Ann Arbor City Council Newsletter (May 17, 2025)

May 17, 2025 | Newsletter

Hello neighbors!

Welcome to my Ann Arbor City Council newsletter, where you can connect with primary sources to understand the work of your local government. My goal is to provide clear explanations of all the issues your elected representatives will be discussing at their next meeting and alert you to local policy and decisions that have been assigned to unelected Mayoral appointees.

This week, Ann Arbor City Council will approve an annual budget and fee increases across various city departments. In addition to the budget, Council considers an ordinance amendment to eliminate neighbor notification requirements for land divisions (C-1), an annexation of township property on Arlington (DB-1), funding to compensate for federal program cuts (DC-6, DC-7, DC-8) and a resolution to find a new record keeping system for the Ann Arbor Police Department (DC-9). The agenda includes three items that had to be postponed at the last meeting due to absences: funding for addiction treatment (DS-1), a sanitary sewer easement (DS-2), and a water main easement (DS-3) required eight votes but only seven members of Council attended the last meeting. 

ANNUAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS

The biggest item on this week’s agenda: an annual budget for FY 2026. In recent years, City Administrator Milton Dohoney has set aside $1 million in Marijuana Excise Tax rebate funds for the Council to allocate by amendment. In the first budget cycle of a unanimous Council (FY2024), all proposed amendments added up to exactly $1 million, which strongly suggested coordination and a likely violation of the Open Meetings Act. 

This year, Dohoney offered Council $616,000 in Marijuana Excise Tax rebate funds to allocate by amendment. Council has offered two budget amendments to make use of those discretionary funds: Council Member Harrison proposes that the entire sum ($616,000) be given to Rising Hope for Housing program. Council Members Watson, Ghazi Edwin, Briggs, Cornell, and Akmon propose that $116,000 be added to the General Budget of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission for eviction prevention programs. One of these amendments will have to be adjusted to accommodate funding for both.

Two budget amendments do not use discretionary marijuana funds but draw money from elsewhere. 

Council Members Briggs, Akmon, and Cornell propose that $500,000 be removed from budget previously allocated to maintain roads. The money would be used instead for “quick build” projects on major multi-lane roads. This amendment has generated excitement from activists who hope that the funding can “reconfigure deadly multilane roads like Stadium” and reduce them to one lane. 

For the second year in a row, Council Member Jen Eyer proposes that General Fund balance be used to send City-wide mailers promoting members of Council. In FY2025, Council allocated $100,000 in General Fund balance for this purpose. For FY2026, Eyer proposes an additional $50,000, while carrying over what remains unspent from last year’s budget for promotional mailers.

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 May 5, 2025:

In Case You Missed It

On my YouTube channel, you can find recordings of public meetings that are open to attend live (online or in-person) but are not made available by the City to view later. Please reach out if you have suggestions about public meetings that should be recorded. Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you would like to be alerted to new content as it gets added.
https://www.youtube.com/@a2elnel

Council Administration Committee: April 8, 2025

This is a recording I made of a Zoom audio meeting held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 by the Ann Arbor Council Administration Committee. Video was not made available.
https://a2council.com/council-administration-committee-april-8-2025/

Council Administration Committee: May 13, 2025

This is a recording I made of a Zoom audio meeting held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 by the Ann Arbor Council Administration Committee. Video was not made available.
https://a2council.com/council-administration-committee-may-13-2025/

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, May 19 2025 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=1251581&GUID=3959006D-C1DA-4BED-A747-C43A0384D9D4

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 (25-1001) Agenda Response Memo and eComments – May 19, 2025
This agenda item has a PDF attachment with all questions raised by Council Members, and the answers provided by staff.
No Council Members asked questions to the agenda this week

Communications from the Mayor

MC-1 (25-0931) Reappointments – Confirmations
These 47 reappointments from the Mayor were presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting. See the Legistar link for details.

MC-2 (25-0935) Appointments – Confirmations
These appointments from the Mayor were presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting.

