Archive for September, 2011

In a post on his blog, University of Michigan athletics director Dave Brandon writes about his expectations and hopes for Saturday’s “Under the Lights” event – the university’s first night football game, to be played against Notre Dame: ”We are on national stage and that is why we are working to make this weekend a showcase for the future. A great weekend will allow us to have more of these ‘wow’ events. This type of high-profile event at the Big House will not only help promote U-M, but it helps our local economy in a very measurable way.” [Source]

John U. Bacon

Editor’s note: On the eve of the first night game in the 132-year history of University of Michigan football – to be played Saturday against Notre Dame – columnist John U. Bacon reflects on the game’s history and continuing hold on college campuses.

George Will recently wrote that when archeologists excavate American ruins centuries from now, they may be mystified by the Big House in Ann Arbor. “How did this huge football emporium come to be connected to an institution of higher education? Or was the connection the other way?”

It’s a fair question, one I’ve pondered myself many times. When I try to explain to foreigners why an esteemed university owns the largest stadium in the country, their expressions tell me it’s – well, a truly a foreign concept.

Ken Burns said our national parks are “America’s best idea.” If so, then our state universities must be a close second. They’re why we have more college graduates per capita than any nation in the world. And also why we have college towns rising out of cornfields – another uniquely American phenomenon. But when you put thousands of young men in one place, all that testosterone has to go somewhere. That’s why football grew not in the cities like baseball or in the YMCAs like basketball, but on college campuses.

The students loved it as much as the presidents hated it – and almost as much as they hated the binge drinking that was turning Ann Arbor into a “place of revelry and intoxication,” as one president complained, back in 1871.

University officials hoped football would give the students something else to do. And that’s why there’s no drinking on campuses today. Can you imagine what college would be like if football hadn’t ended drinking on campus? I shudder at the thought. [Full Story]

At its Sept. 8, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor planning commission voted to postpone approval of a University Bank proposal to increase the number of allowable employees from 50 to 59 at its headquarters on Washtenaw Avenue and to add 14 parking spaces to a new lot on the site. The headquarters is located in what’s known as the Hoover Mansion.

Although a consensus appeared to have been reached – among planning staff, neighbors and bank officials – the commission was reluctant to make a recommendation, because the final site plan had not yet been submitted. The consensus had been achieved only a week ago, last Thursday, Sept. 1. The vote to postpone, likely until the commission’s next meeting on Sept. … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 8, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor planning commission voted unanimously against recommending a rezoning request for the property at 1643 and 1645 S. State St., south of Stimson and next to the Produce Station. The parcels currently house a new business – Biercamp Artisan Sausage and Jerky – as well as an auto repair shop and furniture manufacturer. The recommendation against approval will be forwarded to city council for final action.

Biercamp owners Walt Hansen and Hannah Cheadle want to rezone the property to C3 (fringe commercial district), which would allow their business to sell a wider variety of merchandise, including products not made on site.

The commission first considered this request at its Aug. 16, 2011 meeting, along with a … [Full Story]

A special meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners has been called for Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. to discuss proposed labor agreements. Commissioners voted to set the meeting at their regular board meeting on Sept. 7.

Earlier in the meeting, commissioners had approved the second of two agreements with the Michigan Nurses Association. In total, 15 union agreements are being negotiated as part of the 2012 and 2013 budget cycle.

The county hopes to see about $8 million in labor concessions for the two-year budget cycle, to help address a projected $17.5 million deficit. [There are 17 unions representing the county workforce. In January 2011, the county reached agreements with two other unions – the Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM) and ... [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners – on a 6-4 vote – gave initial approval to suspend the county’s use of Construction Unity Board (CUB) agreements, pending the outcome of litigation that’s challenging the validity of the state’s Public Act 98. A final vote is expected at the board’s Sept. 21 meeting. Voting against the resolution were Kristin Judge, Alicia Ping, Dan Smith and Conan Smith. Ronnie Peterson was absent.

CUB agreements are negotiated between local trade unions and contractors, and require that contractors who sign the agreement abide by terms of collective bargaining agreements for the duration of the construction project. In return, the trade unions agree that they will not strike, engage in … [Full Story]

On a 7-3 vote, Washtenaw County commissioners gave initial approval to authorize the levy of 0.05 mills in December 2011 for support of economic development and agriculture. The vote was taken at their Sept. 7, 2011 meeting and will be followed by a final vote on Sept. 21. Voting against the millage were Alicia Ping, Wes Prater and Dan Smith. Ronnie Peterson was absent.

