Peter Auger

Yesterday we had a great day as our Auburn Hills Mayor James D. McDonald highlighted the 2011 accomplishments and previewed what’s in store for 2012 at the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce’s Annual State of the City Address.

I won’t repeat his address, but the sellout crowd left with some great information. If we keep this up we might need a larger location. Here are some of the highlights of his address:

Fiscal Responsibility and Budget

Auburn Hills continues to be a financially stable city. The staff has collectively saved $12 million over the last three years. The City has been doing multiple year budgets for years and recently completed a five year budget to look at long-term planning so all current and future obligations are met.

The Department of Public Services (DPS) has helped us invest in lighting upgrades with energy efficient fixtures and added a building energy management system that monitors all critical equipment functions.  As a result, City electrical consumption was down $45,000 and gas consumption was down $23,000 in 2011.  Combined with other cost-saving ideas, the City has saved $1.3 million in the DPS budget alone since 2008.

Business Development

The City was recognized by the University of Michigan-Dearborn for being an “Entrepreneurial City” for the fifth year. Twenty-eight new companies relocated to Auburn Hills or chose to expand here as the City’s Business Assistance Team continues to nurture a friendly business environment – the Auburn Hills Advantage – to encourage quality development and job creation.

In August, Henniges Automotive, a leading supplier of sealing and anti-vibration systems to the global automotive industry, broke ground on its 55,000 square foot world headquarters in the Oakland Technology Park. 

Dokka Fasteners, from the German-based Wurth Group family of over 400 companies and a manufacturer of hot-formed bolts, selected Auburn Hills as its first North American location and held a grand opening on August 24^th.

Legend Valve, offering valves and hydronic systems in the residential, commercial and industrial markets, purchased the former WalMart on Odyke and made improvements to the building to accommodate its operations and serve as the Company’s corporate headquarters and primary distribution center.

Rochester Mills Production Brewery, moved into an Auburn Hills facility to produce micro-brew beer for wholesale distribution, using an eco-friendly processing system that sets it apart in the micro-brewery industry. 

Exciting business developments are also in store for 2012. Furniture re-tailer Gardner White will be moving from Warren to establish its headquarters and warehouse distribution center in Auburn Hills, along with a small retail center.

The LaSorda Group will launch an economic gardening/incubator venture for entrepreneurial businesses, offering shared services for office and R&D space to help keep initial costs down for start up businesses focused in clean technology, transportation, IT, alternative energy and healthcare.

To keep up with the demand for skilled employees in the region, Auburn Hills is helping to coordinate the Oakland Job Hub 2012 following its successful debut last year. It will take place at Oakland University on Thursday, February 23^rd and originated as a collaborative effort of Economic Development Departments from across Oakland County to connect Southeast Michigan job seekers with businesses throughout the county that have immediate job openings. Information is available at www.mijobhub.com.   

The City will strengthen its support of the Auburn Hills Chamber, which currently leases space in the Downtown Auburn Hills office, by serving as a community partner sponsor for 2012.

Downtown Development

The City is growing its reputation as a college town with the December 6^th ground breaking of a $14 million, 100,000 square foot mixed-use residential/retail building in Downtown Auburn Hills with preferred housing for graduate students at Oakland University and Cooley Law School. Additionally, the City’s treasured log cabin adjacent to the property will be renovated for use as a student center.

New tenants continue to occupy downtown commercial spaces. Subway joined the City in early 2011 and five new businesses and one expanded business were welcomed Downtown with a strolling ribbon cutting in October. Opening their doors were Sound-Wave Music & Arts, which performed at the luncheon, The Pampered Pooch, Home Crafters Home Improvement, Walker Self-Defense Academy and The Edge Men’s Grooming, with YourSource Management Group expanding its business onto Auburn Road.

The old site of Pixley Funeral Home on Auburn Road was razed and will be rebuilt as a modern facility with improved parking. The building will also be moved closer to the road to be consistent with other downtown businesses.

