Excellent.

Thank you.

Man on clerk.

Is there a motion to approve the minutes?

Motion made any objections.

Hearing none, the approval of minutes being made.

Uh negative chair remarks.

We'll now move on to public comments.

We have one person here for public comment.

Is there anyone else here for public comments?

Going once.

Going twice.

Going three times, gone.

Public comment.

It's now closed.

Public comment is now closed.

Public comment is now closed.

All right.

Mr.

Smith, you come on up.

You got two minutes.

I just want to say you're supposed to ask about the online comments first.

Uh these are you guys are three of my favorite council members right now.

Uh, I have my councilwoman, uh, Renata Miller.

I have Scott Benson, and I have uh President Pro Temp Cole Meoung.

I requested a meeting with all three of you guys.

Uh I know uh my councilwoman has been out for a little bit.

Glad to see you back.

Happy to have you feel represented now because for a couple months I didn't feel represented.

Uh so Scott Benson, your uh scheduler, Tiambe told me that she didn't want to schedule the meeting that I had requested with you uh because of my attitude.

I don't like your attitude.

I don't like your demeanor sometimes.

That doesn't mean you don't work for me.

Doesn't mean you're not responsible to me and other residents who live in your district, even though I don't live there, but I represent a lot of them.

We have 800 signatures from residents who live in your district about Cronos concrete and get in the down zone.

So I think you should be meeting with your your constituents.

I just want to meet with you by myself because you're using a lawyer uh as an excuse to not meet with the Detroit Ham Channel Coalition, but I want you to have firsthand knowledge of some of these things that I think that you're willfully ignoring.

Also, President Pro Tim.

Uh I I love what you said about EPU, but I know my laws, my first memory, very right.

Your response earlier was very, very well thought out, I suppose.

But if you understand how the first amendment rights work, doesn't matter.

Janice Winfrey has been protested, the former mayor of Harper Woods has been protested at their homes.

It's just is this a four it's a four of my first amendment.

So if you refuse to meet with me, I'm gonna come out there and these are my neighbors.

I live around the corner from you.

This is these are my neighbors.

I know your neighbors.

I've been in some of your neighbors' houses, huh?

I I'm sure you you don't know that, but uh I would love to have this meeting.

I've requested the meeting through the proper channels.

Your staff are supposed to send me uh your official request form, but as a result of you not uh upholding your duty, I'm gonna make sure I get a uh uh official way for you guys to have meeting requests because it seems like everybody has a different way that they go about it.

Some people have executive assistants, some people have uh other staff members handle it, but you seem to be ignoring the issue, and it does not go away because you ignore the issue.

People deserve to have clean air to breathe, regardless of who owns the property, regardless if it's in rooms or whatever.

I'm sure you look keep looking at the clock.

It's not gonna go away.

I'm gonna see you later with that bullhorn.

I have two of them.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

See you later.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We appreciate we appreciate your time.

Love and respect.

Thank you very much.

Who we have as if we don't have anybody here in person.

Who do we have in the queue?

Virtually, Mr.

Bo.

Mr.

Chair, the first caller.

Cunningham.

All right, Ms.

Cunningham.

Floor is yours.

Two minutes.

Yeah, we can.

Go ahead.

Okay, 313, 444, 9114, 313, 9114.

That number was made so you can remember.

Ask you to call my name and atmosphere.

My mom's Sean Marie Lyons.

The second register for multiple scorosis.

Uh uh, your prayers for D dots, the drivers, the passengers, uh in general, just praying the Holy Spirit chant.

Uh and in English, and however you can pray, just continue to do so.

Tonight there is a D dot meeting with pizza and a raffle for two.

31-day regional passes.

I thank God that powerful people listen to peons.

I didn't have any name recognition.

I didn't have a silver spoon.

I'm just a peon with all kind of trials and tribulations that has happened to me.

But yet, the powers will be listened and as much respect.

Touch not God's anointed, neither do your servants any harm.

Touch not God's anointed to do his servants no harm.

No weapon.

All right, thank you for that.

We didn't have who do we have next in the queue, Mr.

Bow.

Sir, the next caller is William M.

Davis.

All right, Ms.

Davis, floor is yours.

Two minutes, sir.

Uh, good afternoon.

Can I be heard?

Yes, sir.

Two minutes.

Okay.

Uh, now that the bankruptcy is uh is officially ending, uh, I think this will be a great time for the city of Detroit uh leadership to look at ending some of the separate and unequal practices that's been going on for years, and that pension fund, the general pension fund is not equal to or treated the same as the other one.

Of course, my pension fund is more black, more brown, more females, more people that are work longer for the city, and more people that actually live in the city.

You know, so I think we should be moving towards fairness and equal treatment.

And I'm not, I wouldn't ask you to take anything from that other pension fund, but try to treat us as well as you treat the other ones.

Uh the other one.

And uh I'm I'm glad that this bankruptcy is ending.

