City Council - Regular Meeting

uh in on the master plan since President Trump didn't done away with uh the green zone or green dollars, the north side and east side can't get any dollars because it's designated as green zone. So, shouldn't you all be voting to lift the green zone from north side and east side and coming up with something so that the north side can get development dollars on your uh agenda for full city council. Uh you have some appointments and one of those uh couple of the appointments are compensation. Mayor Neilie ran in 200 what 19 saying that he was gonna give the salary back that Mayor Weaver was getting but he doubled down. He got a raise.

He's putting people on this comp compensation board that is real close to him and his family that will be yes for raising a raise, giving him a raise, but they won't give y'all any. So, uh, the Democrats cannot speak ill of President Trump or the Republicans, man, because they do the same thing. They put people in position that's loyal to them and not loyal to the people or the job uh that they supposed to be working for the people. They are yes people. And and we have issues with that. The majority of the people that he's putting on these boards are people that bows down and kissed the ring. I said majority, not all, but the majority. Uh, Councilwoman uh Johnson, you are just now getting on the council. And I hope and pray that when uh they come up with uh drinking wa drinking water loans asking you all to vote on it that you don't just vote on it that you really do due diligence because the people in the city of Flint should not have to pay for anything that the state broke which is our water manes, our service lines and all the other things. Thank you.

Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. Is

there a delay? Ste overly attitude is the boss second. The next speaker is Karma Lewis. Good evening, council. My name is Karma Lewis and I am a resident of the second ward as well as president of Flint Neighborhoods United. Like many others that have come in tonight, I'm asking this body to take up the housing residue readiness zoning reform at the next legislative committee meeting. It is important that we make it easier to build homes in our neighborhoods. And for our neighbors to have meaningful opportunities to become homeowners. Unfortunately,

some of the rules that no longer make sense and need to be adjusted. These reforms would make it possible to build a home on a single lot in green neighborhoods, for instance, making it much or less expensive for someone to acquire land to invest in some of our most disinvested neighborhoods. I strongly encourage the council to take up these reforms passed by the planning commission back in February. Thank you. Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk.

The next speaker is Joel Arnold. Good evening, city council. Uh my name is Joel Arnold. I'm a Flint resident. Uh and I'm here much like Karma before me. Um just asking uh this body to take up a set of zoning revisions that were passed um actually by the planning commission back in February um kind of titled the housing readiness zoning reform. So, uh, you know, kind of across our city, I think we know it's gotten more and more expensive to buy a house or to rent a house. And a lot of times before this body, there are, you know, proposals to spend a lot of money to try and fix this or subsidies on projects, which often are really important, right? But there's also a lot of things we can do at no cost to just kind of get out of our own way. Um, and sometimes that's things like reforming setbacks, reforming minimum lot sizes, sort of in the weeds stuff that we don't think about every day until you're trying to build that house or until you're trying to put that addition, uh, on your property. And so, um, you know, these were done through a lot of thoughtfulness with the city staff. They actually had received a grant from MISTA of about $50,000 to study what were the big barriers to building homes in our city. They spent a lot of time to put together a set of zoning reforms that were passed without actually any dissenting votes on the planning commission uh this past February. And all that we're asking now is through whatever process is needed uh to get those items on the council agenda. Um so I know they'd have to go through the legislative committee and for a regular council committee. Um just because it's one of those things that our city can do for zero dollars that'll make it easier to build homes. Uh and like like Mr. Woodson said, especially to build homes on the north side and on the east side where sometimes our our minimum lot sizes that you need to build a house can sometimes actually be bigger than the lot itself of a normal city lot. So, uh, reforming zoning and land use laws is never done. Uh, you know, we'll endlessly be doing this, but I encourage as council to take up these reforms. Um, and, uh, we'll be happy as well to share, uh, they're all on the

city website and all their redlinined kind of glory if you want to read through exactly what they are. So, thank you so much for your time tonight. Um there's some others of us here who are here to speak to the same effect. Um but thank you so much. Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk.

The next speaker is Sarah Houston. [Applause] Good afternoon, council. My name is Sarah Houston, resident of the six ward. Access to communication is a right, not an issue to be discussed. Last meeting, it was said that Detroit counsel requires a 40 hour 48 hour notice. That is no longer true. They provide interpreters at every council meeting without request. Also, MK Community College provides interpreters without request for their board meetings. Jennese County Board of Commissioners provide interpreters without request for their meetings. The bud budget should not be an issue when we have board members itching to give $300,000 to other endeavors, understanding that the $300 is for replenishing a food desert. But you are starving your deaf citizens of vital information. Every time a press conference is held, a resolution gets passed and where ARPA res our arpo resources are so that that they are just an entitled to where they can find them. Every time the city puts on an event, the deaf are the last to know because they are among the least thought about. The city of Flint is home to the state school for the deaf and never thinks to include them in the very things their money pays taxes for. That is shameful. I ask that you think of them in all we do as a city. I ask that you be in compliance with the Michigan Deaf Person's Interpreter Act and provide their God-given right to language access. Equal access requiring a request is not equal. you had a request a year ago and they're still waiting. I would ask that you guys stop putting it off. I do know somebody reached out

to communication access center. I thank you whoever that was uh for inquiring. So you should have some numbers coming your way. Um it shouldn't be a budget issue. It should be a line item just like that hundred,000 for the uh office budget supplies. It should be just as the same thing put out for access, language access for the people that you serve. I ask you again, please stop putting it off. Stop making people wait. It doesn't matter if they come or they don't. They should be able to decide at 3:30 p.m. they want to be here at 4:30, just like everybody else in here does. It's called equal access under the law. Thank you. Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk.

The next speaker is Tanya Jones. Good evening. My name is Tanya Jones. I'm here because merely the close friend John Cole received 20 to 40 years today. I don't feel like I don't feel like that was enough. I feel like he should have got life without parole. He was passing out AIDS like it was candy to young boys, not girls, boys. My son was part of his case. My son is autistic and he has full-blown sequel. I will ask everybody would you pray for all the victims not just the one victim today because he d he got eight of his charges dropped. So I need that everyone to know to pray for all of them because it's a lifetime thing you have to deal with. And my son is missing again behind this. He feel like oh just because he talked to the under sheriff or whatever they stalking him and they're going to kill him or whatever. But I'm his mother and nothing's going to happen to him. God got him. I'mma ask Miss Tanya Burns because I'm not going to get an answer from nobody else. I would like to know because my son is a part of the opium crisis. He's on meth and he's supposed to be on his medicine for cle cell, but obviously he's self-medicating. So, first of all, where's the opium plan? Second, 30% of the opioid dollars go to something other than the opiate pre prevention and intervention. What has the city of Flint been using the millions of dollars they receive for the opioid settlement funds? I'm just asking these questions because I need to know. I'm advocating for my

son, but what about the people don't have nobody to advocate for them? Why is the mayor using the opioid fund millions of dollars for his own personal stash for like campaigning for his personal writings for giving away money to organizations at his own free will? All I can say is I'm tired. I got a towel on my head because guess what? I was conditioning my hair, but I'm tired. So I just want to just be the voice for I'm not going nowhere. No matter what God called my son home, guess what? I'm not going nowhere because my son opened my eyes to this is what's going on in Flint. So, Miss Tanya Burns, I'm asking you. Usually, when it's all done and over with, y'all move on. Um, she got her head down, but she went to church with my son at Ebeneia. So, I feel like churches, y'all talking about concerned churches, concerned pastors. Why? They ain't reached out and said, "Tanya, how can I help?" That's what church is about. That's what I grew up. That's why I don't go to churches around here cuz I'm hurting. I don't know what to do. But Miss Mashette, she don't need to be president because it start outside of this council. It's like having a kid. I don't know if you got kids, but it's about outside. I'm a mama. I'm a concerned mother. My son is 31 YEARS OLD. BUT ALL all my kids, I got a 34 year old, a 31 31 year old, and a 29 year old. They steal my babies. And we all child of God. But it's not about when you in church. He was he was he was on choir. He was doing everything. He was doing everything. Thank you. You ready to say it? I'll say it.

Next speaker, Madame Clerk.

God bless you. [Applause] The next speaker is Mari Copeny. [Applause] Every single week, council members show up in this chamber and prove their attitude and behaviors are way worse than actual juveniles. Last week, we witnessed as the council president bullied both other council members and residents of the community. It's almost as if she forgot she works for the residents. And the council person from the fourth word thought it was appropriate to remove her shoe, lean back in her chair, and lift her dirty, nasty barefoot for the whole entire chamber to see. And when the youth expressed how immature those actions were, she laughed about it. So, please don't ever attempt to tell the actual children to stay in a child's place when you got up there and showed everyone your foot like you were auditioning for F feetinder. P.S., nobody would buy it. By the way, now now that now that we are past the childish proposal behavior of our elected officials, let's move on. Early this morning on Welsh, an 11year-old child was shot while he slept in bed. Also, also injured was a 18-year-old. Not even a week before that, a young mother was also shot in a driveby on Copman where 14 shots were fired into her home where she lives with her one-year-old child. We need to make sure police resources are used to try to prevent these types of shootings from happening as opposed to being wasted on another task force to enforce luring. In fact, I would really like it if we can focus more on resources into community policing, proactive policing, and positive interactions. I will also suggest they receive some conflict resolution so they aren't being aggressive and abusive towards civilians. Kids deserve to grow up in a community knowing they can get tucked into bed at night and not be shot where they dream at night. And I know you guys vote for a new president. Please don't vote in chaos again.

Thank you. Next public speaker. Madame clerk. The next speaker is Madison Oric. Hello, city council. My name is Mattis Quig. I'm now a proud new resident of the ninth ward. I know you see me, I see you. I'm very excited for my new house. But I'm speaking on something today that's very dear to me. Um, and that it affects me and it affects my neighbors. And I'm someone who has no barriers when it comes to finding housing. Also, sorry if I cry. If anyone who's seen me do public comment, I get emotional because this stuff affects people that I care about. Um, and it took me two months trying to find an affordable place to live. And I don't think that's something that people should have to face when just wanting to live somewhere that they love, somewhere they feel safe. And so that's why I'm here to speak about. Um, again, sorry. Um, I'm here tonight with others asking that the council place on its agenda the housing read housing readiness zoning reforms passed over seven months ago by the planning commission. In many Flint neighborhoods, we have quirky rules that make it challenging to build new homes. from some minimum lot size rules that are bigger than the lots. We even have setback rules that make it very hard to fit a house on a lot. These reforms address these issues, cost the city zero dollars, and make it easier to build, especially in areas zoned green neighborhood and traditional neighborhood. Um, so that's typically about the north side and east side like has been mentioned before. Um, and please work to get these reforms on the legislative committee agenda and thank you for helping to make the city more affordable. I really hope that you guys do consider and get this on there soon because when I was um desperate trying to find housing, people were saying, "Have you looked in Graham Blink? Have you looked in Davidson?" And no, because

I love my city and I want to stay here and I know other people feel the same way, but they can't stay here if there's nowhere affordable to live. So, thank you guys so much for your time. Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk.

The next speaker is Claire McClinton. Good afternoon, council. We have so many challenges that we face and um if we draw on our history, the history of Flint, the history of the workingclass people that made this city thrive through the labor movement, the fair housing movement. All done by the grassroots people. No, no superstar came in and did this for us. We did it for ourselves. And we also had a provision for, as I say, open housing. Uh there were people on the line and so on and so forth. And again, I'm going to reiterate those movements left a legacy for us to pay it forward for a more perfect union, as they say. And we have to ask ourselves when council people are assaulting residents, even when we had the emergency manager, when we were living under dictatorship here in the city of Flint. Even then, we didn't have residents arrested for trying to speak. [Applause] And so again, and we going to keep on asking

from where did you all come from? Because you're not carrying out the legacy that was laid out for us. We've got a reputation to uphold. We're the leaders

in social justice, equity, and economic justice. And where from whence do you come? You're not picking up those banners. Again, when we had three or four emergency managers, even they didn't come in here and sick the police on residents. [Applause] So, you need to get it together. But one Oh, oh, wow. Thank you for the seconds. Uh, we need to find out get to the bottom of the remaining opera funds. There is a movement of foot. It's slow but sure that people are going to get their water settlement money. Did y'all hear what I said? I said is slow but sure and coming soon people will be getting their water settlement money. Can There you go.

Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. [Applause] The next speaker is Chad Schlloer. Good evening, city council. My name is Chad Slureer. I'm a resident of the sixth ward and a homeowner in the city of Flint. And I also uh want to be sure that other Flint residents have the same opportunities that I have had. Unfortunately, being a homeowner can be challenging and expensive, something we all know all too well. While many of the solutions to our housing crisis are very expensive, there are some reforms that we can tackle at no cost. The housing readiness zoning reforms are one such reform effort. by making some simple changes to our zoning law to unlock more single family homes and duplexes in our city. These changes will make it easier for Flint residents to invest in their own neighborhoods and build their own homes in more affordable ways. I strongly encourage the council to take up this agenda item at your next legislative committee meeting and pass these reforms. Thank you for your leadership and the work you do for our city.

Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. The next speaker is David Peachy. [Applause]

Fourth residents. I'm just here to ask the same old questions. How much money is in the ARPA fund? And one of my big questions is there was $400,000 given out for nine wards. I would like to know each one of you to tell me how much you got for your award because I understand one ward right in front of me here, the fifth ward got a $100,000. That would be 25% of that 400,000. I'd like to know why it wasn't divided up equally among nine wards because they're all in bad shape. Some are better than others, but these are things that we care about. We need to be answered.

That's right. my neighborhood. I Judy, I'm not going to put you down, but I You got to stop being with the mayor. Every time I turn on TV, there you are. They're not in our ward. I've never seen in our ward on TV, but you spent too much time with Neie. He's getting his way. Th This is just ridiculous. That's about all I want. I think that's all I want to say. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. The next speaker is Derek Dorman.

Uh, hello council. My name is Derek Dorman. I'm a resident of the fifth ward. Um, I want to thank council for taking many steps over the last several years to reform zoning laws in our city. It has truly had a big impact. Unfortunately, the work is never fully done as there are always changes needed to make it even easier to build quality, affordable homes in Flint. That's why tonight I'm asking council to take up the housing readiness zoning reforms. These reforms tap tackle simple things like setbacks, lotsize minimums, and more that will make it easier to build homes, especially in green neighborhoods. Uh if we want to provide meaningful opportunities for home ownership in Flint, then we need to make it easier for folks to build a home of their own. These reforms move us closer in that direction and I ask that it be added to the next legislative committee agenda. Thank you for your time and have a wonderful evening.

Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk.

The final speaker for this meeting is Beverly Bigs Levy. [Applause] My name is Beverly Big Levy. I want to talk about you guys still think it's okay that Leon stays in that seat when that lady on cold carpenter road got killed by her boyfriend domestic violence. You guys still think that's okay? That's not okay. And then he killed itself.

It's time for you guys to wake up. innocent until proven guilty. That girl was innocent. She didn't have to ask. She didn't have her life. She don't want her life to go with three babies. If you guys think it's okay that this person that don't live in the first ward,

that don't live in the first ward. He's on Sherman in Mount Morris Township. He don't live in our city. Why is he still on this on this in this seat? Devina, I know they probably done threatened you. They probably done harass you and everything else. But if they fire you, put in a lawsuit on them

cuz it's time out for us to sit around here. He shouldn't be bidding on anything in that seat. nothing. He beat his girlfriend up, bruised her, and you guys say innocent until proven guilty. How much innocent that she needs to do? She got bruises all over her body. And this not the first time, the second time, the third time. And like I say, Judy, if it was your cat that got choked, got beaten, you told us you cut his balls off,

but you want him to stay in that seat. Candace, you don't have any kids, so it doesn't matter to you because like I said, your dad had 190 count rate, so it's normal. If you guys think this is normal, you better wake up. You better wake up. And training starts at home. Liddell, you need to train before you try to testize us grown folks. Try training some at your house. And I say that by virtue cuz I've seen it with my own eyes.

Lean, you getting what you got. But if the mayor mean you any good, tell him to get you some reading classes cuz your reading is horrible. You read like my third grade. My third grader and everybody everybody heard you read. Everybody heard you read. Have a great

Thank you. N Oh, you said that was the final public speaker. 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. An individual council members response shall be limited to two minutes. Is there anyone who would like the floor during council response? Madam chair, councilwoman in the fourth ward.

I want to thank you for everyone who came and addressed concerns regarding the community and what we can do as a city council. Um, housing has become a particular um, thing close to my heart because of all of the vacant homes and the burned out homes and all of the um, people in my ward who are living in as squatters in landbank homes as well as privately owned homes. I have every conference that I attend to that has a home um ownership, home developing, anything related to home ownership piece. I attend that and um I will take a good look at the proposal when it comes forward. I am looking for alternative financing sources. I know that Joel that's a big thing with Joel Joel and I have spoken on this a couple of times. Um, and I found I heard a very good Friday at the Michigan Municipal League. Um, Miss Johnson and I attended a a workshop on um pre-approved plans for homes and how the cities that have done that in this in the state have developed that so that people who want to buy a piece parcel of property and put a home on it, they can put these plans on and they're already approved and gone through the planning process. So, there's lots of information out there that we're learning and we're bringing back to the city and discussing with department heads and I um I'm looking forward to reading the proposal because I have not read it because I didn't know that was there. Thank you for that information.

Are you yielding the floor? Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response? Madam Chair, Councilwoman in the sixth ward.

Thank you. Um, I want to say thank you to everyone that showed up today and I want to say thank you to Six Ward, Sarah and Chad representing. I love that. And to that whole back roll where I kind of got caught up in um, uh, Karma, Joel, um, and, uh, Chad, Derek, I don't know where he went. And to the young lady, congratulations on your new home. It is something to be proud of because you love where you live and that's a wonderful thing that is. But I don't have karma if you can get with me. I don't have the uh the readiness. I do believe access to housing. Um it is is important because we have got a lot of apartments. I like to see homeowners we can get some equity. And so if you can get that one of you in that role, uh Joel, you're really good at it. So I don't Thanks. So we're good. I I do want to say to the family of the young lady, I'm going to say her name. Princess Williams was killed a week ago for domestic violence. She was held in a park all day with the gun where he told her he was going to kill her and her three children. Then he told her he would keep the two-month-old alive. He took he said, "You can die here or you can die at home." There was a standoff. Domestic violence. We have to take it serious. He killed her. She has a she left behind a two-month-old baby because people she didn't know where to go. There was nobody helping her. But when you help people, we get people who threaten you, who ride by your parents' house, your other relatives house. We get that. But I want to say to Kiki Martin, her mother, Miss Jackson, thank you for keep showing up because in the absence of your daughter's voice, your voice is being heard. That domestic violence, we're understanding. We're representing. It won't be tolerated. Abuse against any

man or woman. We have to speak out. Stop domestic violence. Thank you, Miss Jackson, for showing up. Thank you. So, is there anybody else who wishes to speak during council response? Councilwoman in the second ward.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, and to our guest in the back, um, Joel as well as Chad, I'm definitely on board um, for housing, new housing in the city. And I don't know if you all remember, but I brought the Naka program here when we did that seminar at McCree. And unfortunately, we had people from all over the state come and little representation from the city of Flint. And Naka is spelled NACA. And what do they do? They prepare you for firsttime home ownership. So when you find a structure that you want to reside in, they offer the free um basically like no closing cost and you get a a big percentage rate lower than the going rate. So, it is a program that literally walks you through every single process and it's funded by the banks and also they have a program where they're starting to drop modular homes on vacant lots. So, again, that is definitely a a big push of mine seeing, you know, our homeless population. And a lot of people think the homeless means that you're on the street. But if you're s sleeping on your grandma's couch, you know, you're your auntie's in your auntie's basement, you know, that can um make you homeless as well. So, we want to make sure that we get affordable housing here. So, I'm totally on board. I also want to highlight the great things that happened in the second w this weekend. We were able to name our field um at Haskells after the late great Glenn Kelly. And we had a great showing. And we also was able to give the International Academy of Flynn a new home to play their home games. So, we're looking forward to the new attention that will be um highlighted and spotlighted over there in the second ward. And also, as you all saw the sign that said that a ice skating rink is coming. We want to make sure that we hear from you. What do you all want to see at Haskells? What do you all want to see in your neighborhood? And also I want to continue to encourage

the residents to come out to the second w community conversations. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response? Seeing as there is no one else who wishes to speak during council response, I will go ahead and take my time. Um the only thing that I have uh is for both the city attorney and the city clerk, more so city clerk. Um the housing readiness reform. Can we see where that is and make sure that um we have all the information needed to bring that resolution to committee on Wednesday?

Thank you. Um and that is all I will do with my time. Seeing as how I am the last speaker, it is now time for the consent agenda. What is the pleasure of the body? Councilwoman in the fourth ward. I make a motion to send the consent agenda to council. There's been a motion by the councilwoman in the fourth ward to send the consent agenda to council. Is there support? Moved and properly supported by the councilman in the first ward. Are there separations? Madam chair, councilwoman in the sixth w um 25303. Okay. Mhm.

