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1. Who has jurisdiction over Michigan roads?

There are 3 levels of road jurisdiction:

1. State highways: these are roads owned by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) – 9,715 miles, state-wide (8%)
   
2. County roads: these roads are owned by county road commissions (includes Wayne County
3. Public Services Department) 89,750 miles, state-wide (75%)
   
4. City and village streets: these roads are owned by cities and villages – 20,750 Miles, state-wide (17%)

Michigan has the 8th-largest public road system in the nation and the sixth largest local (county, city and village roads) system. Michigan’s state highway system however ranks as the 33rd largest in the nation.

2. What's considered a "state" highway?

State highways fall under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Included under this heading are all highways with letters in their names, such as “M”,”US”, or I. state highways in Canton include Ford Road, Michigan Avenue, and Interstate 275.

3. What jurisdiction does the County Road Commission have?

County road commissions, including the Wayne County Department of Public Services, have jurisdiction over all roads, except state highways in all townships in the state. County road commissions also have jurisdiction over some of the primary roads in Michigan cities and villages.

All county road commissions in Michigan receive the majority of their funding from 2 primary sources: state-collected road funds and federal road funds. Road commissions have no taxing authority and do not receive any revenues directly from property taxes. However, 13 Michigan county general governments and some townships levy millages dedicated to road maintenance.

4. What about city and village streets?

Over the years, Michigan cities and villages have taken jurisdiction over some, or in some cases, all of the roads within their boundaries. When a township or part of a township incorporates and becomes a city or village, the road commission has one year in which to turn over jurisdiction of county roads to the new city or village. After that 1st year, jurisdiction of any road may be transferred either way, if agreed upon by both parties.

The cities and villages have jurisdiction over all neighborhood or subdivision streets within their boundaries. Whether a city or village or the road commission has jurisdiction over major streets within the community depends upon a variety of factors and differs from community to community.

5. How are roads funded?

Michigan charges a $.19-per-gallon tax on gasoline and a $.21-per gallon tax on diesel fuel (however, diesel fuel users receive a refund of 6%, equivalent to the 6% sales tax, so they pay the equivalent of $.15 cents-per-gallon in fuel tax). Motorists also pay license and registration fees to the state. Revenues from these sources, as other fees make up the Michigan Transportation Fund.

According to state law, trust funds are divided between the 3 levels of government in Michigan with jurisdiction over roads: The Michigan Department of Transportation, the 83 county road agencies, and the 500-plus cities and villages (city and villages streets). Here’s how the funds are divided:

• 39.1% is distributed to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT roads represent 8% of all roads, 9,715). State highways fall under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Transportation. Included under this heading are all highways with letters in their names, such as “M”, “US”, or “I”
  
• 39.1% is distributed to Michigan county road agencies (county roads represent 75% of all roads, 89,750 miles)
  
• 21.8% is distributed to cities and villages (City and village roads represent 17% of all roads, 20,750 miles)

Note: Michigan has the 8th largest public road system in the nation, and the 6th largest local (county, city and village roads) system. Michigan’s state highway system however is the 33rd largest in the nation.

In many cases (67 counties), the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) hires the county road commission to maintain state highways in the county. MDOT reimburses the county road commissions for the cost of this maintenance.

The 2nd largest funding source for road commissions is the revenue from the $.19-per-gallon federal fuel tax. Congress has created a formula through which it determines how much of the federal road funds go to each state. Of the federal funds that come to Michigan, MDOT has historically received 75%, while county road commissions, cities, and villages have split the remaining 25%.

6. What are federal dollars used for?

Federal dollars are used mainly for road improvements, such as widening, reconstructing, adding turn lanes etc. and cannot be used for routine maintenance such as pothole patching. Nationally, federal funds can only be used on roads that are designated as part of the federal road system. These funds are available to road commissions through a variety of programs. None of these funds go directly to Michigan’s 83 county road agencies. In rural counties, each county road agency competes with its neighboring counties for federal funds. In the urban areas, the county road agencies compete with the cities and villages in the county.

While county road agencies have no taxing authority and cannot raise additional tax dollars themselves, many receive contributions from their county general government (with the exception of Wayne County) and/or cities, villages or townships in the county. Some communities, including Canton, contribute funds to their county road agency on a project-by-project basis.

7. How does this affect Canton?

In recent years, Canton government has used a variety of approaches to improve the community’s road system. The development community has been responsible for improving a great many Canton roads, including:

Warren (west of Beck), Joy (west of Beck), Saltz (west of Canton Center), Cherry Hill (west of Denton), Denton (north of Cherry Hill), and many others

Canton has also joined with developers to improve a number of roads, they include; Denton (south of Cherry Hill) and Lotz (north of Palmer)

Canton has also joined with Wayne County in a number of projects, including Lotz (north of Ford), Canton Center (north and south of Ford) and Warren (west of Morton Taylor)

8. How do I report a streetlight that is burned out?

Call Canton Public Works at 734/394-5150 to report a streetlight outage. Public Works can be reached Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. When reporting an outage, please have the following information ready: a specific streetlight location (i.e., the nearest cross roads, nearby business, etc.), whether the pole is wooden or metal, the streetlight pole number (for metal poles it’s located at the base of the streetlight. For wood poles it’s located approximately eight feet up the pole), and details about the outage (i.e. light off during the night, light turns on and off at night, light stays on during the day, etc.).

Please note, only Detroit Edison streetlight outages will be taken by Public Works. Decorative streetlights are the responsibility of the neighborhood Homeowner’s Association. To report a downed pole or other emergency please call Detroit Edison at 800/477-4747.

