Feb 10, 2026 Committee of the Whole Meeting

[1. National Black History Month Proclamation 2026]

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MY MICROPHONE. FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS PROCLAMATION ON NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND I'D ASK MR. DAVIS TO COME UP WITH ME AS I READ IT TO THE COMMUNITY.

TEENAGER HERE. SO WHEREAS THROUGHOUT OUR NATION'S HISTORY, AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE MADE PROFOUND AND LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED STATES IN EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE, FROM ARTS AND SCIENCE TO POLITICS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION AND BEYOND. AND WHEREAS AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE BEEN PIVOTAL IN SHAPING THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FABRIC OF OUR NATION, OVERCOMING IMMENSE CHALLENGES AND ADVERSITY TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL.

WHEREAS IN 1926, HISTORIAN CARVER WOODSON ESTABLISHED A CELEBRATION OF HISTORY WEEK, WHICH LATER EVOLVED INTO BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN 1976, FOLLOWING PRESIDENT GERALD FORD'S CALL TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE NEED TO CONTINUE EFFORTS FOR RACIAL EQUALITY AND JUSTICE. AND WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AMERICANS TO REFLECT ON THE STRUGGLES, TRIUMPHS, AND RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, HONORING THEIR IMPACT IN OUR NATION'S GROWTH AND PROGRESS.

AND WHEREAS, THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATION, AFRICAN AMERICANS AND LABOR, HIGHLIGHTS THE UNDENIABLE LINKS BETWEEN OPPRESSION UNDER SLAVERY AND AFRICAN AMERICANS, PURSUIT OF BETTER LABOR LAWS AND PROTECTION FOR WORKERS ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES. AND WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THE ONGOING WORK TOWARDS JUSTICE, EQUALITY AND PURSUIT OF FREEDOM FOR ALL AND PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL PEOPLE TO LEARN, REFLECT AND CELEBRATE THE DIVERSE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TO THE STORY OF AMERICA. WE RECOGNIZE THE ENDURANCE, THE ENDURING LEGACY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN LABOR MOVEMENTS AND REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO ADVANCING EQUITABLE ECONOMIC OUTCOMES FOR ALL. GRAND RAPIDS NOW I, DAVID LEGRAND, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, PROCLAIM FEBRUARY 2026 AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, A TIME TO HONOR THE RICH LEGACY, ENDURING STRENGTH, AND TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN OUR NATION'S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. NOW, MR. DAVIS, I THINK WE'LL SAY SOME WORDS. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. CITY COMMISSION CITY MANAGER, WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS PROCLAMATION THAT HONORS AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH HERE IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. I WILL TAKE A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO SAY I'M PROUD TO WORK IN A CITY WHERE WE STILL HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALL PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO SERVE IN THIS GREAT ORGANIZATION. I AM PROUD TO BE A PART OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT RECOGNIZES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE TO HELP BUILD GRAND RAPIDS, ALONG WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE JOINED TODAY BY MEMBERS OF THE EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS AROUND THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, ESPECIALLY NFPA, WHICH IS A NATIONAL FORUM FOR BLACK PUBLIC ADMINISTRATORS. WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY THE PRESIDENT, FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE WHO'S A VICE PRESIDENT AT EXPERIENCED GR JORDAN, GRATEFUL THAT HE'S JOINING US TODAY. AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK OF ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO TO EMBED EQUITY INTO ALL ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION. AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF GRAND RAPIDS. SO THANK YOU, CITY COMMISSION AND MAYOR, FOR STILL STANDING UP AND HONORING SUCH AN IMPORTANT THING IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD INVITE ALL WHO WOULD LIKE TO TO JOIN US FOR A PHOTOGRAPH. COMMISSIONER, WE'D INVITE YOU TO COME DOWN AND WE WILL MAKE SURE WE COMMEMORATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH OCCASIONS LIKE THIS. I ALWAYS HAVE THIS STRONG INCLINATION TO WANT TO SING AT LEAST ONE VERSE OF LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING, LET'S DO IT.

CAN WE CAN WE DO IT FOR REAL? LET'S DO CARRY IT OFF. LET'S DO IT. LET'S DO IT. ALRIGHT.

PLEASE STAND FOR THE SINGING OF THE BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM. ARE YOU GOING ALREADY? I PROBABLY CAN'T SAY WE'RE DOING IT FOR REAL. LET'S DO IT. LET'S DO IT. LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING TILL EARTH AND HEAVEN. RING, RING WITH THE HEART OF. TEA. LET OUR REJOICE. SING. RISE HIGH AS THE LIFT. SKIES. LET US MARCH ON TILL VICTORY IS WON. AMEN.

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[2. Resolution Authorizing a Sister City Agreement with Vaughan, Ontario, Canada]

RCI ON JANUARY 27TH. AT YOUR LAST MEETING, JUST A BRIEF NOTE. SISTER CITIES PARTNERSHIPS HAVE LU MY PARLIAMENTARIAN NOTES THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD A MOTION YET, SO OKAY, LET'S HAVE A MOTION ON THE RESOLUTION. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO SISTER CITIES PARTNERSHIPS HAVE A GENERATIONAL IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. THE FIRST WAS APPROVED BY THE THEN CITY COMMISSION ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO, AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH VAUGHAN WILL ENDURE AND BENEFIT BOTH OF OUR CITIES FOR MANY DECADES TO COME. WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE PRESENCE OF THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY OF VAUGHAN, WHO MADE THE TEN HOUR ROUND TRIP JOURNEY TO BE WITH US HERE TODAY, AND I'D ASK THEM TO RAISE THEIR HANDS, AS I SEE, SAY, EACH OF THEIR NAMES AND TITLES. SO MICHAEL GENOVA IS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. GHAZAL AHMAD MOMIN IS SENIOR ADVISOR FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND CHRISTIAN ZAVALA IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN THE PODIUM OVER TO TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR LOCAL SISTER CITIES PARTNERS AT GRC FOR BRIEF WORDS ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION. SO THEY ARE EMILY SMITH, WHO IS SECRETARY. COME ON UP. AND MOLLY GRIMES, WHO IS VAUGHAN COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR. AND AFTER THAT, MICHAEL GENOVA WILL PROVIDE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF VAUGHAN, AND WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. THANKS, LOU. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.

AND THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS FROM VAUGHAN, CANADA. THANKS FOR MAKING THE TRIP OVER. I'M EMILY SMITH, THE SECRETARY OF GRC. I'M GRATEFUL TO BE HERE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR WORK. I REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF OUR CANADIAN ARVON INQUIRY CITY.

MOLLY GRIMES IS THE CO-CHAIR. SHE'S DONE, ALONG WITH HER COMMITTEE, A LOT OF WORK AS BEING CITIZEN DIPLOMATS, THE PEOPLE TO PEOPLE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE ETHOS OF SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL AND GRAND RAPIDS SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL. SO, MOLLY. YES, THANK YOU, EMILY, AND GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MOLLY GRIMES AND I'M CO-CHAIR FOR OUR GRAND RAPIDS SISTER CITIES CANADA INQUIRY COMMITTEE.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. IT IS SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE HERE ALONG WITH SOME MEMBERS OF OUR COMMITTEE. WE'RE ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTING THE FORMALIZATION OF OUR SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP WITH VAUGHAN, ONTARIO, CANADA. OUR CONNECTION WITH VAUGHAN BEGAN IN 2023, WHEN SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL MATCHED OUR TWO CITIES BASED ON SHARED SHARED ECONOMIC, POPULATION AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS. SINCE THEN, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, THROUGH REGULAR VIRTUAL MEETINGS, OUR FOUR OFFICIAL DELEGATIONS BETWEEN OUR CITIES, WE'VE BUILT A STRONG AND ACTIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMITTEE, VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS, AND CITY LIAISONS. OUR SISTERHOOD WITH VAUGHAN IS ROOTED IN STRONG CONNECTIONS ACROSS ARTS AND CULTURE, SPORTS, CITY TO CITY BEST PRACTICES, AND KEY ECONOMIC INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING MANUFACTURING AND HEALTH CARE. BOTH GRAND RAPIDS AND VAUGHAN VALUE CREATIVE PLACEMAKING, INCLUSIVE PUBLIC SPACES, AND STRONG PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. WE SEE THIS RELATIONSHIP CREATING MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR

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FOR ALL THEIR WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR. TO GET US TO THIS POINT IN OUR PARTNERSHIP JOURNEY. FINALLY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE EARL PROVOST, THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT'S AGENT GENERAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES WHO FIRST INITIATED THE IDEA ABOUT VAUGHAN ENTERING INTO A SISTER CITY AGREEMENT WITH GRAND RAPIDS. SO I WANT TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT VAUGHAN WITH YOU. AND THAT'S AN IMAGE OF OUR CITY HALL. SO, AS NOTED, THE CITY OF VAUGHAN IS LOCATED IN THE GREATER TORONTO AREA AND IS DIRECTLY NORTH OF TORONTO, CANADA'S LARGEST MUNICIPALITY. WE HAVE A POPULATION OF 350,000 INDIVIDUALS, AND OUR POPULATION IS TRACKING TOWARDS OVER HALF A MILLION BY 2051. WE'RE ABOUT 20 MINUTES AWAY FROM TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, THE LARGEST AIRPORT IN CANADA, AND WE'RE PART OF AN EXTENSIVE RAIL NETWORK AS WELL THAT STRETCHES TO DELTA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. AND SO FOR CONTEXT, THAT'S JUST NORTH OF SEATTLE IN IN WASHINGTON STATE, WE ARE ABOUT AN HOUR FROM THE CANADA US BORDER IN THE NIAGARA REGION. HERE WE HAVE THAT'S OUR MAYOR, MAYOR STEVEN DEL DUCA, WHO WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 2022. AND VAUGHAN DOES HAVE A CITY COUNCIL OF TEN ELECTED OFFICIALS. FIVE OF OUR COUNCILORS ARE ELECTED TO REPRESENT ONE OF FIVE MUNICIPAL WARDS. FOUR INDIVIDUALS ARE ELECTED CITYWIDE AND SERVE AS LOCAL AND REGIONAL COUNCILORS, SO THEY SERVE ON ANOTHER COUNCIL, AN UPPER TIER SIMILAR IN PRINCIPLE TO YOUR COUNTY ARRANGEMENT. AND LIKE THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR ALSO SERVES ON THAT YORK REGION COUNCIL AS WELL. THEIR TERMS ARE FOUR YEARS IN LENGTH AND WE ARE ALSO IN AN ELECTION YEAR AS WELL. SO I NOTED OUR TRANSIT CORRIDORS, OUR TRANSIT CONNECTIONS. BUT I DO WANT TO SINGLE OUT THAT VAUGHAN IS THE ONLY MUNICIPALITY OUTSIDE OF TORONTO TO BE CONNECTED TO THE SUBWAY, AND OUR SUBWAY CONNECTION MEANS THAT YOU CAN TRAVEL FROM OUR EMERGING DOWNTOWN CORE, WHICH WE CALL THE VAUGHAN METROPOLITAN CENTER, WHICH YOU CAN SEE THERE, AN IMAGE THERE INTO DOWNTOWN TORONTO AND ROUGHLY 40 MINUTES OR SO. AND VAUGHAN'S BUSINESSES SPAN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SECTORS AND REFLECTS A WELL DIVERSIFIED ECONOMY. OF NOTE, I DO WANT TO SINGLE OUT THE VAUGHAN HEALTHCARE CENTER PRECINCT.

THIS IS AN 82 PARCEL OF LAND, HOME TO THE CITY'S FIRST AND ONLY HOSPITAL, THE COURT VAUGHAN HOSPITAL, AND IT'S GOING TO BE HOME TO THE FUTURE YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, FOCUSED ON TRAINING THAT NEXT GENERATION OF PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS. I SINGLED THIS OUT BECAUSE LAST JUNE, WHEN OUR VAUGHAN DELEGATION WAS HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR THE GRAND RAPIDS RESEARCH CENTER AND THE DOUG MEYER MEDICAL INNOVATION BUILDING, WHICH IS TRULY AN INSPIRATION, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE STRIVING TO DO OURSELVES, A MUNICIPALITY THAT HELPS BRING TOGETHER HEALTH CARE, RESEARCH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION TRULY IS A MUNICIPALITY THAT IS ELEVATING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ITS RESIDENTS. AND WHEN WE THINK OF OUR RESIDENTS, WE THINK OF OUR PEOPLE. OUR PEOPLE ARE OUR TALENT. SO WE HAVE OVER 110 LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN VAUGHAN. WE HAVE A HIGHLY EDUCATED WORKFORCE. WE HAVE CONNECTIONS TO NINE UNIVERSITIES, 14 COLLEGES, AND AGAIN, MANY OF THOSE POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS ARE ALONG THAT SUBWAY CORRIDOR. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS AN IMAGE OF NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS ACTUALLY BASED IN LEWISTON, NEW YORK. THEY DO HAVE A BINATIONAL BINATIONAL CAMPUS WHICH IS LOCATED IN VAUGHAN, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.

AND THIS IS A PHOTO OF MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM NIAGARA UNIVERSITY CELEBRATING THE EXPANSION OF THAT FOOTPRINT, WHICH IS IN VAUGHAN METROPOLITAN CENTER CORE. AS I NOTED IN JUNE 2025, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE OUR

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AND WE SAW FIRSTHAND THE PUBLIC ART THAT IS EVIDENT ALL THROUGHOUT GRAND RAPIDS. AND THIS COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC ART AND PLACEMAKING, AGAIN, IS SHARED BY OUR COUNCIL AS WELL.

TOURISM IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO THE CITY OF VAUGHAN. CONFERENCES ARE A BIG SECTOR SPORT. TOURISM IS ANOTHER BIG SECTOR. OUR BIGGEST SECTOR REALLY IS FRIENDS AND FAMILY COMING TO VAUGHAN TO VISIT ONE ANOTHER, GOING OUT TO A LOCAL RESTAURANT OR TAKING IN SOME OF OUR LOCAL ATTRACTIONS LIKE WEST MICHIGAN. WE HAVE A CEDAR FAIRS AMUSEMENT PARK, WHICH CANADA'S WONDERLAND, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY AND A POPULAR TOURISM DESTINATION IN TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS ROOTED IN ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR US TO WELCOME DIFFERENT AMBASSADORS AND DIPLOMATS TO THE CITY OF VAUGHAN. AND JUST RECENTLY WE HAD AMBASSADOR CATALINO, THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO CANADA, COME VISIT US. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WOULD SAY THAT GRAND RAPIDS WOULD BE THE FIRST AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF VAUGHAN, WHICH WE FIND VERY ENCOURAGING. AGAIN, AS NOTED IN THIS PRESENTATION, THERE ARE SEVERAL PARALLELS BETWEEN VAUGHAN AND GRAND RAPIDS, WHICH PRESENTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, ADVANCING AREAS OF PUBLIC ART, SPORTS, CULINARY ARTS, GOVERNANCE, AS WELL.

VAUGHAN'S PUBLIC ART STRATEGY CERTAINLY COMPLEMENTS GRAND RAPIDS CREATIVE ECONOMY AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES. IN APRIL, WE WERE HONORED TO WELCOME A DELEGATION FROM GRAND RAPIDS, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE THE SISTER CITY GROUP. AND IN JULY 2025, WE WERE HONORED TO WELCOME MAYOR LE GRAND TO VAUGHAN CITY HALL, WHERE HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH OUR MAYOR, STEVEN DEL DUCA. FURTHERMORE, IN 2025, VAUGHAN JOINED THE GREAT LAKES AND SAINT LAWRENCE CITIES INITIATIVE, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT I KNOW GRAND RAPIDS IS A MEMBER OF, AND THIS IS A FURTHER COMMITMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY TO TO STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS WITH THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, WITH THE MIDWEST, AND WITH THE BROADER GREAT LAKES REGION AS WELL. SO IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, WITH THE SUPPORT, OF COURSE, OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS COMMISSION, VAUGHAN LOOKS FORWARD TO WELCOMING A GRAND RAPIDS DELEGATION OURSELVES. WE'RE TRACKING TO APRIL 14TH, WHERE WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE A REPORT FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION TO VOTE ON ENTERING INTO THAT SISTER CITY AGREEMENT. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOST THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS FOR A FORMAL SIGNING CEREMONY AT SOME POINT IN 2026 AS WELL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

THANKS. ANY QUESTIONS COLLEAGUES? COMMISSIONER COGAR DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BUT A COMMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DON'T KNOW ANY FRENCH SO I WON'T EVEN TRY TO BUTCHER IT. I THINK IT'S SO INTERESTING, AS OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BLOCKS A BRIDGE TO CANADA, OR IS TRYING TO BLOCK A BRIDGE TO CANADA TODAY. I THINK IT IS BEAUTIFUL THAT WE ARE ONCE AGAIN MODELING BEHAVIOR AND BUILDING A BRIDGE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND CULTURE.

