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General Assembly meets on June 22 The General Assembly (GA) of SEMCOG will meet on Thursday, June 22, 2006, at the Hotel Pontchartrain (2 Washington Boulevard, Detroit), beginning at an earlier-than-usual time of 4 p.m. Tim Skubick, anchor of the weekly public television series, "Off the Record" since 1975 and the longest-serving member of the state capitol press corps, will engage the audience in a lively discussion of the upcoming November elections. In addition, a status report on the Ann Arbor to Detroit transit study will be presented, focusing on the five alternative routes; opportunities for public input; and the consensus-building process. It is anticipated that formal action on this study will be taken at the October 2006 General Assembly meeting. SEMCOG will present its Regional Ambassador Awards, elect officers and delegates-at-large for 2006-2007, and review 2005-2006 accomplishments. Bloc caucuses will meet prior to the GA, beginning at 3 p.m., to elect the important positions of Bloc Chairs and Vice Chairs, and members of the Regional Clearinghouse Review Committee and the Transportation Improvement Program Development Committee. The Past Chairs' Reception will follow the meeting (at approximately 5:30 p.m.) and will be held at the Top of the Pontch. Contact: Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Communications Director.
Upcoming SEMCOG Universities focus on safety and workforce development Planning it Safe in Southeast Michigan — Tuesday, June 27, 2006, 9 a.m.-noon (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.), SEMCOG's Ambassador Room. At this half-day forum, traffic safety stakeholders will learn about and address traffic and road safety in Southeast Michigan. The workshop will focus on the latest crash trends; Michigan's strategic plan to lower the number and severity of crashes; the Monroe County Sheriff Department's red-light-running enforcement program; pedestrian safety and Michigan's new Safe Routes to Schools program; and safety tools and resources available to improve traffic safety. It is critically important to provide a safe and efficient roadway system. SEMCOG strives to enhance its safety program to ensure roadway systems are as safe as possible through education, engineering, enforcement, and emergency response systems. Contact: Sally Walt, SEMCOG Transportation Programs Administrative Assistant, to RSVP Preparing Michigan's Workforce for the Future: Dialog between government, education, and business — Thursday, July 20, 2006, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (registration begins at 8 a.m.), SEMCOG's Ambassador Room. This half-day workshop will plan for sustainable economic success in the region through partnerships between business, education, and government. It is generally recognized that success depends on collaboration, which is only possible when dialog occurs. This SEMCOG University will consider the needs and challenges facing each sector in planning for success in the knowledge economy — in the context of current political, regulatory, and financial pressures. Opportunities for collaboration will be considered and best practices in collaborative efforts will be presented. Among the expected outcomes is the development of a framework for planning successful economic development in the knowledge economy through partnerships between education, business, and government. Contact: Ken Bishop, SEMCOG Community and Economic Development Administrative Assistant, to RSVP. SEMCOG University workshops are free-of-charge for SEMCOG members and partners; there is a $75 charge for nonmember local governments. Seating is limited. Please respond as soon as possible. You can register online at www.semcog.org; the link to each workshop is under Planning Issues on the home page.
Practice good car care With more than four million vehicles in Southeast Michigan, SEMCOG reminds vehicle owners that the way they maintain their cars can impact water quality in Southeast Michigan. Practice good car care is the July water quality tip, part of the Seven Simple Steps to Clean Water public education campaign. With nearly five million people in Southeast Michigan, individual actions can positively impact the quality of water in the region. What can individuals do to help? Here are a few simple tips for a clean, well-running vehicle that will also protect our lakes and streams: Make a date. Car wash facilities treat their dirty water before discharging it to our lakes and streams. So, make a date to take your car to a car wash. Wash it — on the grass. If you wash your car at home, consider washing it on the lawn. If you can't use the lawn, try to direct the dirty water towards the lawn and away from the storm drain. Minimize it. Reduce the amount of soap you use or wash your car with plain water. Maintain it. Keep your vehicle properly tuned. Use the owner's manual to guide decisions about how often it is necessary to change fluids such as oil and antifreeze. Take advantage of business expertise. Consider taking your vehicle to the shop to have the oil and other fluids changes. These businesses have the ability to recycle the used materials and clean up accidental spills. Soak it up. Use kitty litter promptly to absorb small amounts of spilled vehicle fluids. Then sweep it into a bag and throw it in the trash. Do it under cover. Perform vehicle maintenance in a well-ventilated, but covered location, like a garage. This minimizes rainfall from washing those inevitable spills and drips into the region's waterways. Over 170 communities in Southeast Michigan are required to obtain a permit to operate a separate stormwater drainage system. A component of the permit is educating the public. So, SEMCOG formed the Southeast Michigan Partners for Clean Water to engage the public in activities that protect the region's water resources. The campaign meets the local permit requirements and helps educate the public about clean water. Posters and tip cards about practicing good car care will be mailed to SEMCOG member governments. Additional materials such as public service announcements to run on local cable channels are available on SEMCOG's Web site. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
CRC releases tax revenue comparison Citizens Research Council of Michigan (CRC) has released an eight-page report, Tax Revenue Comparison: Michigan and the U.S. Average, which presents facts that dispel myths about taxes in Michigan compared with the rest of the United States. In 2004, Michigan total state and local tax revenues were below the U.S. average, whether comparisons are made on a per capita basis (ranked 25th) or as tax dollars per $1,000 of personal income (ranked 21st). The report also analyzes property tax, sales tax, and selective sales taxes. It can be downloaded from CRC's Web site at www.crcmich.org/ PUBLICAT/2000s/2006/memo1080.pdf. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services for a hard copy.
SEMNotes Dearborn Mayor Michael Guido has been installed as the 64th president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the official nonpartisan organization of the nation's 1,139 cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Also at the annual meeting, held June 2-6 in Las Vegas, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was elected a trustee and Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence was elected to serve on the advisory board.
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