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Over the past six months our City Commission, working with our City Manger, has put together a review process and performance plan. Three years have passed since our last review, and we now have a tool that can be used during the new fiscal year and completed at the end of the year in order to measure objectives that have been set. This will help to establish a mutual direction for the City Commission and City Manager.

A few areas that we are looking to improve is Manager response time to our residents concerns, and reducing overtime in our DPW and Public Safety Departments by 5%. In the past financial budgets were prepared by department, but in the future we will prepare our budget by line-item in order to better monitor our city expenses.

Another goal of our City Commission, reflected in the performance plan, is to maintain and improve the appearance of our City. Through our surveys residents tell us that they want to preserve the City’s tree-lined streets and low density, while keeping the commercial and office uses at their present levels. We are working to that end. The Master Plan and our City ordinances provide us with the framework to direct our efforts.  This year we are beginning a one year tree initiatve to improve the appearance of Woodward Avenue. This will be funded by private donations, as our budget does not have the available funds. If residents donate, they will receive a tax receipt from the city.

The nine-member Planning Commission administers some of the City’s work. They meet monthly to address proposed changes and improvements to the City zoning ordinances and to hear proposals requiring Planning Commission approval. In addition to two City Commissioners and the City Manager, six appointed residents make up the commission; Jim Brophy, Walt Cueter, Virginia Fox, Mary Kauper, John Monaghan and Connie Salloum. All give their time and effort to hear each applicant issue, work on updating our ordinances, and offer direction and feedback to our City administration.

The Planning Commission is currently following the Master Plan directive to improve and update selected ordinances. Their focus will include preserving the heavily landscaped and wide green belt areas along the Woodward corridor, the appearance of signage in the City, and the review of other city ordinances.

In terms of road improvements, this past year was a very active time in Bloomfield Hills. The 2010 Road Improvement Program included the repair or replacement of five bridges and approximately three miles of roads in the Lone Pine/ Cranbrook area.

Beginning early in May, road repair or replacement took place on Linda Lane, Linda Court and Linda Knoll. Following summer recess at Cranbrook, the bridge on Lone Pine, just east of Cranbrook Road, was closed for major repairs and installation of a new bridge deck. The bridge on Cranbrook Road, just south of the Cranbrook-Kingswood entrance, also received major repairs and a new bridge deck, moving it slightly to the east to allow for a new crash safety barrier. Lone Pine Road was completely resurfaced from Woodward Avenue to Lahser Road, including installation of a new culvert, just east of Lahser Road, to improve safety and water flow. Cranbrook Road, north of Lone Pine Road was also resurfaced. Aesthetic treatments such as stone fascia walls were repaired or added in the Lone Pine/Cranbrook area to maintain the historical qualities of the area. Finally, Cranbrook Court was partially resurfaced and will be completed early 2011.

Unfortunately, the 2011 Road Improvement Project will be significantly smaller in scale due to limited funding. Currently, the City will only be able to reconstruct and resurface Conge Drive, but those improvements will include water system improvements within the roadway.

Snowplows and Mailboxes

Throughout the winter months, we should see intermittent periods of winter thaws and mild weather. During such times, please check your mailbox and its post to see if it is secure in the ground. Take the time to tighten screws and firmly secure your mailbox in order to avoid headaches later. Repair loose hinges on the mail box door and replace or add reflective house numbers to allow emergency responders to find your home easily.

If your mailbox moves even slightly when shaken, chances are it will not be able to withstand standard snow removal operations. It should be repaired or replaced. In most cases, the snowplow does not actually hit the mailbox. It is the force of snow thrown from that roadway that is enough to topple a loose mailbox.

The City does have a mailbox replacement policy. If your mailbox is damaged by a City plow truck, we will replace it with a similar mailbox. However, we cannot replace custom mailboxes.

Before we experienced our first snowfall this winter, our DPW inventoried the condition of all the mailboxes on the streets we plow. We know which mailboxes need a little "TLC." Could yours be one of them?

City Commission Meetings Now on Cable T.V. and Internet

Resident cable television subscribers can now view the Bloomfield Hills City Commission meetings on Bloomfield Community Television, Channel 15. If you are unable to attend the City Commission meeting, normally scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. you now have an alternative. The taped City Commission meetings are scheduled to run Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m.

The taped meetings are also available on the City’s website, www.bloomfieldhillsmi.net. Under our "Front Desk" tab scroll down to the "Video on Demand" feature. There are several past City Commission meetings available for your review and at your convenience.

Permits

Permits are required for many building activities in the City. Please contact our website or our office staff to determine if permits are required for the work you are proposing. Contrary to popular opinion, having a permit does NOT necessarily increase your property valuation. It does, however, increase the likelihood of life and health safety!

Licensing

All construction work valued over $600 must be performed by a licensed builder. Insist that you see an up-to-date copy of your contractor’s license. Also, be sure the contractor is licensed for the proposed work. (Builders may perform all tasks, tile contractors are not licensed for roof replacement!) Their license number MUST be printed on every contract they offer.

