[CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:09]
          AS IS OUR HABIT, WE LIKE TO START WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. SO PLEASE JOIN US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. CAN YOU JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. WE HAVE AN INTERPRETER FOR ONE LANGUAGE, AND THAT IS SPANISH. AND IF SHE COULD COME UP AND INTRODUCE HERSELF AND EXPLAIN 
          [ROLL CALL]
HER ROLE IN SPANISH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. OH, WE CAN DO THE ROLL CALL FIRST. HANG ON. JUST A SECOND. CALL THE ROLL. MADAM CLERK. COMMISSIONER. PURDUE. PRESIDENT. COMMISSIONER. NIGHT. 
          PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. BELCIK. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. KILGORE. OH, COMMISSIONER. SASSY. 
          COMMISSIONER. ROBIN'S PRESENT AND MAYOR LAGRANGE AND MAYOR LAGRANGE. THANK YOU. IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. GOOD EVENING. WE'RE PLEASED TO PROVIDE A SPANISH INTERPRETATION SERVICES FOR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE THIS EVENING. THESE INCLUDE INTERPRETATION DURING THE MEETING AND FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          THANK YOU. BUENAS NOCHES. ESTAMOS ENCANTADOS DE SERVICIOS INTERPRETATION EN ESPANOL PARA LOS PACIENTES ESTA NOCHE ES INTERPRETACION DURANTE LA REUNION PARA MINISTER 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
COMENTARIO PUBLICO. GRACIAS. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE A ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING. SO MOVED. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION 
          [PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS]
CARRIES. BRINGS US TO PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS, MADAM CLERK. COMMUNICATIONS 11 RECEIVED EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO A SINGLE HAULER. TRASH PROGRAM. FILED. COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM IVONNE CHIQUITO EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR CHANGING THE NAME OF DELAWARE STREET TO AMELIA STREET. EVEN FILED COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM TOM WALCZEWSKI REGARDING THE CONDITIONS AT MOUNT MERCY APARTMENTS. EVEN FILED COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM EL ANDREW REGARDING THE GRAND RAPIDS HOUSING COMMISSION. EVEN FILED. MISTER MAYOR, I THINK WE MAY HAVE SKIPPED OVER OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS. I'M SO SORRY. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE SORRY TO THE PUBLIC. SO. AND JUST SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS, I HAD A WHAT I THINK MAY HAVE BEEN THE SECOND MIGRANT IN MY LIFE EARLIER TODAY. SO I'M IF I LEAVE THIS MEETING, IT'S NOT 
          [PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS]
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE. WE'RE I'M TAKING IT AS IT GOES. SO, MR. JONES, IF YOU COULD REVERSE IF WE CAN REVERSE OUR AGENDA HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. THESE ARE ON AGENDA ITEMS. SO ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS ON THE CITY COMMISSION AGENDA FOR TODAY? THIS IS YOUR TIME TO TAKE THREE MINUTES AND SPEAK TO US ABOUT IT. HOW YOU DOING, EVERYBODY I'M DR. JONES. THANK YOU. DAVID, YOU'RE A NICE GUY. I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK ON IT RIGHT NOW, THOUGH. I'M GONNA STAY ON RESOLUTION FIVE FOR FISCAL COMMITTEE, WHICH IS YOU GUYS APPROVING THE GRANT FOR TELEVISION AUTHORITY. SO WHAT? I HOPE THAT IF THEY DO HAVE A TELEVISION AUTHORITY AND THEY SPEAK ON THE THINGS THAT DOES, IF THAT IS THE THING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING WITH THIS GRANT FUNDING, I HOPE THAT AS THE STARTS TO DEVELOP A TELEVISION NETWORK AND PROGRAMING, THAT THEY START TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE INITIATIVES, OTHER THINGS OTHER THAN JUST SPORTS, BUT ALSO ESPORTS AND STEM AND STEM CAREERS, IT'D BE NICE TO ACTUALLY BE EDUCATED ON THE THINGS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES CONTINUOUSLY GET UPDATES, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO IF THEY DO HAVE AN AUTHORITY, IF THEY HAPPEN TO DEVELOP A TELEVISION NETWORK AND THEY HAVE PROGRAMING ON THIS TV NETWORK FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, I HOPE THAT THEY ARE EDUCATING PEOPLE ON THE CURRICULA, ON THE PROGRAMING, ON THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING ON AN EVERYDAY BASIS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM, THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT OUR LOCAL EDUCATION SYSTEM. PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT TEACHERS BEING PAID AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I JUST HOPE THAT WE'RE BEING ABLE TO BE TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE. IF THEY DO HAVE A TELEVISION NETWORK, THAT THEY'RE CONTINUOUSLY BEING TRANSPARENT AND UPDATING PEOPLE ON THE REAL THINGS THAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. HELLO, LUCAS. FIRST WARD I ACTUALLY WANTED TO GENERICALLY HIGHLIGHT THIS AGENDA TONIGHT BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED TO BE THE MEETING I COULD COME TO. AND IT HAPPENS TO BE LIKE A GOOD OLD CLASSIC BORING, GET BUSINESS DONE AGENDA. AND IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO POINT OUT, JUST IN THE GENERAL SENSE OF THE PUBLIC. THERE'S A LOT OF BASICS 
          [00:05:05]
JUST GETTING WORK DONE. I'VE BEEN TOO BUSY TO BE HERE, AND IT'S BEEN NICE TO HAVE FAITH IN THIS ELECTED MAJORITY, TO JUST TAKE CARE OF THE THINGS AND NOT FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO BE HERE ALL THE TIME. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT BORING WORK, JUST KEEPING STUFF RUNNING, DOING THAT IN GOOD FAITH, REWARDING THAT FAITH IN THE ELECTED MAJORITY. SO THAT WAS REALLY THE AGENDA THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, BECAUSE THE THE BORING STUFF IS A REAL REFRESH FROM THE FEDERAL WAKING UP EVERY DAY WITH THAT LEVEL OF STRESS, BUT KNOWING THAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS JUST KIND OF CARRYING ON DOING BUSINESS, THAT'S A LITTLE SOMETHING. IT'S A LITTLE SOMETHING OF STABILITY. I THINK PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE BLOWN THIS MEETING OFF BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAVE A BIG HOT BUTTON THAT THEY COULD SHOW OUT AND COME TALK ABOUT. I THINK THERE MAY BE MISSING OUT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF BORING STUFF THAT'S GOING TO GET CHECKED OFF THE LIST TONIGHT. THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEPING THE CITY RUNNING. AGENDA ITEM. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF IT? ALL OF THEM? EVERY SINGLE ITEM. I DO WANT TO SAY A LITTLE THROWBACK TO WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT TO. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ON WITH THE ENGAGEMENT ON TRASH. IT'S A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU FOR MAKING ARGUMENTS AGAINST SOME OF THE GREED DRIVEN AND PERFORMATIVE ARGUMENTS BY SOME PEOPLE. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF COMMON SENSE SOLUTION THAT YOU'RE ENTERTAINING, SO THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE BUSINESS DONE, INCLUDING TONIGHT'S AGENDA, AND I'LL BE BACK LATER. THANK YOU. 
          SEEING NO ONE ELSE FOR OUR INITIAL PUBLIC COMMENT, JUST SO EVERYONE HERE KNOWS, THERE IS A PUBLIC COMMENT TIME AT THE END FOR ANY ITEM THAT YOU WISH TO COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMISSION 
          [REPORTS OF CITY OFFICERS]
ABOUT. SO I WILL TAKE US BACK THEN TO REPORT OF CITY OFFICERS A COMPTROLLER'S REPORT FOR THE PERIOD OF AUGUST 26TH, 2025 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025, IN THE AMOUNT OF $31,465,357.12. 
          RECEIVE AND FILE THE TREASURER'S REPORT FOR THE PERIOD OF AUGUST 28TH, 2025 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025. EVEN FILED. THIS BRINGS US TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA. THESE ARE ITEMS THAT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY OUT OF COMMITTEE AND DID NOT GET PULLED OUT OF CONSENT. 
          AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION BY ANY ONE ON COMMISSION. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. 
          SUPPORT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED? YES. SORRY. I JUST WANTED TO SAY FOR THAT. WAS THAT THE TREASURER'S OR FISCAL FISCAL RIGHT ORDINANCE? OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. MY BAD. MOVE ON. 
          [CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL]
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT BRINGS US THROUGH THE CONSENT AGENDA AND TO ORDINANCES TO BE 
          [1. Ordinance amending Section 1 of the Budget Ordinance 2025-11 for Fiscal Year 2026 (Amendment No. 2)]
ADOPTED. MADAM CLERK, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION ONE OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE 2025, DASH 11 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO. COMMISSIONER ROBBINS. OH, I'M SORRY, CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SUPPORT. MR. ROBBINS? YEAH. THANKS, MAYOR. THESE ITEMS CAME BEFORE US, OR THIS ORDINANCE CAME BEFORE US AT FISCAL THIS MORNING. OUR CFO, MISS MCLAREN, GAVE A HIGHLIGHT OF SOME OF THE BIGGER ONES. FOR BREVITY'S SAKE, I WON'T GO THROUGH EACH OF THEM IN DETAIL. THERE ARE 16 IN TOTAL. THE FULL, FULL LIST AND A FULL DESCRIPTION OF EACH OF THEM ARE IN THE AGENDA. PACKET OF. PEOPLE WISH TO GO BACK AND LISTEN TO OUR MEETING THIS MORNING AND REVIEW. OR JUST READ THEM THROUGH. READ THROUGH THEM IN DETAIL. AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT IF COMMISSION APPROVED THE BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS, THIS DOES LEAVE THE ENDING CONTINGENT BALANCE UNTOUCHED. AT $1.5 MILLION FROM OUR GENERAL OPERATING FUND. THANK YOU. DISCUSSION. SORRY, MAYOR. YES, THIS IS THE ONE THAT I WANTED TO SPEAK ON. I AM IN APPROVAL OF ALL OF THE OTHER ITEMS, EXCEPT FOR ONE WHICH WAS THE ENHANCED SUPPORT PILOT. I AM AGAINST THAT AND WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE REMOVED FROM THIS PILE OF THINGS THAT WE ARE VOTING ON CURRENTLY. OKAY. ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION? YES. OKAY. SUPPORT. SUPPORT. ALL IN FAVOR OF REMOVING THAT ITEM FROM THE THE BUDGET ORDINANCE. AYE AYE AYE. ALL OPPOSED? AYE. OPPOSED. THANK YOU. DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK FURTHER, COMMISSIONER OR NOT? WELL, YEAH. JUST WHEN THIS INITIAL ENHANCED SUPPORT PILOT HAD CAME UP BEFORE US A FEW MONTHS AGO, I WAS ALSO OPPOSED TO IT. AT THAT POINT, I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS WITHIN THIS ENHANCED SUPPORT PIECE. EVEN WITH OUR GENERAL, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT THAT CAN BE DONE WITHIN THE CITY. WE HAVE THE PROPER STAFF AND PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WITH THAT PILOT. AND I ALSO FEEL LIKE IN THE TIME THAT WE ARE IN, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. THE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE SPENDING ON THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE NECESSARY, AND I HAVE NOT NECESSARILY SEEN THE BENEFIT OF HAVING THESE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS. AND SO I HAVE BEEN AGAINST IT FROM THE BEGINNING. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS STATED FOR THE RECORD NOW. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, 
          [00:10:05]
COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT AND MAKING THE MOTION. I THINK WE WERE AWARE THAT IT WAS GOING TO FAIL, NOT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER. I, TOO, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, FELT LIKE THIS WAS NOT THE BEST USE OF OUR FUNDS. I HAVE YET TO SEE THE FULL VALUE OF IT. I SEE MORE OF THE VALUE IN THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND HOW DO WE CONNECT AND COORDINATE BETTER. SO I WOULD AS WELL HAVE BEEN A NO VOTE, BUT PREPARED TO VOTE YES AND GOOD GOVERNANCE AND TO MOVE FORWARD THIS EVENING. THANKS. THANK YOU. THEN, SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, CALL FOR A VOTE ON THE BUDGET AMENDMENT. BUDGET ORDINANCE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ROLL CALL. VOTE. I'M SORRY. SORRY. ROLL CALL. VOTE. LET'S PRETEND WE DIDN'T SAY THAT, COMMISSIONER KNIGHT. NO, COMMISSIONER. YES, COMMISSIONER. KILGORE. YES, COMMISSIONER. PERSIS. YES, COMMISSIONER. YES, COMMISSIONER. PURDUE. YES, MAYOR. LA GRANDE. 
          YES. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION. MOTION CARRIES. CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR IMMEDIATE EFFECT? SO MOVED. SUPPORT. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING TWO ORDINANCES. SALARY, ORDINANCE AND SALARY ORDINANCE. I'LL MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES. SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF SUSPENDING THE 
          [2. Salary Ordinances for 61st District Court employees represented by the Association of Public Administrators Union]
RULES? SAY AYE. AYE. MADAM CLERK, IF YOU CAN. SALARY. SALARY ORDINANCE IS FOR 61ST DISTRICT COURT EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATORS. UNION COMMISSIONER. I JUST CALLED FOR A MOTION. SO MOVED. SUPPORT. THANK YOU. MAYOR, I WANT TO HELP YOU OUT. I'VE BEEN THERE, TOO. AND THESE POINTS ARE NOT HELPFUL WHEN YOU HAVE A. SORRY. 
