you're not case managing all houses do you know how many households you are and how many houses are by percentage 30 31 percent or I'm sorry 31 total households as who work in this management of the 33 breakdown is at that out of the 38 okay so most okay so okay thank you um corporation counsel uh thank you i'm sorry uh corporation council i just wanted to ask you are there ordinances or laws that we need to pass to be able to make sure that this doesn't happen again do we need to strengthen the property registration ordinance are there other um ordinances that we need to pass there's something that you might be proposing for us to vote on in the future because this cannot happen again and then secondly I'm assuming that the Leland and their corporation are barred from doing business in the city of Detroit after this entirely um uh uh the let me say this way uh through the chair uh council president of pro Tim the Leland House slash I think it's the not I think it's the Michael Higgins trust uh I doubt sincerely that they would be eligible for any kind of contract work with the city of Detroit particularly as it relates to affordable housing redevelopment as it relates to the strengthening the ordinances uh the Leland House had been as you know in court with the city of Detroit for their violations when they declared bankruptcy that then took it out of the state court where we were and put it in federal court in the bankruptcy proceeding uh I don't the the we have the they they should have been in compliance with uh all of our public health and safety ordinances which currently exist they were in violation uh the only thing that I can say and I said this earlier uh to this honorable body um we went in in 2023 uh to bring them uh to task for not being in compliance with the ordinance the only thing I can say now is is that uh with the Blight Department the Blight Supervision Department under uh uh Jason Harrison and Tamra York Cook uh we are more vigorous we are more in front I don't think you need to pass more ordinances I think there just needs to be uh more vigorous uh enforcement what I will also say though and this is something that this honorable body will have to confront the 38 households that we are um case managing under excuse me 31 under uh uh HRD part of what has to happen is is that we do this uh building uh decertification uh in a way that does not bankrupt HRD's ability to provide uh uh relocation so one of the things that I am pretty sure that public health is going to come to this honorable body with is a temporary state where they declare the uh housing habitable uh but not yet in full compliance with all of our uh ordinances so that we have legal permission to methodically place the people who are in these substandard housing facilities into different uh

So one of the things that I'm pretty sure that public health is going to come to this honorable body with a temporary state where they declare the uh housing habitable, uh, but not yet in full compliance with all of our uh ordinances, so that we have legal permission to methodically place the people who are in these substandard housing facilities into different uh locations without having to shut the building down.

So there are some modifications to the process that is coming to this honorable body.

Um as you all are clearly very much aware, uh the Leland House is a large example of what currently exists, but absolutely not the only example of what currently exists.

Uh and so we're approaching this, I think, uh, with the kind of care based on the lessons learned uh from this uh particular uh uh uh lawsuit, uh, as a well as uh real token, so that we are gonna be coming back to this body with a methodical process, well managed to move people out of buildings that are don't fully comply, but in fact, in full recognition that we can't do it all at once, and we can't intervene if we don't have a place for these families to go.

No, I appreciate that.

And that's a very thorough answer, but I just want to ask you about the uh the question I said in the last part about them being barred.

You say you you you you said you're sure they're more than likely.

But I'm asking, is that written in the law?

Is that guaranteed?

Or is that something that we need to change where it's clear that if you do these type of violations, you are barred for life indefinitely.

Right.

Well, that's not in the ordinance now, Council President Pro Tim, through the chair that we need to so that would have to be uh something that would be legit.

And this is the hypothetical, I'm not guaranteeing anything, but hypothetically here, you know, just us girls talking.

It hypothetically, if we were to give you more staff, would we be able to expedite these cases?

Would we be able to expedite the process again?

It's hypothetical.

We'd be exercising faster.

Would you be able to move more efficiently if you if is if you have is this a staffing issue, or is this just this is just the way it's gonna be for now because the complexity of what this case represents?

Through the chair, council president pro tem uh again, the the law department has the staff necessary to do the enforcement work that is required.

And then uh finally, I don't think that we have the uh anybody from uh demolition and construction that is here.

So, what I'm gonna do is I'm just gonna suggest this, and then I'll just send you the information that I will receive.

But I think it'd be important if we had analysis of um uh 3D printing.

Um, I think one in terms of buy versus build, uh, what the cost of that would be, what the benefit would that would be, and then also a gant chart in terms of how long these houses would be if we did go through 3D printing rather than the traditional way of building houses.

So we have these types of emergencies, we could respond.

One, it would be better for us to contract out this service we're having in-house.

I think these are discussions that we need to have to use technology to address these types of issues where you have people who need health housing who are out of housing for no fault of their own.

And so I think that's something that's critical.

And I just this is my last question.

I just want to ask you.

I know I talked about earlier about treble damages being paid by um the owners of um uh of the owners here.

Is that something that is going, is that something that's still going to happen here after the bankers, or is it or is it still the process?

No, once the bankruptcy uh through the chair, council president pro tem once the bankruptcy proceedings are concluded, uh the trust will no longer have liability.

Okay.

Uh, and so the reimbursement that I discussed with council person McCampbell is about all we're going to be able to expect.

So that so because of the bankruptcy filing, there is no special provision just because of the significant of the damages here that we're saying and the absorption of the liability, you know, that we have here.

Maybe not be treble, but I would hope that it'd be something or some sort of assets, or could we seize assets to be able just to pay off the liability that we're having?

I just have a significant problem with someone who was clearly negligent in their doing.

And because of the bankruptcy, we don't have we don't have the ability to be able to seize any assets that they have, either the legal or through other business here in the city of Detroit, that they potentially could 20, 30, 50 years, maybe change their name, maybe go through under different LLCs, become a different corporation and do business.

You know, now again, if we had corporate entity tracy through artificial intelligence, you know, like I said earlier, we would maybe be able to trace that a little bit easier.

But still, I just want I'm not talking about ranting a little bit.

I feel so just have pages here.

I just feel that that fundamentally is wrong.

That the taxpayers, the citizens have to take on that burden for someone else's declaration.

So I just want to get off my chest.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Thank you.

Any further uh member of Santiago.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, thank you to our pro time for asking how we prevent this.

Um, I am really grateful that the administration is being proactive about making sure that we are in compliance with our properties.

That is the biggest thing.

If our properties are safe, then we don't have to relocate our families.

They can stay home, they can stay safe in in space.

Yesterday, I thanked the administration for doing this because quite frankly, I understand how difficult it is.

But really want to say thank you to Mary Sheffield, our mayor, because in December, when I called onto the administration, when I asked for this to happen, I was told that tenants should be okay with just receiving three to eight thousand dollars to just accept so that they're not gonna receive their belongings, that they might just have to get a buyout and just accept that.

And the difference that it makes when there are residents that push for better, and when we have people in office who actually care who will do a hard thing, despite us not wanting to do it.

And we are here now because of that.

Thank you all.

Huge thank you to residents who made sure that we listen to the stories and how we were impacting families.

I want to make sure that this doesn't happen again.

So I'm grateful for the plans about being proactive to make sure that we are enforcing our policies that we have safe places to live.

Uh, but just really want to encourage residents that this is what happens when you organize.

This is what happens when you make sure that you are holding the city accountable.

Quite frankly, this is ultimately a really heartbreaking story, and there's more to do.

But thank you to the administration.

Thank you to Mary Sheffield, thank you to our residents.

Um, and we will continue to work on being proactive on making sure that this that this does not happen again.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

I don't know what story everybody's listening to, but the story that I heard in December was the owners did not pay their rent.

I mean, their DTE bill, they're getting put out.

We're talking about five months.

I refuse to praise anybody for five months of delay.

It's been five months.

I was there last night, my staff, the elevator was not working.

Now it may be working today or going into the midnight hour, but we have to do better.

I would not applaud or give a high fire kudos to a process that has been going on for decades.

This family, this organization, this owner has been doing this since the 70s.

They flip buildings, they flip names, they flip LLCs with their friends.

This is nothing new.

Not new to this council, not new to this city.

So while we talk about practices, we know what the past practice looked like, and we have to find a process that speeds it up.

Five months and to go into a bidding to receive projects in the building that's been already looted, vandalized, showcased on social media is pathetic.

And it is does not require us to bow down and just say what it is.

It's it's a fine, really.

So I, while I have family members being displaced out of a building right now, move to district four, another process because of elevator after a fire.

They're not moving back into that building ever.

They're not moving back.

So we cannot continue to act like that.

This is something new.

It's it's it's not.

This is happening all over the city as our property values go up, as people seek to profit or actually finally get their money back from holding the property for decades.

