City Council - Regular Meeting

driven campaign and last night the voters of the third ward gave her a decisive rightin victory. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because people are paying attention. And what they saw in Lashan was someone who listens, follows through, and gets the work done. Let's be clear, this wasn't just a win. It was a route. a candidate the snake bite crowd dismissed, a workingclass woman with no big donors and no outside agitators, overcame every obstacle they put in front of her and came out on top. You don't just beat your opponent like that, you bury them.

And let's remember who lined up against her. Excuse me. Tanya Burns, self-styled kingmaker of the six. Doug, Mr. Matthews, whoever is playing that, turn it down. Turn it off. Be respectful to everyone inside this room. Thank you. Go ahead, Mr. Matthews.

Self-styled kingmaker from the sixth ward, has now backed three losing candidates in a row. Um, Jan Marie Arbor, Qanon, Carol Mintosh, and now Beverly's Big Sleazy. That's not strategy. That's a losing streak. While they were prematurely popping campaign corks in their YouTube echo chambers, convinced the Big Sleazy would walt onto council and help the snake bite for burn the rules, as Feifer so eloquently put it. The voters of the third word had other ideas. They chose civility over chaos, progress over obstruction, truth over smear. And now, instead of offering a simple congratulations, some of LSAN's 810 news media opponents are spinning wild conspiracy, attacking voters and insulting the process. That's not oversight. It's sour grapes. In a democracy, when you lose, you concede. You don't smear the public for daring to choose someone better. Leseawn didn't just defeat a rival. She defeated a world view. The idea that rageous leadership, that bullying is power, and that lies shouted loud enough become the truth. So tonight, I say to the voters of the third ward, thank you. You chose well. You sent a message and you gave this city a real chance to continue the progress which we are already about. We're proud of you. Now do the job. The

next speaker, the next speaker is Rich Jones.

How y'all doing today? First of all, I want to I want to say that before Eric May's pass, he had 800 or more request forms for them Harper funds. And I'm quite sure at least six of them was 600 of them was for roof repairs. So y'all 72 is a long way short from achieving that goal and doing something for the residents of Flint. Now one thing about that incident that happened on Saturday that really got me distur disturbing is the fact that the officer did not have on any body cam

and It's supposed to be an ordinance, a law, or something that everybody that walk these streets far as patrolling us should have on a body cam. And a officer that displays that kind of behavior definitely needs to have a body cam on. Thank God that there was civilians there that pulled their phone out and recorded it because it could have been their word against his word. And you already see what his word is. Now, as far as far as y'all can correct me on y'all time if y'all want to, but my understanding was this incident took place around 2:00 in the morning.

All of that police attention needed to be up on North Sagen North, you know, by Avenue Way at that gas station where people get keep getting killed at. We really need to concentrate on cooling these hot spots down in the city of Flint. And it's it is what it is. They did what they did. It's it's out there. There's the receipts is clear. Please do what you can by calling a town hall a special meeting because this kind of behavior between a citizen and our police force cannot increase. It got to decrease now and y'all got the power and y'all can do it. So, thank you.

The next speaker is Arthur Woodson. What's up? Hey, uh let me start off by by uh congratulating uh clerk Deina Donnu. Job well done. Flint was the first uh Flint was the first to uh send the numbers in for the first time in I don't know how long. Let me uh say this. Uh I'm not putting my hands up in the air if I haven't done anything and the police officers pull me o uh push up to me. I'm not driving 102 while sitting in the car if police pull me over. Y'all know I don't give a damn about what I say and I'm gonna say it here. Police office officers, they originated during slavery, slave patrol. Every time I see one misuse and abuse their authority, I feel like they think that I'm a slave. I'm gonna beat their ass. That's what I'm going to do.

I am not my ancestors. I keep telling people this [ __ ] man. I am not my ancestors. Liddell, Judy, Candace, Leon, y'all sit here every city council meeting with those same officers that was down there Saturday. Now it spilled out on the street from y'all lawlessness. You weaponized them [ __ ] You did. You did. And you did, Candace. Y'all never told them. Y'all allow them to come up in here. Still will. I still want my lick back when when I see I'm letting you know. I don't care what you think it is, a threat or whatever. I get triggered when I see this [ __ ] I have PTSD. I'm a disabled veteran. And this is one of the things that triggers me. I don't have any problems with police officers, but what I do have issues with is abuse of police officers that take advantage of a badge. What they were with punks in high school. They got bullied. They got their ass whooped. And what happened? They got a badge and a gun. And now they run as a gang. And they think they somebody, but they ain't [ __ ]

I'm letting you know right now, God is my witness. I'm not putting my hands up. I'm not going 10 two. I'm not doing any of that. If you pull me over for a reason, I will I will oblige you. But if you doing what you did Saturday night, when did 2:00 become a curfew for adults that have to get off the street? When did they when was an ordinance passed for them to have to stop cooking? They don't have to get off the damn street. What it is is the white people downtown who call the black people hooligans

and they don't want black people downtown. And you can kiss my ass because I'm coming every day. [Applause]

The next The next speaker is Audrey Muhammad. Second ward. First of all, I would like to start out by saying to the back that house is still located in the second ward until the new election come up for the first you should be talking to both first ward and second ward cuz it's located on Canif. I know the boundary check

still second ward. So, make sure you talk to both first and second ward about what's going on over there. Um, you know, we talk about the police brutality. I remember a young man by the name of Willie Taylor. William Taylor that got killed back about 40ome years ago. He was 15 years old with an they accused him of an attempt of breaking into an apartment. I remember he was 15 cuz I remember I was about 15 at the time. So it happened about 1980 8182 happened over there in that Selby Hood area I believe it was. Look them up. I just looked them up and showed it to them back there. But I remember that incident. So this that's happening right now on our youth ain't new. I remember in 2001 my sister and I was attacked at a park by Flint City police where the police officer looked at her and told her you think you Billy badass. And told her she was going to whoop my sister. So she jumped my sister, but in turn she got beat. And the only way that they got away with it was that the officer that was with her, who was arresting me and ended up spraying mace in several people faces and then they went to court and lied, but then told the truth and said, "Well, I thought she was about to attack us." So my sister got charged with a misdemeanor because they knew she wasn't right. Thank God for Judge Crawford who knew it was BS from the police department when she should have got 30 days in jail, but she was only asked to serve three days because the jury says she was guilty. So, thank God. But they broke her arm in the process. Look it up. 2001 June Audrey Young Katherine Edwards. Look us up. Yeah. So, you all and I still know the officers and one of them right now is serving as a detective over in the police department. He see me and he just look at me and watch me when I walk by cuz he ain't forgot my face. And the [ __ ] know what he did wrong. Yep. I called him that cuz that's what he is. And that's

what y'all expect a lot on the police department because you want people who come in our neighborhoods and attack us.

We tired of it. That should have never happened to that young man the other day. And the police officer should never even be sitting even behind a desk downstairs and he causing all kinds of problems. and he always up here causing problems. I'll close with this. Liddell, you got to stop trying to look at people like you trying to intimidate them cuz my granddaughter felt intimidated when you was staring at her the other day at that community program. And I'm sure you know who she is. But she looked at you and you spoke to her and she spoke back to you. You know who she is cuz y'all be watching my Facebook page and I'm very public with who my grandchildren are. Thank you. [Applause] The next speaker is Leon Lawson III. [Music] [Applause]

How y'all doing? My name is Leon Lawson thei third and I can definitely say like I am I'm underprepared like cuz the council meeting but I can definitely say when I came in here I'm happy I came because when I came in here sir we cannot hear you when I had when I had right when I had came in here I was uh like I said I didn't know about the council meeting for like two hours ago so I'm very underprepared for it but when I had came in here I looked around and I seen that it was no youth in here at all like my age and we the main target you know what I mean when it comes to you know the type of stuff that he put the other day.

And like uh so I can tell you about the incident that I went through for the past four days. I was kidnapped and assaulted for transparently no reason. Like literally no reason at all. And uh he the the charges that he took me to jail under. He said I tried to burn him with some tongs. I'm a professional athlete. I box. This is what I do. If I really wanted to if I really wanted to assault that man, I really I really do this for a living. You know what I mean? And that goes to show that these police officers is doing nothing behind behind a badge.

Behind behind hiding behind a badge. That's it. That's that's it. Because at the end of the day, you still human. And I I really want them to know that they not tough. None of that. They hiding behind a badge. And they and they and they and they coming from Schwarz Creek out of out of these outskirts coming into our city acting like cowboys. That it need to stop. And I'm not going to lie, like like I said, I'm underprepared, but I'm going to definitely start coming speaking at these this type of stuff. You know what I'm saying? Like for sure I'm going to start a trend with this.

I spent Yeah. I I I spent almost three days in a in a bullet pin. Uh it was a terrible experience. Very very very unexpected. I didn't go outside trying to cause no trouble. I went outside trying to help my family. That's it. I went outside went outside trying to help my family. That's it. And man, it's simple. Thank y'all. There's already Thank you.

The the final speaker for this meeting is Latrice King. How y'all doing? I'm uh Theatric King. Uh I take orders for all the smoke barbecue flint and uh the other night we was treated very unfairly, very unjust. Um it could have went a lot differently if the officer got out and had a conversation with the person who was running the business. You know what I mean? It it didn't have to be a a a hop out and I'm I'm starting to spray people with mace and I'm starting to put people in handcuffs without having a conversation. You know, that's a emotional man. That's a you're not a you're not a man at that point. You you moving off your emotions. You know what I mean? So, my bad. I'm a little shaken up from the other night. Uh, but like I said, you know, the other night I seen him and I told him, uh, you know, you can take your badge off and we can do what we going to do. You took your camera off. You coming here today, you acting like you tough and and this and that, but me, I've been working out my whole life. You know, I'm from Flint. I'm not from no outskirt. I'm I'm I'm from here, you know what I mean? I don't have no felonies on my record. I'm I'm clean. I'm You know what I mean? So, family.

So yeah, you know, that's all I got to say. Thank you. It is now time for council response. Council members may response once to all public speakers only after all public speakers have spoken. Individual council members response shall be limited to two minutes. Is there anyone who'd like to do? Go ahead.

Thank you. So, I'm going to speak on one topic tonight, and it's about the police. Um, as a white man, and I don't bring race into anything. I try not to, but as a white man, society tells me I have to back the police, back the blue, no matter what. Um, I can't do that. what I seen on Saturday and basically in the last six months, I think it's gotten really bad.

Um, we need, uh, sir, I know what we need. We need a new police chief. [Applause] I've been saying it for a few years now. When you drive down the street and you see blight, Chief Green is in char in charge of the blight officers. So when there's blight, that's Chief Green. He's not doing his job. When you see the highest murder rate in Michigan and second in the country, that's Chief Green not doing his job.

When it comes to the police officers, there are good cops and there are bad cops. And I will stand behind the good cops seven days a week when there's bad cops. And I thank uh prosecutor Leighton for dismissing these charges because in and those cops those cops and one of one of them's back there now they should be put on his Brady list. A Brady list is basically any cop that comes in with with uh arrest on somebody they get double scrutinized because they're corrupt cops.

It's called a Brady list. Look it up. They need to be on it. Our colleagues complained about youth jobs, us not supporting youth jobs and and putting youth to work to get them off the streets to stop crime. Well, these two gentlemen are youths and they were pepper-sprayed and thrown in jail for having a job. So, make that make sense. [Applause] Thank you. Anyone else, Madam Chair?

Go ahead. Thank you. Um, to everyone here, thank you. I do want for showing up. We only get two minutes to respond. You get more time to to talk than we do to respond. I want to say number one, I have a problem when we have a first work councilman not here charged with a felony with domestic violence and a misdemeanor. That is a problem. That is a problem. Um, to you, Leon Senior and Leon III, I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened to you. And as I told you, when I talked with you, it was going to play out. You was going to do 48 hours. 220 was your time. You were taken in. 220 stopped. 2 days later when the sheriff came in, they're using our jail as a political prison. No charges. And it needs to stop. There is nothing. You did a little shimmy shimmy. So what? You are a trained boxer. You could have if you were angry, you would have threw the tongue tongues down and used your fist. You didn't do that.

Absolutely. And when when we Hey, please let her speak. Pause your time. Pause your time. I need my seconds back, please. Yes. I'm going to give you Go back to 53, please. It was 54. Sorry. Thank you. I looked up at 53.

Go ahead. So when we say this, you there was no disturbance. You don't have to disperse. There was no threat. There was no immediate danger. There wasn't a threat of a riot. You were black people barbecuing license on the side of Sagenol Street. And what we build up, they don't want us to enjoy. That was the problem. And it needs to change. I spoke one week before about people getting mace. On Monday, I spoke about at the council, the crowd was maed again on Saturday. This is a problem. And Chief Green is not responding. He's not responding. I've emailed, I've called, I've text, he's not responding. And if he don't want to respond, Chief Green need to go. He need to quit.

You can't have a black mayor, a black police chief, and the black people are being treated so poorly. This is crazy. This shouldn't have happened. continue to show up, young man, please. Anyone else? Go ahead, Miss Miss Carter.

Thank you. Um, first I would like to thank all of the residents. Um, thank you for being engaged in the process. You know, and I I want to I want to piggyback off of something that um my colleague said, Councilman Feifer and Councilwoman Burns. It's a disgrace here. Here we are again violating people's constitutional rights.

Okay. On Saturday, Saturday night, early into Sunday morning, your rights were violated. Your right to assemble. It was violated. When are we going to stop? You have white officers. white officers. That wasn't You know what? That right there was racial. It was racial. [Applause] I'm not going to even sh sugarcoat it. It was racial. It was racially motivated. And then you're going to turn around and spray people with pepper spray.

Okay. Please stop yelling out. spraying spraying black residents. They shouldn't even be sitting up in here tonight.

They shouldn't be. And then you got a mayor that hasn't even spoken out about it. You got a police chief that hasn't even spoken out about it. Please stop yelling out. I'm appalled. I am so over it. It's wrong. It's a disgrace. [Applause] Anyone else? Yeah, go ahead.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, um I I know the family. I have a good relationship with several members of the family. Thank you. And currently, um bring you to order. And so what we know is that they are a good family. I have I'm not only speaking of, you know, coming in in the fourth quarter of what I've heard. I've bought food from the food truck. I patronize. So

any any what it boils down to is this. Currently we have a situation where we have our internal affairs where they are actively investigating this. we have. And so you will know these things if you will get engaged and if you will have these conversations with administration because at the end of the day, this is not political. What this is right here, this is we have an instance in our community and we need to deal with it accordingly.

And that's what we're trying to do because no one, no young person, no old person should feel shook when they're enjoying their community. We have a we had a jazz festival that night. Many of our council people never attend those things, but I know I I often do. And so I send out a lot of invitation of flyers on my page inviting people to come out to things like that. I don't want to invite people to come out to a place where people are getting sprayed or where it's not safe. So, as we continue to do our part with engaging with administration, making sure this is being investigated with internal affairs, that's what we can do, what we're going to do. So, again, to the um Lawson family, I will continue to patronize and I will continue to stand with you when you are right. So, thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else? Anyone else from the council would like to do a council response? Okay, seeing none, go on to the consent agenda. I'll entertain a motion. Madam Chair, go ahead. I'd like to make a motion to approve the consent agenda. There's a motion on the floor from the Cong from the congresswoman from the council person in the seventh ward to approve the consent agenda. Is there support? Support.

