Kalamazoo City and County Governments are one of five communities nationally chosen to participate in a selective program focused on reducing the overuse of jails and the negative effects that jail overuse has on communities.

A County team consisting of Commissioner Julie Rogers and Chief District Court Judge Christopher Haenicke, and a City team comprising Mayor Bobby J. Hopewell and Assistant Chief of Public Safety David Boysen will lead community partners in the year-long “Intergovernmental Policy Academy: Young Adults and the Justice System” that is being supported by the National Association of Counties (NACo), the National League of Cities (NLC) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as part of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety + Justice Challenge. Additional team members named in the application are Prosecutor Jeff Getting, County Sherriff Richard C Fuller III, Director of Michigan Works! Southwest, Ben Damerow, and Jeff Patton, the CEO of Kalamazoo Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

The city and county are partnering on this effort out of necessity to coordinate optimal service provision and to efficiently use and leverage resources. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS), Kalamazoo Township Police, and the City of Portage Public Safety are recognizing that each is strongest when working together with others. The main areas of interest include early intervention, mental health and substance abuse screening and assessment, job training and workforce integration, post-incarceration reentry, data system and data evaluation model improvements, cross-agency and cross-jurisdiction communication and coordination. Kalamazoo County and the City of Kalamazoo are interested in participating in the Intergovernmental Academy to gather new ideas and strategies for integrating existing, disparate efforts, and to develop new best practice models in data collection and analysis so we can identify opportunity areas for improvement.

There has also been a new effort to prioritize the community’s commitment to reducing the number of young people incarcerated. Some programming efforts in this area have already been instituted. However, assessment of program outcomes can be markedly improved.

Jail overuse creates ongoing, harmful effects, inefficiently uses scarce resources, responds ineffectively to mental health and substance abuse issues, and does not recognize the developmental stage of young adults (age 18-24). As documented through the Safety and Justice Challenge, many individuals held in local jails are charged with low-level, non-violent offenses, are pretrial, and do not constitute threats to public safety or flight risks. These practices take an outsized toll on young adults and communities of color.

This initiative will support Kalamazoo City and County governments along with five other teams to: 1) develop strategies to reduce the use of jails for young adults 2) achieve measurable reductions in the use of jails for young adults, especially young adults of color 3) learn from peers and experts across the nation to reduce the use of jails for young adults.

The program consists of two, two-day intensive conferences and a year of technical, policy, and other assistance tailored to achieve the program’s goals. Each selected team of city, county and state officials will identify a goal for aligning policies across all levels of government, such as: re-examining current procedures that perpetuate poverty, including fines and fees, and improving services that support employment among young adults among many others possible goals. In addition, all teams will work to improve information- and data-sharing policies and practices across jurisdictions.

The City and County’s application to participate was led by County Commissioner Julie Rogers with support from Mayor Bobby J. Hopewell. The application was successful because of the demonstrated commitment and capacity of a proposed team to engage consistently in the technical assistance and peer-learning activities over 12 months, and a demonstrated need and potential to benefit from technical assistance.

More information about the Safety + Justice Challenge can be found at www.safetyandjusticechallenge.org. More information on the program can be found at www.naco.org/resources/signature-projects/safety-and-justice-challenge. More information on Imagine Kalamazoo and the Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo Plan can be found at www.imaginekalamazoo.com.

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The total number of tax delinquent parcels and the total value of delinquent parcels continued to decline in 2017, the year in which a Foundation for Excellence-funded property tax reduction took effect.

The total number of tax delinquent parcels in the City of Kalamazoo decreased from 3,296 in 2016 to 2,938 in 2017. The total value of delinquent taxes decreased from $4,798,276 to $3,663,053. These latest figures mark the continuation of a positive trend that has seen numbers steadily improving as the community recovers from the Great Recession.

“It’s great to see these numbers keep moving in the right direction, but we are only just starting to see the effects this property tax reduction and the Foundation for Excellence will have in our community,” noted Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby J. Hopewell. “People and businesses are excited to move into the city and we are seeing that reflected in our local real estate market as well as the number of economic development projects currently underway.”

“The total amount of delinquent taxes and foreclosures continue to decrease in the city which is encouraging” noted Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema. “It is our goal to have a stable tax base and to have our hard working families grow wealth and income. The millage reduction has had a direct impact on residents paying their taxes current. As we continue to invest in our housing stock and infrastructure, we will continue to see positive results.”

In 2017, the Kalamazoo City Commission approved an agreement with Kalamazoo-area philanthropists to create the Foundation for Excellence, a public-private partnership that will provide funding to reduce property taxes, make aspirational investments in the City, and work to eliminate generational poverty. As a result, the City of Kalamazoo Operating Millage was reduced from 19.2705 To 12 mills starting in 2017. This decrease applies to all individuals and businesses that are subject to City property taxes, regardless of their income level, and is intended to be permanent.

The City of Kalamazoo Public Services Department will begin the Spring Hydrant Flushing Program for 2018 on Sunday, April 15 and continue through Tuesday, April 24. Most of the flushing will be done at night between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. with some additional day flushing between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Hydrants and mains are flushed twice each year (in the spring and fall) to remove accumulated sediments. While flushing doesn’t affect the safety of the water supply, tap water may appear cloudy or discolored immediately after flushing. If this occurs, residents are advised to run their cold water in their bathtub or utility sink until it runs clear again. Residents are discouraged from using their washing machines the day of flushing and for 24 hours after, since clothing could become discolored.

Periodic flushing is necessary to get rid of deposits that form inside the water mains. Over time, sediment builds up on the inside of water distribution pipes, narrowing the path that water can flow through to individual homes and businesses. Flushing stirs up water in the mains and forces water and sediments out. By widening the path that water can flow through the mains, the flushing program improves water flow, helping the City to better meet the needs of Public Safety fire personnel. Another goal of the flushing program is to verify that all water supply systems are functioning properly, including pumps, storage tanks, mains, valves, and hydrants.

If you have scheduled construction or maintenance projects during this time, please contact Robert McClenney at 337-8148 so that necessary precautions can be taken to avoid conflicts or problems.

pdf 2018 Spring Hydrant Flushing Map (870 KB)