St. Patrick’s Day Street Closure
Last night, I cast what has turned out to be a somewhat controversial vote on City Council and I'd like you to understand why. I'd also welcome your feedback.
Council was asked by staff to approve closing the street on St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) to allow Conor O'Neill's to have outside dining. The street will be closed from 6am-11pm, but Conor O'Neill's will be hosting outside dining from 10am-10pm.
To address the presence of the more contagious, B.1.1.7 variant, of the coronavirus the following safety protocols will be followed:
In addition to following all MDHHS and County requirements for masking, social distancing and occupancies, they will have: 1) Additional social distancing and mask signage throughout the area and entrances; 2) Additional staff will be on hand specifically responsible for ensuring complete compliance with all COVID regulations in place; 3) They will utilize an online reservation system to safely manage customer flows by reserving blocks of time; 4)Additional staff will be on hand to ensure there are no gatherings/congregation/table hopping, and adjust distancing of tables/chairs as needed; 5) Staff will wipe down commonly touched surfaces including restrooms more often given the additional volume of people expected, 6) Staff will get names and contact information for contact tracing, and 7) additional police will be on patrol (paid for by Conor O'Neill's to monitor) compliance with these rules.
In other words, every effort is being taken to open and operate safely outdoors in alignment with local, state, and federal public health guidance. As I watch local business, after local business, close following a year of operating during Covid, this carefully developed and planned event seemed like a reasonable request. Conor O'Neill's noted in their application that they closed down shortly before St. Patrick's day last year and are looking for ways to operate safely this year. After considering these protocols, I, and a majority of Council members, voted yes to approve this closure.
And yet, I am hearing that this vote is being perceived as another slap in the face of parents who are being told that it is not safe yet to open schools. While the AAPS is an entirely separate entity that the City of Ann Arbor has no jurisdiction over, some perceive this street closure as a desire to prioritize profit over kids. That was certainly not my intent.
I too have a child in AAPS who desperately wants to get back in the classroom. I also have friends, who are teachers, that I don't want to lose to Covid.
I personally believe we need to find a way to get our youngest and must vulnerable kids physically back in the classroom following public health protocols that protects staff/kids/families. I know this a priority for AAPS as well, but with no date being communicated to parents, frustrations are mounting. The City of Ann Arbor is prepared to help AAPS in any way we can. If that means we shouldn't approve requests like this, I am 100% willing to reconsider my vote on this item.
As a City Councilmember, I do my best to follow science and best practice in my decision making. And yet, I know that at times other factors must be considered... like what does this action communicate to our community.
I welcome your thoughts and feedback.