For the Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee meeting on today, Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Good morning.

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

Present.

Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero.

Present.

Council President Pro Tem Coleman Young.

Madam Chair, we have quorum.

Thank you.

Having a quorum present, we are now in session.

And good morning, Member Santiago Romero.

Is there a motion on the minutes?

Good morning, Madam Chair.

Motion to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

We are going to move into general general public comment.

If you are joining us and would like to make a public comment, please raise your hand, whether in person in the committee of the whole or joining us virtually, please raise your hand.

If you're here for the public hearing, you may have two bites at the Apple.

We only have one public hearing on the agenda.

Um please raise your hand.

I see one, two, three, four, five six hands raised in the committee of the whole.

Good morning, Ms.

Gray.

How many hands do we have raised virtually?

Good morning, madam chair.

We currently have nine hands raised for virtual public comment.

All right, we're going to give everyone two minutes.

If you will please set the clock and if we can have folks line up or join us in the seats for in-person public comment, we will get started with the folks in the committee of the whole.

Ladies first.

And once you are ready, yep, you can touch the base of the microphone and the light will turn green, and you have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning.

Um, I wanted to come before you in regards to our concern about environmental justice.

Between Connors Avenue, Otto Road, there are four water waste plants.

They're requesting for three more.

We have an issue in regards to the air quality prosperities.

We have a higher rate of respiratory diseases and other health issues, toxic chemical exposure, contamination risk.

We already have someone in my household with arsenic.

Older pollution, air pollution, noise pollution, property values, home repair expenses, misaligned, zoning, blowing dirt, quality of life is too close to our homes, and the preparation for emergencies when it arises.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Aidan Bloom, morning.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Uh my name is Eden Bloom.

I'm a resident of District 4.

And I live less than a mile from the shoemaker site where there's been talk of a potential data center.

I also work with Detroit People's Platform.

Support their call to shift the policy work on data centers from an unaccountable working group to a city council task force.

In March, you all voted six to two to pass a resolution brought by Councilmember Benson calling for a two-year moratorium on data center permits.

Though widely covered in the media, the mayor is not taking action and there is no moratorium.

This has created confusion and a false sense of security for some residents who believe protections are already in place.

At the same time, Councilmember Benson has convened a working group to develop zoning and policy recommendations for data centers.

The table includes DTE developers and city department representatives, but the people who live with the consequences, Detroit residents are not fully at the table.

This seems part of a pattern we've seen across the countries with data center development has operated in the shadows.

Developers have used non-disclosure agreements and meetings behind closed doors to limit community engagement and awareness.

Detroit deserves better than that.

Under the council's own rules of order, a working group carries no formal obligation for public notice, no requirement for accessible records, and no binding accountability to the residents in the city.

A task force is different.

A task force means publicly notified meetings, accessible records, and a defined structure for community participation.

Detroit is a majority black city, a documented history of industrial pollution concentrated in our neighborhoods.

Any process for regulating data centers here must be built on transparency, community power, and not a closed table.

We are not asking for something new.

We're asking for this council to use tools it already has, reconstitute this working group as a formal task force under your own rules of order.

Make this process worthy of the city it's supposed to serve.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And before we proceed, Madam Clerk, if you would please note that Pro Tim Young has joined us.

Clerk would know.

Thank you.

Mr.

Theo Pride.

Good morning, Council.

Um Theo Pride with Detroit People's Platform.

Um I'm here to raise uh concerns uh around the city's economic uh development posture, a stance and policy on data centers.

Uh I don't think it's uh news to anyone that data centers are a problem.

Um, that they pose a serious threat to the common and public good.

Um environmental impacts, energy overconsumption, uh rising utility costs are all issues.

Um recently, uh member uh Scott Benson has taken upon himself to convene a work group on data centers uh to think through zoning, land use implementation.

Um however, uh the the folks on that work group group seem to represent uh right builders and the operators uh of data centers themselves uh in real community representation seems to be lacking.

Um this is why council should establish a task force to more equitably consider uh how to treat data centers uh given the serious threats and even racial and economic uh impacts of data centers.

Uh, we need a try uh a process that's transparent um that ensures accountability uh and equity.

Uh I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And noting that I had not cut off public comment, if there is anyone else who'd like to speak for public comment, before I cut it off, please raise your hand.

Going once, going top twice, going three times.

The collection of public comment has now concluded.

And Mr.

Ballant.

Hey, uh good morning to both of you, all three of you.

And uh I want to start by calling attention to a recently published book by the CEO of Palantir, which is the private uh largest private spy agency in the world.

Um, and uh run by Peter Thiel.

And this book basic is called Technology Republic.

They believe in a post-constitutional system of government.

There are they do not support citizenship.

Peter Thiel has said this, others have said this in his world.

But I want to remind you again that when Donald Trump took office, one of the very first things that happened is Elon Musk came in and stole massive billions of files on American citizens.

Their social security, whether it's FBI, whether it was uh IRS and all our tax filings, massive.

That wound up with Palantir, which is using its capacity to grow the data on all American citizens, and the big tech centers, and they're behind a number of them, uh, are to keep up-to-date data on citizens.

That's what they call the tech republic.

And it's explicit.

There isn't a secret about it.

They say it publicly.

Elon Musk has lost in the last few years has launched 10,000 satellites that are orbiting the Earth.

And he's put in an application to have one million satellites to do close monitoring of everything on this planet.

He and Palantir and Peter Thiel are business partners.

The SpaceX that he launches these with projects with Thiel and him together.

There's a lot more about the apartheid twins.

Which is that's Musk and Thiel.

They're apartheid.

Thank you.

Mr.

Reeves.

Hello.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Uh good morning, everyone.

Uh, my name is Toy New Reeves.

Uh, I'm a lifelong uh Eastider and resident of Jefferson Chalmers.

Uh I'm c I feel that that today is incumbent upon me to express the uh the voices of those who are voiceless in our community regarding the uh pumping station that they're attempting to uh to erect in in our neighborhood.

To give a little bit of background, I think that we all know that Glea was formed as a result of the bankruptcy, that bankruptcy when state of Michigan withheld state uh state uh sales tax revenue from the city of Detroit and other municipalities across the state, that forced Detroit that forced Detroit into bankruptcy from which the state of Michigan took the word department and formed gliwa.

So that by itself is a sense is a source of is a uh acute source of pain for our residents.

And upon that, how they enter into our community, they targeted some of our most vulnerable populations, uh, our elderly populations who are not um as financially uh literate as others may be in our community, and they forced them coercive.

I shouldn't say they forced them, but they coercive and uh engaged them to sell their houses at uh below market rate.

As a result, they entered into our community, cordoned off an entire block and began uh preparing for construction of the uh fruit pumping station without even having approached city council to request the proper um permits, nor have they ever entered into our community requesting or getting input from our community members how we feel about this.

As of yet, they have yet to um to approach this in a dignified way, but continue to do put uh to do construction work in the area just last Friday.

Um, there was a contamination in our area, and there was no notification about the results of that contamination or the safety precautions that needed to be taken.

Um we can see that Glee was an environmental bad actor, their disaster of a public relations uh organization, and more importantly, their inefficiencies force continuous rate uh water rate hikes upon residents that are unnecessary.

We're hoping that the city council takes um takes heed of of our uh of our of our dissatisfaction and denies the opportunity for them to rezone that area in our neighborhood.

Thank you so much.

Next.

Yes, I'm here to uh speak likewise about the pumping station being put into Jefferson Charmers.

It seems like I'm opposed to it.

It seems like it is a permanent solution for a short-term problem.

That problem will be flooding issues that have gotten worse relatively recently over the years, even though the population levels have gone down in Detroit.

Seems like the root of the problem is not really being addressed.

GLIOA also has um insustainable problems with the way it's set up because the way it's set up is not just GLIWA, but the infrastructure also is uh it's old, it's aging, but it will deteriorate faster if it goes underused as the populate as people move out of here, as population goes down, the infrastructure falls apart faster.

So the only way for them to keep it all maintained is to have more cities added to the network, to have more water, more usage going in there to get more life out of it.

And I believe there's something like 100 cities connected to the water reclamation resource facility in Southwest Detroit.

Detroit is taking in the waste of 100 communities throughout Michigan, and that number keeps going bigger and bigger.

And Gliwa and the whole infrastructure has to keep taking in more waste and resources beyond Detroit further out to keep it going.

Unless flood station that's going into Jefferson Charmers, that's just something that's that's just a bad thing that's ruining a neighborhood.

So to maintain a big system that doesn't really benefit Detroit.

Thank you.

All right, we are now going to proceed with our virtual callers.

Who do we have first?

Our first caller is William M.

Davis.

William M.

Davis, you have two minutes for general public comment.

And my apologies.

Before we proceed, I'd like to call the 1015 public hearing to order and recess it to the call of the chair.

Good morning, Mr.

Davis.

Uh good morning.

Can I be heard?

Yes.

Okay.

You know, I'm not no expert on data centers.

But I think that we need to more closely look at the implications of having data centers and how that might infect our environment and our water usage and energy and all of that.

We need to thoroughly study this and get a strong opinions, strong data on the pros and cons of this.

Um, just like we need to be making sure in the event that we do have data centers, there's a closed loop that they're not constantly pulling water.

And and they also need to be generating their own power.

And I don't think they want to do that.

I think they're here mainly for cheap water, relatively cheap water, and to you know, build in an area that they think they could get the land relatively cheap.

Because land is still relatively cheap in Detroit compared to a number of other communities.

And don't get me wrong, because the the price of land in Detroit has gone up dramatically and will continue to go up, but they still figure they could get a benefit by coming here.

Uh also separately.

I say more about the the public hearing, but just to start off with, you know, if we given if we allow them these zoning changes for are we losing money on this deal?

Are we losing uh property that could be homes and uh properties that is on the tax route to do we charge Glear anything, you know, for the their property that they're taking out for the loss of property taxes?

Uh you know, I think before we rezone, we should ask them are they gonna pay us the lost revenue from the potential use of that land?

And we need to do more about you know stopping so much flooding that's been going on since Great Lakes Water Authority came into existence.

Thank you for now.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is owner Papa.

Owner Papa, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning, owner Papa.

Are you there?

Ms.

Great, let's proceed to the next caller.

Oh, I'm here.

Oh, thank you.

Okay.

Good morning.

Uh good morning.

Through the chairman, I be heard.

Yes.

Yes, you've heard a lot today about data centers.

I think you guys don't understand that during the war with Iran, Iran bombed data centers.

That's what they were bombing.

Amazon data centers or co-data centers.

If you don't have control over what the data center runs, and it runs anything that deals with national security or DOJ or anything like that, they take over those data centers.

And people bomb them because they are running things in it that impact uh that that can be impacted during a war.

As a matter of fact, they suggest that you not put data centers where you have large groups of people.

I don't know if you all know, but we are people, even though we're treated as if we're less than you have on your agenda today, six dot two another development for Corktown.

Corktown is not the only city, not the only place in the city that needs um development.

We need it all over the city.

And just doing development in one area and giving those people tax breaks is like an apartheid situation that you're setting up where this one group of people get reduced taxes and the rest of us pay full taxes.

And that P R E, the way they took that away from people who actually lived in their homes was criminal.

Um now I have to go through a rigor moreau to prove uh that I am owner-occupied in my own home.

The city is going to hell in a handbasket.

Sorry to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Jadante Smith.

Jedante Smith, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning, Mabel.

Good morning, yes.

Uh I'm gonna try unequivocally stand with uh district four.

Um, I'm a lower, well, not lower that far east side, but I'm an East Side resident as well in District Five, and I definitely stand with the district four uh residents when it comes to their environmental concerns, especially when it comes to air quality.

As you guys know, I always talk about pronos concrete.

Um kind of sad that more people talk about phonos and some of the things that are going on in District 3, uh, because Scott Benson is not working for district three residents.

Um and Scott Bison definitely is working with with big money, and I believe the Maroons, I can't prove it yet, but the Maroon family is also working with uh DT Energy uh to help produce some of these data centers because they helped to produce the uh solar farms over near um the Van Dyke Glench area near the Detroit City Airport because they the Maroon family owned 43 acres of land uh as they got through a land swap deal with 2019 for land that they owned in District 4 for the Chrysler plants.

A lot of this stuff is connected.

We don't really always connect the dots, but a lot of these things are connected.

I think that um so many of these issues come before council very, very often, and we are not uh really really helped with these issues, especially because Great Lakes Water Authority has their own police force.

They have had a police force for some time now.

They have the ability, just like a land bank, like quasi governmental part public, part private, to have their own to be treated like a municipality, which they should not be.

Also to President Pro Tim Cole Me Young.

I have requested a meeting with your office.

I have requested this meeting several times.

I talked to Fraser Kempsen yesterday in the hallway, and I relayed my ask for a meeting.

I don't know what it takes to ask for a meeting with your office.

I don't know if you have some type of sign language, some type of special code, if there's some special process to request a meeting with your office, but I'm speaking plain English.

I would like to meet with their office.

Council President Pro Tim Cole Me Young, who is citywide, who represents the entire city of Detroit.

