Patricia Green (Chronicle file photo by Monet Tiedemann)

She began her tenure on July 1, 2011 with a five-year contract and a starting salary of $245,000. According to AAPS spokeswoman Liz Margolis, a voluntary salary reduction that Green had recently offered has not yet been implemented. Under the terms of her contract, 90 days notice was required, which Green gave in her resignation letter to AAPS board president Deb Mexicotte on April 10.

A letter by Mexicotte to the AAPS community stated that the board will be meeting in the near future to discuss the leadership transition. Mexicotte also praised Green for advocacy efforts at the state level, for forging partnerships with local businesses, for making key administrative hires since coming to Ann Arbor. [.pdf of Mexicotte's letter]

Green’s resignation comes as the district is facing $17-$20 million of cuts for next year’s budget.

This is the second recent resignation by a top AAPS administrator. Robert Allen, the district’s deputy superintendent for operations, resigned earlier this year. His last day was March 22. Allen had served as interim superintendent in 2010-11 following the departure of former superintendent Todd Roberts. Allen left to take a job at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, which Roberts leads.

From left: Washtenaw County commissioners Dan Smith (R-District 2), Kristin Judge (D-District 7), and Wes Prater (D-District 4), attending a meeting earlier this year of the county reapportionment commission. Judge announced her resignation from the county board on Friday.

Judge has accepted a job with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), which could put her in conflict with her elected role.

“My new position will focus on outreach efforts and will involve working with local governments across the nation,” Judge said in a written statement. “In my current role as county commissioner, I have been involved in cyber security initiatives at the local, state and federal level. To avoid an appearance of conflict between my role as commissioner and my new position, it is best served that I resign from elected office before beginning work with local governments across the country.” [.pdf of press release] [.pdf of resignation letter]

At a county board retreat earlier this year, Judge cited issues of public safety, and her activism against Walmart – because of safety issues the store in Pittsfield Township posed – as reasons prompting her to run for office in 2008. She’s been active in public safety issues on the local, state and national levels, and more recently in efforts related specifically to cyber security.

Judge currently serves on the executive committee for MS-ISAC. According to the organization’s website, its mission is ”to improve the overall cyber security posture of state, local, territorial and tribal governments.” Established in 2003, it is now a division of the nonprofit Center for Internet Security.

In addition to her work as county commissioner, Judge serves on the judiciary and public safety committee for the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC), and is a member of the justice and public safety steering committee for the National Association of Counties (NACo). She was instrumental establishing the Washtenaw County Cyber Citizenship Coalition, and in organizing the Oct. 7 Michigan Cyber Summit, a day-long event that will serve as the kickoff for National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Keynote speakers include Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, and U.S. Congressman John Dingell.

Although MS-ISAC is based in a suburb of Albany, N.Y., Judge plans to remain in Pittsfield Township. Her blog – “All Politics Is Local” – has focused on issues related to local and state government.

Judge is one of eight Democrats on the 11-member county board. The board is responsible for appointing a replacement within 30 days of the resignation. Between Oct. 9 and Nov. 9, the board has two regular meeting scheduled: On Wednesday, Oct. 19 and Wednesday, Nov. 2. The next board meeting is on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Responding to a Chronicle query via email, county clerk Larry Kestenbaum stated that when a vacancy on the board occurs during an odd-numbered year, a special primary and special general election are required. A resignation at this point will likely result in a February 28, 2012 primary (along with the presidential primary) and a May 2012 special general election.

A special election costs essentially nothing, according to Kestenbaum, if there is already an election scheduled. A standalone special election would cost about $1,200 per precinct, including ballot printing, election worker wages, required advertising, etc., but not counting the time of regular staff.

County commissioners are elected to two-year terms. The next general election for their seats is in November 2012. Redistricting that was approved earlier this year will be implemented for the next election cycle. For background, see Chronicle coverage: “County Board Loses 2 Seats in Redistricting.”

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Washtenaw County board of commissioners. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

A mock-up section of the sculpture by Herbert Dreiseitl that's commissioned for the entrance to the Ann Arbor municipal center. The piece is made of bronze, with blue glass lights embedded. In this photo, water is flowing over the section, as it will when installed. (Photo courtesy of Quinn Evans Architects)

One issue: How to proceed with recommending a replacement for Jeff Meyers, who resigned from AAPAC in June, mid-way through his three-year term. The main concern among commissioners is who can take over leadership of a new mural program that Meyers had initiated. Margaret Parker indicated she’ll also be leaving the commission in the coming months, creating another vacancy on the nine-member commission.

The mayor, John Hieftje, is responsible for making nominations to AAPAC. Those nominations also require confirmation by the full city council. On Wednesday, AAPAC commissioners discussed the need for better communication with Hieftje, and said they hoped to find out what criteria he was using to make the selection – the most recent appointment Hieftje made to AAPAC was done without their input, after he rejected someone they’d recruited. Communication has also been lacking regarding Meyers’ resignation – in a phone interview with The Chronicle following AAPAC’s July meeting, Meyers said the mayor hasn’t acknowledged his resignation.

In other topics at Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners briefly discussed a written update they’d received about the Herbert Dreiseitl water sculpture being built for the entrance to the municipal center. Installation is still on track for next month.

Also in August – at city council’s Aug. 4 meeting – winners of the annual Golden Paintbrush awards will be honored. AAPAC selected the winners, who are recognized for their contributions to public art, via an online poll last month. This year, winners are: (1) Krazy Jim’s Blimpie Burger, for the Snow Bears sculptures they build each winter in front of their business at Packard and South Division; (2) Mary Thiefels and Treetown Murals for the mural outside the Alley Bar along West Liberty; and (3) Peter Allen & Associates, for rock sculptures on North Main Street.

Commissioner Resignation, Mural Program

Jeff Meyers, who was appointed to a three-year term on the Ann Arbor public art commission in early 2010, sent a formal notice of resignation to mayor John Hieftje in June. The news was discussed at the July 27, 2011 AAPAC meeting, as commissioners considered who might take over leadership of a task force for a new mural program that Meyers had initiated.

His resignation was foreshadowed at AAPAC’s June 2011 meeting, which he did not attend. AAPAC chair Marsha Chamberlin had told other commissioners that Meyers wanted to relinquish his leadership of the mural program – she said he felt like the project had stalled. That announcement prompted some commissioners to speculate on whether Meyers was still interested in serving on AAPAC, noting that he hadn’t attended a meeting since April. [The May AAPAC meeting coincided with a public forum for the mural project, which Meyers did attend.]

At previous meetings, Meyers – managing editor of the online magazines Concentrate and MetroMode – had expressed frustration about the mural program’s progress. He developed it as a way to generate more public art in the community, and to set up a process by which similar programs could be modeled. Funded by the city’s Percent for Art program, which AAPAC guides, the mural program was unanimously approved by AAPAC in November 2010, with the intent of creating at least two murals per year in the city. It has an estimated budget of $25,000 this year.

Meyers formed a task force, which recommended two sites for the first murals: A building at Allmendinger Park, and a retaining wall along Huron Parkway. AAPAC approved those sites at a special meeting in March, but city staff later determined that the meeting hadn’t been properly noticed, so a second special meeting was called in April and the vote was retaken.

Then, city staff determined that AAPAC’s 2011 annual public art plan, which includes the mural program, hadn’t been officially approved by Ann Arbor city council. Though the plan was approved last year by AAPAC and forwarded to city staff, it was never placed on council’s agenda. [The language in AAPAC's bylaws indicate that a plan must be submitted to council, but does not state that the plan requires council approval. For additional background, see Chronicle coverage:  "What's Ahead for Public Mural Program?"] The council formally received the plan at its June 20, 2011 meeting, when it approved the clerk’s report of communications, of which the plan was a part.