Um can you do 262 just cuz we got to fix it? Yeah, add that one too. And that's uh all I have. All righty. Are there any more separations? Yes, madame chair. Councilwoman in the fifth ward. Um, I would like to separate 2550323 25 326

25318 25319 25320 20 25321 and 253 22. All right. As well as the add-ons 2550324. Hold on one second. Is it not? It's communications on the council agenda.

Oh, okay. That's good. Um to Well, we do have an add-on. The sweeper. So, this isn't an add-on that Council Yeah, Councilwoman Burns separated this already. Okay. Yeah, I see it. I just separated that. It's 2550326. It was already separated, but thank you. Yes, ma'am. All righty.

All right. Um, are there any more separations? S councilman in the ninth ward. Go ahead. Hit us with that complete separation. That's what we're doing. Complete separation. Awesome. Moving on to resolution 25303-t, establishment for the special police unit enforcement of loitering and other nuisance ordinances. Um, what is the pleasure of the body? Madam chair, councilman in the first ward. I'd like to move 2550303t to council. There is a motion on the floor to move this resolution to council. Is there support?

Moved and properly supported by the councilwoman in the fourth ward. Is there discussion in the first round? Councilwoman Burns, you separated. Go ahead. Thank you. Um, Madam Chair, Chief Green, I saw him hit the elevator. Is there someone in the back? Is the chief still present? Okay. Okay. So, I don't see him. So, go ahead.

Oh, well, that was one of my question cuz I think that when we look at this, one of my concerns are it's uh redundant and we're duplicating. Um we already have I think some of the things that came into we talked about the mayor. It was a task force I believe to be created. The mayor has a blue ribbon task force that was created I believe in 2020. Um in addition to that loitering we already have or lording on uh ordinances and resolutions that are in effect um that what we need is enforcement. We have loering signs which are put on municipalities. I mean not on municipalities, businesses uh such as party stores, clubs and if you ask they will um you just have to inquire with the police department uh get with the chief and they send an officer out to post it so that if someone comes on your property it gives the city permission uh to um to arrest and then there's other loitering that's already and so I felt this was redundant. uh it was duplicating. And then in addition, they also have the program, the green light program where many of the businesses have you see the green light, they have cameras that the live feed goes directly to the intel center. So this was not what this was to me I felt it was redundant. Um if you read the ordinance books, what we have is an enforcement problem. We continue to lose officers because of the rate of pay. Uh we look at Michigan the state um University of Michigan, you got like a $15 um top out wage as opposed to Flint. We need to improve that gap. And so that is the the issue is enforcement. I don't think we need another uh ordinance that we don't have the capability of enforcing and putting that burden upon our police department. Especially when we talk about we just had shootings. We had shootings on Copman. Um, we had and I

didn't even hear about the shooting because I've been at court all day about the young child that was shot in the bed today. Um, this morning I I I haven't had access to the news and TV. And so I just think at this time I don't want us just to be making ordinances to look like we being we're doing busy work. you know, we need enforcement of the ones that are there because I've worked with many of the businesses in my ward and some other ones where, you know, make sure you get that sign because they won't arrest if that sign's not there. And then there's other ordinances that people are lording around and curfews that we just need enforcement. We need enforcement. We also need parents to start parenting their children. We need that. I mean, parents can't just let your kids go out, cause and havoc. So, there are some other issues that we have with within this and this to me is a duplicate, but I yield my time. I would like to see if um someone could call Chief Green. Uh Mr. Taylor,

I'm laughing because you said I yielded. I know I did, didn't I? If Mr. Taylor could please contact because I've got some questions how Chief Green would feel. Is this something that he needs? Would this put more pressure on the police department? um if he could come back cuz his was the first resolution. I now yield the floor. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else in the first round of discussion? Madam Chair, um Councilman in the eighth w I would like to um express eighth w Oh, I'm sorry. So, um,

yeah, I would like to hear from Chief Green on this as well, even though, um, I don't, and I don't think I'm going to support this just for the simple fact of is we have so many other pressing issues in the city, like why don't we start a special unit for shootings? Um, that seems to be more of a pressing issue. Uh the last time that we put a special unit that the chief was in charge of was a neighborhood service officers in the blight department and drive around the city and see how good that's going.

Um blight is crazy. So, we want to start another unit that the chief is in charge of,

but yet we don't we can't handle the capacity and the of the crimes that we have now. And yet, we want to zero in on certain violations of things instead of covering everything. So, Miss Burns is right. We have an enforcement problem. We need more police. And I and I'd like to hear from the chief like if this enforcement task is is going to be implemented, does that mean he's pulling in he's pulling police off the street during certain high peak times to handle this? we hiring people like I'd like to know the whole logistics of this to because to me that we have so many more pressing issues in in the police and the crime of this city that um if we don't start attacking it from the top down and and stop the the shootings like we're going to arrest somebody from for lawyers ing, but you go down the street and you do a driveby and we can't find those people.

Like it it doesn't it doesn't make sense to me. And I think that um this is uh a distraction to for the real problem. And I'm not willing to sign on to to take uh police off the street that may be working on uh major crimes to enforce these laws that uh should be enforced. But you know, we have to work with what we have. And it doesn't make any sense that we're going to start a special task force for loitering and other nuisance ordinances when we can't even stop crime, major crime. And madame chair through you to the city attorney. the city attorney. This the language on this um

it says we are gonna petition this the chief for the city of Flint Police Department but it says the special unit shall be organized. So are we are we ordering him or are we petitioning him to start this uh through the chair? um you would be petitioning the police chief to do such he is under the uh purview of the administration. Yes.

So is the language this unit shall be organized? Is that inappropriate? Well, if your if your resolution passes and you petition him and it is uh voted on that it would be agreed upon um in in effect within the 30 days as per the resolution. Okay. Um, so yeah, I'd like to hear the chief even though I um I I think his leadership is uh less than less than stellar. I I'm not going to uh put another thing under him that allow him to fail. So no. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Is there anybody else in the first round of discussion? Madam Chair, Councilman in the first ward, I would like to express my full support for this resolution. And I had an opportunity to speak with the uh chief over the weekend who has expressed his full support of this resolution which is focused on enforcement enforcing the the um already ordinances and things that

Can we please pause the time? I would remind everyone in the chambers council included. Let's silence our cell phones. Thank you. Please start his time. I also would just like to add that the um task force will be one such an example with this task force will not only be the Flint police, it'll also require retired police officers, NS NSO officers and peer recovery coaches and youth, the community to be fully involved and engaged in enforcing this this the ordinances and things that they will be tackling. And with that, I'll yield. Is there anyone else in the first round of discussion?

Yes, madam chair. Councilwoman in the fifth ward, you have the floor.

Thank you. Um I I don't understand how the um NSOs are going to be working on this to help with this um task force and they can't even do their jobs as far as taking care of the blight in the um in the um community. So, how would they be able to deal with this? Um, and I have to agree with Councilwoman Burns and Councilman Feifer. This here does not address the root causes of what's going on in our community. And therefore, I will not be supporting this. I would like to hear from the um chief as far as this um resolution. I hell we need a special police unit um to deal with the gangs in the city. How about that?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak in the first round of discussion? Madame Chair, councilwoman in the second ward. Thank you. Um, so, um, just to my colleague in the fifth ward, we do have a gang task force and I I would think that that I think that she would know that being on council. She's she's yelling out during my time. Councilwoman Winfrey Carter, please stop yelling out. Go ahead.

So, if she know that we need another one, I encourage her to form a relationship to get these things spearheaded and initiated. See, this is how we get positive change going. If we think something is deficient as elective representatives for our ward and also our city, it's up to us to engage with the proper personnel to make this happen. So, if we're a little lack in the gang area, how about you find out how they're lack, why they lack, and get on and get into it. You know, just like Kenneth Mashette and I did with the fire safety initiative. However, um going back to this specific ordinance, it's very important. Um because this is important to the residents. Residents, they're talking about loitering. They don't feel safe when they go to certain establishments. This is what the residents said is a problem. And so, thank you, Councilman Elamine, for taking this on. I know it's been um a long time in the making. And um and just understanding the fact that, you know, loitering is a problem. It makes people not feel safe going to these businesses, you know. So getting all hands on deck and according to this resolution, this is not an ordinance. I want to say it again. This is an resolution, not an ordinance. And this is an this a resolution to do all things necessary to engage this task force. So for my colleagues to shoot it down, I would like to encourage them to help build it up. What is lacking? What is deficient? what needs to happen so we can make this a good resolution so we can engage our residents in a positive way so we can listen to their concerns so we can solve their concerns. You know, I I've seen a lot of criticism but no activism. And so I would want to again encourage my colleagues, let's not say what we won't vote for. Let's talk about how we can make this better and how we can make this happen. I know that a conversation

was had with the chief and he said that he was in support of this and so for that that is one of the reasons why I am in support. Not only is it a good idea, not only is it innovative, but the but the chief is on board. So I stand in support of this resolution. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else in the first round of discussion? Seeing as there's no one else in the first round of discussion, would anyone like the floor in the second round of discussion? Madam Chair, Councilwoman Burns.

Thank you. I want to be clear. The gang t Flint does not have its own specialized. It joins with others. Since 2020, I have asked for a comprehensive public safety plan with the specialized splint gang task force. And I've talked to chief about this as late as two weeks ago. It has to be specific. We have the biggest gang problem, the biggest one, and we have to have one that is just solely for Flint, but we don't have the um staffing, we just don't have it. And so when they're doing other things, the tactical unit or it used to be the the CAT team, whatever the name of that one was, we have to prioritize. So before I'mma worry about um loitering, gunshots, gun violence, children being shot in their beds, um drivebys, where's the opioid plan? The opioid plan should be a part of the specialized uh the comprehensive public safety plan. And so this is where Chief Green needs to be. We would be putting a burden. And I didn't hear Chief Chief Green was like, I need more people. He said that. So I don't know where he said that he got because I know they are stretched and these gentlemen back here should be out there.

Thank you.

They actually they actually work a special task force but they're here and so we put the pressure that they're in here. We do not have enough. So we may have something that sounds good for loitering but I mean we had 10 children shot last year. Those were the fatal fatally shot. That doesn't include the number of people who were shot. And so when we look at this and we're we're prioritizing loitering. He doesn't have the staff. And so do we put a burden that he shall it must be implemented. I'm not going to give him and he's not here. He's not here because clearly we're getting three different conversations from the first ward, second ward to the sixth war because my conversation has been consistent. It has not changed as I work with families. I work with Michigan State Police and cooperative with Chief Green when it comes to public safety. Will be going to always will be, but prioritize it. I just don't think that we have we have them here now, which shows us we don't have enough officers because they are in tactical gear in our council chambers when they they don't want to be here. They want to be out there getting some some bad guys, bad guys with felonies. They want to get those people who've been charged with domestic violence up off the street. They want to get the felons and the criminals who keep reaffending off the street. That's what they want to do.

Not loitering. I give the floor. Councilman Feifer, you have the floor. Thank you. Um, this this resolution is a dist is a solid distraction. And if the chief was in char or was in favor of this, he doesn't need a resolution from us, right? So why isn't it already being handled now? So, you're mean to tell me? Well, we never handled loitering and everything else.

Make sure it's in the box. And also, if you would um silence your cell phones. Um, thank you very much. Hallelujah.

My name is I know.

Yes. The time is now 5:01 p.m. on a Wednesday, October 8th. I hereby call this finance committee meeting to order. Roll call. Madam clerk. Mr. Alamine is not in. Dr. Lewis is not in. Miss Johnson is not in. Miss Priestley is not in. Miss Winfrey Carter present.

Miss Burns is not in. Miss Mich present. Mr. Feifer is not in. Mr. Jared present. You have three members present.

We have three members present. All right. Madame clerk, we now have quorum. It is now time for the reading of the disorderly person city code subsection. Any person that persists in disrupting this meeting will be in violation of Flint City Code section 31-10 disorderly conduct, assault and battery and disorderly persons and will be subject to 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 this meeting. The individual will be subject to arrest and violators will be removed from the meetings. Are there any requests for agenda changes and or additions? Seeing as how there are no requests for agenda changes and or additions, it is now time for public comment. Members of the public who wish to address the city council or its committees must register before the meeting begins. A box will be placed at

the entrance to the council chambers for collection of registration. No additional speakers or slips will be accepted after the meeting begins. Members of the public who have more than three minutes per speaker during public comment. Members of the public shall have no more than three minutes per speaking per speaker during public comment with only one speaking opportunity per speaker. First public speaker. Madame Clerk,

the first speaker is Reverend Freeline Thrael Jr. Sorry, before we begin, I would like to remind everyone um audience members and council, city staff as well, please make sure that your cell phones are either on sil are either silenced or on vibrate. Thank you very much. Please start his time.

Good evening. to the council. My name is Reverend Freelon Thrill Keel Jr. I reside at 214 East Palasi Street. I'm a longtime resident of Flint, Michigan. Metriculated in the Flint public school system. Graduated from the greatest high school in the nation, Flint Central. That's right. Central Indian for life to the council. I'm here on behalf of the North Flint Food Market. I come praying. I come beseeching you to reconsider the past actions that you have taken concerning the North Flint Food Market. This project is very needed on the north end of Flint and over 11 and a half years this project has been in the makings. We need this because of the lack of healthy foods and opportunities for better jobs and an opportunity to develop pride on the north end of Flint. We as residents and members of this store, we want this store to be open because it represents the pride of Flint to own something that we are part of and that is a co-op. Community motivated,

communitydriven that the residuals will remain in the community more than a dollar bill. 6 hours. It's time for us to move forward. So I come to you asking you to get with us. Help us to get this store open. It's time for Flint community to speak up, rise up, stand up, and get the job done so we can continue opening up this store and serve this community on the North End. We need this store. We've been down here several times. But I beg of you, reconsider prayerfully what you have done in the past for this store. Flint is a great town, but it's sad that certain areas are productive and others are not.

Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. [Applause] The next speaker is Carolyn Tyler.

My name is Carolyn Tyler and I reside in the third ward on the north side of Flint. And I'm here to speak about the North Side Food Market that's gonna open. It's gonna open, but we would like the council's support in this. And there's the need for the market on the north side of Flint. The north side of Flint has long been underserved when it comes to access to fresh, affordable food, and community centered commerce. Residents in this area face what's often described as a food desert, a lack of nearby grocery stores or markets that provide healthy produce and essential goods. and estab establishing a market here isn't just a matter of convenience. It's a matter of equity, public health, and economic revitalization. Many North Side residents must travel long distances or rely on costly convenience stores for groceries. A local market would bridge that gap, offering access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and nutritious options. Improved access to fresh foods helps reduce diet related diseases like diabetes and hypertension which disro disproportionately affects Flint's lowincome and minority populations.

The market could prioritize small business vendors, urban farmers, and local artisans, keeping dollars circulating within the community from v from vendor operations to management and maintenance. A market would provide employment opportunities for residents and support youth training programs.

A thriving market attracts foot traffic and can spur growth in nearby shops, cafes, and other local enterprises. Beyond commerce, a public market can serve as a safe social hub for neighborhood events, cultural celebrations, and community engagement. Revitalizing an underused space with a market signal signals investment in the north side's future and encourages further public and private development. All right.

Markets promote local food systems. Local food system reduce transportation emissions and keep resources close to home. Supporting a north side market aligns with the city council's goals of of equity, economic inclusion, and sustain sustainable development. It represents an investment in long-term community well-being, restoring trust by addressing residents needs directly. Backing this initiative demonstrates Flint's community to shared prosperity, neighborhood revitalization, and environmental stewardship. Right.

In short, placing a market on the north side isn't just a pro project. It's a promise, a com a commitment to restoring balance, opportunity, and dignity to a vital part of the city that deserves renewed attention and care. Thank you for your time. Next public speaker, please.

The next speaker is Darnell Ishmamail.

Good evening. My name is Darnell Ismail. I am an 18-year resident of Flint, Michigan. I live on the north side. I am a fully vested member of this market. I didn't come to praise the market. I came to ask a question. You've already seen the billboards. You've heard the stories and the sound bites. My question to you is, what will it take for you to change your mind? What will it take for you to change your vote? How do we convince you? We already have 900 members. That's right.

I believe there's 900 at least other members who are about 18 to 35. What happens when they become members? Those members are hungry

and they're hungry for food. I've been planting food at my own house for the last 14 years. I live one block from one of these so-called markets where I cannot no longer get organic food. Why? Because Myyers is gone. And the refuge from Meyers no longer comes to my neighborhood. I plant that food. And there are young men between the ages of 18 and 35 who have come to my home and learned how to plant and they've tasted corn for the first time in their lives and said, "I didn't know it could taste like this." What happens when they become really hungry for something else more than what they'll get at the convenience store? That carcinogenic stuff. I asked those young men where where was the last time you went grocery shopping? And some of them tell me four months ago, six months ago. These are fathers. What did you buy? Hot pockets, noodles.

Okay. These are our young people in this city and they're being starved nutritionally and you have the power to do something about it. But what will it take? Do they need to mobilize and shop where you shop? Do they need to start going to your favorite store? We have a responsibility as citizens of Flint, Michigan, as residents, and to abdicate your responsibility because maybe it's not your thing, it's still a good thing. How does the good thing get your vote? At some point, the lion will be hungry and he will hunt. [Applause] The next speaker is Bishop Bernardell Jefferson.

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Bishop Bernardell Jefferson, a member of this this community, a active member of this community. And I'm here because I'm part of the North End Food Market. Not we say North End, but we ought to say Jennese County because it represents all of us. It's not just just because it's on the north end doesn't mean it's just for people on the north end. It's for everybody. Fresh food. I'm here because we've been at this podium before and we were turned down because you thought somebody else was investing in us.

They didn't. So, I'm like the gentleman that was before me. When are you going to invest in what belongs to you? We belong to one another. If I fail, you fail.

If this city fail, you fail. It it is encompassed on all of us to stand together, to work together, to make it work. The money that we're asking for was the rescue fund. To my understanding, American Rescue Fund because we've been beat, we've been battered, we've been knocked down, we've been drugged. That's right. And now we're asking it just a hand a hand up. We we ain't asking you to to do everything, but we asking you to join with us because together we can be so much better.

No man is an island and we can't do this by oursel. This money was put here to help our community. And I'm asking you, each one of you, no, the North End Food Market is not in all of your district, but it is in your city. It is in your community. When they look at the North, they don't just look at the North. They look at Flint. Everything that goes on, when they look at the development downtown Flint, they don't just look at downtown Flint, the housing development, every place. It depends that we work together. That's right.

We're building it not just for one, but for all to bring change and enhancement and we can't do it without your support. I'm asking that you support us as a community that we can grow together. Amen.

The next speaker is Pastor Willie Ruth Moore. Good afternoon everybody. I do greet you with peace and love in the Holy Ghost and thank you for a job well done for our city. My name is Pastor Willie Ruth Moore and I reside at 63 6826 Orange Lane, Flint, Michigan. I've been a resident here for almost 50 years. I have seen the good, the bad, and ugly.

What I have so seen so far was a store that's being opened on the north end of Flint. And the address is 5402 Cloud Road, North Flint Food Market. And I've been a member there for over 10 years. What shocked me when I found out the other year that the city of Flint have not invested in the store, I was shocked. I said, "No, no. So I watch it when it was no store at all from ground up. I've been there all that time for remember 10 years. So we need your funding to help the store. Everybody say leave a legacy. Say leave a legacy.

So we may not see it all but leave a legacy. We ask you to fund the store. The store is there. It's a real store. Yeah, when you get a chance to go by and look at I am so excited to have a store on the north end of plant for those in wheelchairs, those on walkers, people can't get on the bus, go across town to get fresh food, they can they can come right there and get their groceries.

And I was so surprised to see over 100 people put an application in in order to work at that store, the young and the old. I was surprised to see that many people and to go in that building just to see where it went from ground to nothing. You remember when it went rubbish there? Take time to go in that store, leave a legacy for your children's, your grandchildren, your family and say everybody say we own it. We own it.

We own it. So I ask you, city council, please invest in our store and give us some money. Thank you. I love you. [Applause] The next speaker is Lean Jefferson. Lean Jefferson.

