2026-10-06 - City Commission

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06:01>> call this meeting of the city commission

06:02to order. Uh, and I will ask you to join

06:05us as is our habit by beginning with a

06:07moment of silence.

06:17Please join us in the pledge of

06:18allegiance.

06:21I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

06:23United States of America and to the

06:26republic for which it stands. One nation

06:28under God, indivisible, with liberty and

06:31justice for all.

06:35>> City clerk, if you could call the role.

06:37And while you're doing that, if our

06:38interpreter could come up.

06:39>> Commissioner Belchek,

06:41>> present.

06:41>> Commissioner Purdue,

06:43>> present.

06:44>> Commissioner Asi,

06:45>> present.

06:46>> Commissioner Kilgore,

06:47>> present.

06:47>> Commissioner Knight,

06:48>> present. Mayor Lrand.

06:49>> Yes. And if our interpreter can

06:52introduce herself. And she is for

06:54English to Spanish and Spanish to

06:55English.

06:56>> Yes. Only English and Spanish.

07:09My name is Sandra and I'm here to help

07:11you understand each other if you speak

07:14um only one of the languages both

07:16Spanish and English or English and I

07:18will be able to help you communicate in

07:20the best way I can. Thank you.

07:23>> Thank you. Um this is our first

07:25opportunity for public comment now. And

07:28uh before we start the process, I want

07:29to uh briefly point out that um the uh

07:36the end the final instructions there are

07:39are hopes and they're not mandates uh

07:42because this is a first amendment uh

07:45practice. So um uh we can't uh regulate

07:50people's speech but uh with that said we

07:52can uh we can regulate the time and

07:55given the difficulties the increasing

07:57difficulty in getting people to adhere

07:59to the time limits um I have asked our

08:01city clerk to hard cut the microphone

08:04off at 3 minutes. So if uh those of you

08:08who have trouble wrapping up your

08:09thoughts might aim for 2:45. Um and uh

08:13there is a clock up there for people.

08:15So, if you could if you wouldn't mind

08:16introducing yourself and telling us

08:17where you're from.

08:18>> Thank you. Thank you, your honor. My

08:20name is Karen Henry Stokes. My home is

08:24on the 31st floor of Plaza Towers on the

08:27very south end. And so, I have lived

08:31through a lot of the concerts at the

08:33amphitheater. [snorts] And I think it

08:35was most striking when I did return just

08:38a week and a half ago from Japan where I

08:42was in Tokyo with a population of 14

08:46million and their whole structure of

08:49highways is levels. You see highways on

08:53various levels. There was no sound that

08:56was noisy and bothersome. It was quiet.

09:00I felt that the concert Friday evening,

09:02October the 2nd, was like an invasion

09:05into my home. There was no stopping the

09:09thump, thump thump thump that went on

09:13for hours. I had dinner company. It was

09:17very bothersome. And then it continued

09:20and I went, whatever I did, I could not

09:25shut it out. It was that invasive. It

09:28really was. I love downtown. I love

09:31living downtown. I'm a proud citizen of

09:34downtown. I'm not opposed to having

09:37wonderful things in ground in Grand in

09:40Grand Rapids, but I really am bothered

09:43by this. And another thing that happened

09:46when I was gone, I had a daughter-in-law

09:48who was going to a comedy hour and it

09:52was all fine, but the opener use so much

09:56profanity that it was very it is very

09:59very difficult for the west side for

10:04Grand Valley students. It is just wrong

10:06to have to listen to something that is

10:09coming over when a sound barrier would

10:12take care of it just like it took care

10:15of 14 million people in downtown

10:19Tokyo. Thank you for your time.

10:27>> Hi, my name is Dan Hib. I'm with Plaza

10:29Towers.

10:30>> [clears throat]

10:30>> Can't we all just admit that the sounds

10:32from the amphitheater are not what we

10:34were told they would be? They are louder

10:36and go further. Yes, it is bringing

10:38people to Grand Rapids. That's good. But

10:40as far as the sound goes, the

10:42projections were inaccurate. The

10:44planning commission didn't condition

10:46their approval on the amphitheater with

10:48it being exempted from the noise

10:50ordinance. It was approved with the

10:51ordinance in place. Why would they even

10:54think of an exemption when GA2s told

10:56them that the sound would be less than

10:5845 dB or soft speech at Plaza Towers and

11:02that the sound would mix with the

11:04freeway or dissipate over the river.

11:07After one season, we know that wasn't

11:09true then, nor is it true now. The

11:12planning commission was told that the

11:13sound consultant was not brought in

11:15specific to this project. Yet there was

11:17a report with 14 different concerns that

11:20was gi but that was not given to them.

11:23The planning commission wasn't given the

11:24full report. Later when a final sound

11:27report was presented in 2026 or 2025, it

11:31says that the plaza towers would have a

11:33decibel level of 68 when the decibel

11:36level actually exceeds 90. The

11:39projections are inaccurate. In 20 in

11:412023, the city council passed a motion

11:44trying to exempt the amphitheater, but

11:46it was based on inaccurate projections.

11:49We came to the city council then and

11:50were told, "Live with it. The sounds are

11:53city noise." And of the 348 cities in

11:56the USA of a population of 100,000 or

11:58more, only four, Chicago, Nashville,

12:02Indianapolis, and Grand Rapids have at

12:04least a 6,000 seat amphitheater in their

12:07downtown. only four about 1%. It is not

12:11just normal city noise. That is

12:13inaccurate. The city manager asked if we

12:15had checked out Austin, Texas as they

12:17have a downtown amphitheater and Austin

12:20is called the live music capital of the

12:22world. The planner that enforces their

12:24noise ordinance says they don't have any

12:26complaints. If Austin can have an

12:28amphitheater downtown with a noise

12:30ordinance and no complaints, why can't

12:32Grand Rapids? Let's use the Austin's

12:35noise ordinance as a guide.

12:37The planning commission, city council,

12:40Grand Rapids 2 were given inaccurate

12:42projections and do we just double down

12:44on those by passing the same exemption?

12:46I say no. GA2 actually gave you the

12:50answer. At the 2023 meeting, GA2 said

12:54that they would could add a sound wall

12:56for mitigation. Go back to GA2 and leave

12:59the ordinance alone. Years ago, Plaza

13:02Towers had a siding problem. With every

13:03rain, it leaked. They fixed it. Now we

13:06have an amphitheater with a leaking

13:08sound problem. Let's fix it. Nothing is

13:11ever perfect, but let's have a great

13:13amphitheater that brings people to Grand

13:14Rapids with sound controlled as much as

13:17possible. Please do not exempt the

13:19amphitheater.

13:26>> Hello, my name is Peter Steinma. I'm a

13:29resident of Plaza Towers on the 22nd

13:31floor facing the west side.

13:34If I could ask you something, I'd ask

13:36you what the most noisy city in the

13:38country is. Since you can't respond,

13:40I'll give you the statistically

13:41significant response. That's New York

13:44City.

13:47The measured noise levels from the

13:49Aquacer Amphitheater compared to New

13:51York City noise standards at a residence

13:54show that Grand Rapids is now the noise

13:57capital of the country. Residents around

14:00the Grand River Valley as far as 8 miles

14:03up river report high levels of annoying

14:06noise, but the city's maintaining the

14:08mistaken assertion of the original

14:10application [snorts] that the sound will

14:12dissipate harmlessly over the river. The

14:15truth is that water above atmospheric

14:18conditions, the water, cool water above

14:22the river and the warmer above bend the

14:25sound back down to the river and bounce

14:27it back up. That's why it's there eight

14:30miles away.

14:32Any boater knows this.

14:36Why don't we?

14:39Closer to the amphitheater, measured

14:41observations that we've made

14:43professionally at Plaza Towers have

14:46confirmed that the Acureer performance

14:48delivers balcony sound levels at Plaza

14:52Towers that will block a normal

14:54conversation 3 ft apart

14:57and delivers sound pressures 500 times

15:02the limits that would be allowed in New

15:04York City. 500 times.

15:08The sound is five times louder than the

15:12ambient noise.

15:15The strong bass sound of many concerts

15:18easily passes through windows. We have

15:20measured living room sound pressure

15:22levels 50 times greater and 3.2 times

15:27louder than New York City limits. Karen

15:30just gave you some evidence of the same

15:32facts.

15:34This doesn't have to be. Mitigation

15:37techniques are available that allow

15:39Grand Rapids economy to benefit from the

15:42amphitheater. And both concertgoers

15:45and Grand Rapids residents can choose

15:48what they're going to listen to.

15:53You have a choice and a chance to make

15:56Grand Rapids the noisiest city in the

15:59country.

16:01Congratulations.

16:03You can demonstrate the power of the

16:05city council to sidestep the noise

16:07standards protecting residents so

16:10economic progress is assured

16:13at the cost of quality of life.

16:17Or you can demonstrate that Grand Rapids

16:20can take a place of leadership in

16:22meeting both needs and you can do this.

16:26Thank you for your time.

16:34Good afternoon. My name is Si Gant

16:37Jordan. I'm a born and breded raised

16:41native daughter of here in Grand Rapids.

16:44I come before you today regarding the

16:46state of black Grand Rapids. Am I able

16:49to speak about that at this time or it

16:51should always be on the agenda?

16:53>> Are you talking about a a specific

16:55>> emerging developers?

16:58the the was that voted on at the

17:00commission day or is that talked about

17:02at the economic

17:03>> I don't know you tell me I don't know

17:05>> sorry

17:06>> so there's there's many concerns and

17:08we've been going back and forth on this

17:10and I know earlier they hold on one

17:12second please

17:13>> so this time is for items that are on

17:15the agenda that that were on the agenda

17:17at an earlier meeting that were voted on

17:19by the commission later in the meeting

17:20we'll have the three minute we'll have

17:21the open public comment any on any other

17:24item

17:24>> thank you

17:25>> thank

17:28Um I believe what I need to discuss is

17:31on the uh agenda for today. Hi, I'm

17:33Yolanda Wilson. Um I am concerned with

17:38um the Grand Rapids Police Department's

17:41um so much conduct as far as when um

17:45someone catches a case or whatever the

17:48prop ma'am again I'm not sure what

17:50agenda item you're referring to.

17:53Um I thought that well this is

17:56>> that's a couple we got to wait till

17:58Okay. Okay.

17:59>> We'll come back.

17:59>> Thank you.

18:00>> Thank you.

18:01>> Thank you.

18:11>> Hello friends. Mark from Grand Rapids

18:15committee to hold

18:17number two, the resolution for class

18:20resort license

18:22for the

18:25soccer stadium.

18:33I don't want I don't know

18:36where this company this company is. I

18:38don't know

18:40how they going to fit their operations

18:44in the in the stadium

18:48this small.

18:52Is it going to be is is it going to um

18:55have enough space for the um for some

19:00club type operations or

19:04or what? Because we're talking about an

19:078,500 seat

19:10venue the size of Houseman Field.

19:18Is it going to be any type of nightclub

19:21type atmosphere inside the stadium

19:25as or any type of

19:30premium amenities

19:33that the stadium is going to

19:37incorporate.

19:43So

19:45that's what I'm that's

19:48what my concern about this is.

19:52So you better think about this

19:57because uh because the stadium this size

20:03can it be retrofitted to accommodate

20:06these amenity these amenities

20:10as far as alcoholic beverages,

20:14club seating, premium premium seating,

20:20suites

20:22personal seat licenses and everything

20:24that goes with a professional venue

20:32because if not

20:35this is just a waste of money

20:38for something as

20:40simil for something as small as a soccer

20:44stadium. Thank you.

20:54Grand Rising everybody. I'm D

20:56[clears throat] I'm D. Jones, passionate

20:57entrepreneur and visionary speaking on

20:59agenda item uh two on the fiscal

21:02committee. Uh so I'd like for y'all to

21:06if you guys are getting 70,000 to uh

21:09give to Schaefer uh which is a PR firm.

21:12I like for y'all to actually advertise

21:14colleges and universities that has

21:16retention of actually having a good

21:18education but getting students jobs and

21:20careers after they finish college. It's

21:21been I've been looking at some

21:23statistics and a lot of these colleges

21:24and universities people say they regret

21:27uh their education because there aren't

21:29any jobs available after they graduate.

21:31So, I'd like for as you guys are uh

21:34doing this PR to, you know, [snorts]

21:37post this on the city socials, be sure

21:39that there's TV interviews, uh just

21:41really be creative about uh speaking

21:43about this initiative and program cuz a

21:45lot of people, it's 200,000 residents

21:47around here and people don't know that

21:48their student can actually go uh to

21:50college for free if they actually finish

21:52through the child and scholars program.

