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“Doing our best work today and every day to make Kalamazoo the best city it can be tomorrow.”
JULY
2008 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 19
www.kalamazoocity.org
Message from the City Manager
The budget process began this month with two very significant events; the Community Relations Board (CRB) meeting with the community regarding the Blueprint for Action and the community survey. CRB has been instrumental in helping City Administration reach the community through dialogues with our residents. Members of CRB held five community forums in July and gathered input from residents regarding the six strategic focus areas of the Blueprint for Action document. Although we anticipated more participants at the five forums, the information and comments from those in attendance will be quite helpful in our update of the document. We also realized how important it would be to affirm the true sense of resident opinion and have initiated the first community survey since 2004 to gauge residents’ perception of city services and other issues regarding our area. Along with the community meetings led by CRB, the random survey results will yield statistical outcomes that will identify community priorities to aid in the development of the 2009 City Budget. July has been a rewarding month for the City of Kalamazoo. Our economic development success story was featured in the July 28, 2008 issue of The Wall Street Journal. There are many in this community to thank for this unparalleled success in spite of Michigan’s economic difficulties. The City’s ability to maintain and attract businesses is the foundation for which we continue to build upon to provide an unsurpassed quality of life to our residents.
City of Kalamazoo Featured in
The Wall Street Journal
Kalamazoo continues to reap the economic benefits of the Kalamazoo Promise and was recently featured in a Wall Street Journal article entitled Class Act – Kalamazoo’s Lesson: Educate and They Will Come. The article recounts the premise of the Kalamazoo Promise and the companies that moved to or expanded their businesses in Kalamazoo (creating and/or maintaining 4,197 jobs) such as Kaiser Aluminum, MPI Research, Fabri-Kal Corporation, W. Soule & Company, Tourney Consulting Group and Polymer Solutions. In addition, the article talks about the rebirth of Kalamazoo and the positive impact afforded to the Kalamazoo Public Schools since the inception of the Promise. Over the past 18 months, Kalamazoo has shown some signs of a rebirth. Four-hundred families from 88 Michigan communities, 32 states and nine foreign countries have moved into the Kalamazoo school district, boosting school enrollment 12% to 11,530 this year from 10,337 in 2005. Graduation rates have risen, too, jumping 21% to 567 students in 2007 from 467 students in 2005. To read the entire Wall Street Journal article, visit,
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121676435398175079.html
Residents from Numazu, Japan Visit Kalamazoo A Sister City International Exchange Program
21 residents of Numazu, Japan visited Kalamazoo as a part of the Kalamazoo – Numazu Sister City International Exchange Program. This marks the 45th Anniversary of the partnership between Kalamazoo and Numazu. As a gift to the residents of Numazu, the Kalamazoo delegation presented the group with a handcrafted peace pole that included messages of peace in Japanese, English and two local Native American languages. Members participated in several activities during the weeklong visit to Kalamazoo including a tour of the Stryker Corporation, a Kalamazoo Kings baseball game, blueberry picking, glass-making opportunity and trips to the Sand Dunes near Saugatuck and Mackinaw Island.
A Celebration for Everyone!!!
10th Annual Employee Appreciation
117 employees will be honored for their service to our organization. Service awards will be presented at the Employee Celebration. In addition, staff who work 2nd and 3rd shift will receive something special during their shifts to honor their commitment to our organization as well. The Celebration will be held: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Mayors’ Riverfront Park 251 Mills Street (Kalamazoo) 11:00am to 1:00pm Subs, chips, cookies, watermelon slices and our very own Kalamazoo Splash water will be provided. Milestone service awards honoring 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 & 35 year employees will be presented at the picnic. All employees will be automatically entered to win a $25 Speedway gas cards. (4 chances to win) Free tickets will also be available at the Employee Appreciation Celebration and at the gate for the Kalamazoo Kings Baseball Game on Wednesday, August 20, at Mayors’ Riverfront Park. Game time is 6:35 pm. This is a great opportunity to formally show your support for all of our City employees. This year’s activities promise to be filled with fun and fellowship!! For additional information, please contact the Human Resources Department, x-8052.
Silent Observer and Kalamazoo Rod & Gun Club present
8th Annual Dale Carpenter Memorial Sporting Clays Shoot & Raffle
Date: Saturday, August 16, 2008 Time: 9:00am Cost: $65 per team of 3 shooters $25 per individual shooters
Proceeds benefit the Silent Observer. For registration or shoot information please call Bob Zuniga at 343-2100.
