Introduction
Highland Park is
a small city of 17,000 residents with a rich history of unparalleled economic
success early in the century, followed by unprecedented economic downfall
toward the end of the 20th Century.
The city, whose claim as the ‘birthplace of mass production’ was once
considered a model community boasting the best schools, an excellent housing
stock, and retail that drew people from throughout the Detroit area. However, the exodus of the Ford Motor
Company, Chrysler Corporation, and countless other manufacturing establishments
has disintegrated the tax base and burdened the City with an aging and
oversized infrastructure.
Highland Park’s manufacturing downturn has been accompanied
with a 68% decline in population since 1930.
The residents of Highland Park today are conscious of what this
community once was, and have the vision to restore its reputation as a model
city. Throughout its volatile history,
Highland Park has always maintained a strong sense of community and continues
to boast a hard-working and dedicated collection of residents and other
stakeholders committed to seeing this historic community through a
revitalization. It is this spirit of
progress that led to the convening of the Highland Park Leadership Steering
Committee and this Community Report to Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.
During the Summer and Autumn of 2003 a number of residents
and business owners were communicating with members of The Governor’s Office
for Southeast Michigan about various issues affecting Highland Park. As a result of this community interest,
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm asked her Southeast Michigan Office to work
directly with the community in Highland Park, and a subsequent meeting of
community stakeholders was convened on August 20, 2003. The purpose was to discuss challenges facing
the community and to begin formulating a plan to facilitate an active and
participatory community-driven process.
Out of this meeting came the Highland Park Leadership Steering
Committee. This Committee met regularly
throughout the Autumn and Winter to develop this process and organize a “Day of
Dialogue” event which has held on December 13th.
This Highland Park Community Report to Governor Jennifer M.
Granholm is the culmination of this entire process. It includes a description of the Steering
Committee and the community challenges and solutions prioritized at the widely
attended Day of Dialogue. A number of
attachments are also included to further describe our community’s rich history,
demographic conditions, and the results of a business survey.
It is the aspiration of the Highland Park community to present
this report to the Governor so that she and her staff may assist this
exceptional community in working towards fiscal stability and the solutions
outlined in this report.
City
of Highland Park
Background
Highland Park is a city rich with heritage as the birthplace
of mass production and the former headquarters of two of the big three
automakers – Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Corporation. Like many communities across America,
Highland Park is discovering new possibilities as it reinvents itself in the
post-industrial age. Almost $300 million
in new commercial, industrial and residential development has been invested in
the city in the last decade, positioning Highland Park as a vibrant community for
the future.
There are over 300 businesses in Highland Park, which
benefit from the city’s central location to metro Detroit. Highland Park boasts immediate access to
three major expressways – the Chrysler (I-75), Lodge (M-10) and Davison (M-8) –
as well as Woodward Avenue, Michigan’s main street and National Scenic Byway,
which runs through the city.
New commercial possibilities along Woodward allow businesses
to join 30 other national and regional retailers successfully operating in
thriving Highland Park Place and the Model T Plaza, national models of urban
redevelopment.
The citizens continue to show their involvement and
commitment to restoring and revitalizing Highland Park as well as honoring its
historic heritage as individuals and members of community groups.
Despite
the many positive aspects of Highland Park, years of disinvestment and a steady
decline in population have led to the city’s current financial crisis. Services to residents and businesses have
been reduced to the bare minimum as the state appointed Emergency Financial
Manager struggles to keep the city solvent.
Governmental Context in Which Day of
Dialogue Occurred
The City of Highland Park has
been under the control of the State of Michigan, through the appointment of an
Emergency Financial Manager, since July 2001.
Before that, it had been under the review of a State appointed monitor
for ten years. During the monitoring
period, the financial situation continued to decline and debt increase although
the debt was unauthorized by Treasury as required by various state laws and
regulations. This included debt through unauthorized loans and increased
liabilities through expending or committing more funds than were available from
revenues as well as by not paying many obligations. These unpaid liabilities included required
sums owed to the Internal Revenue Service, to the each of three defined benefit
pension funds, to vendors, to required reserve funds and to employees.
The situation was made worse by
the almost complete failure to do required maintenance on either public
facilities or infrastructure.
Questionable use of restricted funds resulting in losses, suspensions
and penalties of Act 51 funds for road maintenance and repair.
During the time the monitor was
in place, the State issued over $3,000,000 dollars in fiscal stabilization
bonds to the City in an effort to have Highland Park pay its debts, reestablish
fiscal solvency and avoid the necessity of a state appointment of an Emergency
Financial Manager. Those bonds were
given to the City in October of 2000. By
late June 2001, when the situation continued to deteriorate and required that
an Emergency Financial Manager be put in control of the City, all those funds
had been spent; the debts were increasing, and the budget was severely out of
balance.
