[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,110],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6626191,"mediaKeyId","2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0","parentId",2754354,"title","Resolution to reallocate ARPA funds for summer youth jobs fails after divisive debate","audioSeconds",2283,"startMs",4714000,"endMs",6997000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0&start=4714&end=6997","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0/thumbnail_4714000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6626191/Flint-City/Genesee-County/Michigan/Resolution-to-reallocate-ARPA-funds-for-summer-youth-jobs-fails-after-divisive-debate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626191-5c71b0301af1b743d09bf06f3e598148/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164503&Signature=Nq6QTkr41ix4gQwcz2ZOvG50WftDUuOjD-XlNg-HtsDmfxYbjwJI8Qejy8Q1rphu5g4XFR4FtrWqHO8SEf3N5uugBmdtb8MelLUO560Ti~KiCSZK4ApbEEY79Bd56Kl-uHVa7454TemAeFUCVWzaZOPjygs57A1PO9rX7Q1Qafi7mN7wdKBWRB3AFvMfgBUuXfiI6wDBg0gKpZxBgazTzvMX85ZBgwpRoGJzgDHvbzLYbYyCe4yCfANtwe6Uf9qlM6302~XttkrrWWRRQxeBrD~HBFPMu3HZfZpO5cg8~D5c9VAAN0omnKgCqdES8Lr1hK1Fp~qeYdtRQ9FOTM6tSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Flint","date","2025-03-24T23:42:34.117Z","article","Council considered a resolution to reallocate ARPA funds for a summer youth jobs program (resolution 250100-T), modeled on a program that ran the previous year. Councilman from the First Ward and several council members expressed support, saying summer jobs provide mentorship, skills and positive out-of-school activities. A staff representative said last year’s program served multiple sites and organizers and that the city planned to start selection earlier this year.

Several council members and public commenters urged more transparency about who would administer the program, which organizations would host youth, how organizations would be selected, the compensation for youth and organizations, and measures of accountability. Ms. Sparks Green (program administrator) said the administering organization had not yet been selected and that the selection would follow a process; she named likely candidates including United Way and Metro Community Development and said the city hoped to expand beyond six hosts to seven or eight this year.

Council members and residents raised concerns about perceived conflicts, the distribution of funds to faith-based organizations and whether organizations would receive unequal amounts. Some council members said they were reluctant to vote without a roster of participating entities, per-site budgets and rates of pay for participants. After discussion, the council took a roll-call vote; the resolution failed by 4 yes, 2 no (two absences). Several council members asked staff to return with more detail on the applicant-selection process and program administration prior to a future vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","032425--1-Flint City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","A $2M resolution to fund youth job training and a City of Flint 'Clean and Safe Summer' program failed on a 4–2 vote after council members and residents debated program administration, selection of host organizations and transparency about payments to groups and youth participants.","taxTitle","Flint City, Genesee County, Michigan","taxId",5770,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6626194,"Council deadlocks on ARPA reallocation to water rate stabilization fund after hours of debate",1048,3606000,4654000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0&start=3606&end=4654","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0/thumbnail_3606000.jpg","/articles/6626194/Flint-City/Genesee-County/Michigan/Council-deadlocks-on-ARPA-reallocation-to-water-rate-stabilization-fund-after-hours-of-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626194-977d97c34123620b3a9ecb2e8d965c13/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164503&Signature=kYNigJ1KByMqhVQiNBVWOCR3-qHsbrxQ~EKZbcITw3TY6Y63AUNp64JRgbucg9eE47ZLMElQT-v50k7yzWSz4aevpFJRoT1vo~9KzKQA3f1dqtrwWr8DkC1eFlVdCfJdLGU9rpG8ST5oZQBhqvI7dccbgrTm4z4YQIXjUB1W3PzgrhXIhjeh2HTZaywuN1EP3EmXcYNloNw0sHQ7yPOITiod4GYyVA~szqCCNWX4HunQdrSSA95nUXSvUAhPvK-guqsPegoxT4fGjkS3cFdx4DQzQdBYVfy2vpKJg-e~LaPEeOZm8G9MmeShyFeUVXGXJ2H7iZ2AHLVyDvE5D24nIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Flint City Council considered a resolution to reallocate $2,000,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to a proposed Water Rate Stabilization Fund intended to shield residents from a 5.9% rate increase proposed by the regional water authority (GLEWA). After extended public comment and a heated council debate, the resolution failed on a 4–2 roll-call vote.

City staff and the administration described the fund as a temporary measure to cover additional costs and give the city time to develop a longer-term plan for fiscal sustainability. Council members pressed staff for precise impacts on household bills and for details about whether ARPA dollars could or should be transferred into the enterprise (utility) fund. Administrative staff told council that transfers into an enterprise fund are restricted and that a new stabilization fund would allow tracking and ensure the dollars were spent as intended.