The anticipated $688,913 in millage proceeds will be allocated to several local entities: Ann Arbor SPARK ($230,000), SPARK East ($50,000), the county’s dept. of community & economic development ($131,149), Eastern Leaders Group ($100,000), promotion of heritage tourism ($65,264), Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP – $15,000), Washtenaw 4-H ($82,500) and Washtenaw County 4-H Youth Show ($15,000).

The millage – … [Full Story]

Final approval to apply for an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant was given by the Washtenaw County board of commissioners at their Sept. 7, 2011 meeting.

The $42,587 grant would be awarded to the Washtenaw County sheriff’s office by the U.S. Dept. of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The funds would be used to support the sheriff’s community outreach program, according to a staff memo. Specifically, the grant would fund a part-time community engagement coordinator and two of the program’s five peer outreach workers.

No one spoke during a public hearing at the meeting to get input on how the grant will be used.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building at 220 N. Main in Ann … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners gave initial approval to levy 0.025 mills in December 2011 to pay for services for indigent veterans. A final vote will be taken at the board’s Sept. 21 meeting.

The millage would cost homeowners about $2.50 for every $100,000 of a home’s taxable value. It’s expected to raise $344,486 – about $11,000 less than in 2010, due to projected decreases of property values. The county first began levying this millage in 2008. Because the Veterans Relief Fund Act predates the state’s Headlee Amendment, it can be approved by the board without a voter referendum. Services are administered through the county’s department of veterans affairs.

One person – Thomas Partridge – … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners approved a tentative agreement with the Michigan Nurses Association – Unit II, a union representing two county employees. Commissioners held an executive session early in their meeting to discuss the collective bargaining agreement.

The contract would be effective from Sept. 7, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2013, with no wage increases in 2012 or 2013. The agreement also includes changes in the employee health care plan, an increased employee retirement contribution, and the elimination of step increases and tuition reimbursement, among other things.

It’s the second of 15 union agreements being negotiated as part of the 2012 and 2013 budget cycle. Commissioners had previously approved an agreement with the Michigan Nurses Association … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners gave final approval to continue the county’s participation in the Washtenaw Urban County program – from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015 – and to expand the program to include six additional jurisdictions.

“Urban County” is a designation of the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, identifying a county with more than 200,000 people. With that designation, individual governments within the Urban County can become members, making them entitled to an allotment of funding through a variety of HUD programs, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships. Those two programs provide funding for projects to benefit low- and moderate-income residents, focused on … [Full Story]

A net of nearly seven full-time positions will be eliminated in the 2011-2012 public health budget that was given initial approval by Washtenaw County commissioners at their Sept. 7, 2011 meeting.

The $11,839,496 budget, which will receive a final vote at the board’s Sept. 21 meeting, includes a $3,553,575 allocation from the county’s general fund – a net decrease of $583,597 from the previous year. Unlike the county’s general fund budget, which is aligned to the calendar year, the public health budget runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, in sync with the state’s fiscal year.

Though a total of nearly 12 full-time-equivalent positions (a combination of part-time and full-time jobs) will be eliminated in the proposed budget, five positions will … [Full Story]

A net loss of five full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions is part of a proposed 2011-2012 budget for Washtenaw County’s community support & treatment services (CSTS) department. County commissioners gave initial approval to the CSTS budget at their Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, with a final vote expected on Sept. 21.

The CSTS budget runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, in sync with the state’s fiscal year. The county operates on a calendar year cycle.

The proposed $26,838,557 budget calls for eliminating seven FTEs and putting one position on hold/vacant status, but creating three new FTE positions, for a net loss of five FTEs. In addition, 19 FTE positions will be reclassified. Though CSTS is a county department employing about 300 people, it … [Full Story]

At their Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, Washtenaw County commissioners gave initial approval to authorize issuance of $2.7 million in bonds, backed by the county’s full faith and credit, to help pay for a $3.2 million facility operated by the Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority (WWRA). A final vote is expected on Sept. 21.

