City Council - Regular Meeting

[snorts]

Right on. really criteria. She said [clears throat] I don't know. clerk. Deputy clerk,

did y'all eat too much turkey? You didn't eat nothing. [clears throat] Not even a hamburger. Uh, [laughter] you didn't have a hot dog. I had a I had a You didn't have Cheerios. I had the kind of person to make me a plate. I ate that. Oh, that was Yeah. You mean you didn't cut, right?

All right. I I kind of babysat. My nephews came. That's good. So that means I'm out of food out of money, out of nerves. When they left, are you coming? They almost stayed another day. How long did you have? Thursday night. Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night. Another night. I can see the grass. [laughter] It's not that bad. [laughter] I was on that. I don't get an email from Saturday.

All right, ladies and gentlemen and virtual. Forgive me. Uh, welcome everyone to Highland Park City Council in person and virtual regular meeting scheduled for tonight, Monday, December the 1st, 2025 at 7 p.m. Uh, madame deputy clerk, would you please call the role for us tonight? Councilman Councilman Ashafi, present. Councilwoman Martin here. Councilwoman Manica here. Council prom council president Thomas

here. Thank you very much. U members of council, you have had access to the agenda. a couple weeks. Mrs. Chain, the chair will be [snorts] um would entertain a motion on tonight's agenda. I'll make a motion to approve the agenda with amendments. Yes, ma'am. Second. What would those amendments be? under city council to add the workshop [cough and clears throat] to the schedule and table under community development A and B and be moved to a workshop.

So you have a we have a motion on the floor to approve tonight's agenda with the amendments as followed. Adding you just said adding. Right now it says approval of 2026 schedule. You're saying adding workshop under city council and then tableabling items A and B. That's a resolution to approve the Bartlett and Second Avenue resoning and a resolution to approve the Oakman and Doris Avenue resoning to a workshop as is not scheduled. Um it's been seconded by Councilman Shafi. Do we have questions, concerns, or descent? I um council president, I also uh have uh have an amendment as that's not how it works, Mr. Shopei. Mr. Ali, that's not how it works.

I'm just listening. That's not how it works. So, we have a motion on the floor to approve the agenda with amendments made by council prom. You can't say I also have amendments that I want to make for the approval of set agenda. She stated, "Well, I also I seconded it with amendments as well." Mr. Alappi, go ahead. What you got? under administration five C I would like C to be moved to workshop. Okay. C to be moved to a workshop. Okay. So there's a motion on the floor. It's been seconded. Would anybody else like to go first? Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Okay. You go first. No, your question first. Go ahead.

So I'm going to go back. I I understand we want to add workshops to city council. That's fine. And then under community development, what was the workshops again? [snorts] This is for the um ethics board. No. About a and [snorts] that is to explain about and then on C was Mr. Shi.

Yeah. 5C. and I'm not sure what will be doing a workshop with them. Okay. Okay. The reason I asked for a workshop to you, not one council member has had an opportunity to interview these people, the public haven't had an opportunity to ask so many questions. It's just been pushed upon us as to who they going to appoint uh to this board. And it's a very important board and I believe that the residents have a right to be heard about it. I've had several residents that want to be heard about this ethics board. Okay, Miss Miss Manica, the floor is still yours. Please go ahead. [snorts] I'm sorry. Go ahead. No, I said the floor is still yours. Please go ahead. Okay.

Just as a point of order, we are on the approval of the agenda. We're held at that. Do you have additional questions or comments, Miss Manica? I do, but I was trying to think whether or not we have to go ahead before having this discussion, but maybe we don't. So, the discussion here is that you want a workshop for the residents to discuss the people that's being appointed. Am I clear on that? Is that clarity? Miss Manica, you heard me already. Ma'am, go ahead. Move on. And then I know Miss Martin had her hand up, too. I want to stop you. You've already heard me. I tell you, you already heard me. I'm not going to repeat the same thing over and over. Go right ahead. I'm asking for clarity. Yeah, I already clarified for you.

In case you didn't understand that already clarified for you. If that's the case, then we haven't talked to the people in C and D either. People don't know them either. So why would we have we have workshop for them as well? So it must be something specific. [snorts] C and D where is it something specific? I'm talking about 5C. I there's no D in 5C.

One more time, you go to community development C and D. We're also appointing two residents or two people to the commission to the housing planning commission planning commission. No one wants to know anything. We can move that to the workshop as well too. I didn't see that until just now. Thank you for pointing it out. Yeah, that could get moved to the workshop as well too.

Yep. C and D could get moved to the workshop. Okay. So, now this is to council. Yes, ma'am. Everybody Everybody received your [snorts] packets. Has everybody looked at the resumes and everything for the people on the ethics board? Yep. From the last packet. Yes, ma'am. There was resumes in there. They're available too right now. We have them. And so if we wanted to look at them, we could look at them. Felt like we could. They're right in front of us.

So I don't know how long we want to wait. We do this every time. This is just my opinion. And Mark, we continue to just just continue to move things and put them over on hold for I'm not sure what reason. And so I'm asking is there someone specific on here that we're questioning because we had an opportunity to look at their resumes and some of them in cases maybe had a cover letter actually in both cases in community development and in administration and we had every opportunity because I'm not sure if the residents they still not going to know them we going to hand them their resume. So I want to and forgive me for interrupting you, Miss Manik. I want to give Miss Martin an opportunity as well before we go.

Any questions anymore, Mr. President, I had I had I had some of this I didn't have all of the same questions. I had the same similar questions. So they were already they were mentioned. Yeah, they were already mentioned. So Okay. So we have a motion on the floor from council promised by Councilman Alshafi to amend the the agenda that we received um three weeks four weeks ago. Um, and that is to remove item C under the administration resolution to appoint members of the ethics board and also to remove the Z I I can't because I'm gonna take my two cent and we going to vote. We can't do both of them together.

No, no, ma. No, ma'am. I'm just saying you're absolutely correct. So, right now we have a motion on the floor. We can approve that motion or not and then move on. Um but we that is also to remove from community development the resolution to approve [clears throat] Bartlett and Second Avenue resoning as well as the resolution to approve the Oakland doors resoning. Um we ask for a workshop when you say table to a workshop. This is I'll let other members have an opportunity to speak and I will just be brief and we going to vote on this motion that's on the floor. Um can I ask a question? Go right ahead, sir. While I set this up,

was Councilman Ashi's motion to table items 7, C, and D. Uh also, was that seconded by by the prom, or is that incorporated?

So on the screen right now, I'm going to type in the word meeting in the charter. 37 times the word meeting appears in the charter. Workshop. I'm sorry, the workshop. The word workshop doesn't appear in the charter a single time. So, we're going to go ahead and take the we're going to take the role on a motion that was made by council protein Robinson to amend the agenda removing I'm sorry tableabling items B A and B from community development and moving it to a workshop and it was there was also an amendment made by councilman Ashi to remove item C under the administration and move that to a workshop. So, would you go ahead and take the role? Hold on. Hold on. I'm sorry. Go ahead, ma'am.

