The backing is for up to $1.58 million in bonds for the project, which will repaid through a special assessment against the city of Ann Arbor. The project is being handled by the office of the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner, led by Evan Pratt. It’s the first project brought forward by Pratt, who took office in January.

According to a staff memo, the funds will be used “to clean out, widen, deepen, straighten, tile, extend, or relocate along a highway, construct branches, relief drains, or connections to the Miller Avenue portion of the Allen Creek Drain to reduce downstream flooding and improve water quality to increase the public health benefit.”

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

The backing is for up to $1.58 million in bonds for the project, which will repaid through a special assessment against the city of Ann Arbor. The project is being handled by the office of the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner, led by Evan Pratt. It’s the first project brought forward by Pratt, who took office in January. Pratt attended the Feb. 6 meeting but did not formally address the board.

According to a staff memo, the funds will be used “to clean out, widen, deepen, straighten, tile, extend, or relocate along a highway, construct branches, relief drains, or connections to the Miller Avenue portion of the Allen Creek Drain to reduce downstream flooding and improve water quality to increase the public health benefit.”

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]

The three Ann Arbor projects are: (1) stabilizing Traver Creek as it runs through the Leslie Park Golf Course, costing up to $1.805 million; (2) providing stormwater retention and infiltration from the road surface using porous asphalt on Willard Street, in the Allen Creek drain district and costing up to $345,000; and (3) providing bio-retention and stormwater capture via reforestation as part of a Huron River “green infrastructure” project, costing up to $345,000.

The Ann Arbor projects require the county to give its full faith and credit, although the payment of bonds will be funded through special assessments in districts tied to each project. The most high profile of these project will involve work at the Leslie Park Golf Course. Most recently, the city’s park advisory commission was briefed on this project at its June 19, 2012 meeting.

The fourth project backed by the county is for a five-year North Lake improvement project in Dexter and Lyndon townships. Costing up to $305,000, it would include controlling invasive and nuisance species, such as the Eurasian water milfoil, and maintaining a lake level control structure. The bond payments would be made with revenues from a special assessment of the district benefiting from the lake improvements.

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

The project – which in total is budgeted at $349,899 – was requested by the Washtenaw County road commission. It entails relocating a portion of the county drain, including a section of 1,850 feet adjacent to Platt Road between Judd and Stoney Creek roads in York Township. A second phase includes removing sediment and vegetation, as well as making wingwall repairs, at the drain crossings of US-23, McCrone Road, and Gooding Road.

The Sugar Creek drainage district covers parts of York Township, Augusta Township and the city of Milan. The bonds will be repaid in part by assessing property owners in the district – 70% of the cost of the bonds will be paid in this way. [.pdf map of drainage district] The remainder of the funds will come from York and Augusta townships, the city of Milan, Washtenaw County, the Michigan Dept. of Transportation, and two railroads – Ann Arbor Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railroad. The county’s share of the cost is $24,203 – half of that will be paid by the county road commission.

A contract for the work has been awarded to Mead Brothers Excavating of Springport, Mich., the lowest responsible bidder.

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

At left is city councilmember Christopher Taylor (Ward 3), who also serves as an ex officio member of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission. To the right is Sam Offen, chair of PAC's budget and finance committee. (Photos by the writer.)

This is the second year of a two-year budget cycle, and commissioners had recommended approval of budgets for both years at their April 2011 meeting. The recent recommendations for FY 2013 include: (1) increasing the frequency of the mowing cycle from every 19 days to every 14 days; (2) increasing seasonal staffing between April 15–October 15 to maintain active recreation areas better; (3) establishing three seasonal park steward/supervisor positions to improve park maintenance and enforcement; and (4) increasing seasonal staffing at the ice arenas to improve facility cleanliness.

Fee increases at several parks and rec facilities are also part of the budget recommendations, but most have already been implemented in the current fiscal year.

The April 17 meeting included a public hearing on the renewal of the city’s park maintenance and capital improvements millage, which will likely be on the November 2012 ballot. No one spoke at the hearing. In general, “there seems to be a great deal of relative silence” about the millage, parks and rec manager Colin Smith told commissioners. Few people have attended the recent public forums held by parks staff. The final forum is set for Thursday, April 26 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor District Library’s Traverwood branch, 3333 Traverwood Drive.

Parks staff gave an update on deteriorating conditions at Windemere Park’s two tennis courts, and provided an initial estimate on costs to replace one or both courts at that location. No formal recommendation has been made, but options include moving the courts to another park. Commissioners discussed the need to assess the distribution and conditions of all of the city’s public courts – including ones in the public school system – as well as their overall usage, to get a better idea of where the greatest needs are.

Another update came from an engineer at the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner’s office, who described a drain replacement project that will affect Veterans Memorial Park later this year. Also related to Veterans Memorial, the request for proposals (RFP) for a skatepark there has been issued. [.pdf of skatepark RFP] The goal is to solicit proposals for a consultant to handle design and oversee construction of the skatepark, which will be located on city-owned property.

During public commentary, commissioners were given an update on the nonprofit Project Grow, which has several gardens located in city parks and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Another speaker urged commissioners to take control of the parking lots in city parks, and possibly increase revenues by installing metered parking.

Parks & Rec Budget Recommendation

Park commissioners considered two resolutions related to the city’s fiscal year 2013 budget, for the year beginning July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. It’s the second year of a two-year budget planning cycle. PAC had previously recommended approval of budgets for both years at its April 2011 meeting. The parks budget is part of the city’s overall budget, which city administrator Steve Powers proposed at the April 16 meeting of the Ann Arbor city council.

Most of these changes have already been implemented, as part of the current year’s budget. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and rec manager, reminded commissioners that there will be no increase in budgeted expenses. These changes will be made within the budget plan that was discussed last year for FY 2013, when the FY 2012 budget was formally adopted. [.pdf of budget resolution adopted by council for FY 2012, including parks-related items]

The portion of the city budget relating to parks is separated into two parts: (1) park operations; and (2) parks and recreation.

Sam Offen, who chairs PAC’s budget and finance committee, noted that the budget is in better shape than in recent years. He joked that it makes his job much easier.

