The Ann Arbor city council’s first meeting of the fiscal year is also the next-to-last one before the Aug. 5, 2014 primary elections for city council and mayor.

The sign on the door to the Ann Arbor city council chamber includes Braille.

A month before the dog days actually begin, the council will be considering as part of its July 7 agenda a resolution that would pay Washtenaw County $135,570 for animal control services. The county in turn contracts with the Humane Society of Huron Valley for those services. This is a new arrangement, based on recommendations from a 2012 county task force. The idea is that local governments in the county with their own dog licensing programs, which generate revenue through licensing, should shoulder part of the cost of the county’s animal control contract. Ann Arbor has its own dog licensing program.

The July 7 agenda is heavy with items related to infrastructure. Three special assessments for the construction of new sidewalks are on the agenda for final approval: Stone School Road, Barton Drive and Scio Church Road. And the council will be considering approval of contracts for street repair associated with utilities work, the replacement of a clarifier at the drinking water treatment plan, the replacement of liners for the swimming pools at Buhr and Fuller parks, and for monitoring work at the now-dormant Ann Arbor city landfill.

Several development items also appear on the July 7 agenda. The rezoning of three Ann Arbor Housing Commission (AAHC) properties will be given final consideration in connection with major renovations and improvements the commission is making to its inventory – at Baker Commons, Green/Baxter Court Apartments, and Maple Meadows. Initial approval for rezoning of another AAHC property is also on the council’s agenda: North Maple Estates.

In addition to the AAHC properties, the council will consider rezoning for parcels on Research Park Drive, in the southern part of the city, and a site plan for the expansion of Rudolf Steiner High School on the city’s north side.

The council will give initial consideration to changes in the ordinance that defines how city boards and commissions are appointed – changes that focus on the environmental commission. The changes involve clarifications of the nomination process and other housekeeping issues. The council will also consider confirmation of three appointments to the environmental commission: Allison Skinner, Benjamin Muth and Mark Clevey.

The summertime theme of the agenda is reflected in the approval of temporary outdoor sales and consumption of alcohol for several downtown businesses during the art fairs, which run from July 16-19. A permanent liquor license for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse also appears on the council’s agenda. The theme of transition from summer to fall is reflected on the council’s July 7 agenda in the set of street closing approvals, which include closings around the University of Michigan stadium for home football games.

This article includes a more detailed preview of many of these agenda items. More details on other agenda items are available on the city’s online Legistar system. The meeting proceedings can be followed Monday evening live on Channel 16, streamed online by Community Television Network starting at 7 p.m.

The Chronicle will be filing live updates from city council chambers during the meeting, published in this article below the preview material. Click here to skip the preview section and go directly to the live updates. The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Animal (Dog) Control Services

The council will be considering a $135,570 agreement between the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County for animal control services.

Background to the city’s agreement includes a long process of discussions and negotiations between Washtenaw County and the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) – a conversation that began in 2011 when the amount of funding provided to HSHV was under scrutiny. A task force was appointed, and ultimately the county board of commissioners, at its Nov. 7, 2012 meeting, authorized contracting with HSHV for $500,000 a year for animal control services. [.pdf of contract between Washtenaw County and HSHV]

Recommended as a part of that task force report was for the county to pursue a cost-sharing arrangement with those municipalities in the county that collect licensing fees for animals. The city of Ann Arbor is one such municipality in the county. From the task force report:

Cost Sharing with Local Governments
Between 45 and 65 percent of the animals at the Humane Society come from jurisdictions with their own animal control ordinances or licensing programs. While the County would bear responsibility for stray dogs in those jurisdictions absent a controlling ordinance, it would also collect licensing fees from pet owners in those communities. The current system, however, drives costs to the County without providing direct revenues to offset them. The Task Force recommends that the County reach out to the communities whose ordinances either exceed the scope of the County animal control policy or that capture licensing fees, and develop a cost sharing agreement with those local governments to offset increases driven by local ordinance requirements. [.pdf of 2012 task force report]

Cited in the council’s July 7 resolution as the cost of public animal control countywide is $951,793. The assignment of $135,570 of that cost to the city of Ann Arbor is based on the proportion of dogs that come from Ann Arbor that are housed at HSHV, factoring in the $500,000 provided to the HSHV by Washtenaw County.

The city council’s approved FY 2015 budget had already included $105,000 for such animal control services. Increased dog licensing revenue is projected to fund the remaining $32,570, according to the staff memo accompanying the resolution.

The city council’s FY 2015 budget deliberations on May 19 , 2014 resulted in two amendments that affected funding for animal control services. One was an amendment that re-allocated $75,000 for a commercial sign inventory to animal control, including deer herd management. The other was an amendment that adjusted the revenue budget upwards to reflect an assumed 30% participation rate for dog licensing in the city – which would be a total of about $63,000. That’s $48,000 more than the actual amount up to now, with the idea being that a publicity campaign could increase participation in the licensing program. The additional revenue is to be put towards animal control.

Infrastructure: Sidewalk Special Assessments

At its July 7 meeting, the city council will consider the final vote on the special assessment of property owners to help pay for construction of three different sidewalks – on Stone School Road, Barton Drive and Scio Church Road.

The new sidewalk on Stone School Road will be on the west side of the road. This work will be done in conjunction with the Stone School Road reconstruction project from I-94 to Ellsworth Road. The total sidewalk project cost is roughly $128,500, of which about $55,000 will be special assessed. A public hearing on the special assessment will also take place at the council’s July 7 meeting.

The Barton Drive sidewalk project will extend eastward from Bandemer Park at Longshore Drive. The cost of the Barton Drive sidewalk has been calculated to be $80,606. Of that, about $36,000 will be paid from federal surface transportation funds. Of the remaining $44,606, the city’s general fund would pay $42,626, leaving just $1,980 to be paid through the special assessment.

For the Scio Church sidewalk project, the total cost is expected to be $365,100. Of that, about $164,000 will be paid from a federal surface transportation grant. The remaining $201,100 will be paid out of the city’s general fund and by the special assessment of just $1,626.

Infrastructure: Public Services Contracts

Several contracts appear on the council’s July 7 agenda that are related to infrastructure maintenance and repair. The council will be considering a $344,600 contract with Cadillac Asphalt LLC for repair of streets after water mains, storm and sanitary sewers are repaired. The city’s public services area does not have the equipment or the staff to perform these types of street repairs, which often involve the replacement of the concrete base or the concrete street surface, according to the staff memo accompanying the resolution.

The city council will also consider awarding a $175,000 contract to replace a clarifier drive in the drinking water treatment plant – to Titus Welding Company. According to the staff memo accompanying the resolution, the drive to be replaced is original to the plant and was installed in 1965. It had an expected life of 30 years. It has begun to show signs of failure, included seizing, high vibration, and bearing failure. The drive has been assessed by the manufacturer and it has been determined that it is not cost-effective to repair, according to the memo.

The council will also consider a $205,055 contract with Renosys Corp. to install PVC pool liners at Buhr and Fuller pools. The city is switching to PVC from Marcite, which is, according to a staff memo, a “cementitous product that covers the pool shell creating a smooth and waterproof surface.” The new product has a smoother surface, and won’t require the yearly patching required due to harsh winters and wear and tear on the pool, according to the staff memo.

The council will consider a $80,836 contract amendment with Tetra Tech Inc. for environmental consulting services at the now-closed Ann Arbor landfill. That brings the total amount on the contract to $624,221. According to the staff memo accompanying the resolution, for several years the landfill has had a plume of 1-4 dioxane and vinyl chloride contamination offsite primarily in Southeast Area Park, northeast of the landfill. A slurry wall was constructed along most of the boundary of the landfill to eliminate groundwater passing through the landfill, and three purge wells were used to attempt to capture the offsite contamination.

Also on the July 7 agenda is a resolution for $125,000 contracts with Stantec Consulting Michigan Inc. and Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc. for general civil engineering and surveying services. Those services include a range of activities, according to the staff memo accompanying the resolution: design and management of capital improvement projects; private development construction plan review; private development utility and road construction inspection; traffic engineering; civil engineering design; construction inspection; drafting; and surveying.

Development

On the council’s agenda are a number of rezoning requests and site plans associated with new development in the city.

Development: Research Park Drive – Rezoning, Recreation

On the city council’s July 7 agenda for initial consideration is the rezoning of six sites along Research Park Drive – from RE (research district) to ORL (office/research/limited industrial district). Related to that rezoning, the council will be asked to give initial approval to amendments to the city’s zoning code to allow outdoor recreation as a special exception use in the ORL zoning district.

The six lots are undeveloped and total 16.6 acres. Four of the lots, on the southern end of the site, are owned by Qubit Corp. LLC; BMS Holdings LLC owns the northern two sites.

A proposed area plan – which is less detailed than a site plan – includes an indoor-outdoor tennis facility on one of the lots. It also includes five two-story buildings that could accommodate office, research, and limited industrial uses on the remaining lots, each with their own parking lot and access point to Research Park Drive.

Prior to construction, the project must go through the city’s site plan approval process, which might require a traffic impact study.

Only the initial rezoning and the amendment allowing recreation as a special exception use will be in front of the council at its July 7 meeting. The planning commission recommended support of both actions at its June 3, 2014 meeting.

Aerial view showing Research Park Drive parcels.

Area plan for four sites in a proposed development on Research Park Drive. The image is oriented with east at the top.

Development: Rudolf Steiner Site Plan

On the July 7 city council agenda is the approval of a site plan for the expansion of the Rudolf Steiner High School. The private school is located at 2230 Pontiac Trail, north of Brookside. The planning commission had recommended approval of the site plan at its June 3, 2014 meeting.

The project – estimated to cost $2.5 million – involves building a one-story, 19,780-square-foot addition to the existing classroom building. The structure will include a 9,990-square-foot gym, with the remaining 9,790 square feet used for classrooms and storage.

According to the staff memo, an existing Quonset hut on the east side of the site will be removed, as will a 48-inch white oak tree immediately east of the proposed addition. The school will be required to plant 12 trees for mitigation. In addition, 17 new trees will be planted as part of the project.

