City Commission - Regular Meeting

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Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. and ask you all to join us in a moment of silence to begin the meeting. Please join us in saying the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Uh Mr. Clerk, if you could uh call the role and while you're doing so, an interpreter could make her way up his or her way up front. Commissioner Kilgore, present. Commissioner Knight, present. Commissioner Belchek, here. Commissioner Purdue, good afternoon. Commissioner Asasi, present. Mayor Lrand,

yes. And we have an interpreter to interpret from English to Spanish and Spanish to English for those who need it. And if you can introduce yourself and say that in Spanish, that'd be great. Push the button on the Thank you. That brings us to our first opportunity for public comment. And this is specifically on items that are on the agenda. So, anyone who wish to speak to agenda item, please come up. Uh, if you could reference the agenda item, that would be helpful. And give us your name and where you live. That'd be great, too.

Cool. For sure. How y'all doing, everybody? I'm D. Jones. I live in this uh I don't know exactly where I live at. I living in the orchards, but I'm speaking on petitions and communications item three uh from Julie from the GR house affordable housing regarding the future uh future housing in the region. So I I agree with Julie. I believe we do need future housing in the region. I agree that uh we should have 3D printed houses in the region especially the region is King County, not just the city of uh the greater area of the city of GR. So, two Sundays ago, I actually got to go uh to uh Detroit. I was able to go to uh the first 3D printed constructed house in the city of Detroit, and I got to knock on this lady's house. Uh she was there, and she let me inside her house. So, I got to visit the first 3D printed house. So, as we do have 3D printed houses in the re uh we don't have 3D printed houses in the region, I believe eventually we will have 3D printed houses in the region. D, respectfully, um the uh someone just pointed out to me this actually you have to comment on things that are on the agenda for us to take action on and those are simply petitions and communications.

So, it's something that y'all have to follow up. If I'm looking specifically at the agenda, it says for a staff or for a followup. So, this is something that y'all received from the community that I'm just saying that I agree with and I'm speaking on that specific item that we need affordable housing in the region. I do agree with this lady Julie that uh from GR affordable housing that we do need affordable housing in the region. Uh it shouldn't be a policy thing. I believe it's a human right to have housing and so I agree with this lady Julie that we should have affordable housing in the region not just in the city of GR but across Kent County. Believe we should have 3D printed housing across the region. Am I out of order from what I'm saying with the with this agenda item? I am my comments for the three minutes, but I thought that I was in line,

Mr. Jones. We do have something on on the agenda for housing. It's actually um public hearing number one uh there. So, if you take a look at that, maybe you want to But we there's a public hearing moment to speak to to that. There is. So, mayor, just to be clear, because we we could be here all night speaking on letters that were sent to us. So, can the clerk clarify what would be coming on?

Yes. So this part of the meeting is for public comments on agenda items from things that happen in our standing committees. So in sections on the consent agenda um committee on appointments, fiscal committee, community development committee or committee of the whole. Those are items. So that that's for the commission to receive the input input from the committee on their consent items because they made recommendations to the city commission this morning and so it's on any of those items that are on on the agenda. So, y'all do have a public hearing for affordable housing on the agenda. We have a brownfield uh item later on. Yes. All right. Thank you. Thanks for the clarification. Yep.

So, you said the committee on the whole. That is correct. Okay. Thank you.

Uh, greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. My name is Daniel Smith. My true identity is I'm a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. So I'd like to address committee of the whole resolution two. Again, I see you're considering u giving license to another perpetrator of alcohol. I am grateful that uh Flanigans is closing. long blight on the inner city. Again, I've warned you because I minister in the inner city in Hartside where I see the curse of alcohol almost every day and it leads to the breaking up of families. Scripture says it leads to poverty. I just want to voice my disapproval of that. Again, it leads to crime. I see it every day. It's like an entry drug into more hard substances. I speak from experience again. I once was a drunkard and a drug abuser, but the Lord delivered me through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, I officially give my disapproval of this. Thank you. Seeing no one else, I will move us along to approval the minutes. Can I have a motion to approve our minutes from April 14th?

So, move. Support. All in favor say I. I. All opposed. Motion carries. That brings us to petitions and communications. Mr. Clerk. All right. Our first one is communication received from the Grand Rapids Community Relations Commission to request transparency, accountability, and timely public response regarding recent Grand Rapids Police Department officer involved incidents. Received and filed. Communication received from Hannah Hannah Michael regarding her resignation from the urban forestry committee. Referred to committee on appointments. Communication received from Julie Hulk, GR for affordable housing regarding the need for future housing in the region. See and filed. Communication received from Michael B. Scrugs regarding police conduct and statutory power. See and filed.

Communication received from Mark Baker, Soft Lights Foundation regarding a proposed lighting ordinance. Save and filed. Communication received from Robert Stag regarding the need for senior centers in Grand Rapids. Save and filed. Communication received from Nick Aarius expressing concerns regarding the proposal for continuation of special assessment role number 8806 received and filed. Communication received from Carlos Calderon regarding his resignation from the urban agricultural committee. Referred to committee on appointments. Communication received from Carlos Calderon regarding his resignation from the stormwater oversight commission. Refer to committee on appointments. Communication received from Scott Ainson regarding a downtown information center. See and filed. Communication received from Scott Aerson proposing a name change of Kent County to Grand Kent County. Steph and filed.

Communication received from Scott Aerson with questions regarding downtown improvement district assessments. Stephen filed. Communication received from Tamara Vandenberg regarding her resignation from the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority. Referred to committee appointments. 13. Communication was received urging the city commission to support funding in the city budget for installations on Kamazoo Avenue to improve safety. Received and filed. Communication received from Kelly Joe Peltier expressing support for the downtown improvement district. See and filed. Communication received from Dara Newman, West Michigan Center of Arts and Technology with concerns about the May4- Route pilot. See and filed. Communication received from Greg McNeely, the Windrest Group, expressing opposition to the proposed downtown improvement special assessment.

Seed and filed. Communication received from Josh Brink expressing disappointment in what transpired at the April 2022 2026 uh special meeting received and filed. Communication received from Hotel District Business Association executive board expressing support for the continuation of the downtown improvement district special assessment. See and filed. And finally, communication received from Matthew Rothenberg, Hartside Business Association president, expressing support for the downtown ambassadors in the downtown improvement district.

Received and filed. Thank you. That brings us to report of city officers. Um the first one is a controllers warrant report for the period of March 31, 2026 through April 13, 2026 in the amount of 39,232,26. Save and filed.

And the treasures report for the period of April 1, 2026 through April 14, 2026. Save and filed. Which brings us to our consent agenda. And to remind the public, these are items that passed out of committee. Uh the various committees unanimously. Um the agenda reflects those individual uh decisions and uh were not removed from the consent agenda for further discussion by any commissioner. Can I have a vote to approve the consent agenda? A motion. So move. Move. Supported support. Uh all in favor of uh approving the consent agenda say I.

I. I all opposed. Motion carries. That brings us to um our public hearings and we have three. So the first of these is a public hearing to consider Brownfield plan amendment for 15 uh pardon me 1225 Plymouth Flats redevelopment project located at 1225 Plymouth. Um and I see Miss Reero coming up to the microphone. Can I have a motion? No motion. Oh, we don't need a motion. Sorry. Public hearing.

Hi, good evening. excited to talk about uh Plymouth Flats redevelopment project. Um this is a a site where we have a credit union that was vacated in 2024. And so there's a proposal to demo the existing credit union and put up three buildings house uh with 48 residential units uh between one and two bedrooms. Uh total project costs are 10.5 million. uh aspirational inclusion plan goals for micro local minority owned womenowned businesses totals about 30% um of that overall construction cost number. So about 2.85 million. This is a Brownfield um housing tiff project. So it's uh the eligible activities are mostly uh for potential rent loss. Uh 1.7 mi 1.75 million in total eligible activity costs over that 12-year uh capture period. uh with 989 948,312 specific to the housing tiff capture. Um construction is planned to start this summer and I am happy to take any questions but first I wanted to invite Matt Okconor and uh who's the developer on this deal as well as Jared Belco with Warner North and Jud up to talk a little bit about the project from their perspective. Good evening, mayor, commissioners. Uh, appreciate the opportunity to be here this evening. Um, Sarah did a great job of introduc introducing the project. Um, this is an exciting project for Matt and and his partners. Um, you know, the the credit unions vacated. Uh, empty buildings been sitting there. Um, this is a nice infill project to help chip away at the housing needs within the city. Um, working with Sarah and staff. um you know, they were um they were challenging us to to try and um sharpen the pencils as much as we can to get the

AMI numbers as is down as low as we can while still making the project make sense. Uh so Matt and his team are proposing uh the designated units at 90% AMI. Um you have the information kind of laid out in your packet where that falls. Uh but it a 48 unit project. Um 241's 242s. Um Matt has met with the neighborhood. He can speak to that here uh in a minute. But do appreciate your consideration for this project. Um feel it will be a good addition uh to the neighborhood. Uh and uh again incremental gains on on addressing the housing needs for the for the city. So I'll hand over.

