2022 WINTER TAX REMINDERS/PAYMENTS:
Drop boxes are available in the front of the Governmental Center Building for payments without leaving your vehicle and/or after hours. To receive a receipt for your payment, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Please NO CASH IN THE DROP BOX. Payments may be made online at www.bridgeportmi.org. Service fees apply. Winter taxes are due by February 14, 2023. Interest and penalties will be applied on February 15, 2023, and the Township will collect taxes here through February 28, 2023. Saginaw County Treasurer collects delinquent taxes beginning March 1st at their office at 111 S. Michigan Ave, Saginaw, MI 48602. After March 1st contact the Saginaw County Treasurer at 989-790-5225.
DPW, CEMETERY AND WATER DEPARTMENT:
The water department offers paperless water bills, if you would like to take advantage of this service, please call 989-777-0974 and we can add your email address to the account. Did you know you can sign up for automatic bill pay (ACH)? Did you know you can pay your water bill online? Go to our website at www.bridgeportmi.org. As a reminder, keep our sidewalks free of snow, grass, and defects. Defective sidewalks are required to be repaired or replaced at the property owners’ expense. If you have any questions about a cemetery plot, burials, or any other questions, call our main office at 989-777-0940 ext. 205 and speak with Shannon.
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY:
The DDA recently purchased the Historic Lamplighter building and will be renovating it to meet today’s codes to offer viable commercial space in the future. The DDA has also continued to promote Bridgeport businesses and has positioned itself to help businesses within the DDA District. The DDA Façade & Business Grant program continues to help businesses with improvements within the DDA District. For more information on this program please contact the DDA Coordinator at 989-777-0940 ext 222. The DDA has also assisted in the development of Economic Strategic Plan that should position the Township for new developments and is nearing the completion of RRC Certification through the MEDC. The DDA Board is committed to helping the businesses of Bridgeport all prosper.
PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT:
The Parks & Recreation Department continues to look for ways to provide quality programming to our residents and visitors. The Department is applying for grants to improve our parks. Support of our programs is vital, and we need your help in registering for programs when they are offered. Currently we are offering Youth Basketball. Please stop by the Township office to register your child(ren). More information can be obtained by calling 989-777-0940 ext 222.
POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Committed to protecting the community through professionalism, integrity, and excellence in service. The Bridgeport Township Police Department serves the residents of Bridgeport and has the following staff: The Chief of Police (David Duffett), 2 Patrol Sergeants (Jeff Roberts and Erik Skabardis), 4 Patrol Officers (Dennis Howe, Ryan Schlicker, Larrisa Fuester and Mary Buszek), 1 School Resource Officer (Daniel Hernandez), 1 Uniformed Investigator (Larry Biniecki Jr) and 1 Clerk/Dispatcher (Lisa Wojnar). We currently are in the hiring process of filling 2 vacant Police Officer positions. We handled 7825 calls for service in 2021. Our Officers are highly trained with multiple in-service certifications.
PLANNING & ZONING DEPARTMENT:
There is a zoning ordinance that prohibits repeated and constant parking of vehicles on the grass. Vehicles must be parked on the driveway. There are occasional circumstances that are unavoidable but once a complaint is made of repeated parking on your lawn, you will receive a letter informing you to move the vehicle. Please avoid this habit and help make our community look tidy.
FIRE DEPARTMENT:
The Bridgeport Fire Department shattered its previous run total record for 2021 ending with 1492 calls for service. This was 200 calls higher than our previous record of 1291 in 2019. As of the printing of this newsletter we stand at 1280 calls for service for 2022 with a month and half left to the year. We unfortunately faced tragedy in our community with three fatalities due to structure fires. This brings the total deaths in home fires in Bridgeport since 2020 to six. Lack of working smoke detectors, children and seniors that could not escape under their own power, unattended cooking, and smoking is some of the factors seen in one or more of the four fires that killed the six citizens. We continue to require more help on the firefighter front. We still stand at 14 members which is where we were one year ago. This is a very demanding profession and even more so for someone doing it in their spare time. We again call on our fellow Bridgeport Residents to call 989-921-4834, if you can contribute to our Fire Fighter ranks.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT:
Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms save lives and protects against injury and property loss due to fire. Battery powered smoke alarms are most common in homes built before November 1974. Additions, repairs, alterations, and new homes will require hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms with battery backup protection. Smoke alarms need to be installed in each bedroom, outside each bedroom and on every level of your home. Always read and install alarms to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Carbon monoxide poisoning is common and can be deadly. Carbon monoxide alarms are an inexpensive lifesaving protection for you and your family. Read the manufacturer’s installation instructions for proper placement of the CO alarms. Never remove the battery from or disable a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm. If your smoke alarm is sounding “nuisance alarms”, try locating it further from kitchens or bathrooms. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms wear out. Replace your alarms every 10 years. If you can’t remember when you last replaced them, buy new alarms, suggest new alarms be hard-wired, interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms with battery backup protection. Hire a state licensed electrical contractor to obtain an electrical permit prior to installing any electrical system.
ASSESSING DEPARTMENT:
The Assessor’s Office continues with their Real Property Reverification, where representatives of our office conduct field inspections that include taking measurements and photos of structures as well as review of aerial photography provided by Saginaw County. Areas that are planned for reverification will receive letters from the Assessor’s office in the weeks ahead of the field staff beginning work in their area.
WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT (WWTP):
Bridgeport Charter Township has continued to provide the community with a cost-effective treatment of the sanitary sewers that will minimize service interruptions through effective maintenance, budgeting, equipment replacement, and capital improvement planning. Currently for the 2022 year, the WWTP has been making improvements to the Solids Building, Digesters, and Finial Clarifiers at the plant. Also, in addition to over one linear mile of old clay sanitary sewer pipelined to restore the integrity of existing sewer adding years of service to their life expectancy. Bridgeport Charter Township complies with the City, Village, and Township Revenue Sharing (CVTRS) Program and has the required information available on our website at www.bridgeportmi.org for public viewing.