Parking will be increased by 31 spaces to accommodate special events and discourage parking in nearby neighborhoods, according to the staff memo. A total of 32 bicycle parking spaces will be provided near the north entry to the new addition. No additional enrollment beyond the previously approved 120 students is proposed. The school has operated at that location since 2002.

Site plan for Rudolf Steiner High School expansion. The yellow section is the existing building. The white section indicates the proposed addition.

At their June 3 meeting, planning commissioners approved a special exception use for the project. That’s required under Chapter 55 of the city’s zoning code because the site is zoned R1D (single family dwelling). Private schools are allowed within that zoning district, if granted a special exception use. The planning commission has discretion to grant a special exception use, which does not require additional city council approval.

Development: AAHC Rezoning Final Approvals

On the council’s agenda for July 7 is the final approval to the rezoning of three Ann Arbor Housing Commission properties that have been given initial approval by the city council. The planning commission had recommended the rezonings at its May 6, 2014 meeting. Initial city council action came at its June 2, 2014 meeting.

The current PL (public land) zoning for some of the properties is a vestige of the AAHC properties’ status as city-owned land. The city council approved the transfer of deeds to the AAHC at its June 2, 2013 meeting. The three sites given initial rezoning approval on June 2, 2014 are part of the housing commission’s major initiative to upgrade the city’s public housing units by seeking private investors through low-income housing tax credits.

Rezoning is in progress for the following public housing sites, two of which are currently zoned as public land:

• Baker Commons: Rezone public land to D2 (downtown interface). The 0.94-acre lot is located at 106 Packard Street, at the intersection with South Main, in Ward 5. It includes a 64-unit apartment building.
• Green/Baxter Court Apartments: Rezone public land to R4A (multi-family dwelling district). The 2-acre site is located at 1701-1747 Green Road and contains 23 apartments in four buildings and a community center. It’s in Ward 2.
• Maple Meadows: Currently zoned R1C (single-family dwelling district), the recommendation is to rezone it as R4B (multi-family dwelling district). The site is 3.4 acres at 800-890 South Maple Road and contains 29 apartments in five buildings and a community center. It’s located in Ward 5.

At the planning commission’s May 6 meeting, AAHC director Jennifer Hall explained that PL zoning doesn’t allow housing to be built on a parcel. As AAHC seeks private funding to rehab its properties, it needs to ensure if a building burns down, for example, it could be rebuilt. In general that’s why the rezoning is being requested. It’s also being requested to align the zoning with the current uses of the property. She stressed that the highest priority properties to be rezoned are Baker Commons, Green/Baxter and Maple Meadows, because investors have already been found to renovate those sites.

For these three sites, planning commissioners also voted to waive the area plan requirements for the AAHC rezoning petitions, because no new construction is proposed and surveys of the improvements have been provided.

For additional background on the AAHC process of renovating its properties, see Chronicle coverage: “Public Housing Conversion Takes Next Step.”

Development: AAHC – Appointment

Also at its July 7 meeting, the council will be asked to confirm the appointment of Audrey Wojtkowiak to the board of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission, to fill the vacancy of Christopher Geer. Wojtkowiak’s nomination was made at the council’s June 16 meeting. She’s controller for the Consolidation Center at Detroit Diesel.

Development: AAHC – North Maple Rezoning

On the council’s July 7 agenda is initial consideration of rezoning that’s necessary for a renovation project to be undertaken by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission for a site on North Maple.

Aerial view of North Maple Estates site, outlined in green.

The council will be asked to give initial approval to rezoning the 4.8-acre site at 701 N. Maple Road – from R1C (single-family dwelling district) to R4B (multi-family dwelling district).

The planning commission had recommended the rezoning at its June 17, 2014 meeting after postponing it on June 3, 2014.

The site is on the west side of North Maple, between Dexter Avenue and Hollywood Drive. [.pdf of staff report]

The site plan calls for demolishing 20 existing single-family homes – the public housing complex known as North Maple Estates – and constructing an eight-building, 42-unit apartment complex with a total of 138 bedrooms. The units range in size from one bedroom to five bedrooms. The project would include a playground, community building and 73 parking spaces. According to a staff memo, the buildings would be located along a T-shaped driveway that connects to North Maple Road and Dexter Avenue. The drive extends northward toward Vine Court but does not connect with that street. There would be a new connection to Dexter Avenue through the remaining, undeveloped length of Seybold Drive.

The project will require the city to vacate a portion of the right-of-way for Seybold Drive. The surrounding land is owned by the housing commission, so if the right-of-way vacation is approved, the land would become part of the housing commission property.

The site plan will not be in front of the city council on July 7. Only the initial rezoning approval and a resolution of intent to vacate right-of-way for Seybold Drive appear on the agenda. That resolution of intent sets a public hearing for Aug. 18, 2014 – the same council meeting when a vote will be taken on the vacation’s approval. The rezoning will also need a second vote of approval from the council at a future meeting.

Planning staff noted three issues that need to be resolved before the project gets approval from city council:

The parcel containing two duplex buildings also owned by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission in the northeast corner of the site must be combined with the subject site, forming a single parcel as a requirement for issuance of any permits.

The legal description and comparison chart data must be confirmed to include the duplex parcel.

The northern-most parking stall, nearest the connection to Vine Court, must be relocated outside of the minimum front setback area.

According to the staff memo, after the planning commission’s June 3 meeting the city’s traffic engineer reviewed the proposed new connection from Seybold Drive onto Dexter Avenue, and concluded that sight distances from all approaches are acceptable. He suggested that the pavement markings on Dexter should be refreshed.

The reconstruction of North Maple Estates is part of an ongoing effort by the housing commission to upgrade the city’s housing stock for low-income residents. At the planning commission’s May 6, 2014 meeting, AAHC executive director Jennifer Hall had made a presentation about the initiative, which includes seeking private investors through low-income housing tax credits.

Environmental Commission

The city’s environmental commission appears in two different agenda items – one that amends the city ordinance establishing the commission, and another that nominates additional members to the commission.

Environmental Commission: Ordinance Change

The council will be giving initial consideration to a change to the city ordinance that regulates how appointments are made to the environmental commission (EC). The EC is one of the few boards or commission in the city for which the mayor does not make nominations. The more familiar procedure – for most boards and commissions – includes a mayoral nomination at one council meeting, followed by the confirmation vote of the council at a subsequent meeting.

In the past, the council has mimicked this procedure for the EC by having some councilmember put a resolution on the agenda appointing a member to the EC, and then postponing the resolution until the next meeting. The ordinance revisions clarify that the nominations put forward by the council as a body to the EC are to be made by the two councilmembers who serve as the council’s representatives to the EC.

Besides two slots for council representatives, the EC includes positions for members of the planning commission, park advisory commission, and energy commission. The ordinance revision that the council will be considering on July 7 makes clear that those groups make their appointments to the EC without further city council approval. This specific revision comes after the planning commission had selected Kirk Westphal from its membership to serve on the EC earlier this year, and some councilmembers voted against his confirmation, when the council was asked to confirm his selection two months ago. For background on that vote, see “Hutton, Westphal Reappointed to EC.”

The staff memo summarizes the changes to the ordinance regulating appointments to boards and commissions as follows:

• clarifies that the councilmembers currently serving on the environmental commission nominate persons for “at-large” appointments, which are then approved by council resolution;
• clarifies that the planning commission, park advisory commission, and energy commission each designate a representative to the environmental commission without council approval and for a one-year term;
• clarifies that the 3-year terms should be equally staggered;
• removes references to the Leslie Science Center Advisory Board, which no longer exists;
• requires the city administrator or the designated support staff of the environmental commission to notify council of vacancies – previously this was delegated to the clerk’s office, which does not always have immediate knowledge of vacancies;
• contains a few minor, non-substantive corrections and clarifications.

If the council gives the ordinance amendment initial approval on July 7, it would still need a second and final vote at a subsequent meeting, in order to be enacted.

Environmental Commission: Appointments

Also on the agenda are confirmation of three nominations to the EC, which were announced at the council’s June 16, 2014 meeting: Allison Skinner, Benjamin Muth and Mark Clevey.

Clevey is the representative to the EC selected by the energy commission, so this confirmation will not follow the ordinance amendment for which the council will be asked to give initial approval on July 7.

Liquor

At its July 7 meeting, the city council will be considering two items related to serving alcohol. One is an item that would allow several downtown businesses to serve alcohol outdoors during the Ann Arbor art fairs, to be held July 16-19 this year:
Knight’s Restaurant (600 E. Liberty St.), Michigan Theater (603 E. Liberty St.), Neopapalis (500 E. William St.), Cottage Inn (508-512 E. William St.), New York Pizza Depot (605 E. William St.), Ashley’s Restaurant (338 S. State St.), Red Hawk Bar & Grill (316 S. State St.), and Pizza House (618 Church).

The second item is a downtown development liquor license for Ruth’s Chris Steak House. The council approved the site plan for Ruth’s Chris – to be located on Fourth Avenue between William and Liberty – at its June 2, 2014 meeting.

Street Closings

The consent agenda includes approvals of street closings for special events, which provide a window into what’s happening in the coming weeks. Events with street closings on the July 7 city council agenda include:

• Electric Bolt 8K Run/Walk (July 27, 2014): Various streets from 6-10 a.m.
• Cleats and Beats (Aug. 1, 2014): These street closures would be on S. Main from E. William to Huron, on Liberty from S. Ashley to S. Fourth, and on Washington from S. Ashley to the alley by the parking structure. This is sponsored by the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau. It appears to be a different event than the Eats, Beats and Cleats event for which the council unanimously rejected a street closure request last year. That was proposed to take place in a South University neighborhood with a lot of student housing.
• Relevent Sports International Champions Cup Soccer Game (Aug. 2, 2014). Various streets around Michigan Stadium for three hours prior to the start of the game.
• University of Michigan football games (2014 Season): Various streets around Michigan Stadium for three hours prior to the start of each home football game.
• Dancing in the Streets (Aug. 31, 2014): S. Main between Huron and Liberty, and Washington between S. Ashley and the alley on E. Washington toward S. Fourth Avenue, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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3:56 p.m. People who are signed up for public commentary reserved time are now listed on the agenda. Three people are signed up to talk about U.S.-Israel foreign policy: Mozhgan Savabiehsfahani, Blaine Coleman and Henry Herskovitz. Jeff Hayner is signed up to talk about the Barton Drive sidewalk special assessment. Kermit Schlansker is signed up to call for stopping construction of houses. Changming Fan is signed up to talk about the local development finance authority and job creation. Carolyn Grawi is signed up to talk about the Research Park Drive rezoning item. And Thomas Partridge is signed up to talk about electing Mark Schauer for governor, affordable housing, human rights and transportation.

4:20 p.m. The staff responses to councilmember questions about agenda items are now available [.pdf of July 7, 2014 staff written responses to council questions]

7:04 p.m. Council chambers are filling up with councilmembers and audience.

7:08 p.m. Call to order, moment of silence, pledge of allegiance. And we’re off.

7:09 p.m. Roll call of council. All councilmembers are present and correct.

7:09 p.m. Approval of agenda.

7:09 p.m. Outcome: The council has approved the agenda without amendment.

7:09 p.m. Communications from the city administrator.

7:10 p.m. City administrator Steve Powers is calling the council’s attention to a communication attached to the agenda – notifying the council that the city could become a direct grantee of the federal CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) program). But the city could continue its participation through the Urban County, of which it is a member. Powers’ communication indicates that unless he is instructed otherwise, the city will continue its participation with the Urban County. [July 7, 2014 memo from Powers]

7:11 p.m. Powers is also noting that there are several street closings on the agenda. He observes that the books for FY 2014 will be closed and he’ll have a report on that soon.

7:11 p.m. INT-1 Volunteer of the Month. The proclamation honors Peter and Mary Fales as volunteers at the annual “Mayor’s Green Fair.” They have staffed the information booth and barricades and helped with set up and the tearing down of the event. Mary Fales is assistant city attorney with the city.

7:13 p.m. Public commentary. This portion of the meeting offers 10 three-minute slots that can be reserved in advance. Preference is given to speakers who want to address the council on an agenda item. [Public commentary general time, with no sign-up required in advance, is offered at the end of the meeting.]

Three people are signed up to talk about US-Israel foreign policy: Mozhgan Savabiehsfahani, Blaine Coleman and Henry Herskovitz. Jeff Hayner is signed up to talk about the Barton Drive sidewalk special assessment. Kermit Schlansker is signed up to call for stopping construction of houses. Changming Fan is signed up to talk about the local development finance authority and job creation. And Thomas Partridge is signed up to talk about electing Mark Schauer for governor, affordable housing, human rights and transportation.

7:16 p.m. Thomas Partridge introduces himself as a recent candidate for the Michigan legislature. He calls it a critically important election year. He calls on everyone to work on behalf of Democrat Mark Schauer’s candidacy for governor. Relevant issues include expanding affordable housing, human rights and access to transportation, he says. It’s important to work beyond current plans to expand affordable housing, Partridge says. He says he’s speaking on behalf of the most vulnerable members of society. The council has addressed the material infrastructure needs of the city, while overlooking the kind of issues he’s talking about tonight, he says.

7:21 p.m. Blaine Coleman says he was here a year and a half ago when Israel was bombing Gaza. He’d asked Chuck Warpehoski (Ward 5) to spearhead a resolution asking for a boycott Israel. Now he was back a year and a half later and Israel was bombing Gaza again, and he was asking again for a symbolic resolution boycotting Israel. He refers to the beating of school children. [By way of background, here's a link to video posted by The Guardian, which reports the video was broadcast on a Palestinian TV station as showing the beating of Tariq Abu Khdeir, 15-year-old Floridian, who was visiting Israel.] [video] This boy was on the front page of the New York Times, Coleman says. He asks the council to pay for the boy’s airfare from Florida to come talk to the Ann Arbor city council.

7:24 p.m. Jeff Hayner allows that the issue that Coleman had talked about is emotional, whereas he was going to be talking about things paid for with taxes. Hayner is addressing the question of cost associated with the Barton Drive sidewalk construction. Some of the more precise figures are described in a comment Hayer wrote online here: [link] He’s comparing the costs to national costs in other cities. It seems like too much money, he says.

7:28 p.m. Mozhgan Savabiehsfahani is also addressing the beating of the Floridian schoolboy. She’s also talking about other children who have been beaten up “on your watch.” She’s been coming to the Ann Arbor city council for 10 years, she says, telling the council that they need to act, and she’s seen no effect. “How many more dead bodies can you handle?” she asks. She tells them that they’re trying to make history, but “You ain’t gonna make no history, if you say nothing in the face of this kind of brutality,” she tells them. “You support this with your silence,” she says. She calls the bus stop slogans here in Ann Arbor – “Our Way of Life” – phony. She and Coleman are holding signs showing photographs of the beaten boy’s face. She tells the council they’re looking at her like she’s some kind of five-headed dragon. Boycotting Israel is their duty, she concludes.

7:30 p.m. Kermit Schlansker is educating the council on total U.S. energy consumption: 97 quads of energy. One quad is an enormous number, he says. Long-term remedies will depend on lifestyle changes or else hardships. Houses take more energy to heat and more energy for transportation to them, he says. Stand-alone houses are the enemy of the planet, he says. We’re facing a dire long-term problem, he says. Every house that is built will need to be torn down to make way for something more important, he says.

7:34 p.m. Henry Herskovitz reminds the council that he’d told them last month how Israel had attacked the U.S.S. Liberty. Tonight he’s addressing the council on the topic of the Lavon Affair, which was a 1954 operation conducted by Israeli military intelligence that involved recruiting Egyptian Jews to strike U.S. and British civilian targets, which were then planned to be blamed on Muslim extremists. [Wikipedia link on Lavon Affair] Herskovitz traces the Lavon Affair to the policies of Eisenhower and Nasser. Lavon was an official who was forced to resign. Herskovitz quotes Malcom X, saying that the American public has been “bamboozled” on the issue of Israel.

7:37 p.m. Changming Fan introduces himself as president of TiniLite Inc. He thanks everyone, especially the council, for creating a model of volunteerism. He’s talking about the LDFA. He laments the lack of mention of jobs and manufacturing. He calls the leader of Ann Arbor SPARK a good salesperson. “Do something!” he shouts.

7:39 p.m. Carolyn Grawi is director of advocacy and education at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, which is located on Research Park Drive. She’s addressing the zoning changes that are proposed on tonight’s agenda. She wants the council to make sure that the city’s infrastructure is brought up to speed, in terms of access, whenever there’s development. She’s advocating for sidewalks on Research Park Drive. She points out that the public bus only goes one way, because there’s no stop light to facilitate a left turn. As this area develops and grows, the city needs to pay attention to issues of access, she says.

7:40 p.m. Communications from the council. This is the first of two slots on the agenda for council communications. It’s a time when councilmembers can report out from boards, commissions and task forces on which they serve. They can also alert their colleagues to proposals they might be bringing forward in the near future.

7:42 p.m. Jane Lumm is alerting the council to a memo she’d sent to her colleagues about a proposed charter amendment. [link] She also announces a citizens’ participation meeting July 10 at 7 p.m. at the Plymouth Road Holiday Inn on a 500-unit Toll Brothers development on the west side of Nixon and Dhu Varren.

7:43 p.m. Sabra Briere also notes that the same development mentioned by Lumm will be discussed at the planning commission’s work session tomorrow at 7 p.m. here at city hall.

7:45 p.m. Mike Anglin says that many of the city’s documents includes a mention of “health, safety and welfare” but it’s often forgotten. He compliments the planning commission for invoking that notion in delaying the Glendale development at its last meeting on July 1, 2014. Until you can show that you won’t get flooding, no development should take place, Anglin says. He’s comparing the inconvenience to developers with the right to health, safety and welfare for citizens.

7:47 p.m. Margie Teall asks the rules committee to review the idea of “tabling.” She was disturbed at how the tabling motion was used at the council’s last meeting. Because a tabling motion is not subject to debate, it prevented a full discussion. She did not think the motion was used properly. So she is asking the rules committee to review the issue so that meetings could be more cooperative.

7:48 p.m. Communications from the mayor. Mayor Hieftje is welcoming the students from Skyline and Huron high schools.

7:48 p.m. MC-1 Appointments. The council is being asked to confirm the appointment of Audrey Wojtkowiak to the board of the Ann Arbor housing commission, filling vacancy left by Christopher Geer’s resignation.

7:48 p.m. Outcome: The council has approved the appointment of Audrey Wojtkowiak to the AAHC board.

7:48 p.m. MC-2 Nominations. Being nominated tonight to the airport advisory commission is Theresa Whiting, replacing John Sullivan. And being nominated as a reappointment to the energy commission is Shoshannah Lenski. Votes on those nominations will take place at the council’s next meeting.

7:51 p.m. Hieftje is now giving an update on the alarming growth of people who are using the Delonis Center, the homeless shelter, who are not from Washtenaw County. That figure is up to 40%, he says. In this coming winter, it might reach 50%, and we might need to turn people away, he says. He’d met with the leadership of the homeless shelter, Ellen Schulmeister, and the city’s lobbyist in Lansing, Kirk Profit. The issue is that other organizations outside the county are sending people to Ann Arbor’s homeless shelter – and they have apparently declined the shelter’s request to call ahead to alert the shelter that they are sending people here.

7:51 p.m. Public hearings. All the public hearings are grouped together during this section of the meeting. Action on the related items comes later in the meeting. Tonight there are five public hearings scheduled. The first three hearings are on the rezoning of properties owned by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission to be consistent with the AAHC’s renovation plans for its housing stock. [For additional background, see Development: Ann Arbor Housing Commission – Rezoning Final Approvals above.]

The fourth public hearing is on the confirmation of the special assessment for a sidewalk construction project on Stone School Road. [For additional background, see Infrastructure: Sidewalk Special Assessments above.] And the fifth hearing is on the site plan for an expansion of the Rudolf Steiner High School. [For additional background, see Development: Rudolf Steiner Site Plan above.]