It's been supported by the council woman in the second ward. Is there any separations? Madam chair, go ahead. Uh 25176. Okay. 25182. Okay, that's it for me. Okay. Is there anyone else? Yes, madam chair. Go ahead, Mr. Enri Carter. I would like to separate 2550177.

Okay. And hold up. I think I had another one. See, I have a question about that one. I think that might be uh might be it for now.

Asking people to be please be um keep your conversation down to a minimum. It's hard to hear up here even if I'm sitting next door. Our clerks have to hear as well. I think that's it for me. Okay. Is there anyone else? Are there any other separations? Madam Chair, go ahead, Mr. Jarrett. I'd like to separate on page 4 2550 218. Okay. Um I would like to separate on page five 2550 223.

Okay. Um uh

and I think that's that's all I had. Are there any other separations? Madam Chair, go ahead. Uh 2550240. [Music] Um, okay. And

once again, I'm asking that are that the members in attendance in the audience to please keep their voices down. It's very difficult to hear two on page 3250198. Okay. Uh, that's all I have. Is there any others? 198. Okay. The consent agenda will consist of the following resolutions. 2550220. Settlement Barton versus Neely. Case number two 223. Madam Chair.

No, that one was separated. Separated. That was separated. I missed it. Okay. Thank you. That's why it's important that we people keep quiet. It Well, I would like to separate that. It's all I It should have been Mr. Viper. It wasn't separated on mine. I missed it.

2522. The consent agenda consists of 25221 grant agreement Flint Township Multi-Jurisdictional Edward Burn Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Flint Police Department 2550222 contract Anytime Restoration SVS Residential Roofing Replacement Repair Program 2550239 contract Old World Construction Residential Roofing Replacement Program Once again, I'm asking that the volume is kept down. Thank you. 2550250 change order. Mike and Moore construction lead based paint hazard control abatement services. 2550251 contract Avalon Technologies Police Department IT storage update. 2550252 change order number eight BSNA Software Information Services Division 2550253 Mobile LLC Eagle Signal Repair Parts and Supplies 2550254 DH Tree Transport LLC Water Pollution Control Sludge Hauling Service 2550255 Modern Industries Ready Mix Concrete Department of Public Works 2550256 Dell Marketing Microsoft Licensing Renewal 2550257 Ace Sagenov Paving Company Ashvalt Paving Materials Department of Public Works 2550258 grant acceptance home ARP funds amendment home ARP allocation plan and

add-on number one. This is the vote to send the consent order. Yes. Um, never mind. I forgot about add one. You're You're okay. Okay. Um, this is the vote to send the consent agenda to council. Okay. Um, Madame Chair, I do have to say I am having a difficult time hearing because I absolutely did not hear the uh first separation and I'm asking now, did you separate the add-on or you just clarify that it was? No, it was separated.

So, um, yes, if the attendees could um because I'm definitely having a hard time hearing and we want to make sure that we record these responses correctly. Um so u moving on to the roll call.

Mr. Alamine is not in. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Priestley, yes. Miss Winfrey Carter, yes. Miss Burns, yes. Miss Mich, yes. Mr. Feifer, Mr. Jarrett, yes. The vote is seven. Yes. Zero no. The vote is seven. Yes. Zero. No. The first separated resolution is 2550176. A change order number one funding for phase 2 police department city hall camera installation. I'll entertain a motion.

Someone up here deems vulgar. Was there a ruling as to what word was out of order to through the chair? She's just waiting for my time to expire, so she's not going to answer. Madam,

all right. Thank you. It is now my turn to speak. Um, per the council rules, it any language that is deemed vulgar. As I am the chair, that is my discretion. We have not, this is not unprecedented. We've said several times before that we need to be careful of cursing language and any language that will incite violence, incite any kind of issues. And so my ruling is that he is being vulgar and he is out of order. It is my discretion and I took the floor.

Thank you. This is the roll call vote to overturn uh the ruling of the chair. Um uh yes will overturn. A no will sustain. Roll call.

Mr. Alamine is not in. Dr. Lewis. No. Miss Priestley. No. Miss Winfrey Carter. Yes, Miss Burns. Yes, Miss Michelle. No, Mr. Feifer. Yes, Mr. Jarrett. Yes, the vote is five yes, three no. I'm sorry, what was that count? The vote is four yes, three no. The vote is four yes, three no. The ruling of the chair stands. Mr. Woodson, please take your seat. Next public speaker, Judy Madam fake ass constitutional republic. Sounds amazing. That's your first warning. That's amazing. You are removed from this meeting. That sounds amazing. See you later. Next public speaker.

Next public speaker.

The next speaker is Mari Copeny. spent quite a bit of time downtown this past weekend. Friday during artwalk, you could see sheriffs posted on every single corner. Saturday during drop fest, there was also a huge presence of sheriffs. Flint and U of M police downtown to ensure the community felt safe. But yesterday was a whole completely different story. The police presence outside of the faster was also was almost non-existent. You can say that the shooting, which claimed the life of a girl that was my age, was an was an isolated incident. But if you were down there yesterday, there was multiple fights, shots fired, guns, and people drinking alcohol. I'm disappointed in my city leadership, the mayor, Chief Green, and Sheriff Swanson. Where was the curfew? Where was the sheriff that paid that were paid $1.2 million not even two weeks ago to to continue and expand Operation Arrowhead? Why was the chaos allowed with with not a cop in sight? We have a serious problem in this city when it comes to policing. They are either non-existent or harassing peaceful citizens. Chief Green, you are not doing a fantastic job. In fact, you are doing a horrible job. Once upon a time, we had a police chief that actually engaged with the community that was out that was out there talking to people and responding to concerns. Mayor Neely, you said we have to be example that our young people want to follow. Which is funny coming from a mayor that fully supports council members that roll their eyes, laugh at, and ignore the youth that come to these chambers. We need leaders who listen to the youth. We need leaders who want to work with the youth that are out that are out here on the streets, experienced the violence firsthand. We need leaders who don't just stand at press conferences and say we need to re that we need reactive enforcement after the city loses yet another young person. You

can say that. You can say you are doing you can say you are doing the work behind the scenes, but your actions speak louder than words. And from where I'm sitting, I hear a whole lot of blah blah blah and not a single solution. Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. The next speaker is Keani Copen. Don't worry.

The hate you give little infants [ __ ] everybody. Not even a week ago, I sat up here and said that. And not even a week later, once again, the city has proved my point. Half of you didn't even look up when I was speaking, but I hope you hear me loud and clear. I am scared for my life in this city. We hear gunshots almost daily in my neighborhood. Flint needs a real change, and it starts with you being the village you always talk about. Thank you. Next public speaker. The next speaker is Tay Coffee.

Next public speaker. He's here. [Applause]

My name is Taye and I'm 18 years old. I've lived in the city of Flint. I've been raised in the city of Flint my whole life. This whole I've just now started to get out and explore the world now that I'm 18 years old. Would you want me to speak into the mic? Okay. I've I've just now started to get out and explore the world now that I'm 18 years old. And the two times that I have came out to the explore the world, I've I've seen shots fired, people dying, I've witnessed it all. I really don't want to get out no more and there's nothing to be done. I'm done. Thank you. Next public speaker.

The next speaker is Glattus Williamson.

Yes. And I'd appreciate it if you would look up Merchett Lewis. Oh, Judy, I got your eyeballs. Oh my gosh. I what I seen with this election and and I've been in politics a while since the leted water in 2014 and I have never seen an election won by a write in.

Never have I seen an election won by a write in. especially when there's three people running. And that you sit up and that the mayor, this man underneath my feet, literally can sit up and spend money to put a third right in on the ballot and then amazingly she wins. Amazingly. But you know, I'm gonna tell you, you three, God is gonna give us the money to have to have a to recount them ballots. And you better hope. And we're calling Lancing. And you better hope, Deina. I'm talking to you,

Deina. Yeah, I'm talking to you, Deina. Cuz I already warned you. about the ballots, the write in ballots and matching uh signatures with ID. Yes, I did. The last time I spoke to you, I was going out the door. That's right. That's exactly right. And you better hope that we don't if if we get a chance, you're going to jail. If we get a chance, you're going to jail. You're going to jail. You're going to jail. And you're going to jail.

And if we get a chance, the mayor's going to jail. [Applause] And I just pray, where's that? Where's that woman that's an illegitimate city council woman? Where where's she at? She wasn't here last week. She ain't here today. So what? She She don't have to show up. Where is she? Deina, did you go call her and find out where her where she is?

No. No. Well, then you're then you aren't doing your job because you go call ninth ward, eighth ward, Miss Burns, Miss Jerry, you go call all these people at the behest of Lewis Mercer. Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk.

The next speaker is Beverly Biggs Levy. [Applause] My name is Beverly Big Svy. I won the third war. I just want y'all to let you know I am filing a lawsuit and I am asking for handwriting expert to check them writings on them ballots.

I'm not going to stop. You corrupt. I call it like I see it. You don't want to look up. You ain't got to. I call it like I see it. All of them handwriting is by Leanne, her daughter, or her son. Illegal. Illegal to take ballots to the post office if you a candidate. Illegal to knock on doors knowing you doing wrong. But that's all right. You can keep doing wrong. But

I need you guys to vote to put Leon out of that seat. that needs to be voted. Anytime you beat a woman like it ain't nothing and you three don't say nothing about it. Wow. Any other time you'd have did a press conference if it was uh Tanya or Jerry or Feifer or Jonathan. You went and put Jonathan's business in Facebook. But I see you ain't put nothing about Leon. make this stuff make sense. You crazy. I'm not going to say you're crazy. Something's wrong.

You You're a little few fries short from a Happy Meal. And I just call it like I see it. You guys are crooked. You're corrupt. And ain't nothing good going to happen to you. Nothing. I keep telling all you, you pray for them that spitefully use you. You are users. And you use Lean, but she don't think she been used. She's wiped up. She ain't used. She's wiped up. And when you get her on in that seat, she's going to be a Liddell number two. Y'all wait on it.

You think it's a joke? All they trying to do is pass that money. They're not looking about the residents. Anytime you bid on your own 501c3 and you think it's okay, the city got to wake up. The city got to wake up. And if I have to knock on every doors to wake them up, I will do that. Y'all have a blessed day. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. The next speaker is Mr. Po pantoia jacks

pantoia jocks jacia could you spell that first name you might not be first name p a an a n t o g a I mean sorry p a n t o j a last name J A C Q U E S. All right. Next public speaker. Madame clerk, that is the final public speaker.

All right. Seeing as how that is the final public speaker, it is now time for council response. Council members may respond once to all public speakers. Only after all public speakers have spoken and individual council members response shall be limited to two minutes. Uh is there anyone who would like to speak during council response? Is there anyone who wishes to speak during council response? Madam chair, councilwoman in the fourth ward, you have the floor.

Yes, I have three things I want to discuss. First of all, um, Miss Williamson stated that no one has ever won by write in candidates. Mike Dugen 2013, please pause her time. We're not going to have yelling out. She gave everyone an opportunity to speak. She now has the floor. It is her time to speak. Go ahead, Councilwoman Priestley. And won the primary and the general. Brian Barnett, Rochester Hills mayor.

Please pause the time. It's her turn to speak. She has the right to respond to any and all speakers during her time. There is not a back and forth. You had your time. Go ahead. Winning three mayorial elections in Rochester Hills v of writen campaigns. And then our our councilman in the third ward, our new one, Lean Johnson, won by 97 votes. Also, it's I find it interesting that someone who's calling for law and order. And I do agree with that. It's terrible that that kids are dying in the street, but called in a bomb threat and was suspended expelled from Grand Blank schools.

Also, another person who's saying things are illegal has has a $25,000 restitution due for food stamp fraud. Thank you very much. Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response?

Madame Chair, I'm sorry. Um, yes, Madame Clerk. I do have one more public speaker slip that was signed and filled out holy, but I cannot make out the first name. It is Miss Pard. She was here.

Please start her time. Um, I want to I want to thank

You have to pull the mic down. I want to thank everybody who um sent um text messages calls to my cousin. That was my little cousin who was trying to enjoy her life here where she lived at. That's my cousin baby daughter. She turned 18 in February this year. Now her life is gone. We need to do something about this violence. if y'all gonna have this curfew. But I want to speak on Saturday. Every police department on Saturday was up there. What happened to Sunday?

I appreciate the ones that reached out to us. It's killing me inside because that's the second cousin that got killed here less than a month. But we going to get justice for her because her daddy was all everybody was down here. My whole family's down here enjoying. My other daughter was even in an event that was down here. That is sad that people had to run for their life. Y'all got to where people don't want to come. Some of these parents, y'all got to do better with your kids. Control your kids cuz the innocent girl, which is my cousin, we don't know what her future was going to be. Everybody spoke highly of her, know her personally. She's gone. Gone. I'm here to ask y'all, it's about the city. It's not about the council people, what you got going on. It's about taking care of us because these people all pay their taxes faithfully. And the ones that don't, whatever they give you, they can give you what they got. Do better for Flint cuz Flint going to come back.

The devil is a lie. But my family is really hurting behind this because I started praying for the young lady not knowing that she was my kid folk until I get the call. Y'all wrong as hell. Do better when a cup inside. But Saturday y'all had every cop every cop sheriff part was here.

So what happened to Sunday? Cuz right now, the way I feel from Saturday with that other I mean, I ain't gonna be racist, but that other side with all them down there, y'all gave them love, but y'all didn't give us no love and y'all knew it was something else going on Sunday. So, show the same appreciation like you do the opposite race. Give it to us cuz y'all not showing us nothing. Y'all got people don't even want to go to nothing. Don't want and quit putting other counties because you're not our counties. What we do, we stand up for ours. And I'm here standing up for my hometown and my family kills cuz we all terrified and hurt. We broken behind her. She had a future. Now she ain't got nothing.

So I want y'all investigate that. Treat us right when we got stuck. [Applause] Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response? Yes, madam chair. Councilwoman in the fifth ward, you have the floor. First, I would like to thank all of the res I'm sorry. Oh, okay. They got it. They got it.

First, I would like to thank all of the residents for being here. Thank you for being um engaged in the process. Um Miss Polard, I feel I feel your pain. The young lady that was um shot last night, she's a part of my family. She's a part of my family. When is this going to stop? When is it going to stop? It has to stop. I'm asking that the parents, you you got to gain control over your children.

But with that, we got to bring back the village helping to raise the youth. We got to bring it back. When you see someone, a youth out there that's doing something that there they shouldn't be doing, speak up. I do it all the time. But it's about the approach, too. You have to be able to approach them correctly.

