OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Grand Rapids City Council Meeting Summary - January 13, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, January 13, 2026
BodyGrand Rapids, Michigan
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, January 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:23:54

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Call a meeting of the committee of the whole to order.

0:05

Um, and the first item of business, apparently, our city manager is gonna do some interpretive dance for us.

0:13

Or is it liturgical dance?

0:15

Well well, happy happy new year, mayor, commissioners, and staff members of the public, and um in keeping with our tradition that somehow we did not do last year, but we had to bring back the original disco kid John Connor, John O'Connor to help us this year.

0:34

Um we want to take a wellness moment to uh start the new year, and uh here today we have our wellness coordinator Lynn Dre with us.

0:42

But and and putting this in perspective, um we really value community wellness in uh parks and recreation system with all the outdoor and indoor recreational opportunities.

0:53

You were there at the groundbreaking scribner, and you saw the community room that was there, and we have uh all types of outdoor activities along with our trail activation and over 10,000 participants engaging in free outdoor fitness and family and youth activities, senior and adult wellness programs, but also our employee wellness program internally is uh very popular.

1:17

Almost uh 70% of our employees are participating in wellness program that's good for their personal life, quality of work life, as well as we get the residual benefits of lower health care costs.

1:28

So, to set the model, uh, we're going to ask Lynn to come and lead us in a couple activities.

1:36

We ask for uh the diocese participation as well as audience participation, and I'm gonna ask those in the control room, make sure you scan the audience periodically to see how our audience is doing.

1:47

All right.

1:48

Aren't you glad you showed up today?

1:50

Okay, hi, and welcome again.

1:52

My name is Lynn Dre.

1:53

Thank you for having me here.

1:55

Um, just gonna take you through a couple of stretches today, just to give you a few tools in your toolbox if you need something to relieve a little stress, especially if you are someone who sits a lot during the day.

2:09

This will give you a couple of ideas of how to relieve some of that neck tension, shoulder tension.

2:14

First thing I'm gonna have you do is just close your eyes for a moment.

2:18

This is the best part of the day, I understand.

2:21

Just focus a moment on your breath, taking that breath in and out through your nose.

2:29

And we're gonna try to take that inhale and exhale at about five seconds.

2:35

So breathe in, two, three, four, five.

2:41

Maybe pause for a moment if you're able.

2:45

Exhale, two, three, four, five.

2:51

And if you take nothing else from today, maybe it's just that little pause in your breath.

2:58

It's that little extension of your breath that helps you settle whatever stress you might have going on.

3:05

So go ahead and open your eyes, and again, if you're able and want to stand up, I'd love you to join me.

3:14

And we are going to first of all take our shoulders, draw those shoulders all the way up to our ears.

3:20

Pause for a second.

3:22

Exhale, let them drop.

3:25

Inhale, take those shoulders up.

3:28

If this position feels comfortable for you, then we need to relieve some stress.

3:33

Exhale, drop your shoulders.

3:36

Let's take that up one more time.

3:39

Exhale, drop.

3:41

And then I want you to squeeze your shoulder blades to the back, like you're pinching a pencil between your shoulder blades.

3:47

Maybe feel some stretch across your chest into your shoulders.

3:51

As we exhale, we're just gonna pull the shoulders in, kind of round the upper back, feel that stretch.

3:59

Inhale, open that chest, maybe look up a little bit.

4:04

Exhale, round, and let's do that one more time.

4:10

Inhale, open up.

4:12

From here, maybe clasp your hands behind your back.

4:17

If that's pain-free for you, give a gentle lift out of your low back, open up the chest even more.

4:27

Let's go ahead and release and a little roll of our shoulders.

4:32

Gonna kind of focus on that same area, chest and shoulders, just because we often carry a lot of stress there.

4:38

So I'll have you clasp hands behind your back, kind of grab at the wrists near the elbows, and shift your elbows over to the left.

4:48

Maybe feel some stretch across the shoulder already.

4:54

Drop it down toward the shoulder.

4:58

Noticing a feel of stretch maybe in the neck.

5:01

Again, we want to work in a pain-free range of motion, so if this hurts, don't do it.

5:07

On your next exhale, tuck the chin forward just a little bit.

5:10

Notice maybe that stretch changes to the back of the neck.

5:16

Good.

5:16

As we inhale, we're gonna come up through center, release that side, shift over to the other side.

5:23

Take a deep breath in.

5:26

Right shoulder drop, or excuse me, right ear drops down to the shoulder.

5:33

Take a breath.

5:36

On your next exhale, let's tuck that chin down just a little.

5:44

Nice.

5:46

Alright, let's inhale, come back up through center and release.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████48%
Public Engagement██████████████████19%
Technology and Innovation████████████13%
Community Engagement████████8%
Economic Development████4%
Procedural███3%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Parks and Recreation█1%
Pending Litigation█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Grand Rapids City Council Meeting Summary - January 13, 2026

The Grand Rapids City Council convened for a meeting of the committee of the whole on January 13, 2026, starting with a unique wellness moment featuring a guided stretching and breathing session led by wellness coordinator Lynn Dre. The meeting proceeded with routine approvals regarding travel to legislative conferences, a resolution for the 125 Ottawa residential conversion project, and detailed briefings on the city's website migration to the GovStack platform and the findings of the newly formed ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) task force. Commissioners expressed strong support for increasing housing production through ADUs, discussing the need for policy changes, financial incentives, and streamlined customer service to overcome existing barriers.

Consent Calendar

  • Travel Resolution MML Capcon: Approved the request for Commissioners Belchak, Saucy Knight, Purdue, and Kilgore to travel to the MML Capcon and Lansing on March 10th–11, 2026. Mayor Legrand noted participation in specific functions but stated personal non-attendance at the paid MML event. Motion carried unanimously.
  • Travel Resolution Policy Link Summit: Approved Commissioner Purdue's request to attend the Policy Link 2026 Summit. Motion carried unanimously.
  • 125 Ottawa Project: Approved the submission of a neighborhood enterprise zone exemption certificate for the conversion of the office building at 125 Ottawa into 36 residential apartments, including 8 units at 60 percent AMI or less. Motion carried unanimously.

Discussion Items

Website Migration Update

  • Proposed by Mr. Green (Communications): The update details the migration from the Open Cities platform to GovStack, framed as a "refresh" to improve user-centricity and reduce operational costs.
  • Key Features Discussed:
    • User-Centric Design: Transitioning from an organizational structure model to a functional, service-based navigation (e.g., "I want to build something" journey).
    • Cost Savings: Projected 85% reduction in year-over-year operating costs.
    • AI Readiness: Content restructuring to be easily digestible for AI-driven search results and future machine integration.
    • Launch Timeline: Live date set for March 2, 2026, followed by a refinement phase and a continuous improvement strategy.
    • Search and Calendar: Enhanced search capabilities using a Google backend and a new integrated calendar separating public meetings from special events.
  • Commissioner Concerns and Clarifications:
    • Commissioner Belcher: Expressed excitement for the technological shift but requested clarification on content ownership responsibilities to ensure timely updates on committees and construction projects. He also highlighted the need for newsletter consolidation.
    • Response: Staff clarified that departments own their content, supported by communications staff for plain-language guidance and navigation, while the new calendar aims to consolidate disparate meeting notice tools.
    • Commissioner Sasi: Noted the importance of the website in combating misinformation and asked about the ecosystem between the website (static info) and social media (real-time info). Staff confirmed the strategy is symbiotic: social media for immediate alerts, website for detailed, static project information.
    • Commissioner Burr: Asked about the ability to search meeting videos and notes within the new platform; the issue was referred to the executive office for verification of indexing capabilities.
    • Commissioner Kilgar: Expressed support for the user-centered structure and the integration of agendas.

ADU Task Force Recommendations

  • Presented by John O'Connor (Former Commissioner) and Kristen Turkleson (City Staff): The task force presented 105 recommendations categorized into Customer Experience, Zoning, Building Codes, and Finance, prioritized into tiers based on impact and effort.
  • Key Recommendations Discussed:
    • Tier 1 (High Impact/Low Effort): Developing an ADU guide and toolkit, revising site layout and building placement standards (specifically rear yard setbacks), and launching a marketing awareness campaign.
    • Interim Zoning: Discussion on making immediate "low-hanging fruit" changes to zoning, such as increasing the size limits or unit counts on certain lots, prior to the comprehensive 2027 zoning update.
    • Financing: Exploration of property tax exemptions in lieu of taxes to incentivize ADU construction, though noted as a Tier 3 priority requiring budget review.
    • Lending: Acknowledgment of the need for lending institutions to recognize ADU income streams for underwriting, with potential partnerships on CDFIs and credit-building initiatives.
  • Commissioner Positions and Deliberation:
    • Mayor Legrand: Expressed full support for the task force's work. Stressed the need to move from 16 units to 160 or 500 units annually. Advocated for property tax incentives and emphasized the social benefits of multi-generational living in combatting loneliness. Supported the idea of a "navigator" role to help emerging developers and homeowners.
    • Commissioner Robinson: Expressed excitement about the stakeholder representation on the task force. Inquired about pushback from the lending world; staff responded that representation was collaborative, though further work is needed on lender policies regarding ADU income verification.
    • Commissioner Kilgar: Requested information on the timeline for the 2027 zoning update. Expressed strong support for fast-tracking interim zoning changes (e.g., increasing square footage limits) before the broader 2027 draft language is ready.
    • Commissioner Usasi: Raised questions regarding fire safety coordination with the Fire Department, lending opportunities, and economic development. Suggested cross-departmental support for credit-building to help residents access funding.
    • Commissioner Belcher: Echoed the Mayor's sentiment that ADUs offer diversity in homeownership styles and foster positive interactions between homeowners and renters, reducing community friction.
    • City Manager Response: Agreed with the need for aggressive policy changes regarding green space reductions, sanitary sewer requirements, and building code modifications (e.g., fire window proximity). Noted that a dedicated staff person for an ADU resource center may not be fiscally viable immediately due to low current volume, but recommended exploring the role in coordination with the existing Customer Ombudsman.
  • Next Steps: Staff will evaluate feasibility, consult with the planning commission for public hearings, and target bringing zoning text amendments to the commission in the fall of 2026. The task force report will be reviewed for budget considerations in the upcoming fiscal year.

