Highlights from the State of the Township Address

Though the initial tone of the presentation forecasted difficult times ahead, it wasn’t long before an optimistic attitude surfaced, as supervisor Michele Economou Ureste addressed the public on the state of the township Feb. 16.

“Our revenue is way down and we’ll be asking the public to approve the public safety millage, but we’re not alone. I think that West Bloomfield has a lot to offer residents and businesses in 2011 and beyond,” she said last week.

Financial projections and public safety offer grim forecast

Township revenue fell nine percent from $40 million in 2009 to $36.5 million in 2010 and down to $34.6 million this year. “With a reduction in revenue approaching 30 percent by the end of 2012 … our financial projections are similar to (Oakland) County,” Ureste said.

Wages and benefits add to 79 percent of township expenditures, while labor negotiations continue with police and fire unions. “I expect that the township will approve a special election for the public safety millage issues this year,” Ureste said.

In 2009, police and fire unions approved concessions in anticipation of seeking a public safety millage renewal in the November 2010 election, before it was decided in July 2010 that action would be postponed until 2011. This year, it will use approximately $4.1 million of the fund equity balance to operate, Ureste said.

Community development gets more efficient

Different sectors of township government are working more closely together than ever, Ureste said. BS&A Equalizer software systems were installed in government computers to track development projects and streamline the required paperwork for permitting process, but it has extended further than the community development department, she said.

BS&A software is currently used by the treasurer, human resources, assessing, finance, as well as community development, to ensure that property owner information is available to each department which provides a service to a resident or business owner, according to Ureste.

“Simplifying the permit process … is a recipe for attracting more businesses to the area,“ Ureste said. “Fire inspection has historically been the greatest bottleneck in the permit process.”

No longer, she hopes. In 2010, the community development department and the fire department met for the first time to develop and approve fire suppression and fire inspection checklists for every type of permit, she said. 

Environmental personnel, along with personnel from building, code, and fire departments, began meeting for the first time in 2010 with business developers to address issues in the certificate of occupancy department process, Ureste said, while the township received its first eCities Award in 2010, to recognize that the township is committed to finding ways to attract business.

"Continuing the growth of West Bloomfield is important for us as business people," said Allan Seftin, president of the , in an introductory address. "We're unique — we have a lot of home-based businesses and regular businesses."

Roads changing, soon to change more

Ureste noted a repaving project on Orchard Lake Road as an accomplishment of 2010 and looked at 2011 to begin landscaping roundabouts on Maple Road.

"A cornerstone of business and commerce in the condition of our roads," she said of overlay reconstruction between 14 Mile Road and Pontiac Trail on Orchard Lake using stimulus funds. Ureste also noted that meetings are ongoing between the township, the Road Commission of Oakland County, and the to widen and reconstruct Maple between Orchard Lake and Haggerty Road.

Ureste said that she hoped the township board would approval a proposed design of a new "Welcome to West Bloomfield" sign, to be paid in exchange for naming rights and recognition of the signs, while township development services director Marshall Labadie has developed and budgeted for landscape design of roundabouts on Maple.

Ureste closed the address by suggesting that residents contact her with questions or concerns via phone at (248) 451-4800 or e-mail at m_eu@wbtwp.com.