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GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL START THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS. RIGHT NOW. ALL RIGHT. OUR FIRST MEETING OF A VERY BUSY DAY. LET'S ROLL RIGHT INTO OUR
[1. Resolution confirming the Mayoral appointment of David LaGrand to the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority]
AGENDA. ALL RIGHT. OUR FIRST ITEM HERE IS A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE MAYORAL APPOINTMENT OF DAVID LEGRAND TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO MOVED. MR. CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT I AM NOT GOING TO BE SUPPORTING THIS TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO POSTPONE. WHEN WE MET, SORT OF AT THE BEGINNING OF ALL OF THIS, FOR THE LAND BANK, WE WERE, IT WAS SHARED THAT WE WOULD HAVE A FULL SLATE. THERE'S SIX NAMES HERE, AND SO THERE'S ONE MISSING NAME. SO I THINK FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE TOTALITY OF WHO IS ON THE BOARD IS REALLY IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE FEMALE REPRESENTATION. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE BOARD IS GOOD, BUT IT'S FOR ME TO KNOW WHO THAT FINAL NAME WOULD BE IMPORTANT. I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION. WE DON'T TYPICALLY PUT PEOPLE'S NAMES OUT HERE ON COMMITTEE OF APPOINTMENTS, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO THAT INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT BE VETTED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, FINANCIAL OR JUST, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. SO I'M NOT EXPECTING THE MAYOR TO SHARE THAT, BUT I WOULD ASK THAT WE POSTPONE THESE APPOINTMENTS UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING WHEN WE CAN HAVE THAT FINAL CANDIDATES, WE CAN SEE WHAT THE FULL SLATE LOOKS LIKE. SO I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER. MR. CHAIR, I DIDN'T MAKE A MOTION, BUT I WANTED TO EXPLAIN WHY I WASN'T SECONDING THE MOVE THAT COMMISSIONER ROBBINS MADE. SURE.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. SO, COMMISSIONERS, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE MAYOR AS CHAIR OF APPOINTMENTS ABOUT THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY AND THE NAME THAT HE'S HOPING WILL MOVE THROUGH VETTING HERE SOON IS TAMI VANDENBERG, ANOTHER ADVOCATE IN THE HOUSING SPACE TO ALSO HELP WITH MAKING SURE WE HAVE MORE GENDER REPRESENTATION, MORE DIVERSE REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD AS A WHOLE. SHE'S BEEN IN THIS SPACE FOR MANY YEARS AND WORKED AT, WELL HOUSE. SO I THINK THAT THAT HELPS WITH THAT SORT OF FULL VIEW OF THE BOARD, AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT SEVENTH MEMBER ADDED AT NEXT MEETING. SO I'M OKAY WITH CONFIRMING THESE TODAY.
AND, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE? YEAH. NO, I HEAR MY COLLEAGUE'S CONCERNS, I THINK YEAH, I GUESS GOING INTO THIS, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THERE WAS ONE NAME MISSING. BUT I MEAN, TYPICALLY WHEN WE HAVE A BOARD, I KNOW THIS ONE'S NEW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL STILL PROCEED WITH APPOINTING INDIVIDUALS TO FILL AS MANY VACANCIES AS WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UNTIL IF, WHEN WE GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO, TO FULLY HAVE A BOARD REPRESENTED. SO I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE TO. YEAH. REGARDLESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO'S WILL BE FILLING THAT LAST APPOINTMENT SPOT, I'M, I'M OKAY WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE NAMES AND THEN FILLING THAT SEVENTH LATER JUST TO KEEP THE PROCESS MOVING. SO I THINK MY CONCERN, COLLEAGUES, IS THAT THAT COULD BE THE NAME THAT HE WANTS, BUT THAT PERSON, IS THAT PERSON FULLY VETTED? NO NOT YET.
THE INQUIRY JUST WENT OUT YESTERDAY. AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO HAVE VETTING COMPLETED IN THIS AMOUNT OF TIME. ABSOLUTELY. EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HAD SIX MONTHS TO TALK ABOUT THIS. AND WHEN THIS STARTED, THE MAYOR WAS VERY KEEN ON THIS BEING SET BEFORE THIS MEETING. SO I ON, ON SURFACE, HAVE NO ISSUE WITH MISS VANDENBERG. I WILL SAY THAT THERE ARE NO BLACK OR BROWN WOMEN WHEN I LOOK AT THIS BODY, AND THAT'S DISAPPOINTING TO ME WHEN WE KNOW THAT BLACK WOMEN IN PARTICULAR HAVE HAVE CARRIED A BURDEN OF HOUSING INSTABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO I'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH SUPPORTING THESE ONES TODAY. BUT I WOULD ASK THAT THE MAYOR RECONSIDER THAT FINAL ONE. SURE. AND I THINK I'LL TALK AND I'LL SHARE THAT DIRECTLY. BUT I, I HAD NOT I HAD NOT HEARD THAT. SO BUT I'M FINE MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE ONES TODAY THEN. OKAY. AND THEN IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T, IF THESE DON'T PASS UNANIMOUSLY, ALSO IT'S TAKEN OFF OF CONSENT. SO THERE'D BE A LARGER CONVERSATION AS WELL.
CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. RIGHT. SO WE CAN ALWAYS DO IT THAT WAY AS WELL. SO THERE'S MORE CONVERSATION OR WHATEVER WE'D LIKE. SO LET'S START OVER WITH OUR FIRST ITEM HERE. THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. I'D LIKE TO START WITH OUR FIRST, FIRST RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE MAYORAL APPOINTMENT OF DAVID LEGRAND TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO MOVED.
SUPPORT. ALL RIGHT. ANY CONVERSATION ON THIS ITEM? FURTHER CONVERSATION. ALL RIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? IT CARRIES. THAT BRINGS US TO OUR SECOND
[2. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Eric Brown to the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority]
RESOLUTION CONFIRMING MAYOR LEGRAND'S APPOINTMENT OF ERIC BROWN TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO MOVED. SUPPORT. I HAVE SOME CONVERSATION. MR. BROWN IS IN THE ROOM WITH US. VERY HAPPY TO GET THE URBAN LEAGUE TO BE A PART OF THIS BOARD. IT'S REALLY GOOD TOOL FOR THE COMMUNITY. I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE CD. I[00:05:04]
AND I'M SAYING THAT CORRECT, COMMISSIONER. YES. AND THAT SPACE AND GETTING THAT UP AND RUNNING. AND I THINK MR. BROWN WILL MAKE A GREAT ADDITION REPRESENTING THE THIRD WARD FROM ON THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. AYE, AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. CARRIES BRINGS US[3. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Guillermo Cisneros to the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority]
TO OUR THIRD RESOLUTION CONFIRMING MAYOR LEGRAND'S APPOINTMENT OF GUILLERMO TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO MOVED. SUPPORT CONVERSATION ON THIS ITEM. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? IT CARRIES. OUR FOURTH RESOLUTION CONFIRMING MAYOR[4. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Kurt Reppart to the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority]
LEGRAND'S APPOINTMENT OF KURT REPPART TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO MOVED.SUPPORT. ALL RIGHT. CONVERSATION ON THIS APPOINTMENT. I'LL JUST MAKE ONE. ONE COMMENT. WE HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO WERE INTERESTED IN THIS BOARD FROM THE FIRST WARD AS AS MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUE, COMMISSIONER BELICHICK'S RECOMMENDATION. I'M SUPER HAPPY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. I KNOW FORMER COMMISSIONER REPPERT HAS DONE SOME WORK WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT SPACE SINCE HIS TIME ON THE CITY. AND JUST THAT, COUPLED WITH KNOWING A LOT OF THE PLAYERS WITHIN THAT SPACE FROM HIS TIME ON THE COMMISSION, I THINK HE'LL BE A GREAT, A GREAT FIT AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HIS SERVICE THERE. I'LL ALSO ADD, MR. CHAIR, THAT KURT HAS. MR. REPPERT HAS ALSO BEEN VERY ACTIVE WITH OUR LAND, WITH OUR BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY AND WORKING WITH EMERGING DEVELOPERS. SO I THINK HE'LL BRING THAT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE A PRIORITY FOR A NUMBER OF OUR COLLEAGUES AND MYSELF INCLUDED.