Parks & Rec Budget Recommendation: Parks Operations Budget

PAC was asked to approve recommendations for the FY 2013 parks operations budget, which includes the following proposed changes: (1) increasing the frequency of the mowing cycle from every 19 days to every 14 days; (2) increasing seasonal staffing between April 15–October 15 to maintain active recreation areas better; (3) establishing three seasonal park steward/supervisor positions to improve park maintenance and enforcement; and (4) increasing seasonal staffing at the ice arenas to improve facility cleanliness. [.pdf of parks operations budget recommendation]

There was considerable discussion about whether to change the wording on the recommendation for the mowing cycle. Tim Doyle initially felt it sounded too much like a dictate rather than an objective, and preferred deferring to staff’s judgement on the exact number of days in the cycle. After some wordsmithing on a possible amendment, Christopher Taylor – PAC’s ex officio member who also serves on city council – was asked whether his council colleagues would understand the intent. “Contextually, it’s plain enough,” he said.

Ultimately, PAC reached a consensus not to change wording on the recommendation.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval of the FY 2013 parks operations budget.

Parks & Rec Budget Recommendation: Parks & Rec Budget

In a separate resolution, PAC was asked to recommend approval of the FY 2013 parks and recreation budget. The resolution commended parks staff for its work, and made several general recommendations: (1) reduce energy expenses to reflect the benefit of infrastructure energy improvements at recreational facilities, including Cobblestone Farm and Mack Pool; (2) reduce materials and supplies used to maintain various facilities as a result of recent improvements; (3) reduce water usage expense to reflect actual usage better; (4) eliminate unnecessary software installations where appropriate; (5) increase revenue by initiating additional programming at the Argo Cascades; and (6) increase revenue by increasing fees for admission to swimming pools. [.pdf of parks & rec budget recommendation] [.pdf of fee increases]

Most of these items have been started in the current fiscal year, Offen noted, and will continue into FY 2013.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously recommended approval of the FY 2013 parks and recreation budget.

Parks Millage Renewal: Public Hearing

No one spoke during a public hearing on the renewal of the city’s park maintenance and capital improvements millage, which will likely be on the November ballot.

Park commissioners had been briefed by staff about the millage renewal at PAC’s March 20, 2012 meeting.

John Lawter, PAC’s vice chair who was presiding over the meeting in the absence of chair Julie Grand, noted that two of the four public informational forums regarding the millage had been held. [The third forum took place on Monday, April 23. The final one is set for Thursday, April 26 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor District Library's Traverwood branch, 3333 Traverwood Drive.]

From left: Greg McDonald, assistant manager of city operations for Community Television Network (CTN), explains a camera problem to Colin Smith, the city's parks and recreation manager. The controller that allows CTN staff technicians to remotely control cameras in city council chambers wasn't working during the April 17 park advisory commission meeting. CTN staff instead adjusted the cameras manually prior to the meeting, to capture wide angle views of the proceedings.

Colin Smith, parks and rec manager, noted that Grand had wanted to schedule some of the public forums prior to the public hearing at PAC, and prior to a vote by PAC on whether to recommend millage renewal. That way, PAC could respond if any issues arose. However, Smith added, ”there seems to be a great deal of relative silence,” and nothing has come up to indicate that the city is on the wrong track in seeking renewal. [At an April 11 forum held at Cobblestone Farm, several city parks staff, PAC commissioners, city councilmember Jane Lumm, and two members of the media – from The Chronicle and WEMU – showed up. But only one member of the public came: Eric Meves, a board member at Project Grow who also spoke during public commentary at the April 17 PAC meeting (see below).]

Gwen Nystuen observed that it’s hard to get people excited now about a vote that won’t happen until November. She said she hadn’t heard anything unfavorable about the millage, and that people in Ann Arbor are very supportive of parks. “I’m optimistic,” she said.

Sam Offen asked whether there were any significant comments or feedback from the first two forums. Lawter reported that the one person at the forum he attended was supportive. [That person was Meves.] Nystuen praised the staff – she said they had done a good job of answering questions at the first forum about how the budget was prepared.

Informational handouts are being distributed, and Smith pointed out that information about the millage renewal is also available on the city’s website.

Windemere Park Tennis Courts

Parks planner Amy Kuras gave a presentation on the tennis courts at Windemere Park, a nearly four-acre parcel on the city’s northeast side, north of Glazier Way between Green and Earhart roads. There was no action requested of PAC at this meeting – the staff just wanted to update commissioners on the situation.

The courts were initially built in 1986, then color coated in 2007. Repairs to cracks in the court were attempted in 2009, Kuras said, but failed because of poor soil conditions. The city also attempted to install new net posts in 2009, but that also failed.

In 2010, the city took soil borings in five parts of the park. The borings revealed saturated organic soil and fill, particularly in areas located near the tennis courts in the west part of the park.

Cracked pavement at the Windemere Park tennis court. (Image provided by city staff in a slide presentation to PAC.)

Part of the problem is a high water table, Kuras said. In fact, the parks staff have noted higher water tables throughout the city, she added. The only hard data that the city has collected on the water table is at the municipal airport, and there the water table measures between 2-7 feet below the surface now, compared to 15 feet below the surface 50 years ago. Jen Lawson, the city’s water quality manager, attributed the change to a variety of factors, Kuras reported, including climate change and more impervious surfaces in the city.

Kuras presented a chart showing cost estimates to replace either one or both courts at the current location. She based her estimates on work done for tennis courts at Veterans Memorial Park and West Park. The total would be $181,377 for two courts at Windemere, or $107,408 for one court. [Link to chart of itemized replacement costs.]

The options to consider, Kuras said, include: (1) replacing both tennis courts at the current location, (2) replacing the courts in another part of Windemere Park, (3) replacing only one court, (4) removing the courts, or (5) possibly putting the courts in another park.

Matt Warba, the city’s acting field operations manager, told commissioners that he’s frustrated by the situation. The staff has attempted several repairs, but with water at just two feet below the surface, it’s difficult. There’s a likelihood that having tennis courts at that location isn’t reasonable, he said. But he understands the value to the neighborhood,  and the staff is still working on getting some firm numbers and options to consider. There’s no easy or quick solution, he said, but they’re working on it.

