Julie Grand, chair of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission, talks with PAC member Sam Offen before the start of Tuesday's meeting. Offen was the only commissioner to vote against support of a state grant application for the Ann Arbor skatepark. (Photos by the writer.)

The resolution for Gallup passed unanimously, but commissioner Sam Offen – without comment – cast a vote against the resolution for the skatepark grant.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, commissioner Gwen Nystuen suggested forming a committee to look more closely at the Fuller Road Station project – she felt that as stewards of the city’s parkland, PAC should take a more active role in examining the proposed parking structure, bus depot and possible train station. The project, a joint effort between the city and the University of Michigan, would be located on land that’s previously been designated as parkland, though it’s been leased to the university as a surface parking lot since the early 1990s. Nystuen did not put forward a formal resolution, and commissioners took no action on the idea.

The meeting included five presentations from various groups, including updates on the city’s two golf courses, the new Give 365 volunteer program, and a restoration project for a stretch of Malletts Creek near Huron Parkway. Commissioners also heard a proposal for a new Wednesday night farmers market, and got a mid-year financial report on the open space and parkland preservation millage.

Grant Applications for Skatepark, Gallup Livery

Two resolutions were added to the agenda at the start of Tuesday’s meeting, both recommending support for city’s grant applications to the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund. The grants – for $300,000 each – would help fund the Ann Arbor skatepark and upgrades to the Gallup canoe livery and park.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks & recreation manager, told commissioners that the city would include the resolutions as part of the application package.

[The issue of the city’s grant applications previously emerged during the March 9 meeting of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission. At that meeting, Tom Freeman of the county’s parks & recreation department told greenbelt commissioners that the county would be applying for a DNR trust fund grant to help buy a parcel in Ann Arbor Township now owned by a subsidiary of Domino’s Farms. The parcel would become part of the county’s natural areas preservation program.

Greenbelt commissioners discussed voting on a letter of support for the county’s application, but were dissuaded by Ann Arbor city councilmember Carsten Hohnke, who felt it would dilute the city’s own chances for grant funds from the state – for the skatepark and the canoe livery. Ultimately, greenbelt commissioners voted to recommend that the city council consider sending a letter of support for the county’s application.]

At Tuesday’s PAC meeting, Gwen Nystuen said she approved of the resolutions, but wondered whether it hurt their chances to apply for two grants instead of one. Smith said they had reviewed the applications and grant awards from last year – out of 160 applications statewide, 117 had received funding, he said – a high success rate. What matters most is the quality and strength of the application, he said. In addition, the two projects they’re applying for are very different, and serve different user groups.

Smith said they need the funding for the skatepark in order to help reach the matching funds needed to secure a $400,000 matching grant from the Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission. And the funds for Gallup are necessary for the work they need to do to improve safety and accessibility at the canoe livery, he said. They’re hoping to have improvements at Gallup completed by 2012, to prepare for increased activity following a significant upgrade at the Argo dam.

Tim Berla asked for a reminder of what work would be done at Gallup. [Park planner Amy Kuras had most recently provided an update at PAC's January 2011 meeting.] Smith reported that the work would include expanding the facility’s meeting room, improving the safety of the path approaching the livery, and giving people barrier-free access to the facility and dock area. They would also add wayfinding signs throughout the park.

Outcome: The resolution of support for Ann Arbor’s application for a state DNR trust fund grant to fund upgrades to the Gallup canoe livery and park was unanimously approved. A second resolution of support for the grant application to fund the Ann Arbor skatepark was also approved, with Sam Offen dissenting.

Fuller Road Station

During Tuesday’s meeting, Gwen Nystuen asked commissioners to consider forming a committee that would look more intently at the Fuller Road Station project. [Fuller Road Station is a joint city of Ann Arbor/University of Michigan effort to build a large parking structure and bus depot on the south side of Fuller Road, just east of East Medical Center Drive. City officials hope the initial $46 million phase will be followed by a later phase that would include a train station for commuter rail. The city-owned land, which is zoned public land but has been designated as parkland, is currently leased to the university for use as a surface parking lot.]

Nystuen said she’s been looking at this project for months, and is deeply concerned because it would mean a major change for the city’s parks. It’s an issue she’s raised repeatedly at previous PAC meetings for more than a year.

Nystuen described some of the property’s history, dating back to the time when it was a municipal golf course in the 1930s through 1968. Several transfers of ownership and changes in use have taken place over the years, she noted, and it’s time that PAC have a coordinated discussion about the current situation, given their role as stewards of the parks system.

Park commissioner Gwen Nystuen.

One of the big questions is what kind of protection does parkland have, Nystuen said. The city’s planning commission, in its discussions of Fuller Road Station, has identified several protections, she said, such as inclusion of a parcel in the Park and Recreation Open Space (PROS) plan, purchase of a parcel with parkland acquisition millage funds. One other way that planning commissioners feel parkland is protected is through oversight by PAC, Nystuen noted – so they are responsible.

The land where Fuller Road Station is to be located was assessed in 2004 by the University of Michigan for $4.25 million – Nystuen passed out a letter sent to the city in February 2004 by Gerald Alcock and Marcel Vidovic, who had appraised the property at that time. At that time, the university was looking at the land to potentially build housing there, she said.

Further, she was concerned that a complete environmental assessment hadn’t yet been conducted. As far as she knew, the firm JJR had done an assessment that was presented as a draft in June 2010. But a final assessment hadn’t been done, nor had a public hearing been held on the issue.

Nystuen also had concerns about how the county’s border-to-border trail would fit into the structure’s design. And there’s a roundabout being considered for the intersection of Fuller Road, Maiden Lane and East Medical Center Drive, she noted, where the border-to-border trail crosses. At its Feb. 7, 2011 meeting, the city council authorized a $460,139 contract with DLZ Michigan Inc. to review previous studies of that intersection and propose a design for its reconfiguration.

A lot of questions remain about the project and its process, Nystuen said. PAC needs a committee so that they’ll be fully informed and can make a recommendation to city council.

Tim Berla asked parks manager Colin Smith what the timeline is for the project. Smith reminded commissioners that he’d given them an update at their February meeting, and nothing has changed since then. The city attorney’s office is still working on the Fuller Road Station operating agreement between the city and the University of Michigan.

Berla noted that some things related to the project weren’t under PAC’s purview. But the border-to-border trail is completely within their realm, he noted, adding that he’d like to see PAC consider a resolution at their next meeting to address that issue. They should go on record identifying that as a problem to be solved, he said. Overall, though, Berla said he supports the idea of a bus or train station.

Smith reminded commissioners that they had already passed a resolution related to Fuller Road Station last summer. His recollection was that PAC gave the project its overall support, but identified some areas of concern, including how the project would be financed and how the border-to-border trail would be incorporated. He suggested reviewing that resolution before taking additional action. [For details on that resolution, see Chronicle coverage of PAC's June 15, 2010 meeting: "Park Commission Asks for Transparency"]

Nystuen said she wasn’t opposed to alternative transportation. But the area where Fuller Road Station is proposed is in a location that the city has identified as a high priority for parkland acquisition – land along the Huron River. It’s a surface parking lot now, but it could be restored and become a beautiful park – it doesn’t have to be covered with cars, she said.

Sam Offen asked Smith to check with Fuller Road Station’s project manager, and perhaps ask him to return to PAC and provide an update. Smith reminded commissioners that they’d be dealing with the annual budget at their April meeting.

Julie Grand noted that the point of the resolution they passed last year was that they wanted to be kept in the loop about the project. This is a good reminder to city staff that PAC be kept informed.

Berla asked Smith whether they could see a copy of the operating agreement when it was drafted. Smith said he would get a copy for them to review.

Nystuen again expressed her interest in having two or three PAC members sit down with the city councilmembers who serve as ex-officio members of the commission – Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) and Mike Anglin (Ward 5). [Anglin did not attend Tuesday's meeting.] Taylor said that for his part, he believed things would come to the city council “in their ordinary course.” While getting information is good, he said, information can be “ripe and unripe.” Regarding the border-to-border trail, he agreed that they should ask what the plans are for that effort. He agreed with Berla that there are certain things within PAC’s ambit, like the border-to-border trail. As for the roundabout, analyses are being done that are “ongoing and professional,” he said.

Berla noted that in general roundabouts are fantastic, but it’s hard to envision how someone using the border-to-border trail and trying to cross there could do so easily, given the heavy traffic in that area.

Nystuen did not put forward a formal resolution for her proposal to form a committee, and the discussion came to a close without action.

Golf Courses Update

Earlier in the meeting, commissioners got an update about the city’s two golf courses – at Huron Hills and Leslie Park – from Doug Kelly, the city’s director of golf, and Andrew Walton, golf course supervisor at Huron Hills. Kelly and Walton had previously given a detailed presentation at PAC’s Nov. 17, 2009 meeting.

Kelly began by giving brief descriptions of both courses. Huron Hills is a beautiful tract of land, he said, with vistas overlooking the Huron River valley. As a golf course with a shorter layout, it’s a tremendous asset to the entire area’s golfing community, he said, a much-needed course for introducing people of all ages and economic backgrounds to the game of golf. It’s especially important to provide opportunities for kids, to grow the game. In the winter, Huron Hills also provides one of the area’s best sledding hills, he noted.

Doug Kelly, right, the city of Ann Arbor's director of golf, and Andrew Walton, golf course supervisor at Huron Hills.

Leslie Park golf course is their pride and joy, Kelly said. It also sits on some of the prettiest land in the city, land that was previously the site of Dr. Eugene Leslie’s farm and orchard. Kelly noted that the golf course’s logo features the red barn that’s still on the property. “We’re very proud of that barn and we love it,” he said.

Leslie Park attracts golfers from around the region. Its layout is challenging, yet playable. Golf Digest magazine has rated it as the best municipal course in the state, he said.

Since the city’s re-commitment to its golf courses in 2008, Kelly said they’ve focused on the “5 Cs”: customer service, culture, course conditions, cleanliness, and community. These are the reasons why people keep returning to the courses, he said – they’re creating a place where people are comfortable and feel like they belong.

Kelly said they are caretakers of the land. He described how last year, Leslie Park was certified by the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program, and Huron Hills is now going through that process. Certification requires that the course exceed requirements of environmental laws, protect water resources and enhance the maintenance of turf grass and open spaces. It’s harder to get than certification from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, Kelly said, which focuses on enhancing the habitat for wildlife. He expects Leslie Park golf course to achieve the Audobon certification later this year.

Kelly showed commissioners some slides of wildlife on the courses, including one of a wild/domestic hybrid turkey watching golfers on Leslie Park’s No. 1 green last summer. He noted that eight bluebird houses had been added throughout the course last year, and so far seven of those are inhabited. Staff is also working with school groups to build bat houses that can be placed on the courses.

Also related to the environment, golf staff work with the city’s natural area preservation (NAP) program to do controlled burns in some parts of the courses – three of the four full-time golf employees are volunteer certified burn technicians, Kelly said. Scott Spooner, Leslie Park’s superintendent, is doing outreach with local schools as well, bringing student groups to the course for projects like water quality testing at Traver Creek, which runs through the property.

Walton, who supervises Huron Hills, focused his comments on that course, saying one of the main objectives there is to grow interest in the game of golf. It’s very affordable to play there, he said, and is a crucial course for introducing new golfers to the game. He described several programs aimed at that goal, including junior golf camps, a new parent/child instructional program and a new junior golf league. Adult programs also focus on beginners, he said.

Another goal is to use promotions and events to attract families, young people, seniors, and beginning golfers to the course, Walton said. One of the larger efforts in that regard is allowing juniors to play free on Sunday afternoons, when accompanied by a paying adult. Last season the city also started a program called “Wee Tees” – a set of shorter tees that are meant to make the game more playable and fun. The annual Herb Fowler memorial tournament has become a marquee event, Walton said, and monthly “nite lite” golf – when they illuminate the course after dusk – is becoming popular.

Walton also noted that adding power golf carts has made the course more accessible to seniors and the disabled – and even, frankly, to able-bodied people who just don’t want to walk, he said. Last year was the first full season that the carts were available, and they brought in about $46,000 in revenue.

Both courses also provide a source of revenue for the city’s parks & recreation scholarship fund, Walton said, contributing about $4,000 last year from player donations and tournament proceeds.

Walton compared Huron Hills to the other golf courses in the Ann Arbor region. Of the 12 local courses, seven are either private or provide limited access to the general public, he said, like the University of Michigan course. Three of the remaining five – including Leslie Park – are more difficult to play. That leaves Georgetown Country Club, which only has nine holes, and Huron Hills, which is an 18-hole course. “We are quite a unique facility in the Ann Arbor golf community,” he said.

Kelly returned to the podium for a brief financial overview. Golf rounds at Huron Hills are up 56% since 2007, from 13,913 in 2007 to 22,501 in 2010. At Leslie Park, rounds have increased during that period by 48% – from 21,857 to 31,998. This occurred at a time when average golf rounds were decreasing at the state and national levels, he said. Their goal is to grow rounds of golf played at Huron Hills to 25,000 and at Leslie Park to 35,000.

Revenues during the period from 2007 to 2010 have also increased at both courses. At Huron Hills, revenues grew from $242,677 to $310,602. Leslie Park revenues increased from $615,448 to $851,570. By FY 2013, revenues are projected to increase to $396,050 at Huron Hills and $929,044 at Leslie Park.

[Related to revenues, the city council recently voted to increase fees at both courses – the increases had been initially recommended by PAC at their February 2011 meeting.]

Revenues are trending in the right direction, Kelly concluded, and recognition for the courses is strong.

After the presentation, PAC chair Julie Grand thanked Kelly and Walton for their work. Commissioners had no other comments or questions.

[Neither Kelly nor Walton mentioned the request for proposals (RFP) that the city issued last year to solicit ideas for improving operations at Huron Hills. Two groups submitted proposals, but only Miles of Golf – a Pittsfield Township business – was chosen by a selection committee to move forward in the selection process. The business owners made a presentation at a Dec. 3 public meeting, but were informed later in the month that the city would not be pursuing their proposal.]

Malletts Creek Restoration

Janis Bobrin, the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner, attended Tuesday’s PAC meeting – along with Harry Sheehan, the county’s environmental manager, and Ron Cavallaro of the engineering firm Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment – to give an update on the county’s Malletts Creek restoration project.

Bobrin began by noting that the county and city have a strong history of partnering, including work on Olson Park, Mary Beth Doyle Park and West Park – a project that’s still underway. [PAC had received an update from city staff on problems with West Park renovations at its Feb. 15, 2011 meeting.]

Bobrin said they were attending the meeting to talk about the Malletts Creek restoration work, which affects the city’s Huron Parkway Nature Area.

From left: Washtenaw County environmental manager Harry Sheehan; Washtenaw County water resources commissioner Janis Bobrin; and Ron Cavallaro of the engineering firm Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment. The three were on hand to give the Ann Arbor park advisory commission an update on a Malletts Creek restoration project.

Sheehan, who’s leading this project, stepped forward to give the remainder of the presentation. He said the county has been working for a decade with the city on improvements to Malletts Creek. The current work will take place along a 1.6-mile stretch of the creek’s stream bank, he said, near the area of Washtenaw Avenue and Huron Parkway. The project focuses on the stream bank’s erosion – he noted the stream is a natural channel and can’t handle the roughly 11 square miles of urban runoff that now flows into it.

Erosion washes downstream and impairs water quality and habitat, he said. Phosphorus from the runoff flows downstream to South Pond and ultimately the Huron River, affecting the city’s drinking water supply. The state’s Dept. of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has created a mandate to deal with phosphorus and sediment issues related to Malletts Creek creekshed, he said, and that’s what the project is addressing.

Sheehan described several techniques that will be employed to deal with these problems. Instead of vertical stream banks, they’ll rebuild banks that are staggered back from the creek in tiers to accommodate higher flows. They’ll first stabilize the bank’s base with rock, then revegetate the bank with native plants. Another technique is to create rock structures within the stream – called veins – that direct water flow away from the banks and turn the force of the flow toward the center of the stream.

The third technique is to build different levels of channels within the creekbed – a deeper channel in the bottom center of the creek, with shallower channels carved out at the sides to handle higher flows. Finally, the project will include work to repair and upgrade infrastructure, such as cracked drains.

Sheehan said workers on the project will access the area from spots on Huron Parkway and Chalmers Drive. In response to a question from Sam Offen, who lives in that area, Cavallaro said they didn’t anticipate any traffic issues related to the work.

