A weekly eNewsletter for the community - Jan. 26, 2023

Meetings

Agendas and minutes are available by clicking here

Cancelled - Sustainability Committee - Monday, Jan. 30, 5:30 p.m.

Cancelled – Board of Zoning Appeals - Wednesday, Feb. 1, 7 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall

Special City Council - Saturday, Feb. 4, 8:45 a.m., Council Chambers, City Hall or via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86922144564 Webinar ID: 869 2214 4564 or Telephone: +1 301 715 8592 or +1 309 205 3325

Anyone needing assistance should contact the City Manager's office at 248-449-9905. More information about online meetings and a user guide are available here.

This Just In

Seeking ways to fund top community-based priorities

Recap of City Council special meeting

City Council held a special meeting on Jan. 23 to review goals and objectives for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.

Mayor Brian Turnbull introduced the new city clerk, Mike Smith, to members of Council and noted that Jan. 23 is his first day on the job. Smith has more than 18 years of experience in the public sector, starting in the elections division of Oakland County and most recently, as assistant city manager for Berkley. The largest part of his career was spent in Clawson, as city manager, city clerk and deputy clerk. He is a certified municipal clerk. 

Council reviewed priorities for the year. High priorities include aligning new projects with available funding and integrating them into the budget review process. Some will be funded in the new fiscal year and others will be considered based on available funding and timing opportunities.

The city has heeded the Farmers Market Task Force framework plan to secure a new home for the Farmers’ Market, which is hosted by the city and run by the Chamber of Commerce. The first piece starts with land acquisition, with a purchase agreement signed for the property at 7 Mile and Main, and due diligence in process. Other task forces, such as the River Restoration Task Force, and subgroups, such as The Mobility Network, have made great strides in identifying funding opportunities for project goals that have broad support from the city and community. City Council and Interim City Manager Mark Wollenweber thanked the dedicated citizens who have given their time and talent to develop framework plans and continue to advance the goals.

Council plans to work closely with the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to develop a Downtown Strategic Plan. The mayor wants to hold quarterly meetings with merchants and other vested parties as the process evolves. The DDA convened a meeting for that purpose on Jan. 12, which was well attended.

Discussion also touched on the city-owned land on Wing Street and potential future uses. With the post office renewing a lease at its current location at Wing and Cady for three more years to continue solely as a retail entity, a move isn’t imminent. Yet, council members want to be prepared for what could be located there and will hold discussions in the coming months. DDA Director Lori Ward said a grocer is interested in the Post Office site.

Council has been informed that City Hall is undergoing office changes, with the relocation of offices within the building for greater efficiency and work flow. Finance will be housed at the east side of the building and Fire Department management will have offices at the west side, nearest the Fire Station. DPW staff worked extra hours to reconstruct the City Clerk’s Office so it would meet new election law criteria. “They did a fabulous job,” the mayor said of the DPW work crew (Matt Wyman and Terry Ahola.)

Council communications  

Council Member John Carter said he is actively participating in the Beck Road Task Force and is sharing with the group the perspective of Northville residents, including those at Northville Estates, who live closest to Beck Road. The task force last met on Jan. 12 to discuss funding and early phasing plans for the Beck Road expansion. Carter said he wants the task force to hold an informational session in Northville so citizens are better informed about it and can provide input.

Mayor Brian Turnbull thanked members of City Council for attending extra meetings in January and noted some extra meetings will also be held in February. He invited people to attend a Town Hall meeting he is hosting, with elected officials at the state and federal level, at Northville Township on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. (also on Zoom).

There were no public comments.

View the meeting video here.

Meet the candidates for city manager 

The search for a new city manager has been narrowed to six highly qualified candidates from a field of 24. Those directly involved in hiring the next city manager are Mayor Brian Turnbull and fellow City Council members, with input from Frank Walsh, founder and president of Walsh Municipal Services; Interim City Manager Mark Wollenweber; and city administrative directors. 

Public interviews will be conducted at a special City Council meeting on Saturday, Feb. 4, beginning at 8:30 a.m., at City Hall (and Zoom), which is open to the public. Approximately 45 minutes will be allotted to each interviewee. 

If you have any questions about the search process, please contact Wollenweber by email or phone: 248-449-9905 during business hours.

Interior vintage elements blend with modern touches

Historic District Homes Series

Doors, floors, windows and more set the tone of a historic house.

Doors provide entry into one’s personal space. Those that have retained their historic charm provide a warm welcome as an entry door and also serve as solid passageways to living rooms, dining rooms and other familiar rooms.

AnneMaryLee Vollick and fiancé Ray Bailey, whose home at 116 S. Rogers is undergoing a renovation, have salvaged the 8-foot doors on several of the main rooms and will rehang them, using the original hinges (see photo). A larger task looms – they need to ‘free’ one of the pocket doors that became stuck in the wall off the front parlor, due to carpeting and the weight of the door. The double doors have largely retained their original wood luster, and are a stately way to close off the room.

