Apr 15, 2025 Committee of the Whole Meeting

HIT THE MIC. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WILL COME TO ORDER.

[00:00:03]

[COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ITEMS]

SO I'LL READ THIS INTO THE RECORD THAT MIKE, NOW MAYOR, WITH THE MICROPHONE ON.

WHEREAS OUR URBAN FOREST IS A VITAL COMMUNITY ASSET THAT BENEFITS ALL CITIZENS.

AND WHEREAS OUR URBAN FOREST PROVIDES IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEM AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES AND THEREFORE PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN ACHIEVING THE CITY'S SUSTAINABILITY GREEN GRAND RAPIDS URBAN FOREST PLANS. AND WHEREAS OUR URBAN FOREST ENHANCES THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF OUR CITY, PROVIDING A COMPETITIVE EDGE IN RETAINING AND ATTRACTING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.

AND WHEREAS OUR URBAN FOREST PROVIDES IMPORTANT ECONOMIC BENEFITS, INCLUDING REDUCING ENERGY COSTS, INCREASING PROPERTY VALUES, REDUCING DEMAND FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, AND STRENGTHENING THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF OUR BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS.

AND WHEREAS OUR URBAN FOREST PROVIDES VITAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, INCLUDING IMPROVING AIR AND QUALITY WATER, PARDON ME, AIR AND WATER QUALITY, PROVIDING LIFE GIVING OXYGEN AND PROVIDING WILDLIFE HABITAT.

AND WHEREAS OUR URBAN FOREST PROVIDES IMPORTANT PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH BENEFITS, INCLUDING REDUCING STRESS, RESPIRATORY ILLNESS AND SYMPTOMS OF ATTENTION DEFICIT.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID LEGRAND, MAYOR OF GRAND RAPIDS, PROCLAIM APRIL 25TH, 2025 AS ARBOR DAY.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IF I HAD THOUGHT OF IT WHEN I WAS DRAFTING THIS RESOLUTION, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ADDED THAT TREES HAD THE ADDED ADVANTAGE OF PROTECTING PEDESTRIANS FROM CAR ACCIDENTS. OVER THE YEARS WE'VE TAKEN ALL OBSTACLES OUT OF THE WAY OF THIS ON HIGHWAYS SO THAT CARS CAN SAFELY DRIFT OFF THE HIGHWAY IF THEY HAVE PROBLEMS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IN CITIES THAT DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE PLACES CARS DRIFT OR WHERE THE PEDESTRIANS ARE.

SO TREES ARE AN IMPORTANT PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION MECHANISM TO ON OUR STREETS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS, FOR THIS RECOGNITION AND PROCLAMATION. TO CELEBRATE THIS OUR ARBOR DAY FRIENDS OF GRAND RAPIDS PARKS, IN COOPERATION WITH THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, WILL BE HOSTING A TREE PLANTING ON APRIL 25TH AND 26TH OF 2025.

THE LOCATION WILL BE DOWN IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF BOSTON SQUARE AND OAKDALE NEIGHBORHOODS.

TOGETHER AGAIN WITH THE CITY. WE WILL BE PLANTING ABOUT 250 TREES OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE TWO DAYS.

THERE WILL ALSO BE 50 TREES THAT WILL BE GIVEN AWAY TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS A PART OF THAT EVENT, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. FOR ALL OF THE REASONS THAT THE MAYOR LISTED IN THE PROCLAMATION TODAY.

WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT BOTH OF OUR TREE PLANTING EFFORTS, BUT ALSO OUR TREE CARE EFFORTS AS WELL.

CAN WE GET A PICTURE WITH. SURE. MAYBE THE COMMISSIONER.

OKAY. I PROBABLY EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION LIKES TREES. SO WHY DON'T WE ALL GO UP AND TAKE THE PICTURE? OH. YEAH. YEAH, YEAH. COME ON IN. YEAH. YEAH. PLEASE. I'M TRYING TO HIDE. OH, OKAY.

READY? OKAY. ONE. TWO. THREE. TREES. TREES.

TREES. LOVELY PICTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. SMILE. IT'S LIKE CHEESE. WE.

ARE. MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM. WE HAVE RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING APPROVAL BY THE MLCC OF A SOCIAL PERMIT.

DISTRICT PERMIT APPLICATIONS PURSUANT TO ACT 124 OF 2020.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SUPPORT. ANY DISCUSSION? MR. CLARK? YEAH. JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, THIS IS IN THE SOCIAL DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS SOCIAL DISTRICT.

WE HAVE SEVERAL SOCIAL DISTRICTS, BUT ONE OF THEM IS DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS, AND THIS IS FOR THREE PERMITS IN THAT DISTRICT.

THE GARDEN DISTRICT HOSPITALITY AT 55 MONROE.

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ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. MOTION PASSES.

THAT BRINGS US TO OUR NEXT RESOLUTION. THIS IS TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER BELICHICK'S REQUEST TO ATTEND THE MICHIGAN COMMUNITY ACTION SUMMER 2025 CONFERENCE.

AND THERE ARE THERE'S A FEE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, AND WE ALL HAVE TO APPROVE THAT.

SO DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SUPPORT. ANY DISCUSSION? I'LL JUST. I'LL JUST MENTION, SINCE IT IS MY ITEM.

THAT THIS IS AN ITEM THE CONFERENCE IS HERE IN TOWN.

THIS IS AN EARLY BIRD FEE, SO IT IS REDUCED. THIS WAS PUT FORTH TO ME BY THE THE KENT COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE UPON WHICH I SIT FOR THE GOVERNING BOARD. AND SO IT LOOKED LIKE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO LEARN, NETWORK AND HELP EXPAND THE OUTREACH THAT WE CAN DO.

GREAT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

MOTION PASSES. NEXT. THAT BRINGS US TO RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CERTAIN SPECIAL EVENTS.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? SUPPORT. MR. CLARK. I GOT IT.

GREAT. GOOD MORNING. THIS RESOLUTION IS IDENTIFIES CERTAIN SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE PLANNED TO OCCUR DURING THE 2025 YEAR. IT'S NOT INCLUSIVE OF ALL EVENTS, AS WE DO GET A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT APPLICATIONS ALL YEAR LONG.

AND AS THOSE COME IN, COME IN, I'LL BRING THEM BACK BEFORE THE COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL.

ALL EVENTS THAT ARE APPROVED WILL HAVE AN EVENT ACTION PLAN AS WELL AS INSURANCE.

THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? NO. DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT SPECIAL EVENTS SO FAR ARE OR PROJECTED THAT YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE 175 ANNIVERSARY? ABSOLUTELY. SO IN OUR ATTACHMENT, I BELIEVE IT WAS ATTACHMENT A, WE DO HAVE A LIST OF THE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON FILE WITH US, MEANING THAT THEY'VE EITHER PUT IN A RESERVATION OR AN APPLICATION.

THERE ARE MANY CULTURAL FESTIVALS, AS WELL AS CELEBRATIONS THAT ARE ADDING THE 1/75 INFORMATION TO THEIR EVENT.

AND IF YOU'RE A PUBLIC MEMBER, HOW WILL THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THESE EVENTS? WHAT'S A GOOD WAY? SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT FOLKS CAN FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS THAT ARE PERMITTED THROUGH OUR OFFICE.

WE HAVE AN EVENTS AND EVENT AND ACTIVITIES PAGE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE THAT FOLKS CAN GO TO.

WE'RE ALSO PARTNERING WITH EXPERIENCED GRAND RAPIDS, AND THEY LIST ALL EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING IN WEST MICHIGAN, AND THEY HAVE A SPECIAL LINK FOR EVENTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH 1/75 ANNIVERSARY.

GREAT. THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? GREAT. THANKS. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. MOTION PASSES.

WHICH BRINGS US TO AN EVENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, I'M SURE, MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT.

AND THAT IS A RESOLUTION SETTING PARDON ME FOR PUBLICATION, SETTING A DATE TO CONSIDER PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ESSENTIALLY THE STRUCTURE OF VOTING PRECINCTS IN THE CITY AND TO UPDATE BOUNDARIES OF THOSE PRECINCTS.

AND OUR CITY CLERK HAS A PRESENTATION FOR US IN THE PUBLIC.

SO, CLERK. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

JUST TO GIVE A BACKGROUND OF HOW WE HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT OR GOT TO THIS REQUEST.

THERE WERE TWO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE MICHIGAN CONSTITUTION, 1 IN 2018 AND 1 IN 2022.

THE ONE OF PROPOSAL THREE OF 2018 GAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A SECRET BALLOT.

STRAIGHT PARTY VOTING. THE BIG ONE IN THERE IS THE NO REASON ABSENTEE VOTING.

ANY VOTER HAS THE RIGHT TO TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT.

AND WE'VE SEEN THAT REALLY TAKE OFF. SINCE THEN, OF COURSE, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE REALLY SAW IT TAKE OFF DURING THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION. THAT MEANS WHEN YOU GO TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE TO DO SOMETHING, YOU AUTOMATICALLY GET REGISTERED.

SAME DAY REGISTRATION. WE USED TO BE YOU REGISTERED 30 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION.

NOW YOU CAN DO IT UP UNTIL AND INCLUDING ELECTION DAY.

MILITARY AND OVERSEAS BALLOTS, 45 DAYS, AND THEN RIGHT TO ELECTION AUDITS IN 2022.

THE VOTERS OF MICHIGAN APPROVED ONCE AGAIN SAID WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO VOTE.

THE BIG ONE HERE WAS EARLY VOTING. THE EARLY VOTING WAS THE BIG 1 IN 2024 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SAW EARLY VOTING.

AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE IN 2024 AND WHAT THAT MEANS GOING FORWARD.

IT ALSO SAYS THAT IF YOU EITHER HAVE TO SHOW A PHOTO ID OR YOU FILL OUT AN AFFIDAVIT THAT'S BEEN THAT'S BEEN KIND OF PLAYED WITH IN THE LEGISLATURE OVER THE YEARS.

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YOU GET AN ABSENTEE, YOU CAN HAVE ONE APPLICATION FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR THE REST OF YOUR VOTING LIFE.

THAT'S A BIG CHANGE. STATE PAID RETURN POSTAGE FOR AV APPLICATIONS AND BALLOTS.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WHEN I CAME TO GRAND RAPIDS, WE SWITCHED FROM THE VOTERS PAYING FOR THEIR POSTAGE.

WE PAID FOR POSTAGE FOR A COUPLE ELECTION CYCLES, AND NOW THE STATE PAYS FOR THAT.

RETURNED. RETURNED POSTAGE. SO WHICH WHICH IS A SAVINGS FOR THE CITY THERE? DROP BOXES, ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING MILITARY AND OVERSEAS BALLOTS.

IF THEY COME IN, AS LONG AS THEY'RE POSTMARKED BEFORE ELECTION DAY, WE CAN COUNT THOSE UP TO SIX DAYS AFTER.

ALLOWS FOR PRIVATE DONATIONS. SO IF THERE'S A FOUNDATION OUT THERE SOME STATES DON'T ALLOW PRIVATE DONATIONS TO FUND ELECTIONS, BUT MICHIGAN HAS THAT ENSHRINED THE CONSTITUTION. SO I'VE RECEIVED GRANTS OVER THE YEARS.

SO THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT. AND IT SAYS THAT BASICALLY THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS THEY CERTIFY.

SO NOW LOOKING AT THE TURNOUT BY VOTING METHOD FOR THIS IS LOOKING AT JUST AT GENERAL NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTIONS.

SO YOU CAN SEE FOR NOVEMBER 24TH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD EARLY VOTING.

OUT OF THAT 97,000, THAT 97,677 THAT OVER VOTED OVER I THINK IT WAS OVER 60% VOTED BEFORE ELECTION DAY.

SO THEY EITHER VOTED EARLY OR THEY VOTED BY ABSENTEE.

SO THAT MEANS IN PRECINCT ELECTION TURNOUT HAS HAS DECREASED.

YOU CAN SEE THAT COMPARED TO 2022 WHERE THERE WAS MORE IN PRECINCT.

BUT IF YOU GO BACK TO 2016 OUT OF THAT THE 85,483 TOTAL VOTERS, IT WAS ABOUT 16,000 VOTED BY ABSENTEE.

BUT THAT WAS BEFORE NO REASON. AND AND THE LIKE.

SO YOU CAN SEE. AND THEN OF COURSE IN 2020 YOU SAW THE JUMP.

I THINK IT WAS LIKE 60,000 THAT VOTED BY ABSENTEE IN 2020.

BUT WE WERE IN THE PANDEMIC AS WELL. SO THIS GIVES YOU SOME MORE NUMBERS HERE.

BY METHOD. SO FOR THIS NOVEMBER 24TH ELECTION, 57, 57% OF THE VOTERS VOTED BEFORE ELECTION DAY.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE PRECINCT, THERE WAS 42,200 THAT VOTED IN THE PRECINCT, 35, ABOUT 35,000 VOTED ABSENTEE AND ABOUT 20,500 VOTED EARLY AT AN EARLY ONE OF THE FOUR EARLY VOTING CENTERS.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SET OF NUMBERS. NOVEMBER.

2016 901 VOTERS ON AVERAGE WENT TO A PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY.

DROP THAT DOWN TO NOVEMBER OF 2024. THAT'S 571.

SO SO YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A A LOT LOWER THAT ARE GOING TO ELECTION DAY.

AND IF YOU TALK TO ELECTION WORKERS WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT 500 RANGE, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF VOTERS COMING THROUGH THROUGH THE PRECINCT DURING THAT DAY.

AND THEN I BROKE IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

BASED ON THE 2024 ELECTION. WARD ONE. WARD TWO.

WARD THREE THAT YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE TURNOUT.

SO WARD ONE HAD THE LOWEST OVERALL TURNOUT AT 60, 60.32%.

WARD TWO AT 69% AND WARD THREE AT 62%. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WARD THREE.

WARD TWO HAS THE HIGHEST IN ALL THREE CATEGORIES, BUT WARD THREE HAS ABOUT 2000 MORE ABSENTEE VOTERS.

THERE'S THERE'S A LARGE POCKET IN WARD THREE WHERE YOU HAVE SAMARITAS AND AND REYBROUCK AND, YOU KNOW, THE BRETON VILLAGES. SO. AND CLARK RETIREMENT HOME.

SO YOU HAVE LARGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES IN THE, IN THE THIRD WARD.

AND AND THOSE ARE THOSE ARE OUR I CALL THEM OUR BIGGIES FOR ABSENTEE ABSENTEE VOTING.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE CHANGE IN WARD THREE ACTUALLY HAD MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN EARLY VOTING THAN WARD ONE AS WELL.

SO A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE MAPS IS THE LEGISLATURE ALSO CHANGED A LAW THAT SAID SO BEFORE BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE MADE THIS CHANGE, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF VOTERS PER PRECINCT WAS 2999.

THE LEGISLATURE CHANGED THAT BECAUSE OF EARLY VOTING AND BECAUSE OF ABSENTEE. THEY CHANGED THAT NUMBER TO 4999.

SO YOU COULD HAVE FOR UP TO 4999 VOTERS PER PRECINCT.

IF YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT OUT. WE COULD GO DOWN TO 31 PRECINCTS.

IF YOU TOOK THE 152,000 VOTERS DIVIDED BY 4999, YOU GET TO 30.5 PRECINCTS.

I'M NOT ASKING FOR 30.5 PRECINCTS. WE'RE ASKING WE HAVE A DIFFERENT REQUEST.

SO KIND OF KEEP THAT IN YOUR MIND TOO, IS THAT THE LAW HAS CHANGED WHAT THOSE WHAT THOSE AMOUNT OF VOTERS PER PRECINCT COULD BE.

I ALSO WAITED UNTIL AFTER THE 2024 ELECTION TO BRING THIS TO THE COMMISSION AND THE ELECTION COMMISSION, BECAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE THE CITY OF LANSING.

THEY WENT AHEAD WAY BEFORE, IN EARLY OR IN LATE 2023 TO DO THIS.

THEY WENT FROM 40 PRECINCTS DOWN TO 32. SO ABOUT THE SAME PERCENTAGE AS WHAT I'M REQUESTING.

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AND WE SAW THAT, YOU KNOW, 57% OF THE VOTERS VOTED BEFORE ELECTION DAY.

SO HERE'S HERE'S A MAP OF THE FIRST WARD. SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN THE FIRST WARD IS WHERE THE BLUE MAP, WHERE IT'S PRECINCT SEVEN AND NINE. THE THE THAT'S A NEW PRECINCT SEVEN.

AND THEY WOULD BE VOTING AT THE CHURCH OVER BY UNION HIGH SCHOOL ON TREMONT.

ONE OF THE PRECINCTS WAS AT SHAWMUT HILL. SO THEIR PRECINCT WAS THEIR POLLING LOCATION WASN'T EVEN IN THEIR THEIR PRECINCT.

SO THIS WOULD THIS WOULD COMBINE THESE TWO TOGETHER.

THE NEW PRECINCT TWO IS FORMER PRECINCTS TWO AND FIVE.

AND THEY WERE BOTH IN SIBLEY SCHOOL. SO WE'RE NOT THEY'RE NOT CHANGING THEIR LOCATION.

THEY'RE JUST. THEY'RE STAYING THE SAME LOCATION. IT'S JUST GOING TO BE ONE SET OF ELECTION WORKERS RATHER THAN TWO SETS OF ELECTION WORKERS IN THERE. AND THEN TWO TO COMBINE IS IN THE IN THE PINK COLOR. THE REDDISH COLOR THERE IS THE VOTERS THAT VOTED AT MTAC AND CESAR CHAVEZ SCHOOL.

THEY WOULD ALL VOTE AT CESAR CHAVEZ SCHOOL. SO THOSE ARE THE CHANGES IN IN THE FIRST WARD.

IN THE SECOND WARD. A FEW CHANGES IS MOST, MOST OF THE CHANGES I HAVE, AND I'LL SHOW IT IN MY LAST SLIDE WILL SHOW THAT ITS MULTIPLE PRECINCTS IN, IN A SINGLE LOCATION THAT WE'RE COMBINING TOGETHER IS IS A GOOD MAJORITY OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THE DECREASES.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ALSO IS CLOSING OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER PRECINCTS THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

SO IN THE SECOND WARD, EAST LEONARD ELEMENTARY IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

AND THEN AQUINAS, WE DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO BE A PRECINCT ANYMORE.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE COMBINE SOME THINGS TOGETHER, HOW DO WE MOVE SOME LINES? AND SO YOU SEE SOME CHANGES, KIND OF WHERE YOU SEE PRECINCT 24, IN THAT GREEN, IN THAT TEAL COLOR.

IT WAS TAKEN PART OF THE OLD 27 AND PART OF THE NORTH, PART OF THE OLD 28.

AND THEY WOULD THEY WOULD VOTE AT FOURTH REFORMED CHURCH AND THEN THE, THE, THE, THE NUMBER 27, WHICH IS THE SOUTHERN PART OF 28 AND OLD 31, I BELIEVE WE GOT A NEW LOCATION, WHICH IS GOING TO BE EMERALD FLATS, THE OLD EASTERN ELEMENTARY. SO WE'VE NEVER USED THAT LOCATION BEFORE.

THAT'S AN ICF BUILDING. I'M GOING TO BE A GREAT LOCATION FOR A PRECINCT.

GREAT PARKING. WALK. VERY ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO GET INTO THAT PRECINCT.

AND THEN THE OTHER, THE BIGGEST CHANGE, THE OTHER BIG CHANGE IN THERE IS IF YOU SEE PRECINCT 40 IN THAT RED COLOR, I, WE TOOK WE SPLIT THE WHAT I CALL THE DOWNTOWN PRECINCT.

SO NORTH MONROE, DOWNTOWN THEIR PRECINCT, THEIR POLLING LOCATION WAS AT QUOIT SCHOOL.

AND SO I HAD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM DOWNTOWN VOTERS.

THERE'S ABOUT 500 VOTERS THAT LIVED IN THAT THAT SECTION, YOU KNOW, LIKE ON LIBRARY ON IN MONROE CENTER.

AND THERE WERE SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT HAVING TO GO NORTH OF 196 IS NOT WALKABLE.

IT'S NOT THAT SO SO WE TOOK THE SOUTHERN PART OF THAT PRECINCT AND MERGED IT WITH RANSOM PARK.

SO NOW THAT NOW IT'S WALKABLE, IT'S. AND OF COURSE, WE DID AN EARLY VOTING SITE AT DEVOS PLACE.

SO DOWNTOWN VOTERS HAD A LOT OF THINGS, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING, OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE ADDING PROBABLY MORE DOWNTOWN VOTERS AS WE AS PEOPLE MOVE INTO THE FIFTH THIRD BUILDING AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS TOO.

SO THIS WILL MAKE IT WALKABLE. SO THAT'S KIND OF A BIG CHANGE THERE.

AND IN THE THIRD WARD SEVERAL CHANGES. WE'LL START AT THE VERY TOP OF THAT PRECINCT 48, WHERE YOU SEE.

SO THAT'S PRECINCT 50 AND PRECINCT 59. THOSE ARE VERY LOW.

THEY HAD ABOUT 1200 VOTERS IN EACH ONE, COMBINING THOSE TOGETHER.

SO WE WOULD NO LONGER HAVE VOTING AT SIGSBEE SCHOOL.

AND AS WE, AS WE MOVE DOWN YOU CAN SEE AS WE MOVE DOWN, THERE'S SOME COMBINATION OF PRECINCTS AND SOME CHANGING OF LOCATIONS, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE MULTIPLE PRECINCT POLLING LOCATIONS.