I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH FOLKS FROM CANADA WITH THE HEALING OUR WATERS COALITION IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THE EMBASSY OF CANADA THROWS A NICE GET TOGETHER ANNUALLY WITH HEALING OUR WATERS COALITION. AND SO I'VE BEEN HAD THE PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. IF YOU GO A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND SAINT LAWRENCE INITIATIVE, I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT. BUT THANK YOU AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR THE QUESTION. YEAH, THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION WE JOINED ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND WE HAVE CITY STAFF WHO ATTEND THE CONFERENCES AND WHO ARE PART OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP AS WELL, REALLY RECOGNIZING THAT THE VALUE OF TRADE THAT FLOWS OR THE

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THAT CITY HALL IS A RESULT OF THEM PLANNING FOR GROWTH, AND THE BIGGEST DEPARTMENT IN THEIR THEIR MUNICIPALITIES. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE THERE'S CONSTRUCTION ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND THEY HAVE ASSESSED THE NEED FOR HOUSING AND HAVE TAKEN THAT CHALLENGE ON. AND THEY'RE THERE'S A LOT OF DENSITY THAT'S OCCURRING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WITH A LOT OF TOWERS THAT ARE BEING BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE THE FUTURE GROWTH OF THEIR COMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN LEARN AND HOW TO PREPARE FOR GROWTH AND DO IT IN A SMART, URBANIZED WAY. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE RELATIONSHIP. AND I DON'T MEAN TO TAKE AWAY YOUR YOUR OBJECTION, BUT THE MINUTE OUR CITY MANAGER SAID NORTH, I THOUGHT, WELL IT'S REALLY EAST.

I'M NOT SURE IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE SOUTH OF US. IF WE WERE IN CADILLAC, IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE SOUTH OF US. BUT YEAH, THE I THINK VAUGHAN IS ESSENTIALLY EAST OF US. NOT NOT NORTH OF US.

IT'S THE COUNTRY NORTH OF US, MAYOR. BUT SOME OF IT I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REVISIT, WE CAN REVISIT HISTORY. THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE IS BELOW A LOT OF AMERICA. ALSO NOVA SCOTIA DIPS BELOW MAINE. SO JUST SAYING. ANYWAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT.

SO NO FURTHER QUIBBLES ABOUT GEOGRAPHY. I'D CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF FORMALIZING THE SISTER CITY AGREEMENT. SAY AYE. AYE AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. THAT MOVES

[1. Overview of the FY2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report & Resident's Guide to the City's Finances]

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AND I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT GO OVER THE END OF AUDIT COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY AUDITING STANDARDS. THE FIRST THERE'S A DOCUMENT THAT'S CALLED END OF AUDIT COMMUNICATIONS, AND I'LL GO OVER THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THAT. AND THE SECOND IS THE REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROLS. AND I'LL COVER THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THAT AS WELL. STARTING WITH THE END OF AUDIT COMMUNICATIONS. FIRST. THIS JUST REITERATES OUR AUDITOR'S RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH IS TO AUDIT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, NOT TO PREPARE THEM, AND TO PERFORM OUR WORK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS, WHICH EMPHASIZE INDEPENDENCE, OBJECTIVITY AND PROFESSIONAL SKEPTICISM. THAT LETTER ALSO INDICATES ANY CHANGES TO ACCOUNTING POLICIES. SO THERE WAS ONE NEW ACCOUNTING POLICY THAT WAS REQUIRED TO BE IMPLEMENTED THIS YEAR AND THAT RELATED TO COMPENSATED ABSENCES, THINGS LIKE SICK AND VACATION TIME, WHICH THE CITY RECORDS A LIABILITY FOR. SO THAT NEW STANDARD WAS IMPLEMENTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STANDARD IN THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, YOU'LL SEE WHAT'S CALLED A RESTATEMENT TO THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR BALANCES, AND THAT'S REQUIRED FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT STANDARD, NOT A RESULT OF ANY ERROR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE ALSO INDICATE THAT WITHIN THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, CERTAIN ESTIMATES ARE REQUIRED TO PREPARE THAT. AS PART OF OUR AUDIT, WE IDENTIFY SIGNIFICANT ESTIMATES THAT REQUIRE JUDGMENT AND PERFORM AUDIT PROCEDURES AROUND THOSE.

THOSE SIGNIFICANT ESTIMATES INCLUDE THE NET PENSION LIABILITY, THE NET OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT LIABILITY, WHICH IS THE RETIREE HEALTH CARE AND INCOME TAX REFUND ESTIMATES. IN ALL OF THOSE AREAS, CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS AND INPUTS GO INTO DEVELOPING THOSE ESTIMATES. SO WE EVALUATED THOSE AND WHETHER THEY'RE REASONABLE AND CONSISTENTLY APPLIED. AND WE DETERMINED THAT THEY WERE WE DIDN'T ENCOUNTER ANY SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTIES DURING THE AUDIT OTHER THAN SOME DELAYS IN THE TRADITIONAL TIMELINE. AGAIN, BILL MENTIONED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORACLE SYSTEM SO THAT ANY TIME, YOU KNOW, A COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH IMPLEMENTS A NEW ERP SYSTEM, IT'S OFTEN VERY CHALLENGING. AND THERE WAS SOME COMPLEXITIES WITH THAT. BUT AS BILL MENTIONED, THE AUDIT WAS STILL FILED ON TIME. SO THAT'S A CREDIT TO ALL THOSE WORKING ON THE AUDIT PREPARATION AND PROCESS. IN THE IN THE COMMUNICATION, WE DO HAVE TO IDENTIFY IF THERE WAS ANY MISSTATEMENTS. SO THIS MEANS ANY AUDIT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FINANCIALS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED. AS PART OF OUR AUDIT, WE DID RECOMMEND ONE AUDIT ADJUSTMENT

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AND WE AGREED WITH THAT DETERMINATION. AND THEY WERE THEREFORE JUST POSTED INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. WITHIN THE LARGE BOND DOCUMENT. THE BEGINNING AND END OF THAT DOCUMENT INCLUDES THE INTRODUCTORY AND STATISTICAL SECTIONS. THOSE ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY, AND THERE'S NO AUDIT OPINION GIVEN ON THOSE. SO WE DO NOTE THAT, BUT NOTE THAT WE READ THEM FOR ANY MATERIAL INCONSISTENCIES AS IT RELATES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. ROUNDING OUT OUR END OF AUDIT COMMUNICATIONS, WE DID PROVIDE ONE RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO INTERNAL CONTROLS. THIS JUST RELATES TO VENDOR PAYMENT CHANGES. SO WHEN A VENDOR IS CHANGING THEIR ACH OR ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC PAYMENT INFORMATION, WE DID FIND THAT THE CITY HAS INFORMAL POLICIES RELATED TO HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, VERIFY THOSE CHANGES. BUT WE RECOMMENDED STRENGTHENING THOSE BY DOCUMENTING THE CHANGES AND THE APPROVAL TO THOSE CHANGES, JUST TO ENHANCE THE OVERSIGHT AND CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF THOSE CONTROLS. FINALLY, IN THAT LETTER, WE PROVIDE A NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE AND INFORMAL ITEMS, WHICH I WON'T COVER IN DETAIL, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THEM AT ANY TIME. FURTHER, THERE'S SOME ITEMS IN THERE RELATED TO SOME UPCOMING ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, WHICH WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO ENSURE OUR IMPLEMENTED GOING FORWARD. ALL RIGHT. I'LL MOVE ON TO THE REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROLS. SO THE PURPOSE OF THE AUDIT RELATED TO INTERNAL CONTROLS IS TO EVALUATE THE DESIGN OF THE CONTROLS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP OUR AUDIT PROCEDURES. THE AUDIT DOES NOT PROVIDE AN OPINION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS INTERNAL ON INTERNAL CONTROLS PER THE AUDITING STANDARDS. BUT IF THERE ARE ANY AREAS WHERE THERE ARE DEFICIENCIES THAT RISE TO A CERTAIN LEVEL, THOSE ARE REQUIRED TO BE REPORTED TO YOU. AS PART OF THAT, WE DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WERE TWO FINDINGS REPORTED IN OUR LETTER THIS YEAR. ONE RELATES TO THE TIMELINESS OF BANK RECONCILIATIONS. AND AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO THE ERP IMPLEMENTATION THAT WAS IN MAY. SO AT THE VERY END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. SO THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS COMPLEXITIES AND CHALLENGES WITH REPORTING AND OTHER ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ERP, ERP SYSTEM, EXCUSE ME, WHICH DID SIGNIFICANTLY DELAY THE JUNE RECONCILIATION, WHICH WE RELY ON FOR THE AUDIT. SO WE NOTED THAT CONTRIBUTED TO DELAYS IN THE AUDIT TIMELINE.

