Monday, August 24, 2020

Ann Arbor City Council Preview: August 24, 2020

 

Gentle readers, there is yet another #a2council meeting this month. Here's the agenda

There are three items on the docket tonight. DC-1 is a consent to the Mayor's declaration of a local state o emergency. The Mayor declared a state of emergency due to COVID earlier today. DC-2 is an ordinance that adds a temporary emergency ordinance. My understanding is creates rules around wearing masks in Ann Arbor. DC-3 is a resolution to recommend next steps in the city administrator search process. I imagine this will be the most contentious issue of the night. Some are arguing that, since we are in the lame duck session, and since there will be 5 new councilmembers in November, council should wait until these new members are sworn in before choosing the next administrator. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. 

As always, gentle reader, I am probably forgetting some very important items here. What agenda items are you most looking forward to seeing. I am guessing that tonight will be another late night around the virtual council table. Hopefully we will see you there. The CTN stream starts at 7 pm. Make sure you follow the action on the #a2council hashtag.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti streaming tonight and tomorrow

IFFY, Ypsilanti's new, independent film festival, kicked off last night with a drive-in show in front of the Water Tower. If you missed it, fear not. There festival will be streaming tonight and tomorrow with events at 7 and 9 pm. You can access the streams here

Monday, August 17, 2020

Ann Arbor City Council Preview: August 17, 2020

 

Gentle readers, tonight is, by my count, the 5th consecutive week with a #a2council meeting. What a treat. Here's the agenda

The evening kicks off with a 13 item consent agenda. Of note, CA-4 would create a unified affordable housing waitlist. 

There are four public hearings on the docket tonight. PH-1 and PH-2 are on the rezoning and site plan for 3611-3621 Plymouth Road. There was some murmuring during the first reading about traffic flow here so it will be interesting to see if it passes today. PH-3 and PH-4 are on the rezoning and site plan for 2800 Jackson. This passed first reading without much discussion. 

DC-1 is a resolution to endorse HB 4738 which would create a state crosswalk law and weaken Ann Arbor's Crosswalk Ordinance. This was postponed at the July 6th council meeting. I feel like I am going to have to share this article about Ann Arbor's Crosswalk Ordinance that Erich Z. wrote last year, so here it is. Finally there is DC-2, a resolution to approve the purchase Laurie Terrace Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Corporation. 

As always, gentle reader, I am probably forgetting some very important items here. What agenda items are you most looking forward to seeing. I am guessing that tonight will be another late night around the virtual council table. Hopefully we will see you there. The CTN stream starts at 7 pm. Make sure you follow the action on the #a2council hashtag.

Monday, August 10, 2020

Ann Arbor City Council Preview: August 10, 2020

 

Gentle readers, tonight there is another special session of #a2council. Here's the agenda. There is one item on the docket tonight, DC-1. This resolution would put a charter amendment for city council and mayoral elections to voters in November. My understanding is that this is largely the same as the resolution that was past last summer and followed by a veto from Mayor Taylor. What's different this time? I don't know. My prediction for tonight is an acrimonious debate followed by party-line passage followed by a mayoral veto. 

A little inside baseball/speculation on my part here. Careful watchers of #a2council may conclude that Councilmember Lumm feels like she would have a better chance getting elected to council if she is not forced to run in a partisan primary. I am not sure Lumm, who has run as a Republican, independent, and Democrat would fair better in the November election that the August election. Anyway, my two cents. 

As always, gentle reader, I am probably forgetting some very important items here. What agenda items are you most looking forward to seeing. I am guessing that tonight will be another late night around the virtual council table. Hopefully we will see you there. The CTN stream starts at 7 pm. Make sure you follow the action on the #a2council hashtag.

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Ann Arbor City Council Preview: Augst 6, 2020


Gentle readers, tonight is a special Thursday session of #a2council. Here's the agenda

The evening kicks off with a short, 8 item consent agenda. Of note, CA-4, the purchase of a high speed ballot tabulator. 

There are three public hearings on the docket tonight. PH-1 is amends the the risk fund portion, Chapter 11, of the city code. PH-2 sets up rules for short term rentals (e.g. Air B&Bs). There will probably be a ton of callers for this one. PH-3 is the site plan for 2658 W. Liberty. The plan calls for 52 dwellings in 9 three-story buildings on this 4.6-acre site.  2658 W. Liberty is zoned R4B (Multiple-Family Dwelling) and is just east of I-94. 

Elsewhere on the agenda we have DC-1, which would put ranked choice voting for future #a2council elections on the ballot this November. One thing to note is that ranked choice voting wouldn't go into effect until it was allowed at the state level. 


As always, gentle reader, I am probably forgetting some very important items here. What agenda items are you most looking forward to seeing. I am guessing that tonight will be another late night around the virtual council table. Hopefully we will see you there. The CTN stream starts at 7 pm. Make sure you follow the action on the #a2council hashtag.

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Vote today if you have not already


Gentle reader, if you are able to, and have not already, please vote today. You can vote at your local polling place, or your local clerk's office. If you have a completed absentee ballot, you can drop that off at your local clerk's office. If you have completed a mail in absentee ballot, you can check to see if it has been received here.

Here are my endorsements for this election:

Ann Arbor City Council: Disch, Song, Radina, Eyer, and Briggs
Prosecutor: Eli Savit for Prosecutor
Also, I would have liked to more thoroughly written about this but I am supporting the following candidates and millages:
Clayton for Sheriff
Kestenbaum for Clerk
Justin Hodge for County Commissioner, District 5
Both county millages
 
Results will be posted here sometime after the polls close at 8 pm. Please join me in refreshing this page frantically starting at 8 pm.   

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Defund the AAPD: How-to, Why-to

Ed: Last month we were approached by the Socially Distant Zine Club for Community-Based Research. They were looking for a place to publish their zine, Defund the AAPD: How-to, Why-to. We are thrilled to publish it here and share it with you, gentle reader. Who are the Socially Distant Zine Club for Community-Based Research? Here's a bit of info they shared with me:
A group of Ann Arbor residents with time on their hands in the time of the 'rona put together this zine detailing how policing is funded in Ann Arbor and how we can advocate for reducing that funding. Have feedback on this zine or ideas for future zines about local activism? You can reach the club's members using this contact form.

Without further ado, here's the zine: