Archive for April, 2012

U.S District judge Mark Goldsmith heard motions today, April 19, 2012, at the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in Flint, Michigan, on a lawsuit filed last year against the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority. At the AATA board meeting on April 19, board chair Jesse Bernstein reported that Goldsmith did not rule on anything from the bench; his written ruling is expected at some unspecified future time.

The initial lawsuit was filed by the ACLU on Nov. 28, 2011 on behalf of activist Blaine Coleman, who had sought to purchase an advertisement for the sides of AATA buses. The AATA refused to run the ad. The proposed ad includes the text, “Boycott ‘Israel’ Boycott Apartheid,” and an image depicting a scorpion-like creature with a … [Full Story]

At its April 19, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board received a written report in its board packet with a eight-page update on the status of WALLY (Washtenaw and Livingston Railway), which is envisioned to provide north-south commuter rail service between Howell and Ann Arbor.

The conclusion of the report is a staff recommendation to expend funds ($50,000) already included in the FY 2012 budget that are designated for the WALLY project. The report includes a draft resolution that the board could use to authorize the funds.

Ordinarily, the expenditure of funds from the budget would not necessarily need an explicit board authorization. However, in the case of the WALLY project, the board stipulated in a Sept. 15, 2011 … [Full Story]

If Michigan’s personal property tax were to be eliminated, as proposed in Senate Bill 34, the amount of the annual transit tax that’s used to help fund the the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority would decrease by $420,000 annually. That’s a point of information included in the AATA’s annual audit, which was recently done by Plante & Moran.

AATA controller Phil Webb included the item in his reaction to other findings in the audit – which he conveyed in a memo to AATA’s CEO Michael Ford. The memo was part of the AATA board’s information packet for its April 19, 2012 meeting. Other audit findings were discussed at the board’s March 15, 2012 meeting and included in The Chronicle’s report … [Full Story]

At its April 19, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board authorized a one-year, $205,000 contract with Advance Security to provide unarmed security guard services. It will be for the fourth year of a contract first authorized by the board on March 19, 2009 for one year.

The contract came before the board, because it increased the amount of the contract from the previous year by more than 10% – from $150,000 to $205,000, or 36.7%. The AATA procurement policy requires board approval for increases of contracts over 10%. The new contract is based on hourly wages between $14.33 and $19.67 per hour for a regular shift, and between $21.50 and $29.51 for extra hours and holidays.

The hourly wages … [Full Story]

At its April 19, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board elected David Nacht as board treasurer. The position had remained unfilled since the resignation of Sue McCormick from the board. She served through the Dec. 15, 2011 meeting. Shortly after that, Rich Robben also resigned from the board.

McCormick was replaced by Eli Cooper, city of Ann Arbor transportation program manager. And Robben was replaced by Sue Gott, university planner at the University of Michigan. Gott was unable to be present at the board’s March meeting, so the April 19 meeting marked the first meeting she attended.

With the election of Nacht as treasurer, the board is again settled into a complete committee and officer structure. Officers are now: Jesse … [Full Story]

At its April 19, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board received as a part of its regular information packet the performance data on ridership, costs per mile and the like. For regular fixed route service on weekdays, ridership in March 2012 showed a gain of 8% compared to March 2011 – an average of 24,501 passengers for each weekday, compared to 22,639 per weekday in March of 2012.

That continues a trend since October 2011, the start of the current fiscal year for the AATA. Each month the average number of weekday passengers per month has been greater than the corresponding month in the previous year.

For the AATA’s paratransit service (A-Ride), the data from March show a slight decrease in the … [Full Story]

A new 500-space parking structure on Wall Street – estimated to cost $34 million and adding 500 spaces to the parking system – was approved by University of Michigan regents at their April 19, 2012 board meeting. The structure would be located between Wall Street and Maiden Lane, just east of the bridge over the Huron River leading to Fuller Road. [.pdf of map showing location of proposed structure]

The history of parking in that section of town – near the massive UM medical campus – was laid out in a cover memo provided to regents. A similar project had been previously approved by regents in September 2008 to address parking needs in that area. It had … [Full Story]

A $163 million overhaul of the former C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital was approved by University of Michigan regents at their April 19, 2012 meeting. The new C. S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital opened late last year.

According to a staff memo, the renovation project covers roughly 163,000 square feet and will include a new eight-room adult operating room suite; a new imaging suite; 95 general patient care beds; and 25 intensive care beds to serve primarily neurosciences programs. About 104,000 square feet will be renovated for faculty and staff offices. Areas that have been vacated in University Hospital bed units and operating rooms will be renovated for growth and improved access in other adult inpatient programs and … [Full Story]

University of Michigan regents approved a $7 million renovation to vacated space in Hutchins Hall and the William W. Cook Legal Research Library, following the opening of South Hall in 2011. The project will encompass about 30,000 square feet and be designed by SmithGroup. It will be a phased project with construction coordinated to minimize disruption of the academic schedule. The project is expected to be complete by the summer of 2013.

