Think Regional/Act Local

June 18, 2013 – For over five years, the Local Government Effectiveness and Collaboration Team has worked closely with SEMCOG’s member local governments to implement shared service arrangement that have both reduced cost and, in many cases, also enhanced services. Based on that experience, the following fundamentals have been developed:

• Collaboration process steps
  • Concept envisioned for shared/collaborative services
  • Task force created
  • Proposal developed
  • Stakeholder involvement
  • Financial/legal analysis
  • Go/no go decision
  • Implementation
• Business case must make sense
  • Cost savings and ideally service improvement
  • Avoid automatic cost escalators
  • Start-up costs and payback period quantified
  • Equitable cost sharing formula – varied views likely
  • Value of contributed equipment
  • Personnel factors/legacy costs, i.e., pensions, debt
• Know what are you trying to accomplish, with whom
• What existing relationships are in place
• Research SEMCOG AgileGov database for similar case studies
• Neutral facilitator preferred (from SEMCOG), but not to schedule meetings
• Not always a panacea for balancing near term budgets
• Important tool in the toolbox
• Should save 20-40% with future cost increases minimized
• Can also improve services
• Meet or beat the benchmarks or it’s not worth the effort
• Process can be labor intensive
• Use Collaboration Checklist 
• “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”
• If significant progress is not evident in 3 months, collaboration is likely doomed!

Contact Dave Boerger at boerger@semcog.org if you need help formulating a potential collaboration arrangement with a neighboring community.

Learn how to navigate fiscal uncertainty by improving efficiency, fostering collaboration, and providing information on right-sizing. Through weekly posts, Dave will discuss legislative developments, best practices, and training opportunities.

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June 17, 2013 – We all have some very distinctive memories of the holidays. For me, the one holiday I will always remember was Christmas Eve 1993; not because of some wonderful family gathering that took place, but because I slept through the festivities because of something commonly known as Proposal A. Here’s my story.

Spring 1993: I was working in the Michigan House of Representatives. I served on the House Republican central policy staff where I was assigned to work with the members of the House Local Government Committee. A news report hits: the Michigan Senate had passed a bill that wiped out property taxes during a late-night session. My first reaction was, “Right, like that is going to happen!” I soon realized this was going to be a done deal by the end of the day.

Summer 1993: The highest level of activity by the legislature I had ever experienced. Work groups were meeting continuously trying to reinvent Michigan’s property-tax system as well as the funding mechanism for public schools. The greatest problem was that the legislature was trying to fix multiple issues at one time with one “yes” or “no” vote. It was tough to get the majority to decide on one plan, one direction.

Fall 1993: The clock was ticking towards the end of the year when billions of dollars in revenue would disappear. Discussions were intense, objectives were identified, and alternatives were considered.

December 1993: The push was on to finish by Christmas. Activities were at a fever pitch. No time to shop. My daughter had just turned five, so this Christmas needed to be a biggie. I wrapped presents at my office desk at about five in the morning that year. None of the lights were on in the building except the security lights; luckily one was over my desk.

The ballot proposal was crafted with changes occurring right up to the final vote. Dozens of bills had to be enacted to implement the plan; after Proposal A passed, even more bills were required to deal with the multitude of situations that were impacted by the plan.

Thirty hours before Christmas Eve: I arrived at work in the early morning of December 23, after getting a few hours of sleep that night. I was holed up in a large conference room. Bags of candy were placed every couple of feet along a huge conference table. Wadded up fast food bags were thrown along the far wall. In the room were House, Senate, and Treasury staff members; republicans and democrats. Each was assigned to review the proposed bill language that was being drafted around the corner by a large team of attorneys, known as the bill drafters.

The chocolate scattered on the table helped keep you awake as 3 a.m. turned to 4 a.m. Bill drafts came out on a regular pace; most were quickly declared ready and were copied and sent across the street to the Capitol for action. Others were sent back to be reworked because a paragraph missed the mark. The only connection that room had with the outside world was a phone and a speaker box on the wall that broadcast the House and Senate session.

December 24th, 1993: As dawn came on the 24th, the plan had come together. The biggest problem was getting a copy of every bill printed for each legislator. They didn’t go through cases of paper that night; they went through skids of paper. By mid-morning, most of the work was done.

Around noon I was told to go home. I drove with my window down to stay awake. I crawled into bed, having gotten about four hours of sleep over the past three days. I missed a great meal and conversation on Christmas Eve, but I was up with my daughter on Christmas morning and the gifts for my wife and daughter were under the tree.

Summer 2013: It has been 20 years since a bill was passed to eliminate property taxes in Michigan. I think it is time to take a critical look at Proposal A. I expect to have some of those conversations in future postings on this blog. I think you will find a few surprises in those discussions.

