[CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:11] COMMISSION TO ORDER. AND AS IS OUR PRACTICE, WE LIKE TO START THESE MEETINGS WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. SO PLEASE JOIN US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 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. MR. CLERK, IF [ROLL CALL] YOU CALL THE ROLL COMMISSIONER BELICHICK PRESENT, COMMISSIONER PERDUE PRESENT. COMMISSIONER ASSASSI PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. KILGORE. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. NIGHT. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. ROBINS. PRESENT. MAYOR. LEGRANDE PRESENT. AND IF AT THIS POINT WE COULD HAVE OUR INTERPRETER COME UP AND EXPLAIN THEIR FUNCTION, AND ACTUALLY IN SPANISH I CAN EXPLAIN IT IN ENGLISH. WE HAVE A SPANISH LANGUAGE INTERPRETER HERE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT OR NEEDS HELP UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON. THE INTERPRETATION IN VIVO. TAMBIÉN PARA COMENTARIOS PUBLICOS EN CASO. GRACIAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THAT [PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS] BRINGS US TO OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS. SO PLEASE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK. LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR COMMISSION ACTION. THANK YOU. YEAH. HOW Y'ALL DOING? I'M D JONES I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ACTION ITEM 14. THE RESOLUTION SCHEDULED A PUBLIC HEARING ON NOVEMBER 18TH FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 TO 2030. CONSOLIDATED HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS PUT 3D PRINTING, 3D PRINTING HOUSES INTO THIS PLAN AND ASKING THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND OUR LEGISLATORS AND OTHER. STATE GOVERNMENTS AND DEPARTMENTS THAT HAS FUNDING. I FEEL LIKE I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF, BUT ALL OF THE OTHER STATE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE FUNDING, I WOULD ASK YOU GUYS TO CONTINUOUSLY ADVOCATE TO 3D PRINT HOUSES HERE, TO ALSO BUILD TINY HOUSES, BECAUSE WE NEED HOUSING HERE AND WE NEED A LOT OF UNITS. I KNOW WE PROBABLY DON'T NEED 34,000, ALL BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE 100 HOME PROJECT AND ALL OF THAT OTHER STUFF. BUT WE NEED CONTINUOUS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AS ANNETTE VANDENBERG FROM THE WEST GRAND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAID, WE NEED HOUSING UNDER 30% AM I OR 80 AM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT I KNOW SHE SPEAKS A LOT ABOUT THAT, AND I WANTED TO CONTINUOUSLY ADVOCATE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CONTINUOUSLY ADVOCATE FOR MY COMMUNITY BECAUSE I'M SICK OF PEOPLE STRUGGLING. I'M SICK OF I ACTUALLY DROVE HERE TODAY BECAUSE I NEEDED TO BE SURE I GOT HERE ON TIME BECAUSE I WAS RUNNING AROUND, BUT USUALLY I WALK TO CITY HALL AND I'M SEEING PEOPLE. LIKE I SAID, YOU WALK INTO THE INNER CITY, YOU SEE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE GATED BRIDGES, AND THEN YOU WALK INTO WHERE THE A SOCCER STADIUM IS GOING TO BE, AND THEN YOU SEE THOSE GATED BRIDGES. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S COOL. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE SLEEPING OUTSIDE, JUST IN GENERAL. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE HAVE BILLIONAIRES, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY RICH HERE AND, YOU KNOW, THEY CONTINUOUSLY BUILD, BUT IT'D BE GOOD FOR THEM TO POUR INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND GET PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY, BECAUSE I'M SICK OF MY COMMUNITY STRUGGLING. I'M SICK OF PEOPLE CHOOSING BETWEEN TO PAY THE LIGHT BILL OR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY NEED OR MEDICAL BILLS. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME TO ANYONE. AND I'M JUST SICK OF MY COMMUNITY STRUGGLING AND NOT HAVING THAT SAFETY NET, THE SAFETY OF A HOUSE, I MEAN THAT I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STRESSING AND IT CAUSED A LOT OF STRESS NOT HAVING A HOUSE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU GOT TO STAY WITH A RELATIVE AND THEY TALKING BAD ABOUT YOU AND SPEAKING BAD AND NEGATIVE ABOUT YOU, OR YOU GOT TO GO TO A SHELTER AND PEOPLE STINK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO JUST BE ABLE TO JUST GO HOME INTO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSE. SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUOUSLY ADVOCATE TO MY COMMUNITY, TO DAVID LEGRAND, TO CITY COMMISSION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FOR 3D PRINTED HOUSING, BECAUSE I'M SICK OF PEOPLE STRUGGLING AND I'M SICK OF PEOPLE NOT HAVING HOUSES, AND I'M SICK OF PEOPLE WHEN I'M GETTING UP AND I'M WALKING AND I'M LOOKING AT PEOPLE WAKE UP OUTSIDE AND IT'S NOT COOL AND Y'ALL NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I KNOW Y'ALL DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT I'M GOING TO CONTINUOUSLY PUSH Y'ALL TO KEEP DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. THAT WAS MR. JONES FROM THE FIRST WARD. ANYONE ELSE? IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU MAKE COMMENTS? YEAH. SEEING NO ONE ELSE, I WOULD ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR MINUTES [APPROVAL OF MINUTES] FROM LAST MEETING. SUPPORT. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. THAT MOVES US ON TO [PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS] [00:05:02] PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS FIRST. THE FIRST ONE IS COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM HANNAH GREENING. FANCY REAL ESTATE AND RISE URBAN STRATEGY REQUESTING HELP IN ALIGNING DIVISION CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION WITH THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN. STEPHEN FILED COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM WILLIAM E RICKY AND MARIE L FROM PLANTE MORAN WITH INFORMATION AND OVERVIEW OF THE AUDIT PROCESS. STEPHEN FILED COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM PHIL PHILIP REGARDING HIS RESIGNATION FROM THE POLICE AND FIRE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS AND COMMUNICATION RECEIVED REGARDING THE RESIGNATION OF LAWRENCE WILLIAMS FROM THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION. SERVED [REPORTS OF CITY OFFICERS] REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS. THANK YOU. NOW REPORT OF CITY OFFICERS. YEAH. CONTROLLER'S REPORT FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2022, 20 2025, IN THE AMOUNT OF $27,748,482.62 AND THE MONTHLY TRAVEL REPORT STEPHEN FILED. AND FINALLY, THE TREASURER'S REPORT FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2025 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2025, [CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL] STEPHEN FILED. THIS BRINGS US TO OUR CONSENT CONSENT AGENDA. AND JUST TO REFRESH OUR MEMORY, THESE ARE ITEMS WHICH PASSED UNANIMOUSLY OUT OF COMMITTEE AND WHICH WERE NOT PULLED AT THE REQUEST OF ANY COMMISSIONER FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS MEETING. MAYOR, BEFORE YOU PROCEED, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY WHAT'S BEFORE THE COMMISSION, PLEASE, ON YOUR CONSENT AGENDA. I DO THINK THERE IS ONE ITEM THAT UNANIMOUSLY PASSED IN COMMITTEE THAT WAS THE BID LIST. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE HAS REQUESTED IT TO BE REMOVED, BUT THAT REMOVAL NEEDS TO OCCUR DURING A PUBLIC MEETING. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO AFFIRM THAT BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, BECAUSE IT DID PASS THIS MORNING UNANIMOUSLY. WELL, WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK COMMISSIONER PERDUE, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT REQUEST, COMMISSIONER? I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE BID LIST COMES OFF OF CONSENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THAT THAT WILL BE THE ONLY TWO ITEMS OFF CONSENT, BUT OTHERWISE THE CONSENT AGENDA IS IN FRONT OF US. I'D ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE IT. SUPPORT? ALL IN [ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT] FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. THAT BRINGS US TO ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT. FIRST OF THOSE IS THE RESOLUTION ON ELECTION DAY, POLLING LOCATIONS FROM NOVEMBER. AND, COMMISSIONER, ACTUALLY, I'D LIKE A MOTION. SO MOVED SUPPORT COMMISSIONER STACEY THANK YOU. MAYOR. THIS ITEM WAS DISCUSSED TODAY. A RESOLUTION APPROVING OUR ELECTION DAY POLLING LOCATIONS FOR NOVEMBER 2025, SPECIAL ELECTIONS, AS WELL AS FIXING INSPECTOR PAY FOR ABSENTEE VOTER ABSENT, ABSENT VOTER COUNTING BOARD AND ELECTION DAY INSPECTORS. STATE LAW A LAW ALLOWS THE CITY TO COUNT TO BEGIN THAT COUNTING BOARD TO PROCESS AND TABULATE THOSE BALLOTS BEGINNING THE SECOND MONDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION. AND THAT IS THE CITY CLERKS PLAN TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND THOSE ELECTIONS INSPECTORS WILL BE APPOINTED BY THE ELECTION COMMISSION, WHICH IS MADE UP OF CITY CLERK, CITY ATTORNEY AND OUR CITY ASSESSOR. AND ADDITIONALLY, THE LAW STIPULATES THAT THE ABOLISHMENT OR MOVING OF ANY POLLING LOCATIONS MUST BE DECIDED BY A CITY COMMISSION OR CITY COMMISSION NO LESS THAN 60 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION. AND AND ALSO, OUR SECTION OF THE CITY CHARTER STATES THAT CITY COMMISSION SHALL DESIGNATE POLLING LOCATIONS AT LEAST 20 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION. AND THEN THE LAST SECTION, IT TALKS ABOUT THE PAY FOR THOSE INSPECTORS OF ELECTION, AND THOSE RANGES WON'T REACH EVERY SINGLE ONE. BUT THERE'S A COMPENSATION FOR TRAINING CLASS AT $25 AND THEN PAY, DEPENDING ON WHAT INDIVIDUALS DO, COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM $120 TO $225. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THIS IS OFF CONSENT FOR A BECAUSE OF A DISSENTING VOTE FROM COMMISSIONER PERDUE. COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK TO THIS? SURE. SO THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF THE CONVERSATION WE HAD THIS SPRING ABOUT CHANGES TO OUR OUR POLLING LOCATIONS AND WHAT BECAME WHAT CAME BEFORE THIS BODY WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO ELIMINATE POLLING LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHERE WHERE PEOPLE SHOW UP TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY. AND IT WAS MY STANCE THEN, AND IT'S MY STANCE TODAY THAT THAT IS NOT THE RIGHT DECISION FOR OUR CITY, PARTICULARLY AT THIS TIME. AND SO I DISSENTED THEN, AND I CONTINUED TO DISSENT NOW AND BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE WRONG CHOICE FOR OUR CITY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OTHERWISE, I'LL ASK FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. I SO NOTED RESOLUTION PASSES. AND THAT BRINGS US TO OUR NEXT ITEM REMOVED FROM CONSENT. THIS IS THE BID LIST RESOLUTION. AND COMMISSIONER PERDUE, THIS IS OFF CONSENT. AT YOUR REQUEST SHORTLY AGO. AND SO IF YOU CAN INTRODUCE THE ISSUE AND PARTICULARLY YOUR YOUR POINT OF [00:10:01] THAT, YOU WISH FOR THE DISCUSSION. BUT FIRST WE NEED A MOTION. SO MOVED. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. SURE. I ASKED FOR THIS TO BE TO COME OFF OF CONSENT. ONCE WE WERE BRIEFED ON PARTICULARLY ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A SHARED MICRO MICROMOBILITY SERVICES. REALLY OUR CONTRACT WITH LIME IN THE E-SCOOTERS. THIS TIME LAST YEAR WE TALKED ABOUT PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE AND MOBILITY SAFETY. AND I BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE OF HELMETS AND HELMET AVAILABILITY FOR THOSE CHOOSING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND RIDE OUR E-SCOOTERS, PARTICULARLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, BUT ALSO IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS SINCE THEN. I ASKED LAST WEEK THERE HAD NOT BEEN MARKED PROGRESS ON THAT SPECIFIC CONVERSATION. AND SO I, I THINK WE HAD A CONVERSATION, THOUGH TODAY DURING THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WHERE I MADE MY CONCERNS KNOWN. OTHER FOLKS CHIMED IN ON CONCERNS AROUND PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY, SAFETY, AND WE'VE KICKED OFF OR KICKED A DEEPER CONVERSATION TO THIS FALLS OR THIS NOVEMBER. SORRY, COMMISSION WORKSHOP. SO I'M SET ON THIS ITEM. I WILL SUPPORT THIS ITEM, BUT JUST HONORING THE FACT THAT I DID ASK IT TO COME OFF OF CONSENT LEADING UP TO TODAY IS IS KIND OF WHAT THAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND THAT. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THAT BRINGS US NEXT TO A NUMBER OF CITY ACTUALLY. WHAT DOES IT BRING US TO? IT BRINGS US ALL THE WAY TO PUBLIC COMMENT. SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE IN WANTS TO COMMENT ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA ARE OFF THE AGENDA. COME UP, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND GIVE US YOUR RESIDENCE LOCATION AND THEN SPEAK TO US. I SAY MY NAME. SORRY, I'M D JONES, PASSIONATE ENTREPRENEUR AND VISIONARY. AND FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK DAN DEVOS AS THEY UNVEILED THE SOCCER TEAM. I WAS ACTUALLY THERE AND HE ACTUALLY GAVE ME THIS T SHIRT FOR THE ACTUAL TEAM. HE GAVE IT TO ME FROM HIS HAND AND I GOT THE SCARF TOO, FROM THE OFFICIAL TEAM TOO. SO I ACTUALLY SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT THE COMMUNITY HUB TOO, BECAUSE I WASN'T GOING TO LET THE BILLIONAIRES JUST GO AFTER THE TEN YEAR VISION OF ACTUALLY JUST BUILDING THE SOCCER TEAM IN A IN A SOCCER STADIUM. BUT I ALSO SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT THE SAME COMMUNITY HUB THAT I WAS AT, THE PROGRESSIVES IN THE PARK, DAVID, AND OUR CAMPUS. AND I SPOKE TO EVERY SINGLE ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT WAS RUNNING FOR OFFICE OR IN OFFICE AND RUNNING FOR A HIGHER POSITION. I SPOKE TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON ABOUT THE COMMUNITY HUB AS THE CHAIR AND AS A VISIONARY, AS A BOLD LEADER, AS A PERSON THAT'S SICK OF GOOD, CUTE SPEECHES BUT NO ACTION. I I'M ABOUT ACTION. EVERYBODY KNOW I'M ABOUT THAT ACTION. I'M ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. AND I'M JUST SICK OF CUTE SPEECHES. I NEED TO SEE REAL CHANGE. AND DAVE WAS LIKE, OH, I HOPE IT'S GOING TO KNOW, DAVID, CHANGE IS COMING. I'M GOING TO BE RELENTLESS. CHANGE IS COMING. I'M SICK OF I'M SICK OF FAKE POLITICIANS. I'M SICK OF FAKE PEOPLE. I'M A REAL GENUINE HUMAN BEING. AND I'VE BEEN THE SAME PERSON. I'M THE SAME PERSON EVERY SINGLE PLACE I GO. AND I'M GOING TO KEEP THAT SAME ENERGY. AND SO IT WAS COOL TO SEE ALL OF THE POLITICIANS AND EVERYTHING, BUT I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY CHANGE MY COMMUNITY AND YOU GOING TO HELP ME, DAVID, AND I APPRECIATE YOU APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY. WE EVEN GOT THE GRT CHAMBERS HELPING US WITH OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. THAT'S HUGE. YOU KNOW, THE BILLIONAIRES ARE TRYING TO POUR FUNDING INTO THIS TOO. AND ME AND THE NET WILL BE ON ABC 13 ON THURSDAY. SPEAKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY HUB IN PERSON. SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO KEEP PIONEERING, TO KEEP VISIONARY, TO KEEP BEING BOLD, TO BE CONFIDENT. THIS BD JONES, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL I'VE BEEN DOING. JUST FOCUS ON THE VISION, FOCUS ON THE COMMUNITY, FOCUS ON THE STOCK AND COMMUNITY HUB, GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE SOCIAL ISSUES THAT PEOPLE JUST JUST DISREGARD. BUT WE AIN'T GOING TO KEEP DOING THAT AND I'M GOING TO KEEP GETTING IN THESE POLITICIANS FACE. I'M GOING TO KEEP GETTING IN YOUR FACE. I'M GOING TO KEEP GETTING IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FACING THE PEOPLE THAT'S TAKING AIPAC FUNDING AND ALL OF THAT STUFF. I'M GOING TO BE BOLD, AND I'M GOING TO JUST BE HONEST BECAUSE I'M SICK OF FAKE PEOPLE. I'M SICK OF THIS FAKE POLITICIANS AND JUST FAKE PEOPLE IN GENERAL. I'M JUST SICK OF THIS STUFF. BUT I'M GOING TO CHANGE MY COMMUNITY AND I'M NEVER GOING TO SELL OUT, AND I'M GOING TO GET THAT FUNDING FROM THE BILLIONAIRES TO BUILD THIS COMMUNITY UP, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING. THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING. THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON. BUT THAT'S ALL I'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN COMING TO CITY HALL. THAT'S ALL I'VE BEEN DOING IS JUST BEING D JONES, BEING CONSISTENT, BEING PERSISTENT, BEING PASSIONATE AND NOT GIVING UP. I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP ON THIS VISION, AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR Y'ALL TO SEE ME ON TV. AND I ALREADY SPOKE TO MATT AT THE DEMS. AND AS SOON AS WE GET THAT ARTICLE, I'M GOING TO SEND IT SO WE CAN BLAST IT AND WE GOING TO TAKE OVER THIS COMMUNITY. I'M NOT PLAYING. WE GOING TO FIND SOME BIPARTISANSHIP AND SOME COMMON GROUND. I'M NOT A POLITICIAN. I'M JUST A HUMAN BEING THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE MY COMMUNITY ONE DAY BECAUSE I GOT TO BE THE CHANGE I LIKE TO SEE. THANK YOU. I'M JENNIFER FRANSEN AND I AM AM THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF ICY [00:15:02] NATION CONNECTING COPS AND COMMUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE CITY. I'M HERE TODAY FIRST TO THANK YOU. YOU GUYS ARE INVESTED MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY AND SEEING A THRIVING CITY. AND I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW HOW WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND HOW YOUR COMMUNITY IS PARTNERING, EVEN WITH THEIR POLICE, TO SEE A THRIVING CITY, ICY NATION. WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT WHAT WE DO IS WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST OVER THE SHARED VALUE OF HOW WE BOTH PROTECT AND SERVE. SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE, EVEN HERE, JUST WITH THE GRAND RAPIDS DEPARTMENT, IS WE HELPED FACILITATE AND STILL DO THE CLERGY ON PATROL GROUP. WE STARTED A KIDS CLOSET AT THE GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY HAVE THE NEEDS FOR