Mr.

Brocks is the pastor on for invocation this morning.

Yes, I am here.

Good morning.

You want to introduce yourself and welcome.

Thank you for having me on this morning.

I am Reverend Dr.

Robin Moore from First Baptist Institutional Church in Detroit in District 2.

I am located at 17101, West Seven Mile Road, Detroit, Northwest Side of the City.

Thank you.

You may proceed.

Thank you.

Let us pray.

Spirit of the living God fall fresh on us.

Spirit of Mr.

Brocks.

Did the call drop?

Madam Chair, uh, we have Robin Morsi uh still on.

Uh I am there.

Okay.

We we couldn't hear you, ma'am.

Okay, I'm sorry.

Um, spirit of the living God fall fresh on us.

We pause on this Wednesday morning, a day that has not been seen before, a day that will not be repeated, to stop and surrender and praise you and honor you just for who you are, giving us another opportunity to thank you for being Alpha and Omega in our lives.

It is at you that we understand our being.

We lift up the city of Detroit's leadership for its great work that it is currently doing.

We thank you, oh God, and we pray not only for the Detroit City Council, but we also pray for the mayor who continues to lead Detroit and rise higher for every resident, for every business, for every one that is small or big, continue to bring forth programs and resources and finances to this great city.

We pray for its vibrant energy and diverse communities, and we thank you for being there for us, and we thank you that this leadership chooses to put its city first, put its residence first.

We pray for continued peace to reign over this city for unity to bridge our differences and prosperity to flourish among us.

God grant wisdom to our leaders, compassion to our servants, and healing to those who are hurting.

Peace of mind to us, our souls will be rendered back to you.

We ask your God in this moment that we pray for the safety of our neighborhoods and that the spirit of hope and resilience guide us as we face challenges and celebrate successes.

We ask for your protection over homes and churches and cities that come throughout this space.

We ask for your blessings and abundant flow that will all come upon us who call Detroit our home.

In the name of Jesus Jesus, we rebuke and cast out anything, any spirit that is against your will and flee from this place, this home which we call Detroit, that the righteous are proclaiming this place, and that no weapon found against us shall prosper.

I declare that it is a godly and righteous place.

I declare that the spirits of poverty, violence, anger, and hate are no longer a part of our spirits and will leave in this space in the name of Christ.

I plead the love of joy and grace and peace to this city and declare angels are encamped all around us and all around this city.

I pray for every leader, every worker, every person that is called to be a part of the city of Detroit.

I ask you the Lord, Lord, to provide us with a harvest that's overflowing beyond our understanding and let our lights shine that through every neighborhood, through every school, through every storefront, through every church that the gospel permeate by our spirit and our walk with you throughout the city that we will see light in any dark place.

I ask this in the powerful name of the one who is above all names, the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, that we receive it, we expect it, and we thank God for it in Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

Thank you so much.

Um, Dr.

Robin Moore for that prayer.

You're welcome to stay on with us.

Um, but we know you too have a very busy schedule.

So thank you so much for that wonderful prayer over the city of Detroit.

Is there a motion for the approval of the minutes?

There's a motion for the approval of the minutes.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

There are zero cheer remarks.

Public comment is now closed, Mr.

Brox.

It's 1006.

Public comment is now closed.

Is there anyone here in the chamber who'd like to make public comment?

You'll have two minutes to do so.

Seeing no one here in the chamber to make public comment in person.

Mr.

Brox, how many callers do we have who are making public comment this morning?

Uh good morning, madam chair.

Uh, we have 12 hands.

Okay, and the first caller is you'll have two minutes, and please introduce yourself.

Oh, first caller is Brianna Sullivan.

Miss Well, Miss Sullivan works for the administration.

Is that correct?

Forgive me.

Uh first caller is Owner Popper.

On the Popper, you have two minutes.

Miss Owner Popper, you have two minutes.

Uh, good morning, and through the chair, may I be heard?

Yes, ma'am.

Um, I am not familiar with this section 1311 of the municipal municipal code of the city of Detroit.

I've looked it up, I've tried to find it.

I don't see how all of these indemnifications are being handed down to all of these different people who are just employees of the city.

Um, I don't think that's proper or I don't think it's fair to the citizens to um cover up for people who are obviously not doing their jobs.

I we did the same thing for Conrad Mallet when we signed an indemnification and representation for him.

I think it's incumbent upon this committee, which is the Internal Operations Committee.

When you have this many indemnifications on all of these people and all of these places, it means that something internally is wrong.

It's not functioning properly.

It's incumbent upon this committee, not to try and uh subvert our comments, but to try and listen to our comments and and resolve them.

We we are we are calling you, telling you that there are some issues in the city that need to be reconciled, and one of them is this section 1311 of the municipal code of the city of Detroit that you're using to use to do all these indemnifications.

Could you please uh point me to where that uh section of the municipal code is where you're that you're using to um to to implement something that I think is unconscionable to have people who pay people's salaries and then have to pay them when they do something wrong?

Um, I also think that there should be an internal investigation in the dirty dirt.

I think it's incumbent upon this committee to get to the bottom of how it happened, even though we had vendors that were supposed to do diligence.

Thank you.

Um, thank you, Miss Owner Popper.

Um, I'm gonna ask the law department to please explain the section of the other municipal code that Miss Owner Popper just uh mentioned.

I think it's um 1311.1.

If you can explain that briefly for her for her edification and also from my understanding, the dirty dirt um um issue is under investigation as we speak.

Um, Mr.

Anderson, can you please answer the question regarding the um code section that she just mentioned?

Through the chair Graham Anderson Law Department.

Um absolutely I'm happy to get more into the details, but I know she um follows so well to this body in these hearings.

I know she will be watching this entire presentation today.

We will be getting more into some representations and indemnifications later in the agenda.

So if this body finds it appropriate, if we could have the discussion at that time, I plan on walking through how our closed session process works too, and I think it would all flow together rather nicely.

Okay, thank you so much for um that, Mr.

Anderson.

Hopefully, Miss Owner Popper is um still listening.

All righty.

Um the next caller is Mr.

Brocks.

Our next caller is legendary Detroiter, legendary Detroit.

You have two minutes.

Be nice, the Alpha.

You're aka, right?

Alpha.

You said you weren't no capital, but aka stands for Alpha Calpa Alpha.

Now you were cheated in public official here in the city of Detroit.

Sharon Smith was a hundred and five year old voter doing my investigation.

I uncovered.

I talked to her granddaughter.

She did not put an absentee ballot in.

But she shows in up on the Detroit voting rolls is having voted in the election.

She said her granddaughter told me her grandmother since the age of 98 didn't even know who the mayor was.

She didn't even know who the president was.

And she was 105 years old when she shows up on the voting rolls that's over in district two.

Now I done told you I'm one of the codes.

And it's Conrad Mallett Jr.

And it's Dennis Winfrey.

Got their name signed on the letter that answers to me paid ten dollars and 73 cents to send me this nonsense.

Police report talking about them making threats against her.

Now people been knowing me for 45 years that I've been out here in Detroit.

I don't even make threats.

But you cheated in, the whole city council cheated in.

Commander of the homicide unit.

Now she did what she did to Robert Bob Carmack.

Remember Robert Bob Carmack, Angela Whitfield Callaway.

He was the reason why you stopped talking to me.

But Bob was my dude.

My NYGGA.

NYGGA.

Now I'm back.

I'm outside with it.

The tube is a two.

And all y'all can smoke deep.

And then the next caller is our next caller is uh Samsung.

Fanton, you have two minutes.

Phantom, you have two minutes.

Can you move Fanton to the end of the queue?

Mr.

Brox.

We'll do.

Um our next caller is Betty A.

Barner.

Miss Varner, you have two minutes, ma'am.

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

I'm Betty A.

Varner, president of the Soda Elsewhere Black Association here this morning to share some information.

If you are within the sound of my voice or know of someone that could use these services, please share.

If you're in need of a free eye exam or eye screening or dental care, please call 313 894 2240.

Again, 313 894 2240.

This is not a walk-in clinic.

You must make an appointment.

You would go to 10301 Woodward Avenue.

Again, 10301 Woodward Avenue.

That's in Detroit, Michigan, 48202.

I was told it is in the vicinity of uh Woodward and Claremouth, that area.

The dental clinic operates Wednesdays through Friday, 830 a.m.

to 2.

Wednesdays through Friday, 8:30 a.m.

to 2 for the dental clinic.

You would call and uh get additional information on when the doctors would be available for your uh free eye screening and uh vision services.

There are four doctors uh at the site that takes care of the patients, and all of these services are free.

I think a corridor, we are still in need of monies for our think of corridors.

We are still seeking help in regards to uh that uh fee for the land use hearing that $1,500.

We wish you could waive it.

Um, thank you, Miss Verner.

We're going to um call the public hearing for 1015 and the continuation of the other um public hearing.

One is for the proposed ordinance amending chapter 45 of the 2019 Detroit City Code, and the other one is for the ordinance amending chapter 17 of the 2019 Detroit City Code Finance Article 5.

We're gonna call them, and then we're gonna recess them, recess them both through the call of the chair and move back to our regular agenda.

The next caller is Mr.

Brox.

Uh Madam Chair, our next caller is you matter.

You matter, you have two minutes.

Good morning, ma'am.

You heard you can be heard.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

I don't know why they couldn't hear me yesterday.

But um Chief Member Callaway, isn't it ironic how yesterday at the full committee you were talking about?

How people take time to come to meetings and then they don't get responses.

And then last night, Mr.

Tate allowed for um Mr.

Benson to respond about the Cronus crushing plant.

Then I simply got up and because they weren't gonna have anybody respond to what I said.

So I got up and I asked Member Waters to explain the illegality of the nuisance abatement program, and they sucks suck security security on me.

Um isn't that ironic?

Uh so no to member Durhall being on the downtown development authority, he tried to rush through these zoning changes last year when most residents didn't even know about it.

Number 9.3.

Why are these legal services needed?

This is like several hundred thousand dollars again.

Why are these legal services needed for the multifamily plan that's being done as far in secret for most of us?

And um 9.13.

What is that lawsuit about regarding Mr.

Rico Razo?

Also, is Fink Brasard is we didn't hear all the contracts they're working on.

Is one of them to defend the dirty dirt?

I heard that one of them is to defend the city when the USDOG comes for the ballots, and I bet they're gonna get a warrant.

So try let them fight that.

Also, I've been asking constantly for clarity about whether people can put plywood on their buildings.

Um the land bank board member uh Richard Hosey's got plywood on his building, but land bank tells people they can't have plywood on their buildings.

But last night, Mr.

Corey Mason of B seed said you can have plywood on your buildings as long as they're painted.

So do you see how we need some clarity about what's going on and there's disparate treatment going on?

Thank you, Miss Woolwick.

The next caller is our next caller is Tahira Amad.

Ms.

Amat, you have two minutes and good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you for taking my comment.

Uh, you are my favorite council person, and uh has given us so much jokes four years.

And now I I do have a question here.

I got this paper from in on my door.

It says attention, neighbor city.

We'll be conducting soil testing at a nearby property to be clarify the seal material used after demolition meets required environmental uh standards.

So they're testing over here, but I have this is I got this like last month or so, and I haven't heard anything.

So uh, can we get clarity on this if you all know about it?

Attention neighbors is from construction and demolition department.

Um, and then the next um statement I want to make is in reference to Mike Duggins' commercial.

He wants to be governor.

Mr.

Duggan, you looted black people.

Uh you've done so much harm to us.

You're the worst mayor we ever had in Detroit.

So don't even ask for Detroit to uh to to uh ask uh help you become governor.

You you you looted looted us of 600 million to uh billion dollars in Detroit, and then told us, well, yeah, I did it, but uh get it back from the police, get it back from the uh um the uh the school system because that's where it went.

Yep, but you got that you got the secret, uh your secret fund called um progress fund.

Give us that back, give us our money back and city council.

I want you to go today to nestle and tell her look, we're waiting on you to give us uh an opinion about uh this illegal over taxation.

You also caused a hundred thousand homes to go illegally foreclosed.

That's a hundred thousand people who are old their homes, generational homes.

We're not gonna let this go.

We want conversation now, and uh Mike Doug and I ain't done with you.

I'm gonna let the thank you, Ms.

Amott.

The next caller is our next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

Davis, you have two minutes and good morning.

Mr.

Davis, you have two minutes and good morning, sir.

Okay, good morning.

Good morning.

I like to start off by saying that um, I know this might be a little radical to some, but you know, I think that with AI, you could have um you could scan all of the body cam and all the police vehicle cameras, and you know, because you know, there are you know, like I say, they they do periodically pick out a few and review them.

