[CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:08]
          DON'T HAVE A GAVEL, BUT I DO HAVE A MICROPHONE, SO I WILL CALL US TO ORDER. SOMEBODY HAS A WEDDING RING NEXT TO ME. SO I'M CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER. AND SINCE THIS IS AN OPEN MEETING, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO DEVIATE FROM OUR STANDARD CITY COMMISSION 
          [ROLL CALL]
PROTOCOL, BUT WE ARE GOING TO DO ROLL CALL. SO, MR. CLARK, COMMISSIONER KILGORE. PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER. NIGHT. COMMISSIONER ROBBINS. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. SASSY. PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER. BELCIK. HERE. AND MAYOR LEGRAND. PRESENT. DO WE HAVE EVERYONE? COMMISSIONER PERDUE. NO. COMMISSIONER PERDUE. YEAH, SHE SHE SHOULD BE HERE. YEAH. AND I GUESS WE'LL HAVE A MOMENT OF EATING RATHER THAN A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND NOT GOING TO DO A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 
          [1. Presentation and Discussion on Governing Together – Mark Funkhouser, Funkhouser & Associates]
BUT OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS WELCOME, MISTER FUNKHOUSER. AND YOU CAN TAKE IT FROM HERE. 
          I'LL TAKE. I'LL PREEMPT MISTER FUNKHOUSER FOR A MOMENT, BUT LET ME THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF, FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING FOR OUR WORKSHOP. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BOTH HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, IF YOU WILL, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO STRATEGIC PRIORITIZATION. AND SO THAT'S THE INTENT OF THE DAY. AND TO BEGIN THE FIRST HALF OF THE RETREAT, WE HAVE MISTER FUNKHOUSER FROM FUNKHOUSER AND ASSOCIATES. YOU MANY OF YOU MET HIM YESTERDAY, AND HE IS A LONG PRACTITIONER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, HAVING PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS AUDITOR OF KANSAS CITY AND SUBSEQUENTLY MAYOR, AND ALSO SERVED AS A PUBLISHER FOR GOVERNING MAGAZINE. IN HIS WELL RESPECTED IN THE FIELD OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SO WE'RE SO HONORED TO HAVE HIM TODAY WITH US. HE WILL SPEND SOME TIME WITH US THIS MORNING, AND AFTERWARDS. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE WE DO HAVE TO DO. WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT OUR FOCUS AREAS, AND I'LL GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN. BUT WE DO HAVE TO INTRODUCE THE WATER SEWER RATE STUDY THIS MORNING TO BEGIN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. SO TECHNICALLY IT'S ALREADY INTRODUCED BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE PACKET. THERE'S NO VOTE, BUT WE JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY PRESENT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO YOU WHAT THE PROPOSALS ARE FOR OUR WATER SYSTEM. AND THEN LASTLY, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS. SOME OF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE. WE'RE SCHEDULED TILL 1:00. WE DO HAVE TO BE OUT OF THE ROOM BEFORE ONE, BECAUSE THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS GOING TO MEET IN THIS ROOM. BUT IS THERE ANYONE THAT HAS TO LEAVE BEFORE 1:00? I KNOW COMMISSIONER KNIGHT HAS LEAVE AROUND 1230. ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY OTHER TIME CONSTRAINTS? WE'LL TRY TO GET OUT AS FAST AS WE CAN. AND SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU, MR. FUNKHOUSER, FOR BEING WITH US. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU ALL TODAY. DO WE DO WE DO WE HAVE A ROVING MIC? YEAH. SO I'M GOING TO TALK WITH YOU ALL, BUT I WANT YOU TO FEEL FREE TO RAISE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANYTHING THROUGHOUT IF I DON'T NOTICE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND, JUST SHOUT OUT. HAVING BEEN BOTH THE STAFF AND AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, I'M USED TO BEING INTERRUPTED. NOT A PROBLEM. DOESN'T DOESN'T BOTHER ME AT ALL. SO BRINGING TOGETHER WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND TALK ABOUT TODAY IS. 
          SORT OF HELP YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO YOUR JOB BETTER. YOU'RE DOING IT WELL. MAYBE WE COULD DO IT BETTER. CLARITY ON WHAT ROLES ARE COLLABORATION TO BE TOGETHER AND. ALL RIGHT. HOW'S THIS? PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. FOR EFFECTIVE CITY LEADERSHIP. HERE'S THE HERE'S THE AGENDA. 
          WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THREE MAJOR PHASES. THE COMMISSION IS A GOVERNING BODY TURNING PRIORITIES INTO SHARED IMPACT, COLLABORATION AND SO FORTH. AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND MAKE THIS QUICK AND GET IT DONE. I HEARD CITY MANAGER TALK ABOUT TIME CONSTRAINTS. SO HERE ARE OUR OBJECTIVES. I WON'T GO THROUGH THEM ALL, BUT I'VE TALKED WITH SOME OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY ON ZOOM, AND I'VE LISTENED TO WHAT YOU THOUGHT OUGHT TO HAPPEN WITH THIS, AND 
          [00:05:03]
I'VE TRIED TO WORK THAT INTO OUR OBJECTIVES. THE LAST ONE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LEAD WITH FOCUS AND CREDIBILITY AND KEEP, MAINTAIN AND BUILD LEGITIMACY. AND AGAIN, ANYTIME ANYBODY HAS A COMMENT OR QUESTION ABOUT THIS, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN. THIS IS THE STRUCTURE THAT WE USE FOR OUR OUR WORK. LEARN. I'M GOING TO SHARE SOME IDEAS AND INSIGHTS WITH YOU THAT I HOPE YOU FIND USEFUL. EMERGE. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS IN SMALL GROUPS AND AS A BODY THAT IDEAS WILL EMERGE OUT OF. SO YOU'LL BEGIN TO, IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO THE PROMPTS THAT WE GIVE YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH IDEAS AND INSIGHTS, SURFACE KEY OBSERVATIONS FROM YOURSELVES. SO THIS IS A THIS IS AS MUCH YOU LEARNING WHAT EACH OF YOU THINK IS WHAT I THINK. AND THEN AND THEN CONVERGE. AND THE CONVERGE IS THAT WE'LL TRY TO BRING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, SO GET YOU GET TO NOT NECESSARILY CONSENSUS BUT CONSENT AND AGREEMENT ON WHAT, WHAT YOU SHOULD DO GOING FORWARD. SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU HOW DO YOU DEFINE GOOD GOVERNANCE. MARSHALL. HOW DO YOU DEFINE GOOD GOVERNANCE? GOVERNANCE THAT'S ROOTED IN THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE WE SERVE ARE GOVERNANCE IS ROOTED IN THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. DREW, I WOULD SAY FOCUS ON THE THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THE CITY CHARTER HAS LAID OUT THAT ONLY THE CITY CAN PERFORM. SO FOLLOWING THE CHARTER. I WOULD SAY FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE. I THINK IT IS A RECOGNITION OF RESPONSIBILITIES. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT TODAY, BUT WHAT IS OUR ROLE AS ELECTEDS, RECOGNIZING THE IMMENSE ROLE THAT STAFF HAS IN GOVERNANCE ARE APPOINTED OFFICIALS, I THINK ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WELL. AND ALSO RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN GOVERNANCE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT HEADWINDS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IMPACTING OUR SOCIETY. SO SORT OF THE INSTITUTION, BUT ALSO THE CHANGE THAT EXISTS. I THINK GOOD GOVERNANCE INVOLVES BALANCING ALL THE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAT ARE AND, AND DATA THAT'S PRESENTED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES, TO BE ABLE TO PUT GOOD POLICY TOGETHER, THAT IMPACTS PEOPLE IN A POSITIVE WAY AND ULTIMATELY WOULD BE GREAT TO BUILD SOME TRUST. MARY LOU GRANT I WOULD QUIBBLE WITH THE QUESTION. I WOULD I WOULD SAY THOSE ARE ALL GREAT DESCRIPTIONS, AND I THINK THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, I AFFIRM WHAT MY COLLEAGUES SAY. I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD LOOK FOR A DEFINITION OF OF GOVERNANCE. THERE'S THE OLD SUPREME COURT. DECISION ABOUT PORNOGRAPHY, WHERE ONE OF THE JUSTICES SAID, I KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT. SO I THINK DESCRIPTORS AND I THINK, I THINK IT'S A VERY BIG BASKET. LISA, HOW DO YOU DEFINE GOOD GOVERNANCE? CAN YOU TURN? THEY DIDN'T WANT ME TO HAVE ONE. GOOD GOVERNANCE IS UNDERSTANDING. UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S NEEDED, UNDERSTANDING THE ROLES OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK, AND UNDERSTANDING HOW TO PROCEED IN THEIR SPACES, WORKING TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION, INTEGRITY. 
          CHARACTER. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN OUR DISCUSSIONS ELEMENTS OF WHAT ALL OF YOU SAID. I IT MIGHT BE, IN MY VIEW, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE SUPREME COURT VIEW ON PORNOGRAPHY, BUT. SO WE TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE, TRUST, NETWORKS OF TRUST COMMUNITIES TO SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT DON'T FIT NEATLY WITHIN ONE JURISDICTION. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY IS SORT OF THE ECOSYSTEM OF THAT. YOU OPERATE IN ALL THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, THE COUNTY, THE, THE, THE OTHER 
          [00:10:06]
CITIES, THE NONPROFITS, PRIVATE SECTOR, AND SO FORTH. HELP THINK, DECIDE AND ACT TOGETHER. 
          SO YOU ARE A GOVERNING BODY, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE COMMISSION AS A GOVERNING BODY, AS A GROUP. AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT POLITICS. ONE ONE THING THAT I SAY ABOUT POLITICS IS IT'S UBIQUITOUS. IT IS HOW IS HOW DEMOCRACIES WORK. IT IS HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS. 
          IT'S EVERYWHERE. AND AS AS JEDEDIAH PURDY, THE PHILOSOPHER, SAYS, IT'S TO TURN COLLECTIVE LIFE FROM FATE INTO SHARED CHOICE. SO WHAT YOU DECIDE IS A GROUP TOGETHER. WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU FACE REAL TENSIONS. YOU KNOW, YOU CAMPAIGN AND PEOPLE ELECT YOU BECAUSE YOU SHARED A CERTAIN VISION. AND THEN YOU COME HERE AND YOU HAVE TO WORK AS A BODY TO GET THAT DONE. AND YOU CAN'T DO IT INDIVIDUALLY. WELCOME. GOOD MORNING. AND SO IT'S HARD TO DO. IT'S THE EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU BRING INTO OFFICE ARE HARD TO MEET. 
          SO WE'LL TALK A LOT ABOUT THE COMMONS. AND I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THESE. BUT IT IS WHAT YOU ALL SHARE. SO IT IS THE THE PUBLIC SPACE. BUT IT'S ALSO THINGS LIKE TRUST AND LEGITIMACY. IT IS IT IS THE IT'S WHAT GOVERNANCE IS ABOUT, TAKING CARE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HOLD AS A COMMUNITY IN COMMON. WE USE A MODEL FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE DEVELOPED BY ELINOR OSTROM. OSTROM WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS, AND SHE WON THIS THING FOR FIGURING OUT HOW THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN. THE TRAGEDY OF COMMONS IS THAT PEOPLE WILL SHIRK RESPONSIBILITY AND THEY'LL TAKE MORE THAN THEIR SHARE. AND AND ESSENTIALLY THEY WILL DESTROY WHATEVER THE COMMON RESOURCE IS. THEY'LL SPEND ALL THE MONEY THEY'LL USE UP ALL THE PASTURE LAND, THEY'LL USE UP ALL THE WATER. 
          AND WHAT SHE FOUND WAS THAT SOMETIMES THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. WHEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IT'S BECAUSE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE USED THESE EIGHT PRINCIPLES. THEY BROUGHT THEM ALL TOGETHER. 
          I WON'T GO THROUGH THEM ALL, BUT THESE ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT, ACROSS CULTURES AND ACROSS GENERATIONS, PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO NOT HAVE THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS. THEY WERE ABLE TO SUSTAIN AN ORGANIZATION USING THESE PRINCIPLES. AND THEN WE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION DEVELOPED A TEXTBOOK AND A PLATFORM CALLED FINANCIAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THRIVING COMMUNITIES THAT TOOK ELINOR OSTROM PRINCIPLES AND APPLIED THEM TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND YOU'LL SEE ELEMENTS OF WHAT EACH OF YOU SAID, GOOD GOVERNANCE IS IN THESE PRINCIPLES. FOR INSTANCE, MARSHALL TALKED ABOUT LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE COLLECTIVE CHOICE ARRANGEMENTS GIVE STAKEHOLDERS A SEAT AT THE TABLE. CONFLICT RESOLUTION. CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE. YOU DEBATE, BUT YOU DON'T DESTROY. YOU KNOW, YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, EVEN THROUGH DISAGREEMENTS. AND SO CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT POINT, IF YOU COULD, AND THAT THE THE DEBATING BUT NOT DESTROYING PRINCIPLE AND DEMOCRACY AND FREE SPEECH AND I THINK THAT'S WORTH JUST PARKING A LITTLE BIT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH STRONG OPINIONS AND POLARITY BOTH NATIONALLY STATE AS WELL AS LOCALLY AND PEOPLE, PEOPLE COME HERE EXPRESSING THEIR STRONG OPINIONS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO DON'T COME TO CITY COMMISSION WHO HAVE EQUALLY STRONG OPINIONS BUT ARE NOT HERE AT A PARTICULAR MEETING TO BE HEARD. HOW HOW DO YOU HOW HAVE OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WRESTLED WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PRESENT TO VOCALIZE THEIR OPINIONS VERSUS THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE IN A 
          [00:15:02]
PUBLIC MEETING, BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THE ISSUE? HOW SHOULD LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WEIGH PRESENTEEISM VERSUS ABSENTEEISM IN DEBATING? SO THE ISSUE THAT YOU BRING UP PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, THE RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT, THAT SORT OF THING IS A BIG COMPLEX ISSUE. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, PARTICULARLY IN MODEL CASES, AND I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS A LOT. THEY USE MULTIPLE CHANNELS, SO THEY USE REGULAR SURVEYS, RESIDENT SURVEYS AND SO FORTH. THEY USE TOWN HALLS. THEY USE IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS MULTIPLE WAYS. AND IT HAS TO BE A TWO WAY ONGOING CONVERSATION. YOU CAN'T JUST ASK THEM WHEN YOU HAVE A BOND ISSUE UP. WHAT DO THEY THINK ABOUT THIS? WHEN YOU HAVE A CONTROVERSY, YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO FUND A PARTICULAR PROJECT, A NEW CONVENTION CENTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU CAN'T JUST TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT. YOU HAVE TO BUILD TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN. AND IT'S HARD IN A CITY LIKE GRAND RAPIDS WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, A LOT OF DIFFERENT VOICES, A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS. GETTING THAT ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM IS DIFFICULT, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO. PLACES THAT DO THIS WELL HAVE A SINGULAR FOCUS ON IT. 
          THEY HAVE THEY HAVE COMMUNICATION STAFF AND OTHERS WHOSE JOB IT IS ON AN ONGOING BASIS TO HELP CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY. ANOTHER THING THAT WE SEE IS THAT IN ONE SENSE, THAT'S THE ROLE OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S HOW THEY GET ELECTED AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. BUT THAT CAN'T BE ONLY THEY CAN'T ONLY BE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF HAVE TO PROVIDE LOTS OF SUPPORT, AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AGAIN TO WHAT MARSHALL SAID, LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY, WELL, THAT'S THAT'S HIS JOB, BUT THAT'S YOUR JOB AND YOUR STAFF. WE'VE WRITTEN, FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT PORT SAINT LUCIE IN FLORIDA, WHICH HAS ESSENTIALLY A MODEL PROGRAM FOR ENGAGING RESIDENTS. AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE COULD TELL THAT IT'S A MODEL PROGRAM IS WHEN THEY DO THEIR RESIDENT SURVEYS, THEY GET A 93% RESPONSE RATE. DOING A SURVEY ON ANYTHING AND GETTING 50% IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD. PORT SAINT LUCIE PUTS A LOT OF EFFORT. THEY HAVE A A BIG LIKE COMMUNITY DAY WHERE THEY IT'S AN OPEN HOUSE, ESSENTIALLY WHERE THEY INVITE ALL THE PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY SHOW UP. I CAN TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THAT. I DON'T WANT TO USE UP ALL YOUR TIME NOW, BUT THAT IS THAT IS A BIG ISSUE, AND IT'S ONE THAT A LOT OF COMMUNITIES ARE WORKING ON. AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF BEST PRACTICES OUT THERE. SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO NOW IS BREAK UP INTO 2 OR 3 GROUPS AND HAVE YOU TALK ABOUT GO BACK TO THESE. WHICH OF THESE DO YOU DO? WELL, YOU BELIEVE AS A COMMISSION WHICH OF THESE DO YOU THINK YOU COULD USE MORE WORK ON? I'D LIKE YOU TO DO THAT. WE'VE GOT MATERIAL HERE FOR YOU TO WRITE DOWN. WE WANT YOU TO WRITE DOWN YOUR ANSWERS TO THIS, AND MAYBE WE'LL HAVE THE MAYOR AND MELINDA AND KELSEY AND ALICIA DO ONE ON ONE GROUP DISCUSSION, AND WE'LL HAVE THE THREE OF YOU DO ANOTHER GROUP DISCUSSION AND SEE WHETHER YOU CAN COME TO AGREEMENT ON SOME OF THESE THAT WE DO. WELL, 1 OR 2 THAT WE DO WELL, 1 OR 2 THAT YOU THINK WE COULD. USE MORE WORK ON. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL TAKE ABOUT. TEN MINUTES TO DO THIS. OKAY. TIME E OUT. WHAT DID YOU FOLKS COME UP WITH IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU DO WELL AND WHAT YOU NEED HELP WITH? WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION. LET'S SEE IF IF YOU COULD BRING THE IS THERE A WAY TO BRING BACK UP THE ITEMS? I JUST WROTE DOWN THE NUMBERS, NOT THE TITLES OF THEM. SO NUMBER ONE, STRONG GROUP IDENTITY AND UNDERSTANDING OF PURPOSE. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BE COMMITTED TO DOING BETTER. I THINK WE YOU KNOW, THERE'S 
          [00:20:03]
OBVIOUSLY RULES AND REGULATIONS ABOUT HOW MANY OF US CAN BE IN THE SAME ROOM AT THE SAME TIME WITH OPEN MEETINGS, ACT STUFF. BUT, YOU KNOW, TAKING THINGS BEYOND JUST, YOU KNOW, BUILDING, YOU KNOW, SYNERGIES WITHIN PUBLIC MEETINGS, BUT THEN ALSO BEING INTENTIONAL, EXTRA INTENTIONAL OUTSIDE OF MEETINGS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND KNOW ABOUT EACH OTHER'S LIVES AND KIDS AND JOBS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I THINK THAT JUST BUILDS TRUST AND MAKES OUR TIME WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER IN A PUBLIC SETTING MORE EFFICIENT AND AND JUST BETTER CONVERSATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THAT'S ONE THING WE WANT TO WORK ON. NUMBER TWO, THE FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF COSTS AND BENEFITS. I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE SAID WE DID. WELL, I THINK WE WE DO A LOT OF REALLY GOOD UPDATES AND BRIEFINGS AND PRESENTATIONS WITHIN OUR PUBLIC MEETING SHOWING THE PUBLIC AND OUR TAXPAYERS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH WITH THEIR DOLLARS AND SHOWING THE RETURN ON ON THAT INVESTMENT, IF YOU WILL. 
          SO THAT'S ONE THING I THINK THAT THAT WE DO PRETTY WELL. AND THEN ANOTHER ONE THING THAT WE WANTED TO WORK ON, MAYBE MORE. NUMBER FOUR, THE MONITORING AGREED UPON BEHAVIORS. I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS SUCH THAT WE'RE THE OVERSIGHT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. BUT I THINK SOMETIMES MAYBE HAVING SOME MORE INSIGHT INTO LIKE WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES ARE IN PLACE BETWEEN, SAY, LIKE THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF IS HELPFUL FOR US. I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME PAIN POINTS IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THINGS LIKE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND HONORING TIMELINES THAT WE'RE TELLING AND COMMUNICATING TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I THINK JUST A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN THOSE PAIN POINTS COME UP BEFORE US, EVEN HAVING TO, TO BROACH THE ISSUE OR ESCALATE IT, KNOWING WHAT'S IN PLACE ALREADY TO HELP KIND OF KEEP SOME OF THOSE THINGS ON TRACK OR ACCOUNTABLE MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR, FOR US AS A BODY. SO BUT THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE HAD. SO ALL RIGHT. THAT'S COOL. YEAH. VERY GOOD. GOOD. I HAD THE NOTE CARD. SO I THINK WE WERE LOOKING AT A LITTLE BIT BROADER AS WE TOOK THAT DEFINITION OF GOVERNANCE AND KIND OF INCLUDING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I GUESS I'LL START WITH IMPROVE. 
          I THINK IT WAS REALLY AROUND THE FAIR FAST AND FAIR CONFLICT RESOLUTION. SO WE WERE TALKING THAT A NUMBER OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, ITEMS THAT COME INTO OUR INDIVIDUAL INBOXES OR OFFICES, A LOT OF TIMES OUR DISPUTES BETWEEN NEIGHBORS. AND SO I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH OUR INTERIM CITY CITY ATTORNEY, JUST WHERE CAN WE HELP AND SUPPORT? BECAUSE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE NOT THE PERSON TO RESOLVE, BUT HOW DO WE HELP FACILITATE? SO I THINK THAT'S ALSO PART OF GOOD GOVERNANCE. BUT WE FELT LIKE THAT EXISTED. EVEN I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS, I KNOW I FELT THIS, YOU KNOW, HERE WITH PEOPLE EITHER, YOU KNOW, CITY MANAGER, YOU TALKED ABOUT IT IN THIS BODY. YOU KIND OF HAVE THE CONFLICT, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT EVER TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN. BUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE, HEY, HOW'S IT GOING? AND YOU JUST LIKE, SAY HELLO TO THE PERSON. AND SO SOMETIMES THAT CONFLICT JUST SITS THERE AND THERE'S A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS MADE. WE SAID FIVE GRADUATED SANCTIONS FOR MISBEHAVIOR, MISBEHAVIOR. SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT. YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR SHARED SOME OF THE THOUGHTS REALLY AROUND LIKE HOW DO WE REFORM OUR CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM. I'LL SAY, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD HAVE TO RECOGNIZE PARTICULARLY I THINK, WITH LIKE YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ANOTHER THING THAT COMES INTO OUR OFFICE A LOT IS SPEEDING, YOU KNOW, AND THIS WAS AT ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, COMMISSIONER, JUST WHERE THAT IS SUCH A FRUSTRATING POINT. AND THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, WE NEED A POLICE OFFICER AT EVERY SINGLE CORNER. 
          AND WE'RE LIKE, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WILL STOP SPEEDING. REALLY, REALLY. IT'S ABOUT LIKE PERSONAL BEHAVIORS AND PERSONAL SORT OF ATTITUDES ABOUT THINGS. AND THEN WE SAID, WELL, FAIR AND INCLUSIVE DECISION MAKING. AND WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETIMES IF IT'S A DECISION THAT YOU DON'T LIKE, YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S FAIR AND INCLUSIVE. SO I KNOW WE'LL TALK TODAY ABOUT SOME THINGS RELATED TO A NUMBER OF TOPICS, WHETHER IT BE MOBILITY, WHICH IS A HAS BEEN A HOT TOPIC IN SOME OF OUR WARDS. BUT THEN WE LOOK AT OTHER SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE IN ANOTHER, ANOTHER. I WANT TO GIVE EXAMPLES BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT HELPS US TO TO KIND OF DISSEMINATE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOME SPEED CALMING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, THE NEIGHBORS ARE THE ONE WHO TAKES THAT. THE CITY DOESN'T ENGAGE WITH THAT. IT'S ACTUALLY THE NEIGHBORS GOING AROUND TO EACH OTHER TO REALLY DRIVE THAT WORK. AND THEN LASTLY, SEVEN AUTHORITY TO SELF-GOVERN. ALTHOUGH AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF RECOGNIZING THE CURRENT FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN. BUT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FROM THE FACT THAT WE HAD A JOINT EVENT WITH THE COUNTY AND THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAD WITH BOTH THE STAFF AT THE COUNTY, OUR THE STAFF THAT WORK FOR THE CITY. ELECTEDS THE FACT THAT I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD, YOU KNOW, WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR STATE GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE. SO THOSE WOULD BE THE FOUR THAT WE WOULD SAY, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO THE CITY MANAGER ASKED ME TO ASK STAFF, SO WHAT WHAT HAVE YOU GOT? ALL RIGHT. SO OUR GROUP OF STAFF OVER HERE, HOPEFULLY 
          [00:25:05]
WE'RE NOT THE ONLY STAFF THAT ARE GOING TO WEIGH IN ON THIS ONE. WE ACTUALLY FELT PRETTY STRONGLY THAT WE COULD HIT A SIX OR ABOVE ON MOST OF THEM. I THINK WE WOULD AGREE. NUMBER ONE FELT LIKE A VERY STRONG ONE. A LOT OF PUBLIC SERVANTS FEEL A STRONG SENSE OF PURPOSE AND IDENTITY AROUND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. SO I THINK THAT ONE LEAPT OUT AS A STRONG FOR ALL OF US. WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT FOUR, SIX AND AND SEVEN BEING MAYBE WHERE WE REALLY AREN'T HITTING, WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE. SO PART OF THE CONVERSATION HERE TODAY, JUST WITH RESPECT TO NUMBER FOUR, KIND OF WHOSE ROLE IS WHAT, HOW DO WE AND WHEN OUR DECISIONS ARE MADE? THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES IN GOVERNMENT JUST AMBIGUITY ABOUT THAT. I CAN'T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF TIMES STAFF ARE ASKED, WELL, WHO DECIDED THAT? LIKE, WOW, THAT EVEN THAT ANSWER IS REALLY COMPLICATED, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S A COLLABORATIVE BUILDING OF EXPERTISE FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT LAYER IN AND, AND RESULT IN A THING. AND SO AND YOU'RE ALWAYS LIKE, WELL, I'M CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO SAY CITY COMMISSION BECAUSE WE NEVER DO THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, LIKE, WHERE DOES THE BUCK STOP? SO THAT ONE ROLES RESPONSIBILITIES. THAT'S HARD, FAIR AND FAST. CONFLICT RESOLUTION. WE THOUGHT WE COULD USE SOME WORK ON THAT. AGAIN IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS TRUE, BUT THESE ARE LONG. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS ARE LONG PROJECTS. 
          A LOT OF DECISIONS ARE CUMULATIVE DECISIONS. AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE CONFLICT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RESOLVE THAT IN A WAY THAT FEELS FAIR AND TO, TO YOUR POINT, INCLUSIVE, WHEN SOME DECISIONS WERE MADE THREE YEARS AGO AND WE AREN'T GOING TO UNDO THOSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO HARD AND INTERNALLY ALSO DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES TO FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY WAS INVOLVED IN A CONFLICT. AND THEN NUMBER SEVEN IS JUST A HARD ONE FOR US TO KIND OF WRAP OUR BRAINS AROUND. BUT AGAIN, NOT NOT SURPRISING, KIND OF WHAT CAN WE SELF-GOVERN AS STAFF? WHAT ARE CITY MANAGER DECISIONS? WHAT ARE OUR COMMISSION DECISIONS? KIND OF ALWAYS FEELS LIKE IT'S IT'S VERY CONTEXT SENSITIVE. SO HARD TO FEEL THAT WAY. MARK. THE MERGE PART IS WORKING PRETTY WELL HERE. YES. WE TOO HAD A DISCUSSION OF THE APPOINTEES AND TALKED TO JOHN. INVITE ALL OF THEM TO TO WEIGH IN. BUT I THINK. THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE DO WELL AND CAN GET BETTER AT. SO I THINK DOING WELL. DEFINITELY THE NUMBER EIGHT CROSS SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION, STATE, COUNTY, BUSINESS, NONPROFIT COMMUNITY. 
          I THINK WE WE DO WELL THERE. I THINK NUMBER SIX, THE POINT THE WAY THIS IS SET UP IN TERMS OF DEFINITION, EXPECTING DISPUTES, IS PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE ARE SCARCE RESOURCES. AND I THINK OFTENTIMES. BOTH AS AN ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS THE GOVERNING BODY, WE DON'T EXPECT OR WOULD NOT LIKE TO HAVE DISPUTES BECAUSE PEOPLE DIFFER OVER PERSPECTIVES AND RESOURCES. 
          AND NOT TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO ALWAYS BE IN DISPUTE, BUT THAT THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. 
          THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY LIMITED RESOURCES, AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE MORE DEMAND THAN WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE. AND THEN THE RECOGNITION OF LOCAL RIGHTS, BEING LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND OUR ABILITY TO SELF-GOVERN AND AFFECT THE THINGS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND KNOWING THE THINGS WE CAN AFFECT VERSUS INFLUENCE. AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR LOCAL CONTROL. I THINK THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT VERSUS FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT, AND WHERE WE REALLY CAN HAVE IMPACT VERSUS INFLUENCE. YEAH. A COUPLE THOUGHTS COME TO MIND. ONE IS ABOUT CONFLICT. THE FIRST LAW OF BUDGETING IS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH. YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST NEVER ENOUGH MONEY. SO YES, CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE WAY IT GOES. YES. YEAH. I HAD A I HAD A COUPLE AT LEAST INPUT THOUGHTS. ONE IS COMMUNICATION ISN'T PULLED OUT OF ANY OF THIS AND YOU'VE IMPLIED IT IN SOME OF IT. BUT I THINK THAT'S A, I THINK THAT'S A WEAKNESS OF THIS MODEL, IN THE SENSE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MEAN, AND AGAIN, GIVEN MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS MODELING COMES OUT OF LIKE FAIRLY SMALL, DOABLE CONSENSUS BUILDING COMMUNITIES, AND YOU, YOU POINTED OUT LIKE THIS IS AN ARGUMENT FOR SMALL. IT'S AN ARGUMENT FOR LOCAL. BUT GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE REALITY THAT WE 
          [00:30:05]
HAVE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE THE EXECUTIVE, THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE MEDIA THAT THAT WE THAT THAT WE'RE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE TO UNPACK OR MAYBE CORRECT. AND SO EXPLAINING, I MEAN, THE FAIR AND INCLUSIVE DECISION MAKING, FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR GROUP. WELL, IF I ACTUALLY THINK THE CITY DOES VERY WELL ON THIS AND DOES MUCH BETTER THAN IT HAS IN DECADES PAST. 
          BUT IF THE BUT WE GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY OF, YOU KNOW, WE NEED IT TO BE MORE INCLUDED, WE NEED. AND SO I THINK THE QUESTION OF LIKE, WHERE, WHERE THAT, THAT STOPS, FOR EXAMPLE, ALSO INCLUDES INEVITABLY, COMMUNICATION. THE OTHER THING IS I'M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD I MEAN, THE AUTHORITY TO SELF-GOVERN. I THINK WE'RE IN A, I THINK WE'RE IN A WEIRD SPACE RIGHT NOW WHERE THAT WHOLE QUESTION IS GETTING REDEFINED. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S AS SIMPLY A MATTER OF SAYING, OH, THE CITY DOES THIS BECAUSE THE CITY WAS NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE GOT FED. BUT THEN NOVEMBER 1ST, WE LOST SNAP BENEFITS AND IN THE COUNTRY. AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S WE'VE EVER HAD TO WRESTLE WITH AS A CITY BEFORE. AND, YOU KNOW, OUR FUNDAMENTAL OBLIGATION IS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR CITIZENS AND OUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR RESIDENTS, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PUT IT. AND I GUESS I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID CITIZENS, BUT RESIDENTS. AND THAT MAY MEAN THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE JUST HAVE TO WHERE WE HAVE TO PICK UP THE PIECES AND WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO GROW INTO MORE AUTHORITY AND MORE RESPONSIBILITY THAN WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST. AND SO I JUST THINK THAT'S A THAT'S A BIG ACTIVE BASKET. THAT'S YEAH. YEAH. THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOOD TO HAVE. IT IS GOOD FOR YOU TO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SELF-GOVERN. IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE IT AND IT'S CONSTANT. ALL THESE THINGS ARE UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE. AND YOUR POINT, DAVID, ABOUT THE THE COMMUNICATION. CHAMBER, THE ALL THE STUFF THAT'S COMING. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE STAFF WHO ARE COMMUNICATING TO YOUR RESIDENTS, BUT IT IS SOCIAL MEDIA, AND IT IS ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT'S GOING ON. AND SO, YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S A TOUGH, TOUGH THING. THESE ARE SORT OF IDEALS. 
          THEY'RE NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT ASSUMED THAT YOU HAVE IT. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. 
          SO TURNING PRIORITIES INTO CITYWIDE IMPACT. FOCUS AND GEL COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND PICK TARGETS THAT YOU CAN AGREE ON AND FOCUS ON THEM. THAT'S THE WAY TO GET STUFF DONE. 
          FOCUS ON GEL. AND LET'S HOPE THAT'S ONE OF OUR OBJECTIVES WITH YOU TODAY, IS TO HELP YOU FOCUS AND GEL. SO HERE'S ANOTHER ONE. YOU HAVE PRIORITIES. TAKE A FEW MINUTES. 
          PICK ONE OF THOSE PRIORITIES. LINK IT TO A CITYWIDE COMMONS. SO PUBLIC SAFETY TRUST YOU KNOW YOU KNOW INFRASTRUCTURE PARKS ALL THAT SORT OF PICK ONE OF THOSE. SO A PRIORITY A COMMONS. 