Don't Pay! Several rules of common sense to live by:

Never pay a contractor in full for the work before the work is begun. Never. And don’t fall for the offer of a "discount".  If you do, you are only asking for problems that can only be resolved by a lawsuit.

ALWAYS verify if permits are required for the proposed work. If so, DO NOT PAY the final balance until our inspectors have approved the job and left a green sticker on the job.

We will send out a RED post card to you when the permit has been issued. That will confirm that the work must be inspected and advise you not to "conclude business" with that contractor until it has been inspected. These post cards are issued for "stand-alone" work: furnaces, water heaters, A/C, generators, roofing, windows and siding replacement. Ask to see the permit!

It is often practice that the owner reimburses the contractor for the cost of permits. That levels the playing field against the frauds that do illegal work. However, ask for a copy of the permit and do not pay for the contractor’s registration fee or any "re-inspection fee" because the work wasn’t approved by the inspector.

Addresses

According to every State construction and building code, your house address must be permanently posted on your home so that it is visible from the road. When the home is too far off the roadway, permanent markers are accepted on the lawn (away from the road way) or on entrance walls. They are not accepted on mailboxes because they are often whacked by an errant vehicle or sometimes placed across the road from the subject property. While we do not enforce this requirement on a casual basis, owners will be required to post their addresses when permits have been issued for any work in the City. The posting of the address in a visible location greatly enhances emergency response to a fire, security or life-safety event.

Smoke Detectors

The Michigan Codes have long since required that smoke detectors be installed in a home in the various prescribed locations. No longer does the "one per floor" rule hold true. They must be installed in every sleeping room, in hallways "in the vicinity" of the bedroom doors, and at least one on every floor. This also is not a casually enforced code: Only when you undertake an interior building project or addition does the whole house need to be updated. Some installations are simple, others require more technology. Virtually none of these upgrades require repairs to drywall or plaster. Alternatives are available and we make every effort to provide solutions to the "problems". Our goal is life-safety…smoke detectors save lives.

May 3, 2011 – City Election

On May 3rd, voters will be asked to elect three individuals to the City Commission, for a two-year term, set to expire May 2013. Citizens interested in running for a city commission seat must meet the following qualifications:

• United States Citizen.

• A resident of the City of Bloomfield Hills for one year immediately prior to election.

• A registered voter.

Nominating Petitions must be filed at the Bloomfield Hills Clerk’s Office by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8, 2011. Contact the Clerk’s Office at (248) 530-1403 for more information.

Absentee ballots are available 30 days prior to Election Day. If you would like to vote via absentee ballot, an application must be completed before every election. Absent Voter Applications are available at City Hall or on the City’s website at www.bloomfieldhillsmi.net.

Come Join the Bloomfield Hills Election Team!

The City of Bloomfield Hills is always accepting applications for election inspectors. Qualified election inspectors must (1) be a registered voter of Oakland County (2) declare a political party affiliation and (3) attend one training session before Election Day. Election inspectors are compensated for their work. Applications are available on the City’s website at www.bloomfieldhillsmi.net. For more information call the City Clerk’s Office at (248) 530-1403.

Boards & Commissions Volunteer Positions

Every May, the City Commission appoints citizens to the various city board and commissions. From planning commission to the zoning board of appeals, if you are interested in serving your City in this capacity, please complete an application and return it to the City Clerk’s office by March 31, 2011. Applications can be found on our website at www.bloomfieldhillsmi.net, under Front Desk – Forms – Government.

Many of us pick up after our pets to be good neighbors and to keep our yard and sidewalks clean.  However, there is another important reason to pick up after your pet.  Pet waste contains bacteria that is harmful to us and our local rivers and streams.  Leaving it on the sidewalk or lawn means harmful bacteria will be transported into the storm drains and then into the Rouge River.  Follow these tips below to help keep our water clean:

• Whether in your yard or on a walk, dispose of pet waste promptly in the trash or down the toilet where it will be properly treated. 
• Refrain from feeding ducks or geese.  Feeding ducks and geese may seem harmless, however it can be a nuisance to people and harmful to our water.  This in turn creates unnaturally high populations and problems in parks and lakes.
• Spread the word.  Tell others how they can help protect our lakes and streams.

Are you contemplating adding some trees or shrubs to your landscape this spring? Consider going native! Native plants, by definition, are plants that existed in the Great Lakes Region prior to the arrival of European settlers. They contribute to the rich and productive relationships among plants, animals, insects and microorganisms in natural ecosystems such as woodlands, prairies, and wetlands.

Native trees and shrubs contribute to the natural environment in important ways:

• Natural vigor: When properly planted, they adapt well to the variable weather conditions of Southeast Michigan.
• Resistance to pests and diseases: Once established, natives are often resistant to pests and diseases, reducing the need for pesticides.
• Habitat for birds, insects, and other beneficial wildlife: Native plant communities provide food, shelter and hiding places for birds, butterflies, insects and other beneficial wildlife.

For more information on native trees or shrubs, contact SOCWA at: (248) 546-5818.