Good afternoon.

We will start with prayer and pledge.

Prayer be led by Councilman Ball.

Thank you.

In the name of God, most gracious, the most merciful.

God, please guide us on the right path, the path of those who have bestowed your blessings, and not of those who go astray.

Lord, please look over the city of Saginaw, all the people that live here, all the people that work here, and all the people that worship and play here.

And Lord, please give us the wisdom and the knowledge to select the best candidate for the city council today.

And we ask you to do this in your name.

Amen.

Under God with the original justice.

Madam Claire Row call, please.

Councilmember Seals.

Present.

Councilmember Balls.

President.

Mayor Pro Tem Garcia.

President.

Councilmember Astash.

Present.

Councilmember Braddock.

Present.

Councilmember Wiggins.

Present.

Councilmember Hammond.

Present.

And Mayor Moore.

Present.

You have eight members present.

Okay.

The purpose of the committee of the whole is to conduct interviews on qualified applicants for city council vacancy seat.

Applications were radically drawn for the order of the interview.

Each applicant will be given 15 minutes for their interview, and the time will be kept by the clerk.

We have asked that the applicants remain in separate rooms until they are called by city staff to honor the interview process and to provide equal opportunities for all applicants.

Council is asked to honor the proceedings as well by refraining from using cell phones, tech phone, emailing while conducting interviews.

We are welcome.

You are welcome to remain in the audience to attend our remainder of the remainder of the committee of the whole session.

Madam Clerk.

Mayor, our first item is public input.

The purpose of the public input is for is for the city council to hear what you have to say.

You have three minutes.

Please stay focused on your topic that you're talking about, and you have three minutes in which to do it.

You'll be called up by the clerk.

You've got the big three-minute clock over there.

Madam Clark.

I don't see Amani.

On to Antreunya Buford.

About Sherry Williams.

Right to the podium.

Good evening.

Greetings to the city council and the clerk as well.

Of course, Queen Mayor in the House today.

I am the mother of Charles Allen.

And I just wanted to share my input.

Dear City, dear Saginaw Council members, I hope this letter finds you well.

I am writing to share my unwavering support for my son Charles Allen as he pursues the open seat on the Saginaw City Council.

As his mother, I have had the privilege of witnessing his genuine love for our community and his tireless dedication to making it better, a better place for everyone.

Charles has the kind of heart that beats for Saginaw.

His passion for mental health shines through in every initiative he takes.

Always seeking to uplift and support those who may be struggling.

His commitment has even led him to gather buses to take our youth on trips to the Capitol.

That's in Lansing as well as Washington, DC, teaching them about the importance of mental health and our democratic process.

It warms my heart to see him inspire and to educate the leaders of tomorrow.

I truly believe that Charles has a vision and he's a determination to bring positive change, hope, love, and transparency in our city.

If given the chance to serve on the council, I have no doubt that he will pour his heart into this role.

In embodying the values and the integrity and enthusiasm and hard work.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Charles Moxley.

Sorry.

Hello, hi, I'm Charles Moxley.

Nice to meet you, Council Council members.

Hi, I'm Charles Mox.

I stand here.

I'll here stand with Charles Mox for having a vacant council seat because I'm one of his mentees, and I'd have been in the trenches with him lately, just or we call it the trenches.

Um trying to fight for the rights and fight with better for our city.

I grew up here in Saginaw myself.

I'm only 23 grew up in the east side, so I seen a lot of the lot of the community breaking down and getting toward throughout the years.

And I see how Charles is trying to build a campaign to help impact the city in a better way.

And with me being a youth, he helped guide me into a better position because before I he and I and me and him got introduced to each other, I was not really looking towards the best pal.

So I can say I'm already one proof of example that what he's got in plan will work just on a lower level because he's already affected me.

Let me go back.

That was just let me go back to him.

Sorry.

Um I believe we need someone with the best interest of our city with the best interest if heart with our city.

And with bringing bringing him in, we're helping him with bringing Charles in, he will hell, he can help God.

I'm sorry.

Um he can help our city flourish the even better, the even better to even better the city when it once was.

Charles is a person who has invested many hardworking hours in our community and trying to see what the people needs are met and have.

The resources with the resources we already have it available.

Mr.

Allen understand the needs of others of the youth, Saganoff from the from use of Saginaw to the elderly.

Charles understanding what's needed.

He'd understand that it's safety, integrity, and community, as well as the need for mental health in our community.

As well the need, um sorry and mental health in our community, also um his campaign, he's trying to work with the mental health and our regular health because he meant him have gone down to DC and Lansing to help fight for Medicaid, EB EBT snap, all that just not just for one, just for for all.

Um Charles don't mind rolling up his evening, putting in dirty work for our community, so that's why I endorse him.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's not always easy talking in front of people.

Not always easy.

But thank you, young man.

Madam Clerk.

Our first interviewee is Tobias Young.

He'll be in just a moment.

Yes, madam mayor.

I don't know how much standing is.

All right, you're right.

You gotta talk a little loud because the mics are for the audio that we do.

Okay, I have the first question.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

I am born and raised, I've been in the city of Saginaw for all of my 50 years and uh community service that I've uh participated in.

Um just recently I was a part of the Saginaw African Cultural Festival.

Um I'm electrician at General Motors, so I assisted with them uh with their electrical needs, and uh I'm uh on their board, and I'm also uh helping them expand their electrical needs in the upcoming festival.

And uh I do a lot of uh community uh service with uh my church, uh New Mount Calvary.

Good afternoon, um Tobias Young.

Um describe how you would handle a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

Uh could you repeat that question?

I'm not uh clear on that.

Describe how you were handled a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

Um well, I mean, I have an opinion, and you know, if if if I vote against something, you know, you can't expect to always have the winning vote.

So now if you don't have a winning vote, you still have to work with other people and uh you move on to the next subject, and you don't carry on, you know, how your vote went or who voted against you.

That's how I would handle it.

Thank you.

Uh I have the next question.

Based on the goals and objectives of the city's strategic plan, which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and city staff to focus on?

Well, I'm a big advocate of the housing in Saginaw.

That's that's very important and dear to me, and uh, I'm a landlord as well.

And uh I have uh rehab houses myself, so I think that is uh one of the most important things to me personally.

All right.

Um thank you, Mr.

Young, for applying.

We appreciate it.

Um of the positive decisions that you've seen city council make in the last five years and describe its impact on the city.

Uh I think um what the city um decided to do with the uh the funds that they were given and how it was managed and distributed, you know.

I know hindsight is 2020, so there was a lot of opinions about it, but I think it was it was handled, you know, fairly well, and um I think the the city has been a good caretaker of the finances, so I've watched you know how decisions have been made with the money, the limited resources that they have financially welcome.

Uh, what do you believe your role entails as a council, as a city council person?

I think my personal role would be to lend my experiences and my objective views to maybe some um areas that the city council don't have a lot of experience in and try to make decisions as a whole because uh not any one single council member can change Saginaw, it has to be done as a unit, and I think uh my experiences will add to the unit and give it a different approach or different look and you know, different opinions when things come you know across.

So just being able to work as a unit, I think that's the most important thing.

You have to work with others to get the city to move forward.

Thank you, Mr.

Young.

What factors would you consider in determining how to vote on items before you on the council agenda?

What would you consider in determining how to vote on items that come before you on the council agenda?

Uh well I'll always independently look at the facts, and if I have any experience in that area, I'll uh use my experience to make the best decision.

And uh if there's some areas that come up that maybe a council member has more experience than I do, you know, I don't have a problem with you know lending an ear to that council member if they're more educated in a in a subject, just like I would expect, you know, the same for a council member that maybe gets an opportunity to vote on something that I have more knowledge in.

That's that's how we work as a unit.

Okay, I got uh next question.

Did you run up the city council during the general election?

Why and why not?

Uh yes, I ran for city council in this past election, and um I decided to based on some of my peers suggesting that I do it, and it's been suggested many years ago, but uh I didn't because you know I have quite a few businesses and kept me pretty busy, but I've gotten further into my career.

I've wind down a lot of businesses that I have, and I have the time to 100% commit to it, so that's why I chose to do it in this past election, and some of the suggestions that I had while I ran, I'm actually still doing myself personally to move forward with some ideas that I had, you know, while I was campaigning.

What knowledge or experience or background do you currently have that would help you to be a city council member?

I think my experience uh I've bought and sold properties in Saginaw for over 25 years of rehab of single-handedly rehab commercial buildings, rental properties, and I'm currently electrician, so I'm in a building space, so as far as dealing with the land bank, uh the city tax sale, pulling permits and things like that.

I think I have extensive knowledge on those processes, and I think that'll be helpful when you have uh businesses coming here and corporations that want to develop here.

You have a council member that understands the process, the timeline, and everything that goes into those developments, and that will kind of smooth out our expansion when people want to come here.

Okay, thank you, sir.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Our next interviewee is Richard Russell.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Question number one.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in our city?

I've been, well, basically throughout my whole life, 67 years with the exception of four when I traveled for a company here out of Saginaw.

I um president of the Southwest Saginaw Neighborhood Association.

I volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

I um sit on the board, executive board for light up the city, the executive board for R SM Watt.

I just started back up the American Red Cross in the Saginaw County chapter.

Thank you.

I'm still reading and write.

Good afternoon, Richard Russell.

Okay.

Um describe how you would handle a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

Oh good minority, I'm I'm not.

I believe God created everybody equal.

So I mean, I can't sit here and say, you know, good for good, good for this one, it's not good for that one.

Everybody God created everybody equal.

Okay, thank you.

Based on the goals and objectives of the city strategic plan, which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and city staff to focus on?

Truthfully, they all are, but if I had the boil down.

Um that's a tough question for me.

Because I've never actually, you know, sat doing stuff.

I just all my time as volunteering.

Um this is a new experience for me.

I guess you know, everybody try for it and see what happens.

So I could not attempt to question that, but you know, for me, it's about volunteering my time, make my city a better place.

So I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Russell, for replying.

Um name one of the positive decisions that you have seen city council make in the last five years, and then describe its impact to the city.

Um biggest thing for me is the outreach that the city is doing for you know, whether it be housing, homeless, um, violent.

Um things that I really think the city, you know, is a big plus for me because I do see the violence all the time.

Um so it's getting out to everybody, you know.

The theory is one river, one city, let's make it one city, and everybody come together and be one as one.

Hi, um, good evening.

But what do you believe your role entails as a city council member?

Um, well, one is making the city of Sagan a better place, trying to help out listen to what the needs are of the people of the city to help make it a better place.

Thank you for applying.

Um what factors would you consider uh when determining how to vote on items before you on the city council agenda?

True facts and my everyday facts of what it's about, whatever you know come to in front of the board or council.

Thank you.

Did you run for the city council during the joint election?

No, I didn't.

So why not?

Uh I you know, like I said, this is my first time that I've actually applied for anything like this.

My time was devoted to volunteering to help out the city.

So I've never, you know, once one year what four years ago it was a joke that I had said that I was going to run for mayor while I had 50 something write-in votes that I didn't know.

So and it was just a joke that somebody took it to the next streams army.

Thank you.

What knowledge or experience or background do you currently have that would help you be a council member?

Umledge I look at, you know, what I do for the city or for my association, what I do for American Red Cross, uh, what I've done for the city to try and help them out.

I mean, you know, I've just been there whenever the cities needed somebody to volunteer for this, do this, or do that.

Thank you so much, uh thank you.

Those are all our questions.

We are done.

Okay, thank you.

I'm sorry.

You can have a seat here if you'd like to our next um interviewee is Carla Lamar.

Hello?

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

First question.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

Uh 10 years, a decade, and uh community work.

I've been on the planning commission, the human planning commission, and the historic district commission, and I'm also a part of the old town um association group.

Thank you.

Uh good afternoon.

Hi.

How do the mark?

Uh describe how you were on a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

On a contested issue, if I were a minority vote, I would vote um with my own integrity, and I would just go with what I feel is best for the city.

And if it's not the popular vote, that's okay.

I'm looking out for the people and the and the um uh the body as a whole.

Thank you.

I have the next question provided to me by city staff.

Um, based on the goals and objectives of the city strategic plan, which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and city staff to focus on?

That's a very good question.

I think um being good stewards of money is very important.

Um outreach in the community is extremely important, um, and being able to actively listen to all of our uh community members.

I understand that there's a high priority for housing.

Um, and that's how I would see.

Thank you.

Thank you for applying.

Um can you name one positive decision that you've seen city council make in the last five years, and then describe this impact to the city?

Yes, I can.

Many decisions that you've made have been extremely positive.

The ARPA money uh that was filtered out is a huge impact for our community, being able to have outreach for programs and um extending extending services to uh those who may not have been able to have those uh services available to them and programming.

I also feel like uh the ARPA money helped with our city hall on making sure that that has been upgraded.

I I would say that those decisions that you all have made have been very impactful for our city moving forward into the future.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Good evening.

What do you believe your role entails as a city council person?

I believe my role entails being able to again actively listen to all of the community members to have a positive impact, to ask the question, how can we instead of we cannot?