But if more of them was reviewed, perhaps we could catch some officers that's regularly doing stuff much earlier and perhaps reduce the number of uh demifications and lawsuits that we have.

You know, uh, we should take advantage of technology when it's helpful to us.

Uh also I would not vote for Mike Dugan for anything, not even dog catcher, you know.

Um, he has been not very helpful to black people in general, and especially as a good Democrat, I wouldn't vote for him for anything.

Um also I I think we need a greater effort to make sure that city vehicles are not going to people's residence outside the city of Detroit.

I think that's a very simple thing, and I think that could possibly save us quite a bit of money.

I don't know why we continue to cater to people who don't live in the city.

You know, I don't say you could uh you know fire them, even though technically you probably could fire the ones that's uh appointed or at will employees, but I think we need to be doing more to help the citizens of the city of Detroit.

I think we need to be doing more to help the city of Detroit retirees.

I think we should be doing more to help seniors in the city.

Far too often it seems like the city goes out of its way to help people who don't live in the city and send our money outside the city.

So y'all have a good day.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

You have a good day as well.

The next caller is our next caller is Mr.

Foster.

Mr.

Foster, you have two minutes, and good morning.

Oh, good morning.

Good morning.

I always appreciate the invocations.

Um, especially when they talk about Christ, it's important just to understand that during the Passover, the Romans have always committed to taking the life of someone.

So it was Christ or Barabbas, Christ being the innocent one, died on the cross.

So the Barabbas, the murderer, the rioters could be free and have a new life at redemption.

So it's important.

That's why we use the name of Christ.

Well, I just want to talk a few things.

Uh Mr.

Durh.

I don't think he's a bad guy.

When he do come to interview, I hope you guys hold a tough questions.

People's views often change after they leave city council and dealing with the people and be exposed to more of administrative point.

We're looking for a change of culture in the city.

And um, I think that you all have the ability to do that.

Secondly, um, I appreciate the community meetings.

I have no, like I said, no ill will towards anyone.

I generally go through coffee and and and coffees in the mornings with our council members.

So it shows that diplomacy or whatever that I feel about professional decisions, do not reflect a personal life or walk in life.

You know, and so I do enjoy the coffees with council members over the last few years.

I have never heard so many people come in and speak spiritually.

I've never heard so many comments or directions about community.

I've never heard so many things about poverty.

And so I'm a hundred percent grateful, right?

And I won't let the work of these last four years be diminished by somebody trying to freeload that had the opportunity and the resources to make these changes in our community and society.

Right.

So that's where I'm at, and I appreciate you.

Thank you, Mr.

Foster.

The next caller is next caller is uh call in user one.

Call in user one.

You have two minutes.

Call in user one, you have two minutes.

Can you mute?

Um move call in user one to the end of the queue.

And the next caller is the next caller is Sam Sung.

Sam Sung, you have two minutes.

Good morning, Mabby Heard.

You can be heard.

I would like to speak again.

I've been talking about this quite often, about the um funds that were supposed to be used for under the healthy home community healthy home, community corpse passport form.

Community corpse passport form.

Well, we were approved for it.

And then they say they ran out of money.

So I'm sure there's some money that's came in that we can get things done.

And I have my passport of everything they're supposed to do.

As a 75-year-old and a 75-year residence of the city of Detroit, not somebody that just moved in, not somebody that came from someplace else, but somebody's been here, born and raised.

We seniors need to be compensated.

And let's say uh the city agreed to this form, so I feel that we should have it done.

Uh that's including home repairs, and I'm not talking about the roof and the porch that they did.

Uh talking about appliances that was actually lost in the flood, to fake the flood that I did not get paid for or was not replaced through the water department, which was their fault because it clawed grant drains that's on the next street from my house.

Uh, then I know about the food resources, and then it says car repair.

So all this here should be made whole.

And that's what I've been talking about for the longest.

I got some more stuff I have to.

I'm gonna talk about further on doing doing other public comments.

As soon as I get all my ducks in the road, I will be letting you all know because it's not right that we was approved for this year.

And like I say, as far as the home repairs, I'm gonna talk about that later, but I'm talking about the appliances and uh uh car repairs and things that we were supposed to have done.

So money coming in for everything else.

We need that done.

Thank you, Ms.

Samsung.

The next caller is next caller is calling user one.

Call in user one.

You have two minutes.

Can I be heard?

You can, Ms.

Shea.

Good morning.

Good morning, my gorgeous Esquire.

Thank you for being on.

Can you please make sure you start letting people know when you're gonna have public meetings?

You know, where it's the evening meetings with the council.

Uh, I would appreciate that.

Finally, I'd like to know why is it that uh Dodd bus is allowing stolen wheelchairs from Henry Ford Hostel to be on the bus where you cannot walk through, and the drivers is allowing these people that's on drugs.

I sent pictures to show you exactly what I'm talking about.

I like for that to get dressed, and they keep selling drugs downtown on Michigan and Washington Boulevard, right in front of the address of 1055, Washington Boulevard where you can catch Verner, uh Linwood, Jefferson, Rashid.

This needs to stop, and please stop building and safety from putting residents' lives in danger because we complain to city council and show pictures, video, and audio.

This needs to stop.

This is putting people's lives in jeopardy, making them susceptible to either eviction or retaliatory because we dare to complain.

Thank you so much.

Have a blessed week.

I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Thank you, Miss Shea.

Mr.

Broxon, next caller is Madam Chair.

That is the end of public comment.

Thank you, Mr.

Brock.

She did an amazing job this morning.

Um Parliamentary, it's time for us to move into our first um public hearing.

Do I need to gavel that in?

Okay.

We're going to reconvene our um public hearing.

The first one will be for the ordinance amending chapter 17 of the 2019 um Detroit City Code Finance Article 5 purchases and supplies.

Are those individuals here regarding this amendment?

And we are going to have um folks making public comment regarding this issue only for right now.

The effect of the department order, and I think this is the inspector general's office.

If you want to come forward, if for anyone who's calling in, your comments will have to be germane to this particular topic.

And good morning, everyone.

If you could introduce yourself.

Good morning, come on, maybe Inspector General City of Detroit.

Morning, sir.

Good morning, uh Jennifer Bentley, Deputy Inspector General.

Good morning, Ty Green, attorney for the OIG.

Okay.

Mr.

Inspector General.

I'm not sure if the law department needs to start, I would Mr.

Anderson.

Through the Chair Graham Anderson Law Department.

This is a very straightforward ordinance that really just does a great job of tightening up a few places here in the department ordinance that we believe is going to make things run smoother for future processes.

And I'll be available to answer any additional questions.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson from the law department.

So we'd like to thank the law department for this assistance in this amendment.

The original ordinance was enacted in 2018 as required by Charter Section 6308.

Since 2018, the OIG has debarred approximately 33 businesses and individuals for conduct that that betrayed the trust of Detroit residents or demonstrated a lack of integrity in the context and conduct of business.

In sum, we've worked uh the ordinance for several years and found that a few provisions needed clarity and ought to be amended.

The amendments support transparency and department proceedings and help clarify the effect of department once issued.

Do any of my colleagues, um, member Miller who is on screen or member Benson who is here, does anyone have any questions for um the OIG?

Discussion.

Discussion.

Member Benson.

Uh good morning and manager, thank you for putting this ordinance forward.

Um, if I would just once again clarify what is changing here and how this will improve the quality of life for our residents.

So you want to introduce yourself for the record?

Oh, again, for the record.

Ty Green, uh OIG attorney.

We are um so clarifying a few points, uh, cleaning up the um provisions that speak to the effective department for individuals, adding in a provision that explicitly states that no debarred person can perform work for the city through a company that is not debarred.

Uh in working with the ordinance over the years, we've seen that um just it's been unclear for some.

And um, so we wanted to kind of eliminate that wiggle room.

And um adding in a uh provision that also says that no company, a debarred person is an officer of or has a financial interest in can do business with the city as a as a contractor or subcontractor.

It kind of um just clarifies what is really already there, but explicitly states it and puts it there in black and white.

Um, also codifying the established rules for administrative hearings and uh appeals hearings before city council.

We've run uh a few of those already, and the the standard of review is always the same, but it is not yet in the in the ordinance, and so we feel that putting everyone, the contractors and other stakeholders on notice of those requirements, um, putting it right there in the ordinance really just makes it run smoother.

And uh, and then enabling well, one thing that the that the ordinance already does is enable debarment for uh or I say a longer period of debarment for egregious criminal offenses, and um, and then this will add in the ability to do so for egregious civil offenses that also speak to business integrity.

And for the discussion, agregious criminal defenses.

Is that a definition agregious criminal offense?

Um, well, uh don't think that egregious is actually going to be written into that one, but it would just be civil offenses and criminal offenses that speak to business integrity.

Uh, but one thing that we've that we've done is where it is uh so serious, where we're an offense is so serious, that's when we consider the uh a period of department longer than the the minimum.

Okay, and then is that increase where is that where is that in this ordinance?

I'm looking at the section 17 tech 5 362 alpha one.

And it does talk about department of judgments related to criminal or civil offenses, civil being a new term, but I don't see an increase in the time.

It doesn't specifically lay out the time, but what um 175362A does is that it um states that uh generally a department should not exceed five years except in those uh situations laid out in sections one and two and three following that.

So um what we've been able to do in the past is it debar for longer than five years in the instance of a uh criminal conviction where um they they found uh criminal liability and uh and that allows it to go to uh up to 20 years that were where no department can e20.

So in between that five year minimum and that 20 year maximum is where we'd be able to uh debar for longer than that minimum amount of time.

Excuse me, and where does it say 20 years?

20 years is in section A above in 1756.

175362A Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Very well.

Member Miller, do you have any questions?

I have no questions.

Okay, I have one question.

Um I don't know who can answer this.

Is there anything that's would be considered a permanent bar?

Permanent bar where somebody is permanently disbarred that from doing business with the city because their actions were so egregious or so criminal.

That's not within the scope of the ordinance.

The longest that we can do bar is 20 years.

It's 20 years.

But have we ever I'm looking forward to so have we ever um disbarred anyone permanently because their actions were so egregious?

Yeah, the the ordinance uh Northern Charter give gives us the authority to to do that, the maximum is 20 years.

Okay, so which we've debarred several folks for that maximum of 20 years.

Okay.

So let me ask you this.

And so if a person's actions just totally um betray the trust of the city, goes beyond what we would allow.

Um and 20 years is the maximum.

Can you um take it beyond 20?

So if they serve that 20, can you reinstitute that 20?

Because what they've done does not even allow them to do business with the city of Detroit.

The the ordinance does not uh allow that.

One of the things that still exists is the discretion of this body, yeah.

Um, and um the procurement department.

Okay, um, there is no right to have a contract with the city of Detroit.

So even after uh a period of debarment, um, if um the council at that time felt that that wasn't a responsible contractor that the city should do business with, uh, a no vote would suffice, and and the city doesn't have to let a contract.

There's no right to have a contract with the city of Detroit.

Um and additionally, we want to introduce yourself.

Yes, ma'am.

Uh Jennifer Bentley, Deputy Inspector General.

Yes, ma'am.

Um, we can debar a contractor again.

So we have had instances where we debarred a contractor for 20 years and they did something additional related to the city of Detroit.

So we issued an additional 20 years.

So you know, it might have been 20 years, and then we put 20 years on top of that, so it could extend it like 33 years, something like that.

Okay, that goes to my question.

That makes sense.

All right.

Um, I guess we could do we take public comment, uh, madam parliamentary.

Okay, so Mr.

Brocks, do we have any folks who would like to make um public comment um virtually?

And do we have any folks in the um in this space that would like to make public comment on this issue only?

Okay, I don't see anyone here in the chamber, but do we have anyone on the call on the phone, Mr.

Brox, who'd like to make public comment regarding this issue?

The amendment of chapter 17 of the 2019 Detroit City Code.

Yes, madam chair, we have six hands raised.

Okay, and the first caller is you'll have two minutes to make public comment on this issue only.

If you don't make public comment on this issue, you will not be allowed to make public comment about any other issue not related to this one.

The first caller is the first caller is owner Papa.

Miss Owner Popper, you have two minutes, ma'am.

Thank you.

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

You can be heard.

I would like to ask um uh um uh can a contractor um be debar uh disbarred for um having no insurance and working in the city of Detroit, or would that be an internal issue?

And my other question is how does this ordinance this change uh does it or will it address um any issues from by the contractor that has caused harm uh to the city, such as the dirty dirt and the holes all over the city?