Hi, thank you for your time. um yeah, BL blighted building uh that was acquired last year and um reached out to the neighborhood and we're really excited to um bring some housing to this great neighborhood. So, I'm happy to happy to answer any questions that that you may all have. Colleagues, any questions or comments? Commissioner Yasi.

Thank you, Mayor. Um thanks for uh being here and for the presentation. And I've heard this a couple times with uh Brownfield and also um attending a meeting uh that Miss Reero and a number of other city leadership from mobile GR and uh uh planning um came together to talk to the neighborhood. I would say you know this is uh in the NA neighborhood. So just right on the other side of Crestston and you know there's been a lot of desire of what else can you know be there what other amenities can kind of come forward and projects like this is I think what sort of draws people in. We've seen that in the Crestston neighborhood. Um and I think with with most things there's you know there's change and kind of wondering what is it going to be like because you know you've got kids food basket right over there. Um, but I really appreciate uh the developer Matt's uh efforts to engage and to talk through um and to be a good neighbor during this process. So, I just wanted to to add those pieces and I know we'll continue to keep talking through this process. So, thanks for being here.

Thank you. Any other comments, colleagues? Otherwise, um thanks for doing this work and uh you're right, incrementalism. Um we're increasing our housing supply and uh this is part of part of that work. So, thank you. Um, thanks. Uh, so now the anybody in the public who wants to comment on the project can feel free to come up and discuss it.

Back again. It's D. Jones. Uh, this ain't in a community around the city or part that I live in, but I do like that we're increasing the housing supply and that this is an infrastructure improvement project, but I didn't hear the cost of what the units are going to be. And I like to know what the cost of what these units are going to be. Uh we do have an affordable housing crisis. And even though I like affordable housing, I'm going to continuously challenge people publicly. I'm not saying that y'all didn't say the cost, but I like to know what these units cost because people like to know what the per unit cost. And so just for transparency, can we learn what the housing units cost? Uh also, there are people that are 3D printing apartments. I know this is already going to be a project that's starting uh in the summer, but uh it'll be nice in the future uh to have people and developers as the city did adopt 3D printed construction until 2031 that we actually get uh some 3D printed apartments in the future. So, I do like the project. I'm not saying anything negative. I believe that we do need affordable housing, but I like to know the cost. I'm sure that the public everybody doesn't know what AMI stands for. So just to simplify government, I'd like to know if we just had a standard cost of what the units would be. Thank you.

Seeing no one else, I'm referring this uh this hearing is now closed and we'll refer this to committee the whole uh miss. Reero uh we have another public hearing and this is on uh the three the necessity of a three-year special assessment for enhanced services in the downtown improvement district. Good evening, commissioners, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Washington. See if I can figure out this technology. Hey, there we go. Uh Melvin Ellis, the director of operations uh at downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. here to talk uh briefly about the downtown improvement district. So, we're going to quickly cover what is the DID, how does the DID work, what does the DID do, briefly talk about stakeholder feedback, uh provide an operations overview of our operations plan, as well as a brief overview of the reauthorization process. So, what is the downtown improvement district? It's an important place management tool that our organization uses to keep downtown clean, beautiful, and welcoming all year long. It was established in 2000 to provide an enhanced level of service beyond what the city traditionally provides and legally cannot replace city or government services and it's funded proportionally by office buildings, retail shops, excuse me, restaurants, downtown residents and other downtown property owners. And here's a map of the current DID service area. So the large yellow area is where we provide general services, things like cleaning, uh flower planting, trash removal, things like that. And then the blue area is the snowmelt district where we operate seasonal snow melt. And then here's a quick uh overview of who the board members are that sit around the table at the DID. And so how does the DID work? So essentially property owners in an area request services in our case sidewalk cleaning, landscaping, etc. The improvement district develops a plan and delivers those services. Property owners cover the costs of those services and all the

properties benefit. And then here's a quick in the weeds of how we break down the assessments uh per property. So 30% belongs to total land area, 30% for uh building square footage, 30% for paral parcel frontage, and then 10% for parking area. If you're a residential property owner within the DID, you pay a $120 annual flat rate. And then if you're a nonprofit organization, you receive a 40% reduction in your assessment. And assessments are build annually, generally in September. So what does the DID do? So, the work that the improvement district does falls into these four buckets. Beautification and maintenance, like I've mentioned, sidewalk sweeping, clearing snow, removing graffiti, trash, etc. Business support, things like marketing and promoting downtown. Safety, uh, reporting low-level crime to GRPD, reporting street repair, uh, issues and hazards. And then community, so assisting people moving in and around downtown, helping visitors with information, and connecting people to the homeless outreach team or social services. And then briefly want to touch about on our stakeholder feedback. So, we conduct an annual survey through to all of the stakeholders who are paying for the improvement district. Uh, last year we had 110 respondents and you can see the breakdown of who they are and who they represent, how often they're in downtown as well as get a taste of the stakeholder survey itself. Uh, not going to go through all the results because there's quite a bit, but I do want to highlight this one uh sort of question. Uh, basically breaking down all of our services into eight buckets. How would the the stakeholders who are paying for our services rate uh how the DI did is performing at them? Uh drawing your attention to the dark blue and orange columns respectively representing very good and good. Over 70% of our stakeholders would rate our services in those two categories across almost every category here. Uh going to talk about the 2027 through 2029 operations plan now which is why we're here for the public hearing. So really quick proposed changes. So, increasing the area assessment by 3% in fiscal year 2027, which would give us an operating budget

of $1.5 million, which includes snowmelt funds. Uh recommending a 4% fiscal year incre uh assessment increase in fiscal year 28 and 29, uh which is the highest increase that the DID plan allows us to uh increase rates. Should also mention the DID plan requires that we tie those increases directly to state inflation rates. Uh and so we actually set the percentage uh based on those 4% uh as you are probably aware uh is the ceiling and so we typically set to the ceiling and tend to walk the budget back uh to a more uh level that's more in line with the services that we're providing every year. Uh we're proposing to expand the did service boundaries to include the newly constructed amphitheater which is the area in red on the map. I also would like to add, it's not on here, but we had an 11th hour request from a property owner on the west side to draw their business into the improvement district. So, we are working to uh amend the plan, including the district that you see here, as well as the budget to include them. Uh and then additionally, uh we are uh recommending that the snowmelt assessment uh which is paid for by properties that border only the snowmelt remain flat for all three years. And then the process for getting the special assessment approved. So, the board and DJI staff develop the operating plan. It goes to the uh downtown improvement district board for recommendation to this body. This body reviews the plan, sets the public hearing. Here we are. Uh commission will vote on approving the plan. The plan will go back to the improvement district board for adoption. We will begin uh implementing the plan on July 1st, 2026 this year, uh for three years. And while the did operating plan is routinely reaffirmed typically on a three-year cycle, we must come back to this body every year to get our budget approved. And with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Colleagues, USA, thanks so much for the presentation and I appreciate it. I think I counted three times where it says this is beyond city services. So, I think um you know, just looking at some of the messages that I've received and some of the comments, um just a reminder everybody, this is not replacing city services. Um I think even just hearing that there's this business on the west side that's asking to be, you know, drawn in is a is another um show of the investment and sort of the return on investment. So, I just wanted to say I appreciated that. Um and I'll turn over to whoever else wants to talk about this. Thanks,

Commissioner Knight. Um, thank you again for bringing this. I just wanted to um I just wanted to rehighlight um some of the conversation that we had when you brought this the first time about um particularly the um when we talk about you know the the safety downtown and cleanliness and trash and all of those things. But how are we um partnering with um the community um around the safe protection of residents um personal belongings downtown. I know as we're looking at the city budget, there was uh some money that was put in there in the budget to help cover some of those costs, but it doesn't cover the whole cost. and just wondering if if that conversation happened about um what the DID could uh possibly help support in that work so that we can continue to um provide that dignity for our unhoused neighbors.

I'm not sure that those conversations have happened yet, but again, we're open to having those conversations and and welcome to looking at how we can support uh those excellent services that you're describing. Commissioner Kilgore. Yes. Uh thank you so much for the presentation. Can you remind me of when you were here last? Uh two weeks ago. Two weeks ago. And so your executive team wins their usual schedule. Um I I think this is really pressing and concerning. So I'm just a little disappointed to hear that you all haven't been able to uh take up this formal request. Um so when is their usual meeting schedule and when can we expect uh this conversation?

That's a great question. Uh, I don't know the executive meeting schedule. I'm not privy to that uh information. I'm not executive, so I I don't know when they meet. Uh, I believe it's monthly, but I'm not sure if they've met yet this month. Okay. I'm I'm hopeful uh that we going forward, of course, we always have to give grace. I hear you uh where you're coming from, but if you could communicate to the executive team, this is a a true need that we are hearing within community. uh and as we continue to want to serve our neighbors and give dignity um this is something that we're really hoping that you all can uh support um as we've seen uh previously but thank you again for your presentation and these updates. Thank you. Yeah.

Uh Commissioner Belch.

