Top: Stephen Rapundalo. Bottom: Tim Hull. (Photos by the writer)

Because no Republican challenger filed by the May deadline, the winner of the Ward 2 Democratic primary will likely be the Ward 2 representative to the city council. Some uncertainty surrounds that conclusion, however, because the filing deadline for non-partisan, independent candidates is not until Aug. 15. And Ward 2 has a recent election history that includes write-in candidate Ed Amonsen’s effort in the 2007 general election, which nearly won him a seat on the council. Amonsen’s write-in campaign earned him 790 votes (48.4%) to Rapundalo’s 843.

In their opening and closing statements, the candidates reprised the themes they’d introduced at a previous forum hosted by the Ann Arbor Democratic Party in June. Rapundalo stressed his experience and leadership as essential in trying economic times to find solutions in the area of cost containment and “revenue restructuring.” Rapundalo is president and CEO of MichBio, a biosciences industry trade association. First elected in 2005, Rapundalo is seeking a fourth two-year term on the city council.

For his part, Hull focused on budgeting that is based on community needs, not politics, and stressed that he would protect those things that make Ann Arbor unique. Hull is a programmer at the University of Michigan’s Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics. He serves as a member of the city’s taxicab board.

The two candidates dealt with the full range of topics covered by LWV questions – from public safety cuts to their thoughts on the hiring of the new city administrator.

The LWV forum was filmed at the Community Television Network studios on South Industrial Highway. After the break, The Chronicle presents paraphrases of questions posed to the candidates and their responses to them, as well as some highlights from the candidates’ remarks broken down in a bit more detail.

Do You Golf?

As put forward by the LWV moderator, the topic of the city’s parks included a specific question: Are city parks to be parks in perpetuity, or are they available for sale and lease?

Stephen Rapundalo was first to field that topic, and did so with a laugh: “That’s a loaded question!” Given the history of Ward 2 politics, Rapundalo’s assessment of the question was understandable.

That Ward 2 history also accounts for  the explicit and implicit emphasis in Tim Hull’s responses on the preservation of Huron Hills as a golf course. Hull’s general campaign talk (at the LWV event, as well as at a previous Ann Arbor Democratic Party event in June) includes his commitment to that which gives Ann Arbor it’s unique character – its neighborhoods, its parks and its natural beauty. That can be understood as an implicit version of the explicit statement he also makes as part of his campaign: He’s committed to preserving Huron Hills as a golf course.

In 2007, the perception among some Ward 2 residents that Rapundalo and other members of the council might be willing to sell either Huron Hills or the Leslie Park golf course nearly led to a loss by Rapundalo in the general election – against a write-in candidate. Ed Amonsen received 48% of votes, with Rapundalo avoiding defeat only through a decisive majority in his own neighborhood. That year, Amonsen’s nearly-successful write-in campaign was based in part on the fact that the city had hired a consultant to evaluate the city’s two golf courses, and one of the possibilities floated by the consultant was to sell one or both of the courses.

[The context of that year's Ward 2 election results is included in a recent Chronicle article, "Ann Arbor Elections Past: Voting Patterns." An understanding of  the geography of the ward and the golf courses as well as the result of the Rapundalo-Amonsen election can be gained from a Google Map of those election results.]

In an attempt to counter the perception that the sale of the courses was a realistic possibility, just before the election in late October of 2007 the city council passed a resolution asserting that “all the properties commonly known as the Leslie Park and/or Huron Hills Golf Courses will not be sold either in whole or in part for private development …”  The resolution approved by the council that year also included in a “whereas” clause the assertion that [emphasis added], “Some residents continue to misrepresent the facts and insist that a sale of golf course properties is imminent …” [.pdf of October 2007 city council resolution]

Accusations that people were misrepresenting facts on that issue continued the next year as part of the 2008 Democratic primary between Stew Nelson and Tony Derezinski. They were contesting the Ward 2 seat left open by Joan Lowenstein, who chose not to see re-election on the council. In an interview a few weeks after the August 2008 primary, which Derezinski won, Nelson described an off-camera Ward 2 candidate forum where mayor John Hieftje (not a Ward 2 resident) stood up and leveled an accusation at Nelson that Nelson had been misrepresenting facts:

… and somebody asked me a question – they asked me about the problem when the City was trying to sell part of Huron Hills Golf Course. And I gave them an answer, and I said, Yeah, I was very active in that. I said, I used to ride my horse over there on that property. …

I gave my explanation, and the mayor stood up and here’s what he said. And I’m going to quote the mayor. We thought he was going to ask a question. Folks, he said, I have been listening to this and I just have to say that what I have heard, the only word that I can use to describe it is, it’s a crock. And I thought, Well, okay. And he looked at me, and he said, Stew, you’re a smart guy, why do you continue to spread falsehoods? Well, there’s 40 people there in the room, and I used my best airline pilot cool, pretended like I had an engine failure …

… So I used my airline pilot cool and I just sort of sat there and smiled and listened. And once the mayor stopped beating up on me, then Derezinski got a little nasty, and then the moderator said, I thought he was asking a question, I probably should’ve slammed the gavel down on him. But he didn’t. Then they said maybe we better give Stew a chance to respond. …

And so I said, Mayor, we are going to disagree on this, but I have an aerial photograph that shows parcels of Huron Hills for sale, that we got from the City. I said, I have a copy of the appraisal that you had for the land appraised back there for sale. I have e-mails from Matt Warba, who is the head of golf courses, to Karla Henderson, who is second in command of Public Services, talking about the appraisal, and the sale of parts of land back there. And then when the golf course consultant was studying uses of that land there, we asked that they take off for consideration the sale of any land. And you and Councilmember Rapundalo adamantly refused to take it off.

