City Commission - Regular Session
Regular MeetingGrand Rapids, MI · May 2, 2023
Minutes
OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
City Commission
OF THE
CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
Special Meeting, May 2, 2023
Call to Order
Commission was called to order by Mayor Rosalynn Bliss at 9:03 AM
Roll Call
Present: Mayor Bliss, Commissioner O’Connor, Commissioner Ysasi,
Commissioner Moody, Commissioner Perdue, Commissioner Robbins
Absent: Commissioner Knight (Excused)
The roll was called by the City Clerk.
Result: Adopted.
Mover: O’Connor. Supporter: Ysasi.
Yeas: Bliss, O’Connor, Ysasi, Moody, Perdue, Robbins
Excused: Lisa Knight
Motion to excuse Commissioner Knight.
Presentation of Proposed FY2024 Budget
City Commission Resolutions
92527 Result: Adopted.
Mover: O’Connor. Supporter: Perdue.
Yeas: Bliss, O’Connor, Ysasi, Moody, Perdue, Robbins
Excused: Lisa Knight
WHEREAS:
1. Act 43 of the Public Acts of Michigan of 1963 (second Extra session) (being
MCL 141.411 et. seq.) requires that every local unit provide for a public
hearing to be held on its proposed budget, and that notice of said hearing
be given at least six days prior to the hearing date by publication in a
newspaper of general circulation within such unit; and,
2. Act 5 of the Public Acts of Michigan of 1982, as amended, (being MCL
211.24e) requires the governing body of a taxing unit hold a public hearing
to receive testimony concerning an increase in the base operating millage
rate for its ensuing fiscal year; and,
3. The proposed 2023 (FY2024) property tax millage rate does exceed the
1
MAY 2, 2023 CITY COMMISSION 2
base tax rate and the City is required to hold a public hearing to receive
public input on the proposed property tax millage rate; therefore,
RESOLVED:
1. That the FY2024 City operating tax levy be increased by 0.1994 mills to a
proposed total operating tax levy of 9.0325; and,
2. That public hearings on the proposed 2023 property tax millage rate and
FY2024 budget for the General Operating, Special Revenue, Debt Service,
Capital Construction, Enterprise, and Intragovernmental Service Funds will
be scheduled for Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at Grand Rapids
City Hall, 300 Monroe Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503; and,
3. That the City Clerk is instructed to post at the principal office of the City of
Grand Rapids, 300 Monroe Avenue NW, the attached notice of public
hearings on establishing property taxes and on the proposed City budget;
and,
4. That the City Clerk is instructed to publish the attached notice in the Grand
Rapids Press on Sunday, May 7, 2023, in a section of the Grand Rapids
Press other than the classified advertisement section or that section of the
Grand Rapids Press reserved for legal notices; and,
5. That the City Clerk is instructed to send timely written notice of the time,
date, and place of the public hearings herein established to all newspapers
of general circulation within the City of Grand Rapids.
92528 Result: Adopted.
Mover: O’Connor. Supporter: Robbins.
Yeas: Bliss, O’Connor, Ysasi, Moody, Perdue, Robbins
Excused: Lisa Knight
RESOLVED:
1. That a public hearing to receive comments on the attached proposed fees
will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the City
Commission Chambers, 9th Floor, City Hall, 300 Monroe Avenue, NW,
Grand Rapids, Michigan; and
2. That said fees are proposed to be effective July 1, 2023; and
3. That the City Clerk provide notice of the public hearing as required by City
Commission Policy # 700-10.
Adjournment
Commission adjourned at 12:16 PM
JOEL H. HONDORP
City Clerk
Agenda
CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS
CITY COMMISSION MEETING
TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2023
9:00 AM
Welcome to the Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting. This session is the final process in the
consideration of the items listed on the following agenda. All of these agenda items have been thoroughly
reviewed and discussed in the various Standing Committees of the City Commission which meet on
Tuesday morning. To view supporting documents for agenda items, please visit:
www.grandrapidsmi.gov/commission
Persons who need reasonable accommodation to participate, are asked to contact the City Clerk’s Office
at 616-456-3010 or cityclerk@grcity.us.
