ON THE ISSUES
Mayor Ken’s Priorities
Public Health and Safety
During his entire tenure as an elected official, Siver has placed a priority on public safety. He supported the purchase of tasers and body cameras. He supported training for both the police and fire departments. Today, the city has a well-trained, highly successful police force, that prioritizes de-escalation of conflict and combating domestic violence. The Southfield Fire Department, as with the Police Department, is well equipped. When a resident or business person calls 9-1-1, they can be assured the professionally prepared assistance will respond promptly and with equipment that works. The fire department’s trucks and ambulances are new.
Public health is also a priority. Southfield hosts vaccination clinics, conducts health and safety inspections of rental properties, does not use pesticides and herbicides in parks, even monitors health threats such as West Nile Virus. The city has invested millions of dollars in new water mains and expended over $30 million to eliminate combined storm and sanitary sewers.
BACK TO TOP
Housing and Neighborhood Renewal
Southfield is a desirable place to live and raise a family. We have clean streets and safe neighborhoods. I am driven to make sure Southfield remains that way. Our housing stock is aging and that means we need to encourage and facilitate renewal and create new housing and housing options. Through my leadership with the housing board, we have demolished a dozen or more blighted homes, performed complete rehabilitations on 90 homes (including almost 30 as affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity), and are currently constructing numerous new affordable homes. Two former school buildings are being converted to housing. The McKinley School is under construction as market-rate McKinley Place condominiums. The former John Grace School (with an addition) will become John Grace Arms (subsidized) Senior Apartments. The city recently supported housing for veterans and substance abuse recovery. I have, and will continue to, build partnerships for neighborhood renewal with Oakland Rebuilding Together, Habitat for Humanity, and the Oakland Home Renewal Program. I am dedicated to a community-driven vision of development that works to benefit all residents
BACK TO TOP
Replacement of City Infrastructure
As with our housing stock, our infrastructure has aged.When I first moved here in 1967, everything was new, and while that means we are a city with a rich history and an impressive collection of mid-century modern homes and buildings, that also means that the infrastructure we all depend on is well over 60 years old. I am committed to replacing, repairing, and maintaining Southfield’s infrastructure, whether its roads, bridges, water mains, sewer lines, or any of the other things crucial for our city to function and thrive. As a councilman and mayor, I have supported what is nearing $330 million in infrastructure replacement. Now that most of the major roads have been repaired/replaced, my priority continues to be the completion of neighborhood street improvements.
BACK TO TOP
Placemaking and Public Art
My vision for Southfield includes engineering public spaces that reflect the city’s pride, attractiveness, and sense of community. We call it “complete streets.” That means we make our city more pedestrian and bicycle friendly by adding sidewalks, pathways, benches, landscaping, art, and other amenities. Seventy years ago when Southfield was a post-World War II boom town, the civil engineers of the day placed more emphasis on moving traffic than on pedestrians. For the past decade we have been focusing on making our physical environment more accessible and pedestrian friendly. We will continue to strive to create places where people can congregate and that are visually interesting. My partnerships with the Southfield Public Arts Commission, the Southfield City Centre Advisory Board, the Southfield Downtown Development Authority, and the Friends of Southfield Public Arts has led to the installation more than two-dozen new art works in the city … and more are in the planning stages. Additionally, we have added more than 20 miles of new pathways. Several more miles of pathways are in the works.
BACK TO TOP
Senior Adults
I am a strong proponent of “aging in place.” I want every Southfield senior adult to be able to live in their home for as long as they can and if they so choose. That is why I have worked closely with the Southfield Commission on Senior Adults to earn the AARP designation for Southfield as an “Age Friendly Community.” I have supported making Southfield a more walkable city by adding and/or replacing sidewalks and walking paths. I have encouraged increased outreach to our senior population. I initiated “The BIG RAKE” program to help our seniors and handicapped homeowners with fall yard cleanup and initiated “Rock the Block” partnership with Habitat for Humanity to provide home improvement assistance. I am most proud of leading the effort to totally rehabilitate 508 units of affordable senior housing at River Park Place, McDonnell Tower, and Woodridge, plus the addition of numerous amenities and services. We know we have a need for more affordable senior housing. That is why we are constructing another 60 units at John Grace. I strongly believe that people with limited income should be able to live with dignity and safety. Additionally, we are working on a more robust recreational space for seniors at the Southfield Civic Center.
BACK TO TOP
Northland Redevelopment
When Northland Mall opened in 1954 it revolutionized the world of retailing, but as we all know the world of retail has changed dramatically, leaving Northland Mall behind. I am dedicated to completing the redevelopment of this property as a city-with-in-a city—creating a dynamic area with a mixed use of housing, neighborhood retail, recreation, restaurants, and green space. The new Costco store was an instant success. Leasing of apartments in the first two buildings is underway. Two new towers will begin rising from the ground later this year. Further, many of us have fond Northland memories. The new development will not wipe away the past but honor it.
BACK TO TOP
Business Attraction & Retention
What makes Southfield “The Center of It All” is its central location in Southeast Michigan. As a major Midwest office hub, we have easy freeway access, plentiful free parking, and an excellent fiber-optic network. These factors and no city income tax, have attracted many, many businesses to locate in Southfield. Additionally, we are the home to Lawrence Technological University and the highly successful Centropolis Business Accelerator. And further, we host the Michigan Works!/Southfield Career Center which is an employment pipeline. Now in the post-Pandemic era, office occupancy has decreased. The city is prepared to pivot to alternative uses for surplus space. An example, a former banking center is now used for light manufacturing and as a sales office. On the other hand, Southfield continues to attract new businesses. As examples, electric vehicle company Lucid Motors leased an entire floor of the Travelers Tower Building for an R&D center. High tech company Thunder Soft moved to the Southfield Town Center from San Diego.