State of the City for Mayor Browning - February 2, 2017

Good Morning. Thank You Mr. Scorsone and Chemical Bank for that
wonderful introduction and Thank all of You for attending the 2017
State of the City/County Address. And, I would like to take this
opportunity to thank the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce and
all of our generous sponsors for todays event.

As members of the chamber each of you are involved in business,

and so it is with the City of Saginaw. Our business is providing
services, and increasing economic development for our city to
prosper. Community stakeholders can have confidence in the
leadership of their government. This year I will talk about city
operations, management, leadership, and finances. I will talk about
some exciting events that have occurred over the past year, new
projects planned, economic development, our businesses and key
stakeholders, and some of the collaboration, partnerships, alliances
and teamwork that have contributed to the growth and investment in
Saginaw this past year.

It is a pleasure to be here today with you. I would like to introduce

my wife of 47 years Sue and my two daughters Amy Zastrow and
Sara Culbertson who are in the audience today.

Also, please allow me to recognize my fellow council members.

Please stand when I call your name. Mayor Pro Tem Floyd Kloc,
Councilman Michael Balls, Councilwoman Annie Boensch,
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Councilwoman Brenda Moore, and Councilman Demond Tibbs. And
please welcome our newly elected city council members, attending
today for the first time on behalf of the City: Councilman Clint
Bryant, Councilman John Humphries, and Councilman John Milne.
Thank You.

This past year Saginaw City Council and the Greater Saginaw
Community experienced the loss of Councilman Larry Coulouris. At
the young age of 91 years, Larry had many passions, but two that
stand out were his passion for business, as the owner and operator
of downtowns Larrys Lounge for over 45 years; and the second was
his passion for hockey. Saginaws Canadian-born resident was
instrumental in bringing the Ontario Hockey League to Saginaw. We
will miss Larry. I would like to acknowledge the family of Larry
Coulouris who are in attendance with us today.

At this time, I would like to introduce our City Manager Tim Morales.
The City Manager and his leadership team have great news to share
today. I would ask that our Department Heads and staff, please
stand. Thank you.

The past year in Saginaw has been a busy one filled with a lot of
activity, growth, development and good times. Saginaw is fortunate
to have so many in the community who donate, volunteer and support
the Arts, Culture and Recreation. There are just too many to mention
all by name, so please do not be offended if I cannot share the
contributions of all.

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Let me start with the Japanese Cultural Center and this summers
celebration of the 55th anniversary of our sister city relationship with
Tokushima Japan. It was a real pleasure to have welcomed our
sister city delegation from Tokushima and to share the City of
Saginaw and the Great Lakes Bay Region with these honored guests.
I would like to also acknowledge Yoko Ito Mossner, Executive
Director of the Japanese Cultural Center, who was given the
prestigious and great honor of the Order of the Rising Sun Silver
Rays from the Emperor of Japan for her outstanding contributions to
U.S. Japan relations.

There are so many Boards, Committees and Commissions that assist

with projects to enhance quality of life and the arts, culture, and
Riverfront, and I wish I could name them all. One of my favorites was
the Art and About sculptures enjoyed by so many in 2016. As you can
see, I enjoyed finding each and every one of them. Would all those
who had a role in bringing the sculptures to Saginaw please stand.
Thank you.

Please allow me to mention some of the new events that enhanced

those that are held annually throughout the year. Many attended the
Hamilton Street Bash, and Cyclists flooded the City streets with
Counter Cruise as Saginaw joined the slow roll bike ride
movement. We saw expansion of the Friends of Hoyt Park/Positive
Results Downtown Outhouse Races in Hoyt Park, as well as further
utilization of the great outdoor venue downtown, the First Merit Event
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Park. All of these new and expanding events add to the rich arts and
recreation activities available in Saginaw.

I am pleased to inform you that the city was successful in obtaining a

Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant from the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources for improvements to Ojibway Island
in the amount of $245,000 for park enhancements. Total
improvements to the Island will exceed $300,000.

