Gonna call the meeting of city uh pardon me the uh committee the whole to order.

Glad to see such a large group of people here from the urban league.

I understand you have 10 minute speeches, all of you prepared for us.

So um if you can make your way up to the micro.

No, I'm just messing with you.

So glad to see all of you, all of you here.

Great.

Um, so our we're gonna take our items out of order this morning and start with uh item number two.

Uh, that is a resolution recommending.

Just for transparency for the people who did come here for number one.

Uh we're waiting on one more community partner and then we'll uh come back to that item for uh staff's requests right on.

So uh item number two is a resolution recommending approval uh by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission of a social district permit uh application pursuant to public act 124 of 2020.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, if you could.

I'm a little support.

Yeah, these are a couple downtown um um establishments asking for a social district permit.

I believe one of them is doing businesses both wild wings and that uh but they're both in the downtown um district.

Got it.

Any discussion?

I will just point out as I do occasionally that I think we should just make the whole city a social district and call it a day.

Um otherwise we're just stigmatizing people that don't have the sophistication to ask for permission for the area around their business.

Um but other than that, um all in favor say aye.

Aye, aye.

Um uh next is a similar resolution approving uh approving recommending approval by the liquor control commission of a social district uh pursuant to act 124 2020 for our brewing company uh LLC located at 738 Wealthy.

Uh, can I have a motion?

So moved to support.

Seems self-explanatory.

Any questions or comments, colleagues?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Uh fourth is uh resolution approving an agreement with the city of Wyoming to accept and process wastewater sludge, and this is something that we are we've been working on for a while.

Can I have a motion?

So moved.

Thank you.

If you could morning commissioners, James Otz, environmental services manager.

Uh a year ago I stood before you and uh requested a six-month agreement uh with the option of a six-month uh renewal.

Uh during that time frame, we've been working with the city of Wyoming on how we can improve this and and uh make it more accurately reflect our system.

Uh today I bring before you uh three-year agreement with five optional three-year renewals.

Uh, couple things that you might want to take note of in this is that we're switching from billing on a per gallon basis to a dry ton basis.

Uh this accurately reflects the loading of the biodigesters rather than a flow.

Uh you'll see that it goes retroactive to January 19th.

Uh that's when we installed a meter on our end so that we can accurately calculate the dry tons.

Um another thing that you'll want to take note of is that it includes uh uh capital depreciation of one of the digesters, digester number three, as well as the the screens that will be needed to uh filter the sludge prior to digestion.

Um this uh this regional collaboration supports uh you know a greater relationship between us and the city of Wyoming.

Uh it supports uh environment environmentally friendly and uh responsible way to handle our biosolids.

And uh it's a great improvement for for both of us.

Great.

Thanks.

Any questions or collec comments, colleagues?

Um, I do have one question that is um you meant reference biodigester number three, and this is great because you know, more capacity is good, more biodigesting is good.

Um, as our city is the region grows, do we have capacity really long term to continue to grow the system?

Like can we add more uh uh tanks online?

So when when the system was designed, it's actually designed to where we can add three more digesters.

Uh you know, after we fully accept the Wyoming sludge, we can calculate what our true loading is, and uh we can actually accept up to 25 percent of an industrial waste and still qualify for our D3 rins.

Uh that is something that once it stabilizes, we'll calculate and see what we could potentially handle.

Okay, great.

Well, thanks for working to develop the system.

Um, seeing no further questions, colleagues, all in favor say aye.

Aye, aye, all opposed, motion carries.

Thank you.

Uh that brings us to uh a uh an amphitheater related item.

Uh next is our resolution authorizing payment to the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, an amount of nine million five hundred thousand ninety-five thousand dollars for the city of Grand Appas Affordable Housing Fund.

And Ms.

Barron's coming up.

Do I have a motion?

So moved.

Ms.

Barons.

Uh, happy to answer any questions.

Not a lot to add here.

This is a long anticipated closing uh that finally occurred when the amphitheater was ready to be open to the public uh earlier this spring, and the commission had long talked about uh transferring a portion of those sale proceeds to the affordable housing fund, and that is what this accomplishes.

Just to as a reminder, the structure of the purchase with the CAA includes both this ten million dollar at closing payment and uh then uh payment over time annually that will be uh dedicated to some of the debt service that the city uh is uh anticipating at Scribner at the Scribner facility.

So uh there's a little bit of netting out here that leads to the not quite round number uh of 9.595 million uh to cover some of the carrying costs and due diligence and other preparatory work that the city did prior or to support this deal uh early in earlier years.

Great.

Thanks.

Uh any questions or comments, colleagues?

All right, quiet group this morning.

Um this is great.

So thank you.

Uh all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye, all opposed.

Motion carries.

Uh, and that brings us to our next item, which is the ongoing discussion about vicinity and e-steam.

Uh so we have an authorization to execute a purchase agreement with vicinity energy and the amount of fifty thousand dollars annually for the purchase of electric generated steam or e-steam services.

I can have a motion.

So move support.

Uh Mr.

Matthews.

Okay, we uh actually discussed this a little bit when we talked about the prioritized actions that you all had from the uh climate action and adaptation plan.

The uh net total to cover all of our utilization came out to about $350,000 a year.

One of the things that uh vicinity articulated to us was that we can do a partial per partial purchase.

Um we felt that this was a way to get started in fulfilling the things that we'd prioritized.

It's something that we can ramp up if we choose later.

It's something that we can choose to phase out if we uh choose to do that later.

I think it's worth noting that um we're not alone in moving forward on this.

Uh vicinity did let me know just last week that Green Leaf Trust uh was the first private side partner uh to sign on um to the program, and they've got a number of other private businesses that are expressing interest in getting on board.

Right, and uh to state what's obvious to everyone on the diasp, but not everyone in the audience maybe um this obviously aligns with our CAP objectives because it's a net greenhouse reduction, um, and uh the e-steam is actually gonna be the electricity is gonna be directly tied in with uh solar production of the electricity, correct?

Um yes, so uh a couple of aspects for the folks that aren't as familiar as as we might be.

Um most of the steam that's generated uh to help power and heat buildings here in mostly the downtown footprint uh is generated with gas.

Uh and it's generated with gas right down at the end of the street.

Um so this is a way to not only have a net greenhouse gas reduction, but it's a way to do it that actually has local impact.

Um, vicinity has a long-term purchase agreement with consumers energy to buy renewables, uh, to power that electric boiler.

Uh and the hope is to have that running full time as they get more subscribers on board.

Okay, and as you pointed out, that's gases as fossil fuels go, um, the best of the fossil fuels maybe, um, but it's still, we've still got point source-specific pollution going into the air in our city from a big gas operation in our core city.

So to the extent that we can move to electricity, we are getting rid of local pollution.

Correct, all right.

Thank you.

Um any questions or comments, colleagues?

Great, thank you so much.

Um, all in favor of the uh proposal, uh authorization say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Carries.

Thank you.

Mark.

Okay, great.

Okay, we're gonna go backwards and uh take on item number one, which is our proclamation commemorating Juneteenth.

