City Commission - Regular Meeting

to order at 7 p.m. I would like to begin by implication by Commissioner Kennard and the pledge by Commissioner at-large Ison. May we all please stand?

Father God in heaven and in the name of Jesus, we ask you Lord to stand with us in this meeting today. Lord, open up our eyes, our minds to go in a right direction and connect. And for the best interest of our community, we ask these blessings in your son's name, Jesus. Thank God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

This now brings us to our roll call. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Commissioner Clark-Griffin. Present. Commissioner Fields. Commissioner Henderson. Present. Commissioner Henry. Present. Commissioner Isom. Present. Commissioner Kennard. Present. Commissioner Warren.

Present.

Mayor Pro Tem.

Present.

Mayor Mohamed.

Thank you. Let the record reflect that we have a form. Approval of minutes. The next item is approval of minutes for meeting minutes May 18, 2026 and closed session minutes for data May 18, 2026. Are there any corrections to the minutes? If there are no corrections, can I have a motion, please? Motion was made by Commissioner Warren, Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Commissioner Fields. Commissioner Clark-Griffin.

Yes.

Commissioner Henderson. Yes. Commissioner Henry. No. Commissioner Isom.

Abstain. I was absent.

Commissioner Kennard. Yes. Commissioner Warren. Yes. Mayor Pro Tem.

Yes. NOW OUR NEXT ITEM IS OUR APPROVAL OF COUNTS PARABLE. THE NEXT, IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. APPROVED. MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER HENDERSON, WAS SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER ISOM. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS? GENERAL LADIES FROM THIRD WARD, I MEAN, SORRY, FOURTH WARD, COMMISSIONER CLARK-GRIFFIN IS RECOGNIZED.

OKAY, I HAVE A, I HAD A QUESTION ON COUNTS PARABLE. FIRST, IT WAS ONE, THROUGH THE CHAIR, BUT THE COUNTY MANAGER. It's one on Grand Avenue Customer Sanitation, say February, March, and April, City of St. Joseph, $828.24. Can you let me know what that is?

Mr. Manager, that's on page number one at the lower bottom here.

Excuse me, can you speak up please? Yeah, probably.

I believe we regularly do a charge like this where we transfer money back to St. Joe that's involved with the one of the properties, I believe, on Graham Avenue that we collect the money on, but it's due to City of St. Joe. If

collect the money for the city of St. Joe. Because Grand Avenue is on the beach, so that's four of four. So what money are we collecting for the sanitation and the city of St. Joe?

Excuse me, Rhonda, do you recall exactly what that is?

Not exactly, but I think it has to do with the properties, the 425 properties.

Yeah.

It's something that's paid monthly to the city of St. Joe. I don't know exactly what properties it's related to, but it's been going on quite some time.

Interesting. Thank you. Oh, well, I have more questions. I still got the flow.

I've got something I can share with you with that.

Well, they should know it, but I guess.

Honorable Chair, I can't give you a history lesson on Grant and the sewer. WHEN THEY DECIDED TO BUILD THOSE HOUSES, THEY END UP USING ST. JOE'S SEWAGE, AND THAT'S WHY WE PAY, WE REIMBURSE THEM, BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY USING ST. JOE'S SEWAGE LINE. AND OUR EMERGENCY MANAGER DIDN'T THINK IT WAS OKAY, DIDN'T GIVE US OPPORTUNITY TO REGRAIN OUR SEWER LINES. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT MONEY KEEPS GOING. AND SO I'M GLAD SOMEBODY ELSE BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.

So all the, I don't know now since they couldn't answer, but I guess through the chair of the city manager again. So is all the properties on Jean Clark Park, are all of them used in St. Joe sewer and not in Harbor, not paying Bill Harbor water? Because I know all that is for wards.

I believe we provide water, but I don't think we provide sewer because I don't think we had a sewer line running anywhere over in that area before.

Okay, thank you. Okay, my second one is annual crossing Maitland Grand Avenue, which is on the beach, is CSX Transportation $2,257. Chair, City Manager, can you tell me what that is?

Mr. Manager.

This was some kind of agreement that requires the city to pay this to CSX. I'll have to get more detail and get it to you later. I don't recall right off hand exactly what that is. But it's been there for years, and we do pay CSX. Just like we recently got a request from CSX, we had to put up a sign for a crossing.

Okay, so you oversee all the transactions, what's being paid, and you have all the details. Are we still paying them?

I've had enough detail to be sure that it's okay, but I don't keep this in my mind. No, I don't keep every transaction that's on here in mind.

City Clerk, can you make sure I get that information for both of those transactions? Thank you. Also, membership renewal for Jay Henry and Ron Singleton. Michigan Recycling Coalition, $250. I know Mr. Singleton, he hasn't been a commissioner since January, so we're paying a membership renewal for him.

Mr. Manager's on page number three.

Yeah. To the city manager. And kind of tell us what this Michigan Recycling Coalition is about, too.

Honorable Chair, I could give the history lesson on that one, too.

The city manager is reviewing right now.

I know that's your brother.

If she could, I would go ahead and, if you will.

In the past, the commission had opportunities to go to different training for different informational projects. And I was definitely interested in recycling because Benton Harbor is about 50, 60 years behind in recycling. So the mayor and the PRESIDING COMMISSIONERS, MY COLLEAGUES, MADE ME ASK FOR PERMISSION TO GO TO THESE AND I JUMPED THROUGH THE WHOLE HOOP OF GOING THROUGH COMMITTEE AND FINALLY THEY SAID, YES, I CAN GO. THE FIRST YEAR I WENT AND GOT SO MUCH INFORMATION AND THE STATE OF MICHIGAN WAS HELPING US CREATE RECYCLING, AND STAFF JUST DRUGGED THEIR FEET, DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO TO STOP ME FROM GETTING RECYCLING. AS OF 2026, WE STILL DON'T HAVE RECYCLING. AND THEN RON GOT INVOLVED IN IT AT SINGLETON, AND HE WENT TO THE SEMINAR WITH ME OR THE CONFERENCE. AND I GUESS BECAUSE IT'S AN ANNUAL THING THAT THEY JUST AUTOMATICALLY PAID IT. BUT PERSONALLY, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN A PROJECT THAT THE CITY IS NOT GOING TO SUPPORT. IT'S A WASTE OF OUR MONEY FOR US TO GO TO THINGS LIKE THIS IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY SUPPORT WITH OUR STAFF. I'm just saying it's just probably something that passed through and that every year we get.

Okay. Can we make sure that this is my pay? Henry, that's you, Commissioner Henry. I was thinking it was your brother. But anyway, can we make sure that... Mr. Stevenson did something that happened. He's not a commissioner no more. I don't know how it happened because I think this was in May and he hasn't been a commissioner since January. Okay, thank you.

Thank you. Commissioner Clark.

I'd like to also talk to our attorney. Would you please... get update on a lot of these things that is coming about especially our finance when it affects our finance because we don't have a finance director in place. We're going to be keeping a much closer eye on our figures because the city is going under. Every time we look around we're in debt for more and more and more. Thank you.

Are there any other more questions on the accounts parable? General Lady from Third Ward, Commissioner Henry, you're recognized. Can you press the mic, please?

In the past, I've asked for a contract about the Universal Utilities LLC. They told me that they were asking them for a contract but that was weeks and weeks and weeks ago and my question is how does the city have a contract and don't have a copy of it they have to ask the vendor and they keep saying that they're going to send it and haven't. So I'm having a lot of problems when I ask for things and they disappeared and they don't show up. There's a big red flag because this company was put on without our knowledge and I know what the old company was doing but this one was put on without our knowledge and there's no contract and nobody's being held accountable for that

Duly noted, Commissioner Henry. Are there any more comments or concerns on the accounts parable? Commissioner Fields.

So I am trying to understand how many vendors we have for the grass cutting. So I see Quas, how do you say his name? Quasir? Quasir? And then am I missing? I thought we had seven.

Mr. Manners, can you respond to that?

Yes, I believe we do have more than seven, but not all of them have been cleared on their first cut, so they don't necessarily all appear.

So have they cut, though? Another reason I'm asking that is because we have city lots not cut next to lots we find. So I'm just wondering, are we caught up?

Because we've been going through weather changes up and down, some of them have been able to cut all of their lists, some of them have not. They're still working on them.

Okay, so do you have a system as to you check with them per week, or how does the list part work?

We ask them to call in every day what they have completed that day so that we can get out and review what they've done before it gets a chance to grow back up.

And I ask because I know I've been checking with, like, code enforcement, and I believe maybe yesterday or just sometime... WITHIN THE WEEK, IT HAS BEEN MAYBE 75 THAT WERE SUBMITTED. LOTS. SO HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO DO THE TURNAROUND IS RIGHT AWAY?

Typically, it's right away. We authorize them to cut them every two weeks, more than twice a month. And as we get in, I believe Friday, I recall we got a list of abatement lots where they had been posted and given time to do it, and we immediately began to assign those to the people cutting that could handle the additional cuts, and they started on it.

Okay, so the example being they would have been abatement lots. You are correct. How do you assign those? Do we have a designated person for that? No.

We will assign them to whichever of the people cutting has the ability to go ahead and cut them.

Because I thought if I was recalling correctly, there was individuals that were doing, like, lots, and then it was the city ones, and then there were abatement lots. There's not a designated person for a designated duty? No. Okay. And what is our process, which this isn't, I guess, necessarily AP. What is our process for ticketing, for abatement, say, Benton Harbor housing properties?

I have a list that I'm preparing right now to send to both the Benton Harbor Housing Commission and also to Berrien County of their properties that are within the city that they should be responsible for keeping cut. And if they can't cut them, I'm asking that they pay us and we'll get them cut.

So how long do they get, being that they are an entity, but residents only get three days?

We have to give them time enough to answer back, you know, in their process. And that typically may be a couple of weeks before we hear back from them.

Who voted on that process?

That's the process we've been using for years.

Okay, we'll revisit that. I think we should. Do you feel we should, Commissioner Henderson? Like, legally, that is unfair. And I'm not, you know, trying to be extensive or anything, but residents get three days, but companies and entities with equipment get three weeks. That's not fair.

If I may, part of the difference is individuals typically will have one to maybe two, in some cases three. But these entities have got a lot of them. And if they're going to cut them, even if they're using their people, it's going to take them some time to get out and get around and do it.

Right. But they should have a process just like the city does. And one particular property has been uncut and empty for like a year. So I just we just need to have a better process for that because they ought to have a cycle in or checking process just like we do in regards to keeping their properties that has funding to cut for.

Commissioner Clark.

The grass cutting, I know the cemetery is one of our largest properties, I guess grounds to be cut. How often is that cut and is who inspects to see that it is cut neatly because there are families that is complaining about the WAY THAT THE CEMETERY IS BEING LEFT AND UNCUT, AND IT LOOKS HORRIBLE. MR.

MANAGER.

I ask public works to monitor what's being done at the cemetery on a regular basis. They cut continuously. They just go from one part to another and keep going at it. But again, they too have had the problem recently with weather and the speed at which grass is growing and when they can't get out. Then by the time they get back, it's growing up again. THEY'VE BEEN HAVING THEIR CHALLENGES, BUT WE'RE STAYING ON THEM TO KEEP THEM CUT.

COMMISSIONER FIELDS.

SO THE OPERATING EXPENDITURES, ARE WE IN THIS AREA, CORRECT?

CORRECT.

SO THE MAYOR SLASH COMMISSIONERS ACTUAL... YOU'RE DOWN TWO PARTS.

WE'RE ON COUNTS PARABLE. Are there any more discussions on the council parable? Hearing none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Commissioner Fields? Yes. Commissioner Henderson?

Yes.

Commissioner Henry? No. Commissioner Isom?

Yes.

