Apr 29, 2025 Committee of the Whole Meeting

[1. Public Service Recognition Week 2025]

[00:00:08]

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE TO ORDER. AND OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK. AND I AM GOING TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND READ A PROCLAMATION AND BE JOINED BY OUR CITY MANAGER, WHO CAN SAY SOME WORDS ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE WHO DO SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK, MISS BOWERS, ARE YOU COMING UP? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

AND I'LL START BY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MANY VOLUNTEERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. BUT WE'RE RECOGNIZING TODAY THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS AND DO GREAT WORK FOR OUR CITY. SO WHEREAS OUR CITIZENS RESIDING IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ARE SERVED EVERY SINGLE DAY BY PUBLIC SERVANTS AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL.

THESE ARE OUR UNSUNG HEROES. AND WHEREAS DAY IN AND DAY OUT, THEY PROVIDE EXCELLENT CITY SERVICES AS EXPECTED BY OUR RESIDENTS, WITH EFFICIENCY AND INTEGRITY. THIS EXCELLENT LEVEL OF SERVICES PROVIDED ARE OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO A GROWING, SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT COMMUNITY AND THE WELL-BEING OF CITIZENS AND VISITORS TO GRAND RAPIDS. AND WHEREAS, WITHOUT THESE PUBLIC SERVICE AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, CONTINUITY WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE IN A DEMOCRACY THAT REGULARLY CHANGES ITS LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID LE GRAND MAYOR OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, PROCLAIMED THE WEEK OF MAY 4 TO 10, 2025, AS PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK IN HONORS OF THE. IN HONOR OF THE THOUSANDS OF PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT WORK FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS AS AN EMPLOYEE, APPOINTED OR ELECTED OFFICIAL, OR A BOARD OR COMMISSION MEMBER, AND CALL ON ALL RESIDENTS TO RECOGNIZE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVELS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR YOUR RECOGNITION AND TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES FOR THIS WORK. AND ON BEHALF OF THE OVER 1700 REGULAR FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AND 1000 PART TIME SEASONAL WORKERS, IT IS INDEED AN HONOR TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY, AND CERTAINLY THE WORK OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CANNOT BE DONE WITHOUT VERY DEDICATED, HARD WORKING PUBLIC SERVANTS ACROSS ALL OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO, IN ADDITION TO THANKING THEM, THANKING THE LABOR UNIONS AS WELL FOR THEIR WORK AND LEADERSHIP, WOULD ALSO LIKE TO AFFIRM THE VALUES OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT EXECUTE THOSE VALUES, THOSE WHO ARE ACCOUNTABLE, COLLABORATIVE VALUE, CUSTOMER SERVICE, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AS WELL AS SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION.

AND TO THAT EXTENT, WE RECOGNIZE OUR EMPLOYEES PERIODICALLY, AND THERE ARE A LIST OF THOSE THAT ARE IN YOUR PACKET THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO. AND I'M GOING TO ASK OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, MISS RANDY BOWERS PAYNE, TO COME AND HAVE A FEW REMARKS ON BEHALF OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND OUR ACE RECOGNITION PROGRAM, WHICH EMPLOYEES GO ABOVE CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS A REGULAR AND RECURRING ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CITY EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION WHO ARE CELEBRATED FOR THEIR WORK IN ALIGNMENT WITH CITY VALUES. AND WE DO THIS THROUGH AN A CELEBRATION, AND WE INVITED ACE AWARDEES FROM THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO ATTEND THIS MEETING TODAY SO THAT WE COULD SEE THEM IN PERSON AND CELEBRATE THEM. AND SO I INVITE THOSE ACE AWARDEES WHO ARE HERE TODAY TO COME UP SO WE CAN TAKE A PHOTO TOGETHER. AND I INVITE EVERYONE WHO IS HERE AND NOT AN ACE AWARDEE, BUT WHO DOES CELEBRATE PUBLIC SERVICE APPRECIATION TO JOIN ME IN GIVING THEM A HAND AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY UP TO THE FRONT.

I DON'T KNOW. OH YEAH. YOU'RE UP. THERE. WE'RE JUST SQUEEZING THIS WAY. WE'RE JUST SQUEEZING IN THE MIDDLE. OKAY, YOU GOTTA BE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

[00:05:12]

AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY MANAGER THIS MORNING, WE'RE GOING TO FLIP AROUND ITEMS NUMBER TWO AND THREE IN OUR. AGENDA AND TALK RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE PROPOSED CITY BUDGET. AND

[1. Introduction of the Fiscal Year 2026 Preliminary Fiscal Plan]

AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL BE CO-PRESENTING TODAY WITH OUR INTERIM CFO. CFO, SCOTT SAINDON, AND WE ARE CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MCLAREN'S RETURN NEXT MONTH OR THEREAFTER. BUT IN THE INTERIM, SHE HAS A HIGHLY CAPABLE DEPUTY THAT'S GOING TO HELP US GIVE AN OVERVIEW TODAY.

NO DECISIONS ARE REQUIRED OTHER THAN THE APPROVAL OF THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND THAT'S WHY THE MAYOR REQUESTED. THAT'S WHY I REQUESTED THE MAYOR TO HAVE THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS SET AFTER WE PRESENT THE BUDGET. NEXT SLIDE. AND SO HERE IS THE SCHEDULE. WE'RE DOING THE PRELIMINARY PLAN TODAY. AFTER TODAY, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE BIG BUDGET BOOKS THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE BACK AND HAVE FOLLOW UP AND BRING WITH YOU AS REFERENCES FOR FUTURE WORK SESSIONS. BUT YOU'LL SEE ON THE SIX SEEMS THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOBILITY. AND SO WE'VE WE WOULD NORMALLY DISCUSS SAFE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AS OUR FIRST SESSION. BUT WITH THIS COMMISSION, WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME ON SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES. AND THEN ON THE 13TH, WE'LL COME BACK AND HAVE A SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BALANCE OF THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, SAFE COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE, AND ENGAGE IN CONNECTED. AND ON THAT

[00:10:02]

AND THEN ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR FINAL DELIBERATION AND VOTE ON THE PRELIMINARY FISCAL PLAN ON THE 20TH AND ADOPTION THAT AFTERNOON? SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. I'VE ALLUDED TO OUR CORE VALUES EARLIER WHEN WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE EMPLOYEES. AND THESE REMAIN UNCHANGED. AND AS I SAID EARLIER, THESE FACTOR QUITE A BIT IN TERMS OF HOW WE BUILD AND PROPOSE THE BUDGET. NEXT SLIDE. AND HERE AGAIN A REMINDER FOR YOU AND THE PUBLIC SOME OF THOSE FOCUS AREAS THAT WE TOOK TIME TO DELIBERATE AND DISCUSS IN FEBRUARY AT THE MID-YEAR RETREAT. THAT ALSO INFORMS SOME OF THE FISCAL PRIORITIZATION. NEXT SLIDE. AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL AGAIN PLEASED TO PRESENT THE $735 MILLION FISCAL PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES ALMOST $200 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND. AND OUR FOCUS IS THE CONTINUATION OF ALL SERVICES. THERE IS ONE EXCEPTION, AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE PROCESS. YOU ADOPTED A FISCAL POLICY SOME TIME AGO THAT RELATES TO GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS, AND ESSENTIALLY SAYS THAT WE ARE NOT TO ASSUME THE CONTINUED FUNDING OF ANY GRANT POSITIONS THAT EXPIRE. AND SO WITH THAT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDED STAFFING THAT WE HAVE IN THIS BUDGET. BUT WE PULLED OUT, I THINK, FOUR GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS, WHICH WE CERTAINLY ARE RECOMMENDING, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE IN AMENDMENT TO THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. BY THE TIME WE FINALLY ADOPT IN MAY. AND SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. AND WE'RE ALWAYS PLEASED TO SEE THE TAX RATE ITSELF DECREASE. AND THERE'S ABOUT A 1% DECREASE IN THAT. SO WITH THAT I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO MR. SANDIN AND TO PROVIDE US A FINANCIAL OVERVIEW. I WOULD ASK BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF MATERIAL, IF WE COULD, IF YOU COULD HOLD YOUR INITIAL QUESTIONS UNTIL MR. SANDIN CONCLUDES HIS PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL AND THEN I'LL PICK UP ON THE BALANCE OF THE, THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. GOOD MORNING. MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, CITY MANAGER, APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING TO PRESENT THE CITY'S FY 26 FISCAL PLAN OVERVIEW. I THOUGHT I'D START OUT THIS MORNING JUST KIND OF WALKING THROUGH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BRIEFLY, JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS HOW THAT WORKS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, PARTICULARLY BASICALLY THE CORE OF THE BUDGET PROCESS RUNS FROM ABOUT DECEMBER THROUGH THIS TIME PERIOD HERE, APRIL, MAY. IT BEGINS WHEN CITY DEPARTMENTS AND COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND AUTHORITIES, THEY'RE DOING THEIR RESEARCH, THEIR ANALYSIS, AND THEY'RE FORMULATING THEIR PRIORITIES PRIMARILY FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. BUT ALSO WE LIKE TO DO A FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK. YOU KNOW, THE FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK ISN'T PERFECT, BUT IT'S A GOOD TOOL THAT WE USE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THINGS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE AND TAKE, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS CORRECTIVE ACTION IF NECESSARY. SO AS THESE MEETINGS ARE BEING HELD, THE COMMISSIONS BOARDS, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ENGAGE AND PROVIDE COMMENT AND INPUT AT THOSE MEETINGS. ONCE THE BUDGETS ARE SUBMITTED, TYPICALLY THAT'S LATE JANUARY. THEN THE BUDGET OFFICE IS GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET SUBMITTALS. THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY CHECKING FOR MATHEMATICAL ACCURACY, ADHERENCE TO POLICIES, ADHERENCE TO THE BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS THAT WE PUT OUT PRIMARILY DURING FEBRUARY AND MARCH. THE DEPARTMENT HEADS COME IN AND MEET WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS EXECUTIVE REVIEW TEAM, AND THEY PRESENT THEIR BUDGET PROPOSAL. TYPICALLY, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT. WE SOMETIMES HAVE OUR PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING SPECIALISTS PARTICIPATE. AND SO IT'S A GOOD GROUP OF FOLKS LOOKING OVER THE BUDGET SUBMITTALS AND BASICALLY DETERMINING IF THE SUBMITTAL IS ADHERING TO THE CITY MANAGER'S DIRECTIVES AND IMPORTANTLY, TO THE COMMISSION PRIORITIES. SO OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS, ADJUSTMENTS ARE MADE. AND THEN THAT BRINGS US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHICH IS PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSED PRELIMINARY FISCAL PLAN OVER THE NEXT COMING WEEKS. AS HAS BEEN ALLUDED TO, YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE PLAN, ASK QUESTIONS, GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BOTH IN WRITING AND ON THE DAIS, AND ALSO, AS MENTIONED, ON MAY 13TH, THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING WHERE THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO COME AND COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL PLAN AS WELL. I DO WANT

[00:15:07]

YOU CAN USE THE SEARCH FEATURE TO HONE IN ON EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT THERE AS AN ELECTRONIC VERSION THAT IS INCREDIBLY EASY TO NAVIGATE.

SOME OF THE KEY SECTIONS I WANT TO POINT OUT, THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL PLAN BOOK IS THE MANAGER'S LETTER, WHERE IT'S A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION OF SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FISCAL PLAN. SO DEFINITELY WORTH A READ, FOLLOWED BY THE BUDGET BASICS AND BUDGET GUIDELINES.

THERE'S JUST A WEALTH OF INFORMATION IN THOSE SECTIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT POLICIES AND KIND OF OUR APPROACH TO HOW WE DEVELOP THE FISCAL PLAN. ANOTHER SECTION I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS OUR DEPARTMENT SECTION. WE'VE IN RECENT YEARS, WITH THE HELP OF OUR PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING SPECIALIST, WE HAVE REALLY BUILT OUT THE DEPARTMENT SECTION. SO EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT IS REPRESENTED IN THIS SECTION. AND IT'S A IT'S A NICE OVERVIEW OF EACH DEPARTMENT. IT STARTS OUT WITH KIND OF SOME NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPARTMENT AND OVERVIEW OF THEIR REVENUE AND EXPENSES. THERE'S A PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TABLE THAT LAYS OUT THEIR PERFORMANCE GOALS, THEIR TARGETS, HOW THEY'RE PERFORMING IN RELATION TO THOSE GOALS AND TARGETS. THERE'S GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT METRICS. AND THEN LASTLY, JUST A ROLLED UP SUMMARY OF THE FIVE YEAR APPROPRIATIONS FOR EACH DEPARTMENT. LASTLY, WE DO HAVE THE PERSONNEL ROSTER IN THE FISCAL PLAN BOOK. AND THEN I'LL ALSO POINT OUT THERE ARE A FEW SECTIONS THAT ONLY APPEAR IN THE FINAL FISCAL PLAN BOOK. SO THERE'S A DEBT SECTION. THERE'S AN AUTHORITY SECTION AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PLAN THAT WILL ALL BE IN THE FINAL FISCAL PLAN RELEASE LATER THIS SUMMER. ON THIS SLIDE, I JUST WANT TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON SOME OF THE FISCAL PLAN GUIDELINES. SO ON THE LEFT OF THIS SLIDE, IT TALKS ABOUT CONTINGENCIES AND JUST SOME OF THE REASONS THAT WE DO HAVE A CONTINGENT ACCOUNT. WE HAVE A BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND AND FUND BALANCE RESERVES.

EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE MOST PROMINENT THING NOW IS JUST THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WITH TARIFFS, WITH FEDERAL FUNDING, DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WE ALSO WE NEED HEALTHY CASH RESERVES AS SOME OF OUR FUNDS ARE SELF-INSURED. WE NEED CASH JUST FOR CONDUCTING BASIC FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, ADVANCING FUNDS FOR GRANTS. SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU SEE UP THERE TO THE RIGHT. I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF GRAPHS HERE. THE FIRST ONE ON THE TOP IS OUR GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE AS A PERCENTAGE OF EXPENDITURES. AND THAT FLAT LINE RIGHT ACROSS THAT 15%, THAT REPRESENTS OUR POLICY LEVEL. SO WE ALWAYS WANT TO STAY AT OR ABOVE THAT 15% UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE RESERVE. SO YOU CAN SEE OUR FY 24 ACTUAL RESULTS. WE'RE AT 42%. SO VERY HEALTHY VERY WELL ABOVE THE 15% POLICY LEVEL. AND WE STAY RIGHT ABOUT AT THAT POINT THROUGH THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE IN AND PROJECTING TO BE RELATIVELY IN THE SAME PLACE THROUGH 26.

UNFORTUNATELY, AS WE GET A LITTLE FURTHER OUT, YOU'LL SEE IN THE UPCOMING FIVE BY FIVE THE PACE OF EXPENDITURE GROWTH DOES START OUTPACING THE GROWTH OF REVENUE OUT OF REVENUES. AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE KIND OF THAT THAT DECLINE AS WE GO OUT OVER THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST. SO WE ACTUALLY END FY 30 JUST ABOVE OUR 15% POLICY LEVEL AT ABOUT 17% IS WHAT WE'RE FORECASTING RIGHT NOW. DIRECTLY BELOW THAT IS OUR BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND PERFORMANCE, OUR POLICY LEVEL IN THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND IS 10% OF GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES. RIGHT NOW WE'RE SITTING AT ABOUT 9.6%. SO WE'RE A LITTLE SHALLOW ON THE POLICY LEVEL. THE SITUATION WITH THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND IS YOU HAVE TO CONTINUALLY, I SHOULDN'T SAY CONTINUALLY, BUT OFTEN ENOUGH BE PUTTING TRANSFERS INTO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND BECAUSE AS EXPENDITURES GROW, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THAT 10%, YOU HAVE TO KEEP MAKING DEPOSITS INTO IT TO KEEP UP WITH THAT.

[00:20:08]

WE THEN DIVIDE THAT BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND OUR CAPITAL RESERVE FUND. SO WHEN I SAY 5% CAPITAL SET ASIDE, THAT MEANS WE'RE NOW CONTRIBUTING 5% OF THAT REMAINING 1.3 TO CAPITAL, WITH THE OTHER 95% FUNDING OUR GENERAL OPERATING FUND. LASTLY, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR INCOME TAX GROWTH ASSUMPTIONS. IT'S NOT ON THIS SLIDE ACTUALLY, BUT FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, WE'RE IN FOR FISCAL 25. WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT A 6% GROWTH RATE IN BASE INCOME TAX REVENUES. THAT'S BEEN COMING IN VERY STRONG THIS YEAR. WE'RE PROJECTING 3.5% IN FISCAL 26 AND THEN 3% THEREAFTER. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE FURTHER OUT YOU GET ON THE TIME HORIZON, THE MORE CHALLENGING AND UNCERTAIN IT IS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT'S GOING TO COME IN. SO WE DO HAVE A TENDENCY TO KIND OF PICK A CONSERVATIVE 2 OR 3% AND RUN THAT OUT THROUGH THE OUT YEARS.

IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THIS SLIDE, I'VE JUST KIND OF SUMMARIZED SOME OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY INFORMATION. SO PERCENT OF GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES FOR POLICE IS ABOUT 35%. FOR FIRE, IT'S ABOUT 23%. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE SWORN STAFF IN TOTAL STAFF LEVELS FOR BOTH POLICE AND FIRE. AS A REMINDER, WE DO NEED TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST A 32% EXPENDITURE LEVEL IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SO WE'RE HEALTHY PERCENT ABOVE THAT RIGHT NOW AT 35. TOUCHING ON SOME OF THE MAJOR GENERAL FUND SUBSIDIES. AND THE LOWER PORTION OF THIS, AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR TWO BIGGEST SUBSIDIES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND IS THE 61ST DISTRICT COURT. THAT'S THAT GOLD. GOLD BAR ON THE GRAPH, FOLLOWED NOT TOO FAR BY THE PARKS MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT SUBSIDY. AND THEN WE HAVE THE VITAL STREETS AND SOME SMALLER CEMETERY SUBSIDY IN THERE AS WELL. I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND MUCH TIME ON THESE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES. IT'S OUR PENSION AND OPEB. WE DID HAVE OUR ACTUARY OUT, IF YOU REMEMBER, AT THE MID-YEAR UPDATE FROM GABRIEL SMITH ROEDER, AND HE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB KIND OF WALKING THROUGH THIS. I'LL JUST SAY THE MAIN UPDATE ON HERE IS WE DID RECEIVE THE RESULTS OF THE POLICE AND FIRE ACTUARIAL REPORT. AND SO WE DID UPDATE THAT TO THE 75.1. THERE WAS NOT MUCH CHANGE BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR. JUST REAL QUICK HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW. OUR ACTUARY DID SAY BOTH OUR PENSION AND OPEB PLANS ARE VERY WELL IN ALIGNMENT WITH BOTH MICHIGAN AND NATIONAL PUBLIC PENSION AND OPEB PLANS. THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF CITYWIDE REVENUES. IT'S A NICE GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION. AS YOU CAN SEE,

[00:25:03]

AND THIS FISCAL PLAN THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY DOES CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT FULL 16% FUNDING. THIS NEXT SLIDE LOOKS AT PROPERTY TAX A LITTLE BIT. SO I KIND OF LIKE THE GRAPHIC ON THE LEFT EXCLUDING THE AUTHORITIES. IT KIND OF GIVES A BREAKDOWN FOR EACH DOLLAR OF PROPERTY TAX COLLECTED. THE DIFFERENT FUNDS THAT THAT'S ALLOCATED TOWARDS.

SO GENERAL FUND LIBRARY REFUSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND PARKS OFF TO THE RIGHT. AGAIN YOU CAN KIND OF SEE JUST A GRAPHICAL BAR REPRESENTATION OF HOW MUCH COMPRISES EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES. DOING A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE ONTO PROPERTY TAX. AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, WE ARE LOOKING AT AN OVERALL REDUCTION OF 0.0957 AND THE MILLAGE RATE. SO ALWAYS, ALWAYS ENJOY SEEING THAT WITH THE HEADLEE ROLLBACK KIND OF OFF TO THE RIGHT TO BRING THAT HOME FOR RESIDENTS, WHAT THAT EQUATES TO IT SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE. BUT DESPITE THE DECREASE IN THE MILLAGE RATE, THE AVERAGE RESIDENT IN GRAND RAPIDS WOULD SEE AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $39 ANNUALLY IN THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT MIDDLE COLUMN, AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL TAXABLE VALUE IS GOING UP ABOUT $5,200. SO THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD THING. YOU ALWAYS WANT TO SEE THE PROPERTY VALUES RISING. BUT I GUESS THE DOWNSIDE OF THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE IN THE PROPERTY TAX BILL. THIS GIVES A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF JUST OUR WATER AND SEWER RATES. KIND OF AS A REMINDER, THERE'S REALLY TWO KEY POINTS DURING THE YEAR CURRENTLY WITH WHEN WE'RE DOING BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO TAKE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND REMEMBER THAT WHAT THE DECISIONS WE MAKE TODAY AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO IMPACT THE RATE STUDY THAT WE'RE DOING THIS FALL AND ABOUT THE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER TIME FRAME. SO CURRENTLY WHERE RATES ARE IS WE SAW ABOUT A $35 INCREASE IN WATER IN ABOUT A $9 INCREASE IN SEWER. A LOT TO UNPACK ON THIS SLIDE. SO KIND OF WANT TO GIVE SOME OF THE IT'S CALLED FINANCIAL OUTLOOK. BUT MAYBE IT WOULD BE BETTER STATED FINANCIAL CONCERNS. THE FIRST ONE, THERE'S CERTAINLY BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT JUST THE ECONOMIC POLICY UNCERTAINTY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THINGS WE'VE BEEN GOING WE'VE BEEN SEEING GOING ON WITH FEDERAL FUNDING, THE TARIFFS AND JUST CONCERN ABOUT THE GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, OVERALL FUTURE COURSE OF INTEREST RATES. THERE'S CERTAINLY BEEN A LARGE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE FED TO LOWER INTEREST RATES. AND THAT'S KIND OF THAT TUG OF WAR BETWEEN THE BORROWERS AND THE SAVERS.

THE SAVERS KIND OF LIKE SEEING THE INTEREST RATES STAY A LITTLE HIGHER. IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUY A CAR, PURCHASE A HOME. OBVIOUSLY YOU WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE RATES COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT. AND OBVIOUSLY INTEREST RATES HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON CITY BORROWING AS WELL. THE NEXT ITEM IS KIND OF THE DECLINE IN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING. YOU KNOW, CONSUMER

[00:30:03]

HOWEVER, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT AT LENGTH WITH THE ANALYSTS AT BOTH MOODY'S AND S&P. AND THEY SEEM TO BE DELIVERING A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE.

THAT MESSAGE IS WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE ISSUANCE OF DEBT EBBS AND FLOWS. YOU'VE BEEN ISSUING A LOT OF DEBT LATELY. IT'S TIME TO PROBABLY HIT HIT THE BRAKES. THE CONCERN IS NOT WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PIPELINE ALREADY. THE RATING RATINGS AGENCIES ARE AWARE OF THAT, WHETHER IT'S THE FIRE TRAINING CENTER, SCRIBNER PROJECT FOR CALDER PLAZA. WE CAN CERTAINLY PROCEED WITH THAT. I THINK THE CONCERN IS ANY NEW POTENTIAL ISSUANCE IS COMING ABOUT AND REFUNDING. SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE CAN REFUND EXISTING DEBT TO ACHIEVE SAVINGS. CERTAINLY THERE'D BE NO ISSUE OBVIOUSLY WITH THAT EITHER. I PUT THIS KIND OF SUMMARY SLIDE IN JUST TO SHOW WHERE WE'RE AT CURRENTLY WITH ARPA AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. SO IT'S BY MAJOR CATEGORY. THE OBLIGATED AMOUNT TOTALS ARE TOTAL AWARD OF JUST SHORT OF $92.3 MILLION. I DO WANT TO POINT OUT WE DID MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FULLY OBLIGATING THAT FUNDING BY DECEMBER 31ST OF 24, AND THEN WE SHOW WHAT EXPENDITURES HAVE HAVE BEEN INCURRED THROUGH THE END OF MARCH AND HOW MUCH IS REMAINING YET IN EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES. NEXT IS OUR GENERAL FUND. WE CALL IT FIVE BY FIVE. BUT BASICALLY GENERAL FUND FORECASTS THAT I ALLUDED TO A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. I WANT TO POINT OUT A FEW THINGS. AS WE LOOK AT THIS SLIDE ALONG THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL REMEMBER THE GRAPH THAT I HAD A NUMBER OF SLIDE BACKS KIND OF SHOWING THAT DECLINE IN FUND BALANCE PERCENTAGE. SO YOU SEE THAT KIND OF ENDING AT 17.2% BY FISCAL 2030. AND YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A TOTAL REVENUE LINE A TOTAL EXPENDITURE LINE. WE'RE GOOD UNTIL WE GET TO ABOUT FISCAL 27. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE KIND OF THAT GAP GET WIDER AND WIDER. WE GO FROM ABOUT 4.2 MILLION IN THE RED IN FISCAL 27, ENDING AT ABOUT 16 MILLION BY FISCAL 2030. AND THAT YELLOW

[00:35:03]

