What Lansing Council

Jill Dombrowski
  • 5.0 (8)
  • GOVERNMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Gossipy recap of Lansing Michigan city council meetings. Starting on November 18th, 2024.

  1. Noise Ordinance, You Shall Not Pass - with guest Khadja Erickson

    DEC 17

    Noise Ordinance, You Shall Not Pass - with guest Khadja Erickson

    At the December 15th Lansing city council meeting the council heard from 18 passionate residents about the transitional (mod pod) housing project. People were pissed at the 13 state house republicans who created massive state funding cuts. Six Old Town shopkeepers supported expanding the business district boundary. A four to four vote stalled a noise ordinance change. Three board appointments and two redevelopment tax abatements were approved, and there was one comment about the disgraced fire chief.  Our special guest this episode is Khadja Erickson. Khadja is a dedicated housing advocate, organizer, and Executive Director of the Tenant Resource Center Mid Michigan. With years of experience in harm reduction, eviction defense, and grassroots organizing, she has worked tirelessly to ensure Lansing tenants have the tools, knowledge, and support they need to stay housed and assert their rights. She’s also a mom to five fabulous kids, which shapes how she thinks about stability, safety, and the kind of city we’re building for the next generation. *CORRECTION* In the episode I said Dietrich Park was outside the new Old Town principal shopping district boundary - it looks like it actually inside the boundary. Learn more about the Tennent Resource Center of Mid-Michigan here: https://trcmm.org/ Find meeting issues maps and bingo results from the meetings on the podcast’s patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil Check out the Lansing City Council here: https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council

    1h 2m
  2. 10 Signs Your Lansing Landlord Might be Krampus - with guest Mia Murphy

    DEC 10

    10 Signs Your Lansing Landlord Might be Krampus - with guest Mia Murphy

    During the December 8th Lansing city council meetings the public spoke to council about the importance of finding a good place, that works for everyone, for a proposed temporary housing community. Council debated the fairness of rolling back red tag fees on houses actively being renovated. Old town business owners had mixed feelings about expanding the tax boundary for their shopping district. Local and out of state redevelopers gave persuasive presentations asking for tax breaks. Der Krampus kommt, um dein Haus und dein Geld zu holen! Our guest, Mia Murphy, works as the Chief Policy Officer at the non-profit Michigan Association of State Universities, she also serves on the board of the Salus center - an organization that serves the  inclusive 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the greater Lansing area, and she earned her PhD in higher, adult, & lifelong education from Michigan State University. Learn more about the Salus Center: https://www.saluscenter.org/ Here’s the site for A Place For Us - plans for an LGBTQ+ affirming homeless shelter in Lansing: https://www.ap4ulansing.org/ Find meeting issues maps and bingo results from the meetings on the podcast’s patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil Check out the Lansing City Council here: https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council

    49 min
  3. The City Already Has Their Hands Full Overlooking That - with guest Tom Arthur

    NOV 18

    The City Already Has Their Hands Full Overlooking That - with guest Tom Arthur

    During the November 17th Lansing City Council meetings the biggest issue was a requested utility easement by Consumer’s Energy for a new high pressure natural gas pipeline through Fenner Nature Center and Evergreen Cemetery - despite public pushback council approved the request. Public speakers continued to raise concerns about the city stalling on court ordered services to an encampment. Also, the council wrote a letter about supporting food rescue efforts. Our special guest this episode is Tom Arthur. Tom is the lead pastor of Sycamore Creek Church, founder of Stage One at Sycamore Creek Eastwood, co-founder of Startup Grind Lansing, and co-founder of the long-running Northern Michigan C.S. Lewis Festival in Petoskey. He is also a startup coach with Wisdom Partners out of Silicon Valley and a creative partner for churches and non-profits. He has been married to his wife, Sarah, for 28 years and is the father of two boys, Sam and Micah, who attend Post Oak Academy and Eastern high school. This is the Patreon for What Lansing Council, thank you! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil Find out more about Sycamore Creek ministries here: https://sycamorecreekchurch.org/ Here is the facebook event for the ugly sweater swing dance party at Sycamore Creek Eastwood: https://www.facebook.com/share/17PDZCuzxf/ You can learn more about Lansing’s City Council here: https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council