Um and I would like to also ask this body has was this contractor called out prior to the discovery of um the dirty dirt and um are there other contractors that have been identified?

Thank you.

Thank you.

So you all can capture the questions.

We're gonna answer them at the end, but we don't have to answer any of the questions I do believe about the dirty dirt issue because that is a pending investigation.

So I would prefer that we not go any deeper into answering any of those questions, knowing that is under investigation.

So that has we're not going to deal with that here.

What we will deal with was the first questions about not having insurance.

So if you all could capture the questions and at the end of the folks who are making public comment, you can answer them then.

Okay.

Is that is that reasonable?

All right.

The next caller is Mr.

Brox.

Next caller is Sydney Sindy Cindy Dara.

Ms.

Dara, you have two minutes.

Okay.

Uh I I want to know if uh you're contracting with with LLCs, because LLCs don't have to reveal their membership.

And if you are contracting with LLCs, then they should have to reveal every single member of their LLC, or I would not uh allow them to be contracting with the city.

Because it's uh kind of uh ridiculous.

How are you gonna debar people if you don't even know who's in the in the uh corporation?

It's that you're trying to debar.

You might know one or two, but you need to know every single person, so they can't just go and start a new corporation or join another LLC or whatever.

So that's my main thing that I don't think you wrote into your new ordinance or your amendment.

It didn't seem to me like they even uh uh uh talk about that.

So uh and I tried to get on public comment earlier, some reason nobody called on me.

I got knocked off because I made a phone call uh to somebody to tell them to get on to public comment to talk about uh Louise uh Viola Louisa because Dara.

Thank you, Ms.

Dara.

We were trying to get on earlier, so there's something going on that I wish you would have them look, because if I have get knocked off and I go back on, then it's already closed.

And if they don't go back and look and see who actually raised their hand before we get away.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Darrell.

Thank you.

I'd like to get the tape.

And we not we're not gonna talk about that right now.

The next caller is Mr.

Brox?

Next caller is you matter.

You matter, you have two minutes, you matter.

Good morning.

Can you hear me?

We can hear you.

Okay.

So I don't know how you expect the public to intelligently comment on this when the actual uh uh uh uh uh legislation or ordinance here is not attached to the agenda.

So uh how do you expect us to give you uh informed public comment?

I don't know, is that Mr.

Tate's duty to uh do that?

Also, why is the OIG telling people that they can't inspect any public official when that's clearly spelled out in the charter that they can?

They've investigated this dirty dirt problem, even though they don't have the power to prosecute and they refer it to you about debarment.

So, you know, there's uh and I'm still waiting to hear back from uh the OIG about where's their legal authority that they don't have to investigate people, contrary to what to me what the the jurisdiction says, but again, it would be more respectful to the residents of the city of Detroit who take their time out of their day unpaid like you to come to public comment, and then we don't even get to see the documents and we're supposed to give public comment in a public hearing.

We don't got the board packet that you have, and it wasn't attached.

Sometimes information is attached to the agenda and sometimes it's not.

And this time there's nothing attached to the agenda related to this.

So, how are we supposed to give you informed public comment about what this is about?

But I I I do second the emotions of uh Cindy Dara, that if you do have some LLCs and you don't know who all the people are, how do you know you know who who you need to be watching out for in the future?

Thank you, Ms.

Thank you, Miss War Warwick.

The next caller.

Through the chair.

Yes.

If I may, I know we're waiting until the end.

But if you go to Detroit, Michigan.gov City Council and you click on the internal operations standing committee.

You then scroll to the first item, the public hearing, you click the paper clip, you click the attach, and you do have to scroll a little bit, but if you do, it is all right there.

The ordinance is available for the public.

Thank you.

Hopefully, Miss Warwick heard what you said.

The next caller, thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Um Madam Chair, next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

Davis, you have two minutes.

Uh good morning.

Can I be heard?

Yes.

Okay, I like to say uh I'm in favor.

I think this is a step.

I think perhaps they need to do a little bit more.

But this is uh good concept, a good idea.

And we need to clean up uh a lot of our code, so a lot of uh action that the city should be taken.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

The next caller is next caller is legendary Detroiter.

Legendary Detroiter, you have two minutes on this topic only.

Well, the disbarment of uh city contractor.

That's what this topic is about, right?

Whether city contractor should be disbarred, but um maybe violate the city charter.

Well in that respect.

Um, and speaking frankly and bluntly candidly, uh I would like to ask a few questions.

Number one, does this apply this ordinance is it somehow related to other members of the uh community?

There might be city employees.

Um I I don't know the procedure exactly, but this is environment and um is really brought to my attention this matter about this uh dirty dirt, doesn't it?

Whoever did that dirty dirt situation should be disburned as well, and now let the time that you're disparating by Mr.

Ruben Crowley, we are not talking about the dirty dirt in investigation, we're talking about the amendment to ordinance chapter 17 of the 2019 Detroit City Cold, sir.

The next caller is Madam Chair, that isn't in a public comment.

Okay, thank you.

And seeing no one here in the chamber, um, Mr.

Mirable.

So attorney Green, do you want to handle the first question in regards to the lack of insurance being a reason for debarment or not?

Uh sure.

So again, uh Tyene Green or anything attorney.

The um whether or not we are able to debar for a lack of insurance really depends again on our jurisdiction, our jurisdiction, the charter limits it to uh allegations and issues of waste abuse, fraud and corruption.

And if, say, for instance, a contractor or vendor um is supposed to have insurance and and say claim to have insurance or perhaps submitted perhaps uh document stating that they had insurance when in fact they did not, that would fall in in our jurisdiction.

Um that would be the kind of thing that we would investigate.

So in in that perspective, from that perspective, yes, that would be something that uh that would be uh debarable offense.

And and for the record through the chair, we've actually had to debar someone for exactly that instance.

Um, what about the LLC tracing those who are part of the LLC?

We know that there's a principal or an agent on file, but they don't always have all the folks who are associated with the LLC listed.

How do you um um go after those who are really associated with that LLC had a hand in the formation of the LLC, but maybe not be listed in the you know on file with the state.

So one thing, oh pardon me.

So um the charter does require full disclosure of all persons who have a direct or indirect financial interest in matters or contracts before city council and before uh any city department, and so what they uh ought to be doing when they are applying and executing contracts with OCP is disclosing all of the owners, all of the persons who have uh that director of financial that direct or indirect financial interest.

Um they have uh I believe the exact charter section is escaping me right now.

Um, but that that is a requirement that they also be letting everyone know, letting OCP know and city council know who those owners are, even if it is an LLC or court, no matter what that entity formation is.

Okay, hopefully, Miss Dara and Miss Work were still listening.

Yes, ma'am.

And uh through the chair.

Um not all owners of a company may be debarred.

Um what we look at is if they were involved in the actions that evidence the uh dishonesty and lack of business integrity involving the city of Detroit.

We've seen several instances where an owner or uh someone involved in leadership acts sort of on their own and other people are not aware, and in which case we don't punish those that were not aware of what was going on.

And and through the chair also, we've had instances where companies that legitimately had a contract with the city of Detroit, um, and we've gotten a complaint that a debarred individual is involved in that, and this is once again a true life instance um where uh someone who was on the department list was a hidden member um of an organization, and and once we found out about that, that was an instance where that person's department was extended, um, and the individual that individual contractor also got debarred.

So we are constantly um on the lookout for for folks trying to get around the department and and you know we stand on guard against that.

Okay, you do a good job.

Any other questions from my colleagues for um the OIG and his team?

I'm chair.

I've had my comfort my questions answered.

Yeah, through the chair.

Mr.

Anderson.

One thing there was a lot of questions about the the dirty dirt, and if that was a part of this ordinance uh influence.

Uh I would say it wasn't one specific case.

This is exactly how government should work.

We have an ordinance, we have a body that implements their work, and as they're going through their process, they realize you know what we could tighten this up a little bit here.

You know what?

The abuse of discretion, we should have that explicitly stated in here.

In law, we don't like guessing, we don't like gray area, and that's exactly what this ordinance is doing.

Is it's adding additional black letter law and providing clarity exactly where we need it?

I think this is a great piece of legislation and uh a great piece of work that the OIG's office has put together in putting this ordinance together, and that's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you for that, Mr.

Anderson, and my sentiments as well.

Um, Member Miller, did you have your hand raised?

Well, I just wanted to say I appreciate the language as well.

It's just as our contractor accountability, and it actually uh puts us in the forefront so we can see things that's coming and we can let them know that we are serious about doing service with the city of Detroit.

So I have no questions or comments.

I appreciate the additional language added into the charter.

Yeah.

Thank you so much, Member Miller.

Member Benson doesn't have any other questions, neither do I.

Did you want to end with anything?

We just want to thank this body for its continued support and also the law law department uh for helping facilitate this.

Oh, and your office in particular for for sponsoring this.

Yeah, thank you so much, sir.

I'm going to defer to the parliamentary.

Our next steps is since we just had the public hearing on this ordinance.

Are we should we be making a motion to move it to formal?

What happens, parliamentary?

Okay.

So is there a motion on line item uh six regarding the ordinance amendment to chapter 17 of the 2019 Detroit City Code Finance Article 5?

Motion to send a formal recommendation to approve.

Okay, there's a motion to move line item six to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you for your good work.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson, for working with um the office of the inspector general to make this happen.

I'm sure we can gavel with that.

Okay.

That closes out the public hearing for line item six ordinance amendment to chapter 17 of the 2019 Detroit City Cold Finance Article 5.

Now we will gavel in the public hearing for the continued public hearing for line item 7, which is the proposed ordinance amendment to chapter 45 of the 2019 Detroit City Code telecommunications, and I think this is is this direct TV?

Through the chair, that is correct.

And if those individuals could please come forward if they are here through the chair uh Scott Alexander should be available via Zoom.

Okay, so they're not here in person as we requested.

Well, through the chair, to be fair, he is in Texas.

Oh, he's in Texas.

Okay.

So they don't have an office here in Detroit.

Not who we dealt with.

All righty.

All right.

So if he could be moved um up as a panelist, his name is what again?

Scott Alexander.

Mr.

Alexander from Texas.

From director B.

Madam Chair, uh, Mr.

Alexander is on.

Okay, Mr.

Alexander, you want to introduce yourself, please?

Make sure you can hear me.

Yeah, we can't see you, but we can hear you.

Can you come on screen?

Let me see if I can do that too.

Hold on a second.

Trying to do that.

Sorry for the delay there.

That's me there.

Can anyone see Mr.

Alexander from Texas?

Hello?

That's you where?

We can't see you, Mr.

Alexander.

I can oh really, I can see myself there.

What do I need to do there?

Maybe want to reverse the camera off your side.

No, it's on the it's right on the laptop there.

I'm so sorry.

Um let me see.

Do I have to just click an okay there?

My apologies here.

Well, Mr.

Alexander, I'm not gonna um hold up the public, I'm not gonna hold up the public hearing because you can't come on screen.

Maybe before we end, you'll be able to come on screen, but we can hear you clearly.

Is that okay with um uh member Benson and Member Miller that we can't see him on screen, but we can certainly hear him.

Okay, so I have no problem with it.

Okay, neither do I.

Okay, um, Mr.

Um and Anderson, I'll defer to you first, and then we'll hear from Mr.

Scott Alexander of Texas from Direct TV.

Yes, through the Chair Graham Anderson Law Department again.

This is a matter that we got into detail two weeks ago, and this is uh the continued public hearing, as I uh mentioned uh at uh the original public hearing.

This is a franchise agreement between uh direct TV and the city of Detroit for a ten-year agreement, which is governed by state statute.

This is uh providing uh uh direct TV with uh the ability to um uh operate in the city of Detroit.

Uh but this is something that in the contract negotiations, everything was pretty much set in stone by state statute.

There wasn't a lot of really wiggle room for this or that.

Um and we look forward to uh moving forward with this contract.

And if uh if there's anything that uh Mr.

Alexander has to add or if you have any questions uh for him directly, um I'm happy to assist as well.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Mr.

Alexander Yes, ma'am.

You want to introduce yourself?

I I'll do so.

This is Scott Alexander, I'm the senior director of external affairs uh with DirecTV, um based in Dallas, Texas, although our company is based uh out of El Segundo, California.

I pre prior to this, I had about 37 years of service with ATT, including working with many people uh in Michigan on the Uverse TV service, uh which is uh a video product that ATT offered for a good number of years, and then in uh 2021, ATT spun that service off to uh direct TV, and it's statewide video franchise uh was spun to uh direct TV in the state of Michigan, and that would include uh the local uniform video franchise agreement that was executed with the city of Detroit by ATT.

