Ramp reconstruction and recycling operations to close southbound I-75 exits

by | May 7, 2020 | Uncategorized

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

 

CONTACT: Rob Morosi, MDOT Office of Communications, [email protected]

 

Ramp reconstruction and recycling operations to close southbound I-75 exits to Big Beaver and Rochester roads

 

Fast facts:

– Starting Saturday morning, crews will close the temporary southbound I-75 exits to Big Beaver and Rochester roads.

– The ramp closures are needed for reconstructing the southbound I-75 exit ramps and for recycling operations at the ramp to Rochester Road.

– Southbound I-75 exits at Square Lake, Adams and 14 Mile roads will remain open.

 

May 7, 2020 — Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) contracting crews will be closing the temporary southbound I-75 exits to Big Beaver and Rochester roads starting at 5 a.m. Saturday, May 9. Both ramps will be reconstructed. The Big Beaver Road ramp is expected to remain closed until mid-June. During the ramp closure, traffic will be detoured to 14 Mile Road.

 

The temporary Rochester Road exit ramp is being closed for reconstruction and recycling operations. The existing southbound freeway pavement is being removed and crushed for use as the new sub-base. The Rochester Road exit ramp is scheduled to be closed until mid-August. During the ramp closure, traffic will be detoured to 14 Mile Road.

 

Currently, both directions of I-75 have two lanes open with all traffic using the northbound side of the freeway, separated by a temporary concrete barrier, between Adams and 13 Mile roads. Motorists will be able to exit southbound I-75 at Square Lake, Adams and 14 Mile roads.

 

Follow I-75 modernization progress on the web at www.Modernize75.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Modernize75 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Modernize75.

 

ESSENTIAL WORK: This road construction project is an essential function. Transportation workers in the field follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines to limit their risk of getting sick.

Governor Whimter Extends Executive Order Allowing Public Bodies to Meet Remotely

by | May 7, 2020 | News

Governor Gretchen Whitmer Banner - headshot with bridge graphic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2020

Contact: [email protected]

 

Governor Whitmer Extends Executive Order Allowing Public Bodies to Meet Remotely

 

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer today signed Executive Order 2020-75, which extends a previous Executive Order that allows public bodies to conduct remote public meetings during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Executive Order 75 expires on June 30, 2020.

 

“As we continue to flatten the curve, it’s important to give public bodies the flexibility they need to conduct virtual meetings and limit in-person contact,” Governor Whitmer said. “During this ongoing crisis, it’s critical to ensure public officials can continue to do their jobs and meet the needs of residents, while also ensuring meetings remain open, accessible and transparent to the public.”

 

Under Executive Order 2020-75, public bodies subject to the Open Meetings Act, including boards, commissions, committees, subcommittees, authorities, councils and nonprofit boards, can use telephone- or video- conferencing methods to continue meeting and conducting business during the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis, so long as they follow certain procedures to ensure meaningful access and participation by members of the public body and the general public.

 

Public bodies must meet the following criteria when holding a public meeting electronically:

  • Ensure two-way communication for members and the public to hear and address each other when speaking.
  • Provide adequate notice to the public of the meeting.
  • Post a public meeting notice on their website.
  • Permit participants to record or broadcast the public meeting.
  • Allow participants to address the public body during a public comment period.

 

The order also temporarily authorizes public bodies, departments and agencies to use technology to enable remote participation in public comment and hearings, and temporarily excuses school boards from monthly meeting requirements.

 

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

 

To view Executive Order 2020-75, click the links below:
AG Nessel Urges Congress to Strengthen Paycheck Protection Program 

AG Nessel Urges Congress to Strengthen Paycheck Protection Program 

by | May 7, 2020 | Uncategorized

Attorney General Dana Nessel

Media Contact:

Ryan Jarvi
(o) 517-335-7666 (c) 517-599-2746

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 7, 2020

AG Nessel Urges Congress to Strengthen Paycheck Protection Program

23 State AGs Call for More Transparency, Flexibility and Equity in Implementation 

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and 22 other attorneys general joined together Wednesday in calling for key changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to ensure funds are distributed fairly and equitably. In a letter to Congressional leadership, the attorneys general express concerns that the program – while helping some small businesses and their employees – suffered from a lack of transparency, technical savvy and functionality that led to funds being distributed in a manner overly benefitting large, well connected companies. As a result, the coalition argues that both the first and second rounds of funding with this program have left many small businesses across the country underserved by PPP.

