Committee Hearing On City Demolition Program April 12, 2017

Press Release

President Pro Tem Cushingberry has called for a hearing before the Budget/Audit and Finance Committee regarding the Hardest, Hit, Funds and Demolition programs policies and procedures on 

Date:   April 12^th, 2017
Time:  1:00pm (EDT)
Place: Coleman Young Municipal Center 13th Floor 2 Woodward Ave Detroit MI 48226





At this meeting representatives from the following City Department and Agencies are required to attend.

• Detroit Building Authority (DBA)
• Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA)
• Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Dept. (BSEED)

The goal of this hearing is to determine the status of City's Demolition Program and explore the tactical use of unused weatherization funds. When it comes to Weatherization, the City Of Detroit has one of the best asbestos removal programs that has been recognized on a national level. This hearing will be live-streamed on the City of Detroit Government website on Channel 10.  Public comment is welcome and limited to 2 minutes. 

Cushingberry Lectures HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson on ramifications of budget cuts.

The Budget/Audit Finance Committee is composed of the following council members:
Council President Pro Tempore George Cushingberry, Jr., Chairperson District 2
Council Member Janeé L Ayers, Vice Chairperson  At Large
Council Gabe Leland, Member  District 7
Council President Brenda Jones Ex-Officio  At Large

Detroit City Council Standing Committees 2017

Areas of responsibility:

• Budget
• Finance
• Auditor General

Meeting Starts Promptly on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m.
If you have any questions on this upcoming hearing, please do not hesitate to contact the office at (313) 224-4535  or CushingberryG@detroitmi.gov 

FREE Refrigerator Replacement Program For Low Or Moderate Income Citizens

Listening to the people

Do you have an old refrigerator that is spiking your energy bill and draining your wallet? You may qualify for FREE replacement with a brand new Energy Star refrigerator through CLEARCorps/Detroit in partnership with DTE Energy! 

To qualify you must:

• Have a refrigerator built in the year 2000 or before.  If unsure go to Appliance 411 at www.appliance411.com/sevice/date-code.php to look up your appliance
• Have a copy of your current DTE Energy bill and be in good standing with your account.
• Have proof of income for all adults living in the home (must be low or moderate income)
• Have the model number, serial number, brand, and measurements of your current refrigerator.

We want to make sure that you can have an affordable energy bill while giving you an upgrade on your appliance. Saving money starts at home – you may be paying more for your energy than you need by keeping an outdated refrigerator! Call for details at (313) 924-4000, go online to CLEARCorps Detroit at www.clearcorpsdetroit.org/our-programs/refrigerator-replacement/ , or stop into our office at 11148 Harper, Detroit MI 48212 to pick up an application.

2017-2018 Hardest Hit Areas Planned Use Of Federal Funds In The City Of Detroit

By Richard C. Clement

The following map shows the Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) zones where the city is planning to spend its federal allocation of fund money. The city is constantly pursuing additional federal funds to allow it to further expand these HHF zones to include more neighborhoods. By law funds can only be spent on federally-designated areas of the City.  Under this program, Detroit can demolish publicly-owned residential buildings (four units or fewer) that are in poor or structurally-deficient condition, and are negatively impacting neighborhoods. The City also conducts emergency demolitions of privately-owned residential buildings if Detroit building officials determine they pose an immediate threat to public safety, as well as the demolition of vacant and dangerous commercial structures.  

2017-2018 District 2 HHF  Area Map

Council President Pro Tem George  Cushingberry Jr. is Unbought, Unbossed and believes in accounting oversight to make sure that the job is done correctly at the best price to the benefit of our employers, the Citizens of Detroit. 

If you have any questions or concerns about the HHF demolition, please do not hesitate to call our office at (313) 224-4535 or by email at CushingberryG@detroitmi.gov with HHFunds in the subject line.

Website:  Detroit Demolition Tracking Map

Detroit West

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Detroit East

Municipal Golf Courses And Land Use Agreements in the 21st Century On City Budgets

By Richard C. Clement

In 2016, City of Detroit Golf Courses make $57,000 in profits combined, according to testimony by Charles Beckham of the Mayor’s Office at the full session of The Council.  Members were informed by Mr. Beckham of the financial burden municipal courses are to the City.  He cited a national trend that Golf Course use is on the national decline and, that younger people are not picking up the game like their parents did.  To support his statement, Mr. Beckham cited places like Lansing, and Oakland County that are having the same problem with the maintenance costs.

www.cushforcitycouncil.com

Municipalities are restricted by land use agreements that are part of the deed in trust on the property, preventing them from using the land for something else. Recent experiences with Rev. Charles Ellis and Rackham Golf course highlighted the costly endeavor of maintaining a course. He was awarded the property when the City of Detroit was looking to eliminate debit and, wanted to maintain a golf course at the site. When the property that he owned could not be converted to a cemetery because of land use agreements, Bishop Ellis was forced to dump the property. 

A series of one year contracts were approved by the council to maintain the grounds so that 2017 is a great year on the links.. 

To save some of these courses, a public private partnership with the City and Golf Club Contractors was signed The solution is a combination of a few events that include educational institutions and potential land developers. Golf is a great game for students to learn how to play. Therefore there has to be an concerted effort to highlight the benefit of golf while inspiring the young.  For senior citizens who want to chill out on their remaining years, Golf is a game for exercise. For youth and young adults under 40, Golf is a game for scholarships and social meetings mixed with competition.  Golf is a game that is played from the head up. 