Hi, my name is Lean Jefferson. I revi reside in Flint. You probably wouldn't notice me sitting back there in the yellow jacket. In uh 63, my father would come to Flint. We grew up in a Romulus. He would come to Flint. He would go down to Detroit Eastern Market and buy his produce. And he would come to Flint and sell it and go back home every night for probably 40 or 50 years. In 76, I moved here because I seen this was a city that I could work in, go two blocks, six blocks away, and go fishing, go to the beach. go to a park and do things in this city. Uh Mr. Jared's father was the first black man to go south and get a semitruck load of watermelons and bring them back here and sell them on the street as sell them in the community for a decent price where people could afford them. And it's needed on that side of town because what's not understood, the average group of children are eating ramen noodles and other stuff. They had us they did a study in the schools because the children were throwing the apples and the bananas in the garbage. And then they went and did the study and they found that the kids didn't know how to get into an apple or a banana. in all races of the schools, not just the black schools. And fresh produce is needed in this city. I My wife told me, she says, "I want to move to Georgia." I told her, "I'm going to miss you cuz I love Flint and I love to stay here. I love the people here, you know, and this is a beautiful town, but the build the building is already up and uh and simply help it. I sat here across

from looking at a lot of you like you don't live here. You go back to the moon and stay. But if a person walks up to you on the streets, you can turn your nose up at them. But why not give that person a job? Thank you. [Applause] The next speaker is Jamar McKenzie. [Applause]

Good evening, council, city of Flint residents. My name is Jamar McKenzie. I'm the marketing coordinator for the North Flint Food Market. For years, the Pearson and Cloud Road corridor has gone without a full service grocery store. But now, we finally have one that is ours. A co-op built by the community, owned by the community, and designed to serve the community. On a personal note, this opportunity means a lot to me. When I was looking for work, many agencies left my application on red. But Dr. Flynn and his team took a chance on me. They saw something in me when others didn't. That's that's what made this that's what this market is all about is believing in our own people and give them a chance to grow.

Um our management team is now in place. We've started hiring. We are offering competitive wages um to give people the opportunity to be able to flourish instead of just going to work and making a wage when knowing that our economy is in the the position that it is in. I would also like to give a special thank you to NCG which is our consulting company. They have done a phenomenal job with helping us master our roles and really get prepared for the opening of the store. I just would like again to just ask that you guys take consideration and um really help us with opening our story. Thank you.

The next speaker is Byron Smith. [Applause] Hello, I'm Byron Smith. Um, I'm a manager at the North Flint Food Market. There haven't been many places around here that are good places. Like not recently. You know, there's plenty of corner stores or there's a Walmart if you go to the other side of town, but actual good, healthy, something that would help you. We don't have many places of that. and you are the people who I guess guide helped to guide the city of Flint. And so I don't I'm not lost per se, but what my question to you is is where is there a place for the young people of Flint, the people who maybe perhaps don't have vehicles for them to go find them some good food or something that does hasn't been processed in 18 different ways like It's a huge thing. People in the city of Flint move out of the city of Flint not simply because they need better jobs, but because of how bad the food is. That's a part of it.

I enjoy food more than y'all know. Y'all don't know me. I enjoy food. I'm looking forward to there being a place where I can go get fresh food that's close to me. I live within 10 minutes of the store. Any other time or whatever, that's at least a a 25 30 minute ride because I have to go to a store, then I have to go back. And that's not including the the walkthrough of the store. It's beneficial for those around us, those that are supposed to be your community that you supposedly help to God. So with the benefits that I see, I don't see a purpose or I don't see a reason why you can't see it. I can see bias. I can see bias. I know what bias looks like. But if you put faith into the community who you want to do better, I believe you will help us open up the store. Thank you. The next speaker is Constance Connie Edwards. [Applause]

Good evening. My name is Miss Connie Edwards, known as Constance. I am a lifelong resident of Flint, Michigan over 70 years. I am a resident in the second ward. I have been attending some of these council meetings for years. I have been concerned. I'm learning. But I want to share with you something tonight from the book 1619. And I suggest all of us read it. But one chapter in there I want you to read is called Sugar.

All right?

By Hannah Jones. And it says, "Though black labors no longer play a big role in producing sugar, sugar still plays a big role in the lives of black people. Among all Americans, added sugar has been linked to growing rates of certain chronical diseases. including those from which black people suffer the most. African-Americans are more likely to eat poor quality processed food with high amounts of added sugar. In 2013, public health researcher at John Hopkins University used the US Census and the info of USA food day data to analyze supermarket availability by census. As poverty increased, the number of supermarkets decreased.

But the prevalence of junk food, stock, convenience stores increased. And when poverty was held constant, the researchers found that black communities still had the fewest supermarkets. In 2015, the study of healthy food available in Topeka, Kansas, researchers at Kansas State University found that even low income white neighborhoods were twice as likely to have a food store than a black one.

Right? Food deserts, food insecurity, they concluded, are perhaps the most important delirious consequences of the residential segregation in the United States. The sarcety of one bad one recent nutritional survey by the National Center for Healthy Statistic found that among children, adolescence, and adult, black people consume a higher percentage of their daily calories from fast food than they do Hispanics and white. In other words, I am a proud member of the North Flint Food Market. And I want to say to you all from James Bowen who said

not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed unless it is faced. [Applause] The next speaker is Stanley Wood. Come on Stanley.

All right. First and foremost, I owe Councilwoman Lewis an apology for what I said um last time I was here and got kicked out. Um it was uncalled for what I said and although you guys give us, you know, uh examples of proper decorum and sometimes lack of that, we shouldn't that let us affect us negatively and act out on that. All right.

And I am guilty. I will be judged by one man about this, but in the end, I'm sorry and it will not happen again. Um, I want to talk a little bit about the uh rubber stamping of the special police task force um for the blatant loitering when Councilwoman Lewis specifically said, "I worked with Police Chief Green on this resolution." But according to Chief Green, two or three days later, he said no one talked to him about it and it's not necessary. He said, "We just need to enforce the laws that are already in place."

That's correct.

Um, I got a lot of things I want to talk about, but let's talk about the uh North End uh food market right now. And I brought this up before. They've received in excess of $10 million in loans, grants, inkind donations, memberships, stuff like that. M Foundation has even said they would still give them more money. M Foundation has deep pockets. The city of Flint does not. I would rather see this $300,000 go to help underprivileged people that didn't have a chance to win four different lotteryies to get their house redone and be able to get roofs or windows or things like that. Um, I'll be the first to admit I'll go with my kids. I'll go with my grandkids. They're too shocked to support them when it opens up. I just don't think this is the proper thing to do. Um to the city clerk, obviously you got my uh letter. Um there's 17 days left right now. Um I assume you probably are working on it. That's just one request that I have. I will be coming with two other requests for residency to you also. I know one of them that you could probably use the excuse that that was done under Inz Brown, but in the end, you're the current city clerk. And your job is when you know things are not right. Your job is to investigate them whether it happened in the past or not. It'd be like me going and robbing a bank and nothing happens. And now a new sheriff comes to town and he said, "Well, I'm not going to investigate it because the last sheriff didn't investigate it. That doesn't

work. You're being paid to do a job." And like I told you personally, I like you. I think you're a great person, but I think you're being manipulated by the current administration, by the city attorneys, and in the end, when you're left out to hang, none of those people will be there behind your back to to help you.

And that's sad. [Applause] The next speaker is Tenacia Danes. I can't I'm sorry I can't read it. Good evening. Good evening. My name tacial. I was hired as the prepared foods deli and bakery manager at the north end of Flint. This speaks volume to me cuz I have a daughter. And when I go to the doctors, they ask me what is she eating? What is she consuming? Her weight fluctuates, messes with her asthma. We bringing something fresh to the city. So I know it's coming from the farmers locally and even Detroit surrounding areas,

but it hurts when she comes to me and tell me this tastes nasty. And that's because she's not accustomed and used to eating certain things. Me as well, my health fluctuates as well over other things I've consumed throughout the city. One thing I can say though, I speak for the young people. I am only 24. My resume does speak volume and they took a chance on they got me out of a situation of working at a fast food restaurant that's giving people high cholesterol, diabetes, and I'm watching people weight gain because they come so consistently. Why can't we see people get in shape coming to a grocery store consistently? You can see people feeling better. I recently went to the I want to say it's the Green Tree Co-op and that's in Mount Pleasant. And for me to taste the food there and smile like I'm never I've never eaten this but it tastes good. We don't have that in the city.

We don't have certain protein shakes that they have in the city. I watched a lot of people in that co-op. They look fit. Not saying it's it's a crime to be big, but when you see a community that all look fit almost and know that they shop here daily, they open at 7. People was coming in at 7:05 to get salads, to get protein shakes. So, bringing that to the north side, I feel like that'll do a lot. Also, I speak for my grandparents that passed away. I live in the city of Flint all my life, played sports, but my grandparents always wanted something like this, but unfortunately, they not here to see it. So, I'm their eyes. So, I'm going to do what I can to build this up. And I hope y'all see the see it, too. Y'all done seen people in the city. Y'all y'all understand what's going on. There's not too much I need to say. But one thing I can say, it takes time and pressure to make a diamond. So, one of the world's most beautiful things, it takes almost a billion years to make.

So, trying to rush, you can't, nobody's to be perfect. There's no such thing as perfection. But trying to rush something that's been thought out well, executed well, that that that'll never work. But all I can say is I hope to see y'all faces there when we open up, come to the grand opening. Thank you.

The next speaker is Glattis Williamson. Amen.

Yes. My name is Glattus Williamson and I have a few things I'd like to speak about. We're going to start out with this North End store co-op. I have nothing against these fine people and they're wanting a store, but when the Meyer has to close down because of theft, the Kroger's has to close down because of theft, and then the store that replaced the Kroger store had to close down because of theft, the odds in your store are not Well, one thing you do got going for you is is you're some god-fearing people and I'm I'm grateful for that cuz God is faithful to his people. But this theft thing that bothers me. And when that person got up here and told me that he was going to run in the red for three to five years, that bothered me because the people of Flint do not have the money to keep funding this until who knows when. The next thing I want to speak about is the police that keep grabbing a hold of me because you know what? I know that you saw that my lawsuit was filed and I want you to know that the tort was filed on top of the lawsuit by the cop white that grabbed a hold of me and sent me to the hospital on the 10th. Then I went to my family physi physician who has all the records of the MRIs that I've had on my hips, my lower lumbar, my knees, my ankles, and my feet. They are

at a moderate to severe level of arthritis. And when that cop grabbed a hold of me and started shoving me around, he set me back weeks. And that's why I wasn't in here because I was in such pain. Not to mention my blood pressure was through the roof when I got over to McLaren Hospital emergency. Through the roof. But I got news for you back there. If you think you're going to get away and chase me out of here, you will. I will not be chased away because I too have the Lord walking before me and I will not be chased away. And I am sick and tired of grifters coming from Pontiac. Judy wanting to do trees. Weeping willow trees.

Poy grifters. Grifters.

Are these somebody's glasses? Somebody's gl Okay, I'll bring them to you. The next speaker is brother D. Dice Martin.

I got a few things I want to mention today. First, Reggie Flynn asked me to come down here, speak on their behalf, say a few words. All I want to say is this. Somebody got to break the trend. Somebody got to stop this downward trend. Cuz in every city where there's a predominantly black council, black mayor, and predominantly black school board, them the worst cities in America. Uh-huh. No economic development, high crime rate, schools ain't doing nothing.

So if our people fought and died for us to be in places of power that can help the community and we got to start being ready to do that. How can we deny something that we need in our communities when that's the very reason you're sitting there to be able to make it happen? People fought die for us to be able to have city council. Just back in 1978, I remember I was a little boy, but I remember everybody was out here vote. James Sharp became the mayor.

Everybody was voting. 9 2025 don't nobody want to vote because everything that went to hell. It don't look like this work for us. So we got to make some type of connection back to the community and do something because we just going to hell under our own leadership. Used to be the time we could blame white folks. We can't do that now. It's our own damn kind. Yes. Amen.

Now, I want to address the brother cuz I want history to show me in the correct light. I want my grandson to one day say, "Man, my daddy was in trouble and all you did was dog and granddaddy." Especially when I live by faith and my faith say you're supposed to want for your brother what you want for yourself. This what I want for you, brother. What you going through now, I hope it make you a better man,

a better Muslim, more committed to the mission you was on. I hope it even make you find your purpose in life if you have not and become great at it, brother. Because we all done things. I was with a man Monday morning having breakfast that wanted to kill me about his daughter 25 years ago. Watch out. because of what I done to hurt. So, I'm not going to condemn this brother no more in public. I'mma pray for him. I'mma do whatever I can to help him become the man that he should be. And the reason why cuz I ain't a [ __ ] no more. I'm a black man. And that's what we do.

And that's what I want for you, brother. True story. Peace. [Applause] The next speaker is Jason

Dye. Hey, what's up guys? Long time no talk. Uh, kind of got my stuff all mixed up now from what I wanted to say because I'm seeing this uh co-op here of this market and quite honestly, I love the idea of it. I don't know too much about the funding and this and that, you know what I mean? But I love the idea of organic food on the north end, you know what I mean? Like it's crazy. And the they're attacking us through the food. You can look up everything I'm saying. Look up appeal ap. That's what Bill Gates has. And what they're doing is putting a exoskeleton around all of our food and they're still labeling it organic. And when you look up what that exoskeleton is, that's to preserve it. It's straight up insect shield. Insect uh shells be the best way to say it. Look it up. You think I'm lying? Look at McDonald's. You know what I mean? They were talking about fast food in the black communities. Can you show me a commercial in the past 3 years for McDonald's that's had a white person on it? I can't. You know, they it's a neighborhood hangout. No, dude. It's preservatives. Do you know what they got to do to them French fries in order for you to eat them? Why they grow in these huge fields? Bill Gates owns that stuff, too. Look into it. It's a freaking six or eightmonth process before it touches your mouth. The crows and the birds that fly over top of these fields that are riddled with so much chemicals and pesticides, they fly over top of them and die. That's real. Look it up. You think I'm lying. Don't take my, as I tell everybody, I'm like reading Rainbow. Don't take my word for it. Look it up. I'm just bringing the truth. And also when it comes to financing and such, I'm not that concerned anymore because everybody, you know, I keep hearing from all these people, "Where's your lawsuits? Where's your lawsuits?" Bro, I got complaints. I got federal investigations. You think you ain't

being watched right now? That's funny. You know, and I'm also trying to help out police and such, too. I got a couple good cops that try their best. You know what I mean? I'm not going to name names cuz it seems like when I do, all hell breaks loose on them. But there's a couple good sheriffs named Sheriff Wigglesworth and uh Bashard. Bashard's out of Oakland and Wigglesworth is out of Ingram County. Wigglesworth ain't the one you want to see neither. Wigglesworth took his own people and tried them. Wouldn't even have them tried in Lancing or um Livingston County. He took him right here to Jese County and put him in prison. And that was his own prosecutor, some of his own deputies, all types of stuff. He don't play. He just had a situation where he did it with his own deputies. That's what we need. The good ones need to stand up and uphold these rights. That's their job is to uphold our constitutional rights. That's a judge's job to uphold our constitutional rights. Flint's like its own city, man. It's crazy. And that's why it was easy to get these federal investigations started. My god, you guys gave me enough ammunition. It was out of control. I I don't even got probably half the stuff in or more. You know, I'm only one person. But anyway, I totally support that food thing. Have a great one. The next speaker is Larry Tyler.

Well, my name is Larry Tyler. I was born and raised here in city of Flint. I'm 71 years old. I was around when we had a lot of black stores and all kind of things that was going on that was very positive was going on in Flint. I was eight years old on the on the painting with my uncle on three stories high. It was all we did a lot of things. Flint was uh but I'm up here because we are we are seeds. Unless a seed is planted in the ground, it cannot bring forth no fruit. And that's what we're about here is to bring fruit uh uh products and stuff to our community to help build our community up. Maybe a lot of the sickness and a lot of the craziness is because of the food.

But let I just want to talk about how Flint how beautiful Flint really was. Six ways that Flint changed the world. The bricks of Sagnar Street, the iconic buildings, the land and the people of Flint has been part of a deep and impractical history. Its history it it's a history that has helped to shape not just the life of his citizens but also the course of the nations and beyond. General Motors in 1909, Community Schools in 1935, the sitdown strike in 1936,

the wartime production back in 1942 and to 45. a 10day uh 1995 uh fair housing in 1968. In the late 1960, Flint led the way in civil rights in two specific instance. In 1966, the Flint City Commission named Floyd McCree as the first African-American major mayor of a major US city. That's right.

Then on February 20, 1968, Flint became the first city in the nation to pass the Fair House Ordinance. The city was high, highly segregated due to discriminatory housing laws and malicious practices of redlinining. That's right. An open house ordinance was placed before the city commission on August the 14th and rejected. Mayor McCree resigned in protest stating, "I'm not going to sit up here any longer and live an equal opportunity lie."

Amen. A 10day sleep and protest was organized on the lawns of the Flint City Hall. I'm sorry that is your time. Okay. Thank you. [Applause] The next speaker is Darnell Cannon.

Darnell Canon. Next public speaker, please. Next speaker is Anita Loving. Don't call me.

My name is Anita Belkel Loving. I stay at 152 East Myrtle Street Avenue. I'm in the third world with Miss Lashine up here. I'm here because I'm a newbie to this. I'm a newbie. I'm 72 years old, but I got with my brother and this all these good people right here. We believe in something.

See, y'all have things and a lot of people don't believe in it. And when you work hard at it and you see it and then we get the opportunity to what we putting in to give back, I think you should honor it. Not just the color of our skin, right? for what's needed. See what's needed. And we have the opportunity now for it to be needed. I know y'all heard all that riff rap and all that other stuff, but we need this. Give us an opportunity to show you to show every one of you that this is something that's happening. We want it to happen and we just want you to stand by.

We just want you to stand by and give at least give us a chance. Like I said, I'm a newbie in this. Only been here for three years. But to hear these people and to see us work in our community just like y'all got communities, too. Had it over. What you got to lose? Nothing. Ain't ain't that what y'all told me? Yes. We ain't got nothing to lose, but we want this. We want this. We want this. And we want this. And like I said, my name is Anita Loveing. Do you, Anita Loveing? [Applause]

The next speaker is Michael Green.

Michael Green. Next speaker is David Peachy.

David Peachy, fourth ward. I got This store is just crazy. It's a scam. $300,000. They already spent between eight and 10 million. Can't account for any of it. Uh I asked a guy who does organize a co-op. I said, "What if you don't get 300,000?" He said, 'We don't really need it. They've been begging for it, but they don't really need it. What would they do if they don't get the 300,000? They're going to put that place up for sale. And I'm tired of hearing how bad it is for these people. Go over there and drive on uh Sagenol Street all the way up to Wood Street. See all the new apartment buildings going up. Look at Buren Fieldhouse. 30 $40 million going into that place. this new place. They got the cube. I don't understand that one. $40 million there. They're putting money into this. I'm talking this Hasselberg. They want another $180,000 for that for the senior center. They just put a new ball field there. I live in a fourth ward. We have to drive a long ways to go to a grocery store because they had to close the other ones up because of the thievery. It just goes on and on and I'm tired. I'll feel sorry for them. They all look like they're eating pretty good to me. You know, it just sad to bake sit here and spend all our time worried about $300,000. Turn it down. Be done with it. Cuz it if they could tell you what they're going to use it for,

the difference between losing 8 to10 million. Please pause this time. Please be respectful of the people speaking at the lecture. And go ahead, Mr. PJ,

I can't see where 300,000 is going to make a difference to their store, but it could make a difference in our neighborhood. We could get some roads done or some more houses torn down, which you know, it's a bad situation. You drive down Franklin Avenue, which today it's a St. John Street of what it was years ago. There's nothing being built. We have no apartment buildings going up. We have no new stores going up. We're closing schools up and nothing. And but boy, you got to feel sorry for the grocery store. If you' have took that 10 million and put in some of our neighborhoods, the whole community. When I say community, I mean all nine wards, not just one little community. It just it's sad. I get a little upset about it, but somebody's got to say something. It's a waste of money. If they can tell you what they're going to spend it on or if it's going to make a difference in that store opening or closing, then there might be a good reason. Thank you. [Applause]

The next speaker is Chris Morris.

Thank you. Good evening.

Good evening. I've been blessed to be working here uh serving the the Flint community as the interimm general manager for the North Flint Food Market. Uh my role is going to be shifting here now that we've hired a GM from Flint, uh Miss Patricia Wright, who's born and raised and and and worked in this community for her life and and I've been fortunate to be part of hiring the staff, some of which you've heard tonight. Uh some of which weren't able to attend and speak for themselves because we've actually been sending them up to co-ops in neighboring communities. Tacio mentioned he was up at Green Chop in Mount Pleasant. We got two of our managers up at the Oriana Co-op in Traverse City doing training and development. And that's what part of these funds will be used for, staff development and training. You know, we're going to spend about 1.8 million on wages and benefits uh for the staff that we're hiring for the community here. Uh about 40 people. Um so we'll spend about 1.8 million over the next year on uh on their wages and benefits. Um and you know, this is this is a small drop to help us invest in those people and their growth. you know, there's there's national conferences that they can go to and learn um you know, things we can do internally and bring people in to help with their development and invest in their futures and continue to build. So, you know, I didn't make the comment that we didn't need this. I made the comment that in a way we're going to open regardless and we're open in November. Um and and we're open whether or not we receive these funds. And I guess you know part of that is that you know why it's important you know CSM Foundation has not committed any sustainability funds you know in any small business it's tough the first few years you know but the the funds from CSM you know they were investing because they believe in what we're building here you know and I and and of course Northland's not the only community that needs it and I hope that we can help build a co-op down in the other districts as well and expand um you know co-ops are just the most dem democratically uh organizations there are and it's fully transparent. You know, the grants that we've received, there's been accusations of misappropriation of funds, but the

grants that we've received have been scrutinized, financial audits left and right. Every penny has been accounted for with receipts, you know. So, um you know, so that's BS. I don't like hearing that. Um you know, and then I know there are council people that said uh you know, if other organizations were to step up, uh Mr. Mr. Feifer, I believe I was reading an article where you said if there were other funding, you know, CSM in particular, that you would be more willing, you know, to invest in in what we got building here. So, I would hope, you know, that you would uh, you know, follow through on that. And then, you know, there's been talk of abstentation. You know, we need everybody's vote. So there are members of our co-op amongst this uh council and you know from our investig you know our um research I don't think there's any conflict of interest and we'd be more than happy to return your $250 investment you know to to vote with us on this on this funding and I would ask the city attorney maybe to weigh in and ask if there actually is a conflict of interest because I don't believe there is you know no more than the president casting a vote for himself you know for you I mean they can still vote in their district even though they're passing applause for their stuff. So, thank you.