There are many partners and groups contributing to the enhancement

of our parks and recreation in Saginaw. Their efforts are enjoyed and
appreciated by those who live and play in Saginaw. The Saginaw
Land Basin Conservatory has passive outdoor recreation projects in
Saginaw planned for the Riverfront near Genesee and Niagara
Street. They will replace an unused parking lot with a public green
space that will include native landscape and amenities for the public
and students from nearby SASA to enjoy. Their second project
includes zoo trails for nature play and an outdoor classroom on
property adjacent to the Children's Zoo at Celebration Square. The
conservatory is also a partner in reclaiming urban land through
pollinator plots, using vacant land for plantings of native wildflowers
and grasses for the benefit of pollinator species such as butterflies
and honey bees, which will bring nature and beauty to our
neighborhoods.

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Economic Growth and Development, including the building of
housing, and businesses through partnerships, intergovernmental
cooperation and teamwork is evident. In the past 5 years, the City of
Saginaw has seen over $100 million in new investment. Again, the
projects are too numerous to mention them all so here are just a few
of the investments. They include the Bancroft/Eddy - $7 million, CMU
Medical College - $20 million, Riverview Brownstones on Hamilton -
$6 million, Delta College Saginaw Center - $12 million, and the
SVRC investment for the SVRC Marketplace in the amount of $19
million. These investments create jobs, such as in 2015 when
General Motors invested $50 million in their plant to retain 68 jobs,
and when AT&T invested $1 million and relocated 230 employees to
downtown Saginaw. Again, large and small, these are only some of
the investments made in Saginaw. There are too many to name in
the short time I am allowed this morning. Each one is a building
block for Saginaw, connecting and constructing a great city.

This is all great news; however, there is more to be done. City

leadership has heard the concerns of key stakeholders in the
community. We continue to recognize that there are segments of our
population that are facing great challenges, and there is much to be
done to provide services to meet their needs. These challenges and
problems include poverty, unemployment, education, and health
resources for the underserved in Saginaw. These problems and
others, including diversity in the work force of our community, must
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be addressed. The city will partner with agencies and organizations
to connect the service providers already in place, influence change,
and work together to improve the circumstances and quality of life for
these residents.

Our City Manager Tim Morales, through his leadership, has improved
the financial stability of the City. Tim and his team of Department
Heads have been able to improve the City's financial position by
proactively managing our expenses and budget. We have been able
to grow our General Fund, fund balance from a low of $270,000 in
2013, to about $2.5 million at the completion of fiscal year 2016. The
General Fund, fund balance is like the City's emergency bank
account a cushion. In 2013 our savings would have supported
only 3 days of operation. Today, we are in a more secure position
with a fund balance that would support 30 days of operation.
Although this is a significant improvement, our goal is to have 10% of
the budgeted general fund expenditures in the approximate amount
of $3.2 million.

Saginaw has been able to make a major impact on blight elimination

through huge investments from City, State, and Federal sources.
Saginaw is now in a position to concentrate on revitalization of our
neighborhoods and community. These funds and initiatives have
served to improve the look of vacant properties and helped with their
maintenance. City neighborhoods now have community gardens and
and added play space for children. The rehabilitation of properties
has also allowed adjacent property owners to expand their property.
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And finally, blight elimination has contributed to the reduction in crime
in Saginaw. We will continue to collaborate with our many partners to
include the Saginaw County Land Bank, MSHDA, and our
neighborhood associations to start building Saginaw for future
generations.

Our Department of Public Works has been very busy!

We are building bridges with our community stakeholders through

teamwork, partnerships and collaboration to build relationships and
alliances for the good of the community as a whole. And our
Department of Public Works has been busy with city bridges and
their maintenance. Critical repairs were completed on the Court
Street, Holland Avenue and Center Street Bridges.

The city streets have also seen investment and improvements. In the
past year $4,350,063 was invested in street projects, improving 3
miles of streets and water and sewer infrastructure. These projects
included: Federal, Franklin and Baum Streets; North Hamilton and
Mason Streets, Warren Avenue, and Lapeer Street.

We continue to share some goods news about public safety. The

Saginaw Police Department has reported that Part One Crime in
Saginaw is down again this year by 8%!

In 2016, the Saginaw Police Department increased collaboration with

other agencies to make our city safe by working in the schools and
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increasing the School Prevention Program. Other initiatives include:
continued diversification of the new hires for the department,
increased use of body cameras to build trust with our citizens, hiring a
Victims Advocate through grant funding for the department; and
working with the Saginaw County Sheriffs Department on a Hamilton
Street Substation.

