Apr 17, 2026 Special Committee on Appointments Meeting

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WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE ALL OF OUR APPLICANTS. FIRST IS FRANCINE

[1. 1st Ward City Commissioner Candidate Interviews]

IT'S COMMENDABLE AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT. YOU'LL GET ONE QUESTION PER EACH COMMISSIONER.

SO THREE QUESTIONS AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TIMED BY OUR CITY CLERK TO RESPOND. YEP.

NICE AND RED IN THE IN THE FRONT HERE. SO WE WILL BEGIN WITH MY QUESTION. STEPPING UP TO SERVE AS A PUBLIC SERVANT IS COMMENDABLE. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO DO SO.

BEING A COMMISSIONER IS JUST ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE.

PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT. THANK YOU. IT'S A PLEASURE BEING HERE. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN CIVIC, ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENT. CLOSER YOU CAN BE TO PEOPLE THE BETTER. AS FAR AS SERVING, I'VE PRIMARILY BEEN A MOTHER AND A TEACHER. MOST OF MY LIFE. I HAVE SERVED ON A COUPLE OF BOARDS OF EDUCATION, ONE ON AN ELEMENTARY LEVEL AND ONE ON A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. BUT I ALSO CONSIDERED SOME OF MY JOBS TEACHING JOBS AS CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY TOO, AND MORE LIKE A VOCATION. AND AND I ENJOYED IT FOR THAT REASON. I ENJOY PEOPLE. SO THERE WAS THAT'S PRETTY MUCH I HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF VISIBLE JOBS, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL NOW SHIFT OVER TO A SECOND WARD CITY COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER STACY'S QUESTION. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING. MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOU SHARE WITH ME A TIME WHEN YOU WORKED THROUGH A CONFLICT AT WORK AND HOW YOU APPROACH CONFLICTS IN THE IN THE WORKPLACE SETTING? THANK YOU. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE DEAL WITH ALL THE TIME, EVERYWHERE, NO MATTER WHAT PROFESSION OR WHAT. ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU'RE IN, WHETHER IT'S FAMILY OR WHETHER IT'S WORK. FIRST OF ALL, I LIKE TO BE DIRECT AND I LIKE TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT WHAT IS THE CONFLICT, THE KIND OF NAME IT, FIRST OF ALL, AND SEE WHAT IT IS ABOUT. FOR INSTANCE, I DID HAVE A A CHILD THAT HAD A CONFLICT WITH ONE OF THE TEACHERS THAT I WORKED WITH. I MEAN, QUITE A SEVERE CONFLICT. AND I HAD MISS WOOD, SHE SENT ME A NOTE. I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD IT BECAUSE IT CAME TO ME BY WHAT EMAIL I THINK IT WAS AT THAT TIME. AND SHE WAS BEING SARCASTIC, AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, SARCASM DOES NOT SHOW UP VERY WELL ON EMAIL. AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT WAS RELATIVELY NEW TO HER AT THAT TIME. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. BUT ANYWAY, SO I DID NOT ADDRESS IT AT THAT POINT. THEN SHE WENT TO A PERSON ABOVE ME, MY PRINCIPAL, AND HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT HOW I REACTED TO IT. SO AFTER THAT, I ASKED HER. I ASKED THE PRINCIPAL IF I COULD TALK TO HER DIRECTLY AND FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED, WHAT WAS THE INCIDENT, WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND EXACTLY. AND THEN I UNDERSTOOD. AND THEN I WAS READY TO MAKE A JUDGMENT. SHE WAS RIGHT. AND THEN TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT IN SOME KIND OF A, I HATE TO SAY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE DEALING WITH KIDS LAST TIME AS PUNISHMENT, YOU KNOW, IN SOME WAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW SHIFT TO FIRST WARD COMMISSIONER ALICIA MARIE BELL. QUESTION. HI. YES.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT'S REALLY GREAT TO MEET YOU AND SEE YOU IN PERSON. MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THIS IS A SHORT TERM APPOINTMENT, AND THERE'S MUCH

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MAY HAVE BEEN A TEACHER, BUT I WASN'T SO MUCH A LECTURER AS I WAS. I LIKED GROUP, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU SIT DOWN AND YOU DISCUSS INFORMATION WITH THE KIDS. SO. AND A LOT OF THEM WEREN'T REALLY KIDS. THEY WERE ADULTS BY THE TIME I WAS THROUGH TEACHING, BECAUSE I'D BEEN TEACHING, I HAVE TAUGHT EVERYTHING FROM KINDERGARTEN TO SENIORS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND A LITTLE BIT OF COLLEGE PREP WITH THE AP PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING JOBS I EVER HAD WAS WHEN I WORKED FOR THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I WORKED FOR A PROGRAM WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS. IT WAS CALLED OUTWARD BOUND, AND IT WAS AT THE TIME, I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF GRANTS FOR SCHOOLING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, IF THAT MAKES SENSE, OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. AND I WOULD TEACH IN THE HOMES OF ADULTS WHO HAD NOT GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, AND THAT WAS A TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE, AND I TRULY LOVED IT. I MET SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE. IT OPENED ME UP TO BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS CALLED IT LIKE I HAD LIKE A, A WHITE BREAD LIFE, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, I'VE BEEN IN A PRETTY PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT ALL MY LIFE BECAUSE I AM A LIFETIME RESIDENT OF GRAND RAPIDS. IN FACT, LONGER THAN THAT, I'VE HAD ALL MY GREAT GRANDPARENTS ARE FROM GRAND RAPIDS AND STARTED OUT AS DIGGERS IN THE RIVER FOR THE FOUNDATION ROCKS, AND THEY LIVED ON THE EARLY MONROE. I MEAN, WHEN PEOPLE HAD RESIDENCES ON MONROE. BUT WE WOULD HAVE FOR THIS PROGRAM OUTWARD BOUND. WHAT WE DID IS THEY WOULD DIVIDE THE CITY UP.

THERE WERE ABOUT. OH, LET'S SEE, THERE WAS A LARGE GROUP OF TEACHERS, I DON'T REMEMBER.

IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT SINCE THEN, BUT IT, IT INTRODUCED ME TO PEOPLE WHO I PERHAPS WOULD NOT HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH. AND IT WASN'T AS A SUPERIOR OR ANYTHING. YOU WENT HOME, YOU WENT TO THEIR HOME, YOU SAT DOWN IN THEIR HOME, IN THEIR KITCHENS OFTEN. AND ONE OF MY STORIES IS I'M SITTING THERE, YOU KNOW, AND I'M HAVING A GOOD CONVERSATION AND I HEAR THIS.

AND I'M LOOKING. THOSE ARE COCKROACHES FALLING OFF THE CEILING, HITTING THE STOVE BEHIND ME. AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEY HAD THE STOVE OPEN OR THE OVEN OPEN FOR HEAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT, IT WAS I KNOW THAT SOUNDS AWFUL, BUT IT WAS GOOD FOR ME BECAUSE I HAD NOT GROWN UP IN THAT KIND OF A SITUATION. I SEE MY TIME IS UP. SO. WELL, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN FOR BEING A PART OF THIS PROCESS AND INTERVIEWING WITH US THIS MORNING. WE DEEPLY VALUE YOUR INPUT AND STEPPING UP TO SERVE YOUR NEIGHBORS. WE WILL BE DELIBERATING LATER THIS

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WE WILL TAKE A FOR THE PUBLIC. WE WILL RECESS FOR NINE MINUTES UNTIL RETURN FROM RECESS AND THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS IS CALLED BACK TO ORDER AT 9:20 A.M. AND WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OUR SECOND INTERVIEW OF THIS MORNING WITH MR. ZACHARY BAKER. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND STEPPING UP TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORS. WE DEEPLY VALUE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. ONCE AGAIN, YOU WILL GET A QUESTION FROM EACH COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD WARD AND WILL JUMP RIGHT INTO MY FIRST QUESTION HERE. I DID HAVE IT UP FOR YOU ALL. HERE WE ARE. OKAY, SO MY QUESTION AND I'M MARSHALL KILGORE. I'M THE THIRD WARD CITY COMMISSIONER. STEPPING UP TO SERVE AS A PUBLIC SERVANT IS COMMENDABLE, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO DO SO. BEING COMMISSIONER IS JUST ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.

PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE, PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT, AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION. AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO AS FAR AS CURRENTLY I AM PART I WORK FOR THE RAILROADS OF GRAND RAPIDS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF GRAND RAPIDS. I CURRENTLY I AM A MEMBER OF THEIR SAFETY BOARD THAT IS PRIORITIZING LIKE OBVIOUSLY SAFETY. BUT AS FAR AS, AS WELL AS SAFETY FOR THE COMMUNITY WHEN TRANSPORTING STUFF IS AND LIKE SHIPMENT PROCESSING AND WE'VE BEEN DEALING A LOT OF THIS HIGH WATER ISSUES AS EVERYBODY'S BEEN DEALING WITH. SO WE'VE BEEN MEETING QUITE A BIT TO COME UP WITH STRATEGIES ON HOW TO HANDLE POTENTIAL DERAILMENTS OR CATASTROPHIC INSTANCES, INSTANCES THAT WOULD HAPPEN DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS HIGH WATER OR EXTREME WINTERS, LIKE WE HAD THIS LAST WINTER WITH WITH MY COMMUNITY, I AM A PART OF A PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT HELPS. I MEAN, THAT IS IT'S A GROUP THAT MEETS OVER ON THE WEST SIDE OF GRAND RAPIDS, OVER ON LEONARD STREET, THAT OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO LIKE CONNECT THE COMMUNITY WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS. WE'VE HAD LIKE MEMBERS FROM LIKE A L, C, U. WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT LIKE GROUPS FROM GRAND RAPIDS. WE'VE HAD RACHEL SPOKE WITH US BEFORE.

SO WE'VE HAD LIKE DIFFERENT A WIDE VARIETY OF GROUPS FROM GRAND RAPIDS COME AND MEET THERE AND TRY TO GET PEOPLE MORE INVOLVED WITH OUR CITY, GETTING FAMILIARIZED NAMES WITH FACES AND SUCH. BUT IN THE PAST, I HAVE WORKED ON LESS, MORE, LESS OF BOARDS, MORE ON GROUPS THAT HAVE DEALT WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF GRAND RAPIDS, SUCH AS THE LARGE AMOUNT OF URBAN AREAS THAT ARE WITHIN PAST FLOODPLAINS. SO WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH LIKE, LIKE DRAINAGE WITH LIKE WITH LIKE OUR STORM SYSTEMS. AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO TRYING TO THIS YEAR CLEAN UP AS MUCH OF OUR DRAINS AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A CHORE. BUT I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S MY OFFICIAL CONNECTION TO GRAND RAPIDS. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, MR. BAKER.

