Councilmember Scott Benson.

Councilmember Renata Miller.

Madam Chair, you have a quorum present.

Thank you so much.

Um Madam Clerk, we are going to have our indication.

I'm simply going to read a scripture that I read.

I think last week.

If you all will um indulge me for a minute.

God, your ways are not the same as ours.

We think we understand your plans.

We think we already know the map of our faith journey.

When it feels like we are on a detour, we can overreact at times.

We can feel like the whole trip has been ruined.

We could put too much effort into getting back to the original path, but you know things we don't know.

You see the journey differently.

You'll make sure we ultimately get where we need to be.

Help us to always trust that you know.

Help us to calmly keep moving forward with you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

All righty.

Is there a motion for the approval of the minutes?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

There are zero cheer remarks.

Public comment will um be cut off at 10.04.

It is 1001.

Cut public comment will be cut off at 1004.

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

Sir, you want to take the um middle seat?

When you get to the seat, sir, you'll have two minutes.

If you could um press the button at the base of the microphone, it's going to turn green.

When it turns green, the microphone in front of you, sir.

Just press the press the button.

Yes, sir.

It did it turn green.

You have two minutes.

If you can please introduce yourself, and if the um clerk could note, we've been joined by council member Renata Miller.

Good morning, member Miller.

Okay, thank you.

Sir, you have two minutes for public comment.

Introduce yourself.

I'm John Wait.

Um Ms.

JC, can you please fix the clock for two minutes?

Good morning, ma'am.

Councilmember, there's a notification on the screen.

The computer's next to the clerk.

It's blocking timer.

Is are we having technical difficulties?

Just give us a minute, sir.

You can just push okay, I believe.

Okay.

What are your instructions for the two minutes?

I have my screen shared with the timer.

I'm not sure.

Uh please click on the zoom.

It should say join from the browser.

Please bear with us in a minute.

I'm gonna use my cell phone for two minutes.

Thank you, Cyril.

Okay.

Alrighty, you have two minutes, sir.

And good morning.

And sorry for that.

Yeah, good morning.

Hello, uh, name's uh Josh Medina.

I'm I'm here to comment uh to support uh Jai Singletary's uh nomination put him into the city plan commission.

Is it appropriate time to do that?

Yes, it is.

Yes, yes, I'm I'm I'm here.

Um Josh Mandina.

Uh I'm I'm I'm a part of Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, which is a uh a community development organization in the Spring Hills neighborhood in Southwest Detroit.

Uh and that that's a neighborhood uh that um that Jai also lives in as well.

Uh throughout throughout the past year, he he's uh he's he's participating in organizing task force and he's he's brought like a wealth of knowledge and experience uh to the to uh to to our organizing efforts in in in our neighborhood.

Um yeah, so you know not only not only does he have his expertise, but but he he has made time to also talk to talk to the residents and participate uh in these things and just just working with with Jai throughout the throughout this year.

I know I know he shares the vision of of Detroit and and our and our uh and our master plan uh for uh you know for the full progression of of Detroit.

Uh what one thing in particular is is is the zoning that's very that's very concerning for our neighborhood.

And I think I think for a lot of neighborhoods in Detroit is it's it's also true, right?

I think uh there's there's a lot of zoning that's not really compatible with with the vision of of the new Detroit that we're all working uh towards.

Uh and I I think um I think Jai's gonna be a great asset uh on the planning commission to to uh address those issues.

Uh like I mentioned, that not only has has he you know shared his his like experience and the knowledge and expertise, but he's he's also done it in a way where you know where he's he's uh he's he's he's he's been incorporated with with his own neighborhood with our neighborhood and and and the grassroots efforts that that we have.

So I'm really uh excited to see him on the on the on the planning commission.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Public comment is now closed.

Public comment is now closed.

Thank you, sir.

Anyone else in the audience would like to make public comment?

Okay, seeing no other person.

Um, Miss JC, how many callers do we have?

Madam here, we have 11 callers for virtual public comment.

Okay.

The first caller is if you can introduce yourself, you'll have two minutes.

The first caller is Betty A.

Varner.

Miss Varner, good morning.

You have two minutes, ma'am.

Uh good morning, madam chair, and to all within the sound of my voice.

I'm Betty A.

Verner, president of the Soda Elsewhere Black Association, advocating for our community.

I'm asking the council when uh Mr.

Dabbitt and his sons come before the council in regards to uh wanting to um open up a mini market on Thinco and Wyoming, where the Mickey D shoot was located, and also the mini market will have six gas pumps.

We are a food desert.

There is not a uh supermarket within walking to conditions in our area.

There are a lot of uh single parents, seniors uh who need to have access to uh fresh produce, um good just good food.

Also, the mini market uh will have a deli where you can purchase cold food or hot food.

And uh the objective is to have more healthier type uh choices for this area.

It is really needed, and our association is in support of having this business in our area.

So I'm hoping that the council will uh be on board and approve uh so the process can continue and we can get this mini market in our area as soon as possible.

Also, we are still in need of monies uh for our think corridor to we've had many a meetings with uh the city in regards to redevelopment and revitalizing our uh corridor, but we need money.

Thank you for this time.

God bless you all.

God bless you as well.

Thank you, Miss Varner.

The next caller is the next caller is D dot Mobility Access Ambassador.

You have two minutes sir or ma'am, you have two minutes.

Greetings, greetings, hello everybody.

Good morning, Mr.

Cunningham.

Yes, good morning, madam chair and everyone on the council.

Um there is a lot to worry about.

3134, nine.

Mr.

Cuttingham.

Yes, there's some feedback.

There um, we hear voices in the background.

We hear noises in the background.

Is that better?

That is better.

Yeah, that will I forgot to turn my bullhorn on.

I use that bullhorn and save my voice when I'm giving out bus tickets and frozen water and information stuff.

It tells you that these things are available, saves my voice.

So anyway, 3134, 9114.

Um my vehicle is ticking.

Um have some physical pain.

I want you to pray for me as I pray for you.

Uh D dot.

I don't know, they're actually increasing service per se, but they can't meet the schedule as it is right now.

And the pilot on Jefferson, I don't see why they can't get the buses on time.

And I'm out here east-west, north and south.

And because of that, other people get a little mad for me because to give up bus tickets every Friday.

That way I can stretch them out for the entire month without running out.

It's overwhelming going everywhere I go, no matter where I go.

Everyone, you got any bus tickets?

You got any bus tickets?

You got any bus tickets?

I put it over.

Oh if you could be up for you, the guys will be done.

Name just open up doors that need to be open and close doors that need to be closed.

And the Holy Spirit is a comforter and it brings all things to our membranes.

There's nothing left after all.

Thank you, Mr.

Cuttingham.

The next caller is the next caller is Sam Butler.

Mr.

Butler.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you for the time.

Um, I am calling.

Uh well, first of all, my name is Sam Butler, and I am a district six resident living in the Hubbard Burchard neighborhood.

And I am calling in support of Jai Singletary and his potential appointment to the city planning commission.

Not only do I think that Jai has the adequate planning knowledge to successfully be on the commission, but more importantly, I think he also brings just the passion and love for his community to really excel.

Um, so I hope you uh consider his appointment and that he successfully uh is appointed the body.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Butler.

The next caller is the next caller.

Next caller is William M.

Davis.

Mr.

Davis, you have two minutes, and good morning.

Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity.

Uh good morning.

Can I be heard?

Yes, you can be heard.

Okay, I like to let every city truck retiree and others to our allies to know that the city Detroit retiree task force hybrid meeting is coming up.

It's going to be next Thursday from one to three.

It's a hybrid meeting.

It's going to be at the Comuna Young Municipal Building in the 13th floor auditorium.

Uh you could join in person or via Zoom.

Uh, the chairs, um, council member at large, Mary Robers, and my councilman, uh, councilman Denzel McCampbell.

I like to encourage all city retirees to take part to listen in.

Uh, you don't even necessarily have to say anything, just be on the car or come in person.

Um, think about the things that the ways that the city of Detroit can help us.

Uh, think about the ways how we have been harmed and continue to be harmed every month.

Uh, because think about the fact that we need to make sure that we are restored.

Uh, we need to make sure that this city remembers the fact that this whole recovery has been on our backs.

Uh, we need to make sure that people remember that if they do not help us, more and more of us keeps dying every single month.

Also, separately, we need to make sure that we have a major voter turnout this year in August and November.

The city of Detroit used to be able to determine what was going on statewide.

The city of Detroit used to be a major force and power.

You know, I don't think we would never would have had the the bankruptcy if we didn't have a Republican governor that was hell-bent on stealing Detroit assets.

Because you know, we have been cheated and we continue to be cheated on everything that's going on.

So thank y'all, and y'all have a great day.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

You have a great day as well.

The next caller is the next caller is owner Papa.

Owen and Popper, you have two minutes.

And uh good morning, council.

They're the chair.

May I be heard?

You could be heard.

Thank you.

I don't think I am though.

But um yesterday was a wonderful um performance at the table.

It uh it really exemplifies how nobody really knows what's going on.

You don't know how the votes go, you don't know if people are at the table or have left the table.

You don't know how the votes go, you don't know if people are at the table or have left the table, and you're you're the uh committee that's supposed to be you know making sure that people are following you know the rules on the law.

You that that is you know what you what you do, but uh that is not what happened yesterday, so that you could push for a 30-year contract that that makes the citizens in the city of Detroit, their tax dollars, their federal funds, the money that comes to them responsible for other municipalities who have a portion of the Joe Lewis Greenway, which is a you know it's it's it's it's of a different uh well.

I won't go there.

Um but you you guys are violating the charter constantly.

The um uh the charter says one thing and you all do something else, and then you set forth um channels to change the charter.

That's that's really not how things work.

When you go into a job, you work within the constructs of that job.

You have constructs called the charter, of which you are you should be operating under.

Um, and let me let me tell you that this um this CBD apartments uh this cost benefit analysis that was done, it's always assumptions that you make that we're going to make something back on our money that we're putting forth.

And uh it never pans out.

Mr.

Head told us all about jobs, jobs, jobs while you were doing the other things, and now it's other things.

But let me say this to you.

We don't want any more pilot programs until you can do an analysis on how thank you so much.

Um, we're going to um acknowledge our 1015 interviews and recess them through the call of the chair and return to our regular agenda.

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

User one, you have two minutes.

Can I be heard?

You can be heard, Ms.

Shea.

Good morning.

Good morning, Ms.

Shea.

In the book of Psalm, thank you.

In the book of Psalms 101, my favorite verse, verse is seven.

A liar shall not tarry from God's eyesight.

You know, God is so good, it doesn't matter what your title is in life, when your time is up, you will face judgment.

If you cannot do what you say you're gonna do, just be honest at all times.

I've been asking for close to a year.

Why can't you all get a bus shelter?

Are you Graham River Myers?

Replace you all ignore me.

I then asked you to show me where it is by the law department, how it is that your building safety can put residents' lives in jeopardy because we call, we complain, we show evidence.

None of you all will respond to me.

You will ignore me every single time and act like I'm taking up your time.

I'll never forget that.

Um Callaway, I asked you to make sure your office email me from events that may be happening over the summer and with community evening meetings, and you still haven't done nothing to the sort.

And I'm very disappointed.

It's no excuse for it.

You don't have to like me.

That's okay.

If I request for something, you should respect me as a native Detroiter.

But the day of judgment is coming, and you will give accountability for your lives and your actions.

Thank you, Ms.

Shay.

Um you can go to Detroit.gov, and all of the events for the summer are online.

The next caller is the next caller is legendary Detroiter.

Legendary Detroiter, you have two minutes.

Yeah, Angela Whitfield.

Yes, Mr.

Crawley, you have two minutes.

You kicked me out of a meeting, internal operations committee meeting before the meeting started.

You had the EPU escort me out.

I need to take legal action against you.

Angela Whitfield Callaway, you a cheated in public official here in the city of Detroit.

Sandra Smith did not vote for you.

Sandra Smith was 105 years old.

She didn't vote for nobody.

Now her granddaughter put in the absentee ballot.

But the one that's credited to Sandra Smith's name.

Her granddaughter talked to me.

She told me that since the age of 96 or 97.

Now she was 105 years old when this vote was counted.

But since the age of 96 or 97, she didn't know who the president was.

The mayor.

No politicians or political figures.

But she voted over in District 2.

Now, I'm a resident of District 2.

You don't know that.

Actually, I'm a district two legend.

District 2 is my stomping grounds.

I'm black bag for real.

I'm six-mile rule.

Now, you've been playing games with my name.

Along with James Tate, President of the City Council.

Every since I spoke up for Bob Carmack.

