Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting - September 9, 2025
Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting - September 9, 2025
The Grand Rapids City Commission met on September 9, 2025, to address routine approvals, several public hearings, and resolutions on employee compensation. The meeting included public comments on the Safe Pitch Task Force, ArtPrize funding, a special assessment appeal, and concerns about a water main break. The mayor delivered a strong statement opposing racial profiling following a recent Supreme Court decision.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of the August 26, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously.
- Petitions and communications were received and filed, including letters from Don Biker (driving/walking conditions), Heritage Hill board (Mobile GR projects), Easttown Community Association (stump removal funding), Heritage Hill Neighborhood Association (support for Sylvan Area Neighbors), Sophia Ward Brewer (resignation from Police Civilian Appeal Board), Guillermo Cesaros (resignation from Economic Development Corporation), Robert Cloy II (resignation from Urban Agricultural Committee), Scott Etchison (suggested name for new soccer team), Olivia Fussman (Garfield Park Neighborhood Association support for Sylvan neighbors), and John R. Albany (FOIA request).
- Reports of city officers: Comptroller's warrant report for August 12-25, 2025 totaling $204,267,925.75; Treasurer's report for August 12-27, 2025; City Manager's report on contract and purchase approvals for January 2024 through August 2025.
- The consent agenda, including items passed unanimously out of committee, was approved, with one item removed (ArtPrize funding) for separate discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- D. Jones (entrepreneur) spoke in strong support of Resolution 1, which provides $50,000 to the Safe Pitch Task Force. He described his entrepreneurial start through the program in 2018, highlighted achievements (scholarships, bringing Epic Games, esports partnerships), and urged continued investment.
- D. Jones (again) provided additional comments on a streaming platform (PARTI) and its sponsorship of upcoming esports finals at DeVos Place, noting that 50% of participants will be from Kent County. He also mentioned speaking at the Computer Science for Michigan conference.
- Aaron (resident) appealed a special assessment of $1,138.90 for having a secondary resident, questioning why it must be classified as a rental when he lives there.
- Mark (Grand Rapids resident) expressed concern about racial profiling of Latinos and Asians following a Supreme Court decision, citing ICE roundups at a Hyundai plant in Georgia. He urged boycott of Tesla.
- Pete Walsh (attorney, 50-year resident) spoke about the Sylvan Adams water main break, alleging a similar incident in 2013 that flooded eight houses. He argued that governmental immunity does not bar the city from settling claims and urged the commission to address the issue.
Discussion Items
- ArtPrize Funding: Commissioner Robbins recused himself due to a committee affiliation. The commission approved funding for organizations to promote ArtPrize, aiming to enhance the event's economic impact across neighborhoods. Motion passed unanimously.
- Resolution on Non-Represented Employee Compensation: Commissioner Purdue introduced a resolution summarizing adjustments to compensation and benefits for non-represented employees, designed to be comparable to already-approved union agreements. The three-year step increase is 5% (2025), 4% (2026), and 4% (2027). The mayor noted that this triggers pay adjustments for the commission itself, but acknowledged the Local Officers Compensation Committee's decision. Motion passed unanimously.
- Salary Ordinance for Non-Represented and Executive Employees: A roll call vote resulted in unanimous approval. Immediate effect was granted.
- Salary Ordinance for Appointed Officials: Commissioner Ysasi explained the schedule: 5% effective retroactively in 2025, 4% on July 1, 2026, and 4% on July 1, 2027. Roll call vote unanimous; immediate effect granted.
- Public Hearing: Special Assessments and Nuisance Rolls: The city assessor reported that in July 2025, the commission ordered creation of a special assessment roll for unpaid code violations (January-June 2025). Property owners were notified August 8, and the roll was open for public viewing. Six appeals were received, and the hearing was closed with no further public testimony.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes of August 26, 2025 approved unanimously.
- Petitions and communications received and filed as listed.
- Consent agenda passed unanimously, with one item removed (ArtPrize funding) and later approved separately.
- ArtPrize funding (grant for organizations) approved unanimously.
- Resolution on non-represented employee compensation approved unanimously.
- Salary ordinance for non-represented/executive employees approved unanimously (roll call) with immediate effect.
- Salary ordinance for appointed officials approved unanimously (roll call) with immediate effect.
- Public hearing on special assessments closed; six appeals received but no further action taken during the meeting.
- Mayor's statement: The mayor condemned a recent Supreme Court decision allowing racial profiling, stating the commission will not participate in unconstitutional acts and that law enforcement will not discriminate based on skin color, accent, or language.
- The meeting then moved into closed session for a review of an employee.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to start with a moment of silence. So please join us. Please join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands under God. Thank you. And this brings us to our initial matter, which is roll call. City interpreter. Ah interpreter before roll call. No, after roll call. After roll call. Let's do the roll call and all the way. Commissioner Belchak. Present. Commissioner Purdue. Present. Commissioner Sassy. Commissioner Kilguar. Present. Mr. Knight. Present. Commissioner Robbins. Present. Air LeGrand. Present. And we do have an interpreter for Spanish English and English to Spanish. If you could introduce yourself and explain your job. I don't think the microphone might be a good question. My name is Sandra. I'm here to interpret from Spanish to English or English to Spanish. Thank you. Thank you. And that brings us to public comment on agenda items. So anyone who has a comment on an item on the agenda, please come forward. Mr. Jones. Chief, you have an agenda item you want to come on. How y'all do? How y'all doing? I'm D. Jones. Speaking on fiscal committee resolution two. No, not to do uh resolution one, which is this 50,000 to support the Safe Pitch Task Force. As uh some of you guys know, this is where I actually started my entrepreneurial venture in 2018, uh, where I pitched and I earned a 10,000 dollar grant to partner with uh I was working at the Faith based nonprofit Steepletown Neighborhood Services, and I uh explained to Steepletown Neighborhood Services that I'm a visionary, already a leader, and one day I'll give back to y'all. And I started working at Steepletown, and then I started to go through the um the our community children uh initiative and I ended up finding out that they had to save pitch task force, and then I work with uh someone who actually earned the 20 grand from Start Garden and uh this nice lady helped me uh refine my presentation and I gave that in 2018, and that's how I got my entrepreneurial start. And so I know that this thing can lead to huge things like you know, sitting at City Hall with the city commissioners that didn't make it in Forbes and listening to the problems, and so I've been able to do that through the safe pitch task force. I've been able to get kids uh scholarships. I've been able to uh bring Epic Games 32 billion dollar company that developed Fortnite uh through the Safe Pitch Task Force. I've been able to get uh the community, our school district to also invest in the esports because of the work that I've done through the safe pitch task force. And so I'd like you guys to continue invest into that because I've been able to do some beautiful things for our community.
openpublica.com