AND THEN I WAS GOING TO SAY ONE THING ABOUT MR. CISNEROS AS WELL. HE IS ALSO AN EXISTING MEMBER OF OUR BROWNFIELD AUTHORITY BOARD. SO I THINK TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN ON THAT AUTHORITY HAS SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO SORT OF GET THIS STARTED WORKING. I SEE MISS ROMERO IN THE IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL AS MR. BOOTH, I THINK WILL BE BENEFICIAL AS WELL. SO THANKS, I AGREE. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. AYE. THOSE OPPOSED
[5. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Kris Spaulding to the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority]
CARRIES. BRINGS US TO A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING MAYOR LEGRAND'S APPOINTMENT OF CHRIS SPAULDING TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO MOVED. SUPPORT CONVERSATION ON MISS SPAULDING. I'LL ADD THAT MISS SPAULDING HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE DEVELOPMENT SPACE AS A BUSINESS OWNER IN THIS COMMUNITY. SUSTAINABILITY EXPERT, AND ALSO WORKS AT ANOTHER CDFI THAT IS THAT HAS OFFICES HERE, BUT IS HEADQUARTERED THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT HAS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN UNDERTAKING, TRYING TO WORK, HOPEFULLY GET BACK THE MONEY FROM THE GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION ACT. SO I THINK THAT WILL BRING A REALLY POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE TO THIS BOARD AS WELL. YEAH, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR MISS SPAULDING AS WELL. I THINK THIS BOARD DIVERSITY CAN MEAN MANY THINGS, AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN ALSO SEE SOME OF THE DIVERSE EXPERIENCES THAT THESE APPOINTMENTS HAVE, WHETHER IT BE, AS COMMISSIONER STACY SAID, WITH MISS SPAULDING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL SPACE I'VE PREPARED WITH BREWERY VIVANT MANY TIMES AS WORKING AS SOMEONE WORKING WITH THE WEST MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COUNCIL AND NOW WORKING WITH THE MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL. WE JUST RECENTLY HAD AN EVENT AT HER SPACE, AND ONCE AGAIN, I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THIS CAN BE A COMMUNITY LAND BANK AND THAT FOLKS CAN, YOU KNOW, SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED IN THESE FOLKS AND NOT ONLY WITH THEIR BACKGROUND, BUT WITH THEIR EXPERIENCES AS WELL. SO VERY HAPPY FOR THIS APPOINTMENT AS WELL. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. AYE, AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. OKAY. THIS BRINGS US TO A RESOLUTION[6. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Randy Thelen to the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority]
CONFIRMING MAYOR LEGRAND'S APPOINTMENT OF RANDY THIELEN TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO MOVED. SUPPORT CONVERSATION ON THIS APPOINTMENT. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. OUR LAST RESOLUTION FOR THIS MORNING[7. Resolution approving the City Commission's appointment of John Gorney as the Street Administrator for the City of Grand Rapids.]
APPROVING THE CITY COMMISSION'S APPOINTMENT OF JOHN GORNY AS THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. SO MOVED. SUPPORT CONVERSATION. LET ME JUST COVER WHAT THIS ONE IS. SO THIS IS JUST A FORMALITY FROM MDOT. MR. GHANI'S HERE AS WELL. MDOT IS NEEDS A FORMALITY WITH OUR STREET ADMINISTRATOR IS AND IT'S JUST A FIT FOR HIM TO BE THERE. SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A RUN THROUGH TO MAKE SURE WE NAME SOMEONE AS OUR STREET ADMINISTRATOR. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, MR. CLERK. ALL RIGHT. THOSE IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED CARRIES. AND LASTLY, MISS BOSKER, IF[8. Discussion on the Board and Commission Vacancy List - July 29, 2025]
YOU'D LIKE TO RUN THROUGH OUR DISCUSSION ON THE BOARD AND COMMISSION VACANCIES. SURE.YEAH. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LAND BANK, NOT A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THE LAST MEETING. THERE'S A LOT IN THE WORKS. A LOT OF NAMES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD FOR THE MAYOR TO CONSIDER THAT.
WE'VE HAD A FEW APPLICATIONS FOR SOME OF THESE OPENINGS ON THE CIA'S. AND I AM WAITING.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL FIND OUT NEXT WEEK WHAT THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMISSION BOARD, WHO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR THE MAYOR TO CONSIDER. SO HOPING BY THE END OF AUGUST WE CAN START GETTING SOME APPOINTMENTS AND FILL THESE VACANCIES IN THE MEANTIME. ALSO, I'VE MET WITH A
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LOT OF THE BOARD LIAISONS AND GOTTEN FEEDBACK FROM THEM, AND I'M PUTTING TOGETHER PACKETS TO PRESENT TO THE MAYOR TO CONSIDER FOR THOSE VACANCIES, AND ALSO TO EMAIL ALL OF YOU AS WELL TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR END OF YEAR APPOINTMENTS. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, MISS BOSKER, AND WE ARE CONNECTING WITH THE MAYOR THIS WEEK AND IT'S ALREADY AUGUST THIS WEEK. THAT IS VERY STRANGE.IT FEELS LIKE IT'S FLYING. SO WE WILL CONNECT ABOUT THOSE VACANCIES AND GET THOSE FILLED.