Police & Fire Departments

The Mayor applauded the ongoing top notch service of the Police and Fire Departments and said serious crimes were down 2% from 2010. He noted that on October 17^th, the City Council approved a new model for administering police and fire services that combines administrative oversight of fire and police under one Emergency Services Department.

Using a grant from the Department of Homeland Security, the Fire Department purchased 75 high-tech smoke detectors designed specifically for the hearing impaired and is working with the Senior Services Department to place the smoke detectors with residents in need. 

Environmental Excellence

In 2011, Auburn Hills was the first community in Michigan to adopt an electric vehicle infrastructure ordinance that facilitates the installation of electric charging stations. The City recognizes the importance of supporting this emerging innovation and is planning for future transportation habits by establishing an EV friendly environment. The ordinance has been shared with other communities also seeking to plan for an increased presence of electric vehicles.    

The City won honorable mention in the Detroit Free Press’ 2011 Michigan Green Leader Awards. The award recognizes a range of efforts to make Michigan cleaner, more economically diverse and sustainable and is important recognition for the City and its efforts to be green in its economic and community development missions.

Auburn Hills was one of only seven cities in the country to be selected in 2011 by the Chrysler Group to test the new plug-in RAM 1500 Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and received a fleet of four trucks as part of a $48 million grant from the Department of Energy.  The trucks are not available for purchase yet; they will be used over the next three years to evaluate usage, drive cycles, charging, thermal management, fuel economy, emissions and impact on the electrical grid.

Auburn Hills joined together in 2011 with neighboring Rochester and Rochester Hills and Oakland County to create a Tri-City Sustainability Planning Project. The partnership seeks to define a vision for local sustainability defined by economic, community and environmental goals, using indicators and target metrics to prioritize actions needed to advance local sustainability.  Opportunities for leveraging efficiencies through the sharing and collaboration of services are also emphasized in this project. 

The City implemented its single trash hauler system for resident homeowners on January 2^nd after more than a year of study and research. In addition to cost savings and minimizing road wear and tear, the program will allow more opportunities for single stream recycling.

Volunteerism and Spirit

Mayor McDonald reported that volunteerism continues to make a positive difference in the community. In 2011, community volunteers gave almost 7,600 hours to various projects, including the delivery of 11,500 meals to homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels.

The volunteer-driven SHARP (Senior Home Assistance Repair Program), designed to help City seniors and disabled residents continue to live with dignity in their homes, helped 85 homeowners in 2011. In the fall of last year, the new Rake and Run program raked the yards of 25 homeowners.

The Mayor recognized resident Wade Spurlin for more than two decades of volunteer service to the community and presented 23-year DPS employee Byron Pauley and representatives from Genisys Credit Union, a committed supporter of Auburn Hills’ events, with a City flag. 

Successful New and Continuing Events

The City continued to host a variety of events for all ages throughout the year, including Summerfest, which attracted more than 6,000 people to Downtown Auburn Hills in June, the 15^th annual Bluegrass Festival in September, the Fall Festival in the Woods at the E. Dale Fisk Hawk Woods Nature Center and the 18^th annual downtown Christmas tree lighting. The Farmers Market finished off its second season and will return June 7^th.

The Mayor noted that municipal governments are evolving.

 “The rules have changed folks, but that’s okay.  We are not just managing, we are changing the way we think and the way we operate,” explained the Mayor.  “Every challenge is an opportunity to change the way we do things; to do them better and more efficiently.”

Immediately prior to the Mayor’s remarks, I was honored to be able to present the premiere of a commercial touting the benefits of doing business in Auburn Hills. The commercial was developed by Auburn Hills staff member Andrew Opalewski. It can be viewed at You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E4ZmlX9fEU) and on the City of Auburn Hills facebook page.

There was much more, from Chamber Director Denise Asker and incoming Chair of the Chamber, William Pilchack but I think this is already a longer than normal blog.

