Comments on: AADL on Board with State Street CIA

By: Libby Hunter

Libby Hunter — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 14:21:06 +0000

Regarding Pittsfield Township Corridor Improvement: Washtenaw Community College reacted very differently when asked by Pittsfield Township to hand over money to fix roads. (State St.) WCC Board of Trustees voted unanimously against it. They stated, "money that voters assign to education should stay in education." When Pittsfield Township came to the AADL board, Nancy Kaplan was the lone vote against it. The rest of our library board voted to give Ann Arbor library tax money to Pittsfield Township to fix roads. [link]

By: Libby Hunter

Libby Hunter — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 14:33:22 +0000

Here are several questions in the interest of taxpayers:

Was this report what taxpayers got for the $28K spent by the library to improve communication
with us (the voters/taxpayers)?

Is the library extending the Allerton Hill contract? If so, what is the total projected payment to Allerton Hill this year?

By: Lyn Davidge

Lyn Davidge — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 19:15:53 +0000

Better late than never, I have finally done my first read-through of the Allerton Hill report linked in this article. I encourage everyone who follows Chronicle Comments to do the same, and to encourage your contacts to do likewise. We may not ever be considered “Key Communicators” but we can keep the conversation going and offer input to AADL beyond the recommended survey.

By: Douglas Jewett

Douglas Jewett — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 11:37:59 +0000

Regarding the Pittsfield Township Corridor Improvement initiative: To one who follows the AADL Board Meetings closely, apparent non sequiturs are routine. This is because there has rarely been much substantive discussion on the part of the Board during meetings which the public can attend. But at Monday’s meeting even I found the brief discussion (excepting the lone dissent by Board member Kaplan) and ensuing vote baffling.

If this was Point B for Board followers, Point A was the Sept.16 AADL Board meeting where the TIFF proposal was first presented (Chronicle: 9/27/2013). Board member Margaret Leary questioned CIA representatives Craig Lyon and Dick Carlisle at length.

(I hope I’m not cherry picking Leary’s comments in summing up her initial impressions.)

Leary: “… I’m struggling because [the Library is] not in the transportation business.”

(And a little later. First part Chronicle’s paraphrase:) Participating in the CIA would take that money away from books, speakers, building improvements – “all of the things that we were authorized by the voters who elected us to do.”

By: Donald J. Salberg

Donald J. Salberg — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 02:32:00 +0000

Allow me to reiterate my objection to the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) board’s “opting-in” to the Pittsfield Township State Street Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA). The members of the AADL board were elected to represent the Ann Arbor constituents in actions that effect the finances and operations of the AADL. Their decision to have the AADL join the CIA was unilateral on their part and without requesting input from the electorate. The voters have a right to participate in the decision because, as a result of participating in the CIA, the AADL has committed Ann Arbor tax payers to paying more millage when requested than they would if none of the millage revenue were given to the CIA. Furthermore, no benefits for the AADL is evident from joining the CIA. The library board purportedly received modified terms pertinent to joining the CIA but these changes were never divulged to the public….

It is not too late to rectify the situation. The library board can reverse its “opt-in” decision during the several weeks left before the 60-day “opt-out” window closes. During this period of time the AADL board can survey Ann Arbor tax payers for their preferences to “opt-in” or to “opt-out” of the CIA. Inquiries about voters’ opinions can be obtained by sending letters to the legal addresses of all tax payers on record with the City Clerk’s office. Also the AADL board could arrange for feedback through its website and by direct email communication. This can be done but the question remains, will the library board make the effort? If the library board does not wish to be viewed as arrogant and autocratic then it should vigorously sponsor a survey….

After all, I am certain that Allerton Hill Consultants would encourage the survey and the AADL board is paying the consultant $28,000 to help improve its communications with Ann Arbor tax payers.