Feb 24, 2026 Committee of the Whole Meeting

[1. Resolution scheduling special meetings of the City Commission on April 1, 2026 for deliberation on City Attorney selection and May 5, 2026 to review the proposed FY2027-FY2031 Preliminary Fiscal Plan; and adjusting the start times of the December 2026 regular meetings]

[00:00:14]

ITEM IS A RESOLUTION THAT IMPLICATES OUR HIRING OF A CITY ATTORNEY, BUT I DID NOT FEEL THE NEED FOR HIM TO RECUSE HIMSELF, SINCE THIS IS SIMPLY A SCHEDULING DISCUSSION, AND I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT. OF COURSE, HE DOESN'T GET A VOTE ON IT, BUT IF ANY COLLEAGUES OBJECT OTHERWISE, I'M I DON'T SEE THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR HIM TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM THE ROOM.

WE DID DISCUSS THAT. SO FIRST ITEM IS A RESOLUTION TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS FOR THE CITY COMMISSION FOR 2026, FOR DELIBERATION OF THE CITY ATTORNEY SELECTION, AND TO, ON MAY 5TH, REVIEW THE PROPOSED PRELIMINARY BUDGET AND TO ADJUST SOME START TIME. THE START TIME FOR THE DECEMBER 2026 MEETINGS MOTION. SO MOVED. OKAY, CITY CLERK, MAYBE YOU WANT TO JUST GO THROUGH THIS. YEAH. SO FOR THE FOR THE FIRST PART. SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A A BUNCH OF VEHICLE FOR A FEW CHANGING OF CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS OR SCHEDULING NEW ONES.

SO THE APRIL 1ST MEETING IS, IS AN AS NEEDED IF NEEDED FOR CONTINUATION ON THE DELIBERATION ON THE CITY ATTORNEY APPROVAL. SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT ON THE BOOKS IN CASE IT'S NEEDED. MAY 5TH IS OUR ANNUAL ADDITIONAL MEETING FOR WORKING ON THE THE FISCAL PLAN, AND THEN THE DECEMBER 26TH MEETING SUGGESTING THE START TIMES IS TO ADJUST THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER OF DECEMBER 1ST TO MAKE THAT A 7:00 AT NIGHT MEETING IN THE 15TH, AT 2:00 IN THE MEETING. AND THEN ON THE EVENING OF TUESDAY THE 15TH WOULD BE THE OATH OF OFFICE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS, CONTROLLER AND LIBRARY COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ELECTED IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. SO SO WE'LL HAVE A LONG DAY THAT DAY. BUT THAT THAT'S WHAT WE DID IN 2022. SO GREAT MAYOR, MAY I ADD MORE CONTEXT TO FOR THE PUBLIC CLERK MENTIONED THE APRIL 1ST MEETING IF NEEDED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE COMMISSION AND THE PUBLIC THERE ARE TWO DATES THAT PRECEDE THAT. THE 30TH AT 6:00 WILL BE PROPOSED TO BE A NIGHT MEETING IN WHICH THE FINALISTS FOR, IF THEY'RE SELECTED BY THE COMMISSION, WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC FOR CITY ATTORNEY TO MEET. AND THEN THE 31ST WOULD BE YOUR DAY, IN WHICH YOU WOULD PUBLICLY INTERVIEW THE FINAL CANDIDATES DURING THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING ON THE ADDED MAY MEETING, THAT THE CLERK IDENTIFIED THE SPECIAL MEETING FOR MAY 5TH. I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE PUBLIC AND THE COMMISSION THAT THE BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED ON APRIL 28TH, AND WE'LL HAVE FOUR OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING THAT DAY, TO DELIBERATE BEFORE THE FINAL DECISION ON THE 19TH. AND SO ALL PROPOSED REVENUE, AS WELL AS PROPOSED USES OF FUNDS WILL BE PRESENTED ON APRIL 28TH. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. AND SORRY, CITY MANAGER, YOU WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT. A POINT OF PRIVILEGE. I'LL WAIT TILL WE GET TO BRIEFINGS. THE SECOND AND THIRD ITEMS ON THE AGENDA RELATE TO A BUSINESS IN WHICH I HAVE AN INTEREST. AND I'VE RECUSED MYSELF AT EVERY STEP OF THIS PROCESS AND ASKED OUR COMMISSION PRESIDENT TO TAKE THE DAIS. AND SO I AM GOING TO WALK OUT OF THE ROOM FOR THE ITEMS TWO AND THREE. HERE. YOU'RE GOOD. YOU CAN MOVE IF YOU WANT. IT'S OKAY. ALL RIGHT,

[2. Resolution establishing an Industrial Development District for Long Road Distillers at 1750 Elizabeth Avenue NW]

AGAIN, THIS IS TO SUPPORT THEIR EXPANSION. OVER ON ELIZABETH. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. THANK YOU MISS COLLEAGUES. ANY QUESTIONS. I DON'T THINK WE AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY. JUST REMEMBERING FROM THE LAST MEETING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY. WELL, WE HAD I THINK ONE COMMENT AS RELATED TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. CORRECT. OKAY. HEARING AND SEEING NO OTHER QUESTIONS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ITEM CARRIES. ITEM

[3. Resolution approving an application for a 12-year Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificate, pursuant to PA 198 of 1974, for Long Road Distillers for a $680,000 project located at 1750 Elizabeth Avenue NW]

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[4. Resolution providing for the publication of and setting March 17, 2026 as the date to consider a proposed Ordinance Amending Section 2.507 “Rates, Rules and Regulations” of Chapter 34 “Thermal Energy Franchise” of Title II “Utilities and Services” of the Code of the City of Grand Rapids to Provide for Elective Thermal Energy Electrification and Decarbonization Options]

THEY'VE SINCE PURCHASED AN ELECTRIC BOILER WITH PARTIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE. AND WITH OUR ENCOURAGEMENT, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE MAKE THIS MODIFICATION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO OFFER THIS AS A SUBSCRIPTION TO THE FACILITIES AND, AND OWNERS THAT ARE THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE DISTRICT SYSTEM RIGHT NOW. THERE'S NO PROVISION TO ALLOW THEM TO SELL ANYTHING THAT IS NOT GENERATED BY NATURAL GAS. GREAT. ANY DISCUSSION? I JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, HAD A FASCINATING DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS WHOLE OPERATION. AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE HAD BUSINESSES OR BEEN DOWNTOWN KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. TURNS OUT WE HAVE THESE SORT OF SEMI MYSTERIOUS STEAM PIPES RUNNING UNDERNEATH THE CITY, AND THEY GO TO VARIOUS BIG BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN. WELL, THE INTERESTING THING I FOUND OUT WAS A THIS IS AN ONGOING OPERATION THAT'S ACTUALLY HOOKING UP NEW BUILDINGS. SO THIS ISN'T SIMPLY CARRYING A LEGACY PROJECT, YOU KNOW, ALONG. THE OTHER THING IS THAT IT'S REALLY, REALLY EFFICIENT. IT'S IT'S IT TURNS OUT THAT SCALES OF EFFICIENCY REALLY MATTER FOR OPERATIONS LIKE BOILERS. AND SO EVEN THOUGH IN MY, YOU KNOW, SIMPLIFIED BRAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE, BOY, DON'T YOU LOSE A LOT OF HEAT, HEAT TRANSMITTING STEAM AROUND TOWN, IT TURNS OUT THAT IT'S REALLY, REALLY EFFICIENT TO HAVE A CENTRAL POINT OF PRODUCTION. BUT THIS WILL ALLOW, OF COURSE, ALLOW THEM TO REDUCE THE POINT. THE, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE, FAIRLY MINOR BUT EXISTING POINT SOURCE POLLUTION FROM BURNING GAS IN OUR CITY LIMITS. SO THIS IS JUST LIKE MY STOVE AT HOME IS A POINT SOURCE OF POLLUTION IN OUR CITY. BUT THIS IS A BIGGER ONE. AND SO MOVING TO ELECTRICITY IS GOING TO ALLOW THEM TO MOVE. WHAT POLLUTION HAPPENS. AND IN THIS CASE, I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO TIE IT INTO SOLAR PRODUCTION. SO THERE WON'T BE ANY. BUT IT'S IT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO MAKE THE AIR IN THE CITY CLEANER FOR THEM. IT'LL ALLOW THEM TO MAKE THE AIR IN THE CITY CLEANER. SO AND IT HAS LOWER O&M COSTS OVER TIME. SO GOOD EXAMPLE. WE WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE BOILER AT ONE MONROE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHEN WE EVALUATED OUR OPTIONS, WE REALIZED THAT IT WAS MORE AFFORDABLE OVER TIME TO PUNCH A HOLE IN THE WALL AND CONNECT TO THE STEAM DISTRICT THAN IT WAS TO REPLACE THAT BOILER. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER? YES, COMMISSIONER. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE MR. MATTHEWS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS FITS INTO OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. SURE. SO THE MAYOR MENTIONED POINT SOURCE, POINT SOURCE, POLLUTION POINT SOURCE, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACILITIES THAT ARE BURNING FOSSIL FUELS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN FOOTPRINT, BEYOND THE AGGREGATE OF INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS THAT HAVE INDIVIDUAL BOILERS, THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE CAN MAKE A FAIRLY SIZABLE IMPACT WITH A SINGLE INVESTMENT, BECAUSE THEY ARE, AT THIS POINT BURNING NATURAL GAS TO GENERATE STEAM. SO IF WE CAN ELIMINATE THAT, THAT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELIMINATE GREENHOUSE GASES THAT ARE BEING GENERATED RIGHT HERE DOWNTOWN. YEAH. THANK YOU. AND JUST AS A REMINDER FOR OUR PUBLIC, THIS IS ONE OF THE TOP 20 ITEMS THAT WE IDENTIFIED AS

[00:10:06]

[1. FY2026 Mid-Year Performance and Financial Update]

THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THIS MORNING. WE GET STARTED, I WANTED TO START WITH A POINT OF PERSONAL AND RECOGNIZE OUR STUDENT CHAPTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL CITY COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION FROM GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY. ONE OF OUR OWN INTERNS IS PART OF THAT CHAPTER, CHRIS MCGUIRE. BUT WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT, ISABELLA REINHARDT. GRUNWALD. GRUNWALD I'M SORRY. MY APOLOGIES, AS WELL AS SOME OF HER OTHER COLLEAGUES. AND SO WE THANK THEM FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING, MAYOR, AND ALSO WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT OUR OWN NOW PERMANENT EMPLOYEE. LONG HALL WAS A MEMBER OF THAT STUDENT CHAPTER. I BELIEVE IT WAS CHAPTER PRESIDENT AT ONE POINT. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. MAYOR, BEFORE WE BEGIN THIS MORNING, I WANT TO JUST REMIND THE COMMISSION THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE YEAR TO HAVE STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS, BOTH ON POLICY AND BUDGET. AND LAST FALL, IN SEPTEMBER, WE STARTED WITH THE YEAR END PERFORMANCE REVIEW. WE ALSO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION IN NOVEMBER WITH YOUR WORKSHOP, IN WHICH WE TRY TO IDENTIFY FOCUS AREAS AND PRIORITIZATION. TODAY'S DISCUSSION WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A MID-YEAR CHECK IN FISCALLY, GIVEN ALL THE VOLATILITY, FEDERAL UNCERTAINTY, STATE UNCERTAINTY. I CONTINUE TO GROW CONCERN, CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE VOLATILITY THAT WE USED TO DEPEND ON. WE DID FROM THE FEDERAL STATE GOVERNMENT THAT NOW SEEMS LIKE IT CHANGES ALMOST EVERY OTHER MONTH ON WHAT FUNDING WE MAY GET OR WHAT FUNDING WE'VE RECEIVED THAT IS BEING ATTEMPTED TO BE CLAWED BACK. WE ALSO TALK REAL HIGH LEVEL ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ORGANIZATION AND GIVE SOME OUTCOMES ON SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE'VE DONE MID YEAR OR WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF OUR PROGRESS. AND SO THESE ARE THE WHAT'S BEFORE YOU ARE THE STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIZATION. I WILL SAY THIS YEAR I'VE ASKED THE STAFF TO SPEND MORE TIME ON THE FINANCIALS BECAUSE THERE IS WHAT YOU'LL SEE TODAY IS FOR ME, A CAUSE FOR PAUSE AS WE APPROACH THE BUDGET CONVERSATION THAT WE OUTLINED EARLIER IN APRIL. AND SO I'M I AM NOT WORRIED, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT KIND OF THE CURRENT STATE AND WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING IN THE FUTURE. AND SO THEN LASTLY, WHAT I WANT TO DO AFTER WE TALK ABOUT THAT IS HIGHLIGHT ALL THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION. WE HAVE A LOT OF WHAT I REFER TO AS ENTERPRISE WIDE INITIATIVES AND SOLUTIONS, WHERE WE HAVE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS WORKING ON THINGS, AND I SHARE THIS AT THE END TO TALK THAT IF WE TAKE ON ONE MORE THING, ENTERPRISE WIDE, SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME OFF THE LIST OR WE'LL HAVE TO RESOURCE THE ORGANIZATION MUCH MORE IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. SO WITH THAT, YOU'LL SEE THE SCHEDULE. WE HIGHLIGHTED THAT EARLIER DURING THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING DISCUSSION. NEXT, OUR VALUES REMAIN UNCHANGED. WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON ACCOUNTABILITY, COLLABORATION, CUSTOMER SERVICE, EQUITY, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY. NEXT SLIDE. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THESE ARE THE AREAS OF FOCUS AREAS FROM FISCAL YEAR 26, WHICH WE LOOKED AT. THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON AND ACCOMPLISH WITHIN THOSE THAT YOU'LL BE HEARING SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON TODAY. SO WITH THAT, I'LL BE THANKFUL FOR OUR CFO, MOLLY CLAREN, WHO IS GOING TO GIVE US THE FINANCIAL UPDATE. AND UNLIKE YEARS PAST, WHEN I TOLD HER TO HURRY UP AND GET THROUGH IT SO WE CAN GET TO THE DISCUSSION, I'M GOING TO ASK HER TO TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS SHE NEEDS TO TODAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. SO FOR THOSE THAT WERE PART OF OUR FISCAL COMMITTEE THIS MORNING, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A TO HEAR JOHN LUBINSKY TALKING ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR ECONOMY, WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT AS WE'VE SEEN AT THE MICHIGAN CONSENSUS REVENUE ESTIMATING CONFERENCE AT THE END OF JANUARY, AS WELL AS WHAT THE RIGHT PLACE SAYS, THE CONSENSUS IS THAT, YEAH, IT'S KIND OF A PAUSE WHERE WE'RE SEEING A SLOWING DOWN, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF CONSERVATIVE GROWTH ON THE FIRST HALF OF FY, OR I SHOULDN'T SAY FY CALENDAR