Guest Blogger:  Steve Cohen, Director of Community Development

On this day in history:  January 26, 1987 …

• A gallon of gasoline cost 89 cents
• The NY Giants just won Super Bowl XXI
• The top song on the Billboard charts was “At This Moment” by  Billy Vera & The Beaters
• The top grossing movie in the theaters was Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” starring a young up and coming actor named Charlie Sheen
• Bill Cosby was the model dad and the “Cosby Show” was the No. 1 program on TV
• Jeff Spencer starts his first day of work as a Building Inspector at the City of Auburn Hills

It is fun to look back at the events of the past and reminisce.  We felt it was important to stop and reflect on Jeff Spencer’s 25 years of service to the Auburn Hills community.  Jeff has witnessed the City’s growth and has ensured the building safety of many of the community’s landmark structures such as the Chrysler Headquarters, The Palace of Auburn Hills, and Great Lakes Crossing Outlets.  Jeff has done and seen just about everything.

As many people know, Jeff is a good man and an excellent public servant.  Honor, integrity, and fairness are key values that were ingrained into Jeff by his parents; something he works hard to instill in his two boys.  These core values are evident in how he performs his duties at the City.   Jeff’s knowledge of the “ins and outs” of building construction is quite amazing, but that is not what makes him special to us. 

Thank you, Jeff.   Your loyalty and dedication to the City of Auburn Hills is greatly appreciated.

By Karrie Marsh, Executive Assistant & Guest Blogger,

I am not preparing for my summer vacation, although that would be nice! I am referring to a session I attended through HelpNet called Sandbox Essentials – Excelling in a challenged environment. 

The City of Auburn Hills has encouraged and been supportive of the employees by offering a variety of training and classes.  City Manager Peter Auger holds Coffee & Conversation once a month with employees.   Auburn Hills University is offered to interested employees and focuses on making connections with people in other departments, understanding the products and services of the City and developing networking skills. Employee Health Care Task Force, the Commonwealth Centers High Performance Organization (HPO) model, and other day-to-day management efforts have all been geared toward strengthening relationships between City service units. Sustaining and building on Auburn Hills’ reputation as a great place to live, work and play requires an ongoing commitment and the City does a fine job of encouraging the employees to participate.

Although I don’t perceive my personal life or work environment to be “challenging”, there are moments or situations that can be challenging from time to time.  I have always thought that obtaining balance between the two was the key to life.   Easier said than done! Finding what that balance is remains the hard part.

The Sandbox Essentials session was led by Mr. Phillip Hedgspeth.  Balance was the theme and he gave examples of how to find balance.  Besides elaborating on perception, passion and performance, he gave a list of tools to help one make it through the challenging times.  They are:

• Staying positive in the midst of negativity
• Assessing the real needs in real time
• Navigating through the threats of change and opposition
• Delivering directives without losing control
• Balancing life and leadership effectively
• Offering options in the realm of resolution
• (E)Xamining the changes along the way and adjusting

It seems like a lot to focus on in the midst of a challenge but focusing on one at a time, and then adding another, then another… is not too complicated and pretty soon it is almost natural and the process seems easier. 

In this day and age, where life is zooming by and becoming busier by the minute, it is nice to know we can have some sort of control, at least over our own actions and we can stay focused on our goals, no matter what challenges life brings.  So, while we all play a part in the sandbox of life and at work, there’s no reason we can’t cooperate and have an enjoyable time getting the job done, while providing the best services possible.

I

I believe it was Douglas Adams, in Last Chance to See who stated “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”

We always think we are so smart only to show ourselves how we get caught up in making rules that should fit but then only prove to not to work so well. This kind of reminds me of the answers to a test I recently saw (no, not mine).  After reading the answers I think I would have marked them all technically correct, although they were all marked wrong.

STUDENT WHO OBTAINED 0% ON AN EXAM

Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die? * his last battle

Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? * at the bottom of the page

Q3. The Charles River flows in which state? * liquid

Q4. What is the main reason for divorce? * marriage

Q5. What is the main reason for failure? * exams

Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast? * Lunch & dinner

Q7. What looks like half an apple? * The other half

Q8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become? * It will simply become wet

Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping ? * No problem, he sleeps at night.

Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand? * You will never find an elephant that has only one hand.

Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in other hand, what would you have ? * Very large hands

Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it? * No time at all, the wall is already built.

Q13. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it? *Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack.

So I guess the moral to the story is what question are we really asking, and are we open to a different answer.

On February 28, Michigan is having a Presidential Primary Election and we have already been hearing the frustration of some of you.

The purpose of this election is to let the leaders of the political parties know who the voters in Michigan would like to be on the ballot in November for the president’s election.   Because the election is only going to tell the party leaders who they want on the ballot, the Michigan Legislature has ruled that voters can only vote for one person in one party. 

Here is what we hear is the frustrating part, this means that you have to choose a Democratic ballot, a Republican ballot or a “Non Presidential” ballot.  You have to choose the type of ballot you want whether you vote in the precinct or by absentee ballot.

If you wish to vote for the candidates running for the State Representative seat in Auburn Hills, but you don’t want to vote for the Republican or Democratic presidential candidates, you can choose the “Ballot without the Presidential Primary” choice on the application to vote.

It is important to note that regardless of what party choice you make, or don’t make, it is only for this election.  It will not impact how you vote on any other election.  If you have further questions, you can call the Clerk’s office at 248-370-9402. Our employees are here to help you but please remember they cannot change state law.

This week seems to have flown by. Looking at my calendar and I can see why, twenty- two meetings on my calendar and it’s only Thursday.

Some meetings are more fun than others. Coffee and conversations is one that I enjoy every month. Once a month I meet with any employee from departments all over the city to talk about what they want to talk about. This ranges from the latest rumors, why benefits have changed or questions about future projects. I enjoy hearing what employee concerns are or answering their questions.

Another great meeting that you (yes you) could have been at was the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce meeting with the new Piston’s and Palace of Auburn Hills President/CEO Dennis Mannion. They Mayor of Auburn Hills was there also to welcome the new Palace leadership team, present to them our new City flag and challenged them to change their address.  Now, before you get too nervous about their address, the Palace address is 6 Championship Drive. Three NBA championships have been won since the Pistons have been in Auburn Hills and three Women’s NBA titles have been won. They Mayor upped the pressure and presented Mr. Mannion with a 7 Championship Drive sign to let him know where the community’s expectations are.

Mr. Mannion brought us up to speed on where the organization was in the transition. He also laid out the future plans and some of his management strategies. And to think, you could have been there too. Well, don’t miss out on the next Chamber event which is the City’s State of the City event. The Mayor will review 2011 and provide what is on the horizon for 2012. This event is normally a sell out, so I wouldn’t wait too long to call the Chamber and get your tickets for this lunch time event that is held on our civic center campus.

I ended my day yesterday with the Oakland University Alumni Board of Advisors. This was a great way to end my work day but added some items that we committed to in assisting some students that are obtaining their degree in political science or master’s degree in public administration.

Ok, have to run, have some meetings to get to…

This blog is for you blog geeks. Yup, you know who you are; the people who want to know why we keep blogging. Putting 4 or 5 post a week on things that are happening in and around Auburn Hills and hopefully shedding some light on some of the people that make this a great community. Yes sir, even on a foggy winter day (what?), in sleet, rain or any other weather we attempt to bring you information so that you can be one of those informed people that can shed enlightened information while standing around the water cooler or at the most fashionable dinner party. Ok, I might be stretching a little bit here.

Well, here are the numbers for the past year on this blog:

339,055 hits

60,322 visits

112,948 pages visited

Daily average hits range from 860 to 1,250 and there are between 126 and 210 visits every day.

I really don’t know if these numbers represent a good blog readership or not, but someone is looking at our information and hopefully people are gaining public value from this platform. Thanks to all who follow us and we will attempt to keep a varied and informative blog rolling throughout 2012.

