Archive for November, 2010

At its Nov. 4, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council authorized a total of around $400,000 on two items connected to the approaching winter weather. A purchase of $330,000 worth of ice control salt from Detroit Salt Company was authorized.

In addition, the council approved a project budget of $88,000 for a vehicle location tracking system, which will allow GPS tracking of city field services vehicles like street sweepers and snow plows. The council amended the original proposal to restrict the initial implementation to snowplows. It will be possible for residents to log on to a webpage and watch the snowplow activity in real time so that they can better anticipate the arrival of plows in their area and assure themselves that snowplowing is happening. Residents will also be able to explore archived data and historical analysis of past snowstorms.

However, director of IT services Dan Rainey says that the mapping capability is not driving the software purchase – it’s the ability of the software to actively manage and monitor the operation and systems on a vehicle, by directly tapping into a vehicle’s engine codes. The system is expected to be operational sometime this winter, but likely not before the first snowfall. The source of the originally proposed $200,000 was IT charges collected outside the general fund from water, sewer, solid waste, and major streets funds.

This brief was filed from city council chambers. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Nov. 4, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council again delayed a modification to its FY 2011 budget that would allocate up to $160,000 for furnishings for the new municipal center. At the council’s Oct. 19 meeting, Keith Zeisloft, who is court administrator of the 15th District Court, was closely questioned by councilmembers about his reasons for not including a provisional line item for inclusion in the FY 2011 budget, even if exact costs were not known at the time. Councilmembers had voted to postpone the allocation, pending the provision by Zeisloft of a list of items to be purchased. The court needed additional time to compile the list.

This brief was filed from city council chambers. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Nov. 4, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council gave final approval for a change to the city’s stormwater code. Under the new requirements, anytime more than 200 square feet of impervious surface is added to single and two-family residential property, controls must be put in place to handle stormwater runoff from a “first flush” downpour. The “first flush” is the runoff from the first 1/2 inch of rain during any rainstorm.  About 40% of land area in the city of Ann Arbor is zoned for single-family and two-family uses. A move to postpone the measure by Marcia Higgins died for lack of a second.

This brief was filed from city council chambers. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow: [link] [Full Story]

The Detroit News reports that Rick Snyder has decided to live at his home in the Ann Arbor area rather than in Lansing. A spokesman for the Republican governor-elect said the decision is based on wanting to live at home while his youngest daughter is in high school. From the report: “Snyder’s home in Superior Township, which he shares with his wife, Sue, and three children, is larger than what is sometimes referred to as the ‘governor’s mansion’ in Lansing. The 10,600-square-foot home in a gated community features an indoor pool, 15-seat theater, wine cellar and a wine tasting room. Snyder also owns a $1.5 million, 5,000-square-foot vacation home on Gun Lake in Barry County.” [Source]

Editor’s note: In today’s world of Facebook Friends, we befriend folks with a click of a button. We can be “friends” with just about anyone: Ashton Kutcher or Bruce Springsteen or Barack Obama. These are, of course, at best “friendships at a distance.” This week, local history columnist Laura Bien takes a look at the way similar friendships were claimed in a past era. It was a time when a farmer – who was also a poet – could write a letter to his favorite poet and hope to receive a hand-written reply. Even if it was a “friendship at a distance,” the imprint of a human hand seems more authentic than the click of a mouse.

Lambie self-addressed a prepaid postcard to send to his favorite poet.

Well-remembered are Robert Frost’s three sojourns to the University of Michigan in the 1920s, and his house on Pontiac Trail, now at the Henry Ford Museum. Forgotten are the works of Ypsilanti poet-farmer William Lambie.

Lambie belonged to a generation earlier than Frost, but like Frost, Lambie had Scottish blood and took as his subject the natural world. Unlike Frost, he never left the occupation of farming or made much money. Lambie never won anything more for his verses than friends’ approval, with one exception – a penny postcard that Lambie valued as priceless.