Uh so we as Direct TV inherited that agreement from ATT.

It's a standard form agreement using a form that the Michigan Public Service Commission has, and we use that uniformly across about 340 municipalities in the state of Michigan.

Um I think as uh Mr.

Anderson indicated, we're looking to just simply renew that agreement using all former terms and conditions that the previous agreement had.

Okay, thank you, Mr.

Alexander.

And what's in it for the residents of the city of Detroit?

How is the city of Detroit benefiting from this 10-year agreement?

Okay, the city of Detroit uh as the municipal franchising entity receives five percent of the gross revenues from the product on a quarterly basis as a franchise fee, and then an additional percentage.

I'll need to check that could be one or two percent of the gross revenues for a peg fee, which is public education and government uh fee to fund any operations it has for uh city cable channel broadcast any questions from my colleagues from Mr.

Andre Alexander Hearing no questions, no further questions for Mr.

Alexander None for me.

Okay, member Benson.

Uh no questions okay.

All right, anyone here for public comment on this line item regarding direct TV's tenure agreement with the city through the chair, yes, Mr.

Mr.

Anderson.

As we did call public comment uh two weeks ago, it's not necessary to call public comment, of course, though.

As the chair, you have the opportunity to call public comment again if you so desire, but there's no requirement at this point.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um, it does say continued because we didn't finish because the representative wasn't here.

So out of respect for the residents who were on the call, but because Mr.

Alexander was not available, this is a continuation of that public comment.

So is there Mr.

Brox?

Is there anyone on who would like to make public comment regarding the this um line item regarding this agreement?

Mr.

Bronx.

Yes, uh, yes, madam chair.

We have four speakers.

Yes, and the first caller is, and they have two minutes to ask questions of Mr.

Alexander.

Hopefully, Mr.

Alexander, you you are listening.

These are questions that are directed to you.

The first caller is the first caller is Cindy Dara.

Cindy Dara, only on this um topic, ma'am.

You have two minutes, Ms.

Dara.

Mr.

Brocks, if you can move Ms.

Dara to the end of the queue, the next caller is the next caller is owner Papa.

Owner Popper, you have two minutes regarding this um agreement between direct TV and the city of Detroit, Miss Ona Popper, Mr.

Brocks.

We can move her to the end of the queue.

The next caller is next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

Davis, you have two minutes on this topic, the 10-year agreement between Direct TV and the City of Detroit.

Yes, thank you.

Can I be heard?

You can be heard, sir.

Okay.

Uh my question is this.

I'm not with Comcast, you know, because many people in the city try have Comcast.

You know, we have like three or four um stations that the city can utilize, you know, 10, 21, and a couple others.

Uh will they also provide um channels that uh uh um for direct TV that and and can they list the potential channel uh number and will we be able to uh is there anything about increasing over time the fee that we receive?

Those are my questions.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

The next caller is Mr.

Brocks.

Next caller is Sahira Ahmad.

Ms.

Ahmad, you have two minutes, and good morning, ma'am.

Good morning, thank you.

Um that's I have the same question that um Mr.

Williams or the previous person in.

Um do can they offer us more than five percent for the city over 10 years?

I know y'all make a lot of money, you're on a stock exchange uh uh reparations.

Uh how much uh is the city in my in monetary terms actually getting?

I know you said five percent.

Um, but uh what actually does that mean for us lay people?

We'd like to know, and over time, can it increase the benefit for the city?

Because we've been dealing with um uh Comcast and direct TV and all these other entities.

Uh, while they make more money and more money and more money off the city.

Can you um can you get offer a better deal?

That's really what I want to know.

Okay, thank you.

Have a blessed day, everybody.

You two, Mr.

Mott.

Do we have any other callers, Mr.

Um Brox?

Yes.

Um, the next caller is legendary Detroiter, legendary Detroiter.

You have two minutes.

Legendary Detroiter, you have two minutes, Mr.

Brocks.

The next caller is you can yes.

No, you gotta give me the prompt to unmute myself.

I didn't receive it.

So now, as it relates to this uh uh inner, well, not internet protocol television, the cable company.

Now I have a couple questions.

How was this contract with the city obtained?

How was this contact with the city obtained and who actually was uh behind you know authoring the contract?

I want to know the names.

I know like to know the exact dates of everything involved with this contract because I feel as a Detroit citizen resident and taxpayer over in seven different districts in the city of Detroit now, seven total districts.

Uh that's the whole city, every district in the city.

I feel as though my uh cable service is not uh appropriately the the money's that's going to the cable company, it's not reaching any black hands here in Detroit.

It's all going elsewhere, and that's what I got a biggest problem with now.

So now that I got decided to come out the bag, I'm I'm in the internet protocol television, but this cable company.

I like to know everything about everything on the cable.

Can the law department can the law department provide a summary report on everything regarding this contract, provide it to the council members and post it up on the web page so all the citizens in Detroit can look at it?

We need to really assess how this cable business has been dealt with ever since Don Barton.

Um exited the picture, and I'm black bag, and I'm outside, outside, outside, outside with it now.

The next caller is Mr.

Brocks.

The next caller is Owner Papa.

Miss Owner Popper, you have two minutes.

Uh thank you.

And through the chairman, I've been heard.

He could be heard.

Thank you, Carolyn Hughes.

Um, yes, my question is um, we have several um different franchises to um facilitate the telecommunications.

And um I'm wondering if do I need to have direct TV in order to see what they're providing to the city?

Um like Comcast or any other, or will they have different stations?

Will this add to the number of stations that we have uh access to available uh to uh maybe uh present more of the public hearings, more of the public meetings.

Um so and I and I'm also wondering if they're uh just giving the same service that that Comcast is giving.

Are they uh giving more service um to the city?

Um thank you.

Thank you, Miss Hughes.

Um are there any other callers, Mr.

Brocks?

Yes, uh, we have Cindy Dara.

Miss Dara, you have two minutes, ma'am.

Miss Dara?

Yeah, okay.

Uh years ago we had uh uh shit.

I can't I excuse me.

We had this uh before we had Tomcast.

We had a uh uh thing where the the first they we could go and make movies and put them up on their uh cable station and Steve Hume is the first person who actually videotaped the city council and start putting it up on their channel, and he did that with they they let him the camp well, he brought a camera, but they they helped him edit and get it up on TV so that we could do our own stuff too.

And that disappeared when you went to Comcast that that was a big mistake.

If you want to empower the people, you should demand that we get back to something like we had before, where we can actually, and they have it.

I I went out in the suburbs too.

They they have stuff out there too.

It wasn't perfect, but I really would like to see that going on.

Because then we could maybe get some of our own people to go video tape the waterboard meetings and get them up online if you don't want to do it.

If you if you get the right thing, there may be people willing to do that, and it won't cost us a lot of money.

But uh what they they need to have that studio that we can work out of, and and also they need to put it on, I don't know, channel 10, but we gotta figure out how you're gonna put it up there.

So that's what I'd like to see.

I I uh uh uh AT is that I think that's who you mentioned.

I I started to change phones uh uh service and then when they all their offers you had to wait three or four months before they start giving you back what they promised you in the first place, and it was too hard.

I thought thank you, Ms.

Dara.

Any other callers, Mr.

Brox?

Madam Chair, that isn't in the public comment.

Thank you so much.

Um anything else, Mr.

Alexander.

You had about eight questions.

Yeah, would you like me to see if I can recap any responses that I have there?

If you have some responses um ready to um share with the public commenters who call it, that would be great.

I I I can.

They may not be in the order uh, you know, that folks were talking about them in, but I'll I'll try and recap that a little bit.

I heard several questions around the area of what we call peg channels, public education and government programming.

And so under the franchise agreement, uh, from day one, we're required to carry and offer the same number of public education and government channels as say, for example, Comcast, we'll just say Comcast pick on them.

Uh there are, I believe the incumbent cable provider uh there that originally had those public education and government channels.

Uh we're required to offer the city capacity on our system for the same number of channels, which we do and we always have.

However, the programming on those channels is completely up to the city or to designated programming providers.

So if the city has designated that to a public access entity or to a school district, and I'll just use that as an example.

We have no control over uh what programming would go on those channels.

And I heard someone kind of ask, well, maybe someone could go videotape a meeting and put that up.

That is entirely up to the city or its designees, and we just provide the capacity.

Now again, we're talking about just the Uverse TV service here.

Um any public education and government channels on the Uverse TV service are on channel 99 on Uverse, and then there is a menu of cities there, and the customer can select Detroit and watch Detroit.

Uh, just like a customer in Southfield could select Southfield, or they could even watch Detroit if they wanted to.

So we offer a wide access to those particular channels.

I also heard a question about the monies that the city uh would receive under such an agreement or has been receiving, and would continue to receive a five percent franchise fee and a two percent peg fee based on the gross revenues of the service.

So that is tied by law in the state of Michigan to the gross revenues under a particular definition of gross revenues in the agreement.

Uh so whatever that is on a quarter, that is what's paid to the city.

Um it we don't have the ability to really change that because that is uh specified in the statute uh in in Michigan, those percentages.

The two percent pay fee is the maximum, and the five percent franchise fee is the maximum that you can receive.

All right.

I believe someone else, I'm sorry, one more.

Uh I believe someone else asked, well, how the contract was authored.

And I'll very briefly just say we are using a standard uniform agreement that is downloadable from the Michigan Public Service Commission website.

It's the same agreement that ATT was using in 2007, same one that was renewed in 2016 with ATT, and uh we're going to renew that again uh without I think essentially changing anything other than the uh note of noticing personnel and the you know contact information for city personnel and of course uh our contact information that's all thank you, Mr.

Alexander.

Any other questions from my colleagues?

Okay, seeing no questions.

Is there um a motion to move this line item?

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action will be taken.

Um thank you so much.

And we're gonna close out the public hearing, and the motion has been taken to move it to formal with a recommendation to approve.

We're gonna move back.

Thank you, Mr.

Alexander.

We're gonna move back to our regular agenda.

We have an uh um interview for an appointment of Mr.

Fred Durhall the third to the downtown Detroit Development Authority, and you know you you know the process.

Probably know it better than anybody else in this room, Mr.

Durha.

Now we get to drill you.

We get to grill you.

Get your get your get your questions ready, uh, Member Miller.

Member Benson.

Good morning, Mr.

Durhall.

How are you?

Good morning, madam chair, and good morning to this honorable body.

Uh pleasure to be back in the committee of the whole this morning.

Uh good morning uh as well, Member Miller who is joining us online.

Uh Fred Durhall, Director of State Governmental Affairs for the Mayor's Office.

Okay, good morning, sir.

And uh we have your resume and um your letter of interest here in front of us.

Um Member Miller, you do have it in your email.

Yes, I have it.

Okay.

Um I don't have any questions.

Um do my colleagues have any questions for Mr.

Dolhall regarding his appointment to the Detroit to the downtown development authority?

Discussion.

Discussion.

Member Benson.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr.

Durrhall, thank you for uh being here today.

Good to see you on the um down in our chambers again or up in our chambers again and a different position.

So welcome.

Um you have extensive history when it comes to development when it comes to housing.

Now moving over as a representative of the city and of the mayor to the downtown development authority.

What plans, if any, do would you like to see change or what initiatives implemented at the DDA as a board member in this position?

Yes, uh, through through the chair to member Benson, uh having that extensive knowledge, experience, uh, and economic development, obviously sitting on that side of the table, uh playing a role as as all of us have in the last four years in the revitalization of Detroit, uh, and now working for our mayor uh who has pushed us to rise higher here in the city of Detroit, but create a greater connectivity between our downtowns and our neighborhoods.

Uh, that would be a focus.

Uh so smoke, you know, focusing on small business, for example.

Uh, we know small businesses are a catalyst uh for jobs.

Those folks go back into the neighborhoods, have the ability to pay their rent, pay their mortgages.

Uh, but oftentimes we know in this in the city of Detroit downtown, we'd like to see more small businesses that are minority businesses as well, extend that opportunity to them and create more opportunities so they can develop commerce down here in this area and not just specifically commercial corridors that are adjacent to the neighborhoods.

Uh I would also say uh as we talk about jobs, getting folks back to work, right?

Uh we know as we talk about housing and you know, potentially housing crises.

Uh we also have uh income crisis and a job crisis.

You and I have had a conversation, member uh Benson extensively about that.

We've got to get uh Detroiters back to work, so we've got to create more opportunities uh in uh our downtown to be able to do that.

Uh I would also say captur some of the revenue and reprogramming that revenue uh from the DDA so it extends farther out into the neighborhoods, providing more opportunities for commercial corridors and extending those commercial corridors as they lead into our downtown, but also back into our neighborhoods.

