Committee on Intergovernmental Relations
Regular MeetingLansing, MI · October 23, 2019
Minutes
MINUTES
Committee on Intergovernmental Relations
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 @ 8:00 a.m.
Council Conference Room, City Hall
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting called to order at 8:06 a.m.
ROLL CALL
Council Member Brian T. Jackson, Chairperson – left at 8:23 a.m.
Council Member Jeremy Garza, Vice Chairperson – arrived at 8:09 a.m.
Councilmember Kathie Dunbar, Member
OTHERS PRESENT
Sherrie Boak, Council Office Manager
Lisa Hagen, Assistant City Attorney, Council Research Assistant
Joe Abood, Chief City Attorney
Ann Erhadt, Commons Logic
Stephanie White, MSU
Elaine Fischhoff
Sharon Bannon
PUBLIC COMMENT
No Public Comment at this time.
MINUTES
MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNBAR TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM
SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED 2-0.
DISCUSSION/ACTION
DISCUSSION–Report on the Progress of the Climate Action Plan Project
Ms. White introduced herself and stated she is currently a MSU faculty member and working on
the research in urban agriculture and how climate change effect that.
Ms. Erhardt distributed her 10/23/2019 Climate Action Plan Project Update (attached). She
then highlighted what tasks had been performed that she was waiting on. Those included an
inquiry into the purchase of International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)
membership and access to their framework at a cost of $1,750.00. The program was outlined
as offering services in conjunction with City of East Lansing, and service beneficial to the future
Sustainability Coordinator. The status on this was pending the Mayor’s Office. The next item
Ms. Erhardt outlined in her report was the data collection process where she acknowledged that
sometimes there is not data needed, and in some cases, there are only 1-2 months’ worth of
data available so it does not give much of a baseline. Ms. Erhardt confirmed she has been in
contact with LBWL (Shelly Starkey), but even with the City liaison of Andy Kilpatrick she is
struggling to get detailed information from the City departments, and some inventory is less
detailed, so the result will have less detailed analysis. Council Member Dunbar offered to
provide Ms. Erhardt with the phone number for Marty Riel, City Property Maintenance Director.
Ms. Erhardt then confirmed a survey has been sent out to the Department Directors and it was
forwarded to Council Member Jackson and Dunbar. Ms. Boak asked that the survey be sent to
her for the record and to Council Member Garza, Committee Vice Chairperson.
Council Member Jackson asked, if the details are reduced and lead to a reduced analysis, if the
plan would be so basic and the recommendations would be basic, so she might not even need
the data. Ms. Erhardt yes, but it is an exercise that has not been done before. At this time,
Council Member Dunbar stated she would text the Mayor’s office directly on the status of the
ICLEI membership request.
Council Member Jackson acknowledged that the deadline is 12/31/2019; however, he
encouraged Ms. Erhardt not to rush just to finish, but base it on the data and a plan. Ms.
Erhardt confirmed the plan by 12/31/2019 with high-level strategy and recommendations. She
acknowledged that currently she has only billed $3,000 out of the budgeted $14,000, and it will
not be so high level that it would not be useful, but high enough to make plans. Council
Member Jackson asked what the Committee could do to assist in obtaining information, and Ms.
Erhardt acknowledged that she has been working with Mr. Kilpatrick, but what should have been
done in the beginning was the formation of “team” to work around this.
Council Member Jackson asked her if the recommendation was going to deal with SMART
infrastructure to connect the renewables from the surrounding regions, and he was told that is
out of the scope of work where she is at now, because the City is in the early stage of the
climate action plan. In addition, idea like that, she added, would be on the horizon, but need to
take care of these first steps. Lastly, Council Member Jackson asked if her recommendation
would include a Sustainability Coordinator, and she confirmed and even recommended a
Commission of volunteers that work on various topics, similar to East Lansing.
Council Member Jackson left the meeting and Vice Chairperson continued the meeting.
Council Member Dunbar stated her opinion that Mr. Kilpatrick must not be communicating with
Mayor Schor, so she would instigate a communication with both of them.
