From Your Officials: 5 Things to Look Back on in 2011

What a year it's been. We've had good stories and bad stories, businesses open, businesses close, a millage pass, and the power go out and come on (and go out again). We have our favorites stories () and you have yours (), but we wanted to know what our policy makers thought of 2011. So, we asked them.

What do you look back on in 2011?

Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter 

• "I was honored to have so many former Ferndale leaders return for a '' prior to my own swearing-in last February.
• "We're fortunate to have city operations in the steady hands of and now (, our first female in that important role.
• "Voters made the difficult, but I believe correct, decision to preserve city services with a .
• "A devastating heat wave and served to bring our community even closer together.
• "New back packs and students will help them succeed, thanks to the generosity of so many."

Councilman Scott Galloway

"I am incredibly proud of the change the city was able to successfully manage in 2011, which included:

• .
• Hiring a new city manager and a new director of Community Development Services (CDS).
• Adopting a in the face of significant budget challenges and passing a Headlee Override.
• Addressing the City of Pleasant Ridge's notice of intent to to provide fire services; and
• Getting accustomed to our new form of municipal government (i.e. to the dysfunctional five appointee system)."

Councilwoman Melanie Piana

• "Leadership transitions: In the first quarter, council interviewed and selected Dave Coulter to serve as interim mayor, now elected by Ferndale residents to serve a two-year term. Retired City Manager Mark Wollenweber served as interim city manager during the period we found our fantastic full-time City Manager April McGrath.
• "Power outages: Intensive heat, terrible storms and busted electrical infrastructure cause a series of power outages throughout the city. The kindness of residents and businesses helping one another in need shined our community’s compassion. City staff impressed me, along with Mayor Coulter, working tirelessly behind the scenes to solve problems with DTE, ensure community safety from downed power lines and opened a cooling center.
• "Continued strong fiscal management, including stabilizing revenues with a voter approved millage rate increase that enabled the city to maintain essential city services. Our city’s policy to find collaborative partnerships and shared services positioned the city to be prepared for the change from state revenue sharing policies to the Economic Vitality Incentive Program, created by Gov. (Rick) Synder.
• "The six central Woodward communities (Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Royal Oak and Birmingham) award from the Federal Transportation Authority to study transit alternatives from Eight Mile (Road) to 15 Mile (Road). In 2010, these cities created the Transit Oriented Development Task Force to work on improving economic development along the corridor. This grant was a clear sign our collaboration has a strong impact.
• "It’s a small thing, yet it can have a big impact on our tax base, and redevelopment excites me, so I’m listing the city’s new Environmental Concerns Inventory for 200 industrial properties in Ferndale that attempts to identify development potential and readiness. We’ve strategically positioned the city to be proactive with owners and developers to facilitate the redevelopment process."

Councilman Dan Martin

• "The summer festivals were amazing this year. From our , the to , we had some great activities in Ferndale this summer.
• " location on Nine Mile (Road). This was a great victory for this organization and for Ferndale.
• "New business such as and adding to the unique distinctiveness of downtown Ferndale.
• " – while turnout for the city elections was not high, we did get to discuss many of the critical issues facing the city and had a positive and productive discourse on the challenges facing the city.
• "While not the happiest of topics, you have to look at the overall tax and budget discussion over 2011 as being significant. In May, the residents voted to pass a millage to maintain city services after significant budget cuts that the city had been making. It definitely overshadowed most of what occurred economically in 2011."

Check back tomorrow to see what our officials are looking forward to in 2012.

Councilman Mike Lennon and former Mayor Pro Tem Kate Baker did not respond.