Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Grosse Pointe Woods council will vote on the Headlee Override next week following their decision this week as the committee of the whole. They intend to ask voters for a 1.85 millage increase in November.
The Grosse Pointe Woods committee of the whole made a decision this week regarding a tax increase that must receive voter approval in November under the Headlee Amendment as it will exceed the amount allowed solely under council's descretion. Discussion regarding a millage increase began in December but has evolved in finance committee meetings and most recently in committee of the whole meetings. The council, absent of Vicki Granger and Rich Shetler, voted informally as the committee of the whole to seek a 1.85 millage rate increase for 10 years. In addition, they also voted informallly to seek approval from voters on a road construction millage that would be for $10 million during 10 years. Their informal votes are essentially …
The Grosse Pointe Shores council voted unanimously Tuesday to put an advisory ballot issue on the August primary to determine whether the majority of residents want to leave Wayne County and move to Macomb County.
Grosse Pointe Shores residents will be asked in August to vote about whether they would like their city to secede from Wayne County. Their decision will guide the city council as to whether a committee devoted to studying a move to Macomb County should continue to pursue the idea. The discussion began as an update from the council's Move to Macomb Committee liaison, Dan Schulte, and evolved into a vote from the council to garner a decision from the city's own residents. Schulte said the study has shown that the move would save residents money and potentially improve county services. The estimated savings is about 4 mills, which currently equals about $1.2 million for the city. The savings for a resident owning a home valued at $100,000 …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Grosse Pointe Park city manager provided details Monday to city council about the 2012/13 proposed fiscal year budget, which does not include any tax increases. New fees are likely, however.
Grosse Pointe Park residents will avoid an increase in property tax rates this year, but they’ll be assessed new fees to cover an increase in water rates and to install new water pumps. Under a budget proposal approved unanimously Monday by the city council, residents will pay $5 every other month for the next two years to pay for the installation two $135,000 water pumps, one this year and one next year. Another $3.28 will be billed to residents every two months to cover an increase in water rates from the City of Detroit Department of Water and Sewerage. City Manager Dale Krajniak presented the budget to council during a public hearing that was attended by only two regular visitors to the meetings and three reporters. Krajniak said the …
Monday, May 14, 2012
There are several meetings and events in the Grosse Pointes this week. Here are a few of the highlights.
Here are a few highlights of events happening this week in the Grosse Pointes: 1. The Grosse Pointe Woods committee of the whole will meet beginning at 7:30 p.m. Monday. According to the agenda, the committee will discuss: 2. The Grosse Pointe Farms city council will meet beginning at 7 p.m. Monday. An agenda is not yet post on the Farms web site. 3. The Grosse Pointe Shores city council will meet Tuesday beginning at 7 p.m. According to the agenda, the council will discuss the following: 4. The City of Grosse Pointe will meet Monday beginning at 7 p.m. for its public hearing on the 2012/13 fiscal year budget. 5. The Grosse Pointe Park city council will meet Monday beginning at 7 p.m. According to the agenda, the council will discuss:
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Developers of the retirement village that is slated to be built on the former Children's Home of Detroit site in Grosse Pointe Woods expect construction to start in the next few weeks.
Just shy of a one-year deadline given by Grosse Pointe Woods council, the construction of the Rivers of Grosse Pointe will begin within a few weeks, according to Lorenzo Cavaliere. Cavaliere would not put an exact date on the start of construction before the Grosse Pointe Woods council Monday but said the start would meet the city's one-year deadline as outlined during the project's approval last June. Questions about the construction start date surfaced after the council voted to not object to several site plan changes the developers, architects and engineers have made to the original plans, which went before council for approval. The changes include: While the overall square footage is being reduced by 36,000 square-feet, the footprint …
42.423286
-82.897435
900 Cook Rd, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
/articles/construction-of-rivers-of-grosse-pointe-imminent
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Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Grosse Pointe Woods council members will continue their discussion concerning the headlee override and a road construction millage next week, with the goal of making recommendations for their official vote to follow on May 21.
