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January 30, 2012

Michigan Senate to consider two inch rule for sidewalk liability (again)

Tomorrow afternoon the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee will be taking up HB 4589, a bill that reinstates the long-standing two-inch rule for sidewalk liability. This rule was reversed by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2009, and the Michigan Municipal League…

January 30, 2012

Michigan House of Representatives considers bills penalizing public employee strikes

The Michigan House of Representatives' Oversight, Reform and Ethics Committee is taking testimony on a package of bills, 5023-5026, that increase penalties for municipal employees who strike. Michigan law prohibits public employees from striking, and in talking to our members…

January 30, 2012

Michigan Municipal League Selects Six New Members to League Board of Trustees

LANSING, Michigan – Six local government officials from throughout the state were recently named as the newest members of the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees.Selected to the Board on Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, were Battle Creek Mayor Susan Baldwin;…

January 30, 2012

League Opposes Bill that Shifts Local Road Agencies Funds to Counties

The Michigan Municipal League has major concerns with HB 5304, a bill to require local road agencies that receive less than $50,000 in 2012 would have their funds shifted to their respective counties starting in 2015. The legislation would affect…

January 30, 2012

Firefighter hiring and retention grants available through FEMA

The Federal Emergency and Management Association (FEMA), is accepting grant applications for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Program (SAFER). The SAFER program provides funding to assist communities in hiring new firefighters, retaining existing ones, or rehiring those…

January 30, 2012

Cell tower siting – local control rebuked by court

A Federal Appeals Court has upheld a 2009 FCC ruling that limits the time state and local governments have to consider cell tower siting applications. Ruling on a challenge brought by Arlington and San Antonio, Texas, in which the National…

January 30, 2012

House and Senate committees to act on transportation funding legislation

As noted in previous posts, early 2012 is to be the time when the U.S. House and Senate move forward on authorization legislation for a new transportation funding bill. That time has arrived, although given the sharp contrasts in the proposals, there…

January 27, 2012

Community Development Block grant allocations announced

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has made public all grant allocations to cities and states for FY 2012 for the CDBG, HOME and grants under Community Planning and Development. Recall that Congress cut overall CDBG funding by nearly…

January 26, 2012

Michigan Public Policy Survey Shows Concerns with Economic Vitality Incentive Program

The latest results from local officials polled as part of the Michigan Public Policy Survey show a great deal of concern with the requirements surrounding the new Economic Vitality Incentive Program (EVIP). Recall that the EVIP replaced the former statutory…

January 26, 2012

Contracting Building Departments Bill Passes Senate Committee

The Senate Regulatory Reform committee passed HB 5011, which amends the State Construction Code Act to allow a governmental subdivision to contract with a private organization to operate its building department. Currently, some communities use outside companies to operate building…

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