continued a water main valve turning program throughout the city. City hall received landscaping with a bid of $8,

Good morning and welcome to our State of the City Address. I d like to thank the Chamber of Commerce for organizing this marvelous event that brings us together to note our strengths and accomplishments in the last year. The Chamber markets and promotes businesses in our community, builds a network of support to our businesses and is an active participant in community events along with fundraising for scholarships. I would like to thank and introduce my Council colleagues. I value the professionalism and honesty council members exhibit day in and day out. While differences of opinion arise from time to time, the interests of our City always remain first and foremost. Thank you to our city employees we are fortunate to have a team that serves the needs of our community without complaint. You are the backbone of our daily lives making sure that vital services are done professionally and efficiently with all of us in mind. I would like to introduce City Staff who are with us this morning. Thank you to our School employees, volunteers, interns, residents, businesses and those involved with civic and community groups. I want to thank staff for broadcasting this address to those who cannot attend in person. An informed community is an engaged community. And to everyone in Clawson it is an honor and privilege to serve you. The State of the City address is a time to review our performance and share our upcoming priorities and opportunities. Our performance is readily available on the City of Clawson s website under EVIP, the Economic Vitality Program that replaces the State Shared Revenue Program. Using the website and our facebook page is one way we communicate with you. A list of our accomplishments for 2012 is impressive and we are better prepared to meet our obligations and responsibilities in the upcoming year thanks to voter approval of a new millage last spring. Protecting life, property, infrastructure and creating a sustainable community is done through strategic planning. Each year we develop goals, we prioritize goals and then we find ways to pay for goals. Goal topics include public safety, infrastructure, neighborhood preservation, parks and recreation, economic development and fiscal responsibility. Our 2012 goals in public safety included exploring a police bike patrol, developing an emergency management plan and exploring a citizen patrol academy. Infrastructure goals included a sewer rehabilitation program using grant funding, exploring Honeywell s energy efficient study, upgrade of the city hall community room kitchen and a review of Oakland County s Rochester Road Access report. Neighborhood preservation goals are to preserve our natural areas and our community s character, increase the recycling program, adopt a large lot ordinance and promote a walkable and bikeable community connecting bike paths to surrounding cities. A parks and recreation goal is to provide pocket parks where space is available, provide quality recreation fields, pursue leasing the football field area to the school system, explore grants and promote an arts & cultural program to build a tourist destination, host the DIA Inside Out program, develop one community calendar, host a volunteer fair, build a restroom at Grant park and increase community events. Economic develop included business friendly packets to those interested in investing in Clawson, increased programming for our cable channel, perhaps a city wide open house and exploration of electric battery operated stations, developing a

database inventory of all property on our website, explore line forms, digitize records, tape all city board meetings and our fiscal responsibility is to lower expenditures to match revenues, a citizen survey and develop a 3 year budget. Let s see how we did. Our police department was able to utilize a bike patrol during the warm months. Our crime to property decreased from previous years. We were able to purchase updated in car cameras. Our Police Chief Harry Anderson is taking the lead on an Emergency management plan that is in the final stages of planning. The police department gives back to the community by providing college scholarships with an upcoming bowling fundraiser this Saturday. The police department hosts a back to school backpack drive collecting school supplies for those in need. One of our great officers for 25 years, Jim Kant, retired and Scott Vierk was hired. Our fire department, led by Chief Dyzlewski, are the same generous fellows we call the Goodfellows who were able to raise almost $13,000.00 during their annual paper sale. This money is used to help Clawson families provide Christmas gifts for their children. These are the same fellows who volunteer at community events including fire truck rides during the pre-4 th of July activities. The fire department hosts an open house each year and they teach fire safety in the schools. The Fire Department calls decreased with a total of 88 runs for 2012 their message is being received. A group of firefirghters led by Doug Ballard, Neil Johnston and Jeff Ingebretson coordinated the second annual Z-Man golf classic which raised over $6,000 for the Firefighter Cancer Foundation. This is an event heeld in memory of Paul Z-Man Zielesch who passed away in November 2010 from cancer. The fire department had one new hire, Steven Wendell and said goodbye to four firefighters who retired Jim Horton after 27 years, Dennis McCurry (25 years), Sandy Pounders (25 years) and Jon Ruthenbeck (24 years). You are able to see evidence of infrastructure maintenance in the form of four and a half million dollars worth of sewer repairs. These projects are under the guidance of Harry Drinkwine, our City Engineer working alongside our DPW Director Doug Ballard. These sewer repairs are funded by the State of Michigan s low interest, revolving loan program. Construction for these projects is expected to be completed by early summer. Last fall the city installed ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliant ramps at street corners to accommodate people with a physical impairment. The project was completed on Oakley from Leroy to Maple and funded through the Community Block Development Grant program. ADA compliant doors at city hall were completed in time for the November 2012 elections. This project was mostly funded by a federal polling place improvement grant. Hunter Community Center will have new ADA restrooms this spring and the majority of this project is funded by Community Block Grant Funds. The annual sidewalk replacement program for 2013 will continue where it left off in 2012, south of Maple Road to West Elmwood between N. Main Street and NorthBywood. Plans are underway to resurface N. Selfridge from Stephen to Maple Road this summer. Traffic signals at 14 Mile and Rochester Roads were replaced with LED signals making this our final intersection to receive LED upgrades. This project was funded by a federal safety grant. We contracted with Honeywell for an energy efficient audit and based on the audit were able to replace the furnace, air conditioner, windows and doors at city hall along with energy upgrades at the DPW, Hunter Community Center and the library. The DPW worked with Parks and Recreation along with the schools and a great volunteer Ralph Haney to reconstruct the west baseball diamond in the City Park. We planted 100 trees along the city easements. We