7:53 p.m. PH-1 Green/Baxter rezoning. Thomas Partridge asks that all similar rezoning requests and site plan approvals be sent back and redrafted to include language that the land to be rezoned have significant access to people needing affordable housing on the land.

7:57 p.m. Jeff Hayner says that whenever land is rezoned from public land, there does need to be some extra concern. It needs to serve a public purpose, he says. He cautions against the possibility that the land could eventually serve a commercial purpose. He says that some people are salivating over the possibility of developing the Baker Commons property for commercial purposes.

7:57 p.m. That’s in for PH-1.

7:59 p.m. PH-2 Baker Commons rezoning. Thomas Partridge says there’s no justification for changing the zoning of Baker Commons. He calls for protections to ensure that the land continues to be used for affordable housing purposes. Ann Arbor is supposed to be a leader for human rights, he says, so this protection should be a part of every rezoning proposal that comes before the city council.

8:00 p.m. That’s it for PH-2.

8:03 p.m. PH-3 Maple Meadows rezoning. The previous two hearings concerned properties that are being rezoned from public land to a residential zoning, Thomas Partridge says. This one is not zoned as public land. He’s calling for affordable housing protections.

8:04 p.m. Hieftje is pointing out that all three properties are operated by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission.

8:05 p.m. PH-4 Stone School Road special assessment roll. Three representatives of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are addressing the council about the amount of the special assessment they’ve been assigned. They’re asking for some kind of waiver, given the nonprofit status of their organization. They’re asking for help and guidance. Hieftje tells them that city staff will provide them with options.

8:06 p.m. Jeff Hayner is telling the council that the cost for this project is twice the national average.

8:08 p.m. PH-5 Rudolf Steiner High School site plan. Jeff Hayner jokes that he’s not trying to usurp Partridge’s record of speaking turns. What “bums out” the neighborhood about this project is the loss of a 48-inch oak tree, he says. They’re planting 12 four-inch trees as remediation, which is good, he says. It would be nice to just move the tree, he says, like the University of Michigan is doing in a similar situation.

8:09 p.m. That’s it for PH-5.

8:09 p.m. Approval of minutes.

8:09 p.m. Outcome: The council has approved the minutes of its previous meeting.

8:09 p.m. Consent agenda. This is a group of items that are deemed to be routine and are voted on “all in one go.” Contracts for less than $100,000 can be placed on the consent agenda. This meeting’s consent agenda includes:

• CA-1: Traffic Calming on Wells Street ($23,920).
• CA-2: Approve purchase order to Cogsdale Corporation for annual software maintenance.
• CA-3: Approve street closings and special event provisions for Relevent Sports International Champions Cup Soccer Game (Aug. 2, 2014). Various streets around Michigan Stadium for three hours prior to the start of the game.
• CA-4: Approve street closures for University of Michigan football games for University of Michigan football games (2014 Season): Various streets around Michigan Stadium for three hours prior to the start of each home football game.
• CA-5: Approve street closings for Dancing in the Streets (Aug. 31, 2014): S. Main between Huron and Liberty, and Washington between S. Ashley and the alley on E. Washington toward S. Fourth Avenue, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• CA-6: Approve street closings for the Electric Bolt 8K Run/Walk (July 27, 2014): Various streets from 6-10 a.m.
• CA-7: Approve Street closings for Cleats and Beats (Aug. 1, 2014): These street closures would be on S. Main from E. William to Huron, on Liberty from S. Ashley to S. Fourth, and on Washington from S. Ashley to the alley by the parking structure. This is sponsored by the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau. It appears to be a different event than the Eats, Beats and Cleats event for which the council unanimously rejected a street closure request last year. That was proposed to take place in a South University neighborhood with a lot of student housing.

8:09 p.m. Councilmembers can opt to select out any items for separate consideration. Briere pulls out CA-1 and CA-4.

8:10 p.m. Outcome: The council has approved the consent agenda with the exception of CA-1 and CA-4.

8:11 p.m. CA-1 Traffic Calming on Wells Street. Briere is highlighting the mixture of different solutions – traffic humps and crosswalks. She says it’s unfortunate that the petition did not extend all the way to Burns Park Elementary. Taylor thanks staff for working with residents – with respect to how the percent of residents voting for the petition was to be calculated.

8:12 p.m. Outcome: The council has approved CA-1.

8:15 p.m. CA-4 Approve street closures for University of Michigan football games for the 2014 season. Anglin is questioning why the time period for different lanes is different – three hours versus one hour.

8:15 p.m. Police chief John Seto is explaining the logic of the three-hour closure. He reviews how the original proposal back in 2013 was for three hours for both lanes. The reduction to one hour on one lane was a kind of compromise. Seto says that based on last year’s experience, the appropriate length of time was actually three hours.

8:18 p.m. Anglin is asking if the public was asked about their feeling. Seto said he had walked the neighborhoods, and reminds the council that he’d provided a report back to the council on how things had gone. He also notes that a public meeting was held last week with neighbors. Hieftje says that he’d read a report about that public meeting, and asks Seto to summarize. Seto reports that 8-10 residents had attended. The main concern was post-game traffic, he says. It’s important to educate people to the fact that Main Street is open after the game, he says. There will be more signs and more traffic cones, he says.

8:19 p.m. Seto also notes that there was a complaint about helicopter noise.

8:20 p.m. Petersen asks what the impact had been last year on the front-lawn parking businesses that residents operate. Seto says that issue wasn’t raised at this most recent public meeting. He reported that for those parking lots near Main Street, there’d been some impact. Deeper into the neighborhoods there was less impact. They’d also incorporated suggestions for improvement of signage and messaging boards.

8:22 p.m. Hieftje says that the point is to make the game safe for 110,000 people and Seto is going out of his way to work with one or two residents. Eaton thanks Seto for his work with residents. He’d attended the public meeting, though he’d arrived late. But he’d continued opposing the closing of the streets, because he didn’t see a real security risk. He complimented Seto, however, on the way he worked with residents.

8:23 p.m. Briere says it’s not about security, but rather about controlling traffic and she’d be opposing it.

8:24 p.m. Teall says the idea that the council would second-guess the advice of Homeland Security is scary. She’ll vote for it. Kunselman also says that he’ll vote for it. Inside the stadium and looking out on Main Street, he’d seen a billboard truck inching along – and he’d remarked to his wife: “That could have been it.” We need to minimize the possibility that something horrible could happen, he says.

Taylor says he respects professionals and professionalism. The city has been told on a number of occasions that this is a good step to take. There’s an impact to neighborhoods, but it is mitigated by AAPD. He didn’t see a rationale for voting against it. The threat is easy to articulate and imagine and the cost benefit on this is plain, he says. Briere asks for an amendment to enforce a one-hour closure after the game – if this is indeed about security.

8:29 p.m. Lumm asks for Seto’s view of keeping Main Street closed for an hour after the game. Seto says that was considered last year. It would be difficult tactically to do that. Getting people out of the stadium as quickly as possible would reduce risk, he says. Once people get onto the streets, it’s difficult to get them off the streets. [This is what happened at the Winter Classic.]

8:30 p.m. Seto says that closing the street for an hour after the game would give the AAPD “significant challenges.” Lumm thanks Seto, saying it’s a clear explanation.

8:32 p.m. Kailasapathy allows she’s not a football fan. She wonders if it really takes more than an hour for the foot traffic to disburse. Seto: “It depends.” He’s now explaining various scenarios. Teall takes back a statement about traffic management, saying it is about traffic management and making the stadium area as secure as possible.

8:33 p.m. Outcome: The council has approved CA-4 over the dissent of Briere, Kailasapathy and Eaton.

8:33 p.m. B-1 (AAHC) Rezoning of 2.42 Acres from PL (Public Land District) to R4A (Multiple-Family Dwelling District), Green/Baxter Court Apartments. This and each of the next two items is for final approval of rezoning of Ann Arbor Housing Commission properties. Initial approval by the city council for this and the next two rezoning items came at its June 2, 2014 meeting.

The current PL (public land) zoning for some of the properties is a vestige of the AAHC properties’ status as city-owned land. The city council approved the transfer of deeds to the AAHC at its June 2, 2013 meeting. The three sites given initial rezoning approval on June 2, 2014 are part of the housing commission’s major initiative to upgrade the city’s public housing units by seeking private investors through low-income housing tax credits. [For additional background, see Development: Ann Arbor Housing Commission – Rezoning Final Approvals above.]

8:37 p.m. Briere asks for AAHC executive director Jennifer Hall to come to the podium. She asks Hall to explain how the AAHC properties are protected for continued use as affordable housing, given their rezoning. Hall is reciting the history of the city’s ownership of the properties – but the land was transferred to the AAHC. The “cleanest” way to go about this was to rezone the property consistent with what is already there. The funders who are providing financial support for the AAHC renovations require that the zoning be appropriate. The underlying use for the property is determined by HUD, she says. So their use will continue as affordable housing, Hall says.

8:41 p.m. Kailasapathy asks how long HUD requires the use to be for affordable housing. Hall is explaining the different kinds of documents. The agreements are in 20-year increments. Kailasapathy wants to make sure the use is for affordable housing in perpetuity. Hall gives three “stopgaps” against other uses: HUD, the AAHC board, and the Ann Arbor city council, which appoints the AAHC board.

8:41 p.m. Anglin wants to dive into B-2. Hieftje asks him to wait.

8:41 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to give final approval to the rezoning of Green/Baxter Court Apartments.

8:41 p.m. B-2 (AAHC) Rezoning of 0.94 Acre from PL (Public Land District) to D2 (Downtown Interface District), Baker Commons. [For additional background, see Development: Ann Arbor Housing Commission – Rezoning Final Approvals above.]

8:45 p.m. Anglin asks why the zoning that was selected for the property was D-2. He’s concerned that it would be perceived as “advantageous” to people who might want to acquire and develop the property. Planning manager Wendy Rampson explains that Baker Commons has about 112% FAR and D-2 allows 200%. So there’s more capacity there, she says. Anglin says that people in need should be kept closer to downtown – jobs and transportation. Eaton gets clarification that the overlay district is the First Street character district.

8:45 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to give final approval for the Baker Commons rezoning.