21:54So, I like for y'all to really try to

21:55hone in on colleges and universities

21:58that actually have jobs and careers

22:00because I'm tired of people going to

22:01college, they rack up all of this debt

22:03and then they can't get a job in career

22:05and then they're working at McDonald's

22:06or they're working in fast food or

22:08they're working a job that really

22:09doesn't have their um you know

22:11qualifications that they spend so much

22:13time and money and effort to get a

22:15degree. I have fraternity brothers that

22:16literally somebody was a lawyer, he

22:18couldn't get a job at a law firm for

22:20some reason. That's crazy to me. But

22:21this is our economy. So, I'm hoping that

22:24you guys actually find colleges and

22:26universities that actually has good

22:28retention of getting students a great

22:30education, but also getting these

22:31students jobs and jobs above the poverty

22:33line, careers, too. Like, we need jobs

22:36and careers above the poverty line. So,

22:38please be strategic and think about that

22:40because I like that the city is, you

22:42know, taking this funding and trying to

22:43get that out there, but be sure that you

22:45are finding good colleges and

22:46universities that has good retention on

22:48getting people jobs and careers above

22:50the poverty line. Thank you.

22:57Good afternoon, mayor and commissioners.

22:59I'm Carol Wood, executive director of

23:00Grand Action 2.0 and also a resident of

23:02the 22nd floor at Plaza Towers. I

23:04support the introduction of this

23:06ordinance amendment. Um, this is

23:07committee of the whole item number two

23:09because it provides clarity,

23:10predictability, and fairness for both

23:12residents and the community investment

23:13that has been made at the Acro

23:15Amphitheater. The amphitheater was

23:17approved and developed with the

23:18understanding that a large-scale outdoor

23:20u concert venue would occur downtown and

23:23the vast majority of my Plaza Towers

23:25neighbors love it and are already

23:26looking forward to next season. The

23:28venue represents a significant public

23:30and private investment that's attracted

23:31new visitors, supported local business,

23:34and strengthened Grand Rapids as a

23:35regional destination. As you heard

23:36earlier today in your committee,

23:38preserving the operating framework that

23:40was contemplated from the beginning

23:41helps protect that investment that we

23:43all made together. This amendment is

23:45clear and residents, venue operators,

23:47event organizers, and nearby businesses

23:49can all benefit when the rules are

23:51clearly stated in in the ordinance.

23:53Clear expectations for reduced conflict

23:55and um a provision of certainty for

23:58everyone involved. Most importantly,

24:00this amendment respects residents by

24:02providing transparency about how the

24:04venue will operate. Just as we have

24:06operated all season long, people will

24:08continue to choose to live, work, or

24:10invest near a major entertainment

24:11district. Um, all these folks deserve

24:14clear expectations about the activity

24:16that comes with a world-class

24:17amphitheater. At the same time,

24:19residents across Grand Rapids benefit

24:20from the economic activity, the jobs,

24:22the visitor spending that we all heard

24:24about, and the community vitality that

24:26the venue is generating. This ordinance

24:28helps strike an appropriate balance

24:30between neighborhood interests and the

24:31broader public benefit that's envisioned

24:33when the amphitheater was approved.

24:35Finally, downtowns succeed when they uh

24:38balance the quality of life with

24:39cultural and economic activity.

24:41reasonable accommodations for a

24:42purpose-built entertainment venue are

24:45consistent with that vision that we all

24:46had and recognize the unique role that

24:48this facility plays in our future. Thank

24:51you for supporting the introduction of

24:52this ordinance amendment as it moves

24:54forward. Thank you.

24:58>> Thank you. That brings us to approval of

25:00our minutes. Uh can I have a motion?

25:04>> Support.

25:04>> All in favor say I.

25:06>> I.

25:07>> All opposed. Motion carries. And that

25:09brings us to petitions and

25:10communications. Mr. Clerk,

25:11>> communication received from Wendy L.

25:13Sellers regarding the Grand Rapids

25:14Police Department conduct received and

25:16filed

25:17>> for communications received with noise

25:19complaints against Acure Amphitheater.

25:20>> Received and filed.

25:21>> Communication received from Plant Moran

25:23PLLC regarding the annual financial

25:26statement audit of the city of Grand

25:27Rapids for the year ended June 30, 2026.

25:30>> And filed.

25:31>> Communication received from Katherine

25:32White regarding the resignation from the

25:34Community Relations Commission.

25:35>> Referred to committee on appointments.

25:37and communication received from Ronald

25:38Vanderine, Cunningham, Dolman, PC,

25:40regarding a proposed amendment to

25:42section 9.66 of the noise ordinance.

25:44>> Saved and filed.

25:46>> That brings us to reports of city

25:48officers. Mr. Clerk,

25:49>> controllers warrant report for the

25:50period of September 8, 2026 through

25:52September 21, 2026 in the amount of

25:54$37,60,65757

25:59and the monthly travel report

26:00>> receive and file. And finally, the

26:02treasures report for the period of

26:03September 9, 2026 through September

26:062022. Sorry, September 22, 2026.

26:09>> Also received and filed. That brings us

26:12to our consent agenda. And this is uh

26:14these are items which passed unanimously

26:16out of committee and were not removed

26:18from the consent agenda for further

26:20discussion by any member of the

26:22commission. Um can I have a motion?

26:24>> So moved.

26:25>> Support.

26:26>> All in favor of the consent agenda

26:28approval say I.

26:30>> I. All opposed. Motion carries. That

26:33brings us to

26:36um the one item uh our our one

26:40resolution there being no ordinances and

26:42nothing removed from consent. Uh and

26:45that is a two city commission

26:48resolutions and I'm going to take them

26:50sequentially. Um I don't know if I don't

26:53see Miss Rero, but uh the first is

26:57>> is she

26:59introducing? There we go. Um, uh, so,

27:03uh, as she comes up, um, Commissioner

27:06Purdue, uh, if you could introduce the

27:08first, uh, first we need a motion. I

27:10know, but, um, this is going to be a

27:12resolution establishing an obsolete

27:14property rehabilitation district, um,

27:16for 1956 Eastern LLC. Can I have a

27:19motion?

27:20>> So moved.

27:21>> Support, Mr. V.

27:23>> Yes. Uh so this resolution is um to

27:27establish an obsolete property

27:29rehabilitation act district pursuant to

27:32act 146 of 2000 for 1956 Eastern um LLC

27:37for a project located at 1956 Eastern

27:40Avenue and a public hearing for this was

27:43held on September 22nd. Um the current

27:46owner of the property plans to

27:48rehabilitate the existing structure and

27:51there's more details about that and

27:52within our next item that I'll share

27:54more. Um but uh this is to establish a

27:56opra district.

27:58>> Morris is anything you want to

28:00>> Yeah, I'm sorry. What exact um you want

28:03me to give a project overview or

28:06>> forgive me I don't

28:07>> just just I guess if there's anything

28:08you wanted to add but or if there are

28:09any questions from commission but

28:12otherwise Okay. Um see no questions. Um,

28:15all in favor of the resolution say I.

28:17>> I.

28:18>> All opposed. Motion carries. Um, and the

28:22next item is a resolution uh approving

28:25an 11-year obsolete property

28:27rehabilitation exemption certificate uh

28:30for that same project. Um,

28:33and I guess I would ask in this case and

28:36and we can explain the reasoning, but I'

28:38I'd ask for a motion to to pop postpone

28:41action on this indefinitely.

28:43>> So moved. support.

28:45>> Okay. And uh Commissioner Purdue, if you

28:47could um give provide a little more

28:49detail on on this.

28:50>> Absolutely. So, I'll tell you a little

28:52bit. I'll share a little bit more about

28:53the project itself um under

28:56consideration with this certificate. Um

28:58so, the applicant is the current owner

29:00of the property, plans to rehabilitate

29:02the structure to create 81bedroom

29:05apartment units. investment by the

29:08applicant is currently estimated to be

29:11$1,564,351

29:15a majority of which represents hard

29:17construction costs. The applicant um I

29:20should say first the city assessor

29:22inspected the building on August 4th,

29:242025 and that and determined that it

29:26does meet the definition of functionally

29:28obsolete. The applicant is working

29:30towards subcontractor participation

29:33goals of 16%

29:36of MBE which is microowned businesses

29:39and womenowned businesses and micro

29:41local businesses. So um therefore this

29:44project qualifies for the base 10-year

29:47OPER term plus one year pursuant to city

29:51commission policy 900-42.

29:55Um the development also meets multiple

29:57objectives of the city strategic plan

29:59and equitable economic development and

30:00mobility strategic plan. Um one um some

30:05additional items of eligibility in order

30:07to qualify or for OPRA and establish an

30:11certificate um is to ensure that the

30:14applicant and the facility is up to date

30:17on all taxes owed related to the

30:19facility. Um, the applicant has secured

30:21a formal tax deferral from the county

30:24allowing repayment of all outstanding

30:26tax obligations by 20 March 31st, 2028.

30:30Um, and that repayment timeline allows

30:33aligns with the period in which the

30:35project would be reasonably undertaken

30:37and completed. Um so because um the

30:40applicant uh still is working to um meet

30:44full eligibility um we think it's best

30:46to postpone this vote um indefinitely

30:49until um it might need to come back.

30:53>> Any further discussion, colleagues?

30:55Okay. Uh Commissioner Kgar, go ahead.

30:57>> Yeah, I I'm supportive of this uh

31:00because it still allows for an avenue

31:02for this to come before us. uh if

31:04everything is if all the requirements

31:06are um uh addressed uh for this. So I'm

31:11I'm thankful that we have the district

31:13so that's open. It'll be there and ready

31:16for uh when this project can move

31:18forward. Uh so it's not a no in in my

31:21book. I think we there is still an

31:23avenue for uh the developer to move

31:25forward. So um that is why I'm

31:27supportive of this.

31:28>> Thank you. Um I will call for vote then.

31:31All in favor of the motion say I. I

31:33>> I all opposed. Motion carries. Thank

31:36you. That brings us there being no

31:38public hearings to our second

31:39opportunity for public comment. Um so if

31:43you feel free to come up and address the

31:45commission on any item that you feel uh

31:48deserves our attention.

32:00Good. Hi, my name is Dan Hipman with

32:02Plaza Towers. I wanted to follow up on a

32:04letter that Ron Vanderine sent you.

32:06Number one, the deputy city manager says

32:08enforcement is difficult. It is not.

32:10Performances can be monitored and sounds

32:12controlled at the mixing board. A sound

32:15wall or other engineering remedies can

32:17be added. Two, the deputy city manager

32:20states that sound will be regulated

32:21under limitation in the special land use

32:23approval, but he says what limitations?

32:26It was argued in court by the city and

32:29county and the court found that there

32:31were no sound limitations imposed by the

32:34planning commission. B, we have seen no

32:36enforcement of limitations for the 50

32:38plus concerts they have had this past

32:40season. And three, the city cannot amend

32:43the special land use without concurrence

32:46by the CAA. The city should table the

32:48ordinance amendment until real

32:50protections are built into the special

32:52land use. Thank you.

33:02Good afternoon, mayor and commissioners.

33:04I'm Shiona Nadvski with the Community

33:06Relations Commission. First of all, I

33:09want to thank you for your service and

33:10the work that you do for Grand Rapids. I

33:13also want to give a special thank you to

33:15the Grand Rapids Fire Department and the

33:17Homeless Outreach team. I've seen you

33:20out during our prize and other community

33:22events. present, approachable, and

33:25connecting with people. I noticed it and

33:28I appreciate it. Um, I'm here to

33:31personally invite you to our uh CRC

33:34meeting this Thursday, October 8, from

33:363:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the conference room

33:392011 at the development center at 11:20

33:42Monroe Avenue Northwest. Come for the

33:44whole meeting or pop in when you can.

33:46We'd love to see you. We've been working

33:49on disability and inclusion, early

33:51childhood and trauma and issues infect

33:54affecting our LGBTQIA

33:57community. In August, disability

33:59advocates of Kent County joined us for a

34:01good conversation about accessibility

34:04from housing and transportation to

34:05whether people can comfortably

34:07participate in community events.

34:10Thursday, we'll continue that

34:11subcommittee work and discuss ideas for

34:13our November community engagement

34:15project. We also have two vacancies. So,

34:19if you know someone who would bring a

34:21thoughtful community pers perspective,

34:23please encourage them to consider

34:25serving. We want to keep the

34:27conversation going between our two

34:28commissions. You're welcome at our table

34:31and we appreciate the chance to be here

34:33at yours. Thank you, and hopefully we'll

34:35see a few of you on Thursday.

