The Michigan Port Collaborative held its Fall Summit on October 26th in Lansing.  Nearly 100 people from local communities were joined by state and federal officials to discuss issues involving ports and their host communities in Michigan, including the potential for contributing to Michigan's economic recovery.

Presenters included representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration to discuss the economic impact of the Great Lakes Marine Highway stretching from the St. Lawrence Seaway westward. A recent report issued by the American Great Lakes Port Association shows that Great Lakes-Seaway shipping in the U.S. and Canada creates 227,000 jobs and produces $33.5 billion in economic activity annually.

Other speakers included Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel discussing his county's efforts at creating a "Blue Economy", and State Senators Tom Casperson and Mike Kowall, respective chairs of the Senate Transportation and Eocnomic Development committee.

Collaborative initiatives include working with the Michigan Congressional Delegation to provide dredging and infrastructure funding for Michigan and Great Lakes ports.  This very issue was also mentioned in Governor Snyder's recent transportation message.

Arnold Weinfeld is Director of Strategic Initiatives and Federal Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304 or by e-mail.

On Wednesday August 10, the House Appropriations committee passed SB 449(S-2) 17-2 with 7 members electing to pass with their vote. This bill would increase tipping fees from 7 cents to 12 cents per cubic yard beginning October 1. The bill also extends the current sunset on the fees until 2013. According to the House Fiscal Agency, the increase is expected to raise $1.9 million in addition to the approximately $2.9 million the fee currently generates annually. The DEQ estimates that with the proposed increase, the fee will generate a total of $4.6 million in Fiscal Year 2012.

The committee also passed the medical claims package SB 347 & SB 348. This is a 1 percent Health Insurance Claims Assessment that would replace the 6 percent assessment on HMOs. These bills were assumed in the passing of the budget in May, and will most likely be voted on during the next House session on August 24.

Jason Mancini handles environmental policy for the Michigan Municipal League. Jason can be reached at 517-908-0303, or by email at jmancini@mml.org.

The Michigan Municipal League is a member of the Scrap Tire Advisory Committee Meeting (STAC) that has been put together by the Solid Waste Management Unit of the DEQ. 

STAC has recently begun discussing potential amendments to the Scrap Tires section of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act.  As part of that discussion, there has been talk about more stringent requirements for scrap tires haulers such as registration fees, financial assurance requirements, fines, etc.  

It was thought that such changes could help save cities, townships, and counties money by cutting down on illegal dumping of scrap tires.  

The DEQ has asked us to poll our members about how many tires are actually dumped, and how much effort/money communities put into dealing with dumped scrap tires each year. 

Please click on this web link - http://www.mml.org/advocacy/scrap-tires.aspx - to answer a brief poll that we can provide to DEQ and the workgroup. 

Feedback is needed by close of business on May 27^th.

Thanks!

Andy Schor is the Assistant Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. Contact him at (517) 908-0300 or by email at aschor@mml.org.

The USDA Rural Development division is making available grants to reduce or eliminate pollution of water resources and improvement planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas. Rural areas are defined as any area not in a city or town with a population in excess of 10,000.

The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) is usually published in the Federal Register around the end of September. Applications are then accepted from October 1 to December 31. For details on the application requirements, please visit the USDA, Rural Development, Solid Waste Management Grant Program website at http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/SWMG.htm.

You can also contact Michigan's USDA, Rural Development State Office at 517-324-5208.

Arnold Weinfeld is Director of Strategic Initiatives and Federal Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304 or by e-mail.