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151 Martin, P.O. Box 3001
Birmingham, MI 48012
Ph. 248.530.1800
Fax 248.530.1080
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Welcome to the August 2019 edition of the Around Town e-Newsletter from the City of Birmingham. We hope you enjoy this e-newsletter and forward it to friends or family who may be interested in the City of Birmingham!
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Inside City Hall with Birmingham City Manager, Joe Valentine
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Inside City Hall August 2019 |
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Birmingham N.O.W. special election slated for August 6, 2019
On August 6, 2019, there is a ballot proposal for consideration of funding for the reconstruction of the North Old Woodward parking structure and extending Bates St. Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. You can contact the City Clerk's office at (248) 530-1880 for information regarding your polling location.
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Promote the Vote - Changes to Election Process
Voter Registration:
The passage of state ballot proposal 18-3 in November provides more time to register to vote. For the August 6, 2019 special election, qualified residents may register to vote in-person at the City Clerk's office through August 5, with verification of residency. You may also register to vote on Election Day, in person at the Clerk's office with verification of residency, and vote at the Clerk's office by absentee ballot or in person at your precinct.
Absentee Voting
All registered voters may now request an absentee ballot without providing a reason. Applications for AV ballots to be mailed to a voter must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 2. On Saturday, August 3, the City Clerk's Office will be open 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. to issue AV ballots to voters in-person. Voters may also obtain an AV ballot in-person on Monday, August 5 until 4:00 p.m. Visit www.bhamgov.org/voting for more information.
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Citywide Master Plan process moves toward writing of first draft of document
August will be another active month in the ongoing citywide Master Plan process.
The City's planning consultants from DPZ Co Design are busy preparing for a workshop with the City's Planning Board, anticipated to occur later this month, to start reviewing and vetting the first draft of what will eventually become the Master Plan document.
Preparation for the Planning Board workshop comes on the heels of the busy Master Plan Drop- In Clinic, that was held in July in downtown Birmingham. Hundreds of people visited the Drop-In Clinic to meet with City leaders and the planning team, helping to envision Birmingham's next 20 years. In addition to the Drop-In Clinic, public engagement in July included the final submissions of a second survey.
Looking ahead, the planning team expects to present the first draft of the Master Plan document to the City Commission and Planning Board, expected to be at the end of September. The eventual final version of the Master Plan is due in January, to be followed by a thorough vetting process prior to its eventual adoption, anticipated by the middle of 2020.
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Planning continues for Maple Road Reconstruction Project expected to start in spring of 2020
The City is in the process of planning for the Maple Road Reconstruction Project, planned to start in the spring of 2020. Also known as Maple in 2020, this project will be the second phase of a three phase process to enhance underground systems as well as improve streets, sidewalks, landscaping and street lighting in downtown Birmingham.
The project will stretch from Chester to Woodward Ave. as well as include safety improvements to the Southfield Rd. and Maple intersection. Similar to the award winning Old Woodward Reconstruction Project in 2018, Maple in 2020 will result in new underground infrastructure, wider sidewalks and much more.
The safety improvements for the Southfield Rd. and Maple intersection will include relocating the intersection about 25 feet west, toward a City park, allowing turns to and from Southfield Rd. to be made safer, thereby reducing the possibility of car crashes.
Residents, businesses and stakeholders are encouraged to sign up for the Maple Road Reconstruction groups to get real time updates from the City throughout the project. You can sign up for the updates through the City's Stay in Touch feature on the City website on the following link: bit.ly/bhamnews
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Public invited to follow study of unimproved roads in City as 2019 cape seal work nears
The City's Ad-Hoc Unimproved Street Study Committee continues to assess policies, procedures and funding options related to the 26 miles of gravel roads throughout the City which are referred to as unimproved streets. You can sign up for meeting notifications of this committee on the City website at www.bhamgov.org/enotify for email or text notifications.
While the long term solutions are reviewed, short term maintenance will continue with a number of unimproved streets being scheduled for a cape seal treatment, anticipated for later this month. You can find information on those specific streets on the City website at www.bhamgov.org/capeseal.
