A2Council Meeting Summaries

Tag: Gelman Plume

Ann Arbor City Council: April 17, 2023

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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

BUDGET: At the beginning of the meeting, City Administrator Milton Dohoney presented the proposed FY2024 City budget, including plans for celebrating the Bicentennial in 2024, renovation of City Council chambers, and purchase of a new building to house election, emergency, and CTN services.

Mr Dohoney also proposed housing development at City Hall, and sale of city property (the “Kline Lot”) that was previously designated for the development of affordable housing. Mr. Dohoney proposes sale of this lot to facilitate high density market rate development in order to generate tax revenue. These proposals would require resolutions from City Council.

The budget presentation can be found here:

The whole of the proposed city budget can be viewed on the City’s Financial Reporting page (along with previously adopted annual budgets):

This is a direct link to the proposed FY2024 budget:

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/04/ann-arbor-may-create-bicentennial-park-for-citys-200th-birthday.html

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/04/should-ann-arbor-cash-in-on-development-city-administrator-makes-case.html


APPROVED: Rezoning of the City-owned property at 415 W Washington from Public Land (PL) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) to facilitate its sale for the development of residential and mixed uses as permitted in the D2 zoning district including residential, commercial and office uses. The PUD will allow a five story structure and require a minimum of 15 designated affordable housing units or 15% of the total units or a contribution in lieu of units, whichever number is greater. The PUD will also require 60% open space amenities such as the extension of the Treeline Trail, benches, and ambient lighting. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Resolution for a lease with Great Lakes Air Repair d/b/a Beacon Aviation (approved November 21, 2022) is rescinded in order to award the lease to Herron Aviation Group LLC. The lease is for 20 years, to manage fixed base operations at a corporate hangar and redevelop the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport. The lease includes an option to renew for ten years as well as a right of first refusal to develop vacant land immediately to the west. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $699,110 contract with Interface Studio to develop a new Comprehensive Land Use plan in consultation with City staff and the City Planning Commission. (Legistar)

  • The consultant is tasked with designing a plan that:
    • Carefully considers and implements those portions of the A2Zero Living Carbon Neutrality Plan applicable to land use and development activity in the City;
    • In the context of largely developed City, make recommendations of adding new homes and densification in single-family zoned areas, and other areas and zoning districts;
    • Develop recommendations and policies that promote fewer zoning districts or categories, that contain more flexibility for re-use and adaptability over time;
    • A proposed land use framework that seeks to emphasize values over specified land use limitations where possible;
    • Recommendations and policies that undue and/or seek to repair past land use policies and regulations that resulted in exclusion of people based on race, income or other characteristics and other inequities.

APPROVED: The City accepts an easement from Toll Northeast V Corp for public right-of-way (sidewalk) at 660 Earhart Road. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $150,000 contract with Bodmin PLC, for legal & expert services related to the Gelman 1,4-dioxane plume. (Legistar)

Two resolutions related to downtown street closures this summer:

APPROVED: Council Rules are amended to allow agenda items on the same property, facts, or issue to be sequenced together for consideration. Moving forward, Council will have more flexibility to postpone agenda items to the next meeting, to any future meeting, or relative to a specific event or occurrence. (Legistar)

A2Council Update Video

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 17, 2023 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 17, 2023 Part 2

Ann Arbor City Council: March 6, 2023

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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

Three items related to the “Village of Ann Arbor” development were approved:

  • APPROVED: Multiple parcels adding up to 67.6 acres at 1680 Dhu Varren Road, 1710 Dhu Varren Road, 2670 Pontiac Trail, 2672 Pontiac Trail, 2678 Pontiac Trail, and 2682 Pontiac Trail are rezoned from Township (TWP) and R1C (Single-Family Dwelling District) to R4A (Multiple-Family Dwelling District) as part of The Village of Ann Arbor development site plan. Planned use is consistent with the adjacent zoning, land uses, and comprehensive land use plan. (Legistar)
  • APPROVED: A site plan will permit the construction of 484 dwelling units consisting of townhomes and stacked flats (apartment units) at 1680 Dhu Varren Road (“Village of Ann Arbor”) (Legistar)
  • APPROVED: The City approves $31,369,715 in public funding for development of the “Village of Ann Arbor”. The development is eligible to receive this funding from the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority due to its location in an “environmentally distressed” area that was used as a landfill in the mid-20th century. The developer will be reimbursed for environmental-related activities totaling $26,369,633 and for non-environmental activities totaling $5,000,082. This plan must be approved by the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. (Legistar)
  • https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/03/ann-arbor-oks-huge-housing-development-on-citys-north-side.html

