[CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:08]
          COMMISSION TO ORDER, AND I WILL ASK YOU TO JOIN US, AS IS OUR HABIT, BY BEGINNING WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 
          [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. CITY CLERK, IF YOU COULD CALL THE ROLL. AND 
          [ROLL CALL]
WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT. IF OUR INTERPRETER COULD COME UP. COMMISSIONER BOUCEK, PRESENT COMMISSIONER PERDUE, PRESENT. COMMISSIONER SASSI, PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. KILGORE, PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER. KNIGHT, PRESENT MAYOR LEGRAND. YES. AND IF OUR INTERPRETER CAN INTRODUCE HERSELF AND SHE IS FOR ENGLISH TO SPANISH AND SPANISH TO ENGLISH, YES. ONLY ENGLISH AND SPANISH. MY NAME IS SANDRA. ESTOY AQUI PARA AYUDARLO A INTERPRETAR CUALQUIER COSA PREGUNTAS Y CUALQUIER COMUNICACION. SI ALGUIEN NO HABLA INGLÉS INGLÉS ESPANOL. MY NAME IS SANDRA, AND I'M HERE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. IF YOU SPEAK ONLY ONE OF THE LANGUAGES OF SPANISH AND ENGLISH OR ENGLISH. AND I WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU COMMUNICATE IN THE BEST WAY I CAN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THIS IS OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC 
          [PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS]
COMMENT NOW. AND BEFORE WE START THE PROCESS, I WANT TO BRIEFLY POINT OUT THAT THE THE END, THE FINAL INSTRUCTIONS THERE ARE ARE HOPES AND THEY'RE NOT MANDATES BECAUSE THIS IS A FIRST AMENDMENT PRACTICE. SO WE CAN'T REGULATE PEOPLE'S SPEECH. BUT WITH THAT SAID, WE CAN WE CAN REGULATE THE TIME. AND GIVEN THE DIFFICULTIES, THE INCREASING DIFFICULTY IN GETTING PEOPLE TO ADHERE TO THE TIME LIMITS, I HAVE ASKED OUR CITY CLERK TO HARD CUT THE MICROPHONE OFF AT THREE MINUTES. SO IF THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE TROUBLE WRAPPING UP YOUR THOUGHTS MIGHT AIM FOR 245 AND THERE IS A CLOCK UP THERE FOR PEOPLE. SO IF YOU COULD, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND TELLING US WHERE YOU'RE FROM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. MY NAME IS KAREN HENRY STOKES. MY HOME IS ON THE 31ST FLOOR OF PLAZA TOWERS ON THE VERY SOUTH END. AND SO I HAVE LIVED THROUGH A LOT OF THE CONCERTS AT THE AMPHITHEATER. AND I THINK IT WAS MOST STRIKING WHEN I DID RETURN JUST A WEEK AND A HALF AGO FROM JAPAN, WHERE I WAS IN TOKYO WITH A POPULATION OF 14 MILLION, AND THEIR WHOLE STRUCTURE OF HIGHWAYS IS LEVELS. YOU SEE HIGHWAYS ON VARIOUS LEVELS. THERE WAS NO SOUND THAT WAS NOISY AND BOTHERSOME. IT WAS QUIET. I FELT THAT THE CONCERT FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER THE 2ND, WAS LIKE AN INVASION INTO MY HOME. THERE WAS NO STOPPING THE THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP THAT WENT ON FOR HOURS. I HAD DINNER COMPANY. IT WAS VERY BOTHERSOME. AND THEN IT CONTINUED AND I WENT, WHATEVER I DID, I COULD NOT SHUT IT OUT. IT WAS THAT INVASIVE. IT REALLY WAS. I LOVE DOWNTOWN, I LOVE LIVING DOWNTOWN. I'M A PROUD CITIZEN OF DOWNTOWN. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO HAVING WONDERFUL THINGS IN GRAND IN GRAND IN GRAND RAPIDS. 
          BUT I REALLY AM BOTHERED BY THIS. AND ANOTHER THING THAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS GONE, I HAD A DAUGHTER IN LAW WHO WAS GOING TO A COMEDY HOUR, AND IT WAS ALL FINE, BUT THE OPENER USED SO MUCH PROFANITY THAT IT WAS A VERY IT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE WEST SIDE. FOR GRAND VALLEY STUDENTS. IT IS JUST WRONG TO HAVE TO LISTEN TO SOMETHING THAT IS COMING OVER WHEN A SOUND BARRIER WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT, JUST LIKE IT TOOK CARE OF 14 MILLION PEOPLE IN DOWNTOWN TOKYO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MR. HI, MY NAME IS DAN HIBBEN. I'M WITH PLAZA TOWERS. CAN'T WE ALL JUST ADMIT THAT THE SOUNDS FROM THE AMPHITHEATER ARE NOT WHAT WE WERE TOLD THEY WOULD BE? THEY ARE LOUDER AND GO FURTHER. YES, IT IS BRINGING PEOPLE TO GRAND RAPIDS. THAT'S GOOD. BUT AS FAR AS THE SOUND GOES, THE PROJECTIONS WERE INACCURATE. 
          THE PLANNING COMMISSION DIDN'T CONDITION THEIR APPROVAL ON THE AMPHITHEATER, WITH IT BEING EXEMPTED FROM THE NOISE ORDINANCE. IT WAS APPROVED WITH THE ORDINANCE IN PLACE, WHY WOULD THEY EVEN THINK OF AN EXEMPTION WHEN G TWO TOLD THEM THAT THE SOUND WOULD BE LESS 
          [00:05:04]
THAN 45DB, OR SOFT SPEECH AT PLAZA TOWERS, AND THAT THE SOUND WOULD MIX WITH THE FREEWAY OR DISSIPATE OVER THE RIVER AFTER ONE SEASON. WE KNOW THAT WASN'T TRUE THEN, NOR IS IT TRUE NOW. THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS TOLD THAT THE SOUND CONSULTANT WAS NOT BROUGHT IN SPECIFIC TO THIS PROJECT YET. THERE WAS A REPORT WITH 14 DIFFERENT CONCERNS THAT WAS GIVEN, BUT THAT WAS NOT GIVEN TO THEM. THE PLANNING COMMISSION WASN'T GIVEN THE FULL REPORT. LATER, WHEN THE FINAL SOUND REPORT WAS PRESENTED IN 2026 OR 2025, IT SAYS THAT THE PLAZA TOWERS WOULD HAVE A DECIBEL LEVEL OF 68 WHEN THE DECIBEL LEVEL ACTUALLY EXCEEDS 90. THE PROJECTIONS ARE INACCURATE IN 20. IN 2023, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED A MOTION TRYING TO EXEMPT THE AMPHITHEATER, BUT IT WAS BASED ON INACCURATE PROJECTIONS. WE CAME TO THE CITY COUNCIL THEN AND WERE TOLD LIVE WITH IT. THE SOUNDS ARE CITY NOISE, AND OF THE 348 CITIES IN THE USA OF A POPULATION OF 100,000 OR MORE, ONLY FOR CHICAGO, NASHVILLE, INDIANAPOLIS AND GRAND RAPIDS HAVE AT LEAST A 6000 SEAT AMPHITHEATER IN THEIR DOWNTOWN, ONLY FOR ABOUT 1%. IT IS NOT JUST NORMAL CITY NOISE THAT IS INACCURATE. THE CITY MANAGER ASKED IF WE HAD CHECKED OUT AUSTIN, TEXAS, AS THEY HAVE A DOWNTOWN AMPHITHEATER IN AUSTIN IS CALLED THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. THE PLANNER THAT ENFORCES THEIR NOISE ORDINANCE SAYS THEY DON'T HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS. IF AUSTIN CAN HAVE AN AMPHITHEATER DOWNTOWN WITH A NOISE ORDINANCE AND NO COMPLAINTS, WHY CAN'T GRAND RAPIDS. LET'S USE THE AUSTIN'S NOISE ORDINANCE AS A GUIDE. THE PLANNING COMMISSION, CITY COUNCIL, GRAND RAPIDS, TOO, WERE GIVEN INACCURATE PROJECTIONS. AND. DO WE JUST DOUBLE DOWN ON THOSE BY PASSING THE SAME EXEMPTION? I SAY NO, G TWO ACTUALLY GAVE YOU THE ANSWER AT THE 2023 MEETING. G TWO SAID THAT THEY WOULD COULD ADD A SOUND WALL FOR MITIGATION, GO BACK TO G TWO AND LEAVE THE ORDINANCE ALONE. YEARS AGO, PLAZA TOWERS HAD A PROBLEM WITH EVERY RAIN THAT LEAKED. THEY FIXED IT. NOW WE HAVE AN AMPHITHEATER WITH A LEAKING SOUND PROBLEM. LET'S FIX IT. NOTHING IS EVER PERFECT, BUT LET'S HAVE A GREAT AMPHITHEATER THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TO GRAND RAPIDS WITH SOUND CONTROLLED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE DO NOT EXEMPT THE AMPHITHEATER. HELLO, MY NAME IS PETER STINSON. I'M A RESIDENT OF PLAZA TOWERS ON THE 22ND FLOOR, FACING THE WEST SIDE. IF I COULD ASK YOU SOMETHING, I'D ASK YOU WHAT THE MOST NOISY CITY IN THE COUNTRY IS. SINCE YOU CAN'T RESPOND, I'LL GIVE YOU THE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT RESPONSE. THAT'S NEW YORK CITY. THE MEASURED NOISE LEVELS FROM THE AMPHITHEATER COMPARED TO NEW YORK CITY NOISE STANDARDS AT A RESIDENCE SHOW THAT GRAND RAPIDS IS NOW THE NOISE CAPITAL OF THE COUNTRY, RESIDENTS AROUND THE GRAND RIVER VALLEY, AS FAR AS EIGHT MILES UPRIVER REPORT HIGH LEVELS OF ANNOYING NOISE, BUT THE CITY'S MAINTAINING THE MISTAKEN ASSERTION OF THE ORIGINAL APPLICATION THAT THE SOUND WILL DISSIPATE HARMLESSLY OVER THE RIVER. THE TRUTH IS THAT WATER ABOVE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS THE WATER COOL WATER ABOVE THE RIVER AND THE WARMER ABOVE. BEND THE SOUND BACK DOWN TO THE RIVER AND BOUNCE IT BACK UP. THAT'S WHY IT'S THERE, EIGHT MILES AWAY. ANY BOATER KNOWS THIS. WHY DON'T WE? CLOSER TO THE AMPHITHEATER MEASURED OBSERVATIONS THAT WE'VE MADE PROFESSIONALLY AT PLAZA TOWERS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE DELIVERS BALCONY SOUND LEVELS AT PLAZA TOWERS THAT WILL BLOCK A NORMAL CONVERSATION THREE FEET APART AND DELIVER SOUND PRESSURES 500 TIMES THE LIMITS THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED IN NEW YORK CITY 500 TIMES. THE SOUND IS FIVE TIMES LOUDER THAN THE AMBIENT NOISE. THE STRONG BASS SOUND OF MANY CONCERTS EASILY PASSES THROUGH WINDOWS. WE HAVE MEASURED LIVING ROOM SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS 50 TIMES GREATER AND 3.2 TIMES LOUDER THAN NEW YORK CITY LIMITS. KAREN JUST GAVE YOU SOME EVIDENCE OF THE SAME FACTS. THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE. MITIGATION TECHNIQUES ARE AVAILABLE THAT ALLOW GRAND RAPIDS ECONOMY TO BENEFIT FROM THE AMPHITHEATER, AND BOTH CONCERT GOERS AND GRAND RAPIDS RESIDENTS CAN CHOOSE WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO LISTEN TO. YOU HAVE A CHOICE AND A CHANCE TO MAKE GRAND RAPIDS THE NOISIEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY. 
          [00:10:08]
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO SIDESTEP THE NOISE STANDARDS PROTECTING RESIDENTS SO ECONOMIC PROGRESS IS ASSURED THAT THE COST OF QUALITY OF LIFE. OR YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT GRAND RAPIDS CAN TAKE A PLACE OF LEADERSHIP IN MEETING BOTH NEEDS. AND YOU CAN DO THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CINDY GANTT JORDAN. I'M A BORN AND BRED, RAISED NATIVE DAUGHTER OF HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS. I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY REGARDING THE STATE OF BLACK GRAND RAPIDS. AM I ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT AT THIS TIME OR IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON THE AGENDA? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC EMERGENT DEVELOPERS THAT WAS THAT VOTED ON AT THE COMMISSIONERS THAT TALKED ABOUT AT THE ECONOMIC. NO, NO, YOU TELL ME, I DON'T KNOW. SORRY. SO THERE'S THERE'S MANY CONCERNS AND WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH ON THIS. AND I KNOW EARLIER THEY TALKED ABOUT HOLD ON ONE SECOND. OKAY. SO THIS TIME IS FOR ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA THAT WERE ON THE AGENDA AT AN EARLIER MEETING THAT WERE VOTED ON BY THE COMMISSION LATER IN THE MEETING, WE'LL HAVE A THREE MINUTE. WE'LL HAVE THE OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT ANY ON ANY OTHER ITEM. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I BELIEVE WHAT I NEED TO DISCUSS IS ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY. HI, I'M YOLANDA WILSON. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT'S SO MUCH CONDUCT AS FAR AS WHEN SOMEONE CATCHES A CASE OR WHATEVER THE PROPERTY. MA'AM. AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT AGENDA ITEM YOU'RE REFERRING TO. I THOUGHT THAT, WELL, THIS IS SO WE GOTTA WE GOTTA WAIT TILL. 
          OKAY? OKAY. WE'LL COME BACK. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HELLO, FRIENDS. MARK FROM GRAND RAPIDS. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. NUMBER TWO, THE RESOLUTION FOR CLASS C RESORT LICENSE FOR THE. 
          SOCCER STADIUM. I WANT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS COMPANY, THIS COMPANY IS. I DON'T KNOW HOW ARE THEY GOING TO FIT THEIR OPERATIONS IN THE STADIUM. THIS SMALL. IS IT GOING TO BE IS IT IS IT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH SPACE FOR THE FOR SOME CLUB TYPE OPERATIONS OR. OR WHAT? BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN 8500 SEAT VENUE THE SIZE OF HOUSEMAN FIELD. IS IT GOING TO BE ANY TYPE OF NIGHTCLUB TYPE ATMOSPHERE INSIDE THE STADIUM OR ANY TYPE OF. PREMIUM AMENITIES THAT THE STADIUM IS GOING TO INCORPORATE? SO THAT'S WHAT I'M THAT'S WHAT MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS IS. SO YOU BETTER THINK ABOUT THIS. BECAUSE BECAUSE THE STADIUM THIS SIZE. 