Compounding the situation was the
fact that there were more than 40 lawsuits in process against the City. The City had failed to respond in some
cases—resulting in more than $5,000,000 in judgments against the city—and was
in court on many others
Spending outside budget limits
and failure to amend budgets to reflect realistic revenues resulted in an
excessive number of judgments being placed on the tax rolls, some of which went
unchallenged Most recently, in addition
to charter and special millages, the City tax rate included about 15 mills
of judgment levies. These taxes were
continuing to increase until the Emergency Financial Manager and her team took
strong action to remedy real problems and halt payments for which the citizens
and city should not be liable.
Pension liabilities are a major
concern. The unfunded pensions, if no
other actions were taken, would require a pay as you go funding of the prior
vested pension obligations and would absorb approximately 65% of the total
General Fund revenue or require judgment levies of 40 mills annually for
payment on a pay-as-you-go basis to handle unfunded pension payrolls and
funding obligations under previously approved benefits. The total of unfunded pension liabilities for
which there had not been legally required actuarial reports since 1999 are now
estimated at more than $30,000,000.
Actions have now been taken to begin to address this and to avert either
default on pensions or ruinous payment plans, which would further cripple
current city services.
During
the first year under the Emergency Financial Manager, painful steps were taken
to stem the financial hemorrhage. City
services were slashed, payless paydays occurred and numerous previously
unidentified debts, liabilities and other financial problems were uncovered.
The Emergency Financial Manager and her team were able to stabilize the
situation sufficiently to restore basic services at a reduced level. During this time, both the structural
deficits and the ongoing financial requirements were assessed. The depth and breadth of financial
mismanagement including failure to make required payments, misuse of funds,
undocumented expenditures and missing records is so pervasive that all the
detail would require a book length report to enumerate; but a few examples
illustrate the depth and pervasiveness of the problems:
·
The financial
records were declared unauditable by Plante & Moran and major liabilities
and prior period adjustments to the 2000 audit were required
·
Many critical
records were missing, incomplete, and/or inaccurate
·
Money had been
withheld from employees’ pay but not remitted to the Internal Revenue Service,
the State, nor to the employees’ pension plan or 401(a) plan
·
Employees were
not able to get any reports or records of their 401(a) pension accounts
·
Income Tax
refunds were not made for 2000 or 2001 and liabilities for them had not even
been fully recorded in the financial records
·
Unauthorized
loans were taken by the Administration from the pension plans
·
Grant funds
were not accounted for
·
Payments to
individuals were recorded but not actually paid
·
Payments to
individuals were made which cannot be reconciled with proper records or legal
authority for the payments
·
City operations
were, by labor agreement, on a 4 day work week, with
an
average 61 paid days off for employees.
Officials on that 4 day
schedule
were also paid for four hours more
per week than worked.
Therefore,
the challenge became how to put into place a viable plan which will:
·
restore fiscal stability,
·
gradually reduce the overwhelming tax burden on
the remaining taxpayers, both individuals and business, who are committed to
Highland Park and are paying their taxes and bills; and
·
prevent a recurrence of the local environment
that resulted in the current crisis.
The Emergency Financial Manager
and Interim City Administrator worked non-stop to develop and present a
Comprehensive Recovery Plan to the Engler administration in October 2002; but
the plan was not addressed.
The election of Governor Jennifer
Granholm became an opportunity for renewed attention to the plight of Highland
Park. The Granholm administration has
devoted considerable attention to the status of and possible options for a
situation as severe as that in Highland Park.
Even during the transition period following the election, transition
team officials were familiarizing themselves with the specific issues in
Highland Park. One fact identified in
the Recovery Plan has become apparent to all as this process has unfolded—prior
existing State law never contemplated a community reaching such a severe
deficit status before the state interceded.
Several legislative changes have already been sponsored by the Governor
and by local legislators to provide a mechanism to begin to address some of
these problems.
Since State of Michigan resources
are also severely constrained, significant financial assistance from the state
has been unavailable. State Revenue
Sharing changes enacted in the 1990s, coupled with a severe downturn in state
revenue, has resulted in a reduction of nearly $1,000,000 in annual revenue to
the city from Revenue Sharing between 2000 and today. This same downturn, coupled with the failure
of the City to make income tax refunds for 2000 or 2001, resulted in a reduction
of city income tax collections as well.
