“For a long time now I’ve felt that we haven’t been meeting our service goals with regard to our Building and Safety Department,” O’Reilly said.  “Despite our employees’ best efforts, they’ve been undermined by a structure that just didn’t work.”

The mayor said the reorganization will be built around residential customers and business customers.

“For too many years we’ve blended these groups together despite their distinct needs, frustrating everybody,” O’Reilly said.

So under the mayor’s new plan, a new Residential Services department will be created to offer current and new residents the services “they require to maintain and improve their properties,” he said. The leadership of the Dearborn Area Board of Realtors also provided valuable feedback to the city about the new system.

“Our goal is to give (residents) the time and attention they deserve using the tools and processes that will make it much more convenient to do business with us,” O’Reilly said. “We’ve already made a major improvement for those selling or buying a home in Dearborn. Through new technology, we’ve converted hard-to-read and often confusing inspection reports to reports that are clear, printed and produced on the spot.”

O’Reilly said the new technology in the Residential Services department will be linked to the city’s scheduling system to dispatch inspectors more efficiently. The technology also will be tied to the city’s record system so that the city will always have “complete and clear documents to eliminate confusion and misunderstanding. We won’t end up with missing or lost documents,” O’Reilly promised.

An important focus of the new Residential Services department will be on the city’s Neighborhood Stabilization program, which since May 2008 has been purchasing marginal or undervalued foreclosed homes with the intention of reusing the property in ways that bolster the surrounding area.  Dearborn will receive $2.4 million in federal neighborhood stabilization funding in 2009 to continue this work.

The Dearborn Hills Civic Association is holding a Women’s Self Defense Class on Feb. 11, 18, 25 and March 4 and 11 from 6 pm – 8 pm at the Dearborn Hills Golf Course.

The cost is $80.00 per attendee.  Residency not required.  The course will be taught by a martial arts professional who will train women of all ages basic self defense techniques that may help them get away from an attacker and keep them safe.

Participants will learn basic kicks and strikes, escapes from common attacks such as hair-pulls, chokes, and bear hugs; how to defend yourself on the ground; how to be safe in your car or on the street; and more.  Good health and physical fitness as well as the ability to listen and participate in demonstrations are required.

Physical activity in the class will involve movements such as holds, throws, and strikes that will be first demonstrated by the instructor followed by practice and completion by participants.  The class is limited to 16 participants.  The first 16 qualified applications received will be selected for this class.  You will be notified when the class is full. For an application and more information, visit the Deaborn Hills website at www.dearbornhills.org

Henry Ford Community College is offering free planetarium shows called “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening – A Winter Star Talk” at 7:30 PM Tuesdays through March 17^th. 

HFCC’s 48-seat planetarium is in the upper level of the Science bldg. on the main campus. 

Doors will open at 7:15 PM and close at showtime.  For more information, call 845-9628.