          CAN IT BE RETROFITTED TO ACCOMMODATE THESE AMENITIES, THESE AMENITIES AS FAR AS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, CLUB SEATING, PREMIUM PREMIUM SEATING SUITES. PERSONAL SEAT LICENSES AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH A PROFESSIONAL VENUE. BECAUSE IF NOT. THIS IS JUST A WASTE OF MONEY FOR SOMETHING AS SIMILAR, FOR SOMETHING AS SMALL AS A SOCCER STADIUM. THANK YOU. 
          GRAND RISING, EVERYBODY. I'M I'M DEE JONES, PASSIONATE ENTREPRENEUR AND VISIONARY, 
          [00:15:05]
SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM TWO ON THE FISCAL COMMITTEE. SO I'D LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO. IF YOU GUYS ARE GETTING 70,000 TO GIVE TO SCHAEFER, WHICH IS A PR FIRM, I LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO ACTUALLY ADVERTISE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT HAS RETENTION OF ACTUALLY HAVING A GOOD EDUCATION, BUT GETTING STUDENTS JOBS AND CAREERS AFTER THEY FINISH COLLEGE. IT'S BEEN I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT SOME STATISTICS AND A LOT OF THESE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, PEOPLE SAY THEY REGRET THEIR EDUCATION BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ANY JOBS AVAILABLE AFTER THEY GRADUATE. SO I'D LIKE FOR AS YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS PR TO, YOU KNOW, POST THIS ON THE CITY'S SOCIALS, BE SURE THAT THERE'S TV INTERVIEWS, THIS REALLY BE CREATIVE ABOUT SPEAKING ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE AND PROGRAM. BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT'S 200,000 RESIDENTS AROUND HERE AND PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THEIR STUDENT CAN ACTUALLY GO TO COLLEGE FOR FREE IF THEY ACTUALLY FINISH THROUGH THIS CHALLENGE SCHOLARS PROGRAM. SO I'D LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO REALLY TRY TO HONE IN ON COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT ACTUALLY HAVE JOBS AND CAREERS, BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE GOING TO COLLEGE. THEY RACK UP ALL OF THIS DEBT, AND THEN THEY CAN'T GET A JOB IN CAREER, AND THEN THEY'RE WORKING AT MCDONALD'S, OR THEY'RE WORKING IN FAST FOOD, OR THEY'RE WORKING A JOB THAT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE THEIR, YOU KNOW, QUALIFICATIONS THAT THEY SPEND SO MUCH TIME AND MONEY AND EFFORT TO GET A DEGREE. I HAVE FRATERNITY BROTHERS THAT LITERALLY SOMEBODY WAS A LAWYER. 
          HE COULDN'T GET A JOB AT A LAW FIRM FOR SOME REASON. THAT'S CRAZY TO ME, BUT THIS IS OUR ECONOMY. SO I'M HOPING THAT YOU GUYS ACTUALLY FIND COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT ACTUALLY HAS GOOD RETENTION OF GETTING STUDENTS A GREAT EDUCATION, BUT ALSO GETTING THESE STUDENTS JOBS AND JOBS ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE. CAREERS TOO. LIKE WE NEED JOBS AND CAREERS ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE. SO PLEASE BE STRATEGIC AND THINK ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I LIKE THAT THE CITY IS, YOU KNOW, TAKING THIS FUNDING AND TRYING TO GET THAT OUT THERE. BUT BE SURE THAT YOU ARE FINDING GOOD COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT HAS GOOD RETENTION ON GETTING PEOPLE, JOBS AND CAREERS ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. I'M CARA WOOD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GRAND ACTION 2.0 AND ALSO A RESIDENT OF THE 22ND FLOOR AT PLAZA TOWERS. I SUPPORT THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. THIS IS COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ITEM NUMBER TWO, BECAUSE IT PROVIDES CLARITY, PREDICTABILITY AND FAIRNESS FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT THAT HAS BEEN MADE AT THE AMPHITHEATER. THE AMPHITHEATER WAS APPROVED AND DEVELOPED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT A LARGE SCALE OUTDOOR CONCERT VENUE WOULD OCCUR DOWNTOWN, AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF MY PLAZA TOWERS NEIGHBORS LOVE IT AND ARE ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT SEASON. THE VENUE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT THAT'S ATTRACTED NEW VISITORS, SUPPORTED LOCAL BUSINESS AND STRENGTHENED GRAND RAPIDS AS A REGIONAL DESTINATION. AS YOU HEARD EARLIER TODAY IN YOUR COMMITTEE, PRESERVING THE OPERATING FRAMEWORK THAT WAS CONTEMPLATED FROM THE BEGINNING HELPS PROTECT THAT INVESTMENT THAT WE ALL MADE TOGETHER. THIS AMENDMENT IS CLEAR AND RESIDENTS, VENUE OPERATORS, EVENT ORGANIZERS AND NEARBY BUSINESSES CAN ALL BENEFIT WHEN THE RULES ARE CLEARLY STATED AND IN THE ORDINANCE, CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR REDUCED CONFLICT AND A PROVISION OF CERTAINTY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS AMENDMENT RESPECTS RESIDENTS BY PROVIDING TRANSPARENCY ABOUT HOW THE VENUE WILL OPERATE. JUST AS WE HAVE OPERATED ALL SEASON LONG, PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO CHOOSE TO LIVE, WORK OR INVEST NEAR MAJOR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. ALL THESE FOLKS DESERVE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE ACTIVITY THAT COMES WITH A WORLD CLASS AMPHITHEATER. AT THE SAME TIME, RESIDENTS ACROSS GRAND RAPIDS BENEFIT FROM THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, THE JOBS, THE VISITOR SPENDING THAT WE ALL HEARD ABOUT, AND THE COMMUNITY VITALITY THAT THE VENUE IS GENERATING. THIS ORDINANCE HELPS STRIKE AN APPROPRIATE BALANCE BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD INTERESTS AND THE BROADER PUBLIC BENEFIT THAT'S ENVISIONED WHEN THE AMPHITHEATER WAS APPROVED. 
          FINALLY, DOWNTOWN'S SUCCEED WHEN THEY BALANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITH CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PURPOSE BUILT ENTERTAINMENT VENUE ARE CONSISTENT WITH THAT VISION THAT WE ALL HAD, AND RECOGNIZE THE UNIQUE ROLE THAT THIS FACILITY PLAYS IN OUR FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT AS IT MOVES FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT BRINGS US TO APPROVAL OF OUR 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES. CAN I HAVE A MOTION SUPPORT? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION 
          [PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS]
CARRIES. AND THAT BRINGS US TO PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS, MR. CLERK. COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM WENDY L SELLERS REGARDING THE GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT. CONDUCT RECEIVED AND FILED FOR COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED WITH NOISE COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE AMPHITHEATER. STEVEN FILED COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM PLANT MORAN P LLC REGARDING THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2026. FILED COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM CATHERINE WHITE REGARDING THE RESIGNATION FROM THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMISSION FOR COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS AND COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM RONALD VANDERVEEN CUNNINGHAM DALLMAN, P.C. REGARDING A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 9.66 OF THE NOISE ORDINANCE FILED. THAT BRINGS US TO REPORTS OF CITY OFFICERS. 
          [REPORTS OF CITY OFFICERS]
MR. CLARK CONTROLLER'S WARRANT REPORT FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2026 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2026 IN THE AMOUNT OF $37,060,657.57, AND THE MONTHLY TRAVEL REPORT 
          [00:20:06]
STEVEN FILED. AND FINALLY, THE TREASURER'S REPORT FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2026 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2022. SORRY. SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2026 ALSO RECEIVED AND FILED. THAT BRINGS 
          [CONSENT AGENDA AND REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES]
US TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA. AND THIS IS THESE ARE ITEMS WHICH PASSED UNANIMOUSLY OUT OF COMMITTEE AND WERE NOT REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION BY ANY 
          [CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL]
MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION. CAN I HAVE A MOTION SO MOVED. SUPPORT ALL IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THAT BRINGS US TO. THE ONE ITEM. 
          [1. Resolution establishing an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation District, pursuant to PA 146 of 2000, for 1956 Eastern LLC at 1956 Eastern Ave SE]
R ONE RESOLUTION. THERE BEING NO ORDINANCES AND NOTHING REMOVED FROM CONSENT. AND THAT IS A TWO CITY COMMISSION RESOLUTIONS. AND I'M GOING TO TAKE THEM SEQUENTIALLY. I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T SEE MISS ROMERO, BUT THE FIRST IS IS SHE. OH HERE WE GO. SO AS SHE COMES UP, COMMISSIONER PERDUE, IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE THE FIRST FIRST READING OF MOTION. I KNOW, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AN OBSOLETE PROPERTY REHABILITATION DISTRICT FOR 1956 EASTERN, LLC. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SUPPORT. 
          COMMISSIONER. YES. SO THIS RESOLUTION IS TO ESTABLISH AN OBSOLETE PROPERTY REHABILITATION ACT DISTRICT PURSUANT TO ACT 146 OF 2004 1956, EASTERN LLC FOR A PROJECT LOCATED AT 1956 EASTERN AVENUE ON. A PUBLIC HEARING FOR. THIS WAS HELD ON SEPTEMBER 22ND. THE CURRENT OWNER OF THE PROPERTY PLANS TO REHABILITATE THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, AND THERE'S MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT. AND WITHIN OUR NEXT ITEM THAT I'LL SHARE MORE. BUT THIS IS TO ESTABLISH A DISTRICT. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO. YEAH. I'M SORRY. WHAT WHAT EXACT YOU WANT ME TO GIVE A PROJECT OVERVIEW OR FORGIVE ME, I JUST JUST I GUESS IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD OR IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSION, BUT OTHERWISE. OKAY. SEEING NO QUESTIONS. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION, SAY I ALL OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES. AND THE NEXT 
          [2. Resolution approving an eleven-year Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Exemption Certificate, pursuant to PA 146 of 2000, for 1956 Eastern LLC at 1956 Eastern Ave SE]
ITEM IS A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN 11 YEAR OBSOLETE PROPERTY REHABILITATION EXEMPTION CERTIFICATE FOR THAT SAME PROJECT. AND I GUESS I WOULD ASK IN THIS CASE, AND WE CAN EXPLAIN THE REASONING, BUT I'D ASK FOR A MOTION TO TO POSTPONE ACTION ON THIS INDEFINITELY. SO MOVED. SUPPORT. OKAY. AND COMMISSIONER PERDUE, IF YOU COULD PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON ON THIS. ABSOLUTELY. SO I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT. I'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT ITSELF UNDER CONSIDERATION WITH THIS CERTIFICATE. SO THE APPLICANT IS THE CURRENT OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, PLANS TO REHABILITATE THE STRUCTURE TO CREATE EIGHT ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT UNITS. INVESTMENT BY THE APPLICANT IS CURRENTLY ESTIMATED TO BE $1,564,351, A MAJORITY OF WHICH REPRESENTS HARD CONSTRUCTION COSTS. THE APPLICANT, I SHOULD SAY FIRST. THE CITY ASSESSOR INSPECTED THE BUILDING ON AUGUST 4TH, 2025 AND THAT IN DETERMINED THAT IT DOES MEET THE DEFINITION OF FUNCTIONALLY OBSOLETE, THE APPLICANT IS WORKING TOWARDS SUBCONTRACTOR PARTICIPATION GOALS OF 16% OF MWBE, WHICH IS MICRO OWNED BUSINESSES AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES AND MICRO LOCAL BUSINESSES. SO THEREFORE THIS PROJECT QUALIFIES FOR THE BASE TEN YEAR OPRAH TERM PLUS ONE YEAR PURSUANT TO CITY COMMISSION POLICY 942. THE DEVELOPMENT ALSO MEETS MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES OF THE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN AND EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILITY STRATEGIC PLAN ONE SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF ELIGIBILITY IN ORDER TO QUALIFY OR FOR OPRAH AND ESTABLISH AN A CERTIFICATE IS TO ENSURE THAT THE APPLICANT AND THE FACILITY IS UP TO DATE ON ALL TAXES OWED RELATED TO THE FACILITY. THE APPLICANT HAS SECURED A FORMAL TAX DEFERRAL FROM THE COUNTY, ALLOWING REPAYMENT OF ALL OUTSTANDING TAX OBLIGATIONS BY MARCH 31ST, 2028, AND THAT REPAYMENT TIMELINE ALLOWS ALIGNS WITH THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE PROJECT WOULD BE REASONABLY UNDERTAKEN AND COMPLETED. SO, BECAUSE THE APPLICANT STILL IS WORKING TO MEET FULL ELIGIBILITY, WE THINK IT'S BEST TO POSTPONE THIS VOTE INDEFINITELY UNTIL IT MIGHT NEED TO COME BACK. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, COLLEAGUES? OKAY. COMMISSIONER KILGORE. YEAH, I 
          [00:25:03]
I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS BECAUSE IT STILL ALLOWS FOR AN AVENUE FOR THIS TO COME BEFORE US. IF EVERYTHING IS IF ALL THE REQUIREMENTS ARE ADDRESSED FOR THIS. SO I'M THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE THE DISTRICT. SO THAT'S OPEN. IT'LL BE THERE AND READY FOR WHEN THIS PROJECT CAN MOVE FORWARD. SO IT'S NOT A NO. IN MY BOOK. I THINK THERE IS STILL AN AVENUE FOR THE DEVELOPER TO MOVE FORWARD. SO THAT IS WHY I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. THANK YOU. I WILL CALL FOR A VOTE THEN. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK 
          [PUBLIC COMMENTS]
YOU. THAT BRINGS US. THERE BEING NO PUBLIC HEARINGS TO OUR SECOND OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO IF YOU FEEL FREE TO COME UP AND ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ON ANY ITEM THAT YOU FEEL DESERVES OUR ATTENTION. GOOD. HI, MY NAME IS DAN HIBMA PLAZA TOWERS. I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON A LETTER THAT RON VANDERVEEN SENT YOU. NUMBER ONE, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER SAYS ENFORCEMENT IS DIFFICULT. IT IS NOT. PERFORMANCES CAN BE MONITORED AND SOUNDS CONTROLLED AT THE MIXING BOARD. A SOUND WALL OR OTHER ENGINEERING REMEDIES CAN BE ADDED TO. THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER STATES THAT SOUND WILL BE REGULATED UNDER LIMITATION IN THE SPECIAL LAND USE APPROVAL. BUT HE SAYS WHAT LIMITATIONS? IT WAS ARGUED IN COURT BY THE CITY AND COUNTY, AND THE COURT FOUND THAT THERE WERE NO SOUND LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. BE. WE HAVE SEEN NO ENFORCEMENT OF LIMITATIONS FOR THE 50 PLUS CONCERTS THEY HAVE HAD THIS PAST SEASON, AND THREE, THE CITY CANNOT AMEND THE SPECIAL LAND USE WITHOUT CONCURRENCE BY THE C A THE CITY SHOULD TABLE THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT UNTIL REAL PROTECTIONS ARE BUILT INTO THE SPECIAL LAND USE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. I'M SHIONA NEVSKY WITH THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMISSION. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR GRAND RAPIDS. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE GRAND RAPIDS FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM. I'VE SEEN YOU OUT DURING ART PRIZE AND OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS, PRESENT APPROACHABLE AND CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE. I NOTICED IT AND I APPRECIATE IT. I'M HERE TO PERSONALLY INVITE YOU TO OUR CRC MEETING THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, FROM 330 TO 5 P.M. 
          IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM 201 AT THE DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT 1120 MONROE AVENUE, NORTHWEST. COME FOR THE WHOLE MEETING OR POP IN WHEN YOU CAN. WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, EARLY CHILDHOOD AND TRAUMA, AND ISSUES OF INFECTION AFFECTING OUR LGBTQ COMMUNITY. IN AUGUST, DISABILITY ADVOCATES OF KENT COUNTY JOINED US FOR A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY FROM HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION TO WHETHER PEOPLE CAN COMFORTABLY PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY EVENTS. THURSDAY WILL CONTINUE THAT SUBCOMMITTEE WORK AND DISCUSS IDEAS FOR OUR NOVEMBER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT. 
          WE ALSO HAVE TWO VACANCIES. SO IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD BRING A THOUGHTFUL COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONSIDER SERVING. WE WANT TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING BETWEEN OUR TWO COMMISSIONS. YOU'RE WELCOME AT OUR TABLE, AND WE APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO BE HERE AT YOURS. THANK YOU. AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE A FEW OF YOU ON THURSDAY. 
          MY NAME IS TANNER. I LIVE QUITE NEAR TO THE SITE WHERE ICE MURDERED MARIO CORONADO JUAREZ, SOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDS. I LIKE TO WRITE OUT WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY, BUT TIME GOT AWAY FROM ME THIS WEEK, SO I'LL START BY REITERATING THAT THE CITY SHOULD CANCEL THE CONTRACT WITH FLOCK SAFETY TO REMOVE THE HARDWARE FROM OUR COMMUNITY, PAST. NO. NO CONTRACTS WITH FLOCKS. COMPETITORS SUCH AS AXION AND MOTOROLA. THEY SHOULD PASS ORDINANCE BANNING ALPR AND PASS THE SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES AS DRAFTED BY MOVIMIENTO COSECHA. I WANT TO PREFACE WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY BY SAYING THERE WAS NO REASON TO PURSUE MARIO CORONADO. 
          JUAREZ. BUT IF THERE HAD BEEN A REASON, THIS IS PROOF MORE THAN ANY OTHER, THAT FLOCK DOESN'T MAKE THE CITY SAFER. BECAUSE WHEN ICE THOUGHT THEY NEEDED TO ARREST SOMEONE, THEY JUST CHASED HIM AND RAN HIM OFF THE ROAD AND KILLED HIM. INSTEAD OF GOING TO HIS HOME WHERE THEY 
          [00:30:01]
KNEW WHERE HE LIVED, OR GOING TO HIS WORK, WHERE THEY KNEW WHERE HE WORKED, OR LOOKING HIM UP WITH THESE CAMERAS THAT ARE SUPPOSEDLY TO PREVENT THIS KIND OF THING. IT WOULD BE QUITE TRIVIAL FOR THEM TO ASK ONE OF THE 127 287 G PARTNER DEPARTMENTS THAT GRPD SHARES THEIR FLOCK DATA WITH TO LOOK UP HIS MOVEMENT IF THEY WANTED TO DO THAT, BUT THEY DIDN'T BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO. BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE POINT. BECAUSE THESE CAMERAS DON'T MAKE US SAFER. AFTER HIS DEATH. MARY LEGRAND, YOU SAID ICE IS NOT WELCOME IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. AND THEN ON SATURDAY, MEMBERS OF MARIO'S FAMILY WERE ARRESTED AT THE INTERSECTION OF 28TH AND CLYDE PARK, AND GRPD ONCE AGAIN COLLABORATED WITH ICE TO PREVENT ACTIVISTS FROM. KEEPING MARIO'S FAMILY FROM GOING TO THE CONCENTRATION CAMP IN BALDWIN. SO IS IT JUST GOING TO BE WORDS, OR IS THERE GOING TO BE ACTION? EVENTUALLY, I DRIVE BY THE SITE OF HIS DEATH PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY, AND I HAVE A SIX YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE KIDS AND KIDS ASK WHY A LOT, AND SHE ASKS, WHY ARE THERE A BUNCH OF FLOWERS THERE? WHY ARE THERE ALWAYS PEOPLE THERE? AND ONE OF HER BEST FRIENDS IS HER COUSIN, WHO IS HALF PERUVIAN AND THANKFULLY LIVES IN PERU, WHERE IT'S MUCH SAFER FOR HER THAN HERE. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY THE REASON THAT ALL THESE FLOWERS ARE THERE IS BECAUSE THEY KILLED SOMEONE FOR THE CRIME OF LOOKING LIKE EMMA. I STOPPED AT THE SITE TODAY AND I READ THIS. THIS IS FROM LEVITICUS 1933 TO 34. WHEN A FOREIGNER RESIDES AMONG YOU IN YOUR LAND, DO NOT MISTREAT THEM. THE FOREIGNER RESIDING AMONG YOU MUST BE TREATED AS YOUR NATIVE BORN. LOVE THEM AS YOURSELF, FOR YOU WERE FOREIGNERS IN EGYPT, SO THAT WHAT YOU WILL. HOLD ON REAL QUICK. HOW Y'ALL DOING? I'M DE JONES, PASSIONATE ENTREPRENEUR AND VISIONARY. I GAVE YOU ALL A FLIER. THAT'S FOR THE MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS FEDERATIONS REGIONAL FINALS AT THE DEVOS PLACE THIS YEAR. SO WE'LL BE IN BALLROOM A ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE CAA FOR TWO THINGS. SO THE CAA ACTUALLY GAVE US A $10,000 SPONSORSHIP TO ACTUALLY HOST THE ESPORTS REGIONAL FINALS. SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO UPLIFT THE C A, THE CONVENTION ARENA AUTHORITY FOR SUPPORTING THE ESPORTS REGIONAL FINALS. WE ALREADY HAVE 500 COLLEGE STUDENTS. THAT'S GOING TO BE A PART OF THIS. THAT'S NOT EVEN MENTIONING THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT ARE ALSO BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS. AND THEN THE PRO GAMING ORGANIZATION THAT'S BRINGING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE THAT WILL BE COMPETING THERE. I'M SUPER EXCITED TO SEE THIS IN FOCUS. IT'S ORGANICALLY GROWN, AND I'M JUST SUPER EXCITED ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FILLING UP THE HOTEL ROOMS. I'M REALLY JUST EXCITED TO SEE THE END RESULT OF THAT. I ALSO HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO A 3D PRINTED CONSTRUCTION COMPANY CALLED BIRCH, AND I ACTUALLY SPOKE TO THEM IN THE WEST MICHIGAN CONSTRUCTION INSTITUTE, AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY COME HERE IN APRIL DURING THE CONFERENCE THAT CPTC IS GOING TO BE DOING APRIL 29TH. AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY 3D PRINT SOME SHEDS THAT THE STUDENTS AT WEST MICHIGAN CONSTRUCTION INSTITUTE CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE TO PUT THEIR TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT IN, BUT THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO BE DOING THE FRAMING. SO I'D LIKE THE CITY TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. 
          I KNOW YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE A 3D PRINTER, SEE SOMETHING PRINTED. BESIDES SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY'VE SEEN THE 3D PRINTED CHAIRS AT ROSA PARKS CIRCLE, BUT LET'S ACTUALLY SEE THIS 3D PRINTING IN REAL TIME, AND THEN ACTUALLY HAVE DREAM THAT BIGGER VISION OF ACTUALLY 3D PRINTING HOUSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND APARTMENTS AND JUST ATTACKING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS HERE IN KING COUNTY AND IN THE CITY. SO I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO HONE IN ON JUST THE ESPORTS INITIATIVE. I JUST ACTUALLY LEFT UNION HIGH SCHOOL. AND AS YOU GUYS PARTNERED WITH ME LAST YEAR, BUILD EIGHT LABS, BUT STUDENTS DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. THEY DIDN'T EVEN DO A RIBBON CUTTING. SO I'M HAVING TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY AND WHAT ESPORTS IS. BUT THE COOL THING THAT I LEARNED AS I WAS DOING THAT INITIATIVE WITH YOU GUYS LAST YEAR, UNION HIGH SCHOOL WAS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THEIR ESPORTS LAB. NOW, I ACTUALLY FOUND OUT FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF MR. ROUSSY THAT THE ESPORTS PROGRAM HAS GROWN SO MUCH AT UNION HIGH SCHOOL THAT THEY HAVE TO MOVE IT TO A LARGER ROOM UPSTAIRS. SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO PARTNER WITH YOU ALL AGAIN TO DEVELOP THESE ESPORTS INITIATIVES, NOT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGER ESPORTS REGIONAL FINALS COMING UP AT THE DEVOS PLACE DURING COMIC CON, AND I'LL BE GOING ON TV TWO TIMES. APRIL, I MEAN, AUGUST, I MEAN OCTOBER 23RD. BUT JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE THE ECONOMIC GROWTH, THE EXPANSION, AND JUST ORGANICALLY HELPING THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE REALIZE THEIR DREAMS AND VISIONS. I STILL LIKE THE CITY TO SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO SEE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. I'M GOING TO BRING THE DATA AND ALL OF THAT STUFF, BUT I LIKE TO PARTNER 
          [00:35:03]
WITH YOU GUYS TO CONTINUOUSLY INCREASE DIGITAL EQUITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. HELLO AGAIN. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE VOGT. I AM A RESIDENT OF THE FIRST WARD. AS I HAVE INTRODUCED MYSELF BEFORE, I AM A DAUGHTER OF A FORMER WEALTH MANAGER TO SOME OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, LIKE OUR LOCAL BILLIONAIRES. MY FATHER WAS ALSO OFFERED TO TAKE OVER ALL OF STEVE VAN RANDALL'S PERSONAL FINANCES AT ONE POINT, AND OFFERED THAT HE TURNED DOWN BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO GET RID OF HIS OTHER CLIENTS. 
          SO I WAS RAISED WITH A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AND WHY I KEEP CONTINUING TO COME HERE AND TO FIGHT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION AND PROJECT 2025 INITIATIVES. I'M NOT EVEN HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT HOW I WAS ARRESTED WITH SOME OF MY COMRADES ON SATURDAY MORNING, FROM TRYING TO PROTECT FAMILY MEMBERS OF MARIO FROM BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE BALDWIN CENTER. I'M NOT HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE TRAFFICKING THAT GOES INVOLVED IN THOSE RINGS. 
          I'M NOT EVEN HERE TO. WHAT I AM HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS TO CUT THE ON THE FLOCK CAMERAS RIGHT NOW. A U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE, SARAH HILL OF OKLAHOMA, RULED A RULED A WARRANTLESS MONTH LONG SEARCH OF A DRIVER'S TRAVEL HISTORY USING AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER DATABASES LIKE FLOCK SAFETY CONSTITUTED AN AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL SEARCH UNDER THE FOURTH AMENDMENT AND WERE NOT ALLOWABLE FOR EVIDENCE INTO A CASE. ON TOP OF THAT, WHAT IS THE FLOCK CAMERAS REALLY ABOUT? AS A CHILD, I WAS TOLD THAT EVERY. THE PLAN WAS FOR EVERY ROAD TO BE A TOLLWAY. 
          THIS IS NOT THAT CRAZY OF A THOUGHT. THE IDEA OF A PAY PER MILE VERSUS A PAY PER GALLON IDEA HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 70S. WE JUST NEEDED THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE IT. THAT IS ALSO WHERE FLOCK CAMERAS COME IN. THEY ARE A ADVERTISED AT LEAST AS A BACKBONE TO THE SYSTEM TO PREVENT ANY FRAUD THAT MAY OCCUR BY DIFFERENT JAMMERS OR DIFFERENT WAYS THAT YOU CAN ALTER YOUR ODOMETER. AS WE ARE MOVING INTO AN INCREASINGLY EV WORLD, THIS HAS BECOME OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE. HOW ARE WE GOING TO COLLECT TAXES FOR OUR ROADS? THAT IS THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF WHY WE ULTIMATELY NEED THESE FLOCK CAMERAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DATA CENTERS. YOU SEE NOW THE DATA CENTERS HOLDING THAT INFORMATION FROM ALL THESE CAMERAS REALLY IS JUST A SMIDGEN OF THE PIE. THEY DON'T NEED THE MASSIVE DATA CENTERS FOR THAT. BUT WHAT THEY DO NEED IT FOR IS TO COMPUTE ALL THAT INFORMATION, ALL THE PHOTOS OF ALL THE INTERSECTIONS OF EVERYTHING, TO INCLUDE IT INTO THEIR DATA, TO PROJECT THE FUTURE, TO PREDICT PATTERNS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR. AND WHEN THAT GETS INTO THE HANDS OF THE WRONG PEOPLE, THEY CAN DO INSIDER TRADING LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE. AND THAT IS ULTIMATELY WHAT THIS BOILS DOWN TO. IT BOILS DOWN TO CONTROLLING THE POPULATION. AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE, I HAVE HAD ALL OF MY INFORMATION HACKED. I HAVE HAD. I HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN A VICTIM OF BLACKMAIL THREATS, AND I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU STOOD UP TO OUR LOCAL OLIGARCHS LIKE I AM DOING. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS SINAI JORDAN. I AM A THIRD GENERATION BORN AND RAISED HERE IN GRAND ■RAPIDS. I AM A BUSINESS OWNER AND I'M SPEAKING. I'M ONE OF MANY THAT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH A MESSAGE ABOUT A CHALLENGE AND AN INVITATION. SO THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS NOT WHETHER GRAND RAPIDS HAS THE RESOURCES OR THE INSTITUTIONS OR THE TALENTS OR THE CAPACITY TO DO BETTER, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT YOU ALL DO. WE DO HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS, THE STATE OF BLACK GRAND RAPIDS DEMANDS MORE THAN AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT. IT DEMANDS ACTION. WE NEED TO TALK MORE ABOUT FORTHRIGHT AND FORTHRIGHT, MORE ABOUT HONESTY. AND IN REGARDS TO WHERE WE HAVE SEEN, HAVE BEEN AND WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE INTEND TO GO TOGETHER. THE HISTORY OF BLACK GRAND RAPIDS IN THE IN THE HISTORY OF BLACK, THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN GRAND RAPIDS IS NOT BEHIND US. THE HISTORY IS VERY PRESENT IN OUR POLICIES AND IN OUR INSTITUTIONS, AND WE IN OUR DERIVED OUTCOMES. FOR EXAMPLE, EIGHT YEARS AGO, SOME OF OUR BLACK VOICES, SOME STANDING HERE RIGHT NOW, WERE AT THE TABLE DOING AN EARLY DECISION, EARLY DECISIONS TO HELP MAKE AND SHAPE THE CITY'S EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS AND STRATEGIES. COMING FROM THIS WAS THE INFORMATION FOR THE EMERGENT DEVELOPERS INITIATIVE. WE PARTICIPATED. WE SHARED OUR VOICES. WE SHARED OUR PLANS, OUR HEARTS BLESS YOU IDEAS, AMBITIONS, AND BECAUSE. 
          BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT ACCESS TO CAPITAL, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, 
          [00:40:04]
AND INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL TO CHANGE THE ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY OF BLACK PEOPLE. IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS. WE BELIEVE THEN, AND WE STILL BELIEVE THAT EMERGENT DEVELOPERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED FROM TRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, THAT WE WOULD BECOME MEANINGFUL PARTICIPANTS, MEANINGFUL PARTICIPANTS IN THE ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF OUR CITY. THAT REALLY HASN'T HAPPENED. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. WE BELIEVE, THEN, THAT EMERGENT DEVELOPERS, AGAIN, THOSE WHO HISTORICALLY THAT HAVE BEEN DISINVESTED WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN DISMANTLED. INDIVIDUALS HAVE HAVE INVESTED TIME, MONEY, PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES, PERSONAL CREDIBILITY INTO THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY BELIEVE WERE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE CITY SUPPORTED INITIATIVE. SOME HAVE EXPRESSED SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL SETBACKS, LOST OPPORTUNITIES, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, AND RENEWED SENSE OF INSTITUTIONAL BETRAYAL. WE THOUGHT WE WERE GAINING GROUND AND WE'RE NOT. WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO THIS. THIS IS ABOUT THIS IS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO PASS IT ON TO MY NEXT START HERE. THANK YOU. THIS IS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GOVERNANCE. YOLANDA WILSON FROM SISTERS IN DEVELOPMENT. HI. OKAY. THIS IS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES OPPORTUNITIES, INVITE PARTICIPATION, ESTABLISHES EXPECTATIONS, AND THEN LEAVE PEOPLE WHO RELIED UPON THAT PROCESS WITHOUT CLARITY, MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT, OR A PATHWAY FORWARD. THE HISTORICAL AND PRESENT DAY TRAUMA EXPERIENCED BY BLACK PEOPLE IN GRAND RAPIDS IS REAL. THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES ARE REAL. 
          THE EROSION OF TRUST IS REAL. WE ARE COLLECTIVELY ASKING FOR A REPRIEVE FROM THE CYCLE OF ENGAGEMENT, WHERE RESOLUTION AND AN INTENTIONAL PLAN TO ADDRESS BOTH HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY HARMS IS CONSISTENTLY ABSENT. ARE WE BEING GHOSTED? I AM ESPECIALLY PLEASED TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK COMMISSIONER KELSEY PERDUE FOR AGREEING TO SERVE AS ONE OF OUR PANEL DISCUSSION MODERATORS, AND THANK YOU TO THE REST OF YOU. ON THIS BODY, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITY ADMINISTRATORS THAT TAKE THESE ISSUES SERIOUSLY, OUR, OUR, OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE WILLING TO CONFRONT UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS ABOUT HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE, WHO BENEFITS AND WHO CONTINUES TO WAIT. THE 2015 FORBES REPORT ON BLACK ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN GRAND RAPIDS, THE CITY'S 2022 DECLARATION THAT RACISM IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, AND THE LONG STANDING CONCERNS SURROUNDING ECONOMIC EXCLUSION, HOUSING, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ALL BELONG IN THIS CONVERSATION. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE GRAND RAPIDS AS A DESTINATION FOR INVESTMENT AND OPPORTUNITY. 
          WHILE SO MANY BLACK RESIDENTS AND ENTREPRENEURS EXPERIENCE BARRIERS TO OWNERSHIP, CAPITAL, INSTITUTIONAL ACCESS AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY, WE CANNOT BUILD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE BY ASKING THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO REPEATEDLY DEMONSTRATE ITS WORTHINESS. WHILE INSTITUTIONS RETAIN DISPROPORTIONATE OR PROPORTIONATE CONTROL OVER THE RESOURCES AND DECISIONS THAT DETERMINE OPPORTUNITY, THE CITY HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY, NOT AS THE SOLE LEADER, OWNER, OWNER, OR GATEKEEPER OF THIS WORK, BUT AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER, CONVENER, FACILITATOR AND ACCOUNTABLE PARTICIPANT. THE BLACK BUSINESS VOICE ADVISORY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY REPRESENTS AN EXISTING FOUNDATION UPON WHICH WE CAN BUILD. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO HELPING STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL EMERGING DEVELOPERS NETWORK AND SUPPORTING THE HUNDREDS OF BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES REPRESENTED THAT WE COMPILED IN OUR BLACK BUSINESS DATABASE. WE INTEND THAT THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US TO ESTABLISH A CLEAR ENGAGEMENT STRUCTURE, MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES, DESIGNATED POINTS OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND A SUSTAINED PROCESS FOR CONNECTING BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES AND DEVELOPERS TO ACTUAL OPPORTUNITIES. WE ARE ALSO PREPARING TO RELEASE A LONG AWAITED DOCUMENTARY FILM, A CITY WITHIN A CITY THE BLACK FREEDOM STRUGGLE IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. PART ONE. 
          MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS AND CITY MANAGER. WE ARE ALSO ASKING FOR YOUR HELP IN ADVANCING A SYSTEMIC INVESTMENT VISION THAT SEEKS TO MOBILIZE 10 MILLION IN PUBLIC PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY. TIME IS UP. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. OKAY. GO AHEAD. YES. LET'S GO. YOU GOT IT. COME ON. RIGHT HERE. START. AND. YEAH, I GUESS YOU CAN. Y'ALL GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO END IT THERE. BUT YOU WILL LOOK OUT FOR OUR EMAIL AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON OUR PARTNER HERE. BUT HERE WE'RE GOING TO SEND THIS IN AN EMAIL TO YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. HI, I'M KYLE AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK AGAINST FLOC AND ICE. 
          [00:45:14]
SOME OF YOU CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT, ABOUT BOTH. DESPITE CONSTITUENTS GIVING YOU HOURS OF OUR TIME WRITING AND PRACTICING SPEECHES, TALKING WITH YOU ONE ON ONE, GATHERING EVIDENCE, THOUSANDS OF LETTERS AND EMAILS, PROTESTING, HIRING LAWYERS TO WRITE POLICY FOR CONSIDERATION, AND GETTING ARRESTED AFTER STANDING UP TO ICE. WHEN OUR POLICE COLLABORATES WITH THEM. GRPD SHARES FLOC DATA WITH ISIS 287 G DEPUTIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. BUT TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO FIX WHAT'S WRONG IN OKLAHOMA. FEDERAL JUDGE RULED DAYS AGO THAT FLOCK CAMERAS VIOLATE THE FOURTH AMENDMENT. HOW MANY POLLS AND PETITIONS DOES IT TAKE UNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT NOBODY WANTS ALPERS AND ICE IN THE CITY, IT'S NO WONDER TRUST IN PUBLIC OFFICIALS DOESN'T EVEN CRACK 20% BECAUSE OF THAT. IN PART, FOR THOSE WHO ATTENDED THE VIGIL FOR MARIO, THE WIFE AND FAMILY OF MARIO WERE ABDUCTED BY ICE SOON AFTER, AND IT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE GRPD ON YOUR WATCH. IF THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SOMETHING, I WANT YOU TO CHANNEL IT INTO DOING SOMETHING. 
          YOU FAILED TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY. AND NOW ANOTHER. SEVERAL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE GONE BECAUSE OF IT. AND THAT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME. THE OTHER WORK YOU DO, SUCH AS FUNDING LOCAL BUSINESSES, DOESN'T MATTER IF THEIR PATRONS GET ABDUCTED, HOW CAN I AND ANY CONSTITUENT AT THIS TIME REMEMBER YOU FOR ANYTHING ELSE? MY QUESTION TO YOU IS THIS WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO CHANGE THINGS? THE BUCK STOPS WITH YOU. YOU SIT HERE IN AN IMMENSE POSITION OF PRIVILEGE AND POWER TO CONTROL VAST SWATHS OF THE POPULATION THROUGH THE RULES AND POLICIES YOU REPRESENT. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THINGS, BUT YOUR INACTION IS BUT YOUR INACTION. SPEAK TRUTH THAT YOUR WORDS DO NOT. NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR EXCUSES, SO PLEASE DO THE JOB WE ELECTED YOU TO DO BY REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY. TELL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR RESPONSE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO, AND WE WILL BELIEVE YOU ONLY WHEN WE SEE THAT ACTION THAT YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR. YOUR INACTION IS COMPLICITY. AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? THANK YOU. MARK BACK. WHEN ARE WE GOING TO CONTROL THE ORANGE FELON? AT A RALLY IN NEBRASKA. HE WAS TALKING TO THE SAME OLD SPIEL, TALKING ABOUT. WANTING TO BOMB LA AND SAN DIEGO. AND WE ALL KNOW HIS MAGA FOLLOWERS IS GOING ARE GOING TO BELIEVE HIM. AND THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT CAN HAPPEN. THIS IS NOW. NOW IS THE TIME. NOW IS THE TIME TO. FOR ANYBODY WHO'S NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE, GO REGISTER TO VOTE. OCTOBER 19TH IS THE DEADLINE. SO YOU DON'T HAVE THAT. SO YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME. GET REGISTERED TO VOTE EARLY. VOTING BEGINS OCTOBER 24TH. I EXPECT MINIMUM 70 TO 80 TO 90%. TURNOUT 50 TO 60% IS UNACCEPTABLE. 70% IS THE MINIMUM. BECAUSE WE NEED TO CONTROL THIS REGIME. WHO IS DOING EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO MAKE THIS A DICTATORSHIP? NOW, AS FOR THE CONCESSION PEOPLE. YOU GUYS NEED TO CONTROL YOUR BEHAVIOR. LAST MEETING WAS DESPICABLE. I GET I GET. SOMEBODY WAS SOMEBODY WAS 
          [00:50:04]
KILLED BY WAS KILLED. BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE A COUPLE OF KNUCKLEHEADS TO RUIN EVERYBODY ELSE WHO WANTED TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC COMMENT. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. AND IT'S UP TO YOU, THE COMMISSIONERS, TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. KICK HIM OUT. IF THEY DON'T ABIDE BY THE RULES. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. GET OUT AND VOTE. REVENGE 2026. 
          HELLO, MY NAME IS KYLE. I'M A CONSTITUENT OF THE FIRST WARD, AND I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M BEING HARASSED BY THE GRPD. I GOT PULLED OVER TWICE LAST WEEKEND CITING NOISE VIOLATIONS. 
          BOTH TIMES WHEN WE ALL KNOW AND DISCUSSED EARLIER HERE TODAY, THE NOISE ORDINANCE BEGINS AT 10:00. I WAS PULLED OVER BY 830. BOTH THE TIMES AND FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHY THEY HAVE CHOSEN ME AS A TARGET. IS IT MY MUSIC THAT I PLAY? I JUST HAPPEN TO REALLY BE A BIG FAN OF THE TRACK THE POLICE BY THE N.W.A. AND I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO HEAR IT SOMETIMES. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, ARTPRIZE CAME AROUND AND I SEIZED MY OPPORTUNITY. I ONLY OTHER REASON I COULD THINK OF IS THEY MIGHT BE TRYING TO ME. LIKE I'M JUST KIND OF A HOT PIECE OF ASS SOMETIMES. AND I DON'T KNOW, I HATE TO DISAPPOINT, BUT I AM A MARRIED MAN TO A HAPPY HUSBAND. 
          SO I GUESS WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO STICK WITH THAT. 
          NO. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M STEVE BENNETT, RESIDENT OF THE THIRD WARD. I AM SPEAKING TO THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ISSUE. I WANT TO THANK THOSE OF YOU. 
          WE'RE HAVING AN OPEN DIALOG ON THIS. AND THAT'S A GOOD THING. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CONTRACT THAT EXPIRES IN JUNE. CAN WE WAIT THAT LONG? MY COMRADE EARLIER IS TALKING TO THE THE IMMEDIACY OF OUR NEED. READING A LITTLE MORE FROM JUDGE HILL'S OPINION. SHE A FEDERAL JUDGE IN OKLAHOMA. FREEDOM FROM PERSISTENT DRAGNET STYLE SURVEILLANCE WHILE IN PUBLIC IS NOT A FOREIGN CONCEPT IN OUR SOCIETY. IT IS A REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT SOCIETY ALREADY ACCEPTS. AND WE'VE TALKED TO THAT. IS THERE A FOURTH AMENDMENT VIOLATION? SHE 
          [00:55:04]
GOES ON TO. OH, JEEZ. YEAH. SHE GOES ON TO POINT OUT IT BECOMES CONSTITUTIONALLY PROBLEMATIC WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN INDISCRIMINATELY AND PASSIVELY CATALOG YOUR WHEREABOUTS OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEN USE THAT INFORMATION FOR ANY PURPOSE, WHENEVER CONVENIENT. THAT IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT FOR MONTHS NOW IS THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, IN ANY FORM ARE CREATING A FILE. WILL GRPD USE THAT FILE? THAT'S NOT YET DETERMINED, BUT CAN ANYONE ELSE WHO OWNS THAT DATA USE THE FILE? THAT IS OUR POINT. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED DIALOG ON THIS. AND THAT'S IT. THANK 
          [COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS]
YOU. SEEING NO ONE ELSE, I'LL TURN TO MY COLLEAGUES, COMMISSIONER SASAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. AND WE HAD A BUSY DAY. I JUST WANTED TO REMIND PEOPLE ABOUT A FEW THINGS. ONE IS THAT OUR SAFE TASK FORCE IS CURRENTLY TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING ON REDUCING VIOLENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY GUN VIOLENCE, PARTICULARLY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. 
          AND SO THERE'LL BE A PITCH NIGHT THAT HAPPENS ON OCTOBER 28TH AT THE MLK LODGE FACILITY. 