The Emergency Financial Manager,
Interim City Administrator, and team have been successful in making a number of
the essential changes needed to achieve fiscal stability and provide basic
services. While the full list is too
long for this report, some of the major accomplishments include:
- Negotiation of revised settlements for previous
judgments, saving more than $3,000,000
- Worked with the Michigan Department of Transportation
to get street funding for maintenance, plowing and paving restored—bringing
back more than $1,100,000 a year which had been stopped due to prior
administration fiscal improprieties and violations
- Negotiation of reduced service costs for essential
professional services, saving $200,000 annually
- Negotiation of an agreement with Wayne County and the
Wayne County Sheriff to provide supplemental policing services for the
community to assure viable policing and public safety services within a workable budget
- Refinancing of debt and liabilities at lower interest
rates and for reduced amounts, saving more than $1,000,000
- Won or settled at reduced liability more than two
dozen lawsuits
- Restoration of 5 day work week at City Hall,
elimination of pay for no work and reduction of paid time off through
negotiation with labor representatives of two employee groups
- Implementation of the same work and compensation
changes for exempt personnel
- Consolidation of city services and facilities into
one location, reducing operating costs and improving service convenience
for the public
- Prevention of pension defaults and resolution of a
threatened expulsion of the City from the Municipal Employees Retirement
System (MERS) because of the failure of the city to remit Constitutionally
required city contributions or employees’ own payments
- Designed and negotiated an insured bond offering which was proposed in the Recovery Plan
to partially fund the MERS and ERS pension plans in an affordable and sustainable manner
These accomplishments have moved
the City toward fiscal and operational stabilization. With the assistance of
the Emergency Loan Board, the Governor’s Southeast Michigan Office staff, the
Department of Treasury, local officials, local legislative representatives,
employee groups and numerous citizens, businesses and groups in the community and
the region, much progress has been made.
A number of major issues remain and must be addressed to restore the
City to local control.
Legal limitations on what can be
done by the state have also been examined with a focus on proposing such
changes as are needed to allow implementation of recovery steps, which required
state approval or even legislative changes. As part of the on-going effort to
assess all these factors, positive and negative, which are affecting Highland
Park and to determine the most feasible way to provide assistance to a
resolution for Highland Park, the Day of Dialogue was held to assure dialogue
between the Governor and the community in the painful recovery process.
Summary of Challenges and Solutions
The major challenges and solutions are ranked below in the
priority order of the participants in each breakout session. Subsequent pages
describe the outcomes of each session in greater detail.
|
Challenges
|
Solutions
|
|
Business, Jobs &
Training
|
|
|
1.
Decreasing
Population
|
Create Redevelopment
Strategy for additional housing
|
|
2. Security Concerns
|
Increase public safety
services
|
|
3. Need Improved
Government
|
State/Fed assistance for
sustainability; Function within financial means
|
|
4. Improve Cleanliness
|
Need Community group efforts;
Code enforcement
|
|
5. Inadequate Quality of
Workforce
|
Increase training
possibilities
|
|
6. Untapped Resources
|
Find new sources of workers
locally
|
|
|
|
|
Education
|
|
|
1. Lack of Parental
Involvement
|
Break down invisible wall
through events, classes
|
|
2. Lack of Community
Involvement
|
Improve communication-
outreach to businesses, and the faith community
|
|
3. Wall Between
Educators And Community
|
Educators should reach out
to community
|
|
4.
Teaching Skills
w/ Today’s students
lack
materials
|
Stronger curriculum,
professional training, develop materials
|
|
5. Closure of McGregor
Library, H.P. Community College
|
Re-open historical
institutions; develop courses
|
|
Lack
of Cultural/Historic [activities]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Housing &
Neighborhoods
|
|
|
1. Public Image &
Stereotypes
|
Publicize successes
|
|
2. Abandoned Properties
|
Demolition blitz; improve
court review process
|
|
3. Locating Resources
for Demolition
|
Fund and expand State
programs; offer tax-credits
|
|
4. Code Enforcement
|
Hire inspectors, expedite
court reviews
|
|
5.
Owners/Residents Need to Keep Property Clean
|
Inform, ticket, fine as
necessary
|
|
|
|
|
Public Safety
|
|
|
1. Future of Highland
Park Public Safety
|
Develop effective local
public safety program
|
|
2. Lack of Business
Development due to Community Safety Concerns
|
Educate public about public
safety possibilities, improve response time, better traffic signals
|
|
3. Community
Participation
|
Establish and/or strengthen
available programs
|
|
4. Demolition of Private
& State Owned
Unsafe Structures
|
Increase demolition
programs
|
|
5. Court Resources to
Address Public Safety
|
Establish new ordinances,
improve court processes
|
|
Seniors
|
|
|
1.
[Inadequate]
Senior Housing/Health Services
|
Fund in-home programs;
increase types of health services
|
|
2.
Community
Services
|
Create variety of housing
types with built-in services
|
|
3.
Safety
|
Offer info to seniors on
home safety; improve transportation for seniors
|
|
4.
Information
[about services lacking]
|
Create and distribute
Service Directory
|
|
5.
Financial Services
|
Increase info on available
financial services
|
|
|
|
|
Water
|
|
|
1. No Local
Representation
|
H.P. Human Rights Coalition
meet with Governor
|
|
2. [Need Moratorium] On
Shut-Offs
|
Set moratorium on shut-offs
|
|
3. Sewer And Water Rates
Too High
|
Compare with others; check
meters; reduce rates
|
|
4.
