Ann Arbor · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Ann Arbor public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Construction site safety reforms
Two new initiatives strengthen construction safety: enforceable OSHA 30 supervisor requirements in city contracts and permit notices enforcing skilled trades apprentice supervision — following a 2025 worker death on the Miller Avenue project.
Dean II Rezoning and Area Plan
Council added a 10th parcel (548 S. Fifth Ave) to the 15-story, ~240-unit Dean II project and approved the Dean II Area Plan. Supporters say it's exactly where dense student housing belongs; opponents call it spot zoning that removes an R4C buffer, misses affordable housing that a PUD could have captured, and funnels traffic into dead-end streets.
Protection of places of religious worship
After more than 20 years of weekly picketing outside Beth Israel Congregation, council adopted a 50-foot buffer ordinance barring force, obstruction or intimidation at worship entrances. Critics called it an unconstitutional speech restriction.
Virtual Currency Kiosk Regulation
New ordinance regulates crypto kiosks with warning signs, receipts and a $1,000 daily cap, targeting scams that disproportionately drain seniors' savings.
Human Services Partnership priorities
Council funded the 2026-27 winter warming center ($222,000) and set priorities for the Human Services Partnership starting with homelessness, as county homelessness hit a record 821 people.
$10 Million Park Improvement Bonds
Council authorized up to $10 million in limited tax general obligation bonds to fund park capital improvements.
City Policy Agenda Feedback
The committee set the schedule for building the city's 2027 policy agenda — the roadmap for what Ann Arbor will push for with state and federal lawmakers next year.
DDA Boundary Expansion and TIF Revenue-Share Proposal
The district captured about $394,000 more in tax increment revenue than projected, largely because the district was recently expanded. But a pile of property tax appeals inside the district could force some of that money back, so the real number won't be clear until early 2028.
Stormwater Comprehensive Plan
The city is finishing its first-ever comprehensive stormwater plan, a 50-year framework covering flooding, water quality and climate resilience. About 70% of the city lacks stormwater detention and impervious surfaces are near 40%, so future redevelopment will be a key tool.
Veterans Memorial Park ice arena closure and repairs
A compressor failure shut the Vets Park indoor ice rink for the rest of the 2026 season; staff are seeking repair quotes and building programming at Buhr Park's outdoor rink.
Indoor public pool shortage
Club Wolverine says Ann Arbor is down to one indoor public pool (Mack) after middle school pool closures, and EMU's 22-lane pool is closing this year. Swim clubs face long waitlists and the group wants the city to help address safety and swim education.
Homelessness Bill of Rights
Council approved a resolution establishing a Bill of Rights for people experiencing homelessness, with local homelessness up 118% since 2022 and shelters facing funding cuts. It doesn't add shelter beds but sets values and triggers a review of city policies.
Near-campus upzoning (DC-2)
Council kicked off zoning changes for the student rental area near central campus to allow more housing where demand is highest. Supporters say it relieves pressure on family neighborhoods; critics say it bypasses the $800,000 public zoning rewrite process.
Carey Street one-way conversion and Division bikeway extension
Council approved making Carey Street one-way (downhill only), removing the uphill turn onto the Broadway Bridge. Staff cited limited sight lines, near-misses at pedestrian crossings and 11 illegal movements in two hours of video. Critics worry about detours, hospital commuters and the pending Broadway Bridge redesign.
Woodbury Gardens Rezoning (1310 Wisteria Drive)
Council unanimously rejected rezoning 41 acres of the Woodbury Gardens apartments (1310 Wisteria Drive) to TC1 transit-corridor zoning, which would have enabled 342 new apartments on five acres. Members said TC1 is meant for commercial corridors, not established residential communities, and transition-area zoning standards should come first.
Public Power Ballot Proposal
Ann Arbor's city council is pushing back hard against a local ballot measure that wants to create a public power utility. They're warning voters it could stick the city with a staggering $1 billion bill.
Equity-based park tree planting priorities
The committee is figuring out how to prioritize tree planting in economically disadvantaged parks, with the 2044 goal of 50% canopy in parks versus today's 48%. They want a clearer process with Parks so projects don't fall through the cracks.
Golden Paintbrush Awards
The commission's Golden Paintbrush Awards are headed to City Council, likely June 1, after budget season. Winners haven't been notified yet — commissioners want congratulatory emails to go out before the press release publishes.
Municipal Utility Board
Ann Arbor City Council just shot down a plan to create a new municipal utility board, so the way your power and water are managed stays exactly the same for now. If you were hoping for a shake-up in local utility oversight, you're going to have to wait.
Greenbelt farmland preservation
The city had the chance to split the cost of a conservation easement with Ann Arbor Township, keeping the property's land protected from development. The commission unanimously said no, so greenbelt funds won't go toward this parcel.
Affordable Housing Preservation
Several items would preserve or extend affordable housing: selling 1675 & 1677 Broadway to Dawn Farm, a $500,000 grant for Avalon Housing on S. Maple, and covenant changes at Ashley Mews.
Sustainable Energy Utility expansion
Council approved $2 million total for battery storage and solar equipment as the city's community-owned Sustainable Energy Utility builds out its program.
Tenants' Right to Organize ordinance
Council directed the city attorney to draft a right-to-organize ordinance protecting tenants from landlord retaliation. Tenants union members and the Renters Commission backed the goal but blasted the council for drafting without them.
Public Utility Ballot Proposal
Ann Arbor voters are deciding whether to ditch DTE and municipalize the local power grid. The outcome will directly shape your future electric bills and service reliability.