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BUT IT WAS VERY IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DO HAVE A CHANCE TO GO LOOK AT THAT PRESENTATION, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BECAUSE IT IS INTERESTING LOOKING AT THIS PERFECT STORM OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. AND IT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, I WILL BE ON THE BACK END OF THAT SILVER TSUNAMI. OUR US DEBT IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, GROWING TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT WHERE, YOU KNOW, DURING COVID, WE HAD THESE, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS ABLE TO PIVOT AND DO THESE STIMULUS CHECKS OUT TO INDIVIDUALS. THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THAT ABILITY BY THAT POINT IN TIME BASED ON HOW MUCH THEY THEY ARE FORECASTED TO BE LEVERAGED, WHICH WHICH IS INTERESTING. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPLY CHAIN SHIFTS AND THE REAL ESTATE CYCLE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THAT 18 YEAR CYCLE IS GOING TO HIT AROUND THAT TIME TOO. SO. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING THE ARGUMENT AGAINST THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AI AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, POLICY ADJUSTMENTS. WE DO HAVE THOSE LEVERS TO PUSH AS A CITY. WE ARE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING INTO MORE EFFICIENT WAYS OF DELIVERING SERVICE AND LEVERAGING THAT AI. BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO HAVE US BE MINDFUL OF THAT AS WE LOOK FORWARD. WE MIGHT NOT HAVE AS MUCH TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT DURING THE BUDGET. BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR YOUR AWARENESS OF WHAT'S WHAT'S AHEAD AS FAR AS THE MICHIGAN ECONOMY, YOU KNOW, THEY TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE AUTO SECTOR AND HOW TARIFFS ARE DRAGGING THAT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, LESS INCENTIVE FOR THE ELECTRIC. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS ARGUMENT THAT THE YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO LAG A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S LESS REGULATORY IMPACT THERE, YOU MIGHT SEE MIGHT SEE A LITTLE BOOST. OUR UNEMPLOYMENT IN MICHIGAN IS ACTUALLY BEHIND WHAT'S GOING ON NATIONALLY. SO BETWEEN 5 AND 5.5%. AND THEN THEY FOCUS REALLY IN WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE REGION WHERE IF YOU'RE A MORE DIVERSIFIED ECONOMY, YOU'RE GOING TO FARE BETTER, OBVIOUSLY, THAN OUR FRIENDS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE STATE. SO THAT GETS US INTO OUR NEXT SLIDE, WHERE I'M GOING TO JUST JUMP RIGHT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM. OUR WHAT WE HAVE WORKING FOR US IN WEST MICHIGAN IS THIS ECONOMIC CUSHION, BECAUSE WE'RE INVESTING IN THESE MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WILL SPUR SPUR JOBS AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, MORE GROWTH AS FAR AS WHAT'S GOING ON HERE INTERNALLY AT THE CITY. THIS IS FISCAL YEAR 26 IS THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIT OUR 5% INCOME TAX ALLOCATION. COMING OUT OF THE RECESSION. OKAY. SO WE DIVERT 5% OF OUR INCOME TAX OVER TO THE CAPITAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS. COMING OUT OF THE RECESSION. WE ACTUALLY CHOSE AS A CITY TO GO BELOW POLICY BECAUSE OUR MONEY WAS NEEDED JUST TO KEEP CURRENT OPERATIONS GOING. SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SLOW BUILD BACK OVER THE COURSE OF, WELL SINCE I'VE BEEN CFO. SO OVER THE, OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, YOU KNOW, TO GET US BACK UP TO THAT 5% BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THOSE ASSETS WE HAVE OUT THERE. AND AND SO WE ARE PERFORMING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PERFORMING BETTER THAN PROJECTED ON OUR INCOME TAX. SO IT'S BEEN EASY TO GET US BACK UP TO THAT POLICY LEVEL. SO I WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE US A GOLD STAR FOR THAT. BUT AGAIN, AS FAR AS WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON WITH WITH OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, COMPETITION FOR TALENT WE DID WITH THE FISCAL YEAR 27 OR 26 BUDGET, INVEST IN POSITIONS RELATED TO DISPATCH, POLICE AND WATER SERVICES. AND IT'S REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, WE CHOSE AS A PRIORITY TO ENHANCE OUR SERVICES OR MAKE SURE WE'RE MAINTAINING THEM EFFICIENTLY.

[00:20:03]

SO WE'RE WE'RE ACHIEVING JUST UNDER A 4.2% GROWTH RATE NOW, WHICH IS GREAT. AND THEN OUR OUR RING COMPLIANCE I MENTIONED THE CAPITAL RESERVE POLICY ALREADY. BUT OUR CHALLENGES IS WE'RE ABSORBING THOSE LABOR CONTRACTS, THE CLASS AND COMP STUDY. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD AT THIS BUDGET AS WANTING TO BE COMPETITIVE AND GET GET, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE'RE RETAINING OUR WORKFORCE AND GETTING THE BEST WORKERS OUT THERE. HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS ON THE RISE. AND THEN WE HAVE AMENDED THE BUDGET. I'LL GET TO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT. BUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WE'RE PLANNING FOR WHEN WE DO DO BUDGET AMENDMENTS, WE HAVE REVENUE SUPPORT OR AT LEAST A LONG TERM PLAN FOR HOW TO SUSTAIN THOSE SERVICES IF WE ARE ADDING THEM TO ANY OF OUR FUNDS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING THAT BALANCING BUDGET WITH OUR REVENUE CHALLENGES AS WELL. AS, YOU KNOW, I'LL MENTION THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. MOVING ON TO SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT OUR GENERAL FUND. IF YOU LOOK AT THAT CHART UP ON THE LEFT, YOU'LL SEE OUR REVENUE IS OUTPERFORMING EXPECTATION.

BELOW. YOU'LL SEE IT'S IT'S LARGELY DUE TO INCOME TAX THAT, YOU KNOW, GROWTH ON BASE IS REALLY HELPING US. OUR COMPLIANCE REVENUE IS ESTIMATED AROUND 11.8 MILLION. SO AGAIN THOSE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE AIDING IN OUR INCOME TAX. YOU'LL SEE AS FAR AS OTHER REVENUES GO IN THAT LOWER RIGHT. PROPERTY TAXES ALWAYS KIND OF A SLEEPY USUALLY WE GET ABOUT 2% JUST A SLOW AND STEADY REVENUE SOURCE. FOR US, STATE SHARE IS FAIRLY STABLE, I BELIEVE AT THE THE TIME WE PUT TOGETHER, THIS ESTIMATE DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT 1.7 MILLION OF PUBLIC SAFETY TRUST. SO THAT COULD IMPROVE THIS PICTURE. WE DID GET CONFIRMATION, I BELIEVE, AT THE END OF JANUARY THAT THAT PAYMENT SHOULD BE RECEIVED IN MAY. SO WE'LL WE'LL LOOK FOR THAT COMING IN. I'M HOPE I BELIEVE IT'S FOR THE FULL AMOUNT, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THE SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE TREASURY YET. SO SO I'LL, I'LL LET YOU KNOW BY THE TIME BUDGET IS INTRODUCED WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT. SO OVERALL OUR THAT YELLOW LINE, THE NET OPERATING REVENUE THAT COULD IMPROVE BY 1.7 MILLION. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A NEGATIVE FOUR. BUT TO BE CONSERVATIVE TODAY THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. ANOTHER QUESTION YOU MIGHT HAVE IS FOR THAT ARPA GRANT REVENUE LINE. WE EXPECT THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS TO HAPPEN NOW IN FISCAL YEAR 27.

SO THAT'S WHY THAT ESTIMATE LOOKS SO, SO ODD COMPARED TO WHERE TO WHERE WE WERE WHEN WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET. SO SIGNIFICANT BUDGET AMENDMENTS. WE APPROVED 4.2 MILLION FOR THE PUBLIC MUSEUM EXPANSION PROJECT THAT CAME RIGHT OUT OF OUR FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND, AS WELL AS THAT ORACLE ERP SUPPORT. AND THEN I WILL HIGHLIGHT THE POLICE OFFICERS WE DID ADD, BUT WE ADDED THOSE IN THE ANTICIPATION OF HAVING THOSE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY MONEY COMING IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. SO SO THAT THAT WAS LARGELY OFFSET THERE AND THEN AND THEN THE REST YOU MIGHT ALREADY BE FAMILIAR WITH BECAUSE WE APPROVED THEM THROUGH COMMISSION. BUT THESE ARE BASICALLY THE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE GENERAL FUND THAT WERE GREATER THAN 100,000. ONE THING I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT, THOUGH, IS WE DO HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF WHEN WE ARE CHANGING THE PLAN MID-YEAR TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THAT FIVE YEAR FORECAST. SO I ALWAYS WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS. WE ARE STILL WAITING ON A LEGISLATIVE FIX AS FAR AS WHAT IS GOING ON WITH COURT FUNDING. THIS IS OUR LARGEST SUBSIDY OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, AND IT'S BECOMING A LARGER AND LARGER DRAG PREVENTING US FROM, YOU KNOW, PAYING FOR EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE GENERAL FUND. SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS FOR YOUR INFORMATION, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE INVOLVED IN ADVOCATING FOR THE STATEWIDE INITIATIVE TO, YOU KNOW, HELP HOPEFULLY PROVIDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT RELIEF, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST US, IT'S OTHER COMMUNITIES. LOOKING AT OUR FORECAST, VERY HIGH LEVEL, YOU'LL SEE THAT REVENUES, THE BLUE LINE IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE ORANGE LINE EXPENDITURES. WHAT WE'VE SCRUBBED SO FAR IN OUR FORECAST,

[00:25:04]

[00:30:01]

WE DO CONTINUE TO MONITOR MONITOR FEDERAL ACTIVITY FOR RESCISSION OR CLAWBACK ATTEMPTS.

BUT FORTUNATELY, THE FY 2026 BUDGET, WHICH IS COMPLETE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING, DID NOT RESULT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO CITY FUNDING. THANK YOU. KAREN. OKAY, SO. WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC PICTURE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON CAPITAL WISE ABOVE WHAT WE NORMALLY DO.

SO WE HAVE OVER 65 MILLION IN GRANT PROJECTS MANAGED BY OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT THAT

[00:35:01]

ANY ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL OR PROGRAMING REQUESTS, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THERE'S, YOU KNOW, REVENUE BACKING, STUFF LIKE THAT, WE WON'T RECOMMEND IT UNLESS IT'S A HIGH PRIORITY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN. SO IN YOUR AREAS OF FOCUS SO BUT SO SO THAT'S THE TOTAL ECONOMIC PICTURE. WE DID BREAK APART AS SOME SELECT REVENUE INVESTMENT AREAS THAT THAT YOU KNOW WE WOULD APPRECIATE SOME INPUT ON THESE. THESE ARE AREAS OF MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE AS I AS I SAID, WITH THE GENERAL FUND, BECAUSE WE'RE AT THIS BREAK EVEN AREA, IT'S REALLY A OKAY IF WE WANT TO DO THIS INITIATIVE OF MORE OF SOMETHING, IT'S GOING TO BE AT THE EXPENSE OF SOMETHING ELSE, THE WAY WE HAVE TO BALANCE THAT, GIVEN OUR REVENUE PICTURE THAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW. BUT WE DO KNOW WE HAVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ROAD FUNDING THAT'S HAPPENING. AND I PUT IN THE ESTIMATES RIGHT NOW FROM THE STATE REPORT FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. THESE ARE THE STATE. THIS IS BASED ON THE STATE FISCAL YEAR, NOT OUR FISCAL YEAR. SO YOU CAN USE THESE NUMBERS AS A GENERAL ESTIMATE. YOU KNOW, SAY, YOU KNOW, 910 MILLION A YEAR MAYBE, BUT I WILL I'LL GET THESE ADJUSTED FOR WHAT ONCE WE GET MORE INFORMATION OUT OF TREASURY. BUT BUT HOW THAT WHEN THOSE PAYMENTS ARE GOING TO COME IN, I'VE HEARD THEY MIGHT COME IN BIANNUALLY. SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING MONTHLY NOW. SO WE'LL GET THAT HONED IN FOR WHEN WE EXPECT WHAT REVENUE HIT AND WHAT FISCAL YEAR. BUT AGAIN, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THIS MONEY? WE HAD MORE RESTRICTIONS WITH ACT 51. THIS SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT LESS RESTRICTED. I KNOW IN OUR OUR LOCAL STREETS, MAJOR LOCAL STREETS FUND, WE DO HAVE PROJECTS THAT FALL OUT EVERY YEAR. SO WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, GIVING YOU A PRIORITIZED LIST OF, YOU KNOW, EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT COULD FIT INTO THIS BUCKET OF MONEY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THE NEXT ITEM I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU WAS THAT REVENUE SHARE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY REVENUE SHARING AMOUNT 1.7. WE DID ADD EIGHT OFFICERS AND TWO SERGEANTS WITH THIS MONEY, BUT WE STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY 300,000 THAT WE, YOU KNOW, COULD FIND USES FOR IT IN VIOLENCE PREVENTION INITIATIVES FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE SAFE TASK FORCE OR CURE VIOLENCE. MOVING ON TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND IS OUR OTHER AREA FOCUS WE FOR TOTAL AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT 934,000. WE HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND BOARD THAT DETERMINES USE. WE DO YOU KNOW, I PROVIDED THE LAYOUT OF WHAT OUR BALANCE IS OF AS OF TODAY, WHAT'S BEING USED RIGHT NOW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PROCESS. BUT THEY DO REQUIRE TO KEEP 250,000 IN THEIR FUND BALANCE.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE CAME UP WITH THE 934. WE DO HAVE A PLAN TO PROCEED IN FISCAL YEAR 27 WITH THAT 700,000. BUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER USES THAT COULD BE USED FOR THE REMAINING 233 WOULD BE HOUSING KEN HOUSING NEXT, AS WELL AS A CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR, THIRD WARD EQUITY FUND. I JUST JUST TO REMIND THE COMMISSION, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'VE USED THE MONEY IN 2025 AS WELL AS FISCAL YEAR 2026? GENERALLY, LOOKING INTO FISCAL YEAR 2027, IT'S GOING TO BE $1 MILLION, AGAIN, IS WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ESTIMATING, WITH ROUGHLY A THIRD GOING TOWARDS YOUTH INVESTMENT AND THE REMAINDER AMOUNT GOING TOWARDS CAPITAL PROJECTS. SO THAT'S BEEN OUR ROUGH METHODOLOGY FOR UTILIZING THOSE FUNDS. AND FINALLY, FOR OPIOIDS, I DID PUT IN ITALICS THE THE SPECIFIC USES THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO, YOU KNOW, GET THESE FUNDS TO WORK FOR. AND THEN I PROVIDED WHERE WE'VE WE'VE TRIED TO USE THESE FUNDS FOR THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL WORKER OR EXPUNGEMENT TO HELP WITH THE 61ST DISTRICT COURT GAPS. BUT AGAIN, THOSE WEREN'T GREAT USES. THE YOU'LL SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 27, WE ARE

[00:40:04]