Windemere Park Tennis Courts: Public Commentary

Jeff Alson told commissioners that he has lived near the park since the late 1970s. He bought his home there in part because of the park. There are a lot of tennis players in the neighborhood, and there are a lot of young children in the area so demand could grow. But because of water issues there’s only one court that can be used. Last summer, he hardly played there at all. Alson said he understood that there are problems with water that make maintenance of the courts more expensive. But he emphasized that the courts have held up well for at least the last 10 years, and he would consider it a good investment. It would be disappointing to him if the courts were removed. Alson concluded by thanking commissioners for their service to the city.

Windemere Park Tennis Courts: Commission Discussion

David Barrett asked whether the water table is the same throughout the park. Yes, Kuras said, but the soil composition is different  at certain locations in the park – that’s a factor, too. She clarified that there are water table issues at other parks, but nothing to the degree they’re seeing at Windemere.

Barrett recalled that when the city decided to put in rain gardens at Burns Park, they were slow to let the community know about it. He wondered what kind of outreach was happening for the tennis courts at Windemere. Colin Smith, parks and recreation manager, indicated that outreach would occur when the staff had more information to share. If it makes sense to move the tennis courts, the neighborhood would need to be engaged, he said.

Tim Doyle asked is there’s evidence of this same kind of problem at other city tennis courts. He said he’s encountered it on a similar project he’s working on near Honey Creek, on the west side of town. Warba said that certainly there are areas in the parks that are wetter than they’ve been in the past. But the Windemere courts are the worst by far.

Sam Offen noted that there are a lot of city tennis courts on the west side of town, but he wondered how many there were on the northeast side. Kuras reported that there are three courts in Leslie Park and two in Sugarbush Park, and it might be possible to accommodate new tennis courts somewhere in Foxfire North Park. All of those parks are in northeast Ann Arbor.

Jeff Alston, a resident who’d spoken during public commentary, pointed out that the courts at Sugarbush are too short for adults to play – they hit the back fence with their rackets, he said.

Gwen Nystuen said she didn’t know too much about tennis courts, but that it seemed like the city should assess the distribution and conditions of all of its courts, as well as their overall usage, to get a better idea of where the greatest needs are.

Commissioners and staff also discussed the availability of tennis courts at Ann Arbor public schools, noting that certain times of day and certain days of the week those courts are heavily used by students. Tim Berla noted that Ann Arbor Rec & Ed runs tennis leagues, as does the Ann Arbor Area Community Tennis Association. He pointed out that court conditions aren’t just a concern for the city parks – a sinkhole developed at the relatively new tennis courts at Skyline High School, putting one of the courts out of commission. Berla suggested looking at other materials, such as clay, which he said required more maintenance but wouldn’t crack.

Assuming there’s need for more tennis courts on the northeast side of town, Berla wondered whether the former Pfizer property – now owned by the University of Michigan – could be a possible location for new courts. He noted that there’s a lot of unused land there, as well as available parking.

Drain Project at Veterans Memorial Park

Scott Miller, an engineer with the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner’s office, was on hand to give a presentation about a drain project that would affect Veterans Memorial Park. He said the county had been petitioned by the city to do this project. It’s referred to as the West Park Fairgrounds project, which is the name of the drain that runs through that section of town – on the west side of town, in the former fairgrounds area. Miller acknowledged that it was a bit confusing, given that a park in a different location is called West Park.

Scott Miller of the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner's office describes an upcoming drain project that will affect Veterans Memorial Park.

The upper end of the drain is located in the Maple Village Shopping Center, where Kmart and Plum Market are located. The drain starts out as a 30-inch pipe and quickly transitions to a 54-inch pipe and then a 66-inch corregated metal pipe as it runs toward town. The pipe runs through Veterans Memorial Park, crosses under Dexter Road and heads east, eventually connecting to a pipe that contains another branch of the Allen Creek.

The city conducted video inspection of the pipe and found several sections that are cracked and corroded, resulting in leaks. Portions of the pipe were clogged with debris. [The city council voted at its Sept. 20, 2010 meeting to petition the county water resources commissioner for this project, estimated to cost roughly $2 million. It will be repaid by the city in annual installments over 15 years.]

Miller said the county staff began work last fall, first clearing the debris and then conducting another video assessment. That revealed two sections of the pipe that have a significant sag, and result in water being held in those sections year-round. One sagging section is in the parking area in the shopping center. Another is in the north side of the park’s parking lot that’s accessed off of Dexter Road. The preliminary design is to dig up the two sections of sagging pipe and replace them. For the rest of the pipe, the plan calls for putting in a cast lining to reinforce the pipe structurally.

The project would cause minimal disruption, he said, but would include some impact to the parking lot and a small portion of the area west of one of the ballfields. The county is coordinating with the city, which is doing road work and water main replacement along Dexter Road, as well as upcoming work to renovate the ballfields in the park.

The project is in the design phase now, Miller said, with construction expected to begin in the fall.

Drain Project at Veterans Memorial Park: Commission Discussion

Gwen Nystuen asked for more details about how much land would be dug up for the project. Miller reported that in the Maple Village lot, a section about 15 feet wide and 150 feet long would be excavated. In Veterans Memorial Park, the work would be about 15 feet wide and 190 feet long.

Nystuen also commented on the confusing name of the project, and Miller agreed: “It’s raised confusion at a lot of levels,” he said, but they don’t have much latitude to change it.

Ann Arbor park advisory commissioner David Barrett.

David Barrett pointed out that there’s already disruption to the park – a big pile of dirt has been dumped by the ballfield. He wondered if the county had also coordinated with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed, which runs softball leagues in the park. Miller said the drain work hasn’t yet started, so the excavated dirt isn’t from their project. Matt Warba, the city’s acting field operations manager, clarified that it was likely related to road construction there. Parks and rec manager Colin Smith said the parks staff has been coordinating with Rec & Ed since last year regarding work in the park.