Anybody else who's here today, to come on up here, like we family.

We all want one of the village, come on, and so I'm gonna read the proclamation on um behalf of the city, but before I do, I want to point out that from my perspective as a human being and as an American, um, I like the Fourth of July, um, and I love the dream of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

But I feel like America's real Independence Day, his most important independence day is actually not July 4 for me, it's Juneteenth.

And the reason for that is when you think about the damage and the harm that human beings can cause to other human beings, genocide has to be the worst thing I can think of.

But the second worst thing I can think of, the United States of America started with it built into its DNA, and that was the ability to enslave other human beings, and getting rid of that stain or that wound or that sin or whatever word you want to use, was probably was from my perspective, the most important thing that the United States has done in its history, and so a day that can celebrate us writing that wrong, recognizing the horror of what was at our country's inception, that it was okay for other human beings to enslave, to be enslaved by a group of human beings.

For me, celebrating getting rid of that stain is America's great triumph.

So I am so happy that in recent years we've made a real celebration of it, we've made a real day of it for the whole country, uh, and it's something that we can all celebrate together because we should all be proud of being able to be a better moral community.

That's what this is about.

This is about our ability to be moral human beings together and recognize the dignity and the value and the absolute value of everybody without a little asterisk put on it.

So I'm gonna read the proclamation.

Whereas June set Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, resilience, and the enduring spirit of those who persevered through generations of enslavement and injustice, and whereas on June 19, 1865, news of freedom reached the last remaining enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, over two years after the emancipation proclamation declared all enslaved people free on January 1, 1863, marking a pivotal moment in our nation's history and giving rise to the annual observance known as Juneteenth.

And whereas Juneteenth serves as a time to honor the strength, determination, and contributions of black Americans whose labor leadership, culture, innovation, and advocacy have shaped our communities and our nation, and whereas the city of Grand Rapids recognizes the rich history and lasting impact of black residents who have helped build, strengthen, and enrich our city through public service, entrepreneurship, education, the arts, faith communities, and civic engagement, and whereas Juneteenth invites us to celebrate not only freedom achieved, but also the power of community, the preservation of history, and the responsibility we share to create a future where every resident can thrive.

And whereas by reflecting on our past and honoring those who came before us, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering a welcoming city where dignity, opportunity, and belonging are accessible to all.

And whereas communities across Grand Rapids will gather to commemorate Juneteenth through education, cultural celebration, service, reflection, and strengthening the bonds that unite us as neighbors.

Now, therefore, I, David LeGrand, mayor of the city of Grand Rapids, do proclaim June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth, and encourage all residents to recognize this occasion by celebrating the history, achievement, and contributions of black Americans, and by continuing to build a commit a community rooted in respect, opportunity, and shared prosperity for all.

What I will say is that Juneteenth is a special time.

It's a special time across this nation.

It's a space where we have the opportunity to reflect and also look at how far we've come, whereas there's still a lot to do, and we spend a lot of time talking about what there is to do.

This is something important to commemorate, and I'm excited to do that today.

Uh, Juneteenth, uh, we know at a national level, it was Opal Lee, a member of Zeta Fibeta Sorority Incorporated, Mr.

Manager, uh, who was the mother of Juneteenth at the national level.

Uh, but at the local level, there's somebody else who's fought diligently and worked uh in this community for a long time, uh, not only uh to commemorate Juneteenth, but to make sure that we are connected to our history, and we affectionately know her as Mama Joel Richardson, and she's with us today.

So I want to invite her to share some words and thank her for her years of service in this community.

Can we help me welcome her?

Thank you.

I'm so honored to be here today, especially for such a great occasion that will enlighten the youth and everyone around the world, that Juneteenth was not given to us, that our great great ancestors took what was already ours, and we fought, and we got Juneteenth.

And we thank Miss Opal Lee, the grandmother who walked to get Biden, I gotta be respectful, right?

What I gotta say, the um last president, right, to get him to sign to make this a federal holiday.

So I am so honored, I'm so honored to have four generations right here in the city of Grand Rapids who have worked diligently, and all of you who come out to celebrate, to learn, to be educated, to get to know and to want to do better.

Solidarity is what it's about, us coming together as a community in a heart of love.

I want all of you to come out, represent your clan.

Some of you here, I'm looking to the right and left.

I know your grandparents.

So you are representing your clan.

When the teachers used to say to you, uh, I know your family.

I know your family.

I want you to come out, I want you to walk.

This ain't no protest.

We get to celebrate.

That means we get to stand boldly, stand up tall with our chest stuck out, talking about everything that we have contributed to this world.

So Juneteenth, June 19th, right there at Holland Eastern, third ward.

You know the ward that they talk about that they say is all at the bottom.

You know the ward where don't know junk comes from third ward.

I'm a third ward southeast, four nine five zero seven, and many of us have contributed.

My 92-year-old father contributed 70 plus years to help build Grand Rapids, Michigan.

You all come out and rep your consent your grandmother.

They know your people's last name.

In here in this city, we know each other by last names.

So when we're talking about Juneteenth, we're talking about resilience.

We're talking about culture, we're talking about leadership, future, uniting our money, and we definitely talking about this.

This.

This is yours.

Own it.

Keep it.

Raise it up high right here in the city of Grand Rapids.

Where we have contributed.

All of you have contributed for such a day as this.

Freedom Day.

Let's come together.

Not in protest, but in celebration.

See you on the 19th 49507 Hall and Eastern Avenue.

Come and walk that parade in a parade in a show of pride.

Go and celebrate with your families in each and every one of your own individual communities.

You all have your wards that you're proud of.

And I have my third ward.

Please join us for a photo.

Go ahead over and take the front thing.

Yeah, that you can't take it.

Yes, ma'am.

Come on, I think we can just stand here.

This is what's most important right here.

It's a great day.

Good to see you.

Trying to be so friendly.

I feel like you're going to be able to do that.

Come on.

There we go.

Okay.

There we are.

Yeah.

Okay.

If we all walk out, then we know we had it done.

Right.

Mayor.

Mayor.

Well, the chamber of settling, may I make a remark?

You bet.

City commissioner, point of privilege.

Mayor, thank you.

Um, thank you, Mr.

Davis and all those who came and uh Mama Jewel for your uh words today.

Thank you, Mayor, for acknowledging that this important moment of uh emancipation uh for everyone.

And although it was late, it still had to happen.

And I wanted to say um we acknowledge Opal Lee as the grandmother of Juneteenth.

Uh, but I also had the privilege uh to work with Opal Lee earlier in my career, um, and she was uh a local leader uh back in Fort Worth and also now coming full circle to do it again with uh Mama Jewel and her leadership.

So I look forward to celebrating uh this weekend as we all continue to remember our past and look forward.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Um, we are going to move now into two briefings, but before we do that, um I got a request from city attorney that we move into closed session discuss um pending litigation.

Uh and so I'd uh ask for a roll call vote on moving to closed session in law library, or where are we're gonna go?

