AnnArbor.com News - Category: Government

Perceived shortage of taxi stands in downtown Ann Arbor getting discussion

2013-09-11T05:59:55-04:00

Local cab drivers Randall Grenham of Blue Cab and Rick Albitus of Amazing Blue Taxi stop to chat Monday night at a taxi stand on Washington Street, just west of Main Street, in downtown Ann Arbor.

Ryan Stanton | AnnArbor.com

As chairman of the city's Taxicab Board, Ann Arbor City Council Member Stephen Kunselman hears a lot about the ins and outs of the local taxi industry.

One concern that's surfaced recently, Kunselman said, is there might not be enough taxi stands — curbside parking spots reserved for cab drivers — in the downtown.

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Ann Arbor DDA addressing 'increasingly tight availability of parking in the downtown'

2013-09-10T05:59:35-04:00

The entrance to the new Library Lane underground parking garage off Fifth Avenue in downtown Ann Arbor. In the background, the new Blake Transit Center takes shape last month.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

A year after adding 700-plus parking spaces with the opening of a new underground garage, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority leaders say parking demand is strong.

In fact, there's a wait list of more than 100 people seeking monthly permits for the subterranean garage off Fifth Avenue, said DDA Executive Director Susan Pollay.

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Ann Arborites think city would benefit from more downtown parks, survey finds

2013-09-09T12:38:00-04:00

More than 76 percent of roughly 1,600 online survey respondents believe Ann Arbor would benefit from having more downtown parks and open spaces.

As the city moves forward with exploring the idea, a majority of those surveyed suggested they'd prefer a new park at least the size of Liberty Plaza, which is about 11,000 square feet.

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Ann Arbor's downtown zoning evaluation project continues with more public meetings planned

2013-09-09T09:25:58-04:00

The second phase of the Ann Arbor Planning Commission's evaluation of the downtown zoning continues with more public meetings and online surveys planned.

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Long-vacant, historic downtown Ypsilanti building to be auctioned

2013-09-09T05:55:42-04:00

The Smith Furniture Building

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

The fate of downtown Ypsilanti’s Smith Furniture Building will likely be decided on Wednesday.

The 24,000-square-foot structure has largely sat vacant since it was purchased by its current owner, James Pate in 1992. After recent pressure from the city, Pate opted to put it on the auction block.

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Medicaid expansion topic of public meeting Tuesday in Washtenaw County

2013-09-08T12:50:34-04:00

Washtenaw County residents with questions about changes in health care laws and what options are available to them are encouraged to attend a public meeting in Scio Township.

State Rep. Gretchen Driskell, D-Saline, will host an informational session about health care options in Michigan from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Scio Farms, 6655 Jackson Road.

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Candidates for Ann Arbor City Council to take stage at upcoming forums

2013-09-08T10:00:00-04:00

Ann Arbor City Council candidates competing in the November general election will share their ideas about city issues as part of a series of forums being held next month.

The League of Women Voters in Ann Arbor is hosting the forums, which will be broadcast live from the Community Television Network studios at 2805 South Industrial Highway.

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Return of Notre Dame night game means extra police officers patrolling Ann Arbor

2013-09-06T05:59:59-04:00

The scene outside Michigan Stadium before the Notre Dame night game in September 2011.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto says the public can expect heightened police enforcement for the return of the Notre Dame night game on Saturday.

"With the Notre Dame night game two years ago, after the game it was quite busy because of the atmosphere and the crowd, so we'll keep extra officers out here patrolling," he said.

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Bringing 'community solar' to Ann Arbor: Effort to create pilot program underway

2013-09-06T05:58:00-04:00

About a year and a half ago, Nate Ayers and some of his neighbors in Ann Arbor's Lower Burns Park neighborhood began thinking seriously about solar energy.

They discussed ways to collaborate on a group installation project, pooling their resources and buying as many solar panels as possible for as cheaply as possible.

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Ypsilanti DDA to move into Ypsilanti City Hall

2013-09-06T05:56:00-04:00

The Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority will soon move into the Ypsilanti City Hall.

Officials say the move will save the DDA money, bring slightly more revenue to the city and improve coordination between them.

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New retiree insurance plan could save Ypsilanti up to $140,000 annually

2013-09-05T17:13:00-04:00

The city of Ypsilanti will soon offer some of its retirees a health care plan that could save it around $140,000 annually.

By switching eligible retirees from Medicare A and B plans to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plan, the city could save $11,700 per month.

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Ypsilanti to eliminate furlough days for non-union employees

2013-09-05T13:13:00-04:00

Ypsilanti will bring an end to its furlough program for its remaining non-union employees who receive the unpaid days off.

When furlough days were instituted in 2008, the reduced hours of 22 employees at 5 percent of their salaries equated to $55,000 in annual savings for the city.

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Major changes to North Main-Huron River corridor recommended in final task force report

2013-09-05T05:59:30-04:00

A conceptual site plan for a former city maintenance yard at 721 N. Main St., behind the Ann Arbor Community Center, includes a dog park in addition to trails and open space. A city task force recommends demolishing the buildings on the right side of the drawing and considering redevelopment options.

City of Ann Arbor

What does the future hold for Ann Arbor's North Main-Huron River corridor? More pedestrian crosswalks? A near-downtown dog park? A series of bridges — and maybe even a tunnel — connecting pedestrians and bicyclists to riverfront recreational amenities?

Those ideas and more are recommended in a new 28-page report — with a 50-page appendix — from the city's North Main-Huron River Corridor Vision Task Force.

The citizen-led group spent more than a year studying ways to improve one of Ann Arbor's major gateway corridors and released its final recommendations this week.

Sabra Briere, the lone City Council member on the task force, announced the release of the report at Tuesday night's council meeting.

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Ann Arbor DDA gives $300K for upgrades to County Annex building

2013-09-05T05:56:00-04:00

With mental health treatment services moving to the Annex building at 110 N. Fourth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County officials have a $1 million upgrade planned.

To help the county with the renovation costs, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority's governing board on Wednesday agreed to contribute $300,000 in grant funding.

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Ypsilanti approves first reading of street light fee ordinance

2013-09-04T15:06:00-04:00

The Ypsilanti City Council has approved the first reading of an ordinance that will require property owners to cover the cost of switching the city’s street lights to LED lighting.

Property owners would pay $58 per parcel each of the next two fiscal years, which would cover the cost of converting around 1,189 streetlights from mercury vapor to LED. That breaks down to under $5 a month, though the fee would be assessed once annually.

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