          I'VE BEEN THERE TOO, MAYOR. THE LIGHTS ARE NOT HELPFUL WHEN YOU HAVE A MIGRAINE, SO I KNOW YOU'RE YOU'RE BATTLING THROUGH THAT. SO THIS IS AN ITEM FOR THE 61ST DISTRICT COURT, AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED FOR ONE OF THE UNIONS, WHICH IS THE ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATORS UNION. AND OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING THE DIFFERENT BARGAINING UNITS. AND THIS WILL FOLLOW A THREE YEAR CONTRACT PERIOD IN THE FIRST YEAR WILL BE A 5% INCREASE, AND IN THE FOLLOWING TWO YEARS A 4% INCREASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. MADAM CLERK, IF YOU CALL THE ROLL COMMISSIONER. YES, COMMISSIONER. KILGORE. YES, COMMISSIONER. PERSIS. YES, COMMISSIONER. YES, COMMISSIONER. 
          PURDUE. YES, COMMISSIONER. NIGHT. YES, MAYOR. LAGRAND. YES. CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR MEDIA 
          [3. Salary Ordinances for 61st District Court employees represented by the Grand Rapids Employees Independent Union]
EFFECT? SO MOVED. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES, MADAM CLERK. 
          NEXT ORDINANCE, THE SALARY ORDINANCE FOR 61ST DISTRICT COURT EMPLOYEES REPRESENTED BY THE GRAND RAPIDS EMPLOYEES INDEPENDENT UNION. CAN I HAVE A MOTION AND COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. MAYOR. THIS IS FOR THE OTHER UNION. FOR THE COURT. AS NOTED, THIS IS THE GRAND RAPIDS EMPLOYEES INDEPENDENT UNION. THEIR THREE YEAR CONTRACT PERIOD WILL FOLLOW FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. IN THE FIRST YEAR AT 4%, THE SECOND YEAR AT 3.5%, AND IN THE THIRD YEAR AT 3%. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE AGAIN A ROLL CALL VOTE, COMMISSIONER KILGORE. YES, COMMISSIONER. YES, COMMISSIONER. ROBIN'S. YES, COMMISSIONER. PURDUE. YES, COMMISSIONER. NIGHT. YES, COMMISSIONER. YES, MAYOR. LAGRAND. YES. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR IMMEDIATE EFFECT? SO MOVED. SUPPORT. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. 
          [1. Public hearing to comment on the draft Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report and future needs of housing and community development programs]
AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THIS BRINGS US TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF OUR EVENING AND OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. GOING TO USE BY MISS BOHAC. THIS IS A HEARING TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR, CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT, FUTURE NEEDS OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. THIS WILL HATCH. GOOD EVENING. SO SOMEBODY SAID WE HAD BORING ROUTINE ITEMS TONIGHT. SO THIS IS REALLY EXCITING STUFF, RIGHT? GIVE ME THAT. COME ON. IT IS EXCITING. SO TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING IS OUR LAST STEP IN OUR PROCESS TO FINALIZE THE CONSOLIDATED PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT THAT IS SUBMITTED TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ON THE CAPER IS OUR ANNUAL FISCAL AND PERFORMANCE REPORT. IT'S ONE OF THREE DOCUMENTS THAT'S REQUIRED TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, THE HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS AND THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANTS PROGRAMS. THE FIRST REQUIRED DOCUMENT IS THE CONSOLIDATED HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. IT SERVES AS THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN TO ADDRESS HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AND PRIORITIES. IT GUIDES INVESTMENT IN PROGRAM IN THESE PROGRAM FUNDS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD. SO IT'S REALLY A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN RELATED TO THESE PROGRAMS. THE SECOND IS THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN. THE THAT PLAN SERVES AS THE ANNUAL APPLICATION FOR THOSE THREE 
          [00:15:01]
FUNDING SOURCES CDBG, HOME AND ESG. IT IDENTIFIES OUR PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND INVESTMENTS TO BE CARRIED OUT EACH JULY 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH, ON THE ANNUAL BASIS THAT LINES UP WITH THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN. SO EVERY YEAR WE SUBMIT AND TELL THEM WHAT OUR PLANNED ACTIONS ARE AND OUR PLANNED EXPENDITURES. AND THEN FINALLY, WE PROVIDE THIS CAPER, THE THE CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT. AND THAT BASICALLY TELLS THEM WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN TERMS OF THE FISCAL EXPENDITURES AND WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE MADE BASED ON OUR PLANNED ACTIONS. AND IT'S ALWAYS THE MOST RECENTLY COMPLETED YEAR. SO THIS CAPER THAT WE WERE ASKING FOR COMMENTS ON TONIGHT COVERS JULY 1ST OF 2024 THROUGH JUNE 30TH OF 2025, AND THAT REPRESENTS THE FOURTH YEAR OF OUR HCD PLAN. SO WHILE THE CAPER IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE CDBG HOME AND ESG PROGRAM FUNDS, INFORMATION IS PROVIDED IN OUR CAPER FOR ALL OF OUR FUNDING SOURCES BECAUSE WE ALLOCATE THOSE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IN ONE STREAMLINED PROCESS UNDER OUR NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PLAN, AND WE INCLUDE OTHER RESOURCES SUCH AS THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS. AND PERHAPS WE MIGHT HAVE ARPA FUNDS OR RECOVERY FUNDS AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT COME IN, MAYBE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS OR MORE LONG TERM. AND WE DO THAT THROUGH ONE PROCESS. SO HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF OUR FUNDING SOURCES DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. AND OUR YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF FUNDS COME FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT THAT HAS MORE ELIGIBLE USES FOR IT AND A VARIETY OF USES. BUT IN THIS IN DURING THIS TIME FRAME, WE ALSO HAD SOME AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT DOLLARS FOR THE HOME PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A SPECIAL ALLOCATION, AS WELL AS THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS AND JUSTICE ASSISTANCE AND BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT FUNDS. THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PLAN. WHEN APPLICATIONS ARE MADE, WHEN WE MAKE SELECTIONS FOR PROJECTS, APPLICANTS ARE ASKED TO IDENTIFY AN OUTCOME AREA THAT THEY PLAN TO ADDRESS WITH THAT PROJECT. AND THEN BEHIND THE SCENES, WE WORK TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT PROJECT MEETS ELIGIBILITY, BECAUSE ALL THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES HAVE A DIFFERENT FORM OF ELIGIBILITY. 
          SO THEN WE ALIGN THOSE PROJECTS UNDER THOSE OUTCOMES WITH THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING SOURCES TO BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE OUR INVESTMENTS. AND HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THOSE FUNDS WERE SPENT DURING THIS TIME FRAME IN THE VARIOUS OUTCOME AREAS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS BASED ON PROJECTS AND THEIR ELIGIBILITY BY FUNDING SOURCE. THERE ARE DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE THAT THIS IS VERY HIGH LEVEL OF WHAT'S IN THE CAPER THAT'S BEEN MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN OUR OFFICE. AND HERE'S SOME JUST SOME INFORMATION IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR PROGRAM POPULATION LOOKS LIKE, IN TERMS OF WHO IS BEING SERVED BY THOSE PROGRAMS. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, COMPARED TO THE GR POPULATION BASED ON RACE AND ETHNICITY. AND THEN JUST SOME SOME EXAMPLES OF IN EACH OF THESE OUTCOME AREAS, SOME OF THE OUTCOMES THAT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED, SOME HIGH LEVEL SORT OF ROLL UP OF THIS INFORMATION, 283 HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR SERVICES THAT PREVENTED OR RESOLVED HOMELESSNESS. MORE THAN 1200 UNHOUSED RESIDENTS RECEIVED SERVICES AND ACCESS DAY CENTER SPACE, OR A SAFE PLACE TO GO DURING THE DAY. THERE IS. EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY. 
          WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT IMPROVE ACCESS TO STABLE AND STABILITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO THERE'S EDUCATION, FAIR HOUSING, EDUCATION, OUTREACH SERVICES, FREE LEGAL SERVICES FOR AND REPRESENTATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD ISSUES, MAYBE PERHAPS WITH TENANT OR LANDLORD CONCERNS. THERE HAS BEEN PRE-PURCHASE HOUSING COUNSELING AS WELL AS DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. AND THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION OF 150 UNITS THAT WERE COMPLETED DURING THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM YEAR, AND WE HAD 176 THAT WERE UNDERWAY AT VARIOUS STAGES OF PROGRESS. 
          HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF A SENIOR SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT. AND THIS WAS AN ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE MARY WOOD PROPERTY. AND THEN HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF AN ADAPTIVE REUSE FROM A SCHOOL BUILDING IN WHICH 39 AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS WERE FOR SENIORS. AND 
          [00:20:06]
THEN UNDER THE IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF EXISTING HOUSING. WE HAVE OVER 3000 CODE COMPLIANCE CASES THAT WERE BROUGHT INTO COMPLIANCE, WHICH ADDRESSED HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES AND NUISANCE NUISANCE ISSUES. THERE WERE 53 PROPERTIES THAT WERE ON OUR BLIGHT MONITORING LIST THAT WERE BROUGHT INTO PRODUCTIVE REUSE. AND THERE'S A 512 PROPERTIES RECEIVED SOME TYPE OF HOME REPAIR. WHETHER THAT WAS MINOR, SUBSTANTIAL OR RECEIVED SOME TYPE OF ACCESS. MODIFICATIONS FOR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MAP THERE THAT SHOWS YOU WHERE THOSE PROJECTS OCCURRED. SO THOSE PROGRAMS ARE ELIGIBLE CITYWIDE, BUT AGAIN, HAVE SOME INCOME LIMITATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. 
          BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE THOSE PROJECTS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AN OUTCOME FIVE. THIS IS WHERE WE REALLY HAVE OUR SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN TERMS OF ENGAGING WITH WITH NEIGHBORS AND HELPING TO BUILD LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND HAVE THEM BECOME ENGAGED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND OR OTHER CITY ACTIVITIES THAT REALLY HELP SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, QUALITY OF LIFE. AND I GUESS POSITIVE, YOU KNOW, INTERACTIONS IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY UNDER IMPROVED SAFE COMMUNITY SAFETY. WE HAVE A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES THAT, AGAIN, ARE THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE CRIME PREVENTION AND NEIGHBORHOODS. AND WE ALSO USE THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS IN THIS AREA AS WELL, WHERE WE HAVE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND SERVICES. AND AS WELL AS WE MADE SOME INVESTMENTS FOR ACTUAL PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CHERRY HEALTH SOUTHSIDE HEALTH CENTER, TO PROVIDE EXPANDED SERVICES TO PERSONS WHO ARE NEEDING ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS PROVIDING A HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES. AND THEN UNDER OUTCOME SEVEN, THIS IS WHERE WE FOCUSED SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT HELP SUPPORT JOB TRAINING AND READINESS FOR ADULTS AND YOUTH AND AND UNDER OUR OUTCOME. EIGHT EVERYONE ASKS THE QUESTION ABOUT THIS. THIS HAS BEEN IN OUR IN OUR PLAN. WE HAVE NOT MADE INVESTMENTS THERE AS THAT AREA OF OUR PLAN HAS BEEN REALLY SUPPORTED BY OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT WE OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE DIDN'T PREVIOUSLY HAVE IN THE CITY IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. SO WE'RE NOT WE'RE CHOOSING TO PRIORITIZE OUR RESOURCES IN OTHER AREAS. 
          SO THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE COMMENT ON ANYTHING THAT'S IN THAT, IN OUR PLAN, AS WE TURN IT INTO BEFORE WE TURN IT INTO THE TO TO HUD. BUT WE'RE ALSO TONIGHT ACCEPTING COMMENTS ABOUT ANY FUTURE NEEDS. SO ANYTHING THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED, WHETHER THAT'S SERVICES OR ACTIVITIES THAT WE COULD SUPPORT, THAT THEY THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY. SO WE'LL TAKE COMMENTS FOR THOSE FUTURE NEEDS. 
          WE'LL INCLUDE THAT IN OUR NEW CONSOLIDATED PLAN WHEN THAT IS DEVELOPED, AS WELL AS HELP TO PRIORITIZE FUNDING DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE. SO AFTER TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING, THERE STILL IS TIME. IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN PROVIDING WRITTEN COMMENTS. SO WE'VE BEEN TAKING THAT SINCE THE START OF THE COMMENT PERIOD ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO TAKE COMMENTS THROUGH TOMORROW. SORRY, THAT'S THE LAST DAY, BUT WE'LL WHAT WE CAN RECEIVE WRITTEN COMMENTS THROUGH TOMORROW AS WELL. AND THEN WE WILL FINALIZE THE PLAN. THANK YOU. AND THEN ONE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO HELP PEOPLE TO SAVE THE DATE. SO IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN THESE TYPES OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WILL HOST. 