And I said, What am I to assume? And I walked out the door.

In late 2010, the city ended an RFP process that had asked outside entities to handle golf operations at Huron Hills, ultimately deciding that the proposal selected as a finalist, from Miles of Golf, not be pursued further. In broad strokes, the city’s two golf courses have been performing somewhat better than projected over the last couple of years, based on implementation of a range of recommendations made by the golf consultant dating back to 2007. According to the city, the courses are not self-sustaining at this point.

Letters of support for Hull in this campaign imply that Rapundalo continues to be perceived by some residents as not committed strongly enough to the future of Huron Hills and Leslie Park as golf courses, despite serving on the committee that rejected the Miles of Golf proposal for further consideration.

What Is Your Experience?

Rapundalo has made his experience and his record of service a theme of his campaign. He can count his current service on council committees like the liquor license review committee, the budget committee, and the labor committee as examples, as well as past service as chair of the city’s park advisory commission before he was elected to the city council.

For his part, Hull is relatively new to public service, but does have the start of a record. His mayoral nomination to the city’s taxicab board came at the Oct. 4, 2010 city council meeting. Before that he had addressed the council and the board of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority during public commentary time on a range of topics, including the need to hold the AATA more accountable. Hull cites his taxicab board experience on his campaign website, but didn’t make it a point of emphasis at the Ann Arbor Democratic Party candidate forum or at the LWV event.

Opening Statements

Each candidate was given a chance to make an opening statement.

Rapundalo’s Opening

Rapundalo thanked the league for the opportunity to speak. In making the case for himself, he stated: “Experience matters, as does leadership.” He argued that in the face of challenging economic times those are two key attributes. He said he’d been forging solutions to real problems for the last five years, and that he’d been doing so in a reasonable and disciplined manner. The key issues that he wants to continue to focus on relate to fiscal responsibility – cost containment and revenue restructuring.

[By "revenue restructuring," Rapundalo was referring implicitly to a city income tax. That's an idea that has surfaced from time to time, as recently as the city council's budget retreats in late 2010 and early 2011. See Chronicle coverage: "Engaging the FY 2012 Budget"]

He cited the importance of gaining concessions from labor unions on health care and retirement benefits for cost containment. He also said he wanted to work on delivery of better services. He concluded by saying he wanted to focus on economic development and smart growth.

Hull’s Opening

Hull began by saying that Ann Arbor is a great place to live. He said he wants to continue to improve the level of services and to focus on the things that matter most – public safety is not something to be sacrificed, he said. Budget priorities should be based on community needs, not politics. The possibility of short-term economic growth shouldn’t cause us to sacrifice Ann Arbor’s unique character, he said, and that can be seen in Ann Arbor’s neighborhoods, parks and natural beauty. Hull said he would fight to preserve what makes Ann Arbor unique. He said that at times the council is too caught up in politics to respond to the needs of the community, but that doesn’t have to be the case. He promised to be responsive to residents’ concerns.

How would you improve communication?

Question: [The LWV moderator referred to an article reporting that most Ann Arborites are still not following a new city ordinance that mandates stopping at crosswalks when pedestrians are present.] Taking this only as an example, would you please explain how the population is to know what laws have been passed or changed or what decisions have been made, without communication from the city to its citizens? What will you, as a member of the Ann Arbor city council, do to improve this?

By way of additional background, the pedestrian ordinance in question was given final approval at the council’s July 19, 2010 meeting. A further revision to the new ordinance was prompted on that evening of deliberations by a suggestion from Marcia Higgins (Ward 4). She suggested replacing somewhat vague language (“yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield,”) with the clearer directive to motorists to “stop and yield.”

Pedestrian safety traffic controls have been an ongoing issue at one intersection located in Ward 5, at Seventh and Washington streets. Upon installation of a traffic island and sign, motorists initially tended to drive right over the island and the sign. In recent months, reports of the sign’s recurring demise have ceased.

In Ward 2, a crosswalk issue was raised by resident Kathy Griswold over the period of a year starting in the fall of 2009 – she unsuccessfully lobbied the council and Rapundalo as Ward 2 representative to move the mid-block crosswalk in front of King Elementary School to the end of the block, where cars must already stop for the 4-way stop intersection.

Hull on Communication

Hull said engaging constituents regularly is important – through newsletters, public forums with councilmembers, advertising campaigns. The city should make use of the Internet, and perhaps revamp the city’s website. Community engagement is key, he said, and the connection between councilmembers and constituents is important.

Rapundalo on Communication

Rapundalo said the crosswalk ordinance is an interesting example, because he was driving the previous day down Plymouth Road, and noticed that some of the new crosswalks don’t have signage that says, “Stop for Pedestrians.” So the first step, he said, is to make sure that all the crosswalks have appropriate signage making it clear to drivers that they’re supposed to stop at those crosswalks for pedestrians.

He said that as Hull had pointed out, the city needs to engage the public better. The city’s already award-winning website could be improved. Engaging residents at the neighborhood level at association meetings is important, he said. Finding a means to get the information out through social media and other technology-based approaches is important, too, but it starts with the physical signage, he concluded.

