Jun 16, 2026 Committee of the Whole Meeting

[00:00:10]

THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE TO ORDER. GLAD TO SEE SUCH A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE FROM THE URBAN LEAGUE. I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TEN MINUTE SPEECHES, ALL OF YOU PREPARED FOR US. SO IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WAY UP TO THE MICROPHONE. I'M JUST MESSING WITH YOU. SO GLAD TO SEE ALL OF YOU. ALL OF YOU, HERE. GREAT. SO OUR WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR ITEMS OUT OF ORDER THIS MORNING AND START WITH ITEM NUMBER TWO. THAT IS A RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DID COME HERE FOR NUMBER ONE. WE'RE WAITING ON ONE MORE COMMUNITY PARTNER AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT ITEM FOR STAFF'S REQUEST. SO ITEM

[2. Resolution recommending approval by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission of Social District Permit applications pursuant to Public Act 124 of 2020]

I'M NOT. BUT THEY'RE BOTH IN THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. GOT IT. ANY DISCUSSION? I WILL JUST POINT OUT, AS I DO OCCASIONALLY, THAT I THINK WE SHOULD JUST MAKE THE WHOLE CITY A SOCIAL DISTRICT AND CALL IT A DAY. OTHERWISE, WE'RE JUST STIGMATIZING PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE THE SOPHISTICATION TO ASK FOR PERMISSION FOR THE AREA AROUND THEIR BUSINESS. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, AYE AYE. NEXT IS A SIMILAR RESOLUTION APPROVING,

[3. Resolution recommending approval by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission of Social District Permit application pursuant to Public Act 124 of 2020 for Our Brewing Company, LLC located at 738 Wealthy St SE.]

[4. Resolution approving an agreement with the City of Wyoming to accept and process wastewater sludge]

COMMISSIONERS JAMES OATES, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES MANAGER. A YEAR AGO, I STOOD BEFORE YOU AND REQUESTED A SIX MONTH AGREEMENT WITH THE OPTION OF A SIX MONTH RENEWAL. DURING THAT TIME FRAME, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF WYOMING ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THIS AND MAKE IT MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT OUR SYSTEM. TODAY, I BRING BEFORE YOU A THREE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH FIVE OPTIONAL THREE YEAR RENEWALS. A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE NOTE OF IN THIS IS THAT WE'RE SWITCHING FROM BILLING ON A PER GALLON BASIS TO A DRY TON BASIS.

THIS ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE LOADING OF THE BIODIGESTERS RATHER THAN A FLOW. YOU'LL SEE THAT IT GOES RETROACTIVE TO JANUARY 19TH. THAT'S WHEN WE INSTALLED A METER ON OUR END SO THAT WE CAN ACCURATELY CALCULATE THE DRY TONS. ANOTHER THING THAT YOU'LL WANT TO TAKE NOTE OF IS THAT IT INCLUDES A CAPITAL DEPRECIATION OF ONE OF THE DIGESTERS, DIGESTER NUMBER THREE, AS WELL AS THE SCREENS THAT WILL BE NEEDED TO FILTER THE SLUDGE PRIOR TO DIGESTION.

THIS THIS REGIONAL COLLABORATION SUPPORTS, YOU KNOW, A GREATER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US AND THE CITY OF WYOMING. IT SUPPORTS ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND RESPONSIBLE WAY TO HANDLE OUR BIOSOLIDS. AND IT IT'S A GREAT IMPROVEMENT FOR FOR BOTH OF US. GREAT, THANKS. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, COLLEAGUES? I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION THAT IS YOU REFERENCED BIODIGESTER NUMBER THREE. AND THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MORE CAPACITY IS GOOD, MORE BIODIGESTER IS GOOD AS OUR CITY, AS THE REGION GROWS, DO WE HAVE CAPACITY REALLY LONG TERM TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE SYSTEM? LIKE CAN WE ADD MORE TANKS ONLINE? SO WHEN, WHEN THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED, IT'S ACTUALLY DESIGNED TO WHERE WE CAN ADD THREE MORE DIGESTERS, YOU KNOW, AFTER WE FULLY ACCEPT THE WYOMING SLUDGE, WE CAN CALCULATE WHAT OUR TRUE LOADING IS AND WE CAN ACTUALLY ACCEPT UP TO 25% OF AN INDUSTRIAL WASTE AND STILL QUALIFY FOR OUR D THREE RUNS. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ONCE IT STABILIZES, WE'LL CALCULATE AND SEE WHAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY HANDLE. OKAY, GREAT. WELL, THANKS FOR WORKING TO DEVELOP THE SYSTEM. OKAY. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. THAT BRINGS US TO A AMPHITHEATER RELATED

[5. Resolution authorizing payment to the Grand Rapids Community Foundation is the amount of $9,595,000 for the City of Grand Rapids Affordable Housing Fund]

[00:05:07]

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, COLLEAGUES? ALL RIGHT. QUIET GROUP THIS MORNING. THIS IS GREAT. SO THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THAT

[6. Authorization to execute a Purchase Agreement with Vicinity Energy in the amount of $50,000 annually for the purchase of electric-generated steam (eSteam) services]

I THINK IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE IN MOVING FORWARD ON THIS. VICINITY DID LET ME KNOW JUST LAST WEEK THAT GREENLEAF TRUST WAS FIRST PRIVATE SIDE PARTNER TO SIGN ON TO THE PROGRAM, AND THEY'VE GOT A NUMBER OF OTHER PRIVATE BUSINESSES THAT ARE EXPRESSING INTEREST IN GETTING ON BOARD. AND TO STATE WHAT'S OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE ON THE DAIS, BUT NOT EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE. MAYBE THIS OBVIOUSLY ALIGNS WITH OUR CAP OBJECTIVES, BECAUSE IT'S A NET GREENHOUSE REDUCTION AND THE E STEAM IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE THE ELECTRICITY IS GOING TO BE DIRECTLY TIED IN WITH SOLAR PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY. CORRECT. YES. SO A COUPLE OF ASPECTS FOR THE FOLKS THAT AREN'T AS FAMILIAR AS WE MIGHT BE, MOST OF THE STEAM THAT'S GENERATED TO HELP POWER AND HEAT BUILDINGS HERE IN MOSTLY THE DOWNTOWN FOOTPRINT IS GENERATED WITH GAS AND IT'S GENERATED WITH GAS RIGHT DOWN AT THE END OF THE STREET. SO THIS IS A WAY TO NOT ONLY HAVE A NET GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION, BUT IT'S A WAY TO DO IT THAT ACTUALLY HAS LOCAL IMPACT. VICINITY HAS A LONG TERM PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH CONSUMERS ENERGY TO BUY RENEWABLES TO POWER THAT ELECTRIC BOILER. AND THE HOPE IS TO HAVE THAT RUNNING FULL TIME AS THEY GET MORE SUBSCRIBERS ON BOARD. AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, THAT'S GAS IS, AS FOSSIL FUELS GO, THE BEST OF THE FOSSIL FUELS MAY BE, BUT IT'S STILL WE STILL GOT POINT SOURCE SPECIFIC POLLUTION GOING INTO THE AIR IN OUR CITY FROM A BIG GAS OPERATION IN OUR CORE CITY. SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN MOVE TO ELECTRICITY, WE ARE GETTING RID OF LOCAL POLLUTION. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, COLLEAGUES? GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSAL AUTHORIZATION, SAY AYE.

