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.

Obviously, you guys know that I'm helping bring this uh been to the divorce place, and we got that all settled in, and we're actually getting some big sponsors uh from outside of the community and outside of the uh nation, honestly, that I'll be speaking on, but just to uh stay on to this.

Uh I'm just thankful for the Safe Pitch Task Force because I've been able to do a lot of things for my community and give people hope, uh, be able to bring people together and uh be able to really invest into our youth, invest into the future.

As I knew what the future was going to be uh seven years ago when I first started speaking here in 2018 when I first earned that, and then I earned another uh grant for 10,000 in 2024 where I was able to do that spring initiative where we was able to bring global attention to our community.

You guys probably didn't hear about it, but we made it on a lot of global publications and publications outside the state that knew of this initiative because of the investment into the city that you guys gave me that I was able to partner with the school district, and so I wasn't uh I can't be angry about uh the infrastructure needing to be grown in the community needing to be built in the tech space, but it's definitely growing, and I'm doing everything that I can and I know I 100% gave the city everything I got, my love, my passion, my dedication.

Uh before I had the car to be able to buy a car, I was walking around still getting the resources, still grinding, so I never stopped and now bigger things are on the horizon and global change is coming.

I look forward to speaking in my next one.

Seeing no further comments, uh that brings us to our next action item, which is I believe our cons is it already our consent agenda?

No, it is not.

Pardon me.

Uh that brings us to approval of minutes.

Can I have a motion?

So vote.

Support.

All in favor of approving minutes of the meeting on 826.

Aye.

All opposed.

Motion carries.

Petitions and communications, Mr.

Clerk.

First one, a communication received from Don Biker regarding driving and walking conditions near the Raybrook campus of Holland Home.

Received and filed.

Communication received from the board of directors of Heritage Hill regarding mobile GR projects in Heritage Hill.

See if and filed.

Communication received from the board of directors of the Easttown Community Association expressing desire for the city commission to increase funding for stump removal.

See if filed.

Communications received from Heritage Hill Neighborhood Association expressing support for the Sylvan Area Neighbors.

Received and filed.

Communication received from Sophia Ward Brewer regarding her resignation from the Grand Rapids Police Civilian Appeal Board.

Communication received from Guillermo Cesaros regarding his resignation from the Economic Development Corporation and Brownfield redevelopment.

Communication received from Robert Cloy the second regarding his resignation from the urban agricultural committee.

Referred to committee on appointments.

Communication received from Scott Etchison with a suggested name for the new soccer team.

Communication received from Olivia Fussman, Garfield Park Neighborhood Association President expressing the board's support for Sylvan neighbors.

And finally, communication received from John R.

Albany regarding FOIA request number 2025-2472.

Received and filed.

Next reports of city officers.

Comptroller's warrant report for the period of August 12, 2025 through August 25, 2025, in the amount of 204 million two hundred and sixty-seven thousand nine hundred and twenty-five dollars and seventy-five cents.

Treasurer's report for the period of August 12, 2025 through August 27, 2025.

And finally, City Managers Report on contract and purchase approvals for January 2024 through August 2025.

That brings us to our consent agenda items.

These are items that was passed unanimously out of committee and which were not removed for further further discussion by any uh request of any member of the commission.

Uh can I have a motion?

So moved.

Support.

All in favor of passing the consent agenda, say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Motion carries.

Uh we had one item removed from consent.

Uh and that was uh uh an item uh authorizing funding uh for a number of organizations uh for promotion around art prize.

Uh Commissioner Robbins.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I need to recuse myself because I'm on the committee for one of these organizations.

Right.

And uh that was why it's removed from consent.

Simply because um can have a motion on support.

Commissioner Robbins.

Yeah, thanks, Mayor.

Um, this came before fiscal committee this morning.

Um the City of Grand Rapids and our prize seek to continue uh to enhance the experience of this event, um, not just for visitors but for the community as well.

