It’s the April 21st Lansing City Council meeting, the council hears comments in support of housing densification zoning amendments, they repeal the “no restroom use for the opposite sex” ordinance, and some departmental budget updates lead to swooning.

Our guest Metro Melik is a radio DJ for Stacks 92.1, he has been working in the Lansing media landscape since the 90’s producing shows for public access, he’s an entrepreneur founding Lansing Made, me2u photography and videography services, he serves as the relationship manager for the women’s center of greater Lansing, and he was appointed to the Lansing Public Media Authority at the council meeting!

You can learn more about Metro Melik from his website: www.metromelik.com/

One of his projects with the women’s center is 517 Day: www.517day.com/

*Correction: EPA stands for the Environmental Protection Agency not “Authority”

At the April 7th 2025 Lansing city council meetings the strip-club Centerfolds had their business licenses revoked, general and departmental budgets were dissected, and restroom feelings were shared. There is some mention of violent crimes and sex crimes in this episode.

Our guest Julie Vandenboom works for the State of Michigan’s Health and Human Services Department, she serves on the Capital Area District Libraries' board, and she is running for an at-large city council seat this year.

You can learn more about Julie’s campaign here: https://julievandenboom.com/

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Some episode fact checking:

• One public commenter said, “Lansing is the 17th most violent city in America”. Here is where I think they found this figure: https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-city-rankings/most-violent-cities-in-america

• • This website does list Lansing as #17 - but when I looked into the source, 2018 data from the FBI, I’m seeing data by metropolitan area - and Lansing comes in at 108th for violent crimes per 100,000 people, where violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

• Another public comment sited a study that, “one in eleven jobs promised by developers in Michigan materialize”: https://www.mackinac.org/pressroom/2024/michigans-corporate-welfare-failure-only-1-in-11-jobs-promised-were-created

• Council member Hussain mentioned sidewalk maintenance best practice is 25 year replacement: https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/nchrp_rpt_713_thompson.pdf

• Multiple folks reference Michigan’s open carry laws for licensed concealed firearms, they are prohibited on the following premises: “A tavern where the primary source of income is the sale of alcoholic liquor by the glass consumed on the premises.” https://www.michigan.gov/msp/services/ccw/prohibited-premises

• Late in the episode your host is miss-quoting “Wilhoit’s Law” which is often miss-attributed: https://slate.com/business/2022/06/wilhoits-law-conservatives-frank-wilhoit.html

It's the March 24th Lansing City Council meeting recap! The Council adopted an ordinance change making it illegal to park unregistered vehicles on city roads, they gave a tribute to a group honoring Cesar E. Chavez, and began discussions to revise a historic ordinance criminalizing the individual use of bathrooms designated for the sex different from the sex assigned at birth, and more!

Our guest Loretta Stanaway is the owner of Memorial Minders a personalized grave site beautification service, president of The Friends of Lansing's Historic Cemeteries group, she is also a frequent Lansing City Council meeting attendee.

Learn more about The Friends of Lansing's Historic Cemeteries here: https://www.lansingcemfriends.org/

It's the March 10th Lansing City Council meeting recap! The Council hosts LG Energy (hopeful battery manufacturing business owner), makes decisions on demolitions and liquor licenses, and they hear from property owners of unsafe buildings and Easter Highschool groupies.

Our guest Larry Wallace is a Senior Investigative Reporter for Fox 47 News - our local Lansing area TV news station.

Learn more about Larry here.

Learn more about city council here.

Learn more about the Mikey23 Foundation here.

Episode Notes:

*A cabaret license is a type of business license needed in Lansing for any live entertainment with food or refreshments served.

*Some members of the Sexton High School Boys basketball team were recording at the studio after us and we got high fives!

It's the February 24th Lansing City Council meeting recap! The council makes decisions about liquor license transfers and noise permits. They do allow advisory board appointments to go through ending the weeks-long stalemate. Many city department heads give guidance and many citizens ask for more time to “make safe” their buildings.

Our guest Joan Nelson was the executive director of the Allen Neighborhood Center for over 20 years, she currently is a contributing columnist for the City Pulse and advocates for shared use housing.

Here is one of her Pulse articles on shared use housing.

Learn more about the Allen Neighborhood Center here.

Learn more about Lansing city council here.

It's the February 10th Lansing City Council meeting recap! The Council hosts the Board of Water and Light (BWL), the Women’s Empowerment Center leader, and folks who don’t want to be living in the Lansing Earthquake Zone six days a week!

Our guest Hannah Forsythe is an Epidemiologist with The Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI), she is also a triathlete and cross country skier!

Learn more about the women's center of greater Lansing here, Lansing city council here, and the Hawk Island triathlon here.

It's the January 27th Lansing City Council meeting recap! The Council hosts auditors, finance department directors, developers, and board member wannabes.
Our guest Ruelaine Stokes is Lansing's current Poet Laureate. Before recording she kindly gifted me a wonderful collection of Lansing poems: "My Secret Lansing". You can learn more about her at: https://www.ruelainestokes.com/

Learn more about city council at: https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council

Thanks for joining for a listen about the second Lansing City Council meeting of the year. There's joy, heartbreak, evasion, and hair drama in the council chambers this January 13th. As well as discussions on sewer upgrades, human resources, MLK group recognition, belabored trash fee debate, and diverse criticisms of Downtown Lansing Inc.

Our guests Jerry and Shannon operate the fantastic eastside Lansing community resource center - the Fledge - learn more at: https://thefledge.com/

Learn more about city council at: https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council