The Power of Partnerships

A huge part of SEMCOG’s work is bringing together diverse groups and communities to make connections and develop regional solutions. With limited fiscal capacities and an increasingly interconnected world, the need to form partnerships and engage in collaborative dialogue to address challenges is vital for both local and regional success. While important, developing regional partnerships that have a lasting impact and collaborating on issues can be challenging for many reasons.

This is why it is important to celebrate and highlight successes in regional partnerships that improve the quality of life in Southeast Michigan and set a framework for future coordination. Below are two recent examples (from the same day!) of recognitions and projects that showcase the impact of partnerships.

Specialty Forum on Water Resources Financing & Partnerships

Last month, SEMCOG brought together communities, practitioners, and experts to discuss options to finance water infrastructure and share successes in leveraging collaborative partnerships and funding arrangements to implement water resource projects. At this meeting, we heard three great examples of the importance of partnerships:

• First, Orion Township Supervisor, Chris Barnett shared the successful restoration of Paint Creek at the site of Carpenter-Rudd Mill Dam. Through the engagement of numerous private and public partners, in-kind donations, and volunteers, the township was able to remove the remains of a century-old dam that has been obsolete since 1926. Dozens of pieces of concrete, large and small, restricted the flow of water in the creek, blocking fish passage, and becoming a magnet for unwanted activities including spray painting, vandalism, and littering. Paint Creek was opened back up for fish passage by clearing out rocks and other unwanted items and materials. This was made possible by partnerships and donations of time and resources from the DNR, DEQ, Clinton River Watershed Council, Road Commission for Oakland County, OHM Advisors, and Trout Unlimited, and SEMCOG.

Before

After

• Macomb County shared recent successes in the restoration of 45 acres of bottomlands and streambanks along the Salt River and conversion of a former marina into a paddle park in Chesterfield Township. These projects are still in the design and development phases with completion expected in fiscal years 2018-2019. Numerous partners were involved in securing funds and moving these projects forward – Macomb County Planning and Economic Development, Clinton River Watershed Council, Webber Foundation, DNR, and Chesterfield Township, and SEMCOG.

• Finally, the forum heard from the Alliance of Rouge Communities (ARC) on their collaborative approach to restoring the river through stormwater management. The ARC consists of three counties, 35 municipalities, two colleges, and six collaborating partners. ARC members provide an institutional mechanism that encourages watershed-wide cooperation, mutual support to meet water quality permit requirements, and restoration of beneficial uses of the Rouge River to area residents. To accomplish these goals, the ARC is conducting watershed-wide assessments of water quality and is developing and implementing collaborative stormwater management plans. Through these collaborative approaches, cost savings for member communities are projected to be between $900 and $16,000, depending on the size of the community.

SEMCOG is Honored with the MSU Extension Key Partner Award

After a day of learning about great work and partnerships geared to protect and restore our region’s waterways, SEMCOG was honored to receive the MSU Extension’s Key Partner Award at their 2017 Fall Extension Conference at Ford Field. This award recognized SEMCOG’s work with both MSU Extension and Michigan Sea Grant on a number of diverse projects – the blue economy, nonmotorized transportation, placemaking, air and water quality, housing, and green infrastructure.

These are just two examples of how SEMCOG and our members are collaborating and using partnerships to reduce costs and developing projects to improve the quality of life in the region. In another great example of the power of partnerships, MDOT, MSU Extension, the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, and SEMCOG received the prestigious American Association of State and Highways Transportation Officials’ Presidents’ Transportation Award for the I-75 Corridor Conservation Action Plan in Monroe County last month. You can watch a video about that here.

Many more success stories throughout our region can be found in the Case Studies section of our website.