It's going to take the whole city. It's gonna take the whole village to come together to clean this mess up. It's I find it very coincidental. Now we have what I call a somewhat uh public safety plan. But you know what? We need a gang task force as well [Applause] cuz we got gangs. gangs out there just shooting shooting up people's houses. It has to stop. Thank you.

Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response? Councilwoman in the sixth ward, you have the floor.

Thank you. Um I do want to say this. My condolences to the family to have to um to have to lay 18year-old to rest. But we also had two weeks ago on a Friday two shootings. On that Saturday 17, that Sunday we had another three. We have a gun violence problem and we've had one. I've been asking for a public safety plan with our own gang task force, not just the one that's a collaborative because our intel on the street we know is clearly an issue. When we are bearing our children, it's the norm to the shots. And if you listen to some of the videos, you even hear the children laughing. It's nothing funny about the rest in peace t-shirts, the loss of life, a parent grieving, and then a lot of these children are born in poverty, and they can't afford to even be buried. And so, we have some serious issues. And it it's going to take counsel, the administration, and then the parents. Parents have to parent their children. You have to. It's not okay to let your children just go out and do what they want. Some of them kids had hoodies on and mask on. It was 88 degrees.

88 degrees. And if you in that you you're hot. You're hot. You know when you I watched those videos, shoes left behind, clothes, and a life was left behind. Yes,

it was. So, this is going to take some more time for us to deal with. I did just speak to the city attorney with some things, but I do want to take this time to say to my colleagues, Councilwoman Judy Priestley, you took the time to talk about a teenager who comes here for Grand Blank, but you won't denounce domestic violence. [Applause] Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response? Councilman in the eighth ward,

you know, uh living in living in Flint is a lot. Being up here is a lot. Um, I couldn't imagine having a uh member of my family shot in the streets. It's I don't even want to think about it. But when you think about the way our city is managed and during one Sunday a couple months ago, a 70-year-old man was ripped from his car for going too slow. But when we have a thousand people down down there,

there's not a cop to be found. So, I'm trying to figure out what what exactly is the police plan. And I know Councilman Burns has I think we've been asking for a police for a police plan since we got elected and unfortunately it's taken until someone gets shot downtown. Where was all this energy? Where's this energy every week when somebody gets shot in another part of the town? Like why wasn't there a press conference on our 33rd murder? Why does it have to be on our 34th murder? just so happens because it's downtown.

We and I hope that there is a serious plan put forward. The press conference isn't the plan. Where is the plan in writing and how are they going to address it? They need they need police that are in the community talking to people doing community policing and then they need a gang task force where it's needed. You don't need a gang task force where you need police. That should be community policing, right? There's two different two different mindsets. If somebody's dealing drugs or whatever, I need somebody in there to take care of that. But if somebody's selling barbecue, I don't need that same person there.

Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response? Madam Chair,

Councilwoman in the second w. Thank you so much. Um, so definitely want to um, excuse me, want to express um, the great things that did happen this weekend because we got a we got to chew gum and walk at the same time. They had a great day at the drop fest. A lot of vendors, a lot of local businesses were able to thrive. And um, how do I know? I was out there and then also on Sunday, A10 A10 day started off with a great day. We had the great McDonald's promotion for the entire city. Furthermore, we also had um in Brush Park, we had the mini concert. It was definitely a great day until we were met with drama. And so it is our job as council members not to just talk about it but to get into action. We had several council members state that they will not work with administration. We need to work with everyone administration residents to prevent this. Things are definitely preventable and there's things that we can do. We can promote organizations that are doing the work with these young people. One organization is Faith Foundation Resources. Another one is involved dads. Another one deals with Dante Lot men motivating men. Every Thursday they have a session from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They It should be standing room only. It should be a waiting list. They have things and resources to help our young

people. It is up to us to take advantage so all of us can do something and we should do just that something. Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response? Seeing as there's no one else who wishes to speak during council response, I will go ahead and take my time. I first want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family who is experiencing this great loss. Please pause my time. Please pause my time. So regardless to how you feel about me, I'm taking time to give reverence and respect to the family. And so while you all want to be rude when it comes to me, the least you could do is respect the family.

If it's not you, then you don't need to comment. Please start my time. I have a note from a parent who was frustrated and said, "To truly help, you almost have to be in the position of a battling mother. I've considered and still often consider taking on this fight, but I believe God hasn't fully aligned it for me yet. Still, he places it heavily on my heart. You almost have to be a mother dealing with this trauma to really understand these young men. They join gangs and cling to friendships with the loyalty and strength of a brotherhood. when in reality they are broken, hurting, and weak inside. I face this battle every day while also lean learning how to fight it because I didn't put my child in this situation. My role is to be patient, to remain his rock even when he makes difficult choices, and to teach accountability along the way. I have a son who cries almost every day, grieving the loss of so many friends and feeling the pressure from others to do something about it. Thankfully, he no longer hides these emotions from me. We spent more days crying together than anyone will ever know. It's not about pity. It's about giving him a safe place to open up without judgment. Learning how a young man's mind works has been a true battle for me, but it's one I wouldn't trade for the world. I refuse to live in denial that evil exists. But I know in my heart that God is greater than any devil. The city needs more therapy, more understanding, and more open minds to accept that sometimes God causes people home not because of a senseless act, but because it's their time. There's no need for revenge or harm. These are wounded kids searching for love. And so we give these kind of messages from mothers and parents alike. Um, one thing that I can say that I do believe is that every council member up here is committed to doing our part to figure out where we need to put resources, who we need to work with, how we need to make decisions for the city. I hope my colleagues will stand with me as I call for us all to have a community meeting with all council there with us being respectful so that we can hear from the mothers,

the children, and everyone else on their perspective. Um, I know that we all stand together and there's so much more work we can do.

Please stop yelling out.

That's your first warning, Glattis. That's fine. You don't have to. Moving on to the consent agenda. What? I will accept a motion for the consent agenda. Madam Chair, Councilwoman in the fourth ward. Motion to approve the consent agenda. There's a motion to approve. Excuse me. Send it to council. To send the consent agenda to council. Is there support? Support. Moved and properly supported. Are there separations? Madam chair, councilwoman in the sixth ward. I would like to separate um resolution 2550198 contract and Vanderlink water assessment asset management um reliability plan.

Are there any more separations? Councilman in the eighth ward. Uh 25223. Are there any more separations? Seeing as how there are no more separations, the consent agenda will include 2550248-T, which is the Consumer's Energy Electric Facilities Easement, 2301 University Avenue, and 2550249-T, Consumers Energy Electric Facilities Easement, parcel number 41-9-41-024. Roll call. Madame Clerk. Dr. Lewis. Yes. Miss Priestley,

yes. Missy Carter is not in. Miss Burns, yes. Miss Matt, yes. Mr. Feifer, yes. Mr. Jarrett, yes. Mr. Alamine is not in. Miss Winfrey Carter. Yes. Vote is seven. Yes. Zero no.

The vote is seven yes, zero no. Consent agenda passes. Um moving on to resolution 2550198-T which is the contract for place and vendor bill vendor brink water assessment management water reliability plan department of public works water division. What is the pleasure of the body? Madam chair councilwoman in the sixth ward. Um I'd like to send I don't even have the resolution. um that resolution to council. There is a motion to send this resolution to council. Is there support? Support. Moved and properly supported by the council woman in the fourth ward. Is there discussion? Madam Chair. Councilwoman in the sixth ward, you have the floor.

Um I will not be supporting this because this is a part of what should have been in our administrative consent order which was passed without uh any council members being allowed to speak on it on September the 23rd, 2024. Um, also this is a part of the Arcadus report. Um, and I just don't see for me u I will not be supporting this. A lot of these things should have been discussed before the acco administr administrative order consent was completed. And I don't even believe we got through YouTube to um Scott Dunie if you could have him come up. Mr. Dunie, will you please join us at the lect turn?

Mr. Dunie, I know that you're on the way. Um, I do not have my laptop. Uh, but do you have a copy of because we asked during budget time the projects that were completed where they were at? And because these are the same projects that were on the water water optimization plan in the administrative consent order. I didn't get an updated. Do we have an updated spreadsheet? Uh, I can get you one. Okay. Well, now's the time we're getting ready to vote on it, Mr. Dunie. So, well, I've updated it, but I I can get it to you. Okay. Well, at this time, I will not be supporting this. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else um who would like to flow in the first round of discussion?

Yes. I believe it was provided via email. Did you send us something via email? He said he don't have it to update if we could get it. Yes. I'd have to get that to Mr. Edwards to get to you. So, what was provided via email? the Arcada study. All right, Councilman in the eighth ward, you have the floor. Um, good evening, sir. How are you? Great. Um, what other dollars are we are we um going to have to spend because of the acco? Are do you are you aware of any uh are there any other So right now we have um any other projects?

So we have uh the Cedar Street project going but that that's paid for through the ARPA. Um is something wrong with I'm not sure of of all of the I'm not sure of all of the expenditures. Uh I mean I'm just dealing with the water plant itself. Threw you to threw you to Clyde Edwards. Mr. Edwards if you could join us at the lect turn please. I think they fixed the buzz, but now we can't hear. No, they are not. They're just not speaking to it. The two big items that I do know of are the Northwest Transmission main and that Tory Road booster station.

Mr. Mr. Edwards, are you um has the city put together any kind of a a budget on what items are in the acco and what they are going to cost us to comply with the acco? Adjusted a total budget. No, just developed. If I'm understanding you correctly, you're just talking about all those items, tallying them up and determining what the cost. Correct, sir.

No, we have a roundabout. No, I don't I don't have a roundabout. I'm sorry about what they would cost. These are just mandated items that the state said we need to take care of and that was all part of the agreement with the EPA. Uh so it was a mutual agreement between EPA and Eagle what requirements we would need to meet at that point. And some of that's positions when you talk about knowing all the components. Some of that has to do with positions. So that also has to do with dollars that would be set aside to take care of those positions.

So, but what about like the uh reports or projects? Do we have any a kind of idea of dollar amount for those outside of the positions that we need to hire? Uh, no. I I could I guess it's something that could be put together, but no, I don't have anything. We don't have anything. All I'm just trying I'm just trying to figure out, Mr. Edwards, how many more um $136,000 things are going to come before us that are going to be because of the ACL like how many different mandated projects or uh any other mandated reports or

Yeah, we from just just this brief discussion uh with Mr. Dunie. We believe it's just a couple of items that uh construction projects that uh we still have in the works. Cedar was part of Yeah. Yes. Yeah. The Cedar project was already funded. That's already funded. I'm talking I'm talking unfunded.

Unfunded. Yes. unfunded acco. Uh what can we expect to see? Um like we should have a like I don't understand how we don't have a budget. We signed something not knowing how much it's going to cost. They were they were requirements that they they the from the state standpoint the same thing with a lot of uh the lead line stuff. From the state standpoint, we just have to get it for a lot of the lead line stuff

and we just have I'm just telling you that yeah, it's it wasn't optional. It it was all uh required work that needed to be done. They specified what that work is. They didn't really get into cost. That wasn't part of the requirement to have a discussion about cost. It was about meeting this requirement so that our water distribution system comes into full alignment with what the expectations are for water system delivery systems around the state. Okay. They're just putting us on the same level as every other system.

All right. Mr. Dunie, you said on Wednesday that we should uh do this every couple of years and it's been like 10 12 or since since this report is done. Is that correct? Correct. Yes. What other things are we not doing that we should be doing that um are unfunded? I know it's a broad question, but if if we're not doing as simple as this, what other things are we neglecting that's going to come back and get Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during the first round of discussion?

Councilman of the ninth ward. Thank you. through through you to

through you to um to uh Mr. Edwards. Um so I'm understanding that for this project or for the for the ACL that we that we the agreement we went into We don't have a budget per se. Is that to say that we haven't given thought to what this agreement is going to cost us?

We've we have we've presented the items. We've presented all the items uh as we presented the acco at the time. We've brought back to council each and every one of the items collectively. We we did not construct a collective agreement or collective understanding of all that would be paid for. Uh we presented to you as I just said items in the acco were not priced out even with the with the with ego at the time. These were just looked at as we are a a a local distribution system required to meet their obligations or requirements. And so that was spelled out in the acco that that went on for two years even constructing the acco to determine what is it that we're going to have to do to be fully in compliance so that the EPA would agree and eagle would also agree. And I'm I'm hearing that I'm just having difficulty with how we would manage a project and not assign cost to the things that we are going to be required to fulfill. So my my as it relates to what's before us today, this is part of what we agreed to last year when we signed the document, right? or is this is this come about as somewhat of a surprise to us that they're asking for this?

No, it's part of the part of the acco and it was part of the original Arcadus report which outlined as we always say that it was the bible of this whole uh water distribution uh being compliant with water distribution services in local government. So for the information that was provided for us last week um in a very efficient manner, thank you uh sir for doing so the next morning. That is a report similar to what we're we're requesting in this resolution. Correct.

Yes. Okay. And having gone through that process then we had to pay for that one too, right? Wind fun being paid for that at the time. Wind fun. Did wind fun reimburse us for it or they sent the check directly to the vendor? Wind fund was all reimbursement. Everything about the wind fund was re everything about the wind fund was reimbursement. We had to we had to pay for it first.

And that's what I'm that's what I'm trying to understand. So th though it was several years ago, we probably had an idea that it's going to be, you know, high five figures, if not six figures to reproduce this this uh report. And I'm still just trying to tie together, you know, at what point do we say this is going to be an expense to us. So, let's document it somewhere and not have it just be about a resolution that we get passed. It it it it I don't know that it looks good on us that we would actually I appreciate the honesty. I would hope to get honesty. I just would not want to hear that we don't have a budget for a project that we committed to. And that's that's that's Thank you though. I I really do appreciate honesty. Thank you. It's just difficult uh accepting that's where we are.

Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak in the first round of discussion? Madam Chair, Councilwoman Priestley, you have the floor. So, we're talking about the acco and other projects and seeing how we don't know when those projects will be completed, it's pretty hard to get a budget, isn't it? Through through you to Mr. Edwards. Yeah, in some instances that would be true. That's correct. And isn't it true that without engineering services, etc., It's hard to determine what actually is the extent needed for those projects.

Yes, we would need to go out to bid to get an evaluation from a engineering firm on pretty much 90 95% of the time on construction projects. Request information. Pause the time. What's your request? Uh my request is um does the speaker know that the price and the scope of those projects was in the original budget the Arcadus uh report? It was in there.

Council P. going forward. Um, you know, I hear a lot of complaints about the acco and basically we needed to sign to agree to that because it's just a continuation of what had been in existence for quite a while. Correct.

Yes. So, um, and we discussed in close session several items regarding that. And if people didn't show up to the close session, they didn't know that. Also, the fact is is that it was on our agenda for several months and we it was discussed several times. So, I keep hearing that it was voted through without a discussion. that night there was no discussion that it was passed on because we had discussed it and discussed it and discussed it and it was time to pass it. So, um I'm going to approve this. I'm going to vote to approve it. I don't know if the votes are there, but I think that there are members on this council who are having interests that are not necessarily the same as mine. And I am um I am all in favor.

