Author: Hayley Byrnes

For the May 8, 2012 election, the city of Ann Arbor will pilot its first use of electronic pollbooks (EPBs) by deploying them in eight of the city’s 48 precincts. Voting will still take place with paper ballots. But the EPBs are supposed to allow for faster checking and record keeping on election day. For the November 2012 presidential election, all precincts in the city are anticipated to use the EPBs. [Full Story]

In the November 2011 general election for Ward 1 city council, Democrat Sabra Briere ran unopposed. She was also unopposed in the Ward 1 Democratic primary. In November, a little less than 5% of Ward 1 voters wrote in the name of a candidate. The Chronicle asked intern Hayley Byrnes to find out what names people had written in on the ballots. [Full Story]

Prompted by a missing DVD of an Ann Arbor city council meeting, The Chronicle took a broader look at the Community Television Network, including its beginnings in the early 1980s, its budget and funding sources, and its future. Included in the mix are suggestions from a former cable communications commissioner. [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor city charter requires wards be drawn to be roughly pie-shaped. A recent discussion by the Ann Arbor city council about redrawing the city’s ward boundaries prompted The Chronicle to send intern Hayley Byrnes to a pie baking contest – to test out opinions about which city ward most resembles a pie-shaped wedge. [Full Story]

Through February the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority is hosting 20 public engagement meetings as a part of the final phase of development of a countywide transit plan. The Chronicle attended one of the forums, which was held at Saline’s city hall in early February. [Full Story]

The Chronicle takes a look at three upcoming solar energy projects in the city. Two of the projects were recently approved by the city’s historic district commission – one for a private home and another for the Michigan Theater downtown. A third project is planned for the Rudolf Steiner School. [Full Story]

The Chronicle sits down for a chat with Kirk Westphal, who serves on the Ann Arbor planning commission as well as the city’s environmental commission. [Full Story]

The Chronicle sat down and talked with Roger Kerson, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board’s newest member. He was fresh off a four-hour long board retreat, held at Weber’s Inn on Aug. 10, when the board discussed a number of strategic initiatives. [Full Story]

The Chronicle talked with outgoing chair of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board, John Splitt. Although his term on the DDA board ended July 31, he’s offered to continue his service. [Full Story]