Handbooks
Every November, local government officials are elected across the state. First-time officials often have little or no government experience. Our handbooks offer basic information for local officials in governance and as policy makers. The League publishes its own handbooks (the Handbook for Municipal Officials and Handbook for General Law Village Officials, both local government primers) and partners with our affiliate organizations to publish others, such as the Civil Marriage Ceremony Handbook for Mayors (Michigan Association of Mayors) and the Ethics Handbook for Michigan Municipalities (Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys).
Artificial Intelligence Handbook for Local Government-in partnership with the University of Michigan STPP
As the closest form of government to the people, local authorities have the unique opportunity to address real issues that matter on the ground. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers powerful tools that can improve government efficiency, expand government offerings, enhance community well-being, streamline public services, and make data-informed decisions to improve the quality of life for small and large municipalities. At the same time, local governments often lack the resources and guidance necessary to harness new technologies such as AI safely and effectively. STPP together with the Michigan Municipal League has published a handbook that fills that gap by providing concrete guidelines, best practices, sample applications, and risk assessment strategies that can help kickstart safe and effective AI adoption in local government.
For more information, click here.
Handbook for General Law Village Officials
This newly revised and greatly expanded handbook is essential reading material for both new and veteran elected and appointed officials in general law villages. Topics covered include basics of public service; the structure and function of village government in Michigan; specifics about the roles and responsibilities of general law village officials; options for delivering village services to residents; how to select and work with consultants; and in-depth tips about the operation of village government including written procedures, village financial operations, personnel and human resources issues, labor relations issues, risk management and environmental concerns. Numerous appendices cover the 1998 revisions to the GLV Act; a summary of other laws that affect GLVs; the full text of the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act; sample rules of procedure for GLV council meetings; and five key sample ordinances. A Michigan Municipal League publication. Approx. 180 pages.
Pattern Book Homes for 21st Century Michigan
This Used to Be Normal: Pattern Book Homes for 21st Century Michigan is a guide for creating new multi-unit housing models on vacant lots in downtown-adjacent neighborhoods in Michigan communities. These copyright-free 95%-complete construction plans are modeled after popular kit homes constructed during the state’s housing boom in the early part of the 20th century. Home builders can choose from two-family homes and four-family homes that use architectural themes designed to fit into existing Michigan neighborhoods. The guide also offers a toolkit to help communities modernize their zoning codes to allow for more multi-family construction like the homes envisioned in the Pattern Book.
Planning Commissioners Handbook
This book was written to help new planning commissioners become effective commissioners. The topics covered include tools for planning commissioners, preparing for meetings, meeting the public, how knowledge of the zoning ordinance and applying ordinance standards will help you make decisions that will stick and what the future holds for planning commissioners. Written by Steve Langworthy, published by the Michigan Municipal League. 50 pages.
Records Management Handbook: Guidelines and Approved Retention and Disposal Schedule for Cities and Villages
Michigan law requires that:
- all records be listed on an approved Retention and Disposal Schedule and
- all retention and disposal schedules must be formally approved by the Records Management Services [in the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget], the Archives of Michigan, and the State Administrative Board.
Note: Schedule #8, Records Management Handbook: Guidelines and Approved Retention and Disposal Schedule for Cities and Villages is an approved schedule*. However, there have been significant changes regarding its updating. Instead of updating the entire schedule, the state’s Records Management Services has updated parts of it in sections, as separate schedules.
If you have adopted and used Schedule #8, you now need to adopt the separate schedules that have superseded sections of this book. For example, the Elections schedule (schedule #23) and the Clerks schedule (schedule #24) have superseded sections of Schedule #8, Records Management Handbook: Guidelines and Approved Retention and Disposal Schedule for Cities and Villages.
Not all the new schedules promulgated by Records Management Services supersede sections of the Records Management Handbook. Schedules such as Public Libraries (schedule # 17) and Human Resources (schedule #26) are new, and were never a part of the original general schedule. You should look over the list of general schedules (which contains schedules updated or created through January 2022) and adopt the schedules that are appropriate for your municipality.
*The schedule in this handbook has been pre-approved by the State of Michigan. It contains the usual documents found in most municipal departments. For questions on records retention schedules, contact:
Caryn Wojcik, Government Records Archivist
State of Michigan, Records Management Services
3400 N. Grand River Ave.
PO Box 30026
Lansing MI 48909
(517) 335-8222
Zoning Board of Appeals Handbook
This handbook was written to help new zoning board of appeals members understand the scope of their role and responsibilities, and to provide them with a basis of understanding in order to capably perform their duties within the law. Topics covered include: the role of the ZBA as a whole and as individual members; an explanation of the zoning enabling acts; the ZBA’s relationship to other municipal bodies and individuals; how to identify and handle conflicts of interest; hot to interpret a zoning ordinance; types of variances; preparing for and conducting meetings; and guidelines for making tough decisions. Written by Steve Langworthy. 40 pages.
Contact: Kim Cekola, Research Specialist / Editor
Phone: 734.669.6321 or Email: [email protected]