SO WITH THAT, WE'LL TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. THANKS. THANKS FOR THE OVERVIEW, COMPREHENSIVE AND APPRECIATE IT. COMMISSIONER BOUCEK, FIRST OF ALL, YES, THANK YOU. AND YES, THIS IS VERY SOBERING. THERE'S A LOT TO DIGEST HERE. SO I DO I'M TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BE SUCCINCT, BUT I WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE VERY CAREFULLY LOOKING AT THE BUDGET THAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED TO US BASED ON THESE MODELING, THAT WE WILL HAVE A SLOWDOWN IN INCOME GROWTH FROM INCOME TAX PARTICULARLY. AND WE ARE ALREADY PROJECTING A DEFICIT IN OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR SPENDING AND PRETTY MUCH FORWARD POTENTIALLY, IF WE CAN'T BALANCE THE BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT. RIGHT. AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT RIGHT WHERE WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DOING SCRUBBING WITH THE BUDGET REVIEWS WITH CITY MANAGER. SO WE ARE PROJECTING FISCAL YEAR 27, WHICH STARTS IN JULY, THAT TO BE AROUND A BREAK EVEN. BUT THEN WE WE HIT DEFICITS RIGHT AWAY IN FISCAL YEAR 28 AND ON. SO AGAIN WHAT WHAT CAN WE DO TO MITIGATE THAT OR YOU KNOW BUT BUT FOR CLARITY I HAVE TO PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET AND PRESENT A BUDGET AND DEFICIT. SO IF THAT REQUIRES REDUCTIONS OR OTHER CHANGES, I HAVE TO BY CHARTER PRESENT A BALANCE. THANK YOU. SO ON THAT, I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT AT A RECENT KENT COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION MEETING, WE WERE DISCUSSING PROJECTIONS AND GOALS. AND IT WAS NOTED AT THAT TIME THAT SOME OF THE RESEARCH THEY HAD PULLED HAD ACTUALLY SAID THAT KENT COUNTY MIGHT BE STAGNATING OR SLOWING DOWN IN POPULATION GROWTH. SO I JUST NOTE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO AFFECTING INCOME. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS YOU SEE IN THAT FORECAST. YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WHAT'S FUNNY IS FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS BUDGETING 4%, PEOPLE WERE LIKE, ARE YOU CRAZY? YOU KNOW, MICHIGAN WERE YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT OUR MODEL IS SHOWING RIGHT NOW. BUT YOU DO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TIPPING, TIPPING BACK DOWN TO 3.5%. SO YEAH. SO OVERALL WHAT MY TAKEAWAY AT THIS MOMENT I'M SURE THERE'LL BE MORE DISCUSSION THAT I CAN, YOU KNOW, ASK BEHIND CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE FURTHER. BUT MY KEY TAKEAWAY IS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE TRADE OFFS AND THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A REALLY CLEAR TRANSPARENCY, BOTH FROM THE

[00:45:08]

AND THE ONLY AMENDMENT THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU THAT WAS OVER 100,000, THAT HAD A SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT WAS ANTICIPATED, WAS ADDITIONAL OFFICERS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. SO EVERYTHING ELSE TO INCLUDE THE COMMISSION SUPPORT WAS NOT ADOPTED IN THE BUDGET. AND SO I THINK WE FELT OKAY BRINGING THOSE FORWARD, OTHERWISE WE WOULDN'T HAVE BROUGHT THEM FORWARD. SO THIS IS NOT WE ARE IN FINANCIAL DISTRESS. THIS IS WE NEED TO BEGIN TO PROCEED WITH CAUTION IN THE FUTURE. RIGHT, RIGHT. AND, AND BUT WE'VE HAD OTHER PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, CREEP SCRIBNER SPENT A LOT. I MEAN, THESE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE ERP THAT SPENT A LOT AND THESE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS AND THEY ARE UNPLANNED. BUT IF WE CAN HAVE THAT JUST IN FRONT OF US WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS, IT'S A IT'S A THOUGHT TO I PROPOSE. OKAY. COMMISSIONER. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, FOR STARTING US THIS WAY. I GUESS YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME FOR THIS FIRST PORTION IS THE INFORMATION ON SLIDE 16 RELATED TO INCOME TAX. BECAUSE WE ARE AN INCOME TAX CITY. AND AS CLARA MENTIONED, THE IMPACTS OF WORK FROM HOME. THERE WAS A REPORT FROM MSU THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PROBABLY HALF OF PANDEMIC ERA WORK FROM HOME, BUT IT'S STILL ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT A THIRD, I THINK. AND YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT HAS SOME REAL CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR BUDGET. AS YOU AS YOU OUTLINED, IT LOOKS LIKE OUR INCOME TAX, IT ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 60% OF OUR REVENUE. RIGHT. SO WHAT I'M REALLY THINKING ABOUT IS PARTICULARLY AS WE ARE PARTNERING WITH A LOT OF LARGE COMPANIES TO COME HERE TO BUILD HERE, WE WE APPROVE SOMETHING TODAY IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH ONE OF OUR LOCAL HEALTH SYSTEMS TO BUILD HELP THEM BUILD A TRAIL NEARBY. HOW ARE WE LEVERAGING OUR ROLE IN OUR PARTNERSHIP IN THAT CONVERSATION, TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EMPLOYEES ARE REPORTING ON SITE MORE OFTEN, BECAUSE IF YOU WORK FROM HOME AND YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY, THERE'S NO INCOME TAX THAT'S PAID ON THAT TIME, RIGHT? AND SO WE EITHER WANT TO GET FOLKS IN THE CITY, WE HAVE A YEAH, WE HAVE RESIDENT AND NONRESIDENT. SO IF YOU YEAH, BUT IF YOU'RE NONRESIDENT AND YOU'RE WORKING FROM HOME UNDERSTANDING IS IS THAT NO REVENUE IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE IF YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT IS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, WE CAN GET THAT NONRESIDENT INCOME TAX. SO EVEN IF THEY WORK FROM HOME.

YEAH. SO ACTUALLY OUR TEAM DOWN IN INCOME TAX WE HAVE WE HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE ACTUALLY FOCUSED

[00:50:02]

OKAY. THIS IS THE NEXT HALF OF THE PRESENTATION AND CO-PRESENTING WITH ME WILL BE MR. LUKE CANFIELD AND MISS KATE BEHRENS. MR. DOUG MATTHEWS HAD TO LEAVE TO GO BE A PART OF THE MILLAGE CONVERSATION THAT I MENTIONED IN MY PREVIOUS REMARKS. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. SO THIS IS WHERE WE GET INTO THE OPERATIONAL UPDATES THAT ARE BASED ON THE FIRST HALF OF THE FISCAL YEAR. SO THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY ARE SELECT HIGHLIGHTS. SO YOU'LL SEE SOME SELECT HIGHLIGHTS THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST AND THEN SOME KEY THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON IN EACH AREA FOR THE BALANCE OF THE FISCAL YEAR. AND THEN SELECTED METRICS. AND I WOULD NOTE THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE ABOUT 40% OF THE METRICS THIS MORNING. THE ONES THAT WE HAVE THE THE BEST MID-YEAR UPDATED INFORMATION TO PRESENT TO YOU. AND AT THE END OF THE OR AFTER THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, YOU'LL SEE THE WHOLE COLLECTION OF METRICS. SO GOVERNMENTAL EXCELLENCE IS WHERE WE'LL START. THAT IS THE FIRST OF THE SIX STRATEGIC PRIORITIES. AS YOU'RE AWARE, MANY OF YOU WERE THERE FOR THE THE OPENING STAFF COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION AND RELOCATION TO SCRIBNER. IT WAS A HERCULEAN UNDERTAKING BY MANY DEPARTMENTS TO MOVE ALL THE WORK SITES AND SERVICES FROM 201 MARKET.

NEARLY $100 MILLION PROJECT WENT LIVE WITH JUST BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

THE ORACLE FUSION ERP. AND WE'VE BEEN GROWING INTO THAT, LED BY THE CFO AND FISCAL SERVICES AND STAFF AND AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS TOUCH THE ERP. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WAS COMPLETED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR UNION PARTNERS. A STRONG COLLABORATION. THE THE TREASURER'S OFFICE NOTED THE NINTH STRAIGHT YEAR OF DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH IN ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS. SO THOSE HELP US TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE IN THAT AREA. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A FEW TIMES, BUT THE STEERING COUNCIL FOR USE OF AI BY CITY DEPARTMENTS HAS MET AND IS DOING PLANNING AND THINKING ABOUT RELATED INITIATIVES. WE'VE CONTINUED A LONG STRING OF EARNING THE GFOA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE. MANY DECADES OF THAT BEGAN, FINALIZED AND BEGAN ROLLOUT OF SOME ENHANCED LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES THAT WILL BE INFORMING TRAINING AND AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW FOCUS HAVE AUTOMATED DIRECT WITHDRAWAL OF INCOME TAX PAYMENTS AND IMPLEMENTED ALSO IN THE AREA OF INCOME TAX ENHANCED FORECASTING MODEL THAT WILL INFORM FY 27 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN THE COMPTROLLER STAFF HAVE LAUNCHED THE CITY'S FIRST FORMAL INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN. AND THAT'S BEEN INFORMED BY ENGAGEMENT WITH KEY DEPARTMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. SO THAT'S THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST.

[00:55:06]

THANK YOU, MR. CANFIELD. OKAY, SO WHEN WE GET TO ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND AFFORDABILITY, JUST LIKE MANY OF OUR STRATEGIC OUTCOME AREAS, IS THE WORK OF MANY DEPARTMENTS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS REFLECTED HERE? A FEW HIGHLIGHTS, AND I JUST WANT TO SPEAK KIND OF TO THE OVERARCHING THEMES THAT YOU REALLY SEE US FOCUSING ON FOR, FOR THIS PARTICULAR OUTCOME AREA. THERE'S A LOT ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN AN AREA OF FOCUS FOR MANY YEARS FOR US AT THE CITY. AND YOU SEE MANY PROGRAMS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT THE MIDYEAR THAT ARE REALLY FOCUSED IN OR ZEROING IN ON THAT. SO THAT WOULD BE ALL THE WAY FROM THE ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS THAT CONTINUE TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE STREAMLINED, A LITTLE BIT LESS PROCESS TO GET GOOD, DECENT, LIVABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY ALL THE WAY TO US USING OUR OWN LAND BANK LAND AND PUSHING THAT OUT THE DOOR TO MANY POTENTIAL DEVELOPERS. YOU SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WE ALSO HAVE MANY PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP. WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THAT. WEST MICHIGAN IS A VERY ENTREPRENEURIAL REGION, BUT YOU SEE US CONTINUING TO TRY TO LAYER OUR PROGRAMS TO TOGETHER IN WAYS THAT HELP SUPPORT THAT OUTCOME. SO I WILL HIGHLIGHT HERE, THERE IS THE FOCUS THAT WE'VE HAD. AND WHEN WE GET TO THE DATA SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE TANGIBLE OUTCOMES THERE. BUT THE FOCUS WE HAVE HAD ON BUILDING NOT ONLY THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY, BUT IN PARTICULAR EMERGING DEVELOPERS, REALLY TO TRY TO GET TO BOTH MORE STABLE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL INVESTMENT, BUT ALSO MORE HOUSING PRODUCED. SO IF YOU'RE A BIG HOUSING DEVELOPER, YOU TEND TO DO A CERTAIN TYPE OF HOUSING. AND REALLY WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR INFILL HOUSING, FOR THE ADUS THAT THE COMMISSION HAS HEARD ABOUT RECENTLY. AND THAT TAKES A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DEVELOPER AND A DIFFERENT TYPE OF INVESTOR. SO WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD OUT THAT THAT SECTOR OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY. AND YOU SEE US LAYERING PROGRAMS TO TRY TO DO THAT. AND THEN THIRD, I THINK THIS HARKENS BACK TO THE CONVERSATION THE COMMISSION JUST HAD ABOUT THE INCOME TAX REALLY, IS HOW ARE WE INVESTING IN CHANGING THE CITY IN A WAY THAT IS CONTINUALLY AND ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK IF WE NEED TO PIVOT, AS WE HAVE SEEN SOME OF OUR LOCAL DOWNTOWN PROPERTY OWNERS DOING PIVOT FROM OFFICE TO RESIDENTIAL TO CAPTURE A

[01:00:05]

AND AGAIN, THAT ADDS TO THE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR AN URBAN CITY LIKE GRAND RAPIDS TO CONTINUE TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT. KEY REMAINING INITIATIVES REALLY WILL BE AROUND THOSE SAME THEMES. BUT YOU SEE HERE A RAID ON THE BULLET POINTS IN FRONT OF YOU. WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT A SERIES OF PROGRAMS AGAIN AROUND MICRO LOCAL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WHETHER THAT'S THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND THAT WILL LEVERAGE THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 THIRD WARD EQUITY FUND ALLOCATION TO A REVOLVING LOAN FUND FOR SMALL, LOCAL, SMALL BUSINESS, CONTINUED SUPPORT OF LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH REALLY AMPLIFYING A NUMBER OF POLICY CHANGES THE COMMISSION RECENTLY MADE ABOUT OUR MLB PROGRAMS AND TARGETS AND EXPECTATIONS, AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WILL BE SEEN THERE. WITH THE CONTINUED UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THAT WORKFORCE PILOT PROGRAM IS WORKING AND BEING UTILIZED. SO WE'LL MONITOR THAT PROGRESS AND HOW IT IS ABLE TO INFLUENCE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE CITY, AS WELL AS OUR TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PLAN PROCESS THAT WILL BE COMING TO YOU LATER THIS YEAR. AND THEN HERE WE HAVE BEEN SHARING THIS SLIDE FOR A NUMBER OF OUR UPDATES. SO JUST TRYING TO MAINTAIN IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY JUST THAT CLOSING THE LOOP SORT OF PROCESS OF YOU HEAR INCREMENTALLY ABOUT EACH OF THESE PROJECTS. THEY COME TO YOU THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PLAN PROCESS OR AFFORDABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT WE ARE TRYING TO CAPTURE THAT AND PROVIDE SOME CONTINUITY OF INFORMATION OF WHERE THOSE PROJECTS ARE ACTUALLY COMING OUT OF THE GROUND. AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER KILGORE, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMISSION, HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT OUR WEBSITE CAN BE MORE TRANSPARENT ON THAT FRONT. SO WE'RE NOW MOVING OVER TO THE NEW WEBSITE PLATFORM. DON'T ASK ME TO SAY A LOT MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT IS GOING TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY REFRESH THE ENTIRE WAY. PEOPLE CAN ACCESS INFORMATION ABOUT HOUSING AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, SO APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE ON THAT FRONT. IT HAS TAKEN US A WHILE TO GET THERE, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO ARRAY THAT INFORMATION AND HAVE IT IN A WAY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE AND TRACKS WHAT WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE KNOW THAT WE CAN RELIABLY REPLICATE IN TERMS OF DATA. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK WE'VE LOST SIGHT OF IT. AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE METRICS, AS MR. CANFIELD AND MISS CLAIRE NOTED, SOME OF THESE METRICS ARE WE'RE IN A MID YEAR, SO WE'RE JUST WE'RE JUST MEASURING. WE'RE JUST TELLING YOU WHAT WE KNOW AS OF THE MIDDLE OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WITH A LOT MORE THAT WILL COME TO YOU AT THE AT THE END OF THE YEAR REPORT. BUT THERE WERE A COUPLE THINGS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, JUST BECAUSE I THINK THEY HELP US VALIDATE SOME OF THE ANECDOTAL INFORMATION YOU'RE GETTING. AND THE FIRST THERE IS IN THOSE TOP TWO LINES, THE EPA 1.1, ONE AND TWO. IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE PRIVATE INVESTMENTS THEY'RE IN FISCAL YEAR 2025. SO THE THE SECOND COLUMN FROM THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE A $1.63 BILLION NUMBER, WHICH STANDS FAR ABOVE THE YEARS ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT. AND OUR HISTORIC THAT'S THE TRANSFORMATIONAL BROWNFIELD PROGRAM IMPACT. SO AGAIN, IT HAS DRIVEN A LOT OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS INTENDED TO DO. AND SO AS STATE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUE AT THE STATE, THAT'S JUST A DATA POINT THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE. SECONDLY, I WANTED TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE. THERE'S A EPA 1.6, AND THAT IS REALLY OUR MONITORING OF THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY'S INVESTMENTS WITHIN THEIR VARIOUS CHANNELS. SO THIS IS FACADE GRANTS IN PARTICULAR. BUT YOU SEE A SIGNIFICANT UPTICK THERE. IT HAS BEEN A COMMISSION FOCUS AREA AND A STAFF FOCUS AREA FOR A WHILE TO HELP THOSE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITIES REALIZE THEIR VISIONS FOR THEIR AREAS. AND THEY'RE REALLY STARTING. I THINK YOU CAN SEE THAT STARTING TO HIT STRIDE. AND WITH THE RECENT COMMISSION APPROVAL OF

