A look at projects, programs, and initiatives supported by the Foundation for Excellence
2018 Annual Newsletter
Foundation for Excellence
www.kalamazoocity.org
Looking back, Looking forward In the first full year of the Foundation for Excellence, learn how it operates and what it supports. The Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence (FFE) was created to address challenges to the prosperity of the city in order to help make Kalamazoo the most dynamic, fulfilling and equitable place that it can be for all neighbors to live, work, and enjoy life. To address its challenges the FFE provides funds to stabilize the City’s budget, lower the property tax rate, and invest in the City’s aspirational community projects and programs. A fundraising campaign will work to fully endow the FFE with the goal of sustaining its work forever. The FFE’s financial model is structured to do the most good most efficiently. The FFE operates in
an exclusive financial relationship with the City of Kalamazoo in a nationally unique model. FFE funds directly support programs and projects of City departments in their work, often conducted with partners whose missions align with the goals and objectives of the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Strategic Vision and other adopted City plans. Each of these plans, such as the Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo plan, is built on deep investment in broad community engagement and reflects a pathway to improve life for all neighbors. A full history and up-to-date information can be found anytime at www.kalamazoocity.org/ffe and www.imaginekalamazoo.com
Home Ownership How the FFE helps Kalamazoo neighbors
IMAGINE KALAMAZOO An ambitious vision for our city
PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS Supported by the FFE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Community Leaders
FFE STAFF Coordinating people and projects
Inaugural Meeting of the Board of Directors
The Inaugural Foundation for Excellence Board of Directors met in full for the first time on Thursdsay, February 15, 2018.
Board Membership For its 15-member board of directors, the Foundation for Excellence seeks to continually engage residents with diverse abilities, expertise, and perspectives, and who represent fundamental sectors of the culture and economy. The FFE’s bylaws state that one-third of board positions expire each year, meaning there are several opportunities annually for everyone in the community to participate. Board members are responsible for attending at least three meetings per year and contributing to the responsible and transparent operation of the foundation. Training is provided by City staff, and there are no requirements on previous board membership or restrictions on who can apply, (though an overall percentage of city residents is required). In conjunction with the FFE’s independent governance facilitator, an outreach and board development campaign in 2017 included over 125 local organizations from 13 sectors to create broad awareness. If you are interested in becoming a board member, please visit www.kalamazoocity.org/FFE to view an application, instructions, and FAQ.
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Board of Directors The Foundation for Excellence Board of Directors is comprised of fifteen individuals, including small business owners, life-long community organizers, artists, faith leaders, and a wide array of engaged professionals. Ten are Stakeholder Directors that represent important sectors such as healthcare, education, and business, and five are City Directors, including the Mayor, City Manager, two City Commissioners and an At Large Director. Stakeholder and At Large terms rotate every three years while City Directors serve for the duration of their employment or elected service. A significant initiative was undertaken to cultivate a Board that is largely representative of the community and that will add unique insights into every facet of Kalamazoo. The Board selection process included convening members of stakeholder groups to prioritize candidates and ultimately resulted in a recommended slate that achieved diverse abilities, perspectives, and sectors of the economy and culture. All board meetings are noticed in advance on the City’s website where meeting agendas and minutes can also be found. Every meeting welcomes the general public and features an opportunity for comment.
Board Members Bobby J. Hopewell, President Dr. Angela Graham-Williams, Vice President Adam McFarlin, Treasurer Barbara Hamilton-Miller, Secretary David Anderson Sandra Calderon-Huezo Alisa Carrel Nathan Dannison JoVaughan Head Mia Henry James K. Ritsema Alice Taylor Jack C. Urban Von Washington Jr. Matthew Zerwekh
40% 40% female
minorities
Imagine Kalamazoo
Imagine Kalamazoo by the Numbers
Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 is about enhancing quality of life for all. The City of Kalamazoo is a rich and diverse community. IK2025 is about valuing and respecting contributions made by all people who live, work, and play here and believing that this diversity strengthens Kalamazoo as a whole. The City of Kalamazoo’s Strategic Vision directs City staff to implement the community’s priorities. Together, through engagement in Imagine Kalamazoo, the community envisioned ten strategic goals that will drive action and frame success: •
Shared Prosperity: Abundant opportunities for people to achieve shared prosperity.
