ALPENA, Michigan - Using social media to promote Michigan communities and the potential risks of doing so was the topic of a recent seminar in Alpena at the

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. I had the opportunity to speak during the Oct. 7 session, “Social Media is Here – Is Your Community Ready.”

My role in the three-hour session was as the social media cheerleader and I discussed ways communities and municipal officials are already using Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, blogs and other social media outlets to promote their communities. Also speaking was Gene King, LEAF coordinator and a consultant for the Michigan Municipal League’s Loss Control program; and Audrey Forbush, attorney with the Plunkett and Cooney law firm. Gene and Audrey discussed current legal cases regarding social media and the steps communities should take when getting involved with social media. We all agreed that it’s important for communities to establish guidelines for employees when it comes to using social media and for communities to lay out a plan as to how it would like to use social media.

Using social media fits nicely into the League’s Center for 21^st Century Communities program. The 21c3 program identifies eight assets that make for vibrant communities and one of those assets is messaging and technology. Getting involved in social media falls under that messaging and technology asset. The League also had three social media-related sessions during our 2010 Convention featuring experts from throughout the nation.

View additional photos from the Oct. 7 social media session here on Flickr. View photos from our 2010 Convention here. Read a recent Flint Journal article about how some Genesee County communities are using social media.

Matt Bach is director of communications for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at (734) 669-6317 or mbach@mml.org.

There is a free seminar Aug. 3 on renewable energy in Waterford. The seminar, called "Energy 101: Energy & Renewables for Local Government" is 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Aug. 3 at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center in Waterford. To register go here.

This session is part of the Oakland County Sustainable Community Seminar Series.

Two other sessions are planned for 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 7 in Oakland County. Those sessions will be on the Sustainable Sites Initiative and local food resources in Oakland County.

Having sustainable communities with green initiatives is one of eight assets the Michigan Municipal League has identified as making vibrant communities in its Center for 21st Century Communities effort. Click on these links for more information about the eight assets and green initiatives.

Matt Bach is communications director for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at (734) 669-6317 or mbach@mml.org.

Three Michigan Municipal League members - Blissfield, Hart and Wayland - have received the Michigan Main Street Community Designation by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

This is great news for these communities because as full fledged Michigan Main Street communities, they will now receive five years of intensive technical assistance through the Michigan Main Street Center at MSHDA. THis training will focus on revitalization strategies desgned to attract new residents, business investment, economic growth and job creation to their center business districts.

"The Michigan Main Stret program will help Blissfield, Hart and Wayland created opportunities for new development and economic growth just as it has in downtowns across our state," said Governor Jennifer Granholm. "Michigan's economy will be stronger with thriving downowns - big and small."

The Michigan Main Street program is part of Governor Granholm's initiative to create vibrant communities across Michigan, which is also a primary goal for the Michigan Municipal League and it's Center for 21st Century Communities program. These efforts are based on numerous recent studies showing that investing in our downtowns creates vibrant centers, making Michigan economcally stronger. There are currently 38 participating Michigan Main Street communities at all levels, inlcuding 16 at the select and master levels.

If your community is interested in getting involved, please contact Laura Krizov at MSHDA at (517) 241-4237.

In a press release sent to the League, Wayland officials and volunteers said they were trilled to get the Main Street designation.

"We are so excited to receive this designation from the state," said Mike Salisbury, chair of the DDA/Main Street Board that will oversee the program in Wayland. "So many people donated their time and talents to help prepare the extensive application to develop and perform the presentation in Lansing. It's heartening for Wayland to be recognized for all that hard work!"

Wayland Mayor Tim Bala added "this presents a great opportunity to take Wayland's downtown to the next level of success. The Main Street Program is well known around the country for helping to revitalize traditional downtowns. This announcement comes at a perfect time for Wayland's downtown as well as the entire community as we continue to build on our efforts toward a more vibrant and sustainable downtown."

Wayland is now organizing a celebration of the designation at a yet-to-be-determined date. Wayland officials made a series of YouTube videos as part of their presentation that earned them the Michigan Main Street Designation. View the videos here, here, here, here, here and here.

Matt Bach is director of communications for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at (734) 669-6317 or mbach@mml.org.

Wayland officials made a series of YouTube videos as part of their presentation that earned them the Michigan Main Street Designation. View the videos here, here, here, here, here and here. In this photo are "The Wayland City People" who performed as musical guests on the "Not Too Late for Downtown" show. They are, from left, Wayland resident Aaron Whitley, Wayland City Manager Chris Yonker, Wayland resident Matt Miner and city employee Jason Beckwith.

Learn how to get service grants worth more than $150,000 for your community through an online course backed by the Michigan Municipal League. And you can learn about it FOR FREE without leaving the office.

This webinar taking place 3-4 p.m. Friday (April 23, 2010) will is about the service grants available through the Partnerships for Change (PfC) Sustainable Communities Program. Funded by private foundations and backed by the Michigan Municipal League (MML) and Michigan Townships Association (MTA), the PfC Program will award service grants valued at over $150,000 late this June. If the local governments in your community are ready to work together for land use planning and community development, please consider this fabulous opportunity. This webinar is free to all local governments, however, registration is required and is limited to 20 people or sites. For details or to register go to www.partnershipsforchange.cc or call LIAA at (231) 929-3696.

Matt Bach is director of communications for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at mbach@mml.org or (734) 669-6317.