A Note from your Council Member

It is a pleasure to serve as your Council Member for District 4. I would like to extend my gratitude to the Morningside Community Organization President, Mr. Eric Dueweke, for assisting our office in our foreclosure prevention efforts. Mr. Dueweke, along with a team of volunteers, helped canvass the Morningside neighborhood to provide information to help residents at risk of foreclosure.

My priorities for the next few months will be to better understand community projects and direct resources to support implementation, stay connected with the District 4 residents, and define our partnership with the Department of Neighborhoods. We are planning to host a number of events such as hazardous waste dropoff for Earth Day, hold weekly virtual office hours, and create our marketing plan to stay connected with residents.

Much of my day-to-day workload revolves around responding to constituent needs and preparing for Council sessions. My committee assignments include serving as the Chair of the Internal Operations committee and as a member of the Planning and Economic Development (PED) Committee. Internal Operations is tasked with conducting initial interviews with Board and Commission appointees, approving (or not) all lawsuit settlements, and matters of pay rate reclassifications. PED is primarily responsible for land transfers, zoning changes and development agreements.

I enjoy bringing a different perspective to both committees and encouraging discussions around changing behavior and tax abatements. My biggest surprise so far has been realizing how long it takes to pull the office together. In addition, my biggest challenge so far has been managing my schedule to accommodate all of the meeting requests.

I look forward to building upon the great relationships that I have within the Morningside community. You can contact me by phone (313) 224-4841 and/or email at councilmemberjohnson@detroitmi.gov.