Welcome to the City of Pontiac blog. This is an effort to keep you (the citizens) better informed of what is happening in city government and this also will be a vehicle for you to keep us (the city administration) better informed of your concerns.

Through this blog, we will try to answer your questions and discuss key issues on a weekly basis. You are encouraged to send questions and comments to blog@pontiac.mi.us or to 47450 Woodward Ave., Pontiac, MI 48342, Attn: BLOG. We will read your comments and they will help us determine your interests in specific areas. The most frequently voiced questions and comments may be reprinted on the blog. We hope that you find this site both helpful and informative!

Thank you for reading our first blogs. Please come back next week, when we will talk further about the sale of city assets, how the city is repositioning staff to create cross-functional project teams, and much more.

-- Fred Leeb, Emergency Financial Manager

Emergency Financial Manager's Updates

Please read the below documents to find out more about what is happening in the City of Pontiac to turn around our economic condition.

Staff Accomplishments - Click here to read all that is being done to improve city government by the staff and management of the City of Pontiac, including:

• Reduction in government cost
• Business investments
• Beautification of the City
• Bargaining Unit Negotiations
• Improvement of infrastructure

Auction of the Silverdome - Click here to read Mr. Leeb's explanation of why the sale of the Silverdome needed to be completed in a timely matter.

Town Hall Meeting - Click here to read the agenda for the Town Hall Meeting that was held on Wednesday, November 18th.

Water & Sewer Rate Increase - Click here for an explanation of why the water and sewer rates must be increased.

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of Mr. Leeb and do not necessary reflect the official position of the City of Pontiac.

I would like to start this issue off by saying thank you to all of the residents and stakeholders who are reading the Blog. I would like respond to several e-mails that have been sent to the blog. In the future, I will try to respond more quickly.

*The following e-mails have been modified to withhold identity of the sender and information that was deemed inappropriate for this forum ( e-mails to us are in blue and responses are in black).

County Sheriff’s Proposal (posted June 19, 2009)

As a resident I wish to thank you for your service to our city, and for your initiatives to date to improve city administration and finances. I also wish to thank you for your response to my letter, in which I stressed the justification for, and apparent absence of, any objective evaluation of the County Sheriff’s proposal as an alternative to continued funding of the Pontiac Police Dept. In your response you reassured me that this evaluation will take place prior to the date on which the grant winners are to be announced, to possibly provide more officers for Pontiac PD.

However, when I look at your blog, I again become confused. You talk about the grant application, as Val Gross does, as if it is the only game in town for expanding public safety.  There is no mention of the possible alternative that may not require a grant (aka more tax money) and could be pursued immediately. Is it is morally/ethically right to compete for public monies before looking at available and more cost-effective alternatives?

Mr. Leeb I dearly hope that you are not tempted to appease the incumbents at the cost of your detachment and objectivity. It will not be financially responsible, nor fair to the residents who still pay taxes, for you to give the Sheriff’s proposal short shrift. I believe you will find many residents ready to support you in looking at alternatives, including me, our block club, and the Citizen’s District Councils, plus many others. We are waiting and watching to hear from you on this.

Mr. Leeb please reassure those of us who want to rebuild Pontiac, by getting started on that evaluation of the Sheriff’s proposal, and by letting us know in a public forum that alternatives to Pontiac PD are being objectively analyzed and results reported.

EFM: As you read on the Blog, awards are expected to be announced in late August. Between now and then, it is still our intent to determine the option that provides the best long-term Police coverage for Pontiac. Had we determined that keeping the department was the best option for the City, but did not apply for the grant, then we would have made a big mistake. By applying for the grant, we are keeping every option open, whether it be only the Pontiac PD, only the County Sheriff, or some collaborative effort of multiple law enforcement agencies as exists now. At this time we do not know what the most cost effective alternative is. Please keep in mind that least expensive and cost effective are not the same. Furthermore, no final decision has been made.

When a decision is reached, it will be based on what the available data suggests is the best alternative for a vibrant Pontiac.

Potential “Feeds” and Greater Interactivity (posted June 19, 2009)

I follow several blogs via “feeds” so updates come directly to my email. Could you please create a feed for the city blog? I expect you would get many subscribers. Also, I would like an opportunity to interact with the blog. Enabling comments would be nice. You could set it up so that an administrator can filter the comments before posting them (so that profanity or slanderous language would not appear on the blog).