I BELIEVE THAT'S BASED ON THE MOST RECENT CENSUS OF AROUND 198,000. SO THAT JUST SHOWS THAT COMPARISON ON THERE AS WELL. SO WE'RE AT ABOUT 0.89% BY 2026. THE NEXT SLIDE IS A SUMMARY OF THE POSITIONS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO ADD AS PART OF THE FISCAL 26 BUDGET. IT'S BASICALLY IN TWO SUBTOTALS. THE FIRST IS SHOWING TEN ADDITIONS IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR JUST OVER $1 MILLION OF FISCAL 26 COST. AND THEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 12 POSITIONS PROPOSED OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND, RANGING FROM BUILDING INSPECTIONS FUND, ESD PARKING, WATER REFUSE. SO IN TOTAL, 22 POSITIONS TOTALING ABOUT $2.4 MILLION FOR FISCAL 26. ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, I REALLY LIKE THE FUNCTION COLUMN ON THIS TABLE BECAUSE THE POSITION NAME THAT YOU SEE IN THE THIRD COLUMN DOESN'T ALWAYS DO A GOOD JOB OF TELLING YOU EXACTLY WHAT THIS POSITION IS GOING TO BE DOING. FOR INSTANCE, ADMIN ANALYST OR AN O.R. TWO. AND SO WE WANTED TO REALLY DIAL IN ON A GOOD DESCRIPTION TO CONVEY AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WHAT THE EXPECTED DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS WOULD BE AT THAT POSITION. AND THEN OFF TO THE FAR RIGHT. YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THOSE POSITIONS. MY NEXT SLIDE COVERS UNFUNDED POSITIONS AND PROGRAMS. AND CITY MANAGER ALREADY ALLUDED TO THE FIRST SECTION OF THIS SLIDE WE'RE SHOWING FOR GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS WHERE THE GRANT FUNDING IS EXPECTED TO EITHER RUN OUT AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR OR SHORTLY INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR. SO THE FIRST TWO POSITIONS RUN OUT RIGHT AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND THEN WE HAVE ONE EXPIRING ON OCTOBER 1ST AND ANOTHER EXPIRING ON NOVEMBER 1ST. SO WITH IF THE CITY COMMISSION DOES SUPPORT MAINTAINING THESE POSITIONS, YOU CAN SEE THAT WOULD BE AT A COST OF ABOUT $507,000. AT THE TOP OF THIS SLIDE, WE DO REFERENCE THE CITY COMMISSION POLICY AND THE FACT THAT THE CITY MANAGER DOES SUPPORT AMENDING TO ADD THESE TO THE FINAL ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THESE FOUR POSITIONS. DIRECTLY BELOW THAT, WE HAVE A FEW OTHER ITEMS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. IF YOU REMEMBER A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, I WENT OVER THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. CURRENTLY THAT HAS ABOUT $18 MILLION IN IT. AND AS A REMINDER, THAT WAS ABOUT 9.6%. SO A LITTLE BIT UNDER POLICY LEVEL, WHAT THIS 800,000 REPRESENTS WOULD BE THE AMOUNT NECESSARY TO BRING US BACK TO THAT 10% POLICY LEVEL, DIRECTLY UNDER THAT OTHER PROGRAMS, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, WE EXPLORED TRANSITIONING THAT OPERATION OUT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INTO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO COME UP WITH ADEQUATE OFFSETS TO KEEP THAT COST NEUTRAL. THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY AN ADDITIONAL COST OF ABOUT 900,000 TO DO THAT. AND THEN LASTLY ON THIS SLIDE, WE HAVE COMMISSION

[00:40:05]

BUT WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND IF WE'RE HAVING A CONTINUATION BUDGET, THE CONTINUATION OF SOME OF

[00:45:02]

SO CAN YOU JUST KIND OF PROVIDE SOME MORE CONTEXT ON HOW THOSE TWO THINGS RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER? YEAH. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. SO IN ADDITION TO ACTUALLY BEING AN EXPERT IN THE SOFTWARE, SO WITH EVERY TECHNOLOGY YOU ALSO NEED PEOPLE TO BE THE PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT IN TERMS OF COORDINATION EFFORTS. THERE'S ALSO OTHER STAFF SUPPORT POSITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THE POSITION DOES OUTSIDE OF JUST THE AGENDA MANAGEMENT PROCESS.

SO YOU MAY BE AWARE AND I DON'T WANT TO PERSONALIZE THE ROLE TOO MUCH, BUT WE HAVE AN INTERN THAT HAS BEEN A GRADUATE INTERN REALLY SERVING IN THIS FUNCTION FOR OVER A YEAR WITHOUT A PERMANENT POSITION. AND SO WE HAVE ASSESSED AND REALLY THINK THAT WITHOUT A PERSON TO HELP US TO DO THAT, THAT THERE WOULD BE A LOSS OF SERVICE LEVEL. OKAY. SO LESS ABOUT ADDING NEW AGENDA MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS, MORE SO ABOUT RETAINING WHAT WE'VE BEEN USING, BUT ON A PERMANENT BASIS.

YEAH, THERE MAY BE SOME EXPANSION OF CAPABILITY AS WELL. I SEE MR. CANFIELD IS THERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING. WELL, NOT TO THE PARTICULAR STAFF PERSON WHO YOU WERE MENTIONING, BUT I DO WANT TO ADDRESS THE COST OF THE AGENDA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BECAUSE I THINK, COMMISSIONER, YOU MIGHT BE CONFLATING THE ERP WITH AGENDA MANAGEMENT, BUT THE AGENDA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM HAS COST US OVER A COUPLE YEARS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 100 TO $150,000 TO COMPLETE THOSE TWO. THANK YOU. IT'S MUCH CHEAPER THAN THAT. YEAH. IF I COULD ASK, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT MIGHT BE TYPOS AND MIGHT NOT BE, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT TYPOS, I'D LOVE THEM EXPLAINED. AND THEN I HAVE A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT THE MODELING. SO THE COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE MAYBE EASY YOUR INCOME TAX, YOUR PROPERTY TAX DISTRIBUTION THING WHERE YOU CUT UP THE AMERICAN DOLLAR. IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE. YOUR BIG GREEN LINE. THERE IS BROWNFIELD AND OTHER AUTHORITIES. SO WHERE DOES THAT SHOW UP ON THE US DOLLAR? I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED. THE BIGGEST PART OF YOUR GRAPH IS THE GREEN PART. AND I'M NOT SEEING IT SEEMS TO DWARF LIKE GENERAL OPERATING FUND AND ALL THAT. SO COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE TIE BETWEEN THOSE TWO GRAPHICS A LITTLE BIT? YES. NO, YOU'RE YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, MAYOR. THE GRAPHICAL PRESENTATION ON THE LEFT DOES EXCLUDE THE BROWNFIELD AND OTHER AUTHORITIES THAT THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE UPDATED TO INCORPORATE THAT. OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE THAT WAS REALLY JUMPED OUT AT ME WAS IF YOU GO TO THE GENERAL FUND FORECAST, IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT, AND THIS IS BROADLY WE I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW UNFORTUNATELY PROPERTY TAX PROPERTY VALUATIONS CONTINUE TO RISE, WHICH IS A REAL AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM. BUT ULTIMATELY THEN THAT GIVES US PROPERTY TAX INCREASES. WE GOT A $19 MILLION AND 85,000 FORECAST FOR 2025. THAT GOES UP $21,000 INTO 2026. THAT DOESN'T SEEM FOR ME. I MEAN, THAT'S A 0.01% INCREASE OR SOMETHING. CAN YOU IS THAT A TYPO OR IS THAT OR ARE YOU PROJECTING LIKE REALLY, REALLY MINUSCULE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE INCREASES? I THINK IT IS A RELATIVELY SMALL INCREASE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK AND DIG INTO THAT AND GET YOU A BETTER ANSWER ON THAT. I MEAN, THAT'S WAY LESS QUESTION. YEAH, WAY LESS THAN 2 OR 3%. I'LL WORK WITH OUR ASSESSOR ON THAT. YEAH.

AND THEN THAT BRINGS ME TO MY BROADER MODELING QUESTION. SO YOUR PROJECTIONS ABOUT. ABOUT DECLINE IN OUR RESERVE FUND RELATIVE. AND THAT STARTS HAPPENING IN TWO THREE YEARS ARE

[00:50:02]

WE KNOW HOW MUCH NEW REVENUE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GIVE US. IT'S GOING TO THE STATE'S NOT GOING TO GET ANY REVENUE OUT OF IT. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET MORE PROPERTY TAX AND MORE INCOME TAX. SO I DON'T KNOW IF EVEN THE THREE TOWERS HAS BEEN BUILT INTO THIS MODEL. BUT THE THREE TOWERS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE, RIGHT? LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS IN THE ECON DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE AND MAYBE WE WANT TO WEIGHT THEM. MAYBE WE WANT TO DON'T WANT TO TOTALLY COUNT ON THEM. YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T YOU KNOW, YOU GET MY POINT. COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT I DO, YES, CERTAINLY. THANK YOU MAYOR. BASICALLY, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ELABORATED A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE INCOME TAX MODEL. SO LET ME LET ME BACK UP ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. THERE'S BASICALLY TWO PRIMARY COMPONENTS TO OUR INCOME TAX MODELING. THERE'S THE BASE INCOME TAX REVENUE WHICH WE BUILD THAT OUT BASED ON A PLANNED PERCENTAGE INCREASE. LIKE YOU HEARD ME SAY, THE 6%, THE 3.5%. SO WE JUST KEEP GROWING THAT YEAR OVER YEAR BASED ON THE PERCENTAGE THAT'S DETERMINED. AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE AND WHY, YOU SEE KIND OF WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS FIVE BY FIVE IS OUR COMPLIANCE PIECE. SO WHAT OUR INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT DOES IS THEY RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, BASED ON STATE OF MICHIGAN FILINGS. AND IT PROVIDES THE DEPARTMENT WITH A LIST OF TAXPAYERS WITHIN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AND DOING A COMPARISON, LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL NON-FILERS, DOING COMPLIANCE TYPE WORK. AND SO THAT THAT'S MORE OF A FLAT PERCENT BASED ON OUR INCOME TAX ADMINISTRATORS BEST ESTIMATE. THE BELIEF HAS BEEN FOR YEARS THAT THAT COMPLIANCE PORTION WOULD TRAIL OFF. IT'S BEEN RATHER HIGH. IT'S BEEN AS HIGH AS 2021 MILLION IN RECENT YEARS. I BELIEVE IT WAS 16 MILLION LAST YEAR. WE'RE FORECASTING 17 MILLION THIS YEAR. AND SO WHAT'S IN THE FORECAST IS 17 MILLION FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. FISCAL 25 TRAILING OFF TO 12 MILLION NEXT YEAR. AND EVENTUALLY OUR INCOME TAX ADMINISTRATOR BELIEVES THAT'S GOING TO NORMALIZE MORE IN THE RANGE OF 7 TO $8 MILLION IN THE OUT YEARS. AND SO THAT'S THAT'S THE PRIMARY THING IMPACTING KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THIS FORECAST IS THE PRESUMED TRAILING OFF OF THAT INCOME TAX COMPLIANCE REVENUE. AS TIME GOES ON. LET ME ALSO ADD, MAYOR, WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO IN TERMS OF THE HOUSING NEED, IF WE WERE TO HAVE GUARANTEED PLANS FOR 15,000 UNITS OVER THE FIVE YEARS, THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 3000 UNITS ON AVERAGE A YEAR. I THINK OUR ASSUMPTIONS MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE PRIOR TO THE PAST YEAR, I THINK WE HAD 2000. WE ONLY HAD 1000 OR SO UNITS. SO THIS IS A I THINK A

[00:55:10]

TO EXPLORE THAT MODEL AND LOOK AT POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH, LIKE THE CAEDMON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AT GRAND VALLEY. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW LIKE THE CITY OF DETROIT, FOR INSTANCE, THEY PARTNER WITH CERTAIN ECONOMISTS AND TRY TO WORK TO MAKE THAT MODEL A LITTLE MORE SOPHISTICATED. THANKS. I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BUDGET PROCESS HERE. THIS IS A PUBLIC DISCUSSION. I THINK THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY BUSINESSES WE OFTEN RUN MULTIPLE SCENARIOS. SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ASSUME ZERO POPULATION GROWTH, WHICH IS I'M GATHERING WHAT YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE MODELING IS BASED ON IS ZERO POPULATION GROWTH, BUT ALSO NOT POPULATION DECLINE. WE COULD WE COULD I DON'T HAVE ANY MUCH INTEREST IN MODELING OUT WHAT A POPULATION DECLINE MODEL WOULD LOOK LIKE. I DON'T REALLY SEE THAT HAPPENING, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO TAKE SOME CALCULATIONS ON WHAT A POPULATION GROWTH MODEL WOULD LOOK LIKE. AND ESSENTIALLY ANYTIME YOU HAVE, ANYTIME YOU'RE PROJECTING OUT THE FUTURE AND YOU MAY HAVE ONE LINE, YOU RISK A NARRATIVE THAT LIKE, THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, THIS IS INEVITABLE. THIS IS SEE THIS ONE LINE, THIS IS THE THING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'D BE AS WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, IF WE CAN BE LIKE, WELL, IF WE HIT OUR TARGETS FOR HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS WE GET ON LINE, THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE UP HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO PAY FOR, BECAUSE ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT BUILDING HOUSES IS IT GIVES US REVENUE. IT DOESN'T JUST GIVE US PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE. SO THANKS. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU.

