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Council delays vote on $210,000 federal lobbying renewal after Boundary Stone briefing
Summary
Detroit council members asked for more detail about a proposed one‑year, $210,000 renewal for federal lobbying services from Boundary Stone Partners and voted to revisit the item in one week after hearing a presentation on the firm’s recent federal grant wins and activities for the city.
Detroit City Council Internal Operations Committee members postponed action on a proposed one‑year, $210,000 renewal of contract 606291A1 for federal lobbying services after a presentation from the city’s federal affairs director and the firm that manages the account.
The council heard a slide presentation from Pete Gould, senior vice president at Boundary Stone Partners, and Michael Klotz, director of federal affairs for the City of Detroit. Gould outlined recent federal grant awards and implementation work the firm said it helped secure and advance for the city.
“The city of Detroit did unbelievably well,” Gould said, summarizing what he described as about $216,000,000 in direct federal grants awarded to the city in the final stretch of 2024. He cited, as highlights, roughly $21,000,000 under a Clean Ports grant to Wayne County Port Authority, more than $30,000,000 in two rounds of USDOT charging and fueling infrastructure awards, and just over $10,000,000 under the Active Transportation and Infrastructure (ATIP) program for the Joe Louis Freeway project. The presentation also reviewed federal transit awards for low‑ and no‑emission buses, RAISE and other competitive grant work, and federal implementation assistance on Buy America and NEPA requirements.
Council member Angela Whitfield Callaway criticized the written materials previously provided to the committee. “We asked that this be brought back this week, and it was what I received. I do not support the renewal. If that's all that you can provide us with, it's very, very insufficient,” Callaway said, noting the earlier memo lacked formal letterhead and more complete documentation.
Klotz and Gould said they had circulated an updated memo and an expanded slide deck after the packet was released and offered to send a PDF of the updated materials to the council. Callaway moved to bring the item back in one week so members could review the full report, the PowerPoint and a comprehensive list of grants. Chair Mary Waters put the motion; there were no objections and the item was rescheduled for the next meeting.
The item on the agenda is an amendment to contract 606291A1 to exercise a one‑year renewal, 100% city funded, for federal lobbyist services. The committee did not vote to approve or reject the contract; it voted only to return the item to the committee in one week for further review.
Committee members and staff said they would provide the updated memo and the slide deck to council members before the next meeting so members could prepare questions about lobbying priorities, grant implementation plans, and specific deliverables tied to the additional $210,000 request.
The council’s postponement leaves the renewal pending while members review the updated materials and, if desired, call the firm and city staff back to answer follow‑up questions.