City Parkland

Question: As a member of the Ann Arbor city council, how would you view and manage parkland? Are parks available for lease or sale as needed? Also, what are your thoughts on the quality of park safety and maintenance? How important is that, and whose responsibility is it?

Rapundalo on Parks

Rapundalo responded to the question with a laugh, saying, “Well, that’s a loaded question!” He stated that the fact of the matter is that the state statute and city ordinance are clear: parkland can’t be sold without putting it to a vote of the electorate. He said he didn’t think any current or future councilmember would contemplate doing that, especially for any of the city’s major parks. Parks are there for many generations to come. The issue of park maintenance is complex, he said, and that’s rooted deeply in the budget. But it starts with priorities – the council, the staff and the public need to decide what are the most important aspects of the park system to maintain.

Hull on Parks

Hull said he thinks parkland is public land that belongs to the public. It should not be sold or leased long-term without the consent of the voters. It’s definitely important to see what voters want from parks and to look at budget priorities. He called for taking a holistic approach and seeing where the parks fit into that. [The reference to long-term leases is likely an allusion to the proposed Fuller Road Station – the topic of the next question.]

Fuller Road Station

Question: Some very well-situated Ann Arbor parkland is being considered for the Fuller Road Station, which right now looks to be a very large parking structure on Fuller Road. The primary occupier of the proposed space is the University of Michigan. Please explain the current status of the Fuller Road Station project to our viewers and your arguments for or against its continued development.

By way of additional background, the introduction of the Fuller Road Station concept to the public can be traced at least as far back as January 2009, when the city’s transportation program manager, Eli Cooper, presented a concept drawing at a meeting of neighbors at Northside Grill. At the time, the city was trying to encourage the University of Michigan to reconsider its plans to build parking structures on Wall Street.

The city’s strategy was to get the university to consider building its planned parking structures on the city-owned parking lot, just south of Fuller Road, near the intersection with East Medical Center Drive. It would allow the university to participate in the city’s hoped-for transit station at that location. The university has leased that parking lot from the city since 1993.

The transit station is envisioned as directly serving east-west commuter rail passengers. A day-trip demonstration service that was to launch in October 2010 never materialized. But a recent announcement earlier this year, that some federal support for high-speed rail track improvements would be forthcoming, has shored up hopes by many people in the community that the east-west rail connection could become a reality.

The council has already approved some expenditures directly related to the project. It voted unanimously on Aug. 17, 2009 to approve $213,984 of city funds for an environmental study and site assessment. Of that amount, $104,742 was appropriated from the economic development fund.

On Nov. 5, 2009, on separate votes, the council approved additional money for the environmental study and site assessment and to authorize a memorandum of understanding with the University of Michigan.

The controversy on the project involves the status of the land where the proposed Fuller Road Station would be located. It’s designated as parkland, but formally zoned as public land (PL). In the summer of 2010, the possible uses for land zoned as PL were altered by the council, on recommendation from the city planning commission, explicitly to include transportation facilities. Any long-term use agreement with the university is seen by many as tantamount to a sale of parkland. A sale should, per the city charter, be put to a vote of the people.

The city’s park advisory commission has expressed some objections to the project, and has asked that the advisory body be kept informed as the project moves along.

Hull on Fuller Road Station

Hull described the project as a kind of a partnership between Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan – the city is paying 22% and UM is paying 78%, based on the split of the parking spaces to which each entity will have access. Phase 2 is supposed to be a transit hub with trains. But it is parkland, even though it’s been a parking lot for a while. The parking lot arrangement was intended to be temporary.

Hull said he thinks it needs a public vote. Also from a cost-benefit analysis, what benefit does Ann Arbor get from it? He also wondered about the likelihood of the trains starting expanded service using the station. He described himself as somewhat skeptical – he didn’t want to rush into it, without doing due diligence and getting public feedback.

Rapundalo on Fuller Road Station

Rapundalo noted, as Hull had pointed out, the land has been used as a parking lot and involved a land swap with the University of Michigan “way back when.” The whole discussion about a transit hub has been ongoing, he said, for a couple of years, and has not emerged just in recent months. There’s quite a bit of discussion that’s gone into it, he said.

A multimodal transportation hub is important for Ann Arbor’s future, Rapundalo said. That coincides with an image of Ann Arbor as a progressive city. We need to be able to move people around, particularly in proximity to the largest employer that the city has, he said, referring to the university and its large medical complex near Fuller Road. There’s already funding in place at the federal level, he contended, for many stages of the project and it “should be a go.”

Public Safety

Question: Budget cuts have also led to cuts in public safety – police and firefighters. How is tolerable risk determined? How can voters feel confident that their taxes are taking care of them, their children and their property?

Rapundalo on Public Safety

Rapundalo said that every member of council puts public safety as a highest priority. The question is how the city should deliver public safety services – do they have to continue with past service models or can they do it with other creative ways, where the same level of service can be provided more efficiently with less personnel?

Rapundalo said that despite budget cuts, the number of street cops has been maintained, so people should feel secure that the city is doing everything it can to ensure that they are safe. However, he said that costs have to be cut in all departments and not just in non-public safety departments. There is no more fat to cut, and public safety is 51% of the budget – and most of that 51% is personnel, he said.

