The May 7 presentation was given by three different staff: Mary Jo Callan, director of the county’s office of community and economic development; Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, which runs the Delonis Center homeless shelter; and Amanda Carlisle, director of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance. Several WHA board members also attended the May 7 meeting, including former county administrator Bob Guenzel. [.pdf of presentation]

In 2013, 4,542 people were homeless in Washtenaw County – a 25% increase since 2011. On any given night, 510 people experience homelessness in Washtenaw County. Several organizations provide a total of 299 emergency shelter beds, but demand far exceeds available resources.

Callan and Schulmeister reviewed the many barriers to helping people find housing. They also provided several suggestions for addressing these issues:

• Restore funding for affordable housing projects, such as rapid rehousing, affordable housing development, and permanent supportive housing.
• Create and fund a mission-style shelter and/or a permanent warming center.
• Use county assets to advance affordable housing projects.
• Continue to stabilize existing providers, including PORT and local nonprofits.
• Provide funding for short-term motel/hotel stays to engage people in permanent housing programs.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building at 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8), chair of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, talked with an advocate from the homeless community before the April 2 county board meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

The board ultimately voted to direct county administrator Verna McDaniel to work with community partners to address immediate needs of the homeless. In general, McDaniel has budgetary discretion to spend up to $50,000 on professional services contracts, and up to $100,000 for any proposed goods, services, new construction or renovation. Later in the week, she allocated $35,000 to the Delonis Center – which is run by the nonprofit Shelter Association of Washtenaw County – to keep its nighttime warming center open through April 30. The warming center had originally been slated to close for the season on April 6.

The resolution also directed the administration to develop a plan by May 7 for updating the county’s Blueprint to End Homelessness, which was adopted in 2004 but appears to be dormant. The process of updating that plan is to be completed by Oct. 1, 2014.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) had initially suggested allocating $40,000 to the shelter to keep the warming center open another month. Other commissioners had concerns about throwing money at the shelter without any input from shelter staff, and without knowing specifically how the money would be used. Because the item hadn’t been included on the agenda, representatives from the shelter staff didn’t attend the meeting.

Some commissioners thought there should be a strategic plan in place before any additional funding is given – and they seemed to assume that such a plan doesn’t already exist. Mary Jo Callan, director of the county’s office of community & economic development, noted that the city of Ann Arbor and several other entities are working on this issue, in partnership with the Shelter Association. The board had received a briefing from the association’s executive director, Ellen Schulmeister, at their Feb. 6, 2014 working session.

The vote on the resolution was 6-2, over dissent from Republicans Dan Smith (District 2) and Alicia Ping (District 3), who both objected to the process. Rolland Sizemore Jr. (D-District 5) was absent.

Dan Smith called it “completely and entirely inappropriate” to be making policy and budgetary decisions on the fly, in response to a few people who showed up to speak during public commentary. He supported updating the Blueprint to End Homelessness, but thought it was a discussion that should take place at a working session before taking action at a regular board meeting. Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) responded by saying that commissioners are elected to work for the people. When people come to the board, it’s important to address their concerns in a serious manner, he said.

Because of the length of the meeting, some men who were staying at the shelter missed the 9:30 p.m. curfew. Typically, anyone showing up after that time isn’t allowed inside. Greg Dill, the county’s director of infrastructure management, contacted the shelter staff and made arrangements for the men to be accommodated.

In other action, commissioners gave initial approval to a two-year pricing proposal – for 2016 and 2017 – to provide police services to local municipalities through contracts with the county sheriff’s office. Some commissioners expressed concern about the financial sustainability of this approach to funding police services, and cited the need for new revenue sources for public safety. Sheriff Jerry Clayton was on hand to present the pricing proposal, and supported suggestions to seek a new funding source. As he’s done in the past, Clayton characterized the issue of public safety as one that encompasses economic development, human services and other aspects of the community.

Commissioners also gave initial approval to a new brownfield redevelopment plan for the Thompson Block in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town, and took final action to add autism coverage to the health care benefits for employees. They postponed action on a resolution related to the county road commission until May 7, following an April 17 working session that will focus on that issue. The board also was briefed on the 2013 audit and comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR), and received an award for financial reporting from the national Government Finance Officers Association.

During communications, Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) reported that the review of applications is underway for the current cycle of coordinated funding, a partnership to fund social service agencies that involves the county, city of Ann Arbor, and several other entities. For this cycle, 105 applications were received, representing $8.7 million in requests. The amount of available funding this year from all partners is $4.4 million. “So it’s a difficult, difficult process,” she said. Funding recommendations will be brought to the board in May.

On April 2, the board also honored five local businesses and institutions with “healthy workplace” awards, and recognized the Ann Arbor Community Center for 91 years of service.

Funds for Homeless Shelter

This year, the issue of homelessness has been highlighted during public commentary at several county board meetings. That was again true on April 2.

Washtenaw County owns the Delonis Center building at 312 W. Huron in Ann Arbor, but does not operate the shelter. Operations are handled by the nonprofit Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, led by executive director Ellen Schulmeister. Schulmeister had briefed commissioners about services for the homeless at their Feb. 6, 2014 working session. Her briefing had come in response to advocacy from several homeless advocates at the board’s Jan. 22, 2014 meeting, when commissioners had also discussed the need to do more.

The county budget included $51,230 for the Delonis Center in 2013 and that amount was increased to $160,000 this year as part of the regular budget approval process late last year. The county funding is set to increase again to $200,000 in 2015 and remain at that level through 2017. The Shelter Association’s annual budget is $2.583 million.

The Delonis Center was built to house 50 beds, but there have been 75 beds since 2009. In addition, the Delonis Center operates a warming center in its dining room, for a maximum of 65 people – although during the harshest weather, more are accommodated. The warming center is open from mid-November through April 6. There is no drug testing, but people are given a breathalyzer test and are not admitted into the shelter if their blood alcohol level is over .10 – above the legal intoxication level of .08.

Funds for Homeless Shelter: Public Commentary

Several people spoke to advocate for the homeless at the April 2 meeting. Diane Chapman noted that the warming center would be closing on April 6, and she wasn’t sure the weather was good enough for that to happen yet. She said she personally has had to rescue people to prevent them from freezing, so she was asking commissioners to help. It’s not a good thing to put people on the street right now.

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) talks with advocates for the homeless during a break in the April 2 county board meeting.

Ray Gholston introduced himself as a resident of the Delonis warming center. He said he was outraged at the planned closing of the warming center on April 6. “This is a potential crisis,” he said, which would result in dozens of people put out onto the streets, and some could possibly die because of exposure to the elements. Basic shelter is not just a right for the privileged few, he said. It is a human right for everyone. Even prisoners of war get food, clothing and shelter, he noted – the United Nations mandates it. How much money does it take to roll out a cot and give a man a blanket? he asked. There are animal shelters, and if dogs and cats were on the street, there would be outrage and anger, he said. Some people on the streets are U.S. veterans who’ve served honorably, he said – look at how they’re being repaid.

Gholston told commissioners that he has a full-time job. “I’m not some bum. I work for a living,” he said, but he can’t afford to rent an apartment in Ann Arbor. How is he supposed to keep up his appearance and hygiene for his job, if he has to sleep on the streets? If the warming center is closed, people will be sleeping on private property, he said, and urinating and defecating in the streets. “This is a shame,” he said. America isn’t a third-world nation, but it could turn into one. He requested that the board do anything in its power to extend the availability of the warming center. He hoped they’d use their humanity to do the right thing.

Elizabeth Kurtz reminded commissioners that a group of people had approached the county board in January about issues related to the warming center. [She was referring to the Jan. 22, 2014 meeting.] As a result, she said, some people from the warming center met with commissioner and board chair Yousef Rabhi; county administrator Verna McDaniel; Mary Jo Callan, director of the county’s office of community & economic development; and Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. During the meeting, Kurtz said, everyone agreed that there would be continuing dialogue about improving the warming center and addressing homelessness issues. At no point, no human being should be forced to sleep outside in the elements, she said.

Kurtz felt that the board had ignored these issues and had not given them the attention they deserve. She said the homeless community won’t rest until they have access to the human rights they’re entitled to. She read a statement that urged the board to force the Delonis Center to keep the warming center open, or to make other accommodations for people who are using it, such as hotel rooms or temporary trailers. The statement also referred to Kurtz herself, stating that she was “kicked out of the warming center for a non-criminal offense” and asking that she be allowed to return.

Christopher Ellis said he didn’t want to cast aspersions on the shelter. The staff does a humane job, and without it he wouldn’t have survived the winter. But he questioned the morality of closing the warming center on April 6. It should be looked at, he said.

Funds for Homeless Shelter: Board Discussion

Responding to the public commentary, board chair Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) thanked the advocates for the homeless, and said he felt he’d had a lot of opportunities to talk with them about these issues. He thought he’d been open and honest with them about the barriers. He agreed that the community needs to care for everyone, but it’s important to realize that this is part of a broader picture that includes affordable housing and resources to find jobs. He hoped that the tax base problems caused by the down economy would be turning around, but there haven’t been as many resources to address the issue because of that.

The Delonis Center is a great partner, Rabhi said, in leveraging county tax dollars with private funding and other sources. It’s a complex issue with many moving parts, he said, which includes wage disparity and access to economic opportunity.

Mary Jo Callan, director of the county’s office of community & economic development, and Conan Smith (D-District 9).

Conan Smith (D-District 9) asked to amend the April 2 agenda so that the board could formally discuss the issues that had been raised.

Because this issue had not originally been on the agenda, no one from the Delonis Center was on hand to answer questions. So later in the meeting, Mary Jo Callan – director of the county’s office of community & economic development – was asked to provide some context. Callan reminded commissioners that the former shelter, which was demolished several years ago, was an 80-bed facility. The current shelter was originally recommended to be 200 beds, but ultimately was built with 50 beds and opened in 2003. More beds were added later, bringing the total to about 75 beds.

The Shelter Association also has a rotating shelter of 25 beds that’s housed by local religious groups. There’s also a warming center, which began with just chairs set up in a room for about 50 people. In 2009, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority purchased bedding for the center, so that clients could sleep in the floor, Callan said.

This winter, there’s been an increase in the number of people seeking services from the shelter – some nights, as many as 80 people. The warming center and the rotating shelter operate from November 18 through April 6, Callan said. The intent is that during the harshest winter months, people are provided with safety and warmth.

There are about 4,500 homeless people in Washtenaw County, Callan reported. There’s a growing lack of affordable housing, both locally and nationwide. She noted that the Urban Institute recently issued a report indicating that for every 100 people in Washtenaw County who are earning 30% or less than the area median income, there are 18 units of affordable housing.

Callan said Schulmeister wasn’t able to rush to the April 2 meeting when this issue arose, but she’s very interested in the board’s discussion. Although the Shelter Association tries to be as responsive as possible, Callan added, as a single nonprofit, it’s difficult to address homelessness in the entire community.

Noting that the cold weather isn’t over yet, Conan Smith said he didn’t want to wait two weeks to make funding available for what might be an emergency situation. “You know me – I’m not a throw-the-money-at-a-problem kind of person,” he said, adding that he wants to understand the root cause and what’s at play. But this is a situation that might need the county to throw money at the problem in the short term, Smith said.

The county doesn’t have the capacity for a year-round warming center, Smith added, but he hoped there was a way to address the next several weeks, until the weather warms up. He also wanted to know what resources are needed for longer-term solutions.

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8).

Rabhi replied that the board needs to be respectful of the Shelter Association as an organization. It’s a separate nonprofit, and receives money from other sources, not just the county. So any solutions should be developed in conjunction with them, he said. For him, the closure of the warming center was a new issue, Rabhi added – he hadn’t realized until recently it was closing on April 6. There needs to be a long-term strategy, he said, because this would arise again in future years. But he acknowledged that there’s a spectrum of need, including short-term problems.

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4), who serves on the sustainable revenues for supportive housing services task force that was created in 2007, reported that the task force is looking at long-term solutions, including a potential millage and an endowment.

Conan Smith then put forward a proposal to allocate $40,000 as emergency funding to the shelter for an additional month. His rationale was based on his recollection that Schulmeister had said it cost about $10,000 a week to operate the warming center.

Andy LaBarre (D-District 7) said he hoped commissioners would keep this discussion in mind as the county moves forward with the disposition of the Platt Road property. As chair of the board’s working sessions, he reported that the issue of homelessness would be a topic for the first working session in May.

LaBarre clarified with Callan that from November 18 through April 6, a nighttime warming center was open. During the day, it opens up if temperatures are 10 degrees or colder. Responding to another query from LaBarre, Callan said the other major public funders for the shelter are the city of Ann Arbor and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Callan told commissioners that the shelter staff are interested in being as flexible as possible. “I also want you all to know that the shelter staff has been working overtime literally for months,” she said. It’s a very complex, crowded, difficult place to be. So the feasibility of keeping it open would depend on whether it’s tenable from the staff’s perspective, she said. It’s been a very difficult season for everyone, Callan added – both the people who need services, and the people who provide those services.

Rabhi wondered if extending the warming center for a month would actually address the issues that have been raised. April 30 is an arbitrary end date, too, he noted. That’s a struggle for him.

Alicia Ping (R-District 3) asked what the $40,000 would be used for. Is it for operations? Conan Smith said he was responding to the request for keeping the warming center open past April 6. Ping responded, saying that this is a bigger issue than just the next few weeks. She pointed out that the 10-day forecast called for temperatures in the 50s. “I don’t know that this is the right use of our money to keep the warming shelter open when clearly it is warming up.”

Ping also noted that the county isn’t in charge of the shelter. The county could provide funding, but the shelter can do anything it wants with that. Smith pointed out that the county owns the Delonis Center building.

Brabec noted that even though highs are forecast in the 50s, the lows will still be in the 30s. It highlights the struggle of needing to address short-term needs while also looking for long-term solutions. The $40,000 might help address the short-term need for residents, she said. It can run on parallel tracks.

Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) wouldn’t support spending money unless there was also a long-term strategy in place before then, involving other partners who should also make an investment. Callan replied that more communications and connections could be made, but there’s also a lot happening regarding emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, supportive housing, and affordable housing. She suggested scheduling another working session on these issues.

People in the shelter are being housed, Callan said, “but that is an uphill battle.” Social equity and a dearth of affordable housing are issues in this community, she said, as is a lack of living-wage employment. “The most basic social service is a job,” she said.

Conan Smith (D-District 9).

Rabhi agreed that the broader discussion needs to include the issue of a living wage. He noted that earlier in the day, President Barack Obama had talked about the need to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10. Even at that, Rabhi noted, people wouldn’t necessarily be able to afford housing in Ann Arbor, but it’s a good step. He planned to bring a resolution to the April 16 meeting in support of raising the minimum wage.

Rabhi also talked about the need to include regional partners, including other county governments in southeast Michigan.

Conan Smith said he didn’t expect the conversation to end when the warming center closes, but he hoped to provide funding to give people the flexibility of addressing short-term needs. He didn’t want to be inactive, when people had asked for a response.

Brabec suggested directing the county administrator to work with regional partners and return to the board with a plan, including both emergency shelter and also a longer-term strategy. Smith cautioned against spending $40,000 so that people earning $70,000 or more could come up with a plan, saying he trusted the county administrator not to do that. He wanted the $40,000 to directly help people who are homeless.

Ping opposed allocating any dollar amount, but noted that county administrator Verna McDaniel already has discretion to allocate funding if she chose to – up to $100,000.

C. Smith then made a formal motion – a resolution directing the county administrator to work with regional partners to address short-term sheltering issues and to bring a plan back to the board for longer-term housing issues by no later than May 21. LaBarre proposed amending the motion to replace “housing” with “shelter.”

Rabhi noted that the board is asking staff to come up with a solution “to a problem that we have not been able to solve in the history of mankind.” He hoped that the goal for the proposed resolution is to tell commissioners what tools are available to move forward, and to put the issue in context. McDaniel replied that it wouldn’t be possible to find a solution, but it would be realistic to propose a strategy.

Noting that the county’s Blueprint to End Homelessness was created in 2004, Rabhi recommended that the board dedicate 2014 to updating that blueprint and making it relevant for today. It could be another 10-year plan with a strategy for moving forward. He suggested asking staff to develop that by the fall, while addressing short-term needs in the meantime.

Rabhi then proposed a substitute resolution:

Resolved that the Board of Commissioners directs the Administrator to work with the County’s Community Partners to address the short term needs of the homeless in Washtenaw County;

Be it Further Resolved that the Administrator develop a plan for the Board of Commissioners to engage in a comprehensive update to the Blueprint to End Homelessness;

Be it Further Resolved that this strategic plan be presented no later than May 7, 2014, the strategic plan shall include a context of the last decade’s investments in housing and homelessness in Washtenaw County, a current picture of where the county is at today and a strategy for updating the plan over the course of 2014;

Be it Further Resolved that the Board of Commissioners will conclude this process by October 1, 2014.

Conan Smith withdrew his resolution, and LaBarre withdrew his proposed amendment to Smith’s resolution.

Dan Smith (R-District 2) criticized the approach, calling it “totally inappropriate.” April 6 has been looming for months, and the county has been doing a lot of work on this issue for a long time, he noted. “To make public policy based on the number of people who show up and speak at the podium is entirely inappropriate.” There are other agenda items, and staff and members of the public had been waiting over three hours for the board to conduct its business, he observed. And yet, the board takes something that’s not on the agenda and spends 90 minutes discussing it, then coming up with a proposal “on the fly.”

D. Smith said he had no problem taking up this issue in the future, including updating the Blueprint to End Homelessness. It’s also an appropriate topic for a working session, he said. But Smith said he wouldn’t support this resolution.

Rabhi replied that the board works for the people of Washtenaw County, and when people come forward with a concern, it’s important to address it in a serious manner. “That’s what we owe to the citizens who elected us to serve on this board,” Rabhi said.

Outcome: The resolution passed on a 6-2 vote, over dissent from Dan Smith (R-District 2) and Alicia Ping (R-District 3). Rolland Sizemore Jr. (D-District 5) was absent.

Funds for Homeless Shelter: Coda

Later in the week, McDaniel allocated $35,000 to the Delonis Center, which has agreed to keep the warming center open through April 30. The funding will come from the county’s unearmarked reserves.

Road Commission

The April agenda included a resolution regarding the county road commission. The resolution, if passed, would leave the county road commission as an independent entity. The resolution also states that the county board does not support making the road commission’s board an elected body. [.pdf of board resolution]

The resolution is in line with recommendations of a board subcommittee that was appointed in October of 2013 to look at the future of the road commission. At its final meeting on March 1, 2014, the subcommittee voted to recommend that the road commission remain an independent operation, and not be absorbed into the county government.

Andy LaBarre (D-District 7).

That subcommittee vote came over dissent from Conan Smith of Ann Arbor (D-District 9), who argued that consolidating the road commission into the county would allow for more flexibility and accountability in oversight. Currently, the road commission is overseen by a board with three members appointed by the county board of commissioners to six-year terms. Smith thought that asking voters to approve a countywide road millage – when the revenues aren’t allocated by an elected body – would be a tough sell. It would be especially tough to sell to voters in the city of Ann Arbor, who already pay a millage for street maintenance within the city.

But others on the subcommittee were in line with the strong support from township officials for keeping the road commission independent. Most township boards in the county have passed resolutions supporting the current structure, citing their strong relationships with the road commission staff and board.

The subcommittee did not make any recommendations on whether to expand the road commission from three to five members. The three county commissioners who served on the subcommittee – Conan Smith, Dan Smith (R-District 2) and Alicia Ping (R-District 3) – had agreed that the question of expansion was primarily a political one, and should be taken up by the county board. Subcommittee members indicated that they’d be willing to discuss it further, if directed to do so by the county board.

Regarding the question of whether road commissioners should be elected positions, the subcommittee unanimously passed a resolution recommending not to pursue that option. The sense was that elections would be dominated by urban voters who are heavily Democratic, but who would be electing commissioners to oversee road projects in rural communities.

The three current road commissioners are Doug Fuller, Barbara Fuller, and Bill McFarlane, who was appointed by the county board at its March 19, 2014 meeting. At that time, board chair Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) voiced support for expanding the road commission board to five members.

These issues come in the context of a state law that opened the door to possible consolidation of the road commission into the county. In 2012, the Michigan legislature enacted amendments to Section 46.11 of Public Act 156 of 1851, which allows for county boards of commissioners to transfer the powers of the road commission to the county board. There’s a sunset to that section of the law, however. Unless extended by the legislature, it will expire at the end of 2014.

At the April 2 meeting, Conan Smith (D-District 9) moved to postpone the item until the board’s May 7, 2014 meeting. It’s the first board meeting that follows an April 17 working session, when issues related to the road commission will be discussed.

Outcome: On a voice vote, commissioners voted to postpone the road commission item until May 7. Dissenting was Alicia Ping (R-District 3).

Thompson Block Brownfield Plan

A brownfield redevelopment plan for the Thompson Block in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town area was on the agenda for an initial vote. [.pdf of Thompson Block brownfield plan]

Fred Beal, president of JC Beal Construction Inc. and co-founder of Beal Properties LLC.

The plan covers 400-408 N. River St. and 107 E. Cross St., an historic property that has been declared ”functionally obsolete and blighted.” That qualifies the project as a brownfield under the state’s brownfield redevelopment financing act (Public Act 381), which allows the owner to receive reimbursements for eligible activities through tax increment financing (TIF). Approval also will allow the developer to apply for Michigan Business Tax Credits. The property is currently owned by Thompson Block Partners LLC, led by Stewart Beal of Beal Properties. Beal’s father, Fred Beal, attended the April 2 meeting but did not formally address the board.

Beal plans to create 16 “luxury lofts” in the structure’s second and third floors, and up to 14,000 square feet of commercial space in the remainder of the site. The project is estimated to cost about $7 million.

The resolution on the April 2 agenda also would end a previous brownfield plan for part of the same site, which was approved in 2008. A fire in 2009 delayed the project. The new plan now covers the 107 E. Cross, which was not part of the original plan, and includes public infrastructure improvements, such as streetscape enhancements along North River Street.

The Washtenaw County brownfield redevelopment authority approved this plan at its March 6 meeting. Subsequently, the plan was approved by the Ypsilanti city council on March 18. The city council’s action included approving an “Obsolete Properties Rehabilitation” certificate, which freezes local millages at the current, pre-development level for 12 years. Because of that, the project’s TIF capture will apply only to the state’s school taxes.

The project can get up to $271,578 in eligible cost reimbursed over a 12-year period, for activities including brownfield plan and work plan preparation, limited building demolition, selective interior demolition, site preparation and utility work, infrastructure improvements, architectural and engineering design costs, asbestos and lead abatement, and construction oversight.

The intent of the state’s brownfield redevelopment financing is to support the redevelopment of urban sites that will increase the municipality’s tax base. Tax increment financing allows an entity to capture the difference between the taxable value before a project is undertaken, and the value of the property after it’s developed.

A public hearing on this proposal was also held at the April 2 meeting. Only one person – Tyler Weston, a real estate agent representing Thompson Block Partners – spoke briefly, telling the board that the financing would help the project.

Thompson Block Brownfield Plan: Board Discussion

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) praised the project, saying it’s an example of Beal’s commitment to the community. It’s in the heart of Depot Town and has had a lot of challenges, he noted. Rabhi serves on the county’s brownfield redevelopment authority board, which had recommended approval of this proposal.

Responding to a query from Felicia Brabec (D-District 4), Nathan Voght of the county’s office of community & economic development explained that the brownfield is the only TIF legislation that doesn’t allow for an opt-out – every taxing entity participates equally. But in this case, because of the “Obsolete Properties Rehabilitation” certificate, local millages will be frozen for up to 12 years, so there won’t be any increment available for TIF financing – with the exception of the state’s school taxes.

Brabec also asked about the differences between this proposal and the one approved in 2008. Voght noted that the 2009 fire damaged the entire structure, so the need for demolition changed. The overall eligible costs decreased from about $307,000 to about $271,000.

Outcome: Commissioners gave initial approval to the brownfield plan. A final vote is expected on April 16.

Police Services Contract

A two-year pricing proposal for contracts to provide police services to local municipalities was on the April 2 agenda for initial authorization from the county board.

From left: Sheriff Jerry Clayton and Greg Dill, the county’s director of infrastructure management.

On July 6, 2011, commissioners had authorized the price that municipalities would pay for a contract sheriff’s deputy through 2015. The price in 2012 – $150,594 per “police services unit” – was unchanged from 2011, but has been rising in subsequent years by about 1% annually. The complex, politically-charged process of arriving at those figures in 2011 involved more than a year of discussion between the sheriff’s office, other county officials and leaders of local municipalities that contract for these services.

The board’s decision in 2011 was based on a recommendation from the police services steering committee. That same group is recommending the next pricing changes as well, based on the cost of a police services unit (PSU). The PSU price for 2014 is $153,621. For 2015, the PSU price will be $155,157. In the following two years, the PSU price is proposed to be $156,709 in 2016 and $158,276 in 2017.

Those figures are based on a 1% annual increase in direct costs to contracting municipalities. That rate of increase for PSUs is included in revenue projections for the county’s four-year budget, which the county board passed at its Nov. 20, 2013 meeting. The budget runs from 2014-2017, and includes revenue projections based on contracts for 79 PSUs.

According to a staff memo, there will be an addition to the 2016 and 2017 prices for in-car printer replacement, after the total cost of ownership is determined. The memo also notes that the pricing is based on salaries stipulated in current union contracts with the Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM) and the Command Officers Association of Michigan (COAM). Those contracts run through 2014, and new contracts are currently being negotiated. The memo states that ”no assumptions were made for salaries or fringes change in this cost metric in anticipation of any union negotiations.” [.pdf of staff memo]

The county – through the sheriff’s office budget – pays for the difference between the price charged for each PSU, and the actual cost to provide those services. In 2011, that difference was $25,514.