Um so I just want to support what my other colleagues have said here so that you hear it loud and clear. I'm sure you do. Um, but it's it is really important that we address these things, especially since we had a presentation today at community uh public safety about the housing pathways program and how how much of a need that is to continue to support those folks. Um, I'm also kind of curious what your thoughts are as you I'm looking for the more robust plan online and um just wondered if you could fill in some details specifically on maybe how your ambassadors are going to be moving around in particular areas with the venues coming online, but also because there are some people in the neighborhoods um along Heartside and other places that are just wondering there are perceptions that sometimes some parts of the community that that did get more attention than others. And then my last question is if you're at liberty to tell us what the map would be for the first word addition, I would be interested in knowing.

Sure. Um I can start with the map that would be the easiest. Let me back up here really quick. So um it's going to be a tiny addition almost imperceptible. So, if you look at the rectangle that's carved out on the uh west side there, uh there will be a tiny addition, one parcel added onto the southern part of that rectangle. So, very small uh addition to the west side. The one in the northwest, I'm sorry, the one in the northwest corner. We couldn't see the Yes, the pointer. I don't have the pointer going here. Okay. So, the furthest northwest corner up by Second Street is the one you're pointing to.

Yeah, I believe so. Yeah. Yeah. All righty. Somewhere in there in that corner of the world. Okay. Thank you. Continue. This right here. Yeah. Yes. So, the southern part of that I've had that conversation. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Joel. Um, uh, question around how the ambassadors will be moving in and around new venues opening up in downtown. new venues and then also um maybe strategy around the distribution of those kinds of services.

Sure. So, typically when there uh are big special events, we deploy a special deployment through downtown to cover those events. So, we'll bring on extra ambassadors uh greenlight additional hours just to move uh ambassadors through the district, engage with folks. um those extra extra and or special deployments, however you want to call them, don't typically uh interfere with our day-to-day operations. So, they're above and beyond what uh our typical ambassador uh cleaning and uh deployment routes would be uh as far as equitable equitable distribution uh to services throughout the district. So, we have the the district broken up into four or five sort of subdists. Uh we clean every one of those districts every single day. Um, a lot of times we hear like, "I never see an ambassador." We understand that, but ultimately our ambassadors are moving through the entire district uh on a daily basis.

Thank you. Um, seeing no other questions from my colleagues, um, I'll, uh, ask if there's any any member of the public who wishes to be heard.

My name is Scott Aerson, third ward resident. I would like you to bring him back up here after I'm done speaking so you can ask him some questions. But first of all, I want to say thank you to those of you up there and those of you back here who've told me that downtown needs an information center and a daily information system, which we don't have. And I heard nothing about information. I just want to go back something. When they first started these ambassadors, which are actually employed by a company out of Lexington, Kentucky, like an employment service, they make $15 an hour, the ambassadors, but they're build out over $21 an hour. You guys need to go back and read that contract. Now, I'm not here to trash the ambassador program, but what I am here to tell you is that people from the DDA, board members, and staff, did downtown Improvement District, um said, "We don't need an information center. we've got wandering ambassadors. And I'm like, is this a joke? Wandering am we don't have an embassy for the ambassadors. You know, that's kind of silly. But I'm still saying I find it hard to see the difference between the Downtown Improvement District, downtown Development Authority, and Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc., they're all the same to me. They're all in the same building, 29 Pearl Street, same suite, um, same address, same phone number, same email. It's all the same. and part of their they should be the ones building the information center at Pearl and Monroe behind where they ice skate for the convention and visitors bureau to run. I'm saying and then the employees from the convention and visitor bureau which there's 35 and there's at least 20 in the downtown improvement district office those employees are the ones that should run the information center. Now if I ran the DID downtown Improvement District DDA downtown Grand Rapids Inc. I would make sure every one of the employees in that building are going to work the information center nights, weekends, and holidays. And if they didn't like it, I say, "Here's a small severance check.

Goodbye." You know, some of them I can't believe we didn't get an executive from the downtown improvement district here. He admitted he's not an executive, but he's a good guy. Melvin, I've met with He's a good guy. But I'm just saying um you should ask him does the downtown improvement district DDA do they think an information center is needed? If not, they should get new leadership. But I'm saying it's for the convention and visitors bureau. You know, if they don't want to run an information center every day of the year, I'll go to the county and say, "You need to get a new contract with your con convention and visitors bureau." Just for the record, I still got to call it Convention and Visitors Bureau and not Experience Grand Rapids. Seems like everything's having two names or something. The Downtown Development Authority is downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. The Convention and Visitors Bureau is Experience Grand Rapids are. But the only thing I can tell you is we don't have an information center. And look at the soccer ball and the guitar. We got two new venues coming and no information center. How y'all doing? I'm D. Jones. Uh, far as the downtown improvement district, uh, I think we need to enhance our affordable housing services. We have very rich billionaires. We have people that have businesses downtown and I think they need to pour into affordable housing. Honestly, uh, somebody has to say this. uh y'all complain about uh different things and you know different plans that the city is trying to put forward and everything else and I think we need to hold our local businesses that are downtown accountable. You get you guys get a lot of revenue. You guys get a lot of opportunity. You guys get to drive nice c houses. I mean you guys get to drive nice cars. You guys get to live in nice houses. But y'all sit there in your gate the uh bridge under there where people usually be sleeping at. And I don't like that people I understand. I

understand that's unsafe, but I know understand we got venues and everything else, but I'm going to continuously advocate for affordable housing. I believe that our services and we need to have an assessment plan on the affordable housing downtown and how could we increase affordable housing so we don't have an unhoused population. How could we increase affordable housing? How could we increase health care? Those people probably don't have health care and it's it's a probably a health hazard, a safety hazard to y'all, but we have a housing issue and that's a policy issue. It's a human issues because people are selfish. I'm not saying that these people are selfish, but we have soccer teams. We got billionaires buying all type of stuff all across the city, all different different states donating to different campaigns. But we got people in our local community struggling every single day. Every single day, people are struggling every single day. People don't know how they going to eat. people, electric, lights, gas, internet bills super high because these consu because these big businesses are in the pockets and buying these local politicians and not you guys, but county politicians and politicians across the United States and that needs to stop. But everything starts locally and it starts downtown. So, I'm going to keep coming here and advocating for better change, holding billionaires account be accountable because one day I'm going to 3D print houses. One day I'm going to increase affordable housing. One day I'm truly going to help people get out of poverty, out of the struggle because I come from poverty. I come from social security checks. I know how it is to struggle. And I hate when I'm sitting there and people don't got a ID or I'm doing my job and stuff like that and I'm asking people for their signature or something like that and they don't got a ID or they say that they addresses the shelter. That's crazy. But we got billionaires buying all kind of stuff and donating to people so they can keep pushing their agenda and I'mma speak out about it because I don't like their agenda. I don't like certain items on their agenda. I like truly affordable housing on the agenda. And I'mma keep

standing on business and holding people accountable. Thank you.

Good evening. I'm not going to talk about housing. I'm very happy with what's going on downtown. I think it's a great thing. I know that um you need to compact your cars if you want to get downtown. And my question to you is, even though I know you're not going to answer it, is anybody watching that onearmed bandit called Ellis Parking? Is anyone are any of you paying any attention to the fact that the rates continue to go up? They continue to build more parking lots and they're not maintaining them. I'm just asking and I'm sure that everybody in this room might be curious to know why the rates keep going up and is there any oversight? Anybody pay any attention? Because we are. I love downtown, but I don't like coming down here because I don't want to pay $25 to park in a parking lot. It just doesn't make any sense. Um, if you can do something about it, I sure hope that you will. Thank you very much. That's all I got to say about that. Trust me, what I'm about to say shocks me as much as it does you, but I think I agree with the Windquest guy in the letter. Um, yeah. Okay. Okay, another story. I bring experience in this area because I'm from a place that did better with it. So, why not start spreading assessments out? I don't think the downtown folks are invalid in complaining that they're getting taxed all the time for contributing to something that ultimately contributes to our overall tax base and economy. It would be nice if there was an

assessment citywide that everybody could share and then each district could get a pie slice from that. So better district in your neighborhood brings better things to your neighborhood. And I've come up here a couple years ago before and told you what you don't want is a perception of a war between downtown and the rest of your city. It creates resentment in different neighborhoods. And I think you're hearing a little of that vibe right now because special tax assessments aren't universal. You have to do all sorts of special crap. And I think we only have two places that get it. If I'm not mistaken, it's downtown and uptown. But how cool would it be if we could all I know socialize the uh the expense across all of us to contribute to these districts that do great things in their respective areas and including downtown in that but not having people that I otherwise couldn't possibly agree with on any other political topic being right about the idea that maybe they shouldn't be the only one paying it because we're all going to benefit. We're all going to benefit from the huge explosion of destination traffic and business. Doesn't have to just be in one area. And if you don't want to benefit from it, good luck with auto parts and plaster, right? So, think about that. Maybe change that whole system. They might have a point. You can't do it right now. Hello friends, Mark from Grand Rapids. and this downtown development district assessment. I agree with mascot on these on this uh information center and I and he say he see a I see a soccer ball there. Y'all missed a golden opportunity to

increase that soccer stadium to 25,000 seats because I heard on Brody Brazil that Vancouver White Caps from Major League Soccer could be up for sale and relocate. They talking about Vegas and Phoenix and every Louisville. I know Grand Rapids would have been a long shot, but you would have built a stadium of that size. You could have made a you could have made a relocation relocation offer in turn. You would had entertainment districts. It would have been would have been revenue to the city where they where you might get generate some affordable housing offers. That's what I always say. Build big, make more money. Oh, and they and since and since private business is everything is revenue is going to be private and there's no taxpayer dollars, you could have had a good thing going, but you messed up and now it's too late. So, you better think about this because if The next big thing might come. Don't make that same mistake again. Thank you.