Robert Carmack, Mr.

Robert Carrack at time.

You broke off all communications with me.

Well, I don't AK to nobody.

I don't kiss.

I don't do that.

That's not in my repertoire.

Now I'm giving a display to you how I get down for real, for real.

For real, for real.

Angela Whitfield.

Thank you, Mr.

Black Bag Rue elections for city council will be in 2030.

The next caller is the next caller is you matter.

You matter, you have two minutes.

You matter, you have two minutes.

You matter, we'll have to um send you to the end of the queue.

The next caller is after you matter.

The next caller is Renard Montansky.

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

Good morning, madam sheriff.

Can I be heard?

You can be heard, and good morning.

Good morning.

Uh hi, my name is Renard Michelinski.

I'm a district six resident.

I'm actually just calling on behalf as a resident in my capacity.

Um, I just wanted to bring to your attention um an internal operations committee that um with the website, the city website uh, particularly with the mayor's page.

Um, with the previous administration, you were able to click on the mayor's page, right?

And then you'll see all the information about them.

And then you were able to see the entire cabinet, their bio, their photo, their contact information.

That is missing on this page.

And the reason why I didn't bring it up for the first hundred days because that's a transition going from 12 years from one mayor to another.

However, I'm just noticing who are the people in the cabinet.

I honestly can't identify some people outside of certain departments that I'm aware of.

And uh, nor can other residents because it's not on the city's website.

I also wanted to speak to uh line item 8.1 about the feasibility of the city council having its own media services.

That's encouraging.

I encourage that, but I think do a deep deep conversation and discussion and analysis with that first.

And I am concerned if there's gonna be some sort of bifurcation in media services.

Would the city website still have city council information, your meetings, the minutes, the I mean, it's so well organized now than it used to be.

I don't want that to go away.

But on the administrative side of the website the web page, we don't see who are the cabinet.

Um, that's normal.

I can go even on the not that I want to, the white house and see the cabinet officials, or even on our honorable governor's page and see her cabinet.

I don't see that for our mayor as well, too.

And it's crucial for uh citizens in the city to communicate with department heads um with their issues pertaining to their neighborhood and community.

So I just wanted to bring that to your um urgent attention to have that fixed, and I see the rest of my time.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, sir.

The next the next caller is the next caller is Jadante Smith.

Mr.

Smith, good morning.

You have two minutes.

Hold on.

Can you hear me?

Yeah, you have a lot of background noise, but we can hear you.

I'm driving.

Uh I'm I'm here, though.

So uh I want to start by saying Conrad Mallet in the proverbial sense, put the final nail of his coffee.

He is not in there.

Should have kept his mouth shut.

Also, Darren Woods not need to be um the chair of the board of police commissioners.

Um also Ray Wanus says some stuff so vile to me.

He's a current city city Detroit contract holder.

I'm gonna email it to everybody's office, so nobody is unaware of what he said to me.

And you guys decide if you guys are oversee his contract and maybe cancel the terminate CDI.

Also, Ronada Miller, I would love for you to meet with the Detroit Coalition as well as yourself, Councilman Calloway.

I'll email both your offices.

Officers about that.

Also, Nicole Curtis only got a 250 dollar ticket to the house that she is not renovated or maintained, and she's had the house for almost 10 years, and she's doing a major renovation in the city of Detroit in a different home somewhere, maybe an industrial building.

So we're gonna let her do industrial renovations of other places around the city and not maintain the other house that she has.

Also needs to be uh transparency around the solar undertaking, but not a full session.

Also, as we'll go calloway, you stand up sometimes, but you're getting a lot of praise on their net, but you still don't stand up enough.

I appreciate you pushing back on that, but you know Darren McCluskey's name.

You can say his name, the young man, the young man.

You knew his name.

I don't like that.

Also, the Maroon family owns so much land the city strategically that is hard to develop around them.

They buy property where you can't develop around them.

It's almost impossible.

And they've been doing it in 12 years, the last 12 years in district three under Scott Business toothless, unfortunately.

Also, you guys should be looking into Lincoln Land, LLC.

That company is a shell corporation owned by a corporate corporation by uh a Missouri corporation that is also a show corporation.

How do we transfer property from a 2019 land uh property exchange agreement to share corporations?

How does the city do business with shell corporations and wonder how we have all this money going out the door?

You guys are doing a terrible job.

Also, Donald Rentcher does not need to be on the uh uh planning commission, and Eric Hill doesn't need to be on the uh land.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

And the next caller is the final caller is you matter.

You matter, you have two minutes.

You matter, you have two minutes.

Going once.

Hello?

Hello, we can hear you, Miss Wall.

We can hear you, Miss Joanne Warwick.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Yeah, I don't know what's going on here.

That's why I come in by two devices.

Uh um, okay, very politely.

Me, Miss Woolwick resident and Miss Warwick lacking Miss Warwick.

We we can hear you, but very faintly.

Can you turn up your volume on your phone so we can hear you more clearly?

Is this listen?

I dialed in timely on 534.

If you can you hear me now, or just call me on 534, because I dialed in before 10 oh.

Oh, can you start her clock, Miss JC?

Yes, and I'll unmute 534.

Can you hear me now?

We can now.

It's hard when you're calling from two different phones.

I think that's what you were doing.

But Miss Warwick, you have two minutes.

Miss Warwick.

Which device are you letting me speak on?

Why are you calling from two different you it would be more sometimes I don't get called on on the community?

Well, we can hear you now.

Start our clock.

Her clock is started.

Okay, Miss Wark, you have two minutes.

Okay.

What I wanted to say, shoot.

What uh is la what is lacking big time in the city is meaningful resident inclusion and planning, etc.

But but I want to jump and say we don't need federal lobbyists.

We have federal senators and representatives.

That's their job.

Absolutely no to Donald Rentcher on the land bank board.

He was involved in the secretive planning of North End Landing with the land bank, and I used to go up and ask him about community engagement, and he played dumb to my face.

And I know he's way smarter than that because he's an attorney.

So he should also know that the illegal the nuisance abatement takings are illegal.

We need some fresh blood on the land bank board, and he's just a recycled person from the Duggan administration.

Uh ask Jai what he thinks about uh uh the master plan update, how it's being done.

How come they're not even talking to people about the current master plan and whether that's even been achieved?

And there's not a focus on neighborhoods, and Miss Connecty didn't tell people didn't say that a big complaint at the buttle meeting was hey, we don't want to plan other people's neighborhoods, we want to plan our own.

So that's been very uh disappointing.

And um, don't confuse for anybody going on the city planning commission.

Don't confuse replacing lost density due to the excessive and reckless bulldozing with increasing density beyond the current master plan.

And any the oh the few crumbs of a meetings that the us little peons get, they didn't even discuss what the current master plan is to the residents.

They just pretty much putting their fat at home play, what they've already planned behind us.

They've been very secretive about who they're meeting with, who the stakeholders are.

How about the residents in each neighborhood?

So if Jai's willing to do that, then put him on the planning commission.

Absolutely no to Donald Renscher.

If you vote for him, that means you believe in secretive.

Thank you, Miss Warwick.

We will now um have our first interview of Mr.

Singletary.

If you could take the middle seat.

And when you take your seat, Mr.

Singletary, if you could press the button at the base of the microphone, it's going to turn green.

And if you could um please introduce yourself.

And thank you for being with us this morning.

All right, good morning, City Council.

Madam Chair, can you hear me well?

We can hear you well.

All right, excellent.

Uh well, good morning again, Madam Chair, Vice Chair Benson, uh, Councilmember Miller.

Uh my name is Jai Singletary.

Um, I'd like to first thank you all for the opportunity to come before you, this honorable body to interview for the City Planning Commission position in District 6.

I'd like to give a thank you also to Mr.

Rhodes for the gear turning as well to get us to this place, and of course, Councilmember Santiago Romero for the nomination.

Uh a little bit about me.

Again, my name is Jai Singletary.

Um I was originally born and raised in Washington, D.C.

I received that against you and commanders.

I wasn't sure if I should uh open with that one, but it plays nicely into the story.

Uh, born and raised in Washington, D.C., uh, received my bachelor's in economics and political science from Temple University in 2017, uh, crossed the stage that May, and uh in the fall of 2017, found myself at the University of Michigan pursuing my master's of public policy degree, where I met my then partner now wife.

Uh we are uh she gave me the ultimatum.

She says, I'm not doing this long distance thing.

You either come to Detroit, she's a Detroit native, or you go back to DC.

So I was a smart man.

I moved to Detroit.

Um in 2019, that fall, I uh lived in Woodbridge at the time, um, and then moved into um our home now in Springwells Village and in 2020.

So I've been in the city of Detroit for um about seven years now.

Um in that time I've loved the city, and I hope the city has loved me.

Um I've worked in it with Global Detroit.

Um, at the time they were in Midtown as a community development project manager.

Uh shortly after, admittedly, the short stint because a position opened up with former councilmember Raquel Castaneda Lopez, uh, the former district six member, and I served as a community engagement and uh liaison um to her office.

So a lot of the constituent cases that you all feel and your offices feel daily are the same ones that I would get to and organizing community meetings, attending block club meetings alike.

Um after that, uh I transitioned to uh Guide House, a um a community, excuse me, a consulting firm doing American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA dollars for clients outside of the city of Detroit and even Michigan, and this is a pandemic.

So, in both sense uh senses, excuse me, I was very remote.

I was remote at home, but I was also remote from the community um that I was uh loving and learning to love even more.

Uh positioned open up.

It's now March of 2022, and um I served as then council president pro Tim, of course, now Council President Tate's uh policy analyst uh role and was elevated in that time in the office to the senior policy analyst role.

And uh one of my uh proud, I would feel accomplishments was sitting in this room right behind me, managing the planning and economic development PED standing committee, uh, where many of the zone actually all of the zoning matters uh that came before the honorable body uh uh would start or would continue, I should say, too.

So uh between the two roles within council member um Raquel Castina Lopez's office and council president, of course, then council then count pro Tim Tate's office.

Um I was well versed uh with zoning classification and land use.

I was well versed in the procedures, uh, the city planning commission staff, and I also too, of course, uh please apologize.

I'd like to give a special thank you again for Director Todd for getting me to this position too, getting me to this place as well before you all.

Um and now I serve as the executive director of Woodbridge Neighborhood Development.

It's been just shy of a year now, over a year, uh, where we're engaged in home repair, affordable housing and parks program.

Uh I'd like to particularly uh emphasize our affordable housing development, uh, can't feel parks apartments on Rosa Parks and Canfield and Woodbridge.

That will be uh finished construction this uh September.

It's a hundred percent affordable housing, so anyone making fifty-eight thousand dollars or below is eligible, sixty units, one two bedroom.

Um sorry I had to do that quick spiel for anyone that would like to talk to me about that afterwards.

I would love to do so.

Um taking off the professional hat and my personal capacity too.

I want to thank Mr.

Josh Medina for coming down.

He uh leads the neighborhood resilience committee NRC within Urban Neighborhoods Initiative, the local community development corporation within my neighborhood of Springwells Village.

We've door knocked, we're working on a policy priorities committee, not within the multi-generational um uh committee that we have, but also with residents as well.

Um I'm also a graduate of the Building Community Value course led by Mr.

Chase Cantrell, and I encourage anyone and everyone to take it to learn about community real estate development, for which one of the lessons that the hammer home is zoning um and what it takes uh for the understanding for zoning for anyone that's looking to move into development.

And then lastly, and I must say the most fun thing I do um in the city of Detroit um brings me great joy as I'm a um uh coach with the Detroit Parks and Rec uh Department, coaching six and eight U soccer.

I've been doing so ever since 2021.

Um I do the spring, winter, and summer seasons, winters at Chandler Park, the indoor field house, which is now beautiful.

Encourage folks to uh definitely check it out.

Um I must say, uh Councilman Benson, Vice Chair Benson.

We're we're hoping to see Ezra again this fall.

He's joined us, his son, uh, for uh two years now, and we hope to see him back for a third.

And uh truly uh more than any games that we win or lose.

I I love the development of those young people.

It means more than anything in the world to see them you know make a friend try something new because that's more important than any goal they score.

Um as far as the city planning commission goes and uh my knowledge and uh what I'd like to advocate for again is we're talking about the housing supply issues within the city of Detroit and zoning being a critical and timely step to assist developers, mission-based developers to get uh not only just single family R1 housing, but all of the different types of housing um typologies uh that could be allowed, duplexes, triplexes.

I know there's now conversations that are re-emerging around accessible dwelling units, ADUs um to help combat um the housing supply that we have in the city of Detroit.

