LISA HAS ALWAYS WORKED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WITH HER AS TRUSTEE, SHELBY GETS RESULTS.
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A seat at the table is not a thing to be wasted. In the short time of a year and a half, Lisa has made a significant and positive impact on our community. With an engineer's mind she knows how to construct and execute a plan. And she knows how to build the relationships needed to move the ball down the field. Read below about some of her achievements.
FEBRUARY 2008 - JANUARY 2019
Lisa's passion for cycling has taken her all over Shelby Township. After she learned it's streets and it's trails, she had some ideas. It occurred to her that she could use her voice beyond her capacity as a private citizen to advocate for safer trails, safer crosswalks, increased accessibility for pedestrians, and additional community infrastructure to bring the people out of their homes and into relationship with their neighbors. She decided to get involved and join the Planning Commission where she served for 10 years, working with the elected officials of the city government on the zoning, maintenance and future of Shelby.
Served on the Shelby Township Planning Commission
JANUARY 2019
Appointed to Shelby Township Board of Trustees
In November 2018, Trustee Douglas Wozniak was elected to serve as State Representative for the 36th District at the Michigan capital. This left a vacancy on the Board of Trustees which Supervisor Rick Stathakis needed to fill. After her work on the Planning Commission, Lisa was well known as a responsible, practical and efficient advocate for the welfare of Shelby Township. Her reputation saw to it that she was selected out of a competitive field and unanimously approved by the Board. In January, she was sworn in and immediately got to work to make the best of the remainder of Wozniak's term and earn the respect of city residents.
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“Lisa Casali did a great job serving our community for 10 years on the Planning Commission, and I know she will bring the same level of dedication to our residents as a member of the Board of Trustees. She understands that the most important service we offer our residents and families in Shelby Township is safety, and the peace of mind that tomorrow will be an even better day than today." Rick Stathakis, Township Supervisor
“I’m very excited to have Lisa Casali on board as the newest member of our team, and I know she will continue the great work of Doug Wozniak, leading the way for positive change in the community while maintaining strong conservative values.” Rick Stathakis, Township Supervisor
Appointed to the Sidewalk Committee
After her appointment, Lisa's first action was to join the Sidewalk Committee to enhance the community's walkability. By connecting gaps throughout the township, everyone would be safer. After taking resident input, Lisa led her fellow committee members in an inventory of the roads and sidewalks and selected the most problematic areas in need of improvement. Lisa has led the installation of over 4.5 miles of sidewalk, connecting residents to parks, trails and local retail. She also secured grant money and led the installation of 6 rapid flashing beacon crosswalks in the township. Lisa is most proud of her work to lead the construction of a pedestrian bridge on 25 Mile Road across from Eisenhower High School.
JANUARY 2019 - 2024
Revitalized the Sidewalk GAP Program
OCTOBER 2019
Once the construction sites were selected, Lisa spearheaded the effort to find the firm for the work and the contract was awarded to Italia Construction Inc. This labor of love led to the construction of 6,019 feet of sidewalk throughout the township.
The major section of new sidewalk installation are as follows:
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1348 feet on the south side of 24 Mile Road between Seven Oaks Drive and the Macomb Orchard Trail
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2100 feet on the west side of Shelby Road between Mound Road and Montgomery.
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2100 feet on the west side of Shelby Road north of 24 Mile Road to Briar Road.
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“This is about making as many of our residents as safe as possible while accessing our parks, trails and schools. We have new sidewalks going in that connect the Macomb Orchard Trail to several neighborhoods along 24 Mile Road. We don’t want walkers or cyclists on the white line on the side of major roads, and we don’t want cars swerving to avoid pedestrians. By putting these sidewalks in, we are making our residents and our roads much safer."
Lisa Casali, Trustee
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Switzer Elementary and it's students were grateful for sidewalk covering a 2,100 foot gap between the school and Shelby Road. Lisa knew that a safe route for kids to get to school was one of the best uses of funds.
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“This project was significant because we want to make sure the kids going to school had the safest possible path to get to and from school. Currently, there is one sidewalk on the east side of the road, and it is only five feet from the edge of the road. This new sidewalk will make it much safer for those kids.” Lisa Casali, Trustee
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OCTOBER 2019
Lisa knows how to lead, but she also knows how to make change as part of a team. Along with her fellow Board members, Lisa cut the ribbon on a state-of-the-art fire station, on 25 Mile near Schoennher Rd., furthering the goal of a safer Shelby Township. The $1.9 million building, Fire Station No. 4, is a near replica of Fire Station No. 5 and measures at 7,400 feet. It was built to cover the northeast quadrant of the the city. And most impressively, it was immediately paid in full--all built without any additional taxes or special elections. Plus, who doesn't love a big ribbon cutting?
Opens New Fire Station with Board of Trustees
DECEMBER 2019
And why stop at a new fire station? The Board of Trustees kept the momentum going by breaking ground on the construction of a new library! The library will be built at the site of the old Parks, Recreation and Maintenance Facility on Van Dyke by the engineering firm of Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick. Working with the Shelby Township Library Director and Library Advisory Board, the $11.2 million campus will be the first standalone library in Shelby. Expected finishing date is spring 2021. And just like fire station, the building is being paid in full in cash with no burden to the taxpayers. Are you noticing a theme?
Announces Construction on New Library
with Board of Trustees
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JANUARY 2020
1,700 new jobs in Shelby Township AND safer, fixed roads? Sounds like a win-win! An employment boom took place on Shelby Parkway, occupying 1.3 million square feet of industrial and manufacturing space, and that takes a toll on our infrastructure. A massive $20 million joint initiative was announced by the Board of Trustees and the Macomb County Department of Roads for necessary intersection improvements on 23 Mile Road and Shelby Parkway near M-53. The city will pay $100,000 for 50% of the initial engineering costs while the other half will be paid by MCDR. After some persistence and effort, the grant was issued by the state which will cover $2 million of construction costs.
A traffic analysis study by AECOM Engineering will commence before work begins. The Shelby Parkway improvements will help faciitate traffic to a SAPA Transmission Inc. research and development building which, along with another building will invest $40 million in Shelby and create 223 new jobs. Other fixes on the docket are Mound Rd. (between M-59 and Auburn Rd.) 23 Mile Rd. (between Shelby and Mound) 21 Mile Rd. (between Schoenherr and Garfield) and Dequindre (between West Utica and Auburn). And, you guessed it, no increased taxes!
Cost Share Agreement Reached with Macomb County Department of Roads for $20 Million Road Program