[01:05:04]

BUT TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SHOULD BE AN ONGOING INVESTMENT IN THAT PART OF OUR PARTICULAR ECONOMY, ECONOMIC SECTORS. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO CANFIELD, AND THEN WE'LL PAUSE AFTER THIS SECTION FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. SO OUR THIRD OF THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES ENGAGED AND CONNECTED COMMUNITY. WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST LISTED HERE. ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND WATER EDUCATION EVENTS. 35 OF THEM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIVING GUIDE HAS BEEN UPDATED AND WELL RECEIVED. YOU SAW A RECENT PRESENTATION ON THE UPDATED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK OUT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THE COMMISSION CONNECTED PILOT AND SEEING SOME INDIVIDUALIZED UPDATES THAT ARE WARD FOCUSED. WE'VE GOT OUT OF THE DEVELOPMENT CENTER, THE CUSTOMER OMBUDSPERSON, WHICH HAS BEEN A POSITION IN PLACE THERE, I THINK, FOR ALMOST A DECADE, AND PLANNING STAFF HAVE ATTENDED ALMOST 100 COMMUNITY MEETINGS. OPA HAS LED THE EFFORT TO SERVE MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE THROUGH THE ANNUAL CLEAN SLATE EXPUNGEMENT FAIR, AND HAS ALSO LAUNCHED GRAND RAPIDS FIRST CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS PROGRAM. CITY HAS SUPPORTED MENTAL HEALTH AND FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCES FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, HELPING THEM TO ACCLIMATE TO LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES. OPA HAS LED A PARTNERSHIP WITH MIGRANT LEGAL AID TO GROW THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS PROGRAM, AND HAS SUPPORTED ALMOST A THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS, AND WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY CULTURAL FESTIVALS. AND YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF THEM LISTED HERE. KEY REMAINING INITIATIVES. SO WATER SYSTEM UTILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN THE OUTREACH AND WATER EDUCATION PROGRAMS. WE ARE IN 311 GETTING CLOSE TO THE END OF A PROCESS TO EVALUATE AN AI POWERED CHATBOT SOLUTION. SO TRYING TO GIVE OUR RESIDENTS MORE OPTIONS AS THEY OBTAIN INFORMATION AND SERVICES.

LOOKING INTO NEW APPROACHES TO MEASURE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, PARTICULARLY FROM THROUGH ON ONE. SO THINK OF THE KIND OF SURVEY YOU MIGHT OPTIONALLY OPTIONALLY COMPLETE AT THE END OF A PHONE CALL, TAKING A FEW ADDED SECONDS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK. AS YOU'VE HEARD IN A RECENT BRIEFING, WE'RE CLOSING IN ON THE LAUNCH DATE FOR REFRESHED CITY WEBSITE. AND THEN ACTUALLY PROCEEDING TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT COMMUNITY FRAMEWORK, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK. I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO. WITH RESPECT TO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS. THERE IS ENHANCED SUPPORT BEING PLANNED FOR PROJECT RELATED COMMUNICATIONS, UPCOMING PROPERTY TAX SEMINAR FOR NEW HOMEOWNERS. WE'VE GOT SOME IMPORTANT ELECTIONS COMING UP. SO THERE'S A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN BEING DEVELOPED WITH THE CLERK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, IMPLEMENTING. WE'LL BE IMPLEMENTING NEW LANGUAGE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT INCOME TAX CUSTOMERS. AND THEN COMING UP IN JUST A FEW WEEKS WILL BE THE THE 2026 NEIGHBORHOOD SUMMIT. YOU CAN

[01:10:03]

THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO ME TO SEE THIS AGAIN, AND I JUST THINK WE ARE. THAT'S OF COURSE, WE WANT TO GIVE RESIDENTS TIMELY OPTIONS FOR FEEDBACK FROM US, BUT WE HAVE SEEN TIME AND TIME THESE MODELS ARE HALLUCINATING. THEY'RE GIVING INCORRECT FACTS AND INFORMATION. AND SO PLEASE PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS. I'LL START. I DON'T SEE EITHER ONE OF THE DOGS HERE TODAY, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU WE DID A COMPREHENSIVE BRIEFING WITH OUR CIO TO THE COMMISSION ON THE AI COUNCIL, ITS COMPOSITION, AND THE FACT WE HAVE UNIVERSITY EXPERTS WHO ARE NON COMPROMISED IN THEIR INTERESTS. THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO PROFIT OFF OF IT. THEY ARE PURELY LOOKING AT IT FROM. A NEUTRAL PERSPECTIVE. THAT'S ADVISING US. THE COUNCIL IS EARLY IN ITS BEGINNINGS. I THINK WE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE APPOINTED. THEY MAY HAVE HAD 1 OR 2 MEETINGS AT THIS POINT. IN TERMS OF THE BIGGER CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE RAISED, I THINK WE FROM A MORE COMMUNITY WIDE PERSPECTIVE, HAVE ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WITH THE ZONING IMPLEMENTATION AND TRYING TO EVALUATE MORE BROADLY WITH DATA WAREHOUSE USAGE AND HOW THAT MIGHT BE FRAMED AND PERMITTED IN THE CITY, BUT SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE CITY. WE'VE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING. OUR USAGE OF IT IS PRIMARILY BASED ON THE MICROSOFT OFFICE SUITE AND A COUPLE OF OTHER PLATFORMS. BUT BUT I HEAR THE FEEDBACK. I'M NOT SURE I HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL THINGS TO SAY BEYOND WHAT WE'VE ALREADY PUBLICLY BRIEFED ON AT THIS POINT. SO THERE WAS NO WAY WHERE THE COMMISSION WILL HAVE ANY INTERACTION BESIDES REPORTS WITH THIS NEW FORM. NO, IT IS NOT A PUBLIC APPOINTED COUNCIL FROM THE COMMISSION. IT'S A STAFF COUNCIL WITH A STAFF ADVISORY GROUP, WITH THE

[01:15:04]

TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, MY GOOGLE JUST SEEMS TO GIVE ME YOU GO DIRECT TO AI. SO WE'RE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING, AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT HIDE UNDER A BUSH. I MEAN, THIS IS THIS IS REAL. IT IS COMING. SO I THINK IT'S ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE THAT WE HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT STARTS TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS. AND FRANKLY, I HAVE IN THE PAST ASKED EXACTLY FOR THIS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE HAVE STAFF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE IT, HOW CAN IT BE USEFUL? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE THE INVENTION OF THE CAR, AFTER THE HORSE AND BUGGY CARS GO REALLY FAST. SO THEN YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF RUNNING OVER PEDESTRIANS. CARS ARE REALLY USEFUL, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE DOWNSIDES. AI IS REALLY USEFUL. IT HAS POTENTIAL RISKS, BUT IT'S ALSO OUT IN THE WORLD. IT'S NOT SOMETHING GRAND RAPIDS, IT'S NOT A PROPRIETARY PRODUCT TO GRAND RAPIDS. IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING ON PLANET EARTH. AND SO I THINK WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW TO APPROPRIATELY USE IT. COMMISSIONER. YES, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND YES, I AM BIG ON GRACE. I THINK I LAST MEETING, LAST COMMISSION MEETING THAT WAS ACTUALLY LIKE MY WORD OF THE YEAR FOR LAST YEAR. SO I OF COURSE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GIVE STAFF GRACE. BUT AS WE SAID EARLIER, TO GIVE MISS CLAREN MORE TIME TO I THOUGHT I WAS COMING TO A PRESENTATION THAT WE WERE HAVING MORE TIME. WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE WEEDS MORE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT STAFF BRINGS FORWARD TO US REGARDING AI. BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SORT OF CELEBRATE IT, I WANT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS OF IT AND I

[01:20:01]

THERE ARE GEOPOLITICAL THINGS THAT ARE OCCURRING RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT ON THE BINGO CARD FOR 20, 25 AND 26. AND SO WHAT IS OUR JOB IS TO CONTROL WHAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL HERE IN THE CITY. WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON.

BUT WE HAVE ONLY THIS ABILITY TO CONTROL. AND IF WE LOOK AT THIS PRESENTATION, I THINK WE HAVE CONTROLLED THIS VERY WELL. WE HAVE MANAGED IT VERY WELL. WE HAVE COMMUNICATED IT VERY WELL. I THINK WHAT ARE THE CHANGING AND THE SHIFTS IS THAT THERE IS MORE NEED AND THERE IS MORE SUPPORT THAT IS NEEDED. WE, IN MY OPINION, WE HAVE TO COME AND SAY WHAT IS THE CORE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY AT THIS TIME? WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE VERSUS ALL THE THINGS THAT REALLY A LOT OF FOLKS ARE EXPECTING RIGHT NOW. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT TO, IN TERMS OF MY CENTERING OF WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY IN THIS PRESENTATION AND IT BEING THE SEVENTH TIME HEARING IT, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF NEW LEADERS IN THE ORGANIZATION, SO I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE A LOT OF THAT INVESTMENT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY TALK AT OUR CIVIL SERVICE MEETING, THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD WAS MENTIONED. I WOULD SAY FOR ME, THE NUMBER ONE THINGS THAT I HEARD OUT OF THESE SECTIONS, GLAD TO SEE THE CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS OWNERS. I THINK WE NEED TO CONSISTENTLY EVALUATE WHAT ARE THE RIGHT TOOLS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT BUYER EVENT IN APRIL. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND ALSO, WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL TOOLS NEEDED FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE MARKETPLACES? SOME OF THEM HAVE DIFFERENT FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS THAN OTHERS. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE SEEING CREDIT USAGE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. PEOPLE ARE PAYING FOR DOORDASH VIA KLARNA. YOU KNOW, MY DAY JOB IS IN THE FINANCIAL MARKET AND I THINK IT'S VERY CONCERNING. IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NOT THAT PEOPLE ARE IRRESPONSIBLE, IT'S THAT THERE IS LIMITED INCOME. INCOME HAS BEEN COMPRESSED. AND SO I JUST WANT US TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE TOOLS AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES. AND I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE EMERGING DEVELOPER, SORT OF PAUSE. AND THAT THAT SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WE HAVE. I'M SITTING NEXT TO MR. CLARK, BUT I THINK OUR ELECTION PLAN FOR 2026 IS IS CRITICAL. YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE TIME AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND WE'LL SPEND MORE TIME CONNECTING WITH INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE CONNECTING. HOW REMINDING PEOPLE, WHAT ARE ALL THE WAYS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THEM TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR VOTE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.

AND THEN, YEAH, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST HAVE COMMENTS. SORRY, LOU. AND THEN FOR, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO WHAT SHOULD THE CITY BE DOING? WHAT IS OUR CORE FOCUS? WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY COLD DAYS AND SOME REALLY BAD STORMS. WE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE UPSET AND I

[01:25:06]

AND SO TO MANAGE THESE CRITICAL WEATHER EVENTS, I THINK WE RESPONDED REALLY WELL. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT. BUT ALSO THINGS LIKE OUR TREE PRUNING AND THE STUMPS AND ALL OF THE WORK OF THE FORESTRY. THESE ARE ACTIVITIES, IF WE DO THEM WELL, WILL PREVENT, I THINK WHEN WE HAVE THESE SERIOUS WEATHER EVENTS, WE'LL HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, TO BE LESSER TO THE RESIDENTS AND TO THE CITY. IT'S NOT SUPER SEXY, I GET IT, BUT I THINK IT IS, YOU KNOW, 2019, THIS WAS THE PLAN. HOW DO WE BRING UP THESE PLANS AND SUPPORT EVEN MORE? AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF THE BIG QUESTIONS ARE PEOPLE SEND ME PICTURES OF, HERE'S THE AMPHITHEATER, HERE'S THE SOCCER STADIUM, AND WE'RE BALANCING THE INTEREST AND EXCITEMENT AS WELL AS, I THINK, A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY OF WHAT PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE UNSURE WHAT TO PREPARE FOR. YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS FIRST EVENT HAPPENS, IT'S HAPPENING ON MY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. SO THANK YOU. BUT THERE PEOPLE ARE PLANNING FOR THIS. AND SO I KNOW THOSE ARE A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE BEEN GETTING FROM NEIGHBORS OF PEOPLE ARE EXCITED BUT THEY'RE UNSURE. AND SO I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO RAMP THIS UP AND AS AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES THE DASH FIT IN THERE, THOSE ARE I WOULD SAY THOSE FOUR THINGS ARE KIND OF FALLING INTO THE TOP PRIORITIES THAT ARE EMERGING FOR ME, CITY MANAGER, AS WE GO FORWARD IN THESE BUDGETARY CONVERSATIONS. AND THEN I WILL ADD ONE OTHER THING. I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS TO CITY INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY STROM ABOUT, AGAIN, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WE LOOK AT WHERE WHERE HAVE WE BACK IN 2019, WE DID HILLARY HAYNE STUDY, WHAT CAN WE CIVILIANIZED, WHERE DO WE PUT THE BEST USE AND THE IN THE MONEY TO GO INTO POLICE WORK. BUT WHERE CAN WE RESPOND TO THINGS THAT ARE LOWER, LOWER LEVEL CALLS IN? AND I WOULD SAY ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS BEEN EMERGING QUITE A BIT WITH NEIGHBORS IS JUST CIVIL DISAGREEMENTS WITH PEOPLE. AND HOW CAN WE LOOK AT OTHER CLINICS OR TOOLS OR SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE AS IT RELATES TO THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CAMPAIGN OF HOW COULD WE FUNNEL MORE SUPPORT FOR THOSE CIVIL DISAGREEMENTS? SO THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDING TO THAT. IT'S SORT OF IT'S LIKE THAT CO-RESPONSE MODEL. WHERE DO WE PUT THOSE RESOURCES AND TOOLS? AND I KNOW A NUMBER OF CALLS I GET INTO MY OFFICE ARE ABOUT DISPUTES BETWEEN NEIGHBORS. SO, SO SORRY THAT THERE'S NO QUESTIONS. I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A WELL PRESENTED PRESENTATION, BUT MORE SO WHERE YOU ALL COULD SEE MY THOUGHTS AS WE MOVE INTO THIS NEXT STAGE OF BUDGETING. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER NIGHT. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE GONE FORWARD. I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS. AND ONE OF THESE I THINK IT I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD ADDRESS IT, BUT KNOWING ABOUT THE AND KAREN MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED AROUND THE SOME OF THE HOUSING CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE STATE, HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT US WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND AFFORDABILITY IN SOME OF OUR ZONING CHANGES, AND EVEN THINKING ABOUT THE ADU TASK FORCE, LIKE, HOW IS ALL OF THAT GOING TO WORK WITH US HERE IN THE CITY? I'M GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WILL THAT IMPACT PEOPLE. DO WE LOSE CONTROL WITH THAT? HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT US FINANCIALLY? RIGHT. AND IN THE SPACES THAT WE CAN'T, THAT WE CAN GROW, LIKE HEARING ABOUT THE PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING OUT AT THE OLD ORBIT ROOM, THE PARTY SPOT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE GOING TO GO OVER INTO THAT SPACE, BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY UNUTILIZED. SO IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THESE CHANGES HAPPEN, HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND INTO SPACES THAT ARE OPEN WITHIN OUR CITY TO INCREASE THAT FOOTPRINT AND THAT DENSITY THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT? AND THEN ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE RIVERFRONT BUSINESS AND ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE ALONG THE RIVERFRONT. I TALKED TO MR. DAVIS ABOUT THIS JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO, AND WHERE WE ARE IN STARTING TO TALK TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN STARTING A BUSINESS AND HAVING SOMETHING ALONG THE RIVERFRONT AND GETTING THEM PREPARED TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE A LITTLE A SMALL BUSINESS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR THAT CAN INCREASE, YOU KNOW, THE TAX CAPTURE AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HERE IN THE CITY. AND THEN THE LAST PIECE WAS KIND OF A TAG ON TO THE THE UPGRADES THAT WE'RE DOING TO THE WEBSITE. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT GETS MISSED A LOT WHEN WE THINK

[01:30:04]

WE WANT THEM NOW. AND OF COURSE, HOUSING IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S AT THE TOP OF MIND FOR EVERYBODY, LIKE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. RIGHT. BUT REALLY BEING ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT 636.