Okay. So, I I got where you're going about you can't find a workshop in there. My question is, can you call a workshop? Who are you asking? No. Mr. Robinson. No. Okay. So, if we move it to a workshop and you you don't do a workshop, then we we let's let's get let's get to the agenda. Let's get to the agenda because [snorts] we still have the schedule to approve. We can work this out then. Let's just get to the agenda. December of every year council votes. So we have a motion on the floor to go back to December 22nd. We have a motion on the floor to approve the agenda

made by council prom supported by councilman oafi. Would you please call the role ma'am? Right. Okay. Would you please call the role? Council Councilman Ashafi. Yes. To approve with the amendments. Councilwoman Martin, yes. Councilwoman Manica, no. Council Prom Robinson, yes. Council President Thomas, no. Motion carries. So, item C. Um, as soon as you can provide me some documentation on the workshops, we'll get that process. That's why we vote on it. Absolutely. Okay. Point of order. Point of order information.

Yes. We just voted But we only voted on Miss Robinson's amendment. Now you need another motion for Mr. Shanti's amendment. That is incorrect. Uh the council president included my amendment in this motion and she is removed to workshop. He did not he did not include uh under community development C and D for me. So, we'll we'll uh tackle that as we get to it. But he did include C under his vote. C 5C administration has been moved to workshop.

So, I did just ask him and he said he did. But just for the record, it should have been two amendments. It should have been Miss Robinson's and then it should have been Mr. Ashafi's to amend hers. It's already been done. Can we move on? No. So, are you saying seven C and D? So, are you saying all of seven has been workshopped? Just A and B. All right. And then 5 C. Yes. All right. Thank you. Wait a minute. What was the question? No, wait a minute. Right. Wait a minute. You just said that C and D wasn't included. CND were not. It's not included. He just said that. H.

Oh, I thought CND was included. Not included. He didn't include it. Should be incl. It should have been, but he didn't include it. So, we'll tack it when we get to it. Can we move on? Yes. Let's please. Okay. Moving on to item four. That's the approval of the minutes for the Inerson and virtual regular meeting scheduled for November 3rd, 2025. City council, what's your pleasure? [snorts] [clears throat] Uh, I move to approve the proposed minutes for inperson and virtual regular meeting November 3rd, 2025.

Offer second. Questions, concerns, descent. No. Is this the one from um this is November? This is uh this is from the third. Uh this is not the last meeting that we had. That was on the 17th. Uhhuh. That everybody was sick, right? I wasn't sick. This is from the third time. Right. Yeah. Miss Manica and a president were sick that day. I wasn't sick either, but thank you for elaborating. This is for November 3rd, the meeting before that. Gotcha. Can we get a a second? You second it, Cheryl. For the second. Okay. Can we get a vote? Madam, [snorts] would you call the role on the approval of the minutes?

Councilman Ashafi. No. Councilwoman [clears throat] Martin. Yes. Councilwoman Mana. Yes. Council President Robinson. No. Council [clears throat] President Thomas. Yes. Motion carries. Moving on to uh Mayor McDonald. Uh can our recipient just before go ahead. This is related to Yes. It's related to the what we just approved the agenda and and changing it to a workshop. Okay. So, we have a lot of these people in the audience. I think we should not have them sit if we're not going to deal with them today. They need to know that it has been moved to a workshop.

So, why don't we have the people who made that motion let the people in the audience know? Y'all just made them know. All right. Hey, you just spoke it out to y'all out loud so they aware of it now. Jesus mercy. That's right. So, following people, Hold on, hold on. That's a good point. So, the question really becomes when are we going to have the workshop? So, it's known when to come again. Okay. [snorts] So, I that's the question.

Okay, great. So, let me let me try and address that question. And um there's really there's really not a lot to be said. Over the last three years, every time that we have set up a framework for a workshop, it has descended into a spectacle. Most recently, we spent the entire spring compiling a list of ordinances to work on under the guise of having having workshops. I don't know what other people do for a living, but I can't be here two times a month on a Monday at 6 p.m. So, I agreed to those one workshops. We set the workshops up and at the end of the meeting after the first workshop, members of this city council fired the planning team that was set aside to support us in the effort of putting together repairs to our ordinances. At the beginning of our term, we spent six months in workshops arguing about weed. We had four or five workshops on uh issues related to the lights that were provided to the city and yet we still argued about it and asked for additional workshops. We went back and forth for four months on workshops for the rental ordinance which is so so straightforward and so transparent and so possible to be overlaid into other communities that it was almost sickening and people asked for another eight workshops. We are not

the tiniest vow.

We are not bound by the charter to have these spectacles. That's what the workshops have turned into. And they are the creation of a previous city council president. They are there's no framework for them whatsoever. And I have been willing to have workshops and I have attempted to have workshops. We even spent the entire summer catering to a list of demands made by people for workshops. Then we set them up and they blew up. So there there is no requirement to do workshops. Workshops are designed to be a tool, not to be some place where we drag people in here, insult and berate them. That's happened far too many times. So, so you're not going to find me in favor of of um creating a spectacle for the sake of having one,

Miss Manica. So, again, the question, and we're going to move on after this, ma'am. I'm sorry. We got to go ahead. Well, cuz this was a time the mayor was supposed to say is it has become a issue because we just prolonged stuff for I'm not sure what reason is there. We already this woman has a floor please. Miss manica has a floor. Lata Dorch. Yes. Candace Beans. [clears throat] Yes. I am Am I saying that correct? Sir Morales and Robert Olive. Are you present? Let me look here for Mr. Is there Robert? Hold on a second.

He's in the hospital. No, he was here at the last meeting when we when he first came on [clears throat] the 3rd or the 17th. He came No, he came a couple meetings ago. He's not here today. No, ma'am. And Candace Beans, you're on the line. Miss Beans is online. Yes. This is Candace Beans. I am online.

Yes. It has been voted that [snorts] we move your appointment to a workshop. I know that you came and I apologize for your time. I do see your resumes in our packet. If if it pleases the council or the president, if you would like to after the mayor speaks to have some words in regards to your appointment or not being able to be appointed tonight. No, ma'am. I would advise you during citizens during citizens comment. Absolutely. But not during the course of our Yeah. No, no, not Okay. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. I get it. Yes, ma'am. I get it. Okay. Madame Mayor, thank you for your patience. If you would, but I thought we couldn't respond to the citizens participation.

