Ann Arbor City Council Newsletter (May 4, 2025)

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 considers a long agenda that includes eight public hearings related to the FY 2026 budget: increases to water, sewer, and stormwater rates, plus fee adjustments across City departments (Fire, Police, Public Services, Planning, and Parks) and the FY 2026 budget. Additionally, Council will vote on first reading of a “Green Rental Ordinance” (C-6), four rezonings (including the Downtown Library, C-4), and process changes for modification of Planned Unit Developments (C-5).

A Resource: A2COUNCIL.COM

Five items on this week’s agenda come with recommendations from the City Planning Commission. In my descriptions of those items (C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4) you might notice that I’ve included links to a website I maintain at A2Council.com. That site is slightly different than where I post these newsletters: it is a more abbreviated list of meeting summaries, tracking the work of both City Council and the Planning Commission since 2018. I’ve created meetings stubs for Council and Planning Commission meetings, with summaries and direct links to minutes and videos. In some situations, it is slightly more convenient/accessible than bouncing around both Legistar and YouTube.

I accidentally landed in the news this week, because I was looking at recent agenda of the Planning Commission and curious to know more about a policy that they recommend City Council change/repeal. For more on that, see my “Additional Thoughts” section at the bottom of this newsletter. 

Comprehensive Plan Open House

The City has one remaining Open House meeting for residents to learn about and ask questions about an updated Comprehensive Land Use plan. According to the City, there is no formal presentation, so please come whenever is convenient for you.

• Wednesday, May 7, 3–7 p.m. at the Traverwood Library (3333 Traverwood Drive)

https://www.a2gov.org/news/posts/review-the-comprehensive-land-use-draft-plan-at-an-upcoming-public-engagement-session

A recent email from the City also mentioned:

Planning to join us (we hope you will!) Please bring your smartphone to participate in the engagement exercises, as most of the activities will be digital. A limited number of tablets will also be available for use if needed.

You can read the draft Comprehensive Land Use plan here:
https://engage.a2gov.org/comprehensive-land-use-plan

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 April 21, 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 5 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=1251580&GUID=CDEE64BF-358A-4A6E-8568-6A61A62E48AD

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.
When this newsletter was published, this item was not available on Legistar

UPDATE: This item was posted on the day of the Council meeting (link)

Communications from Council

CC-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 are being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting.

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

CC-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 is being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting.

• Stephen Brown – Environmental Commission

Communications from the Mayor

MC-1 (25-0931) Nominations and Reappointments for May 5, 2025
These 47 reappointments from the Mayor are being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting. See the Legistar link for details.

MC-2 (25-0935) Appointments and Nominations for May 5, 2025
These appointments from the Mayor are being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting.

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

MC-3 (25-0932) Resolution to Reappoint Non-registered Electors to Ann Arbor Boards and Commissions (7 Votes Required)
These appointments from the Mayor are being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next 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

MC-4 (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 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.”

• Sarah Fuller – Ann Arbor Public Art 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 (25-0669) Resolution to Approve 1209 South University Avenue Development Agreement, 1209 South University Avenue (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 8 Yes, 0 No)

CA-2 (25-0771) Resolution to Dissolve the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board and Amend the Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Fund Guidelines

CA-3 (25-0854) Resolution to Authorize an Agreement with Washtenaw County for Rain Garden Maintenance in City Parks ($300,000.00)

CA-4 (25-0509) Resolution to Approve a Two (2) Year General Services Agreement with Ann Arbor Door Systems, Inc. for Overhead and Roll-up Door Preventative Maintenance, Assessment and Repair, ITB 4765 (Not-to-Exceed $125,000.00)

CA-5 (25-0734) Resolution to Approve a One-Year Extension of the Contract with Washtenaw County for Police Dispatch Services ($1,103,662.00)

CA-6 (25-0782) Resolution to Approve the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Ann Arbor, the 15th District Court and Technical, Professional, & Officeworkers Association of Michigan effective May 18, 2025 – June 30, 2028

CA-7 (25-0787) Resolution Levying Certain Delinquent Municipal Solid Waste, Board Up, Clean Up, Vacant Property Inspection Fees, False Alarm Fees, and Fire Inspection Fees as Special Assessments and Ordering Collection Thereof

CA-8 (25-0788) Resolution to Assess Certain Delinquent Municipal Utility Charges as a Tax and Ordering Collection Thereof

CA-9 (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)

