[00:00:09]
WILL CALL THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS TO ORDER AT 8 A.M. OKEY DOKEY. MAY I HAVE ONE OF THOSE? THANK YOU. OKEY DOKEY. FIRST, WE HAVE A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE APPOINTMENT OF
[1. Resolution confirming Mayor LaGrand's appointment of Hannah Greening to the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority]
HANNAH GREENING TO THE GRAND RAPIDS LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SUPPORT. MOVED AND SUPPORTED COMMENTS ON THIS RESOLUTION. COLLEAGUES. COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND I DON'T KNOW IF MISS WAS MISS BHASKER COMING OR SHE'S PROBABLY SHE'S NOT. SHE'S DOING A COUNTY BOARD. OKAY. SO IMPORTANT WORK, I THINK I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THIS IS A STILL A FAIRLY NEW BODY. THIS IS LIKE THE INAUGURAL BODY. I THINK THIS APPOINTMENT IS FILLING SOMEBODY WHO WE HAD APPOINTED IN THE INAUGURAL BODY WHO THEN RESIGNED SHORTLY AFTER.SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE AGAIN, KNOWING THAT IT WAS NEW, WHO WAS MAYBE COMING UP. IS THERE ANY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE MIGHT NOT PUT A RESIGNATION IN, BUT MAYBE THERE CAN BE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST SOMETIMES ON THIS BOARD. SO JUST THINKING THROUGH THAT. SO I'M I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. I THINK I WANT TO CONTINUE TO SAY AND MR. CHAIR, YOU BROUGHT THIS UP, JUST CONTINUING TO LOOK AT NOT ONLY THE WARD, BUT THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY OF THOSE WHO ARE ON THIS BODY. I THINK HANNAH WOULD BRING A GOOD PERSPECTIVE. I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, HANNAH IS IN THIS SPACE. AND SO WE NEED AND AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE IN THE SPACE, YOU KNOW, I THINK PAST COMMISSIONER REPPERT AND JUST LOOKING FOR WHERE THERE POTENTIALLY COULD BE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND BEING PROACTIVE. BUT I KNOW THAT THE MANAGER'S OFFICE HAS THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW. MR. DOUG BOOTH, IN THE OFFICE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS THINKING ABOUT. BUT JUST BECAUSE THIS IS SO NEW, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, I CONCUR. I KNOW THAT MISS GREENING IS A REALTOR IN THE COMMUNITY. I'M ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF THIS APPOINTMENT SINCE MY COLLEAGUE, COMMISSIONER PERDUE IS GREENING WAS ONE OF HER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BODY. AND OF COURSE, WE WANT THAT DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT AND EXPERIENCE AS WELL. AND SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT SHE WILL BRING TO THE BODY. BUT YES, WE MUST STAY AWARE AND ENSURE THAT THIS BODY IS DOING ITS INTENDED PURPOSE AND THAT NO ONE IS BENEFITING FROM THEIR SERVICE. AND AGAIN, AS I CONCUR WITH YOUR STATEMENT OF, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE STAFF AND FOLKS LIKE MISS GREENING WHO THAT IS NOT THEIR GOAL. SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW THIS GROUP CONTINUES TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AS I KNOW THEY. WE HAVE SOME EXCITING POSSIBILITIES COMING UP WITH THIS BODY. ALL RIGHT. FURTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES.
