HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.7.25 DEI Advisory Minutes
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Advisory Board Meeting - Minutes
October 7, 2025
5:30 – 6:30pm
7th Floor, City Hall
Lansing, MI
Call to Order: 5:30pm
Attendance: Cheryl Horn-Bernard, Emily Sorroche, Terry Frazier, Deanna Brown, Sharon Gillison
Agenda Approved: Gillison, 2nd Frazier
Approval of Minutes August 5, 2025: Gillison, 2nd Brown
Public Comments: None
Director’s Update:
• 7th Annual Coat Drive Aug. 25-Nov 7th, 2025 – Coats can be donated at community
centers and Infront of City Hall / Community Connect, November 20th at CATA Station
• Pathways to Wellness: A community United – Opioid Awareness Month Campaign
(October 2025)
• MOD Pod: Let’s Continue the Conversation, Oct 30th at Foster Community Center 5:30-
7:30
o Board members must be mindful of interactions when more than (3) members are
present at an event to comply with the MI Open Meetings Act.
Culture & Accountability Officers Update
• Provided Dashboard update on data collected by the city
Standing Theme Update
• Justice & Safety – No report
• Economic Empowerment – Start to share the Small Business Starter Kit
• Community Sustainability – Talk about the MOD Pod
Unfinished Business:
• Updates
o From Idea to Income – Small Business Starter Kit
▪ Moving forward if we have questions can address them later
o Path Forward – MOD Pods
o Ordinance Review – Still do not know the status beyond General Council. Might be at
the Mayor Level
New Business
NMBY (Not In My Backyard) – MOD Pod Exercise
Hopes
- Help people need shelter
- Road to being stable
- Keep clean – Sanitary
2
- Provides Stability
- Beautifies & enhances the community
- Positive inspiration – Feeling good about selves
- Acceptability / Acceptance
- Community in the environment / Sense of community
- People in the community supporting
- Positive Public Relations and communication/marketing
- Empower people, neighborhoods and neighbors
- Changes opportunities for vulnerable people
Fears
- Drugs/crime
- Labeling of residents
- Property values will go down
- Impact on children walking or biking through the nearby school zone
- Fair vetting/selection process – possible lack of diversity
- Individual safety of people & community
- They people do not want to leave
- No transitional housing options / placements at end of duration in ModPod stay
- Cost to city and stakeholders/What is the cost to have this MOD Pods
- Not in my backyard (NIMBY)
- Inadequate dissemination of information about the project, process and status
- Too many rules & regulations for residents to follow to live comfortably and free
- Parking options for residents
- How does this change my existing neighborhood
Evidence/Supporting Info/Data/Experiences
- Negative personal experiences
- Current Economic State
- Other cities that have MOD Pods to learn from them
- How have taxes been affected by MOD Pods
- Success rate of other MOD Pod communities
- Before and after impact studies on existing communities
- Crime information and transitional success/failure date
- Success rates and stories
- Marketizing campaign
Parking Lot
- Input from the Resident
- Community / neighborhood Board
- Neighborhood activities or meet and greets
Announcements:
• Nation Indigenous People’s Day Celebration: October 13th at MI State Capital, 4-7pm
Meeting Adjourned: 6:33pm
Members: Emily Sorroche, Terry Frazier, Sharon Gillison, Cheryl Bernard, DeAnna Brown,