To call back to order our public health and safety standing committee for the purposes of our dangerous buildings hearings.

May the clerk please call the roll.

Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero.

Present.

Councilmember Denzel Anton McCampbell.

Present.

Councilmember Mary Waters.

Present.

Madam Chair, you have a quorum present.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Given a quorum, we'll go into the hearings for today.

As I mentioned, we will turn it over to the administration first to share with the public what they can expect from these hearings.

And it looks like Mr.

Washington is on now and can be promoted if we see him on.

If we can please make him into a panelists, has he been promoted to a panelist?

All right.

Thank you.

Mr.

Washington, good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Apologies for the delay.

For owners of property here today, if city council orders your building to be demolished, you have the opportunity to go to the building safety, environmental and engineering department, located in room 418 and request a deferral of the demolition order.

This means that you must do the following.

Provide proof of ownership or interest in the property, pay all required inspection fees, secure all openings on your building from trespass and the elements and remove all exterior debris, abandoned vehicles, overgrowth, et cetera.

Pay or make arrangements regarding anti-delinquent city taxes, obtain the necessary permits to bring your building into compliance with all applicable codes and submit a clear deferral application.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr.

Washington.

I'll turn it over now to LPD.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

In addition to the important information just provided by the administration's representative about the nature and incidence of these hearings, people should be away their legally required administrative appeal hearings from previous hearings held by at B seed for all the buildings that are on the dangerous building list today.

And this is a legal requirement to have such a hearing, and this is the council committee's opportunity to either concur in the demolition or deny it.

Thank you.

Inspector.

Thank you, Madam Chad.

My name is Diliporte.

I'm the assistant chief at the property maintenance B seed.

Thank you both for joining us.

We will now begin the process of our hearings.

As I mentioned, folks, we have around 20 properties on the list.

If you are online and you are here for a hearing, please raise your hand now.

I try to respect your time and get you in and out as swiftly as possible.

We're gonna begin to call out names for our hearings, and I'm gonna ask everyone to please pay attention.

In order to do this uh efficiently, we will call out one name of the person that we're gonna be speaking with, and then we will call out somebody that's going to be next on deck.

Um if you are on deck, please be prepared to share um once we've completed the hearing uh before you so that we're able to to move through this swiftly.

Umce we've gone through a few of these hearings, you'll see the cadence of it.

The questions are really the same.

Um, and what we're here to do is to help you if you'd like if you would like to to help it keep your property or support you in demolishing the property um if that's what you wish to do with with it.

Uh, we are going to begin with the folks that we have online.

We don't see anybody here in person for hearings.

Um, so Ms.

Conn, how many hands do we have raised and who do we have first?

We have two hands in the audience.

Our first caller is George, followed by T Smith.

George, you are next for your hearing.

T Smith, you are on deck.

George, if you can hear us, please let us know which property you're calling us about.

I'm calling about uh 2952 Cass Avenue.

Okay, 2952 CAS.

This is the eighth property under the eighth block.

Uh George, this property is being ordered demolished.

We're going to ask B seed to pull up the information regarding this property.

Uh, but while they do that, are you looking to keep or demolish your property?

Um, I've I've already gone through uh with with B seed.

I started the uh process.

The first thing I had to do was uh hire uh um a company to do um an asbestos check.

Um they have just completed that.

I have uh three bids out and I plan on uh on demolishing this myself.

I should have a um I will be going in, I'd say within the next uh uh week and following the bank's protocol uh within the next week to ask to figure out which company I'm using, and at that point they will go in for a permit.

Understood, thank you.

Okay, so with that information, this is a race that we want you to win.

Um so what we'll do is that we will uh concur with you on on the demolition of the property.

And then George, would you happen to have any of that information?

Um you mentioned that you're you're already talking with B seed, right?

So they know that you're moving forward with the demolition.

Well, um, I I just went in and then we asked what needed to be done.

And the first thing one of one of the requirements was to um to have the building uh uh check for um asbestos.

And I hired and paid uh Tritera.

So I already have that.

Um so when I say speaking with B seed, I just was asking what needed what steps I had to do to have it demolished.