Seeing no one else, I will close this hearing and refer it to the committee of the whole. And that brings us to our final public hearing, which is on appeals on special assessment nuisent nuisance rule 8802. Uh, and I assume we have someone from the assessor's office coming up here. Lindsay Post. Uh, Miss Post.

Hi, Lindsay Post with the city assessor's office. Um, this I'm here on be the special assessment nuisance role 882. So, on January 27th of this year, the city commission issued an order for the assessor to create the special assessment role for unpaid charges for services or code violations. These were from July of 2025 through December of 2025. Um, the charges stem from miscellaneous services such as housing violations, yard violations, rental certifications, and blight monitoring. Property owners affected by these charges were sent notices on March 16th. They included the amount of the charges as well as information on how to appeal. This special assessment role has been open for public inspection for at least two weeks. Uh, it started on March 30th through today. Um the role was available online and in our office. In addition um to date the assessor's office has received 15 written appeals. Um tonight the commission convenes as the board of review to hear appeals of these assessments and tonight is the final opportunity for appeals. Um I will be available after this just across the hall for anybody who would like to appeal.

Thank you. And uh seeing no one from the public who wishes to come forward on that item, I will close that hearing which brings us to our second opportunity for public comment um in which anyone can come up and comment on any item they wish to address the commission on. And again um name and uh part of the city you live in ideally and uh there's a clock for up front here which is visible to you. So keep it under three minutes. But Mr. Jones, you know that

for sure. So everybody, I'm D. Jones, passionate entrepreneur and visionary, and I just got a a dream where we could live in a society where there's no genocide and there's no bombings and there's no killings and our Apac isn't just buying both sides of the aisle politicians. We have real progressive politics and people that actually care about the citizens. That's something I dream of. It's something I canvas for, something I collect signatures for, cuz everything starts local. But I hear stories. I hear a lot of stories how people got thousand buck light bills and stuff like that, or how they got evicted from their house cuz they can pay their rent, but they couldn't pay their utilities. That's sad. But as I was saying though, I was in Detroit two Sundays ago and I was chilling with my friend, uh, one of my best friends. And so we kicked it and then we hooped at LA Fitness and I gave people buckets out there. Then we lifted and then he end up driving me to the first 3D printed house, 1444 Sheridan Street. They say that's Big Meech Hood if you know who Big Meech is. And so I end up going to this 3D printed house and I checked it out and I looked at it and I seen a bunch of groceries. I'm like, "This lady got to be at the crib." Like ain't nobody going to leave food like that out there in Detroit. So then I end up seeing her through her house and then I knocked on her house and I said, "Hey, I'm D. Jones and I'm a passionate entrepreneur. I'm a visionary and I've been advocating for 3D printed construction for a long time and I got my city government to adopt it from continuous passionate advocacy. And so she said, "Would you like to come inside the house and you can check it out?" So I got to see the 3D printed house. I got to see the wall and I got to see the rooms and everything else and it felt like a home. It was just 3D printed. And then she let me get go through her attic and check out everything else and I seen the heater and everything else. And I'm just like, one day I actually am going to I'm going to put this out to the universe and I'm going to 3D print

houses and I'm at and then this is the thing. So after that, after I seen the 3D printed house, I was at the Democratic state convention. So I seen all of the politicians. I seen Alicia and everybody else, but I was actually in the 3D printed house. Before I was at the Democratic state convention and I was speaking to people about 3D printed houses and just having a vision for better politics. I couldn't speak to every politician, but as you guys seen the Democratic convention, people are starting to get conscious and there they're they're starting to sick of their politicians being bought by Israel and Apac and the consciousness of the human beings are starting to have we're starting to uplift each other. We going to hold politicians accountable because the Rothschild and Rockefeller banking system doesn't work for every citizen. But I believe this is going to change and you have to be the change you like to see. So, I know this is a local I know this is a broader thing, but I believe these issues start locally and I actually collect signatures to uh stop big businesses from buying off our politicians. But I'm also going to 3D print houses and I'm going to change our economy one day. Thank you.

Good evening. I'm Deb Van Dynan from Oakdale Park Church and a member of Together West Michigan.

Good evening. and I'm Ekenya Hunter and hi to y'all. I hope y'all can see me cuz I'm probably the shortest one I got up here. I'm here today with a group of concerned residents who are very much concerned about the traffic safety on Kalamazoo Avenue. And if you're here, would you please stand? Thank you. We heard recently that there are many plans for traffic safety in our city and we know the need is great. Our concern is for the area between Evergreen and Hall where there are several cross streets with limited sight lines. We've heard that there's a good possibility for a four-way stop costing $20,000 at Calamazoo and Adams. There's also a need for flashing crosswalk and a few blocks north of either Euing or Hancock by Kalamazoo and Oakdale neighbors. This would cost a total of one or this is $125,000. Both of these solutions would make the area safer. So, as you begin to work on your upcoming budget, we urge you to keep this $145,000 for our safety and our neighborhood in mind. Our residents needs to see action on their behalf by the end of 2026. Thank you for supporting us in this work. And a special thanks to our third W commissioners, Kelsey Purdue and Marshall Kilgore, for your consistent work and help with us. RIP and nice here. But I think we need to think about more and talk more people in here.

I'll need to see more support from I think it's important for us to adopt sanctuary policies to keep the federal government away from our local government. Thank you. Okay. Well, uh, Lucas, first word. So, last Wednesday, everything I've ever criticized about GR's backward laws and foolish traditions was displayed in one meeting. Seeing this whole appointment sham continue to be laid bare was priceless. Mr. Mayor, I appreciate you sticking to your choice and not folding to the mini mob. I do think you missed a chance to display leadership. A motion to eliminate the candidate with the fewest votes and continue deliberation would have been great. Marshall, thank you for being clear from the outset that you see the flaws in all this. Alicia Marie, thank you for having courage and not backing down when pressured by the mean girls in the cafeteria. Kelsey, it's really frustrating to try to square your choices with the ideals you express in side conversations, but I'm trying to give you some grace. Lisa, it's hard not to like you, but it's unfortunately unfortunate when we see you side with the establishment so often and then explain it away as inside baseball that none of us plebes could understand. And Melinda, while you've been consistent about your desired appointee this whole time, and I appreciate that, your condescension, arrogance, double talk, manipulations of other people's words, and the insults you sling at your peers continue to

demonstrate an entitled pettiness. You seem to elevate the role of commissioner well above its station and well above its status in a demonstrated effort to buddy up to the GR elite. You treat this job like you're some kind of senator and get over yourself. All this time, you could have all gone to have a beer and decided to just appoint Mr. Repart at another meeting. You could have done it two months ago, but no. And Drew Robin's choice of resignation time frame was likely designed by his handlers to make you all look like fools. We need to eliminate the goofy law that forced him out, which is out of step with most of the nation. Our laws should be updated to define process and parameters for vacancies instead of the failed alakart approach that we've seen play out. And ultimately, we need to restore the government to a strong mayor structure. We need leaders who will take on multiple amendments to the city charter. We need to resolve the hypocrisy of living in a state that asks itself every 16 years if it needs a new constitution while operating a city that's content to swear filty to a 110-year-old bait and switch corruption written into law. I'm betting we already have three of you sitting up there somewhere. You just need a fourth. And that's where the voters come in this November. We can fix it and we will one way or another. Hello, my name is Karen and um I'm from Grand Rapids and uh thank you for the chance to speak my mind. I'm here to participate because I feel it's my duty as a citizen and as a human to speak up when things are wrong. Um and it's part of our duty to keep the democracy going because we can't just elect leaders and then be quiet. So, we always have to be

loud. Um, so I just want to say I with the 287G agreement that Trump is asking all these cities to agree to, we do not want that. We, the people of Grand Rapids, do not want that. What we do want are the six sanctuary policies. If you guys are unable to do that, if you could publicly state that you support those six policies, that would go a long way. Um, we want to be deflected. All of the cameras, we want them gone. We don't want mass surveillance. Um, I'm very worried about how close we are to authoritarianism. Um, and then leading all the way to totalitarianism. Um, and there's a very big irony that we're in war with Iran right now because the Islamic Republic has created this blueprint. And in September 16th, uh, 2022, Gina Amuni was killed because her hair was showing from her hijab. So her government killed her. Um so Kami who's dead now in the ayatoyas of the Islamic Republic have created a blueprint of how to suppress tens of millions 90 million to be exact in Iran. Um they use surveillance, they use intimidation, public executions, political prisoners and torture camps. Sound familiar? Tens of thousands killed by IRGC in January alone. Um up to 30,000 protesters killed for doing what we're doing today. Um and IRGC GC is um the force that they use the police that that the ayatoyas use and Kmeni use to enforce this. Um the eerie parallels um with Trump regime and the completing the project 2025 we're going to the way of Islamic Republic um and Trump is turning ICE into a similar personal army using them to intimidate intimidate kidnap brutalize terrorize intimidate and kill immigrants. sometimes kill immigrants. Um in Iran they have passed this targeting only minor minorities um which they continue

