City of Mason Inside this issue Special Election coming up May 5 2 Benefits of water main flushing 3 Severe weather precautions 4 Take Back Meds dropoff 5 Compost rules 6 Mason Public Meetings Mar — Jun 2015 City Council — 7:30 pm Apr 6 & 20, May 4 & 18, Jun 1 & 15 Downtown Development Authority — 5:30 pm May 13 Historic District Commission — 7 pm Mar 23, Apr 27, May 26, Jun 22 Planning Commission 6:30 pm Apr 14, May 12, Jun 9 Mason 150 Anniversary Committee — 6:30 pm Apr 13, May 11, Jun 8 & 29 Traffic Commission 5:30 pm Apr 22 Zoning Board of Appeals — 5:30 pm Apr 8, May 13, Jun 10 Contributors to this newsletter include Ken Baker, Kirk Crawford, Debbie Cwiertniewicz, Jacqui Johnson, Kerry Minshall, Eileen Northrup, Michelle Pietsch and Sandy Stacy. City of Mason March 2015 Happy 150th B rthday, Mason! On March 9, 1865, Michigan Governor Henry Crapo approved Public Act 125 and signed into law the official incorporation of the Village of Mason, Michigan. Now, 150 years later, the City of Mason is celebrating this incorporation with a variety of sesquicentennial ceremonies throughout the year. The first official scheduled activity was a ceremony on March 9 at the Mason City Hall, featuring a special honor guard consisting of both the Mason Fire Department and the Seventh Michigan Voluntary Infantry, Co B. their essays about the history behind a selected Mason street. Other events taking place throughout the year include the Mason 150 Summer Celebration July 2 through 5: Brothers of the Brush, a contest judging the fullest beard, the best period style beard, and the most unique beard; judging starts at 5:30 pm on July 2nd Thursday Night Live Concert on July 2nd Mason 150 Parade and Fireworks Display on July 4th The Sesquicentennial Committee will be creating a City of Mason Time Capsule and has ideas for other events that are still in the planning stages. The final official event for the yearlong celebration will be the Mason 150 Grand Ball on October 3. Be on the lookout for additional information in the near future. Keep updated on all the Sesquicentennial birthday celebrations by accessing the City of Mason website at mason.mi.us, or the Mason Chamber of Commerce website at masonchamber.org, or through this newsletter. Federal and State Government representatives were present, including Congressman Mike Bishop. A congratulatory letter from Governor Rick Snyder was read and a special video tribute from US Senator Debbie Stabenow was aired. Winners of the Mason College Club Sesquicentennial Essay Contest for 8th Graders read Second Ingham County Courthouse 1856-1902 Show your support of Mason by participating in these activities and help make Mason’s 150th a year to remember! Arbor Day Honoree nomination deadline: March 25 Since 1991, the City of Mason has observed Arbor Day during the third week of April by planting a tree in honor of a citizen who has made positive contributions to ecology. The Mason Tree Commission is now seeking nominees for the person who will be honored at this year’s April 24th celebration. If you know of someone who is deserving of this honor, submit a letter of nomination by March 25, 2015, to: Mason Tree Commission, ATTN: Sam Bibler, Mason City Hall, 201 W Ash, Mason MI 48854. Be sure to mark Arbor Day Nomination on the envelope. The Tree Commission will make their selection of the 2015 honoree on the basis her/his contribution to ecology in general, and promotion and preser- vation of trees in particular. Emphasis will be placed on selecting an individual who has made a significant contribution to the enhancement of the ecology in the City of Mason or the Mason are. All nominees must have a Mason mailing address. Page 2 City of Mason Election News — Special Election May 5, 2015 The State of Michigan has scheduled a statewide special election on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, to consider a 1% sales tax increase to fund road repairs. Sample ballot language will be available in March. Election Day Information Important Dates April 6 — 5 pm Close of Registration The last day to register to vote in the May 5 Special Election May 2 — 2 pm Deadline to request absent voter ballot by mail May 4 — 4 pm Deadline to request Photo identification required to vote Under Michigan law, all voters are required to show photo identification to vote at the polls. Voters without identification will be required to sign an affidavit to receive a ballot. The identification requirement does not apply to persons voting by absentee ballot. These are accepted forms of photo identification: Driver's license or personal identification