I have at least 15 residents who also want to meet with you.

Please meet with us.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Tawana Petty.

Tawana Petty, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Okay, can you hear me?

Yes.

Dear Detroit City Council members, I'm following up on a letter I sent to City Council on March 25th.

A pause on data center development is the bare minimum that should be afforded to residents.

There is insurmountable research on the environmental health, water, and land impacts of data centers.

The existing research alone is enough justification for a total ban.

A two-year moratorium is a good step in moving more equitably in favor of residents and against the persistent land grabs we are witnessing across Detroit by tech billionaires.

However, a ban would be most effective.

We cannot allow tech companies and energy companies like DTE to control the narrative around what is good for us.

They have proven time and time again that their profits take precedent over our livelihoods.

It is important that we are not fooled by the attempt to minimize the scale of the data center proposed for Detroit's east side, tying up over 14 acres of land for an environmental eyesore that will further contribute to negative health impacts, increased water rates, increased electric rates, and air and noise pollution are consequences of these developments that should not be diminished.

We are still suffering from the impacts of an incinerator.

It took decades to remove these data centers also cause water pollution, putting us at risk for another flint-like water crisis.

Tech companies are already being sued for hiding water contamination in other cities.

Please put the weight of your political power in front of this issue and do not let these AI data center war machines break ground in Detroit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller.

DLBA.

Net program is illegal.

You have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning, man.

Be heard.

Good morning, yes.

Yes, the Nissan Sabatement Program is illegal.

If anybody would bother reading the second amended and restated intergovernmental agreement, which specifically prohibits the use of eminent domain and condemnation, and they're all just putting a different color lipstick and a pig con and a chicken.

Um, but the federal court is is gonna decide that.

And uh you and you all by not listening to member waters and me over the years, not everybody here, um uh may have us on the hook for millions of dollars of liability.

So um I support the people who are requesting a formal task force on the data centers.

There was no working group or anything on the solar farms.

I believe the solar farms are probably which folks, do you know how much money we're spending for DTE for those solar farms?

7.7 million dollars on the Farmington Hills Law Firm to roll over most of these people, they're defaulting most people because they don't have the money to fight back.

Uh uh a member Letitia Johnson voted for just just exempting this industrial operations from zoning requirements.

And so, who are these data centers really for?

Because if you really wanted to power the buildings, which frankly, some of them not many people come to work in anymore.

You could have done something like the Michigan State uh solar parking lots.

And when I'm sure when Mr.

Tate went to the Netherlands, he there was no eminent domain pushing people out of residential neighborhoods for a solar farm.

So everybody go to Detroit Solar Scam.com.

There was no due diligence exercised here.

They're perversely interpreting the charter.

And why did the city or whoever go cut down trees on land?

The city has does not have title yet to.

What is that corruption all about?

I mean, how disgusting they're cutting the trees down to do carbon capture.

This city is a mess.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Mr.

Foster.

Mr.

Foster, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Oh, good morning through the chair.

Um like I say, I'm happy to see the motor city match, right?

It's been around some time.

My concerns is who dictates who the winners are.

Who is the people that have the processes in place?

And how do we assure that DEGC is not operating out of their 501c4 and lobbying, opposed to being charitable out of their 501c3?

And I think that's an important to distinguish the difference.

Also, I'm aware that the city gives roughly around 100 million dollars to them every year.

And so it'd be kind of uh a slap in the face to turn around and say that we're giving 50,000 back to our citizens where uh council body uh lots money to them.

They have to be more accountable, they have to be more transparent, and they have to change their culture, especially in light of what's going on on the state level with the Bay Dunes, right?

And so this isn't no game, and I don't want people to get continue to dig themselves in deeper holes to protect an image, right?

This is an opportunity to change the culture, change the culture here, right?

Secondly, it's too many policies that are being enacted after actions, right?

You all have to have a process here where the policies are the actions, nothing happened until the policies are approved.

And I think that we've been doing reverse for too long.

Thirdly, once again, with the Bay Doom situation.

I want to remind the city while I'm agitated.

We have Middle Easterners own in our city and kill black citizens, and then get grants from government to continue to build and develop in our citizens without reconciliation.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Betty A.

Verner, you have two minutes for general public comment.

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

I'm Betty A.

Barner, president of the Soda Ellsworth Black Association here today to talk about our Finkel Corridor.

I'm excited that there are uh new businesses that have opened up.

Well, one new business has opened up on our corridor, and that it is an auto-touring business.

There is a uh husband and wife team that out is working on a building that has been uh vacant for over 30 years, and at that location is right there on Finco and Monica.

It's gonna be a home care agency.

Also, I'm excited about a uh brother team, two brothers who uh have the vision to open up a mini market with uh I think it's six pumps, gas pumps, right there on Finco and Wyoming where the McDonald's used to be.

Now, these brother team, they are working with the uh Finkel Business Association and with my uh association.

They are like-minded, they're bringing to our think of corridor uh fresh produce.

You'll be able to uh purchase uh hot foods, they're gonna have a deli, alcohol food, there's gonna be vegetables, a few fresh meats, and healthy snacks.

I told them we need healthy snacks, it's gonna be a one-stop shop.

They're going through the process now, and I'm hoping when they get to the council that y'all will be supportive.

We are a food desert.

This uh is needed this many miles.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Cunningham.

Cunningham, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Good morning, Mr.

Cunningham.

What up, though?

Hello, everybody.

31349114.

31349114.

9114.

That number was made so you can remember it.

Currently, I'm in Ham Tramic.

Paying some bills and getting some food at checkers.

But I digress.

I do believe everyone on the sound of my voice should take the buses.

They're the worst on the weekdays at the 6 p.m.

and on the weekends.

And I have a great.

You know, I have a lot of higher power.

I know God is good.

But a lot of clergy and preachers say to me, the poor will always be among us.

And their meaning was the urgency.

They'll always be here.

Also, when I give out the bus tickets at the meetings, I've had clergy say that if they found their way there, they'll find their way back.

So I was at a merciless, merciless, merciless, merciless time of homelessness.

I don't drink, smoke, get higher anything.

Just it was a horrible, horrible, horrible time.

And I come from an angle most people can't come from because I've experienced some hard times.

And it's hard for me to be empathetic.

I'm most definitely sympathetic.

And all the council members that have helped me, please continue to do so.

Keep me in prayer as a prayer for you.

Those at home that pray for me and those assists.

Greatly appreciated.

And I've been giving out bus tickets, bus tickets, bus tickets, and more bus tickets.

Thank you, everyone on the sound of my voice.

Stay up, stay prayed up.

There is a lot going on.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Madam Chair, our last caller before you cut off public comment is Norell Hemphill, noting there was one hand raised after you cut off public comment.

Norrell Hemp Hill, you have two minutes for general public comment.

Thank you.

Um, good morning, everybody.

Uh, my name is Attorney Norrell Hemphill.

I have the pleasure of serving as the legal and public policy manager.

We, the people of Detroit, and we work on water justice and specifically water affordability in the city of Detroit.

Right now we have a huge deficit and a huge need as far as water affordability.

We do not have any programs, any water affordability programs in the city of Detroit.

We have a water assistance program by the name of Lifeline H2O that serves less than 5,000 households.

So when we have people who have given public comment today, talk about data centers, talking about uh the pump station, these are our water affordability issues that do affect and will definitely affect the quality of quality of life for Detroit residents for taxpayers, and of course, customers of DWSD.

So I hope that council listens and takes heed.

Um water bills will go up, they continue to go up every year in the city of Detroit.

Our director, Director Gary Brown of the DWSD said water will water bills will water rates will increase at least four percent every year.

Um since 1980 in the city of Detroit, water bills have increased 285%, and that's that's gone up since then.

Um that's that was done um in 2020.

So water rates continue to go up every year.

So as we have data centers, uh the issue with water for data centers is the large withdrawals and also the water pollution as they discharge that water again.

These are water affordability issues for residents because we have to pay for those uh that increased water usage.

We pay for that, and then also the cost of clarifying cleaning that water that's discharged.

So again, I want to lift what those before me have said about creating a task.

All right, thank you.

That now concludes our general public comment, and I do just want to share with everyone who spoke about data centers.

Um, we do know that there is the working group that member Benson has assembled.

My team is involved in the working group.

I know there has been also some community um discussions about data centers.

Eastide Community Network recently had a discussion.

Would love to pull you all in to be involved in that discussion.

Um specifically because the data center discussion was revolved around land in district four.

I am, of course, staying very close to the conversation, making sure that all of the questions and concerns that we have, which are many of the concerns that you all raised today are being addressed, being being addressed by professionals who work within that space, particularly the environment, the economic impact, the water uh contamination, and how that water usage impacts the community and our system overall.

So I appreciate you all being here and speaking about it.

We will certainly stay close to the conversation and hope that you will uh have conversations with us in our office uh particularly particularly around uh the data centers as it relates to the shoemaker site.

So thank you.

Uh colleagues, any additional responses.

I do want to have the um Great Lakes Water Authority discussion as a part of the public hearing and address the concerns that were elevated by residents regarding the pump station.

Um we'll certainly fold in some of the concerns that were raised into the discussion regarding the public hearing.

Colleagues, member Santiago Romero, Pro Tim Young.

All right.

Seeing none, that will move us on to back to the 1015 public hearing, and I'd like to call it back to order.

The 1015 public hearing is a request of the Great Lakes Water Authority to rezone land located at 700 Connor Street.

Um various properties on Connor as well as Navajo and the adjacent vacated Fruit Street and public alleys located between Connor Street and Navajo Street from the current R2 two family residential district zoning classification to a R5 medium density residential district or PD Plan Development District zoning classification.

And we have Mr.

Eric Fazzini as well as uh two representatives from the Great Lakes Water Authority, uh Mr.

Navid Meram and Paul Ransom.

I will turn the floor over to Mr.

Eric Fizzini to get us started.

Good morning, madam chairing and uh committee members.

I have a brief uh presentation, if I may share my screen.

Yes.

I'm getting the pop-up that uh I need the uh screen sharing enabled.

Are you able to raise your hand, Mr.

Fazzini, so that Ms.

Gray can see the request at working now, thank you.

Okay.

Okay, uh good morning, uh everyone.

Um, Eric Vasini with CPC staff along with Gliwa staff uh with an overview of the proposal and um how it went through CPC and how we got um to today.

Uh so the site is in City Council District 4 in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood.

Uh the yellow line is the length of Frood Street, so it kind of parallels Jefferson as an east-west uh collector corridor uh through the uh area south of Jefferson.

Uh circled in red is the proposed location of the pump station in the bottom right is um city documents from 2024 where city council approved uh the vacation of the area is blacked out there that uh one block stretch of Frood Street as well as a abutting alleys, and then the hatched curved area would be the new route of Frood Street.

So that vacation, which um council at the time was aware it was for a pumping station, but the details were not included as part of that because they were in being formulated at the time.

Um but basically this would create a new development site in the middle of Frood Street while keeping fruit open with that curve in order to place the proposal over the street, which um we'll look at and here's just an aerial couple years old, just showing uh the general location again.

Um as you can see in the bottom left image, there's an existing fruit pump station.

So there's an existing fruit station, and this is called also called the fruit or the new fruit pump station.

So two blocks to the west there is an existing facility.

Here's some older photos prior to the construction fencing that went up.

So this was the current, this is that portion of the fruit street that um was vacated, and then it would curve kind of where this construction activity is to the north up to the White House next to the church there, which was the original East Lake Baptist Church location, I believe.

Here's another image looking towards the southwest corner of the site.

Uh the house with the 235 address was included with the proposal and may have been demolished, I believe.

237 was not within the footprint of the proposal, but that I believe may have been acquired by GLIWA within this time frame.

And then the two houses you see on the right, those would be unimpacted by the specific area of improvements outside of that footprint.

And then look, this is the existing fruit station mentioned at Connor, and then with the arrow is where the proposal and the construction activities occurring in the distance.

So the existing station was constructed in 1954.

I believe that was a DWSD project at the time.

The fruit pump station is a major infrastructure for Gliwa.

It manages both sanitary and stormwater.

And as you can see, there are parallel relief sewers below Frood Street.

One that comes down from the Fox Creek enclosure to the east near Alter, and then the darker line that goes to the top is the Ashland relief sewer.

So the purpose of this project would be to have infrastructure where those two lines are parallel under the street, so that during dry weather, the fruit pump station can essentially be isolated and shut down for maintenance, and then the new proposed pump station would serve as the pump station during dry weather with the force main for wastewater going up Navajo to the East Jefferson connector.

So the original proposal was for R5 residential zoning.

R5 is the first district that permits these types of facilities.

During the review, staff included the ability for CPC to recommend a PD zoning instead of R5, which with the PD allows the city to attach conditions of approval to have a site plan tied to the approval, so stronger oversight than buy right zoning, and then also PD zoning is often used in urban renewal areas, which Jefferson Chalmers is a historic urban renewal area.

And so these types of uses are permissible in R5 because while they may have it, while they are technically an institutional use, some may say they have an industrial character.

