September 28th, 2026 City Council Meeting

The Lansing City Council meeting was held September 28, 2026 (the metadata lists September 29 UTC). Council approved acceptance of a $300,000 Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Community Violence Intervention Capacity Building grant. The funds will support a field coordinator and two neighborhood change agents in the Advanced Peace program, helping sustain violence-intervention work through September 2028 or until funds are exhausted. The motion passed with one abstention and one member absent; a member was recused. Council also discussed budget priorities for the administration to consider, including $2.5 million for sidewalk repairs, $300,000 for a citywide comprehensive plan update, and $300,000 for vacant and blighted property replacement, along with trash collection analysis and other initiatives. Members emphasized that these were requests, not approved appropriations, and noted that the nearly $7 million in priorities exceeded projected revenue growth.

Public commenters criticized the city’s automatic license plate reader program, citing annual Flock camera costs of more than $100,000, but the council took no funding or contract action on the cameras. Council introduced an ordinance to license virtual currency machines and establish operator requirements, customer disclosures, and penalties; it was referred to committee, with a public hearing scheduled for October 12. No contract awards, vendor selections, or bid approvals were identified.