A2Council Meeting Summaries

Month: October 2021

Ann Arbor City Council: October 18, 2021

This was the thirty eighth 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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: City Council officially accepts the recommendations of Acting City Administrator, John Fournier, regarding how to spend the $24,182,630 expected from the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Council directs the City Administrator to carry out a public engagement strategy and provide a final report on prioritization and spending plan for the ARP dollars no later than March 1, 2022. (NOTE: the deadline for this final report was amended by Council. The original version of the resolution set the deadline at December 6, 2021.) (Legistar)

APPROVED: (Postponed from the 9/20/21 meeting) A $1,011,319.29 contract for engineering services related to rehabilitation and widening of the East Medical Center Drive Bridge. The University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor have been collaborating on this project for over two years, to address deterioration of the bridge as well as anticipated growth at the Michigan Medical Center. (It is part of the City’s capital improvement plan.) The University will be assuming 50% of the cost of rehabilitating the bridge and 100% of the cost of widening it. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A new ordinance requires owners of large properties to collect and report Whole-Building Data for energy and water use, so that potential or current tenants can access consistent and relevant information about the cost of their utilities. Property owners will use a benchmarking tool such as Energy Star to create and submit reports (annually) to the City’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations (OSI). The OSI will make these benchmarking reports available on a publicly accessible website with summaries of energy and water consumption statistics, compliance rates, trends observed, etc. Properties subject to this ordinance: greater than 10,000 gross square feet (total floor area) that are owned, leased or managed by the City, and other properties greater than 20,000 gross square feet (total floor area). Exemptions: owner occupied properties, under occupied (<50% over 10 months), in foreclosure, and permitted for demolition. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $362,739.30 Engineering Professional Service Agreement with Sam Schwartz Consultants, LLC for planning, public engagement, and engineering for the Vision Zero Comprehensive Transportation Plan. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A site plan for the construction of 57 single-family homes on a 34-acre vacant lot with access off Earhart Road. The plan will remove 311 landmark trees (the parcel includes a total of 447) and will lay sanitary sewer lines across a wetland. The developer will pay $265,500 in mitigation for natural features tree mitigation and make an off-site Parks contribution of $35,625. Solar panels and Accessory Dwelling Units will not be restricted in the development. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A 1.24 acre property at 201 Scio Church Road is re-zoned from township to R2A (two-family) district . This parcel was recently annexed into the city and this zoning is consistent with the adjacent zoning, the surrounding land uses, and the City’s Master Plan. (Legistar)

APPROVED: The City will accept an easement for a public right-of-way at 725 Stimson for the construction of a sidewalk (filling a sidewalk gap). The City will pay $5,053.05 in compensation to the property owner. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 18, 2021 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 18, 2021 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 18, 2021 Part 3

Ann Arbor City Council Special Session: October 12, 2021

This was a special session of Ann Arbor City Council to authorize a contract for Interim City Administrator. 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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: An employment agreement for Milton Dohoney, Jr. to serve as Interim City Administrator for a period of approximately one year. Financial terms include an annual base salary of $223,600, a housing allowance of $2500 per month, plus a City vehicle or car allowance/reimbursement. His employment will begin on October 18, 2021. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Privilege is waived on a legal memo prepared by outside consulting attorneys (Dykema) advising Council on the impact of the State Budget approved on September 29, 2021. The memo addresses the narrow question of whether “boilerplate language” in the State Budget bill potentially restricts local government in imposing vaccine mandates, requiring proof of vaccination, or maintaining vaccine databases. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 12, 2021

Ann Arbor City Council: October 4, 2021

This was the thirty seventh 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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: In response to a formal complaint against Acting City Administrator John Fournier that alleged blatant discrimination, retaliation, harassment, a hostile work environment, and illegal directives, the City attorney’s office is directed to facilitate policies and procedures to ensure the integrity of an investigation and prevent any harm to the complainant. This resolution was amended at the table to remove terms that included paid administrative leave during the period of investigation. A compromise – proposing paid administrative leave for as short a time as two days, to ensure safeguards to all parties – was rejected by a majority of Council. (Legistar)

APPROVED: An agreement between the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County allocates responsibility and cost for the design and engineering of the Bandemer-Barton Trail Connection, a pedestrian tunnel beneath the railroad tracks between Barton Nature Area and Bandemer Park. A cost sharing agreement with the County for design services will assign 45% of cost to the City and 55% of cost to the County. Construction costs would be assigned: 29% to the City, 71% to the County. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A newly established Main Street Social District will include sections of Ashley, Main, Fourth, Washington and Liberty. A total of forty-three establishments with liquor licenses qualify as applicants to participate in the district. The social district will permit the service of alcohol in a shared, common space. (Legistar)

APPROVED: As recommended by the Council Administration Committee: Council Rule 7 (Public Speaking) is amended to reference and include public commenters attending “remotely.” (Legistar)

APPROVED: Council acknowledges and commends the work of Roger Rayle and the Coalition for Action on Remediation of Dioxane (CARD) for their longstanding public service of professional activism with respect to addressing 1,4-dioxane cleanup processes. This commendation is sent to the leadership of Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw County delegation to the Michigan Legislature, the Director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, the Region Administrator – United States Environmental Protection Agency – Region V, Attorney General Dana Nessel, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 4, 2021 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 4, 2021 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.