The Kalamazoo City Commission is seeking applicants for appointment to the City Commission to fill the seat vacated by Shannon Sykes. The Kalamazoo City Charter requires that the City Commission fill the position by appointing a qualified person within 30 days of the position becoming vacant.

To be appointed to the City Commission, a person must be a U.S. citizen, must be 18 years of age or older, and must be a resident of the City of Kalamazoo at the time their application is filed with the City Clerk.

To be considered for appointment, interested citizens must submit a pdf Board and Commission Application (94 KB)  form and a letter of interest to the City Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, 2019. The application form is available in the City Clerk's Office and on the City’s website pdf here (94 KB) . Completed forms and letters of interest may be submitted to the City Clerk in the following ways:

Fax:   (269) 337-8494

Email:   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

U.S. Mail and in person:

Scott Borling, City Clerk
241 W. South Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49007

For further information, citizens should contact the City Clerk at (269) 337-8792.

Nomination packets are now available for citizens wishing to run for the offices of Mayor or City Commissioner. Packets may be picked up in the Kalamazoo City Clerk’s Office located on the first floor of City Hall during normal business hours.

To run for Mayor or City Commissioner, each candidate must submit a nominating petition containing at least 50 signatures (but no more than 75) and a completed Affidavit of Identity. According to the Kalamazoo City Charter, a person seeking the office of Mayor or City Commissioner shall be a resident of, and qualified elector in, the City of Kalamazoo at the time of filing for election or appointment to that office.

Important dates for potential candidates are as follows:

• May 25, 2019 - Candidates may begin circulating nominating petitions
• July 23, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. – Deadline for nomination petitions and affidavits of identity to be filed with the Kalamazoo City Clerk’s Office
• July 26, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. – Last day for eligible candidates to withdraw their candidacy

On November 5, 2019, Kalamazoo voters will elect three Commissioners for four-year terms, and the Mayor for a two-year term. The City Commission candidate receiving the most votes will serve as Vice Mayor for two years until a new one is selected in the next Municipal Election. The previous Vice Mayor will then serve the remaining two years of their term as a City Commissioner.

The Kalamazoo City Clerk’s Office provides this and other valuable information on it’s website at www.kalamazoocity.org/elections. If you have any questions, please visit the website or contact our office at (269) 337-8793.

 The Kalamazoo Historic Preservation Commission (KPHC) will present its 2019 Awards of Merit on Wednesday, May 29, at 5:30 pm. The awards ceremony will be held at the Ladies' Library Association building at 333 S Park Street. The public is welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served.

For more than two decades the KHPC has presented awards for preservation projects in the city of Kalamazoo. Awards have recognized institutions such as the Woodward School, books such as Kalamazoo: Lost and Found, and nearly three dozen projects including many types of housing rehabilitation projects, new infill housing, and commercial redevelopment.

These awards are given annually in May in local recognition of National Historic Preservation Month. The awards recognize individuals or institutions that have done an outstanding job of rehabilitating a historic structure or have actively promoted or contributed to historic preservation in the city of Kalamazoo.

This year’s four award winners include:

Residential Property

George and Emma Steers House at 318 Woodward: On August 28 of 2014, this seven-unit rental house suffered a devastating fire, with three-quarters of the roof burned off and fire and water damage throughout. The landlord chose to sell the house to another landlord. Over the following two years, Jim Pejka restored the house, starting by re-using the original salvaged trim materials to repair the roof. Once the roof was complete work began in earnest- drying the house out, removing damaged and moldy material, and planning the new configuration into an eight-unit apartment building with updated electrical, egress, fire suppression, heating, and cooling. With approval from the Historic District Commission, the non-historic second floor of a small north porch was removed along with a damaged and unneeded chimney. The wing walls on the front steps were also repaired among many more updates and repairs. Mr. Pejka has set a high bar for rehabilitating a historic home.

William and Maria DeYoe House (built 1853-1854): Originally built for William and Maria DeYoe, an attorney and postmaster in Kalamazoo’s early years, this home is one of the finest examples of the Gothic Revival style in the city. The Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo purchased this house in 2001, using it for several years as a guest house or for young men with a calling to the priesthood. Starting in 2015, the Diocese determined to make upgrades and long neglected repairs, and under the guidance of Monsignor Michael Osborne, a true update and rehabilitation started with a thorough assessment. Monsignor referred to a historic photo that showed the earliest recorded paint colors were much lighter than the current ones. Along with repairing and replicating missing and damaged pendils and other trim, the original color scheme was restored, the triple spear point windows in the 3rd floor were restored, bricks were repointed as needed, and gutters were repaired and re-attached. The home’s details, such as a built-in garbage bin on the west side porch, were all repaired and made operable. Other interior work brought the home into the 21st century without sacrificing any period details. This rehabilitation is an excellent example of modernizing an important historic home while respecting its evolution over time.

Riley and Tolle Service Station at 1104 Portage: In late 2016, Allbox Properties and Grant Fletcher purchased former service station on the corner of Portage and Lake Streets. The bay garage doors were updated with frosted glass, the glazed brick at the base of the walls was exposed and cleaned, and the building was freshly painted with a light blue color scheme to complement the brick base. These investments in this 2,190 square-foot building have not only returned the luster to its exterior, but they have ensured that the southwest corner of Postage and Lake Street will maintain an anchor structure as the surrounding neighborhood continues to evolve and prosper.

Institutional Stewardship

Upjohn Institute: Since shortly before W. E. Upjohn’s death in 1932, the Upjohn Institute has been an important part of Kalamazoo. The Institute has also been an excellent steward of Kalamazoo’s historic properties dating back to 1965 when it finished its newer building. The Colonial Revival Boudeman House at 515 West South was purchased from Donna Boudeman and features massive two-story columns and a fine symmetry throughout. The institute has consistently made needed repairs, faithfully preserving the house. In the fall of 2018, the Institute purchased the Carder-Van Deusen House at 527 West South and has just received approval from the Historic District Commission to turn the garage into a small guest cottage and repurpose the home as office and meeting space.

For more information, please call Sharon Ferraro, City of Kalamazoo Historic Preservation Coordinator at (269) 337-8804 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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