Every budget, every project, begins with revenue. Bill’s posts will focus on local government revenue issues across the SEMCOG region and state. Also look for a few insights on how legislation coming out of Lansing may impact your community.

 

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June 14, 2013 – Well, today we celebrate another small step towards the beginning of commuter rail service between Detroit and Ann Arbor. SEMCOG and MDOT are unveiling a commuter train at the Mayor’s Green Fair on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor on Friday, June 14 between 6-9 p.m. The renovated Metra double-decker train will be parked on the tracks at First and William Streets—two blocks west of Main Street. Visitors may board and experience both levels of the passenger cars and tour the cab on the upper level that is used by the engineer to operate the train.

This is the first-ever public display of this equipment, which has been leased by the Michigan Department of Transportation. The train cars are former Metra bi-level gallery cars that have been refurbished by the Great Lakes Central Railroad, based in Owosso, Michigan. The cars have American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible lifts and bicycle storage areas.
 
These cars can serve the rail lines between Ann Arbor to Detroit or Ann Arbor to Howell (Wally). Additional information about the rail cars and proposed commuter rail services will be available at the train site and the Commuter Rail Booth at the Green Fair. No rides will be provided. 

The special train exhibit is made possible thanks to the efforts of many who collaborated to make this happen, including MDOT, SEMCOG, Great Lakes Central Railroad, Ann Arbor Railroad, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, and the City of Ann Arbor.

The 13th annual Green Fair on Main Street celebrates the community’s environmental efforts as exhibited by citizens, nonprofits, government, and businesses. Ann Arbor’s downtown Main Street is closed to regular automotive traffic, but will be open for walkers and displays of environmental information, “green” products, live music, and general enjoyment of the urban outdoor environment. So head over to Ann Arbor this evening if you get the chance.

We still have lots of hurdles to go over before we will be riding the train for commuter service, but let’s celebrate the day, reflect on the past, and get ready for the challenges that lay ahead as we continue moving forward.

If you want to know what about anything related to transportation in Southeast Michigan, don’t miss Carmine Palombo's blog. Carmine has more than 30 years of experience in various phases of transportation planning at SEMCOG. He is responsible for administering SEMCOG’s transportation planning program, which includes the region’s long-range transportation plan and short-term transportation plan.

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June 11, 2013 – Look who’s presenting at this complimentary online Webinar being sponsored by Governing magazine – Deputy Oakland County Executive and SEMCOG advocate Phil Bertolini.

High-Performance Government – Building "Better, Faster, Cheaper"

Date: Thursday, June 20, 2013
Time: 11 a.m. PDT | 2 p.m. EDT

Nationally, six straight years of revenue declines have put enormous pressure on state and local governments. Many local governments have followed a deliberate strategy of institutionalizing innovation and making the smart investments and policy decisions that allow them to improve productivity.

Join Governing magazine for this live Webinar and learn how to:

• Improve cost control
• Increase operational efficiency
• Create and measure high-performance government

Speakers include: Phil Bertolini, CIO/Deputy County Executive Oakland County, Michigan;
Ann S. Bishop, Executive Director, Employees Retirement System, Texas; Katy Simon, Manager, Washoe County, Nevada; Rosa Waymon, Director, Office of Human Resource Management, Georgia Department of Human Services; Eileen Smith, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Education & Government Workday

Register now.

For questions, more information or help applying what you learn, contact Dave Boerger.

Learn how to navigate fiscal uncertainty by improving efficiency, fostering collaboration, and providing information on right-sizing. Through weekly posts, Dave will discuss legislative developments, best practices, and training opportunities.

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June 10, 2013 – As you are aware, the Michigan Legislature is finishing up the FY 2014 budget deliberations. The good news is that they have some additional dollars in the general fund. Why? Well, as the economic climate of the state slowly improves, additional dollars find their way into state coffers. Some of these additional dollars – upwards of $100 million – will be used to improve our transportation infrastructure. This is also good news – mostly! Why do I say that?

Well, our infrastructure sure can use any amount of additional investment and $100 million is a lot of money – but it falls way short of the $1.5 billion we need to be able to fix everything. It is only a one-time increase and isn’t even a good down payment on the rest of the dollars. But hey, we can use it as long as the elected leaders know there is still a long way to go!

The biggest concern is that the legislators indicate they are going to earmark these dollars to do specific projects. Who is going to do this and how are they going to do it? You can argue that it would be hard to find a bad project to fund and that every community needs some additional investment. But, with so many needs and so little money, wouldn’t it make more sense to try to fund a priority need instead of spreading these dollars around to several smaller projects around the state? We have made major strides towards using an asset management approach towards managing our system…and now the legislature is going to earmark projects? Sounds like we are taking a step backward. How are other legislators going to react if their communities are not selected for funding? Will this help or hurt the efforts to find the additional $1.5 billion needed?