CA-10 (25-0842) Resolution to Approve a Revised Professional Services Agreement with Regents of the University of Michigan for the Evaluation Services of Dr. Lesli Hoey Related to Bryant Neighborhood Decarbonization Work ($80,000.00)

CA-11 (25-0884) Resolution to Accept a Sanitary Sewer Easement at 1400 S. Maple Road from Midtown Ann Arbor LLC (8 Votes Required)

CA-12 (25-0885) Resolution to Accept a Water Main Easement at 1400 S. Maple Road from Midtown Ann Arbor LLC (8 Votes Required)

CA-13 (25-0835) Resolution to Increase Sole Source Purchasing Authority with Veolia Water Technologies – Treatment Solutions USA, Inc. (formerly SUEZ Treatment Solutions, Inc.) for Power Supply Units ($953,000.00 increase, total purchase value $1,728,552.60)

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 (25-0701) An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 93 (Alarm Systems) of Title VII of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (ORD-25-11)
Ordinance amendments will remove the requirement that residents get permits and register home alarm systems with the city, with annual renewals. As currently written, an applicant must submit information such as name(s) and address(es) of who is responsible for maintenance and operation, names and phone numbers of people receiving notice of alarm activation, type of alarm, and name/phone/address of company monitoring the alarm system. These requirements are deemed redundant and would be eliminated. 

PH-2/B-2 (25-0718) An Ordinance to Amend Section 2:63 of Chapter 29 (Water Rates) of Title II of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (ORD-25-12)
Water rates will be increased. City staff estimate that the average residential customer will see an increase of 6%.

PH-3/B-3 (25-0723) An Ordinance to Amend Section 2:69 of Chapter 29 (Stormwater Rates) of Title II of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (ORD-25-13)
Stormwater rates will be increased. City staff estimate that the average residential customer will see an increase of 3%

PH-4/B-4 (25-0725) An Ordinance to Amend Section 2:64 of Chapter 29 (Sewer Rates) of Title II of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (ORD-25-14)
Sewer rates will be increased. City staff estimate that the average residential customer will see an increase of 3%.


The public hearings below will not be voted on at this week’s meeting but are part of the FY2026 Budget that will be voted on at the next meeting.

PH-5 (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

PH-6 (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

PH-7 (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)

PH-8 (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.

PH-9 (25-0757) Resolution to Adopt Ann Arbor City Budget and Related Property Tax Millage Rates for Fiscal Year 2026
A public hearing for the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget is an opportunity for the public to speak out ahead of its approval at the next Council meeting. The FY2026 Budget adds 14 FTEs and $10,190,943 (+7.6%) in recurring expenditures; it also includes $1,956,899 in nonrecurring expenditures.

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:

• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/04/15m-in-ann-arbor-marijuana-money-to-help-fund-unarmed-response-other-programs.html
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/04/bulletproof-glass-needed-for-ann-arbor-justice-center-due-to-new-hotel-across-street.html
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/04/about-20-downtown-ann-arbor-intersections-may-get-retractable-posts-for-street-closures.html

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 (25-0701)  is the same as PH-1 above.
B-2 (25-0718) is the same as PH-2 above.
B-3 (25-0723) is the same as PH-3 above.
B-4 (25-0725) is the same as PH-4 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 (25-0590) An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 55 (Unified Development Code), Rezoning of 3 Acres from TWP (Township District) to PL (Public Land District), Ann Arbor Public Schools Property, 3801 Stone School Road (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 8 Yeas and 0 Nays)
A recently annexed parcel at 3801 Stone School Road will be rezoned to PL (Public Land). This 3 acre parcel was previously in Pittsfield township and is owned by the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Annexation and rezoning was approved by the City Planning Commission on May 21, 2024.
https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-may-21-2024/

C-2 (25-0595) An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 55 (Zoning), Rezoning of 2.65 Acres from TWP (Township District) to PL (Public Land District), 2862 Stone School Road (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 8 Yeas and 0 Nays)
A recently annexed parcel at 2862 Stone School Road will be rezoned PL (Public Land). This 2.65 parcel was purchased by the Ann Arbor Public Schools in 2021 and will be used for expansion of the Pathways to Success campus.