Please pause the time. Yeah. She should not be speaking to the mo the um

the motives of her colleagues at all. She should not. That is Robert's rules 43.21 where she just stated her colleagues who didn't have the same interest or whatever. You you can't speak to what our interests are when you didn't even know that the price was in the budget already. So anyways, um I am I want to make our water system good. I want to make it better and I want to make sure that we have delivery that protects all residents. I understand that there is issues across the city, but I am actually thinking that we're heading in the right direction. as I spoke with um Lee Zelden, the head director of of the EPA when he came to town um I said it's how do I said the biggest question is how do we get the trust of the residents back and I said that's what we need to show and do whatever way we do we whatever way we move forward and he could understand that

ma'am you are already on your first warning stop yelling out so Um, I'm in favor of of anything that improves our water. Thank you. And our delivery system. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak in the first round of discussion? Yes, Madam Chair. Councilwoman Winfrey Carter, you have the floor. I have a question through you. Uh, Madame Chair, to Mr. Dunie or Mr. Edwards, whoever can answer. When is their contract up? Feel Vanderbring. Yes. Well, that that's all related to when we can get enough staffing to relieve them. But aren't they already um on a contract? Yes. Covering the lab. Okay.

Water plant and and so um if I can remember correctly and I'm just trying to think back their contract should be coming to an end, right? We have we have extended that because we have not been able to fill the lab. Okay.

So, as we get employees, you know, they periodically leave. So, just about the time I'm ready to give them that notice, uh, I have staff that leaves. So, at that time, I have to retain them, you know, long enough to to, you know, maintain the lab staffing minimum staffing requirement. So, have we um put out any, you know, job offers or, you know? Oh, yes. Yes. Is are the jobs posted? Yes. Yes. They're testing for them right now, but it it takes time. Yes. Okay. And how many positions do you have to fill?

Two. A lab supervisor and one lab tech. Okay. And how are we doing with a DPW? What's going on with that, Mr. Edwards? We have uh currently we have a one deputy director uh his name is Marwan and he uh just started. He's working with the uh two plants with the the water plant and the WPC and in the pro we're in the uh process of getting a second one who will be handling the water service center and um streets. Okay. But don't we need to fill that B DPW position?

The director itself uh at this point we're just trying to make sure that we got the right kind of coverage. The people are coming the two deputies they will come with the certification on both sides and uh that's what we're focused on right now.

Okay. Now, um getting back to this, um resolution that we have here, um I've read that Arcadus report and everything was pretty much already planned out. So, why are we trying to come up with another plan? We only have um what maybe three three more projects to do, right? How many more projects do we have?

Yes, we have the the two Cedar Streets, uh one Cedar Street, it's the pump station and the reservoir. Then you have Tory Road, right? And then the Northwest Transmission main and then just this asset management is is a big one. This is the financial portion of it. So over the last eight years, we've done all the technical uh fixing the equipment and stuff of that. We have a few that we have to do, but a lot of it is positions and SOPs from the water service center. Okay.

This if if I may, this plan is that they're asking for is a comprehensive understanding of all the work that we've put together and done to this point. The Arcadus, you have to keep in mind the Arcadus was done five, six, seven years ago. I mean, even the pricing the uh um Councilwoman Burns was correct. The the the pricing was in there, but that's sixyear, five, six, seven year old pricing. So with that and and I and I think you should have used that arcadus report as a guide and and with that you probably should have built in a um a budget as far as all of these different projects. I mean, I know that it has the budget in there, but knowing that things are going to increase and stuff, you should have been keeping up with that and maybe, you know, building an increased budget for what we need in the future. I probably would add to that that there's merit to what you what you're saying, Councilwoman. However, the the um technicality of all of this stuff co it changed the dynamics. It really changed the dynamics considerably of

Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak in the first round of discussion? Is there anyone who wishes to speak in the second round of discussion? Councilman in the eighth ward. Uh Mr. Dunie, just going back to my first question. What other things are we not doing that we should be doing? Well, we're pretty much uh trying to tackle everything on that acco list that that they've addressed. talking about like is there anything that's not addressed in the acco list that uh one major item that's on there that I'm addressing I don't know that is unfunded

is residential cross connection inspections within the last 5 years they have mandated that statewide that all municipalities must do a residential cross connection in the past it was just commercial but now it's residential so that means we have to hit every house, every residential house within 10 years. So, and right now, what are we doing with that? Pardon me. What does that involve? What's So, that's going to involve probably a a full-time inspector. That and that position we have, but we haven't been able to fill it. That was a certified plumber that retired four years ago, and we haven't been able to replace him, but we're working on trying to adjust that. But it's What does that mean? Is that that you have to have a residential cross connection?

Cross connection. What does that mean? Does that mean we got to dig up outside? Is it something?

This is just a an employee coming to your home inspecting your home to make sure there's no internal cross connections like uh water irrigation boilers, hot water boilers, stuff like that. If you don't have irrigation boilers, none of that, they'll mark you off on the list with no cross connections. They'll give you a couple vacuum breakers for your exterior hoses. And then if you have a utility sink, we'll give up to four of them and then you're you're covered for 10 years. But it is an employee. It takes a person. It takes vacuum breakers. I'm spending, you know, upwards of $500 a box for 200 and we give four per house. So it's, you know, it's, you know, it's going to be costly. If we have to contract it out, that's a exorbitant cost. I'm trying to do it within with internal. So I got the water service center lined up to where whenever they're doing any type of meter change out, they're doing the survey. Um the inspection department is going to start doing some but we don't still quite meet the 2900 a year. So we're going to have to hire that one employee. So that's a mandate that's you know coming out of my water plant operational budget right now. But I've had to adjust my budget to accommodate that.

Okay. Um Mr. Edwards, can we uh have somebody look at the acco and even if they're budgetary numbers on the low side or high side, however, like can we get a final cost to this acco? Yeah, we can develop some not even some kind of projections. I mean, I'm not saying final because we get change orders all day every day, but some kind of baseline for what this acco is going to cost us. Yeah, we can make a projection about based on the remaining projects. Yes.

Okay. What uh I'm going to kind of kind of cross over. H shoot, I got 10 seconds left. Um is the 750 able to use the professional services that we have allocated able to pay for this? Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak in the second round of discussion? Madam Chair, Councilwoman Burns.

Thank you. So, Mr. Dun, you said you would get us a spreadsheet, which I think we asked for before, and I do understand, Mr. Evers, that of course when it was done that the price did go up. Um, but if we don't even know which projects need to be exactly completed, um, then it it makes it difficult if we're approving something. I understand with getting the licensing that fleece and Vanderblink do have covers the city but I think we have another part that when we talk about what's in the acco we did not really do the planning that should have been done because in the Arcadus report you got water distribution you got asset management plan development resource analysis needs infrastructure and investment recommendation corrosion control plan operational practices and all of these things are in that. I've read it. I read and wrote sticky notes and notes on it and I know it's it's a lot. Um this to me with with the water almost when we're talking about it because I think we need to be transparent. People have a trust issue um with this and and just now thinking maybe it's something we need to have uh listen to what the public because the public was poisoned. Uh everything people still I literally a month ago got people sending me um water that was different colors of um brown steel over in M Park which it may have been a rusted out water mane. I don't think we're doing the number we're supposed to was it $6 million in water mane repairs every year. Is that we're supposed to be doing Mr. Dunie? Do you know? I know we don't have

they would like up to 10% but I don't know the figures.

Okay. And so this I think when we do this it's really hard to make a decision. I get what you're saying Mr. Edwards um and Mr. Dunie but it's almost like I think we need to because this is the water and that maybe we need to do a I mean my questions are extensive um and within f two five minutes and three minutes does not allow um I think we had asked before maybe twice Mr. Dunie we had had when Mr. Miller before he resigned, he had given um the spreadsheet and you know I was able to get up and go back there to talk to him about things, you know, where we were at and we have not had I believe that spreadsheet. Um I think then we had had he had updated it since then. I think there were 22 projects and I think at that point he he gave the percentages of them and I don't know where those 20 do you know where those 22 projects are at?

I'd have to look at that list. I mean you have to look at this list. Well, this may not be ready for us to and I cannot because this is the water and we we should really be better prepared and it's not a shot because I don't even want to take it's so much going on. This is just important, you know, that we we take our time to fix this and do it right. So, um at this time until I get that, I cannot support this.

Thank you. Anybody else who wishes to speak in the second round of discussion? Seeing as how there is no one else who wishes to speak in the second round of discussion, this is the roll call vote for resolution 2550198-T, which is the contract for fleece and vanderink water asset management water reliability plan department of public works water division. Roll call. Madame clerk. Miss Priestley. Yes. Missy Carter. No. Miss Burns, no. Mr. Shat, yes. Mr. Feifer, no. Mr. Jarrett,

no. [Applause] Mr. Alamine is absent. Dr. Lewis, yes. The vote is 3 yes, 4 no. The vote is 340. Resolution 2550198-T. Contract for fleece and Vanderbrink water asset management water reliability plan department of public works and water division fails. Moving on to resolution 2550223-t which is the grant accept acceptance financial recovery technical assistance CSM Foundation. What is the pleasure of the body? Madam chair. Councilman in the eighth ward. Can I make a motion to send the previous one back to finance?

Okay. Councilman Feifer has made a substitute. Excuse me. Uh, yeah. Substitute motion to send 2550198-T back to finance. It's been supported by councilwoman in the sixth ward. Roll call. Madam clerk.

Miss Winfrey Carter. Yes. Miss Burns. Yes. Miss Michette. Yes. Mr. Feifer. Yes. Mr. Jarrett. Yes. Mr. Alamine is absent. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Priestley, yes. The vote is seven yes, zero no.

The vote is seven yes, zero no. That resolution has been sent back to finance. And that was resolution 2550198-T. Moving on to resolution 25223-T, grant acceptance for financial recovery technical assistance for CSM Foundation. Um from C CS Mott Foundation. What is the pleasure of the body? Councilwoman in the fourth ward. There has been a motion to uh send this item to council. Is there support? Supported by the councilwoman in the second ward. Is there discussion? Councilman Feifer, you separated. Would you like the floor first? Uh, sure.

Councilman Feifer, you have the floor. Uh, through you to uh um um is it possibly Sheamus? No, Phil. Um, I think it's Sheamus. I know. I'm gonna talk to Phil, too.

Sheamus and Phil, would you please join us at the lect turn? Mr. Moore, um, I had the same questions that I'm about to ask. I had on Wednesday. Um, we didn't underfund any departments. So, what are we going to are we going to reallocate this 750 that we already had budgeted?

The original plan was to uh use fund balance if we did not receive the grant. If we receive the grant,

right? Right. But we we received the grant. So, where is the what are we going to do with the other money? Because I right now I don't want to approve this one without doing a budget reduction on this same amount. because I no no no no offense to you but um I don't want additional people hired that we can't afford and this right here allows that because we're not we're we're getting the grant that's great you know we need we we want the money but now you still have the authority to spend the same amount of money that we've already budgeted yes

so where Where is what's the plan with the 750? I understand we're going to we're just going to put it in the budget fund. Well, then where's the bud where is the budget amendment to reduce all of these categories by this 750? We haven't prepared one because the concern that council expressed before was that they didn't want to have uh revenues less than expenditures and this this brings that gap closer. But we still have but we still have overbudgeted now

by 750 in these positions. Correct. We have an we have we've already budgeted for the complete salary not knowing we're going to get this. We got this. So where's the budget amendment to reduce these departments by this dollar amount? We have a prepared one because we assume that you'd want to reduce the the gap between see but we're we do that and then it never comes before us and then the administration hires 12 people and then we can't afford them and then like that's not saying you're doing it but that's the way that this administration works

and I'm not willing I'm more than willing to approve this but I want to see a reduction in by this dollar value so that we don't get handcuffed come next budget season saying, "Well, you approved 750 and now we've got 12 extra employees. Now we got to raise our budget by this amount of money next year because there's no there's no guarantee that we're going to get this next year." And without a reduction in the each staff department by this dollar value, we're leaving that money on the table to uh administr the administration to do whatever they want with it.

So um so a lot of these positions are grant funded, but they're already budgeted, sir. But the the grants have specific uh usage for those funding. So it's not like we can um No, I'm not saying I'm not saying that with the Okay. I just want I just want to make it clear. I just want to just make it clear. I It's not that we can um use this to pay for somebody somebody and then free up that to pay for somebody else, a different department. The monies that we've already allocated can be used for that. Once we take these dollars and move them into this now, the monies that we've already allocated in the general that we had didn't know that we were getting this can be used for whatever they want to be used for.

Well, we did know we we we were getting this. We got the I got the award letter the night the budget was adopted. I brought the I brought the award letter to you guys to show you that we Yeah, but we didn't reduce the budget by this amount in these departments. The budget that you adopted was actually the uh 2025 budget, right? Which we didn't reduce any of these departments. This um Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak in the first round of discussion? Madam Chair, Councilman in the ninth ward.

Thank you. Through you to those at the podium, can this grant here, is it allowing for us to be able to fund new positions? Uh the positions that you see that you have in front of you are the positions that it funds. Okay. Are all There's two two of those are currently vacant. Which two are vacant? comm the community and business services director, the director of the CBS department and um the grants management officer. They're two current vacant positions.

So grants manager offic grants management officer and the first one on your sheet. Okay. Are those new positions? No, one of them was uh Miss Door's position. Okay. And the other one was my my old position. Okay. Now, um what direction or oversight did my um dictate by way of the allocation of the FTEES?

They wouldn't fund 100% of the funding. So we knew what um other percentages were been funding this the positions out of other grants and we knew where the gap was and that they would fit fit that gap to help us. So we determined what percentage of FTE for these persons short of 100%. based on what we currently had available in grants that were paying the position. We taught them that this is where the gap was at because this is a financial recovery grant where they hid in and sit hit the gap but they were never going to fund any of them at 100%.

Right. Right. Well, what I'm excuse me what I'm trying to understand is for example the community and business services director Someone someone in the city whoever was o giving oversight for this determined the 32 FTE. It wasn't that M said this is the amount of FTE for this position. No, it was basically we knew what was currently available and then there was a gap of 06. So we determined it. We we show but we show them

the proof. We give them the evidence in the reporting. We have the back and forth conversation with them. This is not an overnight thing. This takes months of discussions with them to get to this point where they actually agree upon okay we'll do this part and then we follow up with the reporting. So when we report to them we don't report on the 750 report on the 100% for every position.

Okay. Can you help me understand what professional services looks like? What what exactly is that? So, we have um our community and business services department that um utilizes, let me just bring it up here because I have my notes. Um as as needs come up, looking at uh code development enforcement, master planning, site plan review, uh land division administration, capital improvement, architects. We have a bunch of needs that the that specific department utilize professional services for. This will help pay for those going forward to streamline a lot of our work to get projects done a lot quicker. This funding will help for that.