Oh, they do what they want. No, no, no. We We're not responding. They do what they want. We can't respond. I'm not going to respond to nothing. That's it. That's for citizens to have their voice. Do what they want around here. [clears throat] Good evening citizens. [snorts] Good evening council. So I'm gonna jump right into this and then I'm going to talk about this because this is something that has been going on now for two years. [clears throat]

I've asked two years ago for the council to submit names. They submitted five names. I said, "Narrow it down to two cuz you only get to submit two." They did not do that. So, we finally came back and I said, "Can you submit two?" So, Mr. Shappi is wrong when he says that we force something down on them. Council approached him. Robinson submitted a name. Miss Manica submitted a name. I didn't say nothing like that. Yes, you did. I did not. Okay. Anyway, I did not. And it would be nice if you kept my name out of your mouth. I don't say your name. Anyway, I don't say your name. Didn't you submit a name? Yes. Didn't you submit a name?

Yes. Okay. So, their two names was submitted and my two names were submitted. If I get to submit two, they get to submit two. April 6. And so at this point, because this is being relatable, I need you all to read the ordinance because I could have appointed by already a long time ago because you did not follow what you were supposed to do. Yeah. Neither did you.

And so now because we are continuing to push this I don't understand what [clears throat] a workshop is for a ordinance, a ethics ordinance. You're not workshopping to change the ordinance. your workshop and to hear from some people who are here. They're here. Your person couldn't be here tonight, but he was here before. I spoke to him. He's a good candidate. [clears throat] Your person was here. [snorts] My person is one of them is on there. They're good candidate. And Mr. Morales was on before and so I'm reappointing. So, I don't understand what the problem is at this moment.

Are you addressing that to me? No, I'm addressing it to the council. Okay. Are you the council? Okay.

So, at this moment, I suggest you all go back and read the ethic ordinance and who can get to a point now because you keep pushing it back and it allows me to do so. This is this is this is not something that's ethical. It's not. And to continue to just keep pushing this back is telling me what I need to know. So then I'm going to move on. First of all, I hope everybody had a peaceful Thanksgiving.

I did. Thank God. Uh I want to thank everybody who donated food to help those in need. We truly appreciate it. We had a lot of foods. We have stem still. So, so if you know anyone who's in need of food, please go over to the justice center on Hamilton and uh or I can set up a time and I'll come over with you so you can just go on the shelves and get what you need. Make sure you bring a car and and some boxes that. So, anybody that needs food right now, we still have some left. It was a good occasion. A lot of people came out to get food. It was a lot going on that day. They had food giveaways all through the city. So, that was great. The police department is currently seeking new applicants for all positions. A career fair is held being held on December 12th. Please go to the website and fill out an application. If anybody is interested or if you know somebody that's interested, please send them to the Holly Park website. Christmas in the Park tree lighting is scheduled for December 6th at 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 for the Christmas in the Park and then the tree lighting will follow behind that uh at 5:30. Um come out and have enjoy some winter fun, y'all. It's always a nice event. Bring your kids. Santa will be there. [snorts] Toy giveaway, everything like that. If you haven't had a chance to check out the behind the city hall series on YouTube, please go and check out those uh series. I know that there was an email sent out that put out something that was very false about one of the people on there. I would like for you all to read it, hear it, and so you know exactly what was on there. Please read those. They're on YouTube. It's called Behind the City and City of Highland Park. Okay.

uh on December 10th, which is next Wednesday, come out to the uh my last meeting of the year, uh for conversation at 10:00 a.m. This is for the public, but at on 5:00 p.m. CDAC members are invited to join me at 5:00 p.m. for a conversation, little light celebration, [snorts] and uh of you guys doing the work supposed to. I understand that some of you all have not been contacted but I Mrs. Rollins is sending out information sent out information to your um council person and they were supposed to

that was me to submit names of all the CDAC members that have been sworn in. Only the ones that have been sworn in. Great news. The new trucks that was purchased with grant money awarded to the city has come in just in time for the winter weather. You should see them out on the road soon. All right. They're small trucks, but they still going to be out there doing what they do. They're trucks. They're trucks.

Thank you to all of the people that donated toys to the Christmas in the park who stuffed the car. When we come together, there isn't anything we can accomplish. And I'm glad to see that people have stepped up and have decided that they want to help instead of being a hindrance. Stop listening to what people tell you and find out for yourself. All right, that's all I got. Have a blessed day. Mayor, I have a question. So, you were talking about who submitted names and who didn't. Um, the people that I asked asked me what is it that the ethic boards does? When I went under the charter, it said chapter 19 ethics. Chapter 19 ordinance. The city of Highland Park shall adopt an ethics ordinance. We have one.

That's all I have. I don't disagree that we have one. My question is where do I find it? On the website. I went on the website. On the website. I don't doubt that you did. My question is where do you because it's not in the I I looked it up in the charter. I didn't see in the charter. I did. It's not coming up for you. No, it's not. I have it right here. I'll come over. Okay. Come here. So it's okay. I have a question for you as well. So I heard you just now. So will you be appointing them or do we need to still have this discussion this workshop? Are you going to appoint them based on that?

Workshop but according to the ordinance I can appoint them now because we are still pushing back but thank you ma'am. Okay. So, every time I up, this is what kept coming up for me. We have on our agenda tonight under the administration a resolution to approve the contract for Iosphere renov renovations. No, you forgot citizens participation.

Hold on a second. [clears throat] We have a resolution to approve the contract for Midstates Recreation for a playground playground contractor. We have the approval of the 2026 schedule. We have the resolution appro approving the appointment of uh Mr. Morgan to the planning commission. A resolution approving Mr. Smith to the planning commission. And we have a resolution to request the approval to submit an application with Molina Health Care of Michigan for the senior centers grant up to $10,000. The chair will entertain citizens comments on those items agenda items only. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to start with the people that are online. And I have Anthony. Let me

allow you to talk. I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say. Sir, you sure you're good? You had your hand up. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. I see that. Let me lower all hands. So, within the halls of um city hall, do we have people that want to speak to agenda items? If so, I'll set the timer for you and we can go. Who? This is is citizens participants participation. Got it for agenda items. Okay. So I need to know question Mr. President. No no no sir. Come up to the podium. If you have a this rel is this related to the agenda.

That's the question. I wanted to speak on a comment that I may so appropriate time to do that. No sir. At the end of the meeting you can speak on whatever you like. This is about the agenda items. Thank you. Anyone else on agenda items? Otherwise, we'll move into the meeting body. We have no citizens comment unless Miss Manic, are you speaking as a citizen? No, no, no. I have something after that. Okay. Before we get started. So, after that, we're going to move on to item five. What do you have, ma'am?