Annexation and rezoning was approved by the City Planning Commission on May 21, 2024.
https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-may-21-2024/

C-3 (25-0636) An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 55 (Zoning), Rezoning of 9.859 Acres from R4A (Multiple-Family Dwelling District) to PL (Public Land District), Hickory Nature Area Expansion Rezoning, 2325 Crystal Way (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 8 Yeas and 0 Nays)
A parcel at 2325 Crystal Way will be rezoned from R4A (Multiple-Family Dwelling District) to PL (Public Land). This 9.859 parcel is city-owned land that will expand the Hickory Nature Area at 2817 Dillon Drive. It was donated to the City in 2019, with the development of “The One” at 2601 Pontiac Trail.

This rezoning was approved by the Planning Commission on March 4, 2025.
https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-march-4-2025/

C-4 (25-0637) An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 55 (Zoning), Rezoning of 1.21 Acres from PL (Public Land District) to D1 (Downtown Core District), Downtown Library Rezoning, 343 S Fifth Avenue (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 8 Yeas and 0 Nays)
The parcel at 343 S. Fifth Avenue (Downtown branch of the Ann Arbor Public Library) will be rezoned from PL (Public Land) to D1 (Downtown Core) in order to allow private ownership. The library is currently exploring a public-private partnership for future redevelopment.

This rezoning was approved by the Planning Commission on March 4, 2025.
https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-march-4-2025/

C-5 (25-0764) An Ordinance to Amend Section 5.30 of Chapter 55 (Unified Development Code) of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (PUD Modifications) CPC Recommendation: Approval (7 Yes, 0 No)
An amendment to the Unified Development Code (UDC) will modify processes for modifications to previously approved PUD (Planned Unit Development) districts. It will apply to a PUD district comprised of multiple parcels. In a PUD district of multiple parcels, the owner of one parcel can request a zoning change for their own parcel without getting authorization from the other parcel owners in the district.

A PUD district is a special type of zoning that does not conform to standards for other zoning districts but is unique to the site and provides a benefit for the City that cannot be achieved through another zoning category. PUD districts are subject to “Supplemental Regulations.” From the UDC:

“The Supplemental Regulations shall include analysis and justification sufficient to determine what the purported benefit is, how the special benefit will be provided, and performance standards by which the special benefit will be evaluated.”

UDC Chapter 55, Section 5.29.11.F(6)

Initial consideration of a PUD district requires authorization from all parcel owners, but staff propose this amendment because the authorization requirement “has the effect of neighboring property owners having an outsized effect on the ability of others to pursue modifications.” Staff offers the example of a property owner seeking to remove their parcel from a previously established PUD district.

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

C-6 (25-0731) An Ordinance to Add Sections 8:533 Through 8:540 to Chapter 105 (Housing Code) Of Title VIII (Building Regulations) of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (Green Rental Housing)
A new ordinance will require that rental units be assessed by a “Home Energy Rater” and issued a score based on a checklist of qualified assets. The list of qualified assets that a landlord can provide to generate a minimum Energy Efficiency Score is quite long. A few examples:

• Access to a bus stop (2 pts.)
• Bike parking (2 pts.)
• Energy efficient windows (4 pts.)
• Free Wi Fi (2 pts.)
• Hosting or sponsoring a swap day (2 pts.)
• Integrating edible plants in landscaping (2 pts.)
• Tenants participate in a “Renter Sustainability Session” (10 pts.)
• Allowing an outdoor clothesline (2 pts.)
• Provide smart power strips (2 pts.)
• Windows can be opened (2 pts.)
• Electric car charger (5 pts.)
• Heat pump water heater (15 pts.)

This checklist is established by the Director of the Office of Sustainability and Innovations. The Director will have discretion to waive the ordinance requirements for owners who claim low-income or undue hardship.

This ordinance does not apply to owner-occupied, single-family attached and detached homes, homes for the aged which are licensed by the State of Michigan, and Short-term Rentals. However, it does apply to single-family attached and detached homes for rent.

The Renters Commission discussed this ordinance at length at their meeting on March 20, 2025. Commissioners raised serious concerns about how challenging the ordinance would be to implement, particularly for small landlords who do not currently charge high rents and do not have staff or resources to support compliance.

Minutes for that meeting of the Renters Commission are not yet posted on Legistar, but you can find discussion of the ordinance in this CTN YouTube video of the meeting, starting at time stamp 37:20.
https://youtu.be/iS08mgF3kf8&t=2240

At time stamp 1:26:12, the commission discussed a resolution expressing their direction to Council that the ordinance include a one-year voluntary compliance period. The resolution expressed their support for the Green Rental Ordinance only if the City could commit to sustained and dedicated funding for financial assistance programs targeting older housing (pre-1980) and units priced below-market (80-85% of area median rent).