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Connected City: A city that is networked for walking, biking, riding, and driving.
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Inviting Public Places: Parks, arts, culture, and vibrant streets.
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Environmental Responsibility: A green and healthy city.
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Safe Community: A community where it is safe to live, work, bike, drive, walk, and play.
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Youth Development: A city with places and supports that help young people thrive.
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Complete Neighborhoods: Residential areas that support the full range of people’s daily needs.
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Strength Through Diversity: An inclusive city where everyone feels at home.
Overlay map of downtown Kalamazoo showing ideas generated during Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 planning.
Kalamazoo residents discuss their vision for Kalamazoo at an Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 meeting at the Northside Association for Community Development.
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Economic Vitality: Growing businesses and stabilizing the local economy to the benefit of all.
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Good Governance: Making & implementing public decisions in ways that are collaborative, inclusive, and data-driven.
The Strategic Vision was approved by the Kalamazoo City Commission in July 2017. You can learn more about Imagine Kalamazoo at www.imaginekalamazoo.com.
520
‘Meeting on the Go’ participants
1056
survey respondents
163
online engagements
1056
living & graffiti wall comments
1263
meeting participants
City employees discuss ideas at an Imagine Kalamazoo neighborhood planning meeting in the Vine Neighborhood.
4058
total points of contact
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Educational and horizon-expanding programs keep youth engaged and set them up for success.
Empowering Youth I would like to share with you that SuperRec was a great program for my community. In the eight years working for the Hispanic American Council, I can tell you that this is the first time I see a great collaboration with the City and a great participation of our Latino families in a City program. There was times when there were over 30 kids per day participating in the program. SuperRec created a safe and educational environment for our Latino kids in summer. Plus, the program was able to make a positive economic impact on our Latino families by helping them save money on daycare or childcare. The Council and Parks & Rec’s staff worked really close to ensure that our Latino families were able to participate by recruiting bilingual staff. Having bilingual staff increases the comfort of our parents because the communication was both ways. The children that participated in this program not only learn new things but also made new friends. The most important change on our children was that they were able to connect with their Camp staff and that created a positive behavioral change on our children. Overall, the program was a success for our Latino families and children. It was a great learning experience for staff and our families. The Council is looking forward on collaborating with the City of Kalamazoo in the upcoming years to bring great opportunities for our Latino children so they can have a great success.” -Adrian Vasquez-Alatorre Interim Executive Director Hispanic American Council
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The Foundation for Excellence has already spurred the expansions of successful youth programs and supported several park and neighborhood enhancement projects.
MyCITY Youth Opportunities Unlimited, a division of Kalamazoo RESA, has been a strategic partner with the City of Kalamazoo since 2006, providing resident youth (ages 14-18) with summer work experience and career exploration activities. In the summer of 2017, the number of youth served exceeded 350. A significant funding increase provided through the recently established Foundation for Excellence allowed the MyCITY program to increase the participant level threefold and expand services to include vocational training, enhanced educational components, and a year-end career fair. The name of this program was changed to MyCITY (Career Introduction and Training for Youth) in 2017.
The daily drop-in registration is open to all city residents on a first come, first served basis. Eighty-six individuals were served with 40 daily registration openings in 2016; the 2017 goal of serving 300 individuals was nearly achieved with 290; the goal of 300 will be reached in 2018 through improved outreach and a growing reputation.
