HIGHLAND PARK NEWSLETTER AND UPDATES APRIL 28, 2020

City of Highland Park, MI sent this bulletin at 04/28/2020 12:01 PM EDT

A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR!

The City of Highland Park will continue Governor Whitmer's Stay Home, Stay Safe order through May 15, 2020. This is a challenging time for many Highland Park residents.

We are working closely to monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) and working with public health officials from Wayne County, the State of Michigan, and Federal agencies for best practices for protection against potential exposure.

The City of Highland Park was one of the first local governments to be proactive and shut down City Hall due to (COVID-19). We appreciate your cooperation as we work together to keep our community safe.

The Honorable

Mayor Hubert Yopp

Click Here for COVID-19 Case Updates.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA ADVISORY

HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN 30th District Court Announces Warrant, Traffic, and Parking Ticket Amnesty Program

HIGHLAND PARK, MI - The 30th District Court, along with the City of Highland Park, announces an amnesty program for an individual delinquent on payments already assessed by the Court. The amnesty program is a one-time program designed to offer relief to individuals plagued with late fees and penalties. The waiver of these fees will give individuals a fresh start to regain their driving privileges and eradicate old warrants. The program offers waivers of late fees and/or penalties to individuals upon payments of their reduced fines and costs in full. The Court will not waive the $45 fee for reinstating a suspended license. EFFECTIVE NOW THROUGH JUNE 1, 2020

All eligible misdemeanor cases and civil infractions cases in which late fees, penalties and/or warrant fees have been assessed are eligible for amnesty.
Individuals with misdemeanor failure to pay warrants are eligible for amnesty and will not be arrested/ jailed on the warrant once they contact the court. Upon their payment of tickets eligible for amnesty, the warrant will be canceled.
During the amnesty period, all late fees and costs to compel appearance fees will be waived upon payment in full. NO PARTIAL PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

"The hope is that this program will be tremendously successful," said 30th District Court Judge Brigette Officer Holley. "First, it will allow the Court to clear a backlog of warrants and save on the costs and resources necessary to collect on these debts. Second, it will allow individuals who have a warrant for their arrest or a suspended driver's license because of their failure to pay, the chance to correct these issues."

This program will be in effect Now until Monday, June 1, 2020. Questions, including those regarding eligibility for this amnesty program, should be directed to the Court at (313) 252-0300 ext.104 or (313) 707-0331. You can also e-mail to rdiamond@court.highlandparkmi.gov, Be sure to leave your full name and date of birth in the email.

Payment can be made by certified check, (drop in mailbox located at court) debit or credit card (VISA/ MASTERCARD). (All credit card payments will be charged a processing fee). You may also pay-on-line at:

GovPayNow.com OR 1(888) 604-7888 Fines and Costs with Pay Location Code (PLC): 7179

If an individual’s driver’s license has been suspended by the Michigan Department of State for nonpayment of a traffic offense, the individual is still required to pay the $45 reinstatement fee to reinstate the driver’s license. The $45 fee will be remitted to the State of Michigan.

At the end of the amnesty period, no further discount consideration will be given.

Resources

LOCAL STATES ON COVID-19 - Wayne County/ Highland Park Cases

New Programs Announced by Governor Whitmer

Click here for the State of Michigan Updates

SBA Loans & Grants Due to the Coronavirus

BE COUNTED HIGHLAND PARK!

ITS NOT TO LATE!

Click Here to Start Questionnaire NOW!

The 2020 Census is underway and the most important thing you can do is respond online, by phone, or by mail when you receive your invitation. Responding now will minimize the need for the Census Bureau to send census takers out into communities to follow up.

Please help Highland Park by helping a neighbor, a senior or any hard to count individual by calling them on the phone or through social media. Everyone needs to be counted.

Please find below an update of activities taking place between

(4/27/2020 thru 5/3/2020)

WATER DEPARTMENT

Please be advices that the Highland Park Water Department Customer Service Center will be CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. If any residents should have any questions or concerns please direct calls to the City of Highland Park Water Department at (313) 865-1876 to leave a message or email hpwaterdepartment@metroca.net. Customers are encouraged to continue to utilize our online payment option or the drop box (no cash please) to make payments during the shutdown. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Wayne Metro continues to offer financial assistance as needed to customers. If any Residents are interested and would like to know more information, please call 313-388-9799 or visit www.waynemetro.org.
The City Water Department is working on the finalization of the Emergency Water Restoration Initiative per EO 2020-28.
Any Customer that received a notice on your door regarding your water service last week is asked to contact the Water Department at (313)-865-1876 and leave a message with contact information for our staff to contact you.
If any customer received pitchers or faucet filters during the distribution period in July 2019, please contact the Customer Service Center via phone (313-865-1876) or email hpwaterdepartment@metroca.net to make arrangements on obtaining your filter refill cartridges.
The National League of Cities (NLC) is offering Highland Park residents “homeowner repair protection for leaking, clogged or broken water and sewer lines from the point of utility connection to the home exterior.” If you would like more information, please visit www.slwofa.com or call the NLC at 1-866-922-9006.
The Customer Service Center would like to remind all customers that Payments can also be made online athttps://highlandparkmi.gov/Services/Water.aspx by clicking on the link “View and Pay your Bill online”. Should you have any questions or concerns please Contact the Customer Service Center at 313-865-1876.
The Customer Service Center would like for residents to be aware they have a monthly drainage/stormwater bill that generates for each parcel they own, even without active water usage. If residents have questions, they can call the Customer Service Center at 313-865-1876 to review their account/s.
Another available Source for residents interested in receiving water bill assistance is with Detroit Water Project. Any resident interested should apply online at www.Detroitwaterproject.org.