WE'LL NOW SHIFT TO THE FIRST WARD COMMISSIONER ALICIA MARIE BELL, FOR HER QUESTION. WELL, THANK YOU, AND THANKS FOR CLEANING UP OUR STORM DRAINS. THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO BE DOING. SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO HERE AS A COMMISSION, IT IS A SHORT TERM APPOINTMENT AND WE ALREADY HAVE AS A COLLECTIVE BODY OF WORK THAT WE'RE WORKING ON ALREADY UNDERWAY. SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE SUPPORTING THESE EXISTING PRIORITIES WHILE EXECUTING OR EXERCISING YOUR OWN JUDGMENT INDEPENDENTLY AS YOU REPRESENT THE FIRST WARD RESIDENTS? AND PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THESE TWO THINGS CAN BE IN TENSION? THANK YOU. I FIND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. BEFORE JUMPING HEAD FIRST INTO ANY SITUATION TO DO RESEARCH ON IT, TO LEARN WHAT YOU'RE GOING INTO, TO LEARN THE HISTORY ON IT, TO LEARN THE CURRENT LAWS, POLICIES, AND WHAT POTENTIALLY IS GOING TO BE CHANGED OR

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AND WE'VE HAD LIKE, WE'VE HAD LIKE, WE'VE HAD LIKE SIT DOWNS WITH THEM WHERE WE HAD A THIRD PARTY TALK AS WELL AND TRY TO TRY TO MAKE THE SITUATION DECREASE THE TENSION WITHIN THE SITUATION. BUT OVERALL, I LIKE FOR ATTENTION RETENTION CONFLICTS AND OTHER SUCH. I LIKE TO FOLLOW A PROCEDURE OF LIKE COMMUNICATING WHAT WHAT'S EXPECTED, WHAT'S NEEDED, AND THEN ESCALATE AS ESCALATE THE SITUATION AS EXPECTED. THANK YOU. MR. THANK YOU. AND LASTLY HERE, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU. IT'S A CLOSING. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, AS YOU DID WITH THE QUESTIONS FOR CLOSING STATEMENT HERE. THESE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE IN REGARDS TO SERVING IN THIS ROLE. AWESOME. ALL RIGHT. SO INTRODUCE MYSELF.

MY NAME IS ZACHARY BAKER. I GREW UP IN GRAND RAPIDS AREA OF PARENTS MOVED AROUND A LITTLE BIT GROWING UP. I WAS ALWAYS GROWING UP, WAS ALWAYS MY CITY. I HAD A VERY LARGE FOCUS IN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. IN MY EARLY YEARS. I WAS VERY, VERY INVOLVED IN BOY SCOUTS UP UNTIL EVENTUALLY GETTING MY EAGLE SCOUT, AND I WANTED TO TRANSFER THAT INTO MY ADULT LIFE, WHERE I WENT OFF TO COLLEGE TO GET AN ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY DEGREE SO I COULD FOCUS ON MICHIGAN'S ECOSYSTEM AND HOW IT'S AFFECTING OUR PEOPLE. AND THEN AS COVID HIT AND WHAT GETTING JOBS WAS HARDER, I MOVED OVER INTO, I MOVED OVER INTO THE MARINE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, WHERE I LEARNED TONS ABOUT HOW, HOW OUR, OUR CHANGING ECOSYSTEM AND CLIMATE CHANGE HAS BEEN AFFECTING OUR DAILY PEOPLE, UNLIKE EVERYTHING FROM LIKE OUR LAKES TO GRAND RIVER AND LAKE MICHIGAN. BUT, AND, BUT THEN SINCE THEN, I HAVE ALSO BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WHERE I, OR I LIKE TO, I WANT TO BE INVOLVED. I'M NOT NECESSARILY THE CURRENTLY, NOT NECESSARILY THE PERSON THAT SITS ON A BOARD AND TELLS PEOPLE TO GO. I WAS THE PERSON THAT SLUNG ON A BACKPACK TO GO HELP TO VOLUNTEER AT MY MEDIC SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY EVENTS ORGANIZATIONS AND SUCH. I'VE. I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO BE INVOLVED IN GRAND RAPIDS, AND I'VE WANTED TO ESCALATE THAT INVOLVEMENT. AND THIS SEEMS LIKE A NATURAL PROGRESSION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BAKER. ONCE AGAIN, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND YOU WILL GET NEXT STEPS ON THIS PROCESS THIS AFTERNOON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. YES.

AGAIN, WE WILL RECESS FOR A FEW MINUTES HERE UNTIL OUR OKAY. WEW SECONDS HERE BEFORE 940. BEFORE WE START OUR NEXT INTERVIEW, WE

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AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION. COMMISSIONER BELCHER THANK YOU CHAIR. SO GOOD MORNING. AND YES, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION TO WANTING TO SHOW UP AND SERVE. SO AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SHORT TERM COMMITMENT APPOINTMENT THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR. AND THERE IS MUCH WORK THAT THE COMMISSION'S COLLECTIVE BODY HAS ALREADY PUT IN MOTION AND IS UNDERWAY. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE SUPPORTING EXISTING PRIORITIES WHILE EXERCISING YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT, AS YOU REPRESENT THE FIRST WARD RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THOSE TWO THINGS CAN BE IN TENSION? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER BELCHECK. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE JOB OF A COMMISSIONER IS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE. AND I STUDY SOCRATES, WHO'S REALLY INFORMED MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CITIZEN OF A PLACE. AND THAT COMES WITH AN OBLIGATION TO STEP UP WHEN CALLED UPON. NOW, I'M AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS JUST ONE PART OF A WHOLE, OF A LARGER WHOLE, AND I FEEL THAT IT IS VITAL TO APPLY YOUR TALENTS TO THE COLLECTIVE, MUCH LIKE THE LEGISLATIVE BODY HERE. NOW, ANOTHER ASPECT OF BEING SOCRATIC IS ASKING QUESTIONS IN AN AREA IN WHICH I EXCEL. I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION BY INQUIRING INTO THE GAPS THAT MAY EXIST, THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE, A STRENGTH OF SERVING OUT A PARTIAL TERM WITHOUT RUNNING IS THAT IT WOULD ALLOW ME TO, YOU KNOW, SPEND ALL OF MY ENERGIES ON THIS BODY AND MAKING IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENTS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT THE ADDED BURDEN OF RUNNING A CAMPAIGN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

WE WILL NOW MOVE TO SECOND WARD. COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER SASSY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

GOOD MORNING. MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN YOU WORK THROUGH A CONFLICT AT WORK AND THEN EMBED IN THERE? YOU KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOUR CONFLICT STYLE IS? THANKS.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO I AM A PROFESSOR AT GRAND VALLEY. AND SO I AM WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, 18 TO 21 YEAR OLDS WHO HAVE LOTS OF OPINIONS. AND SO CONFLICT IS SOMETHING THAT I NAVIGATE OFTEN AND THAT I'M NOT SHY OF. NOW, MANY OF THE EXAMPLES THAT I COULD GIVE YOU RELATED TO THE WORK IN THE CLASSROOM ARE FERPA PROTECTED. SO INSTEAD, I'M GOING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN EXAMPLE ABOUT A NOTABLE EXPERIENCE I HAD WHILE CHAIRING A PRECINCT DURING THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION. CAST YOUR MINDS BACK. THAT DAY WAS ALREADY PRETTY TENSE FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, AND WE HAD A ROBUST VOTER TURNOUT, A FULL STAFF, AND EVEN FOR POLL CHALLENGERS AT THE PRECINCT THAT I WAS CHAIRING THAT DAY, WE DID HAVE A FEW MINOR INCIDENTS WITH VOTERS DESCRIBING INACCURATE RUMORS ABOUT INTENTIONAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE. AND OF COURSE, ON THAT DAY, THE TABULATOR THAT SCANS THE VOTES DECIDED TO MALFUNCTION. AND WE HAD A PAPER JAM. SO THIS IS A COMMON TECHNICAL HICCUP THAT ON ANY OTHER DAY MAY GO WITHOUT COMMENT. BUT ON THAT DAY WITH, YOU KNOW, ON THAT DAY WITH THAT MANY PEOPLE ALREADY SORT OF ON EDGE, READY TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE READY TO TABULATE THEIR VOTES AND THE TECHNICIANS AWAY ASSISTING OTHER PRECINCTS. I MADE THE DECISION TO USE THE AUXILIARY BIN NOW. YOU KNOW, I KNEW I WAS TRAINED TO DO THIS, AND I KNEW THAT I WOULD HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHAT I WAS DOING TO A RESTLESS GROUP OF PEOPLE. AND SO WHAT I DID WAS I GATHERED THE PRECINCT STAFF, THE CHALLENGERS, AND THE VOTERS TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THE BALLOTS INTO THE AUXILIARY BIN. AND SO I EXPLAINED THAT ONCE THE TECHNICIANS HAD CLEARED THE JAM OR WOULD CLEAR THE JAM, THE BALLOTS LOCKED IN THE BIN WOULD BE REMOVED AND SCANNED INTO THE TABULATOR BY TWO STAFF OF DIFFERENT DIFFERENT PARTIES IN FULL VIEW OF THE CHALLENGERS AND THE PUBLIC, ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY. I THEN SET UP CHAIRS IN THE PUBLIC AREA, INVITED ANYONE WHO WANTED TO WAIT WITH THEIR BALLOT TO SIT UNTIL THE TECHS CLEARED THE JAM SO THAT THEY COULD TABULATE THEIR BALLOTS THEMSELVES. I METICULOUSLY DOCUMENTED EVERYTHING. I CHECKED MY HANDBOOK ALONG THE WAY. I

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THANK YOU. LASTLY, HERE I HAVE MY QUESTION FOR YOU. BEING A COMMISSIONER IS JUST ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE, PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT. THANK YOU. I HAVE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE WORKING FOR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. I'M CURRENTLY, LIKE I MENTIONED, FACULTY AT GRAND VALLEY AND SO I'M GOING TO START THERE. I HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE TEACHING CIVIC LEADERSHIP FROM INTRODUCTORY COURSES THAT INTRODUCE PUBLIC ORIENTED EMPATHY TO ADVANCED COURSES ON CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOG. AND I EVEN DESIGNED A COURSE CALLED SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY THAT CONNECTED STUDENTS WITH CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO GENERATE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION. ANOTHER COURSE I'M CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING WITH THE CITY'S POET LAUREATE FOCUSES ON LOCAL GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY AND ART, AND USES GRAND RAPIDS HISTORY TO ILLUMINATE SOME OF THE SOCIAL TENSIONS THAT WE SEE TODAY. I'M ALSO ESPECIALLY ADEPT AT AT SERVING AS A BRIDGE FOR A CONSTITUENT BODY. THIS IS WHERE I THINK MY EXPERIENCE IN SHARED GOVERNANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY WOULD BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL AS A COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE I WORK TO RAISE CONCERNS OF THE FACULTY THAT I REPRESENT TO THE SENIOR ADMINISTRATION. THIS MAY BE ON A SMALLER SCALE THAN WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, BUT THE PROCESSES ARE SIMILAR AND THE WORKING CONDITIONS, THE PRESSURE, THE TURNAROUND TIME.

