Volume 1  Number 1  |  June 2005

Introduction

Dear Michigan Suburbs Alliance members, supporters and friends:

In order to keep you updated on our activities, events and accomplishments, we have initiated a monthly e-newsletter, the Corkboard.  We hope that it will be a quick and convenient way for you to stay current on how we are working to improve the quality of life in our communities in southeast Michigan.  We have sent our newsletter to all of our contacts, so if you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of the page.  If you do not unsubscribe you can look forward to seeing the Suburbs Alliance E-Newsletter in your inbox on the first Friday of each month.  Don't forget that you can always contact us for more information about any of our programs; we would love to hear from you!  You can also visit our website for more information.

A Message from Conan Smith, Executive Director

May has brought some big changes to the Michigan Suburbs Alliance that we hope will result in a lot more direct service from us on projects from redevelopment to municipal finance to regional governance.  We have grown our staff from two to seven, refurbished the office with a major furniture donation, and begun researching a new member city priority project:  regional transportation.  With talented new staff and pioneering projects before us, the Suburbs Alliance is keenly poised to raise the call for regionalism and encourage reinvestment in Michigan's first-tier suburbs.  Read on to get a better sense of how May left us in a great position to advance the causes of our coalition.  Director's Message

Project Updates

The Redevelopment Ready Communities pilot program gains momentum every month. Our six participating pilot cities (Eastpointe, Hazel Park, River Rouge, Southfield, Taylor, Ypsilanti) are actively testing the Best Practices and scoring system.  Since the official start of the pilot program on February 18^th, the cities have passed program support resolutions with city councils, zoning board of appeals, and planning commissions, a key Threshold requirement.   In parallel, the communities self-assess their current development processes compared to the RRC Best Practices.  After self-assessment, the certification consultant evaluates the city's processes and supporting evidence, and then recommends a preliminary score and areas of growth to the RRC committee for review.  Each city advances through the evaluation process at their own pace.  Currently, all six communities have completed the first evaluation with Don Gross, our certification consultant.  In the next two to three months, primary technical assistance is available through our planning firm, Hamilton Anderson Associates, and other proven resource outlets across the state.  To learn more about the program you can contact Melanie Brown, the program project manager.  Feel free to snap her an email at melanie@suburbsalliance.org.

 

In late April Governor Granholm appointed a 15-member Task Force on Local Government Services and Fiscal Stability charged with advising her and the Legislature about policies that would allow local governments to better provide services to their citizens, enhance cooperation on regional issues and spur economic growth.  The Suburbs Alliance is fortunate to have the representation of Taylor Mayor Greg Pitoniak and Huntington Woods City Manager Alex Allie on the task force.  Importantly, the task force will set up a number of subcommittees on various issues giving more of our members an opportunity to define the needs facing built-out communities and offer solutions to the municipal finance crisis.  For more information, contact Conan Smith [mailto:conan@suburbsalliance.org. Read the Governor's Executive Order at www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21975-115805--,00.html.

The Metro Detroit Regional Investment Initiative (MDRII) is an ongoing project aimed at revitalizing the City of Detroit and its inner ring suburbs through a grant provided by Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).  LISC awarded seven lead organizations and their collaborative partners $25,000 planning grants to further develop their revitalization plans and apply for a grant worth $130,000 to fulfill the projects.  For the past several weeks the Suburbs Alliance has been working with the planning coalitions to prepare their project plans for the June 3 deadline for final submission.  The Suburbs Alliance is helping to facilitate plan development by supporting positive group dynamics and aiding coalitions in building relationships with developers and other professionals. The long-term goal of this initiative is to create "social equity" through the development and redevelopment of infrastructure that either borders or connects the city of Detroit with its neighboring suburban communities. 

The goal of our Resource Sharing project is to implement collaborative agreements amongst member communities that will improve the quality of services and alleviate financial stress on municipalities.  The project kicked off several weeks ago, and the staff at the Suburbs Alliance has been busy researching successful collaborative efforts around the country in the fields of fire, police, Community Block Grants, insurance, and staff pooling.  To this point, our research shows that the conditions are ripe for cooperation and very real opportunities exist in southeast Michigan.  Over the summer, we will organize steering committees comprised of community leaders, union representatives, university professors, and business people to create educational forums targeting each of the issues.  The forums will be held in the fall and early winter.  Implementation of regional efforts will take place next spring with the procurement of funding. 

