Title
Resolution to Order Election and to Determine Ballot Question for Charter Amendment for the 2017 Street and Bridge Resurfacing and Reconstruction and Sidewalk Repair Millage (7 Votes Required)
Memorandum
For 35 years the Street Resurfacing/Reconstruction Millage, augmented with matching funds from Federal and State grants, has been the principal funding source for resurfacing and reconstruction of the City’s streets and bridges.
In 1988, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 the voters in Ann Arbor approved the collection of two mills annually for the resurfacing and reconstruction of streets. These millages, replaced a prior major street millage (1.5 mills for five years beginning in 1984), and prior bond issues ($3M in 1982 and 1986) and general funds for local streets.
In 2011 the voters in Ann Arbor approved the collection of up to 2.125 mills annually for the resurfacing and reconstruction of streets and bridges, and for the repair of sidewalks by the City. The passage of this millage, combined with the associated modifications to City Code, removed the responsibility of performing sidewalk repairs from the adjacent property owners and placed it upon the City. The last of this millage will be collected in July 2016.
On August 2, 2016, voters will be asked to approve a 2.125-mill Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage for the next five years (2017-2021). This single millage would replace the 2012-2016 Street and Bridge Resurfacing and Reconstruction and Sidewalk Repair Millage. If approved, this amounts to $227.00 annually for a property with an average market value of $214,000.00. As was done with the 2012-2016 Street and Bridge Resurfacing and Reconstruction and Sidewalk Repair Millage, the 2017-2021 Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage will be used for three primary purposes: 1) Street and bridge resurfacing and reconstruction projects; 2) the City’s match for federal aid funds for major street and bridge reconstructions and rehabilitation projects; and 3) repair of sidewalks.
The first purpose includes the Annual Street Resurfacing Program, which addresses the resurfacing of residential and major streets as a single large project that is bid every spring. It also includes street reconstruction projects that are bid individually, often with the inclusion of associated utility work, and bridge replacement and capital maintenance. In the past five years, these projects have included portions of such major streets as, Newport Rd, Huron River Drive, Pontiac Trail, Fuller Rd, Huron Parkway, Green Rd, Dhu Varren Rd, Geddes Ave, Ellsworth Rd, Packard Rd, State St, Stadium Blvd, Eisenhower Parkway, Liberty St, Observatory St, Division St, Hill St, W. Madison St, Depot St, Washington St, as well as many more local residential streets. In the last five years, an average of 8.5 miles of streets were repaved each year. The total estimated expenditures from the Street Reconstruction Millage from fiscal year 2013 through the end of fiscal year 2016 are approximately $67M. Included in this are the installation and/or replacement of curb ramps as required by Federal ADA accessibility guidelines.
The second area includes utilizing the Millage as a local match to leverage federal aid funds for such street and bridge projects as Stadium Bridges, Dexter Ave, Miller Ave, Stone School Rd, Packard Rd, Fuller/Maiden Lane Bridge Rehabilitation, and several smaller safety and non-motorized improvements. In years 2012-2015, the City has used the Millage to leverage approximately $7.8M of federal aid funds. Information regarding street work performed under the previous millage will be available soon on the Millage webpage: www.a2gov.org/StreetMillage <http://www.a2gov.org/StreetMillage>
The third area includes the repair of sidewalks throughout the City. During the 2012-2015 construction seasons, the equivalent of approximately 17 miles of sidewalk have been replaced and an additional 22,000 sidewalk slabs have been repaired. Additional work is still pending for the 2016 construction season.
Installation of new sidewalks was one item of work that was specifically excluded under the 2012-2016 Millage. This exclusion would continue under the proposed 2017 Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage.
City Staff is currently completing a Pavement Asset Management Plan. The idea behind this plan is to more strategically spend road funding by increasing investment at the midpoint of their life cycle, rather than only at the end. Employing this strategy will allow the Millage resources to be put to better use and treat more miles of streets annually than previously, and thereby increase the overall conditions of the streets in the City.
Should voters approve the 2017 Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage in August 2016, the first year of funds collected in July 2017 will be applied to projects to be constructed in the 2018 construction season. These projects are likely to include future local residential street resurfacing projects, the Scio Church Improvements Project, Fifth Avenue Reconstruction Project (Kerrytown area), Pauline Boulevard Resurfacing, sidewalk repairs throughout the City, and a variety of other street resurfacing and capital preventative maintenance projects.
Staff
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Lumm and Eaton
Body
Whereas, The Street Reconstruction Millage has been the principal funding source for the resurfacing and reconstruction of the City’s streets and bridges; and
Whereas, In November 2011 the voters approved a two mill Street Reconstruction Millage, and approved combining it with an additional 0.125 mill levy for the repair and replacement of sidewalks, with the combined millage approved for five years beginning in 2012 and ending in 2016;
RESOLVED, That the Ann Arbor City Council proposes that the City Charter be amended by modifying Section 8:20 to read as follows:
Funds for Street and Bridge Resurfacing and Reconstruction, and for Sidewalk Repair Streets, Bridges, and Sidewalks
SECTION 8.20. In addition to any other amount which the City is authorized to raise by general tax upon the real and personal property by this Charter or any other provision of law, the City shall, in 20122017 through 20162021, annually levy a tax of up to 2.125 mills on all taxable real and personal property situated within the City for the purpose of providing funds for the reconstruction or resurfacing repair of streets and bridges, and for repair of sidewalks.
RESOLVED, That a special election be held on August 2, 2016;
RESOLVED, That August 2, 2016 is designated as the day for holding a special election on the proposed Charter amendment;
RESOLVED, That the Clerk shall transmit a copy of the proposed amendment to the Attorney General and the Governor of Michigan and shall perform all other acts required by law for holding the election;
RESOLVED, That the proposed Charter amendment shall appear on the ballot in the following form:
ANN ARBOR CITY CHARTER AMENDMENT
TAX FOR STREET, BRIDGE, AND SIDEWALK REPAIR
Shall the Charter be amended to authorize a tax up to 2.125 mills for street and bridge repair and for sidewalk repair for 2017 through 2021 to replace the previously authorized tax up to 2.125 mills for street and bridge reconstruction and resurfacing and for sidewalk repair for 2012 through 2016, which will raise in the first year of levy the estimated revenue of $11,249,000?
¨ Yes ¨ No
RESOLVED, That the proposed Charter amendment and proposed ballot question shall be published in full not fewer than two times in the Washtenaw County Legal News; and
RESOLVED, That if the amendment is adopted, it shall take effect on January 1, 2017.
Sponsored by Councilmembers Lumm and Eaton