The next speaker is Tracy Spotsy. Hello. My name is Tracy Spotsville and I live on the north side of Flint. I was born and raised in Flint. And I think I look at that beautiful building up there and I got so motivated for the young people and I was sending them up there to get jobs, you know. I thought, well, if they know we own something, they might be proud of their community and they might stop stealing. They might Well, you got to give them a chance. It's a beautiful building

and they put a lot of work into it and I hate to see that y'all just give up on them cuz they not giving up. They want to see it go and I would like to see it go and give the people a chance and a hope and a dream and then maybe the east side can see and get their hopes and dreams together instead of being upset because we are trying to do something in our community. That's right. We all need a chance. That's right.

And I want to know why y'all don't want to give them a chance. And that's all I got to say. [Applause]

Next speaker is James Moore. James Moore usual. I'm from Flint. It don't matter where you at in Flint. Flint is Flint. I want to say to Mr. Bees, thank you for being a little small grocery store. I want to say to Mark, thank you for fing for painting the front part of your your your grocery store green so that they can see that you still doing lively things over there. I want to say thank you to the grocery store over there off of Franklin that is on the east side. And I'm going even shout out to Save a Lot. We got two of them. But I want to say this here. This is a big city. It's pretty empty. We could use more grocery stores. I don't want to see a park at the end of that grocery store. I want to see y'all put a bigger building at the end of that grocery store. I mean, we had two YMCA's. They told them down built one back, tearing one down, they going to put up another one. They doing it for the downtown. Start doing IT FOR THE CITY.

WE ALL LIVE UP in here, you know. I know. I go all the way out to Swar Creek to get my greens because they put water on them and and you can see that they still green. Maybe we could help them so they could pay the water bills and the greens will look a little bit more greener up here in the city. But regardless, we need this. All nine of y'all up there need to figure it out. We need this. And if you don't, get the hell out the city. The next speaker is Mari Copeny. Mari Copen.

Sorry. Today is National Bullying Prevention Day. 32% of adults report bullying in the workplace. After attending several council meetings, it is clear some of our elected officials are straight up mean. I strongly urge our council members to lead by example and not bully their colleagues or their constituents. Not just today, but every day moving forward. We all know violence is out of control in our community and is something that needs to be addressed even without access to the scanner feed which we really need to be unencrypted so our community can keep up with the crime in our communities since our local media and police do a terrible job of updating the community.

Yes.

Last week a 15year-old was shot during a shootout right downtown Flint in the middle of in the middle of the evening. Right around 300 p.m. today, someone reported hearing 50 gunshots at the corner of Dane in Dupont. While there is no single solution to fixing the crime in Flint, community policing makes a huge difference and we need to focus on some resources into the community for that. If you need a model to follow, call Chief Hall over or U of M Flint. I'm sure as elected officials, you are keeping an eye on the political climate climate in this country. Things are getting really bad out there and our city has several communities that are at risk of being harmed by the moves federal elected officials are making. I hope we are trying to get out ahead of some of the chaos before it affects our community directly. [Applause]

The next speaker is Keani Copen. One, two, three. All eyes on me. I'm Kani Copy and I am 13 years old and I'm the city council kindergarten teacher. It's time to review our rules you should have learned back in kindergarten. One, treat others the way you would like to be treated. It's not nice to roll your eyes when someone else has the floor. It's also not nice to stir at people like they are your worst enemy. Two, when someone is speaking, listen to them and give them your full attention. That means not looking down at your phone and texting other people, having conversations under the table, or laughing at them. It also means don't interrupt others when they are speaking. Three, your tone means just as much as what you are trying to say. Talking to people in a condescended tone doesn't make them understand your point and screaming at them only makes them scream back at you. Four, don't tell lies. That means don't say you worked with the police chief on the Lord and task force when Chief Green said that would be redundant. Five, no bullying. That means both verbally and physically. You shouldn't be following people around taunting them or threatening them. That also means keeping your hands to yourself. Six, no sleeping in class. You can't be civ civically engaged when you are up there drooling and dreaming. Seven, don't use tragic BT to do your homework or to write your statements. Eight, shirts and shoes are required. That means keep your shoes on your feet and your feet on the floor. While you may roll your eyes and Google out these rules because all these are common sense, but for some reason y'all can't seem to get it together and that's embarrassing. [Applause] The final speaker for this meeting is Arthur Woodson.

Good evening. Uh let me start by saying uh this grocery store I am not against because I was the person who brought the information to Pastor Thrill and Regginal Flynn when I went down to DC and met with the USDA administrator, the chairperson which was a Republican uh of agriculture and met with Senator Debbie Steenau, Pastor Flynn and uh Bregin Flynn and Pastor Thrill. who was on a radio show when I gave them this information and set up this appointment. I am against the $300,000.

I'm against it because we have inhome plumbing that needs to be done. Uh Miss Candace Msat, uh Councilwoman, when was the last time you went into the community and checked uh the lead in these houses? Because I looked at the LCR sampling spreadsheet and they had a 4532. Matter of fact, they had two of them and then it came from the same place which is included in the 60 samples. So, are they telling the truth or are they lying? You supposed to have the priv uh the community lab. We haven't heard anything from you about this even since you've been on council. I have the sheet from uh Miss Greenspan for the lawsuit. Mr. Pastor Thrillkill and I along with Mayor Weaver and late Councilman May stood out there August of 2020 to try to convince you all not to sign on with this lawsuit. Every single time they come out with something that's different. It's supposed to be 65% going to the kids. They have on here 79.5. We didn't got over $2 billion since the water crisis. Flint should be looking like Dubai, but we have ignorant council people who gives money to certain individuals and play politics and allow this administration to play politics with money and y'all rubber stamp and y'all give it to yourselves. That's what happens. Let me say this real quick. Councilman Leon Elamine, as a political figure and as a standup guy, you should not be allowing what's happening to the person who lives at that resident that you claim that you don't. Deina, clerk, Deina, two tethered individuals cannot be tethered at the

same house. She is a sexual registered offender. They put in her information and as a man, I could not put anybody through that situation just to stay on counsel. I wouldn't do that. And then she cannot be around kids. So they go to a parole officer. She's in trouble. As a man, you should resign so people can stop coming after you. For real. That I mean, that's that's crazy. Thank you. That was the last of our public speakers, madam clerk. That's correct.

Okay. It's now time for council response. Council members may respond once to all public speakers only after all public speakers have spoken. An individual council members response shall be limited to two minutes. Is there anyone who'd like to address the speakers? Madam Chair, Miss Winfrey Carter and then um Mr.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, first I would like to thank um all of you for being here. I would like to thank you for being engaged in the process. Um, I do have a couple of things to say about the North Flint um, food market. I remember when Pastor Flynn first um initiated this project and he you know ask members of the church to become a member. So I you know I I listened and I took my $250 and I became a member and I'm a proud member. I was proud to become a member. Um because as a official, an elected official, how can I say that I'm for the residents of Flint and not put my money into the food mark? Now, my money is in the food mark and therefore I will not resend my membership just to sit here and vote. Thank you. I am 100% on board with the food mark, but I think it's very unethical to resend my membership to be able to vote. If I can resend my membership, then everybody else um should be able to resend their members membership and get their $250 back. I'm just saying that that didn't that that that that didn't sit right with me.

That's right. Um but I am here. I support the food mark, but I am a member of the food mark. So therefore, I will have to abstain my vote. Simple as that. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Alaming.

Thank you. just would like to say thank you to everyone for engaging today, especially our young people. It's good to see y'all down here, especially yourselves and being engaged in the process. So, I want to encourage you guys to continue to do that and I want to thank everybody who came out speaking in in support of the grocery store today. That's uh you guys are definitely sending a strong message. The grocery store is in my ward and I definitely support it and I just want to thank you all for coming down here again today and and sharing your the importance of that grocery store. Thank you. Anyone else? Madam Chair, Dr. Lewis,

thank you so much. Um, when ARPA funds initially came to the um to America to municipalities, they came here to make the municipalities resilient. Um, know cities use funds just like these to support these kinds of initiatives. And so we see that there is a big need in our community. We have a outside food pantry at Christ our hope right there on the corner of Weisner and Pasadena and I along as um Pastor Demetrius Turner and other concerned members, we fill that box up weekly because families come and literally grocery shop out of the pantry. So when I hear individuals say, you know, um, talk about that, you know, a grocery store will not be feasible, sort of kind of insinuating that, um, we steal on the north side, so we don't deserve a grocery store. Um, I kind of get offended because those are the people that I represent. And so they steal everywhere. Shortage is an issue everywhere. Why? Because there's a need. And so with the food market, we are filling that need. And so I I saw some food um membership people, you know, you all were clapping and um I'll tell you what was troubling. What's troubling is, you know, I stood in the shoes of my colleagues in the fifth and the ninth ward. And I was a person that said, you know what, me voting to give the food market $300,000 is way worth more valuable than that $250 membership that I have. I'll rather see the grocery store go forward and thrive instead of be selfish and make excuses of why I'm not going to vote.

So, I rescended my membership because I wanted to see something bigger and greater. So, I don't mind taking that hit, making that sacrifice because as an elected official for the second ward, that's what I was charged to do to make those hard decisions. So, it's not about me and what I want. The community said they want it. 900 members said they want it and I'm voting for it. Thank you. Anyone else? Madam Chair, Mr. Jarrett, um want to want to thank everyone for coming out.

Um I'm not going to resend my membership. This this food mark as was said earlier for me personally is about legacy. Um, back three or four years ago, um, our church had a a 100red-y year anniversary. And at the time, my grandfather was 95 years old. And I was charged with reading the letter that he pinned that talked about No, I'm sorry. the it was a it was a 95th year celebration and he said I may not be here for the hundth which was just a few years ago and one of the things that my grandfather did prior to his passing and in honor too of my grandmother is he began the investment of our family into this market. So, as opposed to rescending my membership, I'm doubling down. I'm putting another $250 of my personal money into this into this food mart and sponsoring if it have to be somebody else's membership. But I'm I'm I'm not going to to for a performative matter resend a vote or or resend my my membership tom. I got to deal with me afterwards.

Anyone else? Madam Chair. Okay. Go ahead, Miss Mr.

Yes. I want to thank everyone who um came out this evening to speak towards something that I have said from the very beginning is needed from this uh needed in the city. I remember when Pastor Flynn and Pastor Thrill started this and how they had their campaign on the radio about Flint needing to own its own grocery store and be in charge of its own destiny and take care of ourselves because clearly 11 years later, no one has come to save us from the food desert that is happening on the north end. The only people that have come to save us are the residents with their money. I'm gonna give y'all a couple of numbers. 40, 975, 31, 20, and 1. Are you asking me what those numbers are for? 40 for the number of jobs that will be created by this food mart. 975 members from our community who put their money into it, knowing that we do not come from a community where people just have $250 to give. 31 Flint churches who we all know the struggle that churches are having because members of churches are having an issue. But you had 31 Flint churches whose members said, "Let's put our congre congregational power behind that uh store and put our money there." 20 20 plus people who are sitting here on today to say, "Please reconsider how you are thinking and make sure that Flint takes care of Flint." Because while you had 1.5 million from my that's not the Flint City Council. While you had 180,000 from the USDA, that's not the Flint City Council. While you had 150,000 from Healthy Foods, that's not the Flint City Council. While you had 260,000 from HUD, that is not the Flint City Council. While you had 150,000 from MSP, that is not Flint City Council. What is what can be from San Flint City Council is the 300,000. AND THAT LAST NUMBER, that last number that I gave you is the one, meaning we just need one more council member to stand up and say yes to the north end of Flint. Thank

you, Madam Chair. Thank you. Anyone else? Hearing none, we'll go ahead and um the next one we have is the re we're excuse me. Next on the agenda is reconsideration of um resolution 2550290-t reallocation of ARPA funds North Flint Food Market Cooperative. I to entertain a motion. Madam Chair, you go ahead. I'd like to mo make a motion that we reconsider resolution 2550290- which is the reallocation of opera funds for the North Flint Food Market Cooperative. Support

supported by the councilman in the first ward. This is the vote to reconsider 2550290.

Mr. Alamine. Yes. Miss Lewis, yes. Miss Johnson, yes. Miss Priestley, no. Miss Winfrey Carter, I abstain for reasons stated earlier. Miss Burns is not in. She's in. She's not in chambers. Miss Michette? Yes. Mr. Feifer? No. You don't have it, Mr. Jared.

I abain.

That's five yeses, one no, and two abstain. You do not have five yeses. This is Two nos. Four yes. Two no. Two abstensions. That motion fails. Going on to the consent agenda. I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. So moved.

It's been moved by the councilman in the in the eighth ward, supported by the councilwoman in the seventh ward. Is there any separations? Go ahead. Um, I would like to separate resolution 2550235236 235 236 and that's all. Thank you. Are there any others? Madam Chair, go ahead. Uh 25 240 2 4 I think it's a typo. It's 224 on the Yep. Yep. I think it's typo. It's 24.

Yep. Any others? Go ahead. 2550299 299 and 2550299 top of page three. Any others? I have one. I have to look it up. Um I'm going to separate 2550234.

Okay. Any other separations? Hearing none, the consent agenda consists of the following resolutions. 2550232, change order one, contract with Lutz Roofing Company roof replacement of the water plant. 2550233 grant award Michigan Department of Environmental Great Lakes and Energy Flint River Watershed Support Grant. 2550237 Tyler Technologies New World Systems Police Management System Maintenance Renewal. 2550238 Contract with Curbco. sweeping for sweet street sweeping 2550239 grant spending deadline extension state of Michigan grant fiscal year 26 police vehicles Chevrolet Taho Harley-Davidson's and community bus roll call madam clerk or madam secretary

Dr. Lewis is not in. Miss Johnson is not in. Miss Priestley, yes. Miss Winfrey Carter, yes. Miss Burns is not in. Miss Mette, yes. Mr. Mr. Feifer. Yes. Mr. Jared. Yes. Mr. Alamine. Yes. You want to get um Miss Johnson? She's Miss Johnson. Yes.

That's seven yes, zero no. The vote is seven yes, zero no. That those will be sent to council. Our first separation is 2550299. Um the contract with Synergy Construction Group lead based paint hazard control abatement services. Was that you miss Winfrey Carter who made that separate? Oh, that was um Mr. Jared. All right. I'll entertain a motion. Madam Chair, go ahead. Move to council. There's a motion on the floor by the councilman in the ninth w move to council. Supported by the councilman in the eighth ward. Is there any discussion? Uh, Madam Chair,

go ahead. Uh, if we can ask Mr. Mr. Carpenter. Is there anyone here from the administration? Is it Miss Carpenter who's there? Mr. Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter. Yes.

I am. Good evening, sir. As as you're approaching, um, if I if I recall, is this the the resolution that we spoke about a few weeks ago and it was basically, if I recall, the majority, if not all of this was for one property, correct? Okay. And there were some some pending things that you were going to or questions you were going to answer.

I I addressed it that I'm I'm sorry. I addressed that. I sent it to Deina. Okay. I my my email I'm not having success getting into my email right now, but um Okay. So, do you recall what some of those are? If you can just enlighten me in this moment. Yeah. The council is requesting the address and the property owner name. Okay. Um and and if I recall, was this a historic building? Correct. And the grant itself doesn't have stipulation on a maximum amount per property. No. Okay. As long as we abating lead.

Okay. And and what is the process that you're going through now in selecting properties? How how do is it do we only are there so few applications that everybody gets approved or is there a lottery of sorts? How does that work? I have over 200 applications. It's a first come first- serve basis. So, whoever is approved first goes in the list. Long as they got all their documentation together and ready, we put them on the list. Once the contractors are done with the work, we move on to the next batch. Okay. First come, first serve. Okay. Uh I yield. Madame clerk, I mean, uh Madam Chair,

is there anyone else who would like the floor in the first round of discussion? Councilman in the eighth ward, you have the floor. Um what is the address of this unit? I don't think that they can say that over the mic. Why? It's public money. It's it's it's federal money. It's not it's not city money. So, I understand that, but this is this is a public form we're voting on. Well, the way that we got the money, I am not at liberty to address or say the addresses or the homeowner's name. Now, if you want to talk about that in private, we can do that. But I talked to my hood connect. I was not able to.

Can we please pause? Can we please pause? Pause. Go ahead, Mr. Feifer. Madam Chair, through you to the city attorney. The city attorney, this is not a You can unpause on pause this time. This getting uh an address on where we're spending money isn't a closed session uh thing, right? So why why can't that not cannot the address be public? So we're going to vote on something and and the public doesn't know what address we're spending the money at.

Sure. Without more additional facts and to understand why he's saying he can't he can't disclose it, I can't give you an answer right now. I would need to know the entire factual situation regarding this matter before I could give you an opinion. And I apologize. I'm not trying to stonewall you. That's just simply the truth. I don't understand quite what he what what his position. I I got three minutes. Can you go have a meet with him real quick and find out?

No. Not I mean not without researching this. No. I don't understand how this is a private matter. If we're if the if the if we're their government funded dollars, how do we not how is how is that a private and a secret thing? I don't understand that. It doesn't make sense. There's nothing that we do when we allocate funds that is secretive. That's open and transparent government. Thank you.

Um, if you can't give me the address on this, then I certainly won't be supporting it. Uh, it to this is this is how like how do we know that this isn't the mayor's house? Like h how when you when you hide behind something then all the conspiracy theories come out and I'm not like did somebody direct you to say that you couldn't say that? Did the attorney did you guys meet with the attorney's office and they said you can't disclose this address? This is federal money. So I don't care whose money it is. You want me to answer the question?

This is federal money. So the person that is giving me the money said I cannot disclose that information. Somebody at the federal government said you can't disclose the address. We're not spending city money. We are spending federal money. And you said that already, sir. So, somebody at the federal government said you cannot disclose the address. Correct. I hardly believe that. I can show you my contacts if you would like to. We can have a private without a city without an address to know where this is at. I mean, this is at a council member's house or the mayor's house or somebody in the administration's house.

We are not fixing houses. We are baiting lead. So, it could be whoever house it is. We don't discriminate. We are baiting lead. We are We not fixing houses. But when we spend $106,000 on one house to a historical house. This was the lowest bid that I had. I had I understand that. I understand that. But when we're spending $106,000 on one house, to me, that uh needs to be disclosed on what house was was done. I mean, that that right there, we've never done anything in the secretive, even the the houses that were in the lottery for for home repair. I've been doing this for four years.

I didn't ask you a question, sir. I didn't ask you a question. I'm reclaiming my time. We didn't dis we didn't secretize anybody's house. And to say that we're because it's federal money, we can't disclose that. I'm not buying it. Thank you. I'm not buying it. To me, that right there, this right here is is is uh I mean, it should be foyable. There's no way that this not would not be foyable. So, if it's foyable, it should be able to be spoken aloud. Um, so, uh, I'm going to I'm going to interrupt you, Mr. Go ahead and pause this time. It is a HIPPA violation to disclose that address. How?

How? That's a medical thing. This is a this is a home improvement. It's a home improvement. I disagree with that. So, I this won't be getting my support because I think there's I mean, it's this right here. We're going to spend $100,000 on one house and then the residents can't know what house. That doesn't make sense to me. So, I won't be supporting it. Madam Chair, go ahead. Thank you so much. Um, so under standing that so you said federal money, federal money coming from is that Hood? Correct.

Hood. Okay, great. And once again, thank you so much, Mr. Carpenter. Um, yeah, for your service. Um so understanding how addresses um and the disclosure of address can go wrong you know um especially with this body we've had council members go to people's homes. So what I don't want to see I don't want to see anybody in the audience anybody in TV land or anybody on this body going to these people's home. So, in terms of us not disclosing the address, I'm 100% for not disclosing the address. Totally. I and I would be and she needs she needs to be brought to order because we're talking about people lives here. It is a blessing to be a Is this a historic house?

Correct.

All right. So, we understand that through the historic commission, you know, because we have one of those and it is important to maintain the integrity of the home. So you just can't throw siding or throw something on it. You must maintain the historic integrity of the home. So it may make that home cost more than the regular house like say a house on my block. I don't have a historic block but I know like we do have a historic district. The civic park district is historical. I see um Mr. President of the Civic Park Civic Association in the back and I trust that he can attest that they have a historic area with historic homes. And so I understand that it may cost more to restore a historical home. I also understand that when you give this body information like this, things may go left. And so what I don't want to see, I don't want to see people being victimized because they were afforded an opportunity to better their residents. So, Madam Chair, I'm going to call the question so we can move on. Either vote for it or not. Thank you.