AND I'LL SHOW YOU THAT IN THE END. AND WE AND WE WE WENT DOWN TO THE FURTHER SOUTH, WE CHANGED SOME OF THE LINES SO THAT VOTERS WERE CLOSER TO THEIR LOCATION. SO LIKE IN THAT 46 THERE AT PLYMOUTH CHURCH, INSTEAD OF GOING UP TO.

BROOKSIDE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER INTO THEIR, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAD TO TAKE INTO EFFECT AS WE WERE, AS WE WERE DRAWING THESE LINES, WAS SPLITS BY COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICTS. SO THERE'S COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT LINES THAT WE TOOK INTO PLAY AS WELL.

SO WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPLITS. AND THERE'S SOME STATE HOUSE, THERE'S A COUPLE STATE HOUSE SPLITS, AND THEN WE HAVE SCHOOL DISTRICT SPLITS. SCHOOL DISTRICT SPLITS.

WE CAN'T AVOID THEIR SMALL PARTS OF ALL THESE LITTLE PRECINCTS.

SO WE'RE AWARE OF THOSE. BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT ANY PRECINCTS TOGETHER THAT THAT COMBINED TWO DIFFERENT COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICTS WITHIN A PRECINCT AND HAVE TWO

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I DID BRING THIS TO THE ELECTION COMMISSION. THE ELECTION COMMISSION IS MYSELF, THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY ASSESSOR.

WE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THIS PLAN. SO HERE'S THE TWO NEW POLLING LOCATIONS.

EMERALD FLATS REPLACES EAST LEONARD ELEMENTARY AND THEN HUB ZERO SEVEN, WHICH IS IN THE AMPLIFY GR PROJECT.

THIS IS TO REPLACE ADAM PARKS APARTMENT IN BOSTON SQUARE CRC.

WE GOT BOSTON SQUARE CRC AS A PRECINCT WHEN LIVING WORD CHURCH CLOSED ON KALAMAZOO, WHICH WAS WHERE HUB ZERO SEVEN IS NOW.

WHICH WAS A GREAT LOCATION, BUT THEY WERE CLOSING.

WE'RE NO LONGER USING BOSTON SQUARE. CRC HAD A GOOD ROOM FOR VOTING, BUT IT WASN'T.

THE ACCESSIBILITY WAS NOT GREAT THERE. GETTING PEOPLE THAT HAD HAD ACCESSIBLE NEEDS, GETTING THEM TO THE POLLING LOCATION.

THEY HAD TO GO DOWN THE SIDEWALK AND AROUND. AND ALSO REPLACING ADAM PARKS APARTMENTS, WHICH IS GOING TO BE GOING UNDER A TRANSFORMATION IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

IT'S NOT A VERY IT'S NOT A VERY BIG PARKING LOT.

IT'S IN THE PARKING LOT IS USUALLY FULL FROM THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE THERE. SO WHEN OUTSIDE FOLKS ARE COMING IN.

AND PLUS THE ROOM IS NOT THAT BIG, SO THIS WOULD BE A GOOD CHANGE THERE.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WE WERE MERGED LIKE THREE PRECINCTS TOGETHER TO GO DOWN TO TWO PRECINCTS THERE.

I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER PLACES THAT WE'RE ALSO REPLACING ARE NOT USING THROUGH THE COMBINATIONS IS MULICK SCHOOL.

MULICK PARK SCHOOL IS NOT A VERY ACCESSIBLE, ACCESSIBLE BUILDING.

FIRST OF ALL, THE PARKING LOT IS DOWN A HILL. SO IF YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR, I'VE HAD I'VE HAD ASSIST VOTERS BEFORE DOING CURBSIDE VOTING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET THEIR WHEELCHAIR UP THE HILL UNASSISTED. AND THEN WHEN THEY GET IN THE SCHOOL, THEY HAVE TO GO UP A LITTLE ELEVATOR TO GET UP TO THE GYM.

SO MULICK PARK SCHOOL HAS ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF PROBLEMATIC FOR ACCESSIBILITY.

SO LOOKING AT THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE LOCATIONS AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE, THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THIS, WITH THIS PLAN. SO IN FIRST WARD, MULTIPLE PRECINCT POLLING LOCATIONS TO SINGLE PRECINCTS.

SO THE FIRST WARD IS SIBLEY SCHOOL COMBINING TOGETHER IN THE SECOND WARD, KENT HILL SCHOOL, SAINT ISIDORE CHURCH, WESTMINSTER CHURCH, FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH.

THOSE ALL HAVE TWO PRECINCTS THAT ARE IN THAT POLLING LOCATION.

WE'RE JUST COMBINING THOSE PRECINCTS TOGETHER. SO THOSE VOTERS ARE NOT GOING TO A NEW LOCATION. AND IN THE THIRD WARD, BROOKSIDE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH, DICKINSON SCHOOL, SEYMOUR CRC AND OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH ARE ALL GOING TO BE MULTIPLE PRIESTS ARE NOW SINGLE PRECINCTS WITHIN THE LOCATION. SO NONE OF THOSE VOTERS ARE MOVING LOCATIONS.

THEY'RE JUST THEY'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE A NEW NUMBER.

AND AND THE THE LESS THERE. SO THAT'S OUT OF THE 15 THAT WERE REQUESTING TO BE DECREASED, NINE OF THEM ARE MULTIPLE PRECINCTS GOING DOWN TO TO DOWN TO ONE LOCATION. A COUPLE OF THINGS. JUST A COUPLE THINGS BEFORE QUESTIONS ON ON FINANCIALS.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FINANCIALLY? SO 15 PRECINCTS STAFFING IS ABOUT $20,000 FOR A GENERAL ELECTION.

AND THE COUNTY HAS STARTED IN 2024 OF CHARGING US FOR PROGRAMING.

SO PROGRAMING THE ELECTIONS IS ABOUT 900 TO $900 OR SO PER PRECINCT TO DO THE PROGRAMING.

AND SO THAT'S ABOUT $13,000. SAVINGS IN PROGRAMING.

AND YOU'RE LIKE OKAY WE GOT SAVINGS. WELL WE ALSO HAVE COSTS. NOW BECAUSE OF EARLY VOTING WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE COSTS BEFORE IN 2024.

THE STATE COVERED THE. THE ELECTION WORKER PAY FOR EARLY VOTING.

BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO BE IN FUTURE BUDGETS. SO SO WE HAVE TO SO NOW WE HAVE NINE DAYS OF EARLY VOTING AT 3 OR 4 LOCATIONS.

THAT'S INCREASED COST. AND THEN CLARK OVERTIME IS IS CLARK NOT MY OVERTIME I DON'T GET OVERTIME.

STAFF OVERTIME. OF OF OF PUTTING STAFF IN THE EARLY VOTING SITES.

WE'RE TALKING NINE, YOU KNOW, NINE DAYS, YOU KNOW, TWO WEEKENDS OF OF FULL DAY OF OVERTIME.

SO, SO THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE, BEFORE EARLY VOTING.

AND THEN ALSO HAVING TO HIRE SOME TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE OF THE HIGH AMOUNT OF ABSENTEES AND THE NEED FOR DROP BOXES.

WE NEED. WE HIRED TEMPORARY WORKERS TO GO TO ALL THE DROP BOXES TO EMPTY THOSE EVERY DAY.

SORT THE BALLOTS. SO THERE'S TEMPORARY ELECTION COSTS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.

WHEN WE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 16,000 ABSENTEES AND 30 TO 50,000 ABSENTEES.

IT'S GOING TO BE THOSE ARE THOSE ARE COSTS THAT CHANGE.

PLUS WORKING WITH AN ABSENTEE BALLOT IS A LOT MORE STAFF TOUCHES BETWEEN STUFFING A BALLOT.

EXCUSE ME PREPARING A BALLOT FOR MAIL. AND YOU GOT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT SAYING THE WORD STUFFING.

PREPARING THE BALLOT FOR MAIL, MAILING IT OUT.

IT COMES BACK. YOU HAVE TO SCAN IT IN, CHECK THE SIGNATURE, FILE IT, BRING IT TO AN AV COUNTING BOARD.

WHEREAS GOING TO A PRECINCT OR EARLY VOTING, WE HAND YOU A BALLOT, YOU PUT IT THROUGH A TABULATOR, IT'S DONE.

SO THERE'S A LOT MORE COST. BUT THE STATE PICKING UP THE COST ON POSTAGE COMING BACK SAVES A BUNCH.

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AND THEN JUST GOING FROM 77 OR 74 PRECINCTS DOWN TO 59.

THE AMOUNT OF TRUCKS NEEDED AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED, AND COMPUTERS FOR E-POLL BOOKS.

ALL THAT STUFF EXTRAPOLATES OUT OVER THE YEARS AS WE AS WE HAVE TO DO REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT.

AND THEN OUR VOTING EQUIPMENT RIGHT NOW IS AT THAT CAME INTO PLAY IN 2017.

SO WE'RE WE'RE APPROACHING 8 TO 10 YEARS NOW ON OUR ELECTION EQUIPMENT.

THAT'S, THAT'S THAT TALK IS STARTING TO HAPPEN NOW ABOUT NEW ELECTION EQUIPMENT.

AND IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD MONEY FROM THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT AND FROM THE STATE.

BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT MONEY IS GOING TO BE THERE. SO PROVIDING NEW ELECTION EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, AT 5 TO $10,000 PER PRECINCT IS SOMETHING NOT TO SNEEZE AT EITHER.

SO THOSE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT COME INTO THIS PLAN.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANKS FOR THE SUMMARY.

BEFORE WE GET TO DISCUSSION, I DON'T THINK I HAVE A MOTION YET TO CONSIDER SUPPORT.

THANK YOU. OKAY. MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSION.

I SEE COMMISSIONER KNIGHT AND THEN COMMISSIONER ROBINSON, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FROM THERE.

THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION, JOEL. YOU'RE GENERALLY PRETTY THOROUGH WITH ALL THE INFORMATION YOU GAVE.

I GUESS A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASKED OR THAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN TO ASK YOU PRETTY MUCH ANSWERED IT.

ACCESSIBILITY WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT THAT I HAD FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OTHER ABLED OR IN WHEELCHAIRS OR EVEN WALKING.

RIGHT. BUT NOT REALIZING HOW MANY OF THESE SPACES WERE ALL IN THE SAME ROOM AND STANDING IN A LONG LINE, WAITING TO GET UP FRONT TO FIND OUT YOU GOT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM.

PEOPLE THAT HAVE JOBS AND THEY VOTE DURING THE DAY, THAT KIND OF THING. WE FAST PAST THOSE PEOPLE.

SO I TRULY APPRECIATE THAT. SO I JUST APPRECIATE YOU GIVING MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TO LET US KNOW, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING EQUITABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS WHEN NECESSARY.

AND WE KNOW THAT THIS LAST ELECTION, YOU KNOW, WAS WAS REALLY HEAVY.

AND I THINK THE NEXT COUPLE OF ONES THAT WE HAVE COMING UP WILL ALSO BE QUITE VIBRANT.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON.

YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR. APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.

I THINK ANYTIME THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A PROPOSED CHANGE IN VOTER OPERATIONS, LOCATIONS, BOUNDARY LINES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE RIGHTFULLY HAVE HAVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. BUT WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS, I HEARD YOU MENTION MORE ACCESSIBILITY, MORE WALKABILITY, VOTING LOCATIONS THAT ARE CLOSER TO WHERE PEOPLE LIVE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS EFFICIENCIES THAT BENEFIT THE VOTER. I THINK PRECINCTS TWO AND FIVE IN THE FIRST WARD ARE A PERFECT EXAMPLE. I LIVED IN IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR QUITE A LONG TIME AND ALWAYS WONDERED WHY, WHEN I WOULD SHOW UP TO SIBLEY, THERE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, TWO DIFFERENT LINES FOR DEPENDING ON WHICH PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD I LIVED IN.

SO SEEING THAT AS AN EFFICIENCY THAT CAN COME ABOUT FROM THIS CHANGE, I THINK IS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

SO I GUESS FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO'S TUNING IN, I'LL JUST SAY OUR CITY CLERK.

WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT HE'S AN ABSOLUTE EXPERT IN THIS SPACE, AND IS RENOWNED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY FOR HIS KNOWLEDGE IN HOW TO MANAGE A GOOD VOTING OPERATION AND ALSO FOR HIS VOTER ADVOCACY. AND I TRUST THAT THERE'S NOTHING HE WOULD EVER RECOMMEND TO THIS BODY THAT WOULD DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN INCREASE THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE. SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS MENTIONED.

THANKS. ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER BELICHICK, I'LL JUST ECHO WHAT MY FELLOW COLLEAGUE IN THE FIRST WARD SAID. I ACTUALLY LIVE IN PRECINCT TWO AND FIVE, AND I'LL BE IN THAT NEW PRECINCT.

SO IT IS ALWAYS GOOD, EVEN THOUGH CHANGE IS HARD TO CONSIDER, HOW WE ARE PROVIDING THE BEST SERVICE POSSIBLE IN GOVERNMENT EXCELLENCE BEING ONE OF OUR MAIN CORE VALUES AS A CITY.

I THINK THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.

I DO KNOW THAT. I DO SEE THERE'S A LOT OF PRECINCT CHANGES IN WARD THREE.

SO I RESPECT AND HONOR WHAT MY COLLEAGUES MIGHT SAY ABOUT THAT.

BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. COMMISSIONER SASSY.

THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. CLARK, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

CAN YOU I KNOW YOU REVIEWED A NUMBER OF THE INTERNAL PIECES.

CAN YOU ALSO REVIEW SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'VE HAD? I KNOW THIS WAS FIRST DISCUSSED. I'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

SO CAN YOU REVIEW THAT TIMELINE AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE EXTERNAL PARTIES THAT YOU'VE CONNECTED WITH? SO WHEN EARLY VOTING FIRST, FIRST CAME OUT AND, AND THOSE OF US IN CLARK WORLD STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS THIS GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR PRECINCTS AND, AND THEN EARLY VOTING AND ABSENTEE VOTING AT WHAT AT WHAT LEVEL CAN WE CAN WE STAFF OR OR CLARK STAFF GETS

[00:30:06]

AND A LOT OF CITIES SAID, WE'RE MOVING. WE'RE MOVING NOW LIKE LANSING.

THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE GOING NOW. BECAUSE THEN FOR THE 2024 ELECTIONS, WE DON'T WE WE ARE NOT GOING TO UTILIZE AS MANY PRECINCTS.

AND SO I TOOK A BUT I TOOK A SIT AND SIT AND WAIT AND SEE.

SO AS SOON AS I, WE STARTED TALKING THAT I ALREADY HAD AN INITIAL CONVERSATION WITH KATHY HARRIS WITH PROACTIVE WITH ACLU.

THE PEOPLE THAT I MEET WITH AS A SOUNDING BOARD.

WITH THE KENT COUNTY REPUBLICANS, THEY KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS.

SO THERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I TALK WITH ON ELECTIONS.

GET THEM TOGETHER. THEY CAN BASICALLY, IT'S AN OPEN FORUM.

ASK ME ANY QUESTION. SOMETIMES IT'S. NO, SOMETIMES IT'S.

YES. HOW DO WE GET THERE? I'VE TALKED WITH MR. JACKSON AT THE NAACP. I'M ACTUALLY MEETING WITH THEIR BOARD THIS EVENING.

TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND TO GET THEIR, THEIR FEET, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR FEELINGS.

SO WE'VE AND I'VE AND I'VE TALKED TO THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HISPANIC CENTER AS WELL.

WE TALKED DOWN TALKED ABOUT IT BECAUSE I'M KIND OF WATCHING WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THEIR NEW SPACE THERE.

AT THE I THINK IT'S THE EDGE CHURCH. IS THAT A POSSIBLE PRECINCT LOCATION INSTEAD OF CESAR CHAVEZ? SO LOOKING AT THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, WHAT ARE THOSE NEW LOCATIONS? WHAT ARE THE NEW THINGS OUT THERE? HOW IS THIS ALL GOING TO WORK? AND THEN THE OTHER THING I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IS WHAT'S THE THING THAT WE HAVE TO ALWAYS THINK ABOUT? AND WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH GROUPS. WHAT IS THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH GROUPS AS FAR AS POLLING LOCATIONS IN THE SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL SAFETY AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS, AND WITH THEIR SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION PLANS AND MOVING, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR PRECINCTS? BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OTHER PRECINCTS THAT ARE ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, LIKE BROOKSIDE SCHOOL AND SOME OTHER, SOME OF THEM GOT STAYS OF EXECUTION OR FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

SO WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH GPS.

BUT ALL THE ALL THOSE THINGS COME INTO EFFECT AS WE'RE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT LOCATIONS.

AND CAN YOU CONFIRM WHAT'S THE I KNOW IN THE PAST I TALKED TO COMMISSIONER REPPERT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THE LOWEST TURNOUT PRECINCTS ARE THE TWO LOWEST STILL IN THE FIRST.

THE TWO LOWEST ARE IN THE FIRST WARD. AT BUCHANAN SCHOOL.

IT WAS SO IN THIS THIS LAST NOVEMBER ELECTION.

SO YOU'RE TALKING 64% TURNOUT. YOU HAVE SOME PRECINCTS IN THE CITY, GRAND RAPIDS, THAT ARE OVER 80%.

SO I THINK THE FIRST WARD HAS THE HIGH, THE HIGH AND THE LOW.

AND SO PRECINCT EIGHT, WHICH IS THE GRAVE WHICH THERE'S A TON OF REGISTERED VOTERS THERE BECAUSE BECAUSE YOU HAVE MEL TROTTER AND ALL INSIDE THAT PRECINCT.

SO THEY REGISTER A LOT OF VOTERS, BUT THEN THEY DON'T SHOW UP. THAT WAS 38.21%.

BUCHANAN ELEMENTARY IS THE THE LOWEST AT 36.96 AND THE LOWEST IN THE THIRD WARD.

SO THERE'S THREE PRECINCTS IN THE CITY THAT WERE UNDER 40%, TWO IN THE FIRST WARD AND THEN PRECINCT 64 AT FIRST CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH.

IT WAS ON 39.96%. SO IN THE FIRST WARD THERE WERE TEN PRECINCTS THAT WERE ABOVE THE CITY TURNOUT AVERAGE. AND THE SECOND WARD, THERE WAS 19 PRECINCTS THAT WERE OVER THE CITY AVERAGE.

AND THEN IN THE THIRD WARD, THERE WAS 14 PRECINCTS THAT WERE OVER THE CITY AVERAGE.

SO AND THOSE GENERALLY LOW TURNOUT PRECINCTS ARE GENERALLY IN OUR MORE LATINO, HISPANIC COMMUNITIES.

AND YOU ALSO, I THINK, SHARED PREVIOUSLY TO ME THAT YOU HAD SPOKEN WITH REPRESENTATIVE WOODEN, WHO'S THE VICE CHAIR OF THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE FOR THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE.

YEAH. SO WE HAD A CONVERSATION, AND I KNOW HE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGNS AS AS WELL AND INVOLVED IN THE PARTY AS WELL.

SO I WAS TRYING TO GET HIS FEEL ON THAT. AND HE'S KIND OF SEEN WHERE SOME OF THE STUFF IS GOING.

ELECTION WISE AS WELL. HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS.

AND I WANT TO SAY THE ELECTION PARTNERS THAT I'VE TALKED TO HAVEN'T HAD ANY CONCERNS WITH THIS PLAN BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.

THANK YOU. I THINK YOU KNOW, GENERALLY I'VE HEARD SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES SHARE, YOU KNOW, CHANGE IS I ALSO I'M IN THE I'M IN THE 25, 27 PRECINCT RIGHT NOW. AND IT IS, I THINK, OFTENTIMES CONFUSING TO GO INTO A PRECINCT AND YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT PRECINCT IT IS.

AND SO WITH THAT NEW CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE MINIMUM NUMBER, YOU KNOW, THOSE OTHER PIECES WERE BALLOT PROPOSALS WITH PROP TWO AND PROP THREE.

BUT THE LEGISLATURE FOR THE MINIMUM STANDARD AND THE AMOUNT OF PRECINCTS.

I ALSO THINK THE NEXT ITEM THIS BODY IS GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IS THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE AS IT RELATES TO OUR COMMUNITY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NET POSITIVE IS OF, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS THAT WE HAVE.

BUT I THINK SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS WOULD SOMETIMES BE CLOSED WHEN WE WOULD BE HOSTING OUR ELECTION DAY, SO YOU KNOW. ANOTHER SMALL CONSIDERATION. 15 LESS TABULATORS PLUGGED IN.

[00:35:04]

I THINK WITH ANYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE PARTIES, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT HERE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A REALLY SOLID COMMUNICATION PLAN. I KNOW THAT MY INTENTION IS TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM.

SO, I MEAN IS WHAT DOES THAT COMMUNICATION LOOK LIKE? SHOULD THIS PASS? SO I KNOW THERE'S SOME COST SAVINGS AS IT RELATES TO, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION.

BUT WHAT COULD WE DO ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE OF YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE TRADITIONAL METHODS TO SAY, HEY, YOUR POLLING PLACE HAS WORKED OUT. CAN WE DO SOME CONNECTION OR COMMUNICATION OR CONTRACTING WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS? CAN WE DO YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR'S DONE A COUPLE OF MAYOR'S MINUTES? MAYBE HE DOES ONE OF THESE ITEMS AS WELL. I THINK TO COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER PURDUE SENT A MESSAGE EARLIER TODAY.

