Ann Arbor · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Ann Arbor public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Natural Area Preservation and Bird City designation
NAP reported Ann Arbor's Bird City Michigan designation and a $1 million USDA Forest Service grant ($375,000 for NAP) funding forestry mowing and invasive shrub removal across 41 acres in six natural areas, including Black Pond Woods.
Tree planting at Hikone Road near Living Hope Church
Trees along Hikone Road beside the Living Hope Church are failing and need removal and stump grinding, with spring replanting planned if funding is approved. The church asked that rocks lining the grass strip be replaced after any work.
Regional Deer Management Program
The committee received the USDA Wildlife Services report and draft updated bylaws, and set both for action at the September 16 meeting. Wildlife management at airports is a safety issue, and the bylaws vote will shape how this committee operates.
Height exception sustainability standards
The revised ordinance requires all-electric buildings for the 30% height bonus and adds a solar fee-in-lieu. Critics like Ken Garber called it a loophole that still falls short of net-zero and affordability goals.
Oak wilt prevention
Three large historic elms got three-year fungicide treatments. Losing them would change the character of those streets.
Beaver management in Washtenaw County drains
Beavers are re-establishing across the county, including Ann Arbor creeks like Traver and Fleming, and the county has drafted its first beaver management plan using red/yellow/green zones to decide where coexistence works. Olsen Park will likely be the first city test of a pond-leveling device, and the city plans its own plan for waters outside the drain commissioner's jurisdiction.
A2ZERO Week 2026 and community carbon neutrality
Three contracts totaling about $1.4 million move the city closer to its goal of the nation's first carbon-neutral, low-income neighborhood, funded by the 2022 climate millage.
Electric Vehicle Rebates
A limited-time rebate program to help residents switch from gas to electric cars, limited to those at or below 120% of area median income, funded through the climate action millage.