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Ann Arbor disability commissioners debate term limits and press for more influence
Summary
Commissioners debated changing bylaws that limit consecutive terms for chair/vice-chair and voiced frustration that the commission is often sidelined; Chair Keeler and others plan meetings with the DDA, Council Member Gazi Edwin and the ADA coordinator to seek stronger city engagement.
The Ann Arbor Disability Issues Commission spent significant discussion time on governance and its perceived influence on city policy during its March meeting. Commissioners debated a recommended change to the commission’s bylaws that would alter term limits for the chair and vice chair. Under current language, officers are elected to two-year terms and may serve no more than two consecutive full terms; Chair Larry Keeler proposed revising the language so incumbents could be re-elected if no other volunteers come forward, subject to a vote by commissioners.
That procedural debate quickly broadened into a larger concern about the commission’s clout. Commissioner Matthew Solomon said bluntly that the commission has too often been "structured out of this" and described its role as "performative." Multiple commissioners echoed the need to move beyond symbolic gestures and sought concrete steps to increase the body’s impact on matters such as the comprehensive land use plan, DDA decisions, and transportation projects.
Commissioners agreed on near-term follow-ups: Keeler said he would contact the DDA director (per contact given during public comment), reach out to Council Member Gazi Edwin for advice and potential meetings, and work with Vice Chair Zach Damon and others to assemble a plan to improve the commission’s visibility and influence. Several members also requested more consistent attendance and engagement from the city’s ADA coordinator; commissioners said the ADA coordinator has attended meetings at times and should be more regularly available for briefings.
The commission set a timeline for bylaws comment: edits to the officer-term language should be submitted to staff before the next monthly meeting so a bylaws subcommittee (chaired by Keeler, with Commissioner Mosak as a member) can convene and recommend specific amended language. The commission did not change bylaws at this meeting; any final amendments would proceed to city legal review and then to City Council for approval.