card issued by Michigan or another state Federal or state government issued photo identification US passport absent voter ballot in person An absentee ballot may be requested until 4 pm Monday, May 4; ballots must be voted at City Hall. May 5 — 7 am — 8 pm Election Day All precincts are located at City Hall, 201 West Ash. Current student identification with photo from high school or accredited institution of higher education Military identification card with photo Tribal identification card with photo Voter Registration To be eligible to vote, a citizen must be registered 30 days before the election. A citizen who is 18 years of age may register to vote at the Secretary of State Office, the City Clerk's Office, or by mail. A registration form may be printed from the City website at www.mason.mi.us. A citizen who registers to vote by mail must vote in person in the first election in which he or she participates. However, overseas citizens, handicap citizens, or citizens who are 60 years of age or older are not required to vote in person the first time they vote. To cast a vote, a line is completed by “connecting” the ends of the arrow next to the candidate of your choice. (See examples below.) Absentee Voting A citizen who is unable to attend the polls on Election Day may request an absentee ballot. An application is available on the City website at www.mason.mi.us. A citizen must complete an application to vote absentee for each and every election held. A citizen may request in writing to be placed on a permanent absent voter list to receive an absentee application for all elections that are held. The only permissible reasons for a voter to receive an absentee ballot are as follows: The voter is physically unable to attend the polls without the assistance of another. The voter cannot attend the polls because of the tenets of their religion. The voter has been appointed as an election precinct inspector in a precinct other than the precinct where they reside. The voter is 60 years of age or older. The voter is expected to be absent from the community in which they are registered for the entire time the polls are open on Election Day. The voter cannot attend the polls because they are confined to jail awaiting arraignment or trial. Casting a Vote Voter Information Center The Michigan Secretary of State “Voter Information Center” is an online source for onestop election information. Michigan residents can access information on their voter registration status, find the location, get directions to their polling place, and review the ballot. Visitors can access online information on statewide candidates and ballot proposals as well as tutorials on the Optec electronic voting equipment. For further election information, please contact the City Clerk’s Office (517-676-9155). City of Mason Page 3 Water main flushing improves water quality The City of Mason will begin its annual water main flushing program in early April. This process, which takes about three weeks to complete, involves opening fire hydrants to their max to increase the amount of water flowing through the water running down the middle of the street, hopefully cleaning out any iron or calcium buildup that accumulated during the winter. Although most of the work will be completed at night to minimize rusty water problems, it is possible Mason resi- dents may experience a rusty water condition. If this happens, do not turn on your hot water since this will cause rusty water to enter your hot water heater, creating problems when you use your washing machine. Follow these steps to keep rusty water out of your hot water heater or softener during this process: 1. If you have a water softener with a separate cold hard water tap, turn it on and the cold water should clear up in a few minutes. 2. If you have a softener and do not have a separate cold hard water tap, first bypass the softener and either turn on a cold water tap, or turn on an outside water tap for approximately three to five minutes or until the water runs clear. Once the process begins, only certain areas in the city will be affected each day. Notices will be run in the newspaper and on TV prior to the start of each flushing cycle. There will most likely be another flushing cycle in the fall of 2015. A few cemetery rules you should know ... Believe it or not, but springtime is fast approaching and that means cleaning up the clutter from our yards. The crew at Maple Grove Cemetery will also being sprucing up the grounds in preparation for Memorial Day on May 31. With that in mind, please remember to remove all artificial