Uh, I'd like to make a motion to suspend the rules to add the item back to the agenda, which is item C, resolution to appoint Candace Beam, Lata Dorch, Ivonne Morales, professional. And Robert Olive to the board of ethics. We have a motion on the floor to suspend the rules so that the agenda can be amended. Yes. She can't even do that. It require four votes to pass. That's right. I'm aware. Okay. She can't even do that. You have support. The chair offered support. She voted no. Council President, she's not even the one who got the right to bring this back. Does that one She's asking to suspend the rules. She's asking to suspend the rules. To add that back on,

sir. She's asking to suspend the rules. She's made a motion to suspend the rules. The chair is off for support. If you call the rules, council minute. Hold on. What are we voting on? To suspend the rules. Suspend the rules to add that item C under administration. It's going to take four votes because we have because we have those people here in the audience that can speak to their resume to themselves that you can ask any question. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. [clears throat] Let me get this right. Like my language. Let me get this right. We asked them to speak at citizens participation, right? No, I said that they

No, no, no. You said to speak after the mayor, right? If they wanted to, right? For them to speak and us not to respond. Right. Yeah. We wasn't going to respond. No, I got that. to now suspend the rules to bring it back to bring the item back to the agenda to appoint them to the ethics board. You don't even have

at that time. If it is put back on the agenda, you can ask them any question they want about their resume or about themselves or they can speak. They can say thank you. Well, it it doesn't matter. the the issue or the motion on the floor is to suspend the rules and put the item back on the agenda and that item is only to appoint them to the ethics board. And we need four votes to suspend the vote. We actually do. Oh, no. I'm sorry. We're we're making a motion to suspend the rules. Okay, got it. You got [clears throat]

questions, concerns, consent. No, let's just vote. Go ahead, Madam Clerk. Would you please call the role on suspending the rules? Councilman Shafi, hell, no. Councilwoman Martin, no. Councilwoman Manica, yes. Council Pro Tim Robinson, no. Council President Thomas, yes. Fails, ma'am. That's fine. Okay. But we understand why we need an ethics board. Yes, ma'am. So, let's move. No. No, we don't. No, we don't. I literally just No, I literally just got the ordinance. I looked it up. I looked it up before and I looked it in the Hold on. Let me d in the charter. Ladies, with all due respect, it wasn't in the charter

and I literally just got it. I looked it up. I couldn't even find it on the website. So, no. Ladies, with all due respect, can we just go ahead and move through the agenda? What do you mean? What does ethics mean? No. Didn't you What does ethics mean? Ladies, what does ethics mean? Didn't you just ask nowaday to the next item? What are you laughing at me for? Didn't you just ask the question? No, I did not. Yes, you did. You said now we know what we need exports for. And I said no. Okay. You got it. Ladies, didn't you do that? So, moving on to item. Stop snapping at me, man. Under administration. Yes, you did. Stop snapping at me, man. Stop snapping at me, manica. Ladies,

would you like to take a recess? Ladies, we can move to administration a subp resolution to approve the contract for WCI for IIS field park renovation site manager I'm not even the one you have an issue MF DNR spark grant city council. What's your pleasure on item 5A? Motion to approve. We have a motion on the floor for Mr. Shafi. Seconded by who? Miss Manic. Was that you? Yes, it was. Questions, concerns, or dissent? Would you take the role on item 5A? Councilman Shafi. Yes. Let the rec center get on with their work. Councilwoman Martin, this is uh 5A, correct? Yes, ma'am. Yes. Councilwoman Manica, yes.

Council Pro Tim Robinson, no. Council President Thomas. Yes. Motion carries. Moving on to item 5B, resolution to approve the contract for Midstakes Recreation for the playground contractor under CFM DNR Spark Grant. City Council, what's your pleasure? Motion to approve. Have a motion on the floor from Councilman Ashafi. Seconded by Councilwoman Mana. Questions, concerns, or descent. Would you please call the role on item 5B? Councilman Ashafi, yes. Councilwoman Martin, yes. Councilwoman Mana, yes. Council Proton Robinson, no. Council President Thomas.

Yes. Motion carries. Moving on to item six under city council. It's the approval of the 2026 schedule. City council, what's your pleasure? Uh I got questions and concerns. Um we need a motion on the floor to accept the schedule or not first and then we can address with the amendments. No, with the amend you would you please spell out for for us for clarity? You said with workshops. Yes. to add workshops to the schedule. A second. So [clears throat] to add workshops. Yes.

Can I add a suggestion? Okay. So first we do we have we have a on this item on item six. What you said earlier was a motion to amend the agenda. Now item six is here. City council. What is your pleasure on item six? So can I make a suggestion? City Council President, could we have at least a quarter quarterly workshop? Can Can we consider that? So, let's let's have I move to approve the 2026 schedule. It's already a motion on the floor. No, it's not. That was a motion to approve the agenda. Go ahead, Miss Manica, please. With amendments or discussion. All right. Chair offers a second. Now, Miss Martin, forgive me for interrupting you. You had a question from you. It was a suggestion, not a question. Okay. Now, this is the floor is yours. I mean,

okay. Can we have a a suggestion to have a quarterly meetings workshop? I'm totally not against that. Okay. I'm concerned about [snorts] November and August. It's a really big gap in these in these particular months. That is the election, Mr. Ali. That's why there's a big gap in August. There's a primary in August and there's an election in November. What day is the primary in August? Excuse me. Hold on a second. Let me look my So I've been I got y in America. The election is August 4th. Okay. Thank you very much. And then there's a general election on November. Thank you, ma'am. Okay. Thank you.

So, okay. So, there is you're saying the fourth, right? August 4th. Okay. Okay. So, so, so the third is open and clear. I'm not understanding why we're skipping the third and going right down to the 17th for August. Okay. It's not falling on the election day. So, I'm I'm really not understanding that one. Well, you want to go ahead. Is that Is that to u Excuse me. Excuse me. Is that to give um Is that to give the clerk time to get prepared for the um the primary? Correct.

Okay. All right, Madame Clerk, I can accept that one there. What about November the 16th? The the same. The same thing. Yes. So, that election is going to fall on what? The uh the third. November 3rd. Okay. The third on the third. Okay. This one is fall on four. Okay. And both of them opportunities is to give you time to get get things done for the election. Correct. Okay. All right. Thank you, Madam Clerk. You call the role on item six. Madam Councilman Ashafi, are we doing workshops or not? The quarterly or Yes. I said I'm not against it.

Okay. So So my question is is where would that fall then? So again, Mr. Oshafi, I'm got to be a date.

Uhuh. As far as dates go, there is nothing in the charter. I am not, as chairman of city council, duty bound to hold a workshop at all. I have agreed to hold workshops on numerous occasions. There's never been an issue with having a workshop. And I'll state this for the record. They turn into circus-like spectacles. So, we'll have a workshop as we're needed. We have workshops for the budget. We have workshops for these grants. The spark grant that we just approved the disposition of those funds. We had a workshop on that. We have workshops. Miss Martin asked for the workshops to appear quarterly. So that would be March, June. Shi, we may there may be a need to have more workshops than quarterly. Okay.

