Spring Newsletter 2016

The City of Utica
Mayor’s Corner
For most of us, Spring
means green leaves, flowers, rain showers and
warm temperatures. It is
the beginning of our " outdoor " months. Michigan is
wonderful in the Spring and
Summer. With our inland
lakes, rivers and the Great
Lakes, we truly have a
water wonderland. And,
with our superb agriculture,
we also rejoice in the plentiful fruits and vegetables
that grace our tables. "Pure
Michigan" is exactly that, a
delight to all the senses.
Spring also brings baseball, boating, picnics and of
course road construction .
Schools empty out and
families plan vacations to
recharge their batteries
and take advantage of the
nice weather. Utica has
been witness to some real
changes over the last year.
We not only finished construction of our long awaited hike and bike trail, but
also saw the emergence of
our new ballpark on brown
fields west of the beautiful
Clinton River. In addition,
just to the east, a large
600+ space parking lot was
produced. The United
Shore
Professional
Baseball League began its
inaugural season of 75
games with the three
teams: Utica Unicorns,
Eastside Diamondhoppers,
and
Birmingham
Bloomfield Beavers. These
amenities have been made
possible by the foresight,
funding and planning of our
Downtown Development
Authority
Board
of
Directors,
Parks
and
Recreation Commission,
General
Sports
and
Entertainment, and numerous grants/loans from the
MDEQ, MEDC, Federal
Government,
Macomb
County
and
private
resources. Check out the
games, go for a hike,
canoe the Clinton River or
just people watch at our
Volume 30
Number 1
Spring 2016
beautiful Memorial Park.
August 2 is the deadline to
file nominating petitions for
the upcoming election.
There will be three City
Council seats and the
Mayor position up for election. Petitions must be filed
by 4 pm on that date to be
considered
in
the
November 8 election. It is
every citizen's right and
responsibility to vote.
June 23 - June 26
Riverwalk Festival celebrates summer and our
beautiful
Historic
Downtown. Grab the kids,
catch a ball game, come to
the carnival , get your face
painted or join the Utica
Lions Club in the beer tent
listening to the live entertainment all four days. It
should be a great time to
kick off the season of fun in
the sun. U need to be in
Utica.
Mayor Jacqueline K. Noonan
[email protected]
586 739 1600
Page 2
Library
Happenings
The library staff and Board of
Trustees wish to thank all the
volunteers and residents who
helped make our February book
sale so successful. We also
wish to thank, once again, the
Utica Heritage Association for
funding our subscription to
Overdrive, the online database
that allows patrons to checkout
ebooks and audiobooks on their
personal devices—from home,
from the beach, from the lakes,
from anywhere that’s convenient for you! If you haven’t tried
Overdrive yet, all you need is a
library card to register. Follow
the link from our website
www.uticalibrary.com and start
downloading books to your ereader.
You can also check the downloadable magazine database,
Zinio, and the
downloadable music database,
FreeGal, with the links provided
on our website. Spring and
summer mean more time with
the kids and more opportunities
to take advantage of the great
museums in the metro area;
many of these museums participate in the library-sponsored
MAP program, which allows
free or reduced cost entry fees
to participating museums.
Once again, you need your
library card, and you may follow
the link from our webpage.
However, the library still offers
plenty of print materials so
check out our shelves for the
latest bestsellers; perhaps you
prefer to listen to the latest
offering by James Patterson
and others. If so, peruse our
extensive audiobook collection.
And don’t forget the DVDs! The
majority of DVDs are free and
checkout for one week. We
also have computers for public
use and wireless connections
for those wishing to use their
own laptops and pads.
There is entertainment galore
at your library or through your
library; if you don’t have a
library card all you need is a
valid Michigan driver’s license
or I.D and we’ll issue you one
on the spot.
The Utica Library’s membership in the Suburban Library
Cooperative of Macomb County
allows Utica residents to visit
any library in the county, plus
the Troy and Harper Woods
libraries, and check materials
out. That’s over 20 libraries
available to you! Library staff
can request materials from
those libraries and have them
delivered to the Utica Library for
you convenience; and if you still
can’t find what you’re looking
for, we can access MEL, the
state supported database which
lists the holdings of participating
libraries all over the state.
Have questions? Don’t hesitate
to call us at 586-731-4141.
Police
Department
Spring has finally arrived! Although this was a
mild winter compared to previous years we welcome the
longer and warmer days of
spring.
