City of Davison, Michigan

The tulips and crocuses are peeking out of the ground. The robins are returning. We’re gaining extra minutes of daylight every day and the Detroit Tigers are returning from Lakeland for opening day on March 31st. But the sure sign of spring approaching is the opening Davison Compost Site!

April 24th is the official opening day for the Compost Site. So, even though everyone has been hard at work cleaning out the winter yard waste, it can not be disposed of until the site opens and the trucks can get back there.

For weekly curbside pickup (City of Davison residents, only), the yearly stickers will be on sale at City Hall the second week of April. The cost will be $10.00 per sticker, per container. Even though the stickers are available, curbside pickup will not begin until the week after the Compost Site opens on April 24th.

For nonresidents, the yearly pass is $45.00, available at the compost site and the D.P.W. office. Or, for nonresidents, the fee is $12.50 per cubic yard (example: one pickup truck load is $25.00), or $2.00 per bag of material. All bags must be emptied and placed in barrels at the site.

The Compost Site’s operating hours are: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays’ hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Compost Site is closed for lunch, from 12:00 noon to 12:30 p.m. Loading at the site will be Thursdays and Fridays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Although the D.P.W. doesn’t deliver wood chips, arrangements can be made for compost to be delivered inside the Davison area (Davison City, Davison and Richfield Townships). Please call the D.P.W. for prices and availability at 653-6452.

So, everyone have fun cleaning out those flower beds and weeding the lawns. Before you know it, fall leaf pick-up will be here.

Barb McCrea
City of Davison
810-653-2191

As the snow melts and spring has officially begun (according to the calendar), we are starting to notice some sights that are not usually apparent in the City of Flags. In these hard economic times, foreclosures are becoming more and more prevalent and with foreclosures come evictions. Most evictions are a smooth process where the homeowner finds a new place to live and moves all their possession out before the bank has to clean the property. However, there are times when evictions are not so smooth and this process can disrupt the neighborhood.

Once the bank decides to evict a homeowner, they serve what is known as a notice to quit or an eviction notice. This means, the bank is longer allowing the homeowner to occupy the property and the bank is taking possession. Legal documents must be filed with the local court before the bank can continue. The Bank then gives the homeowner or now the former homeowner time to remove their possessions from the property. After the time frame expires, the bank sends a crew over to clean up the property. Any possessions left behind by the former homeowner are moved out of the house and other structures to the front lawn where they are visible. That is the neighborhood disruption part. The former homeowner then has 24 hours to take any of the possessions they want. After that time period, the bank sends another crew with a dumpster and removes any remaining possessions on the property.

This causes a headache for my office because at the time of the eviction, the foreclosure notice has not come through city hall which makes it hard for us to find the bank that holds the mortgage. We need to know what bank is responsible for the property in case they do not clean the property in a timely manner after the eviction. In most situations, I will post a violation notice on the property the day of the eviction incase the bank does not follow-up quickly. This allows me to have the property cleaned through the Department of Public Works after five days of the violation posting.

To the neighbors of these homes, the process seems to take forever but really, an eviction happens very quickly if done in an appropriate and legal manner. This process can be so fast that I sometimes do not notice it happening. If you are ever out an about and see a property with an unusually high amount of trash in the front yard, let my office know so that we may act on it as fast as possible. After all, we all have a big part in keeping the City of Flags an eye appealing community for our residents and guest.

Jeff Sears
Code Enforcement Officer
City of Davison
810-653-2191

This Saturday, March 8 will be the Community Expo, held at Hahn Intermediate School. The expo is designed to show you what the community has to offer. There is a $2.00 admission, which will include access to many business vendors, entertainment, food and hourly giveaways!

The entertainment will include:
10:00 – Kazoo Man
10:30 – PKSA Karate Demonstration
11:00 – Jazzercise
12:00 – Great Lakes Twirling Academy
1:00 – Ronald McDonald Magic Show
1:30 – BJ’s Songbirds
2:30 – DECCA Fashion Show
3:30 – Michigan Pop Star Alesha May

Plus, kids can register to win an iPod Shuffle from Oxford Bank!

Please call the Davison Chamber of Commerce at 810.653.6266 for more information, or visit the Chamber of Commerce website at www.davisonchamberofcommerce.com.

