Faced with decreasing property tax revenues and increasing city expenditures, Dearborn city leaders will be taking a critical look at separating the “need to have” from the “nice to have” services as a way to make up for lost revenues, Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., said Wednesday in his State of the City address.

Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr.

“We’ve already lost about 5 percent in property tax revenue in the past two years,” O’Reilly said. “We expect a 10 percent drop this year. And we’re anticipating another 10-15 percent in the next two years. In total, that’s a decline of at least 25 percent . . . If we take no action, make no hard decisions now, we’ll have a $20 million gap between our revenues and expenditures in just the coming year alone.”

Exactly where the cuts will come from is being studied but O’Reilly told the audience at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center Wednesday evening that “everything but the essentials is on the table – and even those essential services may have to be delivered differently.”

“Because of that, I’m not going to shy away from considering any idea regarding our programs and services, even the controversial proposals.”

To make those tough decisions, both the mayor and City Council will have to work together and accept some of the recommendations from the mayor’s recently created Task Force. The group of 28 people from across Dearborn will report their recommendations in May, helping define services and transforming them, too, O’Reilly said.

Last year, a recommendation to close some underutilized city pools as a way to save the city money was met with very vocal responses against the idea by residents. That was enough to convince city leaders — all running for reelection last year — to do nothing.

“We didn’t pursue the less costly alternative of the splash parks; and modest savings weren’t realized, meaning we’re facing even tougher financial decisions now,” O’Reilly said. “This is a process that we can no longer afford to repeat.”

O’Reilly said the city is going to need to look at whether some city services might be able to be converted into a regional operation where many communities could pool resources. Other ideas include trying to determine whether city facilities such as the Dearborn Hills Golf Course, Adray Ice Arena or even the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center could operate more efficiently with a business model, meaning each facility would cover all of their costs, including ongoing capital investments.

“We need to look at everything we do and ask: are we delivering this in the best possible way within our available resources? As tough as these questions may be, and as troubling the consequences they bring, they are relatively small ones.

“The real questions are: What do we want our community to be like in the future? What kind of Dearborn do we want for our children and our children’s children to have? I can’t answer those questions alone. That’s for us to decide together.”

Dearborn no doubt has some tough choices ahead. But as O’Reilly rightly pointed out in his speech, our city went through a similar rough time in 1983 when his late father was mayor. Dearborn emerged stronger because under his father’s direction, O’Reilly said, the city rejected the “business as usual” model; there was “political will” to make the unpopular decisions for the good of the community and because “citizens and businesses were engaged.”

Let’s hope the same is true this second time around.

Developer Burton-Katzman and the City of Dearborn are again at odds. This time over two crumbling concrete foundations slated for demolition, according to an article in the Dearborn Times-Herald

Burton-Katzman is already facing a court order to break ground on 12 condos and two midrise buildings between the city’s two underutilized parking decks. Wayne County Circuit Judge Michael Sapala said the company had to break ground no later than April 3.

Sapala’s order stems from Dearborn’s ongoing lawsuit against Burton-Katzman and several of the company’s executives for failing to complete its agreed-upon project on a city-owned parcel.

Now the City of Dearborn and a subsidiary of Burton-Katzman are in dispute over concrete foundation slabs.

The lawyers representing Burton-Katzman now tell the Times-Herald that if the city moves forward with demolition of the concrete slabs it would be “purposely interfering” with its ability to begin construction on April 3 as part of its court order.

The concrete slabs are to be the foundation for two six-unit condo buildings for the still unfinished West Village Commons project. The concrete pads, according to the Times-Herald, were poured more than two years ago.

Dearborn officials say the concrete foundations have now become a public safety hazard and need to be removed. If Burton-Katzman wants to stop the demolition, they need to provide an engineering report to the city to prove the concrete pads are suitable for holding the two six-unit condo buildings, the paper reports.

Trouble is the subsidiary of Burton-Katzman, on the hook to complete the engineering report and the construction, says it doesn’t have enough money to finance the necessary engineering reports, the Times-Herald says. You can read the full story by clicking HERE

The City of Dearborn is getting ready to test the real estate market, deciding to put the Dearborn Towers in Florida on the sales block, according to a recent story in the Dearborn Press & Guide.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., tells the paper that he would like to get the 88-unit apartment building in Clearwater, Florida on the market “within the next month.”