Council debate focused on three central concerns: whether the ARPA funds were the appropriate source for an ongoing subsidy, whether the stabilization fund only delayed rather than solved structural deficits, and the potential visibility of a future rate increase. Councilman Pfeiffer repeatedly asked why a straight transfer to the water fund could not be used; staff responded the separate fund provides auditable tracking and limits on use. Councilwoman Priestley and others said the ARPA funds must be spent by the federal deadline (December 2026) and described the stabilization fund as a necessary bridge while they work on a sustainability plan.

At roll call the resolution failed 4 yes, 2 no (two council members absent), and the body moved to other business. There was no substitute plan adopted at the meeting; several council members asked administration for more precise impact estimates and expressed a desire to see a longer-term plan during the upcoming budget process.

Vote (roll call): Yes — Miss Priestley, Mister Alamein, Doctor Lewis, Miss Meshap (4). No — Miss Winfrey Carter, Mister Pfeiffer (2). Absent — Miss Burns, Mister Jarrett.","A proposal to reallocate $2 million in ARPA funds to a water rate stabilization fund failed 4–2 after extended public and council debate about transparency, duration, and whether the funds would defer or eliminate future rate increases.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6626197,"Council hears public comment on proposed community benefits ordinance requiring developer negotiations",163,2508000,2671000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0&start=2508&end=2671","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0/thumbnail_2508000.jpg","/articles/6626197/Flint-City/Genesee-County/Michigan/Council-hears-public-comment-on-proposed-community-benefits-ordinance-requiring-developer-negotiations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626197-eae1122313edcdb5ecbcd4480f765d8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164503&Signature=H1sqAaT30KAghrc3vztBoMVasC1VcZblMtDU7rV0YAj1HH8XtJi1hP9~xfCHJ4onNOUY-dcCSLgi923GzdrfmXc0VxWOoL6jEw6PnOkQobt8OzkemOopL8K42gQTGpwmtCi8oAfw-77J2Bk2ElRWCyNSwKLGt8X6XtfWa1JisRYsXqW5bRwVWp2nMitX5BINrh-RvIjsFiddXicDfSDKXy4hVo6LcLqY8BMaZH9hkiLhzgt0jkFPlET1IKRvn0dGuqehVC7KsAhLkfwJUwkydpg0fBfC0ZD1DmW31KgJ2-AkAa5qeHg5ZOdGvr9qBmXc4JcQlzZMDe5isEfyUCmW0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a public hearing on the proposed Community Benefits Agreement ordinance (resolution 240,430.6), Councilwoman Mushet and other council members described the measure as a process to empower neighborhoods to negotiate benefits with developers. Under the draft language explained to the council, an affected ward would receive two additional members on a citywide advisory council for a project and the community would have a stated role in defining proportionate benefits prior to council consideration.

Council and public commenters focused on technical language and thresholds. Joel Arnold of Communities First urged clearer definitions for “developer” (to cover nonprofit LLCs that receive federal funds) and suggested clarifying whether recipients of certain city grants (HOME, CDBG, ESG) would be covered. Arnold also recommended a monetary threshold for covered projects and suggested Flint adopt a lower threshold than Detroit’s $75 million benchmark; he recommended $20 million as a possible threshold more proportional to Flint.

Council members and other public speakers also asked for clarity about how community benefits would be decided, whether benefits could include nonmonetary offerings such as volunteer programs and whether the process would avoid capturing small projects that lack capacity to negotiate. No council vote was taken at the hearing; the ordinance remains under consideration and may receive further technical edits.","The council held a public hearing on a proposed Community Benefits Agreement ordinance that would require developers to negotiate community benefits with impacted wards and the citywide advisory council before council approval; supporters urged clarity in thresholds and definitions.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":91,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6626203,"Public hearing on Fair Chance Access to Rental Housing draws testimony from returning residents",1062,1446000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0&start=1446&end=2508","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0/thumbnail_1446000.jpg","/articles/6626203/Flint-City/Genesee-County/Michigan/Public-hearing-on-Fair-Chance-Access-to-Rental-Housing-draws-testimony-from-returning-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626203-a8ca4badb4862fc7b43f96faebb36ef2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164503&Signature=efrkqyi-1h9-raK~2E0CGMklPrazjvG5zk0d-zTJehcczYwBlcBbuJDeIIFf6yOuzyR72cAlw5KKgvFPxRK5mSGZ5L~bZAlkAYkNvg3N1FaDTpicRR0orzI5TlxsQkCBJ1h3jxrMt7YqYqzlBlpLjKLOMZtHVZgkCieUmM7D4EWmMFjOw4A~YI2WwezZKUqX~gmcAGswFnDbRMGlRT~io8tI9ZijOdOvcUtm5VFqqkHhwjAvn6ccK3qZSs3KP8~wF97h7CHWITDq3o55jflZnAY-p2ALLhwG7FwbV3ghWrszPCbJlGhW2sctze0qqSOkH5rq2B2GRq3kdwgVLiML0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Flint City Council opened a public hearing on the proposed “Fair Chance Access to Rental Housing” ordinance (agenda item 240426-6). The city attorney told council members that several amendments had been made to the draft ordinance before the hearing, including changes that shorten the number of years covered by the fair-housing provision.

