Access information online with new data catalog
The City of Ann Arbor data catalog was previewed at the Feb. 16, 2010, meeting of the City Council Budget Committee and is now available for public use. This new online data catalog readily provides citizens with access to reports and other information (known as “datasets”), demonstrating the city’s commitment to transparency and public involvement. With this effort, Ann Arbor joins other progressive municipalities which also feature online data catalogs, most notably Washington, D.C., New York City and San Francisco.
This initial release of City of Ann Arbor data catalog currently features nearly 50 datasets, including the city’s General Fund report and other financial statements; construction and other permits; police dispatch calls for service; city-owned land; and many other datasets. The city is currently researching other datasets to include in the near future.
When creating the catalog’s datasets, the city is careful to respect privacy and security concerns. In particular, datasets that identify the city's critical infrastructure assets will not be published. In addition, crime statistics will be aggregated to a city-block level, and data that is considered personally identifiable information will not be published.
The data catalog is designed to provide detailed information in various formats. Due to the wide-ranging nature of the information provided, it is not possible for the city to design customized data sets for each individual request. However, the city encourages interested parties to design the data as they see fit for their own needs.
The data catalog site will expand over time as additional datasets are added, requested and become available. Feedback on improving this site and how the data provided may be expanded upon is welcomed.
City and University of Michigan issue community A2 Fiber call to action
Leaders of the effort to convince Google to pick Ann Arbor for one of its ultrahigh-speed broadband networks have issued a “call to action” to get the community involved in the project. The city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan are teaming up to meet Google’s March 26 deadline to complete a Request for Information (RFI) as part of the Internet search company’s Fiber for Communities effort. Google has indicated that a major component of the selection process will be the strength of the community support and participation.
Google will pick a number of communities in which it will install a broadband network that would stream data at 1 gigabit per second, or about 100 times faster than cable or DSL providers.
While the city-university team works to answer all of Google’s questions, community members can join in the effort by telling Google why Ann Arbor is the perfect fit for its program. Using the social media tools available at www.a2fiber.com and submitting a community group/resident nomination form (http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options) is vital to the success of Ann Arbor’s bid to be selected as a trial location for Google’s Fiber for Communities program. Citizens are being urged to:
Visit www.a2fiber.com to learn about multiple ways you can help spread the word about this project and tell Google why Ann Arbor should be chosen.
City fiscal year 2011 budget process continues amid ongoing financial pressure
Ann Arbor city officials continue to explore expenditure reduction options as the City of Ann Arbor’s fiscal year 2011 (FY11) budget process continues. To date, there has been only a little discussion about increasing revenues. Already in this fiscal year, spending cuts of 11 percent have been implemented and will carry over into FY11. City service areas have produced budget plans that contemplate 7.5-percent reductions for FY11 that are in addition to the 3-percent reductions already included in the FY11 financial plan approved last year. The FY11 draft budget is presented by City Administrator Roger Fraser to City Council in April, and the Council must review, amend and adopt the budget by the second meeting in May. The FY11 budget begins July 1, 2010, and ends June 30, 2011.
To date, three City Council work sessions have been held to discuss service area budget ideas. Another work session is scheduled for Monday, March 8 in Council chambers at City Hall. Meeting details can be viewed online on the Our Town page of the city’s Web site. In addition, those interested in staying up to date on the budget process, public input opportunities and Town Hall meeting date, can sign up to be alerted when new information is available on this Web page by clicking on the red envelope in the right column of the page.
Mid March: Census forms are coming!
Conducted every 10 years, the census will determine, among other things, what our community needs in order to prosper for the next 10 years. In light of Michigan’s economic hardship, this year’s survey is perhaps the most important yet, and also happens to be the shortest yet — 10 questions, estimated to take just 10 minutes to complete. Visit the 2010 Census page on the city’s Web site to see sample forms, links to videos and many other resources.
Legal notices now available online
Did you know that all notices regarding ordinances of the Ann Arbor City Code recently approved by the Ann Arbor City Council are now available online? The approved ordinances are available by visiting the city's Legislative Information Center or by clicking the Council File No. listed on the legal notices Web page. Just type in the File or Ordinance number in the search engine to view it.
The Ann Arbor City Code of Ordinances can be found online. Please note that ordinances required by law to be published in a newspaper are also printed in the Thursday edition of the Washtenaw Legal News.
Spring and summer in the parks
Day camp registration is already underway, and recreation program sign ups begin Monday, March 22. The program guide will be posted online soon. Watch — and subscribe to — the parks and recreation Web page for details.