9. How does Canton’s water system work?

Providing a potable water source is the main priority of the community’s Public Works Division. Public water within the Canton community is provided by the Detroit Water Treatment plants located along the Detroit River. The treatment system is governed by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). The DWSD services over 3 million customers in 126 communities.

10. What happens to the waste water in Canton?

The Sanitary sewer system within Canton is continuously changing as development progresses. The sanitary flow from the community flows to a regional collection and pumping system operated by the Western Township’s Utilities Authority (WTUA). From this facility, the flows are directed accordingly to the DWSD waste water treatment facility and to the Ypsilanti communities waste water treatment facility. Design considerations must be examined when a modification to the existing system is proposed. The sanitary sewer master plan and future land use map serve as a guidance tool to determine what design factors must be addressed. By using these 2 guides, a correct design can be established which will ensure proper transport of the community’s sanitary waste.

11. What is Canton’s strategy towards watershed management?

The Lower Rouge River runs through the southern portion of Canton and all of the creeks and streams within our community lead to this watercourse. Downstream, the Lower Rouge River eventually flows into the main Branch of the Rouge River in Dearborn. Canton is part of the Rouge River Watershed because all of the land in Canton ultimately drains to the Rouge River.

The Canton community continuously demonstrates environmental excellence by taking great strides to improve the quality of the Rouge River and its tributaries. The creation of the Canton Watershed Management Strategy has been used to provide the framework for implementing activities that address storm water quality in the community. Components of this strategy include storm water management requirements for new developments, the adoption or ordinances that protect natural features and promote water quality, and information for the residents encompassing general water quality issues. The Canton community is continuously evolving and so is this strategy.

12. What is ARC?

ARC stands for the Alliance of Rouge Communities. On October 11, 2005, Canton became a member when they adopted the by-laws. Before ARC, the Assembly of Rouge Communities existed as an interim organization that allowed communities to work together in meeting state and federal regulations regarding storm water permit requirements, and restoring the river. The Assembly was created in 2002 when federal funding to assist Rouge Watershed communities in management of the river was substantially reduced. Although the assembly provided means to keep the collective efforts underway, it depended heavily upon Wayne County to handle the business of the Assembly. Wayne County was responsible for handling the funds to hire contractors to perform monitoring, prepare the public information materials, and provide administrative and technical support for the Assembly, its committees, and the subwatershed management groups that prepare and help implement required watershed management plans. State legislation was introduced by Senator Patterson in 2004 to assist with the transition from the Assembly of Rouge Communities to the ARC. Under the adopted bylaws that established ARC, members are allowed to develop and implement watershed plans, receive grants, gifts and contributions, hire staff, issue contracts for services needed to implement water plans, and obtain state and federal permits on behalf of members. The 3 primary purposes of ARC are:

1. To provide a means to collectively restore the quality of water in the Rouge, return beneficial public uses, and prevent future problems
   
2. To further reduce local government costs to meet state and federal storm water permit requirements through cooperative efforts and increase the effectiveness of needed expenditures
   
3. To provide a state and national model for locally driven watershed approaches that minimize the need for further state and general mandates encouraging bottom-up approaches to solving problems based on locally established priorities (Sharing of public education resources is also a large benefit of ARC.)

13. What is a Detention Basin?

Detention basins are engineered structures that are used primarily to control downstream flooding. They also have a secondary function to improve stormwater quality.

14. What are the different types of detention ponds?

1. Dry Detention Basins: Dry detention basins are typically dry depressions in the ground surface, except after a major rain storm when they temporarily fill with stormwater.
   
2. Wet Detention Basins: Wet detention basins typically have a permanent pool of water and more wetland plant life. The permanent pool of water allows pollutants such as sediments to settle to the bottom of the basin.
   
3. Stormwater Marsh Basins: Stormwater marsh basins are similar to wet detention basins, but contain more wetland plants such as cattails bulrush and sedges.

15. How are detention basins maintained?

Detention basins require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure that they are functioning properly to protect private property and improve water quality. At a minimum, the Homeowners’ Association or business owner should conduct an annual inspection and an inspection after major storms.

16. How should detention basins be inspected?

• Obtain a copy of your detention pond plan from Canton’s Public Works Division to determine what type of detention basin is in your development.
  
• Inspect inlet and outlet pipes. Keeping these pipes clear of debris and sediment will help ensure proper pond function.
  
• Inspect for litter and debris: Twice each year (spring and fall) and after major storms, check for debris in the pond, on the banks, and around inlets/outlets.
  
• Examine side slopes for erosion: Twice each year and after a major storm, check for gullies or sloughing of the banks and other disturbances from animals or vehicles. If erosion is occurring, contact Canton Public Works for repair recommendations.
  
• Inspect vegetation: In the spring and fall, inspect the vegetation on the banks and in the basin. Living vegetation greatly improves the water quality by filtering out pollutants such as fertilizers, pesticides, oils and grease from the stormwater. Late fall is a good time to cut down cattails. Cut cattails should be disposed of with other compost materials. Repair bare spots along banks with grass seed, native plant seed or wildflowers.
  
• Mowing: The amount of mowing required depends on the type of detention basin and the desired appearance. Typically, basins with turf grass only need to be mowed 2 or 3 times a year. Basins with native grasses and wildflower plantings should be mowed only once a year in the late fall or early spring.
  
• Maintain pump stations (if present): If your pond has a pump station, only a licensed electrician or company that provided the pump system should conduct any maintenance work.
  
• Keep records of all inspections including the date, name of inspector, what was observed, and maintenance activities performed. Good records will help you make adjustments to the maintenance program as needed.