Key Outcomes

  • Website Migration: Council was briefed on the GovStack migration with a go-live date of March 2, 2026. The project aims to reduce costs by 85% and improve accessibility for AI and user search.
  • ADU Task Force Acceptance: The Council accepted the task force report and directives to prioritize Tier 1 recommendations. The City Manager and Planning Department were instructed to fast-track interim zoning modifications that do not require the full 2027 comprehensive update.
  • Strategic Direction on Housing: Unanimous support established for increasing ADU production through a mix of policy streamlining, potential financial incentives (property tax exemptions), and enhanced customer service/navigation tools.
  • Closed Session: A motion was successfully made and voted upon to move into closed session for discussion of ongoing litigation and property matters. All eight votes were in the affirmative. Adjourned to Room 601 immediately following the public session.

Meeting Transcript

Call a meeting of the committee of the whole to order. Um, and the first item of business, apparently, our city manager is gonna do some interpretive dance for us. Or is it liturgical dance? Well well, happy happy new year, mayor, commissioners, and staff members of the public, and um in keeping with our tradition that somehow we did not do last year, but we had to bring back the original disco kid John Connor, John O'Connor to help us this year. Um we want to take a wellness moment to uh start the new year, and uh here today we have our wellness coordinator Lynn Dre with us. But and and putting this in perspective, um we really value community wellness in uh parks and recreation system with all the outdoor and indoor recreational opportunities. You were there at the groundbreaking scribner, and you saw the community room that was there, and we have uh all types of outdoor activities along with our trail activation and over 10,000 participants engaging in free outdoor fitness and family and youth activities, senior and adult wellness programs, but also our employee wellness program internally is uh very popular. Almost uh 70% of our employees are participating in wellness program that's good for their personal life, quality of work life, as well as we get the residual benefits of lower health care costs. So, to set the model, uh, we're going to ask Lynn to come and lead us in a couple activities. We ask for uh the diocese participation as well as audience participation, and I'm gonna ask those in the control room, make sure you scan the audience periodically to see how our audience is doing. All right. Aren't you glad you showed up today? Okay, hi, and welcome again. My name is Lynn Dre. Thank you for having me here. Um, just gonna take you through a couple of stretches today, just to give you a few tools in your toolbox if you need something to relieve a little stress, especially if you are someone who sits a lot during the day. This will give you a couple of ideas of how to relieve some of that neck tension, shoulder tension. First thing I'm gonna have you do is just close your eyes for a moment. This is the best part of the day, I understand. Just focus a moment on your breath, taking that breath in and out through your nose. And we're gonna try to take that inhale and exhale at about five seconds. So breathe in, two, three, four, five. Maybe pause for a moment if you're able. Exhale, two, three, four, five. And if you take nothing else from today, maybe it's just that little pause in your breath. It's that little extension of your breath that helps you settle whatever stress you might have going on. So go ahead and open your eyes, and again, if you're able and want to stand up, I'd love you to join me. And we are going to first of all take our shoulders, draw those shoulders all the way up to our ears. Pause for a second. Exhale, let them drop. Inhale, take those shoulders up. If this position feels comfortable for you, then we need to relieve some stress. Exhale, drop your shoulders. Let's take that up one more time. Exhale, drop. And then I want you to squeeze your shoulder blades to the back, like you're pinching a pencil between your shoulder blades. Maybe feel some stretch across your chest into your shoulders. As we exhale, we're just gonna pull the shoulders in, kind of round the upper back, feel that stretch. Inhale, open that chest, maybe look up a little bit. Exhale, round, and let's do that one more time. Inhale, open up. From here, maybe clasp your hands behind your back. If that's pain-free for you, give a gentle lift out of your low back, open up the chest even more. Let's go ahead and release and a little roll of our shoulders. Gonna kind of focus on that same area, chest and shoulders, just because we often carry a lot of stress there. So I'll have you clasp hands behind your back, kind of grab at the wrists near the elbows, and shift your elbows over to the left. Maybe feel some stretch across the shoulder already. Drop it down toward the shoulder. Noticing a feel of stretch maybe in the neck. Again, we want to work in a pain-free range of motion, so if this hurts, don't do it.

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