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Upcoming City Council Meetings

• January 23

Upcoming Planning Commission Meetings

• January 24

Upcoming Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Meetings

• January 9

City Council Meetings begin at 7 PM. Planning Commission meetings and ZBA Meetings begin at 7:30 PM. City Council, Planning Commission and ZBA meetings are held at the Berkley City Hall.

You can watch the meetings live on the city's website or on cable.(WOW-ch. 10, Xfinity-Ch. 17). 

A taped version of the Council and Planning meetings are available on the City's YouTube channel 3-4 days after the meeting.

*ZBA meetings are not televised or recorded*

Hours of Operation

City Hall offices are open M-F from 8:30 AM to 5 PM; closed from 1-2 PM

The Department of Public Works office is open M-F from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM

ALL city offices, including the Berkley Public Library will be closed from: 

• December 30 - January 2, 2017
• January 16, 2017

in observance of the New Year and Martin Luther King Day holidays.

The Public Safety Department will be open according to its normal schedule.

Berkley Historical Museum

Berkley's population was growing so fast during the 1950s that the school buildings were bursting at the seams.  

In 1951, Oxford Elementary School opened to help with the overcrowding. Unfortunately, by the 1980s, population was falling and Oxford was closed.  

The cornerstone now sits in the lobby of the Berkley Historical Museum. Stop by and take a look when the museum is open! 

The Berkley Historical Museum is located in Berkley's old Fire Hall at 3338 Cooldige Hwy. The Museum is open on Wednesdays from 10 AM - 1 PM and on Sundays from 2 PM - 4 PM. 

Message From the Mayor

Each New Year brings new opportunities and fresh challenges. It also provides a clean slate upon which to draft the next chapter of our individual and community lives. Motivated by an essential optimism, New Year’s resolutions are formulated to improve some feature of life. Many of us reactivate old resolutions abandoned prematurely in past years; others strive to implement some newly acquired self-knowledge to be perhaps less critical and more respectful. Whatever resolution you aspire to fulfill, I wish you success.

City Hall begins the New Year with a new Citizen Advisory Committee, tasked with reviewing key information about the condition of city roads and municipal buildings and then making recommendations to City Council. The committee is a diverse and representative group of talented residents whose collective wisdom and collaborative spirit will produce reasoned options for our city. We are grateful to these residents for volunteering their time to grapple with these important community issues. The 15-member committee is chaired by Tim Gaudet and its vice chair is Melanie Stevens.

Important observances will be made in January. On January 7th, Orthodox Christians, following the Julian calendar, celebrate Christmas Day and on Jan 14th, New Year’s Day. Thus, we wish all Orthodox Christians a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. City offices will be closed to mark Martin Luther King Day on January 16th.

In mid-December the Council, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals held a joint professional development afternoon at Oakland Community College. The speaker was excellent and well prepared. She reviewed hours of film footage from recent contentious Council and Planning Commission meetings.

Her take away message to elected officials, appointees, and residents was, “You need to stop criticizing one another…. Assume the best of intentions of each other… Different does not mean wrong, it means different… Communication needs to be intentional and not habitual… Pay attention to your words, your tone, and most importantly your body language…” Not a bad set of resolutions for the New Year!

I wish a happy New Year and holiday season to all our residents, businesses, and employees. May you celebrate in safety and joy.

From the City Manager

In the coming weeks, the city will distribute a survey  to Berkley residents.

The survey will help City leaders and our newly formed Citizen Advisory Committee determine the level of interest in the continued operation of an ice arena and identify possible recreation programs and leisure services that could be added to the Berkley Community Center.  

Residents that currently subscribe to city’s eNews will be notified electronically when the survey is available. The results will be shared some time in  mid to late February. 

Public Works

Snow plowing season is almost here! We urge residents and businesses to follow the guidelines below:

• Do not push or plow snow into the public street
• Please move parked vehicles off the street during snow events
• Snowplows need "room to groom". Please give road crews ample room to safely clear the streets

Library

The library will be closed on Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Adults

SAT/ACT Informational Workshop
Presented by Huntington Learning Centers
Tuesday, January 10 at 7 PM
SAT, ACT! Help, it’s all alphabet soup to me! Join us for a free workshop on these college entrance exams. Learn about their differences and similarities and a timeline for the college application process. It starts earlier than you might imagine! This presentation is intended for parents of middle school and high school students. To register, click here, or call (248) 658-3440.