I, like everyone I talk to, am
ready for some baseball in our
downtown. Go Unicorns! The
question I hear most frequently
regarding the new stadium is:
How are you going to handle
the parking and traffic?
The
construction of the new parking
lot on the north side of Auburn
Rd east of the Clinton River will
provide an additional 750 parking spaces to our downtown.
The municipal lots and other
parking areas in downtown will
also be available during the
games. As for traffic, M59 will
be easily accessible from either
the east or west of the stadium
off of Auburn Rd. Van Dyke and
Mound Road will also be accessible
without
difficulty.
Remember the majority of the
games will be played in the
evening and will start and finish
after the usual rush hour has
subsided.
Speaking of parking, I want to
bring notice of new signs on the
streets
around
Flickinger
Elementary School. One side
of each of the streets directly
adjacent to the school have
been posted “No Parking 8 AM
– 4 PM on School Days”. This
was done to aide in keeping the
children safe as they go to and
from school. With the greater
number of children being driven
to and picked up by parents the
new signage will help control
the parking and traffic flow in
the area.
The police department once
again hosedt a community
shred day. This event took
place in our parking lot on
Saturday, June 4th from 9:00
AM until 12:00 PM. We accepted all documents for shredding.
We do ask that you remove the
documents from binders, clips
or any other objects that could
cause harm to the shredder. In
order to prevent identity theft,
we strongly recommend that
you shred your documents
when they are no longer needed.
As a recent victim of identity
theft, I want to stress the importance of monitoring your bank
account, credit card, and credit
bureau activity. Immediately
report any unauthorized and/or
suspicious activity to the
account provider. In my case I
was able to detect the activity
before the fraudulent transactions
were
completely
processed and the money was
restored to my account immediately.
As we do every spring, the
members of the Utica Police
Department will begin their
assessment of abandoned vehicles, blight conditions, and
other ordinance violations that
have been uncovered by the
seasons change. I am asking
homeowners,
apartment
dwellers, and business operators within the city to inspect
their property and clean up
blight conditions. Remember,
blight conditions do lead to the
deterioration of neighborhoods,
and drive down property values.
Please do your part to keep our
city beautiful.
Unfortunately our old radar
speed trailer is no longer serviceable. We are currently looking to purchase a new device
that we will be able to place in
the neighborhoods to help curtail speeders. Report any problems with speeders to us so that
we can place officers or speed
monitors
in
the
area.
Remember that warm weather
brings the children out to play
so please slow down.
One of our neighboring communities recently had an incident where the suspect was
dressed as if he worked for one
of the utility companies. Once
the victim opened the door to
him, he forced his way inside
the home. Fortunately in this
case someone else in the home
chased away the intruder and
no one was harmed nor was
any property taken. Utility company employees will only need
to enter your home if you had
contacted them for maintenance or they have notified you
previously that they would be
doing work in the area and may
need access. In either case,
those employees should have a
company identification card displayed on their person. Please
contact us so that we can verify
the identity of anyone that may
be deceptively posing as a utility worker.
The members of Utica Police
Department wish an enjoyable
summer to all. Don’t forget to
give us a call if you are heading
out of town on vacation and we
will keep an eye on your home.
See you at the ballpark! Like us
on Facebook at Utica Michigan
Police Department.
FIRE
DEPARTMENT
Summer is almost
here. The Utica
Fire Department would like to
remind residents living in apartment complexes within the city of
the following: under the City of
Utica’s ordinance, International
Fire Code and National Fire
Protection Association allows for
no hibachi, stove, propane-fueled
grill or other similar devices used
for cooking, heating or any other
purpose or kindled on any balcony, under any overhanging portion, or within ten (10) feet (3m) of
any structure. Violation of these
codes and ordinances is subject
to a civil infraction citation and
fine of $100.00. These codes are
put into effect for the safety of our
residents. No one needs to experience an unwanted fire that is the
result from improper use of cooking/heating devices.
Another friendly reminder: There
is no burning of yard waste during
your spring clean-up in the City of
Utica.
Outdoor Electrical Safety:
• Have a qualified electrician do
electrical work
Page 3
• To prevent electrical shock, use
outside receptacles with a
ground-fault circuit interrupter.
• Use lighting and power tools
that have a UL label. Make sure
they are made for outdoor use.
• Store electrical tools indoors.
• Never trim branches around
power lines. Hire a professional
or contact the power company.
Pet Fire Safety:
• Pets are curious. Keep them
away from stoves and countertops so that they do not bump,
knock over, or turn on any cooking equipment. That includes
candles and lamps.
