This week in the notebook:‘
- New details on NFL Draft
- Nonprofit leader’s arrest raises questions
- Dogs vs. geese in Detroit parks
- Dust control law unveiled
- Reparations documentary shines on key figures
Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.
The City Council received an overview of what’s in store for Detroit as it prepares to host the 2024 NFL Draft from April 25-27.
NFL officials confirmed the draft will be held on the former site of the National Theatre building, which was demolished earlier this year.
Free public attractions are planned in a larger fenced-in area spanning from Campus Martius and Cadillac Square to Hart Plaza.
Organizers outlined a sprawling plan for public viewing areas, food trucks and alcohol tents, games and events.
Public parks and alleys beyond the main event’s footprint will be activated and youth events are planned for the Corner Ballpark in Corktown.
Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, framed it as the largest sporting event the city has ever hosted. He said the draft is thoroughly organized and all-inclusive.
“This isn’t downtown’s draft, this is Detroit’s draft,” Molinari said.
The main area can be accessed through three public entry points located on Jefferson Avenue, Griswold Street and the east end of Cadillac Square. The area will be locked down starting April 24.
Construction of the main stage starts on March 30 and is expected to finish by April 21. Hart Plaza preparation starts April 15.
Organizers also touted the potential economic benefit. The draft has a $25 million budget, most of which will go toward local businesses.
Kai Bowman, COO of the Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance, said the city worked to certify minority-owned and women-owned businesses so they could receive contracts. Concessions vendors will keep 100% of their sales revenue, NFL officials said.
Roughly 312,000 visitors spent $109 million at last year’s draft in Kansas City. Detroit is expected to beat the attendance figure, said Jon Barker, the NFL’s head of live event production.
Council President Mary Sheffield said it’s an important showcase for Detroit. She previously pushed back against misperceptions of the city when the Lions playoff run drew national attention to Detroit.
“I am super excited for people to come and see physically what Detroit is all about,” Sheffield said. “One thing that’s important is the perception of what people hear about Detroit, but when they come and actually feel the energy and spirit of Detroit that goes a long way.”
Sheffield said there was a “negative narrative” around how the people experiencing homelessness were treated when Detroit hosted the Super Bowl in 2006. Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison said there are no plans to “brush aside” unhoused residents.
But Bettison said there is a plan to address potential human trafficking incidents that follow large events like the draft. Informational seminars will be held for hotel staff to identify signs of trafficking and learn how to report it to authorities.
NFL officials said a transportation and accessibility plan is still being put together. Heavy traffic and street closures could make it difficult to travel in and out of downtown.
Council President Pro Tem James Tate expressed concerns that businesses in Detroit’s neighborhoods won’t benefit from the influx of visitors. Bowman said vendors will have an opportunity to set up at Eastern Market to attract visitors who can’t make it to their retail space.
Tate said he’s felt left out of the planning process. He said local retailers should be able to sell officially licensed NFL gear.
NFL officials said they want to work with the City Council to improve neighborhood engagement.
“We are a lot of New Yorkers but we want to make sure the spirit of Detroit was really shining through when it came to programming,” said NFL Senior Director of Events Nicki Ewell.
What page are we on?
Today’s notebook describes the March 5 formal session.
Dig into the agenda, read Detroit Documenter notes or watch the recording for more details.
Find more information about your City Council representative here.
Mayor Mike Duggan will present his 2024-25 budget proposal on Thursday. Use this guide to learn more about participating in upcoming budget conversations.
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Nonprofit leader’s arrest sparks questions
Council members are seeking more oversight of the United Community Housing Coalition after a prominent leader of the nonprofit was charged with a criminal conspiracy.
UCHC Director of Homeownership Programs Zina Thomas was arrested last week and accused of conspiring to steal 30 properties across Wayne County, among other federal crimes.
The Detroit nonprofit was hired by the city to prevent tax foreclosures and evictions by providing legal aid to residents.
UCHC was awarded a $5 million contract to serve 5,752 eviction cases by the end of 2025.
Council Member Mary Waters called for an immediate pause of contracts with UCHC and an audit.
Sheffield requested an investigation into whether public funds were misused, how the criminal complaint affects city contracts and how the city can ensure the integrity of future housing programs.
UCHC Executive Director Ted Phillips said a second employee is the subject of a federal investigation. However, he said the situation is not representative of the organization and UCHC is fully cooperating with federal authorities.
Phillips said UCHC welcomes a review by the city, but shutting down funding would hurt residents. Phillip said the timing is crucial, as March 31 is the deadline for taxes to be paid back to prevent foreclosure.
“Interrupting implementation of the right-to-counsel ordinance would cause more tax foreclosures by impeding our ability to help families facing foreclosure,” Phillips said.
Memos from Sheffield and Waters were referred to the Planning and Economic Development Committee for further discussion.