THAT'S ALL VERY FAMILIAR TO ME NOW. MY SERVICE WORK REFLECTS A GENUINE COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH I BELONG. I CO-LEAD GVSU VOTES AND ADVOCATE FOR STUDENT VOTER PARTICIPATION, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT AN INFORMED CITIZENRY IS ONE THAT MUST BE INTENTIONALLY NURTURED. I'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH GRANT DONORS LIKE THE CAMPUS VOTE PROJECT, TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR VOTING INITIATIVES, AND I'VE ALSO FORMALLY WORKED ELECTIONS, LIKE I MENTIONED, FOR NEARLY A DECADE AS BOTH A CLERK AND AS A PRECINCT CHAIRPERSON, AND SOMETHING THAT I'VE LEARNED WHILE WORKING IN ALL DEPARTMENTS OF GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, WHICH IS WHERE I WAS EMPLOYED BEFORE I BECAME FACULTY. IT'S JUST THE ORDINARY BUSINESS OF ADMINISTERING PUBLIC SERVICES THAT WHEN LIKE RECORD KEEPING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WHEN DONE WELL, MAKE POSSIBLE THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH RESIDENTS LIVE IN A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY. I ALSO LEARNED FROM THIS JOB THAT THE PUBLIC IS ALWAYS MORE COMPLICATED THAN YOU THINK IT IS, AND THAT IF YOU WANT TO SERVE THE PUBLIC WELL, YOU MUST SEEK OUT PERSPECTIVES THAT WILL COMPLICATE YOUR OWN. SOMETHING WHICH I BELIEVE I WOULD. THAT WOULD TRANSLATE WELL INTO SERVING AS COMMISSIONER AND THE THROUGH LINE THAT CONNECTS MY WORK IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ELECTIONS AND EDUCATION AND ITS ADMINISTRATION IS MY BELIEF IN DEMOCRACY. DEMOCRACY IS THE RECOGNITION THAT OUR FATES ARE INTERTWINED THAT, LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING, SAYS, THAT WE ARE CAUGHT IN AN INESCAPABLE NETWORK OF MUTUALITY, AND THAT WHEN YOU SEE INSTITUTIONS UNDER THREAT AND FAITH IN DEMOCRACY CRUMBLING, CRUMBLING, WELL, IF THAT DOESN'T COMPEL YOU TO ACT, THEN YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. I'VE BEEN WORKING TO ADDRESS THAT IN MULTIFACETED WAYS THROUGHOUT MY CAREER. THIS IS DONE IN RECOGNITION THAT DEMOCRACY ISN'T GIVEN, IT IS KEPT, AND THAT IT MUST BE CONSTANTLY TENDED, IMPROVED AND DEFENDED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWER TO MY QUESTION. NOW YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR CLOSING. THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE TO THE COMMITTEE IN REGARDS TO SERVING IN THIS ROLE. ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THE THREE MINUTES I HAVE LEFT, I'M GOING TO TRY TO GIVE A STATEMENT AND ALSO ASK A QUESTION IF I CAN GET BOTH DONE. BUT I JUST BRIEFLY WANT TO SHARE MY STRENGTHS THAT I THINK WOULD BE AN ASSET TO THIS COMMISSION. AS YOU MAKE YOUR JUDGMENT ABOUT WHO TO SERVE ON THIS BODY. MANY OF MY STRENGTHS DO COME FROM YEARS OF STUDYING LITERATURE AND WRITING. I HAVE STRONG RESEARCH SKILLS AND GRANT WRITING EXPERIENCE THAT I WOULD BRING TO THIS ROLE. I'M ALSO A GOOD COMMUNICATOR. I DO THIS EVERY DAY IN THE CLASSROOM, HAVING EXTENSIVE TRAINING IN CRITICAL THINKING ALSO ALLOWS YOU TO TRULY LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER, TO RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN LIMITATIONS, TO KNOW WHEN TO SEEK HELP, AND HOW TO SUSPEND

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TAKE CARE AND WE WILL RECESS FOR OKAY. WE WILL CALL THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS. BACK TO ORDER. WE ARE BACK FROM RECESS AND WE WILL BEGIN OUR NEXT OUR INTERVIEW HERE WITH OUR APPLICANT, MR. LUCAS LEVERETT. GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE YOU DOING? GOOD MORNING. GREAT. GOOD, GOOD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY. STEPPING UP TO SERVE AS A PUBLIC SERVANT IS COMMENDABLE, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO DO SO. BEING A COMMISSIONER IS JUST ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. MY QUESTION IS TO PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE, PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT. FOR EACH QUESTION, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND YOU MAY BEGIN. ALL RIGHT. WELL THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS. AND THANKS TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHO'S HERE, APPLICANTS AND OBSERVERS. SO CURRENTLY I HAVE THE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE WEST GRAND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION. THIS IS A BOARD THAT I JOINED EARLY WHEN WE MOVED TO GRAND RAPIDS AT THE URGING OF A VERY HARD WORKING AND HIGHLY SKILLED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THAT ORGANIZATION. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF THE WEST MICHIGAN CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION, AND HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OUR ADDY AWARDS ON THAT COMMITTEE EACH YEAR. RECENTLY, I WRAPPED UP SERVICE ON THE BOARD FOR THE GRAND RIVER MAKERSPACE. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A MAKERSPACE IS, DEFINITELY GOOGLE IT. IT IS A GYM MEMBERSHIP WITH POWER TOOLS AS THE PUBLIC PARK IS YOUR BACKYARD IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT, THE MAKERSPACE IS YOUR WORKSHOP AND YOUR GARAGE. THAT WAS A PLACE THAT WE HAD HOPED TO OPEN IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS. AND IT'S ACTUALLY NOT INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS DUE TO ALL OF THE CHALLENGES AND CONDITIONS FOR NONPROFITS AND LIMITED FUNDING WITH PROPERTY COSTS. SO IT IS OPEN, AND I WAS VERY PROUD OF THAT SERVICE. ONCE THAT MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED, I HANDED THAT TO PEOPLE THAT CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY FUNCTION IN THE SPACE. BEFORE COMING HERE, I SERVED IN MULTIPLE OTHER ORGS AND BOARDS, INCLUDING CITIZENS COMMITTEE AT THE CONCEPT STAGE OF THE NASHVILLE MUSIC CITY CENTER. I ALSO BUILT A NONPROFIT PRODUCING ANNUAL EVENTS FROM A 400 ATTENDEE, $5,000 BUDGET TO A 10,000 ATTENDEE QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, AND ADDED THREE OTHER ADDITIONAL EVENTS, INCLUDING

[00:35:03]

EVEN IN MY WORK, I'VE INVESTED IN THE CITIZENSHIP OF THE BUSINESS, ENGAGING IN WHAT IS NOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THE NASHVILLE SOCCER STADIUM SITS AND OUR BUSINESS AT THE TIME WITH ME AS MARKETING DIRECTOR, ENGAGED AS A CORPORATE CITIZEN ON TOPICS OF TRAFFIC DEVELOPMENT AND ALL THE IMPACTS OF THAT STADIUM IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. SO YOU MIGHT IMAGINE BEING ON THE WEST SIDE IN THE FIRST WARD DOWN THE STREET FROM THE SOCCER STADIUM RINGS VERY FAMILIAR TO ME. SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS. YOU'VE GOT A RESUME OF ALL THAT STUFF IN THAT PACKET, AND I ALMOST FELT BAD GIVING IT TO YOU BECAUSE I'VE DONE A LOT OLDER THAN I LOOK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWER TO MY QUESTION. WE'LL NOW SHIFT TO A QUESTION FROM FIRST WARD COMMISSIONER ALICIA MARIE BELL. CHECK. GREAT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. HOWEVER, I DO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONSIDER THE FACT THAT WE ARE A COMMISSION WITH A COLLECTIVE BODY OF WORK ALREADY UNDER WAY, THAT THIS IS A SHORT TERM APPOINTMENT. AND SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW WILL YOU BE BALANCING THE SUPPORTING THE EXISTING PRIORITIES WHILE EXERCISING YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT TO SERVE THE FIRST WARD RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS CAN BE IN TENSION WHEN WE HAVE DIFFERENCES? YES.

THANK YOU. SO THE BIGGEST THING THAT I BELIEVE IN FOR EVERY LEADER, IS TO BRING CLEAR VISION AND VALUES TO THE ROLE. AND FOR ME, AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, I WOULD EXERCISE THE FIVE THAT I OUTLINED IN MY APPLICATION TO YOU LEADING WITH GUTS, WORKING PEOPLE OVER THE WEALTHY, TRUTH OVER TRADITION, PUBLIC SAFETY WITH MORE THAN JUST A PARAMILITARY APPROACH AND SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT AND INVESTMENTS. IF YOU CHOOSE TO APPOINT ME, OR IF I WERE TO EVER RUN AND THE VOTERS WERE TO CHOOSE ME, THOSE PRINCIPLES WOULD BE VERY WELL KNOWN, AND THEY'D BE THE FOUNDATION, EVEN IN TENSION TO WHICH I WOULD BE LOYAL. I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE PERSON THAT ASKS QUESTIONS THAT OTHER PEOPLE AVOID. AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO BE THE LONE DISSENTER. AND DISSENT IN THIS GOVERNMENT IS SOMETHING THAT'S FAR TOO RARE. SO I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO LIVING IN THAT TENSION. THANK YOU. AND LASTLY, A QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER. SORRY. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SORRY I SHOULDN'T EAT THAT GRANOLA BAR RIGHT BEFORE. MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN YOU WORK THROUGH A CONFLICT AT WORK? AND THEN IF YOU CAN ALSO EMBED WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOUR CONFLICT STYLE IS? THANK YOU. SURE. SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'M A BIG FAN OF GOALS AND VISION. IF A CONFLICT CAN BE RESOLVED WITH THOSE, THAT'S THE BEST MOVE. MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE GROUP DESTINATION. EGOS AND FEELINGS. TAKE A BACK SEAT WHEN POSSIBLE. WE NEED TO BUILD PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS AND LET THOSE BE THE BAD GUY. WHEN YOU CAN USE THAT. I'M NEVER UNWILLING TO FORCE THOSE PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS TO CHANGE WHEN NEEDED. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT GOVERNMENT IS VERY SLOW TO DO AND SHOULD BE QUICKER TO DO. SO IF YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING INTO A SYSTEM TO HELP CONFLICT EASE, SUCH AS PUTTING THE POWER IN THE HANDS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS INSTEAD OF A CITY MANAGER IN GRAND RAPIDS, WHICH AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, I'M THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS ROOM ADVOCATING FOR TODAY. THAT'S A SYSTEMIC SOLUTION THAT YOU CAN POINT TO AND BLAME OR FIX IN LEADERSHIP. ON THE PERSONAL LEVEL, I'D LIKE TO GET TO KNOW PEOPLE AND WHAT MAKES THEM TICK AND FIND OUR COMMON PASSIONS, NOT EVEN ORGANIZATIONAL. I'M ALMOST NEVER AS INTERESTED AT WORK IN WHAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE AT WORK OR THEIR RESUME AS I AM.

WHAT ARE YOU INTO AS A BIG GIANT NERD? I LOVE FINDING OUT WHO THE SECRET MARVEL FAN OR STAR TREK NERD IN MY WORKFORCE IS. AND IF WE CAN SIT AND TALK AND KNOW EACH OTHER THROUGH THOSE THINGS, WE CAN HAVE BETTER CONFLICT RESOLUTION AS PEOPLE. THE MOST RECENT CONFLICT POINT I'M GOING TO POINT YOU TO IS ACTUALLY NOT EVEN MINE. IT WAS IN THIS CHAMBER WHEN I MADE THE SUGGESTION RECENTLY THAT YOU USE GRAPHICS ON YOUR SCREENS TO REDUCE CONFLICT AMONG SPEAKERS AT THE PODIUM, WITH YOU AND YOUR AGENDA IN YOUR REGULAR MEETINGS, CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND SETTING AGAIN, GOALS, VISION THAT GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO POINT TO AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, THAT'S THAT'S THE WAY WE DO THIS. IT'S NOT ME, IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S NOT PERSONAL. IT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER IN THIS VEHICLE WITH OUR EGOS AND OUR FEELINGS. IN THE BACK SEAT. I SAW A SYSTEMIC WAY TO SOLVE THAT CONFLICT FOR YOU, I SUGGESTED IT. I TEND TO BE THE GUY THAT SEES THAT STUFF, AND I'M ALWAYS GLAD TO SHARE IT. SO THAT'S A THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A VISION INTO THAT. I TRY TO APPLY THAT IN MY DAILY WORK ANYTIME I CAN. OF COURSE, I'M ALSO WILLING TO CALL OUT THE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE RIGHT OR UNJUST. THANK YOU. WE HAVE THREE MINUTES ALSO RESERVED FOR CLOSING STATEMENTS FOR YOU.