EFM: I will check with our Information Technology department to determine the feasibility of implementing a “feed” and registration for that service. I hope to have an answer to you in the next month as to the availability of subscribing to the blog. Thank you for the suggestion.

At this time, we are not prepared to host an open chat. There are many forums where stakeholders can have full debates about the issues posted in the blog and beyond. Our main focus in posting the blog is to be as open as possible with the citizenry as to what is happening in City government. At the same time, we are very interested in hearing your opinions, which is why the email account blog@pontiac.mi.us was established.

Negative Impacts on the City of Misinformation and Televised City Council Meetings (posted June 19, 2009)

I am encouraging you to continue to deny a platform to those persons in the community whom only want to spread discontent throughout the city, sabotage the image of the city to non-citizens and to promote their personal notoriety and agenda. The track we are on will bear positive fruit soon, however unfair criticism, and outright lies enunciated at televised counsel meetings will certainly thwart the positive messages that have been circulating around the city and may in fact hamper and impede the speed of the city's positive progress to vitality and respectability.

FM: Please see the posting of 5/21 on this topic. Many citizens of Pontiac have said that they want their City Council’s meetings to be on TV, not censored in any way, because they would like to see for themselves what is going on. I understand this and that is why I decided to put the Council meetings back on the “air”. I think, however, that this also should mean that the public should hold their elected representatives accountable for what they say and do at City Council meetings.

Frequency of Communication (posted June 19, 2009)

Perhaps there is a communication breakdown.  Weekly means every week.  Bi-weekly means every two weeks. 
When do you suppose the information sharing will continue?

By the way, how wonderful that we can read the opinions of our emergency financial manager, but receive no updates regarding crime in our city (It's been 4 years since the PPD crime stats have been updated on their web site).  At least we have our priorities straight!

EFM: I apologize for the delay in the most recent update to the blog. We are working very diligently to get more done with less staff and this sometimes requires prioritization. While we (EFM and City staff) are committed to the open flow of communication which the blog allows, we are equally committed to handling the day to day operations of the City. We will continue to make every effort to post the blog on a weekly basis, but from time to time as manpower and prioritized situations dictate, this may not be possible.

Concerning the comstat data on the Police website—as you know the Police Department has sustained many cuts over the past several years. One of the positions cut was responsible for updating this information. It is my understanding that another staff person is currently undergoing training on the system to update the site.

Silverdome update (posted June 19, 2009)

An amicable deal could not be completed with the current bidder on the Silverdome and the site is once again available for new bids. As stated in the first posting of this blog, the City will now consider alternative methods of disposing of the property.

We are very aware that the delays in the sale process that already have gone on for years have cost the City many millions of dollars. We intend to move this sale to a fast track procedure that may be finalized very soon.

New Tenants (posted June 19, 2009)

The State of Michigan was glad that it came to downtown Pontiac. So glad in fact, that it is bringing another group. In 2008, The State of Michigan moved a group of Department of Human Services workers to the Oakland Plaza building. On June 15, 2009, 50 workers from the State’s Unemployment Resolution Office moved into the Ottawa Tower building and 50 more are scheduled to come before the end of June. The State’s Department of Human Services will bring another 300-400 employees before the year’s end. All totaled, this should bring over $60,000 new dollars to yearly parking revenues alone to downtown Pontiac—you’ll be glad you came!

Police Department (posted June 19, 2009)

The mobile command unit is up and running; check the Police department website to see when it will be in your area (schedule will be available after the week of June 22). The mobile command unit is an excellent opportunity for citizens to interact with the Police Department and to get answers to many frequently asked questions.

The Chief of Police would like to remind all citizens that there is a city curfew for minors and that it is being enforced. Children between the ages of 12 and 16 should not be out between 12 midnight and 6 AM. Children under 12 are to be in by 11 PM.

The Chief would also like to report the following:

• 16 of the last 20 homicides have been solved and the defendants have been prosecuted or are preparing for trial at this time.
• 2 individuals recently convicted of murder are believed to be responsible for approximately 75% of reported shootings.
• Since January, there have been 15 felony convictions, 33 misdemeanors, and 27 civil infraction citations.