THE OTHER ITEM THAT'S REPORTED IN THERE JUST RELATES TO THAT AUDIT ADJUSTMENT THAT I ALREADY MENTIONED, RELATED TO THE DEBT THAT'S CONTRACTUALLY SUPPORTED BY OTHER ENTITIES, WHICH WE PROPOSED AN ADJUSTMENT TO WHICH, DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF THAT JUST RISE TO THAT LEVEL OF REQUIRED REPORTING, THE OTHER PART OF THAT LETTER IS JUST TO REPORT IF THERE'S ANY NONCOMPLIANCE WITH LAWS, REGULATIONS OR CONTRACTS OR GRANT AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE A MATERIAL IMPACT ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. AND WE DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY NONCOMPLIANCE TO REPORT TO YOU TODAY. THERE WILL BE A FORTHCOMING ADDITIONAL AUDIT ON THE FEDERAL GRANT ACTIVITY

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AND THEN OF COURSE, WHAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, USUALLY IN THE AUDIT WHAT'S THE RECONCILIATION TO MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T OCCUR AGAIN. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WAS DONE AS WELL. YES. AS PART OF THE FINDINGS, WHEN YOU SEE THE REPORT, MANAGEMENT PROVIDES THEIR VIEWS, WHICH IS THE CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT THEY PLAN TO PUT IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THAT WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ALREADY OCCURRING. YES. OKAY. THAT'S WONDERFUL. ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS COLLEAGUES SEEING NONE. THANKS. AND MR. COMPTROLLER YOU HAD SOME FOLLOW UP. I WANT TO THANK BILL AND MARIA AND ALL THEIR COLLEAGUES AT PLANTE MORAN FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND THE WORK THEY DID ON THE AUDIT THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH, WE WOULD LIKE TO JUST GO INTO A LITTLE BIT AND GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, WHICH YOU ALL KNOW IS THE BIG, ALMOST 200 PAGE BINDER FULL OF VERY HELPFUL FINANCIAL INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S POSITION. BUT IT CAN OFTEN BE, YOU KNOW, A LOT FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO DIGEST. AND SO THE CITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME HAS PUT TOGETHER A RESIDENT'S GUIDE TO CITY FINANCES TO HELP THEM ON THEIR JOURNEY OF LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE CITY'S FINANCIAL POSITION. SO I'LL RUN THROUGH A FEW HIGHLIGHTS IN THERE. AND THIS IS, OF COURSE, AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. AND WE TRIED IT IN ONE PAGE, REALLY ENCAPSULATE THE CITY'S KIND OF OVERALL FINANCIAL POSITION.

JUST LOOKING AT SOME KEY MEASURES HERE. SO WE HAVE A SNAPSHOT OF THE CITY'S OVERALL REVENUES FOR THE YEAR, $677 MILLION AND EXPENSES OF $574 MILLION. BOTH OF THOSE INCREASE RELATIVE TO LAST YEAR. AND WE'LL LOOK AT SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THAT AS WELL. BUT A KEY THING WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CITY'S NET POSITION IS THE DIFFERENCE THROUGHOUT THE

[00:40:05]

AND THE ONE THING I WOULD CALL ATTENTION TO IS THAT THE DEBT HAS BEEN INCREASING IN RECENT YEARS, SO NOT JUST FROM LAST YEAR, BUT IF WE LOOK, YOU KNOW, BACK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE WERE AT ABOUT 466 MILLION. AND SO WE'RE AT $674 MILLION NOW. SO THAT IS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE DEBT POSITION THAT I THINK WE SHOULD REMAIN COGNIZANT OF. NOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, AGREEMENTS IN PLACE TO HELP THE CITY COVER ITS DEBT SERVICING COSTS, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT NONETHELESS, I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR LIABILITY POSITION THERE. WE HAVE A LITTLE SNAPSHOT HERE ON THE CREDIT RATING FROM STANDARD AND POOR'S AA THAT'S REMAINED STABLE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND THEN ALSO PENSION AND BENEFITS. WE STAND AROUND 77% FUNDED. WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS. SO EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SLIDES KIND OF DOUBLE CLICKS A LITTLE BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, INTO THESE TOPICS JUST KIND OF GIVE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS INSIGHT INTO PRIMARY SOURCES OF CITY REVENUE. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE PROPERTY AND INCOME TAXES, BUT ALSO CHARGES FOR SERVICES LIKE WATER, SEWAGE AND SEWER AND PARKING. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THOSE MAKE UP A BIG CHUNK OF THE PIE. BUT THIS YEAR I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME SIGNIFICANT INCREASES. SO IN THIS TOTAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE NUMBER, THERE IS $52 MILLION ASSOCIATED WITH MONEY WE ANTICIPATE RECEIVING FROM THE KENT COUNTY'S LODGING TAX FROM THE CONVENTION ARENA AUTHORITY. AND THEN ON THE REVENUE SIDE, 574 MILLION. YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, MAIN MAIN EXPENDITURES PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC WORKS, WATER, SEWER AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT EXPENSES. AND SIMILAR AS REVENUE IS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. SO OUR EXPENSES AND AGAIN, THERE'S A BIG CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION COST COMPONENT HERE OF $76 MILLION PERTAINING TO THE AMPHITHEATER AND SOCCER STADIUM. IF YOU JUST PULL THOSE, YOU KNOW, FIGURES OUT, WE WOULD STILL BE UP REVENUES, THE PULL THOSE PROJECTS OUT AND HOW THEY'RE IMPACTING THE FINANCIALS. WE WOULD STILL PROBABLY BE UP BOTH REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES FOR THIS YEAR AS WELL. THIS VENDOR DETAIL SLIDE IS JUST GOING KIND OF ONE LAYER DEEPER INTO THE CITY'S EXPENSES. GRANTED THERE'S A LOT OF EXPENSES RIGHT. BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS OR BUSINESSES THAT THE CITY WORKS WITH. WE WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS, THOUSANDS OF ENTITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS ARE PAID. BUT THIS LIST DOWN HERE REALLY CONSTITUTES ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PAID AT LEAST $2 MILLION OR MORE. SO IT JUST GIVES THE PUBLIC A LITTLE BIT MORE VISIBILITY IN SOME OF THE PRIMARY ORGANIZATIONS THAT THE CITY IS WORKING WITH. WE HAVE A SLIDE HERE JUST COVERING TAX ABATEMENTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025, SHOWING ABOUT $4.8 MILLION WAS ABATED. AND THE BULK OF THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THOSE TOP TWO PROGRAMS THERE, THE MAIN ONE BEING THE BROWNFIELD. THIS IS THAT NET POSITION SLIDE. JUST AGAIN, LOOKING AT THAT BIG PICTURE CHANGE IN THE CITY'S OVERALL ASSETS AND LIABILITIES, IT KIND OF WALKS THROUGH THE CONTRIBUTORS THERE. BUT AS MENTIONED BEFORE ULTIMATELY WE HAD A POSITIVE $96 MILLION INCREASE IN OUR NET POSITION.

[00:45:03]

AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW. GREAT COLLEAGUES. GREAT PRESENTATION, PRETTY CLEAR AND LOOKS LIKE ON BALANCE GOOD NEWS. SO IT'S REASSURING. THANKS.

THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. ALRIGHT, THAT MOVES US

[2. Update to City Commission on Major Greenhouse Gas Reduction Projects]

AND WHILE FINAL REPORTS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE SPRING, THIS DISCUSSION INCLUDES SOME OF THEIR PRELIMINARY CALCULATIONS FOR BOTH PROJECTS. SO STARTING OFF OUR VICINITY ESTEEM PROGRAM IS FEATURED IN OUR BUILDINGS AND INDUSTRY CHAPTER OF THE CLIMATE PLAN STRATEGY FOR ACTION THREE. PARTNERING WITH VICINITY ENERGY TO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT EFFICIENCY PROJECTS AND PURSUE ELECTRIFICATION OF THE STEAM GENERATION DISTRICT AND THE SOURCING OF RENEWABLE ENERGY. NOW, THE AVERAGE ANNUAL COST TO THE CITY WOULD BE AROUND $310,000, WITH A 20 YEAR COST ESTIMATION AT 6.2 MILLION. THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION THAT WAS FOUND BY FRESH COAST IS 15,000, A LITTLE BIT OVER 15,000 METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT, WHICH IS OUR UNIT OF MEASUREMENT FOR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. HOWEVER, THAT IS FOR IF THE ENTIRE PROGRAM IS UTILIZED AT VICINITY, IF IT'S JUST THE CITY'S PORTION THAT'S

[00:50:04]

THAT COST PER METRIC TON IS AROUND $5.38, AND THAT LEADS TO A COMMUNITY WIDE REDUCTION OF JUST 0.02%. AND NOW I WILL PASS IT ON TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER MATHEWS TO MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OH. OKAY. SO WE'RE FIRST GOING TO TALK ABOUT ESTEEM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU ALL HAD SELECTED IN YOUR 20 PRIORITY ACTIONS. THE WAY THAT PROGRAM WORKS, THE CITY WOULD SUBSCRIBE TO THE ESTEEM PROGRAM THAT WOULD GUARANTEE THAT THE STEAM THAT'S PROVIDED TO US WOULD BE THROUGH THEIR ELECTRIC BOILER, USING RENEWABLE ENERGY. THAT WOULD.

ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS IS THAT IT DIVERTS GREENHOUSE GASES LOCALLY. SO THE THE BURNING OF GAS RIGHT NOW IS HAPPENING JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM WHERE WE'RE AT, WHERE, FOR INSTANCE, RIGHT NOW ON THE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM THAT'S VIRTUALLY SAVING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT MIGHT NOT BE ACTUALLY GENERATED HERE LOCALLY. SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS LOOKING AT THE PROJECT, WE COULD, IF WE WANTED TO REDUCE COSTS SLIGHTLY IN THE SHORT TERM, OPT FOR A PARTIAL SUBSCRIPTION. THAT MEANS THAT PART OF THE PORTFOLIO WOULD BE COMING FROM CONSUMERS. STANDARD GENERATION PART WOULD BE COMING FROM RENEWABLE GENERATION. THIS PROVIDES US WITH A FIXED RATE, SO WE'D HAVE A GUARANTEED RATE OVER TIME VERSUS THE GAS RATES, WHICH CAN BE VOLATILE. BUT GENERALLY OVER RECENT YEARS HAVE BEEN LOWER THAN THE SAME COMPARABLE COSTS FOR ELECTRIC. FOR ELECTRICAL ENERGY, THE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM SUBSCRIPTION IS LIMITED, WHICH IS WHY WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS NOW. SO THAT AVAILABILITY WINDOW IS CLOSING AT THEIR CURRENT RATES AND THEIR PROPOSAL. WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE NEXT WINDOW MIGHT OPEN. WE COULD STILL SUBSCRIBE TO THE PROGRAM, BUT IT WOULD BE ON OPEN GENERATED ENERGY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IS THE UNFUNDED BUDGETARY IMPACT. IN THE TERM OF THIS COMMITMENT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 20 YEAR TERM. WE'D LIKE TO BRING THIS FORWARD AS AN ITEM FOR FORMAL DISCUSSION AS PART OF THE THE ACTUAL BUDGET PROCESS. THE OTHER PIECE THAT WE'LL PROBABLY BRING FORWARD HERE SHORTLY IS AN UPDATE TO THE ORDINANCE. SO THE CITY IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION. WE ARE BOTH THE REGULATOR AND WE ARE A CUSTOMER OF THE STEAM DISTRICT. IN THAT ROLE, WE HOLD IN ORDINANCE THE TARIFF FOR THE STEAM DISTRICT. IT DID NOT, WHEN IT WAS DEVELOPED, CONTEMPLATE THE UTILIZATION OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES FOR THE GENERATION OF STEAM. SO ALL OF THE CALCULATIONS THAT ARE IN THERE ARE BASED ON THE BURNING OF GAS. SO WE HAVE SOME DRAFT LANGUAGE THAT WILL EFFECTIVELY ALLOW THEM TO SELL THIS AS A SUBSCRIPTION. IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL GENERATION. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T OBLIGATE US AS A CUSTOMER, BUT IT GIVES THEM A PATHWAY TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS TO OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT MIGHT WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE IT. SO LOOKING AT BUTTERWORTH, WE ARE IN THE FINAL EVALUATION FOR PROPOSALS FOR TWO MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR AT THE LANDFILL SITE. THIS WOULD BE A PPA, SO THE PROJECT WOULD BE OWNED BY THE DEVELOPER. WE WOULD PURCHASE THAT GENERATED POWER AT AGREED UPON RATE. THAT AGREEMENT NOTABLY INCLUDES

[00:55:03]

[01:00:03]

AND SO THIS VICINITY PROPOSAL IS DIRECTLY TIED INTO THEM IN TURN, GOING OUT AND GETTING.

RENEWABLE SOURCES FOR THE ELECTRICITY THAT THEY'RE USING. AND SO THE REASON THIS IS COSTING IS NOT BECAUSE NOT SO MUCH THAT THEY'RE DOING AN STEAM BOILER AS THAT THEY'RE GOING OUT AND GETTING RENEWABLE SOURCES FOR THAT, THAT ELECTRICITY. AND THEY'RE AND THEY'RE PASSING THAT ALONG WITH NO MARKUP. SO WE'RE GETTING THE DIRECT VALUE OF THEM. THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE NOT TAKING ANY, ANY PROFIT OR RENT SEEKING OR WHATEVER FROM TRANSIT FROM PASSING ALONG THAT RENEWABLE ENERGY. BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE DO THIS, WE ARE ACTUALLY REDUCING POINT SOURCE POLLUTION IN DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS. AND SO THAT'S WE'RE NOT JUST GETTING CO2 BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE IN PARIS. WE'RE ALSO GETTING ACTUAL CLEANER AIR IN THE CITY, IN THE CITY. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT TO OUR TO THE CITIZENS. AND I GUESS I CAN'T HELP I MEAN, I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE A SOAPBOX MOMENT HERE. I AM APPALLED THAT OUR ENERGY COMPANIES ARE CURRENTLY BEING FORCED TO KEEP OPEN A COAL BURNING PLANT, WHICH IS DIRECTLY UPWIND FROM US. THERE'S A BIG COAL BURNING PLANT, AND PREVAILING WESTERLY WINDS MEAN ALL OF THAT COAL PRODUCTION, ENERGY PRODUCTION ON ON THE SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE PORT SHELDON NEIGHBORHOOD. ALL OF THAT PARTICULATE MATTER IS ESSENTIALLY BLOWING HERE. AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT OUR BUTTERWORTH PROGRAM CAN CAN MOVE US TOWARDS A WORLD WHERE WHERE THAT POINT SOURCE CONTAMINATION FOR THE ENTIRE REGION IS BECOMING OBSOLETE, THAT'S A THAT'S, FOR ME AT LEAST, AN IMPORTANT REASON TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY. I MEAN, I, I REJOICED WHEN THE, WHEN THE, WHEN THERE WAS A PLAN TO SHUTTER THAT THAT PLANT AND I, YOU KNOW, MADE A PRESS RELEASE ABOUT IT. AND I WAS REALLY EXCITED THAT WE WERE GETTING RID OF A COAL PLANT ON LAKE MICHIGAN AND TURNED OUT IT WAS ALL A MIRAGE. SO BUT NONETHELESS, IF WE CAN IF WE CAN BUILD TOWARDS THAT PLANT BEING IRRELEVANT, I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S AN IMPORTANT VALUE FOR US TO LEAN INTO. COLLEAGUES. COMMISSIONER BELCHECK, THANK YOU. I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD. AND I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND THE SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, THE TO MOVE FORWARD THE COST ANALYSIS SO QUICKLY AND BRING IT TO US, I THINK IS REALLY GREAT. SO GOOD JOB. I WOULD LIKE TO, IF YOU COULD TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW AGAIN WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT THE SUBSCRIPTION VERSUS WHAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. YEAH. SO THIS I BELIEVE THIS ITEM PREDATES THE, THE, THE NEWLY SEATED COMMISSION WE HAD BROUGHT FORWARD AN ITEM BECAUSE OUR PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENT WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY FOR RENEWABLES WAS EXPIRING, AND THERE WERE MOVING EVERYBODY INTO A NEW PROGRAM CALLED THE REP, THE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM. THAT PROGRAM ALLOWS US EFFECTIVELY TO PURCHASE A PORTION OF ONE OF THEIR PROJECTS, AND THAT GUARANTEES THAT WE ARE VIRTUALLY RECEIVING POWER FROM THAT PORTION OF THEIR PROJECTS. AND THEN OVER TIME, THEY'RE SHARING THEY'RE THEY'RE PROVIDING US WITH A REBATE ON OUR POWER FROM THE COLLECTIVE BENEFIT OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. SO WE PAY A SIX AND A HALF CENT PREMIUM ON OUR POWER PER KILOWATT HOUR FOR THAT. AND THEN YOU SEE, OVER TIME, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROJECTIONS RIGHT AROUND YEAR 7 OR 8 IS WHEN WE START SEEING A ACTUAL LOWER COST FOR OUR ENERGY THAN IF WE WERE PAYING STANDARD RATES. SO WHEN WE HAD TO CALCULATE WHAT THE COST OF A PPA WAS, IT WASN'T JUST WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR POWER? WHAT WOULD WE BE PAYING FOR A PPA? IT WAS WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR? POWER PLUS SIX AND A HALF OR SIX AND A HALF CENTS MINUS THE PROJECTED REBATE OVER THOSE 20 YEARS. AND THEN LOOK AT THAT BOTTOM LINE. THE PPA RATE DOES ESCALATE OVER TIME. AND THEN WE AND THEN WE DID AN ESTIMATE FOR WHAT THE SAME FOR FOR WHAT CONSUMERS TRADITIONAL ESCALATION HAS BEEN OVER THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME. SO THERE'S LIKELY SOME ROOM IN THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CONSUMER'S RATES ARE GOING TO BE 18 YEARS FROM NOW.

