We uh appointed, I think is is the biggest um I guess objective short term in my mind, and I think you know, as we know, you know, people will resign or um you know have conflicts and not able to attend, so I think over time we can certainly continue to adjust the board and make sure that it's representative of um um of our community, but totally understand my my colleagues' concerns.

I'm still happy to to support this appointment though.

Thank you.

Yes, me as well.

So um thank you, Commissioner Yossi, for sharing your concerns.

Uh I believe Miss Bosker is signing Aunt Jordan for the uh land bank for not the land bank but for Brownfield.

Is she up for next meeting this month?

Yes, yep.

That is the last I heard that's on the list.

Okay, awesome.

But it shouldn't.

So that's uh Mayor Legrand is thinking uh is set to appoint signing Aunt Jordan uh for the uh brownfield and so this is a conversation that um as the chair of appointments have had with Mayor Le Grand to make ensure that we only not only have the expertise that we need on these boards, but the lived experience that is so rich that we have throughout our community.

So I'm very happy to um get a woman of color on a board uh that does similar work, uh the similar important work as housing uh for our community and hopeful to see that move forward.

So here are the concerns and as a chair of appointments, I'm working hard to make sure we can uh address those.

So yes, Commissioner Issi.

Um I appreciate that, Mr.

Chair.

There are two women of color that serve on Brownfield board.

I'm one of those today.

Um I will also say that we have seen um I just think you know, but we had this ADU task force.

You know, task forces are something that the mayor is allowed to do and to appoint themselves.

Um I think there was a lack of diversity on that body.

So um I don't want to go back.

I'm not my intention, Commissioner, because I I know we've discussed and I thank you for your c uh conversation before this.

But I think that this is an example.

We know that this is very this is in a very important body to this organization, to this community, certainly to the mayor.

Um, and I'm disappointed um that additional advice was not taken, especially when the representation of this body looks the way that it does at this point.

So yes, thank you so much, Commissioner, for sharing your feedback.

Um in addition, I will say uh Miss Vandenberg uh does have the expertise that I was really looking for here uh that several of us on the commission noted of more of an advocate.

I think sometimes we put the big dogs on these really important boards that work for bigger organizations or bigger companies and with her experience with Wellhouse with some of the most marginalized and some of our most um uh folks within folks in need within the community.

I think this is a great appointment.

Um so let's uh move on to the vote.

All those in favor?

I those opposed?

Aye.

All right, that carries.

Okay.

Second here is the resolution approving the city commission's appointment of Nick Fisher to the Grand Rapids Water System Advisory Council.

So moved.

Support.

Moved and supported.

Uh may I hear entertain any comments on this appointment?

Seeing I'll just add that um this is an appointment filling a vacancy that occurred when James Hurt uh retired.

So we're working through adding city staff members to fill in those big shoes that Ms.

Bosker and I met yesterday and we were talking about how many uh roles Mr.

Heard had.

So thank you so much, Ms.

Bosker on that.

All right, all those in favor of this appointment.

Aye.

Those opposed, it carries.

And that moves us to uh Miss Boske here with a discussion on the board and commission vacancy list.

Yes, I um want to start, I guess I'll start alphabetically, that the community relations commission that has been a topic of conversation just on the side a lot recently.

They meet this week Thursday.

Hopefully after that we'll have some recommendations from their board on to bring forward to the mayor.

So probably not likely for the next August meeting, but I'm hoping for at least a couple appointments to that body in September.

Um we as you mentioned have a couple of appointments to the economic development corporation coming up at the next meeting.

And um along with that, there are a couple of resignations from that body also sort of in the pipeline, probably not till September for those.

Um then just sort of filling in the holes as applications come in.

Um looking to hopefully fill in a couple of the CIA vacancies the end of this month or in September.

And then the um civilian appeal board, of course, is something that is on everyone's mind that I'll keep information coming to you all as applications come in for that.

Well, thank you, Miss Bosker.

Uh, and then uh lastly, here I just want to have a quick discussion just to uh allow the public to be as looped into this as they can through with any uh possible change of policy uh for appointments.

So we are working as a committee to find a date to uh chat about uh some of the policies that updating some of the policies, things such as term limits, right, Miss Bosker, uh background uh responsibilities in terms of you know background checks and things like that.

If you'd like to elaborate on that, Ms.

Bosker.

Yes, that is another thing that has come up.

Um the city commission policy that sort of directs the boards and commissions hasn't been updated for a while, and there have been some things that people have noticed that could be addressed, and so that was something we were thinking we're working on a work session just to spend be able to spend a little bit more time discussing those things, discussing the content of our application, um, so things that may be able to be changed administratively or with a recommendation to the committee of the whole.

Wonderful.

Yes, Ms.

Barrens.

My apologies for the last minute update.

Uh just wanted to make this committee aware that we do have an action item on the community development committee that has sort of a tangential um impact of appointing a couple members to the EDC uh board.

So that is something that is the result of a request to issue debt, which is something the EDC can do for uh private activity bonds, and under the state statute, that action requires sort of the temporary appointment of special directors uh and their terms are automatically uh ended when they take the actions that are envisioned under the state uh law.

So uh as a matter of ease and to keep all the explanations on uh one agenda, we put that on the community development committee, but did want to let the committee on appointments know that that was happening.

Thank you very much.

Comments, colleagues.

Wonderful.

Anything else, city staff?

All right, wow, what a long meeting.

We will adjourn the committee on appointments at 8 09 a.m.

Have a good morning.

Thank you.