Uh right now we have um I have a bid from uh Damo and also a bit from Emergence Industry and Training Institute.

Um and uh a third one coming in uh actually coming in today, and at which point we hand that over to the bank, we say which one should we use?

Um so I I suspect we will be asking for a permit within the uh uh uh uh a week, and at that point I just wait for the uh permit to come through and we will have it demolished.

Awesome.

Okay, and I ask this because in order for you to win this race and not have the city get involved, I would suggest that you email the permits or whatever information you have now regarding the demolition to B seed.

Do you have an email that you can send us to, or do you want us to share with you the one that we recommend?

Um please uh I'll I'll I'll share with me the one you recommend.

So we'll put that in the we'll put that on the on the screen.

Um Mr.

Patel, do you have any other uh thoughts on this?

Uh yeah, thank you, madam chat.

Uh once uh we provide the email, uh the property owner can provide us the copy of the contract.

Uh that we're gonna demolish once they select the contractor.

Okay.

And we would uh give it data uh on pile as well.

We send it to uh demolition department to stop the process.

Okay.

So we'll pull up.

Thank you, Mr.

Petal.

So the email address is uh should be on the screen shortly.

Um so we'll make that bigger for folks if you are online and this email really is for you if you are looking to either demolish or keep your property, you're going to want to stay in communication with B seed.

And um I can read out the email for whoever is online.

Um it reads B S E D D E M O at Detroit Mi.gov.

B as in Ben, S as in Sam, E as an elephant, D as in dog, D as in Detroit, E as an elephant, M as in Mom, O as an octopus.

So B said demo at Detroit Mi.gov is is the email that folks want to use.

Um George, were you able to take a screenshot of that or drop that down?

I I did.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate your time.

Okay.

So with that, it sounds like we are in agreement to demo 2952 CAS if there's a motion to concur.

Motion to concur.

Hearing no objections, we agreed to demolish 2952 CAS.

Um, George, thank you for moving forward with demolition on your own.

I believe you have all the information that you need.

Um, do you need anything else from us?

Um no, I I will have that.

Uh uh I will send over immediately the um uh the report on the asbestos, and then I will have uh what Trevor person I choose within a day or so sent over to BCE, and I hope they have that done quickly.

So thank you.

All right, thank you, George.

Appreciate that.

Um moving us along then.

Uh since we've completed this uh this hearing for CAS, we will now hear from T Smith followed by.

Oh, do we have anybody else?

Uh as of right now, T Smith is our last caller.

Okay, so T Smith, you are next.

And for the other 18 plus properties on on our list, just so you know, a majority of the properties in front of us are being ordered demolished.

Um so if you are have been shy so far and have not raised your hand yet for hearing, please do so.

Um if not, we will move forward and concur with the rest of the recommendations unless there's any flags that my colleagues might have.

Um, but if not, uh that's what the rest of the hearings will look like today.

Um, but until then, T Smith, are you with us?

Yes.

Uh great.

Which uh property are you here to discuss?

I have 012 Helen.

This property has been withdrawn, yes.

So 5012 Helen.

This is the fifth property under the ninth block.

Um and it has been withdrawn, meaning that it's no longer deemed dangerous and it's not going to be demolished.

Uh do you have any questions for us?

No, not at all.

All right.

Well, thank you so much for doing the work to maintain this property.

Any notes BC for this property?

Uh, uh very, very good.

We did with the disproperty to give to us to the property on that.

Uh we would like to have at least the control data register and done by the property on the okay, thank you.

Um so Mr.

Smith, um, as was recommended for your property, if you're able to register it as vacants, um, that adds a little bit more protection um for the property for B seed.

And in order to do so, you can go to Detroit Mi.gov and search vacant property registration, and it'll show you how to how to do so that way, okay.

Okay.

All right.

Is there a motion to concur to withdraw 5012 Helen?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, we agree to withdraw 5012 Helen.

Thank you, sir.

Have a great rest of your day.

You also hearing no other hands.

Oh, yes, Ms.

Khan.

We have one more hand, and it's phone number ending in 208.