The postcard came from another poet whom Lambie admired. [Full Story]

The Washington Post publishes a book review by UM professor Nick Delbanco of “Valley Forge,” a new novel by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen: “The large cast of characters – Martha Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Mad Anthony Wayne among them – are vividly rendered, and the research rings true. Historical figures and invented ones interact quite plausibly, too. But there’s a connection between clarity of thought and clarity of diction; a thing worth saying is worth saying well. This ‘Contract With America’ has so many suspect clauses and contingencies in its fine print that my best advice is: Reader, beware.” [Source]

The Cynical Cook blog writes a review of Zingerman’s Roadhouse: “I suppose the immediate question is, was it worth the trip and/or wait? That’s a hard question to answer. I haven’t had much experience with food prepared by Zingerman’s, outside of the bread, but I was pretty pleased with what we ordered. It wasn’t the life changing, ethereal experience that I was halfway hoping for, but so few things are. What I did find was an expansive menu, high quality ingredients, well prepared food and a fantastic wait staff.” [Source]

After much discussion and some public commentary on the issue at its Nov. 3, 2010 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners gave final approval to a coordinated model for funding human services, collaborating with the United Way of Washtenaw, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, the city of Ann Arbor and the Washtenaw Urban County. The board had been briefed on this initiative at an Oct. 7 working session. An amendment to the resolution was made that deleted references to specific dollar amounts – the 2011 budget calls for $1.015 million in county funds to be allocated via the coordinated funding model and administered by the county/city of Ann Arbor office of community development. The Ann Arbor city council is expected to take up the issue at its Nov. 4 meeting.

This brief was filed during the board meeting at the county administration building. A more detailed account of the meeting will follow: [link] [Full Story]

The Washtenaw County board of commissioners took a final vote at their Nov. 3, 2010 meeting to approve levying an economic development tax of 0.043 mills. Known as the Act 88 millage, it is expected to generate roughly $611,266 annually, and would cost homeowners $4.30 for every $100,000 of a home’s taxable value. Because Act 88 predates the state’s Headlee Amendment, it can be approved by the board without a voter referendum. As they did when the board took its initial vote on Oct. 20, three commissioners – Judge, Ouimet and Wes Prater – dissented, and Jessica Ping abstained, citing the fact that a recipient of the funds, Ann Arbor SPARK, is a client of hers. Rolland Sizemore Jr. was absent.

This brief was filed during the board meeting at the county administration building. A more detailed account of the meeting will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Nov. 3, 2010 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners gave initial approval to transfer pension funds that have accumulated for commissioners in a Money Purchase Pension Plan (MPPP), moving the funds to a 457 deferred compensation program of their choice before the end of 2010. Commissioners are currently the only county employees who are enrolled in the MPPP – the county pays Prudential $10,000 annually to administer the plan. The board is expected to take a final vote on the proposal at its Nov. 17 meeting.

This brief was filed during the board meeting at the county administration building. A more detailed account of the meeting will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Nov. 3, 2010 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners discussed and gave initial approval to changes to the county’s 2011 budget, the second year of a two-year budget cycle. The resolution passed by the board at its Ways & Means Committee meeting asked county administrator Verna McDaniel to make suggestions for cutting $1,034,988 out of the original budget of $98,493,155, and directed her to bring proposals to the board to balance the 2011 budget no later than the second quarter of 2011. A public hearing on the changes is set for the board’s Nov. 17 meeting. The board will take a final vote on budget modifications before year’s end.

This brief was filed during the board meeting at the county administration building. A more detailed account of the meeting will follow. [link] [Full Story]

Writing on Facebook, Stephen Kunselman, who is a Ward 3 Ann Arbor city councilmember, announced on Tuesday night that he intends to seek another two-year term in 2011. [The seat he currently holds, which he won in 2009, was not a part of Tuesday's elections.]  “I collected over 100 signatures tonight to get on the 2011 ballot  – Kunselman for Council in 2011!” [Source]

Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education meeting (Oct. 27, 2010): Board members continued debate on a key aspect of the superintendent search process – whether the full set of applications for the position will be open for trustees to view.

