Stories indexed with the term ‘parkland sale’

A resolution that would have placed a question on the Nov. 6, 2012 ballot – asking Ann Arbor voters if they would like to amend the city charter’s clause on parkland protections – was voted down by the city council at its Aug. 9 meeting. The question had been postponed from its July 16, 2012 meeting.

The resolution received four votes of support – from Marcia Higgins (Ward 4), Mike Anglin (Ward 5), Jane Lumm (Ward 2) and Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3). Sabra Briere (Ward 1), who had co-sponsored the original resolution, did not vote for it. So the vote on the 11-member body was 4-7.

The version of the charter amendment considered by the council on July 16 was [added language ... [Full Story]

At a special meeting of Ann Arbor’s park advisory commission on Aug. 8, commissioners voted unanimously against recommending to the city council that it place a ballot question before citizens in November that would amend the city charter’s language about protections for city parkland.

The charter amendment would require that certain long-term leasing arrangements on city parkland for non-park and non-recreational use be subject to a voter referendum. In 2008, voters had already approved a charter amendment that subjects any sale of parkland to a popular vote. The resolution will be considered on Aug. 9 by the city council at a rare Thursday council meeting, due to the primary election that fell on Tuesday, the day following the council’s scheduled regular meeting. The council had postponed … [Full Story]

At the Ann Arbor city council’s July 2, 2012 meeting, Jane Lumm (Ward 2) told her colleagues that she would eventually propose a council resolution that would place a question on the Nov. 6 ballot about the sale, leasing and other long-term agreements involving city-owned parkland.

The Ann Arbor city attorney’s office has now forwarded the proposed charter and ballot language to the state attorney general’s office for informal review.

The question that voters may be asked to decide involves extending the current prohibition of a parkland sale without a voter referendum to cover leases or other contracts that have a practical effect similar to a sale. Lumm had previously indicated she expected to bring forward the resolution at the council’s … [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor city council has until its second meeting in August to put various questions before voters on the Nov. 6, 2012 ballot. At its July 2 meeting, the council heard from Jane Lumm (Ward 2) that she and Mike Anglin (Ward 5) are working to bring a ballot question to Ann Arbor voters that would further tweak a city charter provision about the sale of parkland.

The charter provision had been approved in November 2008 by a 81%-19% margin (42,969 to 9,944). The tweak would involve adding actions like “lease,” “license,” or “re-designate” to the set of actions on city parkland that would require a voter referendum.

The 2008 ballot question had asked voters if they wanted to add a clause to … [Full Story]