Today in the notebook
- Mayoral race heats up
- Solar neighborhoods added
- New arena workers board members
Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.
Nonprofit CEO and former City Council President Saunteel Jenkins publicly launched her 2025 mayoral campaign on Tuesday.
Jenkins, 54, announced her candidacy inside St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center near her childhood home. Jenkins was known as a moderating voice on the council amid the challenges of municipal bankruptcy and emergency management.
“I helped to lead us through the city’s darkest economic days, emerging stronger and setting the foundation for the Detroit that we all see today,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins is the third candidate to formally declare their candidacy for the August 2025 primary, where a slate of nonpartisan candidates will compete on the same ballot. The top two vote-earners will advance to the November general election.
Jenkins’ campaign launch had a much different look compared to Council President Mary Sheffield, who is considered an early front-runner.
Jenkins gathered supporters in a community center gymnasium. Sheffield chose a union hall with much larger crowd capacity.
Jenkins’ crowd skewed a little older and she didn’t have celebrity endorsements from folks like reality TV star Judge Greg Mathis, who stumped for Sheffield.
Carla Walker-Miller, a Jenkins supporter who founded an energy services company that bears her name, offered voters one way to start thinking about the race.
“Every time we start talking about who is going to be the next mayor, the conversation becomes about who can win,” Walker-Miller said.
“We’re walking in fear of the one who has the infrastructure to win, the relationships to win, the war chest to win. Anybody can win, we’ve proven that. We should be talking about who should win.“
Jenkins’ stump speech focused on issues that have been flagged by other candidates.
She vowed to create safe neighborhoods, reliable public transit, after-school and daycare programs, thriving business corridors, resources for seniors and more police “where they are needed.”
The campaign is focused on raising awareness of Jenkins’ deeds at City Council and THAW. Her husband Carl Bentley taught Tuesday’s crowd how to pronounce her name: “Saun” (like sauna) plus “Teel” (like the color teal).
Bentley described her as a “Five-foot-tall ball of fire.” Others said she’s passionate about helping others and always gets back up after taking a hit.
Jenkins said her life, like many in Detroit, has had its share of challenges. She pointed to her breast cancer diagnosis and the senseless death of her 14-year-old brother, who was fatally shot by someone who wanted his jacket.
“Like every Detroiter, I persevered,” Jenkins said. “I fought back. I refuse to give in, but that’s where we are. We rise, we excel, we overcome. I truly believe my journey, both personal and professional, have uniquely prepared me for this moment.”
Jenkins took questions from reporters for around 10 minutes after delivering her prepared remarks.
I asked her to elaborate on a reference to being a “pioneer” of the community benefits movement. Detroit’s community benefits ordinance has encountered a lot of criticism for failing to deliver sufficient community investment in exchange for tax breaks.
“I think we should take another look at the ordinance,” Jenkins said. “We should think about how we do development and be more intentional and offer incentives for developers to bring what we need instead of waiting for people to come to us.”
It reminded me of a prior conversation we had in December. Jenkins said completing master plans for each corner of the city would help Detroit be more aggressive in recruiting businesses that match the needs.
For example, if a neighborhood needs a grocery store and movie theater, a documented plan helps Detroit seek out developers who will bring those amenities.
Jenkins told Nick Manes at Crain’s Detroit Business that she wants to find new revenue streams. Michigan law prevents cities from imposing local taxes, but she’s interested in seeing if that can be changed.
Jenkins flagged public transit as another focus area. Sam Robinson, who recently launched a journalism project called Detroit one million, asked if she would double the Department of Transportation budget as recommended by transit advocates.
She avoided the question, but said Detroit needs reliable bus service with better on-time performance and more routes on major streets. Jenkins said she hasn’t rode the bus since serving on City Council from 2010 to 2014.
What page are we on?
Today’s notebook covers the Jan. 14 formal session. Council President Pro Tem James Tate and Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero were absent.
Dig into the agenda, read Detroit Documenter notes or watch the recording for more details.
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Don’t miss this: Stephen Henderson and I partnered with Detroit Is Different to build a new platform for discussion of 2025 elections. We’re calling it “Detroit Next.”
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Two more solar neighborhoods added
The City Council approved contracts to build solar energy farms in two more neighborhoods, moving forward with the second phase of Mayor Mike Duggan’s clean energy initiative.
