Would you like to let your neighbors know more about what your committee is up to? Or maybe you have news and information you would like to share, such as family announcements, recipes, decorating ideas, or crafts. We invite you to submit content that you think your neighbors will want to know about. We will include information as space allows. All submissions must follow the Newsletter Guidelines for Outside Submissions at the end of this newsletter.

Please encourage neighbors who have not signed up for this newsletter to do so. While those not on our email list will receive a print version of the newsletter, it will be in black and white, only contain basic information, and they will not receive our reminders and updates.

And don't forget to visit the Sylvan lake Website.

-- John Martin, City Manager

We need your photographs!

If you have any photos related to the City that you would like to share, please forward them following the guidelines in this newsletter. The photos can be from a special event, sunset, or just a "nature" photo. Click on "Newsletter Guidelines for Outside Submissions" above to see how to do it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Community Events

Holiday Lighting Contest

Congratulations to the following Holiday Light Display Contest winners:

First Place Lights

2316 Garland - Hunger

Religious

2155 Pontiac Drive - Blanek

Christmas Theme

1756 Stratford - Duschinske

Best Tree

1429 Oakwood - Bardizbanian

Most Artistic

2351 Ferndale - Panian

Best Street

Warwick Street

Multicolored Lights

2189 Ferndale - Farms

White Lights

2239 Pontiac Drive - Kaminski

Living Christmas Card

1742 Beverly - Kincaid

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News/Announcements

Skateboarders

This probably will not be a big problem again until Spring, but we want to bring it to your attention. There have been a number of instances where people have been using their skateboards and grinding on the fireplace hearth outside the Community Center. This is causing quite a bit of damage. Please talk to your young adults and ask them and their friends to not ride their skateboards around the community center building. This building is brand new, and we want to keep the building looking this way for as long as possible.

Tax Time

Tax bills have been mailed. Taxed are payable through February 14th, 2009 without a penalty. Please note that due to the new tax system, the due date is the due date. If the due date is on a weekend, it WILL NOT be extended to Monday. Please call City Hall immediately if you gave not received your tax bill.

On February 15th, penalties are applied - no exceptions! Also, no postmarks will be accepted. Please pay by check, cash, or sign up to have them automatically debited. Instructions to use a credit card online are on your tax bill. You can also drop your payment off at the mail slot next to the front door of City Hall. Payments made dropped off at City Hall will be picked up by the Police Officer at midnight February 15th.

Assessment Notices

These notices will be mailed the last week of February. The Board of Review will meet in March. Watch next month's newsletter for further details.

Community Center Rental

Many residents have already reserved dates for next year to rent the Community Center. If you would like to reserve the Community Center, you need to fill out an application form and provide a deposit. The application, along with rules and regulations, are on the website under "calendar." If you do not have internet access, you can come into City Hall and receive a copy.

Community Center Volunteers

We are still looking for volunteers to spend time at the Community Center during the day so it can remain open for others to use. Once we know how many volunteers are willing to do this, we will publish a schedule of times it will be open for residents to relax, play cards, etc. Please contact City Hall if you are interested.

Planning Commission Meeting

The Planning Commission will be meeting on January 6th at 7:30 p.m. in the Sylvan Lake Community Center. On the agenda will be final discussion and recommendation to City Council on amending the fence ordinance to allow a fence to extend into the side yard with restrictions. The current fence ordinance only allows fences in the rear yard.

City Council Meeting

City Council will be holding their next meeting on January 14th at 7:30 p.m. in the Sylvan Lake Community Center. They will continue their budget discussions and considerations to cut due to the continued lack of funding. Right now, City Council is discussing all of the possibilities to increase revenue and cut expenditures.

City Hall Closed

City Hall will be closed January 1st at January 19th.

Tri-City Fire Board

On Tuesday, January 13th, 2009, the Tri-City Fire Board will meet at the Community Center at 7:00 p.m. The public is invited. Their discussion will include the house fire on Garland.

Snow Is Here!!

Please try not to park your car in the street during poor weather. It is very challenging to maneuver the plow trucks around parked cars. Remember, there is no parking on any street between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

When shoveling your driveway, please be sure to shovel the snow to the sides of the driveway. Do not put your snow in the street. It is a hazard and also illegal. If you have a sidewalk in front of your house or business, it is your responsibility to keep it clean.

Snowmobiles

State law prohibits the use of City roads and road right-of-ways, as well as City parks, to be used for snowmobiling.