In 2016, the cost per PSU is expected to be $195,104 – a difference of $38,395 compared to the price being charged to municipalities. In 2017, the cost per PSU is estimated at $199,188 – a difference of $40,912. [.pdf of cost estimates]

On April 2, sheriff Jerry Clayton described the cost model, explaining that it includes direct costs like salaries and benefits, which are paid by each contracting entity. It also includes indirect costs and overhead, which those entities partially pay. The county covers a portion of the indirect costs and overhead. The county also picks up the difference between the cost estimates and the actual cost, he said. In 2011, for example, the actual cost for delivering services was about $2,000 more than what was estimated per PSU. In 2012, the difference was about $4,500 more per PSU than estimated.

Because the sheriff’s office has about 400 positions – full time, part time and seasonal – there will always be openings, Clayton said. And because of that, his office has been able to offset those higher-than-expected costs by leaving some positions unfilled. But through budget cuts over the last few years, that flexibility becomes more challenging, he said.

Clayton said he supports the 1% increases in 2016 and 2017, but noted that it doesn’t account for possible changes to the POAM and COAM contracts. The result of those contract negotiations could have a big effect on the final price, because of the direct cost, he said.

He urged commissioners to think about how to find a sustainable revenue stream to support public safety countywide. Clayton noted that in the previous budget, the sheriff’s office came under its expenditure targets without compromising service, and also exceeded revenue. So the office has met its obligations as it relates to the overall county budget, he said. “But the ability to do that moving forward becomes a little more challenging.”

Police Services Contract: Board Discussion

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) agreed that the county needs a sustainable revenue source for public safety. She asked if it was a trend that the difference between cost estimates and actual costs is increasing. SiRui Huang, finance manager for the sheriff’s office, said she thought 2013 would be close to the estimate, because there was a reduction in the fringe benefit rates.

Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6).

Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) described the county as growing, which results in demand for services. He wondered when they would revisit the methodology used for policing the county, and the policy for contractual agreements with local municipalities.

Clayton replied that the financial architecture that’s in place to establish cost and price is sound. But the most recent analysis of recommended staffing levels for public safety in the county was done in 2000, he said. It established ideal staffing levels and minimum staffing levels. One of the recommendations from that report, which hasn’t been implemented, is to mandate the minimum staffing levels in some jurisdictions.

In theory, the county could mandate those minimal levels before it enters into a contract with the jurisdiction, he explained. If the jurisdiction indicates that it can’t afford the minimal level, then the county could decide not to enter into a contract to provide police services. Clayton said he didn’t recommend this approach, but it was an option that had been recommended.

When the study was done 14 years ago, the population of Washtenaw County was about 300,000, Clayton noted. Now, it’s closer to 350,000.

Peterson indicated that as the economy improves, he thought the county’s population would grow even more. The cost to the county’s general fund of providing public safety is increasing, but the county has to pay the price for the economic health of the community, Peterson said. There needs to be more discussion of this issue, he said.

Peterson said he’d like to see the “magic” of the current proposal work, but he didn’t see how it was a sustainable model.

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) asked about the cost difference again, wondering if it would be consistent with the previous difference of about $25,000. Huang noted that the difference is estimated to increase in 2016 and 2017, but she restated that it doesn’t take into account any possible reductions that might occur based on current union negotiations. So the cost might change, she said.

Rabhi told Clayton that he wasn’t going to challenge this proposal strongly, adding that Clayton has been a great sheriff for the whole county. Rabhi noted that the cost difference, paid by the general fund, is borne by all county taxpayers – including those who live in jurisdictions that also have their own police departments, like Ann Arbor. That’s another issue to discuss in the future, Rabhi said, in addition to the funding sustainability. Whether you live in Ann Arbor or Bridgewater Township, public safety is important, he said, “and we need to find a way to fund it in a fair way, countywide.”

As the sheriff’s office is asked to bear more of the financial burden, Rabhi said, that makes it more fragile as a governmental unit. It’s important to look for new potential funding sources for public safety, he concluded.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) said the board should be grappling more with the issue of funding for public safety, especially considering that public safety accounts for more than 60% of the general fund budget. [That amount includes funding for courts, the prosecutor's office and other criminal justice units – not just the sheriff's office.]

Kent Martinez-Kratz (D-District 1) and Stefani Carter, a local attorney who was filling in for corporation counsel Curt Hedger.

Smith noted that the proportion of cost that’s being paid for by the sheriff’s office is increasing faster than the proportion paid for by the contracting entities. He wondered why that’s the case.

Clayton reiterated his point that it’s not a sustainable situation. He pointed out that while it’s not sustainable for the sheriff’s office, it’s also a problem for the contracting jurisdictions, which can’t afford to take on additional expenses. For some jurisdictions, the contract for police services accounts for almost 70% of their general funds. So raising the price for those jurisdictions isn’t really an option.

Public safety is key to other issues in the county, including human services and economic development, Clayton said. The county has reached the point where they need to consider creating other funding sources to sustain police services countywide. He noted that the sheriff’s office also provides services to jurisdictions that already have their own police departments, like Ann Arbor and Pittsfield Township. The sheriff’s office provides a safety net, he said, but there’s a limit to what they’re capable of in terms of resources, “and I think we’re there.”

C. Smith praised Clayton for making giant strides in integrating the sheriff’s office with nearly all aspects of the county, and for framing the issue differently for the board and the public. “I don’t see this as a city versus township fight,” Smith said. “I see this as a common struggle to provide public safety and quality of life for all of us.” The conversation should focus on what outcome the county is trying to achieve, he added, and how they fund that outcome.

Smith said he’d like to consider a countywide police force approach, whether that’s supporting the existing police forces or expanding the services that the sheriff’s office provides.

Clayton stressed that if other jurisdictions want to keep their police departments, that’s what they should do. He joked that it will save a lot of headache if that’s clear – the sheriff’s office isn’t trying to take over anything. C. Smith said he understood that Clayton was sensitive to that, but he thought it was a conversation they needed to have. It doesn’t make sense to “hyperlocalize” services in a lot of cases, Smith said.

There can be a happy medium, Clayton replied, in terms of collaborating. So that’s another option, and one that the sheriff’s office has pursued.

Dan Smith (R-District 2) agreed that public safety is a countywide issue, and praised Clayton and his staff for their work.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously gave initial approval the police services contract proposal. A final vote is expected on April 16.

2013 Audit

Two representatives from the accounting firm Rehmann, which conducts the county’s audit, attended the April 2 meeting: Nate Baldermann and Mark Kettner. They gave part of a presentation on the county’s 2013 audit and comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). [.pdf of 2013 CAFR] [.pdf of 2013 audit summary]

From left: Mark Kettner and Nate Baldermann of the accounting firm Rehmann.

Baldermann, a principal at Rehmann and former board member of the Michigan Government Finance Officers Association, began by presenting the board with a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting, for the county’s 2012 CAFR. The award is given by the national Government Finance Officers Association. Baldermann noted that this is the 23rd consecutive year that the county has received this award. Out of about 2,000 local governments in Michigan, only 102 are receiving this award.

Kelly Belknap, the county’s finance director, gave an overview of the staff process involved in developing the CAFR, which reflects thousands of individual financial transactions. She gave highlights from a 2013 year-end financial presentation that staff had made at the board’s March 19, 2014 meeting, showing that the county had ended 2013 with a $3.92 million surplus for its general fund.

The complete audit, which consists of multiple documents, totals over 400 pages, Belknap noted.

Pete Collinson, the county’s accounting manager, gave a summary of the CAFR, which is over 200 pages. Over the years, the requirements have grown in complexity, he noted, and that’s reflected in the amount of information that’s included in the CAFR. At the same time, the finance staff has been reduced, he said, so the auditors have been helping assemble it.

Collinson highlighted some upcoming changes, including GASB 67, which takes effect this year and will be reflected in the next CAFR, and GASB 68, which takes effect in 2015. In 2014, the main change will be more disclosures in notes to the financial statements, he said. But in 2015, the county’s unfunded actuarial accrued pension liability will be booked as a liability in the county’s statement of net position, which will be a significant change, he said. The county’s finance staff have been working closely with their auditors and actuaries to plan for that, Collinson said.

Mark Kettner of the accounting firm Rehmann also gave a few remarks, noting that the auditor’s letter is included in the CAFR. The new term is “unmodified,” he said, which means it’s a clean statement. It’s an opinion just on the financial statements, he said – it’s not an opinion on the county’s financial controls. And it’s not an opinion on the county’s financial position, Kettner said, “although your financial position is pretty good, all things considered – coming off the last five or six years we’ve gone through.”

Kettner referred to a meeting – an “exit conference” – that he held with county administrator Verna McDaniel, board chair Yousef Rabhi and financial staff. There were a few areas for improvement, he said, because it’s a large organization. But there was nothing that he felt he needed to tell the board that night, Kettner added. The county is doing great, he said.

2013 Audit: Board Discussion

Dan Smith (R-District 2) asked about a section of the auditor’s letter:

We did not audit the financial statements of the Washtenaw County Road Commission, which represents 77.4% of the assets and 90.5% of the revenues of the aggregate discretely presented component units. Those statements were audited by other auditors whose report was furnished to us, and our opinion, insofar as it relates to the amounts included for the Washtenaw County Road Commission, is based solely on the report of the other auditors.

He asked Kettner to explain what that means, and why the audit refers to the road commission at all.

Kettner replied that the county government is considered the primary government for purposes of the audit. But the audit also is required to include all of the “component units” of county government, which are shown on pages 66-67 of the CAFR. In addition to the road commission, those units are: the department of public works, the office of the water resources commissioner, the hazardous materials response authority, and the brownfield redevelopment authority. The financial notes describe these operations in more detail.

Component units are separate legal entities, with a majority of their governing boards appointed by the county board of commissioners, or with the county board taking some level of financial accountability. For example, the county board must authorize any debt that’s issued by these other component units.

Dan Smith (R-District 2) talks with auditors from the accounting firm Rehmann before the start of the April 2 meeting.

Kettner noted that some of these component units conduct separate audits – that’s the case with the road commission. If Rehmann, as the primary unit’s auditor, takes responsibility for these separate audits, then it’s not mentioned in the auditor’s letter, Kettner said. But if the firm is not taking responsibility – “and there’d be no reason that we’d want to,” he said – then it’s mentioned in the letter, along with a perspective in terms of the financial significance of that unit. That’s why the letter includes the percentages reflecting the road commission’s assets.

Smith pointed out that even though the county board is responsible for the road commission’s debt, county commissioners don’t see the road commission’s budget or approve it. The road commission’s funding comes from the state, through Act 51, he noted. He observed that the GASB accounting standards are national, and probably don’t recognize the rather unique place that Michigan’s road commissions hold compared to all other states.

Kettner replied that although Rehmann doesn’t review the road commission’s financial statements annually, there is a periodic evaluation. The CAFR includes a description of the road commission, he said. That description states: “The Road Commission may not issue debt or levy a tax without the approval of the County Board of Commissioners. The Road Commission deposits its receipts with and has investments through the County.”

Noting that it’s outside of Kettner’s purview, Smith pointed out that the road commission has been the topic of discussion by the county board in Washtenaw County as well as across the state, as the result of state legislation passed in 2012 that allows for the possibility of county governments to absorb road commission operations. [For background on that discussion, see Chronicle coverage: "No Major Change Likely for Road Commission."]

Referring to the auditor’s management letter, Smith highlighted a statement that Michigan state statutes require local governments shall not spend in excess of amounts appropriated in a budget. But in many cases, Smith noted, there isn’t much of a penalty for violating those statutes. What’s the mechanism for enforcing that?

Kettner replied that page 81 of the CAFR lists the instances in which county units spent money in excess of appropriations during 2013. For an entity the size of Washtenaw County, he said, it’s unrealistic to expect that there would never be an item that’s over budget. Sometimes these items don’t show up in the CAFR because the county board amended the budget after the fact. In 2013, many of the excess expenditures were relatively minor, Kettner said. The largest one – $1.75 million over a budgeted $3.27 million in the accommodations ordinance tax line item – reflects a decision by the county board to distribute additional funds from the accommodations tax. The board voted to do that, he explained, but they didn’t do the technical step of voting to amend the budget.

From left: Felicia Brabec (D-District 4), chair of the ways & means committee, and county administrator Verna McDaniel.

There were about a half dozen items that Kettner said were relatively significant, and “we don’t want to see those again.”

Smith noted that to him, the words “shall not” in the state statute seemed like pretty strong wording, but there’s nothing to enforce it. Kettner replied: “That’s how the state writes those laws, you know.” The auditing firm submits its report to the state, Kettner explained, and that includes an audit procedures report form. The form includes boxes that must be checked if there’s an issue, he said. That will result in a letter from the state, asking how the county plans to address it.

Smith then asked how the audit and CAFR will look when GASB 68 takes effect. Kettner referred to page 119 of the CAFR, which contains a table of the county’s pension system. One column lists the unfunded actuarial accrued liability for the system, which in 2012 was $126.28 million. In 2015, when GASB 68 is implemented, the county will have to add that liability as part of the county’s statement of net position – page 41 of the CAFR. That liability will result in a deficit for the county’s unrestricted net position. For the 2013 CAFR, the unrestricted net position shows a positive $32.826 million.

However, Kettner stressed that this change will not affect the general fund budget. “You’re going to continue making your contributions to fund those pensions as you always have,” he said. But the financial statements will be more meaningful by adding that liability to the statement of net position.

There were no questions from other commissioners.

County Jail Bonds

Commissioners were asked to give initial approval to authorize the re-funding of up to $16.5 million in outstanding capital improvement bonds, which were originally issued in 2006 to fund expansion of the county jail.

John Axe, the county’s bond counsel, brought reading material to the April 2 meeting.

According to a staff memo, $16.9 million in principal remains of the original $21.675 million bond sale. The county’s bond counsel, Axe & Ecklund, is advising the re-funding because of lower interest rates, and estimates a net savings of about $869,000 over the life of the bond issue. The new issue would be called “County of Washtenaw Capital Improvement Refunding Bonds, Series 2014.” [.pdf of refunding resolution]

Kent Martinez-Kratz (D-District 1) asked the county’s bond counsel, John Axe, about interest rates. Axe told the board that current interest rates on the bonds are between 4% and 4.3%. He estimated that the re-funding interest rates would be between 2.2% and 3.8%. The bonds would be sold in June.

Axe said he hoped the savings would be even higher than the estimated $869,000.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously gave initial approval to the bond re-funding. A final vote is expected at the board’s April 16 meeting.

Autism Coverage

At the board’s March 19, 2014 meeting, commissioners had given initial approval to add an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) rider to existing active employee and retiree benefits. It would allow the county to provide health insurance coverage for the treatment of autism, and was on the April 2 agenda for a final vote.

Adding the rider would cost the county an estimated $182,589 this year, according to staff – to be paid to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. To cover that cost, each county department will be charged on a per-employee basis. In addition, the county will pay for claims made by employees for this benefit, with the assumption that most if not all claims would be reimbursed by the state.

Ellen Rabinowitz, Washtenaw County’s interim public health officer. She is also executive director of the Washtenaw Health Plan.

At its Jan. 22, 2014 meeting, the board received a staff presentation about the possibility of offering such coverage. Colleen Allen, CEO of the Autism Alliance of Michigan, attended that meeting to answer questions and advocate for coverage. The board created a committee to explore the cost to the county for providing employee health insurance coverage for autism. Committee members were LaBarre, Felicia Brabec (D-District 4), and Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6). The committee’s charge was to: (1) investigate the cost and sustainability of coverage of autism spectrum disorders; and (2) recommend a policy providing and funding coverage if the state reimbursement fund is exhausted.

The federal Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act of 2008 mandates that any group plan with 50 or more members – like Washtenaw County government – must offer both medical and mental health benefits. Under more recent federal health care reform, there’s been an expansion of benefits, and mental health benefits are considered a mandatory part of basic health care, starting this year. However, autism isn’t included as part of that mental health mandate.

On the state level, in October 2012 a state of Michigan mandate took effect stating that all fully insured plans must provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The county is not a fully insured plan, however. Because the county is self-funded, it was exempt from this state mandate.

The costs of treatment are estimated to be about $60,000 a year to cover a child with autism. The state of Michigan has made coverage a priority, and has started setting aside funds to reimburse organizations that provide coverage. In fiscal year 2012-13, $15 million was made available, with an additional $11 million in fiscal 2013-14. Of that, only about $500,000 has been expended on reimbursements. The program is handled by the Michigan Dept. of Insurance and Financial Services.

The state program provides for reimbursement of up to $50,000 per year per child between the ages of 0 to 6, up to $40,000 per year from ages 7-12, and up to $30,000 per year for ages 13-18.

County staff have estimated that offering the coverage would result in up to a 5% increase in medical expenses, or up to $1 million annually. This year, medical expenses are budgeted at about $20 million. The county is expected to be fully reimbursed by the state of Michigan for the amounts that are allowed under the autism program.

Autism Coverage: Public Commentary

Ryan Schuett, a Washtenaw County employee whose daughter has been diagnosed with autism, thanked commissioners for acting quickly. He talked about the effect that the autism spectrum disorder has on employees. “Speaking humbly, I’m tired – very tired,” he said. In 2013, he worked over 1,000 hours of overtime to cover out-of-pocket costs associated with his daughter’s treatment. He averages between 64-72 hour workweeks, while also trying to be a good father and husband.

As an emergency dispatcher, he deals with other people’s problems while putting his own aside, Schuett said. He enjoys his work, and even more so when he knows he works for an institution that stands beside him. The treatments for his daughter are life-changing, he said. But because of the treatment costs, he has sometimes had to make the decision not to provide it. The board’s decision has made it possible for him not to seek employment elsewhere, Schuett said. Autism is affecting more people nationwide, and isn’t going away. He again thanked commissioners for helping the families of employees.

Autism Coverage: Board Discussion

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) said she was pleased to see this move forward. It was very poignant that they’d be voting on it that day, she noted, because April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. It’s a much-needed benefit, she said.

Dan Smith (R-District 2) pointed to numerous county liabilities that are laid out in the comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR), which the board had been presented earlier in the evening. Those are significant, he noted, and the unfunded liabilities will continue to hamstring the board’s ability to be nimble and responsive.

He said he wasn’t happy to see the autism coverage brought forward for a final vote at this time. He supports adding the coverage, but thought it should be part of the board’s regular budget reaffirmation process later in the year. “However, given that it is World Autism Day, I think it would be a little uncouth to vote against this at this point,” he said.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously gave final approval to adding autism coverage.

First-Quarter Entitlement Grant Update

A report from the county’s office of community & economic development was included in the April 2 agenda, updating the board on the roughly 30 state and federal formula grants administered by the OCED. The grants are awarded based on state or federal allocation formulas. In 2014, those formula grants total about $9.6 million. [.pdf of entitlement grant update]

There was no presentation or discussion of this item.

Recognitions & Proclamations

Several resolutions honoring local individuals and businesses were on the April 2 agenda. Here are some highlights.

Recognitions & Proclamations: Public Health Week

The agenda included a resolution proclaiming April 7-13 as Public Health Week. Ellen Rabinowitz, the county’s interim public health officer, was on hand to present the Washtenaw Healthy Workplace Awards to five local businesses. Each institution has taken great strides to promote healthy behaviors in their work places, she said.

The awardees are:

• National Kidney Foundation of Michigan
• Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority
• Manchester Community Schools
• Manpower Inc. of Southeast Michigan
• City of Ann Arbor

Recognitions & Proclamations: Ann Arbor Community Center

Reverend Yolanda Whiten, president and CEO of the Ann Arbor Community Center, was presented with a resolution honoring the center for 91 years of service. She has served in that position since 2007.

Reverend Yolanda Whiten, president and CEO of the Ann Arbor Community Center.

From the resolution: “Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners hereby honors and expresses its sincere appreciation and deepest respect to The Ann Arbor Community Center for continuing to achieve its mission: ‘Influenced by a rich African American heritage, the Ann Arbor Community Center is a catalyst for transformation within the city and its greater community. With a primary focus on youth, adults and families, the Ann Arbor Community Center provides programs and services that promote self-reliance, social and economic well-being, diversity and community involvement.’”

Several supporters of the community center attended the meeting and gave Whiten a round of applause.

Communications & Commentary

During the April 2 meeting there were multiple opportunities for communications from the administration and commissioners, as well as public commentary. In addition to issues reported earlier in this article, here are some other highlights.

Communications & Commentary: Same-Sex Marriage

During public commentary, Sandi Smith – president of the Jim Toy Community Center board – thanked the board for its help in opening the county clerk’s office for four hours on Saturday, March 22. “It was an amazing experience,” she said. Over 70 couples got married, including some who’d been waiting 20-30 years, she said. “Trust me – you’ll all be on the right side of history on this,” Smith said.

Federal judge Bernard Friedman had issued a ruling on Friday, March 21, 2014 in the case of Deboer v. Snyder. In that ruling, Friedman found that Article I, Section 25 of the Michigan Constitution – which limits the benefits of marriage to unions between one man and one woman – did not advance any legitimate state interest. So the ruling had the effect of making same-sex marriages legal in Michigan.

But the day following the decision, on March 22, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a temporary stay on Friedman’s ruling. Michigan’s Gov. Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette are appealing Friedman’s decision.

Smith noted that county clerk Larry Kestenbaum was obviously very instrumental in allowing same-sex marriages to take place on the morning of March 22. Smith also thanked county administrator Verna McDaniel, sheriff Jerry Clayton, the clerk’s office staff – including Ed Golembiewski – and the facilities staff, who had to clean up afterwards. She hoped that it would never have to be repeated again, because she hoped the right to marry would soon be open to everybody.

County administrator Verna McDaniel.

Responding to Smith’s commentary – and noting that Smith and her partner, Linda Lombardini, are his friends – Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) said he was proud of what the county could do in moving this issue forward. It warmed his heart. He noted that during U.S. president Barack Obama’s speech at the University of Michigan earlier that day, Obama had told the audience not to jeer at things they don’t like, but to organize. In that context, Rabhi said Michigan needs a new attorney general – someone who’ll stand up for the people in Michigan and not waste taxpayer dollars in appealing a ruling that provides for marriage equality. Everyone who loves each other should be able to get married, he said. He thanked Smith and Lombardini for their activism.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) said Kestenbaum deserves the most credit. Kestenbaum had asked the board “to do something that was real easy,” Smith said. He noted that it was a tough vote that the board had debated, but it was Kestenbaum’s leadership that made it happen, he said.

By way of background, the county board – at its Feb. 19, 2014 meeting – had approved what’s essentially a fee waiver for the expedited processing of a marriage license, which ordinarily takes three days. The resolution passed by the board on Feb. 19 allows the county clerk, consulting with the county administrator, to establish a “fee holiday” on the day preceding a period during which the office’s vital records division would be closed for four or more days, or when an unusual number of marriage license applicants are expected to appear. During a “fee holiday,” the charge for immediately processing a marriage license is 1 cent.

Last year, Kestenbaum had publicly indicated that he intended to waive fees for same-sex marriages, in anticipation of a court ruling that would allow such marriages. Subsequently, however, his authority to waive fees was challenged, and he learned that the county board would be required to grant that authority.

On Feb. 19, Kestenbaum had told the board that he expected various legal challenges to same-sex marriage bans to wind their way through the federal court system without a specific ruling affecting Michigan, and that his office would be unlikely to see a sudden influx of requests for same-sex marriage licenses.

Communications & Commentary: Coordinated Funding

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) reported that the process of reviewing applications for coordinated funding is underway.

The county is one of several partners in the coordinated funding approach. Other partners include the city of Ann Arbor, United Way of Washtenaw County, Washtenaw Urban County, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and the RNR Foundation. It began as a pilot program in 2010, and has been extended twice since then. The most recent extension was approved by the county board at its Nov. 6, 2013 meeting, and authorized the allocation of children’s well-being and human services funding for 2014 through 2016. That resolution also authorized the continued management of those funds through the county’s office of community & economic development (OCED), using the coordinated funding approach – with some modifications.

The coordinated funding process has three parts: planning/coordination, program operations, and capacity-building. The approach targets six priority areas, and identifies lead agencies for each area: (1) housing and homelessness – Washtenaw Housing Alliance; (2) aging – Blueprint for Aging; (3) school-aged youth – Washtenaw Alliance for Children and Youth; (4) children birth to six – Success by Six; (5) health – Washtenaw Health Plan; and (6) hunger relief – Food Gatherers.

During the current funding cycle, 105 applications were received, representing $8.7 million in requests. That compares with 76 in the previous funding cycle, Brabec noted, for requests of $6.6 million. The amount of available funding this year from all partners is $4.4 million. “So it’s a difficult, difficult process,” she said. Brabec is one of 18 volunteer reviewers, plus four staff.

The recommendations will be brought to the board in May.

Communications & Commentary: Misc.

During public commentary, Thomas Partridge referred to U.S. president Barack Obama’s speech at the University of Michigan campus earlier in the day, where Obama advocated for raising the federal minimum wage. Partridge called on lawmakers to provide adequate resources for affordable housing and public transportation. He called attention to the May 6 election, when voters in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township will be voting on a new public transit tax for expanded services. He said all public bodies in Washtenaw County should work to weed out corruption. He criticized Gov. Rick Snyder and other Republicans, and urged voters to elect progressive Democrats this year.

Present: Felicia Brabec, Andy LaBarre, Kent Martinez-Kratz, Ronnie Peterson, Alicia Ping, Yousef Rabhi, Conan Smith, Dan Smith.

Absent: Rolland Sizemore Jr.

Next regular board meeting: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. The ways & means committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting. [Check Chronicle event listings to confirm date.] (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public commentary is held at the beginning of each meeting, and no advance sign-up is required.

