The Detroit Free Press reports that the recently passed federal budget bills contain $3.5 million earmarked for the Ann Arbor-to-Detroit rail project. [Source] A Detroit News report on the defense appropriations bill, passed by the U.S. Senate on Saturday, notes that several Ann Arbor companies will receive funding, including $1.2 million to Cybernet Systems Corp., for work on a shipboard wireless device for Navy ships. [Source]
In reporting from the Sunday city council caucus about a position taken by a merchant association on extended parking hour enforcement, we confused the State Street Area Association with the South University Area Association. It was the State Street Area Association that had conveyed to council that it was not opposed to extended enforcement hours. We note the mistake here, and have corrected it in the original report.
Ann Arbor City Council Caucus (Dec. 20, 2009): On the night before council’s Monday meeting, it was a quiet caucus, attended by a perfect balance of three councilmembers and three residents. The meeting had more the flavor of a chat in someone’s living room.
But residents still stirred the pot – on the issue of extended hours of parking enforcement as well as development proposals for the Library Lot.
The parking issue is part of a more complex resolution that the council will consider on Monday night, but possibly postpone, based on comments at caucus made by Mayor John Hieftje. A separate, but related item on the agenda calls for the purchase of parking equipment for installation on Wall Street at a cost of $87,000.
Receiving no discussion at the caucus was the second reading of the resolution that would reduce the Percent For Art program to a Half-Percent for Art program for the next three years. The resolution passed on its first reading at the council’s previous meeting.
Also receiving no discussion was the first project to be funded through the city’s public art program – a sculpture by German artist Herbert Dreiseitl proposed for for installation outside the new municipal center currently under construction. Council had been expected to have the approval of the Dreiseitl project on its agenda in November, but that expectation then shifted to the Dec. 7 council meeting. It was further shifted to the meeting on Monday, Dec. 21. And now it appears that the Dreiseitl vote will not be taken until sometime in 2010. [Update: The Dreiseitl project was added to the agenda at just after 11 a.m. Dec. 21, 2009.] [Full Story]
Poster announces $22,753.82 raised by city employees for United Way campaign. [photo]
Neighbors talking to police. Pedestrian crossing sign flattened again. [photo]
It’s warm enough for the proprietor of Kaleidoscope to sit outside his shop for a spell. Also outside: vendors at the Sunday Artisan Market – last day of the season for them.
The Detroit Free Press reports on a surge of interest in electric scooters, and interviews Erik Kauppi, chief engineer and co-founder of Current Motor Co., which manufactures them. Kauppi says the vehicles appeal to people who want a cost-effective mode of transportation that supports their environmental values: “These are the same people who buy Priuses. I think there are enough environmentalists who want to drive an all-electric vehicle.” [Source]
The Michigan Exposures blog posts about a dozen photos of holiday light displays in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area. [Source]
Jo Mathis and her oldest daughter, Christie.
Every year, we say we’re cutting back on Christmas presents. And every year, we go a little crazy anyhow.
So December 25 has always been one big bloated day of blatant materialism. Even the dog had her own little pile, which she mounted and guarded for dear life.
It’s been great fun.
But this year, we mean it. We’re cutting back.
My oldest daughter, Christie, in fact, declared some months ago that because she had enough stuff and we all had enough stuff, she no longer wanted to exchange gifts. For the rest of her life.
She’s still very generous. It just doesn’t translate into things you buy at the mall. Last weekend, for instance, she treated her sisters to dinner at Olive Garden followed by “Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village.”
And this Christmas morning, without spending a dime, Christie will come by with a surprise gift we’ll always remember. [Full Story]
Group of carolers at the street corner, wearing Santa hats and having some fun.
Squirrel hanging by its tail, snacking on tree branch. Fine feat of acrobatics!
U.S. Forest Service taking down giant walnut tree. Owner said he didn’t like it anymore – too messy. Sad.
At the Dec. 16 meeting of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority’s operations committee, DDA board member Sandi Smith previewed a city council resolution on parking she said she expected would be on the Dec. 21 city council agenda. Smith also serves on the city council.
Ann Arbor parking meters are currently enforced from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (Photo by the writer.)
