I'm going to call this meeting of uh committee of the whole to order and um I'm going to our first item of business is a proclamation uh regarding welcoming week.

So I'm gonna go up to the dais and read that, and I don't know that I see Mr.

Davis here.

But can you come down, please?

Sierra, can you come down to the podium, please?

So I will preface this by saying that I'm gonna read a proclamation on welcoming week.

Um, but this is uh part of our larger framework of what I'll say is our commitment to making it very, very clear that everyone who's a resident in our community uh is equally valued and respected, and um and what we have a vision at least that everyone in our community is equally supported.

And um there's always more work to do in that in that uh space.

And um and we all know from personal experience that it's one thing to have have someone say that you're welcome, it's another thing to feel welcomed and to feel uh uh real uh real inclusion.

And I don't I don't know that I want to say ownership because I'm not really all that into owning things, but um feeling like you're an equal member of the community and you have an equal voice.

And um how we know people in Grand Rapids are entitled to that is if they are residents.

Uh not if they are we don't have passports in Grand Rapids and we don't have uh citizenship requirements, we have uh residency.

And so people, everyone who is a resident of our city uh is part of our welcoming vision, and of course, welcoming means we want other people to join the party.

Uh we are excited to be a city that really says to people out everywhere in the world that we would love to have you join us here.

We we're proud of our city and we're working to make it better, but we hope it's inviting and welcoming enough that other people will want to join us and be residents of our city.

So I'll read the proclamation.

Whereas the success of Grand Rapids depends on ensuring that all Grand Rapidians are welcome and that new Grand Rapidians remain a vital part of our community, and a lot of long time alongside our longtime residents, they bring at bring ideas, start businesses, serve in civic roles and contribute to our diversity.

And whereas in January 2019, the City of Grand Rapids, in collaboration with the immigrant community, organizational partners, and with support from Gateways for Growth, embarked on a journey to create a welcoming plan for our city.

And whereas to fully embrace diversity as an asset, our community must create policies and a culture that ensure that everyone belongs and thrives.

This includes addressing disparities, countering hate, understanding history, and helping neighbors come together.

Whereas Grand Rapids stands against racism, xenophobia, and all forms of othering that threaten our collective well-being, health, and prosperity.

We acknowledge that by fostering a welcoming community for all, we enhance the city's prosperity and social well-being for current and future generations.

And whereas during the last year, the city has partnered with refugee and immigrant organizations to implement a range of initiatives that reduce barriers to integration, strengthening community bonds through events and festivals and foster full participation of new Americans.

And whereas the City of Grand Rapids is a member of the welcoming plan steering committee, and during the last three years has committed financial and staff resources to support the West Michigan Welcome Plan, and in its current year has reaffirmed its commitment to support immigrant and refugee-focused initiatives to build trust and understanding between government and neighbors who may fail face cultural, linguistic, and institutional obstacles to civic engagement.

And whereas the theme of Welcoming Week in 2026 is stories we share, the courage to connect, and it's focused on the courageous work of being together in vulnerability to welcome others to be seen and make our community stronger.

Now, therefore, I, David Le Grand, mayor of the City of Grand Rapids, to hereby proclaim September 10 to 19, 2026 is welcoming week in Grand Rapids and call on residents and stakeholders to join together to build stronger communities and relationships with all our neighbors.

Renew our commitment to our common values and take actions in the spirit of welcoming.

Thank you, Mayor, and good morning.

Uh commission, city manager, friends and family, community.

Just wanted to say a few words.

First of all, it is an honor to join everyone here today as we recognize Welcome and Week here in the city of Grand Rapids.

Welcoming week is a national opportunity to celebrate the many backgrounds, cultures, languages, experiences, and perspectives that make Grand Rapids stronger.

Being welcoming is more than simply inviting people into our community.

It means creating a place where people feel that they belong, where they can participate, contribute, access services, and know that their voice matters.

This is why we support the West Michigan Welcome Plant and other community partners at networks that help make Grand Rapids feel like home to a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds.

Welcoming week also reminds us that building an inclusive community is something that must happen over time and with many hands.

It is something we build together through our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our schools, our businesses, our community organizations, and our interactions with each other.

For that reason, we are excited to continue working as a city on the language inclusion policy and other tools for staff to build our cultural competency as public servants so that we can have more meaningful interactions with all of Grand Rapids diverse communities.

But we have an upcoming partnership with the disability advocates of Kent County, and some programming with the Michigan local government Latino Network Employee Research Group for Latina Heritage Month.

Grand Rapids is at its best when everyone has the opportunity to belong and participate.

So finally, I encourage all of us to take the spirit of welcoming week and the stories we share theme beyond this celebration.

To be curious about one another, to listen to perspectives different from our own, and to look for opportunities to make our community a little more welcoming for all.

And at this time, I'd like to invite uh Mr.

Omar from the chamber to say a few words as well.

Thank you so much.

Um, City Manager and City Attorney.

Um was at the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, and like to thank you all for the support that you've provided to our Kent County welcome plan.

It's we're in the ninth year of this welcome plan.

This work that uh is uh is challenging work, but it was always done with the intent to ensure that we align our priorities around population growth, economic vitality, not forgetting about the human element that's at the center of all this.

A welcome plan that was created with immigrant and refugees, making sure that their voices were heard from the beginning, identifying even literacy issues, technology literacy, to ensure that we're having focus groups, uh working with centers of influence in our community, and making sure that we heard um different voices uh as we um put together this welcome plan.

It's about uh educational attainment, economic prosperity, safe and connected communities, equitable access to services, and the work that the welcome plan steering committee and the different workers have done has moved this work forward.

We don't want to let perfection be the enemy of progress.

We know there's still so much to do.

We are in a journey, but the goal has always been to make sure that Kent County and the City of Grand Rapids is best in class when it comes to making sure people feel like they belong.

And this work is uh never ending, and we want to thank you all on behalf of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce for being collaborative partners in this work.

Uh, this morning as we celebrate this moment in time, a welcome week, but it's a reminder that it's just not limited to one week.

Welcoming is done in the small moments.

Uh it's where we shop, it's when we interact with individuals to make sure that we do something, an act of kindness to make sure people feel like Grand Rapids is their city because it's always greater here in Grand Rapids.

So thank you so much this morning.

We do a picture.