          INFORMATION SESSIONS THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES MAY BE AVAILABLE, WHAT ANTICIPATED RESOURCES WE WILL HAVE, AND ALSO TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT ABOUT HOW TO APPLY AND AND ALSO SOME TIPS ON HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR APPLICATIONS. AND THAT IS IT. THANKS. ANYONE FROM THE COMMUNITY WANT TO GIVE INPUT OR COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION. IF I COULD MISS MOHACS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE OVERVIEW. I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WE WE APPROVE THE THE AWARDS AND THEN WE COME BACK AND SEE ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE IMPACT. AND I ALWAYS LOVE THE THE VISUALS, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE HOME REPAIRS BECAUSE THAT'S SUCH A BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION. SO THANK YOU. JUST A NOTE I'M I'M 
          [00:25:03]
LOOKING AT SLIDE SIX PROGRAM PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS. AND JUST IN GENERAL BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS AROUND EVALUATION REPORTING THAT I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT DEMOGRAPHIC ALIGNMENT, JUST LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE INTENDED AUDIENCE. SO WHETHER IT'S AROUND RACE AND ETHNICITY AS, AS LISTED HERE OR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OR INCOME OR WHAT WARD PEOPLE LIVE IN, I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO SEE WHAT IS THE NEED LOOK LIKE AND THEN HOW DO OUR SERVICES MEET THE NEED, AS OPPOSED TO JUST PURE KIND OF MAKEUP OF THE CITY? SO THAT'S MY ONLY PIECE OF FEEDBACK AROUND REPORTING. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS SPECIFIC FOR THE FEDERAL REPORT, BUT JUST IN GENERAL, AS WE LOOK TO SEE AND MEASURE THE IMPACT OF OUR INVESTMENTS AND OUR AWARD DECISIONS, WE'D LOVE TO KIND OF SEE SOME SORT OF COMPARISON BETWEEN NEED AND COMMUNITY AND GROUPS IN NEED, IF YOU WILL, AND THEN HOW WE HOW WELL WE DO WITH MEETING THAT SAID TARGET POPULATION. I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS AND THINGS ARE A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING TODAY. SO TYPICALLY WE WOULD PROVIDE THAT. THAT'S PART OF OUR CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THAT'S PART OF OUR PLANNING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES. AND WE'RE TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AND TRY TO FOCUS RESOURCES. AND WE ARE NOW IN THIS TIME NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT IN OUR PLANNING PROCESS AND NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION IN OUR NEXT PLAN THAT WILL BE APPROVED UNDER THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. SO WE'RE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES DOING SOME OF THE WORK THE WAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT AND EXPLAIN IT AND DISPLAY IT. THAT MAJOR BARRIER IS IS UNDERSTOOD. I'M THINKING THAT ASIDE, JUST OUR PURPOSES FOR OUR CONVERSATIONS AND INSIGHT OF HOW HOW ARE WE OUR INTENDED DOLLARS AND PROGRAMS MEETING THE TARGET POPULATION COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR KIND OF A SEPARATE PRESENT OR AN AMENDED AMENDMENT TO THE PRESENTATION THAT MIGHT NOT BE INTENDED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY INSIGHTFUL FOR US AND AND FOR THE TEAM. SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU STACY. THANK YOU. I'LL KEEP DOING THAT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THINKING ABOUT YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER. 
          EACH ONE OF THE BECAUSE I KNOW LIKE A LOT OF TIMES WE'LL GO TO PLACES AND THEY'LL HAVE TO DO A SIGN IN LIST OR DIFFERENT THINGS. THEY'LL HAVE TO COLLECT DATA ON SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS. IS THAT CORRECT? SO INCOME ELIGIBILITY IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT. SO THAT TYPICALLY IF YOU ARE PROVIDING A DIRECT SERVICE THEN TYPICALLY THEY WILL HAVE TO DO THAT. AND IT'S INCOME BASED. SO THAT IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT. BUT FOR EXAMPLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WE SUPPORT THAT BASED ON AN AREA WIDE BENEFIT WHERE WE HAVE DETERMINED THE POPULATION IN TERMS OF THAT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST 51% OF THE POPULATION IS MEETS THAT LOW MOD INCOME QUALIFICATIONS. AND SO WE CAN PROVIDE IT THAT WAY. WE'RE NOT EXPECTING THEM TO. 
          RIGHT OKAY. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. SO FROM SO FROM LIKE A REPORTING PIECE. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PROVIDED IN THE REPORTING THAT THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED THESE THINGS WOULD, WOULD PROVIDE. NO, THEY DO NOT. AND THEY'RE NOT I MEAN, WE WOULD I MEAN, I'M SORRY, WE MONITOR THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE LIKE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. THANKS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NOTHING FROM THE COMMISSION. I'M NOT SEEING ANYONE ELSE COMING UP TO THE MICROPHONE. I JUST AND IT'S PROBABLY MINIMAL AND I PROBABLY ASK IT ANOTHER TIME, BUT NO, I'M THERE. SO I WAS WONDERING IN THE OPIOID AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE THIS EITHER, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN, HAS THAT NUMBER INCREASED OVER THE LAST YEAR? IF WE KNOW OR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS? SO THAT WAS THE FIRST GETTING THROUGH THE END OF A OF A PROGRAM YEAR. AND SO I CAN TELL YOU AFTER WE CONCLUDE THIS YEAR. GOTCHA, GOTCHA. THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. GOTCHA. AND THEN JUST ONE LAST SMALL ONE WAS YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT OUTCOME EIGHT, NOT REALLY BEING THAT THERE WERE NO INVESTMENTS PLANNED IN THAT. SO THEN ARE YOU TAKING THE FUNDING OR IS THE FUNDING BEING BEING ABLE TO SPREAD ACROSS OTHER SPECIFIC AREAS OR WHAT'S. SO THAT WAS AN OUTCOME THAT WAS ESTABLISHED WHEN WE FIRST DID OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN. WE USED TO DO A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN RESIDENTIAL STREETS, FOR EXAMPLE, IMPROVEMENTS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN OUR TARGET AREA WITH VITAL STREETS AND THE DOLLARS THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE THERE, IT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE THE NEED. AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT WE DID PARKS PROJECTS IN THE PAST IN THAT AREA AND YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH THE MILLAGE AND OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. SO WE'VE REALLY JUST TAKEN THE 
          [00:30:05]
RESOURCES THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN COMPETITION FOR THAT. AND WE'RE USING THEM IN OTHER OUTCOME AREAS WHERE IT'S ELIGIBLE. AND THAT'S PRIMARILY CDBG. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          THANK YOU. SORRY TO BELABOR THINGS. I DON'T, BUT I HAVE A COMMENT FOR FUTURE IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PART. I AM CURIOUS TO SEE MORE UNDER ACTION. SEVEN IMPROVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. I SEE YOU HAVE DONE A A CONSOLIDATED PLAN HERE INCLUDES JOB TRAINING, READINESS AND WHATNOT, AND, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          WHAT ADDITIONAL THINGS COULD WE BE DOING TO BE FOSTERING NEIGHBORHOOD STARTUPS, BUSINESSES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, THINGS LIKE THAT? THAT WOULD BE A THOUGHT FOR THE FUTURE. AND IF WE CAN FIND WAYS TO ENHANCE NEIGHBORHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT A WORD IN FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHER COMMUNITY. I KNOW THAT WE'RE LIMITED BY THE NUMBER OF DOLLARS WE GET THROUGH CDBG AND OTHER THINGS, BUT THOSE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, AND THEY HAVE BEEN OPERATING ON SHOESTRING BUDGETS THEN, AND THOSE BUDGETS HAVE ONLY GOTTEN ABOUT, WELL, THEY'RE ABOUT THE SAME. AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE WORLD IS LIKE NOW, AND WE'RE ASKING MORE OF THEM TO BE DOING PUBLIC OUTREACH, YOU KNOW, HELPING WITH GETTING SURVEYS, HELPING TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEY ARE A BACKBONE TO OUR AND THEY'RE DOING OTHER THINGS, TOO, THAT I THINK WE CAN ALSO FOSTER MORE MONEY INTO. IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE UNDER OUTCOME EIGHT, INCLUDING MAYBE THIS IS UNDER OUTCOME FIVE TWO WITH COMMUNITY GARDENS, FOOD PRODUCTION, RESILIENCY IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AS WE THINK TO THE FUTURE AND BECOMING A SELF-SUSTAINING NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU. THAT'S THAT. YEAH. I THINK WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC COMMENT. YEP. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M DOING IT AT THE RIGHT TIME. AND YOU START THE TIMER. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. 
          MY NAME IS JIM DAVIS. I LIVE HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS AS A PROUD BOARD MEMBER, FORMER BOARD MEMBER AND PRESIDENT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, A FORMER PLANNING COMMISSIONER, AND CURRENTLY SEATED WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL BEING HERE ON A VERY LONG DAY. I'M GRATEFUL TO MISS BOHATSCH AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. IT COULDN'T BE MORE IMPORTANT THE WORK THAT YOU DO RIGHT NOW AT THIS TIME. SO AS WE ANALYZE WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND LOOK TO WHERE WE'RE GOING, I APPRECIATE JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS, FOR MANY IN ALL PARTIES WHO ARE WORKING TO UNDERSTAND THE VERY REAL IMPLICATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF OUR RECENT PROPOSALS FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THAT RECONCILIATION PACKAGE THAT WE'VE ALL WITNESSED AND LINGERING STATE BUDGETS, CONVERSATIONS HERE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN HAVE ME AND MY EMPLOYER AT FAMILY PROMISE OF WEST MICHIGAN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR WORKING CLASS FAMILIES. BUT THE RECOGNITION OF THESE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES AND THE BIPARTISAN EFFORTS THAT CONTINUE TODAY TO MITIGATE THESE CHASMS IN BOTH THE BUDGET AND IN UNDERSTANDING ARE APPRECIATED. LUCKILY, HOUSING IS A NONPARTIZAN ISSUE. WE LIKE TO SAY HOUSING IS WHERE JOBS GO TO SLEEP FOR ALL YOU ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PEOPLE OUT THERE. BUT JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FAMILY HOMELESSNESS ROSE BY 39% IN 2024. THAT IS A BIG ISSUE THAT WE EXPECT TO SEE EXACERBATED BY CUTS TO MEDICAID AND SNAP. HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS, WE OPERATE THE BULK. THE PRIMARY 51 ROOMS OF FAMILY SHELTER. WE KEEP FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A STABLE PLACE TO LIVE AS THEY LOOK FOR THEIR PERMANENT AND POSITIVE SOLUTION. AND AS WE'RE ASSISTING THROUGH THAT, JUST KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR SHELTER ROOMS ARE FULL TODAY. THEY'VE BEEN FULL EVERY DAY SINCE. I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED FOR FIVE YEARS, AND JUST AS MANY FAMILIES IN THE SHELTER ARE WAITING FOR ONE ROOM TO OPEN. WE HAVE HALF THE AMOUNT OF SHELTER ROOMS IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS AND ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES THAT WE NEED TODAY, AND THE ISSUE WILL GET WORSE. REST ASSURED ABOUT THAT. SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THE FLEXIBILITY OF FEDERAL ALLOCATIONS LIKE CDBG, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE LIMITED RESOURCES, BUT VERY FEW OF THOSE FUNDING SOURCES CAN GO TO THE PRODUCTION. THE ACQUISITION OF LAND, BUILDINGS OR REDEVELOPMENT FOR ANY PROPERTY THAT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR SHELTER AND FAMILY. HOMELESSNESS IS AN INVISIBLE ISSUE THAT I LIKE TO CONTINUE AND BRING. BEFORE YOU A COUPLE OF ISSUES WITH THE PLAN ITSELF. 
          FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR IT AND WE LOVE BEING A PARTICIPANT. BUT FROM MY TEAM, THESE ARE BULLET POINTS. DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER HERE, BUT WE'D LOVE TO CONNECT WITH YOU. 