So consistent with um support for our prize in previous years, the city on our prize seek to collaborate with various organizations in the marketing and promotion of various cultural events, which in turn lead to uh just increased economic activity within the city.

Um these organizations would be using this funding to work to promote our prize and their distinct memberships with the end goal of just spreading the the economic impact of this event um across all of our neighborhoods.

Thank you.

Uh any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor of the grant say aye.

Aye aye.

All opposed.

Motion carries.

Uh and I'll give Commissioner Wright a moment to come back in since we're done deliberation.

Uh this brings us to City Commission resolutions.

And for the one uh resolution we have in the agenda, I'd like a motion to suspend the rules.

So moves.

Uh all in favor of suspending the rules, say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

And uh this is discussion about again uh our as we near the end, and I don't want to ever take anything for granted, but we've had great success um in negotiating labor contracts so far, and this is yet one more step in that process.

Uh Commissioner Purdue.

Waiting a motion.

I'm sorry, motion on uh so moved.

Support.

Okay.

Uh Commissioner Purdue, you want to just explain the resolution?

Absolutely.

Uh this this resolution summarizes recommended changes or sorry, adjustments and non-represented employee compensation and benefits.

These adjustments were designed to be comparable to those in other already approved employee agreements.

Um, and the agenda packets has more details about uh the uh has more details, including um the three-year step increase of five, four and four percent.

Uh any discussion?

I will point out for the public that uh this actually does trigger um the pay for people on commission actually tracks this agreement.

And so uh I think this may be the definition of a conflict dilemma uh because it does affect all of us, but we also have to vote on it.

Um so I'm not sure how we I'm not sure how you technically get around that except by acknowledging the uh acknowledging the alignment there.

Uh but Commissioner Yessi.

Well, we're governed by the local officers compensation committee.

Well we're governed by the local officers compensation committee, so since they had made that decision that we would follow the appointed, I think we'll be okay.

Yep.

You're not you're not voting on your own compensation.

Yes, uh and we don't and we don't have contracts.

Right.

Fine.

We already debate this to death.

I was just I was just pointing out and just so the public understands the implication of this is that uh rather than inflation eroding the earning powers of uh all of our employees, which is why we give them in uh I hope raises that generally uh ward off inflation.

Uh the same thing is true of this contract.

So uh all in favor of the resolution approving this.

Uh seeing uh if there's any further discussion, I should have asked.

I'm sorry.

Seeing none, uh all in favor, say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, motion carries.

Uh that brings us to ordinances to be adopted.

Uh can I have a motion to suspend the rules for the two ordinances we are gonna be discussing?

So moved.

Support.

Uh thank you.

And uh can pardon vote.

Uh right.

I was getting that.

Oh, sorry.

Um all in favor suspending the rules, say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Motion carries.

Uh now I'd like a motion for the salary ordinance for non-represented and executive employees of the city of Grand Rapids.

Can I have a motion?

Some of them.

Any discussion?

Uh this is the thing we just discussed 10 seconds ago, so that makes sense.

Um but this is a roll call vote, Mr.

Clerk.

Commissioner Asassi?

Yes.

Commissioner Robbins?

Yes.

Commissioner Purdue?

Yes.

Commissioner Knight?

Yes.

Commissioner Balchak?

Yes.

Commissioner Kilgore?

Yes.

Yes.

Uh, can I have a motion for immediate effect?

So moved.

Report.

All in favor of media effects, say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion carries.

Uh that brings us to salary ordinance for appointed officials for the city of Grand Rapids.

Uh, can I uh motion?

Some of support.

Uh Commissioner Ysasi.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, yeah.

Go ahead.

Um, thank you.

This is the salary ordinance for appointed officials as previously noted.

Um they will follow the uh the following schedule.

Uh 5% increase effective uh this year of uh 2025, so retroactively 4% July 1 of 2026 and 4% on July 1 of 2027.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh any discussion?

Seeing none, again, this is a roll call votes.

Mr.

Clerk.

