The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Milan's Top 5 Stories 2007
The past year in Milan was one of change, closures and celebration.
Stories compiled by Brian Cox and Sue G. Collins, Staff Writers
PUBLISHED: January 3, 2008
1.New mayor
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Muckler takes over at city's ¼helm
The election of Kym Muckler in November as Milan's next mayor could have far-reaching implications for Milan politics over the next two years.
Muckler's ascension and the election of three new council members tops the stories for 2007 as voters reshaped the city's leadership.
The year began with speculation over whether Owen Diaz would seek a third two-year term as mayor. His announcement in May that he would not, triggered a competitive and - outwardly - congenial campaign between Muckler, Rod Hill, and Mike Armitage, who resigned his council seat in July in order to pursue the mayor's seat.
The three candidates engaged in a mayoral debate sponsored by the Milan News-Leader and took part in an open forum, which included council candidates, sponsored by the Milan Area Chamber of Commerce.
Muckler's entry into the race forced an August primary, in which she narrowly beat out Hill for a spot in the general election. After drawing the highest number of votes in the priamry, Armitage appeared poised to enter the general election as the favorite.
But Muckler staged an aggressive door-to-door campaign that resulted in a surprising upset, out-polling Armitage by 100 votes, 615-515, to secure the mayoral post.
The campaign for council seats was enlivened with the announcement that incumbents Tim Gibelyou and Jim Latham would not be seeking re-election.
The council race ballooned to six candidates, including several write-ins.
Milan City Council incumbent Martha Churchill led all council candidates with 608 votes in her re-election bid. Joining Churchill in four-year terms on council were Joe Chapin and Russell Dotson, who garnered 560 and 536 votes, respectively.
Rebounding from his defeat in the mayoral primary, Hill captured a seat on council as a write-in candidate to fill the seat vacated by Armitage.
The election results were briefly marred by allegatins from Daniel Fromm that a violation of election law took place at the polls, but the matter was resolved without further legal dispute.
As it did in 2007, the re-constituted city council will continue to face difficult decisions surrounding shrinking revenue and services. How it handles the challenge could be the top story for 2008.
2.Economic ills
Closures reflect state economy
As 2007 drew to an end, Milan welcomed the bright economic news that Integrated Health Associates planned to construct a 21,754-square-foot medical facility on Arkona Road.
"This is among the largest commercial constructions in the last six years," said Zoning Officer Bob Grostick at the time.
Some good business news was long overdue.
Much of 2007 was plagued with troubling announcements of businesses closing up shop.
In April, nearly 90 Milan-area residents lost their jobs when AutoLign Manufacturing Group closed after nine years on Platt Rd. Employees were told their employer's largest account was sending business to Taiwan and the Milan plant would close immediately. Outside the Milan factory, employees exchanged phone numbers, encouraged one another and looked over information included with their pay packet, including a form from the U.S. Department of Labor about how to claim additional Trade Adjustment Assistance, which is provided to workers in companies affected by shifts in production to certain foreign countries. Since then, the building has been under going renovation by Martin Transportation Systems, Inc. Trucking Operations and during 2008, the company will bring 125 jobs to Milan. MTS sister company, Bay Logistics, provides warehousing and packaging solutions and may be hiring up to 50 Milan area workers this year.
The closure of the downtown restaurant Main Street IX brought sighs of regret from many residents. The restaurant closed in October after nearly two years of trying to develop a reliable clientele base in the Milan market.
The closure was another sign of downtown's elevating vacancy rate, which is estimated to be approaching 16 percent, double what it was two years ago, and was feared could climb as high as 28 percent in the coming year.
Residents also found in 2007 that they would have to travel to Ann Arbor to get their licenses renewed.
Community leaders staged an all-out months-long effort to prevent Milan's Secretary of State office from closing and moving its operations to the Ann Arbor branch. Several city council members appealed to State Rep. Kathy Angerer and State Sen. Randy Richardville to pressure Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land to change her plans to consolidate services in Ann Arbor.
"The Milan office is a highly efficient operation," Richardville said at the time. "Consolidating this office would be a great disservice to thousands of area residents."
The Milan branch processed some 97,000 transactions a year and had achieved an average service time of 11 minutes, four minutes below Land's expressed goal of providing a 15-minute turnaround time.
None of it mattered, though.
The Milan SOS office closed in September.
3.Supt. retires
McComb steps down after 12 years
It was a moment most everyone saw coming but few expected to happen when it did.