Uh, even though I think something should have been done about the ongoing burden that's placed on City Detroit retirees, they have to pay the annuity claw back.

Uh, that was what I was understanding that the this hearing was gonna be about the other day that we got canceled because of Judge Thomas to Judge Tucker signed off on the bankruptcy.

So hopefully we'll move towards doing more to help City of Detroit general fund retirees.

Hopefully, we'll do more to have more of our dollars circulating in our city.

Hopefully, we do more to encourage more Detroiters to actually vote.

I know I'm older than all three of y'all, but at one time the city of Detroit used to determine when Coleman Young was the mayor, used to determine who was gonna win statewide offices.

That's hard for us to determine that if we only have a voter turnout of 15%.

If we shoot for a 50, 60 or 70 percent voter turnout, we could regain our place in being the most important powerful city in the Midwest.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We have next to the queue.

All right, floor is yours, two minutes.

Good afternoon, man.

Be heard.

You may two minutes.

Yeah, thank you.

So I would like to ask for help.

I brought up the rodent migration at the last meeting.

Uh we we the the Detroit People's Food Co-op uh never addressed the rodent migration issue in the north end.

I've I I've got proof of emails that I wrote them repeatedly.

I got one response from Malik Yakini, and then no response after that.

Recently, I wrote them, and they said they're gonna have somebody contact me.

Still hasn't happened.

So I'm very disappointed you approved that other development.

There is going, I guarantee you there's going to be rodent migration from that site.

Just because those people don't live there and didn't, you know, well, or haven't seen it before, it doesn't mean there won't be rodent migration that happens.

Also, it is correct that what Cindy brought up, that state law about the definite per se definition of blight is so unconstitutional, and this body is using it.

The city council is using that blight definition against people right now.

That if your property was ever tax reverted in the past, owned by the city, county, or state, it is blighted per se, and a subsequent sale does not take it out of blighted status.

Same thing for any property ever owned by the land bank.

So that means that at least over a third of the city is blighted per se.

Since, as I read, over a third of the properties in Detroit have been tax reverted since 2005.

So they're taking people's property right now, even though they acquired it after the tax foreclosure, never had a blight ticket, and always paid their taxes.

And this body, not all the members here, but the city did not tell the people about that.

So that was fraud on the people of Detroit.

And that definition has got to be changed.

It's unconstitutional.

Please help with the road.

All right, thank you very much for that.

Who do we have next?

The next caller is Betty A.

Werner.

Ms.

Varner, floor is yours.

Two minutes.

Good afternoon to all within the sound of my voice.

It's Betty A.

Barner, the president of the Soda Health World Black Association here advocating again for my thinker corridor.

We're excited.

There are new businesses that are coming to the corridor.

There is a uh building that has been um vacant for over 30 years.

There is a uh married couple who is investing in that site, and their plan is to open up a home agency care uh business.

There is a towing, new toying business, auto toying business in uh on the Fink Accorder.

We're excited.

Uh there's uh Mr.

Dabish and his two sons.

They are interested in opening up a uh mini market, which is needed in our community because we are considered a food desert.

And this mini market is gonna have uh six gas pumps on the property, but the most important thing is there's gonna be fresh produce.

There's going to be fruit, there's going to be a mini uh, well, not many.

There's gonna be a deli that sells hot and cold foods.

There's gonna be healthy snacks, and it will be a place where we can walk or drive easily to get to uh healthy food, which is really needed.

I'm hoping when they come to the council that they will get the support that is needed, and so that they can uh go forward with opening up the mini market.

It's gonna be right there on uh Finkel and Wyoming, where the McDonald's used to be.

So I'm excited about that.

And Mr.

Davis has been so very supportive of our uh black club already.

He's showing the commitment to the neighborhood.

Thank you for this time.

All right, thank you.

I appreciate that.

Who do we have next in the queue?

Mr.

Chair, the next caller is legendary Detroit.

Our legendary Detroit floor is yours, two minutes.

Hey Coleman.

Can you hear me clearly?

Yes, sir.

Two minutes.

Hey, Joel Loving.

You were a cheated in public official here in the city of Detroit, Michigan.

I'm not lying about sugar honey ice tea.

Now that little leprechaun, Michael Edward Duggan has dropped out of the governor's race.

Now, Conrad Mallet, it's corporation counsel, general corporation counsel for the city of Detroit, who's also representing the Board of Police Commissioners, is in Nini's way.

Out her way, so she can get what she wants.

What she asked for and requested, and deserves.

And then that Jeffrey Hudson, one of the alumni Naughty, University of Michigan graduates, changed and amended it.

Four and a half months after Kinesha's demise.

Nini wants what the F she wants.

She wants that tag off.

She asked me in February of 2021, a couple days before Valentine's Day to help her with her mama.

Now all y'all cheated in public officials in the city of Detroit, the county of Wayne and the state of Michigan can smoke D.