[01:05:06]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND, MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY, WE'LL HAVE TO EVALUATE WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET FORWARD AS PART OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. SO I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE WE'RE ALREADY COMMITTING TO THE SUBSCRIPTION, BUT CERTAINLY WE WANT TO TRY TO DO IT, BUT THAT WILL HAVE TO BE EVALUATED. YES, COMMISSIONER COKER. YES, THANK YOU MAYOR.

THANK YOU, MR. MATTHEWS AND MISS WILKINSON FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR WORK ON THIS. WE DON'T SEE YOU ALL NEARLY ENOUGH, AND I WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO MARCH FOR A LARGER CONVERSATION ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE CAP. IF YOU COULD PLEASE REMIND ME OF WHERE IT WOULD FIT IN ON OUR PRIORITIZATION BY BOTH THE COMMISSION AND WE ALSO HAD COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT PRIORITIZED WORK. WHERE DOES THAT FIT IN? WAS THAT HIGH PRIORITY? WAS THAT LOW PRIORITY FOR COMMISSION JUST TO SEE HOW THIS WILL FIT INTO WHAT WE ALREADY MOVED FORWARD ON? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE RANKED THE PRIORITIES. I THINK WE JUST, BY CONSENSUS, CREATED PRIORITIES. SO I'M NOT SURE HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. SO DID THAT FIT INTO THOSE PRIORITIES. YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH. SO THE ESTEEM WAS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU ALL ESTABLISHED WHEN WE HAD THE CONVERSATION GETTING THIS OFF FOR THOSE FOSSIL FUELS AND THE SORT OF ARCHAIC ENERGY TYPES. SO OF COURSE I THINK IT'S GOOD. I'VE MET WITH THE VICINITY TEAM. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FURTHER CONVERSATION IN THE BUDGET OF HOW WE FIT THAT IN THERE. THE NUMBER, I THINK COULD LOOK STRIKING TO SOME. EVEN THOUGH IT IS ACROSS 20 YEARS, IT'S STILL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT FITS INTO OUR FIRST. I THINK WE DO IT IN FIVE YEAR FORECAST. I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW THAT FITS IN THAT FIVE YEAR AND THEN GOING FORWARD. NOW IN TERMS OF THE SO SUPPORTIVE BUT TENTATIVELY IN HOW IT WOULD FIT IN WITH OUR OVERALL BUDGET BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE MAKE FISCAL PRUDENT DECISIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND THEN WITH BUTTERWORTH SOLAR NOW THAT SEEMS MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE AND FEASIBLE. AND I THINK THIS IS, AS YOU SAID, BEEN A PRIORITY OF MULTIPLE COMMISSIONS NOW. AND FOLKS WITHIN COMMUNITY, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED, CONTINUES TO WORK IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY HERE LOCALLY, FOLKS WHO ARE ENGAGED ON THIS ISSUES THROUGHOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WANT TO SEE THIS. SO IT'S NOT ONLY A COMMISSION PRIORITY, BUT A COMMUNITY PRIORITY. SO AS THIS COMES TO THE END OF THE MONTH, I REALLY I'M HOPEFUL TO SEE THIS MOVE

[01:10:02]

BUTTERWORTH 100% THUMBS UP RIGHT NOW IN THE VICINITY. ESTEEM. LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT LARGER CONVERSATION ON IF THAT'S FEASIBLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS COLLEAGUES? JUST JUST ONE OTHER COMMENT, MAYOR, AS WE BRING FORTH THE BUTTERWORTH ITEM, I'M GOING TO ASK MR. MATTHEWS TO ALSO GIVE THE COMMISSION AN UPDATE ON THE PARKING CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING ON BUTTERWORTH. I KNOW THE CAA IS VERY INTERESTED IN A PORTION OF THE PARCEL THERE AND ALSO HAS HAD SOME PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BRING EVERYBODY ELSE UP TO SPEED AT OUR NEXT BRIEFING. GREAT. AND ACTUALLY, TO THAT END. TO THE EXTENT YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO GET THIS ENGINEERED, RIGHT, I WOULD I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD AT LEAST DO HAVE SOME INITIAL THINKING ABOUT ENGINEERING. IF THERE'S GOING TO BE PARKING OUT THERE HAVING SOLAR ABOVE THE PARKING, IT'S AN OBVIOUS POSSIBILITY. WE THAT WAS A DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO WITH OUR PRE-QUALIFIED DEVELOPERS. AT THE TIME, WHAT THEY TOLD US WAS YOU COULD EXPECT ABOUT 100, 150%. THE INCREASE TO THE COST AND AND YOUR PARKING AT THAT POINT WOULD HAVE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BALLAST THE SOLAR PANELS, AND YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE BIG BALLASTS TO PUT THOSE SOLAR PANELS HIGH ENOUGH TO GO OVER PARKING. SO IT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD. IT DIDN'T PENCIL OUT. BUT I DO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WAS THAT WAS MY FIRST QUESTION AS WELL, BUT IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE FEASIBLE UNLESS WE HAD OUTSIDE FUNDING. GREAT. OKAY. THANKS, MAYOR. IN LINE WITH THAT, WAS THERE ANY FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT GREEN SPACE ACTIVATION AT THE PARK OR WERE WE ALLOWED FOR THAT? THAT WAS ALSO A GOOD IDEA, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM. YEAH, I KNOW WHERE THAT WENT. EXCUSE ME, I, I DON'T WANT TO STEP ON PARKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS WORK, BUT DJI HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS. THERE IS A LONGER TERM PLAN FOR THE WHOLE OF THE BUTTERWORTH SITE. SO WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE USES ARE COMPATIBLE. AND PART OF THAT CONVERSATION WE'LL TALK ABOUT PARKING. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD WHEN IT CAME TO HAVING PARKING ON THE SITE IS WHETHER OR NOT THAT PARKING COULD BE CONTRIBUTORY TO FUTURE ACTIVE USES ON THE SITE, SO ALL OF THOSE ARE ACTIVE PARTS OF THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. THANKS, MAYOR. THANKS. THANKS. I THINK

[3. Update on Mobility Planning and Priorities]

SEE MISS SMITH COMING UP. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I AM JESSICA SMITH. I'M THE MOBILE GR DIRECTOR. AND THANKS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS BRIEFING TODAY. THIS PRESENTATION REALLY BUILDS ON THE MEMO THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET AND PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF A PROPOSED MOBILITY BLUEPRINT FOR THE CITY, WHAT IT IS, WHY IT'S NEEDED NOW, AND HOW THE CITY WILL CONTINUE ADVANCING SAFETY, MAINTENANCE AND PRIORITY INVESTMENTS WHILE THIS WORK IS UNDERWAY. SO GRAND RAPIDS REALLY HAS A STRONG VISION FOR MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT. YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. OH, I HAVE TO CLICK. ALL RIGHT. THERE WE GO. PERFECT I HAVE THE POWER. SO WE ALREADY HAVE A REALLY STRONG BLUE VISION FOR MOBILITY IN GRAND RAPIDS. AND THAT'S BEEN SEEN THROUGH THE VITAL STREETS PLAN, OUR RECENTLY ADOPTED COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN. AND ALSO THE REGIONAL GRAND VALLEY METRO COUNCIL VISION ZERO REGIONAL SAFETY ACTION PLAN. SO WITH THESE CLEAR VISION AND GOALS AROUND SAFETY, CONNECTIVITY AND MOBILITY CHOICE, THE MOBILITY BLUEPRINT IS ABOUT OPERATIONALIZING THAT VISION AND CONNECTING ADOPTED POLICY DIRECTION TO HOW WE PRIORITIZE TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS IN CAPITAL PROJECTS. SO LAST TIME WE WERE MEETING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK. AND THIS IS THAT PROCESS MAP. AND I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PROCESS. SO WITH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN, THERE WAS A CHAPTER ON MOBILITY, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION WITH THE COMMUNITY. SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE IMPLEMENT THOSE VISIONS FOUND IN THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN. YOU'RE ALSO RUNNING THROUGH STEPS EIGHT, NINE AND TEN WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT EVALUATING AND LEARNING, CLOSING OUT THE LOOP, COMING BACK AND REPORTING TO YOU ALL AND WHAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING, AND THEN REALLY ENCOURAGING THAT SHARED LEARNING TOGETHER. THE BIG BLUE ARROW THERE IS WHERE YOU START

[01:15:04]

