The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 8, 1988-- Page 7 ANN ARBOR ISSUES Changes: What's happening to our city? ROBIN LOZNAK/Daly Bentley Historical Library Main Street, 1870 Main Street, 1988 GOP BY PETER MOONEY Ann Arbor is widely viewed as a bastion of liberalism in the Mid- west. Because of this reputation, a Re- publican victory in last April's Ann Arbor City Council elections sur- prised many followers of local poli- tics. After three years of Democratic hegemony in city council, the new GOP councilmembers say they plan not to change city government radi- cally, but to redirect its priorities instead. The Republican councilmembers received most of their support from homeowners, while Democrats were more successful among renters, said city Democratic Party chair Mary Reilly. She cited a tremendous turn- dominates Aity Council out among those homeowners who opposed a rent control initiative on the city ballot as the main reason the Democrats lost. GIVEN THE homeowner sup- port base of city Republicans, some fear the new council will be less re- ceptive to tenant issues. The Demo- cratic-led council rewrote the city housing code, which sets mainte- nance and safety standards for rental units. Landlords, with backing from council Republicans, protested these changes were unnecessarily rigid and costly to implement. Local advocates for the area's low-income population expect the present council to be less supportive than the Democrats of efforts to ex- pand the amount of low-income housing in the city. Republicans opposed a council resolution last year to support the construction of a dormitory style, single-room occupancy housing project on Liberty Street because neighborhood homeowners com- plained, fearing an increase in crime. Councilmember Tom Richardson (R-5th Ward) said the Liberty Street project's proponents were not "real- istic" about the risks to local res- idents. INSTEAD, the new council has favored expanding the existing YMCA building. Though she has not opposed the "Y" project, Kathy Edgren (D-5th Ward) has said the Liberty Street project would have provided more housing at a lower cost. Democratic and Republican councilmembers also differ in their attitudes toward the Ann Arbor po- lice. During last summer's Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, citizens accused sev- eral police officers of behaving in a violent and brutal manner while breaking up 1,000 students and Ann Arbor residents partying on Church Street. Councilmember Terry Martin (R- 2nd Ward) has defended the behavior of police, noting that none of the accusations made against them has been verified. Councilmember Jeff Epton (D-3rd Ward) and former Democratic Councilmember Dave DeVarti said police hit members of the crowd with clubs and flashlights. LAST YEAR, Epton drafted a proposal that the council create a citizen's review board to allow out- side investigation of complaints against the police. DeVarti and other Democrats said they would support such a policy, but Epton never pro- posed it to the council because he feared Republican Mayor Gerald Jernigan - who consistently defends the Ann Arbor Police Department - would veto it. Rather than criticize the police department, Martin said the Re- publican council intends to ensure the police establish a more visible neighborhood presence to discourage crack dealing. The Republican councilmembers promise to be less critical of the po- lice than the Democrats whose criti- cisms of the police, Republicans say, distract the department from Ann Arbor's problems with violent and drug-related crime. Ouimet was critical of a Demo- crat-supported ordinance passed last fall requiring the police issue monthly reports detailing all reported crimes in Ann Arbor and all com- plaints against the police depart- ment. The time needed to prepare the reports "takes police officers off their beats," Ouimet said. DEVARTI, who lost his seat to Ouimet in April, responded that the council "worked with the police de- partment to formulate a set-up that would best allow them to respond to issues such as crime." Jernigan made the creation of a police cadet program one of his first priorities for the new council. Cadets are not sworn officers and cannot make arrests, but would be able to patrol various areas of the city and relieve officers of clerical chores. The Republicans are already working to address the concerns of one of their biggest support bases, local merchants. Downtown shop- keepers have long complained about skateboarders bothering customers. They also say fliers plastered over telephone poles make downtown unattractive. In May, the council voted to ban both postering and skateboarding downtown. COMPARATIVELY, the Democratic-led council's top priority for downtown was affordable hous- ing. Councilmember Kathy Edgren (D-5th Ward) said the Republican- controlled city council may let affordable housing slip as a priority. "The Republicans are working for the merchants downtown. There is not as much interest or commitment to making sure people have afford- able housing," she said. On the issue of downtown devel- opment, the Republicans will share the Democrats' concerns - prevent: ing development that will alter the character of the city. T1 n - . .w' TT.1 1 T T' T\TTW flT T' D)IVINE SHEPHEK LUTHERAN CHURCH Weekday SHEPHERDS PRE-SCHOO for 3 and 4-year olds )L Sunday Worship: 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday School & Bible Class: 9:30 a.m. 2600 Nixon Rd., north of Plymouth Rd. 761-7273 ---Rev Henry C. 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