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Clean & Safe Services
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Public Space Maintenance Program |
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 As
a result of New Center Council’s ongoing efforts to achieve higher
standards of Public Space Maintenance while reducing or containing
costs, New Center Council has embarked on a new “In House” Litter
Program, including Lodge Freeway litter abatement, light pole and
utility box painting, graffiti removal and other special public space
maintenance tasks. Bringing these activities “in house” involved
purchasing the requisite equipment and the direct hiring of staff.
In the past, New Center
Council contracted with MSI and more recently
Torre & Bruglio
to carry out the Public Space Maintenance work in the area. Please
note that Torre & Bruglio remains under contract to perform landscape
services, including, but not limited to grass cutting, flower bed
installation and maintenance, weed control, tree care, and irrigation
services.
They also provide site
maintenance services for the annual Comerica TasteFest.) After having
completed one full year, the Council has determined that a better
product and greater efficiencies were achieved by operating the program
internally. Although this approach required additional supervision and
administrative effort on behalf of Council staff, it was in the best
interest of our stakeholders and other interested parties in New Center.
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New
Center Flowerbed Program |
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 The
New Center Council Flower Bed Sponsorship program was developed to
offset the cost of planting, fertilizing, weeding and maintaining the
25,000 flowers planted in New Center each year. Through program
sponsorship, the Council is able to produce an outstanding flowerbed
program, beginning mid May and ending mid October. The Council
works with the landscape contractor Torre & Bruglio to insure a
well-designed floral display to complement the formal architecture of
the area’s buildings.
To promote the program and
raise awareness of our sponsors (usually local businesses and community
organizations) New Center Council will install a sign indicating the
sponsor of each bed and print the list of sponsors in New Center
publications. In total, twenty-three beds are available for sponsorship
with a price range of $300-$1500. New Center’s program became a
prototype for several similar programs in other parts of the City.
If you would like to
participate in New Center Council’s Flowerbed Program, please contact
the Council at 313.872.0188!
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New
Center Banner Program |
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 New
Center Council is responsible for the design, production, installation
and maintenance of over 120 street banners in the business core.
This process includes
petitioning Detroit City Council for light pole approval annually, and
working with our supplier, Banner Sign Company, Inc. to ensure we
maintain the hardware and equipment used to hang the banners.
These banners serve to brand
the neighborhood, create continuity throughout the district, and define
our service area. A new banner program (new design and complete
replacement) is implemented approximately every three years. The
current program was installed in May of 2003.
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Holiday
Lighting Program |
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 The
New Center Council Holiday Lighting Program is a comprehensive program
installed by New Center Council Public Space Maintenance Staff, which
includes lighting over 50 median trees on W. Grand Boulevard and 42
smaller trees on the sidewalks adjacent to the Fisher, New Center One
and Cadillac Place buildings.
Performed for over 20 years
by outside contractors, New Center Council’s crews installed the entire
New Center Holiday Lighting Program for the first time in 2003. Taking
the program in-house has allowed us to significantly increase its scope
while reducing costs.
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New Center Council Public Space Maintenance Staff begins the program in
late August of each year, when the lights on each tree are tested to
determine which lights need replacing. Unlike most lighting
contractors, we only replace the strands that are burnt out, but from
time to time we are required to strip the tree and start again.
The Council develops a work
plan map, orders the lights and equipment (man lifts), and begins
installing the lights early October. The lighting display is completely
installed by mid November and continues until the second week in
January.
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New
Center Security Chiefs Program |
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 New
Center Council maintains a very close relationship with the
Detroit Police Department (13th Precinct), private security
companies of property owners, smaller businesses and neighborhood
organizations through the New Center Council Security Chiefs Program.
Now in its 15th year, this
group of both private and public security professionals meets monthly to
review crime in the area, discuss trends and share valuable information.
Just in the last two years, the 13th Precinct has added an in-house
County Prosecutor, who works solely on prosecuting crimes and property
negligence in our area. This coordinated effort results in a
pro-active approach to preventing and solving crime. The program has
been so successful that Police officials from the 13th Precinct used our
program as a model for other precincts to encourage information exchange
between law enforcement and the business community
Through this partnership, we
have been able to address numerous potential crime problems that, if
gone unchecked, could have negatively impacted the New Center community
for years to come.
New Center Council also
maintains close contact with the City of Detroit Public Lighting
Department for notification of street light malfunction. Well-lit areas
are natural deterrents to crime. We also instituted a graffiti removal
program in conjunction with our Public Space Maintenance program. It is
no secret that areas with unabated graffiti invite more illegal activity
(and more graffiti) than areas kept graffiti free. |
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