Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Summary – June 2, 2026
Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Summary – June 2, 2026
The Grand Rapids City Commission met on June 2, 2026, at approximately 1:00 PM. Mayor David LeGrand called the meeting to order, followed by a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioners present: Knight, Belchak, Asassi, Kilgore (arrived late), and Mayor LeGrand. Commissioner Purdue was excused. The meeting included public comment, approval of minutes, consent agenda, adoption of an ordinance amending the crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) code, a vote to enter closed session for employer review, further public comment, and closing remarks from commissioners.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: A motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting (May 26, 2026) was made, seconded, and passed unanimously.
- Petitions and Communications: Filed without objection:
- Communication from Grand Rapids United for Real Public Safety regarding ICE and public safety.
- Communication from Ron and Baker regarding a vacancy on the Historic Preservation Commission (referred to Committee on Appointments).
- Reports of City Officers: Filed:
- City Clerk: Police and Fire Retirement System annual actuarial evaluation report ending December 31, 2025.
- Controller: Warrant report for May 5–18, 2026, totaling $27,891,420.
- Treasurer's report for May 6–19, 2026.
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously as a block.
Public Comments & Testimony
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Ordinance – First Opportunity for Public Comment
- D Jones (1st Ward): Expressed support for inclusive design that involves underserved communities, black-led nonprofits (e.g., NAACP, Urban League), and police education about poverty in high-crime areas. Stated Grand Rapids is “still the second worst city for economics for African Americans” and urged strategic poverty-reduction initiatives.
- Mark (Grand Rapids): Suggested limiting bullet sales, imposing high taxes on ammunition, and requiring affordable gun safes for all firearm purchasers. Argued these measures would reduce gun violence, referencing a San Diego incident where teenagers used unsecured guns.
Second Opportunity for Public Comment
- D Jones: Thanked Mayor LeGrand for his restorative justice efforts. Announced a neighborhood “303” event on July 11, 2026, and a block party. Discussed his “stock and community hub project” to acquire a school building, stating IFF (a nonprofit lender) provided a seven-figure letter of intent to finance the purchase. Plans include 17–25 transitional housing units, workforce development in 3D printing, esports, and a practice kitchen.
- Stafford Smith (56 Fitch Place SE): Opposed a developer’s proposal to add an ADU at 645 Kellogg Street with a new address (58 Fitch Place). Cited narrow street, cul-de-sac, fire hydrant, parking shortages, winter snowplow issues, and emergency service concerns. Noted fire marshal and police also considered the plan unwise.
- Greg Shotwell (54 Fitch Place): Opposed the ADU address, arguing the fence and gate would not prevent future driveway expansion. Stated the plan benefits one person at the expense of 18–20 neighbors and questioned why a separate address is needed if the ADU cannot be sold separately.
- Sheila Solomon Shotwell (54 Fitch Place): Raised safety and parking issues; a fence was installed for safety at police suggestion. Expressed frustration over lack of consultation. Emphasized strong neighborhood bonds and senior citizen safety.
- Unidentified Speaker: Stated “you wouldn't have no Pride Month without the spilling of black blood,” referencing historical civil rights struggles that enabled LGBTQ+ and other protections.
Discussion Items
Ordinance Amendment: Chapter 175 – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
- Commissioner Asassi introduced the amendment, noting it was first considered on May 19, 2026. The ordinance updates an outdated code reference (from “building code” to “property code maintenance”) and transitions appeals to a designated hearing officer. The CPTED program, adopted in 2019, uses design strategies (e.g., visibility, lighting) to deter crime at businesses selling alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or operating late. Mayor LeGrand summarized the intent as “good visibility… one of your primary tools for preventing crime.”
- No further discussion. Roll call vote: all five commissioners voted yes (Kilgore, Asassi, Knight, Belchak, LeGrand). Motion carried.
Motion to Enter Closed Session
- Mayor LeGrand moved to go into closed session immediately following the meeting for employer review of the city clerk and city treasurer. The session was to be held in Room 601, later changed to the law library. Roll call vote: all five commissioners voted yes. Motion carried.
Key Outcomes
- CPTED Ordinance Amendment: Adopted unanimously. The updated ordinance goes into effect immediately.
- Closed Session Authorized: Commissioners will meet privately to review city clerk and treasurer performance.
- Consent Agenda and Reports: All items approved or filed without objection.