34:47My name is Tanner. I live uh quite near

34:49to the site where ICE murdered Mario

34:52Coronado Wararez

34:54uh south of Grand Rapids.

34:57Uh I like to write out what I'm going to

34:59say, but time got away from me this

35:01week. So, I'll start by reiterating that

35:04uh the city should cancel the contract

35:07with Flock Safety to remove the hardware

35:10from our community. Uh pass no new

35:12contracts with flocks competitors such

35:14as Axon and Motorola. They should pass

35:17ordinance banning ALPRs and pass the six

35:21sanctuary city policies as drafted by

35:24Moento Kosicha.

35:26Uh, I want to preface what I'm about to

35:28say by saying there was no reason to

35:31pursue Mario Coronado Wararez.

35:36Um, but if there had been a reason, this

35:40is proof more than any other that Flock

35:42doesn't make the city safer

35:45because when ICE thought they needed to

35:47arrest someone, they just chased him and

35:50ran him off the road and killed him. uh

35:53instead of going to his home where they

35:55knew where he lived or going to his work

35:57where they knew where he worked or

35:58looking him up with these cameras that

36:00are supposedly to prevent this kind of

36:03thing. Um it would be quite trivial for

36:07them to ask one of the 127

36:10287g partner departments that GRPD

36:13shares their flock data with to look up

36:15his movement if they wanted to do that.

36:17Um, but they didn't cuz they didn't want

36:20to because that's not the point because

36:22these cameras don't make us safer.

36:26After his death, uh, Mary Lrand, you

36:28said ICE is not welcome in the city of

36:30Grand Rapids.

36:31And then on Saturday, members of Mario's

36:34family were arrested at the intersection

36:36of 28th and Clyde Park.

36:39and GRPD once again collaborated with

36:41ICE to prevent activists from

36:45um keeping Mario's family from going to

36:47the concentration camp in Baldwin.

36:50So, is it just going to be words or is

36:53there going to be action eventually?

36:55Uh I drive by the site of his death

36:58pretty much every day. And I have a

37:01six-year-old daughter. I think some of

37:02you have kids. And kids ask why a lot.

37:06and she asks, "Why are there a bunch of

37:08flowers there? Why are there always

37:09people there?" Um,

37:13and one of her best friends is her

37:14cousin, who is half Peruvian,

37:17uh, and thankfully lives in Peru, where

37:19it's much safer for her than here.

37:22And I don't know how to say the reason

37:24that all these flowers are there is

37:25because they killed someone for the

37:27crime of looking like Emma.

37:30Um,

37:32I stopped at the site today and I read

37:34this. Uh,

37:36this is from Leviticus 19:33-34.

37:39When a foreigner resides among you in

37:40your land, do not mistreat them. The

37:42foreigner residing among you must be

37:44treated as your native born. Love them

37:46as yourself, for you were foreigners in

37:47Egypt. So, with that what you will

37:58Oh, shoot. Hold on real quick.

38:02How y'all doing? I'm D. Jones,

38:03passionate entrepreneur and visionary. I

38:06gave y'all a flyer. That's for the

38:08Michigan High School Esports

38:09Federation's uh regional finals at the

38:11Devos place this year. So, we'll be in

38:14Ballroom A. I also like to thank the CAA

38:17uh for two things. So, the CAA actually

38:19gave us a $10,000 sponsorship to

38:22actually host the esports regional

38:23finals. So, I definitely want to uplift

38:25the CA, the convention arena authority

38:27for supporting the esports regional

38:28finals. We already have 500 college

38:31students that's going to be a part of

38:32this. That's not even mentioning the uh

38:35high schools and the elementary and

38:37middle school students that'll also be

38:39participating in this. And then the pro

38:41gaming organization that's bringing

38:42thousands of people across the globe

38:44that will be competing there. I'm super

38:46excited to see this in focus. It's

38:47organically growing and I'm just super

38:49excited about economic development

38:51filling up the hotel rooms. I'm really

38:53just excited to see the end result of

38:55that. I also been speaking to a 3D

38:57printed construction company called

38:58Virtivon. I actually spoke to them in

39:00the West Michigan Construction Institute

39:02and they're [snorts] looking to actually

39:03come here in April during a conference

39:05that KCTC is going to be doing April

39:0829th and they're looking to actually 3D

39:10print some sheds that the students at uh

39:12West Michigan Construction Institute can

39:14actually utilize to put their tools and

39:16equipment in. But they're also going to

39:18be doing the framing. So, I'd like the

39:20city to support this initiative. I know

39:22you guys want to see a 3D printer, uh,

39:24see something printed besides some of

39:25the people that have told me that they

39:27seen the 3D printed chairs at Rosa Park

39:29Circle, but let's actually see this 3D

39:31printing in real time and then actually

39:33have dreamed that bigger vision of

39:34actually 3D printing houses and things

39:37like that and apartments and just

39:38attacking the affordable housing crisis

39:40because we do have affordability crisis

39:42here in King County and in the city. Uh,

39:44so I just want to continue to see hone

39:46in on just the esports initiative. about

39:48this actually also left uh Union High

39:51School and as you guys partnered with me

39:53last year and I was having some troubles

39:55being able to get so many students. The

39:57infrastructure was growing. I helped

39:58GRPS build eight labs but students

40:01didn't know about it. Uh they didn't

40:02even do a ribbon cutting. So I'm having

40:04to educate them about the access and

40:06opportunity and what esports is. But the

40:08cool thing that I learned as I was doing

40:10that initiative with you guys last year,

40:13uh Union High School was still in the

40:14process of building their esports lab.

40:16Now, I actually found out from uh the

40:18principal, Mr. Russi, that the uh

40:20esports program has grown so much at

40:22Union High School that they have to move

40:24it to a larger room upstairs. So, I

40:26would really like to partner with y'all

40:27again to develop these esports

40:29initiatives, not just because we have a

40:31larger esports regional finals coming up

40:33at the Devos place uh during Comic Con

40:36and I'll be going on TV two times April,

40:38I mean August, I mean October 23rd. But

40:42just being able to see the economic

40:43growth, the expansion, and just

40:45organically helping the community and

40:47helping young people realize their

40:48dreams and visions. I'd still like the

40:50city to support this because you guys

40:51are going to see the economic impact.

40:53I'm going to bring the data and all of

40:54that stuff, but I'd like to partner with

40:56you guys to continuously increase

40:57digital equity for our community. Thank

40:59you.

41:05>> Hello again. My name is Stephanie Vote.

41:08Um, I am a resident of the first ward.

41:10As I have introduced myself before, I am

41:12a daughter of a former wealth manager to

41:14some of the top players in the Heritage

41:15Foundation. Like our local billionaires,

41:18um, my father was also offered to take

41:20over all of Steve Van Andal's personal

41:23finances um, at one point and offered

41:25that he turned down because he would

41:27have had to um, get rid of his other

41:28clients. So, I was raised with a unique

41:30perspective and why I keep continuing to

41:33come here and to fight the Heritage

41:34Foundation and Project 2025 uh

41:37initiatives. Um, I'm not even here to

41:40talk to you today about how I was

41:41arrested with some of my comrades on

41:43Saturday morning from trying to protect

41:45family members of Mario from being

41:47transported to the Baldwin Center. I'm

41:50not here to talk to you about the

41:51trafficking that goes involved in those

41:53rings. I'm not even here to What I am

41:56here to talk to you about is to cut the

41:59on the flat cameras. Um, right

42:02now, a US District Judge Sarah E. Hill

42:05of Oklahoma ruled a ruled a warrantless

42:09uh month-long search of a driver's

42:11travel history using automated license

42:13plate reader databases like flock safety

42:16constituted in an unconstitutional

42:18search under the fourth amendment and

42:20were not allowable for evidence into a

42:22case. Um on top of that what is the

42:26thought cameras really about? Um as a

42:29child I was told that every their plan

42:31was for every road to be a tollway. This

42:33is not that crazy of a thought. The idea

42:36of a pay per mile versus a pay-per

42:38gallon um idea has been around since the

42:4270s. We just needed the infrastructure

42:44and the technology to be able to enforce

42:46it. That is also where flock cameras

42:48come in. They are a uh advertised at

42:51least as a backbone to the system to

42:54prevent any um fraud that may occur by

42:56different jammers or different ways that

42:58you can alter your odometer. Um, as we

43:01are moving into an increasingly EV

43:04world, um, this has become obviously an

43:06issue. How are we going to collect taxes

43:09for our roads? Um, that is the outward

43:13appearance of why we ultimately need

43:16these flock cameras in conjunction with

43:17the data centers you see. Now, the data

43:20centers holding that information from

43:22all these flat cameras really is just a

43:24smidgen of the pie. They don't need the

43:26massive data centers for that. But what

43:29they do need it for is to compute all

43:32that information, all the photos of all

43:35the intersections of everything, to

43:37include it into their data to project

43:39the future, to predict patterns of human

43:42behavior. And when that gets into the

43:43hands of the wrong people, they can do

43:45insider trading like you would not

43:48believe. And that is ultimately what

43:49this boils down to. It boils down to

43:52controlling the population. As I have

43:55stated before, I have had all of my

43:57information hacked. I have had I have

44:00personally been a victim of blackmail

44:02threats and I would really appreciate it

44:03if you stood up to our local oligarchs

44:06like I am doing.

44:16>> Good afternoon. My name is Snee Gant

44:18Jordan. I am a third generation born and

44:22raised here in Grand Rapids. I am a

44:25business owner and I'm speaking I'm one

44:27that of many that speak on behalf of the

44:29black community here in Grand Rapids,

44:31Michigan. I come before you today with a

44:34message about a challenge and an

44:36invitation. So the question before us is

44:39not whether Grand Rapids has the

44:42resources or the institutions or the

44:44talents or the capacity to do better

44:46because we know that you all do. We do

44:48here in Grand Rapids. The state of Black

44:50Grand Rapids demands more than an

44:52acknowledgement. It demands action. We

44:56need to talk more about forthright and

44:58mo forthright more about honesty and in

45:01regards to where we have se have been

45:03and where we are and where we intend to

45:05go together. The history of black Grand

45:07Rapids in the and the the history of

45:09black the black community in Grand

45:11Rapids is not behind us. The history is

45:13very present in our policies and in our

45:16institutions and we in our derived

45:19outcomes.

45:21For example, eight years ago, some of

45:23our black voices, some standing here

45:25right now, were at the table during an

45:28early decision and early decisions to

45:31help make and shape the city's equitable

45:34economic development efforts and

45:36strategies.

45:37Coming from this was the information for

45:40the emerging developers

45:42initiative. We participated. We shared

45:45our voices. We shared our plans, our

45:48hearts, bless you, ideas, ambitions, and

45:51because because we understand that

45:54access to capital, real estate

45:56development, business ownership, and

45:58institutional relationships are

46:00essential to change the economic

46:03trajectory of black people in the city

46:05of Grand Rapids.

46:07We believe then and we still believe

46:09that emerging developers, particularly

46:12those historically excluded from

46:14traditional development opportunities,

46:17that we would become meaningful

46:20participants, meaningful participants in

46:23the economic transformation of our city.

46:26That really hasn't happened and that's

46:27what we're asking for.

46:30We believe then that emerging developers

46:33um again those historically

46:37that have been disinvested will have an

46:39opportunity through this process that

46:41has been dismantled. Um individuals have

46:45have invested time, money, professional

46:48resources, personal credibility into the

46:51opportunities that they believe were

46:53accessible through the city supported

46:55initiative. Some have expressed

46:57significant financial setbacks, lost

47:01opportunities, emotional distress, and

47:04renewed sense of institutional betrayal.

47:08We thought we were gaining ground and

47:10we're not. We need to really take a

47:12deeper dive into this. This is about

47:16This is about what happens when a

47:18>> Jordan, your time is up.

47:19>> All right. I'm going to pass it on to my

47:21next. You can start here. Thank you.

47:24This is about what happens when a

47:26Yolanda Wilson from Sisters in

47:28Development. [laughter] Hi. Okay. This

47:30is about what happens when a government

47:32announces opportunities, invite

47:34participation, establishes expectations,

47:37and then leave people who relied upon

47:39that process without clarity, meaningful

47:41engagement, or a pathway forward. The

47:44historical and present- day trauma

47:45experienced by black people in Grand

47:47Rapids is real. The economic

47:49consequences are real. The erosion of

47:51trust is real. We are collectively

47:54asking for a reprieve from the cycle of

47:56engagement where resolution and an

47:58intentional plan to address both

48:00historical and contemporary harms is

48:02consistently absent. Are we being

48:05ghosted? I am especially pleased to

48:07recognize and thank Commissioner Kelsey

48:10Perdu for agreeing to serve as one of

48:12our panel discussion moderators. And

48:14thank you to the rest of you on this

48:16body, elected officials and city

48:18administrators that take these issues

48:20seriously.