AYE AYE. ALL OPPOSED? CARRIES. THANK YOU. CLERK. OKAY, GREAT. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO

[1. A Proclamation Commemorating Juneteenth in the City of Grand Rapids]

[00:10:16]

COME ON. DON'T ACT AFRAID. SO I'M GOING TO READ THE PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. BUT BEFORE I DO, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS A HUMAN BEING AND AS AN AMERICAN, I LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY. AND I LOVE THE DREAM OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. BUT I FEEL LIKE AMERICA'S REAL INDEPENDENCE DAY, HIS MOST IMPORTANT INDEPENDENCE DAY IS ACTUALLY NOT JULY 4TH. FOR ME, IT'S JUNETEENTH. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DAMAGE AND THE HARM THAT HUMAN BEINGS CAN CAUSE TO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS. GENOCIDE HAS TO BE THE WORST THING I CAN THINK OF. BUT THE SECOND WORST THING I CAN THINK OF, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA STARTED WITH IT BUILT INTO ITS DNA, AND THAT WAS THE ABILITY TO ENSLAVE OTHER HUMAN BEINGS. AND GETTING RID OF THAT STAIN OR THAT WOUND OR THAT SIN, OR WHATEVER WORD YOU WANT TO USE WAS, PROBABLY WAS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS DONE IN ITS HISTORY. AND SO A DAY THAT CAN CELEBRATE US WRITING THAT WRONG, RECOGNIZING THE HORROR OF WHAT WAS AT OUR COUNTRY'S INCEPTION, THAT IT WAS OKAY FOR OTHER HUMAN BEINGS TO ENSLAVE, TO BE ENSLAVED BY A GROUP OF HUMAN BEINGS. FOR ME, CELEBRATING GETTING RID OF THAT STAIN IS AMERICA'S GREAT TRIUMPH. SO I AM SO HAPPY THAT IN RECENT YEARS WE'VE MADE A REAL CELEBRATION OF IT. WE'VE MADE A REAL DAY OF IT FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL CELEBRATE TOGETHER BECAUSE WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF BEING ABLE TO BE A BETTER MORAL COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. THIS IS ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO BE MORAL HUMAN BEINGS TOGETHER AND RECOGNIZE THE DIGNITY AND THE VALUE AND THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF EVERYBODY WITHOUT A LITTLE ASTERISK PUT ON IT. SO I'M GOING TO READ THE PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS JUNE, JUNETEENTH IS A CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM, RESILIENCE, AND THE ENDURING SPIRIT OF THOSE WHO PERSEVERED THROUGH GENERATIONS OF ENSLAVEMENT AND INJUSTICE. AND WHEREAS ON JUNE 19TH, 1865, NEWS OF FREEDOM REACHED THE LAST REMAINING ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS IN GALVESTON, TEXAS.

OVER TWO YEARS AFTER THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION DECLARED ALL ENSLAVED PEOPLE FREE. ON JANUARY 1ST, 1863, MARKING A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY AND GIVING RISE TO THE ANNUAL OBSERVANCE KNOWN AS JUNETEENTH. AND WHEREAS, JUNETEENTH SERVES AS A TIME TO HONOR THE STRENGTH, DETERMINATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK AMERICANS WHOSE LABOR LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, INNOVATION AND ADVOCACY HAVE SHAPED OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR NATION. AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS RECOGNIZES THE RICH HISTORY AND LASTING IMPACT OF BLACK RESIDENTS WHO HAVE HELPED BUILD, STRENGTHEN AND ENRICH OUR CITY THROUGH PUBLIC SERVICE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, EDUCATION, THE ARTS, FAITH COMMUNITIES, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. AND WHEREAS, JUNETEENTH INVITES US TO CELEBRATE NOT ONLY FREEDOM ACHIEVED, BUT ALSO THE POWER OF COMMUNITY, THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORY, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY WE SHARE TO CREATE A FUTURE WHERE EVERY RESIDENT CAN THRIVE. AND WHEREAS, BY REFLECTING ON OUR PAST AND HONORING THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US, WE REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A WELCOMING CITY WHERE DIGNITY, OPPORTUNITY, AND BELONGING ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. AND WHEREAS COMMUNITIES ACROSS GRAND RAPIDS WILL GATHER TO COMMEMORATE JUNETEENTH THROUGH EDUCATION, CULTURAL CELEBRATION, SERVICE, REFLECTION AND STRENGTHENING THE BONDS THAT UNITE US AS NEIGHBORS. NOW THEREFORE, I, DAVID LA GRANDE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, DO PROCLAIM JUNE 19TH, 2026, AS JUNETEENTH AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO RECOGNIZE THIS OCCASION BY CELEBRATING THE HISTORY, ACHIEVEMENT, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK AMERICANS, AND BY CONTINUING TO BUILD A COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY ROOTED IN RESPECT, OPPORTUNITY, AND SHARED PROSPERITY FOR ALL.

[00:15:03]

AND WE THANK MISS OPAL LEE, THE GRANDMOTHER WHO WALKED TO GET BIDEN. I GOTTA BE RESPECTFUL, RIGHT? WHAT I GOTTA SAY, THE LAST PRESIDENT, RIGHT? TO GET HIM TO SIGN, TO MAKE THIS A FEDERAL HOLIDAY. SO I AM SO HONORED. I'M SO HONORED TO HAVE FOUR GENERATIONS RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS WHO HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY AND ALL OF YOU WHO COME OUT TO CELEBRATE, TO LEARN, TO BE EDUCATED, TO GET TO KNOW AND TO WANT TO DO BETTER. SOLIDARITY IS WHAT IT'S ABOUT, US COMING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY IN A HEART OF LOVE. I WANT ALL OF YOU TO COME OUT, REPRESENT YOUR CLAN. SOME OF YOU HERE, I'M LOOKING TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT.

I KNOW YOUR GRANDPARENTS, SO YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOUR CLAN. WHEN THE TEACHERS USED TO SAY TO YOU, I KNOW YOUR FAMILY. I KNOW YOUR FAMILY. I WANT YOU TO COME OUT. I WANT YOU TO WALK.

THIS AIN'T NO PROTEST. WE GET TO CELEBRATE. THAT MEANS WE GET TO STAND BOLDLY, STAND UP TALL WITH OUR CHEST STUCK OUT, TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS WORLD. SO JUNETEENTH, JUNE 19TH, RIGHT THERE AT HIGHLAND EASTERN, THIRD WARD, YOU KNOW, THE WARD THAT THEY TALK ABOUT THAT THEY SAY IS ALL AT THE BOTTOM. YOU KNOW, THE WARD WHERE DON'T KNOW, JUNK COME FROM THIRD WARD. I'M A THIRD WARD, SOUTHEAST FOUR NINE, 507. AND MANY OF US HAVE CONTRIBUTED. MY 92 YEAR OLD FATHER CONTRIBUTED 70 PLUS YEARS TO HELP BUILD GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. YOU ALL COME OUT AND REPRESENT YOUR GRANDMOTHER. THEY KNOW YOUR PEOPLE'S LAST NAME IN HERE IN THIS CITY. WE KNOW EACH OTHER BY LAST NAMES. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUNETEENTH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CULTURE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LEADERSHIP FUTURE, UNITING OUR MONEY. AND WE DEFINITELY TALKING ABOUT THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS IS YOURS. OWN IT, KEEP IT, RAISE IT UP HIGH RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, WHERE WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED. ALL OF YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED FOR SUCH A DAY AS THIS FREEDOM DAY. LET'S COME TOGETHER NOT IN PROTEST, BUT IN CELEBRATION. SEE YOU ON THE 19TH 49507 HALL AND EASTERN AVENUE. COME AND WALK THAT PARADE IN A PARADE. IN A SHOW OF PRIDE. GO AND CELEBRATE WITH YOUR FAMILIES IN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES. YOU ALL HAVE YOUR WARDS THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF. AND I HAVE MY THIRD WARD 49507. IT DON'T MAKE NO JUNK. WE ALL OF THAT. PLEASE JOIN US FOR A PHOTO. GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE FRONT CENTER. YEAH. YOU CAN'T TAKE IT. YES, MA'AM. COME ON. I THINK WE CAN JUST STAND HERE.

THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT HERE. DOING GOOD. HOW ARE, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE. THE FUTURE? IS GREAT. SEE YOU. TRYING TO DO IT? THERE WE GO.

