Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances Charles Rivers for Historic Designation Advisory Board seat; other nominees sent to formal review
Summary
Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole advanced Charles Rivers’ nomination to the Historic Designation Advisory Board and sent two other nominees to the full council for consideration after interviews and discussion about district representation and expertise requirements.
The Detroit City Council Committee of the Whole moved to advance Charles (Chuck) Rivers’ name as its recommended candidate for the vacant seat on the Historic Designation Advisory Board and forwarded the other two nominees to the full council for consideration.
Rivers, a longtime Detroit resident and Michigan State University government-relations representative, told the committee about volunteer work in his northwest neighborhood and earlier involvement with preservation and neighborhood revitalization. Council member Angie Woodfield Callaway moved to advance Rivers’ name as the committee recommendation for the vacancy previously held by a District 2 resident; the chair said, “hearing no objection, that action shall be taken.”
The committee’s discussion emphasized two themes: Rivers’ community experience and the board’s need to balance district representation and specialized expertise. Council members noted a concentration of current board members from District 5 and urged future appointments that more evenly represent council districts. Lisa DeKira, deputy director of the Historic Designation Advisory Board, told the committee the board tracks candidate districts but district residency is not a strict legal requirement for membership; Janice Chapman, the board’s director, said the board also must meet professional composition requirements (for example, an architectural historian or architect) when filling seats.
Rivers described professional experience with Michigan State University and prior work at Ford Motor Company, and he said he volunteers on neighborhood preservation and sustainability initiatives. Melinda Monet Rawls and Tim Henry were the other nominees considered; Rawls described advocacy for local landmarks including work on a historical designation for a neighbor’s house and for the Detroit Repertory Theater.
Committee members agreed to forward all three names to the full council; Rivers was advanced with a favorable committee recommendation and the other two nominees were sent to formal session “without recommendation” for the larger body to decide. The committee asked Legal/LPD to draft the ballot and resolution for formal consideration.
If approved by the full council, Rivers would fill the vacancy previously held by a District 2 resident; committee members said they expect formal action at the next full-council meeting.
Acknowledging the recurring concern about uneven district representation on boards and commissions, council members and the board’s director said they will continue outreach to identify qualified candidates from underrepresented districts.
The committee handled the three nominations as part of a broader slate of appointment interviews held during the meeting; all three nominees’ names will be placed on the formal ballot for the full City Council to act on.
