Jul 15, 2025 Committee on Appointments Meeting

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. OUR FIRST MEETING OF JULY.

[00:00:02]

ALL RIGHT. WE JUST HAVE A FEW THINGS ON THE DOCKET HERE.

WE WILL START WITH A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CITY COMMISSION'S APPOINTMENT OF LUCAS DEER TO THE VITAL STREETS OVERSIGHT COMMISSION.

[1. Resolution approving the City Commission's appointment of Lucas Stier to the Vital Streets Oversight Commission.]

OH, WONDERFUL. YEAH. I REMEMBER WITH SERVING ON VITAL STREETS THAT WE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR THAT FOR A WHILE.

I DON'T THINK THEY APPRECIATED MY SUGGESTION OF A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD FIT.

OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES.

OH. EXCUSE ME. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

AND THAT BRINGS US TO OUR SECOND RESOLUTION CONFIRMING MAYOR LEGRAND'S APPOINTMENT OF JANELLE WRIGHT TO THE MOBILE GR COMMISSION.

[2. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Janelle Rai to the Mobile GR Commission]

[3. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Wesley Wilson to the Mobile GR Commission]

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

OUR FOURTH RESOLUTION IS RECOGNIZING GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S APPOINTMENT OF TODD HURLEY TO THE SMART ZONE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY BOARD.

[4. Resolution recognizing Grand Rapids Community College's appointment of Todd Hurley to the SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority Board]

ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE AYE AYE. THOSE OPPOSED.

MOTION CARRIES OUR LAST RESOLUTION HERE CONFIRMING MAYOR LEGRAND'S APPOINTMENT OF CARA GATES TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT

[5. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Kara Gates to the Economic Development Corporation and Brownfield Redevelopment Authority]

ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. AND NOW WE'LL LOOK THROUGH. HAVE A LITTLE DISCUSSION ON OUR CURRENT BOARD AND COMMISSION VACANCY LIST.

[6. Discussion on the current Board and Commission Vacancy List - July 15, 2025]

WE WILL BE MEETING THE MAYOR OR. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS COMMUNICATED WITH YOU, BUT THE MAYOR WILL BE OFF ON THE ORIGINAL DATE THAT WE WILL BE MOVING THAT UP.

SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE MEETING THIS MONTH TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE VACANCIES THAT ARE MAYORAL APPOINTMENTS.

AND ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON OUR VACANCIES? MISS BAKER? NO. WE NEXT, NEXT MEETINGS VACANCY LIST WILL BE A LITTLE MORE FULL BECAUSE I'M GOING TO ADD THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY IN THERE.

WE'RE HOPING STILL OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL MAKE THOSE APPOINTMENTS AT THE NEXT MEETING. THERE'S SOME EXTRA STEPS AT THE STATE AND COUNTY LEVEL JUST TO KEEP THINGS MOVING.

AND SO IT MIGHT STILL BE AUGUST, BUT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR THE END OF JULY.

AND THEN I AM ALSO WORKING OUT THE URBAN AG AND JUST MEETING WITH LIAISONS AND FILLING IN SOME OF THE GAPS OF WHERE VACANCIES ARE AND SO THE THE LIST MIGHT BE GROWING, BUT WE'RE STILL MAKING PROGRESS.

AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.

COLLEAGUES. QUESTIONS. CONCERNS. YES, COMMISSIONER S.A.C., I THINK THIS IS JUST A A SMALL MINOR ADMINISTRATIVE THING, BUT I SAW MISS CLAYPOOL WALK IN AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHEN WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO LEAVES THAT IS A LIAISON FROM THE ORGANIZATION.

IT USUALLY ENDS UP BEING THE INTERIM PERSON WHO MIGHT BE HELPING THEM.

BUT ARE THERE ANY CASES WHERE THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE? OR IS IT PRETTY MUCH IT'S CLEAR THAT MAYBE AN INTERIM SAY, AN A DIRECTOR OR MANAGING DIRECTOR ROLE WOULD TAKE OVER? JUST I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO MISS ANY OF THOSE.

I IN THIS SITUATION, MISS CLAYPOOL AND I MET YESTERDAY, AND WE SO IT'S ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF? YES. OKAY. WE'RE WORKING AT IT. WONDERFUL. I THINK WE'RE GOOD, MISS BOJACK, BUT I THINK IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT HAPPEN. THE THE LIAISON PIECE IS, IS JUST ONE ASPECT OF ANY OF THE ROLES.

BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL WHEN THOSE CHANGES HAPPEN. THANK YOU. YEAH, YEAH, WE'RE WORKING ON IT. AND I THINK BETWEEN THE SUPPORT STAFF AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WORK OUT WHO I SHOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH OR WHO IS IS TAKING OVER.

OKAY. ALSO AT THE NEXT OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE A COMMISSION NIGHT OUT IN THE THIRD WARD, I BELIEVE.

OKAY, I WAS RIGHT ABOUT THAT. AND THE THIRD WARD.

AND SO TYPICALLY THOSE ARE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AGENDA, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T FINALIZE THAT AGENDA QUITE YET, BUT I THINK THAT IS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME TO TALK TO INDIVIDUALS ABOUT YOU KNOW, SERVING.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED AN ACTUAL TABLE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE MILL ABOUT AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD HAVE JUST EVEN A HANDOUT THAT'S AT ONE OF THE TABLES.

MAYBE IT'S A CHECK AND TABLE IS LIKE, CHECK OUT THE VACANCIES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT TIME WISELY.

[00:05:04]

COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, ALSO, I GOT NOTHING. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THAT WAS QUICK.

WE WILL ADJOURN THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS AT 8:05 A.M..

ENJOY YOUR MORNING. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.