And as Mr.

Medina said as well, um I'm too acutely aware of the the um planning or the zoning, the outdated zoning of a lot of the industrial um areas that are in neighborhoods.

A long time ago, we thought it was a good idea for folks to live close to the industrial places they work.

We're now learning about the public health implications, and I myself live three miles away from Zug Island and also the marathon oil refineries, so I'm quite literally intimate with this knowledge of uh some of the high industry.

Um, and even in my time with City Council working with uh Schoolcraft Improvement Association and helping them down zone the uh concrete crusher, dynamite concrete crusher in their neighborhood from a heavy industrial M4 down to an M2.

So if they were to sell the permitting cannot go to the same use.

Um so um that's a big shout out to Ms Mr.

Purdue, um the president of SIA and the community leaders there.

So uh Madam Chair, uh I know that was lengthy, and I appreciate again your time um for this interview, and I'm available, of course, for any questions.

Thank you so much, um Mr.

Um Singletary.

Mr.

Singletary, and it's good seeing you this morning.

You two men.

Um and I'm going to um defer to um Member Mill, you have questions for Mr.

Singletary.

Uh thank you, Madam Chair.

Good morning, everyone.

I am truly, truly impressed by your uh seven-minute speech.

I want to thank your uh cheering section for coming out today.

He sold me with the speech.

I mean, I know you had to feel some type of way with him the way he um honored you and suggested that we give you um credit for being here.

Thank you, sir, for coming.

Um I will have to say, Mr.

Ty, wherever you are, if you had anything to do with this recommendation, I have a city uh planning commission appointment coming up.

If this is what you're doing, please I ask for your help.

So you are my type of candidate.

Um you spoke from your family to your volunteerism.

You spoke from being knowledgeable just on what our city's dealing with right now.

And you were upfront about it.

I um thank Gabrielle for bringing you forward to us.

I I it's not much I can really say.

You've been here, you know the ropes around here.

Um you've served already.

And I'm assuming that she trusts that you are gonna do right by our neighborhoods when they come to city planning.

As everyone know, I am a bit critical.

I have uh uh against a lot of things that we do in our, as you say, the new city.

Without being mindful, mindful of where we're coming from and transitioning.

I really don't have many questions to ask you because you cover everything and dotted every I and every T that I cross coming up.

And um, I just look forward to having someone on city planning along with some of our others that really can be voisterous and speaking out against some things that don't add up, like little simple things and and being an advocate for parking.

Just parking in our residents.

That is my number one thing.

Parking.

And I ask everyone that comes in for us, how do you feel about parking?

Because our residents pay taxes.

And they do not want anyone parking in front of their houses 24-7.

It is so unfair and it's disrespectful.

So while our city is has all infrastructure, we gotta figure out ways to build out some of our developments with underground parking, um, side parking like Huntington has, just things like that that signal that we are trying, trying to respect your livelihood.

And that's where I find them, but thank you very much for joining us today.

Um I am satisfied.

Thank you, Member Miller.

For further discussion, Member Benson?

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And uh Mr.

Singletary, thank you for coming out today.

I'm gonna uh keep um in line with the chair earlier.

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord, smart man, find chasing your wife to Detroit.

Full transparency, and this is through yourself to LPD.

Coach Singletary is Ezra's coach, and I fully advocate for a better rotation for him next season.

Oh goodness.

Navigate for a rotation of Will, Hugo, and Ezra, and then everybody else.

That sounds like favorite to that be a conflict of interest for me to vote on Mr.

Singletary.

I'm sorry, um attorney Keller.

Hello, Keller, LPD through the chair.

Uh there's there's no pecuniary interest there.

That disclosure should should suffice.

Fantastic.

I'd make it very clear.

I advocate for an appropriate and responsible rotation for the Vikings next season.

So, um, and this is gonna be more of a pop quiz, and we heard from one of the public commenters uh regarding the plan master plan and and how it's not being properly implemented or isn't and it's not being properly vetted by the community.

As a city planning commissioner, what is your role in the development of the city's master plan or non-role in that?

This is a pop quiz.

Uh through the chair, Mr.

Um Singletary.

Yes, thank you, ma'am.

Uh through the chair to Councilman Benson, I can say directly that the City Planning Commission's role is for one to get these meetings continue to be out in the community.

And I can say that just last week, uh Director Todd and the City Planning Commission and City Planning Commission staff actually hosted a meeting at our offices.

We're located out of the Scout Center on Rosa Parks and Warren on the northeast corner.

So um I had the opportunity actually to attend this meeting.

Um it was included also virtually too.

Um I should also say too, the planning and development department, PDD was of course um present as well to advise uh where we are in the master plan, the timeline of when the release to city council, excuse me, city planning commission, and then to city council for a final vote.

Uh the other things that I can share around uh the city planning commission and its role is excuse me, with um how some of the um I would say the vision and how the feedback has been incorporated from the dozens and dozens and dozens of uh planning um plan Detroit.

That's the name of the official name of the master plan.

The plan Detroit sessions have been incorporated into the final play of the master plan too.

Um I know that there is no neighborhood cluster or neighborhood um within the city of Detroit that wants the same or exactly the same uh writ large uh zoning classifications or um even the the I'll even call it the storytelling uh for which neighborhoods um need to make sure that uh their zonings um not only abide by the the will of the existing neighbors, but we have to also think into the future as well, too.

But you cannot think into the future without uh forgetting well while forgetting about um who's currently there, businesses and residents alike.

All right, thank you.

And that's very important.

I want to just to reinforce the importance of the planning department.

The administration is responsible for the master plan via the planning department.

City Planning Commission is responsible for the zoning ordinance, and you're absolutely right.

That recommendation from the planning commission with the master plan comes to city council for final approval, and I appreciate that you will play a role there.

But I also want to make it very clear to our callers that the administration is responsible for the master plan, which will eventually be approved and adopted by the planning commission with recommendation to city council.

In addition, you understand it sounds like the critical role of zoning, affordable housing in the future of the city of Detroit.

We see ourselves in a growth mode again.

We have many neighborhoods, probably the vast majority of our neighborhoods in the city of Detroit have low to very low density.

We do have some stable Detroit neighborhoods which have high density as they were originally planned, as they are originally platted.

What role can the Planning Commission have with its responsibility to oversee our zoning ordinance in helping us to redensify or to keep low density based on the needs and the norms of the residents in those neighborhoods?

Excuse me, that the buy right uses and conditional uses and now as um affordable housing developer, and I know uh Vice Chair Benson, when you would say time is money, especially in development, the time it would take for a developer to go through a special land use hearing with B seed and the costs associated can play huge a very big role on funders for construction costs, for labor costs.

If you receive federal dollars, you have to abide by Davis Bacon Act and how much money it takes for that unionized labor, which we support.

But these are all factors that have to go into uh timing for uh a developer.

So as I talk about the let's build housing um priority um that the administration will reconsider to allow for buy right uses and particularly let's say R2 zoning classifications for duplexes, triplexes, and accessible dwelling units, also known as in law suites for those that are familiar, uh that can cut down on time quite significantly.

Um I know as we're finishing up our development again at Canfield Parks apartments, we have had, and that it was uh um area rezoned while I was at council.

I can tell you now for some of the construction challenges that we're having now.

If there were any zoning um issues that might have delayed the project, and of course we want community feedback, but if the delay is so significant that our funders could either back out or um have um a different timeline for when draw requests, essentially in English when money goes out, that could have stopped the project entirely.

And again, this is a development that has actually city money, 2.5 million dollars of home funding, but also um is going to accommodate uh folks that are making $58,000 and below.

Again, I'm saying 100%.

So to talk about density uh specifically, um Mr.

Vice Chair, I will say that the buy right versus conditional use timeline is very critical for how money can actually get out the door to a development and actually get development shovels in the ground.

Thank you.

And with that, I'm gonna take a bow from the quiver of my colleague here.

Historic neighborhoods, if I buy single family low density R1, I bought into a certain quality of life and an expectation of that quality of life.

Should the city disregard our norms and mores of our neighborhood to densify that?

Madam Chair.

Yes, sir.

Okay, through the chair to Councilmember Benson.

Uh no.

Um I think that the uh wait, can you ask question as I think I answered the inverse?

No, I think you've answered.

Okay, um that so I'll say it this way.

The city should could should consider the historic nature, because I can tell you Woodbridge Farms is a historic district within Woodbridge as well, uh, that the character of the neighborhood comes first and foremost.

Um I think that's a a really good policy, actually, discussion to have amongst those that we would if we want to consider density in the area, and as Councilmember Millen also Miller also mentioned around parking in the area too.

I think that we can have a spirited debate, and I think given the right um argument, I could be convinced, um, but with safeguards to understand that character is incredibly important.

I learned that very quickly in the city of Detroit, no matter where you are, that folks are really prideful of the neighborhoods for which they raise their families or live in um alone and want to retire in.

So I'll uh again, the sh the short answer is the for me, the historic districts should remain so and should remain with the safeguards that they have.

However, I always keep my mind open to folks uh if I can be convinced with a safeguarded way to maintain character, but also maybe certain uses, let's say again the uh in-law suites, the accessible dwelling units, then I think that's a uh a conversation, uh a spirited conversation that could be had um that could be had within not only a community but council and the planning commission.

Okay.

I thought that may spur some conversation.

I don't want to take my vote back.

Member Miller, Mr.

Member.

Yes, I wanted to spur some additional conversation.

Um make me take my vote back.

This is a joke here, but no, I have always pushed for a cutout for circle districts because that's exactly what my colleagues said.

Um we're dealing with uh additional uh units or additional uh developments that taints that waters down the historical fabric.

You can't have a carriage house.

Carit houses were in 1800s to 1915.

If it's built in 2026, it's not historical.

And that's one of the major things that we talk about.

And if I buy a house and I'm next door to one family, that means one family and one dog.

People don't want to live next door to two families with two and three dogs because they bought for a specific purpose.

So while we try to navigate, those are some of the things that I'm really cautious about and I push for.

So it is a is a really big argument on my behalf because the residents for years they were paying the city's bills.

When no one was here before we started coming back, they were paying those bills.

So imagine 15% of our population paying the bulk of the city's bills through those taxes.

And now that the tech our city is coming back, they want to continue to feel respected for their time that they've been here and contributed to the building of the city of Detroit.

And then they're being taken for granted in a lot of areas trying to make uh multifamily dwellings.

And so that is so I just wanted to say thank you for bringing that up.

Um, Mr.

Benson, I appreciate that.

Thank you very much, sir.

Thank you so much, Member Miller.

I'm gonna ask, we do have another interview, and we still have to get to our agenda.

Are there any other questions from my colleagues from Mr.

Singletary?

If not, I'm gonna ask for a motion.

Um, Madam Chair, I do have one more I want to ask Mr.

Singh.

This is more of a statement.

Um, just the diversity of our neighborhoods is critical.

Maintaining our stable neighborhoods and their character is also critical.

The city of Detroit at one time had 1.8 million people.

We find ourselves down sub-700,000 people at this point.

There is no scarcity of land in the city of Detroit that can be redeveloped.

We can do both.

We can encourage development, we can encourage dense modern neighborhoods and keep the character of our historic and stable neighborhoods in the city of Detroit.

And this will be a role that you play.

It will take great thought and guardrails to protect everybody, but there is no shortage of land and the ability to build density.

So I just want to make sure that you, as a potential planning commissioner, keep that in mind as you look to help grow this city, but we have to maintain our stable neighborhoods and protect those who purchased into a certain characteristic and quality of life.

We don't want to shortchange that.

They are suggesting a 1,000 five hundred square foot lot should be the minimum.

We should not be able to say that a lot should be 2,000 square feet or 3,000 square feet.

In the city of Detroit, a 1,500 square foot lot, and this will be by right in any residentially zoned district, that would be a 10-foot wide, that would be a 15-foot wide lot.

That means that you could purchase a home in Indian Village, tear it down, subdivide that 75-foot lot into five, excuse me, five.

Fifteen-foot wide lots, and build 10-foot wide homes.

That would destroy level of character and bring down property values within some of our most historic and stable neighborhoods.

It is critical that we use common sense and make good decisions on how we implement zoning within the city of Detroit and how we engage with the state of Michigan, they look to preempt us and tell us how we should do zoning within our cities.

But very specifically in the City of Detroit, we have hundred-foot deep lots until you get to your alley, and that would require a 15-foot-wide lot that would destroy character and make many neighborhoods unsustainable, in addition to just thinking what it would do to our infrastructures for our stormwater and water.

But that will be up to you.

