Neighbors,
I hope you're enjoying this beautiful sunny weather! City Council meets on Monday, April 15th at 7pm. Here are some updates before my preview of our agenda.
Coffee Hour
I'm hosting my next monthly Ward 4 constituent coffee hour Sunday, April 21st from 10-11am at York Food and Drink (1929 Packard). RSVP or just swing by!
Affordable Housing Groundbreaking, Sunday, April 14th
Join the Ann Arbor Housing Commission, Avalon Housing, and the Community Leadership Council for the groundbreaking for Ann Arbor's newest affordable housing development, tomorrow, April 14th at 3pm. Speakers include Rev. Christina Dennis of the CLC; Aaron Cooper, Executive Director Avalon Housing and Jennifer Hall, Executive Director Ann Arbor Housing Commission. The 121 Catherine St. project, built on land donated by the city for $1, will create a community and cultural space honoring the unique history of the site and the people who worked, lived and organized there.
Land Use Planning Open Houses in April
Community members are invited to learn about and share input for future land use and planning initiatives throughout the city of Ann Arbor, with a focus on neighborhoods. Public workshops will take place at multiple times and locations to provide information and seek perspectives about the Ann Arbor Comprehensive Plan (plan.a2gov.org/plan24) — updating future city land uses for the next more-than 25 years to advance affordability, sustainability and equity. See the list of dates and locations and more information at: https://tinyurl.com/4jptdxnk.
City Council Meeting, Monday, April 15th at 7pm
Agenda Highlights
This meeting will be primarily focused on the City Administrator's presentation of the FY25 City Budget. City Council will adopt a FY25 budget at our meeting on May 20th. City Council does not yet have the City Administrator's proposed budget in hand. Information on the budget process can be accessed at: https://tinyurl.com/52r42e2f.
Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan ($538,054.00) (CA-2). This resolution is to approve a contract with Tetra Tech to complete a comprehensive stormwater management plan and to migrate the City’s stormwater model to an updated software platform.
Ordinance to Amend Section 2.63 of Chapter 29 (Water Rates) (C-1). The proposed water rate increase ordinance is the result of the City's annual budget process. The City has identified more than $300 Million in potential projects to improve the City’s water system in the coming years. The City’s five-year capital improvement plan contains $190 Million in projects for the water system with an estimated annual revenue requirement for operations and capital investments of $36.4 Million. The increase proposed will impact the water portion of the average residential customer’s bill an estimated $5.03 per quarter, or $20.12 annually. This is an increase of 6% from current rates, as detailed in staff responses to council member questions.
Ordinance to Amend Section 2.69 of Chapter 29 (Stormwater Rates) (C-2). The proposed stormwater rate increase ordinance is the result of the City’s annual budget process. The City has identified more than $50 Million in potential projects to improve the City’s stormwater system in the coming years. The City’s five-year capital improvement plan contains $38 Million in projects for the stormwater system with an estimated annual revenue requirement for operations and capital investments of $16.4 million. The increase for the stormwater portion of an average residential customer’s bill is an estimated $1.97 per quarter, or $7.88 annually. This is an increase of 3% from current rates, as detailed in staff responses to council member questions.
Ordinance to Amend Section 2.64 of Chapter 29 (Sewer Rates) (C-3). The proposed sewer rate increase ordinance is the result of the City's annual budget process. The City has identified more than $90 Million in potential projects to improve the City's sewer system in the coming years. The City's five-year capital improvement plan contains $72 Million in projects for the sewer system with an estimated annual revenue requirement for operations and capital investments of $37 Million. The increase for the sewer portion of the average residential customer’s bill is an estimated $3.90, or $15.60 annually. This is an increase of 3% from current rates, as detailed in staff responses to council member questions.
Riverside R1D Zoning (C-4). This area was annexed into the City in 2023; now City Council will consider how it should be zoned. The petitioner has asked for R1A zoning (the City's least dense residential zoning category: one house could fit on the parcel in this scenario). The City’s Comprehensive Plan suggests R1B zoning (3 houses could fit in this scenario). The Planning Commission recommended zoning it to R1D (6 houses could fit in this scenario). Staff notes there is no water or storm sewer service provided to this area, though the area is serviced by sanitary sewer. Large lot size minimums are a significant limiting factor in the creation of housing and setting such large lot size minimums restricts what can be built and who can afford to live there. Furthermore, Ann Arbor has limited land on which to build single family homes. At the same time, I'm seeking answers from staff on the safe provision of utilities in all scenarios.
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 April 1st, 2024 Council Voting chart.
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