Connecting with Residents

Team GSR is in the process of conducting wellness checks across the district. We are connecting directly with residents to help address concerns and ensure they are connected with their block club — and in the last three weeks, we have reached nearly 7,500 doors! This is how we build community and grow community power. If you see us when we get to your community, please say hi! 

Join us for our October Office Hours!

Stop by with any questions or concerns!

Join Team GSR for our next
Building Power Training Series on October 24!

Register in advance as bit.ly/bpts-register.

48217 & W. Warren Projects - Community Meetings

Council Member Santiago-Romero secured funding for a slow streets project in 48217 and streetscape improvements on West Warren. Please see the flyers below for community outreach meetings in partnership with the Department of Public Works -- and meet us there!

October Monthly D6 Meeting Recording

If you missed our monthly virtual D6 meeting this week on tax incentives
with the DEGC, you can view the recording here.

City Council Update

City Council is coming to D6 next Tuesday, October 15!

Meet me and my colleagues at the Pope Francis Center's
Bridge Housing Campus (2915 W Hancock, 48208; map here) at 7p.

Learn more here.

Detroiters have until 4:30p on November 1

to submit a 2024 HOPE application

The HOPE program is a tax exemption that can reduce or exempt qualifying homeowners from property taxes for the current year based on household income. The exemption can help Detroiters avoid property tax foreclosure.

Residents can apply in the following ways:

• Go to the City of Detroit’s HOPE website at bit.ly/DetroitHOPEApplication to submit an application online or print out a form, fill it out and drop it off at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center (2 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48226).
• Call the Detroit Housing Resource HelpLine at 866-313-2520. to schedule a meeting with a housing counselor and submit a HOPE application. Detroiters can also schedule an appointment online at bit.ly/HOPECounselingNetwork.
  
• Attend in-person housing resource fairs to get help completing the HOPE application. The next events will take place 10a-3p on Saturday Oct. 12 at the Abayomi Community Development Corp. at 24331 West Eight Mile Road, and 10a-3p on Saturday Oct. 26 at Perfecting Church at 7616 Nevada Avenue.

The Planning and Development Department invites you to attend the following Community Outreach Ordinance (COO) meetings to discuss the proposed Citywide Historic Preservation Plan. The purpose of the meetings is to share with residents:

• Goals for the direction regarding future historic district designation, developing a policy for city owned historic buildings, identifying city codes that impact repurposing existing historic buildings; and
• Exploration of resources towards the realization of those goals 

The meeting dates and corresponding Zoom links are:

• Thursday, October 17th at 5p: https://bit.ly/CitywideHistoricPlanMTG1
• Monday, October 21st at 5p:  https://bit.ly/CitywideHistoricPlanMTG2   

Budget Priorities Forums

The Office of Budget, in coordination with the Department of Neighborhoods, is holding holding a series of virtual budget meetings aimed at informing and engaging the public on the process and development of its budget. Please see the dates and associated details below. You can also view the City's recently released FY25 Budget in Brief document here.

The City of Detroit, in partnership with the SP Grace, is now accepting applications for 2024/2025 NOF-ARPA Grant Funding! This is a fantastic opportunity to advance your community projects. Learn more about NOF-ARPA by watching our overview animation here and start your application today here!

Detroit People Mover Updates

2024 Election

Early Vote Centers and Drop Box Locations in D6 (full city list here)

• Clark Park (1130 Clark, 48209)
• City Clerk's Office (2 Woodward Ave., Suite 106, 48226)
• Kemeny Rec Center (2260 S. Fort St., 48217)

Drop Boy Location Only in D6 (full city list here)

• WCCCD Downtown Campus (1001 W. Fort St., 48226)
• Unity Baptist Church (7500 Tireman, 48204)

For more information, contact the Department of Elections at (313) 876-0190
or visit detroitmi.gov/departments/elections.

Water Square Scholarship Fund

As part of the Community Benefits agreement for Hotel Water Square, The Water Square Scholarship Fund is pleased to offer five, $10,000 scholarships for Detroit students who reside in District 6. 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Scholarship Application
• Applicant must be a high school senior or college undergraduate
• Applicant must be a resident of District 6 in the City of Detroit
• Applicant must complete an application form and submit a 500-word essay describing why applicant should be selected as an awardee of the grant
• If selected as a finalist, applicant will be requested to attend an in-person interview
• Scholarships are based on financial needs

TIMELINE

• Application submission deadline - Nov. 15, 2024
• Anticipated scholarship grant distribution - Dec. 15, 2024

Apply here!

Truck Route Implementation Efforts - Study and Survey Live!

The Southwest Truck Route Implementation Study is live! You can view the results of the study here. Please also complete this online survey to provide your feedback.

To learn more about the study, visit the website.

RSVP here!

The Mexican Irish Festival is back!

Sunday October 13, 12-5p
El Mercado, 2826 Bagley St., 48216

In the early 2000s, the Mexican-Irish Festival took place on a plot of land that is now the site of the Mexicantown Mercado. The festival was created to celebrate South West Detroit and Corktown. Maria Elena Rodriguez, the president of Mexicantown CDC, committed to producing an event celebrating our cultural similarities and historical connections.
The first Irish-Mexican Fiesta took place on August 27th, 2000, and was dedicated to the memory of Msgr. Clement H. Kern, a kind and generous catholic priest who was beloved by the community and who had a gift for making everyone feel special. Msgr Kern was a true pillar of support for families in the community.

