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.
CM Cornell was absent
A2Council Update Video
Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary
APPROVED: Amendments to the City’s “Best value” procurement ordinance remove requirements to submit materials in bidding documents and instead link to information on company websites. A requirement to demonstrate “quality control” is removed because staff report that this measure does not reveal a difference between bidders. Bidders will no longer have to provide evidence of paid leave policy, or explanation of “sustainable” materials or practices. A staff memo explains that the terms of construction jobs dictate specific materials and protocols that would apply to all bids (i.e. there are not “sustainable” alternatives). (Legistar)
- In discussion at first reading (1/21/25), Council Member Eyer claimed that amendments would change how the City defines compliance with the City’s Living Wage ordinance: “this is finally going to allow us to score bidders on things that we value, like whether they pay prevailing wage on projects all the time, not just city projects”. This change does not appear in any of the amendment language.
- At second reading, the amendments were approved without any comment or discussion.
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/02/contractors-with-good-wages-benefits-to-get-more-preference-from-ann-arbor.html
APPROVED: The City Attorney is directed to produce a memorandum explaining recent City advocacy with the state commission that regulates public utilities. The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) is a regulatory body that sets rules and rates for Michigan utilities, e.g. DTE. The regulatory process of the MPSC includes an opportunity for customers to offer input (“Intervention”). The City of Ann Arbor has recently participated in a number of cases before the MPSC. The requested legal memo will summarize the City’s arguments to the MPSC (since 2022) and the outcome of those cases. (Legistar)
APPROVED: The City will spend $2,384,695 on a new specialized fire truck that is able to navigate a tighter radius in response to new development and bike lane installations downtown. The expected delivery time on this truck is 46-49 months. In discussion at the meeting, Fire Chief Kennedy explained that this is the type of truck required and used in communities like New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. (Legistar)
APPROVED: Money previously allocated to the City’s Bicentennial is granted to the James L. Crawford Elks Lodge. A total of $200,630 will be given to support repair and restoration of the structure at 220 Sunset Road. The money comes from two sources: $200,000 from the Bicentennial budget and $630 represents 50% of the proceeds from a Bicentennial closing event hosted by the City. (Legistar)
APPROVED (First Reading): A 0.6 acre parcel at Dexter Road and Seybold Drive will be rezoned from R1C (Single-Family Dwelling) to PL (Public Land) for a park. The park will benefit residents of a 4.8 acre community of affordable housing off North Maple— in 2014, the Ann Arbor Housing Commission property was rezoned for redevelopment, which doubled the number of affordable housing units. In redevelopment, the open space of a basketball court was lost and residents missed it. The land being rezoned this week was intentionally purchased to meet this need. (Legistar)
A2ELNEL Voting Chart
