Kuspa delivers positive Southgate State of the City address

 

By SUE SUCHYTA

Sunday Times Newspapers

SOUTHGATE – Infrastructure, sound finances, public safety, parks and a welcoming business environment were the focus of Mayor Joseph Kuspa’s Jan. 30 Southgate Rotary Club-sponsored State of the City address at Crystal Gardens.

With City Attorney Ed Zelenak serving as master of ceremonies, the event featured the Southgate Anderson High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps color guard, vocalist Christine Steves singing the national anthem and the Rev. Robert McCabe of Dearborn Divine Child Parish (formerly of Southgate St. Pius X Parish) providing the invocation and benediction.

City Council President Zoey Kuspa presented the 2024 business awards, which included: Trentwood Farms for community engagement, PayMore for being the best new business, Gill Plumbing for its longevity, Sam’s Club for the best new façade and Goodfellas Property Management for being People’s Choice award-winner.

Kuspa began his speech with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, “I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” and said her words describe how important it is to lay a sound foundation for future success.

“As mayor, I am truly appreciative of our collective efforts to move Southgate forward, creating a brighter future and building upon those extremely important yesterdays,” he said.

Kuspa’s most exciting announcement was a $22.8 million federal grant award, which will cover a majority of the cost to construct a relief sewer beneath Barberry Street. It will be 1.5 miles long and cost $30 million to construction.

The balance of the cost will come from reserves in the city’s water and road funds.

The relief sewer will divert rain water from nearby streets and serve as a temporary holding facility until the pre-existing storm sewer system has the capacity to catch up after a significant rain event like the one in 2014 that caused basement flooding in about 20 percent of residents’ houses. 

The Michigan State Police alerted the city to the rarely awarded Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, which the MSP administers.

Kuspa thanked Hennessey Engineers and Engineer Tiffany Neubig for their expertise and work on the project.

The mayor said that including the FEMA grant, the city will receive $36 million in funding for projects in 2025, which is more than the city’s $30 million in general fund tax revenue.

Kuspa said Southgate had a balanced budget in 2024, increased the city’s unobligated fund balance by more than $400,000, and reduced the city’s outstanding debt obligation.

“At the start of my administration in 2009, the city of Southgate had a general debt obligation of over $14 million,” he said. “As of this April, we will have reduced that amount by 95 percent, leaving just $650,000 of that original debt amount.”

Kuspa said the city’s general outstanding debt should be eliminated by next year.

He said the Police Department continues to be ranked in the top 15 percent of Michigan law enforcement agencies, and the city’s public safety professionals continue to enhance their training, build partnerships, modernize equipment and strengthen community connections.

In 2024, officers attended training in crisis negotiation and intervention, defense tactics, firearm safety and FBI leadership training.

Kuspa said Southgate police officers serve in key positions with the Downriver Special Weapons and Tactics team, the FBI task force and the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

He said the Police and Fire departments have conducted training and mock lockdown drills in the city’s school facilities.

Kuspa said Fire Chief Justin Graves provided unprecedented brevity in his annual summary.

“In his email to my city administrator, he simply reported that all 67 fires experienced in 2024 have been put out,” he said in a dark nod to the situation in Los Angeles.

Kuspa said the Fire Department responded to 4,945 calls for service in 2024, of which 4,200 were Emergency Medical Service calls.

He said the department’s average response time was less than four minutes.

The Fire Department also received grants for new turnout gear and hoses.

Kuspa said that in addition to keeping neighborhoods safe, one must protect the city’s data and technology infrastructure.

“Our IT Department was honored by being named the Michigan Government Management Information Sciences Association’s 2024 Project of the Year in recognition for its successful rollout of multi-factor authentication security keys which virtually eliminates the ability for threat actors to remotely penetrate our IT systems,” he said.

Kuspa said that during 2024, the federal government’s Cyber and Information Security Agency found zero vulnerabilities during their weekly audits of Southgate’s IT systems.