• Watch pets so they do not chew
on electrical cords. If you notice
a problem, have cords checked
by a professional.
• Dispose of charcoal coals only
after they are cooled. Empty the
coals into a metal container with a
tight fitting lid that is used to collect coals only.
• Place the container away from
anything that can burn.
• Never empty coals into a trash
can.
Lightning Safety:
• If you can hear thunder, you are
within a striking distance of lightning. Find shelter and avoid
being near windows.
• Never go under a tree for shelter from lightning.
• There is no safe place outside
from lightning.
The Utica Fire Department hopes
everyone enjoys the outdoors
during the summer months.
Please enjoy your pets. Pets and
wild animals have started approximately 700 home fires each year.
Remember to do a visible
“address check” on your living
quarters. Every second counts in
an emergency, and we would like
to be able to find your location
just as easy in the night hours,
from the road. Also, Utica Fire
Department is always looking for
qualified Paramedics and EMT
Firefighters.
Page 4
DEPARTMENT
OF
PUBLIC
WORKS
Regular work hours for the DPW
are 7:00 a.m. – Noon and 12:30
p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday. Office phone number is
(586) 731-6110. Email address is:
c i t y o f u t i c a p u b l i c [email protected] Mr. Lang’s
email
address
is:
[email protected]
The DPW is available for emergency calls after hours by contacting Police Dispatch at (586) 7312345. Please describe the nature
of the problem and what utilities
seem to be involved, whether it
includes water, sanitary sewer or
storm sewer.
Water and Sewer Services
In an effort to provide the best
quality of drinking water possible,
the City of Utica, in conjunction
with the Detroit Water and Sewer
Department, periodically tests and
monitors the drinking water
throughout our system. We are
required by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to generate an annual report showing the
results of yearly testing periodically performed that is available by
July 1st of each year at the municipal offices. You can stop by and
pick one up or call the DPW
offices, and we will mail one to you
upon request.
The Water Department has available to its customers on metered
municipal
water
an
Area
Maintenance Meter. This meter,
when purchased by the customer,
will allow them to use water for outside watering purposes without
being assessed a sewer charge.
We are strongly urging our water
customers to consider purchasing
one of these meters. Before purchasing, please call (586) 7316110 to discuss this service offered
to our residents and businesses.
In an effort to maintain or even
reduce our current water rates
from the City of Detroit, we ask that
all customers water their grass
between the hours of 11:00 P.M.
and 4:00 A.M. If we can manage
to shift our peak demand on the
system to that time frame, we may
be able to lower our water rates
charged to us by the Detroit Water
Department.
The Sewer Department does provide sewer-cleaning services from
house to main. If you suspect a
problem, the DPW will check the
City mains upon request. The
problem may not be yours and this
step may save you considerable
money. If the problem appears to
be your responsibility, you may
elect to use a private contractor or
the DPW for a fee.
HELPFUL HINTS FOR WATER &
SEWER DEPARTMENT ISSUES:
In the event of possible water or
sewer related problems, here are
some helpful ideas the property
owner can do to avoid additional
costs.
1. If the water consumer receives a
high water/sewer bill, it would be a
good idea to check for leaks. One
way to do this is to remove the lid
off the rear of the toilet tank and
drop 4-6 drops of food coloring into
the water. If the colored water
appears in the bowl, the working
parts in the tank should be
replaced.
2. If you have a water operated
sump pump, the operating valves
should be inspected Periodically.
They sometimes stick open and
water consumption goes unnoticed
causing an extremely high water
and sewer bill. Property owners
may want to install an alarm system to warn of any malfunctions
that could occur.
3. If a property owner appears to
have a sewer backup, there are
several possibilities. If the water
is clear, check the sump pump to
make sure it is operating. If the
water is not clear, it is possible that
there is a blockage that needs to
be addressed. It may be either an
internal or external problem. The
property owner must then decide
who will be asked to service the
problem. Again, if it is a city-related problem, the homeowner will
not be billed.
“Flushable” baby wipes and feminine hygiene products have
caused serious maintenance
issues with sewer systems
throughout this entire area.
Although the packaging for these
items state they are flushable, they
cause
serious
maintenance
issues, and costs for these issues
are a consideration in the rates
afforded our consumers. Please
dispose of these items in your normal trash pickup.
Consumer Confidence Reports
(CCR) will be available July 1,
2016, in the City Hall. Copies of
these reports will not be mailed
individually to the property owner.