Key elements of the draft resolution that Smith shared with fellow DDA board members included: (i) net revenues from the Fifth and William (old YMCA) lot would go into city rather than DDA coffers, (ii) downtown parking meters would operate and be enforced until 10 p.m., which is later than their current cutoff of 6 p.m., and (iii) the city would discontinue its plan to install its own parking meters in neighborhoods near the downtown.
The city’s plan to install its own parking meters in neighborhoods near downtown was formulated as part of the city’s FY 2010 budget (the current fiscal year), but implementation was not immediate. Reference to the city’s installation of “its own meters” alludes to the fact that the DDA manages the public parking system via an agreement with the city – the new meters would not fall under that agreement.
Although the specific wording of the draft differed in parts from the resolution that was added to council’s agenda on Friday, the key points remained.
Within hours of its appearance on the agenda, the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce had sent a memo to city councilmembers asking for postponement of the resolution.
Smith’s resolution puts one question that’s been simmering for nearly a year closer to the front burner: Will the parking agreement between the city and the DDA be renegotiated as part of the FY 2011 budget? [Full Story]
On the Refractor Blog, Nick Meador writes about a range of topics, and mentions an essay he wrote about being a young adult in Michigan. “I still don’t feel like I exhausted the topic, and I keep having further realizations as the days pass. For example, I didn’t mention in the essay that, while Ann Arbor consistently gets placed on lists of the best cities to live in the country, it might be one of the worst for young professionals. What I mean is, the population of people between the ages of 22 and 30 is minuscule. To be blunt, I feel really alone here. I feel like, for every month that passes, I have one less reason to stay … [Full Story]
Two cars playing in the empty, open, snow-covered parking lot – driving round and round in circles, slipping sideways – having fun with the new-fallen, slippery snow.
At a neighborhood meeting held last Monday evening on the Heritage Row Apartments project (formerly City Place) on South Fifth Avenue, a question was raised concerning compliance with Ann Arbor’s citizen participation ordinance for new developments. [Chronicle coverage: "Fifth Avenue Project to Meet Historic Standards"]
That previous article left a possibly confusing impression about how Ann Arbor’s public participation ordinance now applies to the Heritage Row project. The Chronicle followed up by reviewing the history of the Heritage Row project against the specific language of the ordinance – which had been cited at the meeting by resident Tom Whitaker to support his contention that an additional meeting would be required under the ordinance.
That review establishes that no additional meeting is required for the project under the public participation ordinance. This conclusion was confirmed by Wendy Rampson, interim director of planning and development services for the city. [Full Story]
Squirrel plundering plentiful porch pumpkin leftovers. [photo]
Vanity plate: DIRTGRL
This rendering shows a proposal by Dahlmann Apartments Ltd. for a project called Ann Arbor Town Square. It was one of two proposals for the development of Library Lot that have been eliminated from further consideration.
Two of the six proposals to develop the top of the Fifth Avenue underground parking structure – known as Library Lot – have been eliminated from further consideration.
At a Friday morning meeting, members of a committee that’s overseeing the Library Lot development cited insufficient financial benefit to the city as the reason for taking Ann Arbor Town Square and Ann Arbor Community Commons out of play. Both of those projects would put primarily open space on the 1.2-acre lot. Three of the other proposals include a hotel, with the fourth focusing on housing for senior citizens.
Developers of the four remaining proposals will be scheduled for interviews throughout the day on Wednesday, Jan. 20. It’s possible that the field will be thinned even further before then, depending on how developers respond to a list of questions that committee members have formulated about each specific proposal.
The Jan. 20 meetings will be open to the public. The city also plans to hold an evening open house on Jan. 20 for the public to meet with developers and give feedback on the proposals.
In addition, the committee on Friday discussed the possibility of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority paying for a consultant to help evaluate the remaining proposals. [Full Story]
The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area chambers of commerce have announced plans to merge, with Diane Keller, current president of the Ypsilanti chamber, serving as president of the merged entity. From a press release: “Further details will be available at a special event held on Tuesday, January 12, 7:30-9:30 am at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building. At that event a formal announcement will be made about the joint operation and chamber leadership will discuss the plan for moving forward.” [Source]
The Library Lot RFP Committee decided not to take up the two open space proposals (Dahlmann and the Commons). They will only review the four development proposals.