Trustees Glenn Nelson and Christine Stead at the Oct. 27 meeting of the Ann Arbor Public Schools board. (Photo by the writer.)

The decision will be made at a special, regular meeting on Nov. 3 being held to finalize the candidate profile and compensation package for recruiting purposes.

At last week’s meeting, the board also heard two major reports – an update on the first two years of the district’s strategic planning process, and a review of the summer programming offered by the district in 2010. [Full Story]

Adam Zemke, a Democrat who lost his bid on Nov. 2 to be elected Washtenaw County commissioner for District 1, writes a gracious post-election message on his campaign website: “Well folks, though I would love to say that I am your next County Commissioner, the cards just didn’t fall in our direction this time. We tried hard to make them though. One thing that I’m very happy about is that we had a clean race. No mudslinging, no bashing, just racing. And for those who are familiar with my Formula SAE exploits, know that racing is what I love most.” [Source]

A post on the blog My Hotel Life features a review of Tomukun Noodle Bar in Ann Arbor: “I must say that outside of traditional sushi restaurants, Tomukun is the best noodle house in Michigan. The three noodle bowls we ordered were amazingly authentic with enough depth in flavors to leave a lingering sensation in your mouth.” [Source]

The four  Ann Arbor Democrats running for seats on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners were elected decisively on Tuesday. The group included three incumbents and a first-time candidate, Yousef Rabhi. Elsewhere in the county, Republicans picked up a seat on the board, according to unofficial election results posted by the Washtenaw County clerk’s office, bringing the GOP total to three of the 11 commissioners.

Rabhi defeated Republican Joe Baublis in District 11, with 5,663 votes – or 75% of the votes – compared to 1,821 for Baublis. The Aug. 3 primary election result was notable for Rabhi’s one-vote victory in a four-way race. Those results prompted a recount, giving him a final two-vote victory in the primary. District 11 covers parts of central and east Ann Arbor. Rabhi will take the seat vacated by Jeff Irwin, who ran a successful bid for 53rd District state representative on Tuesday, defeating Republican Chase Ingersoll by a vote of 23,436 to 5,692. [Full Story]

Vincent Hutchings, a UM political science professor, is quoted in a Detroit News article about the implications of Tuesday’s general election, which gave Republicans control of the Michigan legislature and all top state government posts: “It isn’t that (Republicans’) message is so popular, it’s that the party in power, which is the Democrats, has not alleviated the distress many people are feeling. There is only one way to address that: It’s by voting them out.” [Source]

Nancy Kaplan won her first elected position on Tuesday when she defeated two opponents – including an incumbent – to take a two-year term on the Ann Arbor District Library board of trustees. According to unofficial results posted by the Washtenaw County clerk’s office, Kaplan took just over 55% of the votes in that three-way race against Lyn Powrie Davidge and incumbent Carola Stearns, who was appointed to that seat in 2008 following the resignation of Jean King.

In a separate, much closer race, three incumbents – Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman and Ed Surovell – were re-elected to four-year terms. Challenger Vivienne Armentrout finished fourth in that four-way race, with 16,975 votes or 22.3% of total votes cast. Murphy got 20,404 votes, or 26.8%; Newman had 19,834 votes, or 26.07%; and Surovell got 18,415 votes, or 24.2%.

The four trustees elected on Tuesday will join three other current board members – Rebecca Head, Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal – whose terms expire in 2012. [Full Story]

With results in from 10 of the city’s 48 precincts, the race for the four-year library board terms looks fairly tight, while the race for the one two-year term already appears to be taking shape.

For the four-year terms, voters selected no more than three of four candidates running. Early results show vote totals as follows: Vivienne Armentrout with 2,331;  Barbara Murphy with 2,484;  Jan Barney Newman with 2,402; and Edward Surovell with 2,148.

In the race for one two-year term, early precinct reports show the following vote totals: Lyn Powrie Davidge with 708; Nancy Kaplan with 1,802; and Carola Stearns 622.