Number ending in 208.

If you can hear us, you have been made a panelist.

Please let us know which property you're here to discuss.

Yeah, hi, can you guys hear me?

Yes, we can.

Okay, thank you so much.

I I apologize.

I was raising my hand incorrectly.

Um, my name is Justin Gross, so I'm calling about 321 South Campbell Street.

Uh Campbell Street.

I don't.

Oh, this is here.

This is the sixth property under the eighth block.

This property is being ordered demolished.

321 South Campbell Street.

Justin, we're gonna ask BC to pull up the information regarding this property.

But are you looking to keep or demolish?

I am looking to keep.

Um I've been speaking hand in hand with Inspector Jennings.

He just sent me the report today um for what I need to do.

He told me I have 30 days to get it fixed.

Um I've been going back and forth with him to make sure I have the proper list.

I have a contractor ready to go and a couple other uh on standby.

Um, and I'm just trying to make sure I do what I need to do.

I really appreciate um everything from you guys.

All right.

Well, I so you're looking to keep you have your order of things of uh to to work on.

Um and then you feel comfortable and being able to address those issues.

Um so far as I can tell right now, yes.

There was a couple things on there that I saw today that I was not aware of that I'm going to have to get on today um and get somebody lined up to fix, but for the most part, um I should be able to get it all done in the next 30 days.

If there's something like if a contractor that I need to call this week is unable to do in the next 30 days, is there any type of extension or anything like that that I can get if I get the rest of it done or so the best thing to do would be uh we can did you take down the address that we shared earlier, the email address.

Um I was I was making a mistake on this call, so I had to recall one.

No worries.

Um if you could get it.

It's all good.

Can you um if it's it sounds like you're calling in, so you can't see the screen correct?

Correct.

Okay.

So what I'll do is um if you are willing and have your your order of things to do um to fix this property, um the best thing to do would be to take pictures of all four sides of your property as you're progressing, and then sending those pictures over to this email address.

And as soon as you're ready, I can I I can read the the the address for you.

Okay, yep, I am ready for you.

So it's it's spelled B as in Sam S, excuse me.

I it's B as in Ben, S as in Sam.

I jumped, I I jumped over a letter.

So it's B as in Ben, S is in Sam, E as an elephant, D as in David, D as in Detroit, E as an elephant, M as in Mom, O as an octopus at Detroit Mi.gov.

It reads B said demo at Detroit Mi.gov.

Did you get that?

Yeah, so B-S-E-D-D-E-M-O at Detroit Mi.gov.

Yes, sir.

So what you will do again is as you're working on your property, take the pictures of all four sides, send them to this email.

And if there's anything remaining, um I would note that to B seed.

Um and they will work with you and as long as they see progress, um, you shouldn't see yourself back at in this committee, okay.

Okay, fantastic.

Thank you so much for everything.

I appreciate it.

Uh BC, any notes for this property.

Uh thank you, Madam Chair.

Yeah, we had inspected this property on a June 7.

Uh the two-story frame single family dwelling was vacant and open to trespass and elements at the front door.

Okay.

Uh the rear roof uh is damaged, uh open to elements and a rear roof.

Uh yard was not, as you can see the photos earlier, yard is not maintained as overgrowth, and garage also not maintained.

Thank you, Mr.

Patel.

So hopefully those issues can be addressed.

Um, and then uh have the property be put back into um into motion.

Uh so Justin, if you have all the information that you need, um, good luck.

And uh do reach out to BC if you have any questions, they would be the the best people to talk to you about those, okay?

Yeah, thank you so much for everything.

I appreciate it.

Is there a motion to send 2952 casts back to BCED?

Motion.

Hearing no objections, 2952 cast will be sent back to B seed to allow our property owner to address the issues.

Through the chair.

Madam Clerk.

We were discussing 30 321 South Campbell.

Thank you.

Um so that was sending back 321 South Campbell back to B seed.

Thank you.

Oh, we demolished Cass.

Sorry.

Thank you.

My notes are wrong.

Um thank you, Madam Clerk.

This is why we need you here in committee.

Um okay, so again, just for clarity, we are sending 321 South Campbell back to B seed.

Um thank you, Justin, for calling in and for being willing to do the work.

Ms.

Conn, any other hands?

There are no more hands.

I'm all set, sir.

You are all set, sir.

Thank you.

Thanks so much.

Have a blessed one.

Colleagues, yes, member waters.

Um I um I have a question.

Why are we approving demolition at this time?

And the re and the reason I'm saying that is because we have we have to spend millions and millions of dollars right now to do this whole dirt cleanup.

We don't have the money.

So I don't I'm not sure why the department is bringing demolition before us at this time.

We need to hold on spending additional monies on demolition and until we can get this dirty dirt cleaned up, contaminated dirt.

Uh member waters, I have the same exact thing.

Um I've mentioned before a moratorium on demolitions until we figure out the communication with the public.

Um, but have thought the same thing about the dirt right now as we're looking to fix those issues, um, making sure that we're not creating more.

Umber McCampbell, did you have anything to add there?

Or I agree.

Um, I guess this is a question, Mr.

Patel.

Would you know what the plans are for um I mean we say we see 20 properties today, which is really different from the 200 properties that we were seeing when I started here.

Um, but would it not make sense that we pause demolitions until we figure out um our our our dirt situation thank you madam chair as you could as you notice that you know we had changed our review process a little bit.

And then bring it print of this body that we when we do not have the choice, but bring it uh print of this body per the city code.

Um but definitely you can see the numbers of the property coming print of this committee is is lot lesser than historically what we were bringing here.

So uh but once yeah, once we have that, we have to report to the the this body.

Member Waters, I wonder because I also feel um it it will be problematic if we leave homes that are burnt down, right?

And we're gonna get calls.

I wonder if we only do like homes that are incredibly damaged, but I don't know what that looks like because it feels like we all have definitely different definitions exactly of what is dangerous.

Um because the last house that I looked at the um the gentleman who wanted to save his home now, it was not burnout.

So I I'm I'm wondering the status of some of these, and if in fact they can they can wait if you I've seen burnout homes that have not been on our list as yet to tell you the truth.

Right, and they should have been.

But I am concerned.

Yeah, uh uh for fiscal reasons, yeah, that we continue this at this point until they can show us um, you know, how how we gonna get this done?

How how do we pay for what has already happened?

How do we move forward?

We need a plan.

Yeah, we do.

We need them to show us the numbers.

I agree.

I agree.

Um, Member Waters, what I can commit to is reaching out to BC and asking that very question.

Um, because I I would rather us pause on anything that's not um you know about to cave in in our neighborhoods.

Um I would rather us again get that clear picture, the full picture of what the damage is what we have to do and what we have to prepare for.

Um yeah, no, because I I I I agree, and I think that's you know, that's what what we're also talking about in in public, just PHS in general.

Um do do too.

I'm happy to have that conversation with with BC.

Yes, LPD.

Of course, as the conversation is reflected, there's different kinds of dangers.

There's the kinds of dangers represented by the contaminated soil, the kind of dangers that represented by the dangerous buildings.

We have to deal with both and juggle with both.

There's there's been a long history of a complicated process within BC and the administration for how do you find the funds and how do you prioritize the demolitions?

What I think this discussion has indicated clearly is that there's sort of a new calculus of risk and fiscal responsibility.

Maybe in following up to the question you were gonna ask some kind of resolution from this council about how to reset the priorities and under these circumstances might be bet valuable.

I'd I'd need to know more about the real nitty-gritty to know what to say, but that's it seems like that's what you're facing is balancing risks and and resources in a slightly different way than we have before.

And if you make it make it articulate, maybe it'll help.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Maybe the resolution reads properties that have been burned only or that meet a certain dangerous criteria.

Um okay, I appreciate this.

Um we will look back at um what a resolution could look like and we'll probably um actually I'm gonna make a motion, LPD, if you wouldn't mind helping us with that now.

Um and we'll send over a memo as a follow-up, but just a motion at the table.

I can't make a motion at the table.

If if a motion can be made, thank you.