[00:20:26]

EVERYBODY ELSE. YOU GOT NO ONE ON. CLOSED SESSION BEFORE. YEAH. OKAY. THEN IF WE ALL WALK OUT THEN WE KNOW WE HAD IT DONE RIGHT. MAYOR. MAYOR. WHILE THE CHAMBER SETTLING. MAY I MAKE A REMARK? YOU BET. CITY COMMISSIONER. POINT OF PRIVILEGE, MAYOR. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. AND ALL THOSE WHO CAME. AND MAMA JEWELL FOR YOUR WORDS TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS IMPORTANT MOMENT OF EMANCIPATION FOR EVERYONE. AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS LATE, IT STILL HAD TO HAPPEN. AND I WANTED TO SAY WE ACKNOWLEDGE OPAL LEE AS THE GRANDMOTHER OF JUNETEENTH. BUT I ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH OPAL LEE EARLIER IN MY CAREER, AND SHE WAS A LOCAL LEADER BACK IN FORT WORTH. AND ALSO NOW COMING FULL CIRCLE TO DO IT AGAIN WITH MAMA JEWELL AND HER LEADERSHIP. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THIS WEEKEND AS WE ALL CONTINUE TO REMEMBER OUR PAST AND LOOK FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANKS. WE

[7. Motion to go into closed session]

SACHS. YES. COMMISSIONER. PERDUE. YES. COMMISSIONER. BOUCEK. YES. LAGRANGE. YES.

[1. Follow-Up on FY2027 Budget Deliberations]

[00:25:03]

SO AT THE END OF THE BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS, IT WAS CLEAR THAT YOU WANTED TO CONTINUE THE ENHANCED COMMUNICATION SUPPORT. AS I MENTIONED, THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA FOR FISCAL COMMITTEE THIS MORNING. APPROVED PENDING YOUR FINAL APPROVAL. THIS EVENING. SERVICES ARE LISTED HERE. IT'S A CONTRACT SERVICE AND INCLUDED THINGS LIKE COORDINATION, OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT. SO THAT BRINGS US TO THE OTHER PIECE OF THE ENHANCED COMMISSION SUPPORT.

THE ADMINISTRATIVE PIECE, AS I THINK YOU'RE AWARE, EVEN BEFORE THE START LAST SPRING OF THE THE PILOT OF ENHANCED ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, THE SERVICES YOU SEE HERE THAT ARE NOT ITALICIZED WERE ALREADY PROVIDED BY THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE. SO BASIC THINGS LIKE RECEIVING AND DEALING WITH MESSAGES UPON REQUEST, SCHEDULING, TRAVEL TRAINING AND RELATED REIMBURSEMENTS AND SUPPLIES AND IT COORDINATION. AND THEN WITH THE PILOT, DEPENDING ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCE, WHETHER YOU WANTED SOME OR ALL OF THESE, WE ADDED THE THE ITALICIZED SERVICES. SO SOME ENHANCED CALL BACK AND EMAIL MANAGEMENT REGULAR, DEPENDING ON WHAT CADENCE YOU. YOU PREFERRED REGULAR PLANNING CONSULTATIONS, SOME MORE ADVANCED CALENDARING, AND ENHANCED CITY CITY HALL SERVICES. GREETINGS. SET UP HOSPITALITY, PRINTING, FILING, ETC. AND AS I MENTIONED, YOU DID NOT ALL CHOOSE TO UTILIZE ALL OF THOSE. SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT FACT. SO THAT BRINGS US TO THREE OPTIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. SO ONE OPTION WOULD BE TO CONTINUE THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT PILOT, THE APPROXIMATE ANNUAL COST OF THAT IS ABOUT $80,000, BECAUSE IT IS THROUGH A TEMPORARY STAFFING AGENCY. THERE IS SOME ASSOCIATED AGENCY FEE BEYOND THE THE WAGE PAID TO AN EMPLOYEE. SO THIS WOULD CONTINUE A TEMPORARY SORT OF AD HOC ARRANGEMENT, MAINTAIN THE CURRENT STRUCTURE. IT WOULD MAINTAIN THOSE ITALICIZED SERVICES FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE TO THE EXTENT YOU WISH TO UTILIZE THEM. BUT THERE ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS. WHILE IT PRESERVES BOTH CONTINUITY AND OFFERS FLEXIBILITY AND LETS YOU HAVE DISCRETION OVER WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO FURTHER DOWN THE LINE. THERE ARE LIMITATIONS WE RECOGNIZE ASSOCIATED WITH TEMPORARY STAFFING. OF COURSE, WHEN WE DON'T COMMIT TO A PERMANENT JOB FOR THE PERSON DOING THE WORK, THAT ALSO AFFECTS THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE CAN EXPECT A, YOU KNOW, A LONG TERM COMMITMENT FROM THAT PERSON. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE THERE ARE SOME POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS ON, YOU KNOW, RELATED ON, ON CONSISTENCY AND, AND RESPONSIVENESS. SO OPTION TWO WOULD ESTABLISH A PERMANENT POSITION. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS THE FULL COST ASSOCIATED WITH ADMINISTRATIVE AID. THIS IS WHAT WE HAD SUGGESTED, BUT NOT ACTUALLY PUT IN IN TERMS OF DOLLARS IN THE PRELIMINARY FISCAL PLAN. SO TO TO BE CLEAR, IT IS NOT IN THE CURRENT BUDGET AND IT WAS NOT IN THE IN THE PRELIMINARY PLAN. THIS WOULD CREATE A PERMANENT EXECUTIVE OFFICE POSITION. IT WOULD TRANSITION FROM A PILOT TO AN ONGOING SERVICE. AND SO IN ADDITION TO SUSTAINING ALL THOSE, AGAIN, THE ITALICIZED SERVICES FROM A COUPLE SLIDES BACK, THERE ARE BENEFITS WITH LONGER TERM SERVICE, THINGS LIKE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. WE CAN EXPECT MORE

[00:30:03]

AND WITH THAT, I WILL BRIEFLY TURN THE PODIUM OVER TO MR. DAVIS AND HE'LL DESCRIBE THE PUBLIC SAFETY TRUST FUND IMPLICATIONS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING AGAIN. SO AS WE DISCUSSED DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE, THE STATE IS EXPECTED TO ALLOCATE APPROXIMATELY $1.7 MILLION TO THE CITY THROUGH THE PUBLIC SAFETY REVENUE SHARING GRANTS PROGRAM WE'VE BEEN REFERRING TO AS THE PUBLIC SAFETY TRUST FUND. NOW, THIS, THIS, THIS FUNDING HAS SPECIFIC WAYS THAT WE HAVE TO SPEND IT. SO 75% OF THE FUNDS HAVE TO SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND 25% MAY BE USED FOR A BROADER PUBLIC SAFETY PURPOSES. SO MOST OF THE DISCUSSION WE'VE BEEN HAVING AROUND THIS IS AROUND THAT 25%. SO INTENDED USES INCLUDE APPROXIMATELY $200,000 FOR INTERNAL CITY PROJECTS THAT WILL SUPPORT THINGS WE'RE ALREADY DOING, LIKE THE SAFE TASK FORCE AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS. AND IT ALSO, WE WOULD LOOK INTO WHETHER OR NOT IT COULD BE USED FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEDIATION EFFORTS AS WELL. AND $200,000 HAS BEEN SET ASIDE. OUR OUR GOAL IS TO USE THAT FOR EXTERNAL COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE SCHEDULED TO DO PLANNING AND ENGAGEMENT FOR THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF JULY.

AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF THE REASON WE WANTED TO COME BACK AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. AND WE HAD TO REVISE THE TIMELINE, ESSENTIALLY, BECAUSE THE STATE HAS NOT PROVIDED US WITH THE FUNDS YET, OR AN EXPECTED DATE FOR WHEN WE SHOULD RECEIVE THE FUNDS. SO BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO KNOW EXACTLY WHEN WE'RE GOING TO GET IT, WE THOUGHT IT BEST TO PUSH THE TIMELINE BACK. WE STILL INTEND TO USE A VERY SIMILAR PROCESS, ESSENTIALLY THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE PLANNED BEFORE. BUT INSTEAD OF STARTING IN JULY, WE WILL START IN SEPTEMBER. AND THIS, OF COURSE ASSUMES THAT WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION OR THE FUNDS BY THAT POINT. SO IN SEPTEMBER, WE'LL DO A PROGRAM LAUNCH THAT WILL INCLUDE A WEB PAGE THAT WILL EXPLAIN THIS PROCESS, EXPLAIN WHAT THE FUNDING IS AND HOW IT CAN BE USED. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'LL BE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING CONVERSATIONS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND OCTOBER WILL MAKE THE GRANT APPLICATION AVAILABLE. MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS THROUGH ALL OF OCTOBER. THAT STAFF GROUP THAT'S INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION WILL DO THAT EVALUATION AT THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, AND OUR GOAL WILL THEN BE TO BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE NOVEMBER 17TH PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. AT THAT TIME, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THIS BODY. IT WOULD COME BACK TO THIS BODY ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR FINAL APPROVAL, AND THEN WE WOULD NOTIFY RECIPIENTS ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1ST OF 2026. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MR. CANFIELD. THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. SO FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS WILL BE THE THE GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND MISS BEHRENS WILL REPORT BACK WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD ROADS FUNDING WHEN THAT BECOMES AVAILABLE. WE EXPECT THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS WILL TAKE PLACE, OR AT LEAST AN

[00:35:05]

SO YOU WILL HEAR BACK FROM US BY THEN. SO THAT BRINGS ME BACK TO THE OPTIONS. AND WE DO HOPE THAT YOU WILL HAVE SOME FEEDBACK FOR US TODAY ON THE FUTURE OF THE ENHANCED COMMISSION, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. AND AGAIN, THE OPTIONS THAT I PRESENTED WERE TO CONTINUE THE PILOT CONVERT TO A PERMANENT POSITION OR LET THE PILOT END. THANK YOU. THANKS.