“Michigan is home to a multitude of small businesses that are more than deserving of receiving assistance from the Paycheck Protection Program, but many of them were turned away when the first and second rounds of funding quickly ran out,” said Nessel. “That is why I joined with my colleagues from around the nation to ask Congress to continue working to support small business owners in their time of need. By taking the steps proposed by this coalition, Congress can ensure that access to the program is fair and that the funds end up in the hands of those who need it most.”

The coalition is calling for Congress to adopt the following measures before they allocate additional PPP funding:

  • Increase Fair Access Funding for Small Businesses: Congress should require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide stronger, explicit guidance to lenders to ensure funding goes to small businesses and not large, publicly traded companies. Additionally, the coalition urges Congress to adopt rules that prohibit lenders from giving preference to certain categories of customers over others, such as existing, larger customers or customers whose current debts could create conflicts of interest for the lender.
  • Ensure Equitable Distribution: A portion of any future funding for the program should be allocated exclusively for minority-owned small businesses. That funding should be fairly distributed across metropolitan areas, and small banks and credit unions should be fairly represented as lending sources involved in the program. The coalition also calls for the SBA to create a simple and straightforward process for “unbanked” or “lesser-banked” small businesses or those that do not wish to apply through their current financial institution to receive funding.
  • Better Communication and Transparency: Congress should direct the SBA to provide more direct guidance to businesses during the application process. They also call for the SBA to be required to disclose more granular data on the percentage of loans in various size categories, the number and amount of loans processed by each lender, and the geographic distribution of all loans by metropolitan statistical area, borrower demographics – including gender, race, and ethnicity – and comprehensive data on the businesses that receive funding.
  • More Flexibility and Technical Support: The program does not adequately serve small businesses and requires more flexibility. The coalition calls for longer time limits for businesses looking to rehire employees, around repayment and forgiveness requirements to businesses that allocate a smaller amount of revenue to salaries, and expanding qualifications for loan forgiveness. They also urge Congress to provide the SBA with greater funding to improve technical support and mandate a uniform, user-friendly process for lenders.

Nessel joins the attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin in sending this letter.
State Provides Best Practice Guidelines

State Provides Best Practice Guidelines

by | May 7, 2020 | Uncategorized

State Provides Best Practice Guidelines to Protect Workers as Construction Industry Reopens

Contact: Jason Moon 517-282-0041

As the construction industry reopens tomorrow, May 7, the Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity highlighted requirements for employers and provided further guidance on best practices to protect Michigan workers and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“We must take aggressive action to reduce COVID-19 exposure in order to prevent a second spike in cases,” Governor Gretchen Whitmer said. “The only way we can safely reopen businesses, including our job providers in the construction industry, is to be smart about protecting our workforce. We’re ensuring employers understand how to protect their employees and customers, and we continue to save lives.”

The governor’s Executive Order 2020-70, allows the May 7 resumption of some types of work that present a very low risk of infection, including construction. LEO, in collaboration with leaders and experts from industry, and state and local public health, has developed best practice guidelines that help construction industry employers understand the requirements under the order. The best practice guidelines can be found on LEO’s website.

Under the Executive Order, construction industry employers are required to:

  • Designate a site supervisor to enforce COVID-19 control strategies.
  • Conduct daily health screenings for workers.
  • Create dedicated entry points, if possible, or issue stickers or other indicators to assure that all workers are screened every day.
  • Identify choke points and high-risk areas (like hallways, hoists and elevators, break areas, water stations, and buses) and controlling them to enable social distancing.
  • Ensure sufficient hand-washing or hand-sanitizing stations at the worksite.