Commissioner Robbins?

Yes.

Commissioner Purdue?

Yes.

Commissioner Knight?

Yes.

Commissioner Balchak?

Yes.

Commissioner Kilgore?

Yes.

Commissioner Yasassi.

Yes.

Mayor Legrand.

Yes.

Uh and can I have a motion to for immediate effect?

So vote.

Support.

All in favor of giving this immediate effect, say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

This brings us to public hearings.

No think so.

Number one?

She he just didn't turn it over to you.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Yeah.

Sorry about that commission.

What happened?

Okay.

Um I explained it and didn't give you the courtesy.

I'm sorry.

I apologize for the for the laps.

Um, so that brings us to public hearings.

Um first uh public hearing gonna have is uh convening a public hearing to sit as border review to hear appeals of special assessments and nuisance rolls.

And our assist assessor is coming up as we speak.

Good afternoon.

So back in July of 29th this year, the city commission issued an order for the assessor to create the special assessment role uh of unpaid charges or uh code violations issued between January 2025 through June of 2025.

And these charges stem from miscellaneous services such as housing and yard violations, rental certifications, and blight monitor monitoring.

Property owners were notified of the charges and sent notices on August 8th, included the amount of the charge as well as information on the appeal process.

And the special assessment role has been open for public viewing for at least two weeks, started August 8th and through today, September 9th.

And in addition, the assessment role has been posted on the city's website.

Uh we've received six appeals to date, and today is the final uh date that the city commission convenes to hear appeals of these assessments, and I will be in room 921 in order to take in any other appeals.

Uh anyone from the public wishing to be heard.

Um then this hearing seeing none, this hearing is now closed.

Uh that brings us to public comment on any item.

So anyone wishing to be heard by the commission can come up to the microphone.

Mr.

Jones again.

How y'all doing?

I'm D Jones, passionate entrepreneur and visionary.

I want to give you guys a handout.

So I've been speaking to you guys about the streaming platform party, P A R T I that's on the blockchain, uh, that has the digital finance and the points that you earn uh that can be converted in the cryptocurrency.

They'll be launching their coin at the end of the year.

But I'm actually verified on X, the social platform because it is streaming platform, so I'm actually an influencer verified on X because it is so celebrity status, famous that is.

And then the same streaming platform that I'm speaking to you guys about, the second handout, they're actually going to be sponsoring the e-sports finals at the Divos Place.

So the streaming platform that's based in Dubai that has these big famous streamers that live a luxurious life.

Uh, they're also going to be uh sponsoring the eSports finals here in our local community.

So I was able to get a big tech company, as we know.

LinkedIn posted an article that this is the number one city rise for tech, and so I got a tech company to directly invest into the youth because the nonprofit, the 501c3 that's going to be bringing this esports finals, they uh pay uh the staff nothing.

The coaches, everyone gets paid nothing to provide the opportunity for our students to be able to advance.

And the cool thing about this esports finals at the DeVos Place, not only are colleges, high schools, and universities across the United States are gonna be there, but 50% of the participants that are going to be competing at this uh esports finals at the DeVos Place are going to be students from Kent County, so we'll really be able to build that infrastructure and be able to get that social impact and investment that we need for our county to grow and ethically in equity be able to help them grow.

And then this third handout, I just learned today because I follow a lot of cryptocurrency uh organizations, and I found out that Donald Trump, uh, his social platform, the truth platform that he developed, even though he lies on this platform a lot, he just actually adopted the same type of point system that party already had that we're actually going to use to ethically grow the community to actually grow the United States and eventually the United Nations, because I just got another invite a couple days to go to another country for this United Nations thing.

And so the same point system that I spoke to you guys several times at City Hall, Donald Trump just adopted the same point system, different volumes, different companies, but we're going to have a social impact across the United States, and this tech company is already investing into this eSports finals, so we can have that technical advancement in digital equity.

And then the last one, I am speaking at the Computer Science for Michigan conference in Lance in September 23rd.

