M8 is The Worst Road in the State! MDOT Automobile Damage Claim Form Download

by Friends of Cushingberry

Pastor Winans prays for
Road Repair on Davidson

Citizens in Detroit deserve better roads. There are no good excuses for this type of shoddy cement work on our streets. During a recent inspection of streets in Detroit, I drove by the location of the DavidsonFreeway and Oakland Boulevard and found massive benign neglect. The service drive is the ultimate horror story of roads of Michigan.  There are holes so deep that you can see the rods in the street.   Watching the faces of the drivers coming through this stretch is a lesson on lip reading.  Under the sign  with a picture of  esteemed Pastor Marvin Winans, Automobile damage is a foregone conclusion. This is a State of Michigan/City of Detroit road and, if you do have a claim for damage to your automobile, download this form from MDOT(Click Here) and file your claim.

This area is a candidate for the worst streets in Michigan. In addition to that, the sign arrangement at Oakland giving you a choice of going to I-75, Davidson Freeway East(M-8) or, Dequindre Street is an embarrassment and very confusing, after you dodge the potholes. If you want to get this fixed then file your complaint with the Michigan Department of Transportation’s report a pothole program. (ClickHere for MDOT Contact Info).  Then file a complaint with City of DetroitOmbudsman Durene Brown for your records. The people of the City of Detroit deserve better.

Saving Homes in Detroit with help from International, Federal, State and, Local Agencies

by The Friends of George Cushingberry

Public and private stakeholders and, elected officials met on Sept 4th in the Governor's Office to discuss management of the reversion of 20,000 properties by the Wayne County Treasurer, preparation for another 80,000 in 2015 and collaboration on "life quality policy solutions and metrics" in Detroit that align with global goals of the United Nations as part of a collaboration lead by Communities Without Boarders International

One of the primary reasons that people lose their home is that they are not paying the property tax on their primary residence. In this process the property is in the hands of the Wayne County Treasurer. When the taxes become due, if a homeowner does not pay the bill, their home remains property of the Wayne County Treasurer until the bill is paid or, the property gets transferred to the land bank.

A panel of experts composed of:

• United Nations Economics Advisor Dr. Jeffery Sachs
• Director of the Governor’s Office of Urban & Metropolitan Strategies, Harvey Hollins
• Black Caucus Foundation Managing Director; Dr. KB Stallworth,
• Members from the Michigan Housing State Development Authority,
• Legislative Black Caucus,
• City of Detroit
• Wayne County Treasurer (click here for property tax payment info)

The goals of this panel were as follows:

1. Recover and Collect delinquent taxes
2. Prevent Evictions
3. Provide leadership and assistance to help people keep their homes.
4. Allowing property owners to make arrangements to pay taxes in arrears and become current.
5. Helping old homeowners to keep their existing homes or providing opportunities to move in and fix one up.

This group engaged in a lively discussion regarding helping citizens keep their homes. The City of Detroit has been thorough tough times and is currently on the rebound to prosperity. Sadly some citizens are living paycheck to paycheck because of Job Loss and other unforeseen events that can’t be covered by insurance. Therefore you cannot throw them under the bus for something that is beyond their control.

As a part of a global neighborhood stabilization plan, the City of Detroit has been selected by the United Nations to be a catalyst for implementing sustainable life quality strategies. Some of the methods discussed were using holistic solutions before the year of 2020.  This effort encompasses the UN model of humanity where the access to clean water is essential to life. To maintain reliable water supply there must be collaboration of ideas from organizations like Government, Manufacturers, Builders, Universities, and society worldwide. The ability to manufacture products that do not add to the carbon footprint will be our answer to deal with the issues of worldwide climate change. For instance the creation of building materials for homes using agricultural resources like plants will save the environment and create lots of jobs with opportunities for growth.

An interesting law is called the Reversion Claim Clause where a person who purchases a private property will not be charged the back taxes that are owed. This and other programs like Hardest Hit Program from the Michigan Housing State Development Authority(Click here for MHSDA) that will allow a homeowner to apply for funds for the sole purpose of keeping them in their home. Home ownership is essential to a City that is in need of a renaissance and the authority has programs for a low income tax credit that help people to keep their home.

Another piece of information that came out of the meeting is the ability for a Detroit Resident to purchase an empty lot next to their property for $100. If a person goes to the website www.buildingdetroit.org they can go to the Wayne County Treasurer’s office and purchase the lot next to them and maintain it.

Councilman Cushingberry overwhelmingly supports the effort to keep people in their homes. Coleman Young always said that there is nothing better to keeping people in their homes like a good paying job. After leaving work, a person needs a place to lay their head and, there is nothing better than a home.

If we can be of any assistance please feel free to contact the office..

What it Takes to Make a Great City: Boating at Erma Henderson & Riverside Marinas

By The Friends of George Cushingberry Jr.

Lake St. Clair on a nice day

The City of Detroit is budgeting up to 3 million dollars and, pursuing grants to upgrade the boating facilities at Erma Henderson and Riverside parks to accommodate the needs of boaters.  Line item repairs on docking facilities and fueling stations at Erma Henderson will make it better for boaters who use the park.  At the weekly Thursday meeting of the Committee of Neighborhoods and Community Services, overwhelming community support of the work being done by ABC Construction was expressed by the large number of boaters and patrons who came to speak during public comment. A big shout out goes to the leadership of Detroit Recreation Department by Director Alicia Minter who has spearheaded the charge for change. Some of Ms. Minters work includes the restoration and repair of the Hart Plaza fountain in time for the heat of the Jazz Fest and, progress on re-opening the neighborhood recreation centers like Tindal and Johnson in District 2.