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners approved the Brownfield Plan for the “Village of Ann Arbor” on May 3, 2023

APPROVED: Street closures scheduled for April 1, 2023 will permit the Monroe Street Fair to take place adjacent to the Hash Bash. This item was postponed from the February 21st meeting. (Legistar)

APPROVED: An agreement with Creative Washtenaw for $500,000 to design and administer an art grant program with allocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Creative Washtenaw will receive $40,000 to provide this service and will distribute the remaining $460,000 to qualifying artists and art organizations. (Legistar)

APPROVED: The City will purchase an all-electric mini-street sweeper and trailer for $258,445.00 in order to clean two-way partitioned bikeways in the City of Ann Arbor. A reimbursement agreement is anticipated so that the expense will be shared equally between the City and the Downtown Development Authority. (Legistar)

APPROVED: An unspent balance of $305,000 in the New Human Services Partnership FY23 budget will be allocated to Ann Arbor Housing Commission to fund eviction prevention and housing stability support to families experiencing homelessness. This spending is part of a larger annual budget that supports a range of community nonprofits, called the Human Services Partnership The City contributes over $1.2 million to the Human Services Partnership. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A service contract between the City and Recycle Ann Arbor is extended for a three year and four month period. Three thousand carts (monthly tips) will be converted to dumpster service for an estimated fee reduction of $10,000 a month. Service will continue for 32, 64, or 96-gallon curb carts to customers such as multi-family homes of eleven units or greater, commercial establishments, mixed unit buildings, and civic units. The estimated total contract is $4,534,303. (Legistar)

  • Council Member Cornell recused herself from this vote, due to a conflict of interest. Recycle Ann Arbor is a wholly owned non-profit subsidiary of the Ecology Center; Cornell serves on the board for the Ecology Center.

APPROVED: The City will pay $15,000 to Jason Kosnoski to settle a claim of personal injury caused by stepping in a hole on Brooks Street, near Sunset Road. (Legistar)

REFERRED: The City calls on the Michigan Legislature to take action toward addressing power outages, assisting rate payers and funding local resilience. It calls on the Michigan Public Service Commission to hold DTE accountable for improving the electrical systems and providing greater transparency in outage maps. The City Administrator is directed to work with the Council Policy Committee and DTE to facilitate timely installation of infrastructure. City Council asks DTE to attend meetings of the City’s Energy Commission. (Legistar)

APPROVED (First Reading): Parcels at 1815, 1855, and 1875 North Maple and 1921 Calvin Street are rezoned from TWP (Township) and R1B (Single-Family) to PUD (Planned Unit Development). A total of 3.13 acres are rezoned to allow the “North Maple Road Apartments” development of 79 dwelling units in a four-story apartment building with a single-story clubhouse with 65 off-street parking places with EV infrastructure. There will be 12 affordable units (priced permanently at 60% or less of Area Median Income). (Legistar)

APPROVED (First Reading): The Risk Fund ordinance will be repealed and replaced to eliminate the Insurance Board as the body of review for claims filed against the City. The Insurance Board – two Council Members and the City’s treasurer – reviews and awards claims against the City between $500 and $10,000. Meeting minutes for the Insurance Board are approved by City Council and Council specifically approves all claims over $10,000. The new ordinance eliminates the Insurance Board and empowers the City Administrator (or his designee) to decide all awards or denials of claims against the City, up to $75,000. Expenditures under $75,000 will no longer appear on public agendas of City Council but will be available to Council members “upon request.” (Legistar)


APPROVED: After a twenty minute closed session, the Council agenda was opened and amended to add a resolution directing the City Attorney to take legal action to enforce a 2006 settlement agreement with Gelman Sciences. (Legistar)

A2Council Update Video

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for March 6, 2023 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for March 6, 2023 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for March 6, 2023 Part 3

