Press Release | Office of the Mayor | This Week in Westland : April 23, 2016

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

This Week in Westland

April 23, 2016 - May 1, 2016

ISI Figure Skating - The Mike Modano Ice Arena will be showcasing some of the very talented figure skaters that train out of the arena on Wildwood just south of Hunter. The ISI Figure Skating Program will be performing their annual Spring Ice Show this weekend with shows on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23 in the evening and a matinee performance on Sunday, April 24 afternoon. Tickets are available at the door, so please come out and support our local skaters and see the tremendous talent that will be on display.

Budget Study Session - Saturday, April 23 will be the second and final Open Study Session regarding the City of Westland's proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The public is invited to attend this meeting which takes place in the Council Chambers of Westland City Hall. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. You can view the agenda by clicking here.

Central City Parkway Streetscape Improvement Meeting - The City of Westland is hosting a public information meeting on Wednesday, April 27 at Westland City Hall, located at 36300 Warred Road. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. and conclude by 7:30 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to get input from the community on the design of streetscape improvements along Central City Parkway. The road is being reconstructed in its current layout beginning this spring. The streetscape design process is just beginning and plantings are expected to begin after Labor Day this year. OHM Advisors has been engaged to lead the design process. There will be a short presentation at 6:00 p.m. to outline the streetscape scope and intended improvements. Topics of the meeting will include landscape, hardscape, median improvements, public art and monuments and a library pathway.

Phone and e-mail Scams - We have all heard the horror stories about someone being burned by a crooked contractor. Maybe a company that did subpar work with cheap materials, didn't pull the right permits, or maybe just took the money and never did any work at all. The Westland Friendship Center will be hosting a seminar to help you recognize the warning signs and protect yourself from becoming a victim of home improvement scam artists. This free event will be Thursday, April 28 at 1:30pm at the Center located at 1119 Newburgh Road. You can call 734-722-7628 for more details or to register

SAVE THE DATE - City of Westland's 50th Anniversary Celebration - May 16th, 1966 is the day that Westland officially became a City and so, on Monday, May 16 of this year, we will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary. Beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Westland City Hall, there will be a ceremony to open up the time capsule that was buried a half century ago. Throughout the day there will be opportunities for you to view the contents, and also tour the City Hall. Later in the afternoon, WLND will be shooting a panel discussion with Mayor William R. Wild and former mayors of our great city. And we cap off the evening with a special Mayor's Homecoming Reception at 7:00 p.m. You can find more information at www.cityofwestland.com and our Facebook page. So be sure to mark your calendars to join us on Monday, May 16th as we celebrate our Golden Anniversary.

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary, at (734) 467-3200.

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds if shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, on of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more that 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.