          AND THEN ASK YOURSELF IS THIS AN AREA WHERE THE CITY CAN LEAD AND DELIVER, OR IS THIS AN AREA WHERE WE CAN ONLY SUPPORT AND INFLUENCE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT THE MAYOR JUST SAID ABOUT FOOD? I'M NOT SURE THE CITY CAN LEAD AND DELIVER THERE, BUT THEY CAN SUPPORT. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU DO WELL AND WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF YOU DID IT WELL? AND HOW DOES THIS HELP GRAND RAPIDS DO THE MOST IN ITS LANE? YOU CAN'T BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE. YOU'RE A CITY GOVERNMENT. THERE IS A COUNTY GOVERNMENT. THERE'S A STATE. THERE ARE A BUNCH OF NONPROFITS OUT THERE, A BUNCH OF PRIVATE SECTOR CORPORATIONS, INDIVIDUAL CITY ACTORS. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PART OF THAT ECOSYSTEM. SO TAKE A FEW MINUTES. IT SAYS 15, BUT WE'LL TRY TO MAKE THIS ABOUT TEN. AND AND AGAIN IN YOUR GROUPS, PICK ONE, PICK A PRIORITY. WHAT IS IT. COMMONS IT RELATES TO. AND THEN WHAT DO WE DO. IS THIS AN AREA WHERE WE LEAD AND DELIVER OR IS THIS SOMETHING WE SUPPORT AND INFLUENCE? WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF WE DID IT WELL, AND HOW DO WE DO THE MOST GOOD IN OUR LANE? AND SO WE'LL TAKE TEN MINUTES HERE SHOULD SPEAK ON BE. 
          [00:35:09]
WHO'S. ALL RIGHT, LET'S START WITH THIS GROUP THIS TIME. YOU GUYS WANT ME TO? YOU'RE FINE. 
          ALL RIGHT. I'VE BEEN APPOINTED THE SPOKESPERSON. YOU KNOW, WE WERE, I GUESS, TO TO FRAME THIS BECAUSE SOME OF THIS IS THE TOPIC, BUT BUT A LOT OF THIS IS ALSO HOW WE WORK TOGETHER. 
          RIGHT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, YOU KIND OF TALKED ABOUT JUST THE ENVIRONMENT TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO DEBATE AND HAVE IDEAS. AND SO. THE THE TOPIC WAS PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT REALLY WE DON'T FOR FOR THIS GROUP, IT WAS SAYING NOT JUST PUBLIC SAFETY BUT JUSTICE. LIKE HOW DO WE CREATE JUSTICE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE CITY HAS. RIGHT. AND SO THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT. AND I WOULD SAY A NUMBER OF US ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, I THINK THE CITY HAS BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT WHEN CITY MANAGER WAS HIRED AND WE, YOU KNOW, PUT FORTH A STRATEGIC PLAN. AND SO IT'S VERY MUCH A TOPIC I THINK PROBABLY APPEARED MORE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THAN SO MUCH RIGHT NOW. AND SO I WAS I WAS TELLING THE MAYOR, HOPEFULLY THIS, THIS IS OKAY. BUT I WAS TELLING THE MAYOR I WAS LIKE, I AGREE WITH YOU ON SO MANY THINGS. I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. MY BRAIN NEEDS TO BREAK IT OUT INTO WHAT IS THE THING THAT THE CITY HAS OWNERSHIP OVER AND AND IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S NOT A, THAT'S NOT A THING. IT'S JUST LIKE, HOW DO WE HAVE THIS BACK AND FORTH? BECAUSE THEN GOING BACK TO GOOD GOVERNANCE, OUR JOB IS ALSO THEN TO WORK WITH OUR APPOINTMENTS HERE, YOU KNOW. AND SO I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, TO ME, OUR CITY GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, IS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK OF THE CORE WORK OF THE CITY IS GOING WELL? SO THEN WE CAN THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS, RIGHT? SO HAVING A CITY THAT IS WELL RUN, THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF LEGAL ISSUES LIKE THESE THINGS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. SO THEN WE CAN THINK ABOUT IT. SO YOU KNOW I THINK FOR US IT WAS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AREN'T CHARGED WITH CRIMES. IN PARTICULAR, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MISDEMEANORS. AND HOW CAN WE, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS DON'T GET CAUGHT UP INTO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS OVERALL SYSTEM, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. SOME PEOPLE HAVE HEARD THIS STORY LIKE I GOT I GOT ACCUSED OF STEALING GAS WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD, AND IF I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD ACCESS TO AN ATTORNEY, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SOMETHING ON MY RECORD, BECAUSE I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD TO PLEAD IN THAT CASE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE DAVID LEGRAND AS MY LAWYER. SO IT'S WHAT I'VE LEARNED. NO, BUT IN ALL BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, IN PARTICULAR, RIGHT NOW, THE ISSUE AROUND CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, ARE WE COORDINATING WITH ICE AND GOING BACK TO THAT MEDIA PIECE? AND WHAT'S IN SOCIAL MEDIA IS LIKE PEOPLE FEEL UNSAFE RIGHT NOW IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO I THINK THIS QUESTION OF LIKE, JUSTICE AND HOW DO WE ENGAGE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO WE TALKED ABOUT MISDEMEANORS. WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE EVOLVING NATURE OF OUR PROFESSIONS THAT EXIST INSIDE CITY GOVERNMENT. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WE TALKED ABOUT POLICING. HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT? WE HAVE A CO-RESPONSE MODEL. BUT HOW DO WE GO FURTHER WITH THAT MODEL. 
          BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THOSE CALLS ARE BECAUSE OF AN INTERACTION THAT, YOU KNOW, ESCALATED INTO SOMETHING REALLY HORRIBLE AND JUST TRYING TO PICK OUT THE NUANCES. SO I KNOW I'M TALKING A LITTLE BIT IN LIKE HYPERBOLE, BUT IT ACTUALLY WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT WAS A DISCUSSION OF A BIG, REALLY IDEA. I KNOW, MAYOR, WHEN WHEN WE STARTED WORKING TOGETHER, YOU SAID, WHAT'S YOUR DREAM? AND I GO, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DREAMS, MAYOR, BUT I DO THINK THAT IS KIND OF THE WORLD WE HAVE TO LIVE IN IS LIKE, WHAT ARE THESE BIG IDEAS? AND THEN WE DO HAVE TO GO OR LIKE, WHAT ARE THE CORE THINGS OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES. BUT I THERE'S A FEELING HERE OF WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN COLLECTIVELY TACKLE AS A COMMISSION AROUND POLICY WHILE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TRYING TO BALANCE ALL THOSE GOVERNANCE PIECES. SO I DON'T KNOW, COLLEAGUES, HOPEFULLY I EXPLAINED ENOUGH. THAT WAS GREAT. THANK YOU. SO THE PRIORITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY. THE COMMONS AREA IS JUSTICE MORE BROADLY, YOU KNOW, IS THIS AN AREA WHERE THE CITY CAN REALISTICALLY LEAD AND DELIVER? YES, WE FEEL THAT IT IS. IS IT IS THERE A BROADER ECOSYSTEM WHERE YOU CAN INFLUENCE. YEAH, PROBABLY. ABSOLUTELY. RIGHT. 
          AND WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF YOU WERE DOING THIS. WELL, WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS VERY WELL. THE QUESTION IS CAN WE DO. THE QUESTION IS CAN WE DO MUCH BETTER? I THINK THE I THINK THIS IS ONE WHERE I WOULD SAY EMPHATICALLY ON BOTH OF THOSE, I WOULDN'T JUST SAY WE CAN DO MUCH BETTER AND HAVE THAT IMPLY WE'RE NOT DOING VERY WELL. I THINK WE ARE DOING VERY WELL, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO MUCH BETTER. AND I THINK THIS IS SORT OF, FOR ME, ONE OF THOSE 
          [00:40:05]
EXAMPLES OF SOMEWHERE WHERE LIKE IF YOU EAT UNTIL YOU'RE FULL, BUT THEN YOU REALIZE THE TABLE'S GOT A WHOLE THANKSGIVING DINNER SET OUT ON IT. LIKE BOTH OF THOSE CAN BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME. SO I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL FOR US TO, TO, TO LEVEL UP HERE, WHICH IS I BET I DO NOT WANT TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF OUR DELIVERABLES, THEY'RE AMAZINGLY GOOD. LIKE OUR, OUR, OUR CRIME STATS ARE INCREDIBLY LOW HISTORICALLY. 
          YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE MAKING REAL PROGRESS ON A LOT OF THIS STUFF. 
          BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A THANKSGIVING DINNER SITTING ON THE TABLE. ALL RIGHT. HOW COULD GRAND RAPIDS, YOU KNOW. SO YOU SAID YOU COULD DO BETTER. HOW COULD GRAND RAPIDS DO THE MOST GOOD IN THIS LANE? WHAT COULD YOU WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS COULD YOU DO TO BE BETTER? SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DODGE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TIME. BIG BASKET ISSUES THAT ARE ENDURING. I OFTEN SAY WE'VE HAD PUBLIC SAFETY IS A BYPRODUCT OF BEING A CITY. LIKE IF YOU DIDN'T WANT IF YOU'RE LIVING IN A SHACK IN MONTANA, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY NEIGHBORS. BUT IF YOU'RE LIVING IN A CITY, YOU ARE INTERACTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE. AND THE TENSION BETWEEN, I WANT TO DO WHATEVER I WANT, AND WE ALL HAVE TO GET ALONG TOGETHER, THAT'S THAT'S THAT INTERSECTION IS WHERE PUBLIC SAFETY HAPPENS. IT'S NEVER GOING TO GO AWAY. AND GETTING BETTER INVOLVES 20 IDEAS, NOT ONE. IT'S NOT BINARY AND IT'S NOT FAST. SO ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THAT? I'LL JUST GIVE ONE CONCRETE EXAMPLE. I THINK THAT WE COULD CONSIDER FOR THE NEXT COMING YEAR, PERHAPS. AND I THINK THE MAYOR'S BROUGHT IT UP IN A DIFFERENT, BROADER SCOPE, BUT REALLY JUST TAKING A HARD LOOK AT WHAT IS ON THE BOOKS FOR WHAT IS A CRIME, WHAT IS A MISDEMEANOR, WHAT YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF THINGS AND, AND EVALUATING IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE AT THIS LEVEL OR IF WE COULD REDUCE IT SO THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T END UP WITH, THEY COULD END UP WITH A FINE INSTEAD OF A CRIMINAL RECORD. SO THAT IS A THAT IS A THING THAT COULD BE DONE IN A RELATIVELY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. AND IT IS CENTRAL TO YOUR ROLE IN GOVERNANCE. YOU PASS LAWS, YOU AMEND LAWS. THAT'S SOMETHING. 
          AND YOU CAN DIRECT STAFF TO DO THE REVIEW. THAT'S THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S SPOT ON. YES. ALL RIGHT FOLKS. YEAH. SO WE FOCUSED IN ON BUILDING MORE HOUSING. SO AREAS WHERE WE CAN LEAD AND DELIVER ON THIS. WE HAVE SOME PROGRAMS SUCH AS OUR EMERGING DEVELOPERS. WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND. WE HAVE THE LAND BANK. THESE ARE ALL TOOLS THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE CITY SIDE THAT MAKE BUILDING MORE ACCESSIBLE AND REALISTIC WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT AND INFLUENCE THIS WORK AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND WITHIN COMMUNITY, IS CONNECTING OUR CONSTITUENTS AND GREATER COMMUNITY WITH RESOURCES SUCH AS WE HAVE A PACKET FOR DEVELOPERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. STAFF OFTEN CAN ASSIST DEVELOPERS AND FOLKS WITHIN COMMUNITY WHO BUILD HOUSING WITH NAVIGATING THINGS SUCH AS LIGHT TECH. WE ALSO HAVE LOBBYING EFFORTS WHERE WE CAN LOBBY AND SUPPORT THINGS SUCH AS ADUS, TINY HOMES. 
          BEFORE THE LAND BANK, THERE'S AN ENABLING LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT ALLOWED FOR MUNICIPALITIES TO HAVE LAND BANKS. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE SUPPORTIVE OF DOING THIS WELL, LOOKS LIKE TO US, ONE OF THE BIGGEST POINTS WAS COMMUNICATING THE LANDSCAPE OF THE HOUSING CRISIS EFFECTIVELY. SO WHAT'S AVAILABLE? WHERE IS THE MOST NEED. AND WE DO THE MOST GOOD BY IN TERMS OF BUILDING MORE HOUSING, BY BEING OPEN, TRANSPARENT AND PERSISTENT IN OUR FIGHT TO BUILD MORE HOUSING. DO YOU HAVE A LAND BANK NOW? YES WE DO. 
          YEAH. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE'VE HAD ONE MEETING SO FAR. WE'RE GETTING THERE. I'M NOT ON THAT NEWLY FORMED LAND BANK, THE NEWLY FORMED. WELL, GOOD BECAUSE THAT IS A GOOD, BEST PRACTICE. THAT IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD DO. YES. GROUP OVER HERE. STAFF GROUP. DID YOU NOT DO THIS? ONE. ARE. THIS GROUP DID OKAY? OKAY. WE SIMILARLY SORT OF STARTED WITH HOUSING AS ONE. 
          BUT THEN WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. BUT I GUESS STICKING WITH THE THEME OF HOUSING, WE NOTED THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF THE COMMON COMMONS AREAS BECAUSE AS COMMISSIONER KILLGORE POINTED OUT, THERE'S THIS FEAR THAT WE COULD CONTROL AND DELIVER. THERE'S A FEAR THAT WE INFLUENCE. THERE'S THIS FEAR THAT WE MAYBE ARE JUST MONITORING. SO WE PROBABLY HAD THE MOST CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT DOES DOING THIS WELL 
          [00:45:03]
ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS AND THE SIGNIFICANT SORT OF FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS, IF NOTHING ELSE, ON HOW THE GOVERNMENT PLAYS IN THIS PARTICULAR ARENA, THAT LOOKING AT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN WE DO IT REALLY WELL IS SORT OF BUILDING ON OUR LONG RANGE PLANS. THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THOSE ARE OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY GO IN DEPTH AND SET THE TONE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, THIS IS HOW THE COMMUNITY FEELS ABOUT DELIVERING HOUSING, DELIVERING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE UNDERSTAND THE TRADE OFFS. 
          WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PEOPLE'S BOTTOM LINE. THIS IS A THIS IS A MARKET DRIVEN CIRCUMSTANCE AND WHERE THE CITY GETS INVOLVED, THAT UPSETS THE MARKET, WHICH UPSETS PEOPLE. 
          AND SO HAVING THAT STABILITY OF COMMUNICATION ABOUT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. 
          AND THEN BUILDING FROM THERE, HAVING THAT SO WELL ADOPTED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT THAT THAT COMMISSIONERS, AS THEY COME ON TO THE BODY, BUILD FROM THAT STARTING POINT SO THAT WE'VE WE'VE GOT IT SO CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT PEOPLE BUILD FROM THERE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE MOST GOOD IN YOUR LANE AS STAFF PEOPLE. YES, SIR. ARE. ALL RIGHT. WELL THAT WAS GOOD. THAT WAS FUN I'M HAVING FUN. YES, MARK? YES. HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO SHARE, JOHN? SO WHEN I COME AT THIS, I'M. I'M LOOKING AT A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS. AS AN APPOINTED, I'M LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE LEAD IN TERMS OF TREASURY FISCAL SERVICES AND THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT ARE GOVERNMENT EXCELLENCE. MOST OF MY ITEMS ARE GOVERNMENT EXCELLENCE AND OPERATIONS. YET I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS, AND THAT IS HOW DO WE RAISE OUR VOICES TO SAY, THESE ARE SOME WE'VE GOT SOME WEIGHTY IDEAS, AND HOW DO WE BRING THOSE TO THE TABLE AND BRAINSTORM AND TALK ABOUT THINGS? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS TALKING TO JOEL, MARK AND AND TO FILL OUR WE HAVE WE COLLECT WATER, LATE FEES. NOT ALL THOSE WATER LATE FEES ARE USED TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. $125,000 TYPICALLY GO TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED, BUT THE BULK OF IT IS USED TO KEEP OUR WATER RATES DOWN. I LIVE IN GRAND RAPIDS. I DON'T NEED YOU TO KEEP MY RATE DOWN. I WOULD RATHER YOU USE THOSE LATE FEES TO EXPAND HELPING LOW INCOME RESIDENTS MORE. AND SO WE, AS SO MUCH HAS BEEN EVIDENCED BY THE SNAP PROGRAM ISSUES, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT DOESN'T TAKE A FEDERAL CRISIS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE'VE GOT AN INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT THAT WE CAN VERIFY. 
          IF SOMEBODY IS IN AN INCOME BRACKET, WE CAN DELIVER THOSE RESOURCES THROUGH CHANNELS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ESTABLISHED WHERE PEOPLE CAN MAKE ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS. WE CAN PASS BACK MONEY TO OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT STATE FUNDING FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS THAT ARE HAVING STRUGGLING WITH THE WATER BILL IS ONLY LIMITED TO SO MUCH MONEY. ANY. OUR PROGRAM IS ONLY LIMITED TO SO MUCH MONEY. BUT HOW DO WE FEED MORE MONEY INTO THAT PROGRAM? AND THAT'S THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US. THAT JUST MEANS HOW DO WE TALK ABOUT OUR OPERATIONS AND HAVING A GREATER IMPACT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FROM A FINANCE SIDE OF IT. BUT WHEN I TALK TO MY FLOOR MATE, MISTER HONDORP, IT'S ABOUT HAVING MORE OUTREACH IN TERMS OF GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT EARLY AND OFTEN, DO A VLOG, WALK THROUGH SOMETHING ON A VIDEO THAT SHOWS WHAT YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT THAT WE CAN GET OUT TO OUR PARTNERS, OUR CHURCH GROUPS, ANYONE ELSE THAT WE CAN ASK TO SAY? CAN WE HELP YOU REACH OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY? I'M DOING IT WITH OUR ASSESSOR IN JANUARY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR ASSESSMENT NOTICE AND YOUR TAX BILL. AND TO COMMISSIONER PERDUE'S POINT, TALK ABOUT WHAT UNCAPPING IS AND TRYING TO GET TO THE GRAND RAPIDS REALTORS TO GET THEM PROMOTING IT SO THAT WE DON'T GET THAT CALL. WHY DID MY TAX BILL, MY TAX BILL IS EXPECTING $1,500. IT'S 4000 NOW. 
          IT'S A SHOCK TO THOSE NEW HOMEOWNERS THAT HADN'T BUDGETED FOR IT BECAUSE WE ALL SAW, YOU KNOW, EONS AGO. RIGHT. I COULD GET YOU A CAR FOR $125 A WEEK. OKAY, I CAN FIT YOUR PAYMENT PLAN, BUT I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT'S GOING TO COME DOWN THE PIPELINE A YEAR FROM NOW. AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IN THAT. SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN BRING FORWARD. AND ALSO TALKING TO OUR INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY, PHIL IS WORKING WITH OUR 61ST DISTRICT COURT TO TRY TO HELP PEOPLE GET OUT OF THE COURT SYSTEM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE PAYMENT PROCESSOR THEY CURRENTLY USE CHARGES BASICALLY PAYDAY LENDING RATES. AND IF WE CAN GET IT OUT, IF WE CAN HELP ADD TO THAT 61ST DISTRICT COURT, 
          [00:50:07]
MAYBE WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE SYSTEM FASTER. AND THAT'S JUST OUR THAT'S JUST US DOING EXCELLENT WORK. YOU KNOW, IT REQUIRES NO RESOURCES. BUT FOR US TO DO THE WORK WE'RE CHARGED TO DO. AND THAT LAST ISSUE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ONE YOU CAN INFLUENCE. YOU CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN, BUT YOU CAN INFLUENCE IT. YEAH. AND WE'LL HAVE A DETAILED BRIEFING ON THE WATER RATES. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER LATER THIS MORNING. IF I HAD MORE TIME, I WOULD LOVE TO DIG INTO SOME OF THIS. THIS IS THIS IS REALLY FASCINATING STUFF. SO WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS NEAR TERM CONCRETE ACTIONS. AND ALICIA MARIE NAMED SOME WHEN SHE WAS GOING THROUGH HERS. WHAT ARE SOME CONCRETE, SPECIFIC ACTIONS YOU FOLKS WOULD TAKE ON BUILDING HOUSING IF THERE? WELL, I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF. IF THERE WAS STATE ENABLING LEGISLATION AROUND RENT CAPS, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP IN A DIFFERENT WAY OF FORMING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. COLLEAGUES, YOU ALL HAVE SOME EXAMPLES OF CONCRETE WITH BUILDING MORE HOUSING. I THINK ONE THING TO MAYBE THIS ISN'T LIKE SPECIFIC TO BUILDING THE HOUSE OR, YOU KNOW, ENABLING MORE HOUSING, BUT WHEN HOUSING IS BEING BUILT, I THINK ONE THING WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT IS JUST PAIN POINTS THAT COME WITH CONSTRUCTION, WHETHER THAT'S LIKE ON THE STREET SIDE, WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ROAD CLOSURES DUE TO A CERTAIN PROJECT BEING BUILT. 
          I THINK I SEE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY WITH THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS AND THE SUBCONTRACTORS, JUST WITH CLEAR COMMUNICATION OF TIMELINES, YOU KNOW, NOTICES TO NEARBY RESIDENTS, IF YOU KNOW, THE STREETS ARE GOING TO BE CLOSED FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WILL HELP THE PROJECTS BE BUILT, YOU KNOW, MORE EFFICIENTLY AND QUICKER AND GETTING MORE HOUSING ONLINE FOR PEOPLE TO THEN MOVE INTO. 
          BUT ALSO, I THINK, JUST AS BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE BROADER COMMUNITY AS WE'RE WE'RE DOING SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS. SO I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF A PARALLEL ITEM, BUT THAT'S WHAT COMES TO MIND FOR ME. AND THEN ALSO THINKING ABOUT, AS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS THAT COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY, AGAIN, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A GOOD WAY TO NOT ONLY BRING THOSE PROJECTS, BUT MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE DOING THESE LARGER PROJECTS ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY GROW AS WELL, RIGHT? NOT JUST SEGMENTS, BUT AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE BROADER COMMUNITY AND HOW THEY FEED BACK IN THERE, LIKE WE DON'T HAVE COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS WITH, WITH, WITH ANY OF THESE DEVELOPERS. RIGHT. AND SO WE MIGHT GET THEY MIGHT GIVE A LITTLE CONCESSION, YOU KNOW, THROW A PENNY HERE OR A ROCK THERE. BUT IT'S LIKE, HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT A BETTER PARTNERSHIP SO THAT WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GIVING THE PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD THESE LARGER DEVELOPMENTS OR PROJECTS ALL OF THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO JUST DO THEIR PROJECT. BUT WHAT'S COMING BACK TO US. RIGHT. AND SO I THINK HAVING EVEN BETTER ARRANGEMENTS OR AGREEMENTS OR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEM, THAT'S FEEDING BACK INTO OUR OUR HOUSING FUND, OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND, SO THAT THAT MONEY IN THAT CAN NOT ONLY HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOWER INCOME PROPERTIES AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO TOOLS FOR NEW DEVELOPERS TO HELP THEM BE ABLE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO, LISA, TRY TO TAKE HELP ME TAKE THIS DOWN INTO SOME OF THE GOVERNANCE STUFF THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. WHEN I THINK ABOUT GOVERNANCE, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO FIND A SPACE. WHEN WE'RE WORKING WITH THOSE DEVELOPERS OR IN COMMUNITY TO SET SOME GUIDELINES RIGHT, SOME REALLY SOLID GUIDELINES TO SAY THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. WE DON'T WANT TO WE DON'T WANT TO CHASE AWAY ECONOMY COMING INTO OUR CITY, BUT WE ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO BE RESPONSIBLE. RIGHT. AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THOSE COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS THAT WE DON'T HAVE AND FIGURING OUT A WAY WHERE WE CAN HAVE THOSE AND WE HAVE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES, JUST LIKE WE HAVE FOR DEVELOPERS WHO WORK WITH OUR MINORITY CONTRACTORS. RIGHT? THEY GET A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE FOR WORKING SPECIFICALLY WITH MINORITY CONTRACTS, CONTRACTORS IN A CERTAIN SPACE. HOW CAN WE? I DON'T KNOW, HOLD THEM MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO DOING MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE'RE GIVING THEM BENEFITS TO DO THAT? THE WHAT COMES TO MY MIND WHEN WHEN I HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT THIS IS THE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OSTRUM PRINCIPLES, THE ONE ON INCENTIVES, INCENTIVES AND 
          [00:55:06]
REWARDS AND SO FORTH, WHAT ARE THEY? WHAT DO THEY GET? SO YOU MENTIONED MINORITY CONTRACTORS ISSUE. IF I DO A COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT, WHAT DO I GET? YOU KNOW, DO I DO I GET SOME ADDITIONAL. PERMITTING LEEWAY. WHAT DO I WHAT DO I GET. SO DID YOU SET IT UP SO THAT THEIR INCENTIVES. WELL AND THEY DO GET THAT NOW RIGHT. I THINK THEY NEED TO GIVE MORE. YEAH. 
          THAT'S THAT'S JUST ME. THIS IS I APPRECIATE YOU HIGHLIGHTING THAT AND GOING BACK TO THE COMMENTS AS SHE WAS THINKING, I HAD WRITTEN ONE SIMILAR RELATED TO THAT, BUT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF COSTS AND BENEFITS. AND SO TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR OR WHAT THEY ARE GETTING IN RETURN OF THESE PROJECTS. SO THERE IS A QUID PRO QUO RELATIONSHIP THAT THE COMMISSIONER HAS HIGHLIGHTED A DIRECT. BUT I THINK WE ALSO CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING THE INDIRECT BENEFITS THAT THESE PROJECTS PROVIDE, AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT THAT ALLOWS FOR THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT. THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN TERMS OF INCREASING THE INCOME TAX, THE PROPERTY TAX THAT ALLOWS FOR US TO BETTER MAINTAIN OUR PARKS, OUR STREETS, OTHER CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THE GENERAL SERVICES ARE DOING, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, THERE IS MORE OF WE WANT TO SEE MORE OF A DIRECT, SPECIFIC RETURN THAN A GENERAL PURPOSE OUTCOME. AND SO I THINK WE CAN GET BETTER AT TALKING ABOUT THE CITY AS A WHOLE, NOT DISCOUNTING THE NEED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MINORITY CONTRACTOR PARTICIPATION, EMERGING DEVELOPERS, AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT MIGHT BENEFIT A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AS A TARGETED REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY, INCLUSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT THERE'S ALSO THINGS THAT JUST BENEFIT GENERAL GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, THAT I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO HIGHLIGHT BY ADDING TO THE TAX BASE. YEAH, EXACTLY. GO AHEAD, ALICIA, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO LONG, BUT ON THE I DO THINK LIKE A VERY PRACTICAL THING THAT WE COULD DO HERE AS A BODY WOULD BE TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT THE PROCESS AND THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUDING CHECK BOXES FOR AND MAKING DEVELOPER LIKE MAKING IT REALLY CLEAR, LIKE OUR EXPECTATION AND DREAM IS TO HAVE 60% AND 80% AMI. AND IF YOU'RE NOT DOING IT, WHY? AND IF YOU ARE DOING IT, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE BENEFIT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET. YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU DO GET POINTS TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, BETTER, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTING WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY BETTER INCENTIVE FOR HOW YOUR APPLICATIONS RATED FOR THAT. SO AND I THINK THAT REALLY INVOLVES THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH IS NOT THIS BODY. IT INVOLVES THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND IT INVOLVES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK. BUT THAT'S A VERY PRACTICAL THING. 
          JUST WHAT DOES THAT FORM LOOK LIKE THAT THEY'RE FILLING OUT. RIGHT. SO I'M THINKING OF JUST ONE SECOND. I'M THINKING OF SEVERAL THINGS HERE A COUPLE OF TIMES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONITORING. SO WHAT WHAT IS ACTUALLY HOW MUCH HOUSING IS BEING BUILT. WHERE IS IT BEING BUILT. WHAT'S IT WORTH. SO ON AND SO FORTH. WHAT'S IT ADDING TO THE TAX BASE AND THEN OVERSIGHT, AN OVERSIGHT WHICH IS WELL WITHIN YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS WHAT YOU JUST SAID. SO ASKING THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS OF THE STAFF AND GETTING ANSWERS, THAT'S OVERSIGHT. YEAH. AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU DEFINITELY, AS A BODY NEED TO DO. MAYOR. WELL, I THINK THAT IN THE HOUSING SPACE IT'S REALLY I MEAN, THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVE TO TOUCH BASE WITH, AND BECAUSE I'M A BIG PICTURE GUY, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO COME BACK TO A COUPLE THINGS. 
          THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MATTER KIND OF ALSO APPLIES TO MONEY. SO USUALLY TAKING MONEY FROM ONE BASKET MEANS OR ADDING MONEY TO ONE PLACE MEANS TAKING IT AWAY FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO ANYTIME AND YOU KNOW, SO SO I THINK THAT ACKNOWLEDGING THE REALITY OF TRADE OFFS ALSO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FLUID NATURE OF INVESTMENT. SO THE QUESTION FOR AN INVESTOR ALWAYS IS WHY SHOULD I DO THIS INSTEAD OF BUYING NVIDIA STOCK. AND SO, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL CAN COME INTO THE COMMUNITY OR NOT. AND BEING COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE ESSENTIALLY ASKING PEOPLE TO OPT INTO MAKING DECISIONS ON OUR CITY MEANS WE HAVE TO HAVE WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR GROUNDWORK WHERE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT'S THAT, THAT'S REAL. IT'S ALSO TRUE 
          [01:00:03]
THAT, LIKE ALL ALL THAT WE HAVE TO TOUCH BASE WITH, WITH THE INCLUSION AND FAIRNESS THING AND REALIZE THAT, LIKE WE THE DATA IS REALLY CLEAR THAT WE NEED ALL PRICE POINTS IN HOUSING. SO WE NEED WE NEED THINGS ABOVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CATEGORY TOO. AND SO WE CAN'T OVER FOCUS ON THINGS BECAUSE THEY WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS THE IS GIVEN TO A SQUEAKY WHEEL PROBLEM WHEN WE'VE GOT A TOUGH POLICY ISSUE. SO MAKING SURE THAT WE THAT WE GET IT RIGHT AND ACKNOWLEDGE AND DON'T JUST WISH AWAY LIMITATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, CONSTRAINTS ON OUR ABILITY TO DO THINGS. SO WE HAVE REAL HOUSING DEMAND IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW. WELL, THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH HOUSING AS WE'VE AS WE NEED MEANS NOT ENOUGH IS BEING BUILT. SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS CONVERSATION HAS GOT TO BE I THINK THE BULK OF IT SHOULD BE HOW DO WE GET MORE HOUSING BUILT? HOW DO WE ACCELERATE THAT PROCESS. AND SO I THINK THAT'S JUST ANOTHER REALLY BIG PIECE OF THIS CONVERSATION. WELL, PUTTING ON I'VE WRITTEN AND THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THE HOUSING ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS A BIG ISSUE. AND I COMPLETELY AGREE. THE ANSWER IS MORE BUILD MORE. I'M GOING TO STOP HERE, BUT I WANT YOU THE THIRD BULLET THERE. THE SECOND ONE, HOW CAN WE STAY FOCUSED AND COLLABORATIVE INSTEAD OF GETTING PULLED INTO ABSTRACT KINDS OF ALL OR NOTHING DEBATES? I JUST WANT TO LODGE THAT IN YOUR HEAD BECAUSE THAT'S CRITICAL TO YOUR SUCCESS. ALL OF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, ISSUES LIKE HOUSING AND JUSTICE AND SO ON THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND BIG. BUT SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, ALICIA NAMED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO. THAT'S THAT'S WHERE I WANT YOU TO FOCUS. ALL RIGHT. IT SAYS TEN MINUTES. WE'RE GOING TO DO A FIVE MINUTE BREAK BECAUSE WE'RE WAY BEHIND ALREADY. THANK YOU ALL ALL RIGHT, BACK IN ACTION. 
          COLLABORATION AND BOUNDARIES WITH CITY STAFF. THIS ONE IS ABOUT YOUR JOB. THIS IS WHAT YOU DO AS INDIVIDUALS. AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO AS A GOVERNING BODY. YOU SET DIRECTION AND SO ON. YOU GATHER INFORMATION AND YOU GIVE DIRECTION. YOU GIVE DIRECTION ONE WAY, AND THAT IS WITH LEGISLATION, RESOLUTIONS, ORDINANCES, WHATEVER. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU GIVE DIRECTION. YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND YOU CAN DO OVERSIGHT AS A BODY AND INDIVIDUALLY. AND THAT IS, AS I WAS SAYING EARLIER, THE OVERSIGHT AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT GO HAND IN HAND. AND THEY ARE THEY ARE YOUR CENTRAL ROLE. BUT THERE ARE REAL PROBLEMS THAT OCCUR WHEN YOU HAVE INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS GIVING DIRECTION TO STAFF, AND THAT INCLUDES THE CITY MANAGER. SO IF HE'S GOT SEVEN PEOPLE, DIFFERENT PEOPLE TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO, THAT CREATES CONFUSION AND AMBIGUITY AND PROBLEMS. AND YET WHEN YOU RUN FOR OFFICE, YOU GET A LOT OF PRESSURE TO GET STUFF DONE. YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT YOU TO GET STUFF DONE, AND THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALONE CANNOT GET STUFF DONE. 
          YOU CAN ONLY DO IT AS A MEMBER, A VOTING MEMBER, A DISCUSSING, ARGUING MEMBER OF THIS BODY. 
          THIS IS A CENTRAL ISSUE RIGHT HERE. SO THIS IS WHAT I CALL A TROIKA. AND IT IS ABOUT AGAIN HOW TO, AS A GROUP, GET STUFF DONE. YOU START WITH EVIDENCE AND YOU MOVE TO A STORY. SO THE EVIDENCE IS JUST DATA. THEN YOU NEED PARTICULARLY WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND ARE STORIES, SYMBOLS, IMAGES. AND THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT PLACES WHERE THE EVIDENCE LINES UP WITH THE STORY. AND EACH OF YOU HAS YOUR OWN PERSONAL IDEOLOGY, YOUR POLITICAL BELIEFS, YOUR WAY OF LOOKING AT THE WORLD. THAT SWEET SPOT IN THE MIDDLE THERE. 