LOW INCOME RESIDENCES HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLAY. NOW, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S LOWER THAN THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED, RIGHT. AND FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT, AND THAT MAY HELP PEOPLE HAVE A GLIMMER OF HOPE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY MOVING TOWARDS SOME CHANGE, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHING SOME THINGS HERE IN THE CITY. SO THAT'S MY RANT FOR THE DAY. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. THOSE ARE THAT THAT THAT NUMBER YOU POINTED OUT IS JUST OF COURSE, THE COMPLETED ONES. AND IT'S INTERESTING TO LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NEW UNITS DOING QUICK MATH, ALMOST 90% OF THOSE THAN LAST YEAR WERE AFFORDABLE. SO THAT'S YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ARE WE JUST DOING MARKET RATE HOUSING? THE DATA IS RIGHT THERE. AND I AND I URGE YOU KNOW, THOSE OUT LISTENING TO HEAR THIS, THIS IS THE ONE THING THAT'S WORTH THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME TOO, IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING THINGS THAT ARE IN PROCESS, SOMETHING STRONGLY BETWEEN HALF AND TWO THIRDS ARE IN THAT AFFORDABLE UNIT CATEGORY. NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE MEANS DIFFERENT TO DIFFERENT DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. AND WHAT ONE PERSON CAN AFFORD IS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING SOMEONE ELSE CAN AFFORD. BUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE THAT THAT MANY OF THESE UNITS HAVE SOME LEVEL OF AFFORDABLE PLANNING TO THEM IS REALLY, I THINK, A CREDIT TO EVERYONE, EVERYONE WORKING ON STAFF IN THE CITY AND THE AND THE PROGRAMS WE HAVE IN PLACE, AND TO OUR CITY MANAGER MAKING A PRIORITY OUT OF THIS. SO THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, FOR THAT.

MAYOR. NOW I WOULD JUST ADD TO COMMISSIONER KNIGHT'S COMMENTS THAT THOSE BILLS THAT YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE DETAILED DISCUSSION ON THOSE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TODAY, THIS AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER PURDUE I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER. OKAY.

WE'RE FIGHTING OVER THE MICROPHONE. BUT YEAH, I KNOW I WANT TO GIVE COMMISSIONER PURDUE PLENTY OF TIME. I JUST WANT TO JUMP ON THE HOUSING THING, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY TOP LINE THAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THIS SECTION. AND I THINK THAT. MY ONE QUESTION, JUST BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, IS WHERE ARE WHERE IS THE PERCENTAGE RELATIVE TO THE TOTAL LINE, TOTAL HOUSING NEEDS. SO WE BUILT THE BUILDING 2200 OR SO. JUST KIND OF PLACE THAT FOR US IN CONTEXT. OKAY. SO THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT DATA POINTS, BUT I WOULD CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE TO THE SLIDE. ABOUT TOTAL NEW TOTAL NEW DWELLING UNITS PERMITTED. WE'VE SET A TARGET OF ABOUT 1100 A YEAR. AND FOR CALENDAR YEAR 25 WE WERE AT 1621. THE OVERALL I WILL HAVE TO I DON'T WANT TO MISQUOTE, BUT LET'S JUST SAY 15 ISH THOUSAND WAS NEEDED FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS SO WE CAN COME BACK WITH A KIND OF HOW ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS SINCE THAT NUMBER WAS PUT OUT THERE? THAT WILL HAVE TO BE A FOLLOW UP IN WRITING. YEAH. THANK YOU.

I JUST I DID ALSO PUT AN EXCLAMATION POINT BY THAT LINE, EPA 3.1 BECAUSE 1600 UNITS IS PRETTY FANTASTIC. AND IF YOU COMBINE IT WITH THE 600 FROM LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, IT DOES KIND OF START TO PUT US ON PAR. AND I THINK IT WAS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING THAT IMPACT OF THE TRANSFORMATIONAL BROWNFIELD, THE THE PRIVATE INVESTMENT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT OF THOSE HOUSING UNITS. BECAUSE THAT'S A QUESTION I GET A LOT FROM PEOPLE IS LIKE, WHAT'S THE CITY GOING TO DO FOR HOUSING? AND I HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING PEOPLE THE CITY ITSELF DOESN'T GENERALLY BUILD HOUSING. WE'RE NOT A DEVELOPER. WE REQUIRE PEOPLE TO BE INVESTORS, TO BECOME DEVELOPERS, THE EMERGING DEVELOPER PROGRAM, ETC. SO WHAT ARE WE DOING AS A CITY IS WHAT IS ALL OF US DOING? AND SO IT'S JUST REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THAT AND THE PROPORTION THAT IS GOING TO BE IN THE 80% OR LESS, AM I? SO THAT'S WHAT I'LL CLOSE WITH TO HAND OVER THE MIC QUESTION. THANK YOU. SO ACTUALLY TAKING PICKING UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF ON ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND AFFORDABILITY ON SLIDE 36. SO SPEAKING OF SO I'LL START BY SAYING I'M REALLY ENJOYING THE CONVERSATION AND TAKING THE TIME TO CELEBRATE ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. THE PROGRESS MADE METRICS ARE LOOKING GREAT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS AND BALANCING THAT WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NEXT? HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE? THAT'S I THINK THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF OUR ALL OF OUR WORK. IT'S A BOTH AND IT'S LIKE, YES, LET'S CELEBRATE AND LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT MILESTONE. RIGHT. SO I WANT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.

SO YOU BRING UP THE USE OF INCENTIVES TO DRIVE PRIVATE INVESTMENT. I AM CURIOUS ABOUT THE RATIO FOR EPA 1.1 ON SLIDE 36. THE RATIO OF PUBLIC INCENTIVE DOLLARS TO PRIVATE

[01:35:09]

IF WE WERE AN INVESTMENT BODY, WHICH ESSENTIALLY WE ARE AND WE WERE WANTING TO INVEST IN A STARTUP, WE WILL WE WILL WANT TO SEE SOME SORT OF NUMBER SHEETS. AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT THAT LINE OF SIGHT INTO HOW TRUE IS IT AND HOW FEASIBLE IS THIS PROJECT WITHOUT OUR X NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTION. SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US ALL TO THINK ABOUT. I WOULD LOVE TO, TO TO SEE HOW WE CAN CHIP AWAY AT THAT MORE AND INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AROUND THAT AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT RETURN TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST LOOKED AT PROJECTIONS. ANYTIME WE'RE GIVING UP SOME OF THOSE CAPTURES, WE'RE GIVING UP SOME OF THOSE CAPTURES THAT CAN GO TO SUPPORT OUR REVENUES. AND SO I THINK WE'VE WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS WITH DEVELOPING THE CITY. I THINK WE'VE MET A LOT OF OUR GOALS, PARTICULARLY WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE GROWTH OF DOWNTOWN. I THINK NOW IS A REALLY GREAT TIME TO QUESTION AND TO RELOOK AT HOW WE'RE UTILIZING ALL THE TOOLS. ARE THEY GOING TO THE RIGHT PLACES? YOU MENTIONED MEASURING SUCCESS FOR EMERGING DEVELOPERS. HOW DO WE DO THAT ACROSS THE BOARD? ANYTIME WE'RE USING OUR INVESTMENTS TO DRIVE PRIVATE INVESTMENT AND OTHER AND OTHER COMMUNITY WIDE PROGRESS. I ALSO JUST MENTIONED I'M REALLY HOPING THAT WE MIGHT COME UP LATER, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO JUST MENTION IT RIGHT NOW RELATED TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. AND I THINK WE ALL ARE ALMOST BLUE IN THE FACE OF TALKING ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO DO MORE. WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT OF INSERTING THAT INTO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS.

SO I WANT TO NAME THAT AND HOPEFULLY SOMETHING LIKE THE PUBLIC SAFETY REVENUE SHARING OR THE OPIOID OPIOID SETTLEMENT DOLLARS CAN REALLY BE USED TO PROVIDE ENHANCED SERVICES FOR FOLKS. THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION ON THIS, BECAUSE WE DID BRIEFLY GO OVER THE THIRD WARD EQUITY FUND, IS I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING THOSE PROJECTS OUT THE DOOR, GETTING THOSE, GETTING THOSE DOLLARS SPENT IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH MANAGING THE THIRD WARD EQUITY FUND IS THAT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE, I THINK FULL STAFF CAPACITY AND SUPPORT IS DONE ON TOP OF SOMEONE'S FULL LIST OF THINGS, AND WE REALLY NEED FOLKS DEDICATED TO MOVING THIS WORK FORWARD, WHICH IS WHY I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL DECISION DIRECTOR ROLE THAT WE ARE GOING TO ADD TO LEAVE SOUTH TOWN INVESTMENT IN SOUTH TOWN. BUT I JUST WANT TO ADD, I THINK WE NEED THAT SAME LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO INITIATIVES LIKE THERE WERE EQUITY FUND BECAUSE WITHOUT IT THEY DON'T DO WELL OR THEY DON'T LIVE UP TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. AND THEN WE KIND OF QUESTION THOSE INVESTMENTS WHEN REALLY THERE'S SOME REAL STRUCTURAL CHANGES THAT THREATEN THE SUCCESS IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO I JUST WANTED TO NAME THAT, THOUGH. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT THIS YEAR. WE'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF REALLY THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE USE EQUITY FUND, BUT ALSO HOW DO WE LEVERAGE IT, HOW DO WE PARTNER WITH PHILANTHROPY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 1 MILLION IN HOW DO WE FIND MATCHES SO THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE OUR INVESTMENT TO EXPAND OUR IMPACT? THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US DO MOVING FORWARD, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAKING THE MOST USE OF ALL OF OUR DOLLARS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THAT BRINGS US TO THE NEXT PART OF OUR PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT PRIORITY. I'LL PICK UP THE PACE A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE UP SOME TIME. SO CONTINUE TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS, INCLUDING WITH PARTNER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT. YOU TALKED A BIT AT FISCAL TODAY ABOUT THE ONGOING WORK TO CONVERT SLUDGE INTO BIOGAS, AND SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT NEEDS TO HELP WITH DOING THAT MORE FOR THE CITY OF WYOMING. WE WILL SOON PROVIDE AN UPDATE. SO SOMETIME THIS SPRING ON COSTING OF PRIORITIZED ACTIONS IN THE CAP PLAN, CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN. SOME 56 HOMEOWNERS HAVE BEEN HELPED THROUGH THE SOLARIZE PURCHASING PROGRAM, AND WE'VE ALSO ADDED SOLAR ON THE COMMUNITY ARCHIVES.

PARKS HAS COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE ASSET CONDITION ASSESSMENT TO HELP GUIDE FUTURE INVESTMENTS. PROGRAM PARTICIPATION IN PARKS PROGRAMING IS UP MORE THAN

[01:40:09]

PARK CONDITION RATINGS IS UP SUBSTANTIALLY. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE WE WERE IN 2018, MADE A TREMENDOUS PROGRESS SINCE THEN, AND WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR LOW AND NO EMISSION VEHICLE FLEET, WE WILL CONTINUE REPLACING LEAD SERVICE LINES IN A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER. THE WATER CAREER PROGRAM CONTINUES TO BE AN EXCELLENT PIPELINE OF OF PEOPLE INTO SKILLED WORK HERE AT THE CITY, IN IN THE WATER SYSTEM, WE ARE FINDING AND CONTINUE TO FIND THAT LINING OUR SEWERS AND MANHOLES IS A COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO OUTRIGHT REPLACEMENT HELPS EXTEND THEIR LIFE. USEFUL LIFE. AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL BE COMPLETING AND PRESENTING INFORMATION ON THE CAP PLAN ANALYSIS AND AND COSTING ALONG WITH MUNICIPAL FACILITY ENERGY AUDITS. YOU'VE HEARD RECENTLY ABOUT BUTTERWORTH SOLAR DEPLOYMENT TO POWER THE THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT. AND AND I'LL REMIND YOU, WE'VE RECEIVED HELP FROM THE STATE TO CONNECT THAT FUTURE SOLAR TO THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT. MANY OF YOU WERE AT THE OPENING OF THE OR THE RIBBON CUTTING OF THE MLK COMMUNITY CENTER THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND THAT WILL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC VERY SOON. CONTINUED WORK ON RIVER TRAILS WILL HAPPEN WITH CONSTRUCTION SEASON THIS SPRING, ALONG WITH PLANNING FOR THE SILVER CREEK CORRIDOR, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON TREE PRUNING AND STUMP GRINDING AND REMOVAL, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF AND WE WE HAD AT A RECENT EPT MEETING, A PRESENTATION ON THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC MUSEUM, AND THAT INCLUDED SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE WITH SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR RIVERFRONT IMPROVEMENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE ASH LAGOON CLOSURE, WHICH WILL BE COMPLETED WITH FEDERAL FUNDING ASSISTANCE. AND THEN WE'RE CONTINUING THAT TRANSITION TO LOW AND NO EMISSION VEHICLES. AND WE'VE GOT TWO SLIDES OF METRICS HERE.