As 2007 wound down, long-time Milan Area Schools Superintendent Dennis McComb surprised the Milan school board at a December meeting when he announced that he would retire at the end of July.
Saying it was a difficult decision, McComb characterized his time as Milan superintendent as the highlight of his 36-year career in education, McComb told the board he was proud of what the district has accomplished during his tenure. He specifically noted changes made to the curriculum, new instructional strategies that have been instituted, new technology that has been made available to teachers, and the restructuring of the middle school and high school schedules.
When McComb came to Milan in June 1996, he immediately faced budget challenges, having to trim more than $1 million from the budget. In time, the district built up a fund balance in excess of $2 million and used the money to enhance curriculum.
The school board will spend the first part of 2008 searching for McComb's successor. It has not yet determined the how it will proceed.
The new superintendent will take over a school district in more stable financial shape than many Michigan school districts, but will still have the challenge of running the district on reduced funding from the state.
The departure of McComb, and specifically the naming of his replacement, will have a lasting impact on the district not only in the year to come, but beyond.
4.Goal exceeded
GMACF set to hit $1 million mark
In just three years, the Greater Milan Area Community Foundation has built an endowment fund that has since awarded $37,000, interest earned on the fund, to local non-profit groups who do good things in the Milan area.
In 2008, it is likely that the fund will top the $1million mark.
The GMACF is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Monroe County and is governed by a Board of Trustees, some of whom have been driving forces since day one.
Don Harkness, Isabelle Schultz and Millard Phillips, all lifelong residents came together to discuss the possibility of creating a foundation for the Milan area three years ago and still sit on the Board. Together with a dedicated group of volunteers, they motivated donors and residents for a successful dinner auction in February that raised $10,000. They worked with local businesses, families and the local school district to establish trusts to add to the growing endowment fund.
Three trustees retired last month and new board members will be installed in March. Jim Cullip, Jane Ann Wanty and Melvin Dailey, all involved with the exploratory committee, have served for more than the established two-year board term.
The Foundation closes its books at the end of March then tallies the interest available for 2008. Applications from community groups and non-profit efforts will be available in March for grants awarded in June.
In 2006, the group was able to give grants totaling $7,000 and in 2007, $30,000 was awarded to 13 community organizations benefitting a wide range of people and needs.
Board president, Isabelle Schultz explained that while this year's awards were impressive, the committee received requests for nearly $60,000.
"The need is tremendous," she said.
Last year, funds went to these efforts:
Aid In Milan to assist families in need
City of Milan Beautification Commission for the Crooked Tree project
Milan Adult and Community Ed for new English textbooks
Milan Area Fire Department for an automatic external defibrillator for first responders
Milan Area "Historical Society for Hack House updates
Milan Area Schools for community gardens
Milan High School Literacy Tutors Class for early elementary program
Milan Parks and Recreation for an inflatable movie screen for summer shows
Milan Police Department to support DARE program
Paddock Early Childhood Center for parent educators' support
Planned Parenthood for Milan High School peer educator training
Washtenaw Area Council for Children for training middle and high school students for proper care and safety of infants.
The transit department became a public football when it was slated to shut down by July 1 in light of the city's decision to slash the agency's $95,000 subsidy. The department's looming closure had caused some of its senior citizen riders concern about how they would get to doctors' appointments and grocery stores.
The city council decided to close the department in a 6-1 vote, turning down a proposal from a Whitmore Lake-based transportation company that would have retained a skeleton of transit services for the city's elderly and special-needs residents.
Doug Anderson of People's Express had approached the city with a proposal to take over a limited range of the city's bus services at a cost of $10,000 a year. The scaled-down service would have required riders to make reservations 30 hours in advance and would have been restricted to rides within city limits and to area hospitals.
But the council was not anxious to draw out its involvement with the transit authority and directed City Administrator Dan Bishop to liquidate its assets.
"I think we need to get out of the transportation business, and I think this is the last little piece," said Councilman Tim Gibelyou.
"It's inevitable that (Milan Public Transit is) going away," said Councilman Doug Gilson. "It's best we make a clean cut as soon as possible."
Councilwoman Martha Churchill was the lone dissenter to the motion to disband the bus system completely.
Milan had budgeted $30,000 in 2007 to cover the costs of dissolving the department, including unemployment for the employees.
The buses and other equipment acquired through capital improvement grants will likely be handed over to other transit authorities in the state.
The move was one of several the city made toward privatization. Among services privatized were landscaping for public parks and grounds and some snow removal.
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