Hello neighbors!
This week, Ann Arbor City Council has a very short agenda, including a public hearing for changes to the solid waste ordinance (B-1). One item of interest is buried on the Consent Agenda: a development agreement for 2857 Packard (CA-9), a property with a long history of controversy.
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 December 15, 2025:
Sheriff Dyer Files Complaint Against County Board
Since my last newsletter, the biggest local government news happened at the county level: Sheriff Alyshia Dyer filed a complaint in Circuit Court, challenging a resolution approved by the County Board of Commissioners (the “Board”). At their December 3, 2025 meeting, the Board approved a resolution to transfer four employees out of Sheriff Dyer’s supervision and add a County “liaison” to supervise human resources (employment) functions in Sheriff Dyer’s office. You can read the full complaint here:
https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/06de4056-e3bc-4447-97eb-06bb83970d48
In the last month, I’ve begun posting content on my Youtube channel focused on County government. For a summary of Sheriff Dyer’s complaint and events leading up to it, see the first episode of Washtenaw County Edition.
An update since I posted that video: on January 2, 2026, Judge Carol Kuhnke ruled that the County must “refrain from implementing, enforcing, or giving effect to” the Resolution that aimed to assert control of over staff and operations in the Sheriff’s office. The County (“Defendants”) must respond to the complaint no later than February 19, 2026. The full register of actions in this case can be found by searching the case number (25-002227-CZ) at this link.
https://tcweb.ewashtenaw.org/PublicAccess/Search.aspx?ID=200
If prompted, select the “Civil, Family & Probate Case Records” option.
Two other County-focused videos – more detailed summaries of November and December 2025 Board meetings – can be found on my YouTube channel at the playlist linked below.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPDgzaa5Kc1Kvt64OWMP-1VlTEU0KvYnt
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, January 5 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=1362737&GUID=242A74D7-F255-4592-9A76-8F8BEB070184
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.
Agenda Response Memo and eComments
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.
As of the publication of this newsletter, this item has not been posted
Communications from the Mayor
MC-1 (25-2261) Nominations and Reappointments for January 5, 2026
This appointment from the Mayor is being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting.
- Elizabeth Martin – Board of Review
MC-2 (25-2262) Resolution to Reappoint Maya Curtis to the Board of Review 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”.
Maya Curtis – Board of Review
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 (25-2100) Resolution to Approve a General Services Agreement with Miller-Boldt, Inc. for the Large Water Meter Replacement Project ($104,040.00; RFP No. 25-46)
CA-2 (25-2108) Resolution to Approve Amendment 2 to the Professional Services Agreement with Miller Boldt Inc. for On-Call HVAC Services for FY2026 (Amendment $100,000.00; Total Contract $750,000.00)
CA-3 (25-2118) Resolution to Approve Updated Schedule 26 to the Interagency Agreement for Collaborative Technology and Services for Data Center Services with Washtenaw County ($190,569.90 over a 3-year period)
CA-4 (25-2123) Resolution to Approve a Three-Year Agreement with First American Payment Systems, L.P. d/b/a Deluxe Corporation (“Deluxe”) for Merchant Processing Services ($276,000.00)
CA-5 (25-2197) Resolution to Accept a Sanitary Sewer Easement at 2260 Platt Road from The Grove at Veridian Limited Dividend Housing Association Limited Partnership (8 Votes Required)
CA-6 (25-2198) Resolution to Accept a Water Main Easement at 2260 Platt Road from The Grove at Veridian Limited Dividend Housing Association Limited Partnership (8 Votes Required)
CA-7 (25-2236) Resolution to Accept a Water Main Easement at Hideaway Lane Condominium from Trowbridge Homes of Hideaway, LLC (8 Votes Required)
CA-8 (25-2237) Resolution to Accept a Water Main Easement at 2000 Traver Road from Trowbridge Homes of Hideaway, LLC (8 Votes Required)
CA-9 (25-2265) Resolution to Approve the 2857 Packard – The Enclave of Ann Arbor Development Agreement (Planning Manager Recommendation: Approval)
A development agreement for 2857 Packard will permit the construction of the Enclave, a project of 35 single family homes. Developers will make a $21,875 contribution to City Parks and Recreation Services and will be constructing required public water mains, public sanitary sewer mains, private storm water management system, a sidewalk, and public street lights for the project.