I said I'm not against it. It's not in the charter. I'm not duty bound to have any. So let's go ahead and vote on the agenda. Go ahead and call the role. Madam Councilman Ashi,

this item is already amended. So it's to add the workshops. Could you please call the RO? Councilman Ashafi. Okay. So is that a yes or no on those workshops? Yes. On the workshops. Okay. So I'm going vote yes. Councilwoman Councilwoman Martin. Yes. Councilwoman Manica. Yes. Council Proton Robinson. Yes. Council President Thomas. Yes. Motion carries. Moving on to community development item 7A is resolution approving the appointment to of Highland Park resident Miles Morgan to the city of Highland Park Planning Commission. City Council, what's your pleasure? I move to approve.

You have a motion to approve made by Councilwoman Manica. Chair offer a second. Questions, concern, or descent? Would you please call the role in the appointment of Mr. Morgan to planning commission? Wait a second. I got a question. Uh uh uh is is is Mr. Morgan here? How you doing? Can we uh can can we uh can we speak to him for a second? I'll give you a minute, Mr. Morgan. Just to be expeditious.

Is it red? Yes. There we go. Doing pretty good today. So, um I'm curious as to um your your um your qualifications here. I don't have an application for you in here, but I'm being told that it was in the last [clears throat] Hold on a second. Wait a minute. Okay, here we go. Okay. psychologist coach director.

Thank you for your patience, sir. I appreciate it's okay. I do. Council president, I got no questions here. He's highly qualified. I look forward to check my he has no question. Yep. Thank you. So, let's go ahead and call the role on item 7A. Councilman Ashafi, I'mma say yes for Mr. Morton. Councilwoman M. Martin, yes. I'm sorry. Yes. Councilwoman Manica, yes. Council [clears throat] Proton Robinson, yes. Council President Thomas.

Yes. Thank you. Motion carries. Okay. Resolution approving the appointment of Jaylen Smith to the city of Highland Park Planning Commission. Move to approve. We have a motion on the floor to approve made by Councilwoman Mana. Seconded by the chair. We have a mo the It's on the floor. Mr. Sharp, you have I just have have one question. Who is uh Mr. Miles uh replacing that's on the board? You'd have to get with u the city to tell you that. Mr. Clone is here. He can answer. We have two openers. Who's being replaced? Nobody. No one. Okay. It says Okay. It's two seats that never been filled.

Oh, okay. How many people sit on that board? Okay. So, we have a motion on the floor made by Councilwoman Manica, supported by the chair for the approval of Jaylen Smith. Mr. Smith is online. Uh, questions, concerns, or descent? Madam Deputy Kirk, please call the role. Councilman Ashafi. Okay. What are we voting on here? I'm sorry. I was busy talking about uh Jaylen Smith. Jaylen Smith. We have a motion on the floor. Okay. With support. Jaylen Smith here. He is online.

Okay. House right community development potato industrial commission project Wayne County or Wayne State public policy research Michigan engineering and administration I'm going say yes councilwoman Martin yes councilwoman manica Yes. Council proton Robinson. No. Council President Thomas.

Yes. Motion carries. Moving on to item eight under the senior departmental resolution to request approval to submit an application for Molina Healthcare of Michigan and Michigan Association of Senior Centers Grant up to $10,000 to expand uh congregate meals and pickle ball games. I move to support this resolution to res request approval to submit an application for Molina Healthcare of Michigan and Michigan Association of Senior Ci Centers grant up to $10,000 to expand congregate meals and pickle ball games. Chair offer support. We have any questions, concerns or descent on item eight questions? Ma'am, are we a member of MASC?

Who would be able to answer that question? Senior first. Hey Miss Davenport, you be so kind. We are in the process of getting our membership. So in order to apply for this grant, you have to be a member, right? And we can we submit our application to be a member with along with the grant. It's due in January and they both go in together. They want them both together. Okay. So when you say expand congregate meals because VA already offers and pays for these congregate meals. Yes. And so what does why do you need a grant to expand? Right now we're running a program with senior volunteers and I would like to give them today.

So you're not expanding the meals? No, not the meals. We did it. You spoke on that and you were going to submit I didn't have time another resolution because you're not expanding the meals. No, we're expanding staff. We don't have staff for it right now. Right now volunteers are serving the meals. So this resolution shouldn't even be on here because we're not expanding the meals or the pick or the game for the pickle ball. So um well yeah with pickle ball we are we don't have an instructor. We have about six people that come out regularly and we don't have an instructor. So that's what the grant will help do. This resolution is incorrect.

Okay. So y'all can vote on it how you want to vote. So we can't make amendments right now to the resolution. Can't we? So the resolution is to request approval. I mean application. They're asking for approval from city council to submit an applica. You can't get from A to B without it's to expand. But that's not it. It's to expand a meals program and to and to facilitate Wait. So challenging. Point of order. Yes, ma'am. Go right ahead. President expand the meals. It does say the meals request to submit an application.

Maybe we can make a correction here. So let's go ahead. Can I please? No. Let's say what you going to say, Miss Manag. I'm calling for the role. No, no, no, no. Go ahead, man. In this case, Miss U Davenport, I don't see why. You were supposed to change it. So, it should not say, but I didn't have time. Okay. So, if we look at it, if we look at it right now, um, Mr. Shafi actually just mentioned it. Maybe we can just change the words. Would that I just said that. Would that be suffice? I just said that. It's just changing the words if I'm correct here. So you have you made the motion. So I would like to resend right now. Go ahead. I would like to change my motion. So I'm rescending my motion.

Chair will send resend support. So I'm adding a motion to approve this resolution with amendments. Okay. The amendments will be and the amendments will be to change the meals to staff to staff. So, we're putting a line through mail and instructor for pickle ball. Is that correct? Okay. So, let's see. In seeking funding to expand no to hire or to add to to hire to hire. Okay. Hire staff. Hire staff [snorts] to

hire staff to and hire instructor. Yeah, but I wanted to say hire staff to do what? Hire hire congregate meal staff or hire staff for congregate meals. There you go. Hire congreate meal staff. Thank you. Thank you. Um and instructure instructor for pickle bro. Pickle ball instructor. So it is say pickle ball instructor. Madam clerk, would you read that back to us so we make sure we have it correct? Whereas the city of Highland Park senior department is seeking funds to hire staff for congregate meals and an instructor for pickle ball programs for senior residents.

Thank you. Chair offer support for the motion. Can we go ahead and take a vote on Hold on one second. Let me just Can you repeat that one more time, clerk, for all the council, please? Whereas the city of Highland Park senior department is seeking funding to hire staff for congregate meals and [clears throat] hire a pickle ball instructor. No. And pickle ball [clears throat] program instructor. Yes. Pickle ball program instructor. Got it. And hire a pickle ball program instructor. All right. So we have a motion made by counciloman. You want to take the second for that

support. Mr. Martin will offer a second to that amendment. So go ahead and call the role on item eight. Councilman Ashafi. Yes. Councilwoman Martin. Yes. Councilwoman Manica. Yes. Council Pro Robinson. Yes. Council President Thomas. Yep. Motion carries. All right. So ladies and gentlemen, we are at the end of our agenda. I'm going to set this timer for two minutes hard. I'm going to start with the people that are online. Anthony, you have your hand up again. Is this when you wanted to speak, sir? Uh, no, sir. Go right ahead.

