Fire Rating Upgraded To 4

The City of Petoskey recently took place in a re-grading process with the Insurance Services Office (ISO), in an effort to improve upon the Public Protection Classification (PPC) given to the City in the last survey, conducted in 1998. ISO's PPC Program plays an important role in the underwriting process by insurance companies. Most U.S. insurers use PPC information as part of their decision making process when deciding what coverage's to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.  Communities whose PPC improves may get lower insurance prices. PPC also provides fire departments with valuable benchmarks, and is used by many departments as a tool when planning, budgeting and justifying fire protection improvements. In the 1998 survey, the City of Petoskey was given a rating of "5", and the Bay Harbor community was given ratings of "9" or "10". These ratings are judged by "1" being the best and "10" being the worst. City staff spent most of the spring and early summer preparing for the survey in hopes of improving the scores. The survey was conducted by ISO personnel in late August. A community's PPC depends on four major factors: Needed fire flows, which are representative building locations used to determine the theoretical amount of water necessary for fire suppression purposes. Receiving and handling fire alarms, including telephone systems, telephone lines, staffing, and dispatching systems. Fire Department, including equipment, staffing, training, and geographic distribution of fire companies. Water supply, including the condition and maintenance of hydrants, alternative water supply operations, and the amount of water available needed to suppress fires. Significant improvements have been made in all four categories since the last survey was conducted in 1998. In addition, the opening of Public Safety West Station in 2011 gave better geographical coverage to the Bay Harbor section of the City.  These improvements were clearly recognized by the results from this summer's re-grading process. After ISO's visit and survey, the City now has improved to a rating of a "4" for both the City and also the Bay Harbor area of Petoskey. This score puts the City of Petoskey near the top of the scoring range. Nationally, only about 15% of communities surveyed by ISO rate a score of "4" or higher. In the State of Michigan, of 1,987 communities surveyed, only 115, or less than 6%, achieved a score of "4" or better. The effective date of the new classification is March 1, 2013. This was a great team effort by a number of City employees. City manager, Dan Ralley assisted in organizing the re-grading.  Bob Bradley and Greg Clark from Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet County Dispatch (CCE) did an excellent job in preparing for the survey and achieving high marks for their dispatch center.  Director of Public Works, Mike Robbins, and Public Works Supervisor - Water/Wastewater, Sherrie Elliot put in a tremendous effort preparing for the survey. The improvements made in the last 14 years in the water delivery systems for the City were duly noted by the ISO.  The Department of Public Safety's portion of the re-grading was spearheaded by Lt. Matt Breed and Public Safety Officer Dan Smith. Lt. Breed and PSO Smith worked tirelessly to achieve an excellent score for the Public Safety Department. For further information contact Public Safety Director, John Calabrese, at 231.347.2500 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Access Your Utility Bill Online

