Hello neighbors!
This week, Ann Arbor City Council considers a very short agenda, with the most interesting items tucked on the Consent Agenda. There will be one public hearing, for the rezoning of properties on Wagner Road.
A2Council Update Video
After every City Council meeting I send out an “A2Council Update” newsletter, which includes a summary video. Here is my A2Council Update video from the Council meeting of March 16, 2026:
County Update
On March 18, 2026, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners heard a proposal for a new millage, to expand healthcare support at the County level. Changes at the federal level mean that thousands of County residents will soon be losing healthcare coverage. In a work session the Washtenaw Health Project proposed a seven year millage to address the crisis.
On their regular agenda, the Board voted to exempt the County from participation in an expanded Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in Ann Arbor. A renewed and expanded DDA would skim additional tax revenue away from the district library (AADL), the Washtenaw Community College (WCC), the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA), the County, and the City so the funds can be invested in the Ann Arbor DDA district. So far, elected boards for the County, the AADL, and WCC have all voted to withdraw from participation in an expanded DDA.
Ann Arbor City Council will vote on approval of a renewed and expanded DDA on April 20.
See how the Board discussed a potential millage, Ann Arbor DDA expansion, a new UM data center in Ypsilanti township, and other issues in County Edition. Their next meeting is April 15. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to see my summary of that meeting.
Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Agenda
Below is my summary of issues on the City Council Agenda this week, with links to more information about each of them. If you have comments about any of these issues, you can email all of Council at CityCouncil@a2gov.org
Ann Arbor City Council Meeting
Monday, April 6, 2026 7:00PM
Ann Arbor City Hall (2nd Floor)
301 E Huron St, Ann Arbor 48104
The full agenda (including a link to the latest published PDF agenda, and instructions for dialing into the meeting) is on the A2Gov Legistar website:
https://a2gov.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1368500&GUID=8D7366A5-CDE5-45E7-8337-BBCEBBE571DA
City Council meetings are broadcast live by CTN on Comcast (channel 16) and AT&T (channel 99) and online at a2gov.org/watchCTN
Meetings are also streamed live on the CTN YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ctnannarbor
How to reserve public comment
People that wish to comment at a City Council meeting must sign up with the City Clerk’s office in advance. Speakers are allotted 3 minutes, with the first 15 speakers allowed to speak in a 45 minute session near the beginning of the meeting. Remaining speakers will speak at the end of the Council meeting. Public comment can be made either in person or remotely via phone/Zoom audio.
To sign up for public comment, please go to or call the City Clerk’s Office at 734-794-6140 on the day of the meeting between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. At 4:00 PM, all speakers that have signed up are randomly ordered in “priority groups”. After 4:00 PM, speakers are added to the end of the applicable priority group in the order received. No new speakers will be added to the list after 5:00 PM. For more information, visit the City’s website:
https://www.a2gov.org/city-council/council-meetings-overview/
Questions to the Agenda
In preparation for a Council meeting, Council members can ask questions of staff about scheduled agenda items. Questions must be submitted by noon on the Wednesday before a Council Meeting, and answers are returned the next day (Thursday) by 5pm.
AC-1 (26-0593) Agenda Response Memo and eComments – April 6, 2026
This agenda item has a PDF attachment with all questions raised by Council Members, and the answers provided by staff.This agenda item has a PDF attachment with all questions raised by Council Members, and the answers provided by staff.
For the second meeting in a row, there were no questions asked by Council Members
Communications from the Mayor
MC-1 (26-0594) Appointments and Nominations for April 6, 2026
This appointment from the Mayor is being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting.
- Josh Winslow – Parks Advisory Commission
MC-2 (26-0596) Resolution to Appoint Joe Giant to the Economic Development Corporation Board as a Non-registered Elector (7 Votes Required)
This appointment from the Mayor is being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting. Seven votes are required because the “appointee is not a registered elector of the City of Ann Arbor.”
- Joe Giant – Economic Development Corporation Board
Joe Giant was hired as the City’s Economic Development Director on March 17, 2025.
https://www.a2gov.org/news/posts/ann-arbor-introduces-new-economic-development-director/
Attached to this meeting’s agenda is a letter dated March 24, 2026, stating that Milton Dohoney has resigned from the Economic Development Corporation Board, and that “Joe Giant is in the process of being appointed in his absence.” (Legistar)
Consent Agenda
Below is the list of items included on the Consent Agenda. If no one on Council specifically requests that an item be pulled for discussion, the whole of this list will be approved in a single vote.
CA-1 (26-0537) Resolution to Approve a Change in Street Closings for the University of Michigan Big House 5K on Sunday, April 12, 2026
CA-2 (26-0508) Resolution to Approve the Closure of Washington between Fletcher and Thayer Streets for the Forever Go Blue Bash on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 from 6:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M.
CA-3 (26-0397) Resolution to Approve Street Closures for the 2026 MUSIC Matters SpringFest from 6:00 A.M. on Friday, April 17, 2026 until 10:00 P.M.
CA-4 (26-0510) Resolution to Approve Street Closings for the Burns Park Run – Sunday, May 3, 2026 from 5:30 A.M. until 11:00 A.M.
