YPSILANTI, MI - The Ypsilanti City Council has voted to investigate how several city officials paid for a recent trip they took to China. The trip was made as the city prepares to vote on a $150-$300 million housing development that would be financed primarily by Chinese investors.

City Attorney John Barr, on behalf of city council, has ordered Mayor Amanda Edmonds, Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Brown, Economic Development Director Beth Ernat, Police Chief Tony DeGiusti and City Manager Darwin McClary to submit all travel-related expenses and respond to questions put forth by city council members.

Edmonds, Brown, Ernat and DeGiusti are also ordered to attend a special meeting set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10 at City Hall to discuss details of the 12-day trip.

Funding for the trip was initially proposed by developer Amy Xue Foster on May 23 during a city council meeting where the plans for the residential and retail project known as International Village was discussed. The project is designed to house up to 3,000 people and would be marketed to Asian immigrants.

Barr provided a written opinion on the proposed trip the following day in the form of

"Members of city council have traveled overseas in the past, but only at their own cost," Barr wrote. "If a city employee or mayor or council member wanted to go to China, it would be ok if they paid for it themselves, but if the developer paid it would be unethical and illegal under the city code."

An

sent Sept. 11 by Ernat, the director of economic development for the City of Ypsilanti, said the Wayne State University Chinese Students and Scholar Association wanted to provide four "full scholarships" to assist with the travel expenses.

In her email, Ernat outlined several reasons for the trip to China including:

Build relationships internationally and promote Ypsilanti as a "safe, welcoming community for foreign investment in the light of the state of the union in regards to national immigration policies."

Promote educational opportunities.

Provide opportunity for city officials to learn about the culture and architecture that "could be relevant to future developments in Ypsilanti."

Meet with potential investors and developers related to International Village.

The email was sent on behalf of the city manager, Ernat noted, and informed other members of city council that Ernat, Edmonds, Brown and DiGiusti would be traveling with representatives of International Village and Spence Brothers Construction from Sept. 21 to Oct. 2.

Edmonds and Brown returned in time for the Oct. 2 meeting where members of city council voted to investigate the trip, along with the appointment of a special legal counsel to conduct the investigation.

Chief among the questions related to the trip include funding for the officials to visit China, including whether the Chinese Consulate was involved and how the officials were able to obtain visas.

"The benefit of opening a City Council investigation is its power to compel testimony and produce evidence from witnesses," wrote Dan Duchene, an associate attorney with Barr's office, in response to questions from The Ann Arbor News.

The five individuals with information on the China trip - Edmonds, Brown, Ernat, DeGiusti and McClary - have been ordered to submit relevant information to Barr's office before 5 p.m. Friday and attend the Oct. 10 special meeting.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at City Hall, One South Huron.