Hello neighbors!
Tomorrow, Ann Arbor City Council considers a very short agenda. There will be two public hearings, on ordinance amendments updating terms re: solid waste containers (B-1) and clarifying reviews for stormwater management systems (B-2). There’s a more significant item on the consent agenda, expanding eligibility and funding for a grant program through the Office of Sustainability and Innovations (CA-8).
CANDIDATE FORUMS
In Ward 3, there is an opportunity for residents to meet candidates for City Council, Ryan Bartholomew and Ashley Hall.
Thursday, June 4 5:30-7:00 PM
Pittsfield Elementary School
2543 Pittsfield Blvd
In Ward 1, there is an opportunity for residents to hear from candidates for multiple offices:
Mayor: Yousef Rabhi and Christopher Taylor
City Council: Rebecca Arends and Cynthia Harrison
Probate Judge: Alethia Jean Battles and Jennifer Lawrence
Monday, June 8 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Arrowwood Hills Community Center
2566 Arrowwood Trail
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 18, 2026:
County Edition
At their work session and regular meeting on May 20, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners discussed funding for Planned Parenthood, progress in broadband service, “time sensitive” contracts for senior services, and a policy for corporate sponsorship of County Bicentennial celebrations. The Board also gave final approval to the brownfield plan for a private development in Ann Arbor.
The approved brownfield plan will direct 30 years of future tax revenue (in excess of $350 million) to subsidize parking decks and infrastructure at the project called Arbor South. The lead developer of Arbor South is Oxford Companies.
In discussion, perhaps the most enthusiastic advocate for the plan was Commissioner Andy LaBarre, who spoke for nearly nine minutes in support of it. In his day job, LaBarre works for the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Regional Chamber as their Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations.
https://www.a2ychamber.org/about-us/staff/
The Chamber’s Board of Directors has seventeen members, including an executive from Oxford Companies.
https://www.a2ychamber.org/about-us/board-of-directors/
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, June 1, 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=1368504&GUID=8C6B22C7-F70B-4873-A90B-04454A872563
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 (26-0932) Agenda Response Memo and eComments – June 1, 2026
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, no Council Members asked questions to the Agenda
Communications from the Mayor
MC-1 (26-0948) Appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals (1- Step Appointment, 8 Votes Required)
This appointment from the Mayor is being presented as a ‘one step’ appointment, and will therefore require eight votes.
- Julie Weatherbee – Zoning Board of Appeals
MC-2 (26-0949) Appointments and Nominations for June 1, 2026
This appointment from the Mayor is being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting.
- Travis Gonyou – Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority Board
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 (26-0885) Resolution to Approve Closing Maynard Street between East Liberty and East William Streets for the Firefighter Spray Park in the District on Saturday, July 4, 2026
CA-2 (26-0855) Resolution to Recommend Approval of Change Order #1 to the Construction Agreement with C.A. Hull Co., Inc. for the Leslie Park and Sylvan Park Bridge Replacements Project ($151,527.47 Increase; $851,392.48 Total Contract)
CA-3 (26-0731) Resolution to Approve Amendment No. 2 to the Professional Services Agreement with Trace Analytical Laboratories, Inc. for Certified Laboratory Water and Wastewater Testing Services in the Amount of $15,000.00 (Contract Total $250,000.00)
CA-4 (26-0766) Resolution to Approve Purchase of Sodium Hexametaphosphate (SHMP) for Water Treatment Plant Services from Carus, LLC, Bid No. ITB 4786 (estimated $64,400.00/year)
CA-5 (26-0767) Resolution to Approve Purchase of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) from Roy Smith Company for ITB 4785 (Estimated $80,000.00/ Year)
CA-6 (26-0768) Resolution to Approve Purchase of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) for Water Treatment Services from Roy Smith Company for ITB 4788 (estimated $72,800.00/year)
CA-7 (26-0769) Resolution to Approve Bulk Chemical Purchases for the Water Treatment Plant and Water Resource Recovery Facility of Sodium Hypochlorite (JCI Jones Chemical, Inc. – Approximately $217,500.00/year), Pebble Quicklime (Graymont Western Lime, Inc – Approximately $1,018,500.00/year) and Ferric Chloride (PVS Technologies, Inc. – Approximately $68,280.00/year). Total Chemical Purchases Estimated $1,335,780.00/year
CA-8 (26-0801) Resolution to Authorize the Expansion of the Sustaining Ann Arbor Together Grant Program to Include a New Track Supporting the Building Decarbonization Efforts of Nonprofits and Houses of Worship
The Office of Sustainability and Innovations (OSI) proposes an expansion of the Sustaining Ann Arbor Together (SA2) grant program. A staff memo explains: “Since 2019, the total annual grant program funding has been $100,000.00, which comes from the budget of the Office of Sustainability and Innovations.”