SuperRec SuperRec is the City of Kalamazoo’s totally free drop-in summer camp for youth. In 2018 the Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department’s SuperRec program builds on the successful 2017 expansion because of evident demand for this type of programming. SuperRec reaches into the City’s four quadrants to offer free, socially enriching experiences to children aged 8 to 14, primarily those from underprivileged communities and backgrounds. Activities offered throughout the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., nine-week program include light academics meant to lessen the effects of the ‘summer slide’ alongside fun social activities including basketball, arts and crafts, water sports, kick ball and soccer, and field trips to Upjohn Park and the Douglas Camp. Parks and Recreation has partnered with Kalamazoo Public Schools to make each location a daily “Meet Up and Eat Up” site that offers one full meal and one snack to camp participants.
All T Dep abou
Reflecting on ‘All Things Possible’ One day I was sitting in the lounge of my college dormitory with some peers of mine and we started discussing our wants and future aspirations. We all began to talk in awe about the times when we were children thinking about our dreams and all of the possibilities that could come our way. Whether our dreams were outlandish; like becoming Disney princesses or well within reason like becoming lawyers, all we knew is that we were told by people that we cared about that all things were possible for us. After having this conversation with my peers I thought about those children who weren’t as fortunate as me to receive such approval and praise. Right after that thought I received an email from my mentor, Jennifer Heymoss about a summer opportunity with children in my hometown at a program called, wait for it… ALL THINGS POSSIBLE! Crazy right? Yes, I know, but after receiving that email I had to hop on it. All Things Possible is a youth summer opportunity for adolescents ages ranging from
Things Possible participants interact with Kalamazoo partment of Public Safety Officers and SWAT while learning ut law enforcement during the 2018 program.
9-16 years old. I call this summer program an opportunity because it is not a place where you send your children to have a free day of games and sports. Although our children get active we make sure that each child is growing. There are several aspects to the program that cater to a child’s mind, body and soul. We touch their minds through extensively improving their reading, writing & comprehension skills. The demographic of children we get in this program come from a low-income community so ultimately they are lacking in areas associated with reading, writing, comprehension and even math. After the program was completed, each student rose 1 or 2 levels in reading and were a lot more confident in their writing or reading abilities. Physical activity is very important to ATP but we encouraged purposeful movement. We make sure our children play games that encourages team building, active listening skills, teamwork, fairness and of course fun! I love this program because the staff makes it their responsibility to expose the children to the world outside of the community they often feel confined to. The children experience things outside of the community that will push them towards greatness. This is shown through the countless college tours and science seminars that they attend to expand their thinking and knowledge. It is important for ATP staff that each child takes more home than a day of sports. I talk a lot about what ATP does for the children but as a past staff member I strongly believe that the staff also gain more than expected. During my time at ATP, I learned so much from each student about gratefulness, confidence, patience, loyalty and love. I learned to be comfortable in my own skin. These kids possessed so much strength and resilience, it was admirable. I know that my children learned at the end of this program that all of their wants and dreams were possible and that they had a solid support group behind them but the lessons they instilled in me meant so much more. It was a learning experience for both of us and an opportunity that I wouldn’t trade for the world. If your children are at home this summer, I encourage you to send them to the best summer opportunity of all time!
“MyCity is an amazing program! I really felt like the teachers and staff at Y.O.U. wanted us to succeed. When one of us missed work or class, they would call to see what they could do to help. They didn’t give up on us. Even when the summer program ended, they made sure we got a job and knew what we needed to do to continue in school. I would definitely recommend this program to a friend. This was the best experience I have ever had.”
Participation in MyCity since 2011 400 350 300 250 200 150 100
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‘16
‘17
2017 increase occurred with support from FFE
“I liked the career training program through Y.O.U. because I was able to earn money while learning skills to use for future employment. I thought the best part was the internship at a business related to my training. I was able to see many different areas of the company and talk to people who work in the field every day. You don’t realize how many different jobs there are within one company. It’s a 5 good opportunity to see what you do or don’t like.”