Um and being able to be fair and um patient.

And I feel like that's my positive impact to this community in ensuring that we have a city that's safe and clean for all.

Thank you.

Hello.

Hi.

What factors would you consider in determining how to vote on items before you on the city council uh agendas?

Well, I believe that knowledge is power.

So when I receive my packet, I want to read it thoroughly and self-educate if I'm unaware, ask uh very uh pertinent questions to those who are relative to the uh situation that I am inquiring about.

Um and again, self-education goes a long way to make sure that I can vote appropriately with the information that I have.

I do not feel like it's fair to the city to make a vote if I'm not aware of the situation, the the um issue at hand.

Thank you.

I have a next question.

Did you did you run for city council uh during the journey election last time?

I did not.

Why not?

Um it was not the right fit for me uh with my own profession and personally um prior.

Uh I am very busy at work, and at that particular time I was um putting myself out there professionally where I didn't feel like I could give the attention and the time to the city that it deserves because I was focused on something else.

What knowledge or experience or background did you currently have that would help you be a council member?

Well, I think um my previous experiences with the city on different commissions would help me with being a council member, but I also think my professional and educational um information and achievements will help me because being um an administrator and an executive director, I lead strong teams, large teams, and I feel like that gives me an advantage because I have to communicate with all people from different backgrounds, different um situations, and I have to be able to be fair and I have to look at things um strategically and not uh just make you know a rash or biased decision.

Um and I have learned through my time and tenure to um ask specific and very important questions as leaders often do.

Okay, thank you, ma'am.

You are so welcome.

Thank you all for the opportunity.

Our next interviewee is Charles Sledge.

Good afternoon.

I have the first question here.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

I'll not sure what this is, but you repeat that please.

Yes.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

Oh, thanks for the question.

Also, city manager, mayor, mayor pro too.

City council audience, thanks for having allowed me to have the time to come here and do this interview.

Charles Swidge, residents living in Saginaw for 57 years, a member of the Messiah Missionary Baptist Church, former member of Tabanical Missionary Baptist Church.

A member of the Fairground Neighborhood Association, trustee, chairman of trustee department of the Messiah Missionary Baptist Church.

Um driver for the Messiah Missionary Baptist Church.

As you see, I'm Saginaw, and I do for my church.

I do for my community, and I've been doing that for 57 years.

Thank you.

Charles says, Describe how you would handle a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

It shouldn't be an issue with a in a contested issue.

If you if five for a vote occurs, the five-fold vote occurs.

Everybody's not gonna agree.

Everybody's gonna have an opinion.

And as a board member, you will have your opinion.

Listen to the vote and vote your will of the people.

It shouldn't be a disagreement or a conversation to have going back and forth.

It's a vote.

And you express your views as you feel for the citizens of Saginaw, and the vote goes where it goes.

All right, thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Sledge.

I have the next question provided to me by city staff to ask is this based on the goals and objectives of the city strategic plan?

Well, which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and city staff to focus on?

Lifting the tax cap.

We have more guns on the streets than we do police officers.

We have a lot of shooting going on within our city, and I truly believe that we have state police, we have federal police, but if we have more of our own police that could um be foot on within the city, and we have more capital, we would be able to, of course, hire police.

But with the revenue that you guys have been taking in, I feel you've been doing a good job with putting who you have out there on the streets to try to combat crime, but lifting the tax cap.

Thank you for applying.

Um Mr.

Sledge, name one of the positive decisions that you have seen city council make in the last five years, and then describe its impact to the city.

Just alone, getting together and distributing our ARPA funds.

A lot of people were happy.

You have some people that was upset.

But look at what that $52 million did to our city.

It allowed us to have City Hall repurposed, it allowed us to have grocery stores being built, it allowed us to have the NAVE get funds to help our children, it allowed us to have first ward, get funds to help our children, and I'm all about helping our children.

So when you can get funds like that and distribute them without the city and help people that we're helping within the city, that was one of the greatest things that you did when you came together and you distributed those ARPA funds like you did.

Once again, you had some people that were sad, but it's okay because you're not all going to agree, and everybody's not going to agree on the what happened, but long as the process was fair.

And we voted, you distributed the funds, and that was done for our city.

Good evening.

Uh the next question is what do you believe your role entails as a city council person?

My role as a city council person is to come in and continue fostering the mission statement that you guys have, provide service to our community, provide safe service to our community, making sure that I'm there for our citizens more if I become a city council person.

Um just making sure that fairness and diversity and inclusiveness is being done within the city of Saginaw.

So sitting at that table, um, I'll be representing the constituents in the city and making sure that I'm voting what I feel they would want me to do for our city.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Sledge.

I have the next question.

What factors would you consider in determining how to vote on items before you on the council agenda?

Repeat that one more time.

Yep.

What factors would you consider when determining how to vote on items before you on this on the council agenda?

Well, I mean, when you read them, I'm pretty sure you get them in the timely fashion where you can read them, I would hope.

Um you would read them.

And if you had any questions about it, I believe that we have a city attorney that we look over to, and I see when I'm watching, they ask her a question when somebody's not confident there in what they're reading.

So if I wasn't confident in what I was reading, I would ask the city attorney to for clarification, and then I would go on and vote my conscience, what I feel I'm doing for the city of Saginaw.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Did you run for city council during the last election?

I did.

Why did you vote?

I have 4,513 people that thought and I was 58 folks short of having the seat on the council.

So this is my first time running and to have 4,513 people in the city of Saginaw.

I feel that I should have been on the city council was great to me, but I'd be led by the Lord, you know, 58 votes short.

I'd walk with Jesus and keep it moving.

And here I am again.

So why did you run?

I ran to be a voice for the city of Saginaw.

Thank you.

What knowledge, experience, or background do you currently have that would help you be a city council member?

Excuse me.

In my job, uh I'm a behavior interventionist.

I have an associate degree, master's degree in criminal justice.

I am a licensed master social worker.

Um with hopes that with the job experience that I have in solving issues, but I'm solving issues with little children as well as adults and parents coming to the council and getting with my council members and voting the conscience of the city.

My background, I would hope, and my education with I would hope would allow me to be able to have a seat and do just that and continue the great job that you guys are doing within the city.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

I have the first question.

Thank you.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

In this particular period of time, I've been a city resident for 22 years now.

I am born and raised in Sagna and then spent some time in both the Ann Arbor area and Austin, Texas, but I've been back here.

Civic things I've done.

Along with that, there are a number of things that uh some concurrent with my service on council from 2016 to 2020.

Things like the light up the city event, uh neighborhood association meetings that you attend.

Um I find that the majority of being a city council member is outside the stated duties of being on city council.

So uh I have had private cleanup projects, is all I'll say about taking care of the city.

Uh service doesn't end when the gavel comes down on the end of the council meeting.

I think you all know that.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

John Describe how you would handle a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

Well, that's fairly easy.

I just have to look back in memory.

We've uh had a couple of those, and uh thankfully they're kind of rare on council.

Our our general approach to issues is to look for the consensus on the issue.

I I would say somewhere close to 90% of what we do comes out as 9-0 votes.

Very few, but uh some eight-one votes, and I think uh if I myself, if I've taken a stand on principle, I maintain that principle, but we we go on and work as a council.

So it's it's not a time generally to take it personally.

I I don't look at it as eight people didn't like what I did.

We just uh can have a difference of opinion, but it's not generally our way of governing.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Millen.

Yes.

Um I have the next question provided to me by city staff, which is based on the goals and objectives of the city's strategic plan.

Which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and the city staff to focus on?

It's about continuing to move forward.

Um like any long-term institution, we have some uh traditions we like to keep around Saginaw and history we want to preserve, but we're moving uh a hundred miles an hour forward in the Great Lakes Bay region, and I want to see Saginaw continue to be the focus of that.

That we we are the centerpiece for a lot of things that go on.

So our strategic plan looks to help in physical growth, make sure physical projects get done, but uh our council in particular, but also other people who work on the strategic plan are very focused on the people of Saginaw.

So there's a balance.

You can't let one get ahead of the other.

If it all becomes about the building but leaves the people behind, you haven't really uh done much with your strategic plan.

So uh I think that would be my way of looking at it to to strike the balance between what may involve investing physical and uh monetary capital and bringing the people along at the same time.

Thank you for your application.

Um can you name one positive decision that you have seen city council make in the last five years and then describe its impact to the city?

Choosing one, interesting.

Um I think the the one that may have the some of the longest term impact, and it's it's one of those things that's what I call keeping the lights turned on and things running, is uh building the elevated water storage and connecting that into our water system, which ties into what I said previously.

We're the center of things, uh, especially through our water system.

So uh that was a project that got started back when I served on City Council, but the the final approvals and the breaking ground and everything is uh within the five years of city council, and I I think we're all going to be happy with the result from that.

So that one that's a 50-year impact.

That uh tower will be here when I'm long gone.

And so I like to look at that.

Uh got the next question.

Good evening, John.

Uh what do you believe your role entails as a city council member?

Uh it's it's got maybe two, three main parts.

We, of course, are the policy setting body for the city.

But very rarely do we have huge shifts in policy come along.

Uh new things happen.

Uh so part of our role is making sure the the manager and the professionals we employ have the tools they need to do what they're doing.

Uh I'm uh a great believer in the phrase that your budget is your policy.

How we choose to spend the resources we have has as big an impact on policy as you know deciding a new ordinance or uh a new direction that we want to do with a particular project.

And it can be very hard communicating what we do to the citizens of Saginaw.

I know we all think we're we're doing a great job, and that's what I mean about the part of the job that happens after the end of the meeting.

Everyone doesn't watch the meeting, but if you're out there and talking to people, I I know we have uh current and former council people who talk about getting that phone call from uh a resident about a problem.

So that's that's to me kind of the three aspects to it, working with the the people because as opposed to some other cities near us, we are elected by the whole of the city of Saginaw.

We don't have a district or a precinct that we represent, we represent everybody inside the city limits.

And in that way, we also we are the mechanism that connects the city of Saginaw to the people in places around us.

Because we do have constituents who don't get to vote for us and live outside the city limits.

When we have a project that ties into our water system, and we agree to increase the amount of water that a certain other municipality may purchase, we now have the ability to be collecting income tax on some people.

So we're watched.

We're watched by a lot of people who aren't necessarily in the city or voting for us.

So again, that's keeping us the focus of this area.

I have the next question.

Hi.

Hi.

What factors would you consider?

Sorry about that.

What factors would you consider in determining how to vote on items before you on the agenda?

Well, I think usually the first one is on our consent agenda, there's always been a lot of work already done by the staff in preparing that item, uh especially if it's a spending item.

The bids have been received, the the uh reasoning behind uh recommending the bid that we see on the agenda is given to us, and so generally I think it's a matter of trust if you trust your staff work and what you see before you that weighs pretty heavily.

I can't remember the last time uh we were recommended an item that we hadn't budgeted the money for in the general sense, but then seeing the specific item uh other items on the agenda are a little different than a spending item, it might be ordinances.

Uh again, there's a lot of staff work behind that though, and and I speak from being on, for instance, City Planning Commission.

If we send a recommendation up to council, besides the staff work, you've already had nine experienced people looking at that recommendation.

So a lot of what comes to council arrives in the form of ratifying the work and decision making process others have done ahead of you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, did you have a city council during the last journey election?

No, I was not on the ballot in 2024.

At the time, I think it was a combination of personal factors and uh looking at I it's hard to sum it up in a short phrase, but the the mood of the electorate was very focused, I guess, on some current events and uh we had been experienced some change in in who was on the council.

When I first joined the council in 2016, and I ran then in 2020, being the incumbent uh was often the the biggest thing on your resume when running for council, and uh we we did not experience uh a lot of turnover if someone wanted to continue serving.

So uh I've uh also at the time of the 2024 election, as I mentioned earlier, I was serving on three different boards and commissions, so I didn't think that the only way to serve the citizens of Sagna was to be on City Council.

Uh City Planning Commission deals with some of the larger issues we have, and as I said, they end up coming before you for final approval, but I I find my input there and leading a couple of those commissions to be very useful for the city of Sagna.

Final question.

What knowledge or experience or background do you currently have that would help me be a council member?

Well, bespite besides all the experience I've mentioned, uh I I like to think I've kept in touch with what's going on in Sagna.

Uh not necessarily related to any particular uh order commission I'm on.

I like to get around the city, see what has happened, what is happening.

It could be as simple as noting the number of new roofs people have put on their house.

It's a great indicator of economic activity.

Uh also it seems like when people have a little money to spend, they put new concrete driveways in at their house.

So these are all things that don't necessarily show up in a report, like how much income tax we collected or something, but what people are doing in this city.

And uh so that that particular knowledge and experience, I think I bring that uh like I say previously lived in Saginaw, current resident for over 20 years.

I've seen uh the changes, and that doesn't necessarily mean I've always liked or enjoyed them, but I think I'm pretty current on what is happening in the city of Saginaw.

So I think I could bring that to be able to serve, you know, well, from tonight forward if I were selected.