I have been asked by people around town and even regionally how we are doing as an organization financially. We are just closing out all the books on 2011, actual close out is normally three months after year end.

This is a common inquiry due to local municipalities deriving revenues from the value of property and since 2008 we, in Michigan, have seen property values dramatically drop. In local government, when the economy goes south, many times the demands on the services we provide can go up, not down. We can’t just stop making widgets.

There are things that can be done and our City Council has exercised leadership to give us the best opportunity to be fiscally sound into the future. We have worked to control cost that we have control over (personnel, energy efficiencies, utilizing technology etc…), and even tweaked some services and fees for services.

We had few areas of the budget that we planned to deficit spend in 2011 (the revenues coming in were not sufficient to cover the expenses planned). We would then budget to transfer Fund Balance (savings account) to cover the amount of expenses. Only in 2 areas did we have to dip into our Fund Balance.  

In our Local Roads budget we were short by $6,400. In our Fire Fund we had planned to be $707,000 short in our funding as we worked to restructure for the future. It looks as if the real number will be $547,000. With the restructuring of the Emergency Services Administration, we are challenged with bringing that number down to the revenue stream coming in while maintaining a great level of professional service.

Excluding the Library in 2011, the tax revenues declined $3.6 million or 15% compared to 2010.  Our numbers also shows that the 2010 tax revenues declined $2.9 million or 10.8% compared to 2009.   Thus, in two short years the City has had its tax revenues decrease by over $6.5 million. 

Based on the City’s 2011 financial performance, the City has taken action and responded well to these revenue reductions that have thrown most municipalities into turmoil as they manage their decline.   However, as we move forward (excluding the impact of new developments), this lower base will be with us for the foreseeable future due the long tail involved in getting increases in tax valuations as laid out in current state law.

We consider the overall numbers given the economic climate to be very good.  As noted above, the financial performance of virtually all of the City’s major funds are better than the 2011 budget projection.

In hind sight, it looks like the adjustments and changes we have made have been easy, not so. People who deliver our services have all been impacted and continue the journey for continuous improvement as we adapt, innovate and help lead the region in economic development.

Does it really matter if you pay it forward or pay it back?

We are almost half way through January and I just realized that January is mentoring month in Michigan. Mentoring is important no matter what field you are in, but I think especially in leadership development. So many times I have seen organizations flounder because no one mentored the people to exercise leadership in the organization.  I also think that organizations that make mentoring a priority develop better and more successful employees and that could help retain and attracted talented people in Michigan.

One project that I have supported is the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in Local Government (KSG) program, as I found it very valuable and challenging.  I am grateful to have had the  experience when I attended several years ago. I now sit on a committee that reviews applications for a scholarship to attend.  Even beyond the review process I actively seek out managers who I think would benefit and grow by attending such training and create better value. This year we have received a total of 35 eligible applications for this one scholarship funded by The Ferguson Group to send an International City Manager Association (ICMA) member to KSG. 

Knowledge and wisdom does not automatically transfer, so let us all do our little part to mentor (video) those who come behind us.

How many employees would like to hear their boss say that?

Well, we have about 50. That’s right, 52 people have signed up for a challenge (fund raiser) by the Auburn Hills Police Officers Benevolent Fund to lose the most weight aka be the largest weight loser.

Employees could sign up as a 2 person team or be assigned a team mate. Over the next few months they will be competing for the title of the Biggest Loser. Teams had to donate to the fund in order to compete. This is a win/win/win situation. The donated money goes to a good cause that we hope never gets used (win 1), the employees enjoy competition and hopefully a healthier life (win 2), the city (e.g. tax payers) could see a decrease in some of our health care cost and prescription cost with the healthier employees (win3).

I am excited to see how this plays out over the next few months.

On a side note, you don’t have to lose weight to donate money to the Auburn Hills Police Officers Benevolent Fund. If you want more information on how you can assist or contribute to this organization contact Officer Ivette Brown at 248-370-9444.