-Lauren Thorpe former All Things Possible staff member, Dr. Lewis Walker Award Winner, Spelman College Class of 2020
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Investing in Infrastructure Repaired streets and sidewalks, upgraded water and sewer infrastructure, better lighting, and trimmed trees; pardon the dust while we improve the infrastructure that we all depend on, and prepare Kalamazoo for continued growth. Construction season: it might be the only thing about summer that we all dread. While it can add a few minutes onto our commutes, the short-term inconvenience allows us to repair streets, upgrade infrastructure, improve lighting, care for trees, improve walkability and non-motorized options, and plan for the future. In 2018, the Foundation for Excellence has supported many projects in Kalamazoo, often augmenting existing plans to include walkability improvements, better lighting, or tree care. This support allows projects to go beyond simple resurfacing and provide other benefits to neighbors in the area. Many construction projects that are occuring this year have been coordinated with partner agencies and other needs to reduce the disruption to commuters. For example, prior to a Michigan Department of Transportation project to resurface Westnedge Avenue and Park Street, City of Kalamazoo employees replaced all of the lead water services in that area. In fact, many 2018 projects include the replacement of lead water services, helping us reach our goal of total replacement of lead services before undergoing construction to the street above. Some projects include forward-thinking infrastructure work, which will upgrade existing utilities to allow for additional growth in Kalamazoo. The map highlights the City of Kalamazoo 2018 projects and provides some details about the scope of work for each. Information on all projects is also available online at the City of Kalamazoo’s website at www.kalamazoocity.org/projects. Project updates and detour information for both motorists and pedestrians is also posted via the City of Kalamazoo’s social media channels.
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A Complete Street network considers access to destinations by all transportation means: pedestrians, bicycling, and vehicles (bus, car, truck, semi-tractor trailer). This approach will allow for the evaluation of street design that connects the gaps in the network for all modes of transportation.
Northside Complete Streets Projects The Northside Neighborhood will see complete streets projects on North Rose Street, North Church Street, Norway Avenue, and Ada Street. The projects will include resurfacing, sidewalk repairs, tree trimming, removal, and/or new trees, and LED lighting. Mabel Street, Ada Street, and Norway Avenue will also have lead water services replaced as needed.
Westnedge/Park City of Kalamazoo employees replaced existing lead water service lines along Westnedge Avenue and Park Street before MDOT’s scheduled resurfacing work.
Vine Street Area Vine Street will be reconstructed, including lead water service replacement, concrete curb and gutter, and new sidewalks. Sanitary sewer, water main, and water service lines will also be replaced along adjacent Locust Place. Work on Locust Street will include concrete curb and gutter, new inlets, new sidewalks, new drive approaches, tree care, and LED street lighting.
Edison Water Service Replacement An extensive lead water service replacement project is underway in the Edison Neighborhood. Work will be performed on James and Race Streets, and Clinton, Hays Park, and Reed Avenues.
Oakland Drive Oakland Drive will be resurfaced between Howard and Lovell Streets along with sidewalk repairs and ADA improvements, following completion of lead water service replacements in July.
Other Projects Projects at Davis Street Park, Rockwell Park, Frays Park, Crane Park, and the Henderson Tot Lot are detailed on the following page. Additional projects can be found online at www.kalamazoocity.org/projects.
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Over the past two yeas, the Foundation for Excellence has provided nearly $1.5 million to support park improvement projects throughout the City. These projects have been designed in collaboration with community members and reflect the wishes of each neighborhood.
Crane Park Improvements at Crane Park include a new entrance area, repurposing the brick road that divides the park into a new walkway, new pickle ball and tennis courts, and a redesigned wedding room and ornamental garden.
Davis Street Park Phase II improvements will see the addition of a 4,000-square-foot skate plaza, designed with neighborhood residents and a leading designer of skate plazas. Additional improvements were completed in 2017 including new walkways, a new shelter, a new gaga pit, and landscaping.
Frays Park Westwood’s Frays Park will get new tennis and pickle ball courts, a new eight-footwide path, an additional path at the north end of the park, sidewalk replacement, four new benches, and a new bike rack.
Great Parks & Neighborhoods The Foundation for Excellence has dramatically increased the amount of investment made in each of Kalamazoo’s neighborhoods.