          AND SO PEOPLE HAVE UNTIL OCTOBER 23RD TO SUBMIT THAT. AND I KNOW THAT LETITIA LIPSCOMB, SHE IS THE MAIN CONTACT THERE. SHE'S ALWAYS HAPPY TO TALK TO ANYBODY ABOUT ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE. SO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. I KNOW THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH SOUTH PRIZE AND THE MURAL IN THE THIRD WARD AND THE GUN MEMORIAL. AND HERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY. AND WE JUST HEARD, YOU KNOW, TODAY FROM OUR NATIONAL COMMUNITY SURVEY OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO CONNECT IN COMMUNITY. SO HERE'S ONE MORE THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT. AND THEN SECONDLY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WEST MICHIGAN HISPANIC CHAMBER. A NUMBER OF US WERE ABLE TO BE THERE YESTERDAY AS THEY OFFICIALLY BROKE GROUND ON THEIR NEW FACILITY AND THE HUB FOR LATINO ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT. AND SO IT WAS IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR YOUR WORDS, MAYOR. IT'S GREAT TO TO SEE INDIVIDUALS. COMMISSIONER KNIGHT AND I WERE ABLE TO GO IN AND SIT TOGETHER AND TALK TO SOME INDIVIDUALS AND JUST EXCITED ABOUT THE ACTIVATION THAT WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR ON THAT CORRIDOR WITH MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS. SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR ME TODAY. THANKS, COMMISSIONER. PURDUE. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES, FOR A PRODUCTIVE DAY. I WANT TO SPEAK TO A FEW THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TODAY. AND THE FIRST IS. WHAT SIGNEE AND WAS IT YOLANDA BROUGHT UP AROUND JUST THE STATE OF BLACK FOLKS IN OUR CITY. AND YOU TALKED ABOUT YOU CITED A LONG HISTORY, RIGHT. 
          AND I THINK EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT 2020 ANYMORE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP IN THIS COUNTRY THAT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCE OUR COUNTRY, EXPERIENCE OUR SOCIETY, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO OFFICE, I REALLY WAS FOCUSED ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE THAT'S A HUGE NEED. AND WHEN I GOT INTO THIS SEAT, I REALIZED WE WERE DOING A LOT TO THAT END. BUT WHAT WE WERE, WHAT I FELT LIKE WE WERE MISSING AND HAVE BEEN MISSING IS THIS FOCUS ON SMALL BUSINESSES, MAIN STREET BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY BASED BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS LOCAL OWNERSHIP, CREATION AND WEALTH CREATION. AND SO OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I THINK WE'VE MADE A LOT OF EFFORTS AND A LOT OF PROGRESS TO THAT END, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO MICRO LOAN PRODUCTS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING RELATED TO REINVIGORATING THE SOUTH TOWN CIA FINALLY BEGINNING ART PRIZE, BRINGING ALL OF THAT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND EXCITEMENT TO THE SOUTHEAST SIDE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, EMERGING DEVELOPER PROGRAMS. AND SO I'M REALLY PROUD TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT. 
          AND MANY OF YOU WHO SPOKE HAVE BEEN PART OF THOSE PROJECTS ADVISING, PARTNERING, PUSHING AS WELL. AND I ALSO SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION OF WE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE WE'VE MADE ENOUGH PROGRESS BECAUSE SO MANY FOLKS ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE THEIR PROJECTS WORK AND TO TAP INTO THE TOOLS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE OTHER FOLKS CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND GO FURTHER. 
          AND WE DON'T ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. I WATCHED MY DAD, YOU KNOW, MY DAD WAS BORN IN RURAL ALABAMA IN 1935. HE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL IN EIGHTH GRADE, SO HE 
          [01:00:07]
ONLY HAD AN EIGHTH GRADE EDUCATION. EVEN AS AN ADULT, HE WOULD ASK ME TO SOMETIMES READ OR WRITE THINGS FOR HIM. SO TO GROW UP UNDER SOMEONE WHO HAS ALL THE LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT COMES WITH THAT, TO GROW UP AND REALLY USE SMALL BUSINESSES AS THEIR WAY TO SURVIVE IN THIS WORLD, AS THEIR WAY TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY, AS THEIR WAY TO COME FROM ABJECT POVERTY AND SEND ALL THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL OR TO THE MILITARY. I KNOW WHY. MAKING SURE THAT WE FOCUS AND REALLY BOLDLY AND COURAGEOUSLY AND CLEARLY ON BLACK BUSINESSES AND OTHER MARGINALIZED BUSINESS, I UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS SO, SO IMPORTANT. SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I HEAR YOU. I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I FEEL YOU AND THAT I'M CONTINUE TO WORKING WITH YOU AND EVERY OTHER COMMUNITY AND SUBPOPULATION AND GROUP, ANY SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT FEELS UNINCLUDED AND FEELS THAT FRUSTRATION FROM BEING LOCKED OUT, ESPECIALLY IN THIS WHAT SHOULD BE A REALLY EXCITING TIME FOR EVERYONE AS THIS CITY GROWS THAT I THAT I HEAR YOU, I FEEL YOU, AND I'M COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU. I'M PROUD OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE AND ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S MUCH TO DO IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WITH THE EXAMPLE THAT'S BEING SET ALL THE WAY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE DOWN. I THINK IT MAKES THIS WORK EVEN HARDER, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT. AND I JUST WANT TO NAME THAT ELEPHANT AND THAT REALITY AS WELL THAT'S OCCURRING. SO I WANTED TO START BY SHARING THAT NEXT. I DO WANT TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT WERE SHARED AROUND MEETINGS BEING DISRUPTED. SOMEONE MESSAGED US AFTER THE LAST MEETING, AFTER THE LAST MEETING. THERE WAS A DISRUPTION. IT WAS SHUT DOWN. WE ADJOURNED AND WE WERE ASKED TO CLEAR THE ROOM. THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT TWO MORE PEOPLE, NOT MANY PEOPLE, BUT A FEW MORE PEOPLE WHO WERE STILL WAITING IN LINE THAT NIGHT, WHO WANTED TO SPEAK. AND AFTER ONE AFTERWARDS, ONE MESSAGE US. HE'S 78 YEARS OLD. HE HAD WALKED TWO MILES TO GET HERE TO CITY HALL. HE WAITED THREE HOURS IN LINE OR IN THE CHAMBERS WHILE OTHER PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE MEETING AND PUBLIC COMMENT. AND THEN AT THE END, THE MEETING ENDED AND HE NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO SPEAK. AND SO. AND THE TIME BEFORE THAT, WHEN OUR MEETING WAS DISRUPTED AND ADJOURNED, THAT WAS RIGHT AFTER WE HAD ATTEMPTED TO APPOINT SOMEONE TO THE VACANCY THAT'S ON THIS BODY. A SECOND, ANOTHER COMMISSIONER TO REPRESENT, TO BE VOTED FROM OR APPOINTED TO REPRESENT THE FIRST WARD. AND WE DIDN'T GET TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE RIGHT AFTER THIS VERY PIVOTAL MOMENT AND DECISION, BECAUSE THAT MEETING ALSO GOT SHUT DOWN. SO JUST LIKE I SAID TO OUR BLACK DEVELOPERS, I'M GOING TO SAY TO ALL THOSE, THOSE ADVOCATES TO I FEEL YOUR PAIN, I HEAR YOU. I THINK THAT YES, WE CAN DO MORE. 
          AND I THINK THAT, YES, WE NEED TO OPEN OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION AND BRIDGE BUILD. 
          BUT IT IS IT IS A TWO WAY CONVERSATION AND IT IS A, IT IT, IT TAKES BOTH OF US. IT TAKES AN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE GAME. AND IT IS FRUSTRATING WHEN OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE ALSO ADVOCATING FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, WHO ARE ALSO ADVOCATING FOR CAUSES THAT SEEM TO ALIGN, LOSE THEIR CHANCE TO GIVE THEIR VOICE AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC CONVERSATION AS WELL AS HERE AND HOLD ACCOUNTABLE THE FOLKS UP HERE ON THOSE SAID ISSUES. 
          SO THOSE ARE TWO TWO ISSUES THAT I THINK HAVE BEEN BUILDING THAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS HEAD ON. AND THEN THE LAST ONE, I WILL SAY, I THINK THE GENTLEMAN HERE IN THE ROOM, KYLE, IS STILL HERE. YOU KNOW, I HEARD YOU SAY, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THIS WHEN THEY COME, YOU KNOW, TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE DOING. TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE DOING. IF YOU SAY THAT EVERY TIME I BEGIN TO THINK YOU'RE NOT LISTENING WHEN I AM TELLING YOU WHAT I'M DOING OR YOU'RE NOT ATTENDING MY CONVERSATIONS, MY MEETINGS THAT I'M I'M DOING AN HOUR DEEP DIVE INTO FLOCK. I'M DOING AN HOUR DEEP DIVE INTO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ICE, WITH FOLKS WHO COME. THIS IS NOT THE THIS IS NOT THE VENUE FOR THAT. SO I UNDERSTAND I DON'T HOLD ANYONE. I DON'T HOLD IT AGAINST ANYONE WHO CAN'T KEEP UP WITH EVERY SINGLE THING BECAUSE A LOT HAPPENS. BUT I JUST WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME MORE POINTED CONVERSATIONS. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LOST ON ME. A LOT OF FOLKS WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR, I THINK, RIGHTEOUS CAUSES COME UP HERE AND THEY THROW AROUND THE WORD, OH, I WON'T SAY THROW AROUND BECAUSE THERE IS SOME WEIGHT TO IT. BUT OUR PRIVILEGE, YOU KNOW, AND WE CERTAINLY HOLD A LOT OF 
          [01:05:01]
PRIVILEGE BY BEING UP HERE. IT'S ALSO, I JUST HOPE IT'S NOT LOST ON YOU THAT YOU'RE ALSO TALKING TO WOMEN. YOU'RE TALKING TO THE FIRST LATINA, YOU'RE TALKING TO THE FIRST QUEER BLACK MAN, THE FIRST WOMAN THERE'S. AND PEOPLE WHO DO COME FROM VERY DIVERSE FAMILY BACKGROUNDS, SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. AND SO IN THAT WAY, YOU'RE KIND OF PREACHING TO THE CHOIR SOMETIMES. I THINK THE MOST PEOPLE SOMETIMES YOU REALIZE. 
          BUT I ALSO THINK THAT IDEA OF WHAT ELSE ARE WE BATTLING? YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFERENT TO BE A BLACK WOMAN NAVIGATING THIS SPACE WITH THE VALUES THAT I DO THAN IT IS FOR OTHER FOLKS. 
          RIGHT? AND SO I MIGHT BE GOING TO BAT FOR THE SAME CAUSES, BUT FACE DIFFERENT BARRIERS THAN OTHER PEOPLE WOULD. AND THAT'S JUST FACTS. AND SO I JUST HOPE IT'S NOT LOST ON FOLKS. WHEN YOU COME UP HERE AND YOU THROW AROUND THOSE WORDS, PRIVILEGE OF THE PRIVILEGE THAT YOU ARE HOLDING IN THOSE MOMENTS AS WELL. AND I'M HAPPY TO GO FURTHER ON THAT CONVERSATION. 
          BUT I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THE POINT, BECAUSE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS THIS IS OUR TIME FOR QUICK COMMENTS, AND WE CAN CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION LATER. BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHERE I STAND AND, AND MAKE THAT PUBLIC INVITATION. AND WE CAN WE CAN START A NEW IF NEEDED. SO THANKS, COMMISSIONER BELCHER. YES. THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE, COMMISSIONER PERDUE, FOR TACKLING ALL THOSE HARD, HARD TOPICS. THAT'S EXACTLY SOME OF WHAT'S BEEN ON MY HEART AND MIND, TOO. AND I DO FEEL LIKE THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE TO, TO REMIND FOLKS THAT WE ARE YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES BECAUSE WE ARE FROM THE COMMUNITY OF THE COMMUNITY, BY THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND THESE ARE THE BUSINESS MEETINGS OF THE CITY. AND WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE OPEN MEETINGS, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A PUBLIC OPEN MEETINGS ACT, RIGHT, THAT SAYS YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. IT IS ALWAYS MOST BENEFICIAL AND MOST PRODUCTIVE WHEN IT IS ON TOPICS WE CAN WORK ON AND WORK ON TOGETHER. OTHER THINGS WE WORK ON TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY AND, AND I HAVE A FEW MORE THOUGHTS HERE. THE THE GREATEST EXAMPLE I CAN THINK OF THAT'S HAPPENED JUST RECENTLY OF COMMUNITY IS THE OPENING OF THE HISPANIC CHAMBER YESTERDAY. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENT THAT INCORPORATED. I DIDN'T EVEN COUNT ALL OF THEM. SO MANY FLAGS FROM SO MANY COUNTRIES THAT ALL LIVE HERE AND ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WE COME TOGETHER TO BUILD WHATEVER COMES NEXT. SO WHILE WE ARE WORKING ON HOW DO WE CHANGE THE SYSTEMS WE HAVE, WE ALSO HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALL OF US RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING WHAT COMES NEXT. SO TO THE HISPANIC CHAMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY FELICIDADES, AND I WOULD LIKE TO TO SAY TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE IN OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE, BUT AS TARDIS IN, NOT JUST IN IMMIGRANTS KNOW ASTANA SOLOS. 
