Positive Housing Trends

Bay City’s overall housing picture has improved in 2017 relative to 2016. The Bay City Assessor reports the average sale price of a Bay City home has increased 3.7% compared with 2016, and total home sales are up 13% during the same time frame.

The Bay County Realtor Association shows that the total value of home sales in Bay County (measured in total sales volume) has increased about 25% from 2011 through 2016, with positive indicators thus far in 2017.

The City’s Building Code Enforcement department reports a steady positive trend over the most recent five years. Thus far in 2017 the number of building permits issued is 14% higher than at the same time in 2016, with total value of permitted building investments up 54% over the same time period.

The City of Bay City continues working with partners and local stakeholders to refine and implement the Housing Improvement Strategy. The Strategy, which aims to raise property values and aesthetic conditions within the community, will entail a number of related efforts within Bay City, including enhanced code enforcement measures – such as the new vacant building inspection program - that the City is currently working to apply in our neighborhoods.

Write In Candidates Needed

Every 20 years the City Charter states that the question of a general charter revision shall be submitted to the electors. Therefore, the following question will be on the November ballot;

SHALL THERE BE A GENERAL REVISION OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF BAY CITY?

If the majority of electors vote yes then a review of the City Charter will be required and a Charter Commission (as elected-also on November ballot) will meet to review the Charter.

Nine Charter Commissioners are needed. Only 4 applicants filed petitions and will appear on the ballot. However, there is still time to file as a Write-In Candidate.

Interested candidates may file a Declaration of Intent form to the Clerk’s office by 4:00 PM, October 27, 2017. Forms are available in the Clerk’s Office, Room 204 of City Hall and on the City’s website http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Dec-Int-Write-In_94360_7.pdf.

The role of a Charter Commissioner is to review and revise the City Charter to bring it up to date with current issues that the community may be dealing with. Over time, communities change, issues change, and needs change; it is important the City Charter, if needed, changes too.

Sanitation Collection

Reminder to Property Owners

It is against City Ordinance to sweep your leaves into the street. Please mulch your leaves and grass clippings for fertilizing your lawn or place them in approved yard waste containers.

YARD AND BRUSH COLLECTION ENDS DECEMBER 1ST.

Fertilizing your Lawn

(Article courtesy of Johnson & Anderson)

Fall is here and it's time to fertilize. Taking the time to fertilize in the fall will strengthen your plants' and lawn's roots, giving them a strong base on which to thrive next spring.

Early in September, grass is recovering from a long hot summer and may be coming out of a drought-induced dormancy, so you'll want to give your lawn a shot of nitrogen to push blade growth in late September or early October. Always follow the manufacturer's recommended rate of application. By helping roots grow before winter sets in, you are insuring that the lawn will green-up quicker in the spring and become more resistant to disease and drought.

The benefits of fall fertilization can be stretched even further into the following season by returning grass clippings to the lawn. Grass clippings break down quickly returning nitrogen in a natural, slow release form that avoids fast top growth and heavy mowing chores.

Grass clippings recycle about one-third of the nitrogen back to the lawn. The rest is lost to the atmosphere, soil, animal life, and other locations where it is unavailable to the grass.

Tips for heating sources such as fireplaces, wood stoves and portable heaters

Never leave heating sources unattended. Turn off space heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.

If you use a space heater, place it on a hard, level and nonflammable surface (such as a ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes.

When buying a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically if the heater falls over.