48:21Are are our institutions willing to

48:24confront uncomfortable truths about how

48:26decisions are made, who benefits, and

48:29who continues to wait? the 2015 Forbes

48:32report on black economic disparities in

48:35Grand Rapids, the city's 2022

48:38declaration that racism is a public

48:40health crisis, and the long-standing

48:42concerns surrounding economic exclusion,

48:45housing, educational opportunity, and

48:48law enforcement accountability all

48:50belong in this conversation. We cannot

48:53continue to celebrate Grand Rapids as a

48:55destination for investment and

48:57opportunity while so many black

48:59residents and entrepreneurs experience

49:01barriers to ownership, capital,

49:04institutional access, and economic

49:06mobility. We cannot build a sustainable

49:09future by asking the black community to

49:11repeatedly dis demonstrate its

49:13worthiness while institutions retain

49:15dispropriate

49:17uh proportionate control over the

49:19resources and decisions that determine

49:21opportunity. The city has an important

49:23role to play not as the sole leader

49:26owner owner or gatekeeper of this work

49:29but as a strategic partner

49:32conveyor facilitator and accountable uh

49:35participant.

49:36The black business voice advisory

49:38partnership with the city represent an

49:40existing foundation upon which we can

49:42build. We remain committed to helping

49:45strengthen the local emerging developers

49:47network and supporting the hundreds of

49:49blackowned businesses represented that

49:51we compiled in our black business

49:53database. We intend that the city of

49:56Grand Rapids will continue to work with

49:58us to establish a clear engagement

49:59structure, measurable objectives,

50:02designated points of accountability, and

50:04a sustained process for connecting

50:07blackowned business and developers to

50:09actual opportunities. We are also

50:11prepared to release the long- awaited

50:13documentary film, A City Within a City,

50:16the Black Freedom Struggle in Grand

50:18Rapids, Michigan, Part One. Mayor,

50:21commissioners, mayor, commissioners, and

50:23city manager, we are also asking for

50:25your help in advancing a systemic

50:28investment vision that seeks to mobilize

50:30a 10 million in public private

50:33philanthropy.

50:33>> The time is up.

50:36>> That's all right, Mig. Go ahead.

50:38>> Let's go. You got this. Come on. right

50:40here. Start. And yeah,

50:43>> y'all go ahead. Go ahead. Go.

50:44>> Okay. All right. We're gonna end it

50:46there, but you will look out for our

50:48email and we're going to work on our

50:50partner here, but he'll be [laughter]

50:52um we're going to send this in an email

50:54to you all. Thank you so much for your

50:56time.

51:04Hi, I'm Kyle and I'm here today to speak

51:06against flock and ice. Uh some of you

51:09continue to do nothing about it about

51:11both despite constituents giving you

51:13hours of our time writing and practicing

51:15speeches

51:17um talking with you one-on-one,

51:19gathering evidence, thousands of letters

51:20and emails, protesting, hiring lawyers

51:23to write policy for consideration, and

51:26getting arrested after standing up to

51:27ICE when our police collaborates with

51:30them. GRPD shares flock data with ISIS's

51:33287G deputized law enforcement agencies,

51:36and that is unacceptable.

51:38But time is always right to fix what's

51:40wrong. An Oklahoma federal judge ruled

51:43days ago that flock cameras violate the

51:45Fourth Amendment. How many polls and

51:48petitions does it take until you realize

51:50that nobody wants ALPRs and ICE in this

51:53city? It's no wonder trust in public

51:55officials doesn't even crack 20% because

51:57of that. In part for those who attended

52:00the vigil for Mario, the wife and family

52:03of Mario were ab abducted by ICE soon

52:06after and it was supported by the GRPD

52:10on your watch. If that makes you feel

52:13something, I want you to channel it into

52:16doing something. You failed to protect

52:18the community and now another several of

52:21our community members are gone because

52:23of it. And that's not the first time.

52:26The other work you do, such as funding

52:28local businesses, doesn't matter if

52:30their patrons get abducted.

52:33How can I and any constituent at this

52:35time remember you for anything else? My

52:38question to you is this. What are you

52:40going to do to change things?

52:43The buck stops with you. You sit here in

52:46an immense position of privilege and

52:50power to control vast swaths of the

52:53population through the rules that and

52:55policies you represent. You have the

52:58power to change things, but your

53:00inaction in uh but your inactions speak

53:03truth that your words do not. Nobody

53:06wants to hear excuses. So, please do the

53:09job we elected you to do by representing

53:12our community. Tell the people in your

53:14response what you are going to do and we

53:17will believe you only when we see that

53:19action that you have done. So far your

53:23inaction is complicity and what are you

53:26going to do about it. Thank you.

53:38Mark back.

53:47When are we going to control

53:52the orange felon?

53:57At a rally in Nebraska,

54:02he was talking the same old spiel

54:06talking about

54:09wanting to bomb LA and San Diego.

54:14[clears throat]

54:19And we all know his MAGA followers is

54:22going are going to believe him.

54:24And there's no telling what can happen.

54:34This is now now is the time. Now is the

54:37time to to for anybody who's not

54:40registered to vote, go register to vote.

54:42October 19th is the deadline.

54:46So you don't have that so you don't have

54:48much time.

54:50Get registered to vote.

54:54Early voting begins October 24th.

54:59I expect

55:01minimum

55:0370

55:05to 80 to 90% turnout.

55:0850 to 60% is unacceptable.

55:1370% is the minimum

55:21because we need to control this regime

55:26who is doing

55:28everything in their power

55:31to make this a dictatorship.

55:36Now, as for the consensation people,

55:41you guys

55:44need to control your behavior.

55:47Last meeting

55:49was despicable.

55:53I get I get

55:57somebody was somebody was killed by was

55:59killed.

56:02But you can't have a couple of

56:05knuckleheads

56:07to ruin

56:10everybody else who wanted to speak in

56:12public comment.

56:19And

56:21I want to make sure that it will never

56:24happen again.

56:27And it's up to you, the commissioners,

56:29to do something about it.

56:33Kick them out

56:35if they don't abide by the rules. It's

56:38that simple.

56:40Get out and vote. Revenge 2026.

56:57>> Hello, my name is Kyle. I'm a

56:59constituent of the first ward and I'm

57:02here today because I'm being harassed by

57:04the GRPD. I got pulled over twice last

57:07weekend citing noise violations both

57:09time when we all know and discussed

57:11earlier here today. The noise ordinance

57:14begins at 10:00. I was pulled over about

57:168:30 both the times. And for the life of

57:18me, I cannot figure out why they've

57:20chosen me as a target. Is it my music

57:24that I play? I mean, I just happen to

57:26really be a big fan of the track

57:28the Police by the NWA,

57:31and I just want everybody to hear it

57:33sometimes. So, you know, our prize came

57:35around and I seized my opportunity.

57:41Only other reason I could think of is

57:43they might be trying to me. Like,

57:45I'm just kind of a hot piece of ass

57:47sometimes.

57:49And I don't know, I hate to disappoint,

57:52but I am a married man to my happy

57:54husband. So, I guess [sighs and gasps]

57:58we're just going to have to stick with

58:00that.

59:55No.

1:00:05Good afternoon. I'm Steve Bennett, uh

1:00:07resident of the third ward. Um

1:00:11I um and speaking to the surveillance

1:00:13camera issue, uh I want to thank those

1:00:16of you, you know, we're having open

1:00:18dialogue on this and that's a good

1:00:19thing. Um we're talking about a contract

1:00:22that expires in June. uh can we wait

1:00:25that long? Uh my comrade earlier is

1:00:28talking to the the immediacy of our

1:00:32need. Uh reading a little more from uh

1:00:36Judge uh Hill's uh opinion. She uh

1:00:40federal judge in Oklahoma uh freedom

1:00:43from persistent draget style

1:00:44surveillance while in public is not a

1:00:46foreign concept in our society and it is

1:00:49a reasonable expectation

1:00:51that society already accepts and we've

1:00:54we've talked to that. Is there a fourth

1:00:56amendment violation? She goes on to Oh

1:01:00jeez.

1:01:02Uh she goes on to point out

1:01:04[clears throat] it becomes

1:01:05constitutionally problematic when law

1:01:08enforcement can indiscriminately and

1:01:10passively catalog your whereabouts over

1:01:13an extended period of time and then use

1:01:15that information for any purpose

1:01:18whenever convenient. That is the crux of

1:01:21the matter and what we've been speaking

1:01:23to you about for months now is the

1:01:26surveillance cameras in any form are

1:01:29creating a file. Will GRPD use that

1:01:33file?

1:01:35That's not yet determined. But can

1:01:38anyone else who owns that data use the

1:01:41file? That is our point. Thank you all

1:01:44for your continued dialogue on this. And

1:01:47uh that's it.

1:01:53Thank you. Seeing no one else, um I'll

1:01:56turn to my colleagues. Um Commissioner

1:01:58Sassy.

1:02:00>> Thank you, Mayor. Um thank you everyone

1:02:02for coming out tonight and um we had a a

1:02:06busy day. I just wanted to remind people

1:02:08about a few things. One is that um our

1:02:13safe task force is currently taking

1:02:15applications for those organizations or

1:02:18individuals who are working on reducing

1:02:20violence in their community,

1:02:22particularly gun violence, part

1:02:23particularly with young people. Um and

1:02:26so there'll be um a pitch night that

1:02:29happens on October 28th at the MLK uh

1:02:34lodge facility. And so people have until

1:02:37October 23rd to submit that. And I know

1:02:39that um Leticia Lipgum, she is the main

1:02:42contact there. She's always happy to

1:02:44talk to anybody about any questions that

1:02:45we might have. So, wanted to highlight

1:02:47that. I know that there were a number of

1:02:48opportunities over the last couple weeks

1:02:50with uh South Prize and the mural in the

1:02:54third ward and the gun memorial. And

1:02:56here is another opportunity. And we just

1:02:58heard, you know, today from our uh

1:03:01national community survey of the

1:03:02different ways to connect into

1:03:04community. So, here's one more that I

1:03:05wanted to highlight. And then secondly,

1:03:07I just wanted to say congratulations to

1:03:09the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber. A

1:03:11number of us were able to be there

1:03:12yesterday um as they officially broke

1:03:15ground on their uh new facility and um

1:03:18the hub for Latino entrepreneurship and

1:03:22uh talent development. And so uh it was

1:03:25it was great to hear your words, mayor.

1:03:27It was great to to see um individuals.

1:03:29Commissioner Knight and I were able to

1:03:30go and and sit together and talk to some

1:03:33individuals and just excited about the

1:03:35activation that will continue to occur

1:03:37on that corridor with many other

1:03:39individuals. So yeah, that's that's it

1:03:41for me today. Thanks.

1:03:43>> Uh Commissioner Purdue,

1:03:47>> good morning everyone. Uh thank you

1:03:49colleagues for a productive day. I want

1:03:51to speak to a few things that were

1:03:53brought up um today. And the first is um

1:03:59what uh Sini and um was it Yolanda

1:04:05uh brought up around uh just the state

1:04:08of black folks in our city and you

1:04:10talked about um you cited a long

1:04:14history, right? And I think um even

1:04:16though it's not 2020 anymore and we have

1:04:18different leadership in this country,

1:04:20that is still important to talk about

1:04:22how different communities experience our

1:04:24country, experience our society, our our

1:04:28community. Um you know, when I first got

1:04:31into office, I really was focused on

1:04:33affordable housing because that's a huge

1:04:35need. And when I got into this um seat,

1:04:38I realized we were doing a lot to that

1:04:40end. Um, but what we were, what I felt

1:04:42like we were missing and have been

1:04:44missing is this focus on small

1:04:47businesses, main street businesses,

1:04:49community- based businesses, as well as

1:04:51local ownership creation and wealth

1:04:54creation. Um, and so over the last few

1:04:56years, um, I think we've made a lot of

1:04:58efforts and a lot of progress to that

1:04:59end. um you know related to microloan

1:05:02products that we've been discussing

1:05:04related to reinvigorating the southtown

1:05:07CIA um finally beginning art prize

1:05:11bringing all of that economic activity

1:05:13um and excitement to the southeast side

1:05:16affordable housing projects emerging

1:05:18developer programs um and so I'm I'm

1:05:20really proud to have been part of that

1:05:21and many of you who spoke have been part

1:05:23of those projects um advising partnering

1:05:27um pushing as well um And I also share

1:05:31your frustration of we doesn't feel like

1:05:35we've made enough progress because so

1:05:37many folks are still struggling to find

1:05:40um ways to make their projects work and

1:05:42to tap into the tools that it seems like

1:05:44other folks continue to be able to

1:05:47access um and go further and u we don't

1:05:50always feel like we have that

1:05:52experience. Um I watch my dad uh you

1:05:55know my dad was born in rural Alabama in

1:05:571935.

