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Public commenters urge action on land bank, foreclosures, BZA fees and neighborhood funding
Summary
Citizens used the Committee of the Whole public-comment period to raise concerns about the land bank and foreclosure policy, alleged price increases for BZA hearing transcripts, neighborhood funding for corridor improvements, ICE activity in Southwest Detroit, and service needs for unhoused residents.
Detroit ' Dozens of callers used the Committee of the Whole public-comment period to press the council on housing, neighborhood funding, administrative fees and homeless services.
Several callers urged the council to act on land-bank policy and property-tax reform. Caller Tahira Ahmad thanked Councilmembers Angela Whitfield Callaway and Mary Waters for moves to "deny it going through" and called for elimination of the land bank; she urged tests for Board of Review candidates and said "Detroit had the largest Black home ownership in the United States" before recent foreclosures. Luke Shelton criticized the city's use of federal demolition and other funds and said the annual comprehensive financial report is difficult to find.
Complaints about the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) fee schedule were strong. A caller identified as "Stop BZA Price Gouging of Residents" said changing the BZA fee schedule in February 2024 eliminated a low-cost option for hearing copies and described current costs as "absolute price gouging," calling $6.35 per page and $200 per hearing prohibitive for many residents and comparing it to court fee caps.
Community advocates and neighborhood leaders asked for more funding and parity. Betty A. Varner, president of the DeSoto Ellsworth Block Association, pressed the council to allocate money in the budget for 501(c)(3) neighborhood organizations to improve corridors. She asked council offices to contact Councilman Durehall's office to coordinate.
Callers also raised homelessness and public-safety concerns. One caller described people sleeping at the Rosa Parks Transit Center and alleged problems with locked facilities and drug activity in that building; another caller asked about shoveling at a school bus stop near Northwestern High School and requested Councilmember Callaway's legal advice.
Other public comments included requests for hand warmers (a caller said distribution details would be coordinated with Member Callaway's office), concerns about identity theft and internal access to city systems, and praise for recent council work on veterans and task forces. Several callers urged the council to pursue property-tax reform and to consider remedies for alleged illegal tax foreclosures and utility shutoffs.
Ending: Council staff and members responded during the meeting by offering office contact numbers for follow-up, promising to bring several items to staff for further review and scheduling. The council then resumed the agenda and began committee business.