CA-5 (26-0527) Resolution to Approve a Street Closure for the 2026 Ann Arbor Summer Festival’s “Top of the Park” – June 6, 2026 through July 1, 2026
CA-6 (26-0511) Resolution to Approve Street Closures for University of Michigan’s Spring Commencement, Concerts and Football Games for the 2026 Season
CA-7 (26-0445) Resolution to Approve a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for the Affordable Housing Project at 3695 South State Street
A proposed Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement for 3695 S State will allow the developer (Lockwood) to pay just $1 in taxes for every affordable housing unit created on site. This PILOT is meant to improve Lockwood’s application for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) in order to build 66 units of affordable housing.
The location is on the east side of State, between 94 and Ellsworth. Plans anticipate a rezoning of the property from O (Office) to Planned Unit Development (PUD). In 2024, the City Planning Commission discussed a pre-application review of the 4-story, 66 unit project.
https://a2gov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6818009&GUID=2F0E9D05-A677-4D1E-886F-38992A1DB91E
MLive reported on concerns raised by commissioners in 2024.
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2024/08/pedestrian-safety-a-concern-as-ann-arbor-considers-housing-plan-for-state-street.html
CA-8 (26-0184) Resolution to Approve Amendment No. 2 to the General Services Agreement with Utilities Instrumentation Service, LLC f/k/a Utilities Instrumentation Service Inc. for Electrical and Instrumentation Support Services, RFP #22-45 ($700,000.00 increase, total contract $1,850,000.00)
CA-9 (26-0448) Resolution to Appropriate Funds and to Amend the Wheeler Service Center Fund Budget ($150,000.00) (8 Votes Required)
CA-10 (26-0385) Resolution to Approve a Construction Contract with Doan Construction Co. for the South Main Street Sidewalk Project (RFP 26-10; $3,480,277.60), and Appropriate $1,320,083.00 in Contributing Funds (8 Votes Required)
A construction contract for $3,480,277.60 will add a sidewalk on the east side of South Main (between Scio Church and Stadium). The University of Michigan has agreed to contribute to the project (cost allocation to be determined later).
Construction is planned in stages this summer, to be completed by August 28 (work suspended during the Art Fair). Traffic on South Main will temporarily be reduced to one lane in each direction. Fifty-four trees will be removed to make way for the sidewalk – of that number, seven are landmark trees and thirteen are invasive species.
See link below for complete plans and maps of temporary traffic changes— diagram and list of trees to be removed is on page 15:
https://www.a2gov.org/media/kbup0ecw/rfp_26-10_plans.pdf
CA-11 (26-0261) Resolution to Decertify Five Streets Not Being Used as Active Roadways
CA-12 (26-0350) Resolution to Approve a Purchase Order to Amerinet of Michigan, Inc. for the Purchase of Networking Equipment, Software and Related Services to Replace Legacy Network Equipment and Upgrade the City’s Remote Locations to a Fabric Connected Network ($134,708.02) (GSA MAS Contract 47QTCA19D00MM)
CA-13 (26-0421) Resolution to Approve the City’s Participation in the Settlement of National Prescription Opiate Litigation Against Opioid Distributors/Dispenser Defendants: Associated Pharmacies, Inc (and American Associated Pharmacies); J M Smith Corporation; Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company, Inc.; Morris and Dickson Co.; North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug Company, Inc.; and United Natural Foods, Inc. (including its subsidiaries SuperValu and Advantage Logistics) (Six Remnant Defendants)
Public Hearings
Anyone wanting to comment on these issues may speak for 3 minutes, without having specifically reserved time. Issues subject to public hearing will also be up for a vote by Council later in the meeting.
PH-1 (26-0444) Resolution to Approve the 2080 South State Street Annexation, 1.199 Acres, 2080 South State Street
A parcel at 2080 S State will be annexed into the city. It is currently part of Pittsfield township. The property is on the west side of State just south of Biercamp. After annexation, staff anticipate future city zoning of Office.
Ordinances – Second Reading
In order to amend the city code, Council must vote to approve the change, via ordinance, at two Council meetings. The following proposed ordinances were approved at a previous Council meeting, and are also subject to a public hearing as listed above.
There are no ordinance second readings on the agenda
Ordinances – First Reading
In order to amend the city code, Council must vote to approve the change, via ordinance, at two Council meetings. The following proposed ordinances are being introduced for “first reading”. If approved, the ordinance will be voted on at a subsequent Council meeting (“second reading”), where it will also be subject to a public hearing.
C-1 (26-0416) An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Map of Chapter 55 (Unified Development Code), Rezoning of 0.28 Acres from R1D (Single-Family Dwelling) to R2A (Two-Family Dwelling), 359 and 371 S. Wagner Road (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 6 Yes, 0 No)
Two parcels at 359 and 371 S. Wagner Road will be rezoned from R1D (Single Family residential) to R2A (Two-family residential) in order to permit the construction of duplexes. A single family home is located on one parcel and the other is vacant. The existing home will be demolished to accommodate a duplex on both that parcel and the vacant parcel.
Motions and Resolutions
The following agenda items are motions and resolutions, which are approved or rejected in a single meeting. Agenda items marked “DC” are proposed by Council members, items marked “DB” are proposed by City boards and commissions, items marked “DS” are proposed by City staff.
DS-1 (26-0444) is the same as PH-1 above
Thank you for taking the time to be informed about our local government!
Elizabeth Nelson