The Mexicans and the Irish have deep Catholic roots and share a common history. During the United States invasion of Mexico during the 1846 - 1848 war, a group of Irish immigrants formed a battalion known to Mexicans as the San Patricios, who fought alongside Mexican soldiers against the United States. For Mexicans who had fought in the war and for generations that came after, the San Patricios were heroes who went to the aid of Mexicans in an hour of need. Ireland and Mexico still hold joint commemorations every year to celebrate this history.

After a long hiatus, Martina Guzmán, Christina Guzmán, and Angela T. Perez Harris have revived the Mexican Irish Festival to rebuild and strengthen the bond between the surrounding neighborhoods and re-establish community well-being. For more information, please email: mexicanirishfestivaldetroit@gmail.com

Attendees will also be able to get a Detroit ID onsite!

RSVP here!

Programs with Keep Growing Detroit

Putting Your Garden to Bed with Lorrie - Saturday, October 26 from 12-2 PM at KGD Farm, 3100 Orleans

As the gardening season winds down, fall is the perfect time to prepare your garden for the winter and plan ahead for the next season. In this class, Lorrie will guide you through a few simple steps to help you "put your garden to bed" so you can enjoy a more productive and successful garden next year. Registration: Not Required

Climate Smart Farming: Adapting to a Changing Future - Wednesday, October 30, 2024, 6pm-8pm on Zoom

Join us for a discussion on how climate change may further affect our farms and what actions we can take to adapt. Megan Phillips Goldenberg of the Michigan Climate Smart Farms Project will lead the conversation and share valuable resources available to help farmers implement Climate Smart practices to build resilience on their farms. (Join here.)

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park Survey

Currently under construction, Ralph Wilson Park is a 22-acre public space on the Detroit Riverfront that will be home to a variety of beautiful and exciting amenities for visitors to enjoy. The new park, opening in 2025, will provide multiple opportunities for free community programs appealing to all interests and activity levels.

Free community programming is essential to the mission of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and they are currently working to develop new programs that will benefit the community -- and want your input!

Click here to complete survey (Para completar la encuesta en español, haga clic aquí)

The Run of the Dead 2024 is a fundraiser for the Center of Music & Performing Arts Southwest (COMPÁS). The USATF-Certified event will celebrate the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). In commemoration of the annual Día de los Muertos holiday, which honors deceased relatives and loved ones, an ofrenda (altar) will be created and displayed by a community leader. Participants can celebrate by wearing traditional face paint, flowers, and attire. Enjoy light bites, vendors, and entertainment by COMPÁS Ensemble Band. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this incredible event! Click here for more information and sponsorship opportunities.

D6 Rec Center Programming!

Job Opportunities

• City of Detroit is hiring for many positions

For more details, visit the Office of Contracting and Procurement at detroitmi.gov/ocp

A brief visual guide to City of Detroit Departments

Click here to view departments, contact info, and key responsibilities!

A brief guide to City Council Meetings

We created a simple series of graphics to help increase awareness, civic engagement, and participation with City Council. Please click here to view the full set of slides full screen -- and share with your neighbors! They are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic! (Few details are also below.)

How to watch and participate in City Council meetings

Attend online at detroitmi.gov/Online-CC-Meeting or by phone by calling one of these numbers 929-436-2866, 312-626-6799, 669-906-6833, 253-215-8782, 301-715-8592, or 346-248-7799, and entering meeting ID 85846903626##

Agendas and related documents can be found and viewed here. (Click here to view video on how to locate Agendas and Minutes.)

To make public comment, please 'raise your hand' using the following instructions:

1. Telephone participants: Raise your hand by pressing #9
2. Web participants: Raise your hand by clicking raise hand in the application or pressing
   • Windows computer = [ALT] + [Y]
   • Apple Computers = [OPTION] + [Y]

3. Public Comment can also be submitted via email to CCPublicComment@detroitmi.gov.

For consistency, please note that for public comment: 

• You will be called on in the order in which your hand is raised
• All time limits are set by the meeting chair
• Any hands raised after the Chair ends submission of public comments will not be able to speak at the meeting

If interpretation or translation services are needed call The Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity at 313-224-4950. 

Detroit Residents' Guide: A Community Resource Guide

This guide contains information on what you need to know as a Detroit resident. The information focuses on a number of subjects, which are top areas of concern for residents.

Interested in starting a block club?

Check out this Block Club Starter Kit from the Department of Neighborhoods (DONs) and this How to start a block club in Detroit guide from Outlier Media to learn more!

Contact your D6 DONs staff for more assistance:

• Eva Torres, District Manager - torrese@detroitmi.gov
• Antonio Mora-Mills, Deputy Manager - millsa@detroitmi.gov

Detroit Alerts 365

Be Safe. Know when there’s an emergency impacting your area. Would you like to receive timely emergency notifications pertaining to the city of Detroit? Detroit Alerts 365 is a new notification system that sends Detroit-specific emergency notifications through the CodeRED emergency notification system—a system used by emergency services teams and municipalities nationwide. This free system enables you to choose how you would like to receive alerts--via telephone, text message, and/or email.

Benefits: During a crisis, real-time updates can provide life-saving instructions and information.

• Notifications are on the go with you. You can receive important alerts and non-emergency notifications, based on your address directly to your cell phone, home phone, text, or email.
• You will receive notifications targeted to residents in a specific area experiencing emergency conditions.
• Your personal data is secure in the CodeRED system.

Register here!

Sign up for the Detroit Documenters email to get people-powered news on your local government delivered right to your inbox, plus updates and info from the Documenters community. Learn more about Detroit Documenters here.

Newsletter questions?
Email rogersth@detroitmi.gov

General questions or assistance?
councilmembergabriela@detroitmi.gov   |   313-224-2450

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