Leigh Gauthier
Community Development Department

It’s that time of year - the assessment notices have been mailed out to the City of Davison. If you believe that the values or the property classification may be incorrect, or if there are any issues or concerns with your assessment, The Board of Review is available to listen, answer any questions and accept petitions regarding your assessment (petitions can be filled out at the Board of Review). This year, the Board of Review will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and also on Monday, March 10, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Please feel free to call the Assessing Department at 810.653.2191 to schedule an appointment. You can also mail your letters of appeal to the City of Davison Board of Review, 200 E. Flint St., Suite 2, Davison, MI 48423. Letters of appeal must arrive at the office no later than Monday, March 10 at 5:00 p.m.

Leigh Gauthier
Community Development Department

Our local television cable provider, Charter Communications, recently sent a letter to it’s customers in the area. The letter explained how switching their operations to a totally digital signal from analog may cause momentary service glitches.

They agreed to send out the letter after visit with a few councilpersons and myself a couple of weeks ago. We were able to speak with the VP/GM of Eastern Michigan, the VP of Government Relations for the entire state and the Director of Technical Operations. They were very gracious and seemed to understand the angst we were all feeling. We expressed concerns about service interruptions — freeze framing and slow motion boxes — on our TV screens. The problems with interruptions seemed to really get to cable customers beginning in December 2007. That is when I seemed to notice it at my own home.

They advised that even after total upgrade to digital, some homeowners may still have some signal strength issues. This will primarily be due to aftermarket cable wiring and extra “splitters” within the home. If you have sorts of problems, you may want to contact them for re-cabling inside of your home. This is not necessarily a free service but once you have it done and purchase their inside maintenance program, you will be covered.

My best advice would be to have folks contact Charter Communications in person @ 7273 Davison Road. Their office is located next to the Citizens Bank branch just west of Irish Road. You can always call the 800 customer service number in the book (800 545 0994). I always like the face-to-face if possible. I have always gotten better results when I talk to a real person, eyeball to eyeball. Several residents have shared with me that they did get some satisfaction after a visit.

Happy Viewing and hand me the clicker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill Brandon
Davison Police Chief

Spring fever has hit my office and I am already making a to-do list as far as code enforcement goes in the City of Flags. One of the top items is the enforcement of the international property maintenance code. I have gained a very good grasp of our city ordinances and now it is time to turn my attention to other areas of enforcement.

As I look to the property maintenance code, I will be assessing city properties for certain flaws that may not be very eye appealing to the general public. I will be concentrating on the homes and sheds and all other structures that may need a coat of paint or have some sort of maintenance issue that needs to be corrected in order to ensure safety and curb appeal.

No, I won’t be leaving behind those city ordinances but I will be taking on more responsibility while I investigate and seek compliance for property maintenance code violations.

Enjoy winter and keep shoveling those sidewalks. It won’t be long before the big melt is here.

Jeff Sears
Code Enforcement Officer
City of Davison

The Davison Community is gearing up for its 3rd Annual Relay For Life celebration. The Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event, dedicated to increasing awareness and raising funds to fight cancer: this year we will CELEBRATE, REMEMBER and FIGHT BACK. Teams of family, friends and co-workers camp out overnight, taking turns walking the track. The event will be held at the Davison High School Athletic Field.

The American Cancer Society invites everyone in the Davison area to celebrate cancer survivorship, remember loved ones lost and fight back against cancer at this year’s Relay For Life event. Davison residents will kick off the 3rd annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life on Saturday, June 21 at 10:00 a.m. until Sunday, June 22 at 10:00 a.m.

Although the Relay For Life of Davison is months away, now is the time to get involved. Residents are invited to attend the kick-off celebration to learn more about Relay For Life and how they can become part of an exciting overnight event that can lead to a cure for cancer.

During the event, participants and visitors will have a chance to: celebrate the victory of area cancer survivors during the Survivors Lap; remember those we have lost to the disease during the poignant Luminaria Ceremony; and participate in the new Fight Back Ceremony which gives everyone a chance to proclaim their way of taking action against the disease.

Donations can be made to this local Relay For Life event by visiting www.relayforlife.org. Community members can also start or join at team by following the links to our local Davison Relay event.

If you have any questions, or would like to learn more information about joining a team, starting a team, donating monies or just having FUN, then please contact Sue Csutoras at 810.658.8008. Also, on February 25 at 6:00 p.m., join us for our Kickoff Meeting, “Relay at the Beach!” held at St. John Family Center, 505 N. Dayton St. You can also contact the American Cancer Society at 810.733.3702.