to do but is now women and children and school girls and protesters. Um and they use this how they do this is with IRGC which is ICE what we have and and mass surveillance which is our flock which we are now having on every bridge every parking lot everywhere you go you are tracked now and Iran beta tested this since 2022 and they can track every single movement and so what would happen is if your hair was showing from your hijab in your car you would get a ticket or you would get your car impounded or your shop closed or your bank account frozen and so no we're not there yet but this is very much the same path that they took. Um, and with flock in our city and ICE in our city, I feel like it's only a matter of time if nobody stands up and fights this, that that is where we're going. Um, and Orwell warned us of this. There will be a point of no return. That when we get to a certain point, we won't be able to rise up. They will be able to squaltch any uprising. We're too close to it now, and uh we don't want it in our city. Thank you. Hello. Uh, my name is Shell. I'm a resident of the third ward and I'm here speaking on behalf of the immigrant community. My dad is a German immigrant and a legal permanent resident here. He holds an older green card, one without an expiration date. And even before the first Trump administration, he was being detained at the airport every single time he re-entered the country. Now, due to recent poly policy changes, he can't renew his passport without first updating his green card, which means voluntarily re-entering an immigration system that has already proven itself unsafe for legal residents. My dad couldn't even go home to put his own brother in the ground.

This is the trap that our current political climate is building around my family and the whole immigrant community within this city. I'm also transgender. I'm watching federal protections and my own legal status in this country dissolve in real time and I am acutely aware of the importance of documented protections for everybody who lives here. So the GRPD says they don't interfere with immigration enforcement and you want us to take that at face value in the same way that you want us to believe that an investigation of the GRPD by state police is in any way external or impartial. When GRPD shows up to disperse and arrest people who are peacefully documenting ICE activity, they're not technically doing the work of immigration enforcement. By using intimidation tactics and harassing those working to keep their neighbors safe, they're doing something equally bad. They're removing witnesses. They're making ISIS job easier while keeping their own hands clean. That is dishonest and slimy behavior from a department who wants us to believe they don't cooperate with ICE. And you're asking for my trust, but that isn't reassurance. That's management. Mayor Lrand, I have listened to you for a year and a half, and I have heard you say you don't want to give your immigrant community false hope without seeming to understand that we don't need hope, we need policy. I have heard you say that our demands don't speak for the whole immigrant community. Yet, you have never once told us whose voices you are listening to. You have claimed it might even be illegal to bar GRPD from entering a 287g agreement with ICE, but you have yet to produce any evidence for that claim and

made no effort to challenge it. And every time we come to this table in good faith, we are handed a new explanation and simply asked to trust you and trust the process. Thing is, I don't trust you anymore. I don't want to be managed. I want to be protected. And protected right now in 2026 means written policy. Thank you. Hi, my name is Jacob, third W resident, and I just want to echo the comments that came before me that this body can act to save its citizens, to protect its citizens. And by not demanding that we enact sanctuary city policies, we are endangering our community members. We are endangering our citizens. And all of you have the power. Please act. Please enact sanctuary city policies to protect our immigrant communities to protect our undocumented Grand Rapidians. You have the power to do this. It will make your community safer. It will make our community safer. Thank you.

Hi. Uh this is the first time I've ever done anything like this. Um I live in one of the suburbs that lives around uh Grand Rapids. Um I don't know if it's actually considered inside, but my post office card it says Grand Rapids. So I feel like that's enough of a license for me to be here. Um I understand that you guys hold a very important role and uh there's a lot of things that you guys have to think about in order to make good decisions for the good of the public. And one of the things I'd like uh not only you guys up here to hear but also everybody else in this room is uh we need to speak plainly about what is being done and the way that things are being handled. Um I view this as a class issue capitalism as a framework. It inherently disproportionately affects people who are of lower income and it makes it so that they are not able to exert the same amount of financial power as people who own businesses. When you own a business that means that you own the means of production. That means that means you own what is made. So when somebody comes to you and spends their time and gives their time, what they're selling is their time, they're working for you. And so essentially what that means is you need to be able to have clear boundaries for how much a business owner is allowed to take from their employees because as it stands right now, the rate of wages does not match the rate of inflation. And what that means is purchasing power has gone down for the everyday person. And that is not true for people who own businesses. So I implore you, think about who owns businesses and who you are buddying up to. Don't bite the hands that feed you. You don't make rich

people pay as much taxes as the common person. Don't bite the hands that feed you. We are who pay the bills more than rich people. Let me get that clear. More than rich people. You guys probably pay more than rich people. Think about that. That's a real fact. And uh you know, my emotions tend to get the best of me a lot of the time, but I'm trying to rein it in because I care very deeply about making sure you guys and I would like all of you who are currently not looking at me. I would like you to look at me because I would like you to hear what I am trying to say. Joel Hondorp, I don't know even what position you hold, but the fact you're not paying attention makes me upset and I'm going to say something about it. I want you to pay more attention to what we're trying to say. Thank you for your time. Hi, my name is Alex. I'm a resident of Grand Rapids. You know, like many people here, I'm here to advocate on behalf of the sanctuary policies, you know, that we're asking to pass. But before I get into that, I want to point out the fact that you have these cops in body armor flanking those of us doing public comment seems clearly designed to intimidate. And that's someone from a demographic that is probably the least likely to be targeted, you know, by the GRBD unless I'm, you know, involved in act, you know, in, you know, organizing work like this. So, we're not asking for a declaration. We're not asking for anything symbolic and meaningless like that. We're asking for concrete policies that cities around cities and counties around the country have had passed for years. you know, warning, you know, we're not looking, you know, these policies, you know, are legal, easy to pass. You could have passed them years ago because in some fashion, these

have been demands that have been made by, you know, the undocumented community and and those working with them for years. And one of the policies we've been asking asking y'all to implement is stopping allowing ICE to access flock cameras. We have clear evidence from foyer requests that you do and that they're do the gr that ICE is doing so illegally and more overflock cameras, you know, are very harmful surveillance, especially towards BIPO communities and they're everywhere. Like I can't I can't walk more than probably 2 minutes from from my house or anywhere else in the city without running into these cameras. their tools on mass surveillance, you know, you know, and they're wrong. Also, we've despite claims to the contrary, we've seen clear evidence of GRPD collaborating with ICE. We've seen them direct in the case of Byron Martinez, we've seen them directly assisting in the arrest, but doing traffic enforcement, other quote unquote community safety type activities just makes ICE job easier and just facilitates what they're doing because ICE ICE couldn't do it without that help. All you all you have to do is have GRPD not assist us in that. It's not that hard. They can sit on their phones like I've seen them doing doing in this meeting. Also, Mayor Lrand, you've said that there's that you have a legal understanding that the city can't enter into 287G agreements. You need to show us evidence because from how you've acted as mayor and as commissioner and every role you've had, your word doesn't mean anything. We need action. Thank you.

All right. Good evening, city commissioners, Mayor Lrand, uh Sonia from the west side speaking. Uh here to motivate uh prohibition for uh flat cameras. Uh the concern with the flat cameras, um as I understand, they allow officers to search for specific vehicles and track vehicles over time, uh without need of a warrant. ICE does not have direct access to that camera network, but uh police can informally share flock camera information when requested with little to no oversight. And according to the uh foy foyer request that was previously mentioned uh there are more than 4,000 cases nationally uh of lookups across the country by local and state police in which IER immigration was listed as the reason for that lookup. Uh effectively all vehicles are being tracked and their information is being stored in a nationwide network which police can look up at any time with minimal oversight and that information can apparently be shared informally without uh oversight as the police see fit. Um I don't think more surveillance and more policing will reduce crime or keep people safe. Uh I think the only way to do that is to provide a standard of living that meets everybody's basic needs. Uh, so I'm speaking in support of u a ban on flack cameras and a ban on 287g agreements uh that no one but especially immigrants in Grand Rapids to ensure that no one but especially immigrants in Grand Rapids aren't abused by those systems. Uh furthermore uh speaking in favor of the sanctuary city policies uh which protect immigrants from discrimination, harassment and also provide equal rights to live and to work. Uh I think we need to be and I and I really really want to emphasize the need uh for leaders to uh recognize and like vocally uh confront the fact that the anti-immigrant hysteria we're

experiencing nationwide is pure scapegoating of people who have been living and working here in this country for at least a hundred years uh as long as any other group of immigrants yet still lack equal rights. We're talking about people who have been fully integrated into our national economy uh for the last century, but who have been perpetual underclass exploited for their labor with no legal recourse to address their abuses. And many many of the people on this body have expressed an unwillingness to inter intervene officially, citing fear of federal retaliation as well as political reaction from other anti-immigrant forces holding power. And to that I say fighting against ethnic cleansing and human emiseration is worth stepping on toes and taking risks for. And if there is ever an appropriate time to do so, now is that time. Thank you.

