Missed Ticks Section

Warpehoski: One Year on EC

In a roundup of the lineup for the Aug. 5, 2014 primary elections, we overstated by one year Ward 5 councilmember Chuck Warpehoski’s length of service as a council representative on the city’s environmental commission. He served in that capacity during his first year on the council. We note the error here and have corrected the original article.

Number of Signatures Incorrect

Two reports on filings for the August 2014 primary election incorrectly reported the number of signatures needed on petitions for Washtenaw County commissioner. Candidates can file either 50 signatures from their district or pay a $100 fee to appear on the ballot. We note the error here, and have corrected the Civic New Tickers on Jan. 26, 2014 and Feb. 26, 2014.

Manchester Not on Task Force

In a report about results of a survey conducted by the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, we misidentified Steve Manchester as a member of a financial task force that included Bob Guenzel, Mary Jo Callan, Mark Perry, Norman Herbert and Paul Krutko.

Manchester had been invited to join the task force after being recommended by Ypsilanti Township officials Karen Lovejoy Roe and Brenda Stumbo, but by the time he was able to connect with AAATA staff to follow up, the task force had already met. We note the error here and have corrected the original report.

Mayor/Council Filing Deadline Is April 22

The deadline to file petitions to run for Ann Arbor mayor is April 22. A Jan 10, 2014 report about Sabra Briere’s intent to run for mayor, as well as a Jan. 9, 2014 report of Yousef Rabhi’s decision not to run, included an inaccurate filing deadline, based on information from the city clerk’s office. According to Ed Golembiewski, Washtenaw County’s director of elections, new filing deadlines took effect on Jan. 1, 2014. Previously, the filing deadline was the 12th Tuesday prior to an election. Now, that deadline falls on the 15th Tuesday prior to an election. The city clerk’s office has been informed and is updated their filing information. The Chronicle notes the error here, and has … [Full Story]

David Spear Image: Hand-Painted

A photo of a traffic signal box included in an Ann Arbor-based Arts Alliance information packet – as a part of a funding proposal for the PowerArt project – was inaccurately described by The Chronicle as an example of vinyl wrapping of signal boxes with artistic images. The funding proposal from the Arts Alliance – which was awarded with $20,500 each by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission – was for a project that would use vinyl wrapping.

According to the artist, David Spear, of Columbia, Missouri, the image used in the packet and extracted by The Chronicle shows a signal box that he hand-painted over the course of 56 hours starting on … [Full Story]

Amount of Land for Rec Center Wrong

In a report about the Aug. 13, 2013 meeting of the Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission, the amount of land that will be used for the proposed east county recreation center in downtown Ypsilanti was incorrect. Up to 8 acres might be used for the center, as part of the 38-acre Water Street area on Michigan Avenue. We note the error here, and have corrected the original report. Also, the article has been updated to include an additional funding source for conservation easements on the 101-acre Cort property in Salem Township.

Drop-Off Station Amount Wrong

In a report on solid waste issues, The Chronicle mischaracterized the potential cost of a new drop-off station. In fact, it could cost up to $4.9 million depending on the solution. We acknowledge the mistake here and have corrected the original report.

413 E. Huron: Approved May 13, Not March 13

In a review of past actions by the city council included in the report of a planning commission work session, the date of the city council’s approval of the 413 E. Huron project was mis-reported by The Chronicle. The correct date was May 13, 2013. We acknowledge the mistake here and have corrected the original report.

Briere Not Sidewalk Definition Sponsor

In The Chronicle’s report of the city council meeting of July 1, 2013, Sabra Briere (Ward 1) is inaccurately described as the sponsor of a change to the city’s ordinance defining what a “sidewalk” is. The legislation was, in fact, put forward by city staff.

