News

2011 Rouge Frog and Toad Survey Report
December 9, 2011

Survey Report

City Offers Zero Interest Winterization Loans
October 24, 2011

The City of Farmington Hills is offering help to qualified homeowners who plan to winterize their houses. Zero Interest Winterization Loans may be used for home improvement projects such as adding insulation or replacing windows, roofs or furnaces.

Funding for this program is provided by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Office through the Community Development Block Grant. To qualify for the loans, applicants must have owned and occupied a home in Farmington Hills for at least one year. The family must also meet Federal income guidelines, for example, a family of four must have a gross income of less than $56,800.

Income guidelines, applications, and program details are available on the City website at www.fhgov.com; click on Quick Links and choose Housing Rehabilitation Program. Or for more information, call Charmaine Kettler-Schmult of the Farmington Hills Community Development Office at 248-871-2543.

ITCTransmission grant will help plant 850 trees
October 24, 2011

Tree Planting Site Locations

Pontiac, MI, October 24, 2011 – Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson thanked ITCTransmission of Novi, Michigan today for awarding the county a $100,000 matching grant to plant trees on public land in the Rouge Watershed in Farmington Hills, Novi and West Bloomfield. ITC’s grant doubles the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative $100,000 grant to Oakland County which together will help plant about 850 trees at 20 separate locations.

The 850 trees, when mature, will have the following impact, according to the USDA:

• They will remove more than 20 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per year
• They will release enough oxygen in a year to sustain 1,700 humans
• They will reduce runoff caused by rainfall by up to 850,000 gallons per year
• Each of these trees will be capable of reducing noise pollution by 10 decibels

In a tree ribbon-cutting ceremony today at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills, ITC’s Director of Local Government & Community Affairs Donna Zalewski presented the $100,000 check to Patterson.

“Our commitment to environmental stewardship naturally extends from our company culture into our operating philosophy,” Zalewski said. “We are proud to support Oakland County in their efforts to maintain a healthy environment for the community.”

Patterson said ITC’s donation will be a boost to the quality of life for Oakland County residents. “Oakland County is among the best places to live, work, play and raise a family in part because of its beautiful natural surroundings. ITC’s generosity will help us improve our green space throughout the Rouge Watershed,” he said.

Farmington Hills Mayor Jerry Ellis, who attended the festivities, agreed.

“Caring for the environment is a top priority in Farmington Hills,” said Ellis. “We commend ITC’s initiative to fund the planting of trees that will not only add beauty to our city but will also provide environmental and health benefits for our residents.”

Planting these trees in the Rouge Watershed dovetails with Oakland County’s Green Infrastructure Vision. Oakland County was among three regions in the nation which received the National Green Infrastructure Implementation Award this year at the National Green Infrastructure Conference in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Oakland County's Green Infrastructure Vision is a collage of local open space efforts among its 62 communities, intended to guide and coordinate local and multijurisdictional preservation efforts. The process takes a broad-based ecosystem approach to planning for the protection and stewardship of sustainable biological diversity. The county's vision also provides a roadmap into the future and creates opportunities to connect to the land through trails, parks, open space and waterways. For additional information on Oakland County’s Green Infrastructure Vision, navigate to http://www.oakgov.com/peds/, click on the “Environmental Stewardship” link, followed by the “What We Do” button, then “Green Infrastructure Initiative.”

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades. A task force of 11 federal agencies developed an action plan that covers fiscal years 2010 through 2014 and addresses five urgent focus areas: Cleaning up toxics and areas of concern; combating invasive species; promoting near shore health by protecting watersheds from polluted run-off; restoring wetlands and other habitats; and working with partners on outreach. For more information, go to www.epa.gov/greatlakes/glri/.

About ITCTransmission

International Transmission Company (d/b/a ITCTransmission) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp., the nation’s largest independent electricity transmission company. Based in Novi, Michigan, ITCTransmission owns, operates and maintains approximately 2,800 circuit miles of transmission line in southeast Michigan, serving a population of 5.1 million. For additional information about ITC, visit www.itctransco.com.

For media inquiries only, please contact Bill Mullan, Media and Communications Officer, at (248) 858-1048.

City Hall Revitalization Gets the GOLD!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2011

Building Receives LEED Gold Certification

The City of Farmington Hills is pleased to announce that the City Hall Revitalization Project has been awarded LEED® Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). 
Click here to read the LEED Press Release.

Farmington Hills Receives Advanced Lighting Technology Grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2011

The City of Farmington Hills recently received a grant for more than $80,000 from the Michigan Energy Office to purchase new, more energy efficient lighting.

According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Farmington Hills was one of 14 Michigan cities, villages, and counties that received a total of over one million dollars for lighting projects. The Advanced Lighting Technology Demonstration Grants were awarded from the Michigan Energy Office through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for projects that create and retain jobs, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The new LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lights to be installed in Farmington Hills will feature the latest in advanced commercial lighting technologies. The LED lights will save energy costs and also maintenance costs, due to the longer life of the lamps. The grant project will replace existing light fixtures at the City Hall municipal complex including parking lot lights and exterior wall mounted lights on the Police Headquarters building.

The new lighting is just the latest in the City’s sustainable initiatives, which include energy efficient lighting, ground source heat pumps, solar photovoltaic panels, and solar thermal panels featured in the recently revitalized Farmington Hills City Hall. “We have established ourselves as leaders in the area of energy savings,” said Mayor Jerry Ellis.

As part of the grant, the City will be required to regularly collect, track, and report data on energy savings, cost savings, jobs created and/or saved, and emissions reductions.

For more information about the new lighting in Farmington Hills, contact Nate Geinzer at 248-871-2507 or ngeinzer@fhgov.com.

Farmington Hills Named a “Tree City USA Community”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2011

The City of Farmington Hills was recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA community for its commitment to urban forestry. The program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

In order to be named a Tree City USA community, Farmington Hills was required to have a tree board or department, a tree preservation ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. This is the second year that the City has met these specific standards and earned this honor.

“Caring for the environment is a top priority in Farmington Hills,” said Mayor Jerry Ellis. “The trees in our community not only add beauty to our neighborhoods, but also provide environmental and health benefits to our residents.”

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, trees promote healthier communities by filtering the air and removing dust and particles. As a vital part of the City’s infrastructure, trees also help moderate the climate, provide a habitat for wildlife, and assist in reducing energy use.

The City of Farmington Hills will be dedicating trees at the City Hall campus in observance of Arbor Day on April 29, 2011. For more information, contact Charmaine Kettler-Schmult in the Community Development Office at 248-871-2543.

2020 VISION COMMITTEE SEEKING FEEDBACK ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2011

The Farmington Hills Transportation and Energy Vision 2020 Committee is seeking responses to an online survey about local and regional transportation usage.

"We’re gathering feedback so that we can better understand the community's current transportation patterns,” said Committee Chairman Mark Zachos. “The responses will help to guide the committee’s recommendations to City Council, which will be presented later this year."

In addition to hearing back from residents, the committee is also hoping that the business community will participate in the survey. "We’re working to understand the correlation between regional and local transportation and business success,” said Zachos. “It’s critical that we get a strong response to the survey from the business community.”

Farmington Hills Vision 2020 is a community-led strategic visioning process that will assist the City in charting a path for future economic growth and vitality. To access the online transportation survey, go to www.fhgov.com, click on the Quick Links drop-down menu and select Surveys or you can go directly to the survey by clicking here.