So, so this is basically for us to be able to contract with vendors. Yes, contract with vendors. Yeah. to provide services. And are those services specific to um certain certain sectors or need or wherever we wherever we as a city might identify a need, we can plug it with professional service.

It's predominantly community and business services department. It's it needs a lot of the professional services. So we we follow the same procurement processes. If you pass this, we have our the My Deal and the Sourcewell vendors that we can use, which we're I'm sure we're all aware of. And then we have anything over $10,000, we have our bid process. Anything under $10,000, we have our three quote process. Um,

okay. I I I yield at this time. Is there anyone who wishes to have the floor in the first round of discussion? Madam Chair, councilwoman in the sixth award. Thank you. Um Sheamus, who is what was your former title before? Grants management officer. And so and how much did you make there? Because this one was it the 50,000? Yeah. So this this includes um salaries and fringe benefits. This is not just salaries. This includes fringe benefits, too. All of those positions. Okay. So who is I'm I'm sorry. It's really hard to respectfully It's really hard to hear people are chirping at us in the background. So, I'm trying to concentrate with what you're saying fully. I want to be engaged. Oh, I can. See, I don't hear I don't hear that.

You can't because you're there, but it's it's happening. I just want to make sure I can hear you. So, I I want So, your former job, what was the title again? That one? Grants management officer and you're now chief strategy officer. Correct. So, this is your salary with fringe benefits. Correct. So what? 50 50,000 is for fringe. No, that's that's a that What is your salary? What is my salary? My my my stuff is right there. You can see it right in front of you. I'm the chief strategy officer. So the 100,000. It's right in front of you. Yeah. Yeah. But that's not one because he had a promotion. I I I'm sorry.

Was that a promotion? I got a lot of people. I can't hear you. Okay. So, Madam Chair, he he can't hear. He's stating in the background. I guess you can also call people to order. Yeah. Well, you're chairing, so I just was I just wanted to let you know. But I I I do know that, but I know you are very good at that. So, you can join me. I'mma stay in my little lane today. So um so this is so your former was who was in your old position now? Who is that job? That job is getting posted. If you approve this this we're going to post that position.

Okay. So that one will be So who is the deputy communication director? The deputy where's that? That's that where's that? That is to be that's posted currently. That is posted on her. So, can you tell me if you just go down, tell me if someone is in this, correct? Like in the job. Can you got you have this in front of you? Yes, I do. Can you start at the top and just go down so I can write it in? So, um the first one is posted on our website and currently vacant. RL, can you have a seat? The second one is is Please pause the time. I'm sorry.

Point of order. So, just wanted to highlight that um Glattus is standing up as well. I want to hear how much he I and that's fine, but I need you to sit down while you do that, please. Thank you.

All righty. Go ahead. Okay. Second position is um filled. Okay. That's with Tyler's, correct? Okay. Tyler Bailey. The third position is filled. Who is that? Could you tell me who they're filled with, please? Um, do you know their names? I don't know all the department's names. Ste. Is it Ste Steve? I think it's Steve. Okay. Jesus. Zony. RL. Stop yelling out. We got Can you Can you Whoever that was, who was that?

Zon zoning coordinator is Phil. Point of order. I'm sorry. Please pause the time. Point of order. It was the young lady in the white and red in the back. I'm sorry. Who? The young lady in the white and red in the aisle way. Ma'am, please stop hollering out so that we can hear. Ma'am, please stop hollering out so that we can hear. Yeah. Thank you. Please continue. So, zoning. Yeah. I I don't know the name of the person, but it's so coordinator position. There's a planner one. I believe there's more than one planner one that works for the city on different

You don't know how many we have as planners. I think we've got I think we've got two. Is this vacant or There's somebody in there. I'm just not sure which one is. I thought we just had a planner um resign that. No, there's this planner one is currently filled. Okay. Deputy communications director. That is posted. That's a job posted. Okay. That's posted, right? Um CFO. So this is just a portion of your salary, Mr. Moore, that's coming out of that grant. What is your total salary? I don't know what your total salary is.

Our last one made 150. It's not a rock. It's not a secret. You have a contract. Yeah, I have a contract. Uh I don't know for sure. I believe it's like 130. 13. Okay. Um this is what I was saying. So Sheamus with yours is this cuz some of this because if I'm looking at yours um I know what the percentages means because some of these they may come from different grants. Yeah. I I'm fully reliant on grant funds. My position is fully grant funded. I am an exempt employee which means if I don't have the Okay, hold on just a second because this is 75. So what is your total salary? 98.

98. Yes. Okay. And then and grants management. Who's the grants management? Is that open or vac? That will be posted pending approval of this acceptance of this grant. So and I just want so on this sheet so people will know these are percentages. So there's a percentage of and I know the grants can come from different grants to fund a full salary and so these are not 100% you on this. Is there anyone else who wishes to begin the first round of discussion? Anyone else in the first round? Anyone in the second round? Madam Chair,

Councilman in the eighth ward. Um Mr. B, I'm confused because when we had a sidebar, you told me we had two open positions, but now you're telling me there's three. No, there's there's um there's now No, you're saying that there's two. There's one there's there's two up and there's one that's not posted, which is the grants management officer position is not posted. The community business and services director position is

open and posted. The second one I was referring to is the deputy communications director position is open and posted because your question was which of these are currently open and not filled. The the last one the grants management officer position is not one that's posted at all are currently open because we have an I mean if it's posted or not that doesn't that's irrelevant to me. It's which ones are currently empty or or whether or not you posted it as okay. So is there three on this list? Those those ones community and business services director is currently as a job posting that we have

but nobody it's open the correct deputy communications director on which department? That's true. The mayor's department. That's the mayor's department. And then the grants management officer. Those are the three. Correct, sir. Okay. I I was confused between what's open and what's not posted. So, okay. But your old position is is the uh grants and finance coordinator and that's empty, right? No, my old one was grants management officer. Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. That's I was confused with that one, right? So the grants and finance coordinator would basically be the assistant to your old position.

That's that's currently um somebody's doing that. But that would be basically an assistant to your old position. Is that what that No, they're they're they're the grants person. It's really hard to hear. I'm sorry. They're the grants person in the finance department. They're based in the finance department. Okay. So they're the ones that are responsible for the financial reporting on a lot of our grants that we get for the city. Okay. Um, just being honest with you, I don't know that I can support this tonight because I want to I want to figure out the budgeting. I understand

because we've already budgeted. I I've already had the sidebar with you. What's happening with the monies that are already budgeted that aren't restricted the way these ones are restricted? That's my That's my question. Um, Mr. more if you can tell me when we can get a resolution to uh reallocate those into the general fund and and not uh allocate those into salaries. That's what I would like to see. I'll I'll need to talk to some people, but I can get back beyond that. Okay. Thank you. I yield. Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like to form the second round of discussion?

Yes, madame chair. Councilwoman in the fifth ward, do you have the floor? Um, Simus. Okay. I have the community and business services director. That position is open. And is that position posted? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Next, I have the deputy communications director. That position is open. Open and posted. and posted. And then we have the grants manage management officer. Correct. Open and posted.

Not posted. No, not not posted. It's reliant. We're not going to post the job. It's reliant on this being passed. So, we can post it then. Okay. Now, I'm missing someone. The zoning coordinator. Who is that? I'd have to I'd have to ask Tyler Bailey that question. and who that person is. Okay. Um, you know what? We've never received the organization um chart. I don't even know.

I don't even I mean, we need an updated organization chart with everything and and I know we have other grants. % I know we have other grants here in the city that have positions. I want I I I was just asking Mr. Mr. more if that was given during the budget hearings and we believe it was given every department gave their um during the I want names I want names and with within this organization chart okay as well as all of the grant positions but you did receive the organizational chart of the positions is is that what you're saying I'm trying to understand what you receive

I want names of the people who work in the city under you know the organization chart as far as like the admin administration and who are who have positions and I'm talking about all of the grant positions because this is not the only grant that we have right oh correct yeah but it's to accept this grant it's not to accept multiple grants that that's why you want to have that I understand that Simus okay shame I'm shameless I'm shameless please do not insult my intelligence okay this is for this grant right but I Oh, we have other grants in the city. Okay. I can't hear you.

And I'm just asking for an organizational chart. Okay. With names. Okay. Um, thank you for this. We had to fill in the names and thank you. But I I just so you know, I got that request at 3:45 today. That's the best I could get for you. Oh, you did? Yeah. 3:45 today. I got the request officially. Oh, because I asked for this on um Wednesday. So, some somebody didn't follow through. I never got at the 3:45 today. Oh, I'm sorry about that. Okay. Um, [Music] thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak in the second round of discussion? Madam Chair,

councilwoman in the sixth ward. Um, so can we what what I would like and I don't want to get another, you know, complaint to the ethics and accountability. I would like to have an updated or chart because we do have people we don't know who works at the city. So it it needs to be updated. For example, uh Emily Door doesn't work here. Uh Ashley um Harris is no longer here. She was the deputy um planning development director. And I know that some of the jobs you have to not some every job you should have integrity and honesty

and making sure when we fulfill these positions that you should have to have it and some of these are not I mean it's a requirement everyone takes an oath when you work for the city you take an oath you take one the clerk will you raise your hand that you will do the best for the city and that oath is taken well if y'all didn't get did you didn't oath. I I'm not sure what your Did you take an oath when you were hired with your contract? No. Oh, wow. Oh, I did. When I work for the city, we had to take a oath.

And so that oath is something for me that you should you it should be upheld as to the honesty and the integrity of the position. Um, and I would like to see because I do know when we're looking at some of these are like 32%, 70%, 50%. What other grants when we're saying your your position is 100% funded on and I know this because I used to do this,

right? And so I and it's being transparent, not stating that you may not be doing your job and for me and you and I'm fully transparent. I'm moving forward and I want to make sure these positions because you used to be really good with answering questions. You honestly were and you just with me it went and and listened at that with honesty and integrity and that oath which is in the city charter. Yes. I mean it is just something that's important. I want to make sure where we at with is Ashley's job and Emily's job.

Yeah. So Ashley's is posted. I believe that's closing this week. It has to be up for two weeks before we can it's with HR. They see who applies and then after two week period um interviews will be started. Oh, you have started them? No, you have not. It has correct yet. Yeah, it's not closed yet.

Okay. And so, um, I would like to see that because as Councilman Feifer stated, um, with these jobs, we know that people are filling them. We know that they don't come back. I mean, we don't I mean, that transparent, it just has not been with this administration, unfortunately. But we need to start making it be um transparent so that we can see. Um, and we shouldn't have to go through now to say, "Hey, who's got this job?" You know, we should already have that updated. Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like the floor in the second round of discussion? Thank you, M.

Is there anyone else who would like the floor in the second round of discussion? Seeing as how there is no one else, thank you. This is the roll call vote to send resolution 2550223-t, which is a grant acceptance financial recovery technical assistance CSM Foundation to council. Roll call. Madame clerk. Miss Burns. No. Miss Michelle, yes. Mr. Feifer, no. Mr. Jarrett, no. Mr. Alam is absent. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Priestley, yes. Miss Winfrey Carter, no.

The vote is 3 yes, four no. The vote is 3 yes, four no. That resolution has failed to move to council. What is the pleasure of the body? Motion to councilman in the eighth ward. Uh send the previous resolution to finance. There is a motion on the floor to send the previous resolution to finance by Councilman Dennis Feifer. It is supported by Councilwoman in the sixth ward, Tanya Burns. Roll call. Madame clerk.

Miss Mashette. Yes. Mr. Feifer. Yes. Mr. Jarrett. Yes, Dr. Lewis. Yes, Miss Priestley. Yes, Miss Winfrey Carter. Yes, Miss Burns. Yes. The vote is 7 yes, zero no. The vote is 7 yes, zero no. Resolution 2550 223-t which is the green acceptance financial recovery technical assistance. CSM Foundation has been sent to finance. What is the pleasure of the body? There's a motion to adjourn by Councilman Feifer, supported by Councilwoman in the fourth ward, Miss Priestley. Roll call. Madame clerk. Mr. Feifer.

Yes. Mr. Jarrett? Yes. Dr. Lewis? Yes. Miss Priestley? Yes. Mr. Winry Carter? Yes. Miss Burns? Yes. Miss Mich, yes. Vote is seven yes. Zero no. The vote is seven yes. Zero no. The time is now 6:31 p.m. on Monday, August 11th. This special affairs committee meeting is adjourned.

This is a reminder to anyone who wants to participate in public speaking in the council meeting. Now is the time to fill out a slip. You do not have to fill out another slip if you already filled out one for the previous meeting. How much, Madam Clerk? How much time are you giving them? Five minutes.

Thank you. I respect I respect and I respect and I respect And another reminder to the public is if I could have your attention, if you file a speaker slip, please make sure you that you fill it out and it's entirety with your printed name and signature date and check marks for the meeting. You wouldn't be a good face.

I won't put me on I am not my best. I'm not perfect. Get out the door. Do your job. Okay.

should bring chairs up there. All right. Hey, will council members please um take their seats so we can get started? We got the old shoes.

All right, madam clerk. Okay, this should go quick. hopefully in prayer for Le.

Oh, we got public speaking will take most of our time. It will It is 6:39 p.m. and I am informally calling this city council meeting to order for the purpose of electing the city council president in accordance with the Flint City Charter. Before that, I will take the roll call. Mr. Alamine is not in. Dr. Lewis

present. Miss Priestley present. Miss Winfrey Carter present. Miss Burns present. Miss Mhat present. Mr. Feifer present. Mr. Jared you have seven members present. Madame clerk. Miss Priestley make a motion to put this selection of council um leadership and officers to the end of the agenda. Miss Priestley has made a motion to move the organization of the council to the end of the agenda. Is there support for her motion? Support.

It's been seconded by President Lewis. I will take the roll call. Mr. Alamine is not in. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Priestley, yes. Mr. Winfrey Carter. No. Miss Burns, no. Miss Mich, yes. Mr. Feifer, yes. Mr. Jarrett, yes.

The vote is five. Yes. Two. No. Now it's time for the pledge of allegiance. Councilwoman Priestley, could you please lead us in the pledge of allegiance? Yes.

I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So before we do our blessing, is there any one that the body would like to acknowledge that may have transitioned? Madame Chair, go ahead, Miss Winfrey Carter.

Um, I would like um to have a moment of silent prayer for the family of Mrs. Leverne Dawkins. um the family of Mrs. Pamela Miller, the family of Mrs. Alice Kemp, and of course the family of Miss Jayla Kills, the 18year-old that was um shot last night downtown. Thank you. All right, anyone else? All right, seeing that there's no one else, we will pause for a moment of silence. All right. So, now it's time for the blessing. We ask the um student minister um Lauron X if you could join us at the lectern to minister a blessing over this meeting. Prayer in the name of God the beneficent, the merciful. I pray that he can bless us to come together in peace and harmony. I ask that he bless us to come together and get along with one another so that we can solve these problems in our beautiful city of Flint, Michigan. And I pray that he bless us with a peaceful meeting today. and I pray he bless us with a peaceful leaving. Amen.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you.

