New Roseville city manager hopes to help Roseville grow, attract families

ROSEVILLE — Once a month, members of the Eastpointe-Roseville Chamber of Commerce meet for a “coffee hour” to network and share information.

The monthly get-togethers are free to chamber members — many of them business owners and from nonprofit organizations — while nonmembers pay $5 per meeting.

This month’s meeting, held March 7 at the Community Choice Credit Union in Roseville, gave new Roseville City Manager Ryan Monroe the opportunity to introduce himself and receive feedback from attendees.

At the Jan. 10 Roseville City Council meeting, the council members appointed Monroe as the new city manager. He had previously been the city’s chief of police. At the coffee hour, Monroe said that, along with his city manager duties, he also will serve as Roseville’s police commissioner.

Monroe’s family has deep roots in Roseville. Five generations of his family have lived in the city — even before it was called Roseville — including his great-great grandfather, who lived on a farm on Little Mack Avenue.

As city manager, Monroe wants to “make Roseville attractive to bring families to our community.”

“Our biggest strength is convenience. We have affordable housing. Business is here. Public safety is here,” Monroe said. “This town can grow. People are moving north. We have to be competitive with our neighbors. We need to do things to get people to move back.

“I’m here to help anyone anyway I possibly can,” the city administrator said. “I really hope to do some great things. I’ve got a great staff, and there are some new opportunities.”

He used the city of Warren as an example.

“They have an ice skating rink and a splash pad,” Monroe said.

He did not say that Roseville will get a splash pad or ice rink, but the idea is to explore other possibilities for the city.

During the meeting, Monroe gave a brief update on the Sacred Heart Catholic Church property on Utica Road. The Archdiocese of Detroit owns the property, and the land is still up for sale. Occasionally, City Hall will get a call from someone who wants to know what will happen to the building.

“We’ve had some people talking about developing it,” Monroe said, but at the moment “there are no plans, nothing official at this time. Hopefully something will be going in there soon.”

Monroe also responded when asked if any changes were made at the intersection of Martin Road and Barkman Street after a Roseville Middle School student, Julia Wallace, was struck by a car on her way to school April 26.   

After the incident, the engineering firm Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick Inc., based in Shelby Township, conducted a traffic study at the intersection. Since that time, two school crossing signs with LED flashing lights on Martin Road at Barkman, one facing east and one west, have been made more prominent.   

In a follow-up interview, Roseville Community Schools Superintendent Mark Blaszkowski, who was not present at the coffee hour meeting, said a third lane was added for parents dropping off and picking up students at the middle school.

“We have three lanes to get more traffic off Martin Road,” he said. “It shortens the time of pickup, and there will be less traffic over long periods of time.”

The pavement crosswalks on Martin Road were repainted to be more visible. Blaszkowski said volunteers also are watching over the intersection before and after school.

Wallace was hospitalized for several months and has not returned to school, according to Blaszkowski. Wallace reportedly, though, attended the school’s Christmas band concert in December, as she was a member of the band at the time of the incident.

“We’re ready whenever she is,” Blaszkowski said of her return to school. “She’s still got a long road to go.”

The Eastpointe-Roseville Chamber of Commerce’s next coffee hour will be held at 9 a.m. April 11 at the Holiday Inn Express, 30300 Gratiot Ave. in Roseville.

Moe Lietz, creator of the nonprofit organization Sparkle Network, will be the guest speaker. Sparkle Network helps charities in need, and Lietz will discuss the upcoming Utica Palooza event set for June 17 in Utica.

The fundraiser will honor the senior community and remember loved ones who were lost to Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Utica Palooza will include a 5K walk, a mini road rally and scavenger hunt, and a comedy show featuring comics Lietz, Justin Divozzo and Steve Smargon.

For more information on Sparkle Network, including Utica Palooza, visit sparklenetwork.org/209530-2.

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Credit union holds book drive, offers teacher grants
In recognition of March is Reading Month, the Roseville Community Choice Credit Union location, 20778 13 Mile Road, is holding a book drive until March 28. New and used books can be dropped off at the credit union during business hours. The books will be donated to the Roseville Public Library.

In addition, Community Choice Credit Union is accepting applications for its teacher grants program. The credit union will award 10 $500 grants to K-12 educators that can be used for the purchase of supplies, software or other tools to help promote financial education in their schools or classrooms.

The deadline to apply is April 15. To apply, visit communitychoicecu.com and scroll down to the “Helping Michigan Teachers” section. Winners will be announced during the week of April 23. Recipients can attend the Community Choice Foundation Scholarship Award Ceremony in-person or remotely in May. Teachers do not have to be members of the credit union to apply.