Commissioner Kennard? Yes. Commissioner Warren? Yes. Commissioner Clark-Griffin? Mayor Pro Tem?

Yes. Motion passed.

Yeah, motion carried.

This brings us to our next update from our Representative Joey Andrews. Is anyone here from Representative Joey Andrews' office? Hearing none, Madam Clerk, please note for the record, no one or the representative is here tonight on June 1st meeting.

Noted.

This now brings us to our next comment, which our citizens comment. You have three minutes, Speaker. Please make sure you sign in.

Tony Anderson.

just want to talk about uh the water bills for a minute um so i have multiple properties in the city like most of you probably know um i didn't get water bills in the mail for like three of my properties for like two months and then all of a sudden i get like three shut off notices and like three bills once for like 250 dollars 387 dollars 183 dollars um So I went down and talked to the people in the water payment center. And they're like, well, you should have known you didn't get your water bill. But it's like, I got multiple properties. I don't keep track in my head when I get water bills. It's like asking the city, did you pay your gas bill? Did you pay your electric bill? Did you pay the dry cleaning for the police officers' uniforms? Who knows that? Do you know that, city manager? Exactly when all the bills are due? Probably not. So I was like, hey, can you at least refund me the late fees? I used the water, fine, whatever. I'll pay the bills. I always do. And they refused to waive the late fees. So I went up and talked to the city manager's office, his receptionist, and she's like, yeah, I'll ask the city manager tomorrow. I'll call you back. I never heard back from anybody. So I was wondering if anybody could waive the late fees. Do you have an answer for me?

I do not. I'm not aware of the situation. How much are the late fees?

I don't know. They're not listed on the bill. It's just prior balance. I'm sure it includes the late fee.

I'll get with the water department and find out and see if there's anything we can do on it.

Okay. So they're due on the 6th or the 5th, June 5th? Like if I come in tomorrow, I might have an answer?

I can't tell you for sure because I don't know what my schedule is in the morning, but we'll get in touch with you.

I appreciate your persistence with the mowing, especially with the county-owned properties. I don't know why they have two weeks and other people have three days. Figure it out, all right? That's all I got.

Thank you.

Sam Yates.

Hello, Ben.

Hello.

I'm Sam Yates. I own the property, 729 Highland. The house next door to me has been burnt, and the city came over and pushed the rest of it into the basement. And it's been three years now. I don't bash my city at all, but I'm fed up. Um, nothing has been done and I, and I, and I very much understand that it's a process when a person on a property, I know it's a process, but if you're not hounding those people who own the property, sending them tickets, doing something about it, making sure that they get there and clean up their property is never gonna get done. It's never going to get done. I'm living next to investors. Me and my grandkids, we're living next to big raccoons coming out on them when they trying to play. It's so much trash. One of them going to get hurt, could cut they self. And then the next step is being saw in the city. And that ain't mean something I want to do. I just want to. I just want whoever own that property, I just want y'all to vote down and do something to get them to clean up the property. Mr. Little and Michi came out about a week ago. And I want to get my property fenced in, but I can't get my property fenced in because all the trash they started dumping from the alley, which belongs to the city. I got pictures and videos. It's so much trash that the property owners don't even own this. The city own it. that's sitting everything on on my property line then it's this big old tree that's next that's on the other part of the property that's growing over to my yard all the weeds all the everything and i'm not responsible for that i'm not responsible for that i'm not paying nobody to do nothing because that's not my job it's the person that owns the property and it's the city to clean up all that trash that's in the back so when mr little and Michi came out, they say, well, we can have someone to push it over, but it's going to put a lot of holes and stuff in your grass. I say, you know what? That ain't really the main thing that I'm worried about, holes in the grass. What I'm worried about is that the little bit you talking about push over, I'm not even studying it. What I'm studying is that the trash from the front all the way back to the alley SO YOU COME OUT AND SAY YOU'RE GOING TO PUSH THIS LITTLE BIT OVER, IT'S NOT HELPING ME AT ALL. I'M TIRED. I'M FED UP. I GOT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOUSE ON THE BLOCK. I COULD HAVE TOOK MY MONEY AND REBUILT ANYWHERE, BUT I BUILT IN THE CITY, I PAID PROPERTY TAXES, AND I JUST NEED SOMETHING DONE.

THANK YOU.

NO MORE COMMENTS.

Thank you. This now begins to our next item, which is the budget hearing. At this time, we will open the budget hearing regarding the fiscal year 2025 through 2026, budget amendments, millage rate for fiscal year 2026 to 2027, and fiscal year for 2026 to 2027, the budget THIS NOW BRING US TO BUDGET ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS FISCAL YEAR 2025 THROUGH 2026. MR. MANAGER?

I believe this is our 25-26 is our budget modification that's required prior to the end of the year. Basically what happens is as some line items may go slightly over what was budgeted, where some others may be slightly under, before the budget year ends, we're required to have a balanced budget. We have to do modifications. to add additional money where they may have gone over, and we have the flexibility to use where some of them are under that money to balance out the other. Overall, when it's all said and done, I believe we were $603,189 to the good on that.

Is that all you have for your amendment for 2025-26? Are there any concerns or questions from the city commissioners? General Lady from Third Ward, Commissioner Henry, you're recognized.

Thank you, Honorable Chair. Well, I'm just looking at the approval of 25-26 budget and Seems like the three or four funds that are mentioned, some were over expenditures, over the revenue that was budgeted for 25. I'd like to know... SOME OF THE INFORMATION AS TO MAYBE WHY OR A REASON. LIKE, I'M LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF OBVIOUS. PERMANENT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT. there was $201,389 revenue budgeted, and there was only $1,000 expenditures. So that kind of makes me want to ask the question as to why. We already know general fund is always behind, and the 2025 budget showed that. It was $2 million. Where did it go? I want to say that. Yeah, $2 million, a little over $2 million spent over revenue. So I just need to know if there's a reason why are we going to look forward to 26, 27 having the same kind of transactions.

Mr. Manager?

Typically, every year you have some balancing like this that takes place. It's a standard part of the process. Some line items you will underspend because the need isn't there and others, things will come up that you don't anticipate that will cause you to have to spend over and you simply balance it by the end of the

fiscal year Yes, you would anticipate this and in the future years Is there any other questions or concerns on fiscal year a budget amendment for 2025 to 26 So, where is the overages that we were over 4,000 or so and

for commissioners and mayors, training, and where are we at to date because we were over that 4,000 before a couple more travels for the mayor. Mr.

Manager. What was the first thing? Can you repeat that, Commissioner Fields?

Per city manager, we were over, like a month or so ago, over 4,000 for the sake of travel training from the budget that was basically more or less explained to really draft it for the mayor because he's the only one to go places commissioners don't. And again, about a month ago, we were over, what, 4,000, you informed us of, city manager. And it's been more travel since then, which wasn't by the commissioners. But where is the up-to-date overage is?

Can you help with that?

And see, the problem is, which is one of the reasons why I asked for us to get it, the agenda items as soon as possible. Again, as we have referenced, myself, Mayor Pro Tem, COMMISSIONER CLARK-GRIFFIN, COMMISSIONER EMMA CONNARD WENT TO THE MML TRAINING, AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE WORK SESSIONS MAYBE TWO WEEKS PRIOR ABOUT TOPICS. THEY ARE ON BOARDED AND A LOT OF MORE COMMUNICATION ALONG THE WAY, SO THAT EVEN IF IT IS A BIG PACKET THAT WE GET THURSDAY BY NOON, POSSIBLY IT WOULD NOT BE NEW, AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE FOR US. And so we don't have time or we're not allowed time, so to speak, or requested necessarily time to say, hey, let me explain this to you. This has changed, which I feel like at whatever juncture that we were becoming over on the travel, that should have been like a conversation, an email, and more tightly reined in, especially for the sake of new commissioners.

Mr. Manager?

I understand what you're saying, but unfortunately this is something the way I'm involved in, I'm in and out continuously doing something and working on this for a while. Something else comes up like the meetings we had this afternoon. So I don't necessarily keep track in my mind of all that once we put it, once we go through it and put it on paper. But... Did you have anything more on that, Rhonda?

Can you come forward, please? Thank you.

Is this on?

Yes.

On the amended budget, the travel was over. But in total, the Mayor-Commissioner's budget... WAS RUNNING ON TRACK, SO THERE IS NO BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE TOTAL YEAR-TO-DATE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAYOR DEPARTMENT. SO EVEN THOUGH TRAVEL WAS OVER, THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WAS UNDER BUDGET. SO THE TWO OFFSET, SO THERE IS NO INCREASE IN THE MAYOR'S BUDGET AND THE COMMISSIONER'S BUDGET FOR THE AMENDED BUDGET PROPOSAL.

SO YOU'RE SAYING WE BROKE EVEN?

We've left it at the budget amount. There's still more invoices to process, but in looking at it, it looked like the budget amount was sufficient for the commissioners and the mayor department.

And I'm asking about that because we were told we couldn't go to training because we were over.

The travel was over.

But it was able to be balanced out. It could have been balanced out. It may be. It may be balanced out.

Right. We're not done. We don't have all the invoices in. Best guess was 65.

Oh, I'm sorry.

The best guess was 65,000 for the mayor commissioner's budget was sufficient. so we didn't need to increase it.

Because we don't have any outstanding. The clerk does our reservations, and so we don't have anything waiting to come in. Our Mayor Pro Tem is excellent at making sure we even have, like, parking receipts and everything brought in. So what is the outstanding information from who?

If you would end up having a special meeting in the month of June to say the budget doesn't pass... there would be more expenditures for your department because you all would be paid for attending another meeting. So there could be more expenses than we have right at the moment for the commissioner and mayor. If the mayor's traveling, there may be more invoices that I don't have from a credit card. And we try to estimate what your total is going to be as of June 30th. And right now, we think 65,000 is adequate. So there is no increase. But we're not done. We're not done. We haven't completed the month of June yet.

Well, we're done because we were told we couldn't do any more training. And this is the importance of conversations instead of just being told we're over, right? Because if you're told you're over and we're cutting back because we're applying for... THEN NOBODY SHOULD BE TRAVELING, OR WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IF WE'RE ALREADY OVER AND SOMEBODY'S INVITED TO SOMETHING, OR IF SOMETHING ELSE COMES UP, IS IT, CAN YOU GO OR NOT? AND THEN THIS IS BEYOND YOU, LAURONDA. SO I APPRECIATE THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S EVEN MORE CLARITY THAN WAS PROVIDED. AND SO WE CAN STOP. THANK YOU. OKAY, SURE.

COMMISSIONER CONNARD?

THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO ASK, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR'S, RIGHT?

THIS IS THIS YEAR'S. THIS YEAR. 25-26 ENDING JUNE 30, 2026. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.

ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO ASK, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER ABOUT THE TRAVEL AND THE OVER OUR BUDGET FOR THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAYOR LAST YEAR. I didn't go any traveling, and none of the other commissioners did a lot of traveling, from what I'm understanding. So I'm trying to fit in. We don't get accurate, and when I ask questions, they say, well, the mayor traveled, and it's supposed to be reimbursed. Where do the reimbursements show?

They show up in the revenue. They're never offset against the expenses. So expenses get incurred. They get booked. in the travel expense. If some money comes in to reimburse, it comes up in the revenue area as a reimbursement. So even if it's paid, we have to budget the higher level of expenses because the reimbursement comes in in the revenue line.

Well, when did this get passed that if you travel and you YOU TRAVEL AT THE EXPENSE OF SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT YOU CAN BE REIMBURSED. SHOULD THAT HAVE WENT THROUGH THAT WE CAN SET UP SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT WE GET REIMBURSED LATER? BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER AT ANY TIME THAT THIS WENT THROUGH THE CHANNEL OF GETTING REIMBURSED FOR A TRAVEL AND IT'S NOT FOR YOUR CITY'S BUSINESS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU'RE GOING AND TRAVELING.

