[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6101681,"mediaKeyId","2807285-e1b622ebed14ceb8e8ad6d8930cc5884","parentId",2807285,"title","Proposal to merge Energy and Environmental Commissions advances; staff to draft bylaws and a prioritized work plan","audioSeconds",390,"startMs",4699000,"endMs",5089000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807285-e1b622ebed14ceb8e8ad6d8930cc5884&start=4699&end=5089","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807285-e1b622ebed14ceb8e8ad6d8930cc5884/thumbnail_4699000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6101681/Ann-Arbor-City/Washtenaw-County/Michigan/Proposal-to-merge-Energy-and-Environmental-Commissions-advances-staff-to-draft-bylaws-and-a-prioritized-work-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101681-193c71e485db6b87d436d0cb455044a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169831&Signature=Qthf3TfxtUGOgO3jpTc7KDUU5UgY8PNkr5xFoFtrBwkH-PneibrLnTqng-0TUpJIT2ubfoBFETksV3eQgMF1JIGwjJpSARksMDd3jvbiSosqje4P~gWQ8k1o5uwyf~bEtxDI5huuT3U3Cxl9FfcBw5M1qOjzcltr5qjNcuJT2BFdU8BQSmqNSj37mZe0cFpJ~hUXrt0wiljZ41yj3SEgK9af-cmpc2s46TabxHWE~aMVwZGT~1y7CB-62nQ4782Ti87WsTqu2yoUYliBoQhvPZW3GUw-EQnrsXS45yfGLwCdgqJEfPb2GPo3CubsAHGsUEc8ME-pEafaRQid3wP4gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CTN Ann Arbor","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","Ann Arbor — Commissioners and council members at the Environmental Commission meeting discussed a proposal to merge the city’s Energy Commission and Environmental Commission into a single Sustainability Commission that would work closely with the Office of Sustainability and Innovation (OSI) and Public Services.

Council Member Cornell, who described the idea as a way to “realign and refocus” volunteer efforts with the city’s current organizational structure, said the merged commission would work from a staff-led work plan that concentrates on three or four high-priority topics selected with OSI and Public Services. Staff said updated bylaws could be drafted by May and the new commission could begin work in July if the process proceeds on that timeline.

Why it matters: Proponents said the merger would reduce duplication between commissions, speed work on city climate and sustainability goals, and make it easier to coordinate technical working groups. Commissioner Morrison supported making the OSI director the primary staff liaison to the new commission, arguing that a department director can provide a more holistic view of departmental needs and help move projects forward. Several commissioners recommended term limits to keep membership rotating and to encourage fresh perspectives; staff noted that working groups will remain an option for sustained volunteer involvement.

Concerns and process: Some commissioners urged that the new structure preserve the commissions’ public-forum role. Commissioner Mirsky urged clarity about the role commissions will play in advising council — as a two-way street for public input, not merely an entity that implements staff priorities — and asked for safeguards to ensure working groups do substantive drafting that then percolates up to the full commission.

Next steps: Staff and council said they will continue drafting bylaws and an ordinance or resolution describing the merger; comments heard at this meeting will inform those drafts. Council and staff indicated they expect to present bylaws for commission review in May and to use June for transition tasks before a potential July kickoff.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ann Arbor Environmental Commission 3/20/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Ann Arbor — Commissioners and council members discussed a proposal to merge the city’s Energy and Environmental commissions into a single Sustainability Commission intended to align volunteer work with the Office of Sustainability and Innovation (OSI) and Public Services.","taxTitle","Ann Arbor City, Washtenaw County, Michigan","taxId",5773,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6101684,"Environmental commission advances biodiversity resolution urging natural-features protections in comprehensive plan",597,444000,1041000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807285-e1b622ebed14ceb8e8ad6d8930cc5884&start=444&end=1041","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807285-e1b622ebed14ceb8e8ad6d8930cc5884/thumbnail_444000.jpg","/articles/6101684/Ann-Arbor-City/Washtenaw-County/Michigan/Environmental-commission-advances-biodiversity-resolution-urging-natural-features-protections-in-comprehensive-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101684-9a6faba833a60284af296111746efaa1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169831&Signature=bbh43jthLCzOh210en4QenlPd6tmuX0xOiyib7HS68AsecdvBo29SmGxHC1Z~x~BoYAYBQs2gqlLvE6Fu7rqewG-sBqEmLbw7u2qEsGKrUvFOJp57W348C8l6zwwcMVCqIx3j5X20kj~9ePWlB6vbBJ55laYCb2zZros3M42IuwWajSZIZj-O-1ZF2B9z1Wh3eBr2AL7pQPVr10AaOo3A9pv2tKc-yms2NE1Lu62WclsFHdPSlhYfwLDAIcc9KlmeqATx5Wk68mQ1pCECYg3v3t3z6BHk5MuHdDsJyxCZflUYiJe-MgU30aRPQx-Qvx~P3IYpRdCVgZ0APfZENqAJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ann Arbor — The Environmental Commission on March 24 reviewed a draft resolution from its biodiversity work group asking that the city’s comprehensive plan include explicit protections for natural features such as wetlands, floodplains, heritage trees and native forest fragments.

The resolution, introduced by a biodiversity work-group member identified in the meeting as Rita (Environmental Commission member), asks the city to “protect, conserve, restore, enhance, and manage natural features” and to use existing natural-features protections in the city’s Unified Development Code as a baseline for future measures. It also calls for cross-department integration and for development of methods to assess and track gains or losses in biodiversity over time.

