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 Ghazi Edwin was absent
Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary
APPROVED: The City’s water rates will increase by 6% starting July 1, 2023 (Legistar)
APPROVED: The City’s stormwater rates will increase by 4% starting July 1, 2023 (Legistar)
APPROVED: The City will issue and offer for sale $40,000,000 in water supply revenue bonds to fund “acquiring, constructing, installing, furnishing and equipping additions and other improvements to the City’s water supply system, as well as refurbishing, repairing or maintaining the same.” (Legistar)
- From the ordinance: “The Bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates to be determined on public sale thereof, but in any event not exceeding the lesser of 7.00% per annum, or the maximum rate permitted by law, payable on April 1 and October 1 of each year, commencing October 1, 2023”
- A2ELNEL: Revenue Bonds & Debris Cleanup: When Council Asks No Questions
Four construction contracts were approved:
APPROVED: A $6,909,800 construction contract with MDOT will resurface streets and make pedestrian safety improvements as part of the State and Hill Streets Improvements Project. State street will be resurfaced from Granger to South University (excluding Hoover to Packard); crosswalk ramps and signals will be improved and on-street parking removed to create protected bike lanes. Hill Street will be resurfaced from Fifth Avenue to Church Street; crosswalk ramps and signals will be improved up to Washtenaw Ave. and 1,600 feet of water main replaced between Fifth and State. (Legistar)
APPROVED: A $3,372,459.43 construction contract (Ajax Paving) will reconstruct the roadway, replace asphalt pavement, and add bike lanes in both directions at Research Park Drive (northeast of Ellsworth and State). (Legistar)
APPROVED: A $2,122,850 construction contract (Fonson) will replace a water main and resurface streets as part of the West Madison — Madison Place Water Main and Resurfacing Project. A turnaround will be established on a City-owned property at the end of Madison Place. A mini-roundabout and crosswalk improvements are planned for W. Madison and Eberwhite Boulevard. (Legistar)
- Council Member Eyer added an amendment (approved as friendly, without a vote) emphasizing that a failure to provide evidence of OSHA training will be considered a breach of contract.
APPROVED: A $3,445,709.21 construction contract with Bailey Excavating, Inc. will replace a water main and resurface streets as part of the Brooks Street Improvement Project. The intersection at Sunset, Brooks, and Vesper will be reconfigured and a mini-roundabout installed at Mixtwood and Red Oak. (Legistar)
Two resolutions were approved directing the collection of delinquent City charges and fees by special assessment via property taxes:
APPROVED: A total of $212,357.45 in delinquent municipal utility charges will be collected as a tax on property owners, via special assessment. (Legistar)
- The list of unpaid accounts includes a Ward 2 property owned by Ward 1 City Council Member Cynthia Harrison. (link to list)
APPROVED: A total of $40,138.83 in delinquent City fees (e.g. solid waste, board up, clean up, vacant property, housing, and fire inspection) will be collected as a tax on property owners, via special assessment. (Legistar)
APPROVED: The Council Brownfields Plan Review committee is dissolved. This City Council committee was an additional step of review for tax abatements requested by developers. Funds awarded through the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (WCBRA) compensate developers for cleanup and redevelopment of environmentally-distressed properties in the City of Ann Arbor. Requests for these funds were previously reviewed and approved by the Brownfields Plan Review committee and then sent to the whole of City Council. After City Council approval, brownfield funding requests are reviewed and approved by the Washtenaw County Commission. (Legistar)
- A2ELNEL: Dissolving Brownfields Plan Review Committee: “Streamlined” Process to Give Money to Developers
APPROVED: After an hour of meeting in closed session, Council added a resolution to the agenda directing the City Attorney to write a public memo regarding the 9th Circuit Court decision in California Restaurant Association V. Berkeley. This court decision set aside local regulation of natural gas hookups. (Legistar)
- Link to the 9th Circuit Court opinion: https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2023/04/17/21-16278.pdf
- From the opinion: “As these cases make clear, States and localities can’t skirt the text of broad preemption provisions by doing indirectly what Congress says they can’t do directly.”
- From the opinion: “In sum, Berkeley can’t bypass preemption by banning natural gas piping within buildings rather than banning natural gas products themselves.”
A2Council Update Video
A2ELNEL Voting Chart

