Detroit City Council Formal Session
Detroit City Council
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
10:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m. EDT
2 Woodward Ave Detroit, MI 48226 (Directions)
ERMA L. HENDERSON AUDITORIUM, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team
The Planning Department presented updates on the city’s Master Plan. Public commenters had several complaints about the city’s solar initiative, expressed concerns about proposed deconstruction at the Renaissance Center, and called on City Council to address the housing crisis.
I will be live reporting the Detroit City Council meeting today at 10am for #DetroitDocumenters
08:01 AM Mar 18, 2025 CDT
Someone just did a mic check so I think they’re going to get started
There’s some inaudible yelling going on. It sounds as if someone is chastising a crowd. I heard “Everyone! Can I have your attention please!” And then what sounded like an inaudible set of commands.
It could be nothing or it could be something. We’ll have to wait to find out
The meeting was called to order at 10:07. The roll was called and the following called present.
Benson
Johnson
Santiago-Romero
Waters
Sheffield
Here’s the agenda for today’s meeting
Starting off with a presentation by Comm’r Callaway. She is presenting an award. She began by addressing her “Spellman Sisters” and asking them to stand up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelman_College?wprov=sfla1
The award is being awarded to attorney Dawn Ison
The president of Spellman wrote a letter to the Council for the occassion
She spoke of the values embodied in the Spirit of Detroit, the importance of the relationships between God, the family, and the community. She thanked the Council and the people. And she ended by accepting the award and acknowledging there is still much to do.
Ison mentioned her classmate, Council member Callaway’s younger sister, who tragically passed from cancer in 2019, only 4 months after her mother. Callaway spoke briefly about her sister, and said that Ison is also like her sister.
Plan Detroit is going to present now about their organization.
Land use, as a topic, is taking a back seat for the time being in order to focus on it more intensively at a later stage
That’s it for that presentation. The council thanked the presenters and will move in in the agenda
Various resolutions are being referred to the several committees. Too fast to post individually, but they’re all in the agenda.
Moving on to public comment, the first commenter denigrated Mayor Dugan, called him the boss of a corrupt land bank, characterized the city’s investments in Mexicantown as helping “illegal border jumpers” and went on to describe Palestinians as “troublemakers”.
She ended, unsurprisingly, by saying she supports Trump.
Commenter asked that the city recognize Juneteenth. The Council responded that they do, and have recently declared it a paid holiday in the city.
The next commenter complained about land pollution and the effect it may be having on the citizenry and urged the council to address it.
Next commenter is yelling at the council . I had a hard time getting at what exactly they were so mad about.
Moving on to Zoom.
First commenter wanted to protest the planned destruction of the Renaissance Center and accused the city of brainwashing the citizens and accused the council of dereliction
Next commenter is talking through a mouthful of food about saving the Ren Cen. She then said she had to go and finish her breakfast
A rep from Detroit People’s Platform complained about the disparity in investment between Midtown/Downtown and less affluent (and white) parts of the city.
They say the Downtown Development Authority needs reform.
Next commenter added their voice to the protests and said the city does not have the money to demolish the Ren Cen, that the bankruptcy must be concluded, and that the goal of the council is to make the city more white, not better.
Former councilman William Davis called in to protest the opacity of the Detroit Land Bank and urged reform.
The next caller complained about the unjustness of the master plan and said that the solar initiative is illegal and that they heard that the solar farms will hum loudly
Next caller asked the city for help with a community-created park, and said that someone stole the park’s fence!
I gotta say, who steals a fence? How do you steal a fence? How do you fence a fence?
Next caller protested the number of evictions in the city. She said the city is not rendering the help they promised, and it will only serve to exacerbate the homelessness issue in the city
The next caller described her home’s damage due to a sewer flood in their basement and asked for DWSD to help her the way the city helped the flood victims in Southwest Detroit
Next caller said that an “emergency housing crisis” should be declared in the city, and that binds should be issued to accomplish this
The next caller protested the DDA and complained about the lack of budget consideration to the library system for all citizens. They say there has been no news on the library budget or an announcement that any meeting will occur to discuss it.
They say the library pays the city and enormous administrative fee that they claim has not been adequately explained. So, they say, the library has no idea why they must pay this fee or what it’s for.
Council points out that the hearing for the library is on March 27th at 11am
The next caller talked about the billionaires and oligarchs that have taken over the federal government and mentioned an upcoming protest by postal workers against efforts to destroy the USPS
They went on to say the UAW will gather for a May Day demonstration
The next caller praised Dawn Ison’s work as US Attorney and expressed hopes that “whatever MAGA nut” will succeed her will have some empathy for the citizenry
Next caller protested over assessment of property tax in the city and urged reform
The caller needs to replace the battery in their smoke detector. And all of us should do the same regularly. Don’t ignore that beep!
The next caller has concerns about the low prices the city is paying. In regard to the solar farm initiative. The caller claims that they are being drastically underpaid and that they have a dozen neighborhood residents with the same story
The next caller says that the destruction of the Renaissance Center is a destruction of the legacy of Coleman Young and said that councilman Coleman Young Is should change his name because he’s “unworthy of the name”
Council responded that much of what the caller said was not true and councilmember Tate urged the caller to call his office and they can talk about it.
Council skipped to agenda items 19.1 and 19.2 and approved them both unanimously
Moving back to item 15.1, which can be found here
https://pub-detroitmi.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=208778
Two contracts from the Planning and Economic Development Committee were approved
Two more items approved from the City Planning Committee
Two items approved from the Housing and Revitalization Comittee
Council voted to postpone discussion of item 17.7 for one week to facilitate further discussion
17.8-17.10, three resolutions for various property sales were approved
17.11, urging the passage of anti-speculation legislation passed
18.1 and 18.2 were approved. 18.2 is a contract to proved Single Lane Evolv Weapons Detectors
19.1-19. were several event sto be held in the City, and were all approved
A quick look at Evolv it looks like an AI driven program that claims to detect concealed weapons. No time right now for more research but it should definitely be done
19.11-19.2 were approved. Two contracts, one for the Detroit Animal Care Shelter and one for repairing a Mobile Command Unit
19.20, from Public Works, for encroachments to facilitate installations of storm water infrastructure. Approved
Council is now rapidly accepting reports from the various committees
30.1 was approved. A testimonial in memory of Luther Keitth
Well folks, this closes my coverage of the Detroit City Council meeting for March 18th. Learn more about our coverage of local meetings at https://documenters.org
‼️IMPORTANT: If you believe anything in the coverage today is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@outliermedia.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line
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Agency Information
Detroit City Council
The Detroit City Council is the legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The Council is responsible for the creation of local laws—called ordinances. Additionally they pass resolutions, motions, and the proposed city budget. The full-time council is required to meet every business day for at least 10 months of the year, with at least eight of these meetings occurring at a location besides city hall. The council may convene for special meetings at the call of the mayor or at least four members of council. Areas of responsibility for the Budget, Finance and Audit Committee include, Budget, Finance and the Auditor General.
City Council members are elected on the same cycle as the Mayor and will be elected in 2021. Seven members represent the seven council districts, while two members are elected at-large.