          [01:05:02]
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR RIGHT HERE. THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN TAKE ACTION. WITH THE EVIDENCE, THE FACTS AND THE DATA ON SOMETHING LIKE HOUSING OR CRIMINAL JUSTICE, LINE UP WITH THE STORY THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS UNDERSTAND, AND THAT STORY MEETS THE IDEOLOGY OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TALK TO. AND YOU HAVE THAT THAT IDEOLOGY CIRCLE IS BIG, AND THERE'S A LOT OF IT THAT IT DOES NOT LINE UP, BUT WHERE YOU WHERE YOU CAN MAKE ACTION, WHERE YOU CAN GOVERN, WHERE YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD IS WHERE THOSE ISSUES ALIGN. SO THIS IS A PRETTY CRITICAL ACTIVITY. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS ONE IN THE FULL TEN MINUTES. WHERE'S THE COLLABORATION WITH STAFF. 
          WORKED WELL WHERE DO WE NEED MORE CLARITY. WHERE DO YOU SEE DISAGREEMENTS ARISE. BACK TO YOUR GROUPS INCLUDING THE GROUP BACK THERE WITH THE STAFF. AND TALK THROUGH THIS AND LET'S SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH ANSWERS TO WHERE IS IT WORKED? WELL, COLLABORATION WITH STAFF. WHERE DO WE NEED MORE CLARITY AND WHERE DISAGREEMENTS. AND WE'LL DO OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE YOU FOLKS THIS TIME. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO I KNOW EITHER. IT'S. SOME MUSHROOMS ARE FREE. ALL RIGHT. IN THE REPORTING OUT, WE'RE GOING TO DO ONE ONE AREA WHERE COLLABORATION HAS WORKED WELL. AND WHY ONE WHERE WE NEED CLARITY, ONE WILL WE SEE DISAGREEMENTS. AND I THINK MAYBE WE'LL START WITH THE STAFF THIS TIME OVER HERE. 
          THEY'RE POINTING TO YOU. YOU HAVE TO GIVE HER THE MIC, DOCTOR FUNKHOUSER, SO THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR HER COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE COLLABORATION HAS WORKED WELL. WE FIND IT REALLY BENEFICIAL WHEN WE'RE ASKED QUESTIONS LIKE AN INQUIRY ABOUT MORE INFORMATION SO THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND TO BE SHARED AND SOME EDUCATION ON A PARTICULAR MATTER WHERE WE NEED MORE CLARITY OR COMMUNICATION. WE FOCUS MORE SO ON EXPECTATIONS AND KIND OF BEING, I GUESS, CLARITY AROUND WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE, BUT MAKING SURE THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE ALIGNED WITH STAFF, RESOURCES AND CAPACITY, KIND OF BALANCING WHAT IS EXPECTED VERSUS WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH. AND WHEN WE SEE DISAGREEMENTS, I FORGET WHAT WE SAID. DID WE GET THERE? YES. I THINK WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EXPECTATIONS AND HOW SOMETIMES THOSE ARE DIFFERENT AND THAT'S. YEAH. YEAH. AND THAT THAT CAN LEAD TO DISAGREEMENT OR OH SORRY THAT WHEN EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT ALIGNED WITH RESOURCES, THAT IT CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR US TO FIGURE OUT AS STAFF HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. SO I THINK IT WASN'T NECESSARILY DISAGREEMENTS AS MUCH AS JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A BIT OF A FRUSTRATION. THEY WANT TO ATTEND AND YOU CAN ONLY DELIVER A FIVE. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. HOW ABOUT YOU FOLKS? GREAT. WE HAD SO WHEN COLLABORATION WITH STAFF WORKED WELL, WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. SO THERE'S CLEAR COMMUNICATION THERE. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE CLEAR ACTION AND ROLES ARE AS WELL. WHERE WE NEED MORE CLARITY OF ROLES IS OVERALL UNDERSTANDING THE FLOW OF ORGANIZATION. SO LIKE A FLOW CHART WOULD BE HELPFUL, THINGS LIKE THAT. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS WITHIN OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. SO WE RECENTLY HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND A POSSIBLE RECONSTRUCTION OF A BUSINESS CORRIDOR. AND IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT ROLES WHERE WHERE DECISION MAKING IS HAPPENING. I, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, I'M LIKE, OKAY, WHEN DOES THIS COME FOR A VOTE FOR US? IT DOESN'T COME BEFORE US FOR A VOTE. SO THINGS LIKE THAT, DISAGREEMENTS MAY ARISE. WE FELT WHEN RULES AREN'T CONSISTENT, CONSISTENCY IS IS KEY OF IF WE IF THE FLOW CHART, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE TO REACH OUT TO A DEPARTMENT HEAD AND NOT THE STAFF WHO ARE UNDER THAT DEPARTMENT HEAD, THEN THAT SHOULD BE CONSISTENT RIGHT ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS AND FOR ALL COMMISSIONERS. SO NOT THAT SORT OF CHANGING UP OF EXPECTATIONS IS WHERE WE SEE SOME DISAGREEMENTS ARISING. AND SO SOMETIMES THERE'S A FEELING LIKE THERE'S DIFFERENT FOLKS GET DIFFERENT ANSWERS OR YEAH, MORE ACCESS. YES. SOME OF US HAVE BEEN HERE LONGER. RIGHT. 
          SO THOSE RELATIONSHIPS JUST NATURALLY MAY HAVE FORMED, WHEREAS THEN A NEWER 
          [01:10:03]
COMMISSIONER MAY BE EXPECTED TO GO THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER OR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FOR THOSE ANSWERS. SO JUST THINGS LIKE THAT. ALL RIGHT. CAN I INTERRUPT A SECOND MARK. SURE. 
          SO FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY, COMMISSIONER, YOU KNOW, I TOTALLY, TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. 
          LIKE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO DO STUFF. RIGHT. AND THE ONLY TEST OF, I THINK WHETHER WE'RE USEFUL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS IS WHETHER WE GET THINGS DONE, WHETHER WE MAKE STATEMENTS. SO I'M 100%, 1,000% WITH YOU ON THAT. THAT BEING SAID, I ONE OF MY SORT OF DREAMS FOR US AS A GROUP AND AS A CITY IS TO ACTUALLY HAVE DREAMS. AND SO WHEN YOU SAY EXPECTATIONS, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE CONSTRAINT OF THE NOW. AND I WILL CONFESS WHERE I THINK I NEED MORE, I NEED TO DO BETTER. ON BEING CLEAR IS I HAVE LOTS OF DREAMS AND IDEAS. THOSE IDEAS ARE ALMOST NEVER EXPECTATIONS. BUT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE THE IDEAS BECAUSE THEN WE CAN ASK, IS THIS POSSIBLE? LIKE, WHY ARE WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE STATUS QUO. WE KNOW HOW TO, FOR EXAMPLE, DELIVER TRASH, RIGHT? WE KNOW HOW TO PLOW STREETS. WE KNOW HOW TO, YOU KNOW, DELIVER WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DID YESTERDAY. BUT I HAVE A FRIEND WHO SAYS POLITICIANS ARE CHRONICALLY LOOKING BACKWARDS. THEY'RE NOT FUTURISTS. AND I THINK MAYBE NOW, MORE THAN ANY TIME THAT I CAN THINK OF LIKE THE FUTURE IS COMING AND THERE ARE SOME AND THERE ARE BIG THINGS IN THE FUTURE, AND WE HAVE TO BE THINKING, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S DRIVERLESS CARS OR WHETHER IT'S AI, TO NAME TWO OBVIOUS ONES. SO LIKE, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO THINK LIKE, OKAY, WE DID THIS IN THE PAST AND I GET THIS IS WHAT THE 50S LOOKED LIKE. BUT YOU KNOW, ALL THE SMART INFORMATION OUT THERE IS THAT THINGS ARE ABOUT TO REALLY CHANGE IN THIS SECTOR OR THIS SECTOR OR THIS SECTOR OR I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, EVERYONE HERE KNOWS ONE OF MY PASSIONS IS FIXING CASH BOND. CASH BOND EXISTS BECAUSE WE STARTED DOING IT IN THE MIDDLE AGES AND WE JUST KEPT DOING IT. AND THERE'S NO GOOD ARGUMENT FOR FOR CONNECTING MONEY TO LIBERTY. THERE'S NO GOOD ARGUMENT FOR IT. NOBODY CAN ARTICULATE AN ARGUMENT FOR THAT. IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE'VE ALWAYS DONE FOR CENTURIES. SO I THINK THAT ARTICULATING IDEAS AND DREAMS ON TOP OF EXPECTATIONS, BUT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T MAKE STAFF FEEL LIKE, OH MY GOSH, HE JUST, YOU KNOW, A COMMISSIONER JUST SAID WE SHOULD HAVE RENT CONTROL. LIKE, HOW DO I GO MODEL THAT IN THE CITY? LIKE MARSHALL JUST NAMED A DREAM OF HIS? AND IT'S OKAY THAT HE NAMED AN IDEA, RIGHT? HE DIDN'T JUST SAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A POLICY. I'M GOING TO SPEND ALL MY TIME TRYING TO WORK IN LANSING TO, LIKE, LOBBY FOR THIS. HE DIDN'T SAY ANY OF THAT. HE HAD AN IDEA. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A PLACE THAT'S A SPACE THAT I THINK IS I THINK WE NEED TO GO BEYOND EXPECTATIONS AND TALK ABOUT IDEAS. SO WHERE DOES COLLABORATION WORK? WELL, SORRY, I'M GOING TO LET MY TEAM LEADER AND I JUST WANTED TO INTERRUPT. 
          NO, I THINK THAT'S I THINK THIS IS A NUANCED QUESTION TO THAT REGARD. AND COMMISSIONER KILGORE SAID SOME OF IT THE REALITY IS THERE ARE SOME OF US WHO HAVE BEEN HERE LONGER. 
          THERE ARE SOME OF US WHO, YOU KNOW, I WORKED ON A LOT OF CITY BOARDS BEFORE I WAS A CITY COMMISSIONER. I TRIED TO GET A JOB AT THE CITY, BUT THEY DIDN'T HIRE ME. SO THEN I WAS FORCED TO BECOME A CITY COMMISSIONER. LET'S BE CLEAR. I WAS NOT THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME. BUT THAT'S HOW I GOT TO MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE. WHEN I BECAME A COMMISSIONER, I HAD LIKE SOME FORESIGHT, AND THEY GOT TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME. AND LIKE THE 45 MINUTE WINDOW THAT I HAD TO INTERVIEW. BUT SO I THINK THERE THERE IS THIS SOMEONE IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES WITH THIS, AND WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE POWER DYNAMIC THAT EXISTS BEING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND STAFF. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DO LIKE I AGREE WITH YOU, WE SHOULD SHARE OUR THOUGHTS. BUT ALSO WHEN WE SPEAK, OUR WORDS HAVE REALLY STRONG MEANINGS AND HOLD A LOT OF WEIGHT FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC OR FOR, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF AROUND US, EVEN IF IT'S A STAFF MEMBER WHO'S LIKE, BY THE TIME I'M GONE, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE HERE. BECAUSE THAT'S THE REALITY IS A LOT OF BECAUSE OF OUR TERM LIMITS. YOU KNOW, I HAVE THREE MORE YEARS AFTER THIS. SO THE TIME IS FLEETING. LIKE THIS YEAR WENT BY SO FAST. SO I GUESS IN SOME WAYS I'LL, I'LL SHARE MY THOUGHTS AND THEN I'LL SHARE. 
          BUT I DON'T THINK WE ALL NECESSARILY HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. SO ME WHEN HAS COLLABORATION WORKED? WELL, I THINK IT'S WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGE GOAL AND YOU WORK BACKWARDS. SO I THINK IT'S ALMOST KIND OF BASIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXAMPLE, MASTER PLAN, VERY CLEAR ROLES, VERY CLEAR DEFINITION. THAT WAS SORT OF IMPEDED BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT THEN HAD VERY CLEAR GUIDELINES OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. WE WE HAD COMMUNITY INPUT, WE HAD STAFF INPUT. THERE WAS REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS. I THINK, SAMMY, I WROTE DOWN THE LENGTH OF TIME 
          [01:15:01]
OF OUR DECISION MAKING, I THINK IS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING THINGS. SO COMMISSIONER KILGORE ALLUDED TO SOME CONSTRUCTION AND THIS ISSUE THAT HAS COME UP IN THE LAST MONTH WITHOUT GETTING INTO IT, WAS A DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD A YEAR AGO. AND SO I THINK FOR ALL OF US WHO ARE DOING THIS ON A PART TIME BASIS OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, YOU KNOW, GIVING, DOING IT IN A FULL TIME BASIS. BUT THERE'S SO MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER, THAT TIMELINE OF DECISION MAKING. HONESTLY, I THINK I HAVE A GOOD MEMORY AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THAT STUFF. SO THAT'S OFTEN ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF THIS. WHERE DO WE NEED MORE CLARITY ABOUT ROLES, COMMUNICATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS? WE NEED TO HEAR THINGS SEVEN TIMES BY SEVEN WAYS. SO YOU HAVE AN YOU HAVE AN INTERACTION WITH SOMEBODY, YOU SHARE SOMETHING YOU ALMOST I THINK SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN WE GET WRITTEN UPDATES BECAUSE THEN I CAN GO BACK TO THAT, THEN I CAN SHARE AN UPDATE. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DO LIKE IN MY DAILY ROLE. 
          I ALSO THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOTIFICATION AND COMMUNICATION. A LOT OF TIMES I DO FEEL LIKE WE GET NOTIFIED ABOUT SOMETHING AND THEN WE ARE, YOU KNOW, I LOOK TO BE LIKE, HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE CITY? I LOVE THIS CITY. LIKE WE GIVE OUR TIME AND ENERGY, BUT IF IT'S MORE NOTIFICATION, IT'S ONE WAY WHERE I THINK COMMUNICATION IS TWO WAY. AND EVEN TO SAY THERE COULD BE A DISAGREEMENT. AND IN THE END, MAYBE WE ARE GOING TO AGREE WITH STAFF. BUT THERE ARE ALSO EXAMPLES WHERE STAFFS PRESENTED SOMETHING AND WE'VE MADE A CHANGE. SO IT'S IT'S I SEE IT BOTH WAYS. WHEN DO DISAGREEMENTS ARISE I THINK FOR I THINK AGAIN, THIS IS THE CHALLENGE OF OUR WORK. A LOT OF TIMES IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE JUMPING IN AND JUMPING OUT OF WORK. AND SO I THINK I KNOW FOR ME, IT'S LIKE I NEED SOMEBODY TO RESPOND PRETTY QUICKLY BECAUSE I MIGHT BE JUMPING IN AND HAVE LIKE AN HOUR TO JUMP IN, BUT THEN I'M JUMPING OUT FOR LIKE TWO DAYS. SO I THINK THAT WORKFLOW PROCESS IS SOMETIMES CHALLENGING. AGAIN, UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMIC, LIKE WE CAN'T BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY BECAUSE MAYBE THEY'RE PRIORITIZING SOMETHING IN COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES SAID, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE GETTING INFORMATION TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AND FEELING LIKE SOMETIMES WE DON'T GET INFORMATION. I WOULD SAY I'VE FELT THAT OVER TIME, I PROBABLY DON'T FEEL THAT AS MUCH. I THINK WHAT I'VE COME TO REALIZE IS THAT, AT LEAST FOR ME, IS WHAT ARE THE CORE THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON BECAUSE I CAN'T FOCUS ON EVERYTHING INSIDE THE CITY, LIKE I JUST CAN'T. AND I TRY TO BE HONEST WITH MY CONSTITUENTS, LIKE THIS IS I'VE GIVEN MY PHONE NUMBER OUT, I WILL SEE YOU. BUT LIKE IF I HOST SOMETHING LIKE WE DID SOMETHING AND LIKE TWO PEOPLE COME, THAT'S NOT REALLY THE BEST USE OF MY TIME. THE BEST USE OF MY TIME IS BEING IN HERE. AND PEOPLE CAN CALL ME AND THEY CAN CONNECT. BUT REALLY IT'S ABOUT THE CORE SERVICES. I GUESS WHAT I'LL SAY ABOUT WHERE DO DISAGREEMENTS ARISE? AND MY BACKGROUND IS IN HR. AND SO A LOT OF TIMES I'LL GET PEOPLE WHO WILL CALL AND BE LIKE, THE CITY DID THIS AND THIS WAS HORRIBLE, AND WHY DO I LIVE HERE AND WHY DO I PAY THE TAX? AND AND SO THEY'RE MAD. SO THEY ARE IT'S A TACTIC. THEY'RE GETTING YOU TO PAY ATTENTION. AND MAYBE THEY'RE RIGHT. BUT WHAT I HAVE NOTICED IS WE HAVE TO HAVE GOOD INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS WHEN THINGS COME BEFORE US. SO I DON'T ASSUME THAT THAT RESIDENT IS 100% THE CONSTITUENT IS 100% RIGHT. AND I'M GOING TO BE LIKE, I'M GOING TO TALK TO STAFF, BECAUSE MAYBE THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE WE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BETTER. WE HAVE A LOT OF LEADERSHIP OPENINGS RIGHT NOW. AND I TO ME, THAT'S NOT A REFLECTION OF THE CITY. I THINK IT'S A REFLECTION OF THE WORK ENVIRONMENT. WORKING IN THE CITY, I THINK IS A BURNOUT JOB. I'VE KNOWN MANY PEOPLE WHO LIKE LEFT THE CITY BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, I JUST LIKE, YOU GIVE SO MUCH. AND IT'S NOT THAT ANYBODY'S PUSHING YOU, BUT YOU'RE PUSHING YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS MOMENT TO DO THIS WORK. AND SO SOME PEOPLE BURN OUT AND SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT WANT TO DO IT. AND SO IF WE LOOK AT ACROSS OUR ORGANIZATION, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF FIRST TIME LEADERS AS WELL. AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO SUPPORT THOSE FIRST TIME LEADERS. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN THIS ORGANIZATION. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CONTRACT WITH, THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING AWAY, LIKE I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, BUT IT'S LIKE WE HAVE A YEAR WAIT FOR TREE STUMP REMOVAL. NOW, IN THE WHOLE SCHEME OF THINGS, IS THAT A DREAMING THING? NO, BUT I HAVE HAD MORE CONSTITUENTS CALL ME ABOUT THAT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAN ANY OTHER THING. AND SO THAT'S TELLING ME SOMETHING. IT'S GIVING ME SOME EVIDENCE, AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT TEAM ISN'T DOING WELL. WE HAVE A SMALLER TEAM. DO WE NEED TO ADD MORE RESOURCES? DO WE NEED MORE, YOU KNOW, EXTERNAL SUPPORT? SO SORRY, I WAS GOING ON A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BUT I DO THINK THIS IS THIS IS A VERY NUANCED PIECE. 
          AND IT'S ONLY LIKE NEXT YEAR IS AN ELECTION YEAR. SO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TO RUN AGAIN. I HOPE THEY RUN AGAIN, YOU KNOW. AND SO IT'S KIND OF ALL OF THOSE DYNAMICS COMING INTO PLAY BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO WE HAVE THIS EXTERNAL PRESSURE THAT EXISTS AS WELL. SO THAT 
          [01:20:03]
PRESSURE IS REAL TOO. FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS ESPECIALLY. IT'S REAL. I HOPE THAT WAS ALL RIGHT. THIS GROUP OF STAFF BACK HERE. WHERE DOES IT WORK? WELL, SO YEAH, JUST TO KEEP IT BRIEF, I THINK WE HAD A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF WHERE IT WORKS. WELL, FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN COLLABORATION SEEMED TO GO VERY WELL. WE THINK THE COMMON FEATURES OF WHERE IT DOES WORK WELL IS WHERE THE ROLES ARE VERY CLEAR. IT MIGHT BE A PROCESS THAT WE USE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, ADOPTING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENDA EVERY OTHER WEEK WORKS WELL. PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE ROLE. WHERE DO WE NEED MORE CLARITY ABOUT ROLES? IT WAS SORT OF IN THE ADAPTATION SPHERE. SO WHEN WE HEAR THAT SOMETHING IS NO LONGER TO USE SOMETHING THAT THAT OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS TALKED ABOUT FIT FOR PURPOSE, THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT GOING TO NEED A POLICY ADAPTATION, OR IS IT GOING TO NEED AN OPERATIONAL ADAPTATION? AND SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TIME TO FIGURE THAT OUT. WE NEED TIME TO ANALYZE IT. AND WE THINK THAT'S A STAFF ROLE. COMMISSION PROBABLY FEELS LIKE THEY'VE GOT SOME ROLE IN THAT. BUT IT BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF THAT PROBLEM SOLVING BRAINSTORMING PIECE. WHAT WHAT ARE EACH OTHER'S ROLES. IT'S NOT A ROUTINE FUNCTION THAT WE HAVE REALLY A DEFINED PROCESS FOR. AND WHEN WHEN DO YOU SEE DISAGREEMENTS ARISE? I MEAN, REALLY IT IS THAT WHOSE ROLE IS WHAT WHEN THERE'S LACK OF CLARITY ABOUT THAT AND THERE'S LACK OF DIRECT COMMUNICATION ABOUT THAT. AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORDS AROUND UNCOMFORTABLE MESSAGES SOMETIMES AND THEY DON'T LAND. CLEARLY, THAT'S WHEN DISAGREEMENTS ARISE. ALL RIGHT. MARK. YES. REAL QUICKLY. AND I'LL I THINK WHAT COLLABORATION WORKS. WELL WE TALKED ABOUT DURING THE ELECTIONS. WE PARTICIPATED AS A WHOLE GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE, EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE CLERK'S DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS MAKING SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND THE ACCESSIBILITY OF VOTING. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IS WHENEVER WE HAVE PARTICIPATIVE GOVERNMENT AND WHEN PEOPLE COME WITH THEIR PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERTISE, WHETHER IT IS A LEGAL OPINION, AN ENGINEERING OPINION, WHATEVER THE PARTICULAR ISSUE, DESIGN ISSUE, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED CREDIBILITY WITH THAT PARTICULAR ADVOCATE. WITHOUT INPUT FROM THE STAFF THAT'S HERE. THAT'S WHEN DISAGREEMENTS OCCUR. IF POSITIONS ARE MADE WITHOUT ALL THE PERSPECTIVES. AND SO THERE MAY BE A CASE, THERE MAY BE. RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT YOU NEED TO. SO I THINK THAT WAS SHARED EARLIER. YOU NEED TO HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION BEFORE YOU. ABSOLUTELY BEFORE TAKING A POSITION. AND THEN THE LAST I HEARD A LOT ABOUT COMMUNICATION. 
          AND I WILL AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER THAT THERE IS A POWER DYNAMIC. YOUR APPOINTED OFFICIALS ARE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE HAVING INTERACTIONS, NOT JUST ONE WAY WHERE YOU PROVIDE FEEDBACK, BUT PROVIDING RESPONSES OF AGREEMENT OR CONCERNS ABOUT FEEDBACK. LOWER LEVEL STAFF IN THE ORGANIZATION, PARTICULARLY AT THE PROJECT LEVEL, ARE NOT USED TO COMMUNICATING WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ARE IN FEAR, SOMETIMES OF COERCIVE POWER, TO EITHER REWARD OR TO BE PENALIZED IF THEY DON'T DO WHAT IS ASKED. AND OFTENTIMES THAT COMMUNICATION IS ONE WAY ONLY. WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING OR EXPECTING, AND THEY DON'T PROVIDE THEIR. FEEDBACK FOR FEAR OF, YOU KNOW, DISPLEASING THOSE WHO HAVE MORE POWER. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE DO PREFER THAT THERE IS A WAY TO GET STAFF ENGAGED. THEY'RE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING AND VETTING THINGS THROUGH THROUGH THEIR SUPERVISOR AND WHERE THEY HAVE THE UNION PROTECTIONS AND UNION RIGHTS. BUT CERTAINLY DIRECTORS SHOULD BE A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE HAVING THOSE INTERACTIONS. AND IF IT'S ROUTINE INFORMATION, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND. BUT IF THERE ARE MAJOR POLICY ISSUES, CHANGE IN OPERATIONAL PRACTICES ARE REQUIRING US TO COME TOGETHER. THOSE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS SHOULD ORIGINATE IN MY OFFICE. ALL RIGHT. SO THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT YOU HAVE SHARED LOTS OF USEFUL AND INTERESTING INFORMATION. THE EMERGE PART OF THIS HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY GOOD. THE BAD NEWS IS I'M BASICALLY OUT OF TIME, SO I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH THE REMAINING SLIDES. 
          BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACTUALLY DO MUCH WITH THEM. SO WE DID THIS. NORMS AND STRUCTURES I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT NORMS AND STRUCTURES. SO NORMS ARE JUST ACCEPTED WAYS OF BEHAVING. 
          STRUCTURES ARE THE RULES. THE PROCEDURES THAT YOU FOLLOW, YOU KNOW. SO NORMS ARE HOW WE BEHAVE. STRUCTURES ARE HOW WE DO OUR WORK. AND YOU KNOW, WE GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES HERE OF 
          [01:25:05]
NORMS. YOU COME PREPARED, YOU STAY ENGAGED DURING THE MEETING. YOU DON'T PLAY ON YOUR PHONE OR WHATEVER. WHEN WE DISAGREE, WE ASSUME GOOD INTENT AND WE DEAL WITH IT DIRECTLY AND SO FORTH. 
          STRUCTURES ARE, YOU KNOW, REGULAR PROCESSES THAT ARE SET UP THAT ALLOW THE WORK TO GO ON. 
          AND AGAIN, I WON'T I WON'T GO THROUGH THOSE IN ANY DETAIL. WE WERE GOING TO DO A QUICK BRAINSTORM ON THIS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO. AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN FORMALIZE THIS. BUT AGAIN, THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU'VE ALL SHARED LOTS OF INFORMATION WHEN NORM TO TRY ONE THING YOU LEARNED, ONE CHANGE YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE. I PARTICULARLY HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE STAFF INTERACTION. THAT SEEMED PRETTY GOOD TO ME, AND I WILL TELL YOU, I DO THIS WORK A LOT AS A GROUP. YOU'RE A REALLY GOOD COMMISSION. YOU SEEM PRETTY GOOD. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALL PRETTY MUCH ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH. YOU HAVE A SORT OF AN INTERESTING MIX OF STYLES AND APPROACHES THAT SEEMS TO WORK WELL TOGETHER. POLITICS IS INEVITABLE IF WE'RE GOING TO LIVE WITH EACH OTHER AND NOT IN SOME SHACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS IN MONTANA, AS THE MAYOR SAID. YEAH. SO THANK YOU ALL. I'VE APPRECIATED THE TIME WITH YOU. YEAH. SO THANKS, MARK. YOU KNOW, I OFTEN SAY, I THINK 90% OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY INSUFFICIENT COMMUNICATION. SO IT'S GOOD TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. I WISH, YOU KNOW, IN HEAVEN, MAYBE WE WOULD DO THIS ABOUT 20 HOURS A WEEK, BUT THE MORE OFTEN WE CAN DO THINGS LIKE THIS WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, CAN ACTUALLY SIT TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT SHARED VALUES AND HOW TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B, THE HAPPIER I THINK WE'LL ALL BE. SO THANKS, CITY MANAGER, FOR MAKING US DO THIS. 
          LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW THE WORLD, THE WORLD HAS LIMITED TIME. IT DOESN'T JUST HAVE LIMITED MONEY. 
          SO THANKS FOR COMING AND AND FOCUSING THIS FOR US. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. MY PLEASURE. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY COMMISSIONERS. NOW DO YOU NEED A BREAK OR ARE WE READY TO GO INTO THE NEXT SESSION? WE'RE TRYING TO GET COMMISSIONER NIGHT. OKAY. I'M GOING TO MAKE A PIVOT. MAY I? CAN SOMEONE PASS THAT REMOTE FOR ME? WE HAD INTENDED TO GO A COUPLE OF THINGS AND HAD INTENDED TO DIVE DEEP INTO MOBILITY, WHICH I THINK WE WILL DO. WE WERE GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME OR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME ON THE FINANCIAL UPDATE. GIVEN THE SHUTDOWN. WE CAN STILL DO THAT IF WE HAVE TIME, BUT I'M GOING TO SUGGEST WE FOCUS ON THE MOBILITY DISCUSSION, WHICH I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN. INTRODUCED THE WATER RATE, AND THEN IF WE HAVE TIME, WE CAN COME BACK AND GIVE A MORE ANNUAL FINANCIAL OVERVIEW. AND IF NOT, WE'LL JUST MAKE THAT PART OF THE FISCAL BRIEFING AT OUR NEXT MEETING ON NEXT TUESDAY, IF THAT'S IF THAT'S OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THAT WE'RE 
          [2. Draft FY2027 Focus Areas for City Commission Workshop Discussion]
GOING TO PIVOT I'M GOING TO ASK LET'S DO A COUPLE OF THINGS JUST TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC. 
          THANK YOU MR. KANE. ARE YOU. NO NO. JUST KNOW IF YOU COULD LEAVE IT RIGHT THERE. JUST BRING IT UP RIGHT THERE ON THE FOCUS AREAS. THANK YOU. AND JUST TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION IN THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION TO OUR DRAFT OF THE FISCAL YEAR 27 FOCUS AREAS, VERY BRIEFLY, BEFORE WE GET INTO MOBILITY. AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE HAVE BUILT ON SOME OF THE LONG TERM ISSUES, AS WELL AS THE SHORT TERM AND NEAR TERM HORIZON ISSUES WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE DIFFERENT PRIORITY AREAS. AND WITHOUT BEING VERY GRANULAR, BUT CERTAINLY BEING INTENTIONAL, IDENTIFYING WHAT SOME OF THOSE MAJOR ISSUES ARE, YOU KNOW, FROM IN EACH AREA, GOVERNMENT EXCELLENCE, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, ENGAGING AND CONNECTED HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT, MOBILITY AND SAFE COMMUNITY. AND SO THOSE ARE I THINK THIS IS IN IN THE PACKET. SO THE PUBLIC HAS THIS AS WELL. AND SO WE JUST REALLY WANTED TO DO A LITMUS CHECK TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ADDITIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS THAT ARE NEEDED IN EACH AREA. AND I WILL GO THROUGH THEM VERY QUICKLY ONE BY ONE. AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL WE'LL SAVE MOBILITY BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO DIVE DEEP INTO MOBILITY WITH, WITH THE STAFF OVERVIEW. BUT JUST JUST CHECKING REAL QUICKLY. 
          SO ON THE AREA OF GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE, I'M LOOKING AT THE SPREADSHEET, EACH COLUMN. ARE THERE ANY AREAS THAT YOU THINK WE NEED TO PAY MORE EMPHASIS TO OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL EMPHASIS? 
          [01:30:05]
AND I'LL JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE. WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE RENEWAL OF THE ZOO MILLAGE. AND THIS IS FOR FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. AND THAT IS A MATTER THAT IS SHARED GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST WITH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC MUSEUM GETS ITS PORTION, BECAUSE THAT TAKES PRESSURE OFF THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. 
          IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, AS WELL AS BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT THE RENEWAL OF THE VITAL STREETS PLAN, WHICH WILL EXPIRE IN THE FUTURE AND BEGIN THINKING ABOUT THOSE ISSUES. SO ARE THERE ANYTHING ELSE? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD YOU WOULD THINK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE? COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER BELCHER THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. SO I LOOK AT THE ITEM THAT WE HAVE WHERE IT SAYS ELIMINATE THE FOIA BACKLOG. AND SO I THINK THAT IS THAT HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT ONE. WE HAVE WORKED TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THAT BACKLOG. BUT I THINK YOU AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT. SO THIS IS NOT LIKE NEW LANGUAGE, BUT LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF BACK TO BASICS OF WHERE OUR BACKLOGS THAT EXIST INSIDE THE CITY. SO AGAIN MENTIONED THE THE STUMP REMOVAL. YOU KNOW, WE THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT DO AND INVEST ON IN FORESTRY PRE-PANDEMIC THAT GOT PUSHED, AS YOU KNOW, BEFORE ANY OF US WERE WERE ON COMMISSION. 
          SO KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE MADE SOME INVESTMENTS IN DIFFERENT SERVICES IN THE DEVELOPMENT CENTER TO DO DIFFERENT INSPECTIONS. BUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT KIND OF HIGHLIGHT TO ME WHERE THOSE HAVE COME THROUGH THE MOST. IN TERMS OF MY OFFICE. I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, BECAUSE WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THIS. BECAUSE I THINK THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS SOMEBODY CALLS US, THEN I WRITE SOMEBODY THEY GIVE, THEY FOLLOW UP IMMEDIATELY. BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY THE BEST PROCESS. RIGHT. BECAUSE THEN WE'RE OUTSIDE OF THE PROCESS, WHICH IS THAT. BUT ALSO ARE THERE RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY SERVING ON OUR CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, I HAVE HEARD FROM INDIVIDUALS JUST, YOU KNOW, IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, JUST THE CHALLENGES OF HIRING INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT? IT'S A COMPETITIVE MARKET. WE ARE GOING THROUGH A COMPENSATION STUDY. SO THOSE TIME FRAMES ARE LENGTHENED. WHY IS IT TALENT LACK OF TALENT. AND THEN HOW DO WE OVERLAY THIS COMPENSATION DISCUSSION. SO I WOULD I WOULD PUT THAT AS KIND OF MAKING THE FOIA BACKLOG MORE GENERAL OF WHAT ARE THE BACKLOGS AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS THEM SORT OF INDEPENDENTLY IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. THAT'S GOOD. 
          THAT'S A GOOD FEEDBACK ON THE THE TREE. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE IN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT HAD FOCUS, IF YOU WILL, ABOVE GROUND MITIGATION LIKE TREE LINE TO ENSURE RESILIENCY THAT THE LINES DON'T THE TREES DON'T AFFECT THE UTILITY LINES. AND I THINK THAT HAD BEEN THE FOCUS. 