So we need to seek these people out, go back into our uh logs and see who has not been compliant again.

22 million dollars was left aside on people that are not compliant.

BC has failed us.

They failed us, they failed our residents because they have not been in the buildings until now.

God forbid we didn't get a new mayor, it'd be worse.

So we have to get in those buildings and make sure they are compliant, remove those fraudulent fake property owners.

Five months, I will not forget the first five months of my uh tenure here.

I started January the 5th, and I watched this play out month after month after month, and those 31 residents that was left who obviously could not afford to move on, set before us and cried their eyes out.

They cried in tears.

They begged us for help, but they sit in that apartment in that hotel in Southfield.

So no, I am not happy.

And I wish that people would understand what we really dealt with.

And I and I know they do.

We hear the calls every day when they come in.

So I had to say my piece because I refuse to applaud anything.

And the building just sold at auction for three million dollars.

What a sweet deal.

Some people around here get the best deals in the city of Detroit, don't they?

Three million hours for the Leland for a beautiful asset, historical aspect uh asset of that.

So we have to uh get our stuff together in the in the city of Detroit.

I am a little nervous because I it's kind of upsetting for me to even hear some of the stuff that I've heard in five months coming in to it's one thing to be on the outside with the residents, but to sit on the inside and see what really goes on.

It's disheartening at times.

And I just thought I had to say that.

Thank you, uh President Tate.

Thank you.

Mr.

Chair.

Uh member Kelleway.

Are we just talking about line item 18.6?

Because I know the uh we're uh what was moved was 18.3 through 18.8, but just want to make sure if there's no further, because we were talking about 18.6 any further on 18.6.

Member Callaway, the floor is yours, Matt.

Yeah, I don't have any um questions about 18.6.

I have questions about other ones.

The floor is yours between 18.8.

Um, I don't have any questions for them.

Um, thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I have a question about um 18.3.

Um, what is this that's going to Newton, Massachusetts, a one-year accessibility assessment and recommendation report?

Do we have anyone um from HRD who can explain why we're spending 207,000 for a study for one year?

I just and is going to Massachusetts.

We should be able to do this type of work here in Detroit in Michigan.

I don't understand why we are so bent on sending our taxpayer dollars, and this is city funding.

This is not even grant.

I don't want to see my tax dollars continue to go to places outside of Michigan for for a mere study.

So Mr.

Chair through yourself, if there's anyone on um who's available um from HRD just to tell me why are we doing this accessibility?

We know what the problems are in our city.

We don't have to go to Massachusetts for them to tell us for 207,000 dollars what our problems are.

We know exactly what they are.

We can take this 207,000 and address the problems and not do another study.

We don't need another study.

Miss Mr.

Washington, do you have anyone available for line item 18.3 through the chair?

No, we do not.

The representatives for this item are actually um traveling today for a conference.

So if we can postpone this for a week, um, we can work to respond to council members' questions before the next section.

Okay.

Is there a motion?

Motion to um line um to postpone line item 18.3 for a week, Mr.

Chair.

There's a motion to postpone the vote for one week for line item 18.3, colleagues.

Any objections?

Say none.

That item shall be postponed for one week, Mr.

Chair.

A member Calloway.

I have questions about line item 18.4.

Um, if there's anyone on from HRD or are they all traveling?

Because I just want to know for um 750,000.

How many beds is that going to add to the expansion?

Um, at CAS Community Social Services.

That's a lot of money.

How many beds?

Mr.

Washington, anyone available for 18.4?

Yes, through the chair, we do have Rebecca Lebove online.

Right?

We can promote her, please.

I believe we have uh Lindsner may be available as well, but Mr.

Bow.

Please introduce yourself for the record.

Good afternoon, Rebecca Laveau, housing and revitalization.

Right.

Uh member Callaway.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, good afternoon.

Um, Ms.

Laveau.

Um, how many beds are we adding to um this drop-in shelter at Cash Community Social Service?

Are we talking about actual beds?

Are they gonna have to expand their services outside of the present brick and mortar for 750,000?

I don't want to know we also joined by uh uh Miss Tara Linsner as well.

You can introduce yourself for the record, and the question is more appropriate to you.

Feel free to respond.

Uh good afternoon uh to the chair, Tara Linsner.

Tara Linsner, I'm the Housing Stability and Innovations Division Director in the new HAMAN Homelessness and Family Services Department.

Through the chair, I can address this question.

So this contract for the rehab allows the facility to expand from 110 beds to 185 beds.

And so this rehab will allow for them to address uh the physical uh building issues that um as a result of they were impacted by the flood, also making um structural improvements to the facility, adding in repairing uh bathrooms, adding in laundry, um, adding in additional spaces for residents uh to uh make it um much more uh friendly for residents when they're spending um when they're spending the nights there um through the chair to um to you, ma'am.

Um how much is that per bed if you're adding additional 75 bits if we're spending 750,000 dollars?

I mean, we the city should we just we should have our own shelter because we're about to give um we're about to give them almost a million dollars to build out their infrastructure to house our residents 75 additional bits.

So I don't understand the contract.

Um how much per bid if it's 75 additional bids and what is their infrastructure cost?

How many new bathrooms are they knocking down walls?

What are they doing at this structure?

And is this a privately owned um company organization?

Is it nonprofit or for profit?

The chair, I can address part of those questions, and then I'll turn it over to Rebecca to um talk more about the actual construction.

So these come um these contracts are just for the actual the physical rehab part.

The operations uh funding is through a separate contract.

So all of this money will go into improvement of the buildings.

Um and uh this is owned by this building is owned by a nonprofit entity, CAS Community Social Services.

I mean, I'll let Rebecca address the other portion of your question.

Sorry, um, through the chair.

So there are two contracts, one with CDBG and one with C D B G DR that are considered together.

Um, I I do want to note that the contracts have been previously approved by city council, and there's um an administrative change needed to the date um that was on the resolutions, although not on the contract that was incorrect, which is why they are before this honorable body again today.

Um, so just wanted to make sure that was clear, and we may have someone from OCP um as well who can speak more to the contracting process.

Um, but in total, um, the amount per bed per the expansion comes to about $11,000 per bed.

Um, which is you know, for the the scope of work that we're talking about, um is is pretty reasonable and on par with what we've we've seen for public facilities expanding their capacity in this way.

Thank you.

Um, I don't have any more um questions on these two line items, but I do have um questions regarding Mr.

Chair um line item 18.8, but um I don't have any more for 18.4 or five.

Okay, as we as we close out this particular item, colleagues, any further questions on 18.4.

Uh 18.4 pro 10.

We already aware the tax clearance for 18.4.

Yeah, attach clearance for 18.4 has expired.

It is 1126.

Mr.

Bove, Miss Lensner, are you familiar with statement made by Pro Tim?

Oh, concern Mr.

Washington as well.

Dr.

Talk about that, never mind.

Task clearance is fired.

Through the through the chair, I think that's a question I would need my colleagues in the office of contact contracting and procurement to respond to as they manage that part of the contracting process.

Through the chair, yes, sir.

Yes, if we can promote Hillary Edwards from procurement, you promote Henry Edwards from Procurement.

I haven't seen him afternoon, Hillary Edwards, Office of Contracting and Procurement.

And through the chair relative to your question pertaining to the tax uh clearance.

Uh that was probably the original tax clearance when this contract was approved.

Can check currently it may be updated so I can check and uh get back with you relative to the current clearance.

Yeah no I I I appreciate that are you saying that we postpone this in order to move this out for a week or can you get this done before we're in session today.

Through the chair I can probably have that information to you prior to the end of the session.

Okay.

We got a LPD just came up before sir uh Ms.

President uh to pro tell uh Anthony Johnson LPD uh Cas Community Social Services income test clearance is approved uh through December 4th 2026 so that's the update we're good to go yeah we're good to go thank you yeah i don't appreciate you wearing their three two suit like that sir too nice uh had you on mine so yeah you you're out you're all shining me i'll appreciate that and uh and uh mr it mr edwards is good to see you've been a minute sir i'm good to see you too through the chair i'm done thanks uh member waters um i just want to know what was the last inspection for cast community we have received a a number of complaints mr bowness lensner yes uh through the chair so i can i can find that information um regarding b seed uh and or the health department our myself as well as chelsea nublet um and dr schaefer went to went out on site a couple of weeks ago in the evening hours around curfew time after charter a city charter meeting um to be on site and so we have um committed to increasing with our uh fellow departments increasing uh site visits for all shelter locations including including drop in locations so i can get you those exact dates from the other departments um today and and i certainly want i certainly want to see i i certainly want to see the make sure that the inspection was done because i i've got to tell you i see um not only for the complaints that are coming through but also i want our homeless to have a place to sleep and when they get there i don't want them to say that here's a chair for you and your two children sleep in because those are the kinds of things that are happening uh in these shelters and and then we have a number of our homeless people who are sleeping in places like Starbucks um causing one of our starbucks on eight mile road to close not to even allow you have to go up to the window now because the homeless are coming in now I see it's happening uh downtown they don't have any um any place to sleep and so this uh you know what can we bring this back in the week because did they not fail their inspection yes I did um to to Miss Lizner and Ms.