DTE Energy and Boston-based Lightstar Renewables will install solar arrays across 61 acres of mostly vacant land in the Greenfield Park and Houston-Whittier/Hayes neighborhoods. The council approved a resolution establishing the need to close public streets and acquire property for the solar fields.
Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway was the only no vote on solar agenda items. She previously opposed contracts and resolutions needed to set up solar fields in three other neighborhoods for the first phase – Gratiot-Findlay, Van Dyke-Lynch, and State Fair.
Sheffield voted against the first phase but supported the second phase on Tuesday.
Detroit is assembling land in five neighborhoods that volunteered to host ground-based solar arrays that will be used to power city buildings.
The city needs 965 parcels of land, including 245 that contain primary residences. At least 11 homeowners will be forced to move in the first phase of the program, city officials said.
The council also added $2.2 million to a contract with Farmington Hills law firm Zausmer PC to provide legal advice and relocation assistance services.
Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett says acquiring land has been “a remarkably successful endeavor” thus far. Detroit has made 100 offers to buy property within the solar areas.
A blight survey conducted by the city found 97% of the land in solar areas is vacant or blighted. City documents state most buildings are in a state of “severe and prolonged deterioration, obsolescence, blight and decay.”
Only two property owners have sued to prevent their homes from being condemned and demolished.
Council Members Latisha Johnson and Mary Waters worried about situations where it would seem the city is pushing people off their property. Mallett said most residents haven’t retained an attorney because the city is making good-faith offers.
“If any other person believes we have not fully considered information that they believe is relevant to the fair market value that we are (offering), they should contact me,” Mallett said. “I will make sure their voices are heard.”
A third property owner argues the city gave him a low-ball offer. Mallett said the man was made an offer of $35,000 based on the fair market value of his home, which isn’t used as a primary residence. The home is set to be demolished once vacated.
Homes adjacent to the solar sites can qualify for energy efficiency upgrades and other community benefits. Chief Strategy Officer Trisha Stein said 156 homes will receive upgrades in the first phase of the solar project.
The city is assessing 20 homes per month, with upgrades scheduled to start in February.
Last month, residents approved designs for landscaping and fencing around solar arrays. Agrivoltaic farming, which just means growing crops under solar panels, is included in the plan.
The solar initiative will generate electricity for city buildings, make progress on renewable energy goals, reduce air pollution and put blighted property into productive use.
City officials pushed for an accelerated approval process to get ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Detroit’s clean energy program relies on federal funding that could be at risk.
Trump has vowed to pull back unspent funds provided to local communities through the Inflation Reduction Act. He hasn’t specified which programs could be targeted.
Tharmond Ligon Jr., president of Rescue MI Nature Now, said the solar project presents an “awesome opportunity to remediate some of the challenges around the blight and illegal dumping we witnessed in these spaces.”
But others like Karen Hammer, a Green Acres resident and member of the State Fairground Development Coalition, said Detroit can offer better benefits for residents. She pointed to Souldarity, a nonprofit working to offset energy bills for Highland Park residents.
“Don’t subsidize the city’s utility bill, subsidize solar for homeowners who want it on their roofs,” Hammer said.
State grant funds digital bus signs
State funding will help the city replace outdated bus stop signs with digital displays.
The Michigan Department of Transportation awarded the city with a $200,000 grant for bus stop enhancements.
The state handed out $6.5 million in grants for street and public space improvements.
Arena workers board gets new members
Two labor union associates were appointed to Detroit’s Industry Standards Board. The group was formed in 2023 to assess working conditions at professional entertainment venues like Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park and Ford Field.
Christian Gary was appointed to represent workers. Gary is a Southfield resident and Union Coordinator with the Service Employees International Union Local 1.
Patrick Duffy was appointed to represent managers and employers. He’s president of Barney Monk, which provides union labor for entertainment events like concerts and conventions. Duffy is also secretary treasurer for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
The nine-member board issued a survey last year but has yet to complete recommendations for pay, safety, scheduling and training standards.
Justin Onwenu joins state advisory group
Detroit’s first director of entrepreneurship was appointed to advise Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on policies to prevent racial discrimination in Michigan.
Justin Onwenu will represent young Black residents and leaders in health, wellness and environmental advocacy.
The leadership council acts in an advisory capacity to the governor and develops, reviews, and recommends policies and actions designed to eradicate and prevent discrimination and racial inequity in Michigan.