We are a few weeks into the Rental Inspection Program. So far, we have had several residents turn in their rental registrations; we are VERY appreciative of this. Having our residents, renters and property owners following the rules of this new ordinance make the rental inspection program transition easy. We would like to make our residential rental housing renters and property owners aware of a few things:

-All residential rental buildings are to be registered with the City of Davison by June 30, 2008.
-Each building will require a separate registration application form.
-Registration fees will be WAIVED until June 30, 2008.
-Registration from July 1 through July 31, 2008 will be at the “Within 30 Day” rate (please see the fee schedule based on the # of units and the # of buildings).
-Registration on and after August 1, 2008 will be at the “After 30 Day” rate (please see the fee schedule based on the # of units and the # of buildings).

We encourage all rental property owners to register your residential rental building(s) as soon as possible and absolutely by June 30, 2008 to save registration costs.

This ordinance was enacted to provide a more accurate inventory of residential housing, to improve or maintain rental housing quality and to maintain or improve property values in the City of Davison.

Any and all questions can be answered by calling the City of Davison at 810.653.2191. The Residential Rental Property Inspection Ordinance, Registration Form, Schedule of Fees and Occupancy Permit Inspection Guidelines can be found online at www.cityofdavison.org

As I continue my pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in public administration, I can only wonder where I would be without my experience here in the City of Flags. It is very apparent when I sit in class how much more knowledge I have gained from my colleagues and my experiences while employed here. I sometimes get dirty looks from fellow students because I know the answer when no one else does but I have a more opportunities to learn then most.

For instance, I have learned from real life experiences while working with citizens as the Code Enforcement Officer and even a laborer in the DPW. There are many knowledgeable professionals leading this City and residents should be very proud of their accomplishments. I am very lucky that these people are willing to share their knowledge with me so that I may learn what they know.

I have found that I am truly growing as I continue my secondary education. One day I will lead a City or Village or Township; you never know which it will be. I will always be able to reflect on my experiences here in Davison. I am very thankful that I have had the opportunity to continue to learn. I use to think high school was enough but I now know it’s not enough to succeed in today’s world.

Jeff Sears
Code Enforcement Officer

One of the most common questions asked of a Law Enforcement Officer is in regards to safety belt requirements. The Michigan Motor Vehicle Code requirements for child restraints and safety belt use are as follows:

§257.710d. Child restraint system.

A child less than 4 years of age in a motor vehicle shall be properly secured in a child restraint system that meets the standards prescribed in 49 C.F.R. 571.213.

This section does not apply to any child being nursed.

This section does not apply if the motor vehicle being driven is a bus, school bus, taxicab, moped, motorcycle, or other motor vehicle not required to be equipped with safety belts under federal law or regulations.

§257.710e. Use of safety belts.

Each driver and front seat passenger of a motor vehicle operated on a street or highway in this state shall wear a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt.

Each driver of a motor vehicle transporting a child 4 years of age or more but less than 16 years of age in a motor vehicle shall secure the child in a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt

The statute does not apply to a driver or passenger of any of the following:

• A motor vehicle manufactured before January 1, 1965.

• A bus (or school bus).

• A motorcycle.

• A moped.

• A motor vehicle if the driver or passenger possesses a written verification from a physician that the driver or passenger is unable to wear a safety belt for physical or medical reasons.

• A motor vehicle that is not required to be equipped with safety belts under federal law.

• A commercial or United States postal service vehicle that makes frequent stops for the purpose of pickup or delivery of goods or services.

• A motor vehicle operated by a rural carrier of the United States postal service while serving his or her rural postal route.

A person who violates either of these sections is responsible for a civil infraction. A seat belt violation is a $65.00 fine. A child restraint violation is a $105.00 fine (no points for either).

The State of Michigan, Office of Highway Planning and Safety also suggest the following guidelines be followed:

 A child under 1 year of age, or under 20 pounds should be restrained in a rear facing child restraint seat.

 A child under 4 years of age and over 20 pounds maybe restrained in a forward facing child restraint seat.

 Any child under 4’-9” in height should be in an approved booster seat in the seat.

 Children over 4’-9” in height and under 12 years of age should be seated in the rear seat of a vehicle using a safety belt.

If you have a car seat for your youngster and are unsure if you have installed it correctly, give us a call. Our department has two officers that are certified car seat inspectors and can make sure your passenger will be as safe as possible. Give us a call @ 810- 653-4196 and set up an appointment for inspection. No charge.

Davison City Police Department