|
General Assembly meets on March 31 The General Assembly (GA) of SEMCOG will meet on Thursday, March 31, 2005, at the Macomb Intermediate School District (44001 Garfield Road, Clinton Township) beginning at 4:30 p.m. The GA will be requested to adopt SEMCOG's FY 2005-2006 Annual Operating Budget and Work Program Summary for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2005. The meeting's feature presentation will be a "Dialogue on Southeast Michigan's Infrastructure," based on the information included in the winter issue of SEMCOG's quarterly magazine, SEMscope. The GA will discuss this report that looks at the various pieces of our public infrastructure — roads, bridges, public transit, sewers, water supply, parks, and schools — as a holistic system. If we are to maintain and improve this system, it is imperative that we connect the customer, the product, and the price. We must assimilate all of the information, holistically look at the interrelated pieces, and make the best investment choices. Our economy, our health, our safety, and our quality of life depend on it. As a Detroit Free Press editorial noted on February 19, 2005 — "The sky isn't falling — yet. But, the roof is leaking and it needs to be fixed." The Education Bloc will meet prior to the GA, at 4 p.m., to elect their representatives to the Executive Committee. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Legislative Affairs Coordinator.
Southeast Michigan Consortium for Water Quality meets on March 22 The Southeast Michigan Consortium for Water Quality will meet on Tuesday, March 22, 2005, at 9 a.m. in SEMCOG's Buhl Building offices. Agenda items include:
The group, comprised of prominent decision makers in both the private and public sectors, is the initiative of United States District Court Judge John Feikens. The consortium has become an integral means in solving regional water quality problems. Contact: Chuck Hersey, SEMCOG Environmental Programs Manager.
Your help is needed in responding to the federal proposal on changes to CDBG program At its February 25, 2005 meeting, SEMCOG's Executive Committee endorsed a resolution supporting the continued funding of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and opposing the transfer of the program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Commerce. The proposal to consolidate 18 federal programs into one program at the Department of Commerce will have grave consequences for all communities who have used the program to improve housing opportunities and conditions, provide essential services, improve infrastructure, fund job creation and training programs, and stimulate neighborhood and commercial revitalization in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. SEMCOG urges all communities that receive CDBG funding ¾ either directly from HUD or through the State of Michigan or Urban County programs ¾ to pass resolutions supporting the current program and contact their Congressional representatives asking for their support in saving the most comprehensive community development program in the nation. Communities are encouraged to send SEMCOG copies of correspondence and resolutions passed so we can provide a regional perspective of the program and the likely impact of the proposal. Contact: Naheed Huq, Senior Planner, SEMCOG Community and Economic Development.
Membership Outreach election results SEMCOG announces the new members of the Executive Committee elected at the Oakland and Washtenaw County Membership Outreach meetings. Oakland County Washtenaw County Below are the Membership Outreach meetings remaining on the schedule:
Invitation letters will be sent to SEMCOG members; online registration is also available at www.semcog.org. Contact: Durene Brown, SEMCOG Membership Manager.
Workshop on brownfield redevelopment scheduled for March 22 The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will host a workshop to provide information on Michigan's financial assistance and economic incentives associated with the redevelopment of brownfield properties in the state. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, March 22, 2005, from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Dickinson Center, Livonia Public Schools (18000 Newburgh Road, Livonia; 734-744-2603). The workshop will provide information on brownfield redevelopment grants and loans, site assessment services, tax incentives for redevelopment projects, tax increment financing, funding for infrastructure improvements, and using environmentally friendly design techniques in redevelopment. The cost of the workshop is $25 and includes lunch. Register online at www.michigan.gov/deqworkshops or call 800-662-9278.
Workshop on ideas to beautify I-94 corridor scheduled for March 29 Over the next few years, Southeast Michigan will host several sporting events, including this year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will draw thousands of people from across the country and around the world. To that end, a workshop on ideas to beautify the I-94 corridor ¾ "Project Front Yard" ¾ will be held on Tuesday, March 29, 2005, from 9 a.m.-12 noon, at Taylor Meadows Golf Course, Taylor, MI. Sponsored by the Detroit Regional Gateways Advisory Council, the workshop is for communities, residents, business owners/operators, and others in the I-94 corridor from the airport to downtown Detroit. Contact: Sally Walt, SEMCOG Transportation Programs, to register. * * * * SEMCOG University cancelled: The SEMCOG University on Government/Education Partnerships: Serving Our Residents Together, scheduled for March 16, 2005, has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled later in the year.
|
|||
