Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa (right) delivers his State of the City address Jan. 24 at Crystal Gardens.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
SOUTHGATE – Mayor Joseph Kuspa shared a year’s worth of the city’s “touchdowns” Jan. 24 with civic, business and community leaders during his State of the City address at Crystal Gardens.
The event, hosted by the Southgate Rotary Club, included a color guard from Southgate Anderson High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, with Cadettes Kaila Perez, Adrianna Schmidt, Yalitza Stench, Jonas Simons and Bethany Paquette participating.
City Attorney Ed Zelenak served as master of ceremonies, vocalist Christine Steves sang the national anthem and the Rev. John Sakellariou of St. George Greek Orthodox Church offered the invocation.
City Council President Zoey Kuspa presented business awards to Southgate Honda and Southgate Honda Powersports, MJR Southgate Cinema, Royal Cement, Downriver Community Federal Credit Union and GameTime.
In his half hour speech, Mayor Kuspa praised the city’s team and community supporters as he detailed the year’s milestones.
He spoke proudly of the city’s balanced budget, the increase in the city’s unrestricted fund balance and the reduction of its outstanding general debt obligation. He said since he became mayor 14 years ago, the city’s general debt obligation has decreased from $14 million to $1.9 million.
Kuspa said the city’s sound financial footing has allowed the city to address its public safety needs, which was put to the test Oct. 3, when the city experienced its largest ever residential building fire, which happened at the three-story Meadows Senior Apartment complex on Allen Road.
He said the response of the Downriver Mutual Aid System proved invaluable, with seven communities coming to Southgate’s assistance, with no loss of life and all 129 senior residents safely evacuated.
Kuspa also thanked those who helped the displaced residents by providing food, clothing and personal hygiene items.
Southgate Anderson High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps color guard, including Cadettes Kaila Perez (left), Adrianna Schmidt, Yalitza Stench, Jonas Simons and Bethany Paquette, present the colors Jan. 24 during Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa’s State of the City address at Crystal Gardens.
The mayor said the city’s fire department’s average response time is 4 minutes, which is half the national average.
Kuspa also praised the Police Department for its pursuit of advanced training, updated technology, public outreach and successful officer recruiting.
The training included de-escalation techniques, mental health first aid, crisis intervention and appropriate defense tactics.
Kuspa said the department now has two drones and five officers trained to use them as a valuable law enforcement tool.
He said police officers worked with Southgate Community School District personnel to review safety protocols and to assess school building security. Mock lockdown drills were held at each school last fall, with new drills planned for the spring to keep students, teachers and first responders safe and prepared.
Kuspa said the expansion of the city’s police cadet program has helped the department meet its staffing goals.
The department also received its state accreditation from the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, which places the department as one of the best in the state.
Police officer mental health training paid off, with police officers able to prevent two suicides in the past year.
“Our officers were able to talk with the person, console them and successfully prevent them from taking their own life,” Kuspa said. “I would like to acknowledge Officers Zack Zalinski, Chris Parsons and Matt Symoniak for their spirit of compassion and understanding the difficult emotional times some of our residents are experiencing.”
The Police Department also was the first in Michigan and one of 115 agencies across the United States to be awarded by the International Association of Chiefs of Police for a Trust Building Campaign Pledge that focuses on six key areas of law enforcement: bias-free policing, use of force, leadership and culture, recruitment, hiring and retention, victim services and community relations.
“The Southgate Police Department excelled in all aspects of this pledge, confirming that our public safety officials are aggressively and proactively working to meet the needs of our community,” Kuspa said.
The mayor also thanked the Department of Public Services team for its “remarkable” work on the city’s 65 miles of roads and streets, 16 miles of major state and county roads and 88 miles of water mains, some of which are more than 80 years old.
Kuspa said that last year, the city invested about $3 million in neighborhood roads, sewer repairs and water main relining.
He said the city spent more than $1 million to purchase new vehicles for the DPS fleet, including a street sweeper, a backhoe and a multi-purpose Vactor truck.
Kuspa said the city’s parks and recreational facilities are being updated, with a new playscape designed for children 3 to 5 years old installed in Cobb Park, and equipment ordered for 2024 for three other parks.
He said this year’s park improvements will total more than $2 million, and represent the largest annual investment in the city’s park system in 25 years.
“Reliable infrastructure, safe neighborhoods, sound government and enhanced recreational options increase the quality of life for our residents and make our community more attractive to visitors, future residents and business owners,” Kuspa said. “However, our long-term financial stability is directly related to creating a genuine partnership between the needs of our residents and that of our local entrepreneurs, commercial property owners and corporate citizens.”
He said the city has experienced extraordinary business growth and investment in the past year, with permits representing more than $32 million in renovations and new construction in the city.
Kuspa said that for the first time since he’s been mayor, the city may have a viable developer for the vacant Aquinas High School site.
The mayor spoke of the $50 million redevelopment of the former Security Bank and Trust building, which will become the Bank Tower Apartments, expected to be completed during the summer of 2025, along with a $5 million public park and a pedestrian bridge funded through a Wayne County American Rescue Plan Act grant.
Kuspa said the city has hired a full-time information technology director to help combat cyber attacks and breaches.
The mayor said 2023 was a winning season for the city.
“We fielded a team that embraced intelligence, innovation and a bit of imagination to continue to move our city forward,” Kuspa said. “2024 is shaping up to be another successful year. We may add a few rookies along the way, but our roster and coaching staff remain strong.”