continued a water main valve turning program throughout the city. City hall received landscaping with a bid of $8,000.00. We made progress on our neighborhood preservation goals. A large lot ordinance was developed to maintain the character of our neighborhoods and approved by our planning board and council. The City of Hazel Park issued a challenge to Clawson for recycling in the month of May and more details will be forthcoming about our collaborative effort to win this challenge. The DDA completed a pedestrian study. The City began a pedestrian study and are currently waiting for results on a grant application hopefully looking at pedestrian crossings at 14 Mile Road and Washington and 14 Mile Road and Bellevue. In our Parks and Recreation Department, long time employee Mickey Alderman retired as Director and Kathy Leenhouts, our Senior Coordinator, was gracious enough to accept the position in charge of Parks and Recreation and the Senior Center. Mr. Alderman did return to work in the Parks and Recreation Department on a part time basis. We were able to purchase a foreclosed vacant house lot at 405 W. Maple Road to be used as a pocket park. Community block grant money will allow us to purchase a new play structure for the Parkland Park. I mentioned earlier about the refurbished baseball field at Clawson City Park. We also have a new field at Kenwood School. These two ventures are the result of committed volunteers leading the way. These are impressive wins for our community with our local talent and creativity. But wait, there s more. Volunteers Lisa and Matt Ball have worked to bring Art and Culture to Clawson with our first Art and Author Festival last fall. This group of volunteers formed the Clawson Cultural Foundation with upcoming plans for a Dinner Theater Mystery on April 20 th at the American Legion Hall, a battle of the bands entitled Melodies Clash on May 19 th at Clawson Park in cooperation with Oakland County Parks and Rec and Clawson Art in the Park on September 8 th. Upcoming plans include a photography contest and a Young Author contest. This committee is also working in partnership with the schools and local businesses as both are represented on the committee. And I m sure you remember the DIA Inside Out program this last year at local businesses. Economic development took the form of another group of committed volunteers meeting to explore strengths and needs in our business arena. After months of study, the recommendation was to hire an Economic Development Coordinator. Our fiscal responsibility continues under the leadership of Mark Pollock who has a dual role of finance director and city manager. He is one busy fellow. Our budget is balanced. Stacey Hodges is our Treasury Director and Machelle Kukuk is our City Clerk, both of whom are integral parts in keeping City Hall running as efficiently as we can. Our economy grew in 2012. More businesses are either opening or expanding in Clawson. Our Building Department under the direction of Jim Albus oversees the continuity of planning in our City. A new restaurant The Mojave Cantina recently opened on 14 Mile. Commercial businesses of Global Logistics suburban group, State Farm, Allstate, G&R Investment, Krystal Cleaners, Foam and More and Quest Diagnostics opened in 2012. Our new retail businesses are Silver Shears Salon, Ziptanz, Alice Huang Wellness Center, Treasurable Antiques, Maple Arcade Art