[2. Resolution approving appointments to the 2026-2027 Mayor’s Youth Council]
THAT BRINGS US TO OUR SECOND RESOLUTION APPROVING APPOINTMENTS TO THE 2026 2027 MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL. SO MOVED. SUPPORT. MOVED AND SUPPORTED. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING.SHANNON HARRIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUR COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN. SO OAK HAS MANAGED THIS PROGRAM SINCE THE VERY FIRST MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL BACK IN 1999 AND UNDER THE HELM OF MAYOR LOGI AND ONE OF YOUR OWN COLLEAGUES, COMMISSIONER PERDUE. AND I FORGOT TO MENTION HER LAST YEAR, SO HOPEFULLY SHE'S LISTENING. WAS PART OF THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL WHEN SHE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, BOTH NINTH OR ACTUALLY 10TH AND 12TH GRADE. AND SO THIS IS ONE OF MANY WAYS THIS PROGRAM IMPACTS YOUNG PEOPLE. AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE ONLY YOUTH PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN GRAND RAPIDS, WITH A STANDING MEETING WITH THE MAYOR EVERY MONTH. SO THAT IS SIGNIFICANT AS WELL. I WANT TO BRING UP OAK PROGRAM COORDINATOR ZACHARY LARAWAY UP TO THE MIC HERE TO BRIEFLY TELL YOU ABOUT THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM AND ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS HE HAS PLANNED FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. THANK YOU, MISS HARRIS. YES, THANK YOU, MISS SHANNON, AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE AND APPOINTMENTS FOR ALLOWING US TO INTRODUCE TO YOU ALL OUR MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL STUDENT COHORT FOR THE 2627 ACADEMIC YEAR. THIS GROUP OF 23 YOUNG STUDENT LEADERS REPRESENTING OVER TEN LOCAL AREA HIGH SCHOOLS AND ALL THREE WARDS, ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A YEAR LONG OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE PRESSING AND LOCAL ISSUES AND INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE, BUT ALSO, HOW CAN OUR GROUP BETTER INCREASE YOUTH REPRESENTATION? VOICE ALL THE WAY THROUGH MAY OF NEXT YEAR? SO OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR YOUTH LED AND FACILITATED SIGNATURE EVENTS, SUCH AS OUR YOUTH TO YOUTH SYMPOSIUM AND OUR KIDSPEAK EVENT, AND THIS REALLY SHOWCASES THEIR LEADERSHIP ABILITIES AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO SERVING ALL THE YOUTH COMMUNITIES HERE IN GRAND RAPIDS. BUT OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS LEAD OUR COUNCIL WITH GREAT PRIDE AND FOCUS, SO THAT ALL YOUTH IN OUR CITY FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A PLATFORM AND A PURPOSE TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES AND A STRONG COLLECTIVE VOICE,
[00:05:03]
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH OUR WARD COMMISSIONERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND PLEASE, WE INVITE YOU TO ANY OF OUR EVENTS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE YOUR PRESENCE IS IS MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.COLLEAGUES. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS. CONCERNS. COMMISSIONER. WELL, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING WHEN WE HAVE YOUTH INVOLVED, AND IT'S BEEN GREAT TO INTERACT WITH THE STUDENTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. FOR ME PERSONALLY, I'VE SEEN SOME OF THEM OUT IN THE COMMUNITY DOING GREAT THINGS. IN ADDITION, AND WHAT I WANTED TO BRING TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION WAS THAT WHEN I WAS UP IN TRAVERSE CITY RECENTLY FOR THE MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE CONFERENCE, I WAS AT VARIOUS TABLES WITH OTHER LEADERS AROUND THE STATE AND CITY GOVERNMENTS, AND SOMEONE ASKED, WHAT DOES GRAND RAPIDS DO TO ENGAGE YOUTH? AND I WAS HAD TO THINK FOR A MINUTE, RIGHT. BUT THEN I REMEMBERED EVERYTHING THAT OUR COMMUNITIES, CHILDREN'S DOES. AND I PARTICULARLY HIGHLIGHTED THE MAYOR'S COUNCIL. AND BY THE TIME I WAS DONE, YOU KNOW, SHARING, THE PERSON WAS JUST FLOORED AND SAID, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT GRAND RAPIDS DID SO MUCH. AND YOU'RE QUITE.