Hutchins Hall, located at the northeast corner of South State and Monroe streets, is the main classroom and administrative building for the UM law school. The Cook Legal Research Library is part of the Law Quad.

This project adds to other recent changes in the law schools’ campus on South … [Full Story]

At its April 19, 2012 meeting, the University of Michigan board of regents authorized a $55 million renovation of the building that now houses the A. Alfred Taubman Health Sciences Library, located at 1135 E. Catherine St.

According to a staff memo, a large portion of the library’s less frequently used collections will be moved off-site. That will free up about two floors of the building to house a smaller library collection and increased health sciences instructional space, including a clinical skills and simulation suite, and spaces for computing, study, and faculty and student services. A total of about 137,000 square feet will be renovated. TMP Architecture Inc. and Ballinger will design the project.

This brief was filed from the Michigan Union’s Rogel ballroom, where the … [Full Story]

At its April 18, 2012 meeting, the University of Michigan board of regents authorized 11 items that required disclosure under the state’s Conflict of Interest statute. The law requires that regents vote on potential conflict-of-interest disclosures related to university staff, faculty or students.

The items often involve technology licensing agreements or leases. This month, the items related to the following businesses: Ambiq Micro Inc.; Milcom Inc.; QE Tools; SwirlTech; RBL Group; Arbor Research Collaborative for Health; Arbor Ultrasound Technologies; ImBio; JV BioLabs; PicoCal Inc.; and SB10 Inc.

This brief was filed from the Michigan Union’s Rogel ballroom, where the board held its April meeting.

On her blog Mae Travels, Mae Sander has posted some  photos taken yesterday (April 18) of the new Argo Dam bypass, dubbed by the city “Argo Cascades.”  Sander writes, “Some of the narrow places look a bit rough – we’ll wait and see how it is when canoe season really starts. This is going to also be a great path for bikes or walking: both wonderful sports in Ann Arbor.”  [Source]

The city of Ann Arbor has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the design of a skatepark to be built at Veterans Memorial Park. [.pdf of skatepark RFP] The goal is to solicit proposals for a consultant to handle design and oversee construction of the skatepark, which will be located on city-owned property. The roughly $1 million cost of the project will be paid for through a combination of private donations – primarily solicited through the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark – a $300,000 state grant, and up to $400,000 in matching funds from the Washtenaw County parks and recreation commission. The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation is acting as fiduciary for the project.

The deadline … [Full Story]

Following a presentation by Raman Patel, director of the county’s equalization department, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners approved the 2012 equalization report at its April 18, 2012 meeting. Equalized (assessed) value is used to calculate taxable value, which determines tax revenues for the county as well as its various municipalities and other entities that rely on taxpayer dollars, including schools, libraries and the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, among others.

For 2012, taxable value in the county has fallen 0.77% to $13.7 billion. That’s an improvement over declines in recent years, when taxable value fell 2.85% in 2011 and 5.33% in 2010. It’s also a smaller decrease than was projected when preparing the 2012 budget. The general fund budget was approved … [Full Story]

Two items related to federal funding for Washtenaw County’s weatherization program for low-income residents got final approval at the April 18, 2012 meeting of the county board of commissioners. Initial approval had been given at the board’s April 4 meeting.

Commissioners authorized acceptance of $185,326 in federal funds for the weatherization program. The federal program was cut by 65% compared to 2011, but the state of Michigan is reallocating the previous year’s unspent funds as “carry-forwards” for 2012. In 2011, the county received $241,863 for this program.

The funding is expected to provide air leakage testing, health and safety evaluations, furnace assessments, refrigerator efficiency testing, post-inspection of the completed work, and consumer education services to 25 units. To qualify for the program, residents … [Full Story]

At its April 18, 2012 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners gave final approval to hiring an assistant prosecuting attorney at a salary of $81,690. The vacancy opened in December, following an employee retirement. The hire requires board approval because the salary is above the $69,038 midpoint of an authorized range ($68,074 to $96,565).

The position will be filled by Nimish Ganatra, who currently serves as assistant prosecutor for Jackson County, and previously was an assistant prosecutor with the Washtenaw County prosecutor’s office from 2001-2009. He is a graduate of Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University Law School.

Because of furlough days negotiated as part of the recent collective bargaining agreements, his salary will be adjusted down by 3.846% to … [Full Story]

At its April 18, 2012 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners authorized the issuance of up to $6 million in bonds at the request of the Washtenaw County road commission. The funding would be used by the road commission to pay for road work in Ypsilanti Township, including road repaving and reconstruction, intersection improvements, traffic control devices, drainage upgrades and other related projects.