Parks Department
The Utica Lions and Beck pavilions at Grant Park can be rented
for a fee of $100 for Utica and
Shelby Township residents and
$150 for all other residents.
Arrangements can be made
through City Hall at (586) 7391600. When renting one of these
pavilions, please be considerate of
others and make use of the refuse
containers provided. Extra bags
are located in the bottom of these
containers along with a dumpster
available on the Nancy Street side
of the park. We appreciate your
cooperation in this matter. We’re
looking forward to the warmer
weather as well as a safe and
enjoyable summer.
For those using the tennis courts
and basketball courts in Grant
Park, the lights are on a timer that
has to be manually switched on.
These timers are located at the
Comfort Station next to the bathroom doors.
We are excited to announce that
the Hike and Bike project was
completed at the end of the 2015
construction season. Come on
down and enjoy the scenic trail.
Heritage Park also has a universally designed canoe launch that is
handicap accessible along with a
new fishing pier, and there is a
Downtown Canoe Landing located
on Auburn Road, on the southwest
side of the Clinton River. There is
a gravel parking area provided for
public use. Funding for this project
was provided by ITC Holdings. We
look forward to canoeist paddling
into town and taking advantage of
all that the downtown area have to
offer.
Street Department
Residents should be aware that
we have an ordinance in place that
refers to the allowable length of
grass for both developed and
vacant properties. Grass and
weeds cannot be longer than 8” on
a developed property and 12” long
on a vacant lot. Those sites that
are in violation are subject to mowing by the DPW and subsequent
billing for time of employees and
equipment involved. Costs are
$250.00 for the first labor hour and
$150.00 for each hour or fraction
thereof.
Refuse Pickup
Waste Management will no longer
pick up any container that is larger
than 32 gallons. The regular pickup for the entire City of refuse,
recycling and compostable material is Friday. All items must be out
by 7:00 a.m. Holidays may affect
the refuse pickup schedules
unless the pickup day falls on the
same day as the national holiday.
In such instances, pickup will be
one day later.
Yard Waste: Pickup began April 1,
2016, and will continue through the
first week of December, 2016.
These items must be in either a 32
gallon container that is marked
“Yard Waste” or in the Kraft, brown
paper bags. Branches must be
bundled no longer than 4-foot sections that are no wider that 1-foot.
Reminder: Residential refuse
should not be put at curbside any
earlier than 12 hours before scheduled pickup time. The City’s contracted firm, Waste Management,
will pick up large items at no extra
charge. Some items require prior
notification to Waste Management.
To contact them with any questions
or request, their telephone number
is (866)797-9018 or you can call
City Hall at (586)739-1600.
A Friendly reminder to all
Property Owners, Residents and
Tenants:
Any digging done in the City must
be preceded by a 72-hour notice to
the MISS DIG system at 1-800482-7171. If damage is done to
any underground utility(s) when
digging and notification was not
given, the property owner will be
liable for repairs.
Page 5
BUILDING
DEPARTMENT
Winter is finally loosening its grip, and we can breathe in
that fresh air. It is time to get the
lawn mower and start to clean up the
property. Under the current Property
Maintenance Code, Section 302.1,
all exterior properties shall be maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary
condition. Waste Management (800796-9696) provides special pickups
of large, bulky items. In most cases,
there is no charge.
In regards to improvements to your
home, a building permit is required
for reroofing and erecting a new
fence, shed, deck, pools 24” or taller
and new garages. If you reside in
the Historical District, a plan review
is required by the historical commission. The historical commission
meets once a month on the third
Tuesday to go over your plans.
The building official is available
Tuesday and Thursday mornings to
answer any questions regarding the
code.
If you own any commercial property and lease it, there is a process that
your new tenant needs to follow.
Please be sure to direct your
prospective tenant to interface with
City Hall. Also, if anyone owns a
home, apartment building, duplex,
etc. for rent, they must hold a
Landlord License per Article III, Sec.
14-71 through Sec. 14-75.
TREASURER
The
2016
Summer tax will
be levied on July
1, 2016 and will be payable without
interest through Wednesday,
August 31, 2016. Beginning on
September 1, 2016, balances due
will accrue interest at the rate of
one per cent (1%) per month, calculated on the first day of each
month.
The 2016 Winter tax will be levied
on December 1, 2016 and will be
due on Tuesday, February 28,
2017.
All taxes unpaid at the close of
business on February 28, 2017 will
become payable to the Macomb
County Treasurer with late payment fees and interest.