Replacing Lead Water Services The City of Kalamazoo’s Lead Water Service Replacement Program meets or exceeds new draft laws and regulations that will soon become mandatory. The City of Kalamazoo has been proactive, with a Lead Services replacement program that has been in place since 1992. At pre-2016 rates total systemwide lead service replacements would have taken 100 years to complete. Because of
Funding for Lead Water Service Replacements
the FFE and other additional funding sources, lead service replacements are now funded at a rate to enable completion of system-wide replacements in 20 years. This provides a supplement to the rate payers and reduces the revenue requirements for this specific capital improvement program by about 21 percent. If it were not for the generous philanthropic gift, total lead services replacement would take 25 years or the additional costs would be pushed onto the rate payers to maintain a 20-year program.
23.7%
Foundation for Excellence
30.5%
Grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
45.8%
City of Kalamazoo Water Fund
Henderson Tot Lot New playgrounds for both 2-5 and 5-12 year olds will be installed at Henderson Tot Lot, in addition to the resurfacing of the basketball court, a new pickle ball court, an outdoor ping pong table, a new shelter, an ADA accessible entrance, and a gaga pit.
Rockwell Park Rockwell Park in the Eastside Neighborhood will get new playgrounds for both 2-5 and 5-12 year olds, new benches and swings, a new walking path, new picnic tables, and a new basketball court.
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City of Kalamazoo Public Services staff take a moment for a photograph in between lead water service replacements on Westnedge Avenue.
Rendering of the resident-designed pocket park, “The Shady Spot,” located on the corner of Frank and North Burdick Streets.
Under the Trees
A Partnership for Housing & Economic Development
Residents’ vision for a pocket park, transforming a vacant, blighted lot into a safe place to gather and play.
In February, the Kalamazoo City Commission unanimously approved a partnership with the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) to advance the City’s efforts toward increasing and improving economic development and affordable housing in the city. In total, LISC will match Foundation for Excellence dollars at a rate of two-to-one in order to direct a total of $43.5 million to their shared activities by 2022.
All over the world, communities are embracing “pocket parks,” small parks on vacant lots that are accessible to anyone who passes by. They create a place for neighborhood seniors to sit outdoors and enjoy the greenery, to read a book, or to catch up with friends, family, and neighbors.
Affordable Housing Ensuring that the market provides enough
Residents plan a “pocket park” for Kalamazoo’s Northside Neighborhood.
The Kalamazoo County Land Bank and Local Initiatives Support Coalition, with support from the Foundation for Excellence, have engaged a group of Northside residents to bring this project to life. A team of residents met regularly throughout the design process to create a park that meets the neighborhood’s needs. The $20,000 project will include a storage shed, picnic tables, furniture, horseshoe pit, two grills, fencing, landscaping and a plaque.
affordable housing has long been a challenge for almost all American cities. An assessment of Kalamazoo recently identified a need of 3,000 new affordable units, which are defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development as a home that costs a maximum of 30 percent of someone’s gross monthly income. Over the next three years the partnership plans to: • Create or rehabilitate 105 owneroccupied units • Develop or preserve 390 affordable rental housing units • Retain more than 30 units of housing through foreclosure prevention assistance
LISC partners include Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, Habitat for Humanity, and the Kalamazoo County Land Bank.
Economic Development The collaboration between the City and LISC will include helping residents to qualify for, and find, jobs that pay enough to support their families, improving the physical and economic conditions in such neighborhoods, and supporting the creation and growth of entrepreneurial ventures in neighborhoods. Working together, the City and LISC can significantly increase economic opportunities available to residents of the Downtown, Edison, Northside, Vine, and other under-resourced neighborhoods of the City. The initial goals of the partnership are to establish a Financial Opportunity Center in the Northside Neighborhood alongside a branch of the Community Promise Credit Union. The partnership will facilitate at least three loans of various kinds to small businesses as well as at least two grants in the approximate amount of $10-15,000 for façade improvements.