THANKS, MAYOR. THANKS FOR THAT OVERVIEW, SCOTT. AND I THINK THE QUESTION THAT I HAD, BECAUSE I THINK THOSE ARE GOOD PIECES, IS KIND OF TRYING TO REMEMBER ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AND THEN WHAT INCENTIVES THAT THEY HAVE. AND SO IT KIND OF PARSING THOSE OUT. BUT WHERE IF YOU CAN REMIND ME AND IF YOU SAID THIS ALREADY, MY APOLOGIES. WHEN WE DID THE MID-YEAR REVIEW, I KNOW WE LOOKED AT THIS GENERAL FUND FORECAST AND LOOKED AT THE KIND OF THE NET REVENUE. ARE THOSE NUMBERS UNCHANGED FROM WHEN WE MET IN THE FALL? YES. NOT HAPPY TO ADDRESS THAT, COMMISSIONER AT THE MID-YEAR UPDATE, I BELIEVE, BECAUSE IT WAS FOCUSED ON THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. WE ONLY PRESENTED THE FISCAL YEAR 25 FORECASTED THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. HOWEVER, LAST FALL, WE DO LIKE A YEAR END UPDATE WHERE WE PRESENTED THIS FIVE BY FIVE. AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS OUTLOOK HAS ACTUALLY WORSENED A LITTLE BIT SINCE THAT PRESENTATION. OKAY, I COULDN'T I WAS TRYING TO FIND THAT PRESENTATION. I THINK I HAVE IT PRINTED IN MY OFFICE, BUT I WAS THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMED TO ME IS PARTICULARLY IN 29. AND I KNOW WHEN WE GET FURTHER OUT, IT, YOU KNOW, TENDS TO GET, I WOULD SAY, A LITTLE MORE BLEAK, RIGHT AFTER ABOUT SIX YEARS OF THIS. SO I WONDERED THAT. AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE INCOME TAX PROJECTION, WHERE DID WE LAND AND WHAT WAS OUR PROJECTION LAST YEAR? AND THEN WHERE DID WE END UP AFTER THE MOST RECENT YEAR THAT ENDED? I BELIEVE I'D HAVE TO LOOK THAT UP. OKAY. I'LL CERTAINLY GET BACK TO YOU. I FEEL LIKE IT WAS A COUPLE DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE POINTS IN THE POSITIVE, AND NOW I'M JUST NOT RECALLING. AND ACTUALLY IT IS COMING BACK TO ME. I APOLOGIZE ON THE BASE GROWTH RATE. WE ACTUALLY FELL SHORT OF WHAT WE WERE. WE DID BELIEVE WE WERE FORECASTING 3%. AND WE CAME IN TWO AND A HALF A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THAT. BUT WHAT WHAT DROVE THE GROWTH ONCE AGAIN WAS THAT COMPLIANCE REVENUE JUST FAR OUTPERFORMED WHAT WE HAD FORECAST. SO IT WAS REALLY THE COMPLIANCE PIECE THAT OUTPERFORMED. WE'RE ACTUALLY UNDER A LITTLE BIT ON ON THE BASE GROWTH RATE OKAY. SO THOSE EFFORTS THAT WE YOU KNOW I THINK CITY TREASURER SHARED WITH US, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE THINGS

[01:00:04]

YOU'LL ALSO SEE LASTLY, THE POSITION 114,000 TO HIRE A SAFETY TECHNICIAN TO HELP US IN OUR REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. AND SO YOU'LL SEE SEVERAL OF THE INVESTMENTS AND STAFFING HIGHLIGHTED THERE. ADDITIONALLY, THIS SLIDE, WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING NOT ONLY OUR STAFF, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING TO BUILD THE TALENT PIPELINE. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR PUBLIC WORKS ACADEMY THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH GRCC, AS WELL AS OUR STAFF SUPPORT FOR SOME OF OUR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT HERE, WE TOOK THE TIME TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OUTSIDE OF STAFFING, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF IT RELATES TO TECHNOLOGY USING SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE, CONVERTING OUR PERMITTING SYSTEM, OR ADVANCING OUR PERMITTING SYSTEM TO ENSURE CONTINUED SUPPORT, TO HAVE PERMITTING AND ACCESSIBILITY FROM THE PUBLIC ONLINE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE INITIATIVES AROUND A PILOT. WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND UTILIZATION OF AI, AND THIS IS A AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DETERMINE HOW BROADLY WE CAN HAVE THAT AVAILABILITY WITHIN OUR WORKFORCE AND PILOT THIS OVER THE NEXT YEAR. YOU SEE SOME OF THE OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL UPGRADES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED, SUCH AS EQUIPMENT UPGRADES TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE NEEDS WITHIN THE COURT OPERATION. 61ST DISTRICT COURT. WE ALSO HAVE FUNDING TO ASSIST IN OUR MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY, AS WELL AS LEVERAGE GRANT FUNDING IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. ADDITIONALLY, CUSTOMER SERVICE IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT, AND I'VE JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING WITHIN THREE ONE, ONE. AND WE DID WHAT I DIDN'T EMPHASIZE EARLIER. WHILE WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THE ENHANCED SERVICE FOR COMMISSION SUPPORT, THE QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS THAT WOULD BE PERMANENTLY FUNDED, WE ARE INCLUDING IN THIS BUDGET FUNDING FOR THE SIX MONTH PILOT THAT PROVIDES A TEMPORARY STAFF PERSON IN THREE ONE, ONE. WE ARE IN THE ONBOARDING PROCESS NOW AND HOPE TO HAVE THAT PERSON FULLY AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN THE PILOT STARTING NEXT WEEK. WE BUT WE WILL NEED TO COME BACK WITH A BUDGET AMENDMENT BECAUSE THAT WORK, THAT PILOT WILL GO BOTH THIS YEAR AS WELL AS CONTINUING INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR. REGARDING CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, 1.5 MILLION IN TERMS OF OUR SKATER MODERNIZATION EFFORT, AND THAT HELPS US MONITOR ALL THE OTHER ALL THE SIGNALS AS WELL AS EQUIPMENT THAT'S IN THE FIELD FOR OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. WE ALSO HAVE FUNDING TO IMPROVE OUR TRANSFER REPAIR PROGRAM FOR $100,000 THERE. AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE SOME SMALLER FUNDED ITEMS TO THE RIGHT COLUMN. I WILL HIGHLIGHT THE 234,000 AGAIN, ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN TERMS OF STREET LIGHT INSTALLATION, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND AFFORDABILITY. A COUPLE OF AREAS WE CONTINUE.

MATTER OF FACT, YOU HAD A PUBLIC HEARING RELATED TO THESE FUNDS AT OUR LAST CITY COMMISSION MEETING. SOME OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVED TO HELP WITH CDBG PROGRAMING, HOME ESG AND JAG. THOSE ARE ALL PROJECTED TO BE CONTINUED IN THIS BUDGET, AS WELL AS THE INVESTMENTS IN OUR CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITIES AND DISTRICTS. YOU'LL HEAR LATER ON IN THE

[01:05:08]

COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN $150,000. SO THAT WILL ALLOW US TO AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE ADOPTED THE MASTER PLAN AT LARGE. WE'RE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING AND GOING FROM IDEATION TO ACTUAL ZONING AND POLICY AND OTHER MATTERS. AND SO THIS WILL ALLOW US TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO HELP US, A THIRD PARTY TO HELP US IN THE ACTUAL FORMULATION OF A ZONING TEXT AND OTHER POLICY CHANGES. CONTINUE. THIS IS GOOD NEWS. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING ME ABOUT THE RESTORATION OF BUTTERWORTH STREET FOR SOME TIME, SO I THINK THIS IS $1.5 MILLION FOR PART OF THAT RESTORATION OVERALL. AND I'M LOOKING AT TIM. IT'S $4 MILLION PROJECT OVERALL, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'LL HIGHLIGHT MORE SPECIFICALLY IN THE FORTHCOMING WORK SESSIONS. ENGAGING CONNECTED. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR BIANNUAL COMMUNITY NATIONAL COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHERE WE GET TO ASK THE PUBLIC ABOUT SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AND GET SOME FEEDBACK ON WHERE WE ARE DOING WELL AND WHERE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT. SO THAT WILL BE THAT'S FUNDED THIS YEAR IN THE BUDGET, AS WELL AS A CONTINUATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD MATCH FUND NEIGHBORHOOD SUMMIT, WHICH IS NEXT MONTH, ACTUALLY, THAT WILL BE CONTINUED. LOOKING AT MR. DAVIS, WHAT IS THE DATE MAY 17TH FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD SUMMIT FREE COMMERCIAL. AND MR. CLARK, THE $50,000 FOR ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS. WE ALSO INCLUDED CONTINUATION OF SOME OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE SERVICES FOR BOTH TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION. BUT AN INCREASED INVESTMENT IN ENHANCING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH BOTH THE WEST MICHIGAN WELCOME PLAN. THAT'S A COLLABORATION, A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE COUNTY AND MAKING SURE OUR NEW AMERICANS, NEW IMMIGRANTS, ARE WELCOME IN KENT COUNTY, AND WE CAN GET THEM INVOLVED AND ENGAGE, PARTICULARLY WITH THE NEED FOR TALENT AND GETTING PEOPLE IN THE TALENT POOL HERE IN THE COUNTY, BUT ALSO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH GRAND RAPIDS SISTER CITY FOR $50,000. AND AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, THEY HAVE NO PERMANENT STAFFING THERE. IT'S ALL VOLUNTARY GROUP, VOLUNTEER NONPROFIT, AND THAT IS THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION FOR SUPPORTING THAT WORK. HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I'LL HIGHLIGHT. WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON OUR EFFORTS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCY. YOU HAVE A HEARING TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN FOR CLIMATE. BUT WE ARE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT $200,000 FOR COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. YOU'LL SEE INVESTMENTS SUCH AS $50,000 FOR STORM ASSET MANAGEMENT PROJECT, AS WELL AS SOME AIR QUALITY MONITORING FUNDING, $17,000 FOR THAT. WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON HOW CAN WE REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT THROUGH MUNICIPAL FLEET EMISSIONS AND SEE A COUPLE OF INVESTMENTS THAT ALLOW US TO REPLACE VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS CONTINUING EFFORTS TO EXPAND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP EFFORT, $200,000. AND THAT ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE MUCH COVETED DUMPSTER DAY AT EXTRA DUMPSTER DAYS, AS WELL AS CONTINUING OUR ALMOST $600,000 EFFORT TO ENHANCE CORRIDOR CLEANING, RIGHT OF WAY CLEAN UP TRASH CLEANUPS. AND I THINK THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR OF DOING THIS, SECOND, SECOND YEAR OF DOING THIS. WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON REDUCING LEAD CONTAMINATION, BOTH IN HOMES AND ON THE PRIVATE SIDE. THE LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT, THE $11 MILLION FOR THAT EFFORT AND ANOTHER $2.3 MILLION FOR THE LEAD HAZARD

[01:10:05]

OVERSIGHT BRIEFING, WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST OF THE BRIEFINGS NEXT, NEXT, NEXT WEEK. RELATIVE SAFE COMMUNITY QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT SOME OF THE FUNDING RELATIVE TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND WE HAVE $1.2 MILLION FOR TWO ACADEMIES. AND TYPICALLY WE HAVE FUNDED ONLY ONE. AND SO THAT FOURTH BULLET, THAT 559,000, I THINK THAT'S JUST THE COST OF THE ADDITIONAL.

BUT THE TOTAL COST FOR THE POLICE ACADEMY IS $1.2 MILLION. WE ALSO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE GRANTS FOR FIVE POLICE OFFICERS THROUGH OUR COPS PROGRAM, THE FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM. AND YOU'LL ALSO SEE SOME OF THE POSITIONS THAT ARE HIRED HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER. THE 283,000 FOR THREE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION OPERATORS. I MENTIONED THAT EARLIER, AS WELL AS THE COST OF THE SUPERVISOR LISTED AT 124,000. AND I ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE INSPECTOR, THE FIRE HAZARDS INSPECTOR POSITION EARLIER. THESE INVESTMENTS HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO VICTIM ADVOCACY, AS WELL AS CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THOSE AREAS. AS WELL AS OTHER CORE SAFE COMMUNITY SERVICES. SO YOU'LL SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE $300,000 FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S RESIDENTIAL SAFETY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM TO FUND SMOKE ALARMS. THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WE DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT, BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT CONTINUED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AS WELL AS $100,000 FOR THE SAFE TASK FORCE DURING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY, THERE WILL BE A BRIEFING FROM THE SAFE TASK FORCE ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE DONE FROM AN ACCOUNTABILITY PERSPECTIVE WITH THE PREVIOUS BUDGET OF THE $100,000 THAT THEY RECEIVED. THERE'S ALSO FUNDING TO REPLACE SOME EQUIPMENT.

YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. ALSO SEE INVESTMENTS IN THE RADIO SYSTEM, AS WELL AS OTHER NEEDS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND WE CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT OUR INCLUSIVITY IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THERE'S OVER $30 MILLION OF INVESTMENTS THAT FURTHER INCLUSION AND EQUITY IN OUR CITY. AND THESE ARE A SELECT LISTING OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DO THAT TO ALSO INCLUDE FREE COMMERCIAL. AGAIN, OUR GROW 1000 ACADEMY. AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE

[01:15:04]

AND YOU'LL SEE THE COST OF THAT BEING A HALF $1 MILLION. SO FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE OUTSIDE OF THE SESSION? CERTAINLY YOU ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THE SESSION.