Okay. So, I'm going to start with the people in the gallery. If you don't mind coming up, I'll set your time for you, ma'am. Mark. Turn it on. Push the button. [clears throat] Yes, ma'am.

Good evening. My name is Renee Ford and I live at 191 West Buuna Vista. I have several questions and several comments. I would like to thank Miss um Robinson for what she did for the seniors. for Thanksgiving. So, I really appreciate it. You were giving one and I was home alone. I passed my whole meal on to someone else. Thanks.

My next question is [snorts] I try to be nice. There's several police officers here cuz I said what I was going to say. I love you to death as a person, but when it gets personal, my granddaughter was in the audience. She's been through a lot. And for you to cuss and I say it every week, every two weeks, very disrespectful. When it hits home or my family, she's sitting out in the hallway with another person. Very disrespectful. And to the men in the audience over there, not all men. I'm I'm going there. No one said ever says anything about his language to these women,

us women. And I'm not saying everybody, but I be darn if I'm going to sit here and let that continue. Mr. Shaka, you got to do better. You have to do better. Miss Martin, Miss Madica, I am really amazed at y'all. Miss Madaka, I know you get heated every two weeks, but Miss Martin, but you the clown, you're starting to act just like Mr. Oh, do not. No, no, no, Miss Renee, I am separate than him. I am separate than him. No, ma'am. I am separate than him. I speak to you. No, ma'am. I am separate than him. No, ma'am. No, ma'am. You're ignorant.

No, ma'am. You don't even know me. You don't even know me. No, ma'am. Mr. um Mr. I appreciate the dialogue, but the disrespect is not necessary. Good evening, council. My name is Charlene Turner Johnson. I'm here on behalf of Base Incorporated, nonprofit community development organization in Highland Park to correct. You can't hear me. You got to push the button. It's on.

Oh, two. Hello. [laughter] Okay. To correct some information that you received already about the mini grant for the green revolution. I have a new flyer. There's a new due date. The new due date is January the 30th. And for those that have not seen the information, I have a flyer here for the residents. This mini grant is for black clubs, nonprofit organizations, associations, churches, residents that are interested in helping to make Highland Park a greener and more healthy community. We are part of the governor's my healthy climate initiative, which is a huge statewide initiative that the governor has launched and fortunately Highland Park got two grants so the community can participate. Yeah, that was a good thing

amongst uh we're two out of 43 grants in the state to get residents engaged in doing green things in the city. So uh the flyer is here and the new date for submission of the mini grant application is January 30th. One more time. January 30th. January 30 instead of instead of December 15th.

Okay. So, can I pass these out? I'll also email the information to you so you can just share it with your block clubs, your associations, your nonprofits, your churches, etc. All right. Um, just so I I was going to mention this in my council affairs, Miss Robinson, I was going to mention it. [snorts] So a notified um awardees will not happen in January then. It'll happen when? February. It'll happen in February. Okay. Right. Thank you so much. Did I get one?

Okay. Hey, I had turned the thing to vibrate. I'm sorry, Mr. Turner Johnson. Your time came up. Did you get one? You get one. Thank you so much. All right. Thank you, ma'am. And anybody else that wants one, you're uh welcome. All right. Thank you so much. [snorts]

Good evening, council. Good evening.

Sydney Spike, Parker Pride Foundation. Uh, want to say thank you for I don't want to say thank you. You guys got to do better. This is This was wild today. I got people on TV watching. This is wild, man. She was pretty right on that cursing stuff. I got a bad mouth, too, but I'm learning. Just [clears throat] be be mindful, man. We got some seniors in here that really don't use that language. Bunch of church folks don't use that language. And we should do better as a people. And we're trying to grow this city to a point that we can we can run with the other cities. But if we act like this, they gonna talk about it. They talking about us now. But we want to clear that up. So, Park of Pride is going to throw a uh Christmas festival in partnership with City of Holland Park, Rehab Holland Park. It's going to be this Saturday. Really big. The last one was just a test one. The first one was a test one. The last one was to see how well it did, but this one is going to be the one you shouldn't miss. We have live entertainment, Pastor Bobby Loud. He gonna uh open it up for us. He gonna say the uh uh prayer for us. Open it up. We have live entertainment. [clears throat] Uh CW Morris purchased the food truck. He's going to give food away to everybody.

So everybody gonna eat for free. We going to put that on Facebook cuz y'all wouldn't eat they would. You know what I'm talking about,

right? So we're gonna give all the food away as well as we're going to give toys. Santa Claus gonna come down on the fire truck just like he did in the in the previous uh events that we had and we're gonna give toys to every kid in the city. I think that's going to be huge. Uh stepping out on faith donated a big check so we can get Porter John's and everybody really contribute this year. Uh uh uh Mama Shu, she donated so many toys that they still at the rec center and not trying to bag them. [snorts] So, this is gonna be really nice. And we want all the city council, if you can, please. I don't do this just because, you know, I I I love this city. I do this because this city needs this. We really need activity. We really need something to say, but I might want to move to Holland Park because they got this or they're doing this. We can't get families and kids around here if there's NOTHING GOING ON. BUT ARGUING AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND ABANDONED HOUSES. WE just can't have that. We got to do better. So, we're trying to really, really support this community and bring THINGS THAT NOBODY ELSE IS BRINGING. THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY nice and it's free for everybody. Free food, free entertainment, free toys, just just love your city day. And it's going to be from from 3:00 to 5:30. Tree lighting is right after that. Santa Claus coming at about uh 4:45. And it's going to be really nice. You know, uh, city of Holland Park, you guys really kicked in with the mayor and did a lot of things. Helped to generate cash, sent us people who can, uh, sponsor us, and we really did a real good job. So, please, if you can come on out, and we're still collecting donations, uh, Mr. Attorney member, you told me to tell you.

So, [laughter] I gave you an extra minute and a half. Thank you, sir, because I missed it last time. I missed it. You know, I'm joking with you, brother, but thank you so much for what you do. Give me just a second to set the time up, sir. Okay, I'll start the time when you tell us your name. Go ahead.

