|
General Assembly meets on October 25 The General Assembly (GA) of SEMCOG will meet on Thursday, October 25, 2007, at the Inn at St. John's (44045 Five Mile Rd, Plymouth) beginning at 4:30 p.m. The GA will be requested to adopt amendments to the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and designate non-voting delegates to the Executive Committee. The main program will follow the business meeting. "What is the future of local government?" will be an interactive discussion on the future of Southeast Michigan and how local governments play a key role in its success. Paul Tait, SEMCOG Executive Director, will moderate a panel of local government experts:
Contact: Kathleen Lomako, SEMCOG Deputy Executive Director.
2035 forecast member outreach meetings in Macomb and Monroe Counties scheduled SEMCOG's 2035 forecast member outreach meetings continue in October. A facilitated discussion of each county’s recent past, near-term population and job forecast, and possible actions necessary to respond to future challenges will be held. Members are encouraged to attend.
You can register online now for these meetings. A complete list of all workshops can be accessed at www.semcog.org. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Membership Manager.
View highlights of Executive Committee on SEMCOG's Web site Highlights of SEMCOG's September 28 Executive Committee can now be viewed on SEMCOG’s Web site. From the home page, link to News & Notices in the upper bar, then look for the link in the right column. Highlights include a presentation from Kim Schatzel, UM-Dearborn School of Management, on the factors that influence entrepreneurship, economic development, and job growth. Contact: Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Communications Director.
Ozone action season ends Ozone Action season ended on September 30. Southeast Michigan had three Ozone Action days this summer, called on June 18 and August 1-2. The average number of Ozone Action days per season is 11. Unfortunately, the region also violated the ozone standard this summer. At this time, SEMCOG and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality are unable to seek redesignation of the region to an ozone attainment area. Contact: Chuck Hersey, SEMCOG Environment Manager.
CEDAC focuses on efforts to attract talent in global economy on November 2 SEMCOG’s Community and Economic Development Advisory Council (CEDAC) will focus on ideas to attract talent and promote economic development at its November 2 meeting beginning at 9:30 a.m. Tony Vanderworp, Director of Planning and Environment for Washtenaw County, will discuss the county's vision for economic development; Rex LaMore, Director of the Center for Community and Economic Development at Michigan State University, will share ideas on how to identify and promote a community's competitive advantages. Contact: Ken Bishop, Community and Economic Development Administrative Assistant.
Aerotropolis gets boost U.S. Representatives Candice Miller and John Dingell were part of the 2007 reauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and, as a result of their joint efforts, Wayne County Airport Authority was recommended as one of five airports to participate in a new pilot program that would allow use of passenger facility charges (PFCs) to promote access to and around the airport. This pilot program would go a long way to constructing a Detroit aerotropolis that would use 25,000 acres of undeveloped property between Metro and Willow Run airports for industrial parks, hospitality centers, entertainment, and rapid transit centers. An aerotropolis would play a major role in the economic growth of Southeast Michigan and could help create about 60,000 jobs. SEMCOG has been a resource to the aerotropolis initiative working with Wayne and Washtenaw Counties and communities around the two airports that make up the study area. SEMCOG’s Web site has a Current Events page dedicated to information on the aerotropolis. Contact: Gerald Rowe, SEMCOG Transportation Manager.
Wireless Livingston takes first major step September 25, 2007 marked the official launch of Wireless Livingston. Working collaboratively with government, education, and business leaders, Wireless Livingston will provide free, high-quality, fast, and more reliable access to the Internet for the entire county. In January 2008, pilot demonstration projects will begin in four communities, with countywide deployment tentatively scheduled for Winter 2009. Along with Oakland County, SEMCOG helped facilitate the discussions for Wireless Livingston. Contact: Naheed Huq, SEMCOG Community and Economic Development Manager.
DWSD meeting to be held on October 10 The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) will hold the second in a series of four meetings with its community customers on the 2008-2009 sewer and water rates on Wednesday, October 10, 2007, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce in Detroit (1 Woodward Avenue - Suite 1900). The Capital Improvement Program for the DWSD Water Supply and Sewage Disposal Systems will be presented. All sewer and water customer communities are encouraged to attend. The next two meetings will be held in November and December. To RSVP, contact George Ellenwood (313) 964-9460 or ellenwood@dwsd.org. Please refer to the DWSD Web site — www.dwsd.org — for the final meeting schedule and background materials. Contact: Angela Riess, SEMCOG Environmental Programs.
SMART moves to Buhl Building On October 1, 2007, SMART (the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) moved their headquarters into the historic Buhl Building in downtown Detroit. Now neighbors, SMART and SEMCOG will be able to share resources and work more closely together, making the most effective use of taxpayer dollars. SMART is the regional bus system in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties with more than 11 million passengers using the service annually. Contact: Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Communications Director.
Nonpoint source grants available The MDEQ has posted on its Web site over $5 million of state and federal grants for nonpoint source pollution control projects for FY 2008 Request for Proposals (RFPs). Proposals are due October 30, 2007. The full text of the RFP, as well as forms and instructions, can be found at: www.michigan.gov/deqnps. Contact: Nancy Ayers, at (517) 241-7734, or ayersn@michigan.gov.
|
|||