Sam Offen asked about the project’s timeframe. It will likely take about two months, Miller replied, but more if there’s a lot of rain. In response to another query from Offen, Miller said the county is mindful of the potential flooding impact downstream, but noted that this project isn’t intended to increase capacity dramatically. There will be more efficient flow, however.

Tim Berla clarified that Rec & Ed has cancelled its fall season, which starts in August, because of renovation work on the ballfields at three parks, including Veterans. [PAC had recommended those renovations at their February 2012 meeting.] He asked whether it would be possible to do the park portion of the drain project first, to ensure it would be finished by the spring season. Miller said it probably wouldn’t matter – the entire project is expected to be done by the spring of 2013 – but he would look into it.

Berla also asked whether the proposed skatepark – to be located in another part of Veterans Memorial Park – would affect the drain project, in terms of adding runoff. Miller said that although the addition of any impervious surfaces would affect runoff, the pipe is underutilized and has the capacity to handle it.

Smith noted that one of the elements of the skatepark design, as reflected in the request for proposals, will be to include stormwater management that meets or exceeds city standards.

Communications & Commentary

Every meeting includes opportunities for public commentary and communications from commissioners and staff.

Comm/Comm: Public Commentary – Parking in Parks

During public commentary, George Gaston told commissioners that he recently visited the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens – it’s a lovely place, he said. He had noticed that UM now has metered parking there at $1.20 per hour, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Gaston noted that the city leases its Fuller Park parking lot to UM. It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement, but it’s been going on for about 20 years. He wondered if the city has considered taking back control of that lot and and making it a metered lot, too. UM hospital employees use it 24/7, Gaston said, but only pay for part of that time. It could be a great revenue source for the city.

Gaston noted that people park their vehicles all day at Island Park and West Park, as two examples. And with UM planning to build a parking structure on Wall Street that would add another 500 spaces to that area, it might be possible to forego leasing the 18 spaces at Riverside Park to UM and adding metered spaces instead. “You might gain real money out of this,” Gaston said. There’s precedent in the city for 24-hour metered lots – at the Amtrak station on Depot Street, for example. Right now, it seems the city is undercharging the university for parking. With meters, the lots would be available to anyone if they paid. It might make sense to look into this, he concluded.

Comm/Comm: Project Grow – Public Commentary

Eric Meves, a board member of Project Grow, gave commissioners an overview of the nonprofit. He started by referring to Gaston’s comments about parking, noting that Project Grow had to buy parking tags at Matthaei for its gardeners there this year. Meves told commissioners that Project Grow is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and he’s gardened with the group for 39 of those years.

Eric Meves, treasurer of the Project Grow board.

Several Project Grow gardens are in city parks, so he wanted PAC to become familiar with the organization. It’s an educational organization, with assistance for low-income residents. Although the nonprofit has received city funding in the past, it no longer receives public money, he noted.

Project Grow doesn’t own any land. About a third of the gardens are located in Washtenaw County parks, and a third on Ann Arbor public school property. The remaining third is evenly divided between UM land, private property, and city of Ann Arbor parks. About 300-350 families have garden plots each year, Meves said. People do it to grow food, but also for outdoor exercise and to be in a pleasant environment, he said. There’s also an element of community – being with your fellow gardeners.

The nonprofit grosses about $40,000 to $50,000 annually, Meves said. About 60% of that comes from plot fees – it costs about $130 for a full plot. About 20% of revenues come from fundraising, primarily through an annual plant sale. The remaining 20% comes from an organic gardening class that Project Grow developed for Washtenaw Community College.

Roughly half of those revenues allow Project Grow to have one half-time employee who works out of his house, Meves said. The group relies on volunteers and a working board. The rest of the funds are used to pay for things like water, utilities, insurance and capital improvements. There are about 40 people on a waiting list for gardens now – demand for gardens is about two to three times what Project Grow can provide, he said.

Meves unfurled a map that he said was made with the help of Merle Johnson and Dan Rainey of the city’s information technology department. It showed possible additional locations for gardens within the parks system.

Comm/Comm: Project Grow – Manager’s Report

Later in the meeting, Colin Smith reported that parks planner Amy Kuras has been working with the Project Grow managing director [Kirk Jones] to draft an agreement that will outline the formal relationship between the city and the nonprofit. It’s been a few years since the city funded Project Grow, he said, but because the group uses city parkland, there’s still a relationship. The agreement will stipulate what the procedures are for putting gardens into parks. There have been varied reactions to having gardens in the parks, depending on the neighborhood, he noted. Parks staff will share the agreement with PAC when it’s ready, he said.

From left: Park advisory commissioners Tim Berla and John Lawter. Lawter, who chaired the April 17 meeting in the absence of chair Julie Grand, was reviewing procedural rules with Berla before the meeting. Berla's advice: "No one ever did time" for flubbing Robert's Rules.

Tim Berla asked if there’s anything PAC or the city can do to help Project Grow identify potential locations for more gardens. Kuras said she works with the organization – sometimes she’ll be contacted by someone in a neighborhood who’s interested, and she’ll in turn contact Project Grow, or sometimes Project Grow comes to her. There are certain requirements, she noted. The land needs to be in a sunny area, and have access to a water source. The city also needs to hold a public meeting if a park is being considered for gardens, and sometimes neighbors don’t want it, she said.

Smith noted that the agreement with Project Grow will include details about how PAC can be involved in the process of selecting new locations.

Gwen Nystuen said she appreciated that Eric Meves had spoken to PAC during public commentary. She hadn’t realized how many people are involved, and how the city provides relatively little land for the group. It’s useful information, she said, especially given the growing interest in the local food movement.

Tim Doyle clarified with Smith that there is no relationship between Project Grow and the city’s greenbelt program.

Comm/Comm: Skatepark RFP

Smith reported that the request for proposals (RFP) for a skatepark at Veterans Memorial Park would be issued the following day. [.pdf of skatepark RFP] The goal is to solicit proposals for a consultant to handle design and oversee construction of the skatepark, which will be located on city-owned property.

Tim Doyle asked how the project would be funded. Smith replied that there are three sources for the roughly $1 million cost of the project: (1) private donations – primarily solicited through the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark; (2) a $300,000 state grant; and (3) up to $400,000 in matching funds from the Washtenaw County parks and recreation commission. The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation is acting as fiduciary for the project.

