REGION 8 NOTES
March/April 2011
Request for 2011 CEDS Projects
The West Michigan Regional Planning Commission (WMRPC) and the Compre-hensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Committee are soliciting counties, cities, villages, townships, and others for potential economic development projects. The WMRPC will include all projects submitted by member communities in the 2011 CEDS docu-ment that is submitted to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) for funding consideration. The WMRPC has been very successful in the past three years in obtaining EDA grants for communities (over $12 million) and we want to maintain this momentum by gathering all of the projects that will help move West Michigan’s economy forward. Submitting a project is a very easy process. E-mail Dave Bee at dbee@wmrpc.org for the one-page submission form and some helpful hints on what type of projects EDA typically funds. Recently funded projects include improve-ments to roads, water and sewer systems, and industrial parks – but EDA is always looking for innovative projects that promote job creation.
2011 Michigan Transportation Asset Management Program & Training Schedule
The West Michigan Regional Planning Commission, the Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan’s Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC), County Road Commissions, Cities, Villages, and others are preparing for the 2011 Transportation Asset Management Program. WMRPC’s Planner, Elizabeth Van Doorne, will be coordinating the effort this year for our seven-county area, so contact our office with any questions and to schedule your County’s road ratings.
The TAMC has scheduled a variety of training opportunities for those interested in Asset Management.
Training on the TAMC’s Internet Reporting Tool is scheduled for March 3, 2011 from 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel just off the Ann Street Exit on US-131, in Grand Rapids. This training guides Road Commis-sions, Cities, and Villages through the process of reporting improvements to the TAMC.
Road Commissions and any community wishing to participate in rating their roads in 2011 must attend “PASER” training. The TAMC is holding training across Michigan, but the three sessions closest to our region include:
● March 29, 2011 at the Kalamazoo County Road Commission, 3801 E. Kilgore Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49001
● March 30, 2011 at Lansing Community College West Campus, 5708 Cornerstone Drive, Lansing, MI 48917
● March 31, 2011 at Big Rapids Holiday Inn and Conference Center, 1005 Perry Avenue, Big Rapids, MI 49307
To register for PASER training, contact the Center for Technology and Training at (906) 487-2102 or e-mail ctt@mtu.edu.
Finally, The TAMC’s annual conference is scheduled for May 12, 2011 at the Eberhard Center in Downtown Grand Rapids. This one-day conference is a great chance for people with an interest in Asset Management to learn, meet the people that carry out the various tasks, and talk with others about how to best use asset management to improve our roads. Visit michigan.gov/tamc to learn more about the conference and the TAMC.
Why Pay Dues?
Dues for the WMRPC are used as match for a Planning Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). Each year the WMRPC receives $60,000 from EDA and has to provide a 30 percent match. The WMRPC also seeks other grants that sometimes require a match – so dues are essential for funding programs that are valued by member communities. The 2010-2011 Budget identifies dues revenues of $25,164, which is 10.9 percent of the total budget. So, for each dollar of dues collected, the WMRPC brings in another $9.13 to maintain the regional program – from a variety of sources including EDA, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE) Coastal Management Program, and for specific community-based projects such as Master Plans and Recreation Plans.
But, maintaining a regional program is only important if the communities within the region benefit from the program’s activities. The relationship between EDA and the WMRPC is a very beneficial relationship. In addition to providing operating funds for the WMRPC, EDA provides grants to communities through the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) that is developed and maintained by the WMRPC.
While the WMRPC does work with communities to obtain other grants, EDA is one of the larger programs that provides funds to communities.
In Region 8, the first EDA grants were granted in 1975. Over the years, this has been a steady resource for communities to improve or develop infrastructure necessary to serve business and industry. The following information shows the number of grants and the grant amounts provided over time. The information shows that the current period (2006-2010) was a very good five years.
1975 (3 grants) $3,687,000
1976-1980 (4 grants) $1,184,525
1981-1985 (7 grants) $3,045,779
1986-1990 (3 grants) $1,427,504
1991-1995 (3 grants) $2,524,961
1996-2000 (7 grants) $4,920,544
2001-2005 (3 grants) $3,790,000
2006-2010 (6 grants) $11,718,000
None of these grants could have been possible without the dues required to support the CEDS process and relationship with EDA. These grants represent a huge return on investment for members.
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