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Fire Department Staffs Rescue 2 Ambulance
On July 1
st
, 2019, the Birmingham Fire Department began to staff Rescue 2 at Station 2. Rescue 2 is an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance. This ALS unit is staffed with two firefighter/paramedics during peak run volume times. Based on run history, peak run volume times have been determined to be 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday through Friday. Rescue 2 will have all the life-saving medical equipment a typical ALS ambulance would carry. This equipment includes a LifePak 15 monitor/defibrillator, ALS cardiac drugs, oxygen, Lucus II CPR machine, etc. This level of staffing will significantly reduce the need for mutual aid from OAKWAY mutual aid pact departments and increase the response capabilities to our citizens. In the future, our goal is to have Rescue 2 staffed at Station 2 at all times, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, based on future staffing levels.
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Mark Your Calendar for August Golf Events
We are proud to host our annual 2-Day Championship to determine our Ladies and Men's Club Champions and Senior Champions. The field will play 18-holes at Springdale on the first day of play followed by another 18-holes at Lincoln Hills on the second day of play. The winners will advance to represent our courses in the GAM Tournament of Champions in the fall as our guests.
This tournament is well received by all of our juniors and it gives them an opportunity to put their skills and talents to the test. We offer many divisions for all levels and an awards luncheon to follow with a lot of trophies.
Learn about these events and more at www.GolfBirmingham.org. Lincoln Hills and Springdale Golf Course offer a quick round of golf for those on the go and are rated as two of the top nine-hole courses in Oakland County. Reservations may be made online or by calling Lincoln Hills at (248) 530-1670 or Springdale at (248) 530-1660. Reserve your tee time and learn more at
www.GolfBirmingham.org
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Still Time to Experience Concerts & Movies in the Park
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Photo by Ed Morykwas, River of Time Photography.
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There's still time to enjoy In the Park Summer Concerts this summer in Shain Park! Bring your blanket or lawn chair, kick off your shoes, sing and dance with local bands playing a wide variety of music genres. A special
afternoon concert will be held on August 14 from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Mark your calendar for these upcoming August concerts:
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 - Magic Bus 7pm-9pm
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 - SurfZurp (Beach Boys) 12pm-2pm
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 - Nobody's Business (Roots Rock) 7pm-9pm
Find more information at
www.bhamgov.org/summerconcerts
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 Enjoy a Movie Under the Stars in Booth Park
The Birmingham Shopping District's popular Movie Night events offer pre-show entertainment at 7:30 p.m. followed by a movie at dusk. Attendees enjoy free popcorn, ice cream, water and giveaways while supplies last. Mark your calendar for the last Movie Night of the season! Join us on
Friday, August 23
- Featured presentation: Monsters, Inc.
In the event of inclement weather, movie nights will be held the following day (Saturday).
Monitor the
Birmingham Shopping District Facebook page for weather updates.
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Classic Cars, Food & Fun at Birmingham Cruise Event
It's the time of year when 40,000+ classic cars and more than one million people line Woodward Avenue to attend the world's largest one-day automotive event, the Woodward Dream Cruise.
The
Birmingham Cruise Event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located on South Old Woodward from Maple to Lincoln.
- 300 classic cars of all makes and models
- Chevrolet exhibit to host a variety of displays
- Food vendors
- Car Clubs featuring Corvettes, Thunderbirds, Model A's, Mustangs, Rolls-Royce and more
- Both WXYZ Channel 7 and WOMC 104.3 FM will broadcast live throughout the day
- Live Music
- Collision Six playing from noon - 2 p.m.
Event day registration is open to individual cars, model year 1988 and older. Individual cars may check in after 9:30 a.m. at the registration tent at Brown and Woodward (Jax Kar Wash). Day-of parking is $40, based upon availability and on a first come first served basis.
A special thank you to our Birmingham Cruise Event sponsors: Chevrolet, WXYZ Channel 7, and WOMC 104.3.
Volunteers Needed
Tell your family and friends: volunteers are still needed for the Birmingham Cruise Event on Saturday, August 17! All volunteers will receive free event t-shirts, snacks and hydration all day long! Select from convenient 2 1/2 hour time slots. Volunteers are a valuable part of the Birmingham Cruise Event. Access the volunteer registration form at
http://bit.ly/2019CruiseVolunteer. Thank you in advance for your support!
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Fresh Michigan Sweet Corn at Farmers Market Corn Festival
Find fresh, Michigan sweet corn at the Birmingham Farmers Market's most popular event - the Corn Festival! The event will be held on Sunday, August 11 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Celebrate the sweet harvest with games, special kids crafts, petting zoo, demonstrations and old-fashioned corn shelling.