I'm blackbag for real for real.

Mr.

Rue now.

And I am real.

We're on the back seat of that Black Limousine.

All right, thank you.

Who here next to the queue?

Mr.

Bo.

The next caller is Mr.

Foster.

Good afternoon.

Uh just wanted to say in light of uh new developments.

You know, I hope that council members can really start to take on their role as leaders with all distortion of all a lot of these other things.

And so um, you know, I've been around sometime.

I've I've heard you all when he first announced for governor how dedicated you all were, and how the seniors were behind them 100% and everything else, right?

Well, you know what we call people in our community that backtrack on their words, right?

Right.

The same thing that you all tried to impart through your neighborhoods and communities, right?

So the same messages you put out.

You you have to eat them yourself.

You ain't true to your word, right?

The public see it now.

I ask you all to make a new stance of where you stand at in our society.

Where do you stand at in our city?

Where do you stand at as far as poverty?

Where do you stand at as far as these condition changes?

Are you going to continue to be contentious and endeavor positions to be visible?

Right?

And not challenge you all.

Call me on call me a liar, right?

On anything, right?

You know, so you all have to do a better job.

I don't have no fear of no man or no respect to persons.

I really don't care about your positions, other than they are a position of authority, a seat there that have the ability to make changes, but if they've been misused, right?

You think I'll give a darn about the person that's misusing them?

That's coercing our community that's putting AI and all these other things in front of our community.

So go back and listen to your words where you've been standing and your policies you've been implementing for the last four years, and then know how you stand in our community and how we visualize you and your words, right?

This Mr.

Foster speaking.

All right, thank you.

We appreciate you.

Who you're next in the queue, Mr.

Bo.

The next caller is Brianna Sullivan.

All right, two minutes, floor is yours.

Going once.

Going twice.

Going three times.

Going, going, gone.

Thank you for your time.

Who are next to the queue, Mr.

Bo?

The last caller that you raised their hand before public comment was closed.

Was owner paper.

All right, two minutes, floor is yours.

Uh, good afternoon, may I be heard?

You made two minutes.

Thank you.

Um, on your agenda, 6.4, 5, and 6 are illegal contracts that you guys continue to bring forth to the city.

This is uh about six million dollars that we could stand to do something else with other than cleaning up the freeways.

That is not our job.

That's the job of Wayne County, the state.

It is not the job of the city.

When our quarters are gone, going neglected, they need to be cleaned.

We could use this six million dollars to clean our own quarters, as well as uh use part of that money to give Miss Varner her $1,500 that she's asking you for.

We seem to have a lot of money, but no money for the residents.

And I'm I'm I'm asking too about 6.7 Arbor funding for rental vehicles.

You guys never cease to amaze me about how you can just find ways to waste our money.

What do we need to spend 200,000 for uh as needed rental vehicles?

What what we have we you know how many vehicles we have in the city that we've paid for?

That seems to be a little ridiculous to be renting cars.

Um eight, a list of uh contracts subject to delegated approval.

I'm not sure if this should be on your agenda, it has not been on your agenda in the past.

And I'd like to ask, what is 6.9?

It's uh the Department of Justice um uh grant for re-entry demonstration grant.

What does that mean?

It's 500,000, and then we have to kick in another 500,000.

Could you please explain that?

And the analysis of butzel is no.

The people don't want it, and I don't even think we should go down that road talking about it.

If the answer is no, they don't want it, and um uh an analysis of it is not necessary because we're we're we're saying no, we don't want it.

So 5.5 is a no for the people.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That was the last caller with the hand raised for public comment.

All right, we will now move on to unfinished business.

Line of 5.1 status of the mayor's office petition of the parade company request the whole 2026 Ford Fireworks from June 22nd, 2026 at 10 a.m.

to 11 p.m.

the same day at Detroit River.

Set up will begin on June 22nd, 2026 at 5 a.m.

It could be completed by 9 p.m.

the same day.

Tear down will begin on June 22nd, 2026 to 11 p.m.

and be completed by 12 a.m.

on June 23rd, 2026.

Is there a motion to move line item 5.1 the formal session with recommendations for approval we put on to new business?

Motion made are any objections?

Here in none line 5.1 be moved the formal session with recommendations for approval, we put on to new business.

Line 5.2 petition to the downtown Detroit Partnership Detroit 300 Conservancy request a whole international placemaking week plenary event from June 24, 2026 at 10 a.m.

to 10 p.m.

the same day at Campus Marshes Park and Cadillac Square Park.

Setup will begin on June 23rd, 2026 at 6 a.m.

and be completed by 4 p.m.

the same day.

Tear down will begin on June 25th, 2026 at 6 p.m.

at 6 a.m.

and completed by 4 p.m.

the same day.

Is there a motion to send line of 5.2 the formal session with recognition for approval be put on to do business?

Motion motion made.

Are you objections?