Timely Bills [not received]
|
Improve system for billing
|
|
5.
State Is Taking Too Long [To Resolve
Problems]
|
Restore local control,
Build administrative leadership capacity of local government officials
|
BUSINESS / JOBS AND
TRAINING BREAKOUT SESSION
Facilitators: Leo
Carr, Terrance Hicks, Mark Kelly, Ben Mason, Cheryl Sanford and Anne Zobel
Approximately 25
individuals including residents, business owners and other stakeholders
participated in this session. Business
was combined with the Jobs and Training session because they are similar topics
in nature; however, each topic was discussed individually. A lively discussion ensued regarding the
challenges faced in Highland Park by both residents and business owners. Participants were asked to identify a
solution to any challenge that they pointed out. This kept the discussion positive and
solution-driven. While a number of serious challenges were identified, the
participants did not seem to think that the city’s problems were
irreversible. A high level of optimism
was present.
The list below
reflects the top four priorities for the Business discussion and the top two
priorities for the Jobs and Training that participants identified during the
voting process. However, the complete
list reflects additional concerns brought out during the discussion.
Top Priorities
Rank Challenges Solutions
Business
1 Decreasing
population Redevelopment
strategy for new housing
2 Security
concerns Create
Long-term solution to increase public safety
3
Need improved government Request State & fed assistance to achieve sustainability
Need to
function within financial means
4 Improve
cleanliness Initiate
Small group clean-up efforts
Provide effective
Code enforcement / Report dumping
Establish
a Roundtable locally with link to state
2 Untapped
resources Employer
gap analyzed
[a needs assessment based on model
of Maryland business roundtable]
Mandate
business to hire trained H.P. residents
Other
Concerns
Challenges Solutions
Devise
Redevelopment Strategy for new housing
Approach state
for funds (MEDC)
Need plan
for getting more grants and incentives
Nonprofits
collaborate with city [to pursue funding]
HP Devco should take lead and serve as
champion
Non-political
entity should also have strong role
Wayne County Alternative Workforce – work release
inmates
Work with Jerome Drain of Operation Weed & Seed
of HP
Develop
a schedule/strategy for clean-up efforts
Identify
root cause of problems & fix
Put
pressure on business to maintain property
Code
enforcement / Report dumping
Follow Richton Street model [for community clean-up
efforts]
CB
patrol [to report dumping]
Purchase
garbage can for businesses
No city
building department Employ
someone to specifically handle permits & generate revenues for city
Security (Public Safety) Need
long-term solution
Need functioning city government State &
fed assistance to achieve sustainability
Need to function within financial
means (fiscal responsibility)
State Police
Command Center (Calumet Center)
Other Concerns
Challenges Solutions
Unemployment Need
State initiated incentives for companies coming to
Highland Park
EDUCATION BREAK-OUT
SESSION
Facilitators:
Mr. Carl Pettway, Greg Roberts, Dr. Theresa Sanders, and Hon. Senator Martha G.
Scott
The working breakout session consisted of educators,
concerned parents, community leaders and others interested in the educational
future of the students in Highland Park. It was a consensus that we
needed a "Back to the Future" approach to restoring the high
standards and expectations that were once "commonplace" for the
Highland Park School District. In the not so distant past, the Highland
Park School District was one of the top districts in the State. The
graduation rate was high, the dropout rate was low, the McGregor Public Library
was opened and those graduating had a community college to attend. The
recommendations and priorities reflect the need and desire to return the
Highland Park School District to being one of the top districts in the
State. It was strongly felt, by consensus that the implementation of the
following recommendations/priorities would, in fact, do just that.
Top
Priorities
Rank Challenges Solutions
Offer
Parenting classes/events
[Improve]
communication
3 Wall
between educators & Engage
Educators to venture into community
the
community
Provide More
information to community
4 Teaching
skills to today’s students Offer
Stronger curriculum, professional training
Lack of
materials More
materials & resources for teachers and
students
Lack
of cultural/historical [activities] Add
more culture/language courses to
Other
Concerns
Challenges Solutions
Lack
of student empowerment Offer
training & assistance to students to
Lack
of cleanliness in schools Require
staff accountability
Weak
infrastructure Obtain
funding for capital improvements
(Charter
Schools?)
