Archive for April, 2013

A recommendation to distribute the city of Ann Arbor’s draft non-motorized plan update was unanimously approved by the city’s planning commission at its April 16, 2013 meeting. [.pdf of staff report and draft non-motorized plan]

This is an update of a plan that was initially approved in 2007. It makes policy recommendations as well as specific project proposals, primarily related to pedestrian and bicycle travel.

Planning commissioners had been briefed on the draft update by Eli Cooper, the city’s transportation program manager, at a March 12 working session. The recommendation, which will be forwarded to the city council, calls for the plan’s distribution to adjoining jurisdictions and stakeholders, including the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, DTE Energy, Norfolk-Southern Railroad, the University … [Full Story]

Eric Mahler has been nominated by Ann Arbor mayor John Hieftje to replace David Nacht on the board of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA). The announcement came at the council’s meeting that started on April 15, which did not conclude until nearly 3 a.m. the following day.

Nacht was not seeking reappointment to the board, having served two five-year terms, starting in 2003. Nacht’s current term ends on May 5, 2013, which makes the April 18 monthly board meeting his last one. Nacht had been a finalist to be appointed as one of two Washtenaw County representatives to the southeast Michigan regional transit authority (RTA) established by the state legislature in late 2012 during its lame duck session.

After a … [Full Story]

One component of the city’s fiscal year 2014 budget – for the parks and recreation unit – has received a recommendation of approval from the Ann Arbor park advisory commission. PAC was briefed on the budget at its April 16, 2013 meeting and unanimously passed a resolution recommending that the city council adopt it. [link to city's Legistar system, where 12 parks-related budget documents can be downloaded] FY 2014 begins on July 1, 2013.

Budgeted expenditures for the parks and recreation unit in FY 2014 – from the city’s general fund as well as from the parks maintenance and capital improvements millage – are $12,546,068. Of that, about $5.2 million will be paid from the millage, with $7.3 million from … [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor planning commission has passed a resolution stating that, aside from one exception, the city’s Barton Pump Station project meets the Ann Arbor standards of private development. The unanimous vote took place at the commission’s April 16, 2013 meeting.

The exception is that the project doesn’t meet the “first flush” detention that’s required for a site with more than 5,000 square feet of impervious surface. Although the city isn’t require to follow its own standards for private development, city projects must be reviewed by the planning commission before being approved by the city council.

The pump house is located on the east side of West Huron River Drive, south of Bird Road. It’s used to draw water from Barton Pond … [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor planning commission recommended annexing two adjacent parcels into the city from Ann Arbor Township, and zoning them for residential use. The action took place in two separate votes at the commission’s April 16, 2013 meeting. Both properties would be located in Ward 1.

The 21,888-square-foot lot owned by Derek & Anna Weller is located at 2119 Victoria Circle, between Springwood Court and Alexandra Boulevard and west of Newport Road. Currently vacant, it would be zoned R1A (single-family residential). The owner plans to build a house on the site. [.pdf of aerial map showing lot location]

The second property at 2121 Victoria Circle, owned by William & Maura Higgins, is a 22,256-square-foot parcel located north of the other lot. … [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor park advisory commission has recommended fee increases – ranging between 4-9% – for rentals at the Gallup Park meeting room and Cobblestone Farm. The fee increases would take effect during fiscal year 2014, which begins July 1, 2013. The recommendation came at PAC’s April 16, 2013 meeting. [.pdf of fee schedules] [.pdf of comparative fee data]

Fees haven’t been increased at Gallup Park meeting room since 2007, and the facility is undergoing major renovations this summer that were approved by the city council on April 1, 2013. As an example of the fee increases that would take effect in January of 2014, a resident of Ann Arbor could rent the meeting room for … [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor park advisory commission has recommended awarding a $535,000 contract to Pranam Global Tech Inc. to replace the roof at Veterans Memorial Park Ice Arena. The project includes a 10% construction contingency of $53,500, bringing the total project budget to $588,500. The vote was taken at PAC’s April 16, 2013 meeting.