The city of Ann Arbor is conducting an online survey about the use of Mack Pool. Deadline for participating is Friday, Jan. 8. [Source]
John U. Bacon
Old Man Winter is back with a vengeance. That’s okay. I like the snow – and I love the hockey.
You can play pond hockey, drop-in hockey or beer league hockey, but for me, the best hockey is the pick-up game at Michigan’s Yost Arena on Tuesday nights.
The game features some of the best players in the area, most of them former Michigan players, many of whom played pro hockey. But a few wannabes, like me, have gotten regular spots. It’s by invitation only, and I only got invited because I knew the guy who started it. Jeff Bourne – known as “Tiny,” thanks to his 5-6 frame – cared as much about attitude as ability. As he said: If you don’t pass, you’re an ass. [Full Story]
The Ann Arbor Senior Center is a projected $90,355 closer to bridging a $151,687 gap between revenues and expenses, according to an update given Wednesday. At a public meeting, city staff presented preliminary recommendations of a task force that’s been working on ways to generate revenue and cut expenses at the center.
The Ann Arbor Senior Center already offers bridge games, but a task force hopes to raise additional revenue by adding to the center's bridge programs. (Photo by the writer.)
Like Mack Pool, the senior center is slated to close on July 1, 2010 as part of the budget plan for FY 2011, which was presented to the city council earlier this year. Following protests from users of those facilities, the council appointed two task forces this summer to develop strategies that could potentially prevent the closures.
Recommendations for the senior center include expanding a trip program, putting a membership fee in place and using part of a bequest to cover operating expenses in the short-term, among other ideas.
During a Q&A following staff’s presentation, several of the 40 or so people attending the meeting pressed for more information and criticized the city in general for having misplaced spending priorities. “We are not blades of grass,” one woman said. “We’re not golf balls. We are human beings, and closing this center would have a devastating impact on people and their families.” [Full Story]
A video on YouTube takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Zingerman’s mail order business during the holiday season. [Source]
An ABC News report on the top 10 medical advances of the decade quotes Margit Burmeister, a UM professor of psychiatry and human genetics, who talks about how genetic research has changed the way lung cancer is treated: “Drugs like Iressa [a lung cancer drug] should only be given to people with certain mutations. This is really only the start, and my prediction is that in the next 10 years, this will become a lot more important.” [Source]
Bags of what appear to be homemade treats, tied with a red bow, sitting atop a garbage can and recycling bin.
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board meeting (Dec. 16, 2009): At its regular meeting Wednesday night, the AATA board gave authorization to staff to solicit bids for the demolition, design and construction of a replacement for the Blake Transit Center, located in downtown Ann Arbor on Fourth Avenue.
At its headquarters on South Industrial Avenue, the AATA board tried out a makeshift venue for its Wednesday board meeting, because it offered an additional 12 seats for audience members, compared to the actual boardroom. Conceptual plans for the new Blake Transit transit center downtown include a boardroom. (Photos by the writer.)
The conceptual design calls for the new center to be constructed on the same footprint as the old center, with flexibility to expand, if abutting property were to become available.
The hope for flexibility on the Blake Transit Center design had also surfaced earlier in the day, at the Downtown Development Authority‘s transportation committee meeting. There, the concept of Fourth Avenue as a transit corridor had been floated by DDA executive director Susan Pollay.
In other business, the board kept the discussion going on the question of how to proceed in expanding its service to include more of Washtenaw County. But they did not consider any resolutions related to formation of a new, expanded public transit authority. As part of the effort to expand, a general board consensus emerged that the public needed to be educated about what public transit is, and how the AATA worked.
Related to the need to educate the public about what the AATA does was the treasurer’s report, submitted by Ted Annis, which recommended greater financial transparency through posting various financial data on the AATA website. The specific suggestion to post employee salaries was not embraced by all on the board, but the suggestions were remanded to the performance monitoring and external relations committee (PMER).
And a response by staff to the November treasurer’s report highlighted a potential point of contention in estimating revenues available for funding an expanded service. Specifically, how much revenue could be expected from fares in an expanded service? [Full Story]
Most light bulbs are out in the BEER DEPOT sign. It now reads POT.