A Place to Play (posted June 19, 2009)

On April 23, 2009 a group of volunteers from the City of Pontiac, Kaboom, Lighthouse of Oakland County, Venture Inc./ Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency, The Chrysler Foundation, and Home Depot came together to construct a 2,500 square foot playground at Baldwin park (located at Howard and Edison Streets). The facility was made possible by a $61,000 grant from Home Depot with matching funds of $7,500 from the City of Pontiac and Venture Inc.

Phoenix Plaza (posted May 28, 2009)

As you may have read in the newspaper, the Phoenix Plaza tensile roof was recently damaged during a thunderstorm. By the contractor’s estimate, this occurred about four days from completion. Arrangements have been made to accommodate commencement ceremonies that were scheduled to be held at the venue.

The City would like to thank Birmingham Groves, Pontiac Central, and Pontiac Northern High Schools for their commitment to hold commencement ceremonies in Pontiac, MI. We regret that ceremonies have once again been moved off-site, but we have done everything possible to make the alternative location, Ultimate Soccer Arenas, as convenient as possible. Because of the efforts of all parties involved, the only change to the ceremonies will be the location. The times and dates of each graduation will remain as planned.

Although the lack of a completed roof has been a cause for lost revenue, we remain hopeful that the project will be completed in early summer and that the late summer and fall schedule of events can be held as planned.

Cleaning Up the Neighborhood! (Posted May 28, 2009)

The Federal Programs Block Grant division is doing a lot to clean up neighborhoods in the City of Pontiac. In their annual budget, they have allocated funds to hire City inspectors to help speed up the blight removal process. This added manpower will aid in the ability to write a larger number of infractions. By writing-up the infractions, the officers will be beginning a process that culminates in the structure being rehabilitated or demolished. The first priority will be to work on rehabilitations. Rehabilitated buildings are preferred to demolitions because they add value to the neighborhood. The two CDBG-funded code enforcement officers will focus their efforts in the Cities of Promise target areas (see attached map). The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2009.

This is the first time in many years that Block Grant is funding code enforcement officers. Block Grant funded a similar program in the past however, according to Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines, Block Grant money cannot be used on an annual basis to support regular city services and the program was subsequently not renewed.

Block Grant will also be reviving funding for a tag and drag campaign whereby abandoned vehicles will be ticketed and towed. Again, HUD regulations do not allow programs such as this to be funded on a continual basis. It is estimated that between 800 to 1,000 abandoned cars will be removed from the streets of the City because of the tag and drag campaign.

For the first time ever, an amount of money will be made available to residents for removal of dangerous trees which are contributing to spot slum and blight. The program is currently in development and more information will be provided to the public as soon as it is available.

Public Safety (posted May 28, 2009)

The Pontiac Fire Department would like to announce Drive in Car Seat Installation Training on the first Thursday of odd months. If you are not sure that your child’s seat has been installed correctly or if you just bought a seat and would like help having it installed stop by Fire Station 6, located at 55 W. Walton Blvd, Pontiac, MI 48340. The next installation will be Thursday, July 2, 2009. Questions on this program should be directed to Assistant Fire Chief Haney at 248-758-3507.

The City of Pontiac will be increasing efforts to begin neighborhood watch programs. Statistics show that strong neighborhood watch programs really do prevent crime. Visit the Pontiac Police department website at http://www.pontiacpolice.com/and click on the community policing tab to learn more. Be sure to click on your council district on the map to learn about your neighborhood watch program. If one does not exist, go to your monthly District meeting (time, date, and location listed on the website) and inquire about starting one. Safety begins at home.

Sale of the Silverdome (posted May 21, 2009)

A big question throughout S.E. Michigan is "what is going on with the Silverdome?"

As you may know, the Silverdome is being offered for sale by CB Richard Ellis. The city is actually in the process of extending a final offer of sale to the current bidders. If we are unable to come to a close, then we will begin a new and different strategy for selling the property.

Movie Studio (posted May 21, 2009)

Plans to locate a motion picture and television production studio (with up to 3,600 jobs once the facility reaches capacity) are moving forward. The City and the developer, Motown Motion Pictures, have come to an agreement regarding a tax-free renaissance zone and the necessary paperwork has been sent to the State of Michigan for approval. The State actually approved the renaissance zone yesterday. All parties worked together to move this matter through the city in as quick and efficient a manner as possible. Motown chose Pontiac over many other cities in Michigan and the rest of the country because Pontiac is a great place to do business.