          GRACIAS. I AM WITH YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A NEW PARTNER JOIN SOON. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO HOW WE BEHAVE, HOW WE ACT, AND HOW WE COME TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WE ARE BUILDING A CIVIL SOCIETY THAT INCLUDES WHAT WE DO IN GOVERNMENT, WHAT WE DO IN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT WE DO IN BUSINESS, AND ALL THE OTHER ASPECTS. MY WORD FOR 2026 WAS CIVILITY. I'VE HAD TO TALK ABOUT IT A FEW TIMES NOW. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD BE SO APPROPRIATE WHEN I PICKED IT. SO THE IDEA IS, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD A STRONG SOCIETY IN SOLIDARITY WITH ONE ANOTHER? WHAT KIND OF CIVIL LIBERTIES, CIVIL RIGHTS, CIVIL ENGAGEMENT, CIVIL BEHAVIORS? ET CETERA. SO AFTER MUCH REFLECTION AND PROCESSING ON MY OWN REACTIONS OF WHAT HAPPENED LAST TUESDAY, I MUST SAY THAT I CONTINUE TO SERVE WITH SOME SUPREME DISAPPOINTMENT AND DIPLOMATIC DISMAY. WHAT I WITNESSED ACROSS THE BOARD WAS AN INCREDIBLE LACK OF RESPECT FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE DEMOCRATIC PRIVILEGE THAT PROVIDES PUBLIC COMMENT UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT. CIVIL DISCOURSE IS ESSENTIAL FOR A FULLY FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY, AND IT REQUIRES BOTH SELF REGULATION, RESTRAINT AND RESPECT. IT MANDATES THAT WE TOLERATE THE EXPRESSION OF VOICES. WE MAY HAVE VIOLENT AND VIRULENT REACTIONS TO PERSONALLY, AND HOLD THE LINE AGAINST VILE RHETORIC WITH OUR OWN REBUTTAL, MORAL ACTIONS, AND INQUISITIVE INTENTIONS. IT DEMANDS THAT WE PRACTICE DISCERNMENT AND DISCIPLINE ABOUT THE TIME, PLACE AND MANNER IN WHICH WE CHOOSE TO INTERACT OR ENGAGE, CHOOSE TO OBSERVE OR TAKE AND TAKE NOTES, OR CHOOSE TO BE CURIOUS AND ACTIVELY ENGAGED. IT IS NOT A BLANKET PERMISSION TO DEVOLVE INTO THE WORST OF 
          [01:10:03]
OUR INSTINCTS AND TENDENCIES. THE MOTHER OF A FRIEND OF MINE, WHO WAS RECENTLY INSTALLED AS THE FELLOW FOR GVSU'S CENTER FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE, HAD A LONG TIME QUOTE THAT SHE USED IN HER SPEECH. MY FRIENDS SPEECH. AND HER MOM SAID, YOU CANNOT CONTROL WHAT OTHERS DO. YOU CAN ONLY CONTROL YOURSELF. I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE STOICISM IN THAT. ANY RIGHT, OVERLY TAKEN INHERENTLY IMPINGES UPON ANOTHER'S INDIVIDUAL'S RIGHT. DEMOCRACY, THEREFORE, IS THE ETERNALLY DYNAMIC AND INTERWOVEN BALANCING BETWEEN ALL OF US IN THE TUGGING AND PULLING OF AN INCESSANT COMMUNAL FRICTION THAT COMES WITH FUNDAMENTAL LIBERTY. FOR MYSELF, I WILL CONTINUE TO PERFORM AS COMMISSIONER AND WHAT I NOW CALL LIMINAL LEADERSHIP, LIVING FROM THE SPACE BETWEEN SO THAT WE CAN MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. I REMAIN WATCHFUL, LISTENING, AND EXPECTANT. I BELIEVE IN SOMETHING BETTER FOR ALL OF US. 
          AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUT OF ALL OF US. I EXPECT FAR BETTER FROM THOSE WHO WOULD AIM TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. BECAUSE I BELIEVE YOU CLEARLY DO NOT MEAN OR INTEND TO MISTAKENLY DENIGRATE IT BY THOUGHTLESS, INATTENTIVE, UNENLIGHTENED ACTIONS. 
          COMMISSIONER KNIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PERDUE, FOR THOSE WORDS. I HEAR YOU AND I SUPPORT YOU IN THAT. SO JUST WANTED TO THROW OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS. I KNOW WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT ARTPRIZE AND SOUTH PRIZE AND A LOT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO BRING ATTENTION TO I HAD A CONVERSATION, I LEFT THE DAIS EARLIER TODAY BECAUSE I WAS WAITING FOR A RETURN CALL FROM CONGRESSWOMAN SCHOLTEN ON THE DEATH OF MR. JUAREZ, WHICH HAPPENED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. AND TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE ARE HOLDING OUR LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. WE HEAR FROM YOU. WE TAKE IT TO THEM. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO SHARE WITH ME ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION, THAT SHE WAS TAKING A STANCE, STAND ON HOLDING ICE ACCOUNTABLE, THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS THEY'RE DANCING AROUND LANGUAGE BECAUSE SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID THAT THEY DID, THEY'RE TRYING TO NOT SAY THAT THEY DID IT RIGHT. AND SO OUR LEADERSHIP IS, IS STEPPING IN AND THEY'RE PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE, WHAT HAS OCCURRED, AND THEN FOLLOWING THE NEXT STEPS TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE SHOULD NEVER, EVER HAVE HAPPENED. SHE ALSO SHARED WITH ME THAT SHE DID SOME INVESTIGATING ON WHAT HAPPENED IN WYOMING THIS WEEKEND AND STATED TO ME, AND THIS WAS THIS WAS WHAT SHE SAID TO ME AND SAID THAT I WAS ABLE TO SHARE THAT OUT, THAT IT WAS NONE OF MARIO'S FAMILY THAT HAD GOTTEN ARRESTED THIS WEEKEND IN WYOMING. THAT WAS NOT A TRUTH. AND SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE SHE TOLD ME THAT I COULD DEFINITELY DO THAT AND TO CONTINUE TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE IT SHOULD NOT EVER HAPPEN. NO CHILD SHOULD EVER HAVE TO WONDER IF THEIR PARENT IS COMING HOME THAT EVENING, OR A WIFE WONDER IF HER HUSBAND IS GOING TO SHOW UP AT THE DOOR. IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN, AND WE DON'T WANT IT HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HOLD OUR OUR LEADERSHIP AT THE SENATE AND THE CONGRESS LEVEL ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE THINGS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND GARAGES HEALTH EQUITY CONFERENCE, AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO SOME LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TALK ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF OF HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES AND HEALTH, HOW IT IMPACTS EVERYTHING THAT WE DO FROM OUR WORK, FROM OUR SCHOOLING, FROM OUR OUR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY ASPECTS AND BRING IN THE HISTORICAL PIECES TALKING ABOUT SLAVERY AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENRICHED THEMSELVES OFF THE LIVES OF OTHERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES AND CONTINUE TO DO SO, AND TO HOLD THAT ACCOUNTABLE, HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY BROUGHT UP ON THE FOREFRONT, DE JONES MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE MONEY THAT WAS BEING SPENT TO PROMOTE THE TWO COLLEGE THROUGH COLLEGE AND THINKING ABOUT HOW AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL ALL OF THOSE PARTICULAR JOBS THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET. THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE THE FUNDING AWAY SO THAT THEIR THOSE JOBS ARE NOT CONSIDERED OR THOSE THOSE THOSE DEGREES THAT THEY'RE PURSUING ARE NOT CONSIDERED WORTH SUPPORTING IN OUR COMMUNITY YET. THOSE ARE THE VERY THINGS THAT SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES IN THOSE SERVICE AREAS. THOSE WERE THE MAIN PEOPLE THAT WERE IMPACTED 
          [01:15:04]
BY THE PANDEMIC, AND THOSE ARE THE MAIN JOBS THAT WE NEED. AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO THINK HEAVILY ABOUT WHO WE'RE SUPPORTING, WHAT WE'RE SUPPORTING, AND WHAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY REPRESENTING AT THE HIGHER LEVELS. SO WHEN MARK COMES AND TALKS ABOUT BEING REGISTERED TO VOTE AND MAKING SURE YOU'RE VOTING AND TALKS ABOUT THE ORANGE FELON, WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO IS REPRESENTING US, WHO IS STANDING AND TAKING THE FIRE, TAKING THE DARTS, TAKING THE ARROWS FOR US EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND IT'S NOT JUST THOSE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT IT'S RIGHT HERE IN YOUR CITY. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THEIR MOTIVE, WHAT ARE THEIR WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO DO? HOW ARE THEY REALLY IMPACTING YOU FROM DAY TO DAY? AND A LOT OF THAT GOES BACK TO THE CONVERSATION THAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE WAS SAYING. WHEN PEOPLE COME AND MAKE STATEMENTS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE NOT DOING, BUT I DON'T HEAR FROM YOU ANY TIME OTHER THAN EVERY OTHER TUESDAY, FOR ME, THAT'S AN ISSUE. WHEN YOU DON'T CALL A PHONE, YOU DON'T CALL AN EMAIL. 
          I THINK WE ALL HAVE TWO PHONES UP IN HERE SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? MULTIPLE EMAILS. I GOT AT LEAST TEN, AND I'M SURE YOU CAN FIND ANY ONE OF THEM. AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY HAS A WAY OF ACCESSIBILITY. BUT WHEN WE'RE NOT COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER OUTSIDE OF EVERY OTHER WEEK, HOW DO WE EXPECT ANYTHING TO CHANGE OR GET DONE? BECAUSE IT'S WORK AND THAT'S EVERY DAY. 
          AND WE LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, WE LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WE DRIVE PAST, THE BUSINESSES WE SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES. OUR JOB IS TO KNOW WHO WE'RE WORKING WITH, WHO WE'RE DEALING WITH, AND SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE OUT ON THE FRONT LINES, TAKING THE FIRE, BECAUSE WE DON'T GET THAT SUPPORT AND IT'S OKAY. I DON'T WAKE UP FOR NOBODY'S PAT ON THE BACK BECAUSE I KNOW MY JOB IS TO SERVE. THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO 24 HOURS A DAY. THAT'S WHY THE STRUGGLES I WENT THROUGH AND THE THINGS THAT I DEALT WITH GOING THROUGH LIFE ALL BROUGHT ME TO THIS POINT. 
          AND IT WASN'T FOR ANYBODY ELSE'S RECOGNITION. IT'S TO DO A JOB. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. SO ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU AND PUT A LITTLE PRESSURE BACK ON YOU. AND ASK, ARE YOU HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS OR YOUR COMMISSIONERS? ARE YOU SHOWING UP AT THE FORUMS? ARE YOU COMING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS? THE CIA MEETINGS? ALL OF THAT. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GET OFF OF WORK AND COME AT 2:00. IT'S NOT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO COME AT 7:00. SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION, BUT THERE ARE OTHER MEANS TO COMMUNICATE. 
          THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO CONNECT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. CAR. THANKS, MAYOR. YEAH, I ALWAYS WANT TO THANK YOU ALL. THE 2 P.M. DAYS TO ME ARE VERY JAM PACKED. I THOUGHT WE HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE DAY. SO THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND ALL OF OUR STAFF AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS. 
          I WANT TO FIRST TALK TO DISCUSS OUR EMERGING DEVELOPERS PROGRAM. I THINK, AGAIN, I WANT TO ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF MY COLLEAGUES. IF WE DO HEAR YOU AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE READY TO TAKE ACTION, I'M HOPING THAT YOU ALL TUNED INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TEAM TODAY, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT TWO AWESOME OPPORTUNITIES ONE, MAKING OUR LAND BANK, YOU KNOW, MORE NIMBLE AND ABLE TO HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND ACCESS PROPERTIES. BUT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, AND THAT WILL GO BEFORE OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND FOLKS. AND THEN WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT MILLIONS GOING TOWARDS THE EMERGING DEVELOPERS PROGRAM, POSSIBLY, RIGHT? THAT WOULD COME IF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND FOLKS SAY, YES, RECOMMEND IT, AND THEN IT WOULD COME BEFORE US. I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. SO JUST TODAY, WE DIRECTLY ADDRESSED IN OUR LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SUPPORT THIS WORK, NOT LET IT GO, NOT GHOST OUR COMMUNITY. I REALLY, I'M THE GEN Z, SO I KNOW WHAT GHOSTING MEANS AND THAT IS A HORRIBLE FEELING IF YOU'VE EVER. 
          YEAH, I STILL GET TO SAY THAT THEY ALWAYS LAUGH. I YEAH, I GET TO SAY I'M THE YOUNGEST FOR A MINUTE FOR A MINUTE LONGER. BUT YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A HORRIBLE FEELING IN ANY RELATIONSHIP. AND THAT'S SORT OF THE WORD THAT KEEPS GOING IN MY MIND TODAY IS RELATIONSHIPS. SO IT'S AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP. I THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK. I THANK YOU FOR BEING CANDID AND OPEN AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS, THIS PROGRAM. THERE'S ALWAYS YOUR INTENT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE MEAN, WELL, WE WANT TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. AND THERE'S ALSO THE IMPACT. AND THAT'S WHAT I HEARD TODAY. AND 
          [01:20:01]
SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO FIND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM AND ALSO MAKE SURE OUR IMPACT IS LOCKSTEP WITH WHAT COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE. THAT'S WHAT I HEARD, AND THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF US ARE COMMITTED TO DOING. SO THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK ON THAT. IN ADDITION, I GOT TO JOIN FRIENDS OF GRAND RAPIDS PARKS RECENTLY FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE CONTRIBUTED 213 TREES TO OUR 40% CANOPY GOAL. THAT'S AWESOME. IT ALSO HELPS US ACHIEVE SOME OF OUR GOALS THROUGH THE CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN. WE SAW FIRSTHAND SOME OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT WE RECENTLY PASSED. LIKE WE HAVE. WE ARE ALLOWED FOR TREES TO BEAR FRUIT NOW IN THE CITY. SO THAT WAS EXCITING TO SEE. RECENTLY. YESTERDAY I MET WITH THE CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER WITH MY FRIEND AND THEIR NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO, JEN HUNT. THEY SHOWED ME THEIR AMAZING COORDINATED CARE WITH THE KENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT THERAPISTS AND OTHER CAREGIVERS FOR YOUTH WHO ARE PROCESSING TRAUMA AND SEEKING JUSTICE. 