Sheehan said they’d work with the city’s natural area preservation (NAP) crew to coordinate with the controlled burns that NAP conducts in the area. If there are any areas that are disturbed by the work, the county will revegetate the area with native plants.

The project’s budget is set at a maximum of $4.1 million for the 1.6 miles of creek, Sheehan said. Half of that will come through a federal grant and won’t need to be repaid – it’s in the form of loan forgiveness through the Clean Water Act. The other half will be financed through a state revolving loan program – a 20-year, low-interest loan at 2.5% interest that will be paid by assessing the Malletts Creek drainage district. The city of Ann Arbor accounts for 95% of that district, Sheehan said, and funding for the assessment will come from the city’s stormwater utility fund. [It's classified as an "at large" district, so rather than assessing individuals and businesses in the district, it's paid for by the city collectively.] There’s no impact to the parks budget.

Bobrin later clarified that the other 5% is paid for by the Michigan Dept. of Transportation (MDOT), because the work benefits state roads. She noted that the project required a formal petition from the city, which city council passed in December 2010. Sheehen added that this project does not involve a rate hike to residents’ stormwater utility fees – it’s a project that was already budgeted, and included in the city’s capital improvement plan (CIP).

Sheehan said they’re more than halfway through the project’s design, and expect to finish that part by June. They’ll have a contract for the work to be approved by city council in August, with construction starting in September 2011 at the earliest, and running through next spring or early summer.

He said they’ve been in contact with homeowners’ associations in the area to alert them about the project, and also plan public meetings later in the year.

In response to a question from Gwen Nystuen, Sheehan said that Malletts Creek is a county drain, and the county’s office of water resources has regulatory responsibility to maintain its flow and improve water quality. The county has a 66-foot easement on either side of the channel, which has been in place since the 1920s.

Christopher Taylor asked if Sheehan could articulate the water quality benefit they expect to get from the project. It hasn’t been quantified yet, Sheehan replied. About 4,000 pounds of phosophorus load comes into the Huron River every year from Malletts Creek, he said, and the sediment load can be hundreds of times that amount. Those are the two things they’re trying to reduce, he said, and they’ll be calculating how best to do that as they complete the project’s cost/benefit analysis and set priorities about where to do the work.

In response to a question from Tim Berla, Sheehan said water quality monitoring is one way to measure the effectiveness of the project. He said he could provide a report on their work at Doyle Park, which included such measurements. However, they don’t currently have funding to conduct the same types of analyses on the Malletts Creek project, he said. Another way to evaluate the project is to look at how long the changes last – how stable are the stream banks in 10 or 15 years, for example.

Night Market Proposal

Molly Notarianni, the city’s market manager, gave a report to commissioners about plans for a night market pilot program. She had given a similar presentation last week at the city’s public market advisory commission meeting. [See Chronicle coverage: "Idea for Night Market Floated"]

The proposal calls for a producers-only market from 4:30-8:30 p.m., operating as a separate entity from the existing Saturday and Wednesday daytime markets, which run from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. The night market would run for a shorter season, launching this year on July 1 – the start of the city’s fiscal year – and running through September or early October. There would be a separate application process for the night market, and there would not be a seniority system as there is for the other markets, which gives an advantage to long-time vendors.

The idea would be to give shoppers more options for shopping at the farmers market, to attract new shoppers to that area, to provide opportunities for more producers to sell their wares, and to increase activity at an underused space. Notarianni said she plans to assign stalls before market day – unlike the current system for the daytime markets, when stalls are assigned on the day of the market just before the market opens. That will provide some consistency for vendors, she said, and shoppers won’t have to hunt for their favorite vendors.

The Ann Arbor farmers market building. On most days, the market is empty and used primarily for parking.

There’s a lot of action in the local food movement, Notarianni said, and this is an easy way to capitalize on that interest at little cost.

Members of the public market advisory commission had been excited about the proposal, she said. The manager for Kerrytown Market & Shops, a complex of stores adjacent to the public market, had a similar reaction, she said. The shops there often stay open later if there are special events in the area – they might keep longer hours on Wednesdays because of increased traffic from the night market.

Sam Offen asked about the logistics of transitioning between the day and night markets. Notarianni said that although the Wednesday market is open until 3 p.m., in reality about 70% of the vendors leave before then. She didn’t think that many of the daytime vendors would stay for the night market – although they could certainly apply to do so. Since they come to the market at 5 a.m., it would make for a long day, she said.

The public market is part of the parks & rec budget. Colin Smith, the city’s parks & recreation manager, said the additional revenues they expect to generate from stall fees will be reflected in the proposed budget for FY 2011, which PAC will review at their April meeting. Because it will be a change to a well-known, much cared for institution, he said he wanted to bring it to their attention. City staff have received feedback from shoppers that they want to have more options for buying fresh food at the market, and this is an attempt to provide that, he said.

Give 365 Volunteer Program

Gayle LaVictoire, volunteer outreach coordinator for Ann Arbor’s parks system, gave commissioners an update about her efforts since being hired in the newly created job last year.

On March 1, the city launched the Give 365 volunteer program, a new effort to foster a year-round culture of volunteerism for parks, LaVictoire said. They’re publicizing the program in a variety of ways, including posters and brochures at city facilities, through the Ann Arbor parks Facebook page, and by direct outreach to groups like Ann Arbor Rec & Ed and coaches for youth leagues, among others.

Gayle LaVictoire gave a presentation to commissioners about the park system's new volunteer outreach efforts.

A page on the city’s website – a2gov.org/volunteer – provides more information, she said, and allows people to register online. They’re using the Volgistics database system to handle the logistics. It allows volunteers to sign up for exactly the type of activities they’re interested in, to search for volunteer activities on specific dates or at certain facilities, and to sign up for alerts for more general volunteer opportunities. The system also sends out automated reminders to volunteers prior to the times they’ve signed up for. LaVictoire said she’s a volunteer at the Humane Society of Huron Valley, which also uses the Volgistics database. From a user’s perspective, she said she could report that it’s easy to use.

LaVictoire noted that the last time she talked to PAC, she had outlined four programs she was planning to start. Since then, she’s added several others. They include the Friends of the Field ballfield adoption program; taking photos and writing for the farmer’s market or senior center newsletters; and helping with spring and summer “startups” at the city’s pools and canoe liveries. They’re also recruiting young people between the ages of 13-17 to join a Counselor in Training program at the city’s four day camps, she said. Other volunteer opportunities are listed on the Give 365 website.

LaVictoire noted that she was modeling a T-shirt that they gave to volunteers – she reported that her boss, parks manager Colin Smith, wanted one, but she told him that he’d have to sign up to volunteer first.

David Barrett asked whether the ballfield program could be expanded to soccer fields too. LaVictoire said that in the future, she hoped the program would grow. They’re working with the city’s Adopt-a-Park staff to coordinate those efforts.

Tim Berla wondered whether these volunteer programs could be expanded into the Ann Arbor Public Schools – the city uses some of the school district’s facilities for their programs, and vice versa. LaVictoire said they were starting small but hoped to expand – the possibilities are great, when you nurture a culture of volunteerism. Smith noted that he hoped the schools would partner with the city, but he added that because LaVictoire’s position is funded by millage proceeds, there are certain restrictions about how the money – and her time – can be spent.

Julie Grand asked how the Give 365 volunteer program was different from the Adopt-a-Park program. LaVictoire replied that there’s some overlap, but that her volunteer program focused on parks & recreation facilities and areas adjacent to those facilities – activities like trash pickup, weeding, painting and planting flowers. Adopt-a-Park focused primarily on parkland and open space.

In response to a question from Christopher Taylor, LaVictoire described how Give 365, Adopt-a-Park and the volunteer outreach for the city’s natural area preservation (NAP) coordinate their efforts. The Volgistics database manages all three volunteer programs, but there are categories that volunteers use to indicate their preferences. There are also ways that city staff can “tag” volunteer information to indicate that there might be overlap, she said – those tags aren’t visible to the volunteer, but help staff share information. “Your secret’s safe with us,” Taylor said.

He asked how many volunteers had registered so far, two weeks after the launch. One group and about 10 individuals had signed up, she said, and she’s encouraging existing volunteers to register as well.

Barrett asked what assurances volunteers had that their information wouldn’t be used for other city purposes. LaVictoire said there’s nothing to indicate that the information won’t be used for other things, but that the volunteers have control over what they sign up for. She also noted that if people don’t feel comfortable registering online, they can call city staff and give their information over the phone. The number for the volunteer office is 734-794-6230 ext. 42510.

Millage Update

Ginny Trocchio, a staff member of The Conservation Fund who works under contract with the city to manage the Ann Arbor greenbelt and parks acquisition programs, gave a report on expenses and income related to the open space and parkland preservation millage. The presentation looked at the first six months of the current fiscal year, from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2010. [.pdf file of mid-year financial report for open space and parkland preservation millage]

By way of background, Ann Arbor voters in 2003 passed a 30-year 0.5 mill tax for land acquisition – called the open space and parkland preservation millage. On the summer tax bill, the line item appears as CITY PARK ACQ. Though not stipulated in the legal terms of the millage, the city’s policy has been to allocate one-third of the millage for parks land acquisition and two-thirds for the city’s greenbelt program. PAC oversees parkland acquisitions, while the greenbelt advisory commission makes recommendations for the greenbelt program.

To get money upfront for land acquisition, the city took out a $20 million bond in fiscal year 2006. That bond is being being paid back with revenue from the millage. Debt service on that bond so far in FY 2011 year has amounted to $815,288 – the first of two annual payments.

On Tuesday, Trocchio told commissioners that total gross revenues – including millage proceeds, grants and investment income – are just under $3.5 million. Millage proceeds are $2.175 million this year, down from $2.26 million in FY 2010. Investment income is also down – $88,148 compared to $492,576 the previous year. Trocchio said the year-end investment income number will likely be higher. Federal grants total $1.235 million this year – those are reimbursements for greenbelt purchases, she said.

Christopher Taylor, a city councilmember who also serves as an ex-officio member of PAC, asked Trocchio to explain why investment income is down. She said that the city’s treasurer, Matt Horning, would be able to provide a better explanation, but that part of the reason is that the millage’s fund balance has been spent down, so there’s less money to invest. [Horning had provided a detailed explanation of this issue at the greenbelt advisory commission's November 2010 meeting.]

The greenbelt has spent about $5.7 million on purchases – it’s been a busy year, Trocchio said – while nearly $1 million has been spent on parkland acquisitions. The two major parkland acquisitions were property owned by Elizabeth Kauffman and Wes Vivian, adjacent to South Pond, for $591,006; and a parcel next to Bluffs Nature Area purchased from the Elks for $369,160.

Administrative expenses as of Dec. 31 were $66,358, and included the contract with The Conservation Fund, IT costs, advertising and other items. Trocchio noted that administrative costs are capped by ordinance to be no greater than 6% of revenues. Over the life of the millage, administrative costs are tracking well under that number. Starting in FY 2005, those percentages each year have trended as follows: FY05, 7.6%; FY06, 5.1%; FY07, 2.0%; FY08, 3.8%; FY09, 4.3%; FY10, 3.5%; and so far in FY11, 0.9%.

At year’s end, about $11.7 million remained in the fund balance, Trocchio said. The bond monies have been spent down – what remains are the funds that have accrued from the millage proceeds. After calculating the one-third/two-thirds split between parks and the greenbelt, that leaves a fund balance available for parks acquisitions of $4.36 million.

Sam Offen observed that it’s difficult to know whether these numbers are good or bad, in isolation. Was there a projection that had been done at the start of the millage, against which they could be compared in terms of anticipated revenues and expenses? Trocchio said she didn’t have that information, but that Kelli Martin, financial manager for the city’s community services unit, was working on that kind of projection going forward. They would provide that information to PAC in the future.

Communications: Parks Manager, Commissioners

Colin Smith, the city’s parks & rec manager, had several updates during Tuesday’s meeting, as did a couple of commissioners.

Smith reported that the city council had approved the Parks and Recreation Open Space (PROS) plan at their March 7 meeting – that major project is completed. There are also two parks-related public meetings later this month. A meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 23 from 7-8:30 p.m. to discuss the design of a new play area at Winewood Thaler Park. That meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Ice Arena (in the lobby) at 2150 Jackson Road. Residents who can’t attend are invited to take an online survey. On Wednesday, March 30 from 7-8:30 p.m., a meeting will be held at the Northside Community Center, 815 Taylor St., to discuss improvements to Beckley Park. An online survey for that project is also available.

Smith said he’d recently met with the construction team for a project to build a bypass around Argo dam. [City council had approved the $1,168,170 bypass at its Nov. 15, 2010 meeting. It will take the place of the current headrace, which is separated from the Huron River by an earthen embankment. The bypass will eliminate the portage currently required by canoeists. It would also allow the city to comply with a consent order it has with the state of Michigan that requires the city to address the repair of toe drains in the embankment.] The city submitted the paperwork required to secure a state permit on March 7, he said, and site plans are being developed. He hoped to have a schedule to share with the commission about the work within the next couple of weeks, adding that it will be a busy summer.

Finally, Smith gave a brief report in response to a previous request from commissioner Tim Berla to look at how the parks budget compares to the overall general fund. The issue had first been raised by Berla at PAC’s Nov. 16, 2010 meeting, but had emerged again at last month’s meeting, when Smith had reported back to PAC about a city council budget work session. From The Chronicle’s report of PAC’s Feb. 15 meeting:

Smith laid out for the commission the main points of the city council work session presentation:

• Ways that parks and recreation would be meeting its roughly 2.5% reduction target. [Energy savings in FY 2012 and increased revenues due to the construction of the Argo Dam bypass channel, in FY 2013]
• A question about whether to continue a $287,000 supplement to the parks and recreation budget, which began in FY 2008 amid controversy over the interpretation of an October 2006 city council resolution about the administration of the parks capital improvements and maintenance millage.
• Options for the future of Huron Hills golf course.

[For detailed coverage of the work session itself, see Chronicle coverage: "Ann Arbor 2012 Budget: Parks, Plans, People"]

With respect to the $287,000 parks supplement, Tim Berla recalled how the city’s chief financial officer had addressed PAC in 2007 in preparation for the FY 2008 budget planning and had explained how the parks budget does not increase at as high a rate as, for example the police department, which has a greater percentage of its costs due to personnel. He also recalled how part of the explanation for the apparent disparity in parks funding that year, compared to other parts of the budget, was related to the idea that a department can’t count savings for activities that had been discontinued.

In broad strokes, the controversy that resulted in the $287,000 parks supplement involved the language of the October 2006 resolution, which indicated that parks would be treated the same as other parts of the budget with respect to any increases or decreases.

On Tuesday, Smith reported that the parks budget had increased 9.9% between FY 2008 and FY 2009, from $6.67 million to $7.33 million. During the same period, the city’s general fund budget grew 10.7%, from $76.75 million to $84.97 million. The parks budget then decreased 4.6% in FY 2010 and 3.7% in FY 2011. By comparison, the general fund budget was cut by 4.7% and 3.9% in those years, he said.

Smith said the finance staff is tracking those figures – they even make the calculations from the floor on the night that city council approves the budget, he said, in case councilmembers make changes that might affect the percentages. It’s very much in line with the intent of the 2006 resolution, he said.

In commissioner communications, Sam Offen invited PAC members and the public to attend the annual Mayfly fundraiser at the Leslie Science & Nature Center. It will be held on May 21 from 6-8 p.m.

Julie Grand reported that she’d met with city staff and the consultants hired to develop a strategic plan for the Ann Arbor senior center. It was a productive meeting, she said, and they’re moving toward a vision of offering services for seniors beyond the physical building where the center is housed. They’ll share the plan with PAC at a future meeting, she said.

Public Commentary

Only one person spoke during public commentary. A.J. Dudas introduced himself as a volunteer steward for the Olson Dog Park, working with Tina Roselle, coordinator for the city’s Adopt-a-Park program. He said that in the future, he’d return to PAC to present to them some recommendations that residents would like to see at the dog park. He would be a liaison between residents and the commission, he said.

Present: David Barrett, Doug Chapman, Tim Berla, Julie Grand, Karen Levin, Sam Offen, Gwen Nystuen, John Lawter, councilmember Christopher Taylor (ex-officio). Also Colin Smith, city parks manager.