flowers, ornaments, and grave blankets by April 1 so the crew can prepare the grounds for mowing. Any items left at a grave site after April 1 will be disposed of by cemetery employees. In the Maple Grove Cemetery, flowers can be planted 18" directly in front of an existing monument. Edging is not allowed around the grave site, nor are wood chips or stones. There are faucets located in the cemetery for watering your flowers. Cemetery employees are happy to help if you need assistance. Copies of cemetery rules as well as maps are located in mailboxes in two locations of the cemetery. Section “letters” are printed on trash receptacles throughout the cemetery. We are fortunate to have a lovely cemetery located in Mason. Let’s all do our part to preserve it for many generations to come. Forget to pay your 2014 Real Estate Taxes? Not to worry— you can still pay them at the Ingham County Treasurer’s Office. PLEASE TAKE NOTE Senior Citizen Refuse Exemption and Summer Tax Deferment forms will be available in midApril. Adjustments can be made until September 15th. Inquire at Mason City Hall, Finance Department, for more information. Mason — honored to be Tree City USA! Since 1991, Mason has been recognized as one of a select group to be given the title of Tree City USA. The honor was bestowed upon the city because of its commitment to effective urban forest management and because the city met the program’s four requirements: a tree board/department, a treecare ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. Residents of the City of Mason are encouraged to plant a tree this spring to continue this honor. If planting, please call Miss Dig (800-482-7171 or 811) to check for above and underground utilities. This is a MUST if you are hand digging! If you would like to plant a tree in the parkway (between the sidewalk and the curb), call the City of Mason Forestry Department for a list of approved street trees (749-7527). Have you ordered your Legacy Tree yet? Buy a tree in honor or in memory of a loved one through the Legacy Tree Program. Each tree can be purchased for $150 which includes the tree, soil preparation, planting, mulch and continuing care. For more information or to buy a tree, call the City of Mason at 517-6765891. Legacy Tree Forms are also available online at www.mason.mi.us. Help keep Mason beautiful for another 150 years! Page 4 City of Mason Are you prepared for the severe weather season? Springtime is almost here. This means we will soon be entering the time of year where we may experience severe weather. Some of these storms may even produce tornados or other severe weatherrelated events. The City of Mason has three emergency warning sirens located throughout the city to alert our residents to the possibility of severe weather such as a tornado or other possible emergency with the potential risk of injuries or property damage. These sirens are usually sounded on the advice of the National Weather Service; however if conditions and reports from the field warrant it, they may be activated at anytime. Presently the sirens are now activated by the Ingham County 911 dispatch center and are also tested the first Saturday of the month at 1 pm for about one minute. The sirens are designed to alert and warn people who are outside during these emergencies. They are not designed to penetrate into houses with closed doors and windows. If a tornado WATCH is issued for your area, it means a tornado is “possible.” If a tornado WARNING is issued, it means a tornado has actually been spotted, or is strongly indicated on radar, and it is time to go to a safe shelter immediately. When a warning is issued, the sirens will be activated. When the siren is heard, you should take shelter immediately. Tune to the radio or television to determine the nature of the emergency and to hear information on how to protect you and your family. For weather-related emergencies, go to your designated shelter. If you don’t have one, you can access the basement of Mason City Hall using the front door. It is opened for that purpose during severe weather emergencies. When you hear the “all clear” message over the emergency broadcast system, it is safe to leave your shelter or return to your home. Each year about a thousand tornados touch down in the United States. Only a small percentage actually strike occupied buildings, but every year a number of people are killed or injured. However, the chance that a tornado will strike a building you are in is very small and you can greatly reduce the chance of injury by doing a few simple things: Be aware and alert as to the weather forecasts. Many