WATER STREET
ANN ARBOR NEWS QUESTIONNAIRE
MLIVE.COM VOTER GUIDE

WATER STREET

Water Street is the most formidable and immediate challenge the City faces. Looming debt payments starting in the next fiscal year at over $800K and rapidly rising to over $1.3 million annually, without development tax revenues, will cripple the City. The City's Fund Balance will get us through next year and possibly the following year. After that ...

The most important thing the City can do is open up the Water Street development to a broader range of possibilities. Right now the City is wedded to a singular concept of residential condo development with some commercial activity along Michigan Ave. The Planning Commission just recently adopted a revised master plan for Water Street that while, opening up to multiple developers, essentially maintains this singular concept or residential/commercial designation. It's not that this concept is a "bad" idea but it is one that two developers couldn't seem to make work.

Why not open the process up to potential developers, saying that we have 38 acres of development property, what would you suggest could go there? What would you invest YOUR money in and what do you need from the City to make it work?

Then we can evaluate each proposal, see how it measures up to community desires and the City's financial and debt situation and make a reasoned decision. By closing out other possibilities, we will never know what's out there. We always can say no.

What about a Green Industry concept with a manufacturing operation that creates jobs building windmills or solar panels? What about a research facility that is developing a long life battery for the electric car of the future--maybe in conjunction with EMU? What about a baseball stadium--sports complex that we have heard rumors of? What about a ca-si-no (Mark's spam filter prevents spelling this word correctly) complex? Are any of these examples beating down the doors? Are they a real possibility? We don't know unless we stop clinging to a singular concept and open up the possibilities.

There have been no proposals offered. When someone comes to the table with a real proposal with real money, then we can evaluate it.

Second, we need to aggressively market the property in an unrestricted way, as described above, to allow for all possibilities and concepts to be explored. The recent hiring of a marketing firm by the City was a good step if they are not restricted to what they can market it for.

Third, the marketing of the property, for development of smaller parcels instead of the entire site, while probably not the most desirable direction, is one that is now dictated by necessity.

Fourth, I would not borrow any more money for the project, unless it is accompanied and linked to a specific developer, and the development is such that the tax revenue can service the debt.

Lastly, I would attempt to creatively do things to the site that indicates progress and motion. When the Walgreen's project was being discussed for Prospect and Michigan, I proposed that the City see if they could get Walgreen's to locate on the Water Street site at Michigan and Park or Michigan and River. This would have created activity at the site and indicate progress. Also by locating at that site, tax revenues would be nearly double what it is now because of the Water Street Tax Increment Financing District (TIFA) and it would all be dedicated to paying off the debt. Both because the City, at that time, did not want to break the property up, and Walgreen's reluctance to change location, it didn't happen.

I have recently contacted both the City and Recycle Ann Arbor(RAA) about the possibility of doing a Deconstruction demonstration project, where by RAA would deconstruct a couple of the smaller buildings on Michigan Avenue and salvage for reuse or recycling much of the demolition debris. Both indicated an interested, and I await the outcome of their discussions. This would be a relatively inexpensive project which would not only show progress on the site but would have an environmental (green) element to it. If successful, other building deconstruction may be a possibility.

We should open up the River Walk portion so people can connect from Riverside to Waterworks Park and perhaps turn the open area into a dog park for the interim period.

That's my ideas on Water Street. I am anxious to hear others. Let a thousand flowers bloom.

ANN ARBOR NEWS QUESTIONNAIRE

The following are Pete's repsonses to an Ann Arbor News questionnaire.

ELECTED OFFICE SOUGHT:
City Council member - Ward 3 - City of Ypsilanti

CANDIDATE NAME:
Peter J. Murdock

POLITICAL PARTY:
Democratic

CITY, VILLAGE OR TOWNSHIP OF RESIDENCE:
City of Ypsilanti

OCCUPATION:
Retired
Former Recycle Ann Arbor Manager of Washtenaw County's Recycling Drop-Off Station
Former Coordinator - Ypsilanti Recycling Project

EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Arts, Eastern Michigan University

ANY PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE:
Mayor - City of Ypsilanti - 3 terms
City Councilmember - old Ward Five - City of Ypsilanti - 4 terms
Precinct Delegate - Democratic Party - Multiple terms

PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE:
Served on numerous appointed and elected (see above) positions including Economic Development Council, Downtown Development Authority, Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority, Ypsilanti Housing Commission, Joint City-Township Library Committee, Washtenaw County Solid Waste Committee, and more.

Decades of volunteer service.