Absent: Tim Doyle, councilmember Mike Anglin (ex-officio)

Next meeting: PAC’s meeting on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 begins at 4 p.m. in the Washtenaw County administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. [confirm date]

The Ann Arbor public market in Kerrytown is empty and used for parking except for Saturdays, when the farmers market is open, and on Sundays for the artisan market. An additional farmers market is held on Wednesdays from May through December. At left, two women use the e-Park kiosk to pay for their parking on Monday. (Photos by the writer.)

Market manager Molly Notarianni is proposing a producers-only market from 4:30-8:30 p.m., operating as a separate entity from the existing Saturday and Wednesday daytime markets. The significance of having a separate application process is that it would eliminate the seniority system that exists at the other markets. The seniority system makes it difficult for new vendors to get spots in those markets.

Members of the city’s public market advisory commission seemed generally supportive of the idea – they’ll likely weigh in officially at their meeting in May.

The group also discussed revisions to the market vendor application form – including a proposed requirement for lease verification.

The commission is still short two members, a situation that has presented some challenges in the last few months. All three current members need to attend in order to achieve a quorum, and scheduling difficulties have led to cancellation of several of their monthly meetings. The March meeting was rescheduled from Tuesday to Thursday of last week – because of that change, the meeting was not broadcast by Community Television Network (CTN).

Openings remain on the commission for the category of: (1) a market shopper; and (2) someone who lives or works in the Kerrytown district, where the market is located. Applications are available on the market’s website. They must be sent to the mayor, who makes nominations that are then voted on by the city council.

Night Market Pilot Program

Molly Notarianni began her presentation about a potential night market by saying it’s been a vision she’s had to expand use of the market space, and a way to address the demand from vendors and shoppers for additional market hours. The public market space is underused, she said, and adding a night market would be one way to capitalize on the location.

Her proposal is to create another farmers market on Wednesday evenings, from 4:30-8:30 p.m. The market would run for a shorter season, launching this year on July 1 – the start of the city’s fiscal year – and running through September or early October.

Wednesdays are best because the area is already blocked off for the daytime farmers market, she said. The Wednesday daytime market runs from May through December, from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Because she was concerned that a night market will take up the market’s parking spaces (which would otherwise be available to downtown visitors), Notarianni said she talked about the idea with two stakeholders: Karen Farmer, manager of Kerrytown Market & Shops, a complex of stores adjacent to the public market; and Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, which oversees the city’s surface parking lots – including the one at the public market.

Molly Notarianni, the city's market manager.

Both Farmer and Pollay were enthusiastic about the proposal, Notarianni reported. They felt that a night market would draw more people to that area, which would benefit the stores and restaurants in Kerrytown.

The night market would have the same spirit and basic premise as the Saturday and Wednesday daytime markets, Notarianni said. But rather than have a combination of food producers and artisans, her proposal calls for a focus at the night market on small-scale food producers and growers . She also proposes that the night market be a new, separate venture – that is, with a separate application and set of rules. This would disconnect it from the seniority rules of the existing markets, which give preference to long-time vendors. [.pdf of draft night market rules and vendor application]

The plan would make the night market more accessible to new vendors who have difficulty getting into the existing markets, she said. There would be an annual application process and evaluation – just because you were accepted the previous year wouldn’t guarantee you a spot.

Night Market: Commissioner Discussion

The three market commissioners were generally supportive of the idea. Shannon Brines noted that the draft rules were much shorter than existing market rules. That’s what happens when you eliminate the seniority system, Notarianni said – it becomes less complex.

Lindsay-Jean Hard asked how potential vendors would be notified of the opportunity. Notarianni said she had a stack of applications from vendors that haven’t been able to get a spot at the daytime markets – that would be one place to start. Word would likely spread quickly, and she noted that existing vendors are welcome to apply, too.

Dave Barkman said he thought it could be a benefit, to bring new people to the market. He asked whether the new market would also be under Notarianni’s management, and if the fees would help pay her salary. Yes, she would manage it, she replied, but her salary wouldn’t increase. Barkman – who owns TJ Farms in Chelsea and is a market vendor – said existing vendors wonder whether the fees they pay are subsidizing other programs at the market, by paying for Notarianni’s overtime, for example. Will their fees go up or down? [Currently, fees are $25 per stall, per day, or $300 per stall annually.]

Revenues from the night market would be extra, Notarianni explained, and might allow them to hire a part-time staff person to help manage it. The additional money could also be used for promotion and outreach for all of the markets, she noted, which would benefit existing vendors. She didn’t feel the new market would undercut the existing markets in any way.

Brines of Brines Farm, who’s also a vendor and chair of the commission, suggested that they get more information about the financial piece of it – about how the additional revenues would be used. He said he talked with some vendors about the idea, and got generally positive responses, though they wanted more details.

Barkman said he assumed the night market would bring in new customers, not divert business away from the daytime market. He wondered how the logistics would be handled in the transition – getting daytime vendors out and night vendors in between 3 and 4:30 p.m. Notarianni said the logistics would have to be worked out, but that many vendors in the day leave before 3 p.m. anyway.

Brines floated the possibility of using Lunasa, an online system that allows shoppers to place orders for local food vendors and pick up their food at a central location. The current Lunasa pick-up site in Ann Arbor is at a Jackson Road warehouse.

Notarianni noted there were lots of creative possibilities. Pollay had suggested selling ready-to-eat food that could be used for picnics or taken to other venues, like evening events at the nearby Kerrytown Concert House. The night market might also be attractive for food carts that will be operating during the day at Mark’s Carts, a new food court that’s being developed by Mark Hodesh, owner of Downtown Home & Garden at Ashley and Washington streets.

The commissioners discussed extending the market into October. Even though it might get dark by 8:30 p.m., the market area is lit to accommodate vendors and shoppers.

Next steps in the process would be to get feedback from vendors and additional feedback from commissioners, Notarianni said, then they’d vote on the proposal. For accounting purposes, she suggested starting it in July, after the start of the city’s next fiscal year on July 1.

Brines proposed voting on it at their May meeting, to give more people a chance to find out about the idea and give input. Notarianni also plans to included information about it in her next monthly market newsletter.

Revised Vendor Application

The farmers market vendor application is updated annually. Notarianni noted that last year, the commission had gone through an extensive revision process, including public meetings with vendors. This year, she proposed three changes: (1) a lease verification form; (2) a form for vendor information that will be available to the public; and (3) a revision stating explicitly that resale of products not produced by the vendor is prohibited. [.pdf of draft 2011 revised vendor application form]

The resale prohibition isn’t new, she noted – Ann Arbor has always been a “producer’s market,” meaning that vendors can sell only products they have made. This change is intended to make it even more clear, she said.

Shannon Brines, chair of the Ann Arbor public market advisory commission and owner of Brines Farm in Dexter.

The form for publicly available vendor information is to clarify for vendors that the contact information they give will be available to the public, if requested. In the past when people have requested information under the Freedom of Information Act, there’s been confusion about what information could be released. This form is intended to clarify that, she said.

In response to a query from Brines, Notarianni confirmed that the applications are in paper form – only the original copy is kept on file in the market office. There are no copies made except in response to a FOIA request, and the information isn’t entered into a database. She said that when she worked at a market in Portland, they used an online application process, which resulted in a searchable database. She didn’t think they could require that in Ann Arbor.

Brines said he suspected that from vendors they’d hear the most response about the new lease verification form. He noted that some vendors conduct business on a handshake, and might not have the documentation required – which is a copy of the lease for any land used to grow or produce products. The form also asks for both the vendor and the landlord of the leased property to sign it. Brines wondered if this might be a challenge. What if the landowner lives out of town?

He noted that the market operating rules don’t mention leases, but that the lease verification is in line with being a producer-only market.

Notarianni said this is just another piece of information they’re requesting, in addition to items like the amount of acreage a vendor uses or the types of produce that they grow.

The next step is to put the draft application form on the market’s website for review, Notarianni said. It is important to get the word out, she said, especially since the March commission meeting wasn’t being televised. Per the market’s operating rules, vendors must complete their applications for the following fiscal year by May 15. [.pdf of market operating rules] She suggested that the commission vote on the changes at their next meeting. [These changes are made administratively. The commission is an advisory body to the market manager.]

Misc. Updates: Looking for New Commissioners

Thursday’s meeting included several updates from Notarianni and some of the commissioners. Before the meeting, Notarianni and Lindsay-Jean Hard of Real Time Farms – the commission’s newest member – discussed the two remaining openings on the commission. Over the past year, terms of two commissioners – Diane Black and Genia Service – expired. And Peter Pollack, who chaired the group, passed away last year.

Commissioner Lindsay-Jean Hard of Real Time Farms.

Openings remain for the category of: (1) a market shopper; and (2) someone who lives or works in the Kerrytown district, where the market is located. Applications are sent to the mayor, who makes nominations that are then voted on by city council. [.pdf of application for public market advisory commission] Notarianni said she hasn’t been informed by mayor John Hieftje about any applications he’s received.

Notarianni also asked for feedback from commissioners about whether to bring back the nonprofit Peace, Love & Planet, which last year came to the market to collect plastic garden pots and trays to recycle. She said the group wanted to do it again, but was requesting funding and possibly volunteers to help with the collection. Commissioners expressed some ambivalence about it, and asked Notarianni to get more details about how much funding was needed.

Notarianni reported that the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority will be installing more bike racks in the market area. Commissioners suggested locating them in a spot that’s visible – possibly near existing hoops at Catherine and Detroit streets, or between Detroit and Fifth.

A program called Double Up Food Bucks, which provides coupons for fresh food to people who get food assistance benefits, will be returning to the market in May, Notarianni said. The program is administered by the Fair Food Network, an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit.

Brines reported that the recent Local Food Summit, a March 1 event he helped organize, was a success. More than 300 people attended, he said, reflecting a lot of energy in the local food movement. “In general, that means the public market advisory commission should promote that in as many ways as we can,” he added.

Present: Commissioners Dave Barkman, Shannon Brines, and Lindsay-Jean Hard. Also: Molly Notarianni, market manager.

Next meeting: The commission’s next regular meeting is on Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

Colin Smith, left, the city's parks and recreation manager, talks with Tim Doyle, who was attending his first meeting as a new park advisory commissioner. Doyle replaced the position formerly occupied by Scott Rosencrans, who did not seek reappointment. (Photos by the writer.)

The main agenda item was consideration of two resolutions regarding Fuller Road Station, and many people who attended the meeting were there to address commissioners on that topic – most of them protesting the use of city parkland for what will, at least initially, be a large parking structure and bus depot, built in partnership with the University of Michigan.

Park commissioners have expressed concerns about the project, and resolutions were crafted to address those issues, including a possible financial loss to the parks system and a lack of transparency in the process.

At several points during deliberations, Christopher Taylor – a city councilmember and ex-officio member of PAC – defended the process, indicating that while it was a misstep that PAC wasn’t formally asked for input, there had been many opportunities for public participation.

PAC ultimately approved a resolution that asks city council to make available a complete plan of Fuller Road Station – including any significant proposed agreements, such as what the university will pay the city for use of the structure – allowing sufficient time for a presentation at a televised PAC meeting before council votes on the project. The resolution also asks that staff and council ensure the project results in a net revenue gain for the parks system.

Several other speakers during public commentary addressed the issue of Huron Hills Golf Course, and expressed concerns that the city would seek to privatize it. During his manager’s report, Colin Smith told commissioners that a draft request for proposals (RFP) regarding Huron Hills won’t be finished until August at the earliest, and will be brought to PAC for review before being issued by the city.

The meeting also included a presentation by Molly Notarianni, the city’s market manager, with an update on the farmers market and public market activities.

Tuesday’s meeting was also the first for PAC’s newest commissioner, Tim Doyle. Doyle was recently appointed by city council to replace Scott Rosencrans, who did not seek reappointment. In welcoming him, PAC chair Julie Grand joked: “You picked a good one to start.”

Fuller Road Station: PAC Weighs In

For several months, the commission has discussed concerns about the Fuller Road Station, proposed for the south side of Fuller Road, just east of East Medical Center Drive. The project is proposed for a site that’s currently a surface parking lot on land designated as parkland, but PAC was not asked to make a formal recommendation on it. Among other issues, many commissioners expressed dismay that the parks system – which currently receives revenues from surface parking lots on parkland along Fuller Road that’s leased to the university – could see a decrease in revenues after Fuller Road Station is built.

Originally, PAC considered a resolution that called for the city council to abandon the effort, or at the least to get a better deal from the university. [Chronicle coverage: "Better Deal Desired for Fuller Road Station"] That caught the attention of mayor John Hieftje, an advocate of the project, who attended PAC’s May 18, 2010 meeting and asked commissioners for their support. [Chronicle coverage: "Hieftje Urges Unity on Fuller Road Station"]

His request led commissioners to reconsider their position, dropping a call to stop the project but still urging city council to work for a more open process and to ensure a better financial deal to benefit the parks system. [Chronicle coverage: "PAC Softens Stance on Fuller Road Station"]

On Tuesday, PAC considered two resolutions, and heard from several members of the public.

Fuller Road Station: Public Commentary

Glenn Thompson described how he used to travel frequently along Fuller Road between the university’s north campus and its main campus, noting that much of the land along that route was city parkland. Taxpayers should control the sale and long-term use of parkland, he said. That’s what they are promised in the city charter, and that’s what they expect. He encouraged PAC, as stewards of the parks, to keep that promise and to vote against anything that encourages the transfer of land without a voter referendum.

James D’Amour said that despite Eli Cooper’s spin to the contrary, Fuller Road Station primary role is to have 900-plus parking spaces dedicated to automotive commuters. [Cooper is the city's transportation program manager.] D’Amour described the greatest reach of Jim Kosteva’s career as thinking people were stupid enough to accept the spin that the project is a step toward sustainability. D’Amour said he supports public transportation and the east/west rail. But it doesn’t matter if a cause is noble or ignoble – if there’s a change in the status of parkland, it requires a public vote.

Whether it’s Fuller Road Station or Huron Hills Golf Course, disposing of parkland by any means should be decided by a public vote, D’Amour said. If the parking structure and the deal are good for the city, it shouldn’t be a problem getting voter approval, he said. Speak to the voters and state the case. To not do so and to pass the parkland into other hands sets a terrible precedent. The resolution that PAC should pass, he said, should call for no more action on Fuller Road Station or Huron Hills Golf Course without a public vote.

Ethel Potts noted that there hasn’t yet been a public hearing on Fuller Road Station. She’s attended at least five meetings about it, but these were presentations of information and the chance to ask questions, not to give opinions. At the most recent meeting, she reported, there had been a “little rebellion,” as several people wanted to give statements. Potts told commissioners that “for many of us, your concerns are our concerns.”

The revenues from the project won’t end up benefiting parks, Potts said – there will be some way that it will end up being used for other purposes. It’s a very inconvenient location for an intermodal station, Potts said, and it doesn’t serve the parks. It does serve the university, which is building a new hospital without sufficient parking, she noted. But it’s not good for the city to put up a parking structure to make up for UM’s planning flaws.

Saying he agreed with the previous speakers, John Satarino pointed out that the land along Fuller Road had initially been acquired from Detroit Edison in 1963. The deed indicates that the land should be used as a wildlife preserve, he said. There are a lot of complexities that haven’t been addressed and that the public doesn’t know. The land in that area formed the foundation of the parks system, and now it’s being picked apart. He urged commissioners to dig deeper into the situation. Fuller Road Station sets a bad precedent, he said. There are no restrictions now on the use of parkland, he contended. “This is a very dire situation that parks are in now,” he said, “and I’d like to see something done to make them more secure for the future.”

Members of the public at the Ann Arbor Park Advisory Commission meeting, held this month at the CTN studios on South Industrial.

Sue Perry said she felt like she’s been fooled over the past few years, and is disappointed in city management, council and some of the commissioners. Residents voted in favor of a parks millage because they thought it would protect the parks. But parks aren’t being maintained – she’s embarrassed that Veterans Memorial Park looks like a ghetto. Residents also voted to protect parkland by requiring a vote on the sale of parkland, but now that’s being challenged. It’s wrong morally, politically and financially, Perry said. She’s gotten to the point where she can’t believe what she’s voting for, or what’s been promised. Perry said she’s disappointed in PAC for not protecting the parks system and for allowing it to be used and abused. She hoped they would do the right thing and vote no to the taking of parkland.