THESE MAY BE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE IN REGARDS TO SERVING IN THIS ROLE. AS

[00:40:01]

COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WILLING TO TO SERVE AND STEPPING UP TO PUT YOURSELVES IN CONSIDERATION. I'VE HAD SOME FANTASTIC AND SURPRISING CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE COMMUNITY SINCE THIS PROCESS STARTED. ONE COMMON REFRAIN THAT STANDS OUT IS, SO LUCAS, YOU'RE GOING TO RUN, RIGHT? NO, NOT YET. AT LEAST NOT NOW. MAYBE SOMEDAY. UNLIKE THE LAST TIME THIS APPOINTMENT PROCESS UNFOLDED, YOU CAN ACTUALLY TAKE ME AT MY WORD. FOLKS HAVE ALSO CHALLENGED ME WITH, WELL, WHAT IF YOU SOMEHOW DID GET APPOINTED? WOULD YOU EVEN BE SERIOUS ABOUT SERVING? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES. I'D BE HONORED TO SPEND A FEW MONTHS CONTINUING TO PUSH BACK AGAINST THE STATUS QUO IN OUR POLITICS. AND THIS COMMISSION SPECIFICALLY. I'VE TRULY ENJOYED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE MORE DEPTH TO WHO I AM AND WHAT I'M ABOUT. BEYOND THE BLUSTER OF RHETORIC, THE MANIPULATIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THE IGNORANT ASSUMPTIONS AND SMEARS OF A CERTAIN SMALL SET OF CRITICS WE'RE ABOUT TO HEAR, OR WE HEAR A LOT ON A REGULAR BASIS ABOUT AUTHENTICITY THESE DAYS. AND IF NOTHING ELSE, THAT'S ONE THING YOU KNOW, THAT I BRING TO THE TABLE. SO IF YOU SOMEHOW GET THE WILD IDEA THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE OF ME IN THE CONVERSATION, I'LL BE THERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STEP UP AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORS ONCE AGAIN. WE WILL BE DELIBERATING THIS AFTERNOON AND YOU'LL HEAR NEXT STEPS THEN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TAKE CARE. THANKS FOR THE PUBLIC. WE APPOIO ORDER. WE'RE BACK FROM RECESS.

AND WE HAVE OUR NEXT APPLICANT, MISS LINDSAY PEREZ. PLEASURE. WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP FOR. TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NEIGHBORS. WE WILL BEGIN OUR QUESTIONS. YOU'LL GET ONE QUESTION FROM EACH COMMISSIONER.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO RESPOND TO EACH QUESTION. WE WILL BEGIN WITH SECOND WARD COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER ISASI TO PRESENT YOUR FIRST QUESTION. AWESOME. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. GOOD MORNING. MY QUESTION IS, COULD YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN YOU WORK THROUGH A CONFLICT AT WORK, AND ALSO INCLUDE HOW YOU APPROACH WHAT YOUR APPROACH TO CONFLICT, YOUR CONFLICT STYLE? THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. GREAT QUESTION AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE. THANK YOU GUYS ALL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. SO I WORKED FOR MANY YEARS IN A ROLE AS A MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST, WHERE WE HAD TO AS A GROUP WITH SUPERVISORS, A THIRD PARTY CASE MANAGERS COME UP WITH OUR UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION FOR PLACEMENT FOR CHILDREN FOR LIVING. IT WAS A HIGH STRESS POSITION. WE CARED A LOT ABOUT THE CHILDREN WE WORKED WITH, AND A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE HAD DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON WHAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE, APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT FOR THEM. AND AS THE THERAPIST ON THE CASE SOMETIMES HAD TO TAKE A LEAD ROLE IN HELPING PEOPLE COME TO AGREEMENT, BECAUSE WE HAD TO PRESENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OUR COMBINED AGREEMENT ON OUR PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATION. SO I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WORKING COLLABORATIVELY, ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE ON THE SAME PAGE, ABOUT MANAGING MY OWN EMOTIONS WHEN THINGS SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE GOING IN A DIRECTION THAT I DIDN'T THINK WAS SAFE OR CORRECT. AND AS A THERAPIST, I'VE LEARNED A LOT OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS ABOUT ACTIVE LISTENING. SO MY, MY APPROACH WHEN THERE'S A CONFLICT IS TO FIRST LISTEN, TO UNDERSTAND, NOT TO RESPOND AND DEMONSTRATE THAT UNDERSTANDING AND REFLECT THAT PERSON'S THOUGHTS BACK TO THEM. SO THEY SO THAT WE KNOW I HEARD THEM RIGHT. I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ANGER IS A SECONDARY EMOTION, COME UP FREQUENTLY IN CONFLICT. AND THAT USUALLY COVERS FEAR OR HURT OF SOME KIND. AND SO TRY AND ADDRESS THOSE EMOTIONS TO GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY SO WE CAN HAVE A PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION, VALIDATING PEOPLE'S FEELINGS, EVEN WHEN YOU MAYBE DISAGREE WITH THEIR APPROACH, ALSO GOES A LONG WAY TO REDUCING CONFLICT.

I HAVE A LOT OF CLIENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, A WHILE AGO I HAD A CLIENT WHO WAS SCREAMING AT ME.

HE WAS JUST ENRAGED AND FORTUNATELY IT WAS A TELE APPOINTMENT, BUT HE WAS HOLDING THE PHONE CLOSE FOR EFFECT AND WAS LIKE VERY ANGRY. AND THE NATURAL RESPONSE IS, YOU KNOW, SIR, DON'T SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY, SIR. CALM DOWN. BUT THOSE THINGS DON'T REALLY WORK. SO I

[00:45:02]

SO THAT'S MY APPROACH TO CONFLICT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW SHIFT TO FIRST WARD COMMISSIONER BELCHECK. YES, THANK YOU CHAIR. SO AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SHORT TERM APPOINTMENT. AND THERE'S MUCH OF THE COLLECTIVE BODY OF THE COMMISSION WORK ALREADY UNDERWAY. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE SUPPORTING THESE EXISTING PRIORITIES WHILE EXERCISING YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT AS YOU REPRESENT THE FIRST WARD RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THOSE TWO THINGS CAN BE IN TENSION? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK GOING INTO A NEW POSITION, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO FIT MYSELF IN TO WHAT'S HAPPENING. THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN GRAND RAPIDS, AND I THINK THAT THAT WON'T BE TOO HARD. I'M SUPPORTIVE, A LOT OF VERY SUPPORTIVE OF A LOT OF THE INITIATIVES RIGHT NOW, THE CAP PLAN. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU ON PASSING THAT. I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF HELPING IMPLEMENT THAT AND MAKE THAT REALITY. THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT PLAN. IT SOUNDS REALLY GOOD AND IN LINE WITH MY VALUES AS WELL. AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP TO ME RECENTLY THE IDEA OF BEING PROACTIVE AND PREPARING FOR THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS. SO THE, THE PERSON THAT BROUGHT THAT UP TO ME MENTIONED TAKING CARE OF THE TREE CANOPY, WHICH I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF, BUT I, I WOULD DEFINITELY FIT MYSELF INTO THAT BEING PROACTIVE APPROACH. THE DAY THAT THIS PERSON BROUGHT IT UP TO ME, I DROVE HOME THINKING ABOUT IT AND IT WAS A WINDY DAY AND I WALKED IN MY BACKYARD AND A HUGE TREE HAD BLOWN OVER AND BUSTED UP OUR PLAYGROUND. AND THAT REALLY DROVE THAT HOME THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE A FLASHY ITEM, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE THAT THE COMMUNITY GETS EXCITED ABOUT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING AND PREPARING FOR. SO I'M EXCITED AS I'VE DONE THIS PROCESS AND I AM RUNNING, I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND SO ON. AND IT'S BEEN SO WONDERFUL AND ENCOURAGING BECAUSE ALL OF MY THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CREATING BETTER THIRD SPACES AND PROTECTING OUR GREEN SPACES, THERE'S PEOPLE WORKING ON THAT, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON HOUSING AND PARTICULARLY HOME OWNERSHIP, WHICH IS A PASSION OF MINE LIVING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE I KNOW, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORS, WE REALLY WANT STABLE HOMEOWNERS. WE WANT OUR KIDS TO HAVE FRIENDS AND BUILD THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

THERE'S PEOPLE WORKING ON THAT. SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT I COULD DO JUST BY LENDING MY SUPPORT TO THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. AND THEN I HAVE MY OWN BACKGROUND AND IDEAS ALSO THAT THAT I CAN WORK IN TO THOSE SPACES. BUT I KNOW, YEAH, THERE CAN BE TENSION. I'M SOMEONE WHO IS VERY HARD WORKING, I CAN MOVE QUICKLY, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE DECISIONS WE MAKE, AS YOU KNOW, AND THAT ARE MADE AS COMMISSIONERS LAST FOR DECADES AND LONG BEYOND ANY OF US WOULD BE IN OFFICE. AND SO NOT JUST KNEE JERK REACTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO HOUSING. YEAH, WE DESPERATELY NEED MORE HOUSING AND WE NEED TO MOVE ON THAT, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE WITH WELL THOUGHT OUT, WELL RESEARCHED PLANS ON WHERE AND HOW MANY AND YOU KNOW, CONGESTION AND THE THE ROADS AND PARKING AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED. SO WHILE WE NEED TO HAVE THE IMPETUS TO MOVE QUICKLY, WE NEED TO HAVE THE THE RESTRAINT TO DO THE RESEARCH AND MAKE WISE DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO AGE WELL IN THE WARD. OKAY, SO NOW FOR MY QUESTION. SO BEING A COMMISSIONER IS ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE, PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT. YEAH. SO I'VE SPENT MY LIFE WORKING TO HELP PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS A MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST AND WORKING IN DOING HOME BASED WORK WHERE I WAS IN PEOPLE'S HOMES, IN THEIR SCHOOLS. THAT'S GIVEN ME A REALLY INTIMATE LOOK AT THE FACTORS THAT COME

[00:50:04]

A LOT OF THE PUSH PULL FACTORS FROM THAT STANDPOINT AND US HISTORY IN LATIN AMERICA. AND I'VE TAKEN THAT KNOWLEDGE BACK HERE TO MY COMMUNITY AND WORKED AS AN EDUCATOR, LECTURING IN LOCAL UNIVERSITIES AT POLITICAL THINK TANKS FOR NETWORK 180, HELPING PEOPLE INFORM HOW THEY INTERACT WITH THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR WARD, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AREA OF LARGELY SPANISH SPEAKING IMMIGRANTS THAT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO REPRESENT AND TO HELP MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY REALLY HAVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE HERE ON THE COMMISSION. ONE OF MY POSITIONS, I WORKED IN A PROGRAM THAT WAS JUST STARTING, AND I TOOK THE LEAD ON IMPROVING THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, DRASTICALLY IMPROVING THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, IMPROVING POLICIES FOR INFORMED CONSENT AND CONFIDENTIALITY THAT HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR THIS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE POPULATION, AND CREATING A PLAN FOR KIDS WHO AGED OUT, WHO WERE JUST LITERALLY, QUITE LITERALLY BEING DROPPED WITH NO ONE AND NO SUPPORT AND IN VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. I'VE ORGANIZED AS AN ADVOCATE FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS. I STARTED A SUPPORT GROUP ON IN PART OF THE WARD OVER IN THE GRANVILLE AREA FOR FAMILIES WHO HAD LOST A FAMILY MEMBER TO DEPORTATION, WHICH IS AN ISSUE THAT GETS OVERLOOKED. AND AS A THERAPIST, I HAVE KIDS COMING INTO THERAPY BECAUSE THEIR DAD ALL OF A SUDDEN WAS GONE. AND AND I KNOW THE IMPACT, THE ECONOMIC, THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT THAT HAS ON THOSE FAMILIES. I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD FOR GR MOBILE WORKING TO CREATE SAFE, AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING ISSUES. AND I'M INVOLVED IN THE STOCKING SCHOOL PARK. SO THAT'S A SCHOOL I DON'T HAVE TIME TO TALK ABOUT. IT'S SUCH A GREAT PROJECT AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT AND MOBILIZING THE COMMUNITY AND CREATING THAT. WHAT'S GOING TO BE AN AMAZING THIRD SPACE AND MAKE KEEPING THE PARK AND GREEN SPACE FOR ALL THE KIDS IN THAT COMMUNITY WONDERFUL. YOU STILL GOT TIME HERE. WE STILL HAVE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWERS TO THE COMMITTEE'S QUESTIONS PRESENTED TO YOU. AND NOW YOU DO HAVE TIME, THREE MINUTES HERE FOR CLOSING STATEMENTS. SO THIS ANY IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SHARE IN REGARDS TO SERVING IN THIS ROLE? AS SOMEONE WHO MAY BE APPOINTED TO THE FIRST WARD.