1:05:58um he dropped out of school in 8th

1:06:00grade, so he only had an eighth grade

1:06:02education. Even as an adult, he would

1:06:04ask me to sometimes read or write things

1:06:06for him. Um so to grow up under someone

1:06:11who has all the life experience that

1:06:13comes with that, to grow up and really

1:06:15use small businesses as their way to

1:06:17survive in this world, as their way to

1:06:19support their family, as their way to

1:06:22come from abject poverty and send all

1:06:24their kids to school or to the military.

1:06:26I know why. um making sure that we focus

1:06:30and um really um boldly and courageously

1:06:34and clearly on black businesses and

1:06:36other marginalized business. I

1:06:38understand why that is so so important.

1:06:41So, I just want to let you know that I

1:06:42hear you. Um, I want to let you know

1:06:44that I feel you and that I'm continued

1:06:45to working with you and every other

1:06:47community um and subpopul and group, any

1:06:51section of our community that feels

1:06:53unincluded

1:06:54um and feels that frustration from being

1:06:57locked out, especially in this what

1:06:58should be a really exciting time for

1:07:00everyone as this city grows. Um that I

1:07:03that I I hear you, I feel you, and I'm

1:07:05committed to continuing to work with

1:07:06you. Um, I'm proud of the progress we've

1:07:09made and also recognize that there's

1:07:11much to do in this environment. Um, with

1:07:13the example that's being set all the way

1:07:15from the White House down, um, I think

1:07:17it makes this work even harder but even

1:07:20more important. And I just want to name

1:07:22that elephant and that reality um, as

1:07:25well um, that's occurring. So, I wanted

1:07:27to start by sharing that. Um, next I do

1:07:31want to um respond to some of the other

1:07:34comments that was shared around meetings

1:07:37being disrupted. Um,

1:07:41someone messaged us uh after the last

1:07:43meeting. After the last meeting uh there

1:07:45was a disruption, it was shut down. We

1:07:48adjourned um and uh we were asked to

1:07:50clear the room. Um there were only about

1:07:53two more people not many people but a

1:07:55few more people who were still waiting

1:07:56in line that night um who wanted to

1:07:58speak and after one afterwards one

1:08:01messaged us uh he's 78 years old. He had

1:08:05walked two miles to get here to city

1:08:08hall. He waited three hours in line um

1:08:12or in the chambers while other people

1:08:14participated in the meeting and public

1:08:15comment and then

1:08:18at the end the meeting ended and he

1:08:20never got the chance to speak. And so um

1:08:23in the time before that when our meeting

1:08:25was disrupted um and adjourned that was

1:08:28right after um we had attempted to

1:08:32appoint someone to the vacancy that's on

1:08:35this body a second another commissioner

1:08:38to represent to be voted from or

1:08:40appointed to represent the first ward.

1:08:42Um and we didn't get to hear from

1:08:44everyone right after this very um

1:08:47pivotal moment and decision because that

1:08:50meeting also got shut down. Um, so just

1:08:52like I said to our black developers, um,

1:08:54I'm going to say to all those those

1:08:57advocates, too. I feel your pain. I hear

1:08:59you. Um, I think that yes, we can do

1:09:02more. Um, and I think that, uh, yes, we

1:09:05need to open open um, lines of

1:09:07communication and bridge build, but it

1:09:09is a it is a two-way conversation. Um,

1:09:11and it is a it it takes both of us. It

1:09:14takes an inside and outside game. And it

1:09:16is frustrating when other community

1:09:19members who are also advocating for

1:09:21marginalized communities um who are also

1:09:23advocating um for causes that seem to

1:09:26align um lose their chance to give their

1:09:29voice um and to participate in the

1:09:31public conversation as well as hear and

1:09:34hold accountable the folks up here on

1:09:36those said issues. So those are two uh

1:09:39two issues that I think have been

1:09:40building uh that I wanted to uh address

1:09:43headon. Um, and then the last one I will

1:09:46say, um, I think the gentleman here in

1:09:49the room, uh, Kyle is still here. Um,

1:09:52you know, I heard you say, and a lot of

1:09:54people say this when they come, um, you

1:09:56know, tell me what you're doing. Tell me

1:09:57what you're doing. If you say that every

1:10:00time I begin to think you're not

1:10:01listening when I am telling you what I'm

1:10:03doing, um, or you're not attending um,

1:10:07my conversations, my meetings, that I'm

1:10:09I'm doing an hour deep dive into flock.

1:10:12I'm doing an hour deep dive into what's

1:10:14going on with ICE with folks who come.

1:10:16This is not the this is not the venue

1:10:17for that. So, I understand I don't hold

1:10:20anyone um I don't hold it against anyone

1:10:24who can't keep up with every single

1:10:26thing because a lot happens. Um but I

1:10:30just would welcome the opportunity to

1:10:32have some more pointed conversations

1:10:35um

1:10:37to answer your question with that. um

1:10:41you know it's not lost on me a lot of

1:10:43folks who um are advocating for I think

1:10:45righteous causes um come up here and

1:10:48they throw around the word I want to say

1:10:50throw around cuz because there there is

1:10:51some weight to it but our privilege you

1:10:54know and we certainly hold a lot of

1:10:55privilege by being up here. It's also I

1:10:58just hope it's not lost on you that

1:10:59you're also talking to

1:11:01women. You're talking to the first

1:11:04Latina. You're talking to the first

1:11:05queer black man, the first woman.

1:11:08there's and people who do come from very

1:11:10diverse family backgrounds, social

1:11:12economic backgrounds. And so in that

1:11:15way, you're kind of preaching to the

1:11:16choir sometimes, I think, than most

1:11:18people than some sometimes you realize.

1:11:20Um, but I also think that idea of what

1:11:23else are we battling? You know, it's

1:11:24different to be a black woman navigating

1:11:26the space with the values that I do than

1:11:28it is for other folks, right? And so I

1:11:31might be going to bat for the same

1:11:33causes but face different barriers than

1:11:36other people would. And that's just

1:11:38facts. And so I just hope it's not lost

1:11:40on folks when you come up here and you

1:11:41throw around those words privilege of

1:11:44the privilege that you are holding in

1:11:46those moments as well. And I'm happy to

1:11:48go further on that conversation, but I

1:11:50don't want to belabor the point because

1:11:52other commissioners this is this is our

1:11:54time for quick comments and we can

1:11:56continue the discussion um later. But I

1:11:57just wanted to let you all know where I

1:11:59stand and and make that public uh

1:12:01invitation and we can we can start a new

1:12:04um if needed. So, thanks,

1:12:06>> Commissioner Belchure.

1:12:08>> Yes, thank you. Um,

1:12:11I want to thank my colleague,

1:12:12Commissioner Purdue, for tackling all

1:12:14those hard hard topics. That's exactly

1:12:17some of what's been on my heart and

1:12:18mind, too. And I do feel like this is a

1:12:21conversation we need to have um to to

1:12:24remind folks that we are your elected

1:12:27representatives because we are from the

1:12:29community of the community by the

1:12:31community and these are our the business

1:12:34meetings of the city and while it is

1:12:36important that we have um open meetings

1:12:40and that's why we have a public open

1:12:42meetings act right that says you have

1:12:45opportunity to speak. It is always most

1:12:48beneficial and most productive when it

1:12:49is on topics we can work on and work on

1:12:52together, other things we work on

1:12:53together in community.

1:12:56And an I have a few more thoughts here.

1:12:59The the greatest um example I can think

1:13:02of that's happened just recently of

1:13:04community is the opening of the Hispanic

1:13:07Chamber yesterday. It was a beautiful

1:13:10event that incorporated I didn't even

1:13:13count all of them. so many flags from so

1:13:16many countries

1:13:19that all live here and are part of our

1:13:21community.

1:13:23It is important to remember that we come

1:13:26together to build whatever comes next.

1:13:28So while we are working on how do we

1:13:31change the systems we have we also are

1:13:34have community members all of us

1:13:36responsible for building what comes

1:13:38next. So to the Hispanic Chamber, I

1:13:42would like to thank Felicia Dades. And I

1:13:45would like to um to say to those of you

1:13:49who are in our immigrant community that

1:13:52you are not alone, Tardis

1:13:58immigrantes no Estana Solos.

1:14:03Gracias. I am with you. I look forward

1:14:05to having a new partner join soon. But

1:14:09when it comes to how we behave, how we

1:14:11act, and how we come together in

1:14:13community, I do think it's important to

1:14:15remember that we are building a civil

1:14:17society. That includes what we do in

1:14:20government, what we do in the community,

1:14:21what we do in business, and all the

1:14:22other aspects. My word for 2026 was

1:14:25civility. I've had to talk about it a

1:14:27few times now. I didn't know it would be

1:14:29so appropriate when I picked it.

1:14:32So, the idea is, what does it take to

1:14:34build a strong society in solidarity

1:14:37with one another? what kind of civil

1:14:38liberties, civil rights, civil

1:14:41engagement, civil behaviors, etc. So,

1:14:44after much reflection and processing on

1:14:46my own reactions of what happened last

1:14:48Tuesday, I must say that I continue to

1:14:51surface some supreme disappointment and

1:14:54uh diplomatic dismay.

1:14:57What I witnessed across the board was an

1:15:00incredible lack of dis of respect for

1:15:02the first amendment and the democratic

1:15:05privilege that provides public comment

1:15:07under the open meetings act. Civil

1:15:09discourse is essential for a fully

1:15:12functioning democracy and it requires

1:15:14both self-regulation,

1:15:17restraint and respect. It mandates that

1:15:20we tolerate the expression of voices we

1:15:23may have violent and virulent reactions

1:15:27to personally and hold the line against

1:15:31vile rhetoric with our own rebuttal,

1:15:33moral actions, and inquisitive

1:15:35intentions. It demands that we practice

1:15:38discernment and discipline about the

1:15:40time, place, and manner in which we

1:15:42choose to interact or engage, choose to

1:15:45observe or take and take notes, or

1:15:48choose to be curious and actively

1:15:51engaged.

1:15:53It is not a blanket p permission to

1:15:55devolve into the worst of our instincts

1:15:58and tendencies.

1:15:59the mother of a friend of mine who was

1:16:01recently installed as the fellow for

1:16:04GVSU's uh center for civil discourse had

1:16:08a longtime quote that she used in her

1:16:09speech my friend's speech and her mom

1:16:12said you cannot control what others do

1:16:15you can only control yourself I think

1:16:18there's a little stoicism in that any

1:16:21right overly taken

1:16:24inherently impinges upon another's

1:16:26individual's right democracy See,

1:16:29therefore, is the eternally dynamic and

1:16:31interwoven balancing between all of us

1:16:35in the tugging and pulling of an

1:16:37incessant communal friction that comes

1:16:41with fundamental liberty.

1:16:44For myself, I will continue to perform

1:16:46as commissioner and what I now call

1:16:48liinal leadership, living from the space

1:16:51between so that we can make good

1:16:54decisions.

1:16:55I remain watchful, listening and

1:16:57expectant. I believe in something better

1:17:00for all of us and most importantly out

1:17:03of all of us. I expect far better from

1:17:06those who would aim to make the world a

1:17:08better place because I believe you

1:17:10clearly do not mean or intend to

1:17:12mistakenly denigrate it by thoughtless,

1:17:14inattentive, unenlightened actions.

1:17:21Commissioner Knight.

