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City department quarterly reports: police highlight collaboration and all-female patrol, public works reports PFAS not detected, capital projects advance
Summary
Chiefs and directors presented quarterly updates on public safety, utilities, development and finance: police highlighted community collaboration and the department’s first all-female shift; public works reported lead and copper sampling and said no PFAS were detected in source water; the city secured $37 million in state loan funds for a new water treatment facility design.
Macomb — Department heads provided quarterly reports to the Macomb City Council Committee of the Whole, covering public safety, public works, community development, finance and downtown marketing.
Police Chief Jeff Hamr said the department’s quarterly core value was “collaboration,” pointing to the third annual National Night Out event and partnerships with social-service and youth organizations. He noted personnel updates and awards, described a recent large animal-cruelty case and a financial-fraud investigation involving more than $11,000, and said the department received a Walmart grant that funded an automatic external defibrillator for the police community room. Hamr also highlighted the department’s first all-female patrol shift and a female supervisor, calling it a historic milestone for the agency.
Fire Chief Meyer reported that EMS and rescue calls made up about 65% of department activity for the quarter, described completed inspections and training (including propane-burn and extrication exercises), and said the department installed 16 smoke alarms through its program.
Public works staff said stormwater infiltration increased treated sanitary flow (just under 210 million gallons) compared with water pumped (191 million gallons) for the quarter and confirmed ongoing sewer-lining projects to reduce infiltration; staff noted private services remain a continuing source of inflow. The department said lead-and-copper sampling expanded from 30 to 60 locations this year with one sample above the action level but citywide results remaining below the action level, and staff reported that source-water testing did not detect PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances).
Community Development Director Miranda Lambert highlighted progress at William Thorp Park, the opening of a TIFF rehabilitation home-repair program, a demolition project to remove 12 houses by the end of September, and a $400,000 HRAP round-two award to rehab six–eight houses. Finance and HR reported an elevated general cash position driven by property-tax reporting, accounts-payable disbursements of roughly $4.6 million for the quarter, ongoing audits with Baker Tilly, and a planned software conversion to the BS&A cloud on Oct. 6.
Downtown Development and Marketing reported launch metrics for a community event calendar (launched May 15) with 1,381 events and about 14,000 visits, and said downtown occupancy stands at 95% after recent facade investments and new businesses.
What to watch: staff identified capital projects in motion, including nearly finished work on the wastewater-treatment plant headworks and a state revolving loan award of $37 million with $6 million in principal forgiveness for a new water treatment facility design. Several departments noted staffing and equipment repairs that could affect service timelines.
Direct quotes from department heads were limited to their reports and the council asked few follow-up questions at the meeting.