Ann Arbor City Council: September 19, 2022

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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: Current City Hall mask requirements were rescinded. The City Administrator is directed to place signage at City Hall regarding mask requirements, consistent with revised guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Based on current CDC guidelines, in-person attendees at City Council meetings will only be required to wear a mask when community transmission rates are HIGH. The City administrator would be directed to follow any future changes to CDC guidelines regarding mask recommendations.  (Legistar)

APPROVED: $332,695 construction contract for two sentinel monitoring wells to detect 1,4-Dioxane contamination. One well will be located near Miller/Maple, another at a location to be determined. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Rezoning and site plan for a parcel of 0.15 acres at 340 Depot Street. The property is rezoned from C1B (Community Convenience Center District) to a PUD (Planned Unit Development). The PUD will allow a 7,830 square foot residential building with 4 residential units, 2,530 square feel of office/retail use, and 6 vehicle parking spaces at ground level underneath part of the proposed building. The site plan is primarily two stories and requires a minimum of 1,300 square feet of office or retail use on the first floor. This plan is approved with the condition that 4 feet of “Easement for Public Right-of-Way” will be vacated by City Council. (Legistar) (Legistar)

APPROVED: A development agreement for a 4 story residential building at 2424 E. Stadium (currently the site of the University Inn) to include 185 dwelling units with a $115,625 contribution to the City Parks department. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $938,000 construction contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for pavement preservation – intermittent cold milling and asphalt patching, cape seal surface treatment (one course chip seal and one course micro-surface applications) – and new pavement markings. Existing bike lanes along the north and south sides of Glazier Way (between Green Rd and Earhart Rd) will be converted to buffered bike lanes. Traffic lanes on Huron Parkway (between Fuller/Geddes Rd and Hubbard Rd) would be narrowed to slow traffic. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Resolution directing the City Administrator to issue a traffic control order prohibiting on-street parking on the west side of Division Street from Hoover Street to Hill Street and on the east side of Division Street from Hill Street to Packard Street. Existing pavement markings on Division Street will be removed and replaced with markings, vertical elements and signage that will establish a two-way cycle track (separated from vehicle traffic lanes) to extend the existing cycle track to the Division Street terminus at Hoover Street. (Legistar)

DEFEATED: $134,271 budget amendment for a State Trunkline Jurisdiction Transfer Study. A study would have assessed the feasibility of the City assuming responsibility for maintenance and improvement of trunklines – Jackson Road, Huron Street, Washtenaw Avenue, North Main Street – which are currently under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Transportation. Assessment would include the condition of the roadways, costs to bring the roadways up to an acceptable state of good repair, costs to operate and maintain the roadway in perpetuity, anticipated increases to gas tax revenues, as well as other positive and negative externalities. (Legistar)

POSTPONED: The City Administrator is directed to prohibit right turns on red in the downtown and near-downtown area as bordered by Kingsley St., State St., Hoover Ave., and First St. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 19, 2022 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 19, 2022 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for September 19, 2022 Part 3

Ann Arbor City Council: February 7, 2022

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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: A resolution regarding the re-building and expansion of the East Medical Center Drive bridge removing conditions that were added by amendment at the Oct 18, 2021 Council meeting. At that meeting, a majority of Council approved amendment language dictating that “The final design will utilize the additional width and capacity to facilitate and encourage multimodal travel (e.g. transit, carpool, bike).” That language was removed to preserve the original plan and financial agreement with the University: UM will pay for 50% of the cost of rebuilding and 100% of the cost of widening. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A $95,000 amendment to a contract with Bodman PLC for legal services relative to the Gelman 1,4 Dioxane contamination and related litigation. This is the eighth amendment to this contract. (Legistar)

DEFEATED: A resolution directing the City Administrator to strengthen public education on the topic of “reducing deer-human negative interactions” and “supporting biological diversity in natural areas.” The original resolution asked that the City Administrator report on advocacy for non-lethal deer management, resume funding for vegetation studies, and include “budgetary trade-offs involved in resuming funding for the deer management program” in FY 2023 budget discussions. The resolution was amended at the table to remove reference to the FY 2023 budget. A motion to postpone to the next Council meeting was defeated. (Legistar)

DEFEATED: In response to factual errors identified in an investigative report conducted by Jennifer Salvatore (published on Dec 7, 2021), City Attorneys would have been directed to oversee corrections and submit a corrected memo by February 21, 2022. (Legistar)