We have infrastructure in residential areas, obviously, so there's a need for these types of facilities not only in industrial commercial districts but where that existing infrastructure was historically located.

And so here's a rendering of the plan with landscaping.

Kind of the center of the plan is is Glewa's site.

So towards that Connor Street and the existing pump station, and then a courtyard on the east side with utility infrastructure transformers, and then a small parking lot to the south of the building that would be gated with a loading dock for any mechanical equipment that needs to be delivered.

During the street vacation and reroute process, there was a comment that the project would be beneficial from the standpoint of traffic calming or beautification where there would be new sidewalks, new landscaping installed, and the street would curve, which could help as a traffic calming measure.

So just wanted to point that out.

So in 2024, or just following that or concurrent with the street vacation request, GLEWA was working through the design process of the building.

So these are some older renderings.

Kind of started with a gray, more of an institutional look, but then evolved to like a gold-colored brick, which is more representative of the brick used in the neighborhood.

And during this time, Gliwa had rolling community meetings in addition to the CPC meetings or other city meetings where they were meeting with residents.

There was a meeting at East Lake Baptist Church as well as several other meetings focusing on the project and the design of the building.

This is just another more evolved iteration of the design from last April.

At this point, there was an effort to shrink the height of the building closer to the height of buildings that you would see in neighborhoods.

So where Gliwa landed was a 42-foot tall building to the parapet.

So the maximum height would be 42 feet.

In this zoning district, churches may be allowed to be 45 feet.

So that would be consistent with other uses that could be developed in residential areas.

P and D D found that the proposed pump station is essential infrastructure that supports the area and advances the goals of the master plan, and they found that the rezoning is appropriate and not inconsistent with the master plan of policies.

Um PNDD found that uh the proposed uh pump station is essential infrastructure that supports the area and advances the goals of the master plan, and they found that uh the rezoning is appropriate and not inconsistent with the master plan of policies, and this master plan policies is also um currently being updated and PNDD said they will uh consider this project and any other infrastructure projects under that, um which uh I believe you will see in the near future.

Um so we presented um findings to CP or analysis of the rezoning criteria to CPC for their consideration.

Um thing we pointed out was that there were historically um some corner stores at this intersection, so it's possibly it's possible that um there should have been maybe a business type zoning at this node if it was like a commercial node at Frood for the residents, and there's a similar um situations to the east.

So this rezoning may correct that um historic oversight um that the proposal would help GLEWA meet the challenge of servicing and maintaining the existing fruit pump station and that um there's new information that in July 2024 City Council did approve that reroute project uh with the understanding that it was for a pumping station.

A couple more slides, then I'll hand it to GLEWA.

Um sorry.

So with um the uh PD zoning, there's an additional set of criteria required um related to the minimum size requirements, um, why PD is necessary in this area and some other criteria.

Um just one um last thing I wanted to point out was um that while this project only came to the city's attention um publicly in 2024 with the vacation, it it is addressed in um planning documents for GLIWA.

Their 2020 wastewater master plan um includes this project, and their uh capital improvement plan also includes uh this project.

So um last July uh CPC voted four to three to recommend approval uh with the following five conditions that are included in the ordinance approved as to form.

Um the top one being that maximum 42 foot height um that we saw in the renderings that rooftop mechanical equipment be screened, that lighting be minimized to not be a nuisance to the area, uh, that the site be maintained and that final plans and elevations uh be submitted to uh city staff for review prior to permitting.

Uh so that's all I have, and we'll turn it to Gleva for their portion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, and thank you.

Thank you for having us.

Um I've been known to have an outdoor voice, so we should be fine.

Um thank you, council members.

Um for having us as um I'm joined here with Paul Ransom, our project manager that has been involved with this project as it has progressed.

Um I'm here today to talk about a little bit of summary of the project, give you a little background of GLWA in the east side areas, um, some of the changes we have made to the facility as a result of the public engagement.

Um, Mr.

Fazon um covered a lot of items.

Council but before you continue, do you all have a presentation to share?

We do.

Um it looks like uh I'm disabled from screen sharing.

And are you logged in as Paul Ransom?

I am okay.

If you can raise your hand, Miss Gray, can we give Mr.

Ransom access to be able to share his screen?

Yes, madam chair.

I just gave him access.

Thank you.

One more button.

All right.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um we will talk about the changes we have made as a result of the public engagement with the residents and in the community.

Um we have had over 24 public engagement events with um the local residents, um, either through letters that we send out to door hangers that we put out or other events at the East Lake Baptist Church events and also some at the district four.

Councilwoman Johnson at your your events as well.

Um we have been involved in communicating with the residents in the area.

Some of the the current elevations, some of the before.

We'll talk about the community commitments that we have made as a result of this project and the improvements that will be made, and just kind of cover the our commitment that we made early on the set of this of this project on continuing our engagement with the local community to ensure as the project progresses, we are hearing their concerns, addressing their concerns, and continuing that connection with them.

And then we can open up some questions.

So to provide some background, I wanted to provide some history.

As as you saw in the earlier presentation, there's a significant amount of infrastructure that resides some of the regional infrastructure that resides in the um in the area of Clare Point and Fruit that have been there since their early 20s and continue to be invested in in the 50s, and some of that infrastructure has been there for a significant amount of time.

And we continue to maintain that infrastructure, but to do it better and continue our overall enhancement and reliability of the system.

We need to continue making more investments in that area to ensure the long-term sustainability.

On the upper left of this graphic, you can see there is a Connor Pump Station.

This pump station is constructed again in 1929.

This provides stormwater pumping and also sanitary pumping.

On the lower right, there is a fruit pump station.

This is the area that we're going to be focusing on today.

This is an existing pump station that was constructed in 1955.

This pump station is our more dependable pump station.

And why do I say that?

It's because it is deeper.

The deeper the system, the pump station can be, the faster we can move the water out without impacting the surface, without impacting basement backup.

So we highly depend on the fruit storm pump station, and we put that pump station online 90% of the time the first pump station that comes online when we have a rain event.

And then after that, as the pump station is overwhelmed, the counter pump station comes online and continues that support.

All the water from these two pump stations flow to the kind of that um southwest quadrant of fruit and clear point, which is the Connor Creek CSO.

There we treat the water that's coming into the system to the quality that's required and regulated by the state of Michigan before we discharge into the receiving body, which is Detroit River.

This this graphic here highlights the proposed project.

What we're constructing, you can see as a reference at the corner of Clare Point and Fruit is the Fruit Storm Pump Station.

Adjacent to that is the new pump station that we are discussing, which is the Fruit Sanitary Pump Station.

And then a force main that's associated with that that allows us to pump the flow into the interceptors that are existing in the area on Jefferson.

To highlight a couple of the project benefits, um, some of this was already covered, but I think it's important to kind of re highlight.

One of the first ones is the fruit sanitary pump station is essential for us to lower the water levels in the interceptors that are coming in to the fruit storm pump station sooner as possible.

So this pump station actually will be deeper than the existing fruit pump station.

And what it will allow us to do is on the onset, while on dry weathers and on maintenance activities that we'll talk about in a minute, we can reroute flow, but also on the onset of storms, we're able to put these pumps online and start moving flow faster, keeping the water levels in the sewer as low as possible.

Truly, that is the strategy that we deploy all the time in wastewater, which is try to keep the sewer pipes as empty as possible before a storm.

Gives us the maximum amount of capacity, gives us the best fighting chance against the changing storm climate that we have.

The fruit standardary pump station also is necessary to allow us to isolate the fruit storm station.

As I indicated, the fruit storm pump station is critical for our operations for us to be able to do adequate maintenance to our standards.

Um we need to be able to get inside the wet well, which is the area that the flow is in right now.

Um we have to move the flow out of that space.

To do that, we have to isolate and stop the flow and reroute the existing flow that's coming in there so that we can enter that.

Let me let me ask you to clarify something.

So you have the fruit sanitary pump station and the fruit storm pump station.

Which is which?

The storm pump station is the larger pump station, which is located in the southeast corner of Fruit and Connor, existing construction 1955.

The new pump station is the pump station that is between Navajo, just west of Navajo, which is in the in the blue box.

That is the sanitary pump station.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Um it is it is also the fruit, as I indicated with the backup of operations.

So to give you some stats as it relates to the storm pump station, as I indicated, the storm pump station comes online 90% of the time.

We utilize this because it is our most reliable pump station, it is our deepest pump station, and it is an automated pump station.

It comes online as the levels in the sewers rise, and we're able to put this system online.

And then finally, this pump station handles about 40% of all the storm that we receive, which appropriate which is approximately 83 to 90% city of Detroit.

And the reason for that is because the city of Detroit is a combined system.

So a lot of the storm water that comes quickly makes it into the system and fills up the regional system.

Some of the key project requirements.

So our boundaries of why we we have selected this project, and we'll get more into the details of the alternatives that we have reviewed during the development of this project.

But ultimately, the fruit storm pump station is necessary, as I indicated, to allow us to reroute the dry weather flow.

What is dry weather flow for us is twofold.

One is the sanitary flow.

So as you take showers, as you utilize your restrooms, you as used water leaves your home.

That water is going to a location and needs to be treated.

That water continues down the two pipelines that we are intercepting here, which is the Ashland sewer and the Fox Creek Relief Sewer.

There is some residual flow that comes down that.

In addition to that, there are cracks in pipes.

These pipes, as I indicated, are old.

So they have cracks, they have joints that leak, and there's regular water that comes down these interceptors.

Those two flows have to be stopped from coming to the fruit storm pump station and rerouted so that we can safely access the pump station and do the appropriate maintenance that's necessary to ensure the reliability of the storm pump station.

The isolation, um, so that is the reason for this isolation.

Also, it is important to note that the isolation needs to happen as close as it can be to the pump station.

In an ideal world, what we're doing at the Connor Creek Sanitary Pump Station, for example, we want that isolation to be adjacent to the pump station.

Therefore, if there's any leaks in the pipe, it is rerouted immediately.

However, in this case, we had to move it, and I'll show you why we had to move it in the alternative evaluation.

But nevertheless, we want it as close as we can to the existing pump station so that we can provide the appropriate isolation and ensure that we can safely enter the storm pump station.

The limiting factor for us is we have to intercept the Ashland relief sewer and the Fox Creek relief sewer.

Those two are existing sewers constructed in the 50s, they are 16 foot in diameter, and they have to be intercepted.

And the areas that we have identified are the areas where those two interceptors run adjacent to each other, and it is the most effective way for us to construct the facility and ensure the needs that we need for maintaining the system while minimizing the impact on the community.

Fruit sanitary pump station.

This is a graphic that shows you to the graphic on the right shows you how this pump station will be constructed.

The two gray pipes are the existing interceptors, the Fox Creek and the Ashland sewer constructed in 1950s.

We will construct the shaft that will go down and build a pump station between those two interceptors.

Reroute those interceptors so that it allows us to isolate and do that all within the existing pump station without impacting the community or having any external work being done on the on the sewer system.

This graphic really is a combination of the aerial view of the rendering of the facility of how it would reside.

As you can see, the existing two interceptors that we have been talking about runs along fruit.

They have been running there along there since the 50s.

That is why we had to evacuate the right-of-way so that we can construct the pump station directly over those two interceptors.

As part of this request, portion of this pump station falls within the properties that are adjacent to the fruit right-away.

And that is the reason for this rezoning request, is so that we can construct the pump station and comply with the city requirements.

This rendering here will really just show the relationship between you can see on the right side the fruit sanitary pump station, the new one that we're planning to construct, and the existing fruit pump station on the left side.

On an average day, the blue lines indicate the flow that is continuing down the interceptors into the existing pump station.

That allows us to reroute to the DRI, which we refer to as the Detroit River Interceptor, which is an interceptor that runs along Jefferson and allows us to continue the flow and servicing the community while we're able to do the appropriate maintenance on the fruit and do the cleaning that's necessary in the well.

So, how we got here?

We reviewed three alternatives.

This would have been ideal for us.

We would have remained on the existing pump station grounds, and we would be unable to isolate the facility and achieve our goals while minimizing the impact to the community in its entirety.

Unfortunately, because of the dry weather flow that I have been talking about today, it required us to evaluate a pump station to be constructed so that we have to move the water that's coming in.

And that was our alternative to.

So alternative one really was not feasible because we have water that's coming down the pipe, and if that water accumulates, it could back up into the local residence as part of that.

So we have to move that water out and reroute it to another location.

So we would have to construct the pump station.

That pump station in an ideal world would be adjacent to the storm pump station.

This allows us to minimize the real estate impact and allows us more optimum operations because it's on close to the same facilities, and we could leverage the power and everything else associated with it.

But unfortunately, what we found is that if we construct the pump station here, and you can see that in the graphic, it would require us to permanently close off fruit.

And that was not an ideal approach.

We in our partnership and communications with the city.

So as a result of that, we ultimately led to where the alternative that we have today, and we'll talk about that in a second.

And then finally, the last alternative that we looked at was constructing a mega pump station.

