Press Release

ANNUAL REPORT

For the last several years, Owosso City Manager Gregg Guetschow has prepared for the City Council a report that summarizes city government accomplishments during the year just completed. This water bill insert is a summary of the report for the period July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005.

Major Accomplishments

Owosso Drain Projected (Almost) Finished. The City’s current efforts to provide for flood relief in Owosso’s southwest quadrant date to the mid-1990s but the drain has been the source of problems off and on since at least 1975. A petition for work on the drain was approved by the Council in 1997. This year saw the construction by the County Drain Commissioner of a 72 inch relief drain that runs northeasterly from South Street to Milwaukee Street along the railroad tracks. While this project will not eliminate all flooding, it will significantly reduce the 100-year flood plain for the drain. As a result, some residents will no longer be required to carry flood insurance. Some final work remains to be done on the drain. In addition, studies will be initiated in the future to support the redrawing of the flood plain boundaries.

Osburn Lakes Development Under Way. The lack of available land for construction of new housing has been an issue of concern to City officials for some time. Several years ago, the City Council approved the purchase of 140 acres of land east of Gould Street. During the last year, 14 duplex condominiums have been built and 23 of the single-family lots have been sold. A number of houses are under construction and residents have moved into several of the new homes.

Hotel Owosso Demolished. After having acquired the deteriorating property several years ago, the City sought grant funds to assist with demolition and redevelopment of the site. This year, a grant was approved for $750,000 to be used both for removal of the old building and construction of the parking facilities for the new development on the site. The City took extensive measures during the demolition to prevent dust and asbestos from leaving the site. As it happens, asbestos was less of a concern than originally thought and clean up of the site proceeded smoothly.

Michigan Avenue Rejuvenated. Property owners along Michigan Avenue and community residents interested in historic preservation agreed that it was worthwhile to improve Michigan Avenue by installing a new brick surface. Before its reconstruction, this street ranked among the worst in town in terms of its condition. The cost of a new brick street was much higher than for an asphalt surface so grant funds were sought to help defray the expense. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, funds were received to pay the cost for installing new bricks.

Other Accomplishments

·        The skate park was relocated from the Holman Pool area to a site near the water filtration plant.

·        A new website was launched (http://ci.owosso.mi.us) that provides for access to a wide range of information about the activities of Owosso city government. The City started a weblog (an online journal) providing regular updates about city activities and projects at http://owosso.blogs.com.

·        Water bill inserts were initiated as a way of keeping residents informed about some of the more significant activities the City is undertaking.

·        The Department of Public Works finished the construction of a new salt storage building. This design of this facility improved the efficiency of salt spreading operations during the past winter.

·        The DPW also worked to put a new roof on the locker and shower building at Holman Pool. In addition, extensive work inside the building was completed to clean and brighten the facility.

·        A $120,000 grant was received for a new air tank system for the Department of Public Safety Fire Division.

·        The title to the Community Center building on North Washington Street was transferred to the Council on Aging.

·        Preliminary studies were done on the Oliver Street bridge and a grant application was submitted for replacement of the deck and beams.

·        Planned Unit Development language was added to the zoning ordinance and the first approvals under that language were given for redevelopment of the Robbins/Oscar Rau property.

·        An amendment to the master plan for Collamer Park was approved to permit Baker College to proceed with plans for redeveloping the former Hopkins Lake IGA property and for construction of a new street from M-52 to Palmer Street.

Please Visit Our Internet Sites:

Official City of Owosso Web Site – http://ci.owosso.mi.us

Owosso City Journal Weblog – http://owosso.blogs.com