The status of Riverside park is precarious because the Riverside Marina is closed and in dire need of repair and upgrade, along with the entire park. An audit of the Recreation Department at the request of Councilman Pro-Tem George Cushingberry Jr. will be produced showing the strengths and weaknesses of the park assets. These actions are in line with the uplift and upgrade of Detroit assets and citizen morale. Citizens love the water access that we have because it makes it much easier for boaters to get in and out of the water. If you need more information on the progress and status of the Marinas, please contact the Detroit Recreation Department or Councilmember Mary Sheffield(click here) who is the Chairperson of the committee of Neighborhoods and Community Services.

Restoring the Revenue: 2015 Detroit Fire Department Equipment Upgrade proposal.

By Richard Clement

"Improving Service with technology"

Obsolete "Code-Red" Laptop

Plans to upgrade Fire Department trucks will include the installation of flat screen monitors that will display information regarding the location of the fire with a backup printing system with streamlined information.  Currently firefighters have to rely on a message system that contains a tower and a printer that produces a run sheet. According to various Detroit Firefighters, the font size is hard to read at 4am, it has too much information and, important data is hard to find on the printout. The flat screen monitors would replace a non-functioning and costly Code Red system that was purchased from an outside vendor.  

Information on the screen will give firefighters directions and, other information pertinent to the issue at hand. 

Closed Laptop on Rig

The recommendation from the President Pro-Tem’s Firefighter task force is to, de-install the old equipment, place old equipment on a cart for donation, and replace with touch screen, flat screen monitors. If we can put flat screen monitors on motorcycles and, have smartphones that can display massive amounts of content,  then we can place touch screen monitors in the fire trucks and give better information at the same time. When the city gets from under the cloak of bankruptcy, this will be a priority project for improved safety and service to firefighters and the Citizens of Detroit. 

Detroit Water & Sewerage 10 Point Plan

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Water & Sewerage Director Sue F. McCormick, along with a team of community partners today announced a 10-point plan that would allow DWSD to collect on overdue water bills while making it easier for customers to make payments, enter into payment arrangements and access financial assistance.

1. Waive turn on fees and late payment penalties
During the moratorium, which ends August 25th, the DWSD will waive turn-on fees for customers whose water has been shut of, as well as payment penalties.
2. Cut red tape
To simplify getting into a payment plan, customer only need to present a valid state ID. Once payment is made, service will be restored within 48 hours.
3. Extend hours at DWSD Customer Care Center
The DWSD has expanded hours at all of its CUstomer Care Centers, from 8a-6p Monday-Friday and 8a-3p on weekends to make sure customer service agents area available at all times. The DWSD has also added staff to reduce wait times.
4. Increase staffing at call centers and extend hours
DWSD has also expanded hours at its Call Center to 8a-7p daily and 8a-3p on weekends. Starting August 18th, the Call center will have 50 percent more staff and new phone technology to better serve customers.
5. Cobo Water Fair August 23rd
A Water Affordability Fair will be held at Cobo Center on Saturday, August 23rd. to give customers one last opportunity to connect with all of the DWSD and community resources available to them before the moratorium ends August 25th.
6. Improve notification for customers in danger of shut off
The DWSD is expanding its efforts to communicate with customers who are late on their payments or may be facing shut-off. Bills will more clearly explain their status and assistance information will be included with the bill. Workers also will hand-deliver notices to all homes in shut-off status one week before their scheduled shut-off to give them time to enter into a payment plan.
7. Implement an affordable payment plan
Any resident with a delinquent account can enter into a 24-month “10/30/50” payment plan by coming to their local DWSD Customer Care Center, showing a valid state ID and paying down only 10 percent of their past-due balance. (The previous down payment requirement was 30 percent of the past-due balance.) If a customer misses a payment, they can reapply for the program by putting down 30 percent of their past-due balance. A second missed payment will require a 50 percent down payment of their past-due amount. Any customer who misses a third payment will no longer be eligible for the payment plan.
8. Provide financial assistance for low income Detroit customers
Starting August 11th DWSD Customer Care Centers will begin processing applications for the Detroit Water Fund. By paying down only 10 percent of their past-due balance, eligible city residents will receive up to 25 percent assistance with their bill from the new Detroit Water Fund. DWSD has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, which will prequalify residents. To be eligible for Detroit Water Fund assistance, customers must be Detroit residents who:
• Have an outstanding balance between $300 and $1000; AND
• Maintain Average Water Usage for their household size; AND
• Are either enrolled in DTE’s Low Income Self-Sufficiency Plan (LSP); OR,
• Have income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level (for example, a family of 4 must have an annual income below $35,775).
9. Build neighborhood partnerships
DWSD customers are not alone. We’ve established a support network to assist individuals who may not qualify for some of the DWSD assistance programs. Our partners include United Way 211, THAW, WAVE and Wayne Metro.
10. Provide a clear way to give
Many people have offered to help Detroiters who are struggling to pay their water bills. There are several ways to donate to the Detroit Water Fund: online, by text message, by check or by phone. Details are available at www.DetroitWaterFund.org.