LeBook waters oh go ahead Rebecca through the chair I I would say you know this this work is underway in the scope of work um you know in addition to adding beds is intended to increase the comfort um through HVAC upgrades um through adding bathrooms and showers um so that the space will be more comfortable for the folks who are using it so um the contract is is currently active um and what this item is looking to do is to um again correct the date that the contract expiration was was listed on the council resolution and so um i believe that there is would would be additional time um if the item was brought back to extend the date but i did just want to make sure it was clear that um this work is underway in service of improving this facility for the residents who use it yeah but that was a direct question that was asked though about the inspection did they fail the most recent inspection through through the chair i i i would need to work with our our colleagues in v seed and um the and the homelessness well then motion to postpone for one week ms president because that we need to know plus i am going to go and take a walk through myself um over there so motion postpone for one week all right there's a motion to postpone for one week line item 18.4 colleagues any objections mr chair discussion with further discussion member calloway there's two contracts here um it's almost one point two million dollars um at the same location for cast community social services um if i might ask um through yourself to member waters to amend her motion to include line

Um there.

So motion postpone for one week.

All right, there's a motion to postpone for one week line item 18.4, colleagues.

Any objections?

Mr.

Chair, discussion with further discussion, member calloway.

There's two contracts here.

Um, it's almost 1.2 million dollars um at the same location for cast community social services.

Um, if I might ask um through yourself to member waters to amend her motion to include line item 18.4 and line item 18.5 because combined it's 1.2 million dollars for the same organization, Mr.

Chair.

Um, yes, motion to postpone 18.4 and 18.5 for one week.

Colleagues, there's a motion to postpone the vote for both 18.4 and 18.5.

Any objections for one week?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you.

Any further colleagues on the items that are before us, that would be line items 18.

Uh 5 through 18.8.

Discussion with further discussion.

Um, member caller.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Line item 18.8.

I'm finding um quite problematic.

We have a young man living in um Hanton who just established his company in 2025.

He's already about to get 150,000 contract from this honorable body.

I hope that we won't um to inspect houses um meeting HUD requirements.

Um, I looked him up.

He's working out of his condo, don't have a problem with that.

But we have folks that I helped to um, I helped establish a home inspection class at Wayne County Community College last May.

They had um between 18 and 22 graduates who can do this work, homegrown right here in Detroit, and they're residents.

And I work with the president of Wayne County Community College to get that home inspection class established.

This young man lives in Canton, just started his company in 2025, and he's already gonna get awarded 150,000 contract to inspect our homes.

And so I I really have a problem with this particular contract, and I'm going to after discussion make a motion to bring this back after um I can do further due diligence, but this is really unfair.

It really is unfair.

And I fought to get that program started at Wayne County Community College.

And we had graduation, 18 students actually finished that course.

Um Detroiters.

Um and um I I just have a lot of questions about this particular contract.

He's able to go into business in 2025, hadn't even been a year, and we're about to award him this contract.

So um if there aren't any other further discussions, pardon me.

18.8.

Yeah, line item 18.8.

If we can bring this back um in two weeks, if there's not an urgent okay, one week.

Um, and then yeah, one week is fine, Mr.

Chair.

If that would be my motion, I have a lot of questions.

Colleagues, there's a mo is there a motion postpone.

So it doesn't member call.

I think she just made a motion.

Okay.

There's a motion to postpone the vote for line item 18.8 for one week.

Colleagues, any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

It leaves us with line items 18.6 and 18.7 for approval.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

Request a waiver, Mr.

President, for 18.6 and 18.7.

As a request for a waiver on line item 18.6 and 18.7.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

Member Waters.

Um I just I just want to ask because I know that through our minority business task force and so forth, we've been trying to get as many people registered to become vendors as possible.

Do we know if any of those uh certified trainees uh became registered vendors with the city?

Through you, member calloway, Mr.

President.

Mr.

Chair, uh Member Callaway.

Um I'm not sure, but I can find out today.

And I'd like to also do a walkthrough with you at CAS Community Um Social Services.

But no, I don't have that information, but I can certainly find out.

Okay.

If not, maybe you can help me to help them to get registered.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk from the law department.

Councilmember Waters and introduction of an ordinance line item 18.9.

Member Waters, line item 18.9.

Um, thank you, Mr.

President.

I move that the ordinance be read twice by title, order printed and laid on the table.

Colleagues, line item 18.9 has been moved.

Any objections?

Move for approval.

See none, line item 18.9 shall be approved.

Uh from the law department, madam clerk.

Council member waters, a resolution set in a public hearing.

Line item 18.10.

Uh member waters.

Motion to approve.

That's a motion to approve line item 18.10.

Any objections?

See none.

That action shall be taken.

From the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Madam Clerk.

Council Member.

Council.

Um, Councilmember Johnson.

Council member.

Councilmember Santiago Romero.

Three resolutions, line items 18.11 through 18.13.

Mr.

Santiago Romero.

Thank you.

Mr.

President's motion to approve these three items are the first two items, excuse me.

Motion to approve 18.11 and 18.12.

These items are both for termination of Brownfield plans because these projects are not happening.

Colleagues says a motion to approve line items uh 18.11 and 18.12.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Motion to send back to committee 18.13.

This is regarding the 1728 Michigan Avenue project.

Uh we've been asked by the administration to send this back for further discussions.

Colleagues, there's a motion to send line item 18.13 back to committee.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

From the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Madam Clerk.

Council Member Santiago Romero, a resolution, line item 18.14.

Line item 18.14.

Member Santiago Romero.

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to approve line item 18.14.

Any objections?

See none that action shall be taken.

Madam Clerk, if you know that we've been uh rejoined by member Johnson from the office of the chief financial officer, madam clerk.

Council member Johnson, a resolution line item 18.15.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Mr.

President, um actually, Member Johnson, that item before you 18.15 is a ordinance.

Maybe yes.

Introduction.

The introduction of an ordinance, line item 18.15, Mr.

President, not a resolution.

Yes, ma'am.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I move that the ordinance be read twice by title, order printed and laid on the table.

There's a motion on the floor for line items 18.15.

Any objection?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Uh from the city planning commission.

Madam Clerk.

Councilmember Johnson, a resolution set in a public hearing.

Line item 18.16.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Move for approval to set the public hearing on May 21st at 1015 a.m.

There's a motion for the date that was just mentioned for the public hearing for line item 18.16.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

From the city planning commission, no third.

Councilmember Johnson, an introduction of an ordinance.

Line item 18.17.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I move that the ordinance be read twice by title.

Order printed and laid on the table.

There's a motion on the floor, colleagues, of approval.

Line item 18.17.

Any objections?

Discussion.

With discussion.

Um member Benson.

Just want to say I'm glad to see that we're doing a down zoning in this space.

This is uh what we seem to be doing as a council of the city.

It's just really good to see this.

Thank you.

Uh, and then I am extremely excited about this.

We have been trudging through you know the the battles back and forth on this one for quite some time.

The stars aligned and the moon and the stars, everything worked together.

So we're excited about the folks in school crap improvement association have been waiting long enough for this.

So again, thank you.

Uh city planning commission for pulling this together and look forward to uh voting on this in the affirmative when it comes before the full body.

Colleagues, any further?

All right, colleagues.

There's a motion on the floor for approval.

Line item 18.17.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Madam Clerk, uh from the city planning commission.

Councilmember Johnson, a resolution set in a public hearing.

Line item 18.18.

Line item 18.18, member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Move for approval for a date to be determined.

There's a motion for a date to be determined for line item 18.18.

Colleagues, any objections.

See none.

That action shall be taken.

Mr.

Chair.

Member Johnson.

I'd like to request a waiver on line item 18.15.

This is a request for a waiver on lineup 18.15.

Any objections.

See none.

A waiver shall be attached.

Madam Clerk from the City Planning Commission.