Leaf Collection

Leaf collection, along with yard waste, has ended for the season. If you have yard waste, you must keep it on your property (in your back yard or garage) until spring. Richfield Management will pick up Christmas trees until January 7th, but they need to be cut into four-foot sections.

Boat Dock Applications

Applications are due no late than March 1st. Boat dock owners will be receiving their information packets in the mail. This is simply a reminder. More details will be in next month's newsletter.

Boat Dock Policy

At a recent City Council meeting, Council adopted some of the proposed changes which the Boat Dock Committee suggested. A one-time, non-refundable $100 administration fee will be required to be placed on the boat dock waiting list. The top 25 people on the waiting list must notify City Hall on whether they will accept a permanent dock space if one becomes available for the next boating season. Docks or mooring posts must be in each space by June 1st. The rack storage for non-motorized boats at the Community Center is available for $25 a space. A boat launch sticker will be provided for these watercraft and they may only be stored on the rack from April 1st to November 15th of each year. The detailed policy will be included in the boat dock renewal letter. A separate letter will be sent to all those on the boat dock waiting list. If you are interested in the rack storage and do not have a dock and are not on the waiting list, please contact City Hall.

Bored with Old Board Games?

The Parks and Recreation Committee is looking for board games to be donated for use at Family Game Night at the Community Center. Drop off your old board games at City Hall or at 2144 Garland.

Going Away for the Winter?

Please be sure to notify City Hall. We will keep an extra close eye on your house while you are gone. We can also send you an absentee ballot application if there is an election.

Website

Make sure you visit our website at www.sylvanlake.org for regular and current information.

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From The Police Chief

If you have a concern or a complaint that the Police Department should know about, please send an e-mail to slpdchief@comcast.net.

*Make sure you keep your homes, cars, and garages locked.

Street Lighting

The City has been working with Detroit Edison's Community Lighting group to expedite the repair and maintenance of streetlights. If you see a problem with a street light, please call City Hall with the following information:

Specific streetlight location,

wooden or metal pole,

streetlight pole number (metal pole - at base of pole, Wood poles - it is located eight feet up the pole),

details about outage (intermittent, off, flashing, etc.).

If there is a case where a pole has been knocked down or any other emergency, please call 1-800-477-4747.

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Recycling

Recycling is included as a part of your normal trash collection. Bins are available at City Hall. It is not necessary to use their recycling bin. Your first recycling bin is free, but if you like more, they are $10 each.

You can use a plastic "storage" type container or a cardboard box.

Make sure it is marked RECYCLING so the contents are not disposed with the regular trash.

Newspapers, magazines, and ads should be tied securely with a string or placed in a brown paper bag.

Telephone books do not have to be bundled.

Plastic jugs, bottles, glass bottles, and jars must be washed out.

Only plastic jugs and bottles marked with a 1 or 2 on the bottom will be accepted.

Plastic containers marked with a 3 through 7 will be accepted

Metal cans need to be clean.

Pots and pans.

If any recycling is dirty, it will be thrown out with the regular trash.

Click here to view a flier for RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE and ELECTRONIC RECYCLING.

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What is a variance? Click to read about the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), how the appeal process works, and how the ZBA tries to relieve property owners from ordinances uniquely affecting them.

SEMCOG

SEMCOG has released some excellent information about the amount of accidents are caused by deer. Click here to read more about these staggering figures.

Also, click here to view SEMCOG's 2008 Regional Update.

CRWC

The Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) is a non-profit organization to help protect and improve the health of the Clinton River. The CRWC also wants to assure that the river's natural, economical, and recreational attributes enhance the quality of life for those who are directly affected by it. The CRWC is made up of four full-time and two part-time staff along with a 15-member board of directors. They provide programs in areas of watershed management, such as Stream Leaders, Adopt-A-Stream, River Day, and Clinton Clean-Up Programs. The Clinton River, as some may know, runs through Sylvan Lake. Click here to learn how the CRWC has such an impact on Sylvan Lake.

Protect Our Lake - Deicing Driveways and Sidewalks (From the CRWC)

Winter brings with it lots of fun outdoor activities, like sledding, ice skating, and skiing. But winter also means mounds of snow to shovel and layers of slippery ice to remove from our sidewalks and driveways. We often attempt to make the job easier by using various products to melt the snow and ice. However, many people do not realize that many of these products have hidden impacts. When the ice melts, the salt and chemicals dissolve and flow into street drains that lead directly to a lake or stream, such as the Clinton River Watershed, which leads directly into Sylvan Lake, the Clinton River, and Lake St. Clair.