Thank you, Slaughter.

Thank you all very much, Councilmember.

Thank you.

Our next interviewee is Rachel Whitinger.

Weird.

Good evening.

The first question.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

Sure thing.

Thank you.

Um is the mic okay.

Um I've been a resident of Saginaw for two years.

Um, and I chose to move to Saginaw because it has so much potential, and I'd love to help realize that.

Um being in Saginaw, um, I joined the planning commission this year, um, and we were able to overhaul the zoning ordinance, which is 400 plus pages of policy that I was really excited to dig into and think about the implications for the present and the future and the long term of Saginaw and to be able to invest in that.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Describe how you were on a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

How I would handle a situation in which I was the minority vote on a contested issue.

Um a little bit of that has to do with um the where in the decision making process it is.

Um if I expected that I might be in the minor minority vote on a contested issue, I would probably want to talk to um council people in advance and to be able to understand um what kinds of positions people held and why they held them and understand more about that.

Um I'd want to talk to um constituents and to be able to understand the um public opinion about whatever issue was being discussed.

Um and then during council, if it was uh if it became evident um like at a council meeting that it was um uh uh a minority position I held, I would want to ask questions and do research if I had time in advance to be able to better understand um all of the salient issues to make a good decision.

Sure, thanks.

Good afternoon, Miss Weidinger.

I have the next question uh which has been provided to me by city staff, and it is based on the goals and objectives of the city's strategic plan.

Which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and the city staff to focus on?

Thanks for that question.

Um I was fortunate to be able to be a part of the day-long city planning session that was held on uh at the end of January, I think on the 31st, um, to be able to understand um the priorities of economic development, um, public safety and fire, arts, culture, and recreation, neighborhood revitalization and utilities and infrastructure.

Um one of the things um that I took away from that conversation and from um the public policy work that I've done more longer term is um we have to balance across all of the issues.

Um I have some issues that are maybe my favorite issues or are closer to my heart, but I think the important thing in any kind of position like this is to be able to hold the big picture and the long term in mind, and to be able to make decisions based on balancing out um in a city like Saginaw, there are a finite um set of resources available, and being very careful to think about um each of those five issues and the way that they contribute to the health and well-being of um citizens and workers here of the people who live and work here, I think is really important.

Um so I don't have if I have a um a favorite issue, it's probably utilities and infrastructure.

Um but that's just um where my personal preferences lie and I feel like my responsibility is actually to look across all of the issues and be able to make um contribute to the best decision making in all of the areas.

Thank you for your application.

Um, you name one of the positive decisions that you have seen city council make in the last five years and I should say two years since you've been here, and describe its impact on the city.

Um that is a great question.

Um I think one of the decisions that the city council is helping to contribute to is discussions around the tax cap.

Um I especially appreciated the city council meeting that happened over the summer um where talking points were shared.

Um I appreciate the um council's consideration of tax cap um issues and its limitations that it's placed on the city and thinking about um the implications and the um path to policy change there.

Um so I think that's an area that I'm interested in and keeping tabs on.

Thank you.

Um welcome.

So what do you believe your role entails as a city council member?

Um that is a great question.

Um I think it's important for all city council members and me if I were asked to serve to balance the many dynamic and competing needs in light of the resource constraints that are here.

Um because all of the seats on the city council are at large, all of the members are accountable to the whole city, which is a very difficult kind of set of circumstances to govern in.

Um it's a really big job.

Um if, for example, um we had uh districts or wards and you just knew that you were taking care of a smaller um subsection of the city, it would be different.

Um but in this case, all of the city council members have an accountability to govern and to take in input from across the city.

Um, so that's something that I would take seriously in my city council role is to figure out how to do that.

40,000 people is a lot of people.

Thank you.

Sure.

I have the next question.

Thanks for applying.

Uh, what factors would you consider uh when deciding on how to vote on items before you on the council agenda?

Sure.

Um so uh we need to make sure that um when we make decisions, we're taking into account um the goals and objectives of the city, um, its mission.

Um we need to be in line obviously with the city charter to make sure that the budget allocations are appropriate to carry out um any given um thing.

Unfunded mandates are a really difficult thing that governments often have to deal with.

Um so there's all of those things.

Um there's public input, and we have some um different kinds of forums like the um neighborhood associations and there are a number of community groups that we could ask for input.

So there's a lots of things to take into account, but I think what helps me to make decisions is thinking about the implications of this policy five, ten, twenty years down the line.

Am I making a good decision for the current city and the city that is going to be here in five years or 20 years or 50 years?

Um, what needs to happen decision making wise to make sure that that's insured?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Did you have a city council during the last journey election?

Sorry?

Did you run for city council during the last election?

Oh why not?

Uh I um wanted to learn a lot more about the city before getting involved.

Um, and so I started with the planning commission to be able to understand more there.

Um I am interested in continuing to learn more in all the different ways about Taganaw to be a good resident here.

Thank you.

Last question.

What knowledge or experience or background do you bring to the current or you currently to be our city council?

Sure.

What um knowledge or experience do I bring?

Yes.

Thank you.

I'm gonna make sure I heard that correctly.

Um I uh attended graduate school for public policy.

Um, so I said studied public policy um to do uh to do that.

Um I have 30 years, is that right?

Um I've been a community organizer um since 1995.

Um, so I'm interested in facilitative leadership, as it's called, to be able to understand um the highest purpose that any given group or city um could achieve together.

Um I have studied lots of um public policy, um, both national, local, and at the state level to be able to understand um how to make good decisions at the governmental level.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That's the end of the question.

Thanks.

Our next interviewee is Charles Allen the third.

Okay, good evening.

I have the first question.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

Good evening, council.

Um, I have been a city resident my whole life.

Um I was born and raised here.

I got my first hug at Saginaw General.

Um, I have the opportunity of being a person applying for council that does this work every day.

I am a political organizer.

Um I volunteer at the Soup Kitchen.

I have been the program manager at the NAB, so community is everything to me.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Charles Allen III.

Describe how you were on a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

Yes.

Obviously, we have a body of nine here, and that's what we're working together.

So if I'm on the dissenting side of something that you have chosen to vote through by majority, I'm gonna respect the charter.

Business as usual, we have to move on.

I definitely want to listen to everybody's point of view so that maybe I can see it from yours.

But the first thing we have to do is respect our charter and move forward.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Allen.

I have the next question, which has been provided to me by city staff, and it is based on the goals and objectives of the city's strategic plan.

Which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and the city staff to focus on?

Obviously, I feel like our strategic plan as written is great, but I feel like I want the council to focus a little more on bringing more people into the fold of some of those plans.

I think you guys are doing a great job with how you're planning.

I just feel like more constituents need to be aware of some of the plans.

Thank you.

Thank you for your application, Charles.

Um you name one positive decision that this that you've seen the city council um make in the last five years and then describe its impact on the city.

That's a very good question, Miss Sims.

Uh councilwoman Sills.

I feel um that the council actually working beside business owners and giving out loans during the Memorial Cup for some small business owners who have not had the opportunity to maybe use their business and put themselves where they needed to be for that moment.

I feel that was a good decision for the council to allocate those funds to them and give those loans out.

Okay, thank you.

Welcome.

Um next question is what do you believe your role entails as a city council member?

Yes, I believe that the role of a city council member is to listen to its constituents and make decisions for the day-to-day business of the city.

Um they're policy and legislators of this city of Saginaw, and as a body of nine, they have to either vote to get a majority or agree on things and vote unanimously.

Um I believe that they have to work with the community, they have constituent services, they need to answer emails, they need to make sure that they have their ear to the ground with certain organizations, and I believe that they also have to be able to stand on their integrity.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Allen.

I have the next question.

Uh what factors would you consider when deciding on how to vote on items before you on the council agenda?

I obviously being an organizer, the first factor is I want to consider how my community feels about this issue, how it would affect them, and how it moves our city forward.

My my biggest concern is moving the city forward and working with the body that is here to make sure we get that done and we're not paused on working together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Did you run the city council in the last during election?

Yes, I did.

I had the opportunity of running for city council, Charles Allen for Saginaw.

I received 4,125 votes.

I knocked over um uh seven 700 doors uh this summer.

I did several parades.

We had the opportunity to do so much with that campaign, and I'm so glad that I had Saginaw behind me.

So why did you run?

I ran because my children, I'm a father first, and I believe that protecting this city for them to hand it over and investing in our youth and passing the baton to them is the most important thing we can do to grow this city.

If our people are happy, if our children are satisfied, they're educated and they believe in the city that they live in, you will never have to advertise.

They will advertise because they know that Saginaw is the greatest place to be.

Thank you.

Last question.

Last question.

What knowledge or experience and background currently?

Currently currently have you shout, let me try it again.

What knowledge, experience, or background do you currently have that will help you as a city council member?

Yes, the the experience that I have the last several years since 2020, I've been able to knock doors.

I've been able to talk to people in this community as an organizer, having the privilege to be paid as an organizer is the most experience that I have.

I've been able to take over 13 students a year to DC to give them their first DC lobby visit.

I've been able to take a bus full of a hundred students from Saginaw Public Schools to Lansing to give them their first Lansing meeting with their uh local state representative O'Neill and state representative uh Senator Oh Kristen McDonald Rivett at the time, and also we have always had meetings, training and equipping the youth to know how to pick up the baton.

So, my experience as a program coordinator at the NABE, I see the need, I see the gaps, I see how we can fill them, and I know that that united we will thrive.

Okay, thank you, sir.

Okay, now I do have 15 minutes.

That's correct.

Is that still?

Can I ask you a question?

You can't really ask you.

Okay, no problem.

Well, I just want to say this.

I thank you guys for the opportunity, Mayor and Mayor Pro Tim, and all of the council members, the city manager.

Please consider me for this seat because moving our city forward is all about working together and doing the next thing and bringing our youth and making sure that we understand that they are our future.

United We Thrive.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next interviewee is Dylan How Mr.

Allen.

Bye about them, Mr.

Allen and walk into things.

Walking to the good afternoon.

I have the first question.

How long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

Yeah, so uh I came back to Saginaw uh in 2016.

Uh Saginaw County, I lived in Freeland.

I won't, you know, that's still in valor to say I'm from Saginaw.

Um, but uh moved to Saginaw in 2016 when I um came back to uh work for Senator Peters here in an external facing role in the community.

Um have lived in Saginaw ever since and um it's been so probably 10 years now.

Um what I've done work I've done in the community, of course, um with Senator Peters um and the governor's office as well.

Um partnered um with many organizations in that way.

Um I've been on the board at Pitt and Balcony Community Theater, um helped raise money uh with uh the Symphony Orchestra, sorry, um, as well as uh Saginaw Community Foundation's uh CII committee.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Dylan Taylor.

Okay, sorry about that.

Describe how you will handle a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

Uh can you tell me more about that question?

As far as when you were voting on the issue and your favorite more on the uh unpopular side of the uh issue opposed to the popular side of the issue.

So how would you handle a situation where your vote is the minority vote?

Sure.

Yeah, I mean I think um do you want to have to be able to handle losing with grace?

I think um, you know, that's maybe first and foremost the most important.

Um I think you can't take it personally.

Um, you know, that um even if you feel very passionate about something, I think you know you get up, you say your piece, you defend your position, um, and then you know, let the chips fall where they may and get ready for the next one.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Hellis.

I have the next question, which has been provided to me by the city staff, and it is this.

Based on the goals and objectives of the city's strategic plan, which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and the city staff to focus on?

Yeah, so I think one of the things that um the city should be working hardest towards um right now is housing.

Um you know that's what I work on in my you know day job um, you know, with Covenant Healthcare, but I think housing, housing security, um, and the opportunities that that provides give people uh residents a springboard to greater engagement, greater opportunity here within their community, and that can allow us to you know get really get the snowball rolling downhill and uh you know pick up more people and you know more opportunities along the way.

Thank you.

Thank you for your application, Mr.

Hellis.

Um can you name one positive decision that you've seen city council make in the last five years and then describe its impact on the city?

Yeah.

Yes, I can.

No.

Um, I think the work um that the city put towards um the memorial cup, um, honestly, um I've um the energy around the city um in the years leading up to it and years after um has been wonderful.

Um it's a real uh really felt like we were putting our community on a map.

Um winning certainly helps with that too.

Um but really it was um you know I saw that as an announcement to you know the Great Lakes Bay region, Michigan, you know, uh in a larger sense that you know Saginaw was really coming to the table and ready to be you know a world class city.

Thank you.

Afternoon, or evening.

Uh what do you believe your role entails as a city council member?

I think as a city council member, one of in addition to being you know a decision maker and you know, um I'll call it a policy learner, right?

Somebody who's who's taking in the information um and you know trying to make the best decision they can for their constituency.

Um I think really the other thing that that city council uh members have to be our connectors.

You know, I think we have a lot of opportunities in this community.

I think we also have a lot of missed opportunities in this community just by um you know not having um you know certain nonprofits or capacity at a lot of nonprofits where we have you know state agencies that are coming to us and saying you know, we wish more people could apply for this money so Saginaw could have it.