people who are injured or killed by tornados were unaware of the severe weather conditions. Plan ahead before an emergency occurs. Have a designated shelter and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is. Assemble a "disaster supply kit" that you keep in your shelter area. It should contain: 1. a first aid kit with essential medication in addition to the usual items; 2. a battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries; 3. canned and other non-perishable foods, a handoperated can opener, and bottled water; 4. sturdy shoes and work gloves; and 5. written instructions on how to turn off your home’s utilities. Hopefully we will never have a tornado touch down in the Mason area but if we do, we can all do our part to help reduce the possibility of injury or death. Great savings are possible using outside sprinkler meter If you want to save money when you water flowers or a garden, wash your car, or fill your pool, you should consider purchasing an outside sprinkler meter. This meter can save you money with your outside watering since the sprinkler meter water does not go through the house meter, is not charged sewer or capital improvement, and receives a reduced meter charge, thus saving you money every billing cycle. For example, if you only had the regular account and used 20 units, that bill would cost $237.04. If 10 units of that bill are for outside watering, the bill would be $119.24 for the regular account and $37.37 for the sprinkler account. This saves $80.43 for that quarter’s water use. House and sprinkler accounts come on separate bills, with no base water charge for the sprinkler bill. If less than 1,000 gallons of water (1 unit) are used during a billing cycle, the only charge would be the meter charge of $1.67. To purchase a sprinkler meter, stop at the Finance Department on the second floor of City Hall.. The cost for a residential sprinkler meter includes the yoke and installation of the water meter by DPW personnel. You or your plumber install the yoke and any necessary water lines. If you have any water issue questions, call 676-9155 xt 201 or e-mail jacquij@mason.mi.us. City of Mason Page 5 Budd appointed as new Mason police officer On January 21st, the Mason Police Department appointed Jeremiah Budd to its patrol division. He is a Mason resident who was formerly employed by the Williamston Police Department and the US Postal Service. Budd earned his BS from Hope College and his Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards License from the 84th Michigan Police Academy. He is presently completing 14 weeks of Field Office Training and expects to be assigned to patrol duty in late April or early May. Left to right: City Clerk Deborah Cwiertniewicz, Sergeant Edward Hude, Chief John Stressman, Officer Jeremiah Budd and City Administrator Martin Colburn Put Rayner Park 2015 Spring Clean Up on your calendars Plan to join us for the 2015 Rayner Park Spring Clean Up which takes place on Saturday, April 25, from 10 am — 1 pm. Bring your work gloves, rakes and tarps. Check in as you drive in the gate for your assignment from one of the coordinators. This project is a great way for students to earn those community service hours. Hope to see you there! Did you know ... The City of Mason participates in a drop off program for unused non-controlled prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications that are prescribed to treat medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and bacterial infections. Take Back Meds is a joint effort between local pharmacies, law enforcement, health department, wastewater treatment and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to provide residents with safe, convenient access to proper medicine disposal. Disposing of your medicines in the drop-box in the entryway of the Mason City Hall will ensure your medicines will not be stolen from the garbage and will not enter our environment. When you participate in this program you will also eliminate the potential for abuse and overdoses at home. By handling your unwanted medications properly you will not need to throw them in the trash, pour them down the drain, or flush them down the toilet. To prepare your medications for disposal: 1. Bring them in the original container or package. 2. Do NOT remove the name of the medication from the container. 