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The board voted to direct county administrator Verna McDaniel to work with community partners to address immediate needs of the homeless. [In general, McDaniel has budgetary discretion to spend up to $50,000 on professional services contracts, and up to $100,000 for any proposed goods, services, new construction or renovation.] The resolution also directs the administration to develop a plan by May 7 for updating the county’s Blueprint to End Homelessness, which was adopted in 2004 but appears to be dormant. The process of updating that plan is to be completed by Oct. 1, 2014.

The agenda item on homelessness was added after about a half dozen advocates for the homeless – including several people who’ve been staying at the Delonis Center homeless shelter in Ann Arbor – raised concerns that the shelter’s overnight winter warming center will be closing on April 6. The warming center is typically open from mid-November through March. It’s located in the shelter’s dining room, and is set up for a maximum of 65 people. Because this winter has been particularly harsh, the warming center has accommodated more than 70 people at times.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) suggested allocating $40,000 to the shelter to keep the warming center open another month. Other commissioners had concerns about throwing money at the shelter without any input from shelter staff, and without knowing specifically how the money would be used. Because the item hadn’t been on the agenda, representatives from the shelter staff weren’t at the meeting.

The county owns the Delonis Center building, but does not operate the shelter. Operations are handled by the nonprofit Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, led by executive director Ellen Schulmeister. Schulmeister had briefed commissioners about services for the homeless at their Feb. 6, 2014 working session. Her briefing had come in response to advocacy from several homeless advocates at the board’s Jan. 22, 2014 meeting, when commissioners had also discussed the need to do more.

The county budget included $51,230 for the Delonis Center in 2013 and that amount was increased to $160,000 this year as part of the regular budget approval process late last year. The county funding is set to increase again to $200,000 in 2015 and remain at that level through 2017. The Shelter Association’s annual budget is $2.583 million.

Some commissioners thought there should be a strategic plan in place before any additional funding is given – and they seemed to assume that such a plan doesn’t already exist. Mary Jo Callan, director of the county’s office of community & economic development, noted that the city of Ann Arbor and several other entities are working on this issue, in partnership with the Shelter Association.

The vote on the resolution was 6-2, over dissent from Republicans Dan Smith (District 2) and Alicia Ping (District 3), who both objected to the process. Rolland Sizemore Jr. (D-District 5) was absent.

Dan Smith called it “completely and entirely inappropriate” to be making policy and budgetary decisions on the fly, in response to a few people who showed up to speak during public commentary. He supported updating the Blueprint to End Homelessness, but thought it was a discussion that should take place at a working session before taking action at a regular board meeting. Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) responded by saying that commissioners are elected to work for the people. When people come to the board, it’s important to address their concerns in a serious manner, he said.

Because of the length of the meeting, some men who are staying at the shelter missed the 9:30 p.m. curfew. Typically, anyone showing up after that time isn’t allowed inside. Greg Dill, the county’s director of infrastructure management, contacted the shelter staff and made arrangements for the men to be accommodated.

Update: McDaniel has allocated $35,000 to the Delonis Center, which has agreed to keep the warming center open through April 30. The funding will come from the county’s unearmarked reserves.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Billboard on West Huron, facing eastbound traffic, to seek support for the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. The Delonis Center homeless shelter is located across the street. (Photos by the writer.)

Ellen Schulmeister, the Shelter Association’s executive director, called this season “The Winter of Great Effort,” with harsher weather and more demand for services. She described efforts to shelter the homeless in the short term, but noted that the broader goal is to find housing and provide support services to eliminate chronic homelessness.

Schulmeister reported that the county’s funding to the Delonis Center had been cut during the economic downturn, and she hoped that levels would increase. ”We need you to do that,” she said.

Washtenaw County government owns the building where the Delonis Center is located, and pays for maintenance. In addition, the county provided $51,230 for the Delonis Center in 2013 and increased that amount to $160,000 this year. The county funding is set to increase again to $200,000 in 2015 and remain at that level through 2017. The Shelter Association’s annual budget is $2.583 million.

Yousef Rabhi, chair of the county board, called the Delonis Center’s work ”inspirational,” but noted that the issue needs to be addressed by the entire community. He’s working to organize a summit, bringing together stakeholders from the government, nonprofits and other entities working to end homelessness. Rabhi said the effort should include representatives from the Ann Arbor District Library – because the downtown library serves as a de facto shelter during the day, even though that’s not the library’s purpose.

Schulmeister agreed on the importance of partnerships, adding that the barriers also include a lack of affordable housing and jobs. “It takes a community to house someone – it really does,” she said.

The Feb. 6 working session also included an update from Barbara Niess-May, executive director of SafeHouse Center, a shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. As with the Delonis Center, the county also owns the SafeHouse building and pays for maintenance, as well as providing funding for the nonprofit’s services.

Niess-May told commissioners that she’s been doing this work for 20 years, but this is the worst time for funding she’s seen for these kinds of programs. She pointed out that funding from the county has dropped to $48,000 annually through 2017, and she hoped that the amount could be increased. The total SafeHouse budget is $1.4 million.

Dan Smith (R-District 2) noted that the number of people that SafeHouse serves each year – more than 5,000 – represents almost 2% of the county’s population. He highlighted the fact that Washtenaw County has fewer domestic violence homicides per capita than any other county in the state. To him, a statistic like that directly connects to the county’s mandates because of the clear reduction of work load on the court system and jail, as well as the number of lives saved. He considered SafeHouse part of the county’s mandate for public safety and justice.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) observed that the board has discussed the option of a human services millage that would support services like those that SafeHouse offers. He encouraged Niess-May to include the county’s funding cuts as part of her communications to others in the community. It might lead them to support raising additional revenue for SafeHouse and other organizations, he said. 

Homeless Services

Andy LaBarre (D-District 7) began the presentation about homeless services by noting that at the board’s Jan. 22, 2014 meeting, several people attended to advocate for the homeless. He thanked Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, for attending the working session to give commissioners an update.

Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, talks with commissioner Kent Martinez-Kratz (D-District 1) at a Feb. 6 working session of the county board.

Schulmeister introduced the Shelter Association’s board president, Debbie Beuche, who also was on hand to answer questions. The winter has been rough, Schulmeister said, with the kind of weather that they haven’t seen for 20 years. She hoped it wouldn’t persist, but she’d heard that the next few winters are expected to be equally bad. “If that’s the case, we really have to figure out what we’re going to do.”

This kind of weather puts a huge focus on individuals who are homeless and out in the community. She knew there had been news reports and people talking directly to the board, and she wanted to clarify what the Shelter Association and the Delonis Center actually do.

The Delonis Center, located at 312 W. Huron in Ann Arbor, has been around for 10 years. It’s owned by the county and run by the nonprofit Shelter Association, under a subcontract with the Washtenaw Housing Alliance. The Delonis Center was built to house 50 beds, Schulmeister said, but there have been 75 beds since 2009.

The Shelter Association’s mission “to end homelessness one person at a time,” Schulmeister said. The association’s residential program is focused on working with people to get them into housing, she added, so that they leave the shelter successfully. The residential program has a success rate of over 50%.  There are case managers working with 18 or fewer people at a time, in addition to mental health case managers, medical case managers, and a housing coordinator. They all work together with the goal of finding housing for people, she said. They focus on finding people income, and finding housing. Every year that the Delonis Center has been open, they’ve housed about 200 people annually.

Last year, given the demand for the shelter’s residential program, they added a “vulnerability screening” during intake to make sure that the most vulnerable people were getting into the shelter. As a result, that means it sometimes takes longer to move people out of the shelter and into housing, she explained, so there’s lower turnover.

In addition to the Shelter Association’s residential program, the Delonis Center building is used to provide services to as many people as possible, Schulmeister said, both residential and non-residential. So the services are available to people who are homeless – whether they are living in tents, or couch-surfing with friends and family, or living on the street. Anyone can walk in and sign up for services, including food, showers, laundry, help finding housing and jobs, and a variety of other services. In this way, the Shelter Association serves between 1,200 to 1,400 people each year, Schulmeister reported.

Delonis Center at 312 W. Huron in Ann Arbor.

In fiscal 2012, 239 individuals were housed and services were provided to 1,262 people. In FY 2013, 190 people were housed, with services provided to 1,463 people. Year-to-date in FY 2014, 108 people have been housed and 1,081 people served. The Shelter Association also manages a housing voucher program through the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for about 40 people.

The non-residential homeless population is about double the size of the people in the Shelter Association’s residential program, Schulmeister said, “so we want to make sure that we are helping to keep people from freezing to death outside, because nobody deserves to do that, regardless of what their situation is.”

To help do that, a church rotating shelter provides sleeping space for up to 25 sober men. The men report to the Delonis Center, take a breathalyzer test, shower, have dinner at the shelter, then are picked up by churches to spend the night at a church. At 7 a.m. the next day, volunteers pick them up to take them to breakfast at St. Andrews.

In addition, the Delonis Center operates a warming center in its dining room, for a maximum of 65 people. The warming center is open from mid-November through March. There is no drug testing, but people are given a breathalyzer test and can’t get in if their blood alcohol level is over .10 – above the legal intoxication level of .08.

In the last few weeks because of the brutal weather, the warming center has had over 70 people, Schulmeister reported, and one night there were nearly 90 people. People are staying in the residential floors, in hallways, and in common rooms. The staff hasn’t turned anyone away due to being full, she said. They’re also encouraging people with high blood alcohol levels to go to the Home of New Vision’s engagement center or to the hospital to detox before they return. “We have not turned anybody away,” she said.

The center has relaxed its sobriety requirements, she added, and has allowed some people to stay there who are on the center’s “trespass list.”

Schulmeister told commissioners that the center is stretching its capacity, but that’s not unusual during bad weather. “It’s just that there’s been a lot,” she said.

The Delonis Center is intended to be a working place, Schulmeister said, where people were working to end their homelessness. Residents are allowed to be on the second floor, and non-residents are allowed to be there when they’re receiving services. “But they are not allowed to hang out at the shelter,” she said.

So one service that the Delonis Center doesn’t offer is a day shelter, where people can spend the day. “We don’t have that because we were asked not to have that,” she said.

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4).

However, whenever there’s bad weather – including freezing temperatures, snowstorms, thunderstorms, or tornadoes – the center allows people to come in and spend time during the day. The temperature in the winter for this “weather amnesty” is 10 degrees or less during the daytime, either wind chill or temperature. That’s when it starts to get dangerously cold, Schulmeister said. That number was based on the policy used by the Center for Homelessness in South Bend, Indiana, which served as a model when the Delonis Center was being built.

Last year, there were five weather amnesty days. So far this season, as of early February, there had been 35 weather amnesty days, Schulmeister reported. On those days, over 50 people have stayed in the dining room during the day – a couple of days, there were over 80 people, she said.

The staff is “pretty fried,” Schulmeister said, but that’s what happens in the winter. This has been an unusually bad season, she added. “My manager calls it The Winter of Great Effort, and that’s exactly what it is.”

The Shelter Association’s annual budget is $2.583 million. All government funding, including the federal housing voucher program, accounts for about 57% of the budget. County funding accounts for 6% of the budget, not including the building and maintenance. The coordinated funding allocation from the community comes from the city of Ann Arbor and United Way, not the county. The city’s funding accounts for 9% of the budget, with the United Way providing 3%.

The association also gets state funding, and some funds from the Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA). There’s also funding for setting aside 10 beds for veterans.

All of that accounts for about $480,000. The remaining $2.103 million is raised from donations, foundation grants, and contributions from corporations. The board and the association’s development staff works hard to raise those funds, Schulmeister said. They focus a lot on major gifts, but also do mailings, fundraising events, and one-on-one solicitations. “It is gratifying to know that our community supports our shelter in the way that it does,” she told commissioners.

The association’s regular fundraising goal is around $955,000 but has been stretched to $1.1 million in order to prevent them from tapping reserves. Costs are increasing too, she noted. For example, Schulmeister said she’s happy that the Affordable Care Act is in place, but one result is that costs for the Shelter Association are increasing by at least $50,000.

A few years ago during the economic downturn, when the county board had to cut its budget, funding for the Shelter Association also was cut, Schulmeister noted. Some of that was restored for 2014, she added, and she hoped the board would restore more in coming years. “We need you to do that,” she said.

The county provided $51,230 to the Delonis Center in 2013 and increased that amount to $160,000 this year. The budget is set to increase again to $200,000 in 2015 and remain at that level through 2017.

Homeless Services: Board Discussion

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) told Schulmeister that the discussions in the community on this issue are good to have, “because we need to raise the profile that what is going on this winter is not unique to this winter. … We need to continue to fight for those that are homeless and those that are suffering through this winter right now.”

He noted that he participated in a great conversation recently with three clients of the Delonis Center warming shelter. Hearing their stories about trying to get back on their feet were eye-opening, he said. One was a teacher who got laid off during the bad economy. She had applied for a job as a substitute teacher, and had gone to apply with all of her belongings in her car. Because the employer could tell she was homeless, she wasn’t considered for the job, Rabhi said. Another client was a man with a minimum wage job who pays for a gym membership so that he can have a place to shower, Rabhi said. The man has to walk over a mile from the nearest bus stop to get to the gym in the morning, then walk back to take the bus to work.

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) and county administrator Verna McDaniel.

“The barriers that are in place for the homeless are immense,” Rabhi said, telling Schulmeister that the work of the Delonis Center is “inspirational.”

Partnerships are at the core of being able to provide these services, Rabhi said, and such efforts need to be better coordinated. It’s been a while since there’s been a community discussion about how to support the homeless, he noted, and how to work on some of the barriers that exist.

He supported having a summit about homelessness. He also noted that the downtown library serves as a day warming shelter, even though that’s not its purpose. It’s important to have the Ann Arbor District Library director and a representative from the AADL board at the table in having these discussions, he said.

Schulmeister noted that the library serves this role all year round, not just during the winter. Having computers at the library is great, she said, because it’s an important resource for people. It provides access to information that people who are homeless wouldn’t otherwise have.

Schulmeister said the community conversation also needs to address the difficulty of housing people in Washtenaw County. There’s the “landlord factor,” she said, as well as issues with drugs, alcohol and mental illness. A lack of jobs is another issue, as well as someone’s felony background. Some people are working hard and are being helped by the Shelter Association, but still can’t find housing. “That is one of the saddest and worst things that we face. It takes a community to house someone – it really does.” It takes an employer who’s willing to take a chance, she said, and a landlord who’s willing to take a chance.

People who are homeless are a non-homogeneous population, Schulmeister said. Some people are working hard and take personal responsibility, and others don’t. Some people don’t want to spend their money on housing because it’s too expensive. They’ll choose not to be housed, and instead spend their money on other things. “Trying to give them better choices is what we have to strive for,” she said.

The barriers are reflected in the Delonis Center, because it becomes difficult to turn over the beds there. At that point, “we’re not a flow-through – we’re a collection agency,” Schulmeister said. “We’re just collecting people and keeping them there. That’s not useful for them or for us.”

Rabhi said it’s also important to address state and federal assistance, with cuts to food stamps and income tax credits. The barriers are becoming greater, he said, “because poor folks aren’t being prioritized any more.”

This community has all the pieces to help address this problem, Rabhi said, and it’s time to talk about taking the next steps.

Rabhi also pointed out that because of Washtenaw County’s services, people come here from other counties seeking help. So homelessness is a global issue that needs to be addressed in a global way. He hoped that Washtenaw County could coordinate with entities in nearby counties to address the issue regionally.

Schulmeister agreed. She noted that Detroit has shelters, but not enough to house all the homeless there. There aren’t any shelters in western Wayne County or Livingston County. There are some shelters in Monroe County, but those are mostly focused on families. “There just is not enough supply for the demand,” she said. “And even if we got everyone into a shelter, then what?”

SafeHouse Center

The Feb. 6 working session also included a presentation from Barbara Niess-May, executive director for the SafeHouse Center. She briefed the board on the status of this nonprofit, which provides support services and shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The center serves over 5,000 women, children and some men each year. While the center is probably best known for its shelter services, she said, they also provide legal advocacy, 24/7 response, support groups, counseling, and prevention/awareness activities.

Barbara Niess-May, executive director for the SafeHouse Center.

She told commissioners that she’s been doing this work for 20 years, but this is the worst time for funding she’s seen for these kinds of programs. In the mid-1990s, the federal government prioritized funding for these programs to make our communities safer, she said. In Michigan, about 100 women die each year because of intimate-partner homicide, and half of those are murder suicides, she noted. “It wracks communities for decades.”

If commissioners were wondering why they don’t hear about this kind of violence in Washtenaw County, she said, it’s because SafeHouse partners with law enforcement. “Because of the work that SafeHouse Center does, we are a safe community,” she said, with fewer domestic violence homicides per capita than any other county in the state.

She had come to the board because of funding losses that SafeHouse has experienced. The center has lost about 10% of its budget. The SafeHouse shelter budget alone is about $300,000 per year. The U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) cut $100,000 in funding for SafeHouse’s shelter budget, she said – a third of the shelter’s operation budget. That supports about 300 women and children each year.

Niess-May said that earlier in the evening she had a SafeHouse board meeting and told the board that if they can’t raise $100,000, they’d have to make changes in operations.

She said some people might wonder why SafeHouse isn’t publicizing its financial situation. “The primary reason is because I don’t want survivors to think that there isn’t a place to go. It’s not safe for me to start ringing the cow bell and saying we are in big trouble.” The last thing she wants is for some assailant to tell a survivor that they don’t have the option of going to SafeHouse because of budget cuts, she said.

SafeHouse staff, board and volunteers are taking their fundraising effort very seriously, Niess-May told commissioners. In the first quarter of their current fiscal year, SafeHouse raised more money than they’d ever raised before – yet still fell short of its first-quarter goal by $35,000, she said. Niess-May added that she’s worried about sustainability, because funders aren’t providing long-term commitments.

About 12 years ago, she told commissioners, the county approached SafeHouse and asked the nonprofit to support sexual assault survivors in this community. SafeHouse took on that role, under the assumption that it would be revenue-neutral. At that time, SafeHouse received an annual grant of $120,000 for those services. Now, funding from the county is $48,000 a year. Her understanding is that the county’s four-year budget from 2014-2017 keeps funding at that same level. “That concerns me, and I felt strongly about sharing that in this forum.”

SafeHouse is in a really difficult situation, she said. They had to add almost $200,000 to the nonprofit’s fundraising goal, which was about a 50% increase from last year to this year, she said. “I am hopeful that the county can help us at some point.” She said she deeply appreciates the county’s support and partnership, saying it’s made a tremendous difference in the lives of survivors.

SafeHouse Center: Board Discussion

Dan Smith (R-District 2) noted that the number of people served by SafeHouse each year – more than 5,000 – represents almost 2% of the county’s population. He was also impressed with Niess-May’s report that Washtenaw County had the lowest per capita number of domestic violence homicides in the state. He noted that the board often talks about its mandates for providing services. To him, a statistic like that directly connects to the county’s mandates because of the clear reduction of work on the court system and jail, as well as the number of lives saved. He thanked Niess-May for her work and presentation to the board.

Commissioner Andy LaBarre (D-District 7), chair of the board’s working sessions.

Niess-May said this work is done with 23 staff members and 150 active volunteers who provide 15,000 hours of service every year. SafeHouse is trying to leverage every resource as creatively as they can, she said.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) said everyone needs to be aware that the county has cut funding to SafeHouse, and that there are consequences to their investment decisions. In general, Smith said the public trusts county government, so a lot of people probably assume that the county is helping in the way that it always has. “They need to know we’re not,” he said. The resources haven’t been there to support SafeHouse, he added, while the need has increased.

C. Smith noted that the board has discussed the option of a human services millage that would support services like those that SafeHouse offers. He encouraged Niess-May to include the county’s funding cuts as part of her communications to others in the community. It might lead them to support raising additional revenue for SafeHouse and other organizations, he said.

Niess-May noted that over the last 10 years, SafeHouse has seen over $1 million in total funding cuts.

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) thanked Niess-May for her work, and said the community is fortunate to have an organization like SafeHouse that stands up for people who need help. He noted that he wanted to understand SafeHouse’s situation, noting that financial strain is coming from multiple sources.

He clarified with Niess-May that the $300,000 budget she’d mentioned in her presentation is only for the shelter portion of the operations. The entire SafeHouse budget is $1.4 million, she reported. The county’s line item of $48,000 includes a small portion for the shelter, but most of it is for support services.

In addition to the $100,000 in cuts from HUD, other cuts mentioned by Niess-May include:

• $7,633 cut in funds from the Victims of Crime Act, which resulted in eliminating SafeHouse’s translation services for survivors who don’t speak English, as well as professional development for staff and staff mileage reimbursement.
• $7,000 cut from the city of Ann Arbor’s Grant to Encourage Arrest Policy funding, which resulted in a loss of salary and support expenses for legal advocacy.
• $3,600 cut in Legal Assistance to Victims funding, which also resulted in less support for legal advocacy.

Niess-May also cited higher expenses, including health insurance and keeping up with the city of Ann Arbor’s living wage. In total, all of this has created a budget gap of about $200,000. As a result, SafeHouse has raised its fundraising goal from $400,000 to $600,000.

Rabhi asked what the consequences would be if SafeHouse doesn’t raise the additional $200,000. Niess-May replied that she couldn’t speak for her board, because in the end it would be a policy decision. But the options that staff have looked at include closing rooms at the shelter, and reducing response to calls from law enforcement. “We’re running lean,” she said.

Rabhi asked Niess-May to explain the full extent of the county’s support, in addition to the $48,000 line item. SafeHouse also gets about $100,000 from the coordinated funding process. Those funds are awarded through a competitive application in which several funding agencies participate – including the county, city of Ann Arbor, and United Way of Washtenaw County.

County administrator Verna McDaniel also noted that the county owns the building where SafeHouse is located. SafeHouse pays rent and utilities, but the county pays for upkeep on the facility.

Commissioner Dan Smith (R-District 2).

In response to a query from Andy LaBarre (D-District 7), Niess-May reported that when the facility was built, the understanding was that SafeHouse would be providing residential and non-residential services to survivors of domestic violence. That’s in the language of the lease, she said, and was in the ballot language for the bond that’s paying for the building, which voters approved in 1992. Later, about 12 years ago, the county also asked SafeHouse to also provide services for survivors of sexual assault.

Dan Smith, responding to a comment earlier in the discussion about a possible human services millage, said he didn’t consider SafeHouse as a human services provider. Rather, he considered it part of the county’s mandate for public safety and justice.

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) praised SafeHouse, and noted that residents had approved the bond to pay for the building. That reflects the fact that this is a community value, she said, and it’s important to keep that in mind. Brabec agreed with Dan Smith that SafeHouse provides public safety services, but she also felt that it fit into human services as well. In terms of the county budget, SafeHouse touches on many of the community impacts that the county is trying to address. “We have the opportunity to impact and change lives,” Brabec said.

Niess-May said she was sensing an undercurrent that she’d stay away from, but she noted that Washtenaw County is the only county in the state where an organization like SafeHouse has partnered with every law enforcement agency in the county. Whenever there’s a domestic violence or sexual assault call in the county – and there are about 2,000 every year – the law enforcement agencies call SafeHouse. Of those, 1,700 are for domestic violence, she said, resulting in 250 people who get convicted. “So the rest of them are still out there.”

“Most men are good men,” Niess-May added. “Ninety percent are good men. It’s the 10 percent that offend and keep re-offending.”

Washtenaw County and SafeHouse have a model that’s unique in the state, she concluded. “And it’s paying off in huge dividends.”

Addressing Niess-May’s comment about an undercurrent in the discussion, LaBarre noted that it’s far easier to make the case to fund public safety. “You don’t theoretically need human services if you’re dead,” he said. So commissioners are considering how to think about SafeHouse in that context.

Present: Felicia Brabec, Andy LaBarre, Kent Martinez-Kratz, Yousef Rabhi, Conan Smith, Dan Smith.

Absent: Alicia Ping, Ronnie Peterson, Rolland Sizemore Jr.

Next regular board meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. The ways & means committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting. [Check Chronicle event listings to confirm date.] (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public commentary is held at the beginning of each meeting, and no advance sign-up is required.

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Some of the crowd at the Jan. 22, 2014 Washtenaw County board of commissioners meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

Speaking during public commentary, several people argued that the Delonis Center‘s warming center should be made available when temperatures are lower than 45 degrees. One woman presented a list of specific requests for expanded services at the homeless shelter, including 24-hour access to shower facilities and increased hours for access to laundry facilities.

There was no formal agenda item on this issue, but several commissioners agreed that the community needs to do more for the homeless. Conan Smith (D-District 9) noted that county had a 10-year plan to end homelessness, “and then we got socked by a terrible economy and made pretty dramatic reductions in the county’s spending.” [The Blueprint to End Homelessness was adopted in 2004 but appears to be dormant.]

The board ultimately voted to direct county administrator Verna McDaniel to address issues related to services for the homeless. They’ll be getting an update at their Feb. 6 working session from Ellen Schulmeister, director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, which runs the Delonis Center.

Alicia Ping (R-District 3) cautioned against the county overstepping its bounds, and pointed out that the shelter is run by a separate nonprofit – although the county owns and maintains the building where the shelter is located at 312 W. Huron in Ann Arbor, and contributes some funding. Ping noted that the county also currently pays the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority for several parking spaces used by Delonis Center employees, and suggested that the money might be better spent on direct services to the homeless. The county is continuing to negotiate its parking contract with the DDA.

Also at the Jan. 22 meeting, the board made a range of appointments, including confirmation of Dan Ezekiel, former Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commissioner, to replace Nelson Meade on the county parks & recreation commission. And former state legislator Alma Wheeler Smith was appointed to fill an opening on the southeast Michigan regional transit authority (RTA) board. Richard Murphy – one of two RTA board members from Washtenaw County – was not seeking reappointment. Smith was the only eligible applicant and is the mother of county commissioner Conan Smith, who abstained from the confirmation vote.

