Comments on: DDA Committee Gets getDowntown Update

By: John Floyd

John Floyd — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:17:24 +0000

The projects that DDA funds may well be good and important and worth funding with property tax dollars. It disturbs me that property taxes from new development from Ashley Street east to Washtenaw Avenue, and from Kerrytown south to Fingerlie Lumber are not available to the city’s General Fund, but are diverted to the DDA. If DDA’s projects really are important, then they should be able to survive the competition of the city’s other budget priorities in its annual budget. In the meantime, downtown is not paying its fair share of the cost of city services and general government functions. Neighborhood residents, and business outside of the DDA Zone, are paying for new downtown development’s share of city government. This is among the reasons (but not the only reason) that homeowner property taxes are rising, while city services are falling (see Roger Frazier’s letter in the 2009 city budget)

By: Nancy Shore

Nancy Shore — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:25:13 +0000

Hello all,
If you have any questions about the getDowntown Program, please feel free to email me at nancy@getdowntown.org.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:13:51 +0000

Several city council members and the mayor also usually attend this conference, at the expense of the DDA as far as I know.

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:11:49 +0000

Karen Moorhead asked: “We, the taxpayers didn’t pay for this conference, right?”

The short answer is that DDA and the different merchant associations fund the trip. That includes conference registration, hotel, airfare, and a per diem food allowance. DDA is funded through a combination of TIF capture and parking fee revenue. The T in TIF stands for “tax.” To my way of thinking, that makes the DDA an “us” not a “them.”

So if we’re dissatisfied with the way the DDA is spending money, then we can, and should, communicate that to the DDA. DDA contact information is under that link.

Their board meetings are first Wednesday of every month at noon at the DDA Office, 150 S. Fifth Avenue, Suite 301, Ann Arbor 48104. There’s time for public commentary at the start of the meeting (I think you need to sign up for that) as well as at the conclusion.

I think next year’s conference is in Milwaukee. If a contingent from Ann Arbor goes, perhaps The Chronicle can find a way to tag along … or convince an attendee to file live reports for The Chronicle or shoot video, or otherwise amplify whatever the benefit is of attending.

By: Karen Moorhead

Karen Moorhead — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:37:05 +0000

I'm wondering about this part of the excellent coverage: "Mouat asked the board members who had attended the 54th Annual International Downtown Association (IDA) Conference in early September of 2008 in Calgary if there were any lessons learned from that conference. ..." It's pretty cool these people went to Calgary and paid for the trips themselves. We, the taxpayers didn't pay for this conference, right? I'm thinking of the fact .... that we can't get Stadium cleared of snow (see the coverage: link)

By: Andy Piper

Andy Piper — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:37:31 +0000

Thanks for the detailed coverage. My two cents about what is needed. I pity the folks who stand out in the open weather waiting for the bus – bus shelters are needed. Also the pedestrian factor, access to the bus stations is critical. I also liked the discussion about cities being messy – that would be correct. Good cities are a messy with lots of connected and disconnected activities bumping and crossing each other. Thats the natural fabric of a city and what makes them interesting.