YEAH. PERFECT. YEAH. SO I AM A LIFELONG GRAND RAPIDS RESIDENT. I'M A MOTHER. I HAVE A 16 YEAR OLD AND TWO YEAR OLD. I'VE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD AND KIND OF AS A YOUNGER PERSON, ASSUMED I'D BE LIVING SOMEWHERE EXOTIC AND EXCITING. AND I ENDED UP RIGHT BACK HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS BECAUSE I GREW UP AND I REALIZED GRAND RAPIDS IS A FANTASTIC PLACE TO LIVE AND A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY. AND I REALLY WANT TO HELP US MAINTAIN THAT FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT, A CITY THAT HAS GREAT AMENITIES BUT ALSO STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS, AFFORDABLE LIVING, A GOOD PLACE FOR WORKING CLASS FAMILIES TO LIVE. WE HIT THE TOP 1020 ON SOME MEASURES FOR AS A CITY FOR A GREAT PLACES TO LIVE, AND I WANT TO HELP US STAY THERE. I THINK WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH CONTINUING TO WORK ON STABLE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT RESPECTS NEIGHBORHOODS AND WORKS TOWARDS CREATING COMMUNITY AND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL. SO I KNOW WE DO NEED RENTAL AND THERE ARE RENTAL PROJECTS BEING STARTED IN MY WARD, PARTICULARLY ONE BY THE RIVER AND LIKE MARKET OVER KIND OF BY THE GRANVILLE AREA THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A NICE ONE. IT'S GOING TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VIEW.

IT'S BY GOOD SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT IS A WELL PLANNED DECISION, BUT I REALLY ALSO WANT TO FOCUS ON THAT. HOME OWNERSHIP IN GRAND RAPIDS, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF PEOPLE RENT AND WE WILL ALWAYS NEED RENTAL. BUT I BELIEVE THERE'S A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE TO OWN AND WITH THE PRICE OF HOUSING AND SO ON, I THINK THAT WE COULD DO A GOOD JOB OF CONTINUING TO WORK TO USE THE LAND BANK TO CREATE MORE HOUSING, PARTICULARLY LIKE DUPLEX, MULTI UNITS, MULTI-FAMILY, MULTI-GENERATIONAL TYPE THINGS THAT WE CAN SET UP TO UTILIZE THE SPACE AND HELP WITH DOWN PAYMENTS. I WANT TO HELP. LIKE

[00:55:01]

I THINK THERE'S A LOT WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY TO REDUCE OUR WASTE IN EASILY. I WANT TO KEEP WORKING ON THIRD SPACES. THE STOCKING SCHOOL THAT PARK IS HIGHLY TRANSITED BY, BY CHILDREN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S REALLY THE ONLY PLACE IN A PRETTY LARGE SWATH FOR ALL OF THOSE KIDS. AND CREATING A COMMUNITY SPACE THERE. I'M LIKE VERY MUCH BEHIND. WE HAVE AN EPIDEMIC OF LONELINESS IN OUR COUNTRY. IT'S A REAL ISSUE. THERE'S DRUG COMPANIES WORKING ON A PILL FOR LONELINESS. YOU FEEL LONELINESS IN THE SAME NEURO CENTER IN YOUR BRAIN WHERE YOU FEEL HUNGER. IT'S A HEALTH ISSUE. IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. AND SO THOSE THIRD SPACES USING THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR OUR ELDERLY POPULATION TO HAVE BINGO NIGHT OR COFFEE HOUR PLACES WHERE KIDS CAN GET OFF THEIR TABLETS AND GO AND USE THE GYM, THOSE ARE INITIATIVES THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY SPEND MY TIME WORKING ON. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS. WE WILL BE DELIBERATING THIS AFTERNOON AND YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT NEXT STEPS ON THIS POSITION THIS AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. TAKE CARE AGAIN FOR THE PUBLIC.

WE WILL BE IN RECESS AS THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS UNTIL 1040 FOR OUR WE WILL CALL THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS BACK FROM RECESS. OUR CITY ATTORNEY IS NOT STEPPED AWAY FOR JUST A MOMENT, BUT MR. SCHRAM WILL BE BACK. I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME OUR NEXT APPLICANT, MALLORY ROOT, UP TO THE MICROPHONE. OH, AND CITY ATTORNEY IS BACK. SO WE'RE ALL HERE AND PRESENT.

GOOD MORNING, MISS ROOT. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOU WILL HAVE ONE QUESTION FROM EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE FROM ALL THREE WARDS, WITH THREE MINUTES TO RESPOND BACK TO EACH QUESTION. WONDERFUL. WE'LL BEGIN WITH MY QUESTION. SO BEING A COMMISSIONER IS JUST ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE, A PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, I HAVE SERVED THE COMMUNITY ON THE WEST SIDE, IN PARTICULAR THROUGH MY BUSINESS ROOTS BREW SHOP, WHICH IS A COFFEE SHOP, AND IT'S OUR MISSION IS TO MAKE THE TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONAL. SO WE'RE SEEKING TO FORM COMMUNITY AND INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR. AND WE HAVE DONE THAT OVER THE LAST DECADE, WELCOMING MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN TO ROOTS AND IN PARTICULAR RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS OF LONELINESS, WHICH IS A CRISIS OF OUR TIME. AND I THINK THAT ROOTS HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB. JUST FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM OUR REGULARS, THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE REGULARS VERY CONSISTENTLY AND WE KNOW THEM WELL, AND THAT GAVE BIRTH TO A SECOND BUSINESS THAT IS CELEBRATING ITS FIRST YEAR AT THE END OF THE MONTH, ACTUALLY, WHICH IS A CO-WORKING SPACE A HALF A MILE CALLED THE COTTAGE ON TURNER. AND SO SERVING AGAIN, THAT RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS OF LONELINESS, IN PARTICULAR TO THE WEST SIDE. THROUGH SPACE AND PLACE. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BEING IN A VERY TECHNOCRATIC AGE, HAVING A PHYSICAL SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO, ESPECIALLY TO ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER WITH DIVERSE VIEWS AND A SPACE THAT THEY CAN CALL HOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL SHIFT TO COMMISSIONER RESOURCES.

QUESTION. THANK YOU. AND HAVE REALLY GOOD BAGELS. SANDWICHES. YES WE DO. IT MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER. SORRY. NO APOLOGIES. THAT'S MY AD LIB FOR TODAY. COULD YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN YOU WORKED THROUGH A CONFLICT AT WORK? AND THEN WHEN YOU EXPLAIN THAT, CAN YOU EMBED WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOUR CONFLICT STYLE IS? THANK YOU. YES. SO BEING A PUBLIC FACING BUSINESS, WE DO ENCOUNTER CONFLICT. ALSO, BEING THE LEADER OF A TEAM AND AN INTEGRATED TEAM, WE OFTEN COME HEAD TO HEAD WITH A FEW THINGS. AND I WOULD SAY THAT MY CONFLICT STYLE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION STYLE IS TO LEAN IN RATHER THAN BACK AWAY. AND THROUGH UNDERSTANDING THE WHOLE

[01:00:03]

I THINK BEING ABLE TO ENTER IN WITH FRESH EYES AND SEE THINGS AND UNDERSTAND THINGS AND ASK QUESTIONS CAN BE A REAL ADVANTAGE TO ENTERING INTO THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS. I REALLY DO SEEK TO UNDERSTAND AND ASK QUESTIONS. I WOULD SAY ONE OF MY GREATEST STRENGTHS IS DISCERNMENT AND ASKING QUESTIONS. I THINK IF YOU HAVE EVER COME TO ROOTS AND SAT AT THE COUNTER, MANY WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S A DANGEROUS PLACE TO SIT BECAUSE I ASKED SO MANY QUESTIONS. BUT I DO SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK BEING ABLE TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD IN UNION WITH WHAT THIS COMMISSION IS ALREADY DOING FOR THE CITY AND LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN WITH THEIR CONCERNS AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT CAN MAYBE. BUOY WHAT'S ALREADY GOING ON. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS BRINGS US TO CLOSING STATEMENTS FROM YOU. THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE IN REGARDS TO SERVING IN THIS ROLE. AS SOMEONE WHO MAY BE APPOINTED TO THE POSITION. WONDERFUL. OUR CITY IS A BEAUTIFUL AND SPECIAL PLACE. IT IS A PLACE OF CHARACTER AND CULTURE. THE PEOPLE OF GRAND RAPIDS ARE SPECIAL, AND IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST DECADE THROUGH ROOTS IN PARTICULAR AND NOW THE COTTAGE ON TURNER. I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON THE FRONT END OF GROWTH ON THE WEST SIDE. OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. IT HAS GIVEN ME A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE OF HOW CHANGES TO A NEIGHBORHOOD AFFECT THOSE LIVING IN IT, BOTH FOR THE NEGATIVE AND THE POSITIVE. IT HAS TAUGHT ME TO BE OPEN AND ASK QUESTIONS. IT HAS TAUGHT ME TO BE PRESENT THAT BEING PRESENT IS IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY. IT IS A JOY TO LIVE IN THIS CITY AND A DELIGHT TO BE PART OF HELPING FOSTER COMMUNITY THROUGH PLACE. IN PARTICULAR, I AM NO NOVICE TO THE INTEGRATED ASPECTS OF MAKING A CITY RUN THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES OF MY BUSINESSES, I HAVE LEARNED TO NAVIGATE ZONING, SEEKING BUILDING PERMITS, WORKING WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, GRANT WRITING, SIMPLY ENGAGING WITH THE DIVERSE MEMBERS OF OUR CITY AND THE LIKE. I AM SEASONED AT LISTENING AND RECEIVING FEEDBACK AND TAKING ACTION ON IT THROUGH MY BUSINESS. I WOULD SERVE WITH PASSION TO HONOR THE DIGNITY OF MY NEIGHBORS, AND AN EXCITEMENT TO SEE THE CITY FLOURISH. IT WOULD BE A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE THE FIRST WARD, IN PARTICULAR, IN A NEW WAY. AS CITY COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS RUTH. WE WILL BE DELIBERATING THIS AFTERNOON AND YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT NEXT STEPS REGARDING THIS POSITION. THEN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. TAKE CARE FOR THE PUBLIC. WE ARE NOW IN RECESS OKAY. GOOD MOG EVERYONE. WE WILL CALL THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS BACK TO ORDER TO BEGIN OUR INTERVIEW FOR OUR NEXT APPLICANT, WE HAVE MR. STEVE TIVEY. WELCOME.

WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR NEIGHBORS.

YOU WILL HAVE ONE QUESTION FROM EACH MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE, AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO RESPOND, IN ADDITION TO A CLOSING STATEMENT OF THREE MINUTES AS WELL. WE WILL BEGIN

[01:05:05]

I'VE EXPERIENCED IT IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGHOUT MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER, IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMATS. THE PAST FIVE OR MORE YEARS, I'VE WORKED WITH THE CITY ON A PUBLIC PRIVATE PROJECT IN. MANY CONFLICTS COME UP DUE TO ENGINEERING WHAT'S POSSIBLE, WHAT'S NOT FUNDING, WHAT THE STAKEHOLDERS WANT. AND THERE'S MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS IN A PROJECT. SO I FOUND THAT WITH KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT I ONCE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT PROCESSES, YOU CAN HELP GET TO A SOLUTION. WHAT WE LEARNED THERE ARE REASONS FOR THESE PROCESSES HELPS UNDERSTAND ALL ANGLES ANGLES OF THESE IN ORDER TO GET TO A YES A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.