As I indicated, the the each of those two pump stations that I've been referring to, the Connor Storm and the Fruit Storm, are each two billion gallon pump stations.

Those are massive pump stations, the largest in the state, some of the largest in the country.

For us to reroute the flow, we would have to do extensive tunneling in that area, which would have been not only not cost prohibited, but also very impactful to the community as it relates to tunneling and the construction that would be necessary and the real estate limitations that we have in the area to build such pump station.

You can see that in the graphics.

So ultimately, we found that the pump station being constructed between Navajo and Connor Connor Street would be the most optimum way to minimize the impact to the community, maintain fruit street open, stay as close as we can be to the existing fruit storm pump station, and provide the services that we are committing to the local communities and our residents that we serve.

So now I want to highlight some of the key changes that have been made since this was brought forth at the time when we were looking at vacating the right-of-way as we had committed to that.

We were going to hear the community and do our best in being able to accommodate where we can.

Question came up is well, did you just make it deeper in the ground?

Unfortunately, no.

We can't make it deeper in the ground because of the high river level or the high high water level that that resides in the area.

But what we did do was we worked with our operations team, although it creates a little bit more challenges with respect to operating the facility when it comes to isolation because of the clearances that we need.

We were able to identify different rigging mechanisms that we could utilize so that we can still achieve our goal.

It might take us a little bit longer, but we can still achieve our goal and minimize the height of the building.

The second thing we did was we lowered the courtyard wall.

We created a screening wall that would minimize the view of the courtyard.

There's emergency generators within that space, so we wanted to provide that screening.

We lowered that by four feet.

We also shrunk the wall by about 20 feet.

So we reduced the total footprint of the courtyard.

We changed the facade of the building as you saw the before and after.

We changed that from more of a modern look to a warmer appearance that better fit the community architecture.

We also added significantly more windows that gives it a better look for the community and fitting in the community.

The overall the building is one floor.

So there are windows you'll see on the upper levels, but that is just for lighting purposes.

The building to us, when you go inside this is just one story building.

We added significant amount of landscaping within the area to provide a warmer presence for the building, increase the blending within the community, and also providing as much as possible screening that we can.

Some of the commitments we have made.

We're gonna reconstruct all the areas we disturb as a result of this project.

We are anticipating over five million dollars in restoration of any impact areas, and we're gonna leave the area better than we have received it.

We're gonna engage a certified arborist to assist to ensure that the plantation and the vegetation meet the community's needs.

We have included in those documents the soil testing, all the testing that we are doing.

We're providing updates as the project progresses.

We are continuing to respond to questions as we receive them real time from the residents.

We have been involved even in some of the areas where buildings have been dangerous and worked with the city to be able to expedite the demolition of those buildings to ensure a safety, safe area for properties that were not even acquired by GLWA.

And additionally, project signage.

We're gonna improve our project signage and continue making the appropriate changes as necessary and heard by the communities.

The next couple slides are the renderings that show some of the building height.

Some of them you have already seen.

Paul, if you could just kind of go through them.

Here is the northern elevation view.

You can see the screening walls, the number of trees, the windows and that are glazed, so that it minimizes the amount of reflection that's coming inside the building.

Continuing on on the west elevation, that's where you can see the additional vegetation.

We do have before pictures if at the council's pleasure to present if if that is a desire.

And then on the southern elevation view, you can see those are the some of the retaining walls, the masonry walls that we added to provide that additional screening to minimize the kind of the traffic disturbance in the area.

And then finally, the the east elevation view, which provides some more vegetation along the screening wall that's covering the emergency generator that's within the courtyard for operation.

And as just a reference, just to give you a reference of the amount of vegetation that was there before the rendering of the facility.

This was what we had.

This is where we are today.

And you can kind of see the building height changes as well in that.

And then finally, on the community engagement, um the couple things to just note as I indicated earlier.

We have had over 24 engagement events.

One of the things that we have changed our engagement style instead of a presentation format, we are doing more of a cafe style, which is different stations.

The recent one we had where residents can come in, talk to different specialists.

So the contractor is there, our designers are there, GLWA is present, um, DWSD is present, so therefore we can ensure that we are answering all questions because ultimately we're a regional wholesale provider.

DWSD is the local provider.

We are both focused on the communities that we serve.

So we're both there to be able to serve the residents and answer any questions we can.

And some things, you know, as a resident, a water problem is a water problem.

They don't necessarily are interested in whose problem it is.

So we want to make sure that we direct them quickly as possible in the right direction to be able to get them the their questions answered as quickly as possible.

We continue our commitment.

One of the one of the main ones was the traffic study.

Um thanks to Councilwoman Johnson.

We we did do a traffic study, and as a result of that, we rerouted the major traffic out of the community.

Um although we notice in some cases that there was not adherence to that change in rerouting.

Um we did contact DPD, we contacted um different parts of the city and assist and from their assistance, we were able to continue correcting anyone that was not compliant with the with the traffic rerouting that we had identified.

And moving forward, we anticipate that the public engagement will continue throughout the duration of the project.

We have increased our presence.

We have done everything we can to be able to answer the questions.

I do want to speak to a couple of councilwoman Johnson.

You had said some of the public hearing comments that I heard.

I do want to speak to two of them.

Um one of them is the permits.

So the work that has been done on the project as of date.

So this project is a hundred and thirty-eight million dollar project.

It has two components.

One component is the sanitary pump station.

The other component is rehabilitation to the storm pump station, the existing storm pump station.

Um the work on the storm pump station continues.

That that that's our existing facility.

That is a rehab work, and we're continuing that work.

So the presence most residents are seeing are the work on the storm pump station.

They're also seeing work that is being done as parts of rerouting utilities and rerouting, rerouting all the necessary existing utilities in the area from where the new right-of-way has been vacated to the new right-of-way.

So most of the work has been around there.

GLW has not broken ground as they related to the sanitary pump station until we achieve the proof prior um zoning requirements and or the permits that are necessary to do that work.

And that is a commitment we made at day one.

Um and it is a commitment we will hold to and we will not continue that work until we receive this honorable bodies votes.

The other item that I heard was the contamination of the recent event that um was noticed on the water system.

Councilwoman Johnson, you reached out to us as well.

Um we appreciate that dialogue.

Um the unfortunately, although it was near our construction project, it was not related to our construction project.

That was a water main break that occurred as a result of some valve exercising.

There was some cloudy water that was identified by the local residents.

Those those repairs have been made.

I think some of it was the local sewer uh I mean local water system that had a break that needed to be corrected, and I know that the city um DWSD promptly responded and addressed the issue as well.

So at that point, I can take we can take any questions.

Just a couple points, um, madam chair, before for the public um before we get uh into the discussion, as Naveed mentioned, the construction activity um with the street vacation occurring two years ago, they're allowed to work on utility relocation and things like that.

Right-of-way areas are exempt from zoning, so the Navajo Force Main Connector is another improvement that wouldn't come through zoning.

Um the construction activities obviously um a major disturbance, a temporary disturbance during that.

Um during the CPC review, we received a letter from the District 4 CAC, uh, the Navajo Kitchener Block Club, and then the Jefferson Chalmers Water Project in opposition uh with kind of all having the same theme that this is an industrial use or an industrial project, um which isn't strictly the case.

Um the main use categories we deal with are residential, commercial, and industrial, but we have this public civic institutional kind of in-between classification that applies to churches, schools, uh utilities.

So a DTE substation would be uh similar project to this, where um it's not strictly something you can put in industrial areas, but something you do need around residents.

So sorry.

Yes.

Um just want to make sure you're speaking loudly so everyone can hear you.

Um so yes, we uh during the CPC consideration we did receive letters of opposition that generally had the theme of this being an industrial use in a residential area, um, but the zoning code allows for what's called public, civic, and institutional uses, um, and those are permissible in uh certain residential districts and business districts, so uh uses like churches and schools uh are considered public, civic or institutional as well as utilities.

So a DTE substation, a gliba project would fall into that category.

Uh and historically with the DWSD projects or the public lighting department projects that would be under the city, um, it's likely that those were exempt at the time.

So if you see a pump station at Balduck or elsewhere or an old public lighting building, um the city probably did not run those through zoning in the 50s or 60s, which could explain some of those um siting locations.

And lastly, um the Conner Creek pump station on Jefferson that was shown is also zone PD, um, and they've recently submitted for a PD modification to that project for improvements there, so that will be coming through CPC and this body um in the near future.

Um that's all I have, thank you.

All right, thank you.

Uh thank you all for the presentation and colleagues.

I would just like to ask a few clarifying questions and then go to public comment regarding the public hearing.

Um, so can you all share the height of the existing fruit storm station?

The existing the existing uh fruit storm pump station at the corner of Clare Point and Fruit is uh 62 feet tall.

Okay.

And can you um help me to understand whether or not the the Connor pump station can provide the services uh to the Jefferson Chalmers community that the current fruit station does?

I know you indicated that it's deeper in the ground, so it's capturing um storm is capturing the storm uh water.

Why can't the Connor station actually manage what's happening in the Jefferson Chalmers community?

So because the Jefferson Chalmers community is lower line, um, so the Connor Creek is shallower as a pump station, so therefore the water levels have to rise up higher and closer to grade before you can start activating that pump station, while at the fruit, we can start that pump station significantly lower, and now with the new sanitary, we can even start it even at a lower elevation.

Okay.

All right, thank you for that.

And lastly, before I go to public comment, um, can you talk about the environmental impact?

Um, there has been information that has been brought up about the current activity in the general area, whether it is regarding the fruit storm station or its moving utility lines and and providing an opportunity for the utility access at the new site.

Talk to me about what you all are doing to ensure that you're impacting the community as least as possible.

How are we making sure that dust is not flying over everywhere?

Umise, addressing a variety of things that the community is currently experiencing.

Can you just share?

Absolutely.

So I'll I want to start with the environmental and then I'll turn it over to Paul Ransom to talk about project specifics.

So in in all of our projects, we start with doing uh a soil analysis.

We do a phase one, phase two environmental analysis, which is we we test the soils, we understand what kind of conditions we're going into, so that we know what kind of mitigation strategies that needs to be.

That's a regulatory requirement that we have to do as part of the state of Michigan, and it is part of our permitting process.

So we have to know what kind of soil conditions we have, what kind of contaminants we have, and and if any of those contaminants require um extensive levels of mitigation.

So as it relates to our general practice, we do that.

We have done it for this project.

That information is on our website.

It is part of this project, and it is on the project website for people to review.

And our our contractor by contract and by regulation of the state is required to comply with all those requirements.

In addition to that, as it relates to construction activities, um, we put in measures within our contract to maintain our contractor accountable to ensure that our noise limits are limited within the city ordinances, so that the that the timing is falls within the city ordinances requirements, unless we need a special variance for a specific prop effort, but we don't anticipate much of that.

Um as it relates to dust control, our contractor has a dust control plan that has to mitigate.

Now, ultimately, dust is generated from construction.

Umise is generated from construction.

But we we do our best to minimize that as much as possible.

And in every case, and Paul can speak to this, we have received input from the local residents, we have responded and and mitigated to the best of our abilities in compliance to the plans that we have in place.

We have responded and and mitigated to the best of our abilities in compliance to the plans that we have in place.

Paul, do you want to add?

And but before Paul proceeds, do you all does the Great Lakes Water Authority have someone on site when construction is taking place?

We have a representative on site, yes, that is correct.

Okay, that is outside of the contractors you've hired to do the work.

Yes, okay.

All right, Mr.

Ransom.

Yeah, and I can touch on uh we have a resident project representative that's there whenever work is being done and they work for a separate uh consultant that's separate from the cousin who's doing the the main construction work.

But I mean I just touch on uh noise.

We do hold the contractors certain work hours uh during the day so that if there is any noise generated, it's no not late at night.

I will say that from time to time there are other activities that GLWA has to do in an emergency that we may need to bring excess generators on site or a back truck that do generate noise after hours, and we work to do our best to avoid those, but those are not always associated with the project but are needed for emergency work that's being performed.

Um dust control, um the summertime is usually the worst.

It's when it's the driest, it's when the dust gets kicked up.

Um so routinely um the contractor is running up and down the streets in the area with uh a vehicle spraying water on it to keep dust down.

Um, obviously in the spring and the winter, we don't have as much dust generated.

Um if there are any any issues uh that occur as related to dust or whatnot, and we do have the hotline that they can call both Gacosine or the hotline number eventually goes to my cell phone.

Um like Naveed said, we we look to partner with the community and address those issues as quickly as possible because we want to make sure that today it's not bothering the city, but be the contractors being held to the requirements of their contract performing well as a member of the community.

Can I add one other part to this as well?

Um so this pump station, right?

There is there's an amount of groundwork that needs to be done, which is the source of the dust that's emitted in the area, and we will continue to manage that.

But this project being a several year project, it is a heavy mechanical and heavy concrete type project.

So we do believe that when you get to a point where you're minimizing um soil disturbance and you're doing electrical work, you're doing mechanical work.

So, although I think what are we at, Paul five years?

What's our duration?

So depending if uh an approval of rezoning we started, we have about three to three and a half years of construction on the project.

