26BUDGET(FULL-LINKED) - Flipbook - Page 18
City of Plymouth 2025 / 2026 Budget
who have demanded an alternative method or process and while we try to get to “yes,” that is not
always possible.
The strategic plan requires us to continue to be a leader in intergovernmental partnerships, and
we continue to look for additional partnerships in either the governmental or private sector. Our
history has shown that we have found significant success with some partnerships, and we found
no success with others. Our multiple partnerships with Huron Valley Ambulance are an excellent
example of partnerships that have a proven track record of success. The Commission will recall
that not only do we have an agreement to provide emergency medical services to the city, HVA
also provides the city with a fully stocked and licensed ambulance for our use at no charge. In
addition, the city leases our mechanic’s garage to HVA, and they provide mechanic services to
the city on an hourly basis.
The agreement with the City of Northville for fire service is now in the 13th year of operation under
a long-term contract. Plymouth’s efforts to continue to monitor and drive for improvement in their
operations at the Plymouth Station were confirmed to be vital by the ICMA – Center for Public
Safety Management (CPSM). The City Commission, in partnership with the City of Northville,
realizes the value of the outside review of Fire Operations and looks forward to the full
implementation of the ICMA-CPSM report. We were hopeful of a quicker implementation phase,
but our partner moves at a different priority and that has meant a three-year roll out of the
implementation phase.
Some of the recommendations in the ICMA-CPSM report do place an additional financial burden
on the joint operation, with the City of Plymouth paying a higher rate, based on call volume. While
we would like to see more structure within the Department, we still must be keenly aware that
our station is operated by dedicated and committed part-time employees. Fortunately, our
positive relationship with HVA for emergency medical response is a significant asset to the Fire
Department’s operations and to our residents.
Plymouth is a very service-based community and partnerships with community groups such as
the Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions clubs provide a wide range of services to the city. For example,
during the height of the pandemic Plymouth Rotary sponsored a promotion in cooperation with
our DDA to infuse $10,000 directly into our local businesses. Rotary is also a major sponsor of the
DDA Friday Night Concert Series. The new Veteran Banner Program downtown that will roll out
this spring is sponsored by the A.M. Rotary Club. The Lions Club is the sponsor of the Memorial
Day Parade. All three major service clubs now are responsible for the 4th of July Parade. These
service groups are a vital and key element to the overall quality of life, which again is highlighted
in the Strategic plan, and which is why we routinely participate with these organizations as
members and in leadership roles. Both the Lions club and the Rotary club have authorized
matching grants worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city for improvements in our
neighborhood parks, which we hope to begin planning and development this year.
We must continually invest in or cultivate our employees to have them ready to take over
additional duties, move up in our organization or to shift priorities as needs arise. The City
Commission set as a part of their strategic plan that Employee training and development is critical
to our ability to have staff that can handle a broad scope of work projects. At the same time, we
need to recognize that our staff is a valuable commodity in this labor market, and we often find
that they are being recruited by both the private and public sector. However, the current family
or collegial atmosphere of our administrative team makes Plymouth a very desirable place to
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