Lack of hands-on resources Develop additional
hands-on resources
Challenges Solutions
Lack of balanced
curriculum -- Create new
balanced curriculum
academic &
elective
Lack of connection
between kids Create
the connection between kids &
&
administration administration
Kids
being raised by grandparents/ Understand
family types – take into
foster
family consideration
Busy
parents 2+ jobs
Lack
of dialogue between unions Financial
resources for an audio/visual
&
teachers modules
Lack
of materials (kids are bored) Accommodate
all learning styles
Lack
of authority for teachers to Create
authority for teachers
discipline
Lack
of post-ed opportunities Highland
Park Community College
Lack
of funding (books to take Find
more money
home)
Lack
of parental access to Inform
parents of education laws/
education
laws/legislation legislation
Possible
influx of Charter Schools Maintain
dialogue between community
(drain
public school resources) and
state
Lack
of open dialogue between Create
dialogue between parents and
parents
& administration & administration
& community
community/community
orgs.
Need
to increase tutoring & Scholarship
programs (in non-traditional
mentoring areas)
Lack
of involvement from faith- Weed
and Seed (more involvement of
based
community program)
McGregor
Public Library Closed Re-open
make available to students
Highland
Park Image (negatively Change
image (business & industry would
portrayed
in the media) come
money)
Challenges Solutions
Lack
of parental involvement Break
down invisible wall
Parenting
classes – something to attract
More
parents
Lack
of strong belief that children Parents
& teachers motivate kids
can
learn Encourage and up-lift
children
Let
kids know they can succeed
HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS BREAKOUT SESSION
Facilitators:
Harriet Saperstein, Vickie Thomas
About 40 stakeholders, representing a broad section of the
community attended the session. The
participants included residents, business owners, community leaders, religious
leaders and others. The majority of
participants were residents who shared openly and passionately about the
day-to-day problems and challenges they face as Highland Parkers. The session lasted for nearly two hours and
could have extended even longer.
Residents not only discussed the critical issues in the city but also
came up with possible solutions to some of those problems. Despite the tremendous challenges that the
city has faced and continues to face, it was crystal clear that residents and
others are willing to do whatever they can to help turn the city around. They are looking forward to brighter days
ahead.
There were at least 30 interconnected challenges identified
by the group with a variety of suggested solutions. The list below reflects the top five critical
issues that stakeholders identified during the voting process at the end of the
breakout session. However, the complete
list reflects additional concerns brought out in the active and engaging
discussion.
Top
Priorities
Rank Challenges Solutions
1 Public Image and Stereotypes Improve image
by publicizing success stories and positives Bring
back Home tours Initiate
Business Tours
2 Abandoned
Properties Demolition
blitz; Create separate housing
court/administrative review;
Ticket/fine:
Make owners pay
3 Locate
Resources for Demolition Fund
State Programs (CMI, Revitalife)
Private fundraising campaign;
Demolition Tax Credits/other benefits for business; Use National Guard
4 Code
Enforcement Hire
more officers/inspectors; improve
court
system for ticketing & fines.
Other Concerns
Abandoned
properties: Locate
funding for demolition blitz
500 + need to be demolished - Weed&Seed
has done 30; Revitalife’
cost $3 million about 50,
much more needed.
Priority to
demolish and clean up by Identify
drug havens or drug activity
schools in and
around schools
Dumping in front of abandoned
buildings Ticket/fine
Abandoned cars: alleys, streets,
backyards Provide info
on existing program
(313-224-0458)
Demolition
Insufficient funds Businesses
to tear down houses in
(Need $10 million for total
cleanup) exchange
for tax credits/other benefits
Radiothon/telethon
or other fundraising
strategy
Approach
philanthropists
Use
National Guard
Involve MSHDA and other state
agencies
Ford should meet its
responsibilities to city
Concentrate
for redevelopment
Challenges Solutions
65% of properties
privately owned Make
owners pay for repair or change
law to get lien on property
elsewhere for demolitions costs.
Title clearance is
difficult procedure New
law to clear titles more easily
State
to alleviate environmental costs
Selection of
houses for demo Revitalife
– state owned properties
doesn’t always seem to work
selected internally-need city input
How to put house
on list for demolition Need information
Owners may not
have the resources or Locate private
owners
may not cooperate Create
a law which penalizes disinvestments and
walking away from property
Need specific housing court for
demolition
Prosecutors office
program promised Need
funding resources to accelerate
expected
demolition didn’t take place program.
Hamilton Ave
has many buildings that
need demolition Pilot
or CMI to tear down some of larger buildings to get ready for redevelopmt.
Public Image
Stereotypes
on Highland Park Success
stories need to be publicized
Poor
media image outside
of city
Safety
concerns Focus
on positives
Positive
changes in community not Bring
back home tours
reflected
in larger community Do
business tours
Unite neighborhoods and increase
block clubs.
Need improvements
to build houses & Encourage rehab
& construction of apt
apartments houses
Other
Materials
stolen from renovations while Improve
public safety
underway Increase
& utilize new CB patrol
Hamilton
– too many resale shops using Control what
outside of stores look like
sidewalk
license. Ticket & fine violators
Trash thrown out
of car windows Create
effective grass-roots reporting -
dumping,
trash throwing, etc.