Briere’s was involved in bringing attention to the status of cross-lot paths – in connection with one such path connecting Manor Drive and  Cloverdale Road – prior to the sidewalk millage request, which was approved by voters in November 2011. However, Briere did not sponsor the proposed  change to the definition of “sidewalk.” We note the mistake here and have corrected the original report as well as the live updates filed from the … [Full Story]

Derezinski Not Nominated for Planning Commission

In the live updates filed directly from the city council’s June 3, 2013 meeting, and in the meeting report that was published subsequently, The Chronicle reported incorrectly that Tony Derezinski had been nominated for re-appointment to the city planning commission. While his name was originally included in a nomination list, his name was not read aloud by mayor John Hieftje at the meeting. And The Chronicle has since learned that Derezinski is not expected to be nominated for re-appointment to serve on the planning commission. We note the mistake here and have corrected the error in the two previous items. [link 1] [link 2]

Rabinowitz Not WHI Co-Chair

An article about the May 20, 2013 Ann Arbor city council meeting mischaracterized Ellen Rabinowitz’s role with the Washtenaw Health Initiative (WHI). Rabinowitz, who is executive director of the Washtenaw Health Plan, is not WHI’s co-chair. She is chair of a WHI work group on Community Outreach and Dental Services, and co-chairs the Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment work group. We note the error here, and have corrected the original article.

Hayner’s Name Misspelled

In a report on the May 21, 2013 Ann Arbor planning commission meeting, Jeff Hayner spoke during a public hearing about the city’s master plan. The Chronicle misspelled his name in the report. We note the error here, and have corrected the original article. His name was also misspelled in a report on the May 6, 2013 city council meeting. That error has also been corrected in the original article.

County Commissioner Quote Corrected

A report on the March 20, 2013 meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners incorrectly quoted commissioner Dan Smith (R-District 2). His statement at the meeting was: “I do know that if we did this contract in the traditional way … we wouldn’t have a bull’s-eye on our back for that.” We note the error here, and have corrected the original article.

City Percentage of Gross for Parking: 17

In a half dozen different items published since early February 2013, The Chronicle has reported incorrectly the percentage of gross parking system revenues received by the city of Ann Arbor under the terms of its contract with the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. The correct figure is 17%. [.pdf of contract ratified on May 27, 2011 by the DDA] The erroneously reported additional half percent translates to roughly $95,000 annually. We note the errors here, and have corrected the mistake in previous reporting – most recently the city council meeting held on March 4, 2013.

Right-To-Work Vote: 6-2

A Civic News Ticker reported an incorrect vote tally on a resolution opposing the Michigan’s right-to-work law, passed by the Washtenaw County board of commissioners on Feb. 20, 2013. The vote was 6-2, with dissent from Dan Smith (R-District 2) and Alicia Ping (District 3). Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) was absent. We note the error here, and have corrected the original item.

Grant Application Deadline Wrong

In a news ticker item about the 721 N. Main property, we provided an inaccurate date for a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant application deadline. The deadline for the grant application  is April 1, 2013. The physical testing of the building at 721 N. Main is due to be completed by May 31. That deadline is driven by a task force deadline to report to the city council by July 31, 2013. We note the mistake here and have corrected the original brief.

Six Votes Needed for Recommendation

A Civic News Ticker reported that the 413 E. Huron project received a recommendation of approval from the Ann Arbor planning commission at its Feb. 5, 2013 meeting. The vote was 5-3 in support of approval. However, six votes are needed for a formal recommendation of approval for a site plan, so the project received a technical denial. We note the error here, and have corrected the original report.

Michigan Flyer Gross Cost Misreported

In a report from a recent meeting of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, we mischaracterized the $81 per service hour paid by the AATA to Michigan Flyer  –  to provide service between downtown Ann Arbor and Detroit Metro Airport. We reported the $81 cost as higher than Michigan Flyer’s gross cost. In fact the $81 per service hour is lower than Michigan Flyer’s gross cost. We note the error here and have corrected the original article.

Report on County Budget Vote Inaccurate

An article on the Nov. 7, 2012 meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners inaccurately reported the initial vote to reaffirm the county’s 2013 budget. The vote was 7-3, with dissent from Wes Prater, Dan Smith and Rolland Sizemore Jr. We note the error here, and have corrected the original article.