The Saginaw Police Department has strengthened our partnership

and team work with the Michigan State Police, Saginaw County
Sheriff's Department, Saginaw County Prosecutor's Office, Michigan
Department of Corrections, FBI, Secret Service, Saginaw County
Central Dispatch, Saginaw County Mental Health, and other police
agencies in Saginaw County to better serve the citizens of Saginaw.
This partnership has helped reduce crime overall. Would members of
our law enforcement, judicial system, and other partners please stand
and be recognized. Thank you.

The Saginaw Fire Department has implemented several technological

improvements. They are using a new data management system for
communication efficiencies in emergency responses. They continue
to provide in-house training to our new hires, in addition to other
Saginaw County fire departments, resulting in better trained
departments at reduced costs. This past year the Saginaw Fire
Department was awarded a FEMA grant to purchase the Jaws of Life
equipment.

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The Saginaw Fire Department continues to collaborate with
neighboring fire departments and first responder organizations. They
continue to hold joint training sessions with Buena Vista and Saginaw
Township fire departments. They are part of the Homeland Security
Region 3 Regional Response Team; and the Saginaw Fire
Department has formed a relationship with the Michigan State Police
Fire Investigation Unit. The Saginaw Fire Department is active in
community relations with area youth and our schools. They offer
CPR/AED training as well as provide installation of smoke alarms
through a partnership with the American Red Cross. At this time
would all fire fighters, including city and county, please stand.
Thank you.

I cannot talk about public safety without acknowledging some of the

challenges we will face in the future. Saginaw cannot continue to rely
on the State of Michigan for police patrol officers; and we know that
the Federal SAFER grant funding for our fire fighters will end also.
We must work to provide the best possible service levels with the
resources we have available.

In regard to our utilities and infrastructure, the City owns and

operates both a Water Treatment and a Wastewater Treatment Plant.
In Water Treatment, the primary focus has been on assessing future
treatment options. We have also kept up-to-date on anticipated
regulatory changes, and we are currently assessing treatment options
and developing a long term plan. In addition, we have continued with
completion of capital improvement projects to the plant and two of
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our water pumping stations. We have also secured funding for a
transmission project and upgrades to our raw water pumping station
that will be the first phase of increasing reliability of our raw water
source from Lake Huron.

In Wastewater Treatment, the primary focus has been on Asset

Management. We are developing a program that addresses
managing all sewer assets on a long term basis.

Our Department of Human Resources negotiated a healthcare

settlement with city retirees that has reduced the number of
health care plans from twenty down to four plans. This
action will create significant savings through reduced
administrative and claims expenses, and allow us to pay
down our unfunded health care liability. In addition, the
Human Resources Department successfully negotiated and
settled all seven collective bargaining agreements with city
labor unions.

The city must increase economic development to fund services, and

this is done by instilling confidence. The City of Saginaw is working
today for a better tomorrow, ready and willing to assist our partners
and community stakeholders in growing Saginaw.

Saginaw is working with the Michigan Economic Development

Corporation and pursing a Redevelopment Ready Community
Certification. We are also investing in place-making and
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collaborating with the Michigan Municipal League. We partner with
Saginaw Future Inc. for their economic development expertise and
assistance. The City is committed to promoting business
opportunities through tax abatements and through the Saginaw
Economic Development Corporation financial assistance.

Next Steps for the City of Saginaw. On January 21st, the City
Council held a Strategic Planning Session to set the goals for the City
of Saginaw for the next five years. The top priorities will include:
economic development of the urban core; public safety and fire
service; arts, culture and recreation; neighborhood revitalization; and
utility infrastructure. At the end of our strategic planning session we
came together and created a vision for the City, as follows:

We envision the Saginaw Riverfront as an Entertainment District and

Event Venue where our citizens enjoy the effect of placemaking. We
plan to attract more small business development, and diversify our
economy through stronger cultural collaborations and private/public
ventures. In particular, we will place strong focus on improvements
to the central park area, particularly Ojibway Island, and servicing the
underserved.

Its all coming together. I started by saying that I would speak about
city operations, exciting happenings in the city and future plans for
growth and development. In closing, I recognize that all of you are
stakeholders in Saginaw and that you are more than aware of our
great changes and growth, and all that Saginaw has to offer. To
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others I say, If you havent been to Saginaw lately, then you really
dont know Saginaw. Ill leave you with these final remarks -
Saginaw is open for business - Come in, Were Awesome! Thank
You!

THE END

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