Some people have asked why the city would give any tax incentives when times are so tough? The answer is that we believe the investment and jobs that will be generated at other sites coupled with the income tax revenue from the new Motown workers will more than cover the amount of tax capture that will be forgone by the City. Pontiac is an excellent investment opportunity and this project could help to put Pontiac at the heart of a new industry in Michigan.

Another question is why did the Mayor, Emergency Financial Manager and City Council sign-off on the renaissance zone? The answer is that all parties worked together quickly and cooperatively to analyze and approve the renaissance zone and we wanted to ensure that there would be no problems down the road with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) or other approval authorities because we are working in a new streamlined process.

Number of Police (posted May 21, 2009)

You may have heard the city will soon be getting new police officers. While we are hopeful, this is not a guarantee. Chief Valard Gross and the Executive Office have applied for a competitive federal grant that will allow the City to bring back more officers. With thousands of communities across the country in positions similar to Pontiac, we are expecting strong competition. Award decisions will be announced in late August of 2009.

As we await the grant award decision, we are still working with the assistance of the Oakland County Sheriff and State Police to provide the highest level of service possible.

Can Pontiac Get its Financial House in Order? (posted May 21, 2009)

On May 19, 2009, The Oakland Press chose to publish a guest opinion from Eric Johnson, "a political activist in Pontiac." The title of the article was “Pontiac can’t seem to get its house in order."

We believe this article is a disservice to the community and the The Oakland Press because it is full of inaccuracies and misinformation, as follows:

• First, the City did not hire the accounting firms, Plante & Moran, PLLC and Alan C. Young & Associates, P.C. as a “joint venture” as was stated in the article. Plante & Moran is providing the city with ongoing controller and accounting services throughout the year and Alan C. Young is performing the annual audit. These two firms must operate completely independently of each other to maintain their appropriate level of independence.
• Second, Mr. Johnson asserts that “spending remains out of control”. In reality, the Emergency Financial Manager and the Director of Finance have been reviewing each and every invoice for the entire city on a weekly basis prior to approval. All spending is being scrutinized in every department and cash outflows are being reduced as much as possible.
• Third, Mr. Johnson asserts that “It appears that raises and promotions are still occurring, along with new people being hired, while police officers are being laid off.” In reality, there have been no significant raises or promotions at all, aside from those contractually obligated in union contracts, since the EFM has been here (beginning March 19, 2009). Again, each personnel change, replacement, hire or dismissal is being carefully reviewed by the EFM and the Human Resources Director on a weekly basis. Two of the very few exceptions to this are to replace a few people who have retired and to hire a small number of temporary seasonal people for the Pontiac Golf Course. The Golf Course, however, is an area where the city intends to issue a request for proposals very soon to determine whether it can be operated much more cost-effectively in the future. Also, no police have been laid off since the EFM has come to Pontiac.
• Fourth, the article says that a cash flow analysis has not been done. In reality, cash flow analyses have been done but are not yet finalized. The EFM is working with Plante & Moran to prepare more detailed and accurate analyses because they are an extremely important tool to control the financial health of the city.
• Fifth, the article asks, “why would Leeb retain the “old guard” (Phillips’ current administrative assistants) as his sources of information when they have proven that they don’t know what to do?” In reality, the EFM has worked with the city’s staff to utilize their expertise and knowledge of the city’s issues so as not to reinvent the wheel in every area. On the other hand, the EFM also has met with and received detailed input from many senior officials from the State of Michigan, Oakland County, other elected representatives, business and community leaders, and outside attorneys. The EFM also has brought in a very experienced associate to help focus initially on the budget, cost reduction, and operating efficiencies.

Actually, Eric Johnson is the one practicing “smoke and mirror politics” and his opinions should be treated as such.

Televising City Council Meetings (posted May 21, 2009)

A number of weeks ago, the EFM requested that City Council meetings not be aired any longer on cable TV in Pontiac. This was because he felt that these meetings had become an opportunity for grandstanding and spreading negativism by a few members of the community. He believed that Pontiac’s morale needed to be raised rather than be brought down by a few outspoken individuals.

Since then, a number of people have said that they would like to continue to see these meetings on television because it is difficult for them to actually attend the meeting. Others have said that the EFM should not be censoring the flow of information in the city. Still others have said that they think the City Council meetings have been running more efficiently since they have not been televised.

The EFM now has decided to resume the televising of City Council meetings as soon as possible.