In addition, during the Jan. 22 meeting the board created a new committee to explore the cost to the county for providing employee health insurance coverage for autism. The board had received a staff presentation earlier in the evening about the possibility of offering such coverage.

In other action, the board gave initial approval to a proposed ordinance that would allow the county to issue municipal civil infractions for owning an unlicensed dog, with a final vote expected on Feb. 5. The ordinance could take effect 50 days after that, in late March, but county treasurer Catherine McClary indicated that her office would be looking to implement the changes in June or July. Several  commissioners advocated for educational outreach to ensure that residents – especially in rural areas – will be aware of the changes.

The board also gave initial approval to establish a countywide Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, after hearing from several people during public commentary who supported the effort. A final vote to establish the program is expected at the board’s Feb. 5 meeting.

Services for the Homeless

Although there was no agenda item directly related to the county’s support for services that aid the homeless, the issue was the focus of public commentary on Jan. 22, and of subsequent response from the board.

Eight people spoke during public commentary about issues facing the homeless and those living in poverty.

One man described his 37-year-old son who suffers from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and short-term memory loss. For the past 8 or 9 years, the son has lived at the Embassy Hotel, at the southeast corner of Huron and Fourth. Out of his son’s roughly $700 per month disability check, the hotel is charging almost $650 for a small room with furniture in disrepair, he said. There are patches on the wall that aren’t painted, a stained lampshade, and a small refrigerator that doesn’t work properly. The hotel management talks down to his son in a degrading way, and sometimes doesn’t let his son into the hotel at night if he forgets his key. “So he’s on the streets until seven o’clock in the morning,” the man said.

After other expenses, his son only has about $10 a week for food – “that’s criminal and shameful,” he said. Some people say that living there is his son’s choice, but where else would he live? “There’s no affordable housing in downtown Ann Arbor that he can afford.” This is a problem, and it’s not just his son, the man said. “You’ve got to do something about this.”

One woman spoke as a representative of people who use the Delonis Center shelter and its warming center. The warming center operates only six months out of the year, she said. But every human being has the right to be protected from the elements, and to have access to food, clothing, computers, and medical care. The Delonis Center isn’t meeting those needs, she said. The woman ticked through a list of requests, which she also provided to commissioners in writing:

• 24-hour access to shower facilities.
• Increased, flexible hours for laundry access.
• An immediate review of the trespassing policy.
• More flexible hours for storage access.
• Breakfast and snacks for people who use the warming center.
• An end to the policy that requires people to leave the center during the day. The center should be used in the daytime for reading, computer use and other inside activities.

She requested a response from commissioners within 72 hours about their intent to implement these proposals.

Tim Green introduced himself as a member of Camp Misfit and a board  member of MISSION. There aren’t adequate services for the homeless in Washtenaw County, he said. But his biggest concern now is the freezing temperatures and the lack of adequate access to the warming center. According to the Centers for Disease Control, he said, hypothermia can set in at 45 degrees. “Do you put your dog outside for 8-10 hours, like they expect these people to do?” he asked. “You’d be put in jail for animal cruelty.” But people are on the streets with nowhere to go. The community needs a daytime warming shelter and a larger shelter for the night, he said. He’s been homeless in the past, and he continues to help people when he can. A friend of his froze to death last year because he had a drinking problem and couldn’t get into the Delonis Center, Green said. Alcoholism is obviously a disease, he said, and there should be a place to help people who need it, so they won’t freeze to death. Something needs to be done, he concluded.

Jeff Plasko provided sign language interpretation at the Jan. 22 meeting of the county board. It’s a service that the county pays for upon request.

Steve Carnes told commissioners he’s lived in Ann Arbor for about 10 years, and the previous speaker had addressed most of the issues he wanted to raise. He asked people from Camp Take Notice and Camp Misfit to stand or raise their hands – about 20 people indicated they were part of those groups. He noted that there needs to be a timely appeals process when people are asked to move their tents because of trespassing. He knows of cases that have extended over three months.

Odile Huguenot Haber said she’s been a Washtenaw County resident for about 20 years. About 65 people are sleeping on the floor of the Delonis Center, she said, plus 25 people sleeping at the rotating shelter in local churches. She told commissioners that she didn’t know if they’ve slept on the floor recently, “but it’s not great.” Some people are senior citizens, or disabled, or mentally ill, she noted. It’s crowded and not comfortable. It’s better than sleeping outside, but she pointed out that not everyone has a space inside. Haber called for a countywide meeting of all the stakeholders about homelessness to offer something better than what’s available now. “We’re not in Syria,” she said. “We’re in Ann Arbor in the United States. We can do much better.”

Speaking as a member of Camp Misfit, Tracy Williams said they keep getting pushed out of their tent homes. It happened to some friends of his recently. The city has money to “throw around for all the buildings in Ann Arbor,” he said, but they can’t fix a streetlight. People who have a place set up for the winter are having to move because neighbors feel threatened since there’s not adequate lighting, he said. Where are those people going to go? Are they going to the cemetery?

Greg Pratt introduced himself by saying “I live in Andy’s district” – District 7 in Ann Arbor, represented by Democrat Andy LaBarre. There are people freezing outside, and they’re being evicted, he said. They need warm places to go that aren’t necessarily in the homeless shelter. People who were attending that night’s meeting are speaking from a place of strong emotion, Pratt said. “There’s people’s lives on the line.” The Delonis Center needs to set the “weather amnesty” at 45 degrees – and people should be allowed to stay there even if they blow over 0.1 on a breathalyzer, he said, or have behavioral problems. Pratt added that he knew there were at least a few commissioners who wanted to help out, so he urged them to do what they can.

Speaking through a sign language interpreter, Tony Galore told commissioners that they should do whatever they can, either providing funds or building another shelter. People need to be helped, he said, “and we would help you back later.” He said raised the issue of transportation, saying he was from Miami and you could get anywhere you wanted to go there. In Michigan, it’s not so easy, he said. “To me, it’s backwards here.” He urged commissioners to help people who need access to transportation.

Services for the Homeless: Board Response

Conan Smith (D-District 9) thanked people for coming and telling their powerful stories. Addressing the challenge of homelessness needs to be a priority in these hard economic times, he said. There’s no excuse for the county not to allocating some funds for this purpose, Smith added. It’s not about how cold it is, he said – people deserve a home if they want one.

The county needs to adopt public policy and investment strategies reflecting that housing is a right, Smith said. The community needs systemic solutions, he added, and not simply respond to a crisis. They need to address the causes of homelessness, not just the symptom. The county had a 10-year plan to end homelessness, he noted, “and then we got socked by a terrible economy and made pretty dramatic reductions in the county’s spending.” [.pdf of the 2004  Blueprint to End Homelessness] Smith said the county would be doing what it could.

County administrator Verna McDaniel and commissioner Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8).

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) said the situation that was described about conditions at the Embassy Hotel sounds “appalling” and something that he hoped the county staff could look into. Thanking others who’d spoken on behalf of the homeless, Rabhi said “it’s a human issue, and one that we can’t back away from.” It’s been a priority for Washtenaw County since he’s been on the board and even before that, he said. Other communities don’t provide the same level of support for the homeless, he noted. Nobody was turned away from the Delonis Center when temperatures dropped, he said. Even so, he added, “we still need to do more.” The county needs to identify holes in the system and patch those holes with additional resources.

Rabhi described a meeting he’d had recently with Ann Arbor city councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy and county staff who are working on homeless issues. They identified the need for more collaboration between the city and county. They talked about having a joint city/county task force to have that dialogue. Responding to a suggestion from the crowd, Rabhi said that members of the homeless community should be involved in the task force, too.

In terms of the specific list of requests that were made during the public commentary, he noted that county administrator Verna McDaniel had assured him that she’d bring together staff and others in the community to respond to the requests and make recommendations to the board.

Rabhi pointed out that the cost for opening the warming center for temperatures above 10 degrees is about $180,000 annually. He agreed with Smith that the board should allocate some amount of funding to address these basic human needs.

Alicia Ping (R-District 3) said it’s important to understand where the county’s role stops and the shelter’s role begins. The county doesn’t run the shelter, she noted, so getting involved risks overstepping the county’s authority.

Related to that, Ping wondered if there was an update on negotiations between the county and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. She said she brought it up because the county pays the DDA for about two dozen parking spaces used by employees of the Delonis Center. By eliminating that, the county could probably use the money to help pay for more services for the homeless, she said.

McDaniel reported that there had been several meetings between her staff and the DDA, and that she had a meeting scheduled later in the week with the DDA “to hone in where we are with that.” They’re continuing to negotiate, she said. McDaniel added that she’d report back to the board as soon as she had more information.

Rabhi said he’d support passing a resolution that would direct McDaniel and her staff to address the concerns that were raised that night.

Outcome: The board voted to direct the county administrator to address issues related to services for the homeless.

Rabhi also asked Mary Jo Callan, director of the county’s office of community and economic development, if she could prepare a report for an upcoming working session. Callan agreed to do that. She noted that although about 85% of the support for the Delonis Center comes from sources other than the county and city of Ann Arbor, the county does own and maintain the center’s building. [The board's Feb. 6 working session agenda now includes a briefing on homelessness issues by Ellen Schulmeister, director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, which runs the Delonis Center.

Conan Smith said the board shouldn't forget its role as funders of the shelter, with a strong financial interest in that nonprofit. They have a right and obligation to articulate their concerns to the shelter's leadership, he said. "Now, if that organization chooses not to respond to our interests, that does put our relationship in a more interesting place," Smith added. "But to date, that has not been the case. They've been always very responsive to the concerns of the board of commissioners."

Appointments

Appointments to three groups – the southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority (RTA); the Washtenaw County food policy council, and the Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission – were on the board’s Jan. 22 agenda. The board also made its annual appointments of county commissioners to various boards, committees and commissions.

Appointments: Regional Transit Authority

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8), chair of the board, nominated Alma Wheeler Smith to fill an opening in the RTA. Richard Murphy – one of two RTA board members from Washtenaw County – was not seeking reappointment.

County prosecuting attorney Brian Mackie and former state legislator Alma Wheeler Smith.

The deadline to apply for this opening had been extended, but there were only two applicants. The other applicant was Jim Casha, but as a Canadian resident he was ineligible to be appointed for the seat to represent Washtenaw County. The RTA state enabling legislation (Act 387 of 2012) mandates that board members must be residents of the county or city that they represent.

Alma Wheeler Smith, a former state legislator, is the mother of county commissioner Conan Smith (D-District 9). She attended a portion of the Jan. 22 meeting but did not formally address the board.

By way of background, the RTA was established by the state legislature in late 2012. It includes a four-county region – Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne – with each county making two appointments to the board, and the city of Detroit making one.

The county board chair appoints both of Washtenaw County’s members to the RTA board. Those appointments were first made at the end of 2012 by Conan Smith, who was chair through the end of that year. Liz Gerber, a University of Michigan professor of public policy, was appointed to a three-year term. Murphy, who works for Smith at the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, was appointed to a one-year term.

Appointments: Regional Transit Authority – Public Commentary

Jim Casha introduced himself by saying commissioners might remember his previous commentary regarding the RTA, at the board’s Jan. 8, 2014 meeting. At that time, he had objected to the RTA board’s selection of John Hertel over Larry Salci as the RTA’s CEO. He had also criticized the failure of the RTA board to acquire the 157-acre Michigan state fairgrounds property, as a way of generating revenue.

Jim Casha.

Since then, the question of Hertel as CEO has become moot, Casha noted, since Hertel decided not to accept the RTA’s offer. So the RTA board has a chance to make a different decision this time, he said, and to pick someone with more transit experience. He hoped they would again consider Salci, a former director of the southeast Michigan transportation authority in the 1970s. Salci is currently a consultant for the federal government in commuter rail initiatives nationwide, Casha said.

Casha, a Canadian resident, said he understood he wouldn’t be the county’s appointee to the RTA, “since not only do I not live in your county, I don’t even live in your country.” He noted that the Ann Arbor-to-Detroit commuter rail was a big priority to a lot of people in Ann Arbor, and it should be the No. 1 priority for the RTA.

Instead, the RTA is concentrating on bus rapid transit up Woodward Avenue and other corridors, Casha said. But the rails are already in place, and train cars have already been purchased, he noted. There’s a great potential location for a station at the state fairgrounds site. Commuter trains shouldn’t end at the New Center in downtown Detroit on Woodward, Casha said. It should continue to the fairgrounds, where it can tie into a multi-modal regional transportation center that can take anybody via bus anywhere in the region. “We could truly have a transportation system that we could be proud of,” he said. He urged commissioners to ask the county’s RTA board members to push for this. “It’s still not too late,” he concluded.

During the evening’s second opportunity for public commentary, Casha noted that the fairgrounds site could be used as a demonstration center for innovative projects – to showcase different types of housing, for example. He said he’s also trying to get legislative support for having a sesquicentennial Civil War celebration in 2015 to honor Michigan soldiers, General Ulysses Grant and Austin Blair, who served as the state’s governor during the war. The house that Grant lived in during 1849 is located at the fairgrounds. The celebration could be a catalyst for private funding, Casha said.

Appointments: Regional Transit Authority – Board Discussion

As board chair, Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) is authorized to make the RTA appointments, without full board confirmation. However, he put forward his RTA nomination of Alma Wheeler Smith as part of a resolution with all of his other nominations. He told the board that there had been back-and-forth with a state official who had originally indicated that the appointment would be for another one-year term. He had clarified with state that the term is for three years. The term will end on Dec. 31, 2016, because Washtenaw County is making calendar-year appointments to conform with its existing process of making appointments.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) said he planned to abstain from the vote on his mother, citing what he called a “perceived conflict of interest – although you all know how independent she is.” He thought she was a great choice, but said he did not involve himself in the selection. “I did my best to stay out of [the selection process], passionate though I am about the RTA and my mother.”

Outcome: On a roll call vote along with other confirmations, Alma Wheeler Smith was appointed to the RTA board. Conan Smith abstained.

Appointments: Parks & Recreation Commission, Food Policy Council

In other appointments made on Jan. 22, Dan Ezekiel was nominated to fill a term that was recently vacated by long-time county parks & recreation commissioner Nelson Meade, who stepped down at the end of 2013. Ezekiel was one of the founding members of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission. His most recent term ended in mid-2013. He was term limited for that position. For the county parks & recreation commission, Ezekiel’s term ends on Dec. 31, 2016. He also attended the Jan. 22 county board meeting, but did not formally address the board.

Jeremy Seaver and Sara Simmerman were nominated to the Washtenaw County food policy council, for terms ending Dec. 31, 2015.

Outcome: These nominations were confirmed unanimously by the board.

Appointments: Commissioner Appointments

Yousef Rabhi, as board chair, asked the board to confirm annual appointments of county commissioners to various boards, committees and commissions. [.xls spreadsheet of 2014 appointments] Only minor changes were made to previous appointments from 2013.

In addition to their salaries, commissioners receive stipend payments based on the number of meetings that a commissioner is likely to attend for a particular appointment. One or two meetings per year would pay $50, three or four meetings would pay $100, and the amounts increase based on the number of meetings. Each commissioner typically has several appointments. Commissioners who are appointed as alternates receive the same stipend as the regular appointments. Some appointments were not designated to be paid because no meetings were expected to be scheduled.

Commissioners can waive their stipends by giving written notice to the county clerk. Otherwise, the stipend payments are made automatically.

In 2013, only Dan Smith (R-District 2) waived all of his stipends, according to the county clerk’s office, which administers the stipends. Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) waived her stipend for the accommodations ordinance commission. Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) was not appointed to any boards, committees or commissions and therefore did not receive any stipends.

For 2013, the following stipends were paid:

• Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8): $2,700 (11 paid appointments, including several stipulated by virtue of Rabhi’s position as board chair, plus 3 unpaid appointments)
• Rolland Sizemore Jr. (D-District 5): $2,350 (11 paid, 2 paid alternates, 1 unpaid)
• Conan Smith (D-District 9): $1,800 (6 paid, 2 paid alternates, 1 unpaid)
• Felicia Brabec (D-District 4): $1,450 (8 paid, 1 alternate with stipend waived)
• Kent Martinez-Kratz (D-District 1): $800 (4 paid)
• Andy LaBarre (D-District 7): $550 (3 paid, 1 unpaid)
• Alicia Ping (R-District 3): $400 (2 paid, 2 unpaid)

In total, seven commissioners were paid $10,050 in stipends for 2013. There is no mechanism in place for validating attendance, other than checking the meeting minutes of these various groups. No one is designated to do that, however.

Outcome: All nominations were confirmed without discussion.

Coordinated Funding Policy

Commissioners were asked to give initial approval to a resolution stating that for the 2014 through 2016 fiscal years, departments and agencies of Washtenaw County government would not be eligible to apply for coordinated funding. There would be two exemptions: (1) if the funding was part of a collaboration of nonprofit agencies and/or community groups that can’t act as fiduciary on their own; and (2) if the applicant was the county’s Project Outreach Team (PORT). [.pdf of staff memo and resolution]

County commissioner Yousef Rabhi talks with Mary Jo Callan, director of the county’s office of community & economic development.

The county is one of several partners in the coordinated funding approach. Other partners include the city of Ann Arbor, United Way of Washtenaw County, Washtenaw Urban County, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and the RNR Foundation. It began as a pilot program in 2010, and has been extended twice since then. The most recent extension was approved by the county board at its Nov. 6, 2013 meeting, and authorized the allocation of children’s well-being and human services funding for 2014 through 2016. That resolution also authorized the continued management of those funds through the county’s office of community & economic development (OCED), using the coordinated funding approach – with some modifications.

The coordinated funding process has three parts: planning/coordination, program operations, and capacity-building. The approach targets six priority areas, and identifies lead agencies for each area: (1) housing and homelessness – Washtenaw Housing Alliance; (2) aging – Blueprint for Aging; (3) school-aged youth – Washtenaw Alliance for Children and Youth; (4) children birth to six – Success by Six; (5) health – Washtenaw Health Plan; and (6) hunger relief – Food Gatherers.

At the board’s Jan. 22, 2014 meeting, OCED director Mary Jo Callan told commissioners that the resolution brought forward that evening was in response to a request made by commissioner Conan Smith (D-District 9) last year. He had raised concerns about county departments competing with community groups for coordinated funding dollars. He had argued that if the county programs were worth funding, then the county should fund those programs directly. This resolution formally prohibited county programs, with some exemptions, from applying for coordinated funding.

Coordinated Funding: Public Commentary

Lefiest Galimore raised concerns about the coordinated funding approach to supporting human services. It’s blocking a certain segment of nonprofits from providing services, he said, and he urged commissioners to take a look at this problem. Essentially the same organizations are being funded from one cycle to the next, he said, and it doesn’t appear that there’s any accountability. He also criticized the argument that some groups shouldn’t be funded because they don’t have the capacity to provide services. Smaller organizations have fewer resources, he noted, so they aren’t able to do as much as larger entities – and he indicated that they shouldn’t be compared in the same way.

Coordinated Funding: Board Discussion

Conan Smith (D-District 9) asked Mary Jo Callan how much coordinated funding is received by the Project Outreach Team (PORT). Callan wasn’t sure, but thought it was about $100,000. Smith said he really believed that coordinated funding should be a community grant program, and that if a county program needs funding, “we should just fund that program, not tell them to go through a competitive grant program with an outside set of decision-makers.” He said he’d support the resolution, but thought a better approach would be to simply fund PORT directly. It would open up more funding for other community groups that aren’t part of the county infrastructure, he noted.

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) agreed with Smith. He asked what the funding source was for the money that PORT receives through coordinated funding. Callan replied that PORT’s funding comes from the city of Ann Arbor. She noted that the city had funded PORT for many years, prior to the coordinated funding program.

Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) also agreed with Smith, saying it would be unfair for a county department to compete against a local nonprofit. He said he had expected to see additional issues addressed as well – issues that had been raised during the board’s discussion on Nov. 6, 2013. County administrator Verna McDaniel replied that other issues would be addressed separately.

Andy LaBarre (D-District 7) asked if this resolution would result in the county excluding itself from meeting a need. “Are we leaving something on the table that we really shouldn’t?” Callan replied that she didn’t think that was the case, especially because the policy specifically allowed a county department to act as a fiduciary for a nonprofit that would otherwise be ineligible for coordinated funding. The sheriff’s office, for example, has acted as fiduciary for a program that provides a lot of services to the community, she said, even though it isn’t a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Outcome: Commissioners gave initial approval to the new policy regarding coordinated funding. A final vote is expected on Feb. 5.

Dog Licenses

Commissioners were asked to give initial approval to a proposed ordinance that would allow the county to issue municipal civil infractions for owning an unlicensed dog. [This ordinance would not apply to Ann Arbor residents, as the city of Ann Arbor has its own dog licensing program.]

From left: County treasurer Catherine McClary and county administrator Verna McDaniel.

The proposal would also establish that the county treasurer’s office to be the bureau for administering these infractions, and would set new licensing fees. [.pdf of proposed dog license ordinance] The board held a public hearing about this proposal on Jan. 8, 2014 when one person, Thomas Partridge, spoke. The board had held a previous hearing at its meeting on Oct. 16, 2013, but it occurred after midnight and no one attended.

More than a year ago, at the county board’s Nov. 7, 2012 meeting, commissioners approved a civil infractions ordinance that gave the county more flexibility to designate violations of other county ordinances as a civil infraction, rather than a criminal misdemeanor. For example, enforcement of the county’s dog licensing ordinance is low because the current penalty – a criminal misdemeanor of 90 days in jail or a $500 fine – is relatively harsh. The idea is that enforcement would improve if a lesser civil infraction could be used. The new civil infraction fines would be $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense, and $500 for a third or any subsequent offense.

An increase in the enforcement is expected to result in an increase in the number of dog licenses, which would provide additional revenue to be used for animal control services.

A draft resolution and staff memo had been prepared in November 2013 but the item was not brought forward to the board for a vote last year. The current proposal is similar to that initial draft. [.pdf of Jan. 22, 2014 resolution and memo]

The county treasurer’s office also is proposing to lower the current dog licensing fee from $12 to $6 per year for spayed or neutered dogs and from $24 to $12 per year for dogs that aren’t spayed or neutered. There would continue to be a discount for a three-year license. There would be no charge to license service dogs, with proper documentation and proof of rabies vaccination. More information about current dog licenses is available on the county website.

Deliberations at the Jan. 22 meeting included the importance of outreach to educate residents about the changes.

Dog Licenses: Board Discussion

Dan Smith (R-District 2) urged residents to license their dogs. The fine for a first offense is $50, he noted, which would be waived if the owner subsequently secures a license. The maximum fee for a three-year license is $30.

Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) thanked the treasurer’s office for developing this proposal. He wondered what kind of educational information would be available to residents. He hoped the county would invest in some kind of educational component, especially for something that had a fine attached to it.

Alicia Ping (R-District 3) fully supported the idea of educational outreach, especially for rural areas. “Lots of people have lots of dogs in barns,” she said, and they aren’t necessarily aware of this ordinance. She also wondered if township offices could be allowed to sell licenses, at least during an initial period, so that it would be more convenient for residents who don’t live in Ann Arbor, where the county administrative offices are located.

County commissioners Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) and Alicia Ping (R-District 3).

County treasurer Catherine McClary came to the podium and thanked the board for acting on this ordinance. She said she sees it as a public health issue – the purpose of licensing a dog is to prove that the dog has a rabies vaccination. “I don’t see it as a punitive measure,” she said, and agreed with the need for public education.

Although the ordinance could take effect 50 days after the board’s final vote, McClary told the board that she was contemplating an effective date even later – perhaps sometime this summer – to provide enough time for a proper rollout. One thing her office is considering is to send a mailing to every property owner in the county. When they did something similar about 10 years ago, dog licensing doubled, she reported. It’s been relatively flat since then.

The treasurer’s office has been handling dog licenses for the city of Ypsilanti for about a year, McClary said. It’s also possible for township treasurers to sell the county licenses, if they choose to do that. She noted that in the past, the township treasurers were given dog tags to sell, but there was no accounting for how many licenses were sold. There also was no central database for that approach, she said. Now, the paperwork can be handled by the townships, but the county treasurer’s office keeps the central database and mails out the actual dog tags. It’s also possible for residents to apply online, by mail or by fax.

Some veterinarians also sell licenses, McClary said, and she’d like to expand that to other vets in the county. Conan Smith (D-District 9) encouraged that approach, calling it an easy point of contact for responsible pet owners.

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) noted that when Conan Smith was chair of the board, “he had to deal with a very, very difficult process … in how we fund animal control in Washtenaw County.” [Rabhi was alluding to negotiations with the Humane Society of Huron Valley over how much financial support the county would provide to HSHV.] Revenue from dog licenses was a part of that conversation, Rabhi noted. In contrast, the process of bringing forward this new ordinance happened “without too many aches and pains,” he said. Rabhi also stressed the need for educational outreach to dog owners.

Commissioner Andy LaBarre (D-District 7).

Rabhi noted that the licensing fee can only be used to pay for administrative costs. He wondered how the revenue from fines is distributed. McClary replied that the fine revenue is divided between the courts, the county and possibly the district libraries, which receive revenue from penal fines. She said she’d provide the board with additional information about how the revenue from fines is allocated.

Rabhi encouraged McClary to consider allowing parks staff to issue citations, because many people bring their dogs to county parks. McClary said she’d talk with parks & recreation director Bob Tetens about whether some of his staff could be deputized for that purpose.

McClary also pointed out that there’s no uniformity with the city of Ann Arbor, which issues its own licenses and has a separate fee structure. At some point, after the new county program has been running for a while, McClary said she’d like to start discussions with the city of Ann Arbor about possibly coordinating their programs.