Good afternoon, council and citizens of Holland Park. Uh my name is Danny Sanders. I'm here today because I am trying to purchase a lot next to my parents house um that my mother had. She passed and unfortunately we lost it. Uh me and my sister inquired about this lot May the 30th this year. We've been talking to Kinda Watkins and I'm just trying to get some information about it. I mean, we put the application in. We paid the fee. We haven't heard anything. We're calling every month. Um, I will say this, the house that was sitting on that lot, my mother and father got the house torn down because it was a eyesore back in probably like 7879. My parents has been a resident in Highland Park from I think they bought the house in ' 72. So, this is a lot that we've been taking care of for over 40 years.

Um, and continuously been taken care of. I didn't know that they lost it until probably two years ago. So, we've been trying to acquire and get the lot. We haven't heard anything. I put in the application fee and like I said, I haven't heard anything. So, I'm just trying to get some clarification like when are they gonna say yes, you're gonna get the lot. I mean, like I said, we had invested in this lot for over 40 years. If it wasn't for my parents, house probably would still be sitting there abandoned. You I'm going to refer you. I have the I have all the Hold on a second. No, no, hold on because I want to refer you now to So, city council, we can hear you. You can articulate that to us, but the person that can actually address that is our CD director. You're sure it's a city of Highland Park owned property now or is it a county owned?

She has all the information. My sister talked to her. They actually told us to come tonight. My sister couldn't come. She had to work. But they told us to come tonight to speak to the council to see uh Kinda Watkins. Not actually come tonight to see. Okay. So, so the person that you should be talking to my sister Melissa. Yes. Is the CD. If you're certain it's a Highland Park property. Yes, it is. econ economic development of the mayor's office. We don't handle the disposition of of property. So that's who we will refer you to. This is my question. What's You are over your two minutes, but go ahead. I just want to know what's the hold up. When did you We don't We can't answer. May 30th, 2025. I have the paperwork. I have all the receipts. Yes, I have everything. So, sir, let me I'mma stop you right there because you

40 years is a long time. 40 years we've been taking to the mayor, the city council. We're not We don't have the authority. I get it. I like I said, I just came to voice my opinion. That's that's I just want to get some information on when we could get some information when we going to get the lot back. So, you have to reach out to the to the mayor's office. Thank you so much for that. Okay. Thank you, sir. Thank you for coming. You're welcome.

Hello. Can you give me like a 30 second warning, Council President, so you don't roast me when I'm done? Uh, I'll let you know when your two minutes are up, sir. That's

Thank you. I'd just like to thank you personally for being such an inspiration. I read an article recently that uh uh how you say uh referenced Crown Heights back in the day, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and and the the the headline of the uh the how you say the the headline of the article was Jews don't move. The headline of the article was Jews don't move. So, I'd like to thank you so much for inspiring me to be the first Jewish candidate to run for mayor of the city of Highland Park since 1933. Uh, so I'd like your endorsement. Uh, I'll I'll I'll write a [clears throat] letter to the office here. Um, but, uh, 1933, I don't know what happened after 1933, but I hear it sucked. Um, but anyways, um, running for mayor. I'm going to hang out in New York City, uh, let's say January, February, March, hang out with some fat cats, and, uh, come back with a nice resume so you can look me in the eye like a man and have some respect for me, sir. So, uh, thank you so much for the inspiration. I look forward to getting your endorsement. I'll uh write the letter this week. Thank you.

You have anyone else? I'll wait for you to state your name, sir.

Yes. Good evening everyone. This uh fine council and um I may in her absence and all those who are present on tonight. I I am Robert Douglas Lodge Jr. and for several weeks I have purposely not said anything because I don't want to seem like I'm being an uh to antagonize anyone or attack anyone. Uh, but as I was speaking with the mayor and to piggyback on Miss Ford's comment, as I was speaking with the mayor in the hallway, a child had to be escorted. And so, for the record, since the men in the audience has been uh called out to a certain degree, uh, for the record, uh, our councilman, Mr. Kashid, can attest that him and I have had a private conversation about the language that's being used. But the language is not just being used by him. It's been you it has been used by others in our city council. And so uh I'm going to again piggyback on what Mr. Uh Sydney Spice Spice said that we're asking that these type of comments be um not used and reserved for your private conversations because uh we as the citizens as a I am protagonist. I am for the cit citizens of Holland Park. Uh we we don't want to hear it any longer. We want to be able to come into a meeting and have this council function properly to move this city forward. And so with that being said, I'd like to commend uh President Pro Tim Robinson again on the great work that was done this past week for the citizens of our

city and thanksgiving food bundles. Uh over a thousand over a,00 1,300 individuals was could have been served with the bundles that was passed out. And so that's significant. I also want to uh take the time to uh address the community district advisories council. Sir, your two minutes is up. Thank you, sir. Could you have a workshop on that so that citizens can know? I said your time is I understand you gave me two minutes and I thank you for that. You gave others longer. So again, I would like to have a workshop request that you may have a workshop for the community district advisories council. They get 5,000 every year.

Yes, sir. Don't know where that money is going. Okay. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you. We have another citizen that would like to speak.

Yes, sir. So, [clears throat] I'm an officer win bush and uh I don't like it when we not getting along in here like we should and we don't want to escort nobody out here. Let me let me say this first of all. Nobody's exempt from getting escorted out of here. Nobody are is. But this a small little city and everybody's watching and we all arguing and things like that. We all look bad. Let's try to excuse me. We we we all need to try to get along, you know. We we don't want to take you out of here, but we can. Nope. So, don't think we can't, but we don't want to because it looks bad. Let's try to get along. Even Even citizens, we got to get along. We got to respect each other when a person is up here talking. Respect them. We might not like what they going to say, but just let them talk. Even the council, you know, they might say something you don't like, but just respect what they say. And then when you get them two minutes to come up here, just say what you want to say. But let's cut back on the cursing. We got to We got a pastor in here. We got kids in here. We got women in here. Come on. We ask you this time and time and over and over. Cut back on the cursing. I know you get frustrated, you know, but you got to bring it down, man. I'm saying please, please.

Thank you. Thank you, sir. Good job. Come on up, ma'am. [laughter] No sir. No sir. How are you? Hi. My name is Sarah. For the ones that don't know me. Some of you do know me. Sarah, I know you, Sarah. Go ahead.

So, I'm sure you guys are so sick of hearing about this, but the spirits are coming to me and they're very uneasy and they're very unrested because of the McGregor Library. I know there is history in that basement and I want to volunteer my time to digitize and do whatever we need to do to get our records straight. Um, even if it is finding the missing contract for the water department is probably in that basement and I want to find it so we can get grandfathered in. Um, so thank you all. You're all doing so great. I love I love you all and I'm sorry. I would love to plan like um a team build for you all to kind of, you know, break some ice and see what I can do. But my services are here. I'm going to be here for the next 100 years, so let me know what you need.

Thank you, Sarah.

I don't see anybody's moving towards the podium, so we're going to move into council affairs. There's nobody online.

