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Identifying the Barriers to Equity: Understanding the Local Impacts of the Criminal Justice System

Host: 

Emily Kieliszewski, Member Programs Lead, Michigan Municipal League

 

Guests:  

Erin Keith, Geoffrey Leonard, and Rubina Mustafa, Staff Attorneys, Detroit Justice Center

 

In this discussion with legal staff from the Detroit Justice Center, we explore the broader impact of our criminal justice system in the racial and economic inequities present in our local communities - and the role of local governments in making change. The presenters use their recent report on traffic enforcement practices, “Highway Robbery,” as an example of how our familiar police and court activities criminalize poverty, pushing a disproportionate number of Black Michiganders into the jail system. We discuss how this intersects with our broken municipal finance system, and what actions leaders can take locally—through their own policies, through partnerships with their courts, and through advocacy for state-level reforms. 

Connecting Residents to Michigan's Eviction Diversion Program

Host: Emily Kieliszewski, Member Programs Lead

Guests:
Jim Schaafsma, Housing Law Attorney, Michigan Poverty Law Program
Kelly Rose, Chief Housing Solutions Officer, MSHDA

With the end of the state’s moratorium on evictions and the Federal supplementary unemployment benefits, many of our residents face eviction from their homes. Even before COVID-19, Michigan saw nearly 200,000 eviction filings annually—about one for every six rental households. A COVID-driven surge in evictions above this baseline could not only harm individual families but destabilize neighborhoods and erode city budgets.

 

Join this webinar to learn about a recent report on the prevalence and impacts of eviction in our communities, how local leaders can connect residents to the State of Michigan’s Eviction Diversion Program, and possible local policies that can reduce evictions

 

Flint's Monica Galloway Receives Ambassador Award

The Michigan Municipal League honored Flint City Council President Monica Galloway with our Ambassador Award for exemplary service. Galloway received the recognition in conjunction with a tribute video in her honor. View the video here.

 

The Ambassador Award is given to League members who successfully complete all four levels of the League's Elected Officials Academy program. Galloway is among just a handful of leaders to complete all four levels. Read more.

Future of Public Safety Webinar Series: Re-imagining Community Engagement

Host: Emily Kieliszewski, Member Programs Lead, Michigan Municipal League

 

Guests:

Jerry Clayton, Washtenaw County Sheriff

Derrick Jackson, Director of Community Engagement, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office

 

What does it take to cultivate a department-wide culture that puts community engagement and collaborative problem-solving at the center? The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office Office offers a unique answer: hire an outside social worker to run community engagement. Sheriff Clayton and Director Jackson share how the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office brings a new approach to community engagement and policing in general.

Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Town Hall

Host: Emily Kielisewski, Member Programs Lead, Michigan Municipal League

 

Guests:

Nancy Becker Bennett, Division Director, Grants and Community Services Division, Michigan State Police

Bridget McCormack, Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court

Sheryl Kubiak, Dean & Professor, School of Social Work, Wayne State University

 

Tune in to learn more about U.S. Department of Justice local grants and sub-grants of the federal Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding. Get your questions answered, and hear ideas and guidance from the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration about using the funds in ways that will pay dividends over time.

What's Happening Inside MDOT's Local Agency Program

Host: Emily Kieliszewski, Member Programs Lead, Michigan Municipal League

 

Guests:

Kelly Crannell, PE, MDOT Local Agency Construction Engineer 

Ryan Doyle, PE, MDOT Local Agency Urban & Safety Manager

Michigan Municipal League presents another installment of an ongoing webinar series with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Get the latest updates on:

• Staff Updates

• Changes at MDOT - Temporary Layoff Days, Telecommuting, Virtual Meetings

• “Mutual Benefit” Easements- No Longer Allowed!

• Conflict of Interest Form (starting with GI Submittals Oct. 1)

• Funding Status Update

• NEPA/SHPO Update

• Bridge – NBIS Compliance, Bridge Bundling and FY22 Call for Projects

• Safety – FY22 Status Update

• 2020 Spec Book Update

• MDOT Construction Manual – updates to LAP section

• Project Closeout Process Changes

• Engineer Certification expanded to Consultants

• AASHTOWare conversion update

Handling High Waters: Your Guide to Rising Lake Levels

Host: Emily Kieliszewski, Member Programs Lead, Michigan Municipal League

 

Guests:

Ronda Wuycheck, Coastal Management Program Manager, Water Resources Division, Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Krystle Walker, Emergency Management Specialist, US Army Corps of Engineers

Nick Bonstell, Director of Emergency Management, Ottawa County Sheriffs Office, Emergency Management Division 

 

2019 brought the highest recorded lake levels since 1986, resulting in devastating flooding, erosion and damage to Michigan’s coastal communities. Join us for a discussion on what funding, technical assistance and emergency resources are available to coastal municipalities. Learn the high water predictions that are ahead for 2020, and how you and your communities’ assets can best be prepared.

ServeMICity Office Hours for CARES Act Funding for Michigan Municipalities

Host: Shanna Draheim, Director, Policy Research Labs, Michigan Municipal League

Guests:
Tim Dempsey, Vice President, Public Sector Consultants
Julie Durham, Senior Consultant, Public Sector Consultants

The State of Michigan is making $325 million in CARES Act funding available to Michigan municipalities. That’s great news, BUT there are tight deadlines and a challenging application process. In this session, representatives from Public Sector Consultants answer your questions and provide free technical assistance with the CARES Act funding application process through our ServeMICity initiative.

CARES Act Funding for Municipalities Explained - Michigan Treasury COVID-19 Webinar Series

Speaker:
Rod Taylor, Division Administrator, Community Engagement & Finance Division, Michigan Department of Treasury

In partnership with the Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Townships Association and Michigan Association of Counties, the Michigan Department of Treasury presented the fifth joint webinar, “CARES Act Funding for Municipalities Explained – Michigan Treasury Webinar,” at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2020.

Topics include updates, guidance, and instructions on CARES Act Funding for Local Governments, including water utility assistance, first responders hazard pay premiums, and public safety and public health payroll expenditures.

 

Future of Public Safety Webinar Series: Re-imagining How We Invest

Host: Emily Kieliszewski, Member Programs Lead, Michigan Municipal League

Guests:
Branden Snyder, Executive Director, Detroit Action
Monica Galloway, Council President, City of Flint

Join us for a discussion on the future of public safety. Recent events and protests have ignited discussions across the country on how local communities can rethink how they invest in public safety and re-imagine our perspective on what makes a “safe community.” Detroit Action’s Executive Director, Branden Snyder, unpacks the history and context of the movement to #DefundthePolice and discusses what alternative safety models are available for local governments. Also, learn how the City of Flint has taken steps to implement a Black Lives Matter citizen-led police review board and resolutions to prohibit biased crime reporting and to recognize racism as a public health crisis.