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Record of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting - June 24, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, June 24, 2026
BodyDetroit, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, June 24, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:48:04

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:03

Clerk was on note.

0:04

Councilmember Renata Miller.

0:06

Madam Chair, you have a corn present.

0:08

Thank you so much.

0:09

And good morning, everyone.

0:10

We have a scripture for today that someone shared with me to share with you.

0:16

God help us to live beyond the moments that overwhelm us.

0:19

Help us to be forgiving of everyone in our lives, including ourselves.

0:23

When the journey gets tough, help us to look again at the final designation designation and long to be in your house with you and the whole family of faith.

0:33

Help us to enjoy this journey and let us feel your presence along the way.

0:38

Let's go places together.

0:39

In Jesus' name we pray.

0:41

Amen.

0:42

All right, thank you all for indulging me.

0:44

And is there a motion for the approval of the minutes?

0:46

Motion.

0:47

There's been a motion for the approval of the minutes hearing no objections, that action shall be taken.

0:51

There are zero chair remarks.

0:53

And public comment will be closed in one minute.

0:57

At 10 03, public comment will be closed in one minute.

1:01

Do we have anyone here in the committee of the whole who would like to make public comment in person?

1:06

See no one here.

1:07

Do we have any callers on the line?

1:09

We can start there.

1:15

And we have one minute before public comment will be closed off.

1:20

And no one is present in the committee of the whole to make public comment.

1:23

Ms.

1:24

JC, how many callers do we have?

1:26

Good morning, madam chair.

1:27

This morning we have 16 virtual callers.

1:33

Okay.

1:34

The first caller is if you could um introduce yourself for the record, and you have two minutes.

1:40

The first caller is Betty A.

1:41

Varner.

1:42

Good morning, Miss Varner.

1:45

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

1:48

I'm Betty A.

1:49

Varner, president of DeSoda Ellsworth Block Association.

1:53

Advocating for my community.

1:55

First, I wanna say we're still in need of monies for our think of corridor.

2:00

There are businesses that are opening up on the thinker corridor.

2:06

There's also Mr.

2:08

Dabitch and his sons who would like to open up a mini market on our thinker corridor.

2:15

Thank you and Wyoming in the area where the Mickey D's was located.

2:21

They are going through the process.

2:24

They are uh their next step, my understanding, is to come to the council to get their approval.

2:31

I'm hoping when they do uh get to the council, that the council will support uh them opening up a mini market with six gas uh pumps.

2:45

We are a food desert.

2:48

There's not a supermarket uh in our area that is uh easily uh access to where you can walk.

2:58

There's two supermarkets that closed um in our area.

3:04

One was on Fanco, and the other one was on Livinois.

3:08

So now uh there's only the gas stations and the Dollar Trees and et cetera.

3:15

So we are in need of this mini market.

3:18

Also, we're asking for support to help us with our projects with our Debug Community Park.

3:27

We have purchased additional land to expand our park.

3:31

We would like to have playground equipment for the children in the area and for residents who live in this area to enjoy.

3:43

So we're in need of that $1,500 to be waived or support for our land use hearing.

3:50

Thank you for this time.

3:51

God bless you all.

3:53

Thank you, Miss Varner.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement████████████████████20%
Procedural██████████████14%
Language Access█████████████13%
Public Transit███████████11%
Historic Preservation████████8%
Public Safety██████6%
Contract Management██████6%
Workforce Development█████5%
Miscellaneous████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting - June 24, 2026

The Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole met on June 24, 2026, to conduct public business. The meeting included public comment from 16 callers, interviews for appointments to city boards and commissions, and discussion and votes on contracts, settlements, and a transit millage resolution. Several items were moved to the formal session for final approval, with some deferred for further review.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: Motion passed without objection.
  • Appointments to City Boards (moved to formal unanimously):
    • Reappointment of Josh Mack to the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (DBRA) Community Advisory Committee.
    • Reappointment of Marlowe Sean Franklin to the DBRA Community Advisory Committee.
    • Appointment of Ashley Jordan to the City Planning Commission.
    • Appointment of Princess Brown to the Tennis Rights Commission (non-voting member).
    • Reappointment of George Etherich to the DBRA Community Advisory Committee.
    • Reappointment of David Fonner to the DBRA Community Advisory Committee.
  • Appointments to Detroit Land Bank Authority (moved to formal, ballot vote required):
    • Appointment of Erica Hill.
    • Appointment of Chris DePate.
    • Appointment of Javon Glenn.
  • Settlements (moved to formal):
    • Level One Physical Therapy, Damon Fields v. City of Detroit (DDOT) – $45,000.
    • Midwest Mine Associates, Renard McCann v. City of Detroit (DDOT) – $7,000.
  • Resolution in Support of Wayne County Transit Millage (moved to formal): Council President James Tate’s resolution supporting the August 2026 ballot proposal.

Public Comments & Testimony

Sixteen callers addressed the committee. Key positions included:

  • Betty Varner (President, DeSoda Ellsworth Block Association) – Urged support for a mini market with gas pumps on the Thinker Corridor to address food desert issues, and requested a $1,500 fee waiver for a park project.
  • Dr. Denise Darnell – Expressed caution on regulating crypto ATM machines, noting high fees (up to 20%) and scam risks, especially for seniors.
  • Jadante Smith – Criticized Councilmember Miller for asking if he was paid for his activism, and expressed disappointment in the solar contract vote and the mayor’s lack of constituent engagement.
  • Caller 534 (self-identified as “Land Bank Lady”) – Criticized the city’s handling of land bank properties, DTE’s eminent domain use, and the solar exemption process; alleged lack of transparency.
  • Lucas Lisecki (Transportation Riders United) – Supported the Wayne County Transit Millage, citing improved DDOT funding and expanded SMART bus service to underserved areas.
  • Owner Papa – Criticized the DTE contract, CDBG fund distribution, and ARPA spending; alleged conflicts of interest and illegal use of surplus funds.
  • William M. Davis – Contrasted past effective community advisory councils with current ones, calling for more resources and budget.
  • Legendary Detroiter – Made unsubstantiated claims about election fraud and called for investigation.
  • Mr. Foster – Quoted scripture, defended Councilmember Miller’s question about payment, and criticized government accountability.
  • Cricket Icon 2026 – Raised concerns about vermin digging holes and solar panel fire risks, calling for action.
  • Caller “Call in user one” (Ms. Shea) – Reported an abandoned building near Northwestern High School, broken bus shelter, drug activity, and landlord certificate of compliance issues.
  • Renard Muntunski (Detroit People’s Platform, Transit Justice Team) – Supported the transit millage, noting personal difficulty accessing a doctor in Livonia due to lack of bus service.
  • Joel Batterman (Transportation Riders United) – Supported the transit millage, emphasizing benefits for Detroiters needing jobs and services in suburbs like Livonia and Canton.
  • Cynthia Garrett – Sought assistance regarding over-taxation and loss of her home in 2013; referred to Councilmember Miller’s office.
  • Darren McCleskey – Criticized the solar project, alleging rushed process, contaminated soil, and cost inefficiencies (40–100 year payback).