AND I THINK THAT IF. YEAH, ANYTIME THERE IS CHANGE, LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO OUTSIDE OF OUR TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION METHODS TO ENSURE PEOPLE HAVE THAT? I DROVE PEOPLE A NUMBER OF TIMES TO EARLY VOTING.

I WOULD SAY THANK YOU TO THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO MADE EARLY VOTING FUN.

WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF COME IN AND FEEL LIKE IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE VERSUS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO.

I ALWAYS HAD THAT. LET ME SIGN. BUT I I ALSO WONDER HOW WE CAN UTILIZE IF THERE ARE COST SAVINGS TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE, NOT ONLY FOR THE OPERATIONS, BUT THOSE CONTINUED OUTREACH TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND VOTE.

AND THEN JUST RECOGNIZING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

YOU KNOW, THESE PARTNERS THAT WE'VE HAD ON THE GROUND HAVE HAD, I THINK, GOOD FUNDING TO DO THIS WORK PREVIOUSLY, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THEIR FUNDING MIGHT LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW IN A CURRENT REALITY OF OUR FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION.

SO I WOULD ALSO SAY. IF WE COULD CONNECT WITH THEM, SORT OF.

I KNOW THIS MAY ELECTION IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IF WE COULD CONNECT WITH THEM IN THIS YEAR TO TALK ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT FUNDING LOOK LIKE? AND I THINK IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY FOR US TO HOPEFULLY WE CAN'T FILL ALL THE FEDERAL HOLES, BUT WHERE WE CAN, CERTAINLY WITH WITH VOTER TURNOUT, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THIS BODY.

SURE. SO A COUPLE YEAH, A COUPLE THINGS ON COMMUNICATIONS.

I DO HAVE AN ARTICLE DRAFTED TO WE ARE THE WE ARE GR THAT TALKS ABOUT THAT.

THIS IS A THAT THIS IS A POSSIBILITY. JUST SO SO THAT THERE AND THEN THERE'S THERE'S A LINK TO THE WEBSITE THAT SHOWS WHAT THE PROPOSED MAPS LOOK LIKE.

WHAT PROPOSED PRECINCT CHANGES LOOK LIKE. SO, SO THAT'S OUT THERE.

ALSO, EVERY SINGLE, EVERY VOTER THAT'S AFFECTED WILL GET A NEW VOTER INFO CARD.

AND SO THE TWO THINGS THAT HAPPENED WITH THAT VOTER INFO CARD, FIRST OF ALL, PEOPLE GET INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR NEW PRECINCT AND NEW LOCATION.

AND SECOND OF ALL, FOR THOSE THAT THE MAIL IS NOT DELIVERED.

SO WE GET ALL THOSE CARDS BACK WITH THE YELLOW STICKERS ON THEM.

WE THEN GO THROUGH ALL THOSE YELLOW STICKERS THAT COME BACK ON RETURN MAIL, AND WE THEN WE MAIL OUT A POSTCARD THAT SAYS IF THEY'RE MOVED OUTSIDE THE CITY, THEY GET A POSTCARD. IF THEY MOVED WITHIN THE CITY, THEY GET A DIFFERENT COLOR POSTCARD.

AND WE GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO UPDATE THEIR VOTER RECORDS. SO THIS IS A VERY GOOD VOTER RECORD UPDATE PROCESS.

IT'S NOT THE IT'S NOT SOMETIMES WE LIKE TO DO THAT.

BUT THIS GIVES US THAT THAT PROCESS TO, TO FIX THIS.

AND AND LOOKING AT THIS, I THINK THIS IS OUR PRECINCT MAP FOR THE NEXT COUPLE DECADES.

AND UNLESS WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS WITH THE THE CENSUS COMING UP, BUT I THINK THIS WOULD BE A PLAN THAT'S GOING TO THAT'S GOING TO SUSTAIN US FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND THEN ALSO ON ANOTHER COMMUNICATION PIECE.

I STILL HAVE A CONTRACT WITH, WELL, DESIGN THAT WE HAD THROUGH THE 2024 ELECTION.

AND SO WE CAN PROBABLY DO SOME SOCIAL SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF WITH THEM AS WELL AND DO SOME VLOG AND SOME VIDEO TYPE STUFF AS WELL.

WHAT THIS ALL MEANS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER PURDUE THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, CITY CLERK. I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION AND APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.

AND REALLY APPRECIATE AND EXCITED ABOUT THE THE CHANGES THAT STEM FROM JUST THE REALLY THOUGHTFUL AND INTENTIONAL WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE LED THE THE CONSIDERATIONS OF ACCESSIBILITY, PROXIMITY THE THE RECORD UPDATE PROCESS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT AND EVEN THE CONSIDERATION OF THOSE, THOSE COUNTY AND STATE LINES. I HAVE NO DOUBT IN THE EXCELLENCE OF YOUR TEAM AND THE THOUGHTFULNESS OF YOUR WORK.

AND SO MY FOLLOWING COMMENTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.

SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I DO HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN YOU AND YOUR TEAM.

BUT I, I APPRECIATE THE WORK BEHIND THIS PROPOSAL.

I KNOW IT WAS THOUGHTFUL. AS SAID, AND THERE WILL BE A LOT OF BENEFITS.

[00:40:03]

BUT THAT BEING SAID, I DO HAVE AND EVERYONE KNOWS ON THIS BODY, AND I WANT TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC THAT I HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT VOTER ACCESS WITH THESE PROPOSED CHANGES, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRST AND THE THIRD WARD.

THIS CHANGE WOULD ELIMINATE SEVEN POLLING PLACES IN THE THIRD WARD.

AND ALTER 13 OF OUR PRECINCTS. AND CITYWIDE, IT WILL ELIMINATE 15 LOCATIONS AND IMPACT 30 PRECINCTS.

PROXIMITY TO POLLING PLACES REALLY MATTERS. IT INCREASES TURNOUT, ESPECIALLY FOR FIRST TIME VOTERS.

AND WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING MAKING A CHANGE, THAT WILL BE OUR MAP AND OUR GUIDING AND OUR ABILITY FOR VOTERS TO ACCESS POLLING LOCATIONS ON ELECTION DAY FOR THE NEXT FEW DECADES. THAT BRINGS UP REAL CONCERNS FOR ME.

EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HAD MAJOR INCREASES IN EARLY VOTING AND ABSENTEE VOTING, WHICH WE SHOULD ALL CELEBRATE, THE MAJORITY OF GRAND RAPIDS VOTERS STILL VOTED IN PERSON ON ELECTION DAY THIS LAST NOVEMBER.

SO WE HAVE TO PROTECT, NOT REDUCE PRECINCT ACCESS, IN MY VIEW, EVEN MORE.

YOU JUST KIND OF NOTICED SOME, SOME, SOME NUMBERS RELATED TO VOTER TURNOUT WAS STILL LESS THAN 65% FOR THE ENTIRE CITY, AND SOME PRECINCTS WERE STILL LESS THAN 40% IN THE CITY.

SO WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO IN TERMS OF VOTER ACCESS.

VOTING IS FOUNDATIONAL. WE SHOULD BE WORKING TO INCREASE ACCESS, NOT MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO VOTE.

AND SO I THINK THAT A LOT OF THESE CHANGES AROUND ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY IS IMPORTANT, BUT ACCESS TO THE BALLOT REALLY WEIGHS MORE HEAVILY. BELIEVE SO. YOU KNOW, I INTEND TO TO VOTE NO ON THIS PROPOSAL WHEN IT COMES BEFORE US.

I WILL SUPPORT MOVING THIS TO PUBLIC COMMENT TO GET FORMAL PUBLIC INPUT.

AND I DO HAVE A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

JUST FOR CLARITY'S SAKE. AND AND ASK FOR YOU AS WE PREPARE FOR THAT PUBLIC HEARING.

BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCIES HERE THAT DON'T NECESSARILY THREATEN VOTER ACCESS, PARTICULARLY THE ELIMINATION OF MULTIPLE PRECINCTS POLLING LOCATIONS.

I THINK THAT IS A GOOD CHANGE, ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY, COST SAVING AND DOES NOT THREATEN VOTER ACCESS.

SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE SORT OF CHANGES THAT I CAN SUPPORT AS A FULL PACKAGE.

I WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT AT THIS POINT. SO I'M MY ASK TO YOU IS BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PUBLISH SOMETHING WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS ON EACH OF THOSE PROPOSED CHANGES TO PRECINCTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ELIMINATIONS? WHICH ONES EXACTLY ARE ARE THE ELIMINATION OF SAME SITE MULTI SITE POLLING LOCATIONS AND HOW MANY PRECINCTS AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE CHANGES IN THEIR ACTUAL POLLING LOCATION.

YEP. SO I CAN SAY THAT AGAIN BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE'RE NOT HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING ON IT.

SORRY, BUT IT'LL COME UP FOR A SECOND READING, WHICH WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.

SORRY. YEAH. THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

SO AHEAD OF COMING UP BACK TO US FOR A VOTE. I'M HOPING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE MORE DETAILS AROUND SOME OF THESE CHANGES.

FOR US, FOR OUR SAKE, FOR MY SAKE, AND CERTAINLY FOR THE PUBLIC'S SAKE.

SO TWO THINGS THAT I CAN THINK OF SPECIFICALLY ARE MORE DETAILS ON EACH OF THOSE CHANGES, PARTICULARLY WHICH OF THOSE PRECINCTS ARE THE ELIMINATION OF MULTI-SITE VOTING LOCATIONS? THAT IS A THAT IS A MEASURE THAT I CERTAINLY SUPPORT.

IT DOESN'T DOES NOT SEEM CLEAR THAT THAT IS THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPOSED ELIMINATIONS OR ALL OF THEM.

SO I THINK THAT COULD BE MADE CLEAR. AND THEN AM ALSO INTERESTED AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS OR REALLY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGES IN THEIR VOTING LOCATIONS IF THIS PACKAGE AS IS, WENT FORWARD.

SURE. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT ASK? IS THAT. NO THAT'S FINE.

BUT JUST JUST REALLY QUICKLY. SO OUT OF THE 15 OUT OF THE 15 TOTAL BEING REDUCED, NINE OF THEM, NINE OF THEM ARE ARE MULTI SITE, MULTI PRECINCT POLLING LOCATIONS.

SO MAJORITY A MAJORITY OF THEM ARE. AND SO AND THEN THE OTHER ONES ARE WITH WITH THAT ARE DEALT WITH WITH SCHOOLS.

SO GOOD. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR. SO I WILL BE INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR REGISTERED VOTERS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE A CHANGE IN THEIR, IN THEIR VOTING LOCATIONS. AND I HERE, SIX SITES, SIX PRECINCTS WILL BE ELIMINATED.

SO I STILL THINK THAT'S A CAUSE FOR CONCERN IN TERMS OF VOTING ACCESS, ESPECIALLY IF THIS IS OUR MAP AND OUR GUIDE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES.

[00:45:02]

THE OTHER ASK THAT OR REALLY A POINT OF CURIOSITY BASED ON FEEDBACK THAT I'VE RECEIVED AND I'LL WAIT FOR YOU TO FINISH WRITING.

OKAY. GO AHEAD. SO IF YOU GO TO THE THIRD WARD MAP YOU'RE DOING FIVE JOBS OVER THERE.

SO BETWEEN 55 AND 57, IS THAT EASTERN AVENUE 1855 AND 57.

I THINK THAT MIGHT BE GIDDINGS BECAUSE IT DOES THAT OR FULLER.

COMING DOWN FULLER. OKAY. BECAUSE IT DOES THAT JOG THERE IN BOSTON SQUARE.

OKAY. THE GAS STATION THERE. OKAY. SO LAST ELECTION CYCLE I WAS AT MY VOTING LOCATION ON EASTERN AND BAXTER AREA, AND THERE WERE TWO POLLING LOCATIONS REALLY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER.

AND AS I WENT TO GO VOTE, FIVE, FIVE MINUTES TO EIGHT, IT WAS LIKE THE CLOSING MARK.

SOMEONE IN FRONT OF ME HAD COME TO THAT LOCATION BECAUSE THE SIGN SAID VOTE HERE TODAY.

HE LIVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY SAID, THIS ISN'T YOUR YOUR POLLING LOCATION.

IT'S THE ONE ACROSS THE STREET. YOU LIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF EASTERN.

IN THIS CASE, IT'S THE ONE ACROSS THE STREET.

SO THAT WAS REALLY CONFUSING. TO HIM AND ESPECIALLY GIVING IT WAS, YOU KNOW, RIGHT UP TO 8:00, I WAS WORRIED THAT HIS HE DIDN'T MAKE IT IN TIME AND HIS VOTE DIDN'T, DIDN'T COUNT.

WHICH WAS REALLY, REALLY SAD AND FRUSTRATING TO SEE.

SO I AM. SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT'S THE CASE WITH THIS PROPOSAL ALONG EASTERN.

BUT I AM WONDERING IF THE PROXIMITY OF THOSE TWO SITES ON FULLER BEING SO CLOSE AND ESSENTIALLY KITTY CORNER TO EACH OTHER WILL CAUSE SOME CONFUSION.

WELL, IT WAS CLOSER AT ONE POINT WHEN IT WAS AT ADAMS PARK.

IT WAS ADAMS PARK AND LIVING WORD. THEY WERE LITERALLY ACROSS FULLER FROM EACH OTHER BY ADAMS. SO THIS WILL THIS WILL SPREAD IT OUT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THE OTHER ONE WAS ADAMS PARK AND SEYMOUR.

SEYMOUR SQUARE. CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH, WHICH WE'RE ALSO VERY CLOSE TOGETHER AS WELL.

YEAH. SO THAT'S THIS IS THE FINE TUNING OF FINDING LOCATIONS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO.

AND SO THERE WE YOU THINK IN YOUR MIND LIKE, OH, THERE'S ALL THESE SPOTS.

I REALLY STRUGGLED IN THE FIRST WARD FINDING FINDING LOCATIONS WHEN STOCKING CLOSED.

IT WAS REALLY TOUGH IN THAT AREA BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF HALLS, BUT A LOT OF THEM, THEY ALL HAVE STEPS.

SO MOST OF THE A LOT OF THE POLISH HALLS AND VARIOUS OTHER ETHNIC HALLS ARE GREAT FOR HAVING A PARTY OR WHATEVER.

THEY'RE NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE. AND SO TRYING TO FIND FIRST WORD WAS THE HARDEST FOR ME TO FIND.

LOCATIONS. THIRD WARD? WE'RE FORTUNATE WE ARE A CITY OF CHURCHES FOR THE FOR VOTING REASONS IS BECAUSE MOST OF THEIR BUILDINGS GENERALLY ARE ACCESSIBLE. THERE'S A LOT OF CHURCHES THAT ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE EITHER. AND SO I HAVE A VERY FINE TUNED.

AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME VOTERS THAT DON'T WANT TO GO TO CHURCHES EITHER. BUT IF THAT WAS THE CASE THEN WE HAVE. YEAH, IT IS. IT'S IT'S A BALANCING ACT. YEAH. I DON'T DOUBT THAT IT'S A CHALLENGE.

AND YOU YOU DID DUE DILIGENCE. WERE YOU SAYING THE SAME CHALLENGE IN PRECINCT 55 AND 57 AROUND SITES.

IS THAT A REASON WHY THERE IS THAT'S AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ZERO SEVEN IS IN THAT NEW THAT NEW FACILITY WHICH IS GOING TO BE WHICH IS GOING TO BE, I THINK, A GREAT, GREAT NEW FACILITY. AS FAR AS JUST FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE.

IT'S EXCITING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BOSTON SQUARE. SO, YEAH, I MEAN, LOOKING AT OTHER PLACES, LIKE, THAT'S WHY WE WERE IN BOSTON SQUARE CRC BECAUSE THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY OTHER OPTIONS, BUT IT WASN'T THE MOST ACCESSIBLE WE HAD. WE HAD TO PUT IN A SPECIAL LIKE WE BRING IN A PORTABLE DOORBELL TO LET LET ELECTION WORKERS KNOW IF SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE ACCESSIBILITY.

YEAH. SO IT'S IT'S NOT IT'S NOT IDEAL. THEY HAVE A LOT OF CHURCHES HAVE LOTS OF PARKING.

WE WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION DURING HOUSING. I KNOW, BUT OKAY.

CURIOUS TO SPEAKING OF LOCATIONS CALVIN COLLEGE, THERE'S PARTS OF CALVIN THAT ARE IN THE THIRD WARD BUT MOSTLY RESIDENTIAL. AM I RIGHT? OKAY. I THINK THAT ACCESS TO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, I THINK THEIR MOST OF THEIR VOTERS, IF THEY'RE ON CAMPUS, ARE GOING ACROSS THE STREET TO WOODLAWN ON BURTON.

GOOD, GOOD. OKAY, SO AGAIN, I AM, I AM YOU KNOW, I HAVE FULL FAITH IN YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND YOUR YOUR COMMITMENT TO ELECTION INTEGRITY AND THE BEST OPERATIONS.

AND I HAVE REAL CONCERNS AROUND VOTER ACCESS AND TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF REALLY GREAT STEPS AROUND VOTER ACCESS IN MICHIGAN OVER THE LAST MANY YEARS.

BUT I DO THINK THAT THIS WILL BE A STEP BACKWARDS FROM GRAMMAR FOR GRAMMAR PETITIONS, IF EVEN JUST A FEW ELECTION SITES ARE ELIMINATED.

[00:50:01]

THAT ONE'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE HAVE NOW.

SURE. BUT WHAT WE HAVE COMING UP IS UNTIL WE GET THE STREET INDEX, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE HAVE TO DO IT AND SEE.

SO. SO WE CAN GET WE CAN GET AN IDEA, GET AN ESTIMATE.

WE CAN GET WE CAN GET CLOSE, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE COMBINING JUST TWO TOGETHER.

YEAH. I MEAN, SO, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE LAW THAT ALLOWED US TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE THESE CHANGES AND THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HOW WE ORGANIZE OUR, OUR PRECINCT MAP. IT ALLOWS FOR 2000 MORE VOTERS IN A, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A, IN A PRECINCT.

AND SO I'M CURIOUS OF WHAT THAT AVERAGE JUMP IS OR THAT JUMP BY JUMP AROUND THE CITY OF HOW BIG OR ARE WE MAKING THOSE PRECINCTS SO, SO, SO TO ANSWER ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE THIRD WARD, THE THREE THAT WERE SUGGESTING BEING CLOSED WITH OPENING NEW WITH OPENING A NEW ONE AND COMBINATION IS ADAMS PARK APARTMENTS, BOSTON SQUARE CRC, AND SIGSBEE SCHOOL THREE.

SO IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE THAT CAPTURED AND EASY TO CROSS CHECK FOR FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.

EASY. EASY TO BE DONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SO A LOT OF GOOD SENTIMENT AROUND THE TABLE HERE.

AND I UNDERSTAND YOU WERE WORKING WITH, LIKE, THIS IS LIKE A SEVEN DIMENSIONAL PROBLEM.

THIS IS NOT A TWO AXIS PROBLEM. SO YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER. I APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT ON ALL THE SUBTLETY ON IT.

AND I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS. A COUPLE THINGS.

TO PIGGYBACK OFF WHAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE SAID, I THINK THAT, I MEAN, AXIOMATICALLY YOU REDUCE ANY PRECINCTS, YOU'RE GOING TO REDUCE IT. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT SOME.

THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME HARDER FOR SOME PEOPLE SOME OF THE TIME.

I THINK THAT'S THAT'S CLEAR. SO LET ME I GOT ABOUT SIX THINGS I WANT TO ASK YOU.

I WANT TO ASK YOU, LIKE QUICK. SO LET'S DO LET'S DO LET'S DO RAPID FIRE HERE.

FIRST OF ALL DID YOU AND I HAVE MAYBE LONGER HISTORY UP HERE OF BEING, LIKE, INVOLVED IN CITY ELECTIONS THAN ANYONE ELSE? I WAS UP HERE IN 2009, 2010, AND PRETTY SCARRED BY SOME OF THE FRANKLY APPALLING WAIT TIMES LONG BEFORE YOUR TIME AT ALEXANDER SCHOOL, WHERE THERE WERE LITERALLY 4 TO 6 HOUR WAITS.

AND AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE REMOVING PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO VOTE BY, BY, BY MEANS OF EXHAUSTION.

I ASSUME THAT YOU ARE TRACKING MAXIMUM WAIT TIMES AT THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE.

FOR PRECINCTS LIKE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT OUR WHAT OUR HEAVIEST WAIT TIME PRECINCT WAS AND WHAT THE AVERAGE WAIT TIME WAS AT THE HEAVIEST USED PRECINCT? I DON'T KNOW EXACT WAIT TIMES. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE VOTED.

WAITED MUCH MORE THAN A HALF HOUR IN ANY OF OUR PRECINCTS.

IN EARLY VOTING, THERE WAS A COUPLE TIMES OVER THE WEEKENDS WHERE IT GOT UP TO ABOUT AN HOUR.

BUT THAT EARLY VOTING IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE.

SO DAY OF I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WAS OVER A HALF HOUR FROM WHAT? FROM WHAT I COULD HEAR FROM FROM PROACTIVE VOLUNTEERS.

OUR STAFFING. OKAY. SO LET'S STOP. I'VE GOT A LOT TO ASK.

SO. SECOND OF ALL, THEN COULD WE ARTICULATE A STANDARD WHERE WE SAID, WELL, LET ME ASK THE VERY FIRST QUESTION.

THE PLAN YOU'RE PROPOSING NOW, WE'RE WE'RE PLANNING ON SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS.

IF NO PUBLIC HEARING. PARDON ME. NO VOTE FOR THIS.