601 uh following support, okay.

Commissioner Kilgore, yes, Mr.

Commissioner Knight, yes, Mr.

Sasi.

Yes, yes.

Commissioner Purdue.

Yes, Commissioner Belchak?

Yes.

Motion carries.

That brings us to our first briefing.

Mr.

Canfield's going to be coming up.

This is a discussion of our follow-up on our 2027 budget of deliberations.

All right.

Thank you, Mayor and Commissioners.

So we went through a long process to get to an adopted budget for FY27.

So that's the uh the excellent news.

Um but there were a few open items uh left at the end of that process.

So we are here to talk about a few of them today.

And as a reminder, on May 19th, the day you did final deliberations on and adopted the budget.

Um you approved two amendments to the original proposal.

Um one of those was additional funding for the disaster relief fund, and that brought it up to a total of 100,000 with the additional uh 50.

And then uh the second was a essentially a placeholder of a hundred thousand dollars to um continue uh some uh form of the commission enhanced communications and administrative support, and uh some of that was um uh allocated to a contract this morning during the uh fiscal committee meeting to continue the uh communications support.

So the items that were left open um were a couple grant funded positions.

Funding continues uh for the remainder of this calendar year through December 31st, and then um the future of commission enhanced administrative support.

The original uh recommendation was for you to consider adding uh an administrative aid, and then um a potential mediation coordinator role, which could be uh contracted or staff, and we propose that that be taken up in September.

Um so uh this is just a brief uh summary of what we will get through today.

I mentioned the um the topics and uh our purposes to review options, uh discuss their impacts and related considerations, and um uh hear your uh feedback to inform our planning.

So um at the end of the budget adoption process, uh it was clear that you wanted to continue the enhanced communications support.

As I mentioned, that was on the agenda for uh fiscal committee this morning.

Um approved pending your uh final approval this evening.

Um services are listed here, uh it's a contract service, and um included things like uh coordination, outreach, um, and engagement uh support.

So that brings us to the other piece of the enhanced commission support, the administrative piece.

Um as uh I think you're aware, even before the start last spring of the the pilot of enhanced administrative support, the uh services you see here that are not italicized were already provided by the executive office.

So basic things like um receiving and dealing with messages, um, upon request scheduling, uh travel training and related reimbursements, um, and supplies and uh IT coordination, and then with the pilot uh depending on your individual preference, whether you wanted some or all of these, we added the um the italicized services, so some enhanced uh callback and email management, um, regular uh depending on what cadence you you uh preferred, regular planning consultations, um some more advanced calendaring, um, and uh enhanced city city hall services, greeting, setup, uh hospitality, printing, filing, etc.

And as I mentioned, um you uh did not all choose to utilize all of those, so I want to acknowledge uh that that fact.

So that brings us to um three options that we would like uh to present to you today for your consideration.

So one option would be to continue the administrative support pilot.

The approximate annual cost of that is about $80,000.

Because it is through a temporary staffing agency, there is some associated agency fee beyond the wage paid to an employee.

So this would continue a temporary sort of ad hoc arrangement, maintain the current structure, it would maintain those italicized services from the previous slide to the extent you wish to utilize them.

But there are some considerations while it preserves both continuity and offers flexibility and lets you have discretion over what you might want to do further down the line.

There are limitations we recognize associated with temporary staffing.

Of course, when we don't commit to a permanent job for the person doing the work, that also affects the extent to which we can expect a you know a long-term commitment from that person.

And you know, there are some potential limitations on you know related on consistency and and responsiveness.

So option two would establish a permanent position.

What you see here is uh the full cost associated with an administrative aid.

Um this is what we had suggested, but not uh actually put in in terms of dollars in the preliminary fiscal plan.

So to be clear, it is not in the current budget and it was not in the preliminary plan.

This would create a permanent executive office uh position.

It would transition from a pilot to an ongoing service, and uh so in addition to sustaining all those again, the italicized services from a couple slides back.

Um there are benefits with uh longer term service uh things like uh institutional knowledge.

Um we can expect uh more uh responsiveness and consistency and uh proactivity, and I think there's an opportunity to refine and standardize some practices.

So considerations here, in addition to the ongoing funding commitment, um it does establish instead of kind of a ongoing extensions of a pilot program, it establishes a long-term set of expectations and aligns uh staffing structure with what we have experienced in terms of your uh operational expectations and support expectations.

And then option three, um, which is uh, you know, to be clear, the trajectory we're on, unless we hear differently from you, would be to phase out the pilot as city manager mentioned during budget deliberations that wouldn't happen immediately on July 1st.

Again, going back to that 100,000, we could have kind of a tail on the pilot where we wind it down.

So there'd be no uh enhanced administrative support.

The non-etalicized services that we provided before the pilot would continue.

Um we would uh provide those with uh the pre-existing uh executive office staff pre-pilot and uh this has the lowest fiscal impact, of course.

It doesn't involve the either eighty thousand dollars a year or a hundred plus thousand dollars a year associated with options one and two, but it would reduce the uh individualized support available to you and uh some reduction in uh both tasks and uh potentially um responsiveness and and coordination.

So just kind of revisiting that earlier slide, the ones the services with the strike through are the pilot services that would end uh with option three, and uh with that I will um briefly turn the podium over to Mr.

Davis and he'll describe the uh public safety trust fund um implications.

Thank you, good morning again.

So as we discussed during the budget cycle, uh the state is expected to allocate approximately uh 1.7 million dollars to the city through the public safety revenue sharing grants program, what we've been referring to as the public safety trust fund.

Now, this this funding uh has specific ways that we have to spend it.

So 75% of the funds have to support law enforcement and 25% may be used for a broader public safety purposes.

So most of the discussion we've been having around this is around that 25%.

So attendant uses include approximately 200,000 for internal city projects that will support uh things we're already doing, like the safe task force and OPA's violence prevention efforts.

Uh, and then also uh we would look into whether or not it could be used for our community mediation efforts as well.

And 200,000 has been uh set aside our our goals to use that for external community grants program.

So, you know, we were scheduled to do planning and engagement for this at the beginning of July, and that's a big part of the reason we wanted to come back and have this conversation.

Um, we had to revise the timeline essentially because the state has not provided us with the funds yet or an expected date for when we should receive the funds.

So because we are not in a position to know exactly when we're gonna get it, uh, we thought it best to push the timeline back.

We still intend to use a very similar process, essentially the same process that we planned before, but instead of starting in July, we will start in September.

Um, and this of course assumes that we have more information or the funds by that point.

So in September, we'll do a program launch that'll include a web page uh that will explain this process, explain what the funding is and how it can be used.

Uh in addition to that, there'll be uh community engagement, including uh conversations with neighborhood organizations and neighborhood associations.

In October, we'll make the grant application available, uh meaning community members will be able to sub uh submit applications throughout all of October.

That staff group that's involved in the evaluation will do that evaluation uh at the beginning of November, and our goal will then be to bring uh those recommendations to the November 17th Public Safety Committee.

Um at that time, the public safety committee will be able to make a recommendation to this body.

