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Water infrastructure improvement grants available to local governments SEMCOG has been working on behalf of its members to improve the state and federal funding opportunities to meet wastewater infrastructure needs. And we will continue our efforts to secure funding to assist our members in meeting their water quality protection responsibilities in the most cost efficient way possible. One success that has been achieved is the development of a new wastewater infrastructure grant program established by the state. The grant program is established under the Strategic Water Quality Initiatives Fund (SWQIF), with a total of up to $40 million available to local governments. The grants can cover up to 90 percent of the costs incurred in development of an application for loan assistance from either the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) or the SWQIF program, with a cap of $1 million per community. Communities seeking an SRF or SWQIF loan after September 30, 2006 will be eligible to receive a grant. The grant program is scheduled to sunset two years after the first grant is awarded. Grants can be used to cover the costs of developing an SRF or SWQIF loan application, including project planning, design services, and development of a user charge system. Grant applications will be available from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality in Spring 2006. Additional information on the SRF and SWQIF loan program will be available through a SEMCOG University workshop in early 2006. Contact: Chip Heckathorn, MDEQ, (517) 373-2161, or e-mail heckathc@michigan.gov.
Call for FY 2007 safety program projects SEMCOG and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have issued a call for projects for the fiscal year 2007 Safety Program. Safety funds are intended to correct identified safety deficiencies on federal-aid eligible roads. Federal-aid eligible roads are all publicly owned roads that are not local (such as subdivision streets) or rural minor collectors. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, installing and upgrading traffic signals, curve corrections, intersection improvements, and installing or upgrading guardrails. Total project costs should not exceed $500,000; the federal share of the project can be up to $240,000 and my only be used for the construction phase. A minimum 20 percent local share of project costs is required. Application packets for the 2007 Safety Program were regionally distributed by SEMCOG on December 5, 2005. Cities, villages, and road commissions are eligible to submit applications for Safety projects, which are due to SEMCOG by February 1, 2006. The projects will then be ranked, by county, using a benefit/cost analysis comparing total project construction and operating costs to the benefits provided including reductions in deaths, injuries, and property damage. In the past, MDOT has awarded at least one Safety project per county and the City of Detroit; SEMCOG will encourage MDOT to do the same this year. Fiscal year 2007 begins October 1, 2006. Contact: Steve Brudzinski, SEMCOG Transportation Policy Analyst.
View highlights of Executive Committee meeting on SEMCOG's Web site Highlights of SEMCOG's December 2 Executive Committee meeting can now be viewed from www.semcog.org. From the home page, link to News & Notices in the upper bar, then look for the link in the right column. Highlights include new SEMCOG Chair John Jones's opening remarks and excerpts from Detroit Free Press editoral writer and columnist Jeff Gerritt's presentation on his trip to Curitiba, Brazil to study their mass transit system. Contact: Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Communications Manager.
Save the date: SEMCOG University on Feb. 8 SEMCOG University presents Brownfield Redevelopment: Where from Here? on Wednesday, February 8, 2006, from 9 a.m.-noon. Course brochure and outline will be available after the holidays. Online registration will able be available soon. Contact: Kevin Johnson, SEMCOG Community and Economic Development Senior Planner.
SEMCOG releases region's final population estimates for 2005 The seven-county region of Southeast Michigan closes 2005 with an estimated population of 4,916,852, according to figures released by SEMCOG. This new estimate represents a 1.7 percent increase in population (or an average of 40 persons per day) since the 2000 census. The population growth rate of Southeast Michigan is estimated to be less than one-third of the nation's growth rate. The region's fastest-growing county, in percentage terms, since the 2000 census is Livingston County. During that time, it grew 17.7 percent, from a population of 156,951 in 2000 to a current estimated population of 184,677. The county gaining the greatest number of people is Macomb County, which added 46,502 residents since the 2000 census. The number of households in Southeast Michigan has grown four percent since the 2000 census, more than twice as fast as population. Households are growing at a faster rate than the population primarily because of the aging population and the increasing percentage and one- and two-person households. There were 1,845,218 households counted in the 2000 census; the region closes 2005 with an estimated 1,919,060 households. Population and household figures for all counties and communities in Southeast Michigan are updated monthly on SEMCOG's Web site — www.semcog.org. Look for the Monthly Population Estimates icon at the top center of the home page. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
SEMCOG urges safe and sober holiday driving With more people expected to travel on America's highways during the holiday season, SEMCOG urges everyone to enjoy the holidays, but know the facts — alcohol is a significant factor in holiday deaths. Fact: Impaired driving is the most frequently committed violent crime, randomly killing someone in America every 31 minutes. Fact: Crashes involving drinking tend to be more serious than nondrinking crashes. A fatality in a crash is eight times more likely when alcohol is involved. Fact: In Southeast Michigan, alcohol was involved in nearly 34 percent of all traffic deaths in 2004 (up from 2003). Alcohol was a factor in 143 deaths and nearly 2,500 injuries in 2004. Fact: In Michigan, seat belt usage has reached an all-time high of 93 percent. Fact: In the United States, safety belts saved more than 15,400 lives in 2004. Annually, safety belts save society approximately $50 billion in medical care, lost productivity, and other injury-related costs. Individuals are encouraged to visit the Web sites of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.dot.gov) or Mothers Against Drunk Driving (www.madd.org) for holiday safety tips and additional "sobering drunk driving facts. MADD's 2005 Tie One On For Safety message calls for a commitment to buckle up because a seat belt is the best defense against a drunk driver. In recognition of MADD's 25th anniversary, the 2005 Tie One One For Safety ribbon is silver and says, "MADD Celebrates Life," in recognition of the more than 300,000 lives saved since its founding. Contact: Tom Bruff, SEMCOG Transportation Coordinator. __________ Best wishes from SEMCOG for a safe and happy holiday season.
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