Uh we've had discussions when we uh have said that sometimes folks will come downtown and they say, Man, it's great down here, and now driving back to the neighborhoods.

Uh, I know our mayor has been very focused on improving the quality of life uh of our residents closer to their neighborhoods, so everybody feels that growth, uh, and that will be a focus of mine as well.

Uh and I would finally say again, just supporting innovative ways.

Uh, when you look at the DDA, some of that funding obviously is restricted, but there are unrestricted funds that we can take a greater focus and put those projects uh into the neighborhoods uh so residents can also feel the benefit uh of those projects.

Okay, and then can you just um expand on the thoughts around affordable housing, market rate housing uh in the DDA's boundaries to further grow our residential base in the downtown area?

Yeah, affordable housing obviously uh is important.

Uh you know, when we talk about the city of Detroit and and particularly how we gained population and how we grew uh in the early 1900s, one is because jobs existed, but people could afford to live here.

So affordable housing is very important.

But market rate housing is important as well because it helps stabilize the market to ensure that we are not leaving folks out.

Uh as the mayor has articulated uh when we talk about the missing middle, those folks uh who go to work every single day uh and pay their want to pay their rent, pay their mortgage, but don't qualify for some of the subsidies that we have.

Uh there's a tremendous amount of opportunity to expand for them to ensure that we are having folks move back here to the city, that we are setting a narrative that Detroit is a place that you can work, play, live, and continue to build a family.

Uh those are gonna be the focuses as we talk about housing.

Uh, you know, the mayor has pushed uh and talked about building close to a thousand uh single family homes in her first four years.

Uh we're gonna be very aggressive on that, and we're gonna utilize all the tools that we possibly can to accomplish that goal.

Okay, and then just lastly, any other initiatives or programs you'd like to talk about uh moving forward that the mayor says is going to champion based on your ability to uh direct and guide the DDA.

Yeah, I I would just go back to looking at some of those unspent funds uh and reprogramming them.

Uh you know, administrations in the past have utilized those funds differently, as you know, our mayor is very neighborhood centered and their neighborhood focused.

Uh, but she also knows that a strong business community is a strong city of Detroit.

And so I think for the very first time we have that opportunity to bridge that gap from our neighborhoods to our business community in a way that you won't uh that you have not seen before.

Uh and so we're very hopeful to continue that level of continuity uh and not to use our phrase and and and the company slogan now, but continue to rise higher here uh in the city of Detroit.

Challenge our residents, challenge our business community to all come together uh so we have a better Detroit.

Okay, and then lastly, uh Mr.

Durhall, looking forward to what you're gonna do on the DDA, but just to um advocate for extending the invitation and the ecosystem to our families with young children, oftentimes the narrative is about unsupervised youth, but we like to see the ability for families to bring their children downtown to enjoy the amenities that we have here.

And so when we have movie days in the downtown area, when you have um activities throughout the downtown that really engage and encourage parents to bring young families down, I think that also changes the ecosystem and the environment for a positive and helps to encourage more families to live, work, and play within the city of Detroit.

So I hope that you all will give thought to that as well.

And as a father of young children, I know that you can appreciate the ability to have spaces where your families are safe and they feel welcome and comfortable versus when that's not the case, and that can often be the case in downtown.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Madam Chair, may I through you to Member Benson?

Uh, as you may know, that has been one of our mayor's focuses, and I think one of the greatest initiatives she has uh pushed since she's been the mayor.

Uh, we have our Office of Youth Affairs, we have Dr.

Chanel Hampton, uh, we have Juwan Howard, who are many of you, uh many of us should I say are familiar with.

Uh, there has been a very uh focus or centered focus on our youth.

Uh, what amenities downtown can we provide uh to them to ensure that it's inclusive uh for them?

But also again, changing the narrative that downtown can be a place for families.

So as we see some of these projects come, we see the possibility of expanding the riverfront and possibly building something that's Navy peer-like, uh, that is you know, prime for families to come down here and enjoy.

Uh, I think those conversations will be very fluid, uh, particularly if I am a member of the DDA uh with your approval uh and your appointment and confirmation.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Durhal.

Um, Member Miller, do you have any questions for um Mr.

Durhal?

Good morning, Mr.

Durhal through the chair.

How are you, sir?

Good morning through uh through you, Madam Chair to Member Miller, good morning to you.

Yes, I have I am proud to have received a portion of your district through the redistricting.

And I am honored to serve for Russell Woods, the Northern Park area, and I know you are a staunch advocate for your district.

You let me know personally to take care of your people, and I have been trying to do so.

Um I just wanted to say to you, congratulations for stepping forward to serving a DDA.

Coming from city council and being a neighborhood advocate, I only have a few questions.

And one is a lot of residents here development.

But don't always feel included in it.

What is equitable development mean to you personally?

Through you, uh, Madam Chair, and first thank you, Member Miller.

Uh, you have been serving the the residents of that district well, and and uh we certainly hear about it.

Uh often say between you and member McCampbell, we kind of got to upgrade for parts of my district.

So uh that that's that's a great thing.

Uh equitable development looks like everyone having a seat at the table and having you know opportunity uh to be able to thrive, but it also uh looks at uh how we support those folks.

Uh so even as we talk about small businesses, I've said it uh many times over, it's one thing to open a small business, but how do we ensure that we're providing the resources where these small businesses can stay open?

Uh if we open a door for opportunities for smaller developers, minority developers to come in, how are we providing them with the resources and decreasing, as they would say, the butt for for the projects that they have so they can get off of the ground?

Uh we know that smaller and minority developers generally develop in commercial corridors adjacent to our neighborhoods.

Uh how do we provide more opportunity for them to do that even downtown?

So that would be a focus as we talk about equitable uh development to see that smaller and minority developers are not just having the ability to develop in those corridors adjacent to our neighborhoods, but also in downtown, just like everyone else.

Okay, and for me, this is a big one.

Many residents feel major projects are decided before the community is even informed.

How do we build trust in the development process?

From from your perspective coming from council, because even now, when they hear development, is is is it's like a phobia.

But they feel disconnected.

So what do you think?

Give me advice how I can rebuild trust through the development process.

Through you, Madam Chair, to Member Miller, uh, you know, one of the things that I would tell you just in my experience uh is transparency.

Um, you know, eliminating some of the narratives uh that may exist uh or the negative connotations that uh come with develop development in our community.

Transparency is huge, uh going to the community, having those conversations.

Uh the previous council uh in which I served, I think did a very good job of challenging the status quo on what transparency is, ensuring that there are fair community benefit processes under our community benefits ordinances.

Uh I will personally say to you that I think it is a great idea uh to go to your residence and hold uh town halls on development.

Uh and you bring the DEGC, you bring the DDA, you bring these other entities to talk about tips or or tax incremental financing, tax abatements, so they have the opportunity as well to ask those questions, but also uh possibly learn more uh how the process works.

And so uh I think again that transparency and that communication between council offices, our development community, our business community, and most importantly, our residents creates a healthy ecosystem here in the city of Detroit where development and business can thrive.

Thank you, sir.

I appreciate that.

I just want our residents to hear what you had to say regarding it.

Last question closing.

As you step into this new role, what should Detroit residents expect or actually see from the DDA over the next few years now that you're a part of it?

Yeah, thank you.

And and under the leadership of our next mayor, I or next mayor, our current mayor, uh I I will tell you uh she again is a staunch advocate.

You will see a stronger voice at that table, uh, that is more resident and negative neighborhood focused, but again, more collaborative, I think, uh, as we talk about what business and development looks like here in downtown, uh, but also in our neighborhoods.

Uh you could expect to see uh someone that will provide transparency.

I'm a very collaborative uh individual.

Uh love to work with the council and get some of your ideas of what you like to see.

Uh, what I can tell you of having a strong mayor who has come from council and then uh someone who she's now my boss.

I work for her.

Uh we understand uh your thoughts, we understand your concerns because we have sat in those seats and we understand the importance of engaging with you so you could see a stronger presence, at least for me, uh as well as the mayor, on how we engage with you uh relative to some of the plans that we have for development in our communities and our neighborhoods alike.

Thank you.

I have no more questions.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Um, thank you, Mr.

Dirthall.

I have a couple questions.

Umtown is not for families.

Um they're focused on men who drink beer and watch sports.

That's it.

A hundred percent.

Everything we're doing is geared toward that demographics, and we know that to be true.

Not less you the the the man can bring the woman with him and they'll drag a child with them.

But a lot of times that's not the case.

The tickets can be costly, but our downtown is not family inclusive.

It really isn't.

We I don't even think we have a movie theater.

We used to have about six.

I think we're down to zero.

Now, somebody correct me, member Dirthall.

If we have a movie theater downtown, please let me know.

Uh to you, madam chair, I remember being a young man going to the Renaissance Center uh and it was a movie theater there.

It doesn't exist anymore.

I hope I'm not dating myself.

I am 42 years old.

But um there is an opportunity of one Cosm will will kind of do that as a project we passed last year.

But you know, I I would agree, I I would like to see a more family-oriented uh downtown being a father of two children, um, you know, having a beautiful wife, uh, and we try to frequent downtown.

I had to throw that plug in, you guys know.

Well, she's with us here today, my soul in the back row.

I don't I don't I don't want any problems when I go home.

You won't have any.

I'm surrounded by bosses that are women, you, madam chair, the mayor, and then the most important boss in the back.

But uh, you know, what I would say is those are the conversations that I hear uh from our mayor, from my wife, from you members uh of this council, member Benson as well.

How do we make it more family oriented?

And it starts with getting in those rooms and being intentional when you talk to developers and saying if you're doing projects, you know what what's the conversation of how it will be inclusive for families?

Are we building you know uh a development that is family friendly that we'll feel comfortable with our children coming in?

Um, you know, I don't drink beer, uh, but but what I will say, uh there are folks down here uh again that add that adds to our revenue, but you gotta have both components, right?

Um you gotta have ice cream cones, you gotta have snow cones, you gotta have boat rides, you gotta have these things that we see in other cities and municipalities around the country.

Uh, and I know our mayor is very focused on bringing that here, and so you'll see those discussions change, particularly as we talk about development uh here in the downtown area, but also again uh in our neighborhoods.

Yeah.

Um, thank you for that, Mr.

Durhall.

Um, there's some um pictures um, I think at the historical museum, and when you used to enter Bell Ow, they used to have like a Ferris wheel, different rides.

Um we don't have that anymore.

We used to have Edgewater Park, we used to have Bob Low.

Um that probably um gives my age, but um, we have none of that for our children.

There's nowhere, and and and miss and and member Benson will disagree, disagree with me somewhat because he's found a lot of places for um his family to enjoy his son.

But um I still disagree and still will advocate for places for children to enjoy themselves and have a decent birthday party.

We have nowhere in the city of Detroit.

We don't have a Chuck E.

Cheese, we don't have a uh what is it, Dave and Buster.

We have none of that in the city, and I don't think we ever have.

Uh I do remember again Edgewater Park Bablo, um, but we don't have those things.

We don't, we cannot enjoy the waterfront.

Um, not really if you go to Bell Isle, state-owned or state operated, you might be able to enjoy the um the water and the beach there.

But um the ferry, I'm hoping we'll get that ferry service where we can do park hops like people do bar hops.

I'm hoping we can hop on and off of ferry service if we just if we can just get two.

You know, when you were here on the council, we approved um that study.

That study was done a year and a half ago, and those who were surveyed want the ferry service.

And I don't know um what the holdup is, but I'm hoping you will um um um lend your voice to that um coming to the city of Detroit.

And then you talked about unrestricted funds.

I've never heard that before with the DDA.

I always thought that it had to be funds used for downtown.

So tell me a little bit about what the unrestricted funds look like.

Can you attach a dollar amount and what can those funds be used for?

Can we go outside of the downtown area using those unrestricted funds?

Because I've never heard of that before.

Yeah, so we're we're having very fluid conversations um with the DDA about what that fund balance looks like.

Um it'd be premature to say what that is right now.

Um but what I what I will tell you is uh there is a possibility uh because as you know, debt service was a huge part of the DDA uh and they have paid down a significant amount uh of their debt service.

Uh when we talk about restricted funds and and what's important to understand about the DDA is that it is not just funds that come from the city of Detroit, but other taxing jurisdictions uh around us, our county for instance.

Uh and so uh as we talk about moving those funds, we have to take those other taxing jurisdictions into account and cannot just utilize those funds for the city of Detroit.

Uh I will tell you that about 64 percent uh of the funds and and TIFF uh revenues that come uh they come from other taxing jurisdictions.