          SEND LETTERS, SIT DOWN AND TALK AS FAMILY PROMISE OF WEST MICHIGAN. AND WE WILL BE SUBMITTING SOMETHING IN WRITING TOMORROW. SPECIFICALLY, A COUPLE OF FEEDBACK NOTES IS THAT, AND IT MAY BE DUE TO THE TIMING OF THE CITY BUDGET, BUT WHEN RFPS ARE OPEN FOR THESE DOLLARS, IT MAY NOT BE THAT THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT WILL BE BUDGETED FOR THESE GRANTS. THAT IS NOT THE CITY'S FAULT, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT TO BE IMPROVED. THE TURNAROUND TIME BETWEEN THE LOI AND THE RFP DUE DATE IS REALLY TIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DOING 
          [00:35:01]
MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS. AND AS MENTIONED FROM MISS BOHAC, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT FUNDING SOURCE WE'RE APPLYING FOR. WE'RE JUST TELLING THEM WHAT WE'LL DO. AND THEN BEING KIND OF PUSHED INTO AN AREA. AND WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO BE PREPARED IN ADVANCE OF THAT MEETING TO WRITE PROPOSALS SPECIFICALLY FOR FUNDS THAT WE'RE TARGETING. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES AT PLAY. I'VE USED MY THREE MINUTES. I'M GRATEFUL TO EACH OF YOU AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. HOW Y'ALL DOING? I'M DEE JONES, PASSIONATE ENTREPRENEUR AND VISIONARY. ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE STOCKTON COMMUNITY HUB, VERY EXCITED TO BE CHAIRING THE STOCKTON COMMUNITY HUB AS THE WEST GRAND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION IS ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS THAT HOLDS BUSINESSES ACCOUNTABLE AND GET THEM TO INVEST INTO THE COMMUNITY. ONE THING I LIKE TO SEE FROM OUR FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT, IF POSSIBLE, IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING INTO OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SO WE CAN ACTUALLY BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING SO WE CAN 3D PRINT HOMES SO WE CAN UTILIZE SERVICES LIKE NEXT STEPS, WEST MICHIGAN, WHICH ME AND ANNETTE VANDENBERG, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHECKED OUT THE TINY HOMES THERE AND SEEING THAT THEY BUILT ALL OF THE HOUSES AND HOUSES, IF YOU WORK AT A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, BESIDES THE IN-HOUSE PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE, THAT YOU CAN BE ABLE TO GET ONE OF THE HOMES THAT THEY HAVE. SO I'M ASKING OF MY COMMUNITY TO ADVOCATE. I KNOW IT'S HARD, BUT TO CONTINUOUSLY ADVOCATE AND USE YOUR VOICE TO ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. I KNOW IT'S A HARD THING TO DO, BUT I STILL ASK FOR FUNDING AND I STILL WORK WITH THOSE LEGISLATORS IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO ACTUALLY TRY TO GET SOME FUNDING, BECAUSE WE NEED THE RESOURCES, WE NEED THE WE NEED TO NEGOTIATE. WE NEED TO PUT OUR PRIZE TO THE SIDE. NOT SAYING THAT ANYBODY IS PRIDEFUL HERE, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT PEOPLE NEED TO PUT THEIR PRIDE TO THE SIDE WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMMUNITY AND USE THEIR VOICE, AND IT'S NOT A TIME TO BE SITTING HERE BEING SCARED OR BEING VOICELESS, BECAUSE SILENCE IS VIOLENCE. AND I DON'T WANT YOU GUYS TO SIT THERE AND BE SILENT WHEN THE COMMUNITY HAS NEEDS, ESPECIALLY OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. SO I'LL CONTINUOUSLY ADVOCATE FOR THREE D PRINTING HOMES. HOPEFULLY WE CAN BE ABLE TO CHANGE SOME OF THE FRAMEWORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE SOME OF THESE FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE GOVERNMENT, WHERE ANY TYPE OF GRANT FUNDING THAT WE GET TO 3D PRINT HOMES OR BUILD TINY HOMES, BECAUSE HOUSING IS A BIG NEED. ALSO, AT THE WEST GRAND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION, THE STOCKTON COMMUNITY HUB, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO PUT TINY HOMES. AND WE ALREADY SPOKE TO NEXT STEPS, WEST MICHIGAN, AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH US TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE TINY HOMES. WE PROBABLY I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH ICF OR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY TO OVERSEE THESE HOMES, BUT I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SPEAKING TO FRUITION, AND THAT I BROUGHT OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO THE SOUTH SIDE FROM THE WEST SIDE, WHERE WE LIVE AT, TO BE SURE THAT WE GET THE RESOURCES AND WE MAKE THE CONNECTIONS. SO I AM DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE TO TRY TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY BETTER, AND I'LL CONTINUOUSLY GRIND AND DO MY DUE DILIGENCE TO ADVOCATE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BECAUSE I JUST ACTUALLY WALK HERE, I HAVE A CAR, BUT I WANTED TO WALK AND I SEEN PEOPLE SLEEPING. AND SOMETIMES WHEN I'M WALKING EARLY, I SEE PEOPLE GETTING UP LIKE FRESH DAY. LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S CRAZY BECAUSE I GET UP IN MY BED AND THEN I WALK AND I SEE PEOPLE UNDER THE BRIDGES. AND IF YOU GO IN THE INNER CITY AND THE INNER CITY OF GR ON THE WEST SIDE, THERE'S ONE BRIDGE AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY GATES. 
          BUT IF YOU GET CLOSE TO THE DOWNTOWN WHERE THEY'RE ABOUT TO BUILD THAT SOCCER STADIUM, THEIR GATES, PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE SLEEPING UNDER THE BRIDGES. BUT THAT'S A CONCERN TO ME. SO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 3D HOUSING. THANK YOU. I DIDN'T EXPECT TO PUT ON MY WEST GRAND HAT TONIGHT, BUT I WILL. IT'S RELATIVELY BORING, RELATIVELY NOT BORING TO US. SO AS VICE PRESIDENT WEST GRANT, I WANT TO ECHO A LOT OF WHAT DEE JUST SAID. I WANT TO SHARE JUST A BIT OF INSIDE BASEBALL TO TO HELP CONNECT WHAT YOU SEE IN THESE PLANS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE CHEERING THIS STUFF ON. A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE HAD OUR BOARD RETREAT FOR THE WEST GRAND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION, AND I TOOK THE BODY THROUGH AN EXERCISE IN MISSION, VISION AND MESSAGING THAT I CONDUCT FOR EXECUTIVE CLIENTS. AND A LOT OF YOU ARE LIKE, WHAT? THAT GUY DOES THAT STUFF. YEAH, THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE TO ME THAT YOU DON'T GET TO SEE IN THIS ROOM A LOT. AND THE WITHOUT WASTING TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, THERE'S A, THERE'S A WHOLE GREEK MYTHOLOGY ETHOS MYTHOS THING IN THIS EXERCISE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IN TELLING THE HERO STORY OF YOUR ORGANIZATION IS A HARD QUESTION FOR THE ROOM TO ENTERTAIN TWO OF THEM, ACTUALLY. 
          ONE, WHAT IS IT THAT ONLY YOUR ORGANIZATION IS DOING? AND TWO, IF YOUR ORGANIZATION DISAPPEARED TOMORROW, WHAT WOULD THEY EULOGIZE? THAT IS NOT HAPPENING ANYMORE. AND THOSE ARE REALLY POWERFUL DISCUSSIONS TO HAVE WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS. AND THE ANSWERS TO THOSE ARE SOMETIMES REALLY TERRIFYING AND HEARTBREAKING. AND I'M NOT GOING TO RUN YOU THROUGH OUR ANSWERS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT INTO MESSAGING THAT 
          [00:40:03]
HELPS GET MORE MEMBERS AND GET MORE FUNDING. I'M NOT GOING TO SHOW YOU THOSE CARDS RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS THAT STUFF DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THESE FUNDS. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THESE KINDS OF PLANS, AND I ENCOURAGE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO GET BEHIND THIS SORT OF THING AND MORE. THANK YOU. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENT, THIS HEARING IS NOW 
          [2. Public Hearing to consider an application for issuance of economic development bonds submitted by Michigan Christian Home d/b/a Beacon Hill at Eastgate, a Michigan nonprofit corporation (“Beacon Hill”).]
CLOSED. THAT BRINGS US TO OUR NEXT PUBLIC HEARING. AND I BELIEVE MR. NERO IS GOING TO LEAD US THROUGH DISCUSSION OF SOME PROJECTS THAT WE'VE SEEN BEFORE US, BUT WE ARE NOW MOVING TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION. THE FIRST OF THESE IS HEARING TO CONSIDER AN APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BONDS SUBMITTED BY MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN HOME, DBA BEACON HILL AT EASTGATE. MR. YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD EVENING. I ALSO WANT TO I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW AND THEN INVITE JEFF HUGHLEY UP WITH BEACON TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THE PROJECT AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT. SO THIS IS THIS IS A REQUEST TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ULTIMATELY TO HELP ISSUE BONDS IN THE AMOUNT IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 190 MILLION TO FINANCE THE EXPANSION AND RENOVATION OF THEIR CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY ON BOSTON. 
          THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE EXPANSION AND REVITALIZATION OF THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE CAMPUS. SO WE ANTICIPATE A BUILDING TO BE DEMOLITION OR DEMOLISHED, AND WE ALSO EXPECT UNITS TO BE REHABILITATED IN ANOTHER EXISTING BUILDING. SO WE'VE GOT 29 UNITS BEING RENOVATED AND ABOUT 149 NEW UNITS. AND THE NEW BUILDING. SO THE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION RECOMMENDED THE PROJECT PLAN TO CITY COMMISSION AND RECEIVED APPROVAL AT ITS MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 9TH. THIS THIS MEETING IS OBVIOUSLY A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROJECT PLAN, BUT IT ALSO CONSTITUTES WHAT IS CALLED A TEFRA HEARING. TEFRA IS THE ACRONYM FOR TAX, EQUITY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 1982, WHICH APPLIES ADDITIONAL TAX REQUIREMENTS AND CONSIDERATIONS TO TAX ADVANTAGED BONDS SUCH AS EDC BONDS. THIS COMMISSION WILL SEE THIS PROJECT AGAIN ON OCTOBER 7TH. AND THEN AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH ISSUING BONDS. THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS A SEPARATE LEGAL ENTITY, THIS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY'S BOND RATING. AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL INVITE JEFF UP TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE. GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. MY NAME IS JEFF HUGHLEY. I'M PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BEACON HILL AT EASTGATE. I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR ROMERO, CITY STAFF COMMISSION LEADERSHIP, FOR PARTNERING WITH BEACON HILL. OVER ALL THESE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN AROUND 15 YEARS IN A REDEVELOPMENT MODE AT THE CORNER OF PLYMOUTH AND BOSTON STREET IN THE THIRD WARD, AND IT'S BEEN A JOY TO WATCH THE MISSION GROW OVER THESE YEARS. OUR ORGANIZATION STARTED 65 YEARS AGO. THE MAIN GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO REPLACE THAT 65 YEAR OLD BUILDING, WHICH HAS SERVED SENIORS IN AN INCREDIBLE FORM FOR ALL THOSE YEARS IN A VARIETY OF VARIETY OF FASHIONS. 
          TODAY, WE SERVE ABOUT 450 SENIORS ACROSS A VARIETY OF LEVELS OF CARE. INDEPENDENT LIVING IS THE LARGEST PART OF THIS PROJECT, BUT IT'S NOT THE FOCUS. OUR FOCUS REALLY IS ON BRINGING STATE OF THE ART ASSISTED LIVING AND OTHER MEMORY CARE PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY. AS A NONPROFIT, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE VALUE INTO THE MARKET. THE THE THE COMMUNITY HAS REALLY COME TO US, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP A HIGH LEVEL OF CARE. OUR FIVE STAR RATING IS THE TOP IN THE REGION, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE GREAT STEWARDS OF ALL OF THE PROCEEDS WE'VE GAINED OVER THESE YEARS FROM BOND ISSUANCE THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED THROUGH THE EDC. THIS $190 MILLION WILL REPRESENT A $300 MILLION TOTAL INVESTMENT BY BEACON HILL INTO THIS COMMUNITY. AND WE WE EMPLOY 250 PEOPLE EVERY DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR, 24 OVER SEVEN. AND IT'S IT'S AN INCREDIBLE MISSION THAT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND SERVE A POPULATION WHICH IS BURGEONING. I THINK ALL OF US KNOW SENIORS. I THINK TOMORROW WILL KNOW EVEN MORE SENIORS, AND IT JUST CONTINUES TO BE AN AREA OF NEED FOR US. SO OUR MISSION REMAINS VITAL. YOUR PERMISSION TO ALLOW US TO ISSUE BONDS THROUGH THE EDC WILL ALLOW US TO, YOU KNOW, EXTEND THE HORIZON OF OUR MISSION BEYOND WHAT WE CAN SEE TODAY. 
          AND IT'LL BE OUR PLEASURE TO CONTINUE TO FIND NEW WAYS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS AND WOULD WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOU AND SERVE YOUR NEIGHBORS. AND IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN 
          [00:45:04]
CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR YOU OR PEOPLE YOU KNOW, LET LET ME KNOW, PLEASE. THANKS. ANY COMMISSION QUESTIONS? WE HAVE SEEN THIS PROJECT BEFORE. NO. THAT'S GREAT. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS? AND THANKS FOR MAKING THE POINT, MISS RENAULT. THIS IS NOT OUR BONDING RATING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE AND TV TO UNDERSTAND. WE'RE FACILITATING SOME, I THINK REALLY GOOD WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AT NO COST TO OURSELVES. THANK YOU. SEEING NO QUESTIONS AND NO COMMUNITY INPUT. CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING. THANK YOU. AND THIS IS REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. THAT BRINGS US TO OUR NEXT PROJECT, PUBLIC HEARING ON AN AMENDMENT TO THE BROWNFIELD PLAN TO INCLUDE 443 SHELDON REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT LOCATED AT 443 SHELDON, SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH. MR. YES. THANK YOU. ON THIS ONE, I WANT TO CALL SOME ATTENTION TO BRYCE HANSON, WHO'S OUR DEVELOPER IN THE ROOM, WHO I WILL ALSO WELCOME UP TO TALK HERE IN A MINUTE. HE SUCCESSFUL EMERGING DEVELOPER GRANT RECIPIENT. AND NOW WE'RE SEEING BROWNFIELD PLAN PROJECT IN FRONT OF YOU, WHICH STARTED WITH AN EMERGING DEVELOPER GRANT. SO THIS IS. THIS WAS AN EXISTING LAND BANK LOT. SO I JUST WANT TO CALL SOME ATTENTION TO THAT. THE PROPERTY IT WAS HAS BEEN VACANT SINCE 2000. IT WENT INTO FORECLOSURE IN 21. AND IT WAS OWNED BY THE STATE LAND BANK AT THE TIME WHEN THE PROPERTIES WERE TRANSITIONED TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK IN FEBRUARY. 