IN IN ON THE 29TH. YEP. IS IF WE VOTE TO FORWARD THIS TO THE VOTE AT THE NEXT STEP, CAN WE MODIFY BETWEEN NOW AND THEN? OR IF WE WANTED TO MODIFY THIS, WOULD WE HAVE TO DELAY NOW? ARE THERE ANY STATE REASONS? STATE LAW REASONS BECAUSE.

NO. OKAY. SO WE CAN MODIFY BETWEEN NOW AND THEN EVEN IF WE VOTE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.

CORRECT. BECAUSE THE REASON I ASK IS I WANT EVERY COMMISSIONER UP HERE TO HAVE FULL OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, I DO NOT WANT PRECINCT X CLOSED. THAT ONE IS PROBLEMATIC.

I GET THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIX PRECINCTS AND CLOSING.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS REALLY GOING TO GET TOO BOTHERED ABOUT THE FACT, LIKE WHEN I VOTE AT WESTMINSTER PRES, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT PRECINCTS THERE. THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT LINES. FRANKLY, IT PROBABLY IMPROVES VOTER ACCESS. IF YOU JUST GO IN AND THERE'S ONE LINE, YOU DON'T GET IN THE WRONG LINE AND HAVE THE PROBLEM. COMMISSIONER PERDUE REFERENCED EVEN INSIDE OF A BUILDING.

RIGHT. YOU MIGHT BE PATIENTLY WAITING IN THAT LINE UNTIL 806 BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN LINE, YOU CAN STILL VOTE AND FIND OUT. HA, HA. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE OTHER LINE. I DON'T EVEN LEGALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU AT THAT POINT. WHETHER YOU DO LOSE YOUR RIGHT TO

[00:55:02]

YOU YOU GET THE FAST. PASS THE OTHER LINE. OKAY.

BUT THERE'D BE WE WON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. IT'S MOOT.

RIGHT? BUT THERE'D BE AN INTERESTING I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATE LAW QUESTION IS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT OFFLINE. THERE'S A LEGAL QUESTION THERE, BUT. SO WE CAN MODIFY THIS IF WE VOTE TO ADVANCE RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. THAT WAS MY FIRST QUESTION. SECOND OF ALL HAVE YOU THOUGHT IT'S YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THIS BEING THE MAP FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DECADES. WE CAN COME BACK AND MODIFY THIS NEXT YEAR.

CORRECT. OKAY. SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A ROADMAP FOR THE NEXT COUPLE DECADES.

BUT THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER, AND I'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER THEM ON AN ITERATIVE BASIS. AND I AND I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WOULD AGREE. FIRST OF ALL MAX, VOTERS PER PRECINCT NOW IS 5000, GIVE OR TAKE.

THAT'S UNDER THE NEW STATE LAW, RIGHT? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY OF THESE PRECINCTS ARE ABOVE 4500.

NO. OKAY. I DON'T THINK SO. OKAY. WHAT'S THE MAX NUMBER? DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND? ROUGH. ROUGH GUESS. MAYBE 4000.

MAX. OKAY. THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE YOU SAID FOR THE NEXT COUPLE DECADES, IF WE NEED 15,000 HOUSING UNITS IN GRAND RAPIDS.

IF THAT DATA IS TRUE, IF WE'RE A GROWING CITY, IF WE MANAGE TO PULL OFF PRODUCING THE HOUSING THAT'S NEEDED, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A WHOLE LOT MORE RESIDENTS IN THE CITY.

SO WHEN WE DO STREET PLANNING, TRADITIONALLY, PEOPLE LOOK AT LIKE, WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO MARKET IF THERE'S 5% EXTRA TRAFFIC? SO MODELING OUT WHAT PRECINCTS ARE LIKELY TO GROW BECAUSE SOME OF OUR PRECINCTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GROW THAN OTHERS, ALL THE ONES THAT ARE PLATTED, ALL SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES, LIKE THE CALVIN COLLEGE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE TALKED ABOUT.

NOT LIKELY. WE'RE GOING TO GET AN EXPLOSION OF HIGH DENSITY BUILDING ON WOODCLIFF IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS.

IT'S WAY MORE LIKELY WE'RE GOING TO GET HIGH DENSITY HOUSING ON STATE STREET.

SO THAT PRECINCT IS POTENTIALLY GOING TO POP IN POPULATION.

SO HAVE YOU MODELED OUT POTENTIAL WHERE YOU SUSPECT YOU WILL SEE GROWTH IN THE CITY WHEN YOU'VE WHEN YOU'VE MADE THESE MAPS OR NOT? NO. BECAUSE BASICALLY, I WAS LOOKING AT WHERE WE HAD MULTIPLE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS TO FOR EFFICIENCIES THERE.

AND IF WE HAVE TO, YES. THEN WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT MAYBE NORTHERN SECOND, NORTHERN SECOND WARD, WHERE THERE ARE STILL LARGE, THERE ARE SOME LARGE TRACTS OF LAND. OR WHERE SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED.

WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THOSE GOING TO FUTURE LOOK LIKE? AND THERE'S WAYS TO MITIGATE ALSO HIGHER TURNOUT IN A PRECINCT AS WELL THAT DIDN'T HAVE BACK IN 0809 DIDN'T HAVE THAT ABILITY.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE SECOND WARD ONES LIKE WHERE WE'RE COMBINING AT FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH, WHICH ARE TWO HIGH TURNOUT PRECINCTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMBINED TOGETHER.

WE CAN DO PIGGYBACK E POLL BOOKS. SO INSTEAD OF JUST ONE LAPTOP COMPUTER, YOU CAN HAVE TWO CHECK IN STATIONS.

SO SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT KIND OF SO FOR THOSE THAT WE KNOW THAT WE CAN FORESEE MAY HAVE LONGER LINES BECAUSE IT WAS TWO PRECINCTS BEFORE.

WE CAN DO MULTIPLE E POLL BOOKS. RIGHT. WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE COST SAVINGS AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE $20,000, IS THAT FOR THE SIX THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO ELIMINATE, OR IS THAT FOR THE 15? OH, SO THAT'S A $300,000 PER ELECTION. NO NO NO.

SO SO SORRY 20. SO IT WAS 20,000, 20,000 FOR ALL 15 PRECINCTS.

OKAY, SO THE MONEY IS NOT A HUGE CONSIDERATION HERE THEN? OKAY. THE NEXT THING IS I DIDN'T HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT THIS, AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT SEVEN DIFFERENT VARIABLES.

BUT IN TERMS OF OUR CONCERN ABOUT ACCESS TO VOTING, NOT ALL POPULATIONS ARE EQUAL.

SOME OF THESE POPULATIONS ARE VERY CAR ORIENTED.

SOME OF THEM ARE NOT. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST SOME THOUGHT PUT INTO THE PRECINCTS WHERE PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO NOT BE TWO CAR FAMILIES AND DRIVE EVERYWHERE, LIKE PRECINCT 57, FOR EXAMPLE.

THOSE FOLKS ARE LIKELY TO NEED TO VOTE TO WALK, RELATIVELY MORE LIKELY TO BE WALKING TO A POLLING PLACE.

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE AT BOSTON SQUARE. RIGHT? AND, AND I SO I, I'M SENSITIVE TO THAT.

AND PARTICULARLY SINCE THAT'S ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION, I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE A PRECINCT IN A VERY WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU TURN ON THE LIGHTS BUT THAT MEANS A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE AREN'T DRIVING, YOU PROBABLY WIN ENVIRONMENTALLY BY HAVING MORE RATHER THAN FEWER POLLING LOCATIONS IN CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THAT. THE LAST THING I, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HERE, AND THIS IS A FLAG, AND I'D LIKE YOU TO ADDRESS THIS A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY.

I DIDN'T I WAS NOT I WAS NOT ALL THAT HAPPY. AND MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD IT, BUT TO ANALYZE PRECINCTS BY VOTER TURNOUT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE SHOULD BE SCREENING POLLING LOCATIONS BASED ON POPULATION SIZE, BECAUSE THE FACT THAT PEOPLE. YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO BECOME A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY, EVER.

AND ALSO THE FACT THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T VOTE IN AN ELECTION SHOULDN'T DISENFRANCHIZE THEM.

THEY SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.

SO WE SHOULD BE MAPPING THIS OUT ESSENTIALLY AS THOUGH ALL POPULATIONS WERE VOTING IN 100%.

[01:00:02]

THAT DOES NOT SOUND TO ME LIKE A MODELING THAT MAKES A DEMOCRATIC SENSE AT ALL TO ME.

I GET THAT THAT MAY MAKE TRADITIONAL CLARK THINKING SENSE, BUT IT DOES NOT MAKE DEMOCRATIC SENSE.

WELL, THOSE TWO LOWEST PRECINCTS WERE NOT CHANGING.

OKAY. BUT BUT AGAIN, WHEN WE WRITE. SO I DON'T WANT.

SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT LOW TURNOUT DOES NOT INFLUENCE YOUR MODELING? YOU'RE MODELING BASED ON POPULATION, NOT ON TURNOUT.

WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING AT WE'RE LOOKING AT FACILITIES FOR IS IS ONE OPTION.

YEAH. YOU SAID THIS IS SEVEN SEVEN DIFFERENT LEVELS.

WE'RE LOOKING AT AT SPLITS. WE'RE LOOKING AT PERCENTAGES TO I MEAN IF WE HAVE AN 80% TURNOUT.

SO LIKE PRECINCT 18, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WESTERN HALF OF THE UP THE HILL IN THE FIRST WARD, NONE OF THOSE ARE BEING CHANGED. THEY'RE 80% TURNOUT.

AND THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH UP THERE TOO.

YET. YACHT. YOU GOT SOME LARGE TRACKS THERE THAT COULD COULD CHANGE.

BUT ALSO IN THOSE SMALLER TURNOUT ONES, WE HAVEN'T DONE MUCH CHANGES EITHER.

AND IF WE DID DO CHANGES, IT WAS LIKE BY A FEW, BY A FEW BLOCKS.

IT WASN'T LIKE A WHOLESALE CHANGE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF GRAND RAPIDS PRECINCTS, I THINK AT ITS HIGH, IT WAS 125 PRECINCTS WHEN IT WAS VERY NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE VOTING, YOU KNOW, LEVER MACHINES.

THEN IT WENT DOWN TO 100, THEN DOWN TO 77, 76, 74.

AND NOW THIS PROPOSAL. YEAH. AND I GET ALL THE SENTIMENTS.

BUT I WANT TO POINT OUT AS THE LAST AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS FULLY BAKED INTO OUR THINKING AT THIS POINT, AND IT MAY BE TOO LATE FOR IT TO BE TRUE AT THIS, FOR THIS PLAN, BUT IT SHOULD BE TRUE GOING FORWARD.

IS ALL RIGHT. LET'S IMAGINE EVERYONE AROUND THIS TABLE IS A US CITIZEN OVER THE AGE OF 18.

SO WE ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO VOTE. BUT ONLY TWO OF US ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE.

WELL, I WOULDN'T WANT A MAP THAT WAS BASED ON HOW MANY REGISTERED VOTERS THERE WERE ULTIMATELY BECAUSE THEN YOUR DISENFRANCHIZED THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE HERE WHO HAVEN'T REGISTERED YET ARE STILL CITIZENS.

THEY'RE STILL VOTING ELIGIBLE. AND SO I WANT OUR ACCESSIBILITY TO BE FOR ELIGIBLE VOTERS, NOT FOR REGISTERED VOTERS.

IT SEEMS TO ME FUNDAMENTALLY, THAT'S MORE DEMOCRATIC. OTHERWISE, YOU'RE DISENFRANCHIZING PEOPLE BASED ON WHETHER THEY, AT THE POINT YOU MAKE YOUR MODELING, HAVE GONE TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND REGISTERED.

THAT'S PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE OF RESIDENT DISTRUST.

I MEAN, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND A LOT LISTEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SHARE THAT DATABASE OF ME WITH ME.

I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. WELL, AND I GUESS THE POINT IS, GOING FORWARD, THAT SHOULD BE OUR STANDARD.

I MEAN, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FEAR IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE DISTRUST OF GOVERNMENT, AND IT IS A LONG TERM CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

BUT IF WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY ELIGIBLE REGISTERED VOTER SHOULD HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO THE ABILITY TO VOTE, THAT SHOULD BE BASED ON THEIR ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE, NOT THEIR REGISTERING TO VOTE.

SO I GET THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT DATA. NOW, I'M JUST SAYING OUR GOLD STAR FOR THE FUTURE AND MAYBE I WILL HELP US GET THERE.

MAYBE BETTER DATA WILL HELP US GET THERE. I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE DEMOCRATIC IDEAL SHOULD BE BASING PRECINCTS ON ELIGIBLE VOTERS, NOT REGISTERED VOTERS. SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

AND IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN ATTAIN RIGHT NOW, I THINK I HEAR THAT. I HEAR YOU SAYING THAT.

BUT WHAT I ANYTIME WE START MODELING THINGS BASED ON VOTER TURNOUT, WE'RE TWO BOUNCES AWAY FROM WHERE I WANT TO BE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO.

REGISTERED VOTERS HAVE INCREASED TO OBVIOUSLY IN 2016, I THINK WE HAD 136,000 VOTERS.

WE'RE UP TO 152,000 NOW. YEAH. OKAY. THANKS. WELL, THAT WAS A THAT WAS A LOT OF GROUND I COVERED AT THE END THERE.

BUT THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND LOOKS LIKE WE LOST A COMMISSIONER, SO LET'S WAIT.

I DON'T WANT TO MAKE HIM MISS A VOTE. CAN I JUST ASK A CLARIFYING POINT? SO THIS IS SLATED TO BE ON THE AGENDA AS IS. NOW, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR.

SO IS THERE A PROPOSED REVISION THAT'S PREFERABLE TO THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION? SO WE'RE NOT TAKING THIS AMOUNT OF TIME AT THE NEXT CITY COMMISSION MEETING.

GREAT POINT, CITY MANAGER. SO YOU PUT UP THE PRECINCTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO CONSOLIDATE.

YOU DIDN'T PUT UP THE ONES YOU'RE GOING TO FLAT OUT ELIMINATE IN YOUR SLIDE.

DO YOU HAVE THAT LIST? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I DO HAVE I DO HAVE THAT LIST OKAY.

AND HAVE WE GOT THAT HAVE YOU PROVIDED THAT TO US? NO. ONLY BY PROBABLY JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE, THE DIRECTORY OF WHAT I'M PROPOSING.

SO I GUESS YOU HAVE IT BY OMISSION, RIGHT. SO COULD YOU PERHAPS.

I THINK THAT WOULD HELP COMMISSIONER PERDUE AND MYSELF, I THINK, AND PROBABLY EVERYONE ELSE, HAVE A LITTLE MORE COMFORT IF WE KNEW WHICH ONES WERE BEING ELIMINATED, BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE US A RED FLAG. I THINK I'M PREPARED TO PROCEED RIGHT NOW. UNLESS, COMMISSIONER PERDUE, YOU HAD A SPECIFIC ONE YOU WANTED TO KEEP ON THE LIST.

[01:05:02]

MAYOR. I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT PROPOSED AMENDMENT AT THE MOMENT.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL KIND OF PACKAGED TOGETHER. I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP MAKE THAT CLEAR.

RELATED TO HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE IMPACTED. THE AVERAGE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF WHETHER IT'S REGISTERED VOTE.

I THINK YOU BRING UP A GREAT POINT. THANK YOU. OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS, THAT DATA IS AVAILABLE MOST LIKELY AT THE CENSUS TRACT LEVEL.

SO I CAN SEE HOW THERE WILL BE SOME DIFFICULTY OVERLAYING THAT WITH PRECINCT LEVEL.

AND THEN I THINK A BEFORE AND AFTER MAP. SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE PACKAGE THERE'S THIS PROPOSAL, THERE'S THE RED LINE VERSION OF WHAT WILL BE ELIMINATED AND WHAT WILL BE MERGED.

BUT I THINK THAT I THINK IT WILL USE THE WORD HIGHLIGHTED INSTEAD OF RED LINED.

YEAH. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ONE THAT HAS THE.

I'M SORRY I WAS BEING FLIPPANT. RED LINE VERSION.

SO I, I THINK I NEED, AND I THINK OUR COMMUNITY WOULD NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL OF THE NUANCES OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN ORDER TO HAVE A MORE EXACT CHANGE. CAN I TELL YOU AND AND YOU KNOW, IF NOTHING ELSE, MY MY AMENDMENT IS NOT TO ELIMINATE ANY.

HOW ABOUT THAT? MY MY AMENDMENT IS NOT TO ELIMINATE ANY PRECINCTS UNLESS IT'S THE ELIMINATION OF THE MULTI SITE PRECINCT.

SO THOSE SIX THAT WILL BE ALL TOGETHER ELIMINATED.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD WANT REMOVED FROM THIS PACKAGE.

I THINK THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT.

THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS AROUND ACCESSIBILITY ABOUT MAKING IT EASIER AND MORE EFFICIENT BY NOT HAVING TO POLLING LOCATIONS AT THE SAME LOCATION.

THOSE ARE ALL I SUPPORT, BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT THE ELIMINATION OUTRIGHT OF PRECINCTS.

AND SO THAT WILL BE MY PROPOSED AMENDMENT THAT I THAT I ASK OTHERS TO SUPPORT.

OKAY. SO SO LET ME I WANT TO BE CLEAR. SO EAST LEONARD ELEMENTARY IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

AND SO I'M CHANGING LINES IN ORDER TO ADD A NEW LOCATION.

YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT. YOU'RE SAYING I'M OKAY WITH CHANGING THE EXACT POLLING LOCATION? IF I COULD, BECAUSE THE SIX. IT'S NOT JUST SIX GONE.

THERE'S SOME CHANGES. THERE'S CHANGES TO YOU SAID QUINTUS DOESN'T WANT TO BE A POLLING LOCATION.

RIGHT, RIGHT. OR I SHOULD SAY, AT OUR RATE. RIGHT.

SO? SO LET ME LET ME SUGGEST. CAN WE PUT THE THIRD WARD MAP BACK UP, PLEASE? IN CITY CLERK, YOU'LL YOU'LL MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE TO TALK WITH.

SO HERE, COMMISSIONER, LET ME LET ME TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE ASK HERE IS.

SO THE ORDINANCE, THE CITY ORDINANCE SAYS SO THAT THIS IS THIS IS THE GRAY AREA HERE.

SO THE CITY OF LANSING THAT DID NOT GO TO THIS DID NOT GO TO THEIR CITY COMMISSION.

THEIR ELECTION COMMISSION DID THE WHOLE WORK.

OKAY. STATE LAW SAYS THAT THE ELECTION COMMISSION CAN CHANGE BOUNDARIES.

WE HAVE THAT FULL AUTHORITY TO DO ANYTHING WE WANT TO DO ON THAT, AS LONG AS WE HAVE A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION, OUR CITY ORDINANCES SAY HOW MANY PRECINCTS THERE ARE.

SO THE THE BASICALLY THE RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE ORDINANCE CHANGES ONE WORD OR ONE NUMBER FROM 74 TO 59.

SO WHATEVER THIS COMMISSION SAYS FOR THE ORDINANCE THAT IT'S I'M MAKING A RECOMMENDATION AS STAFF VIA THE, THE AS A LIAISON FROM THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO SAY, THIS IS THIS IS OUR REQUEST.

IF IF IT CAME TO THE POINT OF LIKE, WE HAVE TO RESCIND THIS TO DO I, I'M TRYING TO COME UP WITH A WAY.

SO I'M NOT SAYING. SO THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO APPROACH THIS PROCESS.

SO I'M TRYING TO OPEN IT UP AND HAVING COMMISSION BUY IN.

SO THE QUESTION IS SO IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT 6061, THEN THE ELECTION COMMISSION CAN GO BACK AND CHANGE CHANGE BOUNDARIES TO MATCH IT.

THE COMMISSION CITY COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO BOUNDARIES OR WHAT YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE AUTHORITY IN STATE LAW TO DO IS SET POLLING LOCATIONS. SO WHAT BUILDINGS WE USE. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THEN, IF COMMISSIONER PERDUE, YOU'RE SAYING MY, MY YOU KNOW, MY AMENDMENT WOULD BE TO NOT ELIMINATE ANY ESSENTIALLY, WE'D BE JUST SAYING IS YOU WANT TO VOTE AGAINST THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGE.

SO I DON'T THINK THERE IS AN AMENDMENT. YOU'RE JUST SAYING AT THIS POINT YOU'D BE A NO VOTE BECAUSE THE AMENDMENT IS TO CHANGE, TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING YOUR AMENDMENT WOULD NOT DO. SO YOUR AMENDMENT WOULD BE TO UNDO THE RESOLUTION IN ITS ENTIRETY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT. WELL, I THINK TODAY'S PRESENTATION WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO HEAR THE JUSTIFICATION BEHIND A NUMBER OF THE PROPOSED ELIMINATION, PARTICULARLY THAT TO CLARIFY, NINE OF THE 15 PROPOSED ELIMINATIONS ARE TO ELIMINATE MULTI-SITE.

THAT IS CORRECT. SO 18 PRECINCTS GOING DOWN TO NINE, MERGING TO NINE BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THE SAME.

THEY WERE IN THE SAME LOCATION. THEY WERE VOTING AT THE SAME CHURCH. CORRECT?

[01:10:01]

OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO OFFER A COMMENT TO THAT COMMISSIONER JUST IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS.

SO THE WAY I, THE WAY I BECAUSE I THINK I WANT TO I, I THINK I'M HEARING YOUR QUESTION.