Um obviously, the as you're talking the heavy construction work would be front-loaded to the front of that year, uh, probably a year and a half of really heavy in-ground uh construction to complete.

And then after that, it's going to be mostly mechanical work and electrical work and bringing the system up to be able to untake.

So it won't be the and that's why you know the sooner we can move forward on this project, the sooner this project can be less disserving to the community.

Um, the the later half of the project should be minimum disturbance to the residents because we're going to be working inside the building or just doing general masonry work or just just like building another school.

All right.

Uh thank you so much.

We are now going to turn to public comment regarding the public hearing.

If there is anyone joining us in person or virtually who'd like to make a comment about the public hearing that was just discussed, please raise your hand.

Please raise your hand.

I I know Mr.

Reeves went to the restroom.

Uh it looks like we have four hands in the committee of the whole.

Uh Ms.

Great, how many hands do we currently have raised?

Madam Chair, we currently have 11 hands raised for virtual public comment.

All right, the collection of public comment has now concluded.

And we if we can please give everyone a minute and a half.

A minute and a half for public comment regarding the public hearing.

We can get started with the folks in the committee of the whole lightning for you.

And once you are seated, if you can please touch the base of the microphone, the light will turn green, and your time for public comment will start.

I wish we had more time to deconstruct how we got here.

Um and it's clear that uh you can break all the rules and even the law and it still prevail if the momentum of your bulldozer is big enough.

Gleewa says this is an industrial land use.

Allowing this demonstrates a serious flaw in the ordinance.

Planned developments are supposed to be two acres.

This is one.

Hundreds of homes were taken by eminent domain, and the only future use was housing.

And in 2019, PDD published a report that um affirmed that this incompatible land use is equivalent to our concrete crusher.

Finally, this is an illegal spot zone.

The project's adverse impacts is causing significant harm outside the fence line.

Go look at the poop show they have created in our community.

Drawings purposely mask the massive scale of this project.

The renderings that were just shown have buildings that don't exist showing the most egregious parts of the design.

And this footprint is as big as the west tower of this building.

That's from here to Woodward, the size of a football field.

As a regional asset, the region should be responsible.

Glee will must be required to increase the budgets and the boundary.

And even though my time is about to be up, I'll ask that you take a look at the QR code.

It's nice to have third party credibility make the argument for me.

I look forward to the opportunity to meet with each of you to share more details.

Thank you.

What do we have next?

Okay, sir.

Well, you hello, I'm here also to I am here also to speak with the Jefferson Chalmers Water Project.

I listened to the presentation uh very closely here, and for the sake of getting the terms right here, when I say sanitary station, I'm gonna be talking about the I'm gonna be talking about the new pump station they're building.

And when I say storm station, I'm talking about the existing one.

I couldn't help but notice that the plan is not entirely fail-safe.

The hypothetical would be that if the storm station, the existing one, is being maintained and all of the flow, the dry water flow is going to the new station, to the new pump station.

Hypothetically, a maintenance project goes on longer than expected, and no one has staffed there, they don't have workers there, and it starts to rain.

There would have to be very, very good oversight to make sure that a disaster does not happen.

A very good oversight to make sure that the new pumps that the maintenance being done to the old pump station could be shut off and it could take the weather flow when there's an emergency storm coming in.

And I explained in my first presentation that GLILOA, what they're doing is in order to maintain the very old infrastructure, you have to expand out.

As people leave Michigan, the infrastructure gets underused, it falls into disrepair faster.

The network of Gliwa has to expand out further and further out, and thus pump station just seems to be accommodating and enabling the act of stretching out to bring in water from further and further away from Detroit.

It's not a thank you.

Uh and I do just want to ask the presenters to note the questions that are being raised.

I will ask for you all to respond to them.

Who do we have next?

Mr.

Reeves.

Hello.

Can you hear me?

Hello?

Hello?

Yes.

Uh good morning.

Um, so I just want to inform the members of Gleewood who have come present and president themselves here today, and I apologize.

You know, I'm very happy that you guys came.

This isn't just about steel concrete and how many waters are flowing through how many miles of pipes.

You have to understand that this is impacting real life residents who live there who have the who are entitled to the dignity of life just as much as you and your families are.

I want to give you a little bit of background on that environment on the decide of Detroit.

So that's an environment that when I was growing up there, we had lots and lots of uh crack houses and drug dealers there.

They came into our neighborhood without even asking any questions.

They set up crack houses and they did what they wanted to do, regardless of how residents felt.

Now we did mobilize and work with our MPOs and we solved that problem.

And you guys have come into our neighborhood the exact same way.

You come in and start doing construction without reaching out to community members.

You might have had your coffee hours and your presentations at the church, but how many members in our community support you?

More importantly, how many people here in this auditorium here have pumping stations in their neighborhoods?

How many of you want a pumping station in your neighborhood?

How many members here from Gleewa have pumping stations in your neighborhoods?

And would your family members and your neighbors be willing to have one put in your neighborhoods as well?

So residents of sorry, council members have come and to come to us and asked us how do we feel about it?

Those questions should have been answered before they brought the bulldozers in, not afterwards.

That shows the disregard and the utter um disrespect that you have for our community.

And I think that you have to, it's something that's gonna have to take a long time for you to rebuild that public trust.

Thank you.

Who do we have next?

Tracy Rubin.

Hi, I'm Tracy Rubin.

I live in Jefferson Chalmers also.

Will you please adjust your microphone so we can hear you?

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay.

I'm Tracy Rubin.

I live in Jefferson Chalmers also, along with my fellow residents.

Again, we were not asked.

We were told Fruit Street would be closed and we could go around.

We don't appreciate that.

Now you're making all these changes without even getting the proper um things that you should be getting.

You're breaking laws.

You're discounting the people who live a hundred feet from you from this station.

Would you want to see that a hundred feet out of your door?

I don't think so.

You know, when you're saying you're engaging with people, how are you engaging with people?

Are you sending out mailers?

We have a lot of sit senior citizens in our area and people who do not have computers and smartphones.

Where's your mailings?

Haven't seen any of those.

So it's like once again, Jefferson Chalmers is getting dumped on.

You're talking about the water you're gonna fix.

You're saying there could be leaks.

Okay, we already have Gross Point dumping their sewage into our canals.

Now what are these leaks gonna do?

And the way the uh the you're saying it looks softer.

No, it doesn't.

It looks like an industrial building with a parking lot and what do you call it?

Um I forgot what you call it.

Transformers.

Do you live next to any transformers?

And I asked once when you first started this, why can't it look like housing or a school?

Like gross points looks.

Gross Points is looks like a house and it isn't in the neighborhood.

You know, ask us.

Don't just do what you want to do because you have the billions of dollars.

We don't appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We are now going to turn to our virtual callers.

Who do we have first?

Our first caller is Tyson Gersh.

Tyson Gersh, you have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment.

Tyson Gersh, are you there?

Miss Gray, let's come back to Mr.

Gersh.

Our next caller is Owner Papa.

Owner Papa, you have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment.

Uh good morning.

And through the chair, Carolyn Hughes, may I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Thank you.

Um they they mentioned a lot of things about isolation.

And uh let me say this.

I am standing with the residents who say they don't want this, and it appears that the city council has already made provisions for this to happen.

Um, I don't even know why we're having a public hearing because the decisions have already been made, which is the disrespect that the gentleman spoke of.

Um, you kept speaking about it.

Isolation, isolations for cleaning.

And she she just mentioned that we get dumped on by Gross Point or some other community.

Is this a regional system?

You said that 40 or 43% came from the chalmers area, but they would be receiving 90%, 90% from where?

And this is regional.

So where is the regional dumping or whatever you're cleaning is coming from?

And tell me, what are you cleaning when you're isolating the system?

What is it that you're cleaning and what do you do with what you've just cleaned?

What do you do with that material and what is that material consists of?

Um I am disappointed in the council's behavior, and it's just par for the course of what's going on in the city, how you can begin work, get um routes changed by the city council before anything is supposed to happen.

This is putting the cart before the horse again.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is William M.

Davis.

William M.

Davis, you have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment regarding the public hearing.

Uh good morning.

Can I be heard?

Good morning, yes.

Okay, um, one thing, or a couple of things.

One, is there gonna be a scrubber, you know, an exhaust scrubber to uh clean whatever smells coming out the building?

Uh two, is there gonna be noise dampening um in place?

Uh three, was anything explored about the possibility of building a new facility outside the city of Detroit and just cutting off the incoming waters to come in from outside the city of Detroit?

Um are we losing tax dollars property?

You know, if we lose the property tax dollars, you know, is they doing any type of community benefits for the area, and we should not be giving away property and unless we're getting something out of it.

Uh four, did they indicate what type of uh increase in the work well flow capacity?

This uh this will help with so it are we still gonna be having flooded basements over here on the west side in aviation.

Um I think that they could have done a better job with this overall project.

I I worked at the wastewater treatment plant for 34 years, and we had less events before the bankruptcy.

You know, so I I think that Great Lakes Water Authority is not doing a good job, and they do not care about the people of the city of Detroit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Cindy Dara.

Cindy Dara, you have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment.

Yeah, uh, I used to work at Maharasht swimming pool, and one time we run our pump because they they actually had to take the hose and pump it, uh uh fire hose to get it out of the uh so it wouldn't flood the uh room where all our pumps were kept down below in the basement.

And I think that uh everything that was done in 1955, all our our our most of our outdoor pools had tunnels around them.

So did Maris.

Uh uh so did and uh Heilman had it, but they tore that down and made an inferior thing.

Most of the stuff that's been done is not right in the water department.

I think you need to look at the whole water department, what they're doing.

They're not no anaerobic digestion, no uh oxidation of the instead of chlorine, no infrared, and all and more and more money, like $30 for two months when I came to Detroit.

Now what is it?

Ms.

Dara, just make sure make sure your comment is relevant relevant to the public hearing.

Ms.

Dara, are you still there?

Let's unmute Miss Dara so she can continue with her public comment.

Madam Chair, I have asked Miss Dara to unmute Miss Dara.

Please unmute yourself.

Going once going twice.

Going three times, Ms.

Dara.

All right, Ms.

Dara, if you would like to continue your public comment, you can always email me.

You can email the clerk's office.

We'll try to come back to you at the end.

All right, Miss Great, let's go to the next caller.

Our next caller is Mr.

Foster.

Mr.

Foster, you have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment.

Good afternoon.

Um I've watched this process with Glee for the last couple of years.

And I want to say that believa do not have the city's best interest in my to have a tri county and other issues in my and that has to be taken into account.

So my question would be why why isn't the city in the have the ability to be sovereign with this water and issues?

Um, as is why do we have to be involved with any gleewa at all?

Oh secondly, I wanted to say uh with so many rejections, right?

Local people coming out and rejecting these days.

How are we displaying what democracy looks like, right?

I haven't heard too many people come in and agree with them.

Right.

And so though those are some of my concerns, man, and to have a former council member over our water board, right?

And to give up this city's sovereignty with our resources, I think it's egregious.

I think that it shows a lot of bad policy making and bad decision making.

We as a city should be able to be sovereign in every aspect of our lives.

We don't have to be dependent on Tri-County or nobody else.

But we have our own budget, our own community, our own people, our own leaders here.

We don't have to continue to submit.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Marguerite Maddox and Scarlet.

Miss Marguerite Maddox and Scarlet.

Good morning.

You have the floor.

Good morning.

But we make that can be come to a agreement with the resident that live and play in that area.

Because I am here.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Cecily McClellan.

Cecily McClellan, you have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment.

Yes, thank you for this opportunity to speak, Cecily McClellan, with the people of Detroit.

I stand with the residents in terms of opposition to this project.

So I don't think that people really got market value for their homes.

Addition, as indicated, the counterplant was uh uh built by 1929 and the pumping station in 1955.

And most of that was done in uh to uh allow the expansion of our system to accommodate the suburbs who did not want to build their own water water systems.

How much of this uh new station is going to accommodate and prevent the uh flooding and overflow of the residents in the Detroit uh area, which has been one of the major concerns because if 60% of the uh water coming in is coming in from the suburbs, then it's not going to change the circumstance in the city.

And I also would like to know in the event that if this lease agreement is uh nullified or overturned, who will own this new pumping uh station?

Will it become the ownership of DWSD as Gleewa has taken over all of uh the uh properties of uh DWSD under the current agreement?

Thank you.

The next caller.

You have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for um taking my call.

And again, I stand with the residents in that area because I have been privy to be at all the most of the meetings, all of the ones in person, and I think the ones online as well.

And I'm not a um resident of that city, I mean of that area, but I'm concerned because my church is in that area, my pastor likes to know what's going on in the area.

So I don't think that the communication went out to them because they were never there.

If I lived there and this was going on in my neighborhood, I would be at that meeting trying to see what was going on if I knew about it.

So being there, and then they were trying to take votes at one of them, and we weren't even residents.

So why would we vote on something happening in their neighborhood when we don't live there and it didn't, and it was gonna impact the residents.

So I know that the lack of communication, just like Ms.

