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Public comment and a council dissent leave Grand Haven inclusivity reaffirmation unapproved
Summary
A resident urged stronger action on inclusivity and questioned whether a written statement is sufficient; council debate over reaffirming the city's inclusivity statement coincided with a failed consent agenda, so the reaffirmation was not adopted as part of that consent motion.
City of Grand Haven councilmembers and members of the public discussed the city's inclusivity statement during public comment and the consent-agenda debate on March 17; a proposed reaffirmation of the statement — requested by the Human Relations Commission — was on the consent agenda that later failed, leaving the reaffirmation unadopted as part of that motion.
Why it matters: the inclusivity statement articulates city values and was the subject of public comment that asked for clearer actions and protections; council members debated whether routine reaffirmations are necessary or whether the original resolution remains in force.
Public comment and statement reading
Oliver Champine of D Avenue addressed council during the first call to the audience and identified himself as a candidate for city council. He urged the council to take actions beyond a statement, telling council that an inclusivity statement without corresponding measures can be "nothing in the end." He read a passage attributed to Pope Francis: "Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women, and men who leave or are forced to leave their homes for various reasons..." and urged stronger assurances for residents.
During the meeting, Marie, the city clerk, read the text proposed for reaffirmation: "The city of Grand Haven respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make people who they are. The pillars of equity, diversity, and inclusion are vital to a vibrant community, and we believe that bringing diverse individuals together and encouraging all voices to be heard allows us to build a stronger community. The city of Grand Haven upholds these pillars as crucial to healthy people and a healthy community." Marie noted the statement had been previously adopted by resolution and is posted on the city website.
Council debate and outcome
A councilmember questioned the need to routinely reaffirm resolutions and said the city's previously adopted resolutions remain in effect until revoked; staff said the Human Relations Commission had requested a public reaffirmation as a courtesy. One councilmember moved to remove the reaffirmation from the consent agenda but that motion failed for lack of a second.
When the council voted on the consent agenda (which included the reaffirmation), the motion failed on roll call: Councilmember Fritz and Councilmember Manetza voted yes; Councilmember Lowe voted no. Because the consent agenda motion did not pass, the items on it — including the reaffirmation of the inclusivity statement — were not adopted by that grouped vote.
What was said (selected excerpts)
- Oliver Champine (resident): "Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity..." (public comment urging substantive action beyond a written statement).
- Marie (city staff): "The city of Grand Haven respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make people who they are... The pillars of equity, diversity, and inclusion are vital to a vibrant community..." (reading the statement proposed for reaffirmation).
Next steps
Because the reaffirmation was part of the consent agenda that failed, the council did not adopt it as part of that motion. The Human Relations Commission's request to publicly reaffirm the statement remains on the record; council can bring the reaffirmation back for separate consideration at a future meeting if it chooses.