It would come back to this body on the consent agenda uh for final approval, and then we would notify recipients on or before December 1st of 2026.

And with that, I'll turn it back over to Mr.

Canfield.

Thank you, Mr.

Davis.

Um, so future considerations uh will be the uh the grant funded positions I mentioned earlier, and uh Ms.

Barons will report back with more information on the uh neighborhood uh roads funding when that becomes available.

We expect that these conversations will take place or at least an interim update on them at your uh FY26 uh annual performance report, which we present here at committee of the whole.

I think we've scheduled that uh tentatively for September 22nd.

So you will hear back um from us uh by then.

So that brings me back to the uh options, and uh we do hope that you will have some feedback for us today on the future of the enhanced um commission administrative support.

And um again the options that uh I presented were to continue the pilot, um, convert to a permanent position or let the pilot end.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Commissioners, we are in here.

Uh Commissioner Purdue.

Good morning.

Thank you so much, Lou.

Um, and thank you for bringing this back to us in um with this time frame so that we can decide um how we're moving forward.

So I think that uh continuancy of what to expect for us and for community is really important.

Of these three options, um I am in favor of option two of making this a permanent position, of bringing it in-house as Lou outlined.

I think it gives us uh more control, right?

Over um how to uh how to to scope out this position, how to support this position, how to make sure it's in line with the rest of our staff expectations and requirements, as well as I think it's a more fiscally responsible approach, uh, given that we will forego all the fees and um the things of using a temp agency.

So I'd be excited to to bring this position in house permanently.

Um and I think you know, really what this means for us is um having ongoing support that we can count on to free up our limited time to do the things where we can get the most uh the maximum impact, right?

So instead of spending an hour on calendaring or printing, we could spend that hour on preparing for a constituent meeting or something of the sort.

So I see this as a way to maximize our work in our specific positions to uh to to get the most bang for our buck, if you will, to constituents.

So I'm excited to support option two.

Thank you.

Um I will also add on to to that, Commissioner.

Um, one of the what it seemed to me implicit in there, and and Mr.

Canville, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I would I would anticipate or look forward to um some perhaps a subcommittee of uh commissioners giving feedback uh periodically and um simply the ability if someone's in-house, if someone's contracted, we sort of potentially get who a service gives us.

Whereas if we've got somebody in-house, there may be more room for meaningful feedback and review from the commissioners.

So that's can I add on to a yeah?

Yeah, I think I would like to see in terms of the process of the transition and on in um hiring and onboarding is inclusion of commissioners in um some part of the interview process, so that whether it's upfront, this is all of our expectations, that's what we're hoping for to help inform the job description, some view into the hiring process, some sort of meet the candidates, review their resumes, and/or sit in interviews, um, and then give input before that final decision is made.

And that's that's feedback I've heard from a number of you uh so yeah.

Let me um respond for that to that.

I want to uh certainly make sure that we get the right person, should this become a permanent position, but be real clear, this is not an appointment of the city commission.

They don't have six or seven um people that they report to.

They report to uh one person, there are an employee of the city manager, and I will assign that person to an executive in my office for oversight.

So we certainly will get feedback, but we don't want to structure this like you are interviewing to replace your seventh commissioner or appointing one of your four appointees.

There they are not an employee that's appointed by the city commission.

Thank you, good point.

Uh Commissioner Belchick, I thought I saw your hand.

Yes, um, thank you.

I I really um value this position.

I found it to be incredibly useful.

I think that the high touch um ability to reach out to constituents to provide um some different navigation for different constituent uh first response that we do.

Um I agree about what you've said, Commissioner, about maximizing our work and freeing up our time and being fiscally responsible.

I think that the idea of institutional knowledge that has been brought up is also important to keep in mind and the learning process for the you know being able to serve us so well.

So um I am a hundred percent in support of option two.

Thank you.

Uh Commissioner Knight.

Um thank you uh for this presentation.

I think um earlier on we had conversations about um possibly looking at how this opportunity could um be better operationalized from some of the things that uh we saw at the beginning of this process.

Um and I am inclined to stick with what I said from the very first time this was brought up.

Um I now being in this space for four years, have been able to utilize the services of what we already have internally and have been able to um get everything that I need in that.

I think we have to be very careful because uh it could become a personal assistant, and then that's not the purpose that this was actually created for.

And so um I'm going to stick with what I said uh with option three.

Um I believe that we have um the skills and talents within our city body um that can handle most of our um needs as it opposed to uh as it pertains to supplies and files and things like that.

I think that position um should be better utilized.

Um that those funds could be used in a different manner.

So that's my choice.

Uh Commissioner Sasi.

Thank you, Mayor, and thanks Lou for the presentation.

I know we've had multiple conversations about this, and I want to uh recognize that I um was somebody as well, just did not see um how it was impacting what I was doing.

Um I had some concerns with um, you know, sort of fairness of the support, um, which I think a lot of the things that both you and city manager mentioned, you know, having the ability to have that oversight, um, direct some of those things just in the way that we work with all of you right now as it relates to different projects.

Um so I was I was definitely option three for a long time.

I also had the opportunity to talk to um some of my colleagues about um how they valued the position, how we could um and your feedback about how um you know, here exactly what you just did, laying out the different options.

Um and so I always recognize I'm like, okay, I think there are more people than not who would like this support.

Um, and I would like to see this, you know, um the the professional, you know, professionalization of the support, as you said.

It's not about the individuals, but it is difference of like what is if you're in a temporary role, like what are the realities that you have in a temporary role versus what we could um offer in a more permanent, you know, nothing is permanent.

Many of us are at will employees in the jobs that we do, right?

Uh um, but as permanent as can be, right?

So while I was not supportive, I am now supportive of um option number two.

I think if we could all provide um hearing what commissioners uh produce supporting, how do we provide, you know, sort of what are the expectations?

I do have some concerns when I hear, you know, reaching out to constituents because I think that um to what you said, Commissioner Knight, reaching we have our departments of 311, we have the other departments.

I can think of a a real back and forth we had that was like it was engineering and it was other departments, and to me, you know, there are the policy questions that sometimes constituents have of us, and then I would say a majority of the questions that we get via our city emails are gonna be around a project that maybe um a apartment is working on, uh, you know, uh waste removal services.

Um, you know, I just had somebody write me about income tax.

And so to me, those are best situated within the department who have the knowledge, understanding, expertise, and who might have um another, you know, uh more information to help present.

So I would support two if we could make sure that we're working in the parameters of the positions that already exist.

One to respect those roles and what they're offering already to the city, and two to optimize what that position brings.

And so I think that is a, you know, uh Mayor, you and I have talked about that.

What is the continuation of what's the continued sort of feedback to you all who would be directing it to say here's expectations, but I don't I may want to make sure when we say you know, reaching out to constituents, it's not about things that other departments should be reaching out to, because I think that would not be the most appropriate use of the funds.

Then that's then that's what I would have the the concern about.

Um, but I could support it if we said, hey, it's gonna have the oversight of executive office, seasoned professionals who know how to manage.