    The City of Petoskey is excited to offer you a fast and easy way to securely receive and pay your utility bill electronically. You can make a quick one-time payment or register to access all the benefits of online billing, including: View current and past billing statements Pay by credit card or electronic check Link multiple bills to one username to view all your bills from one place Schedule future payments or enroll in auto-pay Receive friendly email reminders when a bill is ready to be viewed and paid And, you can even access your account from your smartphone or tablet through our mobile friendly site!   How It Works   Registering for Online Account Access   1. Click the “Access Your Bill” button at the top of this screen. 2. On the next page, select, “Enroll Now”. 3. Follow the steps on the Enrollment Screen to create a username and password and then input your Enrollment Token and Account Number found on your bill. 4. Once you complete this form, you will immediately receive an email from us to confirm your interest in our online billing program. Click on the link in the email to complete the enrollment process. 5. Upon clicking the link in the confirmation email, you will be brought to our sign-in screen. Enter your username and password to access your account.  What You Should Know About Online Account AccessRegistration There is no cost to sign-up for online billing and you can update your account preferences (such as paper and electronic billing delivery options) or cancel at any time. Payment and Processing Fees There is no charge for payments made via your checking or savings account.  A convenience fee will be assessed for each credit card payment that is processed online. Fees are percentage-based or flat-rate charges based on the type of card you use, the payment amount, and bill type. This fee is charged by the electronic payment processor transacting the funds and no portion of the fee goes to the City of Petoskey. This charge will appear separately from the payment amount for the bill on your bank or credit card statement and is non-refundable. If you require assistance or have any questions regarding online billing with the City of Petoskey contact us at (231) 347-2500 or email us. Access your account online Below are some frequently asked questions that will help you better understand this service. Frequently Asked Questions How does it work? How much does it cost?Will my paper bill still be mailed to me?Can I cancel after I sign up?Can I pay my bill online?Is my credit card and bank account information safe?How will I know when I have a new bill?Will my bill look the same online?Can I easily print and save my bill?Can I cancel a payment?How can I view my earlier bills?What is Auto-Pay?   How does it work? This service provides you with an easy way to review and/or pay your bill online. Instead of receiving your bill via the U.S. Mail, we will send you an email notification when your bill is available online. Simply click the above, sign in enroll in online billing, and you are ready to view and pay your bill. If you would rather continue to receive your bill in the mail, you can choose the One Time Payment option that lets you make a payment without seeing the bill online. How much does it cost? Enrolling in online billing is free. In fact, you will save the cost of the stamp and you will save the hassle of writing out a check. The only cost you will incur is any applicable convenience fee which is assessed with each payment based on the card type, payment amount, and bill type. Will my paper bill still be mailed to me? You have the option of selecting to “Turn Off Paper Statements.” If you do this, you can easily print out your statements from your online account should you still be interested in storing paper statements at home. Can I cancel after I sign up? You may cancel at any time and your paper bill will be mailed to you the next billing cycle. This change can be made online thru the e-billing system or by calling the City of Petoskey at 231.347.2500. Can I pay my bill online? Yes. This service enables you to pay your bill online. You can easily pay your bill with a major credit card or your checking account. Is my credit card and bank account information safe? We protect your information with the highest level of encryption available. You can be assured that your information is safe. The website is PCI Level 1 Compliant and SAS 70 Type II Certified. They are the most stringent certifications to ensure your data is secure. How will I know when I have a new bill? You will receive a notification via email that a new bill is available. Will my bill look the same online? Your online bill will be an exact replica of the bill you are used to getting in the mail. Can I easily print and save my bill? We use the industry standard PDF format for storing and displaying your bill which makes it very easy to print or save your bill to your computer. Click here to get the free Acrobat® Reader® . Can I cancel a payment? Scheduled payments can be canceled prior to processing. To view all scheduled payments, click on the History tab within the online billing portal. To cancel a payment, simply click the Cancel link to the right of the scheduled payment. How can I view my earlier bills? You can view your past bills from the History tab. Select the billing cycle from which you want to view your bills and click View. It will open a new window with the PDF version of the bill. On some versions, you can simply just click the View link on the left of the History to open up your bills. What is Auto-Pay? Auto-Pay (automatic payments) allows you to set a dollar threshold from which it will automatically pay your bill if it is below the threshold you have defined. Once you set the auto-pay threshold, you can rest at ease knowing that your bills will be paid on time if it's below the threshold.  

Public Safety Activity Map

The Department of Public Safety has implemented an online activity mapping system called Crimedar, in an effort to increase transparency and encourage area residents who have information on crimes to contact Public Safety officials.  The public can go to www.crimedar.com/petoskey-michigan to find crime logs and maps detailing incidents the department responded to. Incidents will remain on the map for two weeks, data will be saved in the log for a year and the site will be updated every two to three days. Some incidents will be excluded from the map, such as criminal sexual conduct complaints, drug arrests, drug investigation information and juvenile complaints.  The Department of Public Safety is the first law enforcement agency in the area to use this program.  To submit an anonymous crime tip to he Department of Public Safety, please visit www.petoskey.us/anonymous-crime-tip.    

Kayak the Bear River

Come experience one of Petoskey's best kept secrets - one of the Midwest's best whitewater recreation areas right in the heart of Petoskey.  In 2010 the City of Petoskey undertook over $2 million dollars of improvements in the Bear River Valley Recreation Area including a .25 mile whitewater boating area in the Bear River.  This improved whitewater course flows through an area that was once home to multiple dams and various industries - the Bear River has more fall than any river in the lower peninsula of Michigan.  Today, you'll find a river that has been beautifully restored, with walking paths and look outs that will keep even experienced whitewater kayaks entertained and coming back for more.  The Northern Michigan Paddling Club was created after a whitewater park was created within the Bear River Valley Recreation Area.  The Northern Michigan Paddling Club works to promote both whitewater and flat-water paddling in the area, and educating potential or new paddlers on gear and safety.  Last year, the club organized whitewater safety training, highlighting how to use throw bags and getting pinned boats out. The goal is to develop a comprehensive program for safer whitewater and flat-water paddling. The Paddling Club regularly hosts events and training sessions for those interested in learning more about whitewater kayaking.  For more information, visit www.northernmichiganpaddlingclub.com or call Steve Rudolph, Club President, at 231.330.8578.