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City of Alma E-Newsletter |
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Friday Night at the Movies at Alma Public Library
The fun continues into the month of January. This month's movies include:
1/22 - Comedy Sketches with Red Skelton, Buster Keaton & Jack Benny
1/29 - The Great Race with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon & Natalie Wood
The program starts at 7:00 p.m. in the Alma Public Library, with free admission. Snacks are available during the presentations for a nominal fee. Stop in and spend a Friday evening at the cinema with a group of "Friends". |
Golfside Drive & Pineview Court Proposed Sidewalk Construction
The Alma City Commission recently directed the City Manager to proceed with the study to determine the feasibility of constructing sidewalks on Golfside Drive and Pineview Court in conjunction with the upcoming street reconstruction projects.
A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. to allow citizens and property owners the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns. Proposed assessment notices have been sent to all affected property owners.
The estimated cost for the Golfside Drive sidewalk construction is $59,803. Pineview Court construction is estimated at $14,470. Under the Special Assessment process, 50% will be assessed to the City and 50% to the property owners. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the public hearing. |
 Street Light Out?
Keep our neighborhoodIs safe! If you notice a street light out in your neighborhood or somewhere in the City, you may contact Consumers Energy through this link to report it. |
"Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan" Workshop
Greater Gratiot Development, Inc. will be hosting a workshop on the "Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan" on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Alma Public Library. The workshop is designed for individuals who want to increase their chances for successful self-employment. The course covers business planning in detail. Specifics of marketing and finance, legal and regulatory issues, operations, and information based planning and management are key components of the workshop. The first steps for creating a business plan draft will be included along with a demonstration of the MI-SBTDC online business plan tool. The speaker will be a MI-SBTDC Certified Business Consultant.
On-line registration is available by following this link. If you would like additional information, please contact Greater Gratiot Development at 874-2083. |
 Snow and Ice
Control Plan
The City of Alma has a snow and ice control plan in place which designates snow plowing priorities during a winter storm. The plan specifies which facilities and streets will be cleared and the priority in which snow and ice will be removed. Please follow the link to read the plan in its entirety. |
City Commission Organizational Meeting
The City Commission held their organizational meeting on Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.
Action taken at the meeting included appointing Mel Nyman to serve as Mayor, Greg Mapes to serve as Vice-Mayor and Chuck Fortino and Tony Costanzo to serve as City Attorneys.
The meeting schedule for the next two years was also established. Commission meetings will continue to be the second and fourth Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m., with the work session beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The City Commission and City of Alma also welcomes new City Commissioner, Roxann Harrington. Ms. Harrington lives in Alma with her three sons and is employed by the Thompson Home Library in Ithaca. |
Be a Part of the Census 2010 Team
The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. Best of all, census takers work right in their own communities.
- Earn good pay ($13-$15/hour)
- Get paid weekly
- Work flexible hours
- Receive paid training
- Receive reimbursement for authorized mileage
- Help your community have a successful campaign
Testing will be in at Alma High School and Pine River Township Hall in January.
For more information including a practice test, follow the link. |
Recently Adopted Ordinances
The City Commission adopted two ordinances at their regular meeting on December 22, 2009. The ordinances pertain to requests for tax exempt status for low and moderate income apartment complexes and the establishment of service charges to be paid in lieu of taxes.
The first introduced ordinance #719 allows the Alma City Commission to establish a municipal policy regarding the review and approval of these requests. The ordinance requires that the City Commission process all applications for tax exempt status in accordance with the policy.
The second ordinance #720 was requested by the owner of the Alma Apartments for tax exempt status for the apartment complex in return to pay a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT). Under the adopted ordinance, the annual service charge shall be equal to the greater of (1) ten (10%) percent of the annual shelter rents; or (2) $10,500.00 for the calendar year 2010, adjusted upward annually by 2%. The term of the tax exempt status would be 20 years.
