Board Of Director Meeting

The minutes from Jan. 19th meeting were unanimously approved. Now we are in public comment.

First caller wants to know if inquire@detroitlandbank.org is a valid address for questions. She has emailed that address and not received a reply.

Caller also wants to know about how the development projects are supposed to go. “From a resident’s point of view” it seems like some people get approved and not others.

I’ve personally heard several of these complaints from Detroit residents.

Joanne Sobeck and her group have been in negotiations with DLBA for almost 2 years. They have a purchase agreement. They are trying to build a 15,000 sq. foot medical facility in SW Detroit. Asking for serious attention to her request.

Board Chair thinks the project sounds incredible, from what she recalls they have property tied up for seven years while fundraising and that is not allowed - “It’s not stalled for no reason. It’s stalled for a specific policy reason having to do with proof of funds.”

Caller complains about developers not following the rules and allowing purchased properties to go into disrepair and the houses are noncompliant, and it is discouraging to investors like himself. He thinks they need a better vetting process up front to circumvent these challenges

There is a conscious policy that does not require anyone to show proof of funds just to rehab one property - and that is to not exclude Detroit residents who want to participate. Caller thinks this policy assumes that Detroit residents are poor. Chair says that is not the case.

I randomly got called on and was shocked!! I said that I didn’t have anything to say. DLBA says they are going down the list of participants to give everyone a chance to speak.

How conscious and inclusive of them. I guess I could’ve asked them what’s up with my project!!

For many years this homeowner was told she could not have help for the problems on her block from DLBA. She said the squatters, drug dealers, prostitutes have been capitalizing on Land Bank policies…

…Proposal N doesn’t help her nine-block radius. She has had to open her own nonprofit to try to work on these issues. She said DLBA vet potential homeowners in areas where gentrification is taking place, but not on her block.

Public comment has ended. We are onto the Executive Director report.

Strong sales, even in traditionally slower months. Over 300 sales. Over 200 side lot sales.

Continuing to rollout Neighborhood Lots program and refining the “kinks”. Over 6400 lots available.

Still looking for creative solutions to high wait times for the inquiry calls that come in since the staff is low due to COVID

Working on improving IT such as implementing two-factor authentication for employees to access the site since there have been several hack attempts.

Virtual events have really taken off and become popular. Now the Vacant Land Reuse Team did a lunch & learn last month that was so well attended they hit the attendee cap on Zoom.

I notice that these virtual meetings and events have really seemed to increase visibility and access to the Land Bank and City Council and I’m sure other governing bodies as well.

Because staff is low and wait times are so long, you can request a callback when you call. There is no voicemail box to leave a message because apparently it’s not practical for the DLBA to monitor a voicemailbox

We are now onto new business.
The first resolution up for a vote is for Briggs Town North LLC developing properties on Trumbull and another location. Two-phase project spanning 2021-2022.

Motion carried unanimously

Resolution for Thomas Wilson & Associates to develop a property where they live upstairs and open to pop-up business on the lower level is unanimously approved.

Southwest Detroit Development LLC is the winner of the project bids at the space they requested because they have more experience in redevelopment. Unanimously approved

ALEXANDRIA
SIERACKI
something about garden space unanimously approved.

Likewise: Iman Payne’s garden project is unanimously approved.

Another homestead project for Jahid Hussein to renovate his place to live, rent it out, and also add a community garden. Unanimously approved.

Scott Craig Greenspace, intends to fence in the lots he recently purchased to add to his homestead. Will hire community members for a two-day build. Project is unanimously approved.

130 E GRAND LIMITED DIVIDEND HOUSING - to
Renovate historic mansion and build apartment buildings across the street. 60 units with 40 set aside for various AMI levels. Worked in tandem with the city to select these winners - Church of the Messiah - with strong community support.

130 E Grand LTD project was unanimously approved.

Regarding the Joe Louis Greenway, there has been controversy surrounding that project. For the Land Bank, the Executive Director has the final say. For this project to create inways and outways (I guess for traffic) is unanimously approved.

There is now a motion to go into closed session. The chair said that there would not be any actionable items voted on during closed session. Once the board comes out of closed session, they expect to adjourn.

The board members are heading to a breakout room while the DLBA moderator, Kelsey, hangs out here with the members of the public. We wait.

So I’ll take this time to add my own comments. This meeting flowed really fast. It followed the agenda to a T, and was so easy to follow along. It included and engaged the public and I thought all the project approvals/purchase agreements were really exciting.

Board members are experiencing a few technical difficulties in the breakout room. Just waiting for Carol to reconnect and get into the room with them.

We are now onto new business.
The first resolution up for a vote is for Briggs Town North LLC developing properties on Trumbull and another location. Two-phase project spanning 2021-2022.

Motion carried unanimously

Resolution for Thomas Wilson & Associates to develop a property where they live upstairs and open to pop-up business on the lower level is unanimously approved.

Southwest Detroit Development LLC is the winner of the project bids at the space they requested because they have more experience in redevelopment. Unanimously approved

ALEXANDRIA
SIERACKI
something about garden space unanimously approved.

Likewise: Iman Payne’s garden project is unanimously approved.

Another homestead project for Jahid Hussein to renovate his place to live, rent it out, and also add a community garden. Unanimously approved.

Scott Craig Greenspace, intends to fence in the lots he recently purchased to add to his homestead. Will hire community members for a two-day build. Project is unanimously approved.

130 E GRAND LIMITED DIVIDEND HOUSING - to
Renovate historic mansion and build apartment buildings across the street. 60 units with 40 set aside for various AMI levels. Worked in tandem with the city to select these winners - Church of the Messiah - with strong community support.

130 E Grand LTD project was unanimously approved.

Regarding the Joe Louis Greenway, there has been controversy surrounding that project. For the Land Bank, the Executive Director has the final say. For this project to create inways and outways (I guess for traffic) is unanimously approved.

There is now a motion to go into closed session. The chair said that there would not be any actionable items voted on during closed session. Once the board comes out of closed session, they expect to adjourn.

The board members are heading to a breakout room while the DLBA moderator, Kelsey, hangs out here with the members of the public. We wait.

So I’ll take this time to add my own comments. This meeting flowed really fast. It followed the agenda to a T, and was so easy to follow along. It included and engaged the public and I thought all the project approvals/purchase agreements were really exciting.

Board members are experiencing a few technical difficulties in the breakout room. Just waiting for Carol to reconnect and get into the room with them.