          THIS WAS PART OF THE PORTFOLIO, AND BRYCE HAS AN OPTION THROUGH MARCH OF 26 TO CLOSE ON THAT SALE. THE PROJECT BEFORE US WITH THE BROWNFIELD PLAN INCLUDES THE NEW CONSTRUCTION OF A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING FOR 26 APARTMENTS, ALONG WITH A SURFACE LOT. THE BUILDING IS EXPECTED TO BE ALL ELECTRIC AND SOLAR READY AT PROJECT COMPLETION. SIX OF THE 26 UNITS ARE ANTICIPATED. THAT'S ABOUT 20%, OR IS 20% ANTICIPATED TO BE INCOME RESTRICTED AT 60%. 
          AMI, WE'VE GOT 3.8 MILLION ROUGHLY IN ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES, WITH MOST OF THAT BEING POTENTIAL RENT LOSS. THE DDA DID CONTEMPLATE THIS RECENTLY AT THEIR BOARD MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 10TH TO CONSIDER PASS THROUGH. SO THERE'S A A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PARTNERS HERE AT THE TABLE. AND WITH THAT, I WANT TO INVITE BRYCE UP TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THE PROJECT IS IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I WANT TO START OFF, AS ALWAYS, BY SAYING THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE TODAY AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF OUR PROJECT. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW ME, MY NAME IS BRYCE HANSON. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS AND MOVED BACK SHORTLY AFTER GRADUATING FROM WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY. AS I ARRIVED BACK, I STARTED LOOKING INTO DIFFERENT HOUSING OPTIONS AND QUICKLY REALIZED JUST HOW EXPENSIVE THE MARKET HAD BECOME. THIS REALIZATION INSPIRED ME TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT AVENUES IN WHICH I COULD POTENTIALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE THE EMERGING DEVELOPER PROGRAM AND THE HOUSING TIF PROGRAM, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD ADDRESSING THIS CHALLENGE. NOW, THESE PROGRAMS ARE INCREDIBLY VITAL TO THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF PROJECTS LIKE OURS, AND THEY ALLOW NEW VOICES LIKE MINE TO MAKE AN IMPACT. OUR PROJECT WILL BRING INVESTMENT INTO ONE OF THE CITY'S NEIGHBORHOODS OF FOCUS AND PRIORITY AREAS, OUTLINED BY THE SOUTH DIVISION AREA SPECIFIC PLAN, WITH A TOTAL OF 26 UNITS, WILL HAVE A MIX OF RENTS THAT WILL REACH DIFFERENT INCOME LEVELS ON THE MARKET AFFORDABILITY RATE SIDE, WE'LL HAVE TWO STUDIOS PRICED AT $1,300.16 ONE BEDS PRICED AT $1,400, AND TWO TWO BED UNITS PRICED AT $1,800. THESE RENTS ARE DESIGNED FOR INDIVIDUALS EARNING BETWEEN 70 TO 80% AMI, OR A RANGE OF ROUGHLY 52 TO $68,000 ANNUALLY. HOWEVER, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE STILL OUT OF REACH FOR MANY PEOPLE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE SETTING ASIDE ADDITIONAL UNITS AT MORE AFFORDABLE LEVELS. 
          WE'LL HAVE TWO STUDIOS PRICED AT AROUND $1,100 THREE ONE BEDS, PRICED JUST SOUTH OF $1,200, AND ONE TWO BED UNIT PRICE JUST ABOVE $1,400. THESE WILL SERVE INDIVIDUALS EARNING BETWEEN 44 AND $52,000 ANNUALLY FROM YOUNG PROFESSIONALS STARTING THEIR CAREERS TO LIFELONG GRAND RAPIDS RESIDENTS. OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE HOUSING THAT WILL SERVE A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE BOTH WANT AND DESERVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME. I'M JOINED TODAY BY MY PARTNER ON THIS PROJECT, 
          [00:50:04]
JAMES, AND OUR CONSULTANT, JESS, AND THE THREE OF US ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. 
          THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES? COMMENTS? MR. BOUCEK, I WANT TO SAY WOW AND THANK YOU. YOUR STORY IS GREAT AND THIS IS YOUR FIRST PROJECT AND YOU JUST JUMPED RIGHT INTO IT. I DID, YES. AND AND HAS THE EMERGENCY EMERGING DEVELOPER PROGRAM TAUGHT YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW? IT'S TAUGHT ME SOME. IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE HELP. I WILL SAY THAT I'M SORT OF HALF TEASING BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD PROGRAM, BUT YOU REALLY LEARN BY DOING IN THIS WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN THIS FIELD. SO I WANT TO PARTICULARLY JUST SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND CALL OUT, AS A NEW DEVELOPER, SETTING A STANDARD FOR THE FUTURE. I TALK ABOUT BUILDING THE CITY, THE FUTURE, THE CITY OF THE FUTURE. AND HOUSING IS A KEY COMPONENT OF THAT. OBVIOUSLY, I'M IMPRESSED THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO PUT AN INVESTMENT INTO A INNER DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE HEART SIDE AREA, AND IT'S ALL ELECTRIC AND SOLAR READY. SO THAT'S VERY VISIONARY, FUTURISTIC FUTURE THINKING. AND I THINK THAT THE TRANSPARENCY YOU HAVE OFFERED IN YOUR PRESENTATION TO ACTUALLY LIST THE RATE OF THE MONTHLY AMOUNT, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING EVERY DEVELOPER DOES. SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. IT'S REALLY A LEADERSHIP THING. AND I THINK YOU EVEN LISTED LIKE THE KINDS OF PEOPLE, THE INCOME THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO AFFORD. RIGHT. SO THAT'S TAKING THAT CONVERSATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL TO SO PEOPLE CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN OUR CITY AND LIVING IN THESE PLACES. SO VERY IMPRESSED BY THIS PROJECT. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT HAPPEN. I HOPE THAT EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY FROM HERE ON OUT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. NOT SEEING ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, I WILL CLOSE THIS HEARING AND REFER THIS TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. AND THAT BRINGS US TO OUR THIRD 
          [3. Public Hearing to consider an amendment to the City of Grand Rapids Brownfield Plan to include the 443 Sheldon Redevelopment project located at 443 Sheldon Avenue SE]
          [4. Public Hearing to consider an amendment to the City of Grand Rapids Brownfield Plan to include the Powers Place Redevelopment project located at 764 and 800 Powers Avenue NW]
PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. AND THAT'S THE AMENDMENT CITY BROWNFIELD TO INCLUDE POWERS PLACE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT LOCATED AT SEVEN, 64 AND 800 POWERS NORTHWEST. MR. BRUNO. YES, THIS PROJECT IS JUST SOUTH OF WALKER AVE ON POWERS. I WANT TO INVITE ADAM ROGALSKI, WHO'S ANOTHER EMERGING DEVELOPER UP HERE, IN A FEW MINUTES AFTER. I JUST GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW. THIS IS A THIS IS THE PROJECT IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S GOING TO MAKE WAY. IT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY COMPLICATED SITE. BUT WE'RE GOING TO PUT EIGHT TOWNHOMES WITH A TOTAL INVESTMENT OF 2.7 MILLION. THE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES FOR HOUSING TIFF ARE REALLY SIGNIFICANT SITE PREP BECAUSE OF THE THE THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE SITE, BUT TOTAL ROUGHLY 1.1 MILLION. THIS PROJECT QUALIFIES AS HOUSING. THEREFORE, OUR BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HOUSING TIFF INTERIM GUIDELINES REQUIRE AT LEAST 20% OF THE UNITS TO BE MAINTAINED, AFFORDABLE FOR THE LENGTH OF THE BROWNFIELD PLAN OR AT LEAST TEN YEARS. BUT BECAUSE OF THOSE SIGNIFICANT SITE PREP COSTS, WE ARE WE ARE ADVOCATING THAT WE HOLD THE DEVELOPER ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FULL 25 YEAR TERM OF THE BROWNFIELD PLAN AND DO ONE UNIT INSTEAD OF TWO. SO INSTEAD OF 20%, WE'RE SEEING 12.5% OF THE UNITS REMAIN TO BE AFFORDABLE FOR, AGAIN, THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE BROWNFIELD PLAN. THOSE ARE THE THINGS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT QUICKLY. AND I'LL INVITE ADAM UP HERE TO SELL THE PROJECT. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ADAM ROGALSKI AND I'M THE DEVELOPER ON THIS PROJECT. BEFORE I TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MY BACKGROUND AND THE PROJECT DETAILS, I JUST WANTED TO START WITH SOME GRATITUDE BECAUSE WITHOUT THE HELP AND SUPPORT OF THESE PEOPLE, I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE TODAY. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF DIRECTOR, NERO AND MACKENZIE MILLER, THANK YOU FOR CHAMPIONING MY EMERGING DEVELOPER GRANT EARLIER THIS YEAR AND CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE BROWNFIELD HOUSING TIFF TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF DIRECTOR, TORKELSON AND ROWAN BRADY, YOUR COUNSEL AND YOUR ADVICE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY VALUABLE TO THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD CHAIR EDWARDS AND THE MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING MY EMERGING DEVELOPER GRANT IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, THE HOUSING TIFF LAST MONTH. I APPRECIATE IT TO THE WEST GRAND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VANDENBERG, AND TO THE BOARD FOR SUPPORTING THIS DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO PROVIDING VALUABLE FEEDBACK ON HOW TO THINK THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY VALUABLE TO FIRST WARD COMMISSIONERS AND ROBBINS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME PRIOR TO THIS MEETING TO SIT DOWN TO TALK THROUGH 
          [00:55:05]
EXACTLY YOUR FEEDBACK, YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOUR ADVICE. IT'S BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT, AND I'M JUST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR TIME. AND FINALLY, TO MY WIFE AND MY DAUGHTER, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME PURSUE MY PASSION AND SPEND A LITTLE BIT LESS TIME AT HOME. MY BACKGROUND, MY CONNECTION TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD GOES BACK TO 2009, WHEN MY WIFE AND I GOT MARRIED AND MOVED INTO OUR HOUSE, WHICH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM THIS SITE. AS A REMINDER, THE SITE'S CLOSE TO THE WEST SIDE OF CAFE, THE DAIRY QUEEN AND LEWANDOWSKI'S MARKET. FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T AS FAMILIAR, WE ALSO BROUGHT OUR DAUGHTER HOME TO THIS HOUSE IN 2011 FROM SAINT MARY'S. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S A EIGHT UNIT TOWNHOME DESIGN. THERE'LL BE TWO BEDS, TWO BATHS, ALL FRONT PORCHES, REAR DECKS IN THE BACKYARD. IT'S A PROJECT THAT I WOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER LIVE IN WHEN SHE COMES BACK AS A AS A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AND TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK IT WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNFORTUNATE EVENTS WHERE DIVORCES MAY NEED TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO STAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WORKING CLASS MEMBERS OF OF THE CITY. I THINK IT WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO TO IDENTIFY MAYBE A NONTRADITIONAL APARTMENT LIVING STYLE. THE RENTS, THE MAJORITY OF THE RENTS WILL BE BETWEEN 80 AND 100% AMI, WITH THE GOAL OF HAVING AT LEAST BE AT 60% AMI WITH THE APPROVAL OF A STATE GRANT. MY PLAN IS TO BREAK GROUND LATER THIS YEAR AND OPEN THEM UP FOR RENT NEXT YEAR. I'LL WRAP THINGS UP WITH THE STRUGGLES AND THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, MY ARCHITECT PASSED AWAY WHO WAS HELPING ME ON THIS PROJECT. IT WAS JARRING AND UNEXPECTED AND WELL. WELL, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME PRIORITIZING, AND I JUST ENCOURAGE ALL OF THOSE IN THIS ROOM TO CHECK IN ON PEOPLE, FRIENDS, FAMILY AND COLLEAGUES. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHERS ARE GOING THROUGH AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY THINK WE DO. HIS NAME WAS JEFF. 
