News/Announcements  

 

From the City Manager

First, I want to wish all of you a very happy, healthy, and safe New Year. As do all years, 2009 had many changes, challenges, and ups and downs for us on all levels of our life; as individuals, families, and companies to the City’s, the State, the Country, and Foreign Countries. Some of the changes are good and some are very difficult that require us to make significant changes in our way of life. During times like these, it is very easy to fall into a “doom and gloom” mentality that is both depressing and sometimes immobilizing. We become unhappy and complain about our lives or circumstances and carry that over to how we treat our friends, neighbors, and family. Negativity breeds negativity. However, we do not have to follow that mentality and allow it to consume us. We have a choice. We have the ability as individuals to have a positive outlook on our lives and help others see that positive outlook for themselves. We often spend so much time dwelling on the negative that we forget the positive. We complain about not having things we “need,” when most often they are really just things we “want.”

 

As a City, we will try to keep that positive attitude even though there are difficult months and years ahead. With the Charter Amendment passing, it will help us maintain most of the services that have been provided in the past in spite of the large reduction in property taxes received. The Charter Amendment does not fix the financial issues we face and it does not eliminate the need for change. Many services will be reduced or altered in some way, but we will strive to have them continue. We already have groups of residents that are willing to donate time to hold events in the City to not only generate funds for projects, but to also create a sense of unity with a positive and fun atmosphere. Following is a partial list of things we currently do or would like to do in the future, with your help:

• Home and Garden Tour,
• JuriedArt Fair (new for 2010),
• Fire W orks,
• Ice Cream Social,
• Memorial Day Parade,
• Garden Club,
• Holiday Egg Huntm and
• Parks and Recreation activities including movies, games, soccer, etc.

Of course there are the main attractions in the City with our

• Community Center,
• Memorial park,
• Ferndale and Lakeview parks,
• boat ramp access,
• boat docks,
• RV storage,
• bocce ball, and
• volley ball.

At the community center, there could be

• scrap booking,
• crafting,
• card clubs,
• Monday Night Football,
• Kid's Day,
• Bike Day,
• CPR training, etc.

It would be great to have the tennis courts repaired and have tennis lessons and possibly

a local tournament. Concerts in the Park would be a wonderful way to get people together.

There will be many thoughts and ideas being discussed by the City Council and Administration as we strive to keep Sylvan Lake the beautiful and unique City it is. Your positive

input is encouraged and appreciated.

 

 

John Martin, City Manager

 

Snow Plowing Reduced

With the rising cost of fuel and salt and as a cost-saving measure, the streets will not be plowed or salted as much as they have been in the past. They will be monitored for safety and addressed if necessary, but they will not always be completely bare. 

 

RVA Spaces Available 

There are still some RVA Storage Spaces available.  If you are interested, please call City Hall.  If you are not interested this year but would be next year, please make sure you put your name on the wait list.

 

Taxes

Taxes are payable through February 14th, 2010 without a penalty. On February 15th, penalties will be applied - no exceptions! No postmarks are 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.

 

Due Dates

If a due date is on a weekend or a Monday, your bill is still due. Please use the mail slot by the front door at City Hall. Penalties will not be waived if they are received after the due date.

City Council Meeting

City Council will be holding its next meeting on Wednesday, January 13th, in the Sylvan Lake Community Center. On the agenda will be the discussion of the boat dock and park fees along with whether or not Council meetings should be broadcast on cable television. 

 

Don’t pay another late fee for your Taxes or Water/Sewer Bills

You may have your water/sewer bills and tax bills automatically deducted from your checking or savings account on the due date. It is very easy to set up. Please contact City Hall for more information.

 

Rewards for Recycling

This program encourages curbside recycling. Residents can go online to register at www.rewardsforrecycling.com. To encourage recycling, the City is selling green, wheeled recycling bins at ½ price at City Hall. There are three sizes: 35-gallon for $20, 64-gallon for $22, and $96-gallon for $25. Each has a 10-year warranty.

 

Your identifier tag was sent to you. If you did not receive one or lost it you can call Richfield at 877-609-6753. Participation in the program gives you access to valuable savings with local merchants. To see items which can be recycled a recycling flyer is at www.sylvanlake.org, click on City Services.

Wheeled Trash Cans

Richfield Equities (trash collection company) is selling large wheeled garbage cans to Sylvan Lake residents at a great price. Cans are available to purchase at City Hall. There are three sizes: 35-gallon for $41, 64-gallon for $46, and 96-gallon for $52. Each has a 10-year warranty.

 

Assessment Notices

will be mailed the last week of February. The Board of Review will meet at the Community Center in March. If you feel the assessment of your property is incorrect and would like to make an appointment to meet with our Board of Review to request a change please do so by contacting Oakland County Equalization Division, tollfree 1-888-350-0900, Ext. 80768. The board will meet at the Community Center on:

• Wednesday, March 3rd, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Monday, March 8th, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 10th, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

 

Boat Dock/Park Policy Changes

Changes in Boat Dock and Park Policy at the December City Council meeting the following changes were made to the boat dock policy:

• Eliminated the requirement to have a watercraft, dock or mooring post at a dock space. However, if there is one or more watercraft at a dock space, at least one of the watercraft has to be owned by the dock space holder.

 

• Deleted the provision in the Boat Dock Policy that allows residents to waive a dock space for one year. If the next person on the dock wait list is offered a dock space, they must accept it and pay the fee, or be removed from the wait list. However, they may choose to be placed at the bottom of the wait list for a charge of $25 if they make that choice immediately when declining an offered dock space.

• A boat ramp key may be purchased by any resident whether they own a boat or not. However, a watercraft sticker or day pass is still required for each watercraft launched.

 

REMINDER!

Boat Dock Applications and all associated information are due no later than MARCH 1st. Boat dock owners will be receiving their information packets in the mail. This is simply a reminder. You must have ALL of the required information and documentation with you when submitting your application. W e will not accept partial information. Just to refresh you on some of the requirements, they are:

• If there is a watercraft, at least one watercraft must be owned by the dock space holder.
• Original registration for proof of ownership of each watercraft.
• Proof of PL & PD insurance for the dock and all water craft that will be placed in the dock space. Proof must be submitted with the application. 
• Deadline for submitting a dock license application and all information is March 1st. If we do not receive your application by March 1st, you may lose your space.

Volunteers Needed for Boards and Committees 

We are still looking for volunteers to sit on the Parks & Recreation Committee. This includes someone to Chair the Committee. It will be a working committee to help organize events in the parks and the Community Center, along with enhancing our facilities. Also, the Cable Commission needs a volunteer for a three-year term. The application for any committee is on the website at www.sylvanlake.org under downloadable forms.

Snowmobilers

We are reminding snowmobilers that State law prohibits the use of City roads and road right-of-ways as well as our City parks.

 

Winter Parking Request

We ask you to try not to park in the streets when the snow starts to fall so that the City can be properly plowed. Also, do not shovel or blow snow into the street, and snowmobiling is not permitted on any streets, in any parks, or in any road ROW (Right Of Way).

 

Dog/Cat License Renewal

Dog owners will receive a renewal form from the Oakland County Animal Control. The cost is $7.50 for dogs who are neutered/spayed, and $15 if they are not. Proof of the rabies vaccine for both dogs and cats is needed. The cost is $3.50.

 

Protect Our Lake - Deicing Your Walks and Driveways

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, that in the Clinton River Watershed, lead directly into Sylvan Lake, the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.

 

Does snow or ice need to be removed? If so, how much? We don't 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 is possible. You can also use a hoe to scrape ice off the surgace before putting down a deicer. 

• Reduce your use of deicing products. The most important step in deicing is to physicallyremove 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 isn’t 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.) don't contain chlorides but they contain nutrients. Potassium chloride (Potash) is another fertilizer used to combat snow and ice. Potassium chloride typically costs 3-5 times as much as sodium chloride and doesn't work as well at low temperatures. 

• Limit your use of sand. Sand does not melt ice. Sand only 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 doesn't 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 SE MI. Begin asking your local stores to stock these safer products.

 

CDBG Funds Available

The City has limited funds available through the State of Michigan and Oakland County for a Home Chore and Minor Home repair program. The purpose of this fund is to help Senior Citizens and low/moderate income households by assisting them with home chores and minor home repair requests. The Home Chore program, is for things such as raking leaves, shoveling snow, painting, cleaning, etc. for Senior Citizens and low to moderate income families. The minor home repair program is for larger tasks such as furnace repair/replacement, water heaters, roofs, electrical, plumbing, etc. and is available for low/moderate income families. If you would like to fill out an application to benefit from this program, please contact City Hall. The funds are available so let’s take advantage of them.

 

Parks & Recreation Committee Members and Chairperson STILL needed

We are still looking for volunteers to sit on this active committee.  This includes someone to Chair the Committee.  It will be a working committee to help organize events in the parks and the Community Center along with enhancing our facilities. If you are interested, please call or email City Hall.