Does snow or ice need to be removed? If so, how much? We do not always need to see bare concrete to have a safe winter surface. Here are some tips to help you this winter.

Shovel early and often.

When it comes to snow removal, there is no substitute for muscle and elbow grease! Deicers work best when only a thin layer of snow or ice must be melted. So head out and shovel and move as much snow as you can during the storm if possible. You can also use a hoe to scrape ice off the surface before putting down a deicer.

Reduce your use of deicing products.

The most important step in deicing is to physically remove as much snow and ice as possible before applying a deicer. Use a shovel to break up the ice before you add deicer to your sidewalk. Adding more deicer without removing the ice that has melted can result in over-application, meaning more salt and chemicals end up in the Lake.

Reduce deicer use by limiting access to your home to one entrance.

For every doorway that is not used, there will be less deicer washing into your street�s ditches and catch basins. Even if the surface you are applying a deicer to is relatively far from a street or stream, much of the product will not soak into the soil because the ground is frozen. It will instead runoff as the snow melts and as rain falls in early spring.

Avoid fertilizers.

Fertilizers, including those with urea (carbamide, ammonium, carbonyldiamide, etc.) do not contain chlorides, but they contain nutrients. Potassium chloride (Potash) is another fertilizer used to combat snow and ice. Potassium chloride typically costs three to five times as much as sodium chloride and does not work as well at low temperatures.

Limit your use of sand.

Sand doesn't melt ice. Sand provides traction. When sand is washed off of our driveways and sidewalks into storm drains, it ends up in our lakes, rivers, and streams, increasing the amount of sediment there. This extra sediment degrades and even eliminates important habitat for aquatic organisms. Sand is often used by municipalities on roads to help maintain traction. However, ice removal is more typically the concern of homeowners and businesses and therefore proper use of chemical alternatives may be more appropriate.

Try an alternative.

Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) has fewer adverse environmental impacts than salt and does not cause corrosion. CMA is recommended for environmentally sensitive areas but is very expensive. Early studies indicate that sugar and corn products may have minimal negative environmental effects and are safe for surfaces. While these products are available to road commissions and municipalities, access to these products by the general public is limited in Southeast Michigan. Begin asking your local stores to stock these safer products.

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Clinton River Trail Website

The old railroad that is now a trail that goes through Sylvan Lake is part of the Clinton River Trail system. For all of you trail users and enthusiasts, the Clinton River Trail's website is full of news and updated features. It is updated by the Friends of Clinton River Trail (FCRT). Thanks to John Hensler, and FCRT member, the website is getting better and better. For any words of appreciation or any suggestions, please contact John at john@sunkenanchor.com

Sylvan Lake History

We would greatly appreciate any assistance you could offer to expand this important and interesting section of the newsletter. We are looking for any interesting articles relating to the City's history. We are also looking for photos relating to the City, such as:

the Oakland County Boat Club,

Memorial or Veterans Park,

Ferndale Park,

the beach on Lakeview,

the Interurban,

City Hall,

Free Press Fresh Air Camp,

the Community Center, and

the Daniel Whitfield School.

Family photos and any and all events around Sylvan Lake will also be accepted and reviewed. Please label your photos and bring them to City Hall. They will be scanned and returned promptly. There are also two City Council Meeting Minute books missing. The book that dates before 1928 is the first City Council book. It would be interesting to read about how Sylvan Lake became a Village. Another missing book is for the years from 1946 to 1950, when Sylvan Lake became a City. Please look around your home for these missing books and return them to City Hall.

Ice Activities

Ice skating, ice fishing, and ice boating on Sylvan Lake surely goes back further than these photos taken in the 1940�s. These activities will include more residents now that the lake is frozen and winter has arrived. It is time to don your warm winter jackets, pants, hats, gloves and head for the lake.

Special Thanks/Kudos

To everyone who participated in the Holiday Lighting Contest, and a special thank you to all of our judges!

To the Public Works Department for their excellent job in keeping the Streets clear.

Project Updates

Community Programs

Fur-e-tails Newsletter

A new electronic newsletter for pet lovers, fur-e-tails, has been launched by Sylvan Lake resident Linda Wasche. Every monthly issue contains information and news covering all topics ranging from pet care and nutrition to the latest in pet products and pet lover events. For your FREE subscription contact editor-fur-e-tails@oaklandpetfund.org. All proceeds from fur-e-tails advertising will go to benefit Oakland pet fund, bringing the No-More-Homeless Pets movement to Oakland County.

Pet Supplies Plus of West Bloomfield was involved in the cat trapping program of our City. They are also working together with the Nooters Club on how to prevent littering.