Many of you will recall that in 2007 voters approved a measure that gave permission to the city to sell the towers. Well, it appears that time is now.

As most homeowners in Dearborn know, this isn’t the best time to be selling real estate. The same holds true of the Dearborn Towers. But with tightening city budgets this is one way for the city to generate some revenue and perhaps erase from the books a 50-year-old building that could soon need some major updates and repairs. In 2007, the Florida property was valued at between $8 million and $8.3 million, stated one informal appraisal, according to the paper. Another appraisal in March 2008 put the value of property at about $5.6 million.

The property’s value has since dropped to $2.8 million, according to the most recent appraisal, the Press & Guide reports. The value could climb to $5.8 million if rents in the building were raised to levels of surrounding buildings, the paper says.

The task of actually selling the property could take between six and 18 months, the paper reports.

“The good news is we’re not in a hurry to sell,” O’Reilly tells the paper. “We’re not going to jump at the first offer that comes along.”

For the full Press & Guide story and to watch a video interview with Mayor O’Reilly about the sale, click HERE.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. will deliver his annual State of the City Address at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave.

Mayor O’Reilly will review the City’s major accomplishments in 2009, and discuss initiatives that will move Dearborn forward in 2010 and beyond.

The public is invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served after the address.

This is the story of 10 canine police officers, a high school basketball game, a concert and, perhaps, a lack of communication.

Let’s first start with the police dogs from the Dearborn Police Department and six other police agencies from the surrounding area.

For nearly 10 years, the police have used Dearborn High School for training exercises as way to keep the skills of police dogs sharp. This is a good thing.

Such was the case on Thursday, Feb. 25 when police and their K-9s arrived in the evening at Dearborn High School to do their usual training.

Trouble is few, if any, nearby residents, parents and students attending a basketball game and a concert at the high school that evening knew there was a training exercise going on.

Dearborn High School’s principal didn’t know at the time but was at the school and did talk to officers that evening. A school official told us the permit required to do the training in the school was likely approved months in advance and it simply wasn’t on the principal’s radar. The school district says it did not receive any phone calls from parents about the training after the fact so the concern about why police cars were at the high school that night apparently came from residents who live near the high school.

The City of Dearborn issued a press release the day after the training exercise with the following headline: “Police dog training exercise explained after drawing community attention.”  The press release also appeared in the Sunday edition of the Dearborn Press & Guide.

We fully support this type of training but in this day and age when airports, schools and cities operate with heightened security concerns, perhaps it might be a good idea to share with residents at least a day before, not after.

As for residents, if you ever do have questions after seeing police activity in Dearborn, please call 943-2201.

The city of Dearborn has launched a new money-saving program aimed at helping  lower-income persons or families purchase a newly renovated Dearborn home, which was once foreclosed.

The Dearborn Department of Economic & Community Development is now accepting applications for this program, called First Time Homebuyer Assistance program, but they will only be available for a limited time.

The program, according to a city of Dearborn press release, offers many benefits, including the ability to subsidize the mortgage principal amount so that house payments will be affordable. And, the homeowner might also quality for $5,000 towards the down payment or the closing costs.

To be eligible, an interested person must be a first-time homebuyer, successfully complete an eight-hour HUD approved counseling program, be “mortgage ready,” and have annual household income that is at or below 120 percent of area median income. Other eligibility requirements will apply.

The new program is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which was authorized to assist states and local governments in addressing the effects of abandoned or foreclosed properties.

The City of Dearborn would acquire and rehabilitate eight or more foreclosed properties with the intent of selling to income-qualified homebuyers.

For further information, call the Dearborn Economic & Community Development Department at 313-943-2180, extension 7. More details can also be found at www.cityofdearborn.org, on the Department of Economic and Community Development page.

The City of Dearborn’s official website now has a new look.

Gone is the clumsy 1990s looking website, replaced now with a site that looks and feels much more progressive.

Dearborn's new website is easier to navigate.

We haven’t run through all of the new features but it is much more intuitive and easier to navigate.

As a way to reduce costs, Dearborn’s IT Department and communications team reached out to the webmaster from the Dearborn Public Schools to help them redesign the new site.