SO AT THE SAME TIME THAT VITAL STREETS OVERSIGHT COMMISSION HAS RAISED IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE PRIORITIZE AND INTEGRATE ADDITIONAL MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS, PARTICULARLY CONNECTED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE FACILITIES, ALONGSIDE TRADITIONAL ASSET MAINTENANCE WORK AND HOW WE BRAID FUNDING SOURCES TOGETHER TO DELIVER ALL OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. SO WE'VE ALSO HEARD FROM YOUR MOBILE GR COMMISSION, WHICH IS EMPHASIZED SAFETY FOR VULNERABLE USERS AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN, VISION ZERO AND YOUR OTHER ADOPTED PLANS. SO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, BUSINESS DISTRICTS AND CORRIDOR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ASKED FOR CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ARE PRIORITIZED AND SEQUENCED, AND BUSINESSES HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS AROUND PARKING IMPACTS, CONSTRUCTION DISRUPTION, AND THE NEED FOR MORE PREDICTABLE MITIGATION STRATEGIES. SO DURING YOUR OWN CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP LAST FALL, THE COMMISSIONERS ASKED FOR CLEAR DIRECTION ON TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT PRIORITIES AND HOW WE MAKE THOSE AS A TEAM. SO TAKING ALL THIS TOGETHER, THIS FEEDBACK POINTS TO THE SAME NEED A SHARED FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE TRANSPORTATION DECISIONS IN THE CITY. SO WITH THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, THE MOBILITY BLUEPRINT IS REALLY THE CITY'S EFFORT TO IMPLEMENT THAT BRIDGE BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. IT SHOULD DEFINE TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT POLICY USING A SAFE SYSTEMS APPROACH, IDENTIFY GAPS IN THE MOBILITY NETWORK, AND CONNECT EXISTING REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANS INTO ONE COORDINATED FRAMEWORK. SO THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF WORK BUILDING CONSISTENCY AND CONNECTIVITY IN THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT GIVES THE VISION OF A VIBRANT GRAND RAPIDS AND OPERATIONAL PATH FORWARD. SO IT PROVIDES A SINGLE REFERENCE POINT FOR THAT MOBILITY, CAPITAL PLANNING AND PROJECT PRIORITIZATION. SO THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE JUST PAUSE EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IN MOBILE, GR AND ACROSS THE CITY AND MOBILITY EFFORTS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO CRITICAL WORK AROUND SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS, PRIORITIZING HIGH INJURY AND HIGH RISK NETWORK CORRIDORS, SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAMS, REGULAR DESIGN STANDARD UPDATES. WE CONSIDER THE IMPACTS OF GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS, REQUIRED MAINTENANCE AND DATA COLLECTION AROUND PARKING AND NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS, NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICTS, AND SO THIS ENSURES THAT WE MAINTAIN MOMENTUM ON SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE WHILE BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT LARGER TRANSFORMATIONAL CORRIDOR DECISIONS. SO WITH THIS, THE NEXT STEPS ARE REALLY TO INCORPORATE ANY FEEDBACK INTO FINAL IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH, SCOPE AND TIMELINE FOR THE COMMUNITY. FOR THE MOBILITY BLUEPRINT, PUBLISH AN RFP AND BRING ON A CONSULTANT TEAM TO HELP US WITH THAT ANALYSIS.

CONTINUE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BASED ON OUR FRAMEWORK FOR THE CITY, PROBABLY AT AN INVOLVED LEVEL. AND THEN THERE WILL BE A FUNDING REQUEST TO CONTINUE THIS EFFORT IN THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET SUBMISSION. MAJOR PROJECT MILESTONES ARE IN FRONT OF YOU PRE WORK AND THEN DIFFERENT PHASING TO MOVE THROUGH THE PROJECT TOGETHER. THIS IS JUST AN ILLUSTRATION OF A PHASE TO PROJECT APPROACH TO DEVELOPING THAT BLUEPRINT. THIS STRUCTURE REALLY ENSURES THAT WE HAVE TRANSPARENCY, COMMUNITY INPUT AND ALIGNMENT WITH FUTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS.

SO REALLY THIS BLUEPRINT REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING CLARITY, PREDICTABILITY AND ALIGNMENT FOR HOW THE CITY PLANS AND INVESTS IN ITS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. SO BY CONNECTING ADOPTED POLICY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FUTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, THE CITY CAN REALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE AND CONSISTENCY. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, MAYOR, BEFORE THE COMMISSION BEGINS TO MAKE INQUIRY, MAY I POINT OUT AN ITEM IN THE MEMO I WANT TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC AND THE

[01:20:04]

[01:25:03]

THANKS FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN I WAS READING THE MEMO AND JUST LOOKING AT THIS PRESENTATION, THESE WERE A LOT OF THE CALLS OVER THE LAST YEAR THAT I'VE GOTTEN INTO MY OFFICE. AND I KNOW EVEN IN THE PAST, OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE GOTTEN TO THEIR OFFICE, SPECIFICALLY AROUND SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS. AND I THINK WE'RE WE'RE JUST AT A REALLY CRITICAL POINT. UNFORTUNATELY, I, I GET A LOT OF MY INFORMATION FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND FACEBOOK, YOU KNOW, TELLS ME WHAT'S GOING ON IN GRAND RAPIDS. A LOT OF THE TIMES. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S THE THAT MIGHT YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE INDIVIDUAL TRUTHS AND SO MUCH THAT I'VE SEEN LATELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND THEN MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WORK WITH SMALL BUSINESSES IS THAT THEY'RE CHALLENGED RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE CHALLENGED BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL INCOME. THEY'RE CHALLENGED BECAUSE OF THE WHETHER THEY'RE CHALLENGED BECAUSE OF, QUITE HONESTLY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND SO I THINK RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN ANYTHING IS PROVIDE CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. AND SO I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A STEP TO PROVIDE THAT CLARITY. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS. I THINK BACK TO SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE GRANDVILLE CESAR CHAVEZ CORRIDOR A FEW YEARS AGO THAT BROUGHT THAT.

THAT SORT OF TO ME WAS LIKE THE TIPPING POINT OF SOME OF THIS CONVERSATION. THAT WAS ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, I THINK. RIGHT. MISS BEHRENS? AND AND SO I THINK THAT'S THAT BALANCE OF THE CITY STUFF IS IT DOES TAKE TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS, WE HAVE DIFFERENT LAWS, WE HAVE DIFFERENT FUNDING DYNAMICS. AND SO I WOULD ALSO SAY, AND MAYBE TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR, KIND OF WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TRIED? ACTUALLY, WE WERE A COMMISSIONER. KILGORE AND I WERE AT THE EAST TOWN PANCAKE BREAKFAST THIS WEEK, AND THEY TALKED ABOUT ACTUALLY SOME OF THE I THINK IT WAS LIKE AT LEAST ONE ROUNDABOUT THAT THEY HAD WORKED WITH MOBILE GR ON AS LIKE, LET'S PUT THIS UP BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF HEARING THIS. SO I THINK YOUR YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN OF WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN TRY AND MAYBE ADMITTEDLY, I YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AS CLOSE TO THIS, BUT THAT WAS A REMINDER AS WE WERE PREPARING FOR THIS MEETING, THAT WE DO HAVE SOME EXAMPLES WHEN WE'VE TRIED THAT. I WAS LOOKING AT OUR OUR MONROE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF THINGS SPECIFICALLY AS LIKE LIKE NOT JUST SILVER, BUT, YOU KNOW, COREWELL HEALTH AND SILVER. THERE'S BEEN SOME SOME WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. AND AGAIN, COLLECTIVELY ON SOME ON SOME STOP SIGNS, BECAUSE THOSE USED TO BE STREETS THAT PEOPLE JUST LIKE RODE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH. AND NOW THERE'S A LOT MORE PEDESTRIANS. SO MAYBE WE COULD ALSO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS AND, AND TO ME IT'S LIKE I, YOU KNOW, I SEE IT SAYS PAUSE. BUT IT'S REALLY IT'S TO ME THIS IS AN INTENTIONAL ENGAGEMENT. WE HAVE THIS FRAMEWORK. WE COULD TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE WITH DIFFERENT BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. THEY

[01:30:04]

AND THEN WE HAVE THESE CITIZEN MEMBERS WHO IT'S LIKE ONCE A MONTH OR ONCE A QUARTER. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THAT OVERLAPPING ENGAGING. AND I KNOW LIKE AN EXAMPLE, YOU'RE OVER MOBILE GR, MISS BEHRENS AND THEN YOU'RE OVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO YOU'RE PROBABLY MAKING SURE THOSE CONNECTION POINTS HAPPEN. BUT JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH THANK YOU. AND I'LL SPEAK TO IT. CERTAINLY MISS SMITH WILL TAKE THAT FEEDBACK INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VARIOUS EFFORTS THAT WE MAKE TO GO TO DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS. SO THE MOBILE GR COMMISSION OBVIOUSLY WILL BE LEADING THE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY HERE, BUT WE'LL BE AT PLANNING COMMISSION AND CAN WORK WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF TO HIT ALL THE CIA'S AT THE RIGHT TIME IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOBILITY BLUEPRINT. ALSO, WE'VE HEARD WE'VE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT OUR JUST OUR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT THAT HAS BEEN UNDERWAY TO DATE, WHICH HAS COVERED THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD.