City staff also determined that neighborhood meetings were needed to get input on the sites – those meetings were held earlier this summer. But the city has not yet solicited proposals from artists for the murals, and it’s doubtful that the murals will be completed before winter arrives. Meyers had originally hoped to have both murals finished by September.

Commissioner Resignation, Mural Program – Communication

The mayor is responsible for making nominations to the nine-member public art commission. Those nominations also require confirmation by the full city council.

At Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners discussed the need to communicate with Hieftje about possible nominations. Cheryl Zuellig noted that AAPAC had spun its wheels during the last nomination process – it seemed that the commission and Hieftje moved along different, parallel tracks. The commission didn’t know what Hietje was looking for, and AAPAC members had invested a lot of time into recruiting.

[This issue has been discussed at length at previous AAPAC meetings. Last year, AAPAC members had recruited Lee Doyle, a member of the UM President’s Advisory Committee for Public Art who also oversees the UM Film Office. But Hieftje subsequently conveyed that he wanted to appoint someone who resides in Ann Arbor – Doyle lives outside the city. That prompted a long discussion at AAPAC's September 2010 meeting, as commissioners speculated on how to improve the recommendation process for new commissioners. In October 2010, Hieftje nominated Malverne Winborne – an Ann Arbor resident and director of Eastern Michigan University’s Charter Schools Office – without consulting or informing AAPAC about his choice in advance. Winborne is now AAPAC's vice chair.]

On Wednesday, Margaret Parker noted that the Percent for Art ordinance doesn’t stipulate that AAPAC commissioners live in Ann Arbor, but Hieftje had felt it was important. Zuellig indicated that the main issue is for AAPAC to understand what Hieftje’s criteria are, so that AAPAC can make recommendations that are appropriate. [Most AAPAC commissioners live in Ann Arbor. Zuellig lives in Ypsilanti. The issue of her residency was raised by councilmember Marcia Higgins when Zuellig was nominated to AAPAC in late 2008.]

Winborne asked whether AAPAC had any written criteria itself. Parker indicated that she had some documentation, which she said she’d “resurrect.” Commissioners discussed the importance of centralizing these kinds of documents – that’s a project that Aaron Seagraves, the city’s art administrator, will take on.

Commissioner Resignation, Mural Program – Comments from Meyers

In a phone interview with The Chronicle following AAPAC’s July meeting, Meyers said he’d reached a point where he couldn’t justify the time he’d been investing in the mural program and AAPAC, given his job, family and other commitments. Noting that he’d started developing the program nearly a year ago, he said at nearly every turn he encountered seemingly arbitrary requirements, incomplete or contradictory information, and new layers of requirements identified by city staff.

Meyers said he’s passionate about the city’s Percent for Art program and public art in general. But since the Percent for Art program was started in 2007, only one piece – a sculpture at West Park – has been completed, he noted. [Another project – the Herbert Dreiseitl sculpture at the city's new municipal center – is set to be installed in August.] There’s not yet a systematic process in place for moving projects forward, he said, and no clarity from staff or the city council about AAPAC’s role.

One way to improve the situation is for a city council representative to be appointed to AAPAC, Meyers suggested – it seems especially appropriate since AAPAC makes recommendations for the Percent for Art budget. There’s a disconnect when the taxicab commission has a council representative, but AAPAC does not, Meyers said. Having input from city council would help AAPAC understand what councilmembers want from the program. Does the council want AAPAC to initiate projects, or simply facilitate projects that the city identifies? These are the kinds of decisions that should have been made long ago, Meyers said.

Meyers said he plans to produce a written report or attend a future AAPAC meeting to make some recommendations for improving the Percent for Art program. He didn’t attend the July meeting because the status of his resignation was unclear – he said he’s gotten “zero response” from the mayor to his letter of resignation. [Update: On Aug. 1, Hieftje forwarded to The Chronicle a copy of a July 5 email he says he sent to Meyers in response to Meyers' June 21 resignation email. Meyers told The Chronicle he has no record of Hieftje's email. .pdf of emails from Meyers and Hieftje]

Commissioner Resignation, Mural Program – Next Steps

At AAPAC’s July 27 meeting, Parker recommended a next step related to leadership of the mural task force. She suggested that Seagraves contact Wiltrud Simbuerger, a commissioner who serves on the task force but who did not attend Wednesday’s meeting. Parker felt Simbuerger would be interested in championing that program.

Commissioners also discussed the general status of the program. Public meetings held for neighbors of the two proposed sites – at Allmendinger Park and along Huron Parkway, near Huron Hills golf course – were one reason the original timeline had been pushed back. Parker indicated that this was the first time that public meetings had been held prior to the start of a public art project, so it was “breaking new ground.”

Zuellig clarified that there hadn’t been public meetings prior to the city’s commissioning of the Dreiseitl sculpture. No, Parker said, there was a public presentation, but that occurred after Dreiseitl had been chosen to do the work. Parker said the mural project was also the first time that an online survey had been used by the city to get feedback on a public art project. Because parks are involved, the city has a whole process of public input, she said.

Zuellig suggested that commissioners consider whether they should use this same process for all future projects. It seemed to her that the reason these public meetings had been added was because there was negative feedback about the mural program. Parker said that wasn’t her understanding – she thought Meyers had asked to get input from neighbors.

[Public meetings with neighbors had been scheduled at the request of city parks staff, because the murals were being planned for locations at or near city parks. The issue of negative feedback was raised later, and was discussed at AAPAC's April 27, 2011 meeting. From Chronicle coverage:]

Venita Harrison – a management assistant who works for Sue McCormick, the city’s public services administrator, and who currently serves as support staff to AAPAC – mentioned that there might be a problem with the mural program. The city council had never officially approved the 2011 public art plan, she said – until that happened, her understanding was that the project couldn’t move forward.

She said the process of getting city council approval likely fell through the cracks during the transition last year, after former public art administrator Katherine Talcott stepped down from that role. More recently, a councilmember had read media reports about the mural program and raised questions about who had authorized it, Harrison said. They tried to find a record of when the city council had approved the 2011 annual plan – which included the mural program – but the plan didn’t turn up in records of council proceedings.

On Wednesday, Zuellig noted that although the public meetings might have been reactionary, if the feedback was valuable, then AAPAC should consider scheduling similar meetings in a proactive way. She cautioned that AAPAC needs to be mindful about reaching out to a broad group, noting that people often tend to show up to meetings if they don’t like something.

Parker suggested that instead of selecting sites and then seeking neighborhood support, one approach would be to find community or neighborhood groups who are eager to have a public art project in their area.

Parker also asked about the results of online surveys for the two mural sites. Seagraves reported that response had been low – only about 4-5 surveys had been completed for each location. From that small sample, the responses for Allmendinger were supportive, he said, but all responses for the location along Huron Parkway were against it.

Dreiseitl Sculpture, Justice Center Art

As they had last month, commissioners received a written report on the water sculpture designed by Herbert Dreiseitl, which the city commissioned for the outside entrance to the municipal center at Fifth and Huron. The report was prepared by Ken Clein of Quinn Evans Architects, project manager for the municipal center construction and renovation. [.pdf of July 2011 Dreiseitl report]

A wooden mock-up of the base for the Herbert Dreiseitl sculpture being built in front of the municipal center at Fifth and Huron, facing Huron. Installation of the sculpture is expected to occur in August. (Photo courtesy of Quinn Evans Architects.)

Malverne Winborne asked when a formal dedication was being planned. Aaron Seagraves, the city’s art administrator, wasn’t certain, but said that it would likely be part of an overall dedication of the municipal center.