Here in the line of 5.2, we move the formal session with record data for approval, we put on to new business.

Line 5.3 contract 600 7776.

100% grant funding to provide park improvement at Eliza Howe Park contractor Michigan Recreation Construction Location 18631, Conan Detroit, Michigan 48234.

Contract period upon city council approval for a period of two years.

Total contract 1 million dollars.

Oh sorry.

Is there a motion to postpone line item 5.3 for two weeks?

This coming from the council president has said he has the questions that needs to be answered.

So we're gonna repeat the request again.

Is there a motion to postpone line item 5.3 for two weeks?

Do I have a motion?

Motion motion has been made.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none line of 5.3 will be postponed for two weeks.

Requests to accept a donation for construction.

New park shelter from Chandler Park.

The Chandler Park Conservancy through the State of Michigan Creske Foundation awarded City of Detroit General Services Department with construction of a new park shelter for tables, grill, hot cold bin, and a path to a new shelter located within Chandler Park value at 140,000.

There are no match requirements for this donation.

This is a non-cash donation.

Is there a motion to send line of 5.4 the formal session with a recommendation for approval to be put on to new business?

Motion.

Motion made are there any objections?

Line of 5.4, we move the formal session with recommendations for approval, we put on to new business.

Request for written analysis, proposed development at Butzel Family Center.

Do I have a motion discuss?

Oh uh do our motion discuss line of 5.3.

Discussion.

Baby Miller.

Um I just wanted to address owner Papa.

I believe her name is Carolyn Hughes.

Madam, thank you for calling in.

You call daily and oftentimes.

I do agree with you, but I am only one person.

Um and I only have one vote.

But I will say regarding the analysis, um, I had to why I do not support the project.

I do support the residents, but I want people to understand unless I bring it to formal or bring it uh to our body, no one actually knows what transpired.

So for my own um appearance to show our residents that I am diligent about how we got here.

I had to have open the discussion.

I know it's city land, I know it's city property, and I know that now there was an RFP put out, which a lot of residents don't understand.

There was an RFP put out by our HR department, who has yet failed to give me their portion of the analysis.

But I have to have this information when I'm at my community meetings and when phone calls come in from people that do not live in Detroit or live outside the area to explain why I do not support it.

That is why we have the written analysis there, and yes, LPD has responded and a couple other departments, but HRD has not.

I did have a tour with them on Wednesday to further discuss it.

So the report is forthcoming because I don't want to be here again with the same mistake or not have the knowledge of why we're setting selling city land and without no one knowing about it being available.

So that is why we're having the uh analysis, and once I receive theirs, I I can give a better uh summary on why we're here because the community appeal failed.

The BZA denied the community appeal, but the um variance was also denied.

So this project cannot uh venture off into the R2, which is the residential area, which is part of the park.

So they have to make a decision.

So my from my perspective, I need to know will they continue on on a smaller scale, or what are the next steps?

I have not been given the next steps, and the information has not been forthcoming.

So I have to put it in um memos to get those answers, and I am yet to receive the remainder of them.

So that is why it's on our agenda, and I appreciate our residents actually going through the agenda, bringing additional awareness to some of our um agenda items, which calls for further investigation.

So thank you very much, Mrs.

Hughes, for calling in.

And that is why it's on the um agenda, and I hope that answered your question.

Thank you.

Do the chair I make a motion.

I would like to make a motion that we postpone for two weeks.

Okay.

Motion postpone line item 5.5 for two weeks.

Discussion.

Discussion.

Chair recognize Member Benson.

Yourself to Member Miller.

Are they committed to providing the information by then?

Our office.

Our office has reached out because we have not received a full report from that department.

But I did speak with someone on Wednesday on our tour, and he said it was forthcoming.

They were out of town last week on a I think a uh single family home, some type of conference.

So I'm sure that's why I he promised that I would have it this week.

Okay.

Thank you.

And uh just for everybody's uh for the public to know, they've they've had public hearings about this before, have they not, or public meetings about this issue or not?

I know there was a town hall that I think they had actually at Butzel Center, if I'm not if I if I'm not mistaken.

Have they not, member Miller to your it depends on what you call a public hearing?

It depends on what you consider to be notified, notice of the public.

Me personally, a lot of times a notice goes out, but people do not receive notices.

Okay, and it's not like our departments here push for community engagement.

We do not push for community engagement.

We may put a notice up or put it online, but really do people receive it?

And a lot of it's by design.

I'm not sure that's the question you really want me to answer here, but as far as I'm concerned, it was not sufficient.

No, I understand what you're saying.

I I think we went through the process.

I think it's just about improving how that process works.

I mean, the biggest room in the world is a room for improvement.

Obviously, we want to improve in terms of outreach and how we reach out to the public.

I just want to make sure that the actual process of having a public meeting, because I know because I know for a fact I got invited to uh go to a public meeting about that area, and so I just want to make sure that that actual process had been able to follow through.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't be more.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't have the opportunity to promote more and promote further.

