Alder Woman Marina Dmitrievich.

I'll be chairing this committee.

Alderman Russell Stamper the second is excused.

I'm the vice chair person.

I'm joined virtually by Alderman Mark Chambers Jr., also Alder Woman Charlotte Moore, who is in route.

In person, we have Alderman DeAndre Jackson.

And that does provide us a quorum to begin the community and economic development committee meeting, and that's set for Wednesday, July 22nd at one thirty PM.

We are starting at one thirty-three.

We'll start with item number one.

Okay, looks like we have somebody here from the public library.

If you want to go ahead.

So it's a it's a lot of um just attendance, and then we'll also be doing some focus groups at the clinics and in the libraries to talk about barriers and for families to actually get into the library, um, although they're able to get to the clinics, and then um one citywide activity that we're planning is for a big play date at the central library, um giving um families a place to come with their um babies toddlers and preschoolers on a Saturday afternoon to um see how play serves as early learning and then how they can take that in.

So we'll be looking at um who attends that, getting zip codes to see where we're reaching with that messaging across the city, um, and then we'll be looking at Biller's bearing but hope to see if story time attendance or the circulation of materials um does increase with um additional families visiting up the libraries.

Okay, I'll move it around for more questions and comments.

I think this is exceptional.

Great innovation, great partnership.

Um city government should be doing more small pilots, testing it and then seeing if it works out and applying larger.

Um I'll probably want to meet with you a little bit because I have some other ideas to add on top of this, but um, I'm really excited to see how this works out, and um congratulations for finding a private um partner to work with.

So um Alder Woman Moore will move adoption.

Let me go around to see if any members, since so many people are virtual, you may need to just unmute yourself and let me know if you have any questions on item one.

I see no questions, and Alder Woman Moore moves adoption of item one.

Any questions on adoption?

Any objections to adoption?

Hearing none so ordered.

Thank you.

And look for a meeting request for me probably after the August break.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Item two, 260420 resolution relating to the use and allocation of the 2026 community development block grant funds awarded to the City of Milwaukee Youth Council.

This is sponsored by Alderman Stamper.

Um, and I would ask the um wonderful people at the microphone to introduce yourself and then begin.

Um good afternoon, uh Chairwoman.

Uh Madam Chair, this is uh Mario Higgins from the community development grants administration.

And Madam Chair Jim Ozarski, City Clerk.

Thank you.

Please uh let us know about this program and this um allocation for 2026.

Madam Chair and members, uh it is this is now the 20th year that the City of Milwaukee Youth Council has fulfilled its obligation under the the code of the city of Milwaukee.

One of its charges is on an annual basis to make an allocation for a percentage of that money.

It's an and it's a recommendation.

I want to be clear a recommendation to the Common Council for an allocation of a portion of the City of Milwaukee CDBG funds allocated to youth services.

Uh you have their recommendations before you.

This is the tail end of a of a long process.

They begin with learning about CDBG, learning the ethics of CDBG and the procedures of CDBG, but then eventually they have to come down and I want to particularly commend Mr.

Higgins and all the folks, particularly John and Dina and everybody in his office that has been working directly with the youth council, informing them about their obligations, teaching them about these different grant groups that are being given this money and getting us to this point.

Um and it was at their last regular meeting that they unanimously recommended these two recommendations to you.

Okay.

Anything else to add there?

Madam Chair.

Um yes, please, Mr.

Higgins.

Uh uh, thank you.

Um, I think my staff actually really enjoy working with the young people on these allocations on taking and going through the process with them.

Um so I commend the uh council and um and city clerk's office for their efforts.

Alder Woman Moore uh is always present at those those meetings.

Uh so uh uh kudos to her as well.

Um we really just try to make sure we have a really good process and get them to understand it, and um they do.

Um and they really are already always ready to hold uh the funded groups accountable as well.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Um Alder Woman Moore, anything to offer?