Margaret Parker said AAPAC should be involved in planning the dedication, adding that she keeps bringing it up monthly because no one seems to be acting on it. [At AAPAC's June meeting, Marsha Chamberlin – the commission's chair who also serves on the public relations committee – said the PR committee would be working on a dedication ceremony for the Dreiseitl sculpture. Parker did not attend that meeting.]

Seagraves reported that the sculpture would be a stop on this year’s ArtWalk, which will take place Oct. 21-23. Funds from the Dreiseitl project are being used to pay for an ArtWalk sponsorship, he said. [Last year, the city council approved a budget of $737,820 for the sculpture. The city had previously paid Dreiseitl $77,000 in preliminary design fees. Funding comes in part from the Percent for Art stormwater funds, because the sculpture is designed as part of the site’s stormwater management. An ArtWalk sponsorship is about $350, according to Seagraves.]

The PR committee will handle sign-ups for volunteers to be present at the sculpture during the ArtWalk hours, Seagraves said, and to provide information about the sculpture and the city’s Percent for Art program.

Also related to art at the municipal center, Seagraves said the statement of qualifications/request for proposals was reissued in June for art in the police/courts building lobby, which along with city hall is part of the municipal center. [.pdf of justice center art SOQ/RFP] The project has an artist’s budget of up to $150,000 – the deadline for responses to the SOQ/RFP is Sept. 1. A total of $250,000 had been budgeted for that piece, plus additional artwork in an outdoor courtyard behind the municipal center, facing Ann Street.

Updates from Art Administrator

Aaron Seagraves gave several updates and communications during Wednesday’s meeting.

Updates: Meeting with the Mayor

Seagraves reported that he and AAPAC chair Marsha Chamberlin had met with mayor John Hieftje to give an update on AAPAC’s work and to get the mayor’s ideas about the public art program. They also toured the site of the Dreiseitl installation. In general, Hieftje encouraged AAPAC to do more projects, Seagraves said. When asked by commissioners for specific ideas that Hieftje had mentioned, Seagraves cited the River Art Trail around Argo Pond, which is in AAPAC’s annual art plan for FY2012. He added that he hadn’t brought his notes from that meeting and didn’t remember all of Hieftje’s comments.

Margaret Parker urged Seagraves to communicate more details of the meeting, saying that the mayor is one of the people that AAPAC needs to hear from.

Updates: Art Inventory

CultureNOW, which runs a project called Museums Without Walls, contacted the city about being included in a national online inventory of public art projects. Seagraves said he knows that the city had done an inventory and has a database of public art, but he hasn’t been able to access it yet – he’s working with IT staff to find where it’s located within the city’s computer system.

There was some question among commissioners about whether AAPAC has the authority to make a decision to join this national network. However, they agreed that they couldn’t make a formal recommendation at that meeting, since they did not have a quorum of members. Seagraves said he’d get more information about the project and put a resolution of recommendation on the August AAPAC agenda.

Parker cautioned that Seagraves should find out how much time would be involved in participating, before making a commitment. She also pointed out that the University of Michigan has an extensive online inventory of its public art collection, and that it would be good to have the university participate as well – that would more than double the amount of public art that would be inventoried for Ann Arbor, she said.

Updates: Mural for Avalon Housing

The nonprofit Avalon Housing, which provides affordable housing to low-income residents, recently contacted the city, Seagraves said. The nonprofit is interested in having AAPAC help oversee a mural project for some of Avalon’s properties. Although the properties aren’t owned by the city, he noted, Avalon is supported by public funding, including money from the city’s housing trust fund, the federal HOME program, and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

Seagraves said he’s asked the city attorney’s office for advice about how to handle a project like this. The project would likely use donations, and the murals would be on private property.

Updates: Open Meetings Act

At a previous meeting, commissioners had raised a question about whether their committee meetings needed to conform to the state’s Open Meetings Act. On Wednesday, Seagraves highlighted two relevant resolutions passed by city council:

City Resolution, passed November 1991:  “All city boards, task forces, commissions, committees and their subcommittees hold their meetings open to the public to the best of their abilities in the spirit of Section 3 of the Open Meetings Act.”

City Resolution, passed December 2000: “… all City committees commissions and authorities, when required to meet in open session, hold all of their meetings in a public building.”

Those resolutions indicate that committee meetings need to be held in a public building, he said, like city hall or the library, and not at a private business. [By way of background, until mid-2009, AAPAC held its regular monthly meetings at the conference room of JJR – a landscape architecture and urban design firm where Zuellig works – until concerns about public accessibility prompted them to move to the seventh floor of the City Center building at Fifth and Huron. The city rented office space there while renovations were underway at city hall. AAPAC now meets back at city hall.]

Updates: Budget

Seagraves briefly reviewed the current Percent for Art budget. The balance at the end of fiscal 2011, which ended June 30, stood at $1.57 million.

Ann Arbor Percent for Art budget. (Links to larger image)

Seagraves noted that the balance doesn’t reflect funding that’s anticipated to be used for the mural project or the proposed Fuller Road Station. [A task force has been formed to look at public art for the Fuller Road Station, although that project – a joint city of Ann Arbor/University of Michigan parking structure, bus depot and possible train station – hasn't been officially approved by city council.]

At the start of FY 2012 – on July 1, 2011 – $292,216 in additional revenues became available for the Percent for Art program. That includes funds from the street millage ($133,772), the parks millage ($11,714), the solid waste fund ($3,910), the water fund ($40,397), the sewer fund ($89,543) and the stormwater fund ($12,880).

The Percent for Art program, established in 2007 by a city council resolution, captures 1% from the budget of all city capital projects, to be set aside for public art. That amount is capped at $250,000 per project. The ordinance stipulates that each public art project must relate to the source of funding – for example, public art funded from the street millage must be located near a street or have a transportation theme. [link to the Ann Arbor city code – click on Chapter 24: Public Art, which lays out the responsibilities of AAPAC.]

Updates: Annual Plan

Seagraves wanted to touch base with commissioners about the 2012 annual art plan. Though most projects that are listed in the plan identify a commissioner who will take the lead on those efforts, he said some projects didn’t yet indicate which commissioner would take that role.

Commissioners clarified that he had been looking at a draft – the final plan did assign commissioners to each project. [.pdf of 2012 annual public art art plan] However, Jeff Meyers had taken the lead on two projects: (1) the mural program, and (2) a possible public art project coordinated with painting of the Manchester Road elevated water tank, which is scheduled to occur in FY2013. Because Meyers resigned from AAPAC last month, other commissioners will need to take on those projects.

Cheryl Zuellig said it was helpful for commissioners to review the status of projects in the annual plan, and asked that Seagraves continue to do that in future meetings.

Committee Reports: PR, Projects

Every AAPAC meeting includes reports from three committees: public relations, planning and projects. The planning committee did not meet during the last month, and had no report.

Committee Reports: PR – Golden Paintbrush

No members of the public relations committee attended Wednesday’s meeting, but a written report announced the results of the annual Golden Paintbrush awards.

From a Chronicle file photo taken in January 2011: One of several rock cairns on the east side of North Main Street in Ann Arbor, near property owned by developer Peter Allen.

Since their last meeting, commissioners had voted online and selected three winners: (1) Krazy Jim’s Blimpie Burger, for the Snow Bears sculptures they build each winter in front of their business at Packard and South Division, (2) Mary Thiefels and Treetown Murals for the mural outside the Alley Bar along West Liberty, and (3) Peter Allen & Associates, for rock sculptures on the developer’s North Main Street property. [Peter Allen had attended AAPAC's January 2011 meeting to propose a sculpture park in the Argo Pond area, funded through the city's Percent for Art program. There's been no action on that proposal; however, a River Art Trail – which would include Argo and Gallup parks – is listed as a potential project in the 2012 annual art plan.]

