Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills Celebrate Fire Academy Grads

Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills Celebrate Fire Academy Grads (Auburn Hills City Manager Tom Tanghe, May 22, 2017) The cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills celebrated Friday evening, May 19, 2017, the graduation of five recruits from the combined AH/RH Fire Academy. The event took place in Rochester Hills at the historic Rochester Hills…

Ferndale Earns “Revelopment Ready” Certification

Ferndale Earns “Revelopment Ready” Certification (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 16, 2017) Ferndale, MI – Although Ferndale has been following “Redevelopment Ready” principles for years, they officially have joined the list of cities certified by the State of Michigan’s Economic Developmnent Corporation. After a rigorous process of evaluation, planning and implementing best practices, the moment of…

Rochester Area Residents Learn about LGBTQ Rights at GRAIN Panel Discussion

Rochester Area Residents Learn about LGBTQ Rights at GRAIN Panel Discussion (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 12, 2017) Rochester Hills, MI – Nearly 100 people from the Greater Rochester Area gathered Thursday night to learn about the lack of civil rights protection for LGBTQ people and to hear what options might be available for making their…

Ferndale Pauses on Marijuana Facility Applications while Reviewing State Law

Ferndale Pauses on Marijuana Facility Applications while Reviewing State Law (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 16, 2016) Ferndale, MI –  Ferndale officials put a pause on accepting applications for medical marijuana facilities, but want it to be clear they don’t oppose them.  They just want to do things right. Ferndale City Council voted Monday to suspend…

Several Cities Showcase One Stop Ready Properties in Oakland County

Several Cities Showcase One Stop Ready Properties in Oakland County (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 21, 2016) Waterford, MI – “Developers know what cities are good to work with.  You make someone wait on a permit or an inspection, and the developer may not come back.  You get a bad reputation and that spreads to others…

Downtown Ferndale Gets Artsy with Bus Stops

Downtown Ferndale Gets Artsy with Bus Stops (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 15, 2016) Ferndale, MI – Downtown Ferndale volunteers came out Sunday to start what they hope will be an ever-evolving project of beautifying local bus stops. The Ferndale Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has teamed up with Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMARTT) for…

Ferndale Council Votes to “Ban the Box,” Removing Criminal History Question from Applications

Ferndale Council Votes to “Ban the Box,” Removing Criminal History Question from Applications Ferndale, MI  – On most employment applications there is a box that many people check in dread, knowing that by being honest about their past, they are likely to be passed up for consideration.  “Have you ever been convicted of a felony…

Guest Blog: Getting Millennials Interested in Local Government

Guest Blog: Getting Millennials Interested in Local Government (Samantha Audia, Michigan Municipal League, May 1, 2016) While attending the League’s Capital Conference last month, I had the pleasure of sharing breakfast with local officials from Hazel Park, all of whom took a moment to update me on the new and exciting things happening this year…

Hazel Park Residents Come Together for John R. Design Charrette

Hazel Park Residents Come Together for John R. Design Charrette (Matt Bach, Michigan Municipal League, April 16, 2016) Hazel Park, MI – Hazel Park residents, city leaders and business owners got good news from an urban planner during a special design charrette kick-off meeting Tuesday. The news – Hazel Park has a tremendous market potential…

Berkley Selects Matthew Baumgarten as Finalist for City Manager

Berkley Selects Matthew Baumgarten as Finalist for City Manager (City of Berkley Press Release, Feb. 23, 2016)   Berkley, MI – The Berkley City Council reached a consensus to make a conditional employment offer to Matthew Baumgarten, City Administrator of Lathrup Village, to fill Berkley’s vacant city manager position.The search committee composed of Mayor Pro-Tem Steve…