Councilmember Johnson, the resolution line item 18.19.

Uh member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Move for approval.

The motion to approve line item 18.19.

Colleagues, any objection.

See none.

That action shall be taken.

From the housing and revitalization department, Madam Clerk.

Councilmember Johnson, three resolutions.

Line items 18.20 through 18.22.

Line items 18.20 through 18.22.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Move for approval on line items 18.20 and 18.21.

There's a motion for approval.

Line items 18.20 and 18.21.

Are there any objections?

See none.

That action shall be taken.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

There is a request from the administration to send line item 18.22 back to committee.

Uh so I'd like to make the motion to do so.

There's a motion to send line item 18.22 back to committee.

Any objections?

Seeing none, line item 18.22 shall be sent back to committee.

Madam Clerk from the planning and development.

Council member Johnson, the resolution, line item 18.23.

Line item 18.23.

Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Move for approval.

There's a motion to approve line item 18.23.

Are there any objections?

See none.

That action shall be taken.

We'll now move to the new business portion of the agenda from the mayor's office, madam clerk.

Council President Pro Tim Young, five resolutions.

Line items 19.1 through 19.5.

Line item 19.1 through 19.5.

Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I move to approve line items 19.1 through 19.5.

So motion to approve line items 19.1 through 19.5.

Colleagues, any objections?

See none.

That action shall be taken.

From the Office of Contracting and Procurement, Madam Clerk.

Councilmember Santiago Romero, seven resolutions.

Line items 19.6 through 19.12.

Contract number 600737.

100% city funding to provide supplemental emergency ambulance coverage for city of Detroit.

Contractor Hart EMS Medical Services PLLC.

Total contract amount 1 million 56,540 and 42 cent.

That's for fire.

Contract number 600727, 100% city funding to provide supplemental emergency ambulance coverage for the city of Detroit.

Contractor America Pro EMS of Michigan, LLC, total contract amount, 1,682, 445 dollars and 60 cents.

That's for fire.

Contract number 600741, 100% city funding.

To provide supplemental emergency ambulance coverage for the city of Detroit.

Contractors, Superior Air Ground Ambulance Service Incorporated.

Total contract amount, 1,770,615.

That's for fire.

Contract number 6007103-82, 100% EPA funding.

Amendment 2 to provide an extension of time for community air quality programs.

Contractor, the Green Door Initiative, total contract amount, 185,829.

That's for a BC.

Contract number 3092417, 100% solid waste funding to provide specialized metal containers for trash and recycling.

Contractor, hand in specialties incorporated, total contract amount, 499,980 dollars.

That's for public works.

Contract number 6006031-A1, 100% major street funding, amendment one to provide an increase of funds and an extension of time for overband crackfield contracted scaldeller construction incorporated total contract amount 2,695,986.80 cents.

That's for public works and contract number 6007825, 100% Metro Public Act 48 2002 funding to provide city walk citywide sidewalk repairs to address backlog contractor, georgie concrete LLC slash major contracting group joint venture total contract amount 8 million.

That's for public works.

Council member Santiago Romero, several resolutions.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Motion to discuss 19.6 through 19.8.

The motion to discuss line items 19.6 through 19.8.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

We sent these back to committee because we want to figure out a plan.

I think there is a um a desire to bring ambulance, all 100% of our ambulance services in house.

For folks that are listening and following along, these three contracts in front of us make up what we've been told 25% of the ambulance work currently, uh, which is um what is helping our IOS rating um currently with these contracts, the ambulance response time is around seven minutes, which is what we want it to be.

Uh, but we are hearing from our firefighters from unions that this is also an opportunity for us to hire Detroiters to keep this work in house.

The issue here is that if we bring in a house, it's gonna be 20 million dollars.

I say we find it, I say we use it, but that is what we have to figure out first.

And we asked in committee yesterday if we can make these two three these three contracts into one year contracts instead of three years, so that we're able to figure that part out.

We were told in committee that even if we move it to one year, we would not be able to on ramp these services in house within the one year.

We have been told that we need the three.

Um, so I have just remaining questions for procurements.

How difficult would it be for us to bring this for one year?

Because the the intention is to the you know, to put us all on notice to get this done.

But my concern is that if we make it for one year, if it's gonna take more than one year, I don't need us to be fighting every single year.

I need us to have a plan.

And if it's a three-year plan to bring this in-house, great.

Let's do that.

Um, but that's what I'm trying to figure out and create quite frankly.

I think that's what we're being asked as a committee.

Do we want to make it one year contract, fight every year?

We want three years.

I already offered quarterly updates in my committee with fire to let us know how it's going, how on ramp is is happening.

But quite frankly, we just went through the budget.

We pinched pennies.

We need 20 million dollars until we have more revenue or until the administration lets us know they have the 20, we're gonna make it work.

I I do have concerns about ambulance service being lapsed and us having to fight over this when I would rather us be proactive and plan this well.

So through you, Mr.

President, is anyone online from procurement that can answer the question?

How difficult would it be to make this a one-year contract?

And if we do a one-year contract, if it would be possible for us to have this service online, um, or excuse me, in-house.

Mr.

Washington, anyone available?

Yes, through the chair, we do have director style online.

We will promote director you stall.

Good afternoon.

Uh, through the chair to your question.

When we put out bids, we publish the number of years for the proposed contract term.

That is what allows vendors to um consider their online costs that they will need to charge to um spread their various costs, including the cost of vehicles across uh the number of years and the expected amount of service.

So if we were to uh go uh desire one-year contracts, we should go back out to bid um to make sure that we are fair to our vendors.

Um I might suggest that in the alternative to make sure that this is part of budget discussions going forward um each year.

Um, I believe the fire department has committed to quarterly updates.

Um, these contracts were bid out last November at a time when we were not experiencing such volatility with fuel prices.

Um, I think it would be in the interest um of the city to retain the current uh contracts.

Um, with the knowledge that they do have uh terminations for convenience.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh thank you, director.

Um so I colleagues, this is this is what's in front of us.

Um we are currently under emergency contracts, which in my mind would allow us the time for renegotiations.

Um, but but I think ultimately what we have to do here is commit um and to commit that if we were to move this out as it is today, that we bring this in-house, um, or be prepared.

We ask for one-year contracts and we revisit this every year.

Um I will still hold uh quarterly updates in committee, but uh this is where we are, colleagues, and and would love to see if there's any other questions.

Um, if there is a desire to uh approve these, noting to bring these in-house, working with fires to bring these in-house, or ask for a one-year contracts, um, and and revisit this conversation every year.

Gosh.

We got a queue right now.

We have member waters, pro Tim Young, followed by Member Benson.

All right, so thank you.

I I can tell you um, I've been going back and forth uh on this, because I understand that my first responsibility is to be fiscally responsible.

And that is what is tearing at me uh regarding these contracts.

The second piece of it, of course, I wanted them to the contracts of these services to be uh in-house.

Now, this is something that we we we we mentioned the last time around, but we did not work and push the administration in that direction, and that's exactly uh what we should have done.

We didn't do that, and so when I hear those numbers about what it's gonna cost us, understanding that our budgetary um uh reach is so so thin right now.

And then I also know that we're still under the financial review committee, which puts us in a quite um situation here.

So I wanted to be able to address some of the concerns that some of my colleagues had, which is why I've um requested that LPD and the law department draft an ordinance that specifically says when one of our residents have a service, request or service, the ambulance.

If you take them and then the charge is $30, then that and whatever whatever you get paid, either from the city or the private ambulance, whatever that payment is.

We are asking that the ambulance or the city do not go after the residents for any additional funds.

So that ordinance will prevent that.

If we can get that type of ordinance on the fast track so that we can protect our residents, uh so that the ambulance services won't be going after them for the additional dollars because I gotta tell you, it stresses our seniors out, uh it stresses our disabled out.

And so we need to put those kinds of measures uh in place.

Um LPD, I've already submitted uh that request, and and I hope um that we can expedite uh such a request.

Now, let me just understand from uh procurement, and I and I do want my colleagues to join me uh on that on that ordinance because I believe we all have the same, the very same concern.

And I know that member Callaway, you brought this issue to the table uh last year and so forth.

And and we let the ball drop.

We should have held held the administration accountable at that time and have them to begin to build in those measures to ensure that we put these um these services uh in-house.

Um so uh here we are yet again um at the table, but we won't allow that ball to drop this time.

Um I did ask uh the administration yesterday for a plan that they start to build out a plan as soon as possible uh so that these can be brought uh in-house.