WE'RE QUITE AN INSPIRATION FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND THE IDEA THAT THEY HAVE. WE HAD YOUTH MEETING WITH THE MAYOR AND CITY PEOPLE EVERY MONTH AND DOING THINGS AND HAVING COMMUNITY ACTION REALLY, REALLY IMPRESSED THEM. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR THE TO ALL THE STUDENTS WHO WILL BE ENGAGED. WE'RE STUDYING NOT ONLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY BUT OTHERS THE WAY WE CAN DO THINGS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, I CONCUR, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. IT'S VERY NICE TO SEE ALL OF THE STUDENTS BIOGRAPHIES. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BE INCLUDED FOR THE PUBLIC. THEY ARE QUITE INSPIRING FOR THEIR YOUNG AGE. AND YEAH, I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THEY DO THIS UPCOMING YEAR. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS. ALL
[3. Discussion on the current Board and Commission Vacancy List - October 27, 2026]
THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. AND LASTLY, MR. CLERK, IF YOU COULD GUIDE US THROUGH A DISCUSSION ON THE CURRENT BOARD AND COMMISSION VACANCY LIST AS OF OCTOBER 27TH, 2026. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY. I GOT TO CHECK AND SEE IF WE HAD ANY RESIGNATIONS FOR TONIGHT, BUT. OKAY. OKAY. SO THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF CHANGES. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE IN ELECTION MODE RIGHT NOW, SO WE WILL BE READY AND READY TO GO FOR THE NOVEMBER 10TH MEETING. BUT WE HAVE WE'RE GOING THROUGH ALL THE END OF YEAR STUFF. AND JUST REMEMBER THAT ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORRIDOR AUTHORITIES, WE MOVE THOSE TO A DIFFERENT TIME OF THE YEAR. SO WE DON'T HAVE THEM ALL AT ONE TIME. SO WE'RE WE'RE WATCHING THOSE. AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT LEE, ABOUT. WE'VE BEEN DOING ONBOARDING, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING ONBOARDING. SO, SO WORKING ON HOLISTIC OF WHAT DO WE DO WHEN PEOPLE ARE DONE WITH THEIR STUFF? AND IN A CLEAR WAY OF SAYING THAT THEY'RE DONE. SO WE'RE GOING TO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT HOLISTIC THING. IS THAT ON US? IS THAT ON THE LIAISON? IS IT ON? SO YEAH, WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT AS WE KEEP MOVING, MOVING FORWARD AND AS WE KEEP TWEAKING THE PROCESS. WONDERFUL.THANK YOU, MR. CLARK. YES, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. YES. ELECTION MODE. WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GO, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE VITAL STREETS. CAN YOU GO DOWN TO THAT ONE, MR. CLARK? I KNOW THAT THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, THIS ONE IS ALWAYS INTERESTING BECAUSE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MAYORAL APPOINTMENTS. THEN THERE'S INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENTS. BUT THIS ONE IS A CITY COMMISSION APPOINTMENT. SO ESSENTIALLY, LIKE WHAT WOULD BE THE THE BELIEF OUT OF THE AFFIRMATION, OUT OF THIS BODY. I HAVE SHARED ONE NAME THAT HAD BEEN BEING VETTED OVER THE SUMMER AND IS FULLY IS NOT OR IS FULLY VETTED. AND THEN JUST WANTED TO REMIND PEOPLE TO THE, THE PROCESS AS YOU WERE TALKING. MR. CLARK, I HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS FOR ONE OF OUR CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITIES AND IS JUST TAKING SOME TIME. AND IT'S NOT IT'S NOT SOMETHING ON THE CITY. THE CITY PROCESSES ARE FOLLOWING THROUGH, BUT SOMETIMES DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES AND DETAILS. YOU KNOW, IT CAN TAKE QUITE A BIT OF TIME. SO JUST A REMINDER TO PEOPLE TO GET THOSE, TURN THOSE PDFS BACK IN QUICKLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, OH, WE GET IT. AND THEN WE CAN APPROVE IT. IT DOES HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT TO SOMEBODY WHO WAS JUST A LITTLE A LITTLE FRUSTRATED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. SO I THINK THE VITAL STREETS WILL BE ONE. BUT A REMINDER, WE CHANGE THAT BOARD UP MAYBE A COUPLE YEARS AGO. AND COMMISSIONER OR MISTER CHAIR, YOU KNOW THAT QUITE WELL.
SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ONE AS ONE THAT I KNOW MISS BOSKER HAD SENT AN EMAIL TO US ABOUT. SO THANKS. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. I THINK THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER. OH, YOU LOST YOUR MICROPHONE. I'M LIKE A MOUSE OR SOMETHING. THE OTHER
[00:10:06]
THING IS THE PROCESS TAKES A WHILE BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY OWE THE CITY MONEY. AND IT, IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT TO GO THROUGH THAT SO AND SO IN ORDER TO GET APPOINTMENTS, YOU CAN'T OWE THE CITY MONEY. AND SOME PEOPLE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE PUTTING UP FOR APPOINTMENTS, LIKE YOU SAID, ARE INVOLVED IN SEVERAL BUSINESSES OR LLCS AND VARIOUS THINGS. AND SO GETTING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE LAYERS SOMETIMES TAKES A LITTLE BIT. SO, SO WE, BUT WE NEED TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE. AND SOMETIMES THAT UNFORTUNATELY TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. I KNOW, I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT SOMETIMES, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING OUR CHARTER AND VARIOUS OTHER LAWS AS WELL. I APPRECIATE THAT, YES, GOVERNMENT DOES NOT MOVE SWIFTLY AS WE'D LIKE SOMETIMES, BUT FOR GOOD REASON. YEAH. SO WE DON'T DO THINGS IN HASTE SO WE CAN DO THEM WELL AND RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THAT. AND FOR ELECTIONS, WE'VE GOT EIGHT DAYS, SEVEN, SIX, SIX. SO IT'S VERY CLOSE. WELL, IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR LIKE IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WEEK ALREADY. YEAH, IT'S BEEN GOING. AND HOW HAVE THE EXTRA ELECTION DAYS, WE ADDED SOME EXTRA EARLY VOTING DAYS. HOW HAVE THOSE BEEN GOING SO FAR? QUIET, QUIET. GO TO NEW HOPE. ALL RIGHT.GREAT. WELL YOU HEARD IT HERE. GET OUT THERE AND VOTE YES, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF TANGENTIALLY RELATED, BUT RELATED TO THE ELECTIONS RELATED TO APPOINTMENTS AND THIS BODY, WILL WE BE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY OR THINKING ANY MORE ABOUT THE FIRST WARD VACANCY APPOINTMENT AFTER THE ELECTION? AND SO THIS THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION THAT WE WE COULD GENERATE OR START THINKING ABOUT FROM THIS COMMITTEE. SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. GOOD QUESTION. COMMISSIONER, I THINK I RECALL THE CITY COMMISSION NOT AGREEING UPON APPOINTING ANYONE AFTER THE ELECTION, AND WE'LL JUST HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER ONCE IN JANUARY. ONCE. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A QUESTION WE WOULD COULD BRING UP AGAIN. YEAH, I'M AS A CHAIR HERE. I'M NOT I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE OF OF STARTING THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN. BUT COMMISSIONER, IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON IT, I, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE WE LEFT OFF, WHICH IS ALLOWING THE ELECTION TO TAKE PLACE. AND THEN THE NEW COMMISSIONER WILL START WHEN THEIR TENURE STARTS IN JANUARY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR THE QUESTION.
I THINK THAT GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT OCCURRED DURING THAT TIME, I'M NOT INCLINED TO APPOINT SOMEBODY EVEN AFTER THEY'VE BEEN CERTIFIED. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN APPOINTMENT PROCESS. IT DIDN'T GO THE WAY THAT I PERSONALLY WANTED IT TO. SO AT THIS POINT, THE PERSON, WHOEVER IT MIGHT BE, CERTAINLY CAN COME TO THE SESSION. CERTAINLY WILL. YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, WE WE HAD OUR TRAININGS AND OUR BRIEFINGS. BUT I THINK IF WE COULD HAVE GONE THAT WHOLE TIME, THEN THIS NEXT MONTH OR SO IS, IS I CONCUR WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER OR MISTER CHAIR, THAT WE SHOULD JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AND WE WILL HAVE A NEW COLLEAGUE COME JANUARY. THANKS. THANK YOU. GOOD QUESTION. COMMISSIONER. YEAH. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW COLLEAGUE. WELL, ALL THINGS SAID AND DONE HERE ON THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS. I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT MORNING TODAY AND WE WILL ADJOURN THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS AT
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.