What Lansing Council

Council had a light agenda, with some heavy issues at the May the Fourth meetings. Six city departments gave budget presentations: the 54A District court, the Mayor’s office, Downtown Lansing Inc., Human Resources, Finance, and Treasury. Public comment focused on begging council to stop sending police to sweep unhoused people out of places where they congregate in the city. 
Our guest this episode is Dana Watson. Dana served as an East Lansing city council member from 2020 - 2025, she continues to work as a Health Equity Social Justice Coordinator for Ingham County, and as a board member for the Justice League of Greater Lansing.
Support this podcast financially:
⁠https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil⁠
UPCOMING LIVE PODCAST SHOW EVENT!!!! JUNE 2ND!!!
⁠https://www.therobintheatre.com/events/what-lansing-council-podcast-live-panel-discussion⁠
The 45 B (East Lansing) expungement clinic mentioned in the episode, unfortunately happened on May 1st this year, but it is an annual event. More information about the expungement process in Michigan can be found here: https://michiganlegalhelp.org/resources/crime-and-traffic/overview-of-michigans-expungement-laws
Working Families Party: https://workingfamilies.org/state/michigan/
Greater Lansing Justice League 5K - May 12, 2026, 8:30 AM, Benjamin Davis Park:
https://www.justiceleagueglm.org/event-details-registration/lansing-juneteenth-5k

During the April 20th Lansing city council meetings the council passed ordinance changes with the intention of restricting the locations of new liquor stores - so they are not built right next to each other. They voted 6 to 1 to put the sale of the building currently operated as the Shuffle to a city wide vote, to see if the public would be interested in selling this public asset. They wrote a letter opposing federal legislation aimed at restricting voting rights. They also started the process to change a few things about metered parking. The Lansing area federal credit union chief executive officer was appointed to the Lansing entertainment and public facilities authority (LAFCU to LEPFA), and five departmental budget presentations included three 4/20 jokes.
Our guest this episode is MC Rothhorn. MC is a co-owner of Eastside Compost and a member of the Genesee Gardens co-housing.
Support this podcast financially:
https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil

UPCOMING LIVE PODCAST SHOW EVENT!!!!
https://www.therobintheatre.com/events/what-lansing-council-podcast-live-panel-discussion

Eastside Compost: food scrap hauling business service all of Lansing and East Lansing! https://eastsidecompost.com/
Eastside Compost Earth Day event at the Allen Neighborhood Center on Wednesday 4/22/2026 from 5:30pm - 6:00pm at 1611 E Kalamazoo St, Lansing, MI 48912
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CFczt1SEx/

During the March 30th Committee of the Whole meeting, the City Council heard a budget overview presentation from the city’s chief strategy officer. They heard departmental budget presentations from the Fire Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and the affiliated agencies the Lansing Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), and the Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority (LEPFA). Also, members from the Economic Development and Planning Department presented their Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan - for federal monies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Our guest for this episode is Erin Buitendorp. Erin is the Community Development Manager in the City’s Economic Development and Planning Department, Erin leads six dedicated staff members in ensuring federal HUD dollars reach the people and partners who need them most. A Licensed Professional Counselor, creative artist + Lansing Lore preservationist, Erin came to public service by way of a decade in higher education and a term of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving the City.

Project Erin worked on - The City of Lansing City Council Proceedings Collection digitized from 1916 to 2024:
https://archive.org/details/lansing-council-proceedings?sort=date

Community development office within the Department of Economic Development and Planning:
https://www.lansingmi.gov/296/Community-Development-Office

Support this podcast financially:
https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil

UPCOMING LIVE PODCAST SHOW EVENT!!!!
https://www.therobintheatre.com/events/what-lansing-council-podcast-live-panel-discussion

Fire Department Dashboard:
https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiMmQ4MDdkODktNjY5My00NDAxLWJlOGUtZTBiOWNmY2MyYzJhIiwidCI6Ijg3NTA5ZGVlLTA5NWItNGZmOC1iYTVhLTAwMzVjZGZjNzE1ZCJ9

Tiny Bit of Wood woodworking and community art studio class schedule:
https://www.tinybitofwood.com/book-online

Capital City Film Festival: https://capitalcityfilmfest.com/schedule

An hour and a half before the April 6th Lansing City council meetings, word got out that the UK based data center company, Deep Green, was pulling their request for the purchase and rezoning of the city owned parking lot on East Kalamazoo and South Cedar St. Many community members shared their thoughts about the process surrounding this project. Council heard budget presentations from the information technology, assessing, city attorney, and police departments, as well as a proposed small development project along South Cedar St. Council passed the ordinance changing the placard system for rental property violators (from pink/red to white/yellow/red/black), and to allow for red tag fees to be waived if progress on fixing housing issues is demonstrated.
CORRECTION the liquor store ordinance update had its public hearing at this meeting - the vote for the approval of this item will be in subsequent meetings. 
Our guest this episode is Rebecca-Lynn Ferguson. Rebecca is a Lansing-based creative and community advocate who works with language learners in the Lansing Public Schools and serves on several boards, including RIF (Reading is Fundamental), Ingham Health Plan (IHP), and the REO Town Commercial Association (RTCA).

Find meeting issues maps and bingo results from the meetings on the podcast’s patreon page here:
https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil

UPCOMING LIVE PODCAST SHOW EVENT!!!!
https://www.therobintheatre.com/events/what-lansing-council-podcast-live-panel-discussion

REO Town’s 25th Annual Meeting
Event Details

REO Town Commercial Association (the coolest domain name!)
https://reo.town/

Lansing Empowerment Network:
https://www.facebook.com/lansingempowermentnetwork

At the March 23rd Lansing city council meetings council heard requests from two developers interested in purchasing city property: the operator of the Lansing Shuffle and Deep Green, the UK based data center developer. Many residents spoke in opposition of these sales and some spoke in support. Council debated the optics of taking a pay raise for their part time positions, and they set a hearing for making changes to the metered parking rules.

Our guest this episode is Judge Rosemarie Aquilina. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina has served on the 30th Circuit Court for Ingham County since her election in November of 2008. She is an adjunct professor at both the Michigan State University School of Law and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and she has previously served on the oversight board for the Board of Water and Light and the City of Lansing's Elected Officers Compensation Commission. 
Judge Aquilina:
https://cc.ingham.org/courts_and_sheriff/circuit_court/aquilina.php
Read Judge Aquilina’s books:
https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=Rosemarie+Aquilina
Lansing City Council meeting schedules and documents:
https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council
Find meeting issues maps and bingo results from the meetings on the podcast’s patreon page here:
https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil
Youth group with four participants who spoke at council: 
https://www.oneloveglobal.org/ppm 
Peace & Prosperity Youth Action Movement (PPM) is a group of teens and young adults focused on increasing social equity within our community.