LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 6, 1996 - 5
City Counc
"j Will Weissert
Daily Staff' Reporter
The Ann Arbor City Council passed a resolu-
tion last night that imposes higher fees and
tougher regulations on downtown street ped-
dlers and vendors.
However, the council postponed the vote on a
resolution that would further restrict street ven-
dors and peddlers who sell goods on University
property around Michigan Stadium.
The downtown resolution that the council ac-
cepted increases the required fee to receive a city
peddler and solicitor license from $35 each year to
$45 every six months. It also requires all peddlers
and vendors to possess basic liability insurance,
which will cost approximately $500 a year.
il to impose fees on downtown street vendors
Peddlers will be forced to buy insurance, pay increased yearly fee
The resolution limits vendors to five minutes
in front of any given address and prohibits them
from returning to any address for at least two
hours after leaving. Also under the provision, a
special police officer will be assigned to ensure
that-peddlers do move after five minutes.
The council postponed voting on the Univer-
sity-supported peddler policy after it voted to
deny James Kosteva, the University's director
ofcommunity relations, achanceto speak on the
University's behalf.
Under the proposed resolution that would
affect stadium property, vendors and peddlers
would be prohibited from selling goods in the
areas around Michigan Stadium and Crisler
Arena for three hours before and after any major
University event.
The current ordinance, drafted in 1981, re-
stricts vendors' access to areas around Michigan
Stadium between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on football
Saturdays. However, it places no restrictions on
University events other than football games, and
does not mention other University arenas.
"The situation would be much more easy
when we have the support of the city," Kosteva
said in an interview last month.
At least two councilmembers are likely to
oppose the University on this issue in the future.
Both Tobbi Hanna-Davies (D-Ist ward) and
Stephen Hartwell (D-4th ward) questioned the
need for such stiff regulations against peddlers
on University property.
"What is the justification for preventing ped-
dling around the stadium?" Hanna-Davies asked
last night. "This is a public sidewalk and I don't
feel comfortable banning it."
Hartwell said the council has in the past voted
down a resolution backed by local merchants
that would have prohibited all vendor and ped-
dler sales in the downtown area. He said that if
the merchants didn't get their way, he couldn't
see making an exception for the University.
"It's going to be a pretty tough sale to ban all
of the things that are sold outside of the stadium
fence," Hartwell said. "It's going to be a pretty
tough sale just to impress the University."
Councilmember Elizabeth Daly (D-5th ward)
moved to postpone the vote, saying she had not
been involved in past meetings between a city
task force working on the issue and University
officials.
Jane Lumm (R-2nd Ward) said she would per-
sonally like to apologize to Kosteva for making
him sit through the entire council meeting without
being allowedto speak on behalfofthe University.
Engler: Cities can't afford tax
cuts for Native American lands
LANSING (AP) -Gov. John Engler
is trying to block efforts by a Michigan
tribe to have land taken of the tax rolls,
saying local government cannot 4afford
the lost revenue.
Critics said yesterday that Engler's ef-
forts to lobby federal officials to deny the
request of the Sault Ste. Marie band ofthe
Chippewas is hypocritical in light of his
own proposals to create low-tax "renais-
sance zones."
"Obviously, he feels different about
Indian tribes than he does businesses that
will go intothese renaissance zones," said
Sen. James Berryman (D-Adrian).
"We do see a hypocrisy there," said
tribal spokesperson John Hatch.
Engler's renaissance zone proposal
would eliminate a wide variety of taxes,
including singlebusiness, real estateprop-
erty, personal property and individual
income taxes in designated areas. Schools
would be reimbursed by the state for lost
taxes, but other local governments would
not.
In his letter to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Engler complained about the ap-
plication by theband to have three parcels
within the city limits of Sault Ste. Marie
placed into trust with the U.S. govern-
ment.
Engler claimed city tax revenues will
drastically decline if the tribe continues to
place land intrust and the consequences for
city residents would be devastating.
Hatch said the governor didn't seem to
share the same concerns on renaissance
zones, even though they, too, decrease a
city's tax income.
"In his attempts to stimulate the
economy of some of the urban areas of
In his letter, the governor said the
Chippewas have become wealthy due to
casino gambling, earning more than $100
million annually.
"Given the financial independence
of the tribe and the tribe's proven effec-
tiveness in the marketplace, the need
for trust protection for its property lo-
Michigan
also some
and
areas
that have high un-
employment, he is
going ahead with
the renaissance
zones which will
provide no tax
payments for
what they de-
velop," Hatch
said.
"We have al-
We have always
provided some
reimbursement for
our property,"
-John Hatch
Chippewa tribe spokesperson
cated within the
city limits is not
evident," Engler
wrote.
Both the city and
the Sault Area
Chamber of Com-
merce have ob-
jected to more
property being
placed into trust,
Engler added.
"Moreover,
JENNIFER BRADLEY-SW IFT/Daily
Gettng perspective
Prospective students and their parents toured rooms In East Quad yesterday. LSA junior Brad Rosenberg, who led the
tour, explained there were living options to fit all needs.