Hull on Public Safety

Hull said the city needs to have a discussion about staffing levels. The police chief and the fire chief need to be active in that discussion. He said we can look at it in a better way. We need to take a broader view. There are so-called buckets, he said, and we need to look at which buckets can be changed in order to free up funds. We need to look at creative solutions working with the unions to reduce costs, he said.

Why you?

Question: What qualities and accomplishments make you the better councilmember for Ward 2? You’re running against an incumbent (or as an incumbent). Why have you chosen to do that? What advantages would you bring?

Hull on why he’s running

Hull said obviously there’s an incumbent. Even though people might be from same party, they might have a different perspective, or have different views. He’s running because he feels like he offers a different, fresh perspective for voters. He wants to be more active in seeking community input and looking to what the community wants. He said he would think outside box, and not get stuck in the council’s current way of thinking.

Rapundalo on why he’s running

Rapundalo came back to his remarks made in his opening statement – it comes down to experience and leadership. He described the breadth of his professional career and the kind of managerial skills he could bring and the kind of knowledge he’s accumulated over the years. He pointed to his service as past president of a neighborhood association, past chair of the of city’s park advisory commission, current chair of the city council’s labor committee. He concluded that the breadth and depth of his background is superior to Hull’s and is best suited to bring his skills to bear on the challenges that continue to face the city.

New City Administrator

Question: The city is hiring a new city administrator. The two finalists are two non-local candidates. Have you met them? Do you have a favorite? What difficulties will they face?

By way of additional background, the city council voted at its July 18, 2011 meeting to offer the position to Steve Powers, currently county administrator for Marquette County, Michigan.

Rapundalo on the New City Administrator

Rapundalo said he’d met both candidates – he participated in both sets of interviews that had concluded earlier that day. He described them both as competent and said they could both fulfill the role. At the work session following the interviews, he said, the councilmembers had highlighted strengths for both candidates – it’s a question of fit with the city’s sense of values, he said. There’s a frontrunner in his mind, but he would continue to ponder the choice.

Rapundalo on the New City Administrator

Hull said it’s definitely an important thing to think about – the city has to replace the outgoing city administrator. He had some concerns about the process, he said. The city brought in an outside search firm. People have cited issues with that search firm’s previous experience. He felt that maybe we should think about how that process was selected. We need to consider the candidates who are the finalists, but Hull wondered if the search firm could have produced a better candidate? The city has have gone through searches before and abandoned them when they don’t like the candidates.

What are the strengths and challenges of Ward 2?

Question: What challenges do you see as unique to the Second Ward? How do you propose to address them in the primary and general election campaigns, and then later as a member of the city council?

Hull on Ward 2 Specifics

Hull said there are a lot of issues. Some are shared across the city – like public safety. Others are more pertinent to Ward 2. Fuller Road Station may not be fully in Ward 2 – it’s right on the edge of Wards 1 and 2. Huron Hills golf course is right in the heart of Ward 2, he said, and that golf course is important to many people. He said he wanted to make sure it stays a golf course for public use. Ward 2 is quite diverse, with residents ranging from students to retirees. There’s dense housing and less-dense housing. He said he’d been talking to lots of people and getting different perspectives.

Rapundalo on Ward 2 Specifics

Rapundalo said that going back to when he was president of the Orchard Hills/Maplewood Homeowners Association for 10 years, in some respects not much has changed. [Rapundalo's immediate neighborhood has been crucial to his success in past elections.] Some issues will always be there. As Hull pointed out, Rapundalo said, the ward has some unique assets.

Rapundalo said he was in favor of preserving Huron Hills as a golf course, but no matter what, it will always be open space. The ward’s other big asset is the former Pfizer site – that’s two million square feet of real estate, which the university bought and is starting to re-populate. There’s opportunity for economic growth there, he said, particularly with the inclusion of private companies in an entrepreneurial environment. As that happens, he said, the traditional issues of traffic flow and neighborhood stability will arise.

Closing Statements

Each candidate was given the opportunity to make a closing statement.

Hull’s Closing

Hull told the audience he hoped the forum had given them a chance to get to know him better. Even though the economic times may be tough, we can weather the storm together, he said. Difficult budget decisions will be less painful, if we adequately prioritize what’s most important for the community.

As a councilmember, Hull said he’d work diligently to make sure that residents’ interests are represented in city decision-making. He said he’d work to protect Ann Arbor’s unique character – neighborhoods, parks and a sense of community. He allowed that he might be young, but contended that he has the resolve and dedication to work on the issues that matter to voters, so that Ann Arbor continues to be a great place to live.

Rapundalo’s Closing

Rapundalo returned to his earlier points on experience and leadership. He said his five years on the city council and his professional career have allowed him to bring a breadth and depth of skill sets that are needed at the council table. He said he’d assumed leadership roles on a number of issues and he would continue to do that. Given the number of issues facing the city, this is not the time to be facing a steep learning curve, Rapundalo said. He added that he’s a good listener and seeks input from all stakeholders.

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This brief was filed from the park advisory commission meeting at the Washtenaw County administration building. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

A sign at the entrance to Ann Arbor’s West Park, which will be closed in March through the summer for extensive renovations. (Photo by the writer.)

But commissioners heard updates on a range of issues, from capital projects – including the months-long closing of West Park, starting in March – to a report on the greenbelt program.

