A2Council Meeting Summaries

Month: September 2020

Ann Arbor City Council: September 21, 2020

This was the twelfth regular Ann Arbor City Council meeting since Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency and stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meeting was held online via the Zoom application.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: City Council will request a meeting with University of Michigan leadership (before November 1, 2020) to discuss the potential use of campus housing for shelter in the event of a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor Police Officers Association effective January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022. A PDF version of the agreement is available at the Legistar link. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Downtown street closures at location on Washington, Main, Liberty, Detroit, Maynard, State, S. University, and Church are extended until November 1, 2020 so that businesses are able to use the street for seating and sales in compliance with social distancing requirements. (Legistar)

POSTPONED: Traffic reconfigurations (“Healthy Streets Initiative”) at three locations – S. Main, Broadway/Swift, and Packard – proposed to end on October 1, ahead of the previously planned end date of November 29. This resolution was postponed to the October 19th Council meeting, in order to give staff time to improve conditions and collect data. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Declaration that the investigation and prosecution of crimes related to entheogenic plants is the lowest priority in the City. The Mayor and Council use the County District Attorney to cease prosecution of people for crimes related to entheogenic plants or plant based compounds. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Site plan for a PUD development “Broadway Park West” at 841 Broadway (former DTE site). It will include 96 attached residential units, 8200 sq. ft. of retail, 5600 sq. ft. of restaurant uses, 148 room hotel, and a minimum of six contiguous acres of public open space. (Legistar)

APPROVED: The City accepts a grant of $417,268 from the Center for Tech and Civic Life to operationalize safe and secure election administration. The grant will fund an additional “client seat” for a high speed absentee ballot tabulator, application for absentee ballots, postage for any new ballot applications, staffing and extended hours for the City Clerk’s office (and satellite office), ballot drop boxes, marketing materials, and bonus pay for election inspectors during the pandemic. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $14,000 for a Budget Priorities Citizen Survey (similar in size and scope to a similar survey conducted in 2018) to help inform discussion of the City’s FY22 Budget and FY 23 Financial Plan. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $147,019 contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the Fuller Court Sidewalk Gap Project. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $152,435 for the installation of traffic calming devices (speed bumps) on Fernwood Avenue from Packard to Lorraine streets. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $401,500 for for traffic control materials and supplies for gateway signage, signals (Ellsworth/Research Park Drive, Broadway Park Drive/Broadway, and Pauline/Maple), multiple RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flash beacons at crosswalks), and other maintenance. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $314,000 for traffic control products to rebuild signals at Hubbard & Huron Pkwy and Pauline at Maple Rd, upgrade school zones, install intersections at Ellsworth/Research Park Drive and Broadway Park/Broadway, and provide maintenance and repair in support of other City projects. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $187,000 for Streetlight Replacement and Asset Management (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 21, 2020 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 21, 2020 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 21, 2020 Part 3

Ann Arbor City Council Special Session: September 14, 2020

This was a Special Session to decide next steps in the search for a City administrator. This meeting was held online via the Zoom application.

CM Ackerman was absent

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: Direction to hire Tom Crawford as City Administrator, on or before Oct 19, 2020 (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 14, 2020

Ann Arbor City Council: September 8, 2020

This was the eleventh regular Ann Arbor City Council meeting since Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency and stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meeting was held online via the Zoom application.

APPROVED: Short term rentals will be licensed and regulated by the City, effective March 1, 2021. (Legistar)

  • Licensing will require payment of a fee and application that includes: address, type of property, number of bedrooms for rent, maximum permitted occupancy, and names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of two contact persons responsible for the Short-Term Rental Unit.
  • A principal residence may be licensed as a short term rental, either host-stays or whole house rental.
  • A non-principal residence short-term rental will only be permitted in Mixed Use Zoning districts.
  • https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2020/09/ann-arbor-bans-dedicated-airbnb-short-term-rental-properties.html

APPROVED: Site plan for four story hotel (115 rooms) at 361 W. Eisenhower, with access off of Signature Blvd. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Annexation of Valhalla property (9.8 acres on the east side of South Main Street near the intersection of Scio Church Road, north of Ann Arbor Saline Road and adjacent to University of Michigan’s golf course). (Legistar)

  • Six houses currently exist in this area. Staff recommended zoning of R1D – consistent with the Master Plan Future Land Use – would permit the development of 84 dwelling units, maximum. The City Planning Commission recommends future zoning of conditional R4E, which would permit the development of 454 dwelling units. Zoning changes have not yet been presented to Council for a vote.

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 8, 2020 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 8, 2020 Part 2

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My name is Elizabeth Nelson, and I believe that your local government should be accessible and transparent. Since 2018 , I have sent out a newsletter before every Council meeting with my summary of agenda items coming before City Council, plus news and events of interest to Ann Arbor residents.

After each Council meeting, I create and post voting charts so that you can easily see how Council voted, and update this website with meeting summaries that include links to the City’s Legistar website, CTN’s YouTube video, and articles published on MLive.