The Grosse Pointe Woods committee of the whole decided to put off making recommendations Monday concerning the Headlee Override and a road construction millage they intend to ask of voters in November. The discussions related to the Headlee Override have been on-going for a few months at least among finance committee members and about the same length of time for the council's work session committee, called the committee of the whole. Woods Comptroller/Treasurer Dee Ann Irby recommended the millage rate the city should ask of voters is 1.86 mills, which will help the city close the more than $600,000 budgeting gap between revenue and expenses for the 2012/13 fiscal year. The shortfall is not as large as officials originally thought as the …
Monday, May 7, 2012
There are several events scheduled this week in Grosse Pointe. Here are a few of the highlights.
There are several events scheduled this week in Grosse Pointe. Here are a few of the highlights: 1. The Grosse Pointe Woods city council will meet beginning at 7:30 p.m. Monday. According to the agenda, the council will discuss: 2. The Grosse Pointe Woods committee of the whole will meet following the council meeting Monday. It is scheduled for 8 p.m. but will begin after the council adjourns. According to the agenda, the committee will discuss: 3. An informational meeting on half-day kindergarten is being held at Ferry Elementary School Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. for parents interested in finding out more about the half-day program. 4. The Family Center will be putting on its third screening of the Race To Nowhere Tuesday at Grosse …
Friday, May 4, 2012
Grosse Pointe Farms officials are nearly finished repairing the broken water main at Mack Avenue and Moross Road. Barring any unexpected complications, the repair should be complete by the close of business today.
Moross Road at Mack Avenue has been blocked by Grosse Pointe Farms officials working to repair a water main that broke late Thursday. The repairs are expected to be complete by the close of business Friday barring any unforeseen complications employees encounter, Assistant City Manager Matt Tepper said Friday afternoon. The break likely caused water to have a brown tint to it for many residents in the area but as long as the faucet is turned on with running water until the water runs clear, cold water is safe for drinking, according to the alert sent out by officials late Thursday. During the repair work Friday, a mismarked gas line was hit and DTE officials had to be called to the scene, Tepper said. The gas line was repaired fairly …
42.417027
-82.910657
Mack Ave & Moross Rd, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/repairs-to-water-main-break-nearly-complete
/locations/6940071
Thursday, May 3, 2012
A water main break near Mack Avenue and Moross Road may be causing brown water. Residents are urged to run water until it's clear.
Repairs to fix a water main break near Mack Avenue and Moross Road could take 24 hours but Grosse Pointe Farms Water Department officials say cold water is safe to drink if residents allow it to run until it's clear. Water with a brown tint or color may occur due to the water main break, according to an alert put out by city officials shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday. Officials are working to fix the break but repairs could take 24 hours.
42.417027
-82.910657
Mack Ave & Moross Rd, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/farms-officials-work-to-fix-water-main-break
/locations/6934062
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Orange barrels have begun lining Mack Avenue as the first phase of the Mack Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project gets underway with street lighting installments by DTE and is coupled with a water main replacement project along much of the same stretch o
The orange barrels lining Mack Avenue in the City of Grosse Pointe will remain in the area through the summer as the Mack Avenue streetscape improvement and water main projects get underway. DTE began installing street lighting late last month and the work continues. They began on Mack Avenue near Cadieux and are working toward Fisher Road. City of Grosse Pointe Manager Pete Dame said the contractor for the water main project has also begun preliminary work near Mack Avenue and Cadieux Road. Businesses along that stretch of Mack Aveue will remain open throughout construction, which will pick up during the next portion of the project: A water main will be installed under the sidewalk of Mack Avenue from Cadieux to Washington roads. Parking …
42.39486
-82.92239
Mack Ave & Cadieux Rd, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/mack-ave-streetscape-project-begins-in-city
/locations/6921743
42.40727
-82.914925
Mack Ave & Fisher Rd, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/mack-ave-streetscape-project-begins-in-city
/locations/6921744
42.404465
-82.916285
Mack Ave & Washington Rd, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/mack-ave-streetscape-project-begins-in-city
/locations/6921745
Chris
1:34 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Budget Hearings of Local Governments was written in 1963 when most people were just beginning to get used to electric typewriters. Do you think the 2012/2013 budget for any of the Grosse Pointes was prepared on a typewriter? I bet the budget has many line items for technology across the board but when it comes to transparency and giving residents the opportunity to see what is going on in the… more ›