In March, the Renters Commission did not have a quorum to approve that resolution. The resolution was on the agenda for their April meeting, which was cancelled. You can read the resolution here:
https://a2gov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7262953&GUID=4EAAE87F-C0E9-4976-BBD3-2401567D8EDD

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 (25-0736) Resolution to Appoint Members to the Ann Arbor Building Authority Board
These are reappointments of the City Administrator, City Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer to the Ann Arbor Building Authority Board. These appointments were presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting.

• Milton Dohoney Jr. – Building Authority
• Marti Praschan – Building Authority
• Michael Pettigrew – Building Authority

Additional Thoughts…

I also published this on my website
https://a2elnel.com/post/public-input-our-local-democracy-then-and-now/

Public Input & Our Local Democracy: Then and Now

On April 28, 2025, MLive published a story about a public comment made at City Council by our current Mayor Christopher Taylor. Taylor made the public comment in 2008, right after he had won a primary election but before he was first seated as a Council Member. A recording of his comment was recently posted on the City’s YouTube cable channel, CTN.

You can read the MLive story here:
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/04/ann-arbors-pro-development-mayor-once-had-grave-concerns-about-high-rise.html

You can watch the comment on CTN here: (time stamp 17:43)
https://youtu.be/vLann12aM2M&t=1063

I actually prompted this story, quite unintentionally. I filed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that prompted CTN to post that meeting from 2008.

BACKGROUND

In addition to following the work of elected leaders on City Council, I have been tracking the decisions made by mayoral appointees on our City Planning Commission (CPC). The CPC discusses and recommends policy and ordinance changes that are then sent to City Council for a vote. Tracking the work of the CPC is a sort of “sneak peak” at what Council will soon be deciding.

One policy change recently discussed at the CPC: repealing a requirement that developers of larger projects send postcards to near neighbors and host a meeting to discuss details of what they have planned.
https://a2gov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7251200&GUID=2EC1DE3D-A2D5-4418-9381-6998CF0A88A8

Since 2022, I have aimed to record as many of these meetings as I can (either online or in-person), for the benefit of residents who were not able to attend and anyone else who might be curious to see these developer presentations. You can find my collection of these meetings on my website, under “Public Meetings”:
https://a2council.com/category/public-meetings/

I also have a “Public Meetings” playlist on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@a2elnel/playlists

When I noticed that the Planning Commission recommended eliminating the requirement that developers of large projects send postcards and host neighborhood meetings, I was curious to understand the history of the policy. I quickly found the date when it was last discussed: 2008. Detailed meeting minutes of a 2008 City Planning Commission included some familiar names: Eppie Potts, Jean Carlberg, Joan Lowenstein, and Kirk Westphal. City Council meeting minutes from 2008 were less detailed and video recordings of those meetings were not available on the City’s YouTube channel (CTN).

I filed a FOIA request for the two meetings when City Council discussed this policy, at both first reading (August 7, 2008) and second reading (September 8, 2008).

MLive reported on Christopher Taylor’s participation as a public commenter at one of those meetings when he was not yet a member of City Council. Taylor spoke out against a proposed 25 story downtown highrise, advocating on behalf of his own Ward 3 neighbors. He argued that neighborhood concerns were legitimate and should be heard.

I did not even know that this comment existed when I filed my FOIA request for this meeting.

THEN AND NOW

In social media, I’ve seen defensive reaction to Taylor’s 2008 remarks. One current Council Member borrowed language from Sarah Palin, accusing me of “manufacturing” a “gotcha” moment with my FOIA request. Taylor’s 2008 remarks contrast sharply with current political messaging, such as:

• Residents must accept gentrification and disruption for the sake of “equity”
• Community needs are best served by deregulation and the free market (“supply and demand”)
• Public engagement and debate is an obstacle to “efficiency”
• Policy should meet the needs of hypothetical people rather than current residents
• Any thoughtful skepticism around anything is simply selfish “NIMBYism.”

Though MLive reported on only the August 2008 meeting, I would encourage people to watch the September 2008 meeting, also. That meeting includes specific discussion about the public engagement requirements soon to be repealed by City Council (the CPC has already recommended repeal).