It is the city's business, but it's just that we're not paying for it. That's just like if, say, something that one of the commissioners did that got the attention of somebody and they contacted you and asked if you would do a presentation at a conference they got coming up. They'll pay the expenses and so forth. then you do the travel, but they then—you send them the receipts and they send you the money back.

Well, what I'm thinking about is we're in a tight squeeze financially here. And the mayor is over—the head of a mayor something, he says, and he's traveling a lot. He went to Ghana and places like that. THAT EXPENSE COME OUT OF THE CITY'S BUDGET OR OUT OF THE CITY'S MONEY. JUST A LITTLE

It comes out initially unless they advance something, but then when it's all sent to them, they send you a check back for what you're being reimbursed. And that's what she's explaining. It goes into the revenue, and it's explained as to what the revenue is for.

But what I'm talking about is that we're late with some of the fees and things that we have to pay here. How can we afford to wait for reimbursements of things that we have? Is that managing properly?

We do that regularly and routinely on any number of areas. As a matter of fact, you may recall either last meeting or the meeting before that, I had a resolution before you to allow us to pay some of the grants that we're operating out of income tax because In order to get reimbursed, we have to present them a canceled check along with the FSR in order to get the money paid back from the state. So we do that depending upon the different rules that apply to different situations.

Are these rules in black and white here for us?

They basically are in the grants that you receive from the state. habitually ask them to allow us to draw advances. Generally, their rule is no, you get reimbursed instead of paid in advance. A couple of instances I've been able to prevail, and they'd go ahead and advance them, depending on what department and what grant it is. But it's incorporated in the grant itself when you receive it.

ONE MORE QUESTION IN REFERENCE TO THAT. IF THE MAYOR IS TRAVELING AND OUT OF TOWN FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHEN EACH MONTH WE ARE PAID, DO HE RECEIVE A CHECK, TOO?

YES, HE DOES, BECAUSE HE'S ON CITY BUSINESS.

THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER FIELDS?

AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A CLEAR EXPLANATION OR A COMMUNICATION PROCESS, IT'S WHY IT'S SO MANY QUESTIONS. AND IT'S NOT PERSONAL. AND THEN ME, AS ANOTHER COMMISSIONER, I WOULD FEEL SOME TYPE OF WAY IF A CITY MANAGER WOULD SAY THAT Y'ALL DON'T EVER GO ANYWHERE, SO THE BUDGET IS REALLY MADE AROUND THE MAYOR'S TRAVEL. which is what he said. And so, because it seems as though people are flustered or bothered by the line of questioning, and this is just facts. You know, the travel, like, and especially when I'm told that I can't go somewhere and we have to hold on and wait, but all the travel information THERE'S NO REPORTS BACK. LIKE AFRICA, WHEN WILL WE, HOW ARE WE BENEFITING FROM THAT? WHAT REPORT DO WE GET BACK FROM THAT? AND I DON'T KNOW, EVEN AFTER REIMBURSEMENTS, I FEEL LIKE WE STILL PAID ALMOST $3,000, BUT I CAN'T GO TO LIKE A $400 TRAINING. SO I MYSELF WOULD ACTUALLY ALMOST BE EMBARRASSED AS A COMMISSIONER BEING THE SENIOR MANAGER SAYING THAT IT'S PLANNED BASICALLY AROUND THE MAYOR BECAUSE THE COMMISSIONERS NEVER GO ANYWHERE. So I just wanted to state that because I do not, I'm not bothered by people, by anyone being irritated or bothered. If it was a, again, a time where a clear communication and things are being explained or even a boarding process for commissioners which is nonexistent, and then you can't go to trainings, but you can go to Jewish violence or violence prevention PROGRAMS THAT HOW WE HAVE VIOLENCE IN BENTON HARBOR THAT WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING. THAT WE HAVE TO BE HONEST AND TRANSPARENT THAT THE MAYOR ISN'T EVEN SPEAKING OUT ABOUT. So that's nice that he's going to that, but we will be doing our community a disservice by not even stating that or having some questions surrounding that. We haven't had anything collective here. It'd be cheaper to do something here and help our community for how much we'll be probably still paying from per diems and things of that nature for travel about violence elsewhere. SO WHAT WOULD THE RESIDENTS, HOW DOES THE RESIDENTS FEEL ABOUT THAT? AND SO I AM NOT BOTHERED BY PEOPLE HAVING or seeming tired from this line of questioning because if it was clear communication, we wouldn't have to be going through all this. We just had a meeting earlier with in regards to Takata and the transit and meetings have been happening and they started with city official level back February, March. And again, I wrote an email inquiring about the status of it because different people from the county and whatnot have been trying to get Y'all passing notes on the phone right now while we're talking. That is so rude, but sidebar. So different commissioners trying to get in touch with us, asking us, have the city manager brought you up to date? We had not brought up to date. We had not had a meeting planned. After I wrote an email, he then wrote his own email saying, I'm going to have Rona... start sending you guys out something next week. But we should have had that in advance.

Chair, it's a point of order. We're on the budget.

It's a point of order if you guys pass some phones and stuff around too. I'm looking at the agenda. We got them printed out right here.

Point of order.

But we have them printed out right here. He cut me off to say point of order, but they can pass phones and look at our agenda.

I'm finished.

No, I'm not finished. That's so childish. You have to thank you for it. You took over this, Sharon.

You be rude when you want to be rude.

On the order. Commissioner Phillips, can you finish your comments?

Again, thank you. The point is, is that how are the residents benefiting from him going to Africa him going to Georgia about violence, and we have violence right here. And so for us to be asking about this, and other commissioners are bothered, but again, not bothered because the budget is not even considering you guys because you don't travel, you should have a problem with that. This would be just ridiculous, and it's divisive because we're activists, I guess, because nobody had anything to say when... Yeah, I'm done.

Commissioner Henderson, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Rhonda, I just have a question about the overtime. I noticed that there was an increase, particularly in public safety. for the overtime. How are we addressing that continue because each year seems to be going up public works, public safety, those budgets continue to increase and our general fund. So how are we still making those adjustments to COVER THOSE EXPENSES BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU LOOK, EVERY YEAR, IT'S AN INCREASE. POINT OF ORDER, CHAIR.

POINT OF ORDER, CHAIR. ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT AP OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET AMENDMENT? YES, ON THE BUDGET AMENDMENT. IT'S A HIGHER EXPENSE.

That means you didn't see it. What page are you on?

Page number one.

Are you looking at that same thing?

She's referring to public safety at the bottom. It says $101,270. It says higher grants, expenses, and lease adjustments. Mr. Manager, can you respond to that, please?

I have one other question about the $26,970. increase for the medic one. So was there a vote to pay them? So what is this particular? Go ahead.

Mr. Manager, can you respond to Commissioner Henderson? Her first one was on public safety. How is it that they have $101,270? On the notes, it says higher grant expenses and lease adjustments. That's her first question.

This is basically

The higher expenses for public safety, they do have high overtime, but it's been running about the same. This is basically grant spending. They received a FEMA grant. They received an FDCBT grant. It's kind of like the reimbursement for expenses. You have to show all the expenses. But up in the revenue, which you see $200,000, that was received for the public safety. So you've got the plus here and the minus here.

It's the way government has to keep their books.

So it looks like they're spending more, but they got money in to cover it. On the medical, one question. I under-budgeted. So it was supposed to be higher, and we paid about $100,000 to them this past year, but I under-budgeted. So to get it up to where it should be for year-end, we had to include $25,000 more for that. So that was that.

Thank you. Mr. Manager, can you respond to Commissioner Henderson's second question regarding MATIC-1? Was it paid for the amendment budget of 2025-26? Yes.

That was my answer. I under-budgeted.

Okay. Are there any other further questions or comments on the amended budget for 25-26 per year? Commissioner Fields.

So, along with, and I apologize, Commissioner Henderson, Colleen Sheeran, sorry, I apologize. Along the lines of her question in regards to public safety, they are understaffed, though. So are they not? So it would run overtime. Remember, you had a position on ICE. And then do they not write their own grants?

Mr. Manager?

Most of them they do, but that doesn't have anything to do with this. It's still a matter of the transaction itself, how much money comes in and how much is spent.

Right. So my first question then that you avoided or didn't answer, more or less, was are they not fully staffed?

Fully staffed.

AS OF WHEN? DID WE JUST TAKE A POSITION OFF AT PERSONNEL AND FINANCE? NO. DID WE HAVE A POSITION POSTED, AND THEN WE TOOK IT DOWN WHEN HE WAS CALLED SAFE? REMEMBER, IT WAS A PUBLIC SAFETY. IT WAS A ‑‑ BECAUSE I ASKED ABOUT IT AT ONE OF THE LAST PERSONNEL AND FINANCE MEETINGS, AND YOU WERE EXPLAINING THAT YOU WERE TAKING THEM OFF BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO BE MINDFUL OF SPENDING.

If I recall correctly, I said to you that if a position becomes vacant, we may not fill it. But the last position they had open that we authorized them to fill was the clerical position that they have. And there are no more vacant positions in public safety.

Deputy, through the chair, are we fully staffed?

Deputy Clark, you have the mic.

That is a tough question.

Yes or no?

Not really.

You're managing.

I'm sorry, what?

I said you're managing, but you're not fully staffed, like you get by.

We are managing, and as a public safety department, we're not where we should be, but we're working through it to the best of our ability.

If I might, if I might. So if I might continue, I'm sorry. We need to operate in truth. And so that was a clear question as to are we fully staffed? And again, some commissioners are to be just invested in this in regards to safety of the community in this regard, are we fully staffed? And if we are not, our police should not be managing just be merely managing and then the people when you access city manager being told that we are fully staffed and so we have how many on duty two and a half or do we have two per shift now deputy clark that's for deputy clark deputy clark so currently we have three pso's that are working the street and we have at least one person work in the firehouse

So to be operational where we need to be public safety wise, we would need a total of five PSOs on a shift. And that's between firehouse coverage and road officers. We don't have a minimum staffing requirement on the police side of things, but we do on the fire side of things. We have OSHA rules that say how many firefighters should be on a fire scene, how many are assigned to certain positions. And early on when we were doing the public safety piece, we were fined by OSHA a significant amount because we did not have those numbers correctly. Uh, currently, like I said, we make, we're making what we have work. Um, if we were to promote sergeants that are in charge of the shift, instead of making an officer in charge, that would create some openings through matriculation. Um, but as it stands, those positions, uh, that that's not happening right now.

If I might, Mr. Chairman.

Mr.

Manager. I think the point is being missed of what the question was. The question was, are there any vacancies that are not filled? And I answered no. Vacancies are determined by what the manager approves, and there are no approved positions that are not filled.

My question was, are we fully staffed? So I'm not missing a point of a point that I made. That's crazy to say. I'm sorry to say that as a comeback. That's what you have as a comeback versus why we don't have the police force fully staffed. That wasn't even nothing to say, though, really.

If you want to know why. If there aren't more positions, the answer really is in the budget. You don't have the money to do it.