So I think really as a council member, I would want to um help build capacity um in our local organizations, but also find the opportunities for um new organizations and people who have passion or interest or you know, really find what they want to bring to this uh to our community um and really be a connector for them uh on making that opportunity possible.

Thank you.

I have the next question.

What factors would you consider when deciding on how to vote on items before you on the council agenda?

Yeah, so I think um I mean just the the nuts and bolts of policy um generally I think is very important.

Um, you know, uh how's it gonna work?

Who's it gonna impact, how's it gonna impact them?

Um, and some of that, you know, base um, you know, winners and losers, right?

Who does this benefit?

Um, who does this not benefit?

Um, but also of course you have to take constituency um into uh uh consideration of you know again how it impacts people, but um you know you are elected or you know, in this case appointed to represent people, and so your vote should at least uh carry you know the considerations of the community at large.

Thank you.

Did you run up a city council on the last general election?

I did not.

Why?

It's a good question.

Um I just uh at the time of my life, uh it wasn't a good time for that.

Uh my wife was pregnant.

And so um pretty we were pretty busy with that.

Um and also uh I was um in a new role at SVSU where I was uh still learning the ropes there.

Thank you.

What knowledge, experience, and background do you currently have that would help you be a city council member?

Yeah, so I have been um a public servant in some way, shape, or form for um the last 15 ish years, um, you know, depending on uh if you count volunteering for campaigns.

Um and so I think my background in um outreach and engagement works both with uh you know community organizations and individuals.

I think uh you know, my work in the senator's office, the governor's office um helped me build relationships and a background in how state and federal government works, how do we access you know the resources that they're able to provide and bring them to this community?

Um and then finally, um, you know, just the general um part of a servant, right?

This has been something that has been uh public service has been important to me uh you know since high school and uh an opportunity like this, um, certainly um I couldn't pass up the opportunity to serve the community that I've called home for uh nearly a decade now.

Thank you.

That concludes your question.

Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, council.

Good afternoon.

Sorry.

First question how long have you been a city resident and describe any community service work that you have done in the city?

Absolutely.

Um so I've been a city for resident uh city resident for 25 years, save one year for college.

Um throughout that time I've been involved in quite a lot of activities.

Um at one point um I worked with the Ezekiel project to go to educational workshops um in Detroit to bring back that information for that board so that they could use that information to help uh better understand educational funding in Michigan and how they could possibly influence that.

Um beyond that, I've been involved for many many years uh in the arts in Pitt and Balcony.

Um I'm currently on the uh audience development board for the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra.

Um throughout that time, um recently in the last five or so years, um, I've become a lot more active in the historic preservation world, um, and also more lightly so, but really just interested in our building stock and what we could be doing with it.

Um so I was on the historic district commission.

Excuse me.

Ex historic district commission briefly.

Um that was last year for a period of I believe nine months serving out someone else's term that had vacated.

Um I believe that lists most of them.

I'm sure I'm missing some.

Um, but yeah, for for the most part, arts organizations, um, education and uh historic preservation.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

There uh nice and handley.

Describe how you were handling a situation in which you were in the minority vote on a contested issue.

In a situation where I was in the minority vote.

Um, assuming I knew that heading into the vote, I obviously would always strive to work with, you know, if I believe something, I'm gonna work with my council members and I'm gonna tell them what I believe and why I believe it.

Uh but I also believe very deeply that every person on council, Saginaw doesn't elect people that don't care.

Um so I know that everybody on council represents a very real part of the community and a voice that deserves to be at the table.

Uh so should I be in the minority for a given vote, depending on the situation?

I mean that's fine.

You know, I I I guess that would be my response is sometimes things, you know, people disagree, but of course I would advocate for for my position in private and in public.

Um but no, there's there's no need for anything other than acceptance if there's disagreement on council.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Hanley.

I have the next question, which has been provided to me by the city staff, and it is this.

Based on the goals and objectives of the city strategic plan, which priorities do you believe are the most important for the council and city staff to focus on?

Sure.

So the specific language of the master plan and of of you know what we're looking to do.

So the specific language of the master plan and of you know what we're looking to do, I I might not be able to quote, but obviously I think that right now we're at a moment where development, both infrastructurally, but also in our communities in terms of where services are, where we're encouraging investment to take place, whether that be in education or this, that, or the other thing.

I think that development as a as a venture in Saginaw to more effectively use our land and to make sure that we're using it in ways that both create jobs and otherwise and aid the communities they're in is extremely important.

But I also think that maybe not but important that throughout that venture we make sure that we may produce X amount of jobs or see you know X amount of buildings get built, but that the long-term effects of those developments are really really felt by the residents.

I think it should be a priority to ensure that the developments that we're already seeing happen in Saginaw benefit those for lack of a better phrasing uh that have not been invited to that change in the past.

Um I think the other really important thing would be to increase and continue to work on lifting the tax cap and getting an ability for us to be able to provide public services.

Um, I do believe that you know there's a mix of how we can fund the different services that we need to have and that we'll need to, you know, kind of become self-sufficient on the next couple years.

Um and I believe that you know, millages and other things like that can be used in substitution.

We already have many that we've gone through, and that can be a controversial thing, but I think that a combination of those and just talking and can continuing to be in communication with the community is what's going to be really important on that one.

That's something that I think the city should also be focusing on is communication with the citizens and really building a trust between the citizens that you know the city is listening uh to those things.

Um I hope that answers the question.

I may have gotten a little off there.

Thank you for your application.

Um, Mr.

Hanley.

Um, can you name one of the positive decisions that you have seen city council make in the last five years and describe its impact on the city?

Absolutely.

Um a positive decision that a city has made.

Uh so I mean, most recently with the ARPA dollars, we've obviously seen quite a lot of improvement in uh I think the medical diamond and I think the uh community food um bank uh excuse me.

I don't know the phrasing of it, but the the new grocery store that they're putting up.

Um those are fantastic uses.

Um I think that the recent uh zoning changes um are gonna be huge.

Um that includes parking and other things, like I said, with some of my experience being at at least being interested in and observing the patterns that appear in development and what spurs development and what holds people back.

I've already talked to a lot of you know smaller developers in the area that are very excited about the changes that have been made in terms of you know them allowing uh them being able to move forward without as stringent roadblocks in certain areas.

Um beyond that, um you said city council decisions.

I was gonna name a board of education decision.

Sure, I guess I'll I'll stop there.

There's many more, but putting me on the spot, I think I'll go with those.

Good evening.

And what do you believe your role entails as a city council member?

Uh I believe my role entails first and foremost keeping track and being well informed on this, on what ends up in front of me as a city council member, right?

Knowing what I'm voting on, knowing the effects that that can have, both you know, not just direct like so and so we buy this equipment, but also you know, how we use that equipment and what that says about our priorities as a city.

Um I think it's gonna be really important for me to always have my ears open and my head to the ground listening to people.

Um I'm aware that city, or at least I hope that city council members are reached out to by citizens now and again.

Um, and I'm very prepared for that possibility and probability to be able to help people work through simple issues right that they encounter in the city, whether it's their heating or their electricity.

Um I'm someone who I'm very aware that if you allow me, leadership is very rarely about what you know and more about how to get the right people right to the positions that they need to be in.

So I'm very confident that you know, expecting my role to, you know, half and half be voting on this and you know, face to face being really present with you know my neighbors and my community members that it's gonna be really important.

Um I lost my train of thought.

A little bit nervous.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Hanley.

I have the next question.

Thank you.

Uh what factors would you consider when deciding on how to vote on items before you on the council agenda?

What factors can you repeat just one more time?

What factors would you consider?

Um, like when you're deciding on how to vote on items before you on the council agenda.

Sure.

I mean, um obviously it depends on the issue.

I mean, I my first and foremost, how it affects the people living in the city of Saginaw.

Um I know that's a very general answer, but I guess to be more specific, um looking at, okay, if if if this thing happens, this this bill, you know, this this uh uh ordinance is is changed, or this, that, or the other thing, um, looking at, okay, what are, you know, really going down to a pen and paper and saying what are the issues this might create and what are other thinking ahead to solutions that you know they could make and seeing how many every decision has you know an equal opposite reaction, right?

So you do something in council, and uh, and a lot of times there's gonna be repercussions of that that are both intended, not intended, good, bad, and just looking at how robust we've we've phrased things and made things for the community to make sure they can't be either taken advantage of or just that they serve the community.

Um so first and foremost, functionally, are things gonna be good for the city?

And then also how are people feeling about it?

Because I do believe that there are times when the public's feelings are maybe more important than what we can produce in statistics and you know what how we believe that that something could help the community because at the end of the day, sometimes if a community is so averse to something, they're probably feeling an instinct that there is something that could go wrong for them.

And I think that sometimes not even all of an elected body can can understand those things exactly, and so it's important sometimes to just listen and say, listen, I think this is gonna work out, but people don't want it.

Um so the other factor I would look at is is do people want it?

How do people feel about this?

The people that I've talked to, you know, the people that I'm in community with, how are they gonna feel about this?

How is it gonna be perceived, right?

And how are we gonna be able to communicate that to them?

Thank you.

Did you run for city council during the last general election?

I did not.

Why?

To be honest with you, I've never wanted before now to be on city council, and I don't mean that in a way of where I'm opposed to the service.

I obviously I was on historic district commission, so functionally I've I've you know done a similar job, less impactful.

But I number one didn't have the time in my life.

Um I didn't think that I was the best person at that moment.

Um I thought there were a lot of really qualified candidates.

It was a pretty crowded field.

Um, and I didn't think that I I needed to add to it at that moment.

But in this moment, with a partial term, um with my life, uh, you know, I have a day job, but I I have much more free time and I foresee myself having the free time in the next couple years to be able to fully perform this job as much of a full-time job as it can be, right?

And that was really important to me.

I would have never ran if I wasn't gonna be able to put my all into the job, and so that's something I feel I can do now.

Thank you.

Last question.

What knowledge or experience or bad graph do you currently have that would help you be a city council member?

Uh like I said, uh first and foremost, I recently completed that term on a historic district commission, so I have a good enough understanding of Robert's rules to not get lost immediately, right?

To jump into council and be able to function immediately in that sense.

Um as far as other experience that would help me with council.

I mean, honestly my life in Saginaw is what I would say is is my biggest asset in wanting to join council, and I know that's something that technically most everybody in council should have, but I think that truly I I never wanted to get into political service in any way prior to this.

I don't want that.

Um I think that how do I say this?

Let me zero in.

Can you ask the question one more time just so that I make sure I'm hitting your question?

Uh my question was what acknowledge or experience or background to the knowledge and experience of being a person in growing up in Saginaw, especially in the time frame that I did, you know, between coming of age, between 2012 and 2020.

I've seen a lot of misunderstandings in the community between leadership and between citizens, and I think that there needs to be I think that what I've seen and what's gonna help me on council is seeing how people talk about what happens at the city level and having connected with so many people that I know about what happens on city council and just having a small amount of knowledge in it to be able to explain to them things and seeing the power that that communication can have.

Um and so the biggest thing that I think would help me on council, my experience honestly, is just I've always talked to every you can't shut me up.

I talk to everybody that I meet in Saginaw, and I love it, and I love the people.

Okay, thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Mayor, that's gonna conclude our interviews.

The last person on our list appears to not be here.

I'd like to thank all of the applicants for time.

I remind you that the meeting coming up at six o'clock is going to be where we will announce after we go through to process who is that new candidate.

Mayor, before you adjourn, I would ask, because we're gonna have some downtime, a little bit more downtime than I think we were originally anticipating.

Um, I would ask for the sake of transparency, fairness, and certainly adherence to the open meetings act that during this downtime there isn't any one-on-one interviews between council members and candidates, any caucusing, any um campaigning, if you will, just so that everything is done during the course of a public session.

Okay.

We've been talked to talked about it.

So now, if anybody is caught in UK, say that you wasn't told.

Okay.

Um just adjourn this session, and because we'll be back at six.

Okay, I call this meeting to one.

Roll call, please, madam club.

Councilmember appeals, present.

Councilmember Balls.

Present.

Mayor Pro Tem Garcia, present.

Councilmember Ostash?

Present.

Councilmember Braddock.

Present.

Councilmember Wiggins?

Present.

Councilmember Hammond.

Present.

And Mayor Moore.

Present.

You have eight members present.

Thank you.

The purpose of this meeting as a single subject, special meeting, and well, the council to make an appointment to the to fill the vacancy.

Mayor, we have one speaker signed up for public input.

That's Terry West.

Is Mr.

West here?

No, Mr.

West.

All right.

We will move on to miscellaneous business where there's an appointment to fill the city of City Council vacancy.

I'm gonna read section 18 from the council rules of order.

The vote on candidates shall be by roll call vote with each council member naming the candidate of their choice.

In the event no candidate receives five votes on the first ballot, candidates receiving no votes or a number of votes less than the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes shall be eliminated.

If the top two candidates are tied, those with a fewer number of votes shall be eliminated.

Candidates tied for second place shall remain in the running and voting shall continue until a candidate receives five votes.

Council members, do I have any nominations at this time?

Yes.

I'd like to uh nominate the bias, yeah.

Yes.

I'd like to nominate Charles Allen.

I'd like to uh nominate uh Carlo Lamar.

Yes.

I'd like to nominate Nathan Hanley.

I like to nominate Tobias Young.

Even though he's been not voted all right.

I thought you called it.

Are there any more nominations from the floor?

Any more nominations from the floor.

I close the nomination.

All right.

I will proceed with roll call vote.

You'll say the name of the candidate that you're wishing to vote for.

Councilmember Seals.

Councilmember Seals.

Miss Lamar.

Councilmember Balls.

Young.

Mayor Pro Tem Garcia.

Lamar.

Councilmember Ostash.

Tobias Young.

I'm sorry.

Tobias Young.

Councilmember Braddock.

Tobias Young.

Councilmember Wiggins.

Councilmember Hammond.

Charles Allen.

And Mayor Moore.

Lamar.

Okay.

We have a tie.

We have three votes for Mr.

Young and three votes for Miss Lamar and two votes for Mr.

Allen.

So Mr.

Allen is eliminated.

And we proceed with another roll call vote with the other three.

So your candidates are Tobias Young, Carla Lamar, and Nathan Hanley.

Nathan Hansen.

Oh, I'm sorry, not Nathan Hanley.

We have a tie vote, so there's two candidates left.

Young and Lamar.

Okay.

Everybody clear?

Okay.

My mistake on Nathan's Herman.

Okay, roll call vote again.

Councilmember Seals.

Lamar.

Councilmember Balls.

Young.

Mayor Pro Tem Garcia.

Lamar.

Councilmember Ostach.

Yeah.

Councilmember Braddock.

Yeah.

Councilmember Wiggins.

Young.

Councilmember Hammond.

Young.

And Mayor Moore.

Hammond.

I'm sorry.

I'm in title.

Lamar.

I'll take it.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Young has five votes, and Miss Lamar has three votes.

So Mr.

Young is your new council member.

I'd like to congratulate our new appointed council person.

And I'd like to encourage everyone who came out tonight.

We've got elections next year.

Don't give up.

Continue to be involved in the community.

Don't get discouraged.

Let's continue to work.

And this time, I need a motion to adjourn.

No, I'm sorry.

Yeah, we gotta see.

We gotta see the price.

No, we're gonna adjourn.

We can't start there.

And the constitution of the children.

I don't think full performed.

To the best of my vote.

Now I need a motion to adjourn.

So move.

It's been moved to support all those back to 65 by saying hi.

All those opposed, nay.

We will at 630.

With the regular council meeting.

Thank you so much.

Good evening.

Welcome everyone to city council.

We will be led by prayer from Councilman Braddock and the pledge by Mayor Pro Tim Garcia.

Mind and hearts focus on the Lord.

Lord, we thank you for this day and for the privilege of serving our community.

We grant the council members wisdom and unity and courage to make decisions that bring justice, peace, and prosperity to all cities.

God is where they were in your actions so that we can reflect integrity and compassion for all people of Saginaw.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God and this is all.

I know I can't see it.

Well called Madam Cloud.

Councilmember Young.

Present.

Councilmember Seals.

Present.

Councilmember Falls.

President.

Mayor Pro Tem Garcia, still here, present.

Councilmember Ostach.

Present.

Councilmember Braddock.

Present.

Councilmember Wiggins.

Present.

Councilmember Hammond.

Present.

And Mayor Moore.

Present.

You have all members present.

We have one announcement this evening.

It's the fourth annual We Love Saginaw Businesses Trunker Treat Event will take place October 22nd from 4.30 to 6.30 p.m.

in the parking lot of the splash pad at 1830 Fordney Street.

Vendors that wish to participate can register at SaginawMI.com forward slash trunk or treat.

Okay, I'd like to welcome everyone to city council.

I'm asking no housekeeping.

Everyone with phones, can you please put your phones on silent, please?

Council persons, please put your phone on silence as well as your computer.

I don't know if it's protocol, but I'm gonna do it.

We just elected, we filled our vacancy with Tobias Young.

He is our newest council member.

Um and we welcome you to the group.

Madam Clerk.

That takes us to public and public headput.

I need you, you will be called up to the podium by our clerk.

I need you to speak clearly and please stay on subject with what you need to say.

You have three minutes.

You have three minutes.

This is not a question or an answer period, so please don't look for an answer tonight.

Madam Clark.

Our first speaker is Richard Jewel.

Richard Arntcher, Clint Bryant Sr.

How about Jeffrey Bull?

Uh good evening, uh city staff, council, uh, and to the citizens of Saginaw.

Uh I come before you uh with a heavy heart, but with uh uh a mind to hope that our city can give us some answers.

I'm here in reference to the skate park incident that happened just next door.

Um it's something that's really heavy on my heart, and again, I'm hoping for answers.

I have a few bullet points that I'm gonna hit really quickly, and I'll just go.

Uh number one.

This wasn't a fight, it was an attack.

Let's be clear about that, and I need the narrative to be clear about that.

This was an attack on people who were doing work with the city.

We are in partnership with the city to repaint that part, and those people that were out there are artists, our professionals, and our city are citizens of the city that do great work here, and someone decided to come up there with hate in their heart and attack them.

And I we need something done about that.

Um we did everything right, everything right.

Um, we we applied for grants and we received them, thankful for the state of Michigan in doing so.

Um we partner with the city again.

Um this body approved what we applied for, and so with that being said, we were in the right place, we did everything right.

Um, Phil Carwatha's here.

We work with him and his staff.

We did everything right to the T, including research.

So all narratives that are out there are false.

We did everything right.

Our seniors that were out there accompanying us in doing that job were disrespected.

That has to change.

That has to be accounted for.

But the thing that breaks our heart is that our city was silent.

We didn't hear from anyone in this body, except save for a couple people.

And we're heartbroken about that.

Where's the accountability?

The chief of police should be one of the people that come that should be coming to this podium either today or by the next meeting with accountability, telling this body, this full body exactly what happened and why decisions were made that discounted our seniors and discounted our artists that were out there that told them what happened.

An account needs to be given at this podium on the record, stating why they made the decisions that they made.

Whether this body can call for the city manager to enact a full investigation that needs to be done immediately.

And the final thing I'll ask to everybody here, do we have your support?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Nick Williams.

Again, whether intentional or not, I think it's important that there be a full and thorough investigation.

And I think it's important that not only accountability be taken, but restitution be made, and not only for justice for those involved, but uh for the black community in Saginaw just to uh just to regain some of that uh community goodwill that I feel is rapidly being lost.

So that's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Danita Dorsey.

Good evening, council members and residents of Saginaw.

Um I stand before you tonight, outraged and heartbroken over the violent assault that took place at the skate park.

As mentioned, it wasn't an incident, accident, or fight, it was a violent attack.

And let me say it plainly, violence is unacceptable in our city.

But what makes this even harder to bear is not only the attack itself, but the deafening silence from the city in response.

That silence speaks volumes, and it leaves many of us wondering: does this city still truly stand with us in times of crisis?

Let me remind you Saginaw Cap is not new to the city, nor are we strangers to this council.

We are the same organization that has sat in rooms with you to advocate for funding for the water tower.

Naisha is the same person who stood at a press conference with this council, Congressman Dan Kildy, and other federal, state, and city officials when that funding was received.

Naisha Lark and Devon have worked on nearly every mural in this city.

She is not just a professional artist, but an award-winning artist who is featured on the cover of the New York Times.

We are also the same organization that has hosted the Cat Black Party year after year without incident, creating safe spaces for this community.

And now Saginaw Cap is the organization that adopted this park, an agreement this council unanimously approved on Monday, August 25th.

We did this in good faith, trusting that the city would walk with us.

And yet here we are facing an influx of online harassment, on site intimidation, and still showing up every single day to complete the work that we began.

What we cannot do is stand alone in silence while violence threatens the very community we are trying to serve.

We demand assurance tonight, not just whisper behind closed doors, but boldly and publicly that the city of Saginaw stands with us, that you will not allow this violence nor the divisive forces funding it to go unanswered.

That is why tonight we are not just asking for words of comfort, we are calling for action.

We are asking this council to issue a public statement of support that condemns the violence, affirms the adoption of this park, and makes it clear that the city of Saginaw stands with its community partners.

We are asking you to show up not only at ribbon cuttings and photo ops, but also in hard times when leadership is tested.

The community is watching, and Saginaw Cap, along with the families we serve, deserve to know that the city will not remain silent, but will stand boldly against violence and division and stand with us in building a safer and stronger Saginaw.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Bishop Hurley Coleman.

I come to this podium this evening quite challenged because I'm one of the advocates in the community, constantly encouraging people to become engaged, to stay engaged, and to take personal responsibility to see the things that they want to see happen.

But I'm pressed because both of those topics involved the quality of life in our community.

The first one is the tax cap, involves the quality of life in our community.

The second is the skate park, not just the skate park itself, but the incident, the assault that happened at the skate park.

Skate park is a beautiful facility.

I remember when the plans were developed, and I sat in the committee and I gave full endorsement because of my life, my history as a parks and recreation director for the city of Saginaw.

To have people who have committed themselves to engage in beautifying our community, to have gone through the process of procedures of getting permit, and to do so with all the information in hand, and then to be attacked.

Not because they were doing something wrong, or not because they were in in violation, but to be attacked and then to have no recompense.

How many times is it that an incident happens and we have to call crime stoppers to say who did this?

But here we know who did it.

We know how it happened, we know who's guilty.

All we need to see, it's a very simple process.

Just do the work, the police work and hold people accountable.

That place should be safe for anybody who's out there.

There should be no place, especially a park facility, a recreational facility, that should be undergirded with a major support of recreational facilities.

And they're lacking, woefully lacking in our community.

And it's not your fault.

We don't have the resources.

That's why we're the tax cap is important.

I close with this.

On my way, just preparing to come here today.

I have the New York Times and one of the people that still likes to read the paper by hand.

And there's a section in there, and then in the back of that section, there's a big article about skate parks.

And what usually happens to create the opportunity for skaters to skate park in many urban communities is when there is graffiti and the absence of care for a facility.

But this New York Times article was talking about places in the country that are beautifying those so that they're enjoyable, not only for the skaters, but for the ambiance of the community.

That's what they were doing.

When I got the call and went out there and as a grandmother sitting there, hurt just because she's trying to do something, and then nothing happened that made me want to come and ask you.

Let's do the right thing, hold people accountable, so safety is included in recreation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is John Mel.

Good evening, City Council members, staff, and members of the audience.

I'm going to speak to the skate park in a different way than some of the other speakers tonight.

The organization that was doing the work over there is a major part of our community.

And they did come before City Council and got uh an approval for this project.

But I think we uh collectively didn't approach this in the right manner.

Art in public places is a very sensitive subject, and we have an organization that helps us work with that, our arts and enrichment commission, who has handled a number of art and public places projects in this city and been very successful with it.

And I think in this case, a adopt a park agreement was not the right vehicle for the work that was being done there.

It uh was perhaps the beginning of the friction that uh resulted in the incident that brought this to everyone's attention.

So I'm I'm going to suggest that uh in a similar situation, we look to the people that we often look to to work with the arts community and how it impacts the larger community, and that we not look at this as a one-off thing where uh friends agreement, much like we do with Hoyt Park.

This really grew into more of a capital project at that site, and was not prepared in that way from uh the end of the the city, knowing exactly what was going to happen with that project.

Uh the damage done to people's reputations and uh physically was not what anyone planned when they wanted this project to go forward.

So, yes, it will take some time to repair what happened, but I think it's important to look to the future when we have similar requests.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Nyesha Clark Young.

Greetings, Madam Mayor, Pro Tem, and City Council.

You all know me.

My name is Nyesha Clark Young.

For this for the project that I am serving on, I serve as a project director for the Healthy Community Zones Grant that was offered through MDHS.

Okay.

So I encourage you to all look through your packets.

There is imperative information in there.

We went through all the proper steps, including surveys done at the skate park organically.

One of our mural artists comes from that uh comes from the surveys.

We are myself, Devon, and Lark have together almost a hundred years, combined experience from the art standpoint, from the community standpoint, and from the education standpoint.

So we are well, we are more than well equipped to complete this project, and we will.

We left no stern stone unturned.

There is no, there is no object uh or objectifying anything that we have done, but we need to know that you all are standing with us because the issue is more than paint.

This is a violence issue.

We've all worked on almost every mural in this community, and this has never happened before.

So we just need to know that you will stand with us.

We need more time to clean up, complete our project, because we will.

We got the community's input at the skate park, not just skaters, but riders and bikers and parents, and we had a beautiful event that everyone was included in, and everybody got to be a part of to create the social cohesion.

This is going to also create commerce.

This is also going to create tourism and attraction to our area and add infrastructure to the already infrastructure that is being built.