All right, I checked online first. Starting with the councilman in the third district. Sir, the floor is yours. Let me wait. Hold on a second. I don't want to cheat you out of your time. Go for it. Okay. First of all and foremost, allow me to say this to you, Mr. Spike, to Miss Ford. Y'all got a lot of damn nerves. A lot of nerves. A lot of nerves. You berated this council. You've talked about each and every last one of us as if we were everything other than a child of God. And you want to sit here and tell me that I need to be a little bit more professional. When I was professional, YOU SPIT RIGHT IN MY FACE. YOU SPIT RIGHT IN IT. All the damage AND ALL OF THE ABUSE AND YOU GOT A NERVE TO STAND here and tell me I need to do better. I don't think I'm alone in that department. I don't think I'M ALONE. IN CASE SOME OF YOU HAVE amnesia or a loss of memory, DON'T HUFF AND PUFF AT ME AND think I WON'T HUFF AND PUFF BACK. I DON'T GIVE TWO DAMN WHO YOU ARE. NONE. I could CARE LESS. THIS IS NOT A POPULARITY CONTEST. THIS IS ME DOING MY JOB for this city on your behalf. And if you don't appreciate it, I'm so sorry to help you. I'm sorry that you don't appreciate it because it's been this council that has made sure that this city has survived and managed to not BE TAKEN OVER BY A LEVY THAT WAS JUST ON YOUR heads a couple of years ago. We voted yes for that.

If the administration had it THAT WAY, YOU'D BE PAYING THAT levy right now cuz they made it clear they didn't want to go that route. We went that route for you. So yeah, please film me. I love to be filmed. Okay? But don't sit here and tell me to hold a higher standard when you yourselves don't hold that same higher standard. Don't sit here and turn your nose up to me as if your [ __ ] don't stank cuz it does.

Okay? And anytime that you're ready, and I'm going to say this to the police officers here, ANYTIME THAT YOU'RE READY TO WALK ME OUT, FEEL FREE TO DO SO. Feel free to do so.

Lock up [ __ ] [snorts]

nervous. You want to tell me the whole Yeah. [clears throat] So, we're gonna move into council affairs for Miss Martin. Miss Martin. I don't have anything to say. Go ahead, Mica.

Good evening, everyone. Uh first I want to say I hope everybody enjoyed their holiday and also my warm wishes for your continued holiday season. Also again um you've been thought uh been thanked a little bit a little bit earlier Miss Robinson. So I'm also saying thank you for um those the baskets this this past Thanksgiving. I would like to mention again uh the green revolution community mini grant application is open. It is currently open. Okay. Uh the mini grant is available for $1,000. Okay. And it is block clubs, churches, community associations, nonprofits located and operating in Highland Park. That is to create and expand community gardens or green areas to improve air quality, reduce heat and beautify the city. green infrastructure projects implement sustainable systems like rain barrels, rain gardens or um bio whales. Is that correct? Did I say that right? Bio whales.

Thank you. To boost energy efficiency and save on utility costs. So that's something that you could do as a block club if you have one. And again also churches, we have a lot of churches here, community associations and nonprofits. That information is downstairs. Also, December, Board of Review. Say that again. December Board of

Board of Review. City of Highland Park. December 9th, 2:00 p.m. to 400 PM here at City Hall, First Florida Treasures Office Conference Room. Property tax related issues reviewed by the board in December are as follows. Clerical errors, mutual mistakes of fact, poverty exemption appeals. That's the one most of you come for. So, I'm telling you right now, it's December 9th between 2 and 4 p.m. Please pick up some information downstairs because I think you have to make an appointment. So, make sure you call um the treasures office. Eric Sabri, I want to thank him also. He had a veterans resource fair and yes and father Holland Parkers were there. I was there. It was wonderful. Had tons of resources. So I hope that um our veterans got a chance to go out and even some other people um downstairs. He also has probate assistance. And remember the mobile uh mobile truck is for if you have delinquency or default to make a payment arrangement. And Mr. Spike already is that right? That's okay.

Oh, it is right. Okay. Already he already mentioned. So remember Christmas in the park in Holland Park. Christmas tree lighting uh December 6th. That's this weekend. Uh also I don't know if anyone know that uh Avalon Village also passes out food on I can't remember what Saturday. I think it's this Saturday coming out. Yeah, this Saturday coming up. So thank her as well for always um having that on site. I know it's a couple of organizations that collaborate with her. And last but not least, I want to thank also uh the people who came out. Uh oh. The people who came out for um the passing out of food that the mayor had. And also I want to thank Zetafa sorority. I went to them and asked would they come on one day all and fill the car and they did just them. They filled the car the police car for the toys for I want to say thank you to them. If I missed anyone I apologize. I'll make sure I get you next time. Thank you. And also congratulations to those people added to the planning commission. Have a great night.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Pro.

Okay, I will keep this brief. Um, in the summer of 2022, a lawsuit was filed to remove all familiar candidates from the ballot. That that lawsuit was filed by a lobbyist with the help of a legal activist. The purpose was to remove all familiar candidates from the ballot and to upset the flow of government. Now, we are three years into this thing that you're experiencing right now. It was someone's pet project. I know because I filled out my application one hour before the window closed on the last day. So, whoever put their name on that ballot was going to end up being city council president. having a tough battle with God right now. But I'm assuming that there was some reason. Why would you put me in this chair? Why would you send me to Wayne State to get a mediation degree? Why would you have me? I've lived in Highland Park 25 years. I'll be 55 this year. In five years, I would have lived in Highland Park as long as I live in Detroit. Why would you put me in this position? Why would you send me here to see this to lay this out in front of you meeting after meeting? Somebody did this to you. For the last three years, the government has been frozen in place for spectacles like this. And unlike some people here, I'm outside. I'm a professional. I see people all the time. I never not get to be city council president of Highland Park. We're on the news every other day. And everywhere I go, the people who know me, who know who I am, point to me.

So, I'm carrying this on my back. And so we have to live with the embarrassment of the spectacle that has become our public meetings all because a lobbyist and a litigator got together and hatched a plan to give this to you and your government still has never been answered. That question has never been answered. How is that actually possible? How is it that it's even possible that we have this circus around workshops that don't appear anywhere in the charter? that every time we've tried to move this city forward with a structured plan, it has been dismantled every single time. We have almost six meetings on the budget that we've had three times. It's done on purpose. This is not an accident. This is your government at work. So, pay attention to the people who come in this chamber every two weeks with scripted lines as part of the theatrics and those who clap for this dog and pony show. There are 10,000 people whose lives have been frozen in place for three years. The number of people who have lived here, who have died waiting for this city to change, all because a room full of people decided that Highland Park wasn't going to move forward. This city deserves responsible, dignified leadership. And you have been deprived of that. And the people responsible, some of them are in the room and some of them are watching on television. You will know them by their deeds. Having concluded all business related to the city of Highland Park, the chair will entertain a motion to adjurnn.

So move. All those in favor? I. 820.