But to be OSHA compliant and things of that nature is not critical. So when we were fined, we got budget money to get reimbursed for travel for the mayor. This is why things are being axed. So we've been in a financial red since the emergency manager, which the city manager always makes reference of that. But we had Africa money. We have Georgia money. All this to be reimbursed. And then we have somebody at FMV. THAT'S NOT MIXING CHEMICALS FOR THE WATER THAT THEY'RE MAKING MORE THAN A POLICE OFFICER WILL MAKE. THESE ARE ALL IMPORTANT QUESTIONS, SO BE BOTHERED IF YOU WANT TO, BUT I OPERATE IN TRUTHS, AND IF WE ARE PENNY PITCHING, BUT LIKE AT THE PERSONAL FINANCE MEETING, I ASKED ABOUT THAT. WHY ARE WE, IF WE CUTTING CORNERS OR TRYING TO TIGHTEN UP, WE'RE KEEPING SOMEBODY, PER THE CITY MANAGER, AT FMV SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE MAIL AND BE THERE FOR EYES FOR HIM. AND COMMISSIONER HENDERSON WAS AT THAT MEETING AS WELL. AND THEN WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, PER OUR FINANCIAL DIRECTOR THAT'S LISTED, IS THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS FOR SOMEONE TO BE ASSISTING WITH GETTING INCOME TAX MONEY SO THAT WE CAN BE COLLECTING MORE, BUT YET WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN TWO YEARS. YES, MS. RONDA. I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT'S OKAY.

Ms. Brown, you can respond.

The issue with the income tax, we did put back in the budget this year. So we can hopefully focus on getting a compliance person and increasing the income tax. So that is one change that is in this budget that you have. That's the next on the agenda.

Okay. Thank you, Ms. Brown. Thank you.

Mr. Manager, I want to go back to page number one. At the very bottom here, it says $603,189. If I heard correctly, you said that's in the good for fiscal year 25-26 budget amendment year, correct?

Yes.

Okay, thank you. Is there any more questions, comments, or concerns regarding budget amendment for 25-26 fiscal year?

SO, THE, CAN YOU SHARE, LIKE, HOW THE SILVER INFRACTION?

WE HAVEN'T GOT THAT FAR YET.

OH.

IS THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR CONCERNS FOR COMMISSIONER ISON? SURE.

Could you explain the lease audit adjustment? I see you on a couple line items.

Yeah, it's on several line items, and it's been that way for three years. We keep track of the lease expenses for the rental cars and the vehicles and the trucks as an expense every single month when we get the enterprise bill. But thanks to the state of Michigan and the accounting world, They've decided that they have to be treated differently, so you have pluses on one side, minuses on the other. The answer is zero at the bottom, but you have to treat it as a revenue, an expense, and we don't make that adjustment until the end of the year.

Thank you.

So it's plus and minus.

Any more questions, comments, or concerns for budget amendment for 25-26 fiscal year? Hearing none, we're going to go to budget hearing item number two, which is the millage rate for fiscal year 25-26. This is, it says item before the commission. Approval of ordinance established for millage rate for fiscal year 26-26. I'm sorry, 27. City Manager? City Manager?

Yes, this is a requirement each year that the Commission approve the millage rates and fortunately we're pleased to say the rates are exactly the same as they were the previous year. There's no change in them.

Okay, so when it says justification, it does say here a decrease from 2025. So everything stays the same, correct?

Millage rates stay the same.

Okay. Is there any other questions, comments, or concern on budget hearing item number two, which is the millage rate request for fiscal year 26 and 27? Hearing none, we're going to go to budget hearing item number three, which is the fiscal year 2026 and 2027 budget. Mr. Manager? Yes.

IT AS I BELIEVE A DRAFT WAS SENT OUT BACK I BELIEVE AROUND MAY 13TH SINCE THAT TIME AS Ms. Hildebrand said we did add a position for income tax and compliance. I believe it's at a partial year position, I believe. Yeah. But other than that, it's basically the budget that was sent to you earlier with some minor adjustments. There was an increase in terms of what's anticipated in terms of property tax as a result of a transaction that took place. I believe we lost, well, we didn't lose any because the money was being paid to St. Joe, but I believe the property that was part of that 425 exchange went back to St. Joe. But since we weren't collecting taxes on it, we didn't really lose anything. But we did receive some additional property taxes from other transactions. I'm sorry. Repeat that last question. We did receive some additional property taxes as a result of increases on other properties. I am holding down.

Okay.

All right. But that basically is pretty much what came out as a result of those final adjustments and so forth. The budget is within about $84,995 of being balanced. Commissioner Kennard.

to have it explained to me what is this parking revenue. I want to get a clarity on that.

The parking revenue projected is a combination of what we anticipate receiving from parking being paid at Jean Clark Park, at the canoe livery, and also what we plan to as quickly as we can implement parking downtown. which we hope to do in the next couple of months, that we'll anticipate we'll be receiving revenue from that also. That's why we're gearing up and preparing right now to have enough coverage in terms of parking attendance that will be driving through Jean Clark Park, Canoe Livery, through downtown, and also circling around our parks and so forth.

Could you tell me, how do you incur any revenue that's for the use of, if there were a lot of the people that live there, there was an opening at one time that lets them direct into Jean Clark Park without going through that station there.

I'm assuming you're talking about the other end where the spikes were that are down now?

No, this is from the other side. The residents that live there. That's correct.

He's referring to the spikes. Yeah. That's the spikes. They have to go back up. Right now, they're down.

I know, but there's an old section.

Oh, no, that area blocked off. That's blocked off. There's only two sections in right now. One of them is off of Grand Boulevard where the spikes are down. And then you have the main gate where people enter and they should be paying at the kiosks at the front entrance or at the beach. So there's two kiosks at the beach right now. So, Mr. Manager, I have a question. On page three, which is the first page here, if you go to the bottom here, it says travel per commissioner is $1,600, and then the mayor is $10,000. Can you explain why there's adjustment for this fiscal year than last year's budget?

I believe last year the amount of travel per commissioner was projected at $1,200 each per year. No, not each, but $1,200, but it was increased here to $1,600. Is that accurate? Yes. No, not each, but total. Okay.

It is per each commissioner. So each from last year was $1,200, and it has been raised to $1,600 for this year per each commissioner. Okay, per year. Okay, thank you. General Lader from Fourth Ward, Commissioner Clark Griffin, you recognize?

That was one of my questions, too, because I see that it's an assumption. And it says, other expense assumption, it says that assumption that commissioner, each per commissioner, 1,600, mayor travels per mayor, 1,000. uh... yeah he's it's a travel pro-commissioning sixteen hundred per year travel mayor ten thousand per year how do we come with that is is that something he's trying to change or is that something done how do you assume that when it's eight of us besides the mayor and to be honest the mayor is a member of the commission so to be honest he should have the same amount of travel as us Why would it be $1,600 for each commission or $10,000 for the mayor?

Mr. Bounder, can you respond?

Yes. The mayor is actually the head of the commission and the official elected representative for the city to many functions and affairs. It's not abnormal or unusual that if a congressman or senator makes a request to have someone from the city to come to Washington for some particular function, They typically are not going to send an invitation for all elected officials to come. They're going to ask for the mayor, who is the elected head of the chief executive officer of the city.

Commissioner Clark Griffin.

Okay. First of all, the mayor is not the head of the commission and we are all equal. He's the face of the city or voice of the city or whatever you want to call. Um, And that's still ridiculous. And a lot of his travel, I thought that money was just for travel and training, education. A lot of these events that he go to, like right now, to my understanding, he's at a Juneteenth in Lansing. I don't know what that got to do with travel, education, training. This is definitely not something that I'm going to be voting for. And this needs to be amended, whatever we need to do, because it's not right. And like Commissioner Fields said, we were told by city manager that we could not go on a training trip, May the 20th through the 21st. And at that time, the mayor was in Canada. He said we was over 4,000, which we know we didn't make it because we know who do all the traveling, the Africa, several times Washington, D.C., four days trips. And even when they say reimbursed, we still paying for the gas because he's driving the commissioner truck and he's using that way. And whenever he use that credit card that is in his name that I believe should not be in his name, we're paying for that. So, no, that's something I'm definitely not in agreement with. This is ridiculous, but I'm not finished. And we know last year that the mayor went over budget. This should not be allowed to be over budget in the first place. The city manager oversees that, so we should not be going over budget for anything, especially the travels. I have also had I had a question on page three about the sewer. It said increase 3%, the sewer revenue. Increase to offset waste water treatment increase. Can you explain that to me? City Manager.

The Joint Sewage Board approved an increase in sewer rates for the upcoming year beginning July 1. That is across the board. It will affect everybody and every community in this county that gets service through the Joint Sewage Board.

Awesome. It says 3%. Yeah. Okay. Also, when it says finance director, this is for additional staffing, I guess, that we are planning on hiring. It says finance director, January the 1st, hire with Plant Moran 10 months at $50, 50% of hours. Are we saying that... hire finance director January the 1st and then still keep Pat Moran for 10 months at 50% of hours? Or explain that to us, please.

Mr. Manager.

I believe the previous year we budgeted for the hiring of a finance director at some point in the year and allowed also that Plante Moran would be necessary for there to be an overlapping period to help get that person brought up to speed to where they would be able to continue and carry out the obligations of that office on their own.

What we did when we hired Mr. James Williams as finance director, we agreed that Ms. Rhonda would be still on and training him for six months. It had nothing to do unless we were calling, since she's contracted through Plant Moran, we're calling Ms. Rhonda Plant Moran. Okay, but we said six months. And we didn't say nothing about a 50% of hours either. So that's what you're talking about. It was six months.

Well, with all due respect, it's just a guesstimate in any event. You don't know for sure when and if someone will come on and be hired. But the plan is whenever they do, there will need to be a transition period.

With all due respect, this is a budget, and we're doing a budget, and we need to be precise. And we went from six months to ten months. Nobody approved ten months. So this needs to be addressed. That's something that needs to be amended. Also, I see where it says this is part of additional staffing. No, this is where it says wage increase. Non-union 1%. AFCFME 1%, police 1%. So we're saying that we're only going to give them a 1% increase. And that includes, like me, AFCFME is the public works. And they are definitely on the page. So are we saying we're only getting 1%? I know it's going to have to be negotiation. You know, I do negotiate. I did a year, so I don't need that explained to me. But we are doing the budget, and that's the suggestion. So am I clear? Is that what we're saying?

Mr. Manager.

That was just an attempt to try and provide something in the budget. But with our financial position being as it is, with the requirement that is being placed upon us by the Department of Treasury to try and contain costs, we're really not in a position at this point to offer any more than that until we can get a handle on what all is going on with these. I have had initial negotiations already with a couple of the bargaining units and basically asked them to extend their contract until we have an opportunity to see what our situation is going to be in terms of liability. I agree wholeheartedly that they deserve an increase. All the employees do. But it's a matter of do we have the money to do it, and we don't.

Okay, and I'm glad you said that. I knew you were going to say with the condition that our finance was in. Okay, so our finance, we're in such a bad position that we can't get more than a 1% raise, yet we're going to hire four additional parking attendants, right? From May to October, coverage 14 hours a day. I would think that our public work, public safety, all these were more important than a parking assistance because I know public safety assistance with parking anyway. And then also, additional $30,000 of contract service for the income tax compliance. So I think we need to be treating our employees that we already have, the staff that is already here, as if they are, because they are important, and trying to give them a raise if possible, or make sure, even like public safety or public work, that we have a sufficient amount of workers so it's not a strain on all of them. Instead of trying to hire additional parking assistance to meet, it's not as important. So if we got money to do that, then some of that money can go to public works and some of the employees or whatever employees that's already here. Treat your employees that we have now that because they're underpaid before we hire additional employees that could be covered by other departments.

Ms. Manager.

There's no argument that our employees are underpaid. That began, again, with the slashing of their rates by the emergency manager when they were there. They've been behind ever since. But the situation is such that without the expected additional income that those parking attendants would help to generate... THE MONEY WOULD NOT BE THERE EITHER FOR THE PARKING ATTENDANCE OR FOR PUBLIC WORKS. RON, DID YOU RECALL AT OUR HIGH POINT WHEN WE WERE JUST CLOSELY MONITORING THE GENE CLOCK PARK WHAT KIND OF REVENUE WE BROUGHT IN THAT YEAR? OVER $150,000. And when we didn't have parking attendance, what did it? It was over 100, just over. We've lost some revenue. So that's the whole point of that, and that's one of those items that we provided to Treasury as a means of trying to increase revenue, that we would be expanding our parking and covering the parking at a level where we would realize an increase in revenue to help handle and offset all that we're having to do here.