Okay. There's a vote for There's a call for both support. It's been moved by the councilman in the second ward, supported by the councilman in the seventh ward to call the question. Is the secretary there? Okay, this is the vote to call the question. Miss Johnson, yes. Miss Priestley, yes. Miss Winfrey Carter, no. Miss Burns is not in Miss Michette. Yes. Mr. Woodson. Go ahead. Mr. Feifer. No.

Mr. Jared. No. Mr. Alamine. Yes. Miss Lewis. Dr. Lewis. Yes. Five. Yes. Three no. The vote is five yes, three no. This is the vote on resolution 2550299.

Miss Priestley. Yes. Miss Winfrey Carter. No. Miss Burns is absent. Miss Michette. Yes. Mr. Feifer. No. Mr. Mr. Jared, no. Mr. Alamine, yes. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Johnson, yes. That's five yes, three no.

The vote is five yes, three no. That will be sent to council. The next separation is 2550234. Change order number two, contract with Weinstein Electric Company, Additional Electric Services. Um, I'm the one who separated that, but I will let someone make that motion if they would like. Madame Chair, go ahead. And make a motion to send to council.

Ma Moion made by the councilman in the seventh ward, supported by the councilman in the first ward. Is there any discussion or you want to hear why I want separated first? Okay. So, I the reason why I I'm going to take my time since seeing how no one is is that if you look at the resolution and I'm going to look at it real quick right now. Is that the resolution says that it's for $10,000, but the resolution says it's 98,000. So, is there anyone who can address this one? because the resolution states that it's resolved for another 10,000 but the funding says 98,000 and I want clarification on that

Sheamus that's 2550234 Weinstein

we stop N Keeps going.

Hello. Hi. So, I was totally confused with this. I understand that the whereas and it's resolved the 10,000 um but the fiscal year 26 grand total of 98,000 and then it's for revised aggregate three-year total 458,000. There's a lot of numbers there but I just want to make sure that we're only approving the 10,000 needed. Yes. um what happened when this uh resolution I believe was presented to you earlier on and Lauren Raleigh isn't here, the purchasing director. I can barely hear you.

Um the purchasing director, Lauren Raleigh, when she originally presented this resolution to you, it covered multi- divisions within the city who utilized Weinstein. At the time, the water plant didn't need electrical repair services, but due to the fact that we have an electrician that is out, we then had to come about and add $10,000 to it. So, this lump sum covers not only an additional 10,000 from the water plant, I don't know what the other um department's total was. And that's why you have that total that covers all divisions within the city of Flint.

Okay. when I read that initially when I received it um before it was put into our packet I was questioning that and so I wanted that clarified. Okay. Any that was the first round. Is there any discussion of second round? Seeing none this is the vote to send 25234 to council. Thank you. You're welcome. Miss Winfrey Carter is not. Yes. Miss Burns is not in

Mr. Feifer. Yes. They skip. Mr. Jarrett. Did they skip? Oh, I'm sorry. Miss Mushette. Yes. Mr. Jarrett. Yes. Mr. Lamine. Yes.

Dr. Lewis. Yes. M. Johnson. Yes. Miss Brie. Yes. The vote is eight yes zero zero no. Vote is 8 yes zero no. That will be sent to councel. The next separation is 2550235 application and proposed budget senior millillage funding Jese County McKinley Center. Madame chair. Yes ma'am. I'd like to make a motion to leave this here in finance. It's a motion

motion by councilwoman in the seventh ward supported by the councilman in the first ward to leave in finance. This is the vote. Miss Burns is absent. Miss Mr. Feifer. Yes. Mr. Jarrett. Yes, Mr. Alamine. Yes, Dr. Lewis. Yes, Miss Johnson. Yes, Miss Priestley. Yes, Miss Wy Carter. Yes. Vote is eight. Yes. Zero no.

The vote is eight. Yes. Zero no. That will stay in finance. Oops. The next resolution is 2550236. Application proposed budget senior mill funding Jese County Eric B. May senior and community service. Madam Chair. Yes, ma'am. I'd like to make a motion that we move this to council. Support. There's a motion on the floor by the councilwoman in the seventh ward, supported by the councilman in the first w to send to council. Is there any discussion? Madam Chair, go ahead.

Can't express enough how important the center is to the residents over there. We have a large population of seniors who frankly attend many services that's taking place over at the center. Um we even got a coming up here soon this weekend um the uh senior pageant um for the seniors and so forth. So, there's a lot of programs that the seniors and and regular folks in the community benefit from from this center and I think it was uh it's very important that we should really consider supporting this and keeping things going if not for anything for our seniors who who should be our most um who we should be looking out for the most and so forth. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other discussion in this first round? Madam Chair, go ahead. I am in support of us um seeking senior millillage funding for the Eric B senior community service center. Um it is a wellestablished senior center in our community. Uh I think that um the way that it is currently running, it has been being run quite well. I heard some of the uh seniors who left earlier this year have also began to return to this senior center. So, we do want to make sure that um as we're servicing our seniors, we are included in any any millillage funding that can help us in those services. Thank you. Any other discussion, Madam Chair?

Go ahead, Mr. Chair. Uh through you to or can we request Mr. Moore? Um Miss Whitigan is back there too. Pardon me. Miss Whitigan is back there. Wiggins Whit. Oh my god. Sorry. So sorry. Right. I'm sorry. [Laughter] I know it's Wiggins. It just too close to Yeah. You and Mr. Moore. Some of my initial questions are with regard what would be best for Mr. Moore. Good evening. Hi. How are you? I'm doing great.

Good. Mr. Moore, good evening. Currently, Mr. more. How is this center being funded?

Uh the staffing is being paid for out of ARP for dollars. Uh there's some of the dollar uh are coming out of the the park fund and uh we've been just putting pieces together as we can to uh to make it work. It's pretty bare bones right now. uh our goal is to have if we can get this we can increase the funding and I think we'll have a much better program. So those were funds that are you saying being utilized out of ARPA which once they go into that general fund they can just get used however right is that is that the understanding could you repeat that question?

The you mentioned the ARPA funds. Yes. So is those opera funds are being taken from when the money was transferred to the general the uh I forget which pot that ARPA dollars were but that was something which was already approved by city council and uh we just uh used those positions uh for the uh community center. Okay. So they were ba basically we re reallocated funds designated other places for here right it it fit the uh the uh the resolution quite well actually I'm sorry

it fit the resolution that was presented so it made a natural fit. Are you saying there was a resolution sent to us specifically to fund the center? Uh no no it was part of a a bigger package. Okay. To your uh Mr. more. Currently, there are two senior centers in well, should I say we we now have three senior centers that are being ran in the city. Do you know uh that or if the county has allocation for three centers?

I don't know an awful lot about their program. I'm sorry. No, I'm I'm talking about the because because this is this is to request funds from the county, correct?

Do you know that the county has funds allocated for three centers in the city of Flint? Or actually, it would have been four with the McKinley. Does does this county have funds to support four centers? the county has funds that we're eligible to apply for and uh we have an excellent program and this will make it better. Okay. So So are are we going to be in effect taking funds away from a existing program? You'd have to ask the county that.

Okay. Um, and there was a a somewhat of a budget that was uh included. Does that budget represent what what we are currently expending at that site? This would be above and beyond that. I'm sorry. This would be above and beyond that. No, no, no, no. What I'm asking is for what we are currently spending is the the budget that was included here. Is that in alignment with what we are currently spending? No. No. This is something different. This is above and beyond what we're currently spending.

I don't know. Am I not being clear? question. Can we follow that? Th this operating budget shows that the the request would be for about $132,000. I'm sorry. No, the 176. You're right. Uh that one was more. Are we currently spending more than that amount to support the center that's in place now? I I don't believe so. No. Okay. All right. Um I yield,

Madam Chair. So, Mr. Moore, um I think what my colleague in the ninth word was trying to say is what is the total budget for the maze center? And is the city matching these funds? Is it going to be a $300,000 budget or are we saying that 176 is all inclusive to to support this center? You want uh I'm not sure. I don't have the figures for the other funds, but uh we're not spending 132. I don't right now. I don't believe we're below that.

You're not answering my question. What is the total number that it is anticipated to run this senior center for a year? The budget was 170.

We're talking our projected Yes. For the for the entire year for uh whether or not we get these or not, what is our total budget for the Maze Community Center to run for a year? For right now, I think it's This doesn't that doesn't include the salary. We'll have to get back with you on that because the the funds have been coming from different areas and um give me a give me give me a ballpark number. I won't hold you to it. What did we come up with? The budget we had was three four. No, no, no. It's less than that. No, no, no. It it it was about 120. That's about right.

And that includes the salaries. You mean you're saying 120 on top of this, right? You're not saying 120 total. That's correct. That's correct. So, we're we're saying that the salaries which aren't included on this, we're only going to be allocating 120,000 for salaries. Is that what I'm hearing or No, at this time I think we we only had for one person for the salary. Two people for salary, right? So, with the salary would have been about about 132. Yeah, I'm remember it's a little bit less than 130.

Yeah, I want to say it's between 120 and 130. So, outside of the salaries, the city is hoping that this uh senior millage dollars will cover everything else other than those two people. No, the the millillage is going to cover things uh some of the That's what I'm asking. I'm okay. The millage is going to cover um various things like um programs uh instructors, right? I I get that, Miss Wigan. Yes. Okay.

What else is the city looking to spend at this place at the outside of this millillage? What is the total dollar amount? That's what I'm asking. Okay. We don't have a total because you're talking you're talking you're asking us does it include the salaries? The salary is not No, you already said that the salaries are about 132 on top. It's not It's not included in this 132 for what we're Yes, it's not included. So, what above the salaries are we looking to spend? Well, uh you have utilities, you have uh ground maintenance. Um utilities are on this. So, the utility, this is only a portion.

That's not the entire utilities. So, you don't know the total dollar value that you're looking like you don't have that number, but you know that this is only a portion of what you want to spend. Like, how do we not have a complete budget? I mean, how do we know that we don't go to the county and ask for 300,000? Like, how did we come up with this number? When we go to the county, we're going to be presenting this resolution which has

No, I understand that. Well, I'm ask You're asking not answering the question that I'm answering. How did we come up with this dollar amount to go to the county instead of the 300,000 or Okay. So, we're So, we're looking at the maze, right? The maze center, right? Yeah. Okay. The maze center, which is 176,000, right? That's what we're looking at. Um request for information. What's your request? Is this the budget that we're proposing for the county or to the county? This is the This is the budget that we're proposing that they fund. Thank you.

But that's not what this says. This says the senior center operating budget. This doesn't say like I want to know the overall budget. What's the overall budget? What are you looking Okay, we we haven't we we don't have So, how did you come up with this dollar amount? We came up with this dollar much by um so you you did a partial budget and like so you you did a $400,000 budget and you went to the county and said we're going to get 40% or whatever that number is. So so if you don't have a total overall budget, how did you come up with this budget and this dollar amount? Thank you. I yield. Madam Chair, thank you. Through you to the city attorney. Um, Attorney Sparrow, how are you this evening?

I'm fine.

Good. I do want to address the question. I know that we are using call for the question right now before we get into this. And I want to ask you because it doesn't state uh in our council rules. It says to vote immediately, but it does not state call for the question. And Robert's rule 12th edition is very specific as to when we're stating. We're not saying I want to vote immediately. They're stating call for the question. And so if you don't have the answer, I would like to send a referral because if we're doing call for the question, which is Robert's rules 12th edition, that means we have to have 2/3 vote, which means we need six votes. And right now we are a body of nine and we should have twothirds. It's not um Robert's rules does not acknowledge voting immediately. It's called for the question. So I want to make sure we are in order.

Point of order. What's your point? I just want to refer our colleague to the council rules keeping in mind that that the charter trumps all rules. Point of order. And what's your point? That is not a valid point of order. Okay. That's for me to rule on, not for you. Go ahead. Okay. So, Councilwoman the six ward, are you aware that council rules override Robert rules and within our rules, it states that we only need five votes to call for the question? Are you aware?

So, first of all, you did a point of order. I didn't break a rule. So, you took the floor. She needs a warning. So, I do want to state this if I would like to have a referral because when I spoke to some other attorneys, language is very specific and other municipalities. Um, it is required for six votes, twothirds, and there were some issues with our rules, but I'm going to move on. Thank you, Attorney Spir, but I don't see the clerk over there. I would like to have a referral for that so that we are in line um with what we should be doing. So, hello, Mr. Moore, Mrs. Wiggins. How are you? Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. Doing good. Oh, good.

I'm just smiling. Okay. So, um I know that the county has a a minimum. Are you doing for a tier one or tier two for your application? We're doing for a tier one. For a tier one. Yes. And how many members do you have? Uh we um we have about uh about 150 members. 150. Yes. Um when will you have I was listening to Councilman Feifer. When will you have a a full budget so that we know how much it costs to run the the U McKinley Center and the May Center collectively? You you you want a budget that reflect both centers or just

Yeah. Yeah. Each center because you are the director of both, correct? Yes. Okay. Yeah. Separately for each one. Each one is different. Um, I believe we have at the McKenley Center is also shared with the Southside Coalition. So, that's not just a senior center. And that may make a concern for me when it goes over to the county because the county's funding is specific to it being a senior center and it does not. So, I don't know if we're going to have some issue because that's those centers. Um, I know McKinley,

Miss Burns, please be specific to the Mace Center. McKinley is stay in state and finance and will not be discussed at this meeting. Okay, y'all can be nasty if you want to, but um, when we're looking at budgets, which is what I'm doing, we are looking and I'm not Excuse me. Are you taking the floor? I do not have to. I'm the chair and I'm calling And so we're talking Excuse me. Whatever, Judy. And so when we're talking about um the budget, what else? The May Center is a community center. It's not just a senior center. Am I correct? Well, all the centers are basically community, but we specialize in senior citizens.

Correct. And so again, and the centers do the same thing. This is what I'm stating. We're talking to budgets, which they clearly don't understand what a tier one and tier two is. And so when we're saying a community and that is my concern if you're running the facility um the maze center or the other we have two centers it's not just specifically just for seniors and so with it being a tier 2 um I would like to see at some point like the full budget um that you do have I thought that senior um I don't know what to call it pageant I thought that was nice to do um for the seniors but if we could get like a full a full budget. But was that a concern? Mr. Moore, did you do the paperwork to fill it out or because last year they said it was the worst paperwork they'd ever seen. That was what they stated when I went over there.

I didn't have any part in filling out the paperwork. Okay. So, are you doing who's doing the paperwork the application to go over to to the mill county? Myself and the attorney were doing it. Yes. For the millillage. Correct. Right. That application, right? The application is completed. Failed. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Because it didn't have the resolution. Thank you. Anyone else? Madam Chair, go ahead.

Thank you um so much. Um so hello, Miss Wiggins, and thank you so much for serving um at the May Center. Um, and I'm aware of the various health and wellness programs that take place there and the great work and it's great for our seniors and our community in general to have another place um, a continued place where we can continue to serve them. So, in honor of our council rules, I would like to call the question. [Music] It's been moved and properly seconded to call the question by moved by councilwoman in the second ward supported by the council woman in the seventh ward. This is the vote to call the question.

Um, excuse me. Point of order. Mr. Wilson is talking loud and yelling some obscinity probably towards me from the first again. This is not a place for this. This is Mr. Woodson. Please keep your comments down to yourself that loud. Yes, we can hear you. We Mr. Woodson, that is vulgarity. You are being called to order and that is your first warning. Thank you. Go ahead. This is the vote for calling question. Um, excuse me. He's still yelling out talking about me and my hair and etc. and calling me names,

interrupting the meeting. So, this is where we are. So, I just wanted to bring that to your attention, Madam Chair. making me uneasy sitting in my seat as he continue to stare and call me names and disrupt the meeting.

Let's go ahead and and do the vote and Mr. He has one warning and he will get re be removed if necessary. Go ahead. So, um, for the record, I do want to acknowledge what Miss Burns has brought up, and the council rules do state that it's a motion to vote immediately until a legal opinion is rendered. Um, we'll honor the call the question, but the council rules do um have a different language, and it has been brought up several times. Um, so I just want to acknowledge what Miss Burns has brought up um from the floor, but we will go ahead with this vote until a legal opinion is rendered. Miss Mush,

yes. Mr. Feifer, no. Mr. Jarrett, no. Mr. Alamine, yes. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Johnson, yes. Miss Priestley, yes. Miss Winfrey Carter, no. Miss Burns, I I abstain because our council rules do not state anything that states call for the question.

Point of order. What's your point? Well, our council rules do say that you must abstain because of personal conflict and that's not a personal conflict. So, that's a violation of council rules of You are correct. Nope. Go ahead. Nope. You're not correct. You're incorrect. The point of order. It's not the council rules point of order. What's your point? My point is we have been through this. My conflict is my conflict which the chief seal city legal attorney has stated that she's saying and putting information on the forest incorrect and we don't have a call for the question in the council. Y'all making up stuff. Please announce the vote.

The vote is five yes, three no. One abstension. The vote is five yes, three no. One abstension. This madam chair the vote to send Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. This is the vote to send 25236 to council. It's the vote to consider. I mean, it's the vote to call the question. No, we voted that was the vote 53 and one. Okay. I'm sorry. Go ahead. You're voting to on the resolution. Point of order. Is Madame Clerk saying that we can't do that? That's not what she said. That's not what she said. She said that she was going to She said she going to record the vote, but she's saying that it's an invalid motion. No, she didn't. No, she did not.

I didn't hear anything. She said, what I for the record, what I stated was I'm acknowledging what Miss Burns is bringing up for the record because the council rules do not speak to call the question. They did in the past. However, the council rules do have a motion to vote immediately, which is in effect the same thing as a call to question. However, she has asked for a legal opinion. So, until that legal opinion is rendered, then we'll go ahead with the call to question, but again, the rules do have a motion to vote immediately, which is basically the same thing. It's just different than Robert's rules. So I would also um So then madame clerk for clarity should we just say I make a motion to vote immediately?

Yes. That would be the Okay. This is Thank you. We are we are now on the vote. Mr. Feifer. No. Mr. Jarrett? No. Mr. Alamine? Yes. Dr. Lewis? Yes. Miss Johnson? Yes. Miss Priestley? Yes. Miss Winfrey Carter. No. Miss Burns. Uh, I abstain because they use cough of question. We don't have that language in our council rules. Miss Michelle, yes. Vote is five yes, three no. One abstension. Vote. Vote is five yes. Three no. One abstension. Madam. Madame chair. Yes.

I have a question to the clerk. Go ahead. Madame clerk, a motion is always in order. Correct. That's correct. Um, even regarding our rules. Correct. That's correct. I make a motion, madame chair, that uh moving from this day forward that we can say both call the question and vote immediately interchangeably. Point of order. She said we could support. He has a point. Go ahead. Uh, public hearing has to be held if you're changing the vote. If you're if you're changing the council rules. You are correct. I withdraw my motion. He is correct. Madam Chair. Madam Chair. I put that in my notes. Right. Madam Chair. Yes.

Um I make a motion that we reconsider uh resolution 2550290-D which is the reallocation of ARPA funds for the North Flint Market Food Market Cooperative support. There's a motion on the floor to reconsider 2550290 um for the ARPA North Flint Food Co-op. This is the vote to consider reconsider. They they they can the reconsideration. Mr. Jarrett believe that is in order, Madame Clerk. Yes, it is. Mr. Jarrett.

This is the vote to reconsider again. Reconsider the North Flint Food Market. Again, I abstain. Mr. Alamine, yes. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Johnson, yes. Miss Priestley, no. Miss Winfrey Carter, I abstain. Miss Burns, I abstain. Miss Mushette. They just keep making Yes, she can abstain from that, but okay. Yes, Mr. Feifer. No. The vote is four yes, two no, three abstensions.

The vote is four yes, two no, and two abstension. That motion fails again. Madame chair, yes. I'd like to um ask the city attorneys for a legal opinion because I believe our charter says that the abstension has to be that there is a financial um tie to their abstension. Nope. They also have to also um says that and they also have to state their reason for abstension. extension. Yeah. Again, what is your question again?

Um I I just want clarity because I believe our charter states that if they are going to abstain that it one they have to cite their reason for abstaining and then two that the exemption has to be because it is a personal conflict or a financial conflict. If you could submit the question, I'll be happy to answer it, but send it to Miss Gurley. get you in an actual opinion. Thank you.

Madame clerk stated, we do have to um cite our reason why we're abstaining and neither of the three of them cited their reason why they're abstaining. I do understand the two of them have said it several time. Two of them have said it several times, but I believe that we are to cite our reason for abstension.

Um, I'm looking up. I know that and I believe it was um, attorney Gurley that may have given a legal opinion on this. Um, so I'm looking for that opinion now. So, if you want to It's forced speech. You can't do it. It's forced speech. You can't compel force speech. So

right.