Good evening, commissioners, city officers, Mr. Mayor. I'm Steve Bennett, resident of the third ward. I've spoken with several of you individually, and you assure me that these are the things you want to do. You want a formal agreement to have no 287g cooperation. You want to prohibit flock camera information from going outside its use in the city. These are the things we want and with bold moves we can do it. Now the points being made about affordable housing and uh the inequality of of uh income, these are not new, but they have been made much worse in the past few years. Yes, the billionaires, yeah, 565 million downtown. Yeah, it's going to bring a whole bunch of people here. Sure. We as a city need to make a bold move to tell Washington and spec without getting specific that we have sanctuary policies. We are not a place where a person from another country has to fear. Please take those steps. Thank you for your time. Hello, my name is Emma and I just want to get right to the chase. ICE are the Nazis of the 21st century. The concentration camps, the mass abuse and terror that you inflict, not you, but the administration inflicts upon our neighbors, upon our loved ones, would make the Gestapo blush. You are either with ICE or you are against it. And now you have to make a choice. the GRPD. I

urge you to choose what side of history you want to be on. This era is terrifying for everybody and especially those who are being targeted who, mind you, are typically of indigenous blood. This is a continuation of indigenous genocide in this country. They have more of a right to be here than any of us. But more than that, we have to sorry we're just the humanity. How can you look at what's going on and think that this is okay? You have the option to choose sanctuary policies. It's right there. You just have to say yes. People have laid down concrete steps of what to do. And this is a first start. So I urge you to please do so. America and Grand Rapids is better with all kinds of people in it. I love going downtown and seeing Indian restaurants, Mexican restaurants, Korean restaurants, Chinese restaurants. We are better. Irish restaurants, we are better together. And the best way to do that is to first stop cooperating with ICE. Flat cameras, as other people have talked about, do not make us feel safe. And I believe all those points were great. I just want to set one reminder before I go. Flat cameras can easily be seen, the data can easily be seen by anybody. Anybody's address, their movements can be seen by just a few strokes of the keyboard. So, everyone on this board too want to remind you people if camera is there, anybody can see where you are. That means they can see your family, your husbands, your wives, your partners, your kids. They can track anybody. It's easy. I haven't done it, but I've heard things. So, I want to

remind you that flock plus cooperating with ICE, this is what is leading to the devastation that's going on. So, urge you to remember all that. Thank you so much.

Good afternoon, evening. My name is Sam. I'm a resident of the west side. Uh, and I also want to make a statement about the flot cameras. So, I work in mental health. Uh, I talk with a lot of people in this city who uh receive mental health services and who uh might be in danger of suicide or uh psychosis. What I hear from a lot of these people is that they are afraid of the police. They are afraid of law enforcement for good reason. People with mental illness uh often die by cops. I bring this up because flock cameras and empowering the police do not make people in this city feel safe. A stronger police force does not make the black and brown people who live here feel safer. Many people here just don't feel safe around the police. Giving them more power does not improve the situation. Power is a corrupting influence. When you give the power to monitor all the residents of the city through this camera, you are giving you are feeding into that corruption. I would not trust anyone with that power. That's up. Good evening, city council. My name is Koko of Grand Rapids. From the years of 2020 to 2023, I worked for a company called Recor Recognition Systems, a surveillance company that installed license plate reading cameras exactly like that of Flock. We even competed with Flock in cities and townships across the United States. When I first began at Recor, we deployed these traffic cameras with no security layer. To log into the camera, all you needed was the default IP address and the

default username and password, which were both the same. Recourse priority was not data security nor data integrity, but rather making off with the city's tax money to justify the company's existence and to make a profit. These incidents are not isolated to Recor. You can easily find evidence of the same carelessness with Flock online. Are the leaders of this city cool with their friends, parents, siblings, and children being tracked by a corporation and having their data sold to unknown third parties? Are you okay with selling and if you are okay with selling out your friends and family? Are you fine with them being spied on by foreign agents due to lack of cyber security? You see, we chastise China for their surveillance state, yet we're building one right here in America, right here at our homes in Grand Rapids. You don't need to be the husband of a defense attorney like myself to know that these surveillance cameras are also a violation of the Constitution under the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. I ask, why do we have these unconstitutional cameras installed around the Grand Rapids metropolitan area? These companies aren't here to offer you a service and perform that service well. They're here to take our money and set up a surveillance state where citizens live in fear. These companies prioritize political schmoozing and making their stock price go up over having a secure system. We have nothing to gain from allowing these unconstitutional surveillance machines to remain installed. As for the 287g agreements, well, we already know that ICE doesn't only care and does not only target immigrants regardless of their status. We all saw them m murder two white Midwestern citizens point blank. When you condone the government doing something to any one group of Americans,

you condone that being done to all of us, including city- elected officials. So, I'm not only against the 287g agreements, I'm also against installing any more of these unconstitutional cameras, and I'm also against leaving the uh uh taking down the installed cameras remaining up and operational. Thank you for your time. Hello, my name is Sandra and I live in Grand Rapids. I would like ask for translator and also please a little more time. Thank you. I am actually here um because I have something important to say and I'm also feeling very nervous but I feel like I have to say what I have to say. Um, I would like you to make a note um in regards to sanctuaries and um to then protect um immigrants. Um I did hear negative comments. um from other people that were not happy hearing um the music. Um, when the carnival music that was played,

it was actually on a in a business um, a distillery business and that's where I heard the negative comments.

You know what I'm talking about. And of course um that is not I would say that that's nothing compared to what is happening to the um immigrant families. And of course, um I would like to say that um ICE was um focusing on on eight um I'm not sure if it's specifically, but eight people. I am in charge of helping and assisting these people and I would like to um share and it's sad to share what I've been hearing from them. Um the first family is um based on on a mother that was pregnant and the father was um taken.

She was dilated uh one centimeter dilated at that moment. hospital.

The next day, there wasn't a parent or a dad to take her to the hospital. Um we did had to take um diapers, milk because of course she did not have any other family member um to help her with that. Another family is um that was also left by herself and has five children. One of her daughters um has actually tried or attempted to take her life. of course um as as you all can understand it is sad to hear that. Um now this mother is worried and has to now worried about her um taking her life and wanting to take her life um because of the situation. And of course I we can be here or I can be here all day telling you different stories about these families that um go through this

Just so that you have an idea um that there's a school that have um that these children have taken their parents away from them. Some of these um instructors um are actually aware of it because they hear the conversations, the side conversations that these students are having with um other students and friends. And of course um with all of this being said, I leave you um up to you to think about this and um and and also know that um it hurts me and I will leave it to you guys and hopefully that you can um do something about it.

Thank you. Hi, my name is Jeff. I'm a resident of the second ward. Uh I'm here also to um encourage you all to support the six sanctuary policies that we've been presenting to you for the last 15 months. Um on behalf of Mum Kosicho, the immigrant led entity um that is represented here tonight. Um I think that maybe one thing that is important and to follow up particularly follow up Sandra's comments is that um maybe instead of just thinking about these as sanctuary policies, we think about them as harm reduction policies. It seems like most people would be in favor of supporting anything that reduces harm being done to people in this community because we're not naive or or unrealistic in thinking that um if you adopt the sanctuary policies that somehow ICE is not going to continue to do what they are doing. Of course they are. But if we can reduce the harm, isn't that a good thing? Right? I mean, as a volunteer with GRAB responds to ICE, this is what we do, right? When every day, weekly, we're providing food to 30 families because they no longer have any income coming in, so they can't afford even to go to the grocery store. Every day we are getting calls from people who are intimidated and terrorized. So we provide transportation to people so they get to and from their jobs or to be able to pick up their children from school because they're terrified to go pick up their kids from school. Every day we do patrols in neighborhoods as volunteers to keep an eye on to potentially preempt ICE uh trying to arrest and detain somebody. We're now up to having three faith

communities who have adopted sanctuary become sanctuaries in the city of Grand Rapids. Um, and working directly with us. We can do a lot better because there's 800 churches. We only got three, but we're working on it. So, we're doing all these kinds of things. We're even visiting people who've been taken from Grand Rapids and who are now in the ICE detention facility in Baldwin, the Geog Group Run facility. And I have personally met with lots of these families who are devastated, who are deeply traumatized by the separation, by having a parent taken from them. Children coming up to me and asking me where is my dad? What kind of answer can I give such a child? So I implore you all to think about seriously about adopting policies that would engage in harm reduction. That's what these things are for. These are things that you can do. They are not outside of your purveyance as elected officials in Grand Rapids. Many communities around the country have done this. Uh and we think that it's time that you do the same thing here and to be on the right side of history. Thank you. Hello. I'm a little nervous, but that's okay. I wasn't planning on speaking, but everyone speaking before gave me some strength to do that. Thank you. Um, so I'm here to implore you to adopt the six sanctuary policies now. Um, it's extremely important. You've been hearing about it for a really long time. Uh, it's stated everywhere and they're really simple. But we're not asking you to become a sanctuary city, although that would be preferable. Um, as we all understand, the lines are imaginary. Um, we didn't decide that they were there.