Margaret Parker wanted to know when the awards would be presented to city council. Aaron Seagraves, the city’s art administrator, thought it would be on the council’s Aug. 4 agenda. [Golden Paintbrush awards are, in fact, included on the city council's Aug. 4 agenda.]

Parker expressed concern about whether the logistics of the presentation were being handled. It’s the responsibility of the public relations committee. Parker said the Golden Paintbrush presentation to council is one of the best ways to highlight public art. [These art projects aren't funded by the city's Percent for Art program, nor did AAPAC have any input into the projects. They are "public art" in that they are located in venues visible to the public – but on private property.]

Other commissioners indicated they were confident that the public relations committee, which has handled the presentation in the past, would be prepared for it this year, too.

Committee Reports: Projects – Sun Dragon

Connie Brown reported that the city has received estimates from an engineer and fabricator for repair of the Sun Dragon, a sculpture by Margaret Parker made of colored plexiglas that’s attached to a beam holding Fuller Pool’s solar-heated shower. It was damaged in the spring of 2010 by workers who were repairing a beam that supported the piece. Since then it’s been the topic of discussion at several AAPAC meetings, including a lengthy one at the March 2011 meeting. At that meeting, commissioners ultimately voted to approve up to $2,000 to hire a city engineer to: (1) perform a structural evaluation of the Sun Dragon’s support system and the piece itself; (2) to determine if design alternations or changes in fabrication are needed for ease of maintenance; and (3) to provide design and fabrication cost estimates.

Brown said the estimates have been forwarded to Sue McCormick, the city’s public services area administrator, for her review. Brown hoped to bring a recommendation to AAPAC at its August meeting.

Private Donation for Public Art

Neel Hajra, chief operating officer for the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF), recently contacted the city about making an $8,000 donation toward public art from the Richard T. Whitaker foundation, which AAACF manages. Aaron Seagraves, the city’s art administrator, told commissioners on Wednesday that Hajra was looking for suggestions for what might be a good fit for the foundation to support. Seagraves and Marsha Chamberlin, the art commission’s chair, had suggested the public mural program.

The community foundation would like to set up a sub-fund for this donation within the existing AAPAC endowment fund that’s housed with the community foundation.

Commissioners raised several questions and concerns. Margaret Parker noted that the city can only use interest on the principal of the existing endowment fund – would the same be true for the proposed donation? If so, interest on $8,000 isn’t much, she noted. The existing endowment can also only be used for maintenance. In addition, other funds have been set up with the AAACF in the past for specific art projects – these were made by donors before the city instituted its Percent for Art program in 2007, Parker said. Even though those projects are completed, some money remains in those funds – “dribs and drabs,” Parker said. Parker added that the city needs to revisit whether that money can be pooled and spent on other projects.

Donations can be given directly to the city, Parker said. Seagraves reported that he had talked with Abigail Elias of the city attorney’s office, who told him that any donations would need to be approved by city council and would be added to the general fund.

Parker suggested the best way to handle donations would be to set up a public art fund and teach people to give to that, rather than give donations dedicated to a specific project. It’s better to let AAPAC decide how to use the donations, she said. Cheryl Zuellig countered that a lot of people want to know how their money will be spent. The city needs to make it as easy as possible to accept donations – AAPAC should make it a priority to figure out a process, and not to make it overly complicated, she said.

Malverne Winborne agreed: “Let’s find a way to streamline this process.”

Seagraves said he’d get additional information from Hajra about how the sub-fund might be structured, and would get guidance from Sue McCormick – the city’s public services area administrator, who oversees the Percent for Art program – about other issues raised by commissioners.

Communications, Public Commentary

Malverne Winborne, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Marsha Chamberlin, reported that Ann Arbor had been listed No. 6 in American Style magazine’s top 25 ranking of mid-sized cities for art. The magazine’s top five art destinations are St. Petersburg, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; New Orleans, La.; Charleston, S.C., and Scottsdale, Ariz.

Bob Miller attended Wednesday’s meeting, after talking with some of the commissioners at the July 18 pre-art fair Townie Party, where AAPAC had an information table. During the time available for public commentary, Miller told commissioners that he was interested in learning more about the group. He has a degree from the Art Institute of Chicago, has worked in ceramic sculpture and photography, and is also a builder and realtor. He confirmed for commissioners that he lives in Ann Arbor – they joked that this could make him eligible to serve on the commission, and said they were glad he’s interested in getting involved.

Commissioners present: Connie Brown, Margaret Parker, Malverne Winborne, Cheryl Zuellig. Also Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator.

Absent: Marsha Chamberlin, Cathy Gendron, Wiltrud Simbuerger, Elaine Sims.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 4:30 p.m., in the sixth floor conference room at city hall, 301 E. Huron St. [confirm date]

Purely a plug: The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of publicly-funded programs like the Percent for Art, which is overseen by the Ann Arbor public art commission. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

His resignation was foreshadowed at AAPAC’s June 2011 meeting, which he did not attend. AAPAC chair Marsha Chamberlin had told other commissioners that Meyers wanted to relinquish his leadership of the mural program – she said he felt like the project had stalled. That announcement prompted some commissioners to speculate on whether Meyers was still interested in serving on AAPAC, noting that he hadn’t attended a meeting since April. At previous meetings, Meyers – managing editor of the online magazines Concentrate and MetroMode – had expressed frustration about the program’s progress.

Meyers developed the pilot program as a way to generate more public art in the community. Funded by the city’s Percent for Art program, which AAPAC oversees, it was approved by AAPAC in November 2010, with the intent of creating at least two murals per year in the city. It has an estimated budget of $25,000 this year. Meyers formed a task force, which recommended two sites for the first murals: A building at Allmendinger Park, and a retaining wall along Huron Parkway. AAPAC approved those sites at a special meeting in March, but city staff later determined that the meeting hadn’t been properly noticed, so a second special meeting was called in April and the vote was retaken.

Then, city staff realized that AAPAC’s 2011 annual public art plan, which includes the mural program, hadn’t been officially approved by Ann Arbor city council. Though the plan was approved last year by AAPAC and forwarded to city staff, it was never placed on council’s agenda. [See Chronicle coverage: "What's Ahead for Public Mural Program?"] The council formally received the plan at its June 20, 2011 meeting, when it approved the clerk’s report of communications, of which the plan was a part.

City staff also determined that neighborhood meetings were needed to get input on the sites – those meetings were held earlier this summer. But the city has not yet solicited proposals from artists for the murals, and it’s doubtful that the murals will be completed before winter arrives. Meyers had originally hoped to have both murals finished by September.

The mayor is responsible for making nominations to the nine-member public art commission. Those nominations also require confirmation by the full city council.

This brief was filed shortly after AAPAC’s meeting adjourned from the sixth floor conference room of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report on the meeting will follow.

Todd Roberts, left, superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools, talks Adam Hollier, who resigned as an AAPS board of education trustee on Wednesday night. (Photos by the writer.)

Leading up to his announcement, Hollier used his parting comments as an AAPS trustee to offer support to the workers facing possible privatization, as well as to make a strong pitch for private giving to support the schools in light of a looming budget shortfall.

Also during the meeting, 13 speakers filled the maximum allotted public commentary time of 45 minutes, most of them focusing on the perils of privatization. A few speakers were there to express frustration with the district’s handling of a recent incident at Logan Elementary School.

Other actions at Wednesday’s meeting included a report on a new communication system that would allow the district to quickly send mass voicemails, texts or emails, and the presentation of several awards. And in the board’s informational packet – but not discussed at the meeting – was news of a possible state retirement mandate that could negatively impact the district’s budget.

