Dharma's Council Newsletter, January 19, 2026

Neighbors,

In recognition of Martin Luther King Day, the City of Ann Arbor municipal offices are closed today and our City Council meeting is moved to tomorrow, Tuesday, January 20th at 7 p.m. (Trash pickup will occur on its normal schedule). There are many events going on around Ann Arbor that honor MLK's legacy, including one at the AADL that feels particularly relevant right now: MLK and Militarism Today. 

A Personal Update

I want to share that I will not be seeking reelection at the end of my term this year. Serving Ann Arbor has truly been an honor and a privilege. Over eight years in elected office, four on the Library Board and four on City Council, I have been grateful for the trust residents placed in me and for the chance to work alongside thoughtful, committed neighbors, staff, and colleagues.

This community means a lot to me, and I spent a good deal of time thinking about whether to run again. Truthfully, I never imagined myself as someone with a political career. I got involved because I care about this place, enjoy helping my neighbors, and wanted to work on policy that makes our city better. Over time, I have also come to appreciate that even local public service carries real personal and family tradeoffs. So, for me, this feels like the right moment to step back, make room for new leadership, and stay engaged in Ann Arbor in different ways. I look forward to serving out the rest of my term, which ends in November.

City Council Meeting, Tuesday, January 20 at 7 p.m.

• Meeting Agenda

• Responses to Council Member Questions

Agenda Highlights

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS

• 350 S Fifth Ave Development Agreement (CA-3). City Council will be voting on a resolution to approve a development agreement for the proposed project at 350 S. Fifth Avenue (the former YMCA lot). The agreement would allow the Ann Arbor Housing Commission and Related Midwest to move forward with a high rise mixed use building that includes ground floor retail and 330 affordable apartments above. The project also includes a shared service drive along the north side of the site, designed to support building operations and allow for future additional bus boardings by The Ride. The development agreement addresses items such as easements and restoration of the South Fourth Avenue streetscape and is required to fully implement the site plan previously approved by the Planning Commission.

• Resolution to Prohibit On-Street Parking on North Side of Catherine (CA-4). City Council will also be voting on a resolution to prohibit on street parking on the north side of Catherine Street between Division Street and Ingalls Street. This change is needed to allow for the planned extension of the Catherine–Miller cycletrack, a safety project scheduled for construction in spring 2026. Catherine Street has been identified as a priority corridor for bicycle and pedestrian safety, with a history of crashes and key connections to downtown and nearby neighborhoods. Removing parking on one side of the street creates the space needed to build a safe, accessible, all ages and abilities two way bike facility, along with intersection safety improvements.

• Resolution to Add 2 FTEs in Transportation in the FY26 Budget (CA-8). This resolution would add two full time positions to the City’s Transportation Unit and appropriate $87,500 in the FY26 Major Streets Fund. The added positions, a Signs and Signals Manager and a Signs and Signals Supervisor, would help address increased workload and growing responsibilities related to maintaining traffic signals, signage, and street infrastructure across the city. Transportation staff have taken on additional duties in recent years, including work previously handled by Engineering and outside contractors, and the added capacity would help reduce overtime, improve service reliability, and better prepare the City for a very busy 2026 construction season. Over time, bringing more of this work in house is expected to reduce reliance on consultants and strengthen long term operations.

• Approve a Grant Agreement with the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation to Develop a Sustainable and Affordable Housing Project at 350 S. Fifth Ave. ($1,000,000.00) (CA-16). This resolution would approve a $1 million grant agreement with the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation to support sustainability features at the affordable housing development planned for 350 S. Fifth Avenue. The grant would help cover the added upfront costs of advanced sustainability features, including full electrification, geothermal heating and cooling, high efficiency building systems, and water and stormwater improvements. The funding comes from existing balances in the County Mental Health Millage Fund and the City’s Climate Action Millage and supports the City’s climate and carbon neutrality goals while helping ensure new affordable housing is both deeply affordable and environmentally sustainable over the long term.