Since the success of the City of River Rouge and Michigan State University partnership last spring, we have been eager to develop a program that coordinates student redevelopment projects throughout the region.  Many cities' officials are eager to host a group of planning and/or public policy graduate students that would take on design, planning and public administration responsibilities in the redevelopment of a city-designated site.  Professors from some of the state's top universities also are excited for students to utilize their skills in real-world situations and gain valuable experience.  Currently, we are contacting university professors and city officials and building a database of interested parties.  In the coming months, we will look to our member cities and universities like Wayne State, University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan and MSU for guidance in expanding this project.  Before the fall semester begins, we expect to tailor projects that match our member cities' needs for service with the student and curriculum capabilities of our partner universities.

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In the News

The RRC Pilot Program has enjoyed time in the spotlight in recent weeks.   Michigan Builder and Contractor published an article, Michigan Suburbs Seek Certification as Redevelopment Ready that created a buzz about the program throughout the private sector in April.  Hazel Park, one of the six pilot communities, has been making great progress toward reaching certification, which the Oakland Business Review pointed out in its editorial, No pain means a gain (May 12-18 issue).  Hazel Park's efforts to achieve RRC certified status have already sparked developers' interest: recently Michael Furnari and the city have secured a development agreement and landscaping and parking plans for a five-building condominium project.  Read Hazel Park races forward from the May 5-11 issue of the Oakland Business Review to learn more about Furnari's development project.

In its April/May 2005 issue, Brownfield News published an article written by Executive Director Conan Smith highlighting the RRC program and the progress made by the City of Taylor.  Look up the Midwestern Report at http://www.brownfieldnews.com to read "Redevelopment and Regional Planning a Pair." 

On May 9, 2005 Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton proposed legislation to help revitalize inner-ring suburbs.  The Suburban Core Opportunity, Restoration, and Enhancement (SCORE) Act, if adopted, will create a $250 million fund for helping cities to build transportation systems, improve substandard housing and strengthen deteriorating neighborhoods.  Read up on Senator Clinton's bill and the letter she wrote to the American Planning Association explaining its intended ramifications.

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Upcoming Events

The RRC Committee meets the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month.  Anyone is welcome to stop by and join us for our lively discussions on program development.  

Friday, June 3 and Friday, June 17.  8:00-10:00 a.m.
Council Chamber at Ferndale City Hall

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The Land Information Access Association and Partnerships for Change are sponsoring Multi-Jurisdictional Planning: Improving the Bottom Line, a professional education workshop.   These one-day workshops are intended to build awareness of the opportunities for successful intergovernmental cooperation, and all appointed and elected municipal officials encouraged to attend.  Register online at http://www.partnershipsforchange.cc/.  For more information, call Land Info Access Association at (231) 929-3696.  There are three dates and locations:

      Monday, June 6 in Saginaw
Tuesday, June 7 in Traverse City
Wednesday, June 8 in Lansing

The Richard C. Van Dusen Forum on Urban Issues and Wayne State University's College of Urban, Labor, and Metropolitan Affairs are hosting a series of "Cool Cities" lunch meetings throughout June called "Art + Local Economic Development."
 

When:  June 9  "...but does it work?"
Ann Markusen, professor and director of the Project on Regional and Industrial Economics, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota will speak at McGregor Memorial Conference Center at Wayne State. 
Registration deadline: June 3

When: June 16  "Building New Community"
Artist Lily Yeh, founder of Village Arts and Humanities in Philadelphia, will speak at Businesses United with Officers and Youth (BUOY 3) in Detroit. 
Registration deadline: June 10

You can reserve a seat by calling (313) 577-5071.  For information, visit the Cool Cities or CreateDetroit websites.  Meetings are from 12:00-1:30 p.m. and are free. 
 

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For more information about the Michigan Suburbs Alliance and our activities, visit http://www.michigansuburbsalliance.org/.
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