COMMISSIONERS. WEIGH IN HERE. COMMISSIONER PERDUE, GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LOU, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS BACK TO US IN WITH THIS TIME FRAME SO THAT WE CAN DECIDE HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE I THINK THAT CONTINGENCY OF WHAT TO EXPECT FOR US AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT. OF THESE THREE OPTIONS, I AM IN FAVOR OF OPTION TWO, OF MAKING THIS A PERMANENT POSITION, OF BRINGING IT IN HOUSE, AS LOU OUTLINED. I THINK IT GIVES US MORE CONTROL RIGHT OVER HOW TO HOW TO TO SCOPE OUT THIS POSITION, HOW TO SUPPORT THIS POSITION, HOW TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN LINE WITH THE REST OF OUR STAFF EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS I THINK IT'S A MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE APPROACH, GIVEN THAT WE WILL FOREGO ALL THE FEES AND THE THINGS OF USING A TEMP AGENCY. SO I'D BE EXCITED TO TO BRING THIS POSITION IN HOUSE PERMANENTLY. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, REALLY WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US IS HAVING ONGOING SUPPORT THAT WE CAN COUNT ON TO FREE UP OUR LIMITED TIME TO DO THE THINGS WHERE WE CAN GET THE MOST, THE MAXIMUM IMPACT, RIGHT? SO INSTEAD OF SPENDING AN HOUR ON CALENDARING OR PRINTING, WE COULD SPEND THAT HOUR ON PREPARING FOR A CONSTITUENT MEETING OR SOMETHING OF THE SORT. SO I SEE THIS AS A WAY TO MAXIMIZE OUR WORK IN OUR SPECIFIC POSITIONS TO, TO, TO, TO GET THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK, IF YOU WILL, TO CONSTITUENTS. SO I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT OPTION TWO. THANK YOU. I WILL ALSO ADD ON TO TO THAT COMMISSIONER, ONE OF THE IT SEEMED TO ME IMPLICIT IN THERE AND. MR. CAN YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I WOULD I WOULD ANTICIPATE OR LOOK FORWARD TO SOME PERHAPS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF COMMISSIONERS GIVING FEEDBACK PERIODICALLY AND SIMPLY THE ABILITY. IF SOMEONE'S IN HOUSE, IF SOMEONE'S CONTRACTED, WE SORT OF POTENTIALLY GET A SERVICE GIVES US. WHEREAS IF WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY IN HOUSE, THERE MAY BE MORE ROOM FOR MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK AND REVIEW FROM THE COMMISSIONER. SO THAT'S CAN I ADD ON? YEAH, YEAH, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS OF THE TRANSITION AND IN HIRING AND ONBOARDING, IS INCLUSION OF COMMISSIONERS IN SOME PART OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS. SO THAT WHETHER IT'S UPFRONT, THIS IS ALL OF OUR EXPECTATIONS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR TO HELP INFORM THE JOB DESCRIPTION, SOME VIEW INTO THE HIRING PROCESS, SOME SORT OF MEET THE CANDIDATES, REVIEW THEIR RESUMES AND OR SIT IN INTERVIEWS AND THEN GIVE INPUT BEFORE THAT FINAL DECISION IS MADE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S FEEDBACK I'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF YOU. SO YEAH, I THINK LET ME LET ME RESPOND FOR THAT TO THAT. I WANT TO CERTAINLY MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE RIGHT PERSON SHOULD THIS BECOME A PERMANENT POSITION. BUT BE REAL CLEAR, THIS IS NOT AN APPOINTMENT OF THE CITY COMMISSION. THEY DON'T HAVE 6 OR 7 PEOPLE THAT THEY REPORT TO.

THEY REPORT TO ONE PERSON. THEY ARE AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY MANAGER, AND I WILL ASSIGN THAT PERSON TO AN EXECUTIVE IN MY OFFICE FOR OVERSIGHT. SO WE CERTAINLY WILL GET FEEDBACK, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO STRUCTURE THIS LIKE YOU ARE INTERVIEWING TO REPLACE YOUR SEVENTH COMMISSIONER OR APPOINTING ONE OF YOUR FOUR APPOINTEES. THEY'RE THEY ARE NOT AN EMPLOYEE THAT'S APPOINTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION. THANK YOU. GOOD POINT, COMMISSIONER BELICHICK, I THOUGHT I SAW YOUR HAND. YES, YES. THANK YOU. I, I REALLY VALUE THIS POSITION. I FOUND IT TO BE INCREDIBLY USEFUL. I THINK THAT THE HIGH TOUCH ABILITY TO REACH OUT TO CONSTITUENTS TO PROVIDE SOME DIFFERENT NAVIGATION FOR DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS. FIRST RESPONSE THAT WE DO. I AGREE ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE SAID, COMMISSIONER, ABOUT MAXIMIZING OUR WORK AND FREEING UP OUR TIME AND BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. I THINK THAT THE IDEA OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND, AND THE LEARNING PROCESS FOR THE, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO SERVE US SO WELL. SO I AM 100%

[00:40:02]

[00:45:05]

AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT UTILIZED THE POSITION, I AM ALWAYS THINKING MORE FORWARD OF WHO MAY NEED THAT SUPPORT IN THIS ROLE. AND WHO KNOWS. MY FAMILY MAY WELCOME A CHILD THROUGHOUT MY TENURE. WHO KNOWS. SO THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THANKS COLLEAGUES, AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF OPTION TWO. THANK YOU. AND I'LL WEIGH IN TO THE, THE THE WEIGHT OF OPINION SEEMS TO BE ON OPTION TWO. AND THAT'S, THAT SEEMS TO ME TO BE THE PREFERRED MY PREFERRED CHOICE HERE TOO. SO THANKS. I THINK THAT'S ALL THE DIRECTION YOU NEED THEN. RIGHT. OKAY. YES. SO WE'VE HEARD YOUR MAJORITY PREFERENCE FOR OPTION TWO. SO BECAUSE THIS WILL REQUIRE A BUDGET AMENDMENT, WE WILL BRING THAT BACK TO YOU IN JULY. IN THE MEANTIME, BASED ON THAT $100,000, THE TEMPORARY SERVICES CAN CONTINUE. AND THEN THERE WILL BE A PROCESS FOLLOWING THAT, WHICH TYPICALLY INVOLVES SEVERAL MONTHS TO ACTUALLY SELECT AND AND ONBOARD A PERMANENT PERSON. SO THANK YOU FOR THE DISCUSSION TODAY. THANKS. ANY DISCUSSION AROUND THE COMMUNITY SAFETY? I'M SORRY, WAS THERE SOMEONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER BELICHICK, I THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED IF IF I MAY RESPOND TO CLARIFY THAT WHEN I'M USING THE SERVICE I'VE BEEN WHEN I SAY REACHING OUT TO CONSTITUENTS, IT'S NOT FOR THE DEPARTMENTAL WORK, IT'S FOR THE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT SOMETIMES FALL IN THE GRAY AREAS OR REQUIRE. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE A CONSTITUENT WHO'S MORE UPSET OR MORE NEED NEEDS A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION TIME AND SETTING UP AN APPOINTMENT OR THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. THANKS.