Pranam, based in Livonia, was the lowest of five responsible bids received by the city. Other bidders were A.Z. Shmina Inc. ($612,000), Cedroni Associates Inc. ($738,000), Construction Solutions Inc. ($738,800) and Phoenix Contractors ($747,754).

According to a staff memo, the roof is nearly 40 years old and has several leaks. A coating was applied 12 years ago but is no longer effective. The purlins and beams have … [Full Story]

Coke will be replacing Pepsi at the city’s parks facilities, if the city council acts on a recommendation by the Ann Arbor park advisory commission. At their April 16, 2013 meeting, park commissioners unanimously recommended approval of a five-year contract with Coca-Cola Refreshments for cold beverage concessions.

A 10-year contract with Pepsi Bottling Group of Michigan is set to expire in June of 2013. In vying for the new contract, only two companies responded to a request for proposals (RFP). According to a staff memo, the other bidder was disqualified after failing to meet the bid deadline. The memo did not name that company, but deputy parks and recreation manager Jeff Straw told commissioners that Pepsi had missed the deadline.

The new … [Full Story]

On a unanimous vote taken around 3 a.m., the Ann Arbor city council decided to postpone all remaining action items on its agenda until its May 6 meeting, including the site plan application for 413 E. Huron – a proposed 14-story, 216-apartment building at the northeast corner of Huron and Division streets.

From the site plan application for 413 E. Huron. Critical root zones of landmark trees are shown by the dashed circles. The root zones were a focus of … [Full Story]

On a unanimous vote taken at about 3 a.m., the Ann Arbor city council decided to postpone all remaining action items on its agenda until its May 6 meeting, including revisions to the city’s ordinance governing the Downtown Development Authority.

The council was in the middle of deliberations on the DDA ordinance when Chuck Warpehoski (Ward 5) suggested that it would be appropriate to adjourn the meeting, given the late hour. The politics of the issue had become heated. And two councilmembers who had supported the ordinance revisions at first reading had needed to leave the meeting before it ended – Marcia Higgins (Ward 4) and Sumi Kailasapathy (Ward 1).

Early in the meeting, Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3) had indicated he’d be … [Full Story]

An easement between the city of Ann Arbor and DTE Energy – for land in Riverside Park where utility poles are located – has been approved by the Ann Arbor city council.

The easement was recommended for approval by the Ann Arbor park advisory commission at its March 19, 2013 meeting. [.pdf of easement agreement] The council’s action came at its April 15, 2013 meeting.

The easement agreement is needed so that DTE can remove old utility poles and install new poles and overhead lines – generally … [Full Story]

Another piece of property has been purchased by the city of Ann Arbor within the city limits adjoining an existing nature area. Getting approval for purchase from the city council at its April 15, 2013 meeting – for a price of $110,000 – was a roughly 8-acre vacant parcel owned by Windy Crest Partnership just east of the Ruthven Nature Area. The parcel fronts on Meadowcreek Drive.

The parcel purchased by the city lies mostly within the floodplain or … [Full Story]

At their April 15, 2013 meeting, Ann Arbor District Library trustees reviewed a draft budget for fiscal 2013-14, which calls for levying a 1.575-mill tax – a small increase from the current 1.55-mill rate, but still below the amount that AADL is authorized to levy. [.pdf of draft 2013-14 budget]

The AADL is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but the board has in recent years set the millage rate at lower levels.

The board is expected to vote on the budget and set the millage rate on May 6, but several trustees made comments about the draft budget during the April 15 meeting. Ed Surovell argued strongly against even a small tax increase, and said he wouldn’t be voting … [Full Story]

Washtenaw County parks and recreation commission meeting (April 9, 2013): The April meeting, which director Bob Tetens forecast would be “the long-promised very short meeting between our busy seasons,” saw WCPARC take the first step to acquire more properties in two locations for the county’s natural areas preservation program (NAPP). The group also heard a report from the Legacy Land Conservancy about a second round of farmland preservation through a NAPP program that the conservancy helps administer.

