From securing funding for the upcoming removal of the Pucker Street Dam to establishing a Public Arts Commission, those in charge of leading the City of Niles had a busy year in 2015.

The Daily Star asked City Administrator Ric Huff to highlight some of the city’s accomplishments in 2015 and provide a list of what it hopes to achieve in 2016.

Among the many goals he provided — with input from department heads — is expanding the Riverfront Park trail system to the west side of the St. Joseph River and adding improvements and upgrades to Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport.

The full list of 2015 accomplishments and 2016 goals for each department is as follows:

Utilities Department

2015 accomplishments

• Continued and completed upgrade to the southside electrical substation, updating operational equipment and increasing reliability.

• Provided emergency backup to critical infrastructure IT Sector with installation of generation equipment at city hall.

• Partnered with Midwest Energy Cooperative to bring fiber optic internet bandwidth to industrial park customers and city services buildings.

• Completed a comprehensive supervisory control system to monitor and control the city’s drinking water infrastructure.

• Began outsourcing licensed Water Department personnel to assist other communities and owners of public drinking water systems.

• Continued to upgrade aging infrastructure water mains and valves.

• Completed a ferrous chloride system replacement at the wastewater plant.

• Installed wastewater plant alarm monitoring system that uses a web interface accessible from any location.

• Outsourced licensed Wastewater Department personnel to neighboring municipalities.

2016 goals

• Install upgrades to electrical distribution system in each of the city’s substations.

• Plan transmission system automation and control upgrade.

• Continue to apply for grants to assist with Pucker Street Dam decommissioning, currently in excess of $1.3 million received. Begin permitting for dam removal.

• Begin replacement of aging water mains, which have experienced high number of breaks.

• Water well rebuilds and maintenance.

• Continue radio-read installation for water meters.

• Upgrade “return activated sludge” systems at wastewater plant.

• Replacement of skimming and collection system in final clarifier tanks.

• Wastewater laboratory upgrades from the existing 1970s lab and equipment.

 

Fire Department

2015 accomplishments

• Responded to 1,234 emergency calls for service.

• Fire Department was relicensed as a medical continuing education facility.

• Houses and maintains Region 5 Tactical Rescue Trailer and equipment used for search and rescue operations. Specialized equipment was added this year through grants made possible by the Region 5 EMD Board.

2016 goals

• Maintain community fire education, fire prevention and emergency medical services.

 

Building Safety Division

2015 accomplishments

• 1,017 rental unit inspections.

• 109 repair notices issued.

• 171 commercial fire inspections.

• 23 emergency repair notices.

• 64 citations issued for non-compliance.

• Six building demolitions.

• 239 building permits issued.

• 166 electrical permits issued.

• 88 mechanical permits issued.

• 196 garage sale permits issued.

• Administer inspections and permitting for 500 landlords.

2016 goals

• Continuing the functions listed in the 2015 accomplishments.

• A committee has been formed and tasked with increasing recruitment and retention of on-call firefighters. Last year six were hired and unfortunately none of the six became operational members of the department. The committee hopes to use creative advertising and other methods to recruit at least 10 new on-call firefighters to attend the fall 2016 certification class.

 

Public Works Division

2015 accomplishments

• Completed sidewalk and American Disabilities Act compliant sidewalk ramp work.

• Road resurfacing: Broadway St., Platt St., Fort St., and 15th St.

• Cremation niches installed at Silverbrook Cemetery.

• Cooperating with Michigan Department of Transportation on the Main Street Bridge project.

• Brush chipping, leaf collection, road maintenance, snow removal, and other annual activities.

2016 goals

• Grant Street Viaduct deck replacement and safety enhancements.

• Road resurfacing: locations to be determined.

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project to complete a non-motorized pathway between Michigan Street and Superior Street.

• Airport approach enhancements for safety of aircraft.

• Airport pilot’s space remodeled and enhanced for layovers.

 

Clerk’s Office

2015 accomplishments

• Issued permits or authorization for 49 individual festivals or events in the city.

2016 goals

• Organize and manage the 2016 national election.

 

Community Development

2015 accomplishments

• The city hired a new community development director in 2015: Sanya Phillips.

• Considerable local planning efforts to coordinate efforts toward affordable housing and homelessness elimination.

• Kickoff and continuing support of the Michigan Municipal League PlacePlans grant process.

• Establishment of the Niles Public Arts Commission.

2016 goals

• Issue a new parks and recreation plan

• Issue a new city master plan

• Issue a new consolidated plan

• Working with Lakeland and Southwest Michigan Planning Agency to expand Riverfront Park trail system to the west side of the St. Joseph River.

• Work on a community bicycle loan program.

• Continue support of the Summer My Way program.

• Grant program and loans to low-income homeowners for emergency repairs.

• Place at least one piece of public art.

• Seek funding for the preservation of key historic buildings along Main Street.

• Work with stakeholders to develop cradle to career education attainment.

 

Police

2015 accomplishments

• 1,191 arrests

• 2,654 citations issued

• Trained two police department employees to be instructors in Rape Aggressions Defense (RAD). The instructors held four RAD classes during 2015, successfully training more than 70 women in self defense.

• Held three town hall meetings at the request of citizens in order to continue positive community relations.

2016 goals

• Increase presence at school sporting events though a grant.

• Test a new mini task force to address neighborhood issues and business district complaints.

• Always working toward excellent community relations.

• Continue the RAD program and introduce another more advanced self defense program.