Berkley eNews - September 2017
City of Berkley, Michigan sent this bulletin at 09/01/2017 05:21 PM EDT
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Connect with the City Berkley Online Sign-up for eNews and Updates! In April, the city unveiled a new website. If you have not done so already, remember to sign up for our enews system to receive alerts related to water and construction, and all the up-to-date happenings in the city. Please note: If you previously were signed up for email alerts and wish to continue (before April, the launch of the new website), you must re-enter your email at the bottom of any page on our site and follow the instructions. If you were receiving our monthly eNewsletter, you will continue to receive them via email. If you are interested in signing up for the eNewsletter, click here. Upcoming City Council Meetings
Upcoming Planning Commission Meetings
Upcoming Zoning Board of Appeals Meetings
City Council Meetings begin at 7 PM. Planning Commission meetings and ZBA Meetings begin at 7:30 PM. City Council and Planning Commission meetings are held at the Berkley City Hall. The Special meeting on September 7th will be held at the Berkley High School Auditorium, 2325 Catalpa. You can watch the meetings live on the city's website or on cable.(WOW-ch. 10, Xfinity-Ch. 17). A recorded version of the Council and Planning meetings are available on the city's YouTube channel 3-4 days after the meeting. Hours of Operation City Hall offices are open M-F from 8:30AM to 5PM; closed from 1-2PM The Department of Public Works office is open M-F from 7:30AM to 3:30PM. City offices, including the Berkley Public Library, will be closed on Monday, September 4th. The Berkley Public Library will also be closed on Saturday, September 2nd. The Public Safety Department will remain open. All city offices reopen on Tuesday, September 5th. City Clerk's Office Important Upcoming Election Information
New election equipment will be rolled out for the General Election on November 7th! See the City Manager's Office note for more info. Public Works Monday, September 4 is a holiday for the City's refuse and recycling contractor. As a result, pickup that week will be delayed by one day (Tuesday moved to Wednesday and Friday moved to Saturday).
Free, bagged yard waste pickup ends on May 12. From May 16 through  September 29, residents will need to purchase yard waste stickers at $2 each. These stickers can be purchased at the DPW, City Hall or Library. Each sticker is good for one bag or can-one time use only and 50 lbs. limit each. Leaves and grass may not be raked into the street until October 1.Brush pickup is on-going with the route generally starting on Mondays. In order to safely feed the chipper, tree limbs must be 1"-4" in diameter and at least 4' long with cut ends facing one direction. Smaller branches shall be placed in yard waste bags. 90 gallon trash toters (cans) can be purchased from the DPW for $60 each. These are wheeled cans with attached lids that are dumped mechanically by city refuse hauler.
SOCRRA has made the transition from dual-stream recycling to mixed recycling (single-stream). This exciting change has made
 recycling easier for residents and increased recycling rates. Details and more information can be found by clicking here. Please note batteries are no longer accepted via curbside recycling. Household batteries can be recycled at the Drop-off Center (995 Coolidge, Troy) or dropped off at the DPW (3238 Bacon). DPW office hours are 7AM-3:30PM each weekday.
Any questions on the above, please call the Berkley DPW at 248-658-3490.
We encourage all residents to sign up for Berkley email updates. In addition to receiving the monthly city newsletter, residents will be sent alerts related to water main breaks, road construction and snow removal. Homeowners can sign up online by clicking here. Berkley Historical Museum The Berkley Historical Museum is planning a major new exhibit on the history of our schools. There will be a lot of cool objects along with maps, documents and classic pictures. We just walked through Our Lady of LaSalette School looking for The Berkley Historical Museum is located in Berkley's old Fire Hall at 3338 Coolidge Hwy. The Museum is open on Wednesdays from 10 AM - 1 PM and on Sundays from 2 PM - 4 PM. |
Message From the Mayor Labor Day weekend awakens a mindset change for most of us. Summer vacations are over, schools are back in session, college football is about to begin and once again the Tigers fortunes for October baseball fade. These are unsettled days in our nation. Ugly divisions at home and an uneasy peace abroad leave many dispirited. Yet we must trust the checks and balances of our system to see us through these turbulent times. Temperate voices will prevail to reaffirm the fundamental values of our nation. Already the corporate executive community and our military leaders have joined many elected leaders in denouncing bigotry, racism and neo Nazi white supremacist violence. This is a blemish on our national character and not speaking out against it tacitly affirms it. We are a great and generous people that will mute the voices of hatred as we seek to create a “more perfect union.” The Oakland County Ancient Order of Hibernians is sponsoring the 2nd annual “County Oakland Irishfest” on Saturday September 9th with an “afterglow” the next afternoon. Twelve Mile Rd will be closed on Sept 9th. Steve Zanetti and Former Mayor Pro Tem Dale GoodCourage have brought the best of Irish music, dancing and culture to Berkley. In 2002, Pres. George W Bush proclaimed “Nine Eleven” as Patriot Day in memory of those who died on September 11th, 2001 when terrorists flew 2 aircrafts into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, killing almost 3000 people. On that horrific day, as people rushed away to safety, first responders were rushing toward the inferno to rescue as many people as possible. Stephen Siller was one of those first responders who lost his life helping save others. On Saturday September 16th, Hurley Field in Berkley will host the 2nd annual Stephen Siller 5K Run beginning at 8 AM. This event honors all first responders and raises funds for the Stephen Siller Foundation. September is National Suicide Prevention Month which reminds us of the many people who struggle with thoughts of despair and hopelessness. Their despair can be so debilitating that they seldom embrace treatment without the encouragement of family or friends. If you know someone in such emotional pain, take the time to motivate them to embrace professional help. The DTE Energy sponsored CruiseFest was a great success again this year. Thanks are due to all our city employees and volunteers who staged the event. Neighboring cities and the Oakland County Sherriff’s Office sent police officers to join our own Public Safety officers in ensuring that everyone had a safe and enjoyable time. Several Berkley businesses provided a wonderful meal for about 150 emergency first responders prior to the Classic Car Parade. We are grateful for the generosity of our business community and congratulate Mr. Mark Coon, Theresa McArleton and the entire CruiseFest Planning Committee on another splendid success. August 2017 ends with the misery of floods. As we empathized with the people of Texas, Berkley was hit with a flash flood and many basements were damaged. As I watched the water and sewer bubble up in my basement, I had a sinking feeling: thankful that it is not as bad as Texas but frustrated at the frequency of these weather events in recent years. Our Public Safety and Public Works departments are available to offer relevant assistance as we work through this difficult time. We ask those who did not experience damage or loss to offer help to neighbors who did. Berkley will discuss this and related questions with the Oakland County Drain Commissioner on September 7, 2017 at 7 PM in the Berkley High School auditorium. Meanwhile, be safe and follow the city’s website and Facebook page for unfolding information.
