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General Assembly meets on March 29 The General Assembly (GA) of SEMCOG will meet on Thursday, March 29, 2007, at Cobo Center, Room W2-63 (One Washington Blvd, Detroit) beginning at 4:30 p.m. The GA will be requested to adopt:
The meeting's main focus will be SEMCOG’s presentation of the 30-year regional forecast of population, households, and employment. Following the presentation, a panel of regional leaders will engage the audience in discussion about how the private sector, education, and local governments must respond. Given how daunting the economic challenge will be, this information is essential to helping our member governments make critical decisions on their budgets and services now and into the future. All delegates and alternates, as well as other elected officials and staff, are encouraged to attend. Contact: Kathleen Lomako, SEMCOG Deputy Executive Director.
View highlights of Executive Committee on SEMCOG's Web site Highlights of SEMCOG's February 23 Executive Committee can now be viewed on 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 a presentation by John Jamian, President of the Seaway Great Lakes Trade Association on the importance of the shipping industry to Southeast Michigan and current issues the shipping industry is facing, and remarks from Paul Tait, SEMCOG Executive Director. Contact: Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Director of Communications.
SEMCOG has many resources for local governments who want to work together In her recent State of the State address, Governor Granholm proposed giving cities, townships, and villages that sign collaborative agreements a 2.5 percent increase in revenue sharing. While this may be a much-needed "carrot" for local governments, SEMCOG has long been a supporter and promoter of Joint Public Services (JPS). SEMCOG's JPS database, accessible from www.semcog.org, contains more than 200 local examples of Southeast Michigan communities working together to improve the efficiency of public services by reducing duplication and saving dollars. Local governments looking to engage in joint projects with their neighbors are encouraged to view the JPS database for what other communities have done. SEMCOG has also produced a series of six reports that address a variety of issues related to intergovernmental cooperation under the series title, "Making Joint Public Services Work in the 21st Century." Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
Upcoming SEMCOG Universities focus on elderly mobility and engaging citizens on local government finance Responses to Elderly Mobility — March 21, 2007, 9:30 a.m-12:30 p.m. (registration begins at 9 a.m.). Local government representatives, educators, and policy makers are invited to learn how transportation services can be enhanced to meet the needs of today’s older citizens and tomorrow’s seniors. This workshop will focus on the challenge our region is facing in finding ways to make transportation for seniors a resource, not an obstacle. Community Budget Challenges: How to Engage Citizens — March 23, 2007, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.). Local elected officials and chief administrators will learn how to effectively educate citizens about local government finance issues by hearing from local governments who have engaged citizens on important issues such as millage proposals, the Headlee override, and community budgets. SEMCOG University workshops, held in SEMCOG's Ambassador Room, are free-of-charge for members; there is a $75 charge for nonmember local governments. Seating is limited. Please respond as soon as possible. You can also register online at www.semcog.org.
SEMCOG invites comment on annual budget SEMCOG announces the public comment period for the FY2007-2008 Annual Operating Budget and Work Program Summary.SEMCOG's work program is designed to respond to the needs of the Southeast Michigan region as identified by SEMCOG membership. The work program summary and budget is now available from SEMCOG Information Services; a summary of the document is on SEMCOG's Web site. Comments can be mailed, phoned, or faxed to SEMCOG Information Services, and made in person at the General Assembly, Thursday, March 29, 2007, 4:30 p.m., at Cobo Center, Detroit. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
2007 Member Outreach Workshops in Macomb, Oakland Counties scheduled SEMCOG's 2007 member outreach workshops come to Macomb and Oakland Counties in March. Elections to the Executive Committee will be conducted. Below is the pertinent information on these upcoming meetings.
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.
MCDDA conference is March 22 SEMCOG is proud to co-sponsor the Michigan Community Development Directors Association (MCDDA) Spring conference on Thursday, March 22, 2007, at the Lansing Center, Lansing. This one-day event offers updates on current issues facing community development. Sessions include an overview of eligible projects and program guidelines for the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG), discussion from the Office of Inspector General for Audit on what it does and how this affects grantees, and inspection techniques and specification writing for rehabilitation specialists. Contact: Naheed Huq, SEMCOG Community and Economic Development Manager.
Commuter Challenge 2007 now underway: A better way of getting to work SEMCOG and its partners are continuing the Commuter Challenge that was initiated during last year's road construction season. The goal is to encourage commuters, especially in the Lodge Freeway construction zone, to find an alternative (e.g., carpool, vanpool, transit) to the drive-alone work commute and alleviate some of the congestion in a corridor that will be severely compromised with construction. Not only will using an alternate commute to work remove vehicles from our roads, but will also save you money. Commuter Challenge 2007 runs from February 26-March 9. Businesses and employees who sign up for the “challenge” have the opportunity to win great prizes just for trying a different way to work. Additional information is available from the Commuter Challenge link on our Web site. Also, check out our video featuring information on carpooling and tips on saving time and money on your daily commute. Contact: Iris Steinberg, SEMCOG Outreach Specialist.
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