Council Member Garza asked if Ms. Erhardt recommendation includes addressing energy on a
daily use. She admitted that the plan right now is the strategy for the City, but they are looking at
the levels used, the carbon footprint, and in the future working with purchasing, so addressing
daily use would be later. Council Member Dunbar suggested brining in Lori Welch with the City
Recycling Department at a later meeting. Council Member Garza asked Ms. Erhardt if she has
reached out to other businesses in the City and his example was hospitals who he believed do
not recycle. Mr. Erhardt confirmed she has not done anything laterally now, but something can
be done down the line. She then noted that East Lansing has a Commission working on the
waste stream in their City and the City of Lansing could work on a regional approach.
Ms. Fischhoff asked the Committee what they suggested the public state to the Council at the
future budget meetings to assist with the project. Council Member Dunbar was in supportive of
more staffing, and a designated staff in each department. Council Member Garza posed the
question of if Mark Lawrence in the Mayor’s office could be the City point person, and Council
Member Dunbar agreed since his position, Citizen Advocate, is the front line to most citizen
calls.
Ms. Fischhoff presented the Committee with details on an upcoming Sustainability Conference
on November 20-November 21 that the State of Michigan is hosting.
Council Member Garza asked Ms. Erhardt if East Lansing had a Sustainability Manager and
was informed they do and she could provide the Committee with a summary of how that position
was created and a job description.
Adjourned at 8:37 a.m.
Submitted by,
Sherrie Boak, Council Officer Manager
Lansing City Council
Approved December 11, 2019___________________
Agenda
AGENDA
Committee on Intergovernmental Relations
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 @ 8:00 a.m.
Council Conference Room, City Hall 10th Floor
Council Member Brian T. Jackson, Chair
Council Member Jeremy Garza, Vice Chair
Council Member Kathie Dunbar, Member
1. Call to Order
2. Public Comment
3. Approval of Minutes
September 25, 2019
4. Discussion/Action:
A.) DISCUSSION–Report on the Progress of the Climate Action Plan
Project – Commons Logic, LLC
5. Other
6. Adjourn
DRAFT
MINUTES
Committee on Intergovernmental Relations
Tuesday, September 25, 2019 @ 8:00 a.m.
Council Conference Room, City Hall
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting called to order at 8:00 a.m.
ROLL CALL
Council Member Brian T. Jackson, Chairperson – left the meeting at 8:10 a.m.
Council Member Jeremy Garza, Vice Chairperson
Councilmember Kathie Dunbar, Member – arrived at 8:03 a.m.
OTHERS PRESENT
Sherrie Boak, Council Office Manager
Derrell Slaughter, Ingham County Commissioner
Bryan Crenshaw, Ingham County Commissioner
Jodi LeBombard, Ingham County Animal Control Director
Teri Morton, Ingham County Controller
Sharon Bannon
Kris Wisnieswki
Chief Green, LPD
Linda Keefe
Stephanie White
Mary Bowen, Assistant City Attorney
Jim Smiertka, City Attorney – arrived at 8:08 a.m.
Lisa Hagen, Council Legal Analyst
Todd Tennis, Ingham County Commissioner – arrived at 8:15 a.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No Public Comment at this time.
DISCUSSION/ACTION
Council Member Jackson amended the agenda to address the Climate Action first until Council
Member Dunbar could arrive.
DISCUSSION–Report on the Progress of the Climate Action Plan Project
Council Member Jackson informed the group that since the last Committee meeting the Council
extended the deadline to December 31, 2019 for the plan, due to the timing it is taking to gather
the data, draft and implement a climate action plan. Regarding earlier questions on funding in
DRAFT
the Budget Priorities, Council Member Jackson explained there a Sustainability Coordinator
Position proposed in this years' document and that person will work on grants and implement a
climate plan. Ms. Bannon asked if that was part of the Financial Health Team and solar credits.
Council Member Jackson clarified that was proposed last year, but did not pass at Council.
Council Member Dunbar arrived and asked the discussion be moved to the end of the agenda
further discussion. Council Member Jackson stated there were no more updates other than Ms.
Erhardt will be at the October 23rd Committee meeting.
DISCUSSION- Ingham County Animal Control Services
Council Member Dunbar informed the group that this topic was her request from an earlier
meeting because she had received communications from residents regarding the procedures for
the LPD responding to and picking up stray dogs. (Old Town) She added that she did not support
the LPD taking the place of animal control after hours, so she was interested in clarification on
after hours expectations with LPD, dispatch and Animal Control.