I have a question while we're still under additional staffing. Could one position be made available to help in Code Enforcement Division that can be opened up and that will assist with making sure that we be in compliance and making sure grads cutting, you name it, be back open for them?

It's my understanding that right now with some of the PSOs that we have, that they are also assisting in terms of the code enforcement. So we do have more people out now.

What was my question? Okay. A couple things. Because we've been talking about WAYS TO SAVE US MONEY AND ALSO PARTNER, IF YOU WILL, WITH COMMUNITY ENTITIES SUCH AS MICHIGAN WORKS, YOUTH WORKS, YOUTH SOLUTIONS. I HAVE, SINCE MY ONSET OF COMING HERE, HAVE PUSHED FOR A RELATIONSHIP TO UTILIZE YOUTH, WHICH WE COULD HAVE THEM AT PARKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE PORTA POTTIES AND FEAR OF ENDANGERMENT, AS WELL AS POSSIBLY EVEN HELPING AT THE BEACHES, BUT I'M NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING, AND I HAVE REPEATEDLY ASKED ABOUT THAT. I REPEATEDLY ASKED ABOUT THAT, AND THE REASON IT IS IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE ARE WE PENNY PENSION OR WE'RE NOT? SO WE HAVE $10,000 THAT WE CAN BUDGET. for mayor travel, but then we're cutting elsewhere. A 1% raise is not even a cost of living raise, right? Which, you know, we know that. And I don't know, Rhonda, since we're calling on you for a resource through the chair, do you recall when the police was actually managing the beaches? What was our revenue when they were actually enforcing and doing that, as well as how much code enforcement has brought in from enforcing with part-time and utilizing the fire department and different individuals to pull them in to help with code enforcement. How much have they brought in? Well, I do. Just under half a million.

That's correct.

So they're real. I think they cost cut better than we do, basically. And again, I can't stress enough that they write majority of their own grants. So things that we're voting to accept for grants are really them writing for themselves. And we... WITHOUT HAVING FOUR OR FIVE ASSISTANTS, RIGHT? THEY'RE MANAGING ALL OF THAT. WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY ADDITIONAL STAFF, THEY RESPOND TO EMAILS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO EVEN UNDERSTAFFED AND WITHOUT PERSONAL ASSISTANCE. PARKING METERS. WE BOUGHT PARKING METERS FOR DOWNTOWN. WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT? AND HOW DID WE BALANCE THAT MONEY OUT? CAN RONDA SPEAK TO THAT IN REGARDS TO WHEN WE BOUGHT THEM? BECAUSE CITY MANAGER, I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU COULD REMEMBER WHEN THAT HAPPENED. BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHEN THEY WERE PURCHASED, WE DIDN'T DO IT, SO WHERE ARE THEY? DID WE RETURN THEM? ARE THEY SITTING AND WAITING FOR US TO MAYBE CIRCLE BACK TO THAT? BECAUSE I REMEMBER THAT INITIATIVE BEING REALLY PUSHED ABOUT DOWNTOWN PARKING METERS AND HOW IT WAS A GOOD, YOU KNOW, SITUATION FOR US, BUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT? DO WE STILL HAVE THEM?

WE NEVER GOT THEM. WE TOLD THEM TO HOLD UP AND CANCEL THE ORDER.

So we didn't pay for them at all?

I don't believe we paid for them. Or if we did, we got refunded. I believe. I'm not sure. But we actually didn't accept them because with the cost of them, and we were still only adding two, we had some discussions among ourselves and determined that the less costly and most productive way to do that was was to put up QR codes where people could take their phone and bring up the QR reader and pay for their parking on that. If we kept those meters, we only had two locations they were going to cover. The cost on them was rather high, but there was also a $4,000 a year maintenance charge that went on each one of those meters. So we determined that what we would do instead was move the one from the canoe livery to downtown, possibly move one of the two that are out at Gene Clark Park. But if we provide enough QR codes and just one meter that we tell people where it is in case they have some reason to want to use a meter, that that would be the most cost-effective way for us to implement that.

So if I could, and be provided our purchase or refund, that AP and then that revenue or however when it's reimbursed, the return process, if that could be provided to me in black and white. And again, my question was that it seems like some things we're reinventing just based on ideas. Was it not correct that IT IN THE PAST THAT PUBLIC SAFETY MANAGED THE BEACH AND SO IF IT'S A SHOOTOUT OR SOME SHOOTING AND THE POLICE STILL NEED TO GO ANYWAY WHY DOESN'T IT MAKE SENSE FOR THE POLICE TO ACTUALLY DO THAT VERSUS FOUR PART HOW MANY PART TIME FOUR FOUR TO COVER 14 HOURS A DAY WE CAN HAVE ONE POLICE OFFICER SO THAT THEN THEY DON'T NEED TO BE CALLED OUT AFTER THE FACT

It was my determination that the police officers have plenty enough to do currently with what their responsibilities are. Right.

I was asking for an additional one that could actually help with that so that we could have more of a police enforcement. Who was there monitoring it this weekend? Did we make any money? Did we monitor it?

Not yet. They'll start training this week, and we'll be putting people out in the next week or so. This past week was spent getting the vehicle ready because that one was being swapped out to get one of the hybrid vehicles that was bought to do it. But the parking attendants are costing you $15 an hour. There are no benefits, and they're scheduled to fit in with each other as needed to provide the coverage.

Okay, awesome. So how much would be Michigan Works youth work staff?

Michigan Youth Works staff has none of that part of the thing. We've been talking with Michigan Youth Works and we have used them for the last several years, but they have been repeatedly clear to us that we cannot count on them as staff because theirs primarily is a training program. WHEN PEOPLE GO THROUGH THEIR TRAINING AND ARE AVAILABLE, THEN THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO US FOR THE TIME PERIOD THAT THEY WILL ALLOW THEM. WE CAN'T COUNT ON THEM AS STAFF TO BE HERE BETWEEN 7 IN THE MORNING AND 10 AT NIGHT LIKE WE CAN STAFF PEOPLE.

I WAS PREVIOUSLY AT MICHIGAN WORKS AND WORKED WITH THE YOUTH SOLUTION TEAM. So, just like James Gunter, save a lot, and different individual or different companies could have them in rotation. You are giving them experience. I don't know how much experience you need to be a parking attendant. RIGHT? BUT IT'S FREE LABOR. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TRAINING YOU NEED TO BE AT THE PARK TO JUST MAKE SURE NOBODY IS TEARING UP THE BATHROOMS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE PORTA POTTIES. BUT WITHOUT GETTING INTO ALL OF THAT, IT WAS MORE OF THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE ANYBODY, BUT THEY CAN'T HAVE CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION FOR THE MOST PART. JUST LIKE FROM DAY ONE, A PERSON ON FINANCE, I ASKED ABOUT THAT. IT TOOK YOU A MONTH OR TWO TO GET A MEETING, RIGHT? REMEMBER, VICCHANDA WAS HERE, ACTUALLY ON ACCIDENT, BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS COMING TO A DIFFERENT MEETING ABOUT JUNE 10th, BUT SHE WAS AT THAT MEETING AND SAID, HEY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PORTA POTTIES. WE CAN BE A SOLUTION FOR THAT. So I'm not understanding, like even AmeriCorps, I suggested a lot of things. I worked at Capstone, I worked at Catholic Family Charities, AmeriCorps, and different things of that nature, and you would say, or you had said, well, who's gonna supervise them and manage them? Maybe one of your assistants could help with that, for us, for the sake of having free labor. I am not understanding how one is a good idea, cutting back, say, for example, on the commissioners for travel, training, whatever, and then it's $10,000 in another bucket, then it's a 1% rate. Like, how are we figuring these things? And if we're penny-pinching, why aren't we utilizing, to the best of our ability, maybe using support staff to communicate? You have Rona, you have Clark, an assistant, What does she tell your assistant so I can have that exact title? Assistant city manager. Like, then you got Kiara. Then it's the CBG. Like, can't nobody help with getting free labor? And so I'm stressing all these things because you will say, oh, I'm like you are person who's interviewing the park attendants. You right. You personally interview them.

THE LADY THAT HANDLES IT.

SO YOU'RE NOT OUT OF ANYTHING, THOUGH, IS THE POINT. AND SO YOU'RE OVERWORKING YOU, NOT UTILIZING STAFF THAT WE ALREADY HAVE. RIGHT? WE HAVE AN INTERN THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FREE. WE'RE PAYING, WHAT, OVER $700,000? HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING FOR HER? SHE'S OVER THERE TO HELP YOU, TOO. I JUST HAD A VERY NICE LADY. SHE JUST WAS THERE ONE DAY. AND LIKE, SO NOBODY CAN HELP WITH COORDINATING AND HAVING... JAMES MANAGED HAVING ROTATION OF A FRONT DESK STAFF THROUGH MICHIGAN WORKS. HE DIDN'T GO WITHOUT. So their point is, is that they would have to have a process to have another person lined up, but you can even refer people, say, hey, go get signed up with this program, and then you can ask to come to the city. Like, we could figure that out, but we're not even looking into that because it's not of interest to you, and I yield.

We're not only just looking into it, we anticipate using them. And we will have them involved with us with all of the parks as much as personnel as we can get, along with the summer youth that are being employed through CDBG and some others that we hope to get. But when we finish, we've got primary responsibilities to be taken care of in a number of areas, and we have to have people who are able to perform those to do it. I can't send them off doing something else at the expense of more important things that need to be done. Right now, I've got one person in our office that's out. uh due to a serious illness and when that occurs everything that that person did still has to be done and we wind up myself and others doing it right and i'm not talking about i'm sorry can i speak i'm not talking about a specialized a parking attendant somebody to be at the park so we don't have to have a port-a-potty that is not skilled labor yes manager We're not talking about somebody just to be there. We're going to have people there if we've got them available, summer youth as well as people we can get through Michigan Works for some of that. But these parking attendants are trained in driving this vehicle that goes by and reads these license plates and then writes tickets if they need to be. where they're not done. These people are paid to and trained to do that, and given other responsibilities, we've got to be able to count on these people being there when they should be.

They are ages, I can't remember, 16 to 24, so these aren't like babies. They are going through Michigan Works, and it's not as if they don't or haven't had a job before. That's not always the case. Like Meek's Donnie Meek's son had a CDL already and things of that nature and actually went through the program just to go through it. So we're devaluing our community youth that we could be giving them a job and giving them something to do if we're so worried about them as a city. And we don't have to pay them. They're insured. We have to do nothing. And you get to interview them, screen them. It's always a workaround. Doing that. Doing what, City Manager? Doing what?

When they get people ready, we will be bringing them on board.

Okay, I hope you monitor that, and I'll give accurate feedback for that, because that's not what I'm being told.

So, Ms. Minter, I have a question. So, two things. With the parking attendants, would they carry a body camera? Because I'm more afraid... As you see the emails I see, we have people that will complain, complain, complain. Will they carry body cameras to protect them in the city? That's my first question. Then I'll ask the second one later on.

No, we don't have body cameras to give to them, but they will be backed up and in communication with the police department if there are problems where they need some assistance. As a matter of fact, in one of our more recent meetings, we talked about actually assigning somebody from the police department to help cover those areas so that if they need backup and assistance, there'll be somebody to do so.