1:17:24>> Uh thank you and um thank you

1:17:26Commissioner Purdue for those words. Uh

1:17:29I hear you and I support you in that. Um

1:17:33so just wanted to uh throw out a couple

1:17:35things. I know we already talked about

1:17:36our prize and and South Prize and uh a

1:17:39lot of the economic development in our

1:17:41community. But I also wanted to um bring

1:17:43attention to I had a conversation. I

1:17:45left the dis earlier today because I was

1:17:47waiting for a uh return call from uh

1:17:50Congresswoman Scolton um on the death of

1:17:54Mr. Warez which happened uh a couple of

1:17:57weeks ago and um to let the community

1:18:00know that we are holding uh our leaders

1:18:02accountable because that's what we're

1:18:04supposed to do. We hear from you, we

1:18:05take it to them. um and some of the

1:18:08things that uh she was able to share

1:18:10with me about uh the investigation that

1:18:13um she was uh taking a stance uh stand

1:18:16on holding uh ICE accountable. Um that

1:18:20some of the things that were happening

1:18:22right now is they're dancing around

1:18:24language because something that was said

1:18:25that they did uh they're trying to not

1:18:28say that they did it right. And so, uh,

1:18:31our leadership, um, is is stepping in

1:18:34and they're putting a lot of pressure

1:18:36on, uh, what they are doing, uh, what

1:18:38has been done, what has occurred, and

1:18:40then following the next steps to hold

1:18:42them accountable for what happened in

1:18:44our community, which should never ever

1:18:45have happened. She also shared with me

1:18:47that she um did some investigating on

1:18:50what happened in Wyoming uh this weekend

1:18:53and stated to me and this was this was

1:18:55what she said to me and and and said

1:18:58that I was able to share that out that

1:18:59it was none of Mario's family that had

1:19:02gotten arrested um this weekend in

1:19:05Wyoming. That was not a truth. And so I

1:19:08I wanted to share that because she told

1:19:10me that um I could definitely do that

1:19:12and um to continue to hold them

1:19:14accountable um for what's happening in

1:19:16our communities because it should not

1:19:20ever happen. No child should ever have

1:19:22to wonder if their parent is coming home

1:19:24that evening or a wife wonder if her

1:19:26husband is going to show up at the door.

1:19:27It should never happen and we don't want

1:19:29it happening in our community. So, we're

1:19:31going to continue to uh hold our our

1:19:33leadership uh at the Senate and the

1:19:35Congress level uh accountable for those

1:19:38things here in the community. I also had

1:19:41the opportunity to attend uh Graasai's

1:19:44uh health equity conference and it was

1:19:47very interesting to uh listen to some

1:19:50leaders from across the country talk

1:19:52about uh the impacts of of health in all

1:19:55policies and health how it impacts uh

1:19:58everything that we do. uh from our work,

1:20:00from our schooling, uh from our our

1:20:03economic uh prosperity aspects and bring

1:20:07in the historical pieces uh talking

1:20:10about slavery and um people who have

1:20:12enriched themselves off the lives of

1:20:14others uh within our communities and

1:20:17continue to do so and to hold that

1:20:18accountable uh hold them accountable to

1:20:21the things that they're doing. But one

1:20:23of the things that they uh brought up on

1:20:24the forefront uh D. Jones mentioned

1:20:26something about um uh uh the money that

1:20:30was being spent to promote the two

1:20:32college through college and thinking

1:20:34about how at the federal government

1:20:35they're trying to kill all of those

1:20:37particular jobs that these young people

1:20:39are trying to get.

1:20:40>> They're trying to take the funding away

1:20:42so that they're those jobs are not

1:20:44considered or those those those degrees

1:20:47that they're pursuing are not considered

1:20:49worth supporting in our community. Yet,

1:20:51those are the very things that support

1:20:53our communities in those service areas.

1:20:56Those were the main people that were

1:20:57impacted by the pandemic. And those are

1:21:00the main jobs that we need. And so, we

1:21:02really need to think heavily about who

1:21:04we're supporting, what we're supporting,

1:21:06and what those people are actually

1:21:08representing at the higher level. So

1:21:10when Mark comes and talks about being

1:21:13registered to vote and making sure

1:21:14you're voting and talks about the orange

1:21:17felon, um we really need to understand

1:21:20who is representing us, who is standing

1:21:22and taking the fire, taking the darts,

1:21:24taking the arrows for us each and every

1:21:27day. And it's not just those at the

1:21:29federal level, but it's right here in

1:21:31your city. And we need to make sure that

1:21:33we understand what is their motive. What

1:21:36are their tr what are they trying to do?

1:21:38How are they really impacting you from

1:21:40day to day? And a lot of that goes back

1:21:41to the conversation that Commissioner

1:21:43Purdue was saying when people come and

1:21:45make statements and talk about what

1:21:47we're not doing, but I don't hear from

1:21:48you any time other than every other

1:21:50Tuesday. For me, that's an issue.

1:21:54When you don't call a phone, you don't

1:21:56call an email. I think we all have two

1:21:58phones up in here somewhere, right?

1:22:00Multiple emails. I got at least 10.

1:22:03And I'm sure you can find any one of

1:22:05them. And I'm sure everybody has a way

1:22:07of accessibility,

1:22:09but when we're not communicating with

1:22:11each other outside of every other week,

1:22:13how do we expect anything to change or

1:22:15get done?

1:22:17Because it's work and that's every day.

1:22:20And we live in the community. We live in

1:22:23the neighborhoods.

1:22:26We drive past the businesses. We support

1:22:29the businesses.

1:22:31Our

1:22:33job is to know who we're working with,

1:22:34who we're dealing with, and support

1:22:36those who are out on the front lines

1:22:38taking the fire

1:22:41because we don't get that support. And

1:22:43it's okay. I don't wake up and nobody's

1:22:44pat on the back because I know my job is

1:22:47to serve. That's what I'm going to do 24

1:22:50hours a day.

1:22:52That's why the struggles I went through

1:22:54and the things that I dealt with going

1:22:56through life all brought me to this

1:22:58point.

1:23:01and it wasn't for anybody else's

1:23:02recognition.

1:23:05It's to do a job. That's what we're here

1:23:07for.

1:23:09So, all of these things that we talked

1:23:11about today are very, very important.

1:23:14But I also want to encourage you and put

1:23:16a little pressure back on you

1:23:20and ask, are you having these

1:23:22conversations with your constitu your

1:23:24your commissioners? Are you showing up

1:23:26at at the forums? Are you coming to the

1:23:28neighborhood association meetings?

1:23:32the CIA meetings,

1:23:37>> all of that.

1:23:40I thank you for your time. I I

1:23:42appreciate it because it's not easy for

1:23:43people to get off work and come at 2:00.

1:23:46It's not easy for people to come at

1:23:487:00. Some people don't have

1:23:49transportation.

1:23:51But there are other means to

1:23:53communicate.

1:23:54There's other ways to connect.

1:23:59Thank you,

1:24:02>> Commissioner Carr.

1:24:02>> Thanks, Mayor. Uh, yeah, I always want

1:24:05to thank you all. Uh, the 2 PM days to

1:24:07me are very jam-packed. I thought we had

1:24:10a very, uh, productive day. So, thank

1:24:11you to my colleagues and all of our

1:24:13staff and appointed officials. I want to

1:24:15first talk to uh, discuss our emerging

1:24:18developers program. I think uh, again, I

1:24:20want to echo the sentiment of my

1:24:22colleagues if we do hear you. Um, and I

1:24:25believe that we're ready to take action.

1:24:26And I'm hoping that you all tuned into

1:24:28the economic development project team

1:24:30today where we talked about two awesome

1:24:32opportunities. One uh making our uh land

1:24:36bank uh you know more nimble and able to

1:24:39have more opportunities for growth and

1:24:41access properties. But we also talked

1:24:43about and that will go before our

1:24:45affordable uh housing uh fund folks. And

1:24:48then we also talked about millions going

1:24:50towards the emerging developers program

1:24:53possibly, right? that would come if the

1:24:54affordable housing uh fund folks say

1:24:57yes, recommend it and then it would come

1:24:59before us. I would be supportive of

1:25:01that. So just today we uh directly

1:25:04addressed and are looking for ways to

1:25:07support this work, not let it go, not

1:25:10ghost our community. I really um I'm the

1:25:13Jenzier, so I know what ghosting uh

1:25:15means. Uh and that is a horrible feeling

1:25:18if you've ever uh Yeah, I still get to

1:25:20say that. They always laugh. And yeah, I

1:25:22get to say I'm the youngest for a

1:25:23minute, for a minute longer. Um, but

1:25:26yeah, I think, you know, that is a

1:25:28horrible feeling in any relationship.

1:25:30And that's sort of the word that keeps

1:25:31going in my mind today is relationships.

1:25:33So, it's an ongoing relationship. Um, I

1:25:36thank you for the feedback. I thank you

1:25:38for being candid and open and

1:25:40transparent about how you have been

1:25:42impacted by uh this uh this program.

1:25:47there's always your intent and you know

1:25:49we mean well we want to do things the

1:25:51right way and there's also the impact

1:25:53and that's what I heard today and so

1:25:55we're going to make sure that we

1:25:56continue to find innovative ways to

1:25:58support this program and also make sure

1:26:00our impact is lock step with what

1:26:03community wants to see. That's what I

1:26:05heard and that's what I believe that all

1:26:07of us are committed to doing. So thank

1:26:09you for the feedback on that. Uh in

1:26:11addition uh I got to join uh friends of

1:26:14Grand Rapids Parks recently for their

1:26:16neighborhoods. We comm uh contributed

1:26:18213 trees to our 40% canopy goal. Uh

1:26:23that's awesome. It also helps us achieve

1:26:24some of our goals through the climate

1:26:26action adaptation plan. Uh we saw

1:26:28firsthand some of the interesting things

1:26:30that we recently passed like we have we

1:26:32are allow for trees to uh bear fruit now

1:26:36in the city. So that was uh exciting to

1:26:38see. Recently, yesterday, I met with the

1:26:40Children's Advocacy Center with my

1:26:43friend and their new president and CEO,

1:26:44Jen Hunt. Uh they showed me their

1:26:47amazing coordinated care with the Kent

1:26:49County Sheriff's Office, Grand Rapids

1:26:51Police Department, therapists, and other

1:26:53uh caregivers for uh youth who are

1:26:56processing trauma and seeking justice.

1:26:58Uh once again, the challenges at the

1:27:00federal level that I think we're seeing

1:27:02at the pump, that we're seeing in our

1:27:04jobs, we're seeing in the nonprofit

1:27:05landscape, we're also seeing in our

1:27:07community partners, they lost 18% of

1:27:09their funding uh through the VOCA, the

1:27:12Victims of Crime Act, uh being cut. So,

1:27:16you know, they're working off a little

1:27:17bit over a million dollars, serving our

1:27:20whole region. and they're one of like

1:27:22eight uh eight providers in the state

1:27:24that are really focused on uh sexual uh

1:27:28misconduct with youth. So I I think

1:27:30there are so many resources in this

1:27:32community and I'm hopeful that community

1:27:34members can support this tell their

1:27:37neighbors about the challenges that

1:27:39we're seeing. So when we talk about

1:27:41having to be innovative and work through

1:27:42this budget, it's serious. You know,

1:27:45this is a community partner. We've got

1:27:47all hands on deck and they are really

1:27:49feeling it as well. So, um I think this

1:27:52also highlights the importance of the

1:27:54$150,000 psychological trauma pilot that

1:27:57uh Commissioner Purdue spearheaded and

1:27:59we passed through we allocated through

1:28:01the third ward equity fund and the whole

1:28:03commission supported unanimously. So,

1:28:05thank you colleagues for that. There is

1:28:07that was clear evidence to me that the

1:28:09city we we're on the right track because

1:28:11our community needs that support. Um

1:28:13folks have talked about art prize. Um, I

1:28:16I can't think the Breaking Bad guy's

1:28:17name, but I didn't know who he was. That

1:28:20was a very fun experience at the end

1:28:21ceremony. Um, until they said Malcolm in

1:28:24the middle. I almost said Malcolm X.

1:28:25Malcolm in Malcolm in the middle.

1:28:27>> What's his name?

1:28:28>> Brianston.

1:28:28>> Brian Credston.

1:28:30>> Whoever. Um, he was very nice and it was

1:28:33a very cool experience. But all of that

1:28:36was cool. But I was really excited about

1:28:38South Prize and Commissioner, former

1:28:40commissioner Lineer went on stage to

1:28:42award uh the winners and talked about

1:28:44how this was a vision that had taken

1:28:46many years and I think that's something

1:28:48important to to remember too. I when I

1:28:50was studying in undergrad, we talked

1:28:52about how government does not move at

1:28:53the pace that people wanted to do.

1:28:55Sometimes like some of the things we

1:28:57talked about today, ALPRs, ICE, uh, and,

1:29:01uh, the emerging developer, some of

1:29:02those things are urgent and will need

1:29:04action that we can do as soon as

1:29:06possible, but some things have to be

1:29:08intentional and take a little bit of

1:29:10time so they can be done the right way.

1:29:12And so, I really thought South Prize was

1:29:14done the right way. I'm so thankful that

1:29:16folks were able to support our uh

1:29:18southtown businesses and go through our

1:29:20neighborhoods, see if they want to live

1:29:22in Alder Heights, see if they want to

1:29:23live um on the south side. It was really

1:29:26cool to see visitors. Uh I had one

1:29:28person who I knocked into on uh quite

1:29:31literally ran into them accidentally on

1:29:33my walk. Uh they were from New York.