          PRIORITY ONE TWO TREES THAT ARE DEAD, DYING ABOUT TO FALL. AND SO NOW I THINK THAT WE ARE IN PRETTY GOOD, BETTER SHAPE THAN WE WERE ON THAT WE CAN START FOCUSING ON THE BELOW GROUND KIND OF TREE ISSUES IN ADDITION TO THE CANOPY. SO WE CAN CLARIFY THAT ON THE INSPECTION BACKLOG. AND I THINK WE I THOUGHT WE WERE MAKING PROGRESS. I'LL HAVE TO GET A BETTER UPDATE WITH THE ADDED RESOURCES THIRD PARTY, BUT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE TALK ABOUT THAT AS WELL. 
          BUT I THINK AN ELEGANT SOLUTION THERE IS JUST TO TAKE OUT THE WORD FOIA THEN. I MEAN, WE HAVE BACKLOGS GENERALLY IN THE SYSTEM. WE ALWAYS WILL, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE PLAYING WHACK A MOLE ON IT. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T BE MONITORING IT. BUT I THINK FROM A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE, USING SMART, WE HAVE TO BE SPECIFIC WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE. SO I THINK FOCUSING THE STAFF ON WHERE WE HAVE THE BACKLOG THAT ARE CHALLENGING VERSUS IF WE HAVE A BACKLOG OF I DON'T EVEN WANT TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, BUT I STARTED TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT BUT YEAH, SO POINT WELL TAKEN. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER BELICHICK HAD A SO FIRST I HAD A QUESTION JUST FOR CLARITY WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE VITAL STREETS, THE PLAN FOR THE INCOME TAX EXTENSION, THE SOC IS THAT THE VITAL STREETS OVERSIGHT COMMISSION OVERSIGHT COMMISSION OKAY. SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD TO HAVE IN OUR AWARENESS. I THINK THAT I WANT TO I WAS GOING TO MAYBE IT FIT SOMEWHERE ELSE AS WELL. BUT I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE STRATEGIC PLAN AROUND FORESTRY AND OUR TREES, WHICH DOES GO TO GOVERNMENT EXCELLENCE AS WELL, SO WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. BUT I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT. 
          I CONCUR WITH EVERYTHING THAT WAS JUST SAID BY COMMISSIONER ISASI. AND OVERALL, I THOUGHT THAT THIS SECTION WAS REALLY GOOD. I WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION MOSTLY, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO ALSO CONSIDER MAYBE OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AS WE ARE IN A SHIFTING ENVIRONMENT, TO MAYBE DO A REVIEW ANNUALLY. I ALSO THINK IF I COULD CITY MANAGER LIKE THEMATICALLY, I OFTEN GET THE FEELING THAT THERE ARE SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IN NEED OF 
          [01:35:03]
MORE STAFF. AND SO IT RELATES TO THE BACKLOG THING, BUT JUST GENERALLY HOW WE ARE DOING STAFFING. I THINK THAT THAT'S A THAT'S AN ONGOING CONCERN. LIKE DO WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE IN. 
          AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO NAME A DEPARTMENT, DO WE. DO WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE IN DEPARTMENT X AND WE DON'T HAVE WE HAVE YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE EXPLICIT QUESTIONS OF ANALYSIS OF STAFFING LEVELS IN GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE. AND I THINK SO THIS THE. THE LAST BULLET, I THINK, WAS WE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE IN RESOURCE PLANNING, INCLUDING NEW REVENUE SOURCES, BUT ALSO HUMAN RESOURCES, TO EVALUATE SUSTAINABLE SERVICE LEVELS AS MAJOR PROJECTS ARE BUILT IN THE GROWING CITY. I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THAT. AND THEN AGAIN, ON THE FORESTRY EFFORT IN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT IN THAT FIRST COLUMN, THE BOTTOM, THE LAST BULLET UNDER HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ABOUT THE FORESTRY OPERATING PLAN THAT GETS TO THE STRATEGIC THE FORESTRY AND TREE PLANTING EFFORTS FOR THE FOR THE CITY. ANY OTHER FEEDBACK ON GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE? OKAY. NOT WE'LL MOVE TO ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND AFFORDABILITY. 
          YES. CITY MANAGER, I HAVE A FEW HERE FOR YOU ALL. I'VE INFORMALLY INTRODUCED THE THE IDEA OF EXPANDING UPON OUR HOUSING NOW ORDINANCE THAT WAS LAST UPDATED IN 2018 TO INCLUDE TENANTS RIGHTS. SO THAT WOULD BE UPDATING OUR HOUSING NOW POLICY TO INCLUDE NEW EDUCATION ON WHAT PROTECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR STATE AND COMMUNITY, AND PROVIDE COMMUNITY RESOURCES. SO THAT WOULD LOOK IN PARTICULAR. SO IF IT IS THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION, I WOULD LOVE FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE A CLEAR TIMELINE FOR WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION, ADAPTATION AND ADOPTION. EXCUSE ME OF RENTERS. A RENTERS RIGHTS FRAMEWORK, INCLUDING WHICH DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS, HOW THE PROCESS WOULD MOVE FORWARD THROUGH OUR CITY'S ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES IN A CLEAR ROADMAP TO HELP WITH THIS, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT RENTERS RIGHTS WOULD LOOK LIKE. SO. THE THREE IDEAS THAT I'M THINKING OF IS ONE. THE STAFF IS ALREADY WORKING ON A PUBLIC INVENTORY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT HAVE RECEIVED LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS OR OTHER AFFORDABILITY SUPPORTS TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR RESIDENTS. I THINK THIS IS NOT ONLY A GOOD TOOL FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT ALSO OUR PARTNERS. SO I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH THE FOLKS DOING THIS WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT. FOLKS SUCH AS HOUSING KENT, THE LINK UP AS WELL. EXCUSE ME, URBAN LEAGUE OF WEST MICHIGAN AND THE FAIR HOUSING CENTER OF WEST MICHIGAN WHO ARE DOING THIS WORK. AND THIS IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'VE GOT A LOT ON THEIR PLATE. SO THIS WOULD BE NICE FOR THE CITY TO OWN THIS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MILLION WAYS WE COULD DO THAT SORT OF IN HOUSE INVENTORY. YOU KNOW, GREAT IDEAS SUCH AS A HEAT MAP TO SEE WHERE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS. THERE'S LOTS OF IDEAS, BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR AN UPDATE ON WHERE STAFF IS AT WITH THAT, WHEN COMMUNITY PARTNERS CAN EXPECT THAT, AND THEN THE SPECIFICS ON WHAT WILL IT JUST BE A LIST OF ALL THE AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES OR HOW CAN THAT LOOK RIGHT? IN ADDITION, INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ON TENANTS RIGHTS WITHIN LEASE AGREEMENTS? SO THIS IS THE ORDINANCE THAT I WOULD LOVE THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS. WOULD ENSURING RESIDENTS KNOW THEIR RIGHTS REGARDING EVICTIONS, DISCRIMINATION AND OTHER HOUSING PROTECTIONS, ESPECIALLY AS THE STATE OF MICHIGAN HAS EXPANDED THEIR ELLIOTT-LARSEN CIVIL RIGHTS ACT AND ENACTED A SOURCE OF INCOME PROTECTION. SO I DON'T KNOW THE WORDING OF THIS ORDINANCE OR HOW THIS WOULD LOOK ON LEASE AGREEMENTS YET, BUT THIS WOULD BE SPECIFIC RESOURCES ON YOUR LEASE AGREEMENT INCLUDED CITYWIDE TO TELL YOU ABOUT WHERE TO GO. IF YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU'VE EXPERIENCED UNJUST EVICTIONS AND ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN THIS WORK. SO STEEPLE TOWN USED TO HAVE A STEEPLE, IS THAT CORRECT? LISA? STEEPLE TOWN? YEP. USED TO HAVE THIS REALLY GOOD SORT OF HOUSING COUNSELING. AND I WOULD ALSO WANT TO PUT THIS ON AND SEE IF COLLEAGUES WOULD EXPLORE THIS AS WELL. A SORT OF PILOT PROGRAM WHERE WE DO THE WORK THAT THEY USED TO DO, WHICH THEY WOULD GO WITH YOUR LEASE AGREEMENT WITH YOU LINE BY LINE, EXPLAIN IT. THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ENGLISH IS NOT THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE. AND ALSO THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE TO SHARE WITHIN THOSE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR EVICTIONS AND RENT SUPPORT AND ALL OF THESE THINGS. SO THREE THINGS HERE. ONE, INTERNALLY EXPANDING ON THE INVENTORY THAT WE HAVE, GETTING UPDATES ON WHERE STAFF IS AT WITH THAT. TWO, AN ADDITION TO ALL LEASE AGREEMENTS CITYWIDE TO INCLUDE RESOURCES FOR UNJUST EVICTIONS, AND THREE, A POSSIBLE PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE CAN WALK THROUGH WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND STEEPLE 
          [01:40:05]
TOWN. IT WAS SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD LIKE OFFICE HOURS AND YOU'D COME AND SIT WITH AN ATTORNEY OR A HOUSING RESOURCE NAVIGATOR AND TALK ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE WITH YOUR LEASE AGREEMENT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT THERE. THERE IS SUCH THING AS FIRST TIME RENTERS. 
          IT'S BEEN A MINUTE FOR SOME OF US, BUT YOU KNOW, THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THESE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH MARK, THESE AREN'T JUST THINGS COMING FROM MY MIND, RIGHT. THESE ARE COMMUNITY PARTNERS SAYING THAT THERE IS SUCH A NEED AND THAT THESE THINGS WOULD BE HELPFUL. AND CONSTITUENTS. I'VE HAD MEETINGS MONTHLY WITH, WITH OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE THIRD WARD, AND HOUSING OVERALL IS A TOP THING THAT FOLKS TALK ABOUT. 
          ACCESSIBILITY TO HOUSING IS WONDERFUL, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING STABILITY, RIGHT. AND FOCUSING ON WE FOCUS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUILDING, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE A PART OF THAT HOUSING. SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR IF THAT IS THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION TO SUPPORT THIS. AND IF SO, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, FROM THE CITY MANAGER. ALL RIGHT. SO I WOULD CERTAINLY THE UPDATE ON THE REPORTING CAN THE ORDINANCE ISSUE WOULD BE DIRECTED AND RESOURCES FROM THE STAFF AS WELL AS CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL AS THIS PROGRAM. WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL FISCAL RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED TO PARTNER WITH THE AGENCY ARE ALREADY COMMITTED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, LIKE WITH HOUSING, HOUSING CAMP, FOR EXAMPLE. SO THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR THE COMMISSION IS THIS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE US TO STRATEGICALLY LOOK AT AND PRIORITIZE AS AN EFFORT MOVING FORWARD? I GUESS, COMMISSIONER. KILGORE AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS AND HAVING DONE SOME OF THAT WORK WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE. SO THE URBAN LEAGUE IS A TOWN WHERE THE ONLY TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE REALLY KIND OF DOING SOME OF THAT EDUCATION, SPLITTING THAT TIME UP BETWEEN THE TWO. I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED ON. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE CITY THAT NEEDS TO DO IT, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY. HOW CAN WE MAYBE WORK WITH THEM TO HELP CREATE A MORE ROBUST SYSTEM FOR THEM, THAT THEY CAN GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THAT WORK WITH THEM. SO HOW CAN WE HELP THEM BETTER DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO? RIGHT. SO WE'VE GOT THE FAIR HOUSING CENTER THAT DOES SOME OF THAT WORK OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ALSO HAVE LEGAL AID OF WEST MICHIGAN, WHO DOES SOME OF THAT WORK WITH PEOPLE. WHEN THEY GET INTO THOSE SITUATIONS AND THEY DON'T THEY CAN'T AFFORD THAT, THAT LEGAL SUPPORT TO DO THAT WORK. 
          I'M TRYING TO THINK OF HOW WE CAN, BECAUSE WE CAN KEEP TAKING AND DOING LITTLE THINGS, AND WE REALLY CAN'T KEEP DOING ALL THE LITTLE THINGS RIGHT. BUT WHO ARE WE WORKING WITH IN COMMUNITY, LIKE YOU SAID, HOUSING OR HOUSING NOW OR YOU KNOW, THE COC? WHO IS IT THAT WE CAN WORK WITH IN COMMUNITY TO CREATE A MORE ROBUST SYSTEM THAT THEY'RE CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS? I DON'T I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER. I, I THINK THAT I MEAN, THERE'S ALSO THE, THE ISSUE OF LIKE WE DO CODE ENFORCEMENT AND WE DO LIKE IS THIS HOUSING SAFE? AND THAT'S A THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE AREA FOR THE CITY TO GET INTO. BUT WHEN FOR US TO GET INTO LIKE LEASE NEGOTIATION CONVERSATIONS, THAT IS I DON'T I DON'T THINK THAT'S PROPERLY A CORE CITY FUNCTION BECAUSE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT IT'S THE THE CITY IS THEN IN AN ADVOCACY POSITION AGAINST AN INDIVIDUAL LANDLORD. I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY PROBLEMATIC. SO I THINK THAT HAVING ADVOCACY GROUPS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY IS GREAT. AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THOSE THAT THE EXPERTISE IN THE PARTNERSHIPS ARE OUT THERE AND WE DON'T WANT TO WE DON'T WANT TO DUPLICATE AND CONFUSE AN OVER AND OVERLAP EITHER. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE DO CORE FUNCTIONS IN HOUSING AND THEY'RE AND THEY'RE FRANKLY, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT WHICH IS IS THIS HOUSING SAFE. AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK HISTORICALLY ON DRILLING DOWN DEEPER ON THAT. AND WE HAVE CITY INSPECTIONS. WE HAVE AND WE EVEN MOVED TO, YOU KNOW, SINGLE SINGLE UNIT RENTAL INSPECTIONS, WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE HISTORICALLY. SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE OUR CORE COMPETENCY IS AND WHERE OUR ENERGY SHOULD BE DEVOTED. WELL, I WANT TO ALSO FURTHER GIVE SOME CLARITY FOR YOU ALL. YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, I'VE MET THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR WITH THESE PARTNERS AND WORKED WITH THESE COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR A LONG TIME IN TERMS OF THE INVENTORY AND THE SPECIFIC POSSIBLE PILOT. 
          WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. A. AN, A, A SPOT WHERE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE NOT ABLE TO DO THIS RIGHT NOW. SO WITH THE LEASE AGREEMENTS, LIKE I SAID, PEOPLE TOWN USED TO HAVE THAT, BUT THEY'RE NO LONGER DOING THAT. RIGHT. SO WE ARE SEEING THAT SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE AT CAPACITY. RIGHT. AND I DO THINK IT IS WITHIN OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AND WITHIN OUR CONTROL TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF AND SUPPORT. FOR EXAMPLE, THE FAIR HOUSING CENTER LOST 
          [01:45:03]
ONE OF THEIR GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH. SO THIS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO ONCE AGAIN, MAYBE NOT FOR A FULL YEAR, BUT SIMILAR TO LIKE OUR COMMUNICATIONS PILOT THAT WE DID THIS YEAR. SEE IF WE CAN HELP WITH THIS AREA OF HOUSING STABILITY BY WALKING PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR LEASE AGREEMENTS. IT IS A AREA OF WHICH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE RIGHT NOW. SO IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF WE COULD STEP UP AND DO IT. SO YEAH, THAT THAT'S MY HOPE WITH THIS COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, YOU AND THEN. YEAH. YEAH, THANKS. I THINK MY THOUGHTS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO COMMISSIONER KNIGHT AND YOURSELF. I THINK IT'S A VERY WELL INTENDED THING AND CERTAINLY A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT THERE'S WAYS THAT THE CITY CAN HAVE A BETTER INVENTORY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN THIS SPACE TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHAT LEGAL PROTECTIONS THEY HAVE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A FANTASTIC IDEA. BUT I JUST THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT NOT NECESSARILY A NEED THAT GOVERNMENT HAS TO PROVIDE. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST AN IMPORTANT DELINEATION TO TO MAKE. AND IF THESE ORGANIZATIONS NEED MORE FUNDING OR RESOURCES, WE HAVE THE CDBG, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL ANNUAL FUNDING PROGRAM THAT, YOU KNOW, HOUSING IS A BIG PRIORITY OF. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WOULD FALL UNDER THE CRITERIA OF WHAT WE ASSESS ORGANIZATIONS AND WHAT THEY'RE APPLYING FOR. SO I COULD CERTAINLY SEE A LANE WHERE MAYBE THERE'S THAT'S AN AVENUE TO GIVE MORE RESOURCES FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WORKING IN THAT SPACE. BUT I JUST I DON'T KNOW THAT IN MY MIND, IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY GIVEN LIMITED, YOU KNOW, STAFF, RESOURCES, FUNDING TO TO AT LEAST AT THIS TIME HAVE AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST. SO COMMISSIONER SASSY, THANK YOU. THANKS FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION, COMMISSIONER. I THINK FOR ME, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS HOW DO WE YOU MENTIONED THE STATE EXPANDED RIGHTS. SO HOW DOES THAT ARE WE PROTECTED IN THIS WAY? AND THEN LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE AND SO I TO YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER KNIGHT USED TO BE THE THE PLUG BACK AT THE URBAN LEAGUE WHEN I WORKED AT THE SOURCE AND WORKED TOGETHER. AND SO I THINK THE QUESTION IS, YES, THERE THERE IS NOT A I MEAN, I'M AN ORGANIZATION. I'M WAITING FOR LIKE HALF $1 MILLION, I THINK, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, PLEASE SEND IT TO ME. AND SO I DO THINK THERE IS THIS DISCUSSION AT OUR ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL. I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO WHERE IT PROBABLY IS TIME FOR US TO LIKE SORT OF REFRAME AND RESOURCE. 
          SO I WOULD BE SUPPORT. I'D HAPPILY GIVE UP MY, MY COMMUNICATION DOLLARS TO, TO GO TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, A PILOT PROJECT THAT IT'S NOT US RUNNING IT. BUT I AGREE BECAUSE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, THEY HAVE THE FRONT DOOR AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID. THERE'S A POWER DYNAMIC THAT EXISTS. AND SO I THINK FOR US IS LIKE, WE'RE NOT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF IT. IT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO PREVENT. HOW DO WE CONNECT WITH ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE OR TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, THE SOURCE, WHICH IS MORE OF A MEMBERSHIP MODEL. SO I WOULD SAY I'M IN LINE WITH THE THREE, THE FOUR, THE THREE OF YOU. COMMISSIONER BOUCEK, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PERSPECTIVE ON THIS. AND LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION AND LISTENING TO WHAT YOU PRESENTED. I THINK THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT LANES HERE, ONE WHERE WE CAN PLAY IN VERY WELL AND ONE WHERE THERE MIGHT NEED TO BE MORE DISCUSSION. SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF ADDING TO THE STRATEGY FOR THE YEAR, SOME EXPLORATION TO AN UPDATE TO THE HOUSING. 
          NOW THE HEAT MAP IDEA. I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE AN ABILITY TO DO THAT AND TO THEN I WOULD USE THE WORD EXPLORE HOUSING RIGHTS, TENANT RIGHTS. I THINK PARTICULARLY I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE ARE AS LANDLORDS. WE PROVIDE LEAD INFORMATION AND THAT'S A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT. 
          AND IT'S JUST A PAMPHLET YOU HAND OUT. I KIND OF WHAT I THAT'S WHAT I'M KIND OF HEARING OR ENVISIONING THAT THIS COULD JUST BE SOMETHING WHERE IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THEIR PACKET THAT YOU GET HERE'S YOUR LEAD. YES. CHECK YOUR BOX INITIAL THAT YOU RECEIVE THE INFORMATION. HERE'S, YOU KNOW, LEGAL AID, RESOURCES, HOUSING RESOURCES. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE. SO IT WOULD BE MORE WOULDN'T IT BE A BURDEN PARTICULARLY JUST BE ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER. WE ALSO HAVEN'T ADDED LEASE REQUIREMENT BECAUSE OF I BELIEVE STATE LAW THAT SAYS YOU YOU HAVE IF THERE'S A DOMESTIC ABUSE SITUATION AND SOMEONE CHOOSES TO LEAVE THAT THEY ARE NOT THEY'RE BASICALLY NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. AND THAT'S AN ADDENDUM THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO INCLUDE IN YOUR LEASE NOW. SO I THINK THAT THERE IS THERE MIGHT BE SOME REAL PRACTICAL WAYS TO TO DO SOME OF THESE. SO BECAUSE I HEARD YOU SAY THREE DIFFERENT IDEAS. SO I'M IN FAVOR OF EXPLORING THIS FURTHER. 
          COMMISSIONER PERDUE. SURE. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO I AGREE WITH THE PREMISE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OF EDUCATION AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHERE RESOURCES EXIST. AND I DO WANT I KNOW WE HAVE A KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING AND KIND OF SUITE OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS 
          [01:50:01]
THAT REALLY FOCUSES ON KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WITH POLICE INTERACTIONS. BUT I DO WONDER HOW WE CAN BETTER SHARE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS IN OTHER AREAS. TENANT RIGHTS, LAND, LANDLORD RIGHTS. YOU KNOW, I GET CALLS ABOUT PROPERTIES CHANGING PEOPLE'S HANDS. AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMEONE'S MOTHER DIED. AND SO NOW THEY'RE THE THEY THEY INHERITED THE HOME AND NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO NAVIGATE UPDATING THEIR INFORMATION WITH THE CITY, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR TAXES, ETC. SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE MORE WAYFINDING TO RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE KIND OF IN THE SUITE OF RIGHTS. BUT I DO AGREE THAT PARTNERSHIPS WILL BE KEY IN DOING THAT. ONE OF MY MY CONCERNS AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS AFFORDABILITY IS THE PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE HAVE HOUSING THAT IS SUBSIDIZED BY INCENTIVES THAT MIGHT BE OR WILL BE ACTIVE FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS AND FOR SOME TWO YEARS. RIGHT. WE'RE REACHING THE END OF THAT LIFE CYCLE. AND SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THOSE THOSE UNITS DON'T TURN OVER TO NOW BE TOTALLY UNAFFORDABLE? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WOULD BE REALLY BIG BANG FOR OUR BUCK OF HOW DO WE SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PARTICULARLY AS THOSE INCENTIVES COME OFFLINE? AND THEN, RELATEDLY, YOU MENTIONED AN INVENTORY LIST OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I WANT TO TREAD THAT REALLY CAUTIOUSLY. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IMPORTANT THAT MY NEIGHBOR LIVES IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR SUBSIDIZED HOUSING. AND SO I WANT TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, SHARING THAT, DISCLOSING THAT INFORMATION. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THAT'S A SUBSIDIZED UNIT. BUT I'D BE CURIOUS TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE APPROACH AND THE THE WHY BEHIND. AND MAYBE THERE'S A DIFFERENT A DIFFERENT WAY THAT WE CAN GET THERE. BUT I WANT TO BE CAREFUL WITH DISCLOSURES, PARTICULARLY WITHIN NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES. THANKS. SO JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M HEARING, WELL, I WILL SAY THAT I THINK JUST PROVIDING A LIST OF HOUSING PRODUCTION IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE COMMISSION ACTION, WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AS STAFF. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PRACTICE. REGARDING ORDINANCE, I'M NOT HEARING SUPPORT FOR PURSUING LEGISLATION TO CHANGE THE TENANT LANDLORD PROCESS FOR RENTAL APPLICATION. I AM HEARING SOME SUPPORT AND COLLABORATING WITH EXISTING COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, NON-PROFITS ON DOING MORE EDUCATION AROUND TENANT RIGHTS AND THE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND SEEING HOW THAT COULD BE IMPROVED, BUT NOT PROVIDING A DIRECT SERVICE FROM THE CITY. ANY OTHER FEEDBACK ON ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND AFFORDABILITY? I'LL CONTINUE HERE. I THINK WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE CONVERSATION WE HAD THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I THINK WE'VE MADE A TON OF PROGRESS IN THIS AREA, PARTICULARLY AROUND SUPPORT AND FOCUS ON BUSINESS CORRIDORS AND OPTIMIZING AUTHORITIES. A LOT OF THAT WORK IS STILL VERY, VERY MUCH IN FLIGHT, BUT I THINK WE'RE WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS OVER THE LAST YEAR. SO I THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER AND STAFF FOR THAT. I WOULD JUST ADD TO THE IN THAT LAST COLUMN THAT SPEAKS TO OUR PARKING INVESTMENT STRATEGY, JUST BEING EXPLICIT ABOUT OUR WAYFINDING STRATEGY AS WELL, PARTICULARLY WITH SO MUCH NEW CONSTRUCTION, NEW VENUES, WE'LL BE BRINGING A LOT MORE FOLKS TO TOWN, MAKING SURE AS WE THINK ABOUT PARKING, MAKING SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHERE TO FIND THAT. I THINK THAT'S AN AREA FOR IMPROVEMENT THAT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THAT. I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ON THE GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE PIECE. 
          FOLKS REALLY COVERED MOST OF IT. THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD, AND IT RELATES TO THIS CONVERSATION WE JUST HAD ABOUT EDUCATION, IS THAT I GET SO MUCH GREAT FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR EDUCATION SERIES, OUR COMMISSION ONE ON ONE. HOW DOES THE WATER SYSTEM WORK? HOW DOES OUR TRAFFIC SYSTEM WORK? AND SO I ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE US TO DO MORE OF THOSE AND POTENTIALLY PUSH THEM OUT AS SOME SORT OF SHOUT OUT TO OUR SYSTEM. YEAH, HE'S BACK THERE. YEAH, YEAH YEAH, EXACTLY. 
          BUT SERIOUS KUDOS TO THE POINT WHERE FOLKS ARE LIKE, CAN WE GET MORE OF THAT? CAN WE CAN USE ALL SEND IT OUT AS PART OF A REGULAR SERIES. AND SO I THINK THAT ALSO RELATES TO WHAT COMMISSIONER KILLGORE BROUGHT UP. THERE'S, I THINK, MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND PUSH THAT OUT. SO I THINK THAT RELATES TO GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE AND WILL ENCOURAGE US TO CONTINUE DOING THAT. AND THEN LASTLY, FINDING A WAY TO CHECK IN ON SATISFACTION OF OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR CLIENTS. WE HAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I FORGET THE EXACT NAME OF IT, THE COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD SURVEY. SO WE GET THAT. BUT WHEN PEOPLE INTERACT WITH ENGINEERING, WITH PLANNING, WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOW WITH 311, HOW WOULD THEY RATE THEIR LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE? I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT INPUT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE MIGHT MEASURE GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE, ANOTHER METRIC FOR GOVERNMENTAL 
          [01:55:03]
EXCELLENCE. I'LL JUST ADD THAT UP THERE. BUT I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE IN THE LAST YEAR ON THIS AREA. THANK YOU. AND WE'RE GOING TO WITHOUT GOING A LOT OF DETAIL, WE'RE GOING TO BRING BACK A PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE TALKED WITH, BOTH AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TEAM AND SOUTHTOWN SIA, THAT WOULD ALLOW THE THIRD WARD EQUITY FUND TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY AND HIRE A MORE FOCUSED DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KIND OF LIKE DRIS FOR THE DDA AS WELL AS ADD MORE. WE TALKED ABOUT RESOURCES. I THINK IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR MORE STAFF RESOURCES THAT WOULD BE EITHER FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND OR CONSOLIDATED OR FUNDING FROM THE VARIOUS CIA. SO WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT MORE THAT IN THE FUTURE. AND JUST THE LAST COMMENT ON THAT, WE DO A REALLY GREAT JOB OF LEVERAGING A LOT OF OUR FUNDING. RIGHT. AND FINDING MATCHES. I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT WITH THE THE THIRD WARD EQUITY FUND TO FIND MATCHES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE PHILANTHROPY SECTOR TO REALLY GROW OUR IMPACT ON THAT AND POTENTIALLY EXPAND THE WORK THERE. SO THANK YOU. I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, PLUS TO THE BUSINESS CORRIDOR, I THINK WE'RE ALSO IN A VERY DIFFERENT SPOT IN OUR ECONOMY THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR. AND SO I THINK THE STRAINS ON SMALL BUSINESSES ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REAL. SO I JUST WANTED TO TO SAY THAT. 
          BUT WHAT I WANTED TO BRING UP HERE WAS ACTUALLY I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO BRING THIS UP BECAUSE YOU WERE SAYING LAST YEAR, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGES TO THE PILOT ORDINANCE. AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, DID SOME OF THOSE CHANGES. WHAT DID THAT YIELD IN THE LAST YEAR? WHEN WE THINK ABOUT AGAIN, I THINK ABOUT THAT AS ANOTHER TOOL THAT WE HAVE. WE MIGHT NOT BE DEVELOPING, BUT HOW ARE WE ENABLING THIS? SO IT FEELS LIKE THAT WAS A YEAR AGO. SO I WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THERE. 
          AND THEN. CAN I JUST ADD ONE THING TO WHAT COMMISSIONER SAID ABOUT I KNOW HE'S HAD GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE. THE I WOULD LOVE IF WE DID A SERIES OF WE'RE GOING TO RECAP WHAT'S ON THE WEBSITE BECAUSE WE DIRECT PEOPLE TO THE WEBSITE, BUT PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT THE WEBSITE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF MOST PEOPLE JUST DON'T LOOK AT WEBSITES, BUT THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD CONTENT ON OUR WEBSITE. AND SO IF WE COULD KIND OF GOING BACK TO AN ACCESSIBILITY PIECE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A DID YOU KNOW, LIKE I WAS LIKE, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, ME AND LISA CAN HOST IT. IT'S FINE. BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD CONTENT, BUT PEOPLE WANT THINGS AT THE SPEED OF THEIR FINGER. 
          AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT CAN HELP BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WERE JUST I CAN THINK OF A COUPLE OF THINGS, PARTICULARLY ON LIKE MATERIALS MANAGEMENT PICKUP AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE VERY CLEARLY ON THE WEBSITE. SO ANYWAYS, THANKS. THANKS. SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT I THINK I DID HEAR, AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT IF WE WERE TO, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD WANT TO KNOW THE LEGALITY OF IT. SO I WOULD LOOK TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO HELP WITH THAT. BUT FOR THE ORDINANCE ABOUT TENANTS RIGHTS, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US. SO I'M JUST GOING TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT I WOULD BE WILLING TO EXPLORE THE BECAUSE I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE THIS WITH A LEASE, YOU KNOW, THE LIST OF INFORMATION THAT MIGHT REQUIRE AN ORDINANCE. SO I'M JUST GOING TO PUT THAT OUT THERE TO EXPLORE. BUT CAN WE? BECAUSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. YEAH. AND WE GOT TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR. 
          I DID NOT HEAR FOR COMMISSIONERS THAT MAY BE TRUE. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR. I HEARD SEVERAL THREE, BUT I DID NOT HEAR. THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION SAID THEY WANTED TO PURSUE LEGISLATION TO MAKE THAT A REQUIREMENT AS PART OF THE RENTAL APPLICATION PROCESS. I'M JUST CLARIFYING THAT. OKAY, OKAY, I DON'T THINK I THINK WE WERE IN THE MINORITY THERE. I THINK, OKAY, I JUST WANT I WANTED TO BE SURE I WAS HEARING IT RIGHT MYSELF. THANK YOU. 
          EXPRESSING MYSELF CLEARLY. SO ADDING TO THIS SECTION ABOUT ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, I THINK THAT WE IT MAY BE INCLUDED IN HERE UNDER THE CREATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING MARKET RATE HOUSING. BUT I THINK THAT A NEW TARGET, A NEW THING TO ADD, WOULD BE A WHERE CAN THE CITY DO BETTER SUPPORTING OUR WE ALREADY ARE SUPPORTING OUR EMERGING DEVELOPERS, BUT IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, SOME FUNDING GAPS, SHORTFALL ABOUT 300 TO $500,000 FOR THESE EMERGING DEVELOPERS HAVE GONE THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, GOTTEN OUR ASSISTANCE. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SORT OF GRANT OR GUARANTEE THAT HELPS THEM GO GET THEIR BANK LOAN, GET BETTER INTEREST RATES SO THAT THE AFFORDABILITY CAN BE THERE. 
          THERE IS SOME INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS, ASKING THESE QUESTIONS. 
          SO I THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY FROM THE CITY SIDE, WE COULD BE SUPPORTING THAT WORK AND FINDING WAYS TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROJECTS ACTUALLY GET DEVELOPED. IF THERE WAS ROOM IN A BUDGET OR THERE WAS SOME SORT OF FUNDING MECHANISM, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, 
          [02:00:06]
I BELIEVE WHAT DID WE CALCULATE OUT? $2 MILLION COULD LIKE CREATE FIVE PROJECTS. I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE HAVING THE MONEY. I'M SAYING IT COULD BE PHILANTHROPY, OTHER THINGS. BUT THE THE TOPIC NEEDS TO BE ADDED FOR TO TO BE ADDING TO OUR STRATEGY. OKAY. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE AROUND THAT. BUT I THINK WE OWE YOU A PERHAPS A BRIEFING. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING WITH THE THIRD WARD EQUITY FUND IS CREATING A REVOLVING LOAN FUND, AND WE COULD LEVERAGE THAT FOR OTHER INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THE CITY IS NOT THE ONLY INVESTOR CONTRIBUTOR TO IT, AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS. WE'LL ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT THE NEW COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION FUND AT THE NEXT MEETING IN, I THINK, DECEMBER. SO I JUST WANT TO AND JUST TO BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYBODY'S TIME. WE'RE GOING TO LOSE COMMISSIONER NIGHT. WE HAVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES LEFT ON THIS. AND THEN THAT MOBILITY CONVERSATION IS GOING TO TAKE AN HOUR. AND THEN THE WATER RATES WILL TAKE 30 MINUTES. IF WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT BY 1230. 