So I know that's going to be at 7 p.m.

I'll be speaking at 8 p.m.

Giving a presentation on how esports and gaming can uh description here, education, educating educators and institution, how esports and technology and gaming can create digital equity for students and institutions.

So I'll be there in Lansing the day that we actually have to have City Hall.

So I'll come back and I'll speak to you guys about how I was able to network, give this presentation and how we're gonna take over the globe equitably.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Aaron.

Um I missed a special assessment.

Um a special assessment, and I was wondering because I got a violation for a thousand dollars and one hundred and thirty-eight dollars ninety cents for having a secondary resident.

And um, they say that my secondary resident has to be a rental, and um, so I was wondering how a secondary resident have to be a rent tourist.

I'm the one live there.

That's all.

Hello friends, Mark from Grand Rapids.

I knew this was bound to happen.

Thanks to the Orange Fellon, the Supreme Court is allowing you to allow racial profiling of all Latinos across the country.

Doesn't matter if they're here legal, legally or illegally.

But it will happen but it's going to happen.

It's already been laid down.

So if you are any Latino, you better keep your head on the swivel.

Because y'all are in for a rude awakening.

And in addition to that, the Asians are in for rude awakening as well.

Because ICE has rounded up ice, rounded up.

Over 400 Asian people at a Hyundai plant down in Georgia.

That included a bunch of hundred executives from Hyundai International and South Korea who flew who flew in.

And as soon as they touch ground, they're also rounded up.

I will not be surprised if Hyundai International will move all their manufacturing plants out of the United States.

And the dealerships who sell them vehicles could be out of business.

This is the reason why.

They're finding out big time.

Their farms go belly up.

And in reality, I have no sympathy for them because that's who they voted for.

So they have to suck it up and deal with it.

Boycott Tesla.

Mr.

Walsh.

Good afternoon.

Good to see you, mayor.

Some Mr.

Kilgore and some of the other uh folks I know up here.

Pete Walsh, I've been a resident of the city for almost 50 years.

I've been an attorney in West Michigan for almost 50 years.

I live over on Plymouth near Boston.

The Sylvan Adams situation is of great concern to me.

I've kept my mouth shut now for almost a year and a half and decided I've waited long enough, especially when I saw that other neighborhood associations are jumping in.

I'm familiar with these types of cases because in my legal career, I successfully sued the city of East Grand Rapids over a similar situation back in the 1980s.

There's four points I wanted to make.

First of all, with regard to this incident, this is not the first time this has happened.

I for could not find the record of the first time it's happening until today.

Just before I came down here, I said, I'll take one more crack at that and see if I can find it.

January 23rd, 2013, at the corner of Adams and Gladstone.

There was a water break.

The water rolled down Gladstone.

It in and apparently flooded eight houses.

This is from the mid M Live, the Grand Rapids Press.

It flooded eight houses.

I don't know for a fact it inundated the house at the bottom of the hill, and they almost tore it down at that time, uh, rather than uh rather than fix it.

Um with regard to this incident, from my observations, there's more to it.

Not only did the city get out there and fix the water main break, they dug up a huge hole over the Silver Creek Drain, because it appears to me that for some reason that water went down the hill to the silver to the Silver Creek Drain and had no place to go.

I have I don't know why, but you can go, you drive down uh the street now.

There's a huge patch right over the Silver Creek Drain from the work they did right after this incident happened.

Right?

This the city appears to be relying on uh governmental immunity.

Government immunity does not ban you from paying these claims.

I've heard that several times.

It is not true, although it's there's some technicalities to it, and it's more complicated than this.

Governmental immunity is an affirmative defense that the city can rely on.

They don't have to rely on it.

You folks fix pothole damage, I think that you probably don't have to fix as a courtesy to courtesy to the citizens, but you don't have probably don't have to do that.

Uh so you're not banned from settling this case.

And with regard to governmental immunity, that case in 2002, I think it's Paholski versus uh Alan Park.

