Title
Resolution Accelerating Development
of the Center
of the City Community
Commons and Recognizing
the Self-Organized Open "Community
Commons Initiating Committee" as a Community Partner in
the Process
Body
Whereas, Ann Arbor voters amended
the City Charter in November 2018, designating
the Center
of the City public land as a "
commons," to be developed as an urban central park and civic center;
Whereas,
The City
Council appointed a Center
of the City Task Force to determine how to implement this voter decision, and passed its own Resolution to facilitate
commons development;
Whereas,
The Task Force met beginning in August 2019 and discussed for 7 months adopting unanimously and submitting a Report on
the City
Council on February 28, 2020;
Whereas,
The City
Council received and accepted unanimously
the Task Force Report and its Recommendations to help guide
the development
of the Center
of the City Central Park and Civic Center
Commons, with
the understanding that citizen initiative would drive this process;
Whereas, Some
of the Recommendations define work and responsibility primarily
of the City Administrator, such as to ga
ther a Center
of the City Block Partners Group from related governmental agencies and occupants
of o
ther spaces on
the block to facilitate development
of the Commons, to terminate
the parking use and improve facilities on
the commons spaces, and to include
the commons development in
the City Master Plan and planning;
Whereas, O
ther Recommendations express an aspiration for initiatives from
the Community, such as on-site programming, creation
of a
Council of the Commons, and developing community support for wider commoning efforts such as sustainable economics programs, affordable housing, local currencies and time banking, a public bank, eldercare, childcare, and lifelong education and training initiatives;
Whereas, A self-organizing open "initiating committee" has formed itself to facilitate community initiatives in
the de...
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