The WWRA plans to use $500,000 from its reserves to fund part of the project. The $2.7 million in bonds would be repaid through special assessments on households in participating WWRA communities – the city of Chelsea, Dexter Township, Lima Township, Lyndon Township, and Manchester Township. Bridgewater Township is participating in the WWRA but will not help fund the new facility. The village of Manchester and Sylvan Township … [Full Story]

A contract amendment regarding the distribution of the county’s accommodations tax was given initial approval at the Sept. 7, 2011 meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners. Final approval is expected at the board’s Sept. 21 meeting.

The county collects a 5% excise tax from hotels, motels, and bed & breakfasts, which is then distributed to the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti convention & visitors bureaus and used to promote tourism and convention business. The current contract calls for the county to retain 10% of that tax to defray the cost of collection and enforcement. (Until 2009, the county had only retained 5% for this purpose.) The remaining funds are split, with 75% going to the Ann Arbor Convention & Visitors … [Full Story]

The Washtenaw County board of commissioners, at its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, gave initial approval to accept proposed quotes for insurance coverage in seven areas, totaling $1,021,275 in premiums. The board will take a final vote on the item on Sept. 21.

The Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Agency has proposed obtaining coverage from several providers for the areas of: (1) property coverage, including boiler and machinery – Chubb Insurance Co.; (2) general liability, law enforcement liability, public officials liability, and auto liability – Genesis Insurance Co.;(3) crime – Great American Insurance Co.; (4) fiduciary liability – Chubb Insurance Co.; (5) lawyers professional liability – Underwriters at Lloyd’s London; (6) judicial liability – Underwriters at Lloyd’s London; and (7) medical professional … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners gave initial approval to appointing Jeffrey Jentzen to a four-year term as the county’s medical examiner, and Bader Cassin as deputy medical examiner. Currently, Cassin serves as medical examiner, a role he’s held since 1996, and Jentzen is his deputy. According to a staff memo provided to commissioners, the change in appointments is part of a transition at the medical examiner’s office.

The county contracts with the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) for the medical examiner’s administration, customer service and autopsies – UMHS provides field investigators, administrative support, customer service, and autopsy assistants. Jentzen is a UM professor of pathology. Cassin is a clinical lecturer with UM’s … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board voted to renew a grant to Avalon Housing that the board had originally approved two years ago for the Near North affordable housing project on North Main street.

The grant is for $400,000, with another $100,000 available if the project achieves LEED certification. The grant would be paid when the project receives a certificate of occupancy, and a waiver of all liens. Avalon must also have an agreement in place with the city/county office of community development to ensure that income eligibility requirements are met for all residents.

The income eligibility requirements for the 39 units in Near North are based on affordability as defined for two categories of apartments. … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the board of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority passed a resolution expressing support of RiverUp!, a collaborative effort among several organizations – including the Huron River Watershed Council, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters – to improve the Huron River corridor.

The resolution states that the DDA will assist in wayfinding efforts that would help connect the river with visitors to the downtown, but it does not specify a budget for that effort. [For background on the RiverUp! initiative, see Chronicle coverage: "RiverUp! Focuses on Revitalizing Huron River"]

This brief was filed from the DDA offices at 150 S. Fifth Ave., where the board holds its meetings. A … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board passed a resolution urging the Washtenaw County board of commissioners to use Act 88 of 1913 to levy a tax to support economic development in the county. A public hearing on the tax is scheduled for the county board’s meeting tonight.

At its Aug. 15 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council passed a similar measure urging county commissioners to levy the tax.

For the last two years, the county board has levied the tax – at a rate of 0.043 mill. (One mill is $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value.) Because Act 88 predates the state’s Headlee legislation, the county board does not need to put the issue before voters … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 7, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board voted unanimously to name Bob Guenzel as board chair and Leah Gunn as vice chair.

The board had been without a chair, because board member Gary Boren, who had been elected to that post by his board colleagues at their July 6, 2011 meeting, was not nominated by mayor John Hieftje for reappointment to the board after his term expired on July 31. Boren was replaced on the board by local attorney Nader Nassif.