Uh point of order. Are we in recess? Are we in? I'm not talking to you. Okay. Yeah. Just nasty. Madam chair. Madam chair. Madam chair. Motion to send 2550240 to council supported by the madam chair. Go ahead. Is there anyone that can speak to this grant? No, sir.

Um, Madam Chair, is there any Can you announce to the administration? Is there anyone in the administration address?

It's um 1.5 million. support. Oh, this is this is Eddie's.

Mr. Smith, please come.

Um, Mr. Mr. Smith, I see the the dollar amounts um for each of the each of the individual categories on this. Do we have a like how are those dollar amounts going to be allocated? Is is a sign on bonus 5,000 10,000 like what what is that dollar value? How many sign on bonuses do we anticipate coming out of these dollars? We don't have an exact number of uh bonuses, but they're 5,000. 7,000. Yes. If they're a licensed officer, it's going to be$7,000. If they're coming out of academy, it's going to be 5,000.

Okay. What about the retention bonuses? Is that going to every officer? That's going to a program that they are setting up. I'm sorry. It's going to a program that they've set up for retention, hiring, and retention. So it really depends on the number of years they've been here and uh the number of um uh their rank. So that's all determined by the police officers and the chief of uh fire. So this is going to the chief of chief of police and the fire chief as well. Correct. This is this is a u a grant.

Since when do we give retention bonuses to appointments? The director. No, not to the chief. They're over the program. Oh. Oh. Oh. Yeah. Yeah. No. I thought you said that this is going for the chief of police and the chief of fire. Like No, no, no, no, no. I'm like, when do we retention bonuses to those folks? Okay, I understand. Um, is is the retention bonus going to be lump summed or is going to be No. No, we're not going to progressive. Correct. Okay. I don't want anybody getting a retention bonus and and giving getting giving us the uh wave goodbye after. Absolutely. Okay.

Perfect. Um how are how is the performance bonus? What is that metric for fire? I don't have the metric with me for fire, but it is based on because it's only for fire, right? There's no performance moment bonus for for police. Correct. They set it up differently. I mean, when we um when I applied for this grant uh through the state, it was based on each individual um responding group of the fire and the police coming up with their own plan on how to use this. The fire department had decided part of their plan would be performance-based.

So, like I don't I'm just trying to figure out how how is going to be measured can be measur measured by attendance by like how do you do performance based like are they tested what yeah well I don't have I don't have the matrix for the performance for the fire but I can provide that. Can you can you look at can you ask Chief Wiggins on just like how I want to make sure that everybody's graded equally and not uh you know I don't I just like to see how it's going to be graded. Okay, I can provide that. I can get the chief to pride. Perfect. And then um the professional development for the fire, is that outsource training? What is that?

That would be outsourced training. Outsource training. And is that going to be levelbased meaning um or is it going to be for all pe for all employees? All all employees. Okay. Um, do we know who we do? We don't have a vendor for that yet. Okay. No. Okay. Um, and then the timekeeping software, that's a dollar amount. Don't we have that with the HR system?

No, no, no, no. This system allows us to the police and fire. There's a very complicated um time in attendance. uh tracking mechanism. [Applause] [Music] Thank you. Any other discussion in the first round? Madam Chair, go ahead. Thank you. Um good evening, sir. Is is there a greater I guess I'll call it problem in recruitment and or retention one body over another? Does fire have a greater problem or does

I would put them equal? You know, if if you're talking about the difficulty in hiring and retaining across the board, we're competing with all of our uh the local fire departments, local police departments. So, I would say it's equal. It's very difficult to um you know compete. Yeah. So, so when we look at this, for example, the sign on bonus and it's for fire and police and it's 450,000. Are we sort of splitting it down the middle or whichever one has the most sign on first gets whatever?

No, it's it's divided up between each one. They've got their own budget and it's um spread out over 18 months and really what it is. So they'll both have 225 ballpark. Okay. And the same with the retention bonuses. Yes, they it's um I'm not sure the exact amount uh but the total dollar amount it's built into that but we can provide that I'm sorry the total amount what? The total amount of retention bonus dollars. Uh it's in the in your your document there. So

yeah. Yeah. The six the 6 the 650. But what I'm asking is is that also going to be sort of equally divided or maybe because or are there more police officers than fire fighters? Is the staff about the same size? No, there's different numbers for each one. I mean, police is a little different u total and so is the fire. Fire department's a little total difference. Okay. I I guess I'm just trying to get an understanding as as to if one department is going to receive greater advantage over the other.

Yes, it would. I mean, I would say the police department is going to have a greater dollar amount that's built into their budget because they have a larger uh group that they're recruiting for. That's that's exactly what I was getting at. Thank you. Um that's that's all I have for now. I yield. Any other discussion in the first round? Any other discussion on the first round? I want to thank you, Eddie, for applying for this grant. You and I had um or Mr. Smith, sorry. It's been over a year trying to get

I thought I I'm glad that you took the initiative to bring these dollars to the city and I want to thank you very much for that because um we don't normally hear of the HR department going for grants. So, I think that's a wonderful thing and I want to give you kudos for doing that. Thank you. Um, you and I spoke on on it um and quite extensively on the phone one day. So, I appreciate that. And do you want to go ahead and because Mr. Feifer had a question about the time and recordkeeping? I will give him my rest of my five minutes to answer that. The software that we're purchasing is a software through you. Point of order. What you want?

I'm sorry. I I didn't know how else to ask. So, you said you're going to do the rest of your five minutes to I'm giving him the rest of my four minutes to ask to answer his question that. Thank you. Okay. Okay. The software that we're going to use through a company called UKG. UKG is also the company we're going to be using citywide to do our time and attendance. They have a very specialized program um software for police and fire. And that's where that uh software is going to be implemented. Okay. Thank you very much. Any discussion in the second round? Go ahead.

Thank you. Um I use UKG every week. I understand that. What so that is not a purchased program. That is we pay that's a monthly fee. So how how long will this 160 cover that fee? That's going to take care of the installation, the purchase of the t software and the timekeeping devices, and it'll go over an 18month period of time. And that is only for the police and fire. That's correct. So, in 18 months, we got to come up with another 160 to keep that. No, it's just the monthly rental after that of the equipment. What is that dollar amount?

Um, I can get that for you. I don't have uh the monthly rental because it depends on the number of systems that we install and location. So what are we because my my uh use of UKG is all cloud-based. So what are we purchasing?

Okay, we're purching the the the time clocks, the different things like that that we're installing. We have 18 that we have actually 20 time clocks that we're purchasing for the city and uh through UKG that we purchased for the city through UKG. We're not sure the number that we're going to need for fire and police, but it's going to be considerably less, but it's the training and the installation. It's a very specific software that uh will cost um differently than what we're using in the city. Okay. So, so they'll be like punch they'll be they'll be able to swipe a card and that's what it is. It'll keep track of it that way.

Correct. Okay. My final question and I'll uh yield when we convert to UKG for the entire city will we be able to scale this up and and have a lesser dollar value or to to to merge the two or no? Yes. And that's the point. Um, I mean, it's going to cut out the middle person. Right now, we have a bunch of timekeepers, and so it is going to save us dollars. It's going to um go direct from the punch in and approval by the manager or whomever's over and straight to payroll. So, there is that um savings there and that's the goal. Okay, perfect. Thank you, sir. Okay,

I yield. Okay, any other discussion in the second round? Any other discussion in the second round? Any other discussion in the second round? Madam clerk, madam chair, thank you. So, um I just wanted to say u Mr. Smith again, thank you so much for um for bringing in grant money to the city. It is all of our responsibility, you know, like when we uh when we go to conferences, that's what we go for to make connections and bringing back grant dollars. And so, thank you for doing your part with HR. And um and that's I just want to put that on record.

And thank you. And I do want to say, you know, it's give the HR team a lot of credit, you know, so, you know, for me to be dedicating a lot of my time to chase this stuff around, you know, through the feds and the city and the state and all that, I I got a good team. So, HR team. Thank you. All right. Wonderful. And shout out to Candy. All right. Thank you, M. All right. This is the vote to send resolution 2550240 to council. Mr. Alamine, yes. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Johnson, yes. Miss Priestley, no. A yes. Miss Murphy Carter, yes. Miss Burns,

yes. Miss Mushette, yes. Mr. Feifer, yes. Mr. Jarrett, yes. And the vote is nine yes. Zero no. The vote is nine yes, zero no. That motion will that resolution will be sent to councel. I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. It's been moved by the councilman in the eighth ward, supported by the councilman in the first w. This is the vote. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Johnson, yes. Miss Priestley, yes. Miss Winfrey Carter, yes. Miss Burns, yes. Miss Mashette, Mr. Feifer, Mr. Jarrett. Yes. Mr. Alamine.

Yes. Vote is nine yes, zero no. The vote is nine yes, zero no. This meeting is adjourned at 7:25.

So, Madam Chair, um, so is this time for the audience members to sign up for the next meeting? Madam Chair, Madam Cler, Sorry. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Okay.

But if you've already submitted a slip for the last meeting, you do not need to submit one for this meeting. And I noticed that some people only checked one box or the other. So, if you did not check a box, I will still read um some of the names. So, if you did not check a box for this meeting, but you have a slip, you can just let me know and I'll read your name. Yes, they do.

Let's continue. I know that I don't know how much better. said three times. That's what I told her. I'm not chair.

I don't know. I told people when they say somebody's going to grab a hold of your mother. [Music] [Applause] [Music] You hear the bell at the top. The time is now 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8th. I hereby call this legislative committee meeting

to order. Roll call. Madame clerk.

Mr. Alamine. Dr. Lewis. Present. Miss. Johnson. Present. Miss Priestley, present. Miss Winfrey Carter, present. Miss Burns, present. Miss Mich, present. Mr. Feifer, present. Mr. Jarrett, present. You have nine members present.

We have nine members present. It's now time for the reading of the disorderly person city code subsection. Any person that persists in disrupting this meeting will be in violation of Flint City Code section 31-10. Disorderly conduct, assault, and battery and disorderly persons and will be subject to arrest for a 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. The individual will be subject to arrest. Violators will be removed from the meetings. Are there any Oh, I'm sorry. First public speaker. Nope. I'm sorry. We got to go to the request for agenda changes and or additions. Seeing as how there are no requests, it is now time for public comment. Members of the public who wish to address the city council or its committees must register before the meeting begins. A box will be placed at the entrance to the council chambers for collection of registration. No additional speakers or slips will be accepted after the meeting begins. Members of the public shall have no more than three minutes per speak per speaker during public comment with only one speaking opportunity per speaker. First public speaker, Madame Clerk.

Okay, I'm going to try to go through some of these that I know who aren't here. Um, and that did not check the box for this meeting. I know it irritates Stanley Wood.

All right. So again, to Councilwoman Lewis, um, if you don't accept my apology right now, I'm fine with that. I understand why I will prove moving forward. uh my actions are going to speak louder than my words. So, I just wanted to say that. Um, and while we were arguing over whether you need an answer for the abstension, I did look up the charter and we have agreed before with attorney gurley that the charter supersedes the council rules and section 3-204 about voting. Section D says an abstension shall be considered a vote providing the council member states a reason. Therefore, it does not say it has to be a financial reason or anything like that. It just says that they have to state why. Um attendance. I know we talked about uh Leon and his attendance while he's waiting to hear what's going on with his situation. I call him Leon because I don't recognize him as a first work council person cuz he's not, but he still has that voting right. Um and then you guys wanted to chastise Councilman Feifer uh for his attendance when his was a medical reason. He didn't go beat somebody and choke somebody, grab them by the hair, you know, whatever. And I should have left my hoodie off, so I was wearing purple today, by the way. Um, but let's talk about attendance of everybody. Okay, today at 5:00 when it was supposed to start, we didn't have enough people for quorum.

That's attendance. It doesn't say come in at 5:00 or when you feel like it. It says it starts at 5:00. So at 5:00 everybody should be here, but if not, at least a minimum of quorum should be here. We're being held responsible to turn in our slips by that time. And if we don't, we don't get to speak. Okay? But if you guys don't show up on time, that's okay. or it's not okay, right? So, you need to do a better job at that. It's okay.

Um, councilwoman in the third ward, you've been here for two months now. Congratulations. You're getting through it. What I would like to still see, and I talked about this a couple weeks ago, I'd like you to see be more interactive. Start asking questions when they ask, you know, if anybody's got anything to say. You know, I really want you to start really engaging in things. Um, and that way again it goes to show when people are saying, "Oh, that's a neatly girl. That's a rubber stamper." It's going to prove you're not. But if you just sat there and never say anything, then people are going to be Yeah. Thank you. Next public speaker.

Next speaker is Glattus Williamson. Yep. And Stanley's right. You sit there and 90% of the time you look like you're sleeping. The other percentage of the time you look like you're reading your phone, laughing with somebody on your phone. You are a rubber stamp for the mayor. And Leon, you are a woman beater. And Judy, you are a rhino. And my four, Mr. Jarrett, my city councilman, I appreciate all the fairheadedness that you keep when you come and represent me. Mr. Dennis Feifer, I appreciate you. Marchette, I don't even have words for you. Um, Miss Burns, thank you for coming and for your levelheadedness in how you vote. Miss Jerry Carter, thank you for your levelheadedness and how you vote. And Deina, when you have to speak, because God forbid that you have to speak, could you speak up so that we can hear you, please? Okay. I'd appreciate it because when I'm sitting up here in the front and I can't hear you and you got a mic, that's pathetic. and we need to hear what you're saying. And when Miss Burns and Miss Jerry are like leaning their heads trying to figure out what are you saying, that's bad. That's bad because that's a derelac of duty. Yeah. Yeah.

Speak up so people can hear you. Louis, I got no use for you either. Lewis and Merch, the next time you have me dragged out of here because I moved three times, listen. I am not assigned to a seat. and you gave me a second warning and had this bully of a cop grab a hold of me and hurt me to the point I had to go to the emergency. How dare you? How dare you? And if I want to call SOMEBODY A GRIFTER, I'LL CALL them a grifter all day. And I don't need to be given a warning and gave. If you're a grifter, you're a grifter. Just cuz you fit in with them don't mean I can't call people grifters. And it's not like we ain't had enough of them up here begging for money. It's terrible. And these people that come up here and want this money for this store, you know, I really hope it works for them because yeah, we need this store. Thank you. Next public speaker, madame clerk. Next speaker is Jason Dye. What's going on, guys? Now that uh we've got done with the store, my original purpose of coming here and I was trying to leave after the first meeting because I'm exhausted is the uh police training. Why is there no mention of constitutional training for these police officers? I will refer you to a guy known as the civil rights lawyer, TCRL.

He's on YouTube. He's also out of West Virginia. He only does federal lawsuits and trial. That's it. He knows his stuff inside and out. He just showcased a mayor who had a one of his police officers, who, by the way, the mayor stated had a clean record. He went to this uh woman's house and he had no right, you know what I mean, to ID her. He he she was he was actually responding to her call. She refused to ID. He said, "Then you're under arrest." She said, "Okay, let's do it then, cuz she knows her rights." The minute she went to step back in her house, the cop rushed in, ended up pushing her on the couch and all this ignorant stuff in front of her son. You know the drill. So the mayor comes out unlike our sorry mayor who probably don't even know the five pillars of the first amendment which is sickening and that's why they don't want their police officers to know the constitution cuz then they wouldn't be their goons anymore. But this mayor come out and said I apologize ma'am and said her name and said on behalf of this city for this con for this officer's lack of knowledge of the law he has sworn to uphold and an oath that he swore. You can look at this. This is right on YouTube. He's called TCRL, the civil rights attorney. I obviously have no plugs with him, or I wish I did, but anyway, you can go on there and see, you know what I mean, a civil rights attorney explaining constitutional violations and rights. Everything from freedom of speech to freedom of press, assembly, you name it, it's been on that site. He's very well respected. We'll have a situation like for instance here in Flint where uh people make let's just hypothetically paint this situation the boxer that was out there who got pepper- sprayed by the police got a little bit of media coverage probably nothing done to the cop or anything that happens quite frequently in other uh places and he's just cuz he's in West Virginia don't discount the fact that he's got over two million followers so when he puts up a video you'll see oh these

police dodged these charges for a year and a half I put up a video. 72 hours later, they're fired. You can hear that on his site over and over and over again. So, I will not support anything unless these officers are receiving the constitutional training that they deserve. You're putting them in a rock in a hard place. You're putting their careers on the line to be your bodyguards. And it's BS. We the people are the inherent expressed beneficiaries of the United States Constitution. That every judge in every state is bound thereby. So are you who swore an oath to it just like those guys back there. Give them what they need. [Applause]

Thank you. The next public speaker, Madame Clerk. Next speaker is James Moore. Uh, you messing with my time, man. Can I get my time back? Uh, James Moore, City of Flint. I want to say an apology from early the earlier meeting. Uh, I had told y'all to get out of the city. Uh, I want to recant that. Um, I was really trying to say, uh, if you're going to be in them seats and and speak on behalf of the people and lead lead on our behalf and you're not, you do really need to get out of the seat. But don't lose don't leave the city cuz our city is pretty empty. We need all the people we can get. So, we do welcome y'all back as neighbors, but uh, we would rather see some little bit better leadership. Um O Arc put me out there saying that um I'm the one with the one shoe under my car and uh I'm glad that the people in the city of Flint is been paying attention that did you run somebody over and just got one shoe stuck under they uh under your car. Uh, I wish they would pay more attention to what goes on to our government because you all play a part in spending our money and it seemed like when we come down to get for help, it's always the same result. No,

that's right. You ain't get no help. But they'll sure take your money with compounded interest daily. And um, y'all all got the seats filled. We got got to get something done. It ain't that much time left in the end of the year. Have a good night.

Next speaker is Arthur Woodson. Good evening. Uh, Councilwoman Johnson, I want to start off with you. Um, it's a you have to run next year. Um, the the thing here is setting it to where people see you as a benefit and someone that they will vote for in November. But what I saw earlier that is showing that you going along with those four fools up there calling the question the committee meetings is for you to g gather information to make a sound vote if you want to pass it on to city council. They up there playing games with you.

Yep. And people are looking at that and you know you and I know each other and and I respect you and that's why I'm speaking to you like this because dark and lovely wig over there. I don't have any conversations for her because she's a hateful nasty person and she don't always be that. Don't get caught up in her hoopla because she's she's she's the demon child. Judy, you know, I know a lot of Republicans. You are not a Republican.

You move you move like something I never seen before. I mean, seriously, I I had high hopes for you thinking that you was going to get on the council and make sure the spending is not over and and it's cut. But you didn't got on here and you you you vote for taxes, garbage garbage cans, assessments, and everything else putting a burden on the people. Y you you are not a Republican and you really need to stop calling yourself a conservative because you're not. Thank you.

October the 10th, uh we will be starting our cancer feasibility study. Uh we are having a virtual town hall and it's it's is it's imperative that people participate in this cancer study. The Flint water caused the cancer. Yes.

That's here in the city of Flint. They got away with this first lawsuit. But we're going to make sure that everybody that was affected by the water in 2014 have insurance and compensation. That's one thing that we can guarantee because this feasibility study is guided and led by the community. It's community panel. It's everything is done with the community. Um, Michigan State, Flint Health Coalition, uh, Genese Health Plan, all these people are together on this right here. So, October the 10th, you need to be on the virtual meeting. Thank you,

Madame Clerk.

The next speaker is Sherry Smith McFedden. Sherry McFaten, First Ward. First of all, I'm going to start off with 4816 Miami Lane. My mother lives with me and my husband. Hospice. They had a gas leak for two and a half years. Just came out and fixed it. The same house I've been whining about. The same house I've been telling y'all about that need to be towed down been burnt all this time had a gas leak. I done called Consumer Powers numerous of times. It took my neighbors to come out one morning two weeks ago to smell a whole block. My mother on hospice directly next door. H any of y'all know what hospice mean? Your last days. My mother oxygen and everything. Nobody ever did anything. I done came to y'all numerous times. I'm begging y'all to do something about the burnt up house that's sitting next door to me. 4816, please. Now, second thing I want to do is thank Arthur Woodson. Like I said, I don't make it to all the council meetings no more because me and my mother sitting at home. I stopped both of my jobs to take care of my mother. She on hospice. I thank you and Tanya Burns because without y'all, I wouldn't know what the hell going on downtown. Don't mean to cuss, just real frustrated. Who back there taking shots tonight? Where do y'all meet at? Oh, they done already left. It was only one crew out here tonight. How do the city know what's going on if this man ain't sitting here doing what he doing? If Tanya Burns don't have her podcast, how do we know as residents what's going on? Everybody seen me shake Musha hand. Mush, I don't sorry if I say it wrong, but I I thank all y'all cuz if you going to help me and my family, what I stand here for, I want to thank anybody that's going to come out and help me and mine.

I thanked her because she did something that a lot of other people didn't reach out for me and do. And I thank you again in front of everybody. Am I for the grocery store for the north side of Flint? No. Why I'm not? Because if Kroger's and Myers couldn't stand there last, my grandbaby played basketball. My husband been there 30 years. Same address. Ain't went nowhere. You understand? 30. If we can't have a basketball, a shovel or a lawnmower or a rake outside my yard, how the hell is a store going to last? I hope all y'all understand. I'm not against it cuz I need it. Cuz I live one block from there. I really do need that grocery store. Will it last? I hope and pray. I really do. Now, as for everybody talking about a food pantry on Winona, Cynica, whatever, let's talk about St. Luke's. Let's give Sister Carol a round of applause because she donates 100 to 150 boxes every Friday to feed families over there on the north side of Flint. Fresh produce, fresh whatever she can get her hands on. We talking about one woman that do it every Friday. Ain't going nowhere. Give out clothes twice a week. And every Let's talk about what St. Luke's do. It's right there on the north side. Pasadena Londale. Pasadena and Mlelen, however you want to look at it. However, anybody ain't been nowhere for no time. Think about it. Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. The next speaker is Chris Morris.

Thank you, council, for your time. Again, uh I want to start out by apologizing. I didn't mean to insinuate or you know it um I I guess first off we we I I would appreciate if all members uh council people were members of the co-op and I guess I just reiterating that I don't believe there's a conflict of interest and I would like to state that you know instead of abstaining um with your vote in your in your role as councel um when there are profits and the volunteer board uh represent that represent the members vote to pay out patronage dividends I would say that you could abstain from receiving receiving those patriot dividends, you know, which would be the financial gain. Um, and then still in your role, cuz you wear many hats as council people, that in your role that you could still support this this project that is important to you and and to your constituents. Um, so I guess I just want to say that and apologize, you know, because I I do feel the passion. I do appreciate that you are members. Um, you know, I understand the grocery business is difficult, you know, and I understand there's a lot of people that expect us to fail. you know, we do have a state-of-the-art uh security system. We will have armed guards on site and AI technology helping us. And you know, and and a co-op is different than uh a typical grocery store. It's owned by the people that work there. And you know, it's just it it's extremely important and you know, it's been a pleasure for me to to serve the folks as we work to get this open here. Um and and you know, we're we're we're weeks in counting uh for this to to hit the ground. um you know so and with that one gentleman I didn't mean to imply that you know um by saying we didn't need the funds it's just that those funds will help and I think it's a guaranteed in you know return on investment in your community you know when I mentioned just what's going to go out in wages and and and payroll um these are all Flint residents all 40 plus that we're going to be hiring you know that's going to go back into the community um the sales taxes from the store you know I get it that you know we we can't compete against the Walmarts and the Sam's Clubs and the Costos of

the world, you know, there's more and more consolidation. Uh, but with the community owned grocery store, you know, the average person shops at four to five grocery stores, and we're only asking that that they support in in, you know, us as one of those shopping stops, you know, and and and in doing so, they have a democratic voice in what happens with the store, the direction of the store. They have the potential to get profits back from it. you know, they can be on the board of directors and uh help set that vision and that direction and be part of that governing board. Um, you know, so yeah, I just, you know, the CSM Foundation, I think that there was a comment made that that they've covered everything we need, so why should the city invest? You know, they have not covered everything we need. The grants that we have are reimbursement grants to get us open, you know, and everything we reimburse and and file for reimbursement, you know, is heavily scrutinized with receipts. And like I said, we've been through financial audits for all the money that we've received in grant funding, you know, so every penny is accounted for. Um, when it comes to sustainability, uh, you know, we would want the city to invest in this community organization. So, thank you for your time.

Thank you. Next public speaker, Madame Clerk. Um, before I call this last public speaker, I want to make sure that anyone who did have a slip in that I did not read their name a second time, just let me know. Um, because I was just trying to avoid all the people that had left the room.

Next public speaker, Madame Clerk, but the last speaker is Zo Lynch. Hello, my name is O Lynch. I uh am representing NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness today. And I'd like to invite everybody in the audience as well as well in the community and and of course the council members to a gathering that we're going to be having on October the 15th, next Wednesday, from 6:00 to 8:30 at the farmers market. It's going to be um uh sub the subject is on mental health. Uh it'll be set to the uh eight dimensions of wellness. We'll have a feature speaker. It'll be Danis Russell from um Jennese Health System along with a a panel of speakers and uh several uh community resources will be explaining their mission. Uh we're going to have one of these gatherings uh once a quarter. we're going to try for in January. The subject of our our uh focus group is going to be on uh adolescence boys mental health and um it's going to be on January the 29th. Um in addition to that, we'd like at weami would like to thank Jerry Winfrey Carter, Councilwoman to for uh coming to the I Care Walk on Saturday. Thank you. [Applause]

Thank you. Seeing as how that that was the final public speaker, it is now time for council response. Council members may respond once to all speakers only after all public speakers have spoken. All individual council members response council members response shall be limited to two minutes. Is there anyone who would like to speak during council response? Seeing as how there's no one who would like to speak during council response, I will go ahead and take Sorry, I would like to speak.

You have the floor. Thank you so much. Um so um I guess our so to our gentleman from the food market, excuse me. Um as you see we had an opportunity to reconsider the resolution. Um and this body failed to do so um when we had all nine members. So as you saw that we had four members in full support, two members which had a conflict of interest because they were members and then we had um an absent member who decided not to join us and then we also had another member that went against their word after they said that if we obtain the $ 1.5 million, not we, excuse me, if you all obtain that funds, then they will vote for it. That's what happened. So I just want to say, you know, we have the opportunity. We just need the political will. So we can't talk about places being food deserts without doing our part to saturate these food deserts with food resources. You know, we had individuals fighting for churches so they can give out food. Great. Churches receive their money directly through the food bank. Great. We're providing food. But right here we have an opportunity so we can support over 900 members that have already invested at an erect building. You guys are getting ready to go and the only thing that we have to do is invest in ourselves and we have the ARPA money to do just that but we declined to do so. So it's very hurtful to see that we have that we are playing games with the residents money. It's very hurtful to see that we're not moving forward in the best interest of the people. So, just to let you know, I'm looking forward to the cutting of the ribbon. I'm looking forward to shopping and I'm looking forward to supporting and hopefully this body will do what we are elected to do,

which is to serve the residents of the city of Flint. So, thank you so much for staying, Madam Chair. Councilwoman in the sixth award, you have the floor. So I wanted to I need to get your number. I don't have and then we can't like do the back. If you can leave it with the clerk, I will have a conversation because one thing we know that her lips are not filled with truthfulness. There you go.

And so I want to state I met with with Ridgeway and I'll talk and I've talked about that and I did it personally about before and I talked to well pastor Flynn, Dr. Flynn, but he said to call him Reggie. And I've talked to him and I knew that the 1.5 million was coming and there were some other conversations. We all have busy lives. So, I'm not absent just because I had to had to had to have a very important conversation that probably I shouldn't have been here, but she likes to gaslight this community. Exactly.

I the market and and I'll have that personal conversation with you as I had with Dr. Flynn as I had with Ridgeway months ago respectfully and so because I don't do all of that but when she talks about food deserts she probably should have supported St. Mark in her ward which she doesn't she take gets food there but she doesn't support to give it money voted no on it and let's just hope that her fingerprints ain't on that trash bag or gas cans that firebomb that church. Oh wait a minute request for point of order. Point of order. Yes. The council woman in the sixth ward is insinuating that I'm an arsonist and you are definitely out of order.

She is and that is definitely out of order. I am ruling you out of order. You know exactly what you were saying, what you were doing, and what you were insinuating. You have been ruled out of order. Uh, do I have the floor back? No, I'm taking the floor. You've been ruled out of order. You get to take the floor. Go ahead. No. And no one's talking to you. Yeah, right. You can't do that. I didn't call her arsonist. I have said the chair can decide to take the floor. I wish y'all would read our council rules instead of always trying to argue them. I I have taken the floor. Your time is up. Your time is up. We're It's not We're not debating. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during the second round of discussion? What is your point?

You to the city attorney. Can she take the floor while I'm talking? I didn't call her arsonist. She I never even said arsonist. left you feeling like an arsonist. I DON'T KNOW. This is you. You are either going to get the ruling for the attorney or we're going to move on because you keep talking beyond that. The attorney is waiting for you to stop speaking. No, he's not. Yes, he is. Talk to your children like that. I I don't you like I said, the attorney is waiting for you to stop speaking. You don't continue once you say point of order and you're waiting for the attorney. Go ahead. Go ahead, counselor. Go ahead. If someone wants to submit a question to the attorney's office, you need to do so in writing through our president. That's it. I am not the referee of this dispute.

Thank you very much. I am taking the floor. Is there anyone else who would like to speak during council response? Councilwoman Priestley, you have the floor. Rule 29.8. Any person at a council meeting may be called to order by the president or any um council member for failure to be gerain for vulgarity for or for speaking in excess of the allotted time or any other violation of these rules. Rule 29.9. Any person who is called to order shall yield the floor until the point of determined he or she is in order. All talking must cease. I do y'all know that rule. First of all, I didn't

you did I did I did I I understand that you said point of order, but I am the chair and so I have to acknowledge your point of order first. Allow me to acknowledge your point of order first. Once you say point of order, you do not get the floor to tell someone else they cannot speak. You are moving outside of what you have the capacity to do. Point of order. And again, point of warning. No, Miss Burns because you still miss Burns. That's your first warning cuz I'm over it. That's your first warning. Absolutely. Let's go. Is there support? I'll support her. Thank you. Please put her one minute up.

So, first of all, you took the floor when I didn't She called herself an arsonist, but maybe she's feeling like an arsonist. I don't know. I didn't call her an arsonist. I just said I hope her fingerprints aren't on that garbage bag is what I stated. I did not call her an AR although she did take a picture with them on social media. There is a picture with the alleged arsonist with her putting up smoke detectors. I'm just stating. So she called herself a point of order. Um go ahead. What? Pause the time. What's your point? So we we are talking about this is about the point of order, right? Correct. And she is not being gerine. Thank you. She called herself an arsonist. I'm talking about arson.

That's not why you were warned. You did you appealed the chair. You appealed the rules of the call. That is not why you were warned. You were warned several times after that. Councilwoman Burns, go ahead. Continue because that is not why you were warned and you know it. And you're failing to be dermaine and you're about to lose your 30 seconds for being for failing to be derained.

Listen, my attorney is watching and and I'm I'm fine with this because I'm going to I know my rights and I read. So my point is I didn't call her an arsonist. So you're taking the floor for a word that I didn't even use. So I if I wanted to call her arsonist, I would have said, "Let you're an arsonist." I didn't do that. I did not do that. And so you're taking the floor illegally. And Attorney Johnson, I know you're watching because it's the same antics and we're just logging them because you can't take the floor. You did illegally when she called herself that. I did not. It's the same thing she made statements about the the food market, you know, when she took shots at all the members, but you didn't correct her. So, do what you got to do.

All right. Thank you. Thank you. Um, sorry my time. Councilwoman Burns was issued a warning because she would not stop speaking when she no longer had the floor. That is why she was issued a warning. Again, she's trying to rewrite history when she insinuated that Dr. Lewis was an arson. As Dr. Lewis said, "Point of order." And from there, Dr. Lewis had the floor in the Cherokee rule. This is the roll call vote to uh for a warning for Arthur Woodson. Stop yelling out. Stop yelling out.

Stop yelling out. That's your first warning. Let's go. So, as I was saying, this is the roll call vote for uh Councilwoman Burns to have received her first warning. A no vote would uphold the ruling of the chair. A yes vote would overturn the ruling of the chair. Roll call. Madame clerk. Mr. Hallamine. No. Dr. Lewis. No. Miss. Johnson? No. Miss Priestley? No. Miss Wimpy Carter? Yes. Miss Burns? Yes. Miss Mashad? No. Mr. Feifer? Yes. Mr. Jared is not in.

The vote is three yes. Five no. The vote is three yes. Five know the ruling of the chair stands. Councilwoman Burns has received her first warning. Moving back to Councilwoman Priestley who was ruling who's reading the rule about how and why I can rule on her once I how I can take the floor when she's been ruled out of order.9. Any person who is called to order shall yield the floor until the chair shall have determined whether he or she is in order. If a person is determined to be out of order, Glattus, that is your first warning. that person. And that first warning is for you yelling out. I'm sorry, Miss Priestley. Continue. If a person is determined to be out of order, that person must yield the floor and forfeit any remaining time. Thank you. 29.9.

Thank you, Councilwoman Priestley. And I'm sure that her attorney has captured that as well. Thank you. Moving on. Is there anyone else who would like the floor during public speaking? Excuse me. Thank you, Councilwoman Fifer. During council response, Madam Chair, Councilwoman Priestley, she didn't have the floor. She had called the point of order and so now she wants the floor to speak. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.

Um, you know, I want to make it clear that to people that I do not want the food market to fail. I just don't want to give the my residents do not want them to have the money. So that is why I continually have voted no on that issue. I do not want it to fail. I grew up in that neighborhood and when I was a kid there was a lot of grocery stores over there. There was Kroger, there was Hammed, there was um Kmart right there. So I want I want the food market to succeed. I just don't want to give it money. Thank you.

Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak during council response? Seems as how there's no one else who wishes to speak during council response, I will take my time. It seems we have a lot of people who um twist rules, don't understand rules, don't fully read rules, don't fully read the charter. Let me read to you section three-204 of the charter when we're talking about voting. And this is section D. An abstension shall be considered. Excuse me. I'm going to go back to section B. Whenever city council shall hold a vote, all members shall be required to vote either A or nay. All members shall vote on every matter because the city council, unless the member before the city council, unless the member has a conflict of interest precluding their vote as set forth in article one um 161- 602 of this charter as provided by law. So if we're going to quote the charter, let's quote the entire charter. If we're going to say something doesn't say something, let's read section 602. Let's not give people half truths. If we're going to quote the Cart the charter, quote the entire charter and what it says in a section. Moving on, it is now time for the consent agenda. What is the pleasure of the body?

Uh we have complete separation of our one item. It has been completely separated by Councilman Feifer in the eighth ward. Uh this is ordinance 2550231-T which is the ordinance city code amendment chapter 1 general provisions section 131 excuse me 1-314.1 prohibition of the illegal use of controlled substances by elected officials while on city property or engaged in city business. What is the pleasure of the body? Madam chair councilman in the first w like to move to council. There has been a motion to move to council. Is there support? I support that. C.

It has been supported by the councilwoman in the second ward. Is there discussion? Councilman in the eighth ward. Uh through you to Mr. uh Eddie Smith. Um while he's walking up um through you to the city attorney. Um yeah, city attorney. It's my understanding that the city attorney's office has not approved this ordinance. Is that a correct statement? That is a correct statement. Okay. Thank you. So, um, can I get some time back?

Mr. Smith, please. Who were

Mr. Smith? What is engaged in city business mean to you? for for myself or anyone up here or the mayor, what does engaged in city business mean to you? Um, thorough command of the topic, the issue, I'm sorry. A thorough command of the topic of the issue and actively engaged or involved in it.

Okay. And in regards to this ordinance that is before us, what is in city business mean? and I'm unable to speak to that. Um, Mr. Edwards isn't here today, so um I cannot speak to that.

Okay. What is uh what is suspicionbased drug testing look for look like uh for how how does so according to this like you would be in charge of ordering us to do drug tests. So how how does that work? If if if I say um councilwoman Burns, I suspect her of of doing drugs, what does that does that mean that my suspicion to you and now you order a drug test for Councilwoman Burns? How does that work? Human resource would only uh order a drug test for employees,

right? So what this says, elected officials of the city of Flint are subject to randomized and suspicious suspicionbased drug test drug testing policies applicable to simp city of Flint Flint employees generally. So it's that same thing. So who would be administering these suspicion-based testing? That I wouldn't know. I really wouldn't. And I can only speak to the human resources dealing with employees and not elected officials.

Okay. So, um, madam, thank you, Mr. Smith. Okay. Um, Madam Chair, through you to the city attorney. City attorney, um, since this has not been approved by the city attorney's office, how would this be, uh, implemented? Because I mean who would be who would be organizing and who would be saying who is who is coordinating the randomization who is uh doing the sus the the suspicion based testing.

These are all very good questions. I in theory I suppose council could approve the ordinance and then it would be subject to challenge by by Oh, I promise you it would be. But what what um what would happen if if if this gets approved and uh someone is whatever suspicion-based testing policy this is referring to refuses refuses that. What would the implications be for an elected official since they can only be removed by uh the governor or a recall?

Yeah, these are all very legitimate questions which is why the law department has not approved this. I think this I I can say this without having looked at it that that this proposed ordinance is fraught with lots of problems. Yes. One of which is just a just a just a just a facial reading. One of which that is it only applies to elected officials. Why not appointed officials? Right? So, it's it's suspect alone on that ground that it's it's not it's not based on a legitimate governmental interest. Okay. So, madam madam chair, I make a motion to postpone indefinitely.

There's been a substitute motion to postpone this uh res excuse me this ordinance indef this resolution indefinitely by councilman in the eighth ward has been supported by the council woman in the sixth ward. Roll call. Madame clerk. Dr. Lewis. No, Miss Johnson.

I abstain. I need more information on this. Miss Priestley.

No. Wow. Miss Winfrey Carter is not in. Miss Burns. Yes. Miss Mich, yes. Mr. Feifer, yes. Mr. Jared is not in Mr. Holamine. Yes. The vote is four yes, two no abstension.

The vote is four yes, two no one abstension. So that motion fails. So we're going to go back to our original motion to send to council. Is there discussion in the first round? Councilman Feifer has already had his discussion. Councilwoman in the sixth ward. Go ahead.

Thank you to you too, Mr. Smith. I know it's going to take him a second. Um Mr. Smith, can you come back? I'm sorry you had to go back down, but while he's coming down um I did have a question um to um the city attorney um in regards to um the ambiguous language that we do have here and is it and I'll give you time to probably look it up. Do um it says elected it doesn't state specific to city council. So would that include school board members, any judges that were elected to the city of Flint, um my board and where where would be the limit? Thank you, Mr. Smith.

Um so with the HR department, so the HR department, we don't use the HR department. Am I correct? That is correct. So we we're not we are not city employees. We are elected officials. Correct.

Okay. I just wanted to put that on the record. Thank you. And through you, Madam Chair, to the city attorney, um, attorney Sparrow, uh, with with that question, um, I mean, I think we have a lot of some drugs that they don't even know. Are they synthetic that there's there's a drug that's being sold at gas stations and party stores that's mimicking other drugs like it is a illegal or a different substance. So, I don't know what first trans or first responders, but I would not want a a first responder being um under the influence of probably anything because they're driving a vehicle. We don't have city vehicles. So, I don't know how that was, you know, correlating. We do not have nor does the city pay for insurance for our vehicles at all. And then would that be a problem? say like we had you know no u having drinks or whatever when we're at conferences they have when you get there you get drink tickets literally so I don't know how he I mean I think this is over policing I will say despite um and that's for all night I have not seen on this council what I would consider to be suspicious behavior to where I would say oh that person is inebriated I haven't seen that. And so when we um see that we have this the language is very huh you may need that to make it through. And so when and so when we look at um this I'm concerned about the limit to school boards judges because it just says elected city officials. Would that be just it doesn't state city council. So which elected officials?

Those are all very good concerns. Again, just in a facial reading, I think this would only apply to officials of the city of Flint. So for instance, just because of officials in the city of Flint doesn't mean it would apply. It certainly wouldn't apply to judges in this city uh or members of elected officials who are not actually officials of this entity, the city of Flint.

Okay. And what would be the penalty? What is So, if we're taking drug tests, where is there a penalty? What is the penalty for if you have something? And most um opioids or say if someone had back surgery, it's expected they're going to get some type of um over the or some drug that is um monitored by the federal government to for for relief of pain which then we would come into uh HIPPA which they privacy um that we're not entitled to. So, we're then getting some health history of some people that we're not entitled to underneath suspicious behavior.

Yeah, I just I agree. There are numerous apparent numerous problems with this de with this proposed ordinance. Okay, thank you. I yield the floor.

Is there anyone else in the first round of discussion? Councilwoman in the fourth ward. So, one of my concerns about this and um um I had discussion with a a council a colleague earlier in the day about this this proposed legislation. That's why I didn't want to vote to postpone it indefinitely right away because I wanted to bring this out is that we're elected officials. The only people who really have can do anything if we do something illegally is the voters. So there is no teeth to this. We're just saying, "Oh, you can be tested." So what happens when you're tested? It goes up public and it creates p, you know, your political enemies can use it and it just becomes a a hack against you

for information. You sent requests. Yes. Which request? Even if we are tested, they can't release it because it would be HIPPA violation. Even Even That's true, too. So So how do what's the point? That's true, too. So, and and I and I voted against this is not the first time we've seen this legislation and I voted against it before and I'm I have serious concerns about it, but I wanted to bring out that fact in discussion before I voted to postpone it indefinitely. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anybody else in the first round of discussion? I have some concerns. So, you said that would you like the floor? They wouldn't be able to. It was a HIPPO violation. Why would

I'm sorry. Why would it be a HIPPO violation? I was talking to M. Oh, request for information. I'm sorry. Why would it be a HIPPO violation? Because personal medical information cannot be released. But if your job is requesting it, it wouldn't be HIPPA. It is. I mean, I'm just saying because I am I am a bus driver, right? I am I am obligated at any time to do a random. I am okay. And it's not a hippo violation if I'm required to do a random. So I do know about it.