Okay, because I want to make sure because we can get rowdy and that one individual can say something, then mean to say it, but not by the camera, it can put a liability on the city. Now, my second one was here. If you recall, on February 9th, which was a Monday, I sent the email out about cost savings. And I'm glad to see here that we're moving utility building in-house. So I'm glad to see that that's part of the other half of the $1.8 million I was referring to savings. Do we know when we can move our water plant back in-house that would save us about $1.3 million? Because right now we're paying F&B $105,000 per month. And so if my math is correct, that's almost 1.3 million that we can save. That would give us enough coverage from January into April of every year to cover that $420,000. Have that contract been looked at as we can bring it in-house, not saying sell a water plant. I'm referring to bring it in-house. We hired the staff, so forth, so forth, so forth.

Very honestly, sir, we have no chance of bringing that in-house anytime soon for a number of reasons. The main reason is that in order to operate a water plant, they have to have certain level of certifications in order to do that. We had employees at that water plant for years and years and years that never, I mean, they took the test for years and years. They never passed it and they never got the certification. That's the reason why we went to contracting with F&V. But the problem actually is deeper than that, and it goes to just part of what we were talking about a little earlier. When the emergency manager came in and sliced those union contracts and the rates that they were making, that's one of the problems we have with public works. I've heard it a dozen times in terms of talking with them. that many of those employees were up to $20-something an hour, and an emergency manager came in and slashed it. They are right now at $16, $17, and $18 an hour. Unfortunately, it's something that happened. There's nothing we can do about that. But the problem it presents for us, as I have mentioned previously, after our people didn't pass the test, I got a hold of a school that is training people to get the certifications to be able to operate a water plant. The guy asked me send a job description and what our pay rates and so forth are I sent them to him Asked him if they could help us to get somebody so we could run our own water plant The guy came back and said mr. Little I can't we can't do anything to help you I said why he said because our people who are training here who never worked in a real water plant other than the training facility we have here They graduate from here and they're making twice what you're paying. And the problem with that is because they are part of a union contract. If a person walked in the door and said, I'd like to work for the city and I'd be willing to work at your plant and I've got the certifications, but I've got to have at least... $30 an hour. We don't have the ability to do that because if you make that kind of increase for one person that's in the union contract, you've got to make it for everybody.

I mean, I'm not going to go back and forth because for the sake of time, but I did want to add on that, you know, I looked at other municipalities and I think $34 an hour for the water plant moving forward to public works will be feasible with this $1.3 million. And if my math correct, that will leave us with $500,000 remaining in the good if Like I said, again, I'm not into the union contracts. I'm still in elementary college on union contracts, so I'm not going to be like I'm the president of that part of the department. So we're going to go to Commissioner Clark Griffin, then followed by Commissioner Henderson.

Now, did I hear the city manager correctly? He stated that the interviews have already been made. The training starts this week for the...

Now, if I am mistaken, ain't we going over the budget now and going to vote on it today?

So are we having a hearing and things are already being done that we're talking about and haven't voted on yet?

Ms. Manager, can you explain that?

Yes, because the parking attendance is something that we do every year. It's not something that's new. It's just that the only part of it that's new is a plan to expand parking to downtown. But the other part of it has been a year-to-year exercise.

I have one more question. And I'm just going to add to that. But I know it's not new, but we're voting on it today. WE HAVEN'T HEARD AND IT SHOULDN'T BE EVEN DONE UNTIL YES OR NO. BUT, ANYWAY, ALSO, I DON'T SEE FOR 2026 TO 2027, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT . DON'T WE HAVE A PRIMARY? ARE WE THIS YEAR?

NO.

NO PRIMARY. WE DON'T?

NO.

I thought the city clerk said we had a primary, August the 5th. We do have something.

Right, so we do have an election in August.

That's what I thought. Okay. Okay, thank you.

Did you answer the question, Ms. Manager, about where it's at in here, the pay?

It's in the 43,050 that or rather the proposed budget 38206. The 38206 is showing on page 5 by elections.

Last column says.

LAST COLUMN SAYS 26-27, AND THAT'S THE PAGE 5.

AND THE BALLOTS AND EVERYTHING, BECAUSE I KNEW IT WAS AN ELECTION.

IT'S ON PAGE NUMBER 5. IT SAYS ELECTION 38,206. IT'S RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE. Commission Henderson? Yeah, I have a couple questions. Can you hold the mic, please?

One is just dealing with the parking attendants, and I know we've had those built into the budget for the last four years. I don't know who was hired the last four years for those parking attendants, but we've always had parking attendants. I don't know if people have filled those positions. I know there were two. I know Pastor Jones' daughter even worked one year as a parking attendant and some other youth that I know that worked as parking attendants. But my question or comment about the parking attendance in terms of the police, I don't think they have the capacity to be at the parks as parking attendants, and I don't think that's something we should do. but based on the amounts of money that we make at the beach, those positions should cover themselves, and that shouldn't really affect our budget because we're collecting really some new monies that should be used for that particular line item. And even with the lawn mowing, making sure that the city continues to be clean, part-time people at, what, $10, $15 an hour. I think that will be sufficient. Yeah, do our police officers deserve more money? 100%, my husband is a police officer, so yes, I do think they deserve more money. But just knowing what I know, the people who work in this city love it. That's the only reason they work for our police department and for our cities, because they love it and they live here, because they could go other places and make more money and do well and not have as much harassment and all the other things that go along with being a police officer or fireman in the city of Benton Harbor. So all of those officers that's here, they want to be here, not because they have to. And I'm speaking from somebody that I know. They're there because they want to be there. And my last comment about... I have a question about community and economic development and parks and recreation. I see the budget for that has gone up. Have those monies been transposed, moved, or it was just a decrease in community and economic development, but parks and recreation went up? Is that just because of the expense of keeping up our parks and the things that relate to grass cutting? That budget went up to $319,000 for the 26-27 school year, I mean year.

Mr. Manager.

Yes, ma'am. Those costs of maintaining, cutting them and so forth has gone up. We have putting more of the burden of that on grants that we are administering and hiring people on the grants and trying to take some of the pressure off General Fund.

Commissioner Fields.

For point of reference, I actually had spoken with APPROPRIATE STAFF IN REGARDS TO THE HISTORY AS TO HOW THE PARKS HAVE BEEN MANAGED. AND SO IT'S NOT NEW OR IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NEW THAT THE POLICE AT ONE POINT MANAGED THAT. AND IT'S NOT WITH THE UNDERSTAFFED AMOUNT. It was a staff process where, probably again, where they were managing, but what I was saying was not to pull a staff, but if we had the availability of four part-time, we could, instead of like the situation we had where the police still had to go. So how does that work when they still have to go when it's a real matter, when the parking attendants aren't trained police officers and it's a violent matter? What the parking attendants going to do what exactly? Present a ticket? I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT. MY POINT OF BRINGING THAT UP WAS WHEN I'VE INQUIRED AND SPOKEN TO DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS AS TO THINGS THAT ARE SEEMINGLY PRESENTED AS COST SAVINGS AND THIS IS A NEW IDEA, A LOT OF PROCESSES THAT WERE WORKING WERE ELIMINATED BECAUSE IT WASN'T OUR CITY MANAGER'S IDEA. IN A NUTSHELL. SO I'M NOT WILLY-NILLY TALKING ABOUT THINGS. I'M ACTUALLY ASKING WHY THINGS THAT HAD WORKED BEFORE HAD BEEN CHANGED AT SOME POINT. AND SO AGAIN, MY QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE SILVER INFRACTION, WHERE IS THE GENERATED INCOME PART TO THAT? AND THEN I WILL WANT TO BRING IN PART TWO OF THAT QUESTION. SO THE FIRST IS FOR THE CITY MANAGER. THE SECOND IS FOR THE ATTORNEY, BEING THAT HOW ARE WE PROCESSING THAT? DO WE HAVE OR HOW SOON, SINCE IT WAS PUT THROUGH FOR US TO VOTE ON IT, WHY ISN'T THERE LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES WHERE IT CAN ACTUALLY THEN BE A PROCESS OF CONVICTING OR WHATEVER WE DECIDED TO DO IN HOUSE SO IT'S NOT MAKING ANY MONEY BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEING ABLE TO BE UTILIZED, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD?

MR. MANAGER?

We projected in here only $25,000 initially because we don't know what exactly. If you go to page three at the top under revenue, you see ordinance revenue, $25,000. and right next to it says civil infractions revenue. This being a new process, we're going through the components and details of getting everything set up and having to still make some adjustments policy changes, some meetings that we still have to finish, and process also of working with BS&A to have the computer system set up so that when a ticket is written and it's indicated on it as civil infraction or if it's a misdemeanor, that when they go to the window, that the cashiers be able to pull up that ticket so they apply it properly in the system and so forth. So there's a good bit involved in getting this all set up, and we are working on that.

Right. I remember you've explained that several times. So my point is, is what are we doing in the interim? So, are we still giving out fines, but they're not enforceable? So, there's code enforcement spending time on that for what to happen. So what do you need, this is a question for the attorney, in order to enforce this, to actually represent us in this matter? And what should we be doing if it's going to take three more months, say, for example, because we voted on this I don't know how long ago, but we still need to be having some kind of enforcement behind giving out citations or it would be pointless?

So we can still enforce. We've been enforcing through the courts for many, many years and we can still enforce to the courts. Like for example, I was in court on Monday, last Monday or last Tuesday. I'm sorry. We were off last Monday, but I was in court last Tuesday and we were able to get $400 in fines for the city, even though we had to go to court. The whole point is you want to avoid paying me because that costs money. So it takes away from the city's bottom line if you get fines on civil infractions. The Civil Infractions Bureau is set up so that the ticket goes through the Bureau And the fine all goes to the city if they plead responsible. If somebody wants to contest it and go to court and say, no, I didn't do this, then we're forced to go to court. But there is a process. I think the hard part for this is that it goes through BS&A. It goes through our software, and it's a software issue. We have to make sure that the ticket is getting entered into the software so that when someone comes in to pay it, it's ready to be paid. They can pull it up, have it on the screen, and not be wondering what the process is. Right. Okay. And I totally understand that, but I didn't even know, like, how long.

So we were asked to approve it. You know, it's always, you know, the energy, like, let this go on, and then we'll be able to generate it. When is my question. How soon and how long of a process, and that back for this. How long...

to use them to an extent already.

So we can just add this portion on. But again, we have residents complaining that citations are probably still given out to individuals but they know it's not enforceable because we're basically not doing anything even if code enforcement or public safety spends the time to go out write the ticket or whatever be the case what is happening or we have them spending more energy on that that's not even enforceable technically or we're not choosing not to because it's cost savings to not have you in court So if we had a turnaround time for it to be actually processed where we can find them and they can come to the office, how long does that take?

A month, two weeks?

Just a little.

I can't say for certain. I'm thinking it's going to take a couple of months.

Had the time already started or is it still going to take a couple more months?

I THINK IT COULD STILL TAKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO REALLY GET IT WORKING THE WAY WE WANT IT TO.

SO I HAVE ONE QUESTION, MR. LITTLE. ON PAGE THREE, FOR VERSUS THE TEN MONTHS, I'M SORRY, VERSUS THE TEN MONTHS, CAN AN ADJUSTMENT BE MADE IN THE LANGUAGE TO MOVE IT BACK DOWN TO SIX MONTHS AS THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE WAS BACK LAST YEAR IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS FOR THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR? SEE WHERE IT SAYS JANUARY 1ST, HIGHER WITH PLAN MORAN, 10 MONTHS. COULD WE MOVE THE 10 MONTHS BACK DOWN TO THE SIX MONTHS AS THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE WAS IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS?

YES, SIR.

SO WE CAN NOTE THAT IN THE RECORD.

MADAM CLERK.

OKAY.

OH.

MAYOR, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE GENERAL FUNDS? I'M SORRY, THE BUDGET AMENDMENT 2026 TO 27. NO, SORRY, MAYOR PORTILLA. Commissioner Isom?