We want to be responsible the way that we do this, but the goal is to move things in-house.

At least that's what that's what I'd like to see happen.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

And we do have a queue, and uh Pro Tim Young was next, but I uh he has stepped away.

Uh following next up is Member Benson, followed by Member Miller.

Member Benson.

All right, thank you.

Um and this is a very timely conversation.

Um, probably would have been better to have had back in February and March.

But this gives us time to do some some hard thinking.

Uh we can find 20 million dollars.

The question would be where?

This is, I believe, a much easier conversation to be had now.

The difficult conversation will be had next February if we're serious about this.

So through yourself, Mr.

Chair to LPD, uh, Mr.

Corley can just give us an idea.

Where could we find 20 million dollars to uh completely outsource this?

And if we were looking, what would be a an appropriate staging?

Say you didn't do it in one fill swoop that you did over a period of time.

I think it might be difficult to find 20 million in one field swoop without causing some significant pain in other areas of the city, but maybe that's what we're we need a little bit of pain to uh make a significant change to how we do uh EMT operations in the city of Detroit.

Well, member Benson, I don't see Mr.

Corley in the auditorium.

Uh and I don't have him queued up, I don't believe, on line.

You have them queue up now.

Oh, come up.

Okay, we can postpone that question until I'm sorry.

Thank you.

All right, Mr.

Chair, I just wanted to add this is something that we talked about in neighborhoods this past year prior to the budget.

We wanted to ensure, and this is a direct result of Mr.

President, your advocacy around forestry department and private um trees.

In addition, uh, my new colleague, Member Miller's advocacy around bringing all forestry operations in-house as well.

We were told that a high level 100% in-house operation will be 30 million dollars.

We currently have 5.7 in the budget, and we shifted one million dollars uh to reoccurring to forestry to ensure that we took an incremental step towards bringing those operations in house, but it wasn't easy and it will take time.

So this is how we do that.

We start with incremental shifts, or we do it in one fill swoop, depending on how you want to do it.

And I believe Mr.

Corley can help us with that.

So thank you, Mr.

President.

I'll wait to hear from Mr.

Corley when he arrives.

Okay.

We will uh wait until Mr.

Corley arrives.

Um, so we'll postpone that question until then.

Uh member Miller.

Thank you through the chair.

Um, I wanna thank uh councilmember uh waters and Benson for being transparent and just for being honest.

You said the work didn't get done, we did not push forward and we dropped the ball.

That is the most realistic thing I've heard today regarding this honesty.

So here we are at a time where we have to make a decision.

And if we do not press right here, right now, it'll never get done.

I've seen in my short time what goes on here, and I believe if we go for that one year, they'll be forced to make it happen.

Uh we cannot continue to give passes.

If we say we have one year, then give them the one year.

Um, I don't have a problem with stalling contracts.

I don't have a problem with uh voting no, because it seems to me that this city takes our fire department for granted.

I do not see the extreme necessity to get anything done when it comes to the fire department.

I mean, there was not even any money allocated in the budget for it to move further.

As we close fire stations, people are saying to me, even if we had EMS, where would we put them?

Stop selling the fire stations, just like we sold the headquarters.

Um, people are saying I see broken down ambulances over here at um the Ford dealership on Jefferson.

There's broke down ambulances in yards all around Detroit because the re they had their own personal re repair system that was snatched away and put into city services, and they're not fixed.

So we know this is a a problem.

We say we want to fix it, but it don't take three years to fix anything.

I was disappointed with the trees.

Thank you for breaking that up, Councilmember Benson.

We don't need three years, and we're sending 30 million dollars outside the city with only two city Detroit contractors.

Stop playing games.

Let's go ahead and make a decision.

The fire department stood in front of us.

They are our unionized workers who we uh who we supposed to support.

Well, some people support unions, some people don't.

You know, some people say the aviates, they're not.

I mean, sometimes voting shows what you really advocate for.

But for me, as workers for the city of Detroit, I believe when you have a fire department that starts out at $19 an hour.

All right, fire department.

Oh, I can just take $19 an hour.

That's not far from McDonald's wages.

Can you believe that?

$19.

And we're gonna argue about uh bringing it in-house, giving our new young vibrant firefires an extra option to work over time or even crossover between fire and meta and emergency services.

When fire's been typically work one day on, three days off, one day on, five days off, one day on, two weeks off.

That's what their schedule looks like.

They have additional days to work.

So I say we get on the horn, scream loud, and say that this is what we're gonna do.

And we're not backing down today.

I will not be voting for anything but a one-year extension.

I have no problem saying it up front and making it clear.

That's just what it is for me.

Um, my colleagues have spoken, the phone calls have come in, the emails have come.

I hear you, district five, I hear you, residents all over regarding the Detroit fire department, who the men and women on this department who run into those fires.

Some don't come out, they fall through floors, they jump out windows.

Their life is in jeopardy every time they walk into a fire, but not to mention the carryover, cancer, life disease, life expectancy shortened, and we have the audacity to continue to talk about the fire department.

It's sad.

And so someone said we have to be fair to our vendors.

No, we need to be fair to ourselves and to our communities, and we cannot throw fuel fuel prices in because we've had uh issues in this area already long before fuel prices.

Fuel prices might affect uh spirit airlines at this moment, but we cannot use that as a crutcher or even explanation why we should continue on with a three-year contract when I have colleagues saying they've been talking about it for years, and I applaud them for pushing.

And allow me to join you in the continuation of securing what is needed for our fire department and our EMS.

Thank you to the chair.

Thank you.

We've been joined by Mr.

Corley.

So we're now turn the floor back over to Member Benson.

I believe there was also someone from OCP who wanted to join as well.

I mean from the uh CFO's office.

All right, thank you.

Uh, Mr.

Corley, my question is based on this contract and the desire to bring 100% of EMT services in house with an estimated cost of 20 million dollars.

That means that we as a body would have to during the budget process identify that 20 million dollars.

And that that's not easy.

It's easier said than done.

And so my question to you is where will we find that 20 million dollars in one fail swoop?

And then maybe there would be an option to phase in a 20 million dollar process over three, five year period.

I don't know, but just wanted to get that from you, our our budget man.

Mr.

Corley, got them um President Tate and City Council members to council member Benson.

Only source I can think of at the moment is if the city of Detroit ends up with a 42 million dollar surplus based on the capital income tax reserve that council approved back in you know last fall.

If the um if that reserve amount is not utilized um because revenues are coming in at a good clip, um, expenditures are you know controlled that could be a source.

Um we would not know, Councilmember Benson, is that 42 million is available until probably around November when the um OCFO finance you know department do their you know year-in closing and reconciliation.

Um, and then of course the mayor will have to agree to come to city council with the budget amendment to effectuate that.

So she would have to, you know, the mayor Jeffrey will have to be convinced that that's a good um expenditure from those surplus funds if we do have available 42 million dollars and surplus to come to city council to do the to do the investment.

And as you say, 20 million dollars, you know, that that's a healthy price tag.

So it may be better to come if if the mayor agrees, it may be better to come in stages, you know, to do that.

Mr.

Corley, and I believe this conversation is provides more context to the conversation that we're having um as a body and the future of EMT services, and we talk about 20 million dollars, which would be a little bit less than half of the budget surplus, but this would also be reoccurring, although I don't think that all 20 would be reoccurring because some of that is capital based on the need to purchase the actual ambulances.

Um, in addition, we would there, we've been told there's about an 18-month to two year um, I believe, lead time.

And so we would still have to look at a phased approach.

So for me, it's just it deserves a deeper conversation.

And we're talking about quarterly reports.

So I'm hoping if we do seriously look at this, this will take some serious work, that we need to be looking at this as not just an overnight solution.

It's a far longer term where we are holding hands walking towards a solution where we bring 100% of the services in-house.

But that's got to be done, something that's done holding hands, because then becomes an adversarial process, and then who's going to be willing to uh make those those make those motions and move money uh at the budget table.

This is where I believe this conversation is going to end up next year.

And I believe that will be the first part of a series of conversations just based on the need and the process logistically to get something like that done.

Although I'm I'm here to walk hand in hand, but I just need to make sure we got others as well as an administration who prepare to do that as well.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

And I see uh hand by director you stall.

Um yes, thank you.

Through the chair, uh just did want to speak to that procurement timeline of new units.

Um, we we did recently um go through a procurement uh process for new ambulance bodies.

The chassis were already um delivered, and that process took um nine months from scoping to contract approval by city council, at which point the POs were issued, and then um they will arrive about a year from that PO approval.