To bring back the game, Golfers at all levels must support youth programs and, encourage schools to keep the game alive through inter-school competition.  Maintenance costs have to be contained and controlled through asset management. Like baseball and bowling, a serious awareness movement in our schools are essential to it's survival.

Informational Meeting on Johnson Rec Center and Higginbotham School Complex

Council President Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr. is strongly urging you to attend the following meeting on 

Thursday March 23rd, at 6:30pm

New Prospect Baptist Church 

6330 Pembroke 

Detroit, MI 48221 

Hosted by District 2 Manager Kim Tandy tandyk@detroitmi.gov

This meeting is regarding the status of the Johnson Recreation Center and Higginbotham School in Northwest Detroit. Currently there is an offer from UofD Jesuit High School to invest capital into redeveloping the property.  

When Joe Louis Arena is demolished, there will be one less tribute to the great Brown Bomber in Detroit. Joe Louis Field shall get some dignity by redevelopment with a purpose to the community. Public and Private partnerships are becoming a normal way of business in the revitalization of a city.  ProTem Cushingberry is adamant about the development of the land, the rich history of this property, and keeping it for public use.  Mr. Cushingberry was successful in getting an appropriation inserted the 5 year plan for a new Olympic Size Pool in a new facility on Joe Louis Barrow Field.

Currently, the former Johnson Center and Higginbotham School Complex is for sale at $1.5 million dollars. Therefore, your input is needed on the future of the neighborhood when it comes to quality of life issues of youth engagement and leaving a legacy to our babies who will be here after we are gone. When all of the neighborhood input is received, an ordinance to reflect the will of the people will be developed, agreed upon and, enacted into law.

Johnson Recreation Center 

Click here for the details of the sale 

City of Detroit District Managers Website Link

Press Release - Detroit City Airport Expansion 2017-2020 (KDET)

Legislation introduced to Restore Commercial Air Service and Benjamin O. Davis High School Back to Detroit City Airport Grounds.

At the Budget/Audit/Finance Committee meeting on March 6th, 2017, a major step forward was made by the Council to restore commercial air and, help our children to achieve successful aviation careers.  A motion was introduced by ProTem Cushingberry to move Benjamin O Davis airport back to airport grounds from the Jefferson Street location.  According to aviation experts and, Airport Director Jason Watt, “with an additional 1000 of runway we could land the space shuttle in the middle of the neighborhood”.  This airport currently serves as a major hub for freight, entertainers, executives, and government officials. Notables like Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, and others often “sneak into” the City because of the close proximity to neighborhoods and downtown. Everyone that remembered using Southwest Airlines at KDET always reported a good experience.

Website: Detroit City Airport  (Arrivals and Departures) Flight Tracker 

Council President ProTem Cushingberry
discussing business with Airport Director Jason Watt

The motion was approved 9 to 0 to look at using available funds to construct a new runway that would add 1000 feet so that larger aircraft could land there. This would include a runway for exclusive use by the High School and smaller aircraft.  Currently, City Airport is handling commercial air service on a regular basis.  Arriving nonstop flights from places as far France and, other locations around the world are not uncommon because of new aviation technology.  Additional traffic generating landing fee funds would assist in the construction of the new runway and high school.  We want the community to continue to demand that this City Asset not be removed or destroyed. 

Article: Restoring Commercial Air Service to City Airport (KDET)

Schematic for a 6900ft New Runway

To allow outside interests to turn the last piece of city owned property into an industrial park is unbelievably racist and completely un-acceptable.  While students studying aviation on the west side of the state have a runway and high school on airport grounds, students in Detroit are on Jefferson Avenue miles away. No one had the decency to include a helicopter pilot program to the airport for the students either! This must change for the sake of our future.

 (Website: West Michigan High School Aviation Academy Grand Rapids MI w/School Runway  )

We strongly encourage parents and children and supporters of Detroit Public schools to show their support. The plans and the funding are there now.  Now is the time to move forward to get the job done.

Comparable Size Airport:
Billy Bishop Airport Toronto CA (CYTZ) (Website  Billy Bishop Airport Toronto CA). 
Commercial Airservice provded by Porter Airlines (Website: www.flyporter.com - Commercial Air Service in Toronto CA)

Michigan Freeway Lighting Partners(MFLP) team up with MDOT To Install Lights On Freeways in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.

By Richard C. Clement

Entrance to the Ambassador Brige

Michigan Freeway Lighting Partners (MFLP) has maintained their contractual commitment to install new lighting on the freeways in the Tri-County area.  Milestone 1 required that %90 of new luminaries be installed and functioning as design within the first year starting on November 24, 2015.  We are pleased to report that this milestone was finished one month earlier on October 18, 2016 resulting in 11,841 new lights being installed on our freeways. As of January 1, 2017, this number has increased to 12,572. Milestone number 2 is to substantially work towards the completion date of August 2017.  This is a 13 year contract between MFLP and MDOT to maintain the integrity of the lights.  The savings resulted in DTE presenting MDOT a $1 million dollar rebate check as part of their business incentive program for efficient energy usage.

For more information please contact:

Frank Wichtner, PMP

Senior Projects Manager

Michigan Freeway Lighting Partners

313.974.7316 x200

fwichtner@michiganfreeewaylighting.com
Website www.michiganfreewaylighting.com