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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Grand Rapids Fiscal Committee Meeting - October 6, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, October 6, 2026

BodyGrand Rapids, Michigan

SessionMeeting Portal

DateTuesday, October 6, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 14:10

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:02

Good morning, everyone.

0:03

The time is now 8 30, and we can go ahead and call our fiscal committee meeting to order.

0:07

First up is a resolution approving an agreement with the Michigan Green Building Collaboration Collaborative to accept 210,099 in funding for the Office of Sustainability to hire a full-time staff member.

Unassigned speaker

0:21

Do you

Speaker 1

0:21

have a motion?

0:22

So moved.

0:22

Support.

0:23

Moved and supported.

0:23

Ms.

0:23

Wilkinson.

Speaker 2

0:24

Thank you.

0:25

Good morning, Commissioners.

0:26

Morning.

0:26

It's a resolution approving agreement with the Michigan Green Building Collaborative, formerly known as the U.S.

0:31

Green Building Council of West Michigan to accept funding for the Office of Sustainability to hire a staff person.

0:36

The Michigan Green Building Collaborative accepted grant dollars from the WEGE Foundation on behalf of our EHero Initiative, Equitable Healthy, and Zero Carbon Buildings, uh joint partnership with the Michigan Green Building Collaborative and the Urban Core Collective to address decarbonization of both our commercial and our residential building sector.

0:54

This staff person, a commercial sustainability specialist, will help support our business community as well as help us increase capacity to address our buildings and industry chapter of our climate action and adaptation plan.

Speaker 1

1:05

Thank you so much for that overview.

1:07

Questions?

1:08

Commissioner?

Speaker 3

1:09

Well, just a comment.

1:10

Thank you, Ms.

1:11

Miss Wilkinson, uh, for your work on this.

1:13

I really appreciate it.

1:14

I think it's uh an awesome opportunity for the community to see that this is not a city investment, uh, that we are getting uh outside investments for this work and working with community partners with no undue stress on homeowners, business owners, uh versus you know, it's a uh funding and outside funding source.

1:34

So very happy to see that and further shows that you know there's no penalties for the climate action adaptation plan and our office is finding very innovative ways to do this work.

1:45

So thank you for that.

1:46

Thank

Unassigned speaker

1:46

you, Mishnah.

Speaker 4

1:48

Yes, Commissioner.

1:50

I just want to say thank you for your hard work.

1:52

I'm really excited to see that we're adding to our staff.

1:54

I agree with my colleague on the funding mechanisms and all that, but I think that your department is incredibly vital for what we're doing as a city and as a community.

2:03

And so anything time we can be, you know, supporting the work of our climate action plan or our sustainability work or all these things, I really appreciate it.

2:12

So thank you.

Unassigned speaker

2:13

Thank you,

Speaker 2

2:13

Commissioner.

Speaker 1

2:14

Thank you so much.

2:15

And I'll just say I echo my those comments.

2:18

All those in favor?

2:19

Aye.

2:19

Aye.

2:20

Any opposed item carries.

2:21

Thanks so much.

2:22

Um, item number two is a resolution executing a $70,000 agreement with Seafirth PR and Carbon Stories to create a colleges possible PR marketing and community engagement campaign for um OCC's two college through college initiative and accepting a donation by Matt Rich and Hall.

Unassigned speaker

2:39

Do you

Speaker 1

2:39

have a motion?

Speaker 5

2:40

So moved to support.

Speaker 1

2:41

Moved and supported, Miss Harris.

Speaker 5

2:43

Good morning, good morning.

2:44

So, as you mentioned, our community's children manages the two college through college leadership council as well as the T2C Studio, Gardner Epicenter for College Success.

2:52

So we've never had a project quite like this before.

2:55

Uh with this project, we will partner with Seaford PR, who also subcontract with uh Carbon Stories to produce a college's possible PR marketing and scholar engagement campaign.

3:05

And so our target audience is GRPS scholars and families, and we want to drive home the absolute fact that college degree attainment is still relevant and achievable with a village, which can include our T2C studio.

3:17

And so we'll be leaning on storytelling, uh leaving a digital footprint, uh affordability, uh, and really talking about the return on uh investment.

3:27

And so this is our project, and we're excited to get started.

Speaker 1

3:32

Great.

3:32

Congratulations.

3:33

Thank you for overview, colleagues, questions, commissioner.

Speaker 3

3:37

Yes, thank you, madam chair.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Economic Development█████████████████████████████████████████████45%

Procedural█████████████████████████████29%

Public Engagement███████████11%

Workforce Development████████8%

Fiscal Sustainability███████7%

Summary of Proceedings

Grand Rapids Fiscal Committee Meeting - October 6, 2026

The Grand Rapids Fiscal Committee met at 8:30 AM on October 6, 2026, and adjourned at 8:44 AM. The committee approved four resolutions and received two fiscal reports, covering a sustainability staffing grant, a college-access marketing campaign, a budget substitution, the bid list, the comptroller's warrant report, and the treasurer's economic report.