The city’s contribution will be the land and staff time to manage the process, Smith said, not money. It will be a city-owned asset, he said.

In terms of process, a selection committee – which will include members of the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark, as well as city and county representatives – will be relied on to make a recommendation for the designer. That recommendation will be reviewed by PAC. PAC commissioner David Barrett will serve on the committee. Park planner Amy Kuras is the city’s point person on the project.

Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2013.

Gwen Nystuen asked about the relocation of pathways that will be required because of the skatepark location. Kuras noted that some pathways in Veterans Memorial Park are being redone as part of the Dexter Avenue improvement project that’s currently underway. Paths that connect to the skatepark will be designed as part of the overall skatepark design, she said.

Comm/Comm: Manager’s Report – Market Manager

Smith reported that the field had been narrowed to two candidates to replace Molly Notarianni, who left the job of public market manager earlier this year. He said he hoped to have finalized a hire by PAC’s May 15 meeting.

Comm/Comm: Manager’s Report – Argo Cascades

The same day as the PAC meeting, the consultant who designed the new canoe/kayak bypass by Argo Dam – Gary Lacy of Boulder, Colo. – was testing the series of drop pools along with city staff. Smith said he had hoped that Lacy would have the time to give an update to PAC about the new Argo Cascades, but the morning had been chilly and Lacy had gotten a late start on the testing, so he wasn’t able to attend the meeting.

A grand opening of the Argo Cascades is planned for June, but it will be open to the public before that. May 5 is the date for the first trips from the Argo Pond livery to Gallup Park, Smith said.

Present: David Barrett, Tim Berla, Doug Chapman, Tim Doyle, John Lawter, Karen Levin, Gwen Nystuen, Sam Offen, councilmember Christopher Taylor (ex-officio). Also Colin Smith, city parks and recreation manager.

Absent: Julie Grand, councilmember Mike Anglin (ex-officio).

Next meeting: PAC’s meeting on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 begins at 4 p.m. in the city hall second-floor council chambers, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

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The amount of the bonds is not to exceed $235,000, and will be retired in part through special assessments against the property owners in that area’s drainage district. Money from assessments will account for 69.16% of the project cost, with remaining project costs prepaid by York Township (20%), and Washtenaw County (10.84%). The Wasthenaw County road commission will pay half of the county’s portion of this project, which is being managed by the county office of the water resources commissioner.

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

The projects, which require the county to back bond payments totaling up to $6.54 million, are all located in Ann Arbor: (1) Allen Creek drain cistern installation, downspout disconnection and tree planting – up to $330,000; (2) County Farm drain stream bank stabilization – up to $1.2 million; (3) Malletts Creek drain/Burns Park porous alley; Malletts Creek cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting; and Malletts Creek stream bank stabilization – up to $3.48 million; (4) Swift Run cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting – up to $75,000; and (5) Traver Creek cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting; and Traver Creek stream bank stabilization – up to $780,000.

Commissioners are expected to take final action on these items at their July 6 meeting. 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]

At their meeting last week on May 18, Washtenaw County commissioners had postponed action on a request to approve a $1 million loan application to the state Dept. of Environmental Quality for brownfield cleanup at the former Georgetown Mall site. Developers were asking to use the county’s full faith and credit as a guarantee for the loan – a request that caused concern over entering into a relationship with a private developer that might pose a financial risk for the county.

The board was expected to take up the request again at their June 1 meeting, along with consideration of a broader public-private investment policy they’re developing, which was also postponed from the May 18 meeting. But now that there’s no loan in play, commissioners seemed inclined to defer action on the policy as well, giving the county’s attorney more time to analyze the issue.

Other items previewed from the June 1 agenda include: (1) five drain projects in the city of Ann Arbor that require bonds backed by the county’s full faith and credit, totaling $6.54 million; (2) acceptance of $455,000 in federal stimulus funds for the county’s weatherization program, which has already received over $4 million in grants over the past three years, and (3) approval of a new public health medical director. The current director, Diana Torres-Burgos, recently announced her resignation – she’ll be leaving her job at the end of June.

Agenda Briefings Resurrected – For Now

Tuesday’s briefing, attended by five of the 11 commissioners, marks a modified resumption of sessions that were previously held prior to every board meeting to review the upcoming agenda. Those administrative briefings were eliminated in February of 2011, after some commissioners objected to the fact that they weren’t sufficiently in public view.

Even though the informal briefings were public meetings, properly noticed under the Michigan Open Meetings Act and attended regularly by The Chronicle, they were held in a small conference room and – unlike other meetings of the board – were not televised.

Earlier this month, the board resurrected the briefings – at least for the summer – with the first one held on Tuesday to preview the June 1 agenda. In the summer, the board works on a reduced schedule, holding its Ways & Means Committee, regular board and working session meetings only once a month, rather than the twice-monthly schedule that’s in place the rest of the year. Additional briefings for the summer meetings are set for June 28 and July 26. The board will decide later whether to continue the briefings into the fall.

The briefings begin at 4 p.m. in the county boardroom at 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor, and are recorded for broadcast on Community Television Network and on the county’s website.

Packard Square Loan, Public-Private Policy

At Tuesday’s briefing, the draft agenda for the June 1 meeting still included an item to vote on the public-private partnership investment policy being developed in large part to address the Packard Square loan request. When commissioners were told that the developers no longer planned to seek the state loan, the question became this: Did the board still want to keep the policy item on the agenda?

Board chair Conan Smith asked what the implication would be to eliminating the state loan – the brownfield plan approved by the board on May 18 assumes the $1 million loan will be part of that project. Commissioner Yousef Rabhi, who serves on the county’s brownfield redevelopment authority board, said the developers would need to seek a private loan if they intended to keep the brownfield plan as is – otherwise, they’d need to seek approval from the board to amend the brownfield plan.

Regarding the public-private policy, Curtis Hedger – the county’s corporation counsel – told commissioners that he’d sent the draft policy to John Axe for review. Axe, of the Grosse Pointe Farms law firm Axe & Ecklund, provides bond counsel and other legal services to the county on a contract basis. Hedger said Axe would be providing feedback, but couldn’t attend the June 1 meeting – he’d be celebrating his wedding anniversary.

