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SEMCOG University on how to apply for sewer grants is April 25 Many SEMCOG members are facing a dilemma — how can they afford needed improvements to their aging sewer infrastructure during these difficult economic times? A total of $40 million is available to local governments for grants to assist with the cost of developing an application for loan assistance from either the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) or the Strategic Water Quality Initiatives Fund (SWQIF). A SEMCOG University workshop to discuss grant eligibility requirements and explain the application process will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2006, from 9 a.m.-noon (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.) in the Ambassador Room of SEMCOG (third floor of Buhl Building, 535 Griswold St., Detroit, MI). Communities seeking an SRF or SWQIF loan after September 30, 2006 will be eligible to receive a grant. Grants of up to $1 million per community can be used to cover the costs of developing an SRF or SWQIF loan application, including project planning, design services, and developing a user charge system. Those attending this workshop will learn about the changes to the SRF that affect local governments; the eligibility requirements for the new grant program; how to complete the application for a grant; and the recently enacted water use laws and how they may impact municipal water supplies. This SEMCOG University workshop is free-of-charge. Seating is limited, so you are encouraged to reserve a seat by Tuesday, April 18, 2006. Contact: Ken Bishop, SEMCOG Environmental Programs Administrative Assistant, to RSVP. You can also register online at www.semcog.org; the link to the workshop is under Planning Issues on the home page.
Member Outreach election results SEMCOG announces the new members of the Executive Committee elected at the St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Monroe County Member Outreach workshops. St. Clair County Washtenaw County Monroe County Elections are for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2006. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Membership Manager.
View highlights of General Assembly on SEMCOG's Web site Highlights of SEMCOG's March 23 General Assembly 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 welcoming remarks by University of Michigan-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little; remarks from Lucius Vassar, Detroit's Chief Administrative Officer; and the SEMCOG presentation, "One Day in Southeast Michigan." Contact: Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Communications Manager.
TIP amendments announced The public is invited to comment on projects being considered for amendment to the FY 2004-2006 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is a short-range planning tool used to implement the goals, objectives, and projects of the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan. Projects must appear in the TIP in order to receive federal transportation funding The amendment adds 93 projects to the TIP and removes six projects. The net cost of projects being added is $323 million, funded from federal, state, and local transportation agencies. Of the projects being amended to the TIP, 28 rehabilitate or replace bridges; 20 address transit; 13 provide funding for roadway preservation; nine fund phases of increasing road capacity; seven improve traffic safety; six are various roadside projects (noisewalls, wetlands); four improve nonmotorized corridors; four are studies; and two administer the National Scenic Byway Program. The amendment also includes projects that improve air quality though improvements to the transportation system funded through the Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) program. A list of the projects under consideration is available by contacting SEMCOG. Projects in a TIP amendment must undergo the same scrutiny as original projects — an air quality conformity analysis, an environmental justice review, and a public comment process (details are available from SEMCOG). The TIP as amended, estimates $2.6 billion in expenditures. A complete list of all projects, including amendment, is available from SEMCOG Information Services, (313) 961-4266, or on SEMCOG’s Web site at www.semcog.org. Comments on projects should be mailed, phoned, or faxed to SEMCOG Information Services; contact information is available in the box at the lower right. Address e-mail comments infoservices@semcog.org. Comments can be made in person at the following meetings, all held at SEMCOG offices:
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has made improvements to the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF). FHWA sponsored updates to the FAF that included improvements to its estimation methodologies and expansion of data coverage. The new version, called FAF2, provides commodity flow estimates for 2002, annual provisional estimates beginning with 2005, and forecasts through 2035. Now available are 2002 estimates for commodity flows for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, major metropolitan areas, and major international gateways. FAF2 products are based on publicly available data and can be distributed without restriction. FHWA encourages you to visit the Office of Freight Management and Operations Web site at www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/faf. Contact:Tianjia Tang, 2020-366-2217, for additional information.
SEMCOG data supports Tri-County Summit More than 200 officials from Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties and the City of Detroit attended the Tri-County Summit on March 20, 2006. SEMCOG Executive Director, Paul Tait, presented the agency's "Report to the Region on Infrastructure" at the request of Infrastructure Committee Co-Chairs, Wayne County Commissioner Christopher Cavanagh and Oakland County Commissioner (and SEMCOG Vice Chair) Chuck Moss. The Winter 2005 issue of SEMscope focuses on this topic and is available upon request. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
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