To read more about how to prevent littering and help improve the environment, click here.

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT BECOMING A NEW MEMBER OF NOOTERS CLUB!

CAN YOU FIND A HOME FOR TWO KITTENS? CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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January Calender Of Events

1st     - Happy New Year! City Hall closed.

6th     - Planning Commission Meeting at 7:30 in the Community Center.

13th   - Tri-City Fire Board meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Center.

14th   - City Council Meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Center.

19th   - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - City Hall closed.

29th   - City Council Study Session at 5:00 p.m.

Variances

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) has the power to grant variances upon appeal, from the strict application of the zoning ordinance. An appeal may be filed when there is a practical difficulty or hardship preventing the property owner from conforming to the strict letter of the ordinance. The ZBA will consider the request for a variance and determine whether it may be granted without substantial detriment to the public good and without substantially impairing the intent and purpose of the ordinance.

The authority of the ZBA is designed to provide relief to a property owner from an ordinance that is uniquely affecting him/her. The problem the property owner faces must be created by circumstances unique to the property and not shared by surrounding parcels and the problem cannot be self-created. Typically, the following situations must exist:

The alleged practical difficulty is exceptional and peculiar to the property and generally does not exist throughout the City. An irregular shaped lot or odd natural characteristics of the land are possible examples of this.

The alleged practical difficulty must be more than a mere inconvenience or need for financial gain or financial savings.

The practical difficulty was not created by an action of the applicant and either existed at the time of the adoption of the requirement from which the variance is requested, or is necessary as the result of governmental action such as road widening. A self-created hardship is typically not a valid basis for a variance.

The variance is the minimum necessary to permit reasonable use of the land and building for activities permitted in the zoning ordinance.

Justice considering: Public benefits specifically defined by zoning rules, AND individual hardship suffered by not granting variance, AND the rights of affected property owners.

The appellant presents information usually showing that the requested variance:

Will not be contrary with the intent and purpose of the zoning ordinance,

Will not cause a substantially adverse affect upon adjacent properties,

Will relate only to the property under control of the appellant,

Will not essentially alter the character of the surrounding area,

Will not increase the hazard of fire, flood, or other similar dangers; and

Will not increase traffic congestion.

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Newsletter Guidelines for Outside Submissions

The City of Sylvan Lake welcomes articles, news and updates from members of the community. Such information should be relevant to Sylvan Lake, to its residents and to living in the community. The editor reserves the right to accept or reject any such information. All such information will also be edited for style and space.

In submitting information, please follow the guidelines below.

Submit your information, preferably in electronic form, to:

Newsletter Editor

Sylvanlakenewsletter@gmail.com

248-682-1440

1. Articles and updates

Limit articles, updates and other information to no more than 200 words. Such items must be written from the perspective of an outside objective third party. We do NOT accept editorials or opinion pieces. Let readers know where they can go for more information, where appropriate, by including a phone number, email address or website. Also, be sure to include your contact information in case we have questions.

2. News releases

We welcome news releases on upcoming events and programs, but cannot run releases in their entirety due to space limitations. Be sure to include contact information.

3. Photos

Color photos are welcome IF THEY ACCOMPANY ABOVE DESCRIBED NEWS OR INFORMATION. All photos MUST be in ELECTRONIC format as a .gif or .jpg. If photos include human subjects, be sure you have their permission to submit the photo. Be sure to include a caption explaining what is in the photo as well as a name and contact information for the person submitting the photo. If a photo was taken by someone other the person submitting it, you will need his or her written permission to allow us to use the photo.

4. Deadlines

Information for the newsletter is due as follows:

The 12^th of the month preceding the issue (For example, information for the December issue would be due November 12th and so on.)

Sylvan Lake Spotlight

Sylvan Lake Spotlight is published by the City of Sylvan Lake, 1820 Inverness, Sylvan Lake, MI 48320. Resident news and information are welcome, but must follow newsletter editorial guidelines. To request a copy of the Editorial Guidelines, contact City Manager John Martin at martinsylvanlk@comcast.net.

In the future, Advertising may be accepted from residents and local businesses. Please watch future newsletters to obtain advertising rate information, or to place an ad in the Community Service Directory or Classified Advertising section..

LEGAL NOTICE: This email may be considered an advertising or promotional message. If you no longer wish to receive this email, please unsubscribe using the link found at the top of this newsletter. Views expressed or implied herein are not necessarily those of the City of Sylvan Lake, City Council or its affiliates.