And though snow has blanketed the area, work is underway to prep for controlled burns throughout the city’s parks and natural areas. Commissioners got a report on that effort, which includes a public meeting on March 2 and volunteer training the following day. The topic also provided some fodder for puns – in introducing the presentation, PAC chair Scott Rosencrans joked that they’d be “burning with interest” to hear the report.

Natural Area Preservation: “Why Do We Use Fire?”

Dave Borneman, manager of the city’s Natural Area Preservation program, known as NAP, began his update on controlled burns by giving some history on the use of fire for clearing land, which he said dates back hundreds of years to when native Americans in this area used the approach.

Giving this “ancient pulse of energy” to the land has many benefits, Borneman said. It discourages the growth of most woody vegetation, takes care of the encroachment of non-native shrubs, and stimulates the growth of native wildflowers, among other things. He gave several examples, including the fact that the Upland Boneset – a wildflower not recorded here since 1937 – emerged after one of the city’s controlled burns.

The process starts with an inventory of the area to be burned, which is included as part of a more comprehensive burn plan. NAP staff get permits from the fire department, and permission from landowners, if access is needed through private land. They notify the public through letters to nearby homes and notices in the parks, and hold informational meetings two times a year.

The next public meeting is on Tuesday, March 2 at the Leslie Science & Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, starting at 7:30 p.m. That will be followed on March 3 by a half-day volunteer training session, also at the center from noon-5 p.m. Borneman said that many people in the burn crew are volunteers.

To prepare for a burn, the crew surrounds the entire site with swaths of cleared land called burn breaks. They also use a leaf blower to remove leaves from logs, so they’ll be less likely to catch fire. Then they wait for the weather – burns are entirely dependent on weather conditions, Borneman said. The best days tend to be in late March and early April, then again in early November.

On the day of a burn, staff tries to get the word out – through announcements on the radio, signs in the park, and other means. They alert the city’s dispatch operations, in case residents call in, thinking it’s a real fire – “then away we go!” Borneman said.

There’s always a city PR person on site during a burn, to explain what’s happening. Borneman said schoolchildren sometimes attend – the April 1 burn in Buhr Park is especially popular, he said, as part of the Buhr Park Children’s Wet Meadow Project.

Some burns are more difficult than others. The small prairie along Huron River Parkway is tricky, Borneman said, because of its proximity to a heavily-used road. In general, smoke is more of a concern than fire, because smoke is harder to control. That’s one reason why most burn sites are fairly small, Borneman said – in the 5-10 acre range. They also burn during the dormant season, when plants are dry and therefore will generate less smoke. Burns are also done, whenever possible, on days when the atmospheric conditions maximize air lift, allowing the smoke to rise up and out of the area.

Responding to a question from commissioner John Lawter, Borneman said animals aren’t at risk from the slow burns that are done, since they burrow underground – even a quarter inch beneath the surface, the soil temperature can remain unchanged during the burn. Often the crew will see mice and toads scurrying around following a burn, he added – the threat to them is more from hawks than from the fire.

Commissioner Karen Levin asked how often areas are burned. It depends, Borneman said. Of the 150 city parks and nature areas, it’s not possible to do them all. Some sites are burned annually, some never, he said. In general, there are burns in 70-80 sites. Commissioner Gwen Nystuen asked about the burns done in the Ruthven Nature Area, near Gallup Park. NAP has done a lot of burning there with great results, Borneman said.

Lawter noted that others are doing controlled burns, not just the city – including private companies and the University of Michigan. That’s because there’s more interest in native landscaping, Borneman said. He gave credit to Bob Grese, director of UM’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, for starting up burns in this area – Grese’s own front yard is burned each year. In addition to burns on UM and Washtenaw County property, the Ann Arbor Public Schools does one each year at the prairie next to Pioneer High School, Borneman said.

He concluded by urging residents to sign up for alerts about NAP activities by emailing nap@a2gov.org.

Greenbelt Update

At the September 2009 meeting of the city’s Greenbelt Advisory Commission, Scott Rosencrans attended and introduced himself as the new chair of PAC, and said he looked forward to the two groups working together. On Tuesday, Laura Rubin reciprocated.

Rubin, who chairs GAC and serves as executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, gave park commissioners an update on the greenbelt program. She noted that an April 6 joint meeting of GAC and PAC has been scheduled, to talk about common issues for the two groups.

A 30-year millage at 0.5 mill was passed in 2003 to generate funds for the greenbelt. The greenbelt commission’s first strategic plan, approved in 2005, outlined priorities for the program. Those included a goal of forming 1,000-acre blocks of protected land, an emphasis on partnership and on leveraging funding from other sources. Rubin noted that three townships, for example – Scio, Webster and Ann Arbor – all have millages for land preservation, and have partnered with the greenbelt program on the purchase of development rights (PDR) in those areas.

Washtenaw County – specifically its natural areas preservation program – has been another partner. The greenbelt is also part of Preserve Washtenaw, a consortium of local groups working on land preservation.

The strategic plan gives priority to farmland and land along the Huron River, Rubin said. The deals are usually PDRs – buying the rights to development, which prevents the land from being used for purposes other than farmland or open space. The millage can only be used for acquisition, not management. In the cases where land needs to be managed, another partner – like Washtenaw County – takes the lead. The greenbelt program has partnered with the county on three purchases, Rubin said.

