A2Council Meeting Summaries

Month: April 2021

Ann Arbor City Council: April 19, 2021

This was the twenty sixth 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. Michigan Open Meetings Act changes effective April 1, 2021 require all Council Members to state their location

Legistar
YouTube
Newsletter
Voting Chart

City Administrator, Tom Crawford, presented his proposed Fiscal Year 2022 City Budget. (Legistar)

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

The Ann Arbor Housing Commission is moving forward on the development of affordable housing on three City owned properties

  • APPROVED: The Ann Arbor Housing Commission will pursue rezoning/land division in due diligence toward the development of affordable housing at the City owned property at 721 N Main/W Summit. (Legistar)
  • APPROVED: The Ann Arbor Housing Commission is directed to develop affordable housing at the City owned property at 353 S. Main. (Legistar)
  • APPROVED: The Ann Arbor Housing Commission is directed to develop affordable housing at the City owned property at 1510 E. Stadium Boulevard. (Legistar)
  • Additional Thoughts (Apr 17, 2021) – Affordable Housing
  • https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2021/04/ann-arbor-sets-sights-on-developing-affordable-housing-at-three-more-locations.html

APPROVED: A 1.2 acre parcel at 700 North Main was re-zoned from Planned Unit Development (PUD to R4C (Multiple-Family Dwelling) in order to permit the construction of 22 townhomes with reduced setbacks and increased height. The planned project at 700 N. Main was modified to increase height by 3 feet 6 inches, reduce the south side setback by 4 feet 3 inches, and decrease the rear setback by 25 feet 3 inches. (The most significant change – at rear – abuts homes on N. Fourth). The project includes 22 townhomes. (Legistar) (Legistar)

APPROVED: A settlement agreement with DTE (through the Michigan Public Service Commission) is the result of a City challenge to DTE’s Voluntary Green Pricing (VGP) program and its renewable energy build plans. This settlement eliminates differential treatment of residential customers vs. larger users in the VGP program and allows all categories of customers to access the same lower-cost projects. The City will partner with DTE in meetings and discussion to reduce energy demand or eliminate fossil-fueled units. Solar installations at the Ann Arbor landfill will be a pilot program for Community Solar Offering, so the City (the “anchor tenant”) can sponsor the solar project and subscribers (any DTE customer – residential or business) will get the same deal per kilowatt hour as the “anchor tenant.” (Legistar)

APPROVED: Council Member Jeff Hayner (Ward 1) will be removed from committee assignments for seven months (through December 1, 2021). City Council recommends that Council Member Hayner attend relevant anti-discrimination, diversity, and sensitivity training. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 19, 2021 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 19, 2021 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 19, 2021 Part 3

Ann Arbor City Council: April 5, 2021

This was the twenty fifth 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. Michigan Open Meetings Act changes effective April 1, 2021 require all Council Members to state their location.

Legistar
YouTube
Newsletter
Voting Chart

APPROVED: Repairs to concrete pavement at S. Industrial (Eisenhower to Stadium). The $1,071,197.58 project will include re-striping to add north and south bound bike lanes throughout the corridor. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Sidewalk gaps will be filled at Newport/Sunset. The $120,000 project will be paid for with the Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Fair Chance Access to Housing – Criminal history will not be permitted as a determining factor in access to rental housing. An application for rental housing shall not require an applicant to disclose criminal history or authorize release of criminal history. (Legistar)

APPROVED: The City of Ann Arbor condemns hate crimes, hateful rhetoric, hateful acts against Asians and Asian Americans, white terrorism and white supremacism in all forms. The City encourages Asians and Asian Americans to report harassment, hate crimes, and discrimination to the Ann Arbor Police Department, the City’s Human Rights Commission, and/or the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. (Legistar)

APPROVED: This resolution expresses support for recommendations from the University of Michigan President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality (PCCN). Recommendations include reductions in emissions and goals for carbon neutrality (exclusive of offsets) by 2040. (Legistar)

APPROVED: For the first citation of a season, the penalty for failure to comply with our snow removal ordinance is reduced from $100 to $60. (The snow removal ordinance requires making sidewalks, walks, and ramps free of snow and ice for their entire constructed width and length within 24 hours of a snowfall greater than one inch.) (Legistar)

APPROVED: The City Administrator will either establish a program of Subject Matter Expert response for public safety (in collaboration with Washtenaw County, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s office, “Subject Matter Agencies” and in consultation with the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission) or report on obstacles and ideas for overcoming them by December 31, 2021. The City Administrator may hire a consultant to help in this process and he is directed to include this endeavor in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, while identifying sources of funding. (Legistar)

APPROVED: The City Attorney will review criminal ordinances that are enforced by the Ann Arbor Police Department and identify ordinance amendments that would be consistent with goals of the 2021 State Criminal Justice Reform Legislation and the general “spirit of progressive criminal justice reform.” Recommended ordinance amendments will be presented to Council before November 15, 2021. (Legistar)

APPROVED (First Reading): Amendments to an ordinance regulating Short term rentals, removing language that restricts location by zoning district. Short term rental is a newly defined use, added to the City zoning code. This change creates a new class of “legal non-conforming use,” permitting all current investment properties – non-owner occupied short term rentals established prior to March 1, 2021 – to continue operating indefinitely in residential areas. New investment properties would be prohibited in residential areas moving forward. (Legistar) (Legistar)

POSTPONED: Amendments to our early leasing ordinance will change a standard from 70 days to 240 days. A landlord would not be permitted to enter a leased premises for the purpose of showing it to prospective tenants or enter into a contract for a subsequent lease sooner than 240 days into a current lease. This agenda item was postponed to consider improved strategies for enforcement. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 5, 2021 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 5, 2021 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 5, 2021 Part 3
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 5, 2021 Part 4

Subscribe To My Newsletter

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.

Subscribe