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