Since its inception, the greenbelt program has closed 15 transactions, spending $12.37 million and covering 1,782 acres. Those deals included an additional $11.85 million that came from other sources, such as the townships and federal funds.

As a result, Rubin said, “we are starting to see a greenbelt forming around Ann Arbor.” That includes nearly 900 acres in Webster Township alone.

Rubin outlined some recent changes in the program. For one, the market has changed dramatically over the past five years. Appraised values were far higher then, and there was competition from developers for many of the properties. Now, appraisals are dropping rapidly and the city’s greenbelt program is one of the only buyers in the market, Rubin said. In fact, they’re getting applications from developers who are trying to unload property previously set for development. [The implications of a drop in appraisals – which are affecting two deals that haven't yet closed – were discussed at the greenbelt commission's Feb. 10, 2010 meeting.]

The greenbelt commission is also putting more of an emphasis on the local food network, Rubin said. Farms must be 40 acres or more to qualify for federal funding for a purchase of development rights. In the greenbelt program’s previous scoring system – used to prioritize purchases – that size was give higher priority, because of the federal funds. The greenbelt commission has revised its scoring to give higher priority to small farms and community-supported agriculture, known as CSAs. Local residents buy shares in CSAs and receive produce from the farm. [See Chronicle coverage: "Greenbelt Explores Support for Small Farms"]

Rubin concluded by saying it’s an opportune time for land preservation, with less competition, lower land values and more funding coming in through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Rosencrans asked how natural areas and open space fit into the greenbelt program. Rubin replied that the program has designated about 10% of the greenbelt funds for high-quality natural areas, but one hurdle is land management – they don’t have funds to maintain properties. Having a partner like Washtenaw County helps, she said – the county can manage properties through their natural areas preservation program.

Rosencrans also wondered whether agribusiness was a competitor in terms of acquiring farmland. Not really, Rubin replied – in the past, it’s mostly been developers who were buying property in the county. The other difficulty initially in signing PDR deals with farmers was a skepticism about the program itself, she added. They had concerns about the city coming out and managing their land. The first few deals were important in building the program’s reputation.

Sam Offen asked whether there was a requirement to continue farming the land, as part of the PDR deal. Rubin said there are restrictions on development – no more than 2% of the land can be an impervious surface – but the land could lie fallow.

Offen also wondered how much more land the greenbelt program could buy, given current market conditions. That was difficult to answer, Rubin said. There’s about $13 million left in the fund balance, but land prices vary – property that’s closer to Ann Arbor is more expensive. It also depends on how many matching funds are available.

Rosencrans noted that both the park advisory commission and the greenbelt advisory commission used the same consultants – The Conservation Fund – and that he looked forward to stronger communication and partnership. Rubin agreed, noting that there was a bit of gray area regarding land acquisition, and that she was looking forward to talking about these issues at their April 6 joint meeting.

Millage-Funded Land Acquisition: An Update

Highlighting the common ground shared by both commissions, Ginny Trocchio of The Conservation Fund also gave a presentation at Tuesday’s meeting. She updated commissioners on the city’s land acquisition efforts related to the open space and parkland preservation millage, which funds the greenbelt as well as land acquisition for parks. [She gave a similar report at the greenbelt advisory commission's Dec. 9, 2009 meeting.]

A goal for parks acquisition in 2008-09 was to complete one or two acquisitions, including at least one donation. The city completed the purchase of a conservation easement on 10 acres in Scio Township, in partnership with the township. Four other deals are expected to close this fiscal year, including the purchase of a parcel on Chapin Street near West Park, which the city council approved in December 2009.

Another goal for 2008-09 dealt was to rezone and annex 30 parks that had been acquired by the city. The rezoning of that annexed land to public land – was completed. The annexation of land that was previously in township “islands” within the city is in progress.

Trocchio reviewed financial statements for the millage, clarifying that one-third of the revenue is for parks, and two-thirds for the greenbelt. In fiscal 2009, land acquisitions for parks totaled $237,444. The fund balance for the parks share of the millage was $4.7 million as of June 30, 2009 – the end fiscal 2009.

Reviewing administrative costs, Trocchio noted that a cap of 6% had been put on those costs over the life of the bond, through 2023. At the end of October 2009, $3.1 million remained of that amount. [At its Dec. 21 meeting, city council approved a one-year contract with The Conservation Fund for $119,565, with possible renewals at $113,661 for a second year and $106,797 for the third year.]

Trocchio also showed calculations comparing administrative expenses to total expenditures. They’re hovering around 3-4%, she said. Total expenditures from the millage in FY09 were $4.26 million, for example, with administrative expenses of $184,924 – or 4.3%.

Several commissioners had questions for Trocchio. John Lawter asked about the jump in expenses for information technology – from $2,500 in fiscal 2007 to $12, 612 in FY08 and $21,540 in FY09. Trocchio said it reflected a change in the way the city charged for IT services to the different city units. Colin Smith, parks and recreation manager, added that it now reflects true IT costs, including the different software programs that are being used by Trocchio and Peg Kohring, a Conservation Fund manager who works with the city.

Sam Offen asked what was included in administrative expenses – did that include things like land appraisals? Appraisals are calculated into the cost of the acquisition, Trocchio explained. Whenever possible, expenses are allocated to specific properties, to make sure the true cost of the acquisition is known. She clarified that The Conservation Fund staff is paid on an hourly basis.