8:45 p.m. B-3 (AAHC) Rezoning of 3.3 Acres from R1C (Single Family Dwelling District) to R4B (Multiple-Family Dwelling District), Maple Meadows. [For additional background, see Development: Ann Arbor Housing Commission – Rezoning Final Approvals above.]

8:46 p.m. Anglin asks Hall to describe meetings with the public. Hall says that there were not meetings with the public about these three sites. The required legal notifications were mailed out, she explains.

8:46 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to give final approval to the Maple Meadows rezoning.

8:46 p.m. Recess. We’re in recess.

8:59 p.m. We’re back.

9:00 p.m. Hieftje ventures the council can get through the rest of the agenda fairly quickly if they keep moving.

9:01 p.m. C-1 (AAHC) Rezoning of 4.8 Acres from R1C (Single Family Dwelling District) to R4B (Multiple Family Dwelling District), North Maple Road. This item is similar to the first three rezoning actions for Ann Arbor Housing Commission properties – but this is the initial consideration by the city council. The planning commission had recommended the rezoning at its June 17, 2014 meeting after postponing it on June 3, 2014. The site is on the west side of North Maple, between Dexter Avenue and Hollywood Drive. [.pdf of staff report] The site plan calls for demolishing 20 existing single-family homes – the public housing complex known as North Maple Estates – and constructing an eight-building, 42-unit apartment complex with a total of 138 bedrooms. [For additional background, see Development: Ann Arbor Housing Commission – North Maple Rezoning above.]

9:01 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to give initial approval to the North Maple Road rezoning.

9:01 p.m. C-2 Rezoning of 16.6 Acres from RE (Research Dwelling District) to ORL (Office/Research/Limited Industrial Dwelling District). The council is being asked to give initial consideration to the rezoning of six sites along Research Park Drive – from RE (research district) to ORL (office/research/limited industrial district). Related to that rezoning, in the next item, the council will be asked to give initial approval to amendments to the city’s zoning code to allow outdoor recreation as a special exception use in the ORL zoning district. The six lots are undeveloped and total 16.6 acres. Four of the lots, on the southern end of the site, are owned by Qubit Corp. LLC; BMS Holdings LLC owns the northern two sites. [For additional background, see Development: Research Park Drive – Rezoning, Recreation above.]

9:03 p.m. Lumm notes that this is for rezoning of undeveloped sites. The natural features analysis and traffic impact analysis will be addressed when site plans are approved, she says. Warpehoski asks for an update on the ZORO (Zoning Ordinance Reorganization) process. City attorney Stephen Postema says that assistant city attorney Kevin McDonald can email an update to all of council.

9:03 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to give initial approval of the Research Park rezoning.

9:03 p.m. C-3 Amend zoning to allow outdoor places of recreation in the Office/Research/Limited Industrial (ORL) Zoning District [For additional background, see Development: Research Park Drive – Rezoning, Recreation above.]

9:03 p.m. Briere says that on the assumption that both of the items related to Research Park Drive come back at the next meeting, she wants the order flipped.

9:04 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to give initial approval of the zoning amendment that would allow places of recreation in the ORL zoning district.

9:04 p.m. C-4 Amend Section 1:237 of Chapter 8 (Organization of Boards and Commissions). The council is being asked to give initial approval to a change to the ordinance on city boards and commissions. Among the changes is an amendment that makes clear that the city planning commission, energy commission and park advisory commissions make their appointments to the environmental commission without further city council approval needed. [For additional background, see Environmental Commission: Ordinance Change above.]

9:05 p.m. Briere is noting that it’s in front of the council as a first reading item. She thinks that it will clarify the ordinance.

9:05 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to give initial approval to the change to the city ordinance on boards and commissions. For final enactment, the council will need to take a second vote at its next meeting.

9:05 p.m. DC-1 Appoint new members to the city of Ann Arbor environmental commission. The council is being asked to confirm three nominations to the EC, which were announced at the council’s June 16, 2014 meeting: Allison Skinner, Benjamin Muth and Mark Clevey.

9:05 p.m. Based on the staff written responses to councilmember questions, Mark Clevey’s name won’t be put forward tonight, because he is the selection by the energy commission to represent the energy commission on the EC. Once enacted, the energy commission appointment to EC (like that of other boards and commissions to the EC) would be for a one-year term. So his confirmation is being held until the ordinance revision is complete.

9:06 p.m. Briere says that because the ordinance is being amended, Clevey’s name is, in fact, being eliminated from consideration tonight.

9:06 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the appointments of Allison Skinner and Benjamin Muth to the environmental commission.

9:06 p.m. DC-2 Recommend approval of issuance of a downtown development district liquor license to RCAA Developments LLC (Ruth’s Chris Steak House). The council is being asked to approve a downtown development liquor license for Ruth’s Chris Steak House. The council approved the site plan for Ruth’s Chris – to be located on Fourth Avenue between William and Liberty – at its June 2, 2014 meeting.

9:07 p.m. Lumm, who chairs the liquor license review committee, is explaining the ins and outs of the 2006 statute that allows award of downtown development liquor licenses. The minimum investment is $75,000, but Ruth’s Chris is investing millions of dollars, she says.

9:09 p.m. Anglin, who also serves on the liquor license review committee, cautions against bringing in corporate entities – as other smaller entities without the deeper pockets to make this kind of investment would be pushed out. Hiefjte tells Anglin that it’s a tough problem.

9:10 p.m. Kunselman says it wasn’t that long ago when Kresge and Borders were downtown, so he’s offering a little different perspective. Whether new businesses are corporate or local, he wants them to provide jobs and places for residents to go and shop. He says he kind of misses the McDonald’s that was over on Maynard.

9:10 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to recommend the award of a special downtown development liquor license to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.

9:10 p.m. DC-3 Approve temporary outdoor sales, service and consumption of alcoholic beverages during the 2014 Ann Arbor Art Fair. This resolution would allow several downtown businesses to serve alcohol outdoors during the Ann Arbor art fairs, to be held July 16-19 this year: Knight’s Restaurant (600 E. Liberty St.), Michigan Theater (603 E. Liberty St.), Neopapalis (500 E. William St.), Cottage Inn (508-512 E. William St.), New York Pizza Depot (605 E. William St.), Ashley’s Restaurant (338 S. State St.), Red Hawk Bar & Grill (316 S. State St.), and Pizza House (618 Church).

9:13 p.m. Lumm notes that the liquor license review committee had recommended this item for approval. Lumm says that city clerk Jackie Beaudry and assistant city attorney Mary Fales had been very nimble in dealing with a change by theMichigan Liquor Control Commission that required a 10-day review. This is the last day on which the council can approve this item, she says.

9:13 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve outdoor liquor for several downtown businesses during the art fairs this year.

9:13 p.m. DC-4 Call public hearing on issuance of bonds by the Economic Development Corporation. This resolution sets a public hearing for Aug. 7, 2014 on the issuance of re-funding bonds by the city’s Economic Development Corporation that were originally issued to finance and refinance capital improvements for the benefit of Glacier Hills Inc. – a series in the amount of $23,245,000, of which $15,440,000 is presently outstanding and another series of bonds in the amount of $9,875,000, of which $4,545,000 is outstanding. The issuance of the re-funding bonds will not encumber the city in any way, according to the staff memo accompanying the resolution.

9:16 p.m. Lumm says she’s happy to co-sponsor this with Petersen. Lumm is reviewing the background of the re-funding of the bonds.

9:16 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the setting of a hearing on the issuance of bonds by the EDC.

9:16 p.m. DB-1 Approve the Rudolf Steiner High School building addition site plan. The private school is located at 2230 Pontiac Trail, north of Brookside. The project – estimated to cost $2.5 million – involves building a one-story, 19,780-square-foot addition to the existing classroom building. The structure will include a 9,990-square-foot gym, with the remaining 9,790 square feet used for classrooms and storage. [For additional background, see Development: Rudolf Steiner Site Plan above.]

9:16 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the Rudolf Steiner High School site plan.

9:16 p.m. DS-1 Confirm the Scio Church sidewalk special assessment roll. This is the first of three assessment rolls the council is being asked to approve tonight for sidewalk projects. [For additional background, see Infrastructure: Sidewalk Special Assessments above.]

9:19 p.m. Briere asks public services area administrator Craig Hupy about Hayner’s concerns – expressed during public comment – that the costs are too high. Hupy notes that the projects have not yet been bid and the numbers are just estimates. City engineer Nick Hutchinson also explains that there’s various curb and gutter and tree work that’s required in addition to the sidewalks. The reason that sidewalks don’t exist in these locations is that they’re challenging locations to install sidewalks, Hutchinson says.

9:21 p.m. Anglin asks about the 10% contingency that is built into contracts. He notes there were problems with the Madison Street reconstruction on the performance of the contractor. He wants specifications spelled out to contractors. The Madison job was left dormant for two months, he said, and that’s the reason it didn’t get done before winter. He ventures that the city should consider using a single-source contractor instead of taking the low bid.

9:23 p.m. Hupy says the 10% contingency can be adjusted up or down depending on the job. There are penalties for non-performance, he says. Hupy says that the city does impose penalties, even though you don’t hear about it. On the question of single-source contractors, assistant city attorney Abigail Elias quotes the one-word answer that a former city staffer, Bill Wheeler, gave regarding single source contracting for public works projects: “No.”

9:23 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to confirm the Scio Church sidewalk special assessment roll.

9:24 p.m. DS-2 Confirm the Barton Drive sidewalk special assessment roll. [For additional background, see Infrastructure: Sidewalk Special Assessments above.]

9:24 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the Barton Drive sidewalk special assessment roll.

9:24 p.m. DS-3 Confirm the Stone School Road sidewalk special assessment roll. [For additional background, see Infrastructure: Sidewalk Special Assessments above.]

9:24 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the Stone School Road sidewalk special assessment roll.

9:24 p.m. DS-4 Authorize a contract with Cadillac Asphalt LLC for the water utilities street repair program ($344,600/year). The contract covers repair of streets after water mains, storm and sanitary sewers are repaired.

9:24 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the contract with Cadillac Asphalt LLC.