Rabhi noted that the county funds the HSHV, which provides services in Ann Arbor too. He appreciated that Ann Arbor was starting to help pay for that, but it seemed like there was still a duplication of services in some cases – like dog licensing – and resources weren’t being aligned in order for the licensing program to be most effective.

Outcome: The board gave initial approval to the ordinance allowing the county to issue municipal civil infractions for owning an unlicensed dog. A final vote is expected on Feb. 5.

Health Care Coverage for Autism

Diane Heidt, the county’s human resources and labor relations director, gave a presentation on a proposal that the county administration plans to make formally to the board at a future meeting: To begin offering health care coverage to county employees for the treatment of autism. She began by introducing Colleen Allen, CEO of the Autism Alliance of Michigan, who was on hand to answer questions.

County commissioner Conan Smith. In the background is Pete Simms of the county clerk’s office.

Heidt noted that last fall, commissioner Conan Smith (D-District 9) had directed staff to research mental health parity, specifically focusing on autism coverage. Mental health parity refers to recognizing mental health conditions as equivalent to physical illnesses, and Washtenaw County has been a leader in providing mental health coverage, Heidt said, even before federal mandates. But one area where there isn’t parity is autism.

It hasn’t been included so far because of cost considerations, Heidt told commissioners. The county continues to recover from the economic downturn, but more recently the staff became aware of resources that are available to help provide coverage.

The federal Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act of 2008 mandates that any group plan with 50 or more members – like Washtenaw County government – must offer both medical and mental health benefits. Under more recent federal health care reform, there’s been an expansion of benefits, and mental health benefits are considered a mandatory part of basic health care, starting this year.

On the state level, in October 2012 a state of Michigan mandate took effect stating that all fully insured plans must provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The county is not a fully insured plan, Heidt explained. Rather, the county is self-funded, and so it was exempt from this state mandate.

Heidt described how ASD has become more common over the past few decades – 1 in 88 children are now diagnosed with ASD. That increase is related in part to increased awareness, she noted. Intervention can include medicine, behavioral treatment, or a combination of both.

The costs are estimated to be about $60,000 a year to cover a child with autism. The state of Michigan has made coverage a priority, Heidt said, and has started setting aside funds to reimburse organizations that provide coverage. In fiscal 2012-13, $15 million was made available, with an additional $11  million in fiscal 2013-14. Of that, only about $500,000 has been expended on reimbursements. The program is handled by the Michigan Dept. of Insurance and Financial Services.

The state program provides for reimbursement of up to $50,000 per year per child between the ages of 0 to 6, up to $40,000 per year from ages 7-12, and up to $30,000 per year for ages 13-18.

For Washtenaw County, Heidt estimated that offering the coverage would result in up to a 5% increase in medical expenses, or up to $1 million annually. This year, medical expenses are budgeted at about $20 million, Heidt said. The county would be fully reimbursed by the state of Michigan for the amounts that are allowed under the autism program.

Heidt said the county administration is recommending that starting Jan. 1, 2015, the county would offer a rider for autism coverage as part of its health benefits, as long as the state’s reimbursement program remains in effect. They would re-evaluate it on an annual basis, she said.

It would be possible to offer the benefit even earlier, Heidt noted – as soon as 90 days after approval by the board.

Health Care Coverage for Autism: Public Commentary

Ryan Schuett introduced himself as a Washtenaw County employee in support of the autism coverage that the board would be considering. He said he’s the father of a three-year-old autistic child who was diagnosed last year. He and his wife were happy to get a diagnosis, and started looking at treatment options. They initially weren’t concerned because they knew that the county provided great health care coverage, he said. But they learned that autism isn’t covered, and that has created a hardship for his family and other employees. He supported the change in coverage.

Michelle Schuett, right, spoke to county commissioner Felicia Brabec, far left, and Diane Heidt, the county’s human resources and labor relations director.

Michelle Schuett, who is married to Ryan Schuett, also spoke in support of the health care coverage to include treatment for autism. In the past year, her family paid for private insurance so that they could afford treatment for their daughter. She described how much of an improvement it made in her daughter’s ability to communicate. But they couldn’t continue to afford that insurance, she said, so they’re excited that the county board is considering coverage of it.

Health Care Coverage for Autism: Board Discussion

Conan Smith (D-District 9) said the county is learning more about autism and how many people are suffering from it. The county’s public policy hasn’t kept up with the needs for families. He thanked the Schuetts for putting a human face on an issue that the county can do something about. “It’s very courageous of you to stand up like that,” he said.

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) noted that there’s a $10,000 difference between the estimated annual costs for treatment and the top amount that the state would reimburse. Who picks up that difference? she asked.

Colleen Allen of the Autism Alliance of Michigan explained that as a self-funded entity, the county could decide how much it offers as coverage – it could be more than the state reimbursement, or less. She also noted that if left untreated, costs will emerge in other ways later in life – if a child needs special education, for example, or can’t be employed.

Several commissioners expressed support for the coverage. Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) felt the county should make a long-term commitment, and not rely on state reimbursement. He hoped the board could appoint a committee that would investigate the cost and sustainability of this type of coverage, and recommend a policy for funding coverage if the state reimbursement fund is exhausted.

Andy LaBarre (D-District 7) noted that his wife is a special education teacher, and the parents of the children she teaches are those who deal with this firsthand. He pointed out that the hours missed from work in dealing with a child who has ASD, not to mention the emotional toll, will affect productivity. The coverage will actually pay dividends in other ways in the future, he said. He volunteered to serve on the committee that Peterson suggested.

Conan Smith said he had initially thought the county had already offered this benefit. He reported that his wife, state Sen. Rebekah Warren, had asked him about it, and he then learned that it wasn’t coverage that the county offered. In terms of costs, he noted that applying national statistics to the number of county employees, it’s likely that only about 16 children of employees would be affected with some form of ASD. If each child needed the extra $10,000 per year in coverage – beyond what the state would reimburse – that would be a total of $160,000, he noted. He advocated for adopting the highest coverage, and he’d like to track how many employees actually access it.

Smith also supported offering the coverage as early as possible, rather than waiting until 2015.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Health Care Coverage for Autism: Committee

Later in the meeting, Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) brought forward a resolution to appoint commissioners Felicia Brabec (D-District 4), Andy LaBarre (D-District 7) and Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) to a committee related to the health care benefits for autism. The committee’s charge was to (1) investigate the cost and sustainability of coverage of autism spectrum disorders; and (2) recommend a policy providing and funding coverage if the state reimbursement fund is exhausted.

The committee was asked to report back to the full board on Feb. 5.

Outcome: Commissioners voted to confirm the appointments to this new committee.

Health Care & Pension Benefits

Diane Heidt, the county’s human resources and labor relations director, prepared an update on the county’s overall health care and pension benefits. She provided a handout to commissioners, but did not make a formal presentation. [.pdf of health care and pension benefits presentation]

Alicia Ping (R-District 3) noted that some companies have required testing of new hires to make sure they’re nicotine-free. It wouldn’t apply to current employees, but Ping wondered if it’s something that the administration has considered for new hires. County administrator Verna McDaniel said it’s something they’d need to do more research on before bringing a recommendation to the board.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) asked Heidt if she could compile dollar amounts to show the county’s health care expenditures over the last decade, for both active employees and retirees.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

PACE Program

Commissioners were asked to give initial approval to establish a countywide Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program.

Andy Levin of Lean & Green Michigan.

The board had issued a notice of intent to create the program at its meeting on Jan. 8, 2014.

The goal of PACE is to help owners of commercial (not residential) properties pay for energy improvements by securing financing from commercial lenders and repaying the loan through voluntary special assessments.

The county’s proposal entails joining the Lean & Green Michigan coalition and contracting with Levin Energy Partners to manage the PACE program. Andy Levin, who’s spearheading the PACE program statewide through Lean & Green, had attended a Dec. 4, 2013 board meeting to answer questions. State Sen. Rebekah Warren also spoke briefly during public commentary on Dec. 4 to support the initiative. She was instrumental in passing the state enabling legislation to allow such programs in Michigan.

The law firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone would act as legal counsel. Several other counties are part of Lean & Green, according to the group’s website. Other partners listed on the site include the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, which was co-founded by county commissioner Conan Smith. Smith is married to Warren.

On Jan. 22, Levin again briefly addressed the board during public commentary, as did several business owners who supported the PACE initiative. The board also held a former public hearing on the proposal later in the evening, but Levin and others had left by that point and no one spoke during the formal hearing.

The county’s PACE program would differ from the one set up by the city of Ann Arbor, which created a loan loss pool to reduce interest rates for participating property owners by covering a portion of delinquent or defaulted payments. Washtenaw County does not plan to set up its own loan loss reserve, and no county funds would be used for the program, according to Levin.

However, a reserve fund is mentioned in documentation that describes the program:

8. Reserve Fund

In the event Washtenaw County decides to issue bonds to provide financing for a PACE Program, Washtenaw County can determine at that time to fund a bond reserve account from any legally available funds, including funds from the proceeds of bonds.

By participating in LAGM [Lean & Green Michigan], Washtenaw County assists its constituent property owners in taking advantage of any and all appropriate loan loss reserve and gap financing programs of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (“MEDC”). Such financing mechanism can similarly be used to finance a reserve fund.

[.pdf of PACE program documentation] [.pdf of PACE cover memo] [.pdf PACE resolution]

PACE Program: Public Commentary

Six people addressed the board during public commentary about the PACE program. Kicking off the commentary was Andy Levin of Lean & Green Michigan. He told commissioners that some property owners and contractors had attended the meeting to speak about PACE and how the program affects their businesses. He thanked the board for moving the program forward.

Paul Brown introduced himself as an Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County citizen, who has spent his career working in finance. That includes some time spent working with Levin when Brown was vice president of capital markets at the Michigan Economic Development Corp. One of his tasks was to look at private capital markets, Brown said, especially those that didn’t work efficiently, and to try to “fill those gaps.” A lot of energy efficiency projects have a relatively long payout, he said, yet financing for that type of upgrade is of a relatively short duration. That results in a negative cash flow for the business. Brown described PACE as a revolutionary finance mechanism that allows a business owner to finance the project during its practical life, which makes it a cash-flow-positive scenario. When he was working for the state, Brown said, PACE was particularly attractive because it helped fill a financing gap.

From left: Commissioner Dan Smith (R-District 2) and corporation counsel Curt Hedger.

The state’s rule of thumb is if they can put in 10% capital and get a 10-to-1 leverage in economic activity, that’s a win, Brown said. PACE creates the economic activity with contractors and installation, but it also upgrades the infrastructure of buildings, which makes Michigan more competitive as a state, he said. One of the difficult things about Michigan is that its energy costs are relatively high, compared to other states. Combine that with a relatively old infrastructure, he added, and that’s a “double whammy,” making it difficult to become a competitive environment. PACE allows businesses in the state to help correct some of those inefficiencies and make them more competitive, Brown concluded.

The next speaker was Scott Ringlein, president and CEO of The Energy Alliance Group of Michigan, a partner of Lean & Green Michigan. He described a current project that they’re working on for McDonald’s in Washtenaw County – installing a geothermal system for about $85,000. With existing programs, like Michigan Saves, the business would only get financing for a 60-month period. But with PACE, that financing could be extended to 10-20 years, he said, which would result in immediate positive cash flow. A lot of technologies that are used for energy efficiency have a life of 20-30 years, Ringlein said. Another advantage is that the financing is tied to the property, not the business, he noted.

Alexis Blizman, policy director for the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center, also supported the countywide PACE program. The economic benefits of the program and the ability for businesses to save money are really important, she said, but the program also benefits the environment. Investments in energy efficiency can significantly reduce greenhouse gases, she said, and help mitigate climate change. It’s the best way to reduce stress on the energy grid, to eliminate the need for new power generation, and to allow for time for the market to change so that the price of renewable energy decreases. She urged commissioners to support the program.

Mike Larson of Simon Property Group – developers of Briarwood Mall – also supported the PACE initiative, saying it allowed businesses to do projects that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Briarwood Mall recently underwent a significant renovation, he noted. Upgrades included replacing all the lights with LED lighting – a costly but important change, he said. Larson concluded by urging commissioners to adopt the PACE program.

Zach Mathie of Patriot Solar Group in Albion, Michigan, expressed support for the county’s PACE program. It’s good for businesses, the community, and renewable energy, he said.

County treasurer Catherine McClary, speaking later in the meeting about the dog licensing agenda item, also addressed the board about the PACE program, saying there are compelling reasons to support it. From the perspective of the treasurer’s office, if a PACE project is delinquent, it would be no different than anyone else who might have a delinquent tax or special assessment, she said. Her office would initially advance money to the county to cover it, but if she couldn’t recover the delinquent taxes or assessment in a foreclosure or auction, then the county would have a charge-back and repay those funds.

The charge-back is one of two risks that McClary identified. The second risk is if an entity that’s exempt from special assessments – like a local government – purchases the property at a foreclosure auction. In that case, the stream of revenue from the special assessment would no longer be available. That risk can be mitigated if it’s clear that the financing entity, such as a bank, accepts the risk rather than the county. She said she’d be glad to work with whoever administers the program to ensure that the county taxpayers are protected.

The board also held a formal public hearing on the PACE program later in the evening. No one spoke during at that time.

PACE Program: Public Commentary – Board Response

Conan Smith (D-District 9) thanked the speakers who had supported PACE, noting that many of them had come from long distances. The county has supported this kind of environmental initiative and has enjoyed being on the forefront of innovation, he said. He hoped that by mid-February, there would be a PACE program that businesses could take advantage of in Washtenaw County.

Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) also said he appreciated hearing from supporters of the PACE program, and he looked forward to acting on that.

There was no other discussion of this item before the board vote.

Outcome: Commissioners gave initial approval to establish a countywide Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. A final vote to establish the program is expected at the board’s Feb. 5 meeting.

Communications & Commentary

During the meeting there were multiple opportunities for communications from the administration and commissioners, as well as public commentary. In addition to issues reported earlier in this article, here are some other highlights.

Communications & Commentary: Staff to Support Board’s Budget Priorities

Toward the end of the meeting, Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) asked about an item that was on the Jan. 22 agenda, but not discussed. The item was listed as part of the county administrator’s report, and referred to direction that the board had given to county administrator Verna McDaniel at the board’s Nov. 20, 2013 meeting: To research and recommend staffing options that would support the board’s community investment priorities.

County commissioner Ronnie Peterson.

Peterson said he assumed that this directive emerged from a meeting of the board’s leadership. Addressing board chair Yousef Rabhi, Peterson said: “Give me some history … regarding this position, and where you’re going with it.”

Rabhi reminded Peterson that the board had discussed the need to continue the budget process beyond just a vote to approve it, which was taken at the end of 2013. McDaniel reported that she’s still gathering information in order to develop a recommendation. She planned to bring something to the board at a future meeting, and said she’s been working with Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) and other commissioners on a proposal. [Brabec is chair of the board's ways & means committee, on which all commissioners serve. She also led the board's budget process.]

Brabec added that with a four-year budget, the board also set up a new strategic model to help them determine where the county’s resources should go. To do that, the board needs some staff support, she said. The board set goals as well as outcomes that are intended to measure how those goals are being achieved. If the board doesn’t continue to move forward on these things, “there was really no point in doing that process,” she said.

Peterson said it sounded really vague to him. Brabec replied that they need to do a needs assessment and gap analysis – that’s the first step. Peterson contended that “somewhere, some major strategy is being laid” – he had read all of the budget documents, he said, and it wasn’t clear to him what was being proposed. He asked whether the proposal is simply a series of reports. He criticized commissioners for not paying attention to the agenda item that had mentioned the staffing recommendation.

Conan Smith (D-District 9) said his expectation was that the recommendation wouldn’t call for reports, but would be for staffing. He had hoped that McDaniel would hire a senior-level position, but she’d heard from other commissioners that such a position wasn’t broadly supported. “I think the reason you don’t have something in front of you today is that there’s tension about how we effectively staff the function that we’re describing,” Smith said. He expected McDaniel will now bring forward a job description or scope of work for a contracted position. He hoped the person would attend board meetings or working sessions to provide regular updates, and to work with the county’s senior staff and department heads as this process moves forward.

Peterson wondered how they arrived at this decision. It was important to discuss this as a board, he said. He criticized the board leadership, saying that part of their role is to communicate with other commissioners.

By way of background, the board – including Peterson – discussed this issue at length at its Nov. 20, 2013 meeting. From The Chronicle’s report of that session:

Regarding the “community outcomes” document and the revised budget document that now included a section on “community impact investing,” Peterson wondered if there was any indication about the amount of staff time and resources that would be required to implement this approach. He said he didn’t have a problem with the budget priorities themselves, but it wasn’t clear how those priorities would be carried out, or what line item in the budget was designated for this purpose. He said he’d like to see a timeframe for how the board could start addressing these priorities during the remainder of their term, which runs through 2014. Was any of this information in the budget document? he asked.

Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) replied, saying that the revisions added to the budget document on community impact investing had stemmed from the community outcomes resolution that was also on the Nov. 20 agenda. Other commissioners have raised similar questions about how these outcomes will be implemented, she said. The county administrator, Verna McDaniel, will be taking the lead on that. Brabec pointed to text in the revised budget document that outlined this approach: “The County Administrator will bring a planned recommendation to implement the Community Impacts process with appropriate staffing and budget at the first business meeting in 2014, January 22, for BOC approval.”

Where will the funding come from to implement this process? Peterson asked again. The county already has a lot of obligations, he noted.

Rabhi responded to Petersen, saying that in the previous two-year budget approach, the first year would be spent developing the budget, but the second year would be focused on other things. The intention of the proposed four-year budget and community outcomes approach is to help keep the board involved in the budget as a “living document,” Rabhi said, and to have an active role in managing the budget as circumstances change.

The Feb. 5 agenda now includes an item that would authorize the “creation of a contractual, qualified professional position to assist the BOC to develop strategies and provide oversight for the integration of the Board-defined community impacts and outcomes into organizational and departmental programs, policies and budget priorities.”

According to a staff memo, the position would report to the county administrator, and compensation would not exceed the scope of the administrator’s authority. [.pdf of staff memo and resolution on Feb. 5 agenda]

Communications & Commentary: Road Funding

Alicia Ping (R-District 3) reported that a subcommittee that’s exploring the future of the Washtenaw County road commission had met prior to the county board meeting that night. The subcommittee, which Ping chairs, had voted to ask the county board to pass a resolution urging Gov. Rick Snyder to allocate the state’s budget surplus for road repair, distributed to local entities using the current state formula for road allocations. [A resolution on this issue is now on the board's Feb. 5 agenda.]

Communications & Commentary: Mayoral Race

At the end of the Jan. 22 meeting, Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8) reiterated his statements from earlier in the month that he would not be running for the mayor of Ann Arbor this year. He restated his commitment to the county board.

The Chronicle queried another Ann Arbor commissioner, Democrat Conan Smith (D-District 9), about the possibility of a mayoral candidacy or a decision to run for re-election to the county board. Smith’s reply, via email on Jan. 23: “I haven’t made any decisions about 2014 at all at this point.”

Present: Felicia Brabec, Andy LaBarre, Kent Martinez-Kratz, Ronnie Peterson, Alicia Ping, Yousef Rabhi, Conan Smith, Dan Smith.

Absent: Rolland Sizemore Jr.

Next regular board meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. The ways & means committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting. [Check Chronicle event listings to confirm date.] (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public commentary is held at the beginning of each meeting, and no advance sign-up is required.

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Supporters of the Humane Society of Huron Valley in front of the Washtenaw County administration building at Main and Catherine, prior to the Oct. 19 board of commissioners meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

Inside during their meeting, county commissioners heard from a stream of supporters for various nonprofits, all urging the board to maintain funding for services – from the care of animals to basic safety net services like housing and food. The proposed budget calls for $1.2 million in cuts to outside agencies, including many nonprofits. Funding levels would drop from about $3 million this year to $1.8 million in each of the next two years. The cuts are proposed to address a projected $17.5 million deficit over the next two years.

Much of the public commentary came from HSHV supporters, who argued that the county is already getting more services than it pays for under its contract with the nonprofit, even before cutting annual funding from $500,000 to $250,000. That contract expires at the end of 2011, and leaders from the county and HSHV will be meeting later this month to try to reach an agreement for providing services – including those mandated by the state.

The budget was the focus of much of Wednesday’s three-hour meeting, which started with the appointment of Felicia Brabec to fill the vacant District 7 seat. Commissioners expressed support for the nonprofits they fund, but several argued that cuts are necessary because of the county’s declining revenues. They also pointed to discussions at the state level of eliminating the personal property tax. A recent analysis prepared by county staff estimates that repeal of the PPT would cut county revenues by $5.559 million, and would eliminate a total of $42.961 million in revenues for all local governments in Washtenaw County. [.pdf of PPT report]

Some commissioners urged the public to contact state legislators and oppose the PPT repeal, while others asked that everyone dig into their own pockets and contribute to local nonprofits that face funding cuts. Several commissioners expressed support for putting a human services millage on the ballot as a way to raise money for these safety net services. It would not be possible to add it to the Nov. 8 ballot, but could be considered for 2012. Wes Prater also argued that not enough cuts have been made in the budget – he believes county departments can find additional ways to trim their expenses.

In the only formal action related to the proposed budget, a resolution proposed by Yousef Rabhi reallocated $26,230 in annual dues (or $52,460 over two years) paid to the Michigan Association of Counties, transferring those funds to the Delonis Center, a homeless shelter in Ann Arbor. The resolution was unanimously approved. It followed action at the Ann Arbor city council’s Oct. 17 meeting, when councilmembers appropriated $25,000 from the city’s general fund reserve to keep the Delonis Center’s warming center open this winter. At the council’s meeting, mayor John Hieftje noted that the Delonis Center is a partnership between the city and county, and he hoped the county would uphold its end.

Final decisions on the budget haven’t yet been settled. The board must pass a budget by Dec. 31, and has only three more regular meetings scheduled for the year. The budget must first be voted on by the Ways & Means Committee – a committee of the whole board – then voted on a final time at a regular board meeting.

Though much of the Oct. 19 meeting focused on 2012-2013 budget issues, the board gave final approval to several other items, including: (1) creating a study committee to explore a historic district in Salem Township; (2) renewing a two-year contract with Governmental Consultant Services Inc., a Lansing-based lobbying firm; and (3) authorizing a contract with Sylvan Township related to the township’s bond repayment schedule.

And in non-budget public commentary, Douglas Smith submitted an appeal to the board for a Freedom of Information Act request that had been denied by the county, related to an incident that he says involves a high-ranking member of the sheriff’s office. The board did not respond publicly to his request, other than to clarify with the county’s corporation counsel that appeals are handled by the county administrator.

District 7 Appointment

The bi-weekly meetings of the county board are actually two back-to-back meetings, beginning with a Ways & Means Committee meeting at 6:30 p.m., followed immediately by the regular board meeting. The board meeting is officially posted to begin at 6:45 p.m., but typically starts much later – most of the deliberations on agenda items occur during Ways & Means, which is a committee of the entire board.

On Wednesday, rather than begin with Ways & Means, commissioners waited until 6:45 p.m. and began the evening by convening the board meeting – for the sole purpose of making an appointment to the vacant District 7 seat. Former commissioner Kristin Judge resigned from the board mid-term – effective Oct. 9 – and two people applied to replace her until special elections are held next year.

County commissioners Wes Prater (D-District 3) and Felicia Brabec (D-District 7).

The board interviewed Felicia Brabec and Christopher Nielsen at a public meeting on Monday, Oct. 17. In response to a question during public commentary at that meeting, commissioners reported that Judge had encouraged Brabec to apply, and had arranged introductions with some members of the board.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Alicia Ping read the resolution appointing Brabec. The same resolution set the special election dates: a primary on Feb. 28, 2012, and a general election on Tuesday, May 8.

The filing deadline for candidates with political party affiliations to run for this office is Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. The filing deadline for independent candidates is Jan. 3 at 4 p.m. Republican Richard Conn has already filed.

There was no discussion on Wednesday prior to the board’s vote.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Felicia Brabec to serve as District 7 commissioner. Barbara Bergman was absent.

After receiving a round of applause, Brabec was immediately sworn in by county clerk Larry Kestenbaum. Board chair Conan Smith said it was a difficult decision, and that it’s the board’s misfortune that they couldn’t appoint both candidates. [Nielsen also attended Wednesday's meeting.] To Brabec, Smith quipped, “”We will work you to death.” Rolland Sizemore Jr. asked her to introduce her husband, David Brabec, who was in the audience. Sizemore told him that commissioners are the reason Brabec will come home from these meetings in a bad mood. He appeared to be joking.

Funding for Nonprofits

Since county administrator Verna McDaniel formally presented the 2012-2013 general fund budget to the board at its Sept. 21 meeting, commissioners have discussed various elements of it at board meetings and working sessions. They have until the end of 2011 to modify and approve it. After Wednesday’s meeting, only three more regular board meetings are scheduled: Nov. 2 and 16, and Dec. 7.

Funding for outside agencies – $1.8 million for each of the coming two years, down from $3 million this year – is a relatively small part of the $97.7 million budget. Yet it typically receives considerable attention from the board and the community. The category includes funding for a variety of nonprofits, as well as dues and special initiatives, including funding for economic development efforts. [.pdf list of all proposed 2012-2013 outside agency funding]

Outside agency funding includes line items for several nonprofit institutions, including the Humane Society of Huron Valley, the Delonis Center homeless shelter, SafeHouse Center (a shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault) and many others. It also includes a line item for coordinated funding of human services – funds that are pooled with other money from the city of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw United Way and Washtenaw Urban County. Those pooled funds are allocated to nonprofits in a coordinated way, focusing on six priority areas: housing/homelessness, aging, school-aged youth, children from birth to six, health safety net, and food. [.pdf of coordinated funding allocations]

If the 2012-2013 budget is approved as proposed, money for coordinated funding will drop by $128,538 – from $1,015,000 to $886,462. Several supporters who spoke at Wednesday’s meeting advocated for nonprofits who get funding through this process, which is overseen by the joint county/city of Ann Arbor office of community development.