So I'm hoping that if you are so honored to become a planning commissioner, you will take these things into account and listen to the varying conversations and concerns of our neighbors while keeping growth in the front of your of your mind.

Thank you, Member Benson.

I did see Mr.

Todd with your hand up.

If you can um turn on your microphone, Mr.

Todd, introduce yourself.

Excuse me.

Good morning, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Marcel Todd, director of City Planning Commission.

Again, good morning to you and members of this honorable committee.

Very quickly, just wanted to indicate that we have had the opportunity to vet Mr.

Singletary's candidacy, looking primarily for conflicts of interest.

We found nothing of significance, nothing uh that would be unique, and therefore, you know, have no objections at this time.

Any conflicts that he may find along the way would be no different from those that are experienced uh on occasion by other members of the commission.

So we have no objections.

Thank you, Mr.

Todd.

Um any other discussion?

Is there a motion on this nomination to the um city planning commission of Mr.

Jai Singletary?

Discussion.

Discussion, Member Benson.

Coach Singletary's camera's rotation.

Chair.

Coach Singletary.

Oh no.

Okay, there's a motion to move line item.

Um what is this?

Line item six to formal with a recommendation for approval.

Um before um we take action.

Memb Mr.

King, um, the um corresponding or appropriate resolution for this nomination.

Good morning, madam chair, Edward King LPD.

Can't hear you, Mr.

King.

Good morning, Madam Chair, Edward King LPD.

Uh Director Todd has drafted the resolution.

Okay, thank you, Mr.

King.

So we do have the appropriate resolution.

So um that's great.

So is there a motion again to move this to formal session, knowing that we have the resolution?

Um that's going to be attached.

Motion.

Okay.

There's a motion to move line item six to formal, knowing that we have the resolution.

Attach any objections?

Hearing none that action shall be taken.

Thank you, Mr.

Singletary.

Madam Chair.

Ms.

Member Benson.

Did I have that correct?

It is P and D makes a recommendation for the master plan to CPC, who then approves and recommends approval to city council.

Mr.

Todd.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Yes, through your chair to Member Benson.

Uh the city planning committee.

That is correct, and the city planning commission then holds the statutory hearing and then uh makes its recommendation to city council.

I want to verify I had it correct.

Thank you.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Thank you, Mr.

Todd, and thank you, Mr.

Singletary.

Um, our next interviewee will be Donald Rencher.

Um being recommended as an appointment to the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

Mr.

Renter, if you could please take the seat that Coach Singletary is now vacating.

Press the button at the base of the microphone.

When it turns green, you can introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself, and then my colleagues and I will um proceed to ask questions.

Mr.

Rencher.

Uh yes, uh, through the chair.

Uh thank you so much for uh giving uh time to me.

Uh thank you to uh councilmember Benson, uh Councilwoman uh Miller.

You are my uh uh council uh uh leader, so uh I appreciate the first time I've met you.

So um uh thank you again for the opportunity.

I I um again, my name is Donald Ryncher.

Uh my uh grandmother and grandfather moved to Detroit uh in the 1940s, raised all my uncles and aunts in the Herman Kiefer neighborhood.

Uh, even when I worked at the city of Detroit, my grandmother would ask, you know, what's gonna happen to the Herman Kiefer neighborhood when she was here in the live.

Um, but it gives me a great sense of pride to do the job and the work that I've done within the city of Detroit.

It's very important to me.

Uh uh and uh and it really really does hit my soul.

So um I uh went to University of Michigan, I went to law school, out of law school.

Uh my first job was being an attorney, a closing attorney for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, is where I really cut my chops on uh affordable housing development.

Um I came to the city uh to live uh in 2012, um and in 2015 um I was connected to the housing department who asked me to help um uh uh push through uh affordable housing deals uh in the city of Detroit.

Uh I wound up being the housing uh director um uh around 20 uh uh 17-18 um and then later uh became the group executive and uh as a group executive um uh uh in my purview was the the planning department, of course, the housing department, the Detroit Housing Commission, also had the Detroit Land Bank.

Uh but uh through my time worked with the Detroit Land Bank on uh really strategic uh neighborhood development uh projects.

Um was fortunate enough to be a part of um uh the make it home program, which is uh allowed uh for folks who are occupying Detroit Land Bank homes to become homeowners.

I also created the um the neighborhood beautification uh program, which is uh a mini-grant program for uh folks who um are within neighborhoods, whether they're their private ownership or uh uh we can um uh purchase for a nominal fee Detroit land bank land uh to do uh projects on those uh on those lots.

Um my uh sole belief is that you know uh the s uh the Detroit Land Bank is a critical uh agency or entity and there's no one built uh like the Detroit Land Bank in the country.

There's no one, there's no city that has as many uh parcels uh where I think we're around 60, 55 to 60,000 uh vacant lots.

Um this is a tremendous opportunity and it will um significantly impact uh the city of Detroit for years based on the decisions that are made with these parcels.

Um I think the difference now from the time when I was here is that you know I used to have conversations about how do we move forward around infill.

How do we get vacant land to become productive use, use those um lots not only under community ownership with ideas like the community land trust, which um I currently work as the president and CEO of the Hudson Weber Foundation and we're interested uh in community land trusts, we're interested in in-fill housing, and we're interested in using vacant land uh to stuff for storm water management.

How do we use our vacant land and um uh in more productive use?

But um uh this is our opportunity as our city grows and um uh uh that we can actually uh come together with community uh and investors to to build uh continue to build our city uh economically.

And so uh I'm pleased to be here.

I think the opportunity uh would be uh fantastic if I if I if I can receive that.

And good morning, Mr.

Rencher.

It's good seeing you.

Um and I'm pleased that you are willing to serve on the Detroit Land Bank.

Um and um had an opportunity to work with you on a on a short basis when I first took office in 2022.

I think it was just a couple years.

And then you're off to something um something greater in my in my estimation.

But um I'm happy that you um are willing to serve in this capacity.

You have my full support.

Um and I'm familiar with your work and your commitment to the city, didn't know that your grandparents moved here in the 40s, and that's a rich history, especially in that neighborhood over there in the Herman Kiefer area, which I'm hoping um and praying that something will be done with those buildings.

They're just sitting there.

Yeah.

Um, and uh um people can be living in those buildings.

We can convert them.

We can um use, we can readapt them, we can change how they are laid out.

They're just sitting there.

And I don't understand it.

But you just have to have the willingness and the um some fortitude to make that happen.

But to have all those buildings and in Palmer Park as well.

Um we don't have a housing problem at all.

We have the stock.

We just have to connect those who are under house or unhoused to that housing stock, right?

And just bring them together.

I don't have any other questions.

I'm glad to see you.

Um, and I'll ask my colleagues is there a motion for discussion?

Discussion.

Member Miller.

Uh first member Calgary, uh, we will have an update for the Hermickey for today.

I have two meetings scheduled already.

So I can let not only you and my constituents know where we stand with Herman Kiefer.

But Mr.

Rentcher, you have an appeckable resume here.

I am I really don't have any questions to ask.

I did notice that you have a lot of history with single family dwellings.

That is my pet peeve homeownership for our city residents.

You mentioned in-fill housing.

So only similar serious questions is how do you feel about the mayor's initiative for our a thousand single family homes?

Um through the chair.

Yes, sir.

It is um as uh it's as definitely uh a high goal, I can tell you that.

Uh I think during our research um for the past 10 years, I think there's probably been 45 single family homes built.

Um, but at a time where there's housing needs and then in certain market conditions, it actually can actually happen.

And so um I think you have to do it carefully and thoughtfully.

Um, but we have to uh be a city that can be seen to be able to build uh new construction, single family and um uh and potential duplexes and triplexes.

And so the question really is is where can those um those units units actually occur uh under certain market conditions, right?

And so I don't I don't know necessarily the exact strategy um coming from the um uh from the administration, but I I'm definitely in support of building more single family homes.

It's uh um you know uh the the amount of Detroit land bank homes are dwindling as far as availability for purchase and so um and people are in need for for housing for families.

It was one of the questions I used to get a lot when I was working for the city of Detroit, um, when you know it was more advantageous and and there was a need for a lot of affordable housing, so there was a lot of um you know one bedroom studio apartments made, and people often say, like, what about our single family?

Um as our um the the Detroit land bank portfolio uh is is really reducing as far as like um uh actual structures.

The question is what's the what's the next what's the next opportunity?

I recently went on a land bank tour of some of the work they're they're doing regarding the single family homes, and I was really impressed.

But like you said, the the stock is dropping.

So what do we do next?

Um our residents don't completely understand when they see the land for miles at a distance.

They really don't understand why there's I think being built.

How do we as a council, how does how do myself explain why it looks like that?

I mean, I understand, but from your perspective with vacancy, I'm sorry.

Yes, why is it so vacant?

I know a lot of it's privately owned, but our residents when conveying what we can do about it and what we cannot.

How would you translate that to a a novice or someone who does not understand why we have miles and miles of vacant land and why we have no homes?

Because you said it was that's the 45 houses built in the last 10 years.

Where I live in the eight last 18 years, there was nothing.

And then all of a sudden, I'm gonna say uh like 12 houses came up, but they were really on a small structure.

I think I could probably touch the next house, but it's better than nothing.

Some most are highly priced.

But from a land bank's perspective, and from your knowledge, how would you explain why we have not?

Because I believe in putting the burden on the people who are holding the land.

I believe our residents should know how that land was sold, at what minimal minimum price, and now people are actually sitting on.

What is your perspective on what the land bank can do or one of your suggestions?

Mr.

Rincher?

So so through the chair, um, I well, first of all, I think um at a base level, the one thing uh that I noticed when I was at the uh when I was at the city of Detroit was um the land bank definitely has to improve on uh communication uh to residents, and often uh it's connected to what uh the the city uh and the executive office is leading as far as planning strategies.

Um but it the difficulty is just like quick math.

I mean uh um a single family home uh to be built right now is between 400 and 500,000 dollars.

Um and if you want to build that, right, you have to first be able to build the uh that house in a neighborhood that would that would actually have someone who's interested in buying that home for 500,000 dollars, right?

Because there has to be some type of yield to it.

And I think um I think that the the second part is the bank also has to have confidence that you can build a four to five hundred thousand dollar single family home in a neighborhood and um somebody will buy it.

And so it it's it's the combination of that's the reality.

Um but what's interesting right now, there's a lot of conversation about how we can build infill um uh quicker and cheaper, uh whether it's modular.

Uh there was one project that we uh supported a while ago is a 3D printed house, but this is a an issue that's facing uh folks around the country, and so what we need is you know gap financing, we need um uh site preparedness, right?

Whatever expenses and speed and and Jai talked about it previously that we can do to expedite um the opportunity for uh to build more single family homes.

That's what we have to do, whether it's you know uh zoning, you know, what it what is what's the thing that's gonna make it advantageous for the developer to want to develop it.

Um is is going to be uh you know, you know, can we do that some of that site preparedness as uh uh to make it more valuable or more advantageous for developers to do it?

Um but that's uh but it's going to take new technology, new ways to build homes.

Um, you know, showing up with you know bricks and sticks and hammers at a site.

Um that is um that is that is a process that is starting to change, and and so are there opportunities to build differently?

Uh but it will be the um the challenge, I think, um, of our of our time over the next uh five to ten years about how can we build new um after uh the land bank was mostly focused on structures.

Okay, thank you very much.

Um Mr.

Ryncher, I um was in a neighborhood in Oak Park not so long ago, and I actually had an opportunity to see a Sears catalog house.

Um and I was just doing a little bit of reading.

These homes um were they called the Sears Modern Homes from 1908 to 1940, and some of the homes are still in existence here in our uh metro area, and it came with 30,000 pieces for you to construct the house with instructions, and the homes a lot of them are still in existence, and the most expensive one back then was 2,500, the most expensive um the most ranging from 2,500 to $5,000.

And when I saw that house a couple weeks ago, I couldn't believe it.

It was a craftsman style home, huge porch, three bedrooms, um in pristine condition condition, and I asked the owner, she said they just have to um make a few upgrades, but you're talking about modular homes and 3D printed homes.

It's the same thing, it's really along the same line, right?

Um, and these homes were shipped in boxes along our um railway system back in the day.

There's a way to do what we are desiring to do, and it won't cost us as much as we believe that it will, the modular homes.

Um, I presented something to the former administration.

I'm not gonna go to in a lot of detail because I don't want to get give out my ideas, um, but that could be done.

Um, and it's like a city within a city.

You get these large parcels of land and you build these homes.

Um I went to Seattle um with my colleague, Member Benson, um, per his invitation, and there was like a city inside of a city.