The City Commission thanks Alma Apartments for their commitment to the Alma community. |
Alternative Heating Safety
 The high cost of home heating fuels and utilities have caused many Americans to search for alternative home heating sources such as wood burning stoves, space heaters, and fireplaces. Heating is one of the leading causes of residential fires. Over one-quarter of these fires result from improper maintenance of equipment, specifically the failure to clean the equipment.
Heating fires can be prevented by following a few safety tips:
- Have chimneys professionally inspected and cleaned each year; Ensure wood stoves are properly installed;
- Make sure space heaters are kept at least 3 feet away from flammables and have an emergency tip-over shutoff control;
- Use a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace to prevent sparks from igniting drapes, furniture and carpets; and
- Never use a range or oven to heat your home.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is another danger when using heating equipment fueled by fossil fuel. It occurs most often when equipment is not vented properly. Between 1999 and 2004, more than 450 Americans died from unintential carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning is most fatal to adults age 65 or older.
- Equipment should be cleaned and checked annually by a professional;
- Install and maintain carbon monoxice detectors so that if carbon monoxide begins to build up in the home, the detector will provide ample opportunity for residents to get out of the home and call for assistance.
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"Shop with a Cop"
The Alma Police Department was given a great opportunity to give back to the community this Christmas season through the "Shop with a Cop" program. The APD teamed up with the Alma Public Schools and selected ten local children to shop at Walmart on 12/15/09. Donations were made by Walmart, Gleaners and the Alma Police Department.
The "Shop with a Cop" program has been a great opportunity for the Alma Police Department. Every Police Officer has their personal reasons why they chose this career, but this program is a yearly reminder of the most important reason. The program also allows the officers to have a positive impact on the children of our community and helps remind everyone what Christmas is all about.
The APD would like to thank Walmart and the Gleaners for their participation in the program. |
Property owners are reminded that property taxes are due by 5:00 p.m., Monday, February 15, 2010. Taxes paid after February 15th will be subject to a 4% penalty.
Parking Ban Began November 1st
The annual winter parking ban on city streets went into effect on November 1st. Parking is prohibited on any street from 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., November 1 - March 31.
Permit Required to Park Overnight in Downtown Parking Lots
If you park overnight in a downtown city parking lot you need to purchase an overnight parking permit for 2010. Permits can be purchased at City Hall. The cost of the permit is $25 for those living and/or working in the downtown and $125 for anyone else who needs to park overnight in the lots. You may download the permit form and fill it out by visiting the Alma DDA website. If you have questions please call 463-8336 and ask for Aeric.
Remember to Shovel Your Sidewalks and Clear Snow and Ice from Fire Hydrants
Now that winter has arrived, we remind everyone that you are required by City Ordinance to keep sidewalks free and clear of snow and ice. Also, if you have a fire hydrant on your property, please keep it clear of snow and ice so that it is easily accessible in case of an emergency. If you have questions, call 463-8356.
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City of Alma offices/services closings:
Good Friday:
4/02/10
Memorial Day:
5/31/10
July 4th:
7/5/10
Labor Day:
9/6/10
Thanksgiving:
11/25/10
11/26/10
Christmas:
12/23/10
12/24/10 |
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City of Alma Officials:
Mayor
Vice-Mayor
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
City Manager
Asst. City Manager/ DDA Director
Public Safety Director
Public Services Director
City Clerk
City Assessor
Assistant
Building/Zoning/Code Enforcement Director
Finance Director
Transportation Services Director
Library Director
Controller |
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City of Alma Telephone Numbers:
City Manager
463-8336
City Clerk
463-8336
City Assessor
463-8356
City Treasurer
463-8346
City Engineer
463-8346
Building/Zoning
463-8356
Downtown Development Authority
463-8336
Public Safety
463-8317
Fire (business)
463-8359
Public Services
463-8346
Municipal Garage
463-8339
Cemetery
463-8901
Forestry
463-8901
Library
463-3966
DART
463-6016
Water
463-8349
Wastewater
463-6506
Public Access
463-5883
Housing Commission
463-4200
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