SO IN THE FIRST WARD THERE WERE 23. 23 PRECINCTS.

YOU'RE PROPOSING. 20. CORRECT. AND THE SECOND WARD, THERE WERE 25 PRECINCTS.

YOU'RE PROPOSING 19, 20, 20. I'M SORRY. AND THEN IN THE THIRD WARD, 26 TO 18 TO 19.

I'M SORRY TO 19. I KEEP I'M KEEP HAVING THE NUMBER OFF.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT IN THERE BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS HELPFUL WHEN I WAS FOR ME, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE MEMO AND I LOOKED AT THE PRECINCT DIRECTORY TO KIND OF SAY, OKAY, I WAS TRYING TO COUNT THE DOUBLE, IF YOU WILL, PRE, YOU KNOW, PRECINCTS AT THE LOCATION.

SO I JUST WANT WANTED TO OFFER THAT FOR THE CONVERSATION. YEAH, I REVIEWED THAT, AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE PROPOSED NEW, NEW LOCATIONS AND THE CHANGES IN THE NUMBERS BY BY BY WAR BASED ON WHAT WAS IN THE PACKAGE.

SO CAN. SO MY QUESTION WAS REALLY JUST TO CONFIRM OF THE, THE THE THE OF THE NINE, SO NINE OF THE 15 ELIMINATED SITES. YES. YOU'RE SAYING THE JUSTIFICATION IS SOLELY BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE SAME PRECINCTS? IN THE SAME BUILDING? YES. OKAY. SO THERE WERE 18 PRECINCTS VOTING AT NINE LOCATIONS.

SO WE'RE SAYING YES. KEEP THEM NINE. YEAH. OKAY.

AND THEN THERE'S SIX LOCATIONS, SIX SITES THAT ARE PURE ELIMINATION.

SO MY MY AMENDMENT TO CONSIDER WOULD BE INSTEAD OF GOING DOWN FROM YOU SAID 59 WOULD BE THE PROPOSAL NOW, RIGHT. IF WE KEEP THE SIX THAT ARE PROPOSED TO BE OUTRIGHT ELIMINATED, THEN THE PROPOSAL OR THE THE.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS TO KEEP OUR POLLING LOCATIONS TO 65.

YOU FOLLOW? YEAH, I'M FOLLOWING YOU. SO WHAT THAT COLLEAGUES ARE YOU.

DID YOU FOLLOW THAT? I JUST WANT TO ASK FOR A POINT OF ORDER, BECAUSE WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE, RIGHT, TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM AS IS. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND CLARIFY PROCEDURALLY WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, AMENDED, DISCUSSING A POTENTIAL AMENDMENT. SURE.

SO TO THE TO THE ITEM ON THE TABLE. OKAY. SO IS THAT A MOTION FOR AN AMENDMENT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A SECOND AND THEN A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT.

THAT'S GOING TO BE THE QUESTION. ARE YOU ARE YOU PROPOSING? YES. THAT IS OUR MOTION TO LET ME BRING UP THE EXACT LANGUAGE.

IS THERE OR SO. IS THERE SUPPORT FOR THAT MOTION? DID YOU MAKE IT? IT'S NOT. I'M LOOKING AT. I'M LOOKING FOR THE EXACT LANGUAGE, BUT I THINK WE ARE.

SO THE THE YEAH. MR. COMMISSIONER, I THINK IN THE RESOLUTION, IN THE BE IT RESOLVED SECTION, IT PROVIDES LANGUAGE THAT CHANGES THE POLLING LOCATIONS TO 59.

SO THANK YOU. SO IT'S SECTION 1.1.411.41. THANK YOU.

SO I PROPOSE TO AMEND THE MOTION TO ESTABLISH 65 ELECTION PRECINCTS INSTEAD OF THE PROPOSED 59 SUPPORT. NOT SEEING SUPPORT. MOTION DOES NOT PROCEED.

MOTION FOR AMENDMENT. SO I THINK AT THIS POINT, WE'RE I'M PREPARED TO VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION.

ANY DISCUSSION? FURTHER DISCUSSION. COMMISSIONER.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. I APPRECIATE THIS CONVERSATION.

THIS WAS PROBABLY LONGER THAN MOST RESOLUTIONS, AND I THINK THAT'S FINE.

THANK YOU. MR. PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION FOR BRINGING US BACK TO KIND OF WHAT WAS IN FRONT OF US.

I THINK THAT WHILE I DIDN'T SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT, I THINK THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING BACK THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THOSE OUTSIDE PARTIES, WHICH IT'S THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS OUR JOB IS TO RUN THE ELECTION SAFELY, CLEARLY FAIRLY. AND THEN WE'RE THERE'S A LOT OF OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING TO HOPEFULLY TO PROMOTE THAT.

I DO WANT TO CONTINUE TO RECOGNIZE IF WE CAN GO BACK AGAIN, JUST KNOWING KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HOW THEY'RE BEING IMPACTED.

SO THEN WE CAN TO THE CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP IN THIS CONVERSATION, UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN LIFT THEM UP AND UNDERSTAND HOW WE POTENTIALLY COULD SUPPORT.

SO I THINK WE CAN DO BOTH THINGS. IT MIGHT NOT ALWAYS LOOK THE SAME, BUT I DO.

YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN COORDINATING AND CONNECTING WITH YOU, AT LEAST DURING THE TIME THAT I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN. CLARK. AND I WANT

[01:15:02]

SO. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER PERDUE, FINAL COMMENT. FINAL COMMENT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE IT IS OUR DUTY TO MAINTAIN VOTER ACCESS.

AND I'M OBVIOUSLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE WASN'T A SUPPORT FOR THE AMENDMENT TO ENSURE THAT WE DO NOT ELIMINATE PRECINCT SITES ALTOGETHER IN OUR CITY.

I WILL SUPPORT BRINGING THIS TO TO VOTE. ACTUALLY, NO, I WAS I WAS THINKING PUBLIC HEARING.

I DON'T PLAN TO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE, THAT OBVIOUSLY, THIS PROPOSAL CAN BE MODIFIED BEFORE WE COME UP FOR THE NEXT VOTE.

AND THAT WAS THE CLARK'S POINT. AND I CERTAINLY HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE DISCUSSION. AND I WILL SAY THAT I'M OPEN TO MODIFICATIONS OF THIS.

I DIDN'T SUPPORT THE MOTION BECAUSE I DON'T SUPPORT WHOLESALE REJECTION OF ELIMINATING ANY SITES, BUT I CERTAINLY DO WANT TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION PROCEEDING.

YES. COMMISSIONER PERDUE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR OFTEN FROM CITY MANAGER THAT HE AND HIS STAFF NEED DIRECTION FROM THIS BODY IN ORDER TO COME BACK WITH ANY, ANY AMENDMENTS. SO I THINK A BLANKET MODIFICATION IS NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR HIM AND HIS TEAM TO TAKE BACK TO BRING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

SO I THINK IF YOU OR OTHERS DO WANT TO SEE SOME CHANGES, YOU ALL NEED TO MAKE THAT CLEARER.

SURE. BUT WHAT I WILL DO, COMMISSIONER, IS PROVIDE THE INFORMATION TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY THAT I CAN.

AS FAR AS THOSE THOSE NUMBERS I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GET DOWN INTO THE CENSUS BLOCKS FOR, FOR FOR, FOR PERSONS LIVING OR POTENTIAL RESIDENT OR POTENTIAL VOTERS.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN GET DOWN INTO THAT, INTO THAT LEVEL, BUT WHAT I CAN DO IS PROVIDE A CLEAR BREAKDOWN OF WHAT EACH PRECINCT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THE CHANGES ARE. AND I THOUGHT I THOUGHT IT KIND OF DID THAT.

BUT IT'S IN NUMBERS NOT LIKE LOCATIONS. SO. SO SOME PEOPLE THINK NUMBERS, SOME PEOPLE THINK LOCATIONS AND PICTURES.

SO I'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT LAYS IT OUT.

AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE TO TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAY, MAY I JUST ADD A COMMENT? NO. GO AHEAD. I JUST WANT TO REMIND FOLKS THAT WE WILL HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THIS BEFORE WE VOTE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE COMMUNITY INPUT IF THEY CARE ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.

THANK YOU. WELL, I DO AGREE THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION.

SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT. YOU ONLY CARE IF YOU SHOW UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOT FAIR.

CITY MANAGER. THANK THANK YOU MAYOR JUST TO TO HELP MY COLLEAGUE OUT.

SO HE'S HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK AROUND THE DIAS TODAY.

SO THE PROPOSAL BEFORE US IS WHAT WAS PUT FORTH.

DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH FEEDBACK NOW TO PUT TOGETHER AN ALTERNATIVE OR TWO IN THE EVENT THE CITY COMMISSION WANTS TO DEVIATE FROM WHAT'S PRESENTED TODAY, DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE YOU CAN COME BACK, GIVEN THE ROBUST FEEDBACK, TO HAVE A COUPLE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO PICK FROM? POTENTIALLY, YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. I WILL ASK FOR A VOTE ON THE MOTION THEN.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. THANK YOU.

MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, CITY CLERK. AND THANKS, EVERYONE FOR THE GREAT DISCUSSION.

THIS BRINGS US TO RESOLUTION SETTING APRIL 29TH AS A DATE TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON THE GRAND AVENUE, GRAND RAPIDS CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN.

MISS WILKINSON IS COMING UP, I ASSUME. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE A MOTION.

SO MOVED. SUPPORT. SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.

MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS. I AM NOT MISS ANNABEL WILKINSON.

I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE PREFACE BEFORE WE GIVE THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE THERE'S.

OH, I'M SORRY. DOUG MATTHEWS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER A LITTLE PREFACE TO THIS, BECAUSE THE CAP AT THIS POINT HAS SPANNED THREE DIFFERENT CITY COMMISSIONS. AND TWO SUSTAINABILITY OFFICERS OVER THE COURSE OF THE TIME, FROM THE TIME THAT WE MADE THE MOVE TO, TO DEVELOP THIS TO TODAY.

AND I WANTED TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COMMUNITY WORK.

I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL STILL HAVE SOME TIME TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THAT TODAY. BUT I DID WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT LITTLE BIT OF A PREFACE BEFORE MISS ANNABEL WILKINSON COMES UP.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER MATTHEWS.

GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. ANNABEL WILKINSON, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER AND I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN TODAY, SPECIFICALLY AN OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN.

A LOOK AT ITS PROCESS, THE PLAN ORGANIZATION, THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES THAT ARE OUTLINED WITHIN THIS PLAN, AND A REQUEST TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING AND A LOOK AT THE NEXT STEPS.

SO WHY WE ARE PURSUING A CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN IS BECAUSE IT IS SET IN OUR CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS, SUPPORT CLIMATE ADAPTATION, AND INCREASE CLIMATE RESILIENCE.

IT SPECIFICALLY CALLS OUT CREATING AND BEGINNING TO IMPLEMENT A CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN THAT'S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THAT PARALLELS AND COMPLEMENTS OUR

[01:20:07]

WE WANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY WIDE PLAN.

WHILE THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS IS ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS BY WORKING TOWARDS THE GOALS, STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THIS PLAN TO ACHIEVE OUR ADOPTED, COMMUNITY WIDE, SCIENCE BASED TARGETS. ACHIEVING THESE TARGETS WILL NEED COMMUNITY BUY IN PRECEDING ACTION IN ORDER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THIS IMAGE, OUR GOVERNMENT MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS ARE ONLY 2.21% OF OUR TOTAL COMMUNITY WIDE EMISSIONS.

THAT BEING SAID, THE CITY WILL ACT AS A LEADER IN THIS WORK. MODELING EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS IN OUR MUNICIPAL FACILITIES AND FLEET.

IMPLEMENTING ACTIONS THAT ARE UNDER LOCAL CONTROL LIKE LAND USE.

ADVOCATING FOR THE LEGISLATIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CHANGES NEEDED TO MOVE OUR GOALS FORWARD.

BUT ALSO, WE NEED TO BRING COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO THE TABLE TO REALLY FOCUS ON WHO CAN JOIN US IN THIS WORK.

BRINGING MORE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS AND MAKING COMMUNITY PROGRESS TOGETHER.

AS WE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE FOCUSED A LOT ON THE INTERSECTION WITH OUR COMMUNITY MASTER PLANNING PROCESS. WE WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN ON ITS BOLD VISION FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS OF LAND USE DEVELOPMENT, AND THE CLIMATE PLAN INCLUDES 54 STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS THAT CORRESPOND DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN ACROSS FOUR OF ITS CHAPTERS.

THE CLIMATE PLAN ALSO INCORPORATES ENGAGEMENT DATA FROM THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN.

FEEDBACK INTO THE PLAN. HERE'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CLIMATE PLAN PROCESS AND TIMELINE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED, FOCUSING ON MOVING FROM PRE PLANNING IN 2022 THROUGH OUR ROUNDS OF ENGAGEMENT.

AND THEN WE'LL. WE'RE CURRENTLY IN A CURRENT PLAN ADOPTION CONSIDERATION STAGE BEFORE MOVING INTO IMPLEMENTATION.

AND I'LL PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ON EACH OF THESE AREAS IN THE COMING SLIDES.

SO WITH PRE-PLANNING AGAIN WE COORDINATED WITH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLANNING TIMELINE AND ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.

BUT ALSO WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN WAS A BOLD 20 YEAR VISION FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, AND FOR OUR CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN. WE FOCUSED MORE ON A TARGETED UNIVERSALISM APPROACH TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

SO THAT WAS A PROCESS OF SETTING UNIVERSAL. GOALS, BUT ADDRESSING THE BARRIERS AND RESOURCE DEFICIENCIES TO ENSURE THAT ALL. GROUPS ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF AN EPA REPORT THAT FOUND THAT SOCIALLY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS LIKE LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND LOW EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OLDER MAY BE MORE EXPOSED TO THE HIGHEST IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. SO WE WORKED WITH THE LOCAL ORGANIZATION CALLED THE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, A CLIMATE JUSTICE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION, TO REALLY CENTER OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THOSE MOST LIKELY TO FACE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, INCLUDING RESIDENTS WHO ARE UNHOUSED, IDENTIFIES BIPOC YOUTH AND SENIORS, AS WELL AS SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES.

SO WORKING WITH THE C4, WE CREATED A CLIMATE PLAN COMMITTEE TO PLAN THOSE ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE CLIMATE PLAN PROCESS, COLLABORATE ON A RACIAL EQUITY FRAMEWORK, AND REVIEWING DRAFTED RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. WE ALSO WORKED WITH OUR C4 COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS, WHO ARE LOCAL CLIMATE JUSTICE ADVOCATES WHO WORK TO ENGAGE LOCAL RESIDENTS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD TO FOCUS. AND THEN FOR EACH ROUND, WE FOCUSED ON IN-PERSON EVENTS THAT WERE LOCATED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO FOCUS THAT FOCUSED ON REMOVING BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION BY PROVIDING DINNER, CHILDCARE, TRANSLATION SERVICES, AND COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION. DURING THIS PRE-PLANNING PHASE, WE ALSO WORKED ON A GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY TO IDENTIFY WHAT GREENHOUSE GASES ARE THE PRIMARY DRIVERS IN GRAND RAPIDS, AND WHAT WE FOUND WERE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, TRANSPORTATION AND INDUSTRIAL ENERGY USES. AND THOSE EMISSIONS ARE PREDOMINANTLY GENERATED FROM FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION LIKE NATURAL GAS, ELECTRICITY AND TRANSPORTATION. WE ALSO CONDUCTED A CLIMATE RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A LOCAL STUDY THAT HELPS IDENTIFY CURRENT AND FUTURE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND HELPS INFORM CLIMATE ADAPTATION ACTIONS IN THIS PLAN.

SO WE REVIEWED CLIMATE SCIENCE, BOTH CURRENT IMPACTS AS WELL AS PROJECTIONS.

AND THEN WE ALSO WORKED WITH KEY IDENTIFY KEY STAKEHOLDERS AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY.

CITY STAFF AND OTHER LOCAL EXPERTS TO INFORM THE CLIMATE RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT PROCESS WORKING WITH THE C4.

WE ALSO WORK TO ENGAGE WITH THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THAT MAY BE MOST PRONE TO THE HAZARDS OF CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WE WILL EXPERIENCE IN GRAND RAPIDS.

SO THAT FOCUS ON SIX IN PERSON FOCUS GROUPS WITH POPULATIONS SUCH AS SPANISH SPEAKERS, THE UNHOUSED, YOUTH AND SENIORS TO DISCUSS THE IMPACTS OF HEAT AND FLOODING.

SO FOR OUR ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, AGAIN COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY, COLLABORATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, AS WELL AS OTHER LOCAL COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WE

[01:25:02]

WHAT WERE THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE PLAN, AS WELL AS BRAINSTORMING A VISION FOR FUTURE CLIMATE WORK IN GRAND RAPIDS.

FOR ROUND TWO, WE WENT INTO WHAT WERE THE KEY DRAFT STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS THAT WERE DECIDED UPON BY THE ROUND ONE VISIONING INFORMATION THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY, THE INPUT FROM OUR CLIMATE ADVISORY TEAMS THAT WE COLLABORATED WITH TO HELP DRAFT THOSE CHAPTERS, AND KEY KEY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN THE AREAS AND THEN COMMUNITY, PROVIDED RESPONSIVE FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION ON EACH CHAPTER.

AND THEN FOR ROUND THREE, WE COMPILED ALL THAT INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE SERIES OF EVENTS AND SURVEYS, AND PRESENTED THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE CLIMATE PLAN AND UTILIZE THAT SAME CHAPTER STRUCTURE TO PROCESS FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND IF WE HEARD THEM RIGHT, WERE THEY SATISFIED WITH THE PLAN, AND IF NOT, WHAT CHANGES NEEDED TO BE MADE? SO A LARGE VARIETY OF ENGAGEMENT TECHNIQUES WERE USED IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS, VIRTUAL MEETINGS, TABLING AND ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY EVENTS. ONE ON ONE INTERVIEWS, FOCUS GROUP FEEDBACK, ONLINE SURVEYS, AS WELL AS CLIMATE ADVISORY TEAMS. IN TOTAL, THE CLIMATE PROCESS ENGAGED OVER 1600 PEOPLE IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS ACROSS TWO YEARS. BLESS YOU AND THE COMMUNITY.

MASTER PLANNING DATA WAS SOURCED SPECIFICALLY FROM THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN. SECOND ROUND OF ENGAGEMENT.

AND WE INCLUDED, OVER THE FEEDBACK OF OVER 1800 PARTICIPANTS THAT FOCUSED IN THAT ROUND.

BECAUSE WORKSHOPS WERE HELD ON THE TOPICS OF CLIMATE MITIGATION, CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

NOW, OUR TARGETED UNIVERSALISM APPROACH DID INCREASE COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP, AND WE SOUGHT TO REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION FOR IN-PERSON EVENTS.

AND WE'RE INTENTIONALLY LOCATING AND MARKETING TO RESIDENTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS OF FOCUS. THAT BEING SAID, A MAJORITY OF THOSE ENGAGEMENTS WERE IN-PERSON EVENTS, AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, WHILE REQUESTED AT THOSE EVENTS, WAS NOT ALWAYS GIVEN. AND SO WHILE WE DO HAVE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA FROM OUR CLIMATE PLAN SURVEYS, THAT ALONE DOESN'T REALLY CAPTURE THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE PLANNING PROCESS AS IT INCLUDES ONLY 41% OF THOSE ENGAGED.

HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE THAT DATA AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REPORT IN APPENDIX B OF THE PLAN.

SO ALL OF THAT ENGAGEMENT HELPED TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAVE TODAY.

OUR VISION IS THAT GRAND RAPIDS WILL BE A RESILIENT, LOW CARBON CITY THAT CENTERS EQUITY AND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE A SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY. AND WITH THAT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION INVENTORY, AS WELL AS COMMUNITIES PRIORITIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE FIRST ROUND OF ENGAGEMENT.

THE CAP CHAPTERS BREAK DOWN TO BE ENERGY SYSTEMS, RESIDENTIAL HOMES.

BUILDINGS AND INDUSTRY. TRANSPORTATION. NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS AND FOOD SYSTEMS. AND OUR STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN FLOWS FROM GOALS TO STRATEGIES TO 197 ACTIONS.

SO THE GOALS THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED ARE MORE SPECIFIED TO ACHIEVING THEIR COMMUNITY WIDE, SCIENCE BASED TARGETS AND THOSE DESIRED OUTCOMES, AND TO REDUCE THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. OUR STRATEGIES, OUR MAJOR INITIATIVES OR SERVICES THAT NEED TO BE COMPLETED IN ORDER TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS THOSE GOALS. AND THEN ACTIONS ARE THE PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS THAT WILL PUSH FORWARD THE STRATEGIES.

AND THROUGHOUT THE PLAN YOU'LL SEE THE FOLLOWING THEMES NEXT TO EACH OF THE ACTIONS.

HEALTH. RESILIENCE, EQUITY, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND COLLABORATION.

SO WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO A REVIEW OF THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR EACH OF THESE SIX CHAPTERS.

