Leaders address water quality
Broadband access also topic of focus at tri-county meet
Leading legislators from Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties met recently to focus on water and broadband infrastructure issues facing the region at the 14th Tri-County Summit held at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak.
Officials from the state’s three most populous counties said in a news release they explored ways to collaborate as a region through several sessions on various topics at the Nov. 18 event.
“I am proud of the efforts made by our tricounty team since we renewed the summit in 2021 and look forward to continuing the work identified at this year’s event,’’ said Macomb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Don Brown. “These issues affect our entire region and we can tackle them better together.”
Officials said they primarily discussed efforts to improve water quality and infrastructure, and access to broadband.
“Issues like water quality and broadband access aren’t just local issues, but regional issues,” Wayne County Commission Chairwoman Alisha Bell said. “Tri-county summits, like the one we just held, offer a tremendous starting point for all of us to work together on them.”
“This year’s summit provided a unique opportunity for commissioners across southeast Michigan to hear from experts on the issues facing our region and begin exploring how we can move forward together in the most effective and powerful way possible,” said Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairman David Woodward.
Following the 2021 summit, commissioners from Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties formed study groups on water and broadband infrastructure.
The Broadband Equity Study Group at the recent event shared their findings on regional broadband coverage and ways to leverage federal funding opportunities, officials said. The Water Infrastructure Study Group gave a presentation on regulatory storm water standards, and lobbying regulation and educational resources for residents. Officials from the National Association of Counties also offered their expertise during these discussions and expressed support for the three counties’ collaborative efforts around water and broadband, according to officials.
Participants also heard from Martin Lavelle, an economist from the Chicago Federal Reserve, and Amy O’Leary, executive director of the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments, who presented the organization’s water infrastructure survey results and spoke about regional broadband, officials said. The Michigan Association of Counties provided a legislative update for attendees.
According to officials, commission chairs signed a pledge at the conclusion to continue working together to address issues deemed significant to the region in the following ways:
• Implement a tri-county approach to federal and state infrastructure grant opportunities and actively seek joint grant applications to submit with the support of all three counties; and
• Evaluate, and, if necessary, jointly challenge the accuracy of newly released Federal Communications Commission broadband maps, which will determine federal funding for improving broadband access and speeds across the region; and
• Create a water legislative agenda by the first quarter of 2023 to jointly advocate and advance in the next state legislature session.
The Tri-County Summit was first hosted in 1998 to create a forum to identify common issues for cooperative action. Previous topics have included mental health, criminal justice, transportation/transit, economic development and regional quality of life.
For more information about the Macomb board, visit bocmacomb.org or call 586-469-5125. Video of the event can be found on youtube.com and the Macomb BOC site will provide clips soon.
The Broadband Equity Study Group at the recent event shared their findings on regional broadband coverage and ways to leverage federal funding opportunities, officials said. The Water Infrastructure Study Group gave a presentation on regulatory storm water standards...