City Manager's Office August 28th Storm The flooding that occurred in our city on Monday, August 28th was something none of us expected. The devastation to our community and to many of our residents’ homes is heartbreaking. The unexpected heavy storm brought approximately 2 inches, some reports have as much as 4 inches of rain that fell in a two hour period. This is a very large amount of rainfall in a very short period of time. We don’t have all the answers as to why this happened in our city, but we are working diligently to gather data and meeting with officials. We are asking residents for help in determining how many houses had flooding as a result of the storm. If you experienced flooding, we are asking you to send an email to rainevent2017@berkleymich.net and provide your address and the approximate amount of water that entered your home. On Thursday, September 7, 2017, Berkley City Council along with Jim Nash, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, will be holding a special public meeting to discuss the flooding along with infrastructure concerns. The open public meeting will be held at the Berkley High School Auditorium beginning at 7pm. Visit our Rain Event page on the city's website, by clicking here, to stay up to date on the latest information. CruiseFest What a spectacular event again this year! Thousands of residents and visitors lined the streets of Berkley to get a glimpse of the hundreds of classic cars in the 22nd Annual Classic Car Parade. The CruiseFest is a family-friendly event that continues to grow each year. While it focuses largely on classic cars, the Planning Committee, chaired by volunteer resident, Mark Coon, works closely with Parks & Recreation Director Theresa McArleton and her staff to ensure there is plenty of fun events, live music and food for the whole family! Our city’s CruiseFest event would not be possible without the tireless work from our many volunteers and city employees, they did a great job! We are also thankful that for the fifth year now, DTE has been a proud sponsor of this event. FOX 2 Detroit’s Zip Trip In addition to the CruiseFest happenings, on Friday, August 18th, the City of Berkley was featured on FOX 2 Detroit’s Zip Trip. Members of the FOX 2 news team interviewed Mayor Phil O’Dwyer along with many of our local business owners. Many of the Berkley businesses were showcased throughout the segment.
At the August 22nd Planning Commission meeting, developer Berkley Coolidge LLC presented a revised Planned Unit Development (PUD) application for the La Salette School Property. The revisions were based on the suggestions and comments provided by Planning Commission members and residents at previous public meetings. A traffic study of the areas surrounding the La Salette property was also included in the revised application. The meeting was attended by many resident supporters and opposers whose comments were noted. After a lengthy discussion, the Planning Commission voted to approve the PUD, but the vote failed with a 4 to 4 tie (one planning commission member was absent from the vote). The Planning Commission then unanimously voted to postpone the application process for a future meeting. Chat with Matt The next Chat with Matt is scheduled for Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at City Hall. Our featured guest will be City Clerk, Annette Boucher. Mrs. Boucher will be on hand to talk about the operations of the Clerk’s office and to unveil the city’s new election equipment. Hope to see you all there! Animals As a reminder, in accordance with City Ordinance Articles II, Division I, Dogs and Cats, all dogs must be leashed and cats must be under control when off your personal property. Dog and cat droppings on any public street, right-of-way, park or public place, or occur on the property of others are in violation of city ordinance---you can be ticketed. Please do your part and “scoop the poop.” What's Up Downtown! A lot of exciting things have been happening in the DDA District this summer … and many more projects and events on the horizon. Here’s a quick recap of some of what’s been up this summer:
What’s coming up?
Learn more about our business district, the DDA, volunteering, and upcoming events at www.DowntownBerkley.com |
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treasures to include. This bench is one of the items we will be including. It stood for around 30 years in the principal's office. Let’s just say it was not usually a good thing if you were sitting there! Watch this space for an announcement when the new display is up.
grade? Celebrate by picking up a free book from the Berkley Public Library! Stop by the Youth Reference Desk anytime during the month of September and let the librarian know you're a new first grader.