WE'LL TRY TO ANSWER THEM. ANYTHING WE CANNOT DO IN THE SESSION, WE WILL FOLLOW UP EITHER BY THE NEXT WORK SESSION, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE ALL QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT ANSWERED IN A WORK SESSION RECEIVE AT LEAST A ANSWER AT THE NEXT SESSION OR IN WRITING. BY THE TIME YOU ACTUALLY VOTE ON THE BUDGET, I WOULD ASK YOU SEND THOSE QUESTIONS TO ME OR OUR CFO, MR. SANDIN, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. WE'LL BE PRESENTING OUR RESIDENTS GUIDE TO THE FISCAL PLAN ON MAY 6TH. IT'LL BE AVAILABLE AGAIN. THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE MATT ROADMAP FOR THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO GO IN MORE DETAIL. I DO WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE, FIRST OF ALL, TO THANK THIS CITY COMMISSION FOR THE TIME TODAY AND YOUR CAREFUL DELIBERATION OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OVER THIS IMPORTANT MATTER, BUT ALSO TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS BUDGET AND HAVE WORKED MONTHS TO BRING TO BOTH LISTEN AS WELL AS EVALUATE AND BRING THEIR PROFESSIONAL BEST PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION FOR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF THE BUDGET OFFICE AND STAFF WHO HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB IN HELPING US THROUGH THIS PROCESS. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE EXECUTIVES IN MY OFFICE WHO HAVE SAT THROUGH SEVERAL MEETINGS TRYING TO DISCERN SOME OF THE PROPOSALS AND WHAT TO RECOMMEND, AND I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY THANK THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER MATTHEWS AND OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, WHO IS ALSO FUNCTIONING AS OUR STRATEGY OFFICER, MR. LUKE CANFIELD, FOR HIS HELP, ALONG WITH MR. KANE AND OUR MANAGING DIRECTORS, MISS BOHATSCH AND MR. JERNBERG, WHO IS QUICKLY ADJUSTED IN THE ABSENCE OF MR. HURT. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR VERY THOUGHTFUL IN THIS FORWARD AND CERTAINLY TO AGAIN TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. SO WITH THAT MAYOR, I'LL PAUSE, SEE IF THERE ARE ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS OR IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IN FUTURE BRIEFINGS. THANK YOU, MR. MANAGER, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEXT MOVE INTO OUR VOTE TO FOR THE SCHEDULE FOR ACTUALLY MOVING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. BUT COMMISSIONER BELICHICK, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS I SEE IN THE INVESTMENTS INTO DIFFERENT CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS. YOU MENTIONED A BRIDGE. AND I'M JUST WONDERING WE CAN GET BACK TO THIS. BUT WHERE DOES THE SIXTH STREET BRIDGE FALL INTO THE CAPITAL? IMPROVEMENTS AND REVIEW OF REPAIR AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS THAT THEY ARE FINDING SOME OF THE IRON PIECES, SOME OF THE ORNATE PIECES ON THE WALK ACROSS THE BRIDGE. SO JUST CURIOUS WHERE THAT MIGHT FIT INTO OUR PLANNING. THAT'S MY ONE OF MY FAVORITE BRIDGES AS WELL. AND AS I WALK AND LOOK AT MAINTENANCE OPPORTUNITIES, I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S MAINTAINED AS WELL. SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A GOOD UPDATE ON SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE EFFORTS OF OUR BRIDGE PROGRAM. AND THEN THE OTHER THING I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, AND WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT AS WE DEVELOP, BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT IN THE INCLUDED IN ALL THE EQUITY HIGHLIGHTS. YOU'VE GOT STAFF DEDICATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLIMATE JUSTICE OF ABOUT $222,000, AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S THE SAME AS INCREASED WHAT OVERALL FUNDING NEEDS MIGHT BE NEEDED. I SEE $30,000 IN HERE TO SUPPORT THE CAP, POTENTIALLY, BUT THAT'S THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I HAVE AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGETING PROCESS AS TO WHAT KINDS OF SUPPORTS WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THESE, THIS WORK. SO THANKS FOR THAT. AND I'LL JUST CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS SLIDE. AGAIN. THE FIRST POSITION IN EXECUTIVE OFFICE, OUR SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE IS FUNDED REALLY IN THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE. AND THERE IS A GRANT POSITION THAT IS EXPIRING THAT IN ORDER FOR IT TO CONTINUE, WE'LL NEED THE SUPPORT OF THIS CITY COMMISSION. I ALSO GOT VERY DISTURBING NEWS TODAY, THIS MORNING THAT ONE OF THE POSITIONS THAT WAS WORKING IN OUR SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE

[01:20:01]

CONTINUED AND NEW IS WHAT I'M HEARING YOU AS OF THIS LAST YEAR. YEP. WELL, IT'S NOT NEW FOR FY 26, BUT IT WAS NEW. WAS IT 24 OR 25 THAT WE STARTED IT? POSITION FY 2524 OKAY. YEAH. SO WE'RE CONTINUING THE FUNDING FOR IT. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COMMISSIONERS. OTHERWISE I THINK

[3. Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Tuesday, May 13, 2025 on the Proposed Property Taxes and FY2026 City Budget]

AND ACTUALLY ENGAGING PRESENTATION. I IT WAS LONG, BUT IT WAS I, I WAS ABLE TO PAY ATTENTION TO FOCUS THE WHOLE TIME. SO MAYOR SO WE VOTED ON THE PROPERTY TAX RATE. THAT WAS NUMBER THREE. CAN WE GET A VOTE ON THE FEE SCHEDULE TO THE RESOLUTION FOR THE FEES? THAT'S ITEM NUMBER TWO. YEAH, RIGHT. WE WERE YOU HAD US FLIP AROUND THREE. I'M SORRY. NOW I'M MOVING BACKWARDS FROM 3 TO 2. I JUST FORGOT TO SAY THANK YOU. THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I WAS PAUSING

[2. Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Tuesday, May 13, 2025 on the Proposed FY2026 Service Provision Fees]

[2. Update on Election Precinct Ordinance amendment]

AND I HAVE IN THE INTERVENING TIME, BEEN HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS, NOT JUST WITH THE CLERK, BUT WITH MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS. AND I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE ON THIS COMMISSION THAT THE END RESULT OF ANY ACTION THAT WE TAKE IN THIS AREA GIVE US A VERY CLEAR VISION FOR IMPROVED VOTER ACCESS. AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE TWO KEY PARTS OF VOTER ACCESS. ONE IS THAT WE HAVE WE FOCUS ON VOTER OF EASE OF VOTING AND THAT THE AND FINALLY, ON ROBUST VOTER ENGAGEMENT. AND SO HAVING HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND HAVING SET THIS FOR DISCUSSION OF YOUR INITIAL PROPOSAL, CITY CLERK AND ALSO POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVES, IF YOU COULD BRIEF US ON WHERE WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR THINKING AT THIS POINT. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. SO TO CONTINUE ON FROM WHERE WE LEFT OFF TWO WEEKS AGO. SO TO START OFF WITH SAYING INCREASE VOTER ACCESS BY STATEWIDE VOTE IN 2018 AND 2022 AND ON, THE VOTERS OF GRAND RAPIDS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTED FOR THOSE PROPOSALS AS WELL. SO THE CITIZENS VOTED THEMSELVES MORE ACCESS TO THE BALLOT BOX BY HAVING DIFFERENT ROUTES IN ORDER TO VOTE, RATHER THAN JUST VOTE ON ELECTION DAY, BY ADDING UNIVERSAL ABSENTEE VOTING AND EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING, GRAND RAPIDS PROVIDED FOR EARLY VOTING SITES IN THE NOVEMBER 2024 ELECTION. VOTERS COULD GO TO ANY SITE, SO THAT'S ADDING FOUR BASICALLY PRECINCTS RIGHT THERE FOR THOSE EARLY VOTING SITES AND WHICH ANYBODY COULD GO TO. YOU WEREN'T BEHOLDEN TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD POLLING LOCATION. YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE CITY IN ANY OF THOSE LOCATIONS. AND WE CAN ALSO HAVE A POTENTIAL TO ADD ADDITIONAL DAYS OF EARLY VOTING AS WELL. SO THE STATE MANDATES A MINIMUM OF NINE DAYS, BUT HAS A MAXIMUM OF, I THINK LIKE 29 DAYS. SO THERE'S POTENTIALS TO

[01:25:02]

FLINT WAS IN THAT 46% REDUCTION OF PRECINCTS. SO KIND OF KIND OF PUT IT IN A FRAMEWORK OF. CITY CLERK JOEL HONDORP DIDN'T JUST DECIDE, I WANT TO REDUCE PRECINCTS. I'M LOOKING AT AS A AS THE ACCESS TO VOTING CHANGED WITH EARLY VOTING AND ABSENTEE VOTING AND LOOKING AT VOTING AS A WHOLE AND WHAT MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE STATE HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDING TO THEIR ELECTION COMMISSIONS AND COMMISSIONS, PRECINCT BOUNDARY CONSIDERATIONS. SO I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE I HAD A LIST HERE OF WHAT ALL THE DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS WENT INTO. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PRECINCT BOUNDARIES, WE LOOK AT NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS. WE LOOKED AT THE POLLING LOCATIONS. IS IT A BUILDING THAT'S CLOSING OR MAY CLOSE? LOOK AT ACCESSIBILITY, PARKING VISIBILITY. IS IT A VISIBLE BUILDING THAT YOU CAN SEE AS YOU DRIVE BY, OR IS IT TUCKED AWAY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN FUTURE AVAILABILITY? THAT'S KIND OF THAT QUESTION, TOO. OR ADAMS PARK APARTMENTS. WHAT'S THE FUTURE AVAILABILITY OF THESE BUILDINGS GOING TO BE? WE WANTED TO GO TO A SINGLE PRECINCT POLLING LOCATION TO REMOVE ANY CONFUSION. WHEN YOU CAME INTO A BUILDING, YOU SAW TWO LINES. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO TO GET TO DO THAT. WE WANT TO LIMIT DISTRICT SPLITS AND PRECINCTS, I.E. SCHOOL DISTRICT LINES, COUNTY COMMISSION, ETCETERA. WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE LIMIT THAT CONFUSION AS WELL OF HAVING MULTIPLE BALLOT STYLES IN A PRECINCT. WE HAD TO LOOK AT ABSENTEE VERSUS EARLY VERSUS ELECTION DAY TURNOUT, WHICH IN THOSE IN SOME OF THESE PRECINCTS WHICH WHICH ARE THERE, MANOR IS THE VOTER USING ABSENTEE VERSUS EARLY VOTING VERSUS ELECTION DAY, AVERAGE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS AND REGISTERED VOTERS SIMILAR IN EACH WARD. AND THEN LOOKING AT THE ELECTION WORKER DEMANDS FOR ABSENTEE VOTING, EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY. SO WE HAVE ELECTION DAY VOTING. THEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE NINE DAYS OR MORE OF EARLY VOTING. AND THEN FOR ABSENTEE VOTING, WE HAVE WE CAN DO MULTIPLE DAYS OF PRE TABULATION. SO WHAT'S THE STRESS ON CITY CLERK STAFF AND ELECTION WORKERS FOR FILLING THOSE POSITIONS? THE ONE CONSIDERATION YOU DON'T SEE ON THIS IS TURNOUT PERCENTAGE. SO AT NO TIME DID OUR STAFF LOOK AT OH THIS IS A LOW PERFORMING PRECINCT WE WANT TO MAKE. WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO PUT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, THE FIVE LOWEST PERFORMING PRECINCTS FOR TURNOUT AND PUT THEM ALL IN ONE LOCATION BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE LOW TURNOUT. YOU DON'T SEE TURNOUT AS A CONSIDERATION THAT WE USE.

WE USE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS. SO YOU MAY HAVE A PRECINCT THAT HAS 80% TURNOUT, BUT ONLY, YOU KNOW, 900 REGISTERED VOTERS. I'M JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE. WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT. REGISTERED VOTERS, NOT THE TURNOUT. FOR THAT. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR. AND IF WE IF WE WERE LOOKING AT AS A ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY, WE COULD SAY, OH, WELL, THERE'S 4999 YOU COULD HAVE IN A PRECINCT, WE COULD DO 31 PRECINCTS. THAT'D BE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY OF DOING THAT. AND THAT'S NOT EFFICIENT. AND THAT'S NOT AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING. WE'RE PROPOSING 59 PRECINCTS. SO HERE'S SOME HISTORICAL NUMBER OF PRECINCTS PER WARD. BACK IN THE 2008 ELECTION, THERE WAS 100 PRECINCTS. IN THE 2012 THERE WAS 83 PRECINCTS. YOU CAN SEE GOING DOWN THE PROPOSED IS TO 59 PRECINCTS AVERAGE. AND THEN THE QUESTION THE COMMISSION ASKED LAST TIME WAS, WHAT'S THE CHANGE? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? WHAT IS WHAT IS THE CHANGE GOING TO BE AND WHO'S AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED. THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THE COMMISSION ASKED THAT QUESTION. SO THIS IS THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.

