Neighbors, City Council meets on Monday, October 2nd for a very light agenda. Before I get to a preview, here are some updates about things going on around Ann Arbor.
Fall Leaf Pickup Recently, the City announced it would be implementing a weekly 10-bag maximum per residence for leaf pickup. However, in response to a lot of resident feedback about this change, they have now announced that between Oct. 2nd and Dec. 15th, residents will be able set out 20 paper yard bags per collection day instead of 10. Learn more on the City's website. Energy Feasibility Study and Upcoming Public Meeting Oct. 3rd Last week, Council held a special work session on the Energy Options Analysis report delivered by external consultants. You can view the report, presentation slides, community sentiment survey, FAQs, and more on the City's 100% Renewable Pathways page. Staff will hold a public meeting (online) on Tuesday, October 3rd at 6pm. RSVP ahead. Michigan Public Service Commission Town Hall with Debbie Dingell Oct. 5th Congresswoman Dingell is hosting a town hall on Thursday, October 5th at 6 pm with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), who are responsible for ensuring safe, reliable, and accessible energy and telecommunications services at reasonable rates. We know DTE is falling flat. This your chance to directly interface with the body responsible for their oversight. The event will be held at the Washtenaw Community College Auditorium. You can also tune in to the livestream on Congresswoman Dingell's Facebook page. City Council/DDA Joint Work Session Oct. 10th City Council and the DDA will have a joint work session on Oct. 10th at 7pm. The session will be broadcast on CTN. City Council Meeting, Monday, October 2nd at 7pm
There were not councilmember questions about this agenda
Agenda Highlights
Resolution to Approve a Construction Contract with Anlaan Corporation for the Gallup Park Vehicle and Pedestrian Bridge Project and Appropriate Funding (CA-4). The Gallup Park bridge was constructed in 1976 and has reached the end of its useful life. A 2018 inspection identified the need to “begin the process of investigating the replacement of this structure, including design, funding sources, etc., as the life expectancy of this structure has been reached, if not exceeded. This project will be funded from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were allocated to this project ($2,300,000), with the remainder coming from the FY2024 Park Maintenance and Capital Improvement Millage fund balance.
We have 2 resolutions that concern filling needed sidewalk gaps. The City has over 436 miles of existing sidewalks. By contrast there are approximately 144 miles of “gaps" in the city as define by locations in the public right-of-way adjacent to a street that do not currently have sidewalks. Learn more about the City's approach to filling these gap on the Sidewalk FAQ page.
Stone School Sidewalk Gap Special Assessment Resolution (CA-7). The resolution directs staff to prepare plans, specifications, and cost estimates to fill sidewalk gaps along the east side of Stone School Road from Packard to Eisenhower as a special assessment project. This sidewalk gap scores in the "Highest" category in the City's sidewalk gap prioritization system, and staff has also received multiple requests from residents to have this gap in the network filled. Accordingly, this project was placed in the Capital Improvements Plan for work in 2024. Recent changes to City Code allow for the construction of new sidewalks without special assessment, however this excludes non-taxable parcels. This segment of Stone School Road includes seven township island parcels, thus creating the need for the special assessment district.
Resolution to Authorize Acquisition of Easements at 402 E. Stadium Blvd for the South Main Street Sidewalk Gap Elimination Project (CA-15). Our Capital improvements Plan has prioritized filling a sidewalk gap on South Main St. from East Stadium Boulevard along the Ann Arbor Golf and Outing Club and University Golf Course properties. To do so, the South Main Street Sidewalk Gap Elimination Project requires acquiring easements from The Ann Arbor Golf and Outing Club. The easement acquisition costs will be funded within the existing project budget.
Resolution to Encourage DTE to Develop a Process for Burying Power Lines, Investing in Energy Infrastructure, and Improving Grid Reliability and Resilience (DC-1). DTE recently asserted at a meeting of the Ann Arbor Energy Commission that the company is “definitely pursuing underground opportunities where it makes sense…to get some of the core infrastructure, the most important pieces…underground," and that the would like a partner in the City to bury lines while other construction is happening. This resolution directs the City Administrator to strongly encourage DTE to develop a plan to improve grid reliability and resilience through coordination with the City to upgrade and underground utility infrastructure, wherever possible, when the City is planning existing road or public service projects.
Please reach out if you have questions, concerns, or thoughts on any of the agenda items. Email: DAkmon@A2gov.org | Phone/text: 734-492-5866 You can also communicate your thoughts via:
Email City Council: CityCouncil@a2gov.org
Comment at the meeting (remote or in person): Call the City Clerk's office at 734-794-6140 beginning at 8 a.m. on the day of the meeting to reserve a public speaking time. NOTE: you do not need to reserve time to speak during a "public hearing (PH)" item.
How Council Voted The Ann Arbor Voting Charts Project is a community-maintained record of voting history for City Council. Check out the September 18th, 2023 Voting Chart.