          ONCE AGAIN. THE CHALLENGES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT I THINK WE'RE SEEING AT THE PUMP THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR JOBS, WE'RE SEEING IN THE NONPROFIT LANDSCAPE, WE'RE ALSO SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THEY LOST 18% OF THEIR FUNDING THROUGH THE VOCA, THE VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT BEING CUT. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WORKING OFF A LITTLE BIT OVER $1 MILLION SERVING OUR WHOLE REGION. THEY'RE ONE OF LIKE EIGHT, EIGHT PROVIDERS IN THE STATE THAT ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WITH YOUTH. SO I THINK THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN SUPPORT THIS, TELL THEIR NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE SEEING. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HAVING TO BE INNOVATIVE AND WORK THROUGH THIS BUDGET, IT'S SERIOUS. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A COMMUNITY PARTNER. WE'VE GOT ALL HANDS ON DECK AND THEY ARE REALLY FEELING IT AS WELL. SO I THINK THIS ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE $150,000 PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA PILOT THAT COMMISSIONER PERDUE SPEARHEADED. AND WE PASSED THROUGH WE ALLOCATED THROUGH THE THIRD WARD EQUITY FUND, AND THE WHOLE COMMISSION SUPPORTED UNANIMOUSLY. SO THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES, FOR THAT. THERE IS THAT WAS CLEAR EVIDENCE TO ME THAT THE CITY. WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT SUPPORT. FOLKS HAVE TALKED ABOUT ART PRIZE. I CAN'T THINK THAT BREAKING BAD GUY'S NAME, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS. THAT WAS A VERY FUN EXPERIENCE AT THE END CEREMONY UNTIL THEY SAID, MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, I ALMOST SAID, MALCOLM X, MALCOLM, MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, WHAT'S HIS NAME? BRYAN CRANSTON AND WHOEVER. HE WAS VERY NICE AND IT WAS A VERY COOL EXPERIENCE. BUT ALL OF THAT WAS COOL. BUT I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SOUTH PRIZE AND COMMISSIONER. FORMER COMMISSIONER LANIER WENT ON STAGE TO AWARD THE WINNERS AND TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS WAS A VISION THAT HAD TAKEN MANY YEARS. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO TO REMEMBER TOO. WHEN I WAS STUDYING IN UNDERGRAD, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW GOVERNMENT DOES NOT MOVE AT THE PACE THAT PEOPLE WANT IT TO DO SOMETIMES, LIKE SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, ALPERS ICE AND THE EMERGING DEVELOPER, SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE URGENT AND WILL NEED ACTION THAT WE CAN DO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BUT SOME THINGS HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL AND TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME SO THEY CAN BE DONE THE RIGHT WAY. AND SO I REALLY THOUGHT SOUTH PRIZE WAS DONE THE RIGHT WAY. I'M SO THANKFUL THAT FOLKS WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR SOUTH TOWN BUSINESSES AND GO THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, SEE IF THEY WANT TO LIVE IN ALGER HEIGHTS, SEE IF THEY WANT TO LIVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE. IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE VISITORS. I HAD ONE PERSON WHO I KNOCKED INTO ON QUITE LITERALLY RAN INTO THEM ACCIDENTALLY ON MY WALK. THEY WERE FROM NEW YORK, THEY WERE FROM SOME BOROUGH AND NEW YORK AND HAD NEVER BEEN TO GRAND RAPIDS, AND THEY WERE IN SOUTH TOWN. SO WE'RE DOING THINGS RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. THE MAYOR AND I ALSO ATTENDED A MENTAL HEALTH ART SHOW, SO THEY WERE BRINGING TOGETHER ART AND TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. AND I ALSO TALKED ABOUT REALLY QUICKLY, MY COMMENTS WERE ON MOVING AWAY FROM THIS LIKE FAKE POSITIVITY TO OPTIMISM. SO LIKE NOT PAINTING A YELLOW SMILEY FACE ON THESE CHALLENGES LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, BUT SAYING THAT TOMORROW CAN BE BETTER AND THAT CAN BE FRUSTRATED, THAT CAN COME WITH TEARS, THAT CAN COME WITH ANGER, BUT WE CAN BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TOMORROW. AND THAT'S THE BEAUTIFUL THING THAT I SEE FROM MY COLLEAGUES. AND THEN LASTLY, I WAS THE EMCEE FOR THE BLACK NURSES ASSOCIATION GALA RECENTLY, AND THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL AS WELL, SEEING SO MANY FOLKS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, MOSTLY WOMEN DEDICATED TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH. AND THEY ALSO ONCE AGAIN SHARED THE ATTACKS TO HEALTH COVERAGE, SHARED THE LACK OF FUNDING FOR OUR HEALTH INSTITUTIONS. SO IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT ACCOUNTABLE AND THAT WE CAN'T BE BETTER, BUT IT'S TO REALLY PAINT THIS LANDSCAPE FOR COMMUNITY THAT IN EVERY FACET THAT YOU SEE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S CHALLENGES. AND WHAT WE CAN'T DO IS GIVE UP AND WE CAN BE OPTIMISTIC, AND I'M GOING TO STICK TO THAT. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING, MAKING TIME, AND I HOPE YOU WILL BE OPTIMISTIC WITH ME. CLARK. YEAH. FIRST, 
          [01:25:01]
JUST TO REFERENCE, A QUESTION MARK ASKED FOR AT THE BE IN HIS FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE AMWAY SOCCER STADIUM IN THEIR IN THEIR LIQUOR LICENSE. SO IT'S A RESORT LICENSE. THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT AVENUES IN ORDER TO GET A LIQUOR LICENSE, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, YOU CAN HAVE A LICENSE, YOU CAN HAVE A DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, BUT THAT ONE IS A RESORT LICENSE. SO THE STATE DESIGNATED SOMETHING THAT IS A ENTERTAINMENT OR A RECREATIONAL TYPE USE. AND SO THEY JUST CALL IT A RESORT LICENSE. SO NOT A RESORT. IT'S BASICALLY GETTING A REGULAR LIQUOR LICENSE THROUGH. THAT MEANS. SO THAT WAS THAT'S SO IT'S NOT A RESORT TYPE THING. 
          IT'S JUST AN AVENUE TO GET THERE. MOVING ON TO ELECTION AREA. SO WE MAILED OUT ABOUT 33,000 ABSENTEE BALLOTS SO FAR, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 4400 RETURNED ALREADY. SO THAT'S ABOUT AN EIGHTH OF THE BALLOTS BACK ALREADY, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY. I THINK I THINK THE THE TALK ABOUT THE US POSTAL SERVICE AND DROPPING THINGS OFF AND ELECTION DAY AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS, I THINK PEOPLE GOT THEIR BALLOTS AND THEY RETURNED THEM, RETURNED THEM RIGHT AWAY. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ABSENTEE BALLOTS, GET THEM IN. I KNOW WE SAW CANDIDATES DROP OUT BEFORE THE PRIMARY. THAT'S DIFFERENT IN A PRIMARY SEASON THAN IT IS A GENERAL SEASON WE GO THROUGH, WE CHECK THE SIGNATURES, AND THEN THEY'RE IN A SAFE, SECURE ENVIRONMENT UNTIL WE GET TO THE TIME WHEN WE TABULATE. SO THAT'S ABSENTEE VOTING. SO AND YOU CAN YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO GET ONE. YOU CAN GO TO MICHIGAN.GOV/VOTE AND GET AND APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT WILL MAIL IT OUT TO YOU. OR YOU CAN COME TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND PICK ONE UP AS WELL. EARLY VOTING IS GOING TO BE STARTING GENERALLY FOR THE REST OF THE STATE ON OCTOBER 24TH, BUT IN GRAND RAPIDS WILL BE THE ONLY ONES IN KING COUNTY THAT ARE ACTUALLY STARTING ON ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOUR EXTRA DAYS OF EARLY VOTING JUST BECAUSE IT GOT SO BUSY ON THAT FIRST SATURDAY IN 2024, THAT WE WANT TO HAVE SOME TIME TO GET GET ALL THE ELECTION INSPECTORS INTO THE GROOVE WHEN IT GETS WHEN IT GETS BUSY. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO BE, AS I SAID IN MY PRESENTATION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO OR A FEW A MONTH AGO, SO WE'LL BE IN FOUR LOCATIONS WILL BE IN EACH QUADRANT. SO GR UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, SAINT PETER AND PAUL PARISH CENTER, AND THEN OUR NEW LOCATION ON NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH IN NEAR THE CORNER OF MARTIN LUTHER KING AND DIVISION. SO WE'LL BE IN ALL FOUR QUADRANTS. SO A LOT OF LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING. 
          ALSO, IF YOU'VE SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE'VE HAD WE HAVE THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAS PUT TOGETHER A VERY ROBUST SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN ABOUT ABSENTEE VOTING, ABOUT EARLY VOTING WITH VIDEOS AND, AND OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON. AND ALSO, I DID A, A INTERVIEW WITH INGHAM COUNTY CLERK BARB BYRUM. AND SO SOME MEDIA OUTLETS PICKED THAT UP, TALKING, JUST TRYING TO GET OUT THE FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT ELECTIONS. THERE'S SO MUCH OUT THERE THAT WE WE TRY TO CUT THROUGH WHAT'S TRUE AND WHAT'S NOT, WHAT'S NOT TRUE OR JUST NOT OR MISUNDERSTOOD. AND IT'S BY BOTH SIDES. IT'S NOT ONE LEFT OR RIGHT. SOMETIMES JUST THINGS JUST GET MISREPRESENTED. AND SO WE TRY TO, AS ELECTION OFFICIALS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THERE'S LIKE 1600 OF US TRYING TO GIVE OUT TRUE FACTUAL INFORMATION AS WE AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT 29 DAYS. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S RETURNED YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO'VE STEPPED FORWARD TO WORK THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY OR IN EARLY VOTING SITE OR COUNTING ABSENTEE BALLOTS. IT IT JUST TAKES MORE THAN THIS ONE GUY TO TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. SO THANK YOU TO THE THE GRAND RAPIDS CITY TEAM OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE. APPRECIATE A THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. SO THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANKS. CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU, CITY STAFF, FOR THE WORK. THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE MONTH. AS NOTED, WITH ARTPRIZE AND THE CLOSING OF THE OF OUR PRIZES AT THE AMPHITHEATER. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE ARTISTS, THE WINNERS AND THE VENUES. AND WE HAD A RECORD BREAKING CROWD FOR THE FASHION SHOW. IT'S NOW IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORD FOR THE LARGEST FASHION SHOW ATTENDED. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED. AND I WE DO HAVE AN ARTIST ON THE DAIS. THE MAYOR HIMSELF HAD AN ENTRY IN ART PRIZE AND SO WE SHOULD ASK HIM TO. I DIDN'T WIN, WE SHOULD ASK HIM TO UNVEIL HIS ENTRY. NO, BUT IT IS. IT IS GREAT. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WILL BE IN TERMS OF THIS YEAR, AS WE WILL EXPECTING QUITE A FEW PEOPLE, ALMOST A MILLION PEOPLE COMING THROUGH OUR CITY. SO I DO WANT TO REFLECT ON ONE OF THE COMMENTS EARLIER. I THINK IT IS GOOD TO LOOK AT OTHER COMMUNITIES. AND I HEARD THAT CHALLENGE BECAUSE WHAT WE'LL FIND IS THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT. THE SURVEY TODAY FROM NCHS AFFIRMED THAT. SO I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF AND PARTICIPANTS, BUT ALSO AREAS 
          [01:30:03]
WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE. BUT UNDERSTANDING THE PRACTICE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, ALWAYS EYE OPENING. YOU GET TO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE. I THINK THE MAYOR AND I SAW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR MOBILITY AND PARKING ISSUES, WE WENT TO ANOTHER CITY TO RECRUIT INVESTORS AND DEVELOPERS, AND FOR TWO HOURS OF PARKING IN A RAMP NON EVENT THAT WAS 50 WHAT, $56 OR I THINK TO PARK ON THE STREET, ON STREET PARKING. YOU DON'T JUST PULL UP TO A METER, YOU HAVE TO GET A PERMIT FIRST FROM THE CITY, EVEN IF YOU'RE A VISITOR. WE PARKED AT A METER, WE PAID AND WE GOT A TICKET. I'LL SAY WE THE MAYOR GOT A TICKET. BUT HE PAID IT. OR IT WAS PAID. BUT YEAH, SO SO I THINK WE, WE, WE, IT IS GOOD TO UNDERSTAND THE PRACTICES OF OTHER COMMUNITIES. 
          AND EVEN LOOKING AT THE SOUND ORDINANCE IN ONE OF THE CITIES THAT WERE REFERENCED EARLIER, AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. I'M SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ORDINANCE GOING TO 10 OR 11:00 AT NIGHT. THERE ARE DISTRICTS DOWNTOWN WHERE LIVE MUSIC AND AMPLIFIED SOUND IS PERMITTED TILL 2 A.M. IN THE MORNING, WITH PERMIT. SO I THINK WE WILL BE EVEN MORE INTENTIONAL AS WE LOOK AT THE PRACTICES OF OUR COMPARISONS TO SOME OF THOSE BENCHMARK CITIES, HIGHLIGHTING AREAS WHERE WE ARE DIFFERENT AND CAN IMPROVE OUR OUR CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY WE DO. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT ABOUT THE HOT TEAM. I HEARD A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS. AS YOU AWARE, WE EXTENDED THE HOURS OF THE HOT TEAM AND OUR REFEREES TEAM. SO THANK YOU TO THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE DOING THAT WORK. I ALSO WANT TO I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COMMENT DISCUSSIONS AROUND FLOCK, AND WE'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO HAVE A REVIEW. THE PRACTICES AND. OF OUR FLOCK. EXCUSE ME, AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGY THROUGH OUR SURVEILLANCE POLICY. LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT REVIEW. 
          BUT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A RECENT STORY, I THINK, THAT WAS REPORTED THIS PAST WEEK. EVEN AS SOON AS YESTERDAY, POLICE CHIEF DID MAKE ME AWARE OF THE BANK ROBBERY THAT WAS IN PROGRESS IN THE SOUTH EAST PART OF THE COMMUNITY, AND LATER THE SUSPECT WAS APPREHENDED AND IT WAS THE USE OF THE ALPR TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS ABLE TO ASSIST OUR LOCAL POLICE AND FBI IN THE BANK CRIME. AND SO WHILE THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS AND USES, THERE ARE OCCASIONS IN WHICH CRIMES WILL NOT BE SOLVED WITHOUT THAT TECHNOLOGY. SO JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, LIKE WE TRY TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN THE BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, I HOPE WE CAN STRIKE THE BALANCE BETWEEN PRIVACY AND THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY. LASTLY, I WILL A COUPLE OTHER THINGS I WANT TO SAY. MY APPRECIATION TO THE CITY AND THE COUNTY FOR COLLABORATING ON OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT THAT WILL ALLOW US TO OPERATE JOINTLY AND UTILIZE OUR RESPECTIVE DISPATCH CENTERS, BOTH THE CITY DISPATCH AS WELL AS COUNTY DISPATCH. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS, FOR APPROVING THAT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OPPORTUNITY SITES FOR RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT, AND I EXPECT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO BE ANNOUNCING A ANOTHER LOCATION FOR CITY OWNED PROPERTY IN THE COMING DAYS, IN WHICH WE WILL ENTERTAIN PROPOSALS AND EVALUATE THEM AND BRING BACK TO THIS COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION BASED ON WHAT WE WHAT WE OBSERVED. AND LASTLY, I WANT TO THANK THE WOMEN OF THE NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT AREA FOR ALLOWING ME TO ATTEND THE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEGRO BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB A FEW WEEKS AGO, SO THANK YOU. 
          THANKS, EVERYONE. SO I'M GOING TO CLOSE OFF THE MEETING AND I WANT TO MAKE FOUR COMMENTS ON FAIRLY DISCRETE AREAS. FIRST OF ALL, THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TENOR AND THE THOUGHTFULNESS OF, I THINK, EVERYTHING EVERYBODY SAID. SO, YOU KNOW, A BRIEF AMEN TO ALL OF THAT. WE CAN ALWAYS FINE TUNE OUR ANSWERS AND OUR RESPONSES. AND SO OCCASIONALLY I THOUGHT, WELL, I WANT TO ADD A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO I MOSTLY WANT TO SAY THANKS. 