Expected Meeting Procedures
1. Depending on the meeting there can be multiple opportunities for public
comment.
-The First is limited to items on the Commission’s agenda that are slated
to be voted on
-The Second is for specially scheduled required public hearings
-The Third is for any issue you would like to bring to the attention of the
Commission
2. You may only speak once on each issue.
3. All comments are to be limited to 3 minutes.
4. City Commission meetings are to be a safe place for everyone involved,
as such:
-No clapping, cheering, or holding up of signs
-Please refrain from swearing, name calling and/or making derogatory
comments directed toward a person’s race, religion, nation of origin, etc.
5. Do not request or expect comment from the Commission.
6. Please turn OFF cellular phones.
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. PRESENTATION OF PROPOSED FY2024 BUDGET
III. CITY COMMISSION RESOLUTIONS - Resolutions to be deliberated by the City Commission but
which come directly to the City Commission rather than from one of the Standing Committees.
1. Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Tuesday, May 16, 2023 on the Proposed Property
Taxes and FY2024 City Budget
2. Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Tuesday, May 16, 2023 on the Proposed FY2024
Service Provision Fees
IV. PUBLIC COMMENT
1. Public Comment
V. ADJOURNMENT
CITY COMMISSION
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
TERM DEFINITION
Adjournment To close the meeting.
Adopt To accept or approve; i.e., an ordinance, a resolution, a motion, etc.
Amend To modify; i.e., an ordinance, a resolution, a motion, etc.
Call to Order Formal opening of a meeting.
City Charter Legal document establishing a municipality (city).
City Commission Local form of government consisting of the Mayor and six Commissioners.
City Officers Includes: Mayor, President of the City Commission, City Manager, City Attorney,
City Treasurer, and City Clerk.
Consent Agenda Matters listed as Consent Agenda items are considered to be routine or matters
of unanimous consent by the City Commission. There will be no separate
discussion of these matters, and they will be enacted by one motion.
Executive Session A meeting in which the proceedings are of a confidential nature. Only members
and invited guests may attend, and all are honor-bound to maintain
confidentiality.
Motion A proposal that the Commissioners take a specific action or stand on an item
being presented to the City Commission.
Ordinance A piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority.
Postpone A motion to postpone is made if the City Commission needs more time to make
a decision. A postponement cannot go beyond the next session.
Quorum Number of voting members who must be present in order that business can be
legally transacted.
Recess Short intermission within a meeting.
Recognize / Obtain the Floor Acknowledgement by the presiding officer of the City Commission that a
member has the right to address the assembly.
Rescind (Repeal) Allows the City Commission to repeal an action previously taken; i.e.,
ordinances, etc.
Resolution A decision by the City Commission to do or not to do something.
Robert’s Rules of Order A guide to fair and orderly meeting procedures.
Suspend the Rules This motion is used when the City Commission wants to do something that
violates its own rules. The motion does not apply to an organization’s bylaws,
local, state, or national law; or fundamental principles of parlia-mentary law. An
appropriate suspension of the rules, used on occasion by the City Commission,
would be a motion to change the agenda.
Table, Lay on the This motion puts aside an item, and everything adhering to it, currently being
presented to the City Commission. The item remains “on the table” until taken
off.
Table, Take (Remove) from the The motion to Take from the Table is used when the City Commission wants to
continue considering a motion that was Laid on the Table earlier in the present
session or in the previous session of the City Commission. When a motion is
Taken from the Table, it has everything adhering to it exactly as it was when it
was Laid on the Table.
Revised: 06-30-2014 Source(s): Robert’s Rules of Order
City Commission Standing Rules
CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS COMMISSIONERS
Jon O’Connor joconnor@grcity.us 616-456-3035
First Ward
Drew Robbins drobbins@grcity.us 616-456-3035
Milinda Ysasi mysasi@grcity.us 616-456-3035
Second Ward
Lisa Knight lknight@grcity.us 616-456-3035
Nathaniel Moody nmoody@grcity.us 616-456-3035
Third Ward
Kelsey Perdue kperdue@grcity.us 616-456-3035
Revised: 01-07-2023