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City of Alma
E-Newsletter
May
2010 |
Upcoming Public Hearings
May 11, 2010,
6:00 pm - Proposed Property Tax
Millage for FY2011 Budget.
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 Census 2010
Census takers will be hitting the streets beginning May 1 to contact households that did not return their census forms. If a census taker visits you, here's what you should do:
- First ask to see their ID. All census workers carry official government badges marked with just their name; they may also have a "U.S. Census Bureau" bag
- Note that the census taker will never ask to enter your home
- If you're still not certain about their identity, please call the Regional Census Centers to confirm they are employed by the Census Bureau
- Answer the census form questions for your entire household (you must be at least 15 years old to answer questions) so that the census taker can record the results for submission to the Census Bureau.
By being counted you are standing up for your community's needs. That's why census takers are so important. A census taker is a person from your community who is hired by the Census Bureau to make sure that your neighborhood gets represented as accurately as possible. The census taker's primary responsibility is to collect census information from residences. Most of these residences have not sent back their 2010 Census form.
- The Census Bureau provides the census taker with a binder containing all of the addresses that didn't send back a filled out census form.
- The census taker then visits all of those addresses and records the answers to the questions on the form.
- If no one answers at a particular residence, a census taker will visit a home up to three times and attempt to reach the household by phone three times. The census worker will leave a double-sided (English and Spanish) NOTICE of VISIT in the doorway that includes a phone number for the resident to schedule an appointment.
The census taker will ONLY ask the questions that appear on the census form.
Do I have to talk to the census taker?
Yes. Your participation in the 2010 Census is vital and required by law, (Section 221, of Title 13 of the U.S. Code). However, rather than rely on criminal charges, the Census Bureau is very successful in getting participation by explaining the importance of the questions we ask and how the information benefits our communities.
Your privacy and confidentiality is our priority:
The census taker who collects your information is sworn for life to protect your data under Federal Law Title 13. Those who violate the oath face criminal penalties: Under federal law, the penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both.
Census takers visit local homes several times to capture resident information for the 2010 Census. If you prefer, you can schedule a visit with your census taker. Should the census taker come when you are away from your home, they will leave a contact number. If a census taker has not visited your home or you have a question about your participation with the census, call your Census office. |
| May Events
The 43rd Alma Highland Festival and Games will take place Friday May 28th, 29th & 30th on the Alma College Campus. This year's festival is sure to be a great time! Construction of the Hogan Center on the Alma College Campus continues, so there are some changes on the festival grounds that everyone needs to be aware of. First, the main gate off Grant Street will not be open; festival goers will need to take the Fred Meijer Trail to the College Physical Plant drive to enter the festival. This gate is labeled gate #2 on the Festival Grounds Map. Also, the food vendors will be located outside the festival gates in the parking lot west of the Stone Recreation building and the Entertainment Tent. The vendors are marked as #7 on the Festival Grounds map. To get the most up to date information on the Festival including rain plan locations follow the link to the Highland Festival website.
The Alma Highland Festival Road Race  is getting bigger each year, with this year's event expecting over 800 runners! Due to the addition of the 8 Mile race which will utilize the new Fred Meijer Trail, Charles Avenue will be closed from Warwick Drive to Superior St. on Saturday morning from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. Other affected streets which will also be closed from 8:30 - 10:30 am Saturday morning include Superior, Fairlane, Faircrest, Woodmere, N. Lawn Park, Harvard, Yale, Vassar, and Wellesley. If you are coming from outside of Alma please come in from the north; there are plenty of places to park west of Wright Avenue and north of Superior Street. Follow the link to get the road race map.
 American Red Cross
Every two seconds someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion. Please help save a life. Upcoming blood drives are:
Tuesday, May 4: 10:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. - Ithaca Community Center
Thursday, May 6: noon - 5:45 p.m. - Firstbank in Alma
Monday, May 10: noon - 5:45 p.m. - St. Louis Church of Christ on M-46
Tuesday, May 11: 8:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. - Ithaca High School
Friday, May 14: 10:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. - Fulton High School
For more information, please call 463-3209.
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 Thank You to Masonic Pathways
The City Commission and City staff would like to thank Masonic Pathways for their recent donation to the City of Alma in the amount of $45,000. The check was presented by Chief Administrative Officer Cindy Bosley to City Manager Phillip Moore on behalf of Masonic Pathways as contribution for community support. The gift is greatly appreciated. |
Household Hazardous Waste Program
The City of Alma in conjunction with the City of St. Louis, conducts a Household Hazardous Waste Program. Residents may drop off unwanted items such as batteries, paints, pesticides/herbicides and cleaning liquids. New to the program this year will be the collection of fluorescent bulbs (tubes only). This year's collection dates are:
May 4: 8:00 am - 4:30 p.m.
May 5: 8:00 am - 7:30 p.m.