At time stamp 1:43:54, former Council Member Sabra Briere introduced the topic, explaining the value of engaging residents, the purpose of requiring those postcards and neighborhood meetings:
https://youtu.be/bxNtNlzXuTo&t=6234

In years past, Ann Arbor embraced a local democracy that included the diversity of stakeholders and perspectives in our community. I have explored this history a little bit in interviews on my YouTube channel. In years past, the exercise of debate in public meetings helped the City anticipate unintended consequences, innovate better solutions, and find compromise. Until very recently, leaders elected from different parts of town regularly offered different perspectives, advocating for the interests of the residents they actually represented.

Since 2022, we approach democracy very differently.

Now, an elected body that votes unanimously 98% of the time – reciting pre-written scripts – claims to offer “good government.” Where previously Council supported policies of oversight in the public interest, they now promote deregulation, to meet the needs of profit interests and investors. We are told that prioritizing residents and the local community is wrong. Some Council Members have suggested they have no particular obligation to prioritize local residents at all. Current elected leaders claim to craft policy for the future, but most especially for the capital interests who want to invest here. The City Administrator now regularly compares City policy to “good business.”

PROBLEM OR OPPORTUNITY?

The last few years have demonstrated how easily elected leaders can aggressively (and successfully) work to reduce transparency and their own accountability to residents.

Decisions have been delegated to the unelected, e.g. site plans and traffic configurations are now approved by mayoral appointees and staff. Decisions have been driven out of the public eye and opportunities for public input have been wholly eliminated, e.g. open public comment was removed from Council meetings and the Brownfield Plan Review committee – which reviews millions of dollars in subsidy for private developments – was dissolved. Policies designed to prioritize neighborhood engagement and neighborhood buy-in have been eliminated. E.g. One elected leader described a requirement for majority approval of local street changes as a “veto.” Up is down and down is up.

In a community like ours, people already tend to be more engaged with and aware of policy happening at the national and state level than they are at the local level. Depending on who we elect, that situation can be viewed as either a problem or an opportunity. In recent years, we have had leaders who, unfortunately, view the lack of engagement as an opportunity.

The “opportunity” for elected leaders: the substance of their work is less visible to the broader community. When the community is less aware, our elections become a contest of money and marketing rather than serious debates about substance and policy.

In the last budget cycle, City Council approved using $100,000 of City budget to market themselves.

This month, residents have received mailers sent by the City to promote current elected leaders to the community. These mailers include lengthy explanation of the work and accomplishments of Council Members and the Mayor. The City intended to send Ward-specific information to each resident, but I know of at least two people who received information about a Ward they do not live in.

For anyone who does not know: you paid for that mailer, it was funded by your tax dollars. It is also something new that the City has never spent money on before. In May 2024, this $100,000 expense was added to the City budget by amendment. The Council Administrative Committee spent months excitedly discussing how to spend this new budget. The expenditure was justified by elected city leaders who now casually compare themselves to State Representatives and members of Congress.

STRATEGIC EXCLUSION

We see plenty of evidence that our leaders would prefer that most residents stay out of the way. Updates to a Comprehensive Land Use Plan have been discussed at meetings dominated by a handful of cheerleaders and campaign donors. Elected leaders urge us to “respect the process” that has managed to exclude thousands of residents who are only just now learning about it for the first time.

In November 2018, more than 26,000 voted to approve a charter amendment to retain a City asset. This August, a tiny fraction of voters will decide whether to repeal that amendment as well as vote to give away a $10 million dollar City asset to private development. The last time the City held an August election in an odd year, a TOTAL of only 10,000 people showed up. City Council intentionally and unanimously voted for a process that will allow a tiny number of voters un-do the decision of a much larger number of voters. Wherever anyone lands on this issue, you should be stunned by this maneuver. Not a single elected representative has expressed any concerns.

WHY THIS MATTERS

As a country, we are noticing what it looks like when politics are less representative, when people don’t participate. We see what it looks like when power is driven by a minority of people behind the scenes but the consequences are felt by a majority.

We now have elected leaders who propose that democracy itself – both representative and participatory – is no longer a value but rather an obstacle. This is not normal and it is not righteous. The 2008 video of Mayor Taylor’s public comments are remarkable because they are a reminder of what democracy is SUPPOSED to look like, when people care about it and understand what it means.

The question for everyone in Ann Arbor: do we believe that our democracy and elected leaders should promote participation and inclusion or do we believe in the kind of political systems – concentrated power, behind the scenes, driven by financial interests – that now pose so many dangers at the national level? 

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