Guenzel, who retired last year as Washtenaw County administrator, was elected vice chair of the board at the July meeting and, according to the bylaws, would perform all the duties of the chair. Gunn’s other … [Full Story]

A post on the Mae Travels blog reflects on a recent Ann Arbor Chronicle column about whether downtown Ann Arbor can sustain a full-service bookstore, and offers a reader’s perspective. An excerpt: “I’m a reader. I need new reading material all the time. These days, I read a lot on my Kindle. Eventually I’ll join the other members of my family who have moved on to reading on the iPad. I also read plenty of books. Almost all the magazines and newspapers I read are online, so I read on the computer as well. But the format in which I read has really made less difference to me than the way that I find what I want to read. … [Full Story]

On her Relish blog, Myra Klarman posts photos and a Q&A with Emma Hamstra, an Ann Arbor teen who was featured in an episode of MTV’s MADE series. The episode followed Hamstra as she was transformed into the rapper persona Feminemma and created an anti-bullying rap. From the interview: “The response to the show has been mainly positive. I get emails from people telling me how they were bullied and that it was so inspiring to see me speak out about my experiences. … I think the most meaningful responses for me are the ones that manage to look past the racial issues and see that I had a lot of fun being MADE into a rapper and that I was actually … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 6, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council voted to reappoint Joan Lowenstein and John Mouat to the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board and to appoint Nader Nassif.

The vote on the three appointments was separate and done in roll call fashion for each nominee at the request of Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3). The votes on the appointments of Mouat and Nassif were unanimous. However, Kunselman voted against the reappointment of Lowenstein. All other councilmembers present voted for her.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Sept. 6, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council confirmed appointments to its medical marijuana licensing board: Patricia O’Rorke, James Kenyon, John McKenna Rosevear – all members of the public – and Sabra Briere (Ward 1) from the city council. The fifth member of the board, who is required to be a physician under the city’s medical marijuana licensing board bylaws, was not appointed.

Medical marijuana was the topic of public commentary from a half dozen speakers at the start of the meeting.

The Ann Arbor city council gave final approval to its medical marijuana licensing and zoning ordinances at its June 20, 2011 meeting.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Sept. 6, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council authorized the use of $27,996 for crime-mapping work, if the money is awarded by the U.S. Dept. of Justice through an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant.

The funding would be used to create a specific, geospatial crime-mapping dashboard – a Law Enforcement Information Dashboard (LEID). According to the staff memo accompanying the resolution, the LEID would be shared with the CLEMIS consortium (Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information System), which includes multiple law enforcement agencies in the region.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Sept. 6, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council authorized the allocation of the additional $85,600 for human services it had previously approved as part its 2012 fiscal year budget in May 2011. The nonprofit entities receiving additional funding through the increased allocation were already slated for support – it was a matter of distributing the additional funds.

Both in terms of percentage increase and total dollar amount, Legal Services of South Central Michigan received the largest increase in support for its program to prevent evictions. The program was allocated an additional $55,816, bringing its total to $157,055. [Google spreadsheet breaking down additional allocations]

The additional funds were allocated in a way that most programs received a 2.7% increase compared to the amount they’d previously been allocated. The staff memo accompanying the resolution acknowledges the apparent proportional discrepancy, explaining that it “reflects a redistribution in which funder is funding the contract. Some contractors have funding from more than one funder and some funders have funding from just one funder. But the total allocation for each agency is the amount that all funders agreed upon based on the evaluation score, and the fund distribution formula.”

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Sept. 6, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council authorized a $7,500 grant agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to perform a preliminary engineering study for Gallup Park boating access site improvements. The Gallup Park boating dock does not meet current standards for barrier-free access, pedestrian/vehicle access, and parking.

The money will be spent out of the 2012 fiscal year park maintenance and capital improvements millage budget. The city council had applied for the grant from MDNR on March 21, 2011.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Sept. 6, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council approved a $550,040 increase to the contract with Barrett Paving Materials Inc. – the contractor that handles street repair work for the city. The money will be spent on additional work that can now be done because, according to the city, the 2011 street repair work is ahead of schedule.

The proposed additional work will be done on: the outbound lane of Miller Avenue between Seventh Street and Chapin; on North Division Street between Ann and Detroit streets; and on Oxford Street between Hill Street and South University Avenue.

The work on Oxford Street could start either during the 2011 construction season or in 2012, depending on how talks go with the University of Michigan about the university’s contribution to the project.

Part of the approval authorized by the city council included $80,000 worth of crack-sealing work to be done yet this year on several different streets.

The city’s original contract with Barrett Paving Materials Inc. was for $3,710,953.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link] [Full Story]