Capital Improvements

Parks planner Amy Kuras gave an update on capital projects that were completed in the city’s parks over the past year, and previewed those being considered for 2010. Some highlights:

• The ice rink floor was replaced at Buhr Park Ice Arena. It was a complex, labor-intensive project, Kuras said, involving two layers of piping – a lower layer for heating to prevent permafrost, then a layer of insulation, then piping for refrigeration and an 18” slab of concrete. The arena is open for skating again. The spring, they’ll add a barrier-free entry – a sloping sidewalk – to the pool and ice rink complex.
• A barrier-free sloping sidewalk was added to the Kempf House Museum, at 312 S. Division. A porch was replaced with a stoop and steps that are more historically accurate, Kuras said.
• Most of the steel beams and decking were replaced at Bandemer Park bridge. The vehicle bridge at Gallup Park was also repaired – railings on that bridge will be replaced later this year.
• Pathways were renovated in South Maple, Huron Highlands and Sugarbush parks. Renovations at Leslie Park Golf Course included path upgrades, benches, installation of “very fancy pit toilets,” an expanded tunnel and replacement of a bridge.
• One shade structure was added near the vending machines at Fuller Park Pool, and another one was extended.
• At the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, lights were replaced, bird screens installed and the structures were painted. The city is planning to upgrade the electrical system, Kuras said, extending electrical service to portions of the market where it is currently unavailable to vendors.
• Pétanque courts in Burns Park were donated by Howard Ando and Jane Wilkinson, who are planning to program events for the coming season, Kuras said.
• A new de-humidification system was added to the Veterans Memorial Park ice arena – it had been “pretty cloudy in there,” Kuras said. The city also renovated locker rooms there and installed a new fire suppression system.
• The kitchen at Cobblestone Farm was renovated, as it wasn’t meeting needs of caterers for large events held there, Kuras said. A trash shoot and dumb waiter are being installed.
• The Mary Beth Doyle Park disc golf course is complete, and a sign with a map of the course will be added. The park is off of Packard, east of Cobblestone Farm.
• A shelter was added at Olson dog park, off of Dhu Varren on the city’s north side, and the parking lot was repaved.

Kuras also mentioned the major West Park renovations that are underway – the park will close in March and remain closed through the summer. One of the main goals is to improve stormwater management on the site. [Kuras had given a detailed presentation about the changes at PAC's August 2009 meeting. See Chronicle coverage: "West Park Renovations Get Fast-Tracked"]

As part of that project, Kuras said she’s working with the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission to design new seat walls that will be set into the hill opposite the park’s band shell. [See Chronicle coverage: "Artists Sought for West Park Project"]

Several questions from commissioners related to the West Park project. Tim Berla asked whether there were still plans to include gardens from the nonprofit Project Grow. Kuras said there was space in the master plan for those gardens.

Mike Anglin, who represents Ward 5 on city council, said he’d heard some grumblings about the final designs not including a dog park. Kuras said that all of the mowed areas of the park are heavily used. At a previous PAC meeting, John Lawter had floated the possibility of putting a dog park in the recently acquired Chapin Street property, adjacent to the park. Kuras said that lot was too small for a dog park.

Anglin also asked whether Kuras had any control over the crossing at Chapin and Huron. No, Kuras said, but Eli Cooper – the city’s transportation program manager – is in contact with the Michigan Dept. of Transportation about it. Although vehicles are supposed to stop for pedestrians using the crosswalk, that rarely occurs – making the crossing hazardous. West Park lies to the north of Huron, and the Ann Arbor YMCA is located at the southeast corner of Huron and Chapin.

Scott Rosencrans asked about the decision to use wooden decking on the bridges at Bandemer and Gallup – that gives it a lot of character, he said, but what about durability? Kuras said she’d been concerned about that too, and that they’d looked at other materials, including concrete and metal grating. The challenge with concrete is that the entire stretch would need to be torn out if you needed to access the bridge beneath it for repairs, whereas with wood planks, limited portions could be removed.

Grating was a problem because during the winter, salt from vehicles would get through to the structural part of the bridge, corroding the cor-ten steel. Cor-ten had been a popular material for bridge construction because its self-rusting quality was believed to provide a protective coating. That works in Florida, Kuras noted wryly, but not so well in northern states. This will be a problem statewide, she added, because many of Michigan’s bridges were built with this material.

Tim Berla asked about the possibility of putting recycling bins next to trash bins at the Mary Beth Doyle disc golf course. He hated to see recyclables being put into the trash, just because there wasn’t another option. Smith noted that it was unlikely to happen at the point, since staff would have to empty those bins. Because of the budget, they were looking for ways to cut back on work, not add new tasks. He encouraged disc golfers to carry their recyclables out of the park when they’re finished.

Future Capital Project – Setting Priorities

Later in the meeting, Kuras spoke again about capital projects for parks and recreation, this time giving an update on how staff will be setting priorities for choosing projects in the coming year. Last year, staff developed a rating system based on six broad categories: environmental; safety; regulatory compliance; financial impact; user experience; and social, cultural, recreational and aesthetic considerations. The categories are weighted, she said – for example, safety is given a heavier weight than aesthetic considerations.

They’ve identified 19 projects to prioritize for the next fiscal year, based on those six categories. The projects range from additional renovations at West Park and the farmers market, to replacing deteriorated roads and parking lots throughout the parks system.

