New Baltimore Showcased for Community Excellence

LANSING, Michigan – The city of New Baltimore was among 27 communities showcased on April 9 at the 2013 Michigan Municipal League Community Excellence Award (CEA) competition during the League’s 2013 Capital Conference in Lansing.

New Baltimore’s “Make New Baltimore Your Destination” effort was among seven presentations at the League’s Region 1 Roundtable, which includes all communities in the southeastern portion of the lower peninsula. The winning Region 1 entry was the Shiawassee River Heritage Water Trail “Come Paddle With Us” joint submission by the communities of Fenton, Holly and Linden. The other Region 1 nominations were Eastpointe’s Service Line Affordable Protection Program; Westland’s Core Shopping and Dining District; Plymouth’s Northville-Plymouth Fire Agreement, Rochester’s Main Street Makeover and Grosse Pointe’s Wellness Center and Patient Facility.

In the application about the project, New Baltimore Mayor Larry Smith explained that his five-square-mile community located on Anchor Bay at Lake St. Clair recently accomplished a number of projects. Those projects include completing a waste water plant; building and relocating the police station; expanding the library; constructing more than one mile of non-motorized bike/walking trails leading to the local high school; purchasing a new 24-foot-security boat; constructing  four new baseball diamonds; and constructing a new city park with walking trails on a 40-acre parcel of land.

“Our community did all these things and more while staying within budget for the past three years with a surplus of over $250,000 each year,” Smith said.

The 27 communities participating in this year’s CEA competition are Region 1 (southeast Michigan): Eastpointe, Linden/Fenton/Holly; Grosse Pointe, New Baltimore, Plymouth, Rochester, and Westland; Region 2 (central and southwest Michigan): Albion, Baroda/Bridgman/Berrien Springs, South Haven and St. Joseph; Region 3 (central-west Michigan): Belding and Whitehall; Region 4 (mid-Michigan): DeWitt, Ithaca and Mt. Pleasant; Region 5 (the thumb): Harbor Beach, Imlay City and Lexington; Region 6 (northern portion of the lower peninsula): Rogers City; and Region 7 (upper peninsula): Ironwood, Ontonagon, and Sault Ste. Marie. The winners from each region will now go on to compete for the statewide CEA title during the League’s Annual Convention September 18-20 in Detroit. The seven regional winners are Linden/Fenton/Holly, St. Joseph, Belding, DeWitt, Imlay City, Rogers City, and Ironwood.

The CEA program, affectionately called “The Race for the Cup,” was started by the League in 2007 to recognize innovative solutions taking place in Michigan’s communities.

For additional details contact Matt Bach, director of media relations for the Michigan Municipal League, at (734) 669-6317 or mbach@mml.org.

The Michigan Municipal League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services.