Noting that she was a former park advisory commissioner, Leslie Morris said she appreciated PAC’s efforts to protect and improve the city’s park system. She especially appreciated their efforts to hold the line on leasing parkland for the proposed Fuller Road Station. “You have been put into an impossible position,” she said. No one wants to be against mass transit. They’ve been told that there’s no other location that’s suitable, and that since the land can’t be sold, it must be leased.

Morris acknowledged that PAC was trying to work within those limitations. Morris also spoke about the possible privatization of Huron Hills Golf Course (see below), and urged commissioners to hold the line against these “raids” on parkland.

Noting that he hadn’t actually read the proposed resolution, Brad Mikus said he thought they should pass it and that it should incorporate some of the ideas that the mayor had suggested. Phase 1 (a parking structure) and Phase 2 (a train station) should be combined, he said. Net income from all contracts should be sent directly to the parks system, and the parking lots on the north side of Fuller Road should be returned to parkland.

Mikus said he didn’t like the process – while he didn’t want to say it was underhanded, it did seem kind of shady. He also said that if the project were taken to voters, it would be approved. Finally, Mikus addressed the concern about setting a precedent, saying that Fuller Road Station was just a one-time deal. He did think that future developments should include a more public process.

Rita Mitchell reminded commissioners that 81% of voters had approved the charter amendment that requires a voter referendum on the sale of parkland. What the city is contemplating with Fuller Road Station and Huron Hills Golf Course possibly violates that, she said – a long-term lease is essentially a sale. Mitchell also argued that not every park needs to generate revenue.

Fuller Road Station: A Discussion of Process

Julie Grand began the discussion by saying that her intent had been to include as many opinions as possible in the resolution, while finding common ground.

The resolution authored by Grand, Gwen Nystuen and Sam Offen had been distributed in PAC’s meeting packet. Tim Berla proposed an alternative resolution, which he distributed to commissioners at the meeting. [At a June 1 PAC working session on Fuller Road Station, Berla had indicated his intent to float an alternative resolution. See Chronicle coverage: "PAC Softens Stance on Fuller Road Station"]

Colin Smith, the city’s parks manager, described the procedure for dealing with the two resolutions. They would start with the first resolution, then Berla’s could be considered as an amendment – an amendment to replace the original in its entirety. After voting on that, they could return to consideration of the original resolution.

David Barrett asked Smith to review the process to date, which Barrett described as “bass-ackwards,” from PAC’s perspective. He wanted to make clear that PAC didn’t simply wake up one day and come up with these “haymakers.” Many commissioners have expressed the same concerns raised during public commentary, he said. Barrett also wanted to clarify that PAC had been told by Kevin McDonald of the city attorney’s office that the city didn’t have to follow its own zoning regulations – that fact should also inform the discussion, he said.

Smith reviewed the fact that while city staff had made presentations to PAC about Fuller Road Station, the commission had not been asked to make an official recommendation about it. Since the project has generated some discussion in the community, PAC has chosen to make a recommendation in the form of a resolution, which they were considering now.

Barrett then mentioned the issue of recent changes in the list of designated uses for public land, and asked Smith to review that as well. At their May 4 meeting, the city planning commission approved a change to language in Chapter 55 of the city code, which lists permitted principal uses for public land (PL). The change was to delete the use of “municipal airports” and replace it with “transportation facilities.” City council has also approved the change at first reading, and will likely take a final vote at its June 21 meeting.

Berla asked if Smith had an updated timeline for the project. The one distributed most recently had the dates crossed out. Smith said he didn’t have a new one yet, but that the site plan would first be submitted to the city planning commission, where there would be a public hearing. It would then go to city council, and there would be another public hearing. He also clarified for Berla that the project’s design hadn’t yet been completed.

Grand noted that for the planning commission, the public hearing would be conducted two weeks before the commission voted. For council, however, the last timeline she saw indicated that councilmembers would vote on the project on the same night as the public hearing.

Barrett came back to the broader question of process. He wondered who was responsible for sheparding projects like this through the city’s approval process. He presumed that council would want PAC’s feedback on this, since it directly affected parks – so he found it vexing that PAC hadn’t been asked for input. Why hadn’t that happened? Grand said they were all equally perplexed.

Taylor – one of the two councilmembers who serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of PAC – said it was clearly and universally acknowledged that the project intersected with parks. That was reflected in the fact that Eli Cooper, the city’s transportation program manager, had made a presentation to PAC several months ago to show commissioners plans for Fuller Road Station.

[See Chronicle coverage of that September 2009 meeting: "City Seeks Feedback on Transit Center" The first public presentation of the Fuller Road Station concept came at a presentation from Cooper to a group of residents at Northside Grill in early 2009: "City Staffers Brief Wall Street Neighbors"]

Under ordinary circumstances, Taylor said, PAC wouldn’t have anything to do with a site plan. So the fact that Cooper came to PAC and described the plans was a sign of respect for the commission, he said. Cooper returned as the project developed, he noted, making another presentation at PAC’s March 2010 meeting. It’s appropriate that PAC weighs in, Taylor added. It’s an unusual project, given that there are so many moving parts, including the AATA, the university, and various potential funding sources.

Barrett pointed out that the project as initially presented – with a focus on the train station – was very different from later versions, which included two phases, including a large parking structure as the first phase. He also noted concerns over the semantics being used to distinguish between a lease and a sale of the land. [A charter amendment requires that voters approve the sale of parkland. For the Fuller Road Station, the city will continue to own the land.] He asked Taylor whether council was aware that so many moving parts would create a “petri dish for misunderstanding.”

Taylor replied that with a novel project like this, there were bound to be confusions and uncertainties and fears. It’s necessary to have a mutual belief in everyone’s good faith efforts, he said, in order to find a process that will lead to a wise, long-term solution.

Sam Offen wondered, if the parks system was such an integral part of this project, why hadn’t PAC been involved in the initial discussions? Yes, there was a presentation, but PAC wasn’t asked for comment – that was disappointing, he said. It’s a precedent-setting project on a significant piece of parkland. PAC should have been asked, he said – then city council could have gone ahead and done whatever they want.

Taylor said he didn’t really know why PAC wasn’t asked – that was a misstep. But he added that he could see a counter-narrative. Cooper had made multiple presentations to PAC, where there were opportunities for commissioners to comment.

Saying she didn’t want PAC to sound like a bunch of whiners, Grand noted that the presentations were ever-shifting. That was one of the problems. Doug Chapman also commented that Cooper’s presentations seemed designed to tell PAC what was happening, not to ask their opinion.

Mike Anglin, the other councilmember on PAC, said that they needed to get documents from the city, perhaps through a Freedom of Information Act request, that showed a timeline of events dating back several years. He said he didn’t know which people in the city negotiated with UM on the project, but that it was presented as a done deal when it first came to council. Anglin noted that some people have speculated that the issue relates to the situation on Maiden Lane. [He was likely referring to UM's previous plans to build parking structures on Wall Street. See Chronicle coverage from January 2009: "City Staffers Brief Wall Street Neighbors"]

The town isn’t against an intermodal transportation center that will work, Anglin said.

Fuller Road Station: Two Resolutions

Commissioners then focused on the two resolutions. Grand began by reading the first resolution, which PAC members had discussed at their June 1 working session. [.pdf of resolution and cover memo]

Whereas, the Park Advisory Commission (PAC) has been briefed on numerous occasions about plans for the Fuller Road Station (FRS) by project managers and City staff.

Whereas, in spite of such briefings, the overall scope of the proposed project, including the timeline and decision-making process by City staff and their partners continues to change and remains unclear.

Whereas, the opportunity for direct input from the public regarding the direction and overall desirability of the FRS has not been commensurate with the scale of the proposed project.

Whereas, one of PAC’s roles is to make recommendation concerning the use of parkland.

Whereas, the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan have jointly proposed building an approximately 1,020 car parking structure, which represents an increase of 770 parking spaces.

Whereas, building the proposed FRS will create a permanent structure on parkland.

Whereas, the Parks and Recreation Department currently receives $31, 057 (FY 2010) annually from the University of Michigan for 250 parking spots in the South Lot, and according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University is slated to receive only $24,846 with a 3% yearly increase for almost 800 spots following completion of the proposed parking structure in 2012.

Whereas, it is unlikely that the University of Michigan will continue to lease the North Lots on Fuller Road following the completion of the proposed parking garage, resulting in an additional annual loss to the Parks budget of approximately $38,495 (FY 2010).

Whereas, the potential loss of revenue (totaling $44,706 in FY 2010 dollars) from the University of Michigan will result in the Parks and Recreation Department having to make additional cuts to an already stretched and shrinking budget.

Whereas, according to its terms, and pursuant to information presented to PAC, the November 2009 MOU is not a final agreement with the University of Michigan, including its terms with respect to compensation to the Parks and Recreation Department.

Resolved, that while PAC is generally in favor of the goals of an intermodal transit station, concerns remain about the overall benefit to park users of the proposed Fuller Road Station as a stand-alone Phase One project.

Resolved, that if such plans are approved, PAC urges Council to negotiate the final agreement with the University of Michigan to include a significant increase in revenue to the Parks and Recreation Department above and beyond that currently agreed upon in the C-1a MOU. Further, PAC recommends that the final agreement should indemnify the Parks and Recreation Department for any shortfall in revenue caused by the University’s decision to discontinue leasing the North lots on Fuller Road.

Resolved, PAC recommends that the final Parking Services Agreement will be published at least two weeks prior to Council approval of the proposed FRS.

Resolved, PAC recommends that all revenue generated from lessees of the proposed transit center should be dedicated exclusively to the Parks and Recreation Department.

Resolved, PAC requests that project staff will present PAC with a clear project schedule for the proposed FRS, with future updates as necessary.

Resolved, that an effort be made by project staff to provide opportunities for PAC and the public to give meaningful input into all future significant decisions regarding the proposed FRS.

When Grand finished reading the resolution, John Lawter said he would be abstaining from discussion and voting because of his position with the university. [Lawter is UM associate director of building services and grounds.]

Berla began the discussion, saying that he’s in general agreement with the content of the resolution. However, he felt it went into too much detail regarding some of the information that hasn’t been formally presented to them. He also wanted it to be clear that zoning ordinances don’t prevent this project from going through, and that the charter amendment specifically states that voters must approve the sale of land. That wasn’t the case with Fuller Road Station – the land wasn’t being sold.

He directed some of his comments to the people who were attending the meeting and who spoke during public commentary. They voted for mayor and city council, and they’d be voting again – that’s the democratic process, he said. If they felt that the use of land, as it’s being handled with Fuller Road Station, should be taken to the voters for approval, they should make that clear.

His own resolution aimed to simplify the recommendation to council, and focused on asking council to provide all the information related to Fuller Road Station before taking action on it, so that PAC and the public could weigh in after they were fully informed. The resolution also made clear that they wanted the council to protect the financial interests of the parks. Berla’s resolution reads as follows:

Whereas the Parks Advisory Commission (PAC) supports the establishment of an intermodal transportation station in Ann Arbor to promote the development of alternative transportation, and,

Whereas PAC’s duties include providing a forum for advice and public input to the city council on matters relating to the park system, and,

Whereas the construction of any building for non-park use on park land is a large and potentially precedent setting development, and,

Whereas the parks department currently receives revenue from the University of Michigan for parking in lots located within Fuller park, and any change to that revenue may impact the already stretched parks budget,

Be it therefore resolved that PAC urges the city council and staff to promote maximum transparency in the development of any such project. Specifically, PAC urges the staff and council to make public a complete plan for the development of the project, including which features will be part of each phase and the details of any significant agreements such as the Parking Services Agreement. Further, PAC urges that such publication include a full presentation at a regular televised PAC meeting, in such a way that PAC commissioners have an opportunity to ask questions, and that this PAC meeting be at least one month prior to any city council vote which could commit the city to building on park land.

Be it further resolved that PAC urges the city council and staff to ensure that any use of the land in Fuller Park for non-park uses such as a transit station or parking structure results in a net increase in park system revenue.

Nystuen said she didn’t find the two resolutions in conflict. She wanted to see most of Berla’s resolution incorporated into the original one. Acknowledging that the city didn’t have to follow its own ordinances, she said she was very concerned that it was breaking its own code. The city has spent years developing valuable parkland along the river. Even though the site is now a surface parking lot, it’s still serving the interests of parks, she said. Fuller Road Station will be an outside use, taking it out of the hands of the parks system. The city is breaking its own code, but is also breaking a pact with the residents, she said. It’s important to lay out the details, as the first resolution does, she said.

Barrett noted that Berla’s resolution focused on process, while the original resolution was more nuanced and detailed. He asked Taylor and Anglin whether the details would be useful to councilmembers. Taylor said he didn’t view the resolutions as deeply different. Smith pointed out that the resolution will include a cover memo, which outlines many of the issues, in somewhat clearer language.

Barrett asked Taylor whether the council’s rationale for the project was based on the fact that the arrangement was a lease rather than a sale of land. Taylor said that it wasn’t a lease – it was a “use agreement” between the city and the university, or other entities like AATA. It’s proposed to be a city-owned and operated asset, he said. Barrett called the lease/use agreement issue a distinction without a difference.

Taylor described the project as both tangible and aspirational. The university has the money and the certainty, while the rail portion of Fuller Road Station is more aspirational – it’s not in their control. So are they being foolish and rainbow-chasing, or prescient? That’s what complicates the public discussion, Taylor said.

Offen said he was impressed by the positive tone of Berla’s resolution – it was good to say what they wanted rather than what they didn’t want. The big issue for parks is that they don’t want to lose money on the deal. So there’s the financial aspect, as well as the issue of whether they want to use parkland for this purpose. Offen said he thought it would be wise for them to use Berla’s resolution.

Tim Doyle asked what timeline they were working under. He knew that when federal grants are involved, there are deadlines to meet. [There was general consensus among commissioners that it's unclear what the timelines are.] Then Doyle asked whether there was any urgency for PAC to make a decision. Given what he described as confusion around the table, perhaps it would be better to wait, Doyle said.

Grand said that it was absolutely time to make a decision, if they wanted to affect the process. Smith pointed to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the university and the city, which states that “the City and the University shall cooperate and use their best efforts to complete construction of Phase One, and to have Phase One ready for use, by June 15, 2012.” Working backwards from that date, he said, they’d need to begin construction by next spring, which means that designs would need to be ready fairly soon. “It’s closer than you might think,” he said.

Grand noted that the project is “ever-changing,” and if they waited until they had all the information or final answers to their questions, the opportunity for input will have passed.

Nystuen asked whether they could simply pass both resolutions. Offen suggested putting the language of the first resolution into the cover memo, then passing Berla’s version. Grand stressed that there’s no guarantee that people will read the cover memo, and that it’s the resolution that is the official record. She also suggested that it was more powerful to have just one resolution.

Taylor suggested that they pass Berla’s resolution, but amend it to include some of the whereas clauses from the original one. “I’d go for that,” Nystuen said.

A vote was taken on amending the first resolution by substituting in Berla’s version in its entirety. It was approved by a 5 to 3 vote, with Lawter abstaining. Voting yes were Berla, Barrett, Doyle, Nystuen, and Offen.

Nystuen then moved to amend Berla’s version by deleting the fourth whereas clause and adding the final five whereas clauses from the original version. That motion carried, with dissent from Berla.

Chapman pointed out that if PAC’s intent was to weigh in before any agreements between the city and university were finalized, then they should slightly alter a sentence in Berla’s second resolved clause. Berla accepted as a friendly amendment the insertion of the word “proposed”:

Specifically, PAC urges the staff and council to make public a complete plan for the development of the project, including which features will be part of each phase and the details of any significant proposed agreements such as the Parking Services Agreement.

Grand asked whether they wanted to include the sentence from the original resolution asking that the parks system be indemnified: “Further, PAC recommends that the final agreement should indemnify the Parks and Recreation Department for any shortfall in revenue caused by the University’s decision to discontinue leasing the North lots on Fuller Road.” Berla said he found that troubling, because it could be interpreted very broadly.

Taylor said he wanted to circle back to talk about the process. He noted that while there hasn’t yet been a formal public hearing, there have been 11 public conversations, or meetings, about the project. Further, the manner in which the public can express themselves to council is multi-varied, he said. Public hearings are important, but equally powerful are phone calls, emails or the “gestalt at a meeting.” So he took issue with the sentiment that there’s been no public input. It’s not been perfect, he said, but it’s been done in good faith. Except for not asking formally for PAC’s input, the process has been done pretty well, he said.