Leah Gunn questioned the need for the policy at all. Aside from Packard Square, she couldn’t remember the county ever being asked by a developer to back a loan. Typically, the county’s full faith and credit is used for public projects.

Hedger cited the Broadway Village at Lower Town project in Ann Arbor as a similar situation, but noted that it didn’t move forward. He clarified that with the Packard Square loan, the county wouldn’t have been entering into a direct relationship with a developer – it’s illegal to extend the county’s full faith and credit to a private entity, he said. Rather, the relationship would have been between the county and the state, which was providing the loan through a program for brownfield projects. The county’s involvement benefits the developer only indirectly, he said.

County commissioner Leah Gunn, after the May 24 agenda briefing. She recently announced her intent not to run for re-election in 2012. Redistricting would have put her into the same district as incumbent and fellow Democrat Yousef Rabhi, whom she says she'll support in his re-election bid.

The county needs to make sure that whatever policy is adopted is crafted precisely, Hedger said, so that they deal with any type of public-private partnership legally.

Gunn said she didn’t think they should waste time on developing a policy – they won’t be encountering this type of situation regularly. “It just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” she said.

Smith observed that he’d made a considerable time investment in it so far – after a special working session on May 17 to discuss the issue, he’d worked up a draft policy that was brought to the May 18 meeting, though it was ultimately postponed.

“Sometimes you have to let it go,” Gunn advised.

Rolland Sizemore Jr. speculated that there will likely be more public-private projects proposed in the future. He wanted to make sure they didn’t create a policy too quickly that would hurt the county down the road. He said he wasn’t in a mood to rush it through.

The consensus among commissioners who attended the briefing was to pull the item from the June 1 agenda, and possibly bring it back to the board at a later date.

Full Faith and Credit – Public Works Projects

The issue of full faith and credit came up again in relation to five requests from the county’s water resources commissioner, on the June 1 agenda for initial approval. The projects, which require the county to back bond payments totaling up to $6.54 million, are all located in Ann Arbor:

• Allen Creek drain cistern installation, downspout disconnection and tree planting – up to $330,000.
• County Farm drain stream bank stabilization – up to $1.2 million.
• Malletts Creek drain/Burns Park porous alley; Malletts Creek cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting; and Malletts Creek stream bank stabilization – up to $3.48 million.
• Swift Run cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting – up to $75,000.
• Traver Creek cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting; and Traver Creek stream bank stabilization – up to $780,000.

Bonds would be repaid from special assessments to the city of Ann Arbor. For the County Farm, Malletts Creek and Traver Creek projects, special assessments would also be made to the state and county.

Rolland Sizemore Jr. asked why the city of Ann Arbor couldn’t guarantee the bonds with its full faith and credit, since the projects are all located in that city. Conan Smith explained that these improvements are being made to county drain systems within the city. As such, the county is allowed to create special assessment districts, like any other public works project, he said.

Smith added his thanks to the staff of the water resources commissioner for preparing these projects in time for the June 1 meeting. He said that he and Sizemore had made a commitment to ensuring that – as much as possible – items didn’t get considered for initial and final approval on the same night.

Agenda items are first brought to the Ways & Means Committee, chaired by Sizemore and consisting of the entire board, for an initial vote. They are then forwarded to the regular board meeting, chaired by Smith, for a final vote. The meetings are held back-to-back, but items from Ways & Means typically aren’t considered on the same night – they are forwarded to the board meeting that’s held two weeks later – or, on the summer schedule, a month later. The intent is to allow for more time for commissioners to reflect on the items between casting their initial and final votes.

Departmental Reorganization

An effort is in the works to consolidate three county departments: the office of community development (OCD), ETCS (the employment training and community services department) and the economic development & energy department. Commissioners were briefed on this reorganization at their May 5, 2011 working session, with the expectation that it would be brought to the board for approval at the June 1 meeting.

At the May 24 agenda briefing, however, Joanna Bidlack – a county administration staffer who leads the briefings – said the item had been pulled from the June 1 meeting. She reported that Diane Heidt, the county’s human resources and labor relations director, had met with union leaders earlier in the day and they had asked for more time to assess the change. Now, the plan is to bring the reorganization to the board’s July 6 meeting for initial approval, with a final vote on Aug. 3.

Community Corrections Grant

Commissioners will be asked to approve a grant application for the county’s community corrections program, operated by the sheriff’s office. The grant of $421,801 – for the period from Oct. 1, 2011 through Sept. 30, 2012 – is only a portion of the program’s $1.01 million budget. Other revenues include $215,983 from the county’s general fund, $76,386 from the program’s fund balance, and an estimated $295,890 in program-generated revenues, including fees from tethering and drug testing.

Programs run by community corrections are designed in part to provide sentencing alternatives to the Washtenaw County Trial Court. Programs include pre-trial screening, drug testing, electronic tethering, supervised release, and educational efforts, such as the “Thinking Matters” program offered in partnership with the nonprofit Dawn Farm.

Weatherization, Food Grants

Two items on the June 1 agenda relate to the county’s employment training and community services (ETCS) department.

Commissioners will be asked to accept $455,000 in federal stimulus funds – from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – to pay for weatherization assistance. The funds were originally granted to other municipalities but weren’t used, and are being redistributed.

Washtenaw County has already been granted $4.3 million in weatherization funds from 2009-2011, and has finished work on 611 residences. The new funding will pay for about 70 additional residences. The services – including home inspections, refrigerator efficiency testing and consumer education – are available to residents with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. That’s $23,448 for a single person, or $45,088 for a family of four.

ETCS is also asking the board to approve a grant application to fund a summer food program for children. Nearly $116,000 in federal funds, distributed through the state Dept. of Education, are available to pay for breakfasts, lunches and snacks to low-income children at 30 sites throughout the county. Kelly Belknap, interim deputy county administrator, told commissioners that more details about the exact sites will be available by the June 1 meeting.