Kathy Spillane, 487 W. Cady, has the original doors to the study that are beveled glass, with small panes, approximately 5 x 7 inches, set into a highly varnished wood frame.

Older doors often have classic molding that is well constructed and can be painted or stained to match the aesthetics of the room. When you visit an historic home, look at the richness of the moldings – they can be simple or elaborate but add flair and a finishing touch. 

Many homeowners have kept the glass doorknobs on their doors or replicated them by shopping at restoration/antique stores, such as Materials Unlimited in Ypsilanti. Glass doorknobs – beveled to catch glints of light – add a touch of elegance. These doorknobs can be found in the homes of Pat Stein, 419 Dubuar; Liz and John Carter, 536 W. Main, and Leanie Bayly/Bob Sochacki, 223 Linden, among others.

The Bayly/Sochacki home entryway has a welcoming vestibule and stairway, with a double-wide arch into the living room and quarter-sawn tiger oak columns leading to the dining room. All trim doors and windows on the main level are golden oak quarter-sawn with exquisite tiger veining. Most of the historic homes have coved or arched doorways.

 

Why two front doors?

A second front door is a relic found in many historic homes. From the front porch, there are two doors, which are often at right angles. The main entrance leads to the front room (then known as the parlor) and the second door leads into a room that may have been a dining room or a second living room. Gail LeVan, 132 Randolph, said the second door was used for funerals – the casket of a recently deceased family member would be brought through this door.

“There were no funeral parlors back then; the deceased were laid out in the front parlor,” LeVan said. “They were born, died and laid out at home. After the funeral, they were put in a hearse (and taken to the cemetery).”

At the LeVan home, the original funeral door – a big, thick wood door off a side porch – 

is still on the outside of the house, but inside it’s been covered over in drywall to reclaim more wall space. The homes of Bailey/Vollick and Stein also have two front doors.

Stein repurposed the space used for the second door. Upon moving in, she and her husband worked with a contractor to cover over the space of the second door from the porch side and bumped it out a bit so it could serve as a closet from the inside. Thus, there’s still a door in the room, which was a dining room initially and now serves as an office. Yet, instead of leading to the outdoors, there’s a practical closet to hang your coat and stash your hat, gloves and wet umbrellas.

Floors

Many of the houses have wooden floors – some are high-grade oak, others were made of less expensive types of lumber. The Bayly/Sochacki home has original wood on both floors of the Craftsman-style home. A solid golden oak is used downstairs; the upstairs has a less expensive, softer wood with a reddish cast. Both floors have held up well and still look great.

The Barry's entire home at 239 High St. has wood flooring. When they moved into the home they had all of the floors sanded and stained. During the work, an original wood floor was discovered under the existing floor that dates to the 1800s. The second flooring was installed in the early 1900s. The flooring on the main staircase is fir and most likely was made from trees on the property.

The oak wood flooring in both the living room and dining room runs around the perimeter of the room. The center of the room is a square of different wood. The living room has a pine center and the dining room has a parquet center. This was a way of saving money on more expensive wood throughout and a rug would typically be placed over that area. “Either way – with or without a rug – the floor is beautiful,” Marianne Barry said.  

Article continues on the city website. Plus, view the ongoing series there too.

AARP income tax preparation assistance

AARP tax-aide provides free tax assistance to taxpayers with low and middle income, with special attention to those who are 60 and older as well as the disabled. Appointments are required. One-on-one sessions will be conducted at the Northville Community Center on Thursdays, Feb. 2 through March 30. To register, please call 248-305-2851 or visit the Senior Services desk at the Community Center, 303 W. Main Street. 

Last year, the group assisted with 285 returns. Volunteers are needed to help with the program and can contact Teri Kuehn.  

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels.

Northvillians and friends,

This week, in preparation for Black History Month celebrations in our community, I will highlight some historic Northville events surrounding this month-long commemoration.  

Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans in the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history. This monthly observance originated in the United States in 1969 (54 years ago) and, shortly after, migrated to other countries (including Ireland, Canada and the UK).

Before we look at some of this history, here’s what is happening in town today

Quarterly Mayoral Town Hall – Thursday, Jan. 26 (Live and on Zoom). Northville Township Hall (6 Mile & Sheldon), Debbie Dingell, our new U.S Representative will join via Zoom, and Matt Koleszar, our State Representative, will be there in person. View details here.

Mayor Turnbull’s presentation about Northville’s Historic Neighborhoods has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. Location: the Church in Mill Race Village

Read the full letter here. It appears weekly on the city website.

Keep that Northville Faith... and be proud to be Northville Strong!

Brian Turnbull

Mayor, Northville

Doing Business

Winter tax bills can be paid now through Feb. 14

Winter tax bills have been mailed. Winter 2022 taxes are payable without penalty and/or interest through Feb. 14. On Feb. 15, 2023, a 3% penalty will be added.