  • John Kotarski – Ann Arbor Public Art Commission
  • Julian Mayes – Downtown Development Area Resident Consultancy Council
  • Devin Kilpatrick – Housing Commission

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 (25-0927) Resolution to Close West Washington Street for the Ann Arbor YMCA Community Block Party on Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM

CA-2 (25-0936) Resolution to Accept Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Funds and Approve an Agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the Fourth Avenue Street and Transit Improvements Project ($200,000.00)

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/DB-1 (25-0836) Resolution to Approve the 1155 Arlington Boulevard Annexation, 0.9 Acres, 1155 Arlington Boulevard (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 7 Yeas and 0 Nays)
A parcel (0.9 acre) at 1155 Arlington will be annexed into the city. It is within the City’s water and sewer service area and current use is consistent with adjacent zoning and land uses. Proposed future zoning of R1A (Single family district) is recommended.

This annexation was approved by the Planning Commission on March 18, 2025: https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-march-18-2025/

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 (25-0838) An Ordinance to Amend Sections 5.29.9.B of Chapter 55 (Unified Development Code) of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (Land Divisions) CPC Recommendation: Approval (7 yes, 0 no)
Proposed amendments to the UDC remove the requirement that property owners and residents within 300 feet would be notified of a request for a land division. Amendments remove the opportunity for nearby residents to weigh in and “submit comments in person or in writing to the Planning Commission, and… file comments with the Planning Manager prior to the end of the review period.”

Proposed amendments are aligned with a resolution approved unanimously by Council on April 1, 2024. 
https://a2gov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6607007&GUID=8848476B-C873-47D5-A029-B87B314B5248

That resolution formally adopted the recommendations in an 82 page memo written by former assistant City Administrator John Fournier. 
https://a2gov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6455353&GUID=9953264D-8091-454D-8178-7E569BF0A22C

From Fournier’s memo: “Amend city ordinance to eliminate land division notifications, since we are required under state law to approve these divisions anyway and the notifications serves no real purpose in the approval process”

Fournier’s memo is an oversimplification that ignores several details. State law does not require that the city “approve these divisions anyway.” Rather, State law lays out the standard of review for local approval and specifically references what local discretion is permitted.  

From the Michigan Land Division Act MCL 560.109(5) “The governing body of a municipality or the county board of commissioners of a county having authority to approve or disapprove a division may adopt an ordinance setting forth the standards authorized in subsection (1)(b), (c), and (d)”

In the subsections referenced above, state law authorizes some local standards that are objectively measurable, e.g. depth and width requirements or minimum area for a proposed division. However, state law also authorizes local standards that are more subjective, e.g. exceptional topographic or physical conditions and compatibility with surrounding lands.

Land divisions in Ann Arbor are currently approved by City staff (“Planning Manager”) and the UDC includes additional process if a request is denied: the applicant may appeal to the City Planning Commission, a body of mayoral appointees. See UDC TABLE 5.27-1

Currently, a nearby resident (within 300 feet) is notified about a land division and have an opportunity to express concerns. Their concerns may be within local discretion and Staff may agree and reject the request. At that point, an appeal before the Planning Commission would include the public record of both a report from Staff and concerns raised by local residents. 

Proposed amendments will make it virtually impossible for local residents to be made aware of a requested land division within 300 feet of their property. These decisions are made internally and without any notice, residents would have no opportunity to raise concerns, some of which could be within local discretion. A resident would have to obsessively follow the agendas of the City Planning Commission to be aware of or offer any feedback on an appeal.

The changes were approved by the Planning Commission on March 18, 2025: https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-march-18-2025/

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.

DC-1 (25-0877) Resolution to Reappoint Rosanne Bloomer, Kate Laramie, and Deaver Armstrong to the Greenbelt Advisory Commission (7 Votes Required)
These re-appointments are from CM Mallek, who serves on the Greenbelt Advisory Commission. These were presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting.

  • Rosanne Bloomer – Greenbelt Advisory Commission
  • Kate Laramie – Greenbelt Advisory Commission
  • Deaver Armstrong – Greenbelt Advisory Commission

DC-2 (25-0928) Resolution to Reappoint Stephen Brown to the Environmental Commission
This re-appointment is from CM Cornell, who serves on the Environmental Commission. This was presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting.