• Retainer Agreement for Fire Truck Anti-Trust Litigation (CA-17). City Council will vote on a resolution to approve a retainer agreement allowing the City of Ann Arbor to participate as a named plaintiff in a class action antitrust lawsuit related to fire truck pricing. The lawsuit alleges that major fire truck manufacturers and their trade association engaged in anti competitive practices that artificially limited supply and drove up costs for municipalities across the country. The legal firms representing the City specialize in antitrust litigation and will pursue the case on a contingency basis, meaning there is no upfront cost to the City. This issue came to my attention early this year, after I raised concerns about the steep increase in the cost of fire trucks. A resident subsequently reached out and shared information about similar lawsuits being filed by other communities. I brought that information to the City Attorney’s Office and the Fire Chief, which helped prompt further review and ultimately led to Ann Arbor joining this broader effort to hold manufacturers accountable and protect public resources.

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS

• Transformational Brownfield Plan for 350 South Fifth Avenue (PH-1). City Council will be considering a resolution to approve a Transformational Brownfield Plan for the affordable housing development planned at 350 S. Fifth Avenue. This would be the City’s first use of this financing tool and would support a more than $200 million, 20 story mixed use project co developed by the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation and Related Midwest. The project includes approximately 330 affordable apartments, ground floor retail, and improvements connected to the Blake Transit Center, and is a key piece of advancing affordable housing in a transit oriented, downtown location. Unlike traditional tax increment financing, this tool primarily captures state generated taxes created by construction and new economic activity, rather than local property taxes, to help make the project financially feasible.

• Arbor South Brownfield Plan (PH-2). This project has been before City Council in various forms for more than a year, often involving both a Brownfield Plan and a proposed public-private partnership (PPA) for City-owned parking structures. The item on this agenda is narrower. Council is not being asked to approve a PPA or commit the City to building or owning parking garages. Instead, this vote is limited to whether to approve the Brownfield Plan that establishes how tax increment financing would be structured and prioritized for the Arbor South development. Under the plan, future property tax growth could be captured for up to 30 years, with parking structures designated as the highest reimbursement priority. City staff estimates parking-related eligible costs at approximately $185 million including interest. Other infrastructure such as streets, utilities, bike and pedestrian improvements, and a proposed sewer trunkline expansion would be reimbursed only after parking costs are paid, and only if sufficient tax increment remains. City staff evaluated the proposal against Ann Arbor’s Brownfield Policy, which generally seeks a reasonable balance between private investment and public participation. The first criteria that must be met is: "Developer-reimbursable Brownfield TIF shall not exceed 20% of overall project investment." In the staff report, staff acknowledges that the scale of public tax increment financing proposed for Arbor South significantly exceeds the City’s typical benchmark when compared to private investment. However, they recommend approval stating, "This project, however, has been contemplated as a public-private partnership involving substantial City investment, although the ultimate extent of City participation has not yet been determined. Regardless of the City’s ultimate role, the Plan proposes a significant public tax increment financing investment due to the exceptional scale of infrastructure required to support the development and the magnitude of the public benefits the project is expected to deliver. Given these factors, the level of public investment necessary to realize these outcomes is not expected to align with the 20 percent benchmark, whether or not the City ultimately participates as a financial partner." Approval of the Brownfield Plan sets long-term priorities for how future tax revenue generated by the project would be allocated, with parking as the primary use of TIF and other public infrastructure funded secondarily. Given the length of the capture period and the scale of the proposed reimbursement, this decision will shape how much flexibility the City has to invest in transit, corridor improvements, and other public needs over the coming decades. Unlike the PPA that appeared on prior agendas (needed 8 votes to pass), this item only requires a simple majority of 6 to pass. I will continue to vote no.

I'd love to hear from you.Feel free to reach out any time with your questions, concerns, or ideas:Email: DAkmon@a2gov.orgPhone/Text: 734-492-5866There are also several ways to share your thoughts with the full City Council:

• Submit an eComment online

• Email all of Council: CityCouncil@a2gov.org

• Speak at a Council meeting (in person or remote):Call the City Clerk’s office at 734-794-6140 starting at 8 a.m. on the day of the meeting to reserve a speaking time.Note: You do not need to reserve time to speak during a formal public hearing.

Thank you for staying informed and engaged!