Um that LPD help us draft a resolution and helping city council prioritize um dangerous building demolitions in this time where we have limited resources and we really have to um be strategic.

So um that's the motion.

All right, motion.

Thank you, Member Waters.

Hearing no objections, um, we will follow up with a memo.

Thank you, LPD, for the suggestion.

Um our office will reach out to, I will give our director a call this week um just to see if we can work together.

Um and maybe we ask for a month or two to just give us the time to discuss and maybe we bring uh the hearings back later this year.

Um but uh I appreciate the flag member waters because we were having the same the same questions.

Anything else?

I'm seeing no other hands raised again if you are online and if you're here for a hearing, we are still here for you if you would like to have one, member Waters.

Have we had an opportunity?

I know I haven't.

I haven't looked at these addresses to see what these buildings look like.

I have not.

Um did you send over through you, madam chair?

Did you send all the photos?

All right, so what what addresses on there?

You're probably more familiar with it than I am that are just burnt out for example.

Because some of them, I like that other picture you showed me, I it they weren't burnt out.

It was not burnt out, but I'm sorry.

Uh Mr.

Patel, yeah.

Sorry.

All good.

Through the Madam Chair.

Uh CM water, yes, that particular property was not burned out, but it was the what it was wide open on the prendo.

Uh that's the way the the front uh the back uh back roof had the issue.

The garage has the problem too.

Garage was wide open.

Now that was the different kind of uh the danger.

Uh somebody somebody might be uh utilize that place to hurt some uh younger or do some criminal stuff, and that's the way we look at, you know, and that's the way I think this our um ordinance being dropped.

And until we can get all this worked out in the future, I would appreciate that you really take a hard look at this and only recommend the ones that you absolutely must just so um that we can take care of our other fiscal responsibility because we certainly have a huge one uh with the with the dirt issue.

Uh so does that make sense to you, madam chair?

Does that make sense?

Uh Director Bateo.

Uh through Madam Chat, uh yes, uh CM Water.

It does, and that's what we that's the way we brought the list this time.

Okay.

He's reflecting that right here.

So we were, you know, ahead of time.

We were looking the same way that this council is looking at, and and that's what we had adjusted.

Uh our process there.

All right, let me just say this too that this is a conversation that we will have uh during one of our former sessions, just so that we can see how the remainder of our colleagues might weigh in uh after LPD in particular get the resolution together.

It is a conversation that needs to be had.

So thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, Member Waters.

And we did receive um the we did receive the pictures.

Um to Mr.

Patel's points, a lot of them have extensive fire damage.

My only question, uh, and this goes to before is um while there's fire damage, some of them, if you have the means are salvageable.

I just don't know that's also missing information that we don't have is if the person can or can't.

And frankly, I also know that we can't just keep a property standing.

If no one can address it, it should go down.

Um, but I I will give Mr.

Patel the properties that are in front of us today have extensive damage.

Um whether or not the property owner can um have the means to support it, I'm not sure.

And based on the conditions of some of these, um some of these are really really bad.

And and especially the ones that are in next to homes, I think should come down.

Um, but to that end, right?

It does seem like BC is is is picking up what we're putting down, what we what we want to see in order to work with us.

Um I I still think we have a ways to go in communication um with the public, so we'll continue to work through that.

Um, but I did want to share that with you, member waters.

Is that um, and I'm going through everything one more time.

Okay.

Um there's a lot of fire damage.

And and unless someone is is coming forward and trying to save the property.

I'm going to assume they don't have the means to be able to address um to address these issues.

Yeah.

Okay.

Vice Chair.

Uh yeah, um, yeah, I'm going through all the photos as well, but I would say I'll actually motion for 5015 grandy to be sent for cost analysis.

You said which numbers?

Number one in block nine, five zero one.

Okay.

So you would like grandy 5015 grandy to be sent back to BC for cost analysis?

Yes.

Okay.

There's a motion to send 5015 grandy back to BC.

Are there any objections?

Hearing none.

We will send this back to B seed.

It does seem to be standing.

It does also look incredibly abandoned.