Yes, to the city manager and maybe Rhonda too. That 3% increase on the sewer revenue, how much did that add up to? Maybe $1.50, $1.00 or something?

audit at the board meeting. And it's my understanding it's less than a dollar, something less even than 75 cents.

Good, good. And I just want to say, too, the reduction in the pension payment, I see we're going to, that's a savings right there that we're going to utilize 50% of the surplus. Is that coming out that 600, the money we had set aside? Six million, yes.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's good. And I just wanna say this, that this is one of the first times we had to budget just early, good timing. And I just wanna give kudos to the city manager, Rhonda and the staff for putting this all together this early. Usually right at the end, June 30th or something like that. Great job putting this out here. I know there's some cost savings in it. Everybody won't agree on everything, but that's what a budget is. You always can make those amendments. Thank you.

Commissioner Fields.

A suggestion would be, how many lots do we currently own that's not generating us any income? In fact, it's a cutting and a maintenance liability for us. I know there was an increase of purchasing lots at one point. How many lots do we have? If we could have AN ESTIMATE OF EVERY TWO WEEKS, SO IT WOULD BE $40, SAY IF WE HAVE 100 LOTS, HOW MUCH THAT COULD BE SAVING US AND ACTUALLY THEN HAVE SOME REVENUE FOR US BEING THAT IT WOULD BE ON THE TAX ROLL?

I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER RIGHT OFF HAND.

If there are any more questions or concerns or questions on fiscal budget year, budget, Mayor?

So as far as the lots, the last number that I'm aware of, it was like over 400 vacant lots. But that does not, there's no audit on how many are buildable.

CAN I RESPOND?

COMMISSIONER PEELE.

ONE OF THE REASONS I BROUGHT THAT UP IS BECAUSE THAT'S HOW MANY WE NEED TO CUT, RIGHT? SO THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE FOR US, AS WELL AS I KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, CASANDRA BOOKER WAS TRYING TO BUY THE LOT NEXT TO HER THAT'S ALWAYS TALLER THAN THE FENCE. or near so that she could have added on to instead of a person coming and spend how much like $175,000 or something for a property and then we have a city lot next door with grass that's never cut maintained. So it could have been a consideration instead of a first people that were trying to do things of that nature, but it's not. It's just we're not selling 400 lots that we have to cut. At the first cut, $26, and then 20 each additional roughly twice a month for 400 of them because most of them have a little bit of grass, a little shot of grass, right? So that's just if we're penny-pinching and if we're counting quarters and coins. And then my last... REQUESTS IS THAT WE COULD HAVE A BUDGET ITEM FOR COMMUNICATIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW NICK GUNN, WHO IS ANOTHER ASSISTANT, BASICALLY, MORE OR LESS, TO THE MANAGER IN REGARDS TO WHAT HE WANTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IS BUDGETED FOR $300 A WEEK, BUT IT'S COMING OUT OF HIS BUDGET OF SOME SORT. BUT EVEN MAYBE THE MAYOR CAN NEGOTIATE HIS $10,000 DOWN TO AID, SO COMMUNICATIONS CAN HAVE A LITTLE MONEY TO DO SOME COMMUNICATING WITH THE RESIDENTS. JUST A SUGGESTION. OR ACTUALLY, I ASK.

MR. MANAGER.

DON'T HAVE A RESPONSE AT THE MOMENT ON THAT.

WHY? WHY? LIKE, I RECALL THERE WAS TIMES WHEN COMMISSIONER HENRY WOULD SAY, I WANT THIS, I WANT THAT, AND YOU WOULD SAY, OKAY, WELL, WHAT CAN WE MOVE IT FROM? If that's what you want, tell me where it can be moved from. So I just did that. So it's not a matter of you have it. And this is what I mean, because it's not what you want to do. That is your answer. And that's disrespectful and inconsiderate because it's not what the city manager wants. It should be what the city needs. AND THE FACEBOOK POST FROM NICK WITH THAT NICK GUNN, NICHOLAS GUNN, THAT HE MEETS WITH THE CITY MANAGER, AND HE'S LIKE, OKAY, PUT THIS TODAY, PUT THAT TODAY. IT'S NOT COMMUNICATIONS FOR REAL. AND THEN PUBLIC WORKS, I MEAN, PUBLIC SAFETY DOESN'T HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS, AND THEY MANAGE A SOCIAL MEDIA THAT'S BETTER THAN OURS. because it has better information, better stats, things of that nature. And you can reach them and say, hey, a resident didn't understand what abatement meant or what this document was. The same day you can get something posted on social media and they don't have a media team or a personal communications person. So again, it's not an ask, it's a request that we should have some things in a communications committee. And I really want to make a point of that because I was put on the communications committee alone and was told that that's where people go to just be idle. And we're not doing that. I end up on personal finance, right, if we recall this, because... Commissioner Clark Griffin declined, and then it was like, let me see who I can. And I was the only one that wasn't on something viable, more or less, I guess. But we need to have a budget for a communications committee.

Mr. Manager, can that be noted? Thank you. Are there any more questions, comments, or concerns for the 2026-27 budget summary? May I?

I would just say, just to share some information, I was able to speak with the Secretary or the State Treasurer, Rachel Eubanks, probably about a little over an hour at the Governor's residence and eyes are on Benton Harbor in a supportive way. from her, uh, face, uh, she was saying that, you know, the state treasury, the state of Michigan is rooting for Benton Harbor and they are supporting Benton Harbor. Uh, and you know, she wanted for me to know that, uh, and I'm sharing that with, um, you all, um, because I was there on behalf. Uh, so I just want to bring that news back and, um, That's it.

Any more questions, comments, or concerns for the 2026-27 budget fiscal year? Hearing none, we're now going to open to the public comments. This is where the public will have three minutes to speak, only on the agenda item, which is 2026-27 budget.

There are none.

Since there is no more public comments on here, the public hearing for the budget is closed at 9.04 p.m. This now brings us to a consent calendar. General Lader from Fourth Ward, Commissioner Clark Griffin, you're recognized.

I'd like to suspend the rules and make a motion that we lift or remove the moratorium selling city lots so that the city residents can buy lots without a special reason. Support.

Madam Clerk.

Okay.

Henderson, Commissioner Henderson? No. Commissioner Henry? Is to suspend the rules to add the moratorium on here, on the agenda. To add that on about taking it off, yes. Yes. Is to add that to the agenda by removing the moratorium. Yes. Okay. Commissioner Isom.

No.

Commissioner Kennard. Yes. Commissioner Warren.

No.

Commissioner Carr-Griffin. Yes. Commissioner Fields. Yes. Mayor Pro Tem.

Yes.

And Mayor Muhammad.

No.

Motion filled.

This now brings us to our consent calendar. Does any commission wish to remove or separate any items on the consent calendar? I want to separate three. Duly noted. Number three is separated. If there are any other questions or concerns, the items should be separated, besides number three.

General Latham from Third Ward, Commissioner Henry recognized.

I would like to see a discussion on number six, please. Duly noted. If there are any more that should be separated, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? HANG ON, COMMISSIONER HENDERY. WE NEED A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO SUPPORT THE CONSENT CALENDAR. MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER WARN. DO I SUPPORT? YES. MOTION WAS SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER HENDERSON?

YES. COMMISSIONER HENDERY? We're just voting on the consent calendar. We never did get the motion and stuff for that. Commissioner Isom? Yes. Commissioner Warren? Yes. Commissioner Clark-Griffin? No. Commissioner Fields?

We voted on the consent calendar.

Yeah, Jessica sent calendar peer. Minus three and six. Oh, I wanted to do five also, because we had a stop, and I want to separate five.

I'm sorry.

Well, we... Point of order, Chair.

Madam Clerk.

We're in the middle of a vote, so it's a... Point of order.

Point of order, we're in the middle of a vote, so it's either a yes or a no.

So we just need to finish the vote, and then you can go back to separate your item. Yes. Okay. Yes. Commissioner Kennard? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem?

Yes.

Mayor Muhammad?

Yes. Okay. Are there any other items on the consent calendar besides two and six that should be separated?

I'd like to discuss five.

Number five is duly noted.

It's three, six, six, three, five, and six.

I said three, five, and six.

Mr. Chair, so did we just vote on the consent? So if we voted on it, what was in the consent calendar? It was three and six. Wait, wait. So if we voted on the consent calendar, then you can't come behind that and say, I want to pull this out.

I had my hand up for mine, but then she was saying, wait, we didn't even do. So I thought that needed to happen first. So I was trying to separate mine, but she was trying to get y'all attention. So I could have just kept talking, but I noticed she was trying to say something. So I was trying to add five. It just didn't happen right. So at this point, what are we doing? Excuse me, Henderson, you can, Commissioner.

That's three and six.

Right, but was I not trying to say my, was I not, though?

Madam Clerk, can you, City Attorney?

So you were in the middle of the vote when you mentioned that you wanted to take five off. If anyone would like to rescind the vote or revote to take five off, but you just, you did just vote to keep, to just take three and six off of the calendar. I'm sorry, off of the consent calendar.

Ethel was separating some. I put my hand up to separate and then, listen, it's fine. The stuff that we decide to be serious is crazy. Nothing to say when it's...

I want to order Mayor Pro Tem. Thank you.

Madam Clerk, can you finish? Sorry, Madam City Attorney.

You technically voted. You voted on three and six. Does anyone want to rescind that vote and take five off so you can talk about five? You could do that.

Can you call the rule So this is the role to rescind the votes for the consent calendar and we're gonna add five And so now it will be three five and six and this will be the vote for that Okay Okay, so now this will be a revoked this would be a vote to rescind and now we're gonna have two three five and six Correct on the curve, okay Commissioner Henry Commissioner Isom?

Yes.

Commissioner Kennard? Yes. Commissioner Warren? Yes. Commissioner Clark-Griffin?

We're going to separate those four, right? Yes, those are going to be separated. Okay, yes.

Commissioner Fields? Yes. Commissioner Henderson? No. Mayor Pro Tem?

Yes.

And Mayor Muhammad?

Yes. This brings us to our first separate item, item number two, the ordinance of establishing millage rate requests for fiscal year 25-26. If there are any questions, comments, or concerns on item separate number two. General Lady from Third Ward, Commissioner Henry, you're recognized.

understanding of what that millage rate request was. It wasn't up on the screen. We need to be more transparent with the people to know what is coming up. That's the reason why I asked to pull it out. We need to get that information up to the people so they'll know.

Is there any other questions, comments, or concerns for separate item number two? Henry Nguyen. Commissioner Henry.

Is there any information that we can share?

Mr. Little. On number two, which is the ordinance establishing the millage for rate request physical year 25-26. On here is reading physical year 25-26. So we're going to make a note here on the first page. It should read 2627 versus 2526. Do we note it?

Put that on the screen so that people can see exactly what we're talking about.

She don't have access to that because they've got to go from that side.

Okay.

But it is noted for correction. Any further questions, comments, concerns? Hearing none. The second one is our number three, ordinance to approve fiscal year budget for 2020.

We didn't vote. Yes.

Commissioner Isom.

Yes.

Commissioner Kennard. This is voting on item two. Commissioner Warren.

Yes.

Commissioner Clark-Griffin. Yes. Commissioner Fields. Yes. Commissioner Henderson. Yes. Commissioner Henry. Yes. Mayor Pro Tem.

Yes.

And Mayor Muhammad.

Yes. Let's bring us to our next separate item, which is number three, orders to approve the fiscal year for 2025-26 budget.

It should be 26-27.

It should be a correction for 26 versus 20 in 2027. Duly noted, Madam Clerk. Duly noted. Duly noted. Is there any question, comments, or concern for item number two? General Layman from Fourth Ward, you're recognized.