You had different mixed incomes, you had some who were millionaires and you had some who were low income, but they didn't know the difference.

Their children played with each other, nobody knew that this child lived in a million dollar home, and nobody knew that this child over here didn't live in a million dollar home.

They played, got along.

I watched it.

It was a city within a city, right?

And all the how houses looked similar, but you know these were a little bit more upscale, but not so much.

And I know we can do it in Detroit.

I know we can get those thousand um homes built, but I also know, sir, that we have a lot of homes that need TLC.

To restore some of these homes, I can only talk about what's in my neighborhood and in district two.

We have quite a few vacant homes that would not require 400,000 dollars to rehab, restore, and get a family in there.

Um, some of those homes could probably be rehabbed in about six months, probably um maybe a hundred thousand dollars, if that much.

So I'm hoping that we'll look at all of our possibilities, all of our opportunities, and consider them all.

Just lay it all on the table, all on the table because the land bank is not the only game in town.

Um, some of these homes are not owned by the land bank, they're owned by private folks and sometimes absentee landlords, and they're just sitting there rotting.

Um, and I have a lot of examples in my community, and then we have 708 properties that are owned by real token that are rotting.

The folks don't even own the deep purchase with cryptocurrency.

Um, and we're in litigation right now.

708 properties.

We started off at 400, it's now up to 700 properties, the last time I checked.

Um, and again, currently in litigation, those are possibilities, right?

Those homes um deserve to be restored, rehabbed, and um made um in a better living condition.

So I want us to look at all of the options, just put it all on the table and sort through it, discuss it and make some decisions because we should never have a homeless problem.

Um in our city, what I'm finding, we support homelessness.

We pump a lot of money into homelessness, right?

But never home ownership.

If we would pump, and I'm uh I know my colleague has some questions, but if we would pump the millions of dollars that we pump into our homelessness programs versus homes for the homeless, we wouldn't have a homeless program.

We feed off of we have organizations that feed off people's despair in this city.

We have organizations that feed off homelessness.

If we really resolved and addressed and answered the homeless problem, it would have put a lot of these company organizations out of business.

I don't have to mention the names.

Set up companies to make a living and upgird and uplift homelessness.

But when this city really gets serious about the homeless issue, it's gonna put some organizations out of business.

But um Member Benson.

Thank you.

Thank you, the advocacy for home ownership as well.

Mr.

Renscher, thank you for being here today.

You have a famous and historic run with the city of Detroit when it comes to affordable housing and what you were able to do to turn around the reputation as well as the operation of our housing of our planning within the City of the Detroit.

We want to give you kudos for that.

But then to be willing to come back and raise your hand and say, I'm willing to volunteer to help continue that improvement.

I want to make sure that that's acknowledged today.

Context.

1803.

Just want to give you context there.

Cost of land is not a burden when it comes to development deals in our neighborhoods.

Having a robust land bank, what value add would a community land trust have in the city of Detroit when we sell land for less than a Louisiana purchase over 200 years ago?

No need to answer that when we can have a conversation at a later date.

You know, that you know where I stand in that space.

Made it very public at this body, as was a philanthropic community.

We have a very robust land bank.

I don't know if we see value add the other side when we have the tools.

Now, you did briefly touch on improvements in the land bank.

Communication is one, and that is well known.

They need to improve on our communications.

As a board member, you'll have the ability to help set policy and vote on policy to help improve and change.

What other improvements would you see necessary at our land bank?

Um through through the chair.

Uh uh great question.

So uh that was one of the things on the top of my list.

It's interesting that you went um towards the the value of the sales of the properties that we're giving.

Uh and so uh I I often think about the financial sustainability of of uh a land bank this large and selling properties at this and and so when I at that end of the day, that is a conundrum that we will have to look at as structures are reducing as far as you know putting sales back into or those profits back into their coffers, and if we're just looking at vacant land and selling it, those prices it like the the money to come back to continue to keep the the land bank sustainable would be difficult.

Um and uh it's and it's a tough one, uh just in for the fact that even if they sold the properties at at a value that is believed to be the market, you know, market ready, right?

Um all of it needs to be subsidized anyway.

So someone is paying the gap somewhere, right?

Right now, the land bank is taking the hit to essentially help the community and developers like actually make those projects work, right?

And then there's another tax break or uh tax incentive to do the the project.

There's there's gaps everywhere, right?

And the land bank at the end of the day is responsible for paying a part of making these conditions occur or making these projects happen.

Um, and so with that's that is uh uh one of my questions is like how are we gonna make sure that we have sustainability with the land bank?

That's the question that we have to have.

I think that's um high on my on my card.

I think the third one is um, you know, we used to show all the land bank homes being built around the city of Detroit and finished and completed.

Um I think there's like 14,000 in compliance and another 4,000 that's not in compliance.

At the end of the day, it is really, really, really difficult to get a project finished.

Um what can we do as a land bank?

And so you've heard these ideas about the white box, right?

That get you know, developers a little bit down the path so like they can actually um uh finish the project, right?

You know, developers a little bit down the path so like they can actually um uh finish the project, right?

Because if you're getting a normal land bank home, infrastructure pieces of the land of those homes are so great that it is substantial cost to make those uh land banks homes come to uh get to completion.

And so um uh but I would say and and of course the opportunity on the vacant land side is something I'm highly highly interested in.

But uh the financial sus uh sustainability of the land bank, um uh communication with uh the community um and and ensuring that the people who are purchasing Detroit land bank homes can actually get to the finish line is is really difficult.

Um, and uh we have to be a part of that solution.

We just do.

Okay.

Um and then looking at the need for mixed income in the city of Detroit.

You've dedicated yourself to affordable housing.

Yeah, would you be okay with and actually support the land bank supporting mixed income housing, not just affordable housing.

Won't be able to rebuild the city on affordable housing alone.

We have to have mixed income and a diversity of housing.

The land bank plays a role based on the 60,000 vacant lots that are currently in that portfolio.

Where are you on mixed income housing within the city of Detroit?

Uh through the chair, um, I can tell you that I am highly supportive of uh housing that's created for people of all incomes around all the income spectrum.

Uh I I am I am not an affordable housing developer supporter alone.

It is we have to have it all, right?

Um especially if we are going to be a city that's competitive, but we uh with uh nationally uh but we do understand that we have um a low-income population here in the city that need uh quality housing, so that has to be available.

Uh but uh for sure market I am uh a true supporter of also market rate housing.

Our city is growing, we need people of all income to have a stable place to live.

And I would also recognize you were a plank owner with the wealth generation task force.

Oh, yeah.

Some of the policies that you helped advocate for now been implemented with the city of Detroit, life and legacy planning.

Um just really want to say thank you there as well.

And if you wanted to go back, where where would a uh CLT fit in with a robust land bank with housing prices as low as they are or raw land as low as it is?

Through the chair, a CLT is is interesting to me.

And and we are um and currently, even with my foundation are supporting a CLT just you know to see if it could actually happen in the current.

Interesting in the results there.

Right, right.

And so when I look at I I I am too, I'm watching with Beta Black.

So um uh at the end of the day, when uh you have a community that can shape uh their neighborhood and and develop um in their neighborhood uh and the in the conditions that they believe is the right uh for their space, and also um and give opportunities for um people who live in in the neighborhood to have long-lasting ownership and and areas that potentially could be gentrified and giving that opportunity to the neighborhood.

I I'm supportive of that.

Can I see it happen?

At the end of the day, I always tell I was like, so you want to be a developer.

It's like that's my always my first question.

And and if the and the community has always been passionate uh about their neighborhoods and and building what they want to see in their neighborhood, and I'm supportive of that, but we have to see if they can actually get those projects to conclusion.

Uh and uh but their uh their process of getting those projects to conclusion are no different than every other developer who has to go through a bunch of processes and gap finding dollars to to make the project come to fruition.

And so our uh funding that we've provided in the north end uh to do um a CLT.

I'm I'm I'm I would love to see if we can get it uh to ground.

I I see there's enough land where we can see developers do do infill and community organization, development organizations and community themselves doing CLTs.

Um and so uh to be honest, I feel like we need all of it, but um uh but I'm supportive to see what comes out of for wishing from it.

So if they can make it out, the CLTB uh competition to a land bank.

Through the chair, did you say would it be a competition?

I mean, I never thought about that.

Uh uh as a com a community.

Yeah, yeah.

Um just just food for thought.

We can have a conversation later.

Appreciate that.

All right, madam chair, I apologize for belatering this point.

That's okay.

Um, but it but it's also very critical that we have uh thoughtful um land bank trustees as well.

And just uh for a shameful plug, East Davidson Village, the land bank is the majority landowner there.

It's a subdivision.

We're looking to get support from the administration.

This could put the mayor 400 single family homes into her goal for 1,000 homes.

We need support from the administration.

The land bank is at the table.

You all one day will be voting to transfer that land to a development team for redevelopment.

So shameless plug.

Okay.

We want that.

My bosses want that to happen.

And that is how we grow, and the land bank is who we're partnering with among this private developers and modular homes are part of the solution on how we bring down the cost to ensure a level of affordability as well as mixed income in that 400 unit subdivision redevelop rehabilitation.

How are we going to build homes on existing platted land within the city of Detroit?

We're going to crack that nut.

We need your help.

Madam Chair, thank you.

Thank you, Member Benson.

Um, Mr.

Rencher, do you have anything else you want to leave?

Because we're going to proceed through our um agenda.

Uh through the chair, no questions, but I just want to thank you for your time.

And uh also some of the statements that you made.

I really do appreciate that.

Um discussion, member Miller, and we really have to move along because we have our federal lobbyists here.

That's a whole nother conversation.

And there's a couple of um um motions I'm gonna request.

So, member Miller.

I just want to say the mayor gets five appointments, and she graciously allows us to utilize one.

Would you be willing to um work with our one to bring forth information?

Because my body has indicated several times that they never really had any type of um updates or information brought to this body regarding information for the land bank.

I'm having my first land bank sale in about 10 days, and I'm excited about District 5 residents being able to purchase land bank land.

So would you be willing to sit with our appointment, whoever we come up with or provide us updates um periodically?

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Member Miller.

Um, is there a motion on line item seven regarding the appointment of Donald Rentcher to the Detroit land bank authority?

Motion to approve it to the formal.

Okay, um, there's a motion to move line item seven, the appointment of Donald Rentcher to formal session with the recommendation for approval um pending the appropriate resolutions being attached, or is the resolution prepared?

Um Mr.

King through LP.

The appropriate resolution is line item nine point one from the mayor's office.

Okay.

Line item which line item 9.1 got it.

Okay, so is there a motion to move line item seven along with line item 9.1, which is the court corresponding resolution in support of this appointment?

Okay, so there is a motion without objection to move line item seven and nine point one to formal session with a recommendation for approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Mr.

Ryncher.

And without objection, that action is taken.

All right, um, can I have a mo can someone make a motion to discuss line item?

And then I'm gonna ask our federal lobbyists to come forward while we're doing this.

If the two of you could move forward to the microphone, where Mr.

Renscher just vacated that seat.

Um there's a line item 9.2.

Is there a motion to bring this back?

Um the appointment of Jerry Fleischer to the downtown development authority.

Um this interview will be scheduled for July the first.

So is there a motion to bring this back next week and we can discuss it at that point next Wednesday?

Motion.

Okay, there's a motion to bring line item 9.2 back next Wednesday.

Hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

Is there a motion to um since we have our federal lobbyists here and they are at line item uh let's see line item eight point nine.

Is there a motion to move to line item 8.9?

There's a motion to move and discuss line item 8.9 without objection, that action shall be taken.

We do have our federal lobbyists here, um, boundary stone partners LLC located in Washington DC.

And this is a contract number 600 6291-A2, 100% city funding, contract increase of 210,000 dollars.

The amended contract period will be from July 1st, 2024 through June 30th, 2027.

And we have two of those lobbyists here with us today.

If you could please um press the microphone, the base of it will turn green.

If you can introduce yourself and then pass um the of the other lobbyists will introduce himself and whoever wants to start.

Thank you, and good morning.

Good morning.

Uh through the chair.

My name is Pete Gould.

Uh I'm a senior vice president at Boundary Stone Partners uh in Washington, D.C.

Good morning, Chair Callaway.

Uh Michael Klotz, Director of Federal Affairs, uh policy and implementation for the City of Detroit in the mayor's office.

Okay.

Thank you.

Whoever wants to start.

I think I just need to be elevated so we can put up the uh Okay.

If we Ms.

JC, if you can elevate Mr.

Um Mr.

Michael Klots.

Like to share his screen.

We do have a PowerPoint presentation.

We have our copies of it.