          LAST MONTH, AS WE WERE WRAPPING UP COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT, OR SO WE THOUGHT, THE STEEP SLOPE IN THIS PROPERTY THAT REQUIRES A RETAINING WALL TO BOTH PROTECT THE PROJECT THAT I'M WORKING ON, BUT ALSO THE NEIGHBORS TO THE EAST AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AND PINE. THE RETAINING WALL ESTIMATE CAME BACK AND MORE THAN DOUBLED. IT FORCED US TO PIVOT THE DESIGN, BUT STILL STAY TRUE TO WHAT YOU SEE TODAY. I'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM THAT'S SURROUNDED ME AS AN EMERGING DEVELOPER, AND I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO TO THE EXPERTISE OF THE ENGINEERS, THE ARCHITECTS AND THE CONSULTANTS ON THIS PROJECT. I'LL WRAP THINGS UP WITH LESSONS LEARNED, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MATTERS. JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD DEVELOP THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF WHAT'S ALLOWED. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S APPROPRIATE VERSUS WHAT'S ALLOWED. AND FINALLY, DIALOG MATTERS. IN PARTICULAR RESPECTFUL DIALOG. I'VE MET A LOT OF NEIGHBORS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS THAT HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE ABOUT WHAT GOES HERE. IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO INCORPORATE THEIR COMMENTS, THEIR FEEDBACK INTO THE DESIGN, TO HOPEFULLY MAKE IT THE BEST PRODUCT POSSIBLE. IN CLOSING, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY'S PAST SUPPORT OF ME AS AN EMERGING DEVELOPER AND WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE WITH THE BROWNFIELD HOUSING TIFF. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TONIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. THANKS FOR INVESTING IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, AND CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE A GREAT, DENSE DESIGN. SO ANY COMMISSIONER ROBBINS. THANKS, MAYOR. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. I KNOW, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, MR. ROGALSKI HAD REACHED OUT TO ME A FEW WEEKS BACK AND KIND OF GAVE ME THE HIGH LEVEL SPECS OF THIS PROJECT. AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE GET IT'S EASY TO GET EXCITED ABOUT THE REALLY BIG PROJECTS THAT BRING, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF UNITS OF HOUSING TO OUR, TO OUR COMMUNITY. BUT I THINK WE SHOULD BE EQUALLY AS EXCITED ABOUT PROJECTS LIKE THIS, TOO, THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, MATCH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN, YOU KNOW, I LOVE WHEN THOSE PERSONAL STORIES TIED TO THEM AS WELL. I THINK WE'RE JUST LUCKY TO HAVE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO REALLY CARE. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT JUST LOOKING TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK. THEY REALLY WANT TO INVEST AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND REACH OUT TO NEIGHBORS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEEDS ARE. SO I'VE GREATLY APPRECIATED GETTING TO KNOW YOU THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. I KNOW IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, A CHALLENGE FROM THE SITE DESIGN AND THINGS LIKE THAT TOO, BUT JUST GRATEFUL TO TO HAVE THIS PROJECT HERE BEFORE US FOR PUBLIC HEARING. AND I KNOW YOU'VE GOT INTEREST, AS YOU 
          [01:00:02]
MENTIONED, TO, IN DOING SOME OTHER PROJECTS AROUND THE CITY. SO CERTAINLY HOPE THIS ISN'T THE LAST TIME THAT WE SEE YOU. COMMISSIONER KNIGHT. YES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND, YOU KNOW, AS AS MY OTHER COLLEAGUES STATE, THAT WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT SOME DEVELOPERS ARE BRINGING ONLINE NEW UNITS FOR OUR RESIDENTS. AS WE KNOW, HOUSING IS IN GREAT DEMAND HERE IN OUR CITY. I'M I'M I'M JUST A LITTLE TRIGGER THAT HIT ME IS THAT YOU ONLY HAVE ONE AFFORDABLE UNIT IN ALL OF THESE UNITS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN. THERE WAS 25 OR HOW MANY UNITS TOTAL? EIGHT, 18. AND ONLY ONE OF THEM ARE AFFORDABLE IN ALL EIGHT EIGHT, EIGHT, EIGHT. YEAH, I'LL STILL GO EIGHT. THERE'S ONE AFFORDABLE OUT OF ALL OF THOSE UNITS. AND SO YOU'RE ASKING FOR A WAIVER OF THE POLICY TO JUST KEEP THAT ONE. AND SO I KNOW THIS UNIT IS YOU KNOW IT'S IN A DIFFERENT SPACE. IT'S IN A DIFFERENT AREA, DIFFERENT PART OF THE CITY. 
          LAND REQUIREMENTS ARE DIFFERENT IN THE BUILDING. AS THE ONE THAT WAS JUST PROPOSED TO US. 
          THAT HAS SIX OF COURSE THEY HAVE MORE UNITS. BUT STILL THE BALANCE. RIGHT. SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR US TO THINK ABOUT AS, AS TO THE WHY AND THEN WHAT WE'RE ALLOWING IN THAT AS REIMBURSEMENTS FOR, BECAUSE THE REST OF THEM ARE WHAT THEY ARE. 
          RIGHT. SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE AS A NOTE FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND. SURE. YEAH. 
          THE STAFF WERE REALLY PRIORITIZING THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD VERSUS THE 20%. AND SO THAT WAS THAT WAS WHERE WE LANDED. AND I THINK THAT JOE AND ADAM CAN SPEAK MORE TO THE PROFORMA, BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE THE DEAL. I HEAR YOU AND THE PERIOD, THE LENGTH OF TIME, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED IN THE LENGTH OF TIME AND IF JUST THROWING OUT THERE IF WE CONSIDER TWO OR CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT JUST THE PERIOD AND NOT THE WHAT WE NEED, WE'RE GOING TO END UP IN THE SAME BUCKET THAT WE'VE BEEN IN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, RIGHT? YEAH. IF I MAY, JOE, MICHIGAN GROWTH ADVISORS, WE ARE THE CONSULTANTS ON THE BROWNFIELD PLAN HERE. SO WHAT'S REALLY UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS IT'S A SMALL FOOTPRINT. WITH THAT WE'RE FITTING EIGHT UNITS ON EIGHT REALLY IMPORTANT UNITS IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT THE SITE IS SLOPED LIKE THIS. IT'S A REALLY, REALLY STEEP SITE. SO THE THE BROWNFIELD PLAN ONLY HAS SO MANY TIF DOLLARS TO GO AROUND TO FUND THE, THE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. IN THIS CASE, THEY'RE ALMOST ENTIRELY BEING CONSUMED BY THAT RETAINING WALL THAT ADAM TALKED ABOUT THAT DOUBLED IN PRICE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. AND SO AS WE WERE STRUCTURING THIS, WE HAD INITIALLY PROPOSED TWO UNITS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE POLICY, BUT FOR A SHORTER AFFORDABILITY PERIOD, BECAUSE, AGAIN, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIF TO FUND ALL OF THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, IN NEGOTIATION WITH STAFF, THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP WITH THE ONE, BUT FOR THE LONGER DURATION OF TIME. SO THAT'S THE WHY BEHIND IT. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, IT'S REALLY BECAUSE OF THE THE SITE CHALLENGES HERE, WHICH ARE PRETTY UNIQUE PROJECT THIS RELATIVELY SMALL I GET IT. THANK YOU. I MEAN I SAW ALL THAT, I HEARD ALL THAT. JUST WONDERING THEN HOW DO WE GO BACK AND RECALCULATE WHAT WE'RE DOING, IF THIS IS THE THING THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING, JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE FOR THOUGHTS, COMMISSIONER POLACEK, THANK YOU. AND I DO APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES. AFFORDABILITY IS SOMETHING WE ARE ALWAYS STRIVING FOR, ESPECIALLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND ESPECIALLY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD OF FOCUS LIKE THIS. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME SPENDING WITH ME TO UPDATE, AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD A DEVELOPER ASK TO DO THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU SHARING YOUR PERSONAL STORY. THERE ARE IT'S VERY WE, AS YOU AND I HAD A CHAT AND I WILL SHARE THIS PUBLICLY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AFFORDABILITY. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW EVEN AT 60%, IT ISN'T ALWAYS FEELING AFFORDABLE BECAUSE OF THE INCOME LEVELS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT AT AGE 35, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATISTIC SAYS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THIS IS BEING BUILT IN AND SINGLE EARNER WOULD BE MAKING ABOUT 35,000. SO A DOUBLE DOUBLE INCOME MAY EARN 50 TO 60,000. SO IT'S STILL AT 60%. NOT ALWAYS GREAT, BUT I DO THINK THAT WITH THE EXTRA CHALLENGES, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT, HOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH DOUBLING MEANS, I INVITE YOU TO DO THAT. BUT THESE ARE TWO BEDROOM HOMES WITH PORCHES AND A LITTLE BACKYARD TOWNHOUSE STYLE. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO REALLY ACCOMMODATE THE FAMILIES. AND THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY BENEFIT BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORS UP THERE ON PINE WERE GOING TO LOSE SOME OF THEIR GARAGES. IT'S PRETTY MUCH A DISASTER OF A SITE. SO REALLY, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEIGHBORS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS IN A POSITIVE WAY, TOO. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF 
          [01:05:04]
MY COMMENTS FOR NOW. THANKS. THANK YOU BOTH. SO NO PUBLIC, NO ONE COMING UP TO THE MICROPHONE PUBLICLY. I WILL CLOSE THIS HEARING AND REFER THIS TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. 
          THAT BRINGS US TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANYTHING THAT ANY CITIZEN RESIDENT WANTS TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COMMISSION. THANK. THANK YOU. I MEAN I GET. IT. HELLO. HOW Y'ALL DOING? I'VE BEEN HERE TOO LONG. I KNEW TO DO THAT. I'M PASSIONATE AND VISIONARY. I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE COMPUTER SCIENCE FROM MICHIGAN CONFERENCE. SO I SPOKE TO YOU GUYS LAST TIME AT CITY HALL THAT I WAS GOING TO BE DRIVING TO LANSING. I WAS AT THE LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND I WAS SPEAKING AT THE COMPUTER SCIENCE FROM MICHIGAN CONFERENCE. SO THIS FIRST PIECE OF NICE ART YOU HAVE, YOU SEE THE STREAMING PLATFORM PARTY. 
          THEY ACTUALLY MADE A NICE COOL POSTER, ME OF ME ACTUALLY ABOUT TO BE SPEAKING AT THIS CONFERENCE. IT'S COOL TO SAY THAT 40,000 PEOPLE CHECKED THAT OUT ON X. IT ACTUALLY WAS VIRAL. 
          AND IT WAS TODAY AT THIS CONFERENCE. SO I KNOW COOL KARMA IS GOING TO COME BACK. 
          AND THEN THE COOL THING, DAVID. SO YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW WHO TYRESE GIBSON IS, BUT TYRESE GIBSON INBOXED ME ON X. LADIES LOVE TYRESE GIBSON DAVID LEGRAND. BUT THE FUNNY THING IS SO HE INBOXED ME, HE'S A CELEBRITY. HE WAS ON FAST AND FURIOUS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS. 
          A GREAT SINGER AND HE INBOXED ME ABOUT THIS CRYPTOCURRENCY THAT THEY DEVELOPED. I WAS LIKE, WHAT THE HECK IS TYRESE INBOXING ME LIKE OUT OF ALL THINGS. SO THEN I GO IN THE CHAT AND I LOOK AT THE PERSON WHO DEVELOPED THE COIN, AND IT WAS NBA LEGEND SCOTTIE PIPPEN, AND HE HE HIT ME BACK AND HE WAS LIKE, SO THEY DEVELOPED A COIN, A REAL WORLD ASSET AROUND THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FIVE BALL FROM 1991. THERE IS AN ACTUAL CURRENCY AROUND THE CHAMPIONSHIP BALL FROM ONE OF THE GREATEST NBA TEAMS, MY CHICAGO HOMETOWN TEAM, THE CHICAGO BULLS. SO THAT THIRD SHEET YOU SEE IS A CUSTODIAN, SCOTTIE PIPPEN, THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY HAS A REAL WORLD ASSET WITH SEVEN FIGURES, A VERY, VERY HEALTHY COIN. AND THE REAL WORLD ASSET, THE COIN, A CRYPTOCURRENCY ACTUALLY BACKED BY SOMETHING BY HISTORICAL LEGENDS, HISTORICAL LEGENDS. AND THEN THE CRAZY THING. SO AMAZON IS ACTUALLY HIRING PEOPLE UP TO FOUR, 400,000 FOR CRYPTO CURRENCY EXPERTISE. AND SO THE SALARIES FOR 400,000 FROM AMAZON ONE OF THE RICHEST ORGANIZATIONS ON EARTH. IT'S CRAZY. SO, DAVID, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU THAT THERE ARE CRAZY THINGS THAT ARE ACTUALLY COINS THAT ARE ACTUALLY BACKED BY ACTUAL THINGS, NOT JUST OUT OF THIN AIR, NOT OUT OF JUST JUST CASUALLY, BUT NBA CHAMPIONSHIP LEGENDS LIKE MICHAEL JORDAN AND SCOTTIE PIPPEN, SOME OF THE LEGENDARY NBA 75 GREATEST PLAYERS OF ALL TIME. CRAZY STUFF. AND IT WAS TYRESE GIBSON, THE CELEBRITY WHO'S THE ONE WHO INVITED ME TO THIS. I'M GIVING IT ALL TO YOU FROM HIM. HOW I GOT IT. THIS, HOW THE UNIVERSE SENT IT TO ME. YOU GET IT ALL RIGHT THERE. SO IT WAS COOL TO SPEAK AT THE CONFERENCE. I ACTUALLY GOT THE LEGO EDUCATION PEOPLE. I ACTUALLY CONNECTED THEM TO FORTNITE BECAUSE THEY HAVE LEGO FORTNITE. AND NOW WE ABOUT TO DO ALL OF THESE COOL THINGS. 