Several public speakers who identified as formerly incarcerated or returning citizens urged council to adopt the ordinance to reduce barriers to rental housing. A speaker who identified as a formerly incarcerated resident said, “getting access to housing is one of the most important things,” and warned that denying housing to people who have returned from prison makes communities less safe. Another public speaker, John L. Allen Bey, described stable housing as the first step toward employment and civic stability: “The first step in being productive is having a place to stay,” he said.

Other residents connected the local proposal to the city’s national historical role in fair-housing advocacy and urged council members to act consistently with that legacy. Council did not vote on the ordinance at the hearing; the public comment period closed after several speakers and the council moved to the next public hearing on a separate item.","Council opened a public hearing on the Fair Chance Access to Rental Housing ordinance; multiple returning citizens and residents urged passage to reduce barriers to housing for people with criminal records. Attorney noted amendments to shorten the duration of fair-housing provisions.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6626207,"Metro Housing announces new home-repair grant program for Flint homeowners",384,1479000,1863000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0&start=1479&end=1863","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2754354-549c9eca4107bb157353f984781597c0/thumbnail_1479000.jpg","/articles/6626207/Flint-City/Genesee-County/Michigan/Metro-Housing-announces-new-home-repair-grant-program-for-Flint-homeowners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626207-5b10862db8d82b923277c30c743ecc06/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164503&Signature=lbIbcyYXa51Q-L1WTZPCUl1Gp35OlxQtQaF1DFwIr6oYmfE5rosWNPqFRkc7OWflOVCdq4B4qixnSX9mryXZt7vXuSZSqNii-eh-OjR7cw1OhCirs~ynKYInzuRQQZwdVqVSGSppVfMLflf6OFOA96W3VRym3CdWrTlxLHPcjBpv-UlJLlgHS6VEfXdCSRb2RS2LgkmBS7mH60U9C8KReCFttyiCEbxW1pRaT3NVnzECT-a4dUAtvd~SYt2cG-aV7ige~pMPnRHqHtD1-LX64mQlSqnfD8yaRJvBSmi67NwuhzZ5sb4UhM8em1nhgyl2bPrjp7b5RNu37w-S~h9ZDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brian Glowak, a representative of Metro Housing, told the Flint City Council that the agency will open a new, first-come, first-served home repair grant program for low- and moderate-income homeowners in Flint.

Glowak said Metro Housing, as a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, has drawn down grant funds for repairs over the past eight years and awarded about $860,000 to Flint homeowners last year. “Last year, we awarded about $860,000 to homeowners in the city of Flint,” Glowak said. He said applicants will need to supply documentation and that Metro will require at least two contractor estimates before work can be scheduled.

City members and the public pressed for logistical details. A speaker identified in the agenda as Arthur Winston addressed document handling and the application timeline, noting applicants must submit copies (Metro cannot photocopy or return originals) and that Metro intends to post the application to its website and provide handouts to council for distribution. Winston said roughly 65–70 homes could be served by the new funds and listed eligible repairs including roofs, windows, exterior doors, furnaces, water heaters, mold remediation, gutters and certain accessibility modifications.

Glowak and Metro staff said the program competes with other member institutions in Indiana and Michigan for Federal Home Loan Bank funds and that applications would be available for pickup beginning the next day. He provided a phone contact for questions and said in-person application hours would be 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday through Friday. He also said Metro had previously administered ARPA-funded home-repair work for about 93 homes with approximately $1.5 million in related administration and improvement costs.

The council did not take a formal vote on the presentation; Metro’s remarks were placed on the agenda as a special order by council action earlier in the meeting and the presentation concluded before the public hearings began.

Metro staff encouraged residents to gather the required paperwork and submit copies promptly because awards are limited and funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.","Metro Housing told council the agency will open a first-come, first-served home repair grant program for low-to-moderate-income Flint homeowners, with applications available the next day and a limited pool of awards.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resolution to reallocate ARPA funds for summer youth jobs fails after divisive debate

Council deadlocks on ARPA reallocation to water rate stabilization fund after hours of debate

Council hears public comment on proposed community benefits ordinance requiring developer negotiations

Public hearing on Fair Chance Access to Rental Housing draws testimony from returning residents

Metro Housing announces new home-repair grant program for Flint homeowners