Ms.

JC, can you um provide them to panelists now?

Thank you.

Mr.

Klotz, do you see?

Yes.

Okay.

I can start while we're getting that up.

Just uh briefly uh about Boundary Stone Partners.

Uh we uh are a firm uh based in Washington DC that does uh all sorts of consulting uh government affairs and advocacy as well as helping um the public and private sector uh navigate uh both congressional uh as well as executive branch um uh engagements and funding and programs.

Um we uh I've had the pleasure of working with the city now for I believe uh over two years um and and obviously uh have have navigated uh a number of various different environments in Washington and and helping to both uh maximize how much of the federal funding uh that is coming to this to the city um as well as uh as as we've seen uh particularly in this last you know year and a half um you know navigating change uh both at the executive level uh as well as on uh in Congress uh to be able to um to to secure and and defend funding uh because that is your funds and we want to make sure that the city is is uh benefiting.

Um you know what what we do is a number of both uh reporting out and and gathering intelligence as to what's going on as well as as directly advocating on behalf of the city so that your voice is heard uh your projects are uh advanced uh secured and and and the like um and so actually next slide if you want to uh our our team uh we have a dedicated team uh uh uh of of four professionals um but also are able to lean on the uh expertise and experiences of our entire uh firm uh we bring uh a bipartisan background um with uh extensive expertise in uh a number of areas um from uh our congressional as well as executive branch experience uh in energy transportation housing uh FEMA uh and and the like uh and uh have been able to really help the city to navigate any range of of issues that are have come up um next slide um uh on funding security Pete before you move on um I'm I'm always looking for diversity um I don't see any African Americans on your team um I see one woman on your team and three men um how many folks do you have on your team and what's the diversity what's the makeup I'm always concerned um I always find it interesting when we have lobbyists um for a predominantly urban um African American city who uh um don't look like the people they represent not saying that you couldn't do it or you can't do it because obviously you're doing it but I'm always concerned and always advocating for um diversity a little bit more um uh I I what is the makeup of your of your team uh so you uh you see that the kind of dedicated team uh right here um uh we've brought on uh you know Logan de la Delabar Hayes who uh also um uh comes from the transportation committee as on the Republican staff um and then uh Michael and Veer who um uh are also on the team are both uh Michiganders and from the Detroit region and that's uh why we prioritize theirs um obviously you know we've had as many have had um uh personnel changes and stuff over the over over the years especially with the change of the administration but um have always um leaned into prioritize providing a diverse uh uh diverse team and makeup uh and obviously always need to improve on that but we can get we can report back with with specifics um uh through the chair if if you don't mind we can continue on um on federal funding um so the in the final I'd say year and a half that we were working together of the last administration uh we were able to secure uh a a significant amount of funding um we've spent this last year and a half um you know doing everything that we can in our power to protect that funding you know that is your funding and and and um you know this has been a an interesting um year and a half to say the least um in that funding

Um obviously you know we've had as many have had um uh personnel changes and stuff over the over over the years especially with the change of the administration but um have always um leaned into prioritize providing a diverse uh uh diverse team and makeup uh and obviously always need to improve on that but we can get we can report back with with specifics um uh through the chair if if you don't mind we can continue on um on federal funding um so the in the final I'd say year and a half that we were working together of the last administration uh we were able to secure uh a a significant amount of funding um we've spent this last year and a half um you know doing everything that we can in our power to protect that funding you know that is your funding and and and um you know this has been a an interesting um year and a half to say the least um in that funding that had been secured typically is not you know uh been at risk um and that it was always a matter of moving forward and and that's been different this year um and we have uh helped the city navigate a number of uh of grants across a number of administrations um uh several we've been able to clear others continue to be uh I would say part of litigation as well as as uh ongoing review processes um but we've also so I I think we've taken a kind of two two uh path approach here one is defending and and and protecting all of the money that the city has already secured um to make sure that that money actually gets here and delivers for the community and then the second is there are still opportunities for uh securing additional federal funding um it's just uh you know aligning what we are seeking um with to align with the goals and objectives and mission of the city that are best aligned with what the current administration uh has prioritized and so I think a good example of that we were able to work through the um federal transit administration's low and no emission vehicle program um obviously in the last administration that was very much focused on zero emission uh buses uh and projects um this administration I don't believe the awarded any zero emission but what we were able to do is going into that that funding opportunity um to work with Mike and the team uh at DDOT to to best kind of strategize what is our most um compelling and and competitive ask uh and we were able to secure uh 50.8 million dollars from the FTA uh which was a back-to-back awards meaning we won in the round before and this which is always in regardless of administration is a is a uh big accomplishment um but that 50 point eight million dollars uh was able to you know we were able to target that for diesel hybrid uh uh electric vehicles um that were able to replace 53 buses and so that goes a long way for modernizing the the fleet uh and for helping to provide you know more reliable transportation service to the to the community um we've also helped to to navigate in terms of uh prior awards that were needed to be modified um again typically a procedural question that that even rarely required federal lobbyists um this time has been different uh and so we've been helping to navigate that so that we you know funding was not lost or kind of indefinitely frozen um and again with the an eye always towards not just what's on paper dollar amounts but what actually brings buses to the community and and is showing up in the morning and in the afternoon when folks need that so um uh again we continue to fight this there's there's a number that continue to be frozen but um you know uh uh from grants to also just formula funds and others uh what the role we tend to play is when we're called upon and said hey this thing's stuck we need this now because what we you know the other thing we don't want is funding to just lapse because of process um and so we uh we've uh done everything we can and and had a number of uh you know less high profile but very impactful successes in uh on that front as well and go next slide thank you uh and then here's here here again is is kind of a a list of of the awards um obviously you can see uh you know from 2024 there were a number which was the end of the last administration um uh including uh multiple awards for the Joe Lewis Greenway um that we are just continuing to to do everything we can to protect going forward um and uh as well as uh lead reduction uh or lead hazard reduction uh demonstration grants over at UD and we continue to work with the team as we're starting now to see more funding opportunities actually be put on the street uh there was a a kind of long period of of uh of pause on putting out new funding opportunities but um we're uh getting ahead of the game and and helping to prepare for what's to come um and then m more broadly outside of just funding is uh helping to ensure that that the administration as well as as as Congress are hearing from the city uh you know obviously on our congressional delegation that they know what what is our top priorities and that they are advocating on on um what what is most important for for the city um and they've been great you know again uh that you know we have a great delegation that has has really fought for us on the administration side it's been really important um especially as we have a uh mayoral transition to uh ensure that they are hearing the true story of Detroit um and and this is something where the work that you have done the work that the city agencies up and down the board have done that have made my life a lot easier is we have a great story to tell um and we just want to make sure that that the vision of of what they see and what they think of when they to when they think of Detroit at the administration level across the board uh actually reflects the all of the great work that's being done here.

Um and and this is something where the work that you have done, the work that the city agencies up and down the board have done that have made my life a lot easier, is we have a great story to tell.

Um, and we just want to make sure that that the vision uh of what they see and what they think of when they to when they think of Detroit at the administration level across the board uh actually reflects the uh all of the great work that's being done here.

Um and that has been done uh through um you know my uh Mike has had fly-ins as well as with members of city agencies to meet directly, tell our story and show them all of the proactive work that is being done so that we uh again, you know, there is a a lot of um of angst uh amongst many cities uh and so making sure that we are being out and proactive um while also coordinating with other cities to make sure that we are um uh preparing for anything that that could come because again we've uh seen a a uh uh a difference in approach from this administration uh from past administrations.

Um and then again in particular, we you know, my background I've I worked in the uh Department of Transportation uh under the Obama administration and and we have a number of uh former DOT uh high-level officials on our firm.

And so one this is one area where those funding that funding has been less uh overall politically susceptible because it's uh you know a trust funded uh uh agency for the most part, um, and that is where we've continued to strengthen relationships from FTA with the and this is with the politicals from FTA, Federal Highways, including also FAA and the Secretary's Office, to again just familiarize them with Detroit, what our vision is and what and how there is alignment here on on making the the city safer and the transportation more reliable and then also we have the opportunity to to in person meet through with the delegation, uh talk through priorities for your marks and and appropriations and the like, as well as um to kind of have really good um kind of brainstorming sessions as well as to how can we really how can Congress do things that actually again impact on the ground uh life uh and not just kind of debates and then more broadly, as I said, policy tracking.

This is where we are keeping our you know being your eyes and ears uh as well as helping to um uh really translate what's going on in Washington uh and how uh the you know how it impacts the city as well as how the uh strategy and approach and thinking um of the city and agencies as they are approaching different funding opportunities uh you know should adapt to the new realities.

Um and then I I know and we just had uh the opportunity to discuss this yesterday.

Um what we would also love to to kind of commit to today and and be part of this is providing um you know a regular update for you all uh in terms of what is not only what is going on, why it matters, but also what we're doing, um, so that you have a better sense uh as to the day-to-day as well as weekly and and and what is going on about uh the work that we're doing on behalf of of the city and and why you know this contract is is actually worth the investment because um we believe that we've had a great working partnership and and there is you know it's the federal government, uh love it or hate it, uh it's still uh it still really matters for a lot of the work that we want to be doing on the ground here.

So um we uh are looking forward to that to telling you what's going off in the delegation, what the hill is doing, as well as what we uh together are working on.

So we are happy to do that.

I think we were saying, you know, for the first one we would do at the end of this month, and then we can do every six months just uh kind of halfway through the year and end of the year, um, so that you all have that for that full uh um update and insights into our activities.

And then again, looking forward, we have appropriations, the surface transportation reauthorization, so that five-year bill, um, near and dear to my heart having worked on the the committee too, but um, as well as you know, there's really important discussions going on with housing policy in the 21st century Road to Housing Act.

Um, and then there are numerous reconciliation bills, uh, some that have already been passed uh and others currently under discussion that obviously will all impact this.

So providing you know uh those eyes and ears and impacts as to what what's going on here and what that's gonna mean for for the city.

So um yeah.

Okay.

So thank you.

And we uh appreciate that and welcome to answer any questions you might have.

Um thank you, Pete.

Um I have a couple questions.

We had an opportunity to talk yesterday, and thank you for spending that time with me.

Um the Joe Lewis Greenway um received over 30 million dollars um in federal funding.

I have um an opportunity to visit it for the first time last Monday, and it's it's beautiful.

It um travels through or um passes through four cities, Highland Park, Hamptramet, Dearborn, and Detroit.

And it's an amazing um greenway.

I'm hoping um that we can look at getting funding for the preservation of historic Fort Wayne.

Um we talked about this yesterday.

And I'm hoping that you'll look at it.

It is an it it could should be considered a national treasure.

Um at the Gordy Howell Bridge right there.

Um you can see the bridge from the from the fort, and it has been neglected, woefully neglected.

And we've had this conversation yesterday.

So if we can find 30 million for a new development like the Joe Lewis Greenway, if we can find half the amount to restore and rehabilitate that compound over there at the foot of the Gordy Howell Bridge would be amazing.

It will be a national, global, international tourist attraction.

The barracks are still there, a lot of the structures are still there, but in need of rehabilitation, and every day matters, every day matters, and um I don't see that the city um I don't know if they don't I know we don't have the funds, but I'm hoping that you'll be able to look into um locating funds to um help that compound that space over there.

And I hope before you leave the city, if you don't live here, if you can take a drive over there, it's amazing.

And now we have an area that's been dedicated to Native Americans, the historic bureau site that was dedicated about a year ago.

It's right there on the premises, and we had the Tuskegee Airmen Museum there for a minute.

I don't know if it's still there.

They had a space over there, it's just beautiful, and it can certainly um I don't know if you're familiar with the Greenfield Village, um, but they reenact um a period in the early 1900s, right there, Greenfield Village.

They had the um beautiful um displays and exhibits, and the historic Fort Wayne could um look like that and be a tourist attraction, just like what they have in Dearborn.

Now they have the Jackson home coming from Salman, Alabama, it's here.

I'm going over there today to see it.

They have the Rosa Parks bus, the actual bus from Alabama at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, and some other I think they have the Abraham Lincoln chair with the blood stain still on it at Greenfield Village, if I'm not mistaken.

And I'm hoping that we could pump some life back into the historic Fort Wayne.

That's what I'm asking, because I see your priorities.

It looks like it's um transportation, transportation.

I'm hoping that you'll diversify your portfolio.

And I think I mentioned to you yesterday that the um Frederick Douglass home was about to be demolished, but the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs intervened, and they raised money to have a new roof installed on the Frederick Douglass home, made a lot of upgrades out of their pockets from donations, the historic um colored women's clubs.