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Friendly Faces Chad Wendt Chad Wendt is a West Michigan native who, after a five year stint in Chicago that included working at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, returned to Michigan to serve the City of Kalamazoo with Parks and Recreation. He is an honors graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Education and proudly serves Parks and Recreation as the Youth Development Coordinator, working on several youth programs including after school, Swim for Success, and All Things Possible.
The FFE team works each day to advance the vision of Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 by coordinatng resources, programs, and projects to achieve the goals of IK2025 and the Foundation for Excellence.
Laura Lam Laura Lam is the Assistant City Manager of Kalamazoo that oversees the Foundation for Excellence. She graduated from Kalamazoo College with a Sociology/ Psychology major and a concentration in urban policy. After graduation she worked as a community organizer with faith-based institutions in Chicago for two years. Lam spent eight years working for the City of San Jose, mainly focused on a large-scale community revitalization strategy, the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from San Jose State University.
Steve Brown
Katie Reilly Katie Reilly, a Kalamazoo area native, is the Neighborhood Activator at the City of Kalamazoo. She has a B.A. in Global and International Studies and Political Science from WMU and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan. Katie is currently working with the City’s 22 neighborhoods to create neighborhood plans that cover everything from sidewalks and affordable housing to youth programming and increasing healthy food access.
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Steve Brown serves the City of Kalamazoo as the Foundation for Excellence Coordinator and Resource Specialist, combining duties in strategic planning with oversight of day-to-day operations. Brown previously led the Oliver Art Center in Michigan as its Executive Director and brings a decade of grants management experience to his role. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree specializing in public projects from the Bauhaus University in Germany, where he lived before returning home to Michigan.
Kevin Ford Kevin Ford, a Kalamazoo Eastside native, serves the City of Kalamazoo as the Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo Coordinator. He has a B.A. in Political Science from WMU and is currently finishing a master’s degree at WMU in Public Administration, with a concentration in Local Government. Kevin was instrumental in the creation of the 2018 Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo Action Plan and is currently working on all things related to creating strong families, increasing access to good jobs, and promoting the healthy growth, development, and learning of children.
Tax Reduction Helps Neighbors In 2017 the City of Kalamazoo Operating Millage was reduced from 19.2705 to 12 mills. This decrease applies to all individuals and businesses that are subject to City property taxes, regardless of their income level, and is intended to be permanent. The total number of tax delinquent parcels in the City of Kalamazoo decreased from 3,296 in 2016 to 2,938 in 2017. The total value of parcels decreased from $4,798,276 to $3,663,053. These latest figures mark the continuation of a positive trend that has seen numbers steadily improving as the community recovers from the Great Recession. “For me it was an immediate impact. The lowering of city taxes helped me pay off back taxes. They helped me prevent foreclosure. They were already steady trying to help me but I couldn’t see how I was going to do it. There was no way I could have gotten that money to do that. I’m retired. The donors need to know that people are thankful. It was really beautiful.” Patricia, an Edison neighbor “It’s great to see these numbers keep moving in the right direction, but we are only just starting to see the effects this property tax reduction
and the Foundation for Excellence will have in our community,” noted Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby J. Hopewell. “People and businesses are excited to move into the city and we are seeing that reflected in our local real estate market as well as the number of economic development projects currently underway.” “I’m a senior, so what happened is it helped me find a way to pay some of my taxes so that I could save my house.” Majoria, a Northside neighbor “It is our goal to have a stable tax base and to have our hard working families grow wealth and income,” noted Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema. “The millage reduction has had a direct impact on residents paying their taxes current. As we continue to invest in our housing stock and infrastructure, we will continue to see positive results.”