Responding to a follow-up query from The Chronicle after the Oct. 19 meeting, Mary Jo Callan – director of the office of community development – said the intent would be to spread the cuts across all funded agencies, so that every nonprofit takes a small cut. Otherwise, the agencies technically funded by Washtenaw County would have to absorb the entire amount cut by the county, she wrote:

This scenario would be especially unfortunate for those agencies, since it was an administrative decision to assign agencies to specific funders. In other words, no agency specifically applied for county funds, since one application was an application to every funder through coordinated funding. … However, in order to execute the scenario where cuts are spread out across all agencies funded, other coordinated funding partners must agree to that scenario.

The board spent part of its Oct. 13 working session discussing outside agency funding. It was also the main topic of public commentary at Wednesday’s meeting, as well as at the formal public hearing on the budget.

Nearly 30 people spoke about outside agency funding at public commentary, and four people addressed the board on that issue during the public hearing. This report summarizes those remarks thematically. Many others attended the meeting – spilling out of the boardroom into the lobby of the county administration building –  but did not address the board. There was frequent applause in support of speakers’ commentary.

Funding for Nonprofits: Public Commentary – Humane Society

Ten people – volunteers and staff – urged commissioners to restore proposed funding cuts for the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Many other HSHV supporters attended the meeting but did not address the board formally. The proposed budget would cut HSHV funding from $500,000 to $250,000 annually. HSHV is operating under a contract with the county to provide state-mandated services, as well as services that go beyond the state mandate – the contract runs through 2011.

Susan Karp read a letter from Debbie Schutt of the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance. Earlier this year, HSHV received the alliance’s Outstanding Large Shelter Award for 2009. It was recognized for a 75% save rate that year. It will receive the 2010 award as well, according to Schutt. The letter described several shelters that, unlike HSHV, are under fire for their practices – including the Michigan Humane Society and the shelter in Livingston County. Schutt urged the county to work with HSHV. Lisa Birchmeier read a letter from another supporter of HSHV, who characterized Washtenaw County as a community of animal lovers. The county gets a bargain for HSHV’s comprehensive, innovative services, which include support for families that are struggling financially – like the Bountiful Bowls pet food assistance.

Holding her dog Snickers, Deborah Noble tearfully told commissioners that her dog represented the faces of many others that are cared for at HSHV. She served on the Superior Township planning commission, which had to approve the new facility – it’s second-to-none, she said. A year ago, Noble was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, and “there is no stage 5,” she said. Her doctors didn’t think she’d make it this long, but it’s because of Snickers and her other pets that she has survived, she said. Cutting HSHV funds doesn’t mean the animals get fewer treats – “we’re talking about killing these animals,” she said. Noble concluded by asking commissioners, on behalf of Snickers, not to cut HSHV funding.

Jessica Anderson said she’s been an HSHV volunteer for 17 years. She asked whether people would bring in strays to the shelter if they thought the animals would be killed. It’s not a pretty thought to think about animals running loose, as they did recently in Ohio, she said. [The reference is to the release of dozens of exotic, wild animals – including grizzly bears, lions and tigers – from a farm in Zanesville, Ohio. The owner killed himself after releasing the animals, and law enforcement officials killed many of the animals that couldn't be captured.] Anderson said the board’s decision-making process on funding should begin with an investigation of each organization. HSHV is run better than it’s ever been, she said. Clearly, budget cuts need to be made by the county, she said, but it’s not good to pit organizations against each other for funding.  “As we say in education, it’s not a race to the bottom.”

Karen Patterson, an HSHV educator, described how bonds between animals and humans often can’t be broken. Of all the people who refused to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina, she noted, 44% stayed because they didn’t want to leave their animals. Patterson recalled how a little girl she encountered was worried because the girl’s dog had run away. Patterson said she reassured the girl that the dog could be found and taken to the humane society. In the future, Patterson wondered what she’d be able to tell children like this. How can she tell them that every life is valuable, when the community leaders don’t believe it? She encouraged commissioners to find a way to fund HSHV.

Deb Kern, HSHV’s marketing director, said she didn’t envy the board’s position. She’d worked in Ann Arbor for 28 years and loved the city, and had taken a significant pay cut to leave a corporate job and work at HSHV. She’s proud of their work, and of being able to reunite owners with their pets. HSHV provides great customer service, and the staff have answered over 5,000 calls this year from people looking for their lost animals. People know to come to the humane society’s facility – it would be confusing if there were multiple places to look, she said, and it might result in animals being put down because their owners couldn’t reach the pets in time. It’s not cheap to do outreach and advertising, but HSHV does that. They have the highest return-to-owner rate in Michigan, she noted.

Kern recalled being at the meeting when former county administrator Bob Guenzel embraced the idea for a new facility, and she helped lead the $8.5 million capital campaign to fund it. It seems insane to her that after helping HSHV become an award-winning shelter, the county would now pull away from its contract. [.pdf of Kern's full remarks]

Elise Ramsey, an HSHV animal cruelty investigator, said they’ve investigated over 500 cases in the past year, including over 30 cases that have been handled by the prosecutor’s office – all were found guilty. Nearby counties have a lower population yet more animal control officers, she noted. HSHV’s investigators – whose work ranges from investigating dog fights to dealing with wild animals on public and private property – minimize the amount of time that law enforcement must spend on cases, and that saves the county money. The budget decisions aren’t about choosing sides, she said. It’s about creating a safer environment for the community.

Deb Ledford, an HSHV volunteer, told commissioners that people have a special relationship with their animals, and would be willing to pay more in taxes to support HSHV. She urged them to consider a millage to provide additional funding for the shelter.

Anne Alatalo, an HSHV volunteer who also had spoken at an Oct. 13 board working session, read a quote attributed to Gandhi: “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Kelly Schwartz, HSHV’s director of volunteers and operational support, said she lives in Pittsfield Township “and I vote.” She criticized the county’s lack of due diligence before making cuts. She noted that the job description for the two animal control officers paid for by the county – at about $180,000 per officer – doesn’t match what those workers actually do. In many cases, they simply pick up dogs and drop them off at the shelter. Picking up 192 stray dogs over a year works out to the county paying about $1,000 per animal. Schwartz expressed frustration at HSHV’s efforts possibly to handle dog licensing that’s now done by the county treasurer. She said HSHV has been told it’s not their purview. Yet HSHV handles dog licensing for Ypsilanti Township, she noted.

Regarding the possibility that the county would issue a request for proposals (RFP) for another agency to provide the state-mandated services that HSHV now does, Schwartz said that HSHV is the only facility in the county that’s licensed by the Dept. of Agriculture. That license requires a set of conditions, such as having a veterinarian on site. It would be a shame if the county didn’t support HSHV’s economies of scale and facility, she concluded.

Funding for Nonprofits: Public Commentary – Housing, Food

Paul Saginaw, co-founder of Zingerman’s and of the nonprofit Food Gatherers, said he appreciated how profoundly difficult the board’s choices are. But the strength of a community is measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable members. Between 2006 to 2008, the number of people needing emergency food assistance increased 138% percent, and those numbers have grown. Since 2008, there’s been a 40% increase in local families needing food stamps. Yet Food Gatherers – which serves a network of food pantries across the county – has seen funding cuts, most recently a 40% reduction in the money it gets from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Barbara Niess-May, executive director of SafeHouse Center, and Paul Saginaw, co-founder of Zingerman's and of the nonprofit Food Gatherers.

Saginaw noted that Food Gatherers already leverages private resources – from donors, volunteers and other partners – to provide public services that used to be handled by the government. They work creatively and efficiently to fight hunger, and are an excellent steward of their resources. He urged the board at a minimum to maintain the $166,000 annual funding for Food Gatherers, which represents 5% of the nonprofit’s annual operating budget.

Six people spoke in support of Ozone House, a shelter for homeless youth. [The coordinated funding budget approved in June allocated a total of $208,557 for Ozone House programs, including $97,625 from the county.] Lisa Jackson, vice president of the board, noted that the nonprofit is the only one that provides a shelter specifically for homeless youth, and it’s a national model. She pointed to the county board’s budget guidelines, noting that second one states that the county will “support programs that address the basic needs of children and families.” That’s what Ozone House does, she said. The county’s funding is a huge part of this community’s safety net, and she asked that they continue funding this critical need in the community.

Three teens – Eric,  Demoni and Tiffany – gave their perspectives on the need for Ozone House, saying they know youth who are homeless and that it’s hard to know what it would be like if Ozone House wasn’t around. Kids deserve a drug-free, alcohol-free, safe environment where they can study and know that they’re not alone. Colleen O’Brien, Ozone House director of youth development, told the board that these three youth represent thousands of others that Ozone House supports. These youth look up to leaders like the commissioners, she said, and if the board doesn’t prioritize basic needs and public safety, she’s not sure they’ll stay in this community when they become adults. Nicole Brown also supported Ozone House, saying it’s important to show youth that the community cares about them.

Paul Leighton, a SafeHouse Center board member, and SafeHouse executive director Barbara Niess-May both spoke in support of the center, which provides help for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. [SafeHouse received $96,000 from the county this year, and is budgeted for $48,000 annually in 2012 and 2013.] Leighton, a criminology professor at Eastern Michigan University, described the impact on victims and the services that SafeHouse provides, including a helpline, crisis intervention, counseling and shelter.

Niess-May described SafeHouse as a “community jewel,” noting that the staff of 24 and 150 volunteers serve well over 4,000 women and children each year through the shelter and advocacy work. She reminded the county that SafeHouse took over sexual assault services from the county in 2003, which at the time had cost the county $200,000 each year. She said that law enforcement officers feel comfortable leaving the scene after an incident when they know representatives from SafeHouse are there. The county is a partner, and she thanked commissioners for their continued support.

Jim Wiseman is a volunteer with Interfaith Hospitality Network’s Alpha House, a family homeless shelter. [The coordinated funding provided $92,400 in funding for IHN.] Of the 4,700 people who were homeless in 2010, 1,500 of those were under the age of 18. He described the consequences of homelessness on youth, including hunger, truancy, poor mental and physical health, learning disabilities, depression and anxiety. Thousands of volunteers support Alpha House, but they need the continued support of the county as well. Wiseman noted that he has two dogs and has volunteered at the animal shelter too, but the basic need for helping the homeless population is greater.

Nicole Adelman, executive director of Interfaith Hospitality Network, said the county has been a true partner, and IHN still needs their support. Many agencies are working together to increase collaboration, she said, and they all have success stories. She urged commissioners to support nonprofits to the greatest extent possible, so the successes could continue.

Michael Appel of Avalon Housing.

Michael Appel, associate director of Avalon Housing, said he deeply appreciated the county’s support through coordinated funding. [Avalon is budgeted for $140,974 in coordinated funding.] Avalon’s Shelter Plus Care program illustrates how seriously they take the county’s charge to leverage funding and be responsible stewards of public money, he said. Every year, Avalon applies with other local agencies for federal funding through the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that helps move people off the streets and into permanent housing. HUD requires that its housing subsidy be matched with supportive services that Avalon provides – the county helps pay for those services, Appel said. He urged commissioners to continue their support.

Kristin Klevering of SOS Community Services thanked commissioners for their support. [SOS receives $90,859 from the county's portion of coordinated funding, plus $124,577 from other coordinated funding sources.] SOS recently has become the single point-of-entry for people seeking housing assistance in the county. [Its housing access phone number is 734-961-1999.] For its first week in this role, SOS fielded 203 calls for help with housing, including people facing eviction and homeless families seeking permanent housing. Klevering said their staff is booked steadily because of the great need. The single point-of-entry makes it much easier for people who need help, but the staff wouldn’t be able to do it without the county’s support.

Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, described the county as a partner through successful and difficult times – and this is one of the most difficult times they’ve faced. She urged commissioners to pass a resolution that articulates their commitment to human services and outside agencies. The resolution would commit to reinstating funds as soon as revenues permit, and would make that reinstatement of funds the highest priority when revenues recover. Schulmeister also asked commissioners to use their political positions to speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable citizens of the county, and to lobby their friends and professional networks to fundraise and make personal donations to local nonprofits.

Julie Steiner, executive director of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance, told commissioners she’d just been to the Michigan Homeless Summit in Lansing, where the head of the state’s Dept. of Human Services reported that Michigan’s income level used to be 14th nationwide, but is now 31st. Her organization can see the impact of that income loss throughout the county. Steiner reported some data from the first week of calls to the SOS housing hotline, and highlighted the fact that 31% of the 203 people who called had no income at all.

The question is how can those folks be helped, and the answer isn’t coming from Lansing or Washington, Steiner said. She noted that the state recently imposed an asset test for people receiving food stamps, requiring them to have less than $5,000 in assets – including their cars, which are the way most people get to their minimum-wage jobs, she observed. This came about two weeks after recipients had been told it wouldn’t happen. “The war on the poor is continuing,” Steiner said, adding that she deeply appreciated all that the county does to support human services.

Funding for Nonprofits: Public Commentary – Literacy

Three people urged continued support for the Family Learning Institute, which provides tutoring to elementary schools students in math and reading.

Dave Knight said he’s been a volunteer reading coach since 2005. “I know that what we do works,” he said. It’s a lifelong skill with a tangible return, and is worth the county’s support. Dave Morris, a math tutor for FLI, described his work with a fourth grader – a smart girl, the daughter of recent immigrants, who’s having trouble in school and is at a critical turning point in deciding that she’s not academic. When she realizes that she can understand, she’s more likely to choose a different path. Volunteers at FLI can make a difference in the lives of students like her, and it’a a value to the community, he said.

Jeff Harrold, FLI’s board chair and an academic standards advisor at the University of Michigan, told commissioners that he’s worked with some of the brightest students in the world, and he’s also seen some people who could have gone down that academic path, but who ended up in jail. The thing that connects them is literacy. FLI provides free supplemental tutoring in math and reading, and their work directly addresses the achievement gap, he said. They operate on a shoestring and can’t afford to lose funding. In a knowledge economy, you have to know how to read. FLI teaches students to read, he concluded, and ”we hope you’ll help us continue to do that.”

Funding for Nonprofits: Public Commentary – General Human Services

Alan Haber said he appreciated the incredible volunteerism that’s on display, and he hopes the county can support all of these organizations. There’s a reason why the county doesn’t have enough money, he said, citing the trillions of dollars that the federal government has spent on war in the last decade, and the $1.4 billion in federal taxes from Michigan that pay for nuclear weapons. Commissioners need to work to change priorities of the country, and to encourage innovative approaches like Camp Take Notice. Haber cited the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations of the “99% against the 1%,” and said there needs to be some kind of redistribution of wealth. Local is part of the global, he noted, and he hoped that commissioners would see the bigger picture. They really need to act on a political level, he said, and to raise their voices about keeping more money in Michigan.

Max Heinrich told commissioners that they have a choice. They can accept the budget cuts that are imposed and make decisions in the least painful way, or they can ask how to be creative and find funding to do the things they need to do. If they simply say there’s not enough money, “the county is going to go down,” he said. He called on the board to identify what matters to them, then find a way to fund it.

Saying that her heart hurts, Lily Au told the board that they need to see the bigger picture. She praised commissioner Ronnie Peterson for speaking out against the coordinated funding process. [Peterson has repeatedly raised concerns about the process, but voted along with all other commissioners to approve the approach at the board's Nov. 3, 2010 meeting, and subsequently voted to approve the recommended allocations at the board's June 1, 2011 meeting.] Au criticized the overhead costs at United Way, one of the coordinated funding partners. She said she wasn’t criticizing people, just the policy. People are suffering and need as much support as possible, she said.

Thomas Partridge called for support of affordable housing, transportation, health care and education for all.

Funding for Nonprofits:  Commissioner Discussion

Yousef Rabhi began by thanking everyone for coming, saying it’s refreshing to see people take an active part in the democratic process. He especially thanked Alan Haber and Max Heinrich for their words. Local government is being squeezed from all sides, he said, and now the state is talking about eliminating the ability of local governments to raise revenues via the personal property tax. Rabhi urged everyone to contact their state legislators and tell them that eliminating the PPT would place a significant burden on the local community. He said he’s especially concerned about the proposed $128,000 annual cut to coordinated funding. The process works well to distribute funds from the county, city of Ann Arbor and other groups, he said.

Regarding the humane society, Rabhi said he loves animals and knows that other commissioners do too. No one denies that the county has a mandate to provide certain services, but it’s not yet clear to him exactly what those mandated services are. The county needs to identify what services are mandated, how much it costs to provide those mandated services, and how much additional funding they can allocate to the humane society. He doesn’t think it will be at the same level in the past, but there are valuable programs at the humane society that are important to support.

Leah Gunn remembered when there was no decent homeless shelter, and the county took a proactive role in creating the Delonis Center, which is now a national model, she said. She remembered when Food Gatherers didn’t exist, and commended Paul Saginaw for the great work that he and others have done. She noted that SafeHouse Center is located in a county-owned building that’s paid for by a county millage.

The county has been extremely generous, Gunn said. But the county’s main revenues come from property taxes, and those revenues are decreasing. If the state eliminates the personal property tax, it would be devastating, she said – the county alone would lose $5 million in annual revenue, and all local governments in the county would lose a total of $43 million. State revenue sharing is also going to run out in 2013, she noted. Gunn urged people to dig into their pockets and donate to the nonprofits that do such good work.

From left: Commissioners Rolland Sizemore, Leah Gunn, and Conan Smith.

Conan Smith also thanked the people who attended the meeting, and those who had advocated for finding additional revenue. He believes in that, too. Much of the spending at higher levels of government is wrong, and would be better spent locally, he said.

Smith thanked Rabhi for contextualizing the humane society situation. He noted that the expenses related to animal cruelty investigations can be charged back to the offenders as restitution. [At that, some people in the audience called out that it's not possible – many offenders are unable to pay.] He agreed it was time to revisit the issue of dog licenses, which are currently collected by the county treasurer’s office. HSHV has previously proposed taking over that service.

Smith said there’s another month to find alternatives, and he noted that he and other county officials will be meeting with HSHV leaders next week. The letter that the county received from HSHV’s board president, Michael Walsh – which stated that HSHV can’t afford to offer the same services at a reduced rate – is what prompted some commissioners to talk about looking for other providers, Smith said. [.pdf of Walsh's letter]

In part, Walsh’s letter states:

Should the County be unable or unwilling to find the additional resources that will allow the HSHV to continue to provide these Animal Control Services, given our long-standing relationship, we are willing to work with you on a short-term basis to provide an orderly transition to either another service provider or to a County-run shelter. This could be accomplished through a limited-term extension of the existing contract at the 2011 funding level.

The mandate doesn’t go away, Smith noted, even if HSHV decides it can’t provide the services. But he hoped the county can work with HSHV to meet that mandated obligation.

The commissioners put a priority on protecting families and children – problems of homelessness and hunger are growing, Smith said. “We are in a dire situation.” He’s highly supportive of exploring a millage to fund human services, as other commissioners have proposed – he believes voters would support that too. Smith concluded by saying that the board will be discussing the budget for several more weeks, and he encouraged people to weigh in. “Your words are our community wisdom,” he said. “Know that everyone on the board will take those to heart.”

Rob Turner noted at the beginning of this year, the board was looking at a $20 million deficit for 2012-2013. In April, when the county equalization report showed that revenues didn’t drop as much as expected, that projected deficit was revised to $17.5 million. To deal with it, the board prioritized, Turner explained, and put an emphasis on safety net services. They also directed the administration to streamline and consolidate, he noted – that led to three departments merging into the office of community and economic development. [That consolidation will take effect in January 2012.]

The staff did a good job at restructuring, and found $8 million in savings, Turner said. Employees gave concessions totaling another $8 million. Yet even with all of this, the county will need to tap its general fund balance, he said, bringing the fund balance to 13% of the total general fund budget – at the low end of the recommended level.

Repealing the personal property tax would hit the county hard, Turner said, resulting in another 5-6% cut to the general fund budget and lowering the fund balance to about 8%. Everyone needs to tell their state legislators that the PPT can’t be cut without first identifying replacement revenues. Turner said he supported a human services millage, but he noted that voters had rejected a countywide schools millage just last year.

There are people who are unemployed now who’ve never been unemployed before, Turner said. No one on the board wants to cut the funding for nonprofits, but that’s the hand they’re forced to play. If revenues increase, commissioners would like to make the funding whole again, but right now, the money’s just not there, he said.

Wes Prater observed that the county has been very generous when times were good. If the personal property tax is eliminated, these organizations will face even deeper cuts, he said. There are no secrets about the budget situation, Prater said – all of the information is available online. He hoped the humane society understood that there would be cuts, and that the nonprofit needs to think about fundraising from its volunteers. It’ll take more revenues to support those services, he said. “I’m sorry to have to say those words, but they’re true.”

Ronnie Peterson noted that the board hasn’t yet adopted the budget, so it’s premature to state that certain items will be cut – the board hasn’t voted on that yet, he said. He told the audience that he appreciated their advocacy, regardless of whether he agreed with their positions. Personally, Peterson said he’s not interested in contracting with an alternative agency to the humane society, and he asked the board chair, Conan Smith, to clarify the status of HSHV.

Smith reviewed that county administrator Verna McDaniel had presented the budget to the board several weeks ago. It was developed based on the board’s direction to her, he said, and includes recommendations to cut outside agency funding. In the case of the humane society, the recommendation is for $250,000 per year, down from $500,000. They haven’t taken a vote on the budget, Smith said, and they are now deliberating it. But whatever decisions they make have to result in a balanced budget, he noted. They can make whatever adjustments they see fit, but the result must be bottom-line neutral.

Peterson asked whether the board was considering an alternative provider for animal control services, rather than HSHV. Smith replied that HSHV has indicated it can’t provide the services at the recommended funding level of $250,000 – that message was in the letter from HSHV board president Michael Walsh. Smith said he appreciated that communication, and HSHV’s offer to serve in a transitional role if the county needs to find another provider.

The county’s current contract with HSHV ends on Dec. 31, and there’s only a limited time to reach a solution, Smith said. No one anticipated that the county would end its relationship with HSHV, Smith said, and there’s wide misunderstanding about what services are mandated. Perhaps a new contract will eliminate non-mandated services, like care for cats, Smith said. There are also possible revenues strategies that can be explored, he said. “By all means, the door is open.”

Peterson then raised the issue of coordinated funding, which he has criticized in the past. Addressing poverty must be a discussion among policy-makers, he said, not relegated to a county department. [Coordinated funding is overseen by the joint county/city of Ann Arbor office of community development.] And it shouldn’t be limited to just county commissioners, he said – there are two major public universities in this area, as well as several private ones. Those institutions have resources, he said, and should be concerned about quality of life in this community. “We cannot do it by ourselves,” Peterson said, and it’s unfair that nonprofits should have to fight over funding.

As he has in the past, Rolland Sizemore Jr. called for a working session to discuss all potential new millages, including those for road repair and to fund human services. He recommended that the public attend those working sessions to give their views about the millages – he believes raising revenues is the only way out of the current budget situation. He also called for more information about the budget, including administrative salaries.

Funding for Nonprofits: More Funds for Homeless Shelter

Yousef Rabhi indicated that priorities for him in this budget are coordinated funding and the homeless shelter. Given the increased homelessness in this community, he thought the county should step up funding for the shelter. The county’s membership in the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC) has been useful in the past, he said, but it’s time to prioritize the homeless over that. He then moved to eliminate $26,230 in annual dues to the Michigan Association of Counties, and transfer those funds to the Delonis Center, the homeless shelter at 312 W. Huron. Over the two-year budget period, a total of $52,460 would be added to the Delonis Center funding.

Chuck Warpehoski of the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice talks with Julie Steiner of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance.

Conan Smith supported the motion, saying that the county has ample representation in Lansing through its lobbyist, Governmental Consultant Services Inc. [Later in the meeting, the board voted to give final approval to a two-year contract with GCSI at at $54,250 per year. Kirk Profit is the primary GCSI lobbyist dealing with the county.]

Dan Smith said that as a new commissioner elected in November 2010, he had gone through a training session in December – MAC had been one of the organizers, and it had been a valuable experience. However, after he was sworn in the county staff have provided even more orientation, so he was comfortable dropping MAC membership at this time. He hoped that when the board reaffirms the 2013 budget in a year, they’ll revisit membership for MAC and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), if the board decides to drop SEMCOG too. [The board will adopt a two-year budget for 2012 and 2013, but then at the end of 2012 they will make readjustments and vote to reaffirm the 2013 budget.]

Rolland Sizemore Jr. said he’d support Rabhi’s motion, but he wondered why they were voting on one item now, and not waiting until they’d made decisions about all changes.

Outcome: The board unanimously voted to amend the proposed budget by eliminating its membership in the Michigan Association of Counties, and shifting its $26,230 in annual dues for 2012 and 2013 to the Delonis Center homeless shelter. The budget itself will receive a vote later this year. 

2012-2013 Budget: Continued Discussion

Following the discussion on outside agency funding and a vote on shifting funds to the Delonis Center, the board discussed the 2012-2013 budget more broadly.

They initially discussed how to proceed with making changes to the budget, without handling it piecemeal. Rolland Sizemore Jr. noted that it’s getting to be “crunch time” – there are only three more regular board meetings scheduled before the end of the year, and if they want to give final approval at the Nov. 16 meeting, as planned, they’d need to take an initial vote at their next meeting, on Nov. 2. He suggested that commissioners email any changes they had to the administrator, who could then forward all proposed changes to the entire board.