They're just there. Neighbors are neighbors. People are people. Humans are humans. Um, I do also want to say something about there was a guitar in here for a second. Security asked my friend to put his guitar away because they said that secular guitars were not allowed in here. He went all the way back to his car and missed sitting down by me up here in the front. Um, and then I walked in here and saw a guitar and they said, "Maybe don't bring it up." But like, I do feel like it's important because it's kind of a double standard. Should have brought that up, honestly.

Yeah. It's okay, man. You know, it's hard to advocate for yourself when you're raised in a society that makes you feel like you're trash because they need a service class in order to Okay. Everything is connected. No thread can be pulled on without disturbing another on the web of social problems. I don't understand how people can continue with the day-to-day and raise a family with the things the way they are. Grand Rapids has been rated in top 10 places in the US to raise a family, but what kind of family? Police violence and GRPD cooperation with ICE and the IDF. Undisclosed surveillance and illegal warrantless searches of flock data for immigration and protester data. It is logged and flock trains violence perpetrated. All right. So, sorry guys.

Thanks. Okay. GRPD and Flock were trained on violence that was perpetrated upon Palestine by the Israeli occupation forces. AI was trained in Gaza that powers drones that currently conduct undisclosed surveillance here on your citizens, but are capable of locating and killing particular individuals and indiscriminately killing. My friend Hank Wymer was murdered in the street by the GRPD, dragged by dogs, and left face down to bleed out 10 minutes in front of Trinity Hospital. And this is a tactic that is taught by the Israeli occupation forces. They have trained the GRPD. I know GRPD officials have gone over there to train. Okay. Israel piloted all the Tekken tactics that were blamed on Iran. That Islamophobia was earlier. That was crazy. That was all done in Israel and Trump admitted to arming the protesters. It is on MSN.com. So he allowed the unrest to happen on purpose. What ICE is doing, alienating neighbors from each other, is crazy. When we need to support and recognize borders are imaginary, especially in the future we are facing with climate change allowed to run rampant due to our love of money and going fast. There is a system in play designed to drive the majority to extinction. Being concerned with what side of an imaginary line in the sand someone came out of their mother on is only intended to keep us separated by people with special interests closer to your children than your safety. Flock cameras AI store on data centers no one wants that are already in our communities with images of homes, schools, and children full of children. Anyone can access visually live. The recor guy was so correct. It's not just data. It is images. Flock presence is heaviest in minority areas. No 287g agreement. Families are scared. Why are you making it harder for everybody? Community is more than your white neighbor that gives you that tight-lipped smile. ICE takes community pillars and providers on purpose. Please stop tearing apart our families. Thank you.

Hi. Um, I wasn't planning on speaking and I don't have a prepared speech and I don't have any statistics and I don't expect you guys to fix everything today. Um, but I want you to hear and see the people in front of you right now. And some of you are not even paying attention. This is important. We are here because we love our neighbors. We love our city. And we're here to support those people. They need us. And if we don't stand up, who will? I work in uh two different jobs. Both communities I work with are mental health and people in the immigrant community. And I see and hear the tears that be that are shed that you heard about today. It's real. You have to understand it's real. There are people very afraid that are brown and black skinned that are not treated well. And the policies that we are asking you to take a look at. Well, please help them feel safe if you we can just incorporate that. Get rid of flock. don't do the two the 2 AG whatever number it is because it it incites more discrimination to people who are brownskinned. It keeps them from calling the police because they're afraid they're going to get arrested. That the statistics on it are crazy sad about how people are getting um afraid to even go to the police for things that they need to go to the police for. We're not safe here. They're not safe here. And if they're not safe here, no one is safe here. And I will keep talking and standing up for them because it's the right thing to do. and you guys can do something about it. We elected you. We need to trust you. We want to trust you. Please show us we can. Thank you.

Greetings once again, mayor, commissioners. Do I get an extra 30 seconds, too? Thank you. By the way, I appreciate the police being here. Thank you, gentlemen. Pray for you every day. Not by name, but by group. I feel safer with you here. I viewed the uh video online, Mayor. I don't know if if it was your restaurant where uh your voters instigated an insurrection. I was attempting to warn you in the past if you engage in alcohol. I don't know if it was your restaurant. I did see the former commissioner on the video and I think you're in partnership together. Uh that's what happens when alcohol is involved. Causes insurrections. But I'm here once again to speak up for our most vulnerable citizens, the unborn. They're just as much a citizen as anyone else. First of all, I want to thank publicly our new Puerto Rican governor, Jennifer Gonzalez Cologne, for signing a law recognizing that unborn babies are human beings. We need more brave women like that in government. I don't know if you know this, but I hope Michigan never becomes like California and Washington where now they can wait 28 days after a baby is born, then decide to murder it. That's

true. If you have time, Google that. 28 days. 28 days. Folks, please refrain. Want to remind you want to remind you of the 100 precious babies being murdered every week. Genocide at 425 East Cherry. Prove it.

Yeah. Check it out. Yeah. 425. East Cherry. One of those procedures is they call partial birth abortion where they bring the baby partially out of the womb, the birth canal, strike a uh sharp object into the back of their skull, suck out their brains so that the body can easily come out. Then they sell the body parts for thousands of dollars. That's one. Can I have some respect from these people? Folks,

I'll be glad to talk to you afterwards. Okay, Mr. M, your time's done. But generally, people um please refrain from heckling. Um it's very important that we have public comment where people can say whatever they want to say as long as they are not attacking other people and disrespecting other people. Um and I would ask for a consistent application of that. Um, I didn't hear any heckling prior to this individual, but I'd hope we don't hear any for the rest of the evening.

Good evening, commissioners. My name is Andrea and I'm a resident of the second w of Grand Rapids. I'm here tonight because I believe this city is capable of more than it's doing. What is being done to the immigrant community in Grand Rapids is not security. It is what happens when people forget that we belong to each other. That we are not safe because we exclude someone. We are safe because we include everyone. What is happening in our neighbor to our neighbors is not abstract. It is ICE arrest on our streets, detentions in Kent County jails, GRPD flat cameras, logging logs showing the tagged words deport deportation warrant. Our neighbors are not paranoid. They are responding to real and present danger. And when one part of our community lives in fear, none of us are whole. We come apart when we stay silent. We come apart when the institutions meant to serve all of us become instruments of harm against some of us. The commission the commission has the power to interrupt that. Tonight, I'm asking you to formally commit that Grand Rapids will not enter a 287g agreement with ICE. This agreement would deputize GRPD officers as federal immigration agents. It would it would make every interaction between an immigrant resident and local law enforcement a potential point of deportation and will not make this city safer. This is one part of what residents have one part piece of what residents have been asking for since January of 2025 to bar the sharing of flock license plate data with immigration enforcement and ICE detaining detainer compliance without judicial warrants declare clearly and without loopholes that immigrant residents belong here and are valued here. They are not symbolic gestures. They are specific enforcable policies. They are the difference between the city that talks about its values and the city that lives them. I know that some of you are

weighing weighing the risk. Federal funding, political pressure, and I'm asking you to weigh something else alongside that. That the cost of what is already happening, the families already separated, the children already afraid, the trust between the community and the government already eroding, the cost is real, and it's compounding every day we wait. Every family torn apart in the streets of Grand Rapids is a loss that belongs to all of us, whether we name it or not. Choosing belonging over fear is not naive. It's the most practical thing the commission can do right now. The people that have been filling this room and this this room and meeting after meeting for over a year on this topic are not here out of chaos. They are here doing the hard, vulnerable, fierce work of asking their city to live up to the stated values. Please meet them there. commit to the no 287g agreements. Adopt sanctuary policies. Make it binding and make it real. Thank you. Hi. Uh my name is Adam Marnazi. I'm a citizen of the second ward and I'm here to talk about privacy and the need to remove and prohibit all flock cameras in uh and alrps systems or alprs systems which automatic license plate reading systems. I think a lot of my fellow uh Grand Rapidians uh have made a lot of relevant points but I'd just like to re reiterate and show some support of those. Flock cameras don't just surveil. They create a detailed database of everyone's movements in the city and broker that data to the highest bidder. Um it's a company that is trying to make profit. Uh right now that highest bidder could be GRPD or whatever local law enforcement is paying for it. But since Flock is a camera is a company driven by profits, local law enforcement isn't always going to be the highest bidder. What happens if an uh ultra- richch