That was decided by a heavily did I run out?

You did run out of.

I'm sorry.

I looked up and I should be.

You were a lawyer, so I'm gonna hold you to your three minutes.

Pardon?

You said you were a lawyer, so I'm gonna hold you three minutes, but we'll we'll be happy to talk to you afterwards.

That's fine.

I looked up and I thought I saw a minute fifty-five.

I must have killed it.

Quicker I thought.

I'll put it right.

Seeing no further comments, uh, that brings us to comments from uh my colleagues, uh Commissioner Balcheck.

Mayor I'm sorry, if I may, on in line with uh the uh Mr.

Walsh comments.

You can go first then, Mr.

Commissioner.

I just do we have an update on that on that case, uh Mr.

Shaum on the Watermane Break case at all.

Uh no changes from my uh perspective since the last time uh we we had been communicating and expecting and hoping further communication from the adverse council that we were um working with proactively, but uh to my knowledge we have not received any additional communications.

Okay, thank you.

And yeah, I have no comments tonight.

Thank you for this afternoon.

Uh Commissioner Knight.

Commissioner Robbins.

Thanks, Mayor.

Uh, just two quick things.

I first of all appreciated our follow-up on the discussion of the financial disclosure process that we've been um deliberating about the past couple weeks.

Um I think to your point is as you mentioned, um, trust in in public institutions, but specifically in government has certainly waned over the past couple of years.

And so um, in my opinion, if this is you know one thing we can do to help rebuild trust with the public about who we are, where we come from, and and why we're in this role.

I think that's certainly something that uh would behoove us to do.

So looking forward to helping facilitate that conversation um when it comes before us at fiscal committee in the coming weeks.

Um and then second of all, I I wanted to lift that uh September is suicide prevention awareness month.

Um serving in the military.

I think this is something that I've uh personally been impacted by um even in my reserves unit.

We've um had a couple individuals um who became victims of of suicide, and so um just always want to to lift to the public that you know if there's ever anything you need.

We are uh a community that's very fortunate to have a lot of good resources um as it pertains to mental health.

There's always um additional room for improvement in that area.

Um, but I think now is more an important time than ever to lift that discussion up.

So um if you ever need to talk, reach out to a loved one, and um I assure you that um there are far more people in this world who care about you than you would expect, and uh and many of them would be honored to lend in here.

So just wanted to make sure that was mentioned, and with that have a good rest of your day.

Thank you.

Uh Commissioner Saucy Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just it's been a full day.

Uh glad we've been able to work collectively together on our contract negotiation.

So, you know, um I think I was asked, you know, what I was most interested in reviewing today, and this is um our job is to to kind of keep these things going and the business of the city going.

So having those contracts uh might seem small, but it's a really important part to our bargaining union the units, our leadership, and all of us up here.

So I appreciate that.

Um thank you to those who came out for the welcome week proclamation.

I know there's a lot of work that goes alongside of that.

Um, in particular, um, you know, just appreciate the connection points with the city and the county, and I think um it's always a good time to remember that we should be a welcoming city, that our city has has had a history of being a welcoming city to those who are new Americans who are immigrant refugees.

Um and I hope that can continue.

I read something yesterday, um applying for a grant, and it talked about you know kind of the importance of you know this welcome week, which you know some might ask, you know, they're doing an event, what are they doing?

And I think it is really shifting shifting the narratives about what does it mean to be an American, really to be a United States uh citizen to live in this country and um the butterfly lab butterfly lab that works on immigration issues talked about the fact that narratives move faster than policy in our country, and so we need to kind of keep on telling these stories, keep on investing in these cultural events, tying them to other signature events in our city, celebrating this week um Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be uh the Fiesta Mexicana, the oldest cultural um event in the city.

Um that people three generations of my family have participated in, and so I hope people will go down there and support.

Um don't tell anybody, but my favorite food is Italian food, not Mexican food, but I just told everybody.