  • Stephen Brown – Environmental Commission

DC-3 (25-0944) Resolution to Reappoint Erica Liu and Randy Milgrom to the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission
These re-appointments are from CM Eyer and CM Harrison, who serve on the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission, and CM Watson, who serves on the Human Rights Commission. These were presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting

  • Erica Liu – Independent Community Police Oversight Commission
  • Randy Milgrom – Independent Community Police Oversight Commission

DC-4 (25-0932) Resolution to Reappoint Non-registered Electors to Ann Arbor Boards and Commissions (7 Votes Required)
These appointments from the Mayor were presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting. Seven votes are required because “the appointees are not registered electors of the City of Ann Arbor.”

  • Geoffrey M Perkins – Design Review Board
  • Carlene Colvin-Garcia – Energy Commission
  • Molly Maciejewski – Huron River Watershed Council

DC-5 (25-0933) Resolution to Appoint Sarah Fuller to the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission as a Non-registered Elector (7 Votes Required)
This appointment from the Mayor was presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting. Seven votes are required because “the appointee is not a registered elector of the City of Ann Arbor.”

  • Sarah Fuller – Ann Arbor Public Art Commission

DC-6 (25-1006) Resolution to Allocate Funds for Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Intervention Programs
$300,000 will be allocated to the Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan to support Ann Arbor-based substance abuse disorder treatment. This uses funds set aside on December 16, 2024, to address negative impacts due to changes at the federal level.

DC-7 (25-1007) Resolution to Allocate Funds for Expanding Food Access and Supporting Local Food Distribution
$300,000 will be allocated to Food Gatherers of Washtenaw County to support food distribution services. This uses funds set aside on December 16, 2024, to address negative impacts due to changes at the federal level.

DC-8 (25-1008) Resolution to Allocate Funds for Shelter Diversion, Eviction Prevention, and Programming in Under-Resourced Communities
A total of $400,000 will be allocated to three local nonprofits in these amounts:

  • $140,000 to Shelter Association of Washtenaw County & SOS Community Services to support shelter diversion
  • $100,000 to Community Action Network (CAN) to support summer programming
  • $160,000 to Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation (AAHDC) to support eviction prevention

This uses funds set aside on December 16, 2024, to address negative impacts due to changes at the federal level.

DC-9 (25-1016) Resolution Directing the City Administrator to Explore a Replacement Records Management System (RMS) for the City of Ann Arbor
By resolution, the City Administrator is directed to explore a new system of records management for the Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD). The current system used by the City is a regional platform called CLEMIS. It is proposed that an alternative system prioritize local ownership/control, privacy concerns, real-time analysis and local data, as well as integrate with unarmed crisis response, public health interventions, and support for returning justice-involved individuals. The City Administrator will consult with AAPD, technical and legal staff as well as the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission and report back to Council within 120 days with recommendations.

DB-1 (25-0836) is the same as PH-1 above.

DS-1 (25-0848) Resolution to Approve the Marijuana Excise Tax Rebate Fund Grant Agreement Between the City of Ann Arbor and the Home of New Vision and Appropriate Funding ($85,000.00) (8 Votes Required)
Marijuana Excise Tax Rebate Funds of $85,000 will be allocated to Home of New Vision to support a 24-hour crisis intervention facility for individuals in active addiction. This item requires eight votes and was postponed from the 5/5/25 Council meeting due to absences.

DS-2 (25-0884) Resolution to Accept a Sanitary Sewer Easement at 1400 S. Maple Road from Midtown Ann Arbor LLC (8 Votes Required)
The City would accept a sanitary sewer easement for the Midtown Ann Arbor development at 1400 S. Maple. This item requires eight votes and was postponed from the 5/5/25 Council meeting due to absences.

DS-3 (25-0885) Resolution to Accept a Water Main Easement at 1400 S. Maple Road from Midtown Ann Arbor LLC (8 Votes Required)
The City will accept a water main easement for the Midtown Ann Arbor development at 1400 S. Maple. This item requires eight votes and was postponed from the 5/5/25 Council meeting due to absences.