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Congratulations 2008 Employee Service Award Recipients
35 Years of Service Shirley Durden Alberto Forero Jess Tinney Carol Valkema LouAnn VanDenBos Mary Wolfe 30 Years of Service Lionell Ford Michael Gonder Susan Johnson Melois Jones Carmine Lewis Larry Longenecker Sylvia Pahl David Smith Mark Stevens 25 Years of Service James Ely Gene Fellings Jose Gonzales Teresa Hamilton Ken Hartmann Lorenzo Herbert Robert O’Day Martha Pineda-Gutierrez William Riley Jeff Rix William Roland Linda Ross Rebecca Sagers Glenn Sweet Ronald Wilson Thomas Wyman 20 Years of Service Herman Baker Jerry Blackburn Peggy Brooks Peter Bushouse Jacqueline Cobbs Nancy Dunn Tyler Fall Robin Hopper James Hoyt JoLinda Jach Nick Lam Richard Leroy Amerigo Marcelletti Dee Menzie Thomas Morrison Scott Noble Kimberly Quader Craig Robertson Steve Rochow Thomas Smith William VanDusen Randy Vliek 15 Years of Service Shannon Bagley Johnnie Ballard Paul Bianco William Bradshaw Diane Bushouse Dixie Dalrymple Raymond Guild Lance Handlogten Michael Hecht Steve Helmer Nancy Hess Tanya Hewitt Erica Hicks Belinda Hill Jeffrey Johnson Daymeon Little Ramon Lopez Laura Misner Leslie Neuman Michael Palmer Scott Sanderson Daniel Smith Jr. Karleen Steppenwolf Theodore Swanson Michael Wetzel Yvonne Wright 10 Years of Service Manuel Bohannon Ronald Boling David Caswell Vernon Coakley Jr. Glen Cobbs David Cooper Earl Cox Jeffery Crouse Keith Deblock Lashon Diallo James Doerr Yolanda Dunigan Amanda England Ava Garrison John Garwood Cory Ghiringhelli Sean Gordon Bradley Gronau Craig Habel Peggy Hackenberg Jon Halder (Butch) Harold Hays Jason Hendrick Bobby Hicks Matthew Huber Robert Hug John Hurst Gary Latham Leslie Matthies Scott Miller Frederick Milton Jr. Lance Mottor Craig Norrod Derek Nugent Albert Rickstad Jr. Marc Rifenberg Kenneth VanStreain Chad VanderKlok John Vanoosterum Jeffrey Wolthuis
Thank You For Your Service!!
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Department Focus PUBLIC SERVICES Water and Wastewater Division
The City of Kalamazoo operates a water and wastewater system that services a large portion of the county outside of the City of Kalamazoo’s corporate limits, and both systems are financially self supporting. Currently, there are 45,153 water and 30,333 wastewater services within the respective systems. All of the meters and hydrants within the water system are serviced and maintained by the Public Services Department. On an annual basis the Public Services Department adds more than 430 large and small water services to the system. The average quarterly bill for a resident in the City of Kalamazoo for water and wastewater based on a 5/8 inch meter and 70 cubic meters of usage is $60.30 or .67 cents per day. According to a 2003 Michigan Water/Wastewater Rate Survey, Kalamazoo residents pay the sixth lowest monthly bill in the State. There are over 780 miles of watermains throughout the 110 square mile service area that is strategically looped to ensure system reliability. The water system utilizes 102 production wells and 18 pumping stations to produce an average of 19 million gallons per day. STATISTICS: Number of Water/Wastewater Services: Water: 45, 153 Wastewater: 30,333 Average Quarterly Bill: $60.30 Water and Wastewater (Inside City) 5/8 inch meter 18,500 gallons/service Number of Water Services Installed Annually: Large and Small: 430 Annual Water Pumped: 7,420,600,000 gallons Annual Wastewater Treated: 8,650,200,000 gallons
City Received Awards from National Government Finance Officers Association
Presented by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), the City of Kalamazoo received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Award and the Excellence in Budgeting Awards recently. GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving 16,800 government finance professionals throughout North America and is the only nationally recognized organization that awards municipalities with honors in governmental budgeting. The City has been a recipient of awards from this distinguished organization for the 15th consecutive year. These awards represent significant achievements and reflects the City’s commitment to meet the highest principles of financial reporting and budgeting. To nab the prestigious honor, Management Services satisfied nationally recognized guidelines for effective finance and budgeting protocols designed to assess the proficiency of the City’s budget as a policy document, financial plan, operating guide and communications device. Congratulations Tom Skrobola, Patsy Moore and Management Services staff for your tremendous work!!
Kalamazoo Farmers’ Market Open for Business
Fresh fruits, vegetables, chicken, plants, flowers, and hand made crafts are all found at the Kalamazoo Farmers’ Market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. June through October and Saturdays in May and November. The Market is located on Bank Street between Stockbridge Avenue and Lake Street just west of Portage Road and brings people together to socialize and purchase locally grown vegetables. For more information phone 337-8899. 4
Department Highlights . . .
