Here is a link to today's agenda: pub-detroitmi.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?I…

Meeting has been called to order at 10:05.

A presentation is being shared – an update from the Reparations Task Force.

… The Reparations Task Force cites as progress of their work two separate studies that they prompted that explore the scope of harm and impact from radicalized policy and causes for reparations – one is from Columbia University and the other from University of Michigan.

Here is a link to the Columbia University Impact Report: detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitm…

And here is a link to the Harms Report from the University of Michigan: rackham.umich.edu/harms-report-d…

There is some discussion and questions regarding Evanston, Illinois, which has become a model for a certain approach to reparations (the Reparations Task Force indicates they hope to accomplish more). …

… Here is a link to Evanston's Reparations program via their city website: cityofevanston.org/government/cit…

Line item 23.4 on agenda relates to extending the reparations task force until June – this will be referred to a different department and voted on next week. The Reparations Task Force indicates they are fiscally independent and are not asking for an extension of city funding.

Public comments has now begun.

A few public commenters are speaking against the Solar Neighborhoods project, suggesting that it is basing it's acquisition of land on similar if not the same legal precedents that saw the cities acquisition of Black Bottom land for the freeway.

… To be clear, I don't know that there is a similar precedent being used in the Solar Neighborhood project as was used in the construction of i-375 / destruction of Black Bottom, and am not immediately seeing any evidence of that. …

… I mention it however to say that the frustration / concern over the Solar Neighborhood project that these commenters are experiencing is, for them, framed in this way.

Public comments has ended. Several commenters spoke in support of doubling DDOT's funding in the budget, and many spoke to illuminate aspects of US and Detroit history to support the idea of reparations and the work of the Reparations Task Force.

Some discussion regrading 17.1, related to Detroit Public Works (DPW) requesting extension and increase of funds for legal funding for immigration employee sponsorship (e.g. applying for a visa renewal). …

Via questions from the council, the DPW representative indicates that their efforts to find qualified employees has them hiring some employees who are foriegn nationals (meaning they live here but are dependent on work visas). …

… still in terms of line item 17.1, the conversation has become a more nuanced (or maybe more binary?) conversation about immigrant labor and nationalized workforce. …

… The DPW rep indicates that they prioritize efforts to hire Detroit residents first, but this does not always lead to finding qualified candidates. He indicates that they have employees whose meaningful contribution to DPW is dependent on work visas. …

… Benson asks [paraphrasing] whether it is fair to say that the immigrant community fills an important gap in our labor force – to which the rep affirms the positive. This amendment came out of committee without recommendation, and the reason for this is…

…concern over recruiting process and scope. Calloway speaks to with a lot of concern that Detroit is not prioritizing American's first and Detroiter's first. She wants to know whether DPW has worked with the local technical schools enough for hiring, training, and mentoring? …

… The DPW rep indicates that for these engineering roles they do post positions and work with all the local technical schools, and that part of the gap there is that the positions require 3 years working experience, rather than just schooling.

A long discussion regarding line item 17.2, which proposes to provide an increase of funds only for audio & video production services for mayoral and city council meetings. …

… I'm not totally sure I understand what they are talking about (or why this particular item is such a sticking point), but it seems to be a questioning of excessive funding for something that is only debatably necessary.

*that is *apparently* only debatably necessary (thus this extended discussion.

This line item 17.2 fails due to multiple objections. It fails after extended discussion.

Related to line items 17.13 and 17.14, Charles Rivers has been voted in and appointed to Detroit's Historic Designation Advisory Board.

Line item 19.5 fails. It was a request by an individual to speak before City Council regarding Board of Zoning Appeals. The council was advised by the law department to deny this request because it is in active litigation.

… The specific case in litigation pertains to an individuals assertion of "City of Detroit Board of Zoning Appeals’ unreasonably high transcript fees".

There is some discussion now regarding line item 20.1 – a line item that received support and mention from a few public commenters this week and previous weeks. It amends conduct rules for DDOT buses. …

… The discussion efforts to clarify whether these conduct rules are serving people who use the bus system, or targeting them for being in crisis.

… The amended ordinance (line item 20.1) does pass, tho Santiago-Romero, while voting yes, suggests that this does not represent meaningful support for people who ride the bus and who may indeed need help.

The meeting has adjourned at 2:33pm.

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