They can work inside the parameters of City Hall, understand what are the protocol and expectations.

Um and so while again, I was like, we could put the money somewhere else.

Um I recognize that there's a majority of people who are saying, you know, Melinda, I I would really find value in this and just trying to work to find like the best uh decision.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um your HR background showing through there, uh, Commissioner.

Uh so thanks for good balanced uh uh yeah, thank you for those that.

That was thoughtful.

Um not that you weren't all weren't thoughtful.

I just wanted to um so Commissioner Kogar.

Yes, thank you.

I concur with Commissioner Sasi and Commissioner Perdue.

I uh continue to I'll let constituents know I just had a coffee or well, cocktail and coffee hour to uh in Alger, and uh continue to talk to um our colleagues on the east side of the state.

Detroit city council members have two staffers.

They're also full-time.

So there's a lot of things that I uh uh really value about our Detroit uh colleagues, but I think it's imperative uh to continue to give our community the best service that we can.

Uh and that's why I'm also in favor of option two.

Um for me, for my office, my turnaround average is somewhere around four or less hours, uh, which I'm very proud of.

Uh that in addition was also when I had gauze, I had to get uh some restructuring of DMI nasal things, I'll say, uh, for those with weak stomachs like me, um, and I was not supposed to be looking down like that because it was healing up, but I still did.

So I think of uh folks who may not be able to push through pain, right?

If a commissioner has something, a true surgery that's very invasive, or even something is wonderful and a blessing like a child of how can we ensure that these roles are for working people for different kinds of folks in these roles?

I'm gonna continue to press for that, and to also just give grace as we are still humans in these roles.

So uh that's why I'm supportive of this position.

And um, although I have not utilized the position, I'm always thinking uh more forward of who may need that support in this role, and who knows?

My family may uh welcome a child throughout my tenure.

Who knows?

So there's things like that.

So thanks, colleagues, and I'm supportive of option two.

Thank you.

Um and I'll uh weigh into the uh the the weight of opinion seems to be on option two, and that's um that seems to me to be the pref preferred my preferred choice here too.

So thanks.

I think that's all the direction you need then, right?

Okay, yes.

So we've heard uh your majority preference for option two.

So um because this will require a budget amendment, we will bring that back to you um in uh July.

In the meantime, based on that hundred thousand dollars, the temporary services can continue, and then there will be a process following that, which typically uh involves um several months to actually select and and on board a permanent uh person.

So thank you for the discussion today.

Thanks.

Um any discussion around the community safety.

I'm sorry, was there someone else?

Commissioner Balchak.

Um, thank you.

I just wanted if it's if I may um respond to clarify that when I'm using the service, I've been when I say reaching out to constituents, it's not for the departmental work, it's for the additional things that sometimes fall in the gray areas or require sometimes you have a constituent who's more upset or more need needs a little more uh conversation time and setting up an appointment or things like that.

So I just wanted to clarify that.

Thanks.

Um, so as um sorry, thank you, thank you, Lou.

Um so uh anyone want to have discussion on the um anticipated public safety uh funding.

We don't have it yet, so it's odd to have a briefing on something that may or may not exist.

And the purpose today was just to um reset expectations that we're not beginning the community engagement beginning in July, but we'll start in September.

Right.

And I know there were a lot of people in the public that as well that was expecting that process to start, so we wanted to be transparent about where we were.

Yep, great.

Uh Commissioner.

Um I agree, you know, it's an unknown, so thank you for the update, Mr.

Davis.

What I would say we do have a pretty robust list of either past safe winners or their community partners that we often bring together.

Is it if if it hasn't been done already, so let me not uh be presumptuous, but if it hasn't, could we just send them that detail of the timeline um just so folks know?

Yes, we plan to share the information after today's briefing.

Okay, wonderful.

Thank you.

Commissioner Purdue.

Thank you for the update.

Um a question for just clarity.

So um I'm looking at the slides uh discussing the intended uses um internally.

Uh could you just talk about how the external community grants program is related and different from the state task for task force grants?

Is this a new program?

Is this an extension?

So this is a new program, and when we briefed it during the budget, we I think the the largest distinction was around amount.

Um so the uh the grant amount and I'm gonna say the number, uh, but I don't have it in front of me, so uh I'll confirm if I'm incorrect.

But I believe the number we said was twenty thousand dollars was the uh minimum grant amount on on this.

So it's to fill a gap that didn't exist already.

So we had smaller grant amounts uh and other programs, including our neighborhood match fund, also I worked this down to the safe task force, but this would allow uh organizations or individuals that are navigating spaces and violence prevention um that require larger grant amounts to apply for this with addition additional parameters uh set in place.

So would you say that the pro you see the process being more like community development and the CBDG grants, for example?

So uh commissioner I can send you a copy of what we uh send the committee we can send the commission a copy of what that process was exactly, but uh going based off memory the way it was laid out, was very similar to our neighborhood match fund.

Uh-huh.

Uh so um there is a process where committee members will be able to apply during that what I believe now was the October period, uh they'll be able to apply for the grant.

There was a group of community members, I'm sorry, uh staff members involved in that space who would review those grant applications that included uh community development, the police department, the fire department, OPA.

Um, we would all be a part of uh that space to review those applications, um, and based off of that, uh we recognize the community members might come in with different amounts, right?

Each project needs a different thing.

We would evaluate what amount to give or if to award it, uh based on the criteria that we set, which is having first of all having a connection to Grand Rapids, um being work that is benefiting grandma pitians and also um falling within those dollar amounts and not fitting better with one of our other grant programs.

So we would evaluate all those things, and we also will have to evaluate it based off the state criteria, whatever that looks like once we receive it.

Which we don't have yet exactly.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, okay.

I think that ends our agenda, and we will recess into not we're not adjourned.

Oh, I'm sorry, Commissioner.

Another briefing.

Oh, I'm sorry, Joel.

Sorry.

I got too excited about moving into public into uh into our legal discussions.

So now our voting discussions, uh, city clerks coming up to brief us on 2026 elections.

Is there gonna be an election in 2026?

No.

I hadn't noticed.

Well, good morning, mayor and commissioners.

Uh just want to take this opportunity to update you and the public on the this 2026 election update.

Before I get into the meat of this, I just want to the community to be rest assured and you rest assured that I'm following what's going on nationally.

There's a lot of stuff that's going on as far as executive orders in lawsuits and various other things.

So a lot of things are unclear.

This is this is really rare to have unclear stuff, you know, five months before a general election for things happening.

Um there's things happening with the Postal Service.

Um so there's a lot of unknowns that we don't know about.

Um, but I'm following and monitoring it closely.

I watch closely the California primaries.

Nothing's changed in California how they've done their elections over the last four or five cycles.

But when things are close, then we look at so if the if the associated press declares a winner, then no one looks at the process for the days after the elections.

So the process isn't changed.

They just had a close mayoral election in in the city of Los Angeles, and it changed based on nothing changed.

They just had to go through the process.

So it wasn't like one candidate won and then it was taken away from them.