The first proposed acquisition for NAPP was the four-acre Jarskey property in Scio Township, which would become part of the Fox Science Preserve. That preserve lies east of Peters Road and north of Miller. Tom Freeman, retired deputy director of WCPARC and consultant on NAPP matters, briefed commissioners on the proposal. He highlighted two ponds on the property, and the popularity of the former gravel pit for educational purposes. Commissioners ultimately authorized preparation of a purchase offer at $14,285 an acre – or a total of $57,140.

The other NAPP proposal was for four wooded parcels totaling about 18 acres in Pittsfield Township, on the north side of Michigan Avenue roughly across from the Pittsfield Township offices. The value of this property, according to Freeman, is in the quality of the woods and the adjacency to the 535-acre Pittsfield Preserve. Commissioners authorized preparation of purchase offers of $390,000 for two of the properties, and $150,000 for the two other parcels – a total of $540,000.

Also at the April 9 meeting, Robin Burke – land protection coordinator for the Legacy Land Conservancy – briefed commissioners on the process used by the agricultural lands preservation advisory committee (ALPAC) to prioritize possible farmland preservation through the purchase of development rights. There were 72 applications for consideration, totaling 6,500 acres. This is the second round of potential deals that the county is weighing. The initial round was closed in March of 2013, protecting a total of 206 areas of farmland in the Bailo Family Partnership and Trust.

The commission also received reports on its finances, use of its facilities, and ongoing maintenance and improvement of WCPARC buildings and land. [Full Story]

In a column published by Bridge Magazine, Natalie Burg writes about her reasons for living in Michigan – despite the belief by many that “the well-educated, career-driven, creative-class Millennial like myself is not found in the wild here in Michigan.” She continues: “Living in Ann Arbor, I’m a quick drive from four major media markets. And lucky me, I write about growth in the state with the most growth potential. As she writes in her book, ‘Lean In,’ Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg believes in choosing employers by their growth potential. Being self-employed, the market in which I work is my employer of sorts, and there couldn’t be a better one than Michigan.” [Source]

At its April 15, 2013 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council likely will take a final vote on changes to the local ordinance governing the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. On April 1, by a 7-3 vote, the council gave initial approval to the changes.

In the interim, the city council has undoubtedly received communications lobbying for and against these changes. Among those communications was a letter sent on April 12 – with signatures from representatives of eight different entities that have significant specific interests in downtown Ann Arbor: “We write to oppose the proposed ordinance amendment … [P]aramount is the proposed change to the current ordinance procedure for calculating potential rebates of higher than anticipated TIF revenues back to taxing units …”

One of the eight signatories is unique – for two reasons.

First, the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber is the only one of which The Ann Arbor Chronicle is a member.

Second, the chamber is unique among the eight because it’s the one that has the legal and public policy resources to arrive at a position based on the legal and public policy merits of the issue. But in this case, the chamber has chosen a view that seems only half-informed by legal and public policy analysis.

With access to legal talent like Doug McClure, a recent candidate for 22nd Circuit Court judge who is chair of the chamber’s public policy committee, I’d expect this regional chamber to support the kind of clear, solid, forward-looking legal foundation that the proposed ordinance amendments would provide for us as a regional community. That’s especially true given that so many people – for and against the ordinance changes – agree that the current ordinance language lacks clarity.

And the idea that the chamber would support whatever interpretation the DDA chooses to give the ordinance – in the DDA’s sole judgment, with millions of regional tax dollars at stake – is bizarre from a public policy point of view. It’s especially bizarre given that this purportedly regional chamber has access to regional public policy talent like Andy LaBarre. He’s the chamber’s vice president of government relations who’s a former staffer for Congressman John Dingell. LaBarre is also an elected representative serving on a regional governing body that has tax dollars at stake in this debate – the Washtenaw County board of commissioners.

But the chamber chose to glance past the legal and public policy issues, opting instead to allow personal, petty mayoral politics to cloud its collective thinking.

What’s even more incredible is that the chamber has chosen wording for its letter – which it then recruited the other entities to sign – that would actually point an alert reader to the relevant legal and public policy issues. If the chamber itself had taken the words in its own letter more seriously, perhaps that would have guided the organization to take a position in favor of the ordinance changes.

