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 Watson was absent
A2Council Update Video
Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary
APPROVED: A sales agreement for the City-owned Kline lot will permit its sale for a minimum purchase price of $14,175,000. This City owned lot was previously designated as “high priority” for the development of affordable housing and was the topic of extensive public engagement, including how to balance the need for on-site parking to support the downtown. (Legistar)
- By friendly amendment, terms were added to the sales agreement to preserve continued access to Main Street businesses (including the Ark concert venue) throughout construction.
- At this week’s meeting, Jennifer Hall, head of the City’s housing commission, offered a presentation requested by City Council. She confirmed that under a previous Council she had assessed the parcel as “High Priority” for the development of affordable housing. This week, she stated that “it is currently infeasible to develop an all-affordable project at the Kline’s lot.”
- Hall pointed to how her budget is now stretched, and referred to the $18 million that has been committed to purchase housing units at the Arbor South development. One of the co-developers of Arbor South, Jeff Hauptman (Oxford Companies) has donated thousands to the mayor and current members of City Council. In February 2026, City Council approved a plan to divert over $350 million in future tax revenue to Arbor South, including over $5 million that would have gone into the affordable housing fund.
- A2ELNEL: Kline’s Lot: City Council will sell out the City until there is nothing left to sell
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/09/debated-sale-of-ann-arbors-klines-lot-to-luxury-housing-developer-up-for-vote.html
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/09/council-votes-10-0-to-sell-prime-ann-arbor-property-to-luxury-housing-developer.html
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/09/ann-arbor-housing-leader-says-klines-lot-wouldnt-work-well-for-affordable-apartments.html
APPROVED: A construction contract for the demolition of the West Park band shell. Cost: $481,000. (Legistar)
- The West Park bandshell was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1938. Fifty-five years ago, it hosted bands like MC5 and the Grateful Dead. You can read about it here: https://aadl.org/node/193166
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/09/council-oks-demolition-of-west-park-bandshell-ann-arbor-park-to-be-reimagined.html
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/09/see-historical-photos-of-ann-arbors-west-park-bandshell-over-the-last-century.html
APPROVED: A Notice of Intent to issue up to $10,000,000 in Capital Improvement Bonds will be published. Revenue from the bonds will pay for costs to acquire, construct, furnish and equip improvements to city parks. (Legistar)
APPROVED (First Reading): A new ordinance would establish a tenants bill of rights including the right to organize. (Legistar)
- Enumerated rights include the posting and distribution of information, contacting tenants, meeting or attempting to meet tenants on premises, and other actions related to operating a tenant organization. A landlord is prohibited from interfering (or allowing others to interfere) with those activities. The ordinance includes a list of activities that will not be considered interference, e.g. exercising “reasonable limitations on time, manner, and place of activities” or reducing services “as part of a pattern of service reductions applicable to each tenant at the premises and the reduction is unrelated to a tenant’s exercise of their rights.”
- A draft of this ordinance was presented to the Renters Commission earlier this year, as proposed by the Ann Arbor Tenant Union (AATU). (Legistar)
- The AATU draft included a more general prohibition that a landlord not “Threaten, Penalize, discriminate or retaliate against a tenant that exercise the tenants right under this act. Discriminatory or retaliatory conduct includes, but is not limited to, intentionally delaying maintenance services, revoking access to community amenities, refusing to renew a lease, or taking frivolous adverse actions against a tenant.”
- Both the AATU draft and the ordinance proposed this week include penalties as civil infractions. The AATU draft proposed a fine of $1,000 for the first violation and fines of $2,000 for subsequent violations. The ordinance proposed this week includes a fine of not less than $500 for a first violation and up to $1000 for each additional or subsequent violation.
- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/09/new-law-would-give-ann-arbor-renters-expanded-protections-to-organize.html
APPROVED (First Reading): A recently annexed property at 2080 State Street (1.199 acres) will be zoned Office. (Legistar)
A2ELNEL Voting Chart