Resolutions Don’t Change Ordinances

In a report on a recent meeting of the Ann Arbor city council, we inaccurately described the council’s consideration of an amendment to an ordinance as considering “a resolution that would change” the ordinance. Ordinances are not changed through resolutions, but rather by voting directly on the amendments. In fact, a possible argument against adopting some resolution might be that it has the practical effect of amending an ordinance – which cannot be done through a simple council resolution. According to the city charter, ordinance amendments require two council votes of approval, taken at two separate meetings – which makes an ordinance change a different exercise from passing a resolution. We note the mistake here, and have corrected the … [Full Story]

State Grant Amount Misstated

A report on the Sept. 11, 2012 meeting of the Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission misstated the amount of a grant from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund. The county is receiving a $2.275 million grant, which requires $975,000 in local matching funds. WCPARC approved those matching funds on Sept. 11. We note the error here, and have corrected the original article.

Food Amount Incorrectly Reported

In a report on the Aug. 21, 2012 Ann Arbor planning commission meeting, we incorrectly reported that Food Gatherers distributed 5.75 million tons of food during the last fiscal year. The amount of food is measured in pounds, not tons. We note the error here, and have corrected the original article.

No Need for Clerk to Authorize Ballot Language

A Civic News Ticker published on July 30, 2012 incorrectly stated that Washtenaw County clerk Larry Kestenbaum would authorize the final ballot language for a $65 million bond proposal that the Ann Arbor District Library board is placing on the Nov. 6 ballot. In fact, the final language that was approved by the AADL board at its July 30 meeting does not require additional authorization by the county clerk. We note the error here, and have corrected the original Ticker.

A Library is Not a City

A July 22, 2012 article about the Ann Arbor District Library board’s decision to place a $65 million bond proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot incorrectly characterized constraints on the ballot language for library bond proposals. The article stated that the requirements for the ballot language are laid out in the  Michigan Home Rule City Act. While the district library is a formidable institution, it is not a city. In fact, district libraries in Michigan are governed by the District Library Financing Act (Act 265 of 1988). We note The Chronicle’s error here, and have corrected the original article to include the template that libraries must use for their ballot language.

June 20 Library Forum Location Incorrect

A June 12, 2012 article about a series of Ann Arbor District Library forums – held to get input on the future of the downtown library – gave an incorrect location for the June 20 forum. It will be held in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown building at 343 S. Fifth Ave., not in the basement level multi-purpose room. We note the correction here, and have updated the original article.

Coordinated Funding Clarified

An article about the May 16, 2012 meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners included a mention of the coordinated funding model – a partnership of the county, city of Ann Arbor, United Way of Washtenaw County, Washtenaw Urban County, and Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. We clarify here that the funds are not “pooled” together in a way that makes it impossible to associate funding from a particular agency with a particular nonprofit. Rather, the coordinated funding model allows for each of the funding partners to make specific allocations to specific nonprofits, at the discretion of the funding partner. We note the clarification here, and have changed the wording of the original article.

His Name is Ralph

In a brief filed on finalists for the Ypsilanti city manager position, we incorrectly reported the first name of one of the finalists. While there were two other Brians in the brief – Robb (who is an Ypsilanti city councilmember, and Vick (who is the other finalist for city manager) – Lange’s first name is Ralph. So the two finalists for the position are: Ralph A. Lange and Brian P. Vick. We note the mistake here and have corrected the original item.

2008 Ward 5 Was Hohnke vs. Floyd

In a Civic News Ticker item about Carsten Hohnke’s recent decision not to seek reelection to his Ward  5 Ann Arbor city council seat, we mischaracterized the Ward 5 2008 general election history. It featured the Democrat Hohnke running against Republican John Floyd. Hohnke won with 79% of the vote. We note the mistake here and have corrected the original item.