Supervisor Says Future Is Bright for Macomb Township

Macomb Township Supervisor Mark Grabow said he's proud of how efficient and successful the township’s services were in 2010, and he's confident in the year to come.

“I think we’re going to have a great time and an exciting year this year in Macomb,” Grabow said in his 2011 State of the Township address Friday morning. “We had a fantastic year last year.”

Grabow said while the township already provides a variety of convenient and cost-effective services to its residents, it is always exploring new methods and programs to enhance the quality of life of residents and employees.

He cited the township’s bid process as a leading player in ensuring the budget is used as effectively as possible.

“The bid process for townships is very unique,” Grabow said. “I don’t think people understand what the opportunity is. A lot of governments seem to be willing to pay the bill, and we can’t be willing to pay the bill. We have to be willing to shop.”

By “shopping” for bids, Grabow said the township has received excellent prices on a variety of projects, including the new water main at North Avenue and 21 Mile Road.

The township’s continued increase in population and expansion of businesses is also a source of pride for the supervisor.

Last year, 40 businesses received certified zoning compliance. According to statistics from the township clerk, the population of Macomb Township is currently more than 85,000.

The township will welcome a new assisted living facility and senior living housing complex in 2011, and Grabow said Macomb continues to lead the state in residential building permits, with 329 being issued in 2010.

“The township’s growth trend will continue to grow,” Grabow said. “We have allowed the building department to look into properties that have become bank foreclosed, and we are trying to be proactive to take care of issues to allow residents to feel safe and secure.”

On the environment front, Grabow said the township has been able to use some $600,000 in federal energy grant money to increase the energy efficiency of township buildings.

Switching to LED lighting in parking lots of the town hall and recreation center alone will reduce energy consumption by 70 percent, resulting in a yearly savings of more than $5,000.

New controls on air conditioning and test lighting in the recreation center will also reduce energy costs in 2011. Grabow said the township plans to reduce energy costs by 25 percent. With a $900,000 yearly energy bill, this is a savings of more than $200,000 for the township.

Other topics addressed by Grabow include:

• Legacy costs: The township employees’ retirement program continues to be fully funded.
• : Residents now have the option to pay their water, sewer and taxes online through the township’s website.
• Fire: The fire department now boasts almost 100 paid on-call firefighters.
• Police: The Macomb County Sheriff’s Department continues to service Macomb, and the township is hoping to serve as a hub for the department as it expands its services north in the county.
• Parks & Recreation: 2010 was the best year ever, closing the year at $243,606 in revenue.
• Dial-A-Ride: The partnership with SMART added a third van for the use of disabled and senior residents in September 2010. Planning is under way to build a structure to house the SMART vehicles.
• : Grabow said the board of trustees will continue to educate residents on how the township will handle this and how it plans to maintain and drive down these numbers.

“Yes, we understand the home values are declining and that the dollars we’ve saved throughout the years help us to maintain and weather the storm,” Grabow said. “I have to thank the board for being frugal and staying with a clear thought process. We’ve worked very hard at putting together what we have in the township. We continue to need to weather the storm, as we have been told this is not over. We must be frugal, we must be cautious. Together as a community we will get there.”

Rep. Ken Goike, R-District 33, who was also present at the address, said he, too, is optimistic about Macomb Township’s future, but in relation to Gov. Rick Snyder’s plans for Michigan’s economy.

“The plans are very good at face value … I’m very optimistic for this whole situation to go and our state to be in a good position a couple of years from now,” he said. “We’re living in some really exciting times. Everybody heard the governor’s speech yesterday. There’s a lot of things coming out of Lansing to help put jobs back in Michigan—that’s the focus. We want to go forward in getting the economy rolling, and there are a lot of hard choices that have to be made.”

The address was held at Sycamore Hills Golf Club as part of the Macomb County Chamber’s Good Morning Macomb series.