SOME OF THEM ARE MULTI-PART OR MULTI LINE METRICS TO KIND OF BREAK OUT THINGS ACROSS MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF THAT METRIC. BUT THESE HIGHLIGHT PROGRESS IN SOME OF THE AREAS I MENTIONED, INCLUDING THE PERCENT OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION AND ASSOCIATED RENEWABLE ENERGY. WE, WITH THE HELP OF PURCHASING OF CREDITS, HAVE BEEN AT 100% RENEWABLE FOR MORE THAN A YEAR AND YOU CAN SEE PROGRESS WITH VEHICLE CONVERSIONS, TREE TREE PRUNING AND AND STUMP REMOVAL, ETC. ON THIS SLIDE. AND THEN CONTINUED PROGRESS AS DEMONSTRATED ON THE LEAD SERVICE, LINE REPLACEMENT AND SOME OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT ITEMS. SO I WILL NOW TURN THE PODIUM TO MISS BEHRENS FOR MOBILITY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO AGAIN TRYING TO MAKE UP A LITTLE BIT OF TIME I WON'T GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE THINGS. BUT AGAIN MAJOR THEME HERE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS ON THROUGH THE MIDYEAR IS REALLY MAKING THE MOST OF OUR RIGHTS OF WAY, RIGHT? WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME MINOR IMPROVEMENTS OR INVESTMENTS IN MICROMOBILITY. SO THAT CORRIDOR IS MORE AMENABLE, OR A TOOL IS MORE AVAILABLE TO SOMEONE TO HELP THEM GET AROUND OUR CITY OR THE MAJOR ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WHERE WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MODERNIZE, MAKE SAFE AGAIN FOR ALL KINDS OF USERS, AND THINK ABOUT THE CITY'S GROWTH INTO THE FUTURE AND WHERE OUR INVESTMENTS NEED TO BE DISTRIBUTED. THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT MAKING NEW RIGHT OF WAY IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS FOR THE MOST PART. SO WE REALLY HAVE TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT WE DO HAVE, AND WE ASK A LOT OF THAT RIGHT OF WAY. BUT OUR FOUNDATIONAL OBLIGATION AND

[01:45:05]

AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING ABOUT PARKING RATIOS AND PARKING REQUIREMENTS. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT. ANOTHER THING TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION IS REALLY SOME CHANGES THAT WE ARE WORKING ON WITH THE RAPID WITH RESPECT TO THE TO THE DASH ROUTE. SO THIS IS AN AREA WHERE I WOULD SAY WE'RE REALLY FIRMLY IN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THINKING WITH RESPECT TO THE DASH ROUTE. IT'S IT'S NOT A STATIC THING. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT WHAT IS HAPPENING DOWNTOWN, WHAT MAKES SENSE TO CIRCULATE PEOPLE. AND REALLY WITH THAT PARK ONCE PHILOSOPHY. AND THEN WHERE SHOULD A DASH ROUTE GO THAT YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PUBLIC PARKING AND GET TO THOSE KINDS OF PLACES WHERE WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO USE DIFFERENT MODES THAN GETTING BACK IN THEIR CAR AND GOING A COUPLE BLOCKS, GETTING BACK IN THEIR CAR, GOING A COUPLE MORE BLOCKS. SO YOU CAN SEE ON YOUR SCREEN HERE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO THE DASH ROUTE THAT WE WOULD INTEND TO EXECUTE. AND WE'RE DOING THOSE FOR A COUPLE THINGS, BUT A COUPLE OF REASONS, NOT LEAST OF WHICH IS ACTUALLY TAKING A LOOK AT OUR CONTRACT WITH THE RAPID, WITH THEIR COSTS AND WITH THEIR EXPECTATIONS ABOUT PURCHASING THE COACHES OR THE BUSSES AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS FOR AFFORDABILITY FOR THE CITY AND OUR RESIDENTS WITH RESPECT TO PARKING RATES, WHICH IS WHERE WE GET THE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM. AND SO THIS REALIGNMENT AND A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RAPID WILL HELP US AVOID ABOUT $7 MILLION OF COSTS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WHICH HELPS US KEEP PARKING RATES LOW. SO I WANT TO CAUTION EVERYBODY, THAT'S NOT 7 MILLION OF UNPROGRAMED MONEY.

WE CAN SUDDENLY START SPENDING ON OTHER THINGS. IT WAS A COST AVOIDANCE IN ORDER TO KEEP US FROM HAVING TO REALLY LOOK AT FEES AND COSTS, TO GET ENOUGH REVENUE TO COVER THOSE COSTS.

THIS ALSO HAS THE BENEFIT. THIS ROUTE ALSO HAS THE BENEFIT OF LETTING US REALLY FOCUS IN ON THE DOWNTOWN PERFORMANCE VENUES AND THE THE NEED TO CIRCULATE PEOPLE AGAIN, FROM AVAILABLE PARKING TO THOSE VENUES. CONVENIENTLY, A COUPLE OF KEY METRICS I DO WANT TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT OUTCOME AREA, BECAUSE MOBILITY HAS BEEN SUCH

[01:50:01]

GETTING INTO THE NEXT DATA PAGE. I JUST AGAIN WANT TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION SOME DATA THAT I THINK IS INTERESTING AND VALIDATES WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING. IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE FIRST TWO LINES OF MILES OF STREET PROJECTS EACH YEAR AND ANNUAL INVESTMENT ACROSS THE CITY, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 25 WAS A PRETTY MARKED INCREASE IN TERMS OF LEVEL OF INVESTMENT, BUT ALSO COMBINE THE MILES OF STREETS WE WERE IMPACTED, WHICH I THINK COMPLETELY VALIDATES WHAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING IN TERMS OF MORE AND MORE AREAS OF THE CITY SAYING, OH MY GOSH, THIS PROJECT IS HAPPENING. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET AROUND.

I THINK YOU CAN SEE THAT. AND WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE CANDIDLY OF OF ONE TIME MONEY THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND WE NEED TO INVEST IT IN OUR COMMUNITY. BUT IT DOESN'T COME WITHOUT ITS ITS PRESSURE POINTS. CERTAINLY. AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I DO WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE THE NEXT THREE LINES. SO LINES THREE, FOUR AND FIVE, WE ARE BREAKING OUT FOR YOU THERE IN A IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY. THE INVESTMENTS ACROSS WARD. WE DO PROVIDE THAT EVERY TIME WE COME TO YOU WITH THE ANNUAL BUDGET. IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THIS. AND IT ALLOWS YOU THAT ANNUAL BUDGET LOOK THAT YOU'LL SEE IN MAY WILL ALSO ALLOW YOU TO SEE WHERE VITAL STREETS IS, IN PARTICULAR IN THE LIFE CYCLE, VERY, VERY STRONG COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY TO THE VOTERS ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING THOSE MONEY MONIES IN PARTICULAR, AND ALSO THAT THEY WILL AT THE END OF THAT PROGRAM WILL HAVE BEEN EQUALLY INVESTED ACROSS THE WARD. SO EVERY YEAR IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. SOME WARD UP, SOME WARD DOWN. BUT OVER THE LIFE CYCLE OF VITAL STREETS, WE ARE PROJECTING VERY CONSISTENT, EQUITABLE INVESTMENTS ACROSS. WELL, ACTUALLY, I PROBABLY SHOULD SAY EQUAL INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE WARDS WITH RESPECT TO THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT. SO THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR MOBILITY. AND MR. MANAGER, AM I TURNING THIS ONE OVER TO YOU. YES. THANK YOU.

YEAH. THANK YOU. AND I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL NOW, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO JUST ADD MISS SMITH DID FOLLOW UP WITH LIME ON RIDER EDUCATION FOR MORE HELMETS FOR RIDER SAFETY. SO THEY WERE WILLING TO COOPERATE AND INCREASE THEIR AVAILABILITY OF HELMETS THAT ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC, SAFE COMMUNITY. AND SOMEONE GOT ME ON. JOEL. YOU GOT ME. OKAY, JOEL HAS ME.

LET'S GO BACK. SO WE'VE DONE A LOT REGARDING OTHER WAYS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE IN TERMS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS EMPOWER PROGRAM, PARTNERSHIP WITH COREWELL HEALTH ON MORE PREVENTATIVE TYPE OF NEEDS FOR FREQUENT USERS. WE APPRECIATE THOSE WHO CAME AND OPENED UP THE KINDLE FIRE STATION BACK IN SEPTEMBER. THOSE THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PART OF THE MLK OPENING THIS PAST WEEKEND. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR SOCIAL WORKERS AND DOING COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, AS WELL AS CREATED THE CIVILIAN VIOLENCE PREVENTION POSITION. NEXT SLIDE. AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH THE DEMAND FOR EXPUNGEMENT. SO THANKS FOR THAT EFFORT. CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON OUR CAPITAL WORK AND FIRE DEPARTMENT. WITH THE OPENING OF THE DIVISION AVENUE STATION AS WELL AS TRAINING CENTER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS WE WORK WITH THE UNITED WAY. PREVIOUSLY, WHEN WE PROVIDED RELIEF TO THE FLOOD VICTIMS PRIOR TO THE CITY SETTLEMENT, AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP IN A MORE FORMALIZED WAY AND FUND A COUNTY WIDE DISASTER RELIEF FUND, BUT ALSO ENSURE THAT THERE IS SOME FUNDING SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED FOR GRAND RAPIDS. I WANT TO THANK FIRE CHIEF AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE FOR THAT EFFORT AND MORE TO COME AS PART OF THE BUDGET DIALOG, AS WELL AS WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION WITH OUR HIRING OF GRANT POSITIONS. NEXT SLIDE SEVERAL METRICS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VERY EXTENSIVE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY. SO I WON'T GO IN ALL IN DETAIL

[01:55:03]

AND THAT'S, I THINK, A CREDIT TO THE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO REDUCE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE ACROSS THE BOARD. SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, I DID ASK FOR A DELAY AT THE START OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING AT 1245. OKAY. GREAT, COMMISSIONER. SORRY YOU'RE DEFERRING TO SOMEONE. YEAH, COMMISSIONER WAS BEFORE ME. OKAY. GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. AGE BEFORE BEAUTY. YEAH. I DON'T HAVE MY PERIPHERAL VISION. ISN'T WHAT I WAS WHEN I WAS 18. OKAY. COME ON, EVERYBODY, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A LAUGH TO GET THROUGH THE DAY. NO, I DID WANT TO JUST SHARE ON THE THE SAFETY PIECE. I REALLY APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW,

[02:00:04]

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT AND A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY. IN ADDITION, I'M ALSO THANKFUL TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION CONTINUE ABOUT STREET CALMING AND SAFETY MEASURES FOR KALAMAZOO. THAT WAS ANOTHER INITIATIVE WHERE COMMUNITY REALLY WANTED TO BE HEARD AND HAD SOME REALLY UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERNS AS BARONS, ALONG WITH MISS ROMERO AND MYSELF, ALSO MET WITH COMMUNITY ADVOCATES. AND ONCE AGAIN, THAT SAME, JUST LIKE WITH MISS CLAYPOOL, WE'RE TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY AND GOT THAT DIRECT FACE TIME THAT I THINK THAT SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS NEED WITH THESE CONCERNS. AND SO I'M THANKFUL THAT WE CAN REALLY SEE HERE THAT WE'RE BRINGING COMMUNITY TO THE TABLE. RIGHT. IT'S NOT JUST US MAKING WHAT WE THINK IS BEST, BUT IT'S COMMUNITY LED. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK FOR THIS. THIS PRESENTATION HAS BEEN VERY NICE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOWING UP SOON. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER AND COMMISSIONER PERDUE. GREAT. I WILL BE BRIEF. WE NOTED WE HAD INTERNS HERE EARLIER. CITY MANAGER MENTIONED THAT I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT AND SHOUT OUT THAT AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, WE HAD OUR WATER CAREER PROGRAM INTERNS HERE, AND THERE WERE HALF A DOZEN OF THEM OR SO, AND

[02:05:03]

VERY PRODUCTIVE MORNING. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ON PAGE SLIDE 52. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND A SAFE COMMUNITY, IT REALLY IS MULTIFACETED AND MULTIDIMENSIONAL. AND SO HERE HIGHLIGHTED OUR THE PEOPLE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE DIVERTED THROUGH EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO AN ALTERNATIVE OUTREACH, MEANING NOT TAKING TO JAIL, NOT TAKING TO EMERGENCY ROOM, BUT TO CONNECT FOLKS WITH RESOURCES. NEARLY 8000 PEOPLE AT THIS AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT, OVER 200,000 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN OUT OF SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS AND HAVING EMERGENCY PLANS FOR THE MOST PART, UP AND READY. SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THOSE. I ALSO WANT TO KIND OF AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER. I THINK ONE OF THE THE PRIORITIES THAT IS REALLY NEEDED RELATED TO SAFE COMMUNITY IS CONTINUED FOCUS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BOTH VICTIM SUPPORT, WHICH WE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME ON THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT ALSO PREVENTION PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM BECOMING VICTIMS. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF AMAZING RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITY, FOLKS WHO ARE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, SOME OF WHICH ARE ALREADY CONTRACTED TO ENGAGE IN FOR THE VICTIM SUPPORT AND JUST WANT TO CONTINUE LEANING INTO THAT TO SEE HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH THE PD, FIRE COMMUNITY OR PEOPLE SERVING ORGANIZATIONS TO PREVENT VIOLENCE, PARTICULARLY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BEFORE IT HAPPENS. AND RELATEDLY, YOUNG PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE NEEDS TO BE AN EXPLICIT FOCUS TO BOTH FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION, BUT ALSO FOR JUST GENERAL YOUTH ENRICHMENT AND CREATING A GREAT COMMUNITY. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL UNCONSIDERED. THEY FEEL LEFT OUT. THEY FEEL LIKE LIFE ISN'T. THIS CITY ISN'T OFFERING EVERYTHING TO THEM THAT IT POSSIBLY COULD. I WAS TALKING WITH A GROUP OF YOUNG FOLKS A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND THEY FELT LIKE THE APARTMENT BUILDING GOING UP NEXT TO THEM ALMOST FELT LIKE. ALMOST LIKE THEY WERE COMPETING WITH IT. LIKE, WE KEEP INVESTING IN BUILDINGS, BUT NOT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE. AND SO I THINK YOUTH DV ARE TWO BIG FOCUS AREAS THAT I THINK MOVING FORWARD, WE REALLY NEED TO SPEND MORE EXPLICIT TIME ON CONNECTING THOSE DOTS AND REALLY HELPING THOSE FOLKS HIGHEST AT NEEDS. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, IN TERMS OF REMAINING INITIATIVES, ONE THING THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE SLIDE, BUT I BELIEVE IS PART OF THE WORK PLAN, IS THE CIVILIAN APPEALS BOARD WORKING TO LOOK AT RECOMMENDATIONS TO SEE WHAT POLICY IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE THEIR WORK BETTER, TO MAKE IT MORE TRANSPARENT, TO MAKE IT CLEAR, TO MAKE IT FAIRER. AND SO REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT COMES OF THAT CONVERSATION. AND THEN I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RAPID. I WON'T TAKE THIS TIME, BUT I WILL TAKE THIS TIME ON THE ON THE TOPIC OF MOBILITY.