3. Black out or remove all identifying personal information on the label. The Take Back Meds program in Mason does not take syringes, needles, lancets or Epi-pens. The proper method for disposing of these medical waste “sharps” is through local disposal programs such as the Granger Recycling Center (517-372-2800) or the Ingham County Health Department (517-887-4312). If you have questions or for more information, visit www.takebackmeds.org. Caption describing picture or graphic. Know Your Mason Community Compost Rules 1. 2. The City of Mason WILL allow residents of Mason to drop off compost materials such as grass clippings, mulch, leaves, and weeds. Materials that are NOT allowed are any type of brush, limbs, shrubs or twigs. 3. If you want to get rid of brush-type materials, use the Granger services on Fridays. Shrubs/branch trimmings need to be cut to 4-foot lengths and securely tied in bundles weighing 30 pounds or less, or placed loose inside a 30-gallon (or smaller) trash can, each one weighing 30 pounds or less. Granger will take up to four 30gallon cans, or four bundles of brush, or a combination of the two, from each residence weekly. 4. Granger will start their yardwaste season for Mason on Friday, April 3, 2015. Yard waste should be placed separately and away from the trash, on the opposite side of the driveway if at all possible so workers can identify trash from compost. Weeds or grass clippings must be free of dirt. Plastic bags will not be picked up. The only approved containers that can be used are brown paper composts bags. 5. Anyone who wants to drop off/pick up compost from the Mason Compost site at 902 Mason Street should set up an appointment with the DPW, Monday through Friday, 7:30 am — 3 pm, except holidays. All appointments can be made through Kirk Crawford at 517-749-8726. Mason Organizations ALAIEDON SCOUTS 676–6499, Tony Assaf CAPITOL CITY CAR CLUB 676–5046, Shirley Wilcox COUNTY SEAT OLD CAR CLUB 676–5978, Arnold Short DDA 676-3661, Mark Howe EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOC. 663–1318, Tom Botsford FRIENDS OF THE MASON LIBRARY 676–4175, Elaine Ferris GIRL SCOUTS OF MASON 676–6093, Christine Hesch INGHAM COUNTY FARM BUREAU 676–5115, Barb Chapman INGHAM COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY 676-7140, Diane Bishop MASON ANTIQUES/ COBBLESTONE VILLAGE 676–1270, Larry Silsby MASON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 676–1046, Doug Klein MASON AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY 676–9837, Barbara Tornholm MASON AREA SENIOR CITIZENS CLUB 676-2931, Ron Town MASON ART GUILD 676–5314, Shirley Renwick MASON BAND BOOSTERS 676–9055, Beth Bousfield MASON BREAKFAST OPTIMIST 676–2791, Pete Hanover MASON BULLDOG BOOSTERS 676–6535 MASON CHAPTER 150 ORDER EASTERN STAR 676–2014, Mary Ruttan MASON COLLEGE CLUB 676–5876, Kris Taylor MASON COMMUNITY PARTNERS 676–4519, Ext. 215 MASON FFA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 694–0499, Marie Sheridan MASON FIRE DEPARTMENT 244–9025, Chief Minshall MASON HOMESCHOOLERS NETWORK 676–5073, Rebecca Schwartz MASON KIWANIS CLUB 676-5284, Ginger Kinney-Sweet MASON LIONS CLUB 676–2518, Stan Jordan MASONIC LODGE #70 F&AM 676–5040, Ivan Kerr MASON ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY 676–3678, Kay Rinker–O’Neil MASON ROTARY CLUB 699-1554, Tony Cherniawski MICHIGAN STEAM ENGINE AND THRASHERS CLUB 676–5160, Sandy Smalley MASON SUN DRIED MUSIC FESTIVAL 676-3522, Leon Clark MICHIGAN TRAPSHOOTING ASSOCIATION 676–2295, Rick Shirkey NORTH AURELIUS SCOUTS 694–3624, Suzanne Ferris STEELE SCOUTS 676–8569, Wade Johnson VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 676–7309, Bob Jordon Do you recycle? These area businesses will help you in your efforts! CITY OF MASON, Mason City Hall, 201 W. Ash Street, Mason MI 48854 517-676-9155, xt 203, maryg@mason.mi.us Mayor Mike Waltz Mayor Pro Tem Marlon Brown CELL PHONES Mason City Police Department, 676-9155 COMPUTER RECYCLING Mason Goodwill Store, 244-9306 COOKING OIL Delhi Township WWTP, 699-3873 Delta Township Recycling Center, 323-8500 CREATION STATION WISH LIST (517-371-2451) MID-MICHIGAN FREECYCLE NETWORK www.freecycle.org HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION, 887-4521 MERCURY THERMOMETERS, 887-4521 OIL, ANTIFREEZE, and CAR BATTERY Carquest, 676-2464 NAPA Auto Parts, 676-5481 PLASTIC BAG RECYCLING Meijer, 244-1900 POLYSTYRENE Dart Container, 500 Hogsback Road 24 hours a day/7 days a week SHARPS COLLECTIONS 272-4145 Visit the Mason Chamber of Commerce Events Calendar online at www.masonchamber.org Please help us keep this list up-to-date. Send changes/additions/deletions to maryg@mason.mi.us. Thanks so much! Councilmember Les Bruno Councilmember Leon Clark Councilmember John Droscha Councilmember Elaine Ferris Councilmember Jim Mulvany
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