Business owners and operators who are looking for guidance in re-opening their businesses when the State of Michigan permits it will have a "go-to" resource in the Michigan COVID-19 Business Response Center website. 

It contains information regarding state and federal government updates, state return to work guidelines and other industry practices. 

There are several testing sites in the Northville area for people in need of a COVID-19 diagnostic test. To view a complete list please visit the State of Michigan/coronavirus website page on testing.

The Northville Chamber of Commerce typically holds a “State of the Community” each spring with updates from leaders from the City of Northville, Northville Township and the Northville School District. Who could have ever imagined that this year’s event would be dashed by a pandemic?

As a means of checking in during the COVID-19 health crisis, which requires people to shelter-at-home until April 30, a Northville Chamber podcast was recorded April 7 at the Hanger (formerly known as The Village Workshop) to gauge the pulse of the greater Northville community.

The co-hosts were Jamie Flanagan, owner of Podcast Detroit, and Matt Fox, his business partner and a communications teacher at Fraser High School. Guests were Township Supervisor Bob Nix; Township Manager Todd Mutchler; Northville School District Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher; Rebecca Pek, director of Personnel Development and Quality Assurance for the school district; Northville Mayor Brian Turnbull; Northville City Manager Pat Sullivan; and Dave Cole, co-owner of Great Harvest Bread. Several City Council members were also on the call. Nearly everyone called in, so social distancing wasn’t an issue.

The lively and informative program covered a wide range of complex and common problems caused by the pandemic. The conversation touched on policing gatherings in parks, yard waste pick-up, educating students at home, and putting take-out orders in the driver’s trunk to minimize risk of exposure. One community leader said “there has been a huge cooperative effort between the surrounding communities” on ways to deal with the difficulties caused by the pandemic and keep services and programs operating as smoothly as possible.

Northville Chamber Executive Director Jody Humphries managed the podcast, the fifth in a series of topics that impact the business community. Listen to it here (in solitude).

How to conduct business with City Hall during COVID-19 

With City Hall temporarily closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, employees are working – many remotely – to deliver essential services. We have taken measures to keep employees safe and services in place. Here’s an overview of how to conduct business and access service with the City during the closure:

Pay bills
The City of Northville is extending the due date for the April utility bills (with no penalty) from Friday, May 22 to Friday, June 19. Utility customers will receive their next bill on or around April 22. The effective date of the bill will be May 19 with the due date being 30 days later. This bill covers water and sewer usage for February and March and refuse service for April and May. If you have trouble paying your bill online or have other questions, please email ub@ci.northville.mi.us. 

Utility bill customers may sign up to receive email bills or arrange for automatic payment of utility bills through the City's website. E-bills are emailed on the billing date with a full page bill attached in PDF format. You may also pay by automatic payment – an arrangement between the customer's bank and the City’s bank by which the amount due is deducted from the customer's account each due date. (This is known as an ACH transfer, where money is moved between banks without using paper checks, wire transfers, cash or credit cards.) Click here to access forms or call 248-449-9901 with questions.

Garbage collection
Curbside trash collection will continue on Monday or Tuesday, based on neighborhood location.

Bulk waste collection resumes
Bulk waste items, such as refrigerators, bedding and furniture, will be picked up at curbside beginning Monday, May 11 by Waste Management. Due to anticipated heavy loads during the restart of this service, pickup of bulky items may be delayed by a day or so but will be completed that week.

Dumpster pick-ups for businesses
Since many Downtown businesses have greatly reduced or closed their operations, the City has reduced the number of weekly dumpster pickups. To compensate for reduced pick-ups and help businesses save costs during the pandemic, the City will reduce commercial waste bills by 43.8%. This is a savings of $183 for a restaurant on the bi-monthly bill.

Yard Waste collection
Pick-up of yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, etc.) has resumed. Weekly brush chipping is currently being offered. 

Building permits and inspections resume

With construction in Michigan being able to resume on May 7, per the governor’s easing of Stay Home, Stay Safe order, the City will restore the inspection schedule. They can be scheduled using the inspection hotline number listed on the permit or scheduled online.

