GOOD MONDAY MORNING. COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Washtenaw County, as wariness of the pandemic in Ann Arbor fades away and U-M students prepare to return to campus.
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SCHOOL SUIT: A lawsuit was filed against Ann Arbor Public Schools on July 19 by an AAPS parent who alleges that AAPS violated the Open Meetings Act by not making its decision to not offer after-school care for the upcoming school year in a public meeting. Attorney David Hannon asked the Ann Arbor Board of Education to make “decisions on matters of public policy exclusively in public.” On Aug. 11, a hearing will be held to review the preliminary injunction.
LEASING LAW: The Early Leasing Ordinance was passed by City Council on July 23. Landlords must now allow 210 days to pass in a lease before showing the property to prospective tenants. The ordinance previously only required landlords wait 70 days before showing the property.
COUNCILMEMBER CONDUCT: City Council held a special session Wednesday to conduct an ethics meeting for CM Jeff Hayner, D-Ward 1. This meeting comes after Hayner quoted the N-word in an interview with a Black MLive reporter. After the meeting, a resolution to reprimand Hayner for an ethics rule violation was passed 7-3.
SUBSTANTIAL SPREAD: Washtenaw County reached a “substantial” level of COVID spread last week according to the CDC. The designation allows residents to qualify for the recently implemented federal eviction moratorium. City and county health officials are also recommending that all residents and visitors wear masks, although they haven’t implemented mandates at this time.
EQUITABLE ENGAGEMENT: This week, the city announced the Ann Arbor Equitable Engagement Steering Committee, which will aim to bring increased diversity and inclusion to city functions including city planning and legislative consideration. The 30-member committee will bring together individuals with a diverse set of experiences.
ADMINISTRATOR RESIGNS: Ann Arbor City Administrator Tom Crawford announced his resignation last Tuesday and issued an apology to the community. Crawford’s resignation comes just days after City Council voted to terminate his employment and passed a resolution to publish a report regarding racially insensitive comments he allegedly made to city employees.
NEW BIKE LANES: Ann Arbor is getting two new advisory bike lanes downtown. The first lane will run along William St. from First St. to Third St., and the second lane will be on First St. from William St. to Madison St. The painted signs on the road will serve the purpose of “sending a message to drivers to share the road with cyclists.”
“Lawyers of alleged victims of Dr. Anderson file response to UMich’s motion to dismiss” … The Michigan Daily
“UM’s Dr. Robert Anderson took semen samples. One man wants to know where they went” … The Detroit News
“Artist turns Ann Arbor garage into backyard gallery, music venue” … MLive
“Ann Arbor council member’s use and defense of n-word sends a chilling message, Black residents say” … MLive
“Rep. Debbie Dingell Pushes for National PFAS Regulation” … WDET
“Thunder over Michigan returns with sold-out drive-in airshow featuring Blue Angels, Thunderbirds” … MLive
The Gutman Gallery is hosting an exhibition called HOME, which will have an opening reception on Friday … More information
The City of Ann Arbor announced its finalists for its “Saving Energy” Sticker Design Contest … Vote for your favorites
Sonic Lunch’s concert this Thursday in downtown Ann Arbor will include Michigander with Jake LeMond … More details
Washtenaw County reported 64 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours and 269 cases in the past two weeks. More than 69% of Washtenaw County residents aged 16 and over have received at least one vaccine dose.
All About Ann Arbor compiled a list of local COVID-19 vaccine clinics this month … Find a location
News tips? Comments? Questions?
A2 Outlook editors Dominick Sokotoff, Shannon Stocking and Sarah Payne can be reached at sokotoff@umich.edu, sstockin@umich.edu and paynesm@umich.edu, respectively.