City of Portage, Michigan

❗NOTICE: Due to the parking lot and sidewalk construction at City Hall, we've had to relocate the outdoor Election Drop Box! The main drop box, formerly next to the front doors of City Hall, has moved a few paces south and is now next to the Treasury Night Drop Box. This drop box is available 24/7. The Office of the City Clerk also received a new drop box inside City Hall, which can be found to the left of their service counter. This drop box is available during normal business hours. All City of Portage drop box locations are also posted at www.mi.gov/vote. #portagevotes

The Zoning Board of Appeals, Portage City Council, Park Board, and Environmental Board meet the week of September 9. See below ⬇️ for details.

Our project to renovate the parking lot at Portage City Hall continues. Please remember that the City Hall parking lot is an active construction site within the signed, taped-off, and coned areas. ❗Walking or driving on the construction site is NOT PERMITTED and can be extremely dangerous to unauthorized personnel because of moving equipment, debris, construction materials, etc. Visitors to City Hall are advised to use the West Centre Avenue parking lot entrance/exit, which is limited to right-in/right-out access only. Limited visitor parking is still available on the upper level. The main building entrance to City Hall is still open to the public. Please follow the sidewalk signs and cones as you enter. We appreciate your patience during this improvement project. The renovations, which include extensive landscaping and the installation of heated sidewalks at the front of the building, are scheduled for completion by Tuesday, November 5.

❓ Are you interested in serving your community, providing public input, and helping make Portage a natural place to move? Consider volunteering on a Citizen Advisory Board or Commission! The City of Portage is currently seeking dedicated and qualified members of the community to serve on the Environmental Board, the Human Services Board, the Local Officers Compensation Commission, the Park Board, and the Senior Citizens Advisory Board. The City Council will be interviewing applicants at a Special Meeting on Tuesday, October 8 beginning at 4:30 PM at Portage City Hall, 7900 South Westnedge Avenue. More information can be found at https://lnkd.in/gmm2bSnv or by calling the Office of the City Clerk at (269) 329-4511.

🎙Steve and Pete from the Portage Parks Foundation join host Mary Ruple to discuss the second annual Oktoberfest, the Leaf-A-Legacy project, and more. Listen to the podcast at https://lnkd.in/gjF_69xT. For more information on the Portage Parks Foundation, visit https://lnkd.in/gcrAZKFR. Do you have a podcast idea? Send us an email at publicinformation@portagemi.gov.

🎉 The September Employee of the Month is Ingrid McGuire. Ingrid is the Assistant Treasurer and has been with the City of Portage for over 17 years. As supervisor of the Treasury Office, she coordinates, prepares, and reviews the city tax and special assessment rolls. She also oversees the collection of tax bills, special assessments, utility bills, and all other miscellaneous invoices and reconciles receipts to the general ledger daily. Finally, she provides external and internal customer service and addresses citizen concerns related to the Treasury Office. In her role with the city, she enjoys helping people and finding ways to make processes more efficient. Ingrid attended KVCC and is a Certified Public Finance Administrator (CPFA) and completed her certification in the Internal Controls program with The Association of Public Treasurers of The United States and Canada. She is also a Michigan Certified Professional Treasurer (MiCPT) with the Michigan Municipal Treasurers Association and serves as the Board Secretary of the Kalamazoo County Treasurers Association. She has several additional professional training certifications. In her free time, Ingrid enjoys taking their 15-month-old Australian Shepherd for walks on the beautiful Portage trails and being outdoors doors gardening. Please help us celebrate this Employee of the Month!

🙌 Are you ready to #ExplorePortageParks and experience unique programs and events offered by Portage Parks & Recreation? The 2024 - 2025 Fall & Winter Parks & Recreation Guide is now available to view and download online at mypark.portagemi.gov (scroll to the bottom of the page). Each Portage household will receive a printed version in the September Portager. Printed versions are also available at Portage Parks & Recreation, 320 Library Lane. Programs are open for registration except for those with specific registration dates. ▶ For more information about this guide or the events and programs contained in it, call Portage Parks & Recreation at (269) 329-4522.

📣 The Black History Month Local Artist Display will exhibit visual arts featuring local artists and honoring the theme of “Black History Month” or “Black Futures in Portage.” Submissions can include paintings, prints, photographs, mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, wood turnings, mixed media, and more. The winning artwork will be showcased at Portage City Hall from February 1 through March 30, 2025. ❗️To be eligible, artists must be current residents of Portage, Michigan and their artwork must reflect the theme of honoring “Black History Month” or “Black Futures in Portage.” Awards for winners will be provided by the Portage Parks Foundation as follows: 1st Place: $500, 2nd Place: $250, and 3rd Place: $100. Artists may apply by completing an application online at mypark.portagemi.gov by November 19, 2024, at 5:30 PM. Digital images of the artwork must be 300 DPI or higher. Winners will need a minimum of five works that adhere to the theme “Black History Month” or “Black Futures in Portage” for the exhibition. For more information, visit mypark.portagemi.gov or contact Portage Parks & Recreation at (269) 329-4522.

Every September the City of Portage begins the annual process to update the CIP. The CIP includes both short and long-range physical development and capital investments, such as: 🚦 Major and local streets, including traffic signals, intersection improvements, and sidewalks 💧 Municipal water, sanitary sewer, and storm drainage facilities 🚴♀️ Parks, bikeways, and multi-use trails 🏛 Public facilities such as City Hall, Senior Center, Public Services, and Parks & Recreation, as well as technology 👮♂️👨🚒 Public safety facilities, vehicles, and equipment 🏡 Neighborhood enhancements such as sidewalks, street trees, gateway signage/landscaping, streetlights, and traffic calming techniques 📢 SPEAK UP AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD 📢 Public participation from Portage residents, business owners, and interested stakeholders helps ensure that decisions made on capital investments address the needs and aspirations of the community. In September each year, the city seeks input from Portage residents, business owners, and interested stakeholders to submit ideas for capital improvement projects and provide feedback on projects already in the planning stages. Visit portagemi.gov/665 to take the 2025-2031 Capital Improvement Program Survey today!

The Historic District Commission, Human Services Board, and Planning Commission meet the week of September 1. See below ⬇️ for details.