We had to go through the process.

AP could just could not the associate press could not just declare a winner.

Um and sometimes the media gets ahead of themselves by declaring winners, and we saw that happen in 2020.

And as um, but as we watch a lot all elections are national, and we're in a national news cycle.

Um so we have to remember that Michigan has different rules than Arizona has rules than that are different than what happens in Illinois and various other states.

So as we're watching these primaries go through the summer as we get ready for the midterms of November, we all have different processes to get there.

So we gotta remember the process of the process just because things are close we don't change our processes so that's that was my kind of prefix before we get into this because we've been watching some of this stuff and then how to respond how to respond to it.

Just to give a little reminder of where we are right now in the state of Michigan so propos proposal three of 2018 to go back um eight years is it gave us a right to a secret ballot straight party voting no reason absentee voting that was a big change for that one automatic voter registration same day registration and the military overseas ballots 45 days and then election audits and then in 2022 we had another proposal with proposal two it gave you a constitution another constitutional fundamental right to vote um early voting that was the big one for 2022 is adding early voting um photo ID or signing affidavit a single application for absentee ballots that's been a big change that everybody gets a anybody can sign up to be on that permanent list and we automatically mail you a ballot um the state pays for all the return postage for A V applications ballots we have draw boxes we had those before as well um and then military overseas voters can return their ballots up to six days after um the election if it's postmarked on time so unlike California where any they're doing any postmarked ours are only for military overseas ballots and then um we allows for private donations so we can get grants for doing elections and we've used those before um some there's some election or there's some legislative changes as well that's helped us we had now have early tabulation of absentee ballots that's the out of anything that's happened legislatively that's the one that's helped us a lot if you remember 2020 it took us a took us a while because we couldn't start absentee ballots until election morning and it took it we didn't get done until three o'clock on Wednesday because we had 6000 ballots to count um now we can start two Mondays ahead it lets us plan our work um election work um election inspectors aren't as tired as trying to you know work 48 hours and or getting people in and then training them and do what we need to do so this gives us um time to start on the front end California doesn't have that as well so there those are the things that are that are different um just looking back to to um previous november elections um you can see how it it has inverted from um all the way back in november 2016 we had almost a good majority of voters vote voting in the precinct with small absentees but with the changes of those proposals you can see in November 2024 um now we have more people that are voting before casting a ballot before election day or voting their ballot before election day than on actual election day so so and this gives just a little bit more breakdown of that 2024 election all right looking at the August 4 primary election this is probably the most um kind of a ballot that is can be a little bit confusing because Michigan does not have closed primaries we have like a semi-open primary so you have the republic you have a democratic column and column A, Republican column column B and then column C is for um any any nonpartisan or proposals so both both parties are on the same ballot you just can't cross over so this is for the August primary ballot.

So you can't vote for Republican governor and democratic U.S.

Center once you start voting in one column there is no crossover.

So once you so we get voters that spoil their ballots um if you make a mistake you can get a new ballot so that that's the one good thing for voters to know that if you make a mistake you can you can get another ballot and our tabulator if you put it in yourself will tell you if you made a an error so you cannot cross over, so you got to stay in your lane, either column A, column B.

And if you're an independent, you want to vote in that third column, you can do that.

You can skip the party sections altogether if you want to.

Also, to add a little bit more complexity to this ballot um we also have city elections this year um but not all the wards have primaries, only the first ward has a primary.

So you have three candidates that are are running the top two will move on to November.

Um and then I think we're also as we're going through in November, that first ward commissioner winner may be up for an appointment if the commission wants to do that.

That's up that's up to you at that point.

But that's kind of the process we're going with that vacancy in the first ward.

Um, so there is no so there will be no second ward, third ward, or city compontler on this August ballot.

So it might get a little bit interesting around that Garfield Park neighborhood area because you're probably gonna see a lot of signs in that those first ward precincts at precinct three and four, which are in the first ward, but right across the street is the third ward.

They're gonna say, How come I don't have those candidates on my ballot?

So that's that's part of it.

And then if this isn't already confusing enough, Grand Rapids Public Schools has a sinking fund millage on the ballot in August as well, which means we'll have split precinct for those that have other school districts.

So you'll have so almost all the ballots in Grand Rapids will have a school issue.

So, but for example, precinct 38 in the second ward.

Um, since part of that's forest hill schools, they won't see anything in the third column.

So they'll just have the Republican, the Democratic column, the Republican column, and that's it, because there's no there's no second ward primary, and there's no um school millage.

So clear.

I tried to make it as simple as it is, but it is a it is a complex, August is a complex election, and then we have precinct delegates that are on the backside for each party as well.

All right, so now that we know about August, just quickly over the November 3 general election ballot.

This is where you can choose any candidate that you want.

You can vote a straight party, you can split the ticket, you can do a mixed ticket, just vote your candidates.

We'll have all the judicial city, local educational boards, you know, GRCC, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Kentwood Public Schools, all those school boards.

Um, there's two proposals so far that are gonna be on the ballot.

The first one is the constitutional convention.

Um, the constitution of Michigan puts in there that says every 16 years, they're gonna ask um the voters um, do you want to go through this constitutional process again?

This is the only proposal I know that labor and and commerce are together on it, so um Michigan Chamber of Commerce is heavily out against it, as is um AFL CIO UAW.

So this is one of those rare times where um folks that are usually battling are working together.

Um, and the other one is the museum zoomillage for Kent County.

There are some other um proposals that are out in the field or have turned in petitions.

We're just waiting for to see what those will be.

Um early voting for August election, we're gonna have nine days of it starting July 25th through August 2 at Ottawa Hills High School, GRPS University, St.

Peter and Paul School.

So same locations that we had in 2024, and the same time frames that we used.

So that's that.

And then November, we're gonna add four more days.

We found out at starting early voting on a Saturday was was difficult to do.

Um for the first, first of all, we didn't have IT departments ready to go.

So if we were having computer issues, also if we need office supplies um running to all the staples, just it just was it was unanticipated how popular it was gonna be on that first Saturday.

So we're gonna start on Tuesday, October 20, and we start at like 11 o'clock at 8 a.m.

And that gives us time to get going, and then we'll go all the way through Sunday, November 1st.

So we're adding four more days of early voting and a fourth location.

We're gonna be at New Hope Baptist Church.

Um, so that's gonna be a good partnership to um to work with that.

Absentee voting, um, military overseas voters.

Um, the 45 days is this Saturday, so we'll be monitoring we'll get those absentee ballots out.

Um, we have absentee ballots available now.

We're in the process of getting those ready for delivery.

So um staff is busy getting those um prepared to be mailed.

We have a permanent application list and a permanent ballot list based on how what the voters want.

Ballots can be returned in draw boxes by the mail at the clerk's office, or this is the best of the both worlds.

This is kind of like hybrid voting.

We will mail you an absentee ballot.

You can take time to research all the things you want to know what a con is, or um what a sinking fund millage, and you want to say take some time.

