Final ER inspection Oct. 9

Published 10:51 am Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The highly visible portion of Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital emergency room has been completed since May.

However, since that time they have been working on different phases of the project within the building that are much less visible to the general public, yet very important to their overall operations.

Jim Bradford reports that this phase of the project is nearly complete.

A final inspection is scheduled for Oct. 9.

We are pleased and thankful for the expanded quality of care that can now take place within the facility and appreciate Borgess-Lee’s ongoing commitment to the health care needs of the greater Dowagiac area.

New fire station dedication Saturday: On Saturday, Oct. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the new Dowagiac fire station will be open to the public at 302 Wolf St.

A dedication ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. and a hotdog cookout will take place.
The building they are now in is the former Department of Transportation equipment storage facility, which has been revamped to meet the fire department’s needs.

This facility should allow the department to provide an even greater level of service for many years to come.

Nursing home building permit issued: A building permit has been issued for the nursing home and the first phase (demolition) is nearing completion.

Work crews are now actively involved in site preparation and we look forward to a safe and productive construction project this winter.

It will be good to have a long-term care facility again conveniently located in Dowagiac that serves the needs of families close to home.

New store at 204 S. Front: Vickie Phillipson reports that a new business is moving into the downtown at 204 S. Front St.

The new business, called “Oh My…,” will focus on restored furniture. The store hopes to be open by Nov. 1.

State shared revenue: Reports from Lansing indicate that the latest round of the budget approved by the Legislature will include an 11.1-percent reduction to state-shared revenue.

This will be about an $81,000 reduction in General Fund revenues for next year.

We will continue to work on developing ways to deal with shrinking revenue streams.

Fire safety house: Since October is National Fire Prevention Month, the Dowagiac Fire Department and Pamida hosted a fire safety day Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Pamida parking lot.

The event centered around educating children on fire safety and prevention.

The smoke house will be available so young people can learn first-hand how to safely escape from a smoke-filled building.

This week, the fire department will also be meeting with 60 kids from Justus Gage Elementary School to talk about fire safety and prevention.

The kids will also have the opportunity to go through the smoke house.

The Cass County Fireman’s Association smoke house trailer is a fire safety training tool for children.

As the kids enter the smoke house, they are first brought into a mock kitchen area where firefighters discuss safety around stoves, ovens and other hazards.

The kids are then moved into the “living room,” which is complete with an imitation fireplace, telephone and everyday household extension cords.

Here, kids talk about fireplace safety and other common hazards.

The smoke house is outfitted with a “command room,” where a firefighter can monitor what the groups are doing.

The command room also controls a smoke machine, the telephone and a heated door, which is located in the living room.

Firefighters can teach kids how to check a door for heat prior to opening it, and the kids can practice calling 911.

The command room can also pump simulated smoke into any of the three rooms of the trailer which, in turn, will trigger smoke detectors inside the trailer and allow the kids to practice fire escape procedures.

The last room in the trailer is a mock-up of a bedroom.

From this room, kids can practice escaping fire through the regular door going outside or through a residential-style window equipped with a short escape ladder.

Disconnect policy ordinance: At the Sept. 28 City Council meeting, one person expressed concern that the proposed disconnect policy ordinance before the council will reduce the number of extensions available to utility customers from four 10-day extensions per year to two 21-day extensions per year.

Upon further review of Section 82 of the Municipal Code, I am providing this information as a supplement to the report received in the agenda packets.

The payment extension policy found in the Municipal Code under the heading of Billing Payment Procedures, Section 8211(c) states:

“Any customer unable to pay a utility bill prior to the disconnect date may request a 10-day extension by signing a written agreement prior to the scheduled disconnect date. The 10-day extension shall be effective on the day before the stated disconnect date. Ontwa two extension agreements will be granted in any calendar year.”

By code, all customers are entitled to two 10-day extensions, no questions asked. Customers pay an additional fee for this extension.

Prior to each of the past several winters, the council adopted a resolution that prohibited shutoffs during extreme cold conditions.

Included in this resolution was the ability for customers to seek two additional 10-day extensions during the winter months only. The resolutions were in effect for one year only and are now expired.

The ordinance currently before the council only pertains to Municipal Code Section 83-13, Disconnection Procedures. If the council adopts the ordinance that is before it, there will actually be no change to the Billing/Payment Procedures in Section 83-11(c) (i.e., two 10-day extensions per calendar year) because the ordinance before the council pertains only to Section 82-13.

The proposed provisions within the new Section 82-13 will actually allow for senior citizens and those with documented medical concerns the opportunity for additional extensions during extreme winter months.

If the council simply extended the new winter provisions outlined in this ordinance for seniors and medical concerns to all customers, the payment extension options that some of our customers have grown accustomed to would essentially remain in place.

– Kevin P. Anderson
City Manager