Title
Resolution to Adopt the City’s Legislative Policy Agenda for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18)
Staff
Approved by: Howard S. Lazarus, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The City Council establishes priorities and initiatives that guide and inform the City’s annual budgets, and seeks a collaborative approach to leverage partnerships with governmental and private entities to advance these priorities;
Whereas, These priorities and initiatives include the following community values:
- to build an engaged, affordable, and safe community,
- to ensure proper stewardship of public resources,
- to preserve a healthy and sustainable environment, and
- to develop integrated and accessible land use and transportation systems;
Whereas, The Council formed a Policy Agenda Committee to develop a structured approach for engaging with the City’s elected delegations at the County, State, and Federal levels and with other governmental and related entities, and
Whereas, The Council has empowered its Policy Agenda Committee to develop approaches to advancing its priorities and initiatives;
RESOLVED, That the City Council adopt the attached Legislative Policy Agenda for FY18 and encourages the City Administrator to take all reasonable actions to work with our elected delegations and public sector partners to advance the legislative policy agenda;
RESOLVED, That City Council direct the City Administrator to report monthly to the City Council’s Policy Agenda Committee and on a quarterly basis to the City Council as a whole on the status of actions related to advancing the City’s legislative agenda;
CITY OF ANN ARBOR POLICY AGENDA FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018 (FY18)
The City Council adopts the following policy agenda items for FY18:
In the interest of creating and sustaining an affordable and welcoming community, the Council directs the following:
• Strongly support federal and state funding for affordable housing and oppose reductions for established and effective programs.
• Collaborate with Washtenaw County on the development of the County Farm/Platt Road site to provide a significant and sustainable affordable housing component.
• Support and advocate for the ability of cities to incorporate inclusionary zoning practices and affordability incentives into their land development codes.
• Monitor and advocate for measures that protect the rights residents of Ann Arbor without regard to immigration status.
In the interest of creating and sustaining local and regional mobility and transportation safety, the Council directs the following:
• Monitor funding provided from distribution of fuel taxes from the state and actively support increases in the distribution to local government.
• Monitor and advocate for the award of federal, state, and county funds for the advancement of infrastructure projects that promote transportation system capacity improvements, transit enhancement, and active transportation (including bicycle facilities, safe pedestrian movement, and urban trails).
In the interest of promoting a sustainable and healthy environment and the well-being of the community, the Council directs the following:
• Monitor potential state actions on water system taxation.
• Monitor and pursue opportunities to secure funding to protect, develop, and upgrade water, wastewater, drainage, and natural area resources and systems.
• Monitor and pursue cultural arts funding at current or increased levels.
• Support and advocate for the incorporation of water reuse and reclamation systems into the Uniform Building Code.
• Pursue remedies that incent the installation of sustainable and renewable energy resources, including but not limited to residential and community solar and wind systems.
• Monitor and actively engage with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the US Environmental Protection Agency on the remediation of contamination at the Gelman/Pall site and the impacted groundwater resources.
• Support and advocate for continued funding for initiatives that protect the Great Lakes system.
In the interest of providing open, transparent, effective, and financially sound local government, the Council directs the following:
• Monitor potential state actions on Open Meeting Act and Freedom of Information Act requirements.
• Monitor potential state actions that pre-empt the abilities of local governments to make local decisions in support of their communities.
• Monitor potential state actions on pension and post-employment benefits regulations and funding.
• Monitor and take appropriate actions to address the legalization of marijuana for medical uses and ensure appropriate revenue distribution from licensed facilities within the City.
• Monitor state actions and advocate for statutes that allow municipalities to control the possession of fireworks, restrict the ability to carry firearms into public facilities, provide oversight and control of oil and gas extraction facilities, and provide for control over discharge of storm water sewers into water bodies.
• Support improved voter enfranchisement through the development of a nonpartisan redistricting commission, modification or elimination of term limits for elected officials at the state level, and implementation of early voting and “no reason” absentee balloting.