          GO AHEAD COMMISSIONER PURDUE. JUST ONE MORE THING. ON THE MERGING DEVELOPER. THANK YOU FOR FLAGGING THAT. JUST WANT TO SAY DITTO. AND I'VE HEARD SOME FEEDBACK FROM EMERGING DEVELOPERS NOT JUST ON THE FINANCING BUT ON SOME OF THE PREDESIGNED PLANS AND NOT BEING AS FEASIBLE TO IMPLEMENT. AND SO A RELOOK AT THAT. I MEAN, I'VE ASKED THEM TO, TO TO WRITE IN WITH THEIR SPECIFICS BECAUSE THEY KNOW BETTER THAN I DO. BUT JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME MORE FOLLOW UP FROM THAT FOR FOR OUR CONSIDERATION. ALL RIGHT. 
          ENGAGE AND CONNECTED. YES. SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THAT IN OUR DISCUSSION, AS WE WERE TALKING WITH MARK EARLIER, JUST BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT HOW WHEN WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THESE TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS AGAIN, HOW THEY'RE GIVING BACK INTO COMMUNITY THAT CAN MAYBE THAT THAT CAN EVEN, YOU KNOW, FUNNEL BACK INTO WHAT SOME OF OUR EMERGING DEVELOPERS ARE DOING. 
          AND MAYBE THERE'S FUNDING OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING BACK INTO THIRD WORLD EQUITY FUND, I DON'T KNOW, BUT SOME BETTER AGREEMENTS WITH WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING LARGER DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO POUR BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING A BENEFIT. THEY GET LOTS OF BENEFITS, NOT ONLY JUST FROM US, BUT FROM THE STATE LEVEL. AND SO HOW MUCH MORE OF THAT? IT CAN'T JUST BE THE PENNIES THAT THEY'RE THROWING BACK AT US, BUT IT HAS TO BE HAVE SOME GREATER IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. CITY MANAGER, I WANT TO KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME HERE LIKE I DON'T. YOU? OKAY, GREAT. JUST A RECAP, MAYOR. SO WE'RE GOING TO ABOUT 15 MORE MINUTES ON THIS. AND WE WANT TO SPEND ABOUT AN HOUR ON MOBILITY IN DEPTH AND THEN 30 MINUTES ON THE WATER RATES IF WE CAN OKAY. ENGAGE AND CONNECTED. COMMISSIONER STACY. SO I APPRECIATE THE WARD UPDATES THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO AND LIKE THE POST COMMISSION UPDATES. I THINK I ASKED IN A MEETING ABOUT, COULD WE DO SOME OF THOSE IN SPANISH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE TRANSLATION SERVICES. I DON'T THINK THAT'S BEING UTILIZED AS MUCH. BUT IF WE COULD PUSH OUT CONTENT IN SPANISH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY POSITIVE. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE REALITY OF. WHERE WE'RE AT WITH COMMUNITY, I KNOW, MAYOR, YOU AND I AND CITY MANAGER, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ICE BEING IN LIKE SCHOOLS AND WORKING WITH GROUPS. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT AND WHAT IS THAT ENGAGEMENT LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW? I, YOU KNOW, AS WE GET TOWARDS OUR BUDGET PROCESS, YOU KNOW, DURING COVID, WE, YOU KNOW, CEDED SOME MONEY INTO LA LUCHA FUND TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IMPACTED, WHO DIDN'T HAVE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS. AND I REALLY, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE US TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE ARE SUPPORTING OUR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED ON THE GROUND. IT IS, I THINK, A WE HAVE SOME PRECEDENT FROM IT, FROM COVID. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY. I KNOW I APPRECIATE A LOT OF THE CLARIFICATION. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE SEEING ICE IN COMMUNITIES, SOMEBODY I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER, BUT SOMEBODY SHARES SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN IN THE FIRST WARD OVER THE HALLOWEEN HOLIDAY. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE. I'D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE KNOWING WHAT'S HAPPENING AND I THINK WE ARE DOING THAT WELL. BUT WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION AND CONNECTION COORDINATION? SO WITH WITH OUR POLICE FORCE AND YEAH, JUST THE STORIES ARE REALLY HORRIFIC AND YEAH, HOW CAN HOW CAN WE SUPPORT IN THIS TIME. THANKS. 
          THANK YOU. JUST WITHOUT GOING INTO A LOT OF DETAIL, I'M AWARE OF THAT. ALLEGATION OF WHAT ICE 
          [02:05:04]
WAS DOING ON HALLOWEEN AND FOLLOWED UP WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE POLICE CHIEF, AND NEITHER WERE AWARE OF THAT OPERATION. SO EVERY TIME WE HEAR IT, WE DO FOLLOW UP. BUT I'M CAREFUL NOT TO PERPETUATE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BEEN CONFIRMED. BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FEAR. RIGHT. AND IT CONTINUES ALMOST EVERY WEEK WE'RE HEARING. SO YEAH. 
          YEAH, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING AND I AGREE WITH, WITH YOUR, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE WHERE YOUR HEART IS ON THIS AND WHERE YOUR THINKING IS ON THIS ON COMMISSIONER. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE'VE GOT TO BE IT'S A TOUGH PLACE TO BE WHERE WE HAVE TO BE VIGILANT, BUT NOT NOT MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION, THE RIGHT FACTS. SO EVEN YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T THINK YOU MEANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ICE IN SCHOOLS. THERE WAS A QUESTION OF ICE IN SCHOOLS. AND I LOOKED, I LOOKED, YOU KNOW, I LOOKED INTO THAT TOO. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A RUMOR AND IT WAS AN UNFOUNDED RUMOR. SO THERE ARE LOTS OF AT A POINT WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF STRESS AND FEAR BEING TRIGGERED IN THE COMMUNITY, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, A SOURCE FOR IT OR THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. AND SO BUT I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          WE SHOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW A, HOW WE CAN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMMATICALLY EXPLAIN OUT AND COMMUNICATE OUT SO THAT THERE'S A LITTLE MORE CALM AND REASSURANCE IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, I THINK THAT EVERYONE AROUND THIS TABLE IS 1,000% COMMITTED TO DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE EVERY RESIDENT OF OUR CITY FEEL SAFE AND VALUED AND DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT WE CAN. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THE THINGS WE CAN'T DO. AND THAT'S A THAT'S A BALANCE. AND BUT PART OF THAT IS COMMUNICATION. SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP THINKING ABOUT THAT. NOW YOUR IDEA OF SPECIFIC HELP FOR PEOPLE I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO FOR US TO EXPLORE AND CONTINUE TO PONDER LIKE AND AGAIN, LIKE IT'S IT'S HARD TO MAP OUT IN SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY. RIGHT? IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT'S COMING NEXT. AND IT'S HARD TO KNOW. YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY WE'RE OPERATING IN A FOG ON A LOT OF THIS STUFF AND EVERYTHING. LOTS OF THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN HAVE HAPPENED. AND LOTS OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAY ARE GOING TO HAPPEN HAVEN'T HAPPENED YET. AND SO YES, I WHAT I TOLD THIS PERSON WAS AND IT WAS SECOND HAND, THIRD HAND, MAYBE EVEN PLEASE LET US KNOW. 
          BECAUSE IF WE DON'T KNOW THEN WE CAN'T INVESTIGATE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF INVESTIGATE OR, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY. AND I MEAN, I KNOW THE CHIEF HAS LIKE PERSONALLY GIVEN OUT HIS CELL PHONE NUMBER TO DIFFERENT LIKE LEADERS IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. SO WE HAVE THAT ABILITY. BUT I, I DON'T KNOW IF SOMETIMES THE THE FEAR IS CREATING AN ACTION SOMETIMES. 
          SO ANYWAYS, THANK YOU. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A BALANCING TEST BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, I GOT A TEXT FROM A COMMUNITY MEMBER THE OTHER MORNING WHO SAID THERE IS A RUMOR GOING AROUND THAT THE CITY LEASED OUT A BIG FACILITY, THAT THE CITY LEASED OUT A CITY PROPERTY TO ICE. AND LIKE, I DIDN'T BOTHER TO ASK MARK WHETHER THAT HAD HAPPENED OR NOT, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NO PLANET ON WHICH ANY OF US WOULD ALLOW CITY FACILITIES TO BE RENTED OUT TO ICE. SO I DIDN'T I DIDN'T RESPOND TO THAT, AND I DIDN'T I DIDN'T RAISE IT TO THE LEVEL OF LIKE, HEY, WE HAVE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PUT ON THE CITY WEBSITE THAT WE DIDN'T DO THIS THING. 
          LIKE THERE ARE THINGS THAT LIKE, WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO PUT OUT. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE I THINK IT'S IT'S ACTUALLY AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION IS I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT SPEND OUR TIME BATTING DOWN THINGS WE WOULD NEVER DO. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A POLICY AGAINST CHILD LABOR IN THE CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE WE'RE NEVER GOING TO LIKE, SUPPORT CHILD LABOR. WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A POLICY THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO CONVERT FULTON STREET INTO A HIGHWAY, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO CONVERT FULTON STREET INTO A HIGHWAY. SO THERE'S AN INFINITE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE AREN'T GOING TO DO THAT WE COULD MAKE POLICIES AGAINST, OR WE COULD MAKE STATEMENTS ABOUT. AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT NEGATIVES, WE COULD LITERALLY SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIVES TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS WE WOULD NEVER DO. THAT'S JUST NOT A USEFUL USE OF ANY OF OUR TIME. SO I THINK THAT COMMUNICATING THERE'S THERE'S BALANCES ON THESE THINGS. RIGHT? I MEAN, SOME OF OUR VALUES ARE REALLY, REALLY I MEAN, THIS COMMISSION'S GOT, I THINK, A VERY, VERY UNIFIED SET OF VALUES BY AND LARGE. AND SO HOW MUCH TIME WE SPEND COMING. 
          SOMEONE SAYS, WELL, WHAT IF THIS AND WELL, OKAY, LIKE THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. SO BATTING DOWN HYPOTHETICALS CAN BE A CAN BE A WHOLE. YOU CAN GO DOWN FOREVER. JUST A REMINDER WE GOT ABOUT NINE. SORRY I JUST YEAH WE GOT A LITTLE. YEP. I JUST WANTED TO THROW OUT OUR CONTINUED SUPPORT WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR OUR ARTS CULTURE HERE IN THE CITY AND HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND SUPPORT THAT. I DON'T THINK WE GIVE ANY SUPPORT TO SPECIFICALLY OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AS A WHOLE. AND SO I KNOW THAT THE GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING AND HAVE BEEN 
          [02:10:04]
WORKING ON THIS PROPOSAL AND HOW TO REALLY EXPAND THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY IS HUGE, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED. SO, YEAH. COMMISSIONER KOGER YEAH, THIS SPECIFICALLY, IT'S SORT OF IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT. CONTINUE. IMMIGRANT REFUGEE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. CITY MANAGER WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE CURRENTLY? AND ARE WE REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO GET SPECIFIC STORIES FROM THOSE IMPACTED? I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE PULSE AND HEAR DIRECTLY FROM PEOPLE, COMMISSIONER SAID. LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIRD PERSON, OKAY, HOW HOW ARE WE GETTING FIRST PERSON EXPERIENCES AND THE CHALLENGE OF THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE FEDERALLY AND LOCALLY, I THINK WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT WITH NEIGHBORS LIKE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, LIKE TREE TOPS COLLECTIVES GETTING THESE STORIES OF BOTH REFUGEES AS WELL, I THINK WILL BE IMPORTANT AND JUST WANT TO HEAR. SO WHAT IS WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY DOING IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO IMMIGRANT REFUGEE COMMUNITIES? YEAH, AND WE CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL. BUT WE, I GUESS MORE BROADLY, HAVE ADOPTED THE KENT COUNTY WELCOMING AND BELONGING PLAN TO BE VERY INCLUSIVE OF OF IMMIGRANT REFUGEES. AND THEN FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE BEEN INTENTIONAL IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO FEAR OUR OWN LOCAL POLICE BY THE POLICIES WE'VE ADOPTED, BUT FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD COLLABORATIVE, WE'VE ATTEMPTED SOME PARTNERSHIP WITH SOME COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND PROBABLY CAN IMPROVE ON THE EFFORT, THE PLANNING EFFORT AND EXECUTION OF THAT. AND I'M LOOKING AT MR. DAVIS'S OFFICE, WHO I THINK IT WAS LEADING THAT EFFORT. BUT YEAH, THERE ARE OTHER MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND I'M HAPPY TO COME BACK WITH A MORE DETAILED REPORT OR SEND A REPORT TO COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. I'M GOING TO MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT WE GO TO SAFE COMMUNITY. SINCE WE SPENT MONTHS ON THE HEALTH, THE CAP, AND IF WE WANT TO HAVE MORE DETAILED DISCUSSION ON THAT, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK TO THE DAIS AT A CITY COMMISSION MEETING AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SAFE COMMUNITY STRATEGY, IF THAT'S OKAY. FAIR ENOUGH. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING BIG THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT OTHER THAN TREES? YES. OTHER THAN TREE STUMPS. I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT THREE TIMES. FIRST OF ALL. YES. 
          BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THE THE IDEA ABOUT THE CONTINUING TO EVALUATE OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF BUILDING DECARBONIZATION, DECARBONIZATION AND WHATNOT. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE VICINITY STEAM DISTRICT AND EXPANDING THAT WILL INCREASE. SO ANYTHING THE CITY CAN DO TO HELP BRING MORE FOLKS ONLINE WITH THE STEAM DISTRICT WILL REDUCE CARBON BY 30%. AND THEN I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A REALLY MASSIVE HOLE, LITERAL HOLE IN OUR SYSTEM. WE VICINITY HAS IDENTIFIED THAT THERE IS ABOUT A HALF A MILE PIPE GAP THAT IS MISSING BETWEEN WHAT WOULD CONNECT THE WASTE TO ENERGY FACILITY THAT THE COUNTY HAS AND THE STEAM DISTRICT. AND SO THAT WOULD BE A DIRECT STEAM PRODUCTION FROM THE WASTE ENERGY FACILITY THAT COULD BE PIPED RIGHT INTO OUR SYSTEM. WE COULD SERVE THE COUNTY BETTER BY SUPPORTING THEIR THEIR TAKE ALL OF THEIR STEAM BASICALLY, AND HELP EXPAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING THERE. AND THAT WOULD RESULT IN ANOTHER 60% CARBON REDUCTION. BUT IT'S A HALF A MILE OR ABOUT OF PIPE THAT HAS JUST GONE MISSING FROM SOME CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO WORK WITH WORK ON THAT. AND EXPEDITE THAT IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS WOULD BE OR LESS WOULD BE REALLY GREAT. VICINITY HAS TALKED TO ME AGAIN RECENTLY THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PUT PUT IN DOLLARS AND ALL THAT. THEY JUST WANT HELP GETTING IT DONE. THE STAFF IS PLANNING TO BRING AN ITEM OR DISCUSSION ITEM, I SHOULD SAY, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR ON THE VICINITY, AND SOME OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE TO PARTNER WITH THEM. THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE CITY TO MAKE FUTURE FISCAL COMMITMENTS IN ADDITION TO THEIR OWN INVESTMENTS. MR. KILGORE. YES. SO FIRST, WE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER MATTHEWS WAS HELPFUL AND TALKING ABOUT THE AIR MONITORING PROGRAM THAT WE SUPPORTED DUE TO THEIR LAPSE IN FUNDING. AND I WANT TO FIRST SEE IF WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT. WELL, HOW LONG IS THE FUNDING THAT WE PROVIDED? HOW LONG DOES THAT GO TO. AND IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY TO SUPPORT THAT AFTER. OUR OUR INTENT, THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE IS WORKING ON THE CONTRACT RIGHT NOW. BUT IF THAT'S THE INTEREST OF THE COMMISSION, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME FORWARD AS PART OF THE BUDGETING PROCESS. OKAY. RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST ONE YEAR, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, BUDGET FOR ONE YEAR AT A TIME. SO COLLEAGUES AND THEN DEPUTY CITY MANAGER MATTHEWS, IF YOU COULD 
          [02:15:01]
JUST TELL MY COLLEAGUES WHAT THAT CURRENT PROJECT IS SO THEY CAN BE FAMILIAR ENOUGH. OF COURSE. ONCE AGAIN, I WOULD LOVE YOUR SUPPORT, COLLEAGUES, ON CONTINUING THIS PROGRAM. 
          SURE. SO JUST AIR PROVIDES AIR MONITORING, AIR QUALITY MONITORING, SENSORS. THERE WAS A PROJECT IN THE THIRD WARD THAT THEY HAD STOOD UP THAT HAD BEEN FUNDED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THAT PROJECT WRAPPED UP AND THEY WERE LOOKING TO US TO CONTINUE IT. WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE IT. WE'D LIKE TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND IT. ONE OF THE UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT THEIR SYSTEM IS THEY HAVE AN APP THAT FOLKS CAN SIGN UP FOR. WE'VE GOT TWO MINUTES AND 30S LEFT HERE FOR POLICING, SO I'M HOPING THAT ALL OF YOU I'M NOT REALLY. I UNDERSTAND THAT FOLKS HAVE TIME CONSTRAINTS, BUT THE MAJORITY OF US BLOCK THIS OUT ON OUR CALENDARS FOR MONTHS, AND I DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO THINK THAT ANY OF THESE FOCUS AREAS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHERS. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT CLEAN AIR FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER, PLEASE. AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL RESPECT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ONE ANOTHER. 
          THAT'S I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS. YEAH. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS ONE OF OUR ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE MOST FEASIBLE EXAMPLES OF SEEING IN REAL TIME WHAT YOUR AIR QUALITY IS, THE HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LOVE YOUR SUPPORT IN EXTENDING THIS PAST THE YEAR THAT WE HAVE ALLOWED. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THAT PROGRAM THROUGH OUR SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE. HERE'S WHAT. SO THAT WE DON'T FEEL RUSHED IN THESE AREAS BECAUSE I DO WANT TO. WHAT WE HAD AGREED TO IS TO SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THIS TIME ON MOBILITY IS TO PAUSE. NOW LET'S SEE HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO GET THE MOBILITY SECTION. IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET THROUGH IT BEFORE NOON, WE'LL COME BACK THE OTHER AREAS. IF NOT, WE CAN HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ON A TUESDAY MORNING. CONTINUE WITH AT A CAL CAL 
          [3. City Manager’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan Update]
BRIEFING. SO WITH THAT, MISS BEHRENS AND MISS SMITH WILL COME AND LEAD US IN UPDATE ON MOBILITY. AND THAT LEAVES HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT. IN SAFE COMMUNITY FOR US TO DISCUSS. 
          BEFORE SHE STARTS. AND LET ME MAYBE PART OF I THINK WHAT WE'RE GOING TO FIND TODAY IN THIS DISCUSSION IS THE INTERSECTIONS OF A LOT OF PRIORITIES. CERTAINLY HOW SAFE WE ARE, HOW PEDESTRIAN BIKE FRIENDLY WE ARE, HOW WE ENSURE GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF THE ENVIRONMENT. AND AND CERTAINLY HOW WE'RE ABLE TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AROUND THE PROJECTS. 
          AND SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THE INTERSECTION OF ALL OF THESE IMPORTANT AREAS. SO WITH THAT, MISS BEHRENS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND WE SHOULD BE JOINED BY CINDY IRVING AS WELL WHEN SHE IS ABLE TO JOIN. SO MISS IRVING IS THE PERSON AT THE CITY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT WE INVEST THE VITAL STREETS DOLLARS CONSISTENT WITH THE INVESTMENT GUIDELINES AND ALSO LEADS THE SORT OF DESIGN GROUP WITHIN OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT THAT SPEARHEADS THIS WITH THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, SPEARHEADS MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WITH OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS TEAM. SO SHE WILL JOIN US AND SHE AND MISS SMITH AND OTHERS. MAYBE THAT WILL HAVE TO PHONE A FRIEND WHEN WE GET TO THE Q&A PERIOD. SO WHY ARE WE HERE? THE MANAGERS JUST LAID OUT A COUPLE OF OBJECTIVES, BUT FIRST, WE WANT TO GET TO SOME OF THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AROUND SAFETY THAT WERE ASKED OR OUR ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT. SO WHAT ARE OUR SAFETY PROGRAMS? WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO TRY TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO ACCESS SOME SAFETY FEATURES? AND THEN WE WANT TO DIVE INTO SORT OF THE KEY AREAS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT. WE RECEIVE QUESTIONS FROM YOU, FROM THE PUBLIC WITH RESPECT TO OUR RIGHTS OF WAY AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR RIGHTS OF WAY. 
          AND THOSE THINGS KIND OF COME ALONG THE WHY DID WE DO WHAT WE'RE DOING? WHY DIDN'T WE DO MORE OF SOMETHING? WHY DIDN'T WE DO LESS OF SOMETHING? AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THE BIGGER PROJECTS, WE HAVE THE WHOLE GAMUT OF WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY AND HOW. WHO DECIDED THIS? WHEN WAS IT DECIDED? NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. SO WANTING TO TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF GROUNDING FOR THE COMMISSION AND HOPEFULLY THE VIEWING PUBLIC TO ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING TODAY HOW IT IS THAT WE WORK THROUGH SOME OF THESE ISSUES WITH RESPECT TO OUR RIGHTS OF WAY. AND SO AND JUST, 
          [02:20:05]
YOU KNOW, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, MY ORIGIN STORY OF WANTING TO WORK FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY HAS A LOT TO DO WITH RIGHTS OF WAY. SO I WAS A LAND USE ATTORNEY AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW WHAT THERE IS THERE IS ONE ASSET THAT THE PUBLIC OWNS THAT TOUCHES PEOPLE EVERY DAY AND IT'S ROADS. IT'S ADJACENT TO PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY. HOW WE MAINTAIN IT, HOW WE DESIGN IT, HOW WE UTILIZE IT LITERALLY IMPACTS PEOPLE EVERY DAY. AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S KIND OF COOL. AND I WORKED IN A PLANNING DEPARTMENT. AND SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS TODAY.■ AND MY STORY IS JUST ONE OF LIKE HUNDREDS AT THE CITY OF PEOPLE, OF WHY PEOPLE CAME TO WORK FOR THE CITY THAT HAVE TO DO WITH RIGHTS OF WAY. SO WE ARE EXCITED TO SHARE WHAT WE'RE SHARING TODAY. SO WITH RESPECT TO THE SPECIFIC ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT FOLLOW UP, WE DID HAVE QUESTIONS, PARTICULARLY COMMISSIONER PERDUE WAS INTERESTED IN HOW IS IT THAT WE ARE TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE SAFETY, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE MORE VULNERABLE USERS THAT ARE IN THE RIGHTS OF WAY, THAT ARE NOT IN THAT STEEL BOX THAT GOES LIKE 45 MILES AN HOUR. SO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON MICROMOBILITY TOOLS, THAT WE'RE CONTRACTING FOR, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BRINGING THEIR OWN MICROMOBILITY BIKES AND, AND PEOPLE WHO JUST WALK LIKE WE ALL WALK, WHAT ARE WE DOING AROUND SAFETY? SO SOME DATA POINTS ON THIS SLIDE. WE DO HAVE SAFETY CAMPAIGNS. AND I'LL A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE. IN TERMS OF JUST PUSHING OUT EDUCATION AND AWARENESS MESSAGING ON A LOT OF PLATFORMS, WE ALSO HAVE WORKED WITH OUR MICRO-MOBILITY PROVIDER TO ENSURE ACCESS TO FREE HELMETS. SO YOU'LL SEE THERE THE DATA OF WHAT'S BEEN HANDED OUT OVER TIME. WE ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING MORE SAFETY GEAR AT OUR COMMUNITY COMMISSION NIGHT OUT EVENT. MOST OR THE NEXT UPCOMING ONE IS ON NOVEMBER 18TH, AND SO THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT FREE HELMET INITIATIVE IN 2026 AND INCREASE THE AWARENESS ABOUT THAT AS WELL, SO THAT FOLKS KNOW IF THEY NEED THAT, THAT PARTICULAR SAFETY EQUIPMENT, WE WILL WORK WITH LIME OR OTHER VENDORS TO GET THEM THAT SAFETY EQUIPMENT. SO THAT IS A CONSTANT AREA OF FOCUS FOR US. THEN, AS I SAID, A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL JUST ABOUT OUR EDUCATION CAMPAIGN. SO EDUCATION AND AWARENESS ABOUT SHARING RIGHTS OF WAY WITH WITH ALL THOSE OTHER USERS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO HAVE CONTINUOUS FOCUS ON. SO HERE'S SOME DATA POINTS FOR YOU IN TERMS OF THE REACH AND THE CHANNELS THAT WE USE TO PUSH THAT MESSAGING OUT. BUT AGAIN, EDUCATION AND AWARENESS IS ONE OF THE KEY PLATFORMS OF A VISION ZERO OVERALL SORT OF STRATEGY. AND IT DOES YOU KNOW, IT IS A CONSTANT EFFORT. SO WE CONTINUALLY INVEST IN THAT PORTION OF SAFETY AWARENESS. WE DO A COUPLE OTHER THINGS. SO NOW MOVING ON JUST KIND OF MORE BROADLY TO OUR OPERATIONS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS. THERE IS KIND OF A CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT PROCESS, IF YOU WILL, THAT WHEREIN WE TAKE DATA IN AND THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND AREAS IN OUR RIGHTS OF WAY THAT ARE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO LEAN MORE INTO, TRYING TO, AGAIN, INCREASE SAFETY FOR ALL USERS. SO I DON'T NEED TO I'M I'M TELLING YOU THINGS THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW, BUT A LOT OF OUR NETWORK WAS BUILT A LONG TIME AGO BEFORE SOME OF THESE EXPECTATIONS WERE CREATED AROUND SHARING RIGHTS OF WAY BETWEEN MULTIPLE USERS. AND SO WHEN YOU DRIVE SOME OF OUR STREETS, IT'S APPARENT THAT THOSE STREETS WERE REALLY CREATED WITH CARS AT THE FOREFRONT, AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ABILITY TO TO WIDEN OUR OWNERSHIP THERE. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW ARE WE MANAGING THAT, HOW ARE WE MAINTAINING IT TO BE SAFE FOR ALL USERS? SO THINGS LIKE STREET SWEEPING IS A SAFETY APPROACH TO HELP ENSURE THAT YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE IN THE SHOULDER RIDING YOUR BIKE. YOU'RE NOT RUNNING INTO SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE YOU TO VEER OUT INTO INTO TRAFFIC SIGNAGE, THE PAINT STRIPING, THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT ARE JUST SAFETY PROGRAMS THAT WE MANAGE THAT THAT ASSET BOTH TO EXTEND ITS USEFUL LIFE, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT SAFETY FOR ALL USERS. SO HOW WE CAN USE SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, NON SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE SAFETY. SO THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN THERE IS DESIGNED TO DO. SO THEN WE GET A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS. THE BIG PROJECTS. HOW DO WE DECIDE TO DO WHATEVER IT IS WE'RE DOING IN THE RIGHTS OF WAY WHEN IT COMES TO CHANGE? SO THESE PARTICULAR DECISIONS ARE ARE ONES THAT I THINK THE COMMISSION HEARS MORE ABOUT, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE IN THE THICK OF THE TELLING THE PUBLIC WE'RE COMING THROUGH WITH A CAPITAL PROJECT OR OR WE'RE 
          [02:25:05]
STARTING A CAPITAL PROJECT A LOT ABOUT WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? WHY ARE WE DOING IT THIS WAY, IS WHAT YOU TEND TO HEAR ABOUT. SO WE WANTED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEPER DIVE ABOUT KIND OF HOW AN IDEA GETS TO THE POINT OF IMPLEMENTATION. SO JUST HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF OUR ORGANIZATION JUST TO HELP FOLKS NAVIGATE THE CITY SYSTEMS HERE. SO THE MAJOR SOURCE OF FUNDING THAT WE HAVE FOR THE BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT YOU SEE IS WHEN IT'S NOT OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, WHEN IT'S THE CITY'S MONEY. SO SO WE DO VERY WELL HERE IN LEVERAGING OUR OWN MONEY AND BRINGING IN GRANTS FROM MDOT OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY RESOURCES, IT'S REALLY THE VITAL STREETS INCOME TAX AND INCOME TAX THAT COMES THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AND THAT EXPIRES IN 2030. AND SO THAT'S SORT OF THE THE MAIN BUCKET OF FUNDING THAT WE HAVE. AND WE MADE SOME VERY SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS TO THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY ADOPTED THAT. SO A LOT OF THE LEADING EDGE INVESTMENTS OF VITAL STREETS ARE AROUND ASSET MANAGEMENT AND VERY TRADITIONAL GOOD GOVERNANCE. MAINTAIN WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU BUILD NEW AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE MAINTAINING THINGS IN A WAY THAT EXTENDS THEIR USEFUL LIFE. THE TAXPAYERS GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THAT INVESTMENT. AND WE WE ARE VERY WE TAKE THAT COMMITMENT VERY SERIOUSLY. AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF GOOD, TRANSPARENT INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AND DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS ABOUT HOW WE MAKE SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER. WE HAVE SOME OTHER SMALLER POOLS OF MONEY, BUCKETS OF MONEY THAT ARE LARGELY ADMINISTERED BY MOBILE GR THAT ARE REALLY SPECIFIC TO TRAFFIC SAFETY TYPES OF PROJECTS. SO THINK OF THESE AS YOUR SMALLER SCALE SORTS OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. WE'RE NOT SORT OF REIMAGINING CURB TO CURB, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN DATA IN FROM VARIOUS PLACES THAT TELL US WE NEED TO COME IN WITH SOME TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES OR SOME IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN CALMING MEASURES, SOME IMPROVED BIKE LANE KINDS OF MEASURES, BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING MORE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CARS AND THOSE OTHER USERS THAN WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, OR MAYBE MORE CAR TO CAR ACCIDENTS. SO WE LOOK AT SOME SMALLER SCALE, BUT STILL KIND OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL HELP US WITH THAT. SO THEN WE GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT BUDGET AND WE CAN TALK MORE. WE KNOW THERE ARE THERE'S ACTIVITY AT THE STATE LEVEL HERE THAT IS CHANGING HOW ACT $51. THIS IS A STATE LEVEL ACT THAT GIVES PASSES THROUGH MONEY TO THE LOCAL TO US LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. AND THERE ARE SOME CHANGES IN THE WAY THAT FORMULA IS WORKING, SOME CHANGES IN THE SOURCES OF THOSE FUNDS. SOME OF THAT IS NOW BEING LITIGATED, SOME OF THAT IS STILL NEEDING TO BE ESTIMATED. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT AS PART OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS. BUT AGAIN, JUST WHERE WE CHANNEL THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE, WE REALLY DO AGAIN, LOOK AT VITAL STREETS AS THAT ASSET MANAGEMENT FIRST. SO WHERE ARE OUR PAVEMENT RATINGS REALLY BAD OR REALLY ON THE LOW END OF THE SCALE? WE NEED TO COME IN AND CORRECT THEM IN A MAJOR WAY. AND THEN WHERE ARE WE DOING MAJOR UNDERGROUND UTILITY PROJECTS. SO WHERE DO WE NEED WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT? WHERE MIGHT WE BE DOING THE SIGNIFICANT LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT THAT KNOW THAT WHERE WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE DIGGING UP THE STREETS. SO WE MIGHT AS WELL REIMAGINE THE CURB TO CURB AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE. SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE APPROACH WHERE WE'RE GOING TO THINK ABOUT THE MAJOR PROJECTS. AND THE THE MORE DISCRETE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT THAT YOU ARE HEARING A LOT ABOUT. SO WE DO THAT KIND OF PLANNING KIND OF ON A ROLLING FIVE YEAR BASIS. 
          SO WHEN THE BUDGET COMES TO YOU, YOU'RE ADOPTING A FIVE YEAR CAPITAL PLAN. SO NEXT YEAR, NEXT YEAR'S PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IN THAT CAPITAL PLAN FOR THE MOST PART FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. 
