News from City of Alma

City of Alma E-Newsletter
January 2011

Yellow Jug Program

Photo courtesy of Tim Nunnelly,

Northern Exposure & The Drug Store.

The City of Alma and Glen's Pharmacy in conjunction with the Great Lakes Clean Water Organization are sponsoring a "Yellow Jug Old Drugs" program for area residents. The program offers you an opportunity to dispose of unused/unwanted/expired drugs in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. For years we were told to flush unwanted drugs down drains, but research has shown this to be a great danger to our waterways and environment as well as wildlife.

If you have any drugs you would like to dispose of, take them to the Pharmacy Department at Glen's Pharmacy and place them in the Yellow Jug. The jug contains a gel that helps disolve the drugs. Once it is filled it will be taken to a landfill in Indiana where it will be burned at an extremely high temperature. Narcotics as NOT a part of this program at this time, but the City will be working with the Police Department to establish a program for their safe disposal. We are also actively seeking a program that will provide for the safe disposal of needles.

If you have any questions please call 463-8336 or Glen's Pharmacy at 463-0411. To learn more about the Great Lakes Clean Water Organization and the Yellow Jugs Old Drugs program, just follow this link.

Pending Ordinances
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The Alma City Commission has several ordinances coming up for adoption within the next couple months. Ordinance #730 is expected to be adopted at the January 11th meeting. This ordinance amends the Zoning Ordinance to specify certain requirements for auto, truck and equipment repair facilities where permitted as special uses. Specifically, the ordinance sets minimum lot sizes and frontage and trash storage requirements.

Ordinances #731 - 736 are up for adoption at the January 25th meeting. These ordinances deal with wind energy conversion systems (WECS). Specifically, the ordinances dictate where a WECS may be installed, their type of use, height restrictions, siting, design and installation requirements.

Ordinances require at least four weeks for adoption once introduced. Citizens are encouraged to express their concerns and comments on pending ordinances. Complete copies of the above ordinances are available on the City's website.

Alma & St. Louis Considering Water Authority

The cities of Alma and St. Louis are examining the possibility of collaborating for water services. The City of St. Louis is concerned that their water supply maybe contaminated and is looking at options to solve their concerns. One very viable option in joining with Alma for their water needs. Having one plant would eliminate competition for the same water fields and reduce operational costs for all involved.

Alma and St. Louis officials held a training session with Tom Traciak of ACI Financial to learn about the issues involved with creating a water authority. As part of the process, an agreement will need to be negotiated between the two cities and several key issues will need to be worked out. To learn more about the issues involved in the creation of a water authority, please follow the link. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact City Manager Moore at 463-8336.

GREAT Plan

The Alma City Commission and Planning Commission are accepting comments on the Gratiot Regional Excellence and Transformation (GREAT) Plan prior to its final adoption. Comments may be submitted to Dan Stasa, Zoning Adminstrator via email or at 463-8317 before February 23, 2011. Follow this link to view a complete copy of the GREAT Plan.

Vacancy Available on the

Alma Downtown Development Authority

Letters of interest are being accepted for an open position on the Alma Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors. Applicants should have interest in property located within the Downtown Development Authority District. Meetings are held at 7:00 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Alma Sewing Center. If you or someone you know may be interested in serving on this board, please send a letter stating the reasons for your interest and which, if any, property you own in the DDA District to:

Mayor Melvin Nyman

City of Alma - DDA Board

PO Box 278

Alma, MI 48801-0278

If you have further questions, please call Aeric Ripley at 463-8336.

Energy Audits Completed

Energy audits on City Hall, the Water Plant and Water Process, the Wastewater Plant and Wastewater Process, Public Works Garage and the Public Library have been completed. The audits were made possible through a grant from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth with funds received from the Amercian Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The cities of Alma, St. Louis and Ithaca, along with Gratiot County partnered together to complete audits of their respective municipal facilities and will use the reports to plan for future energy efficiency improvements. Follow the link to see a copy of the Alma Energy Audits.