Maddox was saying, communication is the greatest thing and understanding in the world.

If you know about it, you can be about it.

But if you don't, you can't.

So I um think that the lack of when they say that they sent out these mailers and they sent out the, but did you get any response?

Did you when you when you had your meetings?

If you only had 10 people there and it's 100 that live there, then something went wrong with communication.

There was a lack of it.

So I'm like, if it's already happening, then um hindsight, then while we we're we we have these public communications, but it's already the on the from Glio's things, it's already been signed and done, or something to that effect.

So I'm just concerned for the residents.

Thank you so very much.

Thank you.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Nicole Johnson.

Nicole Johnson, you have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay, um, a few things.

I'm glad um I got a chance to hear everybody's comments.

First, um, that water from last week.

Um, you do know that we thought it was uh it was Glea who did it.

So um maybe if you coordinate better with the city, then you can be on top of it because we was gonna blame you anyway.

And it wasn't just cloudy in the neighborhood.

We had dark, nasty water um on Tennessee Street in specific.

Um, I want to address two rumors as well.

Um, there are residents being tested for arsenic, and um there's rumors that you want to quit this deal.

And I've asked you time and time again, what's to say that you just won't walk off and wipe your hands from this deal.

So I guess we'll talk again on the 20th, Mr.

Navi.

Um that water in my neighborhood, it smells funny and it tastes nasty.

And um, as far as that architect, Mr.

James, um, how about we just get a new one?

Because he doesn't seem to be listening.

That building is ugly, and uh I don't know why he can't do a flat roof in in order to make it look like the house, but um, yeah, maybe let's try somebody else because he seems to not be hearing us at all.

Um, is this a shutoff valve, or is it um uh like you say a regional dump?

You know, um, and why do we need it in our neighborhood?

And it's been since 2016.

Why have you not come up with more money to just move this project?

Also, us having a minute and 30 seconds with this, um, yeah, that's not right.

And then the chair who leads these meetings most of the time, he's pretty rude.

He could use some um some training when it comes to um talking back to the citizens.

And um, what are you doing about leaning towards a community deal for us?

Thank you.

The next caller.

The next caller is the DLDA NAP program is illegal.

Caller, you have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment.

Yes, good morning, man.

Be heard.

Morning, yes.

Well, I support the residents and opposition.

It's most unfortunate since I've returned to the city.

I have seen the councils vote against residents for everything except for the transdev uh contract because you couldn't bear the thought of seeing people in wheelchairs saying, please don't do this.

Now, um, if this is one of those plans where you think you're holding the water to try and treat it before releasing it, it's not a solution.

Um, I must admit I was multitasking a bit here.

But um, when are we gonna just fix the infrastructure and separate the water from the sewer?

And um like why do the people in District 4 get dumped on with Stellantis fumes, these uh smelly water fumes, and I like the person's idea of locating it outside of the city.

You do have the power of eminent domain, and I think Glea might too, to go find another site where you're not gonna be disrupting a neighborhood, making it smell, upsetting residents.

I mean, frankly, I've lost pretty much all faith in the government of the city of Detroit.

I do think the root causes the evidence of the voter fraud, which keeps coming out more and more.

But why you don't listen to the people most impacted, like you did not remember Johnson when it came to North End Landing is beyond me.

I find this governments shamefully.

The next caller.

Our next caller is Norell Hemphill.

Norell Hemphill, you have one minute, 30 seconds for a public comment regarding the public hearing.

Good afternoon.

My name is Norell Hemphill.

I serve as a legal and public policy manager with the people of Detroit.

And like all of those have stated here, especially my colleagues would be the people of Detroit.

We stand with Jefferson Chalmers and the residents.

So I have a few questions.

Number one, I want to know what were the houses bought for for those that were purchased.

We know that there were some elder, um, some elders in the community who were targeting their homes were purchased.

So what was that purchase price?

Um the last I heard, many of those residents still have not found new homes because um it was well under the market rate and definitely under a relocation value.

Um and then also um I want to pull, I want to lift that uh one of the ways that the residents were disrespected is the lack of a community benefits agreement.

Galiwo has stated has stated that there won't be one.

And when asked about it, they continue to say that the beautification of their property will bring up the value of the community.

Again, it's it's disrespectful.

Um also have you done a community uh um uh impact study looking at the the all of the impact thank you.

The next caller we are going back to Tyson Gersh.

Tyson Gersh.

We have one minute, 30 seconds for public comment regarding the public hearing.

Mr.

Tyson Gersh, are you there?

Going once.

Going twice.

Going three times.

Mr.

Tyson Gersh.

If you'd like to make a comment regarding the public hearing, you can please submit it to the clerk's office.

Who do we have next?

Ms.

Great.

Madam Chair, believe we were going to give Cindy Dara the remaining amount of her time.

If you can set the clock for 30 seconds.

Are you there?

I I am.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Yeah.

Okay.

I just asked that you stay on topic in regards to the public hearing.

Thank you.

Right.

Well, okay.

I I think uh Cecily McClellan.

I wish you guys I would listen and take notes and answer these things and don't rush ahead.

This is a lot of money for you to spend.

And I want to see the problem solved.

And so far, uh the water department's been a disappointment to me.

So I I had this uh group, Great Lakes Water Protection Committee that I I made years ago.

But thank you.

That now concludes our public comment period, and we are going to turn back to the presenters to respond to the questions that were raised.

Noting that we do have Mr.

Sam Smalley joining joining us from the Detroit Water and Sewers Department as well.

Thank you for being here.

Who'd like to kick us off with responses?

Um I will I will start.

I tried my best to um take good notes.

Paul and I are going to um try to answer as many, and and he's gonna let me know if I miss any so that I can cover.

Um one of the first ones that I'll consolidate was around the properties that were being purchased.

Um majority of the properties that were purchased in that area were done in 2020 time frame.

Um we purchased it wasn't a hundred properties, it was 27 properties that was purchased, and majority of those progenies were land bank owned.

Um we purchased the properties for two purposes.

One was to be able to reroute the right-of-way, and the second one was to provide enough um screening between the pump station and uh local residents.

Um I will say that if there was a case where we purchase a property from a local resident, we followed City of Detroit's plan, which was um um compensating individuals the the appropriate, I believe it was two times the value of the appraisal.

So they'd be we followed the same policy as it related to that um to ensure consistency.

Um I will say that if there was a case where we purchase a property from a local resident we followed City of Detroit's plan which was um compensating individuals the the appropriate I believe it was two times the value of the appraisal so that we we followed the same policy as it related to that um to ensure consistency um one of the one of the comments that were made was as it relate to the ice oversight of the isolation who is monitoring that so this is something that we do regularly I I have people in the sewer today that are working um throughout the system we monitor um as Great Lakes Water three we monitor our system very closely we monitor for storms we watch the radar um and we have plans in place to be able to stop the isolation as necessary to be able to restore the system in the event of a storm so that we do not have our situation where our critical pump stations are not available for operations.

That the purpose of this project is to ensure that those pump stations are available when the storm pumps storms are coming in we heard a comment on the with regards to the capacity of the system and if this pump station was expanding GLWA's capacity to allow more communities to to serve GLWA is a wholesale provider it serves 77 communities through 19 key customers this pump station does not increase our capacity we do not have any intentions to expand our service network wastewater works mostly with gravity so we we are kind of limited on how much we can expand our system and there is no intention to increase or expand our customer base to the communities that we serve this is simply maintaining existing capacity and ensuring that we are able to deliver the services within our capacity one of the comments that came up was as it relates to the leaks in the sewer system and how those leaks can impact other environmental issues.

What I was referring to is that old infrastructure in the ground these are major pipes 16 foot diameter most of them are either brick or concrete pipe concrete cracks um like your basement and you could have leaks that come in we go through and manage that there is no real environmental impact the only thing that ends up happening is it causes um more expedious um deterioration of the pipe and or water that needs to be managed so what we do as our part of our linear system integrity program we actually have sewers that are inspected every couple years and we go in and we inject crack inject um those leaks so that we can stop the leaks as best as we can but as you can imagine um you you seal one leak another leak is generated so we continue to manage that to ensure the integrity of our infrastructure there was a comment as it relates to what is this cleaning that we continuing to talk about.

So wastewater has debris within it that debris accumulates over time as you can imagine as I indicated 24% of our system is combined meaning that road grit that you see on the roads wash down the drain and that works this way into our pump stations and accumulates those are too heavy and it settles out in the pipes we remove that on a regular basis.

So on a given year we may remove 75 tons um 7500 tons of debris from our collection system just through vectoring which is where we we have people go inside the pipe vacuum the debris that's accumulated in the sewer we remove the water from it and the rest of that is landfilled so that is something that we do regularly and that's what we would do at this pump station there is accumulation that is likely that has accumulated inside the wet well of this pump station and that needs to be vectored out and removed and sent to a landfill so we can protect our pumping and ensure that that pumping will work there was a comment as it relates to the odor and noises from the facility so the purpose of this pump station why we made this pump station the size it is to enclose everything within it.

There is no open channel there is no open to sewer system so everything is in closed pipes in closed building we do have a ventilation system but no additional odor scrubbing or anything like that is installed at this facility we have a pump station very similar to this on along next to the Connor storm pump station that sits along Jefferson there is no odors that's emitted from that it's a very similar concept where everything is in an enclosed pipe and there should be no wastewater that is exposed to the atmospheric or the odors that would be and finally as as it relates and also as it relates to the noise that is one of the main reasons why we put the HVAC systems on the roof which led to the building height being higher however us doing that allows us to minimize the noise with the adjacent residents.

Um, however, us doing that allows us to minimize the noise with the adjacent residents.

Sometimes you can install those air handling units on the ground, but that leads to more noise next to the residents.

So putting that on the roof and minimizes the noise from an air handling unit, which sounds like a basic HVAC system where uh air handling you have outside of your house.

Um as it relates to the pumps, the pumps are actually deep underground, 65 feet, so there will be no noise from the pump system itself.

There was a question as it related to the the service service area that we serve.

Um as I indicated, the the fruit pump station provides 90% of our storm pumping that we receive.

And the the fruit storm pump station services, yes, the 77 not 77 community, are the issue communities, which does include Macomb County.

However, um, as a breakdown of our system, 24% of our system is combined, and 76% of our system is separated, meaning the only thing that we see is sanitary.

But and that majority of our combined system, tributary area is city of Detroit.

So City of Detroit contributes close to 83% of all the water that we treat.

So it's not just Jefferson Chalmers, it is the local city of Detroit East Side that is contributing to that um area, and that pump station is critical to be able to ensure those levels are maintained low and that pumping is done so that we prevent storm backups and potential um catastrophic damages to the system.

As it relates to um, let me see, what else did I have?

Um one question that came up as it related to the lease agreement and the role of GLWA.

So GLWA is uh not for profit organization.

Our model, our cost structure, we're a public body, our structure is a cost recovery structure, meaning that we collect from the residents or from our customers, which charge the residents directly what we incur in costs.

We don't have um shareholders, we don't have any initiatives to make profits, and after all the lease is completed, all the assets will be turned over to DWSD Detroit upon all the compliant requirements of the lease agreement have been reached.

Um as it relates to communication, I think there was a there was a comment about listening to the residents and ensuring that the community is informed and the local residents are informed.

We have taken multiple methods of communication.

We have gone through your office, councilman Johnson's.

We have done mail drops, which is door hangers.

We hired a company that goes within a mile rate half a mile radius of the of the pump station and placed door hangers.

We have send out mailers that inform them of the public events that we have.

We have we send out emails to all sign in, all individuals that have signed in to the public events.

So every time we have that event, we notify them and um we inform as many people as we can when we have these public events to ensure that we get as much communication as possible.

Um there was a comment about coordination with the the city, DWSD, as it relates to events that happen.

Um I will say that we we both sit in the same building.

DWSD sits in the waterboard building, GLWA is in the water building.

We closely communicate regularly on all activities, and I will say upon notification of even the event that occurred at East Jefferson.

Um I was on the call with a member of DWSD at that time, and that issue came up, and we were able to continue to get the right people to respond appropriately and get the right answers out as best as we can.

And we continue to work together very closely.

Um there was another comment as it related to kind of the flooding and what the big picture is.

Um, what I wanted to highlight was this pump station is a is a small step in a bigger picture.

Um, there is other events that are going on as a region for us to look at how we are going to manage flooding.

So GLWA kicked off an initiative with the U.S.

Army Corps um approximately two years ago that started the conversation around what do we need to do for the region as a whole to be able to not just Jefferson Charmer but the entire Southeast Michigan to be able to protect ourselves against the changing climate and also the long-term strategy of how to become more storm resilient.

That initiative is underway.

But this project is a as a small piece of that bigger picture.

So it does play a role.

The fruit storm pump station plays a major role, not only locally but also regionally, but also um there are additional initiatives that council members, um elected officials, regulators are all at the table talking about what needs to happen to be able to harden Southeast Michigan's for the climate change that is coming.

Um I believe that I there was a comment around sewer separation.

Ah, okay.

