Mayor Brenda Moore has a major concern with a plan to bring historic district status to downtown.
Councilman Michael Balls questions why few laborers of ethnic minority status are employed on local road project crews.
One topic is set to be resolved at Monday night’s City Council meeting, while the other is absent from the agenda.
Moore two weeks ago was the only member to oppose historic status focused not on the old Second National Bank building or the Bancroft or Eddy hotels, but on the Genesee/Washington intersection’s more obscure “Mason Building” on the southeast. She said she fears that historic requirements may discourage developers, but other members instead perceived a positive outlook that was outlined by Bill Ostash, the City Council’s delegate on the Planning Commission.
To review the discussion, click here. A vote is slated near the close of the May 6 session.
Councilman Balls began his inquiry on contractor hiring when he said, “All I see out there is all black guys and Mexican guys out there working all the time. I don’t see white guys out there….. or did I get that wrong?” Those words evoked nervous-type laughter, as though others in attendance could not tell whether he intended sarcasm. He added that with $9 million in projects on the schedule, “We can’t even get someone to hold a damned flag.”
To view the segment, click here. With state Rep. Amos O’Neal in the audience, no other council member spoke to follow up on Balls’ four-minute speech, or to give a “second” to his request for a report from City Manager Tim Morales. Instead, reports are slated on the 2024-25 general fund budget and on plans for the upcoming Memorial Cup junior hockey championships on May 23 through June 2. Viewers may check Spectrum Channel 191, saginaw-mi.com or YouTube. The start time is 6:30 p.m.