OVER THE YEARS, MOST CONFLICTS CAN BE RESOLVED WITH SOME CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS.

HOPEFULLY GET TO A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WHERE IT'S A WIN WIN SOLUTION. ALL PARTIES WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL OUTCOMES BASED ON THE UNDERLYING INTERESTS. BUT IF THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE, I WOULD GO INTO THE COMPROMISING SOLUTION, WHICH IS KIND OF THE MIDDLE GROUND. IT GETS ALL PARTIES CLOSER TO THEIR GOALS. PROGRESS IS RARELY 100% HAPPINESS. THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF GIVE AND TAKE, BUT WE SHOULD NOT FORSAKE SOME PROGRESS. IF NOBODY WINS, WE CAN'T COMPROMISE AND WORK TOGETHER.

PERFECTION IS THE ENEMY OF PROGRESS, SO I. I WORK TO MAKE INCREMENTAL CHANGE, TO GET PROGRESS IN ONE FORMAT OR ANOTHER. OKAY. THANK YOU. I WILL GIVE YOU THE NEXT QUESTION HERE. SO I WANT TO, AS I HAVE DONE WITH OTHER APPLICANTS, COMMEND YOU FOR STEPPING UP YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. BEING A COMMISSIONER IS JUST ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. MY QUESTION IS FOR YOU TO PLEASE SHARE WITH US HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE, PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT. COOL. I HAVE AN EXTENSIVE COLLEGE BACKGROUND IN HEALTHCARE. I'VE WORKED AT ALL THE BIG HOSPITALS IN TOWN. I'M A LEVEL TWO FIREFIGHTER. I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, WHICH LED TO AN ENTREPRENEUR CONSULTANT ROLE AT THE BRIDGE WITH THE MSU.

I'M DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR A LOCAL COMMUNITY NONPROFIT. FANS OF VALLEY FIELD. I HAVE HELPED SAVE THE SANTA PARADE. I WORKED WITH ARTPRIZE. I'M ON THE BOARD OF GRT FOODIE FEST FOUNDATION AND ENRICH LIVING, SO MY LOVE AND EFFORTS FOR THE CITY EXTEND WELL OUTSIDE THE FIRST WARD. FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, I'VE WORKED TO BUILD A COMMUNITY IN GRAND RAPIDS WHILE WORKING WITH THE CITY TO RESTORE AND ACTIVATE AN UNDERUTILIZED GREEN SPACE. WE HAVE HOSTED OVER 50 ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY EVENTS, A LOT OF DIVERSITY, AND THEY FUNCTION AS FUNDRAISERS FOR THE CITY PARKS. TO DATE, THAT CAMPAIGN HAS RAISED OVER $5 MILLION THROUGH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING, THANKS TO THE EVERGREEN PARKS THAT WAS PUSHED IN 2019 AND MANY, MANY PRIVATE SUPPORTERS. THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THEM THAT HAVE GIVEN TO THIS.

CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BE COMPLETE THIS YEAR. SO WE'RE KIND OF EXCITED. I CURRENTLY SIT ON THE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND THE WEST SIDE. C I A, I HAVE BEEN IMPRINTED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR YEARS AND WANT TO CONTINUE WHAT IS BEST FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY. MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE SECTOR, WITH THE CITY HAS PREPARED ME TO UNDERSTAND AND NAVIGATE THE NUANCES OF LIVING, PLAYING AND WORKING IN THIS TOWN. THANK YOU. AND NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO A QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER BELL FROM THE FIRST WARD. YES. THANK YOU. HI. SO AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SHORT TERM APPOINTMENT WHERE MUCH OF THE COMMISSION'S ACTIVITIES AND COLLABORATIVE WORK IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE SUPPORTING THESE EXISTING PRIORITIES WHILE EXERCISING YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT AS YOU REPRESENT THE FIRST WARD RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THESE TWO THINGS CAN BE IN TENSION WITH EACH OTHER? YEAH, I WOULD WORK WITH YOU ALL. THE CURRENT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND FUTURE COMMISSIONERS. I WOULD WORK WITH THE CITY MAYOR AND MANAGER TO LEARN WHAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON AND WHAT'S WHAT'S IN THE PIPELINE AND HOW I CAN HOW I CAN HELP AND GET CAUGHT UP. I WILL LISTEN TO RESIDENTS AS I CONTINUE TO CAMPAIGN FOR THE PERMANENT OR SEMI-PERMANENT POSITION, AND GET A FEEL FOR WHAT RESIDENTS WANT TO SEE PROGRESS AND CHANGE WITHIN THE CITY AS WE GROW.

[01:10:04]

FANTASTIC. THANK YOU CHAIR. SO GOOD MORNING. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SHORT TERM APPOINTMENT AND MUCH OF THE WORK THAT THE COMMISSION HAS ALREADY COLLECTIVELY WORKING ON IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE SUPPORTING THOSE EXISTING PRIORITIES WHILE EXERCISING YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT AS YOU REPRESENT THE FIRST WARD RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THOSE TWO THINGS CAN BE IN TENSION WITH EACH OTHER. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. AT RISK OF BROWN NOSING SOUNDING LIKE A BROWN NOSER, THE APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE WAS MY FAVORITE COMMITTEE TO SERVE ON WHEN I WAS A COMMISSIONER. I JUST LOVED THE PROCESS OF GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE CITY.

AND I'M THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS APPOINTMENT.

THE FIRST WARD IS A REALLY BIG WARD. IT'S NOT JUST THE WEST SIDE, BUT IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN AROUND GARFIELD PARK. AND SO THE WORK NEEDS TO BE SHARED. I THINK THAT AS I APPROACH THIS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD VOTE WITH MY TIME IN TERMS OF HOW THIS HAPPENS. THE FIRST WARD HAS HAD A LONG TRADITION OF HAVING A STRONG TEAMMATE, WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE FIRST WARD COMMISSIONERS, AND THAT WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO ME AS MEETING WITH YOU REGULARLY.

COMMISSIONER BOUCEK, FORMING A TEAM TO BE ABLE TO DIVIDE THE RESPONSIBILITIES, SHOW UP FOR CONSTITUENT CALLS, SUPPORT THE FIRST WARD BUSINESSES IN THE WAY THAT THEY DESERVE TO BE SUPPORTED. SO MY FIRST PRIORITY WOULD BE TO BE AN EXCELLENT TEAMMATE TO TO YOU AND TO RESPOND TO THE THINGS THAT COME FORWARD FROM FIRST WARD RESIDENTS. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME TO SHOW UP TO EVERY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RIBBON CUTTING AND GROUNDBREAKING. THAT'S MY PASSION AND EXCITEMENT. MY CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS TEASING ME FOR DRIVING AROUND AND MAKING AN ALTERNATE ADJUSTMENT SO THAT I CAN SEE PROGRESS ON PROJECTS. I KNOW THAT THE BUDGET IS THE VERY FIRST THING THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING ON TOGETHER. AS WELL AS THIS. THE SEARCH FOR A POLICE CHIEF. I WALKED THROUGH TWO POLICE CHIEF SEARCHES AND SERVED WITH FOUR POLICE CHIEFS WHEN I WAS ON THE COMMISSION, AS WELL AS PASSED FIVE BUDGETS. SO HOPEFULLY I'LL BE ABLE TO STEP RIGHT INTO THE STREAM THERE AND OFFER THE EXPERIENCE THAT I GAINED FROM THAT TIME TO BRING WISDOM AND EXPERTISE TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS. THE SAME IS TRUE OF THE MASTER PLAN AND THE ZONING ORDINANCES THAT ROLLS OUT. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE ARE ARE AREAS WHERE I BELIEVE I'LL BE ABLE TO STEP RIGHT INTO THE STREAM AND CONTRIBUTE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I HAVE TO

[01:15:03]

WELL, THERE IS A LOT OF CONFLICT INVOLVED IN THE WORK OF THE CITY COMMISSION.

SOMETIMES THERE'S CONFLICT BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSIONERS. YOU'VE ALL EXPERIENCED THAT. SOMETIMES THERE'S CONFLICT BETWEEN COLLEAGUES. I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT. I SAW THAT YOU EXPERIENCED SOME OF THAT EVEN ON TUESDAY. AND THERE'S OFTENTIMES CONFLICT BETWEEN THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS IN TERMS OF MAKING A DECISION ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO. I THINK THAT PROFESSIONALLY, I'M A PERSON WHO GETS CALLED INTO MOMENTS OF CONFLICT TO PROVIDE MEDIATION, TO BE A CALM, LEVEL HEADED PRESENCE AND TO LISTEN TO ALL SIDES. AND SO I WOULD BRING THAT SAME KIND OF PROFESSIONAL ETHIC TO THIS WORK ON THE CITY COMMISSION. ONE EXAMPLE THAT CAME TO MY MIND AS I WAS PREPARING WAS THERE'S A BLOCK IN HEARTSIDE THAT WAS HAVING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DRUG ACTIVITY IN IT, AND THIS WAS AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE CITY WAS HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT HOMELESSNESS ORDINANCES. SO WHILE THAT POLICY DISCUSSION WAS HAPPENING, WHICH THERE WAS LOTS OF CONFLICT IN THAT ABOUT WHO AND WHO TO FOLLOW, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GO TO WHO WAS CLOSEST TO THE ISSUE, TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WORKING WITH THE UNHOUSED POPULATION, THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THAT COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS TO PULL TOGETHER EVERYONE WHO WANTED TO SOLVE IT.

SO WE HAD SOME REALLY FRANK CONVERSATIONS. THE MAIN ISSUE IN THAT MOMENT WAS DRUG DEALING.

SO WE ACTUALLY INVITED THE GRPD, THE THE RESIDENTS WERE WILLING TO SIT DOWN WITH GRPD AND THEY SAID, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO ARREST DRUG USERS BECAUSE THEY'RE CAUGHT IN A CYCLE OF TRAUMA AND THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE PENALIZED FOR THAT. BUT CAN WE FOCUS ON DRUG DEALERS? WE CAME UP WITH SOME AGREEMENTS TOGETHER. THE GRPD DID A STING. THEY ARRESTED THE DRUG DEALERS AND THE SITUATION IMPROVED. SO YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE LEFT. AND THEN OUT OF THAT DISCUSSION WITH THOSE STAKEHOLDERS ALSO CAME A DE-ESCALATION TRAINING THAT WE OFFERED TO FREE FOR BUSINESSES, AMONG OTHER THINGS. SO I'M A BELIEVER THAT WHEN YOU COME TOGETHER, IF YOU LOOK AT WHO'S CLOSEST TO THE ISSUE AND YOU BRING TOGETHER EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO BE A PART OF SOLVING IT, THAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT CAN CUT THROUGH SOME OF THAT CONFLICT. SO WHAT IS MY CONFLICT STYLE? I AM A PERSON WHO SEEKS TO BE AN AGENT OF TRUST AND SOMEBODY WHO SEEKS TO BE A PEACEMAKER. SHOW UP TO MOMENTS OF CONFLICT ON THE CITY COMMISSION. THANK YOU. LASTLY, QUESTION FROM THE THIRD WARD. BEING A COMMISSIONER IS JUST ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE.

THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE, PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT.

