Council hears Detroit Wayne County Port Authority budget, reserves money for ferry pilot and cargo-dock study

The Detroit Wayne County Port Authority asked the Detroit City Council on Oct. 12 for funding and legal clarity as it pursues decarbonization, a ferry pilot and a future cargo dock; councilmembers voted to place funds into executive session and to request a law-department opinion on an existing contract that could constrain port operations.

Mark Shrupp, executive director of the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority, told the council that “20 four-twenty 5 was a really busy and successful year for the Port Authority,” reviewing grants, a decarbonization plan and project proposals. He said the authority received two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awards: a nearly $21.9 million Clean Ports grant to buy battery-electric port equipment and install DC fast chargers at multiple terminals and law-enforcement locations, and a $3 million planning grant for a long-term transition to hydrogen fuel and feasibility work on a proposed 10-megawatt mobile power barge.

The Port Authority presented a FY2026 operating request of $2.1 million, including roughly $1.2 million from government sources, and described a capital goal to develop an independent cargo dock. Shrupp said the authority has secured $2.5 million in state seed money and planned to seek additional local match to qualify for federal funding next spring. He also reported cruise-season and events growth: 44 cruise calls and about 12,000 passengers last season, with roughly 70 ship calls already scheduled for the coming season.

Why it matters: councilmembers said the ferry pilot and cargo-dock planning could expand public access to the riverfront, spur economic development and shift some freight off neighborhood roads. Member Callaway said the ferry study shows strong public interest and pushed for budget support to test a pilot service; she moved to place $1 million into the council’s budget “to fund what you just requested” for dock improvements and an implementation pilot. The motion was placed in executive session and, with no objections on the record, the action was taken.

Councilmembers also debated whether city funds could unintentionally benefit Ambassador Port Company under a long-standing Master Concession Agreement (MCA) that governs some port operations. At the council’s request, the law department will produce a written legal opinion on the MCA’s effect before final appropriation. Member Whitaker asked for the opinion, and a motion to request it from the law department passed with no objection.

Separately, Member Young moved to put $1.5 million for the public cargo-dock local match into executive session to reserve the funds for potential inclusion in the budget; colleagues placed that amount in executive session with discussion that final approval should await the law-department review.

Discussion and next steps: councilmembers and the Port Authority emphasized testing a pilot rather than pursuing large, immediate vessel purchases. Shrupp recommended a pilot that could require dock improvements (he estimated an upper-end pilot cost at up to $800,000) and said the Port Authority would seek operators willing to run services without an initial docking fee to test market demand. The council directed the law department to prepare the requested opinion; councilmembers said they would keep the items under review and not finalize appropriations until legal questions were answered.

The presentation also covered the Port Authority’s workforce and community work: the authority employs six people, recently added a sustainability manager, and is conducting career expos and worker-training programs tied to federally funded equipment purchases. Shrupp noted the authority’s ongoing EPA cleanup and community investments in Woodbridge and support for Freedom House’s expansion pending board approval.

Votes at a glance: - Motion (Member Callaway): Place $1,000,000 in the budget (executive session) to fund ferry pilot infrastructure and implementation — outcome: placed in executive session / action taken (no objections recorded). - Motion (Member Callaway): Request legal opinion from the law department on the Master Concession Agreement’s effect on proposed port funding — outcome: approved (no objections recorded). - Motion (Member Young): Place $1,500,000 in the budget (executive session) as local match for future public cargo-dock planning — outcome: placed in executive session / action taken (no objections recorded).

All three motions were made on the record during the Port Authority budget hearing and were advanced for further review rather than final appropriation.

Ending: The council closed the Port Authority’s budget hearing after the motions and directed staff and the law department to return with requested materials and the legal opinion before any final budget vote on the items presented.