CURRENTLY, YOU CAN SEE ON THE CURRENT OF THE AVERAGE VOTERS PER PRECINCT. AND THEN YOU CAN

[01:30:04]

PRECINCT. SEVEN WOULD BE GOING FROM SHAWMUT HILLS TO FIRST EVANGELICAL CHURCH. THAT'S COMBINED WITH PRECINCT NINE. SHAWMUT WAS NOT EVEN IN THE PRECINCT IN THE IN THAT PRECINCT. PEOPLE WERE GOING OUTSIDE THE PRECINCT. NOW THEY'LL BE IN THE PRECINCT. AND THEN GRCC M-TEC, THIS IS A VOTER REGISTRATION NUMBER ISSUE OF COMBINING THAT PRECINCT WITH CESAR CHAVEZ ELEMENTARY IN THE SECOND WARD. PURE CONSOLIDATIONS TOGETHER IN THE SAME LOCATION.

SAINT ISIDORE PARISH, WESTMINSTER CHURCH, FAITH LUTHERAN. THOSE ARE TWO PRECINCTS BEING THAT ARE IN THE SAME LOCATION WILL BE CONSOLIDATED TOGETHER. WHERE IT GOT A LITTLE TRICKIER. IN THE SECOND WARD WAS IN THAT LEONARD STREET LEONARD AND EASTERN KIND OF LEONARD AND COLLEGE KIND OF AREA WITH EAST LEONARD ELEMENTARY NO LONGER BE AN ELEMENTARY CURRENTLY BEING USED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE. IS TAKING ONE OF THE ONE OF THE TWO PRECINCTS THAT VOTED IN KENT HILLS AND MOVING THE NORTH SECTION OF 27 AND 28 AND PUT IT IN FOURTH VOTE AT FOURTH REFORMED CHURCH, WHICH WOULD BE IN THE CENTER OF THEIR THEIR VOTING, THEIR THEIR LOCATION. AND THEN THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE 2728, ALONG WITH 31, WHICH WAS VOTING AT FOURTH REFORMED, WHICH WAS BLOCKS AWAY FROM THEIR POLLING LOCATION, WOULD BE THE OLD EASTERN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH IS NOW EMERALD FLATS, OR OR A MEETING PLACE OF MADISON SQUARE. AQUINAS COLLEGE, WHICH IS ANOTHER LOW VOTER REGISTRATION PRECINCT. AND IT'S NOT THAT IT'S A BIG LOCATION WHERE WE HAVE IT, BUT IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE MOST SECURE BECAUSE ANYBODY CAN COME IN AND OUT OF THAT LOCATION. USING THE FIELDHOUSE WOULD GO TO CONGRESS, THE SOUTHERN, AND THEN FINALLY THE SOUTHERN HALF OF CURRENT PRECINCT 36, WHICH IS WE'RE STANDING IN RIGHT NOW. SO THOSE DOWNTOWN VOTERS HAVE ASKED, WE DON'T WANT TO GO NORTH OF 196 OVER TO K-8 SCHOOL. AND THAT WAS GETTING KIND OF WAS GETTING BUSIER. SO THEY WOULD GO OVER TO RANSOM TOWER. SO THEY WOULD HAVE A DOWNTOWN. THEY'D BE PART OF A DOWNTOWN PRECINCT. THEY REQUESTED THAT, YOU KNOW, AND WE IN LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, A GOOD PORTION OF THOSE DOWNTOWN VOTERS EITHER VOTED EARLY OVER AT DEVOS PLACE OR VOTED ABSENTEE IN THE THIRD THIRD WARD, SO NO LONGER BEING USED IN SECOND WARD WOULD BE EAST LEONARD ELEMENTARY OR AQUINAS COLLEGE IN THE FOURTH WARD, THE OR IN THE THIRD WARD. THE POLLING LOCATION IS NO LONGER BEING USED WAS SIGSBEE SCHOOL, MULICK PARK SCHOOL, ADAMS PARK APARTMENTS, AND BOSTON SQUARE CHURCH. THE SIGSBEE SCHOOL. WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS THOSE VOTERS THAT VOTED AT SIGSBEE SCHOOL TO VOTE AT CALVIN CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH A FEW BLOCKS OVER, COMBINING WITH PRECINCT 59. THIS IS A LOW VOTER REGISTRATION, BOTH OF BOTH 50 AND 59 ARE BOTH LOW VOTER REGISTRATION. YOU'RE AT 970 VOTERS IN EACH ONE. AND ON ELECTION DAY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 230 TO 400 VOTERS, MAX, THAT HAVE THAT GO THROUGH THE DOORS ON ELECTION DAY. OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH WOULD BE THE ONE THAT IS CONSOLIDATED TOGETHER IN THE SAME, SAME LOCATION. AND THEN WE HAD SOME OTHER ONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. THAT HAD MULTIPLE PRECINCTS IN THEM. BUT BECAUSE OF SPLITS, WE MADE SOME CHANGES. SO BROOKSIDE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH HAD TWO PRECINCTS MOVING ONE OF THE PRECINCTS OUT TO PUT IT WITH PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL DICKINSON SCHOOL WOULD LEAVE ONE PRECINCT IN THERE AND HALF OF THE HALF OF A PRECINCT THAT WAS ALREADY THERE. THE OTHER, THE NORTH PART OF THAT PRECINCT, WOULD GO TO FIRST CRC AND THEN ADAMS PARK AND PART OF A PRECINCT THAT VOTES AT FULLER AVENUE. CRC WOULD VOTE AT THE NEW HUB ZERO SEVEN AND THE OTHER PART OF THAT ONE PRECINCT, THE VOTES AT FULLER AVENUE CRC WOULD STAY THERE. BUT THE VOTERS FROM BOSTON SQUARE CRC WOULD ADD INTO THAT PRECINCT AT FULLER AVENUE CRC AND THEN THE PART OF THE VOTERS THAT VOTE AT SEYMOUR CRC WOULD GO TO KENNETH SHEA SCHOOL.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE PART OF THAT 74 THAT'S GETTING IN WITH. AT PLYMOUTH HEIGHTS CRC TO SHAWNEE PARK CRC. SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE, ARE THERE ARE MOVEMENTS THERE. BUT THAT IS

[01:35:02]

AND SO WE WENT BOSTON SQUARE CHURCH AND THE ACCESSIBILITY WAS THE ISSUE IS THE ISSUE IN THAT BUILDING. SO THAT IS WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. YOU ASKED ABOUT SO WE COULD COME UP THERE. THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS THAT COULD HAPPEN. BUT THIS IS THIS IS THE PROPOSAL THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, SO BROUGHT TO THE ELECTION COMMISSION TO BRING TO THE CITY COMMISSION. AND I ASKED YOU, MR. CLARKE, IF YOU HAD IF THERE WERE ALTERNATIVE PLANS BESIDES THE STATUS QUO THAT YOU HAD CONSIDERED AND WANTED TO SHARE. SO A COUPLE ALTERNATIVE PLANS IN THE THIRD WARD COULD BE. SO I PREPARED TWO DIFFERENT ONES THAT I THAT I SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION. ONE WOULD BE ADDING TWO MORE PRECINCTS AND THAT WOULD BE ADDING MULICK PARK AND ADAMS PARK BACK IN, WHICH WOULD ADD TWO PRECINCTS, OR ADDING MULICK ADDING I FORGET WHAT THE OTHER ONE WAS, ADDING ADAMS PARK, I BELIEVE BACK IN, AND THEN BOSTON SQUARE WOULD GO OVER TO HUB ZERO SEVEN. SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OTHER OPTIONS OF ADDING SPACES BACK IN. HOWEVER, WE MAY HAVE TO DO CHANGES IN THE IN THE FUTURE IF WE IF WE DO IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE USE ADAMS PARK, WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING LOCATIONS AGAIN. SO ON A ON A AND I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOU SAW IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATION THAT WE DO HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE DOING COMMUNICATIONS. EVERY VOTER WOULD RECEIVE A NEW VOTER REGISTRATION CARD. IF YOU NOTICE ON A LOT OF MY SLIDES, MICHIGAN.GOV SLASH VOTE, I SAY THAT IN EVERYTHING WE DO IS. SO EVEN IF YOU VOTED IN THE SAME PRECINCT FOR THE LAST POLLING LOCATION FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, WE TELL EVERY VOTER, GO TO THAT LOCATION, BECAUSE IF THERE'S A WATER MAIN BREAK, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN THAT BUILDING, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU GO. SO WE'RE GOING TO KEEP PUSHING THAT OUT AND PREPARING MATERIALS FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND THE LIKE. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A CITY WIDE PLAN. SO AND I KNOW THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WARDS HAVE HAVE TALKED AND CONFERRED. SO I GUESS I'D I'D LIKE TO START WITH OUR SENIOR FIRST WARD COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, DO YOU HAVE A AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FIRST WARD IMPLICATIONS HERE? YEAH, NO, I REACHED OUT TO CONTACTS OF MINE ALL ACROSS THE FIRST WARD. I PERSONALLY I KNOW I'VE TALKED WITH COMMISSIONER BELICHICK TOO. I'VE NOT HEARD ANY CONCERNS ABOUT PEOPLE'S INABILITY OR, YOU KNOW, INCREASED BARRIERS TO BEING ABLE TO VOTE GIVEN THIS PLAN THAT'S BEING PROPOSED. I ACTUALLY HAVE SEVERAL FRIENDS WHO WORK IN THE ELECTIONS WORLD ADJACENT TO OUR CITY CLERK, AND THEY REACHED OUT TO ME UNSOLICITED, TO SAY, THIS IS A FANTASTIC PLAN, THAT THE TEAM HAD DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB AT PUTTING IT TOGETHER. SO I SAID THIS LAST TIME, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, I HAVE NO CONCERNS ABOUT ABOUT THIS. I APPLAUD THE CITY CLERK AND HIS WORK. I TRUST HIS EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA AND I WOULD BE. I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS LATER. OKAY. COMMISSIONER BELICHICK, DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN ON YOUR YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU ARE WITH. SO I, I LIVE IN ONE OF THE CONSOLIDATING PRECINCTS AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER POLITICAL ORGANIZER AND SOME OF MY PAST AND WORKING WITH FOLKS, WE LONG TALKED ABOUT CHANGES THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE MADE IN MY PRECINCT TO ELIMINATE LINES AND CONFUSION. WE'VE ALSO I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SPENDING TIME IN ROOSEVELT PARK NEIGHBORHOOD AND KNOWING THE BLACK HILLS THAT I'M, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA OF STANDING UP FOR PEOPLE HAVING RIGHT TO ACCESS THEIR POLLING LOCATION EASILY AT CESAR CHAVEZ.

I THINK THAT THAT'S REASONABLE. I ALSO THINK THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NOT VOTING INSIDE THEIR PRECINCT, THAT'S A GOOD NOTE. I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, I'M COMMITTED TO VOTER ACCESS AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO THE BALLOT. BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE, SOME OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO IS TO GET PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T MADE A PLAN, WHO HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, FEEL NOT INVESTED TO TURN OUT WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABSENTEE

[01:40:05]

AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THINGS TO, TO HEIGHTEN INFORMATION. BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING MORE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE PART OF ELECTIONS. LIKE THIS IS WHEN YOU NEED TO GET YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT IN. THIS IS YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD BE MAILING IT IN NOW, NOT HOLDING IT TO THE LAST DAY AND THEN PUTTING THOSE THINGS. THOSE ARE THE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT FALL ON THE CLERK'S OFFICE AS FAR AS LIKE ISSUES AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS FOR USING GET OUT THE VOTE. THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CANDIDATES AND INTERESTED GROUPS THAT ARE MORE INTERESTED IN WHO GETS ELECTED. BUT ON THE HOW WE'RE THERE AND WE CAN PREPARE. AND SO WE'VE BEEN PREPARING THOSE THINGS, THOSE KIND OF GRAPHICS. AND THEN WE BOUGHT FACEBOOK ADS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH IN INSTAGRAM TO GET OUT. THAT WORD IS TO AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND WE CAN DO THAT. USE THOSE FUNDS TO PUT OUT THIS. YEAH I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF MY EXPERIENCE TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE SOME DEEP DIVE THIS LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. I FEEL LIKE I'VE DONE DUE DILIGENCE. I AGREE WITH MY FIRST WARD COLLEAGUE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGES HERE IN THE FIRST WARD ARE DEFINITELY APPROPRIATE, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL HELP NAVIGATE PEOPLE, AND I'M HAPPY TO BE A RESOURCE AS TO DO THAT. AND. HELP PEOPLE. IF THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO GROW THE AMOUNT OF IN TURNOUT THAT WE HAVE, THE INCREASED VOTER REGISTRATION WE NEED TO BE HAVING NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR TALKS AND DOOR TO DOOR CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE THAT'S, I THINK, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SOME BIG CHANGES. AND THEN ALSO THAT'S THE WAY WE CAN COMMUNICATE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO BE VOTING AT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. SO I SUPPORT THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE PUT FORWARD. AND THANKS FOR THE EXTRA INFORMATION AND ALL OF THIS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER SASSY. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS HARD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. WANT TO SPEAK TO THIS? THANK YOU MAYOR, I, I TOO HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. THIS IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I THINK A QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I THINK WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR FIRST SLIDE OF THE TWO VOTER PROPOSALS THAT WERE IN 2018 AND 22 WAS A GREAT REFLECTION OF HOW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTUALLY HAPPENED STATEWIDE, REGARDING HOW PEOPLE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO VOTE AND THE OPTIONS THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO THEM. AND SO I THINK COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LOOKS LIKE IN DIFFERENT WAYS, NOT EVERY SINGLE TIME IS IT GOING TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME. AND I AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S IT IS OUR NOW RESPONSIBILITY TO IMPLEMENT EARLY VOTING, TO IMPLEMENT NO REASON ABSENTEE. AND I THINK WE DID THAT WELL WITH, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE LIBRARIES AND THE DROP BOXES. AND I KNOW YOU ALSO HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT JUST HOW TO EVEN OPTIMIZE EARLY VOTING THAT FIRST DAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN DO YOU YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY YOU'VE PROMISED THAT IT'S GOING TO START A DAY EARLY, BUT THAT DISCUSSION OF HOW DO YOU WORK OUT THE KINKS, KNOWING THAT SATURDAYS ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, QUITE INVOLVED. I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER KILGORE FOR REACHING OUT TO ME TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO BE A BRIDGE TO DEMOCRACY. I THINK YOU I APPRECIATED YOUR PAST EXPERIENCE AND GETTING OUT THE VOTE, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S THIS I FEEL LIKE THIS CONVERSATION BECAME THIS LARGER CONVERSATION WHICH WHICH IS OKAY. BUT ALSO WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE, ADOPTION IN FRONT OF US. SO I SOMETIMES SAY, WHAT ARE OUR STANDING RULES? IT IS TO CONSIDER WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US. I THINK WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT WHAT CAN BE DONE. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, TALKING MORE THROUGH THOSE AND WHAT THOSE INVESTMENTS MIGHT LOOK LIKE OR JUST SHIFTING INVESTMENTS. I THINK YOU AND I HAVE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AS WELL. I TOO AM ONE OF THE IMPACTED PRECINCTS. I'M PRECINCT BECAUSE I'M AT 27 AND 28. AND I REMEMBER, REMEMBER, IF I'M 28 OR 27, BUT I'M ONE OF THE IMPACTED AND I ACTUALLY LIVE