Public Health Medical Director

Diana Torres-Burgos, the county’s public health medical director, recently announced her resignation – she’ll be leaving her job at the end of June.

On the June 1 agenda is an item asking commissioners to approve the hire of a new medical director. However, there were no additional details available at the May 24 briefing. The board will be asked to make both an initial and final vote that same night.

[After the briefing, interim deputy county administrator Kelly Belknap told The Chronicle that interviews with three finalists are being held this week – no decision has yet been made on a hire.]

Conan Smith objected to the process, saying it was a nightmare to handle it this way, because it gave the board and public no opportunity to vet a senior level staff position. Leah Gunn pointed out that no one from the public ever comments on the medical director appointment. It’s not a nightmare, she said. Smith allowed that perhaps he was just in a grumpy mood.

Belknap explained that the public health department needs a doctor on staff – if they don’t get final approval at the June 1 meeting, the appointment would have to wait until the July 6 meeting, and there’d be a gap between the departure of Torres-Burgos at the end of June. Medicare services provided by the county – including immunizations and the maternal infant health program – require that a licensed medical doctor on staff bill Medicare, via the state, for reimbursement.

Next regular board meeting: Wednesday, June 1, 2011 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. [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.

Jerry Hancock, Ann Arbor's stormwater and floodplain programs coordinator, explains how soil composition in the Bryant neighborhood factors in the area's water problems. (Photos by the writer.)

A major project to replace water mains and resurface roads in the Bryant neighborhood will get under way this spring, part of a broader plan to address the area’s chronic drainage problems and other issues.

At a Jan. 14 neighborhood meeting, Ann Arbor city staff gave an overview of the project, which included an historical look at the subdivision off  Stone School Road, just south of I-94.

The meeting at the Bryant Community Center – organized by the nonprofit Community Action Network and attended by residents, city and county elected officials and staff, among others – is the latest in a series of efforts to deal with a wide range of challenges to one of the city’s predominantly low-income neighborhoods.

At the end of Thursday’s two-hour session, a question raised by one of the residents – “Is there a happy ending to all of this?” – might best be summarized by the answer, “It depends.”

Water Mains, Roads

Anne Warrow, a civil engineer and project manager for the city of Ann Arbor, presented details of the $1.1 million water main replacement, set to begin in mid-May. Over the past few years, more than 25 water main breaks have been reported in the subdivision of 259 homes, built between 1969-71. The city plans to replace 9,000 feet of corroding cast-iron pipe with polyethylene-encased ductile iron pipe. Typical projects are smaller, in the 4,000-foot range, Warrow said. [Link to map showing water main breaks and location of planned water main replacement.]

The new water mains will run along Champagne, the primary street through the subdivision, from Stone School Road to Shadowood Drive, as well as in most of the small courts off of Champagne. Mains will also be replaced on Hemlock and its small courts. Only four courts off of Champagne – Santa Rosa, Blain, Jay Lee and Burlingame – won’t be receiving replacement water mains, Warrow said, because existing mains aren’t causing problems there.

In addition, four new fire hydrants will be installed in Metroview, Faust, Trowbridge and West Eden courts, on the north side of the subdivision. Warrow said a general rule of thumb is to have hydrants no more than 250 feet apart, and there are currently no hydrants in those courts.

The city expects to pay for the water main replacements with low-interest loans, Warrow said. The project will be funded from the drinking water revolving fund, administered by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The loans will be repaid out of the city’s water utilities fund.

Funding for the second part of the project – street resurfacing, estimated at about $3 million – would come from the city’s street reconstruction millage. However, it’s unclear how much funding will be available from the millage. That question hinges on whether the city is successful in getting federal funding to replace the East Stadium bridges. If the city doesn’t get a federal grant that it has applied for, then millage funds will be used for the bridges and other street projects will be postponed. Depending on how this plays out, street resurfacing in the Bryant neighborhood could happen in phases, Warrow said.

Anne Warrow, a civil engineer and project manager for the city of Ann Arbor, explains how water mains will be replaced in the Bryant neighborhood, starting this spring.

To prepare for the entire project, city staff took soil borings throughout the area, including 32 on road surfaces and another 25 in unpaved spots, boring down as deep as 20 feet. The findings were consistent throughout, Warrow said – the soil is primarily silty clay, with some sand.

That news wasn’t a surprise to residents, confirming what they already suspected. It also means that one of the strategies they’d considered to help manage drainage problems – installing French drains to funnel water away from the houses – wouldn’t be effective, because clay soil takes so long to absorb water runoff.

During the entire project, on-street parking will be limited, Warrow said, though residents will have access to their homes throughout construction. Roads will be dug up to put in the new pipes, then the trenches will be backfilled with stones. Workers will pressure-test the new water main, and flush it to test the quality of the water, making sure it’s clean. The testing phase will take a couple of weeks, she said. Then they’ll do the final tie-in, transferring each home’s water connection to the new main.

Residents won’t be without water except for a short period during the tie-in to their homes, Warrow said. However, she added, “the unforeseen may occur.” One of the risks is potential breaks in the old water main as the new one is being constructed, she said.

As part of the project, the public storm sewer system in the neighborhood will be cleaned. However, Warrow acknowledged that many of the drainage problems experienced in the area were caused by issues with the subdivision’s private drainage system, which hooks into the city’s storm sewer system. Those private systems won’t be part of the upcoming project.

Another challenge is that the land is virtually flat – a 1% slope on most properties doesn’t allow water to drain well.

An Historical View

Why isn’t there more of a slope on these lots? “That’s how it was designed, unfortunately,” Jerry Hancock told the group on Thursday. Hancock is the city’s stormwater and floodplain programs coordinator, and gave a presentation that included an historical look at the neighborhood to explain why water problems exist.

He first showed an aerial photo of the area taken in 1947, before it was developed. The west portion was an orchard, the eastern section appeared to be lightly wooded. To the south was a gravel pit. The next aerial photo, taken in 1960, showed only one major change: a wide east-west stretch of I-94 now appeared in the photo. The interstate was built just north of the land that would later become the Arbor Oaks subdivision, known as the Bryant neighborhood.

