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General Assembly meets on November 4 The General Assembly (GA) of SEMCOG will meet on Thursday, November 4, 2004, at the Hotel Pontchartrain, 2 Washington Blvd., in Downtown Detroit. It will start a little earlier than usual at 3 p.m. The General Assembly will begin with an important workshop — Using Partnerships to Strengthen Local Government Services. Our local governments are being stretched beyond their fiscal capacity — high demand for services from our citizens and lack of money to provide those services. This workshop, in partnership with the Office of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, will highlight joint public services as one way local governments can control expenses and improve services. Our work continues to look for ways to enhance revenues. The program will include a discussion of Governor Granholm's commitment to increase government efficiencies through joint public services and the advantages of having the state as a partner. In addition, representatives of three innovative community partnerships in the areas of public safety, information technology, and recreation will discuss what makes their projects successful. The General Assembly business meeting is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. There the GA will be requested to adopt the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan (RTP). The RTP serves as the blueprint for developing a safe and reliable transportation system that contributes to a higher quality of life for the region's citizens. It calls for implementing a comprehensive set of policies, initiatives, and nearly $41 billion in transportation improvement for fiscal years 2005-2030. This plan makes the region eligible to spend over $1.5 billion annually on much-needed projects. Public comment on the RTP will be heard at the GA business meeting. Written comments will also be accepted; details are available at SEMCOG's Web site — www.semcog.org. The General Assembly will also be asked to elect a new SEMCOG Vice Chair. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Legislative Affairs Coordinator.
Lawsuit against SEMCOG dismissed The lawsuit brought against SEMCOG about our voting structure has been dismissed by Judge John H. Gillis, Jr. in Wayne County Circuit Court. In the ruling, the judge wrote that the plaintiffs failed to state a claim on all four counts. SEMCOG is very pleased with the ruling. The lawsuit was a distraction, but now we look forward to being able to concentrate on bringing a balanced form of transportation, including transit, to the region. We thank all of our members and friends who've supported us in the lawsuit as well as in the work we do. Contact: Paul Tait, SEMCOG Executive Director.
SEMCOG conducts transportation study SEMCOG is conducting a transportation study over the next four months to better understand the daily travel patterns of Southeast Michigan. Southeast Michigan residents chosen to participate in the survey will be asked to complete Travel Count '04, a travel diary where all members of the household will record all locations visited during an assigned 24-hour period. A few days after the travel period, an interviewer from MORPACE International, a Michigan research firm under contract with SEMCOG to complete the survey, will call to collect the participating household's travel information. A similar survey was conducted in 1994. Data gathered from the 2004 survey will be input into SEMCOG's transportation model, which will be used to plan for future transportation improvements in the region. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services or MORPACE International, (800) 294-9668.
Real Estate Forum focuses on development along I-275 The 18th annual University of Michigan/Urban Land Institute Real Estate Forum is scheduled for October 27, 2004, at Summit on the Park, Canton, Michigan, and October 28, 2004, at the Michigan League, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The theme of this year's conference is "Growth in the Fast Lane: Development is Alive Along I-275." The first day of the forum in Canton will feature a live, on-site broadcast by WJR-AM's "The Paul W. Smith Show," and will be followed by a presentation by SEMCOG Executive Director Paul Tait. SEMCOG is an organizational sponsor and will contribute a Profile of I-275 Corridor Communities to be distributed at the conference. Copies will be available from SEMCOG Information Services after the event. A schedule of events and a registration form are available at www.umuliforum.com. Contact: U-M Conference Management Services, (734) 764-5297.
State will help communities and homeowners with tree removal Governor Jennifer Granholm has announced a plan to significantly lower the cost that communities and homeowners must bear to remove dead and dying trees caused by the exotic pest Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Using the state's contract system as a vehicle for pooling demand and generating lower prices, both communities and homeowners in Michigan's 13-county EAB quarantined area (including all seven counties in the SEMCOG region) should receive economic relief. Under the plan, the state will be a facilitator for local communities who want to enter into a contract for tree removal. By establishing standard pricing, the state expects the contracts to provide homeowners and communities with a more affordable rate for complete tree removal. Only local units of government may access the program on behalf of homeowners. Homeowners should avoid contacting local officials until the end of the year to allow communities time to assess whether they will participate in the program. Training sessions will be held for those local governments who choose to participate. Vendor contracts are expected to be in place and available by December 1, 2004. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services or Sara Linsmeier-Wurful, Michigan Department of Agriculture, (517) 373-1052.
SEMPeople Susan Rowe, City of Wayne Councilmember, is the new Chair of SEMCOG's Community and Economic Development Advisory Council. Robert McMahon, SEMCOG Manager of Community and Economic Development, received the Helen Willis Outstanding Volunteer Award for his work with the Michigan Society of Planning at MSP's annual conference. Also at that conference, Metropolitan Affairs Coalition's "Charting the Course: An Assessment of the Assets and Opportunities in the Lower Detroit River" received the award of Outstanding Planning Project for a Special Community Initiative. At the Michigan Municipal League's (MML) 106th annual convention, Margene Scott, City of Madison Heights Councilmember and member of SEMCOG's Executive Committee, was elected MML President for 2005. New board members elected include Vicki Barnett, Mayor of Farmington Hills; Kwame Kilpatrick, Mayor of Detroit; and John Zech, Wayne City Manager. Distinguished achievements awards were presented to State Senator Valde Garcia and State Representative John Stakoe, both of whom are legislative liaisons to SEMCOG. The City of Taylor received MML's Outstanding Achievement Award for its brownfield redevelopment program. Canton Township was recently ranked as the 10th safest community in the U.S. with a population of 75,000-100,000 by Morgan Quitno, a research and publishing company. Michigan Department of Transportation Director Gloria Jeff received the A.D. Gaither Leadership Award from the Federal Highway Administration at the National Transportation Civil Rights Conference in San Diego.
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