Track city of Ann Arbor results as they’re updated on The Chronicle’s  shared spreadsheet or on the county clerk’s website. [Final results had Kaplan winning, and Armentrout finishing fourth.] [Full Story]

Based on a text message from Keep Ypsi Rollin organizers, the Ypsilanti transit millage has passed by a margin of 3,156 to 1,043. The millage is estimated to raise around $280,000. The city of Ypsilanti contracts with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority for services through a purchase of service agreement (POSA).

Today The Chronicle crew will be filing reports from a sampling of polling places throughout the city of Ann Arbor, to give readers a sense of what’s happening around town on election day. We’ll update this report in chronological order – most recent material at the bottom.

A sign at Bach Elementary points voters to the polling location for Ward 5, Precinct 2.

For those of you still researching candidates, here’s a link to The Chronicle’s coverage of 2010 general election races. Another useful resource is Publius.org – type in your name and some additional information, and the site serves up a sample ballot with links to news articles, financial reports and other details about the candidates and ballot issues. And if you’re not sure where your polling place is located, check this Secretary of State site to find it.

Polls close at 8 p.m. We’ll report results from selected races via our Civic News Ticker, and update a shared spreadsheet as all the results roll in.

And we’re off – see you at the polls. [Full Story]

Editor’s note: The monthly milestone column, which appears on the second day of each month – the anniversary of The Ann Arbor Chronicle’s launch – is an opportunity for either the publisher or the editor of The Chronicle to touch base with readers on topics related to this publication. It’s also a time that we highlight, with gratitude, our local advertisers, and ask readers to consider making a voluntary subscription to support our work.

It’s election day, so I’ll start this monthly milestone – our 26th, for those keeping score – by badgering you to tell your family, friends and neighbors to go vote. (As a Chronicle reader, you will need no reminder yourself, of course.)

George Packer (right foreground), a staff writer for The New Yorker, spoke to a recent workshop for nontraditional journalists at The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Observant Chronicle readers will spot me sitting at the back of the classroom.) (Photo by Jim Stem, courtesy of The Poynter Institute.)

Frankly, I’ll be glad to bid farewell to Election 2010. Regular Chronicle readers know that while we’re huge fans of good governance and the democratic process, our patience is pretty thin for typical horse-race coverage of elections – complete with endorsements and accusations trotted forth by candidates, which mainstream media then use to whip themselves into a breathless, panting herd.

I’ll also be glad to have elections behind us because the month leading up to Nov. 2 has been especially taxing for The Chronicle – in good ways. But I’m looking forward to a return to our baseline level of overwork. One reason for the extra effort relates to preparation for the first candidate forum ever hosted by The Chronicle. Held on Oct. 21 at Wines Elementary for Ward 5 city council candidates, the event took a nontraditional approach. Chronicle editor Dave Askins described our thinking behind the forum’s task-based format in a recent column. You can read about the forum itself in a separate report. And if you want to review The Chronicle’s election coverage, you can find a list of election-related articles here.

Another reason that the month was busier than usual relates to an out-of-state trip I made to The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. I was a visiting faculty member there at a workshop for nontraditional journalists. In this month’s column, I’d like to focus on the Poynter visit, with some observations about The Chronicle’s work, plus a national perspective based on remarks by George Packer of The New Yorker, who also spoke at Poynter. [Full Story]

Writing a column in The Atlantic, Zingerman’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig describes the “soul of Peruvian cuisine”: “I like it a lot when we make some small improvement in a long-standing, popular product to make it even better still. And I get really excited when we’re able to get some really amazing but almost unknown (in Ann Arbor) traditional foods from other parts of the world to work with here. I’m writing here with that last one in mind: I’m super psyched that this great traditional chile has arrived in Ann Arbor from Peru. Aji amarillo means ‘yellow chile,’ but don’t let the rather mundane literal translation lead you to underestimate its import in its homeland.” [Source]