Unpaid Furloughs Will Affect Michigan State Government Services

Wed, 06/17/2009 - 6:20pm by Debbie G.

Most Michigan state government offices, including local Secretary of State and MichiganWorks! offices, will be closed due to the state budget crisis on the following days:

Friday, June 19            Friday, August 7
Monday, July 6            Friday, August 21
Friday, July 24             Friday, September 4

Vital public health and safety services like State Police road patrols, correctional facilities, psychiatric hospitals, veteran's homes and youth facilities will not be impacted. Unemployment Insurance Agency offices will also remain open. The State hopes to save $21.7 million with the furlough program.

Air handlers have arrived downtown

Tue, 05/12/2009 - 2:08pm by Clarence Cromwell

Get ready to feel more comfortable when using the downtown library.

Our contractors have a portable crane set up on the city parking lot next to the library. They have just about finished removing the old air handlers from the building, depositing the pieces in a large roll-off container in the parking lot. The parts had to come out of the basement through a large pit on the north side of building that provides access to the basement through wide double-doors--intended for just such purposes. Those two pieces of equipment have been heating and cooling the building since it was originally constructed in the 1950s; the new units are expected to do a better job.

The library had a total of five air handlers, but the others are of more recent vintage.

City of Ann Arbor Town Hall Meeting

Fri, 04/10/2009 - 9:39am by Debbie G.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The City of Ann Arbor's annual Town Hall Meeting will be held Tuesday, April 14, 7-9 p.m. at the Community Television Network's new facilities on S. Industrial. Mayor Hieftje and City Administrator Roger Fraser will be on hand to answer questions after the State of the City presentation. Want to do some homework before the meeting? Check out the latest 2010 and 2011 budget info online. The Town Hall Meeting will be rebroadcast on CTN Channel 16.

Ann Arbor Public Schools Budget Forum

Thu, 03/12/2009 - 10:07am by Debbie G.

AAPS Superintendent Todd Roberts' presentation of the 2009/2010 schools budget will be broadcast on CTN Channel 18 on March 12 @ 11:00 a.m. and five subsequent dates. These difficult economic times are impacting all governmental bodies and this budget overview will provide the community with important information on the future of education in Ann Arbor.

City Council Minutes 1891-1930 Online

Tue, 03/03/2009 - 4:40pm by andrewjmac

Ever wonder how much things in Ann Arbor have changed in the last century? Find out what life was like through the eyes of the body that's overseen it all, the Ann Arbor City Council, with the new Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Minutes archive. This collection features searchable and browsable sets of council minutes from 1891-1930, letting you see 40 years of local issues and legislation. And for all you genealogists, council minutes also contain a wealth of information about the individual citizens of Ann Arbor, whether they were making a request, receiving a citation, or working for the city. Take a look and find out that Ann Arbor hasn't changed that much: we've got speed limits (7 mph in 1902), public transportation fare disputes, and pigs still aren't allowed to run through the streets.

Calling All Bicyclists

Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:01am by Debbie G.

Your City needs you! To provide feedback, comments, suggestions, and support in the City of Ann Arbor's effort to earn Bicycle Friendly City status from the League of American Bicyclists. Bike, hike or otherwise transport yourself to City Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6 - 8 p.m. and review plans for improving bicycle safety and convenience in Tree Town. If you wanna share the road, you gotta share the load, so be there and be heard.

Follow the Money

Sat, 01/17/2009 - 12:30pm by Debbie G.

There's a new tool for finding out where your tax dollars go and it's easy and fun (really) to use. USASpending.gov covers where federal contracting dollars and grant awards go. The Transparency Act of 2006 required the government to create this online access tool. There are great search options, pre-configured lists and tables of all kinds and comparability tools. One of the sponsors of this legislation? Your next president.

Weather Cancellation

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 9:50am by Debbie G.

Due to the Winter Storm Warning issued for Washtenaw County starting this evening, the City of Ann Arbor is cancelling the MRF - Materials Recovery Facility Open House for tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 10.

Meetings on the Move

Tue, 01/06/2009 - 10:19am by Debbie G.

Some of your favorite Tree Town boards and commissions will be meeting in new locations this year due to the construction at City Hall. The Energy Commission, Greenbelt Advisory Board and Parks Advisory Commission will now meet in the public meeting room of the County Administration Building, 220 N. Main. The Building Board of Appeals, the Housing Board of Appeals, the Public Market Advisory Commission and the Sign Board of Appeals will now meet at the 200 N. Main County Building, lower level conference room.

Farewell to a Good Man

Fri, 01/02/2009 - 1:17pm by Debbie G.

He authored legislation that allowed hundreds of thousands of us to attend college through the Pell Grant, that established the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Read the complete New York Times obituary on Senator Claiborne Pell. The Thom McAn story alone is worth the read.