SO AS SORRY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO ANYONE WANT TO HAVE DISCUSSION ON THE ANTICIPATED PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING? WE DON'T HAVE IT YET. SO IT'S ODD TO HAVE A BRIEFING ON SOMETHING THAT MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST. AND THE PURPOSE TODAY WAS JUST TO RESET EXPECTATIONS THAT WE'RE NOT BEGINNING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BEGINNING IN JULY, BUT WE'LL START IN SEPTEMBER.

RIGHT. AND I KNOW THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC THAT AS WELL THAT WAS EXPECTING THAT PROCESS TO START. SO WE WANTED TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHERE WE WERE. YEAH, GREAT.

COMMISSIONER, I AGREE, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN UNKNOWN. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. MR. DAVIS.

WHAT I WOULD SAY WE DO HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST LIST OF EITHER PAST SAFE WINNERS OR THEIR COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WE OFTEN BRING TOGETHER. IS IT IF IT HASN'T BEEN DONE ALREADY? SO LET ME NOT BE PRESUMPTUOUS. BUT IF IT HASN'T, COULD WE JUST SEND THEM THAT DETAIL THE TIMELINE? JUST SO FOLKS KNOW, YES, WE PLAN TO SHARE THE INFORMATION AFTER TODAY'S BRIEFING. OKAY, WONDERFUL. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE. A QUESTION FOR JUST CLARITY. SO I'M LOOKING AT THE SLIDES. DISCUSSING THE INTENDED USES INTERNALLY. COULD YOU JUST TALK ABOUT HOW THE EXTERNAL COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM IS RELATED IN DIFFERENT FROM THE STATE TASK FORCE TASK FORCE GRANTS? IS THIS A NEW PROGRAM?

[00:50:06]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. I THINK THAT ENDS OUR AGENDA. AND WE WILL RECESS INTO NOW WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN. OH, I'M SORRY COMMISSIONER, ANOTHER BRIEFING. OH I'M SORRY JOEL.

SORRY. I GOT TOO EXCITED ABOUT MOVING INTO PUBLIC INTO INTO OUR LEGAL DISCUSSIONS. SO OUR

[2. 2026 Elections Update]

[00:55:01]

THAT'S THE ONE THAT HAS HELPED US A LOT. IF YOU REMEMBER 2020, IT TOOK US IT TOOK US A WHILE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T START ABSENTEE BALLOTS UNTIL ELECTION MORNING. AND IT TOOK IT. WE DIDN'T GET DONE UNTIL 3:00 ON WEDNESDAY BECAUSE WE HAD 60,000 BALLOTS TO COUNT. NOW WE CAN START TWO MONDAYS AHEAD. IT LETS US PLAN OUR WORK ELECTION WORK. ELECTION INSPECTORS AREN'T AS TIRED AS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, WORK 48 HOURS AND OR GETTING PEOPLE IN AND THEN TRAINING THEM AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO. SO THIS GIVES US TIME TO START ON THE FRONT END.

CALIFORNIA DOESN'T HAVE THAT AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE DIFFERENT.

JUST LOOKING BACK TO PREVIOUS NOVEMBER ELECTIONS, YOU CAN SEE HOW IT IT HAS INVERTED FROM ALL THE WAY BACK IN NOVEMBER 2016, WE HAD ALMOST A GOOD MAJORITY OF VOTERS VOTING IN THE PRECINCT WITH SMALL ABSENTEES. BUT WITH THE CHANGES OF THOSE PROPOSALS, YOU CAN SEE IN NOVEMBER 2024, NOW WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE VOTING BEFORE CASTING A BALLOT BEFORE ELECTION DAY OR VOTING THEIR BALLOT BEFORE ELECTION DAY THAN ON ACTUAL ELECTION DAY. SO, SO, AND THIS GIVES JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE BREAKDOWN OF THAT 2024 ELECTION. ALL RIGHT. LOOKING AT THE AUGUST 4TH PRIMARY ELECTION, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST. KIND OF A BALLOT THAT IS CAN BE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING BECAUSE MICHIGAN DOES NOT HAVE CLOSED PRIMARIES. WE HAVE LIKE A SEMI OPEN PRIMARY. SO YOU HAVE THE REPUBLICAN YOU HAVE A DEMOCRATIC COLUMN AND COLUMN A, REPUBLICAN COLUMN, COLUMN B, AND THEN COLUMN C IS FOR ANY ANY NONPARTISAN OR A PROPOSALS.

SO BOTH BOTH PARTIES ARE ON THE SAME BALLOT. YOU JUST CAN'T CROSS OVER. SO THIS IS FOR THE AUGUST PRIMARY BALLOT. SO YOU CAN'T VOTE FOR REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND DEMOCRATIC U.S.

SENATOR. ONCE YOU START VOTING IN ONE COLUMN, THERE IS NO. SO. SO ONCE YOU. SO WE GET VOTERS THAT SPOIL THEIR BALLOTS. IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU CAN GET A NEW BALLOT SO THAT. THAT'S THE ONE GOOD THING FOR VOTERS TO KNOW THAT IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU CAN YOU CAN GET ANOTHER BALLOT IN OUR TABULATOR. IF YOU PUT IT IN YOURSELF, WILL TELL YOU IF YOU MADE A AN ERROR.

SO YOU CANNOT CROSS OVER. SO STAY IN YOUR LANE EITHER COLUMN A, COLUMN B, AND IF YOU'RE AN INDEPENDENT, YOU WANT TO VOTE IN THAT THIRD COLUMN. YOU CAN DO THAT. YOU CAN SKIP THE PARTY SECTIONS ALTOGETHER IF YOU WANT TO. ALSO, TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEXITY TO THIS BALLOT.

WE ALSO HAVE CITY ELECTIONS THIS YEAR, BUT NOT ALL THE WARDS HAVE PRIMARIES. ONLY THE FIRST WARD HAS A PRIMARY. SO YOU HAVE THREE CANDIDATES THAT ARE RUNNING. THE TOP TWO WILL MOVE ON TO NOVEMBER. AND THEN I THINK WE'RE ALL ALSO, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH IN NOVEMBER, THAT FIRST WARD COMMISSIONER WINNER, MAYBE UP FOR AN APPOINTMENT IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO DO THAT, THAT'S UP. THAT'S UP TO YOU AT THAT POINT. BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE PROCESS. WE'RE GOING WITH THAT VACANCY IN THE FIRST WARD. SO THERE IS NO. SO THERE WILL BE NO SECOND WARD, THIRD WARD OR CITY CONTROLLER ON THIS AUGUST BALLOT. SO IT MIGHT GET A LITTLE BIT INTERESTING AROUND THAT GARFIELD PARK NEIGHBORHOOD AREA, BECAUSE YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE A LOT OF SIGNS IN THAT THOSE FIRST WARD PRECINCTS, THAT PRECINCT THREE AND FOUR, WHICH ARE IN THE FIRST WARD, BUT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IS THE THIRD WARD. THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, HOW COME I DON'T HAVE THOSE CANDIDATES ON MY BALLOT? SO THAT'S THAT'S PART OF IT. AND THEN IF THIS ISN'T ALREADY CONFUSING ENOUGH, GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS A SINKING FUND MILLAGE ON THE BALLOT IN AUGUST AS WELL, WHICH MEANS WE'LL HAVE SPLIT PRECINCTS FOR THOSE THAT HAVE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO YOU'LL HAVE SO ALMOST ALL THE BALLOTS IN GRAND RAPIDS WILL HAVE A SCHOOL ISSUE.