Partial Payments
The City of Utica accepts partial
payments of tax bills; you do not
have to wait until you have the full
amount of your bill before making
a payment.
Summer Tax Deferment
Certain individuals who meet one
or more of the following criteria
may be eligible to defer the payment of the Summer tax until
February 28, 2017 without penalty:
• 62 years of age or older, including
the unmarried surviving spouse of
a person who was 62 years of age
or older at the time of death;
• Paraplegic or quadriplegic;
• Eligible serviceperson, eligible
veteran, eligible widow or widower;
• Blind person;
• Totally and permanently disabled.
Interested eligible individuals may
apply for the Deferment of
Summer Taxes by obtaining an
application from the City of Utica
Treasurer or from the State of
Michigan Department of Treasury
w
e
b
s
i
t
e
,
www.michigan.gov/treasury. The
deadline for filing the Application is
September 15, 2016. (Note: this
application must be filed each year
that an individual wishes to exercise the right to defer payment.)
Internet Services
Assessing, building, and tax information, as well as current balances of water & sewer accounts,
is available via the internet. This
information can be found by selecting a link on the City’s website,
www.cityofutica.org. The links can
be found on the corresponding
department pages or by clicking on
the “ONLINE PAYMENTS” button
found on the Homepage.
Credit card payment of taxes and
water & sewer bills is now an
option, either at City Hall or online
via the City’s website. The fee for
this service is the greater of $2.00
or 3% of the bill payment.
Payments by Mail
When sending payments by mail
to the City of Utica, please remember the following items:
• Enclose the remittance stub with
your check;
Page 6
• Write the tax parcel number or
water bill account number on your
check;
• Mail the payment with ample time
for the postal service to deliver it
by the due date.
Tax payments with a post-mark on
or before the due date will be credited as paid on time if received
within seven days of the due date.
Water bill payments must be
received on or before the due date
to be considered as paid on time.
On-line Banking
When using on-line banking services to issue a payment to the City
of Utica, please remember to
update the account information to
correctly identify the account to be
credited. Order the payment with
ample time for the bank to process
the payment and the postal service
to deliver it by the due date.
Drop Box
There is a mail slot in the wall, to
the left of the Administration Office
doors, where payments by check
can be deposited when the office is
closed. Please do not deposit
cash payments in the drop box.
Citizen’s Guide and Performance
Dashboard
The Citizen’s Guide and
Performance Dashboard is available on the City of Utica’s website,
www.cityofutica.org, by selecting
the link entitled MUNETRIX
DASHBOARD. Public viewing is
available at the Utica Public
Library, 7530 Auburn Rd.
Administration
Office
Wow, this sure has been a quick
year!
Elections- off and running, make
this the best year ever! VOTE!
Not one but TWO elections!
The August Primary will be held on
Tuesday August 2, 2016. An
important issue on the ballot will be
the Library Millage Request.
Please support our Library.
The Presidential and City Election
will be Tuesday, November 8,
2016. This election will be for the
Mayor
and
three
(3)
Councilpersons. The precincts will
be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00
p.m. Absentee ballots may be
obtained from the Clerk’s Office.
Thank you to Village Square for
hosting Precinct three over many
years. Due to the growing community, we have changed precinct
three to Flickinger Elementary. All
affected voters were mailed a new
voter ID card indicating the new
Precinct.
Clerks
We strive to be top notch and are
represented by a great groupMichigan Association of Municipal
Clerks or MAMC. Our motto is:
• Motivation – the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.
Municipal Clerks/Deputy Clerks
are motivated by our high standards of ethics to do the best job
possible every time.
• Accepting – consent to receive (a
thing offered).
We continue to be accepting of
many tasks that have to be completed timely, accurately, and truly
done with Clerk style.
• Modesty – the quality or state of
being unassuming or moderate in
the estimation of one's abilities.
We continue to be modest in
accepting praise for doing a great
job; we need to learn to toot our
own horns.
• Committed – feeling dedication
and loyalty to a cause, activity, or
job; wholeheartedly dedicated.
We are truly committed to our
positions as Municipal Clerks as
well as our Directors are committed to serving the membership of
MAMC.
I am excited about the upcoming
year, it will be great. Please contact my deputy, Nancy Carter or
myself if you ever have any questions, comments or suggestions.