YOU ALL KNOW THAT BIKE LANES AND PARKING HAVE BEEN A BIG SOURCE OF TENSION HERE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT EVEN MORE SO FOR ME. ONE THING THAT IS STILL NOT CLEAR IS WHO ARE WE BUILDING THIS BIKE LANE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WHAT TYPE OF USERS? AND IT'S REALLY EASY TO SAY EVERYONE, BUT I REALLY WANT US TO BE MORE SPECIFIC. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, I WILL BE A LEISURELY BIKE BIKE RIDER RIDING AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY MOST PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY HOP ON THE BIKE, RIDE AROUND FOR A FEW MINUTES, MAYBE GO GET SOME ICE CREAM, AND THEN YOU HAVE THOSE WHO ARE USING BIKES TO COMMUTE TO WORK.

[02:10:02]

[2. Briefing on the 1st Ward City Commissioner vacancy appointment process]

THE COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS SERVED AS THE SUBCOMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS INTERVIEWED THE CANDIDATES AND GAVE THREE FINALISTS FOR THE CITY COMMISSION. THAT STARTED.

THAT STARTED PROCESS STARTED ON JANUARY 23RD OF 24 AND TOOK ABOUT TWO MONTHS TO MARCH 19TH, WHEN WE HAD AN APPOINTEE. AND HERE'S THE PROCESS THAT WAS USED. SO HERE'S SOME OPTIONS.

NOW, THIS ISN'T ALL THE OPTIONS, BUT I THINK THESE ARE THE FOUR MAJOR OPTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

WAIT UNTIL THE ELECTION IS HELD IN NOVEMBER AND APPOINT THE WINNER FOR THE FINAL TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR. SO THAT'S ONE OPTION THAT YOU HAVE. TWO IS WAIT UNTIL THE FILING DEADLINE ON APRIL 21ST TO SEE HOW MANY CANDIDATES FILED FOR THE OFFICE, INSTEAD OF PROCESS AND TIMELINE FOR THE APPOINTMENT, THREE IS COMMISSIONER ROBBINS RESIGNATION. SET A TIMELINE AND DIRECT THE CITY CLERK TO BEGIN THE APPLICATION PROCESS, OR FOR IS WAIT TO START THE TIMELINE APPLICATION PROCESS AT ANOTHER SET TIME SO THE THE INDIVIDUAL WILL BE SWORN IN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE APPOINTMENT. AT THE MEETING THEY ARE SELECTED, THEY'LL SERVE UNTIL THE END OF UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR. SO WHAT MY ASK FOR YOU IS I'M SEEKING DIRECTION FROM CITY COMMISSION HOW THEY WISH TO PROCEED. GREAT. THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T ACHIEVE A CLEAR CONSENSUS NOW, OF COURSE WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS. OUR COMMISSIONER ROBBINS HAS NOT YET RESIGNED. SO I THINK THE THE HEART OF YOUR PRESENTATION HERE, FRANKLY, IS SLIDE NUMBER NINE. AND I THINK THAT THOSE ARE THAT'S PROBABLY A REASONABLE SUMMARY OF OF OUR OPTIONS. YOU CAN I AT LEAST CAN SEE MERIT TO ALL OF THEM. YOU KNOW, THE MERIT OF WAITING UNTIL THE ELECTION HAPPENS IS THEN THIS IS THE VOTERS DECIDE THIS WITHOUT ANY THUMB ON THE SCALE FROM US, WITHOUT ANY, YOU KNOW, DECISION WE'VE MADE. THAT'S THAT'S MADE SOMEONE AN INCUMBENT. THE DISADVANTAGE OF THAT, OF COURSE, IS THAT'S A WHILE IN THE FUTURE, THE ADVANTAGE OF WAITING UNTIL AFTER THE FILING DEADLINE IS WE WOULD KNOW WHO WANTS TO RUN AND WHO DOESN'T WANT TO RUN. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT PROCESS BEFORE. PEOPLE COMMITTING TO NOT RUNNING. AND CERTAINLY IF YOU HAVEN'T FILED, YOU CAN'T RUN. THEN WE'LL BE FACED WITH

[02:15:06]

THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE TRUE FOR SOMEBODY WHO APPOINTED, WHO SIMPLY ISN'T GOING TO BE RUNNING. AND WE CAN OF COURSE, THE NEXT TWO QUESTIONS ARE REALLY WE COULD DO ANY OF THIS IN THE FUTURE. WE COULD DO IT AFTER COMMISSIONER ROBINS. WE COULD DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW.

WE COULD SET A TIMELINE RIGHT NOW. SO HAPPY TO HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU. I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT'S A WE'VE BEEN THE TELEGRAPHING HAS BEEN PRETTY CLEAR ON THIS.

THIS IS NOT A SURPRISE TO ANY ANY OF US. SO I'M SURE WE'VE ALL BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT.

COMMISSIONER KNIGHT, YOU WANTED TO SPEAK? SURE. I GUESS IF WE'RE ALL GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INPUT ON THIS, I THINK GIVEN THE WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE, WHICH WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING, AT LEAST FOR ME, I, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHTS WERE. WAIT TO SEE WHO FILES BY THE DEADLINE, BUT THEN ALSO TO THINK ABOUT LOOKING AT SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD PRIOR EXPERIENCE, WHO WAS WILLING TO STEP IN AND FILL THAT SPACE UNTIL ELECTIONS ARE DONE, AND THEN ALLOW THAT PERSON TO THEN GO ON ONLY BECAUSE, FIRST OF ALL, YOU LEAVE THE FIRST WARD WITH JUST ONE REPRESENTATIVE, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S DIFFICULT FOR ONE PERSON TO REPRESENT ALL OF THAT AREA IN A REASONABLE WAY. RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO WHAT WE DO. AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT REALLY VERSED ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. BUT GIVEN THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US, EVEN WITH OUR SEARCH FOR A NEW CITY ATTORNEY AND OUR SEARCH FOR NEW HR, AND NOW OUR SEARCH FOR A NEW CHIEF, HAVING SOMEBODY THAT'S REALLY VERSED IN WHAT HAPPENS IN THE PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH HERE ON THE DAIS, THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO TO LOOK AT APPOINTING SOMEONE AFTER THE FILING, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT THEY CAN'T WRITE, THEY CAN'T FILE OR THEY CAN'T RUN. SO SOMEBODY WHO'S REALLY NOT INTERESTED IN FILLING THE SEAT, BUT CAN TEMPORARILY FILL IN THE SEAT, WHILE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS BEFORE US THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS AND ADDRESS APPROPRIATELY. SO THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT ON IT. I THINK IT'S A A GOOD WAY TO APPROACH IT. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO LEAVE ONE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SPACE, AND SOMEBODY WHO IS EDUCATED IN THAT WARD, WHO ALSO KNOWS HOW THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE COMMISSION TRANSPIRE. RIGHT.

THANKS. AND JUST JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, AND I APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING TO BOTH QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER, BUT LOGICALLY, THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE DO WE INITIATE A APPOINTMENT PROCESS AND WHEN DO WE DO IT? AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION THAT WE'LL ALL HAVE TO COME BACK TO IS WHO DO WE CHOOSE? SO WE COULD CHOOSE SOMEONE WHO'S RUNNING. WE COULD CHOOSE SOMEONE WHO'S WHO HAS PAST THE FILING DEADLINE. SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY GOING TO BE PART OF A SECOND DISCUSSION. SO I APPRECIATE YOU WEIGHING IN ON THAT SECOND DISCUSSION AT LEAST PRELIMINARILY, AND SAYING WHAT YOU WANT, BUT WHAT YOU'RE WHERE YOU ARE ON THAT I GUESS I'M LOOKING AT NUMBER TWO THEN. GOT IT. COMMISSIONER, USAAC, I THINK I SAW YOUR HAND BEFORE I SAW COMMISSIONER KROGER'S. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

I WOULD I WOULD SAY NUMBER TWO AS WELL. THIS WAS MY SUGGESTION OF THE FILING DEADLINE BECAUSE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAD IN THE LAST APPOINTMENT PROCESS. I WAS ON THE APPOINTMENTS BODY AT THAT TIME. I DON'T THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY I DON'T THINK THE WHO IS NECESSARILY A SEPARATE FOR ME, BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS THING IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS THAT'S CALLED TERM LIMITS. AND, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T VOTE FOR TERM LIMITS. AND, YOU KNOW, ALL ELECTIONS STAND AND PEOPLE WIN. YOU KNOW, I'VE LOST MANY ELECTIONS BEFORE I WON THESE LAST TWO, BUT I HAVE I'LL JUST BE MORE EXPLICIT AND SAY, I HAVE I HAVE INTERESTS IN APPOINTING COMMISSIONER REPPART PAST COMMISSIONER REPPART TO HELP FILL IN THIS POSITION FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT YOU SAID, COMMISSIONER, WE HAVE WE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF IN FRONT OF US, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF IN FRONT OF US THAT WE MAY NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE OF KIND OF WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS OR NOT. SO I KNOW THAT'S THE QUESTION, BUT I THINK THAT TO ME, THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T SAY WHO THE PERSON WOULD BE. HE LOST THAT ELECTION BY 300 VOTES.

AND I APPRECIATED, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER ROBIN'S SERVICE. I AM, YOU KNOW, GLAD I GOT TO KNOW HIM. I'M THANKFUL FOR HIS SERVICE. AND WAS I EXTREMELY SAD THAT COMMISSIONER REPPART LOST? YES, I WAS, WE LOST. I LOST A VERY GOOD COLLEAGUE AT THAT TIME, SOMEBODY WHO WAS

[02:20:01]

SOME THINGS THAT YOU DECIDE TO DO MAYBE AREN'T THE RIGHT DECISION. AND I CAN SIT UP HERE AND SAY THAT THAT WASN'T THE RIGHT DECISION. AND NOW I'M LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A BETTER DECISION WITHOUT THOSE CONSIDERATIONS. AND IF I CAN REMOVE THAT, BECAUSE HIS WORD MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH, IT MIGHT JUST BE THE FILING DEADLINE. I'M GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND PUT THAT AS A REALLY APPRECIATED PROCESS. AND IF I WAS THE PERSON WHO LOST IN THE PAST BY 300 VOTES, I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING MORE DEMOCRATIC THAN THAT. SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BELICHICK. I ACTUALLY DON'T MIND GOING LAST ON THIS ONE. I'M I REALLY APPRECIATE PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVES AND I KNOW THE OTHER TWO HAVE RAISED THEIR HANDS BEFORE ANYWAY. MR. KOGER. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR YOUR FEEDBACK. IT'S INTERESTING TO HAVE NOW A GOOD CONVERSATION FOR THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS SOMEONE WHO WAS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE LAST APPOINTMENT PROCESS AND WAS SPEAKING WITH HUNDREDS OF OUR NEIGHBORS AT THIS TIME. I CAN TELL YOU THIS IS A FLAWED PROCESS. IT IS A PROCESS THAT I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF OUR CONSTITUENTS DO NOT CARE FOR. WE, IN TURN, BASICALLY CIRCUMVENT THE VOICES OF OUR NEIGHBORS. I WISH THAT COMMISSIONER ROBBINS HAD GIVEN US THE THE ABILITY TO HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION, BUT HE DID NOT. AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HERE IS TO UPHOLD THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, WHICH IS NOT TO GIVE A RUNNING START AND THEN HAVE SOMEONE BE AN INCUMBENT. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DRAMA SURROUNDING FOLKS LYING THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, AND THAT'S TOO BAD. AND I THINK THE BEST WAY FOR ME, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF ONE, THE OPTION OF GIVING THE WINNER OF THE WEST SIDE THE THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF COMMISSIONER ROBBINS TURN. IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW, EACH WARD ACTUALLY HAS THREE REPRESENTATIVES. THE MAYOR IS AN AT LARGE COMMISSIONER. SO I BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST WARD IS REPRESENTED WELL. IN ADDITION, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE. SO YOU ONLY HAVE ONE ONE THIRD ORDER, EVEN THOUGH SO MANY OF US HAVE LIVED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OR, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP ON DIFFERENT PARTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT YOU ONLY GET ONE VOICE THAT WILL BE A WEST SIDER TO DECIDE WHO THEN FITS IN FOR THE FIRST WARD. EVERYONE ELSE, THE OTHER FIVE OF US DON'T EVEN LIVE OVER THERE. SO THAT'S MY CHALLENGE AS WELL, IS YOU GET FOLKS WHO ARE NOT FIRST WARD WHO ARE GOING TO DECIDE THAT THE MAJORITY OF. SO IT WON'T BE A YES, WE REPRESENT COMMUNITY, BUT I REPRESENT THE SOUTH SIDE. SO THAT'S MY CHALLENGE AND WHY I WILL. AND THEN LASTLY, I DO TAKE ISSUE WITH US THEN JUMPING THE GUN AND SAYING, WELL, THIS IS WHO MAY BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THAT, EVEN THOUGH I AGREE WITH SOME OF THOSE DISTINCTIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID, I THINK THAT'S ALSO A CHALLENGE THAT COMMUNITY SAYS IS SOMEHOW THE FOLKS WHO ARE PICKED FOR THESE POSITIONS ARE NOT EVERYDAY FOLKS. THEY'RE NOT BRINGING NEW. NEW VOICES, NEW VITALITY TO THIS BODY. THEY ARE ESTABLISHMENT, SO TO SPEAK, IN A PREVIOUSLY ELECTED IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF THAT. I THINK THAT I'M HOPEFUL, AND I THINK THAT COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE A NEW PERSPECTIVE RATHER THAN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN SORT OF REWATCHED OR REUSED, REPURPOSED. AND SO THAT THAT'S MY CHALLENGE IS THE ESTABLISHMENT PICK IS PICKED, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE VOICE OF PEOPLE. IT'S OFTEN THE VOICE OF THOSE WHO ARE POWERFUL.

AND SO, YES, I'D LIKE US TO WAIT UNTIL THE WEST SIDE OF OUR CITY CHOOSES WHO THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE SEAT. SO NUMBER ONE, THANK YOU. MR. THANK YOU. YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK I'LL START BY SAYING THE REALITY IS THAT WE ARE WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION WITH ALL THESE GUARDRAILS THAT NONE OF US CREATED. RIGHT. AND SO WHAT OUR PERFECT APPROACH WOULD BE LIKELY DOESN'T EXIST. RIGHT? WE ARE WE'RE DEALING WITH CONSTRAINTS. THAT BEING SAID, HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT. AND I'M I AM THE ONLY OTHER PERSON UP HERE. WELL, ACTUALLY THE ONLY PERSON UP HERE WHO HAS LED AND BEEN THE ON AND HAD TO TO TO LEAD WITH THE VACANT SEAT NEXT TO ME IN MY FIRST FOUR YEAR OR THREE YEARS OF THIS ROLE, I SERVED

[02:25:03]

SO I WOULD LIKE TO DO AN APPOINT AN APPLICATION PROCESS AND APPOINTMENTS PROCESS. I THINK KURT COULD BE A REALLY GREAT ADDITION. MY MIND ISN'T MADE UP ABOUT THAT. JUST LIKE LAST TIME I WENT IN TO SAY, WHO'S GOING TO COME FORWARD IN FULL TRANSPARENCY LAST APPOINTMENTS PROCESS. BEFORE WE INTERVIEW FOLKS, I THOUGHT I WOULD BE SUPPORTING ONE PERSON AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS. I WANTED TO SUPPORT SOMEONE ELSE, AND AT THAT TIME, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, OR IF NOT REALLY ELEPHANT, IS THAT THIS PERSON SAID THAT THEIR INTENTION WAS NOT TO RUN, BUT THEN LATER THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND, THEIR MIND. AND I WANT TO SAY AGAIN THAT I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE WHO PLANTED THAT SEED. I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO SAY, WOW, WE WE REALLY WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP WORKING WITH YOU. WE HAVE COMPLEMENTARY RESTRAINTS LIKE, LET'S KEEP THE GOOD WORK GOING.

