The Ann Arbor Chronicle » Ann Arbor City Concil http://annarborchronicle.com it's like being there Wed, 26 Nov 2014 18:59:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2 Ann Arbor to Get New HR and Payroll Software http://annarborchronicle.com/2014/06/17/ann-arbor-to-get-new-hr-and-payroll-software/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ann-arbor-to-get-new-hr-and-payroll-software http://annarborchronicle.com/2014/06/17/ann-arbor-to-get-new-hr-and-payroll-software/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2014 04:24:56 +0000 Chronicle Staff http://annarborchronicle.com/?p=138994 A $570,900 contract with NuView Inc. to replace the city’s human resource and payroll system has been approved by the Ann Arbor city council. Action came at the council’s June 16, 2014 meeting.

The staff memo accompanying the item explains why the existing software, acquired in 2007, is being replaced:

In 2007, the City installed a Human Resource and Payroll system called Ultipro, by Ultimate Software. The Ultipro system included modules for Recruiting, Benefits Administration, Human Resource Administration and Payroll. The City has experienced a variety of issues related to the underlying database architecture utilized by Ultimate Software. In addition, due to changes such as new legislative requirements, the increase in recruiting volume and the increase in manual data entry involved in benefits administration, the City has found the Ultipro system unable to meet its Human Resource needs.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron.

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Council Loan Extension on Y Lot: Timing Backup http://annarborchronicle.com/2013/12/03/council-loan-extension-on-y-lot-timing-backup/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=council-loan-extension-on-y-lot-timing-backup http://annarborchronicle.com/2013/12/03/council-loan-extension-on-y-lot-timing-backup/#comments Tue, 03 Dec 2013 05:08:58 +0000 Chronicle Staff http://annarborchronicle.com/?p=125905 As a hedge – against the possibility that not all the due diligence is completed and the closing on the sale of the former Y lot is delayed past Dec. 16 – the Ann Arbor council has approved a six-month extension on an installment purchase agreement with Bank of Ann Arbor for $3.5 million. That’s the amount the city owes as a balloon payment on the property it purchased 10 years ago.

An agreement to sell the old Y lot on William Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues downtown – to hotelier Dennis Dahlmann for $5.25 million – was approved by the council at its Nov. 18, 2013 meeting. [.pdf of rider] [.pdf of sales agreement]

The interest rate on the loan extension would be the same as the interest rate at which the city is currently borrowing the money – 3.89% with no penalty for pre-payment.

If additional interest is owed due to the extension of the loan, presumably the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority would also continue with its share of the payments. That was an arrangement agreed to in 2003 through action by the DDA’s executive committee, not the full DDA board. The DDA’s portion of the interest payments could factor into the calculation of the net proceeds from the former Y lot sale.

A year ago at the council’s Oct. 15, 2012 meeting, the council adopted a resolution that indicated the proceeds of the sale would:

“… first be utilized to repay the various funds that expended resources on the property, including but not limited to due diligence, closing of the site and relocation and support of its previous tenants, after which any remaining proceeds be allocated and distributed to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund …

However, two days after the council met on Dec. 2, the board of the Ann Arbor DDA will be considering a resolution that would waive any need to repay the DDA for those interest payments or for the expenditures by the DDA to demolish the old Y building in 2008. [.pdf of Dec. 4, 2013 draft DDA resolution on Y lot proceeds]

Possibly relevant to the question of whether the DDA can simply waive any required repayment by the city to the DDA is the source of funds used by the DDA to make those payments. In recent years, the DDA has used parking funds to make the interest payments. To the extent that in earlier years, funds captured under the DDA’s tax increment finance (TIF) may have been used to make interest payments, it’s not clear if the DDA could simply allow the city to retain those funds as part of the proceeds of the Y lot sale.

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.

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Ann Arbor to SEMCOG on Highways: No Thanks http://annarborchronicle.com/2013/06/18/ann-arbor-to-semcog-on-highways-no-thanks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ann-arbor-to-semcog-on-highways-no-thanks http://annarborchronicle.com/2013/06/18/ann-arbor-to-semcog-on-highways-no-thanks/#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:03:57 +0000 Chronicle Staff http://annarborchronicle.com/?p=114850 A resolution opposing the proposed expansion of I-94 in Detroit and I-75 in Oakland County has been passed by the Ann Arbor city council. The council’s symbolic action came at its June 17, 2013 meeting. The Washtenaw County board of commissioners passed a similar resolution at its June 5, 2013 meeting. The interstate highway expansion is a part of SEMCOG’s 2040 Regional Transportation Plan with an estimated cost of $4 billion.

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]

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