So if council can please consider uh, and that was for uh 10 brand new ambulance bodies.

Um that uh 21 month, almost two-year timeline just for uh receiving new vehicles.

Um I just wanted to support the information that has been shared by FIRE about um some of the timeline that would be needed to implement, and typically we have some sense of where the funds would come from.

And with capital, uh, we usually have those funds identified before we uh start a procurement Mr.

Chair, for the discussion, member Benson.

And then the the suggestion has been made about approving a modification to the contract to one year.

What would need to happen for us to modify the contract here today to vote on a one-year contract versus the three-year contracts are in front of us?

And is there an appetite by the administration to do that?

I believe that LPD has spoken on this.

The question of how we do it, I like to hear from Mr.

Whitaker, and then the appetite like to hear from the administration, Mr.

Whitaker, Mr.

President.

Uh, you have a three-year contract before you and you have to vote on that up or down.

If the administration hears you and produces a contract for one year, then you consider that at that time.

But right now, you only have a three-year contract, a series of three-year contracts before you.

So it's either up or down on what you have before you.

Uh, I don't, I guess Mr.

Benson put it, what's the appetite for the administration to make the modification to a one-year, as I would as I've indicated in the past, that requires negotiating with the vendors as well.

But if they bring a contract before you for one year, you can approve that.

Thank you.

Any further member Benson?

Mr.

Chair, so the appetite question was directed towards the administration for them to respond to that question.

Um that will end my questions, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Good morning to the honorable body.

Um, Chuck Sims, executive fire commissioner, to respond to that question.

So we have a termination for convenience in this three-year contract, meaning a little closer.

We have a termination for convenience in this contract, meaning we can terminate at any given time.

I just want to speak on a few things here.

Um, back in in 2022, just to give some history here when I was appointed to this position, we had we had 18 um ambulances, anywhere from 13 to 18 ambulances per day for Detroit.

We had another five to seven private ambulances per day for Detroit.

On a great day, we had 25 ambulances.

Um at that time, I was given a task to see if we how we can create more ambulances.

We were able to increase our budget to hire more firefighter EMTs, which increased our ambulances from 18 to 26.

And we were able to solidify a contract with the privates to provide us additional ambulances per day.

During that time, we were able to get some of the best response times in the country.

We were able to lower the utilization rates for our members as well as our resources, our ambulances.

Before this contract, our utilization rate was anywhere from 80 to 90 percent.

Right now it hovers around 40 to 50 percent, which is right around the national average.

Um this administration would love to bring everything in house.

We don't want to make the mistake to to um somehow not give the same coverage to the citizens of Detroit while doing that.

I believed in a phased end approach.

Um we have we can go that route along with, like I said, we have this this termination piece in the contract, and any given time we can terminate.

Um I was gonna bring to the body this morning that at every budget hearing, we'll tell you how we increased the ambulances internally and how we made that adjustment with the privates externally.

But I just want us to be careful on how we approach this because I don't want any um services decreased because we're making a decision not to or to to for this contract to fail.

And also, so what some of the immediate effects, number one, it's gonna increase the utilization on our men and women on the fire department right now.

Number two, it will increase the the response time for the transport units.

Um, not so much for the the entire reflex time, but for the transport units, it will.

And it's a huge budget increase.

And so, like I said, at the end of the day, we would love everything in house.

I think we need to take a phased approach and make sure that we're covering all bases before um making a decision that may affect the services to our citizens.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Got uh another member in the queue, and that is member McCampbell.

The floor is yours, sir.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh I just want to bring up a couple of things.

Um I know we had a deep discussion about this in committee um yesterday.

I just want to, and I think my colleagues and folks who have been listening throughout the year know that I'm someone that wants to bring um services in-house.

I I do think we uh have too many contractors here in the city.

However, I also know as a as a council member um that residents are going to be paying attention to response time.

Um, no matter what happens at this table uh today.

I want to, for me, uh as we talked at the table, is that this quarterly report, not just to get information in on the quarterly report, but to uh watch the utilization rate of these contracts um to ensure that uh we are doing as much as we can to make sure that this work is done on our members of DFD um and to make sure that we are having that phase in operation.

Um so that's where I come from the standpoint of knowing that um we we went through this also with uh the buses with DDO, knowing that they take a while to order and get into place.

That's the same with ambulances.

So we're hearing that as a 18 to 24 month um uh process, uh a one-year contract will still have us in the same situation.

And I understand the point of view of like the one-year contract provides a level of accountability to say if you're not on that track, um, that we can go back and put pressure there.

But we also have places that we could put additional pressures when it comes to the capital agenda later in the year with those deliberations.

We have a pressure points.

We're coming to the budget next year as well.

Um, I just don't want to have any harm happen to our residents, and I know that's what we're gonna hear up front.

I'm one that I think this work should be done, that it should be all 100% union and it should be uh by DFD member uh members, and I'm gonna continue to push for that.

I just know at the point that we are right now, um, that this is what we have.

Um, it does, you know, we don't have a one-year contract before us with the um from the administration, and that's just the point that so uh I'm in support of the contracts, but I I I will tell you all I will tell this to the fire department administration.

Um I if we if for me personally, if I don't see the progress here, um it's definitely gonna be upsetting, but also it's gonna be reflecting the the my decisions moving forward when it comes to the fire department and resources that are that are requested in terms of this.

Um one thing I do want to, Mr.

Chair, if it's okay.

I know I believe that um director Donna Johnson is on um on to talk about the budget and just seeing what we have, because I know we had a conversation of the capital project funding um this year, uh, but just to give insight of what that is going to this year and and what is the administration planning um as we're looking at the budget on ramping up on um our EMT services or ambulance services.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Mr.

Johnson.

I see your hand, Member Miller.

We'll put you in the queue.

Mr.

Chair, did you want me to speak first or do you want Member Miller to speak first?

Um you're responding to Member McCampbell who has the floor.

The floor is yours.

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

Uh, thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh, thank you, Councilmember McCampbell.

Um, so in terms of capital planning with regard to this uh the proposal to bring EMS in-house, we do have the 20 million dollar capital allocation for fiscal year 27, which was allocated for public safety vehicles.

So we would be looking um at the ordering and phasing of those um EMS units.

Um, as Director U Stall noted, um, there's a long lead time where if we're lucky and we already own a chassis that we can put a new box on, that's great.

But in this case, we would be net adding units.

So we would need to buy the whole unit, and that's really gonna take a long time.

So we would want to get those orders started with the vendors as quickly as possible.

Um, if this decision is made, I would note that um member Benson brought up a really good point, um, and one that I would I was planning to bring up as well, which is the the um income tax reserve fund, the corporate income tax reserve fund is one time dollars.

So those funds could be used for something like um the necessary facilities construction.

We would need to do it a number of firehouses to ensure that they have uh space to store the ambulances.

Many firehouses do not have a place to park an ambulance, they would need to be parked in um an annex or a garage extension that would be added, need to be added to a number of the firehouses from which we do our medical responses, our EMS responses.

Um, you know, we can talk about one-time dollars being used for that since that's what we need we use them for capital anyway.

Um, in terms of operating costs, the the day-to-day operating costs of this, I think um phasing in is the only solution.

Um we really cannot eat this elephant in one bite.

This is something that we would need to phase in over a few years um from both a budgetary perspective.

If we were to to do this all at once, that would require substantial cuts to other city operations or city programs in order to use our general fund dollars for this instead.

So I would encourage us to phase this in a very um well-thought out plan, um, using uh as the commissioner said, really wanting to be thoughtful that we don't disrupt not only EMS services but other city services as we as we reallocate resources to this through the budgeting process.

Um I would also note that the recurring expenses for this are going to um they're going to grow, right?

So these are going to be something that we whereas contracts we can negotiate these additional expenses and we can have a much more granular control over that cost, um, personnel costs and the operating costs of bringing this in-house, they're going to grow at a much less predictable rate.

And so we're going to have to do a lot of really good forecasting to make sure that not only are we building this into the budget in that two or three year period, however long this phase in would take, but that we are also building in those forecast years and knowing what's coming down the road, um, what we can expect from labor negotiations for future contracts and these sorts of things, um, overtime amounts.

You know, fire would need to bring down their overtime in order to help absorb these costs.

And the and hopefully by having more EM EMS um employees and and more medical first responder coverage, perhaps that would allow that to happen.

Um, the other reason for phase in that I would note, and this is my final point on this is um just the number of EMS or EMTs or medical first responders that would be needed to staff the number of ambulances required to do this.