          AND THEN I EVEN SPOKE TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF, OF OF LEARNING FROM GR, AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A ESPORTS TEAM. AND WE GOT THE ESPORTS FINALS AND ALL OF THIS COOL THINGS. 
          I'M GOING TO BE A BILLIONAIRE TRILLIONAIRE, A PIONEER, A VISIONARY THAT HAD A VISION FOR THIS, THAT HAVE CELEBRITIES THAT HAVE NBA LEGENDS SITTING THERE SPEAKING TO ME AND INBOXING ME, HAVING CELEBRITIES, BALD HEADED CELEBRITIES, BAR FINE GUYS THAT LADIES LOVE INBOXING ME ON X AND I'M VERIFIED. AND IT'S JUST A FUNNY THING HOW THE UNIVERSE SPINS. 
          AND I JUST HAD TO SHOW YOU THIS UNIVERSAL LESSON, DAVID, BECAUSE I REMEMBER YOU SAID THAT AND I HAD TO LET YOU KNOW I'M GONNA KEEP STANDING ON BUSINESS. GOOD EVENING. I'M REVEREND DOCTOR LISA TOWNSEND. I HAVE A DOCTORATE IN MINISTRY, AND I OWN A COUNSELING CENTER. 
          30 YEARS IN THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA, 3501 LAKE EASTBROOK. AND THE MINISTRY PIECE. I COME FROM A FAMILY OF PASTORS, AND I AM A PASTOR AS WELL. AND I HAVE A DOCTORATE IN MINISTRY, PASTORAL COUNSELING. SO A DEMON AND A PHD. AND I AM HERE TODAY. RELUCTANTLY, BUT VERY MUCH NEEDED. MY 84 YEAR OLD MOTHER RECENTLY WENT THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE. SHE FILED AN ORDINANCE AGAINST A OR YES AGAINST A NEIGHBOR IN REGARDS TO HER FENCE. SO SHE HAS VINYL 
          [01:10:02]
FENCING AROUND THE TOTALITY OF HER PROPERTY. SHE OWNS 4311 AND A 4313. SO WE LOVE THIS PROPERTY. IT WAS OUR GRANDPARENTS. IT'S IT'S IN OUR HISTORY. IT'LL BE PASSED DOWN FROM FROM YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS FROM NOW. AND WE'VE TAKEN MUCH PRIDE THROUGH THE CITY. 
          IT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST HOMES OF WHEN I WHEN I WANT TO SAY, I GUESS PROPERTY WISE, THE ASSESSMENT OF IT IS VERY HIGHLY VALUED, ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE MOST MAINTAINED. AND WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING FROM 30 YEARS OF LIVING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS WHEN MY MOM FILED THIS ORDINANCE. NUMBER ONE, I DON'T COME TO MAKE A COMPLAINT, BUT I COME TO HELP THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS AND AND PROPERTY DISPUTES. I'M HOPING THAT I COULD LEND MY EXPERTISE TO HELP THAT PROCESS BECOME A LOT BETTER. I HEAR SO MANY INDIVIDUALS STATING THAT THERE IS JUST A LONG LIST OF NEIGHBOR DISPUTES, AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE HANDLED OR DEALT WITH IS SUCH A LENGTHY PROCESS. AND FROM WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH WITH MY MOTHER, I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROCESS COULD BE SHORTENED. AND I THINK IT COULD BRING INDIVIDUALS TOGETHER. IT COULD UNIFY INDIVIDUALS AND NOT DIVIDE INDIVIDUALS. SO I'M GOING TO CUT TO THE CHASE BECAUSE IT WAS A LONG THIS THIS ISSUE LASTED VERY LONG, LONG DURATION. WHAT WOUND UP HAPPENING IS THAT MY MOM DID KNOW FROM BEING THERE 30 YEARS THAT THIS NEIGHBOR WAS TAKING HIS FENCE DOWN AND HE WAS MOVING IT OVER. AND EVERY TIME THAT HE DID, HE WAS MOVING IT OVER HER PROPERTY LINE. SO SHE CONTACTED THE CITY, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT, THAT SHE WOULD, NUMBER ONE, HAVE TO GET A SURVEYOR. WELL, THANK GOD SHE DID NOT HAVE TO PURCHASE OR PAY FOR A SURVEYOR BECAUSE OUR HOME HAD RECENTLY BEEN ASSESSED, SO THEY JUST NEEDED TO COME OUT AND PLACE POST ON THE PROPERTY LINES. AND IT WAS FOUND THAT OUR NEIGHBOR WAS WELL OVER THE PROPERTY LINE, NOT ONLY IN THE BACK OF OUR HOME. YES, YOUR THREE MINUTE POINT. SO OKAY, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO US AFTERWARDS, THAT'D BE YES, I WOULD. I JUST WANTED TO SAY IN CLOSING, AFTER THIS, THE CASE HAS BEEN CLOSED AND WE DID WIN IT IN COURT. BUT AFTER THAT, THE CITY WORKERS AS WELL HAVE BEEN SENDING MY MOM LIKE COMPLAINTS AND ABOUT OTHER THINGS AND ABOUT HER PROPERTY. AND IT APPEARS TO BE IMPLICIT BIAS. AND I DO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER WITH A COMMISSIONER. 
          THANK YOU ALL. MAYOR LEGRAND. THANK YOU, MR. KILGORE. MISS. NIGHT, COMMISSIONER. NIGHT. I THANK YOU ALL. AND HOPEFULLY THIS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH WHEN I HAVE MORE TIME. THANK YOU. I THINK CAN COME UP AND HELP YOU MAYBE TALK TO SOME STAFF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. LUCAS AGAIN. SO THE MAIN REASON I CAME HERE TONIGHT, UNFORTUNATELY, HE'S NOT HERE. I ALREADY GAVE HIM SOME TROUBLE ABOUT THAT, BUT HE'S GOT A GOOD REASON. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THOSE TIMES THAT TWO THINGS CAN BE TRUE AT ONCE. ON MY MIND IS A RECENT INTERACTION THAT REMINDS ME THAT AS MANY GRIPES AS I HAVE ABOUT POLICING, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK THAT WE CAN STILL DO WHEN WE ALIGN. 
          CAME TO GIVE A BELATED THANKS TO CHIEF WINSTROM FOR A GREAT CONVERSATION IN EARLY AUGUST, AND I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME WAYS THAT WE ALIGN ON THE TOPIC OF DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT. SO YEAH, I WAS A BIG GRUMPY BEAR WHEN I CAME AT THIS TOPIC FOR WEEKS, SENDING YOU PHOTOS EVERY WEEKEND ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT I WAS SEEING AROUND THE ARENA. AS SO MANY OF YOU HAVE GRACIOUSLY DONE, THOUGH, THE CHIEF PROPOSED THAT WE HAVE A PRACTICAL DISCUSSION. 
          SO WE MET UP AT STUDIO PARK TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOTAL BEDLAM OF PEOPLE, PARKING AND LOADING ZONES, AND CLEARLY MARKED NO PARKING ZONES. AND WE EXCHANGED SOME IDEAS ON SOLUTIONS. I SPOKE ABOUT THE OPEN REBELLION DOWNTOWN THAT PARKERS SEEMED TO BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED WITH CREATING SAFETY ISSUES AND SABOTAGING THOSE OF US THAT ARE PICKING PEOPLE UP FROM JOBS OR RIDESHARE DRIVERS JUST TRYING TO DO THEIR JOBS. AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH THE CITY NEEDS TO STEP UP AND MAKE PLANS TO HANDLE THE MANY EVENTS THAT WILL BE COMPETING FOR TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESOURCES, AND HOW MUCH THE AMPHITHEATER ALONE IS LIKELY TO BE UNDERESTIMATED RIGHT NOW IN THE ESTIMATION OF AUTHORITIES, WITH ITS IMPACT TO THOSE ISSUES. MUCH OF WHAT WE 
          [01:15:01]
CAME TO WAS A COMMON OPTION, THAT A NIGHT SHIFT FOR PARKING ENFORCEMENT WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING WITH ALL THIS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IN JUST THE VICINITY OF THE ARENA ALONE IN JUST ONE WEEKEND, YOU COULD PROBABLY WRITE ENOUGH TICKETS TO PAY THE CHIEF'S SALARY FOR A MONTH. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CHICKEN AND EGG IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY THE NIGHT SHIFT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE NIGHT SHIFT TO WRITE THE TICKETS. I GET IT, YOU'RE KIND OF STUCK IN A LOOP, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. THE CITY NEEDS TO FUNCTION AT ALL TIMES, NOT JUST UNTIL 7 P.M. OR WHENEVER THE TRAFFIC TICKET FOLKS GO HOME, OR THE PARKING TICKET FOLKS GO HOME. THE TIME TO GET ON TOP OF IT IS RIGHT NOW, THE TIME TO SET THESE HABITS AND CHANGE THESE BEHAVIORS IS NOW NOT AFTER THE HUGE VENUES OPEN. 
          SO I WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE THE CHIEF'S TIME AND THE WAYS WE FOUND CLEAR AND OBVIOUS AGREEMENT ON SOLUTIONS. AND I BELIEVE HIM WHEN HE SAYS HE'S PREPARED TO HELP THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS LATE NIGHT ENFORCEMENT TO HAVE SECURITY AND SAFETY. I THINK THERE ARE SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT HE DESCRIBED TO ME THAT SHOULD BE REKINDLED, AND I THINK THIS IS MANAGEABLE. SO LET'S DO IT. I'D BE HAPPY TO BRAINSTORM WITH ANYBODY UP THERE OR ON THE STAFF BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE. 
          THANK YOU. HELLO FRIENDS. MARK FROM GRAND RAPIDS. SOMETHING HAS BEEN BUGGING ME THIS ENTIRE TIME. RECENTLY. AND HIS REGIME HAS PUT OUT A POLITICAL VIOLENCE BILL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BILL HAS COME UP. THEY WANTED TO HONOR CHARLIE KIRK WITH THIS BILL. NOW, I SEEN THE VIDEOS. OF HIM. DISRESPECTING INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THE BLACK, ESPECIALLY THE BLACK PEOPLE. HE IS NO MARTYR. TO ME. HE'S IN THE CATEGORY OF JOHN WAYNE, AL CAMPANIS AND JIMMY THE GREEK. AND FOR HIM TO BE HONORED WITH THIS BILL TO ME IS DISGUSTING AND DISAPPOINTING. 
          EVEN WORSE, BECAUSE ALL THE REPUBLICANS VOTED FOR IT, VOTED FOR IT. BUT THE 95 DEMOCRATS WHO VOTED FOR IT SHOULD BE ASHAMED, INCLUDING THOSE FOUR BLACK INDIVIDUALS FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS. AND ESPECIALLY ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO REPRESENTS THIS DISTRICT, HILLARY SCHOLTEN. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? YOUR SEAT IS GETTING READY TO GET HOT. SOMEBODY GO PUT. WE CAN PUT CHARCOAL IN THAT SEAT WITH LIGHTER FLUID AND LIGHT IT UP. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. THAT'S THE PROBLEM. I CAN GET THE POLITICAL VIOLENCE STUFF, BUT. 