THE KIDS IN THE MOMENT WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER THEM. AND THEN ALSO, ONE OF THE LATEST THINGS IS WE BUILT A COLLABORATION BETWEEN JUVENILE SERVICES, THE GRAND RAPIDS POLICE AND THE NONPROFITS SO THAT THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO BEST COLLABORATE AND INNOVATE FOR OUR YOUTH. SO THAT IS JUST SOME OF THE EXCITING THINGS WE'VE DONE. BUT I'M HERE FOR REALLY TWO OTHER REASONS. ONE, BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE INVITED TO OUR GALA, WHICH IS COMING UP OCTOBER 22ND, WHICH IS A CELEBRATION OF THESE STORIES AND THE IMPACT THAT WE'VE HAD. AND YOU'RE INVITED NOT JUST BY ME, BUT BY KEYBANK AND MICHAEL AND KRISTEN SIZEMORE, WHO SPONSORED A WHOLE TABLE FOR GRAND RAPIDS COMMISSIONERS, CITY MANAGER, MAYOR TO COME BECAUSE THEY WANT YOU TO HEAR THE POWER OF THE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST WE'RE BUILDING AND THE MOMENTUM THAT'S GROWING. THE SECOND REASON I'M HERE IS FOR THE GUYS BEHIND ME. I GOT TO KNOW THEM BECAUSE THEY HOST SOME OF THE EVENTS THEY HOST BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST. AND I THINK YOU GUYS OUGHT TO KNOW WHAT THE AMAZING THINGS THESE LEADERS ARE DOING HERE IN YOUR CITY. AND THEY DO SOME WITH POLICE, YOU KNOW, SOME WITH ME, SOME THEY DO COMPLETELY ON THEIR OWN AS THEY THEY RUN CHURCHES AND THEY'RE DOING THINGS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY COUNCIL, THEY FEED, THEY DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS. AND I THOUGHT, I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THESE GUYS ARE LEADING IN YOUR CITY AND THE GOOD THEY'RE DOING TO HELP PARTNER WITH YOU, OUR POLICE, ALL OF US WHO ARE INVESTED IN SEEING A THRIVING CITY. SO THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MOSES. I PASTOR A CHURCH ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF GRAND RAPIDS, AND I'M HERE JUST HERE TO SAY, TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND POSSIBLY GET TO KNOW SOME OF YOU GUYS. BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE WE WE WE FEED THE, THE THE HOMELESS. WE FEED ABOUT 1500 A MONTH. WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE COVID. WE DECIDED THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE THAT WASN'T DONE. SO WE STEPPED IN AND WE FILLED THAT GAP. WE ALSO DO A A LUNCHEON FOR FIRST RESPONDERS. POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, EMTS, THAT WHOLE GROUP. AND I'M JUST HERE TO SAY, HEY, WE WE ARE PARTNERING WITH WE WANT TO SEE OUR CITY GROW AND DEVELOP AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO, WE WILL DO. BUT WE WANT TO GET TO KNOW, I DON'T EVEN KNOW MY NORTHWEST SIDE PERSON. I THINK THAT'S HER RIGHT THERE. OKAY. BUT YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH YOU GUYS. MAYBE YOU CAN HELP DIRECT US TO DO MORE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY THAT WE LIVE IN IS REPRESENTED THROUGH YOU GUYS AND THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. EXCUSE ME. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS PASTOR GREGORY AMONKAR FROM UPTOWN CHURCH OVER HERE OFF LAKE DRIVE, 1470 LAKE DRIVE. I'M HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO EACH AND EVERY PERSON THAT IS UP HERE ON THIS PANEL. I BECAME SENIOR PASTOR AT UPTOWN CHURCH 2019 AND THEN COVID AND THEN COVID AND THEN COVID. YOU KNOW HOW THAT WENT. BUT ANYWAYS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND OUT WHEN I CAME TO GRAND RAPIDS AND BECAME SENIOR PASTOR OF OF UPTOWN CHURCH WAS A DISCONNECT. THE DISCONNECT WAS BETWEEN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT. ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY UNDERSTOOD WAS THAT WE HAD TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. WE HAD TO LEARN HOW TO FORGIVE. AND THEN AND THEN THE FORGIVENESS HAD TO HAVE A PURPOSE. AND SO THE PURPOSE THAT I, THAT I CAME TO UNDERSTAND WAS THIS, THAT IF WE BOUGHT A LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND CHANGE THE NARRATIVE, NOT ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE TO BUILD THE NARRATIVE, BUT WE CHANGE THE NARRATIVE. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE AT UPTOWN. WE'VE WON SEVERAL AWARDS. MICHIGAN CRIME PREVENTION ASSOCIATION, THEY [00:20:02] GAVE US AN AWARD FOR TWO OF OUR SIGNATURE PROGRAMS. ONE OF OUR SIGNATURE PROGRAMS IS CALLED THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION. THIS PAST YEAR, WE GAVE OUT, I WANT TO SAY, 100 PLUS NIKE TENNIS SHOES. WE DID OVER 500 BACKPACKS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES. WE GAVE AWAY MORE THAN 25 BICYCLES TO KIDS. AND THE RESOURCE TABLES FREE HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS. BUT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS EVENT IS TO BRING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER. SO WHAT BETTER WAY TO SEE SOMEONE EATING A HOT DOG AND COMMUNICATING ALL AT THE SAME TIME? AND IT WORKS. IT WORKS. THE OTHER EVENT THAT WE HAVE IS CALLED FISHING WITH THE POPO AND AND FISHING WITH THE POPO. THE THE WHOLE IDEA IS, IS TO GET OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT TOGETHER WITH THE KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE THEM A DAY OF GOING OUT FISHING. SO WE DID THIS AT PETTY LAKE UP IN NEWAYGO THIS YEAR. THE THE VISION IS TO BRING IT DOWN HERE MORE CLOSER IN GRAND RAPIDS TO REEDS LAKE. AND THE VISION IS IF WE BRING THESE KIDS TOGETHER, BRING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT TOGETHER AND HAVE OUR, OUR CHILDREN WITH WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT THEY CAN BRING THEIR OWN BOATS AND HAVE THE KIDS ON THEIR OWN BOATS OUT HERE FISHING, CATCHING FISH, BUILDING, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER. THAT'S IMPACTFUL BECAUSE NOW THESE KIDS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LIGHT. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LIONELL LAGRONE. I RESIDE IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN. HOWEVER, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN WARD THREE AND I SERVED AS ASSOCIATE PASTOR AT UPTOWN CHURCH, ALSO LOCATED IN WARD THREE. I TOO WANT TO TALK TO YOU BRIEFLY ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE COMMUNITY. CELEBRATION AND FISHING WITH THE POPO. WHEN I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE POST OF ASSOCIATE PASTOR, I WAS PLACED IN CHARGE OF COMMUNITY IMPACT. THOSE OF YOU THAT KNOW ME KNOW THAT I DID NOT LIKE THE POLICE. IT IS NOT A SECRET. I DIDN'T HIDE IT. I HAD ISSUES WITH POLICE, PARTICULARLY WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY. BUT PASTOR GREG TOLD ME, YOU HAVE TO LEARN FORGIVENESS. YOU HAVE TO ALL THAT FLOWERY SENIOR PASTOR STUFF THAT THEY FEED YOU. SO I SAID, OKAY, I'M GOING TO DO THIS. AND I CAME TO COMMUNITY CELEBRATION AND FISHING WITH THE POPO, KICKING AND SCREAMING. BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE WAS A REAL TRANSFORMATION THAT TOOK PLACE IN THOSE SPACES. I LEFT WITH A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR OFFICERS, A GREATER RESPECT FOR OUR OFFICERS. AND I ALSO SAW THAT A LOT OF THE YOUNG MEN IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CAME WITH THE SAME ATTITUDE I DID, LEFT WITH THE SAME ATTITUDE. SO THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT GETTING THE OFFICERS AND THE COMMUNITY IN SPACES WHERE EVERYBODY CAN BE HUMAN AND HAVE REAL CONVERSATIONS AND ENJOY A MAGIC SHOW OR THE STRENGTH SHOW THAT THEY WERE DOING AND HAVE PIZZA AND HOT DOGS AND FISH IN THERE REALLY BROKE DOWN WALLS. AND AS WE GET READY TO APPROACH THE FOURTH QUARTER, WE WILL MOST LIKELY TRY TO SOLICIT PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU ALL FOR THESE EVENTS NEXT SUMMER. SO WE WANT TO BRING THEM TO YOUR ATTENTION AHEAD OF TIME. THANK YOU. OH, THE UNITY WALK IS THIS SATURDAY. IT IS GOING TO BE AT ROSA PARKS CIRCLE. THANK YOU. HELLO. MY NAME IS LAURA SOSA. I LIVE IN THE SECOND WARD AND I ALSO AM HAPPY TO SERVE ON THE MOBILE GR COMMISSION FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. SO I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN FOLLOWING THE STATE BUDGET NEGOTIATION PROCESS THAT WAS HAPPENING IN LANSING EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND HAS JUST BEEN WRAPPED UP. I BELIEVE THE GOVERNOR FINALLY SIGNED IT. SO WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE THE ROAD FUNDING THAT IS NEW IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, ALLOCATING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO CITIES FOR ROAD MAINTENANCE. AND I THINK THAT THE CITY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING REALLY TRANSFORMATIONAL WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY, WHICH WOULD BE TO INVEST IN REAL MICRO-MOBILITY, PEDESTRIAN TRANSIT, CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND NOT JUST TO PUT THE MONEY TOWARD CONTINUING THE STATUS QUO OF FILLING POTHOLES, MAINTAINING CAR [00:25:07] DEPENDENT INFRASTRUCTURE, ETCETERA. BECAUSE THE STATUS QUO, QUITE FRANKLY, IS WHAT HAS LED US TO THE HIGHEST TRAFFIC DEATHS IN THE COUNTRY. AND ABOUT 20 YEARS, AND ALSO INCREASING TRAFFIC DEATHS IN THIS COUNTRY, WHEN EVERY OTHER MAJOR OECD NATION HAS SEEN THEIR TRAFFIC DEATHS FALL. SO I BELIEVE, AND I WOULD URGE CITY LEADERSHIP TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT KIND OF INVESTMENT WE CAN MAKE IN OUR MICRO-MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE THAT IT IS SAFE FOR ALL ROAD USERS, AND REALLY ENCOURAGES A MODE SHIFT. RIGHT? BECAUSE THIS IS BETTER NOT ONLY FOR SAFETY, WHICH IS MY NUMBER ONE OVERARCHING PASSION IN ADVOCATING FOR ALL OF THIS, BUT ALSO FOR THE CLIMATE. TRANSPORTATION IS ONE OF THE LARGEST SOURCES OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FOR THE CITY, AND WE REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF ENCOURAGE ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSIT THAT ARE BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, DO NOT HAVE ANY EMISSIONS, DON'T PUT AS MUCH WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR ROADS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY HOW WE GOT HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE OF HAVING THE ROADS IN SUCH POOR CONDITION. BUT BEYOND THAT, WE ALSO HAVE. THE CITY IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE PASSED THE VITAL STREETS MILLAGE, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN KEEPING OUR ROADS UP TO DATE AND. IN GOOD CONDITION. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS OPPORTUNITY, THE CITY, I WOULD REALLY URGE CITY LEADERSHIP TO LOOK AT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING NEW AND NOT TO DO THE SAME THING WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR HOWEVER MANY YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY. SO THANK YOU. AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MARY BARHAM IN THE SECOND WARD. I'D LIKE TO HIT A LITTLE INFORMATION ON THE THE HAULER SINGLE HAULER PROGRAM. I THINK PORTAGE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF INITIATING THE PROGRAM. AND I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR DOING IT TO INITIATING THIS PROGRAM FOR EVEN ATTEMPTING TO. BACK IN THE 70S, THE HAULERS AND THE CITIZENS, WE ALL GROUPED TOGETHER AND FOUGHT IT THEN. NOW WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN IN IN 2025. IT'S IT'S SAD. THE THE GIST OF THE PROGRAM, THE SINGLE HAULER PROGRAM IN ITSELF SAYS DISCRIMINATION, SINGLE SEX DISCRIMINATION. AND IT ALSO SAYS GOVERNMENT CONTROL. WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IS TAKING OUR RIGHTS AWAY. WE SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT, A SIMPLE RIGHT TO CHOOSE A HAULER. WE SHOULD HAVE THAT RIGHT. AND THEN YOU'RE TAKEN AND THROWN A BUSINESS, A BUNCH OF BUSINESSES OUT OF THE CITY. OUR COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM MEANS COMPETITION AND IT MEANS THE COMPETITION MAKES THE PRICES CHEAPER. THE CITY'S NOT GOING TO DO THAT IF IF THE CITY DOES SOMETHING, IF MY PRIVATE HAULER DOES SOMETHING WRONG, I CAN FIRE HIM. I CAN'T FIRE THE CITY, AND THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, AND THEY CAN USE MY TAX DOLLARS TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO INITIATE THIS PROGRAM. AND AND IT'S NOT FAIR. IT'S NOT FAIR FOR THE CITIZENS. AND THEN YOU PLAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL GAME. WELL, YOU CAN DO ALL THIS BUILDING DOWN THERE AND YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT THE GAS EMISSIONS AND ALL THAT CRAP DOWN THERE, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO MAKE MONEY ON THAT CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING ON DOWNTOWN. ALL THESE PLANES GOING OVERHEAD, THAT'S GAS EMISSION. YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT. THOSE PLANES ARE LOW ENOUGH. YOU CAN ALMOST READ THE NUMBERS ON THE ON THE DARN PLANES. THE PROGRAM IS THE COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THIS THIS COMPETITION. YOU DON'T YOU DON'T MONOPOLIZE THE BUSINESS. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO DO IS MONOPOLIZE THE BUSINESS. IT'S VERY, VERY SAD. EVERYBODY DEALS WITH ADVERSITY. BUT I GUESS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A GREAT MAN LIKE ABRAHAM LINCOLN, HE SAID THAT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS ANY ANYBODY TO KNOW, TO KNOW WHAT CHARACTER, WHAT TYPE OF CHARACTER YOU HAVE, YOU GIVE THEM POWER AND THAT'LL REALLY SHOW YOU. AND THAT'S WHAT IT DOES. THAT'S A TRUE STATEMENT. SO PLEASE VOTE NO ON THE SINGLE HAULER PROGRAM. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS RICK BARR. I'M SECOND WARD TWO. ALSO PREVIOUS PRIVATE HAULER SON FROM YEARS AGO, MR. GURNEY, WHEN HE DID HIS PRESENTATION, SAID HE WASN'T A POLITICIAN, [00:30:06] BUT HE ALREADY WAS SAYING IT WAS ALREADY A DONE DEAL. IT WAS LIKE, WELL, IT'S NOT A MONOPOLY UNTIL 27. THAT'S KIND OF LIKE IT'S ALREADY A DONE DEAL AND IT'S ALREADY. YES. WHICH IS WRONG. I THINK I SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO CHOOSE. EVERYBODY SHOULD. AND YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE TO SAY, WE TOOK THAT RIGHT AWAY FROM PEOPLE, AND YOUR FAMILY'S GOING TO KNOW EVERYBODY ELSE. AND I THINK THAT'S WRONG. SO I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE OUR CHOICE AT A PRIVATE HAULER OR YOU. AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. SO PLEASE DON'T ALLOW THIS, OR AT LEAST PUT IT ON THE BALLOT AND LET PEOPLE VOTE. THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE EASIER. THANK YOU. HELLO FRIENDS. MARK FROM GRAND RAPIDS. HERE WE GO AGAIN. THESE ICE AGENTS. WHO ARE BASICALLY NOT AGENTS AT ALL. ARE RISING UP THEIR HAVOC. THE SUPREMACY. AND THEIR VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHAOS. GOING AFTER. EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY WHO GETS IN THEIR WAY. WHY? HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THESE LIES ABOUT FINDING SOME VENEZUELAN GANG AND APARTMENT UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IN CHICAGO? ONLY TO COME UP WITH. LIKE, RESIDENTS HANDCUFFING THEM, ZIP TYING THEM. YANKING NAKED CHILDREN OUT OF THOSE UNITS. ZIP TYING THEM AND THROWING THEM IN THE U-HAUL VEHICLES. BEFORE RELEASING THEM. I GET IF THEY WANT TO FIND VIOLENT, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, FINE. FIND THEM, GET THEM, DEPORT THEM. THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. BUT NOW THEY'VE GONE TOO FAR. EVEN AS FAR AS SPRAYING CHICAGO POLICE OFFICERS. LAURENCE PHELAN IS ALLOWING THIS. WELL, HE'S ORCHESTRATING THIS IN ORDER TO GAIN POWER AND TO TRY NOT TO HAVE ELECTIONS IN 2028 SO HE CAN MAINTAIN THAT POWER. AND BY THE WAY, HALLOWEEN IS COMING. YOU MIGHT SEE A LOT OF ROGUE INDIVIDUALS DRESSED AS ICE AGENTS. YOU IT MIGHT BE TRICK OR TREATING IN HISPANIC COMMUNITIES TO WREAK HAVOC ON INDIVIDUALS. TO TORTURE THEM. SO I WILL BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT. JUST TRUST ME, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. THANK YOU. BOYCOTT TESLA. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS NATHAN MILLER. I'M A SMALL INFILL DEVELOPER WORKING HERE IN THE CITY. BUT TODAY I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER INVESTING IN EXPERIMENTS AROUND BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE. LAST NIGHT, I WAS CANVASING THE BELKNAP LOOKOUT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR MULTIFAMILY PROJECT THAT I'M WORKING ON UP THERE, AND MOST PEOPLE WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE, BUT ONE WOMAN STOPPED ME COLD. HER CONCERN WASN'T THE NUMBER OF UNITS, IT WAS PARKING. WHERE WOULD EVERYONE PARK? THIS, DESPITE IT BEING A TEN MINUTE WALK TO MEDICAL MILE OR A FOUR MINUTE BIKE RIDE? HER QUESTION REVEALS HOW WE'VE DESIGNED OUR CITY. CAR OWNERSHIP HAS BECOME THE MANDATORY ADMISSION PRICE TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY LIFE. TRIPLE A ESTIMATES THAT OWNING AND OPERATING A CAR COSTS $10,000 PER YEAR. THAT'S NOT JUST A REGRESSIVE TAX ON OUR RESIDENTS. IT'S A CEILING ON OUR CITY'S GROWTH. AS TRANSIT EXPERT JARRETT WALKER WRITES, THE GEOMETRY OF CARS [00:35:05] JUST DOESN'T SCALE. IF EVERYONE DRIVES, CITIES CHOKE ON TRAFFIC AND PARKING DEMAND. HERE'S THE REALITY IN IN THE GRAND RAPIDS METRO, 94% OF HOUSEHOLDS HAVE AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE. IN PARIS, IT'S ONLY 33%. NOW, I KNOW YOU'RE THINKING GRAND RAPIDS ISN'T PARIS. YOU'RE RIGHT. PARIS IS 41MI■!S. WE'RE 45, BUT PARIS HOUSES 2 MILLION PEOPLE WHILE WE ACCOMMODATE JUST 200,000. THE DIFFERENCE ISN'T LAND. IT'S HOW WE USE IT. HOW MUCH OF OUR CITY IS CONSUMED BY PARKING SPACES FOR NONRESIDENTS WHO DRIVE IN TO ENJOY OUR CITY AMENITIES? AND HOW MANY MORE RESIDENTS COULD WE WELCOME INTO OUR COMMUNITY IF WE DIDN'T REQUIRE EVERY HOUSEHOLD TO STORE 1 OR 2 CARS? THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN THAT YOU PASSED LAST WINTER ALLOWS QUADPLEXES CITYWIDE. THAT WAS VERY FORWARD THINKING. NOW LET'S PREPARE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT IT SO THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING ANGRY RESIDENTS AT FUTURE MEETINGS DEMANDING PARKING, YOU CAN HAVE AN INFLUX OF NEW HAPPY CITIZENS WHO PREFER BIKING TO DRIVING BECAUSE OF THE SMART INVESTMENTS THAT WE CAN BEGIN MAKING. NOW, I'M A MEMBER OF STRONG TOWNS GR AND WE