In this column, I’ll lay out an analysis of the wording that the chamber has chosen – “… which the DDA calculates using its judgment within the standards set by the ordinance” – and explain why those words point the way to supporting the ordinance changes. [Full Story]

On Monday, April 15 – the Ann Arbor city council’s second meeting this month – city administrator Steve Powers will be submitting to the council a proposed budget for fiscal year 2014. The fiscal year starts July 1.

The slide presentation for that budget proposal is now available for preview on Legistar, the city’s online agenda platform. The council will have until its second meeting in May to make any amendments.

The budget for the general fund in FY 2014 shows $82,632,807 in general fund revenues against $81,287,363 in expenditures, for a recurring surplus of $1,345,444. However, one-time expenditures for FY 2014 total $1,605,949 – with a net result that the general fund budget for FY 2014 will require tapping … [Full Story]

An article on Salon reports that Eden Foods, an organic company headquartered south of Ann Arbor, has filed a lawsuit seeking exemption from the federal mandate to cover contraception for its employees under the Affordable Care Act. The company is represented by Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center. From the report: “Eden Foods, which did not respond to a request for comment, says in its filing that the company believes of birth control that ‘these procedures almost always involve immoral and unnatural practices.’” [Source]

The city of Ann Arbor has sent a notice of zoning violation to the popular Selma Cafe, a weekly home-based breakfast gathering that raises money for local farmers and farming activities.

The group has also received notice that the nonprofit Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP) has decided to end its fiscal sponsorship of Selma Cafe, citing “significant violations” of the terms in a memorandum of understanding between the two entities. The FSEP board voted to make the move in late March.

But it’s the zoning violations that could force a dramatic change in Selma Cafe, which often draws more than 200 people to the home of co-founder Lisa Gottlieb, located near Eberwhite Elementary School. The letter, dated April 3 from city planning manager Wendy Rampson, notes that home occupations are allowed in residential areas, but with certain restrictions. The letter states that Selma Cafe violates those restrictions in three ways: (1) more people are involved in the operation than are allowed under city code; (2) more than the permitted 10 vehicle trips per day are generated; and (3) the need for parking is not being met.

Reached by phone on Friday, Gottlieb said she plans to hand-deliver a response to the city on Monday. She believes the parking, traffic and congestion issues are resolved, and she is actively pursuing two other locations as possible venues for the weekly breakfasts. She disagrees with the city’s interpretation of the code, noting that Selma Cafe is not a business and the people who work there are volunteers, not employees. Although she hopes to continue holding the breakfasts, she said at this point it’s unclear how things will play out and whether that will be possible.

Gottlieb noted that one neighbor had criticized Selma Cafe for bringing thousands of people to the neighborhood since they started in 2009. Although the neighbor had cited that as a negative thing, Gottlieb said to her it seemed “pretty incredible” that the effort had been able to engage so many people in raising money for the local foodshed, keeping money in the community and helping local farmers.

Regarding the issues raised by FSEP, Gottlieb explained that she had withdrawn funds from the FSEP-managed bank account to transfer into a new account created as Selma Cafe transitions to become an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit. She had not first informed FSEP of the withdrawal, as required under terms of the memorandum of understanding. Even if that had not occurred, she added, “the fact is they wanted to be done with us.”

Obtaining the nonprofit status is taking longer than anticipated, so Selma Cafe is seeking another fiscal sponsor. Until that happens, the funds for Selma that remain in the FSEP-managed account – which total about $40,000 – are frozen. If no new fiscal sponsor is found and Selma does not obtain its 501(c)3 designation by May 31, FSEP could take the Selma assets permanently, under terms of the MOU. If that happened, FSEP would need to allocate those funds “in any manner consistent with applicable tax and charitable trust laws and other obligations.” [Full Story]

It wasn’t that long ago that Michigan’s basketball program was not merely unsuccessful, but the shame of the athletic department, if not the university.

Bo Schembechler, then Michigan’s athletic director, fired basketball coach Bill Frieder after he found out Frieder had flown out to accept the coaching job at Arizona State just a few days before the NCAA tournament was to begin. Schembechler famously barked, “A Michigan Man will coach Michigan!” Assistant Coach Steve Fisher filled in, and the team “shocked the world” by winning Michigan’s first-ever national title in basketball.