In addition, he said IT Director Jason Rucker received a Symbol of Excellence Award from the state of Michigan’s chief security officer, and was the first non-state employee to receive the award.

Kuspa said other first responders, the city’s Department of Public Services employees, maintained the city’s 65 miles of roads and 235 miles of underground water mains and sewer lines.

“I am proud of the men and women of our DPS who make the needed repairs, often in the worst conditions,” he said. “Earlier this month during the frigid cold temperatures our DPS staff worked day and night to repair seven water main breaks that occurred during a 72-hour period.”

Kuspa said that in 2024 the city invested more than $2.5 million in neighborhood roads, water mains and sewer projects. Included in the work were a three-block section of Burns Street, more than 70 separate catch basin and pavement repair projects and four alley reconstructions.

He said that in May the city received a $900,000 Environmental Protection Agency Grant to install three pressure relief valves for the city’s fresh water delivery system.

Pressure relief valves protect water systems from excessive pressure by automatically opening when the pressure gets too high, which helps protect pipes from bursting or being damaged.

Kuspa said the pressure relief valves should reduce water main breaks by more than 50 percent, and thanked U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-13th District) for his advocacy.

 

The mayor said May also saw the award of another grant, a Michigan Economic Development Corporation Disaster Relief Grant for $1.6 million to reline more than 1.25 miles of sanitary sewer lines that are more than 75 years old.

Kuspa said Southgate City Hall will be reconfigured thanks to a Community Development Block Grant award from Wayne County’s Economic Development Department. It will eliminate the circular drive and stairs, reconstruct Veterans Parkway and install new dedicated city hall parking with handicap accessible spaces.

In addition, a service drive will be added to the north side of city hall to let people drop off documents and payments without leaving their vehicle.

The mayor said three new pickups and a new F-550 with a salt spreader and dump hoist have been added to the city fleet, along with two new Freightliner dump trucks for the Water Department.

Kuspa said the new vehicles represent a $700,000 investment.

“Just as safe water, reliable roads and dependable public safety are essential to the health of our municipality, our parks and recreation opportunities are important to the health and vitality of our residents,” he said.

Kuspa said younger residents place more significance on a city’s walkability, place making and its park system.

The mayor said the city’s Parks and Recreation millage has allowed the city to make substantial investments in local parks and recreational facilities, including the completion of phase three of Cobb Park, the city’s first tot lot at McCann Park, a new basketball court and play equipment at Waverly Park, and a total roof replacement at the ice arena and senior center complex.

Kuspa said 2025 will see new tennis and pickleball courts at the municipal center and a Ninja-style obstacle course at the Police Auxiliary Park, which was supplemented with a $58,000 Wayne County Parks Grant.

He said the city renewed its recreation master plan in 2024 to create a realistic vision for the city’s future. 

“This past year the city hired our first full-time facilities coordinator to make sure that all of our parks and recreation assets are well-maintained and can be enjoyed for generations to come,” Kuspa said.

 

The mayor said the master plan will increase the likelihood of obtaining state recreation grants.

Kuspa also praised the programing at the Senior Center, the growth of the South Winds Municipal Golf Course attendance and the increased usage at the Veterans Memorial Library, which includes its downloadable collection.

The mayor said more than 2,600 building permits were issued in 2024, representing a record $61 million in property improvements.

He said 24 new businesses opened in the city last year as well.

Kuspa said the Bank Tower Apartment project remains the most anticipated development, and the 14-story building’s $46 million anticipated renovation cost represents the single largest investment in the city’s history.

The first residents are expected to move into the building this summer, which will coincide with the opening of the surrounding four-acre public park and pedestrian bridge funded by a $5 million Wayne County American Rescue Plan Act Grant.

“My administration has always shared the belief that grants are extremely important,” he said. “From day one of my administration, we have continually searched for grant opportunities to improve the quality of life of our residents.”

Kuspa said Southgate remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.

“As I look to the future, I am confident that we will continue to make the right choices and provide for a bright tomorrow for this community,” he said.