We want to have the continue to have community engagement.

I just wanted to know from my recollection or let people know that I know they've had public hearings about this before, and I look forward to having more about this uh in the future.

Uh I will say it through the chair.

Um, for me, just because they have a uh it's open to the public domain, it's right.

Right.

No, I'm not saying my analysis, how did that public land that's reserved for Butzel become for sale anyway?

How did a developer, a new developer who's never had a development before, um, get that piece of land in the first place?

And why do that department own it to make it for sale?

So I'm that's why we have the analysis, and I wanted a step-by-step analysis on how we got here in the first place in district five.

Okay.

Any other comments, questions, or concerns?

Yeah.

All right.

Motion's been made to postpone this line item for two weeks.

Are any objections?

Here in the line of 5.5, we postpone for two weeks.

All right, we'll then move on to line 5.6.

Affordability.

My office has been in contact with uh member McCampill's office.

There's been a request to bring back line on 5.6 in two weeks.

Do we have a motion?

Motion's been made.

Are any objections?

Bring back line of 5.6 to two weeks.

Uh the line of 5.6 5.7 petition of Josh Mann.

Uh request to speak before Detroit City Council and present and present a video in regards of how we can improve public parks by adding the area for the arts.

Motion discuss.

Motion.

Uh any objections?

All right.

Uh, thank you so much.

I have seen the video.

Uh my staff is still going through it.

We're still looking at it, we're still gathering information about it and what he wants to do and how we want to go through that process.

Um, we're gonna need some time.

I know we're gonna be off next week.

So I always want to know can we bring this?

Can we bring is there a motion to be able to bring back line item 5.7 TBD?

Motion.

Motion made.

Are there any objections?

Hearing that line 5.7 be brought back TBD.

They will now move on to new business.

All right.

We are on the mayor's office.

Petition of Mexican Town Community Development Corporation Inc.

Request to hold the concert of colors in Mexico Town on June 27, 2026 from 5 p.m.

to 8 30 p.m.

The same day at Maskitown Community Development Corporation Mercado at Plaza 2826.

Hold on.

Bagley.

Setup will begin at 12 p.m.

on June 27, 2026.

We complete by 5 p.m.

on the same day.

Tear down will begin at 8 p.m.

on June 27, 2026, and completed by 9 p.m.

on the same day.

Is there a motion to bring back line on 6.1?

Is there a motion to send line on 6.1 the formal session with record dates for approval, be put on to new business?

Motion.

Motion made are any objections.

Here in the line on 6.1, we move to formal session with record dates for approval, we put on to new business.

Lionel 6.2, contract 600 4566, amendment number two, 100% city funds.

Amendment to provide an extension of time for light duty fleet vehicle repair service, including general and body, labor and slash or parts.

Amended contract period, November 25, 2026, 2025 through June 30th, 2027.

Contract increase amount $1 and 00 cents.

Total contract about $2 million.

Is there a motion to send line item 6.2 to formal session with recommendations for approval, be put on to new business?

Motion.

Motion made are any objections.

Here in the line of 6.2, we move to formal session with recommendations for approval, we put onto new business.

Contract number 600 6850 amendment number two, 100% grant funding.

To provide an extension of time only for refurbishment for the Detroit Police Department bomb disposal unit.

Contract McQueen Equipment LLC DBA McQueen, location 78 North Point Drive, Lake Orion, Michigan 48359.

Contract period on contract period February 10th, 2025 through May 11, 2026.

Amended contract period, February 10th, 2025 through August 9th, 2026.

Total contract 349,988.

Is there a motion to send line of 6.3 to formal session with recognition for approval to be put on a new business?

Motion.

Are you objections?

Here the line 6.3 be moved to formal session with record data for approval be put on to new business.

We will now move on to line item six point.

Lion 6.4 uh to provide freeway mowing services for I-94 and I-75.

Paying landscape inc location 765, no 7635 East East Davidson, Detroit Michigan 48212.

Contract period upon city council approval for a period of two years.

Total contract about 3,357,571 dollars and 36 cents.

Is there a motion to discuss line on 6.4?

Discussion.

You know, any objections?

Hearing none.

Line of 6.4 be discussion.

Uh uh discussion.

Okay.

We take uh 6.5 and 6.6 together with 6.4 and roll.

Well, I thought because it was I thought that, but it's but it's it's different parts of the freeway.

I mean, but should we can we can we do you know is um is that a parliamentary question?

No, Mr.

Chair, you can take them all together.

They're all moving for the freeway.

Even though they're different parts of the freeway, they're not the same freeway.

We can take them all together.

All right, all right.

Where's the parliamentarian at?

Do I need to amend the motion?

Mr.

Chair, motion to take line on 6.4 through 6.6 together.

Motion to take up line on 6.4 through 6.6 together.

Are there any objections?