[01:00:04]

THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY CANDIDATE THAT YOU WANT. YOU CAN VOTE A STRAIGHT PARTY, YOU CAN SPLIT THE TICKET, YOU CAN DO A MIX TICKET. JUST VOTE YOUR CANDIDATES. YOU'LL HAVE ALL THE JUDICIAL, CITY, LOCAL EDUCATIONAL BOARDS, YOU KNOW, GRCC, GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, KENTWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ALL THOSE SCHOOL BOARDS. THERE'S TWO PROPOSALS SO FAR THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT. THE FIRST ONE IS THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

THE CONSTITUTION OF MICHIGAN PUTS IN THERE THAT SAYS EVERY 16 YEARS THEY'RE GOING TO ASK THE VOTERS, DO YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS? AGAIN, THIS IS THE ONLY PROPOSAL I KNOW THAT LABOR AND AND COMMERCE ARE TOGETHER ON IT. SO MICHIGAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS HEAVILY OUT AGAINST IT, AS IS AFL-CIO, UAW. SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE TIMES WHERE FOLKS THAT ARE USUALLY BATTLING ARE WORKING TOGETHER. AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE MUSEUM ZOO MILLAGE FOR KENT COUNTY. THERE ARE SOME OTHER PROPOSALS THAT ARE OUT IN THE FIELD OR HAVE TURNED IN PETITIONS. WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR TO SEE WHAT THOSE WILL BE. EARLY VOTING FOR AUGUST ELECTION. WE HAVE NINE DAYS OF IT STARTING JULY 25TH THROUGH AUGUST 2ND AT OTTAWA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, GR P S UNIVERSITY, SAINT PETER AND PAUL SCHOOL. SO SAME LOCATIONS THAT WE HAD IN 2024 AND THE SAME TIME FRAMES THAT WE USED. SO THAT'S THAT. AND THEN NOVEMBER WE'RE GOING TO ADD FOUR MORE DAYS. WE FOUND OUT STARTING EARLY VOTING ON A SATURDAY WAS WAS DIFFICULT TO DO FOR THE FIRST. FIRST OF ALL, WE DIDN'T HAVE IT DEPARTMENTS READY TO GO. SO IF WE WERE HAVING COMPUTER ISSUES, ALSO, IF WE NEED OFFICE SUPPLIES RUNNING TO ALL THE STAPLES, IT JUST WAS IT WAS UNANTICIPATED HOW POPULAR IT WAS GOING TO BE ON THAT FIRST SATURDAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO START ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, AND WE START AT LIKE 11:00 AT 8 A.M. AND THAT GIVES US TIME TO GET GOING. AND THEN WE'LL GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST. SO WE'RE ADDING FOUR MORE DAYS OF EARLY VOTING AND A FOURTH LOCATION. WE'RE GOING TO BE AT NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD PARTNERSHIP TO TO WORK WITH THAT ABSENTEE VOTING MILITARY, OVERSEAS VOTERS. THE 45 DAYS IS THIS SATURDAY, SO WE'LL BE MONITORED. WE'LL GET THOSE ABSENTEE BALLOTS OUT. WE HAVE ABSENTEE BALLOTS AVAILABLE NOW. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THOSE READY FOR DELIVERY, SO STAFF IS BUSY GETTING THOSE PREPARED TO BE MAILED. WE HAVE A PERMANENT APPLICATION LIST AND A PERMANENT BALLOT LIST BASED ON WHAT THE VOTERS WANT. BALLOTS CAN BE RETURNED IN DROP BOXES BY THE MAIL AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE OR THIS IS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. THIS IS KIND OF LIKE HYBRID VOTING. WE WILL MAIL YOU AN ABSENTEE BALLOT. YOU CAN TAKE TIME TO RESEARCH ALL THE THINGS YOU WANT TO KNOW, WHAT A CON CON IS, OR WHAT A SINKING FUND MILLAGE YOU WANT TO TAKE SOME TIME. YOU HAVE TIME TO TO STUDY THE BALLOT AND THEN BUT YOU WANT TO PUT IT IN THE TABULATOR. SO, SO YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT THAT PRECINCT EXPERIENCE AS WELL.

YOU CAN BRING YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT AND PUT IT THROUGH THE TABULATOR YOURSELF. SO IT'S KIND OF THAT KIND OF THAT NICE HYBRID METHOD FOR THAT. BALLOTS ARE TABULATED FOR BALLOTS THAT GET RETURNED TO US. BALLOTS ARE TABULATED AT THE ABSENTEE VOTER COUNTING BOARD. AND WE, WE GOT UP TO EIGHT DAYS TO TABULATE. NOW, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE TIRED AND CRAM EVERYTHING IN ONE DAY, ELECTION DAY IS AUGUST 4TH AND NOVEMBER 3RD. THOSE ARE THE DAYS. SO POLLS ARE OPEN 7 A.M. TO 8 P.M. ANYONE IN LINE CAN STILL VOTE. ALL 59 PRECINCTS WILL BE OPEN. A COUPLE POLLING LOCATION UPDATES YOU APPROVED AT THE LAST MEETING. A NEW POLLING LOCATION FOR PRECINCT NINE AT NEW VINTAGE PLACE ON THE WEST SIDE. SO WHAT USED TO BE AT STOCKING SCHOOL IN THAT PRECINCT WAS. AND THEN PRECINCT 38. WE HAD TO MAKE A CHANGE. WE HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY CHANGE. AFTER YOU APPROVED THE LIST AT THE LAST ONE IS, BUT IT'S ALREADY POLLING LOCATION. YOU APPROVED YANKEE CLIPPER GOT FLOODED. THEIR BASEMENT GOT FLOODED. SO THEY WE AT YOUR LAST MEETING, YOU ALSO APPROVED A CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO TO FIX THAT ROOM. SO JUST FOR THIS ELECTION, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE PRECINCT 38 TO HOLY TRINITY ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THEN PRECINCT 51, WHICH IS NORMALLY AT KENNEL. THAT'S STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SO FOR THIS YEAR, FOR AUGUST AND NOVEMBER, THEY'LL BE AT BROOKSIDE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH. VOTERS HAVE ALL BEEN MAILED NOTICES OF UPDATES, AND WE'LL

[01:05:01]

APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT. REGISTER TO VOTE. FIND YOUR POLLING LOCATION. THE BIG ONE IS YOU CAN VIEW YOUR VIEW A SAMPLE BALLOT. A LOT OF TIMES WE SEE THE VOTERS EYES GO WIDE BECAUSE THEY CAME IN TO VOTE FOR GOVERNOR OR PRESIDENT OR WHATEVER, OR IN 2018, THEY WANTED TO VOTE FOR WEED. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE CAME IN AND ASKED FOR. AND THEN THEY SEE ALL THESE OTHER THINGS AND THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT'S A DRAIN COMMISSIONER? WHAT'S THIS OR THAT? YOU KNOW, THESE VARIOUS OTHER THINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, GET A SAMPLE BALLOT, KNOW BEFORE, YOU KNOW. AND THEN KENT COUNTY ELECTION ALSO HAS THEIR WEBSITE FOR KENT COUNTY VOTES.COM, WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT CAMPAIGN FINANCE. SO WHO'S SUPPORTING THE CANDIDATES? IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO'S SUPPORTING THE CITY WARD OR CITY COMMISSIONERS WHO'S SUPPORTING THE CONTROLLER'S CANDIDATES, YOU CAN GO THERE AND LOOK AT THEIR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT. SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY YOU CAN DO THAT. YOU CAN ALSO GO TO THE STATE WEBSITE, STATE WEBSITE TO LOOK AT LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES TO SEE WHAT THEIR WHO THEY SUPPORT. SO TO GET READY FOR ALL THIS INFORMATION, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH WELL DESIGNED TO HELP US DO SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGING. SO THIS IS KIND OF OUR CALENDAR. IF YOU KIND OF SAW WE HAD SOME MESSAGES COME OUT LAST WEEK ABOUT REGISTERING AND MARKING YOUR CALENDAR. SO WE'VE ALREADY HAD A COUPLE OF THOSE MESSAGES GO OUT BY SOCIAL MEDIA. AND SO THIS IS OUR MEDIA POSTING SCHEDULE AND WE'VE BEEN PREPARING DIFFERENT THINGS AS WELL. THIS IS LIKE ONE OF THOSE CAROUSELS LOOKS LIKE FOR ABSENTEE VOTING. SO YOU WOULD HAVE A CAROUSEL FOR THESE WILL BE FACEBOOK ADS. AND SO FACEBOOK ADS AND INSTAGRAM ADS. AND THIS IS ANOTHER ONE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE ENGLISH AND THE SPANISH VERSION OF THAT. AND IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS, WE ACTUALLY, WE ACTUALLY BUY FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ADS AND WE DO, AND THEY DO WHATEVER THOSE FANCY ALGORITHMS ARE TO PLACE THE ADS. THEY ALSO DO IT FOR SPANISH SPEAKING FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM THINGS AS WELL.