Waste Management Holiday Schedule
HolidayLabor Day, September 5, 2016
Pick up DateSaturday, September 10, 2016
We are proud to inform you that
our 26th annual Old Mill Arts and
Crafts Festival will be held July 16
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and July 17
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Grant
Park (8243 Hahn). Besides the
high-quality artists you have come
to expect from this show, we will
be hosting much more entertainment, and the Utica Lion’s Club
will be serving beer along with
their regular fares in our food
court. Speaking of the Lion’s
Club, they will also be hosting
their pancake breakfast Sunday
morning from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Come out and join us for some
beautiful scenery, the chance to
purchase a gift for someone special (or yourself) and for community camaraderie.
The Utica Pioneers
The Utica Pioneers is Utica’s
Senior Organization that had its
beginning on June 20, 1988.
Members and friends meet in
the Community Room at 7650
Greeley to promote friendship
and leisure activities for persons 55 years of age or above
who reside in the City of Utica
and its surrounding communities.
The Utica Pioneers’ activities
include:
PINOCHLE TOURNAMENTS
are held every Tuesday from
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
GENERAL MEETING is held on
the 3rd Wednesday of each
month at 11 a.m. Specialty
lunches follow each meeting and
the monthly Birthdays and
Anniversaries are celebrated.
Bingo games are played after
HOT NUTRITIOUS LUNCHES
lunch.
are served Monday through
WE CARE program provides Friday by the Macomb County
Citizens
Nutrition
monthly remembrances to the Senior
residents at the Regency Manor Program at 11:30 a.m. for a
cost-sharing of $3. Come to
in Utica.
An information bulletin called socialize and help reduce your
THE TRAILBLAZER is pub- grocery shopping. Meals are
lished each month for the Utica pre-ordered a week in advance.
Reserve your meal.
Pioneer members.
The RiverSafe LakeSafe
eSafe program is a public education
ducation campaign aiming to
o
raise awareness and re
recognize
ecognize those who incorporate
orate practices which help to
o
keep our freshwater resources
sources clean and healthy.
healthy.
The progra
program
m itself consists of a survey which will help to identify areas of
everyday life that impact
ct our local water quality
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Take
ake
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[email protected].
Link to online surveyhttps://www
surveyhttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RiverSafeLakeSafe
veyhttps://www.surveymonkey
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e
For more information on this program please contact
ontact Eric Diesing:
Phone: (248) 601– 0606
06 Email: Email: [email protected].
wc.org.
1115
1
115 W
W.. Avon
Avon Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48309
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ou can also visit ourr website at: http://www
http://www.crwc.org/riversafe-lakesafe/
.crwc.org/riversafe-lakesafe/
rwc.org/riversafe-lakesafe//
We
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earing from you.
Page 7
The Benefits of Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure has become a crucial part of
stormwater management in Southeast Michigan.
What exactly is green infrastructure? Green infrastructure is an environmentally friendly way to collect, store, and discharge excess stormwater into
rivers, lakes, and streams. Green infrastructure is
classified into two categories. The first type of
includes natural environments such as wetlands,
parks, and prairies. The second type includes constructed features such as rain gardens, vegetated
swales, and green roofs.
Installing green infrastructure within a community
provides many benefits in addition to aesthetic
improvements. Some of the benefits include:
• Economic – residential property values can
increase near trails, parks, and waterways
• Habitat Improvements – increases habitat for animals and insects
• Air Quality – reduction of air pollution
• Health – encourages outdoors activity
• Energy and Climate – increased vegetation
assists in managing carbon
Those thinking about installing green infrastructure
near their home, business, or other development
must keep in mind that green infrastructure performs well when regular maintenance is established. For more information on green infrastructure, please visit the Southeast Michigan Council of
Government’s
(SEMCOG)
website
at
www.semcog.org.
THE CITY OF UTICA
MAYOR: Jacqueline K. Noonan
COUNCIL:
Kenneth Sikora
William Osladil
Faith Terenzi
Barb Montag
Charles Cuddington
Frank Czapski
Treasurer/Fin.Dir: Phil Paternoster
City Clerk: Beth Ricketts
Police Chief: Dave Faber
Fire Chief: Kevin Wilseck
DPW Superintendent: William Lang
Library Director: Marsha Doege
Assessor: Nancy Strehl
New drop box for non-cash
payments in foyer at City Hall.
New hours for City Hall:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Wednesday and Friday
8:30am to 11:30 pm.
Voice mail available during
closed hours. 586-739-1600
City Limits is a Publication of the City of
Utica, produced twice a year. Articles are
contributed by department heads and
other interested individuals.
Editor is Jacqueline K. Noonan.