Press Release | Office of the Mayor | City of Westland Awarded $700K in Grants for Court Services, Learning Lab, Public Safety and Park Improvements

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

City of Westland Awarded $700K in Grants for Court Services, Learning Lab, Public Safety, and Park Improvements

Westland, MI (January 10, 2019) - On Monday, January 7 the Westland City Council formalized a state grant to provide funding to assist with the compliance plan and cost analysis approved by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) for indigent criminal defense services in the amount of $385,618. These standards were approved by LARA on May 22, 2017 and the process was amended and described in the Michigan Indigent Defense Act by Public Act 214 in 2018, which mandates the court provide a Court Appointed Attorney at all arraignments and all critical stages of the trial process for indigent defendants.

Nocerini Strategies Group (NSG), which manages the city's grant portfolio, announced that the City of Westland was awarded a Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) from the State of Michigan in the amount of $46,700 to fund the Learning Lab located at the Jefferson Barns Community Vitality Center. The lab, which is geared towards creating pathways out of poverty for under privileged children in the city, offers tutoring services and instruction on coding, hydroponics, 3D printing and other STEM proficiencies as well as transportation.

NSG also announced that the Westland Police Department was awarded an additional JAG grant in the amount of $108,964 to purchase LIDAR and Radar units to reduce speeding and accidents. The department will use the funding to purchase and deploy:

8 Prolaser III LIDAR kits (speed guns)
12 Golden Eagle Radar Units
4 Decauter Onsite 300M Speed Trailers and
14 Speed Radar Signs

Former State Representative Robert Kosowski attended the council meeting and announced that during the recent lame duck legislative session, he was able to secure a $150,000 state grant to be used for upgrades to the amenities at Stottlemeyer Park. Kosowski, who left office January 1, successfully secured $950,000 in grant funding for parks in Westland/Wayne during his 6 year tenure from 2013 to 2018.

"The City really depends on grants like these to continue to fund improvements and service enhancements for our residents," remarked Mayor Bill Wild. "I appreciate the work of our grant team and Representative Kosowski to secure these much needed funds."

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 of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 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 Schools 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.