[01:45:03]

THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER KNIGHT, HOW IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE SECOND WARD PLANNING ORGANIZATION? I IN IN ALL HONESTY, HAVING MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I THINK JUST TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT I DON'T I

[01:50:06]

IF THE IF THE IF THERE IS A NEED FOR THOSE, I UNDERSTAND HOW THE WILL OF THE BODY WORKS. I'M ASK SO. SO THE ANSWER IS YOU SENT IT TO US AHEAD OF TIME. CORRECT. AND THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE TWO POSSIBILITIES THAT YOU COULD CHOOSE. OKAY. THANK YOU. I THINK JUST TO CLOSE THAT LOOP AND TO FOLLOW THROUGH. SO I WOULD OBVIOUSLY WANT TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES. JUST TO CLARIFY BECAUSE I, I'M STILL GETTING MESSAGES AROUND THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARIFYING KIND OF WHAT, WHAT MY CONCERN IS WITH THIS, THIS CURRENT PROPOSAL. AND SO I'M GOING TO DO THAT AND I'M ALSO GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE I DID LAST TIME AND I'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, AND I'M GOING TO DO IT AGAIN. OF ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT HAS COME OUT OF THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, OUR ELECTIONS ARE IN A GREAT PLACE. JOE HAS MADE A LOT OF EFFORT TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS IN COMMUNITY. WE DON'T HAVE LONG LINES. THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GREAT WORK HAPPENING, A LOT OF INTENTIONAL, SUCCESSFUL WORK HAPPENING. AND THAT IS TRUE. AND WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING THAT.

WE SHOULD ALSO BE CELEBRATING THE STEPS FORWARD THAT WE'VE TAKEN AS A STATE TO INCREASE VOTER ACCESS IN ABSENTEE VOTING AND MAKING IT EASIER TO REGISTER IN EARLY VOTING. ALL OF THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD CELEBRATE, BUT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US TODAY IS A PROPOSAL THAT WILL HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE SHOULD BE

[01:55:06]

I THINK THAT IT'S KIND OF CHALLENGING BECAUSE THERE'S PROBABLY A MILLION DIFFERENT COUNTER PROPOSALS THAT THE CITY CLERK HIMSELF COULD COME UP WITH, OR EACH INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER COULD COME UP WITH. AND THAT COULD BE REALLY HARD TO KIND OF COME TO A CONSENSUS ON FROM THE DAIS. SO I THINK A BEST PRACTICE FROM A LEGAL CONSIDERATION WOULD BE IF YOU DISAGREE WITH WHAT THE ELECTION COMMISSION GAVE YOU, SEND IT BACK TO THEM AND ASK THEM TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT. BUT I WILL, YOU KNOW, MY BOSS IS ON THE ELECTION COMMISSION. I KNOW HOW MUCH HARD WORK THAT SHE HAS DONE TO BRING THIS FORWARD AS WELL. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A CERTAIN VALUE IN ERRING ON THE SIDE OF DISCRETION TO THE EXPERTS. SO FOR TODAY, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US IS SETTING PRECINCTS, WHICH REALLY MEANS THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS, RIGHT? IT'S ACTUALLY PASSING AN ORDINANCE. AND PART OF THAT CHANGE, THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS, IS THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS, WHICH I THINK MAINTAINS A SPIRIT OF THE CITY CHARTER, WHICH IS ESTABLISHMENT. YOU'RE REESTABLISHING THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS, THE DIVIDING AND THE REALIGNMENT OF THE PRECINCTS HAS BEEN DONE BY THE ELECTION COMMISSION AND IS IN CONCERT WITH THE NUMBER THAT'S BEING INCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE AND IN THE EXACT LOCATIONS IS ALSO ALIGNED WITH THE AUTHORITY GIVEN TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION. NO, THAT ONE GOES TO THE THAT ONE IS ACTUALLY THE CITY COMMISSION. POLLING PLACES ARE DIFFERENT THAN PRECINCTS. YEP. AND YOU'LL HAVE OCCASIONALLY DIFFERENT PRECINCTS VOTING AT A SINGLE POLLING PLACE. AND THAT'S A DIFFERENT LAW. AND THERE'S ALSO LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS WHEN BOUNDARY PRECINCTS THAT IS FOUND WITHIN THE ELECTION LAWS IN GENERAL. I THINK THAT THE CLERK HAS IDENTIFIED THAT HAS BEEN

[02:00:02]

TWO BALLOTS, TWO LINES, TWO ELECTION WORKER TEAMS. SO LET'S TAKE THOSE TWO PRECINCTS AND MAKE THEM INTO ONE. I'M ON BOARD WITH THAT. THERE'S ALSO WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US IS A OUR PROPOSALS TO CHANGE LOCATIONS WITHIN A PRECINCT. WE WON'T BE AT THE SCHOOL. WE'LL BE AT THE CHURCH OR WE'LL, YOU KNOW, TO CHANGE LOCATIONS WITHIN AN EXISTING PRECINCT TO BETTER TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY. I'M ON BOARD WITH THAT. I THINK THAT'S LOVELY. I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING THAT AND WE'RE FINDING THOSE AREAS TO MAKE IT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE LEARNING AS WE GO.

THE THIRD PART OF THIS PROPOSAL IS THE PROPOSAL THAT I DISAGREE WITH, AND I THINK EVERYONE HERE SHOULD AS WELL. AND THAT'S THE ELIMINATION OF PRECINCTS THAT IS FULL, FULL OUT CLOSURES AND ABSORPTION. MY REASONS FOR THAT CONCERN IS ONE OF THE EIGHT FULL OUT ELIMINATIONS. THE EIGHT PROPOSED FULL OUT ELIMINATIONS. FOUR ARE WITHIN THE THIRD WARD. SO THAT'S A DISPARATE IMPACT. WE ASKED LAST TIME, CITY CLERK, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE BEING IMPACTED. SO TODAY YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE ABOUT BE ABOUT 21,000 PEOPLE IMPACTED. SO KIND OF CONTINUING THAT VEIN OF WHO WILL BE IMPACTED. CAN YOU TELL US HOW MANY FOLKS ESTIMATED, LIKE CURRENT RESIDENTS WILL TURN 18 IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS OVER THE NEXT THREE AND A HALF YEARS, LIKE BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? LET'S SAY I WON'T KNOW THAT I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION. DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE AREAS WHERE THESE ELIMINATIONS, IN PARTICULAR, ARE SET TO TAKE PLACE, A BREAKDOWN BY AGE, RACE, GENDER, INCOME, TURNOUT? I CAN'T, I COULD DO IT BY AGE AND GENDER, INSIDE PRECINCTS, DEMOGRAPHICS, AS FAR AS RACE AND OTHER THINGS. DO NOT GO INSIDE INSIDE POLLING LOCATIONS. YOU KNOW WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN APPROXIMATE. WE CAN APPROXIMATE. YES. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THAT TODAY? I DO NOT HAVE THAT TODAY.

OKAY. SO WHAT WORRIES ME ALSO ABOUT THIS IS ANECDOTALLY YOU SEE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE CHANGES AND ELIMINATIONS TAKE PLACE IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AROUND OUR CITY. THEY TAKE PLACE IN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. AND WE'VE ASKED, WHO IS THIS IMPACTING? AND WHILE WE HAVE A NUMBER 21,000, WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE, RIGHT? WHAT IS THEIR MAKEUP? WHAT ARE THEIR BARRIERS? AND I HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS THAT THAT HAS NOT BEEN CONSIDERED IN COMING UP WITH THIS PLAN. OUR TEAM HERE IS VERY GIFTED AT THE, THE ART AND THE SCIENCE OF RUNNING ELECTIONS. BUT IT IS OUR JOB, ALONG WITH OUR THE PUBLIC AND CONSTITUENTS, TO ADD ANOTHER LENS ON IT, TO SAY WHO IS BEING IMPACTED? IS THIS FAIR? IS THIS EQUITABLE? WHAT MIGHT BE THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES? WHERE MIGHT THERE BE A BLIND EYE? THAT'S OUR JOB. AND SO THAT'S THE APPROACH THAT I'VE BEEN TAKING FOR THIS CONVERSATION. AND WHILE WE ARE HEARING STATS THAT THE YOU MIGHT BE CLOSER TO YOUR LOCATION, THE CHANGE WON'T BE THAT FAR. FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, THAT IS NOT TRUE FOR EVERYONE.

[02:05:01]

IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE COMPETENT AND TO BE EXCELLENT IN WHAT YOU DO AND STILL HAVE BLIND SPOTS. I THINK WE WOULD IF WE IF WE DENY THAT WE MIGHT BE TELLING A FIB. RIGHT. AND SO THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB IS TO IDENTIFY THOSE BLIND SPOTS. AND I SEE A HUGE BLIND SPOT ON WHO THIS WILL IMPACT EVEN MORE. YOU BROUGHT DATA TODAY, CITY CLERK THAT TALKED ABOUT THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF VOTERS PER PER PRECINCT CURRENTLY AND IN THE PROPOSED. WELL, EVEN IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF VOTERS PER PRECINCT IS NEARLY DOUBLE IN THE THIRD THAN IN THE FIRST. THE FIRST IS GOING TO HAVE AN AVERAGE OF AN ADDITIONAL 335 VOTERS PER PRECINCT. IN THE THIRD WARD, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL 679 PER PRECINCT. THERE IS INEQUITY BAKED INTO THIS PROPOSAL. WE DO NOT HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROPOSAL AS IS. I AM ON BOARD. LET'S CONSOLIDATE. LET'S MOVE LOCATIONS AS IT MAKES SENSE. BUT IT IS NOT THE TIME, NOR THE RIGHT APPROACH OR STRATEGY TO TOTALLY ELIMINATE PRECINCTS, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE FACTS, THE RESEARCH, AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCE THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT HAS. IT IS TO HAVE A GOOD NUMBER, A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF PRECINCTS THAT ACTUALLY DRIVES TURNOUT. SO I HEAR FOLKS SAYING, I HAVE CONCERNS AROUND TURNOUT. LET'S REGISTER PEOPLE TO VOTE. LET'S GET PEOPLE OUT. YES, LET'S DO THAT ALONG WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. BUT THIS IS PART OF A STRATEGY OF HOW YOU DO THAT. YOU MAKE IT EASIER TO VOTE. YOU KEEP PRECINCTS OPEN, YOU KEEP THEM CLOSE TO YOU, AND YOU MAKE IT AS CONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IN MANY PARTS OF OUR CITY, WE STILL HAVE LOW TURNOUT RATES. AND I'VE HEARD IT SAID IN OUR CONVERSATIONS THAT TURNOUT RATES WERE NOT CONSIDERED. BUT IF YOU LISTEN TO THE DIALOG, THERE HAS BEEN MENTION OF TURNOUT MULTIPLE TIMES HERE PUBLICLY AND IN CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM. AND SO THOSE ARE A LOT OF MY CONCERNS. AND I ASK THAT YOU ALL TO CONSIDER, CONSIDER AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DISPARATE IMPACT THAT THIS PROPOSAL WILL HAVE. I WANT TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO THE PROPOSAL, AS IS. A CLEAR ALTERNATIVE ISN'T BROUGHT TO US TO DISCUSS. AND I AGREE WITH DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY THAT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH. ONE TOGETHER ON THE SPOT HERE. AND SO I THINK THIS DOES THIS WOULD DO A BETTER JOB GOING BACK TO THE ELECTION COMMISSION FOR NOW. THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL SAY IS THAT THIS IS REALLY BAD TIMING. WE HAVE A MIDTERM ELECTION COMING UP. WE THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, FOLKS. ATTENTION IS VERY SPLIT. I'M HEARING FROM FOLKS WE WANT TO LEAN IN ON THIS, BUT OH MY GOSH, WHERE IS THE TIME? AND SO WHILE SOME OF US HAVE TALKED TO OUR FRIENDS, HAVE TALKED TO PAST COLLEAGUES, HAVE TALKED TO SOME ORGANIZATIONS, THERE ARE STILL A TON OF PEOPLE OUT HERE THAT WANT TO ENGAGE ON THIS ISSUE AND FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. SO IF NOTHING ELSE, I THINK TIMING, IF THE OTHER KIND OF POINTS AROUND DISPARATE IMPACT THREAT TO VOTER ACCESS DON'T MOVE YOU, THEN MAYBE THE TIMING PIECE MIGHT MOVE YOU TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S ADDRESS THIS LATER. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. SO I WILL SAY THAT I THINK THAT EVERYONE UP HERE IS CONCERNED ABOUT VOTER ACCESS, AND I, FRANKLY AM CONVINCED THAT THIS IS A PLAN THAT WILL INCREASE VOTER ACCESS. AND COUNTING, SIMPLY COUNTING POLLING LOCATIONS. AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE SAID BEFORE. IF WE ELIMINATED THE POLLING LOCATION AT WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN, WHICH IS WHERE I VOTE NOW, AND YOU PUT POLLING LOCATIONS IN EIGHT BASEMENTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF POLLING LOCATIONS. I DON'T THINK ANY REASONABLE PERSON WOULD SAY THAT THAT INCREASED VOTER ACCESS.