9:24 p.m. DS-5 Authorize contract with Stantec Consulting Michigan Inc. for $125,000; and Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc. for $125,000 for general civil engineering and surveying services. The contracts cover general civil engineering and surveying services. Those services include a range of activities, according to the staff memo accompanying the resolution: design and management of capital improvement projects; private development construction plan review; private development utility and road construction inspection; traffic engineering; civil engineering design; construction inspection; drafting; and surveying.

9:25 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the contracts with Stantec Consulting Michigan Inc. and Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc.

9:25 p.m. DS-6 Award contract for replacement of clarifier drive at the drinking water treatment plant to Titus Welding Company ($175,000). According to the staff memo accompanying the resolution, the clarifier drive to be replaced is original to the plant and was installed in 1965. It had an expected life of 30 years. It has begun to show signs of failure, included seizing, high vibration, and bearing failure. The drive has been assessed by the manufacturer and it has been determined that it is not cost-effective to repair, according to the memo.

9:25 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the contract with Titus Welding Company.

9:25 p.m. DS-7 Approve Amendment No. 2 to the contract with Tetra Tech Inc. for environmental consulting services at the Ann Arbor Landfill ($80,835). This contract amendment brings the total amount on the contract to $624,221. According to the staff memo accompanying the resolution, for several years the landfill has had a plume of 1-4 dioxane and vinyl chloride contamination offsite primarily in Southeast Area Park, northeast of the landfill. A slurry wall was constructed along most of the boundary of the landfill to eliminate groundwater passing through the landfill, and three purge wells were used to attempt to capture the offsite contamination.

9:27 p.m. Lumm expresses concern about the amendments and the growing cost. But with this issue, she ventures there’s not a lot that can be done about it – the city has to do what MDEQ says, she says.

9:27 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the contract with Tetra Tech Inc.

9:27 p.m. DS-8 Approve a contract with Renosys Corporation to install PVC pool liners at Buhr and Fuller pools ($205,055). The city is switching to PVC pool lines from Marcite, which is, according to a staff memo, a “cementitous product that covers the pool shell creating a smooth and waterproof surface.” The new product has a smoother surface, and won’t require the yearly patching required due to harsh winters and wear and tear on the pool, according to the staff memo.

9:28 p.m. Hieftje says he’s visited both pools in the last few weeks and he’d enjoyed his swims, and the people there seemed to be enjoying themselves.

9:28 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the contract with Renosys Corporation.

9:28 p.m. DS-9 Notice the intent to vacate two segments of Seybold Drive adjacent to the proposed Ann Arbor Housing Commission North Maple Road Development. This notice of vacation is related to the rezoning and renovation of Ann Arbor Housing Commission properties at North Maple Estates. [For additional background, see Development: Ann Arbor Housing Commission – North Maple Rezoning above.]

9:28 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to give notice of intent to vacate two segments of Seybold Drive.

9:28 p.m. DS-10 Approve agreement between city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County for animal control services ($135,570). Background to the city’s agreement includes a long process of discussions and negotiations between Washtenaw County and the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) – a conversation that began in 2011 when the amount of funding provided to HSHV was under scrutiny. A task force was appointed, and ultimately the county board of commissioners, at its Nov. 7, 2012 meeting, authorized contracting with HSHV for $500,000 a year for animal control services. [.pdf of contract between Washtenaw County and HSHV]

Cited in the council’s July 7 resolution as the cost of public animal control countywide is $951,793. The assignment of $135,570 of that cost to the city of Ann Arbor is based on the proportion of dogs that come from Ann Arbor that are housed at HSHV, factoring in the $500,000 provided to the HSHV by Washtenaw County.

9:31 p.m. Lumm has some questions. She is pleased that efforts are underway to improve compliance with dog licensing. Powers says that planning is underway. After the August primary, the clerk will be helping to implement the initiative. Lumm reports that she’d called the clerk’s office number and received the recorded message. She asks that the message provide a menu option for dog licenses.

Responding to another query from Lumm, Powers says that the deer management report will be completed at the end of the month as specified in the council’s resolution.

9:33 p.m. Lumm says she gets a lot of questions from constituents, including: How do you get rid of a dead deer carcass. Lumm thanks Powers for his work with Washtenaw County and the HSHV. For many years, the city has not paid for animal control services, Lumm says. That placed an unfair burden on HSHV, she adds. We’re still not quite all the way there as far as reimbursing HSHV, she says. The resolution designates HSHV as the animal shelter under Chapter 107 of the city code, she notes.

9:33 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to approve the contract with Washtenaw County for animal control services.

9:35 p.m. Communications from the council. Kailaspathy alerts the council to a communication from the human rights commission. It concerns the same-sex marriages that were solemnized in Michigan – and it calls on Gov. Rick Snyder and attorney general Bill Schuette to cease their appeal of the federal court decision.

9:37 p.m. Teall is reminding councilmembers of the start of Huron River Day. She also says on July 9 there’s an emergency preparedness exercise at Michigan Stadium. There will be a lot of public safety personnel on site, she says.

9:41 p.m. Warpehoski notes that Lumm had shared her proposed amendment to the charter earlier in the meeting. He thanks Lumm for that effort. He says he fears that the mayoral election will be decided by less than a majority of voters. He’s working with the city attorney on a California-style blanket open primary. He’s not sure if it will be ready for this year, but if not he’ll look at it for 2016. The proposal deals with the possibility of the winner having less than a majority mandate, and would move the decision to an election with higher turnout. A possible downside, he explains, is that it could heighten the impact of money in elections. He’s also exploring the possibility of shifting to four-year election cycles. He’s not sure if it will be ready, but he wanted to follow Lumm’s example of alerting people to what he was working on.

9:42 p.m. Hieftje refers to state-level encouragement to communities that have elections every year to move them so that they are only every two years.

9:44 p.m. Lumm is happy to hear Warpehoski’s report of the work he’s doing. She ventures that a lot of people will want to provide some input into that question. She wants the question of non-partisan elections to be addressed. “This is absolutely something we should look at,” she says.

9:45 p.m. Briere says she wants to encourage people to consider not just the office of councilmember, but also for mayor as they think about this issue.

9:46 p.m. Kunselman says he’s taken the Ward 3 seat twice with less than 50% of the vote. He’s now asking about the DDA ambassador program. He wants to know if the DDA is going to use TIF (tax increment finance) or parking revenues for that program.

9:46 p.m. Clerk’s report.

9:46 p.m. Outcome: The council has voted to accept the clerk’s report.

9:46 p.m. Public commentary. There’s no requirement to sign up in advance for this slot for public commentary.

9:48 p.m. Kai Petainen is at the podium. He asks the council to send the minutes from a March LDFA meeting back to the LDFA board because they indicate that he’d been a client of the business accelerator. He says he wasn’t.

9:50 p.m. Ed Vielmetti says that he’s noticed while riding his bicycle around town there’s a lot of bike lanes that are poorly marked. He’s not sure what the process is for reporting the erosion of striping. He asks that a city traffic engineer review the intersection at Hill and Packard. There was a left-turn lane created for the East Stadium bridges project, that might not be needed any longer, he says.

9:50 p.m. Thomas Partridge asks for the council to provide leadership to oversee the work of contractors in the city.

9:56 p.m. Jeff Hayner asks that as the Barton Drive sidewalk project gets done, some type of traffic control is considered. He’s commenting on the charter amendments that councilmembers have talked about. He asks councilmembers to consider the timing of elections when millages are passed, noting that the recent transit millage was passed with roughly 12% participation.

9:56 p.m. Closed session. The council has voted to go into closed session to discuss land acquisition, pending litigation and attorney-client written communication.

10:27 p.m. We’re back.

10:28 p.m. Adjournment. We are now adjourned. That’s all from the hard benches.

A sign on the door to the Ann Arbor city council chambers gives instructions for post-meeting clean-up.

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Screenshot of Legistar – the city of Ann Arbor’s online agenda management system. Image links to the July 7, 2014 meeting agenda.

A month before the dog days actually begin, the council will be considering as part of its July 7 agenda a resolution that would pay Washtenaw County $135,570 for animal control services. The county in turn contracts with the Humane Society of Huron Valley for those services. This is a new arrangement, based on recommendations from a 2012 county task force. The idea is that local governments in the county with their own dog licensing programs, which generate revenue through licensing, should shoulder part of the cost of the county’s animal control contract. Ann Arbor has its own dog licensing program.

The July 7 agenda is heavy with items related to infrastructure. Three special assessments for the construction of new sidewalks are on the agenda for final approval: Stone School Road, Barton Drive and Scio Church Road. And the council will be considering approval of contracts for street repair associated with utilities work, the replacement of a clarifier at the drinking water treatment plan, the replacement of liners for the swimming pools at Buhr and Fuller parks, and for monitoring work at the now-dormant Ann Arbor city landfill.

Several development items also appear on the July 7 agenda. The rezoning of three Ann Arbor Housing Commission (AAHC) properties will be given final consideration in connection with major renovations and improvements the commission is making to its inventory – at Baker Commons, Green/Baxter Court Apartments, and Maple Meadows. Initial approval for rezoning of another AAHC property is also on the council’s agenda: North Maple Estates.

In addition to the AAHC properties, the council will consider rezoning for parcels on Research Park Drive, in the southern part of the city, and a site plan for the expansion of Rudolf Steiner High School on the city’s north side.

The council will give initial consideration to changes in the ordinance that defines how city boards and commissions are appointed – changes that focus on the environmental commission. The changes involve clarifications of the nomination process and other housekeeping issues. The council will also consider confirmation of three appointments to the environmental commission: Allison Skinner, Benjamin Muth and Mark Clevey.

The summertime theme of the agenda is reflected in the approval of temporary outdoor sales and consumption of alcohol for several downtown businesses during the art fairs, which run from July 16-19. A permanent liquor license for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse also appears on the council’s agenda. The theme of transition from summer to fall is reflected on the council’s July 7 agenda in the set of street closing approvals, which include closings around the University of Michigan stadium for home football games.

This article includes a more detailed preview of many of these agenda items. More details on other agenda items are available on the city’s online Legistar system. The meeting proceedings can be followed Monday evening live on Channel 16, streamed online by Community Television Network starting at 7 p.m.

