|
SEMCOG's air-quality strategy adopted into legislation In May 2005, SEMCOG's Executive Committee adopted a strategy to meet the new ozone standard, including a cleaner gasoline blend for Southeast Michigan. On April 6, 2006, Governor Jennifer Granholm put that strategy into action by signing a law that will bring the cleaner fuel to the region in summer 2007. Sponsored by Representative Phil Pavlov (R-St.Clair Township), Public Act 104 of 2006 will meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air-quality standard for ozone so that vehicle emissions testing will not be needed. "This law is a common-sense, economical plan to reduce air pollution. It will eliminate tailpipe testing and ensure Michigan will be cleaned up," Pavlov said. The law affects the seven-county SEMCOG region, plus Lenawee County. Contact: Chuck Hersey, SEMCOG Manager of Environmental Programs.
SEMCOG hosts "Save CDBG — Build Stronger Communities" on April 20 The week of April 17 is Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) week in the U.S. On April 20, SEMCOG will host "Save CDBG — Building Stronger Communities." SEMCOG, along with local elected officials from Southeast Michigan, will visit the district offices of the Southeast Michigan congressional delegation. The purpose of the visit is to thank the congressperson for supporting CDBG and to request that funding be restored to the program. In addition, local elected officials from each congressional district will provide information on the impact that lower CDBG funding will have on the constituents of each member of Congress. Contact: Naheed Huq, SEMCOG Community and Economic Development Manager or Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Membership Manager.
SEMCOG's Local Government Finance Task Force meets on April 24 SEMCOG's Local Government Finance Task Force will meet on Monday, April 24, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in the Ambassador Room of SEMCOG offices in the Buhl Building. The agenda will include a legislative panel that will discuss Michigan business tax structure; State Representatives Steve Bieda (D-District 25; Warren) and Fulton Sheen (R-District 88; majority of Allegan County) have confirmed their participation. In addition, Deputy State Treasurer Gregory Pitoniak will discuss the recommendations of the Governor's Task Force on Local Government Services and Fiscal Stability. Contact: Raymonia Dale, SEMCOG Executive Assistant, if you plan to attend this meeting.
Summer food programs for kids need community sponsors The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is looking for community sponsors to run the summer food programs to prevent more than 300,000 children in low-income areas of Michigan from going hungry when school lunchrooms close for the summer. The Summer Food Service Program is targeted to children up to age 18 living in low-income areas (where 50 percent or more of the students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals). Sponsors can be public or nonprofit private school or school districts; public or private nonprofit residential summer camps; local, county, or state government agencies; colleges or universities; or private, nonprofit organizations. To sponsor the program this summer, organizations need to contact MDE by April 26, 2006. There will be a training session for sponsors on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 at the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency. Contact: For applications and sponsor information, contact MDE's Office of Grants Coordination and School Support Services, Summer Food Service Program, 608 W. Allegan Street, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, MI 48909, call (517) 373-3347, or visit MDE's Web site at www.michigan.gov/sfsp.
Member Outreach election results SEMCOG announces the new members of the Executive Committee elected at the final two Member Outreach workshops held in Wayne and Macomb Counties. Wayne County Macomb County Elections are for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2006. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Membership Manager.
SEMCOG and Detroit Regional Chamber present Conserving Natural Resources on May 4 To help local elected officials and the business community better understand the variety of sustainable practices that conserve energy, protect air and water quality, reduce waste, and maximize resources, SEMCOG and the Detroit Regional Chamber present Conserving Natural Resources: The Bottom Line, on Thursday, May 4, 2006, from 9 a.m.-noon (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.) at the Detroit Regional Chamber, One Woodward Avenue, Suite 1900, Detroit. Sustainable practices have been getting much more attention, but what does it mean? Sustainable practices can impact business and government operations in a variety of ways. It is about energy efficiency and low-impact development, but it is also about improving operating processes to reduce waste and maximize resources. Those attending the workshop will learn about state and private-sector resources and efforts to promote sustainable practices, successful case studies from both the private and public sectors, and ideas for reducing barriers to implementation of sustainable projects and practices. There is no charge for this workshop; seating is limited, so please reserve a spot by Thursday, April 27, 2006. Contact: Raymonia Dale, SEMCOG Executive 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.
Enhancements made to SEMCOG Web site SEMCOG is pleased to announce a couple of enhancements to its Web site — www.semcog.org. First, there is a new search engine. Finding your population estimates or residential construction report will now be much easier. Instead of directing users to specific reports in PDF, the search will now direct users to the Web page dedicated to that topic. The original search string will be highlighted in bold on the results page. Second, there are changes to the Publications database. The majority of current SEMCOG publications are now available in PDF to enable faster, more efficient access to these materials. When in the Publications database, users can sort by 'Title,' 'Subject,' or 'Date.' Two additional subject categories have been added — SEMscope and Meeting Agenda (for General Assembly and Executive Committee agendas). From the SEMCOG home page, access the Publications database by linking to Products, then Publications from the blue navigation bar. Publications are also available in hard copy upon request. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
|
|||