AND SO FOR ENERGY SYSTEMS, THE GOALS ARE 80% ELECTRICITY GRID DECARBONIZATION BY 2030 AND AN INCREASE THE RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCE OF ENERGY SYSTEMS. FOR THE STRATEGIES, THIS INCLUDES INCREASING RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS ACCESS TO AND UNDERSTANDING OF ENERGY SYSTEMS. INCREASING ACCESS TO AND PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING FOR ENERGY SYSTEMS LIKE THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, HELPING TO DECREASE THE COST OF RENEWABLE ENERGY OR OTHER INNOVATIVE LOW TO NO TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORTING THE INSTALLATION OF SOLAR OR LOW TO NO EMISSION TECHNOLOGIES, SO REDUCING BARRIERS AND INCREASING ACCESS TO RESOURCES SUPPORTING THE PURCHASE OF RENEWABLE AND CARBON FREE ENERGY LIKE RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS, NURTURING A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVING THE RESILIENCE OF THE ENERGY SYSTEM.

FOR RESIDENTIAL HOMES. THE GOALS ESTABLISHED ARE THAT 5% OF ALL EXISTING BUILDINGS REDUCE ENERGY 20% BY 2030.

ALL NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND 1% OF EXISTING BUILDINGS WILL MEET THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE.

OF THE 2018 CODE THAT ALL NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND 11% OF EXISTING BUILDINGS ARE ELECTRIFIED PER YEAR UNTIL 2030.

TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND RESILIENCE OF HOUSING TO THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

SO THE STRATEGIES WE'VE IDENTIFIED TO MOVE TOWARDS THOSE GOALS ARE TO INCREASE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF HOUSING, SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY USE IN HOUSING, INCREASING COMMUNITY CAPACITY, AWARENESS OF AND ACCESS TO HOME IMPROVEMENT RESOURCES, IMPROVING RESIDENT ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES ON HOW TO MAKE THEIR HOMES HEALTHY AND CLIMATE RESILIENT, AND CALLING SPECIFICALLY FROM THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN.

[01:30:03]

FOR BUILDINGS AND INDUSTRY, THE GOALS ESTABLISHED ARE THAT 10% OF ALL EXISTING COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS REDUCE ENERGY 20% PER YEAR UNTIL 2030.

THAT 5% OF EXISTING COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS ARE ELECTRIFIED PER YEAR UNTIL 2030, AND TO REDUCE THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES, AND THEN FURTHER TECHNICAL ANALYSIS IS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH THIS TARGET, WHICH WILL BE WORKING ON IN OUR NEXT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY. FOR THE FOUR STRATEGIES THAT WORK TOWARDS THOSE GOALS ARE TO INCREASE COMMUNITY AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING AND CAPACITY TO ADDRESS HOW MUCH ENERGY BUILDINGS USE AND THE EMISSIONS THEY GENERATE. REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY USED AND THE EMISSIONS GENERATED BY EXISTING BUILDINGS.

ENSURING THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION BUILDINGS ARE HIGH PERFORMING AND LOW TO ZERO EMISSIONS AND CLIMATE RESILIENT.

AND STRATEGY FOUR TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY USED AND EMISSIONS CREATED IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES.

FOR TRANSPORTATION. OUR GOALS ARE THAT 10% OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED WILL BE REDUCED PER CAPITA BY 2030, THROUGH THE PROMOTION AND EXPANSION OF ACTIVE AND SHARED MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.

20% INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP FOR PUBLIC, ACTIVE, AND SHARED MODES OF TRANSPORTATION BY 2030, AND 22.5% OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED WILL BE WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES BY 2030.

SO THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED TO MOVE TOWARDS THESE GOALS ARE TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS FOR ALL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, EXPAND AND PROTECT PEDESTRIAN NETWORK AND AMENITIES. BUILD OUT A SAFE BICYCLE NETWORK BY EXPANDING SEPARATED AND PROTECTED BICYCLE LANES AND INCREASING ACCESS TO NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION. SUPPORTING REGIONAL PROJECTS THAT PROMOTE TRANSIT FOCUSED LAND USE PRACTICES ON MORE ACCESSIBLE, DENSE, AND LESS CAR CENTRIC NEIGHBORHOODS. ANOTHER DIRECT TIE TO THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN, PROMOTING ACCESSIBILITY TO ELECTRIC AND LOW TO NO EMISSION VEHICLES, AND ELECTRIFYING OUR CITY FLEET.

FOR OUR NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS, GOALS AND STRATEGIES, OUR GOALS ARE TO ACHIEVE OUR 40% TREE CANOPY GOAL TO INCREASE CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND ENSURE THAT BOTH PEOPLE AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ARE HEALTHY AND RESILIENT TO THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

SO THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS INCLUDE CONTINUING AND EXPANDING TREE PLANTING, PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS AND INCENTIVES, FOSTERING POSITIVE HEALTH BENEFITS BY INCREASING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE.

AND THAT IS A STRATEGY THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING WORKED ON WITH OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND IS FEATURED IN THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN, STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, FOR STRATEGY THREE, CONTINUING TO PRIORITIZE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS ENCOURAGING SUSTAINABLE REGENERATIVE LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES LIKE NATIVE PLANTINGS.

AND LASTLY, FOR FOOD SYSTEMS, OUR GOALS ARE TO REDUCE WASTE RELATED EMISSIONS BY REDUCING FOOD SCRAPS INTO LANDFILLS, REDUCING SOLID WASTE AND ENCOURAGING SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION, AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND RESILIENCE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM TO THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

AND THE STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON TO ADDRESS THOSE GOALS ARE TO STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY, TO ADDRESS FOOD ACCESS AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF FOOD AND SOLID WASTE GENERATED, INCREASING ACCESS TO COMPOSTING SERVICES, AND PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR RESIDENTIAL COMPOSTING.

CREATE AND PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT, GROW, PREPARE AND SHARE THEIR OWN FOOD.

AND THEN LASTLY TO BUILD AND DESIGN OUR COMMUNITY TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY TO HEALTHY FOODS. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF COHESION WITH THIS CHAPTER WITH KENT COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCILS FOOD SYSTEM PLAN AS WELL. THAT WAS PRESENTED.

AS I MENTIONED, THERE ARE 197 ACTIONS WITHIN THIS PLAN AND I WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO GO OVER THEM WITH YOU TODAY.

SO WE PROVIDED JUST A FEW EXAMPLES TO DISCUSS FOR YOU TO GIVE AN IDEA OF KIND OF WHAT'S IN THE PLAN.

SO FOR ENERGY SYSTEMS, ONE EXAMPLE IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE STATE OF MICHIGAN LEGISLATION TO KEEP US AT THE FOREFRONT OF CLIMATE FOCUSED ENERGY SYSTEMS THAT WOULD BE ADVOCATING FOR BILLS LIKE COMMUNITY SOLAR TO ALLOW INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL OWNERSHIP AND WEALTH GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTIAL HOMES.

ONE OF OUR ACTIONS WOULD BE TO CREATE A WRAPAROUND WHOLE HOMES APPROACH TO STREAMLINE HOUSING SERVICES TO RESIDENTS, SO CREATING A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT THAT HELPS IDENTIFY HOW TO BEST STACK AND BRAID AVAILABLE RESOURCES.

HOW CAN WE CREATE MATERIALS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, AND PARTNER WITH MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS TO CONNECT TO THOSE WORKING ON SEPARATE BUT RELATED ISSUES? FOR BUILDINGS AND INDUSTRY, PARTNERING WITH VICINITY ENERGY TO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT EFFICIENCY PROJECTS AND PURSUE ELECTRIFICATION OF THE STEAM DISTRICT FOR TRANSPORTATION. EXPANDING AND PROMOTING THE DART ELECTRIC VEHICLE CARSHARE PILOT PROGRAM THROUGH OUR MOBILE DEPARTMENT FOR OUR NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS.

PRIORITIZING NEIGHBORHOODS WITH LOW TREE EQUITY SCORES.

NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE POPULATIONS THAT HAVE A HIGHER RISK FOR THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, AND OUTDOOR AIR POLLUTION FOR TREE PLANTINGS AND HABITAT RESTORATION.

AND LASTLY, FOR FOOD SYSTEMS. INCREASING PUBLIC ACCESS TO COMPOSTING SERVICES THROUGH ESTABLISHING NEIGHBORHOOD COMPOST SITES AND DROP OFF LOCATIONS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. ESTABLISHING AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO TEACH HOW TO COMPOST AND HOW TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION,

[01:35:04]

SO WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND, WITH THE PROCESS AND THE PLAN, OUR NEXT STEP IS TO REQUEST TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING FOR APRIL 29TH AT 7 P.M.

OR SOON THEREAFTER IN THE CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS AND THE POTENTIAL ADOPTION CONSIDERATION PROCESS TIMELINE.

IT WOULD BE STARTING WITH TODAY, SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING, POTENTIALLY HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 29TH, AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL ADOPTION CONSIDERATION ON MAY 13TH.

SO AGAIN, THOSE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE A POTENTIAL ADOPTION CONSIDERATION. BUT MOVING FORWARD PAST THAT WOULD BE FOCUSING ON IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIZATION, WORKING ON RELEASING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY FINISHING UP RIGHT NOW TO ASSESS GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION POTENTIAL FOR ACTIONS AND ASSESS FUNDING COSTS FOR ACTIONS, WITH THE CONSULTANT TAKING THAT INFORMATION AND PRIORITIZING WHAT STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS NEED TO COME FIRST TO MAKE THE MOST IMPACT FOR SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM PRIORITY. CREATING A TIMELINE.

CREATING AN ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY HUB SO THAT RESIDENTS.

AND STAKEHOLDERS CAN UNDERSTAND THE PROGRESS BEING MADE TOWARDS THIS PLAN.

AND THEN LASTLY, IDENTIFYING RESPONSIBLE PARTIES, HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS BOTH INTERNALLY WITH DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO WITH OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS AT THE TABLE TO MOVE THIS PLAN FORWARD.

AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.

BEFORE WE DO THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD A MIC BEFORE WE DO THAT.

I KNOW WE HAD A MOTION ON THIS. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? OH, WE DON'T NEED. OH, THIS IS JUST A HEARING. WE DO.

OH I DID. I'M SORRY. SORRY. OKAY. QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONERS.

COMMISSIONER COMMENT OR CAN WE COMMENT? OF COURSE.

YEAH. SO IN THE. SO FIRST I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB THROUGH DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP OF DOING THIS WORK. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEEN SEE THIS WORK FIRSTHAND.

AND HOW THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS DONE REALLY GOOD OUTREACH AND WORKED WITH OUR COMMUNITY ON THIS PLAN.

I'M HOPEFUL. I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS THAT I HAD TO YOU WHEN I WAS FIRST COMING ON AS A COMMISSIONER WAS, DO YOU NEED MORE SUPPORT? AND THEN I THINK WE MET.

THAT WAS THE DAY CITY MANAGER, WHEN WE MET WITH LIKE EVERY DEPARTMENT.

AND BUT I REALLY ASK THAT QUESTION. YOU SPARKED THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT OF WORK.

IT'S AMBITIOUS WORK, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD BECAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.

THESE CHALLENGES TRULY ARE REAL. SO I BELIEVE THAT THE PLAN OVERALL IS AMBITIOUS, BUT FOR GOOD REASON.

RIGHT. BUT I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN FIND SOME TYPE OF WAY.

I'M JUST OPTIMISTIC TO FIND MORE SUPPORT FOR THIS OFFICE.

I JUST WANT THAT TO BE KNOWN AS SOMETHING THAT IS A THOUGHT IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, AN OVERWHELMING THEME FOR ME.

AND YOU'VE NOTED BOTH OF THE THEMES THAT I'M THINKING OF IN YOUR NEXT STEPS, WHICH I'M REALLY HAPPY AND AS I'VE SAID, SO MY MOST RECENT ROLE WITH WORKING WITH MAC AS THE DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT, THIS WAS MY WORK FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WAS REALLY SEEING WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE IN TERMS OF POLICY ACTIONS, IN TERMS OF IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ACTION.

SO MY REAL THEME HERE IS. YOU KNOW, THE DASHBOARD, RIGHT? AND WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT NEXT STEPS LIKE I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE PRESSING THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM FOLKS ALL OVER IS THEY WANT A CENTRAL THING THAT FOLKS CAN SEE. IT'S DIGESTIBLE, IT'S SIMPLE.

AND IT SHOWS BOTH. IT KEEPS US ACCOUNTABLE AS A CITY AND SHOWS WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT.

YOU KNOW, FOR THE CARBON EMISSIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT, LESS THAN 3% OF THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE.

SO I'M HAPPY THAT WAS ADDRESSED. AND THEN ALSO THE FLOW OF IMPLEMENTATION OF, ONCE AGAIN, DIGESTIBLE, SIMPLE WAYS THAT FOLKS CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH THESE THINGS.

YOU KNOW, THE THE CAP PLAN IN ITSELF IS LENGTHY.

IT'S LONG YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S FINE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TIME.

BUT FRANKLY, I THINK HOW WE GET PEOPLE A PART OF THIS WHOLE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT IS HAVING IT BE DIGESTIBLE, HAVING IT BE EASILY RELATABLE. AND I THINK THAT IS ALSO MY FINAL.

SO THOSE ARE THEMES THAT I SEE THAT YOU HAVE IN NEXT STEPS.

I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT. AND THEN LASTLY, A THEME THAT I REALLY WANT US TO CONTINUE THINKING ABOUT IS HOW DO NEIGHBORS SEE THEMSELVES IN THIS WORK? SO WE HAVE THESE GOALS, WE HAVE THESE ACTIONS.

BUT WILL WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM YOUR OFFICE, FROM THE CITY THAT WILL BE ABLE TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE? FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, NOT SORRY TO MINCE WORDS HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT SAYS, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO BRING FOLKS TO THE TABLE.

I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE REVERSED. I THINK WE NEED TO BE SCOUTING PEOPLE OUT, MEETING THEM WHERE THEY ARE, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DO TO REDUCE YOUR EMISSIONS FOR YOUR HOME.

RIGHT. SO, LIKE, I REALLY WANT TO SEE SPECIFICS ON WHO'S GOING TO BE DOING THAT.

WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON THAT? RIGHT. TO ONCE AGAIN TRANSLATE AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE DASHBOARDS THAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT AND THE SEQUENCING, THE IMPLEMENTATION, SHORT TERM, MID TERM, LONG TERM.

THAT'S GREAT. IF WE HAVE THAT I'M HAPPY. IT'S THE NEXT STEPS. BUT THE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PART IS GOING TO BE A HUGE PART OF THIS BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, EVERYONE DOESN'T HAVE YOUR BACKGROUND OR THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE DONE AS WELL.

[01:40:03]

I AM SO EXCITED TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY ON THIS LATER ON AND WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT.

THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.

THUS FAR, I'VE HAD I'VE HEARD A TON OF JUST POSITIVE EXCITEMENT ABOUT THIS COMING TO US AND FINALLY GETTING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE OF OUR ADOPTION. VERY SOON HERE. I KIND OF IN THE SAME VEIN OF TRANSPARENCY.

AND AND ACTIONABLE ITEMS. I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE NEXT STEPS IS TO PRIORITIZE STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS FOR SHORT, MEDIUM, LONG. BUT DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF RIGHT NOW WHAT AMOUNT OF THESE OF THE 197 ACTIONS ARE CONSIDERED ADMINISTRATIVE OR PROGRAM CHANGES? HOW MUCH OF THEM REALLY REQUIRE FINANCIAL OR OTHER INVESTMENTS.

HOW MANY OF THEM ARE? WHAT PERCENTAGE OR PROPORTION IS POLICY CHANGE? I'M CURIOUS HOW THESE ACTIONS REALLY BREAK DOWN IN KIND OF THE PATHWAYS TO GET THEM DONE.

YOU LOOK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE ANSWER OFF THE TOP OF YOUR. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE COMPILED YET, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN COMPILE TO BREAK DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE ON PROGRAM POLICY.

YES, ABSOLUTELY. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US. LIKE WHERE DO WE SUPPORT WHERE ARE OUR CONSIDERATIONS AS WELL AS FOR THAT ENGAGEMENT AND WHERE OTHER FOLKS FIT IN? AS YOU WERE SPEAKING TO COMMISSIONER KILGORE.

ONE OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER TODAY, BECAUSE YOU SAID YOUR NEXT STEP IS TO PRIORITIZE.

BUT I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN IN WHAT SHORT, MEDIUM, LONG, PARTICULARLY SHORT, LIKE WHAT CAN WE DO OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? AND WHAT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE SHORT TERM ACTIONS AND ARE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMMATIC POLICY.

SO I THINK THAT WILL HELP US AND FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, EVERYONE JUST REALLY WRAP THEIR HEAD AROUND HOW DO WE HOW DO WE ACTIVATE THIS TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT JUST THE PLAN THAT WE'RE PROUD OF AND SITS ON THE SHELF, BUT WE TRULY IMPLEMENTED AND IMPLEMENTATION.

THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I'M SURE WE CAN DO REALLY QUICK, SHORT TERM EDUCATIONAL IN NATURE, BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT WILL REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN TRUE STRATEGY AND COLLABORATION TO GET DONE.

SO I THINK IT'LL BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A SENSE OF, OF OF WHAT THAT WHAT THAT SHAKES UP TO BE.

SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. YOU'RE RIGHT. I DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY ALL OF THE ANSWERS BECAUSE WE STILL NEED TO DO THAT ANALYSIS.

BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE ACTIONS THAT WERE INCLUDED BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THIS PLANNING PROCESS TOOK TWO YEARS THAT WE HAVE STARTED WORKING ON ALREADY.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, OUR SOLARIZE PROGRAM, WE RECENTLY LAUNCHED THAT ABOUT A MONTH AGO.

AND THAT'S I THINK WE JUST GOT THE WORD BACK THAT 17 HOMEOWNERS OPTED FOR SOLAR FOR THAT FIRST EVENT, WHICH IS A GREAT NEWS. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A GROUP BUY DISCOUNT FOR THAT.

SO THAT'S VERY EXCITING AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PROGRAM NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT STARTED, BUT ALSO OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT ALSO WORKED ON REDUCING BARRIERS TO OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH WAS PASSED JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

SO THAT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE CONTINUALLY MAKING THOSE SMALL STEPS THAT WE CAN SEE TO MAKE IMMEDIATE DIFFERENCES.

BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. I LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF HAVING THAT MORE TANGIBLE FINANCIAL COST AND PRIORITIZATION AVAILABLE.

IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SIMULTANEOUSLY EXECUTING WHILE PLANNING.

THAT'S A REALLY A REALLY SMART CHOICE. AND THEN DID I HEAR YOU MENTION AROUND THE DASHBOARD, WILL THIS DASHBOARD BE INTEGRATED WITH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN DASHBOARD.

AND WHAT'S THE ESTIMATED TIME? SO OUR DASHBOARD I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHICH SERVICE WE GO THROUGH BECAUSE I KNOW THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN HAS A SPECIFIC SERVICE.

SO I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT HAS THE BEST USER ABILITY.

BUT I THINK THERE IS POTENTIAL TO HAVE A SIMILAR DASHBOARD TO EASE USER FRIENDLINESS.

OKAY, SO WE'RE STILL EXPLORING. WE HAVE A COUPLE OPTIONS AT THE CITY.

ONE IS LIKE AN INVISIBLE IS AN EXAMPLE THAT WE USE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN INTERNALLY THAT ANOTHER A COUPLE OTHER CITIES HAVE USED EXTERNALLY FOR THEIR CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN. SO WE'RE JUST ASSESSING WHICH PROGRAM WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT WOULD WORK BEST.

THANKS. YEAH. SO THAT JUST FOR THE COMMISSION TO CLARIFY ON A MORE MACRO LEVEL, AFTER WE GET FEEDBACK ON WHAT THE COMMISSION HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, WHAT THE COMMISSION'S WILLING TO SUPPORT IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION.

THE REASON WHY THAT TIME FRAME GOES FROM JUNE TO DECEMBER, IN ADDITION TO GETTING DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, I INTEND TO BRING ALL THAT TO OUR CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP RETREAT IN THE FALL.

AND SO THEN WE'LL GET YOU'LL HAVE COMPREHENSIVELY FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS, FROM STAFF, AND THEN WE'LL HEAR YOUR PRIORITIES. AND THAT WILL HELP ME NARROW DOWN WHAT WE CAN FOCUS ON IN THE SHORT TERM, IN UPCOMING BUDGETS AND WHAT'S MORE, LONG TERM, PARTICULARLY IF THEY'RE CAPITALIZED ITEMS.

[01:45:01]

SO I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE ANY EXPECTATION THAT AS SOON AS WHATEVER IS ADOPTED, WE'RE GOING TO IMMEDIATELY HAVE PRIORITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION WITHOUT HAVING THAT ROBUST ENGAGEMENT.

AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, WITHOUT HEARING FROM THIS BODY.

ON WHAT OF THE 197 PRIORITIES IN THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE PLAN SEEM TO BE MOST IMPORTANT AND FEASIBLE IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTING.

THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER. I HAVE A FRANKLY, I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS PLAN IS EVEN APPROXIMATELY READY FOR ADOPTION.

I'M VERY CONCERNED BY IT. I, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, I SPENT A LOT OF MY LIFE WORKING ON ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND WORKING ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES A LONG TIME.

I'M VERY CONVERSANT IN THE AREA. I TALK WITH ENGINEERS ALL THE TIME.

I'VE DONE ACTUAL INSTALLATIONS. AND I WHILE I APPLAUD THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH INVOLVED HERE, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN PUBLICLY SUGGESTING GOALS THAT I THINK THAT ARE NOT EVEN APPROXIMATELY ATTAINABLE.