Smart Choices for Real People featuring the Great Foodini (Renee Chodkowski)
Thursday, January 12 at 6:30 PM
Smart Choices for Real People is not a diet, it’s not an exercise plan so what is it? It’s a way of life, a series of eating changes and food substitutions that will improve your health, help you feel better, and help you lose weight. Renee will give healthy cooking tips and demonstrate a few great recipes to taste, too! To register, click here, or call 248-658-3440.

eBooks and More at the Library
Monday, January 23 at 6:30 PM
Did Santa bring you an iPad, Kindle or other device? Attend this free class to learn how to download eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines from the library’s online collection. Bring your device if you’d like hands on help after the class. To register, click here, or call 248-658-3440.

Income Tax Time: What You Need to Know
Presented by Tom Hill, CPA
Thursday, January 26 at 6:30 PM
To itemize or not to itemize? How does the Affordable Care Act affect my tax return? How likely is my tax return to be audited? What are the tax law changes affecting my 2016 return? Get the answers to these and other questions and learn valuable information impacting your tax return from long time CPA Tom Hill. To register, click here, or call 248-658-3440.

Origami Club at Berkley Library
Monday, January 9 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
If you're interested in origami or are a seasoned folder, stop by the library's origami club! This club provides an opportunity to learn and explore with like-minded individuals.

Afternoon Book Club
Tuesday, January 10 at 12:30 PM
The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

Berkley Reading Society (NEW evening book group!)
Thursday, January 19 at 6:30 PM
Join us for the inaugural meeting of the library's newest book club! This month we will be reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple.

Scrabble and Cocktails at Amici's Pizza
Monday, January 23 from 7 PM to 9 PM
Do you love Scrabble? Do you love drinks and pizza? Join us at Amici's Pizza for Scrabble and Cocktails! We will have a few boards available but you can bring your own. There will also be drink specials. Registration required as there is limited space (Click here to register or call 248-658-3440). Amici's Pizza is located at 3249 Twelve Mile.

Berkley Rock Hounds
Tuesday, January 24 from 5:30 PM to 8 PM
Berkley Rock Hounds is a free club for rock, mineral and fossil fans, ages 12-99. Join us on the 4th Tuesday of every month to learn something new, teach what you know, show off your own finds, get help identifying them, learn how to tumble/polish, share places to rock hound, tips and more. Very casual, friendly environment to talk about collecting with other enthusiasts. Come for a little while or the whole meeting. Bring a few of your own finds to tell us about!

Film screening: 13th (2016)
Wednesday, February 1 at 6:30 PM
Ava DuVernay's documentary 13th (2016) presents an in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality. The title comes from the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed slavery unless as punishment for a crime. No registration needed.

Youth

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration
Saturday, January 14 at 1 PM
Listen to a story about Martin Luther King, Jr., watch a clip from his “I Have a Dream” speech, come up with your own dreams, and participate in creating a piece of group art that will be displayed in the library to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. and our dreams for a better world. To register, click here, or call 248-658-3440.

Family Game Night
Wednesday, January 25 from 6 PM to 8 PM 
Fun for the whole family! Drop in and play one of our games, or bring one of your favorites. No registration needed.

Family Movie: The Secret Life of Pets
Saturday, January 28 at 11 PM
Come watch this hilarious family film about what pets do when their humans aren't around. The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes. We'll provide the popcorn, and the first 35 attendees will receive a free tote bag and sheet of stickers. No registration needed. The Secret Life of Pets is rated PG.

Family Craft Night
Tuesday, January 31 at 6:30 PM
Make a simple bird feeder to hang in your backyard this winter. Allergy alert: this activity will involve peanut butter. To register, click here, or call 248-658-3440.

Preschool StoryTime
Tuesdays at 10:30 AM
January 17, 24, 31 / February 7, 14, 21
This storytime includes 30 minutes of stories, activities, and a craft for children ages 3-6 who are able to participate without their adult in the room. Parents and others are asked to remain in the library during the program. No registration needed.

Parent-Toddler StoryTime
Thursdays at 10:30 AM
January 19, 26 / February 2, 9, 16, 23
This storytime is for ages 18 months to 3 years, with a parent, grandparent, or caregiver for 30 minutes of stories, activities, and a craft. No registration needed.

Lapsit StoryTime
Mondays at 10:30 AM
January 23, 30 / February 6, 13
This storytime is for those from 6 months to 18 months, with a parent, grandparent, or caregiver for 20 minutes of stories and fingerplays and 20 minutes of playtime. No registration needed.

Library Hours:

• Mon-Thurs: 10 AM - 8 PM
• Fri: 10 AM - 6 PM
• Sat: 10 AM - 3 PM
• Sun: Closed

For more information, call 248-658-3440, visit our website here. or find us on Facebook at by clicking here.