Flint council reviews Business & Consumer Services budget; staff outline grants, development tools and housing projects

Flint City Council held a budget hearing for the Business and Consumer Services division on a special meeting called after quorum issues, during which department leaders outlined grant-backed programs, proposed technology spending and housing-rehab initiatives.

Department leaders told council members the division oversees planning, zoning, economic development, parks and building inspections and is managing roughly 30 active grants and about 160 open requisitions and purchase orders. Carissa Dodson, who described herself as working in operations and finance for the department, said grants overseen by the division total about $110,000,000 and come with varied federal and state compliance requirements.

The presentation emphasized two near-term housing projects: an ARPA-funded roof repair program with 55 homes selected for repairs and a scattered-site rehabilitation plan that staff said would identify about 40 single-family homes for rehabilitation. Ashley (Community Services) said the roof program is live, contractors have been selected and council should see the contract in the next two months; she said the scattered-site work is being planned in the current year with construction to begin next spring and a target completion of 2028.

Tyler, who described his role overseeing zoning and development work, reviewed process improvements and a technology request. He said the zoning…