So now it's time for the reading of the disorderly person city code subsection which goes as follows. Any person that persists in disrupting this meeting will be in violation of the Flint City Code section 3110 disorderly conduct, assault and battery and disorderly persons and will be subject for arrest for misdemeanor. Any person who prevents the peaceful and orderly conduct of any meeting will be given one warning. If they persist in disrupting the meeting, that individual will be subject to arrest. Violators will be removed from the meetings. So now it's time for any requests for agenda changes or additions. All right, seeing that we have none, we will go ahead and move on to public comment. So the first public speaker, Madame Clerk,

first speaker is RL RL Mitchell. Hello, hello, hello. I'm Aaron El Mitchell, live at 759 East Lynon Avenue. Uh, address the situation over on Highway, the water department. We got a new language called the Bible. It gave us the whole Bible of the situation in the water department with the eagle situation. The eagle's trying to get out of there and blame somebody, but they can't. But the only Bible we got in city hall is May's daddy Bible. And you don't and you don't want to hardly use it because every time he goes use the point of order, somebody may say, "Go get my daddy's B." But but anyway, address the situation about Simon. Simon is a man. He almost got away with it with all that money them budgets and stuff until we put him put back on the treasure department cuz just like Mr. mocked in 1953. a tornado come out and wipe half of beat you out and half of blimp I mean yeah beat you out and m down the best he can and got it back together and with them M peoples over there at M college they call yourself fill it in the gap flick we don't I told M peoples to back off long time ago for people's like Simon says won't get away with our money so and you know All that in one A them new technology program you see a all them billions of dollars they put over Flint they can catch every murder in Flint whoever shot a gun but they don't want to tell us we the peoples about it that camera up there for instance there ain't nothing wrong with that ke that camera that's the one

I ate and nobody want to talk about it I told you about I mean oh honey oh I can't talk cuz she looking at me that especially look Just like Tanya Burns, they do something to me. Just like Fields when she used to be, they could talk with their eyes and they they like I'm saying. Wow. Could you be like Fifth Ward Vetta? Darker the berry, sweeter the juice. But I like buttercotch, too. Well, I'm a greedy man. But ties in, like I say, or the man with the money, he he know how to back down and let the little donkey administration take over. I mean, I can't look back, but only in that camera back. They got

um m Mr. Mitchell, please pause this time. Please, let's refrain from using racial rhetoric like [ __ ] please. A racial girl, what you what college you went to? Thank you. What school you carry on with his time? Okay. Like I say, you must have went to Grand Blank. Like Miss Miss Priestley talking about a bomb scare out there in the beach. I'm out there in Grand Blank. You know, Grand Blank ain't got no I went out there. They told me don't never come back out of here. So no woman. He said you you look whatever they were saying under that crap. You look Grand. Thank you, Mr. Mitchell.

Next public speaker, Madam Clerk. Bless you. The next speaker is Stanley Wood.

All right. Uh, first to the city attorney. Um, would you agree with me that a Supreme Court decision sets precedents in the lower courts? I know I didn't don't expect you to answer that because I knew you can't have communication with us, but I just wondered um section 1601 from the charter oath of office. Thank you, Tanya. I mean, Councilwoman Burns, you threw me a uh easy lob ball there. It does say every elected officer and every appointee before entering on official business shall take and subscribe the following oath and then the oath is there. How many more like this? How many more appointees have not taken the oath?

But we'll go on to what I really wanted. One of the other ones I really wanted to talk about was section 101-602 of ethics. and you go under section G, campaign activities using City of Flint property or during working hours. So that's part of my uh thought on the corruption on the U third ward uh voting. Yes, there was a time recently when the third ward writing candidate used the mayor's conference room for that.

Yes. Um then we'll go on to section 106 or 1-603 forfeerture or removal from office for cause. Section B number one lack at any time any qualification required by law or by the charter. The charter says you must live for one year in your ward before you can run as a council man or a council woman. Mr. We clearly know again the first war councilmen did not follow those rules. And then I gave a little history speech the other day or a couple weeks ago and uh hopefully I got enough time to get this out, but at the Coenv California, a man named Paul Paul Cohen walked into the courthouse in California wearing a jacket that said, "Fuck the draft." protesting the Vietnam War. He wasn't violent. He wasn't loud. He just wore the jacket. The words on the jacket could offend some people and cause trouble. So, the government wanted to say that they could legally punish him for that. The Supreme Court came back and said, "No, we agree with Cohen." They said that the government can't ban words just because they're offensive and part of free speech even the words are sh even if the words are shocking or vulgar. So what it means the case protects your right to express.

Thank you so much Mr. Stanley. So next speaker please. I don't think Mr. Woodson came back. Uh Mari Copen, I think she's here. Keani Copeny, Taye Coffee. Next speaker is Glattus Williamson.

Yeah, you're a joke too, Lewis. Listen, I am getting sick and tired of people from back there coming up here not having the proper paperwork. You all get a F in fail because you come here, you don't have the proper paperwork to show where you spent money that you got and where you want money. You don't have no paperwork to show for that. You don't have no accountability for the money you spend. You don't have no accountability for absolutely nothing. You don't know how many people work down there. You You people are a joke. Literally, you sit up and you laugh at us.

But we watch you come up here time after time and not be prepared for questions before this city council. Time after time, you come and not have paperwork. Excu Excuse me, Miss Richardson. Could you please address the body? Yeah. No, you know who I'm addressing. Don't Don't make me get on you, ma'am. Cuz I got plenty of her time. Stop her time. Please address the body. Thank you. Proceed.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you. This four here that hold these people accountable. Don't respect. Please respect us for coming here and putting up with what we have to put up with just to make sure these people come up this stairwall and sit up and have the paperwork when they come up to this podium saying they want. They're worse than kids. So what they want? I really don't care what they want. if you don't have the paperwork. And and Mr. Jonathan, I so respect you because I was able to tell you months when you first came here, if you treat your seat like you do the bank, would you give somebody that came to your bank and didn't have the proper paperwork a million dollars? And that answer you've told me would be no. and and I expect and I have gotten that from you that same response when these fools come up here and don't have the proper paperwork

for money they've spent and money they want treat these people like a child that doesn't have proper sense with money and they don't have proper sense with money our That's right. And I want to thank Mr. Jonathan, Mr. Dennis, Miss Burns, and Miss Jerry because it's worth coming here and taking the garbage that I have time. Next speaker, Madame Clerk,

the next speaker is Beverly Big Levy. again. My name is Beverly Bigs Levy. Judy, you got the audacity to keep bringing up stuff about me. Your finances ain't paid. Why you worried about my bills? Worry about yours. And I don't You talking about you own your house, boo boo, I own three of them. Just cuz you have a house, you ain't the only one that owns a house. This is irrelevant for what need to be done, but you want to sit back in the back and talk stuff to me. I'll put it on record. I ain't ashamed. You guys need help. Yeah, like I said, you don't look up. Them are the only four that looks up all the time. Y'all got y'all heads down. Y'all probably texting one another. You got something to say? What you got to say? Who How much you going to steal this week? How much money you going to get this week? That's what you got to say. Voting on your 501c3s. That's what y'all got to say. How much you going to get from Ash to capital? Let's make this plain.

You guys have a problem and it's a big problem. A real big problem. Are you going to uh have Leon to sit down, step down from beating up his girlfriend? Let's put the stuff out. You never did a press conference on Leon, but y'all want to do a press conference on some kids. And this is the thing. The kids are innocent. You don't pray for them. You want to think about what the good things you done did this week. There's people dying in our street. Chief Green need to step down.

The mayor need to step down. You guys have no plan for our young people. That's right. But I bet you you had made sure that that girl didn't get on the news last night, but you put the back to the bricks on the news last night. Let's put the real stuff on the news. These kids are dying out here in these streets. You have no control. You'll have this council full of police officers, but you ain't got nobody on the street. Let's do something about the streets.

And Michelle, it's a shame. You get up and speak on the kids and you ain't even got none. It's It's a shame. You don't know what these parents are going through and you really do. You You three don't care. Have a blessed day. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. Next speaker is Pantoia Jax. Jackz, she wasn't here.

Next speaker is Miss Pard. [Applause] Only thing I got to say really to everybody, including everybody in the chambers, um, these kids is out of control. It's nothing for them to do in Flint. And when y'all do give things downtown for them to come out to enjoy life, this was what happened. We got to clean it up. We got to get the streets right. We also got to do right by them also cuz we feloning them in in different areas here in Flint. A lot of people keep saying I'm tired of Flint. Flint ain't nothing. But when y'all travel to go out of town, y'all got the same issue as us but worseer than us. So leaving Flint ain't going to solve the problem. I'm going to always stick with my Flint Town and my buck town for life. I'm not going to run from Michigan just because what's going on? It's crimes going on all over. Everybody's babies getting killed. A six-year-old got killed in Detroit jumping waiting for his daddy to come home from work and they shot up the wrong house. So, I mean, at the end of the day, you guys, whoever the parents are, you know who your kids is, do something about it. Do something about your kids and tell them give you the gun for you can turn them in. Turn the guns in. Stop this violence.

Cuz a lot of kids are good in so many people on Facebook pashing some of these kids. A lot of kids that was in in that um thing from Sunday weren't down there for no mess. A lot of them was trying to enjoy life like my cousin was innocent. And I got to say, we got to say a prayer for this 16-year-old boy that also got hit. We just found out he got hurt, but he's um doing good. So, we need to pray for his family also. I don't know his name, but I found out another young boy, 16 years old, also got hurt downtown. We need to do better. police department instead of y'all um spraying bear spray snatching people out their cars and whatever y'all mad about cuz of this council meeting. Why don't y'all put that energy on the streets and get the people off the street because Flint going to come back regardless who don't want it to come back. We strong as hell. We very strong and we going to continue to fight all races. We all going to come together and this town going to come back cuz Mr. Mount Foundation is taking care of everybody. He putting up a new school in Beecher. The foundation helped him with that. He doing Burton. He going all over. So that let us know Flint is still got hope. We still have hope.

We got hope. And we going to we going to come back like it used to be. Everybody look out for each other. And these young kids go to the neighbor and say, "You need your cat grass cut." You understand how we did it? We had our same problems, too. Only thing is we did with the fist. We might have shot a couple of time, but most of the time when we did our fighting was with these fists right here. Not no guns. So, put the guns down, teenagers. I'm being honest with you cuz my daddy got killed in Flint. I was a young teenager. Jerry Winfrey knows. So, put the guns down. Thank you so much. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

The next speaker is Natalie Wright. Natalie Wright.

Hi. I have lived in downtown Flint for 15 years now. The last 13 being at the Hardy Building. Um the front of my building faces the bus station where we do get some shootings and actions. I've also been going out and enjoying all of our festivals that we have. And one thing I have really noticed in the last 15 years is that there one thing I have really noticed in the last 15 years is that when there's a predominantly black event, it is just not going to be staffed the same way. I would really like to contrast Dropfest that was so gratuitously staffed that that's why we were able to have the intervention we did when Garden View was on fire. Um because it was ridiculously staffed and I'm tired of this blame being put on the parents when white people could drop their white kids off to a rave like atmosphere and know that all the drugs they did it would be fine. They could pick them up at the Red Cross tent. Where was the Red Cross tent yesterday in that heat? You know, where were the sheriffs? I would like to see a sidebyside report on how that was staffed. You know what I mean? It was known that it was going to be a big event. And time after time, I see it. And then it's the parents, the parents. How come the white events, it's just not the same. Also, I wanted to tell you how you regain trust is by doing the right thing for the people all the time.

That's right. On all subjects and you keep doing it over and over again. And if you were doing that, you'd have already regained the trust, right?

Um I would also like to say this stuff about Leon, it's bothering all of us. And then you don't want the youth to be violent, but you're not holding this man accountable who's in a city council position. I would also like to read you something that I found today by a Miss Analisa Padilla. What happened and keeps happening in Flint is also a result of people not having a third space anymore. A third space is the concept that we have home and work and a third place to gather and socialize. Um studies have shown third places are disappearing. We have lost clubs, bars, restaurants, libraries. People have nowhere to gather, especially young black people in our city. So they keep making places themselves and these places are wholly unregulated with no decorum because no one is held accountable. Here's the thing is I'm as I said I wanted to read all of this and I will get back to reading this and skip back down is it wouldn't have mattered what color the people were last night with that little staffing that was bound to happen. And why does that keep happening? Why does it appear that we do not care about our young black people here?

We also need to hold cops accountable. It is very odd that they could show up to police, drop us and other Yeah. Thank you. [Applause] Next speaker, Madam Clair. The next speaker is Deborah Coleman.

Deborah Coleman. My name is Deborah Coleman and I live in the first ward. First thing I want to say is I want to send a abundance of um love and healing to the lady that lost her her life and her family and everybody that was down there with their families and grandkids and great grandkids that was traumatized for that senseless act from the coward who did it. Now I'mma throw I'm going to throw some fingers and my first fingers I'mma throw is y'all say that parents shouldn't be held accountable. I'm not going to say all of them. I'm talking to the ones that don't care about the kids and don't try to help the kids. I got a son that's about to be 36 next month. I got a 25 year old daughter. And when I was raising them, I was in their business. I was pulling up where they was at. I was dropping them off. I was sitting in the parking lot. And anything that my kids got into, guess what I did? I got on the phone. I'm calling people mas, daddies, uncles. Y'all know them. Most of the time all these kids that's out here getting into it, their mothers and granny's and stuff went to school together. And if people talk, that'll make it even better. Maybe they'll calm down.

So parents do need to be held accountable. The second thing I'm going to throw out here, y'all keep saying what the police got to do with it. The police got a lot to do with it

cuz yesterday they didn't patrol that. When I came down here through here Saturday, it was police presence everywhere. But they wasn't out there last night. I don't know if y'all trying to prove a point or whatever cuz y'all show did the jump the the the uh the pig jump out boys jumped out on some 58 year olds and sprayed us cuz we was just getting food but was nobody jumping out there on them kids last night. They can't tell me they can't get out there and control them kids. That baby downtown ain't even a mile long. Detroit is huge. When you go to Detroit downtown they got police riding on bikes walking. They standing at every corner. So y'all can't tell me y'all couldn't control that. Y'all got patty wagons. put the patty wagon in the middle of the uh in the middle of the turning lane. Y'all see the y'all know grown folks don't have a curfew. Kids got a curfew. Y'all see them kids walking down there with them hoodies on. Walk up to them. Ask them where your parents at. If they can't take it to the parents, get them. Hey, say put them in the patty wagon. It don't mean you got to take them to jail. Fill that baby up. Bring them downtown. Call their mamas. Tell their mas come get them. When they come get them, you let them know I'm giving you a warning cuz their parents know they not supposed to be down there. You get a parents a warning. And then if they keep doing it and y'all keep catching them, then the kids go to the juvenile send and they they parents to jail.