West Stadium Boulevard construction begins
Construction on West Stadium Boulevard is underway, with the installation of the traffic control devices (i.e., barrels). Eastbound West Stadium traffic (between Pauline and Seventh) will be detoured at Pauline Boulevard. One lane of westbound traffic will be maintained through the construction zone.
Weather permitting, the pavement will be removed on the west/south side of the street beginning March 3. Find additional details on the project Web page.
Planning and development services unit changes
The planning and development services unit has implemented several operational and staff changes. The unit has been restructured into the following divisions:
- Planning division: This division handles development review, zoning and sign administration and appeals, historic preservation and master planning. Planning Manager Wendy Rampson now oversees this division.
- Rental housing/general permits division: This division handles rental housing registration and inspections, in addition to general permits, such as sidewalk occupancy and peddler permits. Projects and Programs Manager Lisha Turner-Tolbert now directs this division.
- Construction division: This division handles building and trade plan review, permitting and inspection, grading and right-of-way permits and code enforcement. New to the City of Ann Arbor, Chief Development Official Ralph Welton now oversees this division).
In addition to these changes, the city has decided not to fill the vacant planning and development services manager position. Sumedh Bahl, interim community services administrator, will oversee the planning and development services unit. Please visit the planning and development services unit Web site for more information about available services.
Get ready for golf!
On Friday, April 2, Leslie Park Golf Course will be hosting the first tournament of the year. The Good Friday Golf Scramble will raise money for the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Scholarship Fund. This four-person fun event will begin at 11 a.m. (depending on weather). It is a scramble format, so you do not need to be good — just recruit good partners! Cost is $40 per person / $160 per team and includes 18 holes with cart, continental breakfast, lunch, lots of prizes and a complimentary round at our sister course, the historic Huron Hills. Besides getting out to play in April, this is for a really good cause. Details: visit the A2 golf Web site http://www.a2golf.org or contact Director of Golf Doug Kelly.
Commercial loading zone permits
Commercial vehicles using the designated commercial loading zones on downtown Ann Arbor streets will soon be required to have specially-issued permits affixed to the driver-side front window. Enforcement will begin on April 1, 2010. The permits allow vehicles with commercial plates to use the unmetered commercial parking zones up to the time-limit posted at each site.
To introduce the new permit policy, throughout February and March, vehicles using the loading zones in unauthorized ways will be issued educational notices regarding the new requirements. Visit the designated page on the city’s Web site for loading zone permit information, maps and to request to be placed on e-mail list for program updates.
Fuller Road Station update
In September 2009, community members were invited to attend the first of several public meetings about Fuller Road Station, which is proposed to be an intermodal transportation facility that will serve AATA and University bus service, non-motorized transportation (walking and bicycling), rail service and City and University parking needs. This is a collaborative project between the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan. The location of the Fuller Road Station will be in the vicinity of the parking lot on the south side of Fuller Road, just east of East Medical Center Drive and Maiden Lane. Dozens of community members also attended a second public meeting Feb. 10. You can view the Community Television Meeting replay of this meeting online by visiting the project Web page. In addition, stay informed about future project meetings by signing up to receive e-mail notifications when the project Web page is updated by clicking on the red envelope in the upper right corner of the project page.
Mayor’s Green Fair
Save the date for the 10th annual Mayor’s Green Fair, taking place on Friday, June 11. Downtown Main Street will be open to pedestrians for free entertainment, food, and over 120 exhibits with environmental information, hands-on activities for youth, Clean Energy Expo, Green Commute Options, BikeFest, WasteKnot Business Partners, walking tours and more. For more information, call the Mayor John Hieftje's office at 734.794-6161 extension 41602 or visit the Green Fair Web page.
A2 compost carts program expands
Ann Arbor residents may now add uncooked fruits and vegetables — as well as grass clippings — to their normal compost cart yard waste materials for weekly curbside pickups between April 1 and Nov. 30 each year. Fruit and vegetable waste intended for the city’s compost collection program must be stored inside compost carts. The city’s expanded compost program allows interested residents to divert a wider range of materials to the city’s municipal compost operations and avoid landfilling many organic products during the seasonal collection program.
Compost carts in 35-, 64-, and 96-gallon sizes are available for a one-time purchase price of $50 each. Residents may pay by cash, check, or charge card and pick up their cart from the city’s Customer Service Center, 220 E. Huron, across from City Hall, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: 734.994.7336 (99.GREEN). Compost carts are the property of purchasers, who are responsible for any cart repair or theft. Residents should record and save the serial number of their compost cart as part of tracking their personal property.
