Is your community dealing with an aging water utility infrastructure (treatment facilities, piping, storage tanks, pumps, or other equipment and appurtenances)? Are you facing high replacement costs? Attend this seminar to learn how the implementation of an asset management plan can help you address these concerns.

The complex management of water, wastewater and collection systems has a direct impact on a community's public health and safety, environment, economic development and quality of life. Asset management is a tool to help utilities prioritize and classify the assets associated with the management and operation of a water system. What does this mean to your community? More efficient management of public utilities, lower replacement costs, and an overall healthier community.

Additionally, the DEQ is now including an asset management program requirement in reissued major municipal WWTP NPDES permits that expire on October 1, 2012, and thereafter. This seminar will provide information pertaining to these new requirements.

Dates and Locations

All seminars will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

March 14, 2013 Ramada Inn Marquette, Michigan

March 19, 2013 Double Tree Hilton Bay City, Michigan

March 26, 2013 WMU Downtown Campus Grand Rapids, Michigan

March 28, 2013 Laurel Manor Livonia, Michigan

Register and find more details at the DEQ website.

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator with the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him by email or Twitter.

The Snyder Administration recently initiated a public input process to gather feedback about the State's energy policy. Specific areas of focus include the renewable energy standard, energy efficiency incentives and electric choice. We encourage League members to submit their comments before April 25 at http://www.michigan.gov/energy. In addition to the website, there will seven in-person listening sessions in various locations starting February 14 and ending April 22. See http://www.michigan.gov/energy/0,4580,7-230-54408---,00.html for the complete schedule of events. 

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator with the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him by email or on Twitter.

Michigan Environmental Council (MEC) and Michigan Energy Options (MEO) are excited to host an evening of information, conversation and refreshments with a focus on big-picture economics in a resource-constrained world.  Mr. Jim MacInnes, President & CEO of LEED-Certified Crystal Mountain Resort and Spa, will discuss his recent experience at the national Biophysical Economics (BPE) conference in Vermont.  He will be joined by MEC Energy Program Director David Gard who will report back on the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) conference in Austin.

The event is free but space is limited. Please RSVP to ensure yourself a spot.

Feb. 4, 2013 4:30 - 6:30pm

Location: 405 Grove St., East Lansing, MI, 48823 (Map)

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator with the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him by email or Twitter.

The Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities (GLAA-C) is a three-year project that seeks to strengthen the science and decision-making for more effective urban adaptation to climate change in the Great Lakes region. The project, which is funded by the University of Michigan and Kresge Foundation and led by the University's Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute, teams researchers with city decision makers in five Great Lakes cities in order to identify adaptation needs, opportunities for action, and relative costs of response options to climate change. The programs developed for the five cities will include implementation steps which will be able to be universalized and replicated in other cities in the region. This conference call is an opportunity for Michigan communities to learn about GLAA-C and how it can be applied locally and regionally.

Join the conference call at 10am eastern Wednesday, January 16, by calling 734-794-6099 and using code 43720. Once the call begins you can view presentation slides here.

Luke Forrest is a Project Coordinator with the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him by email or Twitter.