This first collaboration between the city and our schools could lead to other actions where the two sides pool resources to save tax dollars.

Other cost-saving ideas under discussion  include looking at whether combining snow removal, grass cutting and even having a joint newsletter for residents might be more beneficial than the city and school continuing to do each of these separately.

Whether or not any of this is even practical or if it will save money still has to be determined. But the fact the two are  talking is good sign for all taxpayers.

Beginning Feb. 16, and for a limited time, Dearborn residents can order a tree to be planted on the easement in front of their home for just $25.

The Parks Division of the City of Dearborn’s Department of Public Works offers this program. Orders will be taken on a first call, first order basis for the 250 available trees.

Residents can choose from an assortment of trees; however, city personnel must approve the location of the tree.

Dearborn residents only are urged to call the Parks Division at (313) 943-2318 if they are interested.

Residents can either place an order or request a selection guide, which offers more information about the 10 types of trees that are available.

The following species of trees are available in 2010: Celebration Maple, Yellow Wood, Corzam or Corinthian, Japanese Pagoda, Katsura or Caramel, Maidenhair, Golden Rain, Hardy Rubber and Corktree. Spring Snow Crabapple is available only for areas where there are overhead wires.

Trees are planted by a contractor and have a one-year warranty. Planting will take place in early April and should be complete by early June.

The contractor is responsible for planting, mulching, staking, pruning, watering and cleanup after initial planting.

Residents are responsible for the follow up watering after the planting. It is highly recommended that residents retain the mulch ring around the base to keep the moisture and decrease damage from grass cutting.

Dearborn has been deemed by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA for the past 22 years. Cities with the “Tree City USA” designation must maintain specific standards, including a viable tree management program.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., took to the local papers and websites, including Deepsaidwhat.com, penning a column to respond to criticism over the police department’s investigation into an FBI shooting that the city had no role in.

In his column, the mayor points out that “the Dearborn Police had no involvement of any kind in the execution of the multi-agency operation.”

This is an important point; particularly since politicians such as U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit) was among those who criticized the Dearborn Police Department for having a role in the raid when it did not.

Mayor O’Reilly’s column begins below:

Dearborn Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr.

Any comments criticizing the Dearborn Police Department or their handling of the Investigation of the shooting at a warehouse near Michigan Avenue and Miller Road are inappropriate and ill-informed. The Dearborn Police Department under the leadership of Chief Ron Haddad has conducted the investigation of this unfortunate incident in a thorough and professional manner.

I must stress that the Dearborn Police had no involvement of any kind in the execution of the multi-agency operation. When a potential crime occurs in our City, it is the duty of our law enforcement agency to gather the facts and turn the results over to the appropriate Prosecuting agency. This is as true for an FBI shooting as for any other type. Our duty is to gather all possible facts relating to the incident from every possible source. Only after we are certain that we have examined all relevant information do we complete the report and forward it.

The incident in Dearborn can be described as a sting operation in a warehouse that was to apprehend persons fencing stolen goods or otherwise actively engaged in a criminal act. The FBI agents and other participating agents were there and armed in the expectation that the other parties in the transaction would also be armed. When the shooting victim and his associates arrive they were also armed. It is not difficult to understand the inherent danger in that situation. When the agents attempted to arrest the parties suspected of criminal acts, at least one party apparently refused to surrender. The agents claim that gunfire ensued at that time.

(more…)

The city of Dearborn says it is tapping into a new online community information provider to increase the speed and effectiveness of its communication with residents.

The city has created a new online account with the Internet provider called Nixle.  Through Nixle, the city says Dearborn residents will be able to receive important and timely information about Dearborn through e-mail, online or in a text message.

Nixle allows  users to choose what type of information they would like to receive and how they would like it to be received.

Users can sign-up to have alerts from the Dearborn Police Department sent directly to their phone via SMS, while having city government posts only sent to e-mail. And all Dearborn Nixle posts will be visible on the Nixle website.

The service is free for Dearborn residents. Anyone can go to www.nixle.com and type Dearborn, Michigan into the search to see the latest post, but an account must be set up with Nixle in order to receive messages.

“The City of Dearborn and its police department are pleased to provide this service to its residents as it offers a reliable and secure way for us to quickly get important information out to our residents,” said Police Chief Ronald Haddad in a city issued press release.