ADVOCATE FOR A BOTTOM UP APPROACH. START WITH SOME SMALL SCALE EXPERIMENTS. SAFER BIKE LANES, EXPANDED VITAL STREET SUPPORT, IMPROVED DASH SERVICE, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS, THEN MEASURE THE RESULTS. REINVEST WHEREVER THE RETURNS ARE THE STRONGEST. THAT IS HOW YOU BUILD A RESILIENT CITY, NOT BY MAINTAINING EVERYTHING EQUALLY, BUT BY BUT BY PRIORITIZING HIGH RETURN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE. GRAND RAPIDS ISN'T PARIS, BUT WE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE IT IF WE CHOOSE TO INVEST THAT WAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. HELLO, MY NAME IS JULIE MCALLISTER AND I BELIEVE I'M IN THIRD WARD. OKAY. NOW I'M JUST KIND OF FEELING MY WAY AROUND HERE BECAUSE I'M. I'M TRYING TO GET TO KNOW HOW YOU HOLD THE MEETINGS AND WHERE THEY ARE AND BE INVOLVED, BUT I'VE GOT A LITTLE PATCHWORK GOING HERE THROUGH EVERYBODY THAT I'VE LISTENED TO, I'M CONCERNED WITH. AND I LOVE IT THAT YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH. I'M GOING TO BACK UP WITH PARIS, OKAY? I'M GOING TO BACK UP WITH PEARS. I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT HE DOES AND HOW HE DOES IT AND HIS WORK AND EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT I NEVER BEEN TO PARIS, OKAY? I'VE NEVER BEEN TO PARIS. I LIVE IN GRAND RAPIDS. I HAVE PROBLEMS BEING SENIOR CITIZEN, MINORITY, TRANSPORTATION AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO GATHER AROUND? FINANCIAL TAXES, EVERYTHING GOING UP, BUT NOTHING MAINTAINING. OKAY, NOW MY CONCERN IS GETTING PEOPLE TO WORK AND LISTEN AND TALK AND COMMUNICATE ALL THE WAY AROUND. IT DOESN'T. I'VE TRIED SO HARD FOR YEARS TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY. INFORMATION WISE, I CAN'T TAKE PART IN EVERYTHING. I KNOW THAT, AND I'M GOING TO GET MY WAY WITH EVERYTHING. I KNOW THAT, BUT MY THOUGHT IS HAVING MORE WORK INSIDE THIS TOWN TO DEAL WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, DEAL WITH MAKING A BETTER COMMUNITY THAT MAKES A BETTER CITIZEN A CITY. IT STARTS WITH YOUR HOMES, YOUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, YOUR YOUR NEIGHBOR. YOUR COMMUNITY SPREADS ON OUT TO THE CITY. YOU CAN'T IGNORE AND DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR BEST INTEREST. AND DON'T EXPECT THAT WHAT YOU WANT AFFECT SOMEBODY ELSE. TAKE THE TIME TO SEE PROS AND CONS IF WHAT I WANT. GOING TO HELP THE CITY. NOW I HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY AND WHOLE. I HEAR YOU TALKING ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE IN THE CITY. WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BRING PEOPLE IN HERE, THEY NEED PLACES TO LIVE, TO PARK, TO MOVE, TO EAT. THEY NEED ALL THAT. SO YOU, EVERYBODY NOT GOING TO HAVE EVERYTHING THE WHOLE WAY, BUT TRY TO THINK OF EVERYBODY ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL. YOU BUILD SPORTS ARENAS. THAT'S NICE FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT. BUT THOSE OF US THAT DON'T HAVE RIDES OR NO THAT'S THERE OR CAN'T HANDLE THE CROWD OR CAN'T DO KEEP UP WITH THE REST OF THEM. DON'T LEAVE US BEHIND BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT HIS VOTING TIME. I GET A LETTER, OKAY? I MEAN, I KNOW WHERE THE SCHOOLS ARE DEALING WITH WHEN THEY NEED MONEY. I REALIZED THEY DIDN'T CHANGE ADDRESS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN DONE, BUT NOBODY TOLD ME ABOUT WHAT THEY WAS THINKING. THE CHILDREN NEED HELP. THEY ALWAYS HAVE. WE'RE THE ADULTS. WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHILDREN. WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR EACH OTHER. THE CHILDREN NEED GOOD HOMES. PARENTS NEED A PLACE TO LIVE. IT ALL BEGINS. HAS A ORDER WITHIN ITSELF. AND YOU CAN'T LEAVE THAT ORDER THINKING YOU'RE GOING TO CONTROL SOMEBODY ELSE. AND THAT GOES TO THE TRASH COLLECTION. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I DO BELIEVE IN LETTING PEOPLE HAVE THE JOBS THEY WANT AND PICKING THEIR TRASH. NOW, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN GRAND RAPIDS BECAUSE THE CITY IS NOT REALLY THAT CLEAN. AND YOU GOT TRASH CANS, THAT DECORATION ALL OVER THE YARDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BEFORE YOU TRY TO DECIDE WHO'S GOING TO MAKE THE MONEY AND GET EVERYTHING ELSE UP. SO I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT I'LL SPARE YOU. THANK YOU. SEEING NO ONE [COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS] [00:40:06] ELSE. THAT BRINGS US TO FINAL CLOSING FROM MY COLLEAGUES. COMMISSIONER SAUSSY. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR A FULL DAY, COLLEAGUES. I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE. ONE, IT IS STILL OCTOBER, SO THAT MEANS IT'S STILL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AND THERE'S STILL A LOT OF CELEBRATIONS GOING ON. OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY, OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HOSTING, RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUALS. ONE OF THE THE FIRST LATINO ELECTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD JUST PASSED AWAY THIS PAST SATURDAY OR SUNDAY. MISTER LUIS PENA, HE'S A TRAILBLAZER, AND I ACTUALLY WORKED WITH HIM AT MY FIRST JOB AT CASCADE ENGINEERING, SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HIS ACHIEVEMENT AS THE FIRST LATINO ON OUR SCHOOL BOARD. I ALSO DID WANT TO JUST FOLLOW UP. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH COSECHA, A GROUP THAT ADVOCATE FOR DIFFERENT SANCTUARY POLICIES, HAD A CHANCE TO GO AND LISTEN TO THEM, WHICH I THINK WAS DEFINITELY A GOOD SIGN BECAUSE IN THE PAST, THERE'S BEEN A FEELING THAT COSECHA WOULD NOT COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS. SO I APPRECIATED THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND SPEAK WITH THEM AND TO SHARE SOME OF THE POLICIES THAT WE'VE ENACTED IN OUR CITY, AND I THINK NOT SO MUCH OUT OF THAT DAY, BUT JUST THIS LAST WEEK, I THINK, MAYOR, YOU ASKED THE CITY MANAGER AS WELL. WE HAD HEARD SOME RUMORS THAT THERE WERE. ICE OFFICIALS IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THAT IS THAT WAS THAT IS NOT TRUE, THAT THAT WAS NOT TRUE, THAT THAT DID NOT OCCUR LAST WEEK, PER OUR SUPERINTENDENT, AND TALKED DIRECTLY TO A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. BUT I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO REMAIN VIGILANT TO TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. I KNOW OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER GRAPES, BUT I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING IN COMMUNICATING. IT DEFINITELY IS A VERY SCARY TIME IN OUR COMMUNITY. SEE IT IN MESSAGES TO ME AND HEARING IT ACROSS THE BOARD. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IT'S IT'S NOT NOT TO SHARE INFORMATION, BUT JUST TAKING A STEP BACK AND JUST SEEING HOW DO WE SHARE THE CORRECT INFORMATION. SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. AND THEN LASTLY, I KNOW TODAY IN OUR FISCAL COMMITTEE WHICH I'M IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE DID TALK ABOUT THE FISCAL DISCLOSURE ITEM. AND I KNOW THERE WAS A SPLIT VOTE THERE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING FURTHER DISCUSSIONS. I THINK THIS IS AN ITEM WHERE WE HAVE OUR CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE IT MORE ROBUST, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD. AND I THINK THAT MORE TRANSPARENCY IS ABSOLUTELY NEEDED. I WOULD BE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF PUTTING WHATEVER WE END UP LANDING ON. IF WE DO LAND ON SOMETHING ON OUR COMMISSION PAGES, AS WELL AS A LINK TO OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT. NOT ONLY WHERE ARE WE RECEIVING MONEYS OR MAYBE WHO WE OWE MONIES TO, BUT ALSO WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR INDIVIDUAL CAMPAIGNS, WHICH MIGHT NOT NOT ALWAYS BE EASY, ALTHOUGH I THINK THE COUNTY HAS A VERY GOOD WEBSITE. AND SO EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A SPLIT VOTE, I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING FURTHER DISCUSSIONS. I THINK THIS WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT ITEM THAT WE COULD ALL HOPEFULLY COALESCE AROUND AND THEN IDENTIFY WHAT MAYBE DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, OR WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT. OR JUST AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY YEARS, MR. STRAUSS, BUT IT'S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED. SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT'LL BE AT THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING. I WILL BE MISS. I WILL BE GONE FROM THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING. I WILL SAY GIVING MY GIVING MY NOTICE FOR SIX MONTHS. HAVE SOMETHING I HAVE TO GO TO. I'LL BE BACK IN NOVEMBER. SO IF WE COULD HOPE, HOPE THAT KEEP THAT FOR NOVEMBER, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PURDUE. THANK YOU. YES, I, I AM WONDERING WHEN WE WILL TALK AGAIN AS A GROUP AROUND THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE DOCUMENTS. I'M NOT IN ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. I ALSO HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT I'VE SHARED, AND I DON'T THINK AS IS IS GETTING TO THE CRUX OF WHAT RELATIONSHIPS THE PUBLIC WANTS TO KNOW WHAT RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE THAT MIGHT INFLUENCE THE WAY THAT WE WORK UP HERE AND THE WAY WE VOTE. AND AS IS AS DRAFTED. I DON'T THINK IT REALLY GETS TO THAT. SO I'M ALSO CURIOUS OF WHEN IT WILL COME BACK TO US FOR A FULL DISCUSSION BEFORE, KIND OF IN THIS NEW ITERATION, BEFORE VOTING, AS WELL AS WHEN THE SINGLE HAULER UPDATE WILL WILL COME BEFORE US. WOULD YOU MIND ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS, CITY MANAGER, BEFORE I GIVE MY FINAL COMMENTS, OR DID YOU WANT TO SAVE THOSE FOR YOURS? MAYOR, IF YOU COULD I WHY DON'T WE LET THE CITY MANAGER? THIS ISN'T REALLY A QUESTION AND ANSWER TIME, COMMISSIONER. SO IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANT TO WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS, THAT'S GREAT. BUT ARE YOU TELLING ME I CAN'T ASK THE CITY MANAGER A QUESTION? WELL, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE FORMAT IS FOR CLOSING COMMENTS. IF WE TURN INTO OPEN ENDED QUESTION AND ANSWER AND ASKING FOR RESPONSE AND ASKING FOR POLICY, IT'S REALLY NOT THE FORMAT FOR THIS IS THE FORMAT FOR CLOSING COMMENTS IF YOU WANT IS WHAT I'M ASKING IS VERY [00:45:03] CONSISTENT WITH HOW WE USE THIS TIME. BEFORE CITY MANAGER, MAY YOU RESPOND, I WILL. MAYOR, I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS ALL OF HER QUESTIONS IN MY REMARKS. IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU. SO I DID WANT TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE. LET ME JUST TAKE A SECOND, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE CULTURE AND THE WAY THAT INTERACTIONS HAPPEN ON THIS DAIS, I THINK ARE VERY INAPPROPRIATE. THE DISRESPECTFUL TOWARDS ME IN PARTICULAR. AND I THINK THAT WAS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF IT. AND SOMEONE CAME TODAY, THEY SAID, I'M TIRED. I'M ALSO TIRED. I'M ALSO TIRED. THAT BEING SAID, THERE IS A LOT TO CELEBRATE IN THIS SATURDAY. I AM DOING THE FIRST LET'S TALK THIRD WARD IN PERSON OF THE YEAR. AND SO WE MADE A LOT. WE HAD A LOT OF GREAT UPDATES RELATED TO THE SOUTHEAST SIDE AND THE THIRD WARD TODAY, AND I'M EXCITED TO GO MORE IN DEPTH WITH THOSE WITH FOLKS WHO WILL JOIN ME THIS SATURDAY, AS WELL AS TALK ABOUT ANOTHER A NUMBER OF FORMING ISSUES, PROJECTED ISSUES, WINDS AND OTHERWISE. USUALLY THESE ARE 30 MINUTES ONLINE, IN AND OUT. WE'RE GOING TO DO AN HOUR IN PERSON SO WE CAN DIG DEEPER. SO PLEASE RSVP TO GET THAT INFORMATION. MARKETING YOUR CALENDARS. IS THIS SATURDAY 10 A.M. IN PERSON, SO RSVP ON ANY OF MY PAGES. YOU'LL GET THE INFORMATION AND WE'LL HAVE A GREAT CONVERSATION THIS SATURDAY. THE LAST THING I WANT TO MENTION IS RELATED TO SOME OF THE ZONING PIECES THAT THAT CAME UP. AND I THINK, MR. MILLER, FOR BEING A CONSISTENT FACE HERE IN, IN CITY HALL. BUT EVEN OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL, MR. MILLER HAS INVITED ME TO TOUR SOME OF HIS PROPERTIES, TO TOUR HOW HE'S LOOKING TO TO IMPLEMENT OUR ADU LAWS, OUR QUADRUPED COMPLEX LAWS. AND POINTING OUT TO ME, IF YOU ALL WOULD CHANGE THIS LITTLE PIECE, I'M ABLE TO BUILD THIS MUCH MORE OR ABLE TO BUILD IT THIS MUCH MORE AFFORDABLY. AND SO I KNOW THAT HE IS ON THE PLANNING DIRECTOR'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND SO WE'RE REALLY THANKFUL TO HAVE THAT KIND OF HANDS ON, REAL WORLD APPLICATION EXPERTISE AND JUST JUST ENCOURAGING US TO CONTINUE TO COLLECT THOSE STORIES AND THOSE REALITIES SO THAT WE KNOW THE TRUE IMPACT OF OUR DECISIONS HERE, AND THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR ZONING LAWS AND TO MAKE THEM MORE, MORE CONSISTENT AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY TRYING TO ACHIEVE. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BELICHICK. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO SHARED TODAY AND FOR THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE BEEN HAVING, I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS PUBLICLY TO THE SAINT LUKE AME ZION CHURCH. WE THEY CELEBRATED 170TH ANNIVERSARY, AND I HAD THE HONOR OF BEING AT THEIR GALA. AND IT WAS REALLY REMARKABLE. AND I KNOW WE HAD SOME PASTORS HERE TODAY TALKING DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AS WELL. AND THE SAINT LUKE'S WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN BLACK CHURCH IN THE COUNTY, AND THEREFORE THE CITY BEFORE THE CITY EXISTED OR AROUND THE SAME TIME, AND HAS A LONG HISTORY THAT HAS NOW BEEN DOCUMENTED, THAT INCLUDES THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD AND OTHER INTERESTING FEATURES OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME AND ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF THAT. AND TODAY WE WERE TALKING A BIT ABOUT THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE IN THE LAST YEAR, OUR FINISHING OUR REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE CITY AND AND WHERE WE'RE AT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BROUGHT UP, AND IT KIND OF WAS TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT HERE TODAY WITH PUBLIC COMMENT, IS JUST THIS CONTINUAL IDEA OF EQUITY IN OUR CITY, EQUITY IN ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC AMENITIES, EQUITY IN AFFORDABILITY, EQUITY IN THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND. WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. I KNOW WE HAVE STAFF WHO ARE DOING THAT, BUT I WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION PUBLICLY AND IN IN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND IN OTHER PLACES, BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO BE THINKING THAT WHEN WE'RE BUILDING THINGS, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FOR EVERYBODY, RIGHT? WE HAVE A TARGET AUDIENCE AND A TARGET MARKET, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE ARE ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL SORTS OF BACKGROUNDS AND ALL SORTS OF HISTORY. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN DO IS TO BE HUMAN WITH ONE ANOTHER, EVEN THOUGH THAT MEANS WE'RE NOT ALWAYS PERFECT, AND IT MEANS WE WILL MAKE MISTAKES, AND IT MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALWAYS AGREE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I GOT TO DO THIS LAST WEEK, ALSO AS PART OF ARTPRIZE, WAS TO BE ON A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION WITH FOUNTAIN STREET CHURCH ON THE ART OF DEMOCRACY. AND THIS IS ALSO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE IN A DEMOCRACY. SMALL D WE HAVE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE HUMAN WITH ONE ANOTHER IN ALL OF ITS [00:50:04] IGNOMINIOUS NESS. WHICH MEANS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT PERFECT, AND ALSO ALL OF OUR GRACE AND GLORY THAT WE CAN PROVIDE. AND BY THAT I MEAN WE HAVE TO DO WHAT IS BEST IN THE MOMENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE. SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT AND INVITE EVERYONE TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE ANY WAY YOU CAN. WE DO HAVE APPOINTMENTS ALWAYS NEEDING TO BE FILLED. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING UP FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. COMMISSIONER KILGORE. THANKS, MAYOR. SO IT'S BEEN A NICE THESE THE SHORTER DAYS STILL FEEL JUST AS PACKED TO ME. YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL MY FIRST YEAR, BUT IT'S BEEN FUN WORKING WITH YOU ALL TODAY. IT FEELS VERY PRODUCTIVE. SO I WANT TO THANK THE GOOD NEIGHBORS OF ALGER HEIGHTS AND GARFIELD PARK FOR HOSTING ME AT THEIR RECENT GET TOGETHER AT SIP COFFEE AND COCKTAILS. I'VE BEEN MAKING IT A POINT TO HAVE IN-PERSON CONVENINGS ALMOST EVERY OTHER MONTH. I REALLY ENJOYED OUR EVENT. IT WAS GREAT EVENING FILLED WITH MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS AND CONNECTIONS. WE COVERED A RANGE OF IMPORTANT TOPICS FROM THE SINGLE HAULER TRASH PROGRAM, THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, NOISE ORDINANCE, GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY, AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR UPCOMING PARTY WORK SESSION COMING UP IN NOVEMBER. I ALSO SHARED TWO KEY FOCUS AREAS TODAY THAT I HOPE TO SEE MORE WORK ON IN THE UPCOMING YEARS. SO ONE WAS INCREASING GREEN SPACE IN THE THIRD WARD DOG PARKS, PARKS, POCKET PARKS. WE. SINCE WE HAVE FEWER PARKS THAN OUR FELLOW WARDS AND ADDING PROTECTED BIKE LANES TO ENHANCE SAFETY FOR ALL. SO EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO LISTEN AND CONNECT ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES, AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR WORK SESSION NEXT MONTH. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KNIGHT. YES, THANK YOU MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO RIDE ON THE BACK OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO GRATEFUL FOR OUR FINANCIAL UPDATE THAT WE GOT EARLIER TODAY ON FISCAL AND THE HEALTH OF OF OUR CITY. IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON ACROSS THE NATION. NOT TO SAY THAT IT WON'T CHANGE TOMORROW, AND I'M SORRY THAT I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE COUNT FOR YOU ALL TODAY, BECAUSE I WISH THAT I DID. HOWEVER, KNOW THAT TOMORROW IS A NEW DAY AND MORE THINGS ARE HAPPENING. SO JUST REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE OPTIMISTIC AND HAVE THEIR EYES OPEN ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR CITY AND AS WELL AS THE STATE. I THINK WE'RE HAVING A FISCAL UPDATE TODAY ON HOW SOME OF THE CHANGES. DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? YEAH. LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE STATE AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR CITY. SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN TO THAT. AND ALSO THIS WEEKEND THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPENING. THE ANNUAL MEETING FOR THE NFPA IS HAPPENING HERE IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. AND THAT'S BRINGING BLACK PUBLIC ADMINISTRATORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO OUR CITY FOR A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS AND THEIR ANNUAL MEETING. SO THAT IS HAPPENING, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED EMERGE AT THE GRANDMA, THE GRAND RAPIDS AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES, WHO JUST SOLIDIFIED THEIR NEW BUILDING DOWN ON SHELDON. SO IT'S A GREAT WAY TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, NOT ONLY WITH THIS PARTICULAR EVENT, BUT ACROSS THE CITY AS THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO THE THIRD WARD EQUITY TOUR. AND REALLY, THE SOME OF THE REVITALIZATION AND FINANCING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE THIRD WARD TO REALLY HELP BUILD UP AN AREA THAT HAS BEEN DISENFRANCHIZED FOR SO MANY YEARS. BUT THE NFPA WILL ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER EVENTS GOING ON ACROSS THE CITY. AND THEN ON SATURDAY, THEY'RE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL, ALONG WITH THE NFPA, WILL BE HOSTING A TRAIL RIDE. NOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, WE'RE NOT RIDING NO HORSES OR BIKES. WE'RE NOT ON BIKES. IT IS REALLY. IT IS A LINE DANCE KIND OF PARTY FOR THE WHOLE CITY. SO EVERYONE IS INVITED. IT IS A FREE EVENT. THERE IS GOING TO BE A MECHANICAL BULL. I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU ON IT, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU IT'S THERE. THERE ARE BOUNCE HOUSES AND SOME FOOD TRUCKS AVAILABLE. JUST A FAMILY FRIENDLY, FRIENDLY EVENT SO YOU CAN COME BRING YOUR PICNIC BASKETS AND BLANKETS AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. JUST ENJOYING COMMUNITY AND ENJOYING EACH OTHER. IT IS A FREE EVENT. IT'S FROM 1 TO 5 OVER AT ANAWAN PARK, SO WE HOPE TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY OUT FOR THAT. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. AND THIS IS YES, IT IS. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PERDUE. THIS IS IN REPLACEMENT OF THE FESTIVAL THAT THEY WOULD DO EVERY YEAR THAT WAS IN ALIGNMENT WITH ARTPRIZE. SO ARTPRIZE ENDED LAST WEEK, AND SO WE DECIDED TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF THAT. AND THAT WILL AGAIN [00:55:06] HAPPEN THIS WEEKEND, ON SATURDAY FROM 1 TO 5 AT AVALON PARK. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE, HAVE YOUR BOOTS ON AND GET YOUR FANS. COMMISSIONER ROBINSON. THANKS. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, ANYWHERE THERE IS A MECHANICAL BULL, I WILL BE. SO JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE. NO, I JUST HAD TWO QUICK ITEMS ON THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE INITIATIVE. I DO APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION THIS MORNING. I THINK AT LEAST FROM AS A FOLLOW UP TO DISCUSSIONS WE'D HAD AT CAL, THERE'S PRETTY BROAD SUPPORT AMONGST MOST OF THE BODY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING TO INCREASE THE TRANSPARENCY AROUND AROUND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE ITEMS. SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE END COULD, YOU KNOW, CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN IT'S IF AND WHEN IT'S IT'S PASSED. BUT ULTIMATELY THE VOTE THIS MORNING WHILE SPLIT WAS TO ADVANCE IT AS WRITTEN. SO IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS OR PEOPLE LISTENING IN FROM THE PUBLIC WANT TO GO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THOSE ITEMS ARE SPECIFICALLY THAT IS LOCATED IN THE THE AGENDA PACK. SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS NOTED. AND THEN SECONDLY, SO I KNOW SOMETIMES COMMISSION OF APPOINTMENTS YOU KNOW APPOINTMENTS OR RESIGNATIONS SOMETIMES GO OVERLOOKED. BUT WANTED TO RECOGNIZE MR. PHIL BALKEMA WHO JUST RESIGNED FROM OUR, OUR POLICE AND FIRE PENSIONS FUND BOARD. I BELIEVE MISS BOSKER TOLD US THIS MORNING THAT HE HAS SERVED ON THAT FOR 50 YEARS. I'M LOOKING AT MR. MR. CITY CLERK IF I'M WRONG, BUT JUST I THINK IT JUST SHOWS, YOU KNOW, A TON OF COMMITMENT TO THE CITY. I THINK THAT BOARD IN PARTICULAR OFTEN GOES OVERLOOKED AND UNDERAPPRECIATED WITH THE AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE AND CONTINUITY, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL EXPERTISE THAT IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ON THAT BOARD EFFECTIVELY. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS HE WAS DULY NOTED. THANK YOU. CITY CLERK. YES, WE DO HAVE THE ELECTION COMING UP. NOVEMBER 4TH IS THE DAY THAT THE POLLS WILL BE OPEN. BUT REMEMBER, ELECTION DAY IS NOT JUST ELECTION DAY ANYMORE. ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE AVAILABLE, SO YOU CAN GO TO MICHIGAN.GOV SLASH VOTE. YOU CAN APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT ONLINE. WE TURN THOSE AROUND WITHIN 24 HOURS SO YOU CAN. AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU WANT TO VERIFY YOUR POLLING LOCATION, MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR PRECINCT GO TO MICHIGAN.GOV. SLASH VOTE. ANOTHER ANOTHER. NOTE THE 1500 SCRIBNER PROJECT IS GOING ALONG. WE REALLY HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING. FACILITIES, PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS AND RECREATION ARE NOW OPERATING AT 1500 SCRIBNER. OUR ELECTION STUFF WILL BE MOVING FOLLOWING FOLLOWING THE ELECTION. SO IT'S SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, THEY ARE NOW LOCATED AT 1500 SCRIBNER, AND THEY'VE MOVED ONCE AGAIN. SO HOPEFULLY THIS IS OUR LAST MOVE FOR QUITE A WHILE. SO SO THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU, CITY ATTORNEY. JUST A BRIEF RECOGNITION OF OUR CITY CLERK. HE AGREED TO PRESENT WITH ME AT THE MICHIGAN LAW CONFERENCE IN LANSING ON OCTOBER 16TH. WE'LL BE DOING A LEGAL PRESENTATION TOGETHER WITH THE CITY OF STERLING HEIGHTS ON LOCAL BALLOT INITIATIVES AND A REFLECTION ON A BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT WAS PRESENTED IN BOTH COMMUNITIES BACK IN THE 2024 ELECTION. KIND OF LOOKING FORWARD TO 2026 AND HELPING OTHER COMMUNITIES MAYBE ANTICIPATE WHAT THEIR COMMUNITY MIGHT SEE AND HOW TO BEST BE PREPARED FOR THOSE THINGS. AND JOEL, YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER WITH THAT. I'VE ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU. YOU'VE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE AND THAT'S THAT SHOULD BE FUN. SO THANKS AGAIN FOR CONTINUING TO HAVE ME UP HERE WITH YOU. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO BETTER. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER KILGORE. IT HAS NOT BEEN A LONG TIME TODAY, BUT IT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN A BUSY TIME ON THESE SHORT DAYS. BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR YOUR WORK AND THE STAFF FOR THE WORK ON ALL THE BRIEFINGS AT THE STANDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY THE YEAR END REPORT. AND I THINK WE HAD A VERY THOROUGH MEETING. I DO WANT TO OFFER SOME THOUGHTS ON A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. ONE, RELATIVE TO THE STATE BUDGET, WE ARE GRATEFUL THE STATE DID PASS A BUDGET AND FOR SOME REASON, THERE SEEMS TO BE A PERCEPTION THAT THE CITY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A LOT OF TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS THROUGH A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUNDING, AND THAT THAT SIMPLY IS NOT THE CASE. THIS BUDGET, THERE IS A REDUCTION IN SOME OF OUR REVENUE SHARING. THERE IS A LITTLE INCREASE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT LESS THAN A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS. BUT IN TERMS OF ROAD FUNDING, WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT MIGHT BE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUNDING IS, IS JUST NOT THAT THAT THAT MUCH FUNDING. AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. I DON'T WANT TO MISQUOTE A NUMBER, SINCE I SEE WE HAVE MEDIA FRIENDS HERE TODAY, BUT CERTAINLY IT'S FALLEN WELL [01:00:01] SHORT OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD GET. BUT STILL, WE ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING, CONTINUED FUNDING FROM THE STATE ON THE BUDGET, AND HOPEFULLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL ALSO FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE SOME OF THOSE VITAL SERVICES RELATIVE TO THE PRIVATE HAULER OR SINGLE HAULER RECOMMENDATION. I HAVE NOT BEEN PRESENTED WITH ANY FORMAL RECOMMENDATION, AND I'M THE ONE WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COMMISSION, AND SO I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE RESIDENTS, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE THOUGHTS THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY AND THERE THERE ARE NO CONCLUSIONS, AND CERTAINLY THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE INCLUSIVE OF OTHER PROVIDERS. THE THOUGHT IS, HOW COULD WE BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING? AND SO I DO, OUT OF RESPECT FOR WHAT I HEARD COMMISSIONER SAY, I DO THINK IT'S A FULL COMMISSION CONVERSATION. AND OUR NEXT MEETING, WE'LL HAVE TWO. WE'LL WE'LL MEET ON THE 13TH FOR OUR WORKSHOP. SO THERE'LL BE A LOT OF DIALOG WITH THE FORMAL PRESENTATION. IF WE DON'T BRING THAT RECOMMENDATION THIS MONTH OR THE FIRST MEETING IN NOVEMBER, IT WILL BE ON THE 18TH. SO WE COULD THE PUBLIC CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION ON THE 18TH. THE SAME. THE SCRIBNER RIBBON CUTTING, DO WE? I'M LOOKING AT MY TEAM HERE. DO WE KNOW A DATE OF WHEN IS THE PLANNED DATE FOR THE FACILITY CUT? THERE ISN'T A FIRM DATE YET, I BELIEVE. OKAY, SO IT'S KIND OF OKAY. OKAY, SO WE DON'T HAVE A FIRM DATE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE DO HAVE A FIRM DATE DECEMBER 2ND. AND SO WE'LL INVITE THE PUBLIC AND ALL THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE THERE TO OPEN THE NEW FACILITY AT. JOEL JUST TALKED ABOUT AND CERTAINLY THAT THAT HAS BEEN A LARGE INVESTMENT. I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON THAT. LASTLY, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS. LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING. WE ARE, I BELIEVE, MAYOR, I TALKED TO MISS FERRIS. SHE DID NOTICE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO MEET AT THAT TIME TO THE COMMITTEE OR SHORTLY AFTER ADJOURNED. SO IT'LL BE AT YOUR CALL DEPENDING ON WHAT TIME YOU WANT TO RECESS. SO WE CAN HAVE THAT IMPORTANT CONVERSATION THAT COMMISSIONER KNIGHT MENTIONED. AND FOR THE PUBLIC, WE I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE CONCERNS AROUND AFFORDABILITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SPEAKING OF, THERE WAS A RECENT ARTICLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT RECENTLY RECOGNIZED GRAND RAPIDS AS ONE OF THE CITIES THAT ARE THAT CONTINUES TO BE MINDFUL AND INCLUSIVE OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND AFFORDABILITY FOR EVERYONE. NOW, I KNOW THAT'S A PERSPECTIVE FROM THOSE OUTSIDE THE CITY. AND WHILE SOME IN THE CITY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT LIVED EXPERIENCES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. I THINK DEANDRE SAID THAT EARLIER, THAT WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT PERFECT AND WE'RE MAKING A LOT OF EFFORT. AND AND I THINK THIS COMMISSION IS COMMITTED TO MOVING FORWARD AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE IT A LIVABLE COMMUNITY FOR EVERYONE. SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT NOTE, AND I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING. COMMISSIONER PERDUE, I DID ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION ON SINGLE HAULER. WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU. WHAT THE ZONING PIECE, WHEN THAT MIGHT COME BACK TO US, IS THAT PART OF NEXT YEAR? THE ZONING PIECE ON I'LL TALK TO YOU OFF. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I GUESS THE FIRST THING I WANT TO ADDRESS IS IT IS, IN FACT, MY JOB TO RUN THESE MEETINGS. AND AMONG THOSE FUNCTIONS ARE TO TRY TO REASONABLY LIMIT DEBATE, FOCUS CONVERSATIONS AND KEEP US ON THE AGENDA, AS I AS HAS LARGELY BEEN OBSERVED IN THIS PROCESS, ARE COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS ARE COMMENTS, AND THEY ARE NOT INTERROGATORIES. AND THAT'S MY THAT WAS MY THE REASON I MADE THE DECISION I MADE. AND SO COMMISSIONER, I CERTAINLY DIDN'T INTEND THAT TO BE DISRESPECTFUL. AND I'M SORRY IF YOU PERCEIVED IT THAT WAY. MY INTENT HERE IS TO MOVE THIS BODY FORWARD IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. AND I'M GLAD THAT THE CITY MANAGER COULD ADDRESS YOUR YOUR QUESTIONS IN HIS CLOSING COMMENTS. I, I WOULD URGE ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING OR IN THE AUDIENCE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE UPDATE WE GOT ON [01:05:05] THE SECOND HALF OF OUR UPDATE TODAY. THERE WAS SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PROGRESS BEING MADE ON PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES AND HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND MOBILITY ISSUES. SO THOSE OF YOU WHO CAME TO THIS MEETING MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THAT DISCUSSION, BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY, I THINK, GOOD PRESENTATION AND THAT WILL BE PRESERVED BY OUR COMMUNICATIONS FOLKS. AND THE LAST THING I WILL SAY IS THAT I DO THINK THAT A MORE ROBUST FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE MECHANISM FOR THE CITY IS IMPORTANT. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT PRIMARILY BECAUSE I THINK THAT AT THIS TIME IN OUR HISTORY AS A COUNTRY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT GOVERNMENTAL BODIES DO WHAT THEY CAN TO REGAIN LOST TRUST FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND WHY THE TRUST IS LOST IS NOT REALLY AS IMPORTANT AS THE FACT THAT A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY FEELS DISTRUSTFUL OF GOVERNMENT, DISCONNECTED FROM GOVERNMENT. AND I THINK THAT ONE OF THE WAYS TO BUILD TRUST IS TO BE TRANSPARENT. AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ANYBODY THAT AWARDS CONTRACTS, SPENDS MONEY, TAXPAYER MONEY, THAT THE PEOPLE ELECTED TO THOSE POSITIONS CAN ANSWER FOR THE PUBLIC AND NOT JUST ON AN AD HOC BASIS, BUT STRUCTURALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHAT THEIR SOURCES OF INCOME ARE AND WHO MIGHT HAVE FINANCIAL INFLUENCE OVER THEM. NOW, WE ALL HAVE WEBS OF RELATIONSHIPS, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE COULD EVER, YOU KNOW, DISCLOSE. ALL OF OUR FRIENDS ARE, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN DISCLOSE TO THE PUBLIC WHAT OUR SOURCES OF INCOME ARE AND WHAT OUR POTENTIAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ARE, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW IN THE REAL WORLD, FEELING FINANCIALLY OBLIGED TO SOMEBODY CAN BEND HOW YOU ACT, WHERE YOUR SOURCES OF INCOME ARE, CAN BEND WHERE YOU ACT. AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE AND WE'VE AND WE MAINTAIN A CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND WE ALL DO OUR BEST ON THIS BODY TO IDENTIFY WHEN WE HAVE A CONFLICT AND THEN ADDRESS IT APPROPRIATELY. BUT I THINK IT'S MORE I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT'S NECESSARY BUT NOT SUFFICIENT. I THINK THAT IT'S ALSO NECESSARY TO GIVE THE PUBLIC THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO ASK US THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. AND IF WE ARE HIDING INFORMATION OR WE'RE NOT FULLY DISCLOSING INFORMATION IN A STRUCTURED FORM. AND I DON'T MEAN HIDING IN AN INTENTIONAL WAY, I JUST MEAN IF THE INFORMATION IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT OUR SOURCES OF INCOME ARE, IT CAN LEAD TO DISTRUST. AND DISTRUST IS A IS A ROT THAT CAN SET INTO COMMUNITIES. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO DO OUR BEST TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST THAT. SO IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT FOR A LONG TIME I HAVE DISCLOSED MY FINANCIAL INTERESTS PUBLICLY. I'VE DONE IT ON WEBSITES FOR YEARS. IT'S A REASON I WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE TO FINALLY HAVE THE STATE OF MICHIGAN REQUIRE DISCLOSURE FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT AT THE CITY LEVEL, WE HAVE A LARGE BUDGET. WE SPEND LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, WE AWARD CONTRACTS, AND WE DO VERY, VERY SIMILAR WORK. AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND THAT WE ARE AS TRANSPARENT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO PUT US IN THESE POSITIONS AS POSSIBLE. SO I HOPE THAT THAT CONVERSATION CAN LAND US IN A, IN A POSITION OF GREATER TRANSPARENCY. AND THERE'S MORE CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD ON THAT SUBJECT. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. WE'RE ADJOURNED. OH, SORRY. WE'RE NOT ADJOURNED. WE ARE RECESSING OUR MEETING FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TO MEET, AND THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING WILL ADJOURN FOLLOWING THAT MEETING? YES. AND WHAT I JUST SAID ALLOWS ALL OF US TO BE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING WITHOUT ANY CONCERN ABOUT QUORUMS OR LACK THEREOF, BECAUSE WE'RE CRAFTING THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE THAT'S MEETING THIS AFTER THIS, ESSENTIALLY AS AN ONGOING PART OF THIS MEETING. SO IT IS A PUBLIC MEETING, * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.