And the third thing I'mma throw out is we are all accountable because we all sit around and say, "Oh, this can happen. What we should do, what we shouldn't do, but ain't nobody standing up. I'm out here now cuz I was involved in something and I'mma stay out here and I'm gonna keep coming and I'mma keep talking. I'mma keep talking and something needs to be done and I'mma tell you what y'all just keep watching because them fools that jumped out on us, it ain't over. Keep on watching. Keep on watching cuz they going to be held they f to be held accountable. Believe that. Next speaker, Madam Clair.

The next speaker is Taylor Samson. [Music] Taylor Samson, resident of the eighth ward. As I watched the new documentary series on Hurricane Katrina, the one thing that kept swirling in my mind was if not for the community, even more lives would have been lost in that catastrophe. You cannot rely on your government to save you. We have known that here in Flint for years and years. Due to the ongoing disregard of us living in Flint by our local government, we are relying on each other daily to get through these continual hard times. I cannot stress this enough. When I remind everyone listening, Flint was given 94 million ARPA grant dollars to help residents. Again, I ask, what do we have to show for it?

Folks saying the accountability starts at home. Yes, that is true. However, we have a lawless mayor running the city with no repercussions on his behavior. What you see on the streets regarding violence, drugs, blight, overzealous police, homelessness, etc. starts with the mayor. The mayor controls the majority of council. It's obvious he's telling his wife what decisions to make at the state level. We have Flint police who have admitted the mayor made the call for them to pull up on residents. The police chief does what he says. We know for a fact he tried to tell the former fire chief what to do which resulted in another lawsuit. The ineptitude of our mayor and those that follow his orders rather than the oath they took to serve have put the city in some of the worst shape it has been in decades. How much more do we have to take? Our tax and water increases alone will cause many people to lose their homes. The neighborhoods are in shambles. Our health has never been as debilitating as it is now with all the diseases diseases and cancers coursing through our bodies. Our small children aren't reaching developmental milestones like they should be. The older kids are graduating without basic life skills. Those that have turned to the streets are being held to the standards of adults by the courts and system. Our seniors are constantly being attacked by this administration. At what point do the residents say they've had enough and are demanding change? The same faces are at these meetings every week. We are pleading for more residents to come here. Council meetings are where these decision decisions are held and the discussions are held. They aren't a waste. We need to tune in. They try to keep it distracted and crazy. So you tune out. Words one, two, four, and seven would be sweating if these seats in these chambers were full of people every week. We can't keep fighting for changes with only a couple dozen residents continually exposing and challenging this corrupt administration. We need help. We'll protect you in here to the best of our abilities. If you're not sure where to begin on this journey, reach out to one of us. All of us are on Facebook. We'll gladly catch you up on what's truly happening. Their plan is to get rid of all of us with whatever means it takes. White people of Flint, I'm talking to you as well. I'm sick of seeing only five white people down here. We cannot keep putting the labor of the city on the black residents.

I for me personally, I would at least like to go down know that I was fighting and then I tried. We can't do long their strength and numbers. Another thing I'd like to ask Deina, why is this camera covered? Yeah, it's been a couple weeks now. As I've said before, that should be recording us up here. So, we have another angle and we can show that there is actual things going on in these chambers cuz you can't trust just one camera view. And that's usually the camera I speak to the mayor in. So, I'm going to turn around and speak to him today, I guess. Um, Sheldon Neely doesn't give a damn about this city. Thank you, ma'am.

Next speaker. [Applause] sit down.

The next speaker is Audrey Muhammad. [Applause] Audrey Muhammed the second ward. First of all, I'd like to say I don't expect any um courtesy because that was just rude when I was talking to our minister and Liddell came over and just interrupted us. didn't say excuse me, but I don't expect more than that. Speaking that she had cursed out a pastor twice in the where the public could hear her and then wants to go and try to villainize me several times. Didn't work. I'm still on this on the library board. But I like to read a post that I saw this morning on Facebook with from Percy Glover. He said, "Fing read this and all the community work I do. There are two statements I've heard in the past year about the gun violence in Flint that will never leave my head. Number one, a law enforcement officer said, "F them kids. Let them kill each other." Number two, a person from the federal prosecutor's office said, "We know exactly who the youth are that are doing the shooting, and the only reason they haven't been prosecuted is because they are too young. It would take we would h I would have to it would have to go to all go all the way to DC the white house to get approval to indict a minor. That's sad. I remember a lecture that was made by the honorable minister Lewis Faracan called justifiable homicide black youth in peril. Peril spelled p e r i l. He's also had it reverted over to a book. They are setting our children up to go

to prison, to the grave, us to kill one another. That's why you didn't see the police down there yesterday, cuz they knew what was going to be happening. They already knew that. It's time for us as a community to stand up, unite, take our streets back, take our youth back. We have to now sit up and say now go twist this narrative and say I'm speaking up here because I'm angry

and I'm hollering. No, I'm passionate because I see our babies dying in the street wholesale from the lack of the work that's being should be done. But what do we expect from our mayor's office when he came into office and lied and said the city was in deficit when Karen Weaver left him a letter and said, "I'm leaving you 20,000." Was it 20 million? 20 million 20 million

$20 million was left there, but he lied and said it wasn't there. And she left a letter and then he said, "Oh, we found $20 million." You didn't just find $20 million. It was already told to you that it was there. So his lies has continued on. So why do we expect that they would do something now to help come with a combat and come with a crime plan when they have been saying this all along? Even before you got in office, they've been saying they going to do something about crime and haven't done nothing. Keep standing up y'all for next public speaker.

The next speaker is Lorraine Thompson. [Applause] Hello, I'm Lorraine Thompson. I'm not sure which ward with that flip with that flip-flop stuff. I'm not really sure which ward. And I'm not up here today to speak about what I'm considering the kidnapping of my nephew. I'm I'm gonna leave that alone. What I'm what I do have I'm trying to get all my ducks in the in a row. So, I want to some clarity on a couple of questions. I think I know, but I'm not sure the way it's handled. So, first of all, this chamber, is this not the place we're supposed to go to let you all know what our problems are and our concerns and then you all in turn help us get those situated? That's my one question. And um I've been stuck on something for a long time and this is go taking it way back. But that whole illegal meeting that took place where uh Maze was put out, I'm stuck there. I'm stuck there because I really want to know who orchestrated that.

I'm I do want to know also I do want to say also before this. Okay. And and this right here, I used to do this when I came up before. That's because this time is on my back. I feel I feel stifled. And then for you all to change the amount of time that we had to speak. I know I was being stifled.

That's right. But anyway, I would like to um say to Burns and Feifer in particular, I am very proud of the um the political maturity that has taken place between you all with you all. I would also like to say it's a a huge thing to be able to to to get yourself where you can go in between making these seats come alive and removing yourself and uh being able to be an actual council person to the people who elected you instead of having your own personal self in here. See the government actors have to be able to move from one space to another space in their head. And I I am very proud to see that you all and uh since I've been paying attention, of course, Wimpy Carter and you're amazing to me, Mr. uh Jared. Uh I love the way you carry yourself and and and we need to do this. This is what we need to do. We need to stop saying this side and that side. This is illegal and legal stuff. Either we're gonna do it right or we're not gonna do we shouldn't be doing it at all.

That's that's exactly where I am.

All right, Madame Clerk. Is that the last speaker? No. Uh the next speaker is Claire McClinton. Okay. [Applause] Thank you, Miss Claire. First, Claire McClinton. First of all, our hearts go out to the victims of the gun violence

and we just have to pause and give our sympathy to that because we can't get used to that. Now, it's been a lot of things that's come up tonight, but I want to talk about all of us, community, council, mayors, and everything else. We have got to step up our game and do more because the conditions in our committee community is going down. Yes.

So, all of us have to step up and do more. And I want to challenge some of the other organizations that's in our community whose silence is deafening. You're right. They're not speaking out. They're not coming forward. The Republican Party, the Democratic Party, the UAW, this new group called the Indivisibles, all that. The League of Women Voters, the NAACP, your community, your neighborhood black club.

We need to come on out here and stand up and stand for what's right. And not be intimidated and scared that we going to be arrested for using our voices. Now, I want to go back cuz this this thing with the police is escalating. And let's go back to May 1st. On May 1st, a group of community people called for a demonstration out in front of city hall fighting for democracy.

And I went out there and demonstrations and things like that is just second nature to Flint residents. We fight for justice. That's right. We all about justice. So I went out there and joined the thing saying our democracy was in danger and things like that. And I joined the group, I didn't even see a police. I didn't see one. But one month later, June 1st, when we gathered out here to march and drive to the park, we was met with state troopers and Flint Police Department.

Now, what was the difference? So, there's a difference in the treatment. And some of the folks tonight brought up difference in treatment, difference in protecting and serving to different groups. I challenge the council to use your subpoena power and get the police up here and answer some questions. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, Madame Clerk.

The next speaker is Willie Buford. [Applause] Good evening, council members. My name is Willie Buford. I am a uh resident of the second ward. I came here to say I love this city. Flint is so dope. Uh I'm tired of Flint being described as as grit and resilient. We need to move past resilient and grit and we need to get to Flint being a safe haven.

I dedicate my life to the young people here in Flint, Michigan. I walk with them. I work for them and I work with them. And they are dope. They brilliant. They're creative. And their talent is is is immeasurable. Yes. But the sad thing is they're also broken. They're broken because they have no hope. When they look for leaders, they turn to their music, in her movies, in the media, and you know what they see there? Violence.

Then they come outside and they look to the leaders of the city and they see arguing, cursing each other out, tearing each other down. What are we teaching them? 810 day should have been a day of celebration. We should have been turned up for the city in the right way. Instead, a young girl's life was stolen. But that didn't start that night. That started years ago with the culture we created. We fight in front of our children.

We disrespect each other. We celebrate the very poison that is killing us. Then we wonder why our kids go and pick up guns. If we keep planting these seeds, violence is the only harvest we're going to reap. I'm calling on a council to be leaders in your war. Reach out to to the religious leaders in in the churches in your war. Let's take our city streets back. Flint is filled with churches. We got enough people who believe in God and who believe in values and morals.

Council members, go out and talk to those people and let's get on these streets, right? Let's create the right culture for our young people. Also, if we need to defund the police, let's do that also. They are here to serve us. Let Flint show the world what it looks like when people police themselves. Not chaos, but community power. We can't afford to let another 810 day tragedy go. And that work starts right now.

Thank you. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. The next The next speaker is Lola Derell. [Applause]

Hi everyone. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Um, I am here also, um, just to go over what we went over last week with my nephew, as my sister saying, being kidnapped because that's exactly what what was going on. And so, um, with the K with the violence that happened yesterday, all I see on Facebook, because I wasn't there, but with the shooting and I see that it wasn't hardly any police there. Um, I'm I don't understand why when they're there for like back to the bricks and stuff, they're really heavy. And so, you know, that's not right. and they need to be there for every event, I believe. Um, just to patrol and make sure everything goes well. Um, also, um, this is embarrassing for the Flint residents as far as what happened to, well, all of it, especially the baby that got killed, you know, yesterday. Um, but with my nephew, I'm looking on the internet and I see that in North Carolina, they're talking about it in Vegas, in Iowa. I mean, who talks about it in Iowa? Um they're they're writing articles about what happened to them and the and the um the patrons getting sprayed with mace or bear spray or whatever it was. Um bear bear mace. I'm reading that in these places and not every cop is bad. I would you know I really didn't think I used to say well I'm glad our police our police department isn't like that. I'm I used to say that until maybe earlier this year. I used to say that and because I never heard about them abusing, you know, um the residents or anything or anything like h that happened to my nephew. I never heard of that. And I would say that, well, I'm glad our police officers are not like that, but they are. I mean, it's some

that are, not everyone. And I work, you know, I I do service a lot of them where I work, you know. Um, so they're they're not all of them are not bad, but I just wanted the mayor the mayor never spoke. The police chief never spoke, never came out and spoke anything. But of course, and good reason they were there today for the situation. And that's wonderful. But they needed to speak on everything that you know that happens that and and it's going out of state to the to Iowa.

I mean, this is a big deal. So, I just wanted that on record. and they and they need to speak on it because they have it, you know. So, I just wanted that on record. So, you all have a good evening. [Applause] Next speaker, Madam Cler. The next speaker is Sarah Houston. [Applause] Sarah.

My name is Sarah Houston. I believe I am in the sixth ward. Miss Miss Miss Burns in your ward. Um I am a lifelong resident, proud daughter of two deaf individuals born and raised here in Flint, Michigan. And I would be wrong if I first did not say you never have sign language interpreters or access for your deaf residents in this city. Michigan School for the Deaf is right here in Flint, Michigan. And you never ever think about them. Mr. Mayor, I used to stand beside you doing COVID work, but now you have nobody. I don't have to be there. It ain't about me. I'm eating. Other folks can eat, but access for my deaf son, for my deaf nephew, for my family members, for my community should be here at all times. Certified. Certified. because it's against the law to not do so. As of that part, eye contact. I have watched I watch on fa Facebook these meetings a lot. Liddell, I'm very disappointed. If you don't like them, you don't look at them, babe. And we talk often. I'm very disappointed. I understand that people rubbed you the wrong way, but you have a job to do here. You are paid to listen to everybody and not just those that like you or support you. That's not fair. That's not right. And as a person who believes in calling out right and wrong, I'mma call you out on that, boo. That's wrong. It's wrong. It's very disrespectful. And I've seen that, Miss Judy. The same thing for you. And for you to speak up on Miss Mari or on whoever you were trying to talk about their high school record, that ain't got nothing to do what's going on here today. That child was speaking truth about her pain in this city.

Right. How dare y'all disrespect our future. That's our future. I've worked in the schools for seven years. I worked in the schools as a sign language interpreter, but because I was born and raised here, I knew a lot of children's parents. Those kids, those boys that died a couple weeks ago and then the one that that got killed in the barber shop, those were my babies. I sat and talked to one of them that said, "Miss Sarah, I'm sorry. I don't see nothing else for myself but death in the streets.

The one that just got So from that funeral, I hugged on a young man, told them babies, "Please be safe." And the young man that I hugged on said, "Please be safe." I buried them last week. This got to stop, y'all. It's got to stop. I don't have a lot of time. The police violence that's going on in here. I don't understand why we bring in people who don't live in Flint to police Flint. They don't care about us. They think we animals. Evident by the bear spray that was brought to spray people in Flint, Michigan. Where is a bear in Flint, Michigan? I'm just saying.

Maybe some cultural competency training. Something's got to go on and give and be given regularly and tested. Y'all, we have to do this for our city and our people. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. [Applause] Next speaker is Rich Jones.

How y'all doing today? First of all, I was planning on coming up here, but I was not planning on speaking, but I was watching the meeting. And Liddell, you said something that really rubbed me the wrong way. And I'm just going to make this short. Even if one kid get killed in in Flint, Michigan in a year, that's one too many.