Adaptive reuse of 709 West Huron Street
The owner can now turn unused basement space into two small rental apartments after a unanimous variance fixed setback nonconformities created by her pending rezoning — adding housing stock with no exterior changes.
Property Sale Revenue Allocation
Ann Arbor is divvying up a huge multi-million dollar cash windfall from a downtown property sale across 12 different local projects. City leaders are gearing up for a major battle over which initiatives actually deserve the funding.
Kline's Lot Proceeds and Strategic Property Acquisition Fund
Council unanimously allocated $9.7 million from the Kline's lot sale, creating a revolving land-acquisition fund to compete with the University of Michigan for parcels, plus shelter, housing and police-records funding.
Pedestrian safety and crash data
A former councilmember told Council that vehicle-pedestrian crashes rose 22% last year and injury crashes 40%, and urged a sidewalk on Maiden Lane — questioning whether the Transportation Department is reporting on the problem.
Renewable Energy
Ann Arbor just launched its own community-owned solar and battery setup to give residents a local green energy option. This is a huge win for the city's climate goals and helps keep the lights on during outages.
Non-functioning FAA-owned weather station
The FAA-owned weather station at the airport isn't working, and the committee discussed it along with what records the tower keeps. Pilots rely on current weather data for safe operations.
Towsley Preschool construction safety
Following the 2025 death of a worker on the Miller Avenue project, the city is enforcing OSHA 30 training for on-site supervisors, adding contractor safety records to pre-qualification, and requiring apprentice supervision notices on permits.
Kline's Lot sale for downtown housing
The council approved selling the city-owned surface parking lot behind The Ark to Heinz for at least 450 units of housing. Supporters say housing beats a parking lot and the sale proceeds will fund affordable housing elsewhere; critics — including The Ark and Main Street businesses — pushed for stronger access protections and delayed action.
West Park Bandshell demolition
The structurally failed 2021 bandshell will come down under a $437,968.84 contract, with native plantings marking its footprint. A community visioning process for West Park's future begins early next year, and safety, accessibility, and stormwater concerns will shape what comes next.
Winter Emergency Shelter Funding
The city will spend $222,000 on the 2026-27 winter emergency shelter and warming center run by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County — critical as county homelessness hits an all-time high of 821 people.
Absent voter counting boards and early tabulation for November 3 election
The Commission set up the counting infrastructure and authorized up to 8 days of early tabulation of absentee ballots for the general election. This affects how quickly results are available on election night and how smoothly absentee ballots are processed.
Temporary precinct relocations for the August 4 primary
Construction at Slauson Middle School means voters in Precinct 5-45 will cast ballots at Bach Elementary at 600 W. Jefferson Street this November. Voters should check their polling location before Election Day.
Public Art Mini-Grant Program
The commission wants to launch a mini-grant program using about $178,000 sitting in a community foundation endowment. Since the city can't administer the grants itself, staff are working out a legal pathway for a nonprofit like Creative Washtenaw to run it.
Citizen-initiated charter amendment on November ballot
Communications from Governor Whitmer and the Attorney General confirm the citizen-initiated charter amendment proposal has been approved to appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot.
Municipal Utility Ballot Initiative
Ann Arbor is facing a major lawsuit from a DTE-backed group trying to block a November ballot measure about starting a city-owned power company. It's a high-stakes legal fight that will decide if residents actually get to vote on taking control of their local energy.
Renewable Energy Initiative
Ann Arbor is rolling out a cool pilot program that gives select residents free solar panels and home batteries. It's a major win if you're trying to slash your energy bills and shrink your carbon footprint.
AFSCME Contract Negotiations
The committee met in closed session to discuss strategy for negotiating union contracts. The outcome will affect pay and benefits for city workers and is a significant piece of the city budget.
Municipal Power Grid
Ann Arbor voters are voting in November on whether the city should take over the local power grid, which could totally change how your home gets electricity and how often the lights stay on. It's a huge move that puts control of the local energy supply directly into the city's hands.
Electric Utility Ballot Proposal
Ann Arbor voters could soon decide the future of the city's power supply through a new ballot measure. This proposal puts control and management of the local electric utility directly in the hands of the community.
2026 Street, Water Main and Road Construction Program
Council approved a bundle of contracts — $6.7 million resurfacing, $4.1 million water main work on Needham/Medford/Buckingham, Packard Street improvements, and $6.3 million for Ann Street — keeping the city's road and water infrastructure program moving.
Affordable housing pre-development grants
Council approved two $100,000 Affordable Housing Fund grants — to the Community Land Trust for Townie Homes and Avalon Housing for Hickory Way III — moving two housing projects toward construction.
Special Events Ordinance (Chapter 125)
A new ordinance would create a permit pathway for large private-property events like concerts, requiring 60 days' notice, and imposing fines up to $1,000 plus misdemeanor penalties. Small event organizers like Ann Arbor Bike Party say it's overbroad; council deadlocked 5-6 on first reading.
Election Guide
Election season is here in Ann Arbor, and this quick guide helps you figure out who is running for City Council so you can make your vote count. It breaks down the candidates and key details in a way that is super easy to digest.
Local Election
Ward 5 voters are picking between Jenn Cornell and Greg Monroe for city council, and this race will directly decide who has a seat at the table representing your neighborhood.
Housing Density
Ann Arbor voters are hitting the polls to decide on a massive housing density measure that's about to shake up what gets built in our neighborhoods. If it passes, expect a totally different look and feel for local streets as new housing projects get the green light.
Mayoral Election
Ann Arbor voters just backed challenger Yousef Rabhi in the Democratic mayoral primary, clearly showing they want the city to take control of its electricity. This shakeup could completely change how our local power grid is managed.