Anyway, keep a lookout on this situation. One thing is becoming increasingly clear – the additional dollars we need to improve our road and transit systems are not coming anytime soon, so we will have to find a way to address the most critical needs of our region and state at the expense of other good and needed projects. 

Next year is another election year and an additional tax will surely be off the table. The window for possible action is rapidly closing. Take the summer to meet with your legislator and remind him or her of the need. Every day we wait, it costs a little more and gets a little harder to do.

If you want to know what about anything related to transportation in Southeast Michigan, don’t miss Carmine Palombo's blog. Carmine has more than 30 years of experience in various phases of transportation planning at SEMCOG. He is responsible for administering SEMCOG’s transportation planning program, which includes the region’s long-range transportation plan and short-term transportation plan.

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June 6, 2013 — Like so many residents of Southeast Michigan and folks across the rest of the state, I relish our abundance of natural water resources. I have spent many days enjoying the rivers and lakes of Washtenaw County with my grandchildren, and I hope that their futures hold the opportunity to do the same with their grandchildren.

To ensure that we fulfill our duty as stewards of the region’s waterways, SEMCOG and the Southeast Michigan Partners for Clean Water are celebrating Water Week for the eighth consecutive year. This occasion, which spans June 1-9, incorporates events that emphasize fun and conservation.

Governor Snyder has extended Water Week to a statewide event, encouraging “Michiganders to enjoy the state’s waters and the immense natural resources of our state, and to also learn more about the current water-related issues, including the presence and impact of invasive species, in an effort to protect and preserve water resources for Michigan’s future.”

In addition to participating in one or more of this week’s events, I encourage you to consider the Seven Simple Steps to Clean Water:

1. Help keep pollution out of storm drains 
2. Fertilize caringly 
3. Carefully store and dispose of household cleaners, chemicals, and oil 
4. Clean up after your pet 
5. Practice good car care 
6. Choose earth friendly landscaping 
7. Save water   

Taking these steps will not only conserve our natural resources, they might save you some money in the process, and enable future generations to enjoy what we do now.

Paul Tait joined SEMCOG in 1972 and has served in a variety of planning and administrative capacities – becoming Executive Director in 1998. This experience gives Paul a rich perspective on the past, present, and future of our region. Please join him as he blogs about issues of importance to the region’s local governments and residents. Paul is also president of SEMCOG’s partner organization – the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) – a coalition of business, labor, government and education.

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June 5, 2013 – Green infrastructure is a network of green space and natural areas in our communities, combined with built techniques such as rain gardens and bioswales. Together, these help preserve the functions of the natural ecosystem and that benefits residents with an improved environment and quality of life.

As SEMCOG works toward adopting its Green Infrastructure Vision for the region next March, we are anxious for input. What are the important natural areas already existing in counties? Where can additional green infrastructure be located?

To that end, we are hosting visioning sessions in each county and in the City of Detroit throughout the upcoming months. The first one is today from noon to 2 p.m. in Livingston County at the Genoa Township Hall (2911 Dorr Road, Brighton, MI 48116).

Attendees will participate in an interactive group exercise on current and future green infrastructure in the county. Keypads will be used to identify important aspects of green infrastructure with questions like this:

What is the most important green infrastructure element you would like to see more of in your area?

• Trees and rain gardens along roads, downtowns, parking lots, etc.
• Bike/hike trails
• Kayak/canoeing/boat access
• Parks
• Community gardens
• Natural areas (wetlands, woodlands)
• Green roofs

Looking forward to seeing you later on today.

You can leverage your SEMCOG membership to help your local government become more sustainable and effective. Amy’s posts will focus on SEMCOG’s member services.

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The Court of King George III London, England

July 10, 1776

Mr. Thomas Jefferson
C/o The Continental Congress
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

 

Dear Mr. Jefferson:

 

We have read your "Declaration of Independence" with great interest. Certainly, it represents a considerable undertaking, and many of your statements do merit serious consideration. Unfortunately, the Declaration as a whole fails to meet recently adopted specifications for proposals to the Crown, so we must return the document to you for further refinement. The questions that follow might assist you in your process of revision:

