Below are various Ann Arbor community events and updates from the City, including surveys and other opportunities to engage with the work of your local government. I will be posting development updates as I become aware of them. If you receive postcard notification about a development near you and would like to see it posted on this page, feel free to email me: contact@a2elnel.com
Our community has set a very troubling precedent: if federal agents are detaining people in the City of Ann Arbor, they now have reason to expect that local law enforcement will allow them into City buildings to help them maintain custody of the people they detain.
In opposition to electoral reform, Ann Arbor voters have now received one deceptive mailer from a dark money operation in Lansing, another deceptive mailer (featuring Trump) that was funded by the same PAC that supports our current elected government, and numerous texts and messages of other distortions and mischaracterizations.
This past week, our community was targeted with a vile mailer, featuring a photo of me but primarily aimed at exploiting people’s anxiety about politics at the national level. This mailer is an opportunity to engage in serious conversations about how vulnerable our community is to misinformation. This deception raises questions about the people who promote it, who they represent, and what motivates them.
As we approach election day, political tactics have become more desperate in opposition to reforms that will include many more voters and address outside money in our local city elections. The electoral reform in Proposal C will allow more of our community to participate in choosing our local city leaders by shifting our decisive City elections from August to November. The campaign finance reform in Proposal D will help grassroots candidates compete in City elections with small local donations instead of big money from outside the City.
Katy Fahey, founder of Voters Not Politicians, endorses both Prop C and Prop D. National nonprofit RepresentUs— America’s leading nonpartisan anti-corruption organization – endorses Prop D. A lot of misinformation has been spread, some of it from elected leaders who oppose reform.
If you share these progressive values – including more voters in our elections and making them less vulnerable to big money – you should vote YES on Prop C & Prop D.
This week, national news outlets were the first to report that a City-owned parking lot at South Ashley (also known as the Klines lot) could potentially be sold to Sports Illustrated Resorts for the development of a new hotel and conference center. The Klines lot was previously earmarked and assessed for the development of affordable housing. If a deal with Sports Illustrated Resorts moves forward, it will have skipped at least three steps of public consideration and transparency.
At the most recent Council meeting on March 20, 2023, the City Administrator offered an update on the City’s plan to pick up fallen tree limbs and branches across the City. He shared a great deal of data about how much has been collected so far, including these...
There will be a public meeting on January 12, 2023 to review plans for the “5 Corners” proposed development (currently the site of Jack’s Hardware).
I made a video summary of the December 13, 2022 Ann Arbor City Planning Commission working session that discussed potential changes to the Transit Corridor (TC-1) zoning district at West Stadium and Maple.
A2 Snow Match is a new City of Ann Arbor program for volunteers to shovel snow for neighbors in need.
In December 2022 there are two scheduled public meetings for proposed development at 350 S Fifth Ave (Y Lot). On Wednesday, December 14th, the plans will be presented to the Design Review Board for approval. On Thursday December 15th, Ann Arbor Housing Commission will...
The owners of Ashley Mews (414 S Main Street, Ann Arbor) have requested amendments to PUD Supplemental Regulations in order to expand permitted uses on the property. Owners are interested in adding short-term-rental and hotel use, which is not currently permitted in the PUD. A public meeting for resident participation is part of the City process of considering this request. Anyone interested can attend.
I have several updates about potential plans for Ann Arbor Municipal Airport expansion, including two public meetings scheduled for December 2022.
The City of Ann Arbor has opened up a survey to collect your input about the creation of an unarmed response program for public safety. From the City: As directed in Resolution R-21-129, the City of Ann Arbor is tasked with exploring opportunities for an unarmed...
City staff have been working with a consulting team in the development of a speed management program. As part of this effort, the city will conduct three open house events to discuss the purpose of the program, the process development, and provide information on the...