          THAT'S WHAT ROLE THAT'S KIND OF ROLLING. WE DO EVALUATE, YOU KNOW, THE MORE RECENT YEARS. DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE COST ESTIMATE. DO WE NEED TO RESEQUENCE BECAUSE THERE'S AN AVAILABLE POT OF SOMEBODY ELSE'S MONEY WE COULD LEVERAGE HERE. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT NEW PROJECTS, WE'RE LOOKING LIKE FIVE YEARS OUT THAT THAT THAT FIFTH YEAR THAT WE'RE ADDING INTO THE PLAN. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR ROLLING FIVE YEAR CAPITAL PLAN. AND OBVIOUSLY BUDGET CONVERSATIONS COME TO THE COMMISSION AND WE USE THE FOCUS AREAS YOU ALL JUST WENT THROUGH TO TO HELP US REFINE SOME OF THAT. IN ADDITION TO THE FACTORS THAT ARE HERE ON THIS SLIDE. CAN I CAN I JUST STOP YOU THERE A SECOND? KATE, I, I WOULD LIKE OUR THIS GROUP TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT ABOUT THAT THAT BASIC FRAMEWORK AT SOME POINT. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE NOW. BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S WE HAVE A LOT OF 
          [02:30:02]
EMPHASIS ON FIVE YEAR PLANNING AND LIKE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO COMPLETELY REDO A STREET. AND HISTORICALLY, WE'VE DONE THE COMPLETE STREETS MODEL WHERE WE SORT OF LIKE, OH, IF WE'RE GOING TO DIG UP A SEWER LINE, LET'S BUILD THE ROAD ON TOP OF IT. I DON'T THINK THAT CAPTURES EVERYTHING. AND IF YOU SAW IN THAT LAST SLIDE VERY LITTLE MONEY IS GOING INTO MOBILE. GR INTO THINGS LIKE LIKE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. I THINK THAT THERE'S A MIDDLE GROUND OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT ARE POTENTIALLY REVERSIBLE, FAIRLY CHEAP AND FAIRLY QUICK, AND THOSE AREN'T THINGS THAT FIT INTO THAT TRADITIONAL MODEL. SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD THERE ARE THINGS YOU COULD DO. AND I AND I ALSO THINK THAT THE THE VITAL THE COMPLETE STREETS MODEL DOESN'T GIVE YOU CONTINUITY IN SOME OF THIS STUFF AS WELL AS WE COULD BUILD CONTINUITY. SO DOING A GREAT BIKE LANE FOR TWO BLOCKS BECAUSE YOUR SEWER LINE BROKE GIVES YOU A TWO BLOCK BIKE LANE, BUT NOBODY GOES FOR A TWO BLOCK BIKE RIDE. SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE I THINK THAT THERE'S A MIDDLE SPACE THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHETHER WE WANT TO REEMPHASIZE AND REIMAGINE. AND I DON'T MEAN TO JUST DROP THAT, DROP THAT THOUGHT. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. YEAH. AND WHEN WE GET TO THE END, I'LL BE SORT OF WHERE WHERE ARE THE COMMISSION OPPORTUNITIES TO WEIGH IN AND PULL SOME OF THOSE LEVERS AND CERTAINLY BUDGET AND BUDGET PRIORITIZATION AND HOW BIG EACH OF THOSE BUCKETS IS COMPARED TO EACH OTHER IS ONE OF THOSE LEVERS. SO WE'LL WE'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT AT THE END AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. SO THEN WE GET INTO KIND OF HOW DO WE DECIDE WHICH OF THOSE IN AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR ROLLING FIVE YEAR PLAN. HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT THOSE MAJOR THE MAJOR PROJECTS. NOW WE'RE KIND OF SHIFTING INTO THOSE MAJOR REBUILD PROJECTS, EITHER BECAUSE IT'S A STREET, IT'S AN AREA WHERE THE THE PAVEMENT RATING, THE PACER RATING, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD US SAY IS, IS QUITE DEGRADED. AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO COME IN AND DO A MAJOR REHAUL OR WE'RE DOING THAT WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE IN THIS AREA NOW. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BUILD WHEN WE GET THERE. AND SO HERE ON THE SCREEN ARE JUST ALL OF THE PLANS THAT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IN OUR RIGHTS OF WAY. SO AGAIN, THESE ARE PLANS THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO, BUT ALSO PLANS THAT COMMISSION IN SOME TIME FRAME AND IN SOME ITERATION OF, OF YOUR PREDECESSORS OR YOURSELVES, HAVE SET THOSE KIND OF POLICY OBJECTIVES ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IN THE RIGHTS OF WAY. AND BACK TO TO MY ORIGIN STORY. WE'RE TRYING TO DO A LOT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO A LOT AROUND LIVABILITY, WALKABILITY, URBAN ENVIRONMENT. 
          LET'S HAVE THIS PIECE OF PUBLIC OWNERSHIP, THIS PIECE OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT, BE SEEN AS AN ASSET THAT'S THAT'S DOING MORE THAN JUST CONVEYING PEOPLE FROM POINT A TO POINT B, AND SO THAT RESULTS IN TRADE OFFS. I DID WANT TO FLAG, IN PARTICULAR, JUST THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AREA SPECIFIC PLANS IN PARTICULAR. SO WE HAVE SOME AREA SPECIFIC PLANS THAT TAKE A LOT OF THESE IDEAS AND SORT OF NARROW THEM DOWN AND GIVE US EVEN MORE SPECIFICITY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. AND SO JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES HERE, THERE'S OR OR SOME OF THE TRADE OFFS HERE, THERE'S A PART OF THE GRANVILLE AREA SPECIFIC PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT TALKS ABOUT A SPECIFIC A SPECIFIC STREET AND SAYS WHEN WE COME BACK THROUGH HERE AND DO A MAJOR CAPITAL PLAN, WE SHOULD ACCOMMODATE ON STREET PARKING, ACCOMMODATE BIKES, TIGHTEN UP THE CURB, REMOVE TRUCK ROUTES, CONSOLIDATE BUS STOPS, NARROW THE LANES, INSTALL BUS BULBS AND INSTALL A BULB OUT. AND SO THIS IS ALL IN THE SAME, YOU KNOW, THE SAME 60 40FT THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS PARTICULAR ROAD, ALL IN SERVICE OF THAT COMMUNITY AND ALL AFTER ENGAGEMENT WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLANNING PROCESS AND THE AREA SPECIFIC PLAN UPDATES, TO SAY WE SHOULD TRY TO DELIVER ALL THAT IN THIS AREA. GREAT. SO THAT'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION. THAT'S THE LAUNCH POINT FOR A LOT OF CONVERSATION. 
          AND FEEDBACK. THE OTHER THING, THE OTHER QUOTE THAT I WANTED TO READ, JUST BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY GREAT SEGUE FROM KIND OF PROGRAMING AND EDUCATION AND AWARENESS TO THE THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGINEERING IN THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS. AND THE ENGINEERING DESIGN IN PARTICULAR IS FROM THE CRESTON AREA SPECIFIC PLAN. SO THERE'S A QUOTE IN THERE THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY GOOD THAT NOTED THAT THE CITY HAD MADE IMPROVEMENTS BY INSTALLING CROSSWALKS, SIGNAGE, AND UPDATING POLICIES TO REQUIRE CARS TO STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CROSSWALKS. 
          HOWEVER, THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS REVEALED THAT DRIVERS OFTEN DON'T FOLLOW THOSE UPDATED POLICIES, LEAVING PEDESTRIANS UNCOMFORTABLE CROSSING AT THESE LOCATIONS. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD FLAG FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN REINFORCING WHAT IT IS WE WANT THE PEOPLE TO DO, AND SO THAT, I THINK, SETS THE STAGE FOR A LOT OF THE TECHNIQUES THAT YOU SEE NOW, TRAFFIC CIRCLES, THESE THINGS, THEY TEND TO BE UNPOPULAR TO 
          [02:35:03]
DRIVERS. AND I'LL SAY AS A DRIVER, WHEN I'M A DRIVER, I'M LIKE, GOSH, I GOTTA SLOW DOWN. 
          I WANT TO GO 45. I GOT TO GO TO A PLACE. BUT THEN WHEN I'M A WALKER, I'M LIKE, PEOPLE ARE GOING WAY TOO SLOW WHEN I'M WEEDING MY YARD AND PEOPLE ARE GOING BY AT 45, LIKE, DO YOU NOT SEE ME DOWN HERE WEEDING MY YARD? SO WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN USER EXPERIENCE, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF WISDOM, A LOT OF TRAINING, A LOT OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE THAT TAKES THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE, TAKES OUR OWN PERSONAL POINTS OF VIEW. WHEN WE'RE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF USER IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND TRIES TO GET TO THE ENGINEERING SOLUTION THAT DRIVES THE BEHAVIORS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE TENSION POINTS IS THAT REALLY A LOT OF THE BEHAVIOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS SLOWING CARS DOWN. SLOWING CARS DOWN IS GOING TO BE THE NUMBER ONE WAY THAT WE CAN TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, SEPARATING THE VULNERABLE USERS FROM THE CARS IS ONE OF THE OTHER MAJOR ENGINEERING WAYS THAT WE WILL HELP PEOPLE STAY AND FEEL SAFER IN THE RIGHTS OF WAY. SO THEN HERE WE ARE AT ALL RIGHT. WE'RE DOING A CAPITAL PROJECT. WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL THOSE PLANS. WE NOW HAVE A PROJECT TEAM THAT'S COMING TOGETHER TO HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO TAKE ALL OF THAT PROJECT TEAM THAT'S TRAINED, THAT HAS THE SCIENCE THAT THAT REVIEWS THE BEST PRACTICES. SO THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHO OUR PROJECT TEAM IS. SO AGAIN, THOSE ARE LED OUT OF OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. BUT YOU'LL SEE THE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATION THERE ON THE PROJECT TEAM. THIS IS THE GROUP THAT'S GOING TO WORK TOGETHER THROUGH THE DESIGN, THROUGH THE BID, THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUCCESSFULLY DELIVER THAT PROJECT. AND YOU CAN SEE THEY DO SOME WORK IN ADVANCE OF OF OF BEFORE PEN GOES TO PAPER, THEY LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS OUT THERE. THEY DO SOME SURVEYS. THEY LOOK AT DATA THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, AND THEN THEY START WITH OUR VITAL STREETS DESIGN GUIDELINES. SO I'LL GET TO THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE. BUT VITAL STREETS WAS A REALLY ROBUST BODY OF WORK THAT SET THE STAGE FOR WHAT WE CALL STREET TYPOLOGIES. SO THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHAT HOW DOES EACH STREET OPERATE? WHAT IS IT DOING HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE DIMENSIONS OF THINGS LIKE THE CAR LANES, LIKE THE SIDEWALK. SO AGAIN, THAT GIVES US SOME MINIMUMS THAT WE THEN HAVE TO BUILD ON. AND SO THEN AGAIN, WE DO A LOT OF COORDINATION WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT THEN OWN SOME OF THOSE PLANS THAT WE SHARED BEFORE AROUND STREET TREES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE LAND USE VISION FOR THAT PARTICULAR AREA, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ALL OF THAT ENDS UP GIVING US SOME DESIGN ALTERNATIVES. THAT IS ALSO SHARED WITH WHAT WE CALL OUR DESIGN TEAM. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DESIGN TEAM, THAT'S A GROUP THAT IS ESTABLISHED BY ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY. IT INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES FROM MANY, MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING PLANNING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MOBILE GR, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. IT ALSO HAS SOME OUTSIDE EXPERTS, SO WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM THE KENT COUNTY DISABILITY ADVOCATES AND THE RAPID. THAT GROUP LOOKS NOT ONLY AT PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT BUT AT OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING RIGHTS OF WAY AND PROVIDES IMPACT OR INPUT ON THAT. THE DESIGN TEAM'S CHARGE, I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING IS TO CREATE GREAT PLACES, ACCOMPLISH ASSET MANAGEMENT, SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR BALANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF INVESTMENTS. SO AGAIN, A GROUP THAT IS TASKED WITH REALLY THINKING ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLANS AND VISIONS AND MAKING THOSE TRADE OFFS. SO HERE JUST A LITTLE SNAPSHOT FROM VITAL STREETS AGAIN TO SHARE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SOURCE DOCUMENTS THAT WE LOOK AT THAT HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THOSE RIGHTS OF WAY. SO YOU SEE ON THE LEFT THE TYPES OF STREETS. AND REALLY WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE WHOLE CITY AND, AND DESIGNATED THESE TYPES OF STREETS. IN SOME CASES, THE AREA SPECIFIC PLANS HAVE BUILT ON THAT AND MADE VERY SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE TYPES OF STREETS THAT ARE IN THOSE AREAS AND WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. AND THEN THE GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT PROBABLY CAN'T READ IT, BUT IT DOES. IT SETS SOME OF THOSE MINIMUM DIMENSIONS FOR THE COMPONENTS OF THE RIGHTS OF WAY. SO, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS ARE EXPECTED TO BE WIDER, FOR EXAMPLE, IN AN URBAN CENTER THAN THEY ARE ON SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL STREETS JUST BECAUSE OF THE FOOT TRAFFIC WE EXPECT THEM TO CONVEY. AND THEN THAT TELLS US SOME MINIMUMS THAT WE HAVE TO GO FROM. SO THEN WE GET TO THE ENGAGEMENT PART OF THE PROCESS. 
          SO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND CANDIDLY, THIS IS WHERE I THINK WE HAVE NOT I THINK I KNOW FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, PARTICULARLY POST-PANDEMIC, WE'VE HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE AREN'T MEETING THEIR EXPECTATIONS HERE. AND WE'RE PROBABLY NOT MEETING THE COMMISSION'S EXPECTATIONS HERE. AND THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE STARTED A PROCESS IMPROVEMENT. 
          AND I'LL I'LL DO A VERY BRIEF UPDATE ON THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE. AND WE ARE IN THE MIDST 
          [02:40:01]
OF THAT PROCESS IMPROVEMENT. SO FROM THE HOW FROM THE PLANS THAT WE SHARED, A COUPLE SLIDES BACK TO THIS PARTIAL PORTION OF THE PROCESS, DESIGNING THE BIG PROJECTS ALL THE WAY THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION AND CONSTRUCTION. CLOSEOUT OF THE BIG PROJECTS IS THE SCOPE OF OUR ENGAGEMENT PROCESS IMPROVEMENT. LAST MARCH OR MARCH OF 25 AT A COMMUNITY NIGHT OUT, WE SHARED THAT WE WERE GOING TO REALLY DIAL IN THIS CONSTRUCTION SEASON ON THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD OF THAT, THAT WE WERE GOING TO CIRCLE BACK AFTER THIS CONSTRUCTION SEASON AND, AND, AND REALLY DIVE IN ON THE DESIGN ENGAGEMENT PART OF THAT. SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE ARE. SO WE ARE ALMOST CLOSING OUT THE 25 CONSTRUCTION SEASON. IT'S BEEN GREAT WHETHER THAT'S KNOCK ON WOOD. SO WE'VE HAD A LONG CONSTRUCTION SEASON. WE WILL BE DOING SOME STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ON THOSE SUPER SIX PROJECTS AND DETERMINING WHICH OF THE TOOLS, NEW TOOLS THAT WE PILOTED AROUND ENGAGEMENT WERE HELPFUL AND WHICH ONES WERE MAYBE NOT HELPFUL OR NOT WORTH THE EFFORT TO GET THERE. SO THAT WILL HELP US REFINE WHAT WE'RE DOING DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS IN ON THE ENGAGEMENT PERIOD AND THE ENGAGEMENT, THE DESIGN PERIOD, ENGAGEMENT. BUT USING THE LANGUAGE NOW THAT WE'RE MOVING TO FOR OVERALL CITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK, REALLY MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IN THIS PART OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS INFORM. WE ALSO SEEK FEEDBACK. WE ALMOST NEVER CO-CREATE. SO AGAIN, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS USER EXPERIENCE, LIVED EXPERIENCE, SOME OF THE REFINED INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE OR INTERACT OR HAVE BUSINESSES ON A RIGHT OF WAY. 
          NO, BUT WE HAVE TO FILTER THAT THROUGH THE PLANS AND POLICY OBJECTIVES THAT THIS BODY HAS SET. WE HAVE TO FILTER THAT THROUGH THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE. IF THIS IS YOUR EXPERIENCE AND THIS IS THE DESIRE, THEN THIS IS THE SORT OF ENGINEERING THAT WILL MODIFY BEHAVIOR TO GET TO THAT RESULT. SO THAT'S A PLACE WHERE THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE REALLY IS KIND OF THE FINAL. 
          FRAMEWORK AGAINST WHICH WE HAVE TO COMPARE THOSE PLANS. AND WE HAVE TO HAVE AN ENGINEER STAMP THOSE PLANS AND SAY THAT I AM COMFORTABLE THAT THIS MEETS BEST PRACTICES AND WILL BE SAFE FOR ALL USERS, WHICH IS A WEIGHTY OBLIGATION FOR SOMEONE TO UNDERTAKE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SORT OF THE FINAL FILTER AND THE FINAL STAMP OF APPROVAL, IF YOU WILL, QUITE LITERALLY. 
          SO HERE WE'RE MOSTLY INFORMING. BUT AS I SAID, WE DO WE SEEK THE INPUT OF LIVED EXPERIENCE SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE SOME ABILITY TO TWEAK DESIGN OR TO CHANGE WHERE THINGS, YOU KNOW, LIKE LET'S SAY WE THOUGHT WE NEEDED ACCESSIBLE PARKING IN THESE AREAS AND WE FIND SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT A BUSINESS OR A USER THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ADD SOME MORE ACCESSIBLE PARKING ELSEWHERE OR SHIFT IT SLIGHTLY FROM HERE TO THERE. THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ARE WHERE WE MIGHT MAKE SOME DESIGN REFINEMENTS, AND THEN WE REENGAGE. IF THOSE CHANGES ARE NOTABLE, AND THEN WE PREPARE PEOPLE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION TIME PERIOD. AND SO AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE GOING. WE ARE CONTINUALLY UPDATING. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO START LEANING ON THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK LANGUAGE. SO IT'S CLEAR WHEN PEOPLE ARE INVITED TO A MEETING, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR. AND SO ARE WE JUST INFORMING? SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T LOVE THAT, THAT WE'RE JUST INFORMING THEM, AND WE'RE AT THE PLACE WHERE THE CONTRACT'S ALREADY BEEN AWARDED AND THE THE SHOVELS ARE ABOUT TO HIT THE GROUND. AND SOMEONE SAYS, BOY, I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE DOING THIS. SO THAT'S A DISAPPOINTING THING, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE INVITING PEOPLE TO COME TO THE MEETING TO DO. AND WE WE KNOW WE HAVE IMPROVEMENTS THERE TO MAKE. SO AGAIN, JUST A QUICK UPDATE. I'VE TOUCHED ON MOST OF THIS ALREADY IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, AND WE CAN DO A DEEPER DIVE ON THIS AT A DIFFERENT VENUE WHEN TIME ALLOWS. BUT JUST AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 2026 CONSTRUCTION SEASON. I THINK THOSE OF YOU ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAVE HEARD THIS A COUPLE TIMES, BUT THE CONTRACTOR BASE IS VERY BUSY RIGHT NOW. ONE OF THE TECHNIQUES THAT WE HAVE FOUND THAT HAS BEEN HELPFUL IN KEEPING OUR OUR COSTS AND GETTING GOOD BID RESPONSES IS GIVING A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY ON TIMING. SO YOU SAW ACTUALLY A NUMBER OF CONTRACTS THAT WERE APPROVED THIS YEAR WHERE WE ACTUALLY SAID TO THE CONTRACTOR, YOU COULD DO IT IN 25 OR 26 AND, AND SEVERAL OPTED IN TO 26. AND WE'RE SEEING SOME GOOD RESULTS FOR, YOU KNOW, EFFICIENT USE OF TAXPAYER RESOURCES. THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST RESULT IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WANTING TO KNOW EXACTLY WHEN WE'RE STARTING THAT PROJECT. SO, AGAIN, AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAR COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS, AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT PROCESS IMPROVEMENT. SO HERE WE ARE NOW 
          [02:45:04]
JUST ON THE NEXT KIND OF FINAL FEW SLIDES WE'RE GETTING INTO HERE. WE'VE DESIGNED THE PROJECT. WE'VE TALKED TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT IT. WE'VE HEARD THEIR INPUT, WE'VE REFINED IT. 
          NOW WE'VE FINALIZED THE DESIGN. WE'VE WE ARE GOING TO GO OUT TO BID. THEN WE DO SOME ENGAGEMENT AROUND. ALL RIGHT. CONSTRUCTION IS COMING. THIS COULD BE THINGS AROUND PHASING AND CIRCULATION. 
          AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT COMMUNITY. SO WE KNOW AND CAN PROVIDE THE CONTRACTOR WITH FEEDBACK ON HOW TO THINK ABOUT SIGNAGE, WAYFINDING, CIRCULATION ROUTES, DETOUR ROUTES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS GET PLANNED AT THIS PHASE OF THE PROJECT. WE DO HAVE SOME MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. WE MUST MAINTAIN PEDESTRIAN ACCESS DURING CONSTRUCTION, SO WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO GET PEOPLE AROUND AND THROUGH THOSE SITES. BIKE ACCESS IS IS DIFFERENT. AND SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SAFETY THERE. IT'S SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE THINK ABOUT FOR EACH OF THOSE USERS, INCLUDING PARKING AND DETOUR ROUTES. AND THEN WE JUST WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON SOME BEFORE AND AFTER. AND WE CAN CERTAINLY CIRCLE BACK TO ANY OF THESE, BUT WE WANTED TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, IN ON SOME REAL PROJECTS, HOW WE HAD TO KIND OF RETROFIT OUR EXISTING DIMENSIONS TO DO A LOT OF DELIVER A LOT OF THOSE BENEFITS THAT OUR PLANS ARE LOOKING FOR. 
          SO WE TRIED ACROSS ALL OF THESE SLIDES AND YOU ALL HAVE COPIES, SO WE CAN ALWAYS ANSWER QUESTIONS AGAIN, MORE SPECIFICALLY AS TIME ALLOWS IN A DIFFERENT VENUE. YOU HAVE THIS RESOURCE IN FRONT OF YOU. BUT HERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE DETERIORATED PAVEMENT. WE HAD THE, YOU KNOW, LACK OF SOME GREEN SPACE AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE DEFINITELY SEE ENHANCEMENTS IN THE AFTER CONDITION. WE USED A LOT OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES HERE THAT YOU CAN SEE TO HELP REDUCE SPEEDS AND INCREASE SAFETY FOR THOSE MORE VULNERABLE USERS. 
          THE DATA POINTS THAT YOU SEE ABOUT REDUCTIONS IN SPEEDS AND ACCIDENTS, AND FROM FEDERAL, FOR THE MOST PART, FEDERAL HIGHWAY RESEARCH AND STUDIES THAT THEY HAVE DONE. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. THIS IS KIND OF NATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND NATIONAL STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, NOT A SPECIFIC STUDY WE DID ON CESAR CHAVEZ OR ANY OF THE OTHER STREET BEFORE AND AFTER THAT, YOU SEE HERE. BUT AGAIN, STATE STREET. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WE DO. 
          WE ARE BLESSED WITH SOME BRICK STREETS THAT HAVE THEIR OWN CHALLENGES AND THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY VALUABLE TO THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE CHARACTER AND THE LOOK AND FEEL AND THE THEY EVOKE SOME OF THE HISTORY OF GRAND RAPIDS. AND SO, FOR THE MOST PART, WHERE WE HAVE. THAT'S A DIFFERENT ANIMAL IN TERMS OF HOW THAT CONSTRUCTION WORKS AND THE TIME. 
          BUT YOU CAN SEE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS HERE ON STATE STREET WAS A RECENT PROJECT THAT WE DID. AND SO YOU'LL SEE, WE DID SOME ENHANCEMENTS WITH THE STREET TREES, STREET TREES. 
          THEY'RE UNFORTUNATELY NOT LEAFED OUT HERE. SO YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THEM VERY WELL IN THE AFTER CONDITION. BUT AS THEY GROW UP, THEY DO ACTUALLY TEND TO HELP PEOPLE REDUCE. 
          THEY THEY TEND TO BE A BUFFER AND REDUCE SPEEDS THEMSELVES IN ADDITION TO THE AIR QUALITY AND OTHER GREAT BENEFITS THAT THEY PROVIDE TO LIVABILITY AND THE FEEL OF WALKABILITY, ADA IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALWAYS SOMETHING WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO. SO A LOT OF OUR STREETS WERE BUILT PRE ADA REQUIREMENTS. THAT'S ONE OF THOSE FOUNDATIONAL INCLUSION AND AND SAFETY PIECES THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT EVERYWHERE THAT WE ARE REBUILDING STREETS IN THIS SIGNIFICANT WAY. AND STREET AGAIN HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE PARKING CONFIGURATION. SO HERE WE KEPT ON STREET PARKING ON ONE SIDE, NOT BOTH SIDES. IN ORDER TO CREATE MORE SPACE TO DO SOME OF THE OTHER BENEFICIAL CHANGES TO THE SIDEWALK DIMENSIONS AND ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE AND BUFFERING THE SIDEWALK A LITTLE, OR THE BIKE LANE A LITTLE BIT WITH THAT SORT OF GUTTER FEATURE THAT YOU SEE TO AGAIN, CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE FOR THAT PARTICULAR BIKE FUNCTIONALITY. AND FULLER AVENUE HIGHLIGHTING HERE. SOME OF OUR PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS, CROSSWALK IMPROVEMENTS, AND YOU'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, MORE SIGNAGE, STRIPING, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS CAN AGAIN HELP JUST DRIVERS BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THEM. SO THE MORE SIGNALS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE TO DRIVERS, THE BETTER OUTCOMES WE HAVE. ALL RIGHT. I'M JUST GOING TO FLIP THROUGH THESE ONES QUICKLY. YOU'RE SEEING SOME OF THE SAME TECHNIQUES USED IN MULTIPLE PLACES. SO THEN AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO WHAT'S NEXT BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO YOU AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT COMMISSION FOCUS AREAS RELATED TO MOBILITY, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE FORTHCOMING. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET. OBVIOUSLY, THE BUDGET IS IS A LEVER AS WE 
          [02:50:05]
UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT AVAILABLE RESOURCES, PARTICULARLY WITH THE STATE CHANGES. THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY, AS THE MAYOR WAS ALLUDING TO, TO LOOKING AT, ARE WE RIGHTSIZING WHERE WE'RE SENDING THOSE DOLLARS? SHOULD WE BE SENDING SOME MORE INTO SOME OF THOSE TRAFFIC SAFETY OR TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAMS, THE SMALLER PROJECTS, BUT CAN BE IMPACTFUL DEPENDING ON HOW WE PRIORITIZE THAT LEVEL OF FUNDING. AND THEN TO GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL. 
          OBVIOUSLY, THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION. THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN SETS THE 20 YEAR VISION AND TALKS A LOT ABOUT GROWTH, LIVABILITY, MOBILITY. 
          OUR MOBILITY SYSTEM IS A KEY PART OF SUPPORTING ALL OF THAT VISION. AND SO AS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN ROLLS FORWARD, ONE OF OUR AREAS OF FOCUS OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS OR SO WILL BE WHAT WE'RE CALLING MOBILITY BLUEPRINT. SO THAT'S REALLY TRANSLATING THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN INTO THE MOBILITY SPHERE AND TRYING TO PUT UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF KIND OF OF THIS MOBILITY BLUEPRINT, SOME OF OUR EXISTING POLICIES, LIKE OUR PET ACTION PLAN, BUT ALSO PUTTING IN SOME NEW POLICIES THAT WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN VISION, HAVING IT ALL UNDER ONE UMBRELLA, MAKING IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH ALL OF OUR MODES OF TRAVEL. AND SO THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A PLACE WHERE THE COMMISSION WILL BE VERY INVOLVED IN SETTING SOME OF THE POLICY. YOU'LL SEE THERE ARE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS NOT ONLY AT THE CITY COMMISSION, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE MOBILE GR COMMISSION, VITAL STREETS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, PLANNING COMMISSION, ALL WILL BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT. AND CITIZEN, COMMUNITY AND RESIDENTS SMALL BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT ALONG THE WAY. SO THAT'LL BE ONE OF THOSE DEEP DIVES THAT HOPEFULLY WILL SET THE TONE FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH MOBILITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND WILL BECOME THAT KIND OF FOUNDATIONAL PIECE THAT WE LOOK BACK TO AS WE MAKE SOME OF THESE DAY TO DAY AND PROJECT TO PROJECT DECISIONS. AND THAT CONNECTS US BACK TO THE COMMISSION'S FOCUS AREAS. SO YOU SEE THERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN ARE THE DRAFT FOCUS AREA STATEMENTS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY. THERE IS ALSO THE THE IMPROVED ENGAGEMENT THAT'S UNDER GOOD GOVERNANCE THAT WE DIDN'T FLAG HERE. BUT WITH THAT, WE'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE MAYOR TO TALK ABOUT THAT PART OF THE FOCUS AREAS. AND ALSO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT THIS TOPIC, WHICH IS HUGE. GREAT. SO THANKS, MISS BEHRENS. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS IT'S ALWAYS I THINK WE'RE PULLING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT OUR THE VISION HAS BEEN GREAT AND IT'S IT'S GOOD TO SEE A LOT OF THE BEST PRACTICES IN THIS, IN THIS SPACE START TO GET IMPLEMENTED IN THE CITY. AND IT'S AND IT'S TRUE THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US WHO'VE, YOU KNOW, WATCHED THIS FOR A LONG TIME HAVE SEEN A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONSISTENCY. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL OF THE CONVERSATION HERE, I THINK HAS TO BE IN THE CONTEXT OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I HOPE, MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND AND SO AGAIN, THE QUESTION OF HOW WE CAN DO BETTER HERE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF OUR ANY COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK COMMISSIONERS. COMMISSIONER PUT HER HAND UP FIRST. MAYBE. OR MAYBE I JUST SAW IT FIRST. HIS ARMS PROBABLY LONGER THAN MINE, BUT COMMISSIONER KILGORE'S NEXT. I SAW A TWITCH OVER THERE. AT LEAST IT WENT UP AND DOWN PRETTY FAST. THANK YOU FOR THIS. 
          I THINK THIS IS LIKE PROBABLY THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW I'VE EVER HAD ON ANY TOPIC. SO THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO PUT THIS IN MY LITTLE PHONE, A FRIEND. AND I THINK IT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THESE THINGS SORT OF AT THE END PROCESS. AND LIKE I SAID, THE TIMELINES ASSOCIATED WITH IT I THINK ARE WHAT IS OFTEN THE CHALLENGING THING BECAUSE THEN WE DECIDE SOMETHING OR SOME, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT MIGHT NOT COME TO US FOR A VOTE, BUT IT'S COMMUNICATED OR DISCUSSED AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS. 
          YOU KNOW, I THINK, AGAIN, CASE IN POINT WITH SOME OF THESE CORRIDORS, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW IN CESAR CHAVEZ THAT BUSINESS CORRIDOR HAD A LOT OF THAT FRUSTRATION OVER THAT YEAR, AS ALSO, YOU KNOW, NOT IS VERY MUCH A LOT OF IMMIGRANT LATINO BUSINESSES. AND SO WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE LESS ACCESS TO CAPITAL. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS JUST INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, NOW WHO ARE NOW AFRAID TO GO INTO PLACES. AND SO THAT JUST SORT OF IS THAT WAS CHALLENGED LAST YEAR, PLUS THE ECONOMIC REALITIES OF RIGHT NOW. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE DESIGN TEAM. 
          DID YOU ALSO SAY IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ALSO A PART OF THAT WORK RIGHT NOW? THE PROJECT TEAM INCLUDES A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SPECIALIST. I SORRY, I DON'T KNOW HIS TITLE, BUT YES, SO THAT'S IN THE PROJECT TEAM. SO EVEN IN THE DAY TO DAY ADVICE. 
          [02:55:02]
BUT THAT IS AN AREA AGAIN THAT THE THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IS LOOKING AT. ARE WE RESOURCED APPROPRIATELY FOR THAT GIVEN THE LEVEL OF KIND OF COMMUNICATION AND THAT WE'VE ALLUDED TO HERE, PEOPLE KIND OF EXPECT TO BE TAPPED ON THE SHOULDER LIKE, HEY, DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS HAPPENING? AND SO WE MAY NEED TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HOW WE RESOURCE THAT. BUT YES, ON THE PROJECT TEAM. YEAH. TO CLARIFY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, ANDREA AND HER TEAM ARE ONLY INVOLVED IF THEY'RE ADDED AND NEEDED ENGAGEMENT ESCALATION. BUT THE ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST IS WITHIN ONE OF THE OPERATING DEPARTMENTS. YES, WITHIN ONE OF THE OPERATING DEPARTMENTS. OKAY. I THINK THAT GOES TO LIKE HOW DO WE HAVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SORT OF COLLECTIVELY. AND I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A TOPIC FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THE QUESTION. SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. I THINK THE OTHER QUESTION ON SOME OF THE LIKE ON THE CONSTRUCTION PIECES, AND I SEE JEFF'S HERE TOO. SO IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU AWARD THE CONTRACT THE TIMING. BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THESE SUBS INVOLVED. AND SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS. COLLEAGUES OF A SITE WAS LEFT AT A WAY THAT WAS NOT TO THE LEVEL OF OUR GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE. AND THERE COULD BE ALL THOSE REALITIES. IT'S IT'S PROBABLY NOT BECAUSE THE SUB REALLY WANTED TO DO THAT. BUT ARE THERE CHALLENGES WITH THAT? SO I THINK THAT'S OFTENTIMES WHERE WE'RE FEELING THAT PAIN POINT TO OUR OFFICES. I THINK YOU HAD SOMEBODY LAST YEAR WHERE IT WAS LIKE THE BIKE LANE AT ANN STREET, WHICH THEN THAT WAS ANOTHER THING. LIKE THE PERSON COULDN'T GET TO WHERE TO THEIR CAR, COULDN'T GET TO THE VEHICLE THAT WAS PICKING THEM UP. SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT'S A VERY SMALL THING IN THIS, BUT THAT'S WHERE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES THE PAIN POINT EXISTS WHERE THE CITY IS NOT CARING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE I CAN'T GET TO WHATEVER POINT IT IS. SO I THINK THERE'S ALSO SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE I WANTED TO BRING UP. AND THEN I REALLY DO LIKE, I THINK THE IDEA OF LIKE THE ONLINE PRESENCE OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN POINT INDIVIDUALS TO, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT HELPS US. LIKE I WOULD SAY, I KNOW WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GIVE INDIVIDUAL SHOUT OUTS TO PEOPLE, BUT JUAN TORRES IS ALWAYS RESPONDING TO ALL THE CALLS, GOES TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS. HE'S LIKE ONE PERSON. YES. AND SO THAT'S VERY TAXING AND YOU'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT. YOU KNOW AGAIN THAT IS IT COMMUNICATION VERSUS NOTIFICATION. SO THOSE ARE MY TOPICS. SO JUST TO WEIGH IN REAL QUICK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID TRIAL ON THE SUPER SIX PROJECTS THIS YEAR WAS WE WE GAVE PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE PROJECT SITE A CARD WITH THE PROJECT MANAGER'S NUMBER ON IT, LIKE JUST DIRECT NUMBER. HERE'S THE PROJECT MANAGER. WE DID NOT GET MANY, IF ANY, AFTER HOURS CALLS TO THAT NUMBER, AND YET WE STILL HEARD OF SOME ISSUES THAT WE WOULD HAVE LIKE INVITED THAT PERSON TO CALL THAT AFTER HOURS NUMBER. SO AS WE DO OUR ASSESSMENT, WAS THAT A HELPFUL TOOL? YOU KNOW, ON THE ONE HAND WE COULD HAVE TAKEN THE DATA. 