DEFEATED: This resolution asked for transparency regarding ownership of the 68 parcels recommended for TC-1 zoning changes by the City’s Planning Commission. The City would have compiled a “report of the individuals with an ownership interest in these sixty-eight parcels, and including, but not limited to, the entity name on the City Assessor’s record, the Registered Agent with the State of Michigan and the ownership information available from the County Register of Deeds.” Additionally, the City would have contracted with a commercial broker to assess – for each parcel – approximately how much they increase in value due to the rezoning. A report of this information would have been published by March 21, 2022. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for February 7, 2022 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for February 7, 2022 Part 2

Ann Arbor City Council: February 1, 2021

This was the twenty first 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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: Rezoning and site plan for 2111 Packard to allow for development of a mixed use development. The project will include a 72 unit, 3-story apartment building with 118 bedrooms, 84 surface parking spaces, and 3642 square feet of retail space at each corner of the building that fronts Packard Street. (Legistar) (Legistar)

APPROVED: Rezoning (PUD) and site plan for 2195 East Ellsworth to construct a three-story, 168,130 square foot residential building and a 154-space surface parking lot (“Lockwood”). The project will include 154 independent senior residential apartments (89 one-bedroom units and 65 two-bedroom units) in a single building. The building will also contain a commercial kitchen and dining area, small barber shop, activity room, movie room, fitness room, and small clinic. (Legistar) (Legistar)

Three resolutions related to Greenbelt Purchases (One outside City limits, two inside City limits)

APPROVED: A contract change order for $1,194,560 to replace galvanized water service lines. State Law requires that water suppliers replace both the publicly owned and privately owned portions of galvanized service lines that are or were connected to lead. Regulations state that water suppliers must replace these lines at a rate of 5% per year beginning January 1, 2021. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Amendment adding $157,500 to the legal services agreement with Bodman, PLC to fund ongoing litigation related to the Gelman Plume contamination. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Special Event permit (through the end of 2021) for drive-through COVID testing site at Briarwood Mall, 100 Briarwood Circle (south of the former Sears wing). (Legistar)

POSTPONED TO INDEFINITE DATE: Direction to the City Administrator to determine the cost and feasibility of supplemental snow and ice removal of our pedestrian infrastructure to improve pedestrian safety. Targeted areas would include sidewalks, driveway aprons, bus stops, and crosswalk ramps. (Legistar)

Two resolutions related to the Council of the Commons

APPROVED: New Council Rules limiting public announcements and also discussion and debate of agenda items with reduced speaking times for Council Members (second speaking time limit changed from 3 minutes to 2 minutes), with a goal to end Council meetings before 11 p.m. Requests for additional discussion and debate of agenda items would require a 3/4 vote of approval (nine Council Members). Council members are directed not to “assail, question or impugn the integrity, character, or motives of another Member” in any context (inside or outside of the meeting). The Presiding Officer (Mayor) will have full discretion to determine whether this violation has occurred and either grant an offended Council Member two minutes of “personal privilege” speaking time or call a Council Member out of order for making the complaint. (Legistar)

  • DEFEATED: Amendment to remove additional two minutes of “personal privilege” speaking time.
  • DEFEATED: Amendment to remove “Redress of Grievances” process for the Administrative Committee to regulate communication of Council Members.
  • DEFEATED: Amendment to remove phrase “or in another public venue” that would allow the Administrative Committee to regulate communication of Council Members outside of public meetings.
  • DEFEATED: Amendment to move public commentary to the beginning of special sessions.
  • DEFEATED: Amendment to preserve three minutes of Public Announcement time for Council Members.
  • https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2021/02/ann-arbor-officials-divided-on-new-rules-about-personal-attacks-against-colleagues.html

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

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

Ann Arbor City Council: January 19, 2021

This was the twentieth 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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: Grant money of $14,000 will fund administrative staffing to support the Aging in Place Efficiently Program, helping low-income seniors age in a place of their choosing for longer by combining energy efficiency improvements with aging support and services. (Legistar)