Why it matters: Commissioners and residents said the decision will affect how growth and housing density are balanced with green infrastructure that provides flood control, carbon storage and neighborhood access to nature. Linda Berauer, a caller who identified herself as a long-time Ann Arbor resident, told the commission: “I consider it essential that the comprehensive plan includes robust protections for natural features.”

Commissioners emphasized that the resolution is not intended to prohibit development but to guide it. John Merskief, who described himself as a member of the biodiversity working group, said the resolution “is not prescriptive” and that the intent is “to steer development to the areas that are going to have the lowest impact” and to encourage mitigation where impacts occur.

Key details and debate: The draft resolution includes several “whereas” clauses describing ecosystem services and cites floodplain protection as a priority; callers pressed for explicit mention of floodplains and for retention of city-owned floodplain parcels as open green space. Commissioners discussed whether to strengthen mitigation requirements for large, old trees and native soils; some members warned that stronger mitigation language could make the resolution harder to carry forward to City Council. One commissioner suggested rewording to align with the spirit of recent U.K. legislation that requires larger developments to increase biodiversity, while others stressed the need to preserve old trees on private residential lots as those trees are at risk during infill development.

Process and next steps: Commissioners treated the document as a first reading and said the biodiversity working group will revise the draft based on tonight’s comments. Council Member Malek (present at the meeting) and other participants described the comprehensive-plan process as ongoing; staff and commissioners said a draft comprehensive plan is expected to be available within months and will follow the Planning Commission and council review process.

Community context: Speakers linked the resolution to other city plans and programs referenced during the meeting, including the city’s natural-features protections in the Unified Development Code, the city’s carbon-neutrality roadmap (discussed as the “A2Zero” or A2 0 plan during the meeting) and the Greenbelt program, which holds some funding for parkland acquisitions inside the city. Commissioners noted the local history of natural-features regulation, observed that existing protections apply primarily to projects requiring site-plan review, and discussed gaps for ordinary residential work that does not trigger the site-plan process.

What’s next: The biodiversity working group will incorporate the commission’s feedback and return the resolution for further review. Commissioners asked council members present to share any council or planning-commission perspectives that could improve the resolution’s passage.

","Ann Arbor — The Environmental Commission on March 24 reviewed a draft resolution from its biodiversity work group asking that the city’s comprehensive plan include explicit protections for natural features such as wetlands, floodplains, heritage trees and native forest fragments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6101677,"Commissioners urge steady funding for solid-waste education as regionalization proceeds",233,6368000,6601000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807285-e1b622ebed14ceb8e8ad6d8930cc5884&start=6368&end=6601","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807285-e1b622ebed14ceb8e8ad6d8930cc5884/thumbnail_6368000.jpg","/articles/6101677/Ann-Arbor-City/Washtenaw-County/Michigan/Commissioners-urge-steady-funding-for-solid-waste-education-as-regionalization-proceeds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101677-20cc9122e461db9c95a8bd0a660b1a80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169831&Signature=b6hrTbEjy5TL6szW74~DlBvY3x-9lzdNNcJZ~V39yJwYiPLLnGqIhxdNRg70kdMw-bTUE8S2FzSl38F-7ZKwA-aVtqgVO8UmkNgqLpd8EcwCzgcA4ar0RWMoZ7h5FGec4qUnZv6AOWHRyOVaVBmhsl6~esJGUV1bX6JwkVYteL3cbbjQScDE0MKY9gtpvNCmaZItXtT1iXuiWLuqULtPd7j8ZHypxyJuQTyvB~4aYCrDpJDg32FHW70bVbAYKBFBMZhhYcAUlWe2JOxH-07oSjQn0BXblenV06N8-h9qmuSLjkQBIhNRnGQc3rufrLYe96B1AWNbkQidsEVxP-QksA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ann Arbor — Commissioners discussed regionalization of solid-waste and recycling services and urged the city to preserve stable funding for public education as processing and markets change.

Background and concern: Speakers described ongoing regionalization efforts intended to capture economies of scale and noted that harmonized recycling and compost rules will be harder for residents to follow during transition. A working-group speaker said the city’s solid-waste fund currently holds about $24 million and that national best-practice guidance recommends roughly $10 per household per year for public-education activities to sustain diversion efforts; for Ann Arbor that guidance translates to approximately $400,000–$500,000 annually depending on household counts and whether apartment units are counted individually.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said sustained education funding is critical when processing systems and end markets change, because inconsistent local rules cause high contamination rates and undermine diversion and compost quality. The circular-economy working group described choices facing the city, including harmonizing rules with regional partners and emphasizing reusable-container programs where compostable plastics are not accepted by a particular contractor.

Next steps and proposals: Commissioners suggested earmarking a portion of the city’s solid-waste fund to underwrite a multiyear education program, defining measurable education metrics, and including MRF and contractor operators in local planning so that producers and processors can advise on acceptable materials. The commission will follow up through the circular-economy work group and seek more detailed staff analysis and proposal in coming months.

","Ann Arbor — Commissioners discussed regionalization of solid-waste and recycling services and urged the city to preserve stable funding for public education as processing and markets change.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Proposal to merge Energy and Environmental Commissions advances; staff to draft bylaws and a prioritized work plan

Environmental commission advances biodiversity resolution urging natural-features protections in comprehensive plan

Commissioners urge steady funding for solid-waste education as regionalization proceeds