Every Monday morning, the executive director of the CivCity Initiativejoins WEMU's David Fair for a conversation on topics pertinent to Washtenaw County and the city of Ann Arbor. Mary Morgan will provide news, analysis, commentary and explain the various ways residents can become more engaged.
Mary Morgan brings a wealth of experience to the airwaves. While heading up the CivCity Initiative now, Mary was previously co-founder and publisher of the Ann Arbor Chronicle. Prior to that, she served as a reporter and editor for the Ann Arbor News when it was a daily, print-edition newspaper.
RESOURCES FOR THIS WEEK"S TOPICS:
• At its meeting on Monday, October 16, Ann Arbor City Council will vote on a $35,940 budget increase to the city's contract with White Buffalo Inc., primarily reflecting plans to cull more deer. Meanwhile, the city has updated its deer management website with a new online tool showing deer crash data, helicopter counts, parks closed for culling operations, sterilization zones, deer signage and other information. The site also includes a "deer data dashboard" with ward-by-ward information about deer management efforts.
• At its meeting tonight, the Ann Arbor District Library Board will continue deliberations about the future of the downtown building. I've written another column about recent issues that the board has discussed, including financing options, a survey of residents being done in early 2018, and possible creation of an advocacy group. Their meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.
• Speaking of the library, kudos to the AADL board and staff for making its meetings more accessible. They've started live streaming and posting videos with full transcripts, making it easier to search and view the parts of the meeting that most interest you. You can access the videos here.
• A reminder that if you qualify to vote absentee, you can sign up to get an application to vote by absentee ballot automatically sent to you by the city clerk's office prior to each election. (You still have to fill out the application to get the actual ballot, but it's a more convenient option nonetheless.) Details here.
• As the November 7 election approaches, the Washtenaw County elections division is holding an Accessible Voting Device Open House from noon-4 p.m. on Friday, October 20 at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, 3941 Research Park Drive. The public is invited to try Washtenaw County’s new accessible device that enables all voters, including those with disabilities, to mark ballots privately and independently. Click here for details about the new equipment.
• Did you know that Ann Arbor has a traffic calming program? There's even a guidebook! You can learn more about it at a public forum on Tuesday, October 17. The session runs from 6:30-8 p.m. at the city hall basement conference room.
• Several elected officials are holding coffee hours this week, including two Ann Arbor school board members and two state legislators. Often, these events aren't well attended, so you can get some quality face time by going. Our newsletter gives more details about times/locations.
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— Patrick Campion is the WEMU Program Director. You can contact Patrick at734.487.3363, on twitter @WEMUPC, or email him at pcampion@emich.edu
