The Public Health and Safety Standing Committee of the Detroit City Council convened on Monday, July 6, 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM. Chair Gabriela Santiago Romero called the meeting to order with a quorum present. The agenda included public comments, a quarterly update from the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), discussion of multiple contracts and memos, and emergency response updates from city departments following a severe holiday weekend storm that caused power outages, water main breaks, and tree damage.
Director Robert Kramer and Government Affairs Liaison Stephanie Davis presented. Key points:
During Q&A, council members raised:
Good morning, everyone. I would like to call to order our public health and safety standing committee for today, Monday, July 6th, 2026. May the clerk please call the roll. Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero. Present. Councilmember Denzel Anton McCampbell. Member McCampbell did indicate that he's running tardy. So note it. Councilmember Mary Waters. Present. Madam Chair, you have a quorum present. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Given a quorum, we'll go right into the agenda for today. For chair remarks, I hope everyone had a blessed and safe weekend this holiday weekend for the 4th of July. We know there were a number of issues, a lot of power outages, water main breaks, and there was a powder outage over at Marathon Refinery, which has led to a lot of flare-ups in 42 and 7. Uh so to the administration, I know you're listening. If you can please help us give us some updates during member reports. Communicating with the public is really important during these times, as well as any updates from the water department or at least a note for the water departments. We also reached out. I reached out to our director Brown about communicating with the public about water main breaks. There were some homes that had water turned off for I think for a few hours, um, maybe overnight. Um but another piece of information that needs to be communicated with the public whenever these things happen, because what ends up happening is we get the text messages as council members as residents, and if we don't know what's going on, um, it kind of causes chaos and confusion. So to the administration, um, any updates regarding communications, how we're using our emergency management system, uh, would be much appreciated. All right, I will move us along. I saw you, Mr. Washington. Thank you. So know that, madam chair. Good morning. Good morning, appreciate you. Thank you. If the clerk can can please note you've been joined by our vice chair. Thank you. So, oh, and I just remembered uh Mr. Washington. Another piece of information. Um, because of the storms, there were a lot of trees that fell down around the city. Um, so another piece of information, updates on where we are on tree removals if possible as well. Well done, and my apologies. I was being promoted um initially in your remarks. Is this for in writing or to uh in committee this morning? If possible, during member reports at the end of today, we are gonna have a presentation. We should it should it's gonna be a lengthy committee, but it's gonna be good. It's always good. Um, and at the end, would like to hear updates um just regarding communications in times of emergencies, like when trees are falling down, um, when there's power outages, when there's water main breaks. Um, just wondering if there's been any communication with the public regarding the tr uh the power outage in uh 42 and 7 around marathon around any updates for communication for water main breaks and um I guess any information the administration has on tree removals. We'll do it thank you, madam church. Appreciate you. Thank you. All right.