    59 min
  4. I Hope This Does Set A Precedent - with guest Alan Fox

    NOV 12

    I Hope This Does Set A Precedent - with guest Alan Fox

    During the November 10, 2025 council meetings residents from Lansing with a spectrum of housing challenges spoke to council - people fighting to stay alive in an outdoor encampment the city is currently litigating, a woman working to complete her renovation vision on a historic home the city had issued a “make safe or demolish” order against, and emerging developers asking the city to aid in the process of getting local and state tax breaks to make their projects less expensive.  Our guest Alan Fox currently serves as the Ingham County Treasurer.  He served as Chief Deputy Treasurer for 4-1/2 years before he was appointed Treasurer in April, 2022.  He has since been elected in 2022 and 2024. Alan has lived in Lansing since 2015.  He grew up in East Lansing and was the first MSU student elected to the East Lansing City Council, in 1977. Find meeting issues maps and bingo results from the meetings on the podcast’s patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil Here is the Ingham county treasurer’s office web site: https://tr.ingham.org/departments_and_officials/treasurer/ You can learn more about Lansing’s City Council here: https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council The mayor’s road construction input form can be found here:  https://www.lansingmi.gov/1359/Road-Construction-Input

    55 min
  5. Kinda Sorta Somewhat Immediate Effect - with guest Annescia Dillard

    OCT 29

    Kinda Sorta Somewhat Immediate Effect - with guest Annescia Dillard

    During the October 27th Lansing City Council meetings the council heard from many citizens asking for leniency in a specific “make safe or demolish” order. Council also heard about a disturbing racially charged incident at Letts community center. Two new advisory board members were approved, and the actual timing of ordinances going into “immediate effect” was reviewed. Our guest Annescia Dillard is a self-proclaimed "Lansing Enthusiast" who keeps her finger on the city's pulse. She regularly watches or attends public meetings for the Lansing City Council, Lansing Community College, the Capital Area Transit Authority (CATA), Lansing School District, and others whenever she finds the time. You can learn more about Lansing’s City Council here: 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

    29 min
  6. The Opposite of Fascism is Community - with guest Rebecca Kasen

    OCT 14

    The Opposite of Fascism is Community - with guest Rebecca Kasen

    During the October 13th meetings the Lansing City Council passed a resolution declaring Lansing an LGBTQ+ welcoming city. Many folks in attendance voiced their support for this resolution.  Organizers from a tenants union working on getting Lansing to pass a "tenants bill of rights” appealed to council - as they are being stalled by the city attorney’s office. Our special guest Rebecca Kasen works as the executive director of the Women's Center of Greater Lansing. She has previously worked creating emergency housing, in disability services, and in social justice advocacy. Check out all the happenings at the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing here: https://lansingwomen.org/ You can learn more about Lansing’s City Council here: https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council Find issue maps and bingo results from the meetings on the podcast’s patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil

    36 min
  7. A Recap of the Recap with guest Kris Klein

    OCT 1

    A Recap of the Recap with guest Kris Klein

    During the September 29th Lansing city council meetings the council members did some shuffling of their proposed budget priorities. A flyer sent to residents paid for by the charter commission got called out for blatant propaganda. And transgender members of the community ask council to give statements denouncing hate targeting them and to provide further protections. Our guest this episode Kris Klein is the President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Development Corporation (LDEC) a non-profit committed to advancing Lansing's vitality and equitable economic growth. He’s a proud city of Lansing resident since 2011 and a fellow avid watcher of City Council meetings. The full discussion with Kris was unfortunately not recorded, apologies to Kris for some butchering of his thoughtful comments in the solo re-record. Learn more about the work of the LDEC here: https://lansingedc.com/ And the LDEC’s small business technical assistance empower program: https://lansingedc.com/the-empower-program They also have some very nice story maps of the corridor projects on their website. *** You can learn more about Lansing’s City Council here: 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

    39 min
  8. The CATA Bus Routes Go Round and Round - with guest Ben Shuldiner

    SEP 23

    The CATA Bus Routes Go Round and Round - with guest Ben Shuldiner

    During the September 22nd 2025 council meetings - the council heard public comments, mostly in-favor, of two developers asking for tax breaks to improve properties in the city by adding and maintaining ‘affordable’ housing. Other community members urged the city government to act to help folks experiencing homelessness. A Laingsburg resident with hospitality experience was appointed to the Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority (LEPFA) Board. And, council and public members agreed that parking offenders should be punished!  This episode’s special guest is Ben Shuldiner, our Superintendent of the Lansing Public School District. He's been with us since the summer of 2021 and previously worked as a teacher, principal, school board and educational leader in New York City and abroad. Learn more about council here: https://www.lansingmi.gov/186/City-Council Contact our superintendent here, anytime!: https://www.lansingschools.net/departments/superintendent/ Join the patreon community for games and maps!: https://www.patreon.com/whatLansingCouncil

    36 min
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About

Gossipy recap of Lansing Michigan city council meetings. Starting on November 18th, 2024.

Information

  • Creator
    Jill Dombrowski
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jill Dombrowski
  • Show Website
    What Lansing Council

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