Um sewer separation and moving the pump station farther away from the location that it is.

As I indicated, um, one of the key things for us to be able to do is to restore and and ensure the operation of the fruit storm pump station.

So we have to connect, we have to construct a pump station and divert the flow as close as we possibly can to the existing fruit pump station that was constructed in 1955.

And there was a comment as it relates of why are we just not going through sewer separation?

Um so as I indicated, our cost structure, our cost structure is a cost of service recovery.

So the the cost to separate the sewer system of that 24% is several billions of dollars, and and it is unaffordable.

And that cost, you know, we have not had um very good luck with federal funding, we have not had very good luck with state funding, and I will tell you that ultimately the challenge becomes that the payment for that sewer separation will have to come from the residents, which is ultimately unaffordable.

Um cost structure, we do a 10-year look ahead.

So all these projects are built in our existing rates, so we are able to sustain as best as we can by minimizing the impact on the residents and leveraging as much grants as and um and low interest loans as we possibly can.

But ultimately, if we were to do sewer separation, that cost will be bared by the residents, which is really would ultimately um break the cost of water affordability significantly.

I I believe I addressed all the questions, unless I missed something.

All right, I do see Deputy Director Smalley's hand raised.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh Sam Smalley, Deputy Director of Detroit Water and Search Department.

Just want to speak real briefly uh in support of this project.

While there are various estimations about what the future storm intensity will be, they are all higher than they are today.

So this is not a temporary issue.

Um we believe that this project will help mitigate flood risk on the east side.

Um in regards to sewer separation or or what we call green stormwater infrastructure projects.

DWSD and our partners, such as MDOT, have projects underway right now that are going to manage, and when I say manage, either slow the water down or better yet, get it out of the system altogether, nearly a billion gallons on an annual basis.

Um the food facility is a very critical facility for the east side.

We don't know when the next historic level storm is, but it is on its way.

Um this compensation and these improvements will help um GLWA and its contractors operate and maintain.

I was formerly the assistant director of asset maintenance of the old DWSD, and I can confirm that the people who built this complex and robust system did not put a lot of features to facilitate the operation maintenance and replacement of hassets.

Um we often find our find ourselves having to install manvoles or shafts in order to even access these facilities.

In regards to additional flow, um, I will remind everyone that Detroit has two members on the Great Lakes Water Authority board, and DWSD and our board members will not let an extra drop get into the contracts without removing a higher amount of stormwater from the system first.

We are very mindful that we are the low point in the bathtub, and DWSD and our board members are making sure that our interests are well represented.

Happy to uh answer any questions that may be relevant to DWSD on this.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

And lastly, I'll ask for Mr.

Fizzini to address the spot zone, spot zoning question um so in our report um in our analysis, we did not uh it is a criteria of rezoning.

Um, and in our report, we found that um this wouldn't be an illegal spot zone, although that would ultimately be determined by a court um through that process.

But um there's kind of two criteria that we look at.

Um first is master plan consistency, which PNDD found that uh the project would be or would not be inconsistent but would be consistent with the goals of the master plan.

And second, if the property, if this project failed, could the property be used in another way.

Meaning is this only benefiting Lewa or could the property be developed?

So we found that it could be um developed in another manner likely.

Um so that is one those are the two kind of guidelines that um the Michigan State Extension Office gives us for spot zonings, but that would ultimately be up to a court um challenge and decision if it's determined to be an illegal spot zone.

All right, thank you.

Um so I will just like to add that um it was brought up about community engagement in regards to this process.

I took office in 2022.

I'm not sure what happened prior to me taking office, but the moment that we learned about the project and the vacation, um we held several community meetings.

We had a total of three.

Uh the last one was in collaboration with member Water's office um prior to the vacation being voted on.

Uh, and so we have continued to communicate with and reach out to the residents in the area.

Although this project does not qualify for a community benefits agreement, um, we did work with the community, and the community asked us to work with them on creating a um essentially a CBA.

So the community came together, provided a long list of requests that came to our office.

My team and I uh have been working with various entities, not just the Great Lakes Water Authority, to be able to respond to those requests.

We do have a number of items that have been agreed upon.

Um we're prepared to create to draft a resolution, including all of those items.

Um, but the community just received the list of items a few days ago, a couple days ago.

We we met with the the community leaders that we have been communicating with in regards to this.

Uh, and so we do want to give them some time to be able to um review the items that have been agreed upon.

We are still having conversations to identify additional benefits to the community.

Uh, we do recognize that this is a significant project.

Um, and I certainly do recognize that the impact of the the community in District 4 as a whole uh was devastated in 2021 prior to me taking office, and we've been having a number of conversations around infrastructure that needs to be addressed to improve conditions.

Um we'll continue to have those conversations, but I would just encourage people to connect with our office.

We've been talking to and just recently hosted MDOT at our monthly community meeting that is looking to at pipes underground on I-94 as they expand.

Um I-94, um, we've had conversations and gotten support from Senator Chang's office relative to addressing the seawalls and making sure they are intact.

Um, this is a conversation we've been having just a number of conversations that impact infrastructure, water infrastructure, uh, particularly in the Jefferson Chalmers community and more expansively in um district four, because 70 percent of district four households had a backup in their basements in 2021, and ultimately we're trying to figure out how do we address this to prevent that from happening.

By the grace of God, we have not had a situation since then.

That was five years ago.

And I will tell you all that I every time springtime rolls around, I pray to God that it's not going to happen.

And I'm grateful to God that it hasn't happened on my watch thus far.

Um, noting that these projects take years before they are online.

We continue to lean in and work with the community to identify solutions because the greatest thing that happened prior to me taking office was 2021 in June of 2021.

And and I know residents have concerns about this project.

I'm asking for us to come up with solutions just to be sure that we don't revisit 2021.

Uh, and that's where we have been standing.

We've been we've had open ears, um, we have open hearts.

We are looking to identify solutions with the community, uh, and that's why we've been having these conversations at least for the last two years.

Um, we've been having the conversation.

So I just want to put that on the record.

Noting that we did, there was a petition that was submitted to the clerk's office that we are trying to flush through.

I know that the City Planning Commission is looking at that, working through that.

And I am going to ask my colleagues.

I'm not sure if you all have any questions because I know you have not had an opportunity to weigh in, but I would ask for a motion to be made to bring this public hearing back as a line item in two weeks.

If there are no questions or comments from any of my colleagues, thank you all.

Pro Tim Young.

You want me to um you want me to move this forward with um with discussion, or did you just want to just have a discussion?

Uh you're no, we're we're already in the middle of discussion, so um feel free.

Um we we attempted to shorten the agenda to allow for a more robust discussion about this topic because it has been a long time coming.

Yeah.

Pro Tim Young.

Thank you, ma'am chair.

Uh, thank you.

Uh very thorough and uh transparent and um comprehensive uh presentation.

But I just wanted to ask you so if we drain street sewer flows by gravity from East Jefferson catch basin to the Detroit River, if the pipe is large enough, then people living along the canal would no longer have to be concerned about water flowing from catch basins from East Jefferson.

Yes, no.

Basically, what I'm trying to ask you here is about if if we were to use a gravity-based infrastructure to be able to deal with water instead of having this new pump station, would that be something that we would be able to do so that the water flowing for so we would have to be concerned about the water flowing from catch basins on these Jefferson?

I understand.

So the East so Jefferson Chalmers area, that that area that we have all that infrastructure to re so, in an ideal world, we want to use gravity.

Right.

Unfortunately, because it's such a low-lying area, pumping systems are necessary to lift that flow up.

Okay.

Um, because the ground level is very close to the Detroit Rivel elevation, and in some cases, as we experienced in 2021, the water level came even above the ground level, and it penetrated this the community through the failed damn system or the levy system.

Because of that, it is critical to have a pumping system.

You and no matter what you do, their pumping system is necessary to lift that flow out of that community because it is so low-lying.

Okay.

No, I I understand that, and I think that's something that's important because I think because for me, I understand the purpose of doing this.

I understand why we need new infrastructure.

I just feel that after what happened with the 100 year, and I know that we had a historic 100-year flood last time, but I feel the way that was handled.

I don't feel confident in investing in this if I don't know that this can be handled the right way.

And I don't think that all the infrastructure is this.

I I have I look, you correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm just gonna say this, and then you just kind of walk it down for me, okay?

So from my understanding, during this flood, it wasn't just also that the streets were reflooded because the infrastructure is overloaded, it was also because the power went out.

And so my question is even if we do have this new infrastructure, are we gonna have to build microgrids to be able to make sure if the power goes out again, this can still be operating?

Because that was part of the problem that I heard that the gates were supposed to operate and they didn't because they had no power to it.

And it's because the infrastructure was old and things that nature, and so I wanted to know one, is that something that we could do?

And then secondly, um, I wanted to ask you.

Do we have in and hold on for me because I know what I'm trying to say, but I can't find the words for it.

But I also wanted to ask about the over the overloading of the staff.

Do we have the staffing capacity to do this?

Has there been a service demand to capacity ratio analysis so that when we do build this, the citizens could see this transparently as well as myself that we have the step that we're not gonna be overloaded?

That basically measures staff's ability to be able to handle the burden of watching this pump station because of what happens last time was so and I'm not blaming anybody here.

I'm just saying again, it's a hundred-year flood.

You know, that's very hard to predict.

I understand what we're talking about here, but it was handled so badly that you know we have to make sure that we have the infrastructure, but we also make sure that we have the staffing to be able to overlook this stuff and watch this stuff.

And so I I know I'm kind of ranting here, but is do we have a service uh demand and capacity ratio that's been done on this so that we have that?

And tell me about the microgrid aspect as well.

Absolutely.

Is that something that we're looking at?

And how much money, if we have not already announced that with that cost on top of the 138 million.

Thank you for the question, and I think there's a lot to unpack there because this has been two and a half years of actually four years of my life dealing with as I was around for the 2021 rain event.

Okay.

Um that storm event actually was a thousand year storm.

Oh, I'm sorry.

So it it was um so it was significantly more, it was about eight inches of rain.

And to give you some idea, it's okay.

Um, to give you some idea, um on an ad our system is designed to handle 1.7 inches of rain.

Wow in one hour.

It is it is designed to handle 3.2 inches of rain over 24 hours.

We receive eight inches of rain in less than 12 hours.

So the system, no matter how well it would have worked, it would have overwhelmed the system and the flooding would have been the same.

Okay.

But to your point, ultimately, our system needs to work.

Yes.

What if it was a one and a half inch rain of storm and we didn't have power to the facility?

So, what we have done so far, and and and I have been personally leading our initiative as an organization of what we're going to do in response to hardening our system.

So the first thing we did was we went through and replaced the transformers at the sites.

Um, at that time, an external power outage experience.

It wasn't internal to our site.

Um, our power provider had a damage in the line that led to us not having sufficient amount of power.

The amount of power that we need to um run these pump stations is equivalent to a community with 32,000 homes.

So it is not just uh small, let's go to the Home Depot and grab an emergency generator and run.

It is trailers.

Um, I think we estimated that we would need 27 semi-trailer generators that would need to be set up with a complex transformer system to do an emergency generator process to our run this system.

So power and getting power, reliable power is critical.

So what we did was we did work with our our um power provider and actually installed new lines that are dedicated to our facility.

So that is our current infrastructure.

That we have three dedicated power lines to the fruit pump station, two dedicated lines that run to our counter system that are reliable.

Now, what are we additional to that?

We are working on a brick study grant.

Um, so this is a this is a grant, infrastructure grant that we are looking to see if a micro grid would be feasible for this area.

Um, obviously that's gonna require real estate.

It is it's not a small thing to do.

Um, but we are kicking off a study to look at a microgrid and an independent power source that could supply these.

I will tell you that, as I indicated, the emergency generators will be very loud.

It is not something that we could just necessarily construct.

And the reliability of our power has ultimately been 99.9%.

Unfortunately, as I my directors will, at director of our board will remind me, is that 0.01% of that time when it shows needs to show up, it didn't show up.

Right.

And that is the unfortunate situation that we experienced.

It was it was suffering, it did cost suffering.

But ultimately, the studies that we did, uh, the third-party analysis that came in and reviewed ultimately indicated that no matter how well the regional system would have worked, the similar amount of flooding would have occurred because of the magnitude of the storm.

Okay.

This infrastructure that we're building is is to ensure that we can deliver the 1.7 inches of rain in the one hour and the 3.4 inches of rain in the 24 hour period.

Okay.

That's our design of our system.

That's what our system can handle today.

And as as um Deputy Director Sam Smally indicated, the storms that are being forecasted are more than that.

So we are at risk.

Um, and that is why we're kicking off this Army Corps study and city is doing so much work around these different green infrastructure, placemaking, sewer separations where they can to be able to combat the storms that are gonna come, and it's going to come one day.

Okay.

No, no, I I I appreciate that.

I just wanted to ask you, I know we gotta move forward, so I'll just ask this last question, and I'll be done.

But thank you for your patriots on the leadership, a manual chair.

But I just wanted to ask when was the last time that infrastructure upgrades occurred in terms of preventive maintenance, and how is this going to improve pump station downtime?