Animal (Dog) Control Services

The council will be considering a $135,570 agreement between the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County for animal control services.

Background to the city’s agreement includes a long process of discussions and negotiations between Washtenaw County and the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) – a conversation that began in 2011 when the amount of funding provided to HSHV was under scrutiny. A task force was appointed, and ultimately the county board of commissioners, at its Nov. 7, 2012 meeting, authorized contracting with HSHV for $500,000 a year for animal control services. [.pdf of contract between Washtenaw County and HSHV]

Recommended as a part of that task force report was for the county to pursue a cost-sharing arrangement with those municipalities in the county that collect licensing fees for animals. The city of Ann Arbor is one such municipality in the county. From the task force report:

Cost Sharing with Local Governments
Between 45 and 65 percent of the animals at the Humane Society come from jurisdictions with their own animal control ordinances or licensing programs. While the County would bear responsibility for stray dogs in those jurisdictions absent a controlling ordinance, it would also collect licensing fees from pet owners in those communities. The current system, however, drives costs to the County without providing direct revenues to offset them. The Task Force recommends that the County reach out to the communities whose ordinances either exceed the scope of the County animal control policy or that capture licensing fees, and develop a cost sharing agreement with those local governments to offset increases driven by local ordinance requirements. [.pdf of 2012 task force report]

Cited in the council’s July 7 resolution as the cost of public animal control countywide is $951,793. The assignment of $135,570 of that cost to the city of Ann Arbor is based on the proportion of dogs that come from Ann Arbor that are housed at HSHV, factoring in the $500,000 provided to the HSHV by Washtenaw County.

The city council’s approved FY 2015 budget had already included $105,000 for such animal control services. Increased dog licensing revenue is projected to fund the remaining $32,570, according to the staff memo accompanying the resolution.

The city council’s FY 2015 budget deliberations on May 19 , 2014 resulted in two amendments that affected funding for animal control services. One was an amendment that re-allocated $75,000 for a commercial sign inventory to animal control, including deer herd management. The other was an amendment that adjusted the revenue budget upwards to reflect an assumed 30% participation rate for dog licensing in the city – which would be a total of about $63,000. That’s $48,000 more than the actual amount up to now, with the idea being that a publicity campaign could increase participation in the licensing program. The additional revenue is to be put towards animal control.

Infrastructure: Sidewalk Special Assessments

At its July 7 meeting, the city council will consider the final vote on the special assessment of property owners to help pay for construction of three different sidewalks – on Stone School Road, Barton Drive and Scio Church Road.

The new sidewalk on Stone School Road will be on the west side of the road. This work will be done in conjunction with the Stone School Road reconstruction project from I-94 to Ellsworth Road. The total sidewalk project cost is roughly $128,500, of which about $55,000 will be special assessed. A public hearing on the special assessment will also take place at the council’s July 7 meeting.

The Barton Drive sidewalk project will extend eastward from Bandemer Park at Longshore Drive. The cost of the Barton Drive sidewalk has been calculated to be $80,606. Of that, about $36,000 will be paid from federal surface transportation funds. Of the remaining $44,606, the city’s general fund would pay $42,626, leaving just $1,980 to be paid through the special assessment.

For the Scio Church sidewalk project, the total cost is expected to be $365,100. Of that, about $164,000 will be paid from a federal surface transportation grant. The remaining $201,100 will be paid out of the city’s general fund and by the special assessment of just $1,626.

Infrastructure: Public Services Contracts

Several contracts appear on the council’s July 7 agenda that are related to infrastructure maintenance and repair. The council will be considering a $344,600 contract with Cadillac Asphalt LLC for repair of streets after water mains, storm and sanitary sewers are repaired. The city’s public services area does not have the equipment or the staff to perform these types of street repairs, which often involve the replacement of the concrete base or the concrete street surface, according to the staff memo accompanying the resolution.

The city council will also consider awarding a $175,000 contract to replace a clarifier drive in the drinking water treatment plant – to Titus Welding Company. According to the staff memo accompanying the resolution, the drive to be replaced is original to the plant and was installed in 1965. It had an expected life of 30 years. It has begun to show signs of failure, included seizing, high vibration, and bearing failure. The drive has been assessed by the manufacturer and it has been determined that it is not cost-effective to repair, according to the memo.

The council will also consider a $205,055 contract with Renosys Corp. to install PVC pool liners at Buhr and Fuller pools. The city is switching to PVC from Marcite, which is, according to a staff memo, a “cementitous product that covers the pool shell creating a smooth and waterproof surface.” The new product has a smoother surface, and won’t require the yearly patching required due to harsh winters and wear and tear on the pool, according to the staff memo.

The council will consider a $80,836 contract amendment with Tetra Tech Inc. for environmental consulting services at the now-closed Ann Arbor landfill. That brings the total amount on the contract to $624,221. According to the staff memo accompanying the resolution, for several years the landfill has had a plume of 1-4 dioxane and vinyl chloride contamination offsite primarily in Southeast Area Park, northeast of the landfill. A slurry wall was constructed along most of the boundary of the landfill to eliminate groundwater passing through the landfill, and three purge wells were used to attempt to capture the offsite contamination.

Also on the July 7 agenda is a resolution for $125,000 contracts with Stantec Consulting Michigan Inc. and Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc. for general civil engineering and surveying services. Those services include a range of activities, according to the staff memo accompanying the resolution: design and management of capital improvement projects; private development construction plan review; private development utility and road construction inspection; traffic engineering; civil engineering design; construction inspection; drafting; and surveying.

Development

On the council’s agenda are a number of rezoning requests and site plans associated with new development in the city.

Development: Research Park Drive – Rezoning, Recreation

On the city council’s July 7 agenda for initial consideration is the rezoning of six sites along Research Park Drive – from RE (research district) to ORL (office/research/limited industrial district). Related to that rezoning, the council will be asked to give initial approval to amendments to the city’s zoning code to allow outdoor recreation as a special exception use in the ORL zoning district.

The six lots are undeveloped and total 16.6 acres. Four of the lots, on the southern end of the site, are owned by Qubit Corp. LLC; BMS Holdings LLC owns the northern two sites.

A proposed area plan – which is less detailed than a site plan – includes an indoor-outdoor tennis facility on one of the lots. It also includes five two-story buildings that could accommodate office, research, and limited industrial uses on the remaining lots, each with their own parking lot and access point to Research Park Drive.

Prior to construction, the project must go through the city’s site plan approval process, which might require a traffic impact study.

Only the initial rezoning and the amendment allowing recreation as a special exception use will be in front of the council at its July 7 meeting. The planning commission recommended support of both actions at its June 3, 2014 meeting.

Aerial view showing Research Park Drive parcels.

Area plan for four sites in a proposed development on Research Park Drive. The image is oriented with east at the top.

Development: Rudolf Steiner Site Plan

On the July 7 city council agenda is the approval of a site plan for the expansion of the Rudolf Steiner High School. The private school is located at 2230 Pontiac Trail, north of Brookside. The planning commission had recommended approval of the site plan at its June 3, 2014 meeting.

The project – estimated to cost $2.5 million – involves building a one-story, 19,780-square-foot addition to the existing classroom building. The structure will include a 9,990-square-foot gym, with the remaining 9,790 square feet used for classrooms and storage.

According to the staff memo, an existing Quonset hut on the east side of the site will be removed, as will a 48-inch white oak tree immediately east of the proposed addition. The school will be required to plant 12 trees for mitigation. In addition, 17 new trees will be planted as part of the project.

Parking will be increased by 31 spaces to accommodate special events and discourage parking in nearby neighborhoods, according to the staff memo. A total of 32 bicycle parking spaces will be provided near the north entry to the new addition. No additional enrollment beyond the previously approved 120 students is proposed. The school has operated at that location since 2002.

Site plan for Rudolf Steiner High School expansion. The yellow section is the existing building. The white section indicates the proposed addition.

At their June 3 meeting, planning commissioners approved a special exception use for the project. That’s required under Chapter 55 of the city’s zoning code because the site is zoned R1D (single family dwelling). Private schools are allowed within that zoning district, if granted a special exception use. The planning commission has discretion to grant a special exception use, which does not require additional city council approval.

Development: AAHC Rezoning Final Approval

On the council’s agenda for July 7 is the final approval to the rezoning of three Ann Arbor Housing Commission properties that have been given initial approval by the city council. The planning commission had recommended the rezonings at its May 6, 2014 meeting. Initial city council action came at its June 2, 2014 meeting.

The current PL (public land) zoning for some of the properties is a vestige of the AAHC properties’ status as city-owned land. The city council approved the transfer of deeds to the AAHC at its June 2, 2013 meeting. The three sites given initial rezoning approval on June 2, 2014 are part of the housing commission’s major initiative to upgrade the city’s public housing units by seeking private investors through low-income housing tax credits.

Rezoning is in progress for the following public housing sites, two of which are currently zoned as public land:

• Baker Commons: Rezone public land to D2 (downtown interface). The 0.94-acre lot is located at 106 Packard Street, at the intersection with South Main, in Ward 5. It includes a 64-unit apartment building.
• Green/Baxter Court Apartments: Rezone public land to R4A (multi-family dwelling district). The 2-acre site is located at 1701-1747 Green Road and contains 23 apartments in four buildings and a community center. It’s in Ward 2.
• Maple Meadows: Currently zoned R1C (single-family dwelling district), the recommendation is to rezone it as R4B (multi-family dwelling district). The site is 3.4 acres at 800-890 South Maple Road and contains 29 apartments in five buildings and a community center. It’s located in Ward 5.

At the planning commission’s May 6 meeting, AAHC director Jennifer Hall explained that PL zoning doesn’t allow housing to be built on a parcel. As AAHC seeks private funding to rehab its properties, it needs to ensure if a building burns down, for example, it could be rebuilt. In general that’s why the rezoning is being requested. It’s also being requested to align the zoning with the current uses of the property. She stressed that the highest priority properties to be rezoned are Baker Commons, Green/Baxter and Maple Meadows, because investors have already been found to renovate those sites.