THANK YOU. THIS IS. THIS IS GOOD FOR ME TO GET MY CHANCE AT THREE MINUTE COMMENTS HERE. YOU KNOW, MY FIRST SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY WAS WITH MY FAMILY. I'M MARRIED TO MY PARTNER, MATTIA. WE'VE BEEN MARRIED FOR 24 YEARS. SHE'S THE PERSON THAT INSPIRES ME THE MOST AND I TRY TO GIVE HER MY VERY BEST ENERGY. I HAVE TWO TEENAGE CHILDREN. THEY'RE BOTH GREAT SCHOLARS AND AND AS MY ROLE AS DAD IS VERY IMPORTANT IN HELPING THEM TO GROW UP AND BE CIVICALLY ENGAGED KIDS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I'M AN ELDER AT SERVICE COMMUNITY CHURCH, WHICH IS A CHURCH THAT'S WELCOMING AND AFFIRMING OF ALL PEOPLE. I, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH MY CHURCH COMMUNITY MEETING, MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN. PRIOR TO MY TIME ON THE CITY COMMISSION, WHICH I'LL SPEAK ABOUT BRIEFLY. FOR 20 YEARS, I WORKED IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT A PLACE CALLED THE OTHER WAY MINISTRIES, PLACE BASED ASSET ASSET BASED, FAITH BASED COMMUNITY THAT WAS WALKING ALONGSIDE NEIGHBORS,

[01:20:04]

I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE SELECTING TWO POLICE CHIEFS WITH THE SAME FIRM THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH, WITH THE SAME CITY MANAGER WHO'S DECISION THAT ULTIMATELY IS, I TRUST THE CITY MANAGER AND I TRUST THE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE ENGAGED TO HELP US NAVIGATE THAT. SO I'M

[01:25:04]

HE WOULD JUST AS SOON AS HE SENT SOMETHING, HE'D SAY, HEY, EVERYBODY, COME HERE AND SIT DOWN AND YOU TALK ABOUT IT. SO I LIKE THAT STYLE AND JUST DOING THINGS IN THE BACKGROUND IS DANGEROUS, I THINK. BUT IT ALSO MADE ME THINK ABOUT THE TIME WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, IN MY 20S, I ACTUALLY WAS A UNION STEWARD FOR A WHILE. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE I WAS IN A UNION. I WAS DOING GRAPHIC ARTS WORK WITH A LOT OF VERY SKILLED CRAFTSPEOPLE, AND THE UNION STEWARD STEPPED DOWN AND NOBODY WANTED TO DO IT. SO IT'S LIKE, WELL, SOMEBODY'S GOT TO DO IT, SO I'LL DO IT. AND THAT WAS AT A TIME IN OUR INDUSTRY WHERE THINGS WERE TRANSITIONING FROM BEING VERY SKILLED, YOU KNOW, HANDS ON WORK TO BECOMING DIGITIZED. AND THAT AND I COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT EVOLUTION, BUT YOU HAD SOME VERY PROUD PEOPLE WHO WERE, YOU KNOW, PROUD OF WHAT THE WORK THEY DID, WHO DIDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO SEE THAT FUTURE. AND AT THE SAME TIME, I HAD TO HELP NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT BETWEEN OUR UNION AND THE OWNERS OF THE COMPANY. AND THAT WAS ALSO AT THE TIME WHEN NOBODY HAD HAD TO PAY FOR HEALTH CARE BEFORE. IT WAS WHEN COPAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT CAME TO BE. SO I WAS REALLY STUCK IN A REALLY TOUGH SPOT WITH TRYING TO SEE BOTH SIDES AND NEGOTIATING AND THAT BALANCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, RESPECTING THE SKILLS OF THESE PEOPLE, BUT ALSO SEEING THE FUTURE AND JUST TRYING TO COME TO SOME MIDDLE GROUND. AND I FEEL LIKE IF I COULD GET THROUGH THAT, A LOT OF OTHER THINGS ARE MUCH EASIER. NOW. I'LL SHIFT TO MY FIRST WARD COLLEAGUE, ALICIA MARIE BELL, FOR HER QUESTION FOR YOU. HI. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. SO AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SHORT TERM APPOINTMENT AND MUCH OF THE WORK THAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN COLLECTIVELY FOCUSED ON IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. SO HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE SUPPORTING THESE EXISTING PRIORITIES WHILE ALSO PROVIDING YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT AS YOU REPRESENT THE FIRST WARD RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THOSE THINGS CAN BE IN TENSION WITH EACH OTHER? YEAH, THAT'S A THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. AND I GUESS THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS POSITION, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO LISTEN. YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT YET HAVE YOUR OWN OPINION ON THINGS. AND THE WAY I LIKE TO HANDLE THAT IS I TRY TO TALK TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN, AND IF I SENSE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION WITH MY OWN, I JUST TRY TO EDUCATE MYSELF AND FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHY DO THESE PEOPLE FEEL THAT WAY? AND OFTENTIMES THEY'RE ABLE TO REVEAL SOME FACTS THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF, AND THEY CAN PERHAPS CHANGE MY MIND. SO I FEEL LIKE I CAN STEP IN. I HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. I'M PRETTY AWARE OF

[01:30:02]

BUT IN ADDITION TO MY OWN TWO. OKAY. AND A QUESTION FOR MYSELF, BEING A COMMISSIONER IS JUST ONE WAY OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC OR PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS MAY INCLUDE BOARD SERVICE, PREVIOUS OR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT AS. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE. THE APPLICATION PAPERWORK I'VE.

I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH SEVERAL THINGS, PARTICULARLY HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I SERVED ON THE BOARD OF THE WEST GRAND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION, AS WELL AS THE STOCKBRIDGE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. BUT PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING I TOOK ON WAS FORMING A NONPROFIT CALLED FANS OF ALI FIELD. STEVE TOUCHED ON THAT EARLIER. IT'S AN OLD VINTAGE BASEBALL PARK HERE IN THE WEST SIDE, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF TRANSFORMING THAT INTO A COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE. AND I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE THAT I'VE NEVER WORKED SO HARD FOR NO MONEY IN MY LIFE. BUT BUT IT'S, IT'S TRULY A LABOR OF LOVE. AND I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY WHO WE'RE DOING IT WITH AND THAT'S, I, I FEEL LIKE I'M PRETTY GOOD AT THAT. I'M PRETTY GOOD AT, IN ADDITION TO DOING THINGS MYSELF, I TRY TO RALLY OTHERS TO HELP TOO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT HELPING OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE I'M SO BUSY THESE DAYS WITH MY, MY FULL TIME JOB AND THE BALLPARK STUFF, I WILL, I'M GOING TO HELP IN THE COMMUNITY CLEANUP, WHICH IS COMING UP. SO IT'S LIKE, HEY, LET'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A BIG COMMITMENT. SO I THINK YOU CAN DO THINGS INCREMENTALLY THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. INSTEAD OF JUST SITTING BACK AND LETTING SOMEBODY ELSE DO IT. SO IN ADDITION TO THE THE BOARD POSITIONS, I ALSO SERVE ON PLANNING COMMITTEE AT THE MUSEUM. ONE THING I THOUGHT ABOUT TOO, WHICH I, I DON'T RECALL IF I LISTED IT ON MY QUALIFICATIONS, BUT I DID A LOT OF COACHING, YOU KNOW, YOUTH SPORTS. AND THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.

I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR TEACHERS. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE A COACH, YOU'RE IN ESSENCE A TEACHER. AND IT'S BEEN REALLY GRATIFYING TO HAVE KIDS THAT YOU SEE MANY YEARS LATER WHO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH FUN THEY HAD OR YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT THAT MEANT TO THEM. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ON A MICRO LEVEL, I THINK THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWERS. LAST, WE HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR CLOSING STATEMENTS BY YOU.

THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE IN REGARDS TO SERVING IN THIS ROLE. AS SOMEONE WHO MAY BE APPOINTED AS A FIRST WARD COMMISSIONER. YEAH, THAT'S A IT'S AN INTERESTING THING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN I MUCH LIKE WHEN I TOOK THE UNION STEWARD POSITION, I FELT LIKE, WELL, SOMEBODY'S GOT TO DO THIS. SO YOU KNOW, WHY NOT ME? WHY, WHY CAN'T I STEP FORWARD? I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW TO NEGOTIATE THINGS AND MANAGE PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS THROUGH OUR OUR EFFORTS WITH THE BALL PARK. AND I'VE LEARNED THAT DIPLOMACY, WHICH YOU GUYS ARE VERY, VERY GOOD AT. AND THEN WHEN I SAW THE CANDIDATES, YOU KNOW, MY MY QUALIFICATIONS PALE IN COMPARISON TO A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE. THERE'S SO MANY VERY WELL QUALIFIED PEOPLE. I THOUGHT, WELL, I'LL JUST DROP OUT. BUT I DECIDED NOT TO BECAUSE I THINK DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS REALLY HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND THE INNER WORKINGS OF OUR CITY. AND YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY WHO LOVES GRAND RAPIDS, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I'M GLAD I DID IT. SO I'M GLAD I'M HERE. I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY RUNNING FOR THE POSITION SHOULD GET THE APPOINTMENT, JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO CAMPAIGN AND THEY HAVE TO GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT THERE AND TALK TO PEOPLE. SO I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S FOR YOU GUYS TO DECIDE. BUT. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I JUST THINK WITH MY WITH THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE HERE IN THIS AREA, YOU KNOW, IN THE FIRST WARD MY ENTIRE LIFE, I MAY NOT HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT SOME HAVE, BUT I CAN I CAN OUTWORK JUST ABOUT ANYBODY. I CAN WORK REALLY, REALLY HARD TO REPRESENT PEOPLE. SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A PART OF THIS PROCESS AND STEPPING UP TO HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS. WE DEEPLY VALUE IT FOR YOU AND ALL OF OUR APPLICANTS. WE ARE NOW GOING TO MOVE INTO DELIBERATION. YOU

[01:35:02]

THANK YOU AGAIN. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. TAKE CARE. I WOULD LIKE TO COLLEAGUES IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, TAKE A. WOULD YOU ALL BE OPEN TO A MAYBE A FIVE MINUTE BIO BREAK FOR JUST A MOMENT? IS THAT OKAY WITH COLLEAGUES? STAFF? IS THAT OKAY? OKAY. SEEING THAT THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW MOVE INTO A FIVE MINUTE RECESS, THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS WILL RETURN AT A 11:55 A.M. FOR D 50 5 A.M. WE WILL CALL THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS. BACK TO ORDER.