Work Activity:

City Water Department to perform emergency repairs as necessary.
City Water Department to begin The Emergency Water Restoration Initiative and Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-28. All residence schedule to have repairs have and/or will be contacted. (Please see attached information provided to residents during construction)

CITY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Ongoing acceptance and processing of right-of-way and site plan permits
Documentation of all construction related activity from contractors and utility companies within the city
- T&T onsite near 2^nd Avenue and Louise performing maintenance on service lines.
- 123Net continue to perform restoration of various areas in the city for the next two (2) weeks.

Contractor Activity

If any residents should have any questions or concerns please direct calls to the City of Highland Park Water Department at (313) 865-1876

Rayven Davis, (Director) of People’s Community Services is assisting, Highland Park's seniors in private homes, with frozen 5 meal boxes. Which is a part of their Congregate Meals Program, Detroit Area on Aging (DAAA)

Seniors that might be interested in getting a 5 frozen meal box, can contact Senior Coordinator at 313 974-9902 Thursday, April 23, from 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. The Hannah House will be working on programs for Highland Park Seniors in the next couple of weeks we will keep you informed.

Also, a special thanks, to the State of Michigan, Gleaner's Food Bank, DAAA, Mayor Hubert Yopp, City Council President Carlton Clyburn, Volunteers, and City Attorney Terry Ford for the Quarantine boxes given out. The Drive Up Food Bank for Highland Park Seniors was held on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, at 12:00 noon in the City Hall parking lot. 100 Highland Park, seniors were serviced.

We will keep you informed when the next Quarantine boxes are given out. These services will be available through the COVID-19.

DONATIONS

THANK YOU DTE FOUNDATION FOR 150 MASK FOR OUR POLICE & FIRE DEPARTMENT!

THANK YOU Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for donating 100 Mask to our Police & Fire Department

SENIOR RESOURCES CONTACT YOUR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT REP

Carlton D. Clyburn Jr., City Council President / Mayor Pro -Tem /District 1

City Phone - 313-252-0050 Ext. 396 / Direct: 313-378-3749

Email: clyburn@highlandparkmi.gov

Kendrich Bates, City Council / District 2

City Phone - 313-252-0050 Ext. 398 / Direct: 313-378-3594

Email: kbates@highlandparkmi.gov

Derrick Armstrong, City Council / District 3

City Phone - 313-252-0050 Ext. 395 / Direct: 313-378-4458

Email: darmstrong@highlandparkmi.gov

Special Links

For the Small Business Association’s (SBA) homepage, click here.

For SBA’s Coronavirus Relief options, click here.

For the First Independence Bank’s website, click here.

For the Detroit CDFI Coalition’s website, click here.

For Senator Gary Peters’ website, click here.

Stay-Home Order Extends to May 15, Lifts Restrictions on Certain Businesses and Activities

Governor Whitmer's Executive Order

Additional Resources Available Online

Access additional resources by visiting michiganbusiness.org/covid19.

Visit michigan.gov/coronavirus to find valuable resources for employers, workers, residents and communities and stay informed on Michigan’s latest efforts to mitigate the impact of the virus on our state’s residents and economy.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

TCF Small Business Relief Loan Fund

https://www.tcfbank.com/waynecounty

COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR MICHIGAN WIC FAMILIES

The safety and health of your family is WIC’s top priority during the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). To protect all families and staff, your local WIC clinic may be closed, may have changed its hours or may be providing remote assistance.

If you have a scheduled WIC appointment and have not yet been contacted by WIC staff, please call ahead of your appointment to make sure the clinic is open.

To find your local WIC clinic, you may:

Call or visit 211.
Download the WIC Connect mobile app (available for Android and iPhone).
Visit the Michigan WIC Client Connect online portal.
Visit the Michigan WIC Directory.

What if my WIC clinic is closed? Will I still be able to use my benefits?

Yes. In many cases, if you are a current WIC client, benefits may be added to your WIC EBT card remotely.

If your current WIC clinic is unable to serve you, you may contact a different WIC clinic in your area.

What if I can’t reach anyone at my local WIC clinic?

Please call the Michigan WIC Division at 1-800-942-1636. Select option 1, then option 2 to speak with a WIC staff person.

What if my usual grocery store is out of my WIC foods or infant formula?

As of April 1, Michigan WIC families now have more choices at the store.
If you can’t find your WIC foods at your regular grocery store, please use the WIC Connect

mobile app or Michigan WIC Client Connect to find another WIC grocery store nearby.
If you cannot find your WIC infant formula in grocery stores, please contact your local WIC clinic

and ask for help. It is not safe to make your own infant formula at home.

To submit a vendor complaint, please email MDHHS-WICVendor@michigan.gov with the food item(s) that you were not able to find, as well as the name and location of the store.

Is it safe to breastfeed during the COVID-19 outbreak?

The most up-to-date information may be found at the CDC on breastfeeding and COVID-19 website.

Where can I get breastfeeding support?

During this uncertain time, it is extremely important that our WIC families continue to receive breastfeeding support. If you are unable to reach your local agency peer counselor for support, please call 833-MIWICBF or 833-649-4223.

Who can get WIC and how do I sign up?

If you are pregnant, have just had a baby or have children under 5 years old, WIC is here to help! WIC provides healthy foods, breastfeeding support and other resources.

If you are a new WIC client, please contact your local WIC clinic to schedule an appointment.

What other food resources exist in my community?

Local food pantries may provide help.
Many Summer Food Service Program sites are open because of COVID-19. Please call the site

before visiting to make sure that it is open.

Other online resources:

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has many helpful nutrition-related articles. ChooseMyPlate has information on meal planning during the pandemic.