Permit applications should be completed online if possible or mailed in or deposited in the drop box at City Hall. With the metal handle of the door and drop box, please use a disinfectant wipe to sanitize those surfaces. Plan to allow additional time for the City to process permits and inspections since City Hall has limited personnel on-site until at least May 18.

Free home fire safety reviews and installation review of Child safety seats are not being offered by the Fire Dept. at this time.

Tree permits are suspended for now. There will be no cutting down trees until permits can be issued. Tree trimming is allowed if a tree limb poses a danger to citizens or could damage property.

Tax assessing - Tax & Assessing data lookup
You may retrieve tax and assessing data from the City website. If you have any questions, call the Tax & Assessing office at 248-449-9901.

Allen Terrace has taken safety measures
For the health and safety of the 100 senior residents who live at the City-owned and operated residential community, the building is closed to the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Family members can bring supplies but visits are not recommended. Commercial deliveries for residents are being accepted.

Extra cleaning and disinfecting procedures are in place. Residents are being advised not to congregate and to practice social distancing. Meals on Wheels is delivering to residents who live there but is not holding congregate meals in the dining room.

For questions or inquiries, please contact Director Tracey Emmanuel, at 248-349-8030.

Parks and Recreation – Programs and events for the spring session have been cancelled. You can request a refund if you’ve registered. Visit the website for details. Parks are open but play structures, including Fort Griswold, are closed. Remember to practice social distancing when you are outdoors.

Transportation for seniors and the disabled – The Parks and Recreation Dept. is still running bus service for seniors and the disabled on a limited basis, Monday - Friday. There is one bus in service, which is being used primarily for medical appointments, with priority given to those needing dialysis. Seniors needing groceries or household supplies are encouraged to use the stores’ delivery services. A visit to the pharmacy, if delivery isn’t available, is considered to be a medical trip and will be allowed if the schedule permits.

Overnight parking order suspended until June 30
The Police Department has issued a moratorium on overnight parking restrictions from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. on streets and in City parking lots. With college kids at home and extended family, many residents have additional cars parked overnight at their residence. Many have asked for permission to park their vehicle in the street overnight. The moratorium will continue until June 30 at 11:59 p.m., at which time it will be re-evaluated to determine if it should continue.

If you have questions about City services, please call the City manager at 248-449-9905 or send an email to info@ci.northville.mi.us. Follow us on twitter and Facebook for more immediate updates. Emergency notifications from Nixle will also be posted to Facebook. To sign up for this free service, visit the Nixle website.

The Northville Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has compiled a list of restaurants offering carry-out and delivery service. View it here.

The City has established three parking spots designated for carry out. They are located on eastbound E. Main east of Center at 120 E. Main (near Brown Dog); westbound E. Main west of Hutton at 157 E. Main (near Poole’s Tavern) and Northbound N. Center south of Dunlap at 150 N. Center (near Tuscan’s Cafe). There are close to 20 restaurants providing their exceptional menu choices to diners who value the flavorful food and beverages offered by local establishments.

DDA Director Lori Ward stated, “As consumers, please help us support our community businesses by continuing to order from the restaurants and/or purchasing gift cards from any downtown business.”

Find out what businesses are open and closed by viewing the DDA’s website (downtownnorthville.com) and social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.


Los Tres Amigos, Northville's newest restaurant, is among those that are offering take-out service. Photo by Liz Cezat.

Beginning July 1, parking restrictions from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. on streets and in City parking lots are back in effect after having been lifted during the shelter-in-place period. 

The City provides overnight parking permits for $60 per year ($5 per month). Each of the downtown parking lots have spaces identified for overnight parking. If you need to temporarily park on the street overnight in a residential area, contact the Police Dept. at 248-305-2790 to obtain a waiver.

In April, the City began to hold meetings online using the Zoom meeting platform. A few days prior to the scheduled meeting, the log-in information for the meeting is posted with notice of the meeting, either on the City Council page (for their meetings on the first and third Monday of the month) or on the  Agendas and Minutes page for meetings of the Planning Commission, Historic District Commission and others.

Since public gatherings were halted under the governor's executive order while online meetings for municipalities were allowed, City Hall cancelled in-person meetings, effective March 18. In-person meetings will resume in the future, pending guidelines from the governor.  For details about the City's online meetings, including how to log-on and what to expect, please view this news article.