DS-4 (25-0702) Resolution to Approve Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Ann Arbor Fire Department
FY 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Ann Arbor Fire Department include:

  • $621.76 for basic life support ambulance transport
  • $219.18 for lift assists (reduced from previous fee of $225)
  • $7.95 mileage rate for ambulance transport

Effective date of fees is July 2025

DS-5 (25-0726) Resolution to Approve Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Ann Arbor Police Department
FY 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Ann Arbor Police Department will increase the cost of a false alarm response, to escalate by year (effective date July 1):

  • 2025: $130 per occurrence
  • 2026: $160 per occurrence
  • 2027: $190 per occurrence

DS-6 (25-0749) Resolution to Approve Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Public Services Area – Engineering, Systems Planning, Public Works, Water Treatment Units and the Fleet and Facilities – Airport Unit of the City Administrator’s Office
FY 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Public Services area, including engineering, systems planning, public works, water treatment units and fleet and facilities services (airport). Multiple adjustments are made to accurately reimburse the cost of services.

Most cost/fee increases do not exceed 10-11% with one exception:

  • 32% increase in cost for commercial franchise compost cart cleaning

Most cost/fee reductions are smaller than 5% with a few exceptions:

  • 14-15% reduction in cost for new/replacement fire meters
  • 25-28% reduction in cost for extra city service carts (trash, compost, recycling)

DS-7 (25-0750) Resolution to Approve Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Community Services Area
FY 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Community Services area, which includes Planning and Parks and Recreation.

In the Planning department, most fee increases do not exceed 10% with two exceptions:

  • 33% increase for Zoning Information Report
  • 18% increase for Zoning Analysis Report

Two fee reductions in the Planning area are large:

  • REMOVED fee for Area Plan Waiver
  • 40% reduction in Design Review Board (title modified)

In the Parks department, two tiers of fees apply (residents and non-residents). In both tiers, increases are fairly significant. For residents, some fees for City golf courses will increase up to 25-50%. Staff summary of these adjustments includes a report comparing these fees to private golf clubs in the surrounding community. Additionally, some ice rink and pool fees will increase 33-37%. The Parks and Recreation department offers scholarships to families that are income eligible.

DS-8 (25-0757) Resolution to Adopt Ann Arbor City Budget and Related Property Tax Millage Rates for Fiscal Year 2026
The FY2026 Budget adds 14 FTEs and $10,190,943 (+7.6%) in recurring expenditures; it also includes $1,956,899 in nonrecurring expenditures.

Council Members have proposed five amendments to the budget:

  • $616,000 to support Rising Hope for Housing Program – CM Harrison. Paid for with Marijuana Excise Tax Rebate funds, available for discretionary allocation.
  • $500,000 to support “quick build” projects on major, multi-lane roads – CMs Briggs, Akron, Cornell. Paid for by diverting funds previously allocated to maintain roads in the Capital Preventative Maintenance budget.
  • $116,000 to support eviction prevention through the Ann Arbor Housing Commission – CMs Watson, Ghazi Edwin, Briggs, Cornell, and Akmon. Paid for with Marijuana Excise Tax Rebate funds, available for discretionary allocation.
  • By resolution, Council would prohibit the purchase of drones with FY 2026 budget – CMs Radina, Harrison, Mallek, Eyer, Ghazi Edwin
  • $50,000 to support mailers (“Equitable Communications”) promoting members of Council to residents – CM Eyer. Paid for with FY 2026 General Fund balance.  Any unspent funds from the $100,000 allocated in FY2025 will be carried forward into FY2026.

The budget presentation from the previous Council meeting can be found here:
https://a2gov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7297985&GUID=1C3AD98E-BFF2-45FE-B23B-7BA251E9D7D2

The whole of the proposed city budget can be viewed on the City’s Financial Reporting page (along with previously adopted annual budgets):
https://www.a2gov.org/finance-and-administrative-services/guide-to-finance-and-budget/budget-public-process/

This is a direct link to the proposed FY2026 budget:

https://www.a2gov.org/media/crbievrv/fy26-proposed-budget.pdf

MLive stories about the budget presentation:

Thank you for taking the time to be informed about our local government!
Elizabeth Nelson