News from City of Alma

City of Alma E-Newsletter

November 2013

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The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. The polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Precinct 1
Presbyterian Church
495 Charles Rd.

Precinct 2

Peace Lutheran Church

325 Warwick Dr.

Precinct 3

Alma Public Library

351 N. Court

A map of the precincts is available here. Absentee ballots are available in the City Clerk's office. Alma voters will elect candidates to four seats on the City Commission. The top three will get four year terms, while the fourth candidate will get a two year term. The candidates are:

Roger Allman

Britt Cartrite

Roxann Harrington

Melvin Nyman

Justin Shattuck

You will also be voting on three proposals.

Proposal I

Charter Amendment

Board of Review

"Shall Section 7.7 of the City Charter of the City of Alma be amended to provide that during the second session of the Board of Review at least one evening session shall be held from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and longer if necessary?"

Proposal II

Charter Amendment

Meeting Schedule

"Shall Section 2.13(a) of the City Charter of the City of Alma be amended to provide that the first meeting of the City Commission shall occur at 5:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday in January following the regular City election; and that the City Commission may reschedule regular meetings which fall upon holidays without regard to the number of days elapsing between meeting?"

Gratiot-Isabella

Regional Education Service District

Area Vocational - Technical

Education Proposal

"Shall Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District, Michigan, come under sections 681 to 690 of the Revised School Code, as amended, and establish an area vocational - technical educaton program, which is designed to encourage the operation of area vocational - technical programs, if the annual property tax levied for this purpose is limited to 1 mill ($1.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a period of 10 years, 2013 to 2022, inclusive; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2013 is approximately $2,616,805 from the local property taxes authorized herein?"

If you would like to see a copy of your ballot, make sure you're registered to vote or find where you vote if you do not live in Alma, visit the Michigan Voter Information Center and enter your name. Detailed information and a copy of your ballot will be available. If you have any questions, call Barb Gager at 463-8336.

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MDOT Traffic Light Study -

Superior & Woodworth

The Michigan Department of Transportation is conducting a study to reevaluate the safety and operational effectiveness of the traffic light at the intersection of Superior & Woodworth. The study requires a minimum of 90 days to gain accurate data. Because of the study, the City has placed the stop light at W. Center & Woodworth in a "flashing mode" also. The estimated end date is late December 2013.

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Leaf Collection Continues
leaves

The City of Alma Leaf Collection Program continues throughout the month of November. Residents are asked to rake their leaves to the curb prior to their collection date. Please do not put the leaves in the street or on the sidewalk. Follow the link for a copy of the collection map.

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Come Home to Alma

for the Holidays!

The Annual Come Home to Alma for the Holidays celebration will be Friday, December 13th from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. in downtown Alma. Completing the weekend will be the 3rd Annual Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk and Reindeer Trot on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in St. Mary School gym.

To get the most up to date information, please go to the website. There you will find the activity schedules, forms and meeting dates and times. All are welcome to join the meetings and get involved in the activities. Also check out Facebook and "like" the Come Home to Alma for the Holidays page.

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Alma Police Athletic League (PAL)

Registration is now open for the 2012-13 Alma PAL Basketball season. PAL is offering the following programs:

K-2 Coed Clinics: January 11th, 18th, 25th, & February 1st, 8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. @ Don Pavlik Middle School. No cost to PAL members, $25 for non PAL members. Registration deadline in January 9th.

Go to our website at www.allplayers.com/g/almapal/ for further details and online registration.

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Fall Back on Sound Advice:

Time to Change Your Clock AND

Your Smoke Alarm Batteries

As our nation moves back to Standard Time beginning this weekend, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to mark the occasion as a time to test your home smoke alarms and replace the batteries if more than one year old.

Every day in the United States, needless home fire deaths occur. Working smoke alarms significantly increase your chance of surviving a deadly home fire. A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the only thing in your home that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether you're awake or asleep, a working smoke alarm is constantly on alert scanning the air for fire and smoke.

In addition to changing your smoke alarm batteries this weekend, the USFA recommends following these simple steps to protect your life, your loved ones, and your home:

Dust or vacuum smoke alarms when you change the batteries.
Test alarms once a month using the test button.
Replace the entire alarm if it's more than 10 years old or doesn't work properly when tested.
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, and both inside and outside of sleeping areas.
For the best protection, equip your home with a combination of ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor alarms.
Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout your home so that when one sounds, they all sound. Interconnected alarms are available at most stores that sell smoke alarms.
Make sure everyone in your home understands the warning of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond.

Finally, prepare and practice an escape plan so that you and your loved ones can get out of your home safely should there be a fire. Plan to meet in a place a safe distance from the fire and where first responders can easily see you.

For more information on smoke alarms, fire prevention and fire escape planning, visit the USFA website at www.usfa.fema.gov/smokealarms

(Submitted by the U.S. Fire Administration)

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Daylight Savings Time Ends
Remember to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed on Saturday, November 2nd.

Gratiot Area Water Authority
If you are interested in the Gratiot Area Water Authority, follow the link to see meeting minutes, agendas and presentations.

Parking Ban Begins November 1st

The annual winter parking ban on city streets goes into effect on November 1st. Parking is prohibited on any street from 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. until March 31, 2014.

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 2014. Permits are available 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. Stop by City Hall to purchase your parking pass. If you have questions please call 463-8336 and ask for Aeric.

DART service will be available the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 29th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Time's running out!
The last day to pay your taxes for credit on your 2013 income taxes is Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Remember to Shovel Your Sidewalks

Although we really don't want to think about it, it won't be long before the "white stuff" hits. Please remember that you are required by City Ordinance to keep sidewalks free and clear of snow and ice. If you have questions, call 463-8317 and ask for Chad.

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Issue: 55

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