City of Wayne 2025 end of year report

The City of Wayne added a new LED sign in front of city hall in 2025. Photo by Natalie Rhaesa

By Sarah Shurge – Diane Webb was selected as the new city manager in 2023. Since then, her focus has been improving the city of Wayne.
Webb has a long and diverse career that has centered around the city of Wayne.
For the first 18 years of her career, Webb worked in the private sector, for the Bell System, now AT&T. She worked her way through college as a service technician in the city of Wayne. After completing her undergraduate degree, and while pursuing her graduate degree, she was promoted four times in four years, in the areas of customer service and project management, before becoming a Director of Government and Community Relations.
Then she served the City of Wayne as their liaison to SBC/Ameritech and worked closely with the city’s representatives in Lansing. It was this position that inspired her to pursue a career in public service.
Webb served four years as a city councilwoman in Garden City. Then, went on to serve eleven years on the Wayne County Commission, where she worked with Wayne County Commissioners, McNamara and Haidous that represented the city of Wayne. Her years of working in, with, and around the city made her familiar with the city’s history, successes and challenges before applying for her current role.
Webb has been the city manager for Wayne for two years now, and just recently presented the City of Wayne’s second annual year-end report.
The Wayne administrative team is: City Manager – Diane Webb, Police Chief – Ryan Strong, Fire Chief – Mike Stradtner, Personnel Director – Alyse Leslie, Finance Director – Katie Sample, Community Development Director – Lori Gouin, City Clerk – Tina Parnell, DPS Director – Mike Szuch, IT Director – Dennis Carino, Asst. DPW Director – Dave Schmidt, Building Official – Bob Watson, Planning Engineer – Brendan Esper, and Confidential Assistant to CM – Alayna Brasch.
Webb began this interview stating, “I am incredibly honored to work our phenomenal team of departmental heads, that work together to find the best solutions city-wide,” said Webb. “Equally as important, is the quality of our city council, we could not do what we do without their blessing. I really appreciate the council’s confidence in our leadership.”
Here are some accomplishments that have happened over the past year:
· Beautification of City Hall/new electronic sign.
· The Resurrection of the Infinity Homes Project (70 new homes west of Merriman and south of Van Born).
· Completed parking structure demolition (funded through $700K CBDG Grant from Wayne County).
· New library parking lot project (site restoration in Spring 2026).
“The parking structure had become a blighted public nuisance that was costing the city $20,000 a year, to insure, operate and maintain, only to provide a less-than-ideal parking option for the library. Now the sale of the land will bring new revenue, and its development is an opportunity for investment in the city that will increase our tax base and create jobs. The library also has safer and more convenient parking. The best part is we turned an expense into revenue, without it costing the residents a dime, because the project was funding through a grant”.
· Completed DIA’s new mural in Goudy Park (new mural was provided through the DDA’s collaboration with the DIA’s Partners in Public Art program — grant funding is designed to bring Art Outdoors).
· Completion of Goudy Park Amphitheater Project-Phase I ($1.3M project was funded through HUD, MEDC, and Wayne County ARPA Grants)
“When I first came to city the Goudy Park project was a rescue mission and we were able to save it. We were able to bid the remediation of the underground reservoir out and save the city $1.6M, afford the remediation through the water fund, and get extensions on the $1.3M in grants to complete the amphitheater replacement and the rest of phase I. It was a very rewarding experience,” said Webb. “Goudy Park is a jewel in the city. We are very proud of our Phase I improvements and super excited about Goudy Phase II scheduled to begin this Spring.”
· Secured $212K in Park Grants from the State Budget for the replacement of the 1-mile walk path in Atwood Park.
· Secured $26K from the Wayne County Park Millage by combining the $13,000 allotted from 2025 and 2026 to build two pickleball courts in Jaycee Park
“These will be the first outdoor pickleball courts in the city,” said Webb. “Pickleball” is extremely popular. It’s easier than tennis, good for your health, and enjoyed by people of all ages. “I am very pleased that we are able to bring this new recreational amenity here for our residents to enjoy” Webb said.
Financial overview from the past year:
· Balanced the 2025 budget with a $232K surplus.
· Increased the General Fund balance to $9,747,000 (29% of annual expenses).
· Increased property values by $65,504,000 to $629,759,000.
· Despite the higher value of homes in recent years, the City of Wayne taxpayers that have owned their homes since 2010 still paid less in taxes in 2025 compared to what they paid in 2010.
· In 2025, we decreased pension debt by $1,420,000, our OPEB debt by $458,432, and our long-term bond debt by $3.790.000, and issued no new bond debt.
“It feels like our efforts are paying off. It’s a slow, upward climb. We aren’t out of the woods yet, but it is rewarding to see the things I’ve implemented with the team making a difference. I’m happy to be making progress,” said Webb.
Department accomplishments:
· The Planning Commissions approved four site plans and received 44 zoning applications.
· The Clerk’s office consolidated six precincts to three. The city now only needs two voting tabulators instead of four (saving the city $4,000).
· The IT Department completed 710 support desk requests, migrated city data to Microsoft 365 cloud, backed up all security camera systems, established network backup and disaster recovery documentation, upgraded internet speed, and recycled over 50 pieces of computer and obsolete IT equipment.
“For Director Carino to come in and bring our whole IT network up to date, was miraculous. We’re more efficient, more effective,” and more secure, said Webb. “He is helping us utilize technology to improve internal operations and service delivery”
· The Wayne Police Department responded to 18,617 calls for service.
· The Wayne Fire Department responded to 4,004 calls for service. Of those calls, 3,134 were EMS-related incidents and 870 were fire-related calls.
· Five firefighters/basic EMT’s finished paramedic training, passed the national registry, and have all moved off probationary status.
“We’re not the biggest departments because we’re a small community, but as far as quality goes, I would put our departments against any in the state and beyond,” said Webb. “I’m very pleased with the work they are doing in police and fire.”
· The DPW performed annual maintenance of: 84 miles of water and sewer mains, 820 fire hydrants, 15.22 miles of major roads, 41.56 miles of local streets, 6.61 miles of dirt roads, 14 parks & 2 trail systems, and 17 city-owned parking lots.
· The DPW replaced approximately 516 lead water service lines in the 2025 construction season. Since 2023, the city has replaced approximately 1,068 lead service lines and is officially lead-free.
“I’m very proud we’re lead-free. That’s a public health thing. And we did it all with grants. That’s a big win for the city,” said Webb. Galvanized lines and site restoration will continue this spring with a project completion date of 6/30/26.
“Our DPS staff has never been busier, and their list of accomplishments in 2025 is long, and to think that they managed the lead line replacement project, completed the Traffic
Barrier Wall Removal Project, the Currier Waterman Replacement Project, and the Sewer Lift Stations improvements, on top of all their daily responsibilities, shows their level of talent and commitment”.
“My favorite part of my job is working with my team and seeing the progress we’ve made in the city. My number one goal is to leave things better than I found them,” said Webb.
Thank you to the city’s administrative team, the support from the city council, the DDA Board, and our community stakeholders for all they do for the City of Wayne!