Commissioner Gwen Nystuen asked why the Allen Creek Greenway wasn’t on the list – it had been identified by PAC as a goal on the parks system master plan, she said. Colin Smith, manager of parks and recreation, said they only had about $1 million to spend on capital projects. There were certain things – like the greenway – that they didn’t include, simply because the funding wouldn’t be available, he said.

Nystuen said she’s a little uneasy leaving those larger projects – including the greenway, skatepark and dog park – off the list. Mike Anglin noted that the greenway was in the city’s capital improvements plan (CIP), which city council recently approved, so perhaps just referencing that list would be sufficient.

The staff struggles with how much to include, Kuras said, noting that the PROS plan – the state-mandated Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan, which is being updated this year – covers an even broader range of projects.

Naming, Sponsorship and Gift Policies

Colin Smith, the city’s manager of parks and recreation, told commissioners that preparation of a policy for naming, sponsorships and gifts within the parks system had been expedited because of Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center. Efforts are underway to find additional revenues for those facilities, which have been targeted to close in fiscal 2010 because of budget cuts. Raising money through sponsorships, gifts and naming opportunities is one option that’s been discussed.

Kuras outlined some of the highlights of the policies. The gifts policy applies for gifts under $25,000, giving guidance to donors and staff about what gifts are appropriate – clarifying whether they fit the mission and vision of the parks system, for example. The policy states that installation and maintenance cost must be included in the gift, and the gift’s “permanency” – the amount of time that the city is obligated to care for the gift – will be limited to 10 years. [.pdf file of gift policy]

The policy gives people a clear idea of what’s required, Kuras said. Smith said that staff will prepare a gift guide as well, which lays out this policy. The guide will also give suggestions about what gifts the parks system needs. It’s unlikely that benches at Gallup Park will be on that list – Kuras noted that there are over 100 benches there. Maintenance workers used to joke that if more benches were added, you could eliminate the paths – it would be possible to traverse the park by walking on the benches.

For naming and sponsorship, the underlying philosophy is similar, Kuras said. Among other things, the policy clarifies that sponsorships are limited to two-year periods, and that for naming a facility, the donor would have to cover 60% of the project’s capital costs. [.pdf file of sponsorship and naming policy]

Several commissioners were concerned about adequately recognizing donations. Gwen Nystuen asked whether there was a way to permanently recognize a gift – perhaps on a plaque – even if the gift itself isn’t permanent. Kuras pointed to the mural at Leslie Science and Nature Center, where donors are named. The city could do something similar. Smith added that they could possibly have a recognition wall for that purpose – the policy gives them flexibility to determine that at a later date.

Sam Offen was also concerned about recognizing donors for their gift beyond the 10-year period. He noted that the University of Michigan had torn down a building that had been named for a donor, without notifying the family before the decision. There needs to be a continued recognition, on a permanent plaque or in some other way, he said.

Tim Berla noted that some “gifts” aren’t actually gifts at all – sometimes they aren’t items that are needed, and they end up costing the city money. Though gifts and recognition are obviously linked, he said, it would be good to try to separate the two.

Offen asked if gifts needed city council approval. Unless they’re in some way controversial, Smith said, gifts under $25,000 don’t require council approval. Anything over $25,000 would go to council, however.

Smith also clarified that in the naming and sponsorship policy, no dollar amount is mentioned. That’s intentional, he said, giving the staff flexibility to handle a wide range of sponsorships, including those that might be relatively small.

David Barrett asked how many gifts the city gets that are over $25,000.

“Not enough,” Smith quipped.

Outcome: The commission passed both policies unanimously.

Updates from Commissioners: Golf Advisory Task Force

Commissioner Julie Grand gave a report on the city’s golf advisory task force, on which she serves. The group met the previous week, she said, and had a heated discussion about the possible privatization of Huron Hills Golf Course. At this point, it’s just an idea, she said – no RFPs (requests for proposals) have been issued. [The RFP was discussed at city council meetings 0n Jan. 25 and Feb.8, 2010, and city administrator Roger Fraser indicated at the Febrary meeting that city staff will work on development of such an RFP.]

The task force has been directed to look for ways to get additional funding for Huron Hills, Grand said, and they hope to get clarification on a number of questions, such as how the city’s municipal service charges – fees paid by every department for shared services, such as information technology and legal services – factor into the budget.

Colin Smith added that the city has been approached by a private vendor interested in alternative uses for Huron Hills – splitting the course into a driving range and learning center on one side of Huron River Parkway, and a 9-hole course on the other. City staff will develop an RFP over the summer, he said, which will be put out for bids. There will then be a review process of the proposals submitted, including a look at proposed financial returns. “It is not a foregone conclusion, that’s for sure,” he said.

The RFP will likely be broad, Smith said, to allow for more creative proposals. Before being put out to bid, it would be reviewed by the task force as well as PAC. He likened it to the Library Lot process, in which the city issued an RFP for development on top of an underground parking structure. There would likely be a committee formed to review responses to the Huron Hills RFP, Smith said, and a lot of opportunity for people to know what’s going on.

Present: John Lawter, Gwen Nystuen, Sam Offen, David Barrett, Scott Rosencrans, Julie Grand, Doug Chapman, Karen Levin, Tim Berla, Mike Anglin (ex-officio)

Absent: Christopher Taylor (ex-officio)

Next meeting: Tuesday, March 16 at 4 p.m. in the Washtenaw County administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. [confirm date]