AND SO I THINK THAT FRANKLY, I THINK WE'VE GOT AN ORDER OF OPERATIONS PROBLEM HERE TO SAY THAT WE'VE GOT PROPOSED ACTIONS.

I LOOKED AT SOME OF THESE ACTIONS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, PROVIDE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE TO OTHER FLEETS ON ELECTRIFICATION.

WELL, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO? EVERYONE IN THIS CITY BY THIS POINT KNOWS THEY CAN BUY EVS.

THEY SEE THEM ALL THE TIME. I'M NOT SURE THAT US GIVING MORE INFORMATION IS GOING TO MAGICALLY MAKE PEOPLE BUY EVS.

I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LOTS OF INSTANTIATED THINGS WE COULD WORK ON IN THAT SPACE.

AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THOSE. I THINK THAT IF YOU WANT TO INSTANTIATE SOME GOALS ON EV, ONE OF THEM WOULD BE WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT CHARGE.

WE DON'T HAVE A SINGLE DIRECT CHARGE STATION IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS.

AND THERE ARE VIABLE PLACES WHERE WE COULD HAVE A PAY PER USE DC CHARGING STATION, WHICH WOULDN'T COST THE CITY ANYTHING.

THAT WOULD BE A USEFUL GOAL, SAYING, LET'S GO EDUCATE PEOPLE OR PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW TO ACCESS INFORMATION FOR FIRST TIME EV BUYERS, LIKE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY WHO'S LOOKING AT CARS DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CURRENT INCENTIVES FOR BUYING EVS, BUT IT'S A PRETTY SMALL PERCENTAGE. LIKE, IF YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT BY NOW THAT THERE'S A $7,500 TAX BREAK FOR SEDANS BELOW $40,000, AND FOR BIG TRUCKS BELOW $60,000. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WORLD YOU'VE BEEN LIVING IN.

I DON'T THINK LACK OF INFORMATION IS THE ISSUE THERE.

AND FRANKLY, I FIND SOME OF THESE GOALS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.

THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY PROPOSE THAT 11% OF EXISTING RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS BECOME ELECTRIFIED PER YEAR FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

SO WE ACTUALLY THINK HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY ARE GOING TO RIP OUT THEIR FURNACES AND INSTALL SOME KIND OF ELECTRIC ALTERNATIVE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

MY FURNACE COSTS $25,000. I REALLY DON'T I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THROWING AWAY MY $25,000 FURNACE.

I JUST I JUST DON'T SEE ANY PLANET ON WHICH THAT'S POSSIBLE.

ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA. I MEAN, MAYBE THERE'S SOME FUNDING SOURCE.

MAYBE THERE'S MAGIC FEDERAL MONEY THAT I MISSED, BUT I DO NOT SEE ANY.

THROW AWAY YOUR FURNACE AND REPLACE IT POLICY THAT EXISTS RIGHT NOW.

SO, I MEAN, I JUST, I JUST THAT'S JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.

I MEAN, WE COULD WE COULD PLAN TO, LIKE, COLONIZE THE MARIANAS TRENCH IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IF WE WANTED.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOT THE TECHNOLOGY, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S FEASIBLE. THE IDEA THAT WE MIGHT ACTUALLY GET ALL THAT WE MIGHT ACTUALLY GET EXISTING COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS TO REDUCE THEIR ENERGY USE BY 20% PER YEAR UNTIL 2030 PER YEAR.

OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO ASK THESE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS TO DO SEQUENTIAL ENERGY REDUCTIONS OF 20% IN IN THE IN THE ENERGY SPACE, THERE'S NO FREE LUNCH. THIS IS BASIC PHYSICS LAW.

I MEAN, MATTER CAN'T BE CREATED OR DESTROYED.

THERE'S LAWS OF CONSERVATION OF MATTER. IF YOU CAN'T, I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW IN ANY OF MY COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, I WOULD MAGICALLY REDUCE ENERGY REDUCTION 20%.

IF I COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT, I WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALREADY. THE IDEA THAT I MIGHT THEN HAVE TO GO AROUND AND DO ANOTHER 20% THE NEXT YEAR YOU KNOW, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WE LIVE IN A CLIMATE WHERE SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO HEAT PLACES, AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO COOL THEM FOR THEM TO BE HABITABLE.

AND THAT COSTS ENERGY. THE I MEAN, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW ANY OF THIS IS POSSIBLY SCALABLE OUT AT THOSE LEVEL OF GOALS, IN WHICH CASE, IF WE'RE ADOPTING GOALS THAT MAYBE SAY THAT 50% OF THE OF THE POPULATION OF GRAND RAPIDS LEARNS HOW TO FLY BY 2030.

WE COULD PASS THAT AS A GOAL, BUT IF THERE'S NO REALISTIC POSSIBILITY THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN I DON'T I DON'T I JUST DON'T SEE THAT I WOULD I POSSIBLY FEEL COMFORTABLE SUPPORTING A DOCUMENT THAT SUGGESTS THINGS THAT I DON'T SEE HOW THEY'RE ATTAINABLE.

NOW, IF THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT, INSTEAD OF HAVING 75 VAGUE STATEMENTS OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT,

[01:50:04]

MY BACK OF THE NAPKIN MATH. AND I COULD BE. I COULD BE WRONG BECAUSE IT'S JUST BACK OF THE NAPKIN MATH. BUT THE THE NUMBER THAT I'VE BEEN THROWING AROUND IS WE NEED ABOUT 1600 ACRES OF SOLAR INSTALLATIONS IN SOLAR PARKS, WHICH WE COULD THEN FEED INTO THE GRAND RAPIDS GRID, AND THAT WOULD ROUGHLY DISPLACE ALL OF OUR FOSSIL FUEL USE.

SO IT'S DOABLE. BUT THAT WOULD THAT IS A SPECIFICALLY ENGINEERED AND CALCULATED NUMBER, WHICH IS ALMOST CERTAINLY WRONG.

THAT IS MY BACK OF THE NAPKIN MATH. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE THAT ACTUALLY GETS ME FROM POINT A TO POINT B.

WE CAN SAY WE WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE DRIVE 20% LESS.

WELL, I DON'T WITHOUT ANY ACTUAL INSTANTIATED WAYS THAT I THINK THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN.

I MEAN, I WOULD BET A LOT OF MONEY I'M THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS ROOM WHO ACTUALLY BIKED TO WORK THIS MORNING.

I WOULD BET A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT LESS THAN 20% OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM DROVE WITH EVS.

SO IF THIS IS A VERY ENLIGHTENED AND VERY CONCERNED ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP UP HERE, AND IT'S A VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY CONCERNED GROUP OF PEOPLE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE AND WE'RE NOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THOSE TARGETS. I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DISCREDITS THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT IS WHEN YOU HAVE GOALS THAT DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE AND DON'T POSSIBLY SCALE OUT.

AND AND WHEN THERE'S NO BREAKDOWN OR ANALYSIS OF HOW YOU'D ACTUALLY DO IT AND WHAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY COST.

THIS IS SORT OF A BUTTERFLIES AND PUPPIES MOMENT, AND I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIFIC ITEMS WE COULD DO.

AND THERE ARE SOME IN HERE, TO BE FAIR. I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, RESIDENTIAL COMPOSTING.

BUT WHEN THE COMPOSTING SECTION, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF TALK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD DROP OFF AND ALL THAT, THE CITY CURRENTLY STOPS ME COMPOSTING IN MY BACKYARD.

IF WE GET LIKE, LET ME COMPOST IN MY BACKYARD, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN HAVING A TRUCK COME PICK UP MY SCRAPS OR PICK UP MY LEAVES.

SO THERE ARE THERE ARE GREAT THINGS WE COULD DO IN THE COMPOSTING SPACE.

THERE ARE GREAT THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE EV CHARGING SPACE.

THERE ARE GREAT THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE SOLAR SPACE, BUT I THINK THAT A DOCUMENT THAT THAT FRANKLY LOOKS UNBELIEVABLE TO ME, AND I'VE DONE THIS STUFF AND I WANT TO DO THIS STUFF, AND I'M CONCERNED AND COMMITTED, AND I'M WILLING TO TALK ABOUT COMMITTING CITIZENS RESOURCES TO IT. I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS THIS DOCUMENT IS IS IS A CART.

THAT'S IT'S A HORSE THAT'S NOT EVEN CONNECTED TO THE CART.

AND I, I THINK WE HAVE TO LIKE FIRST TALK ABOUT THE CART.

WE CAN'T I THINK PASSING THIS DOCUMENT AND THEN SAYING, OH, FROM JUNE TO DECEMBER, WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS ALL MAKE SENSE.

WELL, I THINK ABOUT THIS A LOT, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW TO MAKE SOME OF THESE GOALS MAKE SENSE.

THAT'S WHERE I AM ON IT, FOLKS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO.

I MEAN, I GUESS I THINK REASONABLY WE SHOULD HAVE A PAUSE ON THIS.

I DON'T WANT TO VOTE AGAINST THIS, AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE BUT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT DOESN'T MAKE THAT DOESN'T MAKE ENGINEERING SENSE.

THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY SENSE OF VIABILITY TO IT.

I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF GOOD PRINCIPLES AND LOTS OF GOOD ASPIRATIONS HERE.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU CREATE AN ASPIRATIONAL DOCUMENT THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE IMPLEMENTED.

I MEAN, IF YOU ASK THE MEDIAN CITIZEN OF GRAND RAPIDS.

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR TAXES TO BE ZERO? PROBABLY THE ANSWER WOULD BE YES.

I CAN'T MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I CAN'T, I'M NOT. I'M JUST NOT CONFIDENT WE CAN GET ANYWHERE CLOSE TO MAKING SOME OF THESE GOALS HAPPEN.

AND I SPEND A LOT OF MY TIME AND ENERGY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

COMMISSIONER ROBBINS. YEAH. THANKS, MAYOR. I, IN FULL CANDOR TO I AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT WAS JUST SAID.

I GUESS I HAD A COUPLE MORE POINTED QUESTIONS.

IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION OFFHAND, BUT.

SO 197 ACTIONS. I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE COMPULSORY VERSUS AN ENCOURAGEMENT OR AN EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY IN? VERSUS LIKE A TOP DOWN DO THIS OR YOU'RE GOING TO GET FINED.

THAT'S THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION. SECOND, EXACTLY WHAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE SAID.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE COST IS OF ALL THESE THINGS.

I MEAN, 197 ACTIONS. WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST THE CITY? AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING, YOU KNOW, COMPULSORY REGULATIONS ON BUSINESSES AND HOME BUILDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST THEM AS WE IMPLEMENT THIS? AND THEN LASTLY, JUST A PRINCIPLE. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE TO ME OF SOMETHING THAT'S VERY WELL INTENDED BUT HAS CONFLICTING PRIORITIES I THINK. YOU KNOW, WE TALK ALL THE TIME ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESS DISTRICTS. SO ARE WE GOING TO START ADDING, YOU KNOW, COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS ON TOP OF THAT TO MOM AND POP SHOPS WHO, YOU KNOW, MIGHT WANT TO HELP IN THIS AREA BUT DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.

AND THEN ARE WE GOING TO FIND THEM IF WE DON'T? AND ARE WE GOING TO PUBLISH THAT INFORMATION PUBLICLY SO THAT PEOPLE YOU KNOW,

[01:55:02]

ALSO, WITH HOUSING, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS WE TALK ABOUT WE NEED HOUSING NOW AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION THAT HAS TO BE DONE AT A VERY CERTAIN WAY, JUMPING THROUGH ADDITIONAL HOOPS. SO I THINK, LIKE I SAID, IT'S WELL INTENDED. I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE HERE, BUT I WON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS AND IMPLEMENTING ANY OF THE ACTIONS UNTIL I HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT EXACTLY IS COMPULSORY AND REALISTIC.

AND THEN ALSO JUST THE COST THAT'S GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO PUT ON BOTH THE CITY AND OUR TAXPAYERS.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. SO I GUESS AND MAYBE I'M WRONG, I DON'T KNOW MY KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF THIS.

AND I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID AND SOME OF THE THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID I DO NOT AGREE WITH. BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR IT'S ALMOST LIKE WHEN WE HAVE OUR OUR RETREAT IN THE FALL, WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES OR THE THINGS THAT WE, WE, WE ARE INTERESTED IN, THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO PURSUE.

AND THEN WE BEGIN TO KIND OF HASH THOSE OUT AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEND FORWARD TO THE STATE TO HAVE THEM BEGIN TO WORK ON THE THINGS THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN.

SO THE WAY I'M SEEING THIS DOCUMENT IS THESE ARE SOME OF THE GOALS THAT HAVE COME FORTH OUT OF THE CONVERSATIONS AND THE MEETINGS AND THE SURVEYS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, BUT IT'S NOT I DON'T SEE THIS AS THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SAY RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS AND THIS. THIS GOES FORWARD NOW FOR US TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY ACTIONABLE, LIKE WHAT CAN ACTUALLY BE DONE, HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT THE COMMUNITY, HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT BUSINESS? ET CETERA.

ET CETERA. ET CETERA. SO I GUESS THAT'S HOW I'M SEEING WHAT WAS JUST PRESENTED, THAT IT HAS GIVEN US AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN, THE REALITY OF IT. YEAH. LOOKING AT IT, IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN TOMORROW? ABSOLUTELY NOT. AND IN THIS CURRENT CLIMATE, IS ANY OF IT GOING TO HAPPEN? COME ON Y'ALL. LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE HOUR FOR REAL.

SO SO MY THOUGHT IS WE JUST IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN, IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU PLAN TO FAIL, RIGHT? IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AS WE LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AS A PEOPLE.

AGAIN, NONE OF THIS I SEE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO YEARS, BUT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING.

AND THEN IF IT IS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND HOW MUCH MONEY IS GOING TO BE PUT INTO THAT, AND WHERE IS THAT MONEY GOING TO COME FROM? IS IT COMING OUT OF GENERAL FUND? IS IT COMING OUT OF TAXES, BONDS, WHATEVER I DON'T KNOW.

RIGHT. BUT BUT THIS IS KIND OF A FRAMEWORK OF BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE A FRAMEWORK OF ANYTHING, THEN WE'RE JUST SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT STUFF. AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, HELP ME IF I'M WRONG.

WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS. LIKE 20.

EXACTLY. JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE. WELL, AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KNIGHT.

AND I'LL ADD ON TO THAT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MY PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU SAY GOAL YOU KNOW, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T REASONABLY TELL ME, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT? WHY ARE WE EVEN THROWING IT OUT THERE? I MEAN, I'M I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO REDUCE OUR RELIANCE ON CARBON FUEL TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY, BUT TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN 80% REDUCTION OF OUR OF OUR USE OF FOSSIL FUELS TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY BY 2030. LIKE, MR. MAYOR, IF THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE FOR US TO DISCUSS, THEN HOW ARE WE EVEN GOING TO DO ANYTHING? LIKE, I CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON THE GOALS.

SO THE GOALS THAT ARE MORE SPECIFIC, LIKE 80% ELECTRICITY GRID DECARBONIZATION BY 2030.

THOSE GOALS WERE OUTLINED THROUGH A SCIENCE BASED METHOD WITH OUR CONSULTANT WHO PERFORMED OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY.

SO THEY HELPED US SET THOSE COMMUNITY WIDE, SCIENCE BASED TARGETS THAT ESTABLISHED WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO MEET THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORDS.

AND THE GOALS THAT THEY ESTABLISH ARE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MEET THOSE COMMUNITY WIDE, SCIENCE BASED TARGETS THAT ARE SET.

SO THOSE ARE MORE SCIENCE BASED FROM OUR CONSULTANT GOALS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED.

THE STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS ARE WHAT WE CAME UP WITH TO MEET THOSE GOALS.

SORRY. SO YOU'RE SAYING THE PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE WOULD ASK FOR THIS? AND SO THAT'S SCIENCE. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THE ANALYSIS THROUGH THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY.

SO. SO THEY THINK THERE'S A PLAN TO GET TO GET US 80% OFF OF FOSSIL FUEL FOR ELECTRIC USE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MECHANISMS THAT WE DON'T HAVE. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT FOR ELECTRICITY GRID DECARBONIZATION.

YES, WE HAVE INVESTOR OWNED UTILITIES WITHIN THE CITY.

IT WILL BE A LOT OF COMMUNICATION WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARDS THEIR 2021 CLEAN ENERGY PLAN AND GOAL, AS WELL AS CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES WITH THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO SEE THAT MOVE FORWARD. I THINK AS WE STRESS, THIS IS A COMMUNITY WIDE PLAN AND THAT WE DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY ALL THE ANSWERS BECAUSE WE NEED MORE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS. BUT IF WE WANT TO TRY AND WORK TOWARDS COMMUNITY WIDE, SCIENCE BASED TARGETS THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED, WE NEED TO AT LEAST BEGIN THE PROCESS. AS FAR AS COMMISSIONER ROBINS, FOR YOUR CONCERNS, I CAN ABSOLUTELY GO BACK THROUGH AND LOOK AT WHAT IS MORE ADVISORY

[02:00:09]

ESSENTIALLY, THAT'S A BEST PRACTICE THAT'S CARRIED OUT ACROSS CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

THERE'S A COUPLE IN MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR AND DETROIT.

THOSE CAN BE CUSTOMIZED ON IF AND HOW DATA IS SHARED.

SO YOU MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO SHARE DATA.

AND ALSO THE BEST PRACTICES THAT BUILDINGS ARE LOOKED AT WITH OVER 10,000FT², WHICH IS, I THINK FOR GRAND RAPIDS, 42% OF OUR TOTAL BUILDING EMISSIONS ARE FROM THOSE BIGGER BUILDINGS.

SO TO PREVENT EQUITY FROM THOSE MOM AND POP SHOPS, THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION WHERE WE WOULD START.

BUT AGAIN, WE'RE JUST FOCUSING ON REALLY EVALUATING WHAT THAT POLICY WOULD LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW LEGALLY. YEAH.

SO I THINK I'M HEARING, YOU KNOW, A LOT HERE, AND I UNDERSTAND I WOULD JUST OFFER A FEW THINGS.

SO, YOU KNOW ONE, I THINK IT'LL BE GOOD TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS.

I WANT TO CAUTION US TO NOT LOSE THE MOMENTUM FROM VERY PASSIONATE EXPERTS WITHIN THIS FIELD WHO HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO GIVING FEEDBACK. SO THAT'S JUST A NOTE THAT I DON'T.

I WOULD SORT OF CAUTION IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE OUT THE PUBLIC HEARING.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF MOMENTUM HERE. AND WE KNOW IN MODERN TIMES THIS IS SOMETHING HARD TO KEEP.

IT'S HARD TO KEEP FOLKS ENGAGED AND EXCITED ABOUT THINGS.

AND THERE IS THAT ENGAGEMENT EXCITEMENT THAT'S HERE, AND I DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON VALUABLE VOICES.

I DO ALSO AGREE WITH SOME OF THIS DOES NEED TO BE MORE METERED.

I'VE SAID I'VE SHARED WITH YOU, ANNABELLE, FROM THE BEGINNING OF SOME OF THIS IS MY WORD HAS BEEN AMBITIOUS, RIGHT? AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS CHUGGING ALONG. IT'S NOT STOPPING.

AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A TRUE CHALLENGE. SO YES, WE HAVE TO HAVE A METERED APPROACH, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR RESIDENTS CAN HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE WAY INTO THIS MOVEMENT. SO YES, I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT SMALLER BUSINESSES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO NEED TO TRY TO BENCHMARK AND SEE WHERE WE ARE AS A CITY WITH SOME OF THESE.

SO SOME OF THE AMBITIOUS GOALS, IN MY OPINION, I WOULD PUSH TO STAY.

SOME OF THEM, NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT SOME OF THEM NEED TO STAY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BENCHMARK AND SEE WHERE WE'RE AT, BECAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE ISN'T STOPPING. SO IF WE SORT OF GET ON A TRACK OF TAMPERING, THE GOAL, EVEN THOUGH WE FEEL LIKE WE MIGHT MISS IT, THAT COULD ALSO PUT US IN SOME STEPS BACK, IN MY OPINION.

SO I'M IN AGREEANCE WITH I THINK A LOT OF US ARE SAYING IT NEEDS TO BE MORE METERED AND HAVE SOME MORE ACTIONABLE WAYS.

I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ECHO, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEONE WHO IS ON OUR URBAN AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE, WE HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF POSSIBLE ORDINANCES THAT CAN BE RAISED RIGHT SURROUNDING THE COMPOST.

AND WE DID THE BACKYARD BIRDS AND CHICKENS. SO THERE ARE MORE FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS.

BUT I ALSO WOULD BE THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN MICHIGAN.

I THINK WE WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT HAVE A FEW AMBITIOUS LOOKING TO THE STARS GOALS FOR THIS, BECAUSE IN TURN, IF WE DON'T HAVE SOME LOOKING TO THE STARS GOALS AND WE ARE SETTING OUR COMMUNITIES BACK.

SO A METERED APPROACH I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TO THE RETREAT AND GETTING MORE, EVEN MORE INTO THE NITTY GRITTY ON THIS.

MR.. SASSY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, ANNABELLE.

AND THANK YOU FOR OVERVIEWING IT I, I AGREE. THERE IS THERE IS A LOT HERE.

BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH COMMUNITY, THE IDEAS AND THE ISSUES AROUND SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, LIKE, I MEAN, I, I DON'T I FEEL LIKE I AM NOT THE EXPERT AT ALL.

I KIND OF LEARNED WHEN I WAS FIRST WORKING AT CASCADE ENGINEERING, BUT I WAS SO AHEAD AND NOW I'M BEHIND.

AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT HERE BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.

I'M REALLY AGAIN DISMAYED BY SOME OF THE CONVERSATION TODAY.

SO I'M SORRY IF YOU FEEL LIKE THIS WORK WAS NOT APPRECIATED, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF HOW I FELT UP HERE LISTENING TO SOME COMMENTS.

I APPRECIATE THE WORK. I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE ALSO ENGAGED WITH THIS WORK.

JUST LIKE EQUITY, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS A CHERRY ON TOP OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ONE DEPARTMENT.

AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, THIS BALANCE OF WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED.

IT IS YOU NEED RESOURCES INSIDE THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION BECAUSE BECAUSE IT IS A FULL STOP STRATEGY, NOT JUST THIS DEPARTMENT OVER HERE. AND SO I THINK SOMETIMES THAT'S HARD TO RECOGNIZE.

I MEAN, I DO THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EVALUATE WHAT ARE RESOURCES THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN AWAY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

BECAUSE WE HAVE UTILIZED GRANT FUNDING BOTH LOCALLY AND FEDERALLY TO DO THIS WORK, BECAUSE QUITE HONESTLY, THIS WAS NOT THE WORK THAT THOSE THAT CREATED THE, YOU KNOW, CREATED CITIES AND CREATED THE CHARTER SAID THAT CITIES WERE GOING TO DO.

[02:05:01]

I KNOW JENNIFER'S IN HERE AS WELL. FOR FINDING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO WORKING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK.

I THINK THAT'S WHY FOR ME, AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN FIGURING OUT WHAT ARE WAYS TO REDUCE OUR COSTS OVERALL.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED THINGS. YOU KNOW, PREPARING FOR THIS MEETING, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE COSTS THAT WE HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISTRICT COURT THAT HAS JUST INCREASED STEADILY. WHAT IF WE COULD TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY AND PUT IT TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE EFFORTS? WHAT IF WE COULD PUT IT TOWARDS MORE PUBLIC SAFETY? SO I AM SITTING HERE A LITTLE DISMAYED BY SOME OF THE COMMENTS, BUT ALSO ENERGIZED BY YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR FORESIGHT AND THEN THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY DOING THIS. I, I THINK YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT, COMMISSIONER KILGORE.

ESSENTIALLY, A PLAN LIKE THIS FITS INTO THE OTHER PLANS THAT WE HAVE INTO THE CITY, RIGHT? SO IN THE ONES THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OUR EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE GR PLAN.

THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE AROUND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS THAT WE HAVE RELATED TO THE ZONING PIECES THAT WILL TAKE UP ALL OF THOSE NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED.

SO I THINK SOMETIMES WE'RE TRYING TO BOIL THE OCEAN, I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.

AND THE THIS IS THE LOFTY PLAN AND I THINK THAT IT AND IT SHOULD HAVE THOSE PIECES.

I THINK IT IS GOOD TO PUSH OURSELVES. I THINK IT IS GOOD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

I PERSONALLY, I CAN'T AFFORD AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. I NEED TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE FOR MY HUSBAND. HE RIDES HIS ELECTRIC BIKE TO WORK.

SO I DON'T MAYOR BECAUSE YOU CAN'T RIDE IT WITH NYLONS.

AND WOMEN ARE STILL EXPECTED TO LOOK A CERTAIN WAY.

AS ELECTED OFFICIALS. BUT I NEED TO GET A VEHICLE, AND I'M PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE FOR HIM.

I DON'T GET A STIPEND FROM THE CITY. AND SO I NEED TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT IS IN FRONT OF ME TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

AND THIS IS VERY PERSONAL. SO I THINK THE CITY HAS ALWAYS SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO INDIVIDUALLY? BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO ASK ANYBODY ELSE TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT WILLING TO DO.

SO THAT'S THE FIRST PIECE. IT'S MUCH LIKE HOW WE SAW, I THINK AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAY OUT IN THE 90S.

THERE WAS A LOT OF VOLUNTARY EFFORTS THAT ORGANIZATIONS DID AND SAID, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO SHOW WHAT'S POSSIBLE, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO ASK PEOPLE TO SORT OF EVALUATE THEMSELVES AND TO REGULATE THEMSELVES A LITTLE BIT.

I WOULD AGREE WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES COMMENTS LIKE, I THINK WE HAVE TO BALANCE WHAT IS PUNITIVE VERSUS CARROT.

I'M NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN A LOT OF PUNITIVE EFFORTS AT THIS POINT, ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.

WHEN WE SEE SMALL BUSINESSES WHO ARE CHALLENGED BY JUST LIKE MAINTAINING WITH INFLATION AND EMPLOYEE ISSUES.

SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING I'D BE SUPPORTIVE.

I DON'T I DON'T SEE THAT. AND THAT WOULD ALSO HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO THIS BODY.

SO LET'S REMIND OURSELVES THAT'S WHAT THE WORK IS.

YOU GET A PLAN, YOU REVIEW IT. HOW DOES IT COME INTO PLANS? HOW DOES IT FEED INTO DIFFERENT COMMITTEES? HOW DOES IT COME FROM, SAY, AN URBAN AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE? HOW DOES IT COME FROM URBAN FORESTRY? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAD ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE THINGS ON THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT I DIDN'T AGREE WITH. I DIDN'T NECESSARILY THINK WE NEEDED EV CHARGING STATIONS AT REST STOPS, BUT DID I SUPPORT IT BECAUSE OTHERS DID? YES, BECAUSE IT WAS THIS BIGGER, LOFTY GOAL. SO THE ITEM BEFORE US TODAY IS TO APPROVE A TIME FOR THERE TO BE A HEARING.

SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THAT MOTION. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. AND, COMMISSIONER SACHSE, I'LL EXPLAIN RAIN GEAR TO YOU AFTER THE MEETING.

MAYBE BECAUSE YOU CAN GET WATERPROOF CLOTHES TO WEAR OVER YOUR CLOTHES. THE SO AS FAR AS THE THE GOALS GO HERE AGAIN, MY CONCERN IS NOT THAT WE DON'T WORK ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

I MEAN, I THINK EVERYONE IN THE CITY UNDERSTANDS THAT. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WORKING ON DENSITY AND WALKABILITY AND BIKE ABILITY.

BUT JUST I AM REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SAYING, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A GOAL THAT WE WOULD COMMIT OURSELVES TO A GOAL OF ALL RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS BE ELECTRIFIED IMMEDIATELY.

IF WE PASS SOMETHING THAT SAYS THAT'S OUR GOAL.

WELL, WE COULD PASS CITY CODE THAT SAYS THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY.

IF THAT'S OUR GOAL AND IT'S ENTIRELY INSIDE OF OUR POWER, THEN WE'VE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO A PLAN WHICH REQUIRES US RIGHT NOW TO REQUIRE THAT ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION IN TOWN. MR. MAYOR, ELECTRICITY AS THEIR SOURCE.

YEAH. MY APOLOGIES. WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT.

THE MICHIGAN STATE LEGISLATURE HAS CONTROL OVER THE ENERGY CODE.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, WE'D HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR FOR THE CHANGES FOR POTENTIAL ADOPTIONS OF NEW INTERNATIONAL.

WELL, WE COULD DO IT IN OUR BUILDING CODE. THE BUILDING CODE IS SET AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND THEN OUR CODES FOLLOW WHAT THE MICHIGAN STATE LEGISLATURE SETS OUT.

OKAY. SO AGAIN THEN IF WE'RE ARE WE GOING TO BE GOING TO LANSING IMMEDIATELY AND ADVOCATING THAT WE GO TO AN ALL ELECTRIC NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION.

[02:10:10]

AND AGAIN, THIS COMES DOWN TO HAVING THE HAVING THE CART IN FRONT OF THE HORSE.

LIKE, I WOULD I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S WHAT.

WE I MEAN, NONE OF THIS STUFF IS IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AT THIS POINT, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO I THINK THAT I REALLY DO NOT THINK THAT THIS IS WORKED OUT WITH GOALS THAT AREN'T ASPIRATIONAL BUT THAT ARE ACHIEVABLE.

AND THAT'S MY CENTRAL CONCERN. SO I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THESE GOALS ARE ARE RIPE YET FOR CONSIDERATION OVER THERE.

SO THANK YOU ALL. THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST ROBUST DISCUSSION DAYS THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE SINCE THIS DAIS HAS BEEN SEATED SINCE TWO WEEKS AGO. NO, THIS IS THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK.

THANK YOU. AND I SAY THAT WITH ALL SINCERITY. IT REALLY HELPS US KNOW WHAT THE PREFERENCES AND PRIORITIES ARE ACROSS THE ACROSS THE DIOCESE.

AND SOME OF THIS IS NO SURPRISE TO ME. SOME OF YOU HAD SHARED YOUR CONCERNS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.

I DID PASS THAT ON TO STAFF, SO WE APPRECIATE THE CANDOR AND SHARING IT PUBLICLY.

I WANT TO JUST GO BACK TO WHAT I HEARD A COUPLE OF TIMES ABOUT PROCESS, AND THAT'S WHERE I AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S ON THE AGENDA TODAY, NOT BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, AS STAFF, ARE READY TO WHOLEHEARTEDLY ADOPT WHAT SINCE BUT BECAUSE WE'RE HONORING THE PROCESS, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGED PROCESS THAT STARTED SOME TIME AGO, PRIOR TO SOME OF YOU BEING ON, ON THE DAIS.

AND WHAT I WANT TO TO OFFER IS A COUPLE OF THINGS.

AS PART OF THE PROCESS WE CAN CONTINUE AS RECOMMENDED, BRINGING THIS FORWARD FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND THERE IS NO URGENCY TO ADOPT THE FIRST MEETING IN MAY.

IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM THIS BODY TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED PLAN, AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.

YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY. THEN I WANT TO HEAR FROM COMMISSION, GIVE STAFF SOME DIRECTION. WE GO BACK.

IF WE SAY 197 ACTION ITEMS ARE TOO MANY, WE CAN FIND WAYS TO DISTILL, COLLABORATE, CONSOLIDATE, MUCH LIKE THE CLERK DID IN THE PRECINCT MERGER OPTIONS.

THE SECOND IS ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE. AND WE BUT WE'VE NOT DONE THIS BEFORE.

WHAT I HEAR IS SAYING IS, IF WE WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH COMMUNITY AND PUT BEFORE THEM WHAT THE COMMISSION'S PRIORITIES ARE PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, THAT WOULD REQUIRE MORE TIME, BECAUSE WE'D HAVE TO WORK WORKSHOP THIS SEVERAL MORE TIMES TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK. AND THEN PUT SOMETHING BEFORE THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR FEEDBACK, BEFORE YOUR FINAL DECISION.

SO I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT IN TERMS OF PROCESS.

I'M I'M AGNOSTIC ON EITHER ONE. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE THE PREFERENCE OF THE COMMISSION IS.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE GOT SENTIMENT. I THINK MAYBE THIS CALLS FOR SENTIMENT FROM THE COMMISSION.

WELL, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU MAYOR.

I EARLIER SAID, I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO JUMP ON THE ENERGY THAT FOLKS HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY AROUND THIS PLAN.

THEY'VE BEEN WAITING. THEY'VE ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN, AND NOW IT'S SORT OF LIKE ITCHING TO GIVE US FEEDBACK, WHICH IS RARE. SO I DO THINK, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, NOW WE CAN DO THAT, GO TO THE HEARING AND THEN GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU ALL WOULD SUPPORT.

MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION. I HAVE SHARED WITH CITY MANAGER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THAT MY FRUSTRATION WITH SOME OF OUR PLANS BEING SOLD JUST PLAN IDEA CENTRIC AND NOT ENOUGH AROUND THE NITTY GRITTY OF WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO IMPLEMENT WHICH IS WHICH IS WHY I HAVE THE LINE OF QUESTIONING THAT I DO. THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T THINK WE'VE GIVEN THIS LEVEL OF RIGOR AND JUDGMENT TO ANY OF THE PLANS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US. AND I THINK THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU USE THE WORD THIS IS THERE'S A LOT OF AMBITIOUS ITEMS IN HERE, BUT THIS IS AMBITIOUS WORK LIKE THIS IS A NEW PHASE OF WORK FOR OUR ENTIRE GLOBE, RIGHT? LIKE NO EXAGGERATION. AND SO IT NEEDS TO HAVE SOME AMBITIOUS GOALS IN THERE.

AND JUST LIKE WITH ANY OTHER PLAN, AS YOU DIVE INTO IT, YOU WILL SEE THIS IS REALISTIC.

THIS IS NOT AND A LOT OF THE POLICY RELATED ONES THAT ARE ON A LOCAL LEVEL WILL COME TO US FOR APPROVAL.

THE BUDGET RELATED ITEMS WILL COME TO US FOR APPROVAL.

SO THERE'S STILL LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO SHAPE THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION AND THE PRIORITIZATION AND THE TIMELINE.

SO I DO SHARE, YOU KNOW, SOME FRUSTRATIONS WITH, GOSH, I REALLY I REALLY WISH WE COULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE NITTY GRITTY AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE PLAN THAT PLANS LIKE THIS ARE OFTEN THE VERY FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS.

[02:15:02]

AND SO I WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH HOSTING THE PUBLIC HEARING.

I WOULD ASK IF WE MIGHT, AHEAD OF THAT, PUT TOGETHER SOME SKETCH THAT OUTLINES SOME OF THE BIG BUCKETS WE TALKED ABOUT, WHETHER IT'S WHAT'S EDUCATION VERSUS AT ADVISORY VERSUS COMPULSORY THOSE BUCKETS AND, OR IF IT'S NOT TO AND IF IT'S NOT TOO MUCH OF A LIST LIFT ALSO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S ADMINISTRATIVE WHICH WHICH IS WHAT IS PROGRAMMATIC.

I THINK THAT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR US HERE TO KIND OF SEE THAT THERE IS SOME TEETH HERE.

AS WELL AS ALLOW THIS, THIS, THIS PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD.

SO I'M, I'LL BE IN SUPPORT OF MOVING THIS TO PUBLIC HEARING, BUT WE'D LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION IN THE IN BETWEEN TIME.

MR. ROBINSON. YEAH. THANKS, MAYOR. IN THE INTEREST OF PROCESS, I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THIS GO FORWARD TO PUBLIC HEARING TO GET SOME SOME INSIGHT FROM FROM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK I WOULD HOPE TO SEE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS I PASSED ALONG PRIOR TO THEN. I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND YEAH, I GOT AS WRITTEN, I MEAN, WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED TO US AND NOW TO PUBLIC HEARING.

I THINK I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT I WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH IN THE END.

BUT IF THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFINE SOME OF THOSE AND HEAR SPECIFICALLY WHAT'S COMPULSORY, THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF MY CONCERNS LIE, SPECIFICALLY AROUND WHAT WE'RE STRONG ARMING VERSUS EDUCATING, ENCOURAGING. BUT IN THE INTEREST OF PROCESS, I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO A PUBLIC HEARING.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MR. BELICHICK? I JUST WANTED TO WEIGH IN. I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO EVERYONE VERY CAREFULLY.

THERE IS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT AND A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND THIS FOR SOME TIME.

I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE GRT CLIMATE COALITION ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.

THEY'VE ASKED WHAT MY THOUGHTS ARE ON IT. I SAID I'M INTERESTED IN CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION AND OF COURSE, READING THE WHOLE PLAN IS A BIG LIFT. SO I DO THINK THAT THE CONVERSATION AND THE THOUGHTS THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE ARE AROUND WHAT IS THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS WE ARE ESTABLISHING FOR OUR COMMUNITY? IS IT WE CAN SET THESE ASPIRATIONAL GOALS, AND MAYBE THAT'S JUST A WORD CHANGE THAT WE NEED TO LIST THE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL VERSUS THE ACTUAL METRICS WE'RE GOING TO HIT.

YOU KNOW, IS IT 100% OF THAT GOAL ACHIEVED THAT IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED SUCCESS? IS IT 80%? IS IT JUST SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS? WHAT DOES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR. WHEN THE COMMUNITY LOOKS AT THE DASHBOARD OR LOOKS AT US AND SAYS, YOU DIDN'T DO YOUR JOB, OR AND I WANT US TO CONSIDER WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR CLIMATE COALITION AND THE MANY, MANY PARTNERS IN THAT THE THE C4 COALITION, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS.

WHERE IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS? WHAT IS REALISTIC? SO I THINK THAT THIS IS AGAIN ABOUT REFINING AND REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT CAN WE DO AT THE CITY LEVEL AND WHAT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE PARTNERS, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IF WE WANT TO CONSIDER THAT THIS IS I THINK WE'RE IN A WORLD WHERE WE HAVE TO THINK BOTTOM UP. AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE ALL EMBRACED THAT ENTIRELY.

AND I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AS MUCH AS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO THINGS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND WE CAN'T.

I DO THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT MONEY, BUT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IS IT REALISTIC FOR MONEY FROM PROGRESS, ALL THESE DIFFERENT ANGLES? SO I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE THIS FORWARD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, PUBLIC HEARING, AS I WAS TRYING TO SAY WITH THE OTHER PLAN AND ABOUT PRECINCTS AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE THIS, BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SET GOALS AS A COMMISSION IN OUR RETREAT AND ELSEWHERE IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND ELSEWHERE, WHERE WE SAY WE'RE ONLY GOING TO TACKLE THESE TEN THINGS, WE CAN'T DO ALL 197 AND WHERE IS IT UP TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY TO PICK UP.

AND WE NEED COMMITMENTS, AND MAYBE WE NEED LETTERS OF AGREEMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE WE HAVE CONTRACTUAL MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. AND SO LET ME BE CLEAR.

I AM GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF MOVING THIS FORWARD TO MY CONCERN HERE AND MY MY REAL CENTRAL CONCERN IS IF YOU SET GOALS WHICH ARE NOT REALISTICALLY MEET, AND THEN YOU JUST DON'T MAKE THEM, BUT YOU DON'T.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE IN POLITICS, SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY A HALF LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE.

WELL, IF YOU SET A GOAL OF A WHOLE LOAF AND THEN YOU DO VIRTUALLY NOTHING AND YOU CAN JUST SAY, OH, WELL, IT DIDN'T WORK OUT. I MEAN, I LIVED THROUGH TRYING TO GET LARGE.

I MEAN, I SPENT A LOT OF WORK INTO TRYING TO GET LARGE SCALE WIND TURBINES AT THE END OF M45 20 YEARS AGO, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. AND SINCE THEN WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET SOLAR ON BUTTERWORTH, AND THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR 20 YEARS.

AND I PUT SOLAR PANELS ON MY HOUSE IN 2010, AND I'M STILL THE ONLY PERSON ON MY BLOCK WITH SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF.

[02:20:05]

AND THAT'S MY CONCERN. NOT THAT I DON'T WANT TO GET THERE, BUT I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE A PLAN THAT WE CAN SAY IS REALISTIC AND ACHIEVABLE.

AND ALSO THE OTHER CONCERN, AND THIS IS A COMMISSIONER ROBIN'S POINT IS SORT OF AN IN DEMOCRACY, IT'S ALWAYS A RISK TO VOTE IN A COST ON SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND SO IF WE, FOR EXAMPLE, IMPOSED A LOT OF COSTS ON OWNERS OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.

WELL, OKAY, THEY MAY NOT LIVE IN THE CITY, THEY MAY NOT VOTE IN THE CITY.

AND CHANGING, AS WE SEE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, CHANGING RULES ON PEOPLE DRAMATICALLY OVERNIGHT CAN CREATE REALLY, REALLY CHAOTIC COSTS. SO AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK WE NEED TO DISCUSS.

WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT ABOUT INSTANTIATING.

AND IF WE HAVE GOALS WE REALLY HAVE WAYS THAT WE CAN EXPECT TO IMPLEMENT THEM.

NOW, I ALSO THINK A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IDEAS ARE ALWAYS A GREAT IDEA.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ENVIRONMENTAL EVS EVS ARE THE CHEAPEST VEHICLES I'VE EVER OWNED.

AND COMMISSIONER ICAC SAYS YOU COULDN'T AFFORD ONE.

I THINK THAT EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE LOTS OF USED EVS ARE INCREDIBLY AFFORDABLE RIGHT NOW.

I SOLD MY LAST ONE FOR $8,000. SO I THINK THAT EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE THAT EVS ARE ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE AND ACTUALLY ARE VERY, VERY LOW COST TO MAINTAIN. THOSE ARE GREAT CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE, AND WE SHOULD BE HAVING THOSE COMMUNITY EDUCATION CONVERSATIONS.

SO I'M NOT SAYING I'M OPPOSED TO THOSE EITHER.

MY CONCERN IS THAT WE MAXIMIZE OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS AND FOR PROGRESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

SO I AM IN FAVOR OF MOVING THIS FORWARD. AND IF SOME OF MY COMMENTS SOUNDED UNDULY NEGATIVE, I APOLOGIZE. MY CONCERN IS SIMPLY THAT WE MAXIMIZE OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR PROGRESS.

SO I CALL FOR A VOTE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. I AND I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING.

SO MOVED. CITY CLERK. OH, SORRY. SUPPORT. SUPPORT.

COMMISSIONER BOUCEK. YES. COMMISSIONER PERDUE.

YES. COMMISSIONER SASSY. YES. COMMISSIONER KILGORE.

YES. MR. KNIGHT? YES. MR. ROBBINS. YES. MAYOR LAGRANGE.

YES. 6601 LAW LIBRARY. WHERE'S IT AT?

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.