“As the construction industry reopens and we get Michiganders back to work, our first priority is to protect our workers and save lives,” Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Jeff Donofrio said. “These guidelines in conjunction with the governor’s order, will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and allow Michigan construction workers to return home from the job healthy and safe.”

The governor’s order also requires construction industry employers to:

  • Develop a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, consistent with recommendations in OSHA’s Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.
  • Keep workers and patrons who are on premises at least six feet from one another to the maximum extent possible.
  • Increase standards of facility cleaning to limit worker and patron exposure to COVID-19.
  • Provide personal protective equipment such as gloves, goggles, face shields, and face masks as appropriate for the activity being performed.

 

On a scale from low to very high, risk determination is the leading factor to the level of precaution an employer should take to protect their employees and may vary within the same facility. These guidelines will help employers provide training on potential risks to their employees, which is a key component to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The construction industry best practice guidelines posted by LEO include in-depth descriptions of eight employer responsibilities to keep workers safe, including:

  • Training and administrative controls
  • Access control
  • Policies governing social distancing
  • Policies governing disinfection / sanitation
  • Personal hygiene
  • Policies governing personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Positive case protocols
  • Facility closure scenarios

 

Employees and employers having questions or complaints regarding workplace safety or health may contact the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration at 800-866-4674 and [email protected].

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at michigan.gov/coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Whitmer Signs Executive Order Expediting Unemployment Benefits

Whitmer Signs Executive Order Expediting Unemployment Benefits

by | May 7, 2020 | Uncategorized

Governor Gretchen Whitmer Banner - headshot with bridge graphic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2020

Contact: [email protected]   

 

Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Expediting Unemployment Benefits for Tens of Thousands of Michiganders

 

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer today signed Executive Order 2020-76, extending and building upon her earlier executive orders expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The Executive Order expedites benefits for tens of thousands of Michiganders who have filed for unemployment benefits by allowing the state to review only an individual’s most recent job separation, which is the cause of the current unemployment, to determine the individual’s benefit entitlement.

 

“Nobody should have to worry about how to put food on the table or pay their bills, especially during a crisis. Michiganders everywhere have lost work because of COVID-19, and we must ensure they receive the benefits they’re entitled to as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Governor Whitmer said. “This Executive Order will take us one step closer toward that goal by temporarily eliminating red tape as we continue to flatten the curve of this deadly disease.”

 

The Executive Order also extends Executive Order 2020-57, which:

  • Expands the state’s workshare program, offering more tools to employers to reduce layoffs and restart their business.
  • Extends unemployment benefits to workers:
  • Who have an unanticipated family care responsibility.
  • Who are sick, quarantined, or immunocompromised and who do not have access to paid family and medical leave or are laid off.
  • Extends unemployment benefits to workers who voluntarily left a job after accepting new employment but were unable to start their new position due to the pandemic.
  • Allows anyone with an active unemployment claim to receive up to 26 weeks of benefits.
  • Suspends the requirement for individuals seeking unemployment to request a registration and work search waiver from their employer.
  • Allows Unemployment Insurance Agency retirees to keep their retirement benefits if they return to work to process unemployment claims or serve on the Occupational Health and Safety Commission.
  • Expands cost-sharing with employers to reduce layoffs.

 

Governor Whitmer has been recognized nationally for her efforts to ensure unemployed Michiganders have access to benefits during the ongoing public health crisis.

 

Under the governor’s leadership, Michigan is one of only a few states that have begun issuing the additional $600 pandemic benefit from the U.S. government, according to Michele Evermore of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit National Employment Law Project, as reported in the Detroit Free Press.

 

According to Roll Call, Michigan has the second-lowest percentage of claimants still awaiting a decision on benefits, with only New York having a lower percentage of undecided claims. And, Michigan is third behind Vermont and West Virginia in the percentage of claimants receiving benefits, according to a recent New York Times report.

 

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

 

To view Executive Order 2020-76,click the link below: