Okay, good morning, everyone.

We will call the committee on appointments to order at 8 a.m.

We have a few items on our agenda this morning.

Uh we are getting through our appointments and filling a lot of our vacancies.

I'm very uh pleased to see the work of the mayor and my uh colleagues to do so.

First is a resolution confirming Mayor Lagrand's appointment of Kurt Repart to the local officers compensation commission.

So moved.

Moved and supported.

Comments on this appointment, colleagues.

I'll just I'll just add one.

Um so I'll be so obviously uh Kurt is a former first word commissioner.

Commissioner Ruth Kelly just came off of that, so it's kind of nice to have that feeling.

Commissioner Lanier, former Commissioner Lanier's on there as well.

They give a good perspective of what the job what the job entailed so they can get through that.

Maybe some other citizens might not understand the whole job.

Nice.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Uh any further comments.

Seeing none, all those in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, motion carries.

That moves us to our second resolution confirming Mayor Lagrand's appointment of Amanda Faber to the Urban Agriculture Committee.

So okay, good.

I'll support.

Moved and support it.

Sorry.

Comments on this uh uh appointment, colleagues.

I just want to say it's nice to see people filling in the spots on this uh committee because I know there were several.

Yes, thank you, Commissioner.

Okay, seeing no further comments.

Those uh in favor?

Aye, aye, those opposed, motion carries.

Moves us to our third resolution, approving the city commission's appointment of Elizabeth McDonald to the Historic Preservation Commission.

So moved.

Support.

Moved and support it.

Comments on this appointment, colleagues.

I think she'll be great addition based on the um profile that I saw.

It's nice to have people who have a wide variety of experience.

Um, and I I don't know this is um a commission that has been talked about a lot lately, so maybe that's a good thing.

Yes, thank you, Commissioner.

Seeing no further uh comment.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye, aye, those opposed, motion carries.

Moves us to our fourth resolution confirming Mayor Legrand's appointment of Lindsay Perez Pleasure to the Mobile GR Commission.

So moved.

Support.

Moved and support it.

Comments on this appointment, colleagues.

Okay.

Seeing none, uh, all those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, motion carries.

Brings us to our fifth resolution confirming Mayor Legrand's appointment of Samuel Chip Hurley to the Economic Development Corporation and Brownfield's redevelopment authority.

So moved.

Support.

Moved and support it.

Comments, colleagues.

Okay, seeing none.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, motion carries.

Moves us to our sixth resolution, approving the city commission's appointment of Nate Rawberry to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

So moved.

Moved and supported.

Comments on this appointment, colleagues.

I will add a comment.

I've had the opportunity to work with uh Mr.

Rao Berry in multiple um places, including when he was a member of uh the board of directors for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, and he has uh most recently been a chair of the uh Grand Rapids Climate Coalition.

So it is really uh wonderful when folks can bring that on the ground uh experience to our boards and committees.

Uh so I'm very happy to see this.

All right, all those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, motion carries.

Brings us to our last resolution approving the city commission's appointment of Mark Bejeland to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

So moved.

Moved and support it.

Hopefully, I did not butcher that.

I apologize.

Moved and supported comment on this appointment, colleagues.

I just want to say that um I think this is our last appointment for this this com this board of appeals.

And uh just as we've gone through all these other ones, there's there's just a lot of you know, just distributed decision making, and I'd really do feel like the Board of Zoning Appeals is one that we forget that is really important when people have a complaint.

And um, so I'm looking forward to seeing the work of that group this year.

Yes, thank you, Commissioner.

All right, seeing no further comment.

All those in favor, aye.

Aye, those opposed, motion carries and Miss Bosker.

If you could lead us through a discussion on our current board and commission vacancy list.

Sure.

Um, I'll start by mentioning that there is one resignation on the agenda this week uh from South Town.

So that will be a vacancy there.

Um the mayor's got a short list of applicants to look over, and we'll see if we can move forward in the next couple of meetings with filling that last vacancy.

Um and then I just want to highlight not on the vacancy list, but some boards that have terms ending soon.

They're going to have its housing commission and the civil service board have terms ending in the next couple months in April and May.

So just to keep in mind, and I'll collect applications and send those around.