Trustee Adam Hollier Resigns

Adam Hollier began his resignation statement by saying he had prepared comments, but had decided to “wing it” in light of issues raised during the meeting. He stressed that, in hearing what speakers said during the public commentary, “it does take a village to raise a child.” He recalled that some of his fondest memories were of a custodian at his elementary school, Mr. Johnson, and said they had developed a real relationship.

Referencing the few dozen AAPS employees present at the meeting to oppose privatization, Hollier argued that school support staff can make a big difference in students’ lives: “We don’t see a child fall through the cracks the day they fall … You say, ‘I wish I could have helped them …’ Many of the people in this room make a difference when no one else can.”

Hollier cited a lack of time, as well as a desire to work on education reform at the state level, as reasons for his resignation. [Hollier is the chief of staff for state Rep. Bert Johnson, who represents Michigan’s 5th District, including Hamtramck, Highland Park, and parts of Wayne County and the city of Detroit. He won his school board seat in May 2009, though he had withdrawn from the race in April. His withdrawal came too late to remove his name from the ballot, and he won the election.]

On Wednesday, Hollier expressed frustration at the current education funding crisis. He said he doesn’t know anyone in Lansing who has the answer, but since the school system is dependent on decisions made at the state and national levels, reform needs to happen there. “The problems are beyond what we can solve here,” he said.

Hollier said he believes his efforts would be better spent in Lansing, and that the board deserves a trustee who can devote more time to the position.

Referencing the defeated countywide educational millage last November, Hollier said, “We had an opportunity not to fight these battles, but it didn’t work out that way.” Addressing the public directly, Hollier continued, “I encourage you to support the public school system as though the millage passed – because it did.” [The millage failed countywide, but was supported by voters in the Ann Arbor school district.]

Hollier outlined a possible private giving target for AAPS, saying if each of the district’s 16,458 students were sponsored by a parent or community member paying $10 per month during the school year, the district could raise $164,000. Or, he suggested, community members could be asked to pay a dollar a day. [This is a theme that would be picked up later in the meeting by trustee Randy Friedman.] As a comparison, had the millage passed, AAPS would have received over $11 million annually for 5 years. [For details on public school funding, and the structure of the failed millage, see previous Chronicle coverage: "Does It Take a Millage?"]

Hollier closed his comments, made during the “Items from the Board” section at the end of the meeting, by thanking his fellow trustees and the community, asserting, “This has been the greatest experience of my life. Though I’m leaving the board, I’m not leaving the district.” President Deb Mexicotte accepted Hollier’s resignation on behalf of the board, and opened the floor to comments from other trustees.

Glenn Nelson told Hollier it was great to get to know him, that he was impressed by Hollier’s intelligence, and that he looked forward to hearing more from him as his career evolved. Irene Patalan acknowledged that it was a hard decision for Hollier to resign, and wished him luck in his next step.

Susan Baskett echoed those sentiments, “I look forward to seeing where your career goes  … Go up there and kick booty!” Superintendent Todd Roberts said he appreciated Hollier’s commitment, knowing how busy he’s been.

And Simone Lightfoot commended Hollier’s work on the board, saying, “I’m so proud of you; I’m almost speechless. Thank you for your service. I expect great things.” She praised Hollier’s conscientiousness, diplomacy, and articulateness, thanking him for “encouraging us to think outside of the box.”

Timeline and Process for Selection of New Trustee

Deb Mexicotte shared that when Hollier told her privately that he was planning to resign as of Feb. 12, she began to work out a timeline, since the board is required to fill the vacancy within 30 days. The board was at somewhat of an advantage, she said, since everyone was familiar with the process, having just appointed Simone Lightfoot to the board last December to replace former trustee Helen Gates-Bryant. The person selected to replace Hollier will serve through Dec. 31, 2010.

Mexicotte explained that the application timeline was structured to accommodate both the AAPS and the University of Michigan breaks occurring in late February, saying that the board “didn’t want to disenfranchise any part of the community” who might want to apply. She also encouraged those who came forward before to reapply, and proposed following timeline: an executive committee meeting on Feb. 9 to decide on interview questions and specific process; a meeting on March 8 to interview candidates; and candidate presentations and appointment at the regular board meeting on March 10.

Randy Friedman said the timeline was amenable to him, but suggested contacting the six other applicants who had competed for Lightfoot’s seat to see if they would like to renew their applications. He also suggested that those applicants go through a shorter interview process, since the board was already familiar with them. Mexicotte said it was her intent to contact the recent applicants, and that the executive committee would consider a shorter interview.

Glenn Nelson pointed out that, while he respects people’s time, shortening the interview presupposes that the interview questions will be exactly the same this time as they were when interviewing for the position awarded to Lightfoot. If the questions were at all different, he argued, all applicants would need to be given an opportunity to answer the exact same questions. Adam Hollier reminded the board that Lightfoot was not able to interview any of the previous candidates, as she was one of the applicants at the time, which Mexicotte conceded was an “excellent point.”

After some additional clarifying questions were answered, the following timeline for selecting a new trustee was set:

• Monday, Feb. 8, 4 p.m.: Deadline for community to submit possible interview questions to board office.
• Tuesday, Feb. 9: Executive committee meeting to select questions and plan interview process.
• Friday, Feb. 19, 4 p.m.: Deadline to submit application for vacant trustee position to board office.
• Monday, March 8: Candidate interviews by the board.
• Wednesday, March 10, 7 p.m.: Candidate presentations at the regular board meeting, and candidate selection.

The vacancy was posted Thursday to the board’s website, and states that any individual wishing to serve must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age, a resident of the AAPS school district, and registered to vote. Applications should contain a resume, a letter of intent detailing the candidate’s experiences and qualifications, and two letters of recommendation. They should be sent to Amy Osinski by mail at AABOE, 2555 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104; by fax at 734-994-2414; or by email at osinski@aaps.k12.mi.us.

Private Giving to AAPS

Referencing Adam Hollier’s final comments, trustee Randy Friedman asked superintendent Todd Roberts if there was a formal process already in place for community members to donate to the AAPS. Roberts explained that the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation is the vehicle for private individuals who want to donate to the AAPS. Roberts added that the foundation has already run a campaign similar to what Hollier suggested, trying to encourage AAPS-district residents to donate the same amount they would have paid if the millage had passed (about $250 per year for a home valued at $250,000).

Roberts also stated that the second phase of that giving campaign was slated to begin in the next month or so. [For more information about the work of the foundation, see The Chronicle’s coverage of its most recent Celebration of Innovation and Excellence event, held each spring: "Educational Foundation Marks Achievements"]

Friedman expressed his frustration at the foundation’s campaign, saying it “has not been well-publicized or well-organized.” He suggested that AAPS should reach out to the community directly, saying that he’s been talking private giving since before he had gray hair and asking, “Why is this so difficult?” He argued that the foundation does not have the resources to “stimulate, manage, and control” efforts at private giving, and that “this is not something that lends itself to volunteerism.” He added: “I’d like to support a campaign. I’d like there to be a campaign to support.”

Referencing Hollier’s earlier suggestions, Friedman argued that establishing an AAPS-led private giving campaign would be “a great legacy to this young trustee,” and asked the board to consider it, saying “My challenge is to the only person at the table who has a computer with a database…I’d like that on the agenda.”

Deb Mexicotte asked whether the board wanted to direct the administration to look into Friedman’s proposals, and the board agreed. Mexicotte clarified that this was not a vote, but that she “look[ed] for nodding.” She then assigned Roberts to look into how such a campaign might be structured, what the advantages and challenges might be, and to report back to the board at his earliest convenience.

Public Commentary: Privatization

Walking into the downtown library, where the regular board meetings are held, The Chronicle passed through a throng of picketing members of the custodial, maintenance, and grounds workers’ union.

