February 7, 2025

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Detroit City Council hears pet store ordinance, DTE customers speak on rate hike

Detroit City Council hears pet store ordinance, DTE customers speak on rate hike

The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network is looking for a new CEO, and one applicant has name recognition: James White. Detroit’s current police chief has thrown his hat in the ring for the job. We’re curious: Should an agency that aims to provide an alternative to police response in mental health crises be run by a former police chief? What do you think? Email [email protected] and let us know. We’ll document all seven candidate interviews on Friday and make those notes public, as always!


Parks 

9/14/2024 Documenters in the Park — District 2: We are continuing to send Documenters to evaluate Detroit green spaces for our Documenters in the Park series. Talia Gordon headed near 8 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue to visit Wells Park, home of the Alfonso Wells Memorial Playground and the Birwood Wall. Gordon found the amenities, trees and seating options inviting for a range of ages, abilities and recreation preferences. Crystal Victoria Kucharek found Varier Park located near Greenfield Road and West Outer Drive to be a clean, quiet, peaceful space with ample shade and well-maintained playground equipment. 

Documented by Crystal Victoria Kucharek and Talia Gordon 


Politics 

9/16/2024 Highland Park City Council: Councilmembers had a change of heart and supported Mayor Glenda McDonald’s veto of the water shut-off moratorium they approved the previous week. Water shut-offs will still be allowed, but councilmembers determined there are other ways to help residents. The council also accepted a MI Neighborhood grant from the state’s housing development authority, added solar energy systems to the zoning ordinance and approved a contract to start water main and service line replacements. 

Documented by Paige Rollins 


9/16/2024 Detroit City Council — Public Health and Safety Standing Committee: Councilmembers considered the pet store ordinance, which would prohibit the sale of cats and dogs at pet stores in Detroit. People could still bring home pets from shelters, rescues and responsible breeders. The committee referred the ordinance to the Law Department and will discuss it again in two weeks. 

Documented by Kayleigh Lickliter and Shiva Shahmir 


9/17/2025 Detroit City Council — Formal Session: Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero introduced an ordinance to enact a “buffer zone” around reproductive health clinics, requiring protesters to stay 15 feet from the entrance and 8 feet from people. A public hearing was scheduled for Sept. 23 in the Public Health and Safety Standing Committee.

Documented by Benjamin Haddix and Christiana Beckley 

For more on Detroit City Council, check out Malachi Barrett’s City Council Notebook at BridgeDetroit. 


Education 

Two Black men in business suit jackets are seated in front of an audience with a projector screen showing a slide that reads “The Use of AI to Commit Financial Aid Fraud.”
Wayne County Community College District’s board established a task force to prevent “ghost students” from enrolling to fraudulently receive financial aid with the use of artificial intelligence. Photo credit: Perry Sylvester/Detroit Documenters

9/18/2024 Wayne County Community District — Board of Trustees: The board discussed the role of artificial intelligence in education, including “ghost students” — an increasingly popular type of fraud where scammers use false identities, internet bots and AI to register for classes and gain access to financial aid funds. 

Documented by Perry Sylvester 


Health 

9/18/2024 Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network — Board of Directors: The board approved the diversion of $1.3 million from its crisis center on 7 Mile Road to cover cost overruns for its new 707 Crisis Care Center in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood. The CEO Search Committee will prescreen seven local candidates on Sept. 27, with a goal of having a CEO selected by the October meeting. 

Documented by Cary Church and Nathaniel Eichenhorn 


Utilities 

Audience members chanted when the Michigan Public Service Commission ended its public hearing for DTE Electric Co.’s rate increase proposal after about two hours. Video credit: Colleen Cirocco/Detroit Documenters

9/18/2024 Michigan Public Service Commission — DTE Electric Co. rate case public hearing: Detroiters spoke out on DTE’s proposed $456.4 million rate increase. Many told stories of power outages that ruined food and threatened their safety during cold winter months. Some supported higher rates to fund infrastructure improvements to make the power more reliable. 

Documented by Colleen Cirocco and Devyn McNaughton 


Policing 

9/18/2024 Detroit Board of Police Commissioners: Public comments ignited discussions on political surveillance, wrongful convictions and demands for police accountability. Commissioner Linda Bernard advocated for the implementation of mandatory de-escalation and mental health training for officers. 

Documented by Elyas Khan and Meghan Rutigliano 

For more on the Board of Police Commissioners, check out the latest BOPC Watch. 


Transportation 

9/19/2024 Detroit Department of Transportation — Virtual Community Input Meeting: The city’s interim Executive Director of Transit Michael Staley said 45 buses still used by the city are overdue for retirement, and half of those are down on any given day. Repairs are backed up because shipments of diesel and hybrid bus parts are experiencing 30-60 day delays, and electric bus parts are taking 8-10 months to arrive. 

Documented by Heather Alder 


This story was written by Outlier Media’s Lynelle Herndon and Noah Kincade, with Detroit Documenters Meghan Rutigliano, Nathaniel Eichenhorn and Perry Sylvester.

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