Finance committee advances multiple consent items; Atwater Media amendment approved with one abstention

The Detroit Public Schools Community District Finance Committee moved a tie-bar to advance items 5.01, 5.02, 5.04, 5.05, 5.06, 5.07, 5.08, 5.09, 5.10 and 5.11 for board consideration and separately approved an amendment to the Atwater Media contract at its Feb. 26 meeting.

The tie-bar: Committee members moved and supported advancing the listed items together. The items covered a mix of operational and capital recommendations, including grade-configuration changes at Bagley and Pasteur, consolidated vendor catalogs for after-school/summer programming, cooperative telecom agreements and a temporary extension to complete a parking-lot contract at the former Northern High School site. Committee members voiced no objections during the voice vote to move the tie-bar forward.

Atwater Media amendment: The committee approved an amendment to the existing Atwater Media contract to extend contracted marketing and creative services through the end of the fiscal year. During roll call on item 5.03, Dr. Ida Short stated she would abstain because of a prior business relationship with the company; the remainder of the roll call returned votes in favor and the item passed.

A board secretary conducted the roll call for item 5.03. Dr. Short said, "I have to abstain. And the reason I have to abstain is because I've had a long history with this company... I also have a business relationship with them. So I have to recuse myself. And I've also alerted them that I have to recuse."

No other items required a roll-call vote at the committee level; the tie-bar items were moved forward by voice vote. The committee did not adopt additional district policy changes in the meeting; items advanced by the committee will appear on a future board agenda for final action.

Ending: The committee completed its agenda and adjourned after public comment and additional administrative updates.