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 RECORDS. ;11"4; ""W W=1 phone: 663.5800 1140 outhuniversity (above goodtime chadeys), AA - more-thurs.: 9:00a-10:00p Sundays S *f ri . & sat.: 9:00a-11:00p :00-sto CPC ON 9ALE ". "." real music.. "] 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. ~ oasis HWIAT'S THETR~I$tOY flL.Witd1A: T -' " Y . r.e,' InfOPm tIOn t KH.~IIt kL~ 7;R0~ ~I4tfO1 -QTABIV x$"99~ 4+.vo ~ off the edIar yrie of Avt fAll y U " f t e C 1 e o f 4 e C 2 .s A C .. Voy i.w double Ien1 ftea5e P5 You tawfeseve 'a tAnhA of 41N0kxi "i *10 k1 r j "7 . m 1 I .