Michigan’s state agencies are working together across department lines to find ways for communities to get the most out of the limited funding available for placemaking related to community improvements. Officials from multiple state organizations will lead a session about leveraging state resources to create place during the Michigan Municipal League’s 2012 Convention taking place October 3-5 on Mackinac Island.
In this session, you’ll learn from the experiences of Boyne City and Portland about how it's possible to use multiple grant programs from various state departments to implement place-based initiatives. State agency staff from MSHDA, MDOT, MEDC, MDEQ and MDNR will be available to answer questions and discuss potential projects.
Check out the full Convention agenda and more detailed list of topics to be discussed, including a discussion on some of the controversial ballot issues that may appear on the November ballot, new laws regarding cell towers, how to secure grant funding for your community, how governments can address illegal drugs in their communities, collaborative innovation by Jeff DeGraff, walkable urbanism from Chris Leinberger, how to build resilient communities by Chuck Marohn, thinking global for local issues by Clarence Anthony, using art and creativity to drive our state forward by Jennifer Goulet, local finance issues and strategies, and community design and sustainability. Be sure to register by Sept. 7 to get the early bird discount.
How can we best use our natural and cultural assets to create viable, diverse, and economically sustainable communities? Stories from Petoskey, Marquette, and Monroe illustrate the value of creating a consensus vision. Hear about these stories and leaving a placemaking legacy during a special vendor-sponsored session at the Michigan Municipal League’s 2012 Convention on Mackinac Island October 3-5. The session will be presented by Beckett & Raeder Inc.
Aligning public policies and initiatives helps community leaders leverage support for project implementation, and it can even establish the kind of relationship with residents that will guide development decisions into the future. By drawing on the unique voices of our citizenry, we almost can't help but create unique, comfortable places that continue to inspire every generation to leave a legacy of their own.
Other vendor-sponsored sessions are on placemaking, health care reform, paperless government, and building today's infrastructure for tomorrow. In addition, the League's Anthony Minghine will have a session on solutions to the many financial and other challenges communities are faced with today.
Check out the full Convention agenda and more detailed list of topics to be discussed, including a discussion on some of the controversial ballot issues that may appear on the November ballot, new laws regarding cell towers, how to secure grant funding for your community, how governments can address illegal drugs in their communities, collaborative innovation by Jeff DeGraff, local finance issues and strategies, and community design and sustainability. Be sure to register by tomorrow (Aug 31) to get the group discount rate at the Grand Hotel.
The Michigan Municipal League’s 2012 Convention on Mackinac Island October 3-5 will have a series of vendor-sponsored education sessions on everything from cloud computing to financial reporting.
One of those sessions is “Place Making Something From Nothing” sponsored by Orchard Hiltz (OHM). This presentation steps outside the confines of traditional thinking about placemaking and revitalization and focuses on how placemaking can occur in communities where there is no existing sense of place. The presentation will discuss the role public space has as an effective catalyst for redevelopment, how non-traditional public private partnerships can create opportunities, and how traditional infrastructure projects can create opportunity for placemaking. Three case studies will be examined.
Check out the Convention agenda and more detailed list of topics to be discussed, including a discussion on some of the controversial ballot issues that may appear on the November ballot, new laws regarding cell towers, health care reform, how to secure grant funding for your community, how governments can address illegal drugs in their communities, collaborative innovation by Jeff DeGraff, local finance issues and strategies, and community design and sustainability. Be sure to register by Aug 31 to get the group discount rate at the Grand Hotel.
Grandville Councilmember Joshua Meringa, Mayor James Buck and councilmember Steven Kauffman accept the Region 3 CEA nomination in March. View and download additional photos of the 2012 CEA finalists.
Seven projects from around the state will be vying for top honors in the Michigan Municipal League's Community Excellence Award competition October 3-5 at the League's 2012 Annual Convention on Mackinac Island.
Region 3 (all communities in the west-central area of the state’s Lower Peninsula) will be represented by the city of Grandville’s clean water plant expansion and renovation project. The project earned top honors as the Michigan Municipal League’s Region 3 Community Excellence Award winner at the Michigan Municipal League 2012 Capital Conference Lansing in March. Grandville’s expansion and renovation project created a clean water plant that incorporates innovative wastewater treatment technology. Grandville will now compete against the other six regional winners (Alpena, Baroda, Bessemer, Durand, Port Huron and Utica) for the statewide CEA at the League’s Annual Convention Oct. 3-5 on Mackinac Island. The CEA program, affectionately called “The Race for the Cup,” was started by the League in 2007 to recognize innovative solutions taking place in Michigan’s cities, villages and urban townships.
Only Convention-goers may vote on the CEA winners so make sure to support your region by attending. Register now!
LANSING, Michigan - Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett told Michigan Municipal League members Wednesday how placemaking has helped his city reinvent itself. Cornett spoke at the Michigan Municipal League's 2012 Capital Conference in Lansing.
With Mayor Cornett leading the way, Oklahoma City became a major league city with the arrival of the National Basketball Association. During his tenure, Oklahoma City’s economy has been one of the strongest in the nation. Standing for efficient government and responsible leadership, Mayor Cornett has worked to promote an inclusive and optimistic vision of Oklahoma City, fueled by bold ideas. Cornett's humble nature, intense work ethic and optimistic attitude have become emblematic of a city that, as Cornett says, "works hard and dreams big."
Cornett received applause from League members at several points in his highly-enthusiastic presentation. He explained how his city used a penny on the dollar sales tax approved by voters to make numerous improvements to the city, including redeveloping a river front, refurbishing and building new schools and tackling the obesity problem of the city's citizens.
To stay up to date on the latest news from Capital Conference, read the Capital Conference blog or go to the League’s website at mml.org. Want to be sure you know what's happening as it happens? Follow the Capital Conference Twitter feed by searching the hashtag #mmlconf. View photos from Capital Conference here on the League's flickr page. View press releases from the conference here. Read more about placemaking at mml.org and the blog by League CEO Ddan Gilmartin at economicsofplace.com.
Matt Bach is director of communications for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at mbach@mml.org and 734-669-6317.
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett speaks at 2012 Michigan Municipal League Capital Conference.
