News from the Network
-
August Webinar: Michigan Saves and Municipal Financing Program
- Join the Michigan Green Communities LinkedIn Group
- Resources from Michigan Green Communities Leadership Academy
- Save the Date! Annual Conference - November 2
Resources
-
New MGC Case Studies
- Powering the New Energy Future from the Ground Up
- Federal Resources for Sustainable Rural Communities
Events
- Transportation for Michigan Community Forum
- Houses that Work - Existing Homes: Remodeling for Energy Efficiency
- Ways to Beat the Heat: Effective Approaches to Heat Island Reduction
- What Health Impact Assessments Can Do for Health Inequities
- 2012 Innovate Michigan! Summit
Community News
-
Huntington Woods Joins Recycling Challenge
- East Lansing Wins $6.2M Federal Grant for New Multi-modal Transit Station
- State Transportation Commission Formally Adopts Complete Streets Policy
- Final Stretch for Detroit River Walk Gets $44M Boost
- Southfield Businesses Get New Tool to Save Energy and Money
- Grand Rapids Water Systems Admin Building Unveils Solar Panel Array
- Big Boy, Bivouac Among First to Apply for Ann Arbor's New Energy Program
- Hazel Park Unveils New Lights on John R
- Transit Grant for Muskegon Announced
- Ann Arbor Launches Blog Celebrating Non-Motorized Transportation
- Pontiac Seeks Bids for 220 LED Streetlights
August Webinar: Michigan Saves and Municipal Financing Program
Wednesday, August 15
10 am Eastern
Call in: 734-794-6099
Bridge: 43720
Michigan Saves is a leader in financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy in the state. Building off its successful residential program, Michigan Saves is now launching its statewide Business Energy Financing Program in partnership with a local Michigan lender. Learn how these programs can help residents and businesses in your communities. Sally Talberg, manager of program design for Michigan Saves, will also seek your input to help shape a special financing program that would be available to municipalities and other governmental entities in late 2012.
Join the Michigan Green Communities LinkedIn Group
Connect with your peers from other Michigan communities by joining our LinkedIn Group. Use the group’s discussion forum to pose a question. (Thanks to Leslee for the suggestion to create the group!)
Resources from Michigan Green Communities Leadership Academy
The Michigan Green Communities Leadership Academy brought together 18 teams of senior officials and key stakeholders from across the state of Michigan to advance and accelerate local sustainable development solutions. Teams focused on making the case for sustainability, improving health and quality of life, developing and financing new markets, and collaborating across sectors and jurisdictions. The workshop was co-hosted by Michigan Green Communities and the Institute for Sustainable Communities. View resources.
Save the Date! Annual Conference - November 2
The Third Annual Michigan Green Communities Conference will take place Friday, November 2, 2012, in Lansing. Registration will be available later this month. Save the date!
New MGC Case Studies
Michigan Green Communities has three new case studies focusing on home-grown sustainability solutions from within Michigan.
-
Ann Arbor Stormwater Utility – Highlights lessons learned from the City of Ann Arbor and advice for communities looking to establish a stormwater utility.
-
Dearborn’s Adopt-A-Watt Sponsored Energy Efficient Lighting Upgrades – Details a partnership between the City of Dearborn and Adopt-A-Watt to upgrade lighting in a City parking garage at no cost to the City.
-
Grand Rapids Sustainability in the Zoning Ordinance – Describes how the City of Grand Rapids updated its zoning code to promote renewable energy, stormwater management, and other sustainability strategies.
Powering the New Energy Future from the Ground Up
New Energy Cities released, "Powering the New Energy Future from the Ground Up: Profiles in City-Led Clean Energy Innovation," which profiles the early results of a diverse range of small- to medium-sized American cities with different economic and energy profiles that are pioneering the clean energy economy. Many communities used federal grants to jumpstart long-term strategies to test and refine various clean energy and energy efficiency solutions. Others developed innovative financing strategies in the absence of grant money. Read more.
Federal Resources for Sustainable Rural Communities
This guide to HUD, DOT, EPA, and USDA programs highlights federal resources rural communities can use to promote economic competitiveness, protect healthy environments, and enhance quality of life. It provides key information on funding and technical assistance opportunities available from the four agencies, as well as examples of how rural communities across the country have put these programs into action. Learn more.
Have a resource to share with the network? Send sample ordinances, RFPs, outreach materials, case studies, and other resources to Laura (lmatson@a2gov.org) to include in the next update.
Transportation for Michigan Community Forum
Thursday, August 2 – Ann Arbor
Thursday, August 9 – Warren
Wednesday, August 15 – Muskegon
Tuesday, August 16 – Flint
Tuesday, August 20 – Houghton
Tuesday, August 21 – Lansing
Tuesday, August 28 – Jackson
Wednesday, August 29 – Escanaba
Thursday, August 30 – Traverse City
Transportation for Michigan is holding a series of Community Forums throughout Michigan in which the citizens, non-profits, and businesses will work together to create a shared transportation vision for the state. Learn more.
Houses that Work - Existing Homes: Remodeling for Energy Efficiency
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Lawrence Technical University | 21000 W 10 Mile Road, Southfield, MI
This new workshop explores cost-effective opportunities to implement energy efficient and green technologies and strategies into remodeling projects for existing homes. The fundamentals of building science - air, heat and moisture flow - are applied to help participants understand how elements of a house all work together as a system and how this knowledge can be used by remodelers to reduce risks and find the most cost-effective energy improvements for individual homes. Learn more.