Founding and continuing Member: Historic Eastside Neighborhood Association
Founding and continuing Member Ypsilanti Food Co-op
Member: Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation
Member: Keep Ypsi Rollin'
Organizer and Spokesperson for Stop City Income Tax Committee

KEY ISSUES (please identify your top three):
Bringing credibility and trust back to City Government
Providing maximum City Services within the Revenues that are available
Water Street

SUMMARY (a sentence or two) OF YOUR PROPOSAL FOR ADDRESSING EACH OF THOSE ISSUES:
It became clear during the recent income tax election that many residents were feeling alienated from City government and that City Council was out of touch with the reality of their daily lives. Building that trust and relationship with residents is key to our community's future. I would seek out and listen to ideas and suggestions from all who choose to offer them.

I don't claim to have a monopoly on ideas or solutions. What I will do is work hard to find them and build consensus for them. And as more than one person said, in urging me to run for Council, "Use our money wisely." We must explore creative methods of providing services, whether it is by regionalization, partnerships with community, business and other groups or in ways not yet thought of. We also must face the reality that there will be no miracles from Lansing or Washington and that our future is in our hands. We have met those challenges in the past and we will meet them again.

Water Street is the 10,000 lb gorilla in the room. The rapidly approaching debt payments for the $ 16 million borrowed for the project with no or insufficient development on the horizon will put enormous pressure on the City's budget. All efforts should be undertaken to explore a variety of options and proposals for that property. The City should be up front with all the long and short term benefits of any proposal, so residents understand the consequences and rational choices can be made.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE:
It's my community and I care about it. I believe I can bring the kind of experience, knowledge and common-sense approach that will be of great value in guiding our community through these most difficult times.

WEB SITE:
VoteMurdock.com

PERSONAL (age, marital and family status):
65 years, but who's counting?
Married - wife, Grace Sweeney
A house shared with a herd of cats

MLIVE.COM VOTER GUIDE

NAME:
Pete Murdock

ADDRESS:
504 N River St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198

WEB SITE:
VoteMurdock.com

AGE:
65

FAMILY:
Married to Grace Sweeney, retired school teacher

BIRTHPLACE:
Boston, MA

EDUCATION / DEGREES:
BA in Political Science, Eastern Michigan University
Professional development courses in Solid Waste, Recycling, Composting, Reuse, and Waste Reduction

EXPERIENCE:
Elected three terms as Mayor of the City of Ypsilanti
Elected four terms as City Council member
Served on numerous committees including: Downtown Development Authority
Economic Development Corporation
Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority
Community Development Block Grant Committee
Joint City-Township Library Board Committee
Coordinator of Ypsilanti Recycling Project -- developed curbside and expanded drop-off
Station Program Manager for Recycle Ann Arbor
Member of Wastenaw County's recycling drop-off station
Organizer and spokesperson for the Stop City Income Tax Committee

MILITARY EXPERIENCE:
None

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
Founding and continuing member, Historic East Side Neighborhood Association
Founding and continuing member, Ypsilanti Food Co-Op
Member, Ypsialnti Heritage Foundation
Member, Keep Ypsi Rollin'
Volunteer, numerous City activities over the past years

ENDORSEMENTS:
UAW Region 1A
Huron Valley Central Labor Council
Wastenaw County Skilled Building Trades Council

Q1 / WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED:
Three of the most important issues facing the City are:

1) How is the City going to provide the services with the revenue we have.
2) How are we going to rebuild the trust in City government that is necessary to move forward.
3) How are we going to create a successful scenario for Water Street before it financially ruins the City.

To this end, we need to seek out ideas and develop creative solutions and partnerships for service provision, including co-operative and regional efforts with other governmental entities and community groups, consolidating departments internally and generally looking at things differently. We must involve a broader range of citizens into the process and develop relationships among community groups throughout the City for a common purpose. Water Street must be opened up to other development concepts -- not just the narrow, exclusionary concept that exists now. The City must aggressively market Water Street and other potential development sites such as the Ford Motor Company plant and Motor Wheel, as well as our Downtown, Depot Town, Cross Street, and other commercial areas to bring jobs and tax revenue to the City.

Q2 / WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUELY QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITION:
My years of service in elective and appointive office provide me with a wealth of knowledge, skills, and experience that will serve the community well. I have a record of working with people of differing politics and positions to achieve common goals. I am a consensus builder without becoming paralyzed to inaction.

Q3 / WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT VOTERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU:
I have always been a change agent and Ypsilanti is in need of change. I have never been afraid of taking on difficult and sometimes divisive issues in order to move Ypsilanti forward. The reality is that times are tough in Ypsilanti. Our future is up to us. I am confident that with good leadership and hard work, our Ypsilanti community, as it has done in the past, will build a better future for all of us.