Saginaw City Council Meeting Summary - November 18, 2025

The Saginaw City Council convened on November 18, 2025, with seven members present to address holiday announcements, receive public input, and deliberate on significant financial and housing matters. The meeting featured public speakers advocating for mental health resources, neighborhood safety initiatives, and community holiday planning, alongside council remarks highlighting recent volunteer efforts and facility tours.

Consent Calendar

• Approved routine motions for the City of Saginaw code amendments regarding property maintenance regulations with a unanimous vote.
• Council member Young noted that while the agenda line item contained legacy text regarding charter application, the ordinance adoption proceeding as the final step.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Lakir Carr, Raj, and Surinder (Representing the "Master G" community): Expressed full support for their organization's mission to spread a message of happiness to combat anxiety, depression, and overthinking. Dr. Carr, a physician, stated that the lectures have personally resolved her own health issues and those of her friends. Raj and Surinder emphasized that their services are entirely free, voluntary, and funded by their own pockets.
• Melanie Velasco: Expressed deep concern regarding the safety of children during upcoming holiday gatherings and the safety of pedestrians at night. She proposed specific safety measures: parents wearing glow-in-the-dark t-shirts with nicknames for child identification and a "Safe Home" sign program for residences to assist those in distress. She also raised concerns about street lighting and fallen branches, while sharing her personal experience with parking violations.
• Councilman Balls: Shared a personal position on the importance of mentorship and recovery, recounting a story about Terrence Robeson, who overcame drug and alcohol issues after a difficult childhood. He expressed strong support for the new Gateway Tube_recovery treatment center.

Discussion Items

• SGTI Endowment Situation (Miscellaneous Business):
  • Councilmember Young moved that city staff and interested council members meet with the Movement Strategy Center (SGTI) for due diligence to clarify discrepancies regarding the grant proposal, specifically concerning location changes and unapproved line items. Young expressed trust in the characters involved but emphasized the need for transparency and adherence to Treasury guidelines to avoid future financial liability for the city.
  • Councilman Balls supported the motion, arguing for a meeting to put the issue to rest and address the claim that work was performed without compensation.
  • Councilmember Astah countered that reimbursement was likely not possible as no work had been officially approved prior to the grant recommendations. Astah noted that Guide House had identified risks and recommended either terminating the agreement or increasing oversight, noting that the sub-recipient had not compensated its workers despite the city's strict approval requirements.
  • Councilmember Wiggins expressed a position of caution, emphasizing the need to follow recommendations unless an entirely better plan is formed, echoing the sentiment that the city must avoid the financial pitfalls of previous unaccounted grants.
  • Councilmember Hammond (Absent) and Councilmember Seals also weighed in on the need for transparency and the risks to the city's financial standing.

Key Outcomes

• Motion 1: A motion by Councilmember Young to request a meeting with the Movement Strategy Center for due diligence was rejected via a roll call vote resulting in a 4-4 tie (Councilmembers Young, Balls, Wiggins, and Braddock voted Yes; Councilmembers Seals, Garcia, Astah, and Moore voted No).
• Motion 2: A motion to withdraw the allocation to SGTI and terminate the subrecipient agreement was approved with a 6-2 roll call vote (Ayes: Young, Balls, Garcia, Astah, Braddock, Moore; Nays: Seals, Wiggins; Hammond absent). The funds are noted to potentially be redirected toward roof/furnace repairs and recreational facilities.
• Housing & Economic Development: The City Manager announced the release of the Saginaw Neighborhood Housing and Economic Development Survey to gather citizen input through December 12, 2025, funded by the Michigan Municipal League's My Home Project.
• Grant Award: The City of Saginaw received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for FY 2026 for the eighteenth consecutive year.
• Grant Award: The city received a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop a safety action plan.
• Upcoming Events:
  • Thanksgiving holiday closures (Nov 27-28).
  • Hoyt Park Memorial Cup Legacy Project dedication on November 20 at 11:30 AM.
  • Light Up the City event scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
  • Food collection events planned for the first week of December at Mount Olive and near the riverfront.