For these three sites, planning commissioners also voted to waive the area plan requirements for the AAHC rezoning petitions, because no new construction is proposed and surveys of the improvements have been provided.

For additional background on the AAHC process of renovating its properties, see Chronicle coverage: “Public Housing Conversion Takes Next Step.”

Development: Ann Arbor Housing Commission – Appointment

Also at its July 7 meeting, the council will be asked to confirm the appointment of Audrey Wojtkowiak to the board of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission, to fill the vacancy of Christopher Geer. Wojtkowiak’s nomination was made at the council’s June 16 meeting. She’s controller for the Consolidation Center at Detroit Diesel.

Development: Ann Arbor Housing Commission – North Maple Rezoning

On the council’s July 7 agenda is initial consideration of rezoning that’s necessary for a renovation project to be undertaken by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission for a site on North Maple.

Aerial view of North Maple Estates site, outlined in green.

The council will be asked to give initial approval to rezoning the 4.8-acre site at 701 N. Maple Road – from R1C (single-family dwelling district) to R4B (multi-family dwelling district).

The planning commission had recommended the rezoning at its June 17, 2014 meeting after postponing it on June 3, 2014.

The site is on the west side of North Maple, between Dexter Avenue and Hollywood Drive. [.pdf of staff report]

The site plan calls for demolishing 20 existing single-family homes – the public housing complex known as North Maple Estates – and constructing an eight-building, 42-unit apartment complex with a total of 138 bedrooms. The units range in size from one bedroom to five bedrooms. The project would include a playground, community building and 73 parking spaces. According to a staff memo, the buildings would be located along a T-shaped driveway that connects to North Maple Road and Dexter Avenue. The drive extends northward toward Vine Court but does not connect with that street. There would be a new connection to Dexter Avenue through the remaining, undeveloped length of Seybold Drive.

The project will require the city to vacate a portion of the right-of-way for Seybold Drive. The surrounding land is owned by the housing commission, so if the right-of-way vacation is approved, the land would become part of the housing commission property.

The site plan will not be in front of the city council on July 7. Only the initial rezoning approval and a resolution of intent to vacate right-of-way for Seybold Drive appear on the agenda. That resolution of intent sets a public hearing for Aug. 18, 2014 – the same council meeting when a vote will be taken on the vacation’s approval. The rezoning will also need a second vote of approval from the council at a future meeting.

Planning staff noted three issues that need to be resolved before the project gets approval from city council:

The parcel containing two duplex buildings also owned by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission in the northeast corner of the site must be combined with the subject site, forming a single parcel as a requirement for issuance of any permits.

The legal description and comparison chart data must be confirmed to include the duplex parcel.

The northern-most parking stall, nearest the connection to Vine Court, must be relocated outside of the minimum front setback area.

According to the staff memo, after the planning commission’s June 3 meeting the city’s traffic engineer reviewed the proposed new connection from Seybold Drive onto Dexter Avenue, and concluded that sight distances from all approaches are acceptable. He suggested that the pavement markings on Dexter should be refreshed.

The reconstruction of North Maple Estates is part of an ongoing effort by the housing commission to upgrade the city’s housing stock for low-income residents. At the planning commission’s May 6, 2014 meeting, AAHC executive director Jennifer Hall had made a presentation about the initiative, which includes seeking private investors through low-income housing tax credits.

Environmental Commission

The city’s environmental commission appears in two different agenda items – one that amends the city ordinance establishing the commission, and another that nominates additional members to the commission.

Environmental Commission: Ordinance Change

The council will be giving initial consideration to a change to the city ordinance that regulates how appointments are made to the environmental commission (EC). The EC is one of the few boards or commission in the city for which the mayor does not make nominations. The more familiar procedure – for most boards and commissions – includes a mayoral nomination at one council meeting, followed by the confirmation vote of the council at a subsequent meeting.

In the past, the council has mimicked this procedure for the EC by having some councilmember put a resolution on the agenda appointing a member to the EC, and then postponing the resolution until the next meeting. The ordinance revisions clarify that the nominations put forward by the council as a body to the EC are to be made by the two councilmembers who serve as the council’s representatives to the EC.

Besides two slots for council representatives, the EC includes positions for members of the planning commission, park advisory commission, and energy commission. The ordinance revision that the council will be considering on July 7 makes clear that those groups make their appointments to the EC without further city council approval. This specific revision comes after the planning commission had selected Kirk Westphal from its membership to serve on the EC earlier this year, and some councilmembers voted against his confirmation, when the council was asked to confirm his selection two months ago. For background on that vote, see “Hutton, Westphal Reappointed to EC.”

The staff memo summarizes the changes to the ordinance regulating appointments to boards and commissions as follows:

• clarifies that the councilmembers currently serving on the environmental commission nominate persons for “at-large” appointments, which are then approved by council resolution;
• clarifies that the planning commission, park advisory commission, and energy commission each designate a representative to the environmental commission without council approval and for a one-year term;
• clarifies that the 3-year terms should be equally staggered;
• removes references to the Leslie Science Center Advisory Board, which no longer exists;
• requires the city administrator or the designated support staff of the environmental commission to notify council of vacancies – previously this was delegated to the clerk’s office, which does not always have immediate knowledge of vacancies;
• contains a few minor, non-substantive corrections and clarifications.

If the council gives the ordinance amendment initial approval on July 7, it would still need a second and final vote at a subsequent meeting, in order to be enacted.

Environmental Commission: Appointments

Also on the agenda are confirmation of three nominations to the EC, which were announced at the council’s June 16, 2014 meeting: Allison Skinner, Benjamin Muth and Mark Clevey.

Clevey is the representative to the EC selected by the energy commission, so this confirmation will not follow the ordinance amendment for which the council will be asked to give initial approval on July 7.

Liquor

At its July 7 meeting, the city council will be considering two items related to serving alcohol. One is an item that would allow several downtown businesses to serve alcohol outdoors during the Ann Arbor art fairs, to be held July 16-19 this year:
Knight’s Restaurant (600 E. Liberty St.), Michigan Theater (603 E. Liberty St.), Neopapalis (500 E. William St.), Cottage Inn (508-512 E. William St.), New York Pizza Depot (605 E. William St.), Ashley’s Restaurant (338 S. State St.), Red Hawk Bar & Grill (316 S. State St.), and Pizza House (618 Church).

The second item is a downtown development liquor license for Ruth’s Chris Steak House. The council approved the site plan for Ruth’s Chris – to be located on Fourth Avenue between William and Liberty – at its June 2, 2014 meeting.

Street Closings

The consent agenda includes approvals of street closings for special events, which provide a window into what’s happening in the coming weeks. Events with street closings on the July 7 city council agenda include:

• Electric Bolt 8K Run/Walk (July 27, 2014): Various streets from 6-10 a.m.
• Cleats and Beats (Aug. 1, 2014): These street closures would be on S. Main from E. William to Huron, on Liberty from S. Ashley to S. Fourth, and on Washington from S. Ashley to the alley by the parking structure. This is sponsored by the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau. It appears to be a different event than the Eats, Beats and Cleats event for which the council unanimously rejected a street closure request last year. That was proposed to take place in a South University neighborhood with a lot of student housing.
• Relevent Sports International Champions Cup Soccer Game (Aug. 2, 2014). Various streets around Michigan Stadium for three hours prior to the start of the game.
• University of Michigan football games (2014 Season): Various streets around Michigan Stadium for three hours prior to the start of each home football game.
• Dancing in the Streets (Aug. 31, 2014): S. Main between Huron and Liberty, and Washington between S. Ashley and the alley on E. Washington toward S. Fourth Avenue, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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The item had been postponed from the council’s May 19, 2014 meeting.

According to a staff memo written in response to a councilmember question, reskinning of the Larcom City Hall building would mean replacing the existing exterior walls and windows of the building. The result would be new squared-off exterior, eliminating the inverted pyramid design. The new exterior would hang vertically from the sixth floor.

The focus of the project is on improving energy efficiency. The memo describes existing windows as mostly single-pane glass on aluminum frames, which offer little insulation value. The project would also result in an incremental gain in square footage – because the lower floors would have the same footprint as the sixth floor, which is currently the largest floor of the building. According to the memo, materials used for the exterior would “blend better” with the recently constructed Justice Center, which adjoins city hall.

An amendment to the resolution made at the council meeting added a “resolved” clause that expressed support for an energy efficiency renovation at city hall. The consensus on the council was not to support cosmetic improvements.

Details on the council’s deliberations are provided in The Chronicle’s live updates filed during the meeting.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall located at 301 E. Huron.

The work will entail removing existing paint, removing or replacing corroded steel, and repainting with a corrosion-resistant paint to protect the metal. Because much of the existing painted surface contains lead-based paint, the project will also include lead-mitigation work, according to a staff memo.

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. will design the project, which is expected to provide about 15 on-site construction jobs. The job is expected to be finished in the the summer of 2014 and will be funded from athletic department resources.

This report was filed from the Anderson Room at the Michigan Union on UM’s central campus in Ann Arbor, where the regents held their November meeting.

As described in a staff memo, the renovation will upgrade the area to be used for interdisciplinary biomedical research. The project will be funded with UM Medical School resources and designed by SmithGroupJJR. It’s estimated that about 40 on-site construction jobs will result from this project, which is expected to be completed by the winter of 2014.

This report was filed from the Anderson Room at the Michigan Union on UM’s central campus in Ann Arbor, where the regents held their November meeting.

The complex had been mentioned at the regents’ Nov. 17, 2011 meeting in the context of other housing changes on north campus and elsewhere throughout UM’s student housing system. At that meeting, regents approved renovations at two dorms – Baits II on north campus, and East Quad on central campus – and discussed the need for a broader strategic plan for student housing. Royster Harper, the university’s vice president for student affairs, had informed regents that the living/learning communities in the Northwood apartments I and II would be expanded to Northwood III.

The renovations to Northwood will be designed by UM’s department of architecture, engineering and construction, in collaboration with Riverside Integrated Systems Inc. and Structural Design Inc. The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2013.

The brief was filed from the colloquium room at UM’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, where the regents meeting was held this month. A more detailed report will follow.