Reparations Task Force - IN-PERSON ONLY

Detroit City Council

Politics

Saturday, May 4, 2024
2:00 p.m. EDT

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2711 E Outer Dr Detroit, MI 48234 (Directions)

Farwell Recreation Center

These meetings offer a Zoom link, but there are common A/V problems and you should plan to attend in person.

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team

Note-taking by Perry Sylvester

Subcommittee chairs give more details on the scope of their work, as task force begins to narrow in on possible forms of economic reparations for Detroiters, and strategies for implementing their recommendations.

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Live reporting by Sherrie Smith

Sherrie So Ultra @SherrieSoUltra

It’s May 4th! I’ll be live-tweeting the Detroit City Council Reparations Task Force Meeting at 2:00pm for #DETdocumenters
@DetDocumenters Media partners: @BridgeDet313 @chalkbeatDET @freep @metrotimes @Michigan_public
@media_outlier @PlanetDetroit @wdet
@wxyzdetroit

01:02 PM May 4, 2024 CDT

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Meeting called to order at 2:02pm

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Only 5 members present when the meeting was called to order, there is not a quorum so the task force is starting with Public Comment

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Here is the agenda for today’s meeting

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🗣️ PUBLIC COMMENT 🗣️

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In-person commenter stated that the city is subsidizing an EV battery plant

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In-person commenter: L.E., Community Advocate feels she is being retaliated against and is not able to simply file reports at City offices

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In-person commenter: LM, Spirit of Detroit Motor Sport spoke about tech transfer and access of funding

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2 more members have arrived so there is a quorum

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Newest member of the Taskforce, Kefentse Chike, introduced

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Item 5.1 : Status of UofM Harms Report, Final Report is due in June

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Item 5.2: Status of Columbia Univ Impact Report- Final report has been received and is 71 pgs, Taskforce is working on how to share the report with the public

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TREASURER’S REPORT - Member J. Hazel motioned to postpone until the next meeting. Motion was approved

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SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS

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Here is the schedule of Subcommittee Meetings

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📑 Revenue & Economic Development -
Currently looking into ways to pay for reparations like marijuana tax and land. Meet twice monthly

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📑 Government & Economic Policy - currently looking at access to Parks & Recreation, changing Detroit Income Tax structure and Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept

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📑 Government & Economic Policy - would like to recommend a permanent steering committee to look at city ordinances for equity, I.e. Detroit doesn’t have a truck ordinance

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📑 Government & Economic Policy - looking at the impact of criminal justice reform

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Returning to 🗣️ PUBLIC COMMENT 🗣️

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In-person commenter: Previous member A.Bell

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In-person commenter: LP would love for the Taskforce to show resources and grants for homeowners to repair their homes

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In-person commenter: KM

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In-person commenter:

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In-person commenter: We need to consider our education system the education gap is over 10 standard deviations since the 1960s

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There are 3 hands raised for online public comment

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Online commenter: “Roo” There was confirmed voter fraud in the last election, who did it? Every elected official in Detroit’s position is in question

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Online commenter: CM Taskforce needs to provide structure and outline to citizens about the reparations focus being housing and economic development. Would like to see clearer instruction on how to submit recommendations. GLWA agreement is unfair

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🗣️ PUBLIC COMMENT CONCLUDED 🗣️

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NEW BUSINESS - There will be Breakout Sessions until 4pm in the room next door

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BREAKOUT SESSION

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If you feel there are errors or corrections needed to these tweets or you have questions, please contact documenters@outliermedia.org

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If you want to see what happened at last month’s meeting, check out the Twitter thread here:

https://twitter.com/sherriesoultra/status/1776659478865203693

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To learn more about Detroit City Council Reparations Task Force check out their website:

detroitmi.gov/government/cit…

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The Task Force is wrapping up subcommittees Break Out Sessions and returning to the meeting room

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Meeting Adjourned at 3:54pm

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This concludes my live-tweeting of the Detroit Reparations Task Force (DRTF) Meeting for 5/04/24. For more meeting coverage, check out:

detroit.documenters.org

View thread

Attachments

DRTF Finance Report

By Perry Sylvester 5/4/2024

DRTF Website

By Perry Sylvester 5/4/2024

Transcript and recording

By Noah Kincade 5/4/2024

Detroit City Council Reparations Task Force May 4 2024

By Roshaun Harris 5/4/2024

Agency Information

Detroit City Council

www.detroitmi.gov

See Documenters reporting

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.