GUEST EDITORIAL – After all the turbulence and recent fiasco with Goodwill and the Dearborn City Planning Commission, I need to empty my brain on thoughts and impressions after living in Dearborn for a long time. Let me first say that I love Dearborn, its people, organizations, and businesses.
Peder Blohm
When Biggby opened, I switched from Starbucks, why should I send my money to Seattle, when I could support a local business? I believe that’s the best way to go.
Mike Guido was a real asset to the City, being the face of Dearborn, and also outside the community, and having Mark Guido, Chief of Staff, basically run the day to day operations of Dearborn.
Today our Mayor is micro managing everything, not being a good listener, talking a good talk, but doesn’t take suggestions or input from anyone. The result is visible with law suit after law suit, empty buildings and a City culture that makes businesses look twice before even thinking about coming to Dearborn.
The perception is that Dearborn is one of the most difficult cities in South East Michigan to do business with, open or start a business. (Remember: Perception is the truth, until you can show otherwise.) I have personally gone thru a situation where it took 7 months and a huge loss of revenues before getting a Certificate of Occupancy. Ask any business that opens up, if it was easy, and if the city was helpful moving in and starting up. Ask any contractor, ask any home owner, etc. I strongly believe that the City of Dearborn is its own biggest enemy.
I read comments after comments on blogs and opinions were people are “trashing” Dearborn leadership, both City Council and the Mayor, but very few suggestions on what and how it can be changed, so here are a few thoughts.
Where are we today?
- Why has our position in South East Michigan developed positively or negatively in recent years? (Define reasons for changes, directions, values, attitudes. etc)
- Who are our primary target groups today and how do we attempt to motivate and convince? (Attract business and new residents to come to Dearborn)
- Who are our competing cities, and how does our primary target group perceive them? (Their perception, not ours, regarding competing cities)
- How do we and our competing cities communicate with present target groups? (Analysis of communication strategies and messages used in order to understand the knowledge level, expectations and relationships with other cities.)
- What will it take for Dearborn to be the winner of the future?
How do we position ourselves?
- What are the real differences and features of Dearborn? (If we compare with other cities, Dearborn is the only one to offer…and the only one to offer more of…)
- What are the obvious advantages of coming to Dearborn? (If I compare our competing cities, I will get…)
- What are the emotional values that I have with this comparison? (If I choose Dearborn instead of competing cities, I will feel…)
- What are the human characteristics of Dearborn? (If Dearborn were a person, who would it be?)
Do we need an outside consulting firm to charge tens of thousands of dollars making a “feasibility study” of Camp Dearborn when we have all the knowledge and professionals inside Dearborn city limits?
Do we need a legal department with a number of lawyers when Dearborn Schools, who employees more people don’t have one?
Do we need to have a small number of citizens pay for the pools, when it can be done in other ways?
Do we need to keep working with a developer who does not fulfill his obligations?
These are a few thoughts for The City of Dearborn, its businesses and residents to consider going forward. But first, it is imperative to look inside City Hall and change the way it works. We need to focus on building relationships, and getting new businesses and people to move in, while keeping our present population in both West and East Dearborn. As it is today, Dearborn is its biggest enemy.
Great post. Unfortunately, I don’t think much will change until O’Reilly is gone from office. And based on his performance thus far, that can’t be soon enough.
I miss Mike Guido.
As a (newer) resident of Dearborn (previously living my entire life in Dearborn Heights), I have immense pride for this city that I have come to love: the “little D.” One snowy morning in Oakland County Circuit Court, another attorney asked me how far I drove in and how bad the roads were. When I replied that I came from Dearborn, she replied, “what’s a nice woman like you doing living in Dearborn?” WHAT? I didn’t even know how to take that, much less how to respond. But as the author points out, perception IS important. Understanding how neighboring communities and residents view Dearborn is important, because we do not live in a bubble, and if we want to encourage businesses to move into Dearborn, and encourage expansion in general, we do need to ask those difficult questions. I always shudder when residents of Detroit scuff at the suburbs sticking their noses into the Big D’s business. While, true, its not their home city, and they certainly shouldn’t have the final word on how Detroit operates, it’s important to at least listen to the very people you want to travel to your city, eat at your restaurants, drink at your bars, and take in a show or a game.