No, no, no. I'm not saying that the test would be a hippo violation. I'm saying the result releasing those results to the public would be a hippo violation. That would be a hippo violation. So, so my question is that are we doing randoms? And so it's not randoms. So if we're not doing randoms, I guess I'm not understanding. Oh, it still is a point of information that I need. No, you got you have the floor.

Okay. If we're not doing randoms, um, and why are we doing drug testing on elective officials? That's what I want to know. I mean, because I am prone to because I do drive buses for a living. I do deal with children. I am subject to a random drug test. I if I'm suspicious. If they smell it, I am subjected. You know, that's what if you smell something um then that would be um I would be have to go for a drug test. If I'm in an accident and it's my fault, then I have to go for a drug test. So, I'm trying to see um

request for information. Go ahead. That's not how that works. What's your request? Oh, to the speaker. Is that while you're driving the bus only or in your own private vehicle? That's why I'm driving. Uh but not Well, no. No. I mean, if I you know, if I'm driving and I have an accident, that's in my in in in the bus. Okay.

But if they smell smell um um you know smell a substance on me then I am subject to a random um I mean to you know go in immediately or go in immediately for accident. So my question would be I'm not understanding how did it come into the elective officials and then if we do do a drug test who like I said who's going to do it and who's going to do the discipline what would happen if we get caught with um marijuana in our system because opiates and they said you know drugs that we get from um from our doctor say Xanax or anything that can trigger um what they call um the the other ones I can't think of that what they call but those are prescribed um medicine so we can bring in prescriptions for that. So why would we basically why are we subjected to doing a random or suspicious? That's what I kind of want to know. So it doesn't make sense to me but maybe to everybody else.

Are you yielding the floor? I am. Okay. Thank you. Is there anybody else who would like to councilman in the first ward?

You know, it's not uncommon for a business to to require drug testing for its employees. So, if private citizens must uh be submitted to drug testing, then I feel like elected officials can too as well. Now, it's not a perfect doctrine or ordinance, excuse me. Um there's a few things that maybe need to be added in here, especially about like the penalties and who who will uh do the drug testing and things like that. But I think um that our residents would like to know that their elected officials are not impaired and that they're bringing that agame when it comes to voting on resolutions that we we we dealing with millions and millions of dollars and things like that and so forth. And then some of our employees already get screened and drug tested. So, I feel like it should just be even across the board where nobody should get drug tested. Thank

Thank you. Is there anybody else in the first round of discussion? Madam Chair, Councilwoman in the second ward, you have the floor.

Thank you. So, my colleague did raise some um some great points. Um yeah, Councilwoman in the third ward. So C did, and thank you so much, Councilman Elamine, because again, this may not be a perfect document, but it's definitely a necessary document. Part C stated um that that the city of Flint um excuse me, the elected official of Flint are subject to any randomized um or suspicion based drug testing. So that's saying that they will be random. And so I understand adding appointed officials as well because at the end of the day, you are representing the city. I heard my colleagues make mention of, you know, we don't drive city vehicles. You are absolutely right. But we pass the monies necessary to drive city vehicles. We are responsible for the city's purse strings. So, we must make sure that we are thinking clearly and lucid whenever we are dealing with the city's business. The residents, they elected us for a reason. They elected us because they had trust in us that we will serve them and that we will be coherent and that we will be um as I say um I get free from illegal drugs as we do our we have our meetings now. I I hear that people have their res reservations and that's fine, but I want to make sure that we're making it fair. You know, as we put demands on our employees and just like the councilman said, many other organizations, they have to be drug tested to do their job. So why is it fair for the employees to be drug tested, but not the people that pass the millions of dollars that govern these employees? It doesn't make sense. I don't understand why we are fighting so hard when we had our counciloman in the six ward last meeting state drug test me. I don't care. So when we have colleagues that say that

you'll be under the pressure that they will be for making sure that we all are thinking lucid and clear and that we are for it. But now unfortunately I hear that we have a change of heart. What I don't want to do, I don't want to act like that. We don't have Please pause the time. What is your point? She She needs to be warned for rule 43.21. There's no change of heart. The document just hasn't been vetted. So, Councilwoman Burns,

state the rule that's violated. Not that someone needs to be warned because that's not your 3.21. She's speaking to my motives, but I have a change of heart. I haven't said I was supporting or not supporting this document. If not, she's speaking to my motives of voting. I didn't say I wasn't supporting it. And I can pass a drug test every day of the week. Please continue. Councilwoman,

thank you. So, I I look forward to having her support and also her input as we build this ordinance because this is not just going to affect this council, but this is for council bodies to come because yes, we have seen chaos. We've seen people become unglued. We've seen colleagues throw down city property. We've seen colleagues yell out f you. We've seen a lot of crazy things happen from the from this area up here from our elected officials. And so we want to make sure that as we continue to serve you as we continue to do our job that we're doing it drug-free. We can't pass opioid dollars when we up here using opioids. How does that sound? I mean abusing. Not using. Abusing.

Thank you. Thank you. So yeah, if we're abusing opioids, we can pass opioid dollars. We need to be clear in our thinking and it's not from a punitive point of view. We too often talk about the penalties. Let's look at it as an opportunity to help our colleagues. So this isn't anything to demonize one. This is one to give you the help that you need as we continue to do our work that we're elected to do. Now what now? how your residents feel. That's that's between them and the recall just like they attempted to recall me five times. The your residents can take that up with you. However, this body isn't trying to punish you. This body is trying to ensure that we are getting you the help that you deserve to serve on this body. Because as we pass monumental legislation, as we erase medical debt, as we pass programs for autistic children, as we do great things like that, we want to make sure that we're on our P's and Q's and we're operating in the best interest of our residents, that we are clear, and that we're focused. So when you hear people fighting this, it may make others think that they I mean it may make others conclude other conclusions. I'm not here to do that. My job is to make sure that we are passing good legislation and I'm definitely open to let's amend it. Don't shoot it down. Let's amend it because this is important for our city. This is important for our body. This is important so we can do our job that we was elected to do and that help could extend beyond council. This help can help you in in your private life. So again, let us help each other as we do the business of the city. Thank you.

Thank you. Seeing as I am the last one in the first round of discussion, I will go ahead and take my time. Dr. Lewis, well said. So this is my thing. Um, I voted to postpone indefinitely simply because um, the law department said they did not have a hand and it was that simple for me. I will support this. If this comes back before us and the law department has had a chance to look at it, I'm for it. Test for everybody. We can all stand together and take a test. I don't care. Test test away. Um I do think that there are other instances where laws and government officials and elected officials have or um people that put policies in place it als it often seems to be drug test for thee and none for me. So I feel like nobody should be above being drug tested. That's just the reality. And so once our law department has a chance to take a look at this, I do want to because there was a question stated earlier that they weren't clear on who was included. If you read the ordinance, section B in the ordinance says elected officials of the city of Flint who while on city property or engaged in city business are involved in an accident resulting in injuries to others or damage or city property are subject to any drug testing policies applicable to City of Flint employees. And so this is clear that this is for elected officials who are elected to council or mayoral or something of that nature. I do think that it should also include employ appointees. I'm fine with that as well. Uh I just want our law department to have an opportunity to properly vet it because as we know folks like to have lawyers on triggers ready to sue when we should be trying to protect our city. But um just so that we can cover our bases. My support of this is going to come after our law department vets this only because that is the responsible thing for us to do on our end. But I'm all for drug testing. Let's do it. Is there about anybody who would like the floor and that I'm yielding my time there? Uh, Madam Secretary, is there anyone who would

like the floor in the second round of discussion? Councilman Feifer. Um, what do I say? So, I disagree and and agree in part meaning like if you're doing drugs, I don't want you next to me. I don't want you putting city business or city money if you're not the correct state of mind. 100% agree with that. Um I disagree with um how this will be administered and and people giving up their rights. Um because the administration I mean they through all the departments they are the ones that enforce ordinances. So uh the administration having um this in their back pocket to weaponize against individuals that they don't like. This is a 100% weaponization of oh you've been randomized or oh there was a suspicion report here you go again like this is a weaponization of it because like like a how does the policy I just want to know how the policy is going to be administered because we're going to hire somebody out and then they're going to take uh suspicion reports and they're going to do randomization. It doesn't it's it's nonsense. the there are laws in place and there's why there's a reason why there's no municipality in the state of Michigan where elected officials get drug tested because there are laws that say that people can be removed if they're uh whatever those qualifications are for

the governor to remove them or by recall there are processes in place. So to me, this is just a a political maneuver to weaponize this against certain elected officials. I promise you, if the if the administration is monitoring this, there's never going to be a suspicion report or randomization because you won't even be able to ask if the mayor was because it would be HIPPO violation. So it and you're gonna So you're going to arrest me for a misdemeanor because I don't go do a random drug test or some somebody reports a suspicion to me and like I'm going to be arrested. Like see you in court. I see you in court because you you talk about people jumping to attorney because like people have rights. So yes, I'm all for it if it's but there's got to be so many different laws there. There'll probably have to be a book of law a book of uh on this ordinance to capture everything.

Thank you. Is there anybody else in the second round of discussion? Madam Chair, Councilwoman in the sixth ward, you to attorney Sparrow, I don't see Mr. Smith. Um, are all city employees drug tested? Cuz I don't think that they are anymore. I I do not know the answer to that question. Yeah,

I don't think that they are because when I worked for the city, I didn't have to take a drug test and it had stopped. Yeah, but you know what? It's just I'm gonna be nice to you because she's over there talking. So, here's the issue where it will be I I don't even Yeah, I don't have time because here's the thing and I feel I agree with you, Councilman F, that it will be randomized. All people don't um um all departments don't have drug tests. And so, if we're going to have it just it has to be if it's it's everyone. But according it's a constitutional right where came in some issues when I spoke with my attorney because one of the issues when I had to go to court because on a a personal protection order Councilman Leon Elamine stated I was a known alcoholic and cocaine abuser never used cocaine never used crack. Never smoke crack cocaine or I don't even smoke weed. And so the judge, Hannibal, threw it out. And so he put a blatant lie on there. I have to pass a drug test yearly because of licensing. And I've done that. Now, if people like to recreational use um marijuana because it's legal, it's legal and that's their their uh their business. I don't do that. And so he and so maybe that's where that's coming from where he slandered me with a a total lie. So I don't have problems with uh passing drug tests. Never have for my entire life period. But I think that this could be used um to like it. I'm agreeing in agreement with you, Councilman Feifer. Um for people in a way to to show um to where you're going to be subject and whose suspicion because if a person is

telling a lie like a lie was told on me, he stated I was a known cocaine. And Councilwoman Burns, can we pause the time? Yeah. Councilwoman Burns, I need you to stay within the scope of what's happening in this meeting. I don't need you to go outside of any legal battles that you're having with other council members. I But what I'm saying to you is I need you to stay within the scope of what's happening in this meeting and not going off and accusing or attacking people in your talking in your speaking. We need to stay. We need to stay within Councilwoman Burns. You know what you're doing and you know what I'm asking you to stop doing. So please,

so it was under suspicion and stated cuz suspicion is in here. It says suspicion that I was a cocaine user and known alcoholic by Council Lyn Alamine. It was a lie.

Councilwoman Burns. Councilwoman Burns. Councilwoman Burns. you know what you're stating and you know what you were just asked. So either you are going to go ahead and yield the last 27 seconds or you're going to take your 27 seconds and just continue with your reasoning. Okay, let me finish because we talked about suspicion and what you're doing is limiting my freedom of speech and

I'm not limiting your freedom of speech would be and that's an actual fact. It's not something that's hypothetical that happened. It wasn't hypothetical. So what I'm saying when we talk about suspicion and we have to address and it's not defined in our charter what suspicion is. It's not defined as to what it is but I thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak in the second round of discussion? [Applause] Madam Chair, councilwoman in the second winner.

Thank you. And I just want to um you know apologize on behalf of the counciloman in the sixth ward who just can't be brought to order. And know that behavior is kind of erratic and you know it some people may think that that behavior may be influenced by illegal substances. as we sit up here. Point of order. You need to warn her. Um, please pause the time. I believe you had a point of order, Mr. Fifer. We just went through the same thing about the whole arsonist thing. She is insinuating that Councilwoman Burns is on drugs. 100%. No. Yeah%. That's not what I said. Yeah, you are. I I'll restate what I said. Mhm.

I said the fact that she speaks out of turn and stuff and her erratic behavior may lead one to believe that. That's exactly what I said again. That That's what I said. And so again, while I have the floor as she continues to yell out, that's what I'm talking about. Can we pause the time? I actually needed to go back to 234. I needed to go back to 234. Councilman Feifer, wrap up your point that you you wrapped it up.

We took the floor away from her for that alleged insinuation, but the insinuation of Councilman Counciloman Burns on drugs, he said the same thing as I understand. So the difference is Councilwoman Burns opened the door and wouldn't close it when I asked her to. When she talked about Councilman Alam, I didn't take her time. I let her keep it. I said to her several times, can you stop talking about outside insinuations? I'm talking about just now. I'm talking about the thing you

That was another time. But what I'm saying to you right now is I literally just let her keep talking after I I was telling her to close the door. She wouldn't close the door. I asked her to stop talking about an outside case where she had an accusation and she wanted to keep saying, "Well, it's suspicion. It's suspicion." I asked her to stop going down that road. All right. Tell her. I asked her to stop.

Councilwoman Burns, you had a point of order as well. Go ahead. Yeah, you you need to warn. There is no difference. The similarities point of order. Um, you need to tell her to stop going down that road as she is insinuating. Although she's given the definition and implied her words are implied references that I may be, she knows I'm I'm not. Again, know that would be like me saying she's on drugs when she fell asleep with her narcolepsy on my couch and I didn't do that. So, we're going to leave that door open. Counciloman Burns, is that what we're doing?

We're going to leave the door open. You asked me to close it, but then you go ahead and take it off the hinges. What are we doing? We closing it or we putting it back on the hinges. What are we doing? Just let me know. I'm done. Continue. Dr. Lewis. Thank you so much. So, see, as I sat here and passionately waited for the chair to get this together. Yeah. This is what council members in their right mind supposed to do. This is what this is how we're supposed to act. You don't go back and forth with the chair, argue with the chair. And I'm okay. Me and MY NARCOLEPSY, WE'RE WE'RE OKAY. But guess what? You can test my narcolepsy. Can we test you for drugs? And so I would love to bring this back

and I got good. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Come on. We're not doing back and forth at the council rules state. Pause the time. Please take it back to 220 and pause the time. This is the thing that is happening here. Council members shouldn't even be speaking to each other. Everybody in here, according to our rules, everybody in here, from the council members to the people at the leg turn to the attorney, everything is supposed to be directed to the chair. You all keep having interactions with each other that you should not be having. Stop the interactions with each other. The rules state that it is supposed to be directed to the chair. Councilwoman 220 220 on the clock.

Respectfully 220 on the clock. respectfully. Um, madame chair, if we are allowed to talk, she keep interrupting. She interrupt you, she interrupt us. She been doing this all meeting and this is what she does. Again, people that are lucid, they don't do this. And so again, not taking a personal jab as she like to do for content. Great. But that's why we're here to stop this. We want to make sure that those that sit in this seat that they are serious. any lock any narcolepsy medicine that I take will be legal. And so I'm okay with that. And so I'm not here to throw cheap shots because you're an easy target. So let's go ahead and I'm totally fine with sending this back so we can get it in order. But I'm serious ABOUT THIS BODY going a different direction. Mr. Feifer talks about retribution. He said when this council flips in August, it's going to be retribution. when

please pause the time. Yeah, she's not Jermaine. Well, you guys didn't let her finish the sentence before you call the point of order. So, now you don't know. Let her finish the sentence, then call your point of order. Go ahead. Go ahead, Dr. Lewis. Anyway, this is not the retribution that he was talking about. We're not trying We're not trying to get retribution on anyone. What we're trying to do is move this body in a positive direction. WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THIS BODY to conduct the business of the city. That's what our late councilman advocated for weekly as he came to meeting before he passed

before we let his seat go vacant for over 300 days. Now that we have someone in that seat that has a heart and a like mind for Flint, we can move forward. And I just want to compel my colleagues to join us because we will move this city forward whether you are with it or not. So with THIS DRUG ORDINANCE, I WELCOME EVERYONE that let's make it what it need to be so we can make good policy for this city. But what we won't do is continue to waste the people's time and grand stand for views, likes, and shares. Not going to happen. So I appreciate my colleagues for for chiming in. I will take this WITH ME AS I WORK WITH the attorney to beef this up to give the residents the drug policy that they deserve as we move this city forward. Now, I don't know where people going to be at the end of this term, but I guarantee you we're going to make these chambers a place where the people want to come back for their democracy. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like the floor? Did the clock go Oh, is there anyone else who would like the floor in the second round of discussion? Councilman in the first ward through you through the attorney. Um I have a question. So just just say if this did pass to go to council and that in the period of time of us having an opportunity to um look at it and you guys take a look at it, could the amendments and suggestions that people have made today be done and if it was brought in front of council with those amendments made to it? I'm having it's echoing. So I could the amendments be made and then what if it I'm just saying if it just passed today if this passed today to move the council

in that period of time by the time we come back to these chambers could you guys take a look at it make some adjustments these MMG suggestions that people have made today and then it will be ready for the next council meeting. Now I the next council meeting is too soon. This is a fairly complicated issue. There's several constitutional issues here. I think the law department would need at least 30 days at least. Yep. Okay. Thank you. Are you yielding the floor? Okay. Is there anyone else in the second round of discussion?

Seeing as how there's no one else in the second round of discussion. I'm just going to reiterate again that I am all for the drug testing. I'm fine with it. There are obviously some things that need to be hammered out. We'll get it hammered out. um and whether it takes the full 30 days or it comes back before then, uh if it is something that our law department is confident in, then I will surely go ahead and pass it because again, I'm good with drug testing. I don't I don't care if you're drug testing one of the nine of us. I don't care if you're drug testing the mayor. I don't care who you're drug testing. I'm cool with it. So, um, this is the roll call vote to send ordinance 2550231-T to council. Roll call. Madame clerk, Miss Johnson.

Abstain. Need more information? Miss Priestley? No. Miss Winfrey Carter is that in Miss Burns. No. Miss Mashette, no. Mr. Feifer, no. Mr. Jared is not in Mr. Alamine. No. Dr. Lewis, no.

And um I would like to change my vote to no. Thank you. The vote is zero yes, seven no. Look at that agreement. The vote is zero yes, seven no. Madam chair, motion to There's been a motion to adjourn by the councilman in the eighth ward. Supported by the councilwoman in the fourth ward. Roll call. Madame clerk. Miss Priestley. Yes. Carter is not in. Miss Burns. Yes, M. Mash. Yes, Mr. Feifer.

Mr. Jared is not in. Mr. Alamine. Yes. Dr. Lewis, yes. Miss Johnson, yes. The vote is seven. Yes. Zero no. The vote is seven. Yes. Zero no. The time is 8:52 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8th. I hereby adjourn the legislative committee. Why is the

Hawai family court awareness or family court awareness month? Family court.

Well, you know, October domestic violence, right? What?

Family. Okay. United States. I'm filming you, little Richard.

Yeah, I got you, Little Richard. What a good t get us some damn corn feed. Some deer feed. Oh, look at the moose. We got a runaway moose out here. Hey, we having some extra apples and potatoes. Hey, man. Anybody put the horseshoe on big ass neck? Hey, we all need to bring some damn apples up here, man. Put some hair around. just so immature. That is really silly, Lale. Seriously. Now, what' you say?

Be warm enough to say that to me is what you need to do. You You really do. You You You need to Yeah, she needs to stop. But listen, I haven't said anything. She's down there just cracking jokes and running her mouth and she don't No, no, no. I don't care. But you know what? I hear it, too. Yeah. They're listen. They can hear you out there. We're hearing, too. They can hear you. Yeah, we can hear moose calls. Yeah, we hear moose calls. Embarrassment. I got I got the translator on from Moose to English.

I got the I got the translator from Moose to English. Hey, what's the line? What's a what's a little rich? Hey, she just look like

her face just make cockroach. Right.

Right on.

Good job. All right. Hey, we translated English. We translated uh moose English.

Hey, see y'all later. The time is now 8:58 p.m. on October 8th. I hereby call this Governmental Operations Committee meeting to order. Roll call, Madame Clerk.

Okay. Mr. Alamine is not in. Dr. Lewis present. Miss Johnson is not in. Miss Priestley Miss Winfrey Carter is not in. Miss Burns is not in. Miss Mush present. Mr. Feifer is not in. Mr. Jared is not in. You have three members present. We have three members present. Due to um a lack of quorum, it is 8:59 p.m. This uh government operations committee meeting is now adjourned.