Hancock then pulled out yet another map showing pre-development soil compositions. One theory to explain the neighborhood’s chronic water problems is that the development had been built on wetlands, but Hancock said that doesn’t appear to be the case. Pre-development, there were a range of soil types recorded, from sandy loam to silty clay loam – more variety than was indicated when the city recently took soil samples. The fact that most of the soil in the neighborhood now is silty clay supports the theory that when the subdivision was constructed, soil from one section was spread throughout the entire area by construction workers.

Looking at these and other maps, Hancock said some things stand out. The land is essentially flat, and the lots weren’t graded so that water would drain away from the houses. In many cases, the crawl spaces are below grade, he said. There’s also a high water table on the east side of the neighborhood, which contributes to water problems. Given all of this, Hancock said it’s not surprising to see a high number of houses with mold and drainage problems.

For some of the homes located on the northern edge of the subdivision, it might be possible to redirect water toward culverts running along the I-94 expressway, Hancock said. However, he cautioned that it would only address a few lots: “It’s not going to solve everyone’s problem.”

City vs. Homeowner Responsibility

One of the themes that emerged from Thursday’s meeting was the distinction between what the city can do, and what remains the homeowner’s responsibility.

Several residents brought up the issue of drains on the individual lots, which were intended to feed into the city’s storm sewer system. Over the years, those drains – many located in backyards – have become covered or clogged. In some cases, city staff said it’s unclear if the drains shown on the developer’s proposed site plan ever got built.

Don Wakefield, a resident of the Bryant neighborhood, said problems with the drains in many backyards contribute to the area's flooding problems.

Molly Wade, the city’s water quality manager, said that over the next few weeks workers would be coming into the neighborhood and cleaning the city’s storm water and sewer systems. As part of that work, they’d also be running a camera through the city’s pipes to get a better idea about the condition of the system, she said.

Resident Don Wakefield said part of the issue is that there aren’t sufficient openings into the city’s system to be able to identify where problems are occurring. He said the drain in his backyard isn’t working, but there’s no manhole opening on the street to allow him to get access to the pipes on his property.

Paul Cartman, a resident who also owns several rental properties in the neighborhood, asked about the possibility of the city putting in edge drains as part of its water main and road resurfacing project. It was an issue he raised at a previous neighborhood meeting as well. [See Chronicle coverage: "Bryant Neighbors Dig Into Drainage"]

Anne Warrow, a city project manager, said that because most homes in the neighborhood don’t have footing drains, which are designed to divert water away from a house’s foundation, installing edge drains wouldn’t have a significant impact on the drainage problems.

Other Options: Homeowner Rehab

Also at Thursday’s meeting were representatives from the Office of Community Development, a joint city/county department that offers a variety of services to low-income residents. Jon Van Eck, an OCD housing rehab specialist, described a housing rehabilitation program for owner-occupied homes of families earning 80% or less of the area median income – or about $56,000 for a family of four.

Every house has different needs, he said, and priority is given to remedy health and environmental issues, like mold, lead paint and asbestos. The federally funded program provides up to $25,000 per house in a deferred low-interest loan – after taking care of higher-priority items, they also address water issues if sufficient funds remain, he said.

Strategies to deal with flooding in crawl spaces or standing water on a property might include installing footing drains, sealing the crawl space walls, diverting gutters away from the house, and putting in humidistats to monitor moisture, among other things. “We fight the water in multiple ways,” Van Eck said.

Another option to get help for the neighborhood might come from the University of Michigan. Krista Trout-Edwards from the county treasurer’s office told residents at Thursday’s meeting that the county was hoping to interest graduate students at the UM School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) in taking on the neighborhood as a master’s degree project. SNRE professor Joan Nassauer, who has taken an interest in the neighborhood and made a presentation to residents this summer about ways to deal with the area’s drainage issues, would be involved as well, Trout-Edwards said. If students are interested, they’d begin planning their year-long project this spring.

Susan Baskett, a Bryant resident who’s also a board member for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, said the best time to do community outreach would be in the spring, when people are more likely to be outside. They don’t answer their doors to strangers in the winter, she said. Derrick Miller, director of the Bryant Community Center, said the spring would also be a good time for students to see the kinds of water issues that need to be addressed.

A Community Effort

Janis Bobrin, Washtenaw County’s water resources commissioner, attended the Bryant neighborhood meeting and said she was impressed with the city’s efforts to deal with the water problem. Drainage issues aren’t just endemic to Ann Arbor, she said: “This is not an uncommon problem countywide.”

The advantage that Bryant residents have is their strength as a community, she added. Usually, when the county is called in to deal with drainage problems on individual properties, people might not even know their neighbors. Taking a broader, community-wide approach is important, she said.

Derrick Miller, director of the Bryant Community Center, and Joan Doughty, executive director of Community Action Network. CAN has a contract with the city to provide support services to Bryant and other low-income neighborhoods. In addition to addressing water issues, other projects include a Buy Bryant business directory, work with Habitat for Humanity to rehab houses in the area, and possibly a workshop for residents on how to start a business.

Joan Doughty, executive director of the nonprofit Community Action Network, asked what other solutions the neighborhood might be able to take collectively. CAN has a contract with the city to provide support services to the Bryant neighborhood and other low-income communities, and has been facilitating the effort to tackle water-related problems. A survey of residents showed that this is a major concern.

Jon Van Eck of the city/county Office of Community Development suggested that if several adjacent properties built a rain garden on a portion of their lots, that might address some common water problems.

Baskett told the group that she was discouraged by the meeting, asking “Is there a happy ending to all of this?” Paul Cartman joked that they’d at least been served free bagels.

Resident Judy Gardner, who’s also a CAN board member, said her main concern is for residents who don’t have the wherewithal to take advantage of some of the help being offered. Outreach was important, she said.

Jennifer Hall, housing program coordinator for the Office of Community Development, cautioned that not everyone can be helped immediately, and that some people would remain unhappy. “This is going to require more talking and more effort,” Hall said. “We’re not going to solve everything today.”

But John Ramirez, an agent with Real Estate One, said he felt positive about the progress they’d made. “I see a whole slew of solutions here,” he said. “We’ve come a long way from where we started.”