          I ALSO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME AND COMMENTED, I THINK THOUGHTFULLY AND RESPECTFULLY TODAY THAT IS A SUCH A GIFT, SO I APPRECIATE IT. AND PARTICULARLY MISS JORDAN AND MR. BENNETT, I APPRECIATED YOUR YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR AND YOUR THOUGHTFUL AND AND POSITIVE WAY IN WHICH YOU YOU MADE THOSE POINTS. I, I WANT TO ALSO BRIEFLY FLAG. AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T WE DON'T REALLY WE'RE NOT REALLY TALKING TO THE WHOLE CITY, RIGHT? WE'RE I'M TALKING RIGHT NOW TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO WATCH THIS ONLINE AND MAYBE, MAYBE IT'LL GO SOMETHING WILL GET PICKED UP BY SOMEBODY, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S A, I KNOW I'M UNDER NO ILLUSIONS THAT 
          [01:35:03]
WE'RE TALKING TO THE WHOLE CITY HERE, BUT THERE WAS A I WANT TO FLAG. THERE WAS A REFERENCE IN IN OUR LAST MEETING TO URGING THE COMMISSION TO PASS AN ORDINANCE. WELL, ORDINANCES ARE THINGS THE CITY DOES. THEY'RE NOT THINGS THAT RANDOM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY CALL ORDINANCES. AND THAT THAT MAKES THEM AN ORDINANCE. BUT I WILL SAY THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR SOME TIME WITH ORGANIZATIONS, PARTICULARLY, MOST NOTABLY THE ACLU, ON ADDRESSING THE QUESTION OF LIKE, AND I'VE SAID THIS RIGHT WHEN I, YOU KNOW, BECAME MAYOR, IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY MORE WELCOMING, TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL MORE SECURE, AND TO ACTUALLY ENFORCE THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF OUR RESIDENTS. I WANT TO DO THAT. 
          WE WANT TO DO THAT. AND SO THAT CONVERSATION, I DON'T I DON'T EXPECT TO EVER BE DONE, BUT IT ALSO MEANS THAT THINGS CAN'T HAPPEN INSTANTLY. AND IT MEANS THAT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE REFERENCE BY THE ACTIVISTS WHO SAID PASSED THIS ORDINANCE, WELL, THE ACLU DOES NOT THINK THAT THEY HAVE A FINISHED PRODUCT YET AT THIS POINT, NOR DO ANY OF THOSE, NOR DO THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THAT DISCUSSION. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE ON FIGURING OUT WHAT, WHAT, WHETHER AND WHAT AND WHAT BASKETS THERE CAN BE IMPROVEMENT IN THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT AND TO ECHO OR MAYBE AMPLIFY ONE OF WHAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IF YOU GET INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU STAY AWAKE AT NIGHT IS THE LAW OF UNINTENDED, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. GOVERNMENT IS FULL OF INSTANCES OF MOVING TOO QUICKLY AND TRYING TO DO A AND ACTUALLY PRODUCING THE OPPOSITE RESULT. AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT TO THINK THROUGH THE IMPLICATIONS AND TO AND TO MAKE SURE IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE NEW POLICIES, MAKE NEW ORDINANCES, WE DO IT RIGHT. WHICH IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE, WORRIED ABOUT IT, THINKING ABOUT IT. AND COMMISSIONER PERDUE, FOR EXAMPLE, POINTED THAT OUT. I MEAN, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET IMPROVEMENT. I WILL SAY WHAT I'VE SAID BEFORE, TOO, WHICH IS THAT WE ARE NOT DONE WITH THE AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER CONVERSATION. I DON'T CONSIDER US DONE. WE'RE NOT DONE TALKING ABOUT THE FLOCK CONVERSATION. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMUNITY'S CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT ON THAT. WE TOOK WE TOOK A QUICK STEP THAT I AND I WANT TO FLAG THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM COMMISSIONER STACY'S PERSPECTIVE, MAYBE IT WASN'T QUICK BECAUSE SHE POINTED OUT A WHILE AGO, I DON'T WANT TO SAY DECADES, BUT AT LEAST AT LEAST MORE THAN A YEAR AGO THAT THAT IT SEEMS SENSIBLE THAT OUR AT LEAST OUR AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER POLICY SHOULD BE PUT UNDER OUR SURVEILLANCE POLICY, WHICH PUTS IN PLACE A LOT OF IMMEDIATE SAFEGUARDS. AND I THINK THAT I, I IT'S CLEARLY AN IMPROVEMENT FROM THE SITUATION PRIOR TO THAT MOVE. SO THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE ANYTHING ANY OF US, I THINK THOUGHT OF THAT AS A ONE AND DONE MOVE. WE THINK OF THAT AS A NECESSARY AND CLEAR ACTION. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE SHUTTING DOWN THE CONVERSATION. AND AS MR. BENNETT POINTED OUT, THE QUESTION OF WHAT THE COURTS THINK THE FOURTH AMENDMENT IS THAT CHANGES OVER TIME. IT CHANGES EVERY TIME A NEW COURT CASE COMES OUT. SO WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO ENGAGE IN THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT. AND AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, NOT JUST CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS, BUT LIKE THE FOURTH AMENDMENT IS A FLOOR FOR SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SECURITY FROM THINGS LIKE SURVEILLANCE. BUT IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE CEILING. SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. I, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, HOWEVER, AND I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE WHAT I SAID IN A PUBLIC STATEMENT. I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK, BUT AFTER MARIO'S DEATH. WE CANNOT KEEP ENTITIES LIKE ICE OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE CANNOT KEEP THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE FINAL IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS. BUT WE CAN ALL OF US, AND WE DO ALL OF US, HAVE TO WORK HARD AGAINST THE CREATION OF CULTURES OF FEAR. AND AND I SAID, I SAID IN THAT STATEMENT, ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY WHICH TRAFFICS IN FEAR AND IS TRYING TO CREATE FEAR IS NOT WELCOME IN OUR COMMUNITY. OUR OBJECTIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY IS TO HELP PEOPLE FEEL SAFE, VALUED, SUPPORTED, WELCOMED. AND WE CAN'T CONTROL EVERY ENTITY IN THE WORLD. BUT WE CAN INSIST THAT OUR VALUES ARE WHAT THEY ARE. WE CAN DO EVERYTHING WE CAN IN OUR POWER TO AFFIRM THOSE VALUES AND TAKE EVERY ACTION THAT'S WITHIN OUR POWER TO AFFIRM THOSE THOSE VALUES. BUT IT CAN'T BE SAID OFTEN ENOUGH THAT FEAR IN AND OF ITSELF HAS CONSEQUENCES. AND THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT FEAR PLAYED A REAL ROLE IN MARIO'S DEATH. AND FEAR IS NOT A LAW. FEAR IS A CULTURAL 
          [01:40:04]
CHALLENGE, AND CREATING A CULTURE THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE FEAR IS SOMETHING THAT IS HARD, TAKES WORK, AND WE HAVE TO BE RECOMMITTED TO EVERY DAY. FINALLY, I WANT TO SAY THAT THE CITY MANAGER FLAGGED OUR OUR TRIP TO CHICAGO, AND I WANT TO HE DIDN'T SAY CHICAGO. HE SAID A CITY THAT CHARGED A LOT FOR PARKING. BUT I WANT I WANT TO I WANT TO ELEVATE FOR A MOMENT. 
          SO I WANT TO I WANT TO JUST ELEVATE FOR A MOMENT THAT I, I CONSIDER AND I AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, AND I THINK, I THINK I DON'T, I, I HOPE THAT EVERYONE ON THE DAIS WOULD AGREE WITH THE SENTIMENT. AND THAT IS THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS A FOUNDATIONAL CONCERN FOR OUR CITY. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE JUST GOT A SURVEY BACK THAT SAID, IT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT PEOPLE IN THE CITY WANT. THEY WANT PUBLIC SAFETY. NOW, PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT SOMETHING WE GET TO OFF SOURCE TO 300 SWORN OFFICERS AND ACT LIKE THE REST OF US HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE GET TO NOT ENGAGE IN AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL AS WELL AS AT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT LEVEL. AND SO TO THAT END, CITY MANAGER AND I AND MR. DAVIS MET WITH A GROUP THAT'S BEEN EMBEDDED IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR SOME TIME. AND I AM EXCITED THAT WE DO SOME NEXT STEP WORKS WITH THIS GROUP. AND THE GROUP IS CALLED CURE VIOLENCE. AND WHEN I FIRST HEARD THE THESIS OF THIS GROUP, I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'S A LITTLE STRANGE, BUT THE MORE I HEARD ABOUT IT, THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE MORE EXCITED I GOT ABOUT IT. THE IDEA IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT VIOLENCE AND TRY TO APPLY THE METHODOLOGIES OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO IT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF CHARACTERISTICS TO VIOLENCE THAT IT'S SHARE WITH, SAY, EBOLA, THAT IT'S TRANSMISSIBLE, THAT IT YOU CAN HAVE OUTBREAKS IN PARTICULAR AREAS, AND THAT IF YOU TRY TO FOCUS ON ON, SAY, STOPPING A DISEASE OUTBREAK, YOU'RE DOING A NUMBER OF THINGS. YOU'RE TRYING TO UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ISOLATE PEOPLE, BUT YOU ALSO REALLY EMPHASIZE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP TRANSMISSION. AND THAT WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, REPRISALS. OFTEN IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT VIOLENCE, BUT YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT SEEING HOW HELPING PEOPLE DEAL WITH THEIR TRAUMA. AND BECAUSE VIOLENCE IS TRAUMATIC AND SIMPLY SEEING VIOLENCE INFECTS YOU, SOMETIMES WITH, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT. AND SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE RESISTANT THAN OTHERS. BUT THAT TRANSMISSIBILITY IS REAL. AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT EPIDEMICS IS THERE'S ALMOST ALWAYS OR DISEASE OUTBREAKS. 
          THERE'S ALMOST ALWAYS A REALLY IMPORTANT BEHAVIORAL CHANGE. YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE POPULATION AND THAT COMES WITH EDUCATION. SO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT HIV TRANSMISSION YEARS AGO, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT NEEDLE NEEDLE TRANSMISSION. AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT SEXUAL BEHAVIOR TRANSMISSION, RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIORS. AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW HOW PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIORS IF WE WERE GOING TO CURTAIL THAT DISEASE. WELL, SIMILARLY WITH EBOLA, IT TURNS OUT THAT CORPSES ARE STILL INFECTIOUS. AND SO IF YOU'VE GOT A COMMUNITY WHERE IN A FUNERAL YOU GO, I'LL GO HUG THE CORPSE, THAT'S A REALLY BAD IDEA IF YOU'VE GOT AN EBOLA OUTBREAK. SO THE QUESTION OF HOW WE AS A COMMUNITY CAN ADDRESS CHANGING THE EDUCATION AND NARRATIVES AND DYNAMICS AROUND VIOLENCE IS GOING TO BE IT'S COMPLICATED, BUT IT'S ALSO EXCITING. IT'S EXCITING TO THINK THAT THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION OUT THERE THAT'S VERY DATA DRIVEN, VERY OUTCOME DRIVEN, AND WILLING TO TEST THEIR HYPOTHESES, JUST LIKE WE DO IN THE HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND IN SCIENCE IN GENERAL. AND, AND SEE IF AND SEE IF WE CAN'T APPLY MEASURES WHICH WILL ACTUALLY REDUCE VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE I STILL AND I KNOW OUR POLICE CHIEF AND I KNOW OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT FOLKS, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY UP IN THE DAIS HERE KNOWS WE'VE HAD MORE THAN TEN MURDERS IN THE CITY THIS YEAR. AND, BOY, I, YOU KNOW, I YEARN FOR THE YEAR WHEN THAT WON'T BE TRUE. I YEARN FOR THE YEAR WHEN WE'LL HAVE ZERO MURDERS IN THIS CITY. WE HAVE SHOOTINGS. ANY NUMBER THAT'S MORE THAN ZERO IS TOO MANY. AND. AND WHILE YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THERE ARE TRAGEDIES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE MAYBE CAN'T PREVENT. I THINK THAT VIOLENCE IS SOMETHING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT'S REAL. IT HAS A LARGE COST. IT HAS LARGE TRAUMA ASSOCIATED WITH IT. IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN REVERSE. OTHER CRIMES ARE CAN BE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SAY CRUDELY MIGHT BE MITIGATED, RIGHT? IF IF YOU LOSE PROPERTY, WELL, THAT'S GOT A DOLLAR FIGURE AND 
          [01:45:01]
YOU CAN GET THE PROPERTY BACK. YOU CAN'T BE UNASSAULTED, YOU CAN'T BE MURDERED. AND SO DRIVING INCIDENTS OF COMMUNITY VIOLENCE AS LOW AS WE CAN AND, AND, AND YEARNING AND DREAMING FOR THE DAY THAT THOSE NUMBERS GO TO ZERO REALLY MEANS BUILDING A COMMUNITY THAT'S FOCUSED ON, ON PEACEMAKING. AND ALL OF US, AS WE DO OUR ADVOCACY FOR THINGS WE GET PASSIONATE ABOUT. AND AS WE DO WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, WE'RE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE THE TOOLS OF HATE AND FEAR AND VIOLENCE ARE PICKED UP ALL THE TIME. AND THE TRAGIC THING ABOUT THOSE TOOLS IS THAT THEY'RE FAST. THEY GET RESULTS FAST. YOU CAN SEE THE RESULT OF SCARING SOMEBODY QUICKLY. YOU CAN SEE THE RESULT OF THOSE DESTRUCTIVE TOOLS AND THE TOOLS OF EMPATHY AND LOVE AND PEACEKEEPING ARE SLOWER AND, AND THERE ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO KEEP CONSTANTLY REMINDING OURSELVES TO DO BECAUSE THEY'RE HARDER TO DO. PEACEMAKING IS HARDER. NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE IS HARDER. LOVING THOSE THAT HATE YOU IS HARDER. BUT THAT'S THE WORK THAT WE'RE ALL THAT WE'RE ALL CALLED TO. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S HOW WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THIS A TRULY GREAT CITY, IS IF WE CAN KEEP LEANING INTO DECLINING TO TAKE UP THOSE NEGATIVE TOOLS AND HOLD ON TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN REALLY LIVE IN A CITY WHERE WE ALL FEEL SAFE BECAUSE WE ALL ARE SAFE, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL SEEN AND WE'RE ALL RESPECTED AND WE'RE ALL VALUED AND WE'RE ALL LOVED. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE GOT TO GET. AND AS FRUSTRATING AS IT CAN BE TO HAVE BUMPS IN THE ROAD, WE'VE GOT TO REMEMBER TO NOT TAKE UP THE THE WRONG TOOLS WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO AIM FOR THE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.