Resolutions

Office of Sustainability Grant: The committee approved a resolution accepting $210,099 from the Michigan Green Building Collaborative (formerly the U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan). Ms. Wilkinson said the funds, originally provided by the WEGE Foundation, support the EHero Initiative (Equitable Healthy and Zero Carbon Buildings), a joint partnership with the Urban Core Collective. The money will hire a full-time commercial sustainability specialist to support the business community and the buildings and industry chapter of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Several commissioners voiced strong support, emphasizing that outside funding places no stress on homeowners or business owners.
Colleges Possible Campaign: The committee approved a $70,000 agreement with Seafirth PR (also transcribed as 'Seaford PR') and Carbon Stories for a 'Colleges Possible' PR, marketing, and scholar-engagement campaign for the Our Community's Children (OCC) Two College Through College initiative, and accepted a donation from Matt Rich and Hall. Ms. Harris said the campaign will target GRPS scholars and families, using storytelling, a digital footprint, affordability, and return on investment to show that college degree attainment is relevant and achievable.
Budget Substitution: The committee approved a $115,000 budget substitution for a Cesar Chavez Hall construction project by shifting funds from other capital projects. Staff described it as a simple fund movement.
Bid List: The committee approved the October 6, 2026, bid list. Ms. Claren reported seven routine items, including extensions such as Routeware and ImageTrend.

Reports

Comptroller's Warrant Report and Monthly Travel Report: Received and filed for September 8-21, 2026. Cash payments totaled $37,060,657.57, including $6.2 million in payroll, 380 income tax warrants, 429 income tax refunds, and 1,241 accounts payable checks.
Treasurer's Report: Received and filed for September 9-22, 2026. The treasurer reported that the city is stable, with $714 million invested at 3.44% and about $90 million in reserve funds invested at over 5% for maturities of 12-60 months. He noted a positive outlook on interest earnings, with investments in highly rated U.S. Treasuries, agencies, and municipal bonds. He discussed the 25-basis-point rate hike, strong jobs reports, and expectations that the Fed would hold rates in October with a possible adjustment later in the year. He noted the federal government is funded through December 11 and that the city must monitor federal and state funding sources. He reported national average fuel prices at $4.53 (46 cents below the high point) and unemployment around 5% nationally, 4.3% in West Michigan and the state, and about 4.1% locally. He said inflation remains above the Fed's 2% target and predicted the Fed would raise the federal funds rate from 3.75% to 4.0% or beyond, since interest rates are the Fed's main tool. In response to a commissioner's question about cost pressures on families, the treasurer cited rising input, diesel, and food-transportation costs.

Public Comments & Testimony

No formal public comment was taken. When someone raised a hand during the bid-list discussion, the chair stated it was not time for public comment and offered to connect after the meeting.

Key Outcomes

Approved all four resolutions by voice vote with no audible opposition.
Received and filed the warrant report, monthly travel report, and treasurer's report.
Adjourned at 8:44 AM.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everyone. The time is now 8 30, and we can go ahead and call our fiscal committee meeting to order. First up is a resolution approving an agreement with the Michigan Green Building Collaboration Collaborative to accept 210,099 in funding for the Office of Sustainability to hire a full-time staff member. Do you have a motion? So moved. Support. Moved and supported. Ms. Wilkinson. Thank you. Good morning, Commissioners. Morning. It's a resolution approving agreement with the Michigan Green Building Collaborative, formerly known as the U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan to accept funding for the Office of Sustainability to hire a staff person. The Michigan Green Building Collaborative accepted grant dollars from the WEGE Foundation on behalf of our EHero Initiative, Equitable Healthy, and Zero Carbon Buildings, uh joint partnership with the Michigan Green Building Collaborative and the Urban Core Collective to address decarbonization of both our commercial and our residential building sector. This staff person, a commercial sustainability specialist, will help support our business community as well as help us increase capacity to address our buildings and industry chapter of our climate action and adaptation plan. Thank you so much for that overview. Questions? Commissioner? Well, just a comment. Thank you, Ms. Miss Wilkinson, uh, for your work on this. I really appreciate it. I think it's uh an awesome opportunity for the community to see that this is not a city investment, uh, that we are getting uh outside investments for this work and working with community partners with no undue stress on homeowners, business owners, uh versus you know, it's a uh funding and outside funding source. So very happy to see that and further shows that you know there's no penalties for the climate action adaptation plan and our office is finding very innovative ways to do this work. So thank you for that. Thank you, Mishnah. Yes, Commissioner. I just want to say thank you for your hard work. I'm really excited to see that we're adding to our staff. I agree with my colleague on the funding mechanisms and all that, but I think that your department is incredibly vital for what we're doing as a city and as a community. And so anything time we can be, you know, supporting the work of our climate action plan or our sustainability work or all these things, I really appreciate it. So thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you so much. And I'll just say I echo my those comments. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed item carries. Thanks so much. Um, item number two is a resolution executing a $70,000 agreement with Seafirth PR and Carbon Stories to create a colleges possible PR marketing and community engagement campaign for um OCC's two college through college initiative and accepting a donation by Matt Rich and Hall. Do you have a motion? So moved to support. Moved and supported, Miss Harris. Good morning, good morning.

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