1:29:36They're from Sunboro and New York and

1:29:38had never been to Grand Rapids and they

1:29:39were in Southtown. So, we're doing

1:29:41things right. That's what we want to

1:29:43see. The mayor and I also attended a

1:29:45mental health art show. So they were

1:29:47bringing together art and talking about

1:29:48mental health. And I also talked about

1:29:50really quickly my comments were on

1:29:52moving away from this like fake

1:29:54positivity to optimism. So like not

1:29:57painting a yellow smiley face on these

1:29:59challenges like we've talked about

1:30:00today, but saying that tomorrow can be

1:30:03better. And that can be frustrating,

1:30:05that can come with tears, that can come

1:30:06with anger, but we can be optimistic

1:30:08about tomorrow. And that's the beautiful

1:30:10thing that I see from my colleagues. And

1:30:12then lastly, I was the MC for the Black

1:30:14Nurses Association gala recently and

1:30:16that was beautiful as well. Seeing so

1:30:18many folks of the black community, uh,

1:30:20mostly women dedicated to our public

1:30:23health and they also once again shared

1:30:25the attacks to health coverage, shared

1:30:27the lack of funding for our health

1:30:29institutions. So, it's not to say that

1:30:33we're not accountable and that we can't

1:30:35be better, but it's to really paint this

1:30:37landscape for community that in every

1:30:40facet that you see right now there's

1:30:41challenges and what we can't do is give

1:30:44up and we can be optimistic and I'm

1:30:47going to stick to that. So, thank you

1:30:48all for coming making time and I hope

1:30:51you will be optimistic with me.

1:30:53>> Clerk.

1:30:54>> Yeah. Um, first just to reference a

1:30:57question Mark asked for at the be in his

1:30:59first public comment about the Amway um

1:31:01soccer stadium and their in their liquor

1:31:03license. Um, so it's a resort license.

1:31:06There's many different avenues in order

1:31:07to get a liquor license the state of

1:31:09Michigan. You can have a quota license.

1:31:11You can have um a development district,

1:31:13but that one is a resort license. So the

1:31:15state designated something that is a

1:31:17entertainment or um a recreational type

1:31:20use and so they just call it a resort

1:31:22license. So, not a resort. It's

1:31:24basically getting a a regular liquor

1:31:26license through that means. So, that was

1:31:28that's what So, it's not a resorty type

1:31:30thing. It's it's just a an avenue to get

1:31:33there. Um, moving on to election

1:31:36area. So, we mailed out about 33,000

1:31:39absentee ballots so far and we have

1:31:41about 4,400 returned already. So, that's

1:31:44about an eighth of the um ballots back

1:31:46already, which is um really really

1:31:49quickly. I think I think the the talk

1:31:51about the US Postal Service and dropping

1:31:54things off and election day and various

1:31:56sort of things, I think people got their

1:31:57ballots and they returned them returned

1:31:59right away. So, for those of you who

1:32:00have absentee ballots, get them in. Um I

1:32:03know we saw candidates drop out before

1:32:05the primary. That's different in a

1:32:06primary season than it is a general

1:32:08season. Um we go through, we check the

1:32:10signatures, and then they're in a safe,

1:32:11secure, um environment until we get to

1:32:14the time when we tabulate. So, that's um

1:32:16absentee voting. So, and you can you

1:32:18still have time to get one. You can go

1:32:19to michigan.gov um/vote and get and

1:32:23apply for an absentee ballot. We'll mail

1:32:24it out to you. Or you can come to the

1:32:25clerk's office and pick one up as well.

1:32:27Uh early voting is going to be starting

1:32:30um generally for the rest of the state

1:32:31on October 24th, but in Grand Rapids,

1:32:33we'll be the only ones in King County

1:32:34that are actually starting on um

1:32:36Tuesday, October 20th. we're going to

1:32:38have four extra days of um early voting

1:32:41just cuz it got so busy on that first

1:32:43Saturday um in 2024 that we want to have

1:32:46some time to um get get all the election

1:32:49inspectors into the groove when it gets

1:32:51when it gets busy. So, we're going to do

1:32:53that and we're going to be as I said in

1:32:55my presentation a couple weeks ago or a

1:32:57few a month ago or so, we'll be in four

1:32:59locations. We'll be in each quadrant.

1:33:00So, um GRPS University, Ottawa Hills

1:33:04High School, St. Peter and Paul um

1:33:06parish center and then our new location

1:33:09of New Hope Baptist Church um in near

1:33:12the corner of um Martin Luther King and

1:33:14division. So we'll be in all four

1:33:15quadrants. Uh so a lot of lot of things

1:33:18happening. Also

1:33:20if you've seen on social media, we've

1:33:22have we have a the clerk's office has

1:33:24put together a very robust um social

1:33:26media campaign about absentee voting,

1:33:28about early voting um with videos and

1:33:32and other things that have been going

1:33:33on. And also I did a um

1:33:37a uh interview with um Ingam County

1:33:40Clerk Barbyum. Um we and so some media

1:33:44um outlets picked that up talking just

1:33:46trying to get out the factual

1:33:48information about elections. There's so

1:33:49much out there that we we try to cut

1:33:52through what's true and what's not

1:33:53what's not true um or just not or

1:33:56misunderstood. And it's it's by both

1:33:57sides. It's not one left or right.

1:34:00sometimes just things just get

1:34:02misrepresented. And so we try to um as

1:34:05election officials in the state of

1:34:06Michigan, there's like 1,600 of us

1:34:08trying to give out um true factual

1:34:10information as we as we go through the

1:34:12next what 29 days. Um so thank you for

1:34:16everybody who's returned your absentee

1:34:17ballot. Um thank you for all the

1:34:19community members who've stepped forward

1:34:21to work the polls um on election day or

1:34:24an early voting site or counting

1:34:26absentee ballots. it it just takes more

1:34:28than this one guy to take to accomplish

1:34:30this. So, um, thank you to the the Grand

1:34:33Rapids city team of employees that

1:34:36appreciate. I thank you in advance. So,

1:34:38that's it for me.

1:34:39>> City attorney.

1:34:40>> Okay,

1:34:41>> city manager. [clears throat]

1:34:43>> Thank you, mayor and commissioners.

1:34:44Thank you, uh, city staff for the work.

1:34:47Um, this has been an incredible uh,

1:34:50month as you noted with art prize and

1:34:52the closing of the uh, art prize at the

1:34:55amphitheater. Congratulations to all the

1:34:57artists, the winners in the venues. And

1:34:59uh we had a record-breaking crowd for

1:35:01the fashion show. It's now in the

1:35:04Guinness Book of World Record uh for the

1:35:07largest fashion show um attended. So

1:35:10congratulations to everyone involved and

1:35:12I we do have an artist on the dis uh the

1:35:15mayor himself had an entry an art

1:35:17[snorts] prize and so we should ask him

1:35:19to

1:35:20>> I didn't win.

1:35:21>> We should ask him to unveil his entry.

1:35:24[laughter]

1:35:25No, but it is uh it is great. I'm

1:35:27looking forward to seeing what the

1:35:28economic impact uh will be in terms of

1:35:31uh this year as we were expecting um

1:35:34quite a few people almost a million

1:35:36people coming through our city. So, uh I

1:35:38did want to uh reflect on one of the

1:35:41comments earlier. I think it is good to

1:35:42look at other communities and I heard

1:35:44that challenge uh because what we'll

1:35:46find is uh there are a lot of things

1:35:48that we're doing right. The survey today

1:35:51uh from NCS uh affirmed that. So I want

1:35:54to thank the staff and participants but

1:35:56also areas that where we can improve but

1:35:59uh understanding when the practices in

1:36:01other communities always eye opening. Uh

1:36:03you get to appreciate what you have. I

1:36:05think the mayor and I saw when we talk

1:36:07about our mobility and parking issues,

1:36:09we went to another city to recruit um

1:36:13investors and developers and uh for two

1:36:16hours of parking

1:36:19in a ramp non-event. That was what $56

1:36:24>> for I think

1:36:24>> to park on the street on street parking.

1:36:27You don't just pull up to a meter. You

1:36:28had to get a permit first from the city.

1:36:31even if you're a visitor.

1:36:32>> We parked at a meter. We paid and we got

1:36:34a ticket.

1:36:35>> Don't say we. The mayor got a ticket,

1:36:38[laughter]

1:36:40>> but he paid it or it was paid. I paid uh

1:36:43but yeah. So, so I I think we we we it

1:36:46is good to understand the practice in

1:36:48other communities and even uh looking at

1:36:50the sound ordinance in one of the cities

1:36:52that were referenced earlier, Austin

1:36:53live the capital of the world. somewhat

1:36:56familiar with it, but we are concerned

1:36:58about our ordinance going to 10 or 11:00

1:37:01at night. There are districts downtown

1:37:03where live music and amplified sound is

1:37:06permitted till 2:00 a.m. in the morning

1:37:09with uh permit. So um I think we will be

1:37:15uh even more intentional as we look at

1:37:16the practices of our comparison to some

1:37:18of those benchmark cities highlighting

1:37:20areas where we are different and can

1:37:22improve our orh continue to lead the way

1:37:25we do. The other thing I wanted to uh I

1:37:27appreciate the comment about the hot

1:37:28team. I heard a lot of compliments as

1:37:30you're aware we extended the hours of

1:37:31the uh hot team and our refuge team. So

1:37:34thank you those employees who are doing

1:37:36that work. Um, also want to, um, uh, I

1:37:42know there's been a lot of comment,

1:37:43discussions around flock, and we've

1:37:44already committed to have OPA, uh,

1:37:47review, uh, the practices and, um, um,

1:37:53of our flock, excuse me, an automatic

1:37:56license plate reader technology through

1:37:57our surveillance policy. Looking forward

1:37:59to that review. But I do want to

1:38:01highlight a recent story uh, I think

1:38:03that was reported this past week, even

1:38:05soon as yesterday. Uh police chief did

1:38:07make me aware of the uh bank robbery

1:38:10that was in progress in the souththeast

1:38:12part of the community and uh later uh

1:38:15the suspect was apprehended and it was

1:38:17the use of the ALPR

1:38:20uh technology that was able to assist

1:38:22our local police and FBI in the bank

1:38:25crime. And so while there are concerns

1:38:28about uh the appropriateness and uses uh

1:38:31there are uh occasions in which uh

1:38:35crimes would not be solved without that

1:38:37technology. So just like everything else

1:38:39like we try to find the balance between

1:38:40the built and natural environment. I

1:38:42hope we can strike the balance uh

1:38:44between privacy and uh use of

1:38:47technology. Uh lastly, I will a couple

1:38:50other things. I want to say uh my

1:38:52appreciation to the city and the county

1:38:55uh for uh collaborating on our

1:38:57intergovernmental agreement that will

1:38:58allow us to operate uh jointly and

1:39:02utilize our respective uh dispatch

1:39:04centers uh both the city uh dispatch as

1:39:08well as county dispatch. Thank you

1:39:09commissioners for approving that. Uh

1:39:12[clears throat] we've talked about

1:39:13opportunity sites for riverfront

1:39:15development and I expect our economic

1:39:17development uh department to be

1:39:19announcing a um another location for

1:39:22city- owned property in the coming days

1:39:25which we will uh entertain proposals and

1:39:28evaluate them and bring back to this

1:39:29commission uh for consideration um based

1:39:33on what we what we observe. And lastly,

1:39:36I want to thank the uh women of the

1:39:38North Central District area for allowing

1:39:40me to attend the meeting of the National

1:39:43Association Negro Business and

1:39:45Professional Women's Club a few weeks

1:39:47ago. So, thank you.