Um but I will be down there supporting and appreciate um city manager and executive staff and uh especially our our special events team, Miss Pittman.

Um, because there's a lot of things going on in the city right now.

Um we're getting ready for our prize, we're getting ready to host a conference and welcome other municipal colleagues next week.

So we hope that they fill your restaurants and our parks and spend some money in our beautiful city.

And um just I want to echo what you said, Commissioner Robbins, just um, I think especially now more than ever, just a uh that reminder and appreciation.

Just check on people, see how they're doing.

So thank you for saying that as well.

Thanks.

Have a good evening.

Thanks.

Uh Commissioner, uh Purdue.

No.

Yeah.

Uh Commissioner Belchak.

Uh good afternoon, and thank you for all the work that the city staff to continue to do that.

I've been out in the city and really appreciative of uh believe it or not, all the yellow trucks from the city.

So thank you for what you're doing.

Um I'm very invested in what's happening in our neighborhoods, as many people know, and um I just want to encourage folks to continue to use our city services and call when you have a question.

We have 311, but we have also our all of us, and um we also have other people and other staffs, OPA.

Um, if you have questions about um things going on in the community and you have ideas about training uh that could help our public safety folks.

Um and you know, if you want to make strong, safe neighborhoods and we want to take care of each other, which we all which I have been saying for a long time, care and compassion is what we need now more than ever to build community.

Um in light of some of the things my colleagues have said, I have recently learned that with the epidemic of isolation and loneliness that we have experienced in our country.

It only takes six people.

It only takes six people for you to say hello to, get to know on your block in your neighborhood, at the corner cafe that you visit, or etc.

So um who are the six people you can check in on outs and build a relationship with outside of our of your normal sphere.

And I think we talked a lot about that at the neighborhood summit in May.

So I think it all comes full circle.

And I just want to offer that I'm here for that too.

I will be inviting folks to the Blue Dog Tavern on September 25th, the Thursday at 5 o'clock.

If you feel like meeting some six folks with me.

That's it.

Thanks.

Um City Clerk.

I have nothing today.

Uh city attorney.

Take a moment of privilege on my first meeting as interim city attorney to again express my uh thanks and my uh grace to you all for your trust and uh your communication.

You have from me uh commitment to be uh engaged, to be clear, to be connected, and to be consistent in in my legal advice and from the legal advice from our department.

Uh I look forward to sharing both short and longer term goals that that I see in front of us as a as legal issues in the municipal realm.

Uh some serendipitous moments from today, uh the welcome week having moved here six years ago, knowing really no one, not having any family and moving two little kids down here.

Uh the proclamation, uh those aren't just words, they mean a lot to people.

Uh my brother has since moved and he lives on the west side now, and so uh things like that go a long way.

Um and then to see all the great work being done at the MLK Park Lodge and uh the park down there.

I walk my dog around there every morning, and so to see the progress that's made every day and to see the staff uh so dedicated and so connected to such a community gym was really nice for my first day as interim city attorney to see some of those projects that are right in my backyard was really cool.

So thanks again.

Thank you, uh Mayor and uh welcome Mr.

Strom.

I thought you were going to announce this uh your predecessor and and congratulations on your first day.

Um the community is invited to celebrate uh his predecessor uh city attorney Anita Hishcock after 23 years of service on tomorrow at 4 p.m.

at the Van Andel Arena Across your Lounge from four to 6 p.m.

We'll have remarks uh I guess around 4 30.

Five there's the remarks will be again at five o'clock.

Mayors flyer up.

Um so again, thank you, thank you uh to the staff this morning for for all the work and uh I echo um sentiments on uh the inclusivity and intentionality of the welcome plan.

Uh it was not responsive to what happened.

We were already planning to do that.

That's just who we are.

And so we weren't reacting to what happened uh at the federal level.

We that's just part of our DNA has been and will continue to be.

Um I do uh want to uh give a shout out to first of all, all the commission.