AND NOW WE WILL BEGIN DELIBERATION ON THE NEXT STEPS FOR ALL OF OUR APPLICANTS. I WANT TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO APPLIED TO FILL THE FIRST WARD VACANCY. WE DEEPLY VALUE AND APPRECIATE THE TIME COMMITMENT. IT'S VERY PUBLIC FACING PROCESS, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE FOLKS WHO STEPPED UP TO DO THIS. I WILL NOW TURN TO MY COLLEAGUES TO PROVIDE COMMENTS AND ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE ON THIS PROCESS. AFTER A DELIBERATION AND WE'VE SHARED, WE WILL THEN EACH RAISE AND SEEK SUPPORT FOR THE APPLICANT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MOVE FORWARD. COLLEAGUES. YEAH. OKAY, COMMISSIONER. OKAY, I GUESS I GET TO GO FIRST. WELL, YES. THANK YOU EVERYONE, TO SEE SUCH A WIDE BREADTH OF CANDIDATES APPLY AND GO THROUGH THE VETTING PROCESS AND THEN END UP HERE THIS MORNING IS REALLY GRATIFYING. IT GIVES ME A LOT OF ENERGY AND HOPE TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REALLY DEDICATED AND INVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND PARTICULARLY THE FOLKS WHO TALK ABOUT OUR FIRST WARD NEIGHBORS AND ALL. ALL OF YOU ARE OUR FIRST WARD NEIGHBORS. SO THANK YOU. AS, AS I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS ROLE AND WHAT IS NEEDED, I'M THINKING ABOUT IT IN LIKE THREE DIFFERENT LAYERS. I'M THINKING ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF WHAT WILL SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE WARD FIRST AND FOREMOST, AS A REPRESENTATIVE. WE DO HAVE AN ELECTION COMING UP, SO THERE IS GOING TO BE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PEOPLE TO WEIGH IN FORMALLY IN THEIR OWN VOICE. IN THE MEANTIME, AS THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES UP HERE AND AS SOMEONE REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY, I'M AWARE OF WHAT WHAT DO OUR PEOPLE IN THE FIRST WARD NEED MOST? WHAT DO OUR RESIDENTS NEED? WHO CAN REPRESENT THOSE VOICES? AND SO THAT'S ONE LAYER. THE SECOND LAYER IS AS A COLLEAGUE AND A PARTNER IN THE WARD, WHICH IS THE REASON I HAVE PUT, YOU KNOW, ADDED MY VOICE TO WANTING AN APPOINTMENT PROCESS. THERE IS A LOT GOING ON. WE HAVE A LOT OF DEEP ISSUES AND REAL NEEDS AND SOME HEAVY DECISIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN NOT ONLY SUPPORT MYSELF AS A COLLEAGUE, BUT SUPPORT THE ENTIRE COMMISSION AS A SEVEN BODY PERSON BODY. SO I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT LAYER OF HOW DO WE WORK AS A COLLEAGUE TOGETHER? HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? AND AGAIN, THE THIRD LAYER BEING HOW DO WE WORK TO MAKE OUR PRIORITIES TAKE REAL TRACTION HERE AS A SEVEN PERSON BODY MAKING DECISIONS TOGETHER. SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE, THE LAYERS THAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT. AND SO I WAS, I WAS LISTENING NOT JUST FOR EXPERIENCE, BUT ALSO FOR HEART. I'M LISTENING FOR HOW WE MIGHT FIT TOGETHER, WORK TOGETHER, AND WHAT KIND OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND BEING ABLE TO STEP INTO WHAT BECOMES A VERY PUBLIC ROLE FOR MANY OF OUR WONDERFUL APPLICANTS. THAT'S RELATIVELY NEW, I THINK, TO THEM. AND SO, AND I WILL LET OUR FULL COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, WEIGH IN ON ALL THE OTHER NUANCES THAT WE'LL NEED TO DISCUSS DOWN THE ROAD. BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE FILTERING PROCESS, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'VE BEEN. AND HONESTLY, SOME OF YOU ARE MAKING A VERY HARD CHOICE. AND AT THE SAME TIME, I FEEL LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW THAT HAVE KIND OF RISEN TO THE TOP HERE TODAY FOR ME PERSONALLY. SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD.

DAN COPE, KURT REPPART AND LINDSEY PEREZ PLETCHER. OKAY, SO YOU'VE SHARED YOUR TOP THREE.

ARE YOU FORMALLY AT THIS TIME MOVING FORWARD? ONE APPLICANT IF IT'S OKAY, I WOULD LIKE TO HOLD OFF ON THAT. YEAH. OKAY. BUT SHARING YOUR TOP THREE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER. ANY COMMENTS? THANK YOU. YEAH. THIS IS MY SEVENTH YEAR IN COMMISSION. AND WHILE I DON'T WELL, WHILE I LIVE IN THE SECOND WARD, I DID LIVE IN THE FIRST WARD FOR SOME TIME AND I'VE LIVED IN THE THIRD WARD. I GREW UP IN THE THIRD WARD. AND

[01:40:04]

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN THE PAST. THAT WAS NOT MY INTENTION.

AND SO I THINK THAT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PROCESS THAT'S DIVINE, DESIGNED TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE WE'D HAVE TERM LIMITS HERE IN OUR CITY. SO FOR ME, I WOULD SAY IT WAS HARD TO I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER BELCHECK. EVERYONE WHO PUT FORTH THEIR NAMES. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. I'VE GONE THROUGH APPOINTMENT PROCESS AND RAN FOR OFFICE. I THINK I TRIED TO GET APPOINTED TWICE AND RAN FOR OFFICE THREE TIMES BEFORE I WAS ELECTED. SO I SAY THAT ALL THE TIME BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DON'T WIN ON THEIR FIRST TRY. AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T. AND THIS WHEN I RAN FOR CITY COMMISSION, I WAS LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE LAST TIME I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO ANYTHING. AND I WAS DEFINITELY THE UNDERDOG WHEN I RAN. AND IT AND IT MIGHT NOT SEEM THAT WAY AS I SIT UP HERE AND I'M THE SENIOR COMMISSIONER, BUT THAT THAT IS OFTEN THE CASE.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATED EVERYONE'S COMMENTS. FOR ME, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE STOOD OUT. LIKE I SAID, I MENTIONED MR. REPPERT, I REALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM MALLORIE OF HER BUSINESS. AND JUST LIKE A BUSINESS AS A FORCE FOR GOOD, YOU KNOW, DAN, I'M LIKE, OH, WOW, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ONE OF YOUR CLASSES AND GO, LAKERS, BY THE WAY. AND LINDSEY, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD YOU SAY I'M GOING TO REMIND MYSELF OF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, ANGER IS A SECONDARY EMOTION. AND AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS SPENT A LIFETIME OF LIKE TRYING TO NOT BE ANGRY, THAT REALLY SPOKE A LOT TO ME. AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT IS ABOUT THE SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE. BUT I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT I AM NOT I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE PERSON THAT KNOWS THE VERY SPECIFIC DETAILS OF MOST THINGS. I ALWAYS SAY I'M SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, BUT THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I THINK YOU HAVE TO KNOW IS TO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE. I ALSO THINK THAT MEANS PUTTING BOUNDARIES. SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE HURT YOU, WHEN PEOPLE ARE RUDE TO YOU, WHEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE AND ARE ONE WAY IN ONE PLACE AND ONE WAY IN ANOTHER, I THINK THAT'S OKAY. THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS NOT EVERYBODY HAS TO LIKE YOU. AND I THINK SOMETIMES AS A WOMAN AND GROWING UP, I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED PEOPLE TO LIKE ME. I'M NOW IN MY 40S. I'M LIKE, I'M OVER THAT. AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I'M TERM LIMITED, BUT I REALLY, LIKE YOU ALL STOOD OUT WITH SAYING THINGS. YOU KNOW, STEVE AND PAUL, YOUR WORK ON, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS OF VALLEY FIELD, LIKE WHAT A GREAT GRAND RAPIDS STORY OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO VOLUNTEER TO WORK ON THINGS AND OTHERS THAT MAYBE HAD MAYBE I'M NOT MENTIONING IT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU STILL DECIDED TO STEP FORWARD AND PUT THAT ON THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IT WAS, IT WAS HARD TO, TO GET TO THAT THREE BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I HAD PROBABLY. FIVE BUT I WOULD SAY I, I REALLY OVERLAP WITH WHERE YOU'RE AT.

COMMISSIONER. FOR ME, THE MOTION THAT I WOULD BE MAKING IS, IS FOR KURT ROTBART. SO JUST, I GUESS, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY ONE OF US WILL MAKE A MOTION. SOMEBODY ELSE WILL, BUT THAT WOULD BE MY NUMBER ONE CHOICE IF WE'RE THEN GOING TO HAVE THREE OF US TO HAVE A MOTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS. AND I WANT TO STOP START MY DELIBERATION AND CONVERSATION AND COMMENTS AT THE END OF THIS BY FIRST THANKING MY COLLEAGUES, THE QUESTIONS THAT THIS COMMITTEE CHOSE, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE CHOSE WERE CRAFTED BY US, THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND OUR CITY STAFF HELPED US LAY THE GROUNDWORK AND COMMUNICATED WITH EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WENT THROUGH THIS, VETTED THEM MULTIPLE TIMES. THAT REQUIRES SOME PARTNERSHIP AND IN SYNERGY WITH MULTIPLE OFFICES WITHIN OUR CITY. SO I THANK OUR CITY STAFF, OUR CLERK, AND YOUR OFFICE, ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND ALL THE FOLKS WHO THAT VETTED OUR NEIGHBORS WHO WANT TO STEP UP AND SERVE. THAT IS DEEPLY IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU TO OUR OUR STAFF AND THEN TO MY COLLEAGUES OF REALLY SITTING AND SAYING, WHAT DO HOW DO WE AND JUST A FEW MINUTES, BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY FOLKS. HOW DO WE REALLY GET TO THE ROOT OF WHAT THIS WORK IS? AND WITHOUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF TIME TO CREATE THIS, WE REALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS COMMISSIONER DIRECTLY TALKED ABOUT CONFLICT. MANY WAYS OF CONFLICT ARE A PART OF

[01:45:03]

[2. Motion to move Lindsay Perez Plecher to the final round.]

[3. Motion to move forward Kurt Reppart to the final round.]

[4. Motion to move forward Dan Cope to the final round.]

WITH THESE WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION, I'LL TALK WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT WEDNESDAY'S MEETING, WHICH WILL START AT 10:00 FOLLOWING BROWNFIELD. I THINK BROWNFIELD MEETS THAT MORNING. YEAH. SORRY. YEAH. SO SO BROWNFIELD MEETS FIRST. THAT USUALLY GOES UNTIL TEN. YEAH. SO SO AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT MEETING THEN WE'LL START THIS AT 10:00. I'LL COME. I'LL BE SENDING OUT EMAILS TO THE THREE FINALISTS. WHAT THE DETAILS ARE AS FAR AS TIME FRAME AND HOW MANY QUESTIONS. AND AFTER I SPEAK TO THE MAYOR AND THE REST OF THE REST OF THE COMMISSION TO TO SEE WHERE WE'RE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THOSE THOSE QUESTIONS. SO PLAN ON PROBABLY ABOUT 45 MINUTES FOR EACH, I WOULD SAY IS PROBABLY A GOOD, PROBABLY A GOOD TIME FOR YOU. YEAH, USUALLY. SO, SO YEAH, JUST PLAN ON ABOUT A 45 MINUTE TIME FRAME FOR EACH ONE, BUT WE'LL COME UP WITH MORE DETAILS LATER AS WE GO THROUGH. AND THAT'LL BE ON WEDNESDAY THE 22ND STARTING AT 10 A.M. YES, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. AND THEN I'LL ALSO I MEAN, SO IT WOULD FOLLOW THE SAME THING. WE'D HAVE OUR INTERVIEWS, WE'D HAVE TIME TO DELIBERATE. BUT WE ALSO DO HAVE ADDITIONAL TIME ON FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH, I BELIEVE.

I THOUGHT WE WERE HOLDING WE'RE HOLDING SOME TIME ON OUR CALENDARS. COLLEAGUES, DO YOU HAVE THAT TIME? LET'S SEE. FOR SOME REASON, I SEE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WHAT WE DID FOR MR. STROMM. NO, I DON'T THINK WE HELD THAT. OKAY. I DO SEE A HOLD. THERE'S A THERE'S A HOLD.

OH, JUST IF NEED BE, MAYBE. OH, I THINK THAT CAME FROM. OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, BUT IF WE I THINK WE'RE HOLDING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF WE COULD HAVE THE 22ND OR 24TH. OH, GOD. OKAY. OKAY. SO YEAH. AND THE YEAH, THE UNDERSTANDING IS IF SOMEONE IS SELECTED ON THE

[01:50:04]

OKAY, OKAY. THAT TOO. SO THANK YOU. I JUST SAW THAT THIS MORNING. THANKS FOR CONFIRMING.

AND THERE WILL BE A PRESS RELEASE FOLLOWING THIS PUBLIC AS WELL WITH NO DIRECT STEPS ON ON NEXT STEPS. WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE PUBLIC, ALL THE APPLICANTS, ALL THE STAFF AND EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS PROCESS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY. THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS IS

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.