Hearing that we will take up lineup 6.4, 6.6 together.

Uh uh, I guess I just wanted to see you, Dr.

Power.

Sorry about that.

All right, okay.

Always good to see you though.

Uh thank you, sir.

The discussion I wanted to have, um, because I know I I've gotten um questions from the president's office, and you want to postpone these items because he has questions, but the question I wanted to ask really quickly is going to a Miss Hughes question, and it was involving uh reimbursement.

This is usually something that's handled by the state.

I know that we are supposed that we are uh we get reimbursement from the state on this locally, but it's not for the total amount.

I just want I forgot what those numbers were, what the percentage of that is.

And if you can just kind of remind me, I think we have um who I think we have uh Miss Sum Sullivan who's here with us.

Ms.

Sullivan.

What's your title, Miss Sullivan?

Good afternoon, government affairs liaison and special projects for the city of Detroit.

And we have Jarrell Harris and Alex Weather up on for this items.

Yeah, I I was wondering where weather up was at.

I didn't know if you would do something different or what was going on, but all right, mr.

Ms.

Mr.

Weather up.

And we'll Good afternoon.

Mr.

Harris, weather will promote you too.

Go ahead.

I'm sorry, go ahead.

Wait, wait.

You're deputy director, right?

What's your title on you?

Uh assistant director.

Jerell is the deputy.

I apologize.

Assistant director.

Go ahead.

Uh thank you.

So um these three are um the freeway mowing contracts.

You're right that the city took over this activity from the state about two two, three years ago.

Um the state was only reimbursing what they used to spend, which was less than a million uh a year.

And then we when we took it over, realized that was inadequate.

And so we were um we had advocated at the state level um through our counterparts with the the city delegation to get additional funding from the state to meet our needs, our expectations for cleanliness on these roads, and they they met that in an in form of a grant.

And so that's when we um we amended these contracts, you know, a few few months ago, the old contracts um to absorb that grant funding.

Uh and so these new contracts reflect that same level of care um that you've come to expect on the freeways, and we are still working to make sure that the uh one-time allocation from the state becomes regular.

Okay, excellent.

Thank you very much.

I I I appreciate that.

So I I just so we're working on this becoming regular, it's not regular as of yet.

I look I don't I think I know this is gonna be hard to prove in court, but I don't like the fact constitutionally speaking in the state, they have a thing about prohibitions of unfunded mandates, and I feel that we're taking on this responsibility that the state was doing, we're absorbing this responsibility.

This is a this is definitely a um level of devolution, if you will, going towards the city.

They should have a legal requirement to be able to provide um restitution for the cost that we are absorbing to do this job that is within the state's purview to do.

So I mean, I I understand what you're saying.

We want to make this permanent, but it kind of seems like we're asking them to do a favor when it sh is the law, the land here, and it's it is putting it, it may not be significant number, but it is putting pressure on our budgets here.

And I'm sorry, it is a significant number.

I'm tripping.

It is a significant number.

It says over is over one, it's over three million dollars in this contract.

These are significant numbers here that we are racking up.

I don't think we should have to ask for reimbursement.

Almost seven million.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Almost seven million.

You understand what I'm saying?

I'm not trying to beat you up.

I know you're not the one that's doing this.

You know, you know, I know this is state policy.

I'm not I'm I'm kind of like it's kind of rhetorical, but but do you understand what I'm saying?

Through the chair, absolutely.

Uh our our goal and our priority is to maintain the level of service that we deem necessary, and we'll work with budget, we'll work with the state, we'll work with anybody to make sure that it's funded uh in that way.

Um Mr.

Anderson.

I this this is an extreme case, but I just want to ask, just just you know, this just particularly us girls talking here.

Uh, what's our legal options here for this?

Through the chair Graham Anderson Law Department.

Um that's a very good question, Councilmember Young.

I I don't think this rises to the need of litigation.

Right.

I I believe this is something more that I think better communication with the state would potentially be the answer.

Obviously, they're not doing the level necessary that they knew to do to provide this vital service.

And as you said, you know, though the law is clear that they should be the ones providing this.

Uh I I'm not sure what the best route would be with this, but I'd be happy to uh discuss further with your office and try to come to the best solution.

Because as you said, you know, this is this isn't cheap.

It's significant amounts.

Yeah, this is a large chunk here.

Is arbitration available?

I mean, there's all I mean, arbitration would probably come out of litigation, would most likely be the final outcome if something like that was pursued.

I I would hope that wouldn't be a necessary route.

Um, but depending on the the administration's goals and priorities with this and and how they want to best proceed, that could potentially uh be an option, but I I'm in no position at this time to say that's something that we're in a position to pursue.

No, I understand.

I'm not I'm I'm not I'm not encouraging to.

I'm I'm just asking just out of curiosity.

You know, I h hopefully it's gonna it's not gonna come to that.

I don't think it will.

