Browsing Category
Boards and Commissions
City Planning Commissioners’ Removal of Hundreds of Acres of Public Parkland From New City Land Use Plan Is Improper, Says Neighborhood Group
The unexplained deletion paves the way for development, subverts the will of the voters, and exposes the city to potential legal and financial fallout, says Ann Arbor Neighborhood Network group in its "Ann Arbor’s Parkland and Public…
Ann Arbor Neighborhood Network Launches Petition to Ask City Officials to Suspend Work on Master Plan Until There’s More Robust Citizen Input
by Bruce Laidlaw
Michigan law requires zoning ordinances to be based on master plans adopted by planning commissions and the municipal governing bodies. Ann Arbor's Planning Commission is working on a revision of the City's master plan…
Records Show Housing Commission Exec. Dir. Responsible for $50K Settlement to Former Council Member; Jennifer Hall “Exceeded Her Authority”
by P.D. Lesko
Download and read the October 10, 2024 settlement agreement between former Council member Zachary Ackerman and the City of Ann Arbor.
Ackerman SettlementDownload
MLive first reported that former Ann Arbor City…
How Did Supreme Felons, Inc. Spend $527K in Public Funding? A2Indy’s FOIAs Trigger Threat
by P.D. Lesko
Supreme Felons is not a public body and was therefore not subject to the FOIA pursuant to OAG, 1989-1990, No 6563, p 27 (January 26, 1989).--Billy Cole, President, Supreme Felons, Inc., in an email to The Ann Arbor…
A2Politico: Superior Twp. Residents Deserve More Than Middle School Conflicts From Gov. Officials
By P.D. Lesko
Campaign workers are expected to stay 100 feet from the entrance to the polling place. Candidates may not hand out their campaign literature within a polling place. However, there is no Michigan election law that precludes…
Ypsi Twp. Clerk Heather Jarrell Roe “Heartbroken” Over Criticism That Anonymous, Unsupervised Felons “Patrol” Ypsi Township
Note: This article was made possible by the Ann Arbor Independent's FOIA Fund. To donate to the FOIA Fund, click here.
by P.D. Lesko
On Tuesday, August 15 the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees’ meeting agenda included Resolution…
Non-Profit Supreme Felons, Inc. Owed Thousands in Fines to IRS When County Commissioners Awarded $1.2M Grant
by P.D. Lesko
Supreme Felons, Inc., a local non-profit that was awarded $1.2 million in federal funding by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners in July 2022, has never filed state or federal tax returns, public records show.…
Endorsements in Washtenaw County Political Races Hide Political Truths From Voters
Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton.
Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton has endorsed Ann Arbor City Council candidates, as well as County Commissioner Sue Shink, who's in a three-way primary race for a seat in the Michigan…
Political Donor to Mayor & His Council Allies Benefits From City Zoning Changes Around Briarwood
by P.D. Lesko
2/11/22: This article has been updated with comments from Council member Kathy Griswold (D-Ward 2).
Council member Kathy Griswold's (D-Ward 2) resolution asked City staff for the answers to a few questions: Who owns the…
Council Votes to Remove Member From His Boards and Commissions for Seven Months, “Against Advice of Counsel”
by Patricia Lesko
On April 19, 2021, in a move that the Ann Arbor City Attorney Stephen Postema called "unprecedented," Jeff Hayner (D-Ward 1) was stripped of his seats on seven boards and commissions, including the Parks Advisory…