Um, that recruitment is going to take some time.

Fire currently has vacancies, um, and we would need to you know ensure that we can fill that number of um medical first responder uh vacancies um in the time in the plan that we have anticipated.

So those are sorts of considerations that I would encourage us to keep in mind.

Um I can't speak to the the policies behind this, but I can speak to the finances, and I can say that all at once is just not going to be feasible, but a plan to phase this in uh is considerably more feasible.

Member McCampbell.

Thank you, Director.

Um that's all I have, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Uh, we also have uh member uh pro Tim Young next in the queue, followed by Miller, followed by Callaway.

Pass.

Young.

Okay.

Well, I'll just say because I have not been in the Q yet and I was gonna raise my hand.

Um so this is I I to both member Waters as well as Member McCampbell's point, this is a challenging decision.

I would say pretty much all of us.

I mean, it's one where there's no way to satisfy everybody uh in this particular situation.

Uh even when you are uh moving in the direction of the greater good, there's still gonna be some folks who are doing good and good people who are not going to be satisfied with whatever decision we make today, whether that be a one week, excuse me, one year, uh we postpone it to have more discussion, conversation, or we vote these items down because the reality is if these items are voted down, uh something has to be brought back to us.

And what is being brought back to us is a question mark at this point.

The other piece, when we start talking about the nuts and bolts of these contracts, and we talk about the harm uh or the perceived harm, is when that messaging goes out to our community that they may not be covered in the same way that they're covered today.

So all of that has to be taken in consideration with the moves that we make.

But the one thing I've learned uh in my time here is that there's absolutely no way to satisfy everybody uh with any decision that we make.

Um, even when we're on the side of the so-called majority, uh, it is a very, very tough decision.

I uh was was not a president when this discussion took place last week, and I know that it was sent to committee.

Um, and I was under the impression that the goal was to have these conversations to get us to a point where there was some uh level of um consensus amongst the body, not unanimous again, but uh didn't expect that, but uh have it come back and basically in the same position, and we sounds like we're the the body's in the same position as well.

I'm ready to uh move this beyond just where we are today to have some level of finality today, uh noting that uh for me personally, I agree that there's no way that we would be able to uh find 20 million dollars in one fail swoop.

I also recognize again when we start talking about the contract or the the uh the challenge that is ahead of us, it is not going to be a one-year situation.

Um I was hearing 16 to 24 months to uh at least start to see the fruits of this.

So that takes us to a two-year, we have three years in front of us.

Uh, this administration, this uh mayoral administration is four years.

Uh so I think all of those numbers have to be kept into uh play as we start looking at these contracts that are before us.

Um I am more in support of uh uh postponing these for one more week to allow us to have these discussions because I don't I I have not had these discussions with colleagues just yet at this point.

Uh and this is a very difficult decision, not because of when you look at it from the financial standpoint, that's easy.

But when we start talking about, you know, this is going to allow for more Detroiters, I'm looking at more Detroiters to be hired, and that's not uh I don't ever want to slight anyone who works in our workforce whatsoever, regardless of where you live, because you're working on behalf of our residents.

But currently the Detroit resident workforce in the fire department is 23%.

When you look at the contractors, though, these vendors that are before us, uh Hart EMS, 31% Detroiters, uh pro EMS, 15%.

Uh and then when you look at superior, a 23%.

So the thing that stands out more than anything is the fact that we've got to get more Detroiters in this field.

Um, that has to be the goal, uh, the desire goal for us because uh again, if we're fighting for Detroiters and Detroiters to be a part of this phenomenal union that is a part of uh the city of Detroit and the firefighters in general, who's doing a tremendous service, uh saving lives uh on a day-to-day basis and protecting property as well, we've got to, in my opinion, figure out how do we get more Detroiters into this process as well.

Um but I am looking certainly to bring some level of finality.

I would be more uh in line with postponing for one week to make sure that we have some level of consensus because it sounds like from what I heard in my absence, uh, we're pretty much in the same space that we were last week.

Uh should bring back one to proposal one week.

Can I have speakers, please?

Motion we make it one week.

And what's up?

There's discussion.

I have my hand up.

There's motion on the floor.

You still will have an opportunity, Member Miller.

I please please respect protocol.

Uh you'll still have an opportunity to speak.

There is a motion on the floor to postpone for one week with discussion, Member Miller.

Thank you.

I um I sometimes I I'm overlooked with a handoff.

I wanted to say if procurement or uh I know Mr.

Councilman Vinson mentioned uh administration have the appetite or whatever he was meaning by that.

I honestly feel that if our uh administration law LPD procurement know that this body has the heart to bring things in house to provide more jobs for Detroiters because we are at a low poverty level in the United States.

Detroit alone has one of the lowest poverty levels.

Some of our districts rank the lowest.

That when they come with these contracts, they would have a better proposal for us.

It would never be a three-year contract if they're wholeheartedly proposing to woo us with jobs.

This is the second time we've had a big ticket item here with jobs at hand, and they lack the ability to provide a tangible, a tangible agreement that shows a resemblance of jobs.

This is why I'm so adamant about it.

If this was talked about four years ago, four years ago, then why didn't they start phasing out then?

Why didn't they start ordering then?

Why didn't it start getting those rigs that's up and down these yards fixed then?

How come the number has not increased?

Now I do know there's some reserve, but I'm yet to see an active, an active direction that resembles what we're saying as a body.

Otherwise, there would we would not be waiting 21 months for something or an additional two years for something.

That means you just started, or maybe you finally think we're serious.

So it just seems like to me it's a slap in the face when these um proposed contracts does not resemble what we're asking for.

So for me, when they when there's um I'm looking for some forward thinking.

Forward thinking because everything that I've heard is long time, long time this long time for that.

We knew at budget season that this was an issue, and not one person.

Well, I'm not gonna say that.

Only a few people talked about the fire department.

It wasn't an issue, it wasn't even a major, a major issue.

We need to have some type of alarm when certain contracts are coming up like six months in advance, so we can start talking about them, talking about them before these contracts come up because they're these are really weak.

Doesn't show the heart of our city.

It shows that outsourcing at its best.

It shows that we would rather have pay people that do not even have a 51% threshold for hiring for our contracts, and that relies on our procurement department.

There should have been money allocated in the budget for this.

We had money allocated for a whole police fleet, uh weapons, but nothing for the fire department.

They just got money two years ago to bring their wages up to par, and they're still behind throughout the country.

Their contract negotiations right now, and they're failing to the point where they're probably going to go into arbitration.

So when you bring a contract to us, especially if you expect me to even acknowledge or take it to consideration, it should be some forward thinking like hey, we've already laid out a plan.

Why do we got to get a plan now?

Vinces asked for a plan, waters asked for a plan.

The plan should have been in place already.

So now we got to wait time for the plan to get the next plan to get the order in.

So then we're really looking at a whole another four years of nothing.

Again, the second time that it's coming before this body, and this is the second time, including the tree furning.

So I'm just very disappointed.

And I uh thank you for offering to uh you made a motion to bring it back.

And President Procedident, I am glad you're gonna take some time to look at it and examine it.

And we know the first thing they'll say is that there's one fail accident or fatality.

They'll say, Oh, Miller did it.

Well, that's what they always say.

They're always gonna come with the negative to make you vote in their direction.

That's the art of persuasion.

We cannot fall for that.

We cannot allow them to use these negative anecdotes to make us bow down to vote the way they want us to vote.

We cannot allow it.

Listen to the firefighters who do the actual runs, who's willing to put the additional hours in to cover those areas, and trust that they love Detroit enough to run in the buildings and save our residents' lives.

They love our they love their job.

And everything that does not have to be political.

We're here to serve, and we're servants, and that's what we have to proclaim and stand on as elected officials when it comes to this body when it comes to saving lives and providing jobs, more than anything, jobs.

Jobs is first, gotta provide jobs, otherwise, we'll continue to have a poor society.

We'll continue to have failed neighborhoods if we do not raise those jobs and the and the finance and the money that they make, a reasonable wage, a firefighter should not make $19 an hour.

Thank you, President Tate.

Thank you.

And I know I see the hand of uh director Stahl as well as commissioner wanted to speak as well, but we have a motion on the floor for a postponement.

I think we need to deal with that first because it may be moot.

Uh the things that you all are raising.

Member Callaway, did you still want to be in the queue for on that motion?

Um, no, I'll submit my questions.

Okay.

Yeah.

Colleagues, there's a motion on the floor to postpone this item for for these uh three contracts again.