          YOU SHOULD HAVE VOTED NO. BUT. BUT YOU DIDN'T. AND NOW YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS. YOU COULD BE PRIMARIED OUT. SO YOU BETTER BE READY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT. BOYCOTT TESLA. HELLO, MY NAME IS AVERY HARBISON. I'M A RECENT GRADUATE FROM CMU WHO JUST STARTED WORKING HERE IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, AND I'M HOPING TO MOVE HERE IN THE NEXT YEAR ONCE I GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INCOME, SORT OF, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH A LOT OF THIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. BUT I'VE RECENTLY JOINED SOME ORGANIZATIONS OR GOTTEN INVOLVED IN SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND HOUSING. AND SPECIFICALLY, I'M INTERESTED A LOT IN ADUS. AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYOR LE GRAND YOU'VE SHOWN INTEREST IN. BUT THERE WERE TWO POLICIES IN SPECIFIC THAT I THOUGHT COULD BE HELPFUL WHEN LOOKING AT THIS, AND THAT I WANTED TO ADVOCATE FOR. ONE WOULD BE THE CREATION OF A REVOLVING DOOR LOAN FUND FOR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS TO CREATE ADUS. SO BASICALLY JUST 
          [01:20:04]
LOWERING THAT BARRIER OF ENTRY AND THEN ALLOWING PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE AN ADU ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY RATHER THAN NEEDING TO GO TO AN EXTERNAL DEVELOPER, ESPECIALLY JUST TO KEEP WEALTH WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE PEOPLE LIVING IN. AND THEN THE SECOND WAS WHAT I'VE BEEN REFERRING TO AS THE CONDO IZATION OF ADUS, WHERE ESSENTIALLY PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO BUY AN ADU OUTRIGHT, WHICH IS NOT CURRENTLY ALLOWED UNDER ZONING LAW, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WHICH WOULD JUST ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY IN HOMEOWNERSHIP. SO I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR MOTHER IN LAW WHO IS WANTING TO SELL HER HOUSE, BUT INSTEAD OF SELLING THE HOUSE, YOU CAN CREATE, YOU KNOW, MOTHER IN LAW'S COTTAGE JUST IN THE BACK. SO SHE'S ABLE TO LIQUIDATE SOME OF THAT. YOU CAN TAKE OVER THE HOUSE, SHE HAS MORE MONEY FOR RETIREMENT, THAT TYPE OF THING. OR FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF, IF MY PARENTS LIVED IN GR, THEY DON'T. BUT IF THEY DID, THEY COULD CREATE AN ADU, WHICH I COULD BUY AS A CONDO AND THAT WOULD BE SAY 80,000 100,000 150,000. THAT IS, I THINK, MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE IN TERMS OF THAT MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING. SO CONDO IZATION OF ADUS AND THEN A REVOLVING REVOLVING DOOR LOAN FUND FOR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS TO DEVELOP ADUS. THANK YOU. SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT THAT TAKES US TO OUR COMMISSIONER 
          [COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS]
CLOSING COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER BELCHER. THANK YOU. MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO SAY TODAY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY EYE OPENING AND PRODUCTIVE. WE DID HAVE OUR REVIEW OR STARTED OUR PERFORMANCE REVIEW FOR LAST YEAR, AND THERE IS MUCH TO BE PROUD OF IN OUR CITY, INCLUDING ACCOLADES LIKE WE LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT BEING ONE OF THE BEST RUN CITIES, ABOUT OUR NUMBER ONE LINKEDIN CITY OF RISING CITY, AND SOME SINCE LUCAS LEVERETT MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE BORING THINGS, AMONG THE BORING THINGS, BUT IMPORTANT THINGS THAT I FEEL VERY GLAD WE HAVE A WELL-RUN CITY. WE APPROVED CARBON FILTRATION FOR, AND A NEW SYSTEM FOR OUR WATER COMING FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A HUGE INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL FUND COMING INTO THE CITY SO THAT WE CAN ALL TAKE BATHS AND DRINK WATER SAFELY. WE ALSO, ON THE COMMITTEE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, TALKED ABOUT AND PASSED THE GR MOBILE MOBILE GR PLAN FOR PEDESTRIAN BEACONS, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER. THAT'S COME UP IN A LOT OF WAYS. WE'VE HEARD ABOUT HOUSING, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT SOLAR AND THE BUTTERWORTH PROJECT, AND WE'RE COMING ON THE HEELS OF VERY POWERFUL MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, WHICH I WANT TO COMMEND OUR CITY MANAGER FOR ACTUALLY BEING AT ONE OF THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS. AND I'M GOING TO SAY OUT LOUD, HE WAS ONE OF THE BEST. WE ACTUALLY GOT UP AND HAD SOME FUN TO MUSIC. I WILL LEAVE YOUR IMAGINATIONS TO THE REST, BUT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PLACEMAKING AND ART AND HOW ART PRIZE AND OTHER THINGS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. AND WHILE WE WERE HOSTING RIGHT HERE DURING ARTPRIZE, ALL OF THE CITIES FROM AROUND THE STATE AND THIS IS ALL ABOUT, IN THE END, MAKING CHANGES THAT PEOPLE CAN LIVE BETTER LIVES, EMPOWERING PEOPLE, EMPOWERING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND TALKING ABOUT HOW WE DESIGN THOSE STREETS, DESIGN THOSE PLACES WE LIKE TO FREQUENT. AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TO HAVE MET THE HAPPY URBANIST, LOOK HIM UP ON TIKTOK. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY IN CLOSING, THAT THERE WILL NEVER BE EVERYTHING DONE ALL AT ONCE. BUT TODAY IS ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU CAN LOOK BACK AND SAY, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON AND WE ARE GROWING AND WE HAVE THE CITY OF THE FUTURE IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW. AS LONG AS WE KEEP PLANNING AND THINKING LONG TERM AND, AND AND ON THAT NOTE, I DID LOOK DID GET TO TWO EYE IN THE AND TECH WEEK KIND OF CONVERSATIONS. ONE WAS AT MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE ON AI AND GOVERNMENTS. YOUR COMMISSIONERS ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT AND BUT I ALSO ATTENDED THE AI AND FUTURE OF WORK. SO WE ARE WE ARE THERE GUYS. WE'RE ON THE EDGE AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KOGER. SURE. I'LL BE REALLY BRIEF HERE BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A LONG, PRODUCTIVE DAY. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONCE AGAIN FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND FOR THE PUBLIC WHO MAYBE DIDN'T TUNE IN TO THE EARLIER MEETING WITH OUR ANNUAL REVIEW HIGHLIGHTING SOME UPDATES, POSSIBLE POLICY CHANGES, POSSIBLE ORDINANCES THAT I'M REALLY HOPING THAT THIS COMMISSION WILL BE ABLE TO CHAMPION. I KNOW WE HAVE OUR WORKSHOP COMING UP IN NOVEMBER, I THINK NOVEMBER 13TH, WHERE I'M HOPEFUL TO PUT RENTERS 
          [01:25:01]
RIGHTS FORWARD AS ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT THIS I BELIEVE THIS COMMISSION COULD REALLY CHAMPION FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. SO WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THAT WITH THE ANNUAL REVIEW EARLIER TODAY. AND I JUST WANT TO, ONCE AGAIN, INFORMALLY KEEP THAT ON OUR RADAR. WE'VE MET WITH MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN TERMS OF WHAT TENANTS ARE GOING THROUGH, WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN. FOLKS LIKE THE URBAN LEAGUE WHO ARE WORKING ON TENANTS RIGHTS DAY TO DAY, AND I'LL BE MEETING WITH HOUSING KENT SOON IN OCTOBER TO DISCUSS THIS AS WELL. OF WHAT WHAT'S WHAT ARE THE NEEDS, RIGHT. HOW ARE OUR CURRENT ORDINANCES THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE BOOKS SINCE AT LEAST 2018 WORKING WITHIN COMMUNITY, AND WHAT UPDATES CAN WE HAVE? SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY RECEIVING MY COLLEAGUES SUPPORT IN NOVEMBER ON RENTERS RIGHTS, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE CHATTING WITH COMMUNITY ON THIS IMPORTANT INITIATIVE. GOOD NIGHT COMMISSIONER. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO CAME TODAY WHO WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE. I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT AND JUST A MOMENT OF GRATITUDE FOR KIND OF THE THE THE DEVELOPERS WHO CAME AND PRESENTED TO US TODAY. IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO HEAR, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERED EMERGING DEVELOPERS, WHO RECEIVE SOME OF THAT SUPPORT THROUGH OUR EMERGING DEVELOPER PROGRAM GRANTS AND THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN USHERING THROUGH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, MISS ROMERO. SO THAT WAS A HIGHLIGHT CERTAINLY FOR ME TODAY. AND JUST A A TANGIBLE EXAMPLE OF THE WAYS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO LEVERAGE OUR RESOURCES AND OUR TOOLS AND OUR EXPERTISE TO BRING ADDITIONAL HOUSING, TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS AND TO SUPPORT LOCAL. SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS TODAY. GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER NIGHT. YEAH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AGAIN. ACCOLADES FOR THE MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE CONFERENCE THAT WENT ON HERE AND THE RECEPTION THAT WE HAD FOR THE NBC LEO GROUP ON THURSDAY EVENING. THAT WAS WELL RECEIVED AND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HOST PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE STATE, GET TOGETHER TO SEE WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY ACROSS OUR STATE, AND HOW WE ALIGN. JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT TO YOU, LUCAS. THAT AIN'T NOTHING BORING, PROMISE YOU. IT MAY SEEM LIKE IT, AND THERE MAY BE DAYS THAT WE MAKE IT SEEM LIKE EASY, BUT I PROMISE YOU THAT WE ARE ALWAYS KEEPING OUR EYES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING, NOT ONLY AT OUR STATE, BUT OUR FEDERAL LEVEL, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN ALIGNMENT AND THAT WE'RE KIND OF AHEAD OF THE GAME AND THINGS AS IT PERTAINS TO OUR COMMUNITY. I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THINGS THAT HAVE COME OUT IN THE NEWS AS OF LATE, AND JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE STAND ON WHAT WE STAND ON, AND WE'RE NOT WAVERING FROM THAT AND HOW WE PROTECT AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. AND IF YOU GOT ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, YOU CAN SEE ANY ONE OF US. I'M SURE WE WILL BE HAPPY TO ELABORATE ON THAT. JUST WANT TO ADD FOR THOSE FACTS, 243 DAYS IN AND I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT. COMMISSIONER SASSY. NO COMMENTS. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON. I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO ADD THIS TIME EITHER, SO HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER. I'LL BE BRIEF. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR YOUR SUPPORT DURING THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE AND ESPECIALLY COMMISSIONER SASSY AND KNIGHT FOR THEIR HELP IN HOSTING NBC. LEO. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION AND MAYOR TODAY FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AND THE PROCLAMATION THAT WAS MADE TODAY THAT REAFFIRMS, I THINK, TO COMMISSIONER KNIGHT'S POINT, ALL THE VALUES THAT WE HAVE LONG STOOD ON, THAT SEEMINGLY OR QUESTION NATIONALLY AS WELL AS LOCALLY. MUCH APPRECIATION TO THE STAFF ON OUR PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT REPORT TODAY. WE UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT GO THROUGH IT ALL. THERE WAS SUCH A LOT OF GOOD THINGS TO TALK ABOUT, AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE THAT DIALOG AT OUR NEXT COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING. 
          ON THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT AND MOBILITY. AND LASTLY, THERE WAS A GOOD UPDATE TODAY ON BUTTERWORTH AND THE PLANS FOR SOLAR. AND SO I WANT TO THANK MR. MATTHEWS AND MISS WILKINSON FOR THEIR WORK ON THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE RESULT OF THE RFP PROCESS. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. AND I'LL ECHO THE CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS ON THE SOLAR BUTTERWORTH. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          WHEN I WAS A CITY COMMISSIONER 4000 YEARS AGO, AND IT'S NICE TO SEE US GETTING CLOSE TO FRUITION ON THAT. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT I WAS STRUCK TONIGHT. MISS BOHAC WAS DOING ESSENTIALLY THE SAME WORK WHEN I WAS ON COMMISSION IN 2007, 2008 THAT SHE'S DOING NOW. 
          [01:30:08]
GREAT TO SEE HER FAITHFUL, PERSISTENT STEWARDSHIP OF ALL OF THE COMPLEXITY AND INVOLVES. 
          IT'S INVOLVED IN GETTING DOLLARS INTO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO GETTING THEM INTO THE RIGHT AREAS. AND WHEN SHE WAS DONE WITH HER PRESENTATION, THE JOKE I WAS GOING TO MAKE, BUT I WAS WORRIED IT WOULD BE A LITTLE FLIP WOULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T SURE SHE LEFT ANYTHING FOR ANYONE ELSE TO WORK ON BECAUSE TO SEE THE SPAN OF WORK FROM, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON ACTUALLY DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO, TO PREVENTING PEOPLE FALLING INTO OUT OF HOUSING SECURITY, TO BRINGING THINGS ONLINE, TO HELPING SENIOR PROJECTS, REALLY GRATEFUL. AND I THINK IT'S A, YOU KNOW, SHE'S A SHE'S EMBLEMATIC OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BY THE STAFF AND THE GREAT PEOPLE WE HAVE WORKING FOR THE CITY. SO I'M PARTICULARLY WANTED TO LIFT UP THE GREAT WORK OF OUR, OF OUR CITY STAFF IN PULLING IN THE DIRECTION AND AND BEING SO FAITHFUL TO THE LONG TERM COMMITMENTS OF THIS CITY, WHICH I THINK ARE FRANKLY REFLECTED NOT ONLY IN THE PEOPLE WE ELECT, BUT ALSO IN THE PEOPLE WHO WHO SERVE AND PUT THEIR CAREERS INTO THAT FORM OF PUBLIC SERVICE. SO THANK YOU TO THEM. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL TO ALL OF YOU FOR ENGAGING. DID I SAY SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO RESPOND TO? GO AHEAD. NO. YOU JUST I JUST FORGOT, MAYOR. I'M. FORGIVE ME. I FORGOT TO PUBLICLY THANK OUR CITY ENGINEER, TIM BURKMAN. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S HERE, I DON'T THINK. YEAH, BUT HAS SERVED US FAITHFULLY SIX YEARS AND IS MOVING ON, TAKING ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT. BUT WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT HE IS DOING AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH CINDY IRVIN AND JEFF MCCALL IN THE INTERIM. AMEN. I THINK WHAT
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.