We uh uh are about 36 percent of our general fund goes into the DDA.

Um but as we're looking at that, uh and as our mayor is looking at that, uh she has posed very strong questions.

She says, I want to ensure that our neighborhoods are filling the growth of our downtown.

And so those are some of the initiatives that we are looking at, and so funds that can be spent that are not restricted, that are not part of the other taxing jurisdictions that are not attached to debt service, uh, and we have the possibility of using uh we will definitely have those discussions because if those funds are used, we're gonna have to come in front of council and have those discussions with you anyway.

But she is examining that.

Um, you know, she has made it very very plain uh that she wants a beautiful vibrant downtown, but she wants beautiful, vibrant neighborhoods, and if we can find a way to connect the two and bridge that gap, we're gonna do so.

Thank you for that.

And we have to connect the gap, and we want um everyone to um enjoy downtown and not um the demographic that um to me, in my opinion, um it's geared toward.

And uh we know what that demographic is and does not include children.

So um I'm going to send um uh someone I I I can send it to you.

I was in Dearborn yesterday, and they've converted a Home Depot into a play area for families.

They have trampolines, they have bumper cars, they have bowling um bowling alley, um, they have put hut golf, they have arcades right at the whole um Home Depot across the parking lot from Walmart off of Ford Road.

So we have nothing like that in the city of Detroit.

We don't have Putt Putt Golf, we don't have for our children in the neighborhoods.

There's nowhere for them to go.

Not in District 2, not in District 7, not in District 1.

I can't speak to District 3.

I don't know about well, district 4 that got that new dome over there.

That's that that looks like that's a lot of fun.

But we need something for children, and I'm gonna keep saying, although my children are adults now, they miss the opportunity to really um have fun in the city.

We always had to go across eight mile to do the things I'm describing today.

But um, bowling.

Yeah, I don't think we have any in the city of Detroit.

I think we don't.

I don't want to hear about the garden one on Woodward because that's adults.

That really is adults.

But we don't even have a bowling alley that I'm aware of.

It's huge as this city is bowling alley, bumper cars, just basic stuff for children, fun.

We don't want them taking over downtown or our neighborhoods in a negative way.

They're crying out for fun.

Why are we allowing our children to grow up in this city, not all of them, and not have a fun experience?

They can't tell you they went bowling, they have to go across eight mile, they can't tell you they have bumper bowling, they can't tell you about trampolines, not unless they got one in their backyards.

Just basic fun, right?

And I'm gonna keep talking about it.

And if Dearborn can convert a Home Depot into a place for families to have fun with their children, we we should do no less because right now we are not doing good by our children.

And Madam Chair, I will tell you you are speaking the mayor's language as I've heard her say that as we talk about and not using this point to have a shameless plug, but you have heard her that she is being going to be very aggressive on retail as well.

You know, we're going to look to fill a position for a director of retail here.

Uh, and that is to attract some of those other entities to come here, like you mentioned the Dave and Busters.

You mentioned, you know, some of the bowling alleys and or uh like an airtime uh that could be here in the city proper uh for families to enjoy.

And so we're gonna have a very aggressive retail strategy uh as well as we look into bring you know some of those businesses here because uh that is uh gonna be very instrumental in our growth here, uh right.

Uh as we talk about growing the city of Detroit and building a place that is for families, uh, it has to include those amenities that families enjoy.

Uh as a father, I will tell you I have spent six hours at a Dave and Busters uh multiple times.

Um, you know, the ability to be able to do that in the city of Detroit uh would be great, and I know our mayor has been focused on doing that as well.

So uh I'm excited uh and with the great council that we have and collaborating and just hearing some of your ideas.

Uh we're excited to see what the future of Detroit will be.

I often tell folks um we have kind of been that fee Phoenix uh rising from the ashes, we'll make sure it's not flying into the window.

Yeah, um a lot of that uh will take again some time, uh, but it takes the effort and the initiative, uh and I believe this administration and working in, I can tell you is very focused on ensuring that those things happen.

So thank you for that.

Um Mr.

Durh and I've spoken to the administration anywhere we travel, all of us, you'll find a target.

You'll find a Walmart, you'll find a Costco, you'll find a Burlington Cold Factory, you will find a Ross dress for less.

You'll find a TJ Maxx, but not in the city of Detroit.

Now I don't know if it's intentional, so we can take our dollars across eight mile to upgird their communities, but I promise you we need a target, a Walmart, a Costco, a TJ Maxx.

Ask my sisters.

We like TJ Maxx.

We like we like Ross dressed for less.

We like Burlington Coal Factory, we have none of the above.

I don't understand it.

Chicago has a couple targets.

Atlanta has a couple couple targets.

Now they're building one in Davis, Davidson, I think I think it's called Davisburg Township, 120,000 square feet, Target.

And they got 20,000 in their population.

And we have 700, close to 700,000 people live in this city, and we don't even have a target.

And when you go to Target in Southfield, they ask for your zip code, so they know where you're coming from.

But I'm gonna continue.

I don't know if I'm complaining or not, but why don't we have a target?

Why don't we have a Walmart?

Why don't we have a Kroger?

Why don't we have a Costco?

Why don't we have an Audience?

Why don't we have a TJ Maxx?

Why don't we have we only have one Marshall's in District Three, Woodward in Eight Mile.

Now we have two Myers and the most profitable Myers in the state of Michigan is at Eight Mile and Woodward.

The most profitable Home Depot.

I think we got one Home Depot, might have two.

It's at Seven Mile and Myers.

We spend money in the city.

So that's my commentary.

Thank you, Mr.

Durhal.

Anything else you want to add, sir?

I I would just add in closing again.

Uh it is a great opportunity to come in front of this honorable body.

Um you very well.

Uh and it's a very exciting time for the city.

And uh I would not call it complaining, madam chair.

Uh I will tell you addressing this issues is how change happens.

Uh opening our mouths, coming together, working in a collaborative effort will help us continue to grow the city.

Uh, you have a partner in our mayor as well as our administration, uh, and we look forward to pushing uh the envelope to ensure that we do have more retail, we do have a better downtown, but we have better neighborhoods in a better city uh because of all of our service.

So uh again, thank you so much uh for allowing me to interview with each and every one of you.

Uh I prepare myself as best because I know uh being on this side is a little bit different, but I appreciate the dialogue, the questions uh as well, and again the opportunity to appear in front of this honorable body.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um, Mr.

Durhaw.

Um, I don't have any other questions.

Do my colleagues have any other questions?

The chair, I just wanted to say uh I think we had the right person before us.

He is definitely a family man and family oriented, and I look forward to putting the pressure on him.

I would say uh that Detroit has been the mecca for small businesses.

When you hear about the black bottom, all the businesses being ripped out of there, that was ownership.

And Detroit has always strived to have that ecosystem.

I believe that's why we're last on when it comes to the big box businesses because we've always supported small businesses.

I believe that was the primary focus many years ago, and at somewhat it continues to be a focus for Detroit.

I have no problem with small business.

We we need to grow that infrastructure so we can have our corridors, and at the same time have those big box places for families.

I remember having a place to go and swim.

We used to swim at Maharas.

We had swimming pools.

Not only do we have swimming pools, we had swimmobiles, and we had things that families did together.

Places to picnic, so those are the things that I'm interested in.

Also, um chair, that we have places that families can attend.

We had the Adams Theater.

I remember going there and watching series and series of uh Friday to 13th.

There was things that we did within our city besides sports.

Our downtown is primarily for sports and restaurants and bars.

You had that head on, but we have to have places where we can go and have dual uh roles with our families.

So, Mr.

Um Durhal, you have uh uh a large charge for you.

I have your number on speed dial, and I'm sure uh our madam chair does so we can give you some ideas, but the DGC has been doing some amazing work, and now that we're expanding uh to our neighborhoods, we have a mayor that truly understands what uh uh city as a whole looks like, and that means that if our downtown is thriving, our neighborhood should be thriving as well.

So I'm gonna have to go off to her to bring in that in.

And uh, Mr.

Durhaw, I know you've already served in our community, so I look forward to you being that anchor to help push uh the GDA towards our neighborhoods, and we look forward to working with you.

And and madam chair, I think you do have a bowling alley on State Fair and Woodward.

Um member Miller, that's closed.

Are you serious?

I haven't seen it.

Oh, wow.

Really?

Yeah.

Well, listen, I hear you loud and clear, and the garden is for um late night bowling.

Yeah, yeah.

But thank you so much.

But I do let's make a list of what we are what we need and let's work together and try to um uh find some of this land.

We have a lot of land here.

Okay, we we could really do some things in Detroit.

So I look forward to working with you, Mr.

Durhaw.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Uh Mr.

Durh, that's it.

Hopefully, um, someone on your staff on your team from the administration can go and take a look at that uh converted Home Depot across the parking lot from Walmart in Dearborn off of Ford Road, sir.

They have everything a child would want to have and call it fun.

If we could please do that.

I don't have any other questions.

There are a recommendation to combine line item eight with line item 11.1, which is the resolution to support this appointment.

Motion to make the combination and forward to formal session with a recommendation to approve.

Are there any somebody did you did you say discussion?

Discussion.

And I just wanted to uh let my colleagues know that I just sent a photo of the garden bowl from this past February of a birthday party of six year olds.

After they cleared the air of the smoke, I don't know, I don't think they could smoke in there or the fumes from the liquor.

I'm sorry.

I allow people to know we do have spaces that may be non-traditional.

I know the Zanian family for quite some time.

They've also had small children who have grown up there, and they also appreciate the value that families bring when it comes to having safe, fun spaces for our children to play and recreate.

Thank you.

Hearing no objections, the action will be taken.

Um line item eight combined with 11.1 will be moved to formal session with a recommendation for approval, hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Dirthall.

Thank you, madam chair, and thank you all.

Please go and look at that Home Depot.

I will through you, Madam Chair.

I will go personally.

And I want to see some pictures.

I want to see a screenshot with you there.

It is it is close to D7, so I will I will go view it personally.

Uh you have my word.

I see my Sora back there, and she's doing like this.

Okay.

Thank you.

Love you guys.

Thank you.

We love you too.

Thank you so much, sir.

Madam Chair.

Discussion, Member Benson.

There's also a reuse in, I believe it's Shelby Township from another big box, and they've done the same thing, the jungle gyms and the bounce and in very high end uh electronic games as well.

And so the RCP would be.

Did you say that was in Detroit you saw?

Is it Shelby Township?

Oh, Shelby Township.

It's a reuse.

Okay.

Sort of showing you what can be done for some of our big boxes that no longer exists.

So we can do it.

We have a bunch of CVSs, right aids, walgreens closed.

We have schools that are closing, four that are going to be slated to close July 1st.

We should hop on that and make those fun places for families.

Thank you, Mr.

Durh and Mrs.

Durhall.

All right.

We will be going to our next interview with none other than Miss Stacy Clayton.

This is a joint appointment with the city council and the mayor's office.

If you could please take your seat, and you can hit the bottom of that microphone, it'll turn green.

This is an appointment to the Board of Ethics.

And Miss Clayton is no stranger to this floor.

We have your resume.

Um, and um I know I won't have any questions for you because I know you and everyone in the city knows you, and you are amazing when you were here.

You're amazing wherever you go.

And so I'll let you introduce yourself, ma'am.

Um good morning, Madam Chair, Councilmember Benson, Councilmember Miller.

I'm Stacey Clayton, proud native Detroiter, resident of District 5 in Lafayette Park, um graduate Renaissance High School, Wayne State University.

I have over 30 years of government and community relations experience at the local and state levels.

Um this is like coming back home to me.

This is where I got my start on this 13th floor, uh working for then, councilwoman Barbara Rose Collins in 1989 that started my trajectory to uh working for uh Mayor Young, Mayor Archer, several other council members here, including our wonderful council president Brenda Jones, and I'm back at Wayne State as regional relations director.

So um being at Wayne State, being up for consideration for joint appointment for the Board of Ethics, Mayor, and City Council is like coming full circle for me.

So very pleased with this opportunity.

Thank you so much.

Are there any questions from my colleagues for Miss Clayton?

Discussion.

Discussion.

Thank you for raising your hand to uh support our residents with the Board of Ethics.

Can you just talk about the uh Board of Ethics, what you'd like to see and any initiatives you like to establish or changes you'd like to see on the Board of Ethics?

Um sure.

So uh Board of Ethics is an independent oversight body that enforces ethics rules for government, city of Detroit government officials and um employees.

To me, the um Board of Ethics operating optimally will be that it doesn't have any work to do because everyone is following our ethics ordinance.

