In the winter of 2010-2011, the Rochester Hills City Council debated the need for a breed specific ordinance for Pit Bulls after some biting incidents in our community. City Councilman Martin Brennan and I wrote Point/Counter Point editorials for Rochester Media and other media outlets on the Pros and Cons of such a ban. Rochester Media has asked me to revisit the issue a few years later. At the time I made the following points against banning a specific breed – and I still believe … [Read more...]
New ordinance quiets the ‘boom’ on fireworks
June 26, 2013 by 1 Comment
Special report by Michael Webber, Vice President, Rochester Hills City Council Up until last year, fireworks were only discharged legally in Michigan through the use of a permit. That quickly changed when the Michigan Legislature passed legislation in 2012 that permitted the use of fireworks on the day of, the day before and the day after a national holiday. With that legislation came the legal sale of fireworks in the state – with the thought that the sales tax on these fireworks would … [Read more...]
Rochester Area Jaycees 2011 Senior Easter Basket Project
April 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment
For many years, the Rochester Area Jaycees have worked in conjunction with the Older Persons Commission to deliver 30 Easter Baskets, filled with food, candy and useful household items, to homebound seniors who live in the Rochester area. Annually the Jaycees budget funds that were raised for this community service project. The group works with the OPC to identify the senior citizens who will receive the bags. Once the Jaycees purchase the materials and assemble the bags, Jaycee members … [Read more...]
Pit Bulls: To Ban or Not To Ban?
January 5, 2011 by 26 Comments
Recently the Rochester Hills City Council and administration discussed the need for a breed specific pit bull ban following a few occurrences of pit bulls attacking other dogs. This debate drew much discussion from community members on the pros and cons of banning a specific breed from the community. It is important during any emotional debate to take a step back and review the facts so that a knee jerk reaction does not cause an over reach of government. Councilman Webber's Response … [Read more...]
Rochester Hill’s Economic Development Team Succeeds
September 29, 2010 by
Given these trying economic times for our state and region, every community has turned their focus towards Economic Development. The City of Rochester Hills has been at the forefront of this focus with our Economic Development team led by Dan Casey. The focus of the Mayor's administration and the City Council towards Economic Development is beginning to pay off with some great companies deciding to come or stay in Rochester Hills over the last few years. Our city has been aggressive in … [Read more...]
New Budget for Rochester Hills 2011
September 2, 2010 by
Over the past month, the mayor and city council have been working through the budget for 2011 and beyond. Mayor Barnett presented a fiscally sound, conservative budget for Fiscal Year 2011 with an outlook for 2012 and 2013. I applaud this forward thinking of a three year budget proposal. The budget, as presented, called for no new taxes or fee increases. I am a firm believer that this is the correct way to go - we must fund our core city services while staying within our budget. Families are … [Read more...]
State Senate Primary Recap
August 12, 2010 by
With the State Senate primary behind us, I wanted to offer my thoughts on what the election meant to the Rochester area going forward. As you know, Rochester's own Senator Mike Bishop will be term limited out of office at the end of this year. What that means for our area is that we are losing a strong advocate in Lansing. Senator Bishop has worked tirelessly to promote the Rochester area and get the needed funding from the claws of state government for projects important to our area. By now … [Read more...]
