Participate in the city's first Snowplow Naming Contest!

The City of Ypsilanti is inviting the community to help name our fleet of snowplows! Send us the most creative, fun, and Ypsi-tastic names you can think of, and our team of snowplow drivers will have the pleasure of picking the best names for their rides.

With this year being the first edition, we look forward to seeing how it can grow in the future, but this year, we are focused on bringing some laughter and fun for our residents and our Department of Public Works staff. 

How to participate

Simply fill out this formto submit up to six names for consideration.

Stay tuned for the name reveal!

We will accept submissions through the end of the day on Friday, February 13th. Afterward, we will present the names to our DPW staff who will then decide on the winning names for all six of our snowplows.

The six winning names will be announced on the city’s social media pages and on our website on February 20th. Those who submitted the winning names earn the honor of seeing their plow’s name on the road, get a shoutout on social media, and bragging rights!

Read more about the contest and how to participate.

"Come in, we're open!" The Ypsilanti Senior Center is back at home

On the week of January 12^th, a small sign hung on the front door of the Ypsilanti Senior Center, with words many have been waiting to see for close to 10 months: “Come in, we’re open.”

“I think they’re just really excited to be back home,” said Jasmine Figgins, the senior center’s Interim Executive Director. “This is a place of community, of support, of togetherness, and so I think that is something they really missed.”

The Ypsilanti Senior Center has been closed since March of 2025 after an indoor water-line break flooded much of the facility. After months of repairs & renovations, Figgins and other staff members said they were finally ready to reopen to the public.

Having opened on January 12^th, the first programs to return to YSC were the Washtenaw Community College Senior Focus Classes, which includes Tai Chi, fitness, and line dancing. 

Entering the facility for the first time since the flood, members expressed their pleasure at seeing restored space and were excited knowing that even more improvements are planned for the near future.

“I think it is awesome because the seniors actually get to have the opportunity to see the changes gradually come along in the center while they’re here still having the opportunity to enjoy their programming,” said Figgins, further expressing gratitude for the many hands who worked to get the facility back in shape, including members of the city’s Department of Public Works, YCUA, current and former YSC staff, along with Parkridge and various other spaces who served as temporary spaces for senior programming. “If I needed anything from the city, they were willing to come in and help us, because I think they wanted us to be open just as bad as we did.”

On Wednesday January 14^th, the center was filled with the sound of music and dozens of feet gliding across the center floor for weekly line dancing class, which was led into with many hugs, joyful reconnection, and the welcoming of several new attendees. Once the music began, everyone picked up right where they left off.

“The Senior Center has actually been open since the 1960s,” explained Figgins, adding that the center is looking forward to incorporating inter-generational activities into further programming. “We want to continue to move the generations forward and have this building open for all our community members, including seniors, including the youth, and everyone in the surrounding areas.”

Those interested in becoming members, volunteering, or accessing programming information can visit www.ypsiseniorcenter.org. 

Members are also invited to attend a reopening party on Friday, February 27^th from 11 am to 2pm. Those interested should visit the Senior Center website for the most current information.

Watch a video recapping the first week back at the Senior Center!

Apply Today to Join the Water Street Citizens Ad-Hoc Committee

Residents are invited to serve on a citizens Ad-Hoc Committee to guide the future of the Water Street Redevelopment Project. 

At 32-acres, the Water Street Redevelopment Area is the city’s largest area of underutilized land. Recently undergoing a remediation process, where contaminated soil from the site’s industrial past was replaced with tested and clean soul, the city has also hosted a series of public input sessions, recording the hopes, desires, and concerns residents have shared regarding the site’s development.

Now, residents can join the ad-hoc committee to review the site’s Request for Qualifications through August, and work with potential developers in the future to create a community benefits agreement. 

Those interested can visit www.cityofypsilanti.com/waterstreet to complete the online application. The application will be open until Monday, February 16^th. 

Purple & Orange Vest Appreciation

With this winter deciding to kick things up a notch, DPW crews and members of the SHINE Team have been busy keeping the city’s roads and downtown sidewalks clear.

The Ypsilanti DDA is partnering with the non-profit Life After Incarceration: Transition and Reentry for a pilot program supplementing snow removal in the city’s downtown commercial area to help keep the sidewalks safe and accessible during heavy snowfall. Members of LAITR’s SHINE Team have taken on clearing the snow in the city’s downtown, allowing them to gain experience, skills and comradery while serving our community!

We caught up with them after a heavy night of snow, while members of the city’s Department of Public Works were out in full force to clear the roads and city parking lots!

Harriet Street Project Moving into Second Phase

This summer, the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) will begin the second phase of the water main replacement work along Hariet Street between Hawkins and South Hamilton. 

The project will replace aged and undersized water main, along with lead service lines. These upgrades are part of a larger infostructure improvement effort to help improve water system reliability and service quality for the area. 

The water infrastructure upgrades will lead into reconstructing the road surface on Harriet Street, which has been approved for pavement reconstruction as part of the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study application for federal funding in the City of Ypsilanti, which will also include improvements to the area’s storm drainage system. 

Recycling Questions? The Wizard is Here to Help!

Do you ever have any confusion about what can or cannot be placed in your recycling bin? Well, the city’s Waste Wizard is here to help!

While in-office wizards are harder to come by these days, you can access our virtual Waste Wizard.

Simple enter your address and the item you wish to recycle, and the wizard will tell you if your item is able to be placed in your recycling bin, or if it will need to be taken a local facility, or drop-off site for safe disposal. Common items that cannot be collected curbside, but can be taken to drop-off locations, include electronics, hoses, cords, wires, clothing, and hazardous household waste such as pool chemicals or oil paint cans. 

Some acceptable items that can go in your recycling bin for curbside service include:

• Plastic bottles and containers (numbered 1, 2, and 5)
• Aluminum and steel cans
• Cartons
• Glass bottles and jars
• Flattened cardboard with no food or grease 
• Newspapers, junk mail or mixed paper

Plastic bags and plastic wrap should never be placed in your curbside recycling bins, as they can cause equipment jams at the recycling processing facility. All items should be loose in your cart, and DPW staff will not pick up your recycling if there are plastic bags inside.

Grocery bags and different kinds of plastic wrappings can be dropped off at most large retail or grocery stores for recycling. 

You can also call Department of Public Works at 734-483-1421 with any questions regarding curbside recycling service.