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CLINTON TOWNSHIP — A new procedure for the township’s emergency communications through the use of the Nixle service was unanimously approved by the Clinton Township Board of Trustees at its April 14 meeting.
“We have to have a way to contact the public in real time,” said Trustee Bruce Wade, who advocated for the policy. “That’s paramount. With Nixle, we can reach your phone immediately.”
A few things rise to the level of an emergency communication, according to a policy included in the Board of Trustees packet for the April meeting. Natural disasters like flooding or tornados qualify. So do public health emergencies like a boil water advisory. Public safety emergencies, including an active shooter or a hazardous materials incident, would trigger the message. If there’s an unexpected or dangerous road closure, a message would be generated. There would also be a communication if there’s orders for shelter-in-place or evacuation.
One notable item in the policy that would trigger a communication is “explosions or hazardous materials spills.” On March 4, 2024, the Goo Smoke Shop exploded and left one dead. While many other places, like Facebook, alerted residents to the danger, Nixle did not. Nixle is an emergency notification system township residents can sign up for.
“There was a miscommunication as to who was going to turn it on,” then-Clinton Township Supervisor Robert Cannon said. “We’re very sorry. We’ve taken steps to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
“Nixle should have been an option used along with social media channels,” Community Relations Director Jim Perpich stated in an email at the time. “It was not.”
The policy states that leadership from the government agency responding to the event would be tasked with starting the process of sending an alert. Leadership would contact the township’s community relations and media services director to initiate the alert. Those responding would also coordinate with the county’s Emergency Management and Communications department.
The CRAMS director, or a designee, can send an alert to Nixle, media outlets, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, township cable channels, local community pages such as the Macomb Scanner Facebook page, the county’s wireless emergency alert system and through signage.
Trustees did away with the emergency manager position on Feb. 24 with a unanimous vote, opting instead to use the county’s service. The township now utilizes two liaisons to coordinate with the county in an emergency and for preparedness.
Following questioning from Trustee Julie Matuzak at the April 14 meeting, Deputy Township Supervisor Dan O’Leary confirmed that non-smartphones can receive the alerts, but “it’s a little iffy.” However, O’Leary said email and phone updates can be made.
Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem made sure to explain the distinction between a notification and an alert for Nixle.
“Alert tends to be more (of an) emergency, a notification tends to be, ‘Hey, we just want to make sure you’re aware of this,’” he said.
O’Leary said you can choose whether you want both alerts and notifications or just one or the other with Nixle.
To sign up for Nixle, visit everbridge.com/products/nixle.
“It’s of very little value to have an emergency notification system if only 5,000 people are signed up in a town of 100,000,” O’Leary said.
Ordinance changes for resurfacing
At the April 14 meeting, the board took steps to reduce inspections and lower fees for some paving projects. The three proposed ordinance changes passed 6-1, with Trustee Dan Kress voting no. The changes to the zoning code were introduced at the April 14 meeting and will be on a future board agenda for adoption.
“This approach strives to support property owners in keeping their paving in good condition without facing excessive financial barriers,” Brett Mittelstedt, assistant project manager for the Clinton Township Department of Public Services, stated in a letter to the board.
Matuzak said the changes came before the township’s Budget Ways and Means Committee twice.
“If a business wants to resurface their parking lot — they’re not digging it up, they just want to do a mill-and-fill — they may fill the cracks,” Matuzak said. “Our current ordinance is quite expensive. It requires an inspector to be on-site and we think, in some cases, it actually keeps business owners from maintaining their parking lots and we want the parking lots maintained.”
Department of Public Services Director Mary Bednar explained that an application would need to be submitted by the property owner explaining what’s being worked on. Once the application is submitted, the DPS will determine if an inspection is required.
Linda McGrail, an attorney representing the township, explained that there is a waiver in the application that protects the township from liability for repairs the property owner makes. Attorney Jack Dolan later added that an inspection is available, if the owner wants to pay the fee.
While Kress said he didn’t want unneeded oversight, he disagreed with the ordinance changes.
“I’d like to see a before and after inspection just so we know what was fixed and that it was fixed well,” Kress said.