Okay, as I stated in the budget hearing that I had a concern about the number four, the finance director. Well, we did commend that to six. Well, we talked about six months, but yeah, if it's not six months, commend it to six, change to six months instead of 10 months. That's my concern. Then it was on the non-union and the AFCSM and the police only getting 1%. Also, It was Commissioner traveled 1,600 and the Mayor traveled 10,000. Those are things I had issues with.

City Manager, she's referring to page three on the budget. The first one here, which was 10 months, that down to six months. That's correct, right?

Yes. I mean, we talked about it already, so we don't need to discuss it. I was just saying those were where I had issues, and I wanted three to be separated so we can vote on it.

Is there any other questions, comments, concerns on the budget? Commissioner Fields?

I feel that there should be some budgeted funds for communications, meaning with the community as a whole, not for the city manager to have Nicholas Gunn posting what they discuss each week for $300. But there's no... I remember early on how I was even introduced was through Commissioner Henry in regards to a newsletter and different grass-root process to have maybe a door-to-door process. I don't even... It wouldn't probably even be... HALF OF THE AMOUNT TO DISTRIBUTE A NEWSLETTER IS JUST THE FACT THAT IT'S NOTHING BUDGETED FOR COMMUNICATIONS. AND AGAIN, NICHOLAS GUNN SERVES AS ANOTHER STAFF FOR THE CITY MANAGER. IN THIS REGARD, IT'S JUST FOR WHAT HE WANTS TO PUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

MAYOR? SO... I DON'T OBJECT TO SOME FUNDING FOR COMMUNICATIONS. IT JUST WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE THROUGH A DEPARTMENT AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO LINE ITEM FOR A COMMITTEE. SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE UNDER A DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE STRUCTURE city departments. So I don't know where the manager would, in consultation with the council, where he would want to put a line item or wonder what committee, not committees, pardon me, wonder what department it would go. But I'm not opposed. It should be something because if Nick Gunn is working under or providing services for communication, whether it be social media, video, audio, then it certainly could be in a communications or under a line item could be put in the city manager's budget or under some department for communication services. But that would be how, unless, you know, I stand to be corrected of how it would go in a budget where it could be actually legally allocated. Ms. Hildebrand, could you please come to one of the microphones for the benefit of YouTube and... Communications was budgeted last year.

not that anything was spent of any size, but we included it in the mayor-commissioner's budget, and this year we have $3,000 in that line item. As you discussed, it was a line item within that budget, so we could keep it with the mayor and commissioners because the commissioners would be spearheading the communications efforts. So there's $3,000 in there right now for that.

So the city manager has said that there is no communications budget and that he pays Nicholas Gunn from his budget. And that's been the situation prior to me even becoming a commissioner. That has been the conversation. And so we do have funds budgeted for communications and

I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS.

SO I JUST NOTED THAT THERE'S $3,000 AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNICATION THAT IS IN THE COMMISSION BUDGET.

BUT YET WE OVERBUDGET. THIS IS WHY THIS BE SO CONFUSING. I DO NOT BE TRYING TO BE PATTY, BUT IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BIG OLD ELEPHANT THAT WE ACT LIKE WE DON'T SEE. BECAUSE YOU GUYS KNOW HE HAS SAID THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMMUNICATIONS MONEY AND THAT HE HAS PAID NICK OUT OF HIS BUDGET OF SOME FUNDS HE HAS. AND THEN WE GET TOLD THIS.

MR. CHAIR. mayor so you know this is why you know this process is public and it's for discussion and you know moving forward because the previous budget was done as you know last year so going forward which this is a new council and setting forth a new SET OF NORMS, IT'S NOW KNOWN THAT THERE IS $3,000 IN THE CITY COMMISSION BUDGET FOR COMMUNICATION. SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON.

So it's always something possibly available. Like, if it wasn't for Rhonda, we wouldn't have known that we had budgeted for the past two years for a tax income, whatever role they would have played, whether it was going out to individuals. FIND TAX REVENUE SOURCES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, THAT WAS NOT UTILIZED. AND THE CITY MANAGER DOES, LIKE WHAT HE DOES NOW, IS NOT CHIME IN. HE HAS NOTHING WHEN IT'S TIME FOR HIM TO ACTUALLY PUT IN SOMETHING OR HAVE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY. OTHERWISE, IT'S ABOUT, CAN I ADD, OR THERE'S ONE, LET ME CORRECT. AND IT'S JUST, THAT'S NOT DISRESPECTFUL, BUT THE WAY I'M SPEAKING IS, WE OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF OURSELVES FOR THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY. How did we not know that we had it budgeted for communications? Did we not all get the budget? We didn't get it last year? Staff didn't get it last year? Or commissioners didn't get it before? Or we didn't know that we had a position for the income tax that could have helped us generate money for the funds we're using up?

Ms. Hilda Brown.

At the personnel and finance committee meeting every month, there's five pages of summary, and behind that, are 40-some pages of detail by budget, by line item, that shows what every department is spending compared to the budget. You weren't part of the budget process last year, but if you look at the mayor and commission budget sheet that shows how much has been spent to date compared to the budget, you would see that it was underspent. I mean, and that's how it's communicated is through all the documents that show what spending has happened year to date by line item.

Commissioner Fields.

That is great. And thank you. But when you ask your city manager and you're told there is no money, And I do this. I'm like, when I see something, I try to bring it back. But what do you do when you're told that there isn't anything and the only way we're able to do Nick is because it's out of his budget? And everybody knows he said that.

Mr. Manager?

I did say that because I didn't realize the $3,000 was in there. If you didn't know how...

Commissioner Henry. We did get a budget calendar. And it started in April of 2026, went all the way to June 1st, 2026. Correction, that's 2025. Oh, yeah, 2025. Sorry. Well, I'm reading off of their paper. Usually, for the last two years, we've been getting the budget at the last minute. WE NEVER GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT AND BREAK IT DOWN FROM LINE ITEM TO LINE ITEM.

NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.

I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS BUDGET TO GO BACK INTO COMMITTEE FOR ANOTHER READING AND ANOTHER and then maybe we'll have to be able to put some choice things in or just agree that we're on the right track. So I'm asking that we table this to another committee.

Commissioner, I'm sorry, City Manager, can you respond to Commissioner Henry, please?

I'm trying to think of the timetable that we're on with Treasury.

Yeah, we can't. This needs to be passed tonight. We can't go back because we're on a timeline with the Treasury in order to be consistent with the loan that I already signed for from being previously passed by this commission. So we don't have time to go back and do that, or it'll violate the terms.

It is noted for the record that we have $3,000 available in communications. Commissioner Henry?

I recognize that, but I also recognize when you're being hoodwinked and pencil whipped with paper. So I understand that, and I see it. And so now we are on another timeline. that we got to approve this budget without even looking at it. Not even looking at to see exactly what it's saying and what it's going to do to the residents of Benton Harbor. So here we go again on a timeline that we got to do it. I don't like that. That doesn't sound good and it doesn't look good. but we have to do what we have to do. But for a whole four years, we asked for amended budget, and we're just getting it. So you let me know we approve this budget, we get that million dollars from the state or whoever we're getting it from, information that WE'RE GOING TO TAKE STATE REVENUE MONEY FROM US, AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH, AND IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN OUR BUDGET. SO TALKING ABOUT A PLAN TO FAIL, GOD.

COMMISSIONER CLARK. THANK YOU, MAYOR PORTEMP. AS YOU ALL NOTICED THAT I SPOKE MANY TIMES WITH US, AND YOU CAN SEE FROM TONIGHT, that the snow job is up and the heat didn't hit it and the snow is melting. Now you can see what is going on. We've got to do better than this. And we need to get answers before we pass things because it leaves us, every time we look around, we're in the red for something. One minute we are in the best shape we've ever been in, and now we're having a problem that we refer back to emergency manager, which was 20 years ago just about it, and we're still blaming them. What is happening as we go? So it's time for us to take a notice that the snow has melted and you can see the mess under it.

Mayor? So as you all know, that budgets can be amended. Budgets can be, we can do a quarterly amendment. come back in three months, look at the budget, look at the percentage of how it's been spent, questions that have been developed after further review, and the budget can be amended. So it's a live, moving document. However, as stated per Treasury and per obligation agreement that was presented NEEDS TO BE PASSED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO KEEP IN STEP WITH OUR OBLIGATIONS AND AGREEMENTS.

IS THERE ANY MORE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER CONCERNED ON THE ORDERS TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR FOR 2026-27 BUDGET?

CALLING FOR THE QUESTION.

MADAM CLERK, CALL.

COMMISSIONER CONNARD. COMMISSIONER WARN.

Yes.

Commissioner Clark-Griffin? No. Commissioner Fields? No. Commissioner Henderson?

Yes.

Commissioner Henry?

What? This is a place between a rock and a hard place, and I'm blaming the city managers? AND I'M BLAMING COMMISSIONER ISOM BECAUSE HE DIDN'T DO HIS JOB AS PERSONNEL AND FINANCE. I'M VOTING YES, BUT I'M VOTING IT WITH THIS CASE.

COMMISSIONER ISOM? YES. MAYOR PRO TEMP?

YES.

MAYOR MOHAMMED?

YES. NEXT UP, REGENT NUMBER SIX, NUMBER FIVE. which is the resolution to accept the Michigan Department of Treasury FDCBT grant number 210180-26 for the purchase of Bobcat Skid Ladder. Is there any questions, comments, or concerns for number five? General Latham, number third ward, Commissioner Henry, I recognize.

THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTEM. I SAW THIS GRANT, AND I SAW THAT THE BOBCAT, SO I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON IT. IT IS AN EXCELLENT THING FOR US TO KEEP OUR STREET SWEEPER INTACT. IT WILL DO A LOT OF THINGS. My question, one question is, do we need a driver's license to drive this Bobcat?

No. It's got to be trained.

You have to be trained, but you don't need a driver's license.

No, I can train you.

So that won't deter us if we can't find somebody with a driver's license. We can find somebody that could drive the Bobcat.

Correct. The Bobcat is very different than the front-end loader.

Oh, I got you.

The Bobcat is a small utility tractor.

I got you. I read it real good. I saw that the leaf back was on it. THE SNOWBLOWER WAS ON IT. IT'S GOT QUITE A FEW THINGS. AND I'VE SEEN US BUY MACHINES THAT NEVER LEFT DOWNTOWN. and never went to the neighborhood. And I don't want to see this bobcat do the same thing. I want to see it all over the city. We just paid close to $5,000 for the street sweeper to be fixed because we're using it incorrectly, and every time we do it, it breaks. So this bobcat is going to fix some of our problems.

and clean our interlocks.

And so I'm glad to see that they went through the department that gave us a great price on it and that we're going to get it with a grant. So it's not any money. Thank you.

Are there any more questions, comments, or concerns on line item number five? Commissioner Fields?

I just wanted the conversation to happen, which it has, in regards to the benefit for the community. That was the only reason I was separating it.

Any more questions, comments, or concerns? Hearing none, Madam Clerk.

Commissioner Warren.

YES. COMMISSIONER CLARK-GRIFFIN. YES.

COMMISSIONER FIELDS. YES. COMMISSIONER HENDERSON. YES. COMMISSIONER HENRY. YES. COMMISSIONER ISOM. YES. COMMISSIONER CONNARD. YES. MAYOR PROWE.

YES. MAYOR MOHAMMED.

YES. THIS BEGINS OUR NEXT SEPARATE LINE ITEM, NUMBER SIX, TO REPLACE THE RELATIVE OF 55 WITH A 2026 PEARSON PUMP. IS THERE ANY QUESTION COMMISSIONER CONCERN? NUMBER SIX. COMMISSIONER HENRY.

on the little mini pumper. And it seems like it's getting a lot of other municipalities to look at it too. They want us to trade our ladder truck number 55. It doesn't have very much life in it left. I tried to see what kind of price that something like that 2009 ladder would cost if you bought it used. So I think we might be making a good deal.