This Ann Arbor City Council meeting was held in person at City Hall. Members of the public can participate in public hearings and public comment either in person or via phone.
Council Member Radnia was absent
A2Council Update Video
Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary
APPROVED: A budget amendment will fund up to $175,000 in legal services to negotiate a public-private partnership with the Arbor South Project. Arbor South is a proposed private housing development from Oxford Companies with hotel and commercial space, located at 2845 S. State (across from Briarwood Mall) in the Transit Corridor (TC-1) zoning district. Last year, the private developer requested that the City issue bonds to buy and operate three parking decks at Arbor South. This year, City Council directed the City Administrator to move forward with the plan. (Legistar)
- In March 2024, the developers of Arbor South presented plans to a working session of the City Planning commission but did not mention the need for City-owned parking decks to support the project. https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-working-session-march-12-2024/
- Public discussion of City-owned parking decks at Arbor South began in November 2024, when City Council held a work session. You can watch excerpts of that work session here: VIDEO: Few Things Considered: Arbor South Parking Decks
- On April 7, 2025, City Council approved a resolution in support of City participation in Arbor South and directed the City Administrator to prepare the issuance of public bonds. (Legistar) https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-council-april-7-2025/
- This is the third amendment to a contract for legal services from Miller Canfield to negotiate a public-private partnership with Arbor South. The contract with Miller Canfield originated on July 4, 2024 but was not voted on or approved by City Council. The contract was amended on June 3, 2025 and again on July 7, 2025, both times without a vote of City Council. The third amendment adds $100,000 to what has already been spent, adding up to a total of $175,000.
- The City Administrator is permitted to spend up to $75,000 without authorization from Council. According to this week’s contract, lawyers at Miller Canfield have been working on a public-private partnership between the City and the developers of Arbor South since July 2024 — four months before Council discussed it publicly and nine months before Council approved moving forward with the plan. Expenses up to this point have not exceeded $75,000 and did not require City Council approval.
- On June 16, 2025, City Council amended another contract in support of Arbor South, approving up to $175,000 in services from PFM Group Consulting LLC for “due diligence” related to the issuance of public bonds. (Legistar) https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-council-june-16-2025/
- The City has now allocated $350,000 toward the negotiation of a public-private partnership with Arbor South, anticipating the issuance of $146 million in public bonds to fund City-owned parking decks at the private development.
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/08/ann-arbor-oks-another-100000-to-explore-arbor-south-development-partnership.html
APPROVED: Up to $83,300 is added to a contract with consultant Interface Studio LLC in order to fund more time, an additional iteration of a Draft Plan, and attendance at upcoming public meetings regarding the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. This will bring the total contract with Interface Studio up to $883,990. (Legistar)
- This funding was part of a resolution considered by Council on July 21, 2025 that also included a long list of policy recommendations for the City Planning Commission to consider in drafting the CLUP. At that meeting, the policy recommendations were approved but the funding for Interface Studios was postponed. https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-council-july-21-2025/
- The initial contract with Interface Studio was first reviewed by a special working session of the City Planning Commission on March 7, 2023: https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-special-working-session-march-7-2023/
- That $699,110 contract was approved by City Council on April 17, 2023. https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-council-april-17-2023/
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/08/latest-extension-pushes-ann-arbor-growth-plan-consultant-contract-up-to-884k.html
APPROVED: By resolution, the City adopts official policy for its use of unmanned aircraft (drones). (Leigstar)
- The City currently uses drones for aerial mapping and surveying for planning, infrastructure and “branding of the city image.” Additionally, the City uses drones in public safety for real-time situational awareness, search and rescue, and safety assessments during large scale events.
- A new policy explains that outside of “exigent circumstances,” images of people will not be recorded or transmitted from locations where someone would have a reasonable expectation of privacy. City drone operators will follow all existing FAA regulations and activities will be recorded by date (including detailed purpose). Unit managers and service area administrators will approve operations and provide oversight.
- The new policy includes a list of anticipated and acceptable uses for the drones in order to support City operations such as:
- Inspection of infrastructure
- Detection of hazardous materials
- Deployment of rescue resources
- Documentation in fire investigations
- Collection of topographic data
- Promotion of events and tourism
- Creation of content for education about City services
- City staff will not use drones for personal business, the deployment of weapons, discriminatory harassment, random surveillance, or any other illegal activities. Violation of policy will be enforced with appropriate training or discipline up to and including discharge.
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/08/new-ann-arbor-drone-policy-limits-police-surveillance-aims-to-protect-privacy.html
APPROVED: Council directs the City Planning commission to consider amendments to Section 5.27.3, regulating marijuana dispensaries, growers and processors in the city. (Legistar)
- Potential amendments:
- Reducing the distance requirement between marijuana establishments and K-12 schools. The current distance requirement is 1,000 feet.
- Permitting facilities outside of “Special Exception Use”, which currently requires application and approval from the City Planning Commission
- Amending provisions for growing and processing
- Lifting the cap on retailers in the city (the current cap is 28; there are 21 currently operating)
- The resolution explains that the state of Michigan’s definition of a K-12 school has placed existing establishments in violation of the distance requirement. Additionally, “there is interest in prospective marijuana retailers locating within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school.”
- DEFEATED: An amendment would have removed all potential amendments except for one, directing the Planning Commission to revisit only the 1000 foot distance requirement for schools.
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/08/how-far-should-marijuana-dispensaries-be-from-schools-ann-arbor-revisiting-question.html
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