Commissioner Crenshaw referenced the Old Town incident, noting that LPD did not take care of
it, but in that case, Animal Control addressed it. Council Member Dunbar clarified that her concern
was not that LPD handled that case, but that residents called LPD thinking they were going to
take care of it and did not.
Ms. LeBombard explained that Animal Control could not accept stray animals after hours from
the public, however there is a fenced in area where LPD does have the code to access. The
policy is that the public hold onto stray animals until Animal Control is open, and depending on
the day, officers are on site 8:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, adding that they can always take
calls on weekends, but Sunday is the only day they are closed to the public. Chief Green explained
that the LPD mission is public safety and everything patrol does is based on priority. Dispatch
will take the call, determine the situation and if LPD is available they will pick up the animal, but
they have minimal training. This usually can take 45 minutes to 90 minutes that it will place the
officer
“out of service”. If it is a “dangerous dog”, it is considered a “hard-priority”, however if the officers
are dealing with a human situation, the animal call will be delayed. Chief Green concluded his
statement by noting that it is a resource drain on the LPD when it occurs because it takes officers
out of the City limits, however they always do the best they can. Council Member Dunbar asked
if a call for an aggressive animal that was threatening be considered a call for an officer, and Chief
Green assured her that dispatch would put it to LPD no matter what; they will not hold them.
Council Member Garza asked if they ever make contact with the complainant. Chief Green stated
he would not be able to respond unless he heard how each call went through dispatch, and Ms.
LeBombard agreed that each case is considered “case by case” and it depends on each case
circumstances. Council Member Dunbar asked if Animal Control is considering increasing their
funding for weekend on-call, and Ms. LeBombard confirmed she has requested funds for the 2020
budget, and at this time, it is well received by the Commission. Currently, she added, Animal
Control has six (6) full time officers, and if this passes in the budget, they will rotate “on-call” hours
on the weekends.
Chief Green asked Council Member Dunbar if she is getting complaints on barking dogs. Council
Member Dunbar stated she was, but it is when a barking dog is fenced in and appears to be an
issue where they have no food or fenced in during inclement weather. Chief Green confirmed
that barking dogs are something the LPD addresses and they usually speak to the owner.
DRAFT
OTHER
Council Member Dunbar asked the Commission members if they were looking for anything from
the City, and were told they would be interested in combined efforts with the County on hiring
additional staff to assist in redaction of body cam footage in the LPD. Mr. Smiertka noted that
redaction is an enormous effort in his office as well. Council Member Dunbar stated she would
proposed in the Budget Priorities from the Committee an increase in funding for FOIA and video
redaction. Chief Green noted that the LPD has submitted a grant request for redaction software
for the LPD and OCA on FOIA requests. Council Member Dunbar asked how much funding the
LPD would need for this position and the Chief was not able to provide an amount at this time.
Ms. Morton informed the group they the County hopes to collaborate with the County Prosecutor
Offices on this practice with a 50/50 split with the City. They are hoping to fund a position in the
LPD and the County is interested in paying for half.
Commission Member Tennis, who arrived during the animal control discussion, noted that the
County does not have the authority to prevent someone from owning an animal, but a judge
could order it. Ms. LeBombard added that for a case to go in front of a judge in court they would
have to establish the violation occurred, have a witness willing to testify, however that is all left
up to the prosecutor to determine.
Council Member Garza recapped the earlier update on the Climate Action Plan for members of
the public and Committee who arrived late. He stated the deadline was extended to December
31, 2019, referenced the report from Ms. Erhardt in the packet and at the table. Ms. Keefe
asked about the last item on the report, Council Member Dunbar stated the report references
data Ms. Erhardt had requested, and once she receives everything she will compile it into a
report.
MINUTES
MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNBAR TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST
27, 2019 AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED 2-0.
Ms. White introduced herself.
Adjourned at 8:53 a.m.
Submitted by,
Sherrie Boak, Council Officer Manager
Lansing City Council
Approved ___________________
Material Not Available at the time the
packet was published.
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