Ways to Beat the Heat: Effective Approaches to Heat Island Reduction
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Heat islands can affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and reducing water quality. In this upcoming webcast, learn about the benefits and strategies for taking action to reduce urban heat islands. Hear from local governments and organizations on urban heat island reduction examples, implementation strategies, and plans for monitoring and evaluation. Cities will share lessons learned on how to design and implement effective programs and policies including cool pavements, shade trees, and cool roofs. Learn more.
What Health Impact Assessments Can Do for Health Inequities
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
2-3 p.m. EDT
The health impact assessment, or HIA, is gaining huge momentum as a tool to address the social and environmental determinants of health, particularly on transportation-related projects and policies. Learn about HIAs conducted on transportation corridors with high rates of poverty and unemployment, on a new public transportation line and on a city’s master plan. Some of the most important health risks or outcomes addressed are healthy food availability, physical activity through multi-modal transportation and safety. Learn more.
2012 Innovate Michigan! Summit
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center | 219 South Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI
Economic development practitioners, business leaders, finance providers, scholars, students, local and state government, and other community leaders will come together to share their new approaches to economic development and revitalization in the new economy. It will be a full day event featuring presentations and poster sessions on new tools, models, policies and practices and technical assistance projects (student practicum) from REI and partner's previous year's work. The summit will also provide a venue to assist in prioritizing issues for the coming year 2013. Learn more.
Huntington Woods Joins Recycling Challenge
Huntington Woods could win $100,000 for sustainability projects if residents do their part during a national recycling challenge that kicked off earlier this month. As part of the competition, Huntington Woods residents have been asked to register with New York-based recycling incentives program Recyclebank and record their recycling habits for 2 years beginning July 2. Read more.
East Lansing Wins $6.2M Federal Grant for New Multi-modal Transit Station
A federal grant will help the city of East Lansing build a new transportation station to serve Michigan State University students, residents and the Greater Lansing region. Read more.
State Transportation Commission Formally Adopts Complete Streets Policy
The State Transportation Commission (STC),a six-member board that establishes policy and plans for Michigan’s transportation department, formally adopted a Complete Streets” policy. The policy will direct Michigan Department of Transportation planners to keep all users in mind – including bicyclists, transit riders, motorists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. Read more.
Final Stretch for Detroit River Walk Gets $44M Boost
A cheerful group of public and private officials broke ground on the final stage of the east riverfront project. The project, which will be funded by $44 million in federal and state appropriations, will connect the downtown RiverWalk to the space just east of the Belle Isle bridge, creating green spaces, plazas and parks accessible for the city's residents and visitors. Read more.
Southfield Businesses Get New Tool to Save Energy and Money
Commercial, industrial and multi-family property owners in the City of Southfield will now have access to an innovative new tool to finance energy efficiency projects and renewable energy improvements for their buildings. The Southfield City Council has voted to become the first city government to join Lean & Green Michigan, a public-private partnership facilitating economic development, the creation of good jobs, and improving the environment. Read more.
Grand Rapids Water Systems Admin Building Unveils Solar Panel Array
Grand Rapids unveiled a solar panel array above the Water Systems Administration building moving the city one step closer to its goal of securing 100 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020. The new system is expected to generate approximately 135,000 Kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean solar energy annually, which will be used to power 25% of the building. Read more.
Big Boy, Bivouac Among First to Apply for Ann Arbor's New Energy Program
When Bivouac owner Ed Davidson applied for Ann Arbor’s new Property Assessed Clean Energy program, he had a specific goal in mind: save money on his electrical bills. Davidson was one Ann Arbor’s first business owners to apply for the PACE program — which offers funds to business owners looking to make energy efficiency upgrades on their properties. Read more.
Hazel Park Unveils New Lights on John R
A new lighting project just wrapped along John R between Woodward Heights and the I-75 service drive. The project is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to be good stewards of the earth and taxpayers’ dollars, while improving aesthetics and usability for motorists and pedestrians in the area. Read more.
Transit Grant for Muskegon Announced
Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin welcomed the announcement of a $1.35 million federal grant to help the City of Muskegon pay for transit buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). Read more.
Ann Arbor Launches Blog Celebrating Non-Motorized Transportation
The City of the Ann Arbor launched a blog (http://a2nonmoto.tumblr.com) that celebrates the culture of nonmotorized transportation within the community: walking, cycling, etc. The blog will contain posts with a wide variety of features, such as bike helmet-cam videos, photos from bicycling commuters, pedestrian photos and news from the local and wider nonmotorized worlds. Read more.
Pontiac Seeks Bids for 220 LED Streetlights
The city of Pontiac, Michigan, has issued two requests for proposals for the purchase and installation of LED streetlights. The project is funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The city was initially awarded $683,800, of which a portion will be used for the LED streetlight project. Read more.
Have a story you’d like to share? Email Laura (lmatson@a2gov.org) with press releases and news items to include in the next newsletter.
|
About Michigan Green Communities
Michigan Green Communities is a network of local government and university staff in the state of Michigan that collaborate with one another, through peer learning and information sharing, to promote innovative solutions and move sustainability initiatives forward at the local, regional, and state level.
For questions or more information about MGC, contact Jamie Kidwell (jkidwell@a2gov.org), Luke Forrest (lforrest@mml.org), or Laura Matson (lmatson@a2gov.org).
|
|
 |
Help Build the Network – share this message with your colleagues and contacts from other Michigan local governments!
Don’t want to receive these emails? Have a colleague from a local government who wants to be added to the list? Email Laura ( lmatson@a2gov.org). Please note that subscription is limited to government staff and officials and non-profit partners.
|