- Public Comments Recorded: Input on CPTED, ADU proposal, and hub project will be considered by relevant departments.
- Upcoming Actions: The city manager noted briefings on traffic safety, zoning code rewrite, and ADU task force will continue; feedback from the commission will shape future updates. The Rx Kids program funding was confirmed with third-ward funds.
Commissioner & City Manager Closing Remarks
- Commissioner Asassi: Thanked neighbors from East Hills, noted amphitheater opening without incident, and highlighted the gun violence awareness proclamation initiated by Commissioner Purdue.
- Commissioner Kilgore: Celebrated Pride Month and Juneteenth; referenced statewide events and emphasized protecting hard-won civil rights. Acknowledged community conversations on data centers and zoning.
- Commissioner Knight: Supported the proclamations and ADU/zoning discussions. Expressed interest in zoning changes to support housing and small business.
- Commissioner Belchak: Encouraged mental health awareness and community safety. Celebrated the Grand River restoration kickoff and a scouts civics camp. Announced a coffee hour on June 11, 2026.
- City Clerk: Announced the Michigan “I Voted” sticker contest; public voting is open among 90 finalists in three age categories.
- City Manager: Thanked commission for funding Rx Kids (prenatal cash assistance). Reported nine homicides year-to-date in 2026, seven by firearm, including a double and triple homicide. Reaffirmed commitment to enforcement and prevention.
- Mayor LeGrand: Praised the Rx Kids program and its evidence of reducing evictions and improving maternal/child health. Raised the need to proactively address potential economic disruptions from AI, citing Commissioner Kilgore’s research on best practices.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 2:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Call this meeting of the city commission order and uh ask to have you join us as is our habit with a moment of silence. Please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. If allegiance to the flag of the States of America and to the Republic for which we stand, one nation under God, indivisible, and justice for all. Thank you. And as our clerk calls the role, if our interpreter could come up and introduce him or herself. Commissioner Knight. Yes. Commissioner Belchak. Present. Commissioner Asassi. Mayor LeGrand. Yes. And Commissioner Kilgore will be here momentarily. Thank you. Hold on one second. Sorry. You want you want to? Oh, fine. Uh, if I could briefly have a motion to excuse Commissioner Purdue, support. And Commissioner Kilgore is running late. We don't need a motion for that. So, oh yeah, question all proof all in favor say aye. Aye. Great. Uh all posed. Thank you. Try again. I'm here from the Hispanic General. We are providing some interpretation services. Good afternoon. Thank you. Thank you. And that brings us to our first opportunity for public comment on any items on the agenda, the public wishes to address. Mr. Jones is coming up from the first ward. Otherwise, please identify yourself and if you could and where you live. Just so I can be sure I'm aligning with the agenda, I can speak on the ordinance to be adopted, which is the consideration of their environmental design. That's cool. Alright, cool. How y'all doing? I'm D Jones, passionate entrepreneur and visionary. And uh, if we are going to be doing environmental design or anything with crime prevention, I hope that we get our uh people from our underserved communities, our nonprofits that are black led, like the NWACP, the Urban League, uh people that can really give critical feedback because a lot of people are the product of their environment. If there's high poverty, if there is no resources, if there's no jobs, uh likely you're going to get crime. And so I want us to be intentional about when we design these initiatives because we do uh have the, I believe, still the second worst city for economics for African Americans, to be honest, and uh our student uh populations of color in our poor Caucasian communities. And I just want to be sure that we are very strategic and very, very intentional about being sure that we actually have programs or initiatives that are designed to reduce the high levels of poverty around our community. Also, when we have these polices, police officers, some of these police officers come from Sparta, some of them come from Rockford, they don't even live around the community, but they're police in the communities. And so I like for them to also be a part of the disengagement because I believe that if these people, these police officers uh are not from this community, if they don't understand the community, but they're getting a little bit of training and then they got to get out into the field where they're not really used to dealing with people from high poverty, uh high crime areas, that we educate them on this because in the snap fast of a second of somebody that comes from a nicer neighborhood with a little bit of police training, and somebody that's been living in poverty their entire life, uh, the second in the heat of passion can happen, and then you know there can be some type of incident. So I would like for us to really really consider the organizations and people that you guys get involved when you're designing this kind of this crime prevention environmental design and being sure that we get people of color, being sure that you have different bodies of government. Uh I like for the commissioners to be there. The police officers definitely should be there because they should understand the high levels of poverty and the circumstances that people have to go through.
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