Not
enough parks or facilities for youth Approach
Wayne County to use funds
&
earmark them for Highland Park.
Property and
Land Information- Provide
central information on property for developers and citizens
No one calls you
back when you ask for Improve
City response
information.
Homeowners
need both help & referral Need
home owners repair assistance
system program
PUBLIC
SAFETY BREAKOUT SESSION
Facilitators: Angelo
Flemings, John Holloway, Hon. Bridgette T. Officer & the Sheriff’s
Department
About 15 stakeholders, representing a broad section of the community
attended the session. The participants
included residents, business owners, community leaders, religious leaders and
local law enforcement representatives.
Participants felt that key to
the survival of the city is having a long-term, stable “local” policing
solution devoted to the continuation of Highland Park as a community wherein
the residents, business owners and visitors feel safe.
Top
Priorities
Rank Challenges Solutions
1 Future of Highland Park
Public Safety Develop an effective
“local”
public safety program, develop and
publish working contact numbers, establish infra-structure, improve
relationships between officers internally and with other agencies, local
dispatcher familiar with the community
2 Lack of Business
Development due to Educate businesses
with
Community
Safety Concerns public
safety roles & responsibilities, replace street signs and improve traffic
flow problems in busy areas, improve and report response times for police &
fire services
3 Community
Participation Re-establish
D.A.R.E.
program, T.E.A.M. implementation,
community participation with patrols, increase communication between the
community and our police force, Preventive means at conflict to involve
families & schools
4 Demolition
of unsafe structures Remove
old/unused
structures, & health concerns
declare a state-of-emergency, grant writing/funding needed
5. Court
resources to address public safety Establish
working group to
develop new ordinances, work with present legislature, working
relationship between public safety and the judicial system, recruit new talent
Other Concerns
Challenges Solutions
Preventive
means at conflict D.A.R.E.
Program (re-establish), T.E.A.M
&
schools
Community
Policing
Civilian
participation w/patrols
Future of
Highland Park Public Develop
an effective Public Safety Prog.
Safety
Develop and publish working
contact numbers
Relationship
between officers Establish
infrastructure
Internally
and with other agencies
Present
legislation Grant
writing/funding
&
fire services
What is the
proper process for a Educate
community in regards to
citizen to
receive police response policy
Publish correct
working numbers
Local dispatcher
familiar with Prepare
a document for citizens as a
the community reference
as to exactly who called
problems
in busy areas
Public Safety
services offered to Provide
P.O.C. with public safety in
businesses regards
to business
Educate business with public
safety roles & responsibilities
Remove old/unused
structures (declare state of
emergency)
Challenges Solutions
Court staff
resources to adequately Work
with present legislature
address public
safety
Establish working group to develop
charter - building block
Recruit
new talent
Working relationship
between public safety & judicial system
SENIORS BREAKOUT SESSION
Facilitators:
Ameenah Omar, Margaret Lewis, Jan Lazar
Seven people attended the Seniors breakout session and
provided cross-generational views of Challenges for seniors. Because the group was small, each person had
ample opportunity for full expression of their views. The resultant priority listing shows that there
is a consensus of opinion among seniors and/or primary caregivers for seniors
of seniors needs.
Of particular note is that although Financial Assistance ranked 6th in the priority listing, providing funding
from the lottery and creating a dedicated revenue stream patterned after the
Pennsylvania Program are among the Solutions given for meeting seniors’
challenges under Health Services
which tied for 1st with Housing
and Community Services.
Top Priorities
Rank Challenges Solutions
1 Health
services/in-home services Percentage
of lottery proceeds
Pharmacist
coordinate medicine schedule
Medical
staff making in-home visits
Check medicines,
visiting nurse, podiatry
Social worker – home visit, assist
in applying for insurance or other assistance
Services,
taxes
Accessibility
housing for disabled Condos
or one level
Senior
complex Senior
village, multi-level
Out
displacement Independent,
assisted living & right to nursing
Maintenance
& rehab Financial
assistance
Community
volunteer programs
ACORN
Habitat
for Humanity
Activate
historic pres. Comm..