Workers demonstrate against privatization of certain school services on Feb. 3 outside of the downtown library on Fifth Avenue, where the AAPS school board meeting took place.

The 16 members were walking slowly back and forth along Fifth Avenue, holding signs in opposition to the proposed privatization of their services, as well as to privatized transportation services for the district.

At the meeting, board president Deb Mexicotte reminded the 13 speakers signed up for public commentary, as well as the dozens of teachers, students, and co-workers there to support them, that public commentary is limited to 45 minutes.

Because the time is divided equally among the number of speakers present, that meant that  each speaker would be given no more than 3 minutes and 20 seconds to share his or her comments.

Privatization Commentary: Head Start Licensing, NAEYC Accreditation in Jeopardy

The bulk of the speakers at Wednesday’s public commentary were there to oppose privatization, and this time, a new voice joined their ranks. Marifran Brown, a preschool teacher with 22 years of service to the district, spoke in “support of my colleagues in custodial, maintenance, and transportation services.”

Brown offered a new perspective to the ongoing debate over privatization in the district, arguing that AAPS is in danger of losing Head Start grant funding and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation status if they privatize. She explained that the preschool has specific needs that would not be met if the people essential to her educational team were privatized.

The district’s Preschool and Family Center serves a specific population of students. According to a report made by preschool staff to the board’s performance committee last year, two-thirds of the families served by the pre-school received special education services, and the remaining one-third were living in poverty. At that same meeting, an update was given on the then-ongoing accreditation process. The minutes state: “Ongoing evaluation to achieve NAEYC accreditation has been a lot of work …There are few accredited preschools in the country, so this is an area where Ann Arbor has also taken the opportunity to move to the next level. … Trustees noted that there is little appreciation of the comprehensive nature of our Preschool programming, due primarily to few informational opportunities outlining the scope and range of services.”

At Wednesday’s board meeting, Brown explained that the nature of working with this population demands a high degree of communication and cooperation among all members of the team, using transportation services as an example. “Bus drivers are a critical link to parents,” she said. “We are asking parents of [at-risk] three-year-olds to put their children on a bus. It’s not fair to say that we don’t know who’s driving the bus, or if they can work a 5-point harness. You’re not going to know – they won’t answer to you.”

Brown cited the extensive inspections to maintain Head Start licensing, as well as the criteria required to meet NAEYC accreditation standards as being impossible to achieve “without the support of custodial, maintenance, and transportation services.” She argued that they’ve been able to meet the criteria only because of the entire team. The higher staff turnover that would accompany privatization, due to lower pay and lack of retirement benefits, would imperil the district’s ability to keep staff properly prepared for the ongoing licensing inspections, she said. “We could not keep our grant and licensing criteria met – we will not have had time to train people.”

Privatization Commentary: Personal Appeals, Sacrifice

Multiple speakers made emotional appeals to the board, expressing fears and worries about how privatization would affect them personally, and offering to take additional pay cuts to protect their jobs.

A custodian with 20 years of service said she had graduated with just a 6th grade reading level, and that her education failed her. She credits AAPS with giving her a way “to not feel like a failure.” In return, she said she has given “beyond anything” back: “I fill in when teachers, secretaries, principals are late. I serve breakfast.” She listed numerous occasions when students have leaned on her, and she has been able to provide support and guidance, even to a student considering suicide. “The district needs to look at what we give,” she said, “and we’re still willing to give.”

Another employee, a bus driver with four years of district service, said this job is one of three she currently holds, and that it pays the majority of her bills. “Financially,” she said, “we are your smallest liability, but we are your greatest asset.” She asserted that she knows all about budgeting and cutting back, yet she still struggles to make ends meet. She asked, “I wonder, [if privatization occurs] will they hire everyone back, or just a percentage? I wonder if I can afford health insurance. Why diminish the quality of living standards of the poorest paid employees?” She closed by encouraging the district to put something on its website about how parents can contact their legislators about school funding issues,  offering to use her van to spread flyers with that information.

Another bus driver, with 29 years in the district, also spoke of being willing to sacrifice personally for the good of the whole. He suggested that if you take the district’s total operating budget of roughly $192 million, that the $20 million shortfall could be made up entirely if all employees agreed to take an 11% pay cut. He said he would agree to that, as long as the cut was universal.

Privatization Commentary: Public Appeals for Public Appeals

Three of the speakers appealed directly to the public, encouraging parents and community members to write trustees and legislators themselves. A transportation worker with 16 years of service pleaded with parents directly, saying they should be worried, and “not be afraid to call – we need your complaints. [Privatization] is not only going to hurt us, but also the parents, and the children of the parents.”

Another speaker, a bus driver, said, “I really look forward to retiring with somewhat of a pension, and I’m concerned about that. Could we contact our legislators to make a stronger or more powerful statement to Lansing?”

Privatization Commentary: AAPS Mission Statement

Two speakers, one teacher and one bus driver, spoke directly about how they saw privatization as antithetical to the district’s mission statement.

Teacher Carol Mohrlock pointed out that the AAPS mission statement, “talks about nurturing the human spirit and building alliances with families and communities,” and shared her concern that privatization of “any department … moves us further from this statement.” She questioned how the district hopes to maintain its vision of excellence in customer service by “hiring individuals who are not invested in the district,” and encouraged the district to analyze how departments can work smarter and more efficiently before eliminating them. “The answer lies within us and with our district employees,” she said.

Bus driver Penny Scheppe echoed these concerns, and framed the question as a moral one. “Simple logic should tell us that it’s impossible for a private company to deliver the same service for less,” she said, adding that most people seem to forget that private companies owe a legal responsibility to make a profit for their investors. “If wages are reduced and benefits are eliminated, there’s money to go toward profit,” she said. “But, [this] profit comes at a huge cost to the public … Should the [AAPS] be promoting greed as a building block of society to our kids?” She also asserted that the district can always find someone to do the job cheaper, “but you won’t find anyone to do the job better!”

Privatization Commentary: AAPS Already Gets “Tremendous Value”

Multiple speakers used the phase “tremendous value” in referencing the savings AAPS gets by maintaining its own staff, for transportation in particular. One bus driver pointed out that more delineated accounting – splitting out the wages for drivers and monitors from administrative and maintenance costs – would show this savings more clearly. He suggested that 90% of drivers are part-time, creating a huge savings for the district in terms of benefits. He also argued that privatization shows a lack of long-range planning and that the net effect will be exhausted drivers, if workers need to get second or third jobs to make up the lack of pay and benefits.

Privatization Commentary: Student Safety a Key Issue

Echoing the above comments, the same bus driver who had suggested a universal pay cut also pointed out how privatization could impact what he called the current “culture of safety” in transportation services. “What do you want the bus driver of your child to be thinking about?” he asked. He claimed that part-time, privatized workers would be forced to look for additional work to make ends meet, and would end up exhausted. He closed by asking, “At what point [do we] allow the deterioration of the safety culture to cause the death of a child?”

Reminding the board of another perspective on safety, Darryl Wilson, president of the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1182, representing custodians and maintenance workers, cited the 2004 safety incident in which a felon with a history of assault was hired as a contract custodian. Wilson used the incident to highlight the inadequacy of trusting private companies to do complete and proper background checks on their employees, and pointed out that Michigan State Police “admit to having up to a 64% failure rate,” depending on the timing of felonies and whether or not they occurred out of state. (Currently, all AAPS employees are also checked against a federal database.)

“You say, ‘It’s just one incident’ … This person stabbed people,” Wilson asserted. Quoting a statement made by Liz Margolis in an Ann Arbor News article on the incident in which she said the employee “would not have been hired had the district known he’d been convicted of assault,” Wilson asked, “When you’re thinking about privatization, who do you want in your schools?”