AND NOW WE'RE SORT OF IN PARALLEL TALKING ABOUT THE DESIGN OF THOSE PROJECTS. WE'VE HAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATION IN OUR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT TEAM THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS. SO TO FIND WAYS TO MORE FORMALLY AND PREDICTABLY BUILD THAT BRIDGE INTO THE VARIOUS BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITIES AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, HOW ARE WE COMMUNICATING? WHEN ARE WE COMMUNICATING? WHERE IS THAT FEEDBACK LOOP IS ALL PART OF WHAT WE'RE ALSO CONSTRUCTING, SORT OF IN PARALLEL TO THIS ON THE SIDE. SO APPRECIATE MAYOR, I JUST WOULD ADD, WHEN MISS RILEY MARKOVICH DID A PRESENTATION, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO WAS TO CASCADE THIS THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. SO WE STILL HAVE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE BEING TRAINED ON THIS NEW FRAMEWORK.

SO THAT PART SO THERE'S INTERNAL WORK WE HAPPEN TO HAVE. I WANT TO COMMEND MISS SMITH BECAUSE WE HAPPEN TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE READY TO EMBRACE IT NOW ON MAJOR EFFORTS AND INITIATIVES. BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK INTERNALLY IN THE CITY TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE AWARE OF THE ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK. COMMISSIONER COKER YEAH, I AM HAPPY TO SEE THIS COMING BEFORE US. I CONCUR WITH MY COLLEAGUES, COMMISSIONER AND THE MAYOR WANT TO DELVE INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE SORT OF EXPERIMENT. I THINK WE WE DO NEED TO BE ABLE TO BE RESPONSIVE, IS WHAT I'M HEARING AND WHAT I CERTAINLY THINK WE NEED TO ALLOW FOR COMMUNITY, FOR US TO BE RESPONSIVE. SO I'M HAPPY ABOUT THE FRAMEWORK. I WAS THE CHAIR OF THE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS HELPFUL FOR FOLKS WHO ARE. I CAME IN LIKE AT FIRST I WAS VICE CHAIR AND THEN THE CHAIR LEFT TO HAWAII. I WAS HOPING THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING YOU GOT IF YOU WERE THE CHAIR OF THAT, IT DID NOT HAPPEN. BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SERVE ON THESE BOARDS JUST TO SEE A BIGGER PICTURE. AND WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER. RESOURCES NOTE OF THAT ROUNDABOUT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE, BUT ALSO ON VITAL STREETS WORKING WHEN WE GOT THE SCOOTERS AT FIRST OF WHERE TO PUT THOSE SCOOTERS. SO THOSE LITTLE SQUARES, THE WHITE SQUARES THAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH NOW, THAT WAS SORT OF A QUICK, RESPONSIVE ACTION THAT I THINK THE TEAM WORKED REALLY WELL ON. SO I THINK THERE REALLY HAS TO BE THAT SPACE FOR THAT WITHIN COMMUNITY JUST SO WE CAN BE RESPONSIVE. SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS AND WANT TO CONCUR WITH. I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO SORT OF WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME, MAKING SURE WE MAKE PRUDENT DECISIONS AND HAVE A FRAMEWORK FOR IT, BUT ALSO BE ABLE TO BE RESPONSIVE AND SORT OF HAVE

[01:35:03]

I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER PERDUE. YES. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE. LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PROCESS PLAYING OUT. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE DAIS AND REALLY FOR CITY MANAGER. AND MAYBE YOU MISS SMITH, BUT WILL WE GET A LIST OF THOSE PROJECTS, THOSE LARGER PROJECTS THAT WILL BE PAUSED DURING THIS PROCESS? I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE PREPARE THE BUDGET, WE TYPICALLY HAVE A LIST OF SOME OF THE PLANNED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. AND SO YOU'LL SEE WHICH ONES WE'RE PLANNING REGARDING THE ONES THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT ON PAUSE. I'VE YET TO SEE A LIST, SO I'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE STAFF AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY PLANNED THAT'S GOING TO BE PAUSED. YEAH. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE ON HAND BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE STOPPING SOME PROJECTS, RIGHT. THAT'S PART OF THE BUDGET. WHAT I, WHAT I'M SHARING IS THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE, OBVIOUSLY, THAT WE'VE ALREADY INDICATED. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A PAUSE, LIKE THE WEALTHY STREET INITIATIVE. THAT'S THE MAJOR ONE THAT I'M AWARE OF AT THIS TIME. THE OTHERS, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW THE CAPITAL PLANNING EFFORT, AND THE ONES THAT WE WILL PUT FORTH IN THE BUDGET WILL BE THE ONES THAT WE WILL SAY WE WILL DO. THOSE WILL NOT BE PAUSED. SO OTHER THAN THE ONE ON WEALTHY, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANOTHER ONE THAT WE ARE INTENTIONALLY PAUSING AT THIS TIME. BUT WE'LL WE'LL FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE JUST THE OTHER ONE, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'LL BE TOP OF MIND FOR COMMISSIONER PERDUE AS THE SEYMOUR SQUARE PROJECT. SO THE WEALTHY STREET PROJECT, WE PAUSE SEYMOUR SQUARE. WE'VE ALSO PAUSED BOTH IN COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, BOTH WITH A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT HOW TO NOT ONLY DEAL WITH THE TEMPORARY IMPACT ON PARKING, BUT JUST LONG TERM, THE THE GROWTH VISUALIZED FOR BOTH OF THOSE CORRIDORS AND THE CURRENT PARKING SITUATION. SO MISS SMITH TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO IS GATHER MORE DATA AT THE CORRIDOR LEVEL ABOUT SOME PARKING CIRCULATION.

AND SO WE'LL BRING BACK A MORE COMPLETE LIST. BUT I DID WANT TO MENTION SEYMOUR SPARKS. I KNEW THAT WOULD BE TALKING. THANK YOU. YEAH. PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE THAT ARE PUBLIC.

BEING REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE PAUSING I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARITY. I GUESS THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WILL BRING UP THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THE SHARED LEARNINGS, THIS ALL FEELS VERY ACCURATE TO THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD. WE'VE HEARD THE THING THAT'S NOT EXPLICITLY CALLED OUT TODAY, AND I'M CURIOUS IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT, AND THAT IS JUST COORDINATION WITH THE RAPID. SO A LOT OF OUR MOBILITY CONVERSATIONS FEEL LIKE THEY COME DOWN TO CARS VERSUS BIKES VERSUS PEDESTRIANS. BUT BUT BUSSES ARE A KEY PART OF THAT SYSTEM. AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT CAN PEOPLE GET WHERE THEY NEED TO GO AFFORDABLY, RELIABLY AND BUSSES. OUR PUBLIC BUS SYSTEM IS A REALLY KEY PART OF THAT. I'M AWARE THAT THE RAPID IS REPRESENTED ON THE MOBILE JAEGER COMMISSION, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS PLANS FOR A MORE KIND OF INTENTIONAL, COLLABORATIVE LOOK AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE GROW AND HOW WE DO THAT IN LOCKSTEP WITH THE RAPID AND INCLUDE THEM AS PART OF OUR OUR NETWORKING PLANS. SURE. AND SO WITH TRANSIT SPECIFICALLY, IT'S IT IS A COLLABORATIVE COORDINATION PROCESS SINCE THE THE TRANSIT SYSTEM IS SEPARATE FROM THE CITY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN AN EXCELLENT PARTNER WITH US AND ARE REALLY EXCITED. I JUST CHATTED WITH THEM YESTERDAY ABOUT IN PREPARATION FOR THIS CONVERSATION TODAY, AND THEY ARE VERY EXCITED TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD. THEY JUST COMPLETED THEIR MASTER PLAN, THEIR MASTER TRANSIT PLAN, AND SO THAT IS PART OF THE OVER 50 REGIONAL AND LOCAL TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY RELATED PLANS THAT THE TEAM HAS BEEN LOOKING AT TO HAVE A COORDINATED AND COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FORWARD, TO HAVE THAT ONE, THAT ONE VISION IN ONE PLACE. SO THANK YOU FOR ADDING THAT. IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR SYSTEM AND OUR NETWORK, AND IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE LAYERED IN WITH THE ANALYSIS. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANKS. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANKS FOR THE REVIEW. AND I NOW AM OUR NEXT STEP FOR THIS GROUP IS WE'RE

[3. Motion to go into closed session.]