Discussion Items

  • Interviews for Appointments:
    • Josh Mack (DBRA CAC) – Expressed interest in community participation and low-income housing provisions. Councilmember Miller noted one-year terms are too short and supported reappointment.
    • Marlowe Sean Franklin (DBRA CAC) – Emphasized labor advocacy and apprenticeships. Councilmember Miller praised his work and commitment to Detroit trades.
    • Ashley Jordan (City Planning Commission) – Stated her focus on restoration, preservation, and sustainability. Councilmembers supported her community involvement and perspective.
  • Line Item 9.6 – Crossing Guards Labor Agreement: Discussion on the $8 per crossing pay rate. City officials explained that crossing guards average two crossings per hour ($16/hour), with some able to do more. Councilmember Benson questioned why the rate is below the city’s $21.45 living wage; administration noted the position is seasonal/temporary. The contract was moved to formal.
  • Line Item 9.7 – Crypto ATM Regulation: Councilmember Benson requested an ordinance. Law Department noted a pending state bill but recommended city action. Motion to bring back in four weeks for a draft.
  • Line Item 9.8 – Community Advisory Council (CAC) Questions: Councilmember Miller asked about CACs soliciting grants. LPD confirmed the ordinance allows donations/grants but lacks oversight. Discussion included adding language to regulate grants. Brought back in one week.
  • Line Item 9.11 – City Council Media Services Division: Councilmember Benson requested a feasibility report. LPD requested two weeks to finalize; motion to bring back in two weeks.
  • Line Item 10.1 – Interpretation Services Contract (Language Line): Third amendment for $410,000 increase. CRIO Deputy Director Megan Maslamani explained increased demand due to the language access ordinance. Councilmember Miller urged finding a Michigan-based vendor. Moved to formal.
  • Line Item 10.2 – Managed Print Services Contract (Marco Technologies): $3 million increase (total $8 million). DOITT representative Brandon Sledge Mellon explained fleet reduction and efficiencies. Councilmember Miller noted lack of Detroit-based vendors. Moved to formal.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved and moved to formal session (with recommendation for approval):
    • All consent calendar items (appointments, settlements, transit resolution).
    • Crossing guards labor agreement (9.6).
    • Interpretation services contract amendment (10.1).
    • Managed print services contract amendment (10.2).
  • Deferred items:
    • 9.5 (CAC rules) – brought back in one week.
    • 9.7 (crypto ATM ordinance) – brought back in four weeks.
    • 9.8 (CAC questions) – brought back in one week.
    • 9.11 (media services report) – brought back in two weeks.
  • Next Steps: The Detroit Land Bank Authority appointments (9.1–9.3) will be voted on by ballot at the Tuesday formal session. The law department will draft a crypto ATM ordinance by late July/September. The community advisory council ordinance may be amended to include grant oversight.

Meeting Transcript

Clerk was on note. Councilmember Renata Miller. Madam Chair, you have a corn present. Thank you so much. And good morning, everyone. We have a scripture for today that someone shared with me to share with you. God help us to live beyond the moments that overwhelm us. Help us to be forgiving of everyone in our lives, including ourselves. When the journey gets tough, help us to look again at the final designation designation and long to be in your house with you and the whole family of faith. Help us to enjoy this journey and let us feel your presence along the way. Let's go places together. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. All right, thank you all for indulging me. And is there a motion for the approval of the minutes? Motion. There's been a motion for the approval of the minutes hearing no objections, that action shall be taken. There are zero chair remarks. And public comment will be closed in one minute. At 10 03, public comment will be closed in one minute. Do we have anyone here in the committee of the whole who would like to make public comment in person? See no one here. Do we have any callers on the line? We can start there. And we have one minute before public comment will be closed off. And no one is present in the committee of the whole to make public comment. Ms. JC, how many callers do we have? Good morning, madam chair. This morning we have 16 virtual callers. Okay. The first caller is if you could um introduce yourself for the record, and you have two minutes. The first caller is Betty A. Varner. Good morning, Miss Varner. Good morning, madam chair, and to all within the sound of my voice. I'm Betty A. Varner, president of DeSoda Ellsworth Block Association. Advocating for my community. First, I wanna say we're still in need of monies for our think of corridor. There are businesses that are opening up on the thinker corridor. There's also Mr. Dabitch and his sons who would like to open up a mini market on our thinker corridor. Thank you and Wyoming in the area where the Mickey D's was located. They are going through the process. They are uh their next step, my understanding, is to come to the council to get their approval. I'm hoping when they do uh get to the council, that the council will support uh them opening up a mini market with six gas uh pumps. We are a food desert. There's not a supermarket uh in our area that is uh easily uh access to where you can walk. There's two supermarkets that closed um in our area.

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