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TIP amendments announced The public is invited to comment on projects being considered for amendment to the FY 2006-2008 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP implements projects from the long-range plan using funding from federal, state, and local transportation agencies. The amendment adds 55 projects and removes four projects from the TIP. The net cost of projects being added is $168.1 million, funded from federal, state, and local transportation agencies. Projects in a TIP amendment are subject to an air quality conformity analysis, an environmental justice review, and a public comment process (details are available from SEMCOG). A complete list of all projects, including amendment, is available from SEMCOG Information Services, (313) 961-4266, or on www.semcog.org. Comments on projects should be mailed, phoned, or faxed to SEMCOG Information Services; contact information is available in the box on the back. Address e-mail comments to infoservices@semcog.org. Comments can be made in person at the following meetings, both held at SEMCOG offices.
Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
SEMCOG University: Building Vibrant Communities with Creative Mixed-Use Development SEMCOG invites local government officials and planning staff to learn how they can enhance their community's sustainability with mixed-use development techniques that respond to the needs of today's young families, creative workers, and active seniors. SEMCOG University presents Building Vibrant Communities with Creative Mixed-Use Development on Thursday, April 26, 2007, from 9 a.m.- noon (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.) in SEMCOG’s Buhl Building office in downtown Detroit. Real estate developer and University of Michigan adjunct professor Peter Allen will lead the discussion on how to recognize opportunities and implement quality mixed-use development projects. Additionally, case studies of exciting real estate projects in Southeast Michigan that provide these elements will be presented. This SEMCOG University workshop is free-of-charge for members. Seating is limited. You are encouraged to reserve a spot by Thursday, April 19, 2007. Contact: Ken Bishop, SEMCOG Community and Economic Development Administrative Assistant, to RSVP.
View highlights of March General Assembly on SEMCOG's Web site Highlights of SEMCOG's March 29 General Assembly can now be viewed on www.semcog.org. On the home page, link to "Turbulence and Transition forecast materials" under Planning Issues. Highlights include the presentation of the 2035 Regional Development Forecast Totals and the resulting panel discussion. Also available are links to the report, A Region in Turbulence and Transition: The Economic and Demographic Outlook for Southeast Michigan Through 2035, and the summary of that report (both in PDF), along with the PowerPoint presentation used at the meeting. Contact: Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Director of Communications.
Member Outreach election results SEMCOG announces the new members of the Executive Committee elected at the Wayne and St. Clair County Member Outreach workshops and the General Assembly. Wayne County St. Clair County Education Bloc Elections are for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2007. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Membership Manager.
SEMCOG co-sponsors Harvard Forum on the local property taxation crisis on May 7 SEMCOG will co-sponsor a Harvard Forum, Accidental Crisis in Local Property Taxation, focusing on the joint impact of Proposal A and the Headlee Amendment on local government finances in Southeast Michigan, on Monday, May 7, 2007, from 3-6 p.m. at the Historic Longacre House, 24705 Farmington Road, Farmington Hills, MI. SEMCOG encourages members to attend and invite your state senator and representative; options and solutions in overcoming the current crisis will be presented. For more information contact: (734) 446-8799.
2007 Taubman Fellows selected Jeffery Jenks, Huntington Woods City Commissioner, and Kathy Vosburg, Macomb County Commissioner, have been named Taubman Fellows and will attend the prestigious Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University this summer. Administered through SEMCOG, Taubman Centers' Fellowship for Executive Excellence provides local public officials with demonstrated leadership an opportunity to improve their leadership skills and broaden their awareness of effective approaches to public sector problems. Since 1991, Taubman Centers has sponsored the fellowships and underscored its support for the development of effective leaders in local governments in Southeast Michigan. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Membership Manager.
SEMCOG supports state transportation funding legislation On April 3, 2007, State Representatives Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor) and Craig DeRoche (R-Novi) introduced bi-partisan legislation to increase the state’s gas tax. The $1 billion plan would create 50,000 jobs, relieve congestion, fix crumbling infrastructure, and invest in transit. The proposal would raise the gas tax by nine cents over three years, create diesel tax parity, and increase registration fees. SEMCOG supports and has advocated for this increase. Last month, Carmine Palombo, SEMCOG Transportation Director, testified before house and senate subcommittees and the transportation subcommittee of the house appropriations committee. The presentations focused on the current state of the transportation system in Southeast Michigan, and the need to raise revenues and/or find alternative sources of funding for roads and transit. Additional information on this issue can be found in the Winter 2007 SEMscope. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Membership and Legislative Affairs Manager.
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