Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland Ordinance Department Gets New Name and New Leadership

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland Ordinance Department Gets New Name and New Leadership

Westland, MI - Effective January 1, the Westland Ordinance Department has a new name and new leadership.

The former Ordinance Department will be referred to as the Department of Neighborhood Services and will be led by Hassan Saab, the city's Construction and Maintenance Superintendent for the Department of Public Service.

Saab has been with the City of Westland for 2 years and has 23 years of experience with Wayne County Department of Public Service. He also possesses a Ph. D in Structuring Engineering and a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering.

The new Department of Neighborhood Services will encompass all services that were previously handled under the Ordinance Division.

The Fire Department was assigned commercial ordinance enforcement in 2009 as they were already in the business of conducting fire inspections. In 2011, the Fire Department began to tackle residential ordinance enforcement. The main focus at that time was vacant homes with a concentration on addressing blight throughout the city. Additional responsibilities with building enforcement and increased proactive approaches dramatically increased the ordinance workload which ultimately led to hiring subcontractors. On a daily basis, the Fire Marshal Division had a dramatically increased workload taking and receiving complaints and handing dispute of charges. This new transition puts the focus back on critical ordinance issues, re-branded with a new vision and new processes will go into effect to streamline operations and promote pro-activity. This will allow the Fire Marshal Division to focus on the life and safety of our business owners and residents.

"The City worked hard to ensure this transition was seamless and without interruption of services to residents," commented Mayor Wild. "Under Saab's new leadership, I am confident that residents will begin to see improved services through the Department of Neighborhood Services.

If you need to contact the Department of Neighborhood Service, please visit www.cityofwestland.com or call (734)713-3733.

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.

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.