Ann Arbor City Council (Jan 20, 2026): Council approves 350 S. Fifth Ave. development and financing actions, housing grant, staffing additions, and amends City Administrator contract
At a glance
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The Ann Arbor City Council met January 20, 2026. Major actions included approvals related to the 350 S. Fifth Avenue development (development agreement, transformational brownfield plan, $1,000,000 housing grant, and authorization to publish notice of intent to issue up to $35M in capital improvement bonds), adoption of multiple consent items (shelter contract, watermain change order, software subscriptions, solar project change order, solid waste container purchase, etc.), adding 2.0 FTEs to the Transportation unit with funding, prohibition of on-street parking on Catherine Street, approval of a retainer for participation in a fire truck pricing antitrust suit (Mayor recused), postponement of the Arbor South Brownfield Plan, and finalizing an amended employment agreement for City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. (including a $20,000 annual increase retroactive to May 17, 2025 and a one-time lump sum equal to 3% of current salary). Council also held closed session for personnel/attorney-client matters and approved several ordinances on first reading.
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Key decisions
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- Approved Transformational Brownfield Plan for 350 S. Fifth Avenue (PH-2 / DS-2).
- Approved development agreement and related PUD site plan for 350 S. Fifth Ave. (CA-3).
- Approved $1,000,000 grant agreement with Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation to support sustainable affordable housing at 350 S. Fifth Ave. (CA-16).
- Authorized publication of notice of intent to issue capital improvement bonds (not to exceed $35,000,000) to fund a portion of 350 S. Fifth Avenue affordable housing development (DS-3).
- Added 2.0 FTE positions to the Transportation unit and appropriated $87,500 to the FY2026 Major Streets Fund (CA-8).
- Approved resolution prohibiting on-street parking on the north side of Catherine Street from N. Division to N. Ingalls (CA-4).
- Approved retainer agreement with Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C. and The Sam Bernstein Law Firm for participation as a named plaintiff in class action anti-trust litigation regarding fire truck pricing; Mayor Taylor was recused from discussion and vote (CA-17).
- Approved multiple capital/contract actions on the consent agenda, including a Westgate Watermain Replacement change order, Melink Solar change order for Wheeler Service Center, purchase order for solid waste containers, professional services agreements for geotechnical/environmental services, and multi-year software subscriptions (SolarWinds, EnergyCAP) and services agreements (Comprenew) (CA-5, CA-6, CA-7, CA-12, CA-13, CA-14, CA-15).
- Postponed the Resolution to Approve a Brownfield Plan for the Arbor South Project, due back 2/2/2026 (DC-3).
- Finalized evaluation and amended employment agreement for City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr.: $20,000 annual salary increase retroactive to May 17, 2025, plus a one-time lump sum payment equal to 3% of current salary ($8,400) (DC-4 / 26-0121).
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