Wes Prater noted that in the list of eight revenue categories for the general fund, only two categories – fees & services, and fines & forfeitures – show an increase from 2011 to 2012. He expressed frustration that 16 departments showed increases in their expenditures compared to 2011. The line item for information technology, for example, grows from $5.28 million in 2011 to $6.49 million in 2012. The budget for the board of commissioners also is increasing, he noted, rising from $496,587 this year to $505,664 in 2012. This can’t continue, he said – they need to get expenses under control. ”I think there’s some money there we can find [to cut], and I want to try to find it.”

County administrator Verna McDaniel responded, saying that the departments aren’t just being given money to go spend indiscriminately. The increases relate primarily to increased personnel costs, including health insurance, as well as to higher amounts for each department’s cost allocation plan (CAP).  [The CAP sets a charge that’s levied on each county unit and designed to cover general costs like administration, technology, building use, and insurance, among other things. It’s intended to reflect the county’s true cost of doing business.]

McDaniel said her staff would write up a report explaining these increases, and distribute it to commissioners.

It would be great to get that information, Prater replied, but the bottom line is that there are still cuts to be made.

Commissioner Dan Smith talks with Kelly Belknap, interim deputy county administrator.

Dan Smith recalled the process leading up to this point, beginning with board retreats early in the year, and continuing with extra working sessions in the summer devoted to the budget. There are mandated services that must be funded, and that leaves the county in a difficult situation. The board had a healthy debate in developing its budget priorities, Smith noted – all of this was conducted in public. It’s been a long process and these aren’t easy decisions, he said, but they must work with the money they have to produce a balanced budget. That’s the law.

In response to Prater’s concern about the board of commissioners budget, Smith said it’s a topic of an upcoming working session, and they can discuss it in more detail then.

Leah Gunn noted that the board has discussed this already. She referred to the budget “puzzle” that McDaniel had presented earlier this year, which sought to overcome a projected $17.5 million deficit with roughly $8 million in concessions from employees, $8 million in departmental restructuring and cuts, about $1 million in cuts to outside agencies, and another $1 million in additional revenues. But even though some items have been cut – like health care – that doesn’t mean the total expenses will decrease, she said. It just means the increases won’t be as high. The bottom line is that they have a balanced budget, she concluded, and an acceptable fund balance.

There was some discussion about whether to address some of these issues at an upcoming working session. Yousef Rabhi, who chairs the working sessions, noted that there’s not much time between now and the point of passing the budget – the goal is to take a final budget vote at the Nov. 16 meeting.

Ronnie Peterson responded that the board can take until Dec. 31 to pass the budget, and they should take as much time as necessary. The fact that they reallocated funds earlier in the meeting – from the Michigan Association of Counties to the homeless shelter – indicates that there’s flexibility in the budget, he said. He’s also interested in reconsidering the proposed elimination of SEMCOG membership. They can look at the entire budget to find funds, he said, and it’s their responsibility to do so. If a commissioner just wants to rubber stamp the budget, Peterson said, then they shouldn’t run for office. They should have been looking more closely at these decisions months ago, he said.

Gunn said she found it difficult to respond to Peterson. She’s spent a solid year on this budget, and it’s been gone over with a fine-tooth comb. McDaniel and her staff have done an excellent job in presenting a balanced budget, and Gunn said she has no major problems with it. Her main issue is that the county is spending millions of dollars to subsidize police services for the townships, Gunn said, but she’s not going to argue about that because she doesn’t have the votes to change it. She’d like to see the board pass this budget and move on.

Conan Smith noted that the board has had this budget for a long time. [McDaniel formally presented it at the board's Sept. 21 meeting.] They’ve delved into it at previous meetings and working sessions throughout the year, and it’s an excellent document with a tremendous amount of information, he said. Smith said you can read it, as he has, and understand it with enough clarity to be confident in your decisions. “It’s a boring read,” he conceded, but the information is there.

Using the IT department as an example, Smith noted that a detailed explanation in the budget for that department indicates that much of the increased expenses relate to the administration’s decision to “unleash the CAP.” That’s reflected in the line item for internal service charges, which jumps from $436,343 in 2011 to $1.586 million in 2012.

Smith agreed with Gunn in praising McDaniel and her staff for presenting a balanced budget. He urged the board not to dwell on smaller items – like the board’s own line item – but to look for larger structural reforms that could yield greater savings. He believes the board should pass the budget by mid-November, or by the first meeting in December at the latest.

Prater replied that he wasn’t saying it’s a bad budget, but simply that there’s room for more cuts. It’s possible for departments to cheat when reporting their projected expenses, he noted. Every expense should be absolutely necessary, and he’s not convinced that’s the case. If there are unnecessary expenses in the budget, he’ll vote against it.

Rolland Sizemore Jr. said there are a lot of questions for which he needs answers – including what services are actually mandated by the state for animal control. He also wants comparisons with budgets from other counties, noting that he’s repeatedly asked for this information in the past. There’s also the question about whether cutting ties with SEMCOG will jeopardize the county’s ability to secure certain types of federal grants. Until he sees answers, Sizemore said he won’t approve the budget.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to move this budget discussion item to the agenda of their next meeting, on Nov. 2.

Other Business: Sylvan Bonds, Lobbyist, Salem Historic District

Aside from budget issues, the board voted on several items during the Oct. 19 meeting that were not discussed, but that had received initial votes at their Oct. 5 meeting. Here are the highlights.

Other Business: Lansing Lobbyist

Commissioners were asked to give final approval to renew a two-year contract with Governmental Consultant Services Inc., a Lansing-based lobbying firm. The contract would run from Nov. 1, 2011 through Oct. 31, 2013 at $54,250 per year. That’s the same rate that the county currently pays, and is already built into the proposed 2012-2013 budget. [.pdf of draft contract]

GCSI lobbyist Kirk Profit and his colleagues most recently gave a formal update to the board at their March 2, 2011 meeting. GCSI provides lobbying services at the state level for several local units of government, including the city of Ann Arbor.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the two-year contract with GCSI.

Other Business: Salem Township Historic District

Commissioners were asked to appoint a committee to study the creation of a historic district in Salem Township. The district would be at 7991 North Territorial Road, where the Jarvis Stone School and the Dickerson Barn are located.

Terry Cwik, president of the Salem Area Historical Society, had attended the board’s Oct. 5 meeting and spoke during public commentary, urging commissioners to approve the study committee. The one-room schoolhouse is owned by the historical society. It was built in 1857 and in continuous use until 1967. The historical society now uses the school as its headquarters. It would be the second historic district in Salem Township – the first one is Conant Farm on Napier Road.

Cwik is one of the members of the study committee appointed on Wednesday. Other members are: Jean Bemish, Sue DiMilia, Helen Gierman, Jane Griffith, Marie Turppa, and Marcia Van Fossen and Nancy Snyder. The appointments were recommended by the county Historic District Commission.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to create the study committee for an historic district at 7991 North Territorial Road in Salem Township.

Other Business: Sylvan Township Bond Deal

On the agenda was a resolution giving final approval to a contract with Sylvan Township related to the township’s bond repayment schedule. The township has been struggling to make payments on $12.5 million in bonds issued in 2001 to build a water and wastewater treatment plant intended to serve future development. The township expected that connection fees would cover the bond payments, but the development never materialized.

Now Sylvan Township – located west of Ann Arbor, near Chelsea – is facing default on its bond payment in May 2012, which the county will need to cover. The township board voted to put a proposal for a 4.75 mill, 20-year tax on the Nov. 8, 2011 ballot for township residents, with proceeds to repay the cost of the bond payments that would be made by the county.

The millage proceeds alone would not be sufficient to cover the entire cost of the bond payments, however, and the county would need to tap its capital reserves as well. After the bond is repaid, the millage proceeds would continue to be used to repay the county to cover the amount used from its capital reserves, as well as interest. The millage proceeds would also be used to repay the county treasurer’s office, which advanced about $1.2 million to the township in 2007 and 2008 related to this project.

The contract between the county and township is contingent on voters passing the 4.75 mill tax. If the millage fails and the township defaults, the county could file suit against the township for breach of contract in failing to meet its debt repayment obligation, according to a staff memo. The county would also need to make the bond payments, to avoid having its bond rating negatively affected.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the bond deal with Sylvan Township.

Other Business: Drain Projects

Drain projects in Ann Arbor – including two related to the East Stadium bridge reconstruction project – were on the agenda for final approval at the board’s Oct. 19 meeting.

The county water resources commissioner’s office was asked by the city of Ann Arbor to design and build stormwater control measures for the bridges along Stadium Boulevard between Kipke and South Industrial, according to a staff memo. The Allen Creek East Stadium bridges drain project and the Malletts Creek East Stadium bridges drain project will require in total no more than $415,000 for bonds issued with the county’s full faith and credit. The bonds will be repaid through special assessments on property in the drain district for this project.

Separately, county commissioners gave initial approval to an Allen Creek drain project in Ann Arbor. The project involves installing an underground infiltration system on the west side of the Veterans Park Ice Arena and putting in a rain garden near the entrance of the ice arena on the east side of the building. Rain gardens will also be installed next to Fire Station #3 at 2130 Jackson Ave., and trees will be planted in the city right-of-way throughout neighborhoods on the city’s west side.

The Allen Creek project had been previously approved by the board at its July 2011 meeting, as one of several drain projects authorized at that time. The overall cost of the projects approved then is now expected to be $1.45 million less than originally estimated. However, the $330,000 approved for the Allen Creek project turned out to be an underestimate – that project is now expected to cost up to an additional $65,000. That $65,000 – covered by bonds issued with the county’s full faith and credit – was the amount commissioners were asked to approve at Wednesday’s meeting.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the drain projects for Allen Creek and East Stadium bridges.

Misc. Commentary, Communications

During the meeting there were multiple opportunities for public commentary, and for communications from the administration and commissioners.

Misc. Comm/Comm: Public Commentary

Douglas Smith told commissioners he was submitting an appeal for a Freedom of Information Act request that had been denied by the county. He described an incident at Ypsilanti Township hall, where a court employee had reported that $20 was stolen out of her car in the parking lot. She had requested video surveillance footage, but instead of providing it to her, the building’s security officer had emailed the sheriff’s office, Smith said. That apparently prompted an internal investigation, he said, involving a high-ranking member of the sheriff’s office.

Several FOIA requests have since been made, Smith said, but all have been denied. One of the reasons given is that the matter is part of a personnel file. But there can be a balance test applied, Smith said. He indicated there’s a stronger public interest in ensuring there’s no coverup by law enforcement, which outweighs the interest of an employee’s privacy. He asked the board to reconsider his FOIA request and release the surveillance video.

In commissioner follow-up to public commentary, Wes Prater asked Curtis Hedger – the county’s corporation counsel – to explain how the appeal process is handled. Hedger noted that for FOIA appeals, there’s a shorter time to respond, and that’s why the law gives the option of having the head of a public body – in this case, the county administrator – to handle it. Otherwise, the board would need to call a special meeting each time there’s an appeal, he said. He noted that the county administrator doesn’t just rubber stamp the decision, adding that former county administrator Bob Guenzel had overturned decisions several times on appeal. [Guenzel, who retired in May of 2010, is an attorney who had served as the county's corporation counsel before becoming county administrator.]

In addition to the commentary reported above, Thomas Partridge spoke during three other opportunities for public commentary at Wednesday’s meeting. He criticized the commissioners for holding discussions that sounded like corporate insiders talking to each other, rather than talking to the public. The county should find more ways to raise revenue, such as increasing its grant-writing efforts. They shouldn’t neglect animals, but there are families, children and senior citizens who are also abused and neglected, and who need the county’s help. He also advocated for the recall of Republicans and Republican-acting Democrats, and urged the county to provide affordable housing, transportation, education and health care for all residents – and not to outsource those services.

Misc. Comm/Comm: Communications from Commissioners

Rob Turner gave a liaison report from the Washtenaw County road commission. Road commissioners are concerned that the county is considering dropping its membership in the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), and urged the board not to cut that funding, Turner said. The road commission benefits directly from SEMCOG, he said – most of the $1.355 million in benefits that were outlined in a memo to the board from SEMCOG relate to road commission work. [.pdf of SEMCOG memo] Turner reported that the road commission might be willing to pay part of the county’s $125,000 in annual membership dues, and road commissioners are interested in meeting with the county administration to discuss that possibility.

Turner also reported that the Literacy Coalition of Washtenaw County is in a funding crisis. [See Chronicle coverage: "Literacy Coalition Faces Uncertain Future"] The group is asking its member organizations – including the county – to pick up some of the coalition’s work, such as administrative tasks like answering emails and maintaining the coalition website. There was no further discussion about this among commissioners.

Present: Felicia Brabec, Leah Gunn, Ronnie Peterson, Alicia Ping, Wes Prater, Yousef Rabhi, Rolland Sizemore Jr., Conan Smith, Dan Smith, Rob Turner.

Absent: Barbara Bergman.

Next regular board meeting: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. The Ways & Means Committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting. [confirm date] (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public comment sessions are held at the beginning and end of each meeting.

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Washtenaw County commissioners get their photo taken, with plaques given to them by the U.S. Census Bureau. In the foreground, with his back to the camera, is Toine Murphy, a partnership specialist from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Detroit office, who presented the plaques to commissioners. Bonus points to readers who can identify the woman on screen in the background, and what she's doing. (Photos by the writer)

Two millage-related issues were dispatched without discussion: making minor changes to ballot language for renewing the natural areas preservation program millage, and setting a Sept. 15 public hearing for renewal of an indigent veterans relief millage.

Commissioners gave initial approval, again without discussion, to transfer the use of $10 million in federal Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds from the county to the Washtenaw Community College. WCC plans to use the bonds to fund construction of a parking structure.

Also getting initial approval was a resolution to authorize the county to issue dog license renewals year-round, and to add the option of a three-year license. Currently, one-year dog licenses can be bought starting Dec. 1 for the upcoming year.

An agreement with St. Joseph Mercy Health System was terminated, related to the operation of the Delonis Center – the county’s homeless shelter. The agreement, put in place when the shelter was conceived, called for St. Joe’s to step in and operate the center if the entity created to do that work – the Washtenaw Housing Alliance – couldn’t perform that task. The WHA subsequently subcontracted operations to the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County and Food Gatherers, which have been operating the shelter for eight years. St. Joe’s asked that they be released from the agreement, but will keep their representatives on the WHA board.

And after months of discussion and debate, the board approved two resolutions that revived the county’s land bank, which commissioners had voted to dissolve in March 2010. Leah Gunn dissented, and three commissioners – Ken Schwartz, Jessica Ping and Barbara Bergman – were absent. County treasurer Catherine McClary, Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber and Sabra Briere, an Ann Arbor city councilmember, attended the meeting to support the land bank, a tool used to help the county deal with foreclosed and blighted properties, and after the vote they all thanked the board for its action.

Land Bank Revived

The land bank, first formed in the summer of 2009, was dissolved in March 2010 after commissioners failed to reach consensus on issues of governance and funding. For background, see Chronicle coverage: “Banking on a Land Bank” (July 8, 2009 board meeting); and discussions during the county board meetings on March 17, 2010, July 7, 2010 and Aug. 4, 2010.

Land Bank: Public Commentary

Just as he’d done at the board’s March 17, 2010 meeting, Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber told commissioners he was in favor of the land bank, and asked them to save it. He described the land bank as a tool that can enhance the work of the Washtenaw Urban County, a consortium of Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and nine townships, responsible for allocating federal funding for low-income housing and other community development projects. Schreiber serves on the Urban County’s executive committee, which is chaired by county commissioner Leah Gunn.

Paul Schreiber, mayor of Ypsilanti, worked on his laptop during a break in the Sept. 1 meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners. Schreiber spoke during public commentary in support of the county land bank, which commissioners ultimately approved.

Schreiber noted that during his recent primary campaign for mayor, he’d noticed that there were some neighborhoods with more foreclosure signs than campaign signs. Washtenaw County isn’t as bad as Genesee County, he said, but they can stem the tide here if they empower the land bank and look for funding sources. [Genesee County, where Flint is located, formed the state's first land bank several years ago.] Schreiber said he understood some of the commissioners’ concerns about funding and governance issues, and he asked for their patience. The land bank, he concluded, “is very important for Ypsilanti city, Ypsilanti Township and I believe really the whole county.”

Land Bank: Commissioner Deliberations

Three resolutions were considered during the meeting: 1) a resolution proposed by Barbara Bergman to alter the composition of the land bank authority’s board in a substantive way, 2) a resolution that made changes to the original agreement forming the land bank, including some that related to the land bank authority board’s composition, and 3) a resolution to rescind the board’s previous vote to dissolve the land bank.

Commissioners first voted on Bergman’s resolution regarding the composition of the land bank’s governing body. Bergman, who was absent from Wednesday’s meeting, had introduced the resolution at the board’s Aug. 4 meeting, but it had been tabled. From The Chronicle’s report of that meeting:

The proposed intergovernmental agreement called for the board to consist of seven members: the county treasurer, two county commissioners, the mayor or councilmember from the city of Ann Arbor, the mayor or councilmember from the city of Ypsilanti, the supervisor of Ypsilanti Township, and a supervisor representing townships in the western part of the county. However, Bergman began the discussion by proposing an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement, to alter the composition of the land bank authority board. Her amendment would eliminate the requirement to have the Ypsilanti Township supervisor and a supervisor from western Washtenaw serve on the authority’s board.

In their place, Bergman proposed adding five other spots: 1) a representative from the banking industry, 2) a representative the local real estate industry, 3) a representative from local townships, recommended by the Michigan Townships Association, 4) an attorney recommended by the Washtenaw County Bar Association, and 5) a representative recommended by the Washtenaw County Home Builders Association. Her amendment required that all positions get final approval by the county board before being appointed.

There was no discussion regarding this resolution.

Outcome: Bergman’s resolution to change the composition of the land bank authority board failed. Casting dissenting votes were Kristin Judge, Ronnie Peterson, Wes Prater, Rolland Sizemore, and Conan Smith. Three commissioners – Bergman, Jessica Ping, and Ken Schwartz – were absent.

After the vote, Ronnie Peterson remarked that it seemed Mark Oiumet didn’t understand the resolution he had voted in favor of – Ouimet conceded that Peterson was correct, and that he had intended to vote no.

Peterson then asked corporation counsel Curtis Hedger to explain the resolutions they’d be voting on next. The board had given initial approval of these resolutions at their July 7 meeting, after a lengthy discussion that lasted more than an hour.

Hedger explained that second resolution would make four changes to the intergovernmental agreement that governs the land bank authority: 1) eliminating the position of sheriff from the authority’s board, 2) adding another county commissioner position, so that there would be two commissioners appointed to the authority’s board, 3) amending the agreement’s language so that votes would require a majority of the entire board, not just a majority of the quorum, and 4) strengthening the language so that the county board of commissioners would have the authority to terminate the land bank authority directly. [Previously, that power was held by the treasurer, though she had promised to abide by the county board's direction.]

The third resolution would rescind their March 17, 2010 decision to dissolve the land bank.

Before the vote, Sizemore asked county treasurer Catherine McClary whether the changes to the land bank would need state authorization as well – this had been required during the land bank’s first iteration. Yes, McClary said, the state Land Bank Fast Track Authority would need to approve the changes.

Sizemore then asked who would be responsible for seeking funds for the land bank. County administrator Verna McDaniel said it would be a collaborative effort, including her staff and the county/city of Ann Arbor Office of Community Development, which would explore possible federal funding.

Mark Ouimet noted that after their July meeting, when the board had discussed funding possibilities, he and McClary had met with officials of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and Washtenaw United Way, to explore possible funding from those groups. In order for the land bank to work, he said, they’ll need to find funding beyond government sources.

Prater said they shouldn’t forget about financial institutions, many of which have affiliated nonprofit foundations that might be able to provide funding. It’s in the best interests of those institutions to maintain property values, which a land bank will help do, he said. Prater said he believed it was possible to fund the land bank with sources outside of the county’s general fund.

Sizemore thanked officials from Genesee County for meeting with him and others last month to give advice about the land bank, and he thanked Peterson and McClary for pushing it along. In turn, Kristin Judge thanked Sizemore as well as McClary, saying it had been a group effort to get to this point. It’s been difficult to do, she said, but it’s worth trying. And if it doesn’t work, they can disband it again, she said.

Outcome: The two resolutions related to reinstituting the land bank were approved, with dissent from Leah Gunn. Commissioners Barbara Bergman, Jessica Ping and Ken Schwartz were absent.

Land Bank: Public Commentary, Round II

During the time for public commentary at the end of the meeting, three people spoke to thank commissioners for reinstituting the land bank.

Catherine McClary, the county treasurer, said she and her staff would definitely work with the county administrator to seek funding sources for the land bank. She also informed commissioners of a series free foreclosure prevention housing counseling seminars, organized by the Foreclosure Prevention Collaborative and held in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Manchester. The collaborative is a joint effort of the Washtenaw County treasurer’s office, the Michigan State University Extension, Legal Services of South Central Michigan, and Housing Bureau for Seniors.

Sabra Briere, who represents Ward 1 on the Ann Arbor city council, told commissioners that she served on the land bank authority board – or at least, she had been appointed to do so in its previous iteration, and hoped to continue to serve. She said she hopes they can find new ways to deal with foreclosure issues, which she described as heartbreaking. “The land bank’s just another tool, and I hope that we get to use it soon,” she said.

Paul Schreiber, Ypsilanti’s mayor, thanked commissioners and said he looked forward to working with them and with the county treasurer on the land bank.

Commissioner Response to Public Commentary

Ronnie Peterson thanked his colleagues, saying that the land bank was an effort to address problems on the east side of the county, which he represents, but also throughout the county. He noted that Leah Gunn, who had voted against the land bank, had been very responsive to needs of residents on the eastern side of Washtenaw County. He took it as a challenge to win her over, he said, and to find sufficient funding for the land bank. Gunn is an outstanding commissioner for all county residents, he concluded.

Indigent Veterans Relief Millage

The board gave initial approval to renew a 1/40 mill that would raise an estimated $362,415 for the care of indigent veterans who live in Washtenaw County. The tax was first levied two years ago and is administered by the Department of Veteran Affairs, led by director Mark R. Lindke.

Mark Lindke, director of Washtenaw County's Dept. of Veterans Affairs, talks with Patricia Denig, head of the county's Employment Training & Community Services (ETCS) department, prior to the start of the Sept. 1 board of commissioners meeting.

The board is expected to give final approval at its Sept. 15 meeting. On Wednesday, commissioners also set a public hearing to be held during the Sept. 15 meeting to get input on the millage.

The county estimates that property owners would pay $2.50 for every $100,000 of their property’s taxable value. Because of a general decrease in property values, the county estimates the millage will raise about $30,000 less in 2011 than it did this year.

Legislation for this millage was enacted prior to the Headlee Amendment, and therefore does not require voter approval.

The Department of Veteran Affairs offers services that help local veterans tap state and federal resources. The county expects demand for these services will increase because of the tough economy, ongoing war in Afghanistan and military presence in Iraq, and increased awareness of the county program.

Commissioner Kristin Judge said she’d received very positive feedback from her constituents about the millage. She said she appreciates the work of the department, and that this millage provides the discretionary funding they need.

Commissioner Wes Prater asked how support for veterans is being coordinated with the funds administered by the county/city of Ann Arbor Office of Community Development, which addresses human services needs like housing. OCD director Mary Jo Callan, who attended Wednesday’s meeting, came to the podium and told Prater that there’s a coordinating committee for groups that provide services for people who are homeless or who have housing crises. The staff of the veterans affairs department frequently attends those meetings, she said. Callan said they can do better in coordinating services, but they are doing it to some extent already.

Prater responded by saying he’s received two calls from veterans who’ve attempted to get assistance through the county, and who felt that they weren’t being helped. It’s difficult to find jobs, Prater said, and these returning veterans really need support.

Stimulus Bonds Transferred to WCC

At their March 2010 meeting, the Washtenaw County Economic Development Corp. discussed a quandary: the county had been allocated $33.066 million worth of federal tax-free bonds for private-sector projects, but no firms had stepped up to apply for them.

These Recovery Zone Facility Bonds were allocated as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and expire at the end of 2010. In addition, another $22.044 million in federal Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds had been allocated to the county for public projects – those, too, were unused.

On Wednesday, commissioners gave initial approval to transfer the use of $10 million of the Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds from the county to Washtenaw Community College. In July, WCC officials had formally asked the county for use of the bonds to fund construction of a parking structure on its campus. The board is expected to vote on final approval of the transfer at its Sept. 15 meeting.

The Recovery Zone Economic Development bonds aren’t tax-free – interest generated by the bonds is taxable. However, the public body issuing the bonds – in this case, WCC – will get a tax credit equal to 45% of the interest on the bonds. By comparison, traditional tax-free government bonds typically save the governmental issuer approximately 35% of the interest cost on that bond.

There was no discussion of the bond transfer at Wednesday’s meeting. However, at an administrative briefing held on Aug. 25 to discuss the agenda, commissioner Wes Prater asked whether the bonds could be used for bridge construction – either for the East Stadium bridges in Ann Arbor, or for some of the bridges that the Washtenaw County Road Commission is responsible for.

Responding to a follow-up email from The Chronicle, Curtis Hedger, the county’s corporation counsel, said that those bonds could be used for public infrastructure projects such as bridges and roads, if the governmental entity responsible for such bridges and roads was willing to bond for those projects.

Separately, the city of Ann Arbor was allocated up to $11.511 million worth of Recovery Zone Economic Development bonds. At its Aug. 5, 2010 meeting, the city council designated the entire city as a “recovery zone” – a step necessary in order to issue the bonds. At this point, however, no projects using these bonds have been proposed for the city. In August, the city applied for TIGER II grants from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to fund the East Stadium bridges replacement project, estimated to cost about $23 million.