1. In your opening paragraph you use the phrase "the Laws of Nature and Nature`s God." What are these laws? In what way are they the criteria on which you base your central arguments? Please document with citations from the recent literature.
2. In the same paragraph you refer to the "opinions of mankind." Whose polling data are you using? Without specific evidence, it seems to us the "opinions of mankind" are a matter of opinion.
3. You hold certain truths to be "self-evident." Could you please elaborate? If they are as evident as you claim then it should not be difficult for you to locate the appropriate supporting statistics.
4. "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" seem to be the goals of your proposal. These are not measurable goals. If you were to say that "among these is the ability to sustain an average life expectancy in six of the 13 colonies of at last 55 years, and to enable newspapers in the colonies to print news without outside interference, and to raise the average income of the colonists by 10 percent in the next 10 years," these could be measurable goals. Please clarify.
5. You state, "Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government...." Have you weighed this assertion against all the alternatives? What are the trade-off considerations?
6. Your description of the existing situation is quite extensive. Such a long list of grievances should precede the statement of goals, not follow it. Your problem statement needs improvement.
7. Your strategy for achieving your goal is not developed at all. You state that the colonies "ought to be Free and Independent States," and that they are "Absolved from All Allegiance to the British Crown." Who or what must change to achieve this objective? In what way must they change? What specific steps will you take to overcome the likely resistance? How long will it take? We have found that a little foresight in these areas helps to prevent careless errors later on. How cost-effective are your strategies?
8. Who among the list of signatories will be responsible for implementing your strategy? Who conceived it? Who provided the theoretical research? Who will constitute the advisory committee? Please submit an organization chart and vitas of the principal investigators. 
9. You must include an evaluation design. We have been requiring this since Queen Anne`s War. 
10. What impact will your proposed solution have? Your failure to include any assessment of this inspires little confidence in the long-range prospects of your undertaking. 
11. Please submit a PERT diagram, an activity chart, itemized budget, and manpower utilization matrix.
12. We hope that these comments prove useful in revising your "Declaration of Independence." We welcome the submission of your revised proposal. Our due date for unsolicited proposals is July 31, 1776. Ten copies with original signatures will be required.

Sincerely,

 

Management Analyst to the British Crown

Learn how to navigate fiscal uncertainty by improving efficiency, fostering collaboration, and providing information on right-sizing. Through weekly posts, Dave will discuss legislative developments, best practices, and training opportunities.

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June 3, 2013 – Two weeks ago, a large truck carrying a tall load struck a portion of an Interstate 95 bridge over the Skagit River between Seattle and Canada, sending the portion of the bridge and several cars into the river below. Miraculously, no one died and only a handful of people were injured.

According to the AP report, investigators were initially unsure whether the bridge collapsed on its own, but later concluded the collapse occurred when a tractor-trailer carrying a tall load hit an upper section of the bridge. Case closed – just another too-tall-truck-that-hit-a-too-small bridge accident. Nothing to get too excited over. Wrong!

Washington State’s Transportation Secretary, Lynn Peterson, told the AP that the bridge had been inspected and repaired last year, noting that it is “an older bridge that needs a lot of work.” The Federal Highway Administration listed the bridge, which was built in 1955, as being “functionally obsolete,” and gave the bridge a sufficiency rating of 47 out of 100 in November 2012 – not so good.

By the way, “functionally obsolete” refers to the function of the geometrics of the bridge in relation to the geometrics required by current design standards. Facilities, including bridges, are designed to conform to the standards in place at the time they are designed. For example, a bridge designed in the 1930s would have shoulder widths that conform to the design standards of the 1930s. The difference between the required, current-day shoulder width and the 1930s’ designed shoulder width represents a deficiency. The magnitude of these types of deficiencies determines whether a bridge is classified as functionally obsolete. The bridge in question is functionally obsolete, meaning it is no longer designed to conform to today’s standards. 

This is just another example of what happens when we under-invest in our infrastructure. We allow trucks to get bigger to lower their costs, yet we do not provide enough revenue to alter the design of bridges to accommodate those same trucks. Make sense to you? Me neither – yet we all do it. In fact, I recently saw a whole show on example after example of too-big-truck-hitting or getting stuck under too-small-bridge. Very funny in some people’s eyes – until something like this happens.

How many more times does this have to happen before someone figures out that we need a plan to fix this situation? (Remember the I-35 bridge over the Mississippi River in Minnesota six years ago?) How many more reasons can politicians find for not providing adequate funding and demanding a national program be developed? Where is the accountability? 

Oh, by the way, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is making $1 million of federal emergency fund dollars available to Washington officials to help cover the cost of building temporary bridges until a new permanent bridge can be built. Shouldn’t we have a national plan to fix the bridges we already know need fixing instead of waiting for catastrophes like this to occur? Never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.

If you want to know what about anything related to transportation in Southeast Michigan, don’t miss Carmine Palombo's blog. Carmine has more than 30 years of experience in various phases of transportation planning at SEMCOG. He is responsible for administering SEMCOG’s transportation planning program, which includes the region’s long-range transportation plan and short-term transportation plan.

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