And do you have and do you have the metrics to measure that?

We do.

Um, very good question.

So, first of all first and foremost, we have a complex asset management program that not only we submit to the state for monitoring, we monitor, um, and it is best in class.

So I will give you an example.

Our technicians walk around with tablets, they get real-time data on the repairs that need to be made, and the the service requests or that the request to be able to fix things comes to them immediately to be able to address.

Um, we have spent several hundred millions of dollars in investment just on the east side.

My capital improvement plan over the next 10 years is 2.4 billion dollars.

Um, over the next five years 1.2 billion dollars.

And that is investments across the sewer system, which mostly resides in the city of Detroit.

So this is repairs to our pipes, repairs to our pump stations, replacement of pumps, constructing new facilities if necessary, but ultimately hardening our existing system.

That is what we're doing.

Okay.

This I probably is my final question I wanted to ask you.

The constituent talked about the uh water being cloudy.

I want to know uh was there a turbidity um or will there be a turbidity metric with this pump station so that they people can be able to know that the water that they're getting is actually clean and something that they can see.

Yeah, is the and will this be part of and this and will this be like part of a dashboard, or will it be a part of something the constituents could actually see these are the metrics, this is what this means, this is what we're hitting, so people understand and know.

So the the question is is that it relates to the water delivery system.

So this pump station, just for clarity, is only servicing sanitary waste.

Okay.

Um the water system, but we do have metrics that get published annually on our um quarterly on our water quality.

I will tell you Detroit has the best water in the country.

I will I will stand behind that.

Um and the the quality of the water that the the turbidity that was experienced during that time was because of the disturbance of a water main break that occurred in that neighborhood.

Um it was corrected, it is restored, but the quality of the water is exceptional in your stay.

You have the sewer backup rate uh measurement as well, right?

So when people build this, they can be able to see we will we will um improve this rate or your we will or decrease the amount of backup in the system by this by X amount because we're gonna build this here.

That's a very good question.

I know that um so as it relates to sewer backups, I know that maybe um deputy director Sam Smalley can speak into the local sewer system um and their tracking strategy, but also SimCog as well, does a strategy of tracking um sewer backups to be able to monitor?

I don't know, Sam, if you want to add to that.

Um, yes.

Um in terms of preventive maintenance, DWSD is cleaning 600 miles of sewer annually.

We have 2400 miles of sewer that is 24 inches and below in diameter.

So our men and women are cleaning the entire system every four to five years.

There are certain areas where restaurants are located where we may have to clean them all regularly, but we are maintaining the system at a very sustainable rate that I would compare to any Southeast Michigan community.

The vast majority of water and basement complaints that we receive when there's a storm are due to private defects through our uh televising of sewers and looking up into the lateral connections, we find approximately one-third of the connections to the public sewer have a significant defect.

Either they are falling off the main or they're plugged with roots or they're collapsing.

Um we have the alley sewer repair project that is currently in procurement.

Seven contractors will be deployed in every council district.

Um, and we hope to address eight to ten thousand of those uh issues via the C D V G DR grant funding.

Um it's a small step in the right direction.

Um but again, the the private lateral portion is just as old as our assets, um, and it needs attention.

Okay, no, excellent.

No, I appreciate that.

And um, man, president.

Oh sorry, chair.

Uh excuse me.

Okay, get you a little promotion here.

Sorry that.

Uh I'm moving about, but I'm moving on, but I don't because I don't think the questions I have are appropriate for the people here, but I would for my druthers, I think that if we had like a value for money, so the amount of efficiency that we are receiving for the money that we're spending, as well as a value at risk.

So, how much money are we actually potentially losing from this, as well as the exogeneous study so that you know um world events, you know, for instance, the fact that we're you know, oh we're having the war of Iran right now, and 20% of the global oil supply is at risk.

Would that actually add to the costs of building this?

Because 138 million dollars, even though as much, even though it's needed, uh, is is a big number, and we want to make sure that number is where it is, and it doesn't balloon on people.

And so we have to come back here talking about you say it's 108 million, it's 350 something million or something.

You know, hypothetically, hypothetically.

So I think those are things that I would also like to see, uh, as well as some more performance metrics.

I'll I'll submit it to you though.

I'm not gonna ask you all these questions there.

It's not 21 questions with this the councilman.

So I will uh submit these things to you, but uh those just those are just my thoughts, and I appreciate it.

Thank you, madam president.

And I am done.

Thank you, pro Tim Young.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, madam chair.

Just uh for myself, two quick things.

Uh one is a question for uh clarity.

If you wouldn't mind just sharing again, how many feet underground each is uh are the currents two existing stations, and how many feet underground will the new station be?

So the Connor Creek Pump Station is approximately 47 feet underground.

Um the fruit sanitary is around 67 feet.

The Frood Storm Pump Station is 67 feet, and the new pump station is 80 feet.

Okay, thank you.

And then um just my final comments is um these uh uh there was some requests that went through PHS as well, and just really grateful for Madam Chair, making sure that you're going through a process with residents.

Um, these are very difficult processes to go through.

Um we have to make sure that we are building um to solve the issues and not create others, um, and just really appreciate a process that includes residents um and encourage folks to continue to work together with member Johnson's office because I know that I held this up as long as possible until those conversations happens.

Um so I I I will continue to to work in that way, making sure that we have conversations first before we will we we move anything forward.

Um so to give you more time, um, madam chair, a motion to bring back our public hearing um in two weeks as a line item for discussion.

There is a motion to bring line item five back in two weeks as a line item.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you all so much.

Thank you to the community.

I know I'll be communicating with you all very shortly.

We appreciate you all for uh being involved and being engaged.

All right, that now brings us to unfinished business.

Without objection, I'd like to combine line items 6.1 and 6.2.

Is there a motion to bring line item 6.1 and 6.2 back for a date to be determined?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 6.3 is a property sale of 1633 West McNichols.

Is there a motion to approve or discuss?

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line item 6.3 to formal with recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 6.4 is approval of property transfer between the city of Detroit and the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

There is a request for a one one-week bring back.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item 6.4 back in one week.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 6.5 is property sale by restrictive covenant for 16745.

Lamphier, there is a request for a one-week bring back.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

That moves us on to new business.

And beginning with line item 7.1.

Line item 7.1 is to amend chapter 50 of the 2019 Detroit City Code zoning by amending Article 17.

Zoning District Maps, Section 50-17-4.

District map number three to revise the zoning classifications for 11 parcels on Temple Street as well as on Trumble and Perry Street.

This is to amend the zoning from the existing SD1 Special Development District, small scale mixed use, R2, two family residential district and R3, low density residential district zoning classifications to the B2 local business and residential district zoning classification.

Is there a motion to send line item 7.1 to formal for introduction of an ordinance and setting of a public hearing?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Without objection, I'd like to combine line items 7.2 and 7.

Line item 7.2 is a request to transfer the neighborhood enterprise zone agreement on behalf of UC Lafayette Acquisition Partners, LLC in the area of 1400 Chrysler Drive and 1405 Rivard.

And line item 7.7 is the assignment and assumption of community benefits provision for tier one development projects, Lafayette West to UC Lafayette West holder, LLC.

Is there a motion to discuss?

Discussion.

Discussion.

We have several people that are queued up to join us for this item.

If you all can please raise your hand, I would really just like for um us to understand what these two items are and how we got here.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Arnold Biden's Aaron Goodman with the Planning and Development Department.

Afternoon.

This is Brian Co.

with City of Detroit Law Department.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

This is Jay Mathis, the director of CREO.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Nikita Easley, Director of Compliance with CREEO.

Afternoon.

My C We've also been joined by the developers for this project.

Please introduce yourself for the record.

Justice Cook, Housing and Revitalization Department.

Afternoon.

Mr.

Paizano.

Oh, thank you.

Anthony Pisano on behalf of the current ownership, Lafayette Acquisition Partners.

Good afternoon.

Alex Munich on behalf of the current lender and next owner, UC Lafayette Partners.

All right.

Thank you all so much for joining us.

Who can uh share with us where we are, how we got here, and what we have in front of us.

I can do that.

Uh we are the current lender on the project.

It was a development project in multiple phases.

We financed the construction of the first phase.

We the lender are stepping in to the owner of the project and intend to stabilize operations and evaluate future options, and we'd like to request approval to transfer the CBO agreement with no changes to that agreement.

Thank you.

And this is a an apartment complex that is for rent.

Is that correct?

It is a combination of an apartment complex or apartments and condos, 102 apartments and 35 condos.

Okay.

The condos are 100% vacant and unsold, and the apartments are 50 odd percent occupied.

Okay.

And that sounds like that puts us in the position that we're in.

Correct.

Okay.

All right.

Um, can you all just share how you plan to address that moving forward?

Yes.

And we intend to invest significant dollars where needed.

Um, Friedman, I'm looking as I'm talking.

I don't see anybody from Friedman on the phone.

Um, but we have a third part, a new third party manager coming in with a new strategy, increased marketing spend, adjusted in rents, and intend to fill the property.

Okay, thank you.

And are you working with the housing and revitalization department?

We're working with a lot of departments.

I'm not sure which individual is on.

Brian is or Justice through the chair.

Um Brian Co.

with the law department.

Um the housing revised excuse me.

The housing and revitalization department is on here uh with Justice Cook uh regarding the transfer of the uh NEZ agreement.

Um we do not do we the city generally in the housing and revitalization department uh don't do a lot to market properties.

Um it's it's not really uh a core competency.

Um as you heard from Mr.

Munich, he has Friedman, who's a local and pretty large and sophisticated uh property manager that is going to be taking over the project um to help market things.

Um the housing revitalization department is here to assist uh as it as it relates to tax payments, and we of course have our affordable housing portal um for specifically affordable units.

Um but most of this project is uh market rate apartments and uh condominiums.

To that point, attorney courty percent of the units though were affordable, correct?

We have correct six, yes.

Uh of the apartment units themselves.

Uh 20 the the NEZ agreement requires that 20 be maintained uh as affordable.

Um and you know, as was mentioned, this was originally contemplated as a multi-phase project.

Um so the future phases have not materialized yet, but the affordability requirements apply to all of the rental products uh that are part of the project now or or when they get built.

Okay, and thank you.

So the the affordable units can be marketed if any are available within the the portal that the city hosts, correct?

Yes, we we make that available as a tool to to help both landlords and tenants to connect uh when affordable units are available.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Colleagues, any questions, comments, concerns?

Seeing none.

Is there a motion on line items 7.2 and 7.7?

Motion.

Motion to approve.

There's a motion to send line items 7.2 and 7.7 to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you all so much for joining us.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Good day.

Thank you.

You as well.

That brings us to line item 7.3, property sale of 1080 West Chicago.

There is a request for a one-week bringback.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item 7.3 back in one week.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line items 7.4 through 7.6.

Without objection, I'd like to combine them.

These are property sales.

They are they all have a one-week bring back request.

Is there a motion to bring line items 7.4 through 7.6 back in one week?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

That takes us to line item 7.8.

Councilmember Mary Waters, submittee memorandum relative to a request for DLBA documentation, nuisance abatement program.

Is there a motion to refer line item 7.8 to LPD and bring back in two weeks?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

That now brings us to member reports.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Okay, everyone.

We're going, we're gonna honor you at 5 to 6:30.

We're gonna at 5 to 6, we're gonna have an actual dinner.

We're gonna feed you, and then we're gonna have the actual at-large evening community meeting at 7 o'clock.

So we're gonna have the dinner at 5, and then we have the meeting at 7.

So the dinner at 5 and the meeting at 7.

You can uh it's gonna be at Northwest Activity Center 1800 Myers Road.

That's Northwest Activity Center, 1800 Myers Road.

You can call 313-224-4248.

That's 313-224-4248.

That's 313-224-4248.

I am so sorry.

It's not 5 o'clock, it's 530.

So we're gonna have the dinner at 530.

It's gonna be fantastic.

And then we're gonna have the community meeting at 7 o'clock at Northwest Activity Center, 1800 Myers Road.

You can call office 313-224-4248.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Member Santiago Romero.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Just want to remind everyone that this Saturday from 11 to 1 p.m.

We are going to be at Goodwill for our main monthly meeting.

We will have lunch.

We welcome you to join us to learn more about summer youth programming and about the city's master plan.

Just want to share tonight.

If you are going to go to the uh uh the Mercy Education Project's 20th Annual Doorway Gala, I will see you there to make sure that we are fundraising for tutoring for young girls in Detroit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I'd just like to remind District 4 residents that we are hosting our coffee hour tomorrow, Friday, May 8th at 8 a.m.

at the Authority Health Popoff Family Health Center located at 10809 Mac Avenue.

I'm sure we'll have a robust conversation about uh our discussions today as well as variety of other items.

So please join us.

Would love to have conversations with residents in the community about anything that is um happening in your area.

Again, that is tomorrow, Friday, May 8th at 8 a.m.

at 10809 Mac Avenue.

That concludes my member report.

And if there is nothing else to come before this committee, we shall stand adjourned.