According to terms of a contract signed between Ypsilanti Township and the road commission, the township would reimburse the road commission for the work. The bonds would be issued by the road commission and backed by future tax revenues it will receive from the state. The debt would not be backed by the county’s full faith … [Full Story]

A public hearing to take commentary on the annual plan for the Washtenaw Urban County was set for the May 2, 2012 meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners. The board’s vote to set the hearing came at its April 18 meeting.

The annual plan describes how the Urban County expects to spend the federal funding it receives from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) programs, operated by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). [.pdf of 2012-2013 draft annual plan] [.pdf of list of planned projects]

The Washtenaw Urban County is a consortium of 18 local municipalities that receive federal funding for low-income neighborhoods. Current members include the cities … [Full Story]

The Detroit Free Press reports that two University of Michigan graduate student research assistants (GSRAs) filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday against the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, opposing a recent law that bars GSRAs from unionizing. The majority of UM regents have also voiced opposition to the law, most recently at a special meeting in February before the legislation was signed by Gov. Rick Snyder. But university administrators have supported efforts to prevent GSRAs from being recognized as employees and from engaging in collective bargaining. There are more than 2,000 GSRAs at UM. [Source]

Ann Arbor District Library board meeting (April 16, 2012): As previously reported by The Chronicle, a new survey commissioned by the Ann Arbor District Library indicates voter support for a tax increase to pay for major renovations or reconstruction of the downtown building at 343 S. Fifth Ave.

At the board’s April meeting on Monday, AADL director Josie Parker summarized results of the phone survey, which was conducted in early March by the Lansing firm EPIC-MRA. It included 400 responses. She noted that the library’s five-year strategic plan, approved by the board in 2010, includes an initiative related to the downtown building.

The survey indicated that if a vote were taken today – on funding a $65 million renovation or new construction project with a property tax increase of 0.69 mills – 45% of survey respondents would vote yes, and another 15% would lean toward a yes vote. That compares with a total of 37% who said they would either vote no or lean toward no.

Support was even stronger among survey respondents for scaled-back options with lower tax increases. [.pdf of survey results]

“This is a beginning, but it’s a very positive beginning after a long four years,” Parker said, referring to the board’s decision in 2008 to halt redevelopment of the downtown building because of faltering economic conditions.

Later in the meeting, the board voted unanimously to appoint a three-member special facilities committee, charged with making recommendations to the full board.

The April 16 meeting also included a presentation of the draft 2012-2013 budget, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012. The budget is based on levying 1.55 mills – unchanged from the current levy, but below the 1.92 mills that the district is authorized to collect.

The budget anticipates tax revenues of $11.203 million for fiscal 2012-13, representing a 1% increase in tax revenues compared to the current projection of $11.091 million for fiscal 2011-12. The overall FY 2012-13 budget revenues – including tax revenue, state aid and other revenue sources – is $12.254 million, compared to the current budget of $12.191 million.

The board is expected to vote on the budget at its May 21 meeting. That meeting is also expected to include a public hearing on the budget, as well as a formal director’s evaluation and renewal of a space use agreement with the Friends of the AADL, which operates a used bookstore in the downtown library’s lower level. [Full Story]

In a video posted on YouTube, the Second City comedy troupe parodies a recent controversial Burger King commercial featuring Mary J. Blige. Nyima Funk, who grew up in Ann Arbor, plays the role of Blige. Funk is the daughter of Wendy Woods, city planning commissioner and former city councilmember, and Ron Woods, an Eastern Michigan University professor and Ann Arbor housing commissioner. [Source]

Ann Arbor Public Schools Technology Bond Forum (April 16, 2012):  At a sparsely attended forum on Monday evening, Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) district administrators reviewed their reasoning behind asking district voters to fund a $45.8 million technology bond, and fielded questions from the community members who attended. On May 8, voters will be asked to approve a 0.5 mill tax to support the bond.

The forum was held at Pioneer High School.

District superintendent Patricia Green noted that AAPS administration has been giving its presentation to various school and community groups, and expressed cautious optimism that voters would support the bond, based on the initial response from these groups.

At Monday’s forum, community members questioned the scope and length of the proposed bond issue.  They also asked about contingency plans if the millage fails, the district’s loyalty to Apple as a technology vendor, what will happen to the district’s computers and other technology products as they become outdated, and exactly how technology is used in teaching and learning.

After moving the ballot question from the February election to May – to avoid the confusion of holding the tech bond vote in conjunction with a closed Republican primary – the district is funding a special election on Tuesday, May 8 to decide the issue. [Full Story]

Editor’s note: Nelson’s “In it for the Money” column appears regularly in The Chronicle, roughly around the third Wednesday of the month. 