Um, right now I don't know that much about how they are operating what they're doing, so I wouldn't want to be prescriptive and just saying what changes I'd like to see, but I like to get in there.

And one of the things that I think that's very important that I've done in the various places that I've worked is to establish a strong relationship between that institution and the community.

I see the Board of Ethics as being a continuation of that work.

Uh Board of Ethics can be a bridge between public trust and government accountability and transparency, which is something that our residents reserve deserve.

So see that as being something that the board could do, and that I hope it'll be a part of increasing that.

Thank you.

Member Miller, any questions for Miss Stacy Clayton mute yourself.

Oh, forgive me.

Sorry, uh madam chair.

I have no questions for Ms.

Clayton.

I she has an impeccable resume.

I must say.

I've seen her in many uh instances throughout the city at different organizations meetings and as early as this morning.

We've already talked, so I am uh fine with the energy.

We move forward.

Thank you so much.

I absolutely have no questions.

Um is there a motion to move line item nine combined with line item 11.2, which is the appropriate resolution for this appointment?

Motion.

There's a motion to move line item nine combined with line item 11.2 to formal session with the recommendation for approval.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Um thank you so much, Ms.

Clayton, for being willing to um to serve in this capacity.

Thank you, and welcome back.

Absolutely.

All righty.

We'll move through the agenda.

We are now on line item 10.1, status of law department, settlement and lawsuit of motor city law, PLLC versus the City of Detroit.

Do we have any folks here from the law department who want to speak to this?

And thank you for being so patient.

You've been here since we walked through the door.

You want to introduce yourself, sir?

You have to hit the base of that microphone, it'll turn green.

Okay, it's green.

Uh, yes, madam chair, Eric Gobel uh from the City of Detroit Law Department.

I believe uh Mr.

Mallet is here as well.

He must have stepped out for a moment.

Uh but I I can begin if you'd like.

You can begin, sir.

Um when we were here before, you had a uh concern that the program that's involved in this settlement was um had taken judgments against financially distressed Detroit residents, and we tried to explain some of the details, although it's pretty complicated.

Um since that time, uh Mr.

Andy Munro, who came up with the program, submitted a um description of that that I believe he emailed to you and perhaps other people that kind of goes through how it was set up, what the concerns were raised, how they dealt with those.

Um but the the main thing is that the at the outset they were concerned about this issue of uh taking judgments against Detroit residents who themselves had perhaps been victimized by um overassessments and things like that.

So the what they did, they set up two different programs in this.

The first one is called the uh in personum program.

Um and that one was uh it involved properties that have been foreclosed on and forfeited and auctions being held.

Um but what they did there is they only applied that to individuals who owned multiple properties, so it wasn't just a small family or something, but it was typically people who looked like they were more um landlords or investors.

They also there were corporate entities as well.

That restriction didn't apply to those.

So different LLCs and companies and things of that nature were also part of the um in persona program.

Um but they were not subject to the two property minimum.

Uh the other part of the program was the third-party beneficiary program.

This was um again involved uh auctioned properties where the the bidders had agreed in in order to participate in the program that they would pay the taxes, both the taxes that were due and taxes from uh two years into the future.

Um again, these were not the individual city residents whose properties had been foreclosed on, these are people who came and bid people or entities probably more more commonly.

Um so these entities or persons would bid on properties, they signed a contract that in if they received the properties, they would then pay the taxes.

That's what this program was designed to capture.

Um so that's kind of the the two buckets uh we might call them that were involved here.

So I do you have additional questions?

No, I don't have additional questions.

Um any of my colleagues have any questions for Mr.

Gobble?

Discussion, Member Benson?

Thank you for being here today.

Um search for outstanding property taxes.

Um again, the the focus was on individuals who owned multiple properties, so it was not just the typical homeowner who didn't have enough money to pay the taxes.

I just want to make sure we reinforce that.

Correct.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

Um, Member Miller, any questions for Mr.

Gobble?

No, Mr.

Dow will answer the questions.

I know we were concerned as uh member misses spoke that we were making sure that we were not contacting residents who had already suffered or lost and lost their property because we have unfinished business with um the over taxing of property owners that actually lost their homes.

And you were making sure that none of those were included in these batches that they're gonna try to recoup.

I think I remember in my notes that the city will receive five million dollars from this.

Is that correct?

Uh it could receive five million dollars at the initial stage of this.

Of course, it depends on the the buying entity has a uh a period where it can do due diligence and see whether it's able to recover these.

Um at the end of that period, then they will make the decision if they're gonna go forward, then yes, there would be uh a five million dollar payment to the city, and then additional payments down the line.

But this is just authorizing the the beginning structure of that.

So, what would be the timeline look like for the initial payment if you decide to proceed?

Well, again, we're working this out with the the buying entity.

I believe we've been talking about four months for them to try to recover on these judgments, but in the meantime, when they're doing that, they would be remitting sums to the city.

So they will as soon as they get the documents, they will immediately begin uh trying to collect on them.

As they collect, they will um they will recover some of their expenses, but the additional funds that they recover, they will begin immediately paying the city as well as the other entities.

And then again, if they decide to go forward, that's when there's uh a larger uh sum being paid, 10 million dollars, which would be split between the city and some of the other entities.

Well, will you provide a report on the status of this as it goes?

Uh certainly I mean, I'm curious because if you guys can recoup that amount of money, maybe we need to adopt your um recouping process our own.

Um I know they tried diligently, but if you can actually be successful, I like to know about it.

That's all the questions that I have.

Thank you, sir.

Okay, thank you.

Um, thank you, Member Miller.

My question is, how do we get here?

It's kind of complicated.

Um, it looks like the uh law department entered agreements and didn't come before the council.

I mean, we're here now.

Um, how do we get here?

And it's just so convoluted to me.

Um, I haven't been able to really unravel it and have a clear understanding of what's happening here.

It's complicated.

It's been going on, I think for what, since 2017, law departments entering agreements, didn't come before the council, it's before us now, but it's it's it's complicated.

And um, you know, uh it doesn't seem like we're gonna get much from what is old.

I a lot of parties involved that perhaps shouldn't be involved, but everybody has their hand in it because they want some money.

So I it's complicated to me.

I I I still cannot understand um this case.

Um, and it didn't even come before the city council, and now it's seven years later.

Um, no, it's more than seven years if it started in 2017.

So I it's complicated for me.

And um, but we are here today, and we have to unravel this mess because that's what it is.

And then have we ever um talked to the department of um appeals?

They do a good job with collections.

They have um they get 30.

I think they're collecting 30 percent during budget.

They were here, they they they collect about 30 percent on their invoices on on what's old to the city.

And we're talking about a measly what how many percentage points.

So maybe we should use the system that they're using.

Have we had a conversation with them?

Because we're not getting very much back from what I can see, and you got a lot of people involved.

You got three parties involved.

You got Motor City, you got um the Allen group, and what's the group third group involved with this?

It's just it's just kind of to me um convoluted.

Mr.

Gowl.

Mr.

Anderson?

The Chair Graham Anderson Law Department.

That those are you know some fantastic questions.

Um I'm not sure if the Department of Appeals has a secret sauce.

If there is, we will absolutely figure out what that formula is.

Um I I suspect it might be just a little bit of uh different set of facts for the collections might make things a little bit more um easy for them to be more successful at that rate.

Uh, you know, free throw percentage versus batting average, so to speak.

Um, but but uh I will absolutely look into that.

I know uh that's something corporation council is committed to as well.

Um in addition to your previous questions about entering into contracts uh without city council approval, as you know, um uh chapter uh 1759 allows the law department to enter into contracts without city council approval.

However, it also does say that following that we are supposed to, I believe it is 60 days in that time, then present it to this body to make sure that it does go through the proper channels and everything.

And obviously, I can't go um back ten years ago and uh fix those issues.

Obviously, the ball was dropped at some point.

I I I would um it's council member Young says I would blame it to the law department's head, not its heart um uh in that uh period.

However, we are committed moving forward to make sure that that doesn't happen again and we don't end up in situations like this in the forward in the future.

Thank you.

Thank you, uh Mr.

Anderson.

Will um corporation counsel, I saw him twice.

Is he not coming back?

Through the chair, I'm not sure.

I know he wanted to be here for this discussion.

I'm not sure if he got uh tied up with something else at the last moment, though.

Okay.

Um I had a question, and I don't want the law departments to say it can't be done, because the law department does things that shouldn't be done, but you do it.

When the money is collected, I asked that a special fund be set up, that it not go into the general fund to help our retirees to help those who were impacted by these cases.

And um I really didn't get a clear response, but I would like to know what is the possibility.

Um do I need to seek outside counsel, or would you be able to answer that question?

Because I know it can be done.

The funds that we're gonna collect, excuse me, Mr.

Anderson, don't have to go to the general fund.

A special fund for these funds can be established to help anyone who was impacted by any of these cases.

This is a multitude of cases.

We're talking somebody was impacted by some of what's happening here.

So, you know, in our unraveling of all of this, I'm just wondering why we wouldn't be able to set up that special fund so these funds could be earmarked and helping our retirees.

If there's some legal hoops we need to jump through, I'm hoping we'll be able to do that.

So we'll know exactly where these funds are gonna go and the impact that they're gonna have on um Detroiters.

Mr.

Anderson?

Through the chair, I don't know if Brother Council Gabo has an analysis on that, but if not, I'm happy to provide one.

Mr.

Gobble.

Um that's a good question.

We're not sure if that would be uh an executive function or a legislative function.

Um I I think that it might be more properly an executive function.

However, certainly in passing a resolution, there can be a uh suggestion that the funds that are collected be devoted to that purpose.

But I think we can we don't need to make that decision at this point.

I think that we can do a further analysis and we can refine that before it goes before the full council, and that same type of recommendation or um amendment of the resolution can be done at that point.

That sounds reasonable.

Um so you're saying a resolution wouldn't be needed now, it may be needed in the future, and you're going to refine what you just said so it could be put into a resolution form to be brought to on the um the this honorable body.

I'm saying that in order to pass it to the full council, we don't need to make that decision right now.

I it's a good question.

But I think that we have time to address that before it goes to the full council.

Okay.

Because I I'm sure we will have um, I'm sure we can have that support from the council on this one question, whether or not um you know the funds going into the general firm fund versus going to a special fund for home repairs, maybe retirees, something that has some type of impact on our residents, and that's my question.

Good afternoon, Corporation Council Mallet.

Good afternoon.

I'm sorry to be late.

Uh Madam Chairperson.

Sometimes you know the council responsibilities overlap.

Uh, we had scheduled a call with uh councilperson uh Letitia Johnson.

So I wanted to acknowledge that, then come back here.

Yep.

Uh as I I I had this conversation with uh my colleague Eric yesterday, and clearly, Madam Chairperson, the uh city council certainly uh could pass a resolution uh encouraging the administration to uh set aside these dollars for the purpose that you described.

Um we do know uh that the current mayor, particularly when she was uh president of the city council, was uh very uh vocal about her concerns as it relates uh to property tax justice, uh home repair, senior citizen uh uh quality of life.

So I I can't speak right now for the administration, madam chairperson.

Uh, but I can certainly promise uh that I would encourage uh support of the administration for this particular suggestion.

Uh and it it would be uh and I think it would be an easy conversation uh for the legislative body to have with the administration.

Okay, all righty that sounds wonderful for me.

Um, and I don't have any other questions.

All my questions have been answered.

I'm just I'm just um so sorry that we find ourselves in this um this situation is kind of complicated for me, for me, and sit you know, reading everything that I've received.

Um it's a lot of unraveling, but um, we're here today, and I know that we have a way forward that's going to benefit the city and um resolve this matter.

Member Miller, did you have your hand up, ma'am?

No, I don't have any.

Okay.

Okay.

No additional questions.

Is there a motion?

Not less corporation council or Mr.

Gobel.

You have anything you want to add or Mr.

Anderson on this?

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Is there a uh motion for line item 10.1?

Motion to send a formal recommendation to approve.

Okay, there's a motion to send line item 10.1 to former with a recommendation to approve.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you so much.

And I look forward to you having the conversation with the administration regarding what we've just discussed, earmarking those funds for those pots.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

All right, we will move to line item 10.2.

Um settlement in the case of case evaluation acceptance award of trust street advisors versus the city of Detroit.

Is there a motion?

On line item 10.2.

Is there a motion to send a formal recommendation to approve?

There's a motion to send line item 10.2 to formal with the recommendation for approval.

Is there are there any objections?

Hearing on that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.3.

This is a memorandum relative to the request for information on the status of mayoral appointments to the tenants' rights commission for Mary Waters.

LPD.