You have time to stuff to study the ballot, and then but you want to put it in the tabulator stuff, so you want to have that that precinct um experience as well.

You can bring your absentee ballot and put it through the tabulator yourself.

So it's kind of that kind of that nice hybrid method for that.

Um ballots are tabulated for ballots that get returned to us.

Ballots are um tabulated at the absentee voter counting board, and we we got up to eight days to tabulate now instead of trying to be tired and cram everything in one day.

Um election day is August 4 and November 3.

Those are the days um so polls are open, 7 a.m.

to 8 p.m.

Anyone in line can still vote.

All 59 precincts will be open.

A couple of polling location updates.

Um you approved at the your the last meeting a new polling location for precinct nine at new vintage place um on the west side.

So um what used to be at stocking school um in that precinct was and then precinct 38.

Um we had to make a change, we had to make an emergency change after you approved um the list at the last one is but it's already polling location you approved.

Um Yankee Clipper got flooded, their basement got flooded.

So they we at your last meeting you also approved a contract construction contract to fix that room.

So um just for this election, we are going to um move precinct 38 to Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, and then precinct 51, which is normally at Kenoche, that's still under construction.

So for this year, um for August and November, they'll be at um Brookside's Christian Reformed Church.

Voters have all been mailed notices of the updates, and we'll have postings at those locations as well.

So we want you to know before you go.

There's some great resources out there to prepare yourself for elections.

Um so you can go to Grand Rapids MI.gov for slash GR votes.

You can look at current election information, you can apply to be an election inspector, learn about early and absentee voting.

Ward precinct maps are there, and you can look at past election results.

Um, the Bureau of Elections um website, Michigan.gov forward slash vote.

You can check your voter information, apply for an absentee ballot, register vote, find your polling location.

The big one is you can view or view a sample ballot.

A lot of times we see the voters' eyes go wide because they came in to vote for governor or president or whatever, or in 2018, they wanted to vote for weed.

I mean, that's what people came in and asked for, and then they see all these other things, and they're like, What's a drain commissioner?

What's this or that?

You know, these various other things.

Um, so you know, get a sample ballot, um, know before you know, and then um the Kent County election also has their website for Kent County Votes uh.com where you can look at campaign finance.

So who's supporting the candidates?

Um, if you want to know who's supporting city ward or city commissioners, who's supporting the comptrollers' candidates.

Um you can go there and look at their campaign finance report.

So um that's another um way you can do that.

Um you can also go to the state website, uh a state website to look at legislative candidates to see what they're um who they're support.

So to get ready for all this information, um, we have a contract with well design to help us do social media messaging.

So this is kind of our um calendar.

If you kind of saw we had some messages come out last week about registering and uh marking your calendar.

So we've already had a couple of those messages go out by social media, and so this is our media um posting schedule, and we've been preparing um different things as well.

Um, this is like what one of those carousels looks like for absentee voting.

Um, so you would have a carousel either for these will be Facebook ads and um so we Facebook ads and Instagram ads.

And this is look another one, but you can see the English and the Spanish version of that.

And in the November elections, we actually we actually buy um Facebook and Instagram ads, um, and we do and they do whatever those fancy algorithms they are to place the ads, they also do it in for Spanish speaking um Facebook and Instagram things as well.

And then we're also working on um recording some short videos.

So we show we shot a bunch of short videos um out on the caller up here of messages about upcoming elections.

We're gonna also shoot another series of short clip videos that we'll share later.

If and we'll do those at different locations, like um today is early voting, today is election day, all those various things.

Make sure you sign your envelope for your absentee ballot, like so.

Like so here's an example of one of those um ads.

Hi, I'm city clerk Joel Honor.

And I want you to come help me on election day or an early voting or absentee voting counting board to serve your fellow Grand Rapids residents working in the elections.

It's easiest time to become an election inspector.

Just go to Grandrapids MI.gov forward slash GR votes.

You can sign up online, it's easy.

We'll train you, and it'll be a great way that you can serve your fellow Grand Rapidian.

So just a short just a short video to um and we'll though there'll be other short videos like that of all these other things that we're going through.

So that's it.

Wow.

They didn't do that, Lou, after your presentation.

Don't stand nobody ever clap for you.

That's right.

Any any question, Commissioner Saucy.

Thank you, City Clerk.

Um I know a couple of people who are here last week for some training to be election workers, and um, I'm glad to see that you know, making it such so important, but also making it fun and um appreciate you.

I think um it's great to have these plans.

Just a reminder to all of us, you know, uh Mr.

Hondorf is also is often across the state and even the country seen as you know a go-to person to be able to um provide insight to other municipalities around voting, um and a reminder that the clerk's office doesn't just work on voting, but that's you know, something that we're often most concerned about.

I think my question is that as a broader question for for all of us, and you know, mayor as an attorney, and we have our um we have our city attorney up here.

I think this election is gonna present other challenges.

You know, we can be very, very prepared, um, and we can say, what did we do in all these days?

But I'm concerned about you know, potentially litigation that may come forth to cities like ours um and our state because the state is is really important in these midterm elections.

So I'd love for us to continue that conversation about um I've talked to some other uh folks in more in the nonprofit world, but in that funding world about how to support municipalities around you know potential litigation that we might face and all of those things that are a little bit out of our control, but how do we support you know the city and department in those efforts?

So, um I I had the odd experience of um being in the state legislature on oversight committee after the 2020 election, and to have um Rudy Giuliani come in and testify with a straight face in front of our committee that um 700,000 fraudulent votes were cast in the city of Detroit, at which point I pointed out there were only six hundred thousand people living in Detroit, so unless pixies and fairies and gnomes were voting, um that was a tough number to reconcile.

Um, but uh, and then he brought in people who um I sort of felt like it was in the the movie The Sixth Sense where people were talking about seeing dead people.

They were um there were people who uh he brought in to testify about mysterious things going on in Detroit and how um they had seen people take the same ballots and cycle them through the machine again and again and again.

So um we're living in in a world where people can you can get people to simply fabricate uh uh information, make up their own facts, uh, assert things that clearly aren't true.

Um, and I think the most important thing that all of us can do, frankly, is be possible potential witnesses to this.

So I think it's important, frankly, for all of us, and I would hope that all of us would take time on, particularly in in the November election, which is likely gonna be the flash point election.

Um to simply be able to be in for those post-litigation to be like, Well, I was at the polling location in the third ward, and um, you know, uh Rudy Giuliani was not there, and uh this is what I saw.

So I think that the ability to be a direct witness um to what I am you know beyond 100% confident we're gonna have, which is a regular, carefully and legally administered election process.

Um I think I think honestly our our our greatest threat in litigation is going to be people making up their own facts.

And so uh I know that our city clerk is is on this, and I know you're going to do this the right way, um, but I think that having having witnesses um who who are gonna be able to convey that narrative, and I hope it won't be necessary, but I think that um all uh those of us who can who are who can be prepared to stand up and to put it simply defend democracy by by being witnesses to a free and fair election.

Um I think that's I think that's a real issue, and I say that because I lived through that testimony, and it was it was a strange experience.