Enjoy fresh prepared corn dishes including roasted corn, corn bread and other homemade recipes. The day's top seller will be fresh roasted Michigan sweet corn. Learn more at
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August News from the Birmingham Museum
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Bruce Campbell-Courtesy Deadline-com
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On Thursday, August 8th at 7 p.m., the Birmingham Museum will host the last in its summer "Throwback Thursdays" free lectures at the Baldwin Library, which has focused on a lighthearted look at Birmingham history. "Birmingham at the Movies" will look at how our community has been home to an interesting film history. Hometown actors, writers, and directors (some notable examples being Bruce Campbell, Tim Allen, Sam Raimi, and Christine Lahti) seem to have a sense of humor in common (perhaps something in Birmingham's air?) Also, in recent years, Birmingham and the Woodward corridor have provided the setting for feature films and promotional media.
Join us to discuss Birmingham's influence on the film industry at the Baldwin Library, 300 W Merrill St, Birmingham, MI 48009; please
register online
or contact the museum at 248-530-1928 for more information.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and located at 556 W. Maple Rd. Parking is available in the Chester St. structure on the south side of Maple. Admission is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for students and seniors, children 5 and under are free. Please visit us on the web at
www.bhamgov.org/museum
or
www.facebook.com/TheBirminghamMuseum
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August News from the Baldwin Library
 Store Our Stories!
In anticipation of storing nearly 35,000 items off site during the Youth Room Expansion & Renovation, Baldwin invites patrons to check out items on a long term basis as a way to help store materials.
From now through August 10, check out items that will otherwise go into storage, including Adult Biographies and Youth books, CDs, story kits, and DVDs. All items will be due June 1, 2020.
 Youth Room Expansion & Renovation Begins
On August 12, the Baldwin's Youth Room construction project will begin. A temporary Youth area will be set up inside the Library during the project. The new Youth Room is expected to open to the public in June 2020. Follow along at
www.baldwinlib.org/renovation
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The Baldwin Public Library is located at 300 W. Merrill Street.
For more information visit
www.baldwinlib.org
or call (248) 647-1700.
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Next: A Community Center for Boomers & Beyond
2121 Midvale, Birmingham, MI
PICKLEBALL AT THE BIRMINGHAM ICE RINK
WRAPS UP AUGUST 2ND.
Enjoy six courts of open play in the climate-controlled setting
with indoor amenities and easy parking.
Tuesdays - Friday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
and 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Drop-in cost: $1 members / $3 non-members
MINDFULNESS & MEDITATION
Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:00 pm
Begin or deepen your meditation practice in a safe, welcoming
environment with Karen Lutz, E-RYT. Attend once or as often
as you like.
Complimentary/Donations to Next appreciated.
NEW & PROSPECTIVE MEMBER COFFEE
Thursday, August 15 at 1:00 pm
Join us for coffee and treats to hear about all the great opportunities
Next offers while getting to know other new members and the Next staff!
MICHIGAN BAD: MURDERERS, ROBBERS
& THIEVES IN MICHIGAN
August 15th 6:00 pm
Tom Carr, Historian and Author
Train robberies, stage-coach hold-ups, posses, breakouts and
shoot-em ups step out of the darker pages of Michigan's past.
Mr. Carr will shine a searchlight on several of the most
jaw-dropping true crime capers and rogues.
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Avoid Fines: Keep Grass & Weeds Below Eight Inches
 To ensure our city looks well-maintained, the City's ordinance requires grass and weeds to be kept below eight inches high. Poison ivy, ragweed or any other poisonous, noxious or unhealthy growths are prohibited. Those in violation of this ordinance will have their lawn mowed and will be required to pay for the service. Access the entire Grass and Noxious Weed ordinance (Sec. 118-66) on the City's website. For more information, call the Department of Public Services at
(248) 530-1700. To make a complaint, call the
Birmingham Code Enforcement Hotline at 248-530-1859
, and leave a detailed message.
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Thank you for reading Around Town, a monthly e-newsletter from the City of Birmingham. We hope you find the information timely and useful. Please feel free to forward this e-mail to friends and neighbors who may be interested in Birmingham.
Sincerely,
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