St. Joe’s Agreement for the Delonis Center

Commissioners voted to terminate a joint operating and lease agreement with St. Joseph Mercy Health System for the Delonis Center, the county’s homeless shelter. The agreement had been signed at the shelter’s inception, when St. Joe’s agreed to take over the lease and operations of the center if the entity created to handle those responsibilities – the Washtenaw Housing Alliance – failed to do so. The agreement also gave WHA board members from St. Joe’s a greater level of responsibility in approving budgets and out-of-budget expenditures.

The WHA subsequently subcontracted operations to the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County and Food Gatherers, which have been operating the shelter for eight years.

There was no discussion of the resolution to terminate the agreement during Wednesday’s meeting. However, during an administrative briefing for commissioners held on Aug. 25, county administrator Verna McDaniel said that St. Joe’s has been discussing this possibility for several months. They felt it was time to take a step back from the operations, though they’ll retain seats on the WHA board of directors and remain a “quiet force,” McDaniel said. Kathleen Rhine, vice president of administrative services for St. Joseph Mercy Health System, serves as president of WHA’s board of directors, and Yvonne Gellise, the system’s senior advisor for governance, is a board member.

Also at the administrative briefing, commissioner Barbara Bergman expressed concern about whether the county/city of Ann Arbor Office of Community Development had sufficient staff to take on support for the Delonis Center. McDaniel said that OCD’s director, Mary Jo Callan, is careful to make sure her staff has adequate resources for the projects that they tackle. So far, McDaniel added, they haven’t had to ask for general fund support – they’ve been able to find grants and other funding sources to do the work.

Rolland Sizemore Jr. noted that OCD had taken on several additional responsibilities over the past year, as had Callan. “I just don’t want to burn her out,” he said.

Leah Gunn described St. Joe as having been a great partner in the Delonis Center. “We owe a great debt of gratitude to them,” she said. Bergman suggested finding some way to publicly acknowledge the role that St. Joe’s played.

Transfer of Travel Money Tabled

During the time for commissioners to propose items for current or future discussion, Kristin Judge made a motion to approve the transfer of no more than $1,300 from commissioner Ronnie Peterson’s flex account, to be moved into Judge’s account. The funding would be used for travel, Judge said. Peterson supported the motion.

By way of background, in 2009 commissioners approved the creation of flex accounts that pooled previous line items for per diem, travel, and convention/conference expenses. The budget calls for $3,550 per commissioner for these accounts. When the accounts were approved, three commissioners – Leah Gunn, Jeff Irwin and Barbara Bergman – voted against the change.

On Wednesday, noting that she had voted against flex accounts, Gunn said she didn’t feel that commissioners should spend more than they are allocated. Given the demand for county services, anything that’s left over should return to the general fund, she said.

Conan Smith moved to table the proposal until the Sept. 15 meeting – his motion passed, with dissent from Judge, Peterson and Prater.

Peterson asked that the board be provided with all policies related to the flex accounts prior to their Sept. 15 meeting. Judge explained that she exceeded her allocation because of her work on a cyber-citizen coalition, an initiative she’s spearheading to address Internet-related crime. The effort is being recognized by the National Initiative on Cybersecurity Education, based in Washington, D.C. Judge said she traveled to D.C. to participate in a NICE meeting, and she hopes to get grant funding for the Washtenaw effort. A kick-off event for that effort is set for Oct. 6 from 8-10 a.m. Internet crime is the No. 1 concern of constituents, Judge said, adding that Washtenaw County needs to stay at the forefront of efforts to address it.

Natural Areas Preservation Program Millage

At their Aug. 4, 2010 meeting, commissioners voted to put a millage renewal on the Nov. 2 ballot to fund the county’s natural areas preservation program. At the request of the county clerk’s office, which oversees elections, on Wednesday the board approved three minor revisions to ballot language for the NAPP millage. The changes include shortening the title of the ballot proposal to “Natural Areas Millage Renewal”; specifying that the ballot proposal is “Proposal A”; and capitalizing the proposal’s first word.

The 10-year millage was first approved by voters in 2000, and will have generated about $27.5 million by the time it expires. The 0.2409 mill tax is expected to raise roughly $3.5 million in annual revenues if approved by voters in November.

A section of the Sept. 1, 2010 Washtenaw County board of commissioners agenda that was passed out at the meeting. Observant readers will spot a more ambitious license renewal on the agenda – or more likely, a typo.

Changes to Dog Licensing

Commissioners gave initial approval to year-round dog license renewals, and added the option of a three-year dog license. Currently, only a one-year dog license is available for purchase starting Dec. 1 for the upcoming year. Under the existing system, dog owners have until March 1 to buy a one-year license before their previous license expires.

The board also approved a new fee schedule: Licenses will cost $1 a month for a maximum of 3 years for spayed or neutered dogs, or $2 a month for unaltered dogs. A final vote on the changes is expected at the board’s Sept. 15 meeting.

Census 2010 Coda

Toine Murphy, a partnership specialist from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Detroit office, returned to the board – he had spoken at the March 3, 2010 meeting to mark the Census 2010 kick-off – and gave a brief update and thanks for commissioners’ help in achieving a high participation rate.

Washtenaw County had a 79% participation rate, he said – higher than the state and national averages. He presented each commissioner with a plaque commemorating the count, and asked if it would be appropriate to take a group photo for the bureau’s newsletter. The board accommodated his request, taking a short recess to gather for some quick picture-taking.

Other Photo Ops – On CTN

During Wednesday’s meeting, board chair Rolland Sizemore Jr. asked the county’s new deputy administrator, Bill Reynolds, to introduce his two sons. When Reynolds noted that it appeared the boys had retreated to his office, Sizemore quipped, “We will get them and we will remind them that they are on TV.” [The meetings are broadcast live on Community Network Television (CTN).]

The boys – Cedric, 12, and 10-year-old Keenan – soon returned to the boardroom and approached the podium, as their father introduced them as two of the area’s newest residents. Reynolds noted that they’d been through this drill before, at his previous job. [Before being hired by Washtenaw County earlier this year, Reynolds led the county administration in Chippewa County, Wisc.] The boys received a round of applause, then Cedric waved to the camera and said, “Bye-bye, people!”

Prior to the start of the Sept. 2 county board working session, commissioners Conan Smith, left, and Wes Prater show Sylvia Irwin that they're all on camera, with their images projected onto a screen in the boardroom. Sylvia is the daughter of commissioner Jeff Irwin.

A similar scene was repeated the following night at the board’s Sept. 2 working session, when commissioner Jeff Irwin’s family dropped by prior to the meeting. Sizemore urged Irwin to bring his young daughter, Sylvia, to the podium for an introduction. Irwin obliged, introducing her as “one of our newer citizens in Washtenaw.”

At Irwin’s prompting, Sylvia said, “Hello, Washtenaw County!” Sizemore joked that “she already talks better than you, Jeff.”

Public Commentary

During the Sept. 1 board meeting, Thomas Partridge spoke three times during the evening. During one of his speaking turns, after berating the two Republican commissioners – Jessica Ping and Mark Ouimet, who represent Districts 3 and 1, respectively – Partridge declared himself a write-in Democratic candidate for District 3, which covers the southwest quadrant of the county. He said those districts had suffered neglect, and that Democrats must stand up for a progressive agenda. It was embarrassing, Partridge said, that Republican candidates boast about how much money they spend to get elected, specifically citing Ouimet and Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder, the GOP candidate for governor. They put businesses first, Partridge said, not employees, or the unemployed, or senior citizens, who make up a large percentage of voters.

Partridge also criticized commissioners for transferring the $10 million allocation of recovery bonds to Washtenaw Community College for a parking structure. Instead, that amount – at a minimum – should go toward basic human services, he said, such as affordable housing, health care, public transit and education.

During the time available for commissioners to respond to public commentary, Leah Gunn said that Partridge’s partisan attacks were offensive to her personally. [Gunn is a Democrat.] She said she’s worked with Ouimet and Ping during a very difficult year, when the board had to cut $30 million out of the budget. During that time, Gunn noted that Ouimet has served as vice chair of the board, and Ping is chair of the working session. All the commissioners worked as a team, she said, adding “I do not appreciate his [Partridge's] partisan attacks.”

Present: Leah Gunn, Kristin Judge, Jeff Irwin, Mark Ouimet, Ronnie Peterson, Wes Prater, Rolland Sizemore Jr., Conan Smith.

Absent: Barbara Levin Bergman, Jessica Ping, Ken Schwartz

Next board meeting: The next regular meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 220 N. Main St. The Ways & Means Committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting. (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public comment sessions are held at the beginning and end of each meeting. [confirm date]

As Keegan Cisowski knits, he pulls yarn from a metal trash can he's adapted to hold his skeins. (Photos by the writer.)

Last Thursday, The Chronicle spent part of the evening in the living room of Couzens Hall – with a couple dozen members of a knitting club: Scarves with a Purpose (SWAP). The purpose is to provide homeless people with scarves.

It’s an idea that club president, UM freshman Melanie Hebeisen, brought with her from her hometown in Northbrook, Illinois, near Chicago. Hebeisen and her mom started the concept in Northbrook, and that effort has spawned four other chapters, counting the UM club.

Why scarves? It’s a choice driven in part by the fact that new recruits to SWAP typically don’t know how to knit. They’re mostly like Kinnard Hokenhull, who saw one of the SWAP knitters in his dorm making a scarf, and figured he’d like to learn how. 

Kinnard Hockenhull, UM freshman, knits a scarf.

Once the initial set of stitches is cast onto a needle, most people can be taught the basics of knitting the same kind of row over and over again until enough length has accumulated to call it a scarf.

Achievement of a completed scarf is tracked by SWAP on a chart posted on the dorm’s wall – actual gold stars next to names. If there’s  any temptation to knit a scarf too short, in order to accelerate accumulation of gold stars, it can be held in check by the prevailing skill level in the group: Most of them need help to take the finished project off the needles without causing the whole thing to unravel.

That help comes from either Hebeisen or Elizabeth Kuiper, second in command of the club, and Hebeisen’s next-door neighbor at Couzens. Hebeisen had not originally planned to start a SWAP chapter at UM when she arrived on campus last fall. But when she discovered that her next-door neighbor was also a knitting enthusiast, that nudged her towards introducing the SWAP concept.

Another nudge came from the Michigan Community Scholars Program, one of 12 living/learning programs at the University of Michigan, which all fall under the umbrella of Michigan Learning Communities. The idea behind the learning communities is to tie together students with similar interests – like German language, or health sciences. For the Couzens Hall Community Scholars Program, the common interest is social justice.

Melanie Hebeisen, president of SWAP.

Associate director of  the Community Scholars Program, Wendy Woods, told The Chronicle in a telephone interview that the program tries to challenge students to think about ideas that have been successful in their hometowns that they might introduce at the university – which is essentially the path that Hebeisen took in starting a SWAP chapter at UM.

The UM SWAP chapter has enjoyed some financial support through a mini-grant from the Community Scholars Program – used for yarn and needles.

The SWAP knitters accumulate lots of 60 scarves before handing them off to a homeless shelter. Here in Ann Arbor, the main shelter is the Delonis Center on West Huron Street.

On Thursday night as the knitters recalled the trip to Delonis to drop off their scarves, they conceded that the experience was not as rewarding as they’d hoped. The staff at the shelter desk didn’t seem like they’d been apprised of the background to all the scarves. The students’ conclusion was that they needed to talk to Wendy Woods and David Schoem, director of the Community Scholars Program, about how to develop more of a relationship with Delonis.

Danielle Kostrzeba, UM senior in psychology.

Does the Delonis Center even need scarves? Absolutely, says Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, which operates the center. Reached by phone, Schulmeister said that the center hands out hats, gloves and scarves to people on a routine basis. Without the scarves from donors like SWAP, she said, the center would need to purchase scarves, or else the center might not have a scarf for someone who needed one.

The knitting sessions in the living room of Couzens have an educational component beyond increasing students’ knitting skill. On Thursday, SWAP knitter Michael Jacobson had found a short video clip online, illustrating the point that the prevailing stereotypical concept of a homeless person as an old man on the street doesn’t necessarily hold true. Women and children, Jacobson told his knitting colleagues, are actually more likely to end up in poverty. When the video clip concluded, Jacobson ended the silence by declaring, “Now we’re all sad. Keep knitting!”

Liz Kuiper (left) inspects the work of Michael Jacobson (right) and determines that it needs to be substantially unraveled for a fresh start.

The group knitting in the Couzens Hall living room also clearly serves a social purpose for the knitters. Senior UM student Danielle Kostrzeba, who’s also a resident advisor, called knitting together a stress reliever. Kostrzeba is a psychology major who’ll be graduating this spring and heading into a nursing program.

Next year, there will be no knitting in the Couzens Hall living room. Those $49 million in renovations that Tim Slottow described at the regents meeting will close the dorm for the year. The Community Scholars Program will be housed instead at East Quad.

Bethany Nagle (back to camera) shows the SWAP knitters some possible designs for club T-shirts for next year.

Finished scarves are tagged with a card that includes a description of the SWAP program and the name of the knitter.

An apple tree near the park-and-ride lot at I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road. (Photo by the writer.)

Every school child learns that Newton “discovered” gravity when an apple fell out of a tree and bonked him on the head.

Near the park-and-ride lot at I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road stands an apple tree. Most, but not all, of the tree’s fruit this season has already succumbed to Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation.

About 50 yards northwest of that apple tree is the new – and likely very temporary – location of “Camp Take Notice” – a tent camp where maybe a dozen homeless people spent the first night in September. Standing under the apple tree Tuesday afternoon, The Chronicle spoke by phone to Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County.

Schulmeister characterized the “bottom line” for the homeless: “It’s simple physics,” she said. “People have to be some place, and if people don’t have a place to be, they will find a place to be.”

If it’s a matter of physics, then it’s perhaps perfectly natural that the guy who drove the U-Haul truck to move the camp from its previous location – behind Toys R Us at Arborland – is a University of Michigan doctoral student in physics, Brian Nord.

This is a story that does not yet have an end, nor will it likely ever have one. But we can write down the part we know so far, which began with a Chronicle visit to the camp behind Arborland earlier this summer, and goes through a visit from a Michigan State Trooper to the new camp location early Tuesday evening.

At the entrance to "Camp Take Notice" in July 2009 (Photo by the writer.)

Background: What’s the Goal of the Camp?

Moving “Camp Take Notice” from behind the Toys R Us at Arborland was always a part of the plan for residents of the tent community, but not on Tuesday’s more-or-less involuntary schedule. The tent community is a self-governed group of campers who say they are well on their way to achieving 501(c)3 nonprofit status for their organization: MISSION (Michigan Itinerant Shelter System Interdependent Out of Necessity).

Tuesday afternoon, Robin Rich, board member of MISSION, told The Chronicle that the final paperwork for the nonprofit was expected to be approved in the next week or two.

The plan had been to move the tent community off the private property behind Arborland – where the property owner had given them no explicit permission to camp – to church properties where congregations grant them permission to camp for a specified time period. The idea is to secure arrangements with multiple churches, and to rotate the camp location after a period of months.

The effort to secure those commitments from area churches has begun. Part of that effort consists of a media packet that’s been distributed to churches. And Tuesday morning, camp resident Jesse A. told The Chronicle that he’d attended a couple of the in-person contacts made by the campers with area pastors. These efforts have not yet succeeded.

Caleb Poirier talks with an Ann Arbor police officer outside the campsite behind Arborland on Tuesday morning. (Photo by the writer.)

The idea of temporary homeless shelters is not novel. It’s been used in Seattle, for example, where camper Caleb Poirier lived for a while. So he’s modeling the effort here in Ann Arbor on what he experienced in Washington.

The premise behind the approach is that not every homeless person fits the model assumed by bricks-and-mortar institutions such as the Delonis Center.

Camp Council: “It’s 10 weeks until cold!”

Back in July, during Art Fairs week, The Chronicle attended one of the weekly camp council meetings held Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the campsite. They’re open to the public, just like the weekly board meetings held Mondays at 7 p.m. at the Malletts Creek branch of the Ann Arbor District Library.

When The Chronicle visited, there were 17 tents at the site. With campers sitting in a rough circle in office chairs – which were not intended to roll across the fresh straw that had been spread throughout the site – Poirier called the meeting to order: “Anybody want to chair the meeting?” Hunter R. volunteered to chair. “Who’d like to keep time?” Nord, the physicist, said he’d be the time keeper. “Minutes?” None of the dozen campers expressed a willingness to do that task. After a pause, Nord offered that he’d keep minutes as best he could in addition to keeping track of time.

"Camp Take Notice" in July 2009. (Photo by the writer.)

Hunter then led off chairing the meeting. The first order of business was to set the agenda. It boiled down to four basic points:

1. morale check
2. supply check
3. progress on flyer and media packet
4. strategize on reaching out to churches

It was the last two points that generated the most discussion. George Lucero – who became interested in the camp when an acquaintance of his became homeless and started staying there – gave an update on his work on the media packet and the cover letter to the churches. It was agreed that each letter should be customized based on the congregation. The consensus was that it was important for campers themselves to be a part of the delegations that made contact with the churches.

There was not a complete consensus on an appropriate sense of urgency. Hunter wanted to see contacts being made as soon as the following week. “It’s 10 weeks until cold!” he warned. Others felt that congregations needed some time to decompress after Art Fairs. Plus, many people were out of town, and congregations were unlikely to make a firm decision.

Johnny A. suggested that the passive versus a more aggressive approach to contacting churches reminded him of the story of two bulls on the hill. Asked by Poirier what that story was, Johnny declined: “There’s women around, I can’t tell it.”

Brian Nord shakes hands with AAPD officers Tuesday morning at the campsite behind Arborland. (Photo by the writer.)

What Led to the Camp’s Move

Overnight low temperatures in the Ann Arbor area over the last few days have dipped into the 30s. So the arrival of the cold, which Hunter had warned of, came a few weeks earlier than expected.

But the request from authorities to leave the property had not been expected.

Why wouldn’t they have eventually expected to be forced off the land?

The parcel, which is zoned residential, measures a little less than 50 acres and is owned by Peters Building Co. in Saline. The president of Peters Building is Jim Haeussler.

The campers contend that they’d communicated with Haeussler, and they maintain that while he had not given them permission to live there, he’d indicated he wasn’t planning to initiate legal remedies to force them off the land, either.

Ann Arbor Police Department officers at the site Tuesday morning indicated to campers that they’d spoken with the property owner that morning, and said that he had not given the campers permission to stay there.

AAPD officers also expressed concern about the fire hazard from all the straw that was spread through the campsite, plus the piles of cleared brush. They’d seen evidence of open burning at the site when they’d inspected it the previous evening. They’d been called to the site in response to a complaint of a disturbance.

Camp residents told The Chronicle there’d been three visits by AAPD officers to the site on Monday, the previous day.

From statements by the officers and camp residents, the complaints of disturbances led AAPD to contact both the city attorney and the property owner, which ultimately led to the request on Monday evening to leave the property.

Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, said that on Monday evening the Delonis Center staff had offered to shelter anyone from the camp who was sober. A few of the campers took the center up on their offer.

Schulmeister also explained that the center houses around 150 people each year – that’s the number of people they are able to transition from their 50-bed shelter facility at 312 W. Huron St. to more stable permanent housing. That’s roughly 10% of the total 1,500 homeless population that the center serves.

Officers on the scene behind Arborland on Tuesday morning stressed to campers that they could not simply squat on private land unless they had explicit permission from the property owner to do so.

A New Camp Location, But Probably Not For Long

The first truckload of camp building materials arrived at the new location – north of the park-and-ride lot on Ann Arbor-Saline Road at I-94 – around noon on Tuesday. By around 3 p.m. a complaint had already been called in, and Ann Arbor police as well as a Pittsfield Township officer had arrived on the scene.

Caleb Poirier talks with an AAPD officer at the new campsite Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by the writer.)

Part of the reason the new camp was easy to spot was that in the last few weeks the area has been cleared of all brush and undergrowth by the Michigan Department of Transportation, which controls the land.

When The Chronicle arrived at the park-and-ride, Poirier introduced to us one of the AAPD officers as “a reasonable conversationalist.” From what we observed, conversation on both sides could be fairly characterized as polite, civil, yet firm. AAPD officers at the park-and-ride reiterated the same message that had been delivered in the morning: You can’t camp on land that isn’t yours.

Campers were advised that there were other avenues they should pursue – a request to city council, for example. Poirier, for his part, stressed that on issues like homelessness, real progress was rarely made by using only the prescribed avenues. He also outlined how the group’s strategy was to secure permission from churches to camp on their property.

Because the land where the tents had been set up is not owned by the city, the AAPD doesn’t have jurisdiction over it. So the Ann Arbor officers departed, leaving campers with the expectation that the county sheriff’s department would be arriving later. “Whoever comes out,” advised the officer, “just listen to what they have to say.”

A Michigan State Police Trooper checks tents for occupants Tuesday evening. (Photo by the writer.)

It turns out that, because MDOT controls the land in question, it was a Michigan State Police trooper, not a Washtenaw County Sheriff’s deputy, who was tasked with official enforcement of the law. So a little before 7 p.m. a trooper pulled into the park-and-ride lot, and went down to the camp. The same polite, civil and firm conversation was repeated for the third time the same day.

This time, though, there was more than conversation. The trooper collected identifying information from everyone at the camp and radioed it in. He wasn’t arresting anyone that night, but they’d be checking back, he said, possibly as soon as the next day.

Who Are These People and What Are They Thinking?

A sampling of what “Camp Take Notice” residents think about the camp would include Johnny’s thoughts from mid-July: “There’s nothing but positivity around here.” And that sampling would need to include Stretch’s description of how he’d been through various treatment programs, and never could stay sober – but he’d been sober at the camp since November 2008, he said.

We also heard some stories of how homelessness affects your ability to get a job – two job offers since April could not be accepted because the offers coincided with losing a place to live close to the jobs.

Caleb Poirier, when asked by the Michigan State Police trooper if he was the group’s leader, resisted the label – decisions of the group are made democratically, he stressed. But there is no question that other campers look to him for leadership. At the July meeting, Hunter – who had been pushing more urgently than Poirier to convince churches sooner rather than later to grant permission to camp on their property – still said, “I’ve been on Caleb’s team since day one. I didn’t really care about homeless people, and I was a homeless person.”

Hunter was a homeless person, but he’s still involved with MISSION. Many of the members of MISSION’s board are not homeless, have never been homeless, and would probably not be mistaken for a homeless person – but that’s hard to say for sure.

Take Lily Au, for example. She was out at both the old and the new campsites on Tuesday. She told The Chronicle that she learned about “Camp Take Notice” when someone mentioned it to her when she was volunteering at a Friday pizza distribution at Liberty Plaza. It’s an event often sponsored by the Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor. So she went out to visit the camp. There she met Caleb Poirier – for the second time. She’d run into him long before at an Arby’s. That day at Arby’s she had been there with her two kids and had been lugging a lot of bags. And maybe because of the bags, Au says, Poirier had sized her up as homeless.

In following this story, The Chronicle can attest that it’s not easy to tell who’s homeless and who’s not – who’s a camper and who’s helping out but doesn’t live in the camp.

[For useful insights on who the homeless are, read a Nov. 30, 2008 Chronicle column by Peri Stone-Palmquist: "We Must See the Homeless – And We Must Help"]

Caleb Poirier and an AAPD officer at the campsite behind Arborland Tuesday morning. (Photo by the writer.)

Michigan State Police trooper at a park-and-ride campsite Tuesday evening. At right is Lily Au. (Photo by the writer.)

Unloading the truck at the park-and-ride campsite. (Photo by the writer.)

A U-Haul truck backs up to the park-and-ride campsite. (Photo by the writer.)

Rules of the camp. (Image links to higher resolution file)

"Camp Take Notice" in July 2009. (Photo by the writer.)

The view from under the apple tree at the park-and-ride, looking towards the new campsite location. (Photo by the writer.)

A graduate receives congratulations and a chef's jacket from Scott Roubeck, Special Projects Coordinator for Food Gatherers' Community Kitchen

The Culinary Arts Training Class is part of the jobs training program that’s integrated into the Food Gatherers Community Kitchen. The Community Kitchen serves meals nightly at the Delonis Center, the homeless shelter on Huron Street on the periphery of downtown Ann Arbor. During their 120 hours of instruction, which accumulates in twice-weekly sessions, students in the training class are responsible for preparing the Monday night Community Kitchen meal.

Missy Orge, Director of Outreach and Training at Food Gatherers, emphasized in her remarks to the assembly that the training class is not easy. Although the most recent class started with 10 students, all of which completed the course, the class from the spring dwindled from eight to four students by the course’s conclusion.

Culinary Arts graduates made the appetizers served at the graduation reception – including this carved fruit centerpiece.

Based on the quality of the appetizers on offer at the reception – which were prepared by graduates of the course – it was not hard to believe that some of the Monday night dinners they prepared during the training course earned applause from the diners.

In addition to their diplomas, graduates received a chef’s jacket and a “golden spatula.” Although the spatula is likely ornamental, the gleaming white new jackets are fully functional. And the goal of the program is for graduates to find a place in the food industry where they could get those jackets dirty.

Among local establishments where graduates have found employment in the past are: People’s Food Co-Op, Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Zingerman’s Deli, Zingerman’s Next Door, Stucchi’s and Washtenaw Community College.

Currently, graduates are employed by Sodexho (at Borders World Headquarters), Subway, Kroger, Zingerman’s Deli, Red Hot Lovers, McDonald’s, Little Caesar’s, UM Hospital, Avalon Housing, Food Gatherers.

Gradautes of the 6th and 7th classes of the Food Gatherers' Culinary Arts Training Class. The graduation reception was held at the Delonis Center.

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