So I encourage you to look through your packets.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me and once again stand with us and allow us to finish and complete this project and to basically silence the naysayers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Cleo Brown.

Good evening to our Honorable Mayor and Senate Council members.

My name is Clear Brown, and I am a taxpaying citizen in the community.

And I stand before you and I stand before you today, concerned and disturbed.

As I say, my name is Cleo Brown, and I am a taxpayer citizen in the city.

And I am disturbed by the uh felonious assault on our artists that happened outside these windows.

I was at a meeting on Saturday on which I had an opportunity to hear some of the victims of this felonious assault.

And it was not in an incident.

It was a felonious assault.

Let's call it what it is.

They were attacked by a skateboard.

They jumped the fence and attacked our citizens who were authorized to be there.

I'm disturbed by that.

I'm besturred by that because I want justice.

I am not humbly asking for justice, but I am respectfully boldly demanding justice.

We want an investigation, the same type of investigation that you would have incurred had a 54-year-old black man jumped over that fence and attacked any of our white artists.

We want to be treated fairly.

We have enough situations going on that we take responsibility for amongst our own black community with crime.

We do not need anyone from any other jurisdictions or race jumping a fence and causing a disturbance, which is turned into a felonious assault with a skateboard.

So let's call it what it is.

Our chef department, um, whoever needs to be involved.

We are demanding that.

We're not acting humbly.

We're not going to join hands with any pastor and march and saying, Kumbayo, my lord.

We are not going to um riot in our city.

We already have enough issues in our city, but we're going to continue to do what we are doing now, and I just come before you as often as we need to and demand the same investigation that you would have had any of them been white.

That's just I'm going to call it what it is.

If a black man would have jumped that fence, and we all know this with the climate as it is, we don't need any issues.

We have enough in our black community.

We have enough amongst ourselves, and I believe in take responsibility for our black community, even though I don't have any children that live here.

But I I love my city, I love my young people.

So we don't need anybody else coming in and bringing more chaos.

So we had an incident where uh a 54-year-old man and a couple of others decided that they were assault with a skateboard.

Hit this man in the head.

He had to go to the hospital.

And we're gonna sit here and act like we need to push that under the road.

Let's keep that quiet.

Don't say too much about it.

Because it was black people that were involved.

No, we won't do that this time.

This is not the climate for that.

We only want justice.

I only want the same justice that you will give that white woman.

There was a white, there was a black senior lady there.

Do you understand?

Older than I am.

She should feel safe when I come out to that park.

I should be safe if I have the authority to be there.

The last thing I should be concerned about is somebody gonna jump that fence and knock me in my head with any type of instrument.

All right, Miss Brown.

I don't want to cut you off.

Thank you.

Thank you, sweetie.

Our next speaker is Terry Lynn Collins.

I'm to Ayanna Allen.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Ayanna Allen, and I live in the city of Saginaw.

I'm concerned that my husband, Lark Allen III, was attacked, doing what he knows and loves.

He is a graduate, graduate of Cranbrook, and is a professional artist and employed as an art instructor at Delta and Saginaw Valley State University.

Devon Collins and Aisha Clark came to his aid and were also attacked.

I need the city of Saginaw and the Saginaw City Police to ban the individuals who started and instigated and called family members to join in on the attack to be banned from all city parks.

The people who instigated and did the assault are business owners in Saginaw, who put violence on professional artists doing a city sanctioned project, who the instigator was aware of the project, and still trespassed, harassed, and attempted to antagonize the mural staff, and is also harassing them online.

He called family members who also arrive and incited violence.

I need the city of Sagnos to step up in this matter.

The individual was successful with the interference and stoppage of a city-approved project that he was aware of and knew the park was temporarily closed for the project's completion and responsible for calling his family to incite an attack on our artists that were sanctioned to beautify our city.

They are artists, they were attacked and are receiving online harassment.

We need support from Saginaw City and to condemn those actions of violence, and that violence is unacceptable.

Violence needs to be denounced.

Our artists in our community need to be supported and protected, as we all should be.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

And tonight we will not three minutes, Council Parsons.

You have three minutes as well.

We will begin tonight with Council Woman Wiggins.

Thank you, Mayor.

This was in reference to what all of our speakers came to talk about today.

That skate park attack was not an incident.

And for us to listen to witness after witness saying it was an attack is sad that people misconstrue or decide to wrap it in a pretty package, or decide to you know use it as misinformation and attack the organization that put this together and did go through the right channels for this.

Um to mention they should go through go through uh the arts um and arts uh whatever was used before in previous projects is not being inclusive.

Um, if a person if an organization goes through the right channels, gets approval.

Um, they don't they shouldn't have to go through something that's deemed acceptable previously because the people are in our community, they're citizens, they want to do something beautiful for our community.

They shouldn't have to go through specific channels if they've gone through the right ones.

Um I condemn the violence that was uh that occurred.

I cannot speak for the entire council, but I am sorry that that happened.

Um, and we need to do better.

And I really do believe there should be a full investigation, there should be answers, and there should be consequences.

So thank you for coming out and sharing that with us.

Thank you.

Next we have councilwoman and thank you, and um thank you to all of our speakers for coming out tonight and and everyone for showing up and and uh showing support.

Um, for me, the emboldening and excusing of this attack has been greatly disturbing to me to witness in my community.

Um, it seems as though it has been easy for many people to assume that celebrated artists for some reason are not putting the needs of the community first, that they haven't done the work, that they haven't done the research or the personal investment to know how to do their jobs properly.

And to me, that assumption is offensive and it's rooted in racism.

To me, there will always be that there are always gonna be a handful of people who are always confrontational and afraid of change, right?

There will always be people who push for their narrative for attention, whether that's online or in person, but for that to evolve into violence and then further into justification, and sometimes I even saw celebration of that violence is completely unacceptable.

Naisha Clark Young, Devon Collins, Professor Lark Ellen III, Carolyn Jones, and Deanna Carruth, and others put in months of effort on the front end to make this project happen.

They did hundreds of surveys, they got hundreds of results.

I I even filled one out at the kickball event.

They they had a table.

Um to assume that they would use a kind of paint that would be detrimental to the use of the skate park and the health and welfare of the skaters is ridiculous and offensive.

To assume that they didn't have the approval of the city is ridiculous and offensive.

To assume that they are pushing an agenda through paint and community is ridiculous and offensive.

If we as a city turn away at this moment and cave to fears, it would be a dishonor to our residents and a revocation of our mission.

If we continue to stand by as a city, as respected members of our community, are lambasted and their work is wrongfully disparaged.

How can we expect others to stand up to give back and put themselves out there for the betterment and beautification of our community?

They did the work, they are supporting the city, and we need to support them.

Thank you.

Next we have our newest member, Mr.

Young.

Thank you.

Uh this is my first meeting.

But fortunately, with me being right here in the city, I'm the breast of what happened, and actually a couple of the um artists that were involved in the incident.

I went to school with them.

I know them personally.

So you know, and I I haven't heard the the facts of it, but I've heard seen social media posts, and if I'm not mistaken, um uh one of the people that was attacked was taken to jail himself.

So I don't know the facts, but I'm interested in getting an official report from uh law enforcement so that we won't have to assume and we can get to the facts of it.

And I agree uh with uh um councilman Wiggins when she said the uh inclusiveness.

So if you suggest that one organization should um beautify our city, that kind of restricts what it looks like.

So I think having more two, three, four organizations uh decorating our city will be more inclusive and show what's really inside more than one organization.

So I think that's that's important.

Um thank you, that's all I have.

Thank you.

Councilwall Messios.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um to change gears a little bit to get us off of that um this past week.

Um I did attend a um minority women in government brunch with uh councilwoman uh said Hammond.

Everyone's uh everyone's saying Hammond, I'm sorry.

Uh Wiggins and um and we attended together um it was part two this past week, and it was a great event.

Uh we had dialogue, we talked with uh the community about uh local government, uh women and local government, and we gauge in some discussions about how the community works, what we do here on city council.

Uh we explore opportunities to serve on city council.

How do you go about serving on uh different council's boards and commissions through city council and through our city?

And so that was that was great.

Uh my first one I ever done.

I don't know if Ms.

Wiggins have done anything uh like that, but that was pretty cool.

Um getting myself out there doing more, becoming more active and um engaging more with the community, and unfortunately unfortunately there are some engagements that we heard uh the past former members just uh talk about.

There are some engagements that are just unfortunate that we're still dealing with in our city.

So it just takes all of us just to continue to be vigilant and to keep ourselves positive and to continue to stand up for what's right to stay connected.

Um we're gonna get to the bottom of that, and uh we will make sure that uh it's going to be dealt with.

We promise you it will be dealt with.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Councilman Ball.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Uh you know, um this I attended the uh meeting uh when this incident uh the first meeting they had with this incident, and I was sitting there listening to the uh complaints, and I could not believe it.

Hearing everything everybody said today, I still can't believe this.

I mean, for people to have the cities uh approval to go do the work, all the research they did with picking certain kind of painks to do the work and all that kind of stuff, it's just beautiful.

And then to have people come in and pick on them at that park is is unacceptable.

Those people should have been arrested and they should still be in jail, especially for assaulting someone.

I agree 100%.

I don't want to put this a color thing or anything like that, but the facts remain what they are.

They had to be a black kid climbing over there, messing with some white people doing that.

I guarantee you, is that his butt would have still been locked up.

Absolutely.

You know, and it so I'm just saying that we we need to take care of the issues before they before they get out of hand, and then with somebody to come in here with the red tie on and say what they said, really tease me off to say that these people need to go to somebody else before they can't when they got the commission from the city to do what they was doing.

That is some frackle knuckle bull.

I can't believe nobody would come here and say something like that when somebody went attacked, hitting a head with a skateboard.

I would hate like hell to have one of my children I had opportunity to come in and do something about that.

These are type of things that we don't need people to start kettles or start small fires that turn into other things, and then other people that got the bigger guns then winning the situation.

Or either we have so much chaos in this country where somebody would have a dacity to call martial law and have us shipped our butt to alligator island or some other place.

But these type of things that start happening before that happened.

So we gotta nip this in the bud before it be grown a big ugly flower or a big ugly tree.

It's shameful.

Shameful for our citizens to have to deal with situations like this.

It's shameful somebody to come in here and say what they said.

When we had the permission, they got the money, everything was done right.

Mr.

Bulls said everything was done correctly, and it was.

But only one thing was done incorrectly, and those people that done things they didn't correctly need to suffer the consequence of what they do.

Because somebody else does it, I bet they suffer the consequences.

So we we don't need this in the city of Saginaw.

We don't need this.

We we got a pretty good community, a lot of good things are going good, and we need to keep on making them go good.

So I hope that we continue to uh be vigilant with trying to find out the answers to these issues.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Councilman Ostage.

Thanks, Mayor.

Welcome everybody to the council chambers tonight.

And uh I do want to say that I support each and every statement made by my colleagues tonight so that I don't have to restate that.

Um I do support you, and I've got bits and pieces of this.

I I still can talk to a few people.

Um we were out of town last week at a conference, but I was reaching out to folks that I could reach out to.

Naisha, I talked to her, Devon, I talked to you, my deepest apologies again.

Miss Lark, I was not able to get a hold of your um artist, but please take that back.

Um there's not a lot of things that people know maybe in this city of me as a council member, but I will note this tonight because I think it's important and why I stand with my family and why I stand with you.

My brother-in-law is black.

My nieces, my great nieces and nephews, their dad is Mexican.

So when it comes to black and brown people in my community in my family, I stand in each and every one of you because I see it and I see what they go through.

So with that said, um moving on, even to the artists that were qualified.

These artists worked on the silos.

They worked with a world-renowned artist, ACUDA when the silos are painted.

So they they are qualified.

And they and like you said, now he's been on the New York Times.

Um just kind of going over some of my notes that I was jotting down as we as we went through some of this, um, and we were talking about it.

But you know, the other thing, too, and I saw the videos, that park was locked, and I went out there that night because I saw the ambulances and stuff, but I thought maybe somebody got hurt on a board or somebody fell.

I did not know what was going on at the time.

But then I went back later on that night.

And I have five more people in that park with the gates locked with fresh paint.

So isn't that a big enough signal that you were not supposed to be there?

So again, that was another thing, and I actually had to call and have um had to call and have them removed.

But also, too, I inquired to the city manager about cameras.

We do have cameras in the park, but I we just need to get better cameras pointed at different locations.

Um I don't have a lot of time, so I'm gonna leave um you with this.

And also, too, I want to uh going back.

If you remember back a while ago, somebody was throwing nooses in people's cars, and that family was also uh being harassed and ridiculed.

I stood with that family and I stood on their front porch and denounced what was going on, just like I'm denouncing this today.

But also, too, in the city of Saginaw, our mission statement, some of the things in there says we want an inclusive, safe, and vibrant community to work, live, and play.

We need to live up to that.

Also, our vision statement and also our core values are diversity and inclusiveness.

So, with everything that's going on here, with everything that everybody is saying, yes.

