Dharma's Council Newsletter, May 17, 2025

Neighbors,

City Council meets next on Monday, May 19 at 7pm. The meeting will largely focus on Council's annual budget adoption. You can read more about that process and read council members' budget questions and staff responses on the City's Budget Public Process page. 

Before my agenda highlights, here are a few updates.

Ward 4 Listening Hour Cancelled for May

I got the dates mixed up in my last newsletter (sorry for the confusion) and need to cancel this month. I will share a date for a June listening hour soon!

Memorial Day Holiday Schedule for City Services

City of Ann Arbor municipal offices will be closed on Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day. There will be no curbside trash, compost, or recycling collection on the holiday. Collection services will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week, with the normal Friday pickup taking place on Saturday.

For full details, please see the official news release.

Time’s Running Out: Get Discounts on Electric Lawn Equipment Before May 31!

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading to electric lawn care gear, now’s the time to act. Through May 31, 2025, Ann Arbor residents and local landscaping businesses can score exclusive discounts on electric lawn care equipment thanks to a City of Ann Arbor partnership with Grainger Industrial Supply and WEINGARTZ.

Details on qualifying equipment, discount amounts, and how to participate are available on the City of Ann Arbor website.

City Council Meeting, Monday, May 19 at 7pm

• Meeting Agenda

• Responses to Council Member Questions (aside from budget-related questions, which I will share below, there were no other agenda questions)

Agenda Highlights

• Accept Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Funds and Approve an Agreement with MDOT (CA-2). City Council will vote on whether to accept a $200,000 grant from MDOT for the Fourth Avenue Streets and Transit Improvements (FAST) project, which will enhance accessibility between William and Liberty Streets. The project supports connections to the Blake Transit Center, nearby businesses, and affordable housing, and is a partnership with the DDA, Housing Commission, and AAATA. Total costs are projected to exceed $8 million, with construction expected in 2026.

• Ordinance to Amend the UDC (Land Divisions) (C-1). City Council will consider an ordinance amendment that would remove the requirement to send mailed notices for land division applications. This change is part of a broader effort to streamline housing development processes. Under state law, cities are required to approve land divisions that meet specific criteria, which means the current mailed notification process doesn’t influence the outcome. The proposed amendment reflects direction from a resolution Council passed in 2024 (R-24-109) to reduce unnecessary barriers to housing development. Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval.

• A Set of Resolutions to Allocate $1M Set Aside for Contingency in FY25 (DC6-8). In late 2024, City Council voted to set aside a $1M contingency fund in anticipation of "negative or debilitating impacts at the local level due to the change in the federal government administration." A set of four resolutions allocates that money in the following ways:

  • Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Intervention Programs ($300k to Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan)

  • Expanding Food Access and Supporting Local Food Distribution ($300k to Food Gatherers)

  • Shelter Diversion, Eviction Prevention, and Programming in Under-Resourced Communities ($400k to Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (SAWC) and SOS Community Services to fill gaps in funding for Shelter Diversion; Community Action Network (CAN) to prevent cancellation of summer programming due to federal cuts; Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation (AAHDC) for Eviction Prevention)

• Home of New Vision Marijuana Grant Agreement (DS-1). This is a resolution to provide $85,000 in Marijuana Excise Tax funds to Home of New Vision, a local nonprofit, to help reopen its Engagement Center as a Clinical Withdrawal Management facility. They previously operated as a 24-hour crisis intervention site, offering critical support for individuals in active addiction and serving as a resource for hospitals, emergency responders, and law enforcement. It closed earlier this year after federal funding was unexpectedly withdrawn.

• Budget Related Agenda Items. Once a year, City Council, with at least seven affirmative votes, must adopt the annual budget. Along with that, we vote on City fee adjustments.

  • Resolution to Approve Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Ann Arbor Fire Department. For ambulance service. The fees recover only the costs for services.

  • Resolution to Approve Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Adjustments for the Ann Arbor Police Department for false alarms to cover their costs.

  • Public Services Area and Airport Fee Adjustments FY26. Increases and decreases to cover services.

  • FY 2026 Fee Adjustments for CSA Community Services Area. Fee increases for park rentals, various golf fees at Leslie Park and Huron Hills Golf Courses, pool admissions, hockey drop-in fees, and the cost for camps at liveries and pools as well as planning fees, some of which are being eliminated.  

  • Resolution to Adopt Ann Arbor City Budget and Related Property Tax Millage Rates for fiscal year 2026

    • City Administrators' Proposed Budget for FY26

    • Budget Questions and Responses (May 9, 2025)

    • Budget Questions and Responses (May 16, 2025)

  • Budget Amendments Put forward by City Council Members

    • Amendment 1: Resolution to Appropriate $616,000 from the Marijuana Excise Tax Rebate to the Rising Hope for Housing Program (Sponsor: Harrison)

    • Amendment 2: Resolution to Prevent Roadway Fatalities and Serious Injuries on Major Streets ($500k) (Sponsors: Briggs, Akmon, and Cornell). City Council unanimously approved both a study to reconfigure multi-lane roads and a resolution directing the City Administrator to align the budget with our Vision Zero goals. But right now, the proposed FY26 budget includes zero funding to act on those safety recommendations. At the same time, it increases preventive street maintenance spending to $8 million—most of it from reserves (for reference, $5,8 million was allocated for capital preventive maintenance in FY 2025). We know that major streets make up just 25% of Ann Arbor’s road network but account for nearly 90% of serious and fatal crashes. Despite our Vision Zero commitment to eliminate these outcomes by 2025, we will not meet that goal. This amendment would reallocate $500,000 from the FY26 preventive maintenance budget to create a Quick Build Safety fund. These dollars would allow us to begin making tangible improvements on our most dangerous roads. This modest shift in funding reflects our priorities.

    • Amendment 3: Amendment to Appropriate $116,000 from the Marijuana Excise Tax Rebate to Eviction Prevention (Sponsors: Watson, Ghazi Edwin, Briggs, Cornell, and Akmon)

    • Amendment 4: Amendment to Prohibit the Purchase of Drones with FY 2026 Funds Until a Drone Usage Policy has been Approved by City Council (Sponsors: Radina, Harrison, Mallek, Eyer and Ghazi Edwin)

    • Amendment 5: Amendment to Appropriate $50,000 to the FY 2026 General Fund Budget and Carry Forward Remaining Funds for Equitable Communications to the Community (Sponsor: Eyer)

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: 734-492-5866

There 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!