That is 19.6, 19.7, and 19.8 to postpone for one week.

Are there any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll see you next week.

No, we'll I can wrap that one up.

All right, thank you.

Um member Callaway uh regarding any of the other items, Mr.

Chair.

Uh if if um Donnie Johnson is still on, this is a question relative to what he just mentioned uh regarding the overtime for DFD and then the numbers that you provided, those percentages, Mr.

Um Chair, were troubling for me.

Um you didn't mention the ones for Detroit uh fire department, our EMS system, but you said superior was 23% hiring Detroiters, Hart was 31% hiring Detroiters and 15% for air.

Is that correct?

Uh that is that's what you said.

That's what okay.

That's I can I can provide the document to you as well.

Please do.

That's that's troubling for me from the onset, but I'd like to know, and if you can't answer it through the chair to you, Mr.

Johnson, you mentioned DFTFD overtime.

I'd like to um have you if you could submit those numbers to this honorable body um before um next week, that would be great.

I want to know exactly how much the city is paying DFD and overtime because if we're paying DFD and overtime, why do we have ambulances on standby?

Because I know one there, I know for a fact there's one at Woodward and Seven Mile, just sitting there all the time, not making any runs.

I've not seen them make a run yet.

They're just sitting there with the door open, just chilling.

And you you walk and go over there and you probably see them sitting right there, seven mile in Woodward, just just sitting there off the golf course.

So I mean, standing by doing what?

Because I think they're still getting paid.

If they don't do a run, do they still get paid?

So I'll submit my questions.

But for Mr.

Johnson, if you can't answer that overtime cost question, I can wait until um later this week, but I'd like to get those that answer before um next Tuesday.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Discussion Johnson, will you be able to submit that to uh member Callaway uh prior to next week?

Uh yes, yes, Mr.

President.

Thank you so much.

Further discussion, uh, member Benson.

All right, thank you.

I'm glad that uh Mr.

Johnson brought up the uh conversation around improving our firehouses.

Uh, this is a conversation that I hope that we would have with greater depth during the ARPA um budgeting process when we know that we have well over nine digits of deferred maintenance as well as necessary improvements when we have fire stations and firehouses that are well over 100 years old.

We need to have a serious conversation about how we bring our fire department's capital uh needs into the 21st century.

They are still in the 20th century.

I appreciate the fact that we have our dedicated body, but we need to have new firehouses need to be modernized.

We need to um put to rest some of our older stations, and this is about what we're willing to take on as far as debt, because that will require debt.

And I'm hoping that we see an actual plan from the fire department in by the end of the year, we can start having these conversations.

This is a conversation that has to be had.

We haven't had it yet, and we had the chance when we had the uh free money from the federal government um in one other places.

I'm hoping that we can have that conversation in the future.

Um, and I don't hoping I know we will have that conversation in the future, but hoping that we can have it sooner rather than later.

Thank you.

Motion uh we we've we've already done.

Oh, okay.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues.

There's a motion for approval of line item 9.9 through 9.12.

Are there any objections or discussion?

Seeing none, those items line item 9.9 through 9.12 shall be approved.

So I scrolled down.

Uh member Callan.

Line uh waiver on line item 19.10.

Colleagues a request for a waiver on line item 9.10.

Any objections?

See none, then action shall be taken.

Mr.

President, uh Member Santiago Romero.

Um, who moved 19.9 through 19.12.

I'm sorry, I thought you did, my brain.

No, sir.

Okay, my apologies, ma'am.

That is on me.

Motion to approve 19.9 through 19.12.

All right, there's a motion to approve line items 9.9 through 9.

Excuse me, 19.9 through 19.12.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Again, a request for a waiver on line item 19.10, colleagues.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Any objections?

Seeing none, a waiver should be attached.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you.

Mr.

President, motion for waivers as well on 19.12.

That's a request for a waiver on line item 19.12, colleagues.

Any objections?

Seeing none, waiver should be attached.

All right, from the Office of Contract and Procurement, Madam Clerk.

Council President Pro Tim Young, two resolutions, line items 19.13 and 19.14.

Contract number 600434-A2, 100% city funding, amendment two to provide a six-month time only extension for cat diesel injury repairs.

Contractor, McAllister Machinery Company Incorporated, doing business as Michigan Cat.

Total contract amount, 600,000.

That's for general services.

And contract number 6006910-82, 100% city funding, amendment two to provide heady heavy duty maintenance and repair, contract Carrie Brothers truck repair, total contract amount 535,000.

That's for general services.

Council President Pro Tim Young, two resolutions.

So Tim Young, line items 19.13 and 19.14.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

I moved to approve line items 19.13 and 19.14.

There's a motion to approve line items 19.13 and 19.14, colleagues.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

From the office of the chief financial officer, um, before we go for uh pro Tim Young.

I like to request a waiver on line on 19.14.

There's a request for a waiver on line item 19.14, colleagues, any objections?

Seeing none, a waiver should be attached.

From the office of the chief financial officer, Office of Development and Grants, Madam Clerk.

Council Member Santiago Romero, three resolutions, line items 19.15 through 19.17.

Member Santiago Romero.

Motion to approve.

These are all various grants.

There's a motion to approve line items 19.15 through 19.17.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Request a waiver, Mr.

President, and all three items.

All right, there's a request for a waiver on line items 19.15 through 19.17.

Colleagues, any objections?

See none, waiver should be attached.

From the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Development and Grants, Madam Clerk.

Council President Pro Tim Young, a resolution, line item 19.18.

Line item 19.18, pro Tim Young.

Uh move to approve line of 19.18.

There's a motion to approve line item 19.18.

Any objections?

See none, that action shall be taken.

Under resolutions, Madam Clerk.

Council member Santiago Romero, a resolution line item 19.19.

Uh member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Motion to approve, noting that this is a resolution recognizing air quality awareness week through member Johnson's office.

There's a motion to approve line item 19.19, colleagues, any objections?

Discussion.

With discussion, Member Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I'd like to uh take a moment to read the resolution that was provided that is attached.

Um, this resolution as was indicated is recognizing air quality awareness week, whereas clean air is essential to the health and well-being of all individuals, communities, and ecosystems.

And whereas since the US Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA first recognized Air Quality Awareness Week over two decades ago.

The week has been recognized across the country as a time to educate the public on the importance of protecting our air quality and to promote actions that improve air quality.

And whereas a city that has historically shaped and structured around industrial manufacturing, Detroit continues to reconcile its industrial roots with modern understandings of the harmful effects of air pollutants on human health.

And whereas the Metro Detroit area received an F in the American Lung Association's most recent state of the air report ranking 11th worst nationally for short-term particle pollution and ninth for year round fine particulate pollution.

And whereas exposure to air pollution is casually linked to multiple negative health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer development, respiratory illness, and stroke.

And whereas exposure to air pollution is casually linked to multiple negative health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer development, respiratory illness, and stroke, and whereas many forms of the air pollution pose a significant higher risk for the elderly, children, and people with chronic respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

And whereas unfortunately in the last year, the EPA has engaged in the most significant rollbacks of air pollution regulation in U.S.

history, including relaxing air pollution limits for fossil fuel fired power plants, which is expected to have drastic consequences for air quality and lung health.

And whereas Air Quality Awareness Week emphasizes the importance of working together to improve air quality and protect public health while recognizing the interconnectedness of air quality, climate change, transportation, and environmental justice.

And whereas all individuals, businesses, and governments are stakeholders with an important role to play in improving air quality through reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency, supporting clean energy initiatives, and staying informed about air quality levels through tools like the air quality index.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Detroit City Council hereby recognizes May 4th group 9, 2026 as air quality awareness week.

Now be it further resolved that the Detroit City Council encourages all members of the public to participate in the various community events for air quality awareness week, which can be found at ClearThe AirMI dot org forward slash events.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

All right, colleagues, there's a motion on the floor for approval line item 19.19.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that action shall be taken.

And Mr.

President.

The clerk, I want to point out that this line item should have read in the name of Councilmember Johnson.

This is her resolution.

And it was on record as Councilmember Santiago Remember.

I just want to make that clarification.

Thank you so much.

It has been noted.

Mr.

Chair.

I'm sorry.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

If Member Johnson, if I could join you on this.

Mr.

Chair.

Madam Clerk, if you can note that Member McCampbell, as well as Member Santiago Romero, my on that particular item.

All right.

For the president's report on standing committees, referrals and other matters for the budget finance and audit standing committee, Madam Clerk.

Two reports from the Office of the Auditor General.