That's one too many. And let me say something to everybody. The difference in our city and these kids and these gangs is gun availability. We have always had gangs. We have always fought. Hell, this people that I grew up with as a teenager, we couldn't be in the same room without fighting. But guess what we doing now? Because we're both alive because we fought. We work together. It's so many undertakers that's hanging with top dogs,

alaponies, stony roonies that's running with the selby hood.

People that used to wants to go at each other. And we had a gun problem before, too. But I don't know how because I wasn't one of the ones that was shooting the guns, but I was in that age group of the shooters. But dang, that ended. That's ended through the community. And for all of you youngsters out there, I want to quote something from one of the artistes from my uh No More Tears concerts and stuff. And his quote is, "Collect call so you know it's me." They just let it ring. Out of sight, out of mind. That's a real thing. Now, I want to play y'all as much of this song as y'all can hear. And this is for all of these young kids out here. When I was 17, I was involved in a shooting incident at a party. So, I want to take this time out to really give a straight from my heart. I would tell her things coming straight from my heart. I would tell her things coming straight from my heart. Paint a picture like it's art. Straight from my heart. I would tell her things coming straight from my heart.

That's a song that is wrote that is wrote by a rapper who was involved in a drive by shooting into which a innocent girl was killed in the city of Flint. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker. Madam clerk, the next speaker is Amanda Lmile. [Applause]

Hi, I am Amanda Lamiel. Um, I'm a local educator, um, civil rights activist, and, um, very active cop watcher. Um, I copatch both in a more official, uh, capacity and, um, on my own time. I cop watch in Detroit, Lancing, Ann Arbor, Flint, um, all around Michigan. Police in Jennese County are tyrants. And I'm telling you, almost every weekend I'm in Detroit. Detroit police are tyrants. Flint police are worse. Yes.

So, let me tell you about a little um some inconsistencies. I assure you that the way grow up. Don't roll your eyes at me.

Okay. Grow up. So the police response to different events in this city are not equal. They're not adequate a at all. They are not equal. So Saturday morning I got downtown at 8 a.m. to start setting up Dropfest and I did not leave until the end of the night. By 11:30 Sagenov Street was lined with deputies. Lined. Okay. So that's preventative. Check that preventative. It's a planned response. Okay. By 11:45, I observed my first arrest. And those arrests continued all day long. Deputies were everywhere. Flint police, university deputies all day long. They arrested a homeless man who was sleeping on a bench who I see there five times a week. They were pulling people over in the middle of lights, arrested them. It was very preventative. Let me assure you, Jennese County police, sheriff, universities, the deputies, they know how to police this city. I see them doing it. As a matter of fact, I went home that night thinking, man, that was a lot of police. But at least they were incredibly respectful.

They were over the top and it felt weird. This is gentrification and we know it. They are protecting businesses over people. They are protecting their area that they want to continue to be I'm sorry but white. That is what this is.

The other the other problem is is across these departments what their responses look like are horrifically different. So what's happening is they're they have a they have a response. They're responding to these other events and they're reacting to when they don't send anybody out then they're reacting and they're blaming the people who are actually victimized for not having a response.

Next speaker [Applause] The final speaker for this meeting is Tanya Jones. [Applause] Good evening. Hello. Tonight, my concern is I am a concerned parent. I have a son as part of the opium crisis. He's autistic. Also, he has cickle cell. Liddell, one day it could be your son. I know that you have a son. You look me up, he could be your son. Nobody exempt to what's going on. So, I hope you can handle what I handle. Don't ever think it can't happen to you. I hope you as strong as I am because I'm not going nowhere. I have a court date for LeShan Johnson on the 25th, John Cole on the 25th. Let me explain why I have the court date for LSN Johnson. because she assaulted me in the bathroom here. I come here to be heard, not to be arrested, not to be lied on. Y'all want people to go away, but I can't go away. You know what? Cuz didn't nobody give up on me. I left home at 14, been on my own since I was 14. Not because I was fast, because my mama had her own issues, but I had a grandmama that loved me.

I had my my son's father, Michael Edwards, that was killed by the Howard State gang. loved me. My mother of mother Flor Smith loved me. I had people love me. I didn't have a family. My father is Hubert Roberts of Black Lives Matter. You think I would be standing here if I had family support? I'm out here trying to search to get help from my son, trying to save my son. I have a missing person report right now for my son. I went downtown looking for my son. Do you know how it is to look at keeping a community informed every day looking for my son? But this is my baby and he's worth it. Y'all don't understand. He's worth it. Michelle, my son, went to church, a member of Eenezer. My son did not go to Flint schools. I took my son away from Flint and I did the best I could by him. But it's the company you keep.

These kids don't have what I gave. But I'm going stand in for the ones that don't have nobody cuz these kids not lost. We are apart. God want us all to come together. But I'm just trying to tell y'all these kids is hurting. I was hurting when I left home. But God put some good people in my life. I don't know how to give up. I don't know how to give up. So for John Cold case that tried to groom my son, you know, my son told me, "I got the video. I got text messages. You can look back the time. I got time. And I'm going to be in court the 25th. And I'm going be in the court for for Lashan. She say it ain't going nowhere. But I'm not going nowhere. They're not going to do nothing with it. But guess what? I'mma keep on. It's going to be on record and you have a good night. I love y'all and God loves y'all, too. [Applause]

All right. So, madam clerk, just to clarify, that was the last speaker. That's correct. Okay. Thank you. So, now it's time for council comment. Any council members would like to respond? Madam Chair, go ahead, Miss Burn. Thank you. Uh, we only get two minutes. So, I want to say to Lorraine and Lola, keep coming, keep speaking. Lorraine, you are a very dear friend. To the late Councilman Eric Mays. Um, and it's good to see you still here. And for the Lawson family, I hope whatever justice looks like that it it um you receive it.

You receive it. Uh to brother Lauron um I want to tell you thank you for coming because a lot of times people don't know I reach outside. I appreciate you contacting me. I appreciate you going to hurly with me with the mother who we found out two of her sons was shot at that time and to pray together. Thank you for showing up in these council chambers because every time you show up, you don't have to get up and say it up here. You know, you show up and I appreciate that. I truly do. I want to say to Taylor, I want to say to Tanya, I want to say to Debbie and Diane and to Beverly with the Color of Law Coalition, thank you ladies because you come here because you're still terrified and you have issues and you have anxiety. Thank you for showing up for the people. And Natalie, thank you for showing up to this podium because you were irritated. You were upset. You are a part of Flint and you showed up to speak up. We need people to speak up and to show up.

And to the people who stated that we don't have, we used to see so many different police. We had Segways, horses, motorcycles, police cruisers, bicycles. This was poor planning. I was told there were only two people signed up for the 810 day. That's not enough. It's not enough. I've been to 810 before and I didn't go this year. Went last year. And we knew we needed to have better planning. I didn't see but a couple last year. And that may be why we only had a couple this year. And so when we talk about our city, we are going to have to at some point come together. What that looks like, I do not know. But that is my time. [Music] Anyone else?

Anyone else? Yes, Madam Chair. Go ahead, Miss Winfrey Carter. Um, again, I would like to thank all of the residents for being here, um, being engaged in the process. Um, I want to say to Mr. Stanley Woods, thank you for all of the information that you bring forth to us. It's is well needed. And thank you um Miss Glattis, you always come to the podium with something um in insightful. Thank you. Um and thank you respect you. Thank you um

Miss Natley. Thank you for for what you said because it is a difference.

It is a it's a definite difference. You'll see the difference this weekend coming. Um we have um you know the bricks back to the bricks. So you'll see how well how well patrol back to the bricks is going to be this weekend. Um Deborah Coleman, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. what you said it resonated and and what what the young people don't understand. Yeah. Back in the day and and Rich, you touched on this. Back in the day, yeah, we had the gangs and all that, but what we did have was the village.

We had the village raising the the children. I couldn't do I I lived on uh Russell Street. I couldn't do nothing down the street without my parents knowing by the time I made it home I was in trouble and didn't even didn't even know that the neighbors saw what I was doing. So we need that village. We need to bring back the village. And um I want the public to know the chambers belong to you. These are your chambers. All right. Anyone else like to speak during council response? Ma'am, let's stop yelling out. Okay,

Madam Chair, go ahead, Miss Priestley.

Miss Coleman, I thought you made some very good points and especially in regards to parenting. You know, I've I've raised a niece and she came to me from broken home and both parents could care less. at the time. They're drug addict at the time and alcohol. That was a very difficult time to try to raise that child at 14. I could I I didn't know where she was all the time, but I tried. I tried. She's doing well now. I sure hope you find your son. I really do. What happened to him is is shameful. Absolutely horrible. I find it very appalling. And I'm glad that that man is back in prison.

I know that's right. Um for those people who lost family members, violence is this. One of the problems that I see and I've said all along is a lack of respect. Lack of respect for human property, for human life. And they're not taught in some homes. And that's a shame. We need to have respect for one another. And we see it here all the time. So, I hope I sure hope that what I'm hearing isn't true in regards to black events and white events or mixed.

I I I pause me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Um, let's go ahead. Sorry, Miss Priestley. I'm about to go back there. Could you please put 15 more seconds on the clock and audience, please? Let's be respectful of the council lady. Okay. Sorry about that, Miss Priestley. Please proceed. Thank you. Because I don't think it should be

a difference. The same amount of police should be present at all events. I don't care what it is. I am not in favor. And I've always fought the black versus white because I don't see it in my life. All right. Anyone else would like to speak during public comment?

All right. So, seeing that there is no one else, I'll go ahead and I will take the All right, we're we're just waiting for order to be reestablished in the chambers, please.

Thank you. All right. So, yeah. So, I'll go ahead and take my time. Thank you. Um, so just want to um address Mr. Buford. Mr. Buford, thank you so much for approaching the lectern and for being an involved Second W resident. Thank you so much for serving on the committees and also for putting out real solutions, viable solutions um on Facebook that we can employ today. So it sound good. I know when you're upset, we're upset, but when you're upset, it's time for us to come back with solutions. So, I definitely support that. And hopefully with the Merl Park Neighborhood Association, we can get that going, especially in your neighborhood and spread that out to the entire second ward because again, it starts with every home, every block, which turns into the neighborhood which leads to the community. So again, thank you so much for your work and for coming to the meeting and also um Miss Natalie, um I definitely appreciate you for addressing the lectern, but um as you watch the meeting, what you don't hear is when I look at people, I'm accused of intimidating people when I look at them. Okay? So,

and so when I So, when I look down or look away, then I'm being disrespectful to people. So, in any in any event, please pause my time. What we will not do is continue to yell out. See, we want young people to to do better, but join them. This is ridiculous. If you want young people to do better, older people start here. This is ridiculous. You want to get upset when they act up in the street, but excuse me. Point of order. Go ahead. What's your point? Um, you're on your time should still be going.

All right. Thank you so much. So, again, I'm bringing the individuals who's yelling out to order. Unless you want to leave the meeting, please get in order. Please go ahead and start my time. So again,

I hear what's being said. Just because I don't look at you don't mean that I don't hear you. But you got to make up your mind. Do you want to say I intimidate you when I look at you? Or do you want to say that I disrespect you when I look down and then look up? Look down and look up. Either way, I'm here to do my job. When we talk about getting things in action, I'm here for it. I'm giving resources. I'm talking about programs that will help our young people that I'm actively involved with downtown. I'm down there. You We're talking about bringing in interpreters. I attempted to under the last clerk. So, we're going to move on to the next agenda item. And again, you yell out, you will leave because We will. Let me just reread this again.

The reading of the disorderly person city. Mr. W. Mr. RL, I'm bringing you to order. Keep yelling out. That'll be your warning. You know better. Reading of the disorderly person city code subsection. Any person that persists to disrupt this meeting will be in violation of the Flint City Code section 3110 disorderly conduct, assault and batter disorderly persons. and will be subject to arrest for a misdemeanor. Any partner who prevents the peaceful and orderly conduct of any meeting will be given one warning. If they persist in disrupting this meeting, that individual will be subject to arrest. Violators will be removed from the meetings. So, with that being a fair equalizer, so everybody can know the plane rules. We're going to proceed with the meeting. If you proceed to yell out, you will be warned and then you will be asked to leave. So now we are on the consent agenda. What's the pleasure of this body?

Madame chair. Go ahead. Make a motion to approve the consent agenda. All right. Any support? All right. Supported by the counciloman of seventh ward. Any separations? All right. Seeing none, Madam Chair, we go go ahead. Mr. or Jared. Um, looking to separate 2550182. Um, could you please speak to your microphone? 2550182 on page four. Page 4. Um, did you say 182? 182.

Okay. All right, that's all that I all that I have. All right, appreciate it. So, seeing if that's the last one, the consent agenda will consist of resolutions um all the resolutions with the exception of 2550182. Roll call. Madam clerk. For the record, I also want to note that 2550198 and 25223 were postponed in special affairs.

Thank you, Dr. Lewis. Yes, Miss Priestley. Yes, Miss Winfrey Carter. Yes, Miss Burns. Yes, Miss Mashad. Yes, Mr. Feifer is not in. Mr. Jared, yes. Mr. Alamine is not in. The vote is six yes, zero no. The vote is six yes, zero no. The consent agenda passes. So now we're off to the first separation, which

So um what is what is the pleasure of um Mr. Jared? Go ahead. We'll let you lead this council. part approved rather. I'm sorry. Well, hold on. Wait, wait, wait. What? What? What's that? All right. So, any support? Support. Supported by the council lady in the fourth ward. Any discussion, Madame Chair? Go ahead.

Uh, I think we had made a request prior because there were questions. Um, I really wanted Chief Green to answer, especially with some of the issues that have come out. He has not been here. Um I I I yield the floor. All right. Anyone else in the first round? All right. Seeing there's no one else in the first round. Anyone else in the second round? Okay. Well, speaking to your mic, Mr. Jared, I can't hear you. Um is there someone from the department here now? From the police department.

Yes. Um, no. Okay. Uh, okay. All right. Anyone else in the first round? Madame Chair, go ahead. Murphy Carter. Um, if there are questions and I have colleagues that have questions about this resolution and Chief Green is not here to answer these questions. I'm going to make a motion that we send this resolution, resolution 2550 182 back to finance.

All right. A motion on the floor to send this resolution back to finance. Any support? Support. supported by the council lady in the six ward. Roll call. Madame clerk, Miss Priestley. Yes. Miss Wimpy Carter. Yes. Miss Burns. Yes. Miss Mashette.

Yes. Mr. Fiper is not in. Mr. Jarrett. Yes. Mr. Alamine is not in Miss Lewis. Yes. Vote is six. Yes. Zero no. The vote is six yes. Zero no. So that motion motion to adjurnn. Support. All right. There's a motion to adjurnn. Oh. Roll call. Madam clerk. Miss Winfrey Carter. Yes. Miss. Burns. Yes. M. Yes, Mr. Feifer is absent. Mr. Jarrett?

Yes, Mr. Alamine is absent. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Priestley, yes. The vote is 6 yes, zero no. The vote is six, yes, zero, no. And it is officially um 801. And this meeting is adjourned. I'm coming.

Just a second. I got to do something here. No.