3 Community
Services Obtain
senior grants
Recreation/senior
day care
Indoor
programs – year around, add craft
Programs, sewing,
ceramics, instructor for
[Provide] fire
extinguishers - donations
Group
shopping, medical visits
Senior
Transportation
5 Information
services available Directory
– Highland Park Community
mailed, on-line, telephone --
updated regularly
Distribution [of directory] to
churches, neighborhoods, groups, individuals
6 Financial
assistance Information
or availability
Social Worker – assistance in
insurance and grant assistance
Primary Caregiver
Support Information,
hours of service, availability
Flexibility
Dedicated
Revenue Like
Pennsylvania Program
Adopt a Senior Donate
services -- matching young volunteers
Foster
Grandparents Groups
to seniors
Cross
General Assistance Daily
interaction with every senior
Added
meals in home and at Aging
Consortium
facilities Maintenance
of recreation facilities
Recurring background checks DRMM
personnel
Food
Handler license
Continuous
monitoring of any violation
Background,
license
Challenges Solutions
Used
computers Get
donated used computers
Health
Services In-Home
services
Primary
caregivers support
WATER
BREAKOUT SESSION
Facilitators: Steve
Egen and Stephen Goodfellow
Although
there are severe short-term problems, the long term prospect for Highland Park
water is good news. Built by Henry Ford with the purpose of supplying two major
motor industries and 60,000 people, the city's water plant can produce more
water than the city could ever consume. The problem is presently that the
underutilized resource is a burden on a dwindling tax base. If the water could
flow to the cities surrounding Highland Park, the utility would be capable of
generating much needed income for the city.
Short
term problems and proposed solutions are listed below by the citizenry. The
frustration and tension expressed is palpable, even to the casual observer. It
is a grim mood that must be defused. The issue is singly the most divisive
subject in Highland Park. It is a powder keg.
Top Priorities
Rank Challenges Solutions
2 Shut offs Moratorium
on shut offs – turn
water back on for
residents until solution is
developed
3 Sewer rates & water too
high Investigate
meters, new meters, compare
to
other cities’ rates
4 Untimely bills More
efficient, more lead time [6
to 9 month billing cycle] until
bills are due, new people in department
5 State is taking too long
to solve (2 years) New
representation (new legislation)
Now the state
control is draining the city Restore
local democracy
financially
Other Concerns
Challenges Solutions
High
bills, low number of users More
users (G.P.F., Hamtramck, etc)
Customers
without Ford &
Chrysler
Challenges Solutions
Sewer – rate cost Investigate
why rates are so high
Water too [rate
cost} Why
so high – compare with other communities
Respect
for customers by Need
New people, local people
employees/poor
customer Provide
Training in dealing with public
relations
Meter
accuracy Install
New meters-tested by neutral source
Lack
of local control and Audit
costs
Representation Utilize
Local people
Shut offs Moratorium
on shut offs and bill taxes
Turn water on
No
privatization Water
as utility like gas, electric
Human
rights violated, esp. poor Restore
democracy, local voice
Water
off Turn
water on
Unclear on
finances and basis for Communicate
web/internet Michigan
Rates, not
transparent Citizen
– legally open the books
For all the water
problems Water
strike escrow
Including crooked
billing
Now draining the city, including Restore local democracy
the county (i.e. sale of abandoned
houses at low cost)
Infrastructure – what is spent? More people – personnel worker
Why not in better shape?
Human rights – related to water Highland Park HRC meet
with Governor
Estimated bill Get
actual readings
Attachment 1
HIGHLAND PARK, MI: Renewal Built
On Its Heritage
Preserving Highland Park’s historic places is uppermost in
our hearts and minds. Your history, unlike your education, can be taken away!
The industrial feats and cultural milestones accomplished in
Highland Park, Michigan – not Illinois – are legendary all over the world. The fact of and impact of those feats is
published and publicized in print and other media-type industries. Even though Highland Park, Michigan,
specifically, is generally not mentioned, people from all over the world pass
through Highland Park, Michigan to see the physical sites where those
milestones went from dreams to reality:
Some of the landmarks include:
- The
moving assembly line that resulted in making the Model T Ford automobile
affordable to the common man and changed the way industry did business, as
highlighted in the recent smash hit movie, Seabiscuit.
- Highland
Appliance store - the forerunner of the ABC Warehouses-type stores.
- Davison
Freeway - the country’s first expressway.
- The
second-oldest community college in Michigan until its recent closure and reopening
as a career academy.
- The
original site of the Lawrence Institute of Technology (1932-1955 in
Highland Park). Begun in September
1932, it was the next-door neighbor of the Henry Ford Trade School
(1917-1932).
- The
home of Canners Warehouses, the institution that “sold merchandise
by the single can or carload at warehouse prices direct from the canners
to you,” according to a December 3, 1931 article that appeared in The
Highland Parker weekly newspaper.
- The
McGregor Library whose archives contain all of this history.
- The
Highland Park museum located at the McGregor Library
Highland Park’s history is inextricably tied to Highland
Park’s future. A large part of Highland
Park’s future can be attracting significant tourist dollars to it, as a
standalone automotive, industrial and residential historical site where modern
manufacturing was born, and/or as part of the corridor of communities
comprising Woodward Avenue, one of the country’s nationally recognized American
Byways. Highland Park has two nationally
registered historic districts, one of which has the largest number of arts and
crafts historic homes outside of California.
Highland Park is the birthplace/world headquarters of Chrysler
Corporation (with an historic marker to prove it) until the late 1990s, and has
other historic accomplishments too numerous to mention in this preface.