I look forward to all of your participation during the Miss Michigan Municipal League meeting uh since you all have voted to allow yourselves to be registered uh on the record.

And I want to also give a special shout out to Commissioner uh Knight and Asasi who have been instrumental in helping to host um the uh MBC Leo gathering uh help up us to co-sponsor the MBC Leo gathering for uh some of our guests from around the town and look forward to seeing all the commission there as well, and the mayor will also be hosting a group of mayors, and so it'll be a great uh time this week, uh next week in the midst of our prize and tech week.

Um, I do want to thank this commission for your vote today.

And I don't take it for granted either on uh contractual labor negotiations that can be very complex and difficult uh in many different organizations.

But we have worked through these matters very uh collaboratively with all of our labor groups, and today what you did, you made just about everybody in this room happy.

Uh those of you who are part of the non-represented group, raise your hand.

It's everybody including everybody on the diets.

So they have patiently waited to see uh make sure that we can take care of the majority of the workforce, and now we want to we got a clap back there.

Let them know that we are taking care of them, so I appreciate uh that on behalf of all the non-represented employees.

And uh I do want to highlight, uh I want to thank uh uh the economic development project team uh for their uh deliberation today on MLBE policy, but also in the development center report and highlight for the public.

We have been uh challenged in recruiting uh and retaining uh many of the skilled trades, but specifically electrical inspectors.

And what the Civil Service Commission has done in allowing us to adjust the salary range for electrical inspectors and what this commission has done in allowing us to contract out for third party inspections has resulted in improved uh inspection time.

We were three weeks behind.

And the report we got today there's that we're nine days behind, and I think our turnaround goal is four days, is my recalling that right, Ms.

Barns?

Four.

Sure.

She says sure.

Uh so we are closely getting back to to normal, and it's because of the resources that you have been providing.

And I think we should be fully staffed in the next couple of weeks was a report that we got.

So looking forward to getting back on track.

We got a lot of projects in the hopper and things that are on the ground.

Speaking of Martin Luther King uh community center, looking forward to the opening of that, the grand opening of that once it's completed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So um that was a lot of positive uh uh commentary and a lot of positive things are going on in our city.

Um I want to I I I am compelled uh to end this on sort of a somber note.

And um Mark, um I hear you.

I appreciate your uh federal watchdog commentary, even though we're not the federal government.

Uh you've never made the mistake of trying to lay something at our feet uh which we did not control, but you've lifted up those issues.

However, I think there is a point that has to be made here uh given the implications of the federal level.

And so I will say this.

Um we have long said that this commission will not countenance unconstitutional acts.

And we will not lend aid and support to unconstitutional actions and agendas.

And I, having read the Supreme Court decision that came out this week, um, believe that they are flat out wrong.

I think that uh allowing someone's skin color to be reasonable suspicion for detention runs absolutely contrary to the founding principles of this country, and I cannot see a way in which that is possibly a constitutional uh a constitutionally allowable conclusion.

Um I have a young man staying in my house right now who is uh Dutch and has white skin and a Dutch accent, and I don't think that anybody is going to be at uh that he has to be at risk of being uh or worried about being rounded up by ICE um because he has a Dutch accent.

There is no doubt in my mind uh that uh tying someone's accent or their language uh uh of choice uh and their skin color to detention is absolutely unamerican.

And uh I will say this.

I've said this before, and I will say it again.

This commission does not have an army.

We do not have the means to oppose ICE, but we do have a choice in whether we participate in activities like that.

And I will say, not on our watch is uh is our law enforcement going to start discriminating based on skin color or on accents or on language choice.

And I know that I speak for everyone on this dais that that our commitment on that is crystal clear.

And our resources and our efforts are not going to be bent in that direction by a Supreme Court that I think is flat out wrong.

Uh we are bound by the Constitution.

So on that rather sober note, um thank you all for being here and enjoy the rest of your week.

We're uh we are not adjourned.

We are uh moving back into our closed session for a review of an employee.

So thank you all.