          WE GOT NO CALLS ON IT, LIKE WE HIT IT OUT OF THE BOX ON ALL COMMUNICATION, ON ALL THIS, THESE PROJECTS. BUT WE KNOW WE HEARD THROUGH DIFFERENT CHANNELS THAT WE DIDN'T. SO WHAT ABOUT THAT TOOL ISN'T WORKING? HOW DO WE IMPROVE THAT. SO OR DO YOU LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT EXISTS. SO IS IT LIKE OKAY THEN I NEED IS IT US THEN. YEAH, MAYBE COME THIS WAY AND THEN WE DIRECT OUT THAT WAY. RIGHT. YEAH. I DID WANT TO ALSO CALL OUT TO BECAUSE I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, ANN STREET AND CESAR CHAVEZ. THAT WAS RIGHT BY, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS. AND I CAN'T LOOK AT THE WELL A MUSEUM SCHOOL TOO. RIGHT. STATE STREET. AND SO I THINK WE I THINK WE DID A RIBBON CUTTING FOR CESAR CHAVEZ. BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CELEBRATE? LIKE, THIS IS I REMEMBER WALKING DOWN GRANVILLE AVENUE BECAUSE MY DAD WAS A PRINCIPAL AT HALL SCHOOL FOR MANY YEARS. AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, THAT WAS PRETTY UNSAFE THAT THEY JUST LET US WALK AROUND AND THEY WERE PROBABLY SPEEDING A LOT MORE BECAUSE I'M 45. AND SO I DO THINK WE NEED TO YOUR POINT, CITY MANAGER, WHAT ARE THE I MEAN, THIS IS A DIRECT INVESTMENT. YOU WERE TALKING MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE THE TRICKLE DOWN, I DON'T KNOW, INVESTMENTS. AND SO REALLY SPEAKING TO LIKE, DO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO ONE OF THOSE LOCAL MEETINGS OR SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE DOING THERE OR, YOU KNOW, HAVING THEM, HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND HOW TO CROSS STREETS? LIKE I PICK UP MY NIECE FROM SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CAMPUS AND IT'S LIKE, IT'S A HORRIBLE ZONE. I'M SORRY, BUT IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO GO IN AND OUT OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO PICK UP LITTLE KIDS. AND YOU'RE SCARED. I'M SCARED BECAUSE THIS IS LIKE, NOT MY CHILD. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CHILD. AND SO I THINK WE DO NEED TO YOUR POINT ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION, TAKING THAT FROM THE CRESTON LIKE, I REALLY WOULD LOVE US TO HAVE LIKE THERE WAS CLICK IT OR TICKET, CAN WE HAVE LIKE SLOW IT DOWN BY FIVE GRAND RAPIDS AND WE ALL GET IN THERE AND I DON'T KNOW, THE MAYOR'S WALKING BY ON HIS BIKE OR YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING, BUT WE'RE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, LIKE, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT COMES INTO OUR OFFICE AND IT CAN LIKE YOUR 
          [03:00:04]
INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS MATTER. AGAIN, IT'S NOT LIKE PUTTING A POLICE OFFICER AT THE CORNER. 
          SO ANYWAYS, I KNOW I'M GOING TO STOP TALKING, SO I'M GOING TO JUMP IN BEFORE COMMISSIONER KILGORE IF IT'S OKAY. IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO DO SOME FUN READING ON THIS ISSUE. THERE'S A GREAT BOOK CALLED KILLED BY A TRAFFIC ENGINEER, AND I KNOW TITLES NOT GREAT, BUT IT'S MEMORABLE. THE TITLES MEMORABLE. SO BASICALLY, A LOT OF THESE FOLKS MAKE THE POINT THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC, WE OFTEN WANT TO BLAME THE THE PARTICIPANTS. SO IT'S LIKE, OH, THE PEDESTRIAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN WEARING BETTER CLOTHING, OR OH, THE PERSON, THE DRIVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTENTION. AND THAT'S REAL AND IT'S IMPORTANT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ENFORCEMENT LIKE, OH, WE SHOULD HAVE THE POLICE OUT WRITING TICKETS. AND THAT'S REAL. AND IT'S IMPORTANT. 
          BUT THAT A LOT OF OUR SAFETY ACTUALLY COMES DOWN TO DESIGN. SO I'M SORRY YOU CRINGED OVER THE TITLE OF THE BOOK, BUT LIKE YOU GUYS GET IT LIKE, AND I JUST WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THE POINTS THAT SOME OF THESE SLIDES WERE MAKING, LIKE, YEAH, YOU NARROW ROADS, PEOPLE SLOW DOWN. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE THEM A TICKET. THEY JUST BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY. AND SO THE THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS ALWAYS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN A LITTLE TOWN IN ITALY, ARE YOU DRIVING 45 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THE STREETS? NO. BECAUSE YOUR CAR WOULD GET DEMOLISHED. LIKE IT JUST WOULDN'T WORK. SO A LOT OF THE A LOT OF THE WAYS. SO LIKE DESIGN IS WHERE ABOUT 80% OF YOUR OPPORTUNITY IS FOR DOING BETTER SAFETY. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US. LIKE WE DON'T HAVE TO WE DON'T HAVE TO PASS A BUNCH OF LAWS. WE DON'T HAVE TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, PUT A LOT OF RESOURCES INTO ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. WE DON'T HAVE TO DO A LOT OF SHAMING IF WE JUST BUILD THE THING, BUILD FOR THE BEHAVIORS WE WANT. AND SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING CONVERSATION. COMMISSIONER KILGORE, I HAD SOME THINGS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TOO, BUT GO AHEAD. SURE. YEAH. THANK YOU. MAYOR. AS A FORMER CHAIR OF VITAL STREETS, I'M ALWAYS EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THIS. AND SO I'D LIKE TO CITY MANAGER, IF WE COULD QUICKLY GET INTO THE NEW REVENUE FROM THE STATE LEVEL, I'D LOVE TO KNOW. AND I'M SURE THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE ARE EXPECTING IN NEW REVENUE STREAMS AND THEN IN LINE. WHEN I WAS THE CHAIR OF VITAL STREETS OVERSIGHT COMMISSION, WE REALLY HAD AN EQUITY FOCUS IN HOW WE DID SOME OF OUR PROJECTS. WE STARTED WITHIN THE THIRD WARD FOR SIDEWALK PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE HAD DATA THAT SHOWED US THAT WE HAD A LACK OF CITY RESOURCES OVER SEVERAL DECADES WITHIN OUR WARD. COMMISSIONER PURDUE AND I WALKED THROUGH WITH CONCERNED CITIZENS ABOUT STREET CALMING MEASURES WITHIN THE THIRD WARD. 
          FOLKS LIKE TOGETHER WEST MICHIGAN ARE ORGANIZING FOR MULTIPLE PROBLEM AREAS. MOBILE ENGINEERING HAS WORKED WITH THIS GROUP AND CONCERNED CITIZENS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS. A LOT OF THEM ARE GRANT FUNDING, BUT THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS SUCH AS DIGITAL SPEED AWARE SIGN AT KALAMAZOO AND ELLIOTT. DIFFERENT FULL TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT THE INTERSECTION AT ADAMS STREET, MORE ONE WAY SIGNAGE ON TAURINE AND THEN FLASHING BEACONS AT KALAMAZOO AND HANCOCK. SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD A VERY INTERESTING INCIDENT, I BELIEVE LAST NIGHT ABOUT ACCIDENT ON KALAMAZOO. IT'S JUST AN AREA THAT I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PUT OUR STREET CALMING, DIFFERENT SAFETY MEASURES TO. SO I'M WONDERING ABOUT THAT FUNDING, AND I'M WONDERING IF EVEN ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT I JUST NOTED COULD POSSIBLY BE FULFILLED THROUGH THIS NEW FUNDING. THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER, ON PAGE 66 OF YOUR PACKET, OUR CFO LAID OUT THE IMPACT OF SOME OF THE STATE BUDGET CHANGES. THESE ARE PRELIMINARY, AND I WON'T GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL. SHE'LL SHE'LL BE UP TO DISCUSS THE WATER RATES. BUT YOU'LL SEE JUST FROM SOURCES THAT'S GOING TO SPECIFICALLY HELP OUR ROADS AND STREETS, ABOUT A $5 MILLION INCREASE FROM 29 TO 34 MILLION. 
          AND YOU SEE THE PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING. SO OVERALL, IT'S IT'S NOT AS SIGNIFICANT AS PEOPLE EXPECT IT TO DO TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS. AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO WITH THIS. 
          THIS IS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER. WE REALLY LIMITED RESOURCES, HIGHER DEMAND. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO APPROPRIATE THIS ENHANCE AND REVENUE ENHANCEMENT AND REVENUE. 
          WOULD WE IS THERE A TIME WHEN WE'D BE ABLE TO REVIEW THOSE, WHEN WE HAVE MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW THE PROJECTS FROM COMMUNITY OF, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ONE WAY SIGNS AT TURIN, THOSE AT A FEW THOUSAND WAS THE ESTIMATE THAT WAS GOT. I'LL DESCRIBE MORE MACRO AND THEN MAYBE MISS SMITH CAN DESCRIBE SOME OF THE SMALLER PROJECTS. BUT FROM A MACRO 
          [03:05:01]
LEVEL WHERE WE DEFINE THE PROJECT THAT WILL COME THROUGH THE CAPITAL PLANNING PROCESS OF THE BUDGET, THESE INDIVIDUAL ONE OFF, CAN WE HAVE A STOP SIGN HERE OR DO OTHER SMALL TRAFFIC CALMING EFFORTS BASED ON RECURRING INCIDENTS? I'LL HAVE TO DEFER TO MISS SMITH, SO IF I CAN IF I CAN JUMP IN HERE A SECOND. SO I DO THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO GET AND IT'S 10 MILLION ANNUALIZED, I THINK SO IT'S 5 MILLION. JUST BECAUSE FOR THIS FOR NEXT SIX MONTHS, IF I THINK THAT THERE'S MAYBE SOME SPACE TO HAVE SOME OF THAT MONEY BEYOND, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD SUGGESTIONS BECAUSE NEIGHBORHOODS KNOW THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS REALLY WELL. BUT THE BULK OF IT MAYBE WE TAKE AND SAY, LOOK, WE GOT A CITY WIDE LIKE WE KNOW WHERE THE MOST DANGEROUS STREETS ARE. AND I'M SORRY, IF NOT ALL OF THEM ARE THE NEIGHBOR OR THE STREET YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT. BUT LIKE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO GLOBAL SAFETY. SO I THINK WE CAN KIND OF WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME. THAT WOULD BE MY HOPE. I, I WANT TO JUST THROW OUT SOME IDEAS HERE BECAUSE LIKE, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. I DO WANT LET ME WONDER OUT LOUD, THAT'S ALL I WANT TO DO HERE. JUST WONDER OUT LOUD. I WONDER WHETHER. 
          MOBILE GR AND VITAL STREETS AREN'T COMMUNICATING WELL ENOUGH WITH EACH OTHER OR AREN'T OR ARE KIND OF. IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHERE THE OVERLAP IS. SO IF IF VITAL STREETS IS SORT OF LIKE, HERE'S OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR REPLACING CHUNKS OF THE STREET AND MOBILE GR IS LIKE, HERE'S HOW WE GET AROUND TOWN. THOSE THINGS ARE RELATED. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE THOSE GROUPS OUGHT TO BE CONSOLIDATED BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH SO, SO INTIMATELY CONCERNED WITH STREETS. AND MAYBE THE ANSWER IS NO, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE TENSION THERE OR THE LIKE. 
          WHO DOES WHAT. LIKE, IS THIS A VITAL STREETS THING OR IS THIS A MOBILE GR THING. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S MAYBE NOT AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE. LET ME JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE. THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK THAT TRADITIONALLY WE'VE DONE A LOT OF LONG SCALE, LIKE LET'S HERE'S THE FIVE YEAR PLAN. IT TAKES FIVE YEARS TO GET ENGINEERING TO DO THIS, THIS AND THIS AND THIS. BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF SPACE. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, NEW YORK REALLY PIONEERED A LOT OF THIS. LIKE YOU CAN MAKE CHANGES. SO SO THERE'S SOME CHARACTERISTICS LIKE IF SOMETHING'S REVERSIBLE CHEAP AND FAST YOU CAN TRY IT. SO JANETTE SADIK-KHAN, WHO IS THE MOBILITY PERSON IN NEW YORK LIKE CHANGE TIMES SQUARE WITH THREE TRAFFIC CONES AND SOME PAINT. AND WITHIN AN AFTERNOON, LIKE THE NEW ORDER HAPPENED AND IT WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, TRAFFIC GOT MY MY TRAFFIC ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH BETTER. AND WE GOT THIS NEW PUBLIC SPACE. AND PEOPLE WERE SITTING DOWN READING THEIR NEWSPAPERS AND THIS THING THAT HAD JUST BEEN DEFINED BY CONES. AND ONCE THEY SAW IT, PEOPLE WERE LIKE, WOW, WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THAT 30 YEARS AGO? SO I'D LOVE TO HAVE US THINK ABOUT, LIKE, HOW DO WE EXPERIMENT? HOW DO WE PROTOTYPE? AND NOT SIMPLY HOW DO WE PLAN FOR FOREVER? AND I THINK THERE'S SPACE TO DO THAT. 
          AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF THINGS LIKE YOU COULD CHANGE IT. LIKE, WHAT IF WE PAINTED SOME OF OUR BIKE LANES GREEN INSTEAD OF WITH A WHITE STRIPE OF PAINT? LIKE MAYBE PEOPLE SEE THEM MORE OFTEN. MAYBE GREEN IS NOT AS VISIBLE AT NIGHT. I DON'T KNOW, LIKE BUT WE COULD TRY IT AND THEN WE COULD. WE'D GET DATA FROM THE EXPERIMENT ITSELF. I ALSO THINK IF I I'M ALMOST DONE, THESE ARE FOUR KEYS, I THINK FOR CHARACTERISTICS OF THINGS LIKE BIKE LANES, I WANT TO SEE CONTINUITY, COMMUNICATION, CONSISTENCY AND CHANGEABILITY. I THINK THOSE ARE ALL CRITERIA THAT I WANT TO HAVE. SO LIKE IF YOU DO SOMETHING AND IT'S A REALLY BAD IDEA, CAN YOU REVERSE IT? IF YOU DO SOMETHING, IF YOU DO A BIKE LANE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING WE HAVE THE SAME GOAL FOR THE SAME TREATMENT FOR EVERY BIKE LANE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE SEE AS MUCH CONSISTENCY AS I'D LIKE TO SEE. OBVIOUSLY, ALWAYS MORE COMMUNICATION, BUT ALSO CONTINUITY. PEOPLE TAKE SHORT WALKS, THEY TAKE LONG DRIVES AND THEY TAKE MEDIUM BIKES. SO I THINK WE, I THINK WE SHOULD BE PUSHING TOWARDS A LITTLE MORE CONTINUITY. THANK YOU. MAYOR. COME BACK TO MY REQUEST FOR MISS SMITH EARLY ON THE MICRO PROJECTS. I DIDN'T HEAR HER ADDRESS IT. BUT BEFORE I DO THAT TO YOUR YOUR POINT ON THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY AROUND ENGINEERING, MOBILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN MOST URBAN AREAS, IN LARGER COMMUNITIES, IT IS VERY COMMON TO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND A WATER DEPARTMENT SEPARATELY. THAT'S HOW MOST CITIES ARE IN SMALL CITIES. WE HAVE ONE ENGINEER THAT DOES EVERYTHING. SO TO HAVE AN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FOCUS ON THE PROJECT DESIGN OF, YOU KNOW, OVERALL INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WATER DEPARTMENT SPECIALIZES IN THE UTILITY FUNCTION. AND THEN YOUR MOBILITY DEPARTMENT SPECIALIZING IN KIND OF PEDESTRIAN, PEDESTRIAN AND 
          [03:10:03]
VEHICLE NAVIGATION TRAFFIC FLOW THAT THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY COMMON. NOW THERE COULD BE WAYS AND MAYBE THERE WAS IN THE PAST, BUT I THINK THE MOBILE GR DEPARTMENT WAS CREATED BECAUSE OF THE SPECIFIC FOCUS BEYOND JUST INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SAFETY AS A FOCUS AND USING MICROMOBILITY SOLUTIONS AND MUCH BROADER AROUND HOW TO GET AROUND THE CITY. I, I THINK THAT REAL OPPORTUNITY IS THE WAY WE HAVE PRIORITIZED CAPITAL PLANNING, NOT BETWEEN THE RUB, BETWEEN THE FOCUS, BETWEEN MOBILITY AND THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. IT IS THE WATER DEPARTMENT THAT BASICALLY. TAKES EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO UP GRADE THE UNSEEN INFRASTRUCTURE WHENEVER WE OPEN THE STREET. AND SO WE ARE PRIORITIZING OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FROM THE WATER DEPARTMENT BASED ON OUR RESURFACING EFFORTS. AND I THOUGHT WE WE DID A DEEP DIVE ON THAT BEFORE. AND IF THERE WERE EVER A WAY TO KNOW WHAT THE WATER UTILITY NEEDS ARE WITHOUT MORE, MORE SYSTEMATICALLY, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD THAT WOULD BE A GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO TO IMPROVE THE WAY WE DELIVER ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS. SO I GUESS WHAT I'M SUGGESTING, IF I JUST IF I COULD JUST I GUESS WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS SO LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A WATER MAIN BREAK OR A OR A SEWER PROBLEM ON THIS TWO BLOCK STRETCH AND YOU'RE LIKE, YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT AND YOU DO EVERYTHING. AND THEN YOU'RE LIKE, LET'S PUT A GREAT BIKE LANE IN THERE. WELL YOU GOT TWO BLOCKS OF BIKE LANE, WHICH DOESN'T DO ANYBODY ANY GOOD. AND IF YOUR TIME SCALE IS IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS, WE'LL DO THE REST OF IT. THEN YOU HAVE A BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS BY IT'S LIKE BUILDING HALF OF A BRIDGE. SO IT'S NOT REALLY USER FRIENDLY. AND AND IT'S HARD FOR THE CITIZENS TO SEE THE VALUE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU HAD SOME TEMPORARY TOOLS YOU COULD USE TO PRODUCE CONTINUITY THAT WERE ADMITTEDLY TEMPORARY UNTIL YOU GOT DONE WITH THE REST OF IT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, RAMP UP OVER YOUR BULB OUTS, YOU KNOW, DO THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE CLEARER DELINEATIONS THAT ARE REVERSIBLE, FAST AND CHEAP. I THINK THAT THOSE TWO OBJECTIVES CAN CAN LEAN IN AND TALK TO EACH OTHER. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE DO AS MUCH OF THE TEMPORARY OR THE CHEAP AND REVERSIBLE RIGHT NOW AS WE COULD BE DOING, AND I THINK THAT WOULD GET US TOWARDS THE CONTINUITY GOAL A LITTLE MORE. SO I'M JUST SUGGESTING THOSE TWO CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER. YEAH. JUST TO ROUND OUT REAL QUICK, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL TO CARRY ON THIS CONVERSATION INTO THE FUTURE. SO ONE WILL BE THE MOBILITY BLUEPRINT. I THINK THAT WILL HELP MAKE IT BOTH EASIER, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY FOR THE COORDINATION AROUND WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO FROM A MOBILITY OBJECTIVE STANDPOINT IN THESE DISCRETE PROJECTS. BUT WE DO CURRENTLY COORDINATE BETWEEN THE TWO DEPARTMENTS AND A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT VENUES. EVERYTHING ALL THE WAY AROUND ALWAYS CAN BE BETTER COORDINATED, BUT I THINK THE MOBILITY BLUEPRINT IS GOING TO BE A GOOD WAY FOR US TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO HAVE THE PROCESS MAP THE INTENT. SO THERE'LL BE SOME CONVERSATION THERE THAT WE CAN HAVE. THE SECOND, WITH RESPECT TO BUDGET, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO TOO DEEP INTO THIS BECAUSE I RISK GETTING BEING INACCURATE. SO I'M GOING TO STAY AT THE MIDDLE LEVEL. SO VITAL STREETS AGAIN, OUR MAJOR SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR ALL OF THIS WORK, VITAL STREETS, IS VERY MUCH RIGHT NOW AN ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. WE HAD TO GET WE HEARD FROM THE VOTERS, WE'RE NOT SURE YOU'RE GOING TO USE THIS THESE DOLLARS WISELY. 
          WE'RE GIVING YOU A 15 YEAR PERIOD OF TIME. IT WAS VERY IT IS VERY ASSET MANAGEMENT FORWARD. THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO AROUND BIKE LANES, AROUND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS ARE OPPORTUNISTIC GRANT FUNDS, A VERY SMALL POT OF NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING. YOU CAN SEE THE POT OF MONEY VERSUS THE COST OF THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE DO THERE ON THAT SLIDE OR, YOU KNOW, COME OUT OF THE PARKING FUND IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR THE CIRCULATION THAT IS HELPING WITH PARKING, HELPING, DOING SOME OF THE THINGS AROUND PARK PARK ONCE AND HAVE THIS ABILITY TO TO MOVE AROUND AREAS WHERE WE HAVE PARKING RAMPS WITHOUT GETTING BACK IN YOUR CAR. SO AS WE DO THAT MOBILITY BLUEPRINT, AS WE TALK ABOUT BUDGET, WE WILL BE ALSO MOVING TOWARDS VITAL STREETS RENEWAL, AND WE CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION WITH VOTERS BASED ON THAT POLICY PLANNING. HOW BIG IS THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PIECE? HOW BIG IS THE PIECE THAT ALLOWS US TO DO SOME OF THESE OTHER SEPARATE PIECES, LIKE A, LIKE A FASTER BUILD SORT OF CONNECTIVITY AROUND BIKE LANES AND DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THERE. SO, SO MOBILITY BLUEPRINT, BUDGET. THE LAST THING I WILL SAY ON BUDGET AND ACT 51 AMENDMENTS, JUST ONE LAST, WE DO HAVE A VITAL STREETS INVESTMENT POLICY THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW WE SPLIT THAT 
          [03:15:02]
PIE. SO EVEN THOUGH THE CALCULATION AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AT THE STATE LEVEL IS CHANGING, OUR POLICY WILL GUIDE HOW WE SPLIT THAT AMONGST OUR EXISTING PRIORITIES. SO AGAIN, A BUDGET CONVERSATION, IF THOSE ARE THE RIGHT PRIORITIES OR NOT, AS OPPOSED TO ITS WINDFALL DOLLARS, I GUESS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM THAT WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE POLICY THAT TELLS US WHERE WE WOULD CHANNEL THAT WHEN WE HAVE MORE FUNDS, WE HAVE POLICY THAT TELLS US WHERE TO SEND THOSE MORE FUNDS. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO JESSICA TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW DO WE DECIDE WHICH OF THOSE SMALLER DOLLAR PROJECTS THAT WE DO NOW, GIVEN HOW CANDIDLY SMALL THAT POT IS VERSUS THE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY INTERESTS IN SEEING SOME OF THESE FINER GRAINED SOLUTIONS ON THEIR STREETS? YEAH. SO THANK YOU, JESSICA SMITH WITH THE DEPARTMENT. SO IF YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE IT. THIS IS HOW WE DO IT. SO YOU SEE UP HERE KIND OF A COMBINATION. AND IT DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF FUNDING IT IS. IF IT'S GRANT FUNDING THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING. FOR EXAMPLE YOU SAW THAT $51,000 IN SIGNAL OPTIMIZATION FUNDS. WE TAKE THAT AND WE TURN THAT AROUND AND WE LEVERAGE GRANT FUNDING FOR THAT. WE HAVE OTHER GRANT FUNDING, OTHER THINGS IN THAT THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU SAW, WE LEVERAGE GRANT FUNDING WITH FEDERAL PROGRAMS LIKE THE CMAC OR CONGESTION MITIGATION, AIR QUALITY, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WE CAN USE IN SAFETY AND PARTICULARLY AT INTERSECTIONS. THAT'S WHERE KIND OF YOUR BIGGEST RISKS ARE. AND SO WHAT WE LOOK FOR IS WE DO REVIEWS OF CRASHES, THINGS LIKE IDENTIFYING PATTERNS AND HOTSPOTS. THAT'S IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE ARE WE SEEING INCREASED LEVELS OF CRASHES. AND SO WE GO AND LOOK FOR AREAS WHERE WE CAN APPLY A FIX, WHAT I'LL CALL A FIX. THAT'S JUST THE WAY THAT SOME OF THE GRANT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE OR THE LOCAL FUNDING. 
          IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE. AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO DATE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH LIMITED FUNDING IS WE HAVE BEEN VERY REACTIVE. WE HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SUCH AS SOME OF THE ONES COMMISSIONER KILGORE WAS TALKING ABOUT. WE HEAR FROM FOLKS THAT COME AND GET PUBLIC COMMENT, AND WE ALSO HEAR FROM FOLKS JUST ON A REGULAR BASIS. HEY, WE HAVE A CHALLENGE HERE. DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF THE THE REQUEST, IF IT'S A VERY SMALL REQUEST, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS SIGN IS BROKEN OR IT'S DAMAGED, WE PUT IN A WORK ORDER IN YOUR SIGN SHOP, GOES OUT AND TAKES CARE OF THAT. AND WE DO ASSET MANAGEMENT THAT WAY. SO WE DO THAT REACTIVE AND WE REALLY RELY ON COMMUNITY INPUT FOR THAT INFORMATION TO GO OUT AND AND TAKE CARE OF THOSE THINGS. WE'RE MOVING IN THINGS LIKE THE SAFETY SPACE TO FROM A REACTIVE OR RESPONSIVE MODEL TO A MORE PROACTIVE MODEL, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT CRASHES AND INTERSECTIONS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE THAT SOLIDIFIED BY THE END OF THE YEAR. AND THAT IS PARTICULARLY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM THAT THAT $150,000 THAT YOU SEE, WE HAVE REALLY KIND OF THAT'S A VERY SMALL BUDGET. AND WE DO A LOT OF WHAT THE MAYOR WAS DESCRIBING AROUND POP UPS AND TEMPORARY THINGS TO TRY THINGS, AND THEN WE GO OUT AND MAKE IT PERMANENT. IF IT IF IT, IF IT WORKS BASICALLY. SO THOSE ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS WE DO IT. IN TRUE TRAFFIC ENGINEER FASHION, IT DEPENDS. AND SO I THINK THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS CAN CAN BE KIND OF NUANCED. BUT I WANT TO REASSURE YOU THAT THERE WE DO HAVE STANDARDS AND POLICIES IN PLACE FOR HOW WE DO THAT. AND THE MOBILITY BLUEPRINT IS A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE THOSE BIGGER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT IS THAT POLICY THAT YOU WANT TO ESTABLISH TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS? IS IT THE RIGHT THING TO MOVE TO A PROACTIVE RESPONSE TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF REQUESTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? OR IS THIS REACTIVITY THE WAY YOU WANT TO DO VERY DIFFERENT MODELS, BUT BOTH CAN BE DONE, SO I HOPE THAT HELPS. CITY MANAGER ANYTHING ELSE THAT I MISSED. SO I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO SUPPRESS. AND I ALSO DON'T WANT TO FORGET MY MICROPHONE. IT IS 1201 NOW. AND WE'RE THEORETICALLY I MEAN, WE ALWAYS SEEM TO RUN OUT OF TIME FOR EVERYTHING, BUT IF ANYONE HAS ANY BURNING QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER KILGORE, GO AHEAD. 
          AND COMMISSIONER PERDUE AFTER. THANK YOU. FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT. SO FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND WITH THE CONCERNED CITIZENS IN THE THIRD WARD FOR THE TRAFFIC CALMING ON KALAMAZOO, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST ORGANIZED EFFORTS I'VE SEEN WITH SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED, HUNDREDS OF FOLKS INVOLVED, STORIES INVOLVED, FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT I UNDERSTAND. WE HAVE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR IT. 
          SOME OF THESE FROM THE CITIES OWN WORDS, ARE UNDER $10,000. SO WITH THESE PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE CARVED OUT FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY KNOW THAT BEST, HOW CAN WE NOW GO FORWARD? WE HAVE THE STORIES, WE HAVE THE ORGANIZATIONS, WE HAVE THE REQUESTS FROM THESE. THIS GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS AND ENGINEERING HAS FULFILLED THEIR THEIR TRAFFIC STUDY REQUESTS. 
          THEY'VE DONE THEIR PART. AND I'M JUST WONDERING NOW WITH TRAFFIC CALMING, HOW DO WE GO 
          [03:20:05]
FORWARD NOW WITH WHAT WE HAVE? AND CAN WE REVIEW AND TELL THESE CONCERNED COMMUNITY MEMBERS EITHER WE CAN FULFILL THIS REQUEST THAT YOU ALL HAVE ORGANIZED FOR MANY MONTHS NOW WITH HUNDREDS OF NEIGHBORS, OR WE CANNOT THIS WOULD LIKE TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY CONSTITUENTS AND OUR CONCERNED NEIGHBORS, WHETHER WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT OR NOT, OR IF WE ARE IN A PROCESS WITH THIS NEW MONEY, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL KEEP IN MIND. AND THEN LATER ON, THROUGH THE CAPITAL PROJECT PLANNING PROCESS OR THE MOBILITY BLUEPRINT BLUEPRINT, COME BACK TO. SO MAYBE NOT A NO FOR NOW, BUT WE'LL COME BACK TO IT LATER. 
          JUST TO UPDATE FOR OUR PARTNERS ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THEIR REQUESTS. SURE. I BELIEVE WITH THAT PARTICULAR REQUEST, WE HAD TO GO OUT AND DO A SAFETY AUDIT. AND OFTENTIMES THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE IDENTIFYING WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE. THAT'S OUTSIDE OF A RESIDENTIAL AREA. SO THAT IS A MORE OF A, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR STREET. IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CALMING TRAFFIC PROGRAM, TRAFFIC CALMING. IF YOU GO TO THAT NEXT SLIDE BACK TO WHERE THE MONEY IS. TRAFFIC CALMING IS IS ALSO ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS, IF YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE. ALL OF THOSE FUNDING ARE ALLOCATED TO PROJECTS ALREADY IN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT WAS DECIDED EARLIER THIS YEAR. SO ANYTHING THAT WE MOVE FORWARD THAT KIND OF POPS UP IS THE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION DURING YOUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, PLANNING DURING YOUR BUDGET PROCESS. THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL SAY IS THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE KIND OF A, A WAY TO PRIORITIZE AND PUT CRITERIA TOGETHER SO THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT PROACTIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SEE THESE THINGS HAPPEN. BECAUSE IF YOU GO BACK TO THE OTHER SLIDE. THESE ARE MY TWO FAVORITE SLIDES EVER. THE OTHER SLIDE, THAT ANNUAL CITYWIDE CRASH REVIEW, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE KALAMAZOO ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PLACES WHERE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES THERE AND THAT THERE ARE FIXES THERE. 
          AND THEN IF YOU GO BACK, KATE, AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND IT'S A $10,000 FIX, BUT I ONLY HAVE FIVE, $10,000 FIXES AND SOME OF THOSE LINE ITEMS, YOU KNOW, SO AND WE HAVE A WHOLE CITY THAT HAVE SIMILAR CHALLENGES LIKE OUR, OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS IN KALAMAZOO. SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS WHERE WE HAVE COMPETING PRIORITIES. RIGHT. AND AGAIN, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THAT MOBILITY BLUEPRINT SETTING, HOW YOU YOU PRIORITIZE THOSE. AND BASED ON THE CRITERIA THAT IS THE MOST, YOU KNOW, HIGHEST PRIORITY. THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT WAY TO DO THIS, WHERE YOU HAVE KIND OF THAT MASTER UNDERSTANDING KIND OF LIST OVERALL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS COMING, WHAT IS WHEN, SO THAT A NEIGHBORHOOD IN A COMMUNITY, WHEN THEY, THEY HAVE ADVOCATED FOR SOMETHING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. WHEN IS THAT FIX COMING? AND THAT'S IMPORTANT IN YOUR CAPITAL PLANNING PROCESS. AND THEN WHEN IS THAT CAPITAL. SO NO FOR NOW. RIGHT. SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A METHOD OF ACTION FOR NOW. BUT WHEN AS OUR NEXT BUDGET SEASON TIME WISE, TIMELINE WISE, THAT STARTS IN, I FEEL LIKE THE MANAGER INTRODUCES HIS PRELIMINARY BUDGET IN MAY, MAY, MAY TIME FRAME. AND WE USUALLY INCLUDE THE DETAILS OF, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRAM, THOSE PROGRAM BUDGETS AND FOR VITAL STREETS WHICH VITAL STREETS PROJECTS ARE IN THERE. AND THEN. YEAH AGAIN. AND UNTIL THEN THE SOLUTIONS STAY ON THE LIST. AND AS, AS WE PRIORITIZE CITYWIDE, THEY THEY THEY MAY RISE TO THE TOP AS WE ARE ABLE TO TICK THROUGH THOSE, THOSE LISTS OF PRIORITIES. BUT I HEAR YOUR REQUEST FOR CLEAR COMMUNICATION BACK TO THE COMMUNITY OF WHEN THEY MAY HAVE ANSWERS. SO WE'LL WORK ON THAT AS WELL. 
          COMMISSIONER PURDUE, THANK YOU. I WAS HOPING THAT YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, BECAUSE I KNOW OUR MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT CREATE A PEOPLE CENTERED, DATA DRIVEN ROADMAP FOR SAFE, EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY. BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE APPROACH THAT WE TAKE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU SPOKE A LOT TO LIKE PART OF THE APPROACHES WE WE INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR THROUGH DESIGN. RIGHT. AND ANOTHER ONE IS WE BELIEVE IN SLOWING TRAFFIC DOWN. WHAT I'M NOTICING, PARTICULARLY IN A LOT OF OUR THOROUGHFARES, OUR MAJOR STREETS, IS TRAFFIC IS VERY, VERY BACKED UP. SO IT'S NOT EVEN MOVING SLOW. IT'S JUST STOPPED. IT MIGHT TAKE FOUR LIGHTS FOR YOU TO GET THROUGH, AND IT'S NOT EVEN RUSH HOUR YET. 
