Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole Summary – October 28, 2026

The Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole met on October 28, 2026, beginning at approximately 10:01 a.m. A quorum was present. The meeting covered unfinished business, public comment, new business from the Law Department and Legislative Policy Division, and members' reports. Public comment was scheduled to close at 10:03 a.m.; 10 virtual callers spoke for up to 90 seconds each. No agenda or minutes were available, so this summary is based solely on the transcript.

Consent Calendar / Opening Actions

• The committee approved the previous meeting's minutes without objection.
• No chair remarks were offered.

Unfinished Business

• 5.1 Status of Office of Contracting and Procurement Contract No. 600 514-82 – Amendment No. 2: This is a 100% city-funded contract amendment to increase funding and expand the pool of qualified Detroit applicants for jobs in skilled construction trades and other high-growth jobs. A council member said answers to earlier questions were in the morning package; Member Miller said she did not have the packet and moved to bring the item back in one week. The motion passed without objection, and staff were asked to get her a copy of the answers.
• 5.2–5.10 Law Department items: Item 5.2 is the status of legal representation and indemnification for Police Officer Beverly Jones in the lawsuit Kiana Wilson v. City of Detroit. With no Law Department representative present, Member Benson moved to bring items 5.2 through 5.10 back in one week, citing a scheduled meeting with the Law Department. The motion passed without objection.
• 5.11 Customer service and operating standards for small businesses: Member Miller moved to receive and file the memorandum; the motion passed without objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Denise Darnell: Raised a traffic safety issue at Oakland International Academy, a second- through eighth-grade school on Conan near Hamtramck Drive. After a street repaving project, a 'no left turn' sign prevented school buses, parents, and staff from legally entering the parking lot, forcing buses through neighborhood streets. She asked the city to remove the sign and requested a DPD squad car at Conan and Hamtramck Drive between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. until the sign is removed, working with DPW.
• Tyson Gersh: Criticized BSEED (referred to as 'B seed'/'BC' in the transcript) for issuing permit approvals for Northern Landing applications despite zoning nonconformities, no variances, and pending court cases; referenced OIG investigations and alleged BSEED lied to council in writing. He urged council to enforce rules, hold BSEED accountable, and exercise oversight. Member Miller responded that BSEED has failed residents, that she will continue looking into the allegations, and that there has been no oversight or compliance for six years.
• Call-in user two: Asked why the Rosa Parks Transit Center and Jason Hargrove Center grounds are not washed down daily, citing garbage and difficulty for disabled users; also asked why BSEED inspection and compliance reports are not available to council members, alleged discriminatory treatment, and said the city allows landlords to retaliate when ticketed for noncompliance.
• Betty A. Varner: President of a local block association (transcribed as 'Soda Elseware' and later 'Sodells World Block Association'), asked the council and administration to help find money for redevelopment of the 'Fanko Corridor'/'Finkel Quarter,' saying residents want to spend money in their own neighborhood. She requested help with a $1,500 land-use hearing fee and playground equipment if permitted, adding that the association is not asking for a handout.
• Cindy Dara: Cited the sign ordinance and asked whether a permit had been issued for a large sign, saying it should never have been permitted and should be removed. She also raised concerns about property tax overvaluation, millages since 2006, the need for better fiscal oversight, and opposed surveillance/camera spending.
• Clara DeCastro: An urban planner and District 6 resident assisting community groups with the Rensen and River East CBO process. She said DEGC cited an NDA with a developer to withhold the full 'but for' analysis owed to NAC members under city code, and that Mr. Howell admitted project visitor-spending numbers were distorted. She asked the committee to direct the Law Department to answer overdue FOIA request 2604800 and release documents, including the project pro forma, for proper oversight.
• William M. Davis: Asked the city to do more to coordinate and assist small businesses, including Detroit-based businesses such as First Independence Bank, and urged reducing paperwork for opening and maintaining businesses so more dollars stay in the local economy.
• Mr. Cunningham: Asked council members to pray in the Holy Spirit and shared a phone number; no specific legislative request was made.
• Ruben Crawley: Alleged election cheating in Detroit elections and called Council Member Benson a scoundrel. The chair admonished him, said he would lose his time if he called anyone out of their name, and moved to the next caller.
• Ronald Foster: Urged the council to obtain actual authority over matters brought before it, saying directly elected officials and Black and brown residents should be making decisions. He accused council of viewing his participation as a 'hustle' rather than as a passionate resident and owner, and asked the body to restore public trust.

New Business – Law Department

• 6.1 Settlement – Greenfield and Nine Mile Medical Center, PLLC, and the Civil Law Firm Jerome Anderson v. City of Detroit: $4,000 settlement; Case No. 26-05-G, L26-8343, SVD A2000. The Law Department identified the affected department as D dot (DDOT). Member Benson asked the clerk to identify the defendant department on future agendas. The item was moved to formal with a recommendation for approval without objection.
• 6.2 Settlement – Patrick Amos v. City of Detroit: $30,000 settlement; Case No. 25-00567-NI, L25-7833, SVD A2000; also identified as a DDOT matter. The item was moved to formal with a recommendation for approval without objection.
• 6.3–6.7 Legal representation and indemnification for retired investigator Dale Collins: Five matters involving Bernard Howard as plaintiff against Dale Collins. Law Department representative Graham Anderson asked for items 6.3 through 6.7 to be removed because they were mistakenly referred to internal operations and should have been voting-action matters for a closed session. The committee removed them without objection for future closed-session scheduling.

New Business – Legislative Policy Division

• 6.8 Family Court Awareness Month resolution: Resolution establishing November as Family Court Awareness Month, requested by Council President Pro Tem and attached to the agenda. Moved to formal with a recommendation for approval without objection.
• 6.9 AI and Innovation Technology Task Force report: Report from Council President Pro Tem Young to establish the AI and Innovation Technology Task Force. Member Benson noted the actual resolution was not attached; LPD said it had been submitted but not attached. The item was moved to formal pending receipt of the resolution, without objection.

Members' Reports

• Member Benson: Reminded the public that election day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026; urged support for city assets on the ballot, including the Detroit Zoo, museums, and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. He said Detroit's turnout is about 20% (two out of ten registered voters), called that 'not good,' and encouraged early voting, drop boxes, absentee ballots, or in-person voting.
• Member Miller: Invited residents to the District 5 community engagement meeting that evening at Butler Family Center, 7737 Kirchhoff, from 6 to 8 p.m., with CREO and procurement staff speaking on how to become a city vendor, in partnership with Genesis Hope.
• Chair: Called the 20% turnout statistic unacceptable, invoked the history of voting rights, thanked City Clerk Janice Winfrey for her work, and announced a November 9 event at Mount Beulah, 20056 Cherry Lawn, at 8 a.m.

Key Outcomes

All actions were taken by unanimous consent (no objections heard).

• Minutes approved.
• Item 5.1 postponed for one week.
• Items 5.2 through 5.10 postponed for one week.
• Item 5.11 received and filed.
• Settlements 6.1 ($4,000) and 6.2 ($30,000) moved to the formal agenda with recommendation for approval.
• Items 6.3 through 6.7 removed and rescheduled for a future closed session.
• Resolution 6.8 moved to the formal agenda with recommendation for approval.
• Item 6.9 moved to the formal agenda pending receipt of the resolution.
• The meeting adjourned without objection after members' reports.