Councilmembers renewed the terms for Board of Review members, approved a parade permit and some vacant lot sales. They received updates on the progress of the water main replacement project and opposed water rate hikes. Council President Jamal Thomas honored his late daughter.
Gotta love Mondays! How we feelin’ #Detroit?
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Today at 7pm I’ll be live reporting a Highland Park City Council meeting! Turn those Notifs on!
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#DetroitDocumenters
09:10 AM Mar 3, 2025 CST
Today’s agenda!
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wwhttps://www.highlandparkmi.gov/media/xjfjxgh1/250303a.pdf
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I’m interested in City administration section, I want to know more about this Sparks Grant Project
Ohhhhh and in comes the context
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https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/grants/rec/sparkgrants#about
Opening up with our only public commenter asking who’s up for renewal for their 2 year terms, moving straight into 5 on the agenda.
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It’s approved.
Item 6 (a parade permit application for the week of May 17) , a question about the parade getting bigger is asked by a member of the council.
They’re mostly talking about how the event itself is going to go now, which sounds exciting! I might show out. Here’s an article about last year’s parade:
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michighttps://michiganchronicle.com/highland-parks-annual-michigan-week-parade-car-show-takes-place-this-saturday-may-18th/
In talking about the route and collecting people for the event, they also are taking a very optimistic tone about incorporating other events into the parade in the future- and further involving the council.
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It was approved !
Onto community development, a motion is proposed to move all of those items (7 on the agenda) to have further discussion in a separate meeting for more context… debate is on the floor.
Councilwoman says that there isn’t nearly enough given on these agenda items to make informed decisions on them.
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Someone else rebuttals that the window of opportunity for these projects is closing, and that these items aren’t new.
‘Right now the city is broke with their pockets turned inside out… and the people doing investing on small scales are doing the movement’ paraphrased from the council president
He echos a sentiment about addressing some of these items and moving some of them to another meeting- specifically with the return customers.
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‘I just think it’s fair’
The motion to move these items to a different meeting was rescinded .
7a is approved, this lot has been maintained by this gentleman for over a year and finally it’s his! Good for him.
The council made a motion to move 7b to another meeting out of consideration for the citizens, which is approved.
Councilman Ash-shafii proposes a motion to return 7c to returned to community and economic development be relabeled as a development project rather than the purchasing of a lot. It is moved.
The person requesting the lot is frustrated, but the council president makes a wonderful effort to comfort and give him advice. I love seeing stuff like this.
Moving on to item 7d, a woman with 3 children trying to procure three lots for ensuring better quality of life- refurbishing a home, trying to get a driveway, the works.
Because of the use of the word “fleet” the item is still being debated but it looks like the council president is leaning on striking it from the request, so that the item can still be approved without putting the council in an uncomfortable situation.
I really like this council president Jamal K Thomas and the sheer tact and consideration that he handles these situations. The motion is carried and the woman walks away with her lot.
Motion 7e is quickly sent back to development, and a quick recess is called.
Item 8 on the agenda starts off a little strange, the council has to ask legal if they’re allowed to even proceed without the proper documents.
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They are .
It passes pretty smoothly outside of that, item is approved, motion carried! Moving onto item 9!
Both 9a and 9b are approved after some light questioning, which is a nice change of pace in the energy in the room. Now it’s time for citizen participation!
Public commenter (read via letter sent to the president) feels like the contractors are leaving a mess in the city, and that it’s a damn shame that there are so many homeless in need of warming centers in the city.
Passing notes during public comment! Is that allowed? Commenter was speaking as a treasurer during citizen participation, so it seems like she won’t be getting the response she’s looking for.
She makes a bit of a threat that the police will have to take her away from the podium, but eventually just peacefully walks away.
The next citizen speaker is a bit combative with the president, but ultimately has a passionate message about how Highland Park should be treated much like Ferndale Royal Oak when in resources and strategy when it comes to handling crisis.
This public comment is quite disorganized, a derogatory comment was even made during the next commenter’s 2 minutes.
Commenter complains about how ridiculous the water bill is, saying the public was promised six months and it’s been over/about a year since they’ve been this high. Asking,
“Who is handling the money?”
Paraphrasing
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‘I’m asking, I’m really asking because it’s our money. It’s the people’s money.’
Next commenter voices a discomfort and concern about the cuts that are planning to be made to the department of education, as well as the ill-sentiment on DEI.
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‘You can’t have education without diversity equity and inclusion.’
Previous commenter (treasurer) is removed from meeting, being told gently to sit down and sent to the hallway by officers.
Final citizen speaker asks the council to ensure businesses clear their sidewalks for the elderly . On to council affairs .
“They need to be regulated, and we need to fight for that regulation.”
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Councilman Khursheed Ash-Shari on the Great Lakes Water Authority
“They have a lot of nerve… they’re sticking it to the entire state of Michigan.”
He goes on quite fervently about how we as citizens need to hold them accountable and raise hell and make noise to get these water rates lower.
“We need to stand up and fight..”
Council President shares a personal story about losing his 16 year old daughter last year, and how loved he felt by his community in that time.
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“There is no way for me to honor my daughter other than to come in and do my job.”
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He breaks into tears, but recollects himself. I’m moved myself
Meeting adjourned after that beautiful statement at 9:04pm.
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