Archive for December, 2010

At its Dec. 6, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council approved a $39,000 revision to the current FY 2011 budget to allow for the purchase of refurbished furniture for the 15th District Court, which will be housed in the new municipal center that is nearing completion next to city hall, at Fifth and Huron. The initial request had been postponed at the council’s Oct. 18 meeting, when councilmembers had closely questioned the court administrator, Keith Zeisloft, over a request for up to $160,000 worth of furniture. The council again delayed action at its Nov. 4 meeting. At its Nov. 15 meeting, the council approved a $36,000 request for purchase of new furniture. At the Dec. 6 meeting, the $39,000 was authorized for additional, refurbished furniture.

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

At its Dec. 6, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council approved petitions of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner (WCWRC) office for five different projects in drainage districts that lie at least partly inside the city of Ann Arbor. The petitions include projects in the Mallets Creek, Traver Creek, Swift Run, Allen Creek,  and County Farm drainage districts, and range from streambank stabilization, to cistern installation, to tree planting. The total cost of all the projects, including the non-city share, is a bit over $9 million. They qualify for low-interest state-revolving fund loans, up to 50% of which may be forgiven by the state. The payments on the loans will come from the city’s stormwater fund.

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

At its Dec. 6, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council voted to approve a contract with WeCare Organics to operate the city’s composting facility, which is not to exceed $200,000 annually. The council had previously postponed the proposal after deliberating on the proposal at its Nov. 15 meeting. On Nov. 8, the council received a presentation about the project at a work session.

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

At its Dec. 6, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council postponed consideration of a medical marijuana licensing scheme until its Jan. 3, 2011 meeting. The new zoning regulations regulating where medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities can be located, which were scheduled to be heard at second reading on Dec. 20, were rescheduled for Jan. 18.

Key elements of the licensing scheme to be considered include: no more than 15 licenses will made available citywide for cultivation facilities and dispensaries; preference for applications will be given to facilities operating before Aug. 5, when the city council passed a moratorium on use of facilities for dispensing and cultivation; provision of names and addresses of various individuals associated with a facility; installation of security measures; posting of signage advising that use of marijuana is against federal law; consent to inspections of unspecified frequency. [.pdf of original draft licensing ordinance]

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

At its Dec. 6, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council was set to take a sequence of three votes on the Heritage Row PUD (planned unit development) project, which would have concluded with the scheduling of a reconsideration of the proposal as a first reading agenda item on Dec. 20.

However, in the first of the votes, Carsten Hohnke (Ward 5) cast a vote against suspending the council rules which would have allowed the project to be brought back before the council to be reconsidered. Of the four councilmembers who have voted against the project previously, Hohnke was widely understood to be the likeliest to change his vote. The Heritage Row agenda item was conspicuously absent from Hohnke’s monthly email update to constituents sent on Dec. 6, which was one indication before the meeting that he was not prepared to change his vote. The project requires a super majority of eight councilmembers for approval, due to a petition signed by a sufficient number of nearby property owners. Joining Hohnke in voting against suspension of council rules were Sabra Briere (Ward 1), Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3), Marcia Higgins (Ward 4), and Mike Anglin (Ward 5).

The residential project, located on the east side of South Fifth Avenue, would renovate seven houses and construct three new 3.5-story apartment buildings behind those houses, with an underground parking garage. The city council has already reconsidered the project once before – at its July 6, 2010 meeting. That reconsideration came after the council had initially rejected it on June 21 with a 7-4 vote in favor.

The revised proposal included the following revisions: (1) the top floor of the new south building would be removed from the design; (2) the density would be reduced from 79 units to 76 units and the number of bedrooms would be reduced from 154 to 147; (3) the project would include five affordable units at the 50% AMI (average median income) level, in addition to six affordable units at the 80% AMI level; and (4) the three new buildings would be LEED certified [.pdf of current proposal] Previous coverage: ”Heritage Row Redux: Again.”

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

At its Dec. 6, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council adopted gave initial approval for adoption of the complete Michigan Vehicle Code (MVC) as a part of its city code – Chapter 126 Traffic. In early 2008, the council had adopted the MVC, but excluded portions of the MVC addressing speed limits. [.pdf of corresponding Michigan Vehicle Code]

The city of Ann Arbor lost an August 2008 court case in which two speeding tickets issued in late 2007 were thrown out, because the city of Ann Arbor’s posted speed limits did not conform to state law with respect to the number of access points in a half-mile stretch of road, or a guideline that stipulates posted limits not be lower than the travel speed of the 85th percentile of traffic.

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

At its Dec. 6, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council gave initial approval to changes in the city’s zoning code for areas outside the downtown, across most of the city’s zoning classifications.

The changes affect area, height and placement (AHP). Because of amendments made to the proposal, the approval given on Dec. 6 is considered to be only an initial, first-reading approval, even though the council had already given initial approval of the AHP revisions at its Sept. 7, 2010 meeting. The zoning change will need an additional approval before the council in order to take effect.