Building on Highland Park’s rich historic past in its
present task of reorganizing itself can only enhance Highland Park’s stable,
self-sufficient economic future.
Attachment 2
Participants in the Highland Park Community Process
(partial list based on sign-in sheets)
Attachment 3
Highland Park Leadership Steering Committee
Due to the challenging times facing the city of Highland
Park, concerned citizens, businesses, faith-based organizations, local and
state governments established a task force to allow the stakeholders of
Highland Park to publicly express their concerns, prioritize them and make
recommendations for resolution of the challenges facing this historic
community. Every endeavor was made to
make this process as inclusive as possible as reflected in the participants
listed below:
Daedra A. Von Mike McGhee,
Director of Government and Business Affairs,
Governor’s Office for Southeast
Michigan
Committee Members:
Paula Biskup – Director of
Corporate Communications, Budco
Professor Robin Boyle – Wayne State
University, College of Urban, Labor & Metro Affairs
Albert Bowman, United Community
Block Clubs of Highland Park
Leo Carr – Owner, Express Personnel
& President, Highland Park Business Association (HPBA)
Don Cox – Chief of Staff, Wayne
County Sheriff’s Department
Robert A. Davis – Senior Advisor
and Director, Governor’s Office for Southeast Michigan
Jerome Drain – Executive Director,
Operation Weed & Seed Highland Park
Perrin Emanuel – Vice-President, HP
Devco
Warren Evans- Sheriff, Wayne County
Angelo Flemings – President of
Diverse Solutions, Inc. & Vice President of HPBA
Emma Fogel - United Community Block
Clubs of Highland Park
Stephen Goodfellow – Hpfolks.com
Bill Henry – President and CEO,
Budco
Terrence M. Hicks – Contributions
Program Analyst, Ford Motor Fund
Jan Lazar – Interim City
Administrator, City of Highland Park
Barbara Jean Johnson – Director,
Constituent Relations,
Governor’s Office for Southeast
Michigan
Margaret Lewis – Publisher, Legacy
News
Ben E. Mason – Account
Representative,
Michigan Economic Development
Corporation (MEDC)
Hon. Titus McClary – Mayor, City of
Highland Park
Hon. William McConico – Michigan
State Representative
Daralene Nero – Deputy Special
Services, Wayne County Sheriff’s Department
Hon. Bridgette Thornhill Officer –
Judge, City of Highland Park District Court
Hon. Dr. Ameenah Omar – President,
Highland Park City Council
Linda V. Parker- Director, Michigan
Department of Civil Rights
Ramona Henderson Pearson –
Emergency Financial Manager, City of Highland Park
Greg Roberts – Director, Community
& Faith Based Initiatives,
Governor’s Office for Southeast
Michigan
Dr. Theresa Sanders-
Superintendent, Highland Park Public Schools
Cheryl Sanford – Regional Manager,
Michigan HRDI/Michigan Works Service Center
Harriet Saperstein – President, HP
Devco
Attachment 3
Highland Park Leadership Steering
Committee
Hon. Martha G. Scott – Michigan
State Senator
Reverend V. Ricardo Thomas –
Pastor, Faith Tabernacle Church
Vickie Thomas – WWJ Radio, Reporter
Anne Zobel – HP Devco
Attachment 3
Highland
Park Leadership Steering Committee
Sub-Committees
Day of Dialogue Planning
Sub-Committee
Facilitated By: Professor Robin Boyle – Wayne State
University,
College of Urban, Labor &
Metropolitan Affairs (CULMA)
Angelo Flemings – President of
Diverse Solutions, Inc. & Vice President of HPBA
Stephen Goodfellow – HPfolks.com
Terrance M. Hicks, Ford Motor Fund
Jan Lazar – Interim City
Administrator, City of Highland Park
Margaret Lewis – Publisher, Legacy News
Honorable Titus McClary – Mayor,
City of Highland Park
Daedra A. Von Mike McGhee – Dir. of
Government and Business Affairs,
Governor’s Office For Southeast
Michigan
Cheryl Sanford – Regional Manager,
Michigan HRDI/Michigan Works Service Center
Vickie
Thomas – WWJ City Beat Reporter and Highland Park resident
Report Finalization and Governor’s Visit Sub-Committee
Facilitated
By: Angelo Flemings, President
of Diverse Solutions, Inc. & Vice President of HPBA and Cheryl Sanford,
Regional Manager, Michigan HRDI/Michigan Works Service Center
Professor Robin Boyle – Wayne State
University, College of Urban, Labor & Metro Affairs
Governor’s Office for Southeast
Michigan
Terrance M. Hicks, Ford Motor Fund
Jan Lazar – Interim City
Administrator, City of Highland Park
Margaret Lewis – Publisher, Legacy
Newspaper
Dr. Ameenah Omar - HP City Council
Attachment 4
Demographics
for the City of Highland Park