I think this is one of those examples of if we don't hear from the property owner, you know, then we need to move forward.

But I I would like to keep it.

Do you remember?

Madam Chair.

Vice Chair, no word go right ahead.

No, this is one of those that it just looks like alternatively, right?

Like if uh understand the abandoned home, but if there was some other means of this, um it looks like it could be in good use for folks.

Yeah, from what I see on the photos.

We just have a lot in front of us.

We're also trying to provide housing, and as we're demolishing, it does feel a little um a little weird, but I think this is where if we saw the history of communication um beforehand, that would be really helpful.

Um but for now we we agree to send 5015 grandied back to BC.

I wanted to ask, were there any other properties that colleagues had questions on?

Um Ms.

Khan, if anyone does raise their hand, please interrupt me.

Because if not, Mr.

Patel, I do have two quick questions.

If you wouldn't mind sharing with us, Archdale.

Um this is one, two, one, two, three, archdale.

Um I'm wondering if you have any it looks like this is just the garage, correct?

Or is this a a small house?

I just want to confirm what we're looking at here.

If it's a as if this is a garage or a small house.

It looks like a small house.

Yeah.

Or is it both okay?

It might be two different are we looking at two different parcels here, Mr.

Patel.

Madam Tiet, uh no, this is the house as well as the the said on the back.

So it is two different parcels.

No, same on the same parcel.

It's kind of it is the yeah.

I'm sorry.

Two structures on the same parcel.

Yeah, okay.

And then would you happen to know how many times we communicated with the property owner about this?

Thank you, madam chair.

Uh this property we had uh we had communicated with the property owner since October 30 first, 2025.

Okay.

Uh and it's it's continues uh you can see the condition of the property at this paradigm.

It is okay.

I when I see it boarded up, I I wonder if people are are looking just to address the issues, but if it's since been if it's been since October, um I think more should have been done by now.

Okay, and then my only other question too was for um 8450 brace.

Um, but after looking at it some more, it does seem like there's also extensive damage inside of the property.

Um, not just the overgrowth that surrounds it.

Um but similar question.

When was the last time that you reached out to the property owner here?

Um thank you, madam chair.

Uh this is uh the first time we made the contact with this property or not on August 423, then again on uh March 22nd, 2026.

Uh property being in this condition for a while.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, those are my remaining questions for these properties.

Um if there are no other questions, and if there are no other hands, I will move us along to the rest of the uh list here for us.

Um we will work on the resolution and I will give our director a call later this week as well to see if we can at least pause these demos while we work through our dirt issues or that we focus on just those um that are in in immediate uh danger of collapsing.

So we'll work on that.

I will now turn it over to our list of dangerous buildings for today under the eighth block, two zero five one six Andover is being ordered demolished, as well as one nine six two six Annot, as well as one two one two three Archdale and eight four five zero brace eight two one zero Burnett is being withdrawn.

We agreed to send three two one S Campbell back to B seed.

3932 Canton is being ordered demolished.

We agree that 2952 cast will be demolished.

Colfax is being withdrawn, and one five four nine seven faircrest is being ordered demolished.

Is there a motion to concur?

Motion to concur.

Hearing no objections, we agree with the recommendations for the remaining items under the eighth block.

Under the ninth block, we are sending five zero one five grandy back to B seed.

Five zero two six grandy is being ordered demolished, as well as one three three three seven Hamsphere and nine one four zero haze.

We agree to withdraw five zero one two Helen one nine two six zero hall is being ordered demolished as well as eight seven nine zero west Lafayette, six zero three two wrongs eight three zero four van and one three zero zero four Wilfred are also all being ordered demolished.

Is there a motion to concur?

Motion to concur.

Hearing no objections, we agree with the right remaining recommendations under the ninth block.

Ms.

Cat, any other hands?

See no other hands.

Thank you, B seed.

Thank you, everyone for a great day back.

Hope everyone gets home safely.

There are the Detroit fireworks today.

Uh roads will be closed.

So if you can work from home for the rest of the day, I hope you do.

Other than that, have a blessed day, everyone.

We are now adjourned.