AND AS ALWAYS, IF YOU ALL HAVE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SERVE, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW. AND THAT IS THE LAST THING FOR ON OUR AGENDA TODAY FOR COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS? COLLEAGUES, CITY STAFF. MR. CHAIR? YES, COMMISSIONER. SASSY, I KNOW WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE LIAISON WORK, AND DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF LIKE HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR WHERE WE ARE GENERALLY WITH ATTENDANCE ON THESE MEETINGS? IS THERE ANY ONE OF THESE BODIES THAT SEEMS TO HAVE OR FEELING A CHALLENGE OF GETTING FOLKS AT THEIR MEETINGS? I KNOW WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITIES, AND VERA TAKES A LOOK AT THAT PRETTY CLOSELY. BUT I JUST WONDERED FOR THE OTHER BODIES, PART OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I'M REQUESTING FROM LIAISONS IS ATTENDANCE. HAVEN'T GOTTEN ENOUGH TO MAKE TO SAY, OKAY, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE ATTENDANCE IS OVERALL ACCEPTABLE. OKAY, USUALLY I'M KIND OF HOPING TO INCREASE THE DIALOG WITH LIAISONS FOR THEM TO LET US KNOW WHEN THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS NOT ATTENDING TO MEETING THE EXPECTATION, THE ATTENDANCE EXPECTATION, SO THAT WE CAN OPEN OUR MORE FORMAL DIALOG OF SENDING EMAILS OR LETTERS IN ORDER TO NOT FALL IN THAT SORT OF DANGEROUSLY LOW REGARDING QUORUM AND ATTENDANCE.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE. I HAVEN'T BEEN ALERTED. WELL, ANY OTHER LIAISONS WATCHING? IF YOU HAVE AN ATTENDANCE ISSUE, PLEASE LET US KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LIKE, WHAT DO YOU DO OR WHAT DO YOU NEED? AND THERE IS A PROCESS, BUT I THINK IT'S A VERY SWIFT PROCESS THAT WE WOULD WORK THROUGH. SOMETIMES IT'S JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION, I THINK, WITH A BOARD MEMBER OF LIKE, IS THIS STILL WORKING? YOU KNOW, WE HAD ONE LAST MONTH WHERE SOMEBODY WAS ON A BOARD, BUT THEN THEY HAD A SWITCH WITH THE JOB, AND SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT REGULATIONS WITH THIS JOB.
RIGHT. SO WE KNOW THINGS CHANGE. BUT THANK YOU. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. AND I KNOW WE HAVE THE CIVILIAN BOARD OF APPEALS. AND THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. COLLEAGUES THAT YOU CAN HOPEFULLY CARRY BACK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE WARD ABOUT THAT BOARD. MISS OSCAR, IF I'M CORRECT, IS ALL OF THEM COULD HAVE TURNOVER, RIGHT. WE COULD ALL HAVE AN APPOINTMENT.
SO THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT BOARD, ESPECIALLY LOTS OF CONVERSATION RECENTLY IN THE COMMUNITY AND THINKING ABOUT WHO MAY BE A GOOD FIT FOR THAT AND WHAT SKILL SET LIKE WE WERE LIKE. WE CONTINUOUSLY DISCUSS WITH THESE BODIES, WHAT SKILL SET DO WE NEED, WHAT EXPERIENCES, WHAT WE LIKE TO SEE REFLECTED ON THAT BOARD. SO LET'S CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT THAT. I WOULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, AT A CERTAIN POINT WE SHARE OUT THE GENERAL FORM THAT SAYS LIKE REAPPLY TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE BOARD. IS THERE A WAY TO ADD ANY LIKE LANGUAGE OF BEFORE YOU REAPPLY, YOU KNOW, HERE ARE THREE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF. LIKE DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR ATTENDANCE HAS BEEN? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR ATTENDANCE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS NEW ALL THESE NEW SYSTEMS HELP US DO THAT. AND THEN ALSO MAYBE JUST SOMETHING IS LIKE IF YOU DO HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR SERVICE OR I JUST THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S LIKE EASY TO IGNORE. SO ANYWAYS, I'LL JUST OFFER THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. THE ATTENDANCE IS IT'S CERTAINLY HIGHLIGHTS A PLACE FOR GROWTH. WE SAW THAT ON I KNOW LIKE VITAL STREETS. IT WAS SORT OF LIKE DO WE NEED TO RESTRUCTURE VITAL STREETS. AND THE URBAN AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE WHEN I SERVED ON THEM BEFORE BEING ELECTED, IT WAS LIKE, OH, DO WE NEED TO REORGANIZE THESE GROUPS? DO WE NEED TO MAKE THEM SMALLER SO THEY CAN BE MORE NIMBLE AND FOLKS CAN ACTUALLY ATTEND? SO GREAT NOTES. WE'LL CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS. AND IF THERE'S NOT ANYTHING ELSE HERE, WE WILL ADJOURN
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.