Bazzi, Tlaib speak about flooding and fixes at awards luncheon

Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi said that, after COVID-19, flooding presented the city with its most challenges in the past year, as he spoke March 19 at an awards luncheon.

“It was probably the worst year for Dearborn Heights with the summer floodings, and we had thousands of families that were affected by floods,” he said. “I remember, I was just a few days on the job, and it was raining really, really bad, and I see Channel 7 parked in front of the city hall, and I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I’m not ready for this.”

Bazzi said his city engineer, Ali Dib, showed up, and told him that the news crew was parked right next to his truck, with the city engineer’s vehicle parked on the other side of the news van.

He said he promised the reporter a story the next day, because he wanted to get to work to address the flooding problems.

Bazzi said he did meet with the reporter a day later, and noted that Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-13th District) was right there for city officials.

“She was on the front line with us,” he said. “Every time I needed something, I called her office, and one of the biggest problems that we have in the city right now is Ecorse Creek.”

Bazzi said that, from his first days as mayor, he has worked with her to get some money to address the flooding problems with the Ecorse Creek.

“One of my objectives for the city is to make great history, so we do want to do great things for the Ecorse Creek, and the second project will be the Rouge River,” he said. “So, we have partnered with Wayne County, and during the flooding we had FEMA, Wayne County, our Congresswoman and state police, and we walked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., to pretty much every neighborhood, and our congresswoman was right there with us.”

Bazzi said they were on the ground for 12 hours that day, visiting every home that they could.

He said State Senator Sylvia Santana is also trying to help the city of Dearborn Heights get funding.

Bazzi then gave the floor to Tlaib, who said she and Debbie Dingell worked together to get the $1.675 million in federal funding for the Ecorse Creek which was recently announced.

Tlaib said it was a direct community project funding, and Dearborn Heights will receive the money through Wayne County.

“This is one step – this is just the beginning,” she said. “You all know that it is the lack of this investment and addressing the issue, and it has gotten worse because of the high rainfall, and this is just the beginning.”

Tlaib said the federal funds are only about 20 percent of what is needed to address the problems with the Ecorse Creek.

“The next big problem is with maintenance,” she said. “We need at least $10 million to start maintaining Ecorse Creek.”

Tlaib said that when she was talking to flood victims who had just lost so much, she felt compelled to stay and listen to their stories, as they told her that this was not the first time their houses had been flooded.

“Many have to park their car at a local church around the corner because they know it’s going to rain tomorrow, and they are not going to be able to get out of their home or their driveway to get to work the next day,” she said. “So, this is something that we are all committed to, with the levels of government working together.”

Tlaib joking said she is looking forward to issuing a giant display check to one of her constituent groups.

“I’ve never done that, so I commit to one and will come down to Dearborn Heights,” she said amid laughter.