Detroiters weigh in on community history, Brightmoor safety and Future of Health project

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We have two weeks of reporting to share, since we used last week’s newsletter to reintroduce the Documenters’ voter’s guide . In that time, Michigan’s new gun laws went into effect; Detroit City Council approved the purchase of BolaWrap restraints for the police department; the school board received recommendations on how to spend $94 million from a settlement with the state; the Feb. 12 Revenue Estimating Conference kicked off the city’s budget season ; and public transportation officials heard public comments on the DDOT Reimagined plan but refused to provide any responses.

Documenters also checked into the Historic Preservation Advisory Board for the first time. We learned Detroit is the first city to receive a National Park Service grant to document the history of local Arab and Chaldean communities .

Over in Highland Park, there’s an opening for a city treasurer , and there may soon be an opening for mayor: The Wayne County Election Commission approved a campaign to recall Mayor Glenda McDonald over residents’ water bills . Councilmembers at their recent meeting tabled a vote on a proposed settlement agreement with the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) and the state regarding the city’s past-due water bills.

Environment

Local and regional officials met with residents in Detroit’s District 4 in what was billed as a Water Town Hall. Presenters detailed how they will improve the city water system’s resilience against flooding caused by climate change. And money from three federal agencies means help is available for many residents in need of home repairs and assistance.

2/24/2024 Detroit City Council, District 4 Water Town Hall

Documented by Ashley Williams, Benjamin Haddix and Brent Collins III

Communities

Documenters attended a meeting of the city’s Historic Designation Advisory Board for the first time last Tuesday. It took the first step in identifying important places, people and stories for two notable ethnic communities in the city. The National Parks Service awarded Detroit a grant to select a historic site recognizing the local contributions of Arabs and Chaldeans. This is the first National Parks Service grant of its kind acknowledging these communities.

Crystal Kassab Jabiro, an educator and freelance journalist, shared memories of her community near Woodward Avenue and 7 Mile Road . She recounted her family’s decision to move from Detroit to the suburbs and her grandmother’s move back to the city because she could thrive in her Detroit neighborhood without the need to drive or communicate outside her native tongue.

The board says it will hold upcoming meetings in key locations to solicit community input.

2/20/2024 Detroit Historic Designation Advisory Board, Arab & Chaldean Underrepresented Communities History Project

Documented by Carole Hawke, Deandrea White and Shaheda Jenkins

Finance

2/12/2024 Detroit Office of Chief Financial Officer, Revenue Estimating Conference: Every six months, economists and financial experts meet to estimate the city’s revenue for the next four years. At the most recent conference, the group approved a moderate revenue growth forecast for fiscal years 2025-28.

Documented by Laura Kennedy

2/15/2024 Detroit Police and Fire Retirement System, Board of Trustees: The board agreed to sell a failing portfolio of subprime asset-backed securities and introduced the new position of pension investment officer, which will replace the chief investment officer position when incumbent Woodrow Tyler steps down.

Documented by Benjamin Haddix, Eric McCormick and Perry Sylvester

Politics

02/13/2024 Detroit City Council, Formal Session: Council approved a contract to purchase BolaWrap devices — a brand of less-than-lethal restraints — for use in the police department.

Documented by Benjamin Haddix and Damien Benson

2/20/2024 Highland Park City Council: After much discussion and failed motions to move into closed session, Highland Park City Council tabled a vote on the settlement agreement with the Great Lakes Water Authority and the state.

Documented by Sherrie Smith and Tamia Davis

02/20/2024 Detroit City Council, Formal Session: After an almost five-hour discussion, Detroit City Council postponed a vote on the Future of Health development project for one week.

Documented by Benjamin Haddix and Paige Rollins

For more on Detroit City Council, check out Malachi Barrett’s City Council Notebook at BridgeDetroit.

Education

02/13/2024 Detroit Public Schools Community District, Regular Board Meeting: The school board will review task force recommendations on how to spend a $94.4 million settlement from a 2016 literacy lawsuit. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district will use some of the funds to increase support for English-language learners.

Documented by Colleen Cirocco and Stephanie Jennings

Transportation

2/15/2024 Detroit Department of Transportation, DDOT Reimagined Virtual Public Hearing: Officials shared an overview of the DDOT Reimagined process and final plan. They emphasized the meeting was to record public comment about the plan; officials would not — and did not — respond to comments or questions.

Documented by Bridget Scallen and Jen David

2/22/2024 SMART, Board of Directors: SMART still struggles to retain bus drivers. In January, 35 positions were filled, but 16 positions were vacated.

Documented by Amber Umscheid and Sandi Nelson

Development

2/15/2024 Detroit Planning and Development Department, Brightmoor Streets Focus Group: About midway through a project to revitalize the Brightmoor neighborhood, planners held a focus group about street safety and mobility. Several participants said too many Brightmoor residents are unaware of the planning meetings, and the meetings don’t have enough community engagement, representation or participation.

Documented by Amelia Benavides-Colón and Gina McPherson

Health

2/21/2024 Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, Full Board: A vote on compensation for CEO Eric Doeh was tabled until the March board meeting to give the Executive Committee time to make a recommendation. The health network’s new administrative building and crisis care center are nearly complete.

Documented by A J Johnson and Pamela Taylor

Policing

2/15/2024 Detroit Board of Police Commissioners: Chief Investigator Jerome Warfield plans to introduce a so-called Timeliness Initiative Project at the Feb. 27 Citizens Complaint Committee meeting to address the backlog of complaints. Warfield said cases more than 366 days old would not lead to disciplinary actions for officers due to police union contracts.

Documented by Matt Schonert and Nathaniel Eichenhorn

2/22/2024 Detroit Board of Police Commissioners: Commissioners and public commenters questioned why Transit Police Department officers on city buses are being replaced with Detroit Police Department (DPD) officers. DPD Chief Financial Officer Nevrus Nazarko presented the department’s budget request for fiscal year 2025, which was approved by the board.

Documented by Nathaniel Eichenhorn and Tarrah Nelson

For more on the Board of Police Commissioners, check out the latest BOPC Watch .

Outlier Media’s Lynelle Herndon and Noah Kincade, and Detroit Documenters Amber Umscheid, Bridget Scallen, Carole Hawke and Perry Sylvester contributed to this reporting.

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