Ann Arbor AF

Today we are talking about the next City Council meeting, coming up Tuesday, February 16th. We discuss site plans, Council shenanigans (again), sidewalk snow removal (also again), and take a little trip back to last week's conversation on the budget. References: - this week's agenda , including items PH-2/DB-2 (site plans), DC-2 (Council rules reconsideration), and DC-3 (snow removal in...

Today we are taking a deeper dive into Ann Arbor's city budget. We talk about the public process; revenues, expenditures, and the challenges of budgeting in a pandemic; and end on next steps you can take if you'd like to learn more, or even get involved yourself. Links from today's episode: - Ann Arbor fiscal year 2020-2021 budget - The 2/8/2021 Council work session : fiscal year 20...

Today we are talking about the next City Council meeting, coming up Monday, February 1st. We discuss sidewalks, well-intentioned white people, and whether Council shenanigans may be going extinct. References: - this week's agenda , including items DC-3 (snow removal), DC-4 (community engagement equity policy), and DC-5 (Council rules) - Ann Arbor's snow and ice removal rules - Washtenaw...

Today we are talking about city boards and commissions: what are they? What do they do? Who can be on them? (hint: you, hopefully!) We interview Ann Arbor resident Julie Weatherbee, an Ann Arbor resident and former member of the Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Going further on your own: - the list of city boards and commissions , who are always looking for volunteers like you;...

Today we are talking about the next City Council meeting, coming up Tuesday, January 19th. Want to see the agenda for yourself? We have the technology . We discuss quarterly reports on sustainability , equity , and community budgeting ; healthy streets with a callback to the 12/19 episode, and waste management with a callback to the 1/2 episode; along with a quick First Amendment Check. We get int...

 We discuss homelessness in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County: The systems in  place to help people, and how they fail sometimes.    Special guests:  * Greg Pratt, longtime advocate, affiliated with Washtenaw Camp Outreach,  and the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board.  * Ariah Schugat, a person who recently experienced homelessness in Ann  Arbor.    Please sign this petition from Health For Al...

Today we are talking about the first City Council meeting of 2021. We touch on township island annexations (here's the city's description we mentioned and the policy memo we referenced); the police budget (yes, again), including whether facial recognition technology is coming to Ann Arbor; the Moving Together initiative (the overall plan and its latest report ), Vision Zero and A2Zero, a...

Today we are talking about the next City Council meeting, coming up Monday, December 21st, 2020. We’ll be touching on a few interesting agenda items; it isn’t comprehensive, or else this podcast would be as infamously long as some Council meetings! Support the show Come check out our episodes and transcripts at our website, annarboraf.com . Keep the conversation going with fellow Ann Arbor AFers o...

Today we are taking a deeper dive into how to read a city council agenda. We’ll be walking you through how to find, read, and interpret a City Council meeting agenda to help you, Ann Arbor, follow along and get more involved. Support the show Come check out our episodes and transcripts at our website, annarboraf.com . Keep the conversation going with fellow Ann Arbor AFers on Blue Sky and Facebook...

Is local politics secretly boring? Co-hosts Michelle Hughes, Molly Kleinman, and Jess Letaw take up the question while preparing for Ann Arbor's next City Council meeting on December. 7th, 2020. They discuss the police purchasing contracts, and why ICPOC and budget season are the best ways to get involved for folks working to bring Black Lives Matter home. They also take up water rates, devel...