APPROVED: The 2021 Sidewalk Gap Elimination Project Budget will appropriate $50,000 for initial projects at Barton Drive (Brede to Pontiac), Stimson Street (State to end of gaps), Boardwalk (Eisenhower to Oakbrook). Funds from the New Sidewalk Millage (approved by voters in Nov 2020) will not be available until July 1, 2021, so this is interim financing from the Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage Fund to allow construction in the summer/fall of 2021. Once the revenue from the new millage is available, the Street, Bridge and Sidewalk Millage Fund will be reimbursed. (Legistar)

APPROVED: New parking standards will require new developments to equip a percentage of parking spaces with electric vehicle chargers and infrastructure to accommodate future chargers. (Legistar)

APPROVED: New poverty exemptions for property taxes on a principal residence will be set at 2.2 times the Federal Poverty Level income. The maximum asset level will be set at $50,000. (Legistar)

POSTPONED: A resolution to appoint three at-large members to the Council of the Commons was postponed to permit more coordination/communication between CM Hayner and CM Briggs. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Resolution to Rescind Council resolution R-19-139, requiring Council approval for lane reductions on major streets/corridors. City staff may now remove lanes of traffic on major streets and corridors without a vote of City Council. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Council directs Evan Pratt (County Drain Commissioner) to issue a Notice of Violation to Gelman Sciences, Inc. for causing the seepage of contaminated water into the Allen Creek Drain. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A budget amendment of $40,000 from the General Fund for design of a spring deployment of Healthy Streets for 2021. Additional funding will be requested in the future for implementation. Recommendations include “identifying locations where previous Healthy Streets reconfigurations could be made permanent.” (Legistar)

POSTPONED TO INDEFINITE DATE: Direction to the City Attorney to provide a memo appropriate for publication, on the topic of Council Rules and Constitutional First Amendment Rights (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

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

Ann Arbor City Council: December 7, 2020

This was the seventeenth 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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: Amendments to the City’s sign ordinance clearly define standards for lighting, area size (relative to street frontage), larger non-conforming signs, non-commercial flags, window signs and temporary signs.(Legistar)

APPROVED: Site plan for Brightdawn Village, a development with four four-story buildings on 8 acres at 2805 Burton Road. It will include 120 units of housing at market rate with 284 parking spaces (located in garages beneath and in surface lots). The development will be accessed from Packard (via Burton Road). (Legistar)

WITHDRAWN: A resolution would have delayed the City’s communication to the Governor and delayed the City’s request for EPA/Federal intervention to clean up the Gelman Plume. The City’s request would have been delayed for several months, pending the results of a court decision. The resolution was added to the agenda on Friday (12/4) and removed on Monday (12/7) before the meeting started. (This item has been removed from Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for December 7, 2020 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for December 7, 2020 Part 2

Ann Arbor City Council: November 5, 2020

This was the fifteenth 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.

This was the final Council meeting for CM Ackerman, CM Bannister, CM Eaton, CM Lumm, CM Smith


In the Nov 3, 2020 election, there were three city millages on the ballot, all of which passed:


Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: The resolution supporting EPA involvement in the Gelman plume contamination site (“Superfund” designation) was previously considered and postponed (10/7/2019, 1/6/2020, 1/21/2020, 2/3/2020, 3/2/2020, 4/20/2020), considered and tabled (7/6/20), then un-tabled and voted down on 10/17/20. It was brought back for reconsideration by CM Ramlawi and approved with one amendment: a WHEREAS clause that refers to continuing negotiation on the 4th Consent Judgement. (Legistar)

APPROVED: January and February late penalties (interest charges) would be waived for winter property taxes. Waiver of these late penalties will not apply to payments collected in escrow by financial institutions. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $94,942.05 in a cost-sharing agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation to cover the cost of two Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons on Huron Parkway at Glazier Way and Baxter Road. The project is partially paid for by a Federal Safety Grant of $84,557.95. Local funding comes from from the Street Bridge, & Sidewalk Millage. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Four representatives are appointed to the Council of the Commons, a leadership body established to facilitate activities on the Center of the City public property, consistent with recommendations from a task force report. (The Center of the City was established by voter referendum in 2018.) (Legistar)

APPROVED: Amendments to the Bylaws for the Art Commission will permit members of the Commission to bid on contracts for public art. Commissioners must notify the Commission and staff liaisons (in writing) about any reasonable possibility of their own bid on a contract and the Commissioner must abstain from any discussion or voting related to the contract or associated project. (Legistar)

