[00:00:07] WHOLE COME TO ORDER. AND WE ARE GOING TO MOVE SLIGHTLY OUT OF ORDER, OUT OF RESPECT FOR [2. Presentation of the Dr. Schnoor Scholarship Award] COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO'S RUNNING LATE. SO THE FIRST ITEM WE WILL TAKE UP IS ITEM NUMBER TWO ON OUR AGENDA. AND THAT IS PRESENTATION OF OUR DOCTOR SCHNOOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARD. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS TY JAMES, AND I'M THE TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR THE CITY. THIS MORNING. I'M HONORED TO PRESENT THE DOCTOR SNORE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD. ESTABLISHED IN 1954 BY DOCTOR ELMER SNORE, A FORMER CITY PHYSICIAN, THE SCHOLARSHIP. THIS SCHOLARSHIP WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO ARE DEPENDENTS OF CITY EMPLOYEES. THE AWARD. THE AWARD PROVIDES $1,000 TO ASSIST WITH FIRST YEAR TUITION AT ANY COLLEGE UNIVERSITY ACCREDITED BY THE NORTH CENTRAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES OR THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF EDUCATION. THE SCHOLARSHIP IS AWARDED TO A STUDENT WHO DEMONSTRATES A STRONG ACADEMIC RECORD, MEANINGFUL INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, AND CLEARLY DEFINED PERSONAL GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS. THE RECIPIENT IS SELECTED BY A COMMITTEE FROM GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOLLOWING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF EACH APPLICANT'S QUALIFICATIONS. THE RECIPIENT IS SELECTED OR THIS YEAR, THE SCHOLARSHIP IS AWARDED TO MADISON, WASHINGTON, DAUGHTER OF CITY MANAGER MARK WASHINGTON. MADISON STOOD OUT THROUGH HER EXCEPTIONAL ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY SERVICE, GLOWING TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS, AND AN IMPRESSIVE RECORD OF VOLUNTEER WORK. SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING MADISON, WASHINGTON AS THE 2025 RECIPIENT OF THE DOCTOR SNORE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS ACTUALLY, AT THIS TIME, HAVE THE CITY COMMISSION COME ON UP AND SHARE A PICTURE WITH MADISON AND HER FAMILY TO RECOGNIZE THIS ACHIEVEMENT. MARK. I SEE THAT YOU HAVE. THREE. OFFICIAL. HOW ARE YOU? LET'S SEE. MAYOR, MAY I HAVE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE? NO CHANCE. THANK YOU. MAYOR. I WANT TO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR DOCTOR SCHOONER SCHOLARSHIP AWARD. I THINK SEVERAL OF THEM ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. AND IF THEY COULD JUST RAISE THEIR HAND, I WANT TO THANK FOR THEIR WORK. AND JUST A COUPLE THINGS. ONE, ONE, IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO HELP CITY EMPLOYEES. AND TODAY, I RECALLED THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS SITTING RIGHT THERE INTERVIEWING RIGHT WHERE MADISON WAS STANDING INITIALLY FOR THIS JOB, I WAS ASKED TWO QUESTIONS. ONE, WOULD I LIVE IN THE CITY? AS THAT WAS A CONCERN TO MAKE SURE APPOINTEES AND EMPLOYEES, AS MANY POSSIBLE, LIVE IN THE CITY. AND SECOND, WOULD I SEND MY KIDS TO GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS? AND I IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED YES TO BOTH. AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MISS WASHINGTON TODAY BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T GET THIS BECAUSE SHE'S THE DAUGHTER OF THE CITY MANAGER, AS THERE WERE NO OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS. SHE GOT IT BECAUSE SHE IS AN OUTSTANDING YOUNG PERSON WHO IS ONE OF THE [00:05:01] VALEDICTORIAN OF HER HIGH SCHOOL AT CITY MIDDLE HIGH. SHE'S ALSO CO-CLASS PRESIDENT. SHE HAS NEVER MADE A BEE IN HER ENTIRE LIFE ON A REPORT CARD. AND SHE'S ALSO TEAM CAPTAIN OF HER VOLLEYBALL TEAM AND TRACK TEAM, AND WILL BE ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IN THE FALL AND HOPES TO BE LIKE OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND AN ATTORNEY SOMEDAY. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF HER AND WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR RECOGNIZING. THANK YOU. AND THIS BRINGS US TO NEXT ITEM OF [3. Resolution recommending approval by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission of Social District Permit application pursuant to Public Act 124 of 2020 for Twisted Tap Distillery, LLC located at 146 Monroe Center St NW Unit 150] BUSINESS, WHICH IS RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION BY THE MLCC OF A SOCIAL DISTRICT FOR TWISTED TAP DISTILLERY AT 146 MONROE CENTER. SO MOVED. SUPPORT. COMMISSIONER CLARK. YEAH. SO THIS IS VERY SIMILAR ONES THAT WE HAVE PERMIT APPLICATION. THIS ALLOWS THEM TO SELL THEIR DRINKS IN A MARKED CUP TO MOVE ABOUT THE SOCIAL DISTRICT. SO VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM SO FAR. I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY ISSUES WITH IT IN ANY OF OUR SOCIAL DISTRICTS. SO JUST GIVES OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO ENJOY DOWNTOWN IN OUR BUSINESS DISTRICTS IN A SOCIAL WAY. THANK YOU. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL [4. Resolution approving Commissioner Perdue’s request to attend the National League of Cities, City Summit conference in Salt Lake City, Utah in November 2025] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THAT BRINGS US TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS RESOLUTION APPROVING COMMISSIONER PERDUE'S REQUEST TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES CONFERENCE IN SALT LAKE IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR. AND JUST SO THAT MY COLLEAGUES KNOW, I INTEND TO ASK TO GO TO THAT, TOO. AND I INTEND TO ATTEND. BUT I HAVEN'T MADE THE REQUEST YET. SO ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? SO MOVED. SUPPORT. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. NOW I'M GOING TO GO OUT OF ORDER AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW IF OUR PRIDE CENTER REPRESENTATIVE IS HERE YET. NOT [1. Updates on Grand Rapids Land Bank] JUST YET. THEN IF I COULD, I'M GOING TO KICK THIS THE NEXT. WE'RE GOING TO KICK OVER TO A BRIEFING. AND CITY MANAGER, YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS? WE'RE GOING TO DO A BRIEFING ON THE UPDATE ON THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK. THANK YOU. MAYOR. THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD BOTH AT SPECIAL WORK SESSIONS, EVEN IN THE BUDGET PROCESS ON THE CHANGING OF THE LAND BANK, WHICH IS NOW UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MANY OF THE MEMBERS ON THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY, AND MISS BEHRENS HAS BEEN LEAD IN MAKING THIS TRANSITION AND WOULD LIKE TO LEAD US IN AN UPDATE. AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THE ACTION THAT'S ON THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. AND STANDING IN FOR SARAH, WHO IS AT A CONFERENCE THIS MORNING. SO JUST QUICKLY, THE ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA FOR ACTION TODAY IS AN UPDATE TO THE AGREEMENT INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT THAT WAS SIGNED A FEW AUTHORIZED A FEW MONTHS AGO TO ALLOW THE CITY TO TAKE OVER THE LAND BANK PROPERTIES THAT HAD BEEN MANAGED BY THE STATE. THAT DOCUMENT LAID OUT SOME OF THE PARAMETERS, ONE OF WHICH WAS AROUND MEMBERSHIP. SO YOU'LL SEE THERE KIND OF THE BIG CHUNK OF TEXT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRAME IS THE NEW LANGUAGE. OLD LANGUAGE SAID THERE WOULD BE FIVE DIRECTORS, AND SO WE HAD TO UPDATE THAT TO SEVEN BASED ON COMMISSION DIRECTION. AS YOU CONSIDERED THE GOVERNANCE OF THE LOCAL LAND BANK. SO ORIGINALLY THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK WAS AUTHORIZED UNDER SUBSECTION B, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION THAT APPOINTED THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD TO BE THE BOARD OF THE LOCAL LAND BANK. IN MARCH. YOU DIRECTED A TRANSITION FROM THAT START UP BOARD TO A PERMANENT BOARD. SEPARATELY APPOINTED OFFICIALS, THAT WOULD BE A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD. SO WE NEEDED THAT CHANGE IN THE STATE AGREEMENT. SO THAT IS WHAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU AUTHORIZING AN AMENDMENT TO THAT INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT. JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BY THE START UP BOARD. I GUESS WE COULD CALL IT A STARTUP BOARD. SO AND THEY ARE GETTING CONTINUING TO GET SOME OF THE FOUNDATIONAL PIECES IN PLACE. SO AS WE TOOK OVER THE PORTFOLIO OF SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 90 PROPERTIES, WE NEEDED TO FIND WAYS TO BOTH MAINTAIN THOSE PROPERTIES AND TO ADVERTISE AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PROPERTIES, HOW TO APPLY FOR THOSE. SO A NUMBER OF STEPS HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE STARTUP BOARD, INCLUDING A CONTRACT FOR LISTING SERVICES, MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND LEGAL SERVICES. WE ALSO HAVE CREATED A WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN NOW FIND FROM THE CITY'S WEB PAGE THAT HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT EACH OF THE PROPERTIES, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO CREATE A PROFILE AND THEN SUBMIT YOUR INTEREST IN ANY PARTICULAR PROPERTY. WE ARE ALSO GOING THROUGH THE STEP OF MAKING IT MORE TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC, AND TO ESPECIALLY [00:10:04] ADJACENT NEIGHBORS. WHO OWNS THOSE LOTS IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES WITH THEM. SO WE'RE BOTH POSTING SIGNS ON SOME OF THE LOTS AND SENDING CARDS TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS. IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED THAT WE ARE THE OWNERS, AND TO LET US KNOW. JUST A SNAPSHOT HERE, A SCREENSHOT HERE OF THE WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EACH OF THE PROPERTIES. SO THE WEBSITE IS THERE, BUT YOU CAN ALSO FIND IT IF YOU SEARCH FOR LOCAL LAND BANK ON OUR CITY WEBSITE. AND IT HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTIES AND SOME PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ABOUT THE ZONING AND THE BUILD ABILITY AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PROPERTY. SO AGAIN, ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO TAKE A LOOK. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE BUDGET ADOPTION, BUT THE START UP BOARD DID ALSO PROPOSE A BUDGET WHICH THE COMMISSION APPROVED. AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, WE ANTICIPATE TO CONTINUE TO BE FOCUSED ON THE BIG PICTURE OBJECTIVE OF FINDING WAYS FOR THESE PROPERTIES TO BE PRODUCTIVE. AND PRODUCTIVE FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY ARE A PART OF, AND BENEFIT FOLKS ALREADY LIVING IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. WE EXPECT THAT TO MEAN THAT WE CONTINUE TO FIND OUT INFORMATION AND PUBLICIZE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PORTFOLIO, THAT WE CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLICY INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND HOW WE'RE MANAGING THOSE PROPERTIES. I THINK, AS I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, REALLY FOCUSING IN ON THE DISPOSITION POLICY. SO WE ALREADY HAVE 90 PLUS PROPERTIES, 96 PROPERTIES. WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES FOR GETTING THOSE OUT INTO PRODUCTIVE USE? AND THE START UP BOARD HAS ADOPTED A DISPOSITION POLICY AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT BOARD AND ALIGN THAT BOARD'S MISSION WITH OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES OF THE CITY COMMISSION, THEN THEY CAN START DEVELOPING AN ACQUISITION STRATEGY THAT, AS I'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, TENDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTROVERSIAL. AND SO REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE GOOD ALIGNMENT WITH THE VISION AND MISSION OF THE CITY OVERALL AND THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN. AS WE CONTEMPLATE THOSE KINDS OF ADDITIONAL POLICIES, WHICH THE NEW BOARD WILL TAKE OVER, AND THEN CONTINUING TO EXPAND ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND THE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED, INCLUDING AT YOUR NEXT COMMISSION NIGHT OUT. WE ANTICIPATE HAVING A TABLE THAT WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOCAL LAND BANK AND THE LAND BANK PROPERTIES. SO THAT IS IT. THAT'S JUST A LITTLE UPDATE. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES? COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANKS, MISS BEHRENS. THANKS FOR THIS UPDATE. AND I WANT TO AGAIN GIVE APPRECIATION TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND TO MR. DOUG BOOTH FOR THEIR WORK. THIS I KNOW IT'S BEEN ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT A LOT HAS HAPPENED AND JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH THIS BODY HERE OUR BROWNFIELD BODY AS WE WORK TO IDENTIFY THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR THE INDEPENDENT BODY, YOU KNOW, STILL COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THAT WORK AS WE GO INTO, YOU KNOW, MOST LIKELY IT MIGHT NOT BE TILL AUGUST AS WE WORK THROUGH THE APPOINTMENT. SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT PERSPECTIVE. AND I THINK MISS BEHRENS, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT MISS RENFRO WOULD BE SHARING THIS, BUT WE COULD GIVE THIS TO OUR BODY OF THE BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY SO THAT THEY CAN JUST HAVE A HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED HERE. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. AND I DON'T KNOW IF MY COLLEAGUES SAW, BUT ON OUR LITTLE BRIEFING, THE ONE THING YOU DIDN'T GET TO, PERHAPS, MISS BARON, WAS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH. COMING UP WITH INDIVIDUALS. OH, IT WASN'T ON THE BRIEFING. SORRY. I SAW NINE AND I GOT I GOT LOST, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON DISCUSSING FOLKS TO BE BE PART OF A SHIFTED BOARD. CORRECT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER PERDUE? GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE, FIRST OF ALL, AND HAPPY TO SEE PROGRESS BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. AS YOU KNOW, I'VE SHARED BEFORE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OUR ACQUISITION STRATEGY, OUR NORTH STAR IS REALLY OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO ME. AND I'M HEARING THAT THIS NEW BOARD WOULD TAKE THAT UP. SO REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE TAKING A MORE INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO BUILDING THAT. CAN YOU TALK THOUGH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN IN MAINTENANCE OF THE WEBSITE, WHAT FOLKS CAN EXPECT? AND I'M REALLY FLAGGING THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS CONVERSATION AROUND THE PROGRESS AROUND THIS, BUT A LOT OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WERE BEING ADVERTISED WERE NOT AVAILABLE ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT. AND SO IT REALLY CREATED A LOT OF SNAFUS FOR FOLKS WHO REALLY WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM. YEAH. SO IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO LET FOLKS KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE. SO IF FOLKS ARE FINDING PROBLEMS WITH THE WEBSITE, THIS IS A NEW PLATFORM. THE ONE THAT WE THAT I JUST SHOWED THE SCREENSHOT OF IS NEW, DIFFERENT THAN THE STATE LAND BANK PLATFORM. SO I'M NOT [00:15:05] SURE IF THOSE ISSUES WERE WITH THE STATE PLATFORM OR WITH OUR NEW PLATFORM, BUT CERTAINLY COMMUNICATE BACK TO US AND WE'LL MAKE SURE IT'S AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE. YEAH, I THINK IT WAS FOR OUR LOCAL ONE, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE SOME STAFF THAT THAT THAT SAW THE CHATTER ONLINE AND RESPONDED. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOME STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES THAT MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS MOST UP TO DATE FOR FOLKS. YEP. YES, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, SIR? OKAY. SEEING NO ONE ELSE. THANK YOU. AND I THINK I WILL MOVE US [5. Resolution Approving a First Amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement with the State Land Bank Authority and the City of Grand Rapids to modify the Grand Rapids Land Bank Board Authority composition] BACKWARDS TO THE RESOLUTION ON THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS OUR ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE RESOLUTION APPROVING A FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT, IF I MAY, THE PRIDE CENTER IS HERE. GREAT. IF WE CAN MOVE. YEAH. WE'RE JUST GOING TO VOTE THIS OUT ON THIS FIRST. OKAY. THE BRIEFING ON THIS AND THEN WE'LL OKAY. THANK YOU THOUGH. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE LAND BANK AUTHORITY AND CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS TO MODIFY THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY COMPOSITION. SO MOVED. SUPPORT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. AND THAT BRINGS US BACK TO ITEM [1. Pride Month Proclamation] NUMBER ONE, WHICH WAS OUR PRIDE MONTH PROCLAMATION. AND I'D LIKE TO GO TO THE DAIS AND BE JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE, COMMISSIONER KILGORE AND BRANDON DAVIS FROM OUR OFFICE OF INCLUSION AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PRIDE CENTER. FOR. NOT. COMMISSIONERS AND PUBLIC. WHERE IS GRAND RAPIDS IS DEDICATED TO FOSTERING A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE TWO LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS THE CITY COMMISSION, CITY'S COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND FAIRNESS EXTENDS TO ALL CITIZENS REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, OR GENDER EXPRESSION. AND WHEREAS THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF TWO SPIRIT LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER AND ALL OTHER RELATED INDIVIDUALS ARE VITAL TO THE RICH CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL FABRIC OF GRAND RAPIDS, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE, FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION, AND ARE ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR OF HARASSMENT. AND WHEREAS WHILE THE TWO LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS, THERE REMAINS ONGOING WORK TO ENSURE TRUE EQUITY, INCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS THIRD WARD COMMISSIONER MARSHALL KILGORE WAS ELECTED IN NOVEMBER 2024 AND HOLDS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, WHO IS OPENLY PART OF THE TWO SL GTK+ COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS, THE GRAND RAPIDS PRIDE CENTER HAS INDICATED THAT THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S PRIDE MONTH, BREAK FREE SERVES AS A POWERFUL REMINDER THAT INDIVIDUALS DO NOT REQUIRE PERMISSION TO EXIST, THRIVE, AND LOVE AUTHENTICALLY. IT'S A DECLARATION AGAINST SILENCE IN THE FACE OF DISENFRANCHISEMENT AND ERASURE, AND A COMMITMENT TO CREATING SPACES WHERE JOY AND RESISTANCE FLOURISH THROUGHOUT GRAND RAPIDS. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID LEGRAND, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 2025 AS TWO LGBTQ PLUS PRIDE MONTH IN GRAND RAPIDS AND URGE ALL RESIDENTS TO JOIN IN CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING OUR DYNAMIC TWO SL AND GTK+ COMMUNITY. YOU ALL WANT TO COME UP FOR A PICTURE. I'LL DO IT FROM DOWN HERE. OKAY. DO YOU WANT TO HAVE REMARKS? YEAH. NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. HI. NICE TO SEE YOU. WE INVITE THE. REPRESENTATIVE FOR FIVE YARDS. WELL, MAYOR, WE DO ALSO WANT TO THANK. SURE. WE DO ALSO WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE THANK PRIDE YEAR, WHICH IS AN EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP HERE AT THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS THAT DOES AMAZING WORK IN OUR ORGANIZATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY ARE NOT ONLY REPRESENTED, BUT THEY'RE ADVOCATED FOR, AND THEY HOLD THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE IN THAT SPACE. ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK OF THE PRIDE CENTER AND THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH THEM THAT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE THIS GREAT WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AS WELL. I'M SURE Y'ALL. YEAH, RIGHT. KELSEY, [00:20:06] PLEASE. THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MOTION TO GO TO CLOSED SESSION. YEP. YEP YEP. OH, NO. ARE YOU. NO. HE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T FORGET. AND THAT BRINGS US TO OUR LAST ITEM OF BUSINESS. IF I MAY HAVE A POINT OF. OH, I'M SORRY. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. COMMISSIONER KILGORE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. FIRST OFF, THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR LETTING ME SHARE A FEW THOUGHTS ON PRIDE MONTH AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE GRAND RAPIDS PRIDE CENTER FOR JOINING US TODAY, AND THE AMAZING WORK YOU ALL HAVE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1988. PRIDE MONTH STARTED WITH A RIOT AND IS NOW MORE THAN EVER. WE KNOW IT SERVES AS A PROTEST AND A STRONG REBUKE OF HOMOPHOBIA, HATRED AND PREJUDICE IN OUR NATION. JUNE HOLDS A SPECIAL MEANING FOR US AS IT MARKS THE ANNIVERSARY OF STONEWALL, THE STONEWALL UPRISING ON JUNE 28TH, 1969, WHICH WAS A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN THE FIGHT FOR LGBTQ PLUS RIGHTS. THE FIRST PRIDE MARCH TOOK PLACE IN 1970, AND IT WASN'T UNTIL 1999 THAT PRIDE MONTH WAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED. DESPITE THE THEN MAYOR'S REFUSAL HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS TO SUPPORT THE CITY'S FIRST PRIDE. IT WAS A SMALL BUT MIGHTY GATHERING AT THE MONROE AMPHITHEATER, NOW KNOWN AS ROSA PARKS CIRCLE. OVER THE YEARS, THANKS TO THE GRAND RAPIDS PRIDE CENTER, OUR PRIDE CELEBRATION HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE CITY'S BIGGEST EVENTS, SHOWCASING THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF OUR LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND THEIR ALLIES. AS THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ PLUS MEMBER OF OUR CITY COMMISSION, I BRING OUR SHARED EXPERIENCES INTO EVERY DECISION I MAKE, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION AND ORDINANCES TO ENSURE EVERYONE CAN LIVE FREELY. OUR WORK IS FAR FROM OVER. WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR TRANS NEIGHBORS WHO ARE BEING TARGETED AND MISTREATED DAILY, IGNORING THE HATE AND DISCRIMINATION THAT PERSISTS IN OUR NATION IS NOT AN OPTION. TOGETHER, WE MUST RAISE OUR VOICES AGAINST INJUSTICE AND ENSURE OUR LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND ALL GRAND RAPIDS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A SAFE AND WELCOMING PLACE HERE IN OUR CITY. REMEMBER, YOU MATTER AND YOU ARE LOVED. AND AGAIN, HAPPY PRIDE MONTH EVERYONE! THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. THAT BRINGS US TO THE FINAL ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. AND I'LL HAND THIS OFF TO THE CITY MANAGER ALSO, I BELIEVE. WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE LUKE [2. Update on Grand Rapids Anniversary Celebration (GR175) and Community Initiative to Commemorate the U.S. Declaration of Independence (A250)] CANFIELD, MAYBE NOT. LUKE MAYOR, WE HAVE NO THANK YOU. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO'S GOING TO HELP US WITH THIS PRESENTATION TODAY. BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN, LET ME JUST THANK ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE ABLE TO COME OUT THIS PAST WEEKEND AND HELP US CELEBRATE OUR 175TH ANNIVERSARY. IT WAS A GREAT DAY, WELL ATTENDED, AND WE'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT HERE SHORTLY. BUT I DO WANT TO ALSO THANK ALL THE STAFF THAT WAS ABLE TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE. WE HAD JUST ABOUT EVERY DEPARTMENT REPRESENTED, LOTS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE THAT I'D LIKE TO ESPECIALLY RECOGNIZE BEFORE THIS BRIEFING, AND YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM AT LEAST TWO OF THEM. ONE IS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER DOUG MATTHEWS, WHO PULLED MY COAT ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WERE FORMULATING THE BUDGET FOR 2025, INDICATING WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOME FUNDING IN AN EFFORT TO CELEBRATE OUR 175TH ANNIVERSARY. AND THEN SECONDLY, TO LUKE CANFIELD, WHO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL ON HELPING US FOCUS NOT ONLY ON 175TH FOR GRAND RAPIDS, BUT THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY FOR AMERICA, WHICH OUR MAYOR IS ALSO CO-CHAIRING. THAT EFFORT, WHICH WILL CELEBRATE. AND I THINK WE STARTED SOMETHING BECAUSE I WAS SPEAKING TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. NOW KENT COUNTY IS GOING TO CELEBRATE. I THINK THEY WERE FOUNDED IN 1836. SO WHATEVER YEAR THAT IS, NEXT YEAR IN 2026, THEY TOO WILL HAVE A SOME TYPE OF CELEBRATION THAT I ANTICIPATE. SO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. BUT I DO WANT TO SPECIFICALLY RECOGNIZE MISS PITTMAN, WHO WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN QUARTERBACKING A LOT OF THE EVENTS THIS WEEKEND. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, FOR YOUR [00:25:01] HELP. SO WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. MATTHEWS FIRST ON 175 AND THEN MR. CANFIELD. THANK YOU, SIR. AND FULL DISCLOSURE, MISS PITTMAN MAY HAVE TUGGED AT MY COAT BEFORE I TUGGED AT YOUR COAT. EVERYONE NEEDS A TUGGER. THAT'S RIGHT. AND WHO NEEDS AN EXCUSE TO THROW A PARTY? RIGHT. SO, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TECHNICALLY, MAY 2ND, 2025 IS THE DAY THAT THE CITY BECAME A CITY. SO THAT WAS THAT WAS THE 150TH, 175TH ANNIVERSARY. GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAD TO REALLY USE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO KICK OFF THE SUMMER, WE HELD THAT EVENT ON SATURDAY, AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, ON JULY 4TH OF 26 WILL BE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE US DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. SO I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT 175 HERE. I'M PROBABLY GOING TO INVITE MISS PITTMAN UP TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AS WELL. AND JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR APPROACH ON THIS. YES, WE DID MAKE A CASE THAT WE NEEDED TO PUT SOME PUT SOME MONEY ASIDE. AS YOU ALL KNOW, HAVING JUST GONE THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T GET AS MUCH AS YOU HOPE FOR WHICH WHICH NECESSITATED SOME CREATIVITY ON OUR PART. THAT ACTUALLY HAS RESULTED IN SOME PRETTY INTERESTING CONCEPTS FOR OUR CELEBRATION. WE DID THIS IN COORDINATION WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE AMERICA 250 COMMUNITY. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DECIDED TO DO, WHICH IS FAIRLY UNUSUAL, IS RATHER THAN DECIDE THAT THIS WAS REALLY, REALLY A PARTY FOR US, THIS IS REALLY A CELEBRATION OF THE COMMUNITY. THE CITY GOVERNMENT IS AN INSTITUTION THAT WAS CREATED BY THE COMMUNITY, SO WE FELT LIKE IT WAS RATHER SELFISH FOR US TO THEN CLAIM THE BIRTHDAY AS OUR OWN. THAT STARTED WITH THE BRANDING. WE WORKED WITH A LOCAL ARTIST TO DEVELOP ALL THE BRANDING AROUND THE 175TH, AND THEN WE TOOK ALL OF THOSE LOGOS, AND WE PUBLISHED THEM WITH A CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE AND INVITED THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO USE THEM HOWEVER THEY WANT. THAT WAS IN RECOGNITION OF THE FACT, NUMBER ONE, THAT WE DON'T RUN RESTAURANTS, WE DON'T HAVE RETAIL STORES. WE SHOULDN'T BE MAKING DECISIONS ON HOW THEY MIGHT WANT TO UTILIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. AND NUMBER TWO, WE'RE ALSO NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF MERCHANDIZING. SO THIS GIVES ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WHO MIGHT WANT TO CREATE MERCHANDISE UTILIZING THESE LOGOS A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT, WHICH WE FELT LIKE WAS ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS BELONGS TO THE COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST TO US. SO THAT SHARED BRANDING IS AVAILABLE ON OUR PARTNER WEBSITE WITH EXPERIENCE. GRAND RAPIDS THERE'S ALSO A SHARED CALENDAR THERE WHERE ANY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, ANY BUSINESS, CAN POST THEIR OWN EVENTS THAT MIGHT BE TIED BACK TO THE 175TH. WE THEN INVESTED IN ALL THE PROMOTIONS FOR 175 AND FOR THE EVENT. AND AS I MENTIONED, ALL OF THESE THINGS CAN BE USED BY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY LITERALLY IN ANY WAY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE. SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO THE PARTY PLANNER IN CHIEF TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY. I'M THANKFUL THAT THERE'S NO PICTURES OF ME. NO EVIDENCE OF WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY. I ONE THING I CAN SAY IS THAT SPENDING AN HOUR IN A DUNK TANK IS FAR MORE PHYSICALLY DEMANDING THAN YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S FREEZING COLD WATER. SO, YVETTE, COME ON UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DOUG AND I DO HAVE A PHOTO IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN SEEING DOUG IN THE DUNK TANK. WELL, AS DOUG SAID, WE REALLY HAD AN EXCITING SATURDAY AS A COMMUNITY WHERE WE HAD SO MANY FOLKS COME OUT. WE'RE WAITING FOR THE NUMBERS STILL OF HOW MANY FOLKS WERE THERE AT THE BIRTHDAY PARTY TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY, THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, WE HAD ABOUT 40 COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO VOLUNTEERED, VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME. THEY BROUGHT GIVEAWAYS. THEY BROUGHT GAMES TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, AND WE HAD ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE REPRESENTED AT THE EVENT AS WELL. WE HAD VEHICLES FOR FOLKS TO EXPLORE VEHICLES AND GET THROUGH AND TOUCH AND PULL THE LEVERS, BUT WE ALSO HAD FIREMEN OUT THERE GRILLING HOT DOGS, AND WE HAD THE WATER DEPARTMENT WITH THE DUNK TANK, AND WE HAD SO MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS, HR WITH THE JEOPARDY BOOTH THAT REALLY CAME OUT AND CAME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE OUR 175TH, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS, CONSUMERS ENERGY. MEYER WOOD TV 890 8.7 [00:30:03] THE GRAND VICINITY ENERGY, AND OF COURSE, SO MANY OTHERS WHO GAVE OF THEIR TIME, GAVE OF THEIR MONEY JUST BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. BUT I, I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT WE'RE NOT DONE YET. RIGHT. SO THE 1/75 IS GOING TO CONTINUE ON. THANK YOU DOUG. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE A TRAVELING EXHIBIT THAT YOU CAN SEE NOW RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL. IT IS ON THE OTTAWA LEVEL. THERE ARE TEN BANNERS THAT DEPICT 175 IMAGES FROM 175 YEARS. THOSE BANNERS WILL BE TRAVELING THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. SO IF YOU KNOW OF A BUSINESS OR AN ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT BANNER, JUST HAVE THEM REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE AND I'LL GET THEM SET UP WITH OUR ARCHIVIST AND WE WILL GET THEM ON THE SCHEDULE. BUT RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, IT'S ON THE OTTAWA LEVEL OF CITY HALL. SO I INVITE EVERYONE AS YOU LEAVE TODAY, MAKE SURE YOU GO CHECK OUT THE BANNER. IT'S REALLY INFORMATIVE. THERE'S A QR CODE WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE. WE ALSO HAVE A POSTER CONTEST THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW WHERE WE WERE MAKING A COMMEMORATIVE POSTER. SO JUST LIKE YOU SEE THE POSTERS DOWN ON THE MONROE LEVEL, WHEN YOU WALK IN WITH FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, WE WILL HAVE A POSTER DEPICTING THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY. THERE IS A BEER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KCAD AND THE BEER CITY BREWERS GUILD THAT WILL BE RELEASED. IT'S A COMMEMORATIVE BEER THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN BARS ON TAP, AND SO LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. AND THEN THERE'S LOTS OF TIE INS WITH SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO WE HAVE SOME WINDOW CLEANINGS THAT IF A BUSINESS WOULD LIKE A WINDOW CLEANING, THEY CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE AND WE CAN GET THEM A WINDOW CLEANER PUT UP. WE ALSO HAVE A SCAVENGER HUNT AND AN ONLINE WALKING TOUR THAT WILL BE STARTING IN JULY. AND THEN THERE'S SOME DESIGNATED SELFIE SPOTS IN FRONT OF SOME OF OUR LANDMARKS AND ICONIC IMAGES. HERE IN THE CITY, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER, WHERE WE WILL BE HOSTING A BUSINESS WEEK THAT WILL BE COMING UP IN AUGUST, WHERE BUSINESSES WILL BE OFFERING ALL KINDS OF 175 SPECIALS TO KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING. AND THEN WE'RE WORKING WITH ARTPRIZE, WHERE WE WILL HAVE SOME ACTIVATIONS GOING ON, SPECIFICALLY CONNECTED TO 175. SO AGAIN, THE PARTY WAS JUST THE KICKOFF. THERE'S SO MUCH MORE COMING. IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT OUR OFFICE ON. MY EMAIL IS EPIC AT GRAND RAPIDS, MI, US. GIVE ME AN EMAIL AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN INCORPORATE INTO THE CELEBRATION. BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK HANDING OUT 2000 CUPCAKES. THAT WAS NO SMALL FEAT AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT AND I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT WE DO HAVE BIRTHDAY CAKE IN THE BREAK ROOM WHEN WE GET DONE RIGHT NOW, HAND IT OVER TO LOU. THANK YOU DOUG. SO THE NEXT SECTION OF THE PRESENTATION IS ABOUT A PROSPECTIVE CELEBRATION. SO THIS IS ABOUT WHAT WILL OCCUR NEXT YEAR ON JULY 4TH WHEN WE MARK THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. AND I WAS REFLECTING ON 250, WHICH CAN SEEM LIKE A BIG NUMBER, BUT WE ARE A YOUNG COUNTRY. 250 YEARS AGO, THE PEOPLE OF THE THREE FIRES LIVED HERE. 75 YEARS AFTER THAT, GRAND RAPIDS WAS FOUNDED. AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS IN PERSONAL TERMS. FOR THOSE OF US WHO STILL HAVE OLDER PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE WITH US, MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN ALIVE FOR A THIRD OF THE EXISTENCE OF THIS COUNTRY AS THE UNITED STATES. AND FOR MYSELF, 20%, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A LOT LIKE TIME. TIME PASSES. BUT BUT WE CAN CELEBRATE WHAT WE REMEMBER AND WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS AND RELATIVES REMEMBER, WHICH IS PART OF OUR HISTORY, ALONG WITH WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN SCHOOL, WHICH IS ALSO PART OF OUR HISTORY, WE WANT TO DO BOTH. SO WE'VE THOUGHT IN TERMS OF SEVERAL THEMES, AND I'M PART OF A GROUP OF STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED TO WORK ON THIS. I'LL GET TO SOME OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE INITIATIVE IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. BUT WE'VE THOUGHT IN TERMS OF ONE OF THE THEMES OF HONORING OUR PAST, INSPIRING OUR FUTURE. SO WE KNOW LOTS OF AMERICANS ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR COUNTRY. AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT CELEBRATING IT. THERE'S A LOT TO CELEBRATE, AND PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT CRITICIZING IT. AND THERE CERTAINLY ARE VALID CRITICISMS. AND THIS IS NOT ABOUT HIDING ONE OR THE OTHER. BOTH ARE VALID. AND AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS, WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK TO AND THINK ABOUT BOTH. AND THIS PHOTO [00:35:05] IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE 50 YEARS AGO, WHEN WE CELEBRATED THE 200TH, OUR OWN GERALD FORD WAS PRESIDENT. AND I WILL NOT READ FROM ANY OF HIS REMARKS. ON JULY 4TH SEVEN, 1976. BUT IT'S A GOOD SPEECH AND HE GETS INTO SOME OF THE CELEBRATION AND THE CRITICISM AND CALL TO ACTION. SO IT'S EASY TO FIND ONLINE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED. AND I THINK IT'S SPECIAL THAT HE WAS HE WAS PRESIDENT WHEN WE DID THIS LAST. SO THIS IS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF COURSE, ALL CENTERED AROUND NEXT JULY 4TH, WHICH WILL BE A SATURDAY. SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE SATURDAY FIREWORKS. WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, JULY 4TH, FIREWORKS ON A TUESDAY OR EXCUSE ME, JULY 4TH ON A TUESDAY AND THE FIREWORKS ON A SATURDAY. SO IT WILL ACTUALLY BE ON THE DAY. AND THERE WILL CERTAINLY BE NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE PART OF THIS NATIONAL ARCHIVES. THE FORD MUSEUM IS PART OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. THEY'RE ONE OF THE PARTNERS IN THIS EFFORT. ENTITIES LIKE THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER, THIS IS ALSO A STATEWIDE INITIATIVE. SO YOU CAN SEE A QUOTE HERE FROM GOVERNOR WHITMER'S DESIGNATION OF SOME STATE LEVEL INSTITUTIONS AS THOSE WHO WILL BE THE OFFICIAL POINTS OF CONTACT FOR THE STATE'S COMMEMORATION. AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE APPROPRIATED SOME FUNDING, ACTUALLY $2 MILLION TOWARDS THIS IN RECENT BUDGET. IT'S BEING ADMINISTERED AS GRANTS IN A COUPLE ROUNDS, AND OUR GROUP DID APPLY FOR SOME OF THAT. AND WE WILL HAVE SOMETHING FUN TO ANNOUNCE IN THE FUTURE. WE WE'RE SURE THAT WE WILL WILL BE ABLE TO TAP SOME OF THOSE FUNDS. IN TERMS OF LOCAL EMPHASIS, WE'VE ALSO TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN. SO YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO LOCALLY AFFECTS WHO WE BECOME NATIONALLY. AND AS WE MOVE TOWARD BECOMING THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY THAT'S DEFINED IN THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN, THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR NATION. AND IT'S ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT WE ARE CHOOSING TO HEAD IN AS PART OF IT. SO WE DO WANT TO TIE TO THOSE KIND OF LOCAL EFFORTS AN IMPORTANT CONCEPT. THIS IS ABOUT OUR NATION'S PRINCIPLES. IT'S NOT ABOUT AND I'M GOING TO ADD THE WORD PARTIZAN POLITICS. IT'S NOT ABOUT PARTIZAN POLITICS. THIS IS ABOUT OUR PRINCIPLES AS A AS A NATION AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO CELEBRATE DURING WHAT IS A FRAUGHT TIME. WE KNOW. SO THE PRINCIPLES THAT OUR STEERING COMMITTEE HAS ZEROED IN ON ARE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, PEOPLE, PURPOSE AND PROGRESS. SO PEOPLE THINK OF CONCEPTS LIKE DIGNITY, EQUALITY, FREEDOM, VALUING PEOPLE, KNOWING THAT WE'RE BETTER IN COMMUNITY. AND WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR TALENTS AND HELP OUR NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME PURPOSE. FROM THE DECLARATION LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. WE DO HAVE MANY SHARED IDEALS AND THERE STILL ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SUCCEED IN THIS COUNTRY AND THEN PROGRESS WHERE WE ARE TODAY. WHERE WE'VE BEEN, DOESN'T HAVE TO DEFINE WHERE WE ARE A GENERATION FROM NOW. SO HOW CAN WE TAKE ACTION TODAY, INCLUDING THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING LOCALLY TO CREATE A MORE PERFECT UNION, THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE HAVE SO FAR, WHICH REALLY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, IS IT'S A STEERING COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEE MODEL. SO WE HAVE A STEERING COMMITTEE THAT'S CO-CHAIRED BY MAYOR LEGRAND. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR DOING THAT. AND CITY MANAGER WASHINGTON, AS A MEMBER OF IT, AS OUR ROUGHLY 20 OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND THEY'VE HAD A CENTRAL ROLE IN DEFINING THOSE THREE PILLARS. THE PRINCIPLES THAT I SPOKE ABOUT A MOMENT AGO. AND THEN WE HAVE THESE SUBCOMMITTEES, AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE TODD KRAUSS. TODD, WILL YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? SO TODD IS THE LEAD STAFF PERSON HELPING ALL OF THESE SUBCOMMITTEES? AND THERE ARE THERE ARE ABOUT 20 OF THEM TO GET ORGANIZED, GET STAFFED, FIGURE OUT THEIR WORK PLANS. THAT'S A LOT OF WORK TO WORK WITH 20 SUBCOMMITTEES. SO I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO HIM FOR DOING THAT. I SEE WHAT HE'S DOING BEHIND THE SCENES. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE SUBCOMMITTEES, WE HAVE IN MIND SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY BROAD BASED IN TERMS OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT YEAR, WHICH WILL [00:40:04] REALLY BE A SPRING, SUMMER, FALL TYPE OF INITIATIVE. IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE JULY 4TH. AND SO IT'S EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, CIVIC, BUSINESS INVOLVES GOVERNMENT. I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT THE CITY COUNTY GOVERNMENT SUBCOMMITTEE, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AL VANDERBERG IS CO-CHAIRING THAT, ALONG WITH CITY MANAGER AND I AND OTHER STAFF ARE HELPING TO SUPPORT THAT. ALMOST TO THE END. SO WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON WHAT WE ARE HOPING THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS CAN THINK ABOUT CONTRIBUTING OVER TIME. SO WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING SOME OF THE TYPES OF THINGS I JUST MENTIONED, BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THINGS LIKE PROMOTION, EVENTS, LEARNING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, SERVICE PROMOTING CIVICS, AND THEN JUST CELEBRATING WHAT IS A MAJOR MILESTONE. SO THIS IS AN EARLY STAGE UPDATE. WE'LL HAVE MORE TO TELL YOU IN THE FUTURE. SEEMS LIKE COMPARED TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, WE'RE DOING PRETTY WELL, PROBABLY A LITTLE AHEAD OF THE CURVE. A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AND WHAT YOU CAN DO IS LET YOUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON. SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP BUILD SOME ENERGY AND MAYBE SOME INTEREST IN BEING PART OF THIS. AND WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH FUTURE UPDATES AS WARRANTED. THANK YOU. THANKS. AND I DO THINK I JUST WANT TO LEAN IN A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT MR. CANFIELD SAID. AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I'VE OFTEN BEEN SAYING RECENTLY THAT I THINK THAT THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT MAY MAKE OUR DEMOCRACY FAIL, WHICH IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT IT'S SOMETHING OUR FOUNDERS THOUGHT ABOUT IS SOMETHING. THE MINUTE WE STARTED MAKING THIS COUNTRY, WE STARTED WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER WE COULD HOLD IT TOGETHER, BECAUSE THIS IS WE HAVE A COUNTRY THAT'S FOUNDED AROUND AN IDEA, WHICH IS A REALLY STRANGE CONCEPT IN THE WORLD. MOST, MOST COUNTRIES JUST EXIST BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE BORN THERE AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, WELL, WE'RE FRENCH BECAUSE I'M FRENCH, BECAUSE MY ANCESTORS WERE FRENCH OR WHATEVER, BUT IDEAL BASED COUNTRY IS ALWAYS UNDER THREAT OF DISSOLUTION OF PEOPLE. STOP BELIEVING IN THE IDEALS OR STOP EVEN UNDERSTANDING OR CARING WHAT THOSE IDEALS ARE. SO THE TWO BIG THREATS THAT I SEE THAT I TALK ABOUT A LOT ARE. DISSOLUTION INTO TWO WARRING CAMPS THAT THROW ROCKS AT EACH OTHER AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO DISAGREE WITHOUT IMPUTING MALICE. AND SO I THINK HYPER PARTIZANSHIP IN AMERICA IS A HUGE, HUGE THREAT. AND THEN THE OTHER IS COLLAPSE IN TRUST IN GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS GENERALLY. AND ALL OF US UP HERE HAVE DEVOTED A LOT OF OUR LIVES TO TRYING TO MAKE GOVERNMENT TRUSTWORTHY. AND SO AS PROBABLY EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WHO WORKS FOR THE CITY IS PART OF THAT BROAD COMMITMENT TO MAKING GOVERNMENT WORTHY OF TRUST. BUT IT'S EASY IN ANY, ANY CIVILIZATION FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE GOVERNMENT IS THE OTHER, TO POINT FINGERS AT IT, TO FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT. BUT IN A DEMOCRACY, YOU DON'T GET TO DO THAT. WE ALL BOUGHT IT. WE ALL HAVE TO KEEP PARTICIPATING IN IT, AND WE ALL HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT IT HAS VALIDITY OR LACK OF VALIDITY, ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ENGAGE AND COMMIT OURSELVES TO IT. SO MOMENTS LIKE THIS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, AND I THINK PROBABLY THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME IN MOST FRAGILE TIME IN MY LIFETIME FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE UNITED STATES. AND SO THESE KINDS OF CELEBRATIONS, FRANKLY, FOR ME, ARE NOT PARTIES. THEY ARE MOMENTS FOR US TO RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO WHAT IS, FRANKLY, AN AMAZING EXPERIMENT AND TO A SORT OF A MIND BLOWING CONCEPT THAT WE WANT TO LIVE IN A SOCIETY. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS LOOPS BACK TO OUR PRIDE CELEBRATION MOMENT BECAUSE IT'S JUST A PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE, THIS SIMPLE, CRYSTALLIZING CONCEPT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS THAT WE WANT TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE EVERY SINGLE VOICE MATTERS, AND EVERY SINGLE VOICE GETS HEARD AND WAITED, AND THAT THIS IS NOT A COUNTRY WHERE WE SCALE PEOPLE ACCORDING TO CHARACTERISTICS OR ASSETS. BUT THIS THE INHERENT DIGNITY OF BEING A HUMAN BEING ON PLANET EARTH ALSO INCLUDES THE INHERENT DIGNITY OF BEING A HUMAN BEING IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND THAT'S A LOT OF WORK TO KEEP RECOMMITTING OURSELVES TO, BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO OTHER OTHER PEOPLE IS EASY WHEN YOU GET A LITTLE INFLUENCE. TO FEEL LIKE THAT MAKES YOU SPECIAL, AND THAT MEANS YOU SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT OR STRONGER VOICE THAN [00:45:02] ANYBODY ELSE. AND WE HAVE TO FIGHT THAT LITTLE VOICE IN OUR HEAD EVERY SINGLE DAY, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, AND COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE RADICAL EGALITARIANISM THAT AMERICA REALLY PROMISES TO EVERYONE. AND IT'S OUR JOB TO KEEP FULFILLING THAT PROMISE. SO SORRY FOR THE SOAPBOX, BUT THIS IS A PRETTY IMPORTANT ISSUE. AND SO I'M REALLY, REALLY GLAD THAT WE CAN LIFT UP THAT CONVERSATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CELEBRATION. SO THANK YOU, DOUG AND LOU FOR THAT. SUMMARY. AND WITH THAT, THAT IS THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. OH I'M SORRY COLLEAGUES. ANY ANY LAST MINUTE COMMENTS. OTHERWISE WE ALSO HAVE TO VOTE ON MOVING INTO CLOSED SESSION. SO YES, I DIDN'T BANG THE GAVEL. YEAH. COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU ALL FOR THOSE THOUGHTS. YOU KNOW, A MORNING FULL OF KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING LOCALLY. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING REALLY ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNTRY AS WELL. AND I KNOW THAT'S ON LOTS OF MINDS, BUT I DO WANT TO BRING IT BACK AND JUST SAY THANK YOU MYSELF. COMMISSIONER KILGORE. COMMISSIONER BELCHER, WE'RE ABLE TO I DON'T THINK WE PASSED OUT, YOU KNOW, 500 OF THE 2000 CUPCAKES OR MAYBE, MAYBE COMMISSIONER BELICHICK'S DAUGHTER DID. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. I KNOW A LOT WENT INTO THAT EVENT. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST SAW IT KIND OF AT THE TAIL END, THE BACK AND FORTH WITH THE SCRIPT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I REALLY APPRECIATED AND NOT ONLY THE CITY, BUT ALSO MR. RANIERI FOR BEING THERE AS PART OF THE GRAND RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS. I THINK WE CELEBRATE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE OVER THE LAST 175 YEARS. AND AS YOU SAID, LOU. MR. AS YOU AS YOU SAY, RECOGNIZE WHO WAS HERE BEFORE. AND I THINK THAT IS PART OF THE PROCESS, TOO, THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH OUR RIVER ACTIVATION AS WELL. AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY CRITICAL. WE CERTAINLY SEEN THAT WITH THE WITH THE START OF THE CONSTRUCTION WITH CANAL PARK AS WELL. AND RON AND OTHERS ARE REALLY ACTIVELY A PART OF THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN, PERSONALLY ON BEHALF OF THE HOPEFULLY ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION. SORRY, I'M SPEAKING FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I KNOW SATURDAY WAS A GOOD EVENT. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WEATHER AND I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF DETAILS. SO COLLEAGUES, IF YOU IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO GO, I KNOW COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, YOU WERE LIKE SERVING OUR COUNTRY. SO THAT WAS A PRETTY GOOD REASON TO MISS. BUT THERE WAS SOME GREAT SWAG. AND I THINK THAT THERE IS SUCH A PRIDE. LIKE, I KNOW, MAYBE YOU TELL PEOPLE, IT'S LIKE WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT HAVE PRIDE IN THIS PLACE THAT WE LIVE AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE, AND THAT A LOT OF THINGS HAVE COME OUT OF GRAND RAPIDS, A LOT OF FIRSTS AND JUST SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE DOING SO MANY GOOD THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO I HAVE MY SWAG. I'M HAPPILY WEARING IT. I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR IT AND SEE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE REPRODUCING. SO THANK YOU AGAIN TO YOU, YVETTE, AND TO CITY STAFF WHO WERE THERE WITH THE GLOVES AND EVERYTHING, JUST MAKING IT HAPPEN ON SATURDAY. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OTHERWISE I'LL JUST SAY THAT I HAD A LOT OF FUN. AND YES, MY TEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OUTLASTED ME. I DID ABOUT AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF OF CUPCAKES AND SHE WAS HAVING SO MUCH FUN. SHE DID ANOTHER HOUR ALL BY HERSELF. BUT I REALLY ENJOYED THE JEOPARDY AND THE HISTORY. SO AS WELL AS THE CAMARADERIE. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE CELEBRATIONS THAT CONTINUE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR AND ONWARD. GREAT. OKAY, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION OR HEAR A MOTION RATHER FOR MOVING INTO CLOSED SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING ONGOING LITIGATION. SO MOVED. SUPPORT. MISTER CLERK, IF YOU CALL THE ROLL COMMISSIONER. KILGORE. YES, COMMISSIONER. NIGHT. YES. ■COMMISSIONER. ROBIN'S. YES, COMMISSIONER. YES, COMMISSIONER. PURDUE. YES, COMMISSIONER. YES, MAYOR. YES. THAT MOVES * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.