SNRE gmduate stude am
restore educational focus ofAr
ways provided some reimbursement for
our property."
But Englerspokesperson Pat Masserant
rejected the comparison.
In proposed renaissance zones, com-
munities have a choice whether or not to
take land off the tax rolls in hope of
stimulating long term growth, she said.
When tribes put land in trust, the local
community has no say. "They (tribes)
want to put themselves on an unfair ad-
vantage in those communities," she said.
they express legitimate concerns over
the unfair advantage which commercial
enterprises have when located on trust
land, advantages which do not result
form the marketplace but rather from the
protection afforded by trust status,"
Engler wrote.
Hatch said about 100 of the tribe's 394
acres of trust land are within the city. And
he said all the land the tribe is asking to be
put into trust is continguous to its reserva-
tion, not scattered parcels.
Vy Ann Stewart
For the Daily
Many students think of the Arb only as
a place to study. relax or exercise, without
knowing that the space is intended for
educational use and research. A current
master's degree project is intended to
renew the Arb's original purpose.
The project, now being designed by
six School of Natural Resources and En-
Vironment students from diverse educa-
tional backgrounds, will try to make stu-
dents more aware of the Arb's purpose.
"There is a general lack of awareness.
People think it's just a park out there,"
*said Gail Quaderer, an SNRE graduate
student of landscape architecture who is
.working on the project.
The project, titled "Improving User
Experience," aims to discourage inap-
piopriate use of the Arb - like break-
ing the rules prohibiting biking, sled-
ding and dogs.
"Just telling people 'don't dothis' isn't
effective," said Mike Psarouthakis, an
SNREgraduate student of Resource Ecol-
ogy and Management working on the
r project.
Part of the plan includes recommend-
ing changes in policy that would reduce
the conflicts that arise between different
visitors' interests.
Kris Nebel, an SNRE graduate student
of Resource Policy and Behavior who is
participatingintheproject, saidthat while
many students ride theirbikes in the Arb,
they often have the same problems with
*pedestrians as the bikers on the Diag.
Dogs without leashes have caused prob-
lems in the past, Nebel said. Many visi-
tors are annoyed or afraid when they see
a dog roaming free.
"The combination of disturbing others
and causing damage" to the property,
Nebel said, are reasons for the rules.
Biking and sledding can cause damage to
both the soil and trees, and dogs may dig
boles on the property.
The Nichols Arboretum mission:
Nichols Arboretum, operated by the School of Natural Resources and
Environment, sets forth as its mission to heighten the awareness of human
relationships with the environment by considering issues of renewable natural
resources conservation, and by the development of an outstanding and diverse
collection of the world's temperate zone plants, demonstrated by the
conservation and restoration of individual plants, plant communities, and their
habitats. To accomplish this mission, the Arboretum shall promote education
and research projects that promote the botanical and design aspects of plants
which benefit students of The University of Michigan and Ann Arbor schools,
Michigan residents, and the world's citizens.
Adopted Nov. 2, 1988
I
MICHIGAN
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Changes in policy would involve both
education and enforcement of the rules
some students simply don't know exist.
Parts ofthe plan, put together by SNRE
graduate student Tracy Boyle, would en-
courage more use of the Arb for educa-
tion - including field trips and outdoor
education for grade school students. Boyle
wants to make these programs and trips
possible by creating more parking, eating
facilities, bathrooms and drinking foun-
tains.
Psarouthakis has suggested ideas for
promoting the original intentions of the
Arb, like printing brochures and market-
ing through other media. Brochures and
newsletters about the Arb currently exist,
but through his business plan, Psaro-
uthakis hopes to improve distribution of
these materials and make recommenda-
tions for the Arb's web site. The plan also
looks into proper ways to sell products
related to the Arb, such as T-shirts.
Part of the project includes planning
and design changes to improve universal
access for groups that the students say
could benefit from the experience.
This part of the plan, which is being
designed by graduate students Gail
Quaderer, Susan Simon and Martha
Wyatt, focuses on increasing use by the
hospital population and the Ronald
McDonald House.
Currently, it is difficult for the handi-
capped, elderly or hospitalized to get into
and around the Arb. Changes could in-
clude a new gate area, more frequent
resting areas and surface changes foreasier
walking.
"We don't want to make any drastic
changes," Simon said.
But making it more accessible, Simon
said, "more people can enjoy it for what it
really is."
The last of this type of projects on the
Arb in 1988 resulted in a master plan and
mission statement now in effect, the basis
for the plan currently being worked out.
"These things aren't written in stone;
when they're implemented there could be
changes," Psarouthakis said.
The Arb's director, Harrison Morton,
who is also the team's adviser, says
chances are good that the changes and
recommendations from this project will
someday be in effect. He added it is
susceptible to change, though.
"We want people to use the Arb for
teaching forexample; purposes that serve
the University as a whole ... otherwise
somebody should ask the question, 'Why
does the University pay for it if it's just a
city park?"'
The mission states that the purpose of
the Arb is mainly education about the
environment. The SNRE students hope
the project will further promote use more
consistent with this mission.
The findings of the research will be
presented in April 1996.
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