That being said, easier said than done, right? Aside from City Council and other organizations, where are the round table discussions/panels that strive to answer the very questions this gentleman is asking in his article? I would love to be a part of a round table discussion made up of citizens, not politicians (though I do have deep respect for our leaders in Dearborn). Is this something that already takes place at the library, or in a coffee shop, and I am just the last to know? If not, that’s the first step.
Colleen
Good post, perception is the truth, until you can prove it being wrong. I totally agree with having residents and businesses (not politicians) involved in the future plans of Dearborn. As an example: Just to sit down and look at all the ordinances, some of them 20-30-40 years old and having no validity in today’s Dearborn. We should MAKE IT EASY to open a business or move into Dearborn.
I’ve lived in Dearborn nearly all of my life. Watching all of the places I walked to with friends disappear makes me wonder what there will be for my kids to do. There is no longer a Boy’s and Girl’s Club, bowling alley, $1 movie theater, or fancy theater on the westside. I have fond memories of walking through Westborn, looking at the counters in Crowleys and Sally’s…getting candy at the bulk food store, or a hot dog at McCorys (I know I spelled that wrong), and heading to watch Mighty Ducks every other day during the summer at the Westborn Theater.
While Dearborn has a few great little businesses that I go out of my way to patronize now (Iverson’s Express, Merchants Fine Wine), my local library has closed and the Borders that was keeping me here is gone. Most often I shop in Taylor or Allen Park, my husband and I have fancy dinners in Ann Arbor or Royal Oak (with the exception of OSushi and Andiamo), and the only place we take the kids is Leon’s. I agree with Ms. Johnson, but I’m not sure that I’ll be hanging around long enough for the panel or round table, as she suggests, to start up.
I agree completely with the writer. Dearborn has, unfortunately, earned the reputation of being a closed-minded city on a number of fronts due to attitudes and practices of city officials. The fact it can be extremely difficult to get the necessary permission/cooperation from city agencies to open a business must change if we are to remain a desirable city that attracts new residents. And I agree the outdated ordinances need to be scrapped, not upheld. Classifying second-hand stores as businesses “like” strip joints is just misinformed and completely out of step with how Americans from all economic classes shop. And I agree we need city leaders who are willing to LISTEN, instead of ones who insist on doing all the talking. Real democracy is a conversation between residents and elected/appointed leaders, and Dearborn needs to start having many more of them that hopefully will include young residents with families who are living lives very different from those of the previous generation. The economic realities they are facing must be considered when making decisions about what kinds of businesses and services best meet their lifestyle needs as they are the future of the city. Given the diversity of the issues we are facing as residents of all ages, the question becomes, is this city up to the challenge of coping and thriving with an all options on the table approach, or will it continue to cling to outmoded formulas that mean more empty commercial space and a shrinking residency population? We may not be able to do anything about the terrible national/global economy we find ourselves saddled with, but we can make sure as many unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles as possible here on the local level are removed from our path. And we need to make sure disparaging comments like the one Colleen Johnson was subjected to are a thing of the past by changing perceptions of our city. Thank you, Mr. Blohm, for encouraging the kind of discussion and debate needed to promote this wonderful city of ours and give it the thriving business districts it both wants and needs, and therefore can/will support.
In your case the reason why people don’t want to make business with you is because the don’t TRUST you and you and many people worldwide know the reasons. You don’t have to look far to find the reasons in this case, it’s just under your nose.
Mr. Blohm presents a solid case and a good outline for the formation and direction of a community-driven group that can do research and make realistic recommendations for change based on successful practices in other communities.
There are many current residents and business folks in Dearborn who have great ideas and the experience and skills to help make positive change happen… either as volunteers, elected officials or business owners who can provide expertise and services.
Next year will be a big election year on the local level. I’m looking forward to seeing who steps forward with the skills and positive attitude and ability to collaborate with individuals and groups across our diverse city to make the “little D” an even more appealing, welcoming home for current and new businesses and residents.
Make no mistake, though… it is not an easy job. Lots of issues. Lots of opinions. Lots of options of how to spend a limited amount of tax dollars. Our Mayor and current City Council are hard working, knowledgeable, experienced, well intentioned individuals. Dearborn is their home, too, and of course they want the best for themselves and their families here. I commend them on their efforts during this tough economic climate in our fair city.
Kudos to all who step forward with positive ideas, take action to implement those ideas, and remain positive and optimistic as they navigate through challenges to make changes that will result in folks who don’t have the good fortune to live here say, “You live in Dearborn. Cool! I wish I lived there too!”