The changes are intended to allow more compact use of land, preserve natural systems, accommodate new growth along transit corridors, and locate buildings to promote non-motorized access. Previous Chronicle coverage of the city planning commission’s deliberations on AHP changes: “AHP Zoning Revisions Go to City Council.”

The amendments, brought forward by Marcia Higgins (Ward 4), ensure that zoning districts that provide for employment uses – Office (O), Research (RE), Office/Research/Limited Industrial (ORL) – are not subject to a cap on building height, except in areas directly abutting residential areas.

The measure had been postponed from the council’s Oct. 4 meeting, at the request of Marcia Higgins (Ward 4). At the council’s Oct. 18 meeting, Higgins brought forth her amendments. After some deliberation on the merits of the amendments, Higgins withdrew them and the council again elected to postpone the measure. At the Monday, Nov. 15 meeting, the council again elected to put off a vote on the proposal.

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

Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board meeting (Dec. 1, 2010): At its last meeting of the year, the DDA board transacted only one piece of business: It authorized a grant of $14,417 to the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to fund service improvements, like greater frequency and reduced travel times, for the AATA #4 bus, which runs between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor.

The money is offered by the DDA as a challenge to other local organizations to support service enhancements on the route, which are estimated to have a total cost of $180,000. Board member Newcombe Clark described the grant as a great first step, adding “but man, is it a baby one.”

Although the transportation grant was the only vote taken by the board at the meeting, board members entertained discussion on two topics that are likely to receive a great deal of focus in the broader community over the next few months: (1) the future use of the Library Lot; and (2) the “mutually beneficial” discussions between the city and the DDA about the parking contract under which the DDA operates the city’s parking system.

The board also heard the usual range of reports from its committees. No one addressed the board during either of the two slots set aside for public commentary. [Full Story]

In an article focused on changes at Michigan Technical Institute, the Detroit Free Press reports on the increasing number of Michigan graduate schools that have implemented flexible maternity leaves and accommodations to students. The article mentions that UM began their policy in 2008, and quotes UM graduate student Heidi Liere, who took time off when her daughter was born last September. If not for the policy, Liere said, “I would have had to take the whole semester off.” [Source]

Writing on his Psychology Today blog, UM psychology professor Christopher Peterson reflects on  the fall LS&A theme semester, “What Makes Life Worth Living?” He writes: “Last Thursday, we had the 110th event of the theme semester, a lecture by Sister Helen Prejean from New Orleans, the death penalty opponent featured in the film ‘Dead Man Walking.’ Her lecture was – simply put – the best lecture I have ever heard in my life. It was passionate, informed, and inspiring, moving the audience to tears and also to laughter. The message and the messenger provided powerful examples of what makes life worth living, and one did not need to agree with everything Sister Helen said to recognize this.” [Source]

The Damn Arbor blog posts some photos from the Dec. 3 Midnight Madness and KindleFest events in downtown Ann Arbor, including some shots taken at an Everyday Wines wine tasting in Kerrytown. [Source]

About 50 people showed up Friday morning in the city council chambers to hear a presentation by Miles of Golf partners about their proposal to assume operations of the city-owned Huron Hills golf course, and move their business there.

During the 90-minute meeting, president Chris Mile and other partners with the Pittsfield Township business gave a presentation and answered questions from a seven-member selection committee. Members of the public were allowed to submit questions, which city staff said will be answered and posted online within the next couple of weeks.

Much of the presentation covered the same material found in the Miles of Golf initial response to the city’s request for proposals (RFP), as well a separate financial report. [.pdf file of Miles of Golf RFP response] [.pdf file of Miles of Golf financial proposal] The business has proposed operating the 18-hole, 116-acre course essentially unchanged for three to five years. Then, it plans to build a new facility on what is now the front seven holes – land east of Huron Parkway – with a driving range, teaching center and golf shop. It would relocate its current operations, which are located off of Carpenter Road, south of Packard, and convert the remainder of Huron Hills into a 9-hole course. They’re also hoping to partner with Project Grow or Food Gatherers, to put in a community garden on land they don’t plan to use for golf.

To fund construction, the proposal calls for the city to issue a $3 million bond, which Miles of Golf would pay off over 20 years. The business proposes to pay additional funds to the city during that time, totaling about $1 million. Miles of Golf also estimates that the city would save about $5 million over the 20 years, since it would no longer be paying to operate the course – an estimated $250,000 per year.

During their presentation, Miles of Golf partners addressed concerns that have been raised in the community. They stressed that the project would not put up perimeter fencing or pole lights, and that the land would remain accessible for winter activities, like sledding. Nor do they plan to build a banquet center – though they do hope to eventually sell food and beverages on the site, including alcohol. Currently, Huron Hills does not have a liquor license, though the other city course, Leslie Park, does.