On March 1, 2012 medical doctors tore this nice new baby from out my wife’s guts. (Don’t worry: momma and baby are both tip-top, but if you’ve ever had front row seats at a C-section, you know that the preceding sentence is 100% accurate, both factually and emotionally. The true miracle of childbirth is that anyone returns for an encore.)

At the urging of this fine publication’s editor, I’ve subsequently decided to “take it easy” this month.

The following column is a “reprint” of an essay I wrote about five years ago, for the second issue of The Birth Project, a zine published out of Ypsilanti by a group of birthing professionals (including the doula we used for our son’s birth in 2006, Kate Stroud).

I’ve forced myself to leave the original text unaltered, but taken the liberty of lightly annotating it, for clarity’s sake, and because my thinking has (predictably) shifted a little. [Full Story]

A site plan for the Allen Creek Preschool, located at 2350 Miller Ave., was recommended unanimously for approval by the Ann Arbor planning commission at its April 17, 2012 meeting. The commission also granted a special exception use for the project.

The project entails building a one-story, 929-square-foot addition onto the west end of an existing 3,111-square-foot preschool building, for a new total of 4,040 square feet. The preschool has an agreement with the Korean Methodist Church at 1526 Franklin Street to use eight parking spaces at the church lot. On-street parking is available on Miller Avenue and Franklin Street.

The special exception use is required because the project is located on a site zoned R1C (single-family dwelling district). According to a staff memo, the … [Full Story]

A slight revision to a special exception use for the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon – increasing by one the number of beds allowed in its house at 730 Tappan – was granted unanimously by the Ann Arbor planning commission at its April 17, 2012 meeting. The change now allows for 45 beds, including an additional separate bedroom for the required in-house manager.

The commission had granted the original special exception use more than a year ago, at its March 1, 2011 meeting. That had allowed the fraternity to convert a church at the northwest corner of Tappan and Hill into a fraternity house. The building previously had been the home of the Memorial Christian Church, which is now located … [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor planning commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of a request from owners of the Shell service station at the northeast corner of Ann Arbor-Saline and West Eisenhower Parkway – to revise the zoning regulations associated with the parcel. The vote took place at the commission’s April 17, 2012 meeting.

Owners of the station are asking for revisions to the site’s planned unit development (PUD), which would allow them to build additions onto the existing 1,000-square-foot convenience store. The new additions would total 4,089 square feet, including 2,189 square feet to the north and east of the store. Their plan also calls for converting the 900-square-foot carwash area into new retail space. The existing access drive to the carwash would be … [Full Story]

At its April 17, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor park advisory commission unanimously approved two resolutions related to the city’s fiscal year 2013 budget, the year beginning July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. It’s the second year of a two-year budget planning cycle. PAC had previously recommended approval of budgets for both years at its April 2011 meeting. The parks budget is part of the city’s overall budget, which city administrator Steve Powers presented at the April 16 meeting of the Ann Arbor city council.

The portion of the city budget relating to parks can be separated into two parts: (1) park operations; and (2) parks and recreation.

On Tuesday, PAC recommended approval of the FY 2013 parks operations … [Full Story]

Washtenaw County parks and recreation commission meeting (April 10, 2012): Most of this month’s county parks and recreation commission meeting focused on plans for a recreation center in the eastern part of the county. The proposed center would be near downtown Ypsilanti on the northwest corner of the 38-acre Water Street site, located on the south side of Michigan Avenue and east of the Huron River.

The commission heard from faculty of the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, who will lead a team of six students in developing a conceptual plan for the rec center by the end of December. They also heard from deputy parks and rec director Coy Vaughn about the steering committee and working groups that will oversee and coordinate the design team’s work, and ensure adequate participation by community members and other stakeholders, including the Ann Arbor YMCA. Some commissioners indicated that community input was especially important for this project.

Among the meeting’s action items, the commission approved the acquisition of additional land through the county’s natural areas preservation program, in partnership with other governmental entities, including the Ann Arbor greenbelt program. The properties include 23 acres in Ann Arbor Township and 33 acres in Northfield Township – both owned by J.A. Bloch & Co. – and the 35-acre Sloan property in Scio Township.

Additional items included a report from parks and rec director Bob Tetens about the department’s help in cleaning up after the March 15 tornado touchdown in Dexter; an update on improvement projects and activities at park facilities and preserves; and the latest milestones in a project to connect the Border-to-Border Trail in the village of Dexter, including a new bridge.

Other major action in the meeting included a review of the parks and rec budget to date, through the first quarter of the fiscal year. Tetens reported that the unusually warm weather this year had two effects: much less participation and revenue from Rolling Hills winter park compared to the last two years; and much more activity and revenue at the Pierce Lake Golf Course, which was also in part related to the March 15 tornado’s damage to other golf courses in the area. [Full Story]