THEN, AS WE DID WORK IN COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS SAID YOU SHOULD STAY ON. AND SO IT IS REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE AND I THINK UNFORTUNATE WHEN WE BEGIN TO CALL NAMES AND QUESTION PEOPLE'S CHARACTER, WHEN WE COMMUNICATED VERY CLEARLY, KIND OF HOW THAT PROCESS PLAYED OUT. BUT FOLKS CAN INTERPRET THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WAY THEY LIKE. MY POINT IS, I THINK HAVING SOMEONE I THINK IN A OPEN APPLICATION AND APPOINTMENTS PROCESS ASAP WILL BE THE BEST DECISION FOR THIS BODY. I THINK WE WE TALKED TO SOME FOLKS, WE SEE WHO'S WHO, WHO WE THINK WOULD BE A GREAT FIT, AND THEN IF WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE SAY WE DON'T THINK THERE'S A GREAT FIT, WE DON'T. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? ON SECOND THOUGHT, LET'S LET'S WAIT. I THINK WE HAVE TO BE OPEN TO KIND OF PIVOT, PIVOTING AND ITERATING BASED ON WHAT WE LEARNED THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY KEY.

AND I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO TO BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE WE'RE USING THESE IDEAS OF HOW DO WE HOW DO WE HAVE FULL REPRESENTATION, HOW DO WE ADVANCE DEMOCRACY.

I THINK THE PERSON THAT YOU MENTIONED, THE ESTABLISHMENT, IS THE ONE THAT THAT THAT DID A LOT OF THINGS BEHIND THE SCENES. SO TO TO COST THAT ELECTION, THINGS THAT I THINK ARE CALLED CAN BE CALLED INTO QUESTION FROM AN ETHICAL AND MORAL STANDPOINT AS WELL, OR ETHICAL STANDPOINT, I SHOULD SAY, NOT MORAL. SO ALL OF THAT TO SAY IS IN ORDER TO SET THIS PERSON UP TO SUCCEED, HAVING FULL REPRESENTATION IN THE FIRST WARD, I STILL THINK THAT AN

[02:30:03]

BUT I REALLY, REALLY VALUE EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS HERE. AND IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN A LOT TO DIGEST. AND I DO THINK, LIKE I DO ALSO SHARE A LOT OF THE FEELINGS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THE PROCESS IS FAIR, THAT THERE'S SOME SORT OF REPRESENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND AS THE LAST COUPLE SPECIFICALLY THE LAST TWO WEEKS, I'M GOING TO SAY IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY AWARE TO ME PERSONALLY THAT IT IT THE SIGNIFICANCE, THE WEIGHT OF HOW MUCH WORK THERE REALLY IS AND HOW MUCH IT REALLY IS A LOT FOR ONE PERSON. SO WHEREAS IN THE PAST I MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE WILLING TO WAIT, I HAVE MOVED ESPECIALLY FORWARD ON WANTING MORE HELP, AND SOME OF THAT IS THE AMOUNT OF MEETINGS, THE AMOUNT OF WORK, THE AMOUNT OF READING MATERIALS, THE CONSTITUENT DEMANDS. THE AND I THOUGHT WE WERE CARRYING QUITE A LOT ANYWAY. BUT THERE'S JUST THERE'S JUST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK FROM APPOINTED WORK EXPECTATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THINGS I WANT TO ACTUALLY DO WITH MY, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY REACHING CONSTITUENTS. AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER AND THIS IS OFTEN FORGOTTEN, I THINK IN OUR COMMUNITY THIS IS A PART TIME JOB. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S MEANT TO BE A 60 80 HOUR WEEK, A 40 HOUR WEEK. YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO HEARD COMMENTS TODAY ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DIVE IN AND BE FULL FOCUS AND HOW MUCH IT IS TO DIGEST ALL THE INFORMATION. I REMEMBER THE FIRST YEAR, AND I'M MUCH MORE SETTLED IN A LOT THIS YEAR AND.

IT'S IT'S A LOT TO DIGEST. SO BEING ABLE TO GIVE THAT FULL REPRESENTATION I THINK IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT. SO I ACTUALLY HAD NOT CONSIDERED NUMBER TWO UNTIL I SAW IT ON THIS SLIDE HERE TODAY. AND SO RIGHT NOW I THINK THAT THAT IS THE ONE THAT I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD WITH. I, I THINK I NEED SOME EXTRA SUPPORT, EXTRA HELP IN OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES THAT. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED. WE CAN DISCUSS MORE ON THE PROS AND CONS OF HAVING SOMEBODY WHO STAYS AS AN INCUMBENT. SEE, KIND OF CONTINUING THE THE WORK THAT THEY BEGIN, THE JUGGLING THEY'RE GOING TO DO TO DECIDE TO RUN OR NOT RUN. BUT THOSE ARE ALL DECISIONS BEYOND THIS MOMENT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE THESE REALLY BIG DECISIONS WITH CITY ATTORNEY APPOINTMENT AND THE OTHER THINGS GOING ON WITH WITH MORE VOICES THAT REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, MR. COMMISSIONER. I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT I THINK TWO AND THREE ARE REALLY SIMILAR, AND I WONDER IF WE MIGHT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF INTEREST IN A COMBINATION OF THOSE. AND SO TO THAT POINT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE I HESITATE TO WANT TO WAIT TILL APRIL 21ST BECAUSE THAT'S JUST GOING TO PULL OUT. AND BY THE TIME WE GET DONE WITH OUR PROCESS, IT'LL BE 2 OR 3 MONTHS, TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE PRIMARY. AND THEN THEN IT IS REALLY SILLY TO APPOINT SOMEONE. SO I DO THINK TIME MATTERS HERE. AND IF THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO BE HERE FOR 30, 60 DAYS. YEAH, YOU HAVE YOU HAVE A DRAFT. OKAY. BUT BEFORE YOU SHOW THAT. SO I THINK TIMELINE MATTERS. SO I'M GLAD YOU PREPARED THAT. THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO SAY IS WE CAN MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IN THE APPOINTMENTS PROCESS, OUR VOTE AND OUR SUPPORT, IT WILL PERSONALLY WILL BE PART. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE, IF YOU WANT TO WAIT TILL THE FILING DEADLINE TO SEE IF SOMEBODY IS ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN RUNNING, YOU CAN STILL MAKE THAT CLEAR TO APPLICANTS TO SAY, HEY, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME OR IT'S NOT IMPORTANT FOR ME, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT I'M CURIOUS TO SEE IN THE TIMELINE THAT JOEL IS ABOUT TO

[02:35:03]

YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE HAVING INTERVIEWS AT THE END OF MARCH, WE MAY WANT SOMEBODY WHO CAN HELP WITH THAT. I'LL LEAVE IT THERE. YEAH, IT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK, BUT I THINK, COMMISSIONER SAUSAGE, I'LL JUST SINCE AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO GET A NOSE COUNT HERE. ABOUT WHAT THAT IS I SUPPORT. MY THING WAS MY DECISION WAS TO WAIT TILL THE 21ST SO I CAN SUPPORT THAT. AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, COMMISSIONER BELCHECK, I DON'T KNOW IF MY COLLEAGUE WHO HAD SUPPORTED IN THE PAST WOULD. BUT I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND I THINK FOR ME, YEAH, LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THE DECISION POINT FOR ME IS THAT FILING DEADLINE TO GIVE THAT SECURITY OF WHAT I FELT I WOULD CHANGE FROM THE LAST TIME, BUT WE I WOULD BE A SUPPORTIVE OF IMMEDIATELY WORKING TO CREATE THAT TIME DEADLINE. THANK YOU. SO I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO TAKE A POINT HERE TO, TO I GUESS WHIP VERY QUICKLY. NO, PLEASE. NO MORE. LET'S NOT DISCUSS THIS TO DEATH. BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW. IT SEEMS TO ME THERE IS A THIRD OPTION THEN THAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE AND COMMISSIONER POINTED OUT, OR A FIFTH OPTION, WHICH WOULD BE TO OPEN THE PROCESS PRIOR TO APRIL 21ST. BUT BUT CLOSE THE PROCESS, APPLICATION PROCESS AFTER APRIL 21ST, SO THAT WE KNOW AT THE POINT OR AT LEAST CLOSE, THAT HAVE THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, THE ACTUAL VOTE IN THE DECISION FOR APPOINTMENT HAPPENED SOMETIME AFTER APRIL 21ST. I THINK THAT'S THAT WOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH STARTING ANYTIME AFTER NOW, IF I LOOK AT THE PRECEDENT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ROUGHLY TWO MONTH PROCESS AND IT IS THE END OF FEBRUARY, SO ROUGHLY TWO MONTHS GETS US PAST APRIL 21ST ANYWAY. SO I THINK IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MODEL THAT MOVES US EXPEDITIOUSLY, I THINK I'M HEARING I THINK I'M HEARING SOMETHING LIKE LIKE NOT CONSENSUS, BUT I THINK I'M HEARING MAJORITY SUPPORT POTENTIALLY, POTENTIALLY. SO I'D LIKE TO ASK OF THOSE OF YOU IF, LET'S CALL IT OPTION FIVE, WHICH IS THE DECISION AFTER APRIL 21ST, BUT OPEN APPLICATION PROCESSES IN ADVANCE OF THAT. AND I THINK I HEARD AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE. I MEAN, AS LONG AS WE'RE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE OUR DECISION UNTIL AFTER APRIL 21ST, NO REASON NOT TO LET PEOPLE APPLY TOMORROW, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE. SO, COMMISSIONER, OPTIONS ONE THROUGH FIVE. I'M JUST STRUGGLING WITH THE THE WAITING FOR THE DECISION. IF IF THE THE GOAL IS TO ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEBODY HELP MAKE THE DECISIONS AND TAKE THE LOAD OFF.

SO RIGHT NOW I WOULD BE LIKE A THREE MOVING TO THREE OKAY. COMMISSIONER PERDUE I WOULD BE THE FIVE. THE APRIL 21ST IS A TUESDAY I THINK. I MEAN I WILL BE I WILL WANT TO HAVE ALL THE INTERVIEWS AND EVERYTHING DONE BY THEN. I DO WANT TO POINT OUT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THERE WILL BE A PRIMARY YET FOR THIS RACE. I MEAN, IT MIGHT GO ALL THE WAY TO NOVEMBER. SO IF WE DO MAKE THE DECISION THAT BY THE END OF APRIL, WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT 5 TO 8 MONTHS OF SERVICE. SO I ACTUALLY THINK THEN IT'S PROBABLY CUTTING A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO HAVE THE DECISION ON APRIL. WHAT DID YOU SAY IT WAS 21ST. YEAH, RIGHT. AND THAT'S A SCHEDULED MEETING.

SO NO I THOUGHT THE MEETING THE MEETING IS ON THE 28TH. OKAY. SO THEN SO BUT THE BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED ON THE 28TH, WHICH, WHICH IS WHY I WOULD APPRECIATE SOMEONE BEING ON THE FRONT END AND NOT COMING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROCESS. INTERVIEWS WILL START. I THINK THE GOAL WOULD BE TO TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT LAST WEEK IN APRIL. SO HAVE THIS BE THE TWO MONTH PROCESS.

SO YOUR YOUR FIVE YEAR THREE COMMISSIONERS I'M FIVE OKAY. GOT A FINE I'M FINE I'VE GOT I THINK YOU GOT GUIDANCE THERE. THAT'S THREE OUT OF THE FIVE OF US. SO I DID PUT TOGETHER KIND OF A KIND OF A DRAFT. I DON'T HAVE IT UP HERE BECAUSE I WAS KIND OF WAITING TO SEE WHERE WE WHERE WE ARE HERE. WHAT THE. THE INITIAL DRAFT THAT I WAS WORKING THROUGH TO WORK ON A CALENDAR WAS TO HAVE APPLICATION TIME CLOSED BEFORE THAT APRIL 21ST, AND COMMITTEE OF APPOINTMENTS TO DO INTERVIEWS AFTER THAT APRIL 21ST FILING DEADLINE GETS US INTO KIND OF A BEGINNING OF MAY. WE CAN EXIT, WE CAN EXPEDITE IT. BUT IT'S THAT'S IT'S IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A LONG TIME AWAY, BUT IT IS A VERY IT IS A KIND OF A TIGHT TIME FRAME. OKAY. SO I THINK YOU HEARD START RIGHT AWAY. WE MAY HAVE BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TALK AROUND CITY MANAGER. I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD ASK IF THE COMMISSION WOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING BETWEEN THE 21ST AND 28TH TO FINALIZE THE APPOINTMENT. THAT SOUNDS THAT SOUNDS DOABLE TO ME. COMMISSIONER KILGOUR, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, THREE OUT OF FIVE. SO WITH WAS IT FOR YOU? I DIDN'T YOUR NUMBER THREW ME OFF THAT YOU JUST SAID YES FOR THE. OKAY. GOTCHA. SO YOU DIDN'T ADD YOURSELF IN THE VOTE? YEAH. I'M HAPPY TO GO WITH THE PLURALITY. SO I'LL SAY THAT I'LL. I'LL

[02:40:02]

SO I'M HEARING SOONER THAN THE 28TH TO BE DONE. NOW THE LAST POINT IS THE THE PROCESS IS DO WE WANT TO USE THE PROCESS OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS TO WHITTLE IT DOWN TO LIKE WE DID IN THE PAST? I THINK THAT SOUNDS SENSIBLE TO ME. ANY I WOULD LOVE TO LEAD THE PROCESS I JUST VOTED AGAINST. THAT'LL BE FINE. THAT'LL BE FUN TO BE. I, I DO THINK THERE'S A BENEFIT THAT I HAPPEN TO BE ON THAT COMMITTEE. SO I THINK ALL ANY OF THE. YEAH EVEN IF YOU WEREN'T ON THERE, I WOULD, IT WOULD HAVE MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU WERE BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN. IT WAS A VERY TRANSPARENT. COMMISSIONER PERDUE DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF LEADING IT LAST TIME. IT WAS TRANSPARENT FOR COMMUNITY. YOU COULD LOG IN AND SEE THE VIDEO. SO I DO THINK THE PROCESS WOULD BE GOOD FOR COMMUNITY TO SEE ONCE AGAIN.

OKAY. GREAT. I THINK YOU HAVE YOUR DIRECTION. THANK YOU, CITY CLERK, FOR LEADING US THROUGH THAT. COMMISSIONER. SORRY, COMMISSIONER. I'LL JUST SAY FIVE MINUTES TO USE THE RESTROOM, OKAY? AND I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE ONE OTHER THING, MAYOR. SO THANK YOU FOR THE STAFF. A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO PREPARING FOR THIS MORNING. I DON'T WANT THE COMMISSION TO BE ALARMED ABOUT THE FISCAL CHALLENGE. WE'VE CLOSED BIGGER GAPS BEFORE. I'VE CALLED ME AND MISS CLAREN LOOKING AT A $30 MILLION GAP AT ONE POINT. SO THIS IS VERY

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.