As for financing, he said, when requests are made for federal funding, matching local funds are required. The proposed university contribution is cash, he said, which would serve as the matching local funds. The city doesn’t have millions of dollars lying around to put into the project. By comparison, the university is cash wealthy, he said. That’s an element that hasn’t been completely appreciated, Taylor added, and it gives them the hope of actually getting a rail station.

Nystuen pointed out that nothing in the memorandum of understanding gives them a rail station. Taylor replied that the federal grants are predicated on there being local cash in the project – and the university is providing that cash.

Berla’s resolution, as amended, was passed unanimously, with Lawter abstaining. [.pdf of final approved resolution]

Fuller Road Station: Additional Commissioner Commentary

Later in the meeting, Nystuen said she wanted to acknowledge that they had received communication from the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition, asking that planning for the Border-to-Border Trail be incorporated into the site design for Fuller Road Station. She also wondered about the environmental impact study that was to be done on the site – what’s the scope of that? Finally, Nystuen said she thought they should look at Peter Pollack’s plan for the site – at PAC’s March 2010 meeting, he had described an alternative approach to the design of the Fuller Road Station.

Berla said that he’d love to see a resolution at PAC’s next meeting to support the WBWC plan.

Smith noted that there were several gaps in the Border-to-Border trail that were already identified in the Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan – he thought the map submitted by WBWC was the same as the one in the PROS plan. There are other parks in the system that require trails, he said, and he cautioned against acting on that one area alone, saying they needed to look at the entire park system to assess their needs.

Doyle pointed out that if the city was seeking federal funds, it might be to their advantage to include plans for a bike path in that area.

Later in the meeting, Anglin wondered who would be bringing the resolution forward to council – he thought it was important to have some PAC members there when that happened. Taylor and others clarified that the resolution wouldn’t require action at council. Like all other PAC resolutions, it was a recommendation to council, and would be transmitted as a communication from PAC to council.

Fuller Road Station: Final Public Commentary

Three people spoke at the end of the meeting, all of them addressing the topic of Fuller Road Station.

LuAnne Bullington said the mayor had used the “carrot” of a train to get a parking garage. She said a representative from SEMCOG has indicated that the east/west rail project between Ann Arbor and Detroit is on permanent hold. There are also issues with the proposed WALLY rail line between Howell and Ann Arbor, including how it will be financed. There’s a long way to go before these rail projects become reality, and these are serious economic times.

It’s not smart to build a parking garage in hopes that a train station will be added in the next decade or two, Bullington said. Bullington also noted that the university is building a large children’s and women’s hospital, but hasn’t included additional parking for it – even though they have more money than the city does. Why is the city building a garage when its bridges are falling down? she asked, referring to the East Stadium bridges. The city’s priorities are screwed up, she said.

Glenn Thompson said that a similar situation had occurred in the village of Dexter, with elected officials moving ahead on a project that residents opposed. The result was at the next election, he said, three of the incumbents were defeated – by write-in candidates.

Ethel Potts thanked the commission, and said she felt she’d been well-represented.

Huron Hills Golf Course

During public commentary at the start of Tuesday’s meeting, several people spoke about plans for the city to issue a request for proposals (RFP) possibly to privatize the Huron Hills Golf Course, one of two golf courses owned and operated by the city. Colin Smith, the city’s parks manager, also addressed the topic during his report to commissioners, saying that the RFP hasn’t yet been developed and would likely be coming to PAC for input this fall.

Huron Hills: Public Commentary

In addition to her comments about Fuller Road Station, Leslie Morris spoke about privatizing Huron Hills, saying that she sees this proposal as a second attempt to set a precedent – “that parkland may be considered ‘surplus,’ and may be leased for some other purpose or for someone’s profit.” If the RFP is approved, she said, it’s likely to lead to others, until the precedent will be difficult to reverse. Morris said she emphatically disagrees with some in the current city administration who believe the city has too many parks. Since the council has refused to sell parkland, the administration is proposing leases as a substitute.

Morris said that when she spoke during public commentary at the city council, she called this “probing for weakness.” Supporters of the parks count on PAC to “hold the line against raids on parkland,” she said, adding “that includes private leases.”

William Cassebaum said it was just three years ago when there were talks at PAC about whether to keep Huron Hills as a golf course. The decision was made to invest in the golf course and the effort has paid off, he said, with the course never looking better. Cassebaum said he and his wife have season passes, and think of it as the “people’s course,” bringing together golfers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. But now, he said, it seems that the city wants to eliminate Huron Hills from the parks system.

To date, the city’s RFP hasn’t been made public, Cassebaum said, but it’s reasonable to conclude that the plan is to eliminate the existing course – otherwise, why request proposals from outside businesses? He noted that in January, Jayne Miller – at that time, the city’s community services administrator – reported that two businesses had approached the city with interest in turning the front seven holes of Huron Hills into a commercial driving range.

Cassebaum reminded commissioners of the charter amendment requiring voter approval of the sale of parkland, and of a council resolution passed in 2007 that prohibited the sale of the city’s golf courses, and stating that the courses would remain in the parks system even if the golf operations stopped. [.pdf file of 2007 council resolution] Cassebaum concluded by asking: “If Huron Hills goes, what might be the next city park on the chopping block?” He asked PAC to consider recommending that council rescind the RFP.

Saying that Ann Arbor has long had a vision for its parks, Larry Argetsigner cited three examples from the Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan that relate directly to Huron Hills. He read a section from the PROS plan, which calls for “preservation of Ann Arbor’s open and green image. Development adjacent to both the freeway ring and the city’s major arteries (especially along Huron Parkway) must be accomplished consistent with the care and concerns epxressed by Ann Arbor citizens.”

Argetsigner noted that Huron Hills provides a dramatic but tranquil vista along Huron Parkway. The community has been committed to parks for many years, and leasing Huron Hills would fly in the face of that commitment. The PROS plan also calls for “developing appropriately existing lands along the river to relieve crowding of areas such as Gallup Park.” Huron Hills is adjacent to Gallup Park and the river’s South Pond, Argetsinger noted.

Finally, the PROS plan includes the greenbelt program, and Huron Hills actually stacks up well when evaluated according to the greenbelt criteria for selecting properties. Why is the city considering the transfer of Huron Hills development rights to the private sector, while actively pursuing development rights for property to include in the greenbelt? He concluded by stating, “the citizenry of Ann Arbor deserves better.”

Jane Lumm focused her comments on the financial performance of Huron Hills Golf Course, saying she wanted to clear up some misperceptions. Thanks to the city’s director of golf, Doug Kelly, she said, revenues are up over 30% at both Huron Hills and Leslie Park golf courses – and golf revenues for FY09 and FY10 exceeded the targets set by a golf consultant hired by the city by over $100,000. On an operating basis, she noted, before administrative and allocated costs, Huron Hills is about break-even, showing a small $10,000 loss. These numbers are contrary to the popular perception that Huron Hills is a significant financial drain, Lumm said. In fact, compared to other recreation activities that showed just a 2% revenue increase, the golf courses were doing quite well, she said.

Looking at all city support for rec activities, Lumm noted that Huron Hills accounted for just 6-8% of the total rec support – not the huge drain as it’s often portrayed. She quoted the report from the golf consultant hired by the city to evaluate the courses – he referred to Huron Hills as a “delightful golf course … that provides an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy a walk and is an ideal facility for juniors, seniors, and new entrants to the game,” while Leslie Park is characterized as a championship course. The courses are complementary, Lumm said, but Huron Hills “better fits the public recreation mission.” She concluded by stating that “the plan is really working and I’m hopeful PAC will be an ally in advocating to build on the success – to work the plan – rather than divert attention to RFPs and potential development on the site.” [Lumm and Morris also addressed the city council on the subject of Huron Hills Golf Course at its June 7, 2010 meeting]

Huron Hills: Manager’s Report

During his report to the commission, Colin Smith said there’d been a golf courses advisory task force meeting on June 9, but there isn’t yet an RFP developed. Staff has had other priorities, including the budget that was passed by council last month. Before an RFP is issued, he said, the staff will bring a draft to the task force for input, and will seek input from PAC as well before issuing it. A draft likely won’t be brought to the task force until August or September.

Smith said that at the task force’s March meeting, soon after city council had given the administration a directive to develop an RFP for Huron Hills, they discussed keeping the form very open, to allow for creative responses. It won’t be written in order to solicit a specific type of proposal, like a driving range, he said. Proposals might include keeping the course the same but turning over management to a private company, or it’s possible that the course would change form. It’s also possible that they won’t receive any responses to the RFP, he noted.

More information about the golf courses advisory task force is on the city’s website.

Ann Arbor Farmers Market Report

Molly Notarianni, the city’s market manager, gave commissioners an update on the farmers market and public market activities. Peter Pollack, chair of the Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission, also spoke briefly.

Farmers Market: Report from Manager

Notarianni said the Ann Arbor Farmers Market is special in several ways: It’s historic, dating back 91 years; it’s open all year, not just during the traditional growing season; and it’s a producer-only market, with the requirement that vendors must make the items they sell. There are currently 143 vendors authorized to sell at the market, including 65 annual vendors – who have reserved stalls year-round – and 78 “dailies.” Not all of these vendors show up each week, Notarianni explained, and some have multiple stalls.

The winter market has been growing, she reported. When Notarianni took the manager job in 2008, there were only about eight to 10 vendors in the winter market, which runs on Saturdays only from January through March. This year, there were between 20-40 vendors on any given Saturday – an increase she attributed to more marketing and outreach.

There’s been an increased participation in food assistance programs too. Since last year, the market has accepted Electronic Benefit Transfers, or EBTs. The program uses Bridge Cards, which act like debit cards and have replaced food stamps. Customers can use their Bridge Cards to buy wooden tokens at the market office, which vendors accept as cash. [The Chronicle first wrote about the market's use of Bridge Cards in October 2008.] Notarianni described the program as “wildly successful,” with over $7,000 spent in Bridge Card payments in the past year. That’s money that likely wouldn’t have otherwise been spent at the market, she said.

There are several special events and activities aimed at drawing more customers to the market, she said, including chef demonstrations, canning lessons, and plastic planter recycling. The market is promoted via an email newsletter, and they’re raising revenue by selling totes, pins, postcards and other items with the market’s logo.

They do rapid market assessments regularly, Notarianni said, aimed at identifying shopping trends. [The market advisory commission discussed this type of assessment at their October 2009 meeting.] On a Saturday last September, for example, the assessment counted about 9,700 people, mostly coming from the 48103 and 48104 zip codes.

Notarianni described several site improvements to the public market area, including repainting, new signs, a PA system and electrical upgrades. Aside from the farmers market, other activities take place there as well, including the weekly Sunday Artisan Market, the Trunk-a-Palooza on Thursdays starting in July, annual happenings like the Homegrown Festival, and private events like weddings. There’s still a lot of untapped potential for using the public market space, she said.

The Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission works on issues related to the market – recent projects include updating the vendor application and inspection forms, Notarianni said.

Pollack noted that the market is part of the parks system. In addition to PAC and the market advisory commission, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority also has a stake in the market, he said. The three groups should be talking collectively about how to improve it, he suggested, giving examples of street trees along Fourth Avenue that could be replaced, or the gravel parking lot that would be repaved. As the market grows, he said, they should look for other possible locations to complement the existing space – at Community High across the street, for example, or the nearby McKinley parking lot. He said that PAC should expect to have more conversations about this “downtown urban open space.”

Farmer’s Market: PAC Comments and Questions

Sam Offen asked several questions regarding the vendors. In response, Notarianni explained that inspections were done both at the location where goods are produced, as well as at the point of sale. The city contracts with an inspector to do that work. Vendors come mostly from a radius within two hours of driving time, she said, but there are some from Ohio and northern Michigan that are farther away.

Offen asked whether they’d considered partnering with groups like Project Grow or the Leslie Science & Nature Center. They did, Notarianni said – last Saturday, for example, Leslie Science & Nature Center brought their birds to the market, and they’ll do the same this coming Saturday. Project Grow holds its annual tomato testing at the market, she said. But there is a lot of untapped potential for partnerships, she added.

In response to a question from John Lawter, Notarianni said that you can sign up to receive the market’s email newsletter on the city’s website. [Past newsletters are available to download here.]

Christopher Taylor asked why Notarianni believed there was still room for growth at the market. She said they receive more applications each month than they can include in the market, so they’re turning vendors away. Pollack added that there’s also a social aspect to the market – it’s not just for shoppers and vendors. People come to socialize, to people-watch. But it’s really crowded, he said, so providing more room for people to sit and socialize would improve the experience.

Julie Grand wrapped up the discussion by saying they were open to collaboration, and that they welcomed the opportunity to talk more about the market.

Misc. Updates: Mowing, PROS, Argo Dam

Colin Smith gave several updates during his manager’s report.

Starting July 1, with the new fiscal year, the budget includes funds to do hand trimming in the parks. The 19-day mowing cycle will remain in place, he said, but the hand trimming should make things look noticeably better.

A survey for the Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan, which staff is updating this year, has yielded 525 responses, he said. Their goal is to get between 500-600 responses by June 25. [Here's a link to the online survey.] There will be two more public meetings on the PROS plan: On Thursday, June 17 at 7 p.m. at the Leslie Science & Nature Center, and on Tuesday, June 29 at Cobblestone Farm, also at 7 p.m.

Staff is preparing an RFP for work to be done on Argo Dam, as required by a consent agreement signed by the city and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The work includes repair of the toe drains and reconfiguration or reconstruction of the millrace. It’s a complicated RFP to write, he said, and they are under a deadline to complete the work. He said that staff plans to share the RFP with all relevant commissions, including PAC, before issuing it. [.pdf of the consent agreement]

The FY 2011 budget also includes funding for a volunteer outreach coordinator – Smith said they plan to post that job opening soon.

Parks & Rec: Commissioner Comments and Questions

David Barrett reported that he planned to visit every ballfield in the city and take an inventory of conditions. He would present that information to PAC when he finished. He said he wasn’t trying to create a fuss, but it was part of PAC’s charge. Much of the community interacts with the parks system at the ballfields, and it was relevant to know what condition they were in.

Christopher Taylor returned to the topic of mowing. He said that if he planned to be out of town for 19 days, he would make sure to cut his lawn really short. It didn’t appear that this was the strategy of the parks staff, and he wondered why. Smith noted that Matt Warba, the city’s supervisor of field operations, would be able to speak “eloquently and eagerly” on the topic, but Warba did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, and Smith said he wasn’t sure of the answer.

Commissioner John Lawter, who serves as associate director of building services and grounds for the University of Michigan, said that in general, you could damage the lawn if you cut it too short. It was a fine line, he said, because you could also cause damage if it grows too long. Barrett noted that rain was a factor too – recent rains have caused the grass to grow more quickly, making the lack of mowing more noticeable.

Present: David Barrett, Tim Berla, Doug Chapman, Tim Doyle, Julie Grand, John Lawter, Karen Levin, Gwen Nystuen, Sam Offen, Mike Anglin (ex-officio), Christopher Taylor (ex-officio)

Next meeting: Tuesday, July 20 at 4 p.m. in the Washtenaw County administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. [confirm date]

Scott Robertello of Kapnick Orchards spoke during public commentary, criticizing proposed changes to the vendor application and inspection forms, among other things. (Photo by the writer.)

She noted that one of the market commissioners, Shannon Brines, was absent because he also had spent the day at the summit, as one of its organizers, and was wrapping up loose ends there. Though both the commission meeting and the summit have similar themes – both focused on locally grown food – The Chronicle will report on the summit in a separate article.

Tuesday’s commission meeting touched on several topics, including a proposed transfer of seniority between two market vendors, and an upcoming annual meeting with vendors on March 8. At that meeting, the commission will be getting feedback on proposed changes to the city’s vendor application and inspection forms.

The annual meeting and revisions to the forms were the focus of two speakers during public commentary. Market vendors Scott Robertello of Kapnick Orchards and Bruce Upston of Wasem Fruit Farm criticized aspects of the proposed changes, saying that too much information was being required.