The property at 2857 Packard has a long history.
In 2017, a previous City Council approved rezoning the property to R1E and then unanimously rejected a site plan proposed by the developer. MLive reported at the time:
The city’s staff determined upon technical review that the project doesn’t limit disturbance of natural features to the minimum necessary to allow a reasonable use of the land and doesn’t comply with the city’s master plan recommendation to protect existing natural features.
“The city requirements for site plans require that the development limit disturbance of natural features to the minimum necessary to allow a reasonable use of the land,” Mayor Christopher Taylor said.
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2017/11/ann_arbor_speaks_for_the_trees.html
The property was the subject of litigation in 2019, when City Council rejected a proposed PUD over similar concerns about the loss of trees. Former City Council Member Anne Bannister advocated for alternative public uses: either buying it for parkland (Legistar) or intentional development with affordable housing (Legistar).
In November 2019, a previous City Council ultimately settled the litigation through a consent judgement that would permit the construction of 51 residential homes: 25 single family residential lots and 26 attached residential units in four buildings. Also negotiated was the construction of a sidewalk and 54% Open Space, with preservation of 62 Woodland Trees and 13 Landmark Trees. The property was zoned R1E with conditions.
https://a2gov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4245234&GUID=100E0A20-F0C8-4CBA-B5E7-3C0A06BEF6BD
Fast forward to the last calendar year: in March 2025, City Council unanimously approved a resolution (Legistar) directing the City Administrator to negotiate a new plan to permit 35 single family homes.
https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-council-march-17-2025/
In September 2025, City Council unanimously approved an Amended Consent Judgement (Legistar) that would allow “alternative” versions of this project to be approved administratively by staff. A staff memo explained that “this would provide for some flexibility or deviation from City standards where appropriate, as determined by the Planning Manager.”
The document itself explains:
Plaintiff may submit one or more proposed alternative site plans for the Property to the City, which the City will evaluate for compliance with all applicable requirements in the normal course of business. A proposed alternative site plan submitted under this section shall be administratively evaluated and approved by the City Planning Manager upon a determination by the City Planning Manager that applicable requirements have been met.
Potential future changes to the current site plan are unlikely to be discussed in a public meeting. According to the Amended Consent Judgement,an alternate site plan could contain up to 40 housing units if the developer includes first floor bedrooms, constructs a sidewalk, saves 30 trees, and “advances the priorities set forth by City Council” (as determined by the City Planning Manager).
CA-10 (25-2266) Resolution to Appropriate Funds and to Amend the Public Services Area Transportation Unit General Fund Operations and Maintenance Budget to Support the Removal of Neighborhood Watch Sign Removals ($18,000.00) (8 Votes Required)
An expenditure of $18,000 will cover the cost of removing Neighborhood Watch Signs. The number of signs to be removed is estimated to be over 600. A staff memo explains that this activity is not eligible to be funded by Major/Local Street Funds (Act 51), within the Transportation Sign/Signal Budget, and there are no available funds in the approved FY 26 Police operations and maintenance budget.
This follows up on a Council directive approved last month to remove the signs by July 15, 2026:
https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-council-december-15-2025/
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/B-1 (25-2130) An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 26 (Solid Waste Management) of Title II of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (ORD-25-35)
Nineteen pages of amendments to the solid waste ordinance remove and change definitions but also appear to add new process regarding exemptions to compost service and remove entire sections regulating the storage of containers and collection at commercial locations.
In answer to a general question about this item, staff explained:
“The main purposes of the ordinance revision are to update current definitions in coordination with the Solid Waste Regulations, update sections where necessary to reflect current practices, and reformatting to align more closely with the Regulations. There are no significant new features to service or compliance evaluation.”
The Solid Waste Regulations can be found at this link:
https://www.a2gov.org/media/eddkw3ob/2025-05-29-solid-waste-regulations-clean.pdf
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.
B-1 (25-2130) is the same as PH-1 above.
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.
There are no ordinance first readings on the agenda
Motions and Resolutions
There are no additional motions or resolutions on the agenda
Thank you for taking the time to be informed about our local government!
Elizabeth Nelson