AND THEN WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON RECORDING SOME SHORT VIDEOS. SO WE SHOULD WE SHOT A BUNCH OF SHORT VIDEOS OUT ON THE CORRIDOR UP HERE OF MESSAGES ABOUT UPCOMING ELECTIONS. WE'RE GOING TO ALSO SHOOT ANOTHER SERIES OF SHORT VIDEOS THAT WILL SHARE LATER. AND WE'LL DO THOSE AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS LIKE TODAY'S EARLY VOTING. TODAY IS ELECTION DAY. ALL THOSE VARIOUS THINGS. MAKE SURE YOU SIGN YOUR ENVELOPE FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT LIKE SO. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THOSE ADS. HI, I'M CITY CLERK JOEL, AND I WANT YOU TO COME HELP ME ON ELECTION DAY OR IN EARLY VOTING OR ABSENTEE VOTING COUNTING BOARD TO SERVE YOUR FELLOW GRAND RAPIDS RESIDENTS WORKING IN THE ELECTIONS. IT'S THE EASIEST TIME TO BECOME AN ELECTION INSPECTOR. JUST GO TO GRAND RAPIDS, MI.GOV/GR VOTES. YOU CAN SIGN UP ONLINE. IT'S EASY. WE'LL TRAIN YOU AND IT'LL BE A GREAT WAY THAT YOU CAN SERVE YOUR FELLOW GRAND RAPIDS.

SO JUST A SHORT, JUST A SHORT VIDEO TO. AND THERE'LL BE OTHER SHORT VIDEOS LIKE THAT OF ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH. SO THAT'S IT. WOW. THEY DIDN'T DO THAT. LU, AFTER YOUR PRESENTATION. NO, I'M JUST KIDDING. DON'T SAY NOBODY EVER CLAPPED FOR YOU.

THAT'S RIGHT. ANY ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH. THANK YOU, CITY CLERK. I KNOW A COUPLE PEOPLE WERE HERE LAST WEEK FOR SOME TRAINING TO BE ELECTION WORKERS, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT SUCH SO IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO MAKING IT FUN AND APPRECIATE YOU. I THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THESE PLANS. JUST A REMINDER TO ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, MR. HÖHNDORF IS IS OFTEN ACROSS THE STATE AND EVEN THE COUNTRY, SEEING AS, YOU KNOW, A GO TO PERSON TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INSIGHT TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AROUND VOTING AND REMINDER THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE DOESN'T JUST WORK ON VOTING, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE OFTEN MOST CONCERNED ABOUT. I THINK MY QUESTION IS, IS A BROADER QUESTION FOR, FOR ALL OF US.

AND, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, AS AN ATTORNEY AND WE HAVE OUR WE HAVE OUR CITY ATTORNEY UP HERE.

I THINK THIS ELECTION IS GOING TO PRESENT OTHER CHALLENGES. YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE VERY, VERY PREPARED AND WE CAN SAY, WHAT DID WE DO? AND ALL THESE DAYS, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY LITIGATION THAT MAY COME FORTH TO CITIES LIKE OURS IN OUR STATE BECAUSE THE STATE IS IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN THESE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. SO I'D LOVE FOR US TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT I'VE TALKED TO SOME OTHER FOLKS IN MORE IN THE NONPROFIT WORLD, BUT IN THAT FUNDING WORLD ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT MUNICIPALITIES AROUND, YOU KNOW,

[01:10:03]

AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT ALL OF US CAN DO, FRANKLY, IS BE POSSIBLE POTENTIAL WITNESSES TO THIS. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, FRANKLY, FOR ALL OF US, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT ALL OF US WOULD TAKE TIME ON, PARTICULARLY IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, WHICH IS LIKELY GOING TO BE THE THE FLASHPOINT ELECTION, TO SIMPLY BE ABLE TO BE FOR THOSE POST LITIGATION TO BE LIKE, WELL, I WAS AT THE POLLING LOCATION IN THE THIRD WARD AND, YOU KNOW, RUDY GIULIANI WAS NOT THERE. AND THIS IS WHAT I SAW. SO I THINK THAT THE THE ABILITY TO BE A DIRECT WITNESS TO WHAT I AM, YOU KNOW, BEYOND 100% CONFIDENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, WHICH IS A REGULAR, CAREFULLY AND LEGALLY ADMINISTERED ELECTION PROCESS. I THINK I THINK HONESTLY, OUR GREATEST THREAT IN LITIGATION IS GOING TO BE PEOPLE MAKING UP THEIR OWN FACTS. AND SO I KNOW THAT OUR CITY CLERK IS IS ON THIS, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY. BUT I THINK THAT HAVING HAVING WITNESSES WHO ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONVEY THAT NARRATIVE, AND I HOPE IT WON'T BE NECESSARY, BUT I THINK THAT ALL THOSE OF US WHO CAN, WHO ARE WHO CAN BE PREPARED TO STAND UP AND TO PUT IT SIMPLY, DEFEND DEMOCRACY BY, BY BEING WITNESSES TO, TO A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION. I THINK THAT'S I THINK THAT'S A REAL ISSUE. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I LIVED THROUGH THAT TESTIMONY. AND IT WAS IT WAS A STRANGE EXPERIENCE. SO. AND AND, YOU KNOW, RUDY GIULIANI, AGAIN, WAS ASKED IF HE HAD ALL THIS INFORMATION, WHY DIDN'T HE ASK FOR A PAPER RECOUNT? AND HIS ANSWER WAS, WELL, THEY WOULD HAVE JUST LIED ABOUT IT SOME OTHER WAY. WELL, YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T REALLY RESPOND TO PARANOID NARRATIVE AND GET RID OF IT ENTIRELY BECAUSE THEY'LL JUST COME UP WITH ANOTHER CONSPIRACY THEORY NARRATIVE. BUT WE CAN AT LEAST STAND AND BE WITNESSES TO ACTUAL NON-HALLUCINOGENIC REALITY. AND, YOU KNOW, THE THE COMMUNITY ELECTED US ALL. EVERYBODY UP IN THIS, WELL, ALL, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS UP ON THIS DAIS. AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HOPE THE COMMITTEE, THE COMMUNITY'S GOT SOME FAITH IN US TO BE TRUE TELLERS. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY, REALLY POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT TRUTH TELLING MOMENT. SO AND I HOPE WE CAN GET OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO, TO DO THAT WORK, TO NOT POLL CHALLENGERS, NOT POLL WATCHERS, BUT ELECTION VALIDATORS, IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT THAT WAY. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I THINK WE MAY NEED THAT NEW ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO, COMMISSIONER KNIGHT, YOU WANTED TO. YES, MAYOR. THANK YOU, JOE, FOR THAT PRESENTATION. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR, IN THIS TIME, ESPECIALLY FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE IN THE ROOM, TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM WORKS IN VOTING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT DOING THE WORK AND CAMPAIGNING FOR YOUR SUPPORT PERSONALLY, EVEN JUST IN THIS LAST WEEK, WE'VE WITNESSED PEOPLE THAT HAVE CREATED STORIES AND DONE THINGS TO DISRUPT THAT PROCESS. AND SO IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO SIT BACK AND WATCH THAT EVEN UP CLOSE. AND WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF VOTING AND HOW BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO BE ELIMINATED OUT OF THAT BY DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT PEOPLE USE TO KEEP THEIR VOICE DOWN AND SILENCE THEIR VOICE. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PROCESS, BUT ALSO TO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR YOU TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS WORK. IT'S NOT A SIT BACK AND JUST WATCH IT HAPPEN. THIS WHEN YOU STAND UP AND YOU UTILIZE YOUR VOICE AND

[01:15:02]

EVERYBODY DESERVES THAT EQUAL RIGHT. AND I CONTINUE TO HOPE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A PROCESS FOR THEM TO BE ENGAGED WITH AND CONTINUE TO BRING THEM INTO THAT SPACE. SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PERDUE AND THEN COMMISSIONER BELCHER. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE. I WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING.