I'm sorry, Member Mary Waters.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, Edward King, legislative policy division.

Mr.

King.

Can we bring this item back in two weeks, please?

There's a motion to bring line item 10.3 back in two weeks.

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item 10.3 back in two weeks.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.4, status of council member McCampbell submitting a memorandum relative to rules for community advisory councils.

LPD.

Madam Chair, can we have two weeks on this item, please?

Is there a motion to bring line item 10.4 back in two weeks?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item 10.4 back in two weeks.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.5, status of council member McCampbell.

Memorandum relative to further follow-up on city contracts involving data sharing with third parties.

LPD Phil Keller, Mr.

Keller.

Yes, to the chair.

Uh we're asking for an additional two weeks on this one as well.

Two or three.

Two, please.

Okay, there's a motion to bring back line item 10.5 in two weeks.

Motion.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Line item 10.6, status of council member Callaway's memorandum relative to request amended settlement resolution concerning the case of motor city law.

LPD Madam Chair, this item was directed to the law department.

Okay, so this item was directed to the law department.

That action shall be taken or be directed to the law department, and we'll make sure Mr.

Anderson knows that it was directed to the law department.

Any other action needs need does there any any other action need to be taken in this matter, Mr.

King?

Other than it being referred to the law department.

Uh, instead of amending the settlement resolution.

That would be up to this body which way to um uh attack that situation.

Okay.

So I'm wondering what kind of action I should be taking on this if it's been referred to the law department.

Uh excuse me, Mr.

Anderson.

Mr.

Anderson, we're on thank you, Mr.

King.

Chair.

We're on line item 10.6.

Yes, through the chair.

I know this was regarding the uh discussion that we that we touched on a little bit regarding um the the possibilities as you heard uh from corporation council.

This is something that um we can absolutely explore as um we move forward with it.

I don't know if this is an item you'd want to bring back TBD as we move further with this uh situation.

Yep.

Yep, that would be a motion.

Is there a motion to bring this um item back 10.6 date to be determined?

Motion.

There's a motion to bring line item back 10.6 date to be determined.

Thank you so much, Member Benson.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

We are under new business line item 11.1 from the mayor's office, submitting the resolution, appointment of Durha.

We've already done that.

Um I'm sorry, member Mr.

Dirthall.

Um 11.1 was combined with a previous line item.

We also have 11.2.

We've already resolved that one.

That was moved to formal.

Now we are at Office of Contracting and Procurement Line Item 11.3, submitting a resolution.

Contract number 6005564-82.

100% sitting funding, amendment two.

Is there anyone on from um well the law department to tell us what this is about?

Umerson Butzel Long Law firm regarding um legal services to support the city's multifamily affordable housing development program.

Can you give me a little bit?

Can you share a little bit of information about this contract?

Yes, third through the chair.

This uh contract is in support of HRD to help uh well with some of the more nuanced uh uh issues when it comes to housing, potentially you know federal grants, that type of thing.

Uh so that that's really um the crux of what this contract brings to the table.

And uh but this is the second amendment.

The increase amount is for uh $50,000 uh increase for another year period.

I know this is um uh work that they've been doing for some time at the city since uh 2023, and I'm uh happy to answer any additional questions uh if need be.

Okay, are there any questions regarding um 11.3?

Okay, is there a motion?

Motion is in the formal recommendation to approve.

There's a motion to send line item 11.3 to formal with the recommendation to approve.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Thank you.

Law department, line item 11.4, legal representation and indemnification for Angelo Jackson, former DOT in lawsuit of Lee Qualls the third versus the city of Detroit and Angelo Jackson.

Is there a motion?

And I don't this is for um representation.

Is there a motion?

A motion to approve and send the formal.

There's a motion to send line item 11.4 to formal with the recommendation for approval.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

And I hope uh Mr.

Kramer, you're listening.

The director of D dot.

Sometimes our directors are not listening, but there are a lot of lawsuits on this agenda today pertaining to D dot.

So Mr.

Kramer, I hope you are listening, or someone from D DOT is listening.

Line item 11.5 legal representation and indemnification for Andrew Gaines, Director of Private Sewer Repair and Lawsuit of Tanay Hankins versus the City of Detroit.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

Okay.

And this is also related to line item 11.13.

Is there a motion to combine the two and send them both to formal with a recommendation?

Motion.

There's a motion to combine 11.5 and 11.13 to formal with a recommendation for approval.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

115 and 1113.

Madam Chair, can we combine 11.6?

Or can we move together 116 through 1112?

Okay.

There's a motion to combine 11.6 to and we'll have discussion.

11.6 through 11.12.

Motion.

There's a motion to combine 11.6 through 11.12.

Any discussion on any of these items?

11.6, they're all requests for legal representation and indemnification.

Madam Chair, I'd like to remove 1110, like to move that separately.

Okay.

So we will be taking line item 11.6, 11.7, 11.8, 9, excluding 10, 11.11, and 11.12.

Is that correct, Member Benson?

Yes.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Those line items will go to formal session with a recommendation for approval, excluding line item 11.10.

What's the motion on 11.10?

Make sure the motion is clear.

Those line motion from myself to you for that previous motion to send those line items to a formal condition.

Absolutely.

So we are sending without objection line item 11.6 through 11.12, excluding line item 11.10.

Any objections hearing none, that action shall be taken.

I have your motion to bring back uh one week line 1110.

Okay.

There's a motion to bring line item 11.10 back.

Any objections?

That action shall be taken.

Line item 11.10 will be brought back in one week.

We are now at 11.

Yes, Mr.

Anderson from the law department.

If I may, I want to make sure I answer the questions that I had previously asked.

Um so what we have with these representation and demifications and just um in an education for our public.

And that question came from um owner popper, Ms.

Yes, I believe that's Carolyn Hughes.

Miss Carolyn Hughes.

Yes.

So in it it's something that we have to ask ourselves in these representation and indemnification matters, is what was the actor doing when they were working as a city of Detroit employee?

And that question is were they operating in the good faith performance of their duties?

That's what we're asking ourselves in these legal representation and indemnifications.

We're not saying we're did they do everything perfect?

Did they do everything right?

We're asking, were they operating in good faith when they were acting as their services as a city of Detroit employee?

So you know, we're we are human.

People do make mistakes, accidents do happen.

We obviously want to be mindful of those things and work better to minimize the risk as much as possible.

But the the question is, were they operating in good faith?

If they were not operating in good faith, that is when uh the law department or DPD or a potential different um agency uh will will make the recommendation that we should not represent these individuals or indemnify them for a potential uh lawsuit against them or uh judgment against them.

There was a question about you know, is is this a cover up?

Is it this or that?

No, no, no.

That that's not what we're doing here.

If anything, it's incredibly transparent.

This is dealing with the court system, and there's a thing called discovery, and it's very transparent, it's very intrusive if anything.

Um just because someone shows up on here, it doesn't mean they did anything wrong.

It just means they were sued.

That's all it was they were a named party in a lawsuit.

And in the words of my one law school professor, you can always sue.

It doesn't mean you're always gonna win.

Um it doesn't mean you always have a case, but you can always sue.

And that's how some of these names end up on here.

Um and sometimes these are individuals representing themselves who decided to uh air their grievances out with the city and did not maybe consult with an attorney, or maybe they did consult with an attorney and they told them they didn't have a case, and they say I'm gonna bring it anyways.

Um that's how you see some more untraditional names on here, uh, for example, this week.

But what we do as a body when we choose to not represent and indemnify, particularly a police officer, which I think uh is you know, the offen in the room here is the highest stakes often when dealing with an individual's rights where they um uh impeded.

Um is uh we need to have a closed session first.

And I know this is something that uh chairwoman council member Callaway has highlighted as a priority for this body that we want to do a better job having more of those more frequently, and I know that's something I've worked with your team, and that's something we have a game plan to be more successful of that going uh forward in the future here.

We've also um spoken with uh council president's office to begin uh getting the the wheels in motion.

But um, so we do have a little bit of a backlog of some uh matters in need of a closed session, but it's uh no fault to this current body.

That's something that we've been dealing with for for some time now, and and honestly, it can be a bit like herding cats trying to get these closed sessions together.

There's a lot of parties to bring together, but I I I'm confident with some of the changes that we've made going forward that we're gonna be a lot more effective at this.

And yeah, you know, last year everybody was running for election, it's harder to get the body together at a time.

But I think um uh this uh chair and uh council president understand what a priority it is to make sure we have these closed sessions to potentially avoid very high damaging lawsuits against this city for actions that were not in the good faith performance of um individuals' duties that who should not be um indemnified in that case.

So I I just wanted to point that out because I know these legal representations and indemnifications, the citizens see them, they sound scary and they get a little bit of a bad rap.

But if someone is operating as they should, we should protect them and and they they should be represented.

If they're not, then no.

Then we're gonna go through the process and we're gonna find out uh and we'll we'll move forward from there.

But I just wanted to highlight that and thank you, um uh councilmember Callaway for giving me that opportunity to uh educate the Detroit residents on this very important topic.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Anderson, uh, for educating all of us on these very important topics.

Um thank you so much.

Is there a motion for line item 11.14 or is discussion line item 11.14 settlement of lawsuit a parthhenia gore versus the city of Detroit, the water department for 116,000 dollars, 164 dollars and fifty-four cents in full payment for any and all claims that this individual may have against the city.

Is there a motion for discussion or move into more formal with the recommendation for approval?

Motion is in the formal recommendation to approve.

Okay, there's a motion to send line item um without objection to formal with a recommendation for approval.

That's line item 11.14.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Line item 11.15.

We're almost at the end of our agenda.

Settlement and the lawsuit of Wesley Bush versus the City of Detroit public works department, 179,000 in full payment for any and all claims, which Mr.

Wesley Bush will have against the city.

Is there a motion to bring this back in a week?

There's no settlement information attached to this particular line item.

So is there a motion to bring it back in a week?

There's a motion to bring line item back 1115 back in one week, and we do need the um settlement information attached next week.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Line item 11.16 from human resources classification and compensation division.

Is there a motion for discussion on this line item?

Motion.

Thank you so much.

Is someone on from HR who works in the classification and compensation division of HR?

Um Miss Sullivan.

Through the chair.

Yes.

Yes, through the chair.

We have Jessica Frame online.

Okay, Jessica Frame.

Madam Chair, Jessica Frame is on.

Okay, thank you so much.

Ms.

Frame?

Good morning, Madam Chair.

Yeah, Jessica Frame, compensation manager with the HR department.

Yes, good afternoon.

How are you?

Good.

How are you?

Good.

Good, good, good.

Um, quick question about this compensation um schedule, including these changes for 24 hour class classifications and pain rages.

Is this just for City Detroit employees, or are these um related to the three contracts that are on standby also offering EMS paramedic services?

Uh no, these are just for City of Detroit employees.

And how many employees does this impact?

Um currently we're unsure.

So what will happen is once these um once these pay ranges and classifications are created, then the employees who are uh employed in the fire department currently will have an opportunity to go through a shift bid process where they can elect to uh move from a 12-hour shift that they are currently on to a 24-hour shift.

Okay, alrighty.

That answers my questions.

Um, Member Miller or Member Benson, do either of you have questions on line item 11.16?

No questions.

Okay.

Um thank you so much, Ms.

Frame.

Um, is there a motion?

There's a motion to send line item 11.16 to formal with a recommendation for approval.

Any objections?

Hearing none, that action shall be taken.

Thank you again, Miss Frame.

Um, we are now um at line item 11.17 at the end of our agenda under miscellaneous council member Letitia Johnson submitting a memorandum relative to requesting the consideration and scheduling of an interview for Krista Pate for the Detroit Land Bank Authority Board.

And um we need to note that this interview will be scheduled for June the 3rd, and I don't know if any action needs to be taken in this regard.

Um yes, so is there a motion to receive and file this information?

We know that this is the memorandum scheduling an interview for Krista Pate on June the 3rd for um to be considered for serving on the Detroit Land Bank Authority hearing no objections that action shall be taken.

That was that received member Benson that resume was for Erica Hill.

Yes, okay.

Okay, all right, all right.

So we received a resume from your office, um member Benson.

Now we are at line item 12 for members' reports.

Member Benson, uh no report but discussion.

Discussion through your self to the administration.

What seat or what member of the DDA will, if approved by our colleagues, will member or Fred Durhall be replacing Miss Sullivan?

Through the chair, we can follow up on this request and get back with your team.

Thank you.

Okay.

Member Miller, members' report.

No report.

No report.

No report for me as well.

Is there a motion if there's nothing else to appear before this committee?

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Motion.

This meeting is now adjourned.

Thank you all.