Privatization Commentary: It’s the Problem, Not the Solution

A head custodian at one of the district middle schools cited a series of examples of what he sees as wasteful spending. All were examples of outsourcing that he felt could have been done by AAPS employees for less cost, particularly electrical work such as counting light bulbs, switches, and outlets, or installing a new light bulb in a food warmer.

He also asked, “How does the district explain the new ‘school messenger’ phone system?” [This system is described in some detail in the superintendent’s report later in this article.] “Technology is important,” he stated, “but are we beginning to put in place a system that will next replace another group of employees?” He pointed out how the AAPS used to have plumbers, but how plumbing is now outsourced completely. “If the AAPS has slowly eliminated custodial and maintenance workers, then why is there still an issue regarding the cost for these departments?” he asked. “Could private companies be charging the district too much money?”

Incident at Logan Elementary

Also generating public commentary, as well as response from district officials, was an incident in which a fifth-grade teacher left the Logan Elementary school building without informing the principal.

Public Commentary on Logan Incident

Two parents, both representing families of fifth-grade students at Logan Elementary, expressed frustration with the district’s handling of a recent incident there, in which a teacher left his school unexpectedly during instructional time and has been placed on administrative leave. After the teacher left, the school was placed temporarily in lockdown mode.

The first parent, Kate Klaus, referenced a letter given to board trustees, which she said was pulled together in less than 12 hours and signed by a majority of parents with students in the class to show that “we are united in support for the teacher.” The parents, Klaus said, decided to write a group letter expressing support for the teacher because “the voice of the community acting together is stronger and louder” than that of individuals. She acknowledged that it was wrong for the teacher to leave the building, but said that he should be allowed to return to his classroom immediately.

Calling the lockdown policy “seriously flawed,” Klaus claimed that “someone exercised criminally poor judgment by calling police and imposing a lockdown.” She spoke on behalf of the teacher again, saying “he turned the kids into critical thinkers” and arguing that “children have already been harmed” by his absence. Klaus closed by repeating her request to return the teacher: “We are asking that the rule the teacher broke not be considered more important than the kids the rule was designed to protect.”

A second parent, Tina Pappas, also spoke in support of the teacher. She asked all parents and students present on the teacher’s behalf to stand up. When they did, filling nearly a whole side of the public seating available in the boardroom, she noted that the teacher had “near-unanimous” support from the families of the students in his class. She claimed that “what should have been a simple personnel issue became a non-objective lockdown,” and asserted that this is a dedicated teacher, who teaches each student to “be a good person, and learn about the world.” In closing, Pappas also requested the teacher be taken off leave: “He needs to get back in the classroom. Personnel issues need to be worked out between administration, him, and the union rep.”

District Response to Logan Incident

A follow-up call by The Chronicle to Liz Margolis, spokesperson for the AAPS, provides some background on the incident in question. Margolis outlined the situation as follows: Late last month, a fifth-grade teacher left the building without informing the principal. He left his laptop and keys on the principal’s desk, spoke with another teacher, and then drove off in his car. That teacher went to the principal, and reported what had been said. The principal then called the district office, as well as the Ann Arbor Police Department liaison officer assigned to Logan. What the teacher said before leaving has not been made public, but based on his statement, the officer recommended a lockdown, which was enacted.

Margolis acknowledged that Logan had been following outdated lockdown policies that were “over-the-top,” but asserted that, though students had been frightened and unsettled by the procedures, they were not in danger at any time. She also added that the Logan principal and police liaison officer devoted three hours during last week’s regularly scheduled PTO meeting to review proper district lockdown procedures with parents. As of week’s end, the teacher in question remains on administrative leave, and a substitute has been placed in his classroom.

Challenge Regarding Anonymous Commentary

Trustee Susan Baskett thanked the community for participating in public commentary, and said she appreciated public comments.

However, she said, “what I cannot embrace are anonymous contacts.” Baskett then held up a letter that she had received from an anonymous source, saying that the letter contained “serious, incorrect allegations” but that she was unable to respond, as the letter was unsigned. Two other board members also received the correspondence.

Baskett issued a challenge to the writer, asking him or her to come forward and “allow us a way to communicate … on an adult level.”

Board Committee Reports, Mack Pool Task Force Update

The board maintains two standing committees, performance and planning.

Susan Baskett, chair of the performance committee, reported that at its recent meeting they had reviewed the entrance and exit procedures for Stone School and the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center. The committee is comfortable with the procedures, she said, and will release them to the public soon. The committee will also be scheduling meetings in March to look at redesigning the district’s alternative programs. The committee also discussed the role, anticipated needs of, and way to improve the district’s communications. The school messenger program was reviewed as a means of allowing the district to quickly disseminate information. Also, Baskett reported that the performance committee is planning additional discussions about charter schools.

Irene Patalan then gave a report as chair of the planning committee. At its Jan. 26 meeting, the committee was briefed on the electrician bid, which was shared as a first briefing at Wednesday’s board meeting. The committee also heard an update on the status of a possible license agreement involving Mack Pool. Patalan explained that the city has created a task force, including three AAPS representatives, to study possible ways to increase revenue and decrease operating costs of Mack Pool. The AAPS representatives on the task force are: Randy Trent, executive director of physical properties; Sara Aeschbach, director of AAPS Community Education and Recreation; and Naomi Zikmund-Fisher, principal of Ann Arbor Open School at Mack, where the pool is located.

The city and the AAPS have an agreement dating back to 1974 regarding the sharing of Mack Pool. Patalan explained how the task force is considering amending this agreement to allow the city a longer block of time during the day to rent out the pool. [See previous Chronicle coverage of the recommendations from the Mack Pool task force.]

School Messenger System

As part of his superintendent’s report, Todd Roberts introduced the School Messenger system, a new communications system being put in place throughout the district, which will allow all schools to send messages via voicemail, text message, or email at a fast rate. He said the system can make 3,000 phone calls in 3 minutes, and that it would improve the district’s ability to communicate during emergencies, as well as to advertise upcoming events and help with attendance at the secondary level. “We believe it will allow us to get information out much more quickly,” he said, adding that the system includes a survey feature, and is translatable into languages other than English. Roberts also suggested that the PTO and other organizations would be allowed access to the system, within certain guidelines.

Prompted by a request for clarification by Deb Mexicotte, Roberts explained the School Messenger system was funded by a federal Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) grant. He added that AAPS was one of the only school districts in the state to receive REMS funding, and that the nearly $400,000 in funding over two grant cycles, allows AAPS “to do some things we would not otherwise be able to do.”

Budget Update

The information packet distributed as part of Wednesday’s meeting also contained a memorandum from superintendent Todd Roberts regarding proposed changes to the Michigan Public Schools Employees Retirement System (MPSERS), and how the changes could affect the district.

Retirees in MPSERS currently receive an annual pension equal to 1.5% times their years of service, times their final average annual pay. Gov. Jennifer Granholm is recommending a change to MPSERS that would increase the retirement multiplier to 1.6%. For example, if an AAPS teacher earning an average of $80,000 over the past few years, with 30 years of service to the district, chose to retire at the end of this school year, his or her annual pension payment would increase from $36,000 to $38,400. This additional cost per retiree would be paid by the district. Granholm’s plan also increases employee contributions to MPSERS by 3%.

Roberts’ memo explained that, in addition to the costs of the early-retirement incentive, the proposed increase in retirement costs for employees “may impact the ability to lower our salary and benefit costs locally because of the additional costs being added to employees by the state.” It also states that the change would likely result in a significant number of retirements for the system, which might cause significant staffing issues in spring and summer.

At this time, these are still proposals. Legislation would be required at the state level to enact Granholm’s recommendations.