Annual Vendor Meeting

Commissioners reviewed the agenda for their March 8 annual vendor meeting, to be held from 6-8 p.m. at Cobblestone Farm, 2781 Packard Road. Items on the agenda include a discussion of 2010 events at the market; an update on changes to the market facilities, the Fifth Avenue streetscape and Kerrytown area; an update from the commission’s outreach subcommittee; and a time for questions from vendors.

In addition, part of the meeting will focus on proposed changes to vendor application and inspection forms, and on getting feedback from vendors. At their February meeting, commissioners had spent considerable time discussing those changes. [See Chronicle coverage: "Market Commission Preps Vendor Meeting"] The agenda and drafts of those forms will be posted on the commission’s website.

Public Commentary

Two vendors from the Farmers Market spoke during public commentary, both of them critical about proposed changes to the vendor application and inspection forms, among other issues.

Scott Robertello of Kapnick Orchards started out by saying he was very disappointed that the city wouldn’t reimburse vendors more quickly for Project Fresh coupons – he reported that one once occasions he had to wait almost 120 days before he got reimbursed. [Project Fresh provides coupons for fresh fruit and vegetables to those enrolled in the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.] Robertello said he also is a vendor at the Garden City farmers market, a much smaller venue. There, he said, they collect coupons and reimburse vendors once a month.

Robertello also criticized communication about the upcoming meeting with vendors on March 8. He had just received the mailed notice about the meeting on March 1, even though he knew the commission had set the date more than a month ago. The new vendor application hadn’t been available on the commission’s website, he said – they needed to be more clear and upfront about what they are doing.

There were several concerns that Robertello had with the proposed vendor inspection forms. He objected to the amount of personal information that was being asked for, such as cell phone numbers. Certain people, he said, make Freedom of Information Act requests to get that kind of information to harass him. He also noted that there seemed to be a major emphasis on getting ingredients for baked goods, while other types of products didn’t require the same level of detail. He said he knew that some people had come to the commission and complained about him. [At previous meetings, Luis Vazquez has spoken during public commentary to criticize Kapnick Orchards for not following market rules on baked goods.]

Bruce Upston of Wasem Fruit Farm said he was in “total agreement” with Robertello. The proposed inspection form could take days to complete. “It’s more like an IRS audit rather than a market inspection,” he said. Upston also said he received a notice in the mail on March 1 about the March 8 meeting. Though he had known about the meeting previously, he said many vendors didn’t. The market commission could do a better job of getting the word out, he concluded, because there are significant changes in the works.

Seniority Transfer

The commission discussed a request to transfer market seniority from Ken Prielipp to Karlene Goetz. Prielipp – of HillTop Greenhouse & Farms – is retiring and has applied to transfer his seniority to Goetz, a relative who also sells at the market.

A public hearing on the transfer is set for the commission’s April 6 meeting. This is part of a standard process whenever a transfer is requested, said Molly Notarianni, market manager. The commission will then make a recommendation, which will be sent to the city’s community services administrator for a final decision.

Responding to a question from commissioner Diane Black, Notarianni said there are limited conditions under which seniority can be transferred: When someone dies, retires or the business is purchased.

After the meeting, Notarianni clarified why the status of a vendor’s seniority is valued. There is a seniority list that records how long each vendor has been selling at the market – some vendors go back several decades, she said. At 6 a.m. every Saturday, the market manager gathers with the vendors to assign stalls for the day. A vendor’s seniority determines the order in which those stall assignments are made – the most senior vendor gets first pick, and so on.

Peter Pollack told commissioners that they should plan to vote on the transfer at the April 6 meeting.

Updates from the Market Manager

Molly Notarianni reported that three potential vendors had applied to the market. One wants to sell handmade organic skin care products. Another would sell vegan baked goods, including cookies, brownies and banana bread. A third applicant proposes selling a variety of products, including chickens, eggs and basil. In addition, she said that two vendors who’ve been previously turned down – offering to sell South American baked goods and stained glass items, respectively – have made queries about applying again.

Commissioners reported that they’d received an email from someone who wanted to sell worms for use in gardening. In the email, the person inquired whether this type of item was something that the market would even consider – was it worth going through the process of applying? “I would say yes,” said commissioner Genia Service.

Other items from Notarianni’s report:

• Starting on May 22 through August, every Saturday the nonprofit Peace, Love & Planet will be collecting plastic garden pots and trays to recycle from shoppers and vendors.
• The farmers market and adjacent Kerrytown Market & Shops are planning an event that will include a tour of both venues, highlighting products in the market and possibly ending with a meal in the shopping complex. The shops are also interested in partnering with the market for some kind of an open house for students in the fall.
• The Homegrown Local Food Summit focused on a “10% for Washtenaw” campaign, Notarianni reported. The goal is to get residents to spend 10% of their food budget on locally produced food. “That can only bode well for the market,” she said.

In a follow-up question from commissioner Peter Pollack, Notarianni said that replacements for the large signs in the market are still being produced. Shannon Brines had requested a change in the design, adding information to indicate that the market is open Saturdays year-round. Those changes are being made, she said.

Present: Commissioners Dave Barkman, Diane Black, Peter Pollack, and Genia Service. Also: Molly Notarianni, market manager.

Absent: Shannon Brines.

Next meeting: The commission’s next regular meeting is on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. in the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

Diane Black, a member of the Public Market Advisory Commission, also teaches kindergarten at Rudolf Steiner School. She points out a painting by one of her students, Fionnuala, whose father is Rob MacKercher, a vendor at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. Art by Rudolf Steiner students is on display at the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown building. (Photos by the writer.)

The meeting with vendors, set for March 8, is part of an effort to engage farmers and others who sell products and produce at the public market. Commissioners hope to get feedback on a range of topics, from drafts of new vendor application and inspection forms to ideas for promoting the market.

Some of Tuesday’s meeting was spent reviewing drafts of the vendor application and inspection forms, which include revisions aimed at getting more detailed information about what the vendors are selling, and how the products are made.

Market Finances

Two speakers during public commentary – Glenn Thompson and Karen Sidney – both spoke about the public market finances, and expressed concern about the market’s financial trajectory.

Thompson gave commissioners a handout showing bar charts of market operating expenses and income from 1995 through 2009. For operating expenses, he said he’d extracted one-time items such as payments to contractors, and calculated only the market’s regular, recurring expenses. The trend, he noted, is consistently upward, starting in the year 2000 – about the time that the market was put under the direction of the city’s parks and recreation unit, he said.

At the same time, income levels are going down, Thompson said, noting that his calculations did not include income from parking. There was a fairly large jump in income from FY 2003 to FY 2004 – reflecting the last time that vendor fees were increased – but since then, income has been declining, he said. Vendor fees are slated to go up again this year, and he wondered if it would be followed by yet another decline in income, after an initial upward spike. “It’s an ominous trend, if it repeats itself,” he said.

Karen Sidney also spoke about the market’s finances during public commentary. She said she had reviewed the market’s audited financial statements. When parking revenue is extracted, the market’s income is declining, she said. Sidney added that commissioners need to look at whether an increase in vendor fees is actually driving away vendors. She feared that the market was headed toward a deficit, and thinks that raising fees will only make things worse.

During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners alluded to the vendor fee increase, but didn’t discuss it in detail. By way of background, last year the city proposed an increase of stall fees from $250 to $300 per year – a 20% increase. Jeff Straw, deputy parks manager, gave an update to commissioners about the fee increases at an April 21, 2009 meeting of the public market advisory commission.

According to minutes of that meeting, Straw said that fixed costs – including benefits, utilities and the city’s IT charge to the market – had all increased. [Until fiscal 2006, the city's IT charge was part of the municipal service charge that every unit within the city government is assessed. Starting in fiscal 2006, an IT charge has been assessed separately, in addition to the municipal service charge.] Straw said the proposed stall fee increases would raise about $12,000 in revenue and would take effect during the 2010 market season.

Peter Pollack, chair of the market commission, attended a May 17, 2009 Sunday caucus meeting of the Ann Arbor city council, where he relayed the commission’s lack of support for a fee increase, which they had expressed in the form of a unanimous resolution. From The Chronicle’s coverage of that caucus:

Pollack explained that the commission’s lack of support was based on a substantial bank account of the farmers market and the timing of the decision – neither the public nor vendors had had sufficient time to contemplate the fee increase. They’d had to do so within a month.

The resolution states that the commission does not support the fee increases at this time and requests a quarterly financial report of expenses and revenues to be accompanied by an annual review with a cost adjustment up or down based on that review. The idea is to minimize the percentage of any proposed change in any one period. Another goal of the commission is to achieve equity between the farmer stall fees and the rental rates charged to others who use the facility – for example, as a wedding venue. [Councilmember] Sabra Briere asked Pollack to clarify when the fees would go into effect – she had met with Molly Notarianni, the market manager, and had understood that the fee increases would not take effect until next year. Pollack confirmed that bills had been sent out for the 2009-10 season with the existing rates.

The new rate would appear on the next market bill, he said. Pollack said that the commission’s point was that the data did not yet exist to support the proposed fee increase. [Mayor John] Hieftje asked Pollack what kind of data he was looking for. Pollack clarified that the additional dollars to be generated through the new fee increases are attached to the full-time position of market manager and a part-time allocation of an assistant manager, so Pollack wanted to see those numbers as they related to the revenues and expenses of the market. “We need to track it,” he said. “We assume staff made the analysis,” he said, “but we haven’t seen it.”

It’s within this context that the commission had previously asked market manager Molly Notarianni to devise a summarized quarterly financial report, so that they could better track revenues and expenses, and analyze the impact of a fee increase, among other things. She delivered her first quarterly report at the commission’s November 2009 meeting. Still a work in progress, the most recent report, she said, reflects the commission’s directive to separate out revenues and expenses specifically for the farmers market – as opposed to other activities that take place in the public market space.

Notarianni noted that year-to-date revenues are up, with the largest portion of revenues coming from vendor fees. [Annual stall fees have not yet been assessed. Those fees are paid in the latter part of the fiscal year, which ends June 30.]

Much of the discussion centered around breaking out expenses between the farmers market and the rest of the activities in the public market, such as the Sunday Artisan Market. Commissioner Diane Black wondered whether they should assign a third of the utilities expense, for example, to the artisan market. During the prime market season, the farmers market is held two days a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, while the artisan market is held only on Sunday. [From January through March, however, neither the artisan market nor the Wednesday farmers market are held.]

After further discussion, commissioner Shannon Brines suggested checking if the parks and recreation managers had a formula for separating out expenses. Peter Pollack said the ultimate goal was to make sure the rentals were equitable between the farmers market and all other uses of the public market, based on expenses. He suggested that Notarianni discuss the issue with Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, and that she also go over the financial data that Glenn Thompson had provided. He said the draft of the quarterly financial report was a step in the right direction.

Market Manager Updates

Market manager Molly Notarianni said she’d received two applications for new vendors: 1) a food cart vendor who wanted to sell German sausages and fresh-squeezed lemonade, and 2) a former vendor who proposed selling mushrooms and mushroom kits.

Commissioner Dave Barkman asked whether the market was at its limit for food carts – they had set a limit of four. Notarianni said that Pilar’s Tamales was the only food cart currently at the market, though there might be another one coming on board.

Notarianni also reported that there were more vendors at the market in January than in the past – between 30-35  on most Saturdays, during what’s usually the slowest month of the year. She also reported that new signs were being made, at Barkman’s suggestion, to identify vendors who are selling certified organic products. They’ll be given to vendors who have paperwork showing proof of certification.

Vendor Meeting, Revisions to Forms

Several items will be on the agenda for the March 8 meeting with vendors, which will run from 6-8 p.m. at Cobblestone Farm: 1) an overview of the upcoming season’s schedule for the farmers market and public market, 2) updates on renovation work, including plans for improvements by the Downtown Development Authority in the Kerrytown area, and 3) discussion of advertising, promotion and special events for the market, and enlistment of volunteers for the commission’s outreach committee.

Molly Notarianni, the city of Ann Arbor's market manager, at the Feb. 2 meeting of the Public Market Advisory Commission.

Another item for the meeting’s agenda is to get feedback on an idea that Notarianni floated: Collecting gross sales information from vendors. The point is to measure how well vendors are actually doing at the market. For example, if there’s a special promotional event that brings more people to the market, does that translate into additional sales for vendors? If not, are such events worth doing? Having sales data would help answer those questions, Notarianni said. She suggested that vendors be given the option of participating, and said the information would be kept anonymous.

Dave Barkman said it might be difficult for some vendors to tell how much they make at the Ann Arbor market. Farmers might go to several markets, he said, and use the same till for all, without separating out the sales. Diane Black suggested finding a dozen or so vendors who’d be willing to participate, and use them as a way to gauge sales more generally. Genia Service proposed putting the item on the agenda for the March 8 meeting, to see what vendors thought.

Also on the March 8 agenda will be a review of revisions to the vendor application and inspection forms, and a chance for vendors to give feedback on the proposed changes. At Tuesday’s meeting, Notarianni went over the changes that are being proposed by the commission’s policies and procedures committee. She said the goal is to collect more information, to be able to evaluate the vendor better.

For the application, a new category – “Source of materials” or “Source of ingredients” – has been added, to make it more clear how products are being grown or produced. The application also includes an additional sentence: “The products should meet MDA [Michigan Department of Agriculture], Washtenaw County Health Department, and USDA regulations, and good food safety practices.” This emphasizes the importance of food safety, Barkman said.

In the section for prepared food, one sentence has been underlined to emphasize that vendors must have “combined or assembled” their product, from ingredients that they’re required to list. Barkman said the intent is to address some of the problems that have been raised about vendors selling pre-made items. [.pdf file of draft vendor application]

As for the inspection form, it didn’t change dramatically, Notarianni said. [.pdf file of draft inspection form] A section for livestock has been added, reflecting the fact that they’ve added vendors who are selling meat. For the prepared foods section, the form asks vendors to describe their preparation process and source of ingredients. Pollack said that vendors should be asked to describe their facilities as well.

Pollack suggested that the revisions be highlighted in color, and that a cover memo should be included to indicate what has been changed. The drafts should be posted on the market’s website prior to the March 8 meeting, he said.

Pollack also observed that while the inspector’s role was to make observations about the operation of a vendor, it was the market manager’s job to make evaluations based on those observations. He suggested that a category be added with the inspection form: a place for the market manager to indicate whether the vendor complies, requires modifications, or doesn’t comply with market rules. Barkman – who also owns TJ Farms in Chelsea and is a vendor at the market – agreed that it’s important for vendors to know where they stand. It would also eliminate the possibility for a vendor to claim he didn’t understand whether or not he complied, Barkman said – it would be clear.

Pollack said that was the intent – to add clarity to the system.

During public commentary, Luis Vazquez suggested some additional revisions to the forms. It’s not that products should meet MDA and other safety regulations, he said, they must. He wondered who would ensure that proper licensing is in place for vendors. For the inspection form, he said the section on prepared foods needed work, especially as it related to baked goods.

Misc. Updates

Commissioner Shannon Brines highlighted several upcoming food-related events, including the Homegrown Local Food Summit 2010, set for March 2 at the University of Michigan’s Dana Building. The day-long event is a follow-up to last year’s summit, and will include skill-building workshops and discussion of developing a countywide local food campaign. [See Chronicle coverage of the 2009 summit: "Local Food for Thought"]

Brines also mentioned a Feb. 19 urban farming conference to be held on the UM-Dearborn campus, with Robert Kenner – maker of the documentary film Food Inc. – as keynote speaker. And on Feb. 25, the Michigan Good Food Summit will be held in Lansing, he said, with the aim of developing a statewide sustainable food system.

Public Commentary

In addition to the public commentary reported above, Luis Vazquez spoke on several additional topics. He requested information in light of Jayne Miller’s upcoming departure. [Miller, as community services director, is the top city official who oversees the public market operations. She's taken a job as head of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority – her last day will be Feb. 11.] Vazquez wanted to know whether Miller will be replaced, who the market manager will be reporting to now, and what Miller’s departure means for the commission. [Peter Pollack, the commission's chair, later clarified that market manager Molly Notarianni reports directly to Colin Smith, the city's parks and recreation manager. Smith, in turn, reports to Miller.]

Vazquez also pointed out that two farmers market vendors – Renaissance Acres and Pilar’s Tamales – were featured in the winter 2010 edition of the Edible Wow magazine. It was great to see local vendors highlighted, especially organic producers like Renaissance Acres, he said, and he suggested that the publication be linked to from the market’s website. He also noted that another organic farmer, Peter Stark, would be offering a cooking class at Kerrytown Market & Shops.