And um that home is now a national treasure, open to the public, open to the world, and it's a national park.

Um, and I'm hoping the same can be done for the historic Fort Wayne.

It would be amazing if it would become a national park.

So I'm hoping you look at that.

We talked about it yesterday, and it's being done all the time, but you didn't even know about it.

So if you can't do it this trip, maybe your next trip to the city, you'll go over there and take a look, and you'll see the beautiful um bridges.

We have the ambassador bridge to the right and to the left is the Gordy Howell Bridge.

When people come off that bridge, that can be a welcoming site for them, a sight to behold.

Um there's just so much potential there, but every day it is um deteriorating.

I am um going to ask the um the vice chair to take over the gavel.

And um it's good seeing you in person.

I saw you online yesterday.

We will still have a quorum.

Member Benson may I bring you the gavel.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Any uh issues with this line item?

No issues with the line item, sir.

You looking for a motion on this one?

We can do a motion, but I think um member Miller may have some questions or yourself.

Okay, member Miller.

My only focus was is everything about transportation.

It is not.

Okay, it's just uh the packet was heavily in transportation, so I was wondering what else do you do for us?

Uh through the the chair.

Uh thank you, thank you, Councilmember Miller.

Uh yeah, no, it is uh a kind of grab abbot of everything.

The transportation stuff has been one of the areas like, and particularly we're looking at the kind of discretionary federal funding space where because of the nature of DOT, because it has a highway trust fund and is not um you know inflation reduction act money or or um uh or other stuff that has been really under attack and was more um kind of uh a one-time fund, these programs, you know, in particular, you know, things like the low no program, that has a statutory requirement that it has to go out every year, all right.

And so the that's where there has been those opportunities as well as where we had a lot secured in the final uh especially the final year of the last administration.

Um so that's where there's been a lot to to kind of protect.

Um but our work uh crosses all things from um you know uh and again that you know there is uh issues uh obviously with the the brick funding um where we have been made you know advocating on our behalf, however, are also part of larger groups where there's litigation uh uh on these funding, um, but also um until very recently because of court rulings, there was very little activity actually going on on new funding, but we're you know now starting to see that um uh as well as uh working you know through trying to to free up money at HUD uh and others.

Um again that this has been a unusual process without a uh or an environment without really a playbook as to how we go about getting funding that's already been appropriated and and and many points had a sign grant agreement that that is suddenly frozen.

Um and so we've been we've been doing that across DOE, DOT, uh HUD, FEMA, you you know, kind of you name it, um, as as things have come up.

Through the chair, uh Councilmember Miller Boundary Stone uh covers all pretty much the entire federal government from the BRIC awards that that Pete mentioned, which is the an old program.

Well it's current, it's called the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities that the Trump administration tried to cancel.

Um and ultimately it ended up in uh court battles uh and they have relented.

Um, but it is still a slow process to get those funds um you know released, and they are the the advocate that goes in and figures out exactly where it is hung up and how we can move, get those things to move.

Um and they've done that on uh you know it's not in the slide, but we had four EV buses that were also awarded in FY22 that the Trump administration was either trying to cancel or uh get us to change over to another form of propulsion.

Ultimately, they uh that was what that was a great effort last year, um, and ultimately we did secure those four EV buses.

Um but boundary stone, you know, from housing to uh developing uh an economic uh sort of anchor out of the airport, you know, they do everything.

It's not just the transportation side, even though that takes up a lot of uh the funds that are awarded because that's just sort of the function of of how the government does discretionary and formula funds.

Um but I just want to be clear that they have everything, and I'm happy to to go over with you and your staff on an ongoing basis of of what we use in the federal dollars in every department and then also what's available uh both uh currently and then what could be coming out of some of these new bills that will be passed in the next year or so.

I would I would like to do that.

I I just think our our biggest concern was our committee members are just expressing their return on their investment, and it looked like it's 200,000 a year.

Um this is our second amendment, I believe it is.

That's our second amendment, which brings us to 600,000 dollars.

So when our constituents call in about our lobbying efforts, while I understand a lot of them don't understand why we have lobbying people to speak for us who who walks the halls in Washington, who brings home those dollars, and we need people on the ground to do those work.

Um I truly understand, so thank you for coming out.

I believe when she wrote off some of the ideas, she'd like to see some funding go into some of those areas.

I think that was her intent to bring you here to ask about do we ever foresee other things that we could also uh lobby for?

But I am I am satisfied.

Thank you very much.

I'll ask for a motion after this one.

So we've been asking about water affordability from the federal level for a number of years.

Any update there?

Uh unfortunately, no.

Between our delegation here uh in Southeast Michigan, they continue to advocate and we support their efforts as well, both through DWSD and the mayor's office for water affordability bills.

Uh you know, we've we've asked for programmatic language in appropriation bills.

That's a very uh that's a steep battle right now with uh who controls Congress, but we have not given up on that uh that effort as well.

Just a question is it makes sense to even ask for it to go to be jointly joined LIHEAP versus being done separately?

Has that been discussed?

It was batted around a year or two ago, and ultimately I think it gets into a territorial dispute because LIHEAP is also under uh some sort of threat sometimes too.

So it's just uh you know they're trying to keep one program so they don't want to lump it in with the other one, but it that has been addressed.

And then can you, and I'm not sure if you if you guys talked about this, I stepped away.

The amount of federal support the city of Detroit received from ARPA.

Can you talk how much money did we receive as a city from the federal government as a grant?

In total, uh in in without knowing the exact number, it's in 850 million.

Let's just go with 800 million dollars.

200,000 210,000 a year.

What's the return on investment there?

I would say that uh the return calculator.

Oh, yeah, I can start what's our ROI million dollars.

Oh, uh divided by 200,000 dollars a year four thousand.

That's a four thousand percent ROI.

So just Member Miller, when we bring up return on investment and how impactful federal lobbyists can be.

I just want to say, did our federal lobbies play a role in those conversations in ARPA?

Well, the ARPA predates me in my role, but I will just say that under award currently from the federal government.

This could go back any number of years, we would lean on them to free up any amount that is it is almost three billion dollars that the city has under award that they at any point in time could be asked to go either figure out where it is or why it's hung up or um any threats to that funding uh coming back to the city.

All right, thank I just want to make sure we got that out there and we have voices in DC, it's critical that we have people who can advocate for us because obviously we're doing the work of local electeds and legislators here as well.

We have our our mayor doing the executive work.

We but we also need to have people in Lansing and in DC um advocating our on our behalf and doing so successfully.

So just wanted to put that out there.

Uh member Miller, any more com any more questions?

None for me, thank you.

Um this time the chair entertain a motion to recommend approval and move to formal line item eight point nine.

That objection, this body will approve and move to formal line item 8.9.

Gentlemen, thank you for being here this morning.

Thank you.

All right, member Miller, we're gonna go back to line item eight point one.

Then I see we have people who have been here patiently.

Um we can is there a contract that's here for through the chair, Miss Diamond Conley is here for item 8.10.

Item 8.10.

Ms.

Conley, if I'm not mistaken, we heard from her yesterday regarding right to counsel.

Ms.

Con without objection, let's take up line on 8.10, which is a status of office of contracting and procurement, contract number 6004918, TAC Alpha 3, 100% ARPA funding, very apropos.

Amendment number three to provide an increase of funds, extension of time, and updating terms and conditions for legal counsel for qualified low-income occupants in residential eviction cases at 36th district court and in housing related administrative proceedings, contract to united community housing coalition out of Detroit.

This contract period July 17, 2022 through June 30, 2026, amended contract period July 17, 22 through September 30, 2026, an additional three months for a total of 350,000 dollars, which brings this contact contract to uh 16.9 million dollars.

Uh this time the chair will take a motion for discussion.

Um member Miller, any questions?

And actually, let's have Ms.

Connell introduce herself and what she does and who she represents.

If you could push the microphone until it turns green, thank you.

My apologies.

Good morning, honorable council members.

Diamond Conley, executive director of right to counsel and now Tenants Rights Commission as well.

Thank you.

Member Miller, any questions.

Yes, can you tell us about why you need the additional increase?

I read it, but in your own words.

Um how is this going to help our residents?

Um, I know we this is a third amendment.

Yes.

Oftentimes we're questioned about uh contracts extending.

Yes.

So here we are a third time.

This goes back to from 22.

That's four years ago.

Yes.

And this is just for the remainder of 26, three months.

Yes.

So that the initial um Councilmember Miller to answer your question.

The initial 16.8 million was allocated to right to council uh starting in January of 2023.

So that is when those dollars began in um 36th district court for our residents to receive full legal representation under the ordinance.

Um and so most of those ARPA dollars have been spent at this point.

Um and we are looking at at the end of this month the current ARPA contract um ending and those dollars being um depleted because we have served over 16,000 residents in the city of Detroit with those dollars.

And so the 350,000 was actually dollars that we had in the office of eviction defense for my personnel.

Um thankfully the law department uh moved us to a different budget, and so we really want to make that 350,000 dollars available to our residents as soon as possible so that they can continue to get full legal representation at 36th district court, and so that is why um we want to add those dollars.

We want to extend the the time um so that residents can continue service under ARPA, and then after September 2026, the plan is to transition to state dollars.

That right to council has been allocated at this point.

Okay, I've been trying to get uh some uh an amendment for the rental agreement that we have with the city where when they come to 30 city district court if there's no compliance that they just throw it out or make them come back with one.

Would you be willing to join us in that effort?

Because it seems the ball stops right there at 36th district court.

We don't have a jurisdiction or power over it, but would you join us or maybe help us in our law department uh find out what we can do since a lot of this is going to Thursday District Court anyway, and they're evicting our our residents and really and truly absolutely in most cities they can do this, right?

But in Detroit, for some reason we do.

Yes.

That is a pet peeve of mine.

Um while we're funding this project here, we should really try to find other ways that we can curve some of the fees or some of the even the cases itself.

Yes, 200 office have we'll be calling you.

We've set up some appointments, we would like to sit down with you.

I know you're really busy now that you're on two roles, but please make some time for us, Stephanie or Tarantas here, they will see you before you leave.

Okay, if we could discuss that, I really appreciate it.

Yeah, I would appreciate that too.

Yeah, that's why the chair.

Motion that objection is body will recommend approval and send a formal line item 8.10.

Thank you.

Have a good day.

You too.

Okay.

All right, member Miller.

Let's go back to line item 8.1.

Status of Councilmember Scott Benson submitting memorandum regarding city council media services division.

Request a report on the feasibility of city council operating its own media services division.

Motion to discuss member Miller.

We need a motion to discuss.

Discussion.

Thank you.

LPD, where do we stand on this report request?

Mr.

Chair, can we have an additional week on this report, please?

Mr.

King, for some reason, your microphone is very is not picking up well.

Is this better, Mr.

Chair?

Uh, can we have an additional week on this item, please?

So, Mr.

King, I'm gonna make a request from you all.

How much time do you really need?

To the chair, uh I believe the last piece is just uh some some financial information from the OCO OCFO's office so that we can put together some cost estimates.

Uh that shouldn't take a week if we did two weeks that wouldn't hurt.

We we would have it done earlier than that.

Give you the John Desai.

Is two weeks enough time?

Sure.

Two weeks will be enough time.

Okay.

Umber Miller, request a motion to bring back in two weeks.

That objection, this body will bring back line item 8.1 in two weeks.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Line item 8.2, status of member Angela Witfield Callaway submitting memorandum relative to request for a report concerning the Judge Gilmore list.

Motion to discuss LPD.

Is this to you?

Yes, Mr.

Chair.

Um B seed has issued a report.

However, I would like to confer with um member Callaway's office.

So can we bring this back in one week, please?

Is that enough time?

Yes, that's enough time.

Motion to bring back in one week.

That objections, but we'll bring back line 8.2 in one week.

Line item 8.3 status of appointment of Erica Hill to the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

Uh, Member Miller, let's take up line items 8.3, 8.4, and 8.5 together.

Uh motion for discussion.

And these are appointments to land bank authority.

These are the city council um appointee.

And so we have three individuals who have interviewed Erica Hill, uh, Krista Pate, as well as Javon Glenn.

Uh motion to discuss.

Any questions on this one, Member Miller?

Uh member Miller, can you push green?

Thank you.

Yes.

Uh, there was discussion yesterday regarding the uh going to uh formal.

I would like to make a recommendation that it goes to formal if possible on the 30th for vote.

That would allow us that will allow Mr.

Glenn to serve his serve out his remainder of this proposed six weeks, but because of error with the um the regarding who the appointment actually belonged to, that took an additional two to three weeks to even come to uh satisfaction.