Thank You As an Incorporating Director of the Foundation for Excellence Board of Directors I want to thank the community for their support of the Foundation for Excellence and our work to move Kalamazoo forward. Whether you have made a financial contribution, attended public meetings, or simply shared your thoughts, the engagement and commitment continues to inspire those of us that work for you each day. More than one hundred households chose to contribute the property tax savings that they realized in 2017 as a result of the FFE back to support its work. This serves as a powerful reminder of civic sensibility. There is an optimism in the City that has been missing for too long. There are cranes in the sky downtown and streets and sidewalks are being repaired all over the city; our parks are being rennovated and our recreation programs are serving more youth with better programming. I am excited for what is still to come in Kalamazoo with the support of the FFE, our committed team of City employees, and most importantly, our dedicated and engaged community. Sincerely,
James K. Ritsema, ICMA-CM Kalamazoo City Manager
Our Partners The ambitious goals of the Foundation for Excellence and Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 require a communitywide effort. We are grateful for the support of our partners in this work: AirZoo
Kalamazoo Black Arts Festival
Michigan Works! Southwest
Art Bayou
Kalamazoo Black Business Expo
Moxie Volleyball
Area Agency on Aging
Kalamazoo Book Arts Center
OnePlace
Asylum Lake Preservation Association
Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
Open Roads
Best Baby Zone/YWCA
Kalamazoo Collective Housing
On the Ground
Bike the Zoo
Kalamazoo College
Palanca Leadership
Black Arts & Cultural Center
Kalamazoo Community Foundation
People’s Food Cooperative of Kalamazoo
Black Wall Street
Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services
Pretty Lake Adventure Center
Building Blocks
Kalamazoo County Land Bank
Project Connect
BJ’s Sports
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Public Media Network
Central County Transportation Authority
Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services
Radically Me Literacy
Community Home Works
Kalamazoo’s Neighborhood Associations
Reading and Writing Kalamazoo
Continental Lanes
Kalamazoo Promise
Rollerworld
Congolese African Christian Fellowship
Kalamazoo Public Schools
Roto Kiwan
Disability Network Southwest Michigan
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
SCORE
Eastside Network
Kalamazoo Youth Development Network
Senior Services
El Concilio Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency
Small Business Development Center
Faith-based Organizations
Lee’s Adventure Sports
Southwest Michigan First
Fruit of the Vine
Local Initiative Support Corporation
Strengths Quest
Goodwill Life Guides
Lewis Walker Institute for Race and Ethnic Studies
United States Tennis Association
Greater Kalamazoo Business Resources
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
W.E. Upjohn Institute
Incremental Development Alliance
Michigan Municipal League
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center
Michigan State University
Zoetis
Stay Connected Follow the City of Kalamazoo on social media to stay current on the Foundation for Excellence, as well as our work to realize the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Strategic Vision and Master Plan. Connecting on social media is also a great opportunity to share feedback, find out about road construction work, or learn about projects and initiatives. City Commission meetings are also streamed live on the City’s YouTube Channel. @KalamazooCity CityofKalamazooTV
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The Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence Dear Neighbor, The Foundation for Excellence has already inspired positive change in Kalamazoo, but over the next five years we will truly begin to see the transformational impact that it will have on reducing poverty. We will have spent $43 million to create or retain 500 affordable housing units and implement economic development programs such as a financial opportunities center, entrepreneurship center, and small business lending program in partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC); tax home foreclosures will have decreased markedly due to the reduced city property tax; blighted properties will have been reduced and dozens of roads will have been not only repaved, but situated within a complete streetscape, along with five miles of new or repaired sidewalk; approximately 5,700 unique participants will have been served by an FFE-supported youth program; the Lead Water Service Replacement Program will have been accelerated by more than five years’ worth of replacements. In that time, the Foundation for Excellence’s Board of Directors, its operations, identity, and reputation will have matured and pivoted to complete the final elements of the $500 million endowment campaign, preparing for this work to continue in perpetuity. I encourage you to stay informed as this important work moves forward. Share your ideas and be a part of the solutions that we need. The goals of the Foundation for Excellence and Imagine Kalamazoo are ambitious, but the spirit, energy, and compassion in this community place them within our reach. Supporting the journey,
Mayor Bobby J. Hopewell
(269) 337-8047 FFE@kalamazoocity.org 241 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 www.kalamazoocity.org