Present: Commissioners Dave Barkman, Diane Black, Shannon Brines, Peter Pollack, and Genia Service. Also: Molly Notarianni, market manager.

Next meeting: The commission’s next regular meeting is on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. in the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

Wednesday's Ann Arbor Farmers Market was full of holiday greenery for sale. The market also will be open on Friday evening, Dec. 4, from 6-10 p.m. for KindleFest, with live music, food, drink and local vendors. (Photo by the writer.)

Two people – Glenn Thompson and Luis Vazquez – spoke during the time set aside for public comment, criticizing what they view as a lack of enforcement of the market’s rules regarding, respectively, organic products and made-from-scratch baked goods.

Also, Peter Pollack, chair of the commission, reported that Notarianni was ill, but he was sure that if she had been there to make her report, she would have highlighted the Dec. 4 KindleFest at the public market.

Pollack also gave an update about the work of a subcommittee that’s reviewing market policies and procedures.

KindleFest

In conjunction with the Dec. 4 Midnight Madness shopping event in downtown Ann Arbor, the Kerrytown District Association is hosting its first annual KindleFest, which will run from 6-10 p.m. in the public market space next to Kerrytown Market & Shops. There will be artists and other vendors, live music – including carolers – food, drink and fire pits for roasting s’mores. Peter Pollack, chair of the market advisory commission, said the idea is to attract people to the Kerrytown area, which doesn’t typically get much traffic during Midnight Madness.

Policies & Procedures

Commission chair Peter Pollack gave a report on work of the polices and procedures subcommittee, consisting of himself and commissioners Shannon Brines and Dave Barkman. The current market rules have been in place since the summer of 2007, he said, and since then the commission has been keeping track of questions, observations and other feedback from vendors and customers. The subcommittee is now reviewing the rules – a review that was spurred by the commission, not the city administration, he said.

There are two tracks, Pollack said. First, they are revising the vendor application and vendor inspection form, with an eye toward giving more clarity to both of those documents. The commission can make these changes without getting city council approval, he said, as long as the forms conform with market rules. The subcommittee hopes to have drafts by early next year, then bring in vendors for feedback before finalizing the changes. The goal is to have the revisions completed for the 2010 market season, Pollack said.

A longer-term project, Pollack said, was to review the market’s policies and procedures, and ultimately make recommendations to the city’s administration and city council. He said that the subcommittee would next meet on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. at the market office, 315 Detroit St.

During the time set aside for public comment at the end of the meeting, Glenn Thompson said he was surprised to hear about the subcommittee meeting. Given that three commissioners served on the subcommittee, which formed a quorum of the five-member advisory commission, Thompson wondered when and where they planned to publish the minutes from the previous meeting, as required by the Open Meetings Act. He said it was unfortunate that they were conducting meetings outside of the public sphere – it seems like a poor approach and poor policy for a body that claims to be working for transparency, he said.

Pollack responded to Thompson’s comments, noting that the commission itself had only five members. To take advantage of the experience and knowledge of commissioners, the subcommittee had three members, he said, likening it to a working session. The meetings are noticed in advance, and open to the public. [A mention of the Nov. 23 subcommittee meeting was reported in The Chronicle's coverage of the Nov. 3 meeting of the full commission.] “We’re not hiding,” Pollack said. “We’re not doing anything behind closed doors.”

Competition for the Market?

During the time set aside for commissioners to raise items for discussion, Dave Barkman said he’d heard of several instances in which developers and landlords in the area are trying to rent facilities to vendors that currently sell at local farmers markets. He said if vendors are offered better facilities, such as a location that’s indoors, they might decide not to return to the farmers market. It’s something to be aware of, he cautioned.

Peter Pollack noted that there was a time when the Ann Arbor farmers market was unique. That’s not the case anymore, he added, and it’s important to stay competitive. One advantage, he said, was that the entire Kerrytown neighborhood is a destination, not just the market.

After Tuesday’s meeting, Pollack mentioned the vacant retail space at Liberty Lofts as one location that has been cited as a possible market. Barkman said there’s possible interest in a market for workers on the University of Michigan medical campus – similar to a farmers market held on the grounds of the Chelsea Community Hospital.

Public Comment

Glenn Thompson: In addition to his criticism of the subcommittee reported above, Thompson urged commissioners to address the fact that some vendors were misrepresenting their products as organic. The Organic Food Production Act makes it a federal offense to label food as organic if the producer hasn’t been certified, Thompson said. Michigan has a similar law as well. Current market rules would be sufficient to address this, he said – such as enforcing the requirement that vendors submit all licenses and certifications to the market manager, including organic certification. Market rules also prohibit misrepresentation, he said: “Organic at the market must mean as much as organic at the supermarket.” If the commission wants to adopt new rules specific to this issue, Thompson said, he has already provided market manager Molly Notarianni with examples from other Michigan markets in Holland and Lake Orion that regulate the use of the word “organic.” The Ann Arbor market should adopt similarly high standards, he said.

Luis Vazquez: Vazquez also spoke twice, at the beginning and end of the meeting. Holding a sign in the shape of a giant-sized slice of pie with “No Faked Goods” written on it, he began by highlighting an article in the recent issue of Current magazine – “Knowing What You’re Getting” – which looked at claims that certain Ann Arbor farmers market vendors aren’t making their products from scratch. Vazquez noted that market manager Molly Notarianni isn’t quoted in the article. Instead, Jeff Straw, the city’s deputy parks manager, is quoted as stating that the definition of “produced” isn’t specified and is a decision of the market manager. If that’s the case, Vazquez said, and if Notarianni has decided that Kapnick Orchards meets that definition, then “shame on Molly.” If she were at the meeting, he said, he’d wag his finger at her. [Vazquez has raised this issue previously, most recently at the commission's Nov. 3 meeting. See Chronicle coverage: "Public Market Seeks Clarity on Vendors"] He brought copies of signed petitions that he had collected earlier this year from shoppers at the market supporting his position. Markets in dozens of other cities have baked-from-scratch rules, he said, as does the Westside Farmers Market in Ann Arbor. He said he doubted that Kapnick would be accepted as a vendor for the westside market, because of those rules.

During his second public comment speaking turn, Vazquez picked up on Glenn Thompson’s remarks about organic certification, saying that it was a watershed moment because he actually agreed with Thompson. He recalled that Ken King – a former market commissioner and owner of Frog Holler Organic Farm, who died earlier this year – had talked to him several years ago about how difficult and expensive it was for small farms to become certified as organic. Vazquez said he thought that organic farmers should be supported even if they aren’t in compliance with federal statutes. He said it would be more helpful for him if he knew what kinds of pesticides were being used on non-organic produce. Finally, he said he didn’t find the claims of organic produce as egregious a misrepresentation as the more blatant misrepresentation by Kapnick.

Present: Commissioners Dave Barkman, Shannon Brines, Peter Pollack, and Genia Service.

Absent: Commissioner Diane Black and Molly Notarianni, market manager.

Next meeting: The commission’s next regular meeting is on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010 at 6:15 p.m. in the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

Luis Vazquez spoke during public commentary at the Nov. 3 meeting of the Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission, raising issues about whether certain vendors are abiding by market rules.

Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission (Nov. 3, 2009): Last Tuesday’s meeting of the Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission focused on vendors. Market manager Molly Notarianni wanted feedback before making decisions on new vendor applications. And Notarianni presented a financial report that showed most market revenues come from vendor rental fees.

During public commentary, former market commissioner Luis Vazquez questioned whether one vendor actually makes from scratch the products sold at their booth – it’s an issue Vazquez says might be litigated, if the city doesn’t enforce its own rules. During the meeting, Peter Pollack, the commission’s current chair, gave an update on efforts to more clearly define what being “made” actually means.

It was also announced that plans are being made to hold a special market event on Dec. 4 to complement downtown’s annual Midnight Madness.

Potential New Vendors

Molly Notarianni, the city’s market manager, asked for feedback on a half-dozen vendor applications that had come in over the past month, both for stalls and food carts. Proposed products included mini-pies and other baked goods, hot dogs, cider, French pastries, all-purpose seasoning and corn roasted in its husk.

The consensus among commissioners seemed to be that the market had plenty of baked goods. Shannon Brines said that the roasted corn was in the spirit of the market, but was a bit “mono.” Peter Pollack suggested giving priority to vendors who wanted to sell on both Wednesdays and Saturdays, rather than just Saturdays only.

Peter Pollack and Diane Black of the Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission. Black is using a double moss stitch to knit a strip that will become part of a larger tapestry to be sold at a Rudolf Steiner School fundraiser later this year. (Photo by the writer.)

One additional application was somewhat unusual, Notarianni said. Salomon Jost, a current vendor who sells primarily greens, has asked to reapply as a vendor selling cider and apples from Almar Orchard in Flushing. Almar is an organic orchard, where Jost works. Notarianni pointed out that during the winter months, about a quarter or more of the vendors sell apples – did they want to bring on yet another one?

Diane Black noted that no other vendors in the winter sold organic apples and cider – that was a crucial distinction, she said.

Pollack said it was important to understand the relationship between Jost and Almar Orchard, since the application was actually under the name of that business. It needed to be more than just a verbal understanding, he said.

During public commentary at the end of Tuesday’s meeting, Luis Vazquez gave a thumbs up to bringing the orchard into the market, saying that Ann Arbor deserves to have more organics, especially in the winter.

Glenn Thompson, also speaking during the public commentary portion of the meeting, said he always tries to stop by the orchard when he takes US-23 to northern Michigan. He pointed out that while many growers claim to be organic, Almar is certified as an organic grower. Thompson also noted that Almar makes a great hard cider, but acknowledged that it might be difficult to find a way for them to sell it at the market, alluding to restrictions on selling alcohol.

Events and Special Projects

During her market manager’s report, Molly Notarianni said she was collaborating with Kerrytown Market & Shops on a Dec. 4 event, as part of the downtown’s annual Midnight Madness. Typically, the Kerrytown area doesn’t enjoy much activity during Midnight Madness, when many downtown shops extend their hours and offer special sales. This year, they’re planning to offer food, live music and other activities in the market space, Notarianni said, hoping to draw more people to Kerrytown.

Notarianni also noted that last week was the final one for an “apple museum” that had been exhibited at the market. [The exhibit was described in the October farmers market newsletter this way: “This museum is a space for storytelling and exploring Ann Arbor’s heritage in relation to its agricultural past as told through its apple trees … Apple-centric presentations, ranging from making applesauce to apple pie, will accompany the museum space each week.”]

Peter Pollack said the project provided an intriguing opening to other potential topics related to the history of the market and agriculture in Washtenaw County. He said the area used to have a lot of sheep, for example, but that’s not the case today. Notarianni noted that the apple museum was an MFA project that the student wanted to share. Shannon Brines suggested they should put out a call to all the local history buffs who might want to volunteer to do such a project.

Finally, in what Notarianni characterized as exciting news, the Ann Arbor District Library has agreed to archive the market’s oral history project on the library’s website. She said the library will also help edit the recorded interviews, which are being gathered from vendors and customers who share their memories of the market.

Finance, Policy Issues

Commissioners had previously asked market manager Molly Notarianni to begin providing quarterly financial reports, so that they could better track revenues coming into the market as well as expenditures. At Tuesday’s meeting, she gave her first report. The one-page summary listed line items from the city’s Fund 0046 – revenues and expenses for the market, which is part of the parks and recreation budget. The bulk of the $114,267 in revenues for fiscal 2009 came from vendor rentals.

Peter Pollack suggested that the information be organized so that items directly related to the farmers market are grouped together – separated out from other line items, such as revenue from rental of the market space for wedding and special events. The goal, he said, is to have a better understanding of the relationship between money coming in from vendors, and how that money is being spent.

Commissioners also requested more details on the expense line items. Notarianni said she’d make those changes and bring back a revised report at the commission’s Dec. 1 meeting.

Policies and procedures

Peter Pollack reported that the policy subcommittee was working on two tasks: 1) reviewing the market’s rules, application form and inspection form, to ensure consistency, and doing the same for its bylaws and enabling legislation; and 2) examining the language of the market rules to see whether they need to be clarified, expanded or reorganized. He said they hope to meet with vendors and the general public in February or March to discuss possible changes. Ultimately, their suggestions would be sent as recommendations to the city’s administration, he said.

The subcommittee’s next meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 23 at the market office, 315 Detroit St., beginning at 6 p.m.

During public commentary at the end of Tuesday’s meeting, Luis Vazquez said he was curious to know about possible changes to the market rules. He said he’d spent years working on rules, only to have them tossed aside by Jayne Miller, the city’s community services administrator. [Vazquez previously served on the market commission, which he also chaired.]

Public Commentary

Two people spoke during public commentary, and both spoke twice – at the beginning and end of the meeting.

Luis Vazquez: Vazquez said he’d come to talk about market policy and to continue to voice complaints he’s been making about the enforcement of market rules. He read from an email sent by market inspector Matt Demmon in June of 2008, in which Demmon states that all of the products he had inspected up to then were made from scratch. Vazquez then read from an inspection report that Demmon had filed in July 2008, which stated that Kapnick Orchards was making products from mixes and frozen dough. “I find this to be distressing,” Vazquez told the commission.

Every vendor signs an affidavit stating that they are following the market’s operating rules, Vazquez said, yet when there are violations, nothing is done about it.

Vazquez also took issue with a letter he’d received in August 2009 from Jayne Miller, the city’s community services administrator, telling him that his complaint against Kapnick had been dismissed. He characterized the letter as a kind of threat, and wondered why she’d written it, given that he hadn’t appealed the issue to her.

“I’m going to continue to raise this issue again and again until I get some kind of resolution out of it,” he said. [Vazquez raised similar concerns against Kapnick Orchards at the Aug. 5, 2009 Ann Arbor city council caucus.]

In addition, Vazquez mentioned a complaint he’s filed against two other vendors, J&T Gracia and Island Farms, charging that they are not properly licensed as growers of perennial plants. He said he hoped that the market management would ensure that all vendors have the proper licenses.

Vazquez told commissioners to expect to hear from a community group that would have legal standing and would possibly file a lawsuit against the market and the city for not enforcing its rules.

Glenn Thompson: Thompson said that for years, the market has operated under a set of easy-to-understand rules that applied to all vendors. Now, there’s a proposal for rules to apply to just one group, he said. [The commission is developing new policies to define what it means to "make" a product, for different categories of vendors. See Chronicle coverage of the commission's October meeting: "How Much Do You Spend at the Market?"] It would be better, Thompson said, to focus on the market’s long-term health, ensuring a diversity of products, with more than one vendor selling similar products so that there are more choices for shoppers. In general, he said, the market is functioning well.

Present: Commissioners Dave Barkman, Diane Black, Shannon Brines, and Peter Pollack. Molly Notarianni, market manager.

Absent: Genia Service.

Next meeting: The commission’s next regular meeting is on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009 at 6:15 p.m. in the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

At Wednesday's Ann Arbor Farmers Market, customers were asked to answer questions by using sticky dots. (Photo by the writer.)

Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission meeting (Oct. 6, 2009): Shoppers at Wednesday’s Ann Arbor Farmers Market might have encountered a few things they hadn’t seen before: 1) Five easels with questions about how customers use the market, 2) three new vendors and 3) a film crew for the movie “Naked Angel.”

The first two were among several items discussed at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Public Market Advisory Commission. The group also talked about Halloween plans for the market – it falls on a Saturday this year – and reviewed its recent working session, which focused on policy issues and outreach.

Market Assessment

During her market manager report, Molly Notarianni told commissioners that the Michigan Farmers Market Association would be conducting a “rapid market assessment” at Wednesday’s market. [.PDF of a technical report outlining RMA techniques.] About 10 volunteers would be estimating attendance and conducting surveys of vendors and shoppers. One of the ways they planned to survey shoppers was through “dot voting” – the easels set up near the market office on Wednesday asked five multiple-choice questions, and shoppers indicated their answers by placing a colored sticky dot in the appropriate spot.

