Comments on: Parking Rate Hikes Delayed Slightly

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:49:18 +0000

Ed, Believe me, we've no aversions to nit picking here at The Chronicle. I've made the correction in situ without putting it through the standard Missed Tick cycle. Thanks.

By: Ed Thierbach

Ed Thierbach — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:36:06 +0000

I hate to pick nits here, but I will anyway. :-) SNL Dan’s name is spelled “Aykroyd”, with 2 Ys. Just the way it sounds. :-)

By: Steve Bean

Steve Bean — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 06:17:30 +0000

I walk by the 4th & William lot almost daily and note that the number of available spaces is often above 500 even when it’s obvious that the first few levels are mostly full. I also downloaded the parking data and noted that some of the numbers for that lot (and maybe others) were obviously incorrect. I suspect that the counter that displays those numbers above the entrance is just wrong. I’ve been meaning to ask Susan Pollay about it. Maybe you could look into it, Dave. I’ll try to follow through myself and let you know.

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:23:45 +0000

Comment left by Vielmetti on a different DDA meeting report, but perhaps more pertinent to this one [w.r.t. the question of how full parking structures are downtown discussed briefly by Vielmetti and Greff and reported above.]:

“An update, for the record:

The DDA parking data is back online, available and current and in real time. Two of the DDA lots are full at 10pm on a snowy Saturday night, and one is close to full:

First and Huron ………………………. 3
Ashley and 1st ………………………. 11
4th and Washington ………………………. 32

and just minutes away, there are acres of open space:
“

By: Matt H

Matt H — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:16:10 +0000

I understand that the design of the room forced a difficult technology setup — but do any other groups that are broadcast meet in the DDA offices? It seems like working with, say, the AADL to create a more permanent broadcast setup in their boardroom would have been just as useful.

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:53:07 +0000

re: $40,000 worth of equipment

I understand Matt’s comment [4] to be about the need to self-produce in-house as opposed to the pricing the DDA got on the equipment, or whether the room could have been outfitted with fewer than four cameras.

In reports to the full board from the committee over the last four months, it’s clear that the option of moving the meeting to another space that’s already equipped was weighed.

The most likely candidate would be council chambers. It’s actually an awful space for public meetings for a variety of reasons.

All other things being equal, though, if council chambers are available, it’s reasonable to weigh the room’s deficits as a meeting space against spending $40,000 of tax-payer money.

But in the short term, council chambers are getting less, not more available. On Monday the city announced the following:

—–
Due to City Hall construction activities expected to begin in
March, several City of Ann Arbor Board and Commission monthly meetings will be relocated from January 2009 through December 2011.

• Energy Commission
• Greenbelt Advisory Commission
• Parks Advisory Commission

New Location: County Administration Building, 220 N. Main Street, County Board of Commission Public Meeting Room

• Building Board of Appeals
• Housing Board of Appeals
• Public Market Advisory Commission
• Sign Board of Appeals

New Location: County Building, 200 N. Main, Lower Level Conference Room

• Commission on Disability Issues.
New Location: Community Television Network, 2805 S. Industrial, Ste. 200, Studio
—–

So council chambers is not a short-term option. That leaves the county building, or else CTN studios. Perhaps there’s other options I’m not thinking of.

By: Matt H

Matt H — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:16:37 +0000

Why on earth is $40,000 worth of equipment needed? I understand there are some special circumstances around the room, but that means you go somewhere else, not spend that huge pile of cash.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:38:30 +0000

Another fan. I don’t always agree with the DDA mission (intense downtown development) or with the funding mechanism (capturing almost all tax on new construction, including parks and AATA) but Susan is the best administrator in Ann Arbor and every meeting or operation she runs are perfectly executed.

By: Stew Nelson

Stew Nelson — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:17:03 +0000

I agree with Steve completely. Susan Pollay could show GM how to run a business.

By: Steve Bean

Steve Bean — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:28:53 +0000

Actually, Dave, that line was delivered by Dan Akroyd.

I want to commend the DDA, both the board and staff, for the work they accomplished last year. I think they’re doing excellent work. I don’t always agree with the allocations, but the quality of the process and the level of commitment on the part of the people would be hard to improve.

Even the proposed underground parking structure, which I believe to be worse than the unexplored options for addressing the issues that are driving it, has been handled well by the DDA, who have been acting on direction from city council to develop that specific plan. In fact, two board members voted against the structure plan recommendation to council, including Hall, who I think is demonstrating commendable leadership.