During his first State of the City Address on Tuesday night, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely called attention to his efforts to address the impact of COVID-19 on city residents.
Providing assistance with water bills, ensuring COVID-19 testing is widely available, and instituting a city curfew are some of the measures Mayor Neely brought attention to at his first State of The City Address since being elected Flint mayor.
“We declared a state of emergency in the city of Flint eight days before the first case showed up in Genesee County. In fact, we were the second city in the state of Michigan to make such a declaration," he said.
Neely said these are some of the 100 proactives moves and measures his administration has taken during the pandemic.
"One thing is for certain we saved lives. Coronavirus remains a consistent threat to our community at large and to our loved one. Let us be patient and understanding of one another," he said.
Neely also took the opportunity to announce how the city is moving forward in restoring clean water to all residents.
“Our challenge has been trying to find ways that water is affordable to residents, making sure our water is clean for residents consumption," he said. "We will get there. We have been restoring water services to residents."
During the pandemic, Flint has suspended shutting off water for residents due to lack of payment and has restored water to more than 600 homes.
"We've done good work by you, the residents, as it relates to the issue of making sure you get potable water for your use in your home," Neely said. "This administration understands that water is a human right."
In his address, Neely also mentioned the formation of a community taskforce overseeing the City of Flint Police Department and the city’s efforts to combat blight.