We need to make sure that this is taken care of.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Um I just like to say, like, I appreciate everyone that came here to talk about the issue for the skate park concerned.

Um, it shows that the community is the one, the people in the community is the ones that take care of the people in the community, and this is what I'm seeing.

Um, you know, I was able to come out there after the incident, um, talk to the you know Devon, a good friend of mine, and um and the other artists as well, and talk about the incident.

And um first it was the vandalism first.

I was very disappointed uh the vandalism because they had just finished the work.

I think it was like 16 hours, you know.

So it's saddening to see um, you know, do you know the work put in and people just come and step over it and destroy it?

And so um I know the work that the that they put in and getting that skate park to get where it was at.

I thought it was beautiful.

You know, I don't know as much about skating, you know.

But um I thought it looked pretty nice and it's good for our city and the impact.

And also, like um Ostaz talked about, those artists has been you know, painting all around the city, help beautifying our communities and things.

So we I was speak for myself.

Um, yeah, I do have my support in the art community, you know, and so whatever my influence or powers I could do to help with this, um I will.

Uh any influence I have.

But um I also say that um just let us continue to do the work though.

Don't let this um this might take us back a little bit, but doesn't let this stop us from moving forward, um, coming together.

Um our country, there's a big divide in our country, okay?

And so let's not let that spill over into our community, okay?

And so let's let's let's try to kill that divide and let's look for unity on both sides of the uh both sides of the uh field, I should say.

Um but I got a minute, I might soak this minute up.

No, but uh no, but let's let's try not to have the divide uh with them with each other.

Let's come together for the and get this solution, get the consequences necessary, but let's look forward on what we need to do because a lot of people in this community, not just the art, but a lot of people in this community are coming together doing positive things.

So I always say let's highlight those things and make those things better.

All right, and so that's all I have, and uh congratulations on Tobias as well for uh coming on board and um looking forward to the challenges.

All right, that's all.

Thank you, Mayor.

Okay.

Next we have Mayor Pro Tim Gassian.

Good evening, concerned citizens of the community.

I just want to say thank you for all our speakers that have come.

And like my grandma would say, thank God she's still around.

She would say, if you're in the wrong, shut your mouth.

If you're on the right, you better speak up and let's just call it for it was it was trespassing.

These people trespass while you were trying to do a job that you were given to do for our community.

Um, and then it was vandalized on top of that.

The hard work and dedication that you guys put into this, believing that you were doing the right thing, and then to have somebody come in and try to take that pride away in our beautification that you guys were doing an amazing job.

I'm not a skateboarder by any means, but I'm just gonna tell you a quick little story about my little skateboarding days.

Um that's how much I know about it.

I um would hook my brother's skateboard up to my um three-wheeler, and I took him down and he hit the sidewalk and he lost his front too.

So that's as much as I know about skateboarding.

I don't know how to use it or what, but that's what my prop was when I was in my little days.

But yeah, so um, I I just say um just give us a deadline, how much time you need.

I I know you guys said you needed more time.

I I know you guys said you needed more time, so can you please give us the opportunity so we can make it right and give you guys that time that you need to complete that beautiful park that's going on over there.

I ride by here every day.

I'm always on this side of town, and you know, like I said, I'm not a skater, I don't know, and I was seeing all the negative on Facebook, of course.

There's always one side that's always gotta be negative.

I'm always about being positive, so let's turn this around into something positive, okay?

We learned the devil stays busy, he tries to set us back.

That's if we allow him to.

So let's not allow him to do this.

Let's continue to work together as one.

I went down to the web store on Hamilton, and he gave me a shirt, and I was gonna wear it, but we had interviews, and it said I love Saginaw.

He was just printing them up for free because he wanted to give back to the community.

Um, he sells skateboards, I didn't get to ask him, he was busy.

But he's a small little community um store right here in the heart of the city, and he was giving back this as I love Saginaw.

And I thought that was awesome, you know, a nice gesture.

So let's stay positive and like I said, the world's so divided right now, but let's not look at it.

Let's continue to be the good Samaritans that we're born to be here in the city of Saginaw, do right, and I fully support you guys, and I appreciate you guys.

I know Nye did great on the silos.

I don't know they're two.

Maybe I've probably seen their work and didn't know that that was um, but we just came from MML, and you should see all the other cities that are doing all these great murals, positive.

They had this big tin man, it was really nice to see all this artwork that's making these communities um people to come together and say, Oh my gosh, this is beautiful, or let's try to do this in our community.

I mean, it really is an eye-opener because now it's vibrant colors, it's positivity.

Let's think positive.

That's why they call me positive P.

But um, I appreciate you guys, and I hope to continue to support you guys and give us those dates and times that you guys need to extend so you can get the great work done that we need here in our city, and I appreciate you guys.

Thanks.

It's hard to follow the group.

Let me say thank you to all of our speakers.

We hear you.

We were in the midst of going, and in the midst of going, we forgot.

I'm gonna own it for all of my artists, for all of the people who got hurt.

You have my deepest apology.

Because if one thing goes wrong in this city, whether you want to believe it or not, it falls on me.

So when people say I want some action, you're asking me, and I hear you.

I hear everything that you guys say.

One of the things that I've learned being in this seat and being on any of the other seats is this.

In order for me to get to where I need to get, I need y'all.

I need you that, I need you guys to help.

I've got a real I don't look at Facebook and most people know that people screenshot me stuff and send it to me.

And I don't look at that because some of the stuff might be true, but so much is not true.

It is not true.

Yes, city council stood behind this project.

And I still stand behind you.

And whatever time you need, we can work it out.

And yes, I'm I I would not want to think that we just dropped it now.

Because if we have, you got a problem.

Now you gotta deal with me.

Because I gotta deal with y'all.

And so you won't be asking nobody else.

We talk about it all the time.

My phone rings 24-7 on stuff that's going on in this city.

And I don't call 10, I don't call the city manager all the time, but I be won to call him in the middle of the night.

Say, look, this is going on.

But I know that the next day I can get with it.

I need to get this in.

We hear you hear this October the 8th, and I need to do it now at Delta College.

Corney is coming, and so is as Hemlock's in my conductor.

We are actually gonna do another job there.

We are filling out applications, and you we will be in downtown Delta College.

We're going to the computer lab so that we can get some jobs in the city of Saginaw.

People keep saying the same thing.

It ain't no job.

These jobs are minimum coming in the dough 20.

It's bus, it's a bus that provided you go.

10, 15 a week.

I knew it was gonna do that.

But I truly want for if you know anybody that's looking for a job.

October 8th, 6 p.m.

to 8 p.m.

at Delta College.

And come dress.

Don't come in there with Japan's hanging on.

Come dress.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk.

Reports from the manager.

Mr.

Manager.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Well, first on with regard to an extension of time for this project.

This is an adopt a park agreement.

Right.

Those are typically for a year or more.

So you have the balance of the time to work on that painting and finish it up.

And then I will not go into a lot of detail about who was arrested, but arrests were made.

And those at those familiar with the legal process know those arrests are then submitted to the prosecutor with the statements, and the prosecutor decides whether to charge.

My understanding, and I did talk to council members, and that in you were asking questions, some of you were asking questions when this happened.

So our police department does not decide who gets charged.

They make arrests and they submit that evidence to the prosecutor's office.

So that's that's where they are with that.

We had we did have an additional camera.

It did have video, so that video was also submitted to the prosecutor's office.

So with that, uh go on to our next uh topics.

We do have our fire awards coming up on September 7th at the Fire Station 1, 801 Federal Avenue.

Um that's a Tuesday at 10 a.m.

So everyone is invited to that.

Uh our word ceremony allows us to recognize efforts of citizens, firefighters, and other first responders who have made the city a safer community, and it provides the opportunity to honor those firefighters who have lost their lives in service to the city of Saginaw.

So that's an open invitation again.

That's September 7th at 10 a.m.

September 7th.

I'm sorry, October 7th, sorry.

I wrote 9-7 down.

I'm sorry about that.

It's October 7th.

Yes, October 7th, sorry.

Um, we're also updating our current parks and recreation plan.

Um the parks and recreation plan survey is now available on our website.

Uh we'll use that information from residents to integrate with other survey data to create goals and action plans in our city's design and maintenance of our parks in the years to come.

The survey is going to be available until October 3rd, 2025.

So please uh make sure that um if you can you get on there and submit your uh responses and to ensure every resident has an opportunity to participate and make their voices heard.

A community input session will also be held here at the Anderson Enrichment Center on Thursday, October 9th, from 5.30 to 6.30.

The public session is an additional opportunity to engage community and gain their perspective on what they want to see uh developed in the parks over the next five years.

Um as the clerk mentioned, we are also having our fourth annual We Love Saginaw Businesses trunk or treat event hosted by the City of Saginaw, the Saginaw Downtown Development Authority, and the Saginaw Economic Development Corporation.

The free event will take place on Wednesday, October 22nd, 4:30 to 6.30, right here in the parking lot across uh the lawn there at the splash pad.

Um we started this a few years ago as the fourth one, so four years ago, uh, to help businesses connect with um small businesses in particular with the community.

So we encourage all small businesses to participate and get a chance to engage with uh hundreds of uh members of the community.

We're also going to be having a touch the truck with the police fire and other city vehicles for the for the youth, and um council members are invited to participate in this as well, and finally, I do want to provide an update on the uh city hall rehab project.

So the estimated completion time for phase two of the project is now the end of October.

Phase three, which is the second floor is scheduled to begin early to mid-November, depending on the arrival of various supplies and materials.

When phase two is complete, the public will see uh several offices move, the highest traffic offices that I will be moving are the city clerk and fiscal services.

And most of the outside work on the building is complete.

There will be additional landscaping and concrete work on the south side of the building after phase three is completed.

We're nearly finished, uh, and then there will be additionary mass additional masonry work once consumers uh complete the transformer installation.

And I do want to uh one more thing here.

So most of uh city council did go to the MML meeting, and um the mayor always encourages us to pick a few things out that we did learn at the convention.

Um I just wanted to say that I went to smart budgeting strategies for uncertain times, and I learned that um our budget process is awesome.

So up to you, Miss Bland over there.

So uh most of the things that that were presented, we are already doing so.

Um that was great to hear.

Um we also had uh a really good speaker that I'm gonna um send to to Cassie Zimmerman, our economic development director, uh was uh I'm not I'm not gonna try to say his last name, but it's he goes by John John, he's the happy urbanist.

So he talked about doing things in public spaces, and that's why this project we talked about with the with the painting and all the murals are important because those kind of projects help improve public spaces and create those community places where um people can gather.

And yeah, interesting, he has an interesting thing on his website too.

It says how action, not perfection is the path to stronger, more resilient communities, and small, quick, lower cost ideas can make a huge difference.

So I think that's a great message, and um I'm gonna send that his stuff around to our staff to follow.

That was a very good presentation.

Did we have any questions for the city management?

Okay, yes.

Um I think you touched on this, but I want to reiterate it.

Um so you're saying that the investigation into the incident at the skate park is completed and closed?

Uh from our end, yes.

The criminal investigation.

So as a result of the now closed investigation, that's how three individuals were arrested.

And of those three individuals, no charges were filed.

Yes.

Wait.

Yes.

I'd like to uh speak to that uh same incident.

Um I heard you speak that the top loud.

You sp you uh said that the not all.

Okay.

Um well uh you said that the prosecutor um decided not to prosecute, but the police decided to arrest.

So it seemed like it's a disconnect there.

So I think it still needs some further investigation on why the prosecutor's office is not in line with the officers that's out in the community.

I not to get into details of this investigation, but there are multiple times when arrests are made that the charges are not filed for various reasons.

The job of our officers are to assess the scene, investigate, take statements, and submit that to the prosecutor.

So it's in every case it's up to the county prosecutor's office to review that to determine whether the charges are just generally speaking, and be happy to um any council member who wants to sit down and um look at what we had call my office and we'll we can set something up.

Okay, thank you.

Uh just to go along with what we're talking about, Tim.

Um you're right, our officers they do their job.

And then they go to the prosecutors attorney's office and they drop the charges or a bond issue.

Sometimes they make it into court, that also becomes a problem with the sentencing.

So I would say we need to go to the prosecutor's office.

And we need to let them hear your voices.

Um so that would be John McCulligan's office, needs to hear from you.

Thank you.

Um just a question regarding the individuals being banned.

Is that a possibility?

Yes.

We'd have to look into it.

Please look into it.

I will say if no charges are being brought, it makes it very difficult for us to have an argument to ban them.

Well, that being said, if uh, you know, even if charges weren't being brought and someone was destroying property and they didn't get charged for it, but it's known that they have been destroying property.

Would you still continue to let that person access?

So I'm just asking you to look into it.

Thank you.

Okay, hold on one minute.

Let me just say this.

The individuals who were hurt can also file themselves.

Absolutely.

They can file a civil infraction of it to courthouse, which will move stuff a whole lot faster since the prosecutor is dropped.

So if you were victim, you can call it called felonious assault.

And you can actually go and file.