          SO IS THAT INTENTIONAL? IS THAT PART OF OUR APPROACH IS THAT WE WANT TO SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN. WE ESSENTIALLY WANT TO BACK UP TRAFFIC A LITTLE BIT TO TO HELP SLOW IT DOWN. CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT, LIKE OUR APPROACH OF ACTUALLY MOVING TRAFFIC TO NOT JUST SLOWING IT DOWN? BECAUSE, I MEAN, I HEAR US TALK ABOUT THAT IN RELATIONSHIP TO PEDESTRIANS AND BIKERS, BUT I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT OUR APPROACH TO TRAFFIC FLOW AND OUR BELIEFS AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THERE. DEFINITELY GOING TO NEED A PHONE. A FRIEND ON THAT ONE. I FEEL LIKE THE ENGINEER AND THE LAWYER BOTH SAY IT DEPENDS, BUT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JESSICA AND SHE MAY HAVE TO CALL. I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE. WE MAY HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU ON. NO, I 
          [03:25:04]
THINK IT'S JUST WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THESE ARE REALLY GOOD. YOU'RE NOTICING WHAT HAPPENS IN A SYSTEM, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE THE GIVES AND GAINS, RIGHT. SO IF IF OUR GOAL IS SAFETY THEN YOU MAY SEE OTHER OTHER IMPACTS IN THE SYSTEM. AND SO IT DEPENDS ON WHICH PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW SITUATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DURING A RUSH HOUR OR A VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC FLOW TIME. BUT WE HAVE REALLY PREDICTABLE TRAFFIC PATTERNS IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. AND SO TYPICALLY THAT MEANS THAT THAT IS A STABLE, STABLE TRAFFIC ENVIRONMENT AS FAR AS VEHICLES ARE CONCERNED, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE CONSISTENCY AND AND REALLY PREDICTIVE MOVEMENT IS IN YOUR, YOUR, YOUR BICYCLE AND TRANSIT MOVEMENT IN THE CITY. REALLY PREDICTABLE IN VEHICLES, NOT AS PREDICTABLE IN THESE OTHER AREAS. AND AND ALSO A TRUE LACK OF CONNECTIVITY AND COMFORT ALONG THE, THE, THE CORRIDORS. SO IN COMFORT IS TIED VERY CLOSELY TO SAFETY. IF FOLKS DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE OFTEN THAT'S THAT'S ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN. SO IT DOES DEPEND. BUT THESE ARE REALLY WHAT YOU ARE NOTICING IS THE TRADE OFFS THAT YOU GET FROM SLOWING DOWN TRAFFIC AND, AND AND NARROWING THINGS UP. AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE, THOSE MOMENTS BEFORE BEFORE COMMISSIONER. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONER, I WILL SAY IN ADDITION TO SAFETY, I MEAN, PART OF THE THE THE PURPOSE IS TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER. AND YOU, YOU SPEAK TO PATTERNS. I'VE SEEN PATTERNS OF THAT MOVEMENT DRASTICALLY CHANGING OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. AND I'M SPEAKING PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF BACKUPS. I'M THINKING EASTERN, ALGER HEIGHTS, MLK. I MEAN, IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET THROUGH THERE. SO AS WE INVESTIGATE AND AS WE THINK ABOUT USER EXPERIENCES, I THINK, OF COURSE THERE'S GOING TO BE GIVE AND TAKES. OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO NEGOTIATE EVERYTHING. 
          BUT I DO WANT I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF MAKING SURE TRAFFIC IS STILL MOVING IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER. SO I THINK KNOWING UNDERSTANDING OUR APPROACH AND LIKE WHAT'S UNDERGIRDING WHAT ARE OUR ASSUMPTIONS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW FOR TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW US TO KNOW. AND THEN THIS MIGHT BE ANOTHER GREAT EDUCATIONAL VIDEO OPPORTUNITY. 
          THE FINAL THING I'LL SAY ON THIS AREA, WALKABILITY IS, OR SORRY, MOBILITY IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOALS AROUND WALKABILITY, BIKEABILITY. AND I SAY PARTICULARLY IN THE THIRD WARD IS LIKE TO WHERE LIKE WHAT USERS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I'M NOT COMMUTING TO WORK, BUT I'LL COMMUTE TO MY LOCAL STORE. AND SO KEEPING THAT IN MIND IN TERMS OF HOW WE DESIGN AND PART OF THAT IS OUR PUBLIC BUS SYSTEM. AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT OVERSIGHT OF THE RAPID. I THINK THEY COME AND GIVE AN UPDATE MAYBE ONCE EVERY OTHER YEAR. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE OR SAY A LITTLE BIT IN CLOSER TOUCH WITH THEM, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BIG PART OF, I THINK, OUR ASSUMPTIONS AROUND HOW PEOPLE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND. AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT UP A FEW SPECIFIC PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE WEALTHY STREET REDESIGN, THE SEYMOUR SQUARE. THERE'S SO MANY OTHERS THAT REALLY ARE RAISING THESE TENSIONS BETWEEN OUR MOBILITY GOALS AND OUR LOCAL BUSINESS CORRIDOR NEEDS. AND SO I THINK WE DO NEED A DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENT AND CO-CREATION APPROACH THAT MAYOR, YOU MENTIONED, HOW DO YOU SAY EXPERIMENTATION AND PROTOTYPING? I THINK WE NEED A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THIS TENSION DOESN'T UNDERMINE OUR GOALS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO BOTH AND THAT THERE ARE THERE AREN'T ANY LOSERS. THERE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WINNERS AND LOSERS WITH EVERYTHING. AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MOBILITY AND BUSINESS THERE, THERE TRULY CAN'T BE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LEVELS. SO THAT'S THE FINAL THING. SO I DO THINK AND COMMISSION, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE US THINK ABOUT SORT OF A COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCE AROUND CONSTRUCTION. GENERALLY. IT'S SUCH A BIG DEAL FOR PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S YOUR STREET GOT RIPPED UP OR WHETHER IT'S WE PUT IN A BIKE LANE OR WHATEVER. 
          THE OTHER THING I WANT TO POINT OUT, JUST FLAG IT JUST OUT OF LEFT FIELD. WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT SEASONALITY AT ALL AND IT'S REAL. SO I MEAN, YOU ALL KNOW I BIKED IN HERE. I'M NOT EXPECTING YOU TO BE BIKING IN HERE IN FEBRUARY. WE'RE NOT LIVING IN MIAMI. AND SO ACKNOWLEDGING THE REALITIES OF SEASONALITY AS PART OF ALL OF OUR PLANNING. SO SO WE ACKNOWLEDGE LIKE THERE ARE THERE ARE SOME SHARP LIMITS ON LIKE HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE GOING TO USE BIKES IN FEBRUARY. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE THERE ARE SOMETIMES LIMITS ON HOW PEOPLE CAN USE CARS. IN FEBRUARY, I CAN WALK PLACES, I CAN'T USE A CAR. SO I JUST WANTED TO DROP THAT OUT THERE. COMMISSIONER, YOU HAD A AND AND I'M GOING TO NOTE THAT I ALSO DELAYED US. 
          WE'RE NOW 12 MINUTES OVER OVER TIME. THANK YOU. YES I THINK I DO AGREE. THANK YOU FOR CITY MANAGER FOR CARVING OUT THE TIME FOR THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE 
          [03:30:02]
DON'T WANT TO RESPOND UNTIL SORT OF ONE SITUATION. BUT WE'VE YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE THE FEEDBACK, MISS BEHRENS, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT. 
          AND. I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR FOUR KEYS WERE MAYOR, BUT I, I FOUND MYSELF NODDING MY HEAD BECAUSE I THINK RIGHT NOW FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITY. YOU KNOW, MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN WATCHING THIS, YOU KNOW, THE THE THE WEALTHY STREET CORRIDOR. AND HE'S LIKE, I REALLY JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO NORTH AND SOUTH AND EAST AND WEST, AND I WANT THE INFRASTRUCTURE. I KNOW IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO BUILD, BUT LIKE, HOW COULD WE HAVE THIS BROADER CONVERSATION? SO I THINK THOSE FOUR KEYS KIND OF KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU DO BOTH AND, AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I GAVE WHEN I TALKED TO SOME INDIVIDUALS, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, TO ME, YOU CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO RIDE A BIKE OR IT'S COLD SIX MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. I'M LIKE, LET'S NOT FOCUS ON THAT, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PART OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO TO ME, WHEN I'M GOING AND TALKING TO PEOPLE, IT'S LIKE, THIS IS PART OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT I REALLY LIKE THAT FRAME OF THOSE FOUR KEYS. AND THEN MY QUESTION WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC, MISS SMITH, WITH WITH THE QUESTION THAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE HAD. I AGREE TOO, LIKE, SOMETIMES I TRY TO GET OUT OF ALGER HEIGHTS AND IT'S HARD TO GET OUT ALGER HEIGHTS. AND SO YOU, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY WHO'S LIVED HERE A LONG TIME, YOU FIGURE OUT THE WAYS THAT YOU GO AROUND. BUT HOW IS THAT IS THAT THAT FLOW? IS THAT ALSO ISN'T TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S OCCURRING IN THE CITY, TOO? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ALSO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED HAS HAPPENED A LOT ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE IS THAT PEOPLE ARE CREATING THESE NEW ROUTES THAT ARE PUTTING MORE PRESSURE ON THE SYSTEM, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE THE INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW, IN THE CONSTRUCTION PIECES THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU COULD SAY YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE IN GRAND RAPIDS IN LIKE SEVEN MINUTES, LIKE YOU CAN'T GET ANYWHERE IN SEVEN MINUTES ANYMORE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER. WE COULD. BUT SO ANYWAYS, I JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON AND THE PRESSURE THAT THAT APPLIES ON THE SYSTEM. AND IS THAT FIGURED INTO THAT? YOU KNOW, THAT ESSENTIALLY THE ANSWER YOU HAD. THANKS. YEAH. SO THAT IS WE DO THINK THROUGH THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING TRAFFIC CONTROL PLANS TO TO REROUTE TRAFFIC OR ANY DETOURS, WE THINK ABOUT HOW THAT IMPACTS THINGS. AND SOMETIMES THE TRADE OFF IS THAT YOU'RE JUST GOING TO YOU'RE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE IT'S TIGHT. AGAIN, I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT THERE'S BEEN A. A FEELING OF INCREASE OF TRAFFIC MOVEMENT AND IT'S SLOWING DOWN AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR, RIGHT. SLOWING DOWN TRAFFIC. AND THEN THE THOUGHT OF, YOU KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE AT A STANDSTILL AT CERTAIN TIMES OF DAY. CITIES THAT HAVE A LOT OF SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC ARE VERY ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. 
          SO IF WE CAN THINK SOMETIMES ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE AND IT'S TAKING YOU A LONG TIME TO GET SOMEWHERE IN YOUR CAR, REMEMBER SOME OF THOSE CITIES WHERE YOU ALMOST DON'T WANT TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF HOW LONG IT TAKES YOU TO GET IN A CAR? THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CITIES WITH SOME OF THE BEST ECONOMIES IN OUR NATION. SO AS YOU'RE THINKING THROUGH THAT, SLOWING DOWN AND EVEN BEING AT A STANDSTILL AT SOME SOME OF OUR HIGH PEAK TRAFFIC TIMES IN OUR CITY, THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE A GOOD THING, AT LEAST AS A SIGN OF GOOD THINGS. SO ANYWAY, 
          [1. 2025 Water/Sewer Rate Study - Introduction and Initiation of the 20 Day Comment Period]
THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR WATER DISCUSSION. UPDATE. THANK YOU. MAYOR. OUR CFO MOLLY CLARIN, AND OUR WATER SYSTEMS FINANCIAL ANALYST TY. VERBRUGGEN, VERBRUGGHEN WILL GIVE US AN UPDATE, PASSING OUT THE OVERVIEW OF THE RATE STUDY WORK VERY HARD ON FOR THE LAST 3 OR 4 MONTHS. I'LL JUST MENTION THAT AFFORDABILITY WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER. TY'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR SYSTEM DOES, SPECIFICALLY WITH OUR PENALTY REVENUE FOR AFFORDABILITY. I KNOW THERE WAS THIS IDEA OF INCOME TAX, SO LET'S TAKE THAT INFORMATION. WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT AFFORDABILITY. SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL TAKE BACK, ANALYZE AND SEE IF IT'S VIABLE. BUT YOU KNOW I DIDN'T WANT TO I DIDN'T WANT THE HORSE TO BE OUT OF THE BARN. BEFORE WE MAKE SURE WE DO DUE DILIGENCE JUST AS A CITY. SO THANKS. I THINK MORE SPECIFICALLY, MISS CLAREN SHARED WITH ME EARLIER THAT WE WE CAN'T TAKE LIBERTY TO SHARE TAX INFORMATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS. WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN THE INCOME TAX OFFICE. SO I CAN'T LET ANYONE TAX INFORMATION BE SHARED WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT, REFUSE DEPARTMENT OR ANY INFORMATION LIKE THAT. SO ON THAT NOTE, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO TY FOR THE PRESENTATION. OKAY. DO YOU 
          [03:35:04]
WANT ME TO GET STARTED? YES. WE HAVE A QUORUM AND WE'VE GOT TIME CONSTRAINTS. SO GO AHEAD. 
          ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS THE 49TH ANNUAL WATER AND SEWER RATE STUDY. THE METHODOLOGY HAS BEEN CREATED OVER THE DECADES. A LOT OF IT IS CODIFIED IN OUR CONTRACTS WITH OUR WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PARTNER COMMUNITIES. SO SOME OF THAT METHODOLOGY, THE WAY THAT WE CALCULATE RATES FOR EACH COMMUNITY, EACH COMMUNITY HAS ITS OWN SPECIFIC RATES. IT'S NOT ONE UNIFORM RATE FOR EVERYBODY. THE WAY THAT WE CALCULATE IT FOR EACH COMMUNITY IS WE START BY CALCULATING THE COMMUNITY'S REVENUE REQUIREMENT. THAT'S HOW MUCH REVENUE EACH COMMUNITY NEEDS TO COLLECT IN ORDER TO COVER THEIR SHARE OF THE WATER SYSTEM OR THEIR SHARE OF THE SEWER SYSTEM. THE HIGHER THE REVENUE REQUIREMENT, THE HIGHER THE RATES THAT REVENUE REQUIREMENT FIRST IS CREATED BY LOOKING AT THEIR EXPENSES, SO THEIR SHARE OF OPERATING EXPENSES TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO THE ASSETS THAT WE PUT INTO SERVICE, THOSE GET DEPRECIATED OVER TIME AND BUILT INTO THE STUDY. AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE TO COLLECT A RETURN ON INVESTMENT. SO ANY ASSET THAT WE PUT INTO THE GROUND, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE PAID FOR IT, WE HAVE TO COLLECT A RETURN ON THAT. AND THAT GETS PUT INTO THE RATES. NOW REVENUE REQUIREMENTS ARE OFFSET BY ANY REVENUE THAT WE GET FROM OTHER OPERATING MEASURES. SO WHEN WE SELL NATURAL GAS FROM THE DIGESTER, THOSE REVENUES HELP REDUCE A REVENUE REQUIREMENT. 
          WHEN PEOPLE CONNECT TO THE SYSTEM AND COLLECT THE CONNECTION FEES, THOSE HELP REDUCE RATES. PENALTY REVENUES WHEN SOMEONE PAYS LATE OR IF THEY DO SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO, THOSE REVENUES GET APPLIED. WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS. THAT'S THE CITY AND CUSTOMER COMMUNITY CIRCUIT BREAKER. WE'LL DISCUSS THAT IN A FEW SLIDES. SO THAT ALL CALCULATES THE REVENUE REQUIREMENT FOR A COMMUNITY. AND THEN WE COMPARE THAT TO THEIR BUILD VOLUME. HOW MUCH WATER ARE THEY USING? HOW MUCH SEWER ARE THEY USING? THE MORE THEY USE, THE MORE WE CAN SPREAD OUT THOSE COSTS ACROSS UNITS AND THE LOWER THE PER UNIT RATE IS. SO THAT'S HOW WE CALCULATE A COMMUNITY'S RATES. NOW I DON'T WANT TO BURY THE LEAD. SO THIS PAGE SHOWS YOU THE SUGGESTED RATE INCREASES FOR THE COMING YEAR. SO WATER IS ON THE LEFT, SEWER IS ON THE RIGHT. THIS GOES COMMUNITY BY COMMUNITY. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT TWO THINGS. ONE AT THE BOTTOM YOU'LL SEE IN THE RED BOXES. THAT'S THE SYSTEM WIDE RATE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING. SO FOR WATER WE'RE LOOKING AT A 6.38% INCREASE. BUT ON THE SEWER SIDE WE'RE LOOKING AT A 3.09% DECREASE. SO WATER RATES GOING UP, SEWER RATES GOING DOWN. AT THE VERY TOP YOU'LL SEE GRAND RAPIDS, THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, SPECIFICALLY THEIR WATER RATE 6.8% INCREASE, 2.67% DECREASE. AND I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO LOOK AT THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF HISTORY. SO THIS NEXT PAGE LOOKS AT HOW RATES HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS. AND THIS IS FOR THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. AT THE VERY BOTTOM YOU'LL SEE 2025 RATE CHANGES AS WELL AS WHAT THE AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE CHANGES. SO NORMALLY AN AVERAGE RATE CHANGE FOR WATER A LITTLE UNDER 2.5% PER YEAR, SEWER NORMALLY A LITTLE OVER 2% PER YEAR. SO THIS YEAR WATER RATE INCREASES. ABOVE AVERAGE SEWER INCREASE IS A DECREASE. SO DEFINITELY WELL BELOW THAT AVERAGE. AND I THINK IT'S IT'S HARD TO THINK ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF JUST THE RATES. 
          RIGHT. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY 6% INCREASE ON WATER, 3% DECREASE ON SEWER. THAT NETS OUT TO A 3%. 
          THAT'S NOT EXACTLY HOW IT WORKS. SO IF WE LOOK AT THIS, THIS IS LOOKING AT HOW THE AVERAGE BILL FOR A HOUSEHOLD IS CHANGING IN OUR RETAIL COMMUNITIES. SO AT THE VERY TOP YOU'LL SEE GRAND RAPIDS. NOW WE BILL ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. SO EVERY THREE MONTHS THE WATER PORTION OF A GRAND RAPIDS HOUSEHOLD IS GOING UP ABOUT 6.7%. THE SEWER PORTION IS GOING DOWN ABOUT 1.5%. BUT BECAUSE SEWER SERVICES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WATER, THAT DECREASE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SMALLER PERCENTAGE, HAS A BIGGER IMPACT. AND SO IT NETS OUT THE AVERAGE QUARTERLY BILL FOR A GRAND RAPIDS HOUSEHOLD IS GOING UP A LITTLE OVER 2%. THAT COMES OUT TO LESS THAN $5 PER QUARTER. SO ABOUT $20 A YEAR IS WHAT WE'D BE LOOKING AT FOR BOTH WATER AND SEWER COMBINED. FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, IT'S DIFFERENT FOR EVERY COMMUNITY. 
          THOSE ARE LISTED OUT HERE AS WELL. NOW, WHAT'S DRIVING THESE RATES? WHY? WHERE ARE THESE NUMBERS COMING FROM? SO I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF THE BIG DRIVERS. SO ON THE WATER SIDE THE BIG THING IS WATER IS DOING A LOT OF WORK. THEY PUT OVER $50 MILLION WORTH OF NEW ASSETS INTO THE GROUND IN THE PAST YEAR. A LOT OF THAT IS NEW WATER MAINS AND CASCADE. 
          THERE WAS A BIG PROJECT, $13 MILLION, TO GET PEOPLE OFF OF WELLS THAT ARE BEING CONTAMINATED BY PFAS. THERE'S $12 MILLION OF NEW WATER MAINS IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS FOR LEAD LINE REPLACEMENT, FOR PUTTING IN NEW WATER MAINS, REPLACING OLD ONES THAT ARE STARTING TO DETERIORATE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF ASSETS GOING INTO SERVICE. ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE TO COLLECT A RETURN ON INVESTMENT ON THOSE ASSETS. THAT RETURN IS TIED BY CONTRACT, IT IS TIED TO A BOND BUYERS INDEX. AND THAT INDEX PRETTY MUCH JUST TRACKS HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS FOR MUNICIPALITIES TO ISSUE DEBT. AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST YEAR IS THAT 
          [03:40:02]
INDEX HAS GONE UP ALMOST A FULL POINT. SO WATER IS PUTTING ALL THESE ASSETS INTO SERVICE, AND IT'S GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE FOR EVERY ASSET THAT WE PUT IN THE SERVICE. SO THAT'S THE SINGLE BIGGEST DRIVER ON THE WATER SIDE. SECOND BIGGEST OPERATIONAL EXPENSES ARE UP RIGHT. IT'S NO SURPRISE TO ANYBODY. THINGS ARE GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE. WE SIGN NEW LABOR CONTRACTS THIS SUMMER THAT RAISED WAGES FOUR AND A HALF, 4 TO 5% TO MATCH WITH INFLATION. THAT TRICKLES INTO THE RATES. WE'RE SEEING COSTS INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD, RIGHT. FLEET COSTS, ELECTRICITY, OUR OVERHEAD FROM STUFF LIKE LEGAL HR. ALL OF THAT GETS BUILT INTO THESE RATES AS WELL. NOW THERE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS. BUILD VOLUME IS UP. WATER CONSUMPTION OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS IS UP 1.6%. IT'S NOT GREAT GROWTH, BUT IT IS SOME GROWTH IN CONSUMPTION. AND SO THAT HAS A DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON OUR RATES. IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT GROWTH AND CONSUMPTION, WATER RATES WOULD LOOK MORE LIKE 8 TO 9% RATHER THAN 6%. 
          NOW WHY IS SEWER DIFFERENT? WHY IS SEWER GOING DOWN WHILE WATER IS GOING UP? WELL, THE BIGGEST THING IS WATER. PUT $50 MILLION WORTH OF NEW ASSETS INTO THE GROUND SEWER, PUT IN LESS THAN 12. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS SEWER DOESN'T HAVE TO REPLACE LEAD LINES. WATER HAS A REQUIREMENT TO REPLACE THOSE. WATER HAD THIS BIG PFAS THING WITH CASCADE. SEWER DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT DELIVERING CLEAN DRINKING WATER TO SOMEONE'S HOME. SO THERE'S A LOT MORE REQUIREMENTS ON THE WATER SIDE RIGHT NOW. AND SO THEY'RE PUTTING MORE ASSETS IN SEWER DOESN'T HAVE THAT SAME PROBLEM. SEWER ALSO HAS BEEN LASER FOCUSED ON PAYING DOWN THEIR DEBT. SO THEY ARE STILL FEELING PRESSURE FROM THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT. BUT AS THEY PAY DOWN THEIR DEBT, THAT HELPS TEMPER THAT. ALSO, I WANT TO POINT OUT LAST YEAR'S RATE STUDY SEWER HAD A BUNCH OF BIG, LET'S SAY CHUNKY EXPENSES BUILT INTO THE RATES. SO STUFF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY YEAR LIKE THEY DO A COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN EVERY FIVE YEARS THAT WAS BUILT INTO LAST YEAR'S RATES. IT'S NOT IN THIS YEAR'S. AND SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY SEEING A DECREASE IN THEIR OPERATING COSTS, WHICH IS A BIG PART OF WHY THEIR RATES ARE COMING DOWN. AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ABOUT SEWER, I THINK EVERYBODY WILL BE HAPPY TO HEAR NATURAL GAS CONTINUES TO BE A MONEYMAKER. WE MADE OVER 3.2 MILLION IN NATURAL GAS SALES THIS YEAR FROM THE BIODIGESTER AT THE SEWER TREATMENT PLANT, AND THAT IS HAVING A DOWNWARD EFFECT ON THOSE SEWER RATES AS WELL. SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT IS STARTING TO REALIZE IN LOWER SEWER RATES. NOW, I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY BY OUR CONTRACT WITH OUR CUSTOMER COMMUNITIES. THE WAY THAT WE DO THIS IS WE TAKE ALL OF THE PENALTY REVENUES GATHERED IN A YEAR LATE FEES, FOR THE MOST PART, 12.5% OF THAT GETS SET ASIDE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUIT BREAKER. THINK OF THAT AS INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE. THE REST OF IT, THE BULK OF IT GOES INTO THE CITY AND CUSTOMER COMMUNITY. CIRCUIT BREAKER, QUADRUPLE CB. REALLY, IT'S COMMUNITY AFFORDABILITY. SO IF YOU'RE AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD AND YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE PAYING YOUR WATER BILLS, YOU REACH OUT TO THE CSCA AND IF YOU'RE APPROVED, YOU GET ASSISTANCE FROM THAT 12.5% POT, THE OTHER 87.5%, IT GOES OUT TO COMMUNITIES TO LOWER THEIR RATES AS A WHOLE FOR EVERYBODY, AND THAT'S DISTRIBUTED TO A COMMUNITY. IF THEIR RATE INCREASE EXCEEDS THE SYSTEM WIDE AVERAGE. SO IF THE SYSTEM AVERAGE IS 6%, SOMEONE HAS AN 8% RATE INCREASE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. THEY GET SOME OF THAT MONEY TO BRING THEM DOWN TO 7% TO BE CLOSER TO THAT SYSTEM WIDE AVERAGE. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THIS YEAR WE COLLECTED A LITTLE UNDER $1.4 MILLION IN PENALTY FEES, 12.5%, 173,000. WE SUPPLEMENT THAT WITH $80,000 OF OTHER NON OPERATING REVENUE. SO IN THE NEXT YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE $250,000 TO TO GIVE OUT AS ASSISTANCE FOR HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE APPLYING FOR HELP. IS THAT ENOUGH MONEY. WELL, IF WE LOOK AT THIS CURRENT YEAR, LAST YEAR WE SET ASIDE $233,000 SO LESS. WE SET THAT ASIDE. AND THROUGH SEPTEMBER THROUGH 75% OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE DISBURSED A LITTLE UNDER 25% OF THAT. SO WE HAVE SERVED A LITTLE UNDER 200 HOUSEHOLDS WITH THAT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. AND WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY LEFT IN THAT POT. IF IT DOESN'T GET USED THIS YEAR, IT WILL GET ROLLED INTO NEXT YEAR'S RATE STUDY TO HELP REDUCE RATES. SO THE SHORT THING HERE, THERE'S PLENTY OF MONEY IN THIS AFFORDABILITY, IN THIS ASSISTANCE POT FOR HOUSEHOLDS THAT MAY NEED HELP FROM THE COMMUNITY WIDE LEVEL. 
          THEY GET THE REMAINDER OF THAT POT THAT THAT $1.2 MILLION OF THAT. MOST OF IT GOT APPLIED THIS YEAR TO HELP REDUCE COMMUNITY WIDE RATES. YEAH. CAN I ASK A QUICK A QUICK QUESTION, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY A FEW OF US ARE IN THE KENT COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD. DO WE KNOW WHAT. SO THE NUMBER THAT WAS THE NUMBER. AND THEN YOU HAD THE HOUSEHOLDS, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY APPLY BUT DON'T GET THE ASSISTANCE? YES. SO IN THE PAST YEAR, SO FAR THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD 27 APPLICANTS THAT DID NOT QUALIFY OUT OF I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TOTAL APPLICANTS, BUT I WOULD ASSUME 27 PLUS 181, YOU KNOW, 200 AND LIKE 200 IS THE YES APPLICANTS. AND THEN I THINK THAT SERVED SOMETHING LIKE 480 INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THOSE HOUSEHOLDS. I ALSO WANT TO FLAG SOMETHING ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC I TALKED. I ALSO SIT ON KCC AND I TALKED TO 
          [03:45:06]
GUSTAVO PEREZ OVER THERE YESTERDAY, AND HE CONFIRMED FOR ME THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN A UNIQUE SITUATION. SO THE MONEY THAT NORMALLY GRAND RAPIDS WATER SYSTEM WOULD BE FUNDING FOR HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE IS NOT GOING TO HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THERE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN STATEWIDE GRANTS THAT WERE APPLIED FOR, AND THEY'VE PRIORITIZED THAT SPENDING THAT MONEY BEFORE ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE WATER SYSTEM. SO I WOULD LIKE TO REALLY FLAG THAT AND CONSIDER THAT IF WE'RE ROLLING THAT BACK IN TO REDUCING WATER RATES, WE MAY WANT TO REEVALUATE THAT, BECAUSE IN 27, I THINK THAT SOME OF THE GRANTS GO TO 28 OR 29. BUT AT THAT POINT THE STATEWIDE GRANT MAY NOT. IT FLUCTUATES. THERE'S SOME THAT ARE ENDING, THERE'S SOME THAT ARE GOING. SO I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE A DEEPER CONVERSATION AND HOW KCC IS SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS, BECAUSE THEY'VE PRIORITIZED THOSE STATEWIDE DOLLARS BEFORE ASKING FOR THE GRAND RAPIDS WATER, DOLLARS FOR HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE. AND WE MAY WANT TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HAVING A CONTINGENCY PLAN AND INVESTING THOSE DOLLARS FOR FUTURE USE INSTEAD OF ROLLING DOWN JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. AND YOU MEAN A RESERVE FUND? NOT A CONTINGENCY PLAN, I THINK, BUT OKAY. THANK YOU FOR HELPING WITH THE RIGHT WORD I DESIGNED THERE'S NO THERE'S NO ROLLOVER OF THESE MONIES INTO A RESERVE FUND. RIGHT. THAT IS CORRECT. SO IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE MONEY WE CAN BUILD A RESERVE OVER INTO A RATE REDUCTION FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, AND WE ALREADY DID THIS LAST YEAR, WE'VE ALREADY MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. BUT LIKE WE HAVE. SO LET'S FLAG THAT AND REALLY LOOK AT THAT AGAIN. YEAH SURE SURE. AND THIS THIS PROCESS DOESN'T CHANGE YEAR TO YEAR. SO THIS IF THIS MONEY GETS UNUSED THIS YEAR AND IT GETS ROLLED INTO NEXT YEAR'S RATES, WHEN WE DO NEXT YEAR'S RATE STUDY, THERE WILL BE A WHOLE NEW POT CREATED BY THAT YEAR'S PENALTY REVENUE. I GUESS THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD TALK ABOUT AS A COMMISSION AND THEN TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE WHAT I'M ACTUALLY SUGGESTING IS THAT MONEY DOESN'T ROLL BACK INTO RATE REDUCTION, BUT GOES INTO A SEPARATE FUND TO BE HELD ASIDE. AND TAMARA WAS SOMEBODY THAT HAD WORKED FOR SAMARIA, HAD WORKED ON THIS, AND GUSTAVO HAD MENTIONED. SO I'M STILL RESEARCHING AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ON THAT. OKAY. AND SO AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY WIDE ASPECT, MOST OF THAT FUNDING WAS APPLIED THIS YEAR, ALL OF IT ON THE WATER SIDE, ABOUT HALF OF IT ON THE SEWER SIDE, BECAUSE SEWER RATES WERE ALREADY GOING DOWN. AND SO THAT LEAVES US ABOUT 400,000 OF UNUSED REVENUES ON THAT SIDE THAT WILL GET BUILT INTO NEXT YEAR'S RATES AS WELL. THAT WILL GO TO EVERY COMMUNITY AS WELL TO HELP REDUCE THEIR RATES. AND AGAIN, I WILL POINT OUT, THIS IS ALL FROM OUR CONTRACT WITH THE CUSTOMER COMMUNITIES. 
          THAT'S WHAT DICTATES THESE PERCENTAGES. LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND THE PROCESS HERE. SO THESE RATES WERE PRESENTED TO THE CUSTOMER COMMUNITIES LAST THURSDAY AT THE UTILITY ADVISORY BOARD. THEY ARE ALL AWARE OF IT. THEY VOTED TO RECOMMEND THESE RATES TO THIS BODY. THEY HAVE 30 DAYS NOW TO COME SPEAK WITH ME AND ASK IF THEY CAN DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT, IF THEY WANT TO CHANGE THINGS AROUND, IF THEY WANT TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO BUY DOWN THEIR COMMUNITY RATES, THEY'VE GOT 30 DAYS TO DO THAT. THAT'S WHY THESE ARE PRELIMINARY RATES. WHEN I COME BACK TO YOU GUYS, THEY MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. I WOULDN'T EXPECT BIG CHANGES, BUT THERE COULD BE SOME SHIFTING THERE DEPENDING ON WHAT THESE COMMUNITIES WANT TO DO. PRESENTING TO YOU GUYS TODAY THAT KICKS OFF 20 DAYS OF PUBLIC COMMENT. IF ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO REACH OUT, THEY CAN CONTACT US VIA EMAIL, PHONE OR WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING IN-PERSON OFFICE HOURS WHERE THEY CAN COME, I'LL EXPLAIN WHAT'S CHANGING AND THEY CAN LEAVE THEIR COMMENTS. I'LL BE DOING THAT FOR THE NEXT MONTH. ON DECEMBER 16TH, I'LL RETURN TO THIS BODY WITH FINAL RATE RECOMMENDATIONS. IF YOU VOTE TO APPROVE THEM, THEY WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1ST, AND THEY'LL BE EFFECTIVE FOR ALL OF 2026. AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE HERE IS JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION. THIS IS THESE ARE THE THE DATES THAT WE'LL BE HAVING THOSE IN-PERSON OFFICE HOURS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'RE CHANGING IT THIS YEAR A LITTLE BIT. WE'RE GOING TO DO THEM ALL AT THE MAIN BRANCH OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ALL THE SAME TIME, JUST TO SIMPLIFY THINGS. SO PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN GIVING PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. OKAY. IF THAT ENDS THE PRESENTATION I THINK THAT ENDS OUR MEETING. SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY. OH DO WE DO PUBLIC COMMENT OKAY. GREAT. ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WANT TO THANK YOU. ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISHING TO COME UP AND MAKE COMMENT. THIS IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY. 
          SEEING NO ONE AND JUST CONFIRMING. SO WE'LL CONTINUE THE TOPICS ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY AT ANOTHER TIME. GREAT. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.