But, on the eve of Fisher’s ninth season, he, too, was fired, because some of his players had been paid by a booster. Another assistant coach, Brian Ellerbe, was named the interim coach, which usually is a mistake – and this proved no exception. At Ellerbe’s first Big Ten tournament, in 1998, the Wolverines pulled a rabbit out of a hat to win it, and Ellerbe was named the permanent head coach. But three years later he was also fired, partly because of a bad record, but mainly because some of his players had been paid by the same booster.

The NCAA launched an investigation that lasted years. Tommy Amaker, the next coach, had to deal the investigation, the probation that followed, and subpar facilities. He never made the tournament, but he left Michigan’s program much better than he found it.

Former athletic director Bill Martin started raising the money and making the plans for a new practice facility and a complete renovation of Crisler Arena – which ultimate cost about $100 million when it was finished in 2012 – and hired Michigan’s current coach, John Beilein, to take advantage of it. Beilein came to Michigan with a strong resume, having taken three different schools to the big dance, but not a high profile. [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor Schools Musings blog is asking readers to weigh in with their thoughts on Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent Patricia Green, who announced her resignation this week. One of the open-ended questions asks about qualities that are important for the next superintendent. [Source]

Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent Patricia Green has turned in her resignation, after a little less than two years on the job. Her resignation takes effect in mid-July. In a brief letter to AAPS staff and families in the school system, Green said she intends to retire after 43 years in the profession. [.pdf of Green's letter]

She began her tenure on July 1, 2011 with a five-year contract and a starting salary of $245,000. According to AAPS spokeswoman Liz Margolis, a voluntary salary reduction that Green had recently offered has not yet been implemented. Under the terms … [Full Story]

At the April 10, 2013 meeting, the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education was briefed on the 2013 spring grant awards. The trustees will be asked to approve the receipt and expenditures of the grant monies within the Grants Programs Fund at the next regular meeting.

New grants include: $11,332 from the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop for SchoolMessenger; $15,000 from Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation (AAPSEF) for the Community Builders program; and $8,900 from Toshiba America to purchase Lego Mindstorms for Pioneer High School.

AAPSEF is also providing renewal grants for the following: $15,679 for Great Ideas; $4,000 for 5th grade instrumental music instrument repairs; $21,000 for SchoolMessenger; and $22,644 for the Environmental Education Program. Secondary Perkins III is … [Full Story]

Several media outlets report on the first board meeting of the new Southeast Michigan Region Transit Authority (RTA), held April 10 in downtown Detroit. One of the two Washtenaw County board members – Liz Gerber – was appointed vice chair of the board. Richard Murphy is the other Washtenaw board member, although the board’s chair – Paul Hillegonds, a DTE Energy executive who was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder – also is a Washtenaw County resident. The RTA is charged with coordinating public transit in Detroit and four counties: Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw. [Source] [Source] [Source]

The Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education has voted to change its current committee-of-the-whole to its former committee structure of two different standing committees. The vote took place at the board’s April 10, 2013 meeting.

After some discussion, the trustees decided to return to two standing committees: one for planning and one for performance, with the addition of a governance and an executive committee.  Committee membership will be determined after trustee interest has been solicited. Appointments will be made as soon as possible.

The trustees also voted to impose a five hour time limit on regular board meetings. Committee meetings will “strive to be no longer than two hours.”

The change came after board president Deb Mexicotte introduced policy changes to address … [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education has voted to approve a purchase of software licenses in the amount of $232,486. The purchase comes after the board approved the purchase of 2,800 iMacs and 400 AirBooks, with the intention to have the computers – both the hardware and software – up and running in all computer labs in the fall of 2013. Purchases will be made with general fund monies in 2012-13 and 2013-14, as available from the savings realized through the Lexmark copier purchase approved by the trustees on March 10, 2013.

The board’s action came at its April 10, 2013 meeting.

The software licenses are for: Adobe Creative Suite ($50,665.95); Inspiration ($67,921); Kid Pix Deluxe ($34,100); Microsoft Office ($32,685); PixWriter … [Full Story]