So this so further discussion on this one.

So Member Miller, Mr.

Glenn, he was approved yesterday, if I'm not mistaken, so he is in that position until the 30th of June.

So nothing that we do with this table or the formal table is going to change that.

Okay, unless we uh revoke that.

I don't know what that process would take to do that.

And anyway, I don't think that's gonna happen.

Um so we could postpone this until the 24th, or we could just I mean, so we could bring this back on the 24th for a decision, or we could believe make a decision and not send it until the formal until the 30th.

Could we do that?

Is that a proper motion?

Not that we're taking this for advice purposes.

Through the chair, the only reason why I ask is because once we go to vote on the 30th, wouldn't that automatically take effect?

So member Miller, it would take effect for the term beginning on July 1.

Yes.

So we can make them we could approve this on the 16th, which is the next time we could vote on this at a formal table, but it still wouldn't take effect until one July.

So that's my point.

But we could we don't have to move this out today either, though.

Uh LPD, did you want to respond to that question?

Mr.

Chair, you you are correct.

It would not take effect until July 1st.

However, we could move all three nominees forward.

LPD will draft the appropriate resolution and the ballot for next Tuesday, if that's the wish of this body.

I'd rather not vote during this man's term.

I I think it's just unfortunate that it turned out this way, and that's why I was saying let's have the vote on the 30th.

Well, his term is over then, and then we could respectfully move forward.

So once it leaves this table, it's no longer belongs to this committee if I'm not mistaken.

So that would be your desire.

I would suggest this not get to the formal table until the 29th.

Or the 28th, 26th, basically.

And then and that will be done.

Could we do that today?

Could we say move to formal for consideration on the 30th?

I wouldn't want to leave this table though.

Or we have to bring it back.

Could we make a motion to approve today and not have it leave this committee until a postponed date?

Is that possible?

Okay.

Hold on, one one second, Member Miller.

I'm interested in this in the answer to this.

This is a procedural question now.

This is the pop quiz.

Okay, your question is.

And not move it out of committee.

Not have a leave committee until a later date.

I will recommend that you just okay.

All right.

So Member Miller, the motion was yours.

Discussion.

Discussion.

The purpose was if we were to vote on Tuesday, and the gentleman who's been here already loses the vote.

Why would he serve the rearman of the two weeks?

Pardon me.

It doesn't make sense to me.

Is this is not right?

I'd rather see his final report.

Let's see what he turns in for us, have a preview of the work that's already been done and get a final analysis.

That would help me with my vote.

I think everyone should he should have the opportunity to present his final analysis.

And out of respect for the time that we spent on this because it was not listed as a mayoral appointment initially.

That's what held the whole process up and it's unfortunate.

So no, I would rather hold it and then we uh present all three at one time on the 30th.

All right, member Miller.

The the motion is yours.

My suggestion would be just to bring it back in a week and have a conversation next week about it again, and then bring back an additional I make a motion that we bring line item 8.3, 8.4, and 8.5 back in one week.

Motion without objection.

This body will bring back line items 8.3, 4, and 5 in one week.

That motion passes.

Line item 8.6 status of mayor mayor's office let's live liaison appointing Catherine Richardson to the tenants rights commission effective immediately and ending in April 30, 2029.

Motion to discuss motion to discuss.

Member Miller.

Discussion.

Motion to discuss.

Discussion.

Okay.

Any questions on this one?

Through the chair.

Oh, who is that speaking?

Is that Mr.

Yes?

Richard Washington.

Good afternoon through the chair.

Um, there is a request from my office to bring this back in one week.

Um, there is an ongoing conversation with one of your colleagues, but we should be all set by next week.

Member Miller.

Motion to bring it back in one week.

That objection, this body will bring back line item 8.6 in one week.

Line item 8.7.

Council set up with council member Denzel and Tom McCampbell submitting memorandum relative to further follow-up on city contracts involving data sharing and th with third parties.

Motion to discuss.

Discussion.

To was this to LPD?

This was to LPD.

LPD, what's the status of this report?

Is it to the chair?

I know the administration is producing the report.

Uh they asked for one week last week.

I'm not sure what the what the status is.

So from the memo I see was directed to LP.

LPD and I believe do it as well.

Okay, so multi.

Okay.

Uh to Mr.

Washington.

What's the status?

Yes, through the chair, this was just sent out yesterday.

Oh, the report.

Yes, it was.

You guys okay with it?

Receive and file.

Motion to receive and file.

Motion.

That objection, this body will receive and file line item number seven.

And I haven't seen that report.

Can make sure that we that the colleagues get a copy of the report, please.

Thank you.

Line item eight point eight status of law department settlement and lawsuit of Anderson Quinnetta versus the City of Detroit and Jacob Goodman for police department in the amount of 200,000 dollars and full payment for any and all claims.

Motion to approve.

Motion that objection, this body will approve line item 8.8 and send to formal.

The recommendation to approve.

This takes us to line item 8.11.

Status of law department placeholder regarding legal questions regarding public acquisition of 400 bagley.

The law department has submitted a privileged and confidential memo.

Motion to receive and file.

Motion.

That objections body will receive and file line item 8.11.

Line item 8.12.

Status of law department settlement and lawsuit of Brian Diaz v city of Detroit.

This is a judgment of five million dollars in full payment for any and all claims with plaintiff may have against the city of Detroit, any other city of Detroit employees.

Motion to approve.

Motion that objection, this body will approve and send the formal recommendation to approve.

Line item 9.1 discussion.

Who is that speaking?

This is uh Anthony Johnson, LPD.

I'm on screening, Mr.

Chair.

Uh my apologies for my camera not being on working through this issue, Johnson.

How can I help you today?

Just want to ask you, Mr.

Chair, for point of clarity.

Did we go over 8.9, which is a contract from the office of contract and procurement?

If we did, I apologize.

I missed the vote for that, Mr.

Chair.

We did 8.9 earlier.

Okay.

Is there a question or a concern?

Uh I had just missed the vote for it, Mr.

Chair.

My colleague made the motion to approve, and this body sent that contract to formal with a recommendation to approve.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Yes, sir.

This takes us to 9.1.

Member Miller, submitting resolution authorizing appointment.

Oh, we've taken, we've done uh 9.3.

So we've done 9.1.

We've brought back 9.2.

Then 9.3, submitting resolution authorizing settlement in lawsuit of Andre Jones, City of Detroit offer of judgment and half uh half million dollars as full payment for any old claims.

Motion to approve.

Motion without objections body will improve line item 9.3.

Line item 9.4 submitting resolution authorized petition of equality, Michigan number 2026, tag 063 requesting the approval of a resolution recognizing a nonprofit organization headquartered within a community for the purpose of conducting charitable gaming raffles.

Motion to approve motion that objection, this body will approve line up 9.4 and send the formal line item 9.5 submitting report related to 2026 Detroit City Council Calendar Revision One.

And just for full transparency, discussion?

Discussion.

Do yourself to LPD.

How did this calendar change?

Uh Mr.

Chair.

I am unaware of any changes to this calendar at this time.

We can bring this item back or we can receive it in front of it.

Through the chair.

Law department.

I believe this was the change made to accommodate Santiago Ramiro in her office while she is away.

I believe they moved the evening community meeting to later this month on the 30th.

I believe that's the reason for this change.

Santiago Romero.

Evening community meeting.

Where's the it's accurate?

Okay.

So what this does is moves our traditional June evening community meeting to the 30th of June.

And this is just for full transparency so everybody will know.

Any concerns, Member Miller?

No.

Right.

Motion to uh do we need to approve this one?

Yeah, motion to approve.

This goes to formal, then everybody can say yay or nay.

Motion to approve and recognize into formal.

That objection, this body will recommend approval and send to formal line item nine point five.

And if I am not mistaken, that takes care of all of our issues.

Okay.

All right.

This takes us to member reports.

Member Miller.

Yes.

Uh I just wanted to say we will have our morning mingle at Harmony Cafe on June 12th.

Morning Mingo, June 12th at Harmony Cafe.

The address is 112041 Dexter between 9 and 11 a.m.

And also mark your calendars for the District 5 Detroit Land Bank property sale, which is um on at Considine Center 8904.

What were that's 8904?

What were from 6 to 8 p.m.

And our regular district 5 community meeting will also be June 23rd at the Considine Center from 6 to 8 p.m.

And lastly, on June 24th, our the community development block grant learning and application assistance program.

We are going to be offering a tutorial for anyone that wants to fill out the application for the CGGB grant.

Keep in mind this is not a mom and pop grant or a first-time um uh new um nonprofit you have to be stabilized, have bank accounts and receipts ready to go forward to apply for this application.

The process opens up in September.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Chair.

All right, thank you.

I just want to call attention, say the date, not this Friday, but next Friday, Juneteenth.

My office along with the slow roll, Metro uh 313 Cyclones, Major Taylor Bicycle Club, Detroit Greenways Coalition, Will House Bike Shop on the River, as well as Black Leaders Detroit and the Charles H.

Wright Museum of African American History are hosting our annual Juneteenth bike ride.

Friday, June 19th, beginning at 10 a.m.

is our step off.

Uh check in and registration is at 0930 a.m.

It is a short, leisurely eight-mile historic ride through the city of Detroit through our Mount Elliott Cemetery, where we'll be discussing having presentation on Detroit residents who impacted Juneteenth and our civil rights today, who were interned in that cemetery and were active around uh the time of Juneteenth, the uh late 1860s.

So just a very um impressive presentation that we're going to see, and we're going to ride along the the riverfront, then have great refreshments and snacks back at the museum, which are being provided by the Joe Lewis Greenway.

So please hold the date and come out and ride with us on Juneteenth at the Charles H.

Wright Museum of African American History, and there will be a ton of activities at the museum on Juneteenth and the Juneteenth weekend.

In addition, one to give a shout out and say thank you to my colleague, Member Miller, who came out to our lunch and learn on Monday at SimCog, where we talked about preemption and we advocated to a number of state legislators who are looking at a law that will preempt the city of Detroit from being able to decide how we regulate and do zoning within our own city.

Something that I am an adamant adamantly opposed to as our seven seven of our colleagues and the mayor.

And so we had a lunch and learn.

I was a moderator.

Member Miller came out with a number of other elected officials to learn about what we need to do to help support affordable housing and taking away our right to legislate and regulate zoning in our own city is not one of them.

So I want to thank Member Miller for coming out and all the elected officials who came as well as SimCog for hosting that lunch and learn.

Then I saw a save round from LPD.

Okay.

Motion to reconsider the vote on lineup 9.5.

Motion.

That objections body will reconsider the vote line of 9.5.

Motion to receive and file lineup 9.5.

Motion.

That objection, this body will receive and file line item 9.5.

And then correct me if I'm wrong.

I I heard that you are a trustee in Redford Township.

That is correct, sir.

I one of your colleagues was at our lunch and learn.

And she said that you were a trustee there.

I was unaware that we also have another elected official that is serving this elected body.

So trustee, it's good to know, and I I now feel better about democracy, knowing that we have other elected officials who are helping to ensure and educate and support Detroit City Council from the great township of Redford.

Thank you, sir.

Welcome.

So Trustee King.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr.

King at the table.

And so we also have uh Mr.

Donnie Johnson who is a city councilman in Ferndale.

Um so we have a number, a number of elected officials who work here in the city of Detroit.

And what's often lost on us in the city of Detroit is the fact that we are one of the few full-time legislative bodies in the entire state, the state legislature being one, but I don't know we have any other full-time city council.

Is Grand Rapids have a full-time city council there?

We may be the only, there may be just two full-time legislative bodies in the entire state of Michigan at the at this level.

Well, state, oh well, no, the county, that's also a part-time um position.

So I think there are just two.

And so we often lose sight of the fact that this is really a privilege to be able to serve the residents of Detroit and do it on a full-time basis and have a staff because you'll see other municipalities.

They that's a labor of love.

There may be a small stipend, but I'm sure it does not compare to the amount of love and effort that goes into serving the residents of those municipalities around the state of Michigan.

So just wanted to say that and acknowledge the uh the willingness to raise your hand and serve your municipalities in that position.

And everybody thinks it's fancy and great to be an elected official.

Just like I tell everybody, everybody wants to be a developer until you got to cut a check.

So everybody wants to be an elected official until you got to run for office and make those tough decisions.

So, Mr.

King, thank you for uh raising your hand and continuing to serve the residents of the city of Detroit, and you've done that for not an insignificant amount of time in several positions on the 13th floor.

Any additional save rounds?

Nope.

Motion to adjourn?

Adjourn.

Without anything coming before this body, this committee will stand adjourned.