But you know, but you I just always want to make sure what my options are here.

All right, thank you.

Um like I said earlier, there has been a request from the president's office to postpone this line item 6.4 for two weeks because he has some questions that he wants to have asked and answered.

Um and that's also not just for 6.4, that's also for 6.5 and 6.

So is there a motion to bring back in two weeks or postpone for two weeks line items 6.4 through 6.6?

I have a question.

Uh discussion?

Uh discussion.

Okay, motion, discussion on the motion.

Member Miller.

I was just wondering what was the portion portion that's considered to be the reimbursement.

Yes.

Mr.

Weather up.

Did you hear the question?

Through the chair, yes.

Um, the current uh reimbursement is six hundred and seventy-five thousand.

Um and we are um currently negotiating on a higher reimbursement to reflect the the actual cost that you're seeing.

Is that per contract, sir?

Uh that's annual for all three, but these are remember, these are two year contracts, so cut these numbers in half and compare that to 675.

So still a substantial discrepancy.

Okay, thank you, sir.

All right.

Motion has been made to postpone line of 6.4 through 6.6 for two weeks.

Are there any objections?

Here in the line of 6.4 through 6.6 will be postponed for two weeks.

Line on 6.7, contract 652 87, amendment number three, 100% ARPA funding to provide an extension of time as needed, rental vehicle.

No, extension of time for as needed.

Rental vehicles.

Contractor Hertz Corporation, location 3057, Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, Michigan, 48073, previous contract period, December 19, 2023 through June 30 of 2026.

Amended contract period, December 19, 2023 through September 30th, 2026.

Total contract about 200,000.

Um, is there a motion to send line item 6.7 a formal session with recommendations for approval to be put on to new business?

Motion's been made.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none line of 6.7 move to formal session with recognition for approval, we put on to new business.

Line 6.8 for May 19, 2025, list of contracts subject to delegated approval, list of attached contracts subjected to delegated authority, pursuant to section 17-5-91.

City council approval required for certain contracts, monthly report, certain contracts, emergency procurements, city council notification and approval required subsection C motion to discuss.

Is it motion?

Motion made any objections.

We will now discuss line of 6.8.

Uh Director Stahl.

She had to step away for a moment.

Can we bring this item back to the end?

Yeah, is there a motion to bring back line to move line of 6.9.8 to the end of the agenda?

Motion.

Motion made any objections.

Line 6.8 and be moved to the end of the agenda.

Uh office of chief financial officers slash office development and grants, line on 6.9, submit to submit a grant application to the U.S.

Department of Justice for fiscal year 2025 smart reentry demonstration grant.

Neighbor's office, office of neighborhood grants is hereby requested author requesting authorization for this Detroit City Council to submit grant authorization.

No, a grant application to U.S.

Department of Justice for fiscal year 2025 smart re-entry demonstration grant.

The amount being sought here is 500,000.

Federal share is 500,000 of the requested amount, and there is a required match of 500,000.

Total project cost is one million dollars.

Discussion.

Chair recognizes members.

Uh commenters regarding why are we doing this and what this uh does to support residents of Detroit.

Can anybody tell me administration come and speak to this grant?

Through the chair, we have Tefiri Brenton.

Yes, yes, thank you so much, uh Ms.

Sullivan.

Uh wait, hold on for a minute.

Hold on for me.

Hold on for a minute.

Can we can we get your your picture on the screen?

Yes, sir.

There it is.

My man, go ahead.

Yeah, no, what was the question on uh council council member Benson through the chair?

Uh Mr.

Brent, we we received a question from a caller regarding the grant for line item 6.9.

It's the grant application for the smart re-entry demonstration grant.

Can you just explain what this is about and why this is important for the residents of Detroit?

Yes, yes, uh thank you for that question.

So, you know, it's one of the responsibilities of the mayor's office enabling the community safety.

Um in partnership also with Dr.

Luke's department uh to uh create a position which uh for re-entry services, which would be our re-entry uh liaison for juvenile and adult pre-entry services.

Um and a part of uh a part of that particular position task is to coordinate pre-existing uh re-entry services, identify new uh opportunities, and also to partner up with organizations who are doing that work in our community.

So, of course, there are two organizations under this particular grant that we partnered up with because what's what's kind of different about these kind of grants now, uh a council member Benson is that they they're forced CBOs, that is, community-based organizations who are doing this kind of work, they're forced to partner up with the governmental entity, right?

So let the script go will, as you well know, has been doing this work for almost 20 years, if not 20 years now, and Detroit Recovery Project has been doing this work as well on the substance use disorder and the mental health recovery end as well.

So uh we partnered up with those two organizations to continue to provide re-entry services for the over 150,000 justice impacted Detroiters.

Uh, as you well know, 30 percent of uh formerly incarcerated people from the department of MDOC comes through Wayne State.

Up that 30 percent, well, not Wayne State, Wayne County, up that 30 percent, 80 percent of them return to the city of Detroit.

