Caller urges Detroit council oversight of Board of Zoning Appeals, questions law department guidance

A caller during public comment at a Detroit City Council meeting urged councilmembers to exercise oversight of the Board of Zoning Appeals and asked the city law department to produce legal authority for telling the council not to discuss the matter.

The caller said they had emailed attorney Graham Anderson and copied Conrad Mallett and Jonathan Demers, asking for a legal citation for the department’s advice and alleging the law department’s direction was “misleading.” "I wrote an email to attorney Graham Anderson asking him to cite some legal authority about why he is seeking to interfere with my right to petition government for redress of grievances," the caller said. She added, "the litigation is not with the city of Detroit. It's with the board of zoning appeals; their appeals from some improperly granted decisions."

The commenter told councilmembers that the BZA is a separate entity and noted the BZA website states its members "are not city of Detroit employees," arguing that distinction matters for whether the council may discuss some court-related matters. The speaker urged the council to seek an independent opinion from the Law Department and said it would be useful for the council to have "an experienced attorney on staff" to evaluate legal advice.

No formal action, vote or staff direction on the complaint was recorded in the meeting record during public comment. The council adjourned after the public comment period ended.