But we're hoping to continue to fill fill vacancies at the next couple meetings.

We have a vital streets position, the WIMIAC designated position, hopefully at the next meeting, and we're still moving forward.

Wonderful.

Thank you, Ms.

Bosker.

I really appreciate your work on this.

And like I said in the beginning, we are plugging our way through and trying our best to make sure we have just you know a divide diverse representation on all of our boards and uh commissions.

Uh any final comments, colleagues?

Yes, Commissioner Isassi.

Thank you.

Um at the last meeting we talked about the body makeup of mobile GR.

Could we go to that?

Yep uh body makeup.

No, where you have the detail of the Oh, of who's currently there.

Yeah, sorry.

I should could be more clear, Mr.

Clerk.

Um so I mean, I you know, certainly supportive of this one, but I I do want to just go back to what we said just the last time we met.

I believe Miss, and I hope I'm saying this correctly, Miss Fleischer is a first warder.

I believe you are correct.

So um, so we were sort of heavy on this on the on the second ward, and we were really light in anyone who is non-white, any black or brown folks.

Um, and I I I can't speak to Miss Fleischer's race or ethnicity at this moment.

Um, but I just wanted to highlight this one again.

Um, especially since we said this was gonna this particular one is a focus.

Some of these bodies require different skill sets that might not um, you know, sort of go by the traditional recruiting area that we have, which would be I would say just residents overall.

Um, you know, specifically when I would think about maybe Brownfield or even Board of Zoning Appeals or planning.

Um, but certainly something like mobile GR is more, you know, I think about like what is that user experience or non-experience and what would make that.

Um so I just wanted to highlight this one.

Um I also um wanted to ask a question about civil service, Miss Bosker.

Um is that one expiration or one um no?

There are two terms that are two terms that are expiring.

Are they eligible for renewal?

I believe so.

Okay.

I'll double check.

I don't I'm I'm not sure.

Okay, and those are also mayoral appointments, correct?

Um I think they're city commission.

Give me just a moment.

Okay.

I'm just asking colleagues today.

We have one of our civil service meetings.

We typically only meet every other month.

Um, I'm chairing today because our chair is out of town, so I'm happy to bring this up at that body.

Obviously, um, Miss Eddie is the liaison, I believe as well.

And um we can share that.

But this again would be a body that I would say would require, you know, uh some different skill sets that you know might not just be hey, I want to serve the city, um, but some specific skill sets either in law and human resources, um, compliance and oversight.

So I wanted to just share that.

Thank you so much for those notes, uh, Commissioner.

Okay.

Oh, oh, Miss Bosker.

Just quick follow-up.

Those are city commission appointments, and it looks like there are not term limits.

Okay, so thank you.

Lovely.

Yes, Commissioner.

Um, I just want to follow up on what Commissioner Ysazy said.

Um I still I'm so sorry.

Isazi.

Um and so uh lost my train of thought for a second.

Uh the civil service board I know is really important, but maybe with um the specifications that were just outlined.

If there was something you could just briefly describe the what the board does, maybe it would be helpful.

Sure.

Oh sorry.

Sure.

So um because we are a city, we have civil service rules that apply to employment.

And so the body is responsible uh to be, and actually, we're going through the entire rules.

So I would invite anybody to come to our meeting.

Actually, we'll be going through rules two and three of the civil service rule.

So if you don't have a copy of that, I would um would probably make sure we we get you that.

Um, but just sort of that governs the employment pieces and things of the city.

Um we typically review and approve any job descriptions that would move forth um in the city, so they require a civil service approval.

Um we get reporting on those that are entering service in the city, those that may have experienced a um what's the word, you know, suspension or um or individuals who are leaving service either due to separation, termination, or retirement.

And then it's also a responsibility right now.

Probably the biggest responsibility is to have oversight over the um the compensation study that's being done for employees of the city of Grand Rapids in 2017, I believe.

That was the first time we had done a wage study in over about 20 years in the city.

So we're doing this on a lot sooner basis.

Um, so that's also another major project we have.

Thank you for sharing that.

Sure.

Wonderful.

Thank you, colleagues.

And we will adjourn the committee on appointments at 8 10 a.m.

Have a great morning, you all.