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN IS A VERY EASY PLACE TO FIND. IT'S ON A MAJOR STREET. IT'S VERY VISIBLE. IT'S GOT PARKING, IT'S GOT HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY. MOST OF THE BASEMENTS ON MY BLOCK DON'T HAVE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS. SO THIS IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF COUNTING UP LOCATIONS. THIS IS A GLOBAL, COMPLEX CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE ACCESS TO VOTING. NOW, I THINK THAT IF WE WANT TO USE THE WORD DISPARATE IMPACT TO MEAN SOME PEOPLE WILL BE AFFECTED MORE THAN OTHERS, IF YOU MOVED A GROCERY STORE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, SOME PEOPLE WOULD BE CLOSER TO IT, SOME PEOPLE WOULD BE FARTHER AWAY. THAT'S SORT OF AXIOMATICALLY TRUE THAT IF YOU CHANGE ANYTHING IN THE COMMUNITY, THERE WILL BE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHERS. MR. COMMISSIONER SASSY POINTS OUT SHE'D BE ONE OF THE WINNERS IF THE IF THIS PLAN WENT THROUGH IN THE SENSE THAT SHE'D HAVE A

[02:10:02]

[02:15:04]

PARDON ME. ADAMS PARK APARTMENTS AS A POLLING LOCATION. SO I WOULD WELCOME A DISCUSSION TONIGHT ABOUT WHICH, IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC POLLING LOCATION. AND I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT TO BE CLEAR THAT TALKING ABOUT ELIMINATING PRECINCTS, I THINK IS MISSING THE POINT. THE POINT I MEAN, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME WHETHER YOU CALL MY PRECINCT, PRECINCT 122 OR PRECINCT 12, OR WHETHER YOU CONSOLIDATE MY PRECINCT. IF THERE WAS. WHAT MATTERS TO ME IS WHERE DO I GO TO VOTE? HOW MANY, HOW MANY PLACES DO I HAVE TO VOTE? AND ARE THOSE EASY AND ACCESSIBLE? SO IF THERE ARE PLACES WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY CONCERNED AND IT'S CERTAINLY WORTH WORTH CONSIDERING WHETHER THOSE WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT FROM SOME OF OUR SHIFTS LOVE TO HEAR INSTANTIATED EXAMPLES OF WHERE THAT IS, SO THAT WE CAN COME TO A FINAL, I HOPE, STEP IN A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH THE ELECTION COMMISSION, BECAUSE AS OUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY POINTED OUT, WE'VE SORT OF GOT WE'VE GOT AN AREA HERE WHERE IF WE ACHIEVE CONSENSUS, THEN THE QUESTION OF WHO'S ACTUALLY GOT AUTHORITY OVER WHO DOESN'T MATTER. I THINK IF THERE WAS A SPLIT IN OPINION BETWEEN THE TWO, THEN WE MIGHT GET INTO SOME MESSY TERRITORY.

BUT IF WE CAN COME BACK WITH A CLEAR VISION TO THE ELECTION COMMISSION, WHICH THEY FIND ACCESSIBLE, WHICH THEY FIND ACCEPTABLE, I THINK THAT'S OUR JOB AT THIS MOMENT. NOW, I WILL ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR EXPERTISE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT IN A DEMOCRACY THAN MAKING SURE THAT WE DO VOTING WELL AND WE DO ENGAGEMENT IN THE IN THE PROCESS WELL. AND SO THAT MAKES US ALL, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN THIS IN A WAY RELATED TO BUT NOT EQUITABLE TO YOUR EXPERTISE. WE'VE ALL SPENT TIME KNOCKING DOORS. WE'VE ALL SPENT TIME TALKING IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE ALL AND I KNOW A NUMBER OF US HAVE ENGAGED WITH SOME SOME GROUPS WHOSE WHOSE CENTRAL TASK IS ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE THIS. SO THERE ARE THERE ARE GROUPS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHO REALLY FOCUS ON VOTER ENGAGEMENT AND WHETHER IT'S EFFECTIVE AND VOTER TURNOUT AND WHETHER AND HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN IN GROUPS LIKE THE ACLU, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH I KNOW YOU REFERENCED, YOU'D INCLUDED THEM EARLY, EARLY ON IN DISCUSSIONS HERE. SO I AM CONVINCED THAT THAT THE THAT THE OVERALL EFFECT OF THIS PLAN WILL BE POSITIVE. I'M GLAD TO HAVE HEARD FROM EVERY, EVERY WARD ABOUT THIS. AGAIN, I DON'T TEND TO THINK OF WARDS AS MONOLITHIC. SO IF WE

[02:20:07]

BUT IF THERE ARE LOCATIONS FOR WHICH THERE IS A THERE IS A REAL CONCERN THAT THAT ISN'T JUST A MATTER OF WE CAN'T JUST ASK QUESTIONS LIKE, WHAT IF THERE'S IF THERE. I MEAN, WE COULD ASK WHAT IF ABOUT VIRTUALLY ANYTHING. THAT'S NOT WHAT IF IS NOT A POLICY REASON. IT'S A YEAH IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T REALLY ADVANCE THE DISCUSSION MY IN MY OPINION. SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT HERE IS POLLING LOCATIONS. AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU, ALL MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, TO LOOK AT SPECIFIC POLLING LOCATIONS. AND IF THERE ARE POLLING LOCATIONS WHICH ARE PROPOSED TO BE CLOSED IN THE IN THE CLARK'S INITIAL PLAN, WHICH AREN'T BEING WHICH AREN'T GOING TO BE CLOSED IN EITHER HIS PROPOSALS, WE CAN CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN MOTIONS TONIGHT TO AMEND TO INCLUDE CONTINUED ACTIVATION OF SOME OF THOSE OF THOSE LOCATIONS, AND WE CAN ENTERTAIN ANY, ANY NUMBER OF MOTIONS TONIGHT. BUT I THINK THAT OUR FOCUS HAS TO BE AND I'M SURE THAT IT'S TRUE OF THE CLERK, AND I'M SURE IT'S TRUE OF ALL OF MY COMMISSIONERS. BUT OUR FOCUS HAS TO BE ON THE ON VOTER EXPERIENCE AND NOT ON NUMBERS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY ACTUAL EFFECT ON THAT EXPERIENCE. SO THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, MAYOR. SO THAT WE HAVE CLARITY FOR WHAT THE STAFF NEEDS TO PREPARE FOR TONIGHT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR AFTER THIS DIALOG, WE PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA THIS MORNING SO THAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE IF THERE WILL BE ANY CHANGES, HOW TO PROPERLY DO IT ILLEGALLY. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OPTIONS NUMBER FIRST, YOU CAN APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED. SECONDLY, I'M HEARING YOU COULD DENY IT WITH A REQUEST TO SEND IT BACK TO ELECTION COMMISSION TO REVIEW. THIRDLY, YOU COULD POSTPONE IT AND ASK THE ELECTION COMMISSION TO ALSO RECONSIDER. FOURTHLY, WHAT I'M HEARING NOW IS WE AGREE UPON PRECINCTS, BUT COULD THE ORDINANCE BE AMENDED JUST FOR POLLING LOCATIONS? JOEL, PLEASE HELP ME IF I PUT MY FOOT IN MY MOUTH HERE. BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING YOU'RE NOT APPROVING POLLING LOCATIONS RIGHT NOW. POLLING LOCATIONS? WE AS A CITY, WE HAVE ONE SIDE OF THAT EQUATION. WE DON'T GET TO SAY WE'RE GOING INTO A CHURCH OR A HUB OR ANYWHERE ELSE, AND WE'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH THIS POLLING LOCATION. IT TAKES AGREEMENT WITH THE PARTICULAR LOCATION, AND SOMETIMES THOSE FALL THROUGH. AND WE GOT TO JOEL AND HIS TEAM HAVE TO THINK ON THEIR FEET AND FIND A SECONDARY BACKUP LOCATION. WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITHIN THIS RESOLUTION IS WHAT DOES THE MAP WITHIN THE MAP, WITHIN THE MAP LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF NUMBERS OF DIFFERENT BOUNDARIES FOR PRECINCTS? AND THAT IS GOING TO IMPACT HOW MANY POLLING LOCATIONS EVENTUALLY COME TO BE WHEN THE ELECTION HAPPENS. BUT THOSE LOCATIONS ARE GOING TO BE SOMEWHAT LIMITED BY WHAT THAT MAP LOOKS LIKE. AND I THINK THAT'S SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT I'M HEARING IS SURE. SO THE SO WHAT TONIGHT'S ORDINANCE IS, IS SAYING GOING FROM 74 TO 59, ALL MY PRESENTATIONS ARE SHOWING THE WORK BEHIND WHERE WHERE THE ELECTION COMMISSION IS SHOWING THOSE BOUNDARIES. THE POLLING LOCATIONS WILL COME BACK TO THIS THIS COMMISSION, BECAUSE THE STATE LAW SAYS THE LEGISLATIVE BODY APPROVES THE POLLING LOCATIONS. SO OUR STAFF DOES THE

[02:25:04]

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

THIS COMMISSION MEETING SAY THAT THEY SUPPORTED THIS PROPOSAL. AND SO WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF US. I'M NOT HEARING AN AMENDMENT. I THINK IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE SOMETHING, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT HAPPENS NOW. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I, I FEEL LIKE THIS BODY IS PREPARED TO VOTE TONIGHT ON THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED. AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I JUST HEARD. SO I'M, I'M I'M JUST KIND OF CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. YEAH. I ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY AND HE SAID THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A DISCUSSION MATTER AND IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO HAVE AMENDMENTS UP TO TODAY, BUT THAT WE SHOULD THIS EVENING. BUT WE SHOULD DO IT TONIGHT. SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS, TONIGHT WOULD BE THE TIME TO DO IT. AND THAT'S WHY I, I POINTED OUT, LIKE WE CERTAINLY COULD IF THAT'S THE SENTIMENT OF THE BODY, WE CERTAINLY CAN GET DIRECTION FROM TODAY ON WHAT THE DESIRE IS TO HAVE AS AN ALTERNATIVE PREPARED. THAT'S THE INTENT OF HAVING THIS DISCUSSION THIS MORNING. SO WE'RE NOT MAKING IT UP AS WE GO TONIGHT.

COMMISSIONER NIGHT. DID YOU. SORRY, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A YOU WERE LEANING IN INTENTLY.

THAT WAS PAYING ATTENTION. THAT WASN'T. DID YOU WANT TO FINISH I THINK THAT'S I THINK THAT'S WHAT I JUST HEARD FROM CITY MANAGER. CITY MANAGER IS WE'VE HEARD FROM EVERYONE. THIS WAS A BRIEFING BECAUSE THERE WAS QUESTIONS. AND I APPRECIATE THAT BRIEFING BEING PUT TOGETHER. I KNOW THERE WAS AN ALTERNATIVE THAT WAS PRESENTED, THAT WORK WAS DONE. AND THEN, AS YOU SAID, WERE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING IT? I, I WILL ONLY SPEAK FOR ME. BUT I HEARD YOU ALL SAY THAT YOU

[02:30:02]