First Briefing on General Bid for Electrical Work

As referenced earlier in the public commentary, AAPS outsources much of its electrical work. At Wednesday’s meeting, Randy Trent, the district’s executive director of physical properties, approached the board to request their annual approval of a blanket bid for 2,000 hours of electrical work. The Bid Review Proposal included in the board meeting packet states that pre-approval allows the physical properties department to act on electrical maintenance requirements in a timely way. This year, Trent recommended the district’s contract be granted to Wiltec Technologies, Inc.

Trent explained that an outside contractor is needed because “we don’t have the trained staff to do these things.” He said the department received several bids, and that the two lowest bidders did not have any low-voltage experience, so his recommendation went to the lowest qualified bidder, which was Wiltec.

Glenn Nelson asked whether the district has had any experience with Wiltec, or information on the quality of their work. Wiltec is an Ann Arbor company, Trent replied, with decades of experience with AAPS. He added that Wiltec was a successful bidder on the bond issue for digital and lighting controls, and that their work is of very high quality.

Susan Baskett asked for clarification on whether the RFP (request for proposals) specified the necessary experience, since the two lowest bids had been discounted. She also asked about the minority business classification of Wiltec. Trent explained that the degree of experience was revealed during reference checks, which was why those bids were disregarded. He also said that Wiltec did not meet the minority business threshold of 10% of its workers being minorities, but that it would only be providing one person to the district, so it was not relevant.

Additional Second Briefing Items and Consent Agenda Approved

Two items, in addition to the naming of facilities, had been presented at the Jan. 20 board meeting and were presented again at Wednesday’s meeting for final consideration of the board: 1) the contracting with Great Lakes Environmental Services (GLES) to manage parking at Pioneer High School during University of Michigan football games, and 2) the replacement of computers in the business lab at Huron High School.

Susan Baskett asked Randy Trent, executive director of physical properties, whether GLES hires people as employees or contractors, and Trent confirmed that GLES hired people as employees and paid their taxes. Both items were approved as items included in the consent agenda of Wednesday’s meeting. The consent agenda also included the acceptance of two gift offers, and a resolution to hold two additional executive sessions in February (one for collective bargaining negotiations, and one for evaluation of the superintendent). [.pdf file of Feb. 3 board agenda]

Awards and Accolades

The board’s Feb. 3 meeting included numerous award and accolades – from the naming of facilities to a celebration of an AAPS-University of Michigan partnership.

Westfield-Sleeman Track and Lillie Gym Names Approved

Two naming proposals were approved at their second briefing.

Superintendent Todd Roberts bestowed “with great honor” the co-naming of the Pioneer High School track to Don Sleeman, introducing the coach as “a man who, for many people, needs no introduction.”

Coach Don Sleeman

Sleeman was on hand to accept the award, thanked the superintendent and all of his student athletes. “The thing that’s really gratifying is the fact that so many of them have gone onto various professions,” Sleeman said. “Whatever they did, they did with outstanding effort … and became very good at it.”

Glenn Nelson thanked Sleeman for all he’d done for the district and “innumerable” students. “It’s wonderful to recognize such an outstanding person,” Nelson said, adding that it was great that someone like Sleeman would choose to spend a 42-year career with the district. Irene Patalan said she could tell by Sleeman’s remarks to the board that he was always encouraging students.

Because Sleeman was in attendance, Deb Mexicotte entertained voting on the proposal immediately, instead of during the consent agenda later in the meeting. The motion was made by Susan Baskett, who offered, “As the wife of one of his former track stars, I’d be honored to make the nomination.”  The motion passed unanimously.

Tappan Middle School gym teacher Rob Lillie was also celebrated, with the naming of the Tappan gym in his honor. Superintendent Todd Roberts spoke briefly on behalf of Lillie, saying the award wasn’t just about his service as a physical education teacher and coach, it was his impact on shaping the lives of kids, and their kids, over 40 years.

The board unanimously approved Lillie’s award as an item on the consent agenda later in the meeting. Since Lillie is out of town, it was agreed that he would be invited to be personally congratulated by the board upon his return in March or April.

Celebration of Excellence and Gold Star Awards

The board periodically recognizes AAPS staff members who have excelled in either innovation or customer service with the Celebration of Excellence award, or who have done a good job within the realm of their responsibilities with a Gold Star award. At this meeting, both honors were awarded.

Donnetta Brown, a secretary at Huron High School, received a Celebration of Excellence award. Brown was lauded as the “heart of Huron,” and honored for her quality of attention, patience, and flexibility. She was nominated by her co-worker, Sharon Brown (no relation), with the statement, “Ms. Brown has provided support to a peer who was suffering from a serious illness, treating her as if she was her own family. She has been a source of comfort and assistance that has gone above and beyond the ‘outstanding customer service’ category. She has truly earned distinction as a loving hero.” Deb Mexicotte echoed that sentiment as a Huron parent.

Brown accepted her award, saying, “I’d just like to say thank you. I love working in AAPS, and I’m just glad to be of service.”

Mexicotte then announced the following Gold Star awards, and offered her congratulations to Jeremy Eldred and Mike Hogue of the information technology department, and to Cindy Johengen, a teacher at Allen Elementary School.

Youth Senate Update

Three high school students representing the Youth Senate gave a report to the board. They thanked the trustees for their “hard work, dedication, and perseverance,” and hoped that the board felt sufficiently acknowledged by the community during school board recognition month, which was in January. They also thanked the DTE Energy Foundation for a recent leadership development grant awarded to the Youth Senate. Lastly, they reported on the accomplishments of the Achievement Solutions Team currently meeting at Huron High School. The AST is a peer support group that works to eliminate achievement disparities – the students said that early reports show no AST students failing any classes last semester.

Appreciation of University Musical Society-AAPS Partnership

Both superintendent Todd Roberts and trustee Glenn Nelson expressed gratitude during Wednesday’s meeting for the relationship between AAPS and the University Musical Society (UMS). During his superintendent’s report, Roberts thanked UMS for hosting the annual partnership luncheon and performance, featuring Ladysmith Black Mamabazo. He lauded UMS for the many benefits it offers to AAPS students, and said it was a relationship of which the district could be proud.

Nelson delineated these benefits during the “Items from the Board” portion of the meeting. He noted the recent performance about Abraham Lincoln, choreographed by Bill T. Jones, that AAPS students were privileged to see, and noted that “the public performance was great, but the public did not get to see Jones doing his work – our students did. … How many people get to see a MacArthur fellow doing his work?” Nelson thanked UMS president Ken Fisher, saying “There are times when I get that same excitement of a learning experience that was like my own school experience. It’s exciting to be learning like K-12 students in your mid-6os.”

Additional Accolades

Also during his superintendent’s report, Todd Roberts congratulated various students and school communities on their recent accomplishments, including:

• Four Pioneer High School seniors who are candidates for a Presidential Scholar award.
• Skyline High School’s production of “The Midnight Caller,” which qualified to compete in a regional fine arts festival, despite being produced completely by freshmen and sophomores.
• Wines Elementary first family math night, attended by 188 people.
• 4th, 5th, and 6th graders who placed highly in the Knowledge Master Open.
• Many high ratings among musicians at all the high schools in the Solo and Ensemble Festival.
• Many school communities who raised thousands of dollars for Haiti.
• The fact that AAPS continues to need larger and larger venues for the National African-American Parent Involvement Day evening program, known as NAAPID at Night, and hosted by Skyline this year on Feb. 8, from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Present: Deb Mexicotte, Irene Patalan, Glenn Nelson, Randy Friedman, Susan Baskett, Adam Hollier, Simone Lightfoot. Also present as a non-voting member: Todd Roberts, AAPS superintendent.

Next regular meeting: Feb. 24, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library 4th floor board room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]