And we know that if they aren't given employment, you know, at least 60 percent of them will recidivate if they're not giving you know appointment, housing, some of the essential needs that's necessary for them to successfully re-enter back into the community.

So that's what this grant is about.

It's about providing uh a resources, especially employment training and employment opportunities for those individuals who are coming home from incarceration.

Thank you.

This is how Detroit takes care of its own is what it sounds like.

Pardon me?

It sounds like this is how Detroit takes care of its own.

Yes, sir, yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Uh I also just wanted to say you can correct me if if if I'm wrong, but I also think this is the opportunity for us to be able to track data in terms of how whether or not using data to track whether or not these programs work.

Is also about reducing the recidivism rate, so people being who being re uh offenders as well, as well as it'll find the housing and be able to make that transition smoother from when they are uh returning citizens coming from uh correction.

Is that correct?

Oh, yes, sir, absolutely, absolutely.

Sir, in fact, if you if you read the details of this application, you'll see that we're targeting the areas that's that's most heavily impacted by those brothers and sisters who are coming home from incarceration.

So, but our question, I mean, the biggest challenge is that so many of our organizations have off have lost pre-existing funding uh because of you know the current state of our of a political climate, you know, for instance from the script goodwill, they lost, I think something like 2.2 million dollars, which would which allow them to uh employ hundreds, if not thousands of formerly incarcerated people.

Uh, we have an opportunity to help, you know, uh correct that to some degree, and and that's what that's what we're looking forward to do through this partnership.

Excellent, fantastic.

We thank you, sir.

Always good talking to you.

Anybody else have any questions, comments, or concerns?

All right, uh, is there a motion to send Lion 6.9 to formal session with recognition for approved to be put on a new business?

Motion to be put on to the business.

Motion made on any objections here in the hearing none.

Lionel 6.9 be moved to formal session with recognition for approval to be put on to new business.

We will now move back to line item 6.8 through the chair.

We have Sandra Usta as well as Alex Wether up.

Excellent.

Director Stahl, good to see you.

Good afternoon.

Council uh Pro Tem.

Excellent.

Um, I wanted to ask you, can you just kind of give me a rundown of what this kind of what this is and what we're approving here?

Yes, yes.

Through the chair.

Um the uh procurement ordinance amendment approved in February of 25 included provision for uh a type of contract approval um for what are defined as minor purchases.

Those are contracts that are over the city council approval threshold, $50,000, but under $150,000 or up to $250,000 for Detroit certified businesses.

It goes through a process called uh that we're calling delegated approval, wherein um approval to move forward with the contracts is delegated to the administration on the condition that OCP submits um in advance to council uh certain pieces of information which are listed in the resolution.

Um and those are the uh uh the supplier's name, the description of services, the contract amount, the term of the contract, the number of bids received, and the certifications of each vendor, if any.

So we have provided this in the resolution.

Um, and on this list, sometimes it's a mix of contracts, and uh for this submission.

Uh you will not see these every week because you know it just happens if we meet certain conditions.

Um, additionally, it has to be a competitive bid with at least three responses received.

So uh these six contracts are all the result of a single solicitation for youth development programming on behalf of the recreation department for summer camps in 2026.

Uh the awarded vendors are St.

Suzanne Cody Rouge, Greater Mitchell Temple, Rosedale Park Baptist Church, Fit for Life Health, Greater Emmanuel Church, and Wayout Mentoring.

Um, as the top six uh scoring vendors, uh one of the vendors is certified, Fit for Life.

They are Detroit-based, Detroit Headquartered, Detroit Small Business, and the rest are as nonprofits uh not certified.

We receive 29 bids.

Uh, each contract is for 75,000 for a term of one year.

Okay, excellent.

Is there any questions, comments, or concerns?

All right, thank you very much, Director Eustal.

I appreciate it.

Mr.

Weatherup, is there anything you want to add to this?

No, all right.

Is there a motion to send line item 6.8 to formal session with recognition for approval, be put on to new business?

Motion's been made.

Are there objections?

Here in the line of 6.8, we move to formal session with recognition for approval, we put onto new business.

We will move on to member reports.

Chair recognizes Vice Chairman Benson.

No report.

Chair recognizes uh Member Miller.

Yes, I look forward to seeing District 5 residents tomorrow.

We're having our coffee hour at Clo at Cafe Noir between 1 and 3 p.m.

for the late coffee drinkers.

That's again tomorrow, Friday, May 22nd, between 1 p.m.

and 3 p.m.

at Cafe Noir on John R.

That's 9405 John R Street in Detroit, Michigan.

Once again, that's 9405 John R at Cafe New Ar tomorrow, one to three.

All right.

Thank you.

Uh my report is member Miller, welcome back.

You're missed.

It's good to see you, good to have you here.

And uh without objection, neighborhood community standing, committee will now stand adjourned.