DEFEATED: Resolution to waive attorney client privilege regarding specific privileged and confidential advice from the City Attorney, with any prejudicial information redacted. Fourteen memos of advice cover topics related to litigation, FOIA, civilian police review, non-discrimination, conflicts of interest and ethics, zoning and site-plans (memos dating from 2008 through 2018). (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for November 5, 2020 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for November 5, 2020 Part 2

Ann Arbor City Council: October 19, 2020

This was the fourteenth 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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: A contract for routine street tree pruning for $674,020 is part of the Urban and Community Forest Management Plan (UCFMP). It will be funded through the FY21 Stormwater Fund Operations and Maintenance Budget. (Legistar)

APPROVED: PUD zoning district for Veridian County Farm at 2270 Platt Road (Legistar), along with site plans and development agreements for Verdian County Farm South (Legistar), and Veridian County Farm North (Legistar)

APPROVED: Rose White park in lower Burns Park will be renamed Graydon Park in honor of former Ann Arbor City Council Member Graydon Krapohl. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Downtown Street closures for the benefit of restaurant and retail use was extended through November 29, 2020. This is the third extension of these street closures. (Legistar)

DEFEATED: A revision of the City’s water rates would eliminate the fourth tier for residential and create seasonal non-residential rates. (An amendment to remove seasonal non-residential rates from the resolution failed to pass.) (Legistar)

APPROVED: An employment agreement to hire Tom Crawford as City Administrator. (Legistar)

APPROVED: In order to facilitate organization of the Council of the Commons (approved by City Council 10/5/20), Council Members Jeff Hayner and Ali Ramlawi are appointed as liaisons. An application process will be opened and appointments made by December 22, 2020. (Legistar)

Two resolutions relating to the Gelman Plume were defeated:

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 19, 2020 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 19, 2020 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 19, 2020 Part 3

Ann Arbor City Council: April 6, 2020

This was the first 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.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: $115,000 for plans and specifications to fill the sidewalk gap on S. Main (Legistar)

APPROVED: $409,402 contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for repaving of road surface, replacement of pedestrian islands, and creation of buffered bike lanes for Plymouth Road Improvement Project (Murfin Rd./Upland Dr. to Nixon) (Legistar)

APPROVED: Special assessment district for Jackson Avenue Sidewalk Gap Elimination Project (Westover Ave. to Park Lake Ave.) (Legistar)

APPROVED: $396,752 agreement with Downtown Development Authority for design of South State Street and North University improvements, including: design for street resurfacing and watermain consolidation on State Street from South University Street to Washington Street and North University from State Street to Fletcher Street, and streetscape, safety, and mobility improvements on State Street from William Street to Washington Street (Legistar)

DEFEATED: Reallocation of $100,500 out of the Resident-Driven Sidewalk Gap Filling Program to subsidize the current Barton Drive Improvement Project and the Jackson Avenue Sidewalk Gap Project. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Amendment to the Nondiscrimination Ordinance to add reference and description of “ethnicity” as a protected category. Source of income calculations must multiply the value of housing assistance (X3) in order to more accurately assess a person’s ability to pay rent, prevent discrimination against housing vouchers in market rate rentals. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $200,000 in emergency aid for the Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Commission to protect residents: anticipate likely future evictions due to loss of income, food security for homebound households, and response to a possible outbreak of COVID-19 at congregate settings (e.g. Miller Manor & Baker Commons) with high risk households. (Legistar)​

APPROVED: $40,323 for sampling and testing for 1,4 dioxine in wet basements that are high risk, in the footprint of the Gelman dioxane plume. (Legistar)

TABLED: Resolution directing Planning Commission to consider designation of transit- supported zoning districts to increase housing density and options along major corridors. The commission would be asked to consider increasing allowable Floor Area Ratio (FAR) density, decreasing and/or eliminating parking requirements for new development along transit corridors and bring a recommendation to Council by June 15, 2020. (Legistar)​​​

APPROVED: Resolution encouraging the Governor to make an executive order addressing the need for political candidates to collect nominating signatures before an April 21 deadline, in compliance with the current stay-at-home orders. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Resolution recognizing the public service and contributions of Ethel “Eppie” Potts. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 6, 2020 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 6, 2020 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 6, 2020 Part 3
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for April 6, 2020 Part 4

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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.