YOU TALKED ABOUT NATIONAL UNCERTAINTY. OKAY. AND YOU MENTIONED POST OFFICE DECISIONS, AND YOU MENTIONED THE TIMING OF WHEN ELECTIONS CAN BE CALLED AFTER ALL THE VOTES ARE COUNTED.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER NATIONAL TRENDS OR CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'RE FOLLOWING? THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THOSE ARE KIND OF THE BIG ONES. IT, IT, BUT I MONITORING LIKE WHAT'S SO I GET LIKE A, I READ A DAILY THING OF STORIES THAT ARE GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY BECAUSE LIKE WHAT LAWSUITS, LIKE DID ONE CITY HAVE LIKE FIVE HOUR LINES AT AN EARLY VOTING PLACE? AND WHAT WAS THE ISSUE FOR THAT COULD BE THEY ONLY HAD ONE THING FOR A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, COULD YOU IMAGINE IF YOU ONLY HAD ONE EARLY VOTING SITE FOR ALL KENT COUNTY, RIGHT? LIKE THAT WOULD BE THERE WOULD BE ISSUES AND THINGS WITH THAT. SO WHAT WHAT'S HAPPENING? WHAT OTHER WHAT DECISIONS ARE COUNTIES OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OR STATES MAKING THAT MAKES THINGS HARDER OR EASIER? AND ARE THEY RELATED? ARE THEY UNRELATED? I'M JUST I'M JUST MONITORING. AND THEN I'M PART OF A GROUP CALLED PARTNERSHIP FOR LARGE ELECTION JURISDICTIONS. DEAN LOGAN, WHO'S THE THE REGISTRAR IN LA COUNTY. SO IT'S BEEN INTERESTING BECAUSE THIS IS SOMEBODY THAT I KNOW PERSONALLY AND I'VE TOURED THEIR THEIR FACILITIES. SO I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. SO THAT THAT GIVES CREDENCE WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ME LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, I CAN ACTUALLY LIKE TELL THEM BECAUSE I, AS THE MAYOR SAID, I WITNESSED IT. I WITNESSED WHAT THERE'S, WHAT THEIR STUFF LOOKS LIKE, AND I KNOW THEIR PROCESS BECAUSE I WAS THERE, NOT DURING THE ELECTION TIME, BUT AT OTHER TIMES. AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE THAT KIND OF THING TOO. IT'S JUST THESE ARE THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT I CAN LEAN ON TO. LIKE I HEARD THIS, IS THIS TRUE OR NOT? AND I CAN RELATE IT BACK. IF WE IF WE IF IT GETS TO THAT POINT. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN SECONDLY, I AM LET'S GO BACK TO TALK ABOUT ELECTION DAY AND POLLING LOCATIONS. SO YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE CHANGES DUE TO CONSTRUCTION AND THAT THOSE VOTERS WILL BE CONTACTED BY MAIL. YEAH. I'M CURIOUS WHAT THEIR VOTER REGISTRATION CARD CHANGE OR IS THIS JUST ONLY THE ONE FOR NEW VINTAGE PLACE? SO BECAUSE THAT WAS AN ACTUAL CHANGE IN THE POLLING, THE POLLING LOCATION, THE OTHER CONSTRUCTION WAS THEY GOT A POSTCARD THAT SAYS YOU HAVE A TEMPORARY LOCATION.

HOWEVER, WE CHANGE IT IN THE QUALIFIED VOTER FILE FOR THIS ELECTION. THERE'S A SPACE INSIDE THE QUALIFIED VOTER FILE CALLED ELECTION GEOGRAPHY, WHERE WE WHERE WE'RE TELLING VOTERS ABOUT THIS ELECTION. SO IF YOU GO TO MICHIGAN.GOV/VOTE AND LOOK UP YOURSELF, IT'LL TELL YOU TO GO TO THESE NEW PLACES. OKAY, GOOD. SO SO IT'S NOT A PERMANENT GEOGRAPHY, IT'S A TEMPORARY GEOGRAPHY. AND THEN WILL THERE BE SIGNS AT LOCATIONS ON THE DAY OF JUST IN CASE FOLKS DIDN'T. YEAH. SO SO THAT'S PART THAT'S PART OF THE THAT SAYS IF YOU MOVE A LOCATION DUE TO AN EMERGENCY OR YOU POST IT TO THE OTHER PLACE OF WHERE TO GO. OKAY. ONE THING THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN VOTING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, YOU'RE TYPICALLY IN A ROUTINE, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT RELOOKING AT YOUR POLLING LOCATION. YOU KNOW, YOU JUST, YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS AT LEAST 1 OR 2 TIMES A YEAR FOR TEN PLUS YEARS. AND SO PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY PRECINCT CHANGES AND PARTICULARLY SOME OF THE CLOSING AND CONSOLIDATION THAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR, I'M WONDERING HOW INFORMATION AROUND THAT MIGHT BE SHARED. AND PARTICULARLY, AS YOU TALKED ABOUT THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN, MIGHT THERE BE A CHANCE TO ADD SOME OF THE PROMOTION AND INFORMATION AROUND? HEY, FOR SOME PEOPLE, X NUMBER OF PEOPLE, YOUR POLLING LOCATION HAS CHANGED. SO YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE LOOKED AT THIS BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN VOTING AT THE SAME PLACE FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS. LOOK AT IT THIS YEAR BECAUSE IT MIGHT HAVE CHANGED. YEAH. SO THE FIRST THING WE DID AND WE SAID THIS LAST YEAR WHEN WE DID IT, EVERYBODY GOT A NEW CARD. BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO NOW. AND SO THAT'S A THAT'S A GOOD POINT OF THAT'S WHY I DO THIS KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TYPE THING IS SO THERE'LL BE STUFF I'LL BE PUSHING HEAVILY ON MICHIGAN.GOV/VOTE. I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EXPLICITLY SAY YOUR WILL HAVE HAD CHANGES.

[01:20:04]

THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. AND WE'RE SHOOTING SOME MORE VIDEO. SO I WILL TAKE THAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. GREAT. BEFORE JUST GO AHEAD. JUST COMMISSIONERS, I WANT TO REMIND YOU, WE HAVE A 1230 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING, AND WE ARE TRYING NOT TO ADJUST IT, GIVEN WE'VE MOVED THE TOPIC A COUPLE TIMES. AND I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS FIVE ITEMS FOR CLOSED SESSION. OKAY. I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS, AND I JUST WANT TO CONCUR THAT I THINK THAT LOOKING AT THIS, THIS WELL DESIGNED MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING, THESE ARE THE, YOU KNOW, TYPICAL THINGS. AND I THINK THAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE IS, IS GOT SOME REALLY VALID POINTS HERE. AND IT WOULD BE VERY EASY TO HAVE THEM ADD SOME MORE SOCIAL MEDIA TO SAY, HEY, CHECK YOUR CHECK YOUR POLLING LOCATIONS. NO, NOT JUST THE NO BEFORE YOU GO, BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOME LIKE WARNING KIND OF CUTE THINGS AS WELL AS YOUR VIDEO. SO JUST WANTED TO CORROBORATE THAT. AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANTED TO MAKE, FIRST OF ALL, FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS THAT ARE IN OUR AUDIENCE FROM THE URBAN LEAGUE, I WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COMMISSIONER KNIGHT WAS SAYING. WE HAVE AS A AS A BODY, AS A COMMISSION, WE HAVE FOUR EMPLOYEES IN OUR CITY.

CLERK IS ONE OF THEM. SO WHEN HE'S UP HERE PRESENTING, HE'S ACTUALLY TALKING TO HIS BOSSES, AS IS THE CITY MANAGER. SO IT'S REALLY GREAT, JOEL, TO SEE A WONDERFUL IN-DEPTH PRESENTATION AND ALWAYS A VALUE YOUR EXPERTISE HERE. I DO HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THE PRIMARY ELECTION. THE. THIS IS SO THAT WE CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A CONTESTED RACES WITHIN A PARTY. SO TELL THAT COLUMN C IS NONPARTISAN. THAT'S WHERE THE CITY AND THE OTHER THINGS WILL BE IN COLUMN C ON THIS AUGUST BALLOT WILL EITHER BE FIRST WARD CITY COMMISSIONER OR NO, NO CITY COMMISSIONER. SO. OR IT COULD BE BLANK OR IN THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS SINKING FUND MILLAGE. SO THAT'S IN COLUMN C. AND SO IN THEORY, PEOPLE SHOULD PAY COLUMN A OR COLUMN B PLUS COLUMN C. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.