Taxpayers who live in Oakland County, north of 8 Mile, will see an additional tax on their winter tax bill to cover the voter-approved .95 mill transportation millage to maintain and expand public transit services in Oakland County for the next 10 years. 

Receive texts regarding safety issues through Nixle

Notification of serious traffic accidents, severe weather conditions, downed live wires and other safety issues are being communicated by the city’s Nixle service. To receive text alerts to a mobile phone, sign up at Nixle.com. Nixle posts also appear on the city's social media platforms. 

Accountability and Transparency

To meet the requirements for Accountability & Transparency under City, Village, and Township Revenue Sharing/County Incentive Program (CVTRS/CIP), the City of Northville must certify to the Michigan Department of Treasury they have produced and made readily available to the public:

A Citizen's Guide of its most recent local finances

A Performance Dashboard

A Debt Service Report

A Projected Budget Report

The above-mentioned documents may be found on the city website. 

Dog licenses are up for renewal

All dogs four months and older must be licensed. The annual license fee is $13 ($10 with documented spay/neuter). Dog licenses for 2022 expire on Feb. 28, 2023. Please provide a current rabies vaccination certificate at the time of application. Licenses are available at the City Clerk’s Office. If you want to register by mail, please download an application. 

Around Town

Keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice
Property owners (residents and businesses) must clear sidewalks within 24 hours of a snow or ice event by ordinance. When clearing snow, do not blow or shovel snow into any roadway. The DPW only clears sidewalks that are on city-owned or operated properties, such as those at City Hall, the Fire Station and cemeteries. Prompt removal of snow reduces the need for salt. That means less salt travels to storm drains, which discharge into the Middle Rouge River.

Crime mapping pinpoints car thefts, home break-ins and other criminal activity

The City of Northville uses an online crime mapping system that coordinates with Oakland County’s CLEMIS system to show the location and type of crime that has occurred on a digital map within 24 hours after a police report has been filed.

CLEMIS is a report management system that compiles crime reports from police departments in Oakland County, including Northville, and makes them available to the public. Oakland County takes that information one step further by allowing police departments to directly subscribe to a service from that populates the crime data on a map.

Users have the option of looking at the online map in real time or searching back 180 days at crimemapping.com. 

Report water main breaks

Each year the City of Northville has between 10 and 20 water main breaks. If you see water bubbling out of the ground on City property, contact the Public Works Department at 248-449-9930 or 248- 349-1234 after hours and report its location. The sooner the leak is identified and reported, the quicker it can be repaired, reducing the chances of contamination entering the water system and minimizing the cost for lost water.

At Home
Check the batteries on your smoke detectors
Smoke detectors are important safety devices to have in your home. Make sure you are testing them regularly and replacing them when needed.

Test the battery in your smoke detector monthly by pressing and holding the test button. Some people find it easier to use a pencil to push the test button. While the button is pressed, you should hear a loud alarm. If the sound is weak or nonexistent, replace the batteries. If your smoke detector is sending off false alarms with cooking smoke, burning toast or humidity, it may be a sign that it’s failing and needs to be replaced.

The general rule is to replace a smoke detector every 8-10 years. Check the back of the device for the manufacture date.

Carbon monoxide detectors can alert you of serious airborne poisoning

A carbon monoxide (CO) detector is an important safety device to have in your home. It can alert you to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can’t be detected by your senses but can cause severe illness with symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting. Make sure CO detectors are placed in the right locations of your home and are replaced at the end of their lifespan.

For each floor of your home, place a CO detector on a wall about 5 feet above the floor and in the same room as a fireplace or flame-producing appliance. You may also want to place one in your garage since the poisonous gas can travel through drywall. If your home has only one CO detector, it should be installed in the main bedroom or in the hallway outside of the sleeping area.

If your CO detector is sounding continuously and you have signs of CO poisoning, find fresh air and call 911 immediately. Emergency responders are trained to identify and treat the symptoms of CO poisoning and firefighters use equipment to find the source of carbon monoxide leaks and stop them.

The general rule is to replace a CO detector every 5 - 7 years. Check the back of the device for the manufacture date. 

Test for radon in your house

Winter is a good time to test for radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can become a health hazard. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, according to the EPA. The gas may seep into homes through cracks in floors or walls and can accumulate. During the winter months, when windows and doors typically stay closed, radon gas is more easily detected.

For residents in Oakland County, radon test kits are half-price ($5 rather than $10) during January at Health Division offices, open 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Locations are: North Oakland Health Center, 1200 Telegraph, Building 34E, Pontiac and South Oakland Health Center, 27725 Greenfield Road, Southfield.

If you live in Wayne County, there are no discounted kits but you can learn where to obtain a radon kit here.

To learn more about radon levels in Michigan and resources, visit the EGLE Radon webpage. Additional information is available on the EPA’s Region 5 website, which is managed by the State of Illinois.

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