Um, so um, and and you know, uh uh Rudy Giuliani again was asked if he had all this information, why didn't he ask for a paper recount?

And his answer was, well, they would have just lied about it some other way.

Well, you can't you can't really respond to uh paranoid narrative and and get rid of it entirely because they'll just come up with another conspiracy theory altern uh narrative, but we can at least stand and be witnesses to actual non-hallucinogenic reality.

Um, and you know, the the community elected up all everybody up in this diet uh well, all the commissioners up on this diet, and you know, I would hope the community the community's got some faith in us to be truth tellers, and I think that that's gonna be a really really potentially important truth-telling moment.

So, and I hope we can get other members of the community to to do that work too.

Not poll challengers, not poll watchers, but um election validators, if you want to put it that way, all of a sudden I think we may need that new role in our community.

So, Commissioner Knight, you wanted to.

Uh yes, Mayor, um, thank you, Joe, for that uh presentation.

I think it's really important to your point, Mayor, um, in this time, and especially for the young people here in the room to understand how this democratic um system works in voting for the people who are out doing the work and campaigning for your support.

Um personally, even just in this last week, we have witnessed people that have created stories and done things to disrupt that process, and so um it's it's very interesting to sit back and watch that even up close and we think about you know the history of voting and how uh black and brown people were always trying to be eliminated out of that with by different um tools that people use to keep their voice down and silence their voice.

And I think it's uh really good that our young people are able to hear about this process, but also to understand how important it is for you to be engaged in this work.

It's not a sit back and just watch it happen.

This uh when you stand up and you utilize your voice and you cast your vote, it is important to understand that this impacts your future.

It impacts your future, it impacts your future children's future, your friends, your family, and everybody around you.

And so the democratic democratic process is necessary to continue to move forward, and I hope that we as a body can continue uh to do that work with honesty and with integrity, and understanding that uh we live in a time where every one of those rights are trying to be stripped away from us again.

But we as a people have shown that we are always a first, and we are the ones that will stand up no matter what the situation is, and continue to fight for the things that we are doing when we talk about the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as it pertains to each and every person, everybody deserves that equal right.

And um, I continue to hope that our young people understand that this is a process for them to be engaged with and continue to bring them into that space.

So thank you.

Commissioner Purdue and then Commissioner Belcher.

Thank you.

Thank you for the update.

Um I want to go back to something that you said at the beginning.

You talked about national uncertainty.

Okay, um, and you mentioned post office decisions, and you mentioned on the timing of when elections can be called after all the votes are counted.

Are there any other national trends or conversations that you're following?

Those are those are those are kind of the big ones.

It but I monitoring like what's so I get it like a I read a daily thing of stories that are going on around the country because like what lawsuits like did one city have like five-hour lines at an early voting place, and what was the issue for that?

Could be they only had one thing for a whole you know, could you imagine if you only had one early voting site for all of Kent County?

Right.

Like that would be there would be issues and things with that.

So what what's happening?

What other what decisions are counties or local governments or states making that makes things harder or easier and um are they related or are they unrelated?

I'm just I'm just monitoring.

Um and then I'm part of a group called Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions.

Um Dean Logan, who's the the registrar in LA County.

So it's been interesting because this is somebody that I know personally, and I've toured their their facility.

So I know what's going on there.

So um that that gives credence when someone asks me like what's going on there, I can actually like tell them because I as the mayor said I witnessed it, I witnessed what there's uh what their stuff looks like, and I know their process because I was there.

Um not during the election time, but at other times, and I think it's gonna be that kind of thing too.

It's just these are these are people that can lean on to like I heard this is this true or not, and I can relay it back if we if we if it gets to that point.

Okay, thank you.

And then secondly, um, I am let's go back to talk about election day and polling locations.

Um so you mentioned some of the changes due to construction and that those voters will be contacted by mail.

Yep.

Um I'm curious will their voter registration card change, or is this just a only the one for new vintage place?

So because that was an actual change in the polling, but the construction the other construction ones, they got a postcard that says you have a temporary location.

However, we change it in the qualified voter file for this election.

There's a space inside the qualified voter file called election geography, where we can we where we're telling voters about this election.

So if you go to Michigan.gov forward slash vote and look up yourself, it'll tell you to go to these new places.

Okay, so it's not a permanent geography, it's a temporary geography.

And then will there be signs at locations on the day of just in case folks didn't.

Yeah, so we so that's part that's part of the that says if you move a location due to an emergency or whatever, you post it the other place of where to go.

Okay.

One thing that I'm thinking about um is you know, if you've been voting for a number of years, you're typically in a routine, right?

You're not re-looking at your polling location.

Um, you know, you just you've been doing this at least one or two times a year for 10 plus years, and so particularly for those folks who are impacted by uh precinct changes and particularly some of the closing and consolidation that was done last year.

Um, I'm wondering how information around that um might be shared, and particularly as you talked about the social media campaign, um, might there be a chance to add um some of the promotion and information around hey, for some people, XMR people, your polling location has changed.

So though you might not have looked at this because you've been putting voting at the same place for the last 20 years, look at it this year because it might have changed.

Yeah.

So the first thing we did, and we said this last year when we did we everybody got a new card, but obviously that was a year and a half ago now.

And so that's a that's a good point of that's why I I do this know before you go type thing is um so there'll be stuff I'll be pushing heavily on Michigan.gov forward slash vote.

I do think it's important to explicitly say we'll have hat changes, so make sure you check so you don't have any challenges on election day or even before.

That's a good idea.

And we're shooting some more videos, so I will take that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate that.

Okay, before just go ahead.

Just uh commissioners, I want to remind you we have a 12 30 public safety committee meeting, and we are trying not to adjust it given we've moved the topic a couple times, and I think the city attorney has five items for closed session.

Okay.

I I only have a couple comments, and I just want to concur that I think that looking at this um this uh well-designed media social media posting, these are the you know, typical things, and I think that commissioner um Purdue is is got some really valid points here, and um it would be very easy to have them add some more social media to say, hey, check your check your polling locations, no not just the no before you go, but like you know, some like warning kind of cute things and as well as your videos.

So just wanted to cooperate that and then um I also just um wanted to make first of all, for the young folks that are in our audience from the Urban league.

I want to piggyback on what commissioner Knight was saying.

Um we have as a as a body as a commission, we um have four employees, and our city clerk is one of them.

So when he's up here presenting, he's actually talking to his bosses as is a city manager.

So it's really um great, Joel, to see a wonderful um in-depth presentation and always evaluate your expertise here.

Um I do have a question because I want to be clear about the primary election.

Um the this is so that we can distinguish between uh contested races within a party.

So tell that's column C is nonpartisan, that's where the city and the other things will be.

So in column C on this August ballot, we'll either be first ward city commissioner or no no city commissioner, so or it could be blank, or in the Grand Rapids Public Schools sinking fund millage.

So it's in column C.

And so in theory, people should pick column A or column B plus column C.

There you go.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

I'm gonna uh move us into closed session.