businessman uh wants to squelch and intimidate one of their workers who wants to start a union? How about a abusive partner who's wealthy enough to track their spouse? Beyond those who can pay for it, the information is also used improperly by police. There have been cases of officers tracking their crushes or people they're infatuated with. Um we don't have a lot of good ways of protecting this data once it gets uh put into this database. Um, and we don't have a lot of good ways of ensuring that it doesn't get improperly used. I don't think it's too much to ask for us to remove these cameras and prohibit them from being in our city. I think we should deflock the city, deise the city, adopt sanctuary city policies, and then build back trust with the the citizens. Uh, thank you for time. Hi everyone, Kim Third W and I am proud of my third ward commissioners, but I'm not proud of Grand Rapids. Today I went to our Lowe's location on 28th Street and East Belt Line as a general contractor, home improvement company, business owner. I have boycotted Lowe's. they have flot cameras at their store, that specific location, and I'm making sure that all the employees that work there know that they work for a company that has flot cameras, and they are clueless to it because, of course, it's not anything to be proud of or announce or let your employees know. So, they're finding out from neighbors and others, informing them, and a couple employees have quit because of it. Flock cameras need to go away. You've heard a hundred times why I support that. I also want to talk about the way that we have partnered with ICE, our sheriff department, our GRPD. It's not okay. We need to stop that right away. I want to echo that. I also want to say that I am

traumatized by the last murder, Dcoin Johnson, in my neighborhood. And I'm disgusted with the fact that we have peaceful protesters behind bars, but we have cops walking our streets that have murdered our neighbors. Not okay. I'm not okay with it. I want it to stop. When people were bringing up defund the police, it was shot down because it's a crazy idea, right? We can't not have a police department. How would we defund the police? That's insane. But our police department today is reminiscent of 1704 southern states. When police departments started, what was their number one mission? Does anyone know? To round up slaves. We do not need police departments reminiscent of 1704 southern states. It needs to stop. The violence, the brutality. I'm a white woman. I don't even feel safe in Grand Rapids with our GRPD. It's ridiculous. And I did not come up here to say this, but I felt compelled because of someone else that spoke. I want to remind everyone, Planned Parenthood, our only location in Grand Rapids, needs escorts. We need people to come and volunteer so that people feel safe going there because they're being harassed when they go to get health care. They're being yelled at and shouted at. Signs that are disgusting are being put out there showing fetuses torn apart. signs that are lying that saying that Planned Parenthood is a sacrifice children's sacrifice center. That's a lie that should not be allowed. Please come escort and volunteer at Planned Parenthood where they offer vasectomies which prevent abortions. Thank you. Hello, Russell Mstead. Uh first ward west side Grand Rapids. I generally don't write. I speak because I like eye contact, but I didn't I'm gonna meander

and I didn't want to meander too far. Time limit. First of all, I want to state completely support everything that everybody has been speaking on here um about uh uh the policies that have been being put forward. We need to do that as a city. We need courageous leadership here. But the reason why I want to speak is about the appointment process that happened last week. Um uh I had a chance to speak with uh Commissioner Belch earlier today and I I expressed how frustrated I am in the process and how it was handled last week. I said that I was probably as frustrated as I've ever been with the actions or more accurately inaction uh from last week's discourse and deliberation on the finalists and the appointments. And as many of you have known me for years on that day as you know that that is saying something if I am the most frustrated that I have been. The lack of leadership, dialogue, and discourse was unprofessional, disrespectful to the candidates and all of us in the first ward. Now, perhaps I've been misinformed on this, but it is my understanding that after last week's special meeting and the lack of clear deliberation and the finalist and the adjournment, we're now left with no clear path forward and that the push from some on the commission is to leave the seat vacant through the election cycle. We state values so much in this city. Mayor Lrand, you've you've said on numerous occasions that you view elected office as a sacred trust and that we as a city deliberate and commit to values around our strategic strategic plan, values like accountability and equity and collaboration. We then use those values as kind of a northstar in discussing budgets and policy and practices trying to live up to the ideal and commitment that those values uh commitment of these values working to hold that sacred trust. These same ideals and values are used when engaging with the community by the city on the campaign trail uh by by when you're running for office and even in some of the oaths when sworn to office. So please explain to me how leaving residents of the first ward nearly 70,000 people without full representation on the commission is equitable. How does it hold to the

values of accountability and collaboration? How is it democratic in any way to by choice leave nearly 70,000 people without full representation from February through early November because it seems to betray every one of those values and the sacred trust that we claim to believe in. I implore you to please revisit that appointment process. Please don't choose choose to leave us unre under underrepresented on the commission as we go into a voting on the budget on the next police chief on recommendations around police policy and the civilian appeals board on affordable housing on countless other solutions that we need that affect the most vulnerable people in this committee in this community. Please come back and give us some sort of clear understanding of what the next steps are. We can't be underrepresented. We can't It's just not right. It's not democratic. It's not what any of us believe in. It's not what you believe in and it's not why you ran for office. So, thank you. Mark back. Well, the orange fell has done it again. He then turned an basically an assassination attempt at the White House correspondence dinner into his own personal crusade for his little wh house that he's trying to build. Now he wants Now he wants to build with taxpayer money. Hell no, that ain't going to happen.

And that this event, look, I don't condone an assassination attempt of a president. No, even the orange felon can't do it. Now, if this if he did it, then he has he is going to be punished accordingly. But what's so disturbing was the people who were there. I mean, come on, that's a crime scene. Individuals in there taking selfies. One woman grabbing big expensive bottles of my wet champagne and a guy who's basically doing that and a guy who's stuffing his face with his grub. Come on. This is that's not this this is crime scene. I mean, come on. The the incompetence of the Secret Service for allowing this individual try to try to get down to the ballroom, which is the hotel ballroom, which is two floors down. Luckily, nobody wasn't hurt. Nobody wasn't killed. Now I see the individuals who were here talking about sanctuary policies and all that stuff again. Where were y'all at when we voted? Because I guarantee you this, some of the people who spoke didn't even vote. That's your problem.

Now you can make amends and get registered and get and get registered and go out and vote in the midterms cuz this is critical. We're talking about life and death here because this guy will stop at nothing to complete his project 2025 escapades. So go out, get registered, go vote because your life will be at stake. Thank you. Revenge 2026.

Good evening, Austin. Uh, second W resident. I actually voted personally for you, Miss Knight and Miss Yazi. I would also like to take a second for Commissioner Kilgore. You are a big reason why I felt the courage to at least come here today. So I just want to extend that there is a motto behind you when the nine of you leave here tonight. It is a motu vijette. It is a Latin phrase for strength and activity. I would like to personally thank a lot of the residents here for um being firm examples of that. And I would just like to remind you all up here that you are voted upon and I would hope that you can at least extend that courage and be a firm example of that motto behind you. Thank you. Hello, my name is Chloe. Um, I'm a volunteer organizer with Grand Rapid Rapid Response to ICE. I along with thousands of other people have been asking the city commission to adopt the six sanctuary policy since January of 2025. Since that time, ICE has caused tremendous harm and separated hundreds of immigrant families living in Grand Rapids. We know this because we work directly with these families to provide mutual aid. We also know that ICE has attempted to arrest and detain many more immigrant families. But because of the work GR rapid response to ICE does, which is to disrupt the violence that ICE perpetrates, there have been fewer family separations and less family trauma. By adopting the six sanctuary policies, this commission would essentially be adopting harm reduction policies. Unfortunately, since January of 2025, we have heard that adopting these sanctuary policies, it would make Grand Rapids a target. And we have also heard that there are likely pro-ICE people who haven't communicated with his commission. We have also heard from the mayor that he didn't want to give immigrants a sense of false hope. And at other times, we have heard the city we have heard that the city is already meeting some of these demands. Then at a recent commission meeting, the mayor

said that even if they wanted to sign a 287g agreement, city lawyers have told him that it couldn't they couldn't legally sign a 287g agreement. Grand Rapids rapid response to ICE even sent an email to the mayor to provide concrete evidence that signing a 287g agreement was not possible. But to date, the mayor has failed to respond to this simple request. We have also heard this commission that the GRPD is not collaborating with ICE. But we have witnessed on numerous occasions that they have, such as when a GRPD officer showed up at the same time as ICE to arrest and detain Byron Martinez, which we have on video that shows the GRPD officer directly assisting ICE. Mayor Lrand has said repeatedly to let him know if GRPD is violating policy and directly cooperating with ICE. Countless community members have and he's done nothing. But moreover, current policy has giant loopholes and that there are expect exceptions for emergencies in supporting public safety. Now, we are fully aware of the fact that adopting the six sanctuary policies will not eliminate ICE violence in Grand Rapids, but we do believe that if the city of Grand Rapids doesn't cooperate with ICE in any way and the GRPD doesn't interfere with our efforts to prevent ICE from arresting and detaining immigrants that there will be less harm done by ICE in Grand Rapids. Therefore, we are asking you once again to adopt these six sanctuary policies, to practice immigrant solidarity, and to be on the right side of history.

ICE AND COPS GO HAND IN HAND. ICE AND COPS GO HAND IN HAND. ICE AND COPS GO HAND in hand. I'm sorry that you're deciding to disrupt the meeting. Um, at this point you're disrupting the meeting and I'd ask you to stop. I'd ask you to leave the meeting at this point and I'd ask the commission to vacate the dis please. If everyone else can leave the disjourning. Yeah. Are you okay with just adjourning the meeting? Do you want to have closing comments?

You okay with just adjourning the meeting? I'm going to exercise my discretion to just adjourn the meeting. Thank you everyone for being here.