And it is then it did all of the stuff that you guys are asking can probably happen.

Again, I don't know what to say.

I believe that yes, Councilman Braddock.

I just want to say far as um moving forward with this far as with the art, um, as far as our community leaders uh like our artists who out there doing work.

Um, I think maybe is there any plan to protect those leaders or to protect those artists that are out there or anything that we should do in case of those things that should happen, or you know, just have some type of uh uh measurements or something to protect those, you know, can to protect the community leaders when they're out there working, opposed to people coming to harass them and all things situation.

I don't know what we can do as far as um on the social media attacks, but you know, when you're out there doing the work and somebody's attacking you, that's a threat right there as well.

So I would say normally I would you know, call the police or though, but does we have any plan to protect those those individuals that we partner with to help beautify the city?

So I think we need to look into something, some type of plan or something like that.

Yeah, we can talk to the artists and see when they're gonna be out there and have community officers go by.

Okay.

Yep, yes, thank you.

Um, so I will be following up, and I am interested in reading some of the reports um that were um passed along to the prosecutor.

Is um sometimes we do get summaries.

I is it possible to get a summary of the police investigation actions and follow-up from the chief or deputy chief of police.

Uh yeah.

I would like that comprehensive review.

Thank you.

Uh just real quick.

So, Tim, you were talking about MML, which I meant to talk about too, because there was a lot, there was a lot that there was there that's really good.

So I do want to let the community know too.

I did come across a developer that's doing housing in the Grand Rapids area.

Um would kind of fit with some of our new zoning, so I'm gonna get that information to Tim.

Um I told him right now Saginaw is perfect for what you're doing, and we we desperately need affordable housing for the middle income.

So I'll get that over too.

Any other questions?

Yes.

Apologies, I had one last question.

Um, so Mr.

Manager, I did not receive this skate park handouts Gmail.

Um I know it was sent to the city council at Saginaw Dash MI.com.

That typically comes to all city council emails.

Um, do you know why it wasn't received?

Do you happen to know?

I'm sorry, what what information?

This was the skate park handouts email.

She just handed it to us.

I know, but it should have come through all of our emails because it has our address on it that's supposed to come through all of them.

IT.

Yeah.

I don't know why it wouldn't have.

We can check into it.

And I'm just because I it's it's just concerning to me because if residents think that something is coming through to council and it's not, I didn't get a notification about it or that something was blocked or didn't go through.

So if they're not getting a notification, then I have no idea how many people have been trying to send us stuff that hasn't gotten.

I think I did get this, but part of it was blocked, so we can look at tech services and say thank you very much.

Any other questions?

All right, on to the consent agenda.

The agenda has been available at City Hall and on and on the city web phase.

I need a motion to approve the consent agenda leaving room for exceptions.

Second.

Do I have any exceptions?

Number three.

Number three.

Any other ones?

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, nay.

Madam Fler.

Item number three is to approve to amend the agreement with Guide House Incorporated by 400,000 for a new total not to exceed 1,601,000 for consulting services related to funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act grant.

That was Councilmember Wiggins.

Councilman Marine.

This is not loud.

This contract originally for uh the original at 2022 was for what did it say?

Anyway, it was half, it was like eight and a half.

It was like 800,000.

800,000.

850,000.

I guess I need a definition of um not to exceed.

So we're pay as you go.

Okay.

So when we get close to that amount, we need more money.

We come back to council to request it.

Is there an end to this?

Well, we're hoping that this gets us through 2026 and close out of the grant.

Okay.

But I I can't guarantee that.

Okay.

Because we're billed out like an hourly rate.

So they're they're policing the last uh what 10 million dollars and whatever is yeah.

Um that there's 10 million that's unspent, but there's still sub-recipient monitoring for 27, and I believe like 12 city projects.

Okay.

I'll add to that that we knew this was coming up when we did the final allocations.

Um council at the time acknowledged that the level of service they were asking for was beyond what that original contract was.

So they knew it was gonna come up, and they acknowledged that because of the service level that it was we were gonna need to ask for the increase.

And I think there are a couple of the organizations have had some additional monitoring that wasn't anticipated to the first round, too.

So the requests on our end changed from the original contract.

Yeah, more uh monitoring and assistance, yes.

So I'm just thinking when I get a when I get a quote to fix a car and it goes over, they just pay that quote.

You know what I mean?

But with programming too, we knew so.

I I appreciate it.

Yeah, we they we didn't know what all the allocations were gonna be originally either, and so when you do a lot of programming that increases your monitoring and it increases your costs as well.

Okay, but this should be the bulk of the final well.

Let's hope.

Yes, we have probably yeah, I just wanted to let her know that we have programming involved, and that's why she didn't sit on the first round of the RPM when that we knew that it would last week.

Yep.

So part of point of order, there's not a motion on the floor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I mean she's under her exception for discussion.

Yes, so uh motion to approve, so move.

All those in favor saying I all those opposed balls.

No, I just wanted to ask the um some kind of way, uh let them know that the council said they need to wrap this up.

So uh they need to get out, you know, dot the I's across their T's and make it so it'll be easier for you guys to finish this out because we can't keep on be giving her no money.

I'll share that with them.

Thank you very much.

We're welcome.

We did have the vote.

But we don't have the vote.

No, so you're not under any motion right now because you already conducted the vote on that motion.

Um I think that was vote was taken in by mistake.

Oh no.

I don't know if we can rescind that vote.

Because we we had already recognized somebody to speak, so the vote would have been out of order.

You can right, but you can resend it if you voted.

Not the agreement, but no, no, I didn't know.

We need an approval to pass her to her exception.

Nope.

We didn't need that point of order, no one order.

You let us know where we stand in there right now, please.

First of all, Councilman Ostash, did you just have a did you have a question or you were just gonna add something?

It was just a question if we went under discussion.

Okay, something that you could ask maybe in an email.

Correct.

Councilman Balls also had a I'll ask it in the email and then you can email the council.

Okay.

Um so we we've uh I don't believe the intent was to vote to approve the motion.

The intent as misguided as it was to uh go into discussion.

It was to go into discussion.

I do not believe that we needed it to go into discussion.

So you guys are trying to say that we voted to approve the motion.

That was not the intent of the council.

She had already recognized somebody to speak though.

So that vote would have been out of order if she already recognized a speaker in discussion, which is what she did by pointing at Councilman Balls and Councilman Ostash.

I don't think that vote is no okay.

We know good.

I'll know I'll take the mistake.

I'll take I'll take the message.

Now let's move on.

Can we am I comfortable?

I believe that the the proper resolution would be that to just continue discussion of the motion, as though we had not because I don't believe anyone's intent was to vote on it.

I guess my my question would be do we need to rescind the vote and go back into discussion, or are we allowed to say that that was out of order, declare it out of order, and then continue discussion on the motion?

I would maybe say hold on.

I believe that the only one that had something remaining to say was Councilman Oshtash.

Am I correct in that?

But also I'll ask for a point of information.

Did anybody vote no?

I didn't know.

We voted nay, yes.

I did not hear a nay vote.

Did you somebody voted no?

Yes.

I didn't vote.

No.

I voted no.

Well pop vote.

So this is to approve the motion that I read.

Okay.

So if you want to go back in discussion, if you voted down, then you're back in discussion.

Correct.

Does that make sense?

Yes.

Everybody?

Okay.

No it doesn't.

So if you if everybody if you get enough nay votes, you're still under discussion of that motion.

Does that make sense?

Everybody's good?

Yes.

Motion done.

I thought the other motion would.

So if someone makes another motion after the denial, then you can't.

I'm so sorry.

I thought the the can you read the original motion?

Yes.

The item number three was to approve to amend the agreement with Guide House Incorporated by 400,000 for a new total not to exceed 1,601,000 for consulting services related to funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act grant.

So wouldn't a no vote be a vote and not approve it?

Yeah, that would that wouldn't pass then if you voted down.

We can still do your roll call vote because she could still vote no if she would like to do it.

It depends on if you want to approve or deny it.

That's where you're at right now.

You want to approve?

Yeah, that's number three.

It's number three, but since she did a nay vote and nobody heard it, we should do a roll call vote.

Let's do a roll pop up.

Councilmember Young.

Councilmember Seals.

Yes.

Councilmember Ball stuff out.

Mayor Protan Garcia.

Yes.

Councilmember Ostash.

Yes.

Councilmember Braddock.

Yes.

Councilmember Wiggins.

No.

Councilmember Hammond.

Yes.

And Mayor Moore.

Yes.

Okay.

You have seven yes, one no, and one absent.

So the motion is approved.

Okay.

On to board commission and committee reports.

We have anyone who wanted to read that one that would like to report on any board meeting when they went in the community as related to the city.

On to appointment of board commission and committee members.

We have two.

We have two appointments.

We're going to run them together.

Is there any exceptions to the to the nomination?

I need a motion.

Support.

A second.

Any discussion.

All of it is significant by saying aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, nay.

Madam Clerk.

On to ordinance adoption.

We have one on the agenda.

It's to add low-income housing tax exemption for Harrison Manor Limited Dividend Housing Association LP to the table of special ordinances.

Eight.

I need a motion to adopt.

So moved.

Second.

It's been moved and second.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing on all those in favor, signify by saying aye.

All those opposed, nay.

I need a motion to adopt.

Support.

Um Madam Clerk, I'm gonna have to abstain from this vote because I'm the treasurer on this nonprofit, and this nonprofit has been a value on this financially.

Conflict of interest.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, any other I've got it first and a second.

I got a question on that.

I thought if I thought he can vote on it as long as he's not receiving anybody.

He's a member of the corporation that owns this that is seeking this license.

Okay.

I mean, I've got that he had direct financial compensation, I thought was the charter language.

I thought yeah, I thought if you had he had to have some type of financial obligation that he still can vote on as long as he don't have any financial obligations.

Am I right?

I think I am council member Ostash did approach me prior to the meeting, and I think he's more comfortable in him staying just to be safe in this particular circumstance because of his position as an officer of this corporation.

But as long as he's not receiving financial benefit, then he still can vote.

Am I right or no?

I'm not getting a salary.

You're not getting a salary from the corporation?

Okay.

Then if you choose to vote, you can't.

Okay, thank you.

Council person or the new council person would know.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I think we need to be able to vote too.

So I will vote.

We talked about it before.

Okay.

Any other discussion?

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

All those opposed, nay, Madam Clerk.

Our second resolution is authorizing sponsors of various community events to use amplifying equipment.

So we'll move.

I need a motion to adopt.

So moved.

Or it's been moved to support any discussion.

All those all those in favor signify by saying aye.

All those in four madam clerk.

Takes us to miscellaneous business.

We have one item.

It's the consideration of a FOIA appeal filed by Charles Charles Blackwell, excuse me.

I'd like to make a motion to uphold the fees associated with Charles Blackwell's FOIA request.

Second.

It's been moved into second in discussion.

Yes.

Um, so I think that the fees are around just under $15, it seems.

Um, so I did read up on the complaint, and I'm this the comment that I would like to make is it seems that a lot of the issues around this complaint and why it has progressed this far, is because the initial request which was sent not to the correct person who resolves FOIA's for the city, um, that that individual did not respond at all or clarify or pass along the FOIA request, it seems like which it wasn't received.

Excuse me.

I think that the appropriate response would have been no matter what employee of the city receives a FOIA request.

If it's not, if it's not the right person, they should take initiative to send it to the right person, or at least that let them know who the correct person is.

So if we have, you know, I I believe it's someone in the clerk's office who handles FOIAs, but still I think that if someone is the FOIA officer or sometimes different city departments have different FOIA officers in certain circumstances, I think that that should be made clear, and if something gets sent to the city to the wrong person, I think it should be the prerogative of the city to get that direct that person in the right direction.

And it doesn't seem like that was taken in this case, which is what the person took offense to.

It seemed to me.

That's that's not actually what happened.

Is feel free to it was sent to emails where it was not received.

Mr.

Blackwell then sent it to me.

I immediately forwarded it to both the FOIA coordinates at City Hall and the police department, and they responded within two days of receipt.

So it was promptly received, it was promptly responded to upon receipt by the city.

So was it sent to not a city email initially?

For whatever reason, it may have been blocked.

It was not sent to either FOIA coordinator at City Hall or at the police department.

It was sent to General City Accounts that it did not show up within those accounts.

I would also note that under FOIA, if something gets shipped off to spam, it's not considered received until we find it in the spam, and we're not required to check spam on a daily basis.

Okay.

Uh would you mind iterating for anybody who may be watching who wants to FOIA things in the future?

What are the two email addresses or contacts in the city that they should go to if they want to focus on it?

They can go to the city website.

It has all of that information on it.

There's a form you can you can fill out that is specific to the FOIA request and everything that you need to provide for that FOIA request as well as a copy of the city's FOIA policy and the summary of that policy.

I appreciate the clarification.

I understand.

So we got a motion on the floor support.

Any more discussion?

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

All those opposed, nay.

Need a motion to adjourn.

Support supported.

All those in favor signify by saying I was opposed, nay.