The questions (with an unofficial indication of votes, as of late Wednesday morning):

• How did you find out about today’s market? (flyers/posters, newspaper ads, online/website, farmers market email, word of mouth, regular shopper): “Regular shopper” was by far the most frequent answer.
• What was your primary form of payment? (cash, Bridge Card, Project Fresh, other): Cash was the overwhelming choice of payment.
• How many adults are in your shopping party? (1 through 6+): Most people answering the survey came by themselves or with one other adult.
• What was the most important reason you came to the market today? (food items, arts & crafts, atmosphere & experience, buy local, purchase organic, none of these): Most shoppers chose “food items” or “buy local.”
• How much did you spend at the market? (In $5 increments, from 0 to “$50 or more”): Dots were fairly evenly distributed between $5 to $25, with a few outliers.

Notarianni said that the Michigan Farmers Market Association had received a grant to study Electronic Benefit Transfers, or EBTs. The program uses Bridge Cards, which act like debit cards and have replaced food stamps. [We first wrote about the market's use of Bridge Cards a year ago.] The Ann Arbor market is one of several being studied for this grant, she said. Though market assessments of this kind typically cost several hundred dollars, because of the grant, the Ann Arbor market would be getting a comprehensive report from the assessment without charge.

Diane Allan and Debbie Moran of Pasta é Pasta, a new market vendor. They are twins, and also run a store in Chesterfield. (Photo by the writer.)

New Vendors, Halloween

Notarianni said that three vendors had joined the Wednesday market over the past month: Pasta é Pasta, which sells pasta and pasta sauces; Café Japon, which also operates a store at 113 E. Liberty in Ann Arbor; and Stephen Kinnard, a local photographer.

At Tuesday’s commission meeting, Notarianni also gave an update on plans for Halloween. The market is coordinating activities with Kerrytown Market & Shops, which plans to have storytelling, cider and donuts, and trick-or-treating at stores within the two-story complex. Notarianni said the market might have a pumpkin-carving event, and encourage kids to come in costume and trick-or-treat at the vendors.

Commissioner Genia Service relayed a suggestion from the owners of the Community Farm of Ann Arbor, who proposed having the vendors dress up in costume. Shoppers could vote on the costume they like best, she said. Commissioner Dave Barkman, owner of TJ Farms in Chelsea, wryly suggested that costumes for vendors be optional. Commissioner Shannon Brines of Brines Farm in Dexter said he wasn’t sure what kind of costume he’d put on at 5:30 in the morning. “I wear a costume every week as it is – as a ‘tired vendor’.”

Peter Pollack, who chairs the commission, noted that the partnership with Kerrytown Market & Shops, located next to the public market, had broader implications for more coordinated events throughout the year.

Recap of Working Session

Commissioners held a working session on Sept. 22, and Pollack reviewed what they’d discussed at that meeting. Notarianni had outlined her main goals for the coming year: 1) to increase participation in the EBT program, 2) to better promote the farmers market and public market space, and 3) to engage the commissioners more fully.

Pollack said those goals led to a discussion that focused on two areas: policy, including operations and procedures for the market, and outreach.

Policy issues

At their working session, commissioners talked about several topics related to market policy, Pollack said. They agreed to start a schedule of receiving regular financial reports, in particular to track the money that comes into the market account and to see how that money is spent. Notarianni plans to provide the first one at the commission’s November meeting.

Commissioners discussed the content of the vendor application, and the need to make sure the application is up to date.

They also looked at the issue of tracking complaints, and talked about possibly adjusting market policies. During Wednesday’s meeting, Brines suggested that the commission consider publishing a procedure for handling complaints, so that people can understand the process. He wondered if there were a uniform, citywide procedure for handling complaints that they might use. People who complain usually just want some sort of response, he said, even if it’s not the one they’re looking for.

Notarianni said there used to be an official complaint procedure, but it had been eliminated several years ago. Pollack added that the complaint procedure was removed when the city restructured the commission, taking away its administrative authority. It was judged inappropriate for the commission to handle complaints, he said.

Brines said he wasn’t suggesting that the commission respond, but they could provide information about how to file a complaint. Perhaps it was something that their policy subcommittee could deal with, he said.

Pollack noted that the commission is not an administrative body – they provide advice and suggest policy. He said they have very little to do with complaints, except as it relates to tracking them and developing policies.

Pollack reported that another policy issue emerging from the working session related to the definition of “made.” They’ve received some complaints alleging that certain vendors didn’t make the products they were selling. Genia Service noted that the issue of “thaw and bake” products kept resurfacing. [The Chronicle previously reported on a specific complaint voiced during the Ann Arbor city council Sunday caucus meeting on Aug. 5, 2009. At that meeting, Luis Vazquez, a former public market commissioner, contended that baked goods sold by Kapnick Orchards are prepared using a thaw-and-bake product.]

At Wednesday’s market commission meeting, Notarianni reminded commissioners that they’d discussed plans to define “made” and “significant effort” for each category of goods at the market. Pollack said that it was rare to have a producer-only market like the one in Ann Arbor. “That’s an aspect of the market that’s absolutely worth protecting,” he said.

The policy subcommittee, which includes Pollack and Brines, plans to meet sometime within the next month.

Outreach, marketing

One of the things that came out of their discussion about activities and events at the market, Pollack said, was the fact that on market days, Notarianni doesn’t have time to manage special events. That means that commissioners or other volunteers need to take responsibility on those days, he said. This prompted commissioner Genia Service to volunteer for Halloween, vowing to wear a costume and help organize the pumpkin carving.

Pollack said he thought it would be a good idea to compile a year-long calendar of events. Notarianni said that putting together such a calendar would be a good wintertime project – the market was slower and she’d have more time to do it.

At their working session, commissioners also discussed how to cultivate volunteers, Pollack said. Notarianni said she liked the idea of some kind of regular volunteer orientation. At the Portland, Ore. market, where she previously worked, they gave monthly market tours for volunteers and anyone who was interested, she said.

Pollack said that an orientation might be one way to use the oral histories that are being collected at the market. Another option might be to play those recordings in the market office during certain hours, he said, adding that it’s important to get the most use out of all of the activities and events they did.

Tossing out another marketing idea, Notarianni said she’d been to a market in New York where each stall had a sign with a photo of the vendor, a short write-up about them, and a map indicating where their farm or business was located within the state. She’d like to do something similar in Ann Arbor. Genia Service suggested asking volunteers to help out with collecting the information, and she agreed to do the layout for it herself.

Commissioners scheduled a meeting for the outreach subcommittee on Oct. 13, 2009 at 6 p.m. in the market office, 315 Detroit St. The meeting is open to the public.

Market Renovations

Notarianni reported that the first phase of market renovations were nearly complete. The structure covering the walkways had been painted, and new fluorescent lights were installed. Vendors in particular like the new lights, she said, because they are much brighter than the previous ones. Eventually, induction lights will be installed down the center of the ceiling – those lights are more energy efficient, and will be lit when the market isn’t in use. Also, the installation of a new stereo/intercom system is almost finished.

Peter Pollack asked if she’d heard any information about the next phase of the market renovation, which hasn’t yet been scheduled. Notarianni said she did not know how soon that would move ahead.

Later in the meeting, Dave Barkman asked whether the city could replace some of the signs throughout the market, which were looking tattered, he said. Pollack said it might be an opportunity to look at all the signs in the market – he suggested inquiring about possible funding from the Downtown Development Authority.

Present: Commissioners Dave Barkman, Diane Black, Shannon Brines, Genia Service, Peter Pollack. Molly Notarianni, market manager.

Next meeting: The commission’s next regular meeting is on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009 at 6:15 p.m. in the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [confirm dates]

Photographer Stephen Kinnard talks with a shopper at Wednesday's farmers market. He's a new vendor, and said he plans to tough out the winter to earn the title of "Sub-Zero Hero." (Photo by the writer.)

A film crew for "Naked Angel" was shooting at Wednesday's farmers market. The director, Christina Morales Hemenway, is to the left of the woman in the white vest. (Photo by the writer.)

Jonathan Goetz, a market vendor, shares some stories with volunteers Joan Kauffman and Stephanie Kadel Taras at the oral history table at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market earlier this month. (Photo by Mary Morgan)

When Ralph Snow of Snow’s Sugarbush, a long-time vendor at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, died last year, his passing was a loss of both the individual and of the memories he carried.

“His death reminded us of the impermanence of the market,” says Molly Notarianni, market manager.

So she decided to look for a way to preserve the market’s history, which would otherwise be lost. As she worked with a volunteer who specialized in oral history, the idea of a regular oral history booth emerged, a way to let vendors and shoppers share stories of their relationships and memories in the market.

Launched this summer in conjunction with the market’s 90th anniversary, the project aims to give people a chance to feel engaged in documenting the history of the market and of the entire agricultural region. Volunteers staff a table every other Wednesday at the market from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They’ll be at the market today.

The booth has been a work in progress since last winter. For now, it simply consists of headphones and other rudimentary recording equipment lent to the market by Notarianni’s brother. She says that their goal this winter will be to find funding, but for now it’s completely volunteer-run, with the purchase of CDs being the only expense.

Anyone is allowed to record an interview describing what has made the market personally special. “Everyone has a different story, whether it’s how they became a farmer, why they decided to start selling at the market, or about the relationships they’ve developed,” Notarianni says.

So far about 25 people have made recordings. The goal is to interview each of the market’s 140 vendors, plus any interested shoppers. Notarianni would like to interview all the long-time vendors first, and then move to the new flow of incoming vendors.

One farmer who has already contributed to the oral history project is Scott Robertello Nobertello, from Kapnick Orchards in Tecumseh. He has sold produce at several farmers markets but says that the Ann Arbor market, along with its customers, is his favorite. In his interview, he recalled a destructive hailstorm his farm endured last year that ruined a good deal of his produce. He spoke of how understanding the customers in Ann Arbor were and how appreciative he was of their continuing to buy his produce, although it wasn’t in top shape.

Kapnick Orchards has sold produce every single market day since 1938, now with the fourth generation in charge. Many other vendors agreed with Robertello Nobertello that knowing their customers by name and watching their children grow up is what makes the market so meaningful to them.

Right now, plans for where the recordings will be stored are still unclear. The public library has indicated interest in forming some type of audio or written archive open for anyone to see or hear, Notarianni said. “Right now we’re just collecting information, then we’ll decide what to do with it.”

Notarianni is also working to transcribe each interview, so that there will be written documentation along with the audio version. She said she hopes to load the interviews onto the market’s website as well.

Although the oral history project is still far from complete, Notarianni expressed how much fun she’s had. She’s hoping to give the market a more personal aspect, showing “the stories behind what the customers are buying.” The farmers market has become an “integral part” of countless lives in Ann Arbor, she says, and it’s important to remember why.

About the writer: Rebecca Friedman is a senior at Huron High School. She worked as a summer intern for The Chronicle.

Dave Barkman, the newest member of the Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission, sitting on the back of his truck at Wednesday's farmers market. Barkman is the owner of TJ Farms in Chelsea. (Photo by the writer.)

Ann Arbor Public Market Advisory Commission (Sept. 1, 2009): Tuesday marked the start of Local Food Month in Ann Arbor. Tuesday also was the start of a three-year term for the newest member of the city’s Public Market Advisory Commission, who’s also a vendor at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market: Dave Barkman, of TJ Farms in Chelsea.

By way of introduction, Barkman noted that he’s been selling at the farmers market for 28 years. He said he knows a lot of stories, though he didn’t tell any at Tuesday’s meeting. Others did have stories to tell, however – about weddings at the market, medicinal sweet buns, “enthusiastic support” for the Sept. 12 Homegrown Festival and more.

Vendor Applications

Market manager Molly Notarianni told commissioners that over the past month about a dozen different vendors had applied to sell their products at either the Wednesday or Saturday markets, or both. [Link to vendor application form.] Two photographers had applied, she said, as had several farmers and other food vendors. Several wanted to sell products that were already available at the market, including fruits, vegetables, flowers and other plants.

Other applicants offered less usual fare. An applicant for a food cart vendor described selling items that incorporate traditional Chinese medicine, including “steamed healing sweet buns” and “sweet lotus rolls.” Another person hadn’t yet filled out an application, but had queried whether he could sell fish at the market. “I’ll do some more research on that,” Notarianni said, “but it could be great.”

Notarianni asked commissioners whether they had any feedback on the current batch of applications. Diane Black wondered whether it made sense to add vendors who were selling essentially the same product as current vendors. “It seems like adding more of the same is making less profit for everyone,” she said. Dave Barkman pointed to the volume of produce that was donated by vendors each week to the nonprofit Food Gatherers at the end of the market day. He said it would make more sense to point some of these applicants to smaller markets in the region that need more vendors, specifically, farmers markets in Dexter, Chelsea, Northville and the Westside Farmers Market at Zingerman’s Roadhouse.

Commissioners also discussed the need for more shoppers, especially at the Wednesday market, and how offering a wider variety of products would be one way to draw new customers.

Special Events

Molly Notarianni briefed commissioners on several upcoming events at the public market. On Saturday, Sept. 5, the nonprofit Peace, Love & Planet will be collecting plastic garden  pots and trays to recycle. Thursday, Sept. 10 will be the season’s final Trunk-a-Palooza, a weekly event where people sell all sorts of things out of the back of their vehicles. On the following night, Sept. 11, the Ozone House will hold an open-air fundraising dinner at the market, with most of the meal provided by Kerrytown restaurants and food businesses.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, the second annual HomeGrown Festival will take place at the farmers market from 5-10 p.m. The event’s chair, Shannon Brines of Brines Farm, is also a member of the Public Market Advisory Commission, though he did not attend Tuesday’s meeting. The commission did pass a motion at the meeting declaring their “enthusiastic support” for the event.

Finally, Notarianni reported that the 7th annual Kerrytown Bookfest will be held at the market on Sunday, Sept. 13 and will include several food-themed panel discussions.

Notarianni also mentioned that two weddings had been held recently at the market. She said she’d gotten feedback from people who had happened upon the events, and who remarked on how delightful it was to see weddings at that location. This prompted commissioner Diane Black to say, “If I ever marry again, I’ll hold my wedding there!” Commissioner Peter Pollack said he’d hold her to that promise.

Market Renovations

Notarianni updated commissioners on renovations at the market. The surface underneath the roof has been repainted, and the posts supporting the roof will be repainted soon. Decorative stripes will be painted on the aisles in different colors to be used for wayfinding, and new fluorescent lights recently arrived and will be installed later this month. All of these renovations should be completed in the next few weeks, she said.

Working Session: Goals for 2010

Commissioners scheduled a special working session on Tuesday, Sept. 22 to discuss their goals for the coming year. Peter Pollack, who chairs the commission, said he hoped the group could be more proactive in their efforts regarding policies, education and other areas. He noted that the Downtown Development Authority and the Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation have expressed interest in what happens at the public market, and that the commission should reach out to others who have a role to play in how the market is used. He proposed using the working session to put together a list of what they’d like to accomplish, to identify tasks for each of them to do, and to then get moving.

One possible project, Pollack said, might be to look at how the farmers market can connect with entities that make land conservation purchases, like the city of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County or the Legacy Land Conservancy. The idea would be to support a possible farm incubator, with the market providing a venue to sell produce from the farm.

The Sept. 22 working session will be open to the public and held at the market office, a building located within the farmers market at 315 Detroit St. It’s scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m.

Vendor Complaint

Molly Notarianni reported one complaint she’d received from a vendor who was upset about being charged a $55 inspection fee. The vendor had two concerns: 1) the fee was too high, and 2) she hadn’t been aware of the charge until she got the bill. This is the first year that vendors have been charged for the mandatory inspections made to verify that their products are grown or made locally. Notarianni said she sent out a notice to vendors reminding them of the inspection process and the fee. Commissioner Dave Barkman suggested that when the inspector calls to make an appointment with the vendor, he can mention the fee at that time.

Public Comment

There were two opportunities for public commentary during the meeting, but only one person – Glenn Thompson – spoke during the general public commentary time at the end of the meeting. Thompson made two points: 1) Though he’d seen improvements in vendor identification at the market stalls, there wasn’t as much improvement as he’d like, and 2) many vendors don’t display prices on their products, which causes customers to spend time asking questions about pricing. To expedite sales, he asked the commission to encourage vendors to mark their prices clearly.

Present: Commissioners Dave Barkman, Diane Black, Genia Service, Peter Pollack. Molly Notarianni, market manager.

Absent: Shannon Brines

Next meeting: The commission will hold a working session on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 at 6:15 p.m. at the market office, 315 Detroit St. The meeting is open to the public. The commission’s next regular meeting is on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009 at 6:15 p.m. in the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [confirm dates]