Flint resident accuses council of closing speaker registration early, raises concerns about safety plan and an arrest injury

During the public-comment period at a recent Flint City Council meeting, resident Stanley Wood said a registration box that collects speaker slips was removed early and raised concerns about a council safety plan and injuries sustained in a recent arrest.

Wood said the registration box had been removed at about 4:30 p.m. at a prior “special affairs” meeting and that the council’s stated rule — that “wish to address the city council or its committees must register before the meeting begins” — does not specify a clock time. “So it says after the meeting began, it doesn't say 04:30. So I just wanna make that clear,” Wood said. He asked the council to explain why the box was taken away early.

Wood also questioned how the council applied voting rules. Citing “section 3 2 0 4 voting,” he said line b allows “a yes or a no, or you can abstain,” and that an abstaining council member must give a reason. Wood said he had reviewed the charter and was disputing a rebuke by Councilwoman Lewis of Councilman Jarrett for a “no” vote: “Councilwoman Lewis, I have to admit, I think you were wrong, in the way you chastise councilman Jarrett, for his no vote,” he said.

Wood said he checked the City of Flint website for city code sections and found a mismatch between code numbers. “Through the city of Flint’s website ... 31-10 is not the disorderly conduct or disorderly person. This is called person 17 and over abiding or abetting violation. Now 31-12 definitely is disorderly conduct and disorderly person,” he said, adding, “So either I'm wrong or the website's wrong, 1 of the 2. I don't know which 1. And if I'm wrong, I stand corrected.”

Wood said he had reviewed a safety plan Councilwoman Lewis had provided and that “the last paragraph really bothers me. It pretty much gives the police the authority to do anything they want at the end.” He said that a person identified only as Shalita was hospitalized after an arrest and described injuries: “She is paralyzed on the right leg and partial paralyzation on the left leg. She has a broken wrist on 1 hand, and then then she has tendon damage on the other.” Wood added, “But I think you guys will realize that because we need to save money for lawsuits. That's all I can say.”

The remarks were delivered during public comment; the transcript does not record any immediate response from council members or staff, nor does it record formal council action in response to Wood’s statements. Wood also referred to an approval of $25,000 for Genesee Job Corps that he believed had failed in a prior “special affairs” meeting but did not identify a current motion or vote on that item.

Why this matters: Wood raised procedural questions about public access to the microphone and the handling of registration slips, legal and code inconsistencies that could affect enforcement or interpretation of municipal rules, and a public-safety concern tied to a specific arrest and a city safety plan. Each of these topics touches on council processes, law enforcement policy, and potential legal exposure for the city.

The transcript records only Wood’s public comment; it does not document any follow-up staff report, legal clarification, or council directive in response to the points he raised.