HUMAN RESOURCES is finalizing two internal training programs focused on educating our staff. Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy training will include a review of the City's updated EEO Policy as well as our Discrimination and Harassment Prevention policy. Fraud and Abuse Prevention training will be taught by the Internal Auditor Ann Videtich with assistance by Human Resources staff. This course will include a review of the City's Ethics, Fraud and Abuse policies. PARKS AND RECREATION staff is participating in the “Art in the City” program, a collaboration with arts studio On Fire, the Boys and Girls Club and the Douglass Community Association. This group addresses the needs of youth who are not typically reached by ongoing programs. Upcoming activities include a variety of art disciplines including visual art, dance and music, which will be presented by local artists in their field and held at the different organizations’ facilities. This group will continue to meet and host more programs for youth throughout the year. Parks and Recreation’s goal is to host a program at the Youth Development Center. PUBLIC SERVICES staff arranged for 20 metro buses to display a rear placard of a groundwater/drinking water protection message, effective July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. A new water conservation advertisement is also being shown at Kalamazoo 10 Theaters. Using a METRO TRANSIT bus as a backdrop, Congressman Fred Upton held a press conference at the administration and maintenance facility to draw attention to the benefits of using public transit in the face of the rising price of gasoline. He also addressed questions regarding recently passed House Bill HR 6052, which if approved by Congress and signed by the President, would provide approximately $850 million in grants for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. Michigan would receive approximately $35 million and Kalamazoo Metro Transit would be eligible for approximately $800,000 over a two year period. These funds could be used to offset the high cost of diesel fuel that is being experienced by transit systems across the country. Following the media event, Congressman Upton was able to take a bus ride in an effort to talk to passengers about the impact of high gasoline prices.
Another G.R.E.A.T Program Success
The Gang Resistance Education And Training (GREAT) Program, a school-based, officer-instructed classroom program that held an initial session recently for at risk youth. GREAT lessons focus on providing life skills to students to help them avoid delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems.
Kalamazoo Public Schools staff is preparing to include the Kalamazoo GREAT Program curriculum in the classrooms in the upcoming year.
Volunteer to be an Election Worker
The City needs volunteers to help at various polling locations throughout Kalamazoo for the November election. Eligible residents must be registered voters in Kalamazoo County although, 16-17 year old students are eligible as well. Eligible workers will receive a stipend of $115-$135 for the day. For more information and for an application, visit www.kalamazoocity.org/ pollworker, call 337-8793 or come by the City Clerk’s Office, 241 W. South Street, 1st Floor.
RECENT RETIREES, NEW HIRES & PROMOTIONS
NEW HIRES Helen Deike, Secretary Typist, Public Services Michelle Wilson, Financial Analyst, Management Services PROMOTIONS AND NEW POSITIONS IN THE CITY John DePierre, Senior Systems Analyst, Public Safety Tom Hemingway, Executive Lieutenant, Public Safety Daniel Pogue, Vehicle Mechanic III, Transportation Christopher Rand, Senior Systems Analyst, Public Safety Stacey Randolph, Lieutenant, Public Safety
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Inaugural Year of Project Sentry Program Inspire Students
During the last school year, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) working in conjunction with Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) and Kalamazoo Township Police Department (KTPD) trained more than 1,100 middle school students from Hillside Middle School, Maple Street Magnet School, Milwood Middle School and Phoenix Academy for the Project Sentry program, a nationally recognized academic program focused on teaching youth the consequences of gun and gang violence. The program aims to reduce gun violence, youth violence related to gang association and increase youth awareness of these dangers. Police officers, attorneys, medical personnel and community leaders presented information on the legal, medical and psychological effects of gun and gang violence and concluded with a pledge by students to resist guns and gangs. Educational programs like Project Sentry are an integral part of our ongoing commitment to continue to reduce youth violence in our community. The Project Sentry youth program was funded by a federal grant awarded to KDPS through the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Initiative, which focuses on decreasing violent crimes at the local level. This federally PSN initiative, which ended July 31, 2008 also included funding for increased patrols in the most violent neighborhood areas.
Congratulations ! ! ! Safer Kids in the Water Program A Huge Success
It is very important that children (and adults) be educated on water safety procedures due to the statistics on unintentional drowning. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 3,582 unintentional drowning deaths in the United States, averaging ten deaths per day, in 2005. More than one in four fatal drowning victims were children 14 and younger and for every child who died from drowning, another four received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. Subsequently, between 2000 and 2005, the fatal drowning rate of African American children ages 5 to 14 was 3.2 times that of white children in the same age range. For American Indian and Alaskan Native children, the fatal drowning rate is 2.4 times higher than for white children. To combat these statistics, the Parks and Recreation Department offered the “Safer Kids in the Water” Program this summer to 3rd and 4th grade students. Funded by donors Richard and Ruth Morris and Bill and Jeannette Maxey through the Kalamazoo Community Foundation's "Partners in Philanthropy" and Kalamazoo Community Foundation for $8,400, the funds were used to provide swimming lessons and pay instructors for all 3rd graders and 4th graders in the Kalamazoo Public Schools Summer Program and youth from the Parks and Recreation Douglass Extended Program. Approximately 150 youth received lessons at Loy Norrix High School and the Gabel Natatorium at WMU, four days a week for 6 weeks. Classes are still available for the remainder of the summer. For more information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department, 337-8191.
“Doing our best work today and every day to make Kalamazoo the best city it can be tomorrow!”
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