May 6: 8:00 am - 4:30 p.m.
Collection will take place at the Public Works Garage, 800 Washington Street. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 463-8339. |
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Welcome Commissioner Piccolo
At a special meeting on April 6th, the City Commission selected Nick Piccolo to fill the unexpired term of Lisa Comer. Commissioner Piccolo has been a resident of Alma for the past eight years and currently serves as the Dean of Students at Alma College. We welcome Commissioner Piccolo to the City Commission and look forward to working with him.
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Pending Ordinances
The following ordinance has been introduced and is up for adoption at the
May 25, 2010 City Commission meeting:
Ordinance No. 724: An ordinance to amend
Section 56-69 of the Ordinances of the City of Alma to prohibit the discharge of
storm or ground water to sanitary sewers, to prohibit such connections and to
provide assistance and incentives to eliminate improper connections.
This ordinance is proposed in conjunction with the year-long sanitary sewer
study being performed by Rowe Engineering.
Commission meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. and the public is encouraged to
attend. |
Noxious Weed Program
The City of Alma enforces a noxious weed ordinance. All property owners are required to keep weeds and grass mowed.
All lot owners must cut the noxious weeds before May 10, 2010 or the weeds will be cut and the costs will be assessed against the property by special assessment.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact City Assessor Brian Dancer at 463-8356 or bdancer@ci.alma.mi.us. |
Peddlers & Solicitors Must Be Registered 
City of Alma residents should be aware that all peddlers and solicitors traveling door to door within the City are required to be registered with the City Clerk. Once properly registered, peddlers will be issued an identification badge, signed by a City official, authorizing them to solicit door to door. If a solicitor comes to your door and is not registered, please contact City Hall at 463-8336 or the Alma Police Department at 463-8317. |
Everyone is reminded of rules in effect within
the City of Alma  regarding dogs.
City Ordinances mandate:
- All dog owners walking their dog within the city limits of Alma cleanup any dog feces left by their dogs.
- Dogs may not be allowed to run at large.
Dogs may not howl or bark to the annoyance of others in the neighborhood.
If you have further questions, phone 463-8336. |
 During the summer months, the City of Alma
regularly flushes fire hydrants throughout the city. Residents should avoid
doing laundry during this time and allow water to run for a few minutes after
hydrants have been flushed to remove any rust particles in the
water.
For a schedule of the hydrant flushing, please check
the City's community calendar. If you experience problems,
please call the Water Plant at 463-8349. |
NOAA Weather Radios -
A Good Tool to Have
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agengy Radio (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Working with the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System , NWR is an "All Hazards" radio network, making it your single source for comprehensive weather and emergency information. In conjunction with Federal, State, and Local Emergency Managers and other public officials, NWR also broadcasts warnings and post-event information for all types of hazards - including natural (such as earthquakes or avalanches), environmental (such as chemical releases or oil spills), and public safety events (such as AMBER alerts or 911 Telephone outages).
For more information, go to National Weather Service website. |
"Keep Michigan Beautiful"  Michigan Clean Up Days
April 1-May 31, 2010
This two-month clean up campaign is designed to encourage individuals, families, groups and communities to organize and take part in local clean up activities. KMB wants YOU to join its army of volunteers to:
- Clean up littered areas
- Restore neglected sites
- Plant flowers and trees
- Help preserve historical sites
- Reduce, reuse and recycle
- Preserve the environment
- Celebrate the beauty of Michigan
Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization comprised of volunteers whose goal is to promote and provide education and encouragement for the overall beautification of our state. If you would like to become involved, contact KMB at:
Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc.
PO Box 23215
Lansing, MI 48909
(989)763-1789
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 Free Compost
The City of Alma has compost and wood chips available for self loading, free of charge. The material piles are located outside the gates of the Yardwaste site on Washington Street, north of the City Public Works Garage.
If you have further questions, please phone 463-8346. |
Everyone who has turned their life around can point to an instant when things start changing for the better. A turning point when fear became calm or despair became a ray of hope.
That turning point for thousands of people in Gratiot County and Northeast Michigan is now United Way 2-1-1.
United Way 2-1-1 is your free, single connection to the hundreds of health and human services available in Gratiot County. You get one-call convenience and advice from a trained specialist who directs you to the resources that will serve you best during your time of need.
Get connected! Get answers how to get connected to local services. It is efficient, fast and easy to use and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This service is free and confidential...Dial 211... For additional information follow the link. |
Reserve a city park pavilion for your family reunion or party.
Dispose of your prescription drugs safely. They are NOT accepted as part of the Household Hazardous Waste Program.
 Forward Us to Your Friends!
If you know of someone who may be interested in receiving our e-newsletters, please forward this copy to them or tell them about us. Anyone interested can join our mailing list by following this link. |
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City of Alma offices/services closings:
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 0
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City of Alma Officials:
Mayor
Vice-Mayor
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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