Unleash the dogs of war
Trained border collies are being deployed to keep Detroit parks free of geese.
Goodbye Geese, LLC secured an $86,400 contract to control the goose population across several public parks through the end of 2025.
City documents describe an “intense deterrence” strategy using dogs skilled in “scare tactics.” Dogs are also trained not to harm the geese, which see border collies as a predatory threat.
Animal rights organizations say trained dogs are an effective and humane method of shooing geese away.
“I’m not going to get a call from PETA, am I?” Council Member Coleman Young joked during a committee meeting last week.
A handful of Detroit parks have become ideal breeding locations for geese. The contract ensures daily dog patrols in the first month, followed by visits multiple times per week and reporting requirements to track bird activity.
Goodbye Geese will also destroy goose nests in coordination with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The city has contracted with the company for four years.
The Detroit-based business was previously hired to keep geese off Belle Isle and Wayne State University’s campus. Trained dogs will be used at the following locations:
- AB Ford Park
- Chandler Park
- Coleman Young Park
- Henderson Park
- Lakewood East
- Palmer Park
- Maheras Park
- Mariner Park
- Park Bristol Park/Greenway
- Patton Park
- Riverside Park
- Roosevelt Park
‘A Debt Owed, Not a Handout’
A mini-documentary exploring key local figures in the national reparations movement is now available to view online.
Detroit is Different Founder Khary Frazier was hired by the city’s reparations task force to produce the film. It debuted at Bel Air Luxury Cinema last week.
It highlights the efforts and legacies of Congressman John Conyers, “Reparations Ray” Jenkins and the Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson.
Frazier tells the story using archived footage and interviews with activists, family members of the deceased subjects and Detroit historians.
Full disclosure: Frazier is the host and producer of Public Comment, a video companion to this newsletter I appear on each week.
Our partnership is pro bono, so I don’t mind telling you to check out the reparations documentary.
Keep that dust to yourself
A long-awaited ordinance regulating the spread of dust pollution into Detroit neighborhoods is moving forward.
A public hearing will be for a fugitive dust ordinance led by Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero. The date has yet to be determined.
The ordinance establishes standards to prevent dust emissions and creates a new city division to administer the law and collect fines. It requires organizations to create a fugitive dust plan before performing new activities that are likely to generate dust.
It applies to businesses, nonprofits, churches, government agencies and residential structures with five or more units.
The dust plan must include construction timelines, a site map showing roads used to transport materials and potential emission points, a description of operations that will create dust and control measures, a monitoring plan and a contingency plan for when dust exceeds allowable standards.
“This is us asking businesses to treat our residents with respect,” Santiago-Romero said during a Monday committee meeting. “I would never go into your home with dirty shoes.”
More money for marketing
The City Council narrowly approved a $3 million advertising contract with a Detroit company that had already received $8 million from the city for similar services.
Detroit Communications Director Vickie Thomas said the contract with Emerald Media helps spread the word about programs created with federal pandemic aid. The contract is also paid for with federal pandemic funds.
Thomas said only 10% of the contract goes to Emerald Media, while the rest of the funds are used to buy advertisements on TV, billboards, social media, newspapers and other media platforms.
Thomas said traffic for the Skills For Life website “flatlined” after the previous advertising campaign ended on Dec. 31. She said Detroit doesn’t have the resources or expertise to promote the programs itself.
“You can develop all the great programs in the world, but if you don’t advertise them it’s all for naught,” Thomas said.
Sheffield said advertising “is not my favorite use” of pandemic relief funds but it’s important to promote job training programs.
Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway said she’d rather see pandemic funds spent on things that directly impact residents.
“Every single day we hear people needing home repairs,” she said during a committee conversation last week. “The math is not mathing for me.”
Council Members Latisha Johnson, Santiago-Romero, Whitfield-Calloway and Tate voted against the contract. The council was spun into confusion after the contract originally failed.
Council members voted 4-4 while Young was away from his seat. Young walked back into the council chambers with a coffee immediately after the vote.
Council members reconsidered the decision and held a second round of voting. The contract passed 5-4 with Young’s support.
Another $3 million contract for marketing services with The Allen Lewis Agency was unanimously approved.
Marijuana revenue windfall
Detroit will receive $1.9 million in marijuana tax revenue from the state of Michigan. Council Member Scott Benson said he’d like to see more funding for youth drug interventions.
The city’s budget sets aside 2% of the marijuana revenue for substance use prevention programs under the Health Department – providing $40,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.
Benson said that’s “way under where we need to be,” arguing that Detroit has become a “drug haven” with 33 licensed marijuana businesses. Benson said the allocation should be closer to 10%.
Benson said youth are being overexposed to marijuana. He pointed to a hookah shop that was shut down in February for selling marijuana to a minor.
The Michigan Department of Treasury distributed more than $87 million in marijuana taxes to communities across the state. Revenue was collected from 737 license holders in Michigan.