Residents may continue to use paper yard waste bags to hold their normal garden debris and to tie branches (up to 6 inches in diameter) into bundles 4 feet long, 18 inches in diameter and up to 50 pounds per bag or bundle. More compost program details, including examples of acceptable and unacceptable items, are provided on the city’s online compost collection program site.
West Park closes this month during renovations
West Park will be closed to the public during major park improvements starting in March (exact date is weather-dependent) and running through September. The tennis courts on Huron Street, however, will remain open.
The project will feature stormwater quality improvements, including structures and planted bioswales, to help reduce phosphorous levels in the Allen Creek, provide flood control, enhance the wetlands within the park and increase biodiversity.
Park improvements include reconstructed pathways, a new pathway from Seventh Street, access stairs from the western entrance on Huron Street, seat walls at the bandshell built into the hillside, a relocated basketball court, and rebuilt parking lot. The recreational components, including the baseball field and open field area will remain, although the open field area will be regraded to allow for better drainage. The park will feature native prairie and wetland plantings with a boardwalk and overlook.
While West Park is closed, residents are encouraged to visit other nearby parks, including play areas at Waterworks and Maryfield Wildwood. A complete list of city parks can be found online.
The project is being funded through the State Revolving Loan fund, as well as with federal stimulus funds (ARRA), and Park Maintenance and Capital Projects Millage funds, and is being planned in cooperation with the Water Resources Commissioner's Office.
Parks and Recreation Open Space Plan
The Parks and Recreation Open Space Plan (PROS Plan) is a five-year plan stating the city's vision for parks and recreation in Ann Arbor. The PROS Plan provides an inventory of existing parks and facilities, describes the relationship between parks and recreation and surrounding municipalities and recreation providers, identifies parks and recreation needs and deficiencies and proposes major capital park projects for the existing and new parks. It also establishes background information while delineating system needs that may qualify for state and federal grant funding.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources requires a current plan in order to be eligible for state grants. The plan will be complete by December 2010.
Throughout the process, PROS Plan Committee meetings will take place on the fourth Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. in the sixth floor City Hall conference room (unless otherwise noted online). Meetings are open to the public for observation purposes, due to time constraints. Input, questions and feedback are welcomed via e-mail. Be sure to visit the PROS Plan Web site for more information and additional opportunities for input.
City/County dispatch center co-location
In approximately May 2010, the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County will begin a “co-location” approach to providing 9-1-1 dispatch services. City and county emergency dispatch staff will work from the same dispatch center, a cost-savings strategy which provides numerous other benefits.
The introduction of a new countywide digital radio system slated to go live in June 2010, prompted part of this move. The new radio system required dispatch center improvements, and rather than updating three centers (including Ypsilanti), the city and county decided to share costs and co-locate.
This co-location will also result in better, more efficient service delivery. Common challenges will be minimized, such as determining the appropriate response jurisdiction based on a caller’s description of his or her whereabouts. The co-location will bring a greater knowledge base and top-notch technology under one roof. The elimination of the need to transfer calls as frequently will result in reduced loss of callers and less time wasted in transfers.
The co-location of dispatch services is yet another way the city and county are working together. The two municipalities already share SWAT and mobile field force resources.
More information on this initiative may be found in the Jan. 19, 2010, minutes of the City Council meeting (enactment # R-10-014).
Safe Passages Great Lakes
During peak spring bird migration, March 15 through May 31, residents and property managers are reminded to close shades or turn out lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on tall buildings from the fifth floor and above. This action assists birds to maintain their natural night navigation patterns and avoids the unnecessary death of over 250 migrating bird species from becoming disoriented and flying into lighted tall buildings. For details, visit the “green” page on the city’s Web site.
Earth Hour
On Saturday, March 27, 8:30 – 9:30 p.m., Ann Arbor will join an international effort to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple — dimming the street lights along Main Street for one hour. You can participate in Earth Hour, too. Visit the city’s "green" Web page or the Earth Hour Web site for details.
City meetings and Events
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If you know a city resident who requires this newsletter in an alternative format, please e-mail the city communications office or call 734.794.6110, extension 41105.
Persons with disabilities are encouraged to participate in public meetings. Accommodations, including sign language interpreters, may be arranged by contacting the City Clerk’s office at 734.794.6140 or by written request via e-mail, or mailed or delivered to the City Clerk’s office, 100 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Requests need to be received at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
The City of Ann Arbor is committed to providing excellent municipal services that enhance the quality of life for all through the intelligent use of our resources while valuing an open environment that fosters fair, sensitive and respectful treatment of all employees and the community we serve.