1:39:50>> Thanks everyone. So, um I'm going to

1:39:53close off the meeting and I want to um

1:39:55make four comments on fairly discreet

1:39:57areas. First of all, um thanks to my

1:39:59colleagues. I really appreciate the the

1:40:01tenor and the thoughtfulness of I think

1:40:03everything everybody said. Um so you

1:40:06know a brief amen to all of that. We can

1:40:08always fine-tune our answers and our

1:40:10responses and so occasionally I thought

1:40:12well I want to add a little bit but I'm

1:40:13not going to I'm mostly want to say

1:40:15thanks. Um I also want to um thank uh

1:40:19everyone who came and uh commented I

1:40:21think thoughtfully and respectfully

1:40:22today. That is a such a gift. Um, so I

1:40:26appreciate it and uh particularly Miss

1:40:29Jordan and uh Mr. Bennett, I appreciated

1:40:31your your comments and your and your um

1:40:34thoughtful and and uh positive way in

1:40:36which you you you made those points. Um

1:40:40I um I I want to also briefly flag and

1:40:44you know I don't get we don't really

1:40:46we're not really talking to the whole

1:40:47city, right? We're I'm talking right now

1:40:48to the people who are going to watch

1:40:50this online and and maybe maybe it'll go

1:40:53something will get picked up by

1:40:54somebody, but otherwise it's a I know

1:40:56I'm under no illusions that we're

1:40:58talking to the whole city here, but um

1:41:00there was a I want to flag there was a a

1:41:02reference in in our last meeting to uh

1:41:05urging the commission to pass an

1:41:07ordinance. Well, ordinances are things

1:41:09the city does. They're not things that

1:41:12random members of the community um call

1:41:14ordinances and that that makes them an

1:41:16ordinance. Um but I will say uh that

1:41:18I've been working for some time with

1:41:21organizations particular most notably

1:41:23the ACLU on uh addressing the question

1:41:25of like can and I've said this right

1:41:28when I you know became mayor if we can

1:41:30figure out things we can do to make our

1:41:32community uh more welcoming to make me

1:41:35people feel more secure um and to

1:41:39actually enforce the rights and dignity

1:41:41of our residents. Um I want to do that.

1:41:44We want to do that and so that

1:41:46conversation I don't I don't expect to

1:41:48ever be done. Uh but it also means that

1:41:51things can't happen instantly and it

1:41:53means that uh so for example the

1:41:55reference by the activists who said pass

1:41:57this ordinance. Well the ACLU does not

1:41:59think that they have a finished product

1:42:01yet at this point uh nor do any of those

1:42:03or nor do the people involved in that

1:42:05discussion. So there's a lot of work to

1:42:07be done on figuring out what what

1:42:09weather and what and what baskets uh

1:42:12there can be improvement and that

1:42:14process is going to have to be careful

1:42:16because you have to do it right. Um and

1:42:18to echo or maybe amplify one of what

1:42:21some of my colleagues have said, one of

1:42:23the things that if you get involved in

1:42:25government that should make you stay

1:42:27awake at night is the law of unintended

1:42:29consequences.

1:42:31government is full of instances of uh

1:42:34moving too quickly and trying to do a

1:42:36and actually producing the opposite

1:42:38result. Uh and so it's very important

1:42:40that to think through the implications

1:42:43and to and to make sure if we're going

1:42:44to make new policies, make new ordinance

1:42:46that we do it right. Uh which is not to

1:42:48say that we're not addressing the issue

1:42:50worried about it, thinking about it. And

1:42:52Commissioner Purdue, for example,

1:42:54pointed that out. I mean, we're thinking

1:42:55about these things. Um, we're trying to

1:42:58get um improvement. Um, I will say um

1:43:04what I've said before too, which is that

1:43:05we are not done with the automatic

1:43:08license plate uh reader conversation. I

1:43:10don't consider us done. Uh we're not

1:43:12done talking about the flock

1:43:13conversation. And so I appreciate your

1:43:15uh community's continued engagement on

1:43:18that. We took uh we took a quick step

1:43:21and I and I want to flag that you know

1:43:23from commissioner Sasi's perspective

1:43:25maybe it wasn't quick um because she

1:43:27pointed out a while ago uh I don't want

1:43:30to say decades but at least at least

1:43:32more than a year ago that um that it's

1:43:35it seems sensible that our at least our

1:43:37automatic license plate reader uh policy

1:43:40should be put under our surveillance

1:43:42policy which puts in place a lot of

1:43:44immediate safeguards and and I think

1:43:46that I I It's it's clearly an

1:43:49improvement from the the situation prior

1:43:52to that move. So, um that's not to say

1:43:54that we anything anyone of us I think

1:43:57thought of that as a oneanddone move. We

1:43:58think of that as a necessary and clear

1:44:01action. And I'm glad that we're able to

1:44:03do that. Doesn't mean we're shutting

1:44:04down the conversation. And as Mr.

1:44:05Bennett pointed out, the question of

1:44:07what the courts think the Fourth

1:44:09Amendment is, that changes over time.

1:44:11That changes every time a new court case

1:44:13comes out. So, um, we're going to we're

1:44:15committed to continuing to engage in

1:44:17that conversation about, and as I've

1:44:19said before, not just constitutional

1:44:21concerns, but like the Fourth Amendment

1:44:23is a floor for uh safety in our

1:44:27community and and security from things

1:44:29like surveillance, but it's not doesn't

1:44:30have to be the ceiling. Um, so we can

1:44:33continue to have that conversation. I I

1:44:37do want to point out, however, and I

1:44:39want to re-emphasize what I said in a

1:44:41public statement. I think it was last

1:44:43week, but after Mario's death,

1:44:47we cannot keep entities like ICE out of

1:44:51our community because we cannot keep the

1:44:53federal government out of our community

1:44:54in the final in the final analysis. But

1:44:58we can all of us and we do all of us

1:45:01have to work hard against the creation

1:45:05of cultures of fear. And and I said I

1:45:09said in that statement, any law

1:45:11enforcement entity which traffics in

1:45:13fear and is trying to create fear is not

1:45:16welcome in our community.

1:45:18Our objective in this community is to

1:45:21help people feel safe, valued,

1:45:24supported,

1:45:25welcomed. And

1:45:28we can't control every entity in the

1:45:30world, but we can insist that our values

1:45:34are what they are. We can do everything

1:45:36we can in our power uh to affirm those

1:45:39values and take every action that's

1:45:40within our power to affirm those those

1:45:43values. But it can't be said often

1:45:45enough that fear in of itself has

1:45:48consequences. And there's no doubt in my

1:45:50mind that fear played a real role in

1:45:53Mario's death. And fear is not a law.

1:45:56Fear is a cultural challenge. And

1:45:59creating a culture that doesn't involve

1:46:01fear is something that is hard, takes

1:46:05work, and we have to be recommitted to

1:46:08every day.

1:46:10Finally, I want to say that um the city

1:46:12manager flagged our our trip to Chicago.

1:46:14And I want to um Well, I didn't he

1:46:16didn't say Chicago. He said a city that

1:46:17charges a lot for parking. Um uh but I

1:46:22want I want to I want to uh elevate for

1:46:24a moment. Um,

1:46:27so I want to I want to just elevate for

1:46:29a moment that I I consider and I and

1:46:32I've said this before and I think I

1:46:33think every I don't I I hope that

1:46:35everyone on the dis roughly agree with

1:46:37the sentiment and that is that um public

1:46:40safety is a foundational uh concern for

1:46:43our city and as a matter of fact we just

1:46:45got a survey back that said it is the

1:46:47number one thing that people in the city

1:46:48want. They want public safety. Now,

1:46:50public safety is not something we get to

1:46:53offsource to 300 sworn officers and act

1:46:56like the rest of us have nothing to do

1:46:57with it. And it's not something that we

1:47:00get to not engage in at the community

1:47:03level as well as at the law enforcement

1:47:06level. And so to that end, um, uh, city

1:47:10manager and I and, uh, uh, Mr. Davis uh

1:47:14met with a group that's been embedded on

1:47:17our community for some time and I am

1:47:19excited that we do some nextstep works

1:47:22uh with this group and the group is

1:47:24called cure violence and when I first

1:47:27heard the thesis of this group I thought

1:47:29oh that's a little strange um but the

1:47:31more I heard about it and the more I

1:47:32thought about it the more excited I got

1:47:33about it um the idea is that if you look

1:47:38at violence and try to apply the

1:47:40methodologies of public health to it.

1:47:43You can see that there are a lot of

1:47:44characteristics to violence that it

1:47:47share with say Ebola that it's

1:47:49transmissible that it you can have

1:47:51outbreaks in particular areas. Um and

1:47:54that if you try to focus on on say

1:47:59stopping a disease outbreak, you're

1:48:01doing a number of things. You're trying

1:48:02to unfortunately sometimes you have to

1:48:04isolate people, but you also really

1:48:07emphasize trying to figure out how to

1:48:09stop transmission. Um, and that would

1:48:12be, for example, reprisals often if

1:48:14you're talking about violence, but

1:48:14you're also talking about see help

1:48:16helping people deal with their trauma

1:48:18and because violence is traumatic and

1:48:20simply seeing violence

1:48:23infects you sometimes with, for lack of

1:48:25a better way to put it and some people

1:48:26are more resistant than others. Um, but

1:48:29that transmissibility

1:48:31is real. And one of the other things

1:48:34that that we've learned about epidemics

1:48:36is there's almost always or or disease

1:48:39outbreaks, there's almost always a

1:48:41really important uh behavioral change

1:48:44you're asking for the population and and

1:48:46that comes with education. So when we

1:48:48talked about HIV transmission uh years

1:48:50ago, we started talking about needle

1:48:52needle transmission and we started

1:48:54talking about um uh sexual behavior

1:48:57transmission, risk risky sexual

1:48:58behaviors and we talked about how how

1:49:01people would have to change their

1:49:02behaviors if we were going to curtail

1:49:04that disease. Well, similarly um with

1:49:07Ebola, it turns out that corpses are

1:49:09still infectious. And so if you've got a

1:49:11community where in a funeral you go all

1:49:12go hug the corpse, that's a really bad

1:49:15idea if you've got an Ebola. outbreak.

1:49:18So the question of how we as a community

1:49:22can address changing the uh education

1:49:26and narratives and dynamics around

1:49:28violence is going to be it's

1:49:30complicated, but it's also exciting.

1:49:33It's exciting to think that uh there is

1:49:35an organization out there that's very

1:49:37data driven, very outcome driven,

1:49:40willing to test their hypotheses

1:49:42um just like uh we do in in in the

1:49:45health uh environment and and in science

1:49:47in general um and and see if and see if

1:49:52we can't apply measures which will

1:49:54actually reduce violence in the

1:49:55community. And I say that because

1:50:00there are I still and I know our police

1:50:03chief and I know our law enforcement

1:50:04folks and I know everybody up in the das

1:50:06here knows we've had more than 10

1:50:08murders in in the city this year and boy

1:50:12I you know I I yearn for the year when

1:50:15that won't be true. I yearn for the year

1:50:16when we will have zero murders in this

1:50:19city. Um we have shootings any number

1:50:22that's more than zero is too many. And

1:50:26um and while you know there are there

1:50:31are tragedies um in the community that

1:50:35we maybe can't prevent, I think that

1:50:37violence is something in the community

1:50:39that's real. It has a large cost. It has

1:50:42large trauma associated with it. Uh it's

1:50:44not something you can reverse. Other

1:50:47crimes are can be, you know, you could

1:50:49say crudely might be mitigable, right?

1:50:52If if you lose property, well, that's

1:50:54got a dollar figure and you can get the

1:50:56property back. You can't be unsalted.

1:50:59You can't be unmmerdered. And so driving

1:51:04incidents of community violence as low

1:51:07as we can and and and yearning and

1:51:10dreaming for the day that those numbers

1:51:12go to zero really means building a

1:51:14community that's focused on on

1:51:17peacemaking. And all of us as we do our

1:51:21advocacy for things we get passionate

1:51:23about and as we do work in the

1:51:24community,

1:51:26we're living in a world where the tools

1:51:28of hate and fear and violence are picked

1:51:31up all the time. And the tragic thing

1:51:35about those tools is that they're fast.

1:51:37They get results fast. You can see the

1:51:39result of scaring somebody quickly. You

1:51:41can see the result of those destructive

1:51:44tools. And the tools of empathy and love

1:51:48and peacekeeping are slower. And and

1:51:52they're things we have to keep

1:51:53constantly reminding ourselves to do

1:51:55because they're harder to do.

1:51:57Peacemaking is harder. Non-violent

1:51:59resistance is harder.

1:52:02Loving those that hate you is harder. Um

1:52:05but that's the work that we're all com

1:52:07that we're all called to. And I think

1:52:09that that's how we are going to make

1:52:12this a truly great city if is if we can

1:52:15keep leaning into declining to take up

1:52:18those negative tools and hold on to the

1:52:21possibility that we can really live in a

1:52:24city where we all feel safe because we

1:52:26all are safe. Because we're all seen and

1:52:28we're all respected and we're all valued

1:52:30and we're all loved. And that's where

1:52:33we've got to get. And as frustrating as

1:52:35it can be to have bumps in the road, we

1:52:38got to remember to not take up the the

1:52:40wrong tools when we're trying to aim for

1:52:42the right goals. So, thank you all.

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