City government exists to serve the public. City Hall must ensure that residents get the high-quality services that we expect, on time and every time. Here in Ann Arbor, we do a pretty good job delivering these core services, but we have to strive for improvement.
Roads
It’s no surprise that Michigan is 50th out of 50 in terms of per capita road funding. So, when it comes to building, rebuilding, and maintaining our roads we have to optimize what can control and work around what we can’t. We can’t control the freeze-thaw cycle that comes with living in Michigan; nor can we control the Lansing’s underfunded infrastructure budget. What we can do is get the most out of what we do control, specifically:
- Refine our new roads plan that emphasizes preventative measures — like patching and sealing — to address short terms needs, not just major overhauls.
- Build roads and sidewalks that are safe for everyone — the driver, bus rider, cyclist, and pedestrian.
- Optimize our web and smartphone applications to help residents report problems to city staff faster and more efficiently.
- Hold City Hall to higher customer service standards.
Water & Stormwater Systems
We have to ensure that our water is clean, our sewage is dealt with responsibly, and our homes are safe from stormwater. The pipes that run beneath our streets are the most important and expensive investment a city makes.
- Rehaul our aging water treatment plant and pipes to ensure quality water well into the future.
- Locate and construct stormwater retention and detention systems to address regional flooding concerns.
- Continue to make developers offset higher demands on our below-the-ground infrastructure.
- Prioritize street tree planting and incentivize rain gardens in high-risk flood areas.
- Fight for faster and more intensive cleanup of the Gelman Plume before it reaches City water sources.