Gallery and Trio Art Gallery. There really is an explosion of art in our community. En Pointe dance and Play it Again Sports elected to remain in Clawson and moved to larger buildings to accommodate their growing needs. This year Taco bell will undergo a demo and rebuild; a 7-11 will be constructed on Rochester Road and Clawson Manor will redo their parking lot. Our Downtown Development Authority became an Oakland County Main Street program with a focus on historic preservation and sense of place and recently received an award of Best One Year Progress by Oakland County. With the right strategy we are marketing ourselves. With the infrastructure in place we are making a commitment to everyone who lives and works in Clawson. We are an engaging and friendly place that businesses are attracted to and will invest in. Clawson is the place people want to live because of the amenities and quality of life we offer. In the last year our Senior Center offered 1,199 activities with 13,184 participants. Our seniors went on recreational trips and utilized transportation services to the grocery store, mall and doctor appointments. We offered activities of chair yoga, computers, cards, bingo and more. We have a growing number of seniors and are presently participating in a pilot program on aging in the community through Oakland County and Area Agency on Aging. Our Parks and Recreation Department offered 1,398 programs with 18,345 participants. We hosted special events of line dancing, baseball and basketball clinics, fun in the sun, an outdoor concert and more. Our teen center, now called the AZ Zone is directed by Bev Owens. It s a safe place for after school fun. Our library, under the leadership of Elizabeth Gulick saw a patron count of 9,366 people, up from 2012. The Friends of the Library hosts book sales and monthly workshops along with childrens activities of reading clubs, teddy bear picnics and more. The Clawson Historical Museum s second curator is Melodie Nichols. The Museum began in the early 1970 s under Delores Kumler. Delores passed away in 2012 and left her legacy as an expert in Clawson history and in a number of books she authored about Clawson. In the last year Mrs. Nichols authored a pamphlet about kit homes in our city. Did you know that mystery does surround the City of Clawson? The area was originally settled in the early 1800s and Clawson was first known as Pumachug for the sound the mills made, then known as The Corners. We were incorporated in 1920 and our first sewers were built. We had a police and fire dept in 1922. The first village manger was hired in 1927. A home owned by the Blair family became our first library in 1929. In1940 we became a city. In the 60 s a new city hall, post office, library and school was built. In 1970 the fire station was built and the room we are in was added on to city hall, first as a teen center then as a senior center. 14 Mile Road was originally known as Townline Road then Clawson Road before becoming 14 Mile Road. Main Street was originally called Niles Road and Rochester was first called Paint Creek Trail. The mystery is where the name Clawson came from. Was early settler Mr. John Lawson or a Mr. Clyde Lawson our namesake and the name misspelled when it was filed? We ll never know, but we do know Clawson is The Little City with a Big Heart. We have a past and a present to be proud of. We are a compassionate, connected community evidenced by our volunteers in faith communities and service clubs that reach out to those in need. We have a food bank. We have wonderful neighborhoods and can boast of five parks in the city. We have more than a few signature events in and around our Clawson parks. The 4 th of July activities are organized by

volunteers. Presidents and volunteers Don Michaels, Deb Wooley, Michael Pacquette and many others work year round to continue the parade, fair and fireworks show. The Lions Club sponsors the Down on Main Street Car Show. Our Jr. Women s Association sponsors the Bunny Brunch and Santa s Lunch. The DDA sponsors Cinema in the Street and a winter festival. The Optimist Club sponsors the Tree Lighting in December and Coney Day in June. Youth Assistance sponsors the Trick or Treat Trail in October, sending kids to camp and an upcoming Egg Hunt. The Egg Hunt is this Saturday at 10 am at Clawson Park. The Bunny Brunch is also this Saturday at Hunter with reservations required. The successful Farmers Market Flower Day is on May 19 th. The Rotary Club continues to meet our community needs through scholarships and fundraisers. All of these events, and more, are a result of wonderful volunteers within our City. The next volunteer led project sounds like a community garden. The American Legion has always generously donated to nonprofit groups. The Legionairres are responsible for our Memorial Day Parade; for flag ceremonies throughout our city and known for supporting our veterans and wounded warriors. Due to declining membership, the American Legion Hall is up for sale. It can be up to us to help them find a new, smaller home in Clawson. As Mayor, I am President of the South Oakland Mayors Association. We meet once a month to exchange ideas of what is working in our area to create sustainable and collaborative communities. We can all agree that one of our key priorities for 2013 must be Economic Development. We will be able to explore all of our city goals at the next goal setting workshop on March 27 th at 6.30pm. This is a public workshop where you are all receiving a personal invitation to attend. We are a built community. Our property tax revenue is growing at a slow rate, but it is growing. If our local government was simply the fiscal administration of specific services things would be simple and clear. But it s not. We are a community of partnerships and generosity. A community of character and charm, a community of neighbors working together. I am continually inspired by the efforts of the many people who freely give of their time and money to make the City of Clawson the choice where people want to live, work, raise families and invest now and in the future.