State of the City connects city happenings to ‘The Five Love Languages’

STERLING HEIGHTS — For Mayor Michael Taylor, presenting the Sterling Heights State of the City address was a labor of love.

During the Sept. 27 speech, held at the Sterling Heights Community Center, Taylor centered his annual address around the theme of “The Five Love Languages,” popularized by author Gary Chapman. Those love languages, in the context of human relationships, are words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and gifts.

Taylor, who described his own experience buying a house in Sterling Heights in 2008, used the love language framework to discuss how residents love the city and vice versa.

“Certainly this applies in our relationships, but I think it applies beyond just relationships with people,” Taylor said. “I think it can and should apply to our relationships with the place that we call home.”

Taylor used numerous examples of connecting the love language framework to the city during his speech, but the following are a few highlights that correspond to each love language:

Words of affirmation: Taylor brought up the city’s marketing and branding campaign “Look No Further,” which amplifies examples of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the community. He also pointed to awards and accolades the city and its leadership have received, including the title of “safest big city in Michigan.”

Quality time: The mayor pointed to park and recreation improvements as venues to enjoy, including an upcoming ITC Corridor pathway and a new Delia Park cricket pitch.

He also highlighted the November ballot proposal known as the “Pathway to Play and Preservation.” If approved, the referendum would establish a 15-year, 0.95-mill tax increase to pay for a nature preserve pathway, a pickleball facility, a canoe and kayak livery, Rotary Park improvements, development of a Red Run Park, reforestation, sidewalks, a fund to preserve open space, and more.

“Now this proposal is in direct response to feedback we received from residents like you over the past several years, and it represents another way of providing the community with the opportunity to spend quality time here in Sterling Heights with friends and loved ones,” he said.

Physical touch: Taylor said, “the physical connection between people and place cannot be understated,” and the city is offering places for people to dine out with friends, browse at a store and more.

He listed the transition to future mixed-use urban planning at Lakeside City Center and north Van Dyke Avenue. He also said the city has approved the construction of over 700 residential units over a three-year period, adding that “people want to be here.”

“It’s very exciting to see the city expanding and welcoming new residents,” he said.

Acts of service: Taylor praised the city’s new universal curbside recycling program, citing a recent 400%-plus increase in recycling in the city. In a video presented during the speech, Nathan Inks, from the Sterling Heights Sustainability Commission, talked about how individual acts add up.

“So sustainability can sometimes seem overwhelming, but every resident can do a little bit, and every little bit helps, whether it’s reducing our greenhouse gas emissions or ensuring that people are recycling or making sure that we’re not polluting our rivers and streams,” Inks said.

The mayor also applauded the city’s volunteer groups, such as Citizens on Patrol and its member Scott VanLuven, whom police say recently helped stop a child abduction from taking place at a Sterling Heights park.

Gifts: Public art, an upcoming community garden and butterfly space at Nelson Park, and a developing sister city partnership with Ankawa, Iraq, were among the gifts that the mayor said were being given or will be given in the city. He thanked the residents, volunteers and people who sit on boards and commissions for their love toward the city.

“You are the reason that we all do what we do,” Taylor said near the end of his speech.

“Serving you is our purpose, and it’s what makes this more than just a job. The seven of us on City Council, the city administration, and every city employee strives to make this a city that people can proudly say that they love.”

Learn more about Sterling Heights by visiting sterlingheights.gov or by calling (586) 446-2489.