The SA2 grant program has a page on the City’s website:
https://www.a2gov.org/sustainability-innovations-home/sustainability-me/for-families-individuals/community-grants/
If approved, annual funding will triple to $300,000. The additional $200,000 will fund a new category of eligible recipients. Currently, local nonprofits and houses of worship (churches/synagogues/mosques) are eligible for SA2 grants in the City rights-of-way or on publicly owned property. Moving forward, local houses of worship and nonprofits will be eligible to receive SA2 grants for building decarbonization efforts.
The staff memo explains that since 2023, OSI has awarded “over a dozen grants to eligible applicants” and that “[t]he Office seeks flexibility in how those rebates are allocated.”
The money for an expanded SA2 program is going to come from $2.35 million that OSI budgeted for Home Energy Rebates in FY27. In its first year (June 2024 – July 2025), the Home Energy Rebate program provided 523 rebates adding up to a total of $676.533.44. A single household can claim multiple rebates so the number of residents who actually benefited from the Home Energy Rebate program could be fewer than 523.
At their last meeting (5/18/26), City Council unanimously approved allocating an additional $500,000 to the Home Energy Rebate program: rebates of between $4,000 and $7,500 for individual residents and local businesses who buy all electric cars.
These grant/rebate programs are funded by Ann Arbor property taxes via the Climate Action Millage. The proposed expansion of the SA2 grant program will award funds toward the improvement of non-public properties that do not pay taxes.
CA-9 (26-0809) Resolution to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with All Weather Comfort Solutions LLC for Weatherization Services Related to Bryant Neighborhood Decarbonization Work ($270,000.00)
CA-10 (26-0837) Resolution to Approve an Agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for the Barton-Bandemer Park Pedestrian Tunnel
CA-11 (26-0873) Resolution to Authorize Settlement of Attorney Fees in Class Action Lawsuit Entitled Sean Yannotti v. City of Ann Arbor, United States District Court Case No. 22-cv-12147 (8 Votes Required)
CA-12 (26-0881) Resolution to Approve an Easement Agreement for Water Main at 3125 Hunting Valley Road (8 Votes Required)
CA-13 (26-0821) Resolution to Temporarily Relocate Precincts 2-18 (Clague Middle School), 2-21 (Thurston Elementary), 3-27 and 3-30 (Scarlett Middle School), 4-34 and 4-38 (Pioneer High School), 4-37 and 5-48 (Dicken Elementary) and 5-45 (Slauson Middle School), for the Primary Election on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 due to Construction Projects at the Ann Arbor Public Schools
CA-14 (26-0787) Resolution to Approve Construction Contract Extension No. 2 for the 2023 Sewer Lining Project (RFP 23-41) with SAK Construction, LLC for the 2026 Sewer Lining Project ($3,000,000.00)
CA-15 (26-0819) Resolution to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Baker and Associates for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Design and Construction Management Support Services Required for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Award ($329,805.84) (8 Votes Required)
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 (26-0399) An Ordinance to Amend Sections 5.18, 5.20, 5.29 and 5.37 of Chapter 55 (Unified Development Code) of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (Solid Waste Terms) CPC Recommendation: Approval (6 yes, 0 no) (ORD-26-11)
An ordinance regulating solid waste containers will be amended to update terms.
PH-2/B-2 (26-0481) An Ordinance to Amend Section 5.22 of Chapter 55 (Unified Development Code) of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (Stormwater Management Review) CPC Recommendation: Approval (6 yes, 0 no) (ORD-26-12)
An ordinance directing the review of stormwater management systems will be amended to clarify when the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commission (WCWRC) is responsible.
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 (26-0399) is the same as PH-1 above
B-2 (26-0481) os 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.
C-1 (26-0291) An Ordinance to Amend Sections 2:1 and 2:2 of Chapter 26 (Solid Waste Management) of Title II (Utilities and Services) of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor
An ordinance regulating Solid Waste will be updated with more precise terms. A staff memo explains that these “correct small oversights” related to changes adopted in December 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.
DS-1 (26-0450) Resolution Authorizing Summary Publication of Ordinance 26-11 – An Ordinance to Amend Sections 5.18, 5.20, 5.29 and 5.37 of Chapter 55 (Unified Development Code) of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (Solid Waste Terms)
For the purpose of legally required publication, ordinance amendments approved in B-1 will be summarized to spare expense.
Thank you for taking the time to be informed about our local government!
Elizabeth Nelson