Miles of Golf submitted one of only two proposals that were made in response to the city’s RFP, which was issued in September. The selection committee rejected the second proposal, which had been submitted by a group called Ann Arbor Golf. It called for operating Huron Hills as a public, 18-hole golf course via a new nonprofit entity, the Herb Fowler Foundation of Huron Hills. [.pdf of nonprofit proposal]

In an email to The Chronicle, Paul Bancel – one of the leaders of Ann Arbor Golf – said they’d been told by city staff that their proposal was rejected because they hadn’t provided an adequate plan for staffing the golf course, hadn’t identified the roles of the key individuals in their organization and didn’t include any bank references. The group was disappointed the committee did not choose to interview their group, Bancel wrote – they were not asked any questions, nor were they asked to provide any clarifications about their proposal. [Full Story]

An article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports on the resurgence of native fish in Lake Huron, following the collapse of the once strong chinook salmon population. The article quotes UM biologist David Jude: “It’s this ironic thing that has happened and it involved invasive species, but we’re actually getting our native species back because of it.” [Source]

[Full Story]

Washtenaw County board of commissioners meeting (Dec. 1, 2010): Farewells and recognitions took up much of the board’s last meeting of 2010 – four commissioners are wrapping up their service at the end of the year.

Also during the meeting, the issue of appropriate compensation emerged again. Local attorney Tom Wieder, who had initially raised the issue in October, spoke during public commentary about the need for commissioner Mark Ouimet and others who were inappropriately reimbursed for per diem and mileage to repay the county. An independent accountant’s report on the matter, one that was commissioned by county administrator Verna McDaniel, has been completed but not yet publicly released. Commissioners will be meeting individually with accountants regarding the report next week, and it will then be released to the public.

A resolution that would have cut spending accounts for commissioners from $3,550 annually to $1,500 wasn’t brought forward for a vote – Conan Smith had circulated a draft of the resolution via email earlier in the day. But he said he decided not to introduce it, because after talking to individual commissioners before the meeting, it was clear that he couldn’t marshal enough votes to get it passed.

The board did take action on several budget-related items, with little discussion. Commissioners gave final approval to revisions in the 2011 budget, which among other things directs county administrator Verna McDaniel to make proposals for cutting $1,034,988 out of the original budget of $98,493,155. The board also voted to accept the county’s apportionment report, which gives details of the 2010 taxable valuations for property in the county, by municipality. The report also includes the amount of millages levied and the dollar amounts collected in taxes. December tax bills have already been mailed out to property owners, based on these calculations.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, the board approved two appointments, nominated by board chair Rolland Sizemore Jr. Commissioner Conan Smith was appointed to the board of the land bank authority, and outgoing commissioner Ken Schwartz was appointed to the board of the Washtenaw County Road Commission. [Full Story]

Crain’s Detroit Business reports that the state legislature passed a final capital outlay bill on Friday, approving 23 infrastructure projects at universities and community colleges – including $30 million for the University of Michigan’s G.G. Brown Memorial Laboratories renovation. [Source]

Ricky (walks in the front door): Lucy, I’m home!

Lucy (runs up and plants a smooch): Ooh, hi honey!

Ricky: Tonight we celebrate the band’s big record deal! Did you remember to buy the Cristal Champagne?

Lucy: Oh, Ricky, you’re going to be so proud of me!

Ricky: And why is that?

Lucy: Remember you told me that Cristal costs $250?

Ricky (suspiciously): Yes?

Lucy (pulls bottle from behind back): Look! I found a bottle for just $8!

Ricky (visibly upset): Lucy, that’s not Cristal. It’s not Champagne, it’s cheap Cava from Spain. See, it says “Cristalino”! That means “little crystal.”

Lucy: Oh, that’s OK. I’m just going to drink one glass.

Funny? Maybe not so much. Especially if you’re the maker of the sparkling wine formerly known as Cristalino, a Vinous Posse top value pick in the last two December budget bubbly shoot-outs.

Howcum? Back in 2006, Louis Roederer, producer of Champagne-to-the-rap-stars Cristal, found fault with the similarity in name and foil labels of the decidedly down-market Spanish Cava.

Next step: Federal court, for a lawsuit against Cristalino’s owners for trademark infringement. [Full Story]

Local software developer Dug Song has created an application for Android phones that helps supporters of the Ann Arbor Skate Park remember to vote daily in December for the skatepark in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge. [Source]

Brad Orr, chair of the UM physics department, narrates a nearly 9-minute video about the physics of hockey, as a prelude to the Dec. 11 Big Chill at the Big House – the Michigan v. Michigan State hockey game at Michigan Stadium. [Source]

By beating Penn State on Saturday, Michigan State secured a share of its first Big Ten title in 20 years. It was a big game, but it was far from Michigan State’s biggest.

The biggest game in the Spartans’ long history wasn’t one of their 30 victories over Michigan, their six national title-clinching contests or their three Rose Bowl triumphs.

No, the biggest game in Michigan State history was against Notre Dame in 1966 – and it wasn’t a victory. [Full Story]

USA Today reports on the perception and reality of Americans who consider themselves religious, compared to their actual church attendance. UM researcher Philip Brenner found that, among 13 nations studied, Americans exaggerate their church attendance the most. Roughly 35% to 43% of Americans report that they attend church regularly when surveyed, but in reality merely 23% of Americans attend church frequently, according to data collected from “time diaries.” Yet Brennan insists that Americans are not simply lying: “[Americans] reflect on their identity as a religious person and they want to honestly report their identity as a religious person.” [Source]