Christmas Trees Pick Up

Residents within the City Limits - the Public Works staff will pick-up Christmas Trees beginning December 26 with collection ending the 3rd Friday of January each year.

Please place the bare tree (No bags, ornaments, lights, or tree stands attached) at the property front along the curb during the designated pick-up dates.

Please keep trees from being snow covered and assure visibility for our drivers. 

City crews will make rounds throughout the city streets to collect trees. 

For non-city residents please contact your local City Hall or Township Office for tree disposal options.

For any questions or concerns please contact the Public Works Department – email (jostdiek@sjcity) or call (269-983-6341)

More about our Master Plan. . .

To find out how you can be involved and share your opinion of the future of St. Joseph, please go to www.resilientmichigan.org/st_joe.  

2009 Report on Lake Boulevard Bluff Evaluation

A study was conducted by Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. in mid-July, 2009.  This evaluation consisted of the existing coastal bluff along Lake Boulevard between Park Street and Water Street.  To read the report in its entirety, please click here. 

New Residence Guide

This is helpful contact information for the person or families moving to St. Joseph, Michigan and wishing to obtain information pertaining to who to contact and where to call by way of setting up your utilities, including gas, electric, telephone, cable, water/sewer, garbage/recycling, hospitals, schools, churches and Emergency Room.

Hydrant Flow Testing

The St. Joseph Public Safety Department and/or the St. Joseph Water Department periodically flow fire hydrants to check the function of the hydrants, to evaluate the firefighting water available from each hydrant, to monitor the condition of the water system, and to remove rust and other sediment from the water distribution system.

Hydrant flushing sometimes stirs up sediment in the water lines and results in temporarily brown or "rusty" water in nearby homes and businesses. You can reduce your chances of having rusty water by minimizing your water use if you know hydrant flushing is taking place in your area. You should particularly avoid washing clothes until the flushing is complete and you have made sure you have flushed any rusty water out of your home plumbing.

If you should have a problem with rusty water, you can flush the rusty water out of your pipes by fully opening a faucet and running cold water until the water runs clear. We recommend that you run water from an outside spigot or utility sink that does not have a mesh strainer / aerator on it to clear the rusty water. You may have to open each of your faucets in turn, to remove all of the rusty water from your system. You should open the faucets one at a time, to ensure the maximum water flow to the open faucet. After flowing the faucets, you may wish to remove and check any mesh strainers / aerators on your faucets to remove any debris that may be trapped. You may also wish to run water through showers, toilets, and even run an empty washer cycle just to make sure you have cleared any rusty water from your pipes.

If you detect a problem with rusty water, you should not wash your laundry until you have cleared the rusty water from your system. If your laundry does become discolored, you should wash it again immediately--do not dry it first! Drying it will make the rust difficult or impossible to remove! Also, do not use a chlorine bleach with rust-stained laundry; the chlorine reacts with the rust and just makes the problem worse! More information on tackling rust stains in clothing is available on the following web site:

Please understand that rusty water is not an unusual side effect from a hydrant flushing program, and does not indicate any sort of problem with the water system. The rust results from a reaction between the chlorine in the water, and iron in the pipes. The chlorine keeps the water safe to drink (although we don't recommend drinking the rusty water!) If you have any questions regarding rusty water, please call the Water Plant at 983-1240.

Below is a map showing the current progress of the most recent round of hydrant flushing.  A full screen version can be found HERE

Census Data

Census information for the City of St. Joseph is available online on the US Census Bureau's website. Please feel free to click the link below to access the City's current census data. If you have any additional questions about census data, please feel free to contact the City and we will be happy to help you.

Senior Citizens

The City of St. Joseph is an ideal place for Senior Citizens. Within City limits, St. Joseph contains both the Whitcomb and Lakeview Terrace, which provide great housing opportunities for Senior Citizens downtown. St. Joseph's downtown shopping district is very senior accessible and provides a fun, friendly, family atmosphere. In addition, the St. Joseph area also has an excellent health care system that fares very well nationally. If you have any further questions about Senior Citizens in St. Joseph please contact the City and we will be happy to address your concerns.

The St. Joseph-Lincoln Senior Center is your source for senior transportation, trips, educational program, central meeting place for games, medical equipment loan closet, and more.  

Waste & Recycling

The City of St. Joseph provides weekly rubbish collection by contracting services with Best Way Disposal along with bi-weekly curbside recycling.

Public Health

The Berrien County Health Department offers a variety of clinics to the public.

Property Tax

payonline3Summer tax bills are due July 1, but are payable through September 15 without penalty. Summer taxes not paid by September 15 are assessed a 4% penalty. Winter tax bills are due December 1, but are payable through February 14 without penalty. Winter taxes not paid by February 14 are assessed a 3% late fee.

Property Assessments

Property Assessments are done by the City Assessor. If you have any questions regarding property value or your assessment, please feel free to contact the City Assessor using the contact information located on their webpage and we will be happy to help you.

Parking Tickets

Parking rules for the City of St. Joseph

Hazardous Waste

In addition to City-provided rubbish collection, Berrien County provides an annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection program

Education

Our commitment to the community includes a commitment to its future. That's why our residents place such a strong value on educating the youth of St. Joseph. From our award winning public school system, to our quality private schools and our area continuing education institutions, St. Joseph offers a rich variety of educational opportunities.

City Newsletter

The City publishes 6 newsletters annually. The newsletter is